Tell Me You Love Me

Ariana's Trident(Onety-Onety-Four)

Ariana's POV

I was about a week into my first summer at Camp Half-Blood. I've heard so many stories from Dad and Luke and Milo, but they could never have prepared me for how much fun I was going to have. Sam, Maria, and I were always together, every where we went(except for individual activities) and I was shaping up to have the best summer in my entire life.

In my cabin, in the wall by my bunk, I had a few pictures taped to the wall. My favorite was a picture of my mom and dad on their wedding day. They looked so young and happy and carefree. And so in love. The way they were looking at each other always gave me chills. I would always wish for a love like theirs when I grew up.

I had another picture of Mom, Dad, and Luke when he was just a baby. The three of them were posing in front of a building Mom had just finished. She had led the team that designed it.

And another of Mom holding me as a baby. I was sleeping on her chest, a lock of her hair gripped tightly in my baby fist. Mom was smiling at the camera.

There were other pictures through the years, some when my parents were younger. 

Dad always says I look just like my mom. We're almost identical, he says. Except for my eyes. I have my dad's eyes. And I have more freckles than my mom ever did.

Sam, Maria, and I were walking to sword fighting lessons that day with the rest of the Legacy Cabin, meaning Luke and Milo were goofing off a few paces ahead of us. The other Legacy kids, Willow, Leah, Saylor, Chloe, and Paris were keeping a safe distance. 

When we got there, my dad was waiting for us, Riptide in sword for hanging at his side. We had yet to find me a weapon. Luke had Mom's dagger already, and plus I suck at fighting with a dagger. We'd tried multiple different swords and none worked for me. I already suggested that I just stick to fighting with my earthquake powers, but Dad said I need a weapon too.

I was watching Luke duel with this other blond kid when someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Dad faltered in what he was saying and the whole class ground to a halt, everyone staring at the man in the doorway who looked a lot like my dad.

"Percy, might I borrow your daughter for a minute. I have a gift I would like to give her."

Dad actually considered this for a minute. He raised an eyebrow at me and I shrugged.

I caught Luke looking at me. "Poseidon," he mouthed. My eyes widened and my head swiveled back to look at him. I had a hazy memory of him coming to visit us in this very room back when the twins were babies.

All the campers were staring in awe at the god standing there. Luke looked a bit hurt that he didn't come to see him. I followed Poseidon out of the sword fighting arena.

"I hear you haven't gotten yourself a weapon yet," he said as a way of greeting.

"No I haven't," I said, picking out my dad's features from his face.

"Well we must fix that, then," he said. He held his hand out and water rushed from the beach, carrying along a mighty looking trident.

"I used to use this trident back in the day. I've gotten a new one since then and as I have no use for this one, I am willing to part with it. I'm also willing to bet you have a talent with wielding a trident."

He handed it to me and it shrunk to my size. It wasn't light, necessarily, but perfectly balanced. It felt marvelous in my hand. I spun it around tentatively and managed not to impale myself, so I thought that was a plus.

Poseidon's eyes glowed warmly and he smiled. "I wish you well, child. May the Trident of Poseidon never fail you."

And he disappeared on the sea breeze.  

I stood staring for awhile before turning back to this beautiful trident in my hands. It was a bit taller than me, but when I grow, it should be a reasonable size.

I ran back inside, excited to show my dad. 

"Look what Poseidon gave me!" I exclaimed.

"Whoa," he said, truly impressed.

Luke ran over, eager to see. The rest of the cabin followed behind. 

"That's awesome, Ari," Luke said, running his fingers across one of the three points at the end.

"He said it was his old one but that I could have it 'cause he didn't need it anymore."

"Actually?" Sam asked. "That's so cool. You are literally touching a gods weapon right now!"

I smirked. "And it's mine now."

"How are you going to carry it around when between battles?"

I looked to Dad, thinking of how his sword became a pen. "We'll talk to Chiron about that," he said.

Later, after sword fighting was over, Luke, Dad, and I walked to the Big House, where Chiron sat in wheelchair form on the patio, watching the events around Camp unfold.

Dad explained the dilemma and Chiron told me to bring the trident inside, where he summoned a Hecate camper via IrisMessage. The cabin counselor came and performed some magic on it and soon she was holding a bracelet. 

The camper helped me put the bracelet on my right wrist and showed me how to summon the trident.

"Start with your hand by your left shoulder and bring your arm down sharply to your side and the trident will be in your hand once you get to your hip," she explained.

I tried it a few times until I did it right and the trident sprang from the bracelet.

"And to deactivate it..." she trailed off and showed me how I had to press the charm from the bracelet into the spot where the three prongs met in the middle. Once I had mastered summoning the trident and deactivating it again, we headed back into Camp and Dad headed back home.

"That was so awesome!" I gushed to Luke.

"Yeah, it was," he agreed.