A/N: Me, bored, like a year ago when I read Percy for the first time. Hope you enjoy. Oh, yeah, and the usual disclaimer applies.
“Greatest Fear”
You learn really quickly—you don’t lie to gods. It’s just not good.
I found my fingers fidgeting with my Camp Half-Blood T-shirt, and when that didn’t seem to cool my nerves, I started working on the leather jacket. That, too, didn’t seem to help.
The gods
and goddesses all stared down at me from their thrones, awaiting my answer. I
made a point not to look at my father. Poseidon vouched for me a year and a
half ago when Annabeth, Thaila, and I saved Artemis from Atlas. But times have
changed, and all the gods and goddesses beckoned me to
I’d answered, I thought, pretty well, until Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, asked the hardest question yet. I think she still had it out for me because I was best friends/wannabe-more with her daughter.
“What is your greatest fear?”
I know what she wanted to hear: to cause the end of the reign of the current gods and goddesses. But that would be lie. That wasn’t my greatest fear.
I scuffed my sneakers against the floor and muttered, “Kelp.”
The shock and disbelief in my father’s voice caused me to wince. “Kelp? You’re afraid of kelp?”
A rumble of laughter infected the group, followed by the growling of Ares. “If our hopes of survival are resting on the shoulders of this twit—who’s afraid of a stationary plant from his own father’s kingdom—then we might as well blast him now and be done with the pest.”
“Ares, you will not—” Poseidon began, but Athena even stepped in. Perhaps she was wise after all.
“Let us allow the boy to explain himself.”
I took a deep gulp. “Well, goddess, you said yourself my fatal flaw is my personal loyalty. I must do everything in my power to help those I love—my friends, my mother, my stepfather—” Hey, I liked Paul. What could I say? “--…and my father.”
“And how does that apply to kelp?” Hera pressed.
I sighed and raked a hand through my stubborn hair. “If I became kelp, then it would mean I failed everyone. The world would be ruled by the Titans, and everyone I ever cared about would be gone or in a worse position because of me…or I’ll have supported Kronos,” I added with a whisper.
“If you were turned to kelp?” Mr. D echoed. “I’m the god of sanity, and even I don’t understand that.”
“When Thaila was dying, you turned her into a tree, my lord,” I addressed my uncle, my fear of revealing this hampering my voice. “I—If I failed and was dying—and my father was watching and wanted to, I’m afraid he might turn me into something water-ish…y’know…like kelp.”
Silence clutched the gods and goddesses, causing me to squirm under their gazes, even though I couldn’t look at them. But I could feel their glares, knowing that Ares was right. I might as well just crumple to my knees and beg for my life, but that might disappoint my father. He told me my last birthday I was his favorite son. I really didn’t want to lose that status.
“My son, raise your eyes and look at me.” When I refused, his enlarged finger curled under my chin and forced me to gaze upon him. The smile lines about his eyes crinkled.
“Do not fear, my child. You will not fail.” A small smile grew upon my face like always when he praised me, and he waited for it to add, “And if you were dying, I will keep in mind that you would not want to be kelp. Perhaps coral would be a better choice.”
I rolled my eyes but grinned widely. My father made a joke—in front of the other gods and goddesses, and for the first time, I didn’t feel that shock and nervousness that came with being in Poseidon’s presence. For the first time, he seemed like a regular dad.
With that on my mind and in my heart, I knew when the time came, my greatest fear would never be recognized.
Unless, of course, the gods and goddesses voted to blast me to bits, at which time, then yes, I would become kelp—or coral—or something like that.
However, looking at the pride in my father’s eyes, I knew I would survive another Winter Solstice and possibly, the battle with Kronos.
The End