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2025-05-03
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2025-07-04
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Ancient Grudges and Other Water Hazards

Summary:

Percy Jackson has been having nightmares. A man, with a disheveled appearance, a voice calling for him, the ocean turning into stars. It only gets worse when he can't sleep, and ends up face to face with long forgotten in history, Odysseus of Ithaca.

 

Aka, Percy meets Odysseus and becomes his unwilling quest buddy until I feel like giving Ody his wife. And Poseidon holds grudges... (It worked on the Cyclops)

Notes:

Greetings! I wrote this for a friend of mine, and have a series planned out. Hope you like it! CRACK HERE WE COME

Chapter 1: Just Another Totally Normal Day At Camp Half-Blood

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

     Camp Half-Blood was many things–magical, monster-infested, absurd–but Percy Jackson liked to think it had some boundaries. Like not raining fish on the breakfast pavilion.

It started with a plop. Then another. Then a full on shower of trout and sardines, flipping wildly across tables and into goblets of Nectar. 

"You see this?" Percy held up a trout that had landed into his cereal. "This is why I don't do mornings."

Annabeth did not look up from her book, flipping a page with practiced indifference. "You've fought a Titan with a fork. I think you'll survive a little seafood surprise."

Grover stumbled in a few moments later, looking like he'd just crawled out of a compost bin. His hoodie was soaked and inside out, and he had twigs in his hair. A large pinecone sat on one horn.

"The dryads are having a meltdown," he gasped, flipping into the seat across from them. "The oaks are crying sap, something big is stirring."

Percy laughed dryly. He took his spoon from his Honey Nut Troutios, as he had decided to rebrand the poor cereal, and looked up at Grover.  "When is something not big here?" He glanced at Annabeth, who rolled her eyes in reply. 

"How big do you think it is Grover?" She asked, putting a bookmark on the page she was on. Grover bleated softly before shrugging. 

"Big like...Kronos big?" Percy asked, shuddering at the thought as he poked at his cereal. Grover shook his head, sighing softly. 

"Big like...ancient, " Grover rumbles, putting his head in his hands. "Like the trees are being oddly nostalgic, remembering things they shouldn't."

Percy sighed, taking a reluctant bite of his fish-flavoured oats. "So...a Tuesday."

•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•★•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•◌•

     Training wasn't going much better. Sparring practice started off normal enough–Clarisse bullying a few younger campers, swords clashing, and Chiron trying (and failing) to encourage "discipline over brute force".

Percy squared off against a kid from the Hermes cabin. The battle was well matched, considering the kid was small and quick on his feet. Percy let himself ponder on what the kid's godly parent may be. Suddenly, the kid lunged, and Percy was forced to block, accidentally shooting a geyser from the ground. The kid twisted, and flipped backwards, doing what appeared to be a back hand spring, and landed, completely drenched. The kid looked up with wide eyes, and Percy felt himself become self conscious. Percy sighed softly, feeling the other campers' stares and looks. 

     "Way to bring the beach to us, Jackson," Clarisse called from across the field, wringing out her shirt. "What's next, sharks in the showers?".

"Only if you're lucky,", Percy muttered under his breath. He turned to see the kid from earlier on the ground. They looked oddly familiar, having a pair of glasses and short curls that covered their ears. They fiddled with a cloth that was pinned to their back, and Percy made a move to walk over. But before he could take more than two steps, Chiron was at his side, trying to keep calm, but looking...damp.

"Percy. What was that?" He asked calmly. Percy looked up, and shrugged.

"I'm not sure. It kind of...just appeared."

"...hm. Well, it is quite likely it is just another growth spurt. Your powers adapt with you in times of need...we can talk later."

"Great." Percy muttered. "Puberty: now with tidal waves."

 Later, while wringing out his hoodie by the campfire, Annabeth gave him a look. She walked over, taking the hoodie from his hands and set it on the bench. Her eyes met his for a moment before she turned away, clearing her throat before speaking.

 “You’ve been waking up drenched Perc...”

Percy avoided her eyes, trying to grab his hoodie back. “It’s just puberty.”

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, a knowing look in her gaze. She poked at him, trying to get an answer from the boy. Eventually, Percy relented.

 “Fine. I’ve been having weird dreams. Like, the ocean will turn into stars and...the guy. His eyes burn with centuries of flame and hurt. And it’s always the same!”. He leaned on Annabeth slightly, tired. Annabeth frowned, and played with his hair, humming softly under her breath. Percy let himself be held, ignoring the stirring in his gut, knowing that his words were only partly true. He hadn’t spoken about how the man seemed to see through him, or about the voice that whispered and lured him in. 

 Percy opened his mouth, hoping to ask something of Annabeth, when suddenly, a kid screamed from across the campsite. Percy grabbed Riptide from his pocket, pressing the sword into action. He looked around wildly, seeing nothing, so he calmed down a bit. Annabeth grabbed his shoulder, and he put Riptide away again, looking to where she was looking. A crowd of people huddled around the fire in front of Cabin 11, whispering and murmuring. He frowned, making his way over with Annabeth in tow. Chiron was already here, holding the kid from his battle in his arms. The boy’s eyes were glowing white, and he seemed to be panicking. Percy pushed through the crowd, trying to get a better look.

 Suddenly, the kid looked straight at him, their jaw going slack, and eyes shining. They stood up, the crowd parting as they moved towards Percy. He flinched, before they grabbed onto him, their hands cold and hot at the same time. 

 “𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴. 𝘈 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘨, 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩. 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘕𝘰 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘦, 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.”

     Well shit. It never was the good prophecies, was it?

Notes:

Hey, sorry for the half-assed chapter, I promise the next chapter will be longer. I may hold off on starting any arcs due to me wanting this to be a more slow-burn story. I need angst and shit, so don't worry. Also, I feel a bit of burn out from school, but I will try to update ASAP! Sorry for the cliffhanger, I wasn't really sure where to go with this...thanks for reading, and remember to leave a kudos after you are done crying! /j

Chapter 2: Rainy With A Chance of Time Travelers

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Percy couldn't sleep that night. Whether it have been the events of earlier today, or just his nightmares, he didn’t know. To be quite frank, he was tired. It had been a rough day, and after the incident with Rachel almost three hours ago, he had a long conversation with Chiron and Annabeth about it.
Annabeth thought it meant he was to team up with Clarisse again, but Percy doubted it. Sure, ever since the quest with Kronos their relationship wasn't as rocky, but he knew that anything more, as in friendship, would be nearly impossible. Chiron had agreed, and they were left to ponder what it meant.
Percy looked around, and sighed, making his way out of the cabin, Riptide in his pocket. He walked for a while, unsure of where he was heading. At the moment, it just felt right to walk the path he was walking. His eyes roamed over the trees, and he felt a sense of calm as he found a creek. Percy walked over, dipping his hands into the cool water, watching as it slid through his hands, unconsciously curling around his fingers. He smiled softly, his thoughts quiet for once, and he made his way through the creek, wading into the deeper flow. The water reacted to his presence, singing with energy and a sense of renewal.
Crack.
Percy whipped around, moving as quick as lightning as he grabbed Riptide from his pocket, clicking the pen and holding the sword in his hands. He scanned his surroundings, and his eyes landed on a flash of blue, and he paused. A sense of belonging entered him, and he lowered his sword.
“Who’s there?”, Percy said, his voice wavering slightly. The person shifted, and he narrowed his eyes. A figure appeared behind the tree, and he relaxed slightly. It was human. Or it seemed so. Percy watched as the figure grew closer, making sure to keep his eyes on the person.
Soon, he came into view. It was an older man, wearing traditional Greek clothes, a white chiton with an undershirt and a deep blue sash over his chest. He wore sandals and had a shaggy appearance. His hair was greasy and tangled, longer at his shoulders. He had a beard, and wore a sword at his side. Percy looked up further, making eye contact, and his heart stopped.
It was the man from his dreams.

Notes:

Sorry for the late update! I was a bit busy with the last week of classes and all. But now, Summer is here, and I have more than enough to keep writing. Sorry for the short chapter, but I have an idea for this, and if it was longer than this, it would have ruined the mood. Don't worry though! Chapter 3 is already in the works, and I'm just making final touches...Ill make an update schedule soon, I swear!

Another thing. I've had this idea for a few months, and I'm glad you guys have given me so much attention in the first chapter, but I swear I never thought I'd get this far. I know it's only chapter two, and I shouldn't be yapping about my life on ao3, but to be honest...I never thought I'd be alive after Middle School. Just two years ago, I might've given up. But now, I've gotten help, and I feel amazing!

Anyways, thank you all once again, and I'll get that next chapter out soon!

Remember to leave a Kudos after you get done crying!!!

-Zee <3

Chapter 3: Time-Traveler With Murder On His Mind

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Percy had fought evil harpies, had lunch with the God of War, and fought a centuries old Titan, but he'd never experienced anything like this. It explained why he felt the sense of belonging as soon as the man had walked from the shadows, but now he was trying not to shake in his shoes. The man from his dreams just happened to be right in front of him, and he looked angry.

“You.. Your scent is that of the ocean, and untameable energy. Just like Him.” The man spoke in a grave tone, his voice rough and raspy from disuse. He stepped forward until he was at arms length of Percy. All the while, Percy was stuck to the spot. He looked up at the man, lowering his sword slightly.

The man's eyes narrowed, and he shot forward, making Percy jump back to avoid being stabbed in the chest. He yelled as he raised Riptide from his hilt, blocking rapidly and being driven into the creek. The man was persistent, and unyielding in his attacks. It reminded Percy of that Hermes kid back at camp, and he fell into a pattern, growing more confident in his blocks, starting to push back against the larger man. The man seemed surprised, and started to block on his end. It was a battle of stamina at this point, but Percy had an ace up his sleeve. Without breaking the cycle to blocking and jabbing, he focused on the water around him, creating a shield. Quickly, he jumped back, grabbing the shield made from pure water and used it to block the man's moves. As soon as he saw it though, he froze, his weapon stabbing through into Percy's arm as he glared at the boy. He lunged forward, pinning Percy down, making him lose concentration of the shield.

Percy groaned in pain, blood dripping down his arm, looking up at the man. He frowned, the water automatically healing him as he watched the man relent. He watched him closely, his arm scarring from the attack.

The man looked up from his spot, and sighed heavily, looking all the more the old sailor he looked to be. The man's eyes were grey and stormy, like the clouds over a fallen ship. The man turned towards Percy, finally speaking.

“So. The God of Tides has a child. And one who is a demigod. How..interesting.”

The man looked Percy in the eye, moving to stand over the boy. He held out his hand grudgingly, offering to help him up. Percy gladly took his hand, sitting up and sighing.

“Who are you? And what do you mean, ‘the God of Tides?’ Are you talking about my father?”

The man grabbed something from his satchel, an odd bandana. His eyes locked onto it, seeming dazed for a moment. He seemed to be thinking of something, and the decision was in front of him.

“I am neither man or mythical. I am the king of Ithaca, Odysseus. And you are..the son of Poseidon. I..don't remember much. I just remember being in this huge storm, and suddenly waking up a few hours away. I found this area, the energy here seems..charged.” Odysseus said, his gaze dark.

Percy's eyes widened as he realized who this was. He faintly remembered Annabeth ranting about a guy who went missing in his journey to get home. He went missing, his crew abandoning him. He was the king of Ithaca. Percy remembered having wondered what kind of king got lost at sea, but he hadn't said anything at the time. Now, standing in front of him, was a presumed dead man looking as good as he did over a thousand years ago.

“My name is Percy Jackson. You are correct, I am the son of Poseidon, but that's besides the point. I have a place for you to stay, if the barrier lets you in of course. But still, if not, I have someone you may wish to speak to.” Percy said, his voice ragged from the fight. He gestured to Odysseus, starting to walk away, before he heard the man gasp.

“Wait, your arm! How..how is it healed?” He whispered in awe as he caught up to the boy in front of him. He gripped his wrist, looking at his arm, examining the scarring. Percy chuckled softly, waving it off.

“Oh, water heals external injuries. For me at least, as I am a demigod. There's actually a whole camp of us. I'm sure that with some convincing, I could get you a bunk in with the Hermes kids?” Percy said, half joking. Odysseus nodded, seeming to actually be considering it. Percy deadpanned, staring at the man.

“I was mostly joking. But I think you should probably meet Chiron. He may be able to help you.”
Odysseus blinked and cleared his throat.
“Yes. Uh, let's go.”

Percy signed heavily, leading the old king back to camp, knowing damn well he was in for one hell of a ride.

Notes:

Happy 4th you American fucks! (I am an American Fuck as well). Sooo sorry about the late update, I've been trying to figure out how to go along with this story. And trying to figure out new hyperfixations. Sighs. Anyways, new chapter, hopefully longer than the last, but either way, there's gonna be a time skip to the next day because I am lazy. This took so long because inspiration is hard to come by, but please keep reading! I have hopes for this fanfic, and I hope you all enjoy!

Love you all!

-Zee <3