The Sleeping God

I was over on the Bench

Percy still wasn't sure what to do with his fancy robes, but Kenjiro and Hanatarou both offered him clothes that he changed into. 

"Here, Oji-san." Hanatarou said "Wear this. It will keep the cold off." He held up a long red and white coat decorated with pearls on the lapel. "Its grandfather's haori. But I don't think he would mind you using it." 

"Thank you." Percy said. 

Now dressed in a white hakama and the red haori with wooden sandals Hanatarou had called Geta on his feet, Percy made his way outside. 

The stars were different, and it made him very sad, because he had grown used to looking up at Zoe when times got rough. 

I can see the stars again, milady. 

Shaking off the memories, he made his way back to the shrine, where several priestesses spotted and bowed deeply. 

It wasn't very big, about the size of a minor god's temple on Olympus, but it was still strange seeing it and knowing it was for him.

There was a board with hooks on it, wooden tablets hanging from them. Upon inspection, they were prayers to Percy,  for healing and protection and a good harvest. 

These people revolve their lives around him, depending on him to keep them safe in this world where a bad harvest,  season or long winter could mean the death of an entire people. 

There was a large archway before the shrine entrance, the Priestess next to it, a torri, if Percy remembered any of Annabeth's lectures when she went through her Japanese architecture phase. 

Ignoring the temptation to turn it blue, Percy glanced around at the twisted ropes encircling the area, folded paper attached at even intervals. Some of the ropes were around trees, also at even intervals, except for a single spot. There was a tree, but it was damaged, the scorch marks familiar from summers with Thalia. 

Striding over to the lightning burnt tree, he inspected the damage closer, the shimenawa lower down the trunk to avoid it. 

"You don't have to bow to me." He murmured, seeing the priestess move to always be facing him in their bow. "I'm just looking around. This place is beautiful."
 
One of the priestess teared up at the praise, although she hid it quickly. 
"Forgive us, Nemuru kami-sama. But this oak was struck by lightning a decade ago. We have tried to heal it but." The priestess gestured helpfully to the massive damage the strike had inflicted. She couldn't have been more than 12. In fact, all of his priestesses, and wasn't that a strange thought, were young girls. He was starting to feel like Artemis. Was it because of Estelle? 

"My friend used to to tell me, that when you care for a plant, you cannot command it to grow, only help it along it's journey." Katie had been wise at times, even if she protested archery because of all the trees cut down to make arrows each year. Not that Percy had anything to say about Archery other then fuck you too.

His fingers brushed the tree and the scorch marks began to heal, the damage fading and the tree growing larger until it matched its neighbors. "Much better." 

The priestess grinned in delight, and started to straighten the shimenawa. "Thank you, Nemuru Kami-sama." 

Percy smiled. "Its getting late." 

"We take shifts, Kami-sama." An older girl said. "So that you were never without company as you slumbered." 

Percy supposed he could get behind that. It probably spawned from that greedy Noble Estelle complained about. 

"I see. I apologize for interrupting you. I'll be on my way." Percy said, thinking about the beach. 

The priestess bowed and Percy made his way from the shrine, following the path he and Estelle had taken earlier. He didn't really want to go inside. 80 years have been enough. 

He removed his geta and let his bare feet feel the surf, the water twisting between his toes. At least the ocean was still the same, even if it felt empty without his father's precense.

He wondered if they had survived the war. Was Zeus still king? Had Tartarus been subdued? Was his homeworld ash and dust in the wake of a battle between the Pit, Zeus and Percy's allies? He both did and didn't want to know. 

If the war hadn't broken out, would he have grandkids like Estelle did? Little children with black hair and grey eyes and dreams of building the most epic skatepark ever? He snickered as he imagined Annabeth's face when all that inherited genius went to skateboarding. 

He had never wanted to create a family as much as he had when he saw the love Estelle gave each of her grandchildren. 

He fingered the long braid, fingers tracing each pin, realizing it was actually kind of heavy, how did Piper do it? He was tempted to cut it, but a glance at the crane, third from the bottom, of the braid, stopped him. Ayako had been so proud of it, her eyes lighting up just like Estelle's had when she showed him her artwork or she had made a sandcastle on Montauk Beach. 

He sighed, and really wished Annabeth was here. He could use her cool reasoning. Or even Thalia who would commiserate until he felt better, possibly with some wine the Stolls had stolen from Mr.D. 

He would even go for Clarrisse, who would fight him until he had worked off some stress and then beat him up for letting himself fall into such a slump. 

He took a deep breath, feeling the wind on his face. 

This was his home now. And more importantly it was Estelle's. The people of the villiage had taken him in, cared for them even when they had nothing to offer, before his powers had manifested and helped protect and provide for them. 

He was still lonely though. He can't have imagined how hard it had been for Estelle. All alone in this strange world and your only family in a coma. He never should have agreed to Posdieon's insane plan and he wouldn't have if Athena hadn't agreed that it was the best plan. 

He didn't know what ulterior motives she had right now and he really didn't care all he wanted to do was mourn his world.  

He sat down heavily in the sand,  braid luckily swinging out of the way as tears fell down his cheeks. 

They hit the surf and to Percy's surprise, turned into newborn pegasus foals, a pair, male and female, both black as night. 

"Annabeth always did say it was easier listing ways beings in greek mythology weren't born." Percy muttered. "Hello, little ones. I bet you're as confused as I am. Did I just recreate pegasus?" 

The foals knickered and nuzzled his hand before growing up before his eyes and flying off into the moonrise. 
Percy blinked. "You know what, I'm too mentally worn out to deal with this schist." 

"Oji-san!" 

Percy turned to see Ayako running towards him, feet bare and tears streaming down her face. "Its grandma!"