Cody

Putting on my sweetest smile I could manage, I sat adjacent to Rasmus as he worked. My elbows were on the table and supported my head as I continued to stare at my great uncle. After a long period of time, Rasmus glanced up and sighed.

"Cody, I already told you, I have a lot of work and even if I did take a break, it would only pile up more. My answer is still no. I know how to resist puppy dog eyes."

I let out a huff and stared to put on my best whining voice. "But Rasmus! You always work! We never get any time together any more. It's always, "Atlantis needs this, Atlantis needs that." Well guess what! Atlantis is perfectly fine right now! There is no threats or criminals at large and even KrakenKid has been dormant!" I paused for a moment, realizing a flaw in my points. "Well... Knowing him, that would mean he's planning something... But still! Give yourself a break and come have fun with me."

Rasmus opened his mouth, most likely to object again, when the last person I expected, intervened. "He is right. You haven't had a break in a long time."

Rasmus and I both turned to One Eye, who just blinked. "Even I cannot hide from the truth. Go Rasmus. Have some fun with your great nephew. I'll let you two have some alone time. You need it."

Slowly but surely, a grin grew on my face until my cheeks started to hurt. "Thank you!" I whisper shouted, getting a weird look from her. "Finally! Someone sees it this way!" I exclaimed and then whipped around to Rasmus. He sighed in defeat and got up.

"Very well. Lead the way Cody."

Rasmus followed closely behind as we left the castle behind. I checked behind me to see how he was doing, only to find Rasmus looking around at everything, much like an excited child would though, he didn't show much emotion on his face. "How long has it been since you walked through Atlantis just to be here and for fun?" I asked. Rasmus let out a low chuckle.

"Too long Cody. Now that I really think about it, Atlantis has advanced far more than I could ever fathom." Rasmus' eyes turned to me and gave a warm smile. "You've done a good job. Your father would be proud."

I returned the smile, ushered him to the market and into my favorite ice cream parlor. "This is Taste Town! They're always coming up with new and really weird but good flavors. They keep updating every three days too, so half of my allowance goes into coming here. Tanith and I actually come here a lot and joke around. Over here is our spot."

I weaved between all of the shiny and newly cleaned, white tables and to the counter, where taller and rotatable chairs were. When I sat down, one of the workers noticed and rushed over, smiling.

"The King Of Atlantis comes again, and with Counselor Rasmus too? I knew we were popular, but not that popular! I was beginning to think today was going to be a slow day too! What can I get you two?"

I eyed the menu before nodding my head. "Two medium pickled lemons please! Hold the chocolate sprinkles."

The worker smiled and gave a quick nod back. "Coming right up!" They said and started to get to work on it. Turning to Rasmus, his eyebrow raised at me.

"Pickled lemons?" He questioned. I laughed and waved it off.

"You'd be surprised!" I told him, getting a little chuckle. "It's not as bad as it sounds. The lemon flavor- well... You'll find out in a second. I promise, you'll like it. Just trust me on this." Rasmus held his gaze but finally gave in.

When the waiter finally brought the ice cream, I instantly dug in. Rasmus hesitated but in the end, took a small bite and his eyes lit up. "This is actually pretty good." He admitted, starting to gulp down more. I grinned but couldn't talk with my mouth full.

Finally swallowing it down, I nearly choked on it, giving the councilor a mini heart attack but still managed to get out, "I told you so."

Though I went through it fast, Rasmus took his time in eating it. When he finished, I quickly paid, dragged him out of the parlor and out of the market. I had no idea how much time I had left with him, but I wasn't going to waste a second. Rasmus and I never got any free time together. He was always busy with something and it kinda felt like he was avoiding something.

Or someone.

As I bolted across the city, Rasmus raised an eyebrow when he saw the approaching building. "The arena?" He questioned. I nodded quickly. The rooster sighed. "Cody, I haven't battled anyone in years, I doubt I'll be the same."

"What? Are you telling me that you're... Chicken?"

My great uncle got a chuckle out of that. "I'm a rooster Cody. And of course not! What do you take me for?"

"That's what I thought. Now show me your moves, let's see how well you can battle. Not me of course, but Spartacus mentioned having some new training bots or something like that... He was pretty vague about it."

Inside of the arena, Spartacus was more than happy to help us out, saying something about getting bored and that nobody was coming around to visit them. Rasmus and I were both given light armor and a diamond sword. Then Spartacus brought out something I wasn't expecting: Robots.

"Professor Pikalus made them." He explained, setting up various robots, all shaped like humans but all in different eras. Some had swords, others had a musket and the rest were modern. "Since you two have a lot of experience, I'll turn up the difficulty. Don't worry about dying, they don't kill. Hopefully... We haven't tried them yet so, just do your best."

Rasmus and I went back to back as he put our opponents all around us. The centaur got out of the arena before turning them on with a push of a button, making their eyes glow with a deep red color. Each readied their weapon, causing the pair of us to do the same.

The first to attack was one who had the same weapons and armor as an Atlantean sniper, who thankfully missed us both. Rasmus took his chance and charged right at them, slicing them in half with his sword. My eyes widened and I grinned, but earned myself a bruise for it. While I was distracted, one of them that wielded a sword decided to ram into me and I lost my balance, slamming into the ground. I rolled to the left, just in time to see the sword plunge into the ground right where I was before.

In an instant, the robot suddenly had a sword in its stomach and crumbled to the ground. I whipped around behind me to see Rasmus was the one to throw it. Two oncoming robots went right for the disarmed rooster, but I returned the favor by throwing mine.

It flew across the room and right into one of their legs. The robot tripped and landed flat on its face, destroying it past the point to where it could work, much less fight. I heaved myself up and lunged for the sword, getting to it before another enemy could and swinging it around, getting a nick in one of their sides and exposed wires.

A gunshot went off and pain blossomed in my right shoulder. It might have been dulled down bullets, but it still hurt all the same. I groaned and my hesitation caused them to advance on me, tackling me and pinning me down. I struggled under the weight of them but it was no use. The metal on my stomach was making it hard to breathe. A battle cry sounded out, coming from the last person I thought would make it.

Rasmus came out of nowhere and split the one on top of me in two, hot dog style. The nearest one raised its gun but soon, his whole arm was gone and the rooster kicked him to the ground.

Then came the biggest of them all, one that towered over him and held a club, twice the size of my sword. He swung, going right for Rasmus and gave him little time to react, but I still could. Reaching out, I grabbed Rasmus' leg and pulled him down. He landed with a thud, but narrowly missed the attack. I gripped the sword in my hand and sprang from the ground, not only tackling him, but driving my blade right into his chest, where the heart would be if he were real. I watched as his red eyes faded and the robot went limp.

My chest heaved but I got up and turned around to Rasmus, who was picking himself off the ground. He smiled, like it was the most fun he had in years, and that was pretty plausible.

"Nice thinking!" My grin only became wider at his compliment. "I haven't fought like that in years!"

"I didn't even know you could!"

"Well," Rasmus shrugged. "I was a soldier for a while you know! Plus, I had a pretty great partner. It's great to be fighting with you, Poseidon."

I realized his mistake before he did and stared at him. I opened my mouth, but suddenly it went dry, despite the fact that I was underwater. Rasmus' face filled with confusion, but then his grin dropped and filled with an emotion I couldn't recognize. His whole body stiffened. All of that drained out of his face and he turned away, nothing but a cold expression left.

"I have a lot of paperwork to do." He said simply before leaving. "Farewell, Cody." He emphasized on the word, like he was trying to remember who I really was.

So badly I wanted to stop him, tell him it was an honest mistake and to go on with our adventure, but I couldn't move. I couldn't even focus as my mind started to move at a million miles per second, and I was left as a shocked mess. When I finally snapped out of it, it was just to go outside the arena and sit on the steps. I stared at the ground and I could hear Spartacus come to check on me, his hooves clicking on the ground, and then retreat back inside. I didn't blame him. In his place, I wouldn't know what to do either.

What seemed like an hour passed until I finally knew what I had to do. I marched, from outside the arena to the palace. As I got to the dining room, I found Rasmus right where I knew he'd be, doing paperwork on the table. He buried himself in his work and barely even glanced at me when I came in. One Eye however, left and decided that she better wait outside.

I sat down, right across from him but still didn't make a sound. Rasmus looked up and down, from the paperwork and me, and then sighed. "I'm sorry I left so suddenly like that." He spoke softly, pushing the papers to the side. "I shocked myself and I couldn't stay. Fighting with you brought back so many memories, ones I had long buried, and emotions I haven't sorted out. It reminded me of who I used to be."

His gaze turned sad, but he still faced me. "You know, I used to be a general." My eyes widened and he nodded. "It's true. I fought right by your father's side. Brothers in arms, that's what we used to be! He'd always have my back, and in return I tried to have his. After his death... I gave it up. My passion for fighting, my hopes and dreams, my whole way of life, all for him. All so I could do what he wanted to do: Protect Atlantis. I became a councilor, something I found dull and sometimes, still do. But it was my way of coping with his absence."

Though that whole time he had locked eyes with me, suddenly it fell to the floor. "And then came you and your brother."

I paused before asking, "What about us?"

He chuckled, even though it didn't seem like he was happy. "I finally found you two. The last remaining thing left of Poseidon, his very own heirs! You two were gone for so long, and I really thought that I'd have to run Atlantis forever. I got to the Overworld and to that hospital you two worked at, ready to tell you two of your destiny."

He paused and I remembered something. Rasmus wasn't the one to come get us, instead it was a bunch of guards, one of which we had to heal. "But we didn't meet you until we got to Atlantis."

"That's because when I got there and saw how happy you two were... I couldn't take that away. You two were safe and sound, just like your father would have wanted. You didn't have the responsibility of a city on your shoulders, and you hadn't seen war. Cody... You didn't remember Atlantis. You were new, a whole new person! You had hope again! You were free again! How was I supposed to take away your happiness, just so I could relieve myself?" 

He slammed his wing on the table. "So I didn't tell you anything that day. Or the next. I lasted a whole month, but then KrakenKid attacked. He hit Atlantis hard and we barely defeated him as it was. You never saw it, but so many guards died that day and many were injured. The hospitals filled up, so I panicked and made a decision. I sent a squad of them up to you, not only so they could be treated, but so Atlantis could have kings again."

His eyes closed and he let out a long sigh. "And by doing so, you have had to run it alone. Your brother is off, who knows where, and I have put all of this pressure on both of you, just because I couldn't run the city like your father could. Like you can."

"Rasmus." Eventually, I got him to look up at me and I put a hand on his shoulder, and gave a smile. "You did what you had to, and I'm glad you did. My life has changed. Before, I was a doctor trying to figure out who I was but now? Now I have a true purpose! I have a city to run, and I love to see it prosper! I have friends who care about me, and as for Joe, he'll come back some day! You weren't be selfish, but reasonable. I'm glad you came and got me."

Rasmus held his gaze for a long time, but in the end, smiled. "You know, in many ways, you remind me of Poseidon. Your mother as well, but I can see your father's determination in your eyes, as well his kindness. He could never let anyone else take the blame for something he did, and could never bare to see someone down. He always found a way to justify all of my mistakes, but never his own."

My heart filled up with joy at his praise. "Thanks! I often try to be like him. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever add up."

Rasmus frowned. "Cody, I hope you know that you aren't your father. No one expects you to be either. I know what I've said about him, but he did make mistakes, some pretty big ones too." His eyes flicked with something when he said that. "You aren't Poseidon. You aren't your mother or Joe, or anyone else. You are Cody Maverick. Be you, because you might be the only person who can save Atlantis. I don't love you because you're someone else, or even the child of someone I loved," This time, he put both of his wings on my shoulders. "But because you're Cody."

A tear fell from my face but I did my best to clear it and stop more from coming. I laughed, feeling all sorts of mixed emotions at once. "Birds of the feather stick together, right?"

Rasmus nodded. "Right."

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I got really excited to make this, so here's the next chapter! A long over due conversation between Rasmus and Cody! Plus, insight on what Poseidon was like when you were somebody close to him. AND RASMUS GETS A BACKSTORYYYYYY! WOOO!

Oh man! So many things coming up! I'm getting so excited! I'm trying really hard to try and update other books, but seriously, I have a lot planned for this story and I just want to write it alllllllllll!

Rasmus officially joins the, "I Miss Someone Deeply And It Effects How I Act When They Are Even Remotely Mentioned" Club. Or just the, "I Miss Someone Deeply" Club for short. There's a lot of people in Atlantis in this club, and maybe even in different stories... Stories that aren't mine...

ANYWHO, I hope you liked this chapter! Be sure to comment your thoughts, and I'll see you all later!

--JustAnAtlantisWriter