Chapter 21: Prophecies and Percy

As the scene continued the mood quickly changed as they remembered what was happening outside the Iris Message.

Luke growled and slashed backbiter through the mist. The Iris-message faded and Luke turned on Percy furious. He said Kronos had been right and Percy was a weapon that couldn't be used and needed to be replaced.

"And that's where I come in," Thalia said in sarcastic joy.

"Pretty much. But I don't think he planned to use you the same way as he did Percy," Annabeth said.

"I hope not," Thalia grimaced.

"Why did he call Percy a weapon though?" asked a curious Jaz. "I mean Percy is powerful and he might be part of this prophecy thing. But he's not a weapon."

"To Kronos he is," Apollo replied. "And to Gaea and many others. Percy's power means people would like to use it. They want him to help them and that makes him a weapon."

"Geez, I've always wanted to be used to hurt and destroy people," Percy said.

Annabeth whacked him. "Not now."

Percy rubbed his head.

A whistle blew and more warriors arrived. Luke smiled saying they wouldn't leave alive.

"Obviously that didn't work," Alex grinned.

Percy challenged Luke asking what he was afraid of. The soldiers hesitated and Luke opened his mouth as Agrius appeared. The bear man had a familiar pure-black Pegasus which tried to fight.

"Blackjack," said almost all of the Greeks and Romans along with Carter to everyone's surprise.

"Why is your Pegasus there?" asked Reyna.

"He wasn't my Pegasus then. Man, I forgot how much Blackjack can curse. It's been too long since I stopped and brought him some doughnuts," Percy shook his head.

"We're due to visit camp after this is all over anyway," Annabeth said. "We probably need to talk to Chiron and plan for whatever is coming.

Percy nodded then scowled again. "That horse needs a mouthwash."

"Is it even worse than Arion?" asked Frank.

Percy shook his head. "No. Blackjack is a bit nicer. I haven't heard him call anyone a babyman in a racist manner yet."

Frank scowled as Hazel giggled making everyone else confused.

Agrius told him that the Pegasus was ready to go. Luke ignored him focusing on Percy saying he couldn't be made to fight. Percy said Luke was avoiding him scared of being seen get beaten. Luke looked around conflicted.

Clarisse looked at him. "Thanks for the time you gave me but you won't win if you fight him."

"Are you kidding?" Carter asked. "Percy's amazing with a sword. Even Horus was impressed."

"He's good, but at that point Luke was a lot better," Annabeth said.

"Now though," Chris said. "Percy could beat him easily."

"You're exaggerating," Percy protested. "Luke was much better than I'll ever be."

Everyone looked at him like he was insane.

Luke said he'd kill Percy fast raising Backbiter. Someone threw him a shield and Annabeth asked for him to give Percy one as well. Luke refused saying you brought your own weapons.

"Meaning he doesn't want to take you in a fair fight," Jason pointed out.

"It was never fair," Percy said.

Luke lunged and Percy's shirt tore leaving a little blood.

Percy winced clutching his ribs. "Why do they always scratch me up there?"

"You don't even have scars," Annabeth said. "No one could tell."

"Water healing," Will said enviously. "Even better than ambrosia."

Percy jumped away and tried to get a hit in to have his sword slammed away by Luke's shield. Luke taunted Percy was out of practice. He swiped at Percy's head which Percy blocked before stabbing. Luke moved out of the way and lunged. Percy jumped back again into the swimming pool.

"Bad move Luke," Carter grinned which turned into a scowl of remembrance. "Don't ever face Percy in the water."

Percy laughed. "Sorry dude."

Carter waved him off.

Percy spun and a whirlwind of water blasted him toward Luke's face. Luke fell to the floor and Percy moved to strike.

Everyone cheered. Jason looked at Percy in analyzation. "Bro, you've been holding back on me."

Percy nodded sheepishly.

Jason shook his head. "You'll make it up to me by teaching me some of those moves."

"Deal."

Luke rolled out of the way standing back up making Percy attack again. Luke jabbed at Percy's leg stabbing him in the thigh.

Percy growled in pain and discomfort. He tightened his grip on Annabeth's hand and she winced. He smiled a little apologetically letting it go.

Luke slashed down and Percy rolled behind a chair trying to stand up but couldn't. Grover yelled his name as Luke cut the chair in half. Percy crawled toward the pool.

Percy started to collapse back on Annabeth still wincing.

Luke came forward smiling. He told Percy he wanted him to see the bearman eat his friends before he died. The bear man laughed and raised his open mouth to Annabeth's neck.

"How did you even get out of something like that?" asked Blitz wide-eyed.

"My luck tends to work like that as Thalia pointed out," Percy replied. "It gets really bad before it can get better."

To prove Percy's point an arrow shot forward hitting the bear man Oreius in the mouth. He fell to the floor. His twin wailed and the Pegasus kicked him in the head and flew off.

"And this is why he is so loyal to you," Reyna said looking at Percy. "You helped free him from captivity."

Percy nodded.

Both bear twins dissolved into sand and smoke. Then war cries erupted as centaurs charged forward. Tyson cheered like a five year old. All the ponies were much different than chiron with pain guns, bows, baseball bats and styrafoam hands.

"More centaurs?" asked Walt. "They don't seem like Chiron."

"No. Chiron is a lot different than most of his relatives," Apollo agreed. "The Party ponies are like most centaurs in the myths. Partying, wild and a little insane."

"But they seem helpful and nice," Hazel said surprised.

"They can be unless you make them upset. They've helped us out before which is why I was surprised when—" Percy said then found himself unable to speak anymore.

Hazel nodded. "Don't worry. I know what you mean."

"We don't," Leo protested. He was ignored.

Luke raised his sword and pointed to the ponies. That's when an arrow with a boxing glove on it hit him in the face. He fell back into the swimming pool and his warriors scattered.

Laughter erupted and more cheers. Frank was looking at the arrow interestingly. "You think I can learn to make some like that?"

"Chiron should know how. Next time the two camps meet up he'd be happy to show you," Annabeth said then pausing. "Or I actually might have some plans for it. I found a new laptop recently a lot like Dedalus's."

She glared toward Leo and Calypso's direction.

Leo grinned. "Guilty."

Chiron galloped forward and picked up Annabeth and Grove putting them on his back. Percy tried to get up again and failed.

Percy winced loudly and everyone looked at him worried. He shook his head pointing toward the projection.

Luke crawled out of the fool as the bell rung for reinforcements. Tyson knocked several attackers into the bay.

"Go Tyson!" cheered Leo. Tyson blushed as everyone applauded him again.

Chiron called for a retreat. Luke shouted they wouldn't get away with this but got smacked with another boxing glove arrow. He fell into a chair hard.

Laughter erupted even louder again.

A centaur picked Percy up and put him on his back telling him to call Tyson. Percy called Tyson who dropped two monsters and jumped on the centaurs back. The centaur groaned asking if he ever thought of a diet.

Several people frowned but others continued to laugh good naturedly along with Tyson who was grinning. "Sorry Pony."

The warriors started to chase the centaurs but were too late as they jumped off the boat and onto the street galloping into Miami.

The scene collapsed. "Is that it?" asked Sadie.

"There should be a little more," Percy told her as a new scene arose.

Chiron was bandaging Percy's leg as Annabeth and Grover tried to split up Tyson and some of the party ponies. Chiron said that he'd talked to Annabeth about the prophecy. Percy quickly said it was his fault and not hers.

"That's sweet seaweed brain but I was the one that told you," Annabeth said. "So no. It's not your fault."

Percy didn't protest. "Fine. But it's not yours either."

Annabeth smiled which he took as agreement leaning back to relax.

Chiron sighed saying it wasn't going to stay hidden forever. Percy asked if he was the one in the prophecy. Chiron replied he didn't know and wouldn't until Percy was sixteen and it was up to the fates which made Percy frown.

"Everything is up to them," Hearth signed. "No real choice in destiny."

"There's always more than you think," Rachel disagreed. "But yes, Percy's fate was decided then."

"Since they cut that string," Thalia scowled suddenly making everyone remember looking at Percy worriedly again.

"I'm not dead!" he told them. "Stop staring. I'll be fine."

All of them turned back to the projection reluctantly.

Percy gasped that's what it meant. Chiron asked what he meant. Percy explained that he saw the fates cut the string. It didn't mean he was going to die right away but it was a death that was going to happen when he was sixteen.

"You were right," Apollo said wide-eyed.

Annabeth nodded jotting it down. "You figured the future out again."

"It's not even that hard," Percy said. "Stop making a big deal out it."

"Every thing is kind of a big deal with you, isn't it?" asked Nico.

Percy scowled harder.

"Now at least we don't need to worry about Percy dying," Sadie said relieved. "Do we?"

"No. If the death was supposed to happen when he was sixteen then it already has," agreed Rachel.

"See?" Percy said. "I told you not to worry."

Chiron told him Percy couldn't be sure about that, or if the prophecy was about him. Percy protested he was the only child of the big three. Chiron told him that was only what they knew of.

Everyone looked at Hazel, Jason, Nico and Thalia who were sitting along with their signifigant others very close to Percy and Annabeth.

Percy protested Kronos was rising. Chiron agreed but said they would stop him, and Percy wouldn't be alone. Percy looked upset as if he didn't believe that. He explained he was just a kid, how could he do something against something like Kronos?

Everyone looked at Percy in an awed silence still shocked he felt that way. Percy was looking down. Nico was first to break the silence. "You're kidding right?"

"What?" Percy asked. "No. Of course not."

"You've never been just a kid," Nico said vehemently. "This whole thing we're sitting here for right now is proving that. I saw that when I met you. You were terrifying and you just kept getting better. Honestly, you really underestimate yourself. You've always been a hero."

"Thanks Nico," Percy said. "But that's not true. And even if it was it doesn't mean I can take things like Kronos on by myself."

Several people scoffed. Grover looked at Percy strangely. "You don't need to do it by yourself. You just need to make the biggest impact and give everyone else the help they need. Which is pretty much all you've ever done Percy."

"Maybe," Percy agreed. "But I'm done being the hero. There's others who can do it, probably much better. And if I never was just a kid I'd like the chance to be one now. To have a little normalcy, a break for college," Percy said.

Annabeth nodded. "That would have been nice. But it was never really our destiny. The fates have had other plans."

Apollo looked thoughtful as everyone else fell silent.

Chiron explained that one person could change the course of the world. He held up an arrow and asked what would happen if he shot the celestial bronze at a mortal.

"It might really scare them," Rachel said. "I'd know. But it would still pass through."

Percy groaned. "You better get over that."

"Maybe. Only when we actually see it though," Rachel said.

Percy said it would pass through. Chiron agreed then said Percy wasn't like the humans, he was part god and part human. He lived in two worlds and could be hurt by both and change them the same. That's why he was so special, like all heroes, he fought humanities struggles.

"Man that's deep," the no-nonsense dwarf in the room said.

Percy said he didn't understand. Chiron told him he had to try because though he might not be the subject of the prophecy Kronos thought he was. He would stop trying to persuade Percy to help him. And because Percy might no longer be of use he will kill him.

"Sounds like the normal evil villain and their plans," Magnus scoffed thinking of Loki.

Percy said Chrion talked like he knew him. Chiron agreed he did. Percy asked if that was why Mr. D blamed him for the tree being poisoned. Chiron agreed.

"Even if he knew him it doesn't mean he'd betray the camp for him," Piper said. "Especially not after so long."

"That whole idea is stupid," agreed Leo.

Percy asked why they thought Chiron would ever betray camp. Chiron looked at Percy and asked him to remember how he was connected to Kronos. Percy guessed hoplessly. Chiron shook his head lowering his voice a lot. He explained that Kronos was his father.

"What?" half the room exploded.

"Mythology is weird like that. Kronos had an affair with a nymph," Annabeth said. "Chiron was the product."

"But Chiron never worked for him. Saying he did because Kronos was his father is like saying Zeus and the other older gods did too," Hazel said wide-eyed.

"Exactly," Calypso said suddenly surprising everyone. "People judge others based on their relations, no matter what theirs might be. It is never fair to do so, no matter how right it might be sometimes."

Percy nodded. "Chiron has never and will never be on Kronos's side."

Sadie looked back at the projection as it collapsed. "That can't be it. Especially ending on Chiron revealing that."

"No," Thalia said. "There's definitely a little more."

Jason looked at her curiously as did the other but she stayed silent.