Disclaimer: Not mine.

I flashed out, leaving the Olympians and my team behind. They are perfectly capable of getting to Camp Half-Blood without me, and I need to make sure that Poseidon fights in this war. It will be difficult to win without him.

I wonder how I am going to convince him to put aside his feelings and fight. It might prove impossible, if Poseidon refuses to fight. If he does ...

If he does then I might have to reveal myself.

I push that thought aside. I would do what I had to do. I wouldn't let anyone die because I was to chicken to face my past. Even the Olympians.

Poseidon's palace was nothing like I remembered. He'd rebuilt it after the second Titan war, and it was bigger and grander than the first. But that wasn't what I was referring to.

It looked ... abandoned. The walls were on the point of falling down, and the courtyard, once busy and full of life, was empty, and as silent as the grave. Doors swung open and closed on squeaky hinges. I walked through the once-beautiful place, unable to match the memory I had of this place and the reality around me.

I couldn't help but wonder, though, why if Poseidon had loved me so much as to do this to himself out of guilt, he had been able to hurt me in the first place.

I reached the throne room and paused outside. The place seemed haunted, sad. I wondered if I would be able to pull him out of this depression. A small part of me wondered if I wanted to.

I pulled open the doors and walked in. Poseidon was sitting slumped on his throne. The room was empty apart from us. Good. If I have to reveal myself, it will be to as few people as possible.

"Poseidon." I said. Poseidon lifted his head, and for the first time in ten thousand years, I laid eyes on my father.

Much like when his palace, Atlantis, was being attacked during the Second Titan war, Poseidon looked old. Grey hair stuck out from his head in tufts, and unhappy wrinkles lined his face. His eyes were still sea green, but dull and lifeless. The spark had gone out of them, just like they did in mine, all those years ago. I got it back, I recovered, but it took many years and very good friends. I wondered again how I should try to revive him.

"Who are you?" The god of the seas asked me.

"I am Thysia, Chaos's adopted son, the second most powerful being in the universe and commander of Chaos Army."

"You must be here to help with the war." He said. He spoke slowly, as though in pain.

"I am. How much do you know about the war?"

He shrugged. "Not much. I haven't gone to any of the Olympian Council meetings since I ... since my son ..."

He bowed his head, unable to continue. I waited patiently for him to recover. Despite all the pain he had caused me, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him, even if I wasn't sure I could forgive him.

"My son died." Poseidon continued. "And it was my fault. I killed him myself, blinded by my own anger. Only afterwards did we realize that he was innocent. We were fooled. I was fooled. Once we realized what had happened, it was decided that Hades would award him Elysium, regardless of what the judges ruled, but ... he disappeared. Charon remembers bringing him onto the boat to cross into the underworld, but he never arrived, and Charon has no memory of the boat ride itself. His soul is missing. He could be anywhere by now, and we have no way of finding him. No way of telling him that we're sorry ..."

I stood there in silence, astounded by what I had heard. I'd already known that all the gods regretted what had happened, but Poseidon's voice was so burdened with pain and guilt, it was obvious that he would do anything to be forgiven. And suddenly, I knew what I had to do to make him help with the war.

"What kind of a person was your son?" I asked.

"Kind. Caring. Loyal. Faithful. He gained Artemis's approval, that should tell you a lot about him. Why?"

I ignored his question. "So he basically does for the gods, what Chaos Army does for the universe?" I asked.

"Yes, I suppose so. Where are you going with th..." His voice trailed off as an idea occurred to him. "Are you saying you know where my son is?"
"Yes." Right in front of you. "Chaos found him on that boat. Chaos erased Charon's memory after offering Percy a job."

"In Chaos Army. Makes sense. It's the kind of thing he would do, saving people all the time. But where is he now? And what has he done in the last few years?"

"I'll tell you everything you want to know about your son. I swear on the river Styx." I promised, and thunder rolled. "But only once we've won the war. And of course, although we could win without your help, we'll certainly win faster if you do help."

Poseidon stared at me. I could practically see the cogs turning in his head. Finally he reached a decision. "I will help the Olympians win the war, and once it is over you will tell me about my son."

I nodded. I could live with that. But Poseidon wasn't finished.

"And as a guarantee I want you to answer three questions about Percy now."

I hesitated. "I will answer what I can, but I refuse to answer questions like, "Where is he?" or "How do I find him?" I need you here for the war, I won't give you a reason to run off."

Poseidon chuckled dryly. "Fair enough." He paused, considering his question. "Is he happy, now? In Chaos Army, I mean."

I blinked. I hadn't expected that as a question. "He is doing what it is his nature to do - saving people. He has friends, which are a family to him of sorts. He has a home. I would say, he is happier than he ever expected to be again, but part of him will always belong to those who betrayed him."

Poseidon nodded. He was still grey and old, but hope had kindled in his eyes, and I thought that maybe he looked a little less wrinkled. Perhaps I was doing some good.

Poseidon asked his next question. "Is he well? Physically?"

"He is fine." I reassured him. "Chaos healed him when he agreed to be part of Chaos Army. And though he has been hurt seriously since, he has always pulled through, escaping permanent damage."

Poseidon asked the question that was bothering him the most. "Why did he never come back?"

"Would you come back to the place that held all of your bad memories? To the place that the very worst, most life-shattering things that could have happened, happened to you? A place that you'd spent the last few thousand years trying to forget?"

Poseidon gaped at me. "Few thousand years?"

"Time moves faster on Chaos Planet." I answered. "Much faster. I've spent ten thousand years in Chaos Army, and it hasn't even been a decade back on my birth planet."

"Wouldn't Percy be dead? If thousands of years had passed?"

"Members of Chaos Army are given a kind of half-immortality, much like your Hunters of Artemis. They do not age, but can die in battle."

"I see." Poseidon relaxed, his momentary fear forgotten. "Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some duties to attend to if I am to aid my family properly in this war."

"Of course." I nodded, and flashed out, back to Olympus.

Words, words, words.

Bye, Shib.