(AN...

This one was sort of written for the Veritas Monthly Prompt.

Hey, are you bored right now? Well, I just started a forum with random chat on it.

It's called, "Newbies to FanFiction, specifically Percy Jackson." But it's not really just for newbs cause no newbs use it, lol. If you just want to chat go ahead. The first person who posts something gets a special prize. :D So go ahead and check it out.

Here's my not so great but not so horrible story, which I think is somewhat original.)

"All rise."

Triton's voice echoed throughout the chamber. It had a ring of coldness, one so great that everyone in the throne room detected it.

Including the one who remained kneeling before the great Lord.

"Stand, knight."

The boy got up slowly to his feet, but he could not meet Triton's eye. He did not understand the coldness in his voice, but he did understand that he didn't belong here, under the sea.

The sea had always been a refuge for him, a sweet escape in times of peril. Now it was his only escape: he could no longer stay among the people of the land, for there was nothing for him there now: now when the world had been inverted and nothing was the same.

He had always thought he belonged to the Ocean: but only now did he discover he was dreadfully wrong. He didn't belong here.

One only needed to look at his legs in contrast to everyone's fins to understand.

"Do you therefore promise to abide in the seas forever?" Triton said with unchanging tone.

"I do."

Both swallowed back a painful memory.

"Will you always be loyal to the great Poseidon, Lord of the Seas, and pledge him your service?"

The knight closed his eyes. He had a flit of regret: and then it vanished into the current. It was all over now: he may as well give up. He would live out his days here in the cold ocean, until he was one with her again.

"I will."

Triton grabbed him by the shirt.

"This is serious. Don't take this oath lightly!" he hissed.

The knight gasped in surprise: there were deadly stares throughout the court. It was forbidden to speak in such an important ceremony, but had that ruled ceased to exist, there would have been frenzied murmurs throughout the room.

Triton ripped the shirt clean off the knight's body, exposing his bare chest.

"Do you accept all these things?" he continued solemnly, as if nothing had happened.

There was silence. A silence so great, that a pin dropping could have been heard.

There was a subtle gasp, and then an exhalation.

"I do."

Triton took his hand, and carefully swam to the top of the throne room.

"So let it be done! By the power of our father, Poseidon, Perseus Jackson..."

and here he paused. He stared at him with a gaze so cruel that Percy could not help but look away in shame. For he knew the words that came next were said in falsehood.

"Is one of our kind."

Triton hurled Percy to the floor, and his head cracked on the mosaic. He cried out in pain, but felt a strange burning: a burning in his feet. He looked at them strangely for a moment, but then the sensation spread.

All of a sudden, he was back in the Styx: the pain was unbearable. It scathed around his legs as if peeling them apart and ripping out the flesh. He opened his mouth to scream in agony, but nothing came. He was so paralyzed by the pain that he could not utter a word. He remembered, sadly, how once a memory had pulled him out of such a hell. Now that memory was one of pain. That memory had pushed him back into hell.

He kicked, once, twice, and suddenly he could literally feel his legs bursting: but when he looked down, there were no longer two limbs protruding from his waist.

There was a slender green fishtail.

The great lamps of pearl and the palace of coral and jade had once impressed Percy: this was the Atlantis he had dreamed of.

But now it seemed a prison: a prison for his hollow soul. His father had not even bothered to attend the ceremony: his father didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. Nothing mattered except that she was gone.

Triton swam past Percy without a glance. Everyone had left, but he was to show his half brother around the palace.

Two mermaids gave a furtive glance at the new prince, but their stares were unreturned. Nonetheless, they were excited.

The six remaining maids of Triton were in need of marriage, but no one ever met their father's expectations. They hoped that his own brother would be suitable enough for his taste.

The prince had pale skin: what a trait! The skin of all merfolk was green: only a few had been luckily born with that prized tan skin. The girls laughed and swam out of the courtroom: but Triton and Percy remained, both in anguished silence.

Triton grit his teeth. Never again would he allow a daughter of his to go with a paleface. Never. Hadn't his daughters learned?

He may have had a fishtail, but he was no man of the sea.

He would never be one of them.

He had no purpose.

Silence reigned.

He looked at his fishtail in a muse: it was strange to have a tail like that; though it puzzled Percy why he only had one instead of two, like Triton.

"Why do I only have one tail?" he asked.

Triton looked at him coldly.

"Only royalty bear two tails."

Percy felt shocked. His father was the god of the seas; wasn't he royalty as well? He opened his mouth to argue, but deemed conversation with Triton futile. He turned in despair to the throne room floor, and was confronted with something he had not expected; a red stringy plant protruding from a tall column. Percy found his ADD was taking its toll, and he was drawn to this beautiful plant. The red strands were so fine that they almost appeared to be hair. The current gently swished the plant the way wind moves a flower. He swam up to it, cautiously, and touched it with a trembling hand. Triton screamed and smacked him viciously, sending Percy tumbling to the floor so hard he smacked his head on the cold sea marble.

"Triton, what-"

"Don't touch her!" he screamed with venom in his voice.

Percy stared at his brother in awe. Never had he seen Triton this way. Ever since he had gotten there, he had been cold, but never angry.

"Don't you dare touch her, you halfbreed!"

Percy's mouth still hung open. He was shocked by Triton's action, and his cheek stung from the slap. He saw his brother trembling with anger, screaming at him. Percy felt faint, but his brother would not stop yelling. He remotely saw a tear roll from his cheek, and Percy was snapped back into reality.

"Brother..."

Triton was silent. His tear had turned into a sob now, and he had turned his back to Percy.

Percy looked at the "plant" from its front end. He now saw it was a mermaid, beautiful in every way, with two fishtails. Royalty. She was suspended in the water by some sort of magic; her eyes were dull and had no life in them. She was dead.

But the most fantastic feature she possessed was her fiery red hair; it was even more vibrant than Rachel Elizabeth Dare's. Her mouth was hung open in an eternal silent scream.

Percy was silent for a while. His brother had regained control, but was quiet nonetheless.

"Who was she?"

The water coldly flowed.

"My daughter."

Percy raised an eyebrow. Triton didn't look much older than him; but he knew that he was very, very old. He had never thought of him as a father, though.

"Her name was Ariel."

Now Percy was really surprised.

"Like in the little mermaid?" he asked.

Triton snarled.

"I hate that movie."

Percy raised an eyebrow, and Triton sighed.

"Not all stories end happily, Percy."

He swam away, dejectedly, his tails hanging behind him. Percy stared at him in wonder, and looked at the girl. A beautiful mermaid forever frozen in time.

Then Percy noticed something;

Triton had used his real name.

Percy had swum around the rest of the palace himself. It was truly beautiful, but it gave him little comfort. He had remembered some distant memory... Annabeth had told him-here he winced at the thought of her- that Disney screwed up every story they published, like Aladdin and the Arabian Nights, and the Little Mermaid.

He managed to find the grand library, made from seaweed print books, and looked for the original "Little Mermaid," in the fairy tale section. He lay on the floor of the underwater edifice, quietly reading. Thank the gods all the books had been translated into Greek.

It was not long before Percy found his eyelids drooping when a huge sword whizzed past his head. Percy jumped out from under the shelf in terror and was confronted with the library clerk.

"What are you doing here? This library is for Royals only," said the clerk, who looked surprisingly strong for a bookworm. Percy panted, still recovering from the huge startle.

"I am royalty!"

The guard laughed.

"How do you explain the tail then, eh? Some royalty you are."

Percy swallowed his fear.

"I'm Percy Jackson!" he said.

The clerk's attitude immediately changed.

"Oh! You are? Well, ah... Your highness... wait a minute. How do I know you are Percy Jackson?" he said skeptically. Percy reached for riptide and gasped: it was gone! He didn't wear pants anymore... Where had it gone during his transformation?

Suddenly the clerk gasped. He pointed a shaky finger at Percy's head and bowed.

"Oh, great highness, I apologize," he said with a tone of fright. Percy was confused. He felt his head and was confronted with a thin ring of metal. He removed the crown from his head, which had not been there before, and stared at it in awe: it was silver with aquamarine fish engraved in it. He had seen Triton and his father wear one, but theirs had been much sturdier and of gold. He shrugged. At least he got a crown.

He noticed a greek inscription on the side and realized with dismay that this was indeed Riptide. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to free it. He tried pushing various gemstones and was not successful in revealing the sword until he rubbed the inscription, at which the sword sprung out and grew into its true form. The clerk stood awed and stepped aside, not even asking for his library card.

Percy decided his nerves were too racked for reading and left the book in his quarters. He wandered aimlessly about the palace, trying to find something to do, when he saw a pretty young girl with a crown like his own and two fishtails. She had tan skin, like his own, which surprised him. He hadn't seen another merperson with tan skin except his father. Nevertheless, he wasn't interested in her and continued on. The girl, however, wasn't ready to except his silence.

"Prince!" she called.

He turned around.

"Uh, hi. Call me Percy... I'm no Prince."

She giggled an annoying giggle.

"Silly, you are a Prince! You are Poseidon's son and the greatest hero of the century!" she said, squealing.

Percy sighed. He was tired of being pampered this way. Then again, he might as well appreciate the girl. No one else here would be treating him like royalty.

Suddenly four other mermaids appeared out of nowhere.

"Melly! How dare you talk to the prince and don't bring us with you!"

He saw the two mermaids from after the ceremony. They all wore crowns of coral and jade, they all had tan skin, and they all bore two tails.

"Hi! I'm Shelly!" said one.

"I'm Kelly!"

"I'm Nelly!"

"I'm Joyce."

He raised an eyebrow.

Kelly laughed.

"Joyce is the reject of the family." Joyce gave her the evil eye. Percy gave a weary smile.

"Know how that feels," he mumbled. Suddenly the sisters were all upon him.

"Really? What's wrong? Are you okay?" they chattered.

Percy just wanted to be left alone.

"Who are you, exactly?" he asked. Joyce spoke up.

"We're the Princesses of Triton!" she exclaimed. Percy raised an eyebrow.

"The Princesses..." he mumbled. Kelly nodded in excitement.

"We've been waiting forever for a prince!" she squealed as Shelly pouted.

"Really, it is so lonely down here."

Percy swallowed with anxiety. He was going to have to... One of these girls? Were they serious?

"Are... There any more of you?" he asked, without trying to give his intent away.

Joyce pouted.

"Well, there's Joliene, but she's a bookworm and she's so plain. And of course... There was..." she trailed off. Suddenly all the girls looked somber.

"Ariel?" Percy asked.

Suddenly a shattering sound was heard from across the courtyard. The girls scrambled away in fright.

"Oh no, daddy's having a fight with Grandpa again!" moaned Nelly, who bolted immediately.

Percy turned his head sharply toward the sound. He knew he shouldn't get in the middle, but he carefully skirted around the courtyard, and hit behind a pot.

"-And what is this business about the tails? Why did you only give him one? The kingdom is in an outrage-" This was his father's voice.

"He's not royalty!" Triton retorted.

"Wha- What on earth do you mean? Of course he's royalty! He's my son after all..."

"He's a low life half breed!"

"He's of my blood!" Poseidon growled, his tone turning evil.

"Father, you yourself know that blood means nothing. Look at Hades and Zeus. Are they fit to be rulers because of their blood?"

"He's already proven himself, he saved the world!"

"Their world, father!" screamed Triton, who was at the verge of exasperation.

"Their world! The world of the land! He isn't royalty here!"

Poseidon screamed in rage.

"He is! He is royalty here! He has proven himself!"

Triton panted.

"You can give him a crown, father. You can even give him the royal tail. But he will NEVER be one of us! NEVER, you hear me? I am your heir!"

He bolted away. Percy thought of the stupidity of being an heir when your predecessor was immortal.

Poseidon yelled in retort.

"Maybe, but he will always be my favorite son!"

Percy buried his face in his hands.

It couldn't stay like this.

He couldn't hurt his brother and father this way.

He had to find his purpose: he had to make his brother accept him!

Yet, somehow, he had a sinking feeling that Triton was right.

He would never belong here.

(Like? Hate?

GIMME A REVIEW.

I DON'T CARE IF IT'S A FREAKIN FLAME, JUST REVIEW, I'M DESPERATE, OKAY?

KUDOS TO ALL!)