Percy Jackson: The Great Army of Chaos

Chapter 22|| The tides of Nightfall

The tides of nightfall run through my body, they wrap around my body trying their best to repair my body. The water is warm and welcomes me back to my father's realm. Once I'm waist deep I stop. The waters touch calms me, it fills my body with energy and serenity. I stand still for five minutes, the fish swim around my legs whilst the seaweed gently brush against my legs.

"Gods I've missed this" I say. I drag my hand along the water watching waves form, "Dad, I'm home" I whisper.

"I know son" A voice says. I turn to see my dad, his hair had gained its color, his smile was warm and his eyes held love. He wore his typical outfit and held his trident in his left hand.

I begin to wade through the water to reach my dad, I look up at him with a smile, he opens his arms and pulls me to his hairy chest, we hug each other tightly and time seems to stop, being held in his arms makes me forget, forget the past three years of all things bad and only remember the good.

"I missed you so much dad" I whisper, a tear dragging down my cheek.

"Not as much as I have, my boy" He responds.

Like a child I look up at my dad, I hold a smile of happiness and my eyes hold admiration, he looks down at me with nothing but love, we hold each other's gaze with time stopping once more. I look deeper into his eyes and see the pain that I left him with, the damage that I had done when I decided to leave without thinking about anyone else. My smile fades.

"What is it?" My dad asks, his smile has now fallen and his face has now mounded into worry.

"Dad, how can I ever earn your forgiveness?" I sob.

Dad puts his hands on my shoulders and forces me to look at him by lifting my gently chin so that I can meet his eyes, "My boy, what you did was understandable you were heartbroken many people deal with grief in different ways" He smiles, "But for what it's worth, next time tell me please" His eyes search mine like a map , "However, I know that you haven't returned to see me, there's something way more important" He guesses, "Tell me what has you in this much pain?"

I debate on whether to tell him the full story about Chaos using Annabeth as a trap or just tell him the Annabeth bit. "I found her" I sigh, "I found Annabeth, but it turns out she's been by my side for two years" My dad listens, "She's known it was me, she's known the pain that I've been in yet she didn't come forward, in fact I had to eavesdrop on the right conversation at the right time" Dad held a face as if he wanted to say something but wasn't sure if he should. "Dad, what is it?"

"Well doesn't this situation sound familiar?" Dad asks.

I think until it hits me, I'd done this exact thing to my father, I had looked at him and not told him who I was, I had done the same to him and the rest of camp as Annabeth had done to me.

"Dad, I'm so sorry" I sob once more, "You must all hate me"

My dad chuckles to himself, "No Percy, because we see the important thing"

"What's that?" I ask.

My dad wraps an arm around me with a big smile, "That you have come back to us!" He says, "And there's nothing more important to me than that"

Feeling better I smile, "Dad, you know Chaos tried to be a father figure but he was nothing close to you"

Dad laughs, "And nobody could be a better son" He pays my back, "Don't tell Triton" He says immediately realizing what he had just said. "Now I think I've figured what we can do for me to forgive you" He smiles.

"Anything" I say.

Before I can protest my Dad's muscular arms pick me up and throw me deeper into the water. My body hits the water with force creating an explosion of water. My entire body is now wet, the water runs through my hair and fingers many forms of coral life surround me in joy a seahorse swims to me, "Look everyone the Prince of the Sea is back!"