κυματιστά

waves

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The last living demigod son of Poseidon stood alone on a dying beach, half-listening to the violent crashing of waves. He was deep in thought, as he recently always seemed to be. What else was there to do on this broken form of Ogygia?

Percy Jackson had changed; that much was clear. His dark hair fell in uneven strands, stirring against his face in the breeze. His sea-green eyes, once full of youth and life, were now clouded like the sky above him, a wisdom to them that had no right residing in the gaze of a boy so young. He was stronger now, as he quickly learned he had to be. Training was the only thing that kept the nightmares away.

Training, and the vague hope that Annabeth was alive.

Percy's grief was strange in that way; even after watching Annabeth die, he never truly believed she was dead. And after that strange dream a week ago, he was more convinced than ever. Annabeth was alive, and Percy would finally be able to leave this cursed island that had served the role of his home.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" a voice asked from beside Percy, shattering the shaky tranquility that he had managed to find.

Somehow, Percy wasn't surprised when he turned to see his father standing there, staring at the sea with a deep sense of longing in the eyes that looked so similar to Percy's. Poseidon smiled, feeling his son's brutal gaze rest upon him.

"I've been alive for thousands of years," Poseidon continued casually, as if it was normal to disappear of the face of the Earth for two years and then pop up without announcement. "But I've never once grown tired of this view."

Percy looked back to the open sea, staring at it with resentment. The ocean was what had been separating him from his family, from his friends. From his Annabeth.

"Why are you here?" Percy finally asked, his voice hoarse from hours of being unused.

"To warn you," responded Poseidon, his voice devoid of urgency. "There's change and a storm on the horizon."

"Annabeth's alive," Percy said. It wasn't exactly a question, but it also wasn't exactly a statement. It was something in between. Over the past two years, Percy had gotten much better at recognizing the in-betweens.

Poseidon nodded. "Yes. But she's in danger."

The gray sky shone above them, the color a shade that belonged to Annabeth's eyes. "Then why am I here?"

The god that was his father sighed. Poseidon had always maintained a youthful form, but for the first time, he truly looked his age. "It's for your protection."

A hot fury twisted in his stomach like a knife. "My protection?" repeated Percy, unaware of the increasing violent crescendos of the crashing waves below him. "You kept me isolated from the people I should have protected for my protection?"

"It wasn't my choice," sighed Poseidon, "but it was the choice made. For the world's behalf."

The old Percy would have been mad, but he would have gotten over it. Easily. The old Percy could hold a grudge, but he had been quick to forgive. But this Percy was bred of war and violence, isolation and abandonment. So it only made sense that when his voice spoke, it spoke with the brutality of a thousand battles, sharper than any sword.

"Explain," Percy coldly demanded.

"The gods are dying," Poseidon said simply, "including me. Several of the minor gods have already faded, and us Olympians will soon follow. But Athena had a plan."

Percy snorted with a fake laugh. "What a surprise."

"I don't have much time, Percy," his father continued, as if he didn't hear him. "I've come to prepare you as best as I can."

"And that involves stranding me here for two years?" Percy asked bitterly, his hand itching to uncap Riptide. "Without any explanation or warning or anything?"

"I understand your anger," Poseidon said calmly.

Percy interrupted his father before the god could continue. "You understand my anger? Annabeth almost died right in front of me. I thought she was dead for two years! Any of my friends could be dead right now! And I wouldn't even know because I've been here. I haven't seen my mom for two years, and I bet you didn't even have the decency to tell her where you put me!"

Poseidon watched his shouting son carefully, listening to the sound of his voice blur together with the sound of the ocean waves. There was so much he could have told him, so much that the ancient god wanted to tell his son. But time was a cruel, remorseless thing, one that there was always a lack of. So the god did not tell his son how guilty he felt over isolating Percy on this island with only Calypso as company. He did not tell his son the pride he felt for him. Poseidon did not tell Percy that he loved him.

"I'm sorry," was all Poseidon said.

The glare Percy gave him was nothing short of venomous. "You're sorry —"

"And I'm sorry that we don't have much time," continued Poseidon. "I'm going to die soon, but Athena had a plan. You're part of that plan, Percy."

Anger was still flashing across Percy's face like lightning, but confusion quickly joined the flickering. "What do you mean?" he finally asked, sounding exhausted.

"You're my last demigod child. You're the sole heir to my throne and to my powers. I'm truly sorry, my son, but it has to be you. Only you can replace me."

Percy's eyebrows knitted together, a clear depiction of his confusion. "Replace you?"

Poseidon smiled sadly. "It is Athena's plan. There were other beings ruling before the Olympians, and there will be other beings ruling after us. That is the way of power; it never belongs to just one person. And Athena has taken the liberty of helping to choose who will next rule the universe."

Athena's plan. Just like her daughter, it seemed like Athena always had a plan.

"The gods are dying," was all Percy said, the pieces connecting together in his mind. "And your plan is to replace them with your children?"

Poseidon nodded. "It only makes sense. We were the children of the titans; the demigods are the children of the gods. For me, it can only be you."

Percy longed to be with Annabeth. There was something in his heart screaming at him to demand Poseidon to release him from Ogygia, screaming at him to find Annabeth and hold her tight and never let go. And although he hated himself for it, he was beginning to forget the exact shade of her eyes, and the exact sound of her laugh, and the exact scent of her hair that was somewhere between sunshine and nostalgia.

"Do I even want to know what that means?" was what Percy said, shoving his longing aside. "You'll die, and what, I'll be the new Poseidon?"

"In theory, yes."

Percy released a heavy sigh. "And I take it that everyone else has already selected which child would inherit their throne?"

Poseidon nodded. "Several of your friends, in fact."

A bitter laugh escaped Percy's lips. "Are you going to tell me who's still alive? Because I don't know if you remember or not, but I've been cut off from all communication with anyone for two years. So I'm not exactly caught up with who's dead or alive."

"Your friends are still alive, but some might not be for much longer," Percy's father told him, his voice too calm for Percy's liking.

Percy wished he could run his fingers through Annabeth's hair. He used to do that for hours, when he was unable to fall asleep. He would lay there beside Annabeth, their legs intertwined, and he would stroke her hair until he was finally able to fall asleep. Sometimes, Annabeth would fake falling asleep just to surprise Percy with a kiss when he was lost in the bliss of playing with her hair. She would laugh as he started in surprise, and Percy would smile and say that he knew she was awake. It was a lie every time, and Annabeth knew it. But that never stopped her from kissing him each time.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Annabeth," said Poseidon, his gaze focused on the crashing ocean waves. "She's a very smart woman, and an even better fighter. And she's found herself in capable hands."

Something that felt like hope stirred in Percy's chest. His eyes shot up to stare at his father, dumbfounded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Percy demanded. "Has she been found?"

There was a slight twinkle in Poseidon's eye, but he remained staring at the sea. "If everything goes right," the ancient god continued, smiling, "you should be seeing her in a few days."

Percy's heart skipped a beat. "Are you shitting me?" he asked. No, it was much more like a yell that exploded from his chest. Because he was going to see Annabeth very, very soon. Somehow.

"No, I am not," was his father's response. "But I need you to go find Calypso."

Percy's heart leapt violently. He asked the question so that his hopes wouldn't climb and then be dashed: "why?"

His father released a rare, genuine smile. "Because you both are leaving Ogygia. You're going home, Percy."

• • •

author's note
so sorry for not updating in forever! and i know this is mostly a filler chapter, but i felt like we all needed some percy time. i'm hoping to update again sometime within the next week, but junior year is currently kicking my ass. until next time!