Chapter Summary: Their quest to save the Delphic Oracle is now complete, but Nico has a feeling that their adventures are far from finished.
XxxX
"Now that's what I'm talking about!"
Nico, Will, and Lou Ellen turn their heads as one at the sound of the voice. Will gets up, using his staff for balance, and Nico helps Lou Ellen to her feet as Apollo jogs towards them. He looks as young and healthy as ever, dressed in his orange Camp Half-Blood tank top and a pair of cutoff shorts. As he approaches, the clouds disperse overhead, and the sun shines upon the beach, warming Nico's face.
Apollo catches Will by the arm and slaps his back, then holds onto him in a half-hug. He eyes the staff in Will's other hand, sizing up the snake. "Hmm. I'm digging your new get up."
Pythia bows her head to the side, again making Nico think she's blushing. She flicks her tongue. "I prefer you in this form, too. You are not as scary as before."
Apollo grins, then looks back at Will. "You're a chip off the old block. I know Asclepius views truth, love, and compassion as my best traits, but your use of them demonstrates creativity is the real power behind them."
Lou Ellen nudges Nico with her elbow. They share a laugh at the sight of Will's face, reddening under his father's praise. "Oh yeah," she says to Nico. They step away to give Apollo and Will time to catch up, and –Nico thinks – to stroke Apollo's ego. "I should call Will's family back. They'll want to say goodbye and I don't think Apollo's gonna let us hang out until they come back on their own."
Nico nods. "Yeah. I suppose." He's not sure how he feels about the way things have turned out. It doesn't seem like their quest is truly finished yet – and he'd been practically relegated to the position of a bystander for the final battle. He thinks he's okay with that – for the most part. Opening a hole to the Underworld doesn't hold the same appeal it used to.
He reaches out with his senses, and gauges how close he'd come to sabotaging Will's plan, then throws up his hands. It's is still rising, albeit slowly.
"What is it?" Apollo asks. He's at Nico's side in the space of a breath.
"The Underworld –" Nico gasps, trying to halt its progress. "It's rising. I thought I'd stopped it. It was a back up plan, but –" He struggles, his feet sinking in the sand.
"How far is it?" Apollo asks, his voice not quite hiding his alarm. "Do we have time to get back to camp? Should I summon Hades?"
A bead of sweat slides down Nico's face, stinging the tender skin where Will had blasted him with UV rays. "About an hour or so," he says, wetting his dry lips. "Yeah, it's probably a good idea to call Hades."
Apollo nods and then grins. "Alright. He's not very happy, but he says he can handle it." It's disorienting to talk with a god like Apollo. He looks hardly older than they are, but the extent of power he conceals behind his boyish face is frightening. "He said it was when you brought your staff down, Will. The solar power gave Nico's summons a boost, and it's gonna take some work to slow it down."
Will stares at Apollo, his eyes huge as Apollo bursts into laughter. "Why are you laughing?"
"You two," Apollo says, and wipes a tear from his eye. He slings an arm around each of them and pulls them into a weird extended hug. Nico cringes, but doesn't try to escape, he knows Apollo's stronger than he appears. "You're perfect together. Hades is gonna go nuts when he finds out how much you're able to boost Nico's powers. We'll try to keep it on the down low though, yeah? Don't want the big guy to see you waving it around like a red flag before a bull."
Will and Nico look sideways at each other. Nico sees his own emotions reflected back at him in Will's eyes, a mixture of fear, confusion, and exhilaration.
"Anyway, it's time to get back to camp. You guys are stuck with me until the spring."
Funnily enough, Nico doesn't sense any trace of dismay in Apollo at the mention of his punishment. The way his face brightens – more than usual – at the mention of camp, makes Nico think he considers it an adventure. A gust of warm air rushes over Nico's face, ruffling his hair.
"Um, Apollo, sir," Lou Ellen says, and Apollo turns, finally releasing Will and Nico as if he's just realizing she's there.
"None of that sir stuff," he says, "a sweetheart like you can just call me Apollo. Daughter of Hecate?"
Lou Ellen nods. She bites her lower lip, brow creasing with worry.
"Now, that's what I call a goddess." Apollo winks at Nico. "Talk about creative, and she's got that dark aura that just makes you want to get in there and find out what makes her tick."
Nico gives Will a silent plea for help with his eyes, but fortunately Lou Ellen draws Apollo's attention away from Nico's discomfort.
"Daphne and the girls just pulled up." She points towards the house. Apollo changes before their eyes. He's aged himself by at least a dozen years. He's more buff, taller, and no longer wearing camp clothes. Instead, he's dressed in black jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather bomber jacket. His hair is the same as ever, overgrown and blond, swept across his forehead so it almost reaches his eyes.
"Oh, shit," he swears under his breath. Nico wonders if he's afraid to confront Daphne again. The warm breeze seems to disappear all at once, leaving Nico shivering. Will grips his hand and warms him.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about my sisters?" Will asks as Apollo watches Daphne get out of the car, a wistful expression in his eyes.
"I couldn't. It's not … My father … It's not typical for a god to …" Apollo stops a moment as if realizing he's stammering. He sighs. "Eros has been dicking me around forever. Every time I'd drop by to check in on you, I'd get wrapped up in her spell all over again." He lowers his voice as she seems to recognize him from afar, and she and the girls start walking down to the beach. "It's not that I don't love her. I do. But it's not fair to her or me … this love isn't healthy for either of us."
"I spoke to Anteros," Nico says quietly, and Apollo stares at him, his hands twitching.
"That elusive imp? What'd he have to say for himself?"
Nico meets Apollo's eyes. He reads pain in them, though he can tell Apollo's trying to hide it. "He said there was hope you'd meet him one day."
"Paul?" Daphne says. Apollo turns away again to look at her.
"It's Apollo, actually," Apollo says, though he opens his arms and embraces her.
She touches his face, smiling up at him, all traces of her insistence that he's 'just no good' have vanished. "You look the same as always. Never any older."
He chuckles, though Nico thinks it sounds like he's uncomfortable. "I do have to work at keeping my roguish figure. Hey, I've never gotten to meet these beauties. Wanna introduce us?"
Will bumps Nico with his shoulder. He's put his staff away wherever the Mist hides it. They retreat with Lou Ellen back to the cave entrance, giving the family some space to get acquainted. Nico wonders why Will doesn't want to be included in the reunion, but he's not complaining. The wind whips around them again, colder, and Nico senses a distant hurt. He has a feeling Zephyros has been watching the scene play out, and that it's his despair he's sensing.
They watch Apollo talking with the girls. If Nico didn't know the circumstances of the family, he'd say they looked really happy together. He starts to wonder if Apollo intends to stay, but he finally turns away and waves at them to come over. Will drags his feet as they walk, and Nico understands why when he sees Apollo and Daphne kissing. He's never seen his own parents kiss. The very thought of Hades and his mother … he doesn't want to go there.
Fortunately, Apollo releases Daphne by the time they arrive. "Take care of these girls," he tells her. "They're special."
Daphne smiles and laughs, holding out her arms to Will for a goodbye hug. "You take care too, Will. You'll always be my sunbaby."
Lou Ellen is hugging the girls and talking about how awesome it will be when they're able to come to camp as Nico stands to the side. He's used to watching these sorts of scenes from afar, always on the edges, but Apollo doesn't seem to care that Nico prefers it that way. He yanks him over and slings an arm around his shoulders.
"What do you think of the lovebirds, Daphne? I'd say Will's done pretty well for himself."
She releases Will and Nico's relieved to see he's just as red in the face as Nico probably is. Daphne touches Nico lightly on the arm, but, thankfully, seems to read his discomfort more readily than Apollo. "It's been wonderful meet you, Nico. I hope we'll see each other a lot more in the future."
Nico nods, extricating himself from Apollo's embrace. He finds refuge with Will. "You too," he tells her, surprising himself to find he means it.
"Well, we've got to jet," Apollo interjects. "Got some quest wrapping up to do back at camp. I'll keep in touch."
Daphne smiles, though Nico thinks it seems resigned. She probably realizes, now that she's able to see Apollo for who he is, that he'll never be the man she needs him to be. She and the girls head back toward the house, Liz turning and waving goodbye to Nico.
It's probably for the best, Nico supposes, that she realizes it now. Apollo isn't giving off any false hopes. He appreciates that. Like with his father, Apollo's presence is real, and as reassuring as it is discomfiting.
"Time to get you kids back to camp," Apollo says, clapping his hands together. "Any ideas how we're gonna get there?"
"How about your sun chariot?" Lou Ellen suggests. Nico gets the sense from the excitement in her voice, that she's heard Will talk about it and wants to experience it herself.
"Can't," Apollo says with a pout. "It only goes west and we don't have time to wait to take it the long way around."
"I told Jason Grace about the girls," Will says. He sounds hesitant. "He's going to make sure they have a protector."
"That's great. Castalia could use the help." Apollo waves at Face Rock, and the shimmering mirage-like nereid waves back, then dissolves into the sea.
A car horn honks from the highway. They turn to look. Jules-Albert is hanging half out the driver's window of his Buick, making a hand gesture Nico reads as saying: Are you idiots coming? I can't hang around all day.
A second later they're standing beside the car, their backpacks slung over their shoulders. Apollo hums under his breath before speaking. "I've never been much of a fan of zombies."
Jules-Albert lowers his sunglasses, glaring at Apollo like he's saying: Don't mess with me, punk. Get in or fuck off.
Apollo raises his hands in a gesture of surrender. "My bad. It's cool. I'll just add another row of seats, and we'll be set."
Lou Ellen and Apollo climb in the newly installed back row, and Nico and Will take the middle one. They barely have their seatbelts fastened before Jules-Albert revs the engine and peels out onto the highway with a screech of tires.
"Uh, Dad," Will says, looking over the back of his seat. "What about Rachel? Is she okay? Didn't you want to check on her before we head back?"
"Already, done, kiddo. That's one nice thing about being a god – I can be many places at once. I wanna compliment your quick thinking with that emergency trach." He stretches out his legs, his elbows out, and hands resting behind his head – a position that shouldn't be possible in the cramped space of the car. Before their eyes, he alters his appearance to its familiar teenaged state. "Rachel's doing great. That Roman praetor is looking out for her, so I don't think I need to worry about my Oracle for the time being."
He closes his eyes and Nico feels the pull of sleep on his own subconscious. It drags him under and he doesn't fight it.
XxxX
When he opens his eyes again, the sun is full in the sky, and they're driving up Farm Road to Half-Blood Hill. It doesn't feel like more time has passed than the space of a nap. Nico suspects Apollo jumped them through several states to avoid being in the car with Jules-Albert for longer than necessary.
"Righto!" Apollo says, hopping out of the car as soon as it stops, even before Jules-Albert puts the e-brakes on. "I'd better check in with Chiron. He uh … I sort of took off as soon as I felt better. He'll need some talking down."
Will and Lou Ellen climb out after him, and Nico leans over the seat.
"Merci beaucoup."
Jules-Albert grins at him with his skeletal teeth. He holds up a fist and Nico bumps it, then climbs out and the car speeds away again.
They walk with Apollo through the camp, though they don't seem to be drawing much attention. Nico suspects Apollo wants it that way. As they pass the Hephaestus cabin, Will stops and points. "What do they think they're doing with that?"
Nico looks. Leo's burial shroud is flying at full mast from their flag pole. Well-wishes have been written on it with sharpies by what looks like every camper, and painted in the center reads: Team Leo! Nico shrugs. "They cleared it with me. I think he'd be honored by their refusal to burn it. He always did things differently."
"Oh, yeah," Apollo exclaims. "That Leo guy is a musical genius. I'm telling you, the Valdezinator is gonna be the next big thing." He whips out the strange contraption from thin air and starts strumming. "After all, the new prophecy hasn't been fulfilled yet.
"Apollo speaks true
Gay love will balance the world
You kids are the best."
Will buries his face in his hands, going bright red as Apollo digs a piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to Lou Ellen. He hugs his Valdezinator to his chest and jogs towards the big house. Chiron waits in his chair on the porch, a stern look on his face. "Can he be any more embarrassing?"
Nico chuckles. "I'm kind of okay with that haiku."
Lou Ellen unfolds the paper and reads it aloud.
"The fall of the sun, the final verse
inoculate the source, to fate – reverse.
The wretched one must make a stand,
topple the head, draw a line in the sand.
When a lion crows and the vortex spews
forth the daughter he never knew,
Then Lethe ease a fallen pride
and truth unveil a broken bride.
The early three will join no more
and two in one reset the score.
"I still have no idea what it means," she says.
Will yawns. "Me either. But I think a real long nap sounds divine right about now. All this summoning the the power of the sun is really draining."
Nico smirks. "I think I could use one of those myself."
"Gross," Lou Ellen says, rolling her eyes. "You two go and enjoy your nap." She waves at a boy with blue-streaked dark hair. "Cecil! You wanna give a girl a hand? Pull me out of this sappy love story?"
Will chuckles as Cecil waves back from the Hermes cabin. He nudges Nico with his elbow. "Got an extra bunk for me, Death Boy?"
Nico rolls his eyes, but starts walking toward cabin 13 anyway. "You ought to be careful, Sunbaby. You wouldn't want to taint your golden glow with my gloomy shadows."
Will sprints to catch up with him, and whispers in his ear. "Oh yes, I would." He dashes up the stairs and into Nico's cabin.
Nico, his creepy grin firmly in place, follows.
The End
Follow the continuing saga on my author page in Shelterverse Oneshots!
and the novel-length sequel will begin in February or March
Comments are like candy. My muse is Apollo, and he's hungry.
And he asked me to tell you that the haiku in the last chapter is intended to convey that LGBTQIA love will balance the world, but it wouldn't fit the syllable count.
- Mab -