Many things can be said about Apollo. The other gods would often describe him arrogant, self-centered, cocky and irresponsible. Artemis even called him a big fiery ball of gas once. Yet he was also a caring brother and, in a limited amount, father. Percy mostly knew him as a laid-back big brother type of person and trainer. But he also knew about Apollo's colder, more ruthless side. Yet he would never say that Apollo was cruel without a reason... at least until they got on the bus.
Apollo watched with a wide smirk as the faces of the demigods paled drastically. But it wasn't the god who had frightened them, it was the fact that not Apollo sat down behind the wheel, but Percy. The mere idea that a twelve-year-old would drive them across the country in Apollo's chariot was obviously enough to unsettle even the most battle hardened attendants of Artemis.
"Alright Percy. Let's see how good you are at driving." Apollo said with a bright grin, as he sat down in the front row seat near Percy. "No need to rush things."
Percy looked around, not really sure about what he should do. "Uhm... Apollo?"
"Yes, Percy? Just drive, there is no hurry. Just the council waiting for us." Apollo replied nonchalantly.
"Apollo..." Percy said again.
"Yeah?"
"I'm twelve."
"And...?"
"I don't know how to drive." Percy deadpanned.
"Oh. I forgot, sorry." Apollo replied. But the look on his face showed that he was anything but sorry. "Well, let's see. Those pedals down there either increase our speed or slow us down, but you will quickly find out which does the former and which does the latter."
"Are you kidding me?"
"No." Apollo retorted with a mirthful glint in his eyes. Whatever he was planning, Percy was not sure whether he would like it. "Just drive, learning by doing is the best way for you to get used to driving. By the time you are sixteen you will be the most wicked driver in this country."
So Percy did as he was told and pressed one of the pedals down. Nothing happened. "Guess that was the brake..." So he tested the other pedal... and pushed it slightly down. Finally the bus started moving... slowly.
"Excellent." Apollo praised his champion with a gleeful expression. "Now floor it!"
"Apollo, don't you dare!" Artemis threatened from somewhere in the back. It sounded like she was getting closer, but before she could reach her brother and his champion, Percy stepped on the gas pedal and the bus accelerated quickly. The bus disappeared from the beach, where they had been before, and rose to the sky.
"Percy, please turn off the light. Don't want to confuse the mortals with the sun suddenly changing its direction."
"And how?"
"The big red button next to the wheel." Apollo replied, as he watched the passengers. The demigods gripped their seats in obvious fear, as the bus raced across the sky, while Artemis tried to get back to her feet after falling down. The only demigod who looked unaffected by the speed and all was Ariadne, who walked over to her father. Being a child of Apollo came with the distinct perk that the sun gods domain affected them differently than others.
"Are we even going in the right direction, Apollo? I have no idea where we are right now." Percy's concerns were justified. They were flying above the clouds now, around them only the blue sky, below them the gray clouds that hung above most of the world at the moment.
"Nah I can hear my dad's bickering getting louder. We are on the right way." Apollo then turned his attention to his daughter, who stood next to him. "Hey sunshine, sit down and tell your dad what's bothering you." He scooted over and made room for her to sit down next to him.
Ariadne sat down next to him, but remained silent for some time. The tension between those two was palpable, but no one dared to interfere. Even Artemis watched as he favorite niece sat next to her father.
"So... Fred..." Ariadne said, looking intently at her father. "Why didn't you tell me all those years ago?"
"I couldn't. Believe me, sunshine, if I had been able to, I would have raised you together with Percy, but alas... our fate is somewhat cruel to all of us." Apollo said apologetically. "And sorry about the whole Fred thing... I didn't want you to get attached to me... it would have been too cruel to take your father away after you had just lost your mom."
"So you brought me to the Hunters... and to my aunt."
"I entrusted you to my sister, knowing that she would take good care of you. And even for the moments my little sis needed help with that, I always had a way to help you." Apollo said, grinning at his daughter. Especially when he heard the indignant cry of Artemis about who was actually the older sibling.
"Percy..."
"Yep. My awesome champion."
"But why? You have many children, why this hassle because of me?" Ariadne asked in confusion.
"I care for all of your siblings equally. But you, my dear, are special. I really loved your mom. Though my sister may doubt my ability to truly love anyone, I still felt deeply for her. I never allowed myself to love deeply ever since the great disappointment with Daphne, but your mother was different... special. Yet I couldn't prevent her death." Apollo sounded truly sad when he talked about Ariadne's mother. Percy, who could hear their conversation from his place on the driver seat, couldn't remember ever hearing Apollo sound like this.
"Dad... thanks." Ariadne said, before she hugged her father.
Apollo said nothing, but he hugged his daughter back. Then he saw something ahead of them, as he looked over Ariadne's shoulder. "Percy, slow down now. You don't want to anger my father by ramming the sun chariot into Olympus."
"Sure thing, Apollo." Percy replied.
It was unnaturally calm in the council room on Olympus. The gods waited silently for the arrival of Apollo and Artemis. Especially Zeus awaited his children most impatiently. Their arrival would both bring him back his stolen symbol of power and end most of his current problems. They would decide the fate of Poseidon's illusive son and bring an end to this entire mess. Hopefully.
Zeus was not yet sure about what he should do about this boy. Usually he would have simply killed the boy. Blasted him to bits with his Master Bolt. But it was too late for that. Too many of his children had already met the boy and started to like him. Not all would support him, that much was sure. But maybe there would be some way to make use of this situation.
The oppressive silence in the room ended when a loud crash and yelling could be heard from outside. Zeus could only shake his head in annoyance when he heard Artemis and Apollo bickering. Those two would never stop arguing.
"He did that on purpose." Artemis accused loudly, as the group appeared at the door of the council chamber.
"No he didn't. It was his first time driving and he did quite well if I might add. Even better than you, little sis." Apollo looked teasingly at his sister, as he made sure that he was always between Percy and Artemis, just in case.
"He destroyed a statue!"
"And? It was one of Ares' statues, the blockhead won't even miss it. In fact, now that there is room, I could get that statue of me and..."
"Just shut up. We have arrived." Artemis finally relented with a groan. She knew that she couldn't win an argument against Apollo. He was just too damn stubborn.
Apollo and Artemis quickly grew to their godly size and joined their family, as they sat down on their thrones. Their demigod companions though stayed at the entrance, waiting anxiously for the gods to call for them.
"Have you completed you task?" Zeus asked his daughter sternly. Of course he knew the answer already, but in front of the demigods he felt the need to make it clear that the other gods answered to him and that above all others, the demigods should show him respect.
"Yes, father."
"Good." Zeus muttered with a pleased nod towards his daughter. Of all his children only Artemis and Athena had never failed him. He could rely on them... much more than on their other siblings. "Demigods, step forward and present yourselves."
Percy was the first to enter the chamber, as he tried, and failed, to not look around like the awed young boy he was. The giant room alone was breathtaking, but with the goods sitting on their thrones it was both a marvelous and intimidating sight. His eyes quickly found Apollo, who sat lazily on his throne. Artemis sat next to him, sending an occasional glare at her brother, before she tried to look stoically bored again.
He continued looking around, his gaze wandering over the other gods and goddesses. Hermes looked unusual grim at the moment. Percy could only guess the reason for that, though he was sure that it had to do with Luke's betrayal. Next was Aphrodite, who winked at him, smiling almost roguishly. Percy shuddered as he tried to imagine what she had planned for him. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Her husband, Hephaestus did not even look at him. Instead he was trying to talk to Aphrodite, but she ignored him.
Not far from her sat Ares, who was busy carving something into his throne with a large knife. For a moment he looked up and grinned blood thirsty at Percy, who in turn shuddered. Maybe defeating Ares was not worth it. The god of war would most likely come more often to him, demanding fights to entertain himself.
When he looked at Athena Percy remembered all that Apollo had told him about the goddess of wisdom. Most prominently the fact that the goddess does not like him, because he is a son of Poseidon. And true to that he could see in her expression that she saw him as nothing more than an insect. Though her eyes also showed interested. Yes, he was an insect to her and she most likely wanted to dissect him for the sake of her curiosity.
Then he saw him. For the first time in his life. His father. Poseidon. The god of the sea. At least he was sure that this god was Poseidon. No other god had a trident and would dress in Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt... not to mention that this man had exactly the same eye color as him. Yes, Percy was sure, this man was his father. As they stared at each other it was like time slowed down around them and allowed them to scrutinize each other. But now words were spoken. Soon Percy continued walking and approached Zeus.
"Lord Zeus, honored uncle." Percy said, before he knelt before the king of Olympus. Apollo had stressed how important it was to always show Zeus the utmost respect. The god was extremely prideful and would not hesitate to show his wrath should he feel slighted or disrespected in any way or form.
Zoe was one step behind Percy, the Master Bolt still in her grasp. Unlike Percy she did not kneel, but she bowed. Most likely to utmost respect the Hunter would ever show any male.
"My Master Bolt, girl, hand it over." He demanded, as he held his hand open. He caught it, when Zoe tossed it towards him. Thunder and lightning escaped from the dark clouds outside, the very moment the bolt reached Zeus' hand. "Finally it has returned to where it belongs."
"Lord Zeus, we also have caught one of the thieves." Zoe said, before she motioned for Phoebe to step forward. The other huntress pulled Annabeth towards Zeus, though with unnecessary force since the girl did not resist. "Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. We caught her red-handed with your Master Bolt, Lord Zeus."
Zeus had already raised his arm, ready to blast the girl to bits when two identical outcries stopped him. Both Percy and Athena had tried to intervene and luckily for the former, Zeus had not unleashed his power... yet.
"Lord Zeus, with all due respect, shouldn't we hear her version of this first?" Percy said wearily, realizing that he almost got fried. He really hoped that the girl and her mother would appreciate his gesture. He hoped that appealing to Zeus sense of justice, however misplaced it may be at times, would avoid any further violence on this day. After all justice was one of Zeus domains... though he shared that with his father, Kronos, and everyone knew how wonderfully that worked out.
"Please father, let my daughter explain herself. I cannot believe that she actually stole from you on purpose." Athena said, looking at her father pleadingly. And her actions actually did it. Zeus lowered his Bolt and motioned for his daughter to continue.
'Just like Apollo said, Zeus cannot deny his daughters anything.' Percy thought idly as he saw this.
Athena left her throne and approached her daughter, causing the other demigods to step further away from the blond girl. Annabeth looked oddly relieved and nervous at the same time. But anyone would be nervous in this situation. One wrong word and Zeus would end her.
"Annabeth, tell me what you know about the theft of the Master Bolt. Leave nothing out and do not lie." Athena said calmly, her expression that of a stern parent scolding a child after finding it with the hand in the cooky-jar.
"I... I received the Quest to find Lord Zeus' Master Bolt from the Oracle at Camp Half-blood. They had been searching for volunteers, so I took the chance to do a quest. I left the camp with Luke Castellan, son of Hermes, and Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares..."
"Get to the point. Why did you steal the Bolt?" Zeus interjected, clearly not interested in hearing the entire story.
"I did not steal from you, Lord Zeus."
"Luke Castellan admitted stealing it, uncle." Percy piped up, though the look her received from Zeus made him second guess whether it would be good to interrupt or stay silent from now on. A look towards Apollo made it clear that the latter would be the wiser choice. The god of the sun motioned for Percy to shut up and stay out of this.
"That does not prove her innocence. She could have been his accomplice."
"Were you involved in the theft, Annabeth?" Athena asked sternly.
"NO. I swear it, I wasn't involved. I didn't know about Luke having the Bolt until we got attacked by Ares at that beach. I swear it on the Styx." Thunder rumbled in the distance. Athena visibly relaxed now. Her daughter's innocence was proven... for now.
"Then I want the son of Hermes found and punished. He shall not escape from his punishment." Zeus rumbled loudly. "Return to your camp, girl, and don't show your face here again unless called by me." Phoebe released Annabeth from her bindings, now that she was proven innocent.
"Annabeth, take the other demigods and return to Camp Half-blood. Inform Chiron that the Bolt has been found and that Luke Castellan has to be apprehended on sight." Athena said, before she sent her daughter away. Clarisse and Grover followed her, albeit the former only did it begrudgingly. It was clear that the daughter of Ares would later show Annabeth just how displease she was with being left behind at the Casino. They took the still unconscious Nico with them. Zoe and Phoebe stayed behind, waiting for their mistress. As did Ariadne, though on her part it was most likely because she was not really sure yet where she belonged.
"Now we will deal with the other problem at hand. Perseus Jackson!" Zeus announced loudly. Percy knew that this would be a very long day.
By the looks of it they would hold a trial, all because of him. Percy felt so special at that moment. This was even more fuss than about the whole stolen Master Bolt disaster. And all of this because of an oath that he had neither sworn nor broken. Great.
Zeus looked at Percy from his throne, a thoughtful look on his face that allowed Percy at least a modicum of hope that he might get out of this whole mess, alive and well. At first Percy thought that Zeus looks like a lawyer, dressed in an immaculate pinstriped suit. But now he looked much more like a judge. No, someone else would fill the place of the prosecutor. Athena was still standing, either glaring at Poseidon or at him.
'Oh yeah, your welcome. I really don't regret speaking up for your daughter...' Percy thought with a frown.
"One more subject has to be discussed today. Poseidon's oath breaking and the existence of his son, Perseus Jackson." Athena said disdainfully. "We all have seen what he is capable of. Both during his fight against the Chimera and against Ares he has shown that he is too dangerous to be allowed to roam this world freely."
Percy wondered how they knew about his fight against the Chimera. Only Artemis and Apollo had seen it. He could understand why they might know about the fight with Ares though. Ares was here and the fact that they had not talked about Ares involvement in the theft left only one explanation. They had already dealt with Ares actions and did not want the demigods to see it.
"My son has done nothing wrong. He never acted against Olympus and always followed the orders he received from your son, Zeus. And don't get me started about broken oaths." Poseidon said hotly, as he tried to glare a hole into Athena's head.
"And his actions for Hades? How can we not consider it an act of treason, that he has delivered a child to your brother. A child that could potentially be the one in the prophecy." Athena retorted.
"He had no choice but to bring the girl to her father. Either this or Hades would have killed him. Don't judge him for preserving his life." Apollo spoke up, clearly not amused by this entire charade. "And never assume that Percy would betray Olympus. He is loyal to me and Olympus, oath-bound as my champion."
"Loyal to you does not mean loyal to Olympus, Apollo." Athena replied, her eyes narrowed as she looked at her half-brother.
"Are you implying something, Athena?"
"Enough. I won't tolerate your bickering here." Zeus yelled imperiously. "Let us hear what others have to say about this... boy." For a moment he looked at Percy, like a man would look at a dog he considers to take home from the shelter. "Artemis, what is your opinion of this demigod?"
'Alright, I'm screwed.' Percy thought. Artemis really did not like him.
"He... is an annoyance. A boy who often stands in the way of my Hunters. A boy who undermines their self-confidence and makes them doubt their vows. I shudder to imagine what effect he will have on my girls once he has grown older." Artemis said, surprisingly calm. Percy had expected an angry rant. But it didn't matter, her opinion was as bad as it can be. "But I have to admit that his actions always saved the lives of my Hunters. We all have seen how he lead the Chimera away from his sleeping friends." Percy was extremely surprised by that. This almost sounded like a compliment from the man hating goddess. Percy saw that Apollo had nearly fallen from his throne from the sudden surprise. "And he has not yet been completely corrupted by my brother's perversion. He might grow up to be a better man than most... or at least as a useful addition to the ranks of Olympus protectors."
"I'm not perverse!" Apollo's indignant outcry was ignored, instead attention returned to Zeus, who looked more thoughtful than before. The fact that Artemis actually spoke in favor of Percy obviously made a big impression on the King of Olympus.
"Then we will now decide the fate of this boy. All in favor of allowing him to live?" Many hands went up when Zeus asked that particular question. Apollo and Poseidon were among the first. But Ares and Hermes soon followed. Even Artemis and surprisingly Aphrodite voted in Percy's favor. In the end the only ones who did not raise their hands were Hera, no real surprise to anyone since she hated all demigods, Athena and Dionysus. Zeus himself never participated in the voting. He was above the rest of the council and considered it his right to veto any decision the other gods made, should he deem it fit to do so. But he would not veto this decision. "Then it is decided. Perseus Jackson, the son of Poseidon shall live." Apollo and Poseidon both looked very relieved about this.
"Father you can't possibly..." Athena wanted to protest, but Zeus interrupted her with a stern look.
"It has been decided. The demigods shall leave the council chamber, there are more important things to discuss now." Percy and the few other remaining demigods quickly understood this dismissal and left.
"Father, this boy is dangerous. We cannot let him leave like this. He might become a threat. What if the traitorous son of Hermes manages to convince Perseus of his believes?" Athena ranted again.
"Don't you listen to me? He is bound to me. He cannot betray us. Not to mention his fatal flaw." Apollo said somewhat aggravated. When he mentioned Percy's flaw several gods suddenly became very interested. Zeus merely looked commandingly at his son, urging him to elaborate. "Percy's fatal flaw is loyalty. He would never betray those close to him. He would rather sacrifice everything to protect his friends and family."
"And we all know that he is only loyal to you, Apollo. His loyalty does not include us or Olympus. He can be an asset, yes I even admit that, but only if we manage to train him properly."
"I..."
"Athena is right about this. Though we cannot separate the boy from Apollo, we must not allow him to be only influenced by one god." Zeus looked around, seeing his children and siblings on the council. Only few could be trusted with such a task. Most were either too close to the boy or disliked him too much to not kill him in an unfortunate accident. "Artemis. I hereby appoint you as the boy's guardian. You will keep your brother in line and assure that the boy will be properly trained as a loyal servant of Olympus." Artemis obviously wanted to protest, but Zeus would not listen. "Meeting adjourned." And with that he flashed out of the chamber, closely followed by his wife and the majority of the council.
Percy sat on a bench outside of the council chamber, waiting for whoever would come and pick him up. He was sure it would be Apollo. Things had gone rather well for him. He was still alive, has not been turned into some kind of monster or animal and most importantly, he had the majority of the council on his side. It was a good feeling. To know that for the first time in his life he was not on the kill list of some god. He just hoped it would last, at least for some time.
He saw Ariadne. She was in a heated argument with Zoe, both girls obviously too stubborn to yield to the other. Phoebe stood next to them, not interfering, though it was easy to see whose side she was on. All others had already left. Grover and Clarrise had taken Annabeth and Nico back to Camp Half-blood, as they had been ordered. Then someone else appeared. A tall man with oddly green skin and the same eyes as Poseidon.
"Perseus." The man said, as he stopped in front of Percy, looking down on him with an unreadable expression.
"Yes? And who are you?"
"Triton, son of Amphitrite and Poseidon." Percy looked stunned. Before him stood his half-brother. His godly half-brother. "You will come with me, there is someone who wishes to see you." Triton said calmly. Outward he showed no sign of any emotion in regards to Percy. It was impossible to tell how he felt about his demigod brother.
"Alright... I'm sure Apollo can easily find me as long as we stay here on Olympus."
"Our destination is not far from here. I'm sure that a god like Apollo can find the way in broad daylight." Triton said dryly.
As they walked the long path through endless gardens, Percy saw many other people stop and look at him. Minor gods, nymphs and whoever else would come to Olympus. They pointed at him, started whispering with others. It really was kind of unnerving.
"Oh no, not these two idiots." Triton said with a deep sigh. The path before them was blocked by two women, goddesses for sure. They sure were an odd pair. One of them looked strangely like female version of Ares, so Percy wondered whether Ares had pissed off some goddess and was punished this way. But the god of war should still be at the council meeting. And the woman looked rather pretty, a word that Percy would never apply to Ares. The other goddess was just as pretty, though slightly darker and gloomier, as she played idly with a golden apple.
"Who are they?"
"Eris and Enyo. Ares little gang. The latter is his twin sisters to be precise. You would do well to stay away from them. Those two always mean trouble." Triton said sternly, before he took another path to avoid those two. Gladly they did not follow, though they looked rather pleased with themselves to see Triton avoid them like this.
Soon after that they had arrived in front of a large palace like structure. The statues around them depicted several sea monsters and gods that were related to the ocean. Even a fool could easily tell whose palace this was. Inwardly Percy prepared himself for the inevitable meeting with his father. Little did he know who would really await him inside.
Ariadne was angered, as she paced around, outside of the council chamber. After a rather heated discussion with Zoe she preferred some moments alone. Zoe, always concerned about her mistress, had once more implored her to make her decision. The time had come to decide, Ariadne could not deny that. But what should she do? Stay with the Hunters, become an immortal attendant of her aunt? Or leave the Hunt behind to meet her siblings and live at Camp Half-blood with a chance to have an at least remotely normal life?
The door of the council chamber opened and a concerned looking Poseidon stormed past the girl in his mortal size. The god of the sea looked around, obviously searching for his son. But Percy was not here any more. Ariadne was surprised when she saw that he had disappeared. During her discussion with Zoe she had not paid much attention to him. But from what she had learned about him in the few days they had traveled together she was sure that he was just wandering around. All demigods had ADHD, but Percy seemed to be a special case... especially bad. She never saw him sit around quietly for more than a few minutes. So it was not far-fetched to believe that he was just walking around the gardens of Olympus.
Poseidon did not speak to any of the demigods around, instead he disappeared into the gardens himself. Ariadne was sure that he would easily find his son, so she thought nothing more about this. Instead her attention shifted to the only other gods that left the chamber on foot.
Apollo and Artemis walked out, side by side, neither speaking to the other. Artemis looked grimly, still displeased about her newly appointed duty. But even Apollo looked concerned, though he had all reason to be happy. After all his champion was out of danger now.
Zoe and Phoebe quickly joined their mistress, following some steps behind her, waiting for orders. But Artemis did not even acknowledge them at the moment. Instead she looked at her niece, as she walked directly to her. For Ariadne this could only mean one thing. She would have to make her decision now.
"Lady Artemis..." Ariadne said, as she bowed lightly before the goddess. She knew that her actions and decisions in the last few day could be hardly called respectful towards the goddess who had taken care of her since she was a young child. She chose Percy over her aunt. Helped him, though she knew that Lady Artemis was hunting the boy.
"Sunshine, you know that you have to make a decision now." Apollo told his daughter.
Both Artemis and Apollo looked at the girl impatiently, waiting for her decision now. Both wanted the girl to stay with them. Apollo had mentioned before that he favored her because of her mother, though he did not elaborate on that. And Artemis... Ariadne was the first daughter of Apollo in many centuries that had joined Artemis. Apollo's children rarely felt the call of the Hunt. But Apollo had brought Ariadne there. Brought her to Artemis. Ariadne was the closest thing to a daughter Artemis had in centuries. A kinship that no other Hunter could claim.
"I..." Ariadne was not sure. Would she see the Hunters again if she chose to follow her father? Would she ever see her father and her new friends again if she chose to become an immortal Hunter?
"Never doubt one thing, Ariadne. Even should you choose to go to Camp Half-blood you will always have a place with us. Oath or not, you are part of the Hunt. No one can take that from you." Artemis said with sad smile. It was almost as if she was the one with the gift of prophecy and not Apollo. She already knew what Ariadne would choose.
"Thank you... Aunt Artemis." This definitely made Ariadne's choice easier. "I will go with you, dad." She said finally, looking at Apollo. The god was grinning wildly now, clearly elated about this. Though Artemis did not let it on, it was obvious that she was disappointed though. But Ariadne couldn't help herself. She wanted to know what Apollo had meant when he said her mother was special. Her chances to find out were better by following her father.
Artemis stepped closer to the girl and gave her a brief, but warm hug. "Stay safe, Ariadne. Don't let those demigods at the camp corrupt you. And remember my words." The goddess then walked towards Zoe and Phoebe. With one last sad smile at Ariadne the goddess and her attendants disappeared.
"Don't worry, sunshine. You made the right choice." Apollo said, as he himself gave his daughter a hug. He was glad she would not become a full Hunter. Though he wanted her to become immortal one day he did not want her to be bound by the oath that all Hunters had to swear. "Come, let's find my elusive champion and then we will get something to eat. I'm in the mood for a big celebration right now." Apollo was enthusiastic now and nothing could spoil his mood this day.
Percy was confused, as he stood inside the large Atrium of Poseidon's palace. He had expected to meet his father here, why else would Triton escort him. But no, the god of the sea was nowhere to be seen. Instead there was a woman. A beautiful woman with flowing black hair and small horns that looked crab claws. She was dressed in robes fit for a queen and had an aura of grace and superiority around her.
"Perseus, this Lady Amphitrite, wife of Poseidon and Queen of the Sea." Triton told him. He looked reproachfully at Percy, wordlessly ordering him to show proper respect.
Percy looked slightly shocked by that. He knew only little about this woman, his stepmother. But if Hera was an example to go by, Percy had reason to fear that she might do something bad to him, to get her revenge on her husband for his liaisons. But instead she smiled at him benevolently. Percy couldn't shake the feeling that something was fishy... and he did not mean Triton by that.
"So you are the one that has caused all the commotion around Olympus." She scrutinized Percy for some moments before she continued. "You are still very young, though you show considerable talent, thanks to, or maybe despite Apollo's influence."
"His control over his water powers is still abysmal. He brawls like a son of Ares, using cheap tricks like Hermes' blighters." Triton said somewhat thoughtfully.
"Make no mistake, Perseus, I strongly disapprove of the way you were conceived. But I am not vengeful like Lady Hera. I see no gain in harming you. It wouldn't keep my Lord from repeating his mistakes." Amphitrite told him somewhat honestly. She wouldn't harm him, but that wouldn't stop her from using him to harm her husband. Though Percy did not need to know that little detail.
"Lady Amphitrite, why exactly am I here?" Percy asked, his confusion easily readable in his expression.
"You, Perseus, are here because you are a child of the sea. No matter how... or with whom you have been conceived, you are part of the sea. And as that, you are also my responsibility. You are a son of the King of the Sea and as such you have responsibilities. But we will teach you as you grow older. At the moment your only responsibility is to not bring shame to your family. Many gods have shown interest in you and that means that you will have to show them the superiority of the sea."
"Is this some kind of competition with Lord Zeus? Apollo always mentioned that the Big Three are especially competitive amongst each other."
"Apollo." Amphitrite said with a sigh. "Apparently it is inevitable that children of the sea feel drawn to the sun. Though it is slightly different in your case."
"What?" Was the only intelligent response Percy could think of.
"Our sister, Rhode, was the wife of Apollo's predecessor. She fell in love with and married Helios." Triton elaborated. His voice was subdued, a stark contrast to the way he spoke before. Before his strength and pride could be heard in every word, but when he mentioned their sister he sounded almost defeated.
"Why did you say she 'was' married to Helios?"
"When Helios faded our sister followed him. That was many centuries ago, but it is still a subject we do not discuss very often."
Percy couldn't help himself but think about the coincidence. So his half-sister was married to Helios and now he was here, carrying a weapon of the same Titan. And he himself became the champion of the current sun god. Almost ironic. Amphitrite was right. Children of the sea apparently felt drawn to the sun.
"Enough about the past." Amphitrite ordered sternly. Percy could understand why she did not want to talk about this topic. No mother would be happy to talk about her child's death. "We need to finish this meeting now. Your patron approaches, Perseus."
"I will not bring shame to your family, Lady Amphitrite."
"Yes, you will not. Triton will come and teach you how to properly use your inherited powers. Listen to what he says, follow his orders and you will do well." Amphitrite admonished him sternly. It was bit how Percy imagined his own mother would have admonished him to do well in school and do his homework. But his own mother was gone and her memory faded slowly. "Go now, Apollo is nearly here." Percy bowed lightly, before he quickly left the palace.
Triton looked exasperated now that Percy was gone. "Mother, is this really necessary? To teach this dunderhead!"
"You will do as I tell you, Triton. Your father cares for this demigod. But he will soon learn that I can take that boy away from him without harming the child. Poseidon will learn his lesson and we will gain a capable servant." The Queen of the Sea was convinced that her plan would succeed. From what they had seen, Percy already had his doubts in his father. They could work with that. And even now Poseidon did not meet his son. He searched for him, yes, but he would have never expected Percy to be at his own palace. The Queen was lucky, whereas her king would return to Atlantis, after suffering a disappointment.
A/N: So, I really hope this chapter wasn't too bad.
I had a rather long discussion with one reader about the OC in this story, Ariadne. Since in this story Apollo plays a major role in Percy's life I felt the need to have a child of Apollo in an equally important position. We know only few of his kids. At first I wanted to use Will Solace, but in the end I decided against him. The reason for that was simple. He is a boy and as such there would have been no way to connect him to Artemis without making up some ridiculous excuse. We know only one daughter of Apollo, Kayla, a very minor character in the books. But I really didn't like her name and since we know nothing else about her I could just as well create a new OC. Ariadne will play an important role in my stories, similar to Thalia or Clarisse in the books. She will not be romantically involved with Percy, but she will be a friend and constant companion for most of the time. And because of that I gave her a background story with Apollo and Artemis.
And I say it only once for all the Athena fans, I don't want to make her look bad or anything, but she and Poseidon had a very serious rivalry and because of that she also dislikes Poseidon's children... there was an exception to that, though, but that is for another time. And don't forget that she voted for Percy to be killed in the Titan's Curse, so it's no surprise that she does it here as well.
Ah well, and the rest... yeah, Percy will have a lot more interaction with Triton. I always felt that he should have seen his brother more during the books, it would have been really interesting to see. He had one of his brothers with him in the books, and as much as I like Tyson, he is 'just' a Cyclops, whereas Triton is Poseidon's heir. And with Artemis as his appointed guardian he will still have some form of connection to the Hunt.
And I guess one last piece of information about Apollo. He mentioned Daphne when he talked to Ariadne. Daphne was a nymph and a maiden huntress like Artemis. When Apollo made fun of Eros and called him a bad marksman Eros shot a love arrow at Apollo, making him fall in love with Daphne, while he shot an arrow at Daphne that had the opposite effect. Madly in love Apollo pursued Daphne relentlessly until the nymph prayed to her father to transform her into a different form so Apollo would no longer hunt her. She was turned into a laurel tree. Apollo's love ended tragically that way, but the laurel was sacred to him after this. In other narratives Apollo did not fall in love with her because of Eros, but because of Daphne's beauty, but the result was the same.