The Gift of the Lethe

A Prophecy is Given

Percy rolls out of bed, only barely managing to keep from falling onto the floor in a heap. He takes a moment to compose himself before emerging from the bedroom. He finds his fiancée sitting at the dining table of their apartment with her laptop in front of her and a mug of coffee in one hand. She looks up at him with a smile, her curly blonde hair already wrapping around the pencil she's tucked behind her ear.

"What's got you all flushed, Seaweed Brain?"

Percy shakes his head. "Nothing. What are you working on?"

Annabeth hums and turns her computer toward him, revealing the beginnings of a digital blueprint. "We're designing some of the temples that still need to be constructed at Camp Jupiter in my architecture class, but I'm working on a better temple for your dad."

Percy grins and leans in closer to the laptop. "Really?"

The design is in the early stages, from what he can tell, but it is easy to determine that it will be far better than the shed that is being used currently. How could it not if his Wise Girl is designing it? Annabeth twists the laptop back around and frowns, glancing at a piece of paper lying on the table. She pulls the pencil from her hair and scribbles something on it before looking up again.

"Rachel called, she wants to talk to you."

"Why? Also, when did she call?"

"An hour ago. She said it was something about the Spirit of Delphi."

Percy frowns in confusion. "If she thinks that I know more about how it works than Apollo, there might be a problem."

Annabeth snorts. "I'm sure that's not what this is, but you might as well call now. She seemed a bit worried."

With his brow furrowed, Percy takes the phone Annabeth is holding out to him. It only takes a few swipes on the screen for him to dial the number. The phone rings once, twice, thrice. Rachel picks up on the fourth ring.

"Annabeth?"

Percy notes that her voice is shaky and frowns. "Rachel, it's Percy. Are you alright? Annabeth said you wanted to talk to me."

On the other end, Rachel inhales shakily. "Percy, there was another prophecy, and no one came to me for a quest."

"Someone heard it?"

"Yes. They wrote it down for me, and I think it involves you."

Percy falls silent for a moment, trying to quell his anger and frustration. "You have got to be joking. Another?"

"Yes."

Percy sighs. "What is it?"

"The son of the sea roams alone,

In search of the crystal stolen by earth.

The daughter lost to one lies in frozen time,

The owl cries and the ocean weeps.

A gift given, a fate reversed,

Only the sea's song will guide."

Percy grimaces and forces back a sigh. "Thanks, Rachel."

Rachel sniffs on the other end. "Good luck, Percy."

The phone beeps as she hangs up. Annabeth frowns up at Percy. "What did she tell you? You're pale, Percy."

Percy slumps into a chair. "There's another damn prophecy, Annabeth. Another one involving me. When will it end?"

Annabeth leans across the table to hug Percy, kissing him on the cheek. "You don't have to do it alone, Percy. I'm always going to be here to help."

"This prophecy wants me to go alone, Annabeth. 'The son of the sea roams alone'. I think that's pretty clear."

"There is something else bothering you, isn't there?"

Annabeth's gray eyes bore into Percy until he sighs. "Yes. There's another line in the prophecy that worries me."

"Tell me all of it, Percy."

He recites the prophecy dutifully, although his voice wavers on the line 'the owl cries and the ocean weeps'. Annabeth slumps.

"It might not mean what you think it does, Percy."

He snorts. "What else could cause pain to an owl and the sea. You are a daughter of Athena, who favors the owl. If something happened to me, both you and my father would react. I certainly don't think your mother would, she still doesn't like me."

Annabeth glares. "Be that as it may, you are not going into this thinking that it will end in your death. Don't you dare, Perseus."

He grimaces at his full name but nods. "I'll try, Wise Girl."

"Good." She pauses, chewing on her lip. "When do you think you'll head out?"

"I'm not going anywhere until tomorrow. I'll let my professors at the university know today, and then we can prepare. I may have to do this alone, but maybe you could still help me prepare?"

Annabeth snorts. "You're twenty years old and you can't pack your own things?"

Percy sticks out his tongue and Annabeth laughs again. "Of course I'll help you pack, Seaweed Brain. The Gods know that if you packed yourself all you'd have is blue food and Riptide."

"Blue food is the best food!"

"Of course it is."

They share a grin before Percy rises from his chair. He steps around the table to hug Annabeth, resting his chin on her hair. "I love you, Wise Girl."

"Love you too. Now, let me work! Your dad needs a better temple."

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Poor Percy, he can never escape prophecies, can he? What do you think this prophecy means? Tell me your thoughts?

Happy reading, and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out