𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗, 𝚔𝚒𝚍 - percy jackson x oc

006

VI - PERCY IS THROWN INTO THE OCEAN

THE KIDS GRIPPED onto each other tightly as their taxi sped towards the Santa Monica Pier. The car never went below 95 the entire way.

An upside of the Lotus Hotel? They all had unlimited credit cards now.

Percy told the three about a dream he had, but even he had trouble remembering it. He had been able to recognize the voice as someone he knew but after the casino...he did not remember. The monster in the pit had been called a special title...

"That throne room sounds like Hades'," Grover said. "That's the way it's usually described."

Percy frowned. "Something's wrong. The throne room wasn't the main part of the dream. And that voice from the pit...I don't know. It just didn't feel like a god's voice."

"Maybe..." Valeria trailed off.

"What?" Percy asked.

"What if we are...not supposed to be finding Hades?"

"You still have an idea what might be in that pit, don't you?" Percy asked her. "I mean, if it isn't Hades?"

"I...believe so. But if I am correct...Well, let us hope that I am not."

The car passed a sign that said, CALIFORNIA STATE LINE, 12 MILES.

The taxi dropped them off at sunset on the beach of Santa Monica. There were carnival rides on one end and homeless guys on another.

The kids walked to the shore and Valeria asked, "What now?"

Percy stepped into the water.

"I would not do that if I were—and he is doing it anyway." Valeria sighed, warily eyeing the slightly murky water.

His head went underwater.

"So what, we are simply supposed to sit around on the beach making sand castles until he comes back?" Valeria asked.

Grover shrugged and began to make a sand castle.

Valeria sat down and made a little sand Grover, Percy, and Valeria and made them all hold hands.

"Look, we are the perfect friends!" Valeria commented with a laugh. Grover let out a bleat she took as a laugh.

She gave Grover the little Grover to rule his castle. She created a large mound so the little Valeria could rule over his land.

"Exile!" Valeria yelled, throwing the miniature Percy into the ocean.

A moment later, the real Percy walked out of the ocean with the little Percy in one hand and something else in the other.

"Is this...supposed to be me?" He asked with a confused frown.

"Oh hello..." Valeria said. "I did not see you there."

"This doesn't even look like me!" He held up the figurine. "My head isn't that big!"

"Oh, yes it is," Valeria assured him.

Percy stuck his tongue out at her before telling them about the Nereid. He showed them the three pearls.

"No gift comes without a price," Valeria said.

"They were free," Percy insisted.

"No," she denied. "Not in this world. People do things out of kindness in the mortal world, but not in ours."

They decided to take a bus to West Hollywood with the money from Ares' backpack. Percy showed the DOA slip to the bus driver but he had never heard of the place.