Greetings readers! I hope that all of you enjoyed the previous one-shot!
This is the second one-shot and it directly follows the events of the previous two books and the first one-shot.
If you have landed on this one-shot by chance, please read the first two stories and the first one-shot or else this one-shot won't make any sense and it will also spoil the two stories. Both stories are thirty chapters each and have around 389K words, so give them a try! The stories are:
The Tale Of Perseus: Beginnings(Book 1)
The Tale of Perseus: The Trojan War(Book 2)
Friendship (First One-shot)
If you have already read those prequels, I hope you enjoy this one-shot!
All credit for the characters goes exclusively to Rick Riordan.
The Royal Family of Atlantis and the other Olympians, barring Athena and Poseidon, had gathered in Percy's resting place to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the day he had slipped into his coma.
For twenty-five five years, they had been desperately clinging on to a hope for even the faintest of heartbeats as proof that Percy's immortal essence was growing back. But their hope was starting to slowly fizzle.
Percy was just as lifeless as he had been twenty-five years ago. He had been laid to rest in a sealed tank containing water enchanted by Poseidon and Amphitrite to have special healing properties and Percy had been wrapped in Mavrus' healing golden bandages.
While all of this had healed the physical injuries he had suffered from the clash with Tartarus, it had done nothing in terms of the regrowth of Percy's immortal essence. And they had gathered to mourn for him, as they did every year.
After all of them had paid their respects, the Olympians left to give the Atlantean Royal Family some privacy to mourn. And while Amphitrite sat on a nearby chair, Rhode, Triton and Pallas sat near her legs, huddling up in an effort to share their pain.
"I thought that they would be here today." Pallas softly whispered.
"This day is too painful for them, my children. Perhaps even more so than all of us. Some of us have the ability, rather, I should say the gift of being willing to share our pain with others. Others, like your father and Athena are not as fortunate. They refuse to share their pain with others, believing that it will be burden on those they love." Amphitrite gently stated.
"Percy was like that." Triton revealed in a low voice.
"Yes, my second son was someone who always put others' interest before his own. He would go through any amount of pain, any amount of suffering if he believed that it would protect those around him. He inherited that from your father. And it appears that trait has been picked up even by Athena." Amphitrite replied with a faraway look in her eyes.
"But why? What can possibly be good about bottling up your emotions and mourning alone? Don't they realise that we know exactly what they are going through? What's the point of being prideful if that pride brings you pain." Rhode asked with a twinge of anger.
"Calm down daughter. It is not a question of pride. I know that it seems rather cold of your father and Athena to not be with us on such a painful day but they have their own reasons. Athena has been only a shell of herself after what happened to Percy. She rarely comes out of Percy's palace on Olympus and spends almost all her time mourning for him. If it weren't for Selene, she wouldn't even be eating or resting, which is not good thing even for a goddess. We can never put ourselves in her shoes. She has lost a part of her heart. For twenty-five years, she has not visited his resting place even once because the poor girl is in denial. She refuses to believe that Percy is dead and spends all her time either mourning him, trying to find a way to resurrect him or dreaming about the future they would have shared." Amphitrite stated with a sorrowful sigh.
Her niece, the person who she had come to see as her own daughter, had been unimaginably devastated by Percy's sacrifice. She had moved out of her palace to stay in his palace and had refused to accept that he was gone.
Amphitrite could sympathize with her. Initially, even she had refused to believe that her Percy, her pure-hearted second son was not alive. Seeing her son in such a vegetative and lifeless state had traumatized her and she had desperately clung on to a hope that he would be back one day.
However, after seeing him in that state everyday for the past twenty-five years, even though she refused to let go of that hope, she had slowly realised that her son would not be hugging, laughing or smiling with them anytime soon. And that had initially caused her to breakdown emotionally. But she had broken out of that despair for the sake of her other children.
The relatively young hearts of Rhode and Pallas had had a sword run through them when Percy sacrificed himself. The two young sea goddesses had been inconsolable for a very long time and she had realised that seeing her in pain only compounded their own pain.
While Triton was better at hiding his grief, she would catch him standing in front of Percy's room multiple times with his eyes closed tightly to prevent tears from leaking out. Her family had needed her. And she had been there for them.
She had forced the three of them to take a temporary sabbatical from their duties and had also reduced her own involvement in Atlantean affairs. This had been possible because she had requested her sisters – the Nereids, to fill in for them.
They had spent a decade living together. Reading books, watching plays, pursuing hobbies together, mourning for Percy together and after ten years, they had managed to nurse their mental health back to a semblance of its normal level.
Even though, all of them had returned to their duties after that, all of them spent as many days as possible together. But Poseidon had remained absent in all this.
He had partaken in this healing process during the first year but Percy's sacrifice had had a very profound negative effect on Poseidon's psyche. He had suffered from episodic hallucinations and nightmares almost every other day. They had had their fair share of nightmares and horror visions but Poseidon's had been much more severe.
Zeus had told her that Tartarus had taunted Poseidon about Percy's death and she had deduced that it had contributed to his severe guilt and grief. Poseidon had tried to hide it from them but seeing him in so much pain had affected even their children.
Due to that, Poseidon had decided to set out alone on a spiritual journey, a journey which he hoped would provide him with answers. He had consulted with her and after convincing her, he had departed on a long, lonely journey.
It had taken him ten years to return. And she had been worried sick dozens of times. He had contacted them only once in a few months and it had been very hard on her and their children. But she knew how much he had needed that journey. That journey had been his way of coping with his grief. And after returning, he was a different and in many ways, a better man. Her thoughts were interrupted by Rhode's voice.
"Why isn't father with us today? He does this every year. He just disappears on the anniversary of Percy's sacrifice. We can help him." Rhode huffed.
"Calm down daughter. Your father spends most of this day doing what Percy stood for – helping others. I know all of you are angry that he disappeared for ten years but it's been almost a decade and a half since he returned. And I don't need to tell you why he did what he did. Long before Percy was born, Poseidon used to be deeply affected by the death of his demigod children. That's the main why reason he had so few of them. But Percy's sacrifice was excruciatingly painful for him. And to make matters worse, Tartarus triggered the manifestation of your father's fatal flaw before being killed. Due to that, not only was your father feeling intense grief, he could not let his own sorrow affect us. So, he chose to find his own way to deal with his grief." Amphitrite explained as she ran her hand through Rhode's hair.
"You were hurting just as much as him, why didn't you go as well? Because when he came back, he no longer seemed to be as distraught as he once was." Pallas questioned.
"I could not leave the three of you at such a low, granddaughter. The three of you needed me. And I needed the three of you just as much. Grief is universal, Pallas. Everyone experiences it at one point or another but different people deal with it differently." Amphitrite softly stated.
"Father did what was required to combat his emotional trauma. I don't think both of you remember how many gut-wrenching hallucinations he used to suffer from. Ever since he has returned, he smiles a lot more, he is a lot more patient and rarely loses his temper. He needed it." Triton stated.
"My children, we can never fill the Percy shaped void in her hearts, not until he returns. But until that fateful day, we have to pick ourselves together and make sure Percy meets his family, not a shadow of his family. And we must support each other in whatever endeavour that helps us heal. " Amphitrite stated, filling all of them with hope.
They didn't know when Percy would return. They didn't know whether he would ever return. But they would never lose hope. Just like he had always inspired them and given them hope, they never faltered in the belief that he would one day return to them. It could be eons before he even regained a heartbeat but when he woke up, they would be there.
Poseidon's day had started and proceeded in the way he had intended. It was a routine he had followed every year since he had returned from his self-imposed and in many ways, enlightening exile.
Percy's sacrifice haunted him to this day but it was the first year that was the worst. Poseidon never knew immortals could suffer from the after effects of emotional trauma but he found out the hard way when he kept hearing Tartarus' condescending taunts and seeing hallucinations of Percy.
His entire family had been devastated but he, he had felt so powerless. Even though he was the strongest god in the world, he had failed his son. And he had failed him for the last time.
He had tried to control his grief but the close proximity to Percy's lifeless form had wrecked havoc on his psyche. And with a very heavy heart, he had decided to embark on a journey to control his inner turmoil.
His wife and children had been afraid and sometimes, he could sense that they felt betrayed. He knew what he had done was against the values of family, against the values of personal loyalty but he had to do it.
He had started to become unhinged and erratic, his rage had turned violent and random storms were decimating mortal settlements. He had started to grow bitter and that bitterness had begun to transition to ruthlessness. And one fateful day, when he almost impaled Triton with his trident during a hallucination, he had decided that he had to leave.
To calm the storm that had been raging within, he exiled himself to roam the mortal world. It had not been easy but Hecate had been kind enough to cast very potent spell that hid his presence as long as he didn't use any of his metaphysical abilities.
His journey had started from the mortal village where he had met Percy's birth mother and from there, he had traveled the length and breadth of the mortal lands that were within his scope of influence.
He hadn't had any fixed goal in mind when he had started wandering but slowly, as he traveled, he met many mortals who had lost the people they had loved. Some of them had lost them to disease, some to natural causes and some to war. But all of them had one thing in common – grief.
He never knew that he could learn from mortals as even though he had a duty to protect them, he had always dismissed them lesser beings. But as he lived and interacted with people coping up with the loss of a loved one, he found ways to deal with his own grief in a calm, peaceful way.
The first few years had been rough. Without Amphitrite to constantly comfort him, he had struggled with his grief but thankfully, he had not suffered any hallucinations. And that meant that the raging storms had come to an end.
Eventually, he had come to understand as well as admire Percy's burning desire to protect all life. The journey had taught them the value of every single life and wherever he traveled, in every corner of the world, people talked about Perseus Diaboles, the General of the Divine Forces.
The mortals worshipped and adored his son more than any other deity. Before his travels, Poseidon had believed that the mortals worshipped his son because he had been
physical proof of the fact that the gods existed. But during his travels, Poseidon found out that his son was adored more for his virtue and kindness than his power and titles.
For them, Percy was the embodiment of good, he was the ideal being that all mortals strived to be and Poseidon had learnt so much just from the myths surrounding his son. He had learnt how Percy had taught mortals the value of ideals. And he learnt how all mortals seemed to mourn for his son. They wept for him as if he were one of their own family members.
He had heard tales of his son's compassion from so many soldiers and civilians who had been saved by Percy and that was when he finally understood why Percy had been so affected by the horrors of the Trojan War.
Poseidon had felt unbearably guilty for never understanding his son. He had never once tried to understand why his son was so opposed to needless conflict. But he had promised himself that he would change. And change he did.
He now found joy in helping others, men, women, children, whoever needed his help, whenever a life had to protected, Poseidon readily did what he wanted to do. He wanted to emulate Percy.
He had spent the second half of his exile helping mortals in need. He did not know how it happened, perhaps due to the close resemblance, people believed that the great Perseus Diaboles had returned. And he never bothered to correct them.
It gave people hope. It gave them hope that the greatest and most virtuous hero of all time was always watching over them. And even though it didn't directly disprove Percy's disappearance due to his sacrifice, it was enough to spread wild rumours. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep that up forever and had to return to Atlantis.
That hadn't stopped from roaming the world every once in a while to help others in Percy's guise. And he especially dedicated the day of Percy's selfless sacrifice to helping people. It was his way of both remembering as well honouring his son.
That brought him to his current situation as he waded through the busy streets of Pearl, just as Percy used to. He had hidden himself in the Mist and a spell concocted by Hecate to cover his identity and looked like he was in his mid-twenties, to look similar to Percy. But he had tweaked his appearance to ensure that no one recognized him immediately.
As he walked, he found an old man struggling to load bales of kelp into a cart and decided to help him. The old man was surprised that a stranger was helping him but he didn't complain. After a few minutes of working in silence, they finally loaded all bales and the old man bowed in gratitude.
"Whoever you are, thank you for helping me. I wish there were more young people like you." The old man gratefully stated.
"Help is always around the corner. Sometimes, we only need to look ahead or behind us." Poseidon stated with a smile as the Mist slightly fizzled, revealing an appearance dashingly similar to Percy.
"Lord Perseus." The old man stated with awe. But before he could say or do anything, Poseidon walked away.
The rest of his day was spent in a similar fashion. He helped many other people and for a split second, he would allow them to see his true appearance before disappearing. As it started to get dark, Poseidon was about to leave for Atlantis when he saw a little girl in the middle of the street and by the look of it, she looked lost. Poseidon walked over to her and gently knelt down.
"What happened child? Are you lost?" Poseidon tenderly questioned.
"I am not able to find my mama." The girl stated with a sniffle.
"Don't worry little one, we'll find your mama. What is your name?" Poseidon gently asked
"Kiara." The girl replied.
"That is a very beautiful name . Now come on Kiara, I think I know where your mother is." Poseidon stated with a wide smile and held out his hand.
He searched the entire area for Kiara's mother and found her energy signature. The little girl tentatively held his hand and he led to her to mother. In a few minutes, they found her worried mother.
"Mama!" Kiara shouted and dashed towards her mother who immediately scooped her up in a hug. After reassuring her daughter, she looked at Poseidon.
"Thank you. We immigrated to Pearl because we heard the people of this city were noble and honourable like Lord Perseus. He was the one who gave us a new lease of life after our village was destroyed by a sea serpent. And even if Lord Perseus is no more, it seems like his legacy is eternal." The mother solemnly stated.
"Yes, he was the one who inspired me to be a better man and to help others whenever I could." Poseidon stated with a poignant smile.
"Did you ever meet him?" Kiara excitedly questioned, immediately jumping down from her mother's arms and running towards Poseidon.
"I did. In fact, I was fortunate enough to meet him multiple times." Poseidon stated with a distant look.
"What was he like?" Kiara eagerly questioned.
"He was just as kind, compassionate and helpful as you think. He saved our….my family." Poseidon stated with a voice thick with emotion.
"He was like family wasn't he?" The mother softly stated.
"Yes, he was." Poseidon replied with his eyes closed.
"But we must never forget the ideals he fought for. Who knows, he may still be watching over us." Poseidon stated with a small smile and his true appearance revealed itself, causing the mother and daughter to gasp.
A second later, before they could voice their surprise, he walked away and disappeared in the crowd. He had failed his son in life but he had promised himself that he would not fail him now. He hoped that Percy would be proud of him.
Poseidon entered the room where Percy had been resting for the past twenty five years and gingerly made his way across it. Selene had already covered a good part of the night sky and his wife and children were not present in the room.
He stopped as he stood in front of the tank of enchanted water where Percy had been resting and gently ran his hand across the Olympian Glass, right above his son's unmoving chest. Even now, he was overwhelmed with grief every time he watched Percy's pale, lifeless form.
"My son, if only I could have helped you. Forgive me for failing you." Poseidon stated with a cracked voice as silent tears made their way down his face. But he quickly wiped them away.
"My beloved Percy, I will see you again." Poseidon determinedly stated before standing still.
He spent the rest of the night mourning for his son and reminiscing the times when Percy used to play with him during his years as a toddler. He would give anything to have his son back.
Hey guys! I'll admit, this one-shot was very hard to write. I had to watch a few clips of heartbreakivid scenes from different anime, sitcoms and movies to get into the mood to write this because I wanted to make it more impactful and I really hope that all of you felt the same way.
Character death is a very important tool for character development and we have to look at from the perspective of characters who don't know if he'll be back.
I have always said that this alternate universe is built on the fact that Percy made the gods and by extension the world, a better place. If I don't show the impact of his sacrifice on others, then his inclusion would have meant nothing.
I want to delve into intense character development before jumping into furthering the plot. After all, what's the point of a good plot if you don't have well developed characters.
Read and review, I hope that all of you enjoyed this one-shot! Have a fantastic day!