The Son of Time

Chapter 52

Warning feels, Christina is mentioned several tines, so are the other characters I made die.

Percy's Point of view

After I left Amber's apartment I decided I would go to camp and try and talk to Luke, he is only twelve, but he had fought in a war, and lost three people he had cared about. When he first got to camp Christina had been one of the first people he met. They had thought of each other as siblings, and had been growing close until the first battle where Christina sacrificed herself to save Nathan.

To make things worse Luke had lost one of the first friends he had made at camp. Scooter sacrificed himself to save him so Luke probably feels guilty, wishing that he had done something to prevent it, or possibly even thinking that he should have been the one that died. On top of all that Nathan basically sacrificed himself to save Luke and the other demigods that Tartarus had managed to capture.

I knew that Luke would need help to get through it all. After Luke was born I worried about what Luke would have to face once he learned of me, heck I started worrying about it the moment Amber told me she was pregnant. Over the years I had done what I could to keep him safe, but until now there wasn't much I could do. As much as I hate to admit it, I know that the fates have more control over what happens to him than I do. I know that all I can do is try to protect him, but if the fates have things I won't like planned for him I won't be able to do anything about it. I may be powerful, but the fates are still more powerful than me. Shoving those thoughts aside I went to camp half blood. I would have been going there anyway later this afternoon, since the shrouds of the fallen demigods were to be burned later this afternoon.

Instead of being in the sword arena when he often was when he had a lot on his mind I found him at the beach just sitting there looking out at the domain I shared with my father. I walked over to him, and sat down beside him. He had noticed my arrival, but he hadn't yet spoken, since he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. I spoke first saying, "Your mother told me what happened. None of their deaths were your fault. There is no reason for you to feel guilty about them. If there had been anything you could have done to save them you would have done it. I won't lie and say that I haven't blamed myself for Christina's death, but I know that only the fates have control over when someone lives or dies, and there is little we could have done to prevent Christina's or your friends deaths.

I know that it hurts that they're gone, but all we can do is remember them as the heroes that they were, and learn how to keep living our lives without them. I know that it is never easy when you lose someone, but I also know that Christina Nathan and Scooter would not want you to blame yourself when they willingly sacrificed themselves for those they cared about including you. They wouldn't want you to be upset over them for the rest of your life. It will take time, but eventually you will accept that they are gone and learn to live without them.

For years I blamed myself for the deaths of your namesakes as well as several others that died during the second titan war, but I accepted that they are gone and that there wasn't anything that I could have done to prevent them, and by naming you after them I made sure that their heroism wouldn't be forgotten. I know you can get through this, it won't be easy but I know you can." I fell silent letting him absorb and consider my words.

We sat in silence for a while before Luke finally sighed and then spoke. He said referring to Christina, "I was just getting to know her, and then she was taken from us."

I sighed, did what I could to comfort him, and said, "I know Son I know, it saddens me that you never really got the chance to get to know her. But there was nothing we could have done to save her. Even if I had managed to heal her wound if the fates had meant for her to die during that battle they would have just caused her death some other way."

What I didn't say was that if we had managed to defy fate and saved her she may have suffered a worse fate than dying that day. If they had planned for her to die that day and I had managed to save her, the fates would take that out on her since they couldn't punish me. Silence ensued once again. I wasn't sure if Luke had accepted the fact that none of the deaths were his fault, but I hoped what I had said would help him.

I said, "Tomorrow I will follow through on the reward I offered you at the ceremony, Tomorrow we will get to see Christina one last time."

Luke just nodded in response.

The next time he spoke up Luke changed the subject. He said, "So you're the king of the gods now."

I said, "yeah after we dethroned Zeus someone had to do it, and everyone thought it should be me."

That was when I heard someone say, "Percy!" I turned and looked in the direction I had heard the voice from. 

When I saw who it was I grinned and said, "Hey Grover."

He replied "Hey, Perce."

Then he noticed who I had been talking to and asked, "Am I interrupting?"

I said, "No it's fine."

Grover introduced himself to Luke, and I said, "Grover has been a good friend of mine since before I came here myself."

"He's the satyr that brought you here?" Luke guessed

I said slightly amused, "Technically yes, but it was more like I got him here since he got knocked unconscious partway here."

Looking at a somewhat embarrassed Grover I said, "It's not your fault G-man the car went off the road after all, and we didn't have   normal seatbelts. I'm just teasing you."

Getting over his embarrassment Grover said, "The reason why I came down here was because Chiron wants to talk to you if you can."

I replied, "He should know that I am always willing to make time for him." 

that was the truth, after all the years I spent at camp Chiron was like a second father to me, especially since my dad had been forced to be an absentee father for my entire childhood, only being able to visit every once in a while after I came to camp. Sure I had cared for Paul, my second step father, but he wasn't my real dad. Even though I never saw dad much during my teen years I accepted why he couldn't see me very often and I grew to care for him. For a little while Chiron filled the void that was left because my dad couldn't be there. After I accepted my dad and grew to care for him, I thought of them both as father figures.

I wouldn't mind if Luke did the same since I can't be there all the time. Sure I can be there more than my dad could for me since I have more freedom from the ancient laws than he did, but I still can't be there all the time. I know that Chiron cares for all his students, he may not care for them all like they are his children, but I know that he thinks of some of them that way.

I said, "I should go, might as well find out what Chiron wants to talk about." 

Grover and Luke nodded.

Luke said, "I have arts and crafts anyway."

Luke started walking toward the arts and crafts building, while I headed for the big house.

When I got there I found him on the porch, I asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

He asked, "How are you doing?"

I didn't feel like lying to him, so I sighed and said, "I'll manage. I'm more worried about Luke than myself. It was hard enough for me being in a war at sixteen, but at twelve I'm not sure if he can handle it."

I know what I said to Luke earlier, but that was half to try and help him, and half to reassure myself.

Chiron said, "He will get through it, it may take some time, but he will. Like you he is strong."

I nodded, he sounded certain, but I still wondered if he was still just trying to reassure me or himself or both. We talked for a while before we had to head to the ampitheatre where the shrouds of the fallen demigods would be burned.