Author: AHHHHHHHHH THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT CHAPTER. PROBS THE MOST IMPORTANT SO FAR OMG.
I need to take a sec and respond to a few reviews in effort to calm myself over this chapter.
Esther Coutoi: you know what? I agree with you 100%! I let myself get carried away with the story and I wanted to follow the episodes of H2O to solidify a time-frame, but I ended up relying too heavily on them. And I do apologize for that! I do hope that this chapter makes up for it though! I suspect this chapter will make up for it, however, it will also frustrate you (and a lot of viewers). If it does, I am successful.
to all other reviewers: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT IT IS SO GREAT AND SO AMAZING AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE IT
I said the last chapter loosely follows "Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble" however "loosely" is a bad word because it followed it way closer.
This chapter is, I confess, based off "Sea Change." However, it is definitely not like previous chapters and it is quite divergent from the episode. You will see elements of it appear, but the events that happen in this chapter are very very very very very crucial to the plot and the characters.
Enjoy!
"Emma!" a voice pleaded in a hushed tone. "Psst! Emma! Wake up!"
Small hands shook the blonde by her shoulders in the darkness of the bedroom, stirring her awake. Emma's eyelids fluttered open and tried to focus on her surroundings. Elliot's form hovered over her, his features distraught. He continued to push and shake her figure, earning him an irritated groan from his sister.
"What, Elliot?" Emma demanded quietly as she sat up. Her fingers rubbed her eyes as Elliot quickly turned his head to sleeping Annabeth, then to the open bedroom door, and finally returning to Emma.
"It's Percy," Elliot whispered. "Something's wrong!"
Emma instantly became fully awake and alert once Elliot uttered the words. She leaped out of her bed and rushed across the hall to Elliot's room. The room was a mess-littered with articles of clothing-but she was able to spot Percy lying on the air mattress in the darkness. He appeared to be asleep, but his body was twitching and his head was twisting around as cries and angry yells fell from his lips. Emma kneeled beside him and grabbed him by the bicep and shook him. His skin felt sweaty under her palms and at first, Emma wondered if it was her, but then she noticed the beads of sweat coating his face.
"Percy! Percy, hey!" she called quietly, careful not to wake anyone else up.
"Emma, please do something!" Elliot begged. Emma tried not to roll her eyes at her frightened younger brother.
"Wake up, Percy!" Emma closed one hand into a fist and gave a pound against his arm. Instantly, Percy's eyes snapped open and he gasped. Her fingers uncurled and her touch turned gentle to calm Percy's heavy breathing.
"Emma?" Percy sputtered. He swallowed. "What are you doing? What's going on?"
"Shhh," Emma said quietly. "You were having a night terror, I think."
"I was?" Percy looked at Elliot, who was still cowering behind Emma. "Sorry-did I wake you, Elliot?"
"It's okay," Emma assured before Elliot could respond. "C'mon. Come with me, Percy." She rose to her feet and helped Percy to his as best as she could-for he was much taller and bigger than her. "Go back to bed, Elliot. We'll be right back."
The young boy nodded, "Thanks, Emma." Elliot was climbing into bed as Emma and Percy left the room and tiptoed down the stairs. They entered the kitchen, Percy following Emma as she retrieved a water bottle from the refrigerator and passed it to him.
"You should drink something," Emma explained. He accepted it gratefully, twisted the cap and took a generous drink from it.
"Thanks," Percy said with a smile. "I need that. My throat's all dry."
"Maybe you should eat something too," Emma suggested. "We have some fruit-"
"Got any chips?"
Emma frowned at her cousin and "tsked" in disapproval but nonetheless retrieved a bag of potato chips from the cabinet.
"You should eat something more nutritional," the blonde huffed.
"If you don't swim competitively anymore, then what's the point of nutrition?" the demigod pointed out as his fingers unrolled the top of the bag. Emma glared at her cousin when he stuck his hand into the bag and stuck a handful of chips in his mouth. "Want some?"
"I'll pass." Emma walked into the living room and curled up in the armchair next to the couch. She didn't bother turning on the lights-the lights from outside shined through the windows as a source of light and she feared she would awaken more members of the household. Percy trailed behind her and plopped lazily onto the couch with the chips in hand.
"Feeling better?"
Percy nodded, "Much."
"Do you want me to get Aunt Sally?"
"No! She'd just worry about nothing. It was just a bad dream, after all," Percy insisted but Emma didn't look convinced.
"It wasn't just a bad dream. It was a night terror, I think. Do you want me to get Annabeth?"
"No! She'd do just the same. I'm fine, Em. I promise. It's no big deal," he said as he munched on more potato chips. Emma pulled her legs onto the chair and hugged them close to her body with her gaze remaining on Percy.
"What did you dream about?" she asked softly. Oh, you know, a nice sunny day in the depths of Tartarus, taking a stroll on the softest beaches you could ever imagine and swimming in the warmest river, Percy thought to himself. He mentally shook his head.
"I can't remember," he lied. Emma nodded but said nothing. It was best not to press him, especially since he couldn't remember anything. Percy said nothing himself and busied his mouth with popping chips into it.
However, a conversation was picked up again. They talked about everyday things. Prior to that night, Emma was preoccupied and growing more worried about Charlotte. Not only was she incredibly powerful, but she was incredibly reckless. Nate was at the receiving end of her wrath and not much later, Emma and Cleo were too. Both of the near-disastrous events had strangers questioning Emma about the strange occurrences. She was able to talk herself out of the several curious strangers but if things were left as they were, it would only beg more questions. On top of it, Rikki was either going to fight Charlotte or leave, making it nearly impossible for Emma to keep the peace among the mermaids. Stressed couldn't even describe the turbulent feelings inside Emma currently.
Talking to Percy this night, however, was like a breath of fresh air to her. It felt like there wasn't a reckless mermaid threatening her and her friends. It felt nice to have a normal friend, someone who was understanding in a way that her parents or Elliot can't be. Ash used to be that for her, and not to say that he causes her stress, but it was difficult being around him before he knew her secret because he pried. Now that he knew, it was a relief but it didn't give her the comfort of normalcy.
Little did Emma know, she was doing just the same for Percy. As the night wore on, he gradually did forget his Tartarus nightmare. Back at home, he was constantly surrounded by demigods and mythical creatures that he was starting to forget what it was like to be a normal teenager. His only source to normalcy was Rachel, but even that has shifted slightly after she became the Oracle.
Percy loved this. He reveled in this feeling of peace spending time with Emma. They had grown distant throughout the years of Percy's absence. It never occurred to him until he saw it in her eyes. Emma would be there with Percy but she was never truly there. Even on the sunniest days, dead air hung between the cousins and it made Percy's stomach twist painfully at the thought of the normal family he loved eroding away before his eyes. He had desired to confront Emma about her lies, push through the dead space and the cold mountains she built-but there apparently was an emergency at her work that she had to tend to before he or Annabeth could question. And now, Percy just didn't want to ruin the moment. It was late at night, after midnight, he and Emma are both tired, but most importantly, he and Emma are getting along. She's practically a sister to him, a sister he's never had, but now it was starting to actually feel like having a sister. The distance was gone. Emma was there. Ice melted. He wasn't sure if it made sense, but he didn't care. This, he could tell, was something precious and something he didn't want to lose yet. Percy opted to wait to confront Emma, even if it would irritate Annabeth.
That morning Lisa and Sally found two sleeping teenagers in the living room. Emma's head was tilted back against the arm chair with her arms curled around her knees. Percy fell sideways on the couch and had one arm hanging off the edge with the back of his hand resting against the floor. Sunlight was strewn across their forms, illuminating Emma's golden locks and reflecting off Percy's drool. The sight had the two older women chuckling quietly before they slipped out of the house for the day.
The sound of a phone ringing awoke the two teenagers. Percy nearly leapt off the couch while Emma internally groaned and rubbed her forehead. As much as they both wished it to happen, the phone did not cease to ring. Emma huffed and pushed herself off the chair and rushed to the granite countertop the phone rested upon.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Emma?" a masculine voice returned.
"Hi, Mr. Sertori," Emma greeted with a puzzled expression. "How can I help you?"
"Is Cleo with you?" he asked. Emma furrowed her eyebrows and glanced around the first floor of the house. There wasn't any sign of the brunette mentioned and she hasn't contacted Emma.
"Cleo?" she repeated. "No, she's not here. Is there a problem? Is she okay?"
"I-I don't know, honestly. She ran out of the house earlier and hasn't been back or returned any of my messages. I was wondering if maybe she went to your house," Don explained. Emma's eyes widened. Something must have happened to Cleo. The mermaid looked at the clock and noticed she and Percy had slept in.
"Yeah, no, she's not here…" Emma trailed off. "Are you going to call the police?"
"Not yet. But I'm getting worried. Do you have any idea where she could be?" Emma bit her lip. It was likely Cleo went to Mako, but she couldn't say that aloud.
"I'm sure she's around. It's not like her to go very far," Emma answered. "I'll look around for her and let you know. Maybe call Rikki if she went to her."
It was unlikely due to the fact that Rikki hated having company over. And Lewis wasn't their friend anymore now that he sided with Charlotte's rude attitude so there was no way Cleo could have gone to him.
Or perhaps she did. Cleo did seem to protest when Emma and Rikki told her that Lewis wasn't their friend. And Emma did recall listening to Cleo complain about Lewis avoiding her. It was simply natural to miss a childhood friend and of course it would be hard to move on from such a bond, Emma was sure.
"Thanks, I'll call you if I hear something."
"Likewise."
Emma hung up and absently put the phone down as Percy sat up on the couch and looked at her. Emma's mind was reeling with all the possible situations that could unfold from this. It couldn't be that serious, could it? Sure, Cleo's never run away before but that doesn't mean trouble, right?
"Is everything okay?" Percy asked with a large yawn. Her cerulean hues blinked as she snapped from her thoughts and looked at her cousin.
"Yeah, everything's fine," she reassured. It had to be. There was nothing to worry about, Emma was sure.
"Doesn't sound fine," Percy protested as he rested his cheek against the back of the couch. "Is Cleo missing?"
So much for not making a big deal out of it, Emma groaned internally.
"Yeah, kinda. But don't worry. She's around somewhere."
"Want me to help look? Annabeth and I are good at finding people," the demigod offered. Emma bit her lip. She had a feeling Percy wasn't going to leave her alone about this.
"Yeah, actually," she replied after a pause. Percy lifted his head and stared at her in surprise. He didn't actually think Emma would let him help. He expected to get snapped at and then watch her storm away. Was this the real Emma? "Can you scope out the JuiceNet? You remember where that's at, don't you? That's one of the places she might be. I'm going to check some other local spots."
"Uh-sure?"
"Thanks." Emma opened her mouth to continue but stopped herself. "I was going to tell you to text me but you don't have a phone...could you just tell Cleo-if you see her-that I'm looking for her?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Great! Thanks, Percy. It's much appreciated." The mermaid beamed at him before she retreated upstairs to hurry up and get ready to head out. Percy remained on the couch in bewilderment of Emma's pleasantness. And then, a pang of smugness came over him. Of course Emma came around. She just finally realized how great of a guy he was.
Percy and Annabeth obeyed Emma's request and went to the JuiceNet. They scoped out the area and asked Ash if he had seen her, which he had not.
Emma had met up with Rikki and they checked the beaches and docks before diving into the ocean and headed to Mako. They had as much luck as Percy and Annabeth. They even went as far as searched the island's beaches.
If Cleo wasn't at Mako Island or in the Gold Coast, where could she be?
The missing mermaid was swimming as fast as she could, cutting through the ocean without a destination in mind. Tears pricked her eyes and she squeezed them shut as her heart ached so much she thought there was something physically wrong. Her tail couldn't seem to propel herself fast enough, for once in her life she wished she had the speed of Emma or Rikki just so she could get the hell away from it all.
After fifteen minutes, Cleo started struggling for air and made way to the surface with some reluctance. As she inhaled the fresh, salty air, Cleo hated herself for surfacing. The ache in her chest did not subside-only intensified. The tears were now able to roll freely off her cheeks, dripping off her face with the rest of the droplets of water.
How did this happen? Suddenly the weight of everything came crashing down upon her. Cleo felt as though the weight of everything was suffocating her, like it was sitting on her chest, crushing her, and not allowing her lungs to be filled with air. The burden of being a mermaid. There was nobody she could trust with the secret save for Emma and Rikki. Not Zane, for he was never trustworthy. Not Lewis and it broke her heart. Because of this burden she shared with Lewis is how she got in this situation. It brought Charlotte to tormenting her and it drove Lewis to resenting her for it. He was never there for her-how could he? How could he support such an anchoring burden? How could anyone? Cleo was sick of it. She wished she never went to Mako Island with Emma and Rikki on that fateful night. She wished that she had never became a mermaid, never got powers, and never became more than a classmate with Lewis.
What place in the world does a mermaid have?
Cleo wondered. She placed a hand over her chest where her locket normally hung. She knew that it always disappeared whenever she transformed but feeling its absence was only a bitter and cruel reminder of Charlotte ripping it from her maliciously earlier that day.
Under a microscope or in a circus, but never with a true family.
Cleo choked out a sob before submerging herself under the waves. Instead of going left or right or forwards or backwards, Cleo swam downwards. She was away from the reefs and there was nothing but the open ocean. She didn't have a true sense of direction but she didn't care. Cleo was going to go to the bottom of the ocean to find true peace.
As her form glided downwardly, Cleo closed her eyes and tried to hold her tears back and her sobs swallowed. Her thoughts were chaos and she felt nothing but self-loathing in her very bones. Every flick of her tail hurt. The water was getting colder but Cleo's blood had ran cold the second her father demanded her to wash the dishes before him. It must have been getting darker too. Cleo hardly swam beyond the reef but she knew that the deeper you go in the ocean, the darker it gets. Whether her eyes are opened or closed, it didn't matter to her.
Cleo's eyes fluttered open and she flinched at what was before her. Instead of darkness, she saw a path made of blue cobblestone and seashells. Her brow furrowed at the unusual sight and felt her figure drifting along it, following the path to wherever it may lead. After a few moments of swimming along the road, something even more strange and stunning came into her view.
At first, Cleo gaped at the sight in awe but she felt drawn to where the path ended. Cautiously, she approached it. It was like a city-sort of. The architecture reminded Cleo of something from her history textbook about ancient Greece, broken and all. Except here, the pillars and the buildings were made of stone and coral, not cement. She found herself swimming throughout the street-like ways, staring at all the exotic sea plants and bioluminescent jellyfish drifting overhead, reminding her of Christmas lights. Cleo was confused as to what she had stumbled upon but the underwater city, although destroyed and being rebuilt, was absolutely beautiful. The extravagance and ethereal atmosphere was almost overwhelming the mermaid.
Speaking of, her hazel eyes caught sight of something shocking to her left. Talking casually with one another under the light of a jellyfish were two mermen, or so it seemed. Cleo wasn't sure but was taken aback. Their lower halves were tails just like hers but blue and the upper half was human just like her too-but their skin was the same blue as their tails were. Their neon green eyes lit up, almost quite literally.
They both caught sight of Cleo and each waved a hand at her and smiled widely, revealing mouths full of shark-like teeth. It frightened Cleo and she turned away from them quickly and swam away. This day-it had to be some kind of dream, right?
As Cleo swam away, she found herself only deeper within the underwater city, but alone. She had noticed since she had entered the place that there were dozens of what appeared to be graves. Although the city itself was dream-like, she felt like death was draped across it. This unsettled her wildly. And yet, Cleo continued through, instead of just drifting up back to the surface.
There were thousands of different ways to explore the city as it was raised on the ocean floor rock, almost like it was perched on its own little reef at the bottom of the ocean. Cleo was determined to remain on the main way and not get herself too lost than she already was.
And then she was there. At the top of the city was a grand palace made of pearl, sea stone, and abalone shell. The doorways were enormous and Cleo felt so small floating before them. Some gardens surrounding the palace appeared to be destroyed, but the ones that remained intact were as lovely as ever filled with exotic plants. The palace itself radiated a glow like the luminescent jellyfish that floating about it. And unlike how Cleo expected the bottom of the ocean to be, the waters were warm and she felt invited to enter the palace.
Of course, this was all a dream. So it didn't matter if Cleo was swimming into something greater than her, right?
The palace was grander on the inside than she ever thought possible. Cleo's mouth fell open and she felt as though she was gliding through a trance. There was a large gaping hole on the side of the palace that looked as though was having construction on it.
Cleo entered an incredibly large and open chamber and right there was throne of coral fit for a regal king. She peered around the throne and realized she wasn't alone.
Standing in front of a window and gazing out at the fish swimming lazily by was a tall man with his back towards Cleo. He had two legs, which surprisingly came as a relief to Cleo, donning leather sandals, khaki Bermuda shorts, a very loud Hawaiian shirt, and a fisherman's cap similar to the one Lewis used to always wear. Cleo couldn't see, but the man was smiling softly.
He expectedly turned around and smiled at Cleo, "Hello."
What struck Cleo the most was not the man's deep tan, neatly trimmed black beard, or his serene smile, but his sea-green eyes. The last time Cleo was dazzled by such eyes was when she first locked gazes with Percy. And that's what really freaked her out-this man looked exactly like Emma's cousins, just thirty years older. She could see it in the eyes and he had that same brooding look Percy sometimes had.
The man removed his fisherman's cap (which Cleo now noticed it read "Neptune's Lucky Fishing Hat), revealing a head full of black hair, and when he did, Cleo noticed how scarred his hands were. They were scarred almost identical to her father's; fishermen's scars.
"...Hi?" Cleo sputtered. It suddenly dawned on the brunette that she didn't need to be holding her breath. She had exceeded fifteen minutes within the city and she was too culturally shocked to have noticed that she was breathing fine and naturally all along.
He merely smiled at her kindly and released the hat from his hand. It floated up for just a second before it vanished before Cleo's eyes. Her jaw fell open but the man remained unfazed and turned his gaze back out the window.
"Do you love the ocean?" he finally asked. Cleo wasn't sure if she heard correctly but he stared at her expectantly. His eyes seemed to beckon her silently. Cleo floated closer to him-but did not join him at his side-and peered at his view. All she saw was nothing but the blue ocean and hundreds of different kinds of fish swimming about. The sight was calming; fish always seemed to have that effect on Cleo.
"Aren't they peaceful?" He was right. Peaceful. That was the word Cleo always used to describe fish and that was one of the reasons why she loved them so. "Even though they're all different, they all get along."
If you count it as taking a step back when you have a tail and are underwater, that's what Cleo did.
"Who are you?" the brunette asked in a firmer tone with knitted brows. He returned his gaze back to her and chuckled.
"I'm Poseidon."
Cleo gave him a skeptical look, "Poseidon?"
"That's right."
"As in...like the Greek god of the ocean?"
"And horses. And earthquakes, storms, to name a few."
Cleo said nothing and stared at the man with wide, puzzled eyes and her mouth hanging open.
"And you must be Bella," Poseidon continued jovially.
"What? No!" Cleo didn't even know a Bella.
"Oh, right. Sorry. My mistake-you're Cleo, aren't you?"
"How-how did you know my name?" her voice trembled.
"I'm the god of the sea, dear. I know all of the people in my domain," he answered. "Can I offer you a drink?"
"What?" Cleo repeated. "We're underwater!"
"Can I offer you a non-liquid-based refreshment?"
"No!"
"Suit yourself. I'd hate to be a bad host." Poseidon walked to the throne and casually took a seat on it. Cleo watched in disbelief that this was all happening before her eyes. But she had to admit, the image of the man sitting on the throne did seem like it was right.
"What is this place? How did I get here?" Cleo demanded, folding her arms.
"You swam here, didn't you? I don't know any other way to get here for a mermaid," Poseidon replied. "You're in Atlantis. Well, more specifically, my palace, of course." He chuckled softly again.
Cleo just stared at him, too stunned to say anything.
"Your eyes aren't naturally that wide, are they, dear?" Cleo narrowed them at him in annoyance. "They're quite lovely, don't get me mistaken. But your expression tells me you're upset or distraught. Is there something on my face?"
"No-there's nothing on your face…It's just that your face reminds me of someone I know."
Poseidon beamed, "Ah. You must be thinking of my son, Percy."
Cleo gasped at the revelation-or gasped as best as one could underwater, which really just released a bunch of bubbles.
"Percy-Emma's cousin Percy-Annabeth's boyfriend Percy-Percy Jackson-he's your son? Is that right? The son of Poseidon?" Cleo stammered.
"Why, of course I am! How is my niece, by the way? I've never met her before but I would love to someday."
Cleo blinked, "She's fine-but wait, wait! That would mean that Percy is half god! Right? His mom's human, isn't she?" A pause and a realization. "Does Percy's mom know that you're a god? Or Annabeth? Does Percy know?"
Poseidon laughed at the surprised mermaid heartily but Cleo's expression was far from happy.
"Of course, of course, dear. Percy and I-and Annabeth too-fought wars together! He's become quite the hero," Poseidon explained.
"Wars?"
"Were you unaware?"
"Clearly!"
"There were two, actually. Once against the Titans, and one against the Giants. He and all the demigods-and I guess the other gods on Olympus too-fought valiantly to stop from Olympus being overthrown. I couldn't be more proud of my boy."
"And Annabeth too?"
"Daughter of Athena, most unfortunately. But I suppose she's a good girl and makes my son happy and whatnot."
"What?" Cleo's mind was spinning. Suddenly the terrors from earlier in the day had disappeared and the weight of Poseidon's words replaced it in Cleo's chest. Cleo rubbed her temples as she tried to comprehend the situation. Not only has Cleo discovered the lost city of Atlantis, not only has she met the god of the seas Poseidon, but Emma's cousin, Percy Jackson, was his son and he's practically saved the world? Twice?
"Why are you telling me all this?" Cleo questioned softly after a long and heavy pause.
"You asked, didn't you?"
Cleo closed her eyes and took a deep breath before reopening them. She spoke more slowly this time, "No. I mean, why are you telling me this? Why am I even here?"
Normally a god like Poseidon would be offended by her harsh tone, but Poseidon's serenity wasn't fazed. He could see the pain and distraught in Cleo's eyes and he knew it wasn't about the mythology.
"I think it's proper I meet all the people in my domain. That includes you and your friends, and hopefully my niece too," he answered. "Especially since you're not like the merpeople here."
"Are you the reason for this?" Cleo asked quietly. "Are you the reason why Rikki and Emma and I became mermaids?"
"Yes," he said with a nod.
"Why?" Cleo could feel her voice cracking as all her feelings from the morning came crashing on her again. If Poseidon turned her into a mermaid, he turned Charlotte into one too. "Why me? I didn't ask for this to happen. And neither did Emma or Rikki. Did you do it just so you could turn Emma into a mermaid because she's family?"
"No, no," Poseidon shook his head. "I chose you three for a reason. You had strong hearts and I know you're destined for great things."
This time, it was Cleo's turn to shake her head, and it was more violent than Poseidon's. Tears pricked her eyes and her hands balled into tight fists at her sides.
"No!" she cried out. "You chose wrong. I'm not fit to be a mermaid! I don't have a strong heart and I am not destined for great things! You made a mistake, Poseidon. I'm not the right girl for you! Charlotte...is."
Poseidon paused and stroked his beard, mulling over Cleo's words.
"Charlotte is a special case," the god mused.
"Of course she is!" Cleo hissed. "This was what she was born to do, not me. She was Gracie's granddaughter. Gracie gave up her powers but the ocean is still in Charlotte's blood! That's why you picked her. You should have picked her in the first place and never had chosen me!"
"Do you wish for me to take away your powers?"
Cleo flinched.
"Take away my powers?" she repeated. "You can do that? How?"
"I'm the one who gave you your powers, Cleo," Poseidon said. "I can take them away just as easily. All you have to do is ask."
In an instant, Cleo can lose her powers. She can have legs again, never see Atlantis or Poseidon again, and she can wash dishes again. In fact, she could go home right now and wash the dishes right in front of her dad and Kim and not be afraid. Emma and Rikki would be...Cleo didn't know. She was doubtful if they truly cared about her feelings when they told her she couldn't see Lewis anymore. And Lewis...would he be interested in her again? Not as a girlfriend, but maybe as a friend. A normal friend and they can put all their history behind them. Start fresh. Charlotte would have nothing to hurt Cleo with. She already took her most precious things from her. What else could she do? Nothing. Because Cleo would have nothing.
Cleo would have nothing. The mermaid stared out the window behind the throne at the fish swimming together. Charlotte has taken everything from her-her boyfriend, her powers, her locket-but she couldn't touch Cleo's love for the sea. Nobody could. If Cleo gave up everything, she would have to give up the sea too. For what? Normalcy?
Her thoughts tortured Cleo and her heart ached like never before. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to do anything but curl up under a rock and stay there forever. She didn't want to make this decision. But she didn't want to live such a fearful life struggling to find an impossible balance. She was better off dead, Cleo was sure.
Cleo's eyelids drifted open, not even realizing she had squeezed them shut. Poseidon was watching her with a serious expression.
"I-" Cleo choked. "I-can't-"
Without warning, she whirled around, turning away from Poseidon, and swam away quickly, leaving only a swirl of bubbles before the sea god. She didn't look back. Cleo didn't even want to look forward but she couldn't bring herself to see those sea-green eyes again. She couldn't bring herself to do anything but swim out of the palace. The self-loathing stung every nerve in her body and she felt all these feelings of confusion, anguish, and despair all at once and it hurt.
Poseidon didn't pursue her. She received strange looks from the merfolk scattered about but they went unnoticed. The second Cleo's form exited the palace, she gave a powerful and wild flick of her tail, and propelled herself into her super swim into the open ocean.
As the day wore on, eventually Cleo found herself in a life-threatening situation, surrounded by hungry sharks. She no longer was able to breathe under the water like she could in Atlantis. So it was either face hungry sharks or drown slowly.
Lewis had came to her aide, luring the sharks away with food and holding her hand the entire way to safety. They retired to a beach, one of their favorite spots they frequented on the mainland. They talked for a long while and gradually, Lewis's words eased Cleo's pain. He said all the right things, apologized, and reassured her his true feelings for her. Charlotte was now out of the picture, or so it seemed, and with Lewis politely requesting to be more than friends, things were looking up for the sad mermaid.
Lewis persuaded Cleo to go see Emma and Rikki, for they were worried sick. The two mermaids regrouped with the two demigods at Emma's house, waiting to hear from either Lewis, Cleo, or Don Sertori for any news.
"Lewis," Cleo murmured as she and the boy walked down the sidewalk. "Do you know anything about Greek gods?"
"Greek gods?" Lewis repeated. He ran a hand through his hair. "Not much except basic mythology. Why do you ask?"
Cleo bit her lip. Should she tell Lewis about her Atlantis adventure?
At Emma's house, she thanked Percy and Annabeth for their efforts but there wasn't any sign of her. She informed them about the twenty-four hour rule with the police and all they could do was wait. Percy knew Emma must have been worried sick. Annabeth noticed that Emma and Rikki acted almost guilty, like it was their fault Cleo had disappeared suddenly. They had explained to Percy and Annabeth that they were no longer on speaking terms with their good friend Lewis. Perhaps there was more to the story than Emma let on but Annabeth decided that it was best to wait and see if Cleo turns up or not.
The front door to Emma's villa had opened and Cleo shyly appeared from behind it with Lewis trailing.
"Cleo!" Immediately, Emma and Rikki leapt from their spots on the couch and Emma threw her arms around her best friend. As they hugged, Cleo's gaze drifted to Percy in the living room and they locked eyes. She stared at him intently; yes, he had to be the son of Poseidon. The resemblance was too strong. And Annabeth, daughter of Athena? Was that right? The hug broke and Cleo gave her two best friends sheepish expressions.
"I'm...sorry, you guys," Cleo's hands knitted together anxiously as she paced across the house.
"Are you alright, Cleo?" Emma asked, flocking to one side of Cleo while Rikki joined the other. The brunette nodded and the group walked out onto the patio, Percy, Annabeth, and Lewis following behind.
"I'm fine," Cleo reassured. "But I'm sorry I worried you guys."
"We're sorry," Rikki insisted. "We drove you away."
"You're not hurt, right?" Percy chimed. Cleo couldn't help but stare at him again. He wasn't Percy Jackson, Emma's cousin from New York. He was Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon now.
"No," she answered. "You can thank Lewis for that."
The group smiled at the boy who remained silent the whole time. This puzzled Percy and Annabeth-didn't Emma just explain them earlier that they weren't on speaking terms?
"Where did you go?" Annabeth asked.
"It doesn't matter," Emma cut in. She placed a comforting hand on Cleo's shoulder. "What matters is that Cleo is here and she is safe. And we are very glad to see that."
"Great. I'm going to get food. Can I interest anyone in refreshments?" Percy offered. Cleo mentally shook her head. Poseidon's image wasn't leaving her head.
"I'll go with you and help," Emma suggested, beaming at her cousin. Emma, Percy, and Annabeth reentered the house, leaving Lewis, Cleo, and Rikki. Cleo placed a certain hand on Rikki's arm. She shot Lewis a look that told him to give them a private minute, earning a questioning expression from the mermaid of fire.
"Rikki," Cleo began in a low tone. "You're not going to believe what happened to me today."
"I heard Charlotte took your locket. I'm going to kill that-"
"No, no," Cleo cut in. "I mean, yeah, that happened. But something else did. I met Poseidon."
"Who's Poseidon?"
"You know, the sea god?" Rikki's serious expression turned into one of her casual smile. Cleo frowned.
"And what did 'the sea god' say?"
"That he's Percy's dad," Cleo responded seriously. Rikki snorted and laughed. "Rikki! I'm being serious!"
"Right! So being half something must run in the family! You got Emma, a half fish, and now her cousin, half god!" Rikki said jokingly.
"You don't believe me?" Cleo's features showed hurt and Rikki noticed this and stopped laughing.
"C'mon, Cleo. Mermaids are one thing. But the sea god? Really? Those are all just myths."
"Then what are we?"
Rikki didn't have an answer. Finally, after a long pause, "Look, Cleo. You've had a very long and rough day. You're very emotional right now and maybe you've just spent a little bit too much time with your head under the water. You might have just imagined it."
"Imagined it?" Cleo scoffed. She pursed her lips. "Great. Thanks for all the support, Rikki."
Rikki's mouth fell open as Cleo began to walk away from her.
"Cleo!"
Emma, Percy, and Annabeth returned to the deck with drinks in hand for everyone. Cleo had a look of determination on her face as she stormed up to the blonde mermaid and tugged on her arm.
"We need to talk inside now," Cleo insisted. Emma furrowed her brow and went inside. Percy and Annabeth exchanged looks and handed out drinks to Rikki and Lewis.
"Is everything okay?" Annabeth asked. Rikki toyed with her straw as Lewis stared at her.
"She's just a little emotional after today," Rikki muttered.
"Man, the weirdest thing happened to me today," Percy began. Okay, so he's definitely had weirder days and weirder things happen to him, but this was weird for normal people, he guessed. "This guy was asking me all these questions today at the cafe. They were kinda personal too. They asked about you guys too."
"Really? Who was it?" Lewis questioned. Percy shrugged.
"Couldn't tell you." The demigod took a sip. "Some kind of doctor, I think."
Inside, Emma had set aside the two drinks she had brought out for her and Cleo and leaned against the countertop awaiting for Cleo to say something.
"Emma, have you ever met Percy's dad?" Cleo asked suddenly. Emma arched an eyebrow.
"Before Paul there was Gabe, but I never liked him much. He always smelled bad and he was very rude. But I never met Percy's birth father before," Emma replied. "Why?"
"What do you know about Percy's real dad?"
"What does this have to do with anything?" Emma returned.
"Just please answer the question," Cleo pleaded. "Please. It's important."
"I don't know much. He died right after Percy was born-I think he might have been lost at sea-"
"Lost at sea?" Cleo interrupted, her hazel eyes twinkling. Emma was puzzled by her enthusiasm.
"-Yeah…"
"Emma, Percy's dad didn't die and he wasn't lost at sea. His dad is Poseidon, the sea god!"
"What!?" Emma cried. Her surprised twisted into skepticism and even annoyance as she narrowed her eyes at the brunette. "Cleo, that is ridiculous. Percy's dad is not Poseidon. Where on Earth did you get such an idea?"
"I met him," Cleo protested. "I met Poseidon in his palace. He lives in Atlantis and he told me that Percy is his son and we were chosen to be mermaids-"
"Cleo, I know my cousin," Emma said. "He is not a demigod. He's just an ordinary guy."
"Percy is very muscular," Cleo stated. "How do you think he got like that?"
"How does being muscular mean he's the son of Poseidon?"
"Because he and Poseidon fought monsters and wars! Annabeth too did too. She's kinda muscular for a girl too because they're both demigods fighting against monsters from Greek mythology," the brunette explained. Emma shook her head.
"No, Cleo. Percy's just been working out because he wants to join the swim team at his high school. It's kinda hard to join a team when he gets kicked out of every school he goes to, but that's what he's been wanting to do," Emma insisted. "He wanted to race me to prepare for the team. He works out regularly because that's what he likes to do."
"What about his scars?" Cleo pointed out. Emma flinched. Cleo was sure she had her this time. "You've noticed them, right? Percy's got lots of scars all over the place. It's from fighting wars with Poseidon. They saved the world, Emma."
"Cleo," Emma's tone turned to ice. She took a deep breath and kept herself from snapping at her best friend in defense of her cousin. She just doesn't know, Emma told herself, don't be mad at her about it. "A few years ago, Percy and Aunt Sally were in a car accident. They both got hurt really bad. Aunt Sally was in a coma for the whole summer. And that's why Percy is so scarred. It's from the accident."
Cleo's shoulders slumped and her hands fell to her sides in defeat. Emma was looking at her dead in the eyes. Cleo was so sure she had Emma on that one. But now, was she sure of the whole god thing at all? Could she really just have conjured up the whole thing? Maybe the water pressure for being so deep in the ocean-or the cold-or the darkness-had her seeing things that weren't there and what didn't happen. Maybe Cleo conjured up Poseidon in her mind just so she could feel better about being a mermaid-
"Oh," came Cleo's quiet reply. "I'm sorry…"
"It's okay, Cleo. You didn't know," Emma's features softened as she squeezed Cleo's bicep reassuringly, but Cleo didn't feel any better. "But please don't bring this up. It's incredibly personal and a very sensitive subject for my whole family."
"Yeah, okay," Cleo murmured. Just then, Rikki, Lewis, Percy, and Annabeth entered the house all in good spirits. Their eyes fell on the somber scene between the two mermaids and for a moment, no one said anything.
Cleo cleared her throat but she couldn't bring her eyes to meet anyone's, feeling the defeat settle over her heavily, "I have to go...my family's probably worried and it's getting dark out."
The mermaid turned on her heel quickly and walked briskly out of Emma's house. Lewis awkwardly set his drink down and jogged after his love, following her out the front door.
"Everything okay?" She nodded. "Hey, so about that Greek mythology-"
"Forget it, Lewis."
A pause.
"What? I thought you were interested in it," Lewis protested. Cleo swallowed thickly and shook her head, staring at her feet as they walked.
"No, I'm not. Just forget about it, Lewis. They're just a bunch of myths."
AHHHHH THAT JUST HAPPENED
I FINISHED THIS CHAPTER AND I AM VERY PROUD OF IT
I THINK ALL OF YOU MIGHT HATE ME FOR THAT ENDING AND I'M SORRY BUT I HAD TO I REALLY REALLY HAD TO
Did y'all like my Easter eggs?
We are very very very very very close to the end of the story. It doesn't seem like it with the way I just ended it, but I promise you we are! This chapter is SO CRITICAL because now Cleo knows Percy's secret! Or does she? Maybe she just imagined the whole thing? STAY TUNED.
As for my other H2O fanfiction I mentioned last chapter, yeah, it's still going to happen. I'm very excited about it but I won't touch it until this gets wrapped up (WHICH IS SOON I REALLY REALLY HOPE).
Anywho, please don't hate me for what I did. Please review! I can't thank you guys enough for the overwhelming amount of support you've given me!
-Spiz