Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series or the Heroes of Olympus Series.

Story: Son of the Crossroads: The Lost Children of the Sea

AN: Sorry for the delay on all my stories, was too busy with holidays and getting back to school; hopefully, I will be able to update more. Here is another chapter for this story, its been delayed, but I wanted to get this out. I will get back to Last Frontier and Monster Force as soon as I can.

Chapter 4: Changing Tides

Atlantis – present day

Sophus smiled as the last child left the classroom; he had a good hour before he was needed at the great library. He sighed as he stepped out of the classroom and onto the balcony that overlooked the city, and beyond, through the transparent dome, the Atlantic Ocean, named after his beloved city.

He closed his eyes and allowed the heat from the central crystal warm up his old body; he could feel the power of the crystal as he soaked in its strength. He opened his bright blue eyes and looked out over his city, before he looked up, his gaze resting upon the dome, and the sea green ocean beyond it. The sea green color was the same as the eyes of his greatest pupil, Perseus. Sophus closed his eyes as he remembered his student, and the adventures that he had.

Atlantis – Twelve years after the first Titan War

Isle of Seriphos

A young boy around ten years old ran down the beach, his skin was a golden brown from so much time in the sun, and his electric blue eyes were filled with mirth. He ran towards a young man that appeared to be eighteen years old, the man had jet black hair with glowing green eyes that studied the boy as he ran toward him. At the last moment, the boy pulled out a wooden sword that had been hidden behind his back. He swung the sword at the man, but the sword bounced off a celestial bronze shield that magically appeared on the man's left arm. The man pulled his own wooden sword from behind his back before he swiped toward the boy. The boy ducked under the slash before he touched the wrist band on his arm and his own celestial bronze shield appeared.

"A nice strike Perseus," the man said.

The boy smiled. "You almost got me with that slash, Percy," he replied before he jabbed toward the man's stomach. Percy parried the thrust before he sent an uppercut slash toward the boy's throat. Perseus deflected the slash with his shield before he swung toward the man; their swords clashed together. Perseus pushed forward and locked swords with his older opponent.

"You've grown stronger," Percy said. "but not strong enough." He pushed forward knocking the boy off-balance and onto the hot sand. The boy's wooden sword landed on the ground beside him. Percy stood over the boy with his sword pointed at the throat of the son of Zeus. "Someday, you'll be strong enough to do what I just did."

"When?" Perseus asked impatiently.

Percy sighed. "When you're older," a woman's voice said from behind them. The two turned to see a beautiful woman standing behind them. She was in her late twenties, but she looked like she was still a teenager. Percy had never seen a more beautiful woman, a part of him longed to be with her, but he knew that was impossible. He was immortal. She deserved someone that would grow old with her, not a perpetual teenager.

"Mom," Perseus said as he jumped to his feet and sprinted to his mother, giving her a tight hug, making the woman laugh. "I missed you."

Danae smiled. "You've only been gone a few hours."

"It seemed longer," Perseus replied.

"That's because you lost," Percy chided. Perseus gave his mentor a playful glare.

A sudden gust of wind drew the attention of the three. "A storm," Perseus said hopefully.

Percy rolled his eyes; the boy loved storms. It must be the nature of Zeus, the King of the skies. The storm looked strange to Percy. It wasn't green like some storms before a tornado appeared; no… the sky was a deep and dark blue. "A strange storm." The hairs on Percy's arms stood on end.

"Percy, are you okay?" Danae asked with a concerned expression on her face.

A sudden feeling of dread filled Percy's heart. "I need to go check it out."

"Can I go with you?" Perseus questioned excitedly.

Percy looked at the boy, and then at the boy's mother. He could see the concern in Danae's eyes. Percy knelt down in front of the boy; he was still an inch or two taller than the boy. He grasped Perseus's shoulders. "I need you to stay here and protect your mother." Perseus shook his head. "Come on, I want to go," Perseus replied. Percy sighed. "Perseus, your mother needs you here. I will try to come back as soon as I can." Perseus pouted. "Promise?" he asked. Percy smiled sadly at the boy's hopefulness. "You know what I said about promises?" Percy questioned. Perseus sighed. "Don't make promises unless you're sure you can keep them," Perseus responded methodically.

Percy ruffled the boy's light brown hair. "Don't worry, I'll be alright. I will do my best to come back." Perseus reached forward and hugged the son of Hecate and Poseidon. Percy hugged the boy back. He wiped the boy's tears away. "You will be a great hero one day Perseus, don't forget that."

Perseus nodded. "I won't forget what you taught me."

Percy smiled warmly. "You've already made me proud." He ruffled the boy's hair once more before he stood up.

He looked at Danae; she had tears in her eyes. "We'll miss you," she said. Percy grinned. "I'll miss both of you," he said before he turned around and ran toward the small fishing boat that lay ashore. He climbed into the boat and willed the water to pull the boat out to sea. He waved goodbye to the boy and his mother before he raised the sail and set off toward the strange storm in the distance.

One day later…

Percy frowned as he looked up at the storm, the clouds had started to dissipate and the winds began to calm. He knew the storm wasn't natural, it was the work of a god or gods, it was meant as a weapon, a source of destruction for some unsuspecting victim. He willed the sea to push him further, closer to the victim of the storm. A few hours later he reached the victim or area hit hardest by the storm. The storm itself was gone, only the vague semblance of a wispy vortex of clouds remained in the sky. Percy looked out at the sea; his blood ran cold at the sight before him. Thousands of pieces of debris floated in the open water. A piece of debris struck his small fishing boat. He looked over the side, a wave of nausea filled his mind, his body shook at the realization, it wasn't debris that floated on the surface of the sea; they were bodies, thousands of bodies, littering the ocean surface. Percy fell back on his butt in the small boat. Suddenly, his mind caught up to his senses; he knew where he was, but that realization didn't make him feel any better, instead, he felt even sicker, because he knew where he was, Atlantis, or at least the position where the island should have been.

Tears began to slide down the cheeks of the godling, his friends on the island, Sophus, his mentor, all gone, dead, killed by some unknown force. Percy wiped away his tears. He looked up at the sky, the water around his little boat began to churn and bubble. He raised his hand toward the sky and screamed it was a primal roar; something that would terrify any that would have heard it. The sea exploded around him and shot into the air. Ten million gallons of sea water evaporated in an instant. Percy fell backwards, landing in the bottom of the boat. His breathing was erratic, and his complexion was extremely pale. He looked up at the sky as the clouds parted above him. The sun lit up the sky before Percy closed his eyes from exhaustion.

Several days later…

The small fishing boat hit the rocky shore of Naxos. Percy stirred as he felt the boat rock side to side against the rocky shore. He sat up, his head spun, but his vision was clear. He was on a rocky island with a mountain in the center. A plain of green pasture was laid out before him. He climbed out of the boat, but his knees buckled before he fell onto the rocky shoreline, cutting up his knees, golden ichor flowed down his legs, mixing with the water, creating little creatures with the head of a horse and body of a fish. Percy stared at the creatures in wonder, somehow his blood created these creatures. He knew Poseidon was the creator of horses, but somehow, Percy had created his own creatures. They were half horse, half fish, Percy stared at them closely; the little animals circled his feet. Percy reached down and scooped the four creatures up. When the creatures were pulled out of the sea, they whinnied with the sound like a horse, but with a musical quality much like the song of a whale. Percy smiled at the creatures.

"You will be called Hippocampus or Hippocampi for plural," Percy said. He placed the Hippocampi back into the sea. The creatures circled his feet again before they darted out into the ocean depths. Percy smiled, new life, after the destruction of so many lives. Percy frowned at the thought. The water rushed around his scraped knees, healing the wounds instantly.

Percy looked into the island. The green meadow beckoned him forward. He tried to walk, but his legs felt like rubber. He forced his legs to move. He stepped out of the sea. Suddenly, his entire body tensed up, all of the energy left his limbs, and his mind began to cloud over as sleep overcame him. He stumbled forward into the cool grass before he collapsed onto the ground. He tried to move, but his body betrayed him. The last thing he saw was the wind blowing the grass, and a beautiful voice that echoed around him.

A few hours later…

Percy opened his eyes. He looked up at the greyish colored ceiling of a cave. He was lying flat on his back, and whatever he laid on was very soft. He looked down. He was lying on a very soft bed with a sheet covering his body from the neck down. He looked under the sheet and sighed; he was still dressed. He pulled the sheet away and turned to sit on the edge of the bed. His feet touched the rough floor of the cave.

"Don't move too fast. You're still recovering," a female voice said.

Percy turned toward the sound of the voice; he froze when he saw the woman with dark brown hair, her eyes were an auburn color, but they held a great sadness, but also hope. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled. By the look of her, she seemed to be in her late thirties, but Percy could tell that she was much older by the aura of power that surrounded her. "My name is Rhea, the titan of fertility, women, and motherhood."

Two loud purrs drew Percy's attention. Two lionesses stepped out of an alcove on the far side of the cave. They walked up to the Titaness, rubbing their heads against her legs. Rhea rubbed them behind the ears, before the two lions sat on their honches, on either side of the Titaness.

Percy's eyes widened. "You fought the gods."

Rhea laughed. "Of course not, that was my husband and brothers. They fought my children, but they were defeated." Rhea's smile widened. "It is good to meet one of my grandchildren."

"How do you know?"

Rhea chuckled softly. "You look very much like your father. Poseidon was always the most loyal and jovial of my sons. Zeus was always too serious and paranoid, while Hades was too gloomy and depressed. I can see that you take after Poseidon, but you do have the aura of your mother around you."

Percy flinched when Rhea mentioned his mother. "I don't speak of her."

Rhea nodded. She could tell that the boy hated his mother. She sighed. It was never right for a child to hate their parent; unfortunately, many children of the gods were mistreated by their parents. She knew that Percy was one of those that had been treated unfairly. "I'm sorry child. Not all goddesses were meant to be parents."

"Not all gods, you mean."

Rhea nodded. "It's unfortunate, but true."

"When can I leave?"

Rhea sighed sadly. "I hoped you would stay for a while. I get so very lonely on my island."

Percy wanted to dislike this Titaness, but something about her made him feel sorry for her. Something also told him that she could be trusted. "I can stay for a little while."

Rhea beamed at her grandson. "Good, I will cook you up something, and then we can eat. I have so many stories to tell, you just wait."

Percy's heart warmed at Rhea's enthusiasm. It wouldn't hurt to spend time with his grandmother. Percy longed for a family and here was a part of that family in front of him. "That sounds good, grandmother."

AN: A little send off with Percy and the boy that took his name. The destruction of Atlantis, and then the discovery of Rhea, stay tuned more to come.