Fanfic #177 ATLOP: Trial by Fire WardofWinters (QoLife)(PercyJackson)

This fanfic is an au of Percy Jackson following a Percy that learns about his power earlier. I really like this fic because it has amazing world building with a lot of interesting characters. There's also a sequel if you are interested.

Synopsis: Percy was having a normal day at the beach, until he decided to try to waterbend like Katara from his favorite show. Problem is, he succeeds. Now he has to figure out how to waterbend, and keep the normal people from finding out they have a waterbender in their midst. Finding out he's actually a child of Poseidon will probably explain a few things.

Rated: T

words: 200k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23939416/chapters/57570262

Here's the first chapter:

Percy Jackson's life changed completely when he was a mere eight years old.

There was a simple catalyst for this change, the TV show Avatar: The Last Airbender.

It might seem strange that something as simple as a TV show could change Percy's life, but it did. Without this show he would have gone down a very different path.

You see, this show was absolutely the coolest show ever. Percy was absolutely certain of that.

Aang (the main character) could control all the elements (air, water, earth, and fire) doing something called bending. It was awesome (especially the water bending). Aang was the Avatar and it was brilliant, he was super strong but also really nice.

But despite all the good things about him, he wasn't Percy's favorite character.

Percy's favorite character in the whole show was without a doubt Katara.

Katara could do amazing things with water! More than even Aang. She could stop the rain, or make a tsunami, or make ice daggers, or heal with water, or slice up her enemies or make bridges or control vines or or or… She was just amazing. She was fierce and strong and emotional and really loved her mom (Percy really loved his mom too).

Percy wanted to be able to do all the cool waterbending like her. Katara was his absolute favorite character ever, and after this fateful day she also became his role model.

On this day Percy was at the beach, Montauk, with his mom. It was a lovely day, the sun was bright, the water was perfect (though it always seemed to be for Percy) and Percy was playing in the waves after making a sandcastle.

Today he got to watch the finale of the show, and it was amazing. He loved it so much.

Katara had trapped Azula and beat her and it was incredible. He loved how she'd just... frozen them, then used that cool breathing trick (was that an airbender thing?) and tied Azula up in chains. Best thing ever. And then she'd even healed Zuko!

He wished he could do what Katara did with the water, being a waterbender like her would be a dream come true.

Percy swung his arm out, lost in his daydreams and imagined the water sweeping out and rippling over in a wave like Katara did in the show. Curling over and crashing down in a wide arc, he nearly screamed when the wave did it .

He stared at the water but it was just lapping gently at his feet, no longer moving as he commanded.

He slowly reached out, and pushed, trying to copy that first move Katara learned.

Nothing happened this time. .

He narrowed his eyes and pushed harder, imagining the water flowing back and holding there for a moment.

His eyes widened when the water seemed to push back, no longer reaching his feet.

Did he imagine it?

He narrowed his eyes, no way he imagined it.

Did that mean that he was—

Could he be a—

He needed to test more. What did Katara do when she was learning bending?

The first thing was… push and pull the water to make that little wave thing. That's what Katara said in the waterbending scroll episode.

Percy tried to stand like how he thought Katara did, his feet spread out and standing slightly turned. Then raised his hands and pushed the water.

He focused on the water, willing it to do what he wanted as he pulled back, then gasped in delight when it did.

It was moving! He nearly squealed as he jumped up and down.

Then he realized that he'd stopped doing the movement, and the water returned to the normal waves of the sea. He rushed to pick the movement up again. Push and pull, push and pull.

The water was following his movements again! This was the best day of his life.

Okay, if he had the first step done…

Percy thought for a long moment as to what he was supposed to do next.

He thought it was… streaming the water?

Yeah!

Katara had drawn out some of the water and pulled it into a ballish shape in her hands. Then she'd shaped it?

Okay, he'd start with getting the ball thing.

He focused hard, willing a stream of the water to rise as he raised his hands.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the water rose.

He focused on pulling it to him as he drew his arms in.

Percy beamed when he succeeded, only to scowl as the water fell when he lost focus.

Okay, he could do this!

Percy played with streaming the water for a good hour, pulling the water in and shaping it as a ball. It took a lot of tries before he could actually keep the ball shape without it falling apart but he managed it by the end of the hour. Then he tried to change its shape more. He was just making a star when his mom called for him.

Looking up when she called, he realized it had been a few hours since he'd started. The sun was beginning to set.

Percy lit up suddenly, he could show his mom his waterbending!

"Mom, mom!"

He ran over to her.

"Guess what? Guess what? I'm a waterbender!"

She laughed, ruffling his hair, "Are you sweetie?"

"Yeah! I moved the water! Come look. Look, look, look."

Percy excitedly dragged his mom to the water, her bright laughter following them.

"Okay Percy, I'm here, show me the waterbending." She smiled gently at him, her currently sea green eyes sparkling.

Percy let go of her hand and focused on the water, carefully moving his hands up, he lifted a strand of the water, then pulled it to him, sticking his tongue out as he shaped it like a star.

He beamed up at his mom and faltered at her pale expression.

"Mom?"

She stared at the water in his hands with her eyes wide and her mouth open in horror.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

The water fell from his hands with a splash.

Her expression tightened, "Percy, how did you do that?"

He blinked, "I just copied Katara. I'm a waterbender!"

She swallowed hard.

"Ah."

"Mom?" He whispered in confusion.

She gently grabbed Percy's hands, "Percy, I need you to promise me you'll never do this in front of others."

Percy blinked, "What? Why?"

"It's not safe Percy, you have to promise me."

He gave her a slow nod, his lips turning down into a frown.

He didn't want to not waterbend, he was a waterbender, and Katara even once said that bending is part of who you are! It's not something he should have to hide!

He wanted to show everyone his bending. But mom looked so serious and scared…

"Okay mom, I promise."

She let out a breath. "Okay. Okay. Let's, let's eat dinner now, okay?"

"Okay, can I practice more waterbending later though?"

She grimaced, staring down at him in worry. "Yeah, sure, as long as you always make sure no one sees you."

He beamed up at her, at least she wasn't stopping him altogether.

This was going to be amazing.