Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The front door slammed, Percy stayed where he was, muscles tense. He was curled up tightly under his bed, crammed into the corner, as far from the light as possible. The silence lingered and grew. When he reached out with his senses the air was still. Finally, finally, Percy could relax and begin to uncurl from his tight ball.

It wouldn’t last, the thick cloying scent of stale sweat and ghost hands clamping down on his wrists told him Gabe would be back soon. But for now, he was alone and he was safe. As he carefully picked his way through the trash to the lounge room he reached for that bit of sunshine and salt and sand in his chest, that part of him that when he tugged at it just right could tell him where his mother was.

He could feel her crashing waves for just a moment before hurriedly clamping down on the connection. Her latest guy had money and she was lost in a kaleidoscope of sensation. She wouldn’t even remember he existed for a few days yet. She did at least always come back for him. Eventually.

Nothing really holds Sally’s attention for long. She comes and goes as she pleases, always searching for the next new experience. Percy loved his mother deeply, even when other people frowned and watched her with sharp eyes. She was wild and exciting and so incredibly intense. Everything she does she focuses on so utterly and completely that you are swept away by her enthusiasm.

When Sally focuses on Percy, when she truly sees him, he feels like the luckiest kid in the whole world. He feels how much she loves him, how much she treasures all of him. She makes him feel strong and brave and big. Like it’s okay that he sees things no one else does. Not that she knows about that.

Other days, when something else catches her attention, he feels small and alone and so so scared. She’ll race through the flat like a whirlwind, getting dressed in light silky layers of clothing that bubble and puff around her, her eyes sparkling with joy.

When she leaves she takes all of the brightness with her. He never knows when she’ll be back. He does understand how much she needs new and different and exciting. But when she leaves, she takes everything good with her, and she leaves Gabe behind.

Percy doesn’t remember a time before Gabe. He isn’t married to Sally but he lets them live with him, for reasons Percy doesn’t want to think about. He prefers to avoid the whole subject entirely.

When Sally is home Percy can believe he’s a normal kid. A normal kid whose parents actually want to spend time with him. Sally is mostly gone anyway and his father ditched him before he was even born.

On the good nights, when Sally’s home and all of her intensity is focused on him, she’ll whisper to him about his father. His father who said Sally was as wild and untameable as the sea. Percy agreed, his mother was a force of nature, a tidal wave crashing down and overturning your entire world, before disappearing just as fast. He’s pretty sure she wished he was more like her.

Sally laughs at him a lot, teasing him for being so serious, calling him her “little old soul”. She loves to laugh more than anything. Even his name was a joke.

His mum told him that his father had been super into greek mythology and had very strong opinions about certain people. His father was “lost at sea” before Percy was born, but apparently the last time Sally spoke to him she told him that if he didn’t show up for the birth she’d name the kid Perseus Hercules. And well, guess what Percy’s full name is?

He’s not even sure why his Dad doesn’t like Perseus, when he asked his Mum just laughed and said something about a cousin and brothers hating each other? Hercules made more sense, it’s the Roman name for the hero and his father was very firmly focused on Greek myths.

If he’s being completely honest, the naming thing made him uncomfortable. His dreams told him that names had power, they meant something. To name a person out of spite was unwise and well, just plain mean. No matter how much it makes Sally laugh.

Sally doesn’t often talk about his father, and when she does it just makes him more confused. She’ll tell Percy that his father was the most beautiful, the most intense, the most compelling man she has ever met. But in the same breath claims one meeting was enough and to meet him again would be dull and boring. They met on a beach, but she won’t tell him which one.

She does know his name, but she refuses to tell it to Percy, she says his father knows about him, but isn’t allowed to talk to Percy. Percy still can’t tell if his Dad isn’t allowed to speak to him because Sally told him not to, or if it’s because he did something bad and is in prison.

Honestly, he isn’t entirely convinced that his father has any idea that Percy exists. Or that the man she describes is actually his father. He even tried to see his father once, stretching that inner sunshine and salt sensation to its limit. It was definitely a mistake, he passed out from the overwhelming swirl of sensations of electricity in his hands, a pounding war drum in his chest, liquid sunshine, shaking earth, lava, savage steel… It went on and on and on and none of it made sense.

There isn’t anyone else he can ask about his father. Gabe just says his father was a no-good deadbeat, but Percy isn’t sure if Gabe actually knows who his father is.

So really, all he knows for certain is that his father didn’t like Heracles or Perseus, and Percy agrees wholeheartedly. Heracles and Perseus were total jerks, absolutely nothing like the audiobooks he listened to.

Lying there under his bed he really wishes he could tell his Dad he was right. To be honest, right now he’d take anyone who was willing to get him away from Gabe.

Sally had moved in with Gabe not long after Percy was born, she had stuck around more when he was little little, but then that thing with the strangled snakes happened and it was like she figured if he could kill a snake then he could take care of himself. And he can! Mostly.

He’s seven now. He gets himself to and from school, eats pretty regularly, or at least he eats whenever he finds food Gabe won’t miss. He’s not great at school. He’s never got the hang of reading but he’s got a really good memory and audiobooks are definitely a gift from the gods themselves.

He does have to skip school on test days. The teachers don’t like that much. But he can’t risk taking a test, otherwise someone would notice he can’t really read. Or write. Whenever the school tries calling Sally or Gabe they tell his teachers to just deal with it because he’s their problem during school hours.

Percy knows the right words to say when people get worried about his “home life” and he’s gotten really good at seeing when other kids really need help. It never takes much to redirect nosey people towards helping the kids that really need it.

Right now he needs to make a decision, if he stays hidden under the bed it’s only a matter of time until Gabe returns and finds him here. If he leaves the apartment he might be able to steal some food but he’ll need to stay in the park overnight.

He’s not sure how he feels about the park. There’s a man there, he only has one eye. In his dreams men like that are cyclops and they are monsters, they eat people and they hunt demigods. Thalia was nearly caught by a cyclops, before she was turned into a tree anyway. But the man at the park is different. Somehow.

When Percy consults the spot of sunlight and sea and sand inside him it says that this man is just watching, that he won’t hurt Percy. He won’t help him either, but other monsters avoid him. Which means it’s safe to sleep at the park. Safer than an apartment without Sally at least.

There is no food in the kitchen. There isn’t even any beer, which explains where Gabe is at least. The sensation of hands on his wrists and stale sweat is growing and that’s enough to make his choice. The idea of seeing Gabe right now is just too gut wrenching, and something inside him is whispering that Gabe will be returning in an even worse mood. The park will be safer.

________________________

Percy doesn’t remember a time where he didn’t just sort of know things. It’s a bit like the dreams, but not. In his dreams he watches heroes and gods living out the stories that became greek myths. Sometimes he sees things that he thinks are currently happening, and sometimes he sees glimpses of what he is fairly sure is the future.

The knowing is different. It’s flashes of sensation, of certainty about words and facts. Sometimes he thinks about something and he just… knows. Like right now, when he thinks of Gabe he can feel the flashes of heat on his body, the places where the bruises will appear if he stays in the apartment tonight.

When he thinks of the one-eyed man (is he still a monster if he doesn’t act like one?) he knows he’ll be at the park tonight, and he knows the one-eyed man will leave him alone. He knows it will be safe to sleep on his bench.

He also knows that if he ever managed to find his Dad, his father would keep him safe from the monsters, the sunshine and ocean inside him absolutely pulses with the certainty of it. But he doesn’t know who his Dad is, or how to find him.

He hasn’t told anyone about the things he sees or what he knows. Whenever he thinks about telling the truth to other people that same inside place tells him not to, that it would be worse. It tells him there would be more monsters, more danger. Things would get even worse if other people ever knew he saw things.

He’s never even told his mother about the dreams, about the flashes he sees when he’s awake when the world changes and everything is older or younger for just a glimpse. He’s never told her about how when someone touches him he feels what they feel. It’s so hard to be bright and interesting enough to keep her attention. Something inside of him knows that if Sally knew he was the wrong sort of interesting, he would never see her again.

He’s been feeling like that a lot lately, as if each time she leaves the apartment, he won’t ever see her again. At first he thought someone was going to hurt her, but when he tries to stretch his senses he’s sure she’s fine, it’s more like he won’t be there the next time she comes back. He’s not sure how he feels about that, so he ignores it entirely.

The sun is already low, he needs to stop looking for non-existent food and get to the park before full dark. The park may be safe but the streets between will not be. If he’s quick he may even be able to steal some food.

Digging out his too small jacket with the tear on the shoulder he carefully sneaks out of the apartment, pausing at every corner and stretching out his senses to be sure Gabe wasn’t waiting for him.

He’s pretty sure he’s not meant to use his abilities for things like this. When he dreams of the sun god and his oracles they are all super serious and sacred and important. But none of them ever had a Gabe, and as far as he can tell they aren't around anymore to yell at him. Well, the sun god is, he thinks. Or he will be? It’s hard to tell if what he sees is happening now or in the future when he has no connection to the Greek world.

He does use his abilities for something else too. Something he is absolutely certain he is not meant to do, but it’s the only way he survives, and he would still rather be cursed by the sun god than to not use his dreams. He doesn’t even know when he learned how to do it. There must have been a moment where everything Gabe was doing just got to be too much and Percy’s mind just sort of went sideways. Suddenly he was dreaming even though he was awake.

Now he goes away every time. Instead of feeling what Gabe was doing, he could be watching Poseidon punish Odysseus for blinding Polyphemus, and a little part of him absolutely delights in Poseidon’s savage vengeance. He possibly, might have, just maybe, imagined it was Gabe and not Odysseus being punished too.

Knowing isn’t always a good thing though. On days like today knowing what Gabe will do to him is okay, because he’s already leaving and now it won’t happen. Other days he knows what is coming and he is unable to escape it. He’ll still try. He’ll beg Sally to take him with her, or he’ll try and sneak down the fire escape, but it doesn’t work and he’ll have spent hours feeling ghost bruises only to now have real bruises.

Even when he knows he won’t be able to sleep safely at the park he sometimes goes anyway, and that’s even worse. He’ll feel like he’s managed to escape even though the ghost bruises are still there. Which is normally when some “Good Samaritan” finds him sleeping where he shouldn’t and they insist on taking him “home”. When that happens and the bruises start becoming real, he’s really glad he knows how to force the dreams when he’s awake.

His dreams are always different to the stories he hears. Most of the time they have more people assisting the hero, other times their great feats aren’t so great. Like the guy who defeated the minotaur. The stories make it sound so big and scary. But when Percy dreams of Theseus “the minotaur” he kills is just a cow, or maybe a bull? It’s not a half human/half bull monster anyway. There is a monster like that, but in his dreams the monster’s name is Asterion. Theseus never fought Asterion.

Most of the heroes in his dreams aren’t very nice people. They are often cruel, uncaring and vindictive, stealing the achievements of others and claiming them for himself. He grows to hate Heracles who he visits often in his dreams. This huge golden man who speaks so grandly and yet always relies on others. Percy especially hates him for how he treated Zoe, his favourite of the Hesperides. So many people have been forgotten, the stories of a thousand people all now attributed to one man.

At other times his dreams give additional information and completely change Percy’s understanding of a myth. Like the story of Odysseus and Poseidon. As much as he loved the idea of a father utterly destroying someone for harming his child, Poseidon did kind of go a bit too far there.

Yet when he dreams of Odysseus he sees the moments that have been forgotten. Somewhere in the middle of the long confusing journey Percy learns that Poseidon can sometimes know the future. Kind of like Percy can. The intensity of Poseidon’s anger at Odysseus is not driven solely by the man’s stubbornness but also because Poseidon knows that in blinding Polyphemus Odysseus has woven a new future.

One day Polyphemus will turn against the gods, against his father. In blinding the cyclops, Odysseus permanently stole Poseidon’s son from him and sentenced thousands more to die. Killing Polyphemus would have been far kinder.

Percy dreams of Poseidon pretty often. He’s not sure why. He does dream of many other gods but the only one he sees as often as the King of the Sea is the sunshine man.

Those dreams are the most dangerous ones. Normally when he dreams no one is aware of his presence, he just watches like he’s inside a movie. He cannot change anything, the story happens as it always has, or always will.

It’s different with the sunshine man. He does know who he is, but he’s scared to even think his name. Whenever he dreams of him it takes only seconds before the man’s head snaps up and his blazing blue eyes look straight at Percy. No one else ever sees Percy when he dreams, but the sunshine man can. Though Percy still isn’t sure what the man actually sees. Percy usually gets so scared that he wakes up as soon as they make eye contact.

When he was younger the man just watched him, but a couple of years ago the sunshine man has begun speaking to him. Always the same questions; “Who are you? Where are you?”

Recently he’s started sounding desperate, almost… worried? Every time he sees Percy he begs him to “Tell me how to find you. Please, just let me help you! I can help, I promise, just tell me who you are.”

It scares him. The sun god was the god of lots and lots of things, but most worryingly of all, he was the God of Prophecy. He gave prophets their abilities. He clearly didn’t know Percy, which meant Percy had somehow broken the rules. Even if he says he wants to help, Percy doesn’t believe him. Lots of people have said they want to help him, they are usually the ones who hurt the most.

Percy learned from his dreams that the things he feels are properly called an aura, that in the Greek world seeing auras is an ability the sunshine man can give to people. Auras means something different in the real world, that one time he asked Sally about auras, what she described was nothing like what he knew.

For Percy, when he uses that sunshine and ocean place to look at someone in his dreams he experiences who they are at their core. He feels it with every part of him, he tastes it on his tongue, feels it on his skin, hears it with his ears and in the way it vibrates inside of him, he sees it inside of him, not with his eyes but with something much deeper.

It’s why he thinks the sunshine man knows more than he should, that he might have found him anyway The past few weeks he’s been seeing the same thing over and over. A hand (his hand?), holding an old BIC lighter, setting fire to a sandwich. There are silent words, words that his inner sunlight and sand want him to say; “Apollo, protector of children, patron of prophets, hear me”.

Each time he sees the hand with the lighter and feels the words, there’s another image, filled with emotion. A teenager in a golden chariot, flying through the sky. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a huge smile. Intense warmth, and this impossible to explain sensation of fierce protection, of safety. It feels just how he thinks having a dad would feel. Warm and kind and caring and safe.

Percy knows he’s very very good at not thinking about things. He is a master at pretending something never happened. But he isn’t actually stupid. The sunshine man is trying to find him and is getting increasingly desperate. He has power over prophets and visions. Percy is now constantly seeing a non-scary super friendly image of the sunshine man. It may as well be a dude in a white van offering him free candy.

Percy has nothing to do with the Greek world. For whatever insane reason he’s somehow accidentally ended up with the ability to see far more than he should. He does not want to find out what the gods will do to him for knowing things he shouldn’t. He would much rather just be a seven year old incapable of acting like a seven year old, who hallucinates and has intense sensory issues. And yes, the things he sees tend to come true, but that really doesn’t mean anything.

He may not be as good at ignoring things as he thinks he is.

Just before he reaches the park Percy slips into a bodega, keeping a careful eye out for any adults wanting to know where his “Mummy & Daddy are?” The guy at the counter is distracted, glancing at him before turning around and putting his back to Percy. It’s easy enough to grab a random protein bar and a bottle of water and leave without being seen.

It’s kind of odd really, some stores chase him out the moment he so much as looks through the door, and then there are others like this one where it’s like Percy’s invisible. Some part of him sometimes points out he’s super short, barely reaching most grown-ups waists, and even he knows how thin he is. Add in the torn clothes and constant grime, and the shop keepers might be ignoring his theft on purpose. He doesn’t like that thought either, better to ignore it.

He’s so tired of this. He’s sick of the overlay of images everywhere he looks. Of people dying, people living, always always people. Sometimes, in the really bad moments he wonders if dying would be better. But he’s seen the underworld in his dreams, Lord Hades on his throne, endless endless fields of spirits. None are resting. In the Greek world, there is no end to a life. He’s not even sure if he is Greek. But if he is, he’s in no hurry to spend eternity like that. At least while he’s alive he has the option of running, of hiding, of fighting.

But what if Gabe kills him? He knows he isn’t doing well, he’s too thin, too tired, his hair and fingernails are thin and brittle. Is dying slowly better than dying fast? The hand with the lighter flickers across his vision, and he hears the prayer again. Maybe he should try it? Could the sunshine really be worse than Gabe? Worse than death?

No. Better not to think of it. He can’t even tell if these are his thoughts, or if they come from the knowing. It’s too confusing and he is tired, so he is not thinking about it.

Percy does a quick circle of the park before he settles onto his favourite bench. He gives the corner the one-eyed man stands in a wide berth, but as usual the man doesn’t react at all. Just stands there, watching the park. He still can’t decide if the guy counts as a cyclops if he doesn’t eat kids. At least it means he can eat his protein bar and get a decent sleep. The same part of him with opinions on shop keepers also thinks he should be more concerned about how he feels safer sleeping in a park with a cyclops than he does in his own apartment, but that little voice can shut up now, thank you very much.

He curls onto his side, knees pulled up, arms tightly wrapped around himself, trying to hold onto as much warmth as he can. Nights are getting colder now.

As he shuts his eyes he prods at the space inside of himself, pulling and yanking at it, trying to force it to show him his father. He doesn’t dare try and look directly again, the one-eyed man may actually do something if he sees Percy having a seizure in the park. But maybe he can force it to direct his dreams? To just show him an image of his father, any image, just something!

________________________

Percy falls asleep mid-demand, and he’s swept away by his dreams. They take him to a familiar story. He had hoped that this time he might manage to dream of his father, and yet he’s been returned to a forgotten moment in the story of Medusa.

Percy doesn’t like thinking about Medusa. He hates what happened to her, and people should have listened to her. He hates that she was punished. Most of all he hates what Athena did. His dreams about Medusa are confusing, especially when he dreams of her speaking to the man with green eyes and the strange conversation they have. He knows they are not speaking English, yet in his dreams he always understands them perfectly.

He dreams of an old garden, half collapsed columns are scattered through the wild growth. There are big rectangular chunks of stone disappearing beneath twisted vines. Medusa sits alone on the broken marble, crumpled and sobbing into her hands as the snakes around her head writhe and hiss.

A man approaches her, he is tall and powerful, tanned skin with near-black hair and sea-green eyes. Percy can feel the way the air wakes up around him, swirling and spinning like the currents in the tide, each step he takes gives off a tremor, like a promise of an earthquake that never quite takes hold.

The man stands watching Medusa as she sobs, until she abruptly stiffens and turns towards him, face pale, eyes red and swollen and lips trembling.

“I was expecting you.” She sniffles, her eyes downcast. “The grey eyed one had no right to treat me so, but I have greatly wronged you.”

Her back straightens, and she raises her head to meet his eyes. “I will accept whatever punishment you see fit.”

The man watches her for a moment longer, head tilted to the side, mouth slightly pursed. “I would first like to understand why you did what you did. It is not logical to protect a mortal son by accusing the father. Especially in this case.”

“No, it was not logical. I have no desire to protect him. Nor would I need to. He is protected by his very existence. His reputation is impeccable, no one would believe him capable of such acts.”

She looks away at, shoulders curling in, “Nor would they believe I refused him.”

“He told me no one would believe me if I accused him. I just wanted to find a way to tell my story and your own history is much less… clear.” She winces and cringes away from him. But the man just shrugs slightly, as if being known for despicable acts means little to him.

With another quick glance at him, she continues, “I was ruined regardless, but I just… I wanted someone to believe that I had refused. That I had not wanted it. No one would believe him capable, but they would believe you…”

She trails off, before straightening her shoulders and facing him directly “at least I will deserve your punishment.” At that she falls silent, turning her face once again to the ground.

The man does not move, though it’s clear she can feel the weight of his gaze. Finally, as if unable to bear the silence any longer Medusa risks another glance. He is standing quietly, watching her thoughtfully, like she was something new and novel, something unexpected.

When he speaks his voice is kind and gentle, rippling through the garden like calm waves on a windless night. “I cannot understand my niece, to throw away such a disciple because of another’s crime, it is truly despicable.”

“I cannot undo what she has done. You are not the first person to falsely accuse me for the reasons you described, nor will you be the last. All I ask is that you do not tell anyone what you have done.” Medusa stares at him, stunned, the snakes falling still and silent as she tries to understand such unexpected words.

He grimaces slightly at her shocked expression before continuing. “I will ensure my son’s silence. I am deeply sorry for what he has done to you. While I cannot publicly take action, please be assured he will be punished, he has broken the laws of the sea and that will not be tolerated.”

With a brief nod he strides from the garden, leaving both Percy and Medusa stunned and confused. This was not the story Percy had heard. It made no sense to him, that Poseidon, for that was clearly Poseidon, the living embodiment of the ocean, that he would be so accepting of an outright lie? A lie that accused him of vile things, things he had not done, of disrespecting Athena’s temple? Wasn’t he married? Why would he be so kind? So understanding?

The gods make even less sense than the heroes he dreams about. Nothing he has learned about them in his own world matches up to the stories in his dreams.

Just as that thought crosses his mind, the garden dissolves into a new dream. The change has a deliberate feeling to it, as if instead of his dreams moving randomly from place to place, he is now being shown something he needs to know.

He is in a meadow, the sky above is an impossible shade of blue, the sun coats the long grass and wild flowers in liquid gold, a gentle breeze winds through this little piece of paradise. Far away he can hear waves on a beach. This place is paradise, filled with warmth and safety and peaceful quiet.

Something about this little island makes his senses sing with familiarity, with a sense of home. Some part of him knows there is a barrier surrounding the island, a barrier that tastes of ocean salt, the beat of horses hooves, the power of a hurricane and the snap of a ship’s sails catching the wind. A barrier that refuses entry to almost everyone, permitting only those few it recognises.

He’s not sure how he was able to appear inside it. Probably best to avoid being seen. So Percy focuses on hiding himself even more, pulling on his strongest feelings of you-can’t-see-me/I’m-not-here until he starts feeling like a too-thin ghost, on the edge of dissolving into nothingness.

It is so quiet here, so still, no confusing stories of gods and heroes to interrupt the peace. For a while Percy just drifts in this empty place, allowing his mind to wander as it pleases. This is a dream, but it is a real dream. One of the maybe-now, maybe-future ones.

Minutes or hours later the sunshine man comes into view. Percy should go, this man always notices him, is always looking for him. But this time Percy feels some sort of quiet peace, some sort of assurance that this time the man cannot see him. So he continues to drift, not really focusing on anything at all.

The sunshine man is not happy. He is pacing back and forth through the meadow, long strides eating up the ground, his hands gripping at his hair as he mutters to himself. He is not speaking English but as always, Percy understands him.

“Why can’t I find him? Where is he? Should have told her, she would have found him by now. What if something happens? What if he finds him first? He needs help, I can’t just sit here and wait, I need to protect him…”

The muttering goes on and on, the sunshine man’s words going in circles, he sounds stressed, upset and really really worried.

It’s… odd. Percy has seen him before, but the sunshine man always sees him too, and the moment he notices Percy the feelings around him shift, always full of a sense of safe/protect/care that Percy does not trust. Percy has not known anyone else who can control the way they feel to Percy, so no one else can lie to Percy, not when he can compare their words to what the sunshine and sand place shows him. But the sunshine man can control what it shows him, he can lie to Percy.

Except right now the sunshine man does not know Percy is there. So Percy can see what he feels like without manipulations. Carefully keeping up his I’m-not-here/you-can’t-see-me thoughts, Percy pulls at the ocean within. He looks.

Percy had thought the sunshine man’s aura would be different, darker somehow, that it would show some sign of his creepiness with the way he keeps trying to draw Percy in.

It is different, just not in that way. It is loud, intensely so. Overwhelming, flooding the meadow, coating the island, rebounding off the barrier and folding back in on itself, the whole island pulsing with it.

The sunshine man’s aura ripples off him in waves, liquid sunshine dancing across skin, singing an impossible melody, the taste of perfectly rhyming words settling into the bones with finality, the sharp/good crackling pain of a joint being set, a bone being healed, the itch of new skin under a scab, deep pooling possessiveness golden and densely shadowed, vengeance boiling beneath the skin, taking millennia to peak but impossible to cool. All of it interwoven with a warm current of unshakeable loyalty, with the slightest tang of the ocean to hint at its origins. The sunshine man was all liquid sun and protective rage, coated in intense worry, verging on panic.

Percy had never had a chance to look so closely at him before, only catching glimpses of liquid sunshine before disappearing, and the recent flashes of him were flat and empty, full of promises to protect but without the strength of the sun god’s aura.

This time Percy could see the truth of it. The sun god was scared. Really scared. Not for himself, but for someone else. In all his muttering he has not said who he is worried about. But if this is a now-dream and not a future-dream, could it be Percy he is worried about?

There’s no more time to think of it, the man’s attention is caught by something only he can hear. He rolls his eyes, mutters something about demanding sisters and just… disappears. Percy would like to stay in this quiet place but he can feel himself being pulled away, the sound of car horns and the feel of his own shivering body returning him to his bench in the park.

________________________

Percy wakes to a cool morning, it’s only early fall, he has some time yet before sleeping outside gets really bad. The one-eyed man lingers at the other end of the park, Percy knows that once he sits up and acts a bit more awake the one-eyed man will leave, disappearing to wherever he goes when he isn’t standing in the dark corners of the local park. But once he leaves, Percy needs to leave too, the monsters will come for him if he stays still for too long.

He doesn’t have a watch but based on the stores opening and the movement in the streets if he leaves now he should get to his school on time. There’s no point returning to the apartment, Gabe will be there, sleeping off a hangover and the slightest noise from Percy will wake him and then Percy won’t be able to go to school at all.

He doesn’t like school much, but Gabe isn’t there and that’s good enough for him.

His teachers don’t know what to do with him. He’s only in second grade but this is his fourth school. The other schools would get frustrated at him skipping tests and not answering questions and would try to talk to Gabe and Sally. At some point something will happen, like the snakes, or the school will lose patience with Gabe and Sally and Percy will change schools.

He hasn’t been to school for a few days, not since Sally left. He’s pretty sure today is Tuesday, and they do art on Tuesdays. He really likes drawing.

Ducking into the school he arrives at his classroom just as the bell rings. The other kids line up and Percy joins the very end of the line. He doesn’t even know the names of anyone here. He doesn’t really see the point of trying to make friends, and even if he tries it won’t work.

It’s the worst part of the dreams. When he’s awake he knows he is seven years old, and as far as anyone else knows he has only experienced seven years of life. But time moves differently in his dreams. In his dreams he has followed Odysseus for every moment of his twenty year journey, he has experienced the lives of countless heroes. He can understand and speak languages he has never heard of in his waking life.

Then there’s the times he goes away in his head. Time moves differently then. Maybe he’d feel more like a child if he stayed in the real world. Yet even when he’s awake his mind jumps around and thinks so much and he experiences so much. The other kids never seem to feel like this.

Sometimes when he’s awake he does feel like a seven year old, sometimes he does want to yell and run around and play pretend and be like all the kids in his class. But even when he tries to spend time with them, at some point he will still do something or say something and it’s wrong, wrong, wrong, and then they don’t want to be friends with him anymore.

So he doesn’t try anymore. He doesn’t learn their names, he doesn’t spend time with them, he isn’t invited to birthday parties or games of tag in the playground. Sometimes he feels like he lives more in the Greek world than he does in his own. But he isn’t Greek, he isn’t a hero or a god, he’s just Percy and he doesn’t fit.

As his teacher greets the kids one by one and sends them into the classroom, Percy tries to be invisible and sneak past her, he really isn’t in the mood for her questions. She sees him anyway and reaches towards him, her hand stilling and dropping when he flinches away.

“Hey Percy, you’re looking pretty rough, is everything okay?” Yay, she’s asking those questions again. He smiles and nods and says the right things and mentions he’s really worried about the little girl with dark hair standing across the street who is too scared to enter the school. (The girl he’s only seen is his mind, but he knows she’s there). It works. His teacher calls someone to keep an eye on her class and off she goes to fix things for someone who is not Percy.

Percy is finally free to slump into his own seat at the back of the room. The teacher from next door comes in and hands out colouring sheets and pencils and goes on about colouring quietly while Mrs What’s-her-name deals with an emergency. Percy doesn’t care. He has coloured pencils and paper and he suddenly, desperately, needs to draw Medusa in the garden talking to Poseidon.

He flips the paper over, ignoring the printed outline all the other kids were colouring, and on the blank side of the paper his dream takes shape. He carefully sketches in the exhausted slump of her shoulders, the twining hissing snakes, the despair in her eyes, the exhaustion. Poseidon’s tilted head, his sharp gaze watching her, his broad shoulders, his towering figure dwarfing Medusa’s defeated posture. Percy is lost to the drawing taking shape, rifling through pencils trying to recreate the exact shade of Poseidon’s eyes.

He only stops when he hears the sharp gasp behind him. Oops. He can feel his teachers horror and for a moment he is confused. Then he looks back at the paper and realises that to his teacher this is a drawing of something else entirely. It is a drawing of a man towering over a frightened woman who believes she is about to die at his hands.

“Percy, I think we need to have a little chat, why don’t we go to the office?”

He sighs. He can already feel the new ghost bruises and clamping hands. He can smell the body odour and stale beer. The sensations are sharp, something in him is telling him this time it will be really bad. Worse than anything that has happened before.

He numbly follows the teacher, not really paying attention as she yet again asks the teacher next door to watch her class. He’s not really present as she leads him to the office, sits him down, makes a phone call. The images flash in front of him again. A hand, the lighter, silent words, the sunshine man in his chariot, the promise of safe/protect/care. Ghost sensations intensifying on his skin, under his skin, the crack of bone, his ribs, his leg, his hand crushed, an overwhelming pulse of pain on his temple, cracking bone, the red pulse growing, growing, growing. And suddenly stopping altogether in a way that is not natural.

He doesn’t need his teacher to tell him Gabe is coming, the ghost hands tightening over his wrists feeling more and more real, clamping down so hard he’s surprised they haven’t left real bruises. He’d like to go away now, he doesn’t need to be here for these conversations.

When he pulls at the glaring sunlight and thrashing waves inside him it pulses like a siren, it won’t let him dream. All he sees is the hand, the lighter, a blonde teenager, gold chariot, the barest flash of the sunshine man and a silver lady sitting together near white columns, the hand, the lighter, liquid sun pulsing with safe/promise/ask.

He’s walking into the apartment. Gabe’s hand harsh against his back, Gabe is saying something. Percy reaches inside, the sun is too bright, the waves too high, they won’t let him leave. A flame, words, sun god, begging/pleading sunshine. He’s not sure what has happened, what is happening now and what will happen in the future. He sees all of it, all at once, the past, the now, the future, overlapping and hurting and too much. He’s too tired, and this is too much. It needs to stop. The hand, the lighter, the prayer.

Percy gives in.

“Apollo? It hurts so much. Please. Make it stop.”

________________________

Artemis is watching him.

He knows he’s not going to be hide things much longer. The fact that he’s managed to keep this hidden for nearly four years is a miracle in itself. He was sure he would have found the kid by now.

What is he meant to tell her? “Hey, so, turns out there’s this random kid who has been spying on all of us and I don’t know what to do because he’s a stronger prophet than I am?”. That will go over so well.

He dearly wants to find this kid. He needs to find this kid. Once he finds him he’ll be able to protect him. He’ll be safe. If someone else finds him first, if they realise how much power the kid has… Well if he’s lucky they’ll just kill him. If he’s unlucky they’ll try and turn him into a weapon, and there will be a war. With Apollo leading the charge.

Or gods, if Father finds him first… He hadn’t known about any of that until after everything happened. When Uncle came and spoke with him. Apollo cannot risk that happening again. He has never told Artemis what Uncle said of Father’s plans. What Apollo had discovered Father had been doing with Apollo none the wiser.

Prophecy was Apollo’s domain, Artemis understands much, but not this, maybe if the new prophet was a girl he would have considered it.

Artemis is excellent at hunting monsters, at finding terrible things and making them pay. She protects girls with ferocity and if the kid was a girl, well, Apollo would have already told her, she’d have joined the search and his prophet would already be tucked away somewhere safe and sound.

He doesn’t actually know all that much about his new baby prophet. He’s relatively certain they are a boy, or male-identifying? At least the vibe Apollo gets from the kid feels like he’s a him. He’s young too. Most prophets don’t really start with the visions until their late teens, and this kid is younger, though he’s not really sure how much younger. Probably still a teenager?

The kid shields his presence to an insane degree, and he disappears almost as soon as Apollo notices him. He leaves behind a faint impression of a sunny day at the beach. Apollo can’t tell whether it comes from the kid himself or just from the use of the sight. Prophecy was Poseidon’s domain before it was Apollo’s.

Recently the kid’s vibe has changed. It feels… unhealthy? dark? shadowed? Apollo really really hopes he’s wrong but there have been a couple of times in the last few months where the kid hasn’t disappeared immediately and well, the vibes were very much of the “I want to lie down and never get up again” variety.

The idea of a prophet feeling like that, it made his skin crawl. Prophets were rare, and each of them had been given the gift of prophecy by Apollo or were one of his own children. It has been millennia since a prophet had been born.

Since the first time he realised there was something wrong, Apollo has started mentally shouting at the kid, begging him to reach out. He focuses on that sunny beach sensation and sends images, impressions, the same ones again again. Pray, ask for help, I will keep you safe, I will protect you, I promise, just ask. All he needs is just one contact and Apollo will go to him. He hasn’t even met the kid but to have a gift that strong… Apollo would go to war against Zeus himself if it meant protecting this baby prophet.

Except he can’t find him. Which means the kid has never so much as spoken Apollo’s name, or even thought his name with intention. If he had, Apollo would have heard him.

Except he hasn’t. So he’s sitting here, in his temple, trying to look as laid back and relaxed and uncaring as possible. While Artemis stares at him.

He tells her his latest haiku. She doesn’t break. Perhaps it would be better to leave? Just as he claps his hands and jumps to his feet, he hears it.

“Apollo? It hurts so much. Please. Make it stop.”

No. That is… No. He can hear Artemis demanding to know what is wrong but Apollo is just frozen. Standing there. This isn’t a kid. This is a BABY. A baby who is about to die if he doesn’t intervene.

With a thought he flashes away from Artemis, mid-question, her hands grasping air.

He arrives in a filthy apartment, there’s a tiny blood-soaked child curled in a ball, a man is towering over him, leg extending in a hard kick. A heavy boot aiming for the child’s head.

It never connects.

In less than a blink Apollo has sent the man elsewhere. He’s not actually sure where. The guy will live anyway. For now. Apollo first needs to know exactly how much pain to inflict before he allows him the kindness of death.

This is not how he wanted to meet his new prophet. He had wanted to give the child time to learn to trust him, to help him move past his anxiety before Apollo started acting too godly or intimidating. But this child is actively bleeding, he is terrified and in pain and he is a baby.

So Apollo pushes as much warm/safe/protect into his aura as he can, and he stretches his hand out and places it on the kid’s head, even as the kid hits out at him.

The moment his hand connects he learns something he did not want to know, other things are more important right now. The injuries are worse than he thought, and they go back years. He shoves the rising anger aside as well as the latest revelation and focuses instead on healing the new injuries, stopping the bleeding, brushing away the worst of the dehydration and malnutrition.

He could do more. He could get the kid clean and change him into new clothes with a snap of his fingers, but none of that will make up for how poorly the child would respond to such invasive action. He’s already touched the child without his consent, and outside of actively life-threatening situations he can allow this child this dignity at least.

So Apollo pulls his hand back and with quick decisive steps takes himself to the opposite side of the room and crouches down, making himself as small and nonthreatening as possible while giving the kid a clear line of sight to both doors. The kid is just staring at him, and to be honest Apollo is just staring back, equally dumbstruck.

Because what the ever-loving fuck? Since when did POSEIDON HAVE A SON?!? And WHY is he a PROPHET???

Forcefully shoving that horrifying realisation to the side, Apollo takes a deep breath, smiles brightly and says “Hi! I’m Apollo, I’m so glad to finally meet you, you’re my new prophet!”.

Chapter Text

“Hi! I’m Apollo, I’m so glad to finally meet you, you’re my new prophet!”

Okay then. Not really what Percy was expecting. He has no idea where Gabe went either. It’s like his life has become a series of images. Crashing waves won’t let him leave. Flickering images of flames and sun gods. Percy is giving up. Gabe is kicking him. Gabe is gone. The sunshine man is in front of him. The sunshine man taps his head. The sunshine man is across the room. The sunshine man is smiling.

Oh, and apparently he is Apollo’s new prophet? That’s… yeah, that’s something he’s not going to think about. Ever. Totally didn’t hear that.

Apollo is still smiling at him. Oh. He should probably say something back. That was polite right?

“Hi? I’m Percy?” He meant to speak clearly but it comes out a breathy mumble. Things aren’t making sense.

The guy is still smiling at him but his eyes are watching closely, like Percy is about to shatter. There is a sun god crouching in the corner of his living room, surrounded by Gabe’s trash, totally focused on Percy. It’s kind of weird. Also, maybe kind of nice?

Even Apollo’s voice seems nice, all soft and gentle. “Hi Percy, I’m betting things are kind of confusing right now, I promise I’ll explain everything to you as we go along, but right now, how would you feel about a shower and some clean clothes?”

Yes. Shower, clean clothes, no blood. These are good things. He nods and carefully stands before edging to the door on tip toes. Apollo doesn’t move an inch, just watches him with those worried eyes, but it is better to be careful. Though exactly how Percy is going to stop Apollo when he couldn’t stop Gabe he doesn’t know.

The shower helps. There’s no Gabe lurking outside the door for once and it makes it easier to relax into the warmth. The water wakes him up and gets his brain working again. Which is about the point he realises there is a GOD in his apartment, In his dirty, trash filled, stinking apartment. The same god he has been hiding from for years.

But Percy is tired of hiding. Of trying to handle things. He might be a “little old soul who is wise beyond his years” like Sally says, but he is tired. He is seven years old and he doesn’t want to think about this anymore.

Just before he lets himself give in to whatever Apollo is planning, he cautiously prods at the sunlight and sand place. If Apollo is going to hurt him he’d rather know now. The sensations he gets back are overwhelming, but also kind of nice. Golden sunlight, the languid lazy sort that makes you warm and sleepy, the sound and smell of gentle waves on a beach. It tells him nothing and everything. This is the right choice.

He hears someone humming some catchy tune as they move closer to the bathroom door before there’s a gentle knock. “Hey Percy, I wasn’t sure if you needed any clothes, but if you do I’m leaving some right outside the door. I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re ready, take as much time as you need.” The cheerful humming moves away again.

Percy freezes and stays under the shower unmoving. Could this be a trick? Is Apollo still there? Is he waiting for him? His senses tell him no. He can feel Apollo’s liquid sunlight and it’s continuing pulse of safe/warm/protect/no-fear but it’s much further away, in the direction of the kitchen, just as he said. Even so, Percy holds his breath when he silently sneaks to the door, cracks it open, eases a single arm through the gap and snatches the clothes inside.

Only when the door is locked again does he breathe and actually look at what Apollo has left him. These are… not his clothes. Percy’s own clothes are faded from washing, full of half-mended tears and fraying hems, with stretched seams because he’s grown too much and nothing fits right.

Apollo has left him new blue jeans that look unworn but are as soft as his oldest most worn jeans. They fit perfectly. There’s an equally soft light blue t-shirt with a stylised sun on the front and a thick oversized hoodie in his favourite shade of blue, the same blue-green colour as the ocean in the summer (Sally says it’s called cerulean but that word is hard to say). There’s even new socks and underwear still in their packaging, and a pair of shiny brand-name sneakers with matching blue-green laces, the sort of sneakers he could never afford.

When he finally walks into the kitchen dressed in his new extra-soft finery (he keeps patting the hoodie, it’s so soft!) Apollo is on the phone. Wait, gods use phones?

“I promise I will explain, but I can’t right now. Actually, I need a favour.” He pauses and Percy can hear the tinny sound of yelling. “I know, I’m sorry, but this is serious, and I really need you to not ask questions.” More tinny yelling.

“Just shut up and listen for a moment will you?” Apollo looks up at Percy’s flinch, and takes a deep breath before pacing to the other side of the kitchen and continuing in a deliberately calm voice.

“Do you remember that thing with our uncle and the lady with the snake? This is… related. I made a new friend today, a really cool kid, he’s seven years old and he’s… seen, some stuff. Some things happened today and I really don’t want to leave him alone right now, but I need to talk to some people. I was really hoping you’d be willing to come and hang out with him for a few hours.”

Apollo sighs again, dragging his hand down his face as the other person asks something. “He’s seven, he’s just had a really shitty day and I can guarantee he is not thinking about any of that. I think he’ll feel safer with you than he will with anyone else.”

Apparently that vague explanation was enough because Apollo finishes the call pretty quickly and turns back to Percy.

Percy hasn’t moved, he’s still standing just inside the doorway, fully prepared to bolt back to the bedroom and the fire escape if Apollo tries anything. Because apparently he still thinks he can outrun a god. Today has been a very very weird day.

Apollo just looks at him kind of sadly and goes all gentle-like “Hey Percy, it’s okay, you are safe with me, I promise.” And Percy just stares at him.

The sunshine man grimaces, “Yeah, in your shoes I wouldn’t believe me either, but things really are going to be okay. That man is gone and you won’t ever see him again. I promise. I do need to go and talk to some people though, so my sister Artemis is going to come and hang with you for a bit. Would that be okay Percy?”

Percy blinks at that. Things just aren’t really making sense to him right now. Artemis is Apollo’s twin sister. She’s a goddess. A goddess is going to come to Gabe’s trashed apartment to babysit Percy.

Except, the apartment isn’t trashed anymore. It definitely was when he went to shower but now he’s actually looking around and everything is really clean. The smell is gone as well. And there is actual food on the kitchen counter. Edible food. Even the windows are sparkling clean. Is Apollo some sort of magic house-elf in disguise?

Apollo is still watching him. He’s looking kind of worried actually. Oh. He asked a question. Percy should say something. He can’t remember the question. “Okay, I guess?”

That painful looking smile is back, “That’s great, Percy! I do need to check a couple of things with you before I go though.” And now he’s looking all worried again.

Uh oh, this doesn’t sound good, maybe he’s giving Percy a chance to confess to stealing his powers? Percy doesn’t know how he got them, but he is pretty sure he isn’t meant to be able to see the future.

“Can you tell me if you know where your mum is? And if she’s told you anything about your father?”

Okay. Not what he was expecting. What is going on with the world today? Apollo looks super serious, like the entire fate of the world depends on Percy’s answer, even though virtually every adult he’s ever met has asked him the same questions.

“Mum is… on a job? I don’t know when she’ll be back, it kinda depends when the money runs out? She met my father on a beach, he was lost at sea some time after that, and she was intentionally trying to piss him off when she named me. That’s all I know.”

It’s Apollo’s turn to blink stupidly. “Okay. Um, not sure where to start with that. What did she name you?”

“Perseus Hercules.”

Apollo freezes, then makes some strange strangled sound like a cross between a snort, a cough and hysterical laughter. “Yeah, okay. That’d do it.”

That gets Percy’s attention. Apollo knew who his father was? Percy debates asking, but before he can find the words there is a sharp knock at the door. Percy is already inching back towards the bedroom when Apollo goes to answer it, cheerfully calling over his shoulder. “It’s just my sister!”

Artemis is not what Percy expected. Her aura hits hard as she comes in, this overwhelming mix of sharp silver, a bloody finger tracing patterns on a girl’s face, a knife gliding across skin, the smooth flowing movement of legs racing across uneven ground, bright laughter, dark wild savagery, the taste of cool damp depths in the wild places, and all of lit in the silvered glow of moonlit leaves.

He could not breathe with all the sensations pressing down on him, but they are gone as suddenly as they came. Artemis is staring at Apollo and he’s staring back and they are having some sort of conversation with tilted heads and raised brows. Percy’s pretty sure it’s about him.

Then it’s over and Apollo is turning back to him. Fake smile fixed in place. “Sorry about that Perce, I didn’t really tell Artemis much and she didn’t realise you’d be able to feel her aura, it won’t happen again.” Artemis smiles at him and apologises in a surprisingly gentle voice.

For twins they were really really different. She looked older than him, but a lot younger than Apollo who looks like he was 16 or so? Artemis looks about 12, with midnight black hair pulled back in a high ponytail and silver eyes that shine like the moon.

Apollo is still talking, something about food and making sure Percy drinks something because he’s dehydrated, Artemis is rolling her eyes but nodding along with her twin’s instructions. And Percy is still standing in the doorway so so confused as to how getting in trouble for a drawing at school has turned into the sun god giving his sister, the goddess of the hunt, instructions on how to babysit Percy. Percy has never had a babysitter before. And since when was he dehydrated? It feels like the world is moving too fast and everything is just too much.

Apollo has stopped talking and he’s looking at Percy again, visibly debating something as he watches him try to merge with the door frame. Apollo has stayed across the room near the front door ever since Artemis arrived, but the room feels too small and he’s too close and everything is just too much and Percy really needs it all to stop.

He thinks Apollo knows what he’s feeling, because Apollo finishes his inner debate with a decisive nod and a quick step back towards the door. “I’ll be back soon Percy, you can trust Artemis, she’s good people.”

With that he’s gone and it feels a little easier to breathe, even if there’s still a goddess in his living room. She’s doing the same thing Apollo does, subtly modifying the sensations around her so her moonlight is full of a soft silvery sense of safe/calm/protect/no-hurt. It feels like a solemn vow and her face is gentle and kind and open as she smiles at him.

Even her voice is soft and melodious, carrying that same promise of safety through the room. “I think what we both need right now is a break from everything. I’m thinking we set up a nice pile of snacks and drinks and watch some movies and just take some time to just sit and breathe. What’s your favourite movie to watch when you need some comfort?”

Percy isn’t allowed to use the television. Sometimes when Sally is home she’ll watch old kids movies and he’ll sit quietly at his bedroom door and listen to them. Though she did used to watch Hercules with him. He’s not sure how he feels about that, but he could really use something familiar right now. As wonderfully soft and comfy as the new clothes are, they just add to the sense of new and weird and different and he needs everything to just stop.

Apparently Artemis is just as good a mind-reader as her twin, because he doesn’t even need to speak before she tells him it’s all good and maybe he can start thinking about movies while she gets the couch ready for “a proper veg-out”. She moves slowly around the room, carefully telegraphing each move and sneaking very unsubtle glances at him as he clings to the doorframe. The couch is just there, and he doesn’t think she will hurt him. He is so tired. He can’t even be bothered to check the inner sun and salt. Everything is too much.

He does finally unstick his throat enough to mumble, “Mum likes watching Hercules.” Artemis kind of, twitches? at that, some sort of there and gone again hesitation before she’s grabbing the remote and settling in on the far end of the sofa while declaring “Hercules it is!”

Apollo, or maybe Artemis, has done something to the TV. The movie loads but he doesn’t see any of Gabe’s usual logins or information. Artemis looks welded to the sofa, so firmly settled that she might never leave it. She’s already moved everything to the coffee table, so it should be safe to leave the doorway now. Right?

She glances over and gives him another soft smile. “You can stay there if you want, I really don’t mind. You’re also very welcome to come and sit with me, I promise I won’t touch you without your consent.”

Somehow that does it. She says it with such matter of fact conviction, as if no one would ever consider doing such a thing, as if it was normal to be asked first. He still moves carefully and quickly, still hesitates and flinches when he gets closer to her, but he does make it onto the couch, and immediately glues himself to the armrest, as far from the goddess as possible.

Wait. This is not Gabe’s couch. What on earth did Apollo do? Gabe’s couch is black leather, filthy and sticky with gods only knows what. This couch is soft fabric, a deeper shade of his favourite ocean blue.

There’s a matching blanket covered in cheerful little yellow suns sitting folded on the armrest next to Percy. He carefully folds his legs up, wrapping his arms around himself and resting his chin on his knees. With the blanket wrapped around him exuding more of Apollo’s liquid sunshine warm/safe/care aura it almost seems possible that he may actually feel safe again one day. Maybe Apollo might let him keep the blanket?

He half-heartedly watches the movie, as confused as ever by the connection between gospel singers and greek tragedy. When he’s a little more relaxed Artemis carefully reaches over and places a whole variety of snacks in front of him. Then, even more carefully, she hands him a big water bottle. The type that theme parks have with the crazy straws that loop back onto themselves.

Once he’s got a firm grip on it, she leans back and focuses on the movie, seemingly perfectly content to let him sit in a stupor as his brain continuously tries and fails to make sense of the day. The water bottle may be the final straw. And now he is making puns. He gives up. He is done.

He does eventually take a drink. The straw is very fun. Maybe he can keep this too? It’s the same blue as his hoodie with silver accents, so it doesn’t quite match his blanket, but he likes it a lot. And the water helps. It’s the best water he’s ever tasted, clear and pure and free from that weird chemical taste that tap water has. It clears some of the brain fog and somehow makes the world feel a bit less scary.

At some point Hercules is proclaimed a true hero and the very odd movie winds down. Artemis grabs the remote, gives him a far too mischievous smile and picks the next movie.

The Little Mermaid? He’s missing something isn’t he? He doesn’t think she’s actually being mean, even if it feels like there’s a joke in there somewhere. But he does love the ocean, and the music is fun and right now he can curl up under his comfy blanket with his new water bottle and let himself be the seven year old he is.

________________________

Apollo escapes the apartment as soon as he’s somewhat confident Percy won’t run away from his twin. Or at least if he does, Artemis should manage to track him down again without traumatising him. Hopefully.

His sister is very very not happy with him. She came into the apartment, aura full force, ready to absolutely decimate him for dipping out the way he did. He’s pretty sure there would have been a lot of very loud yelling, but before she could start, the kid flinched. Artemis paused. Looked at the kid properly, the kid who was very clearly not currently present and also drowning in his twin’s aura. Apollo shielded him and looked back at his sister just as her head whipped around to fix on Apollo like the huntress she was.

The conversation that followed was entirely silent, and happened at the speed of light. Basically, she was very very unhappy with him. She was glad he had found a new prophet, and at least now she knows why he has been moping so much, but also, this baby prophet was a forbidden child and what exactly did he think was going to happen when the others found out?

If the situation was any less serious he would have tried bargaining with her, teasing her with the latest blackmail, offering her new shiny doodads. But this was serious. This kid was likely the answer to the stalled Great Prophecy. He was also the strongest natural born prophet he’d ever seen. This kid mattered more than any broken oath, any fight, any punishment. He is also a traumatised baby who is currently terrified and barely holding it together. So he stares at his twin and dumps the whole jumbled mess straight into her mind.

Artemis finally gives in. She pulls her aura in tightly, until just the faintest trace of it gleams on her skin and she visibly switches from a huntress to a personality much more suited to befriending a traumatised child whose world is being turned upside down.

Which is good. Because it means he can leave Percy with her and make a start on getting the kid into a safer environment. Hopefully by the time he gets back Percy will be feeling a bit calmer and be a little less obviously terrified at the idea of being in the same room as Apollo.

The man that caused this whole mess is still right where Apollo dumped him, in a storage room in one of Apollo’s lesser used temples. He’d been trapped in a semi-paralysed state that should keep him nicely preserved until Apollo feels like dealing with him. He’d really like to just go full supernova and turn him to ash, but he might have more questions. Also, Apollo just knows that Poseidon will want to handle this himself, his Uncle might be a little less inclined to kill Apollo on the spot if he has someone else to turn his anger on.

Now he just needs to find the kid’s mother. Based on what the kid said and what Apollo has seen in the apartment, he has a fair idea of what she’s up to. He really doesn’t want her coming in contact with Percy until after he’s spoken to Poseidon and taken the kid to camp. Now that he’s seen Percy and gotten a read on his mother’s aura it’s easy enough to take a peek at her without anyone being aware.

And… yep. She’s doing exactly what he thought she would be doing. She’s also clear sighted. That makes things a touch more difficult. Though Apollo is a god after all. It’s a fairly simple matter to drain a couple of phone batteries and swipe the charging cables. He may have also added just a little extra heat so even if they do find new cables, the phones won’t turn on. Given her current activities even if she notices the dead phones it doesn’t seem likely that she will check on her kid any time soon. He leaves a small thread of his mind on alert, ready to make a move if she shows any signs of returning to her apartment.

He checks up on the kid while he’s at it. Technically, now that he’s seen the kid he should always be able to find him again, but he may possibly have also added the slightest bit of a charm to that hoodie he summoned for him. Just so he’ll know if the kid’s in any distress. Percy seems okay. Still not really mentally present but it’ll take time for him to process everything. Artemis has at least got him sitting on the couch with snacks and a drink, and they are watching… Hercules?

What.

This is revenge isn’t it? She’s actually trying to make Uncle kill him. Gods. Okay. That’s a problem for another time. If Poseidon asks, he’s entirely blameless and it was all her idea.

Now he just needs to go and tell his very possessive, very overprotective uncle that his youngest and only living demigod child is being abused. Oh and he’s also a baby prophet and Apollo is taking custody.

Poseidon’s definitely going to kill him.

________________________

Apollo flashes to the beach, not far from the camp. It’s been just over an hour since he heard the kid’s prayer. It’s obvious Poseidon isn’t aware of the situation yet, the waves are calm, the sun is shining, it’s an absolutely perfect beach day. And he’s about to ruin it for everyone.

“Poseidon, may I enter your domain? I need to speak with you.” He tried to project calm, focus, nothing-to-worry-about into his voice as he spoke.

The response is surprised, but there’s a hint of fear underneath. “Is this an official matter?”

“No, my father doesn’t know I’m here. I need to speak privately with you and your queen. Please, Uncle, it really is urgent.”

“Very well, you may enter.”

With his uncle’s words comes a suggested location, Apollo is just glad Poseidon chose somewhere shallow enough that the sunlight still reaches it. Entering another’s domain is never comfortable, he loses access to most of his abilities and even his connection to Artemis becomes thin and tenuous. The deeper he goes, the worse it gets. At this depth Poseidon will still have the advantage but Apollo can leave quickly if he needs to.

Flashing to the meeting spot he finds himself surrounded by shipwrecks, they wall in a small cleared area that has obviously seen use as the location of plausibly deniable conversations. Poseidon is already waiting there, Amphitrite at his side. They are obviously worried, Poseidon is in his merman form, long black hair floating around his face and piercing green eyes. He stands tall and powerful, one hand gripping his trident, intensely focused on Apollo.

Amphitrite at least isn’t dressed for battle, though Apollo has met enough terrifyingly powerful goddesses to know that demure smiles mean little. Her long dark hair is intricately woven in an up-do studded with pearls and a circlet made of red crab claws rests on her head. She gives him a small smile. Apollo has always liked Amphitrite though he rarely has the chance to spend time with her.

He has always thought her marriage to Poseidon is the healthiest of the siblings. So long as they are told of the other’s activities and kept informed of any resulting children, both Poseidon and Amphitrite are perfectly fine with each other having dalliances with mortals and immortals alike.

Apollo is pretty sure there’s a bit more to it than just keeping the other informed. While Poseidon has had many demigod children, Amphitrite also has had a few of her own over the millennia and all of their kids have had one thing in common; their mortal parent is an actual caring involved parent. It has always mattered deeply to both of them that their children are loved and cared for.

Before the oath, if a too-young demigod child of theirs lost their mortal parent through death or incapacity, the child was immediately whisked away to Atlantis to be raised under the sea. Which makes this whole situation even weirder. He could certainly see Poseidon having some fun with Sally, but gifting her a child? That’s not normal.

Even stranger is leaving the child with her when it became clear he was unwanted, like seriously, she named him Perseus Hercules out of spite? If this happened before the vow Poseidon would have taken the kid from her the same day she gave birth. And probably killed her while he was at it.

Poseidon breaks first. “Well? We’re here. I do have better things to do today, what’s so urgent that you needed access to my domain?”

Apollo gulps. How exactly does he say this?

“So. Uh. The last few years I’ve been aware of a new prophet, a natural born one. Haven’t been able to find them, all I knew for sure was they were young and really good at masking their aura. All I could get was just the slightest sense of the ocean.”

Poseidon raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “I am not aware of any new prophets in my kingdom. I do not believe I would be of use in your search.”

“Yeah. That’s the thing. I found him actually. About an hour ago. He called for my help. It was only when I met him face to face that I realised…” He trails off. Poseidon is still holding the trident. Apollo does not want to die.

Amphitrite follows Apollo’s line of sight. “Husband, you are unnerving your poor nephew. Perhaps I might take that and you could consider dialling the fearsome sea god aura down a few thousand notches?”

She reaches for the trident and Poseidon hesitates for a moment before letting her take it. She grasps it firmly before tossing it upwards and it disappears in a flurry of bubbles.

It allows Apollo to relax a touch, his uncle can still summon his trident back but now Apollo might actually be able to flash back to the beach before he is lethally impaled.

Poseidon is still staring at him, clearly wanting him to hurry things up. He takes one more deep breath and says it all in a rush, “The prophet I found is your son, it’s Percy.”

The sea boils. Some distant part of Apollo notes the waves thundering, the category 5 hurricane bursting into existence, the tremors vibrating beneath his feet. At the centre of it all is Poseidon, utterly frozen, unmoving, unadulterated horror spreading across his face. Apollo takes a step back, already preparing to make his escape the moment his uncle starts moving.

Even Amphitrite pauses, the unshakeable Queen of the Sea is shocked to her core. It’s clear she knows precisely who Percy is, which is at least one less worry. Dealing with the constant domestic disputes of Hera and Zeus is bad enough, he actually likes Amphitrite. He has no wish to see her suffer.

Amphitrite moves in front of the frozen furious, terrified King of the Sea. Completely unbothered by the maelstrom he’s unleashing, she reaches up and cups his face between her hands, staring into his unblinking green eyes. “You need to calm yourself, we must find out what Apollo knows. It has been years since we’ve had more than a glimpse of your son.”

There is no response from Poseidon, so she tries again, “Apollo is not going to speak to us if you have scared him out of his wits.”

Apparently that does it. The boiling sea around them stills and calms, the building storms on the surface slow though they do not dissipate. Visibly steeling himself, Poseidon turns to Apollo and abruptly blurts out “Percy is seven years old, he is too young to manifest prophetic abilities.”

As if he’s hoping this is all just a misunderstanding and Apollo can be convinced he never saw the forbidden child.

Unfortunately, Apollo has seen Percy. “Yeah, caught me by surprise too. I was expecting a teenager. But Percy is definitely the prophet I’ve been trying to find. I hadn’t mentioned it to anyone because I didn’t want to risk the wrong person discovering him before I was able to place him under my protection. Uncle, you know why I couldn’t risk it. You were the one who told me. And he’s powerful, the kid’s been watching council meetings on Olympus among other things.”

“Is his mother aware of his abilities?” Poseidon asks in a strained voice, clearly trying to keep hold of his raging emotions. It’s not really working, but Apollo is still alive, so he’ll call it a win.

“I honestly don’t know. But considering how cagey the kid is, I doubt he would have told her.”

“You spoke with Percy? You said he asked for help?” There’s some emotion creeping in now. Out of the corner of his eye Apollo can see Amphitrite come to the right conclusion, anguish sweeping across her face as she shuts her eyes and gives herself a moment to grieve.

“Apollo, tell us exactly what happened. I know my husband can be quick to anger but I promise you, he will not attack you.” She turns to Poseidon, “isn’t that right, my dear?”

And now that same dawning horror is crossing Poseidon’s face. He collapses down onto the bench behind him and places his face in his hands. “Just tell me, Nephew. I would rather know the truth of it than be left to my own imagination.”

Sitting down across from Poseidon, Apollo pours it all out. The way Percy’s aura had changed, his own growing worry and increasing attempts to convince the child to reach out. Percy’s desperate begging prayer. Finding the boy moments before that man succeeded in killing him. How Percy’s condition was bad enough that Apollo could not wait for consent from his parents or Percy himself. Healing the current damage and discovering years of abuse and malnutrition affecting the child’s body. In that moment discovering the truth of his parentage. Sending him to bathe while Apollo cleansed the apartment, both physically and spiritually. Calling in Artemis to guard the child, and immediately requesting a meeting with Poseidon.

Poseidon remains slumped over throughout Apollo’s tale, face hidden in his hands, occasionally making odd half-desperate noises at each new horrible revelation. Amphitrite sits beside him, one hand on her king’s back. Unlike Poseidon she sits upright, shoulders straight, watching Apollo with an impassive face, prepared to carry on until her husband is able to face the world again. There is intense grief in her deep brown eyes, but her strength is unmistakable as Apollo runs out of words.

It is Amphitrite who eventually breaks the silence. “Sally wasn’t there, was she?” she asks quietly.

“No, she wasn’t.” He confirms, he hesitates before continuing. “Percy didn’t say much but I got the impression his mother is away a lot. I did check in on her before coming here but…” He trails off again.

Most gods don’t give any thought to their mortal partners ability to raise a child, Athena especially seemed to delight in dumping unwanted babies on unsuspecting mortals. Not that Apollo has a leg to stand on, some of the mortal parents of his own children have been just as bad, if not worse than Sally and her partner. But Poseidon and Amphitrite have always been different from the others. Apollo has no idea how to tell them Sally was a terrible parent.

Amphitrite says it for him. “It’s okay, we are aware of Sally’s… proclivities. The circumstances of Percy’s birth are rather complicated and we have not been able to be as involved as we would have liked. Sally is clear sighted and a little too aware of the world around her. We have tried to send others to keep an eye on the child but Sally always finds them. Three years ago Triton was sent to check on Percy. Sally told him that if she saw so much as a single cyclops again she would inform both your father and his brother of Percy’s existence.”

What. The. Fuck.

She watches Apollo try to wrap his head around this bizarre thought process. The kid’s mother seriously told them if you try to check on your son I’m gonna straight up have him murdered?

“Are you absolutely certain that she does not know you spoke to Percy?” Amphitrite is laser focused on him, looking for so much as a muscle spasm to betray a lack of confidence.

Suddenly Apollo is extremely glad the mother wasn’t around when the kid called for him. If Sally had informed Zeus the moment he appeared… Apollo would like at least a few hours to prepare for a war against his own father.

He answers Amphitrite, “Yes. She’s been away for several days, and she was thoroughly… distracted, when I looked in. I disabled her phone and stole the charging cable just in case she decides to call home. I’m keeping an eye on her, if she makes a move towards him Artemis can take the kid to Delos while we sort things out.”

Poseidon finally unfreezes, though he looks and moves as if he’s aged a thousand millennia. “What of that man?” he asks, anger wreathing his words.

“Currently in stasis in a location known only to me, I kept him alive in case I needed information from him. Once the kid is secure and I’m certain there’s no need of him, he’s all yours.” That at least brings a gleam to the sea god’s eyes. “That is acceptable. Although I would like to know your intentions towards my son.”

Apollo chokes, “You make it sound like I want to marry the poor kid! You know how it goes Uncle, you held the prophecy domain before I did. All prophets are mine to care for, mine to protect. Granted, Percy is entirely unique, no prophet has previously born with such power so young and even those I have gifted with the sight don’t come close to Percy’s natural ability.”

Apollo shuts up abruptly, Poseidon’s hands are clenching into fists and the terrifyingly possessive sea god is making an appearance.

It is Amphitrite who defuses the growing tension, “Dearest, you know Percy isn’t safe in the mortal world. We did not bring him to Atlantis when he was born because we knew it would spark a war between you and your brother. Even though we now have a little leverage it would still force a war we can ill afford if the fates are to have their way.”

Huh. Doublespeak. If Amphitrite wasn’t a devoted wife and his beloved aunt, Apollo would definitely be considering approaching her himself. She was awesome. But also, leverage? He’d always had a sneaking suspicion…

“Would this leverage have anything to do with Father’s sacred tree being an oak, and not a pine?”

Poseidon just looked at him, blank faced. The corners of Amphitrite’s lips quirk up, a there and gone again flash of amusement at Apollo’s conclusions. “Perhaps. Perhaps not. There may also be two pieces of leverage relating to your other uncle as well.”

He frowns. “That doesn’t make sense. Granted, I never expected Uncle P to break the oath, but I really can’t imagine Uncle H ever doing such a thing.”

“He didn’t. Nor would he, an oath on the Styx binds him differently to those outside the Underworld. This… leverage, existed beforehand.”

Shit. The Di Angelo’s, the ones Zeus killed. Who are apparently still alive. Two little kids in stasis for over eighty years? All because of a prophecy that Zeus is deliberately trying to prevent?

Nothing good comes from circumventing fate. A Great Prophecy is spoken. An oath is sworn. The Di Angelo’s mother is murdered by Zeus, and he claims the children died with her. Because of this Hades curses the Oracle of Delphi and on and on it goes, the ramifications spreading like ripples in a pond.

Oh. “That’s why you had Percy isn’t it? Even though his situation is so different from the rest of your children.” It’s not a nice thought. “Prophecies can’t be prevented, nor can they be avoided forever.”

His uncle just looks exhausted, the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Yes, I was having visions with increasing frequency, it was made clear to me that the Great Prophecy cannot be delayed any longer.”

“We had intended to take time in finding a mortal woman with the strength of will needed to raise a child with such a fate. Yet once we decided that I would father a child, the fates insisted on Sally. The only choice they gave me was whether the child was mine or your father’s, regardless of what I chose, the child would be born.”

Poseidon shrugs somewhat helplessly and looks over at Amphitrite, “I do not like any of it but I, we, felt that if a child must suffer such a fate, they would be better off as my child than my brother’s. He tends to have little care for his demigod children, though his care for Thalia was surprising.”

Apollo raises a sceptical eyebrow, “And yet he was not the one who saved her at the moment of her death.” Poseidon just looks at him, clearly unwilling to acknowledge his role in her survival.

Okay, no poking the bear while he’s behaving. Apollo is still alive, and he is not full of holes from his uncle’s giant pitchfork, time to focus on the kid’s situation.

“It sounds like the prophecy is going to have a big impact on Percy. But right now I’m more concerned with where he will be sleeping tonight, so all I’m going to say is this: If the fates have been so insistent on Sally being his mother, is there any chance that him being a natural born prophet is deliberate too?” They are at least both still listening to him.

“Regardless of how it makes any of us feel, it does place him under my protection. The entire Council knows I would go to war against my own father if it was to protect one of my prophets. That’s common knowledge even without the additional motivation of the… lesser known aspect. Can’t we just call truce and acknowledge Percy has two overprotective possessive vengeful gods watching over him?” This last comes out a little more pleading than he intended.

Apollo really doesn’t want to get involved in a custody battle on the first day. Poseidon’s already acknowledged that the kid can’t live in Atlantis, better Percy be somewhere safe where they can both watch over him. Especially since Poseidon can’t actually officially claim his son, not without starting a war.

While the royal couple consider his words, he risks a quick glance at Percy and his sister. The kid is looking a bit more relaxed, though still keeping his distance from Artemis. Looks like she did at least convince him to drink some water, but no go on the food. And they are no longer watching Hercules!

Wait. No. The Little Mermaid? No. He did not see that. That is not happening. Nope. Nuh uh. Talking to the scary vengeful sea god in front of him is definitely the better option right now.

Who is now demanding specific details on the abuse the kid has experienced. Yeah. Let’s not do that right now. “I will give you all of the details, just, can we wait until Percy is settled elsewhere? People are already noticing the weird weather, and I really don’t want Father noticing where I am right now.”

Poseidon just continues glaring at him. It is Amphitrite who replies, smiling serenely, “Quite right, however I’m not sure what you mean about your father. I did, after all, invite you for tea and gossip. It has been such an age since we’ve seen each other and you are my favourite nephew after all!”

Yep, best aunt ever. “This is why you are my absolute favourite aunt!” He announces, before turning serious again. “I did actually have an idea for how to protect the kid going forward, but I’m not sure Uncle’s going to like it very much.”

Poseidon finally gives in and stops glaring at him, and grudgingly goes, “Fine, if it means he’ll have additional protection I won’t challenge your claim on him. What are you planning?”

At least Amphitrite is fond him, it should prevent him being shish-kababbed too lethally. He hopes. Smiling brightly he explains the plan he’s been considering

Poseidon seems mostly okay with the first part. Send Percy to Camp Half-Blood where the barriers will protect him. He even grudgingly agrees that Percy should stay in Apollo’s cabin. A seven year old can’t exactly be left to live alone in Cabin 3 even if it was safe for Poseidon to claim him. And with the Hermes cabin taking in any and all visitors as well as all unclaimed demigods neither Apollo nor Poseidon would have any influence on the kid’s environment. They reach an impasse at the more devious aspect to Apollo’s plans.

“You want to imply that one of my subjects is actually my son’s father?” The water is boiling again. Apollo gets it. Possessiveness is very much part and parcel of godliness. What’s mine is mine and I will turn you to ash for so much as looking at it. The only reason he’s even prepared to suggest this to his uncle is because of Percy.

Percy is seven years old. His abilities are already so strong he’s barely living in the real world as it is. Coming into his gift of sight so young means he has never had a chance to be a child, he’s already spent the equivalent of decades dreaming of past and future heroes. When he’s present and anchored in the real world he’s facing near constant abuse and has clearly taken to using his sight to escape reality.

What the child has experienced would be horribly traumatic for anyone, but it is made even worse because Percy was not born to live on land. He is a child of the sea. On land he is as adrift from his domain as Apollo is under the ocean. Percy is missing half of his very soul and the longer he goes without it, the easier it will be for his mind to drift, and one day Percy will find himself completely untethered from his body. He needs the ocean, he needs his anchor.

Apollo may be the God of Truth but he is perfectly prepared to lie if it gets Percy access to the ocean. The stronger his gift grows the more important that anchor will become. Only the ocean will be strong enough to tether a child of the sea to the real world.

If Apollo can’t persuade his uncle to go along with this plan, he will have to insist Poseidon claims Percy himself, Zeus will retaliate and the gods will be at war with themselves. Nothing will survive. But Percy is a prophet, he is Apollo’s prophet, and if providing him an anchor means a war with the gods, than so be it. Percy is Apollo’s to care for. Apollo’s to protect.

While he does use less dramatic language, he does eventually manage to convey this to his uncle, and for once it is Poseidon and not Amphitrite who plays mediator. Amphitrite is all blazing anger at the idea of another god claiming one of her husband’s children for his own. Stealing one of her husband’s children away from them. Apollo should have made her promise not to attack him, rather than promising on her husband’s behalf.

Poseidon catches her just before she launches herself at Apollo. Apollo who had been watching Poseidon and not Amphitrite realises he just came within seconds of dying at the hands of his favourite aunt. Oops.

“My Queen, Apollo didn’t mean it like that. Yes, access to our kingdom will strengthen Percy’s abilities, all of his abilities, but he is not trying to make Percy a better prophet. Without a strong anchor his knowing will eventually overwhelm him, and if his power is already so well developed it will happen quickly.”

“The… abuse,” here Uncle pauses, shuts his eyes and takes a long slow breath before continuing in a steadier voice, “The abuse likely further disrupted Percy’s hold on the real world. I like this no more than you, but Apollo does have sound reasoning.”

Amphitrite calms and turns back to Apollo looking apologetic. “I am sorry Nephew, Percy’s circumstances have weighed heavily on me. His life is already to be so short. To hear you suggest yet another could have a claim on him…” She shrugs, looking a little lost.

Apollo understands, he really does. He only met the kid today and he’s hopelessly attached. To have had to stand aside and witness his life, to be barred from offering even the slightest comfort, and fully believing Percy was fated to die at sixteen? Apollo would be clutching at any and all claims he had on the kid too.

He gentles his voice, trying to be as persuasive as possible, “I do understand, it’s an incredibly difficult situation. But when I said we could imply someone else had a claim, I meant we could imply you or Triton were Percy’s other parent. Neither of you are bound by Uncle’s vow.”

“Triton would be the better option since no one will question you and Poseidon being incredibly protective of such a child, given, well…”

It really doesn’t seem polite to mention Triton’s personal tragedy when discussing a demigod they believe is fated to die, but if people believe Percy is Triton’s, Poseidon himself could visit him at camp and no-one would blink an eye. The possessive nature of both father and son was well known. The idea of either of them allowing someone to live after falsely implying they had a claim on the other’s child… It was unthinkable.

Amphitrite clearly hadn’t considered Apollo would propose a fake parent so close to home. She’s surprised, but thoughtful. “That could work actually, especially if we deliberately muddle things by implicating myself and Triton in turn. We would need Triton’s agreement, it will not end well if he is caught unawares.”

Apollo agrees whole-heartedly, “It’s actually one of the reasons I thought of it. Triton’s well known for responding with overwhelming violence at even the suggestion of a connection between himself and a demigod.” He pauses, how does he put this delicately?

“Those who are old enough to know of my connection to Triton, they would never believe that I would so much as vaguely hint towards Triton being Percy’s father if I wasn’t certain. People will just take it as a given if I’m the one making such implications. And you did say you had sent him to check on the kid, so he must be somewhat aware of the situation?”

“Yes, he is… aware. He claims there is little point becoming attached to a child who is fated to die, yet I know he has been secretly sending cyclops to nearby areas in hopes of them catching sight of Percy. We will need to speak with him before you take any actions, but I believe he can be persuaded.” The words come with great reluctance from Poseidon, but at least he seems to be a little more accepting of the idea.

His voice turns more forceful as he continues, his words ringing with authority, “However, Triton will not officially claim Percy. Even if I gave him permission, Triton would never go so far. To do so would be to refuse Percy his rightful title as a Prince of the Sea. I may not be able to claim him now, but I fully intend to do so in the future.”

Yeah, that was fair. There’s a difference between offering protection and outright denying a birthright. Though for Poseidon to call him a Prince of the Sea… Triton is the only child of Poseidon who has been crowned. Then again, if the fates forced Apollo to conceive a son that was fated to die, he’d also be promising the kid everything it was in his power to give. Children should not be toys to be placed for the amusement of the fates.

If they were going to be talking to Triton anyway, there is something else he should ask. He hesitates before just going for it. “When you speak to Triton, would you mind asking how he feels about coming in contact with me? It’s completely fine either way, but if it’s easier for him, I’ll make sure we don’t cross paths.”

Amphitrite is looking at him with a little too much understanding. Even Poseidon softens a bit. It’s not something that is ever discussed but what happened that day has left its own indelible mark on Apollo. It was so much worse for Triton. They had never been close friends, but Apollo has no wish to remind Triton of the worst day of his life.

They both agree to check with Triton and the conversation moves on to the logistics of it all. Thankfully it doesn’t take too much more discussion for them to reach an agreement. Apollo will take Percy to Camp Half-Blood that evening, officially he’ll be an unclaimed demigod who was also a baby prophet and as such will be living in Apollo’s cabin.

Apollo’s oldest son at camp will take care of the kid and keep Apollo informed. Apollo will start having regular tea dates with his favourite aunt and once a conversation has happened with Triton, information can also be passed through him and his messengers.

In regards to the kids parentage Apollo will make it clear he does know the identity of Percy’s divine parent and drop various truthful misdirections implying the parent is close to Poseidon and the sea god has a personal interest in the kid’s situation. But he’ll keep it vague for now.

After mentioning all the sea horses decorating Percy’s room, Amphitrite manifests a cute plush sea horse that is heavily imbued with her protective magic. They will not say who exactly it came from, but for those who could read auras it would definitely lead them to certain conclusions.

Add in a new necklace from Apollo that both marks Percy as a prophet under Apollo’s protection and reduces his aura to just a hint of ocean mist even with physical contact, and the kid will be as hidden as he possibly can be.

They’ll need to meet again to sort out all the other super fun minutiae around actually teaching the kid about his heritage and keeping him supplied and whatnot. Especially since children of the sea other than Poseidon’s own do not attend Camp Half-Blood. But it was far more progress than Apollo had expected.

As for that man and Sally. Once Percy is settled and things are more stable Apollo will personally deliver a little stasis-wrapped gift to Atlantis. Amphitrite confirms she and Poseidon will ensure Sally doesn’t notice anything. Apollo really does not want to know. Clear sighted mortals can be managed, but it tends not to be a pleasant experience. Given everything he’s learned today, he has no sympathy left to offer the woman.

Just before he heads for the surface, some deeper instinct makes him turn back to the two exhausted and grief-stricken sea gods.

“You should keep in mind, the Great Prophecy has six lines, and they may not all refer to the same person. Percy may be the child of the first two lines, he could also be the one who sees in the third line. None of that means he’s the hero who dies in the prophecy. He could just be the herald.” Apollo pauses, looking at them both, looking past them to an image just out of reach.

“Do not give up hope. Percy Jackson is not marked for death.”

That last comes out with a deep conviction that is not his own. It is not quite prophecy, but not unfounded faith either.

Leaving them gaping after him, he heads for the camp, taking a quick glance to see if his next target is free. For once. his son is alone, pouring over some sort of hideously thick paperwork in an office at the Big House.

Apollo pops into existence right in front of him. “Hi Lee! How ya doin?”

________________________

Nineteen year old Lee Fletcher was having a good day. He hadn’t had to deal with any feuding campers and Chiron had finally agreed to let him look over the camp finances. With this sudden storm moving in overhead, he even had some free time to try and make sense of the absolute mess the two thousand year old centaur had made of the paperwork.

Or at least he thought he had free time. Apollo, god of music, prophecy, truth, archery, sunshine and really bad poetry, otherwise known as Lee’s Dad, begged to differ. Or at least that is what Lee assumes by the god’s sudden appearance in front of his desk

“Hi Lee! How ya doin?”

His dad has that look on his face. That somewhat sheepish, somewhat gleeful look that means Lee’s life is about to be turned upside down.

Lee looks at him. Apollo looks back. Actually his dad looks kind of stressed, even his aura feels tired and frayed. Okay, maybe he can play nice.

“Hi Dad, long time no see, are you sure you should be here? Aren’t you going to get in trouble for breaking the non-interference rules?” According to Zeus, AKA the King of ruining demigod lives, the only acceptable reason for a god to speak to their child is in issuing a quest. Lee does not want a quest. Lee is the unofficial leader of a camp full of demigod children who need him to stick around, which means staying alive, which means no quests.

Apollo looks even more sheepish. “I am actually here on official business, not that I don’t want to see you! You know what Father is like.”

Yep, Lee does. “Okay, cool, but I really can’t do a quest right now, I need to stay at camp, Michael might be interested though?” His eighteen year old half brother is getting ready for college and spending more and more time away from camp, he may even want to go on a quest.

“Oh no! Don’t worry, it’s not a quest, I wouldn’t do that to you anyway. I’d much rather you all stay safe and alive rather than tracking down some magic bauble.” And this is why Lee is so glad Apollo is his father, the guy does actually care. If his divine parent had been Ares or Athena… ugh he doesn’t even want to think about it.

“Sooo… what is it?” Lee does love his dad, but he has paperwork to read and kids to wrangle.

“Uh, short version? I found a a new prophet, a baby one. He is a demigod but he’s only seven and his living situation is… really bad. I’m going to be bringing him to camp tonight and I was hoping you would be willing to act as his guardian.” Lee pauses, that is a lot to take in.

Apollo hurries on before Lee can respond. “But you absolutely can say no, I’m not trying to force the kid on you. I think he would do really well with you but only if you do want him.” His dad has such an earnestly hopeful golden retriever expression on his face.

Lee knows Apollo absolutely would not hold it against him if he said he needs to focus on the camp and hasn’t got time for a little kid. The kid must not be one of his siblings because if he was his Dad wouldn’t be asking, he’d just rock up with the kid. Apollo kids were loyal, they protect their siblings no matter what. But that protection does not extend to all demigods.

May as well find out the worst up front. “Who’s his other parent?”

And there’s that flicker. The teeniest bit of hesitation that says the God of Truth is about to say something completely truthful, and yet not. “He’s unclaimed. There are some really complicated reasons for that but his divine parent is fully involved and I’ve already spoken to them and have their permission for Percy to live at camp.”

“Can you at least give me an idea of how angry my siblings and I will be if we find out who is parent is after taking the kid in?” If his Dad wanted a polite kid he should have chosen a different mortal parent. Lee does not like dancing around things, blunt is better.

Apollo drops the cheerful hopeful thing and looks Lee in the eyes, his voice just as blunt but full of an almost painful level of honesty. “If you or any of my kids knew the full truth about Percy you would close ranks around him so fast. You would go to war to protect him. I’m not naming his parent because this is the only way to guarantee Percy’s safety. I will say he is a child of the sea and that storm outside is the result of Percy’s divine family learning of his situation.”

Lee can work with that. Must be someone in Poseidon’s court, maybe even a family member. They wouldn’t have access to a cabin here, and Hermes is always overflowing. Apollo and Poseidon have always been allies, and with the kid being a prophet it would make sense to have Apollo’s kids watch over him.

“Thanks for the honesty Dad, I’m sure we can make room for him, so long as he definitely isn’t an Athena or Ares kid, the others will be fine with him.”

“Yeah, no, definitely no connection to either of them, thank the gods.”

With that his Dad drops into a chair and starts giving Lee the basic outline of the kids situation. It’s not great. Abusive household, the sort of situation no one likes thinking about, malnourished, living on the streets half the time, absolutely terrified of Apollo but a little more comfortable with Artemis…

That catches Lee’s attention, “Wait, Artemis is babysitting him? What about the rules?”

Apparently the gods can still catch Lee by surprise. It has been a long time since there was a prophet around, the mummified oracle in the attic doesn’t count. He’d had no idea that the non-interference rules didn’t apply to prophets.

There were a lot of rules preventing his dad from just making more prophets, but this kid was apparently a born prophet and it seems the only actual rules on interaction between gods and this new kid boil down to “don’t you dare unless Apollo says you can”.

Though that brings up another concern… “So this kid is a prophet and it sounds like he already has some control over his sight, what happens when Chiron starts demanding prophecies from him?”

Ooooh that pissed Dad off. “Chiron and my brother do not know about him yet, I wanted to speak to you first and make sure he could stay in the cabin first. There are very strict rules around prophets. Rules which Chiron knows full well.” Apollo gets up and paces back and forth.

“My prophets cannot be forced, enslaved or used. They must be permitted to use their sight freely under their own guidance. The gift of prophecy is an expression of agape, a love that is both sacrificial and charitable, it is love without expectation of a reciprocity.”

Lee does not need a lecture right now. Lee has things to do.

“Okaayyy… Sounds like I should just let you know if Chiron pulls a stupid? But what about the other kids? Especially while everyone is still adjusting, what happens if someone asks something and unintentionally forces a prophecy?”

His Dad gives him a sharp look, “Definitely tell me if Chiron tries anything, though my brother should keep him in line, my authority trumps even Father’s when it comes to my prophets. As for unintentional actions, you are all kids, and so is Percy. So long as it was truly an accident and not someone trying to find a loophole, my response will be focused on educating, not smiting.”

After that Apollo goes over some more pretty straightforward information. Because the kid is so utterly terrified of male adults and Lee and Michael both fit that category, his dad is apparently going to modify the Apollo cabin to add a small extra room and bathroom on while the kid adjusts. It’s a good idea, when the room isn’t needed anymore for the new kid it’ll still find plenty of use.

There’ll be some extra deliveries dropped into the cabin, technically for the baby prophet but if Lee happens to see some extras in there for him and his siblings, please distribute them and keep it quiet. His Dad also wants to encourage a friendship with the Aphrodite cabin, something about them both having a connection to the ocean. Lee knows Silena and Drew are liable to adopt the kid on the spot, and it sounds like the kid will find them less intimidating.

Oh! Apparently with a baby prophet on site his dad is also going to be able to visit a lot more often, not just the quick check-ins when they are dreaming. Apollo seems so very pleased with this, it’s nice to have a reminder that not all godly parents completely suck.

Lee figures he has enough information now to brief the five siblings who live at camp year round, and the storm outside is finally starting to let up so he should make a run for it while he can.

Apparently Apollo isn’t quite finished.

“There’s a couple more things I need to say, but I probably can’t answer any questions about them. I just need whoever will be spending the most time with Percy to be aware of this, but you can’t tell anyone else.”

Awesome. More secrets.

“Just tell me already, if the kid’s coming today I need to go, like now, to get things ready.”

That gets a smile, “It’s nothing bad, I just can’t explain the reasons. Basically I need you to try and keep Percy away from Luke Castellan, and make sure you or one of your siblings overhears anything Luke says to him.”

Given the massive chip on his shoulder that Luke is constantly carting around, Lee can’t see a reason why he would subject a seven year old to Luke’s angry rants, so that’s easy enough to agree.

“It’s also best if you encourage Percy to keep his distance from the little Athena girl, Annabeth. There also may be visits from members of Percy’s godly family and things will go more smoothly if they don’t see the two of them together.”

Huh. No clue. But the little girl is attached at the hip to Luke, so easy enough to manage.

“And, uh, maybe don’t look too closely at the kid’s aura? Your talent is stronger than anyone else he’ll meet, and yeah, just don’t look is the best advice I can give. Or if you do, keep it to yourself.”

That gets him. What? Actually. His Dad’s right. Probably best he doesn’t know. But Lee also knows he is probably going to peek. And he probably will regret it. But as long as he doesn’t tell anyone what he sees, his Dad won’t do anything about it.

So he agrees, and his Dad is off again, promising to be back in a couple of hours with the new kid in tow. At least all his siblings should be together sheltering from the storm, and are probably freaking out about the extra room that just magically appeared. Definitely time for him to head over to the cabin.

Chapter Text

It’s Artemis who tells him that Apollo will be back soon. It’s mid-afternoon now and Percy has stopped even trying to watch whatever was on the television. He’s started feeling better, like he might even be able to fall asleep with Artemis’s gentle safe/calm/protect moonlight nearby, but now… Now he’s wide awake and terrified all over again. What if Apollo brings Gabe back? Or Sally? Sally is going to be so angry that Percy let people into the apartment.

Artemis stops his spiral when she tells him “It’s okay, it’s only Apollo, no-one else. He’s been making some arrangements for you so you have somewhere safe to live. Somewhere far away from that man.”

He’s really not sure about this. The park with the one-eyed man is the only place that is safe, what if he can’t find his way back from wherever they send him?

The safe/calm/protect/trust feeling increases, “Percy, I’m going to make you a promise. The sort of promise I cannot break. If you are ever afraid and hurting and you need me to come and get you, just call for me. I promise you, I will come for you.” The words fall with such a heavy weight, it is a promise that will hold across millennia.

Percy looks at her, confused. “I thought I was Apollo’s prophet?” She laughs, “Yes, you are, but what’s mine is his and what’s his is mine. You can trust him, I promise. But I also know that right now you are going to feel safer around me than him. So. If you need me, all you need to do is ask. You can even join my girls on a hunt if you want.”

If he keeps blue screening at every new weird thing he is never going to survive this day. Maybe it’s time to just roll with it. So he just sort of, nods, and murmurs something, just as there’s a quiet knock at the door and Artemis goes to let the sunshine man in.

Some part of Percy is aware that gods don’t really need to knock at doors and that they are doing all of this to make him feel safer. It’s nice. Also very weird. He’s rolling with it.

Apollo is doing the big beaming sunshine smile thing again. It’s looking even more forced than before. Under the smile he looks exhausted, like Odysseus at the end of his journey. Apollo sees Percy curled up under his new sun covered blanket and the smile grows a little more real. He stays near the door as Artemis returns to her seat on the couch and it makes Percy feel a little bit safer.

His voice is soft, with the same twining melody that Artemis has, “Hey Percy! Good to see you looking a bit brighter. I know things have been super intense, but I’m afraid we have a bit more to get through before the sun sets. I’m going to try and keep it pretty simple but there are some things I need to tell you. How would you feel if I came and sat over on the ground near the coffee table?”

Percy considers Apollo with all of his golden retriever energy, then considers the spot on the floor. It’s more than an arms-length away, Artemis would still be closer to him. And he would still have a clear run to the bedroom door. He nods.

Apollo walks over, moving far more slowly than he has previously, doing the same heavy tread/careful movement thing Artemis has been doing. They are treating him like a spooked horse. Which is probably accurate. Unfortunately.

After sitting down and carefully dropping his shoulders and stretching his legs out in a comfortable looking lazy sprawl, Apollo does… something, with his hands and is abruptly holding a sea horse plushy. Weird, Percy’s rolling with it. The plushy is gently placed on the coffee table where Percy can reach it.

“So I’ve been having a conversation with some family friends of yours, from the other side of your family-” Percy cuts him off “You know who my Dad is?”

“I know who your… other parent is, yes.” There’s some hesitation in Apollo’s words, and that is a very odd way of putting it. Never mind. “The sea horse is for you, they would have sent things before now but Sally has been refusing all contact with them.”

Percy wishes he could believe Apollo was lying. But it really was something his mother would do. He knows his father isn’t listed on his birth certificate so maybe getting custody wasn’t possible?

“So am I going to live with my dad now?”

Apollo purses his lips, looking a little uncomfortable. “So you know how me and Artemis are Greek gods right?” Percy stares at him, confused. “Yes?”

“Well sometimes gods like us will have children with other mortals, we call them demigods.”

Percy just looks at him. He knows this. He’s been dreaming about heroes all his life, why are they talking about Greek gods, when he was asking about his dad?”

He stares at Apollo. Apollo stares back. It’s Artemis who breaks the stale mate. “Oh for father’s sake! You’re a demigod, Percy.”

Apollo whips his head around to glare at his twin. “Did you just Harry Potter my prophet?” “You were taking too long! The poor kid’s had a shitty day, be less cryptic if you don’t want me interrupting.”

Percy ignores the bickering. Demigod. He really wishes that didn’t make sense. Demigods don’t usually come into their powers until their early teens. Prophecy is Apollo’s domain. But if Apollo was his father he’s pretty sure he would have just told him outright and not disappeared to talk to “the other side of Percy’s family”.

“So who is my dad, and why isn’t here?” The bickering stops abruptly.

Apollo is now completely focused on Percy, watching his every reaction as he speaks. He’s still speaking carefully, keeping his voice even and gentle.

“That’s where things get much more complicated. There’s this rule about non-interference that means we can’t be too directly involved in our kids lives. I am really not a fan of it, but it’s not something I have the power to change. Your situation is even more complicated because regardless of who your parents are, you are also my prophet. And while divine parents have a tonne of restrictions on interacting with their kids, there are a lot less rules about how I interact with my prophets.” He pauses, watching to see if Percy is following him.

He mostly is. Gods are jerks, even the ones who love their kids aren’t allowed to spend time with them. He’s never met his dad, sounds like he probably isn’t going to either. But Apollo and Artemis are here. Plus there’s that stuffed sea horse that looks so so soft. He’d rather think about that. The sea horse is blue and yellow and he has the teeniest tiniest cutest ever little silver and pearl circlet on his head, maybe he’s a royal sea horse! Percy can’t resist any longer, he snatches it off the table and into his blanket huddle. Mine.

That gets a soft smile from both of them. It’s worth it, he’s even softer than the blanket, and he has his own aura, it sings like the ocean itself. Something inside him recognises that aura, it recognises that sense of home/safe/love/strength. Something inside of him knows that feeling of stable ground, the still centre of a storm, the taste of salt and the feel of dancing currents in deep waters.

The ocean. Percy thinks about the way Sally won’t let him near any sort of water, how she wouldn’t sign the permission slip for the aquarium field trip, how she met his father on a beach and said he was lost at sea.

He blurts out, “There’s like a million sea gods, you really won’t tell me which one it is?” Artemis lets out a little giggle at her brothers stunned mullet expression. Apparently this is not the conclusion the sun god was expecting when he handed him a sea horse plushy. After Artemis showed him The Little Mermaid. Are gods like really dumb?

Apollo shakes his head a bit and goes “I’m afraid I can’t, I promise, you’ll know everything one day, but right now things are a little too complicated. Your other parent is struggling a bit with everything that has happened, they have been trying to help you, I promise, but Sally, well… Anyway, you are absolutely correct though that your divine parent is a sea god, and you are a child of the sea.”

“So where am I going?” That perks the sun god up. “You, my dear baby prophet, are going to camp!” Percy blinks at him, weird day, rolling with it.

Artemis saves him, “There’s a place called Camp Half-Blood out on Long Island, it’s specifically for demigods and has a magical barrier that keeps the children safe and protected. It has around forty kids living there permanently, with another fifty or so attending only in summer. They teach you about our world and train hard, most of them are training for future quests, but you Percy, will only be learning to protect yourself. No quests for itty bitty baby prophets!”

There’s far too much laughter threading through her voice and Percy’s not sure if she is making fun of him or Apollo, who is looking increasingly horrified at the idea of Percy going on quests.

“Nope. No quests. Definitely no quests. The point is you’ll be safe there, and you’ll have a chance to learn about your abilities and get a better handle on your visions. I still need to sort some details out but you’ll definitely get a chance to connect to the ocean and that’s going to help you a tonne.” He nods decisively, like everything is already settled.

And then Apollo pauses again. Looks at his sister, and some sort of silent conversation happens between them, leaving Percy out of the loop. When Apollo turns to him the fake sunshine smile is back, “I’m just gonna head into your room and make a start on getting your things packed for camp. While I’m gone Artemis is going to have a quick conversation with you, okay? Cool. Back soon!”

And he’s gone. Percy blinks. Turns to Artemis. She’s looking serious now, all mischief gone. What follows is a deeply uncomfortable and confusing conversation that basically amounts to; no one is allowed to touch Percy without his explicit consent. There are some touches that are not allowed at all until he is much much older. If anyone touches him like that, or touches him when he says no, or does anything to make him uncomfortable he is to tell Artemis or Apollo right away. He can just call out to them in his head if he doesn’t want to talk out loud. But he has to promise he’ll tell them.

Percy really doesn’t want to think about any of that. But if Gabe is really gone, then it should be fine to tell them if something happens. So, he promises her. Artemis tells him she knows it’s scary to think about, and nothing is going to happen, but she didn’t know if he knew what to do and it’s very important that he does know just in case. Especially since he hasn’t had a grown up looking out for him in a long time and she isn’t sure if anyone has had this talk with him before. She’s right, no one has. So he guesses it’s okay she said all that?

Apollo only reappears after when they’ve switched back to talking about The Little Mermaid and what he should name his new plushy (he decides on Eric, he’d wanted to call him Triton, because of the crown, but Artemis seemed really uncomfortable with that idea).

Apollo is humming yet another tune so Percy can hear him coming long before he sees him. He’s holding a big duffel bag that Percy definitely didn’t own and he says if there’s anything missing to just let him know and he’ll make sure it’s sent along to camp. Percy hopes there’s room for his new blanket, because he is definitely taking it with him.

Apollo sits on the floor in the same spot as before. Apparently there’s one last thing to discuss before Apollo drives him to this new place. The things Percy sees.

Apollo seems really calm about it all, he doesn’t say anything about Percy stealing his powers, instead he seems mostly focused on helping Percy manage his abilities.

Apollo gives him a necklace, it doesn’t look like much, a thin gold chain and a little sun charm, but it feels so strange. Hanging from Apollo’s hand it’s as if there is a little ball of nothingness surrounding the charm, like the exact opposite of an aura. Apollo says it’ll make the visions and auras less overwhelming. Apparently everyone at camp is likely to have a strong aura, whereas right now most people Percy see’s have barely any aura at all. It has something to do with divine blood?

Anyway, the necklace will make sure he doesn’t get overwhelmed and Apollo can adjust it for him once he’s settled in at camp. Percy still hasn’t said anything in response. He isn’t sure about this, but all the other gifts were really nice and if Apollo was going to hurt him wouldn’t he have done it by now? Reluctantly he takes the necklace and puts it on.

Oh. That’s new. He feels like his eyes are actually working for the first time in, well ever. He hadn’t realised that everything he sees was literally ruining his eyesight. The apartment comes into sharp focus, is this what wearing glasses is like? Apollo is watching him and there is stark relief in his eyes, his shoulders slumped, he looks so very grateful that Percy has put on his necklace.

Apollo’s voice is equally drenched in relief “There you are! You’ve been drifting a lot, Artemis and I were getting pretty worried about you. The charm will help you stay a bit more aware of the world around you.”

Oh. Percy hadn’t realised they knew about that. No one’s ever noticed his habit of going away before.

The rest of the conversation is pretty straightforward, though Percy isn’t sure how much he’s going to remember. Apollo says his son Lee is going to look after him at camp, and Lee can go over all of this with him again and answer any questions Percy has.

Basically there are rules about what prophets do and don’t share, and if Percy is unsure it’s best not to say anything. He can always ask Lee or Apollo for advice.

For some people knowing the future can make things worse. Some future things have already been woven by the fates and any attempt to change it will end up with the fates forcing it to happen. There’s a lot of pain in Apollo’s eyes when he says this, like he’s experienced this himself.

Other times the future he sees might just be a single strand that hasn’t yet been woven. If he is seeing a single strand he can use it to make decisions that will change the strand and maybe prevent what he saw from ever happening.

Apollo says that the most important thing to remember is that while the choice is his alone, prophets who deliberately look for their future have very difficult lives. Apollo thinks it would be best if Percy doesn’t look at his own future. He has a strange look on his face, as if he really doesn’t want to be telling Percy this.

At least here Percy can maybe make him feel better? So Percy tells Apollo that he does not wish to know his own future. The one thing he knows for certain from his dreams is that things will happen to him whether he knows about them or not and he trusts that he’ll see what he needs to without seeking it out.

Apollo looks really happy at that, like Percy has given the exact right answer.

“Besides, I can always feel what Gabe is going to do before it happens, so when those feelings go away I know I’ve either stopped it happening or it’s safe to wake up again.”

Oops. Apollo didn’t like that. There are too many emotions flashing across his face for Percy to tell what is happening. None of it looks good. Artemis gets his attention with a sharp “Brother!” And Apollo’s fake smile is back and it’s as if the last few minutes never happened.

Okay then. Percy is definitely getting better at just rolling with things. Apparently it’s time to leave for the camp. They need to arrive before sunset. Percy doesn’t think that’s likely, the sun is already pretty low and Long Island is ages away.

Apollo adds his blanket and water bottle to the duffel bag and lets Percy hold onto Eric the Sea Horse. He goes first out the door carrying Percy’s things, Artemis follows and goes slowly enough that Percy doesn’t feel too trapped in the stairwell with Apollo below them.

The car is… unexpected. Sitting in the no-parking zone is an expensive-looking bright red sports car with the top down. Gods are very very weird. There is also a booster seat in the back. This makes no sense. But whatever. Percy grudgingly climbs into the backseat, sitting on the booster seat and trying to make sense of the straps. Apollo watches for a moment.

“If you’re okay with it, I can do the seat belt up with a snap of my fingers, I won’t touch you, but it might be easier?”

Percy sighs. Nods. Apollo snaps his fingers and the seat belt clicks into place. Apollo drops the duffel bag next to him before climbing behind the wheel, Artemis is already in the passenger seat.

They pull into the road and then something happens, and now they are pulling to a stop just outside a big sky-blue house with wide porches and white railings. The sun is just beginning to drop below the horizon, it looks like it stormed recently but now everything is bathed in a golden glow.

Apollo turns around and gives him a big grin, “Welcome to Camp Half-Blood!”

________________________

As expected the rest of Lee’s siblings are already at Cabin Seven, spread out around the sitting room. Storms aren’t really common in camp, the barrier prevents most of them, but divine storms can still affect them. Last year when everything happened with Thalia there were lightning strikes all over camp.

Kayla is the first to notice him, and immediately asks which god Mr D pissed off now? Kayla is eleven and obsessed with being prepared for anything. She does all of the background organisation and preparation for their siblings and Lee is pretty sure she has plans for everything from zombie’s to world domination.

“It wasn’t Mr D this time, I don’t know who specifically is responsible but I do know why, I’ve just been speaking with Dad about it.” That gets their attention. Apollo regularly checks in on them through their dreams but it’s pretty rare for any of them to actually speak with him. Usually the best they get is seeing him on his throne during field trips to Mount Olympus.

“Dad was here? Why? Has something happened? Is there a quest?” Twelve year old Austin is a bundle of irrepressible energy, he’s the newest sibling to join the cabin and is constantly bubbling over with questions and ideas.

“Nope, no quest. We are however getting a new addition to the cabin, though he isn’t a sibling.” Lee can’t resist, it’s like detonating a bomb in the middle of his siblings. They are all yelling over the top of each other demanding answers. It’s unheard of for any god other than Hermes to allow an unrelated demigod to live in their own cabin.

Ten year old Will adds fuel to the fire when he asks in a suspiciously cheerful voice “Does this have anything to do with the new bedroom that just appeared off the boys dorm?”

Five kids thunder through the hallway into the boys dorm and head for the new door at the back that definitely wasn’t there this morning. Lee follows along behind, curious to see what his Dad has done. It’s pretty small, just big enough for a single bed, a set of drawers, a tiny desk and not much else, with a side door leading into an ensuite bathroom.

The only unusual thing about the bathroom is the addition of a full sized bath tub. It makes sense though, if this kid’s a child of the sea he’ll probably find water soothing. This way the poor kid will also have a bit of privacy for the inevitable breakdown when the day’s events finally hit him.

The room’s decorations aren’t his Dad’s usual style. Mostly blues and greens but there is a sun shaped nightlight and he’s pretty sure there’s a whole glow in the dark starry sky on the ceiling, complete with moon. Kinda looks like Artemis may have had a hand in it. The room has its own window and when Lee checks he finds it opens fully. Dad gave the kid an escape route so he wouldn’t have to go through the boys bedroom if he wants to leave. Exactly how bad was the kid’s home life?

Never mind, worry about that later, chaotic siblings now.

“Okay guys, if you’ve all finished exploring, I do have actual things we need to talk about before the kid gets here, so if you could all head back to the sitting room now?” He herds them along like a flock of sheep but he does eventually get them all corralled again.

“If you guys could just keep the questions till the end, this will go a lot faster. I only just learned it all myself. So just try and keep it contained, yeah?”

They do eventually settle down, Will, Kayla and Austin are always the main instigators of the chaos. Eighteen year old Michael and fourteen year old Jenny are happy to sit back and watch, though they do delight in setting off the younger ones.

“Basically, Percy is seven years old, he is an unclaimed demigod though Dad has assured me that Percy’s parent is someone we would all approve of. Actually, he said if we knew who his parent was ‘we would go to war to protect the kid,’ so there’s that. Make of it what you will. Today’s storm was caused by the divine family of Percy’s parent finding out about his living situation. And the reason the kid will be living with us is because he is a natural born prophet.”

The yelling starts up again, now with a clear undertone of pure shock. Prophets were a thing of myths even to demigods. The only one that they really know about in hundreds, maybe thousands, of years is the Oracle of Delphi. The same Oracle who was cursed over sixty years ago and is now a mummy in the attic of the Big House.

As the noise dies down, it’s Michael who asks the question. “Are you saying that Dad is trusting us with the first born prophet in millennia?”

This realisation is beginning to dawn on all of them. Honestly it hadn’t really hit Lee either. He had been focused on the traumatised child aspect of this. But forget quests or feats of glory, Apollo, the God of Prophecy, handing this child to them, to Lee specifically, was a huge statement of trust and faith. No wonder Apollo was so casual about asking Artemis to babysit, protecting a prophet was not normally something one trusted mortals or demigods with.

Lee needs to sit down. Now. Good thing there was a couch behind him. “Oh. Well. Yes. Honestly I was so focused on everything else Dad said that it didn’t really occur to me.” They all sit in stunned silence.

Kayla breaks it with her usual no-nonsense tone, “Everything else? You said we need to talk about things before he arrives?”

Right. Focus Lee, fall apart later. “Essentially, Dad only found Percy today. He’s been searching for him for a while but it was only when Percy reached out that he was able to locate him. Percy’s been living in a really bad situation, I’m not going to give you any details, Percy can tell you if and when he chooses to. All I’ll say is this morning, things came to a head and Percy called to Dad for help.”

Kayla again, “So we need to treat him like we would any little kid who arrives at camp because of not so great parents? I take it that’s why Dad set up the bedroom?”

“Yeah, Dad said Percy was terrified of him, could barely be in the same room. He was a little more comfortable with Artemis though, so he may take to you and Jenny a bit quicker. Officially I’ll be listed as Percy’s guardian and it sounds like Dad is going to be around a lot more. Dad did mention he’d be sending things for the kid and if we notice extra things have been slipped in with our names on them we’re to share them out and keep quiet about it.” That got smiles all around. Hermes might be the trickster god but their Dad loved finding ways around the rules.

Austin pipes up “I know you said he’s a born prophet, but is he like, actively a prophet? Already seeing the future and everything?”

Lee considered him, he would not have thought Austin would care either way, but it is a valid question “He’s already come into his abilities, Dad went over the rules with me. Basically if Percy volunteers information, it’s all good, but if anyone attempts to force a prophecy from him, even if it’s Mr D or Chiron, we need to tell Dad or Artemis right away. And if any of the other campers act like morons about him, let me know.”

Austin hesitates for a moment, clearly debating about something. “If that’s the case, we also need to keep him away from Luke.”

Wait. What. The way Dad had phrased it had made it sound like there was some super secret reason for keeping them apart.

“Can you explain that a bit more?”

That gets a wince from Austin, “You know how Luke’s always ranting about the gods and everything? Just after I got to camp I came across him when he was, like, really upset, much more than usual. He apparently needed to talk to someone, and well, I was there, so he just, sort of, trauma-dumped all over me.”

Lee pauses, considers. “Austin, you’re twelve, he’s nineteen, he had no right to do that, nor should he expect you to treat it with doctor-patient confidentiality just because you are a son of Apollo. We aren’t therapists, man.”

That gets a grin. “True. I didn’t mind keeping it to myself, kinda forgot about it actually, but if Dad is trusting us with a prophet… I think that comes first.”

“It definitely does.” Michael agrees with a firm nod and there are murmurs of agreement all around the room.

Austin takes a breath and starts talking. The story he tells is disturbing. Luke’s mother had apparently believed she was fated to be the next Oracle of Delphi. Which makes no sense, the Oracle is always a maiden, she literally had a child with her. Apparently she tried to take on the spirit anyway and it sent her insane.

Lee knew Luke carried a lot of anger. He’d first arrived at camp the same year Lee did, but he’d stayed less than a year before running off again. Until last year Luke had only spent a day or two at a time at the camp before disappearing again, as far as Lee knew Luke had been mostly living on the streets.

Last year, Luke arrived at camp with Thalia, a forbidden daughter of Zeus, and a seven year old Annabeth, the three furies at their heels. Luke and Annabeth made it safely into the camp. Twelve year old Thalia was killed as she crossed the border. She was turned into a pine tree at the moment of her death. Chiron said Zeus did it to spare her. Luke had lived at camp ever since, acting as big brother and parent to Annabeth.

Both Luke and Annabeth tended to keep to themselves, Annabeth had decided she was never speaking to Lee again when he didn’t agree with her when she informed him Athena was the smartest of all the gods. Even the other year round Athena kid, Malcolm was confused by that announcement.

Luke was just unhappy with Lee’s lack of sympathy for his hatred of the gods.

It probably didn’t help that the Apollo kids knew their Dad cared. And that was only going to become even more obvious if Apollo started popping in to check on Percy. Definitely a good call to keep the kid out of the Hermes cabin.

“Thanks Austin, that’s actually really helpful to know. Though I trust none of you will spread any of it beyond this room. It is Luke’s story to tell, not ours.” Lee says firmly. There were nods of agreement from everyone.

Kayla adds “Maybe keep Annabeth away too? She tends to parrot everything Luke says. I know she and the new kid are a similar age, but Castor & Pollux are eight too and they don’t like Annabeth, so we could encourage him to spend time with them instead?”

Even better. Now he doesn’t need to try and think up reasons for Dad’s odd requests, his siblings have it sorted already.

“Excellent idea! Plus Castor & Pollux are far less likely to try and push the rules around prophets, not with Mr D around. So, anything else we need to sort out before Dad gets back with Percy? I don’t suppose any of you would be willing to tidy up a bit? Especially since we are being entrusted with the first born prophet in millennia?”

Hey look! New thing to motivate them with! His siblings actually take him seriously and start putting things away. No threats needed. Lee is very curious to see how long he can milk this for.

________________________

Apollo noticed her as soon as the car rolled to a stop. He wasn’t normally so sensitive to ocean auras, but after the past few hours with Poseidon and Amphitrite, plus being around Percy himself, the girl’s aura was practically screaming at him.

Poseidon had definitely said there were no other kids from his domain at camp. And yet, Apollo could taste the ocean on his tongue, feel the sun-warmed water gently swirling around his arms, see that glimpse of calm water sparkling under a bright sun.

It makes him think of Amphitrite, but not quite. One of her sisters? There were dozens of them, apparently one of them has misplaced a kid? Debating for a moment Apollo figures there’s no harm in asking since it has nothing to do with Percy. If his father asks he can answer any questions truthfully.

Apollo reaches out telepathically. “Amphitrite? Is one of your sisters missing a kid?”

Her attention is immediate and intense “A young girl? Red hair, green eyes?”

“That’s the one, looks about 11 or 12? She’s here at camp, looks like she’s pretty settled with the Hermes kids, has she been claimed?”

“She is considered claimed under the laws of the sea. No-one on land would recognise her mother’s symbol even if she knew the child was there. We have been searching for weeks. We should have been informed as soon as she arrived. What is that fool Chiron doing?”

Apollo is tired. This has been a very long day and he does not have the emotional capacity for another sea god meltdown. Sometimes the constant turbulent emotion is just too much. He really hopes Percy is more even-keeled. “I need to get my new prophet settled but I’ll ask my brother about her while I’m here. I’ll let you know when I find out.”

When Amphitrite thanks him he can feel the soft pulse of apology that accompanies her words, they were all overwrought from the day’s revelations, and she was just as tired as he was.

Pushing thoughts of yet another misplaced sea child aside, he turns around and gives the kid a big grin, welcoming him to his new home. Taking not to get too close, he gets Percy untangled from the booster seat and they say goodbye to Artemis who takes the keys and heads off to park the sun chariot a bit more securely (i.e. out of reach of any children of Hermes) before the sun is entirely gone. She’ll stay close by until Apollo hands Percy off. He’ll probably join her and the girls tonight, all of him is a bit too raw after all of today’s conversations.

At least now Apollo is finally heading towards the Big House with the tiny child acting as his silent shadow. Percy’s still clutching his new sea horse toy. They made it. The last of the storm clouds are drifting away, Apollo has a sneaking suspicion Poseidon had kept the storm going just in case there was a repeat of Thalia’s attack.

Chiron and Dionysus are waiting for him on the porch. Dionysus has definitely already noticed the sun charm and it’s very clear ‘My Prophet, Do Not Touch’ statement and his eyes are full of gleeful anticipation for the coming confrontation between Apollo and Chiron.

Chiron just looks confused. While Apollo’s kids can be pretty diverse, there isn’t even a hint of Apollo’s looks in Percy’s dark hair, green eyes and tan skin. He looks like a miniature half-starved version of Uncle Or Triton.

As Apollo steps onto the porch he looks back to check on the kid. Who has frozen at the base of the stairs. His eyes are fixed on Dionysus and filled with pure terror. Shit.

Giving his brother a very pointed ’Stay Here’ look, Apollo walks slowly down the stairs, arms out to his sides, shoulders lowered. Just before he gets within arms-reach of Percy he crouches down, curling himself up so he’s eye level with the trembling kid.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I promise. That’s my brother, he can be kinda grumpy but you are okay here, really. I would not have brought you here if I didn’t believe he could be trusted. He’s a god too, he helps protect the camp.” He really hopes Dionysus doesn’t interject, his brother hates anyone pointing out that he might actually care about the kids here.

Percy’s voice is barely above a whisper as he flicks his eyes between Apollo and Dionysus. “He looks really scary like that. I like the vines better, why would he want to look so scary?”

Okay. Not what he was expecting. He’s not even sure how Percy noticed his brother’s true form or knew that he had taken on a different one. He flicks a glance over his shoulder at Dio.

When they’d arrived he’d been in his favourite I’m-sulking-and-I-want-the-world-to-know form, Apollo just calls it trailer park cherub soaked in rotten wine. But now he’s switched to the form he had before he was sentenced to the camp; a tall slender young man, dark curly hair, deep purple eyes, and a crown of vines, additional vines wreathed his arms. He’s still wearing the Hawaiian shirt and purple sneakers but now his clothes fit properly and look like a deliberate fashion choice. The smell is gone too, all Apollo can smell is ripe grapes on the vine, clean and fresh.

He gives his brother a grateful look and sends a mental thank you. The guy just rolls his eyes, waves towards the table and asks if they were going to stand on the stairs all night or actually come in.

Apollo deepens his own aura, surrounding Percy with as much safe/warm/protect/no-fear as he can. They are almost there. Just one more conversation to get through and then he can introduce him to Lee and after four years of stress Apollo will be able to sleep well knowing his prophet is finally safe.

He feels it when Dio clocks what he’s doing, and instead of adding snarky commentary, Dio changes his own aura. A gentle purple drift of peace/still/safe/calm/content is added to Apollo’s liquid sun and it seems to finally break through Percy’s fear. The kid blinks and when he looks back at Apollo he’s fully present, not lost in auras or visions. He still looks ready to bolt at the first wrong word but it is still an improvement.

This time when Apollo walks up to the porch, Percy follows. Apollo takes the seat further in, leaving the seat with a clear line to the stairs for the kid. Percy slips into it, clutching his sea horse like a shield.

Chiron has been watching the whole thing looking increasingly confused. Chiron can’t sense auras. “Lord Apollo, it’s not like you to personally deliver a new camper, did something happen?”

Dio snorts into his Diet Coke, but offers no explanation. Apollo’s suspicions are growing about why exactly his brother keeps the centaur around.

Percy seems to finally notice Chiron sitting in his modified wheelchair. Oh. No. Apollo recognises that face. He’s seen it on his Uncle right before he says something polite-but-actually-really-rude to Father.

“Did training heroes turn you grey, or were you born that way?”

Stay calm. Do not laugh. Dio’s eyes are dancing with almost maniacal glee. Chiron looks gobsmacked. It’s made even worse because only the horse half of Chiron is grey. Sitting in his wheelchair the only visible hair is a rich glossy black.

The kid doesn’t help when he adds thoughtfully, “Actually, where is the rest of you?”

Chiron sputters a bit. “Oh, well, the wheelchair is magically modified, it makes it a little easier for me to move around among mortals, and the house isn’t quite built to suit centaurs. How did you know I was a centaur? Or that I trained heroes?”

And now the kid’s scared again. Awesome. He flicks a glance at Apollo, it’s clear he has no idea what to say. Apollo gives him a quick smile, “It’s all good, Perce, I’ll explain.”

He smiles cheerfully at them both, and sends a quick mental plea to his brother to please go along with this for now and ask any questions when they are alone. Dio tilts his head, considering, but he does eventually give half a nod.

“So, this is Percy Jackson. Percy, this is Chiron and my brother, you can call him Mr D. Percy is an unclaimed demigod, but the reason he’s here is because he is a natural born prophet, a powerful one, and he needs a safe place to live where he can have a chance to just be a kid.”

Percy side-eyes him at that, but hey, it’s true. His initial interest in the kid might be because he’s a prophet, but he also wants him to have a chance at a childhood.

Chiron is looking a little too interested. Better to get the introductions out of the way before Chiron says anything to scare the kid even more.

“I’ve already made arrangements for Perce to live in Cabin Seven, Lee will be his legal guardian and I’ll be checking in on him. Lee can handle most day to day things, but no-one is to take Percy outside the camp borders without my express permission. I will be watching, and you will ensure Percy is safe and looked after.”

“I’ve already spoken with Lee and he is well aware of the rules concerning prophets and how they use their abilities. Any questions are to be referred to Lee. When it comes to Percy’s abilities neither of you have any authority over what he does and does not use them for.” It’s harsh, and if it was just Dio he wouldn’t even feel the need to say any of it. But Chiron worries him.

Dio nods his agreement, there’s a promise in his eyes, it’s clear he understands what Apollo is actually saying. Chiron on the other hand is frowning and looks like he’s seconds away from arguing with him.

The kid has only been half listening, something about Dio has caught his attention, his eyes getting that far away look. Apollo follows his gaze, but there doesn’t seem to be anything different.

Before Chiron can get a word out, Percy cuts him off, speaking directly to Dio “You look kind of super sick, are you okay?”

Apollo stops. Looks at Percy. Turns and considers Dio. “D, something you want to say?”

His brother looks downright shifty, opening his mouth to say something before catching himself and repeating the whole process. Eventually he sighs, slumps and says “What did you expect to happen when Father cut me off from my domain? My power is directly connected to wine, and it’s been over fifty years.”

That… is going to be a problem. Apollo and Poseidon both need the camp to be as secure as possible. They are already side-stepping so many of Father’s rules, what’s one more? But that is a conversation for later. Apollo sends a quick mental “We need to talk, but not here” to Dio and refocuses on Percy.

“Told you you were powerful! You can see even more than I can. Don’t worry, Dio’s going to be fine. I’ll make sure of it. Now that you’ve met Chiron and Mr D, how do you feel about meeting Lee and his siblings?”

Percy looks so small and exhausted as he slowly nods. Apollo can’t blame him, it has been a long and shitty day for everyone. The kid’s room should be ready and Artemis has hopefully already sent along some snacks for all the kids. Once Lee takes him to the cabin the poor kid can crash out in his new room and get some desperately needed sleep.

While Chiron is still stuck in a mental blue screen, Apollo reaches out mentally to Lee who was clearly waiting to be called, and only a minute later his current oldest kid is trotting up the stairs, smile wide and welcoming.

“Hi, you must be Percy! Dad told me you’d be coming to live with us. I know you’ve had a really long day, but we’ve got your room all set up and ready for you. We can do introductions tomorrow if you’d like to just head to the cabin and get some sleep?”

Apollo loves Lee. Lee always knows how to handle the new kids. He’s said exactly the right thing and Percy is almost enthusiastic as he gets up to follow him. Lee gets to the duffel bag before the kid can, swinging it onto his back and heading towards the cabins giving Percy the privacy to follow at his own speed.

Once he’s sure Percy is out of sight and hearing distance he turns back to Chiron who is already asking about Percy’s divine parent and why he’s unclaimed.

He speaks as calmly and firmly as he can, “I can offer Percy more protection than his other parent can, if they claimed him he would not be able to stay in my cabin, and I would prefer to have my children taking care of him.” There’s a gleam in Dio’s eyes, he knows something.

Everything Apollo said was the absolute truth. Percy was far more protected as an unclaimed camper under Apollo’s protection. If Poseidon claimed him Zeus himself would be after him and keeping him safe would be near impossible.

Apollo moves on to the next topic before Dio calls out the misdirection, “Also, I’m a bit concerned about what Percy said about your health. It is extremely important that my prophet has as much protection as possible. I could call in a favour and get you access to Atlantean wine, would that work as a substitute?”

Dio’s eyes are sharp, “You would really use your alliance with our uncle to defy Father?”

“My focus is protecting my prophet. And in Percy’s case someone Uncle is… close with would never forgive him if Percy was hurt because of this. Especially when there is such a simple solution.”

He can see Chiron following him down the garden path, already mentally flicking through possible sea gods that Poseidon would be particularly attached to. He’s pretty sure Dio has already worked it out. But he expected that. Dio is the only one who sees as much as Apollo does, not even the necklace could stop him.

Time to distract Chiron, just in case.

“Just to be very very clear, if you or your little blonde pet attempt to force Percy to use his gifts, I will turn you and her to ash where you stand. And Father won’t do a thing to stop me.”

Chiron clearly was not expecting that. Dio was. When Chiron looks at him, he just shrugs and sips his drink, “‘Pollo’s not wrong, he has absolute power over prophets, doesn’t come up much because there haven’t really been any in the last millennia, other than the one upstairs. Still, the rules haven’t changed.”

“But Annabeth is only eight years old, she is just a child. Why are you threatening her and not Castor and Pollux?”

Dio does not take that well, but before he can tear into Chiron, Apollo reaches out mentally, “No, let me”, and when Dio pauses, he jumps in. “Castor and Pollux have been raised well, they know the rules. They would never intentionally manipulate a prophet. If they did trigger a prophecy, it would be unintentional and they would be utterly horrified the moment they realised what they had done.”

Chiron isn’t convinced. “So it has nothing to do with you liking Mr D more than Annabeth’s mother?”

Dio reaches his limit. He practically snarls as he hisses at Chiron, “I love the twins dearly, but not even for them would I risk war against Apollo. If Abby is stupid enough to break one of our oldest and most sacred laws, I’m not going to stop my brother from enacting his rightful justice. You are more than welcome to be smote right alongside Ainsley if you want to indulge her whims so much.”

They may have broken Chiron. He’s sitting there, opening and closing his mouth, looking utterly horrified.

Dio continues a touch more gently, “It might be simpler just to keep Addison away from Percy since she’s apparently incapable of common sense.”

Apollo agrees. He turns to his brother, “Though, actually, I do think Percy would get on well with your boys, they are of a similar age.” Predictably, Dio rolls his eyes and grumbles about playdates and annoying older brothers, but he seems willing to consider it.

He still needs to talk to Dio privately, and he’s not in the mood for another argument with Chiron. His brother seems to agree since he turns to him and goes “By the way ‘Pollo, since I’ve got you here, there was a message from Father I needed to discuss with you. Privately?”

They turn as one to look at Chiron. Who sighs, looking irritated, but he does lever himself out of his wheelchair and walk off towards the pavilion.

Once he’s gone, both Apollo and his brother set privacy barriers around the table, ensuring there is no risk of any campers or annoyed centaurs overhearing them.

As soon as the barriers are set, Dio turns on him, “I am normally willing to outright ignore parent’s being more or less involved in their children’s lives than Father’s rules allow. But this time, I would really like some assurance that the child’s father is, in fact, aware of his existence and his presence here. It is one thing for me to protect your prophet. It is quite another to hide a cousin from his own father as well as ours. I will not risk my twins lives if you cannot assure me that Uncle knows of him and has agreed to your meddling.”

Trust Dio to cut straight to the heart of it.

Apollo drops his cheerful facade, letting his brother see exactly how exhausted he is. “I’ve spent most of the day going back and forth sorting things out for Percy. His father and his wife are fully informed and have agreed to every action I have taken and am going to take. I never even thought of hiding Percy from Uncle. If Uncle hadn’t agreed I’d have insisted he claim him and we’d be preparing for war right now, but I would not have hidden Percy.”

It seems to at least settle things for Dio,“That’s good then, sounds like there’s going to be lots of entertainment in my future!”

“That’s, good for you? I guess?”

“Hey, the kids aren’t usually all that interesting. It’s all who’s dating who, and who stole what from which cabin. It gets repetitive. Your kid is going to shake things up! Especially with that little song and dance of yours about the kid’s ‘other parent’ and how they are close to Uncle. And that sea horse. Which was definitely wearing a crown. You will let me know if Uncle’s eldest is planning to storm the camp, won’t you?”

Apollo just sighs. “Right now we are keeping it vague, I won’t implicate him further without his express permission, Aunt and Uncle need to speak with him first.”

“Wait. You mean he may actually go along with it?”

“Apparently the whole situation has been even worse for them. My problem was I spent four years knowing there was a new prophet and unable to find him. They knew exactly where the kid was, but his mortal mother told the Sea Prince to his face that she would inform Father herself of Percy’s existence if they attempted contact with him again.”

Dio is just as shocked by that as Apollo had been, and clearly doesn’t know what the correct response is. Neither does Apollo. “Well. I guess that explains why you don’t want him leaving camp?”

Apollo just looks at him. He is so ready for this day to end. Wait. There was something else he had to ask… Oh!

“By the way, I saw a kid when I arrived, red hair, green eyes, she was with the Hermes kids?”

Dio winces. “Yes, I was away, only got back a few days ago and only saw her today. She’s apparently been here for a few weeks. There was a monster attack near where she was living with her mortal mother, the mother died and a nearby satyr just grabbed the kid and high-tailed it back to camp. Apparently, it never occurred to Chiron to inform her mother where she was.

His brother looks downright murderous. “I was just discussing it with him before you got here, he’s been blatantly ignoring the girl’s requests to be taken out to the ocean. I’m not sure what to do. After Chiron has kept her hidden for nearly a month Uncle and Aunt are well within their rights to respond with force.”

“They know she’s here, I contacted Aunt as soon as I saw her. They’ve been searching for her the whole time, up and down the coast. I told her I’d ask what happened and let her know, but she does at least know the girl is safe.”

Dio pursed his lips, considering the situation. “Normally I’d send her straight back to her people, but with Percy here as well, it might assist with your subterfuge if there are two children of the sea at the camp? She is fairly settled. She is upset that Chiron is keeping her from her mother, but she apparently has always lived on land with her mortal parent.”

“Who is her mother anyway? Aunt didn’t say, just that it was one of her sisters.”

“Galene, she’s close with our Aunt, but otherwise she generally keeps to herself, like all of them really. She’s a nice lady though. She doesn’t have kids often, but she loves them deeply.”

“So it wouldn’t be unusual for Amphitrite to accompany her sister when she comes to check on her daughter? I have no connection to the kid, it’s up to her and her mother whether she stays or goes, but you’re right, it could be good for Percy.”

Dio shrugs, “So long as they don’t drown camp I don’t see why not, the girl can make her choice without worrying about bigger issues. And I think it’s definitely time you got some rest, I may be the god of madness but even I can only tolerate your emotional hot mess for so long.”

Yep, that’s his brother. And Apollo agrees entirely, it is definitely time for this day to be over. He peeks in at Percy who is already curled up on his new bed, once again wrapped in the aura-infused blanket. He’s still awake but it’s clear he’s drifting again. Nothing to be done about that right now, the kid needs time and care before he’ll be able to find his footing in the here and now.

As he heads off to find Artemis, he sends a quick message to Amphitrite letting her know what Dio said about the girl.

Chapter Text

The new guy (Lee?) reached his duffel bag first and then he just, walked off with it? That bag has Percy’s new blanket in it. And his water bottle. New guy can’t have them.

He knows the sunshine man has explained everything but Percy is tired and things aren’t really clicking in his head. But the new guy is leaving with his blanket and Percy is meant to be following him. So. Percy follows. At least new guy didn’t get Eric the Sea Horse, Percy still has him hugged tightly against his chest.

If this wasn’t happening at the end of the weirdest day of Percy’s life, he’d probably be super interested in all the odd things he can see. All the buildings are like, themed, and themed super weirdly. Right now all Percy cares about is that the guy who stole his blanket is heading for the very shiny gold building, so that’s where Percy needs to go too.

He does notice there’s a bunch of golden-blonde kids scattered around who look a little too much like the sunshine man, and they seem to be acting like bouncers stopping anyone else from approaching him. Which is also very weird, but he’s almost at the gold building and the guy who took his blanket is inside. It could be a trap but Percy no longer cares.

The guy is standing at the far end of the hallway outside an open door, he smiles cheerfully at Percy and asks if he wants a tour now or if he’d rather get some sleep and explore in the morning. Percy just blinks stupidly at him, more interested in the duffel bag (and his blanket!) then whatever the new guy is saying.

The dude pauses, looks him over and goes “Yeah, I think you’re ready for bed, kid. Come on, if you follow me I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

Percy numbly follows the guy through the open door, he’s halfway across the room before he realises it’s a room full of bunk beds. No. He cannot sleep here. Not safe. Before he can stop and start backing out of the nightmare room, new guy is already opening another door and ducking through. He comes out a moment later without the duffel bag. Percy’s blanket is through that door.

The guy steps away from the door and moves across the room to sit on one of the bunk beds. He gives Percy an easy smile, it makes him look a lot like the sunshine man.

“It’s all good, take your time, we set you up your own bedroom. Figured the dorm setup would be a bit much right now. Your bag is in there and everything is ready for you. You even have your own bathroom. The door can only be locked from the inside too.”

Percy grips Eric tighter, he’s going to tear right through the fabric if he keeps this up, but at last he manages to unstick his throat, though it’s barely a mumble. “I get nightmares, real loud ones, gonna wake everyone up, it’s okay, can sleep outside.”

Sunshine Man 2.0 looks kinda heartbroken at that. His voice is all soft and gentle as he tells Percy that nightmares are pretty common for demigods and even if they are loud, no-one is going to be upset about it. He says that if Percy wakes up and doesn’t want to stay in bed he’s welcome to wander around the cabin and there’s a sitting room at the front he can hang out in. He says Percy needs to stay inside until sunrise because there’s a curfew but no one will mind if he explores the cabin.

Yeah. Okay. Whatever. That’s too many words. Percy is tired and he wants his blanket. Additional Sunshine Man hasn’t moved and he’s doing the thing Artemis did where he looks welded to the bed. Percy will need to walk past him to get to the door, but he can stay on the other side of the room. It’ll have to be enough.

Percy moves quickly and on tip toe, nearly running to the door. But he makes it and the guy doesn’t twitch. Percy shuts the door and clicks the lock. His duffel bag is sitting on the bed. He should look around but Percy is just done. He drags his blanket out and curls up on the bed still holding Eric, right next to the duffel bag. He doesn’t want to move ever again.

Percy drifts, he doesn’t know for how long, maybe minutes, maybe years, or decades, possible millennia. His mind is just numb and flat. Sensations drift around him, he’s not even sure if they are real or just memories.

Liquid sun wraps around him full of warm/safe/care, silvery moonlight whispers safe/calm/trust/no-hurt, currents full of of home/safe/love/strong curl around the bed, a sudden flash of deep ocean, screaming storm that drenches him in safe/protect/fierce/proud/love/home that disappears so fast Percy’s not sure if it was there at all. Just as briefly, wild waves calm to a conch horn’s call of protect/proud/sorry/safe before the sense is gone again.

There are fainter whispers of sensation, the ghost whisper of unfamiliar auras, they move around him, past him. Unlike the others they don’t reach out to him with unspoken promises. These just brush past and move away, but they go on and on and on.

Confidence sounds as a plastic case clicks shut, paint glides across a canvas, a shuttle on a loom clatters and whirs, words whisper in a king’s ear, a war drum vibrates faintly in someone’s chest, hot steam as molten metal plunges into water, sea foam laps at ankles, a dove coos, lock clicks open, wax seal crumbles, vocal cords vibrate.

Then skin blisters and pottery shatters. Percy doesn’t like that one, it brings him back enough that he pulls his senses in, tries to stop them reaching out.

There are less feelings now, but some seem to settle in place nearby. Fingers clench the sun-warmed wood, antiseptic stings the nose, tongue tastes the wooden reed, fingers dance on brass keys, an arrow thuds home.

He pulls in tighter. He tries to spin the weak sun and lapping water into a smaller spot, he doesn’t want to feel anymore. He refocuses on the liquid sun and curling currents. The ones that come from the blanket and the sea horse. Steady, stable, familiar but not.

Nothing is familiar here. He wants to go home. Even Gabe felt more familiar than this.

Gabe.

Gabe is going to kill Percy when he finds out about today. Gabe will find him. He always finds him.

The panic builds. Percy is so tired. He can’t think clearly. But he knows he should go back to the apartment. The longer he stays away the worse Gabe will be. He needs to leave. He does not want to leave. Gabe will kill him.

A purple drift swirls around him. Fills all of him with peace/still/safe/calm/sleep, a ghost hand taps his head with a finger, a silent voice murmurs “Sleep”, and Percy sleeps.

He dreams of Medusa, but now Gabe is standing in the garden and Poseidon is gone. She watches Gabe and Gabe… Gabe is growing taller, bigger, towering over her. Medusa just watches Gabe, head tilted, unafraid as Percy’s monster grows and grows and grows.

Percy is so scared, Gabe will kill her. It isn’t safe. Gabe will hurt Medusa. Gabe isn’t meant to be here. This is not how the story goes. He tries to say something, anything. To call out, warn her, but he chokes and no sound emerges. She notices him. That isn’t right. The sunshine man is the only one who sees him.

Yet Medusa sees him, she turns to him, gives him a soft smile. She should look terrifying with her snakes for hair and the way she turns people to stone, but she just looks… kind. She turns to him and tells him “This isn’t real, it’s just a dream, child. But you should know, had you not called out to the sun god you would have died today. There is nothing left for you in that apartment.”

She turns back to towering monstrous Gabe, and her face freezes. No, Gabe freezes. All of him going grey and unmoving. He’s stone now. Crumbling, crashing down, turning to dust and being swept away on the wind. The garden goes with it.

Percy wakes to a quiet knock at the locked door. The sort of tiny sound that will not wake someone sleeping peacefully. He was not sleeping peacefully. His face is wet, his nose blocked. He has been crying in his sleep, probably sobbing hard.

He croaks out a “Hello?”

A soft voice replies, “Hey Percy, sorry to wake you but you were sounding pretty upset. I’ll leave you alone if you want, but I know I don’t like being alone after nightmares. I could make us some hot chocolate?”

Percy considers. He doesn’t entirely remember how he got here, some vague memories of Apollo bringing him to camp, something about a bedroom, meeting siblings in the morning? The room he is in is small, and while the stars on the ceiling are really cool and there’s some sort of night light chasing back the dark shadows, he doesn’t really want to be shut away in a little room right now.

“Okay, I’ll be out in a minute.”

“I’ll wait for you just out here then.” Who was this guy again? All his brain is telling him is ‘blanket-stealer’ which is not helpful. Wait, Apollo said his son was going to look after Percy. Nope. Still drawing a blank on the name.

The door across from his bed leads to a bathroom, one he definitely wants a closer look at. For now he washes his face and checks his clothes. He’s still in the outfit Apollo gave him, hasn’t even taken his shoes off. Whatever. He’ll try and remember to take his shoes off next time.

As he goes to leave he pauses at the bed. He really should be too old for toys and blankies, those are things normal kids have. Not freaks. But he likes them, and what if someone steals them while he’s gone? It’s a weak excuse but it works. He wraps the blanket around his shoulders and hugs Eric to his chest. Then he faces the door. He can do this. Yes. It’s just a door.

He opens it as quietly as possible, carefully peeking out to see the much larger dorm room outside. All he can hear is quiet breathing, half the beds are empty, three beds have kids asleep, and Sunshine Man 2.0 is sitting quietly on another. He looks over at Percy peeking out at him and gives him a smile before whispering “Just follow me, I’ll show you where the sitting room is,” and off he goes. This guy seems very confident that Percy will follow.

He’s right too, darn it. Percy tip toes through the dim room and out into a hallway. The door across is open with light spilling out.

When he quietly sneaks through the door, Sunshine Man 2.0 is already across the room heating something up at a little kitchenette type thing. He cheerfully calls over his shoulder for Percy to make himself comfortable wherever, the hot chocolate will be ready in a minute.

It’s a nice room, there are desks scattered around, and shelves against the walls with several comfy looking couches and armchairs. The room is full of a whole jumble of musical instruments, a lot of scattered arrows, an open first aid kit, a half-finished painting on an easel, a bookshelf full of hand labelled binders… He does a double take at the binders. He may not be able to read but he can recognise English, and whatever that is, it’s not English.

Actually, there are books scattered around too, with the same strange lettering. Oh, hey! He does recognise that. That’s Greek. Because of course. He just remembered. He’s at a camp for greek demigods. Apollo is a sun god. He said Percy is his prophet. The guy making hot chocolate is a demigod son of Apollo.

Percy finally picks a random armchair, at least that way Sunshine Man 2.0 won’t be able to sit too close. He doesn’t seem bothered by his choice, just drops a mug on the nearest surface and falls into a couch a little further away.

He really doesn’t want to admit he’s forgotten the guys name. But he can’t think of a polite way to ask. “So, uh, I kinda forgot your name?” Real smooth Percy. Making friends already!

The guy is surprisingly unbothered, “It’s all good, you looked dead on your feet when we met, I’m Lee Fletcher, Head Counsellor of Apollo cabin.” Lee! That was it!

“I’m Percy! I’m really bad with names, I know I’m meant to be meeting people, and I’m definitely going to forget their names. My brains kinda scrambled, like, all the time.” May as well be upfront, right? It’s only a matter of time before he upsets someone.

“Seriously, it’s okay, most demigods have some level of ADHD and Dyslexia, people are really accepting here and if you are unsure about anything you can ask me, there are no wrong questions, not here.”

Huh. Challenge accepted? Then Lee asks him about his nightmare, and if Percy wants to talk about.

Percy isn’t really sure. It was weird. Normally his nightmares are actual things that have happened, like way way in the past.

“It wasn’t like my usual nightmares? Like, normally my nightmares are things like Hera nearly killing Hephaestus or Troy and Astyanax, things that really did happen, but like, not to me?”

He looks up to see if Lee is following. Lee looks kinda horrified, but he does something with his face so now he looks all smooth and unworried and focused on Percy. He nods encouragingly.

Percy looks down at Eric and twists his hands up tightly in the blanket edges, clenching them in his fists while still hugging Eric with his arms.

“This time it was Poseidon and Medusa talking, I’ve dreamed it before, except Poseidon was gone and it was Gabe. Gabe was super tall and scary. Poor Medusa, no one believed her. Like, I know she lied but also it did happen. But Gabe was there this time. She said I would have died. Except I didn’t, because your dad came. But she says I would have died if I hadn’t. Then she killed Gabe. I think. Not sure. People are really mean to her. He even said it was okay she lied. That he understood. And it did happen, it did!”

He’s breathing kinda hard at the end of that.

He peeks at Lee. Lee is looking… not great. He’s kinda frozen and stiff and his hands are clenched into fists and he’s taking very slow deep breaths. Percy focuses back on Eric. He’s really making such a good impression tonight isn’t he?

When he peeks up again, Lee is all calm and composed with a serious expression on his face. “Thank you for telling me, that sounds like a really scary and confusing dream. I’d like to just check a few things with you if that’s okay?”

This feels familiar, why does it feel familiar?

Oh. That’s because it is familiar. He and Lee have the same conversation he just had with Artemis. The only difference is Lee is super concerned with making sure Percy knows that if he ever needs to tell someone that he will be believed no matter what. And Lee says he can talk to Mr D if he doesn’t want to tell Lee or Apollo. He even explains about the whole burning an offering thing in case Percy doesn’t want to say something out loud.

Percy doesn’t really feel like talking anymore after that conversation. And he doesn’t want to go back to the small room either. Lee says he can stay in the sitting room, and to try and get some more sleep on one of the couches.

Percy does lie down, but he doesn’t want to sleep anymore, so he lets himself drift in all the new sensations around him. They aren’t moving around anymore, he can feel them all still and settled in different places around him. The feelings that go best with each other are gathered in little clumps. It feels kinda nice, all organised like that. He lets the sensations pull him along and lets time flow around him.

________________________

Lee returns to bed feeling like he’s been put through a wood chipper. What the hell? Is this normal for prophets? Or is it from the abuse or what? The kid just casually drops the fact he has repeated dreams of a literal infant being murdered. Even if the actual story isn’t as violent or horrific as the myths, a baby was still killed. And Percy sees it in his dreams?

Lee has no idea what to make of the Medusa thing. He’s not even sure if the conclusion he drew was actually what the kid meant. He still figured it was better to have the consent talk than not. Kid looked so over it when Lee started though. Lee can’t decide if that means the kid’s heard the speech before, or that the kid wasn’t listening.

Problems for later. Dad loves waking his kids up at sunrise, it’s still a few hours away, so sleep now, stress later.

He falls asleep fast. And dreams of sitting at the lake. His dad drops down beside him. Ah. One of those dreams.

“Hey Dad, look, I love you and all, but maybe next time don’t downplay the kids situation quite so much?”

Apollo winces. “Honestly, it was only after I spoke to you that I realised his situation was a bit more complex than I’d thought. I was focused on basically negotiating custody with his very overprotective family who had just been informed of the abuse. Still, I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more of a heads up.”

“How long have you known him?”

“Until oh, fifteen hours ago, I was under the impression my new prophet was Jenny’s age, and they had such obvious skill with the sight that I assumed they’d also had some level of training. I’ve spent the past four years searching, but I was not expecting Percy.”

Lee sighs. Yeah, he probably can’t hold it against Dad. It’s just such a shit situation all around. “I don’t know many details, but please tell me this ‘Gabe’ has been dealt with?”

“Yep.” Apollo gives no further information, just a flat look that means he has no intention of traumatising Lee with details, but that the man has been given the full vengeful sun god schtick.

“Cool, well it’s great to see you and all, Dad, twice in one day even! But I’d like to get some actual restful sleep before you start blasting music. Anything else I need to know?”

“Couple of things, one’s nice and easy. I’ll be dropping some things off in the sitting room. The art supplies are for everyone. See if you can encourage Percy to play around with them, but it’s just about him having opportunities to find what works for him. He needs an outlet for his visions but there’s no way of knowing what will suit him till he finds it.”

Lee is at least familiar with this process. He only sensed auras but Apollo had shoved a whole range of ‘materials for vision expression’ at him just in case.

“The weapons are specifically for the use of Percy and one of the kids living in the Hermes cabin, her name’s Georgie, red hair, green eyes, she’s another child of the sea. Her mum’s been searching for her for weeks, long story.”

Kinda sounds like Chiron kidnapped her, Lee’s seen Georgie around, she seemed desperate to leave. No wonder.

“Not sure what her mum’s long term plan is for her, but while she’s here she’s going to need the same ocean made weapons as Percy. With the weapons there’s a sword called Anaklusmos, it’s possibly still in pen form. That one is just for Percy. Present from his folks. But the rest can be shared between them. Talk to the Aphrodite kids if you need help with them, they should be more familiar with ocean forged weaponry, it’s really not my area, but I can pass any questions on for you.”

Lee looks at his father. He looks so tired. “Okay, do I need to do anything about Georgie?”

“Nope, Dio is now aware of the whole situation and should have spoken to her already. If you want to see how she and Perce get on together it wouldn’t hurt, but she isn’t your responsibility, it’s being handled.”

“So if that’s the easy thing, what’s the other?”

“Yeah, the second, not so fun. Have you noticed Percy sometimes seems to be not really present? He’s in the room with you but mentally elsewhere?”

“Yeah, it’s been pretty constant. I just figured he was dissociating. Yesterday can’t have been easy for him.”

Apollo purses his lips, clearly trying to decide something. “I kind of really want to say he’s dissociating and leave it at that, but given Percy’s habit of just announcing distressing things, he’ll probably tell you at some point.”

That sounds ominous. Though Lee feels a little vindicated that his father has also had to deal with the whole ‘do not show how horrified you are at things coming out of the seven year old’s mouth’ thing.

“Percy has somehow learned how to cast his sight out and effectively leave his body whenever he gets overwhelmed. When his mind goes away, he’s not just disconnecting and not thinking. He’s seeing the past and future, or if he stays in the present he seems to mostly watch auras. He’s incredibly powerful, I can barely track him as it is and that’s with him wearing a charm specifically designed for tracking this.”

Lee just looks at his dad. “I am not remotely equipped to even try and manage that. Isn’t there a huge risk he’ll break his tether to the real world by doing that?”

His dad snorts, “I’m the God of Prophecy and I don’t think I’m equipped for it. Percy is doing this instinctually, it’s somehow natural for him. The tether is my main concern. Right now the best way to help him is to increase his connection to the here and now, both through relational connections and by strengthening his ties to the ocean. There are reasons I can’t just send him to Atlantis, but he still needs that connection.”

“So lots of beach days in my future? And I am definitely looping in Silena, she’s much better at the whole true connection thing.”

“Sounds good. I still need to at least appear to keep Father’s ridiculous non-interference rules, but they truly don’t apply to Percy, so if you need anything, even just someone to talk to, just call me. And thank you, I know this is a huge thing I’ve asked from my kids, especially from you. It won’t be forgotten.”

With that too-serious sounding promise still ringing in his ears, Lee falls through shadowed dreams, only to be woken up by… Stupid Cupid, the one from the 50’s? The hell Dad???

The swearing from his siblings is kinda funny though. His brothers were switching between stunned silence and laughing hysterically at each other’s faces. Maybe not so terrible a way to wake up.

Percy’s up and peeping around the mostly shut sitting room, wide-eyed at all the noise and laughter. He’s still holding the sea horse, fingers white from how tightly he’s clutching it.

“Hey kid, while me and the others are getting ready for the day do you want to head back to your room and grab a shower and some clean clothes? I know you probably haven’t unpacked yet but Dad would have made sure there was something in your bag for you.”

Lee moves down the hall towards the communal bathroom, giving Percy plenty of space to get back to his own room. He sees him bolt past out of the corner of his eye. Great. Kid’s still terrified.

Once Percy’s clear, Lee redirects to the sitting room to check for the promised delivery. Dad definitely went overboard, but Jenny will gladly claim any unwanted art supplies, and maybe they can offer some to the Hermes cabin? The heavy black bag is definitely weaponry.

Outside of personally owned weapons, Apollo cabin doesn’t really keep live weapons in the cabin, they just grab what they need from the armoury near the arena. Lee doesn’t love the idea of this many weapons, most with live edges, just sitting out in the open now they have a seven year old living with them.

But Dad has apparently thought of that. There’s now an actual weapons safe sitting beside the desk Lee claimed for himself. The safe is the same green-blue Percy seems to prefer. Cool, colour coded weapons safe. He gets the assorted swords and knives locked away, taking note of a specific sword with a blue-green ribbon tied around it and ‘Anaklusmos’ engraved on the hilt, just as his siblings start arriving.

They’ve all settled and are behaving far more calmly than usual when there’s finally movement in the hallway and sea-green eyes topped with clean shiny black curls peek around the edge of the door. Lee reminds himself it is only the first day and it will take time for him to feel safe around new people.

“Percy! You’re looking a bit cheerier, how do you feel about meeting my siblings? I promise, they won’t bite, they’ve been looking forward to having a new little brother around.”

Austin adds his own cheerful commentary about how he can’t wait to be a big brother and he’s tired of being the youngest. The new voice catches Percy’s attention and he edges his way into the room, eyes flicking across each of them. The sea horse is nowhere in sight, Lee isn’t sure if that’s good or bad, though the kids got a silver and blue water bottle hugged against him in it’s place.

Percy’s in a similar outfit to last night, the hoodie is a similar colour but now it’s got an enormous stylistic sun across the chest, the jeans are darker and the gold metallic stitching glitters in the morning sun.

Dad has all but branded the poor kid.

Percy doesn’t seem bothered, stroking the edges of the hoodie as he fidgets. He does look much brighter. Lee wonders if it’s a sea kid thing, like touching water just automatically perks them up the same way Demeter kids perk up around plants. Would be a useful thing to know.

Introductions go pretty smoothly. Like most cabins they are used to new kids arriving and have it down to a fine art, all light and breezy, no pressure on the new kid, and lots of assurances that they still regularly forget each other’s names and there’s no need to stress about any of it.

Once that’s over Lee chivvies them all out, sending them on ahead to the dining pavilion so he can check in with the kid and give him a heads up about the chaos that is feeding time at the zoo. Ahem, breakfast at Camp Half-Blood.

Once they are alone Percy turns to him and asks where Sally and Gabe are and when will they be picking him up?

Oh boy.

“Okay, um, I’m assuming Sally is your mum? Your mortal parent I mean?” Percy nods.

“Okay, so you remember how yesterday Apollo came and got you and brought you here?” Another nod.

“Well that’s because I’m your guardian now, at least in the mortal world. Dad, Apollo, is kind of the one who makes any decisions about you, but day to day you’ll be with me.” The kid tilts his head.

“Percy, I don’t know when, or well, if, you’ll see Sally again. Even if you do, you won’t be living with her. You’ll live here now. At Camp Half-Blood.”

“Okay. But Gabe is going to be angry when he picks me up. Especially if Sally isn’t coming back.”

No emotion. Kid’s completely fine with being told he may never see his mother again. Maybe it’s a prophet thing? No, if the kid had seen this he wouldn’t be asking when they were coming to get him.

“Percy, I need you to listen to me really closely okay? This is super important, for now I’m only going to say it once, but if you need to hear it again, I’ll say it as many times as you want. Okay?”

Percy looks at him like he’s insane, but he does eventually agree. His eyes seem clear and Lee is fairly sure Percy’s with him in the here and now.

Okay. Deep breath. “Percy, Gabe is never coming back. Gabe will never hurt you again. You will never see Gabe again. Gabe is gone for good.”

Head tilt. Blink. “Okay. So what happens now?”

Yeah, that’s the best Lee is going to get right now.

“Now we go to the dining pavilion for breakfast. All the campers eat together. It can get a bit loud and chaotic but me and the others will look out for you. We all sit at Apollo’s table when we eat, so you don’t need to worry about anyone you haven’t met sitting beside you.”

Kid seems weirdly okay with all of this. May as well just go with it while he can. Lee walks to the pavilion, Percy a step behind. He’s still holding the water bottle. Lee side eyes it. He can definitely see a faint aura around it, not Dad’s sunlight though, probably Artemis? Looks like her style.

His siblings have left a wide stretch of bench for them on the side of the table nearest Cabin 8’s empty table. Clearly the others have also noted Percy is scared of basically everyone.

They are some of the last to arrive, Lee fills his plate (and Percy’s, kid looked a bit too confused by it all) and at the kid’s whispered request, takes him to the brazier so he can make offerings to Artemis and Apollo. They’d barely sat down again when Mr D stands up and does his usual new camper announcement. Except he actually gets Percy’s name right.

Then Mr D drops the bombshell, looking a tad too gleeful, “While Percy Jackson is an undetermined demigod, he will be staying in Cabin Seven as he is an acknowledged Prophet of Lord Apollo.”

Stunned silence, everywhere Lee looks heads are craning towards their table, eyes searching for this piece of living mythology. Who is hunching into his hoodie and shrinking away from them, Lee wouldn’t be surprised if the poor kid slides under the table entirely.

Mr D isn’t done. “Yes, yes, all very exciting. I’d also like to remind you there are sacred laws governing Lord Apollo’s Prophets and their sight. And Lord Apollo is fully able and willing to smite anyone who breaks those laws. If you aren’t clear on the rules, just stay away from the kid. I really don’t care if my brother turns any of you to ash, but it’s sure to cause some upset on Olympus and I’d really rather not deal with any of that.” With that, he drops back into his seat and proceeds to ignore all of them.

Whispers break out and the rest of breakfast is spent trying to ignore the constant murmurs of thirty excited demigods. Percy doesn’t eat. Kayla explains how to order a drink and Percy listens politely but his cup stays empty. He doesn’t even touch the food.

In the end Lee gives up and gathers the siblings to head off to their morning classes. They surround Percy like bodyguards, determined to get him back indoors before anyone starts asking questions. They make it all the way into their usual classroom before Percy stalls out again.

________________________

“Wait, we have classes?”

He’s already dealt with everyone staring at him when Mr D (Lord D? That was definitely Dionysus) just outright announced he was a prophet at breakfast. Apparently being a prophet is a Big Thing here.

Percy was so happy that even in a camp for acknowledged weird kids he was still the freak.

Lee at least looks sympathetic. “Unfortunately. The summer schedule is a bit different but the kids who stay here year-round are basically home-schooled. Demigods have a pretty rough time at school. We all have some some level of ADHD and dyslexia, so at least here at camp lessons are easier to access.”

Percy considers this. ADHD is the fidgeting thing, though previous teachers have said since he doesn’t have a diagnosis he’s just being naughty. He has no idea what dyslexia is.

Percy knows lots about Greek things because of his dreams. He’s never dreamed about normal kids so any advantage the whole knowing thing gives him is not going to help him with normal classes.

Apollo said he would be safe here, but he doesn’t know Percy can’t read or write. It’s only a matter of time before he gets expelled. Again.

He looks back at Lee who is still just smiling patiently at him. The people here are very strange, most adults would have already lost patience with him. “I’m not sure this going to work out, I think it’s better if I don’t go to class.”

Lee considers him for a moment. “How about we try this one step at a time? Today you can just sit in on lessons with Castor & Pollux, they are only a little older than you. Just see how you go. I’ll get you some art supplies and you can just mess around with them and get a feel for what it could be like. You don’t need to participate at all.”

Percy pauses, considering. It sounds like a trap. Especially given what happened at school just yesterday. But Lee doesn’t know about that, and he does like drawing.

So he sighs, “Fine, let’s do classes, there better be some proper coloured pencils I can use.”

The other five Apollo kids moved to seats around the room while Lee was talking to him. There are more kids hovering just outside the door. Percy looks at Lee, tilts his head to the hovering kids, “Who are they?”

“Oh they share morning classes with us, they probably just wanted to give you some space. You okay if we let them in now?”

Percy just shrugs, he isn’t the boss. Lee seems to be the oldest, shouldn’t he make the decisions?

The five kids file in, most breaking off and heading for their seats as soon as Lee introduces them. Percy is slowly starting to un-jumble all the different auras. Guess it was a good thing Apollo gave him that necklace, if the sensations are this strong already, he’d be unconscious without it.

Katie and Miranda are from Demeter cabin. They look about Lee’s age? He’s not sure if they are twins. Katie is the smell of spring rain and the rustle of ripe wheat, Miranda bursts with new growth and the taste of ripe fruit.

Charlie is from Hephaestus, he’s bigger than Lee even though he’s clearly younger, but he has a cheerful face and soft eyes, sort of scary at first, but maybe okay. He’s the click of the last piece snapping in place and a liquid bronze confidence that anything can be fixed with effort.

Castor and Pollux are eight year old twins, Mr D is their father (they said Mr was fine when he asked), Castor’s aura is a lot, strobing light/dark, good/bad, mind on the edge of order and madness. It’s a little bit blinding, Lee seems to notice because he reminds Castor about his lessons, and Castor does something and the strobing dims until Percy feels like it’s safe to come back to the room. He hasn’t actually moved, only his mind left. Lee looks worried though. Oops.

Pollux has a strong aura too, but he’s done the same thing as Castor and dimmed it somehow. His tastes like pure power, locked up tight in a steel vault, wild unrestrained growth, vines exploding.

Percy is beginning to think Mr D is a lot more powerful than people think. He can’t remember what his aura was like, just some vague sense of purple something, but if his kids are like…

Oh, he did it again. Percy’s now sitting at a table with Castor and Pollux, he’s got a proper drawing pad in front of him and the good pencils. Castor and Pollux are talking between themselves about, maths? Words he’s heard before at school anyway.

Lee is across the room talking to, um, the younger Apollo girl, Kayla? Her hair’s closer to red-blonde than gold. They really all look too much alike.

Percy’s hands have been moving the whole time, and when he looks down at what he’s drawn his insides go cold. It’s the same drawing as yesterday. Poseidon and Medusa in the garden. Medusa is crumpled and sobbing and Poseidon is absolutely focused on her. Towering over her. Bad things happened when his teacher saw this.

It’s too late, Lee has already noticed him and is heading straight for him.

“Hey Percy, everything okay? You’re looking a little stressed there.”

Percy just stares at his drawing, he doesn’t move. Just waits for the world to end all over again.

Lee stands beside him, and looks at his drawing. “Hey that’s pretty good! You’ve got a lot of talent as an artist. Let’s see, I’m pretty sure that’s Medusa, must be after Athena cursed her, I can see the snakes in her hair. Though her face is uncovered and the man hasn’t turned to stone, so he must be a god. Actually that looks like Poseidon in his ancient greek form? Not sure on the location. I think Athena burned the temple to the ground, so maybe that’s where they are?”

The words flow over Percy. Lee is entirely unbothered by what he’s drawn. Even recognises who he has drawn, and is just… fine with it?

Percy needs to know. He finally looks at Lee, searching for the anger and horror and worry that happened yesterday. Lee just smiles at him, rocking back on his heels, hands in his pockets. Lee raises an eyebrow.

“Percy, it’s okay. I promise. We know things are going to be different for you, and no one is going to get upset no matter what you draw or what stories you share. The history of the greek gods… It’s often not very nice. I don’t love that you are getting such a front row seat to those stories. If it was up to me I’d want you to just be a kid and deal with all this when you’re older. But no one is going to be upset with you for sharing. I’d rather you draw what you see or talk about it rather than lock it all inside you.”

Castor and Pollux are nodding along, with serious looks on their faces.

Percy needs to think about this. It makes no sense. Lee cheerfully changes the topic and suggests he work with Castor and Pollux on a math problem. There’s no reading or writing involved. Lee reads the question out for them and they slide pebbles around to work out the answer. It’s actually kinda fun?

Percy thinks he might like to be friends with Castor and Pollux, they seem so very casual about the prophet thing, they don’t bring it up but don’t seem to be avoiding it either.

They tell him everyone gets them confused and it’s completely fine if he gets their names mixed up. Percy can’t imagine confusing Castor’s strobe light with Pollux’s contained power, but then most people don’t see auras. The twins happily chatter on about camp and the other kids. Apparently they’ve basically lived at camp all their lives.

They mention a lot of names, the only one that really catches Percy’s interest is when they say something about how their dad had finally gotten in touch with ‘Georgie’s’ family and confirmed she was a child of the sea. They don’t know if she’ll stay at camp or go to live under the sea with her divine parent. Percy really wants to know more about that but he’s a bit too scared to ask.

Castor and Pollux do seem really happy to get another kid their own age, apparently the only other one is ‘Annabeth’, who they don’t seem to like very much. They do seem to like Percy though?

Maybe this could all work out?

________________________

There is a blonde girl staring at him, he can feel her eyes on him even with his back turned. He’s been here for less than a day.

Percy waits quietly beside Lee who is trying to contain the other Apollo kids. They are very very bouncy. And loud. He knows he called Apollo a golden retriever but he didn’t quite anticipate his kids acting equally over the top. It’s a lot. But at least it means no one notices Percy standing in the middle of it all.

One of the larger groups of kids are constantly wrestling and shoving at each other, repeatedly pushing each other off the bench only to jump up and start all over again. At least the Apollo kids aren’t that aggressive?

Even with all the staring, breakfast had been a lot quieter, and calmer.

The blonde girl isn’t at a table, she’s off to the side where he’ll have to walk close to her to get to the Apollo table. He thinks she’s older than him, though not by much. But she is a lot taller. Percy is tiny for his age and skinny besides. This girl has clear muscles, she even has a knife strapped to her hip. Her blonde curls are tied back in a basic pony tail and her grey eyes are sharp and calculating. The eyes kinda remind him of… Oh. This must be Annabeth, the girl Castor and Pollux mentioned.

He thinks Lee may have noticed her, because even though all the siblings have been located, Lee has not moved towards the table, instead he sends them on ahead. Percy notices him give Kayla a look, though she just nods and heads in. As she passes the blonde girl, she turns and says something. Annabeth did not like that one bit, she practically snarls at Kayla before flouncing off.

She stomps to a table and drops onto the bench with a huff, arms crossed. Now she’s alternating between glaring at Kayla and glaring at Percy. Awesome.

Even better, her table is right next to the Apollo table. But now she’s seated, Lee is walking in as if he hasn’t just spent fifteen minutes dawdling watching the blonde girl stare at Percy. The others have left space for Lee and Percy as far away from Annabeth as possible, and Percy is grateful. This whole place is overwhelming and he really doesn’t want to deal with even more people right now.

Lee tries to persuade him to try the magic refilling cups, but Percy still has his water bottle from Artemis. He has no idea how it’s still full, it doesn’t even look like it can be opened, but it tastes good and he trusts Artemis so he’s going to stick with that.

There are no announcements this time, a couple of kids make offerings but it all seems fairly casual. Mr D is still wearing his non-scary face and is sitting with Castor and Pollux at the far table. Chiron’s at the head table with satyrs and, oh joy, Chiron is also staring at Percy. His aura hurts and Percy can’t bring himself to even look at it.

Lee has clearly given up on Percy actually filling his plate and has done it for him. Even though he’s sitting right next to Lee he’s at the end of the bench and Lee is far enough away that he can’t accidentally bump him. It’s nice. He can still feel Chiron’s eyes and the black wrong bad feeling of his aura stabs at Percy.

There’s a loud yell from the table of angry kids and Percy snaps back into the real world with a jolt. The other kids plates are mostly empty now and some people had started to leave. Oh. He’d gone away again hadn’t he?

He feels a purple drift wrap around him offering a sense of peace/still/safe, but when he glances over at Mr D he is turned away talking to Castor. Percy frowns. He’s still not sure how he feels about the way Apollo, Artemis and now Mr D can change their auras, but it does make him feel a bit calmer. And Lee keeps flicking glances at his untouched plate.

While Percy is still debating on whether he wants to risk the bread, Lee stands up saying he needs to talk to Silena about Georgie. Georgie was the sea kid right?

Lee flicks another glance at Percy’s plate before saying very casually, “Once you’ve had something to eat I thought we’d join the Aphrodite cabin at the beach, figured we’d invite Georgie along too.”

The beach? Oh. He knew the ocean was close, but the beach? Okay. Percy can totally eat some lunch if it means a trip to the beach! He reaches for the bread and Lee looks a little too relieved as he heads for Silena.

________________________

When they make it to the beach Percy actually looks interested in his surroundings, he is looking out at the ocean and it’s the happiest Lee has seen him all day.

Percy looks up at him and the thing happens again, like the kid was about to speak but something only he can see distracts him and the moment is gone. Lee’s not even sure Percy is aware of how often his mind goes away. He had even finally talked the kid into eating and just as Percy reached for his plate he disappeared again. At least this time Lee thinks he knows what Percy was going to ask.

“You don’t have to stay with me, go, explore, splash in the water. Please stay where I can see you, or let me know if you want to go further, but you really are free to just let loose and have some fun.”

With that the kid is off, heading for the water like an arrow shot from a bow.

The rest of the kids disperse, Drew joining Lee’s siblings for a somewhat violent game of volleyball. Georgie is beelining for the water as well, looking more relaxed than he’s ever seen her. He really doesn’t know much about sea kids. He definitely needs to ask his Dad for more information.

He and Silena sit up on the grass looking down over the beach where they can keep an eye on the volleyball game as well as the two kids at the water. Silena’s biting her lip, looking worried. He really doesn’t want to have this conversation. He’d seen the way she watched Percy at breakfast and then at lunch she’d been watching when the kid went lights on, no one’s home for a good twenty minutes.

“Percy isn’t okay is he?” He just looks at her, what is he supposed to say?

“No, he isn’t. Dad didn’t give me many details, but it was… bad. Even Dad was shaken up by it. I think having the sight made it worse.”

“Is there anything we can do? He keeps getting this look in his eyes, like he isn’t actually here?” She looks at him, clearly unsure how to describe what she’s seeing.

“It’s because he isn’t. Here, I mean. Dad tried to explain it but I don’t really get it either. It’s to do with the sight. It’s normal for a prophet to occasionally vague out from a vision, but Dad thinks Percy does it deliberately whenever he gets scared or overwhelmed. According to Dad it’ll improve over time if Percy feels safe and connected to the people around him.”

“So” She stretches the word out teasingly before continuing, “Basically we can cure him with the power of love?”

Silena looks a little too delighted by her interpretation, but she isn’t wrong. He gives her a bit of wincing smile, Lee really isn’t sure what to do for Percy.

The kid looked terrified when Lee came to look at his drawing. It’s an understandable fear, if Lee didn’t know the story, didn’t know the kid had the sight, he’d also be coming to very different conclusions about why a seven year old would draw that.

Silena knocks her shoulder against his. “You aren’t alone with this, he’s a sea kid, only reason you can claim him is because you got there first. He’s ours too, we’ll take care of him, it’s going to be okay.”

Lee really really hopes so. Percy isn’t the first frightened kid he’s met, but he feels so far out of his depth with the prophet thing. He keeps thinking about what Michael said, about Dad entrusting them with the first prophet in millennia. He is terrified of screwing this up.

But Silena is right. He isn’t alone in this. And right now Percy is sitting and laughing with Georgie and he looks like any other normal seven year old playing on the beach. Maybe it would be best if Lee took some time to just sit and breathe and get a better grip on his fear. It will all be okay, Percy is not alone. Lee is not alone.

Silena is good company, he suspects it’s a child of Aphrodite thing, the way she can cut to the heart of the matter with only a handful of words, the way she’s fine with silence too. She always seems a little too world-weary for a sixteen year old, but that’s the life of a demigod.

He does remember to mention the duffel bag of weapons that popped into existence in the cabin that morning and Silena at least knows why weapons made in the ocean are needed for sea kids.

It’s easy enough to get her to agree to stop in later with Georgie so they can start sorting through what each kid needs now and what should be set aside for when they are older.

Silena notes that she and Drew haven’t really spoken much with Georgie as Annabeth tended to cause issues over Aphrodite being such a weak goddess. After a while it was just easier to keep their distance from the entire Hermes cabin. Silena hadn’t really given much thought to what it meant for Georgie’s mother to be a nereid, but now the whole child of the sea thing has clicked she fully intends to befriend the girl and she’s going to have a chat with Drew about it as well.

Which reminds Lee he also needs to speak with Percy about Drew’s current issues. He knows Drew will keep her distance until Silena gives the okay, but it’s going to get awkward fast if Silena is spending time with Percy and Drew can’t.

Coming into your abilities can absolutely suck when you don’t have full control. Drew’s only ten and she is stuck living year round at camp until they are confident she’ll only charmspeak intentionally. Right now it just randomly affects her words. Last Capture the Flag Game she charmspoke an Ares kid to “Say that again to my face!” Drew didn’t find it quite as funny as everyone else did.

Eventually his and Silena’s peaceful interlude is interrupted by a fight breaking out between Drew and Kayla. Something to do with perfect aim and charmspeak. Silena goes to break it up and Lee figures he should check on the sea kids.

When Lee plops down beside the two kids they are busily making the most complex sand castle he has ever seen. It’s a thing of architectural beauty. Perhaps they may yet find a point of connection between Percy and Annabeth and avoid all the rivalry and bickering she subjects the other kids to?

“Georgie’s pretty new to camp,” he tells Percy “though I get the feeling she doesn’t much like morning lessons either.”

Georgie makes a face, “It’s not the lessons I mind, well, the proper lessons anyway, but the other boys aren’t really interested and Luke pretty much focuses on Annabeth and whatever she wants to study. Travis and Connor are fun to spend time with at least?”

Yeah, definitely time to try something new. “I was wondering if you might like to join our group for lessons, just to try it out? I’d need to check with Luke first, but we’re planning to spend some time learning about the ocean now that Percy’s joined us. That something you might be interested in?”

“Yes! Please!” Georgie absolutely lights up. “I haven’t even gotten a chance to go for a proper swim since we got here. Luke says it’s not safe with how far I go out and no one else is a strong enough swimmer to go with me. I tried asking Chiron, but he said no too”

That got Lee’s attention. Georgie is literally half nereid, to deny her the ocean… That was just pure cruelty. Sure none of the other demigods might be able to keep up with her, but there were plenty of naiads and nature spirits around. Or Luke could go out in a boat and just supervise. The hell were they doing in the Hermes cabin?

The only reason Lee wasn’t ready to let Percy swim out was because the kid is half-starved and has never actually been swimming. As soon as Lee is comfortable with the kid’s health and taken him for a dip in the lake to check his confidence levels, he fully intends to take him out on the ocean himself.

“Uh, okay. That doesn’t sound quite right, give me a few days and I’ll work out a solution for you. I don’t know if it’s something you’re ready for Perce, but you should at least have the option available to you, and Georgie, you should definitely be allowed to swim as much as you want.”

Georgie outright beams at him. Why does it feel like he’s adopting two kids rather than just the one he agreed to?

He can see Silena laughing at him, she’s clearly realised he’s on the verge of claiming a second kid. He can’t help it, being a demigod is hard enough, he sees no reason why they shouldn’t have fun whenever they can.

________________________

The sun is setting and a much chirpier Percy has been left at the Apollo cabin with strict instructions to ask one of his siblings to find Lee if he needs anything. Afternoon classes are long over but Lee can still hear the sounds of Luke moving through yet another training drill. Pity all the sword play never seems to defuse his anger any.

Lee is totally not bitter that the guy who constantly ran off for years and has been staying at camp consistently for less than a year is Head Counsellor of their largest cabin just because he’s the oldest. Nope, not at all.

“Hey Luke!” He called across the arena, keeping his distance. “I was wondering if you would mind if Georgie joins my cabin for morning lessons for a bit? Just as a trial?”

Luke doesn’t pause his training drill, the sword moving fluidly through the set, “why? I know she’s technically unclaimed but she’s pretty certain who her parent is. She isn’t one of your golden kids.”

“I’m going to pretend that’s a reference to my father’s love of gold, for both our sakes. I know her mum’s Galene, which means she’s a child of the sea. With Percy joining we’re going to change up our classes to focus more on the ocean and all the related deities. I figured Georgie might like learning about her culture too.”

Luke’s face was singularly unimpressed. “Why should she care? It’s not like her mother cares about her.”

Lee definitely has better things to do than listen to Luke rant. “Yeah, whatever, not like you’re out here training with a celestial bronze sword. Since you don’t care about your dad’s culture and all. I’ll talk to Georgie myself, figured it was only polite to ask you since you’re the Hermes Counsellor, but since she isn’t actually a Hermes kid I’ll let her decide for herself.”

Luke pauses to glare at him before returning to hacking away at the training dummy, as Lee leaves the arena he hears Luke’s sneering insult, “Fucking golden boy.”

Which was interesting actually. He had expected a lot more vitriol about Percy being a prophet and not actually an Apollo kid, maybe some commentary on Percy being unclaimed. At least he can say he spoke to Luke and Georgie’s already agreed to the change. He hopes Luke doesn’t make things too difficult for her, even if she joins Apollo for all her lessons she still has to sleep and eat with the Hermes cabin and Mr. Chip-On-His-Shoulder.

Chapter Text

Percy really hopes every day isn’t going to seem so long. It was a good day overall he thinks. Too many new faces, too many auras but he’s mostly worked out who is who in the Apollo cabin. Castor and Pollux were nice and Georgie is… He’s not even sure how to describe her.

Georgie feels like home in a way no one ever has. She is water lapping against a wooden dock, slow gentle currents wrapping around his arms, salt on his tongue, glittering sunshine and sun-warmed water. When he looks at her through his own inner sun and sea, it whispers “family” back to him. Not even Sally felt that way.

Georgie is eleven and until a month ago her life was mostly normal. Her mum is a nereid called Galene, but she had a mortal mother too. Georgie said she’s been really sad, but this morning Mr D said he’d spoken with Georgie’s family and now Georgie is feeling a lot better. She thought her Mum had forgotten about her. But turns out they’d been searching for weeks, they just didn’t know she was here.

He would have liked to talk to Georgie longer but she had to go back to Hermes cabin and Percy had to stay with the Apollo kids. But Lee came back later and said he’d gotten permission for Georgie to join their morning classes. Percy hopes she doesn’t mind being so much older than him and Castor and Pollux.

Dinner was just as awkward as lunch. Apparently everyone makes offerings at dinner and they do a toast to the gods too. It should have been fine. But Percy didn’t realise that even offerings can give off auras. Not all of them did, only some. Just after the food caught fire there’d be a flash of a really strong aura. It would sort of surround the kid making the offering and then disappear again.

Percy lost a lot of time. When he came back Mr D was standing beside him and the purple drift around Percy was really intense and kinda screaming safe/calm/come-back/focus. Percy was sort of slumped sideways against Lee who was holding him upright with an arm across Percy’s chest. Lee looked really stressed.

When Percy tried to apologise Mr D waved it off and said something about it just being “part of the prophet package.” Then he muttered something to Lee about talking to his brother and walked off.

Percy tried to explain to Lee that this kinda just happens and he’s just not used to so many auras everywhere. It didn’t seem to calm Lee down any.

Lee tried to get Percy to eat, but most everyone had already left and Percy was tired. So he told Lee he was too tired to eat and just wanted to go to bed. Lee didn’t like that but he didn’t say anything else. Percy is starting to wonder how much it would take to actually make him angry. If he’s going to be living with him he needs to know what Lee will do when he’s angry.

When they got back to the cabin Apollo was already there talking to Jenny (older than Kayla, with the more yellow-gold hair) about the half-finished painting on the easel.

Lee practically sags when he sees Apollo, and his father turns to him first and drops a hand on his shoulder, murmuring something in his ear. Lee closes his eyes and leans heavily into Apollo for a moment before he straightens. When he turns back to Percy he’s got his own version of his father’s fake forced smile plastered on his face.

“Hey Perce, Mr D asked Dad to stop by and check the necklace he gave you, we think it might need to be a bit stronger. You’ve been kind of drifting a lot today and you really scared us at dinner.”

Apollo looks equally haunted. What exactly happened? There were just some really big loud auras that kind of strobed in and out as kids made the offerings. Percy wanted to know where they went when they disappeared, so he tried to follow them and then… Huh. He doesn’t actually remember what happened after that. Just Mr D standing there and his purple aura yelling at him.

When Percy tries to ask what happened all Apollo will say is that he drifted a little further from his body than they had been prepared for. Which tells Percy absolutely nothing.

He goes to take the necklace off but both Apollo and Lee lunge forward practically shouting “Stop!”

Percy flinches and stops, and then just looks at them, like seriously? They just said Apollo needed to look at it?

It’s Apollo who explains, much more gently, that he can check the necklace without removing it and if Percy is reacting so strongly to auras with it on, taking it off would overwhelm him completely.

Oh. Okay. So keeping a careful eye on both of them and their grabby hands Percy eases just the charm out from under his hoodie and moves close enough for Apollo to look at it. He does not like being so close to him. Not at all. But Apollo at least is quick about it.

Apollo just holds it between his thumb and index finger for a moment, moving his thumb in a strange pattern as his blue eyes turn gold. The next moment his eyes are blue again and he lets go and steps back.

Huh. The charm had absolutely freaked Percy out when he first saw it, the nothingness too strange in a world of auras. But now, he could get used to this. As soon as Apollo drops his hand the world sharpens into focus again. All the colour and movement that surrounds Lee and his siblings and the supernova that is Apollo just… disappears? from view.

Light still dances across Apollo’s skin and Percy can still feel that there is a god in the room, but he can see his face properly again, and now he might actually manage to tell Lee’s siblings apart. How did he not notice that one of them has black cornrowed hair and darkly tanned skin? They aren’t remotely identical, they aren’t even all blonde! Why did he think they were?

Apollo and Lee are both watching him closely, Percy isn’t really sure what they are looking for. So he just sort of awkwardly smiles at them. Which is apparently the response they are after because both relax and look a bit calmer.

Apollo has Percy look around and describe things to get an idea of what he’s seeing. He keeps reminding Percy to look with his eyes and NOT to draw on his inner sight. Percy is beginning to feel a bit bad, he thinks he might have accidentally traumatised a sun god?

Eventually Apollo is happy with what Percy is seeing and he spends a few minutes talking to each of his kids before he disappears off to wherever gods go.

Lee takes advantage of the others’ distraction to give Percy a lecture about how he is never ever to take the necklace off without Apollo or Mr D present. Lee tells him multiple times that the necklace is water proof and it is fine to shower with it on or swim in the ocean or basically anything that Percy is able to do the necklace will survive.

Percy tries to apologise again but Lee says it really is alright, he knows Percy didn’t realise that could happen. Even though Lee never actually tells Percy what exactly happened.

Eventually Percy manages to excuse himself and go to bed. People are exhausting. He does remember to take his shoes off this time and even changes into pyjamas. These also aren’t clothes he owned before yesterday. This time they are covered in little moons and stars and even with the necklace supercharged he can tell they came from Artemis.

He adds his sun blanket to the pile already on the bed and curls up under the warm weight with Eric tucked up against his face. This time he doesn’t feel all the different auras moving around, but he still feels brief touches of other auras, ones he half remembers from the night before. Apollo’s liquid sun is easy to notice, the same warm/safe/care now tinged with a sense of relief/glad/sorry/please-stay. He feels a quick silver flash of safe/glad/still/stay-here moonlight.

Then there is a succession of less familiar sensations, all somehow singing of home in the same way Georgie does. The clearest is all loud hurricane and shaking earth, full of an insistent fierce/love/worry/protect/STAY, then there is the silent stable eye of the storm singing with curling currents of love/safe/strong/home/with-you-always/promise that brings tears to Percy’s eyes from how earnest it is. As it fades away a conch horn calls low and mournful, the sound full of almost-lost/afraid/please-stay/love/can’t-lose-you-too that he just knows he was not meant to feel. That was far too personal and some part of Percy knows this aura belongs to a fiercely private person.

He wanted to think about them more, these touches from people he’s never met who he somehow knows are the family members Apollo has mentioned before. Except, before Percy can do more than feel touched by how much they care, the purple drift surrounds him again, telling him peace/still/safe/calm/will-watch/you-sleep. Percy sleeps.

________________________

Percy dreams of a girl who looks like an older green-eyed Annabeth. Eyes a perfect match to his own. She stands in an arena as the stands fill with cheerful chatter. As Percy looks around he recognises many of the spectators, it’s as if every Greek god is here to watch. Some his inner knowing recognises as gods long since faded. This story is an old one.

Close to the arena he can see Apollo and Artemis side by side, they look young? Not their physical ages, but their faces don’t carry the weight of millennia Percy is familiar with.

The Apollo in the stands doesn’t notice Percy, doesn’t even react when Percy pokes him. Apollo must not actually be in this dream with him. Percy wouldn’t usually care but he he did just traumatise the guy, he should try and be a bit nicer to him.

Though if this is not Apollo’s memory, who does it belong to? He stretches his senses out but all he gets is the faintest echo of a conch horn and it’s mournful can’t-lose-you call. He pulls back when he remembers Apollo and Lee’s worried faces.

In the arena there are two girls preparing to fight. The green-eyed Annabeth and beside her is, huh. He’s pretty sure that’s Athena. A really really young Athena but her eyes are the same shrewd grey, she has long black hair and a sharp looking face. It’s weird though, other than the eyes the two Athena kids at camp look a lot more like the blonde girl. Who can’t be Athena because Athena is right there next to her.

A man stands beside the ring watching them prepare with careful eyes. At first Percy thought this was a really young Poseidon, but he can see Poseidon up in the stands sitting next to Zeus. Wait, Georgie mentioned Poseidon’s eldest son… Triton! That must be Triton watching the two girls. He seems equally focused on both of them, though Percy can’t work out the connection.

The fight starts, it’s clearly a friendly match, the girls are laughing and heckling each other. The fight goes on and on, neither girl able to get an advantage, they are perfectly matched. Percy is in awe of them, the way they spin and dance around each other, their spears rising and falling, never making contact. The stands are full of cheers and the whole arena rings with the blonde girl’s delighted laughter.

But there’s something off… As he looks around he sees one face that is growing increasingly unhappy. Zeus looks kinda angry. Beside him Poseidon is cheering each girl on in turn, his face unusually open and full of delight over the dance before him. But his brother’s anger is growing, face darkening each time Athena fails to land a hit. Zeus reaches for something.

Oh no. Percy turns back to the fight just as Zeus uses his shield to flash light across the blonde girl’s face. She hesitates, just for a fraction of a second.

Athena’s spear hits true and is driven straight through the girls heart.

The man, Triton, screams, running into the arena. Apollo is just a moment behind him. Triton clutches the woman to his chest, Apollo is running his hands over her, the bright gold glow of his aura surrounding her. He’s saying something to Triton, shaking his head, apologies spilling from him.

The ringing laughter has been replaced by Triton’s broken, devastated sobs. Poseidon crouches down beside him, one hand on his son’s back, one hand resting on the dead girl. Except Percy realises she wasn’t a girl. Her blood is gold, not red. She is a god. Was a god.

Percy did not think gods could die. Not like that.

Athena’s cool calm voice carries across the arena, clear even over Triton’s despair.

“It was Pallas’ own fault. If she’d been a better fighter she would have dodged the spear.”

Poseidon replies his voice low and calm, but Percy can hear the barely restrained anger crackling through it, “I know it is your grief speaking, let us talk no more of this. We have more important concerns right now.”

When Poseidon and Triton go to leave, following behind the stretcher bearing Pallas, they both look to Athena, as if expecting her to accompany them. She turns her back and walks to stand at Zeus’s side.

Poseidon takes a breath and turns from her, placing a hand on his son’s back as he guides him away.

Percy stands in the empty arena. Apollo is still here, still kneeling on the floor, coated in golden blood, shoulders slumped, staring down at his empty hands. It is Artemis who comes and crouches beside him. He looks at her blankly, “Gods can’t die. Mortals die. Gods fade. They don’t… Not like this.”

He looks horrified, shocked, numb. It’s a little too close to what Percy saw on his face after dinner.

Artemis tugs her brother to his feet before taking his hand and pulling him away. She has no words to offer him, she is as confused and shocked as he.

As the arena fades from view Percy doesn’t know what to think. Somehow that scene hurt far more than the heroes stories he dreamed of. The whole dream ached with grief. Maybe because of Apollo? He looked so devastated, and so young. It was just all wrong.

Probably because he was thinking of Apollo, Percy’s dreams drag him to a maybe-now, maybe-future moment.

He thinks they might be underwater? A man lies on the ground in chains, his mouth gagged. There’s a disturbingly red tint to the water around him. Two man stand over him, arms crossed, eyes glaring down at the bound man. They look furious, vibrating with pure unadulterated rage. The change from the arena is so abrupt it takes Percy a moment to realise who he’s looking at.

Wait. That’s Gabe on the ground. Gabe in shackles. Gabe broken and bleeding. And the men. The dark haired one, that’s Poseidon, and next to him… Oh. Oops. That is definitely Apollo. His Apollo. His Apollo who is making eye contact with Percy.

The sun god’s face softens for a moment before he murmurs, “Sorry, not for your eyes, champ.” He flicks his hand and Percy is tumbling through new dreams, the normal sort that he never remembers when he’s awake.

________________________

They’ve actually made it through most of a week now. Percy seems to have settled in. Things are mostly going smoothly.

If you don’t count that first terrifying dinner where Percy’s heart fucking stopped.

If Mr D hadn’t been there, if he hadn’t realised what had happened and re-established the tether by sheer force of will… Lee prefers not to think about it.

Right now, Percy is with Georgie wading through the water at the beach that sits inside the camp borders. Lee is pretending not to notice the perfect circle of calm water surrounding the two kids.

If Mr D is happy to pretend there isn’t a nearby sea god supervising the kids, Lee will pretend too. He doesn’t think the kids have even noticed the way the water near them is so perfectly clear and still, just right for their ongoing hunt for the best sea shells.

With an incognito sea god keeping watch and Silena providing a more visible presence nearby, Lee can take a moment to stop and relax and try and recover from the constant near-heart attacks Percy is determined to give him.

He doesn’t even bother to open his eyes when he hears someone drop down to stretch out next to him. He’d recognise his dad’s aura anywhere.

He stays stretched out in the afternoon sun, but he does turn his head to the side, “Are you really sure about this?”

Apollo just raises an eyebrow, it’s a bit ridiculous that Lee looks older than his own father. “Sure about what?”

“Me taking care of the kid? Seriously, Dad, I know you said that night wasn’t my fault, but I am so so far out of my depth with him. I see auras, that’s it. I have no idea how to help him with his sight, I can’t even convince him to eat! And I still haven’t seen him drink anything and it’s been a week!”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay Lee, take a breath. I’m sorry, I wish I could make this easier for you. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a born prophet in my care and I’ve never had one as strong as Percy, you’re holding yourself to an impossible standard, kid. And what happened was absolutely, unequivocally, not your fault.”

Lee raises himself up onto his elbow in order to turn and glare at the sun god, “That doesn’t actually make me feel better, you know? Until a week ago I actually thought I had things sorted, then the kid turns up and it’s like my whole world has been turned on its head! And what is UP with that water bottle? I know it came from Artemis, but it doesn’t open and it’s always full?”

His dad is far too amused by his rant. “Maybe a bit of chaos is good for you? Both Dio and I are watching him much more closely now, and there are… others, who are monitoring him too. I’m not expecting you to be able to handle any issues that come from his sight, that’s my problem not yours.”

“With the food, apparently the kid was living on protein bars before I found him. I already spoke to Artemis and she’s going to start dropping boxes off in your cabin. Just keep shoving them in his pockets and leave him be otherwise. I’ll know long before you if it becomes a real issue.”

“As for the water bottle… Artemis didn’t actually tell me she was going to do that. I don’t think either of us thought he’d get so attached to it either. So long as no one else tries to drink from it, you’re all good.”

Lee pauses, squints suspiciously, “What happens if someone else drinks from it?”

“It’s filled with water from a spring on Delos, perfectly safe for me and Artemis or a powerful prophet to drink. For us it’s just water. Probably send anyone else insane. Pretty sure Perce just thinks it tastes good. If it helps there’s a coloured stripe down the side, the more silver it shows the more dehydrated the kid is, but if he really hadn’t drunk anything in a week he’d be dead already. So. No need to worry about whether he’s drinking or not.”

Lee supposes when the kid’s sight nearly kills him, one can be a bit more casual about him dying of starvation or dehydration. Although…

“Your sister gave a seven year old an endless supply of water that drives people insane?”

“Yup!” Why does he look so pleased about this? This is terrifying. And there’s no chance Lee will be able to convince Percy to give up the water bottle either. Then again if someone is dumb enough to steal from Apollo’s Prophet…

“I still don’t get why you sent Percy here. Like, you told me the non-interference rules don’t apply to him?”

Apollo settles back, staring up at the sky, looking more serious. Lee’s seen more serious expressions on his father’s face in the past week than he has in the rest of his life put together. Guy’s normally a 24/7 beaming golden retriever.

“You’re right. Under divine laws I could have taken him to Delos and raised him there, or even on Mount Olympus. Poseidon himself gave me permission to live in Atlantis with Percy and have him grow up under the ocean.”

What? Delos he expected, even Mount Olympus, but Atlantis? Poseidon barred all the other land and sky gods from entering. He knew his father has an alliance with the King of the Sea but that level of access is still almost unthinkable.

“Percy is a child who straddles multiple worlds. He is a demigod, a divine prophet and a child of the sea. He’s also a hurting scared kid. If he’s going to have a future, and I don’t mean a future as a prophet, I mean a future as in if he is to one day grow to be an adult, he needs to find a firm foundation, and he needs it now.”

That sounds incredibly ominous, he looks at his father but before he can ask Apollo explains, “You were there last week. When I gave him that necklace I thought the charm was probably too strong, I even told him I’d lower it once he settled in. Instead, it wasn’t remotely strong enough. His abilities are only going to grow. If he is anything like other demigods his power will increase exponentially when he hits puberty. He will likely reach a point where he outpaces my ability to ward him.”

Oh. That’s… not good.

“It’s not as bad of an outlook as it sounds. If he had stayed hidden and I hadn’t found him before then, well it wouldn’t be great, but right now we have time. I brought him here because he needs to make strong connections with people, mortal people, in order to create that foundation. At camp he’s surrounded by kids who will accept the oddities he comes with, he doesn’t need to hide parts of himself.”

“That’s why Georgie is still here isn’t it? And why Castor and Pollux have clearly been given some sort of course on how-to-befriend-baby-prophets by Mr D?”

His father’s lips quirk up in a mischievous smile, “I may have called in a few favours. Though I did make sure this will benefit Georgie as well. There’s no point encouraging a friendship if being here makes her miserable. She’s going to get the sort of opportunities that are almost unheard of, even for a child of the sea.”

Lee probably should have opinions on the idea of buying friends, but right now he cares more about doing whatever gives Percy some stability, although…

“What happens if Percy finds out later about the favours? Is he going to think she only hung around for the things she could get?”

His father is entirely unbothered by the accusation.

“If he was any other kid, if he didn’t have the sight, maybe? Thing is, even with my shielding the kid is still a walking lie detector. He generally doesn’t call attention to it, but he knows when I’m so much as telling him a half-truth. Long as Georgie genuinely wants to spend time with him, he’ll be happy for her to have any extra perks along the way. Honestly most of what we discussed was more about Galene having bragging rights than something Georgie will care about either way.”

Since the child in question is laughing hysterically while she and Percy splash water at each other, Lee thinks his father is probably right. She looks happy. Having another sea kid around has made her whole personality do a one-eighty. Probably helps she now knows her mother didn’t forget about her.

“Okay, I can work with that. Were you here to talk about something specific or just checking the kid’s still breathing?”

That gets him a dry look. Whatever, polite careful words were for Percy, his dad can deal with blunt.

“Has Percy shown you his most recent drawing?”

“He’s done a lot of drawings, you’ll need to be more specific.”

“You’d remember if you saw it, I’m in it, in an arena.”

Lee racks his brain but he doesn’t think he’s seen his dad in any of the kid’s art.

“Nope, haven’t seen it.”

“Okay, cool, even more to explain. Uh, it’s kind of a really grim story. But I’ve been keeping an eye on what Percy’s drawing and when I saw that one I realised that if he’s the only one who knows the story it’s going to cause some issues. Especially if one of your siblings stumbles across the sketch.”

“What exactly is it a drawing of, like half his drawings are of really grim things?”

“It’s an arena on Mount Olympus, I’m kneeling, coated in ichor and Athena has just killed her own sister.”

… There are no words in Lee’s brain right now. Just silence.

________________________

"What?”

From the look on his son’s face, Apollo probably should have found a way to ease him into that. He may have broken the kid.

“Okay, uh, let’s rewind that. Might be easier just to tell you the story from the beginning?”

“Yes, please, I don’t need any more heart attacks, please and thank you.”

Yep, fair enough.

So Apollo lies back and stares at the sky and tells Lee the story of Athena murdering Pallas, though he is careful to never use the “m” word out loud, he’s already dancing on a knife edge bringing Triton into everything with Percy.

He explains that while he and Artemis were older than Athena they were still young gods when Athena came into being.

It was an entirely different time, the sea gods wandered Mount Olympus freely and land dwelling gods were welcome to come and go from Atlantis as they pleased. Only the underworld kept to itself, everyone else shared their domains.

Athena struggled with finding her footing in this world, she was young and found it hard to interact with others. She became fascinated by the stiff proud Prince of the Sea, Triton. He was constantly flitting about, often with Pallas following behind, delivering messages and meeting with other gods.

To this day, Apollo isn’t entirely sure where Pallas came from. Given what happened he didn’t feel right bringing up such memories. He thinks Triton may have formed her himself from corals and pearls. He does know Triton loved her dearly and absolutely doted on her, all of his stiff pride melting away when he was with his daughter.

Athena took to trailing after him, spending most of her time with Pallas. Eventually Triton basically adopted her and invited her to live with him and Pallas in the palace at Atlantis with his parents Poseidon and Amphitrite. She became a member of the family and Poseidon himself considered Athena to be his granddaughter.

The next part is harder to tell. Apollo hates remembering that day. The arena full of gods, eager for entertainment, Pallas, her face full of delighted exhilaration, her pealing laughter echoing from every direction.

Their friendly spar, intended as an exhibition of skill. A deadly dance of two perfectly matched young gods. Artemis on the edge of her seat, almost quivering with excitement at the speed of their movements. They’d sat in the seats closest to the fight, ensuring Artemis could get the best view as the young gods danced with spears and shields.

The flash of light, glancing up to see his glowering father holding Aegis. The gasp. Looking back as the spear struck home. Bolting forward, still new to his healing skills but ready to assist. Realising Pallas was already dead. Triton clutching her, the prince’s desperate sobs.

Apollo trails off, turning his eyes away from the sky where they have been fixed through his entire recitation of this morbid story.

Lee is pale, shocked, somehow even more horrified than he had been when Apollo first told him that Athena had killed her sister.

“Dad, god’s don’t die. They can’t be killed. Sometimes a god fades, but they don’t, they don’t die like that!”

Apollo had thought that too, once.

He had been certain Pallas wasn’t really dead. Even with her ichor pooling on the ground beneath him, Triton’s devastated sobs, the way his own healing abilities told him there was nothing he could do, he still did not believe she was dead. He poured his gift into her. It poured back out just as fast. Apollo thinks of how he finally had to stop, how he had to tell Triton she was gone, that Apollo, the God of Healing, could not save her.

It had not been the first death he had ever faced. He had seen mortals die before, had known of gods who faded. But to be a god was to be immortal, unending, unkillable. Not to die in an arena surrounded by friends and family at the hands of your own sister.

It was made worse for Apollo because it was Poseidon who raised Delos. Poseidon who gave their mother sanctuary to give birth to Apollo and Artemis. He owed his Uncle his very life, his sister’s also, yet Apollo could not save Poseidon’s granddaughter.

He’s not sure anyone even remembers why Apollo has such a close alliance with Poseidon, an alliance that began with his birth and was sealed by Pallas’s blood. Apollo owes Poseidon everything. Poseidon knows how Apollo feels. Apollo’s pretty sure the only reason Poseidon has allowed him to care for Percy is because of that bond. He can’t imagine Poseidon ever relinquishing a child to any other god. Not anymore.

Lee seems to have pulled himself back together, now he’s looking less shocked and a bit more considering, like he’s solving a puzzle he’s been struggling with for a long time.

“Is this why sea gods and land gods don’t interact? No one seems to be able to explain it. The only reason I’ve heard is about the Athens contest and that has never seemed right.”

Apollo hates having to explain this part. It still makes him so angry, and it’s still just so… petty and ridiculous. Whenever he thinks about it too long he starts daydreaming about turning Athena into a pincushion with his arrows.

But Lee needs to know, because if his other kids see that sketch or learn of the story from more… biased, sources, they are quite capable of waging war inside the camp.

So he explains. He tells his son how the gods of the sea were loyal to a fault. As far as Poseidon was concerned, Athena was one of his own, regardless of the circumstances of her birth.

All Athena needed to do was acknowledge her own culpability in Pallas’s death. If she had Poseidon would have swept her back to Atlantis along with Triton and they would have grieved as a family. Poseidon understood accidents can happen, if Athena had just acknowledged her own involvement, he would have understood.

Yet even as Pallas lay dead at her feet, Athena blamed Pallas for her death. Her fault for flinching. She did not even blame Zeus, just Pallas. Later, she even blamed Triton for not training Pallas better.

Eventually Athena was barred from Atlantis, from the ocean itself. Everyone else was still free to come and go and they mostly did, though the gods of the sea became markedly hesitant around Zeus as well as Athena.

In time, when no other gods spoke out against Athena, emotions turned bitter. Slowly the gods of the sea stopped coming ashore, Poseidon started discouraging land-dwelling gods from travelling underwater.

Until one day, Poseidon’s domain was sealed to the other gods. He did still have some compassion, even at his worst. Demigods have always been allowed passage regardless of their parentage.

But even there, the demigods born of the sea rarely intermingled with demigods of the land. Poseidon’s own children still spent time on land in mimicry of their father, and in doing so Poseidon’s children were cut off from the other gods of the sea.

Apollo sits up now, turning to face his son. “There’s another reason this is important. There’s a part of this story that not many know. I suspect Poseidon is the only sea god who is aware of it.”

Apollo nods towards the kids and their suspiciously calm section of the beach, “I’m sure you’ve noticed there are some rather unsubtle friends lingering close to camp at the moment. They won’t be the only ones who visit now that they know Georgie and Percy are here. There’s something I need to show you.”

Lee is looking dubious. Apollo can’t blame him, he’d rather not know this particular little fact either. But Percy would definitely have noticed and unless someone else is aware and prepared to drag the kid away, Percy is quite liable to place himself between an angry sea god and Athena’s rude little girl.

He holds his hand out, stopping just before it makes contact with Lee’s forehead. They’ve done this before, when Lee was learning to control his own sight.

Lee sighs and gives in, tilting his head forward until it makes contact with Apollo’s hand.

The image he shows his son is not of that terrible day. It’s some random moment in the halls of Mount Olympus, Pallas and Athena are standing together, arms wrapped around each other, laughing delightedly. Athena who looks so young and joyful and nothing like the severe proud woman she is now. Pallas who is a green eyed teenage version of the blonde girl in Cabin Six.

“Have you ever wondered why Athena’s children are virtually identical, when in every other cabin the kids cover a whole range?”

Lee is still blinking the image away, he doesn’t seem to have quite put it together yet.

“Well, yeah. Other than the eyes they look nothing like Athena, or their mortal parents. I figured she must have just changed her form…”

He trails off and snaps his head back to Apollo. “Wait, that girl, the blonde one, THAT was Pallas?”

Bingo.

“What? Why? WHAT?” Lee is spluttering.

Lee finally gets a hold of himself and takes a deep breath. “If Athena considered Triton to be her father, if she loved him like a father, why would she make each of her children in the image of his dead daughter?”

Apollo shrugs, he honestly still doesn’t know. “I can’t tell you. I don’t know if it’s because of grief, or guilt or pride. All I know is she’s been doing this for nearly four millennia now.”

He also can’t understand why Athena still mimics Triton’s personality and vocal tics. He has no idea how Uncle can stand to be near her.

“Normally Athena’s kids have a good sense of self-preservation. I’ve been poking around over the past week and I’ve no concerns with most of them. If one of them comes across one of the sea gods at camp they’ll be polite and non-confrontational. Most are smart enough to remove themselves if they notice their presence is causing distress. So even if they do come to camp, the sea gods will ignore them and keep their distance and everything will be fine.”

“Most of them, I take it you are referring to Annabeth?”

“Yep, Percy has a fair few gods watching over him right now, and Annabeth is capable of pissing off every single one them. From what I’ve seen she’s already upset about his prophet status…”

Lee grimaces, “Yeah, Kayla and Austin have had to run interference at virtually every meal, she seems to want him to prove he’s a prophet.”

Apollo pauses at that, “The eight year old child of Athena thinks she knows more than the God of Prophecy? Well, kudos for the confidence I guess?”

“Yeah, she’s going to be even more upset when she realises Georgie and Percy are getting special attention. Like if we’ve already got them doing that,” Lee gestures in the general direction of the water which is now spinning the two children in their own private whirlpool as they giggle delightedly, “I’m assuming the special attention is only going to get more obvious.”

Apollo is genuinely curious, “Does it bother you? That there parents are so willing to break the rules?”

Lee shrugs a bit, “Honestly, not really. Might be different if there was a whole cabin of kids who had mortal parents to go home to as well as a godly parent as involved as that, but those two haven’t got any other siblings. They’ve both just lost their mortal parents, though in different ways. Their only option is to live year round in cabins belonging to land gods unrelated to them. This is the only way their parents can show they care and that their kids aren’t alone in the world.”

Huh, Apollo had never really thought about it like that. True though. Though that brings up another point…

“Annabeth has two cabins she effectively belongs to, 8 other siblings, plus 3 more unclaimed who are too young for camp. Also a mortal parent who loves her, as well as a step-mother and two half-siblings.”

Lee just gives him a dry look. “I know. That’s why I have so little sympathy for her. Also, Athena really needs to stop with the baby-making.”

Apollo agrees. Dumping unannounced newborn babies on unsuspecting mortals is just cruel to everyone involved. Triton made one child, and kept her with him always.

“You are welcome to tell her that. Actually, please don’t, I kinda need you around to look after the kid.” Another dirty look from his snarky son.

“Anyway, what I was getting at with all this is if she does say something offensive and things get tense, you have one job, and one job only. Grab Percy and Georgie and remove yourself and them from the situation. Under no circumstances are you to place yourself, or allow Percy to place himself, between Annabeth and a sea god.”

Lee considers for a moment. Goes to say something, pauses, “I was going to argue the point, but I just realised that if Percy or Georgie got hurt in a situation like that it would be a repeat of Pallas’s death. I think the sea gods have had enough trauma. I promise, if Annabeth does a stupid I’ll get myself and the kids out.”

“Thank you, seriously, I know how much I’ve put on your shoulders recently. I am really proud of you, Lee, truly proud.”

Apollo can’t help smirking as he leaves his bright red very flustered kid behind him and goes to greet his baby prophet.

Chapter Text

Triton is not having a good day. Or a good week. No. Not even a good year. Something has happened. He could feel his parents distress radiating through the ocean earlier. Triton felt the storms burst into existence along the coast as the ground beneath the oceans shook.

His father was furious, the sort of rage that comes from devastation, from grief, from fear. Then he felt his mother’s anger ripple through the water. His unshakeable mother, the solid pillar of strength that kept his tumultuous father strong and stable. Amphitrite was the still quiet eye to Poseidon’s storms. Yet the ocean had filled with her rage. It was quelled just as quickly but it shook Triton to his core.

Nothing good would come of this. He does not want to know the news they bring. There is only one subject which could have caused such an emotional reaction. Triton does not want to know. He does not want to meet his parents. He does not want to be told the little demigod he absolutely was not attached to has been murdered by his uncle.

He’s been avoiding his parents all day but it appears his luck has run out. When he ducks into his rooms at the palace, intending to collect a book before finding a new place to hide, his parents are both waiting for him, looking serious.

He sighs. “If the child is dead, just tell me and leave me be. I told you this would end in tears.”

His mother is looking at him with such a soft gentle look. No. He is not doing this again.

It is his father who speaks.

“Percy isn’t dead, Triton, there have been some… complications, but if anything this will be a marked improvement on the situation.”

“Oh?” Triton has lived at court for millennia, he is a master of the perfectly blank face. As far as his parents are aware Triton has heard nothing of the child since the mortal threatened him three years ago. There is no way his father could know Triton has been stationing cyclops at the green spaces near the child’s living quarters. It has allowed him to receive fairly regular reports on the child’s continued existence at least.

His father gives him a dry look, “I am aware you’ve been sending cyclops out. You know as well as I do that his living situation has become extremely poor.”

Poor, yes. That is one way to describe a child who prefers to sleep on park benches rather than share living space with his mother’s paramour.

The conversation that follows is not pleasant. The child had been moments from death when he had called to Apollo (of all the gods!), and Apollo had saved him. It makes Triton feel something complicated and a little too bitter for his liking. The situations are not the same, the child is mortal, the strike never landed. This child could be saved, no one could have saved her.

Then his father explains that Percy has the knowing. Bitterness tinges his words. Triton feels the same. Is not the weight of the world enough of a burden for one child?

His mother breaks in, she says that for Percy to be born with such a gift, it seems unlikely he is fated to die at sixteen. People who are born with such power are born to serve far greater purposes.

“Or the fates merely wish to ensure he is denied any semblance of a childhood.”

Another understanding smile. How rude does he have to be to make them leave him alone?

They explain that Percy has been moved to the demigod camp the land-dwellers use, the camp sits on the coast and as long as they are careful they are now free to look in on him.

Then they tell him the child is under Apollo’s protection and Father cannot claim him until the situation with the Great Prophecy has been handled. The child is to live under Apollo’s roof while Father’s cabin stands empty. There is an echo of something more to what they say. Father must have an additional reason for wanting the child so closely allied with Apollo. One he has not shared with Triton. It does not matter.

Triton is angry. Distantly he knows that if he were to trust any god with his brother… (the child, not his brother, not yet, probably never). If he were to trust any land god with the child, it would be Apollo. Apollo who saw, Apollo who understood, Apollo who knew the truth and has never moved from it.

It is this and only this that prevents Triton from raging as violently as his parents did earlier in the day, when they tell him of Apollo’s planned subterfuge.

Triton has adopted a child before. It did not end well. Father assures him nothing will be done that cannot be denied, no actual lies will be told. He will be closely allied with Apollo, but Percy will remain his father’s son, Triton’s brother, to one day be crowned Prince of the Sea. Father sounds so confident, so hopeful, as he speaks of the day the demigod child will stand alongside Triton in the royal court.

Until now Triton has believed that such an honour will be posthumous. The only thing they can offer the doomed child of the Great Prophecy. Glory for a dead demigod. Something has changed. His parents actually believe the child will survive.

He asks.

They tell him Apollo said something as he left, something that his Father’s own knowing confirms rang with truth and bore the weight of the fate’s own assurance. That the child may be the herald of the prophecy, but not the hero fated to die.

Hope is dangerous.

But. If there is a chance the child might survive? It has been four thousand years, there has been no children in Triton’s life since that day. He avoids Father’s many, and Mother’s few, demigod children. Death hurts too much.

The child is already here. He is mortal. He will die one day. Whether in nine years or in many decades. He will still die. Right now he lives. Perhaps, just this once, Triton can make an exception.

He agrees to Apollo’s plan.

Then. His parents pass on the sun god’s message. It is unexpected. Triton is grateful for what Apollo did that day. Of all the stunned frozen gods, it was only he who came to her aid. But of course, it is because Apollo knows the truth, because Apollo understands, that Apollo offers Triton this compassion.

He assures his parents he is willing to speak with the sun god and there is no need for Apollo to keep his distance. He asks that they pass on his thanks for the sun god’s care for him.

His mother has that look on her face. The one that says she is moments from pinching his cheeks and cooing about how proud she is of him.

“Is there anything else? I have tasks I need to attend to.”

Father is looking far too amused.

“Just one other matter, when Apollo brought Percy to the camp he also identified Galene’s missing daughter. We’ve already informed Galene and ordinarily we would have removed the girl already. However, with Percy also there it may provide us with some opportunities…”

His mother is extremely devious when she wishes to be. Ordinarily the trident is only to be wielded by members of the royal family. It is his father’s symbol. It is Percy’s birthright. To provide one to him directly would all but guarantee his execution.

Instead his mother cajoles Triton into agreeing to train Galene’s child. With only two children of the sea at the camp it would be only natural to offer to train the unclaimed one alongside Galene’s child. No one need ever know that if not for Percy’s presence Triton would never so much as interact with the other.

Triton does eventually acquiesce with the understanding Galene’s child is only to ever use an unmarked trident. To carry a trident at all is to carry unmistakable evidence of Poseidon’s favour. For a demigod to carry a trident with the royal sigils… No, that privilege is for Percy alone.

His mother agrees. She notes his trident will need to carry all of their sigils, but given their family history, that will lead people to certain erroneous conclusions and provide the child with significant protection.

Had Triton ever previously been told he would be so willing to do such a thing as this, he would have had the person thrown from the palace. But he remembers how much love she had to give. The way she welcomed her sister… No, best not go there.

Regardless, if he could ask her what he should do. If he could ask if she would be offended that he is wielding her death like a shield to protect this too-young child who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders? This child who is his brother?

He knows she would approve. She would snicker over the subterfuge and misdirection, at the idea of the God of Truth pulling off such a great trick.

Mother adds that Artemis is very fond of the little demigod. She had admired Apollo and Artemis, wanted to be closer to them, she often spoke of her wish that Artemis would bring her hunt beneath the ocean so she could join, just once. If Artemis likes the child, Triton thinks she would have liked Percy too.

His daughter would be proud that Triton was protecting Percy. She would be glad she could help him, even in death. She would be glad she was protecting her father’s little brother.

________________________

Dionysus was expecting the visit. Later, much later, he is glad Poseidon came that night, and did not wait until the next day. Even though the child’s near-loss was purely an accident, the camp would have still been drowned in his Uncle’s grief.

The events that drove the sea gods into seclusion occurred long before Dionysus’ own time. Any publicly shared stories of that time come from the victors. That even now people speak of a particular god’s unquenchable grief and loss, of the reason that Triton, Prince of the Seas, is never to be seen on Mount Olympus

As a newly made god, Apollo had taken Dionysus aside and told him the barest sketch of the events. It was intended as a warning that even gods were not invincible.

Poseidon never speaks of Triton, not to the land dwelling side of his family at least. Even Father knows a casual reference to the Sea King’s son will result in Poseidon’s immediate departure, keeping the entire Council in limbo for as many years, or centuries, as he sees fit. Uncle P can be extremely petty when he wants to be.

Dionysus cannot say much surprises him, but when Apollo is followed onto the porch by a child bearing the mark of a true prophet and carrying a sea horse toy that is absolutely dripping with the Sea Queen’s protective power (and wearing a replica of Prince Triton’s own circlet for Father’s sake!) it completely catches Dionysus off guard.

Honestly he was almost glad when he realised it was ‘just’ a forbidden child. The Great Prophecy cannot be prevented indefinitely. He had always assumed it would be his sea god uncle who would be pragmatic enough to realise this, even as Father and Uncle Hades dithered on.

He preferred when it was just a vague assumption. Now with the physical reality of the kid prophet sleeping in his brother’s cabin and Uncle’s aura sweeping across the camp, he rather wishes he did not need to be involved at all.

Apollo had said little, but what he said held weight. He was fully willing and able to commit treason to protect this child. Treason that would drag Dionysus and his two young children into this mess. And gods help him, Dionysus already knew he would agree.

When his uncle appears on the porch he is smiling a little too cheerfully, a little too casually, as he drops down on a chair beside his youngest nephew. He winks (winks!) at Dionysus as a cup appears in front of him.

Atlantean wine. Huh. Straight out of the gate with the treason. Bold choice.

Dionysus considers the cup. Turns to face his uncle.

Poseidon is still smiling. It’s kind of creepy.

“So, my Queen informs me that our missing sea child has been at camp for nearly a month. And that it was Apollo who informed us of the child’s presence. Not you.”

Dionysus winces, at least the camp is still standing? He doubts his uncle would warn him if he intended to do his full ‘vengeful King of Sea protects his own’ routine.

“It would appear the child, in fact, arrived here before the alarm was even raised. Before we even began fruitlessly sending scouts out to frantically search for my Queen’s niece.”

Queen’s niece. Shit.

There is a rather large difference between the mere existence of a relationship and the King of the Sea openly acknowledging said relationship.

“My apologies Uncle, I have been away from the camp, Father granted me leave to spend some time with my wife. I only became aware of the child’s presence this morning. Chiron has been proving problematic to manage. There are only so many times I can ignore the obstreperous beast before Father puts a stop to even that much leeway.”

“Yes, that is going to be a difficulty going forward. I am trusting you to manage him or, should it prove necessary, to work with your brother in order to remove this obstacle.”

Did Uncle just tell him to ask to Apollo assassinate an immortal centaur?

“Now, we had initially intended to remove my niece from this camp and its more… concerning influences. But with an additional child of the sea now being required to live here, we are… reconsidering.”

Uncle, please stop with the ominous vaguely threatening pauses, especially while still smiling. It’s creepy.

“Well Uncle, given that your lot do always claim your children, perhaps it would be best to arrange his claiming and take the brat back to Atlantis?”

Benefit of Uncle P being unable to claim his child? Dionysus can call the kid a brat right to his uncle’s face. So long as he isn’t vindictive with it, Uncle won’t stop him, and that constipated twitch he did was absolutely hilarious. Uncle can’t even admit the child is unclaimed, sea kids are rarely, if ever, left unclaimed.

“I’m afraid the boy’s situation is rather… sensitive. My son, as you know, has not had a child in many millennia.”

And he still doesn’t have a child, Uncle. Those sentences are not connected whatsoever.

“We aren’t exactly equipped for the needs of a sea child, the only children of the sea who have ever lived at camp were your own. As you know, there haven’t been any of your children at camp since before Father sentenced me to be the Camp Director.”

Ooh, an eye twitch this time.

“As you say. Unfortunately, due to the boy’s status as Apollo’s Prophet we are unable to provide for his specific needs in Atlantis.”

Uh huh. Prophecy totally wasn’t Poseidon’s domain before it was Apollo’s. Of course Uncle isn’t in a position to provide for his own natural born prophet son.

“Are you actually asking me for something? I’ve already allowed my brother to house the brat in his own cabin despite not being one of his children.”

Oh this is fun. Poseidon-baiting could be the next Olympic sport!

“Yes, well, there are two matters actually.”

Only two? Is one of them committing treason?

“My Queen is aware of the overcrowding issue in one of the other cabins. While the other children are of little concern, she is unhappy at the idea of her niece sleeping on the floor.”

Dionysus raised an eyebrow, “The prophet would be in the same position had Apollo not offered him a place with his own children.”

Oh, uh, that was a bit more anger than he was okay with. Uncle’s hands are fisted and there are clouds forming overhead. Maybe time to ease up a bit?

“I am grateful for my nephew providing the child with housing. My Queen and I have discussed the matter and believe that due to the boy’s age, it is best he remain with Apollo’s children. For now. However, we do wish to make provision for his future.”

“Uncle, I do have tasks I need to see to. As you noted, there is a troublesome influence nearby, and he is going to walk in on this conversation if we don’t speed things up. Just ask.”

Poseidon sighed and looked down, unclenching his fists. Another deep breath and the clouds dissipated.

“I wish to make my cabin available for the use of Galene’s daughter and Apollo’s Prophet. I will first need to arrange for some renovations to bring it back to an appropriate standard. Should this… experiment, prove successful, we may consider sending additional children of the sea to Camp Half-Blood.”

Wait.

What.

Dionysus knew the forbidden kid would have to stay here. Without Apollo’s protection and his little aura-hiding trick Zeus would smite the kid in a moment. Leaving Galene’s daughter here so the kid has a friend is a surprising, but understandable, move from the overprotective King of the Sea. But being willing to unclench on a boundary between land and sea Uncle has been rigidly maintaining for nearly four millennia?

“Well, it is your cabin, and the management of each cabin falls under the god who owns it, so long as you aren’t taking in children from any of the land gods I really can’t see an issue. But I had been under the impression that certain members of your family would very vocally protest such intermingling?”

“My Queen can be very… persuasive when she wishes to be.”

Nope. Not touching that. Aunt Amphitrite is terrifying.

“What else? If the cabin is the easier matter, I’m not sure I want to know what else you want to discuss.”

His Uncle’s face takes on a pained look. Oh, this should be good.

“Children of the sea tend to have… different requirements to the demigods you and the centaur are used to training. While we are aware of the camp’s rules regarding outside tutors, my Queen wishes for her niece to attend combat lessons specific to her own culture.”

That was a lot of painful double-speak. Uncle’s not saying what Dionysus thinks he is, is he?

“My son has offered to provide his cousin with twice weekly lessons. He would meet the child here at camp and escort her to and from a nearby training area. The boy is mayhap too young, but he is being offered the opportunity to accompany her. We will permit one of the older demigod children to act as escort, to be chosen at our discretion.”

Oh. Uncle is going there. Trident lessons. Triton, the famously reclusive Prince of the Sea, the one who loathes demigods from both sea and land, has offered to personally give a random child of his mother’s dozens of sisters, trident lessons. All so a forbidden child can be trained on his father’s own weapon?

Barely any of Poseidon’s demigod children have been permitted to wield a trident. None were trained by Triton. This isn’t just a mark of favour or protection for the boy, it isn’t even a statement meant for others.

This is an act of genuine care, of belonging. It is an expression of familial belonging. Dionysus had assumed the kid existed solely to serve a purpose. It would certainly be a callous action, but the Great Prophecy required a death. He had assumed Poseidon and his family would distance themselves from the kid. They would not wish to suffer such inevitable grief. Especially given their history.

His Uncle actually looks amused again as Dionysus tries to process this. Well Dionysus had been having fun at his expense, he supposes turnabout is fair play.

“I believe in this case, an exception could be made. As the girl’s mother is one of your subjects I trust you will arrange the necessary permission. As for the boy tagging along…”

Here he pauses, waiting until growing anger replaces the amused smirk on his Uncle’s face.

“Well. Since I have no confirmation of his parentage, I am afraid you will need Apollo’s approval for the boy. As a Prophet of Apollo, only my brother can give permission for you to remove the child from camp, even if it is simply to play audience to the girl’s education.”

Uncle is turning purple now.

“Uncle, I do need to ask, if your son is to personally escort them to and from camp, how will the… circumstances, around his daughter, affect his presence at the camp?”

Poseidon just looks at him, millennia old grief filling his eyes. He doesn’t answer. Simply states he will discuss the boy with Apollo before flashing away.

Dionysus is unsure if his uncle left to avoid the question, or if it was because of the approaching centaur. Either way, he sends the untouched Atlantean wine to his own room long before Chiron has the opportunity to note it’s presence.

When Chiron does join him on the porch he looks a little too determined. This was the other conversation Dionysus was expecting tonight. At least he has no concerns about angering the centaur. Let him stew, he can’t do jack to a god.

Chiron attempts to open a discussion around the boy’s sight. Dionysus shuts him down with a hissed “If you so much as hint at doing what you are thinking of doing, I will inform my brother personally of your plans. Percy Jackson is a Prophet of Apollo, he is to be left alone.”

Yep, Chiron had definitely been planning to use the boy as a replacement Oracle. No, they are not doing that. Father’s punishment would be nothing to what Apollo would do if Dionysus allowed his first new prophet in millennia to be so misused. Unlike Father, Apollo actually does know how to permanently kill an Olympian.

Predictably Chiron moves on to his second concern.

“Percy is the first demigod child of the Prince of the Sea. I am sure that if Lord Apollo had not discovered his sight, Percy’s father would already have secreted him away in Atlantis. The campers have been told very little of the complex relationship between the Sea King’s family and the Olympians.”

Ah, here’s the entertainment he was looking for. There is no chance the centaur has any actual knowledge of what occurred. Apollo is the only non-sea god who would share anything other than Father’s propaganda. He would never have told such a private tale to Chiron. No matter what claims the centaur makes of his connection to his brother.

“I have seen no proof of claiming, while yes, the boy is a child of the sea, what makes you think he belongs to the Prince? Queen Amphitrite does produce demigods on occasion. She also has more than four dozen sisters.”

Chiron gives him a withering look, did immortality addle the centaur’s wits?

“I should think the child’s heritage is obvious. Did you not see the toy the boy carried?”

“I saw a fluffy sea horse with a crown. You are aware there is entire franchise in the mortal world devoted to a singing mermaid called Ariel and her father King Triton? It is quite popular, you know, and one of the characters is a sea horse.”

Chiron definitely needs to spend more time around mortals. He looks like he is rethinking his very existence as he tries to digest the idea of The Little Mermaid.

The sea horse was most definitely a statement from Queen Amphitrite, but no need to tell Chiron that, Ol’ Horsebutt can’t sense auras.

“That being so, you cannot deny he looks the very image of his grandfather, and I am told the Prince of the Sea is the image of his father.”

Yeah, Dionysus will give him that, if he didn’t know better he would think the child didn’t have a drop of mortal blood in him.

Chiron continues, “I believe it would be wise to inform Lady Athena’s two year round campers of the tragic history of Pallas, I would not wish-”

Yeah No.

“No. That is NOT your story to tell. Even if you knew all the facts and not the bastardised version that is whispered on Olympus, it is not something they need to know. Matthew would take it fine, but I can guarantee little Audrey would immediately do something that would end in Uncle drowning the entire camp.”

Chiron stares, nonplussed.

“I have no wish to waste my time explaining to my family why Uncle murdered their children. I have better things to do.”

With that Dionysus teleports away. If the centaur is that suicidal, Dionysus wants nothing to more to do with it.

Chapter Text

Things have finally fallen into a bit of a routine at camp. But Percy is still half-expecting Gabe to turn up and make him return to the apartment. Lee seems to always know when Percy starts thinking that, because he always stops whatever he is doing and promises Percy that he will never see Gabe again. Lee never mentions Sally. Percy doesn’t either.

Percy doesn’t know how he feels about Sally. Apollo has been very clear that the godly side of Percy’s family would have been much more involved in Percy’s life but Sally kept them away. It feels like the truth. Mostly. It’s not a lie anyway. There is something Apollo isn’t telling him but Percy kinda likes being treated like a kid and letting others deal with the hard stuff.

Life at camp is really nicely predictable in a non-prophet sort of way.

Percy drifts a lot less now. The necklace really helps. He does still spend a lot of time using his knowing but it’s mostly intentional, he has to be super overwhelmed to drift without meaning to. Percy knows it still freaks Lee out, but Lee never actually talks about it, so Percy ignores him.

Percy’s days start with bizarre bouncy music that Apollo apparently personally selects to wake his kids up with the sun. Then, it’s a chaotic scramble for the six Apollo kids to get ready for the day.

Percy’s mornings are a bit calmer because he has his own bedroom and bathroom, but he’s getting more and more comfortable spending time around the others. Sometimes he even sits on one of the empty bunks and sketches out the dreams from the night before while Lee, Michael, Will and Austin get ready. He keeps seeing this fish in his dreams. It has a lot of opinions. Like, way more than fish usually do.

Besides the fish, things are good. Since Apollo fixed his necklace Percy can even tell the siblings apart! Lee is the oldest and looks like an older version of his father, all blonde hair, blue eyes and subtly golden skin. Like most of them he’s got the big arms and shoulders of an archer. Lee even has the whole stereotypical greek god thing going on.

Michael looks pretty similar, but he’s like a whole head shorter than Lee, stocky and pretty quiet. He isn’t always at camp, apparently he’ll be moving to college next year, Lee says he’s working on adjusting to living in the mortal world again.

Will is like a paler younger version of Lee, his hair is kinda white-blonde and his skin is super pale and full of freckles. Austin is the youngest and has dark curly hair that the Aphrodite girls braid into corn rows for him and his skin is deeply tanned. Percy has yet to see a single serious expression on Austin’s face.

Jenny kinda looks like a cheerleader, she isn’t anywhere near as interested in archery as the other kids and it shows. All of her is tall and slim and she’s all grace and bounce, her long hair makes Percy think of liquid sunshine. The two Aphrodite girls like using Jenny as a test-subject for hair styles and makeup. She seems surprisingly okay with it.

Kayla is the only other year round girl, her shoulder’s are almost as big as Michael’s! She has shoulder length hair that is almost red, but not quite, there’s still some golden blonde in it. All of Kayla is calm and steady and no-nonsense, she even wears combat boots! When Percy asked why the Aphrodite girls don’t give her makeovers, Silena said everyone gets to choose their personal style and not everyone is comfortable with makeovers and that’s totally okay.

Every morning Lee spends forever trying to get all his siblings to gather in one place. Percy thinks they are like a litter of puppies, constantly getting distracted and wandering off.

When they make it to the pavilion and sit down at Apollo’s table, Percy and Lee have their first argument of the day about how much food Percy is going to eat. At this point Percy is just keeping it going coz it’s kinda funny to tease Lee. Also, cause Percy still doesn’t know what Lee will do when he finally makes him truly angry.

Then it’s off to morning lessons. Percy sits at a table with Castor, Pollux and Georgie. Georgie’s all tumbling long red curls (her hair was more frizz than curl when they first met, but Silena’s been teaching her hair care and now it’s long ‘defined’ loose curls that go all the way down her back) and sea green eyes that are pretty similar to Percy’s, though Georgie’s are much closer to a bright emerald green, Percy’s have a lot more blue and Lee says Percy’s change colour? Georgie has the same ‘glowing tan’ (Silena’s words) as him too. Not like Austin but still like they spend all their time outside. Percy thinks Georgie looks like the real life version of Ariel, Georgie says she’d need a proper tail for that. Both of them really wish they had mermaid tails.

Percy even knows now why people say they can’t tell the twins apart. Even with the necklace, their auras are still too loud for him not to know which is which. Castor still has that strobing flashing thing going on and Pollux still feels like sealed off power. But looking at them with his actual eyes, with the curly black hair, deep blue eyes, scattering of freckles and constant air of mischief (they don’t even try to hide their glee like their dad does), the twins are matching mini versions of Mr D. Or at least the Mr D in his non-scary form, which everyone is now mostly used to. People were kinda weirded out at first, but since Percy only saw him the other way just once it doesn’t bother.

The rest of kids are divided into two groups, the three younger Apollo kids do lessons together and the other group has Jenny along with Miranda and Charlie.

Michael’s meant to join that last group but he mostly skips lessons. Percy wishes he could skip. Lee and Miranda’s older sister Katie do most of the teaching. Lee mostly focuses on Percy’s group and Katie tries to keep the two older groups on track. For a camp for greek demigods the lessons are super normal. Lee even uses a mortal home school plan.

It’s been… okay? Especially with Georgie joining them. She’s meant to do lessons with the other kids who live in the Hermes cabin but she gets to join them so she and Percy can learn about the ocean. Linking things to the ocean makes lessons a bit better.

Percy still hasn’t admitted he can’t read or write English. He’s starting to think Lee might know this. Lee never asks Percy to write anything down or read out loud. Instead he always get them to work together and the other three take turns writing down the answers. Percy is beginning to wonder if Lee is just waiting for him to ‘fess up. Best not the think about it, distracting Lee is the better option.

Percy has also discovered he can read Ancient Greek. He hasn’t mentioned this to Lee. So Lee is spending ages teaching Percy about the Greek alphabet and sounding out Greek words. Percy probably should have have told Lee he already knew Ancient Greek. Too late now.

When morning lessons are finally over (Percy is getting very good at distracting Lee and has started taking note of how many times he can make Lee yank at his hair in frustration in a single morning), Lee shepherds them all back to the main pavilion for lunch.

Lunch is his second least favourite meal of the day. All the kids are noisy and just all over the place, like being stuck in a room doing lessons makes all the energy build up like soda in a shaken bottle. By lunchtime the thirty plus demigod kids are all ready to explode.

Percy thinks Mr D secretly likes the chaos and constant food fights and actual fights. Chiron hates it, he’s always trying to make them all calm down and behave and yelling about undignified behaviour.

The only kids who always listen and behave are the Athena kids. Annabeth listens anyway. Malcolm, the older guy and the only other year round Athena kid, is always super intensely thinking about something. He only reacts to the chaos if someone actually knocks him over.

Percy isn’t fond of the chaos, he’s always worried someone’s going to get too close to him. He’s usually too stressed to even argue with Lee about the food he doesn’t eat. So far there haven’t been many days where Mr D hasn’t sent his purple drift of peace/still/safe/calm around Percy. He still doesn’t know how the god always knows when Percy is about to bolt, the god is never even looking at Percy when he does it.

Recently Annabeth has taken to sneaking up behind Percy and trying to tap him on the shoulder before someone notices. Percy hates it so so much. He doesn’t like anyone touching him. He especially doesn’t like it when he doesn’t know it’s coming.

The Apollo siblings are getting good at catching her at it and sending her off before she gets too close. Percy’s not even sure what she wants from him. She never says anything, just huffs and stomps off when the others stop her. He tried asking Lee but Lee just told him not to worry about it, Annabeth was just like that.

The few times Annabeth has actually managed to tap his shoulder Percy has gotten so scared that he just… runs away. His mind drifts and he lets his senses guide him and he ends up hiding in the strangest places.

The first time it happened, when he finally came back to the real world, he was in the crawlspace underneath the Big House. He stayed hidden for hours even though he could hear people calling his name. In the end someone must have told Apollo they could’t find Percy because it was the sun god who came crawling under the house to talk to him. Percy was so embarrassed it ended up taking even longer and lots of promises from Apollo that no one was mad before Percy finally agreed to come back out.

Since then whenever he runs off Lee always finds him right away. Percy really isn’t sure how Lee manages it. At least it’s less embarrassing than them having to call Apollo?

Afternoon is always the best part of his day. Lee says because pretty much all demigods have ADHD their reward for surviving lessons is getting to have lots of fun after lunch. There is an actual schedule of activities pinned up in the sitting room, but Percy has no clue what it says. So each afternoon is like it’s own fun surprise!

Lee says the general idea is to focus on the various things they were all good at or liked doing the most. That’s why the Hermes cabin does a much bigger range of things to give unclaimed kids a chance to experience everything.

The Apollo kids already have a decent idea of their skill sets. They do lots of archery and combat and music things, plus some art for Jenny and first aid for Will. They added in a bunch of ocean and water themed things for Percy, and also Georgie, who gets to join them in the afternoons now too!

For the water stuff they always go with the two Aphrodite girls, ‘cause Silena says Aphrodite came from the sea too so they are kinda like distant cousins? So far they’ve gone to the beach lots, had swimming lessons in the lake (scaring Lee in the process, oops, Percy had no idea normal people float), gone out on the ocean in a boat so Georgie could have a proper swim (Lee says Percy can too once he looks a little less half-starved but till then he’s gotta stay in the boat), visited all the naiads in the camp, spent ages examining rock pools… Plus Silena and Lee even started teaching Percy about weapons!

Silena does lots of the weapons training, apparently Percy and Georgie’s family supplied a whole bunch of different weapons that were forged in the ocean. Silena says that children of the sea don’t do well with land-made weapons. She hasn’t actually let Percy touch any of the real knives or swords yet.

He knows there are some proper weapons in the locked safe in the Apollo cabin, but Lee has only let him use the blunt practice knives and a blunted sword. Lee keeps telling him that Percy is only being trained to defend himself and he absolutely will not be going on quests even when he’s older. Lee has only let Percy use a bow once. Silena warned Lee that archery was not a thing sea kids tended to be good at and she was definitely right.

Lee says Georgie is going to start some specialised weapons training soon, something her family has arranged for her, and Percy will get to go too! Lee thinks Percy is probably a bit too short to learn whatever it is but he says it’ll be good for him to have access to his own culture.

Apparently Apollo even gave permission for Percy to leave camp for it! Lee told them both not to talk about it too much around the other kids, because Mr D is making a special exception for them coz they are sea kids and some of the other campers might feel left out.

Percy has been learning a lot about people things. He never had friends before and it never really mattered. Now all of the Apollo kids are super patient with explaining what he should and shouldn’t do. They help him understand why someone might get upset at things he says. No one’s ever explained before.

Castor and Pollux are so nice as well. Whenever Percy says something stupid and doesn’t realise what it sounds like they always take the time to explain and tell him they aren’t hurt or upset at all ‘cause they know he didn’t actually mean it. Then they say they can’t wait ‘till he starts insulting them intentionally, ‘cause then they can have some real fun.

Castor and Pollux may have been spending too much time with their father.

Dinner is the worst meal of the day. It’s been weeks and Lee still hyper-focuses on Percy the whole time the other campers are making offerings. If Percy so much as daydreams Lee is tapping the table in front of him and making Percy look him in the eyes. Lee won’t let Percy make an offering.

Percy doesn’t get the big deal. They still haven’t actually told him what happened that night, but Apollo fixed his necklace and everything! It’s been weeks! Percy barely ever drifts when he doesn’t mean to and the only auras he sees are when one of the gods is nearby.

Well, and Chiron’s. Percy really doesn’t like Chiron’s aura so he’s happy to just never look at it.

Dinner would be hard regardless because it’s at this point where Lee starts to get kind of actually upset about the food thing.

Percy does actually eat, he just finds it really hard to eat when there is so much happening around him. Even without auras everyone is so loud and they move around so much and it’s all too much. It’s even worse because he has to sit properly on the bench at the table. So he can’t tuck his feet up under him and wrap his arms around his legs. He doesn’t like how it feels to have his legs just dangling. It makes his stomach twist weirdly and then he can’t even look at the food.

Percy never ate with Gabe and Sally. He ate by himself tucked in corners or on park benches. No one ever minded before. Sharing meals is awkward and uncomfortable and he doesn’t like it. Artemis sends Percy protein bars and there’s always tonnes of snacks in the cabin, he’s just not eating actual meals.

Percy knows he’s being unfair to Lee. But he’s so tired of being weird and freaky so he hasn’t even tried to explain any of it to Lee. All Lee sees is Percy not eating. Percy never answers when Lee tries to ask him why. He just wants to be normal with this one thing. Percy tried to point out he knows Apollo is monitoring him and Lee doesn’t need to, but Lee didn’t like that.

Michael and Jenny have started intervening whenever Lee and Percy start arguing. Percy should probably appreciate it more but they always suggest it might be simpler if he just ate something. Then Percy gets so stressed by it all he forgets to say he actually is eating. Just not at meal times.

It probably wouldn’t be quite so bad if Chiron didn’t stare at Percy so much during dinner. It’s really hard to continually block an aura out. Percy’s never needed to before, but Chiron’s aura is just… icky.

It’s heavy and dark, but not in the same way as the times he’s seen Hades’ aura which is kinda peaceful and welcoming.

Chiron’s aura feels old, not black so much as full of the darkness of the void, all grief, and resignation, and weighted dread. A handful of bright sparks of hope, tiny stars struggling against endless dark.

Chiron feels like pure exhaustion, muscles at the point of collapse but still trudging forward. His aura is all an exhausted sobbing of alone/broken/no-more/can’t that physically hurts Percy. Like being stabbed for real.

Normally, Chiron is kept busy at lunch trying to make the kids behave and so he doesn’t pay any attention to Percy. Chiron is barely ever at breakfast. But at dinner? At dinner he stares at Percy and Percy has to constantly push away his aura.

No matter how fun the day was, Percy tends to make everything go wrong at dinner. He doesn’t mean to, each day he fully intends to do better. But at dinner things just always just get to be too much and instead of running away Percy kind of just… snaps back? He doesn’t mean to but somehow he can’t stop himself.

Mr D doesn’t intervene at dinner unless Percy panics and goes to run away. When Percy fights with Lee, Mr D just watches him. Sometimes Percy thinks he looks kinda confused. But that makes no sense, so Percy ignores it.

Besides, Mr D sees auras, so does Apollo. Neither of them have said a single word about Chiron’s weird aura. So it’s Percy’s problem, not theirs. Except when he absolutely can’t avoid it, Percy makes sure he never thinks about Chiron’s aura.

Or about how on that first night, Apollo couldn’t see how sick Mr D was, but Percy could. (Mr D is doing better, he must have fixed whatever it was just like Apollo said he would). Percy’s just a demigod. Apollo’s a god. Therefore Apollo can see everything Percy does.

By the time the misery that is dinner is over, Percy is always just so done with the world. Lee doesn’t even try to stop him anymore when he goes and immediately locks himself in his room.

Sometimes a bath makes him feel better. Someone added an additional faucet to the bathtub that spews out seawater instead of the expected freshwater. For some reason the saltwater helps more than the fresh. Percy thinks it might be a sea kid thing?

Most of the time Percy is too tired to bother and he goes straight to bed. He does like his room with the starry sky and silvery moon from Artemis and the sun shaped nightlight from Apollo.

Both the moon and the sun are infused with the auras from the archer twins. At night his room is filled with the moonlit safe/calm/sleep/stay and liquid gold safe/warm/sleep/stay.

The necklace stops him from being able to feel the aura Apollo placed on his blanket, but Eric the Sea Horse still tastes of salt and his dancing currents are full of home/safe/love/strength.

The additional touch of other auras has become a routine part of his nights, these days it seems as normal as Percy’s morning lessons. He’s never told anyone he can tell when the different god’s check in on him, he suspects Apollo would supercharge his necklace even further if he found out. Percy likes the nightly check in too much to risk Apollo taking it away.

Percy has grown very familiar with the feel of Apollo’s liquid gold, Artemis’s silver moonlight and Dionysus’s purple drift checking Percy is in bed where he is supposed to be. The sensations tend to stay the same now, occasionally there’s an extra tone of worry or stress depending on how many dumb things Percy did that day.

Dionysus has at least stopped forcefully putting him to sleep. That had been starting to really really irritate Percy. There’s always an extra edge of calm/peace/all-is-well to the purple these days. Given Percy’s mortifying behaviour most nights at dinner, well, Percy can understand why Dionysus would like him to take a chill pill.

It’s the other auras that Percy looks forward to the most. The ones he doesn’t recognise. Always the same three big feeling ones. At some point a fourth has joined, a barely there sensation that Percy struggles to catch hold of. It’s entirely unlike the others.

This aura is a burst of warm air, as the front door opens on a cold night, light spilling out into darkness, it sings of welcome/come-in/this-is-home/you-are-loved. The faintest trace of flexing arms, fingers wrapping around warm wood, a cord under tension.

It tastes of family in an entirely different way and Percy can never hold onto it long enough to remember the feelings properly. Even stranger, every night this particular aura comes and goes, it’s always the first one to flicker across him, and then it disappears, only to reappear for a fraction of a second hours later. Sometimes, on the nights he doesn’t sleep (sue him, he’s sick of dreaming about that stupid fish), Percy can feel the same aura flicker across him few hours.

In comparison, the other three auras are easy to grab hold of. They too have settled into a regular pattern of set feelings.

The biggest is still the loud intense one that smashes across the room, the sensations becoming normal in their constant chaos. Every night is a new combination of the intense pressure of dark ocean depths, the crash of massive storms, intense dragging currents, sharp strike of hooves at full gallop, bone-shaking tremors of the earth itself, all drenching Percy with ferocious declarations of love/protect/proud/home/stay-safe/stay-here.

Percy has a fair idea now of who that one belongs to. He remains very confused as to why this particular god is watching him so closely. His inner knowing tells him he really doesn’t want to know. So Percy just lets himself embrace how honest all of these feelings are. It’s kinda like a hug. He’s has never had anyone feel all that about Percy before.

The other two are still really strong but aren’t so overwhelming. One always washes over him straight after the loud one, offering a perfect match with its silent, still, solid, unshakeable and unending strength. Curling currents weave around Percy singing of loyalty and declaring love/home/safe/strong/mine/yours/always. This aura aches with sincerity and sometimes it still makes Percy cry.

The third is harder to catch hold of. It’s much clearer than the burst of warm air but it moves even faster, appearing and disappearing in a rapid flash, as if whoever this is doesn’t want to be caught looking in on him.

It is the sound of a conch horn, a call to arms, wild waves stilling, the feeling of travelling at so so fast as a horses mane whips across his face, urgent news, deep abiding earned pride. The sound is always a jumbled mess of protect/afraid/proud/sorry/stay/love. Sometimes a trace of something else, grief? longing?

Percy does find it odd that he can understand so much in an aura but can’t manage a basic conversation with an eight year old. Lee has attempted to explain that having such strong sight means different parts of him age at different rates. Percy may have lost interest halfway through that explanation.

It is at least a nice way to end the day, especially after he once again makes a total mess of dinner, at least by the time he falls asleep he always feels a lot more settled.

Some part of Percy knows that these past few weeks have been about trying to find his way in this new world, and that eventually everything he’s not thinking about is going to come and knock him down, but for now, things are kinda good?

________________________

“Lee?” Percy peeks over at his new guardian. It’s still odd to have a kinda sorta adult he can ask for things.

“Yesssss?” Lee drags out his answer. He seems to have grown immune to Percy’s begging face in just a few weeks. Pity, it had been entertaining.

“I keep having these dreams?”

Now Lee looks more serious, doing his ‘I am listening very deeply and ready to hear everything you say’ pose. “Prophetic dreams? Something worrying you?”

“Well, sorta. You see. I keep dreaming about this fish.”

Ha! Broke him. Score!

Lee finds his words again. “A fish? Like a specific fish? In the ocean? Or a symbolic fish?”

“Like a fish, fish. In a pet store. It talks different to the others.”

“Fish, talk, to you?”

“Well. Yeah?” At this point Castor, Pollux and Georgie are watching the conversation as avidly as they do the super violent volleyball games on the beach.

Percy may have specifically waited to talk to Lee until he tried to start their morning lessons. Nothing like a good distraction to continue keeping him from realising Percy can’t read.

Lee is getting a little too good at just accepting things Percy says. He barely even pauses, “Okay. Cool. Did not know you could do that. Is there a reason you are telling me about this fish?”

“I was kinda hoping you could go and buy it for me? Only, I think if someone doesn’t get him soon something bad will happen to him.”

Lee looks like he’s regretting all his life choices right now. “Um. Before I give you an answer, I don’t suppose you’d mind telling me what you intend to do with this fish IF I buy it for you?”

Lee’s face is so calm, like he’s ready for anything from animal sacrifices to Percy announcing the fish is Apollo’s next prophet.

“Well, I was thinking you could also buy a fish tank and all the things it needs, like food and all that? And then I could keep it in my room?”

Sigh, not even a flinch this time. “Percy, why exactly are you dreaming about this specific fish?”

“I told you, it talks different! And I think he’d like living with me.”

“This fish is in New York right? You aren’t sending me across the country?”

Percy confirms the fish is in Long Island. Lee still hasn’t asked what sort of fish it is and Percy wonders if he could send him to buy a shark instead.

Lee glances over at his audience of three fully invested kids, purses his lips, thinks for a moment.

“Tell you what, if you can focus on your lessons for the rest of the morning, I will borrow the van and go get your fish. Assuming it is an ordinary species of pet fish. I’m not buying you a shark.”

Darn it. No sharks for Percy.

Also, Percy isn’t entirely sure the fish is worth a whole morning of lessons. Now that the sun charm stops him losing so much time (Lee will definitely notice if he drifts deliberately), lessons go on forever. At some point Lee is definitely going to realise Percy can’t read. Or write.

So far Percy has managed by listening to the twins or Georgie read their lessons out loud, and giving the answers for them to write down. Also by distracting Lee. Repeatedly.

“Can you read the ocean book out loud for us?”

Lee has a book about all the different fish in the ocean. Georgie says there are lots of species mortals don’t know about that aren’t in it. Lee says he’s requested a book from Georgie’s family on all the greek sea creatures. Once Lee gets it, Percy wants to learn EVERYTHING.

“Okay, if you actually stay in the classroom for the whole morning, I will read to you about different types of fish. After lunch, I will go and buy this fish for you. Depending on the tank size it needs it may need to live in the sitting room. Your room isn’t exactly big, Perce, and Georgie might want to visit the fish too.”

Yes! Score! Percy can’t wait to meet James in real life. He’s super weird. In his dreams he’s always yelling while all the other fish ignore him. Probably because James isn’t actually a fish.

After lunch, Percy provides Lee with a drawing of James, a drawing of where his tank is located in the store, and a drawing of the outside of the store. James likes to shout the address as people walk past, so Percy can even tell Lee exactly where to go.

Lee looks a bit too relieved when Percy shows him the sketch and he learns that James is a goldfish. Percy does tell him very firmly that James cannot live in a bowl and he needs a proper sized tank.

Lee says he can have a big tank so long as Percy agrees to it being in the sitting room. Percy really wants to talk to James when he’s meant to be sleeping, but Lee is right, a big tank won’t fit in the little bedroom. So Percy agrees.

Lee tells Percy to stay at the cabin until he gets back, but Percy can’t resist eavesdropping on Lee asking Chiron for the van.

Percy thinks Chiron is kind of mean. Chiron tells Lee that he can’t keep making exceptions for Percy just because he ‘claims’ to have the sight. Lee tells Chiron that if he won’t give him the van keys Lee will ask his father for transport.

Lee asks if Chiron really wants him to tell Lord Apollo that Chiron is refusing to assist Lord Apollo’s Prophet?

Chiron gives Lee the keys.

Before Percy can slip away Lee sees him. Lee always knows when he’s sneaking these days. It’s not fair. Lee just gives him a look and gestures back to the cabin. Percy sighs and goes back. Lee doesn’t turn away until Percy actually goes back inside.

He catches Kayla by surprise, she didn’t know Percy had left.

________________________

Lee is standing in a pet store staring into a tank full of goldfish and trying to identify a specific one. From a drawing. That his baby prophet/ward gave him.

It kinda feels like he’s just been sent on one of the gods bizarre quests. He tried every angle he could think of to get the kid to explain why he wanted a specific fish.

All the kid would tell him is it “talks different”. Because fish talk. And apparently one talks different to the others.

At least it isn’t a shark? He still thinks this might be an elaborate prank, the kid has a mischievous streak that has been showing up more and more. Even if one of Lee’s siblings enabled him, Lee can’t even feel mad if it means Percy is acting like an actual seven year old.

But it could also be a prophecy thing. Lee can’t actually tell.

He did at least catch on to Percy following him before Percy managed to sneak into the van.

Lee has no intention of ever telling Percy that Apollo gave him a new charm that kinda negates Percy’s shielding charm, but just for Lee.

They agreed it was necessary after Percy had some sort of panic attack (set off by Annabeth) at lunch and just straight up vanished on them. Not even Mr D could locate him. It took Apollo doing something complex with Artemis to locate the kid. Under the Big House. At least he hadn’t left camp.

The new charm wasn’t all that comfortable at first. Percy’s aura is almost at loud at Dad’s and Mr D’s.

It’s also nothing like any other aura Lee has experienced. Percy is a storm trapped in a bottle, pounding relentlessly against glass walls, he is a shiver deep under ground and calm glassy waters with a vicious riptide beneath. Lee prefers not to think about what that aura implies. On the plus side, it means he can always track the kid no matter where he hides.

Oh hey! There’s the little guy. Percy has provided Lee with some exceptionally detailed drawings showing this fish from every conceivable angle. Just how often has he been dreaming about it?

It’s one of the fancy tail type gold fish, the label on the tank claims it’s a fantail. The one Percy wants is mostly orange. It has a black patch over it’s lips in the exact shape of a cartoon moustache, a little black beard shaped patch under its bottom lip and a kind of streaky patch of black on top of it’s head.

Gives it a weirdly grumpy-human type look. It’s also the only fish swimming in a deliberate circuit of the tank. Lee watches it make multiple circuits and it never deviates from the pattern.

At least it doesn’t until it notices Lee watching it. Then the fish stops it’s circling and seems to look at him, Lee swears it even moves it’s head to get an eyeful of the drawing he’s holding.

Okay. Creepy fish.

It’s simple enough to find one of the employees and have them catch the fish (it just… swam into the net, no chasing needed?) and then let the employee talk Lee into an elaborate definitely-bigger-than-needed tank plus all the accessories. He couldn’t resist the giant ornament that looks like an underwater palace. Apollo gave him a debit card to cover whatever Percy needs, and clearly an underwater palace ornament is a need, not a want.

Lee kind of ignores the guy as he rattles on about ammonia and nitrogen cycles. Georgie can purify water with just a thought and Percy definitely can do, something, to polluted water. Has to be some benefit to having two sea kids around right?

Lee swears the bagged fish is still staring at him. He is definitely already regretting insisting the fish live in the sitting room. There is something very wrong with this fish.

He refuses when the employee tries to persuade him to choose additional fish. Percy was very clear that he only wanted this one specific fish. If the kid changes his mind he can always come back. But right now Lee thinks it would be better if this fish was kept away from other fish. Lee might also be considering asking his father double check it is actually a fish.

When he makes it back to camp Percy is absolutely gleeful. Percy apparently had cheated and seen which tank Lee would be buying, because he’s had Michael and Will help him clear a good six foot stretch of the sitting room wall.

It takes Lee, Michael, Will and Jenny working together to heave the tank and stand into the cabin. Kayla was, of course, already prepared and apparently has been having Georgie practice summoning clean fresh water into various containers.

Georgie has the new tank filled and ready for the creepy fish long before Percy gets a chance to explode another set of plumbing. Kid’s enthusiastic but not all that precise with his new water powers.

With the van keys returned to Chiron, Lee can sit back and watch his siblings try to come terms with Percy’s weird new pet. Who Percy says is called James. As in, the fish told Percy it’s name was James.

Percy happily acts as a mouthpiece for the creepy fish. James is apparently very grateful for Lee’s timely arrival. He had given up hope of a demigod coming into the store.

All of his siblings are exchanging glances, no one can tell whether Percy is pranking them or if the fish is really that weird.

They turn as one to Georgie. She just shrugs, “I can kind of hear saltwater fish communicating, but I can’t hear freshwater fish.”

Cool cool. Percy is still chatting away to James. Something about spas and guinea pigs? Or maybe pigs?

Apollo did say Lee could contact him about anything if it relates to Percy. Oh, the fish knows it’s in Apollo’s cabin? Yeah. Nope.

Lee grabs Michael’s attention, flicks a glance at Percy, tilts his head towards the dining pavilion. Saying very clearly with his eyes; ‘Please remove the already attached child while I ascertain what sort of monster I just brought into our home.’

Michael smirks, mouths “Say hi to Dad for me,” before dragging Percy and Georgie off to see if the local naiads have opinions on fish food.

When Lee explains the issue to his father even the sun god looks so done with everything. His dad looks at the tank. Makes direct eye contact with James The Fish who stares right back at the sun god.

“Yep. Awesome. That’s a demigod cursed by Circe. Not sure how he ended up a fish, she tends to prefer guinea pigs these days.”

“Should we… do something about him?”

His dad shrugs, “Not much you can do, from the looks of it the guy was cursed at least a century ago. He won’t survive being turned back.”

“And uh, if he’s a demigod, who is his parent? They gonna smite us for keeping their kid as a pet?”

Apollo looks closer and his eyes flash gold for a moment.

“Nah, he’s a son of Aegle, a fairly minor naiad. Actually, that might explain how he ended up a fish. He has the barest touch of divine blood, I doubt he would have needed to spend much time at camp. Doubt he ever came to Poseidon’s notice. Since Percy is the only one who can talk to him, as long as, uh, James, is happy with the situation Percy may as well keep him.”

Lee sometimes thinks his father hates him. First the baby prophet, then the random misplaced daughter of the sea, and now a cursed fish.

“Fine. If this goes badly I am absolutely blaming you for everything.”

Apollo just shrugs, “That’s fair. Feel free to gaslight Chiron as much as you want about the whole deal.”

Yes. Please. Lee needs some joy in his life right now.

Apollo has already left by the time the kids return chattering excitedly about all the foods they want James to try.

Michael raises an eyebrow at Lee. Lee just shrugs, “Cursed by Circe a century ago, can’t be changed back. Was originally a son of a minor naiad, Dad says Perce can keep him so long as James agrees.”

They turn towards the tank, the fish solemnly nods. Cool. Not creepy at all. Lee might need to find somewhere else to spend his free time from now on.

Chapter Text

Percy is ecstatic with his new fish. The Apollo kids are kind of less impressed by James. Lee dubbed him ‘The Creepy Fish’ and that’s what most of them call him. James says it’s fine, he’s just happy that they know he wasn’t always a fish. He says he doesn’t care if they like him or not, so long as no-one flushes him down the toilet.

Percy is kind of worried about James’ mental health. Lee did not appreciate Percy asking if he could find James a therapist. Percy is going to ask Mr D about it next.

Or maybe not. Mr D has started watching him as closely at dinner as Lee and Chiron do. His purple aura has started checking in on Percy throughout the day now too. Percy thinks at some point Mr D is going to actually ask why Percy keeps throwing daily tantrums, but only at dinner time.

If Percy is with the Apollo, Aphrodite or Dionysus kids and NOT at the dining pavilion, things are all really good. He has fun and even lessons are going mostly okay.

Lee’s still trying so hard and Percy’s starting to feel super guilty about messing with him so much. Like, part of it was just because it was fun and a distraction from all the things Percy doesn’t want to think about. But he did also want to see if he could set Lee off into a rage, just so Percy would know what to expect next time he pissed him off.

But Lee doesn’t get angry, least not at Percy. Actually he seems to be kind of self-destructing a little bit? He looks exhausted like, all the time. And he still went and bought James and a huge tank with this amazing underwater palace thing, just because Percy asked him to.

But Percy has no idea how to untangle any of it now it’s been over a month. Every time he tells himself that this is the day he’ll explain it to Lee, as soon as they get back after dinner, or sometimes while they are still at dinner, Percy ends up completely melting down and saying mean things to Lee because of Chiron’s stupid stabby aura.

Percy hasn’t even told James about any of it. The words just won’t come. So now Percy also isn’t sleeping. He just knows this is not going to end well.

He’s probably going to get thrown out of camp and have to go back and sleep on the bench in the park, except the sunshine and sea says the one-eyed man isn’t there anymore. So he won’t even be able to sleep without monsters attacking, and Percy needs to stop thinking about this or he’s gonna panic and Mr D’s gonna get involved and just, nope. He needs to st-

Percy blinks.

Where is he?

This is… not right. He had been… where?

Oh. Wait. Lunch time.

Percy had been trying really hard not to fight with Lee about the food he wasn’t eating. Percy had been thinking he was going to get kicked out of the camp.

Then… something? happened. It had jolted through him… It felt like; words whisper in a king’s ear, pages turn, pencil scratching perfect lines, an owl’s talons biting, cutting, into his shoulder.

And now he was… He still doesn’t know. There is nothing to see, nothing to feel. Just dark, dark, dark.

Wait.

Something. Pottery shatters, skin blisters, gut churns, aching stabbing hunger, burning anger.

So. Much. Pain.

No. Nope. Not doing that.

“‘Pollo? Come get me? ‘M scared.”

Oh. Thank the gods.

Blazing sun, flaring over him, burning away the other aura. Percy has never felt Apollo like this before. Not even on that island. He is huge and intense and big, a greek god version of an avenging angel. All overlapping images and sensations, supernova sunshine, antiseptic, rhyming words, sharp/good snap of bone, past, future, present overlapping, changing, intermingling, intense deep unending possessiveness, ocean flavoured loyalty that binds, can never be shaken, vengeance and anger and grief that boils and boils and blazes and and burns and it’s so hot and so big and too much, stop now, please stop now.

________________________

Cool air, silver moon, purple drift, touch of sun. Lee’s voice whispering, “Hey, Percy, kinda need you to come back now, please come back, kid. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see her behind you. I couldn’t stop her. I’m so sorry. Please come back.”

Apollo’s voice all soothing melody, “Lee, it isn’t your fault. She was told again and again not to do that. She was told why. She’s the one in the wrong here. It wasn’t your fault.”

Oh. Lee sounds so sad. ‘Pollo’s right. Percy still isn’t clear what happened but he knows Lee had nothing to do with it.

He drags his eyes open. Apollo’s cabin, sitting room. He’s lying on the big couch. Lee’s kinda collapsed on the floor near his head, Apollo’s sitting on the coffee table beside him, watching Percy. Big relieved smile when he sees Percy’s awake.

This is getting kinda repetitive.

“What stupid thing did I do this time?”

And now they are sad. Well done Percy!

Lee can’t even talk, he’s kinda crying and smiling and his hands like an inch from Percy’s hand. Percy doesn’t do touch, even being that close is normally bad. He’ll allow it this time. Isn’t Lee like, only nineteen? Don’t most people still count that as a kid? Percy should apologise.

“‘M sorry.”

Made it worse. Now he’s outright sobbing. Sigh.

It’s Apollo who explains.

Annabeth had snuck up on Percy yet again. But this time instead of just tapping his shoulder she’d grabbed him hard and forced him off the bench. Percy assumes she’d been trying to make him talk to her? Like she probably hadn’t planned to hit him or anything?

Apparently, Percy had panicked and tried to get away and ended up falling hard against Luke as Annabeth grabbed him again. To help? Stop him running? Somehow his necklace chain had snapped in the middle of it all and he’d lost the necklace in the scramble.

Apollo says it happened so quickly that there was no time for anyone to step in, not even Mr D. As soon as the necklace came off Percy had “drifted too far” again. Except this time Mr D wasn’t able to call him back.

Apollo says he came as soon as he felt the necklace fall. But he hadn’t been able to sense Percy anywhere. He says Percy did the exact right thing when he called for Apollo because it meant Apollo was able to come and get him and bring him straight back. Apollo still won’t tell him what actually happens when Percy “drifts too far”.

Apollo says he will be getting Percy a new necklace that absolutely cannot be broken under any circumstances. It will be ready for Percy in a few hours. Apollo will be staying with Percy until he has the new necklace.

There is definitely something Apollo is not telling him.

“How’d the necklace break?” Apollo flinches. Oh. Okay. That would be it.

Apollo gives a very vague carefully worded answer that explains nothing.

“Where was I when you found me? It was really weird?”

“Uh, about that. Did you notice any auras when you were there? Or see anything… different from the usual?”

Percy blinks. His usual covers an entire spectrum of the bizarre. Though the scary feeling, he’s felt that before hasn’t he?

“There was one feeling, it was really bad. Like, way worse than Chiron’s.” Apollo and Lee stiffen, both staring at him. Oops. Percy did not mean to say that. Stop. Now.

“Like, I’ve never had that exact feeling before, but I did feel a similar one once? Not Chiron. It was, umm. Hang on…”

Percy wracks his brain. He knows he’s felt shattered pottery before, shattered pottery and blistered skin?

Apollo is speaking in that super calm, kinda almost a song of its own, soothing tone, “Okay, we will be coming back to that comment about Chiron’s aura. But you think you felt the same aura as the one from where you just were?”

Percy winces. Nope, he is not discussing Chiron and his stabby void.

“I think it was the night I came here? Might have been the night before? Everything’s kinda super jumbled from that day. It wasn’t the same. Today had kinda the same feeling but cranked up by like a bajillion, the one I remember was like, a normal person level feeling.”

Apollo is just staring at him. “I had been planning on leaving it for a few years before we did any training on using your sight, but I had been under the impression you weren’t able to use it quite so… actively. You can categorise and differentiate between mortal and demigod auras? You aren’t just being affected by them in the moment?”

“…Yes? Is that not how the knowing works? Lee sees auras?”

Lee has wiped the tears from his face by now and he seems calmer. “Kid, I see the auras of gods, and only after Dad trained me to. I can’t even see demigod auras without Dad’s assistance, and my abilities are considered pretty strong.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, ‘Oh’. Coming back to the aura you saw today, and the one you remember. Since you haven’t actually had any training I really am not prepared to find out what happens if I just have you show me like I would ask Lee too. Not today anyway. Would you be okay with Dio coming in? His domain is the mind, he’ll be able to filter just the auras and show them to me?”

“Uh, they were kinda super scary, you sure you want to feel that?”

Apollo looks very certain. Okie-dokie then.

Lee moves back and Mr D comes in. Even he looks serious for once, no hidden glee or mischief-making sparkles in his eyes.

“Hey kid, pretty sure you took millennia off my brother’s life just now. He says you have something to show me?”

Percy pulls himself up into a seated position. The two gods are making him feel kinda small and scared. Doesn’t help that all of him feels like an overcooked noodle.

“Yes? It was really big and overwhelming, ‘Pollo says I could accidentally hurt him, I don’t wanna hurt you either?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine kid. Just show me.”

Mr D stretches his hand out, but he stops just before he touches Percy. Percy looks past the hand at Apollo.

He nods encouragingly. “Just lean forward when you’re ready, and touch your head against his fingers. We won’t force you, it’s your choice.”

So Percy focuses on today, on the moment after the dark, but before the blazing sun. He tips his head forward.

Mr D staggers back, pale and shaky, Apollo catches him. Some sort of silent conversation happens between them, Apollo goes pale. Shuts his eyes, takes a breath. Turns back to Percy. Yay. It’s Fake Smile Number One.

“Thanks for that Perce, you did so good for us. We just need to see the other one, the fainter one, than I promise, we can take a break and relax for a bit.”

And not talk about Chiron? Percy does not want to talk about Chiron. “Can I feed James?”

Lee gives him a shaky smile, his eyes still following the two gods. “Yes, you can absolutely feed James. You ready to show Mr D the aura?”

Percy sighs, nods. He focuses on that memory, there were lots of auras, he doesn’t think he can pick out just that one. He figures he may as well just show what he remembers to Mr D. If it’s wrong they can always just tell him.

Mr D’s hand reaches out, Percy tips his head forward.

Confident case clicks shut, paint glides, shuttle, loom, clattering whir, whispered words, king’s ear, war drum, hot steam, molten metal, sea foam, cooing dove, lock, crumbled wax, voice vibrates… and there! Skin blisters, pottery shatters.

Percy pulls away. Mr D isn’t anywhere near as affected this time. He drops his hands but otherwise stays where he is, looking thoughtfully at Percy for a long moment before turning to Apollo.

Mr D raises his hand and wiggles his fingers at the sun god. “Wanna see what your prodigy can do?”

Apollo rolls his eyes but obligingly tips his head forward to touch his brother’s fingers. Huh, looks kinda boring from this side of it.

Apollo is looking at Percy with awe in his eyes. “That must’ve been your first night here, before I modified your necklace. That is at least ten people, probably more if that was just what, 30 seconds of memory?”

“How do you know it wasn’t the night before?”

“Because I know where you slept that night and someone would have noticed if ten plus demigods waltzed through.”

Oooh, Percy is not touching that first part. Nope. Did not hear that.

“How can you tell they are demigods?”

That gets a more genuine smile from Apollo, “Because demigod children carry an echo of their divine parent, and mortals auras are incredibly faint in comparison.”

Percy blinks, tilts his head. “No, they aren’t?”

Apollo chokes. “Yeah, okay, that’s a much longer discussion for another time. Let’s just say, I knew you had a lot of natural power, but there’s power and then there’s… whatever you are doing. Like, it’s absolutely awesome and exciting, but you’re kinda constantly throwing us curveballs here. kid.”

“‘K, can I feed James now?”

Lee grins, “Yes, you can feed the creepy fish. Since Dad will be hanging around for the rest of today I am abdicating all responsibility for feeding and watering you to him.”

No! Percy didn’t mean to!

“Wait! Don’t leave! I’ll do better, I promise!”

Lee is sad again. The two gods move away and Lee comes and crouches right in front of Percy.

Lee is using his, ‘this is very serious and I need you to listen closely’ face and the calm serious voice.

“Perce, Kid, I promise I am not leaving you. That’s not what I meant at all. I’ll be right here in the room. What I said, it was a joke. One in poor taste. I just meant you and I have been fighting a lot about food and today was really really scary for both of us. Since Dad is right here, I thought it might be easier for you to talk to him about it.”

Lee pauses, glances at Apollo who gives him a reassuring nod. Lee turns back to Percy.

“I promise, I’m not leaving you. You haven’t eaten or drunk anything at all today, kid. And that was before everything that happened at lunch. I know you do normally eat the snacks Artemis leaves for you, but Dad says you haven’t eaten today, and yesterday you only had a bit of water. He’s the God of Healing, Perce, I might make educated guesses that are often wrong, but he actually knows.”

Apollo speaks softly from somewhere off to the side, “You’ve been eating less and less. It was already reaching the point where I was going to come and have a chat with you about it if something didn’t change soon. Today just accelerated that timeline.”

Oh. Percy hadn’t really noticed. But the whole reason Annabeth managed to sneak up on him was because he was thinking about how terrible and guilty he felt. Food just hasn’t really occurred to him much. He doesn’t even know when he last saw his water bottle. The special one from Artemis.

That… that makes him feel bad. Oh no. He’s gonna cry in front of them. If he cries they’ll try to touch him, grown ups always try to touch him when he’s sad. He knows it makes normal kids feel better but he doesn’t like it and no he doesn’t want-

Purple drifts peace/still/calm/SAFE. Percy turns and glares at the god. “Stop with the freaking chill pills already!”

Mr D freezes, staring at him. “You can… feel that? You know it’s me?”

Percy is suddenly intensely angry, “Yes I can feel your stupid purple, you do it constantly. Stop it!”

Lee steps in again, voice all calm and soothing, “Okay, not sure what’s going on, but just before, you were very insistent on feeding your creepy fish. How about we go and do that?”

Percy glares. Slumps. Mutters, “I want my water bottle. I don’t know where I saw it last”

Apollo says he’ll find Percy’s water bottle, but then he tells Lee he’ll just be in the hallway, Mr D isn’t the room anymore either. Weird. Percy didn’t see him leave.

Lee helps him find the different containers of food for James. Feeding James is kinda tricky, he insists Percy show him all the options and only after he’s had a good look at all of them does he tell Percy what he wants to eat that day.

Not long after Lee first brought James home, Lee went to talk to Charlie from Hephaestus cabin and he came back with a little feeding platform thing they can hang inside the tank and take out to clean when James is done eating. Lee says since James used to be a person he should have the dignity of eating off a plate on a table.

For someone who only addresses James as ‘The Creepy Fish’ Lee sure was nice to him.

James knows Percy’s upset. Well, obviously he does, his tank is in the sitting room so he got a front row seat to that whole thing. But James says he can’t really hear what people say except when Percy speaks to him directly. He says he’s been a fish for too long and now he’s more fish than person. Percy doesn’t know if James is telling the truth or not, but since no one else can understand him it doesn’t really matter,

Still he’s super nice to Percy and talks lots to him about the different food options while Lee helps Percy open and shut things. James knows Percy is only seven and Percy can’t remember if he ever told James about the prophet thing, so maybe James is just treating him like a kid?

Percy kinda likes being treated like a kid.

________________________

When Apollo steps into the hallway, Dio is already there. He looks like he’s having a panic attack.

Apollo had not realised Dio could get panic attacks.

“You doing okay over there?”

Dio frantically waves his hands at him, hissing “Can he hear us?”

Apollo glances back into the room, Lee and Percy look entirely focused, showing various small containers to the cursed-demigod-fish. He kind of feels a little bad about not stepping in and telling Percy he couldn’t keep a demigod as a pet. Lee’s face had just been too funny when Apollo said the kid could keep the fish.

While he’s there he summons the missing water bottle, taking note of the mostly silver stripe on the side and teleporting it to a side table where the kid’ll see it when he’s done with the fish? demigod? Whatever.

He turns back to Dio, “Nope, thoroughly distracted. What’s wrong?”

His brother drops onto a chair that definitely hadn’t been there a moment ago.

“So, your kid is kind of an emotional mess. Not unusual for a new arrival, especially the younger ones.”

“Yes. I am aware of his mental state.”

Dio just gives him a flat look. “Look, I’m all for a bit of chaos but I really don’t like being surrounded by terrified and panicked little kids. It’s kind of a… habit, of mine, to ease the worst of the panic for the younger kids.”

Apollo stiffens, “Exactly how much mental manipulation are you doing?”

Dio looks horrified, “Gods, no! I’m not using that on them. Just adjusting my aura, same thing you do every time you’re near your new kid, actually what I do has a much smaller effect.”

Oh. Yeah. Fair. Both Apollo and Artemis do it every time they check the kid. Not like the kid can tell… Oh.

“Wait, that’s what he was angry at you about? He can feel it?”

“Apparently? As far as I was aware YOU were the only one able to notice when I do that sort of thing. I can deliberately manipulate my aura because of my domain over the mind, I can’t consciously sense others manipulations. You can because of the healing, not sure how your sister picked it up though.”

“Twin thing, I can use a bunch of her abilities too.”

“Okay, so. Your prophet can tell. He can tell to the point he even knows who. He was completely focused on me, called it my ‘stupid purple’ too.”

Oh. Uh oh.

“There are, um, others, monitoring him. That I haven’t told him about.”

Dio just stares at him. “I can guarantee you he knows about them. And if those ‘others’ are who I think, I’d bet everything the kid has already worked out the name of at least one of them.”

“He’s never said a word about it to me or Lee?”

“Kid never says anything. To anyone. I still haven’t worked out why he gets so angry at dinnertime every day, it’s like clockwork. He’s fine at breakfast, kid’s only antsy at lunch if Amelia is trying to sneak up on him, but he flips his shit at dinner. Every. Single. Night.”

Yeah, Lee had mentioned something about Percy seeming irrationally angry by dinner time. They’d both thought the kid was just overtired and Lee had been trying to find a way to convince Percy to maybe try afternoon naps…

Wait. Percy said the aura in the pit was ‘Way worse than Chiron’s.’

“Uh, so, hypothetically, where would Chiron be at each mealtime?”

Dio raises an eyebrow. “He keeps to a routine, never at breakfast, spends lunch breaking up fights between all the under stimulated hyperactive demigods, and he currently spends dinner staring at your prophet. Pretty sure he’s still trying to work out how to make him the new Oracle.”

Apollo is aware. Not gonna happen.

“Well on the plus side, I’m pretty sure I know why Percy flips out every evening?”

“Please tell me it’s not connected to where you found the kid just now, Horsebutt wasn’t even at lunch today.”

Apollo hums thoughtfully, “No, don’t think it’s related to that. Percy specifically said those auras were ‘worse than Chiron’s’ and ’not Chiron’s’, he might not share things but I can’t see him outright lying it if there was a direct connection.”

Thank the gods. Percy’s already breaking all known understandings of prophets, Apollo really doesn’t need him to be the first prophet capable of lying convincingly to the God of Truth.

“I don’t even know where to go with what you showed me. The memory of the reflected aura, it could just be a cursed artefact. There’s no telling even why Percy was drawn to… that place.”

Apollo had found Percy drifting near the pit, a place Apollo doesn’t even want to think about. The aura he’d felt, the one that had scared him so badly that Percy had willingly called for Apollo, it was Apollo’s grandfather’s. Horrific and painful and so so broken it hurt to be near, but it did feel exactly as it should and it was where it should be.

“Kid’s really not in a good place right now, I would not recommend him reliving another aura unless you think this needs to be dealt with urgently?”

Apollo considers it, shakes his head. His theory about Chiron can be tested just by having Percy eat dinner elsewhere for a few days. “No, though I can’t imagine what he’s seeing in Chiron that we aren’t seeing?”

Dio shrugs, “Kid might be seeing exactly the same thing, but between visions and kid’s own past, who knows what might be triggering him.”

“You do need to talk to him about the aura manipulations though. He might have just been overwrought and is normally fine with it. Or he might have felt like he couldn’t tell us to stop. I’ve never heard of anyone other than a handful of gods being sensitive to it, there aren’t exactly guidelines on it.”

Apollo laughs humourlessly, “Guidelines? Yeah, I’ll get right on that. Guess I just have to ask Percy. If he wants it to stop it’s going to cause a whole other issue when I have to explain that to the other parties.”

His brother smiles cheerfully, “I am so glad I’m not in your shoes right now! Tell the kid I’ll go along with whatever he wants, just let me know. I doubt he’s going be willing to talk to me for a while. Kid’s filled with guilt over how he spoke to you and your oldest.”

Joy. They really need to find a way to make Percy understand they genuinely want him to show attitude and snark back and be a little shit. It’s still plain weird to see a Poseidon kid so apologetic. Apollo knows he’d initially hoped Percy’s emotions would be less turbulent than his father’s but right now Apollo would prefer the chaos of actual emotional expression.

Dio heads off, figuring Percy won’t want to see him for a while. He also offhandedly says he’ll have dinner sent down for ‘the brat and his warden’, clearly ready to entirely brush away any confessions he’s made about caring about his charges and their emotional states.

Apollo heads back towards the sitting room to see if the situation has improved any.

It’s only as he walks back in he realises they never discussed what to do about the Athena girl.

________________________

Percy’s water bottle was sitting on a side table when he finished feeding James. Percy can’t decide if it had always been there, or if Apollo put it there when he wasn’t looking.

Either way, he’s very glad to have it back. He did kinda want to get his blanket and Eric too, but he didn’t want to deal with the gods in the hallway, so he grabbed a normal non-aura blanket and sits on his favourite armchair where he can see James swimming in big swoopy loops.

Lee reads to him from a book. Percy’s not sure which, he doesn’t really focus on the words. He just sits and lets Lee’s voice wash past him and he watches James swim and he drinks from his water bottle.

The water helps a lot. Percy’s really tired but also he can feel so so much without the necklace. He didn’t notice at first because he couldn’t think past the dark hurting and Apollo burning.

He knows Apollo is doing something to shield him, but the necklace is better. He keeps feeling little waves of emotion from the liquid sun and he knows they aren’t intended for him. But everything feels big and the waves are kind of crashing over his head even though he knows they aren’t actually big. It’s getting more and more overwhelming.

When sunshine man comes in, he gives Percy a gentle smile. This one seems a bit more real at least? Though Percy’s knowing has kinda overwhelmed his eyes. It wasn’t until ‘Pollo gave him the necklace he learned what things looked like normally with his normal eyes and not the knowing, (sight?) thing. Without the necklace Percy can’t tell the difference. He just knows the sunshine man’s smile is less fake.

Percy got overwhelmed by auras plenty when he was still with Gabe and Sally. If he’d known the Greek world was a million times worse he’s pretty sure he’d have told the sunshine man to stuff it.

“How are you feeling, Perce? You’re looking pretty tired.”

“When’ll the necklace be back?” Percy didn’t mean to sound so choked. He really isn’t used to the knowing taking over his eyes anymore.

Sunshine man is worried. The almost sunshine man had stopped reading when the real sunshine man came in but now he says, “Dad, Perce is barely staying in the room, is there anything you can do?”

Sunshine man considers Percy. “I’m sorry, kid, I know this is hard. Artemis will bring the necklace as soon as it’s ready. An hour at most and you’ll have it. I know you don’t like being touched, but I need physical contact to shield your mind any further than I already am.”

Percy sighed. He hated this. He hated all of it. But the dark had been scary and it hurt and he didn’t want to go back there.

“Can I have the blanket and Eric first?” Sunshine man 2.0’s already gone and back super fast. Oh. Percy might be kind of on the edge of drifting right now.

It’s all too hard.

Oh no. What if the other big feelings do the thing before the necklace is back? Wait, they only ever happen after Percy goes to bed, always after dinner.

Sunshine man 2.0 is crouched in front of him, holding out the blanket and Eric. Percy ignores him and turns to the real sunshine man, “What time is it?”

He knows he sounds frantic, terrified, but if the big feelings come, and the necklace is still gone, it’s gonna hurt, it’s gonna hurt so much.

Real sunshine man seems to know why Percy is asking. “Hey, hey, you’re okay. It’s still three hours until dinnertime. I promise, the necklace will be back long before they check in. I promise.”

Percy can see the other one off to the side. Sunshine man 2.0? No, this is the warm air, spilling light, sun-warm wood, tight cord. Warm air is you-are-loved, this-is-home. Warm air is confused, but Percy’s focused on liquid sun.

“I need the necklace. It’s gonna HURT. I can’t ‘Pollo, I can’t.” He’s crying now.

Liquid sun moves closer. “I promise, if somehow you don’t have the necklace in the next hour, I will contact them myself and make sure they don’t. It’s just the three of them, right? Three of them and then the three you’ve met?”

Percy shakes his head, sobbing, words tumbling out between choked sobs “No. Well yes. You three. Then the three that are big and loud. Gonna hurt so much. Then the other one. The barely there one. That happens all the time, sometimes lots.”

Oh no. Liquid sun looks confused, uncertain. Liquid sun doesn’t actually know. Liquid sun can’t fix this. Liquid sun won’t save Percy.

Pictures were wrong. They said liquid sun would help. Help now? Or before? Later? Still wrong.

Liquid sun trickling, gentle song, “Hey, hey, Percy, you’re getting really worked up, it’s important you stay calm, just until the necklace is back. I’m going to put the blanket round you, then I’m going to put my hand, just one hand, against your temple, okay? Please Percy, I really need you to let me do this. Please.”

Liquid sun is begging, pleading. Percy doesn’t like it. Liquid sun is big, special, god? Begging is wrong, wrong, wrong. Percy is crying too hard to talk and he can’t breathe and warm air is terrified.

Percy wants it all to stop, but he doesn’t dare shut his eyes because there are all these feelings yanking at him and if he even tries to see them he’s gonna be gone again and the dark will hurt and-

Sun but not liquid sun, wraps around him, salt and currents shoves between Percy’s limp hands, a too-warm hand presses against his head. Liquid sun pulses through his body. Orders his body to steady breathing, calm down, don’t think, be calm, be still, breathe.

A distant part of Percy does not like this. It feels wrong. Not like the big feelings full of shared emotions that talk to him. He can choose to feel or not feel what they say.

Percy can’t say no to this. His body just does what sunlight says. He is trapped and he can’t even be upset about it because he has been told to be calm. He can feel his body taking long deep breaths. Percy can’t stop it or change it. He has no control over any of it.

No, stop, don’t like, Artemis said he could say no. No one would touch without his say so. No. Stop. Lee said he could say no. His choice. Always his choice. They lied.

Cool metal slithers across his neck. Click of a catch, metal drops against skin. Warm hand pulls away. Warm body steps away. Sunlight moves farther away. No. If sun goes, then dark comes.

Warm air whispers. Far away sunlight trickles. Percy does not want to open his eyes. He’s gonna be in the dark again. The dark was bad. He did something and it went away. What was it?

Oh.

“‘Pollo? Come get me? Scared.”

Broken sob sounds. Warm air?

Calm gentle melody voice. Far away. “You’re okay Percy, you can open your eyes. You are in the sitting room in the cabin. It’s late afternoon. James the fish is here. I’m here. Lee is here. You’ve got your necklace back. You can open your eyes now.”

He doesn’t. “You sure? Don’t wanna be in the dark again. It hurt. I said no. I did. But Lee ’n Artemis lied.”

That’s warm air. Closer than sun, sun is far away. Warm air is crying.

Liquid sun, singing voice. “You’re okay kid. I’m not really sure what you remember about what just happened. We can talk about it in a bit. Right now, can you focus on what’s in your hands? What do you feel?”

Hands. Oh. Percy has hands. He’d forgotten. What’s in them?

“Home ’n safe ’n love n’ strong.”

Liquid sun kind of flickers, ripples, confusion? Was that the wrong answer?

“You’re doing so good, kid. Can you tell me what sort of texture you can feel? Try and feel with your hands.”

Oh. Yes. Seeing is different from the knowing. His fingers twitch, they don’t wanna move. “Salt ’n currents ’n still storm”

Another flicker. Liquid sun takes a deep breath. Wait. Breath? Sun’s don’t breathe.

Oh. Sunshine man’s quiet voice, “You are doing so good for us, Percy. Can your hands feel something soft?”

Percy did the wrong thing again. Sunshine man wants him to use the proper words.

“Soft. Eric.”

Relieved voice. “Yes, you’re holding Eric the Sea Horse. Can you feel what’s wrapped around your shoulders?”

“Liquid sunshine, warm ’n safe n’ care.”

Sunshine man. Calm voice, being bossy, “Percy, I need you to feel with your hands. Not your sight. Can you feel your body, all the parts where the blanket is touching you?”

Oh. That’s Apollo. This is hard with his eyes closed. Percy should just open his eyes.

“Promise I’m not in the dark? It’s not gonna hurt if I look?”

Apollo’s confident clear voice, “I promise. You are in the sitting room with me and Lee and James the fish. You can open your eyes.”

Percy tries to find every little bit of courage he has, he’s not gonna survive he if he opens his eyes and it’s dark. But ‘Pollo promised.

He opens his eyes.

Oh. Sitting room. Bright afternoon sun. James in his tank. Lee crouched just out of arms reach. Percy is sitting on his favourite armchair. His hands are holding Eric, his blanket is around his shoulders and his water bottle is next to him. He reaches for it.

It’s only after he drinks that he realises he hasn’t seen Apollo. He looks around, frowning.

The sun god is in the room. But he’s practically pressed against the wall as far away from Percy as possible.

Percy blinks. “Whatcha doing all the way over there?”

Apollo is watching him, sharp eyes tracking every movement.

His voice is so soft and quiet, he’s doing the spooked horse thing, Percy thought they were done with the spooked horse thing. “Are you with us again Percy? You were kind of… confused, for a while there.”

Percy considers. He can see the room, the actual room. Not the auras. He can see Apollo and Lee’s actual faces and their actual expressions and not just the feeling and the knowing he’s much more used to.

“Think so? Necklace is back on, right?”

Apollo looks so relieved and glad. “Yes, Artemis brought the new charm and you’ve got it on again. Look, Percy, I do need to talk to you about what just happened. I’m not really sure what you remember, but I’m a little worried you are going to remember later and you might not understand what happened.”

Percy thinks about this. He remembers desperately trying not to drift, and then he panicked and then he couldn’t breathe. Apollo had been begging Percy to let him help and then…

“I said no. You didn’t stop.”

Apollo’s shoulders slump. “Yeah kid, I’m sorry. I know Artemis and Lee both told you that wouldn’t happen, but you were about to break through my shielding. I needed you stay awake and with us. I took control of your breathing and forced you to stay calm until the new shielding charm got here. I’m not sure I would have gotten you back if we lost you a second time in less than a day.”

“Prophets don’t actually work like I do, do they?”

That gets a broken smile.

“No kid, never met a prophet like you. The powers you have, they aren’t meant for a seven year old’s body. I’m going to do everything I can to find a more secure away to get them under control. Just until you have the capacity to handle them. I really wish I could promise you that I won’t take control like that again, but I kind of want to keep you alive. Me and Lee have gotten pretty attached to having you around.”

Sometimes Percy’s brain works like an adult’s. Sometimes it works like a seven year old’s. He had kind of assumed something wasn’t right about that.

Now he’s thinking a bit more clearly he’s not so upset about what happened. It wasn’t actually the same as what Lee and Artemis had been talking about. Apollo had just been protecting Percy from the dark place.

“I don’t like what you did, but I think I’d rather stay alive too? Especially if what you did means I don’t go back to the dark?”

Words are not quite coming out of his mouth in the way he meant. “I don’t want you to do it again, but if things are so bad I’m gonna wake up in the dark if you don’t do that, then I think it’s okay if you do?”

That seems to be the right answer? Kinda was word salad though. Seems to make sense to Apollo, at least.

He gives Percy a small smile. “Thank you. I’ll always try to get your consent as long as you’re able to give it.”

Apollo takes a breath and seems to mentally switch gears.

“Okay, so, we do have a couple more difficult things to talk about. There are things we can leave for another day, but these two can’t wait. Would you be okay if I came and sat on the coffee table again?”

Percy nods, yawns. He is very very tired. He drinks more water. It doesn’t help as much as before. He probably needs sleep, like, yesterday.

Apollo settles in front of him, staying all super casual. Percy is suspicious.

“I needed to ask you about those check ins. You clearly are a lot more aware of them than I had realised. It’s entirely your choice whether Lee stays for this conversation, or he can wait outside. This isn’t something he knows about.”

Huh. Percy had just assumed Lee knew ‘cause they said Lee could see auras too. But Apollo was shocked Percy knew. Percy doesn’t really mind if Lee knows. He thinks he might mind more if he wasn’t so tired, but that’s because he can never tell what is going to upset Lee. It’s probably mean, but right now Percy is too tired to care if it upsets Lee. He wants Lee to stay.

“Can he stay? I can’t tell if it’s gonna upset him or not, but I like being near him.”

Apollo gives him another gentle smile. “He can definitely stay. And Percy, Lee might be young, but he’s old enough to know what he can handle. It’s not your responsibility to manage his emotions, and Lee doesn’t want you to feel responsible for him.”

Percy turns to Lee. Lee tells him Apollo is right. Huh.

Percy turns back to Apollo and tries to look at him expectantly but ruins it with another yawn.

Apollo starts in on a semi-lecture, “With the check-ins, most people don’t have any awareness of them. What you’re feeling is basically a god having a quick glance at your emotional/physical wellbeing. They are not actually looking at you physically. It’s more like checking on a heart monitor than looking through a camera.”

Apollo seems worried about that bit. Percy is unsure why. Gods are, like, obsessed with watching a bajillion things, all the time. It’s just… what they do? Water is wet, sun is hot, gods watch. It’s a thing. Why would that bother Percy?

“It’s how we keep an eye on mortals we care about, and also how we watch over our kids.” Apollo shoots a quick smile towards Lee, before turning back to Percy, “It’s not normally something we think about it and to be honest Dio and I had never even considered how intrusive it could feel if someone was aware of what we were doing.”

He gives Percy an incredibly earnest look, and Percy can’t help but think of puppies, “Your situation is unique. If you don’t want us checking on you, you have every right to tell us to stop. I can monitor you through the necklace and keep any other, uh, relevant parties, updated through more normal means of communication.”

Why is Apollo saying all this? Percy already knows this. He’d have already told them off if he didn’t… Oh. Percy yelled at Mr D didn’t he? He forgot about that.

He cringes as he turns to Apollo, “Uh, can you tell Mr D I said sorry for yelling at him? I normally don’t mind, like, any of it. Just things were so big and I couldn’t see, and he’s been doing it a lot and even before the dark and the sun it upset me ‘cause it meant he’d noticed something and that meant he was worried about me, and…” Percy actually has no idea how to put into words why that made him angry.

Lee interjects, “And you just wanted everyone to leave you alone and stop worrying about you because it was making you feel guilty?”

Hey! Lee has the words!

Percy nods. “Yeah.” He looks at Apollo, “Please don’t tell them to stop, I like it. Makes me feel kinda like a normal kid with a family.”

Are those tears? Did he make Apollo cry? Oops.

“Okay, Perce. We won’t change anything. But if you ever need it to stop or let up, or just want a break you can just tell me or Dio and I’ll pass the message on. I did have a couple questions about the visits though, is that okay?”

Percy shrugs, “Depends what you’re asking.”

A much more real looking smile, “That’s fair. So I know you can recognise me and Artemis and Dio. Don’t say the names, or their relationship to you out loud, but,” Apollo pauses, takes a deep breath, he looks like he’s absolutely dreading asking this question.

“Do you actually know who the other three are and how they are related to you?”

He kind of looks like the world’s about to end. Percy thinks he’s being a bit dramatic, this is not a big deal.

Percy tilts his head and tries to make the words go in the right order.

“Yes.” Apollo flinches, Percy barrels on, “And no.” And now Apollo looks confused.

Try again.

“Part of me knows exactly who they are and why they check on me. But the knowing says that to actually know would cause problems for me. So I also, don’t know?”

There is light dawning in Apollo’s eyes. Percy’s pretty sure only the God of Prophecy would understand this brand of crazy.

Cool, keep going. “It’s like the future stuff. It’s there if I want to know it but the knowing tells me if I should. I only let myself remember it when it’s okay to know? So, yeah. All I really know right now, is that they are my family and they love me a lot. That’s enough for me.”

Percy said the word ‘know’ way too many times. He really doesn’t think that made any sense at all.

But Apollo is nodding, he looks really… pleased? proud? “You know, Percy, it takes decades for most people with the sight to learn to differentiate things in the way you do naturally. I am really proud of you, kid.”

Percy smiles back, that was nice to hear. It adds to the warm safe feeling, and somehow also makes him even sleepier.

Apollo gives Lee a cautious glance, “So, the follow up question. And it’s totally fine if you don’t have an answer, if you came across these people in real life, like at camp,” another glance at Lee, “Is that going to force you to recognise who they are to you?”

An easy question for once!

Percy shakes his head, “Unless someone tells me outright it’ll be the same thing. I’ll know, but I won’t. If someone says they are related to me in a way they actually aren’t, I’ll know it’s wrong, but that’s all.”

Apollo gives him a long look. Percy looks right back. Yes he is aware Apollo has been playing some sort of chess game with the things he tells people about Percy’s ‘other parent’. The knowing says Apollo doing this is keeping Percy safe. So Percy is fine with it. But. He is aware.

Apollo does a little head-shrug thing, saying right back some wordless form of ‘sorry not sorry, needs to be done’.

Percy slogs through the rest of the explanation, “It’s like how I didn’t know I was a demigod till Artemis said. Even though I did know, I just decided not to remember till someone told me, coz the knowing said that was safer.”

Apollo grins, “This is also how you can always tell when someone is lying isn’t it? Even though you never actually call us on it?”

Percy can’t resist, he smiles cheekily at the sun god, “Yup!”

Apollo smiles back, he and Lee look really happy that Percy is being cheeky. Huh.

Percy’s grin turns a little sheepish, “I’ve kinda always known when people lie. I used to hate it, but the knowing tells me when the lies are bad. Since I came here, most of the time it says the lies are keeping me safe and protected. And I kinda like it? It’s nice being looked after.”

Both Apollo and Lee are going all melty. Percy’s gonna stop talking now. Too much mush.

Apollo grins at Percy shrinking back into his blanket, but does give him a break from the mush.

“Moving on then. Before, when you were getting overwhelmed,” Percy winces, Apollo gives him an apologetic smile, “You mentioned a fourth aura you didn’t recognise. You were a bit out of it at the time. I’m a little concerned that someone I’m not aware of is watching you. Is there anything you can tell me about that?”

Oh. Oops. Percy cringes. Glances at Lee. Turns to Apollo. Glances back at Lee. If this is a god thing, Lee should not be able to do that. Is he gonna get Lee in trouble?

Apollo watches Percy switch back and forth between him and Lee. He looks very confused. “Uh, Percy, I’m good, but not that good. I can’t read your mind. Would you rather talk to Lee about this?”

How does Percy say this? “Um, say, you ever heard of a demigod able to do the check-in thing?”

Apollo’s eyes narrow, looks at Lee, looks at Percy. “Percy, what exactly are you saying?”

The sunny ocean is being completely useless. Percy has no idea if he should tell Apollo or not. And Lee looks really confused. Like he has no idea what Percy is talking about?

“Um, do auras look the same? Like the auras I see, are they same that you see?”

Apollo is looking so confused. “Yes? Well, mostly, some auras most identifiable feature is that they constantly change, but generally yes. For example, you described mine as liquid sunshine and that’s also what everyone else sees, though, probably not at the level of detail you seem to.”

“So, if I told you this aura is warm air, spilling light, flexing arms, fingers clenching, tensed cord, sun-warm wood?”

Apollo stiffens. Fully turns in his seat to stare at his son. Looks back at Percy. “Seriously?”

“Yes?”

Percy had always known at some level who the aura belonged to. If he hadn’t recognised it he would have told Apollo. He doesn’t mind his family looking in, a stranger is a whole other thing. Percy would still rather Lee never know exactly how much Percy knows. That Lee’s aura promised Percy that Lee loved him and Percy was home… Well, that was for Percy alone to know.

Lee’s just sitting there going, “What?”

Apollo is kinda laughing. “Lee, have you been like, extra worried about Percy lately, worried enough that you might be subconsciously checking his aura?”

Lee pauses, “Uh, possibly?”

Apollo is all cheerful smiles again, “All good then. Here I was worried we had a spy, but it was just my son’s aura being all paranoid stalker over his new charge. I have no idea how you are doing that, but we can sort it out later.”

Lee just sort of nods. Looking so lost, but he seems… not unhappy over the discovery.

Percy yawns. He would like to go to bed now.

“What else do we need to talk about now?”

Apollo is hesitating again. Percy sighs. “Just ask, am too tired to care.”

Apollo still hesitates.

Sunshine and ocean floods through Percy, it takes over his voice, uses words that aren’t remotely his, “You must ask, so I can answer the unspoken. There will be regret, but later relief. You will not have this chance again. If you wait, the tear in the tapestry will grow.”

Oops. Those words weren’t meant to come out. They weren’t his words. They rang with sunshine and ocean and things that were not from Percy. Or maybe not this Percy, could be an older him? This only happens when Percy loses his hold on what he sees and actually starts talking about future things. He’s very very careful not to do that. Normally the sun and sand (ocean?) ensures it doesn’t happen, why’d it let that slip past this time?

Apollo seems to know what Percy has done. He’s also looking at Percy like he’s about to shatter.

His voice is all calm and soothing and gentle. “Okay. I’m going to take note that in future we will need to be very careful about who is near you when you are overtired. We’ll make sure you’re only around safe people when you feel like this. People who will know how to avoid triggering your sight. What you said was fine, no harm done. It sounded like something that needed to be said at this time, rather than an accidental slip.”

Percy wishes he wasn’t so tired. Lee’s face is amazing, all awestruck and horrified at once. He hopes Lee forgets about it soon, he likes Lee treating him like a kid, he doesn’t want him to do that creepy worship thing he’s seen in his dreams about oracles.

Percy also is maybe trying not to think about what he now knows is about to happen.

Apollo is watching him, his face serious and focused, kinda doctor-ish. When he speaks again his voice is calm and focused.

“Percy, unless you tell me not to ask, I’m going to ask you that question now.”

He pauses, gives Percy a chance to refuse. Percy just shrugs. He’s tired. He knows what’s about to happen. He doesn’t like it, doesn’t want to, but the sunny ocean says it’s the right time.

He knows Apollo’s question isn’t the important bit, he’s going to end up saying everything he doesn’t want to talk about. But sun and ocean says there’s something in there that they need to know. Things go better when he listens to the sun and ocean.

Apollo gives him another long moment, Percy just watches him silently. Waits.

Finally, Apollo asks, “Why aren’t you eating, Percy?”

And the words all fall over themselves to escape Percy’s mouth. He looks down at Eric and just lets them tumble out and fall wherever. He’s too tired to care if they hurt someone.

“At first, big part was to annoy Lee. It was kinda funny. I like ‘nnoying people, s’fun. Also needed to know what Lee’d do when he got angry. S’like Gabe, need to know how bad it’ll be. Don’t like not knowing. Usually always know. Didn’t know for Lee, sun ’n sand, ocean? never said. Wanted to piss him off enough he’d hit back and then I’d know. Knew Gabe’d kill me one day, needed to know if Lee’d just hurt or if he’d be like that. ’N need to know what’s safe to tell him, ’n what I gotta keep secret, like the readin’ and writing’. ’N the dreams, I need to know about the dreams. But Lee won’t get angry so just made him sad ‘nstead, ’n I felt so bad ’n didn’t know how to fix it, s’hard know too many big things, sometimes am adult, but ‘m also just little kid too ’n it gets so confusing’ don’t know which I am ’n than do the wrong thin’, act the wrong way, didn’t mean too”

Percy is slurring badly, and he feels millennia old and seventy years old and seven years old all at once, but the word’s are still coming.

“N’hate the p’vilion, loud ’n too much, ’n whispers ’n owl keeps sneaking up, ’n he’s so sad, think god’s broke him, so alone, and the pottery shatters and skin blisters and lock clicks and wax crumbles, twisting things up and changing whispers ’n owl and dark stabby and people keep hittin’ each other, can’t keep track all movem’nt, ’n I know how they all die, ’n don’t wanna know, j’st too much. ’N whispers ’n owl gonna be bad. But gotta let it happen. Hate sittin’ proper, legs dangle, not safe, bad, gotta sit sp’cific way to eat, ’n can’t there. ’N big war drum’s not here yet, shield’s needed for the twisty shadows. ’N for the bright crackle. It all starts w’ t’drum. Stomach feels weird ’n twisty ’n it’s all bad, ’n never ate meals at table with people before, don’t know if be differ’nt, had to hide fr’m Gabe ’n Sally, and s’all too much, makes Lee guilty ’n I feel so bad, ’n Chiron’s all stabby ’n dark, no hope left, won’t let him sleep, so dark ’n so sad n’ tired-”

The words are still falling and Percy wants it to stop now, even as he keeps mumbling with the not yet and the now and past all coming at once, he turns to ‘Pollo, reaches out to him, hopes his eyes are saying ‘make it stop’ because his mouth is still moving…

Apollo takes his hand, floods Percy with safe/warm/protect/care, surrounds him in his liquid sunshine and he’s talking calmly to Percy, reminding him to breathe, helping him slowly pull the words back, slow his mouth. Calm his breathing. At some point Percy was crying, he only really notices when the tears stop.

When Percy is certain the words won’t start up again he tugs at his hand and Apollo immediately lets go.

He and Lee are looking really understanding, and weirdly relieved. Like they’d been waiting for Percy to say these things?

“Thank you for telling us Percy. I know that was probably big and scary and you’ve been dreading it for awhile. But those are all things we can help you with.”

Percy just shrugs, looks down, sun and ocean said to tell, but now the moments done. All that’s left inside him is the little kid, the older jumbled bits are gone and he wants to pretend none of that just happened.

Apollo keeps going with his calm soothing voice, treating Percy like a little kid and Percy knows he should be annoyed or offended but right now it just makes him feel more settled in his body, like he’s the right age again.

Things have felt so wrong since he fell into the dark place and like all his parts didn’t fit together right. Maybe even for longer than that, since the teacher and the drawing? But now with Apollo’s gentle face and voice treating him like he really is seven, it feels like everything is fitting back together the right way.

Apollo pulls him back to the present, still calm and soothing, open face, soft voice.

“For now, if you’re okay with it, I can do a quick healing so when you wake up you’ll feel a lot better. A lot more… settled in your head and in your body. Right now, if I don’t do this, you’re going to feel really bad and unwell, also pretty confused when you wake up because of how much stress you’ve been under today, especially with how little you’ve been eating. But it is your choice. This isn’t life threatening and it is absolutely your right to choose, so I will do whatever you would prefer and neither Lee or I is going to push you to agree.”

Lee nods, he still looks kind of confused but Percy thinks Lee might have just realised something, and Percy is not sure how he feels about that.

Oh. Apollo’s waiting. Decisions are hard. Percy doesn’t care. He doesn’t want to feel worse though. Sun and ocean says yes.

Percy thinks he nods, and kinda flops his arm out to Apollo. Apollo says some things, pauses again, watches Percy, Percy just flaps his arm again. So Apollo holds his hand gently and does something that makes sunshine wash through his body…

Percy is seven years old and he is so tired.

Lee says something, but Percy doesn’t care. He has his blanket. He has Eric. He is safe. He falls sideways on the armchair, still curled up in a ball, and is asleep before his head hits the armrest.

________________________

The moment it’s clear that Percy will not be budging from the sitting room anytime soon, Lee follows his father into the hallway. Dad looks at him, looking just as exhausted at Lee feels.

“I know you’ll want to talk about this, you going to be okay if we take this to the Big House? Best we talk in private. Artemis is nearby in her cabin, she’ll watch over him. Though I doubt he’s going to so much as twitch until morning. Kid’s exhausted.”

Lee really doesn’t want to let Percy out of his sight right now but it has been a long and incredibly exhausting… how long has it actually been? He looks around. The sun is setting, he can hear people gathering for dinner. Huh, six hours maybe? Kinda feels like an eternity since Annabeth yanked the kid off the bench and everything abruptly went to shit.

Dad is still waiting for answer. “I guess? You’re certain he’ll be okay?”

“Yes, I am certain. We probably need to have a conversation about your stress levels as well. I know I’m asking a lot of you, but I’d really like you to lean on your siblings and friends more.”

Lee drags a hand through his hair. “This is the second time he’s almost died, Dad. The second time in a month! And based on some of the things Perce said I get the impression he came pretty damn close the day you brought him here too.”

Dad’s eyes flicker away. Yep. Called it.

“You aren’t responsible for that Lee, Percy’s in a difficult position. Yes, he’s important, but there are ways to manage this without killing yourself from stress.”

Probably true. Lee knows his stress levels are pretty out of control. Okay, step one; trusting that Percy will be safe under the watch of a literal goddess.

“Okay. let’s go to the Big House. Can we avoid Chiron though? Not sure I can trust myself around him right now.”

“Dio says Chiron’s at the pavilion, he’ll keep him there ‘till we head back to the cabin.”

Oh yeah, the telepathy thing, cool. He follows his dad up to the Big House and its smallest meeting room. He catches the gold flicker (and purple?) as Dad sets some sort of wards on the room before sitting down.

“Wards? Really?”

Dad gives him a weak smile, “You got a front row seat to some information that really wasn’t for your ears. I’d rather deal with any questions you have now where I can be certain we are free from eavesdroppers.”

Oh. That little revelation.

“You mean the bit about Percy’s family?”

Dad just nods.

Lee shrugs, “I’m not really sure I have questions. You’ve always said you knew who his parent was. I figured there was something going on because you’ve been weirdly cagey about it all, and then you insisted on telling me that kinda traumatising story about Pallas…” Lee is very careful to use the only name that no longer has anyone able to listen for it.

Apollo considers him, “You don’t want to share the conclusions you’ve drawn?”

“Why’s it so important you know what I’m thinking?”

Dad is still being so calm and solemn, no hidden laughter or joking tones.“Because I didn’t think I’d ever get a chance to speak to you about this. I had accepted there would come a day where you learned the truth about all of this and then I would lose you for good. If I can avoid that, I’d kind of like to?”

Lee blinks. He knows Apollo did actually care about his children, but, he was still a god. Lee and his siblings expected their father to be a lot more callous about their relationship with him than a mortal parent would be. Gods don’t die (except at the end of Athena’s spear), but demigods are guaranteed to die, often at a very young age. Callousness from the millennia old god, is just a given. Yet it sounded almost like while his Dad had been willing to lose Lee’s trust, he genuinely wanted to prevent that happening if he could?

Okay then. Let’s do this.

“Fine. I am absolutely certain I know the identities of all three ‘parties’ checking in on the kid. I have two theories as to how they are related. Part of me is really hoping you aren’t actually playing a shitty shell game and you are just genuinely trying to protect the Sea Prince because of your shared history and all the little insinuations are because he’s not ready to deal with a kid.”

Lee can already tell from the look on his dad’s face that the theory he had still been clinging to is not the one. He figured.

“The much more likely option is that Perce is a forbidden kid who was meant to stay hidden a lot longer. But the poor kid ended up being born a prophet and now he’s fucked twice over because of the fucking fates. And that makes me kind of incredibly angry because if you’d just kept him away from here I’d never have met him and I won’t have to grieve for him in the fucked up future that was so bad the big dude upstairs, who literally never keeps it in his pants, attempted a vow of celibacy to avoid it.”

Okay, Lee is angry, Today was shit, and while some part of him had already realised what all this meant, it’s only pouring out now and now he’s pacing and ranting and yelling at his dad.

It’s only when he finally winds down, chest heaving, fists clenched that Apollo approaches him and just hugs him. Let’s Lee lean against his too-warm-not-human body and just sob out all the fear and anger and outright terror that has finally reached a boiling point.

Apollo gets them both sitting on a couch, and Lee leans against his dad and lets him run his hands through Lee’s hair as he slowly gets his emotions under control again. Lee feels so exhausted and drained.

Something occurs to him. This is all the things Luke rants about. Except Luke rants about Thalia, not Percy, but both are forbidden kids with shitty futures already guaranteed. He does not want to end up like Luke. So he just outright asks his father “Is all this gonna turn me all bitter and angry like Luke?”

Apollo does that weird surprised snort/laugh that Lee causes way too often. “I’m pretty sure the fact that you waited until we were alone and warded to let all that out means that no, you won’t turn out like Luke. You know who to direct your anger towards.”

He turns to Lee, “You okay for me to tell you some things? Or we can just sit, or I’m all ears if there’s more you need to get off your chest.”

Please no more horrific revelations.

“I’m really not up for another traumatising story about dead gods, Dad.”

Another snort/laugh, “This is not that. It’s actually a good thing. You don’t have all the information right now. If that had been all there was to it, I would not have brought Percy to you, I am not quite that cruel.”

Huh. Intriguing. Lee’ll bite.

“Okay, so, what is it?”

His father pauses, searching for the right words, “Without going into details, because there is a reason the exact wording of the Great Prophecy isn’t being shared, most people believe it refers to the death of a child of the Big Three, I’m guessing that’s what you have heard?”

Lee nods.

“The Great Prophecy has six lines. There’s no question it refers to a child of a Big Three. There’s a direct reference, no other interpretation possible. But the lines also mention one who sees, and later, a hero who dies. They are mentioned on seperate lines.”

This is sounding much murkier than Chiron has been claiming. Then again, it was Chiron.

Apollo continues, watching to make sure Lee is following him, “Before I came to see you that first day, I spoke with Percy’s father. We discussed the prophecy and his grief at the idea of a child fated to die. Percy’s father triggered the same prophetic voice from me that you just heard from Percy.”

That got Lee’s attention. He just said the kid was fated to die, but, if he had learned more before he even told Lee about the kid…

“What did you say?”

Did gives him a small smile. “Do not give up hope. Percy Jackson is not marked for death.”

Oh. OH!

Okay. Actually that puts a whole different perspective on why his dad has been so obsessively building connections, and calling in every favour he’s owed, on Percy’s behalf from the moment he first found him. His father is making sure Percy has support for whatever awaits him, specifically because the kid ISN’T going to die.

Lee lets out a long slow breath, “Okay. Yeah. Super glad you insisted we go and talk privately. All the anger is, like, just gone.”

His dad gives him a warning look, “it’s not a guarantee, this is definitely going to be a rough ride.”

Lee gives him a much more real feeling grin, “No guarantee is far far better than certain death. I just need a little hope, Dad. I can do a lot with a bit of hope.”

Apollo grins back at him, “I know you can. That’s why I chose you to be his guardian. He’s gonna need you in his corner as he grows up.”

Lee huffs a laugh, “You know, when you turned up last month, I did tell you I didn’t have time for a quest. You entirely failed to mention you were asking me to take up, like, a lifelong vocation!”

His dad just shrugs and smiles at him, “This is the sort of thing you were born for Lee. Not quests for random items and chasing glory. You care about the kids, about the camp, about them having a family and a safe home. It’s your thing. I do want and expect you to fully utilise your siblings from now on, this is too big to go it alone. But I chose you for a reason. I didn’t just go, you’re the oldest, so you get him, I was in my rights to choose anyone, mortal, demigod or god. I chose you.”

Oh. Ouch. Right in the feels. Too much emotion. Moving on.

“Huh. You also weren’t wrong when you said if me and my siblings knew who Percy’s parent was we’d go to war to protect him.”

Dad kind of shifts on his seat a bit, and there’s a guilt-filled edge to his tight smile, “Yes, well, I wasn’t entirely honest. It wasn’t so much you’d be willing, rather I knew by giving him to you, you definitely would be going to war for him. I’m not happy about it, but he needs to be kept safe.”

There’s that serious undertone again. As if he’s never going to see his dad again. May as well ask.

“This is a lot of very serious talk, is there a reason why you’re acting like we won’t talk again?”

His dad is still painfully serious. “We can’t talk about this topic again. Dio knows nothing for certain, but outside of Artemis and Percy’s family he’s the only one with a decent idea of what’s going on. He is providing support while maintaining plausible deniability. He’s added his own warding so I could talk to you safely.”

He is absolutely focused on Lee, eyes searching his face, making sure he truly understands what he is getting into. “You need to understand, what we are doing, it is treason, Lee. I’m joining the cause late, Percy’s father has been planning this for nearly a decade and I am only involved because Percy is a prophet. I can protect Percy in ways no one else can. That is the only reason his family has stood aside.”

Lee can’t help the almost whisper, “They say in the domain of prophecy even the King of the Gods comes second to Apollo.”

Apollo looks a little sad, more sun god and a little less Lee’s dad. “Yes. I had nothing to do with Percy’s abilities, but we suspect it is the hand of the fates at work. A way of ensuring the prophecy comes to its conclusion. It’s been delayed for eighty years, Lee, it can’t be stalled forever.”

Lee nods, “Okay, is there anything specific I need to know?”

Back to business, all brusk and efficient, “Part of the reason I didn’t tell you from the start is because I had no idea how to ask this of you. But you heard Percy just now, that he is actually aware of the future and is guided by his sight to choose the safer option between knowing and ignorance?”

Lee nods again. “Yeah I heard him, super creepy to hear a tiny seven year old say all that, but yes I heard him.”

“Not all of him is seven. What happened today, it brought parts of him to the fore that are usually suppressed. What he did, with the prophetic statement and the confession, and the healing I did, should have assisted him in re-settling into a mind that matches his physical age. I am going to try my absolute hardest to find something to lock down his sight so he can actually be a child, but until then, he’s going to have moments like that.”

Lee tilts his head, it makes sense, but also doesn’t, he gives his dad a questioning look, unable to put it into words.

“Yeah, I know, confusing. It’s only something I had ever theorised on. First time I’ve seen it actually happen. Essentially Percy’s connection to events throughout time means he can access the person he will be in the future. Because he has seen it, can see it. He’s come into his abilities at least ten years too early. When his tether to his physical body snapped, the mind I brought back was struggling to find the correct age, so for a while there Percy was switching between different future moments. Outside of another event like today, that won’t happen again. You’ll just see flickers.”

Lee is still confused. Apollo just gives him a shrug, “It’s confusing, we can definitely talk about this aspect more later. I don’t want it spread beyond your cabin, but you don’t need to keep it secret.”

“That implies you do want me to keep something secret?”

“Yes. I’d really rather you don’t speak of the Great Prophecy or acknowledge the identity of Percy’s parent at all, not to me, not to Percy, not to anyone. Not until it’s over, not until he’s safe. Percy’s sight will tell him when it is time for him to know something. You have to keep quiet until then.”

Lee is less sure of this. He does not like lying.

His dad seems to see this. “You heard what Percy said, he knows when a lie is being told and he can tell why it’s been told. He knows if a lie is for his benefit or intended to cause him harm. He outright said he knows what I am doing is keeping him safe and protected. He told us that it’s ‘nice being looked after’. I’m the God of Truth Lee, I don’t like it either. But Percy needs to survive this.”

It is an uncomfortable concept. A difficult one to get his head around. The only reason he can somewhat accept what his dad is saying is because Lee had been living at camp since he was twelve. When his dad learned Lee had a touch of the sight, he had shoved Lee through unending primers on all the different aspects of it. All those ‘just in case it develops later’ lessons by his dad were the only reason he had an idea of what Percy was experiencing. Wait.

He turns on Apollo, “Did you know this was coming? All those extra classes you gave me, even though I never developed those abilities myself? They were about all the things I’m relying on so hard, just so I can understand Percy. Did you know? ”

Apollo shrugs kind of helplessly. “I honestly don’t know. Maybe? Maybe not? The same thing happens to the Sea King sometimes. I do things and at the time I feel like I have perfectly genuine reasons for it. Later I look back and realise it was an essential piece of a much larger story. I don’t have control of it. It’s why the prophecy domain is so unique. Why it’s so powerful.”

Lee sighs, “Percy has this little mantra. I’m not actually sure he’s aware he sometimes says it out loud, but I’m thinking I’m just going to apply it to this whole thing, ‘Weird. Rolling with it’”

His dad grins, calmer now Lee has agreed to the secrecy and hasn’t accused him of manipulating him, like a certain someone would (cough, Luke, cough).

“Probably for the best. I know I’m kind of putting you under pressure here, but is there anything else you need to know about this? Given that we cannot talk about this topic again?”

Actually, Lee does have a question. Probably not what his dad meant but he wants to know.

“Percy’s new necklace, where’d that actually come from? If it had already existed we wouldn’t have had to wait so long for Artemis to bring it.”

Apollo looks delighted at the question. “Only you Lee would have worked that out! I called in a favour with the Sea King, he had the cyclops at the Royal Forge make it this afternoon. It’s imbued with my own power over healing and prophecy, but also the Sea King’s own protective power, so the charm now carries the strength of the ocean. I’m hoping it will better shield the duality of the kids essence.”

Lee suspected that might be the case, no way could that necklace have been secretly forged on Olympus. If it had been made there they’d already have the God King breathing down their necks.

“That gonna cause issues if the kid literally has the Sea King’s own power round his neck?”

Apollo seems very casual about this, “Most people can’t read auras, including Father. And everyone knows the kid is a child of the sea. If the Sea Prince was his father the Sea King absolutely would have done the exact same thing. All it says is that the kid is under the Sea King’s protection.”

Huh, fair. Probably one last thing he should check.

“You said his family would be at camp?”

“Yes. Those lessons I arranged for Georgie and Percy? They will be with the Sea Prince. It’s specifically so Percy can train with a trident. They intend to crown him a Prince of the Sea in his own right when this is over. Before you ask, Georgie is going to be attending the same lessons, and receive her own trident from them. It’s an unheard of mark of favour for a demigod outside the royal family even just to carry a trident, let alone be personally trained by the Sea Prince. But, yes, we are using her as a smokescreen mostly to give Percy access to the training and the royal weapons that are his birthright."

Lee is definitely at his limit. His kid’s gonna be a prince. Yup. Cool. Lee is done. No more.

Apollo pauses thoughtfully, then adds to Lee’s overload before he can be stopped, “I would also expect the Sea Queen to show up at some point. She’s quite attached. Of course, the Sea King was here that first night, not long after Percy arrived.”

“Okay. That’s cool. And terrifying, I feel like I’m going to be spending far too much time around gods in the future.”

His dad nods, shrugs, yeah nothing Lee can do to change that now. Lee is already committed to the kid.

Best to focus on what he can handle. “Do I need to do anything about whatever horrifying things the kid was saying about the centaur?”

“Leave it for now, Dio will arrange for Percy to eat at the cabin, see if you can switch around who stays with him, just one person at a time for now. You need to start letting go a bit, trust your siblings. From what he said just being away from the pavilion should help enormously. I’m here if you need to talk about the other things he mentioned. All this can still be discussed and managed as we go. It’s just the family and the prophecy bit we can’t talk about.”

Lee nods. He will need to take some time to think through what Percy had told them just before he fell asleep. Everything Percy had been stewing on for the past month just came pouring out of the poor kid in one go.

“Then I think I’m good. This is so far above my pay grade. I think I’ll just stick to the day to day. I’m gonna forget everything I heard, and you can just tell me if there’s something I need to know, when I need to know it?”

“Works for me.”

When Lee makes it back to the cabin there is a plate of food waiting for him. Percy is still fast asleep. He actually looks peaceful for once. And the creepy fish was watching the kid sleep. Lee is still not okay with the creepy fish. He may never forgive his dad for letting Percy keep the creepy fish.

Lee debates sleeping in the sitting room to keep an eye on the kid. Mostly he’s stopped because he knows with absolute certainty it will utterly terrify the kid if he realises there was someone else in the room while he slept and he hadn’t known.

So Lee eats his cold dinner and falls into bed. He’ll leave the sibling corralling to Michael. He is absolutely done for the day.

Chapter Text

None of Austin’s siblings were all that cheerful that afternoon. They still didn’t know what had happened, but it had been bad.

They’d been at lunch and a fight had broken out. Not unusual, fights happened daily at camp. But this time it was between Drew and virtually the whole Ares cabin. Eight on one wasn’t exactly fair.

As she was usually the only year round Aphrodite kid, Silena rotated between all the cabins for shared activities and the Apollo kids were casual friends with her. Then the absolute tiny ball of panic-inducing chaos that was Percy Jackson had arrived.

Suddenly Silena, Drew and the Galene kid, Georgie, started spending all their time with the Apollo cabin. Austin assumes favours were called in since the Apollo kids knew jack about the whole sea kid thing. It probably hadn’t been intended but a month in, Austin and his siblings had integrated the three girls into their extended family and Apollo kids had a tendency to be loyal little shits.

So, when the fight broke out, Austin didn’t hesitate, he just headed into the chaos with his siblings. Michael and Jenny went to help Silena pull the Ares kids off Drew, entirely ignoring Chiron’s ‘helpful’ comments, while Austin, Will and Kayla checked on Drew. She was mostly fine, a bit bruised, embarrassed too. Probably another charmspeak accident.

It should have been fine. Lee was still at the Apollo table with Tiny, camp was protected, Tiny was meant to be safe here. Sure, they had fights and bickering but he was seven and minuscule and even if there was all-out war happening, he should not have been a target.

But they’d heard Lee suddenly start yelling and they’d all basically instantly abandoned the furious Ares kids. Austin had only been at camp for, like, six months, but even he knew, when Lee yells like that, you don’t think, you just move.

Lee was on the ground, clutching Tiny, Mr D standing over them, Annabeth was watching nearby, looking… oh yay, she’s angry again. Mr D was…

Gods. Mr D was frantic. His eyes were balls of purple fire. His hand shoved against Tiny’s head. Tiny was… No. He looked dead.

Austin still doesn’t know what happened. Dad had appeared suddenly in a huge explosion of golden light. Way flashier and in-your-face than Austin’d ever seen before. Then Mr D, Apollo, Lee and Tiny just up and vanished.

There’d been a quick back and forth between the siblings, (and Silena, Drew and Georgie). In the end, Silena had insisted that Austin, Kayla, Will, Drew & Georgie all go with her to the Aphrodite cabin while only Michael and Jenny would see if they could find out what was going on.

At least they were all confident that someone would eventually tell them? Most cabins didn’t even have that. Austin had been told many horror stories of campers who were here one day and just gone the next, snatched up by a god to do some random task. Most never returned. Austin kind of hated most of the demigod world, but Lee said Dad never did that, and wouldn’t let other gods give his kids quests unless the kid in question truly wanted to go.

Tiny had looked dead. Lee was like, stupidly attached to the kid. They’d all been watching him burn himself out for the past month trying to help him. Austin did want to help the kid too. Tiny was just a little kid, and he was so scared, man. And sure, Dad said Lee was the kid’s proper guardian, but there were still five other Apollo kids in the cabin, Lee didn’t have to do it all himself. Maybe this wouldn’t have…

Oh. Nope. Austin is not going to spiral and somehow blame Lee for doing… he has no idea what? Caring about the kid? They don’t even know what happened!

So instead they all cluster in the Aphrodite cabin. For once, not even Kayla complains as Drew and Silena flit about organising the three kinda stunned silent Apollo kids (plus a terrified looking Georgie) into ‘self-care activities’. They chatter on and on about nothing just to break the silence.

They all only come to life again when Michael and Jenny return. They look solemn, but not the ‘your mum is dead and you’re going into foster care’ solemn pity thing Austin was a little too familiar with.

The story they tell isn’t great. But it’s not as bad as it could have been.

The kid’s necklace broke and something, they weren’t sure what, happened at the same time. Before Mr D could intervene the kid had already ‘drifted’. Austin still doesn’t know if any of them actually understood the drifting and the tether thing. He’s just been hoping Lee and Dad have a better idea of it all.

Tiny's first full day at camp, the kid had gotten overwhelmed by something and collapsed. After, they were told that because of issues at home, Tiny had little connection to the world around him, which meant when he did the whole prophetic thing, whatever that actually was, there was a risk his… mind? spirit? soul? wouldn’t come back to his body. His original necklace had not been strong enough. Dad had fixed it.

One of the first things Tiny had said after was that before Dad fixed his necklace, he’d thought Austin was blonde and blue eyed. That was such a confusing conversation. Seven year olds, man, they just say stuff that makes no sense and seem to think it explains everything. And then they look at you like you’re stupid for not understanding. That’s when Austin decided his name was Tiny and he was still not budging on it.

Dad found it hilarious and refused to explain. It was Lee who finally told him that Tiny’s sight had completely overwhelmed the kid’s ability to use his eyes to see. Because Apollo was blonde and blue-eyed, and all the Apollo kids carried a chunk of Apollo’s aura, so as far as Tiny was concerned, they all looked like mortal versions of Apollo.

But Dad fixed the necklace. Fixed Tiny. Things were meant to be fine now. Tiny was meant to have time to grow up and be a kid. Even if it had been a rough ride, the fact the kid was feeling comfortable enough around them to chuck tantrums was a good thing. Huge improvement on being terrified of his own shadow.

Now, a month later, the same thing had happened again. Mr D hadn’t told the others much. He’d said Apollo had ‘retrieved’ Tiny and kid would be fine, but they needed to replace his shielding charm. Until the new one arrives later today, Dad would be staying with Lee and Tiny and, in Mr D’s words, “cosplaying as the brat’s personal shield”. Michael says Mr D was actually surprisingly nice about it, but he was also very clear they needed to stay away until Artemis or Apollo told them otherwise.

Then Mr D had walked off, and Michael and Jenny figured he wasn’t going to tell them anything else, so they’d come back and reported in.

None of them really knew what to do now. They’d scheduled a beach day and Silena offered to take Georgie, but Georgie wanted to stay close just in case.

So they spread out around the Aphrodite cabin and Austin took a moment to be amused that when most of the Olympian gods would utterly freak if a demigod not their own wandered into their cabin, Silena was happily hosting almost the entire Apollo cabin, plus random sea kid, in hers. While Aphrodite and Apollo weren’t rivals in the same way Athena and Apollo or Ares and Apollo were, they weren’t allies either.

Austin ended up asking Silena about it, just to fill the silence. Silena had a lot to say about relationships being more than romance. Apparently her mum would absolutely offer sanctuary to people when they were hurting because of how much they cared about a child in their care.

It did help, but still he was relieved when there was a knock and Silena opened the door to show Dad looking all cheerful and relaxed.

“Hey kids! I’m not gonna ask to come in because I really don’t think ‘Dite would like that, but I’m hoping Silena won’t mind if I steal my kids back for a bit?”

Georgie jumps up, and, completely ignoring that this is the first time she’s actually been face to face with the sun god, demands to know how Percy is.

His dad is all warm smiles and confident calm. “He’s okay now. He’s sleeping in the sitting room at the moment, poor kid crashed out before he made it to his bed.”

Georgie is still demanding to know what happened to him. Austin winces, Dad was willing to tolerate a lot of bluntness from Lee but Georgie wasn’t actually his. She was only with them because she and Tiny were the only sea kids at camp. Pissing off a god, even one of the better ones, was a bad idea.

But Dad seemed unbothered, he gave her an easy reassuring smile, “Essentially, Percy’s visions have been getting pretty overwhelming since he came to camp. I gave him a charm that helped him control his abilities so he could focus on being a kid and leave the prophet part for when he’s older. Today there was a bit of a scuffle with another kid and somehow the chain on the charm broke. Percy got overwhelmed by his visions and collapsed.”

Georgie is not buying it. Austin and his siblings aren’t either, but Dad clearly wants this to stay in-house and he’s assuming (hoping) they’ll get a better explanation in private. Or from Lee.

Uh oh, cranky Georgie. “If he was just overwhelmed Mr D wouldn’t have looked like that, and you wouldn’t have shown up like that. You lot hide the big flashy stuff.”

Dad is suddenly totally focused on Georgie, sharp eyes assessing, “I’ll admit we were both pretty worried about him, his vital signs were all over the place, but it truly is all it was. He’s okay now, and he’ll be even better after a sleep. Things got emotional and he had a bit of a heart to heart with Lee that tuckered him out. Can I ask, what did you mean about ‘you lot hiding the big flashy stuff’?”

Georgie shifts on her heels, mouth twisting, clearly debating on what to say. “I, uh, don’t know how to say it without being rude?”

Apollo grins, “Ah, if its something that came from one of the sea gods, you can just say it, I’m pretty closely allied with them. I promise, they’ve already said worse to my face.”

Georgie blushes and looks down as she toes the ground before she mumbles something about land dwellers playing pretend and acting like mortals for shits and giggles. Austin snickers.

Dad is all relaxed and cheerful again. “That’s all good Georgie, that’s actually super tame. I was mostly asking to check it was something you’d been told rather than seen. I only just found a sea kid with the sight, was a bit worried I’d missed a second one!”

“Oh! No. I can’t do any of that. Not sure I’d want to. Percy doesn’t really talk about it, but the bits I’ve heard… It kinda sounds pretty sucky.” She looks mortified as she realises she just told the God of Prophecy that having the sight “sounded sucky”, But he just laughs and agrees.

Dad speaks directly to Georgie, though it’s clear the words are for Silena and Drew as well. “So, can I grab my kids now? Percy probably won’t be at breakfast. If he doesn’t go to morning lessons, one of my kids’ll come find you and take you to him so you can see for yourself that he’s okay.”

Georgie agrees and the five siblings finally head back to the cabin. They’d entirely missed dinner but none of them cared. Austin’s pretty sure all of them just want to confirm for themselves the kid was still breathing.

Apollo lets them peek into the sitting room one by one, so each of them can see the tiny kid bundled under a mess of blankets on the armchair. The even rise and fall of his chest and his peaceful face finally cutting through their fear.

Then Dad leads them into the girls room saying Lee was already fast asleep and he deserved some rest after all the stress of the day.

Once they are all settled around the room, Apollo explains again what happened. This time he’s much more honest.

Essentially, ‘someone’ had grabbed Tiny unexpectedly at lunch, he’d fallen against another person, and in the confusion the necklace had broken. Apollo still isn’t sure how but says it was possible the kid had accidentally broken through the shielding himself. There is no evidence it was deliberate, but he will be investigating things, just in case.

Regardless, the moment the necklace fell the kid was gone. When Will pushes, Apollo admits that yes, for a moment there, Tiny had no vital signs and yes, was medically dead. Last time Mr D had realised what Tiny was doing before he collapsed and had been able to catch him (his spirit? his soul? his essence? this stuff is so so weird) and return him to the real world immediately. This time, Tiny was already gone, even though Mr D had been right there. Apollo had felt the kid die, and come immediately.

Michael asks how Apollo was able to find Tiny when Mr D couldn’t? Austin assumes Dad stuck some mystical tracker on the kid.

Apollo admits Tiny was “beyond his reach.”

Austin can’t take this anymore. “Wait. You said he was back. That he would wake up. What are you saying?”

Dad is waving his hands and shaking his head, “No, no! Percy is fine, Percy is here, he is just asleep, he will wake up. I could not reach Percy, but Percy called for me and reached out to me, which gave me what I needed to bring him back. He’s fine, I promise.”

“So he was dead, but not?”

Then there’s a confusing explanation about physical versus metaphysical death. Austin doesn’t understand and really doesn’t care.

Kayla asks what happens if the necklace breaks again?

There’s that little hesitation, like Apollo is trying to decide between a comforting half truth or more difficult blunt honesty.

In the end he admits he isn’t sure. He says the new necklace has been made specifically for Tiny in a way the other wasn’t, that he called in a favour so this time the kid is being shielded by the power of the ocean. His dad says he’s going to keep searching for a better solution long term, that while he has no intention of sealing Tiny’s abilities permanently, the more time he can give the kid to grow up and mature without visions interfering the better it’s going to be for him.

Austin agrees. Little kids should be allowed to be kids. He only looked at the kid’s sketchbook once before he decided he’d rather not know what the kid dreams about. If twelve year old Austin thought that the pictures were too violent and not-for-his-eyes, what did that say about the seven year old?

Once everyone has stopped demanding more information from Dad, his demeanour shifts.

It is less Dad and more Apollo, Patron to Prophets who is standing here now, his serious tone and solemn expression reminding them that caring for Tiny, this far too young natural born prophet, was actually considered a sacred duty.

Austin is reminded Apollo placing Tiny under Lee’s guardianship was a sign of favour of trust from the gods themselves.

In another time Lee would have been the High Priest of Apollo, the one personally chosen by the God of Prophecy to serve Apollo’s Prophet. Austin and his siblings would have been Priests or Holy Ones, along with Lee, holding the highest stations within Ancient Greek society. Austin pauses. That had not actually changed. That is still what Apollo was expected to do for a new prophet.

Instead Dad had just rocked up with a traumatised kid, asked them all to consider him family, and has been popping in and out to check on him ever since.

Dad is looking at him, tells him it’s okay, he can just ask. Austin asks.

“Why’d you do all this so differently? You brought Tiny to Lee and asked us to raise him like family. No temples, no priests, no mention of sacred duty, it doesn’t seem like the sort of thing you’d change?”

Apparently it isn’t. Dad is doing things differently because that is what Tiny needs, and when it comes to the prophecy domain it’s not Prophets serving the God of Prophecy, it’s the God of Prophecy caring for his Prophets.

He just hasn’t had a mortal prophet in a while, not since the Oracle of Delphi was cursed.

It feels kind of weird after that. To sit there as Dad talks about how Lee will be trying some new angles to help the kid deal with his emotions and the not-eating thing (Dad describes it as ‘Lee’s unstoppable force meeting Percy’s immovable stubbornness’). As he talks about the siblings helping Lee more, taking turns spending time with the kid so Lee doesn’t “turn into a complete stress-induced hot mess”, they all switch back to ‘new little sibling’ mode. Except now, they have a god giving parenting suggestions.

Austin thinks he prefers to think of Tiny as a sibling. The rest is just too big, too important, too much. It isn’t for him. He can see why it is Lee’s thing though. Since he’d first met Lee he’d been The Guy. The one who was most like a proper hero, who cares and checks in on them and isn’t just focused on surviving monsters and maybe making it to his twenties. Austin feels so proud of his brother. But also very glad he is not Lee.

In the end they decide Kayla is going to set up schedules, and also loop in Silena on the parenting stuff, and between them they’ll bully Lee into accepting help.

Like every other time over the past month, once Dad’s finished with the business bit he takes time to talk to each of them privately, just for a couple of minutes, and as they all head off to do whatever (way too early to sleep, even with Dad’s dawn alarm), they all take another peek at their sleeping little brother. Austin would help out with the kid anyway, but he has to admit, he really likes having Dad around so much.

________________________

It had not been a comfortable conversation with his brother. It was deeply unpleasant to be forced to admit how much he actually cared about the demigods under his care. Gods, Dionysus can’t imagine what would happen if Father ever learned that he was quite enjoying his punishment.

Having no access to his own domain had been problematic, but Dionysus’s power is fully restored with the now regular deliveries of Atlantean wine. Unfortunately it also means Dionysus is becoming far too attached to Uncle’s forbidden kid.

It was not helped by how much Castor and Pollux adore their new friend. Dionysus swears their auras are taking on a touch of the ocean from how much they talk about the brat.

At least Dionysus is not the one having to try and work out exactly how much of the gods less-than-public actions the kid is actually aware of.

Even so, coming on the heels of experiencing The Crooked One’s aura through the kid’s eyes, learning that he is fully aware that Dionysus has developed a habit of checking on the brat throughout the day… Not exactly the sort of chaos he likes to be involved in.

At least, it didn’t take much to redirect his brother towards his prophet’s reaction to the aura manipulation. Dionysus was fully aware that Apollo had been intending to ask about Athena’s chit. Apollo was a little too caring for his own good. Thankfully all it took was some dramatic hand waving and a touch of emotion to catch his attention and send him down a new rabbit hole.

Otherwise, the angry little idiot would already be so much ash on the wind.

Right now, Apollo was unaware that the chit’s actions had been intentional. Dionysus still doesn’t know why, but she absolutely intended to terrify the boy.

That one honestly pissed Dionysos off most of all. The infighting between the brats was one thing, that sort of chaos is excellent entertainment, besides it’s good for them in the long run. Deliberately inducing terror in a virtual infant is not the same. Especially not when said infant is under the protection of Apollo.

Pausing to prevent the next two eldest of his brother’s brats from breaking into their own cabin, Dionysus goes searching for his least favourite brat.

He finds her with the centaur, standing facing each other near the brazier in the empty dining pavilion. Dionysus was too late to hear whatever poor attempt at a ‘good talking to’ Chiron has made.

Wait. What is he saying?

“-it is an old story and not one well known, but I believe it would serve you well to know something of the history between your mother and the gods of-”

“Stop. Now.”

Dionysus voice carries the crack of authority and rings with the edge of madness. But at least the moronic centaur stops speaking.

“Ah, Mr D, given recent events, I felt it was incumbent on me to ensure young Annabeth fully understands the gravity of-”

Dionysus cuts him off again. “You were explicitly told not to share that story. Because little Astrid here was guaranteed to misunderstand it and make the situation worse.”

The brat announces, “You should not withhold important information, it is your duty to teach us everything we need to survive. Tell me!”

No eight year old should have such a look of superiority on their face. Or talk like a miniature blonde Horsebutt.

Admittedly Dionysus took an instant dislike to the child after she called him a murderer for not doing, something? to fix the forbidden-brat-turned-tree. Because turning a dead child turned tree back into a living child was something Dionysus was able to do. At least according to the angry brat. A year on, she has not improved. He may need to do something to separate her from the Hermes kid.

“Yeah. No. Not doing that. Father would be very angry with me if Uncle drowns all of you little brats.”

“Why would Po-”

The centaur shouts, trying to stop her. Too late.

“-seidon care about any of this? He has nothing to do with the camp!”

And here’s Uncle.

While Apollo had not said a word, the fact it was going to take several hours to retrieve a new shield charm told Dionysus all he needed to know about his Uncle’s awareness of current events. The Sea King was definitely watching the camp right now.

“I believe I care about this because I have no wish for my granddaughter’s murder to be bandied about for your entertainment.”

Kid jumps at least a foot when Uncle starts purring out that little speech, he’s standing maybe an inch away from her, virtually pressed up against her back. By the time he finishes speaking she’s bolted to other side of the brazier, tucking herself beside Chiron. Ah, so she does have some sense of self-preservation after all. Might be some hope for her yet.

She’s shocked. Just staring, clearly not expecting one of the three most powerful gods in the pantheon to just pop into existence behind her. She’s just lucky both he and Uncle were currently deliberately shielding their auras. Though they weren’t doing it for her sake.

Dionysus greets him cheerfully. “Uncle! My apologies for this little song and dance. I did tell Chiron that this particular information was not be shared. That was on the same day you informed me your Queen’s niece would be staying on at Camp Half-Blood.”

If Uncle is being his dramatic little shit-stirring self (he even used the ‘m’ word!), then camp is probably not going to be drowned today. Looks more like an attempt to scare the little idiot into behaving since negotiation has clearly failed.

Poseidon gives him a courtier’s smile in return, is he trying to channel the Lord of the Underworld or something?

“Yes, indeed, we have received some quite favourable reports from her about how much her experience here has improved over the past month.”

“Ah yes, Apollo’s brats have very much taken to her. I believe she has become quite the favourite of his new prophet.”

“Indeed, she mentioned something about the importance of children of the sea, er, ‘sticking together’, I believe is the phrase my niece used?”

And there was the loyalty of the Sea King. Short of killing the forbidden kid, Galene’s girl will be considered a member of Poseidon’s own family until the day she dies.

“They do seem quite fond of each other. My twins are also enamoured with the pair of them. At this rate I am expecting them to declare a mutiny and petition you to transform them into sea kids. My powers can no longer hold their interest.”

The Athena chit is watching them talk, eyes bouncing back forth, growing more and more confused the longer the farce continues.

Poseidon smirks, he’s a little too good at oily courtier. Kinda creepy.

“I may just consider it. It has been millennia since children of the sea have had an opportunity to engage with their land dwelling brethren. I am quite curious to see how this experiment unfolds.”

They may have broken the centaur. Then again, that may be the point. Neither Apollo nor Poseidon would normally waste time attempting reeducate one of Athena’s brats. They’d have just vaporised them and moved on. Dionysus only distracted Apollo because he doesn’t want to deal with the chit’s mother.

Chiron on the other hand… Dionysus can do little about him, hosting Ol’ Horsebutt is a requirement of Father’s punishment.

Chiron finally breaks in, “My apologies, my Lord, an experiment?”

Poseidon gives another genial smile. The beach bum in a Hawaiian shirt look is only adding to the disturbing image.

“Yes indeed. As you are aware, when your satyr kidnapped my niece, she was left to languish here, without any contact with her family, for nearly a month. Until my nephew, Apollo, recognised her and informed my Queen of our niece’s location.”

Ouch. True. But also. Ouch. Dionysus is very glad they at least aren’t holding that grudge against him.

“It was only by chance that my nephew caught sight of her. He had been here to see to the living arrangements of the first born prophet in millennia.”

It may just finally be dawning on Allison how big a hole she has dug for herself.

“This prophet is a young boy who is also a child of the sea. When my niece was finally able to speak with us, she noted how lonely she had found her experience here and how excluded she felt due to her different heritage.”

Hmmm, blondie’s face is a touch too calculating. Come on kid, I really don’t want to deal with Athena today. If Uncle kills you, I’m going to be stuck in meetings for all eternity.

Uncle is still smiling cheerfully, rocking back on his heels, just shooting the breeze as the drama builds, “The nature of the young prophet’s gift necessitates him living on land. As you know, I consider all children of the sea under my protection. The sea looks after its own.”

“So,” Uncle turns to Chiron, smile less cheerful, more polite, “To answer your rather poorly phrased query. My niece was quite unhappy at the idea of leaving such a young child of the sea alone at the camp and requested to remain. I also owe Apollo a debt for finding my niece. Allowing his young prophet to spend time with a companion who shares his heritage seemed appropriate.”

It’s fun watching Uncle take someone apart without all the thunder and earthquakes. Aunt Amphitrite must have been coaching him.

“We have agreed for my niece to stay on, on the understanding that she will provide frequent reports and will attend additional classes twice a week, which my nephew Dionysus,” Uncle smiles at him, gods that’s creepy, “has already approved. They are to begin shortly.”

Uncle turns his attention back to Chiron, still smiling. “Is there anything else you wish to know?”

“Uh, no, My Lord. I apologise. I had not realised she was your niece.”

Uncle’s smile drops, his glare is positively glacial and his tone freezing “She informed you herself, within moments of meeting you. I cannot comprehend how you could be unaware of the matter.”

Dionysus moves away from the shaking centaur. He may be a god but he has no wish to feel obliged to catch Horsebutt if he faints.

“Uh, she told me her mother was Galene, but there was no claiming sign and I was not aware that Galene was…”

“My Queen’s most favoured sister?”

Chiron nods weakly.

“The gods of the sea ordinarily claim their children within a year of their birth. Once claimed there is no need to repeat the ceremony. The child was claimed years before you met her.”

The courtier’s smile, “You may not be a god, but you are immortal. Are you so unfamiliar with the customs of the sea? I have previously fulfilled the land dwellers expectations of claiming in the past, when my brother has demanded that my children attend alongside his. Can I not expect the same level of respect in return?”

Uncle raises his eyebrows and stares at Chiron until the centaur murmurs, “Yes, of course, My Lord.”

Uncle nods. Matter closed. He turns to Dionysus. “As to my presence here, I had simply intended to send you a message confirming the approved escorts for my niece’s training. However, I then happened to overhear what was about to be discussed. I am… concerned, that the basic customs have long been forgotten, and yet that story is still being told?”

His turn to put on a bit of theatre, “As I said, Uncle, I had already made it clear that he was not to speak of any of it. My main concern was that Chiron is far too young to have any knowledge of those events. Nor could he have had the opportunity to hear a full accounting of them. As you know, Uncle, I am too young myself to know of it, outside of an accounting of events by another.”

Uncle gives him a more genuine smile. “Ah yes, it was I who gave permission for you to be told of such. Even then, I only agreed because I knew the information would be relevant to your experience of ascension.”

That’s one way to put it. Certainly sounds better than ‘true horror story intended to ensure the new god doesn’t get too big for his britches’.

Uncle turns back to Horsebutt. “Regardless of my brother’s protection, should you attempt to speak of her to any mortal again, you will die where you stand. Even he will not challenge me on this particular matter. If you require independent confirmation of this, you are more than welcome to ask either of my nephews.”

Uncle turns to Athena’s chit. Oh. While no one else would notice Dionysus can see the hidden pain in Uncle’s eyes as he looks at her. Gods, Athena was a petty bitch.

“My dear, you are a mortal child. You must accept that there is information and knowledge that is only for the gods ears. You are very young and you have much time to find your place in the world. You need to stop chasing the impossible and start working towards the achievable.”

Ashley gulps, nods, whispers something inaudible and steps back, eager to escape the King of the Sea.

As she goes to leave, Uncle’s final words crash over her, hitting like a tidal wave as he finally lets go of his tightly controlled emotion.

“And if you ever lay so much as a finger on the child prophet again, you will not live to regret it.”

She freezes, back turned, before her composure cracks and she flat out bolts from the pavilion.

Chiron glances after her, before turning back towards Uncle, clearly debating on whether to reprimand Poseidon, King of the Sea for terrifying a child, Uncle raises a single unimpressed eyebrow.

The centaur slumps into himself. Makes a mumbled excuse and a half bow towards Poseidon and leaves.

Dionysus looks at his Uncle. “Was that entire little drama just to lull her into a false sense of security so you could utterly terrify the chit?”

His Uncle is looking a touch too smug. “Amphy said I wasn’t allowed to kill her.”

“So you tried to give an eight year old a heart attack instead?”

Uncle gives him a look. “He is seven, and it has happened twice already”

Oh. Yeah. Kid’s heart stopped again. This actually was incredibly tame for Uncle. Dionysus raises a questioning eyebrow.

Uncle shrugs, “We could find no proof either way. Nothing to show she knew what the outcome would be, nothing to say she did not. If she had known what would happen, nothing would have stayed my hand.”

With that, Poseidon is gone.

Now to wait and see if all those newly planted seeds find fertilised soil.

________________________

Percy woke to yet another 50’s song. ‘Pretty Little Baby’, what was with Apollo and the 50’s music?

It took him a moment to notice he was in the sitting room and not his little bedroom. He felt like he’d slept for a year. He never sleeps through the night. Why was he even here?

Oh. Yeah.

He tried sorting out his memories but all he got back was a bizarre jumbled mess of sensation. He could remember up until lunch time. Then something had happened at lunch, and… Yeah. No clue. That part of his memory feels a little too much like that time he tried to find his dad and ended up passing out from all the auras jumbling together and crashing through him.

There are some clearer memories though… Oh. Huh.

Something about getting a new necklace, he checks under the hoodie. Yep, new necklace. Instead of the fine gold chain from before this one is silvery with a blue-green shimmer, and it’s thicker. Kind of like if metal could be shaped into a cord. He can’t even tell how it closes. The charm is a little bigger and… huh. That’s also new. It’s a flat circle now, rather than sun shaped. One side, the one that shows, has a golden sun identical to the last charm. On the back, hidden from view, is a small trident.

This one is definitely stronger than the other one. It also is more… He’s not sure of the word for it. The other was a void that surrounded him. Sometimes when he’d want a closer look at an aura that caught his attention it would feel like his inside sunlit ocean was kinda battering the edges of the nothingness, trying to push through.

This necklace felt entirely different. The sunny ocean liked the feel of this one. It was a protective shield, not a void of nothingness. When he tentatively tried to push against the edges of this new shield it wasn’t the shield that responded.

Instead it felt kinda like the sunny ocean had whacked him over the knuckles and said, ‘no! bad!’ But not in a ‘don’t because it will hurt’ way, but more in a ‘Lee loves you and wants to keep you safe’ way.’ Except there was no connection to Lee, just the same kinda caring feeling. Which was… weird. But Percy knew to listen to that part of him. If it said not to poke the shield, that works for him.

Okay. Mostly worked out what happened yesterday, but there are more memories waiting for him. Memories that sunlit ocean says he should probably look at. Sigh.

Uh, new necklace. Yup. Then… complete jumbled mess of words trying to answer Apollo’s questions about how he knows when gods check on him. Mortifying but whatever.

Uh. Oops. He told Apollo Lee’s aura was being a stalker. Sorry Lee!

Uh oh. Whatever’s next is not good. Sunlit ocean says look, need to know. The rest of Percy says he will die of embarrassment once he remembers.

He looks anyway, sunny ocean never steers him wrong.

Gods.

Percy curls back into his little ball in the armchair and just sobs. He broke the rules, he did the future thing. Then he’d said all of… all of that, to Lee. To Apollo.

Some part of his distantly registers a door open and he feels Lee’s warm air and spilling light move closer.

Soft voice, so full of care and Lee’s aura is saying family/you-are-home/you-are-loved/you-are-safe and all of of it is echoing through his voice.

“Oh. Kid. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

Percy sobs, shakes his head, curls up tighter, pulls the blanket up and over his head and hides himself away.

He feels Lee settle on to the floor, near to the armchair but not so close Percy will feel crowded. How does he always know?

Warm air, spilling light you-are-loved/you-are-safe/I-am-here.

Percy just keeps sobbing. Why did he do that? Why did he say all of that? He ruined everything!

The one-eyed man isn’t at the park anymore. Percy has nowhere to go when they get rid of him.

Lee is talking. He’s been talking for a long time. Percy hasn’t been listening. He has been crying and crying and crying. Now the tears are slowing and Percy is feeling kinda hollow and too light, like a gust of air will blow him away.

“-anyway, that’s why the bead for that summer ended up being a centaur in a prom dress.”

What.

He peeks out from under his blanket, still trying to work out what on earth he had just heard. Lee’s still right there, sitting on the floor leaning against the couch, head tilted back looking up at the ceiling with his legs stretched out in front of him. He looks over at Percy and gives him a kind smile.

“Hey kid, I think you might have needed a good cry. You want some water?”

Yes. Percy wants his water bottle. Lee already has it right there and offers it to him without Percy even saying anything.

He is so thirsty. The water helps so much. Things feel a little less terrible. Though he has no idea how to apologise for all of this.

His voice is kind of whispery and crackly, how long was he crying?

“I’m sorry. I don’t wanna go. One-eyed man isn’t there any more.”

There’s that little hesitation before Lee speaks, the one that Percy is getting far too familiar with whenever he says the wrong thing. Lee gives his head a shake and refocuses on Percy.

“Okay. First, you are not going anywhere. This is your home. We are your family. There is nothing you could ever do that is going to change that. You are stuck with us, kid.”

Sunny ocean says truth.

“Secondly, you have nothing to apologise for. Yesterday was complete and utter shit. You have a new shielding charm, one with a chain that cannot be broken or taken from you without Dad’s permission.”

“I said mean things to you and ‘Pollo.”

“No. You told us the truth about how you were feeling and how much you were struggling. Percy, we didn’t know how strong your sight was, that you were seeing, feeling, all of that, all the time. We didn’t that you were worrying about all of those things.”

Percy looks at Lee suspiciously. He just smiles back. “We are going to talk about some of what you said. Not all of it, for a lot of it, now that we know what to watch for, unless you feel like sharing, we won’t push you. But both Dad and I are very glad you were finally able to share how you felt, even if the reason you were able to share was… less than ideal.”

Percy shrugs a bit. “Sun and ocean said to tell. But I’m not meant to say the future stuff. I did a future thing, broke the rules?”

“Do you remember what Dad said after?”

Percy shakes his head, “S’all a big jumble mostly, everything between lunch and the new necklace is just a big mess of too many feelings. That memory isn’t gonna come back. First memory with the new charm is trying to explain how sun and ocean work to ‘Pollo.”

“Sun and ocean?”

Percy blinks. Oh yeah. “‘Pollo calls it the sight? Doesn’t make sense to me, best way I can explain it is ‘the knowing’ but to me it’s just the sunshine and ocean?”

“Huh. I can work with that. The prophetic thing happened just after that.”

“Yeah. Broke the rules.”

Lee’s voice is clear and calm, speaking with so much sincerity and truth. “No, you did not break any rules. Dad was right there, the whole time. He said that it was something that needed to be said. It wasn’t a mistake, it was what the fates wanted you to say, at the time you needed to say it.”

Percy does not like the sound of that one bit. “‘Pollo said the future stuff wouldn’t happen till I’m a lot older.”

Lee gives him a grin, “I asked Dad the same thing. He doesn’t think it’ll happen again. There were… a lot of reasons why that happened yesterday. We can talk about them if you want to know, but unless you genuinely want the full explanation, I think you might prefer to just put it behind you.”

Percy considers. “No, I don’t need to know. Think the forgetting might be a sun and ocean thing.”

Lee looks uncomfortable, but it sounds like truth when he agrees. “Yeah, it probably is. The only thing you need to be aware of is Dad is a little concerned that when you’re really overtired you might be a bit more… vulnerable, if you are around the wrong people.”

Percy squints at him. Huh?

Lee can see his confusion at least. “Dad thinks that while it is not what happened yesterday, there is a risk that when you’re super tired, if someone asks you a question about the future, you might give a prophetic response without meaning or wanting to.”

Percy does not like where this is going. Fighting over food is bad enough Lee, do not start monitoring Percy’s sleep too.

Lee is still grinning. “Gods, kid. The look on your face! No, I am not going to track your sleep. Or try and force a sleep schedule on you. Given the kind of dreams you have that would just be cruel.”

Yes, it would be very cruel Lee. Do not do that.

“What we are going to do is ensure that if you reach that level of exhaustion again, only people you absolutely trust will be allowed near you. Dad says if that means we call Artemis in anytime you’re in that condition, than that is fine by both of them.”

Lee has a goddess on speed dial specifically for babysitting an overtired Percy. Okay. Cool. Not thinking about that.

“What about the stuff I said? I was mean.”

Lee looks so sad now, “Percy, kid, it wasn’t mean. It was just honest. You have not hurt my feelings or Dad’s feelings. We do need to talk about some of it, but it doesn’t need to be right this minute. For now, I’d really like it if you’d consider having a shower, maybe getting dressed in some clean clothes?”

Percy considers. The cabin is really quiet. He doesn’t know how long he was crying for. “Won’t we be late for breakfast?”

Lee shakes his head, “You and I are going to have breakfast here today. Just us. You can decide in a bit if you want to go to lessons or not, Katie will manage just fine without me for one morning. Right now all you need to think about is you feel like you’re up to having a shower?”

That sounds… easier. He’s kinda stiff and a bit sick of staying all curled up. He nods and gets another smile from Lee. Percy stands up and nearly falls over.

“How long was I asleep?”

“Close to fourteen hours. I checked on you a couple of times, you were totally dead to the world, looked like you needed it.”

Yeah probably. Percy finally moves off, all his thoughts feeling kinda slow and syrupy. The shower helps a tonne, and he feels almost perky by the time he wanders back into the sitting room.

Huh. This is different. Lee’s left a full plate next to the armchair, Percy’s blanket is folded on the armrest with Eric perched on top. Lee himself is at the other end of the room eating with one hand while he flicks through camp paperwork, completely ignoring Percy.

That is probably deliberate. Percy isn’t quite that dumb. He does know when he is being manipulated. But it feels like eating might be possible? He is incredibly hungry. He has some very vague memory of being told he hadn’t eaten the day before, but that feels like a yesterday memory, so he probably hasn’t eaten in two days? Which would explain why he’s so hungry.

Percy sits on the armchair. He sits properly because he does know you are meant to sit up straight to eat. Even school said that.

Nope. Not gonna work. His stomach twists at the feel of his legs hanging down. He glances at Lee. Lee is still completely ignoring him, turning pages and writing things down occasionally.

Cautiously watching Lee out of the corner of his eye, Percy tucks his legs up. No reaction. He eyes the plate. Gods, he’s so hungry.

No. Stomach is still twisting, not safe. He sighs. Eyes the blanket beside him. Checks on Lee again. Still ignoring him.

Finally Percy decides to just go for it. He’s too hungry, if Lee’s gonna be angry he can be angry after Percy’s eaten.

He moves himself sideways so his back is against the armrest, his feet tucked under him, knees up to his chin. He drapes his blanket over his shoulders, checks Lee, still fine. He cautiously reaches for the plate. Flicks a glance at Lee.

He moves the plate to the armrest in front of him. Now he can sit in his little ball with his feet under him, knees tucked up, arms wrapped around himself and eat the food like the little gremlin Percy thinks he secretly might be.

Lee still hasn’t so much as looked at him.

The food is really really good. Percy had thought it might be. He’s always so freaked out at mealtimes that the food could be the best thing in the entire world and it’d still taste like cardboard. Without all the anxiety and the swirling auras, he can actually taste it. It’s just eggs and toast and a piece of bacon, but it’s so good.

He’s full long before he wants to be. He sighs. Is Lee gonna be upset he didn’t eat it all? Percy has no idea what the rules actually are.

Lee’s still quietly flipping through the paperwork, but Percy does need to know.

He debates for a little longer. Glances at Lee. Gives up.

“I can’t eat anymore. Sorry.”

Lee stays where he is but he immediately focuses on Percy. Lee has this huge smile on his face and his eyes are kind of watering? Those emotions look like they hurt, but his aura is all warm air, spilling light. No anger at all.

“Oh, Perce. No. Don’t apologise. You did so good for me. I am so proud of you. I know how hard that was, but I promise it’s gonna get easier. I am so proud of you, kid.”

Huh, Percy doesn’t know what to say to that. Felt kinda nice, but also, can we focus on something else now?

“Can I feed James?”

Wow, that was a very very loud laugh from Lee.

________________________

Percy is not actually Lee’s child. He only met him a month ago. But anyone who wants to try and say this kid is not Lee’s can fucking fight him. Mine.

Lee might be a touch delirious. Trying to sit still and keep himself focused on paperwork so the kid didn’t start reacting to Lee’s own anxiety was one of the hardest things he’s ever done.

Then to have the kid obsessively flick all those little side glances at him, checking over and over that Lee hasn’t moved, just so the kid could feel safe enough to eat some toast and eggs.

Lee needs to check with his dad that this ‘Gabe’ is dead, because if he isn’t Lee is going to personally stab an arrow through the fucker’s heart by hand, forget the bow.

Now the plate has been set aside and mealtime is over the kid is cheerful and bouncy and Lee is once again assisting in the complex ritual that is the feeding of the creepiest fucking fish he has ever seen.

Lee probably needs to stop swearing given he’s just fully committed himself to raising a small child.

And Percy is a small child again. His fear and anxiety is horrific to see, but all of him is moving and talking and acting his age. None of the confusing and terrifying conversations of yesterday where even Apollo wasn’t sure which version of the kid they were speaking with at any given moment.

Lee actually slept well last night. He half suspects Apollo added a touch of his own power to ensure Lee slept and didn’t just glue himself to the sitting room door. But Lee may have just been exhausted.

He’d still been up well before Dad’s dawn alarm. (Bizarre as his dad’s music choices can be, he’s fairly sure that song was chosen to confirm the kid’s okay and back at the right age. Or Apollo is just torturing them).

Lee is feeling like things might just be okay. There are a few conversations to be had in the future. Mostly around the dyslexia thing, and a lot of reassuring the kid that he can tell Lee anything and Lee won’t hurt him. A lot of it will just take time. He would like to find some way of confirming Chiron isn’t an active threat, he still can’t make heads or tails of what Percy said about the centaur.

Oh, thank the gods. The creepy fish has finally decided on what it wants to eat and now they can drop the little tray into the tank and be done with it. Lee thinks the creepy fish drags the decision out just to torture him. Did Percy really have to be able to talk to fish? Like was that particular ability truly necessary?

________________________

Today is going to be a good day. Percy just knows it. He ate breakfast! With Lee! James had lots to say about how much better Percy looks today. James even said he was impressed with how well Lee has been looking after Percy. James says he never thought a land dweller could be so good for Percy. (Actually he said ‘so good for a Prince of the Sea’, but Percy isn’t thinking about that bit).

And the new shield charm feels so much nicer and now he’s gotten past the icky remembering bit he’s actually looking forward to lessons.

Even Lee is like super cheerful.

They get to class late but no one seems to care about the time, the other Apollo kids all give him big grins but settle down and turn back to their own work pretty quick.

Georgie practically throws herself at him when he comes closer. She’s talking so fast with her voice all excited and bubbly. Apparently she’d seen him collapse and been so scared and she didn’t believe Apollo when he said Percy was fine and is he sure he really is okay?

Percy blinks, oh, she’s finally stopped. Kinda looks like she’s gasping for breathe. Did she seriously forget to breathe?

“Yeah I’m okay, I don’t remember a lot of yesterday but Lee told me what happened. It was just an accident. And Apollo fixed my shield. It was scary but all over now.” He gives her an bright smile.

She seems… surprised. He pauses, “Uh, you okay?”

“Oh! Yes, it’s just I wasn’t expecting you to be looking so… perky? Like, it’s awesome, and I’m so glad, but I thought you’d still be sick? You looked like you were dying?”

Percy winced, that would be because he was. “Apollo’s the god of healing, he fixed me all up and things just feel kind of… brighter today? I sense it’s gonna be a good day!”

She snickers, Percy likes that he can joke about the knowing with her. The others aren’t so big on him making jokes about it, either because he’s terrified them from the dying thing, or because of the whole divine prophets need respect thing. Which is just sad. Percy thinks he might like making people laugh.

He’s wondering if he should switch from annoying Lee to seeing how many times he can make him do that loud barking laugh thing again, like he did when Percy asked to feed James. He liked how Lee’s warm air and spilling light felt when he laughed.

Things settle back to their much more boring routine after that. Lee says Percy can pick what he wants to do today. Percy does have a vague memory of telling Lee he can’t read and write. He does not feel like talking about that right now though. So, he decides to draw.

It takes a few goes, he has to keep stopping himself when his hands go to draw the arena where Pallas died or the dark place where it hurt. He probably will draw them properly, just not when other people can see. When he gets the drawing right the dream kinda disappears from his head. But it would not be good if someone at camp saw a drawing of Pallas in her father’s arms, she looks too much like Annabeth. He’s already drawn Pallas before, he isn’t sure why he’s thinking about her again.

Percy passes the half finished drawings to Lee when he walks by and Lee doesn’t even ask, he just tucks them in his pocket and says he’ll keep them safe.

Eventually Percy’s hands listen and he settles into drawing the throne room on Olympus, it’s some random council meeting, he’s dreamed of thousands of them over the years, but Percy likes drawing the different symbols of power for each of the gods. Especially Zeus’s lightning bolt thing and Hades helmet. He draws them a lot. He should probably stop trying to work out why he draws specific things.

Percy’s not quite drifting but not entirely present when Castor’s voice pulls him back into the room.

“Hey Percy, can I ask you something?”

Percy looks over, Castor and Pollux are looking at him, more serious than the twins ever usually were. Percy was very tired of serious talks. He gets that the gods (and Lee) seem to always need to talk things over with him but the twins are only a year older. They don’t get to do the serious grown up talk thing!

“You just did? You can ask another, I guess?”

Pollux snickers and shoves at his twin.

Castor just rolls his eyes, “So Dad wanted us to check something with you about auras?”

Percy cringes. He really didn’t think Mr D was the type to send his kids to do his dirty work. He just wants to forget yesterday ever happened.

Castor face falls, “Wait, did I say that wrong? Pollux, I got it wrong didn’t I?”

Pollux shoves him again, “Yes, idiot. You forgot, like, all of the words. ‘Something about auras?’ Seriously?”

Pollux turns back to Percy.

“So, apparently I got all the brain cells when we were born. What this idiot was meant to ask, was about what our auras do to you. We can’t see auras but Dad says his kids tend to have super loud auras. He taught us some stuff because we used to give Lee massive headaches when we were younger.”

Huh, poor Lee. The twins auras are definitely LOUD.

“So we know how to make our auras kinda quieter? But we can’t actually really tell ourselves, because we can’t see them, so we usually have to ask Lee or Dad if it’s working. Anyway, that was also not what we wanted to ask about, it’s just like, background info.”

Okay, this was easier to handle. Percy doesn’t want to try and explain what he sees, but whatever they are getting at, it doesn’t seem to be that either. So he stays quiet and tries to wait a little more patiently,

Castor jumps in, clearly determined to prove Pollux wrong. “Anyway. Dad has this tradition for when one of his kids turns twelve, which is when we’d usually start finding out our powers if we have any?”

Pollux just shakes his head at him, “Still the wrong question, dude.” He turns back to Percy. “Short version, our auras are loud, when we turn twelve Dad gives us to a charm that he says ‘shuts up the metaphysical screeching of demigod essence’ cause he says it gives even him a headache. Pretty sure there’s more to it, but whatever.”

He takes a deep breath. Finally, Percy was starting to think the twins didn’t need air. People around him are having a lot of problems with talking and breathing today.

“Dad says he’d already been going to give us our charms early because of Lee deciding to stay on at camp, but now you’re here he was just going to give us them now.”

Percy still has no idea why he needs to know all of this.

“Dad said we had to check with you first, ‘cause you were really sensitive to auras and you might freak, uh, sorry, his word not mine, you might get worried if we both just disappeared off the map?”

Oh! Hey. That’s kinda sweet of Mr D. He didn’t want Percy to think Castor and Pollux had like, died because he couldn’t feel them anymore.

Percy grins at the twins. He’s not quite ready to say they are friends. He’s never had friends and it’s too big a thing to decide whether they count yet. But he does really like them.

“Thanks for telling me! Mr D was right, I would probably panic and think you were dead if you hadn’t told me. But, you don’t have to wear the charm just cause I’m here, I’m fine either way, but if you are going to, can you maybe let me know first?”

Castor snickers again. “That’s what we’re doing, shortstack, Dad’s gonna give us the charms tonight.”

Percy is not that short. Oh. Is he still going to be able to tell them apart if he can’t see their auras?

“It’s not going to totally get rid of your auras is it?”

Pollux looks confused, “Uh, no idea? We can’t see them? We can ask if you’d like?”

Percy shakes his head. “Nah, s’fine, I just kinda always use your auras to know who is who? Probably gonna get you mixed up if the auras disappear.”

Oh no. The twins look positively maniacal. Percy had forgotten how frustrated they’d been when they couldn’t pull their usual switching places pranks on Percy.

Castor confirms it. “Oh, we are SO wearing them now, this is gonna be so much fun!”

Percy can’t help grinning back. Maybe having friends could be kinda fun?

Chapter Text

Apollo popped in late in the afternoon on the that first day after the ‘necklace incident’.

He was full of yet more questions and this time Percy felt a little bit more willing to answer him. Which seemed to confuse Apollo.

“Uh, is something wrong?”

Apollo’s face is all big golden retriever smile, as he sits next to Percy at the beach. Percy is crouching at the point the waves just reach, tracing shapes in the sand, to be washed away with each wave. He is enjoying the way the ocean speaks to something deep inside of him.

Apollo is beside him, legs stretched out, leaning back on his arms and entirely unbothered by the way his jeans are totally soaked in saltwater from the movement of the tide.

“Nothing is wrong, you’re just being a lot more… open with me than you usually are, as if the words are coming easier.”

“‘Cause they are.”

Apollo just gives him that patented flat look, the one that says ‘dude, really.’ When Percy isn’t terrifying the guy, he gets that look a lot.

“Do you know if something has changed, or why things might feel easier for you now?”

Percy tugs the charm out from under his hoodie and shows it to him.

“Yes, I know you have a new shielding charm. I do remember yesterday.”

Percy grins, chirps, “I don’t!” Then gleefully watches all the different emotions cross the god’s face.

He settles back on a forced calm look, “Okay, I am really happy to see you like this. I am incredibly glad you feel comfortable enough to have some fun at my expense. Like seriously, hugely relieved that you are feeling better. But I also still need to get an idea of why. Because, kid, this is a total one-eighty from the past week, even if we ignore yesterday.”

Percy just taps the charm again. He knows that’s the answer. But he has no words to explain.

As Apollo keeps trying to find a new angle, and Percy keeps showing him the necklace, Lee wanders over, looking more relaxed than Percy has seen him in ages. Huh. Apparently happy Percy means happy Lee? Is that why they both kept melting down before?

“You alright there, Dad?”

“Your child has apparently discovered a new game, I am both very happy and very frustrated that I am his current target.”

Well, okay. Maybe. Percy was also kind of just trying to distract the guy from the fact he doesn’t know how to explain.

“My child, huh? I thought he was your prophet?”

Apollo shrugs “Yes, still my prophet, but I also do need to sort this out. I don’t want to risk just leaving it alone, not after everything yesterday.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Kid’s whole demeanour has completely changed, nothing that happened yesterday would explain it.”

Lee looks at Percy, “Can you tell me anything?”

Percy just shrugs, he’s getting uncomfortable now. This isn’t fun anymore. He taps the necklace, gestures to Apollo, gestures towards the horizon. They look blank. He sighs, uses his words, “I told you. The necklace.”

Lee tilts his head a bit looking at him, like he’s putting something together in his head. He looks at his father, looks out at the horizon where the sea meets the sky, realisation on his face.

He turns to Percy, “Is this to do with the sun and ocean?”

Percy nods, hugging himself. Even the water isn’t so fun right now.

“Aw, kid, it’s okay, no wrong answers. Can I see if I can explain it for you?”

Percy hitches a shoulder in a shrug.

Lee turns to Apollo, “So, something Perce mentioned earlier was that sometimes the words we use to explain things don’t make sense to him. The example he gave was that what we call ‘the sight’, is also what we’ve heard Perce call ‘the knowing’, but to Percy that part of him is the ‘sun and ocean’.”

That grabs Apollo’s attention, he turns to Percy flicking a glance back at the necklace. “Wait, when you say it’s the sun and ocean, is that just a nickname, or when you use your abilities is that what you actually sense?”

Yes! There we go.

Percy nods. “It’s your sun, and the other guy’s ocean.”

Apollo pauses, and asks very carefully, “The other guy?”

Percy taps the pendant again. “’S got you both in it.”

“Percy. You shouldn’t be able to feel either of those things. Not in the pendant. The point of the pendant is to shield you.”

This is getting annoying.

“Yes. I know. The other necklace. The one that broke. It was a void, all empty. Not nice. Felt icky. Helped lots anyway, but the ocean didn’t like it. The sun liked it. Ocean kept shoving back.”

Apollo is still speaking so very carefully, like he’s walking through a mine field. “So, your, uh, ocean responds differently to this charm?”

Percy does a big exaggerated nod, “Yes, ocean feels safe with this one. Happy. No shoving. Stopped yanking at me. Sun is happy too.”

Apollo seems to understand. Light is dawning. Finally. Awesome. Percy is going now. He’s done with questions. Pity James isn’t here.

“Can I go?”

Lee jumps in before Apollo can respond, “How about we take a break, maybe you can see what Georgie’s up to?”

Yep. Definitely. Bye.

________________________

Apollo, God of Prophecy watches as his only living prophet flees from him. Yeah, he’s not getting any more out of the kid today, is he?

“Uh, Dad? What just happened?”

Apollo blinks. Oh. Yes. He’s still trying to wrap his brain around that particularly revelation himself.

“I just learned the source of the kid’s abilities? And also found a solution to the bigger issue of keeping his power sealed until he’s older?”

“Wait, what?”

Apollo grins at his son, “Sun and ocean! Apparently we should have been taking the kid a little more literally.”

(Apollo should have also remembered that Uncle does not call it the sight. Poseidon, King of the Sea, calls it the knowing).

“Dad, I’m not following.”

“My shielding hasn’t been working because the kid’s sight apparently comes from two entirely separate sources. I have no idea how it happened, but apparently it did. I’ve held the prophecy domain for four millennia, there was never any reason to consider an older source. But someone did hold the prophecy domain before me.”

Lee looks at him blankly. Come on kid, just yesterday Apollo told him there were things that can’t be said out loud. They also discussed who had made the new charm. Make the connection. (He is definitely not admitting he also failed to notice what was right in front of him).

Ah! There we go!

Lee grins, “So the issue was you were only shielding half of his sight, and the other half wasn’t shielded because it didn’t recognise your authority as the God of Prophecy?”

Ouch. Dude. Really?

“Yes. Okay. Ha ha, very funny. Turns out, he needed the shielding to come from both of the original sources of his abilities. I would like to point out, I did tell you I was trying to find something that would work with the duality of his abilities.”

“Yeah, but you meant him being a sea kid and a prophet, not his sight coming from two separate sources.”

Apollo can’t help it, he snarks back, “You are in an unexpectedly good mood, the main reason I stopped by was because I was expecting both of you to still be struggling.”

Lee is unbothered, “Perce woke up an entirely different kid. Like, I don’t think I realised how strange his behaviour was getting until suddenly he’s back to being a hyperactive seven year old who’s mood changes on a dime and has the attention span of gnat.”

This is very true. The kid’s behaviour has not been that of a seven year old since he first put on the shielding necklace. What is it Uncle likes to say? ‘The sea does not like to be restrained.’

Ah. Apollo winces.

“Dad?”

“I just realised I was probably the cause of this whole thing. ‘The sea does not like to be restrained’, his sight was probably fighting tooth and nail against that original charm the entire time. No wonder he was struggling so much. I had thought it was being so surrounded by gods and demigods, but the first incident was within a day of my giving him the first necklace”

Lee winces too, looking sympathetic, “At least if something happens again you’ll have a better idea of what to do?”

Apollo nods. True. There were yet more conversations to be had with Uncle. Who is going to be unbearably smug about this. He’s bad enough with the gloating over Herophile.

But, if this is the answer, then Apollo is definitely having several more of the charms made, all heavily imbued with both his and Poseidon’s power. They are never going through a day like yesterday again. He refuses.

Lee interrupts his musing, “Does this mean he’s not going to jump around so much, like he sometimes talks like he’s a lot older?”

Apollo shrugs, “Probably, though it’s not an uncommon side effect when a prophet is actively using their sight, so it’s likely to still bleed through if he talks about his dreams, or attempts to give a prophecy.”

Lee shudders, “Once was enough, let’s not do that again.”

Apollo agrees. No more prophecies, not until he’s older and they are closer to the completion of Great Prophecy.

“I’m really hoping he can just be a little kid now, even if he is apparently a little terror when not distracted by his sight.” Lee continues.

Apollo also needs to find a way to persuade said terror to start calling it the sight, not the knowing. Apollo does not need people making that particular connection. Even if Apollo himself missed it, it’s not worth the risk.

He turns to Lee, “So if he’s now an actual seven year old, what do you think my chances are of him explaining the auras he sees, or what he said about your training master?”

Lee just laughs at him. Yeah. Apollo thought so too.

“My children used to actually respect me, you know?”

“I’ve told you before, I’ll say it again, if you wanted a polite kid, you should have picked a different mortal.”

Apollo decides that is quite enough disrespect for one day. He flashes away from the beach, Lee’s laughter still echoing behind him.

He can tell Lee about the other thing later.

________________________

Things are getting so much better. Percy has even had a whole week at camp where he has just been getting used to how everything has changed, yet again.

Some of the other kids are… not okay, with how different Percy is now. Which isn’t great, but even if he wanted to he can’t actually explain why it changed. Those explanations are not for him to know. Not right now.

Lee did give an explanation to his siblings, and to Silena, Drew and Georgie. Percy knows the explanation isn’t right, but he also knows it’s the right thing for Lee to say.

Lee tells them that Apollo hadn’t realised how different sea kids were compared to the land demigods, and his shielding hadn’t taken that into account. The new shielding is a bit more complex but is better suited to the “duality of Percy’s nature”. Lee also says the new charm is a lot more powerful.

When they ask why Percy acts so differently now, Lee goes on a long rambling explanation about how Percy had been seeing a lot more visions before the new charm and that Greek gods and heroes were kind of really violent and Percy had been struggling with what he was seeing… He makes reference to murdered babies and ‘non-consensual acts’ as well. The rambling goes on for a long time, and people’s eyes always glaze over long before Lee is finished. Lee looks like’s he having a lot of fun making people’s eyes go like that.

Lee is a good liar. Percy tells him this. It seems to catch Lee off guard, he sits there thinking very very hard about something before he finally turns to Percy.

“Hey Percy, I want to ask you something, but I’m really not sure if it’s okay for me to ask. I don’t want to accidentally trigger something for you.”

Percy thinks for a moment, glances inside. “You can ask.”

Lee’s still unsure. Percy rolls his eyes. “Sun and ocean says you can ask. Just ask already!”

Lee is still not quite sure what to do with a snarky Percy. It’s fun.

“Are you sure you are okay with me lying? There are times I’m going to need to lie right to your face in order to keep you safe. I’m… struggling a bit with that. It’s really not my thing to lie to people I care about.”

Yes. Percy has noticed this.

It’s almost as if Lee might be the son of the God of Truth, or, you know, something like that.

He glares at Lee and speaks very very firmly, “I can tell when you are lying to keep me safe. I want to be safe. There are a lot of bad things that will happen if you don’t lie to me. I don’t know what, exactly, but I know they are a bajillion times worse than anything Gabe did. And they won’t just happen to me. It’ll be everyone. Not just the camp. But, like, everyone. Everywhere. So. You need to lie to me. Please and thank you.”

This is clearly not the answer Lee was expecting. But after he chokes a bit, stares at Percy, looks away, blinks, turns back, stares at Percy some more… After all of that, something seems to settle in him.

“Okay. I’m not actually sure what answer I was expecting. You really caught me by surprise. But, thank you. I definitely want to keep you safe. I know things have been kind of weird with how abruptly it all changed, but I am so glad you are doing better.”

Lee gives him a sappy smile. Percy knows just how to fix this.

“Can I feed James now?”

________________________

Mostly, things don’t change. Percy changed, but the world around him is the same

Sure, there are some differences.

Percy eats all his meals in the cabin now. For the first couple of days, only with Lee, then Lee started sometimes going to the pavilion with the others and someone else would eat with Percy. They tried with Jenny, and Kayla and Silena first, then Will, Austin, and Michael. Percy wonders if they think he hasn’t noticed they tried the girls first and then the guys from youngest to oldest. Yes, he is still scared of men. But he lives with the Apollo kids! They don’t count!

Lee says if Percy keeps doing well they might start introducing more people, but no matter what, if he doesn’t want to go the pavilion, they won’t ask him to. Ever.

Unfortunately, not appearing for meals means Annabeth has had to find new ways to spy on him. It’s getting incredibly annoying. Lee keeps telling Percy to just let him know when he feels Annabeth nearby but it still feels kinda wrong. The only reason Percy knows is because he can feel her aura, she isn’t bothering anyone else, just him. So, it’s fine.

Lee has tried a few different ways to ask Percy to tell him when she is nearby. Percy finally got annoyed and asked why Lee was so obsessed with Annabeth?

Lee used that very careful ‘walking into a mine field’ voice as he asked Percy if he remembers anything about Annabeth from the day everything went wrong, just before everything went right (only Lee doesn’t call it that, he calls it the day of the incident).

Percy says no. Lee considers him. Asks if Percy would like Lee to tell him why he was concerned about Annabeth watching him.

Ouch. That was loud.

“Sun and ocean says absolutely do not tell me. I will remember if you do and it will hurt.”

Lee stops mentioning Annabeth after that. He and Apollo have learned not to push when Percy says not to ask.

The day after Lee had explained sun and ocean to Apollo, Apollo had made another attempt to get Percy to explain what he sees. Percy got annoyed and yanked at his inner ocean until it gave him the stupid words he needed to make the stupid god understand why this was a Very Bad Idea.

Percy’s voice changed as it deepened and rang with liquid sun and the churning currents of the deepest depths, “If I give you the explanations you seek, I will become fully aware of what is to happen on my sixteenth birthday. Your attempt at mending the tear in the tapestry will fail. You will not get the chance to try again.”

Percy blinked, and the world and Percy were back as they should be. Apollo was crouched in front of him, looking absolutely horrified.

The god’s voice was so hesitant, so scared, as he asked, “Perce, you with me?”

“That really sucked. Can we not do that again?”

Apollo nodded frantically, “Nope, not doing that again. I’m sorry kid, I shouldn’t have pushed so hard. Though, uh, if you feel like you can tell me, did you do that deliberately or was that caused by my pushing you for answers?”

Huh?

Oh. Yeah.

“I’ve already forgotten what I said, not for me to know. But, before, I got annoyed and you just kept asking, so I yanked at the ocean and made it give me the words to make you stop. ‘Cause I didn’t have the words, I just knew I shouldn’t say?”

Apollo is… less than happy with that answer. “Okay. Kid. Next time, before you decide to do that, please tell me what you are intending to do. Feel free to use it as a threat and hold it over my head as much as you want. Just… don’t try and force your sight again. I’ll stop trying to push for answers as well.”

Yup. Cool. Bye.

Lee thinks it’s hilarious that Percy has taken to just walking away from the sun god every time he decides he’s done talking to him. He says it’s excellent practice for when Percy grows up to be a proper prophet because his most important job will be annoying Apollo.

Percy is very much enjoying annoying people.

Castor and Pollux thoroughly approve. Percy thinks they count as friends now. They are super fun.

Sadly (for the twins) Percy can still see enough of their auras that they have no chance at fooling him. Mr D has taken this as a personal challenge and keeps adjusting their shielding charms to help the twins prank Percy.

Not much actual learning has happened in their morning lessons since Percy got his new necklace. Lee tells Percy he is a “thoroughly disruptive nuisance” and then helps him play tricks on the other kids.

Georgie is equally fun, though she is very confused by how Percy changed so suddenly. Percy knew she didn’t believe Lee’s explanation. She was a child of the sea, she knew it was nonsense.

It only took two days of Georgie acting weird before Percy asked sun and ocean if there was a way he could make her understand without risking anything.

“It really is because of the new shielding. The knowing was really messing with my head. The new charm just wasn’t done by Apollo. Apollo got help from someone who is not friends with the Olympians, they owed him a favour or something. But it’d be a big problem if people knew Apollo got the new charm from them.”

Sounds like word salad to Percy. He’s pretty sure it’s just a slightly changed version of one of Lee’s rambles, but this one makes sense to Georgie. She knows a lot about politics and gods being weird about who talks to who apparently.

The only other thing that has changed is Chiron.

Percy had really hoped never going to the dining pavilion again would mean he no longer had to deal with the icky aura anymore.

Chiron sometimes turns up at whatever scheduled afternoon activity they are doing. Lee watches him like a hawk and he always has some new reason why Percy needs to go do something far away from the centaur.

But even if Percy avoids him, Chiron. will. not. stop. thinking. about. Percy.

It’s like the way he would stare at him at dinner, but now his aura turns up and does the stabby thing randomly throughout the day. Percy has no idea how to explain what is happening. He doesn’t even know why Chiron cares about Percy. So Percy hasn’t actually told anyone about it.

The centaur is desperately worried about… something.

Something about snakes? Green… mist? And a pine tree?

Coz that’s super useful.

Chiron seems to think Percy will fix it. Percy thinks he is seven years old. Whatever it is, it is not Percy’s problem. Sun and ocean agree.

But all the other auras Percy feels are good, at least?

He was really worried that all the mess of the bad day turned good meant the other gods wouldn’t check in anymore. He really likes them. Then Percy started worrying that the new necklace would stop him feeling them. He doesn’t actually know how to take the chain off.

He’d had the new charm for less than a day when his worry got too much and just before bed, he asked Lee how to take it off. Lee very calmly and firmly told him that absolutely, under no circumstances, ever, at all, was the charm coming off. Not until Percy was much older and at least two gods were supervising.

Percy isn’t sure when the rules changed from needing Apollo there to now requiring two random gods, but whatever.

He kinda got emotional after that and he could feel the tears building. He’s already so over how much he cries. Even before he met Apollo this was never an issue. Now it just keeps happening, like, all the time. He’s tired and he wants to go bed but they won’t be there and that’s bad. So he needs the charm off. Now.

Lee is watching him as Percy tries very very hard to keep the tears inside. “Hey Perce, is this because you think I’m upset with you, or is something else worrying you?”

“Not scared of you.”

“Okay, is it because you can’t take the new necklace off?”

Percy, nods, shakes his head. Shrugs. He doesn’t know how to explain.

“Huh. Let’s try some yes or no questions, okay?” Percy nods.

“Does thinking about the necklace not coming off make you feel trapped?” Nope. “Does it feel like it’s choking you?” Percy rolls his eyes, nope.

“Okay, I take it the issue isn’t with the actually wearing the necklace part?” Nope. Feels nice actually, the charm feels like Percy would definitely like the people who made it.

“But there’s a reason you want it off?” Yes. “Is it blocking you from seeing something you want to look at?” He really doesn’t know, he shrugs.

Lee is doing the whole staring at Percy while doing complex maths in his head thing. “There’s something I want to suggest, but I’m not sure if it’ll trigger a memory. You think it’s safe to say?”

Percy takes the time double check. Yesterday was bad. He does not want to do that again. Yes, Lee is fine to say whatever it is. Hopefully it is helpful. He nods.

“You told Dad that when you felt the auras of different gods checking on you it made you feel like a normal kid with a family who loves him a lot.” Percy does not remember this. Sounds about right though.

“Perce, are you worried you won’t feel them anymore because of the new necklace?” Yes! Thank you Lee! Lee has words! Percy does some big nods that kinda make him sway a bit. He’s very tired. It was a good day, but also a very long day. Too much crying, too many emotions.

Lee gives him a relieved smile, “Dad knows that this is important to you. From what you’ve mentioned, you’re clearly still seeing plenty of auras around you. You don’t have anything to worry about. But, just in case, if you wake up tomorrow and you haven’t felt them, let me know and I’ll make sure Dad fixes it so you can still feel them.”

“But how does it come off?”

Lee’s voice is very firm again, “Even if I knew, I would not be telling you. Take the win, Perce, go to bed. In the morning, we can talk about it. But I’m betting it’ll all be fine.” And it was.

Percy climbs under his blankets, holding Eric and lies on his back watching Artemis’s stars above him. They hold just a ripple of her essence, a gleam of moonlight to give them an extra glow. He needs to remember to thank her for them, on the nights he doesn’t sleep he spends hours finding new pictures in the constellations.

Percy does not even have time to start worrying again about the new charm before the first aura drifts through the room.

It is Apollo’s liquid sun. Lee was right. Despite Percy speaking with the god earlier, Apollo has remembered that this is important to Percy. He also now knows Percy can tell what the auras say. He kept asking Percy to talk about it. Percy did not want to. This is for him and only him. If he explains, they won’t do it anymore.

It means the feel of liquid sun has changed, it is no longer the feel of safe/warm/care. Now it speaks with whispered silent words that echo with the sun’s warmth. “You are mine. Mine to care for. Mine to protect. You are safe. You can trust me. You belong here.”

It is… different. Percy is unsure how he feels about it. He liked the feelings because now he knows the gods never intended Percy to feel them. It was his little secret.

He’s still trying to work out what he thinks about the change when the silver moonlight comes. Percy is glad to feel how little it has changed. The moonlight gleams with safe/calm/protect/trust, with an extra promise of… belonging? It feels like a statement, a claim that says his/mine/ours/always. It’s nice. He likes this change.

Then, the ones he was most anxious about come. He doesn’t know if Apollo told anyone else that Percy is aware of them. Artemis probably knows. Mr D definitely does (Percy is already sad that he won’t feel the purple again). But the other three… He doesn’t want them to know.

The loud one is first. It is always the first. Crashing down across him, big and intense and filling the room with its everything. Tonight, it is full of the depths of the ocean, the places where sunlight cannot reach. It is full of twisting whirlpools and deep dragging currents, spinning and writhing like an underwater storm. It speaks of the ocean floor cracking, trembling, vibrating through the water. With the pressure of the deep it embraces Percy with mine/love/protect/home/proud. All of it is tinged with an odd half gleeful, half smug sort of feeling. This aura loves Percy, this aura is proud of Percy, and this aura is very pleased about something.

Later, when Percy is awake, he realises Sally’s tidal wave is a little like the loud one. But only as the faintest of echoes. He does not know why that would be. But it is interesting.

After the loud, comes the steady. Just as it did before. The curling currents that weave around him as he lies in bed, they carry a strength and a stillness in every movement. There is a flash of silver fish, frothy white waves and it sings of home/safe/strong/love/ours.

The conch horn sneaks in, slipping in quietly, snatching a peek with an odd sense of guilt. It fusses at him, as if Percy is to blame for it appearing in his bedroom. It lingers tonight, not the here-and-gone flash it usually is. In the sound of the horn there are waves going still, it crouches over a horse’s neck, wind whipping past, there is a stiff sense of pride woven through. All of it sounds with a call to arms, the horn leading the charge as it declares it’s strange mix of love/can’t-forget/protect/won't-forget/grief/stay/proud/sorry. It all surrounds him and again there is that odd sense of someone fussing at him. They are annoyed at him, but in a good way? Lee sometimes feels like that.

As the conch horn fades he feels the warm air and spilling light brush gently across him. Softer now, a little more focused, a little more intentional. It doesn’t say anything, just gently passes over and moves away.

Percy feels better as the warm air fades. They all came. Just like they were tucking a little kid into bed. He snickers to himself, except they were gods and he was a seven year old prophet. His life is majorly weird.

As Percy falls asleep, he feels the purple drift twine through the room like a vine, the movement so distinct. It’s different now, changed like the liquid sun. But also not. Liquid sun found out and turned the feeling to words, telling instead of showing. Purple drift changed too, but not with words. It dances around the room now, purple vines twisting around Percy, full of a gleeful I-see-you/I-like-you/mischief-maker/chaos-causer/please-do-more. He likes this better. It makes him smile as sleep takes hold.

________________________

Percy dreams of a graveyard.

He looks around. It is night but the world is not dark. There are lights in the distance, electric lights. He doesn’t dream of the mortal world very often.

This is a past dream. Everything is a just a little bit too old looking, yet without the wear of time. Percy knows virtually nothing about mortal history. He has learned more in his time at camp than he ever has in the years before.

Percy wanders for a while, looking at all the gravestones he cannot read. This is a quiet place, a peaceful place.

In a quiet corner, a man sits on a wrought iron bench. There are three gravestones in front of him, the largest in the middle with a smaller one on either side.

The man sits gazing at them, his face dark and broken, fists clenching and unclenching in his lap. He shuts his eyes and takes deep breaths, before returning to watching the quiet graves. Until his composure cracks and the cycle repeats.

Percy looks closer.

Percy doesn’t always see auras in his dreams, he’s not actually sure why they are sometimes there and sometimes not. In the same dream some people will have auras and others will not. He did not feel like trying to explain this to Apollo, so he has never asked.

There is an aura in this dream. If this man’s aura had been different, Percy would have called it loud. But there is so much peace within it, so much silence. Loud is the wrong word. Big? Overwhelming?

It is the ringing silence after a gavel falls, filled with the promise of the final peace, of stillness, calm, gentleness, welcome. It is the scent of the earth heavy with finality, harsh, unyielding, unavoidable.

Oh. This is Hades.

The man stills, stiffens slightly, a hand twitching as if to reach for a weapon.

“Peace, brother, I am not he.”

Another man, one with no aura, walks out of the darkness and settles beside the King of the Underworld.

Poseidon. A different Poseidon, in modern clothes, unexpected modern clothes. He is wearing… black? The sort of suit that is worn to a funeral, old but not, it is not from the now. But, it is similar to what Hades himself is wearing.

“You may not be he, but you are here on his behalf. Come to chase me back to my own realm?”

“Come to offer comfort to a brother in his grief.”

Hades scoffs. “Yours were unaffected, the younger dead years ago, the older beneath his notice.”

“And so I cannot understand what you have lost?” Poseidon is calm and composed, watching his brother closely.

Hades scoffs, “He took them from me. You and he forced the oath on me. Either of you can break it, I cannot. The Styx runs through my realm. It is too tightly twined with my being for me to go against such a vow. You have stolen the future from me.”

Poseidon sighs, running a tired hand over his hair. “It is only until the oath is broken, celibacy is against his very nature, it will not last. If I had not agreed, the war would have begun again. I am tired of so much death, tired of fighting.”

An empty laugh, a hand thrown out towards the graves, “YOU are tired of death? Look where we are! Were they an acceptable loss to you? The King of the Sea is famous for his protective nature towards his children. You chased Odysseus for decades, killed hundreds, all for merely blinding a cyclops! But mine matter not!”

“Brother, they will return to you in time.”

Hades voice is scathing, “Yes, because keeping the ghosts of my dead children as pets sounds like such an excellent idea.”

Poseidon just looks at Hades, still so calm and composed, “He cannot hear us, I have ensured he will be temporarily… distracted.”

Hades freezes. “What are you saying?”

“I am sorry. I knew you were with them. I sent the warning. I had not realised their mother was outside the reach of your shield.”

Hades lunges to his feet, he is standing, leaning over his brother, their faces nearly touching, his voice hard and cold, but quiet, as if he is terrified of being heard, “How much do you know? What have you done? Who have you told?”

Poseidon is unbothered by his brother’s threat, “Calm yourself, brother, I am not here to cause you further pain. I am aware of the… events. I knew they would not be safe at the camp. I had intended to offer you my aid in protecting them, all three of them. Alas, he was watching too closely. I was waiting until you were nearer to my realm or yours.”

Hades slumps back onto the bench, looking exhausted. “You wished to protect them? Why? They are just mortals. They are not yours.”

“But they are yours. You are my brother and you care for them in a way I have not seen before. Besides, they are children who know naught of our world. Our brother’s actions may have already turned them towards the very outcome he wishes to prevent.”

Hades laughs bitterly, “They will not know of his actions. I ensured it.”

Poseidon tilts his head, “The Lethe?”

Hades gives a single jerky nod.

Poseidon’s voice is full of conviction, “They will return to you, they are not lost forever. The oath will be broken in time and the prophecy will unfold. Regardless of our younger brother’s attempts to prevent it.”

Hades clearly does not believe him but gives no answer.

He continues, unbothered by the lack of response, “As to the rest. I have placed additional warding on their location, it will ensure you will receive a much earlier warning should our brother make another attempt.” Hades turns to him, panicked.

Poseidon raises a hand, halting his brother’s next words, “I have placed similar wards on a range of other locations throughout the mortal and the divine world. As far as he is aware, I have become overprotective in the aftermath of the war. I am merely placing wards wherever children of the sea may find themselves. As I can have none of my own, I naturally am now rather too interested in the children of the members of my court.”

The sea god gives him a small, slightly smug smile before turning serious.

“The only other who knows is my queen, it was… necessary. After the bolt struck, I realised your loss and moved to retaliate without considering the consequences. She stayed my hand.”

“As much as I wish him dead and gone, I would have lost the children if you had struck then. Please, thank her for me.”

“Ah, but no thanks for me?” Hades just raises an eyebrow at his brother’s tease.

Poseidon turns serious, “I did need to speak to you on another matter. In my distraction, I was unaware of your conversation with the oracle. I do not understand your actions. Grieving or not, it is unlike you to act so rashly.”

Percy perks up, most of this has been less than interesting and he is bored. But he’s heard about the oracle in the attic of the Big House. He knows she is the only other prophet in hundreds of years. Given the modern-look of everything, they must be talking about her.

“Our brother’s little mouth piece? Have you noticed that of the last few mortals to take on the spirit, they have all been known to our brother long before our nephew was able to locate them?”

Poseidon pauses at that, looking surprised, “He has been deliberately seeking them out? Why should he care for such things? He has never been interested in prophecy.”

“He is not. It is our nephew and the extent of his reach that interests him. I admit, I was angry at the oracle. I was also unwilling to allow our brother to continue helping himself to power that is not his to take.”

“Our nephew is furious, if you stay much longer in the mortal world he will seek you out and he will demand vengeance.”

Percy is getting frustrated. Too many words! No answers! Come on, people, give!

Hades looks back at the graves. “I have no real understanding of prophecy, I am content with the domains I hold. However, I am aware of how easily it can be used to change the balance of power. I trust our nephew to act with wisdom, he does not seek power for its own sake.”

“Long before all of this,” he nods towards to the graves, “I was concerned by our brother’s interest in the oracles. I had intended to approach you to request your assistance in aiding our nephew. Then, there was war, and the situation became too fraught for you to do anything but suspect a trick. So, I waited. I should not have.”

His voice turns angry and bitter, “The oracle came to me, just minutes after the bolt struck. She did not speak with the voice of the spirit. It was her own mortal voice that told me my children were doomed to die and there was nothing I could do to prevent it. This little mortal child stood there, in the ruins of my loss, and told me, ME, that I could do nought to her, because she was protected by the spirit. She is making a mockery of our nephew’s domain.”

Poseidon is watching him, mulling something over, “I had not thought of it before, the movements of mortals do not hold my interest. She should have been at the camp, should she not? How did she arrive so quickly?”

Hades just gives him a flat look, “She had help. From a god who is not her patron. The same god who told her I could do nothing to her, because the spirit protects her. So. I took away his toy.”

“Ah.”

Hades softens a little, “It need not be permanent, I have sealed the spirit within her body, but should my children ever be welcome again, should the oath be broken, the spirit will be free once more.”

“And if the body crumbles before your stipulations are met?”

Hades just shrugs, “Then, the spirit is lost. Given our brother’s attachment to the oracle, it may yet motivate him to allow the prophecy to reach its conclusion.”

“And our nephew?”

“He and I are not fond of each other. Our opposing natures prevent peaceful discord. I am aware the spirit was his only remaining prophet, but I would rather there be no prophets, than have them under our brother’s thumb. I will return to my domain and wait out our nephew’s fury.”

“Would you allow me to speak with him regarding his father’s interest in the prior oracles? I need not tell him the source of my information.”

Hades stands, “I care not, do as you wish. It is no longer my concern.” He walks to the graves, placing a hand on the central gravestone and bowing his head for a moment. As he turns to walk away he speaks, his back to Poseidon.

“I thank you for your care, brother. I had not expected such compassion, but perhaps I should have remembered that the sea is always loyal.” Hades fades into the shadows.

Percy watches as Poseidon stands and moves to the graves. He murmurs something. A small drift of power falls, twisting around the stone and drifting into the earth. “I am sorry. I will watch over them in your stead.”

The dream dissolves.

________________________

There is a very grumpy looking man standing on the beach.

Lee still hasn’t told Percy what they are doing today. Just that something had been set up for Georgie to “get some tutoring relevant to her heritage,” and that since Percy is the only other sea kid at the camp, he has been invited to come and watch.

This is the first time Percy has left the camp boundaries since he arrived, nearly six weeks ago. He’s super excited, and also kinda anxious.

Apollo is standing with them, he looks weirdly… Wait, is he nervous? But not about Percy. Percy is very familiar with Apollo’s fluttering every time something happens. Apollo is staring at the grumpy man, and Apollo is looking so nervous.

Apollo gives the grumpy guy a small smile. The grumpy guy tilts his head, giving Apollo a long considering look. Then, grumpy guy’s face softens slightly and he gives the sun god a regal looking nod.

Huh. Cool. No idea what that was, but at least Apollo is looking calmer now?

Apollo says he isn’t going with them. ‘Cause he doesn’t have a connection to the ocean and it’s unpleasant for him to be separated from his own domain. Percy thinks of how Mr D looked that first night and he agrees. That looked really painful.

But Lee will be going with Percy and Georgie! Percy’s kind of hopping up and down, he hasn’t actually been properly underwater yet. He can swim now and they go to the beach a tonne but Georgie says children of the sea can breathe underwater. Percy hopes she’s right ‘cause this is going to be super embarrassing otherwise. Also, drowning sounds painful.

Apollo and Grumpy Guy are having some sort of silent conversation. Grumpy Guy tilts his head towards the bluff behind them. Percy doesn’t need to look to know who’s there. Stupid centaur and his stupid aura.

Apollo tells Grumpy Guy he’ll handle it, and Grumpy Guy shrugs and turns to Percy and Georgie. He stares at them, examining them both like bugs under a microscope. He seems to stare at Percy even longer.

It’s Georgie he speaks to, “You have spent time on the sea floor?”

She nods enthusiastically and babbles about the time her mother (Galene, the godly one, not the mortal one) took her to see Atlantis. Grumpy guy gives a nod. Looks at Percy. Then turns to Lee.

“I was informed the prophet has spent no time within his domain?”

Huh. Rude. Percy has spent lots of time in the ocean.

But then Lee says neither he nor Percy has ever been beneath the surface. Oh. This is true. Grumpy Guy is trying to work out if Percy can breathe underwater. Percy had been planning to check before today, but Lee panics if he stays underwater where he can’t see him.

Grumpy Guy gives Lee a bracelet and tells him that it will allow him to breathe underwater as if he were on the surface. He doesn’t give Percy a bracelet.

He gestures towards the water, and turns and starts walking back into the ocean, clearly expecting them to follow. Nothing has been said about Percy and the breathing thing.

Percy doesn’t do touch, but Lee is not looking at him. Percy grabs at Lee’s shirt.

“What’s up, kid? I thought you’d be excited?”

Percy mumbles something about breathing.

Grumpy Guy turns back to see why they’ve stopped. He stands waist deep in the water, looking so stern. His face softens slightly when he sees Percy standing half-behind Lee, the water barely reaching his knees.

He glances at the bluff for a moment, waiting for something. Percy feels both Chiron and Apollo move away.

Then, Grumpy Guy turns back to Percy, “Do not fear, child, I am told it is a unique experience for a child of the sea to fully enter their domain for the first time. You need only walk forward and breathe normally. It is in your blood, the sea is where you belong.”

Huh, that was almost… kind.

Okay. Percy can do this. He loves water. He loves the ocean. Breathing water still sounds really weird though.

Georgie is plunging on ahead as the Grumpy Guy disappears beneath the waves.

Lee gives Percy another smile and they walk forward into the ocean.

________________________

Curse his mother with her meddling and her devious little plans.

It was one thing to watch the child from afar. It was even acceptable to allow them to use her to provide an additional layer of protection to the prophecy child (the child prophet? It seems wrong that such a small creature is both).

Triton could handle these first two expectations from Mother. Her expectation that he tutor these two overexcited demigod children may be quite another matter entirely.

On the surface, the child prophet bounced in place, his eyes dancing from one thing to another, not a single part of him remaining still for even a moment. Triton cannot understand how someone could consider the child to belong to anyone but Father. Before Triton is the living embodiment of Father’s domain.

He looked like Father too. Or like Triton. At least when Triton is beneath the waves and not in that less than regal, mortal appearing form. Father believed it best that Triton not come face to face with the centaur, at least not this first visit.

Although. Neither he nor Father had ever been quite that small. This cannot be normal for mortal children. The child barely comes to his caretaker’s waist. Galene’s girl towers over him, half as tall again. Father’s trident was more than twice as long as this… infant.

Triton sighs, irritated already. He had already intended to be less hostile with these children, but even his usual stiff demeanour feels a little too cruel when faced with such a small child.

The infant is bouncing again.

The moment he took his first breath of the ocean all his fear melted away. For a moment, Triton felt privileged to witness the infant experience his heritage for the first time. Then he was off, and Triton has been attempting to persuade him to stay in one place ever since.

Every time he turns away, even for a moment, the infant begins babbling to every nearby sea creature. Triton now has far too large of an audience for his complete failure to contain two demigod children

The girl is a little calmer. Her eyes are sparkling and she looks like she might explode from the effort of restraining herself from imitating the infant’s movement, but she at least appears to have been given some instruction on respecting one’s teacher.

Triton finally gets the infant corralled besides Galene’s daughter, standing on the sea floor, sunlight dappling through from the surface far above. The caretaker is just watching, highly amused. He has made no effort to assist. Nor has he asked for Triton’s identity. Triton suspects the caretaker is aware of the truth of the matter. There’s far too much mischief in his eyes, he is the very image of the sun god at his most devious.

Finally, finally, Triton is able to introduce himself.

He announces to his audience of three, “I am Prince Triton, Prince of the Sea, Heir to Poseidon, Herald of the Ocean, Messenger to the Gods of the Sea.”

Galene’s girl freezes. Straightens, eyes huge and shocked. The infant pauses also. Though, his expression holds far less awe and more simple curiosity.

“Say, Prince Triton, would your symbol of power be a conch horn, by any chance?”

The caretaker is laughing now. Triton is missing something. He turns back to the infant. “Indeed it is, it represents my position as the Herald of the Ocean.”

“Huh, cool.” There is too much glinting mischief in the infant’s eyes, he looks too much like Father about to play a prank on his own court.

Triton decides he would rather not know what is going through the infant’s head. He turns back to Galene’s daughter. Mother was very clear. While the girl is merely a means to an end, she is still to be rewarded for the service she is unknowingly providing the royal family. Triton must be polite.

“How shall I address you?”

“Oh! Georgie is fine, I don’t have any titles.” Not yet, anyway.

Should the infant live through the coming events, this girl too will be rewarded when he is crowned.

“Very well, Georgie.” He turns to the caretaker, “and you?”

“Oh! You can call me Lee!” Wait. He has been told of this one. This one has a title.

It has been many centuries since the sun god has had more than the Oracle of Delphi under his care, but Triton has not forgotten the customs. He has always taken careful note of them. Apollo is the only land dwelling god who has earned Triton’s respect. He knows the correct title for one of Apollo’s High Priests.

“Not Hierus?”

Standing behind the infant the caretaker waves his hands frantically, shaking his head, gesturing to the infant who is yet again babbling to the fish. The caretaker’s eyes are wide as he mouths at Triton “No. Don’t. When he’s older. Not now.”

Odd. He will need to ask Father. Or the Sun God. It is not right to deny one the proper respect. Especially when this High Priest is sworn to serve the infant who will one day be a Prince of the Seas. Who is Triton’s brother.

“Very well, Lee.” Triton attempts to catch the infant’s attention. In the end Triton only manages it by ordering all of the nearby creatures to vacate the location. When the infant loses his audience he finally turns his attention to Triton.

“Prophet, how do you wish to be addressed?”

The boy stares at him, looks to the High-, no, looks to Lee. There is that look in the infant’s eyes. The one that reminds him of Father at his worst, Lee steps in as the infant opens his mouth.

“You can call him Percy, or if you have a nickname for him, feel free to use it. Do not listen to anything he suggests.” Lee glares at the infant as the child slumps his shoulders, as if his toy was stolen from him.

Oh. Dear. That bad already?

“Very well. I shall call you Percy. I am here as a personal favour, specifically to teach Georgie,” The name falls oddly from his lips, “the use of the trident.”

The girl is stunned silent, mouth opening and shutting like the fish he has just chased off. “Uh, Your Highness, um, are you sure there isn’t a mistake? I, uh, my mother, she isn’t… she’s not…” The child trails off, her face turning red.

At least one of them is aware of the magnitude of current events.

“Mother informs me that she and Galene have recently become closer. Mother now considers Galene to be a much favoured sister. They also wish to ensure the safety of yourself and the Prophet, Percy. “ Using names and not titles sounds so very strange. Land dwellers do not appreciate the power of names.

He tries to give the girl a gentler look, “There is no mistake, I am here to train the only demigod daughter of Galene in the use of the trident. That is you, Georgie. Also, while the family would prefer their interest in Apollo’s Prophet to remain unnoticed, Percy will also begin his training so he can one day wield the trident.”

Triton’s lips quirk as he flicks a glance towards the infant, “Though I believe it will be some time before his height allows him the use of one suited to actual battle.”

The infant rolls his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, I know I’m short.” The infant’s face is contorting as he debates something, before he turns to Lee, “Uh, I really really wanna do this, but also, I think Apollo would freak if we didn’t ask him first?”

While his manner of speech is painfully casual, Triton does approve of this evidence of the infant’s respect for his patron. Apollo is worthy of respect.

Lee grins cheerfully, “Don’t worry kid, he knows, he gave me the heads up a while back. I just thought you and Georgie would like the surprise.”

Georgie looks like she may murder Lee. Her cheeks are still red.

This may prove more entertaining than expected. At least now Triton has provoked enough interest for the infant to voluntarily pay attention.

Chapter Text

This was getting incredibly frustrating. Where is he?

Things were going well. It has been weeks since the incident, when his dad’s stop-gap solution turned out to be the actual missing piece of managing Percy’s sight.

Apparently all they needed was the power of Poseidon working in conjunction with Apollo’s and suddenly the kid was just a kid again.

Percy does still have the sight (Percy is still calling it the knowing, Lee can tell a lost cause when he sees one, his dad remains determined but won’t explain why). These days when Percy’s eyes do that thing where he’s no longer present, it’s almost always deliberate.

Percy is too curious for his own good and for Percy the sight is just a natural extension of his senses. Which means multiple times a day the kid blinks and for a moment he’s not in the room. Never lasts long, usually just the space of a breath and then he’s back. Occasionally, he even shares what he saw with Lee, which is a huge improvement.

A couple of times the drifting seemed a little more involuntary. Percy hadn’t intended to but the sight had shown him something anyway. Lee would be concerned but it seems to have specific triggers.

The first involved an accident in the woods. If Percy hadn’t seen the youngest Ares kid fall out of that tree, kid would have died long before they noticed he was missing. The second time, some utter moron from the Hermes cabin had attempted to steal the creepy fish. Lee might not like the creepy fish but it had been a demigod, and it lived in the Apollo cabin. Therefore it received the same loyalty as the Apollo kids had for each other.

Because Percy had seen the theft, they prevented the kid even stepping foot in their cabin. Lee’s siblings gleefully took revenge on the entire Hermes cabin, with the kid leading the charge. Lee pretended not to notice. Kid deserved a reward, he did good.

The Percy Lee has gotten to know since the day of the incident is exactly who Lee had originally expected him to be. Scared and still affected by the abuse from before, but a good kid at heart who easily found a home and a family with the Apollo kids. Although the kid might have the most changeable emotions Lee has ever seen, day to day his personality does not change. What you see is what you get.

Lee had asked his dad about the emotions thing. He was less than happy when he learned it was a well known trait of children of the sea. The specific parent tends to influence the intensity of the turbulence, but all of them are consistent in their changeability. Dad could have warned him!

Given that Lee now knows who Percy’s parent is, well, Lee is in for a wild ride. He is already dreading teenage Percy.

There are tears when Percy is overtired, when he is scared and when he gets twisted up thinking they are going to make him leave. Lee has no idea how the whole ‘divinely ordained prophet of Apollo for life’ thing keeps skating right past the kid.

Making Percy sit still for more than ten minutes now results in explosive hyperactivity exactly like any other demigod child of a particularly powerful god. Most of the time, the kid is a tiny ball of mayhem and mischief. Mr D has dubbed him the Chaos Causer and seems entirely too gleeful as he sits back and watches, not lifting a finger to assist in containing the tiny terror.

Even with all five of Lee’s siblings helping (plus the three unofficially adopted members of the family), the kid regularly disappears on them.

Which is where the frustration comes in. Until recently Lee wasn’t too bothered by the vanishing act. It’s annoying, because the little charm that allowed him to track Percy’s aura before isn’t strong enough to nullify the new shield. If this keeps up Lee may actually have to see if his dad can call in another favour from the King of the Sea.

Lee hadn’t been worried at first. Percy still has the sight and he instinctively uses it to keep himself safe. The only reason the kid would willingly leave the camp borders unescorted is if there was a greater threat inside them. Lee is very confident that if the kid didn’t feel safe he would call for Apollo or Artemis. Non-interference rules don’t apply to Percy and at this point he’s just collecting the allegiance of greek gods as casually as Austin collects Pokemon cards.

The only time Lee can be confident Percy won’t vanish is his twice weekly trident lessons. He’s not sure if the appeal is in actually learning the weapon (using the most adorable miniature trident Lee has ever seen) or in torturing Triton. Percy may be deliberately keeping himself unaware of their specific relationship, but he has the ‘world’s most annoying little brother’ routine down pat. It’s fast become the highlight of Lee’s week to watch Percy drive the stoic Prince of the Sea to utter distraction.

The rest of the time, if Percy vanishes he’s gone to find Castor and Pollux, or Georgie. Or he’s decided to feed the creepy fish, or there’s a dolphin at the beach he wants to meet… Essentially, if Lee turns around and the kid’s gone, it’s because the kid is off having fun and enjoying being a little kid.

Or it’s because Chiron is nearby. They still haven’t pinned Percy down over whatever is going on there. He dodged the questions at first and now Percy just pretends he can’t hear them if anyone tries to bring it up. He kept just walking off every time Apollo appeared until Dad agreed to stop asking about Chiron.

So they are stuck with Percy’s original description. Chiron’s aura is apparently “stabby and dark” and the very vague addition of it being not as bad as whatever the kid saw that had freaked out Dad and Mr D so badly. His dad said that what Percy had seen was at such an extreme end of things that he really doesn’t know how to quantify Chiron being “not as bad”.

Something has changed in the past week. Multiple times now, when Lee finally locates the kid, Percy is upset and trying to hide it. The kid’ll readily admit why he disappeared, but shuts down any attempts to ask if something has happened. It’s not every time, but it seems to be occurring at least once a day now. Lee’s siblings have even started stalking Chiron, since he’s easier to find, but they never see Percy anywhere near him.

Today Percy has pulled a more extreme vanishing act. He’d disappeared within twenty minutes of morning lessons. Lee hadn’t been too concerned as Castor and Pollux were gone ten minutes later, and Georgie was smiling all innocently at Lee. Lee may not be able to track Percy anymore, but Mr D can track the twins. Which meant Lee gave it a bit longer than usual.

When all three hadn’t reappeared in the classroom by lunchtime, Lee went searching. He found Castor and Pollux sitting with their father. The twins said they hadn’t seen Percy for a couple of hours. Mr D confirmed this, worry showing in his eyes. Mr D liked Percy, he wouldn’t lie about where Percy is. (Unless, of course, Percy was off causing mayhem with his twins).

Lee had kept searching. An hour later all his siblings along with Silena, Drew and Georgie joined the search of the camp.

Lee took a breath. No one has seen Percy for three hours. He’ll give it another hour, and if the kid hasn’t shown up, he’s calling in Artemis. For some reason she has an easier time of locating the kid. The kid can even hide from Apollo when he wants too.

“Lee?”

Lee turns, he really has not got time for camper disputes, he needs to find the kid.

His tone is much sharper than intended, “What is it Clarisse?” Clarisse is a new camper, just started last week as a year rounder with the Ares cabin. Like most of the Ares lot her mum is deployed and using camp as a safe place to stash the kid until her tour’s over. She is also, like eight? nine? Lee needs to be nicer.

“Uh. Um. I need to ask something before I can tell you.”

“Clarisse, I really can’t spare the time, can this wait?” Lee glances over before turning back to his search around the outside of the main armoury, kid is too damn small, he fits into too many tiny spaces.

The nine year old (eight? Lee’s been kind of distracted recently) squares up to him, giving Lee one of those patented furious child of war looks. It’s impressively fierce given her pint-size, burning into the side of his head. Pity Lee has become virtually immune to it after seven years at the camp. “I KNOW you can’t ‘spare the time’ you’re searching for the kid, right?”

Lee’s head snaps towards her. “Where is he? Tell me Clarisse.” She just glares at him. “No. Not till you answer me.”

Gods! Seriously? Lee sighs, “Okay, what is it?”

“Are you the reason he’s crying? Did you hurt him? ‘Cause I’m not telling you where he is if you’re the reason he looks like that.”

What. No. Not again. Please. No. The new charm is stable. Dad checks it regularly. There is no way this is happening a third time.

“Clarisse, I swear I have not hurt him. I would never hurt him. He’s my kid. The last I saw, he snuck out of class to go and pull pranks with Castor and Pollux. The twins came back, he didn’t. He knows he isn’t in trouble. As long as he stays in camp and doesn’t hurt anyone he can sneak around and be a little menace as much he wants. He knows this. I need to find him. Where is he Clarisse?”

She stares at him, all righteous fury with an odd touch of protectiveness that is not the norm for a war kid.

“Clarisse, please. Percy always comes and finds me if he’s hurt or upset, if he hasn’t there is something very wrong. He needs help. Tell me!”

He’s about to physically shake the girl when she finally decides he’s being adequately sincere.

“I’ll show you,” is all she says before walking off.

Lee quickly follows Clarisse to one of the lesser used training areas, overgrown and worn out. They’d cleared the weapons from the shed a while back since the only secure part was the lock. Since then, someone has broken through the corner of the wall to create a little access point. Clarisse can manage it fine, Lee has more trouble squeezing through.

It’s dark inside, Lee at least had a torch with him. It has become a necessity with how often he has to go Percy-hunting.

Oh, kid.

He’s curled up in a corner, his breath wheezing in his chest. Tears tracking down on his face. He doesn’t react when Lee calls to him, and it’s only when Lee moves to get a look at his face that he realises the kid is very much not present.

He speaks to Clarisse without looking away, “Do you know how long he’s been like this?”

“No, I just found him. I come here to get away from the others. Soon as I realised he couldn’t hear me I went to find someone to help.”

“Okay. I need you to go and get Mr D. If he plays games with you tell him Lee said something is very wrong with Percy, speak over the top of him if you have to. He’ll behave as soon as you say that.”

Thank the gods for war kids and their love of arguments. Clarisse takes his words as a personal challenge and races off.

Lee crouches down near the sobbing wheezing kid, this is… not right. He’s never seen the kid have a physical reaction to the visions before. Oh. Probably not a vision.

This looks more like a panic attack. Maybe? Panic attacks Lee can handle.

“Percy, can you hear me? You with me? It’s Lee, I’m right here, can you hear me?” Was that a flicker of a response? Just for a second?

Lee is not great with the aura manipulation thing. He’d only learned he could do it on that day, but he’s been working with his dad to try and make it a more directed. It isn’t really a skill people consider useful, but Percy likes it, so Lee is determined to learn. Percy doesn’t do touch, like, ever, so this is the best Lee can do for grounding the poor kid.

He focuses now, pushing at the feeling of more, that tiniest touch of the divine that runs through his blood. That part that lets him see the auras of the gods. He pushes as much emotion as he can into that bit of the divine, drilling down on the feelings of family, of belonging, of care, that are embedded in his core. He shoves it all at the kid, still talking quietly, trying to pull him back.

Kid’s eyes might be a little clearer? Oh, there we go, Percy’s head is tilting moving towards Lee, it’s slow, but the kid is responding. Lee keeps talking, keeps pushing at that feeling of the divine, shoving all of it at the kid.

Lee would really like Mr D to turn up soon. Please.

________________________

Warm air, spilling light. Safe, home, love, family…

His lungs are wheezing, breathing hurts. Is it dark?

What happened?

Warm air is near. He likes warm air. Warm air is safe. Warm air is talking. Warm air’s tone changes. Who is he talking to?

Purple vines. Twisting and twining. They feel wrong. They are meant to be happy, teasing, fun. Make him smile. These are serious, they tap at him, pull at him, twisting over him, tugging at his hands, patting his face. They push thoughts at him. ‘Wake up, answer, respond, you are safe.’

He isn’t sure if he should. Purple vines get more insistent, they tell him if he doesn’t respond they will make him. They are offering a choice, but he needs to choose now. Making him doesn’t sound good.

His chest hurts. He blinks. Voices.

Warm air, “Percy, I’m right here, I need you to respond to me. Can you hear me?”

If Percy has broken the necklace again he is going to kill someone. He does not know who. But he is not going through that again.

He sighs. His voice is not really there, just a whisper.

“Did t’charm break ‘gain, can’t ‘member?”

“There you are! No, your charm is fine, we still aren’t sure what happened. We didn’t want to touch you without your permission, but would you be okay if I carried you back to the Big House?”

NO!

“Uh uh, not goin’ there, no. No, Lee. Not there.”

Lee seems fine with that, “Okay, how about back to the cabin? We can go to the sitting room and you can talk to the creepy fish? I think I’ll still need to carry you though, your breathing isn’t sounding great.”

No duh.

“Yes, fine. S’long as not house. Not w’the stupid green mist, ’n stupid snake ’n stupid tree.”

Percy makes Lee and Apollo do that flicker/ripple thing way too often.

“Okay, I’m going to pick you up now. Uh, Mr D, this sounds like something you might want to be present for?”

Mr D apparently agrees. Lee scoops Percy up and holds him like he’s a princess, though he does let Percy stay a little more upright and prop his head against Lee’s shoulder. He doesn’t think he’s ever been this close to Lee. Touch is normally not nice. Lee is nice though. He may need to rethink his views on hugs.

The new girl is outside, watching them. Oh. That’s sad. She’s got the war drum of the angry kids, the one that vibrates in the chest, all commanding and powerful, full of the call to war. The call to arms, kinda like the conch horn. Hiding the good bits with the warrior. Her war drum’s the loudest he’s ever heard in someone not a god. She even has the feel of the high chin, planted feet and crossed arms, but she’s missing the blood and the sword and the crunch of bone.

There’s something else in there. She’d been looking for Percy. She knew. But she’s a shield, all fierce intense focus, sharp eyes. All the angry parts the other kids have are different in her. Every part of her screams at Percy with it’s need to protect. But it’s sad. Someone died. Or was that conch horn? If Percy could focus he’d feel more, know more. She’s interesting. But she’s sad too. Percy should fix it.

He tries to tell Lee this, but his head is kinda smashed into Lee’s shoulder and they apparently made it all the way back to the cabins while he was thinking about the new girl.

Sigh. Apollo is waiting for them. Looking stressed. Seriously? If the necklace is fine, Percy is fine. Go away, Apollo.

Lee sits him on the couch and goes to move away, Percy grabs him. Lee is very surprised, but seems willing to sit next to him.

Now Apollo is crouching in front of him. Again. Yay.

Lee’s voice, “Percy, is it okay for Dad to check you over? We still don’t know what happened. You sort of just vanished for a few hours, Clarisse found you in the shed.”

Huh. “Shed?”

“Yeah, the one near the old arena, where you and Georgie had a water fight?” Why was Percy there?

“You’ve uh, recently been pretty upset when we’ve found you after you’ve been gone for a bit. I know you don’t like us pushing but we do need to know what happened.” Lee pauses, Percy’s chest is hurting even more, he doesn’t want to talk about this. It was bad.

Lee again, “Percy please, your breathing’s sounding pretty bad, please let Dad look at you.”

Apollo is still crouching there, staring at him. Not speaking. The dude’s practically vibrating with how hard he’s trying not to just do the overwhelming sunshine thing and fix Percy. Again. After the last time, when Percy tripped and got a gravel rash and Apollo freaked out, Percy had made lots of threats of what he’d do if the dude kept fussing over him. Percy is mortal. He’s gonna get hurt. It’s a fact. Stop with the panicking!

Sigh. Might be easier to just let him this time. Percy holds his hand out to him, Apollo almost snatches at it in his hurry.

Liquid sun washing away all the tight chest weirdness. Breathing is nice.

Apollo looks relieved, but not the ‘my prophet almost died again’ relief, just the ‘oh it was just a scrape, false alarm’ relief. Good.

Apollo tells Lee and Mr D it was a bad panic attack. They seem to have expected this. Huh.

Lee is still sitting next to him, much closer than Percy has allowed before. Percy sneaks a glance, Lee looks warm and comfy. And he had thought a hug might be nice. Huh, may as well. Might even distract them from the questions.

He scoots over, snuggling in against Lee who has gone all frozen and tense, but the warm air and spilling light is going all melty and gooey, so Lee can’t be upset with him.

Eventually Lee relaxes and very carefully drapes his arm around Percy. Huh. Even better. Blanket would improve things though. Oh hey! Mr D has his blanket and Eric all ready for him. Now it’s perfect.

The two gods are just watching him, both looking a little too amused. He can see Apollo give Lee a look over Percy’s head. “Kid, this is super nice and we can definitely do this as much as you want, but we still do need to know what happened.”

Percy flicks a glance over at James’ tank. “We can also feed the creepy fish, but it’s not going to get you out of this conversation.”

Come on Lee. That usually works!

Lee sighs, “You were very clear that you didn’t want to go the Big House. You also mentioned green mist, a snake and a tree.” Yes, Percy did that say that. Oops.

Apollo asks, his voice tight, “Does this have anything to do with Chiron?”

Percy stiffens. How do they know? They should not have linked those two things. Technically it wasn’t Chiron anyway. The other times were fine. He could handle it. It was just today was much worse, he’s not sure why. It was like… no. Don’t think about that. He thinks the knowing made him forget. It’s why he doesn’t want to talk about it.

He’s going to have to say something, but Mr D is still here, looking super serious for once. Uh. Percy isn’t sure if Mr D is allowed to know about this stuff.

“‘Pollo, gonna have to talk ‘bout sun and ocean to explain, but I don’t know…” He trails off, glancing at Mr D again.

Apollo looks at Mr D and Percy thinks they are talking silently. Apollo turns back to Percy. “Is this something we’ve discussed before, or did someone tell you something that forced you to become aware of…?” That probably should not make sense, but Percy and Apollo are getting better at the understanding each other thing.

“Not that, still not for me. Might be something you and Mr D already know, only I forgot. Then I remembered, now I forgot again. Not sure if I should say more ‘less it’s fine for Mr D to hear.”

“Go ahead and say it, but if your sight tells you not to mention a specific part, that’s okay too. Just tell us what you can.”

He snuggles in against Lee, turned his face towards Lee’s chest, he doesn’t want to talk about this. He’s mumbling again, “Got distracted today, Castor ’n Pollux ’n me were playin’ w’ the naiads, then heard a whale. So I wen’ t’ say hi.” Lee stiffens.

Huh? Oh! Percy shakes his head hard, still tucked against Lee, “Didn’t leave! Was at t’beach, inside the border, j’st talked, whales can hear long way.”

Apollo speaks, doing his special Percy voice, full of calm song and extra soothing, “Okay, so after you left Castor and Pollux you went to the beach and talked to the whale, what happened next?”

“Was focused on t’whale, needed to use t’water bits of me to talk and so ignored the sun and ocean.”

Apollo summarises what Percy said, just without the word salad and prompts him again, so far he’s still calm. He’s gonna be angry soon. Lee too.

Percy curls against Lee tighter, taking deep breaths, he will not cry, he will not cry. “I should have listened, but the whale was fun. Sun and ocean said look out, watch, but I didn’t. My fault.”

Apollo’s talking but Percy isn’t listening anymore. He’s gonna cry. Sun and ocean has a suggestion. Percy doesn’t like it. Be easier though. He sighs against Lee, talks over Apollo, “Mr D, can you fix me, n’t gonna g’t through this ‘less you do, sun ’n ocean say t’ask”

Mr D’s aura is very confused. Huh. Cool. Percy did not know that was possible. Apollo speaks up, “Dio, Percy’s wording may be a touch… unique, but he is asking you to help him stay calm so he can speak to us, isn’t that right, Percy?”

Yes. He nods against Lee.

Drifting purple. It’s been a while since he’s felt one of Mr D’s chill pills. Works though. He takes deeper breaths, the prickling of his eyes and the tightening of his throat finally easing. He stays where he is, face shoved against Lee’s chest.

Okay. There must be a way to explain without it being word salad…

“I was talking to the whale for ages. I don’t know how long. Like I said, I got distracted. Didn’t feel it behind me.”

Cool, that made sense. Apollo wants to know what he felt behind him.

“Whispers and owl.”

Darn it. Word salad. Wait. Huh. They apparently know what he means. Oh. The sun is blazing, crackling, loud and big and scary and uh oh. That is a lot of anger. Even purple is burning. He knew they’d be angry. No. Bad. Stop. Lee, fix it. Percy clutches at Lee. Apollo is a god. This will hurt.

“Dad, you’re scaring him.”

Harsh breathing evens out, the blazing sun dims, pulls back in, turns back to Apollo’s liquid sun, gentle and soothing and kind.

Apollo’s voice is all tight control, “Percy, did Annabeth sneak up on you?” Percy nods against Lee.

“Did you remember something after she snuck up on you?” Percy does a tiny nod. He knows the answer is yes. But it also isn’t. So he shakes his head.

Apollo’s voice is still ringing with seething anger, it sounds calm but Percy can feel him. Apollo is not calm. He is a supernova in a steel vault.

“Did you remember something and then deliberately forget again?” Yes. That is what has happened. He nods.

“Do you have any memories between feeling Annabeth coming up behind you on the beach and when Lee found you in the shed?”

This is the bit Percy really doesn’t want to explain. Part of him would like to lie and try and say sun and ocean says not to, but that would definitely break a lot of rules.

Even with the purple drift getting stronger this will be word salad. Oh well. He asked for it.

“Some. Talons bite shoulder. Think then memories? Not sure. Try to leave, but lock clicks, wax crumbles, pottery shatters, blisters. Ocean and sun say they take charm, so I go. But loud owl, whispers, pages, pencil. Then scared. Sun and ocean warn. Then dark stabby. Extra loud, ‘cause of the green and the snake and the tree. Didn’t like, sun and ocean say hide. So hid where it said. Then… that when forgot. I think. Then the big war drum, the one with the shield, so sad. Then warm air and purple vines.”

They are all silent for a moment, Apollo is still taking big deep breaths, Percy can feel Mr D shove purple at the sun god too.

Mr D is the one who asks, “From the look on both your faces, you are able to translate the brat’s ravings?”

Percy should be offended. But he can feel how much Mr D actually likes him. ‘Pollo and Lee seem to know too ‘cause if anyone else said that they’d stab ‘em full of arrows. Maybe don’t think about that right now. Better that way.

Apollo doesn’t answer, so eventually Lee speaks up. Percy likes the way his words vibrate when Percy’s glued to him like this. He probably should stop holding Lee hostage though. “Annabeth grabbed his shoulder, then Percy ran into… someone, not sure on who that is.”

Mr D breaks in, “With this additional context I believe I can identify that one.” Lee pauses, Mr D doesn’t say anything. Sun burns hotter. How do they both know who? Percy doesn’t know who.

Lee continues, “Sounds like that person intended to take his shielding charm. Percy’s sight warned him about it, so he tried to leave but ran into Annabeth again. Loud probably means she grabbed him, or she was at least getting in his face.” Lee pauses, thinking, “Actually, I’m not sure if that part is from the, uh, forgotten memory or if it happened today.”

Percy mumbles into his shoulder, “Happened twice. Today and… don’t remember. Don’t wanna.”

Lee promises he doesn’t need to remember and goes on explaining to Mr D. Apollo is still blistering heat and rage in a steel vault.

“After Annabeth, Percy’s sight warned him of something. I don’t know what. Dark stabby is Chiron. We don’t know why. He won’t tell us. Percy has described Chiron’s aura as loud before, that was when the guy kept staring at him. Today is the first time Percy has said anything about green mist, a snake and a tree, but uh, I think you know what that is about. After that, sounds like his sight guided him to the shed to hide. Big war drum with a shield might be Clarisse, the new Ares kid. I’m warm air, you’re purple vines.”

“Yes. I had identified his description of me, thank you.” Was Mr D’s very dry reply.

“Brat, how long have you been connecting Chiron’s aura with green mist and a snake?”

Percy thinks. That first month here is hard to remember, so many confusing bits and emotions not his, but the green mist and the snake… He didn’t really notice it properly till the new necklace, but it had been there before.

He sighs and sits up a bit, this is going to make things worse and he’d like room to run when Apollo’s vault breaks. He’s careful not to push Lee’s arm away but he at least turns to face the gods again.

As expected, Apollo is at the other end of the room, completely still. Percy is not sure he’s breathing. His eyes are pure gold, no blue at all. Yikes. Mr D is much closer, standing between Apollo and where Percy sits with Lee. Percy hopes he’s quick enough to grab the sun god when that vault cracks.

Mr D is watching Percy, still waiting for him to respond. When Percy doesn’t say anything, he tilts his head and raises an eyebrow, silently telling Percy to just get on with it.

Percy sighs. “I didn’t become properly aware of it until I had the new charm and everything got unjumbled. But the mist and snake happened same time as the knowing said you were sick.”

Mr D goes still. “That was the night Apollo brought you to the camp, moments after he told us you were a prophet.”

Percy shrugs. He knows there is something else going on that’s freaking them out, but he doesn’t really care enough to ask.

Apollo finally speaks, his voice still tight, but at least he hasn’t exploded yet. “Percy, are you absolutely certain the green mist and the snake is directly linked to Chiron. Could it just be connected to the Big House?”

Percy thinks, then shrugs. “Pretty sure there’s something like that in the Big House, s’not for me, so I don’t look. But what I said about it, it’s part of the dark stabby. Gods broke him.”

“The gods… broke him?”

Percy blinks. Does the guy not have eyes? “Broke him. You can see it! S’like right there. Took his hope away. Stole the good. Bound him. Figured it was like Mr D? Punishment?”

Okay. Huh. Apparently Chiron was not being punished. They all look very confused. Even made Apollo calm down some while he tries to work out what Percy means.

While he’s a little calmer, there’s something Percy needs to say, he doesn’t like it though.

He focuses on Apollo, “Sun and ocean says I gotta tell you something. Gonna make you angry. Not about before or now, about the future. Says you just made a decision, but gotta tell you not to. Ocean needs to talk. You said to tell you before?”

Sun cools, Apollo is suddenly very focused, “This isn’t you forcing it or, uh, yanking on the ocean? It’s something that needs to be said?”

Percy nods, it’s probably gonna happen regardless, it’s kinda starting to hurt not saying, but Apollo said to ask. Apollo seems to know it’s hurting, “Hey kid, not forcing also means not stopping it if it needs to be said. Don’t hurt yourself. You can go ahead.”

Percy tries again, even though it hurts so much to swallow it back, but he’s got to check, “You won’t like it, gonna be furious.”

Apollo still tells him it’s okay. He’s done something, temporarily hidden the anger completely from Percy. Won’t last.

Percy breathes in, breathes out, and his voice fills with liquid sun and churning currents, the sound rings oddly, deeper, older, not his but also his.

“She must not die. Not at the Sun God’s hand, nor the Sea King’s. Her thread is needed to mend the tear. It is to be woven alongside mine.”

Percy blinks and he is seven years old again. Apollo is staring at him, horrified, Mr D is leaning hard against a desk looking stressed. He cringes back into Lee. The sun is just starting to burn again.

“Said it’d make you angry. Dunno what I said, not for me, so don’t tell me,” he flicks a glance at Mr D, who nods. He’s at least going back to normal.

But Apollo…

The heat is building and Percy doesn’t want to deal with that. He thinks leaving now would be a good idea. Lee can tell Percy is getting ready to bolt. Unfortunately Lee has decided to entirely ignore the whole thing and start asking about stuff Percy really doesn’t wanna talk about.

“Perce, before you go, you’ve told us what happened today, but you haven’t said anything about the other times?”

Percy tries to look very very innocent, “What other times?”

Lee gives him a look. Percy checks on Apollo, he’s cooling down a bit, apparently he also wants to know. Won’t last.

Percy purses his lips, debating on whether he should say. Sun and ocean has no opinion. He’s very tired now. He doesn’t even know how to explain what’s happening. More word salad. Yay.

“Uh, I don’t know how to explain it. I… yeah. No idea. But the big war drum with the shield, she knows. Made her sad. She was looking for me.” Percy looks at Apollo again, tries to be firm, “You can’t kill her, the others are whatever, but not her, she didn’t do anything, she can tell you what, but she didn’t do it. Made her sad, s’how she found me. Sun and ocean said she’d help, so I went where war drum would be.”

For some reason telling him he can’t kill war drum super upset him. Sun is getting hotter. Raging. That vault is moments from melting from the heat.

Lee is looking a little stressed, sneaking glances at the angry sun, “Percy, when you say war drum, was that the girl who walked back to the cabins with us just now, she’s close to your age? Clarisse?”

Percy nods, shrugs, “Don’t know her name. New girl. Just came. Biggest war drum, better than the others. Shield.”

Lee still looks kinda confused as he tells Percy, “Still not sure on what you’re describing, but Clarisse is the only new camper.” Cool, Percy doesn’t care. She’s big war drum. Lee is warm air.

He looks at Lee, “Need to go now, done with talking, wanna sleep.” He flicks a glance at the scary sun god. Lee notices.

“Yeah, I think that might be a good idea. Are you okay if I go with Dad and Mr D for a bit? Or would you like me to stick around?”

Percy shakes his head, “No, too much supernova. You deal with it. I don’t wanna.”

Lee is kinda gaping as Percy leaves. Almost as good as the feeding James thing. Cool.

________________________

Lee watches Percy go into the boys dorm, Lee can at least be certain he’ll be well guarded, all the siblings have gathered there while Lee and the two gods sort things out.

Lee turns back to the two gods. Apollo looks like he’s seconds away from turning the entire camp to ash. Lee wishes he could just announce he’s tired and wants a nap and go and hide too. There are distinct advantages to being a little kid.

Very carefully Lee starts speaking, “I think before you two do… anything, we need to get the rest of the story from Clarisse.”

Apollo nods tightly, but before he can take over, Lee forges on, “Clarisse is a new camper, she’s not much older than Percy. Even without the whole you and Ares thing, you’re going to scare the shit out of her.” Mr D is nodding, huh, guess he really does care?

“Can you just give me, like, ten minutes to speak to her first? If she refuses to tell me you can go ahead, but can we not add to our collection of terrified kids right now?”

Apollo finally agrees. Lee wishes he could tell him to do some deep breathing but there are times where even Lee knows not to cross the guy. This is one of them.

Lee takes a breath and tries to switch himself back into unofficial camp leader mode, Percy may be his focus but his role is still to look after all the campers. When he steps outside Clarisse is hovering just outside the front door, she looks frantic.

“Is he okay? He’s okay, right? I would have dealt with them, but he needed help first, and I just…”

Lee cuts her off. He has yet to meet an Ares kid who wasn’t willing to square up to a fight, he’s incredibly proud she prioritised the kid.

He tells her this as he leads her away from the cabin. This is not a conversation to have while standing just outside the Apollo cabin with the Ares cabin just next door.

Once they’ve got a bit of privacy he tells her that Percy was really struggling to explain what had happened but that Percy seemed to think Clarisse might know why he’s been so upset recently. Lee makes it clear that Percy said she was not to blame. Lee is only here looking for information, she’s not in trouble.

Clarisse isn’t entirely willing to trust him. She definitely knows something. Lee is on a time crunch until a raging sun god turns up and terrifies her.

“Is there anything I can say that might make it easier for you to trust me with this?” That catches her by surprise. Guess she’s already been told about the Ares and Apollo rivalry.

“Um, I’m not sure. Like, when they told me it made sense, but also not, because Mum’s told me about that stuff and it didn’t seem right, but then when you came and got him, then I wasn’t so sure anymore?”

“Clarisse, I’m not really clear on what you mean?”

Clarisse sighs and tips her head back to glare at the sky. Definitely a doer not a talker. She stands stiffly, back straight, arms down, fists clenched and out-glaring the sun. When she speaks her words come through gritted teeth, “Just, tell me, what do you do when the kid dissociates?”

For the amount of effort that took, Lee feels kind of bad that he’s even more confused.

“Percy doesn’t dissociate? Like I don’t think even what happened in the shed counts, that was a panic attack mixed with him using his sight. But even if it was true dissociation it would be the first time. Percy has visions, he’s a prophet, he sees the future among other things, but he doesn’t dissociate in the normal sense.”

Clarisse is staring at him, utterly horrified. Lee thought it was common knowledge at this point that the kid was a prophet. Apollo and Mr D (and Chiron) never shut about it.

“Wait. Like, what he sees actually happens? He’s not crazy?”

“Clarisse I only have, at best, five minutes before a ragingly angry sun god comes storming out to demand answers. I would like to have them for him and get you safely tucked away before that happens.”

Lee takes a breath, “Percy is not crazy. He actually can see the future. He is a divinely ordained Prophet of Lord Apollo, it’s a huge massive deal, super important and why we have gods constantly popping in and out of camp. Before Percy came, the only god we ever saw was Mr D. Percy is also a little kid, so we do try to give him a bit of normality and downplay things where we can.”

Clarisse is still bug eyed, she is starting to look kind of ill. Still not speaking.

Lee gentles his voice, “Clarisse, who told you Percy was crazy? And why were you asking about what to do when he dissociates?”

Clarisse is now just looking furious, fists clenched, eyes on fire. She practically hisses, “Because I was told that Percy is a little kid who suffers from hallucinations, that he regularly dissociates and if I ever see him look like he isn’t mentally present, it’s important to snap him out of it by tapping him on the shoulder or face.”

What. Forget Apollo, Lee is murdering someone. Now.

“Who told you that? Percy mentioned ‘the others’, do you know how many there are?”

Clarisse is ready and willing to join him on his murder spree. Lee should be more concerned about the fact a nine year old looks like that. He does not care.

Clarisse is hissing her words through clenched teeth, “The blonde girl, the one who’s my age, from Athena, she talks about it. Some of the older Hermes kids. Definitely the oldest one. The Athena girl, she was trying to make friends with me, not sure who told her though, but she definitely mentioned Chiron.”

Well. Prophecy or not, Annabeth is definitely fucked. Nice knowing her?

“Okay, thank you for telling me. I think I can take it from here, unless there’s anything else?”

Clarisse doesn’t have anything else to add but she does want to go and kill some campers. Lee debates on how to corral the kid. Percy doesn’t want her killed. Thank the gods Georgie is spending all of her time with the Apollo and Aphrodite cabins, so she won’t be with the other Hermes kids. She absolutely should not see this.

He still needs to redirect Clarisse though.

“How about this? I’m about to go and tell Percy’s patron god, which would be Apollo, he of the blazing vengeance, all of this. Percy specifically told him not to hurt you. That means if you are standing too close to these people, Apollo won’t be able to smite them properly. Maybe give Dad, like, say, an hour? If he hasn’t destroyed them adequately I’ll unlock the armoury myself and give you an edged sword so you can just, really make sure of it?”

This meets with her approval. Ha, Lee’s still got it. Angry kids are his thing. She does want to be able to see the smiting. Once he confirms the Hermes and Athena kids are at the main arena, he tells her to wait outside his cabin and they can follow on behind when Apollo comes storming out. She’s looking very gleeful. Fun.

________________________

The conversation between Apollo and Dio is happening rapidly and at the speed of light. Apollo is allowing Lee ten minutes to get the necessary information, and only because he does not want to upset his prophet. Who for some reason has decided the girl he has not actually met, his ‘big war drum’, is his new favourite person. Seriously, an Ares kid?

Until Lee returns, all Apollo has to stop him going all true form and evaporating the entire camp is his brother who is attempting to make him see reason through all the burning anger.

“Apollo, you heard him. That was a prophecy. That’s not a kid protecting someone just because she’s a little girl, that was the FATES. Why am I explaining prophecy to the God of Prophecy?”

“She touched him. Again. Made him relive the pit. Any other prophet and she’d be dead already. It’s against the divine laws! She grabbed him Dio! Again!”

“‘Her thread is needed to mend the tear’. Stop being an absolute moron and listen to your own prophet!”

“Woven alongside. No!”

“Prophecies have a thousand interpretations. You know it. I know it. It also said the Sea King can’t kill her either, so I really need you to sort your shit out because I can’t hold Uncle back by myself!”

Apollo pauses, Dio is going to face Poseidon? “If you don’t get your shit together, I will have to try and stop Uncle myself and he definitely will kill me, and then you’ll feel terrible. Plus your prophet likes me better than you, so he’ll never talk to you again either.”

That gets him. The part about Percy, Apollo is totally fine with Dio dying. He failed Apollo’s Prophet. Except Uncle… killing Dio would hurt Uncle. Apollo didn’t save Pallas. He can’t do that to him too.

“We should probably call Artemis in.”

“Oh thank the gods, are you sane again?”

Apollo shrugs slightly. He’s a little less likely to vaporise the camp, but he still needs to find out what the girl knows.

Dio tries again. “Unless you want Father’s attention on your prophet, you can’t actually kill any of them. The girl will need to stay, but anyone else involved can be turned out of the camp. Monsters’ll pick ‘em off soon enough. I know I’ll be very glad to see the back of one of them.”

Apollo will be too, he does not care if the kid’s Hermes’ favourite. He’s gone. “And the centaur?”

“Something is… off there. I still can’t see anything in him like your kid is describing. Going all supernova rage on some campers and them being banned from the camp may be enough to make him forget the oracle. Otherwise, I have an idea of what will scare him straight.”

There’s something in Dio’s tone, Apollo actually turns to look at him, instead of just standing frozen trying to keep his rage contained until Lee returns. “What are you planning?”

Dio’s mental voice is almost hesitant, “Uncle is probably willing to step in if it’s to help your prophet, and while he doesn’t advertise it, he’s still very close to our other uncle. The one downstairs. I think the Sea King could persuade him to do a bit of theatre for Horsebutt on what he will do if continues trying to find a loophole around the curse.”

Huh. Dio doesn’t know the full story of that curse. Apollo does. It’s the only reason he didn’t break into the underworld to attack Hades outright. It’s also why Apollo is so ridiculously overprotective of Percy. He wasn’t watching the others closely enough. He lost each of them to Father’s paranoia.

The last oracle, the one in the attic, he’d traced her past, after Uncle told him why she had been cursed. Father had gotten to her when she was four. She was ten when Apollo found her. Her allegiance was set in stone and it wasn’t to Apollo. If Hades hadn’t cursed Apollo’s only remaining oracle when he did, Father would have full control of Apollo’s prophecy domain by now.

Dio is looking anxious. It looks very weird.

“That’s… actually a good idea. If the Sea King is the one to approach him, Percy won’t be at any risk of harm. Though you should be aware, it wouldn’t be theatre. The Underworld King will absolutely destroy the centaur if he continues trying to circumvent the curse. Especially if he’s attempting to transform the tree back into the girl.”

Dio seems surprised. Whatever. Apollo isn’t explaining. If his brother can handle all the other half truths and outright lies, he can live with this too.

Lee finally comes back. He insists Apollo get tight control before he will tell them anything. He tells Apollo not to kill Clarisse. Apollo looks at him blankly, so Lee reminds him she is Percy’s ‘big war drum’. Yes fine. No killing the big war drum.

“She isn’t sure where it started, from what she could tell me I think Luke or Chiron are the most likely origin point. Probably Luke. Annabeth is the one talking about it, but no matter how smart she is, she’s still a little kid. This is beyond her.”

Apollo already knows he is not permitted to kill her. More information. Now.

Lee takes a deep breath, Apollo should feel bad about making his favourite son look so scared. He doesn’t. Speak! Now!

Lee takes several steps back giving both gods a clear run to the door. “Essentially, a rumour is going around that Percy is hallucinating and dissociating and they have been encouraging people to grab him by the shoulder or tap his face if they see him looking out of it. Which, you know, is when he’s using his sight.”

What.

THEY TOUCHED HIS PROPHET.

Even if Percy didn’t have the most sensitive sight Apollo has ever witnessed, the sort of sensitivity that means unexpected touch will HURT.

Even if Percy’s sight was only at Lee’s level, there are rules, sacred divine laws!

YOU DO NOT TOUCH APOLLO’S PROPHETS.

EVER.

IF YOU TOUCH THEM, YOU DIE.

He can hear Artemis calling to him. She ignores most emotions from him, but his anger must have hit a critical level.

Lee is watching him. Lee is terrified. Terror is good. But Lee is not the one who must die.

Apollo hisses, “Where are they?”

“In the main arena, all the Hermes and Athena kids are there.”

Apollo is gone. He could teleport there but if he can’t kill the girl he is going to make her wish he had. He strides towards the arena, blazing sun and heat, the ground burning black beneath him.

Purple fire beside him. Dionysus is raging, his aura promising madness and insanity and flooding with intense fury.

________________________

Lee follows behind the two gods. Michael is peeking out of the boys dorm where all his siblings stand guard on the poor kid. Michael gives him a quick nod so hopefully that means the kid is ignoring the whole god-going-supernova thing that is currently happening.

Lee goes to leave and then remembers, “Michael, is Georgie with you?” She pokes her head out, “Georgie, it’s super important you stay here till I get back, okay? I can’t explain right now, just stay close to Percy.” She agrees, looking confused and Lee’s out the door.

He collects Clarisse on the way past and tells her to stay with him.

If Lee is honest he is genuinely scared right now. This is… He is frightened in a way he has never felt before. If not for the kids all around and how Lee is meant to be the leader, he’d already have turned tail and run. He does not want to witness this.

Lee knows the stories but Apollo is just… Dad. The guy who completely freaked because Percy fell over and scraped his knee. He’s gotten a little too used to seeing Apollo as a human, and kinda forgot the god bit. He has no idea how Percy manages it, dreaming of the gods rampaging, the gods at their most violent, and then being fine to interact with them so casually. He knows Percy has seen a lot of Mr D at the height of his power in his dreams, and then Percy wakes up and plays pranks on the guy. Just. How?

The ground is black, still burning in spots. The light coming off Apollo is intense. Lee keeps his eyes on the sun god. Dionysus is burning purple and even so much as a glance towards him is a promise of insanity.

He’s not even sure the other campers will have any understanding of why the gods are so angry. Why what they did breaks sacred divine laws.

By the time Lee and Clarisse make it to the arena the worst of it is over. Clarisse seems a little disappointed, but she really did not need to see this. Lee does not need to see this. This is a thing for grown ups and right now, Lee does not feel like a grown up.

Everyone is still alive and upright, and no one appears to have been turned to ash. But whatever just happened was not good.

Mr D and Apollo have sorted the kids into two groups. Off to one side is Malcolm, he’s fourteen and the only other year-round Athena kid. Malcolm’s got some of the younger Hermes kids gathered up close behind him, standing protectively in front of them.

Lee can’t risk looking directly at either god, they are too bright, too much, their auras alone are flooding the place and throbbing with their fury. The aura makes his heart pound, his body tremble, deliberately inducing terror, it commands all who are in its presence to worship their god. Lee does not like it.

The two gods are entirely focused on the other group, the one that includes Annabeth and Luke. Chiron is with them. So the kids with Malcolm must be the ones that weren’t involved.

Making sure Clarisse stays close (with a hissed threat that Lee will hold her hand if she doesn’t), Lee sidles up to them.

“Malcolm, you okay?” The poor kid just looks at Lee, white faced, “Do I look okay? He just came in, and he was burning, and he started screaming and Mr D did something, like looking into our minds or something. Then they said we weren’t involved, but we can’t leave. They said to stay here ‘to witness’ this. I still don’t know what’s going on!”

Lee wishes he could do something to help. Gonna be a long time before any of them forget about today. It’s Clarisse who pipes up, she’s staring at the screaming gods looking totally entranced. Almost gleeful. Lee guesses she’s going to remember today for a different reason. Ares kids, man.

“The big kids said that the tiny kid in the Apollo cabin is crazy and we have to like shake him out of it whenever he looks all vague and not really there.”

Malcolm stares. Then he starts in on the patented Athena kid info dump, “What? Why? He has visions, of the future! There’s literally a sacred law about how you can’t touch one of Apollo’s prophets. The books say it’s because of divine power, but I asked Percy and he said it’s because it physically hurts him when someone touches him.”

Yes. It does. The times it’s happened by accident Percy looked like someone had run a sword through him. Lee thinks about the kid practically gluing himself to Lee earlier. He feels quite pleased with what that says about the kid’s trust in him.

Also, when was Percy talking to Malcolm? The kid’d been told to stay away!

The Hermes kids in the group are equally horrified. They are all the ones who try and avoid Luke and Annabeth. They are all younger too. The two Stoll kids, Travis and Connor, both Hermes. Then an unclaimed girl, Charlie, and Holly and Laurel Viktor, twin girls, technically unclaimed.

Travis pipes up, “Is that why he keeps avoiding us? We were gonna prank Castor and Pollux and thought he’d want in on it, but he ran off every time we got close. We had no idea!” Connor nods frantically beside him.

Lee attempts to give them a smile, “I know you didn’t. If you had anything to do with it you’d be over there.” He nods to the still screaming gods, the kids are definitely very sun burned now. All of them bright red and sweating.

“Maybe when things are a little… calmer, we can see how Perce goes with me sticking close? It depends on him though, I can never tell what’s going on in his head, he never told us about any of this. If it wasn’t for Clarisse we still wouldn’t know.”

Clarisse is looking rather pleased. Huh, if Percy is fixed on adopting her, Lee can probably make this work. Depends on her siblings though, there’s a reason Ares and Apollo kids avoid each other.

The gods are still raging and Lee and the rest of the group are just huddled at the other end trying to wait them out. Lee isn’t entirely sure Apollo will let them leave. He will want to make an example of them. Lee may have been furious but this is just uncomfortable, He wants to get this group of kids away from it.

And Annabeth is crying. Lee… might actually feel some sympathy for her, now. If her behaviour was being manipulated by Luke, hopefully separating them might mean she still has a chance at a decent future? (He is never thinking of that prophecy again. Not his problem. Best to forget it happened).

Malcolm notices her as well. “Um, Lee, if Annabeth does stay on at camp, don’t suppose you have any advice on trying to help her find a new path? She and I, I know we’re both Athena kids, but my whole thing is the weaving and the craft stuff. I like learning, but I suck at applying it. I’m not a leader, I’m only cabin head for the year rounders because well, she’s eight. We only see the others in summer. Annabeth doesn’t really have time for me because I don’t have any of the knowledge or the architecture stuff she has.”

“And I have the opposite problem, she thinks the Apollo kids are trying to steal Athena’s schtick. Let me think about it. I might be able to help, but I need to check some things first. Not just because of what Annabeth did to Percy, there’s some underlying… tension, with the gods that isn’t really discussed. I don’t want to accidentally put you on the outs with your mum, you’re a good kid, you don’t deserve that.”

Malcolm is looking at him, thinking something over, “Would the tension have to do with the Sea King’s granddaughter?”

Oh, that got Lee’s attention. They are surrounded by kids. He can’t ask.

Malcolm scrambles to tell him what he needs to know anyway. “She doesn’t know! I don’t think anyone does. I only know a little bit because my Dad was like, obsessed, and collected every story he could find. I’m pretty sure it’s mostly wrong, but I’ve heard the rumours about who his father is, and that would mean she would have been his sister?”

Huh. Apollo’s machinations are working. Cool.

Lee stares hard at Malcolm. “Please don’t speak about that story. Ever. The Sea King has made it very clear what will happen if he hears anyone speaking of it or if he so much as hears her name spoken aloud at the camp.”

And Poseidon’s vengeance will be kinder than Triton’s.

Travis pipes up, “What will happen?”

Lee’s answer is very very flat. “He’ll drown the entire camp. Sea kids can breathe underwater. He doesn’t care about the rest of us.”

“Oh. Malcolm, please keep that story to yourself. I like breathing.” The other kids nod enthusiastic agreement.

The screaming finally stops.

The heat is easing. The group of kids the gods have been terrorising are being divided up again. The kids are both pale with fear and deep red from sun burns. A big part of Lee is itching to collect them up and stuff them with nectar and ambrosia. The rest of Lee knows the gods are not going to allow it. He does not like this.

Luke and Chris, both son of Hermes, Ethan, son of Nemesis and two unclaimed kids Lee only really knows by sight, Jeremy and Eliza, are being gathered off to one side with Apollo looking over them.

Lee is less than happy to see Ethan there. The kid’s only eleven. Lee has to trust he did fully participate. Lee needs to believe his dad isn’t forcing an eleven year old out of the only sanctuary available to demigods just out of spite. The others are all older. Luke’s nineteen, Chris and Eliza are sixteen and Jeremy’s fifteen. Still not great. All are year rounders for a reason, they have nowhere else to go.

Annabeth, along with fourteen year old Lou Ellen and thirteen year old Tony are sent back towards Lee and the rest of his group. Chiron appears to be attempting to argue with Apollo, gesturing at the five remaining kids. Yeah, good luck with that.

Annabeth is still sobbing, stumbling blindly, the other two kids don’t look much better. Lee figures his dad will forgive him this piece of advice at least, he looks at Malcolm, “Suggestion? She’s eight, and terrified. She’s about to lose the guy she thinks hung the moon and the stars. Give her a hug and take her back to your cabin, make her hot chocolate, tell her stories about your mum’s best moments. Try and keep her distracted until Luke’s gone.”

Malcolm nods, gives him a grateful smile and moves forward to collect the sobbing child and take her home. Gods, she looks so young like that. Please let this be the time they get through to her. If that whole thing doesn’t scare her straight, nothing will.

Lee’s about to move over to Lou Ellen and Tony when Travis and Connor jump in. “We’ve got ‘em Lee, don’t think you need to deal with this too, I’m thinking Percy’s not doing so hot. You look after him, we’ll manage.”

Weird to hand responsibility to them when they are a good seven and eight years younger than him. But fine. For today. “Take them to the infirmary and treat the burns. It’s gonna suck otherwise. I’ll find Georgie somewhere else to stay tonight. I think it’s best we keep her separate for a bit. Otherwise she’s definitely going to take her own revenge.”

The Hermes kids are all full of heartfelt thanks for that. What has Georgie been up to?

They gather up their two burned, blistered and stunned silent cabin-mates and the whole group of Hermes kids shuffles out. Nervously glancing at the gods just in case they are going to change their minds.

Lee looks at Clarisse, “Is there any chance you’re going to go back to your cabin anytime soon?”

She shakes her head, eyes fixed on the other side of the arena. She’s the only one who’s been enjoying the show. Since the other five are still here she’s clearly determined to see it to its conclusion. Which means Lee is also stuck here. Percy was insistent that Apollo not kill her. He probably doesn’t want her hurt either. So until he can get her away from her new favourite god, here Lee stays.

Apollo is still arguing with Chiron. Mr D is watching, he’s looking almost entertained. Good. Blazing purple fire that can drive people mad it is not Lee’s cup of tea.

Then Lee notices the building storm. Uh. Not good!

He does not want to interrupt the gods. He absolutely does not want to deal with an angry god ever again. But that is a very large storm that just came out of nowhere. Someone just learned of today’s events.

He sighs. Yells across the arena.

“Yo! Dad! Noticed the weather?”

Apollo looks up, says something to Chiron, pointing up. The centaur turns white and ghostly. He gives in to whatever they are fighting over.

Apollo turns and says something to the five remaining campers. Points up at the sky again. Wow, Lee knew Hermes kids were fast but that’s a new record. He watches all five race from the arena, not pausing, heading straight for the Big House and the camp border beyond.

He can tell the moment they cross the border. The storm inside the camp calms, the sky splitting above them to allow them their own patch of blue sky. The storm rages outside the borders.

He is… not going to think about that. They are gods. Not people. He’s gotten far too comfortable with treating them like normal people.

It’s just two gods, a centaur, Lee and Clarisse left. Lee looks at Clarisse, “Now will you go back to your cabin?”

She sighs, “l guess.” Instead of leaving she walks over to the gods. Lee chases after.

“That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen! You’re awesome Mr Sun God!”

Apollo blinks, looking confused, he looks at Lee, “This Percy’s big war drum?” Lee nods. Apollo smiles at Clarisse, “Nice to meet you! Percy likes you. Not sure your dad would be okay with you talking to me though, so might be best to head back to your siblings?”

Clarisse finally, finally, leaves.

Lee looks at the two gods, the pale centaur. Nope. Not his problem. Not dealing with that.

He gives his dad a flat look and then imitates the kid, turning on his heel and just walking off without a word. Mr D is definitely laughing behind him.

Lee should imitate Percy more often.

Chapter Text

Lee and his siblings spend most of the afternoon spread out around the sitting room, just trying to come to terms with what just happened.

Silena and Drew had stopped in to collect Georgie and promised to keep her overnight. They might need to get the Sea King to speed up those renovations on Cabin Three, Lee can’t imagine things going well when Georgie rejoins the Hermes cabin, it is definitely time to move her. They only managed to convince the girl to not burst every pipe in the Hermes cabin by insisting Percy wouldn’t like it.

Lee actually has no idea what Percy thinks about any of this. Just like the last time he’d seen the kid go all terrifying and prophet-like, Percy crashed hard and was fast asleep. The kid hadn’t even made it to his bedroom and was still passed out on one of the empty bunks.

Only when the six siblings were alone, did Lee give them more details on the recent events.

Lee is starting to wonder if the non-interference rules might actually be the kinder option for demigods. He is… not okay with what happened. It went against everything he believed. He had known Apollo was angry, and it had been terrifying. Apollo hadn’t actually killed anyone either. Not directly. But, five demigods dumped out of the camp, no warning, no supplies, and Poseidon’s storm raging above them… That’s a death sentence.

Kayla finally speaks after who knows how long of them all just sitting there. The creepy fish has been more energetic than them.

“You said they sent Annabeth, Tony and Lou Ellen back to their cabins, even though they were involved, maybe there is more to this, that we don’t know?”

Lee attempts a smile, he thinks it’s more a grimace. “Maybe? I… I really don’t know what to think. We know the stories, and what happened… It wasn’t close to the old stories, but it was still…” He trails off, he’s got no words.

It’s dark now, the sun long set, at some point they will need to give up on their vigil. The whole camp is silent, everyone retreating and hiding while they wait for… what? Lee does not know.

There is a quiet knock at the door and he hears Artemis’s request to enter. Lee does not want to deal with another god right now. But, well, any of Lee’s willingness to openly defy a god evaporated in Apollo’s burning rage.

He lets Artemis in. She follows him back to the sitting room and perches on an armchair. She’s all gentle smile and twelve-year old girl with the too old eyes.

“Apollo felt it was only proper for you to receive a more detailed explanation for today’s events. As the young prophet was so reluctant to speak of the matter, we thought it best that I be the one to explain.”

Lee doubts Percy will ever willingly mention any of this again.

He nods politely, but still can’t bring himself to speak.

Artemis continues, still all gentle smile and calm melodic voice, “There were two intertwining matters. The eldest Hermes boy, had grown bitter over the preferential treatment the child received as Apollo’s Prophet. His mother attempted to take on the spirit of Delphi when Luke was a child. It did not end well.”

Yep. Knew this already. Lee had already figured this was the cause.

“Due to his mother’s history, the boy was far more aware of the intricacies around the needs of a prophet than most. Dionysus was able to ascertain that his actions were both deliberate and malicious. The Hermes boy intended to destroy the young prophet’s mind by repeatedly forcing physical contact each time he used his sight. Due to the child’s sensitivity to auras this would eventually achieve the desired outcome. He appears to have formed this plan after intentionally provoking the young prophet’s collapse. Dionysus has confirmed Luke is responsible for breaking his original shield.”

What. Lee had thought this was a prank, or bullying. An angry bitter Luke lashing out. This was a lot more planned than he had realised.

They had never gotten confirmation on the necklace, they’d assumed Percy had broken through the shield when Annabeth grabbing him overwhelmed him. But Luke had been there, Percy fell against Luke when he was trying to escape Annabeth. Lee had entirely forgotten.

“The children who have been sent away were fully aware of his intentions. The three who remained participated but were unaware of the impact their actions had. The other five were full of bitter anger and genuinely intended to destroy the young prophet. They believed what they were doing was a strike against the gods themselves.”

Austin speaks up, sounding so bewildered, “He’s seven. Why… Why would they do that?”

Lee gives him the answer, he doubts Artemis would actually be able to explain this part. “Because they saw Percy the way many of the gods see him. As a tool, no different to their symbols of power. To them Percy is Lord Apollo’s symbol of power, no different to the sun chariot. Gods don’t think like we do.”

Artemis inclines her head, “Yes. While those of us who have spent time watching over the child have a more nuanced appreciation of his circumstances, for most, that is what they consider him to be.”

Will’s next, his voice hesitant and he keeps side-eyeing Lee. “If that’s the case, then, why is he here? We’re a training camp for demigods, we’re just kids. If you lot think a little kid is the same thing as the king’s lightning bolt, then, why is the kid here and not stashed somewhere on Mount Olympus?”

Artemis turns to Lee, eyebrows raised in query. Lee does not want to have this conversation. It was bad enough when Triton brought it up. But Georgie hadn’t spent enough time around land gods to catch the significance, and Percy hadn’t been listening. This time, Lee’s siblings are all ears.

He sighs, looks at Artemis. “Is the kid still asleep? I’m not talking about this if there’s even a chance he’ll hear it.”

He is, Artemis will inform him the moment the kid wakes.

His siblings are staring expectantly. Lee tips his head back and stares at the ceiling for a moment, before closing his eyes and speaking in a flat voice.

“It’s because Dad named me Percy’s Hierus tou Apollonos. The High Priest of Apollo. Head honcho of the temple.”

They are all frozen, barely breathing, Lee does not want to explain. He wants to be unofficial camp leader and guardian to a little kid. Lee wants to pretend he knows nothing about this.

Kayla breaks the silence. “Okay. Uh. Congrats. I guess? But doesn’t that just change the question to; why are you and Percy here, and not on Olympus?”

Lee sighs, still staring at the ceiling. “There are reasons why Percy can’t just be shoved in a temple. For one, as Austin said, he’s seven. Also, what Artemis called the “intricacies of a prophet’s needs” are much more… complex, for Percy than expected.”

Lee has no idea how to explain. He doesn’t understand most of it himself. The day after he’d found out about the prophecy and Poseidon and everything, Apollo had turned up in one of his dreams and done all the divine sacred calling bullshit. Something about how Lee handled hearing the kid spout prophecy for the first time.

By then, Lee was attached to the kid and even though he had known what he was getting himself into he still agreed to it. Then, Apollo told him who he was meant to keep Percy away from. And Lee regretted agreeing so much.

Artemis seems to know what to say. “It is also a matter of loyalty. Many have attempted to coax my brother’s prophets away from him. Were another Olympian to successfully turn Percy against my brother, it would drastically affect the balance of power within the Council.”

Will again, “But it’s more than just Dad who talks to Percy? You and Mr D are Olympians, and then there’s the sea gods…”

Lee sighs, he hates this so much. “They are allies Will, protecting Percy is a big part of their alliance. It’s a different thing. Artemis is very politely not naming who the actual problem is.”

Will glares at him. “Spit it out then!”

Artemis reminds him not to use names.

Lee sighs, nods towards Artemis, “Her father.”

Silence.

Apparently no one wants to touch that with a ten foot pole. Lee agrees.

Austin, “Hey! I asked Dad about why he hadn’t named us priests!”

Lee rolls his eyes, “Yeah, I know. He didn’t lie, he just never directly answered your question. He does that. Like, a lot. And it’s just me. I don’t actually know what Dad’s plans are with that. For now, Percy’s staying here and growing up like a normal kid and getting as much of a normal life as I can give him. But yes, when he’s an adult, he’s probably going to end up in a temple somewhere. Though, not on Olympus.”

Probably in Atlantis. Or they might ignore the prophet bit and just move him into the palace. Who knows. They have to get through the Great Prophecy first.

New topic time.

“Look, unless you have burning questions about all this sacred divine bullshit, I would like to know what is going on with Chiron. He would not have been willing to break Percy’s mind. I’d actually thought he had other plans entirely?”

Artemis seems glad to move away from talk of her father too.

“Yes, he was unaware of the Hermes boy’s actual intentions. The centaur believed they were merely attempting to speak privately with the child on his behalf. As we suspected, Chiron thought the young prophet could act in place of the Oracle of Delphi. His plans were not fully formed, but he was certain the young prophet would know how to resurrect Thalia Grace.”

Will’s voice is getting very plaintive, “Thalia is dead. And a tree. How was the seven year old meant to fix that?”

“Will, Chiron is obsessed with the Oracle. You know that. The way he talks about her makes her sound like they could just ask any question and she’d always have the answer.”

“Chiron was clinging to shreds of unfounded hope, he wished to circumvent the curse the Lord of the Underworld placed on her.”

Just great. Thanks Artemis. Now they are all talking, demanding more information.

Lee cuts them all of with a loud “Oi!” Once they are quieter he continues, “The curse is really not our business. It won’t have any impact on Percy, it’s specific to the Oracle of Delphi. It is very much a god thing and a not our problem thing. Leave it.”

He turns back to Artemis, “What’s being done about Chiron?”

“It is being handled. Your father has called in an additional favour, from someone who the centaur will listen to. He will likely remain at camp but will now keep his distance from the young prophet.”

“Good. And the thing with Luke, how close were we? To it permanently affecting Percy?”

“They had only just begun to put their plan into action. It would have taken months, if not years, to achieve the necessary level of distress in the child. As it is, other than today’s events, as far as the young prophet is concerned, it was a merely a handful of moments where he was unexpectedly caught by surprise.”

“I believe the young prophet’s difficulty in telling you, and much of his own distress, comes from his lack of awareness of what has occurred. It will soon be forgotten and there will no lasting impact. You have the Ares child to thank for such a swift end to the issue.”

Yeah. Okay. Lee’ll let Percy keep his new ‘war drum’. Just this once. Lee glances at the creepy fish who is closely watching their conversation.

Okay, this is the absolute last time he lets Percy keep a demigod.

Lee may be getting delirious. Time to focus.

“That’s… really good to hear. As horrible as today was, I am very glad to hear we weren’t seconds from disaster. So, anything else we need to know?”

“I do not believe so, as far as you and your siblings are concerned the matter has been resolved.”

Artemis hesitates for a moment, before continuing, “I will however, be staying at the camp tonight, along with some of my hunters. I would appreciate it if you could bring the young prophet to meet with me in the morning. You currently have Anaklusmos in your possession, please bring it with you.”

Huh. Cool. Super cryptic.

“Uh, Anaklusmos?”

“It is a sword that was gifted to the young prophet from his extended family. I believe you were asked to set it aside until he was older. I wish to take advantage of an unexpected opportunity to heal a breach. It may even result in providing the child with an additional champion.”

Oh! The pen sword thing. Lee swears it’s in a different form every time he opens the safe. He’d forgotten it had a name.

“Sure, I’ll bring Percy and the sword over to your cabin tomorrow. That everything?”

She agrees. Good. Bye. This cabin is now an official god free zone. Please and thank you.

________________________

The next morning, Percy plans to pretend yesterday did not happen. If he needs to know something, Lee can tell him.

Everyone is a little too grim when he gets to the sitting room, and none of the siblings are interested in going to the dining pavilion. It’s even silent outside. Lee told Percy the camp is absolute chaos during the summers, but it’s always seemed plenty chaotic to Percy even when it’s “quiet”.

Percy gives up. The silence is getting to him.

“Who did they kill?”

None of them seem to know how to answer him. Lee tries to ask if he remembers what happened yesterday. Percy does, but he does not want to talk about it. It did not happen.

“Doesn’t matter, who died?”

“You seem, very calm about this?”

“I dream about the gods. Every night. They kill people. It’s a thing.”

That does not seem to be helping, Lee is still staring. He huffs, “It’s like Georgie says, land gods like to play act as mortals. But they aren’t. They do have rules they gotta follow though. So, who died?”

“Uh. Okay. Not sure how to respond to all of that. No one died at camp. Some people have been banished, but Apollo and Mr D didn’t kill anyone.”

That’s some real careful wording Lee.

“Who?” Percy tries to give him his most serious stare, he’d like to know who exactly he’ll be blamed for killing.

Kayla finally gives him the answer, “Luke, Chris, Eliza, Jeremy and Ethan, all from Hermes cabin, have been banished from camp. They left immediately.”

“Not Annabeth?”

Lee again, “No, Annabeth is still here, she… There were some additional factors that mean she was allowed to remain.”

“Good. What’s for breakfast?”

Lee is clearly full of questions, Percy waits until he goes to speak, before cutting him off.

“Can I feed James?”

Lee just rolls his eyes and gives up. James likes being used as an excuse to avoid questions, he said so.

After a super quiet, kind of awkward breakfast in the cabin’s sitting room, Lee opens up the big blue weapons locker and pulls something out.

“C’mon kid, Artemis wants to see you before she leaves.”

Percy is suspicious, he rarely sees Artemis, she prefers being sneaky and acting like she doesn’t care about Percy. She drops things off in the cabin and he feels her aura most nights, so he knows she’s lying, but he still never sees her. She’s always busy with the hunt.

“Artemis is here? Why? When did she get here?”

“She’s been here since yesterday, pretty sure she turned up when Dad did the blazing ball of anger routine. She brought a few of her hunters and they stayed overnight. She told me to bring you over to her cabin in the morning. It’s morning, so…” Lee gestures towards the door.

Percy hops up to follow, “Wait, you’re taking me to meet Artemis and her hunters? Which ones? Is her lieutenant there?” Percy’s voice is getting kind of high pitched and intense. But! The hunters!

Lee is looking kind of startled, like he hadn’t expected Percy to be so enthusiastic about people he doesn’t know. Oh. Yeah, yesterday. Nope. Doesn’t matter. The hunt is here!

“Uh, Artemis didn’t say, is there a reason you’re asking about her lieutenant?”

“She’s my favourite hero, like ever! She’s just so awesome. I can’t believe you didn’t ask if she was here!”

Lee’s getting all defensive, “Perce, I had no idea you were such a fan of Artemis’ lieutenant, I can’t actually read your mind.”

Percy doesn’t believe him. Lee always knows what Percy is planning.

As they start crossing to the silver cabin that sits directly across from their own gold one, Percy notices something. There’s an extra aura following Lee. Wait.

He stops, Lee notices and turns around to see why Percy’s stopped.

“Lee. Why do you have that?”

“Have what?”

Percy gestures at the sword he’s holding.

“You shouldn’t have that. Why do you have that? Does Artemis know about it? The lieutenant’s gonna be angry if she sees that. I really wanna make a good impression. Can we put that back first?”

Lee’s looking all exasperated and like he’s already over the whole day, “Percy, the sword turned up the day after you did, with instructions from your family to set it aside until you were older. Artemis specifically asked me to bring the sword when we came. Can we go? I’d really like to not deal with any more angry gods right now.”

Percy frowned, staring at the sword, this was not good. The sun and ocean said it would be fine though. Guess he’ll just need to go with it. Hopefully Lee doesn’t get killed by Percy’s favourite hero?

“Fine, let’s go.” Percy heads straight for the front door of the silver cabin, Lee now trailing behind.

Artemis is waiting for them, and gives Percy her super special smile, the one that says even though she avoids boys, he doesn’t count. Lee gets a much stiffer smile.

“It is good to see you, little one. You are looking much improved, camp life suits you.”

“Yep! It’s good to see you! Lee said some of the hunters are with you, did your lieutenant come?”

Percy is up on his toes looking around the room, he didn’t think he’d ever get to meet her, the hunt doesn’t like boys. But she’s so cool!

Artemis is surprised, “You know my lieutenant?”

“Only from my dreams, she’s awesome, I figured I’d never meet her ‘cause I’m a boy.”

Artemis is definitely smirking at him, “I would think you’re a little young for her, no?”

“Ew, gross! And that’s mean! She swore off boys, you shouldn’t say things like that. You might hurt her feelings!”

Now they are both laughing at him.

“Very true, little one. As it happens, it is Zoe whom I wished you to meet. As you are to one day wield Anaklusmos, it seemed a prudent time to introduce you to her.”

Percy is not so sure about that. But if Lee and Artemis are so set, it’ll probably be easier to just give the sword back to Zoe directly.

“So, she’s here?”

“Indeed, I am,” comes a voice from the doorway

Zoe! She looks exactly like his dreams, all tall and princessy, she’s got the moonlit silver circlet in her long dark hair and she moves so gracefully.

And her aura… oh! Percy likes her aura. It’s all coated in Artemis’ moonlight, but under the silver is a golden sunset. It’s full of speed and movement, the thrill of the chase, loyalty flavoured with the salt of the sea, the dark current of despair that cut through but did not break her. Her aura is so smooth and powerful and strong, her sunset and her moonlight forcing the dark streak to obey them, ruthlessly suppressing the black. In the middle of it all is the fiercest love, the strongest passion. He had known from his dreams that she was unique, but to see it in person… She is amazing.

“Hi! Gods, I can’t believe it’s you! You’re my absolute favourite hero!”

That catches her off-guard, “Hero? Perhaps you have me confused with another? I am merely my Lady’s lieutenant?”

“No. You’re a hero. I’ve seen you! I know it!”

Zoe is looking even more confused. She glances at Artemis, who just smiles back at her and nods.

“My Lady did instruct me to ask about your full name?”

Percy makes a face, really?

“Uh, first, just so you know, I had no say in my name. My mum did it for… not nice reasons. So I only go by Percy. But my actual name is Perseus Hercules Jackson.”

She stiffens. Yeah, sorry. Artemis was being mean.

“Hercules? You are a fan?”

“No. Mum did it to annoy my dad, I still don’t know who my dad is, but she said it was ‘cause she used the roman version of his name. But also, Heracles sucks. I still can’t believe he told everyone that he was the one who stole the apple. He wasn’t even there! You were the one who tricked your dad, and got the apple, and you gave him that sword too!” He gestures to where Lee has left it on a side table.

Percy is kind of breathing hard now, but he’s not done, “And then he just, just left! With the sword, and you told him it held your power, he had to have known, how stupid can he be? But he just took it and left! Then he told everyone he took the apple, not you. It was mean!”

Zoe is staring, she looks over to Artemis, “You told him my story, my Lady?” She sounds kind of hurt.

Percy shakes his head frantically, he’s meant to be making a good impression. “No! Never! I dreamed about you. I dream about everyone. It’s the whole prophet thing. But I liked your story. You’re different. Special. So, when I was sad, I’d try and dream about you. You made me feel strong.”

Zoe is still staring, “I am afraid I am still not following, while you have described the truth of the events, I cannot see why that would make me special or different to the heroes of old?”

“You’re immortal. And a hero. Sometimes a hero goes on a quest and gets home again without anything really bad happening, nothing that can twist them up. But most heroes, the big ones, the famous ones, bad things happen to them. They do big things, yeah. But the bad things happen anyway. And the bad things twist them up inside. By the time their story is finished, they aren’t good people anymore. They are all full of anger and hate and it makes their auras dark and twisty and so sad. They aren’t good people anymore.”

He frowns, he doesn’t like this bit. “Most heroes… They aren’t good people. They are heroes, they do great things. But they aren’t good, they aren’t nice. They don’t care anymore. All that matters to them is themselves.”

He looks at Zoe, trying to make her understand how important, how different she is, “You went through so much bad. It should have broken you, twisted you up. You should be all vengeance and anger. You shouldn’t care about other people. And like, there is anger, and some bitterness, a whole big dark streak of it, but you won’t let it take over. You’re immortal and like, thousands of years old, but you are still so good. You are still loyal. You still love.” Her face kind of twitches.

He hurries on, “Not like romantic love! But you love Artemis, you love the hunters, you protect them and care for them and you love them. Heracles took your power, took your heart. And you still love. I dream about everyone, constant stories of heroes and gods and their adventures. You’re the only one who is different. You should have been, just… shattered by what Heracles did. But you aren’t. You’re still you. That’s why you’re my favourite. You survived, and, well, you still care?” He finishes kind of lamely.

A whole lot of emotions went across her face as he ranted, but now she’s smiling at him, “I can see why my Lady was so adamant that I meet with thee. You are truly unique, little one.”

She looks at him thoughtfully before turning towards the sword and picking it up, pausing a moment as she looks down at the bronze blade. Then she turns back to Percy, smiling. She walks over and drops to one knee in front of him, bringing herself to his eye level as she offers the blade, hilt first.

“I believe I will feel quite proud to know you carry me with you on your future adventures. May Anaklusmos serve you as I had always intended it to serve him. Carry her with my thanks, for reminding me of my true purpose.”

Percy takes the sword hesitantly, “I, uh, had been intending on making Lee give this back to you?”

She smiles and shakes her head, “I have no need of it, I do not wield a sword and it has been far too long for me to still feel my powers lack.”

Huh. Well, Percy isn’t going to exactly say no. Not to Zoe Nightshade. But there is something he can do to say thank you. He doesn’t think it’ll break any rules, it won’t actually change the ending, just might make things go a little smoother.

As Zoe stands and returns to Artemis’ side, Percy carefully sets the sword down before he turns to Lee and beckons him closer.

Lee bends down and lets Percy whisper to him, “Can I talk to Zoe alone? There’s something I wanna tell her. It’s kind of a future thing, but not the scary prophecy stuff, just something that’s going to make her feel… better? Not sure on the right word. It’ll make things easier, but it won’t change any of the bigger stuff, sun and ocean say it’s my choice. Never thought I’d meet Zoe, but…”

Lee shrugs, “if you’re sure it’s not a prophecy, it should be fine. You’re going to have a better idea than I will of what’s safe to say or not.”

Artemis is happy to leave them to talk privately, though Zoe looks confused again. She comes and sits near Percy, so at least now she isn’t quite so towering.

“You wish to speak privately?”

“Yeah, I wanted to tell you something. Something you need to remember, for the future.”

She looks surprised, but gives him an encouraging nod. He takes a deep breath. He’s always wanted to tell her this. She deserves to know.

“You will never be forgotten. When the time comes, your Lady will be at your side, and your story will be written in the stars. Don’t let your anger fester, there is no need. You will be a legend whose story lives for all time. His will fade, yours will not. And the one who comes after, you will be so proud of her. She will carry on your legacy with so much love. She will care for them as her own. It truly will be worth it. All of it. Every moment.”

Oh. He made her cry. He thinks they are good tears though. She’s smiling too.

“I thank you, little one. I will engrave your words on my heart, to comfort me when I am sad, just as my story gave you comfort.”

She gives him another soft smile as she stands, it completely changes her, now she’s like a Disney princess! Though, she’s still a warrior. She’s awesome. Percy can die happy now he’s met her.

Oh! Maybe he could introduce her to war drum?

________________________

Apollo stands with Poseidon, carefully hidden and invisible to the centaur as they wait for Hades to make an appropriately dramatic entrance. Chiron is standing near the Big House watching the campers in the distance, unaware of the watchers. They’d given it a few days after Apollo and Dio did their burning fury thing and forced Luke and his followers from the camp.

Unfortunately, Uncle later informed him they’d survived his storm. The only one guaranteed to know if Luke was still alive was Hermes, and he wasn’t exactly happy with Apollo right now. But even he can’t argue against the banishment, it was still far kinder than the punishment Apollo could have exacted from him. What Luke Castellan had done was a direct breach of some of their oldest laws, and he had been fully aware of that.

The only real regret Apollo feels over the whole situation is how nervous Lee now is around Apollo. He had known demigods tended to struggle when faced with the evidence of how truly different their godly parent was. But mortals are remarkably resilient, so the kid should be back to his usual blunt sarcastic self eventually. Otherwise, Apollo may need to start joining Percy in pranking the kid, just until Lee forgets his fear.

Percy, of course, was entirely unbothered. Kid’s always known what he was getting into, one of the benefits of him having the sight so young. Or maybe it’s from him being a sea kid. If Georgie is anything to go by, the children of the sea were a lot more accepting of gods being different to mortals. That whole go with the flow thing probably. Apollo snickers to himself as Uncle side-eyes him.

Oh! Finally!

Hades melts from the shadows and slinks up until he’s standing right next to the centaur, waiting another beat before he starts purring, his voice like smooth silk.

“A little birdie tells me you sought to defy my curse. I was certain they lied. A mere centaur opposing the Lord of the Dead? And yet… my brother has confirmed it.”

Oh, Chiron is not having a good week. Apollo almost feels sorry for him, almost. Like, seriously, Apollo is the God of Prophecy, if he wanted the curse lifted, he would be the one setting the quest. Not Chiron! The fact that Apollo brought a prophet to the camp, and still did nothing about the cursed oracle, it should have been all Chiron needed to know!

Chiron is stuttering an apology, not even trying to deny his actions.

Hades aura is rapidly growing, Apollo is very glad Percy is off taking trident lessons with Triton, angry King of the Underworld aura is less than fun.

Hades’ is still ranting about the curse and how it will not be lifted until he is free of the oath and children are welcome. How dare Chiron attempt to replace the cursed oracle with another prophet. That even his nephew Apollo would not suggest such a course of action. Blah blah blah.

Then Chiron sticks his hoof in it, “I feared for the future, without Thalia…”

Dude. Really?

“You are aware of precisely why the forbidden child was under attack, are you not?”

More stuttering. Hades continues, voice growing until it holds its own grinding rumbling undertone.

He snarls, “I am the one who sent the furies! My brother took my children from me, the ones born before the Great Prophecy was ever spoken. Only for him to break the very oath he forced on me! So I took his child!”

Chiron seems to have given up. He’s no longer protesting as Hades’ rant continues. Apollo is beginning to grow bored, Uncle H is showing no signs of slowing. Beside him, Poseidon still looks faintly amused, but Apollo could swear he caught an eye roll out of the corner of his eye.

Finally, Hades tone changes, becoming softer, gentler, his aura changes too. All the threats of death and burning black fire returning to a slightly exaggerated form of his whole ‘the final peace’ schtick.

“Immortality is rarely granted to mortals, especially ones who are not demigods. It was a deliberate decision. For those whose souls are not born to it, it can be more a curse and less a gift. But the gods’ intention had been to bestow a gift on you. I can see your exhaustion, your weariness. You do not carry immortality easily. It sits unnaturally on your very essence.”

Chiron looks… surprised? And relieved. Apollo still can’t see what Percy does. Nor can Dio, but it seems Hades can.

Hades is speaking gently now, “It was meant to be a gift. You need not continue to keep it, if the burden has become too great. What I am offering, it is not constrained or limited. You need not decide now, or ever. But should there be a time where you are truly finished, I can help you find peace. I can release your soul and guide it to its final rest.”

Now the centaur is stuttering for an entirely different reason, “My Lord, I had not realised that I could… that it would ever…”

He pauses, and seems to pull himself back together, “I thank you, my Lord. What you are offering, it would be a great relief to know that one day there will be an end. It has been… difficult, to continue year after year for over two thousand years, watchings thousands upon thousands of heroes die. I had just wanted to prevent one death, to save just one of them. I felt as if, in saving her, I could finally have done some good, achieved something worthwhile.”

“You have done much good. The Isles of The Blest are full of those who you trained. Their spirits continue on, both within my realm and in the memories of the mortal world. There is still work for you to do, but only if you are willing. This is not a punishment. It was a gift. A gift you may return, when you are ready.

Chiron is quiet for a long time, watching the campers move around in the afternoon sun. Finally he shakes his head. “No, my Lord, I am… needed. I may no longer be wanted. I have not served these children well in many years, but I can try again, one more time. The thought of training them, it suddenly feels a little less… tiring, if I know I will one day see them all again.”

Hades actually smiles at him, Apollo did not know Hades could smile. This is new.

“Of course. It is not an offer I will ever rescind. You can call for me when you are ready. If indeed you are ever ready. In the meantime, I believe I could arrange a short day pass for you to the Isles, so you can see for yourself that they do live on. You need only ask.”

The smile disappears, and the colder sterner Lord of the Dead returns, “it is contingent of course, on you ceasing your attempts to release the Oracle of Delphi from my curse. You must also cease your efforts to revive the king’s forbidden child. They are to remain as they are until my stipulations are met. There is nothing you can do to change that.”

Chiron agrees, and then goes a step further and swears on the Styx that he will no longer seek to lift the curse or revive the child. It is far more than Apollo had hoped.

When Hades had suggested this course of action, Apollo had his doubts. But, he was born a god, his own experience of death was limited to Pallas, and that… No, he has no wish to ever experience that. It was only because of Percy and his claim that Chiron had been ‘broken by the gods’ and had no hope left, that Apollo had been willing to consider his uncle’s suggestion.

It at least explained how their trainer of heroes had fallen so far.

Hades melts back into the shadows and the centaur shakily returns to the Big House.

Hades soon reappears beside Apollo and Poseidon, grinning like the cat that got the cream. All three brothers are dramatic little shits at heart. No wonder their family is so constantly full of theatrics.

“I believe the situation has been resolved?”

Poseidon grins back, “Indeed it has, brother! I thank you for your assistance, he did not seem to heed my threats, but I confess, it never occurred to me to just offer to kill him.”

Hades snorts, “You killing him would not have helped matters. If he wants entry into my realm, he needs my assistance. You’re just annoyed you haven’t been able to stab anyone recently.”

Poseidon raises an eyebrow and offers politely, “I could stab you? If you really want me to?”

Yeah, Apollo is not touching that. He’s not sure he’s ever seen the two interact without Father watching. Right now, he’s quite glad of this. They are far too cheerful.

“Uncle Hades, Uncle Poseidon tells me I need to thank you for your assistance with the mortal?”

“Ah, yes, the lethe water. I take it, all was successful?”

Uncle confirms, “Yes, she’s been resettled away from New York with no memory of the child or her time with me. It seemed the wisest course of action. We cannot keep him from our brother forever, but we can at least prolong that discovery.”

Hades turns back to Apollo, looking at him with sharp assessing eyes. “Nephew, your essence has changed since solstice? Your power has been declining since I cursed your oracle, but now… You look as you did before the Great Prophecy? Perhaps even more powerful?”

Oh, that got Poseidon’s attention. Please don’t skewer your nephew. Stab Uncle Hades if you need to stab someone, not Apollo!

“Oh uh, I didn’t think that was something any others could see? Artemis is aware but I had been hoping to keep that to myself.”

“You need not concern yourself, I have dominion over the soul. I do not see auras as you do, but I can see your essence. It is not within our brother’s ability or awareness.” Hades glances up towards the attic of the Big House, “The spirit is still bound, the mortal body still decaying, I do not understand?”

Poseidon is staring at Apollo. He definitely isn’t going to let this go. Apollo gives in.

“The prophecy domain is one of the most powerful, but its power relies on the presence of living prophets. Until I met Percy, without the Oracle of Delphi, all I had was Herophile. She is older than I and her power comes from him,” He gestures to Poseidon, “A god loses strength when they cannot access their domain. What I experienced was quite similar to Dio being restricted from alcohol, though I am unsure if Percy saw it on me as he did with Dio.”

Poseidon looks horrified, “You were losing your power over the domain? You said nothing of it!”

“Well I wasn’t exactly about to tell Father! Without access to my domain everything was becoming harder and I…”

Apollo sighs, and admits the truth, “I did not realise how badly it was affecting me. While I had been unaware of Father’s influence on my Oracles, it had already greatly reduced the power I drew from the domain.”

His uncles look horrified. This is why he didn’t say anything!

“Truthfully, these past few months since I made contact with Percy and formally became his patron, it is as if the sun has risen again. With how tightly he now binds me to both my prophecy domain as well the elements which Uncle still holds, my power has returned and is continuing to increase.”

Hades eyebrows raise, “I know we are preparing for the Great Prophecy, but please don’t tell me you are planning to overthrow your father. We have already lived that story, twice over, I have no wish to do so again.”

“Yes, Nephew, I wish to stabilise the balance of power, not overthrow our king,” Poseidon adds in a dry voice.

Apollo gives them a sheepish grin, “You both know I have no wish for power for the sake of it. I would be bored silly in such a role. Is that not the whole reason I received the prophecy domain? My lack of ambition?”

Hades gives him a smile and glances towards Poseidon, “And because you were born of the loyalty of the sea, my brother was absolutely convinced you could be trusted. It is good to see his faith in you has been rewarded. Especially given that between you and your young prophet, you now hold sway over more than half the Council. ”

Hades voice takes on a more brusk tone, “As pleasant as it has been to have a civil conversation with you, Nephew, free of the usual performative antagonism your father expects, I do believe this should be the only time we speak. Poseidon knows how to contact me should you need to a pass a message on. I believe I need time to think of some new creative insults to hurl at you during the coming winter solstice.”

Hades melts back into the shadows before Apollo can think of how to respond to that little speech.

Poseidon gives him a far too smug smile and adds, “It has become the highlight of my year watching you and he fight, I believe Persephone has been assisting him in finding new descriptors for those little haikus of yours. Do not fear for the child, my brother has decided he likes him.”

And he’s gone, leaving a spray of ocean mist behind. Dramatic little shits. The whole lot of them!

Apollo is definitely starting to suspect there is a lot more to the situation with Thalia Grace than he realised. His uncles are remarkably comfortable with each other, given it is little more than a year since, as far as he is aware, Hades had killed the girl and Poseidon transformed her into a pine tree to hold her in stasis.

Given recent events, and how neither of them want Father to control the Great Prophecy, it’s all seeming a little too neat, a little too planned. Apollo’s healing abilities don’t extend to trees, so he has no way of ascertaining what the girl’s condition actually is.

It’s only much later, when Apollo has returned to Olympus, confident things are finally sorted, that he remembers something.

The day when the shield charm was broken and Percy gave that prophecy, that first time he mentioned the tear in the tapestry… Percy had told him if Apollo asked the kid about his struggles with food it would “answer the unspoken”.

At the time he had just been focused on helping the kid. He’d assumed the random prophetic moment was just pure mental exhaustion and the kid being too young to use his own words and keep control of his sight.

When the kid had poured out that whole mess of jumbled half-sentences, Apollo had noted the references to Chiron and Annabeth and ignored the rest of the kid’s mumbling. He’d assumed it was just Percy being overtired and having difficulty describing how overstimulated he was feeling surrounded by demigod auras.

The next day, when Apollo learned the source of the kid’s power, he’d been annoyed he’d missed the kid’s mention of sun and ocean. The kid was a prophet speaking the literal truth. And Apollo had missed it. Yet, he still dismissed the rest as just a young child struggling to make himself understood.

Now, after recent events, with his mind a little calmer, Apollo is rethinking what he heard. The kid may have used the auras rather than names, but he had outright told them that Luke Castellan was (would be?) manipulating Annabeth and Chiron.

Percy had also told them one of the reasons he didn’t like the dining pavilion was because the “big war drum is not here yet’. He’d immediately followed it up with “shield’s needed for the twisty shadows and for the bright crackle”.

Apollo has now met Percy’s ‘big war drum with the shield’. But that would mean ‘twisty shadows’ and ‘bright crackle’ were… Huh. This is going to get interesting.

Percy also told them, quite clearly, “It all starts with the drum.”