EPILOGUE
TWENTY YEARS LATER
The summer was as well as could be expected. I'd had thought that some monster would be attacking downtown New York or even some horrible sea spirit attacking the Long Island Sound. Nope. All was as quiet as can be. I sat on the edges of Manhattan thinking countless times of surviving the Titan-Olympian War. It made me open my eyes to the wonderful possibilities open to me now.
For starters Annabeth. She and I got married five years after the war. I guess we had that martial bliss thing my mom always talked about me having one day when I found that right girl. And she was that right girl. Annabeth did become an architect and build an amazing tourist attraction in San Francisco----The Monument to the Olympians. It was a one hundred story marble building that looked like a miniature Camp Half-Blood on the inside. With the thrones of the Olympians in a U shape and name plates and information about them. We visited it at least a zillion times a year. I, on the other hand, opened Jackson Harbor near the Long Island Sound. It's a cool resort where people and families can come relax and have fun. I got the idea from C.C.'s spa, but I wasn't going to turn the women or men into guinea pigs. Annabeth and I were doing alright for ourselves. We couldn't be any happier.
Thalia and Luke had gotten married also. She'd really sacrificed herself to save him from the lure of evil. Thalia took over as camp director after Chiron was made head of the Camp. She was able to set up several different camps worldwide. Now, their were Camp Half-Bloods all over the world, so where ever their was a demigod, they could find help. Luke had been vouched for by all of us a reformed traitor. He had been sent a quest to prove his worth and succeeded. Luke also worked forward toward redemption by going out into the world and facing many trials and dangers set by his own father, Hermes. Luke became the greatest messenger known to Greek times----well, second to his dad.
Clarisse also changed a lot. I guess sending her mom again and the memories Mnemosyne showed her, had given her a change of attitude. She married a mortal man! A mortal! Can you believe it? Can you believe Clarisse married a mortal police officer? I say again, can you believe it?! I know I sure couldn't when I got the invitation to the wedding. Just imagine Ares at a wedding. You know it didn't go over to well. Especially when hellhounds attacked and tried to eat the guests. Clarisse actually became a teacher and worked as a Greek historian professor in New York City. It seems that all of the kids were being taught Greek.
Grover has popped in and out of my life in the next twenty years. He continued his duties as a satyr and head of Pan's Nature Squad. He and Rose had five children together. The three boys who became satyrs----Marcus, Gary, and Percy (who'd a thunk it!)----and were stationed in Paris, London, and Moscow, recruiting half-bloods to the camps located in that area. Their two daughters, Melody and Gloria became beautiful wood nymphs and help to flourish the world and make it what it has become today. Unfortunately, Rose died a couple years ago. It left Grover and his kids in a depression for awhile, but they knew that she would find her way to them. "Nature always has a way of coming back." He would say. And he was right. Rose turned up five years later. Pretty cool, huh?
Tyson became the new head of the Forges of the Cyclops and lived happily, making weapons for the next generation of heroes.
And my mom graduated from college and wrote fictional books about my adventures. She made millions! And she married Paul Blofis. Let's just say that had the most normal wedding half-bloods could ever attend.
Annabeth, Thalia, and I still visit Sarissa's grave often. We miss her so much. She sacrificed her life to save the world. And it seems that every time we visit, we'd find fresh flowers there, as though her powers still lingered even after death. But Persephone reassured us that Sarissa was at peace and happy in the Fields of Elysium----a hero's paradise after he or she has passed on---and hopes to one day see us again.
The cab into Manhattan was complete torture. Maybe because we had the Gray Sisters driving. They sat their arguing over who gets to see. A little girl, about eight, was sitting next to me. She was peering out of the window. She had shoulder length shiny blond hair tied into two curly pigtails. She had green eyes like mine. A boy sat next to her. He was twelve and had dark hair and gray eyes. Next to him, was Annabeth. She looked over at me and smiled. I couldn't help but return it.
Finally we came to a stop in front of the Impire State Building.
"See you, Perseus Jackson!" yelled the Gray Sisters, as their cloud of a cab zoomed off along the highway.
"They still haven't learned to get along." said Annabeth. "It's been centuries."
"I agree," said the boy.
"Come on," I said, leading us into the lobby of the Impire State Building. We just glanced at the security guard at the desk, who gave us a nod. The elevator doors opened and we piled inside. I hit the 600th floor button and felt us zooming upward.
"I hate this." said the little girl.
"Well, at least you didn't have to fly here on a pegaseus." I said.
The girl took my hand in her small one.
We stepped out onto the golden road of Olympus. White marble buildings rose up all around us. As we walked through the city, so many demigods, demigoddesses, nymphs, and satyrs waved or bowed to us as we walled on. We made it to the home of the Olympians. We went inside.
As we stepped into the throne room, I didn't expect to see so many old faces. Thalia was standing with a boy, who looked no older than seven, with sandy hair and electric blue eyes. She was in a deep conversation with Zeus. Dionysus was strolling into the room with his wife, Ariadne. Silena Beauregard was standing with a tall elegant teenage girl, with curly light brown hair at Aphrodite's throne. The teenager was brushing her hair repeatedly. She had bright hazel eyes and looked to be mixed with African and Caucasian. I'd forgotten Silena Beauregard and Charles Beckendorf had gotten married. Isn't that ironic? A child of Aphrodite and Hephaestus together!
"I want my hair to look like yours, grandmother." she said.
"Beauty is such hard work, dear." said Aphrodite, with a grin.
"But, 'beauty equals that of great power'." the teenage girl, Silena, and Aphrodite said together.
Charles Beckendorf was standing at Hephasetus's throne, with another teenage girl. She looked exactly the same as her sister. Twins. The only difference was that this twin had a fiery spark in her eye, like that one Beckendorf gets when he's building something super cool.
Hera yawned and smiled at me.
Demeter looked solemn, but happy.
Hermes and Luke were in a deep discussion about the new way of sending e-mails and IMs.
Clarisse was standing with a small boy with jet black hair and a warm face. They were standing with Ares.
"Oh I can't wait to kill something, grandpa!" he said.
"Don't worry, Aaron, you'll get your chance soon." said Ares, rubbing the boy's head.
"Your late, Seaweed Brain." said Thalia, with a smirk.
The boy and girl who'd accompanied me and Annabeth ran off to talk to the other younger children who were there.
Luke walked over to me. I still felt a small twinge of resentment toward him, but I guess it was the fact of him being my enemy for five years. He gave me a weak smile and looked at Annabeth, who gave him a hug.
"It's good to see you, Luke." she said.
"You as well." he answered.
"Percy!" said Silena. She waved.
Beckendorf turned and gave me a nod of acknowledgement.
"Percy, I am glad you have arrived safely." said Poseidon.
"It was a little rocky." I said, rubbing the back of my head, with a grin.
Poseidon beamed.
"And hello there Anthoneus and Pariseanne." said Poseidon to his grandchildren.
Athena rose from her chair and became human sized to hug Anthoneus and Parisanne, who resembled Annabeth and me.
"Hello, Tony and Paris." said Athena, happily.
"What's up, grandma?!" said Paris.
"Hi, grandmother." said Tony.
"Tony's grown a lot." said Thalia.
"So has Richard." said Annabeth, looking at the little boy standing at Zeus's side. "And the twins, Salise and Caroline."
"Oh, wait!" said Apollo, dramatically, holding up a hand for silence.
"Please, no." said Artemis, quickly.
"I got this sis." said Apollo, coolly. "The battle is won! With the next generation! Heroes having fun!"
I guess that was the best haiku Apollo could come up with. But, hey, the next generation of demigods had started. We know that monsters and old enemies await in the future. It's time to get them ready. Remember, you or your kid may be a half-blood. So as a warning, watch out for monsters, don't go to San Francisco alone, and other then that be a hero.