i’ve been thinking about percy’s earthshaking abilities and why we don’t see it as often. besides obviously probably needing a lot of energy to cause earthquakes, i feel like he doesn’t have complete control of it. earthquakes are unpredictable and powerful so it only makes sense that even the power to make some can be just as capricious. but when percy does shake the lands, it’s always during times of distress.
the first time in Mt. St. Helens, he was about to be killed by lava so when he caused the earthquake he was probably pretty scared and distressed so he released whatever power he had, a last resort, to cause the earthquake.
the second time on the Williamsburg bridge, percy had just fought Kronos one on one, and he knew he couldn’t beat Kronos at that moment. he still needed to make sure the apollo cabin and annabeth got to safety but Kronos’s army would just keep coming. so he caused another earthquake that caused a 50 foot chasm in the bridge. again, a last minute decision in a time of stress.
the third time was on the glacier in Alaska. he was about to be overrun by the legionnaire spirits so at the last moment, he was able to cause an earthquake that shook the whole glacier and broke off the whole edge of it.
the fourth time we see him shake the lands is when he’s literally about to die from inhaling the nosoi (plague spirits). he’s able to cause the ground to shake (observed by apollo/lester) and cause a geyser to erupt.
when percy controls water, he has full control of his power and the water: whatever he’s thinking, the water will do. but with his earthshaking ability, we see that it only comes out during times of distress: when he was about to die or when it was a last resort. so, just as how earthquakes are chaotic, instead of controlling water, percy’s own chaotic thoughts are translated into a power that causes more mayhem and releases the power to shake the lands.
