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Percy
It wasn't the first time Percy had been to the realm of his father, but it was definitely designed different now. In the Titan War, Percy had asked his father to leave his court and come fight with his family, the Olympians - but in doing so, Poseidon had to leave his court. Somehow, the realm was already rebuilt, although Poseidon had claimed that the previous arcade room had taken 600 years alone.
He could see that Aris was still taking it all in. Her eyes grew wide as she looked around. Percy didn't blame her. He had probably looked like that too the first time he'd seen this place, even though it was being destroyed in battle.
It was absolutely beautiful. Coral and other sea plants grew beautifully. Mermen and mermaids elegantly swam around around and sea horses galloped in the fields.
Two Cyclopes came up to them. Luckily, they recognized Percy. "Brother of Tyson!" one shouted giddily. He left immediately to go get Tyson. The other Cyclops looked at Percy with admiration. Percy was flattered that Tyson's friends knew who he was.
Within a minute, Tyson came over to them, crushing Percy in a hug. "Can't ... breathe!" Percy choked out.
Tyson let him go and stared at Aris. "Sister!" he bellowed and gave her a slightly less intense hug. Annabeth looked at Percy in wonder. "They've Iris messaged before," he explained.
Tyson led them all to the main palace of their father's. Tyson was now a general in the armies of Olympus and held high authority here.
The guards let them in without hesitation, since Tyson was with them, and he led them to the main room. It was grand with beautiful chandeliers - how they worked under water was beyond Percy - hung from the ceilings. Luxurious couches adorned the living room. A fire place roared in the pit, surrounded by an air bubble to keep it alive.
Aris looked like she might pass out. Percy stood close to her to offer her some comfort and she smiled at him. He smiled back and caught Annabeth staring at them curiously.
A few servant mermaids and mermen attended to them and brought them food. One said, "The Lord of the Sea will be with you shortly."
They all took a seat. Percy's power was draining from keeping Annabeth alive in her air bubble and no doubt Aris would be having trouble. He silently prayed to his father to hurry up.
Somehow, Percy guessed Poseidon had heard him. He swam in, dressed in his full Greek attire - white robes, sandals, and his trident was in his hand.
Aris stared at him wide eyed. Poseidon took a seat across from them and smiled. Percy's power strained and he croaked, "Dad a little help here!"
Poseidon's eyes widened until he understood. Nico and Annabeth were given better bubbles. The new bubbles clung to them and could barely be seen, rather than being encased in a bubble.
Aris huffed out water. "Thank the gods," she said wearily. Percy felt bad for putting so much of her power to strain. She'd just started using her powers.
Poseidon stared at her smiling. "It appears as though my son's and daughter have come for a visit?" he asked.
Aris looked at him. Tyson smiled. "Sister is here to see you."
"I can see that," Poseidon said. He was acting kind of weird, more reserved. Even though Percy's dad hadn't been around him much, they were definitely more comfortable with each other than Poseidon was with Aris.
Aris still hadn't said anything yet. She seemed nervous and kept biting her lip.
"Just here for a visit?" his father asked as Percy took a chip. "No, we're on a quest and needed your help." He turned to look at Aris, since this was her quest.
Poseidon's eyes drifted to look at his daughter.
Aris finally spoke. "We're looking for an item," she said. "It's a Stygian Iron sword with a key on its hilt. It's gone missing and it's our quest to find it."
Poseidon looked at her, his expression blank. Percy guessed that he was expecting her to yell at him for being a deadbeat father, not just get straight into business. He looked a little hurt.
"I had a vision that it was falling into the sea, into your realm. I was hoping you'd know where it was," Aris said biting her lip again.
Poseidon leaned forward, trident in hand. "I don't think I've seen anything like that, nor has it been reported. I would suggest that you take a look for yourselves. My blessing on Annabeth and Nico should hold for your time here," he said.
Nico and Annabeth nodded at his father. Aris still kept biting her lip.
Poseidon's immortal wife, Amphitrite, and son, Triton, entered the room. Amphitrite's body had electrical charges running over her skin and Aris's eyes widened. Did she know who the lady was?
Amphitrite and Triton had never liked Percy. The first time he'd met them, they'd both given him murderous glances.
Now, Amphitrite smiled coldly at Aris.
Aris got up and snarled. "You."
Poseidon looked at his wife, then back and fourth between her and Aris.
"You killed my mother," Aris shouted. "It was you!"
"Mortals do not concern me. Fragile little things," Amphitrite said, shrugging it off with an icy smile.
Percy remembered how Aris had told him that her mother than been electrocuted by an eel and suddenly felt enraged.
"You killed her! They claimed she was electrocuted by an eel while diving, but it was you wasn't it!" Aris shouted. Nico stood up and put a hand on Aris's shoulder.
Poseidon looked at his wife, shocked. "But, Arianna..." he mumbled.
"Was another pesky mortal whom you had an affair with," Amphitrite finished. Rage bubbled in Percy. Aris's mother could've been his mom - dead because an immortal lady was jealous.
Aris stormed out of the palace. Annabeth looked around, shocked. Nico's eyebrows scrunched up together. "Maybe I should go talk to her? My mom ..." He didn't need to finish. Percy knew exactly what had happened to Maria di Angelo. Zeus had gotten mad and killed her, just like Amphitrite had killed Aris's mom.
Percy nodded. Part of him was angry that he couldn't have been there for his sister, and the look on Tyson's face said it too. He and Tyson were so close, he wished that he and Aris were the same way.
He sat back down and glared at Amphitrite. She wasn't kind to him either. Triton, her son smirked at him. Percy wished he could smack that face off his face with Riptide, but Triton was an immortal god. No matter how minor of a god he was, Percy knew that Poseidon wouldn't be happy about them fighting.
He glared at Triton and the awkward silence continued in the room with a heavy heart.
Aris
Seeing her father for the first time didn't upset Aris. It infuriated her. He was never around, not even when she traveled from foster home to home. Ward homes weren't much better, especially when she was still young, small, and scrawny. All she wanted to do was get this quest over with. Annabeth didn't seem to like her, Nico seemed to avoid her ever since they'd gotten back from the Underworld - except he did try to comfort her in the palace - and Percy just looked at her with pity.
She made her way to Poseidon's Park. It had beautiful corals growing and pretty sea kelp. Schools of fish swam around and a dolphin came up to her.
Why the long face sea salt? it asked her. She wondered why all animals kept calling her that. She understood Spearmint, but shouldn't everything smell like sea salt here? The whole mentally speaking to sea animals was strange, but kind of cool. Bad day, Aris answered back.
Well, no child of Poseidon should feel bad in the water, eh? it asked. Aris didn't feel like talking to this upbeat animal while she was feeling bad. She wanted to sulk and be left alone.
Aris nodded and swam away. There was a bench under an overgrown underwater tree, which seemed to be abandoned. It seemed like a good place to be alone.
Within a minute of sulking, a voice came up to her and for a moment she thought it was the dolphin, but the voice was deeper and more familiar, and also not in her head.
"May I sit?" Nico asked. Although Aris didn't feel like having company, Nico didn't talk much so it seemed okay. He sat down even before she could reply. For a moment, Nico didn't speak. Suddenly, Nico seemed like he was emanating death. Plants began to die and wither away.
"My mom died too. My sister and I were really young and we still were in Italy. Zeus wanted all kids of the Big Three to die, so that the Big Prophecy about Percy wouldn't happen. Zeus was mad at my mom, and when she was about to leave, he killed everyone in the hotel. Hades put up a protective shield around me and my sister, so we survived, but I never saw her again. I couldn't even see her ghost. My mom died, just like yours. Because of some stuck up, immortal god."
Aris looked at him. Nico's eyes were focused on the scene before them. She wanted to thank him. Even though she'd just meet Nico, she knew that he wasn't much to open up. Aris lightly placed her hand on his, that was laying on the bench in between them.
Nico looked up at her and suddenly, the feeling of death was gone. She could feel butterflies in her stomach when their eyes sat like that for a while, until two mermen in official looking outfits came towards them.
"Lord Poseidon wishes to speak with you," the one on the right said.
Aris and Nico nodded and followed them back to the Palace. As much as she didn't want to see her father, Aris needed help with this quest. She couldn't fail.
One merman guided Nico back to the living room, while the other guided her up a set of stairs and to an official looking room that had no ceiling. Her father sat at the head of the table and Aris noticed that no one else was in the room.
She'd be alone with her father that'd she'd just met today.
