Eight Years Ago

2005

A group of kids were on a field trip to SeaWorld, with a few teachers to chaperone as the 6th grade children were amazed by the sight of all the marine animals. Amongst those 6th graders was a twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, who almost looked at home, smiling at all the fish, sharks, dolphins and orcas as the group passed by them.

There was a lot to do at SeaWorld, including enjoying the roller coaster rides, visiting the gift shop, eating lunch and watching the animal shows afterwards. A SeaWorld trainer was letting children take turns to touch and see Lenny the Dolphin from up close as she had the bottlenose perform tricks and entertain one at a time.

Percy was finally up next after having waited in line for a while. He smiled at the dolphin, feeling its melon and its beak as it nuzzled into his hand, almost begging for comfort, which made Percy extremely happy.

"I see Lenny likes you," the trainer commented.

Lenny the dolphin made clicking noises and Percy listened to the dolphin. He couldn't explain how it was happening, but … the dolphin … it was speaking to him. And Percy listened, more worried about what the dolphin had to say rather than the fact that he could communicate with marine life.

As Percy listened, his face shifted into one of sadness as he had to hear what Lenny and all the other marine animals had to put up with in such a toxic environment. He was appalled by the treatment of the animals by the supposed experts and trainers at SeaWorld.

"What's wrong?" the trainer asked. "You look sad."

"I'm sad … because the dolphin is sad," Percy explained.

The trainer looked flabbergasted. "W-why would the dolphin be sad? Of course he wouldn't be. Look at his smile, look how happy he is."

Percy continued to stroke the dolphin's melon, drawing a good response from it as it shuddered in his hand. "It says it's being mistreated here at SeaWorld, along with all the other animals. It says you only care about them for show and entertaining people. You keep them in cages way too small for them. They like to have lots of open range that they can play in. They feel ... trapped. They break their teeth to escape this prison."

The trainer looked taken back.

"You need to release them into the ocean," Percy demanded. "That's where they are meant to be."

"Y-you have no idea what you're talking about," the trainer before chuckling nervously. "I think you're imagining things. Maybe you should sit out for a few minutes and just take a deep breath."

"I know what I'm talking about," Percy stood firm. "I'm not lying."

"How could you know?"

"The dolphin told me," Percy said as the dolphin clicked, backing up his claims. "And by the way, its name is not Lenny. As a matter of fact, it's a girl."

The trainer looked really nervous now. "You're starting to freak me out a bit, kid. Maybe let the next person go?"

"Yeah Percy, stop talking to the dolphin and let us go already!" a student called out.

"Yeah, what are you, a weirdo?" another mocked.

"You two stop it right now!" one of the chaperones yelled at him.

Several more joined in the chant. "Percy's a weirdo, Percy's a weirdo!"

"I'm not a weirdo!" Percy exclaimed. "I'm telling the truth!"

Several more join in on the bullying, laughing and calling Percy a weirdo, as he started to get angry. Before Percy could do anything about it, something crashed into the large tank behind them, startling the bullies. A large orca was peering down at them with a mean look, right through the partly shattered glass.

The dolphin snapped its beak at the trainer, making it back away as it swam behind Percy, joined by three of its siblings as they floated behind Percy protectively.

"Percy's a freak!" the first bully yelled, now looking frightened of him.

Kids screamed and ran, along with the trainer as only Percy and his chaperone stayed behind. Percy looked a little embarrassed as the chaperone came up to him with a stern look.

"You and I need to have a talk," she said. "With your mom as well."

Percy looked dejected as he turned around and pet all the dolphins that swam behind him. "I'm sorry, guys. I did what I could."

The dolphins chirped and clicked in understanding before Percy turned in the other direction and was dragged away by the chaperone.

…

"Mom?"

Sally Jackson turned to look at her son. "Yes, honey?"

"Am I a freak?"

Sally bent her legs at Percy's level to look at him in the eyes. "No! Honey, how could say that about yourself?!"

"The other kids were calling me a freak at SeaWorld," Percy explained. "Because the dolphin spoke to me."

Sally bit her lip.

"I'm not lying, mom!" Percy yelled. "I heard her. I could hear what she was saying, in my head."

Sally nodded. "I believe you."

"Why do I hear dolphins speak?" Percy asked.

Sally grimaced. "It has to do with … your father."

"Dad?"

Sally nodded.

"What does it have to do with him?" Percy questioned. "Who was he? Please, mom, I want to know."

Sally was quiet momentarily before she stood up and walked over to their couch and patted her lap. "Come here." Percy did as asked and sat on his mom's lap. "Wow, you're getting big. Either that, or my legs are getting weak."

"You're stalling," Percy noted.

Sally sighed. "I know." Sally took a big, deep breath. "This story starts with me, I suppose, when I was much younger."

"How young?"

"College-age," Sally said. "Although, I wasn't in college. Something happened with my uncle and well, … that's another story. But I was at your grandparents' cabin one time and … a very strange man washed up ashore."

"Strange?"

"Strange in a good way," Sally said. "He was … different, in a peculiar way. But … he'd been hurt. At least, from what I could see. He was all bruised and cut up, like he'd been in a fight, and not with a person."

"Monster?" Percy suggested.

"Most likely," Sally replied with a smile. "So … I tended to him and I healed him and gave him company for some time. We spent many days together, even after he healed, he just continued to stay because he wanted to. We enjoyed each other's company very much. And I dare say, we even fell in love."

"So this was my dad," Percy noted. "Who was he?"

"I learned a lot when I was with him. I learned that deep under the ocean, there's a city and it's called … Atlantis. There are their own type of people that live there and they called themselves Atlanteans. So the man who washed up on my beach, he wasn't just an Atlantean, he was the king of Atlantis."

"King?"

Sally nodded to confirm. "He was a king. But, I also learned that being a king is not easy, especially because people will get jealous and want to hurt you when you power over the throne. Even when they're your family."

"That's awful," Percy said.

"Yes, it is," Sally agreed. "An old uncle of his was always looking to take his throne, dating back to when his father was the king. And apparently, during this time, your father had been on the surface with us for some business … but as he went back, he was attacked by a sea monster. He believed it was sent by his uncle, but it attacked him and well, he lost. But had he not lost, I wouldn't have met him, and you wouldn't be here."

Sally tickled Percy's stomach as he giggled and pushed her hands away to stop. "So … how long did he stay with you?"

"Quite a while," Sally admitted. "He stayed with me for a quite a while and then one thing led to another and … you were born. Even after you were born, he stayed. But eventually … some time after that, he knew it, his people would come back for him. He sensed it before he even saw it. He stood straight up and told me to pack my things and take you with me. I didn't question him. I did as he asked and turned to look back just in time to see what looked like soldiers, and they entered the cabin. I didn't even get to say good-bye."

Percy looked at her wide eyes. "Woah."

Sally nodded. "That's why I never told you about him. More so because it made me sad to think about it. And also, I don't think you realized who you were and what you were born with. I kind of hoped you would grow up to be a normal kid and wouldn't have to deal with the things he dealt with."

"What's his name?" Percy asked.

"Aegaeus," Sally replied.

"So my dad really was a king?"

Sally chuckled. "That's all you got from that? But yes … your dad was the king of Atlantis. And as you can see, that doesn't make you a weirdo or a freak. That makes you special. You have gifts that the other kids don't have, that they wished they could have. You don't remember because you were too young but when you were three years old, I took you to the beach, and I lost sight out of you. I freaked out, I thought I was a horrible mother. 'How could I lose my child just like that?' But eventually I found you … underwater, playing with the fish. And you were breathing just fine, like you were breathing air."

Percy grinned. "I don't remember that."

Sally pinched his cheek, which made him giggle again. "Of course you don't, you were too little."

Percy looked at his own body in a new light. "So … what other gifts do I have?"

"I don't know," Sally admitted. "My guess is an Atlantean would have to teach you all that. But don't dwell on that, please, honey? Just … enjoy being a kid for now."

Percy nodded. "Okay."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Sally whistled. "Well ... all that talking has made me get a craving for cookies. What do you say we bake some?"

"Blue?"

Sally smiled. "As always."

Percy hopped off her lap and ran into the kitchen, Sally following from behind as she smiled at her son, almost picturing how he could be grown up.