We get some Leo- and Apollo very much regrets not reaching out to Rachel sooner lol, he's just there like 'She's a descendant to be proud of!' and regretting the whole Octavian thing a lot.
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Undeath9087: Percy would be squealing and cheering and hugging Jason, who would have his best proud expression. Also, Nico and Hazel would just be there like 'Wait, wait what?!'
Guest: Honestly they really are cute- I made myself ship two characters who literally never meet in canon. And yeah, they both have protective and jealous streaks at times which is fun, and the relationship thing is very new to both of them- let's face it neither of them have any past experience and their backgrounds aren't exactly normal so they're both learning.
Leo was stressed. It had taken three days. Three whole days to repair his precious ship, when it was about recovered they made port at some Island which was called Mykonos according to the others. An island which was very close to Delos.
He'd been doing a lot of talking, a lot of thinking about things, talking with Nike as well, while he was below deck.
He had talked to Jason too. About the prophecy. To storm or fire. And there had been the line about an Oath to keep with a Final breath. And Nike telling him, Percy, Frank and Hazel that one of them were going to die. So yeah, a lot of thinking. Storm or fire had three possibilities, two which were more likely. He had to be fire. And either Percy or Jason had to be the storm. Percy was less likely than Jason though because as much as she could summon hurricanes Jason was the son of the god more associated with normal storms.
And Leo wasn't stupid. He was pretty sure he knew what was coming. And he didn't want to die. Oh he was making plans just in case- and fixing up Festus though he'd told nobody, but he didn't want to die.
Which was why he wanted to go to Delos and talk to the twins.
But that didn't mean he didn't feel guilty about it. Rachel had wanted to go but Leo had pushed against it- pointing out that three was the standard number, that if she was a legacy she'd draw more monsters. And he'd promised that he'd talk to Apollo on her behalf.
The real reason was that he didn't want her knowing what he was talking to the twins about.
Frank and Hazel were the most likely to keep it a secret if he asked them to.
And Rachel would never, never keep it a secret from Percy. Percy who had tortured a goddess to protect them. If it had just been her Leo was sure she'd have let herself die, but she'd tortured Akhlys to protect him and Nico. He wasn't sure what she'd do to protect Leo but he knew she'd never let him do this alone.
And so he rode with Hazel on Arions back. Frank was flying to Delos- he'd offered to carry Leo, but the son of Hephaestus preferred the idea of riding Arion again- there was something about the sheer power of the horse that made him feel giddy- and he wanted something like that.
And when they reached the island they found it deserted, maybe because the seas were too choppy for the tourist boats. The windswept hills were barren except for rocks, grass and wildflowers – and, of course, a bunch of crumbling temples. The rubble was probably very impressive, but, ever since Olympia, Leo had been on ancient ruins overload. He was so done with white marble columns. He wanted to get back to the U.S., where the oldest buildings were the public schools and Ye Olde McDonald's.
They walked down an avenue lined with white stone lions, the faces weathered almost featureless.
"It's eerie." Hazel voiced Leo's thoughts on the matter pretty well.
"Do you sense any ghosts?" that question came from Frank, and Hazel shook her head.
"'The lack of ghosts is eerie. Back in ancient times, Delos was sacred ground. No mortal was allowed to be born here or die here. There are literally no mortal spirits on this whole island."
"Cool with me," Leo said. "Does that mean nobody's allowed to kill us here? That's make a nice change."
"I didn't say that." Hazel stopped at the summit of a low hill. "Look. Down there."
Below them, the hillside had been carved into an amphitheatre. Scrubby plants sprouted between the rows of stone benches, so it looked like a concert for thorn bushes. Down at the bottom, sitting on a block of stone in the middle of the stage, the god Apollo hunched over a ukulele, plucking out a mournful tune.
Leo swallowed hard. He'd met the god before- of course he had. But he'd never really talked to him much. And the gods did always seem to change their appearance but he was pretty sure it was Apollo. He looked about seventeen, with curly blond hair and a perfect tan. He wore tattered jeans, a black T-shirt and a white linen jacket with glittering rhinestone lapels, like he was trying for an Elvis/Ramones/Beach Boys hybrid look.
He looked like Will, just a few years older maybe.
And Leo didn't usually think of the ukulele as a sad instrument yet the tune Apollo strummed was so melancholy that it made Leo's chest ache.
Sitting in the front row was a young girl of about thirteen, wearing black leggings and a silver tunic, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was whittling on a long piece of wood – making a bow.
And Leo remembered her much better- she'd saved his life, taking the sky from him to honor a promise she'd made Percy.
"Those are the gods?" Frank's question pulled Leo out of his memories, "They don't look like twins."
"Yeah well-" Leo's lips twitched, "Artemis spends half her life being annoyed by Apollo from what I've been told. I doubt she wants to look like her brother."
"You have a point. So what's the plan?"
"Follow my lead." Leo gave the goofiest smile he could before he started jogging down the steps towards the gods, holding up his hands.
"Yo, Lady Artemis, Lord Apollo. Long time no see huh."
Neither of the gods seemed very surprised to see him.
Apollo sighed and went back to playing his ukulele.
When they got to the front row, Artemis muttered, "There you are. We were beginning to wonder."
"So you were expecting us then." Leo didn't falter, "That's great. Though some enthusiasm would have been nice."
Apollo plucked a tune that sounded like the funeral version of 'Camptown Races'. "We were expecting to be found, bothered and tormented. We didn't know by whom. Can you not leave us to our misery?"
"You know they can't, brother," Artemis chided. "They require our help with their quest, even if the odds are hopeless."
"Well aren't you cheerful." Leo muttered the words before crossing his arms, "Why are you hiding out here anyway. No offence but shouldn't you guys be off fighting giants to help us or something?"
And the look Leo gave him was not an approving one.
"Delos is our birthplace," said the goddess. "Here, we are unaffected by the Greek–Roman schism. Believe me, Leo Valdez, if I could, I would be with my Hunters, facing our old enemy Orion. Unfortunately, if I stepped off this island, I would become incapacitated with pain. All I can do is watch helplessly while Orion slaughters my followers. Many gave their lives to protect your friends and that accursed Athena statue."
Leo tensed, his eyes widening, "Calypso- and the others- Zoe- are they all right?"
"All right?" Apollo sobbed over his ukulele. "None of us are all right, boy! Gaia is rising!"
Artemis glared at Apollo at that. "Calm yourself Valdez. My lieutenant and her sister are both still fighting- as is Bianca-" she said that when Hazel started to open her mouth to speak. "She is a brave warrior. They all are. Though I know for certain now that Bianca Di Angelo will never return to my ranks."
And- that was kind of weird but Leo decided against questioning it too much. "Yes, they are brave. Much like you half-bloods. I wish I could say the same for my brother."
"You wrong me!" Apollo wailed. "I was misled by Gaia and that horrible Roman child!"
Frank cleared his throat. "Uh, Lord Apollo, you mean Octavian?"
"Do not speak his name!" Apollo strummed a minor chord. "Oh, Frank Zhang, if only you were my child. I heard your prayers, you know, all those weeks you wanted to be claimed. But alas! Mars gets all the good ones. I get … that creature as my descendant. He filled my head with compliments. He told me of the great temples he would build in my honour. I'm shamed by him! I should never have acknowledged him-"
Artemis snorted. "You are easily flattered, brother."
"Because I have so many amazing qualities to praise! Octavian said he wanted to make the Romans strong again. I said fine! I gave him my blessing."
"As I recall," said Artemis, "he also promised to make you the most important god of the legion, above even Zeus."
"Well, who was I to argue with an offer like that? Does Zeus have a perfect tan? Can he play the ukulele? I think not! But I never thought Octavian would start a war! Gaia must have been clouding my thoughts, whispering in my ear! I should have reached out to the girl- she's fierce, wounded grandfather even. A descendant to be proud of-"
"You mean Rachel?" Leo asked quickly, "The hairbrush-"
"Yes- yes truly a child worthy of my blessing- I was a fool-"
"So fix it then!" Leo blurted out, "Tell Octavian to stand down or shoot him or something- Rachel's way more talented then him anyway-"
"I claimed her, I gave her my blessing but those Romans don't know her yet- and I cannot shoot him!"
"Why not?" Frank frowned at that.
"Look!" Apollo's ukulele turned into a bow. He aimed at the sky and shot. The golden arrow sailed about two hundred feet, then disintegrated into smoke.
"To shoot my bow, I would have to step off Delos," Apollo cried. "Then I would be incapacitated, or Zeus would strike me down. Father never liked me. He hasn't trusted me for millennia!"
"Well," Artemis said, "to be fair, there was that time you conspired with Hera to overthrow him."
"That was a misunderstanding!"
"And you killed some of Zeus's Cyclopes."
"I had a good reason for that! At any rate, now Zeus blames me for everything – Octavian's schemes, the fall of Delphi –"
"Wait." Hazel made a time-out sign. "The fall of Delphi?"
Apollo's bow turned back into a ukulele. He plucked a dramatic chord. "When the schism began between Greek and Roman, while I struggled with confusion, Gaia took advantage! She raised my old enemy Python, the great serpent, to repossess the Delphic Oracle. That horrible creature is now coiled in the ancient caverns, blocking the magic of prophecy. I am stuck here, so I can't even fight him."
"That's so sad." Leo's voice was filled with sarcasm.
"Sad indeed." Apollo sighed. "Zeus was already angry with me for appointing that woman, May Castellan as my new Oracle- said her history was a strike against her I should have acknowledged. She issued the Prophecy of Seven as soon as I blessed her. But prophecy doesn't work that way! Father just needed someone to blame. So of course he picked the handsomest, most talented, hopelessly awesome god."
Artemis made a gagging gesture.
"Oh stop it sister." Apollo said, "You're in trouble too."
"Only because I stayed in touch with my Hunters against Zeus's wishes," Artemis said. "But I can always charm Father into forgiving me. He's never been able to stay mad at me. It's you I'm worried about."
"I'm worried about me, too!" Apollo agreed. "We have to do something. We can't kill Octavian. Hmm. Perhaps we should kill these demigods."
"Yes because that would help." Leo rolled his eyes, "We're here on your side- I'm friends with your son. Killing us would be colossally stupid."
"It might make me feel better. I have to do something." Apollo was whining.
"Or you could help us. See, we have this plan." He told them how Hera had directed them to Delos, and how Nike had described the ingredients for the physician's cure.
"The physician's cure?" Apollo stood and smashed his ukulele on the stones. "That's your plan?"
Leo raised his hands. "Hey, um, usually I'm all for smashing ukuleles, but –"
"I cannot help you!" Apollo cried. "If I told you the secret of the physician's cure, Zeus would never forgive me!"
"You're already in trouble," Leo pointed out. "How could it get worse?"
Apollo glared at him. "If you knew what my father is capable of, mortal, you would not ask. It would be simpler if I just smote you all. That might please Zeus –"
"Brother…" Artemis said.
The twins locked eyes and had a silent argument. Apparently Artemis won. Apollo heaved a sigh and kicked his broken ukulele across the stage.
Artemis rose. "Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, come with me. There are things you should know about the Twelfth Legion. As for you, Leo Valdez –" The goddess turned those cold silver eyes on him. "Apollo will hear you out. See if you can strike a deal. My brother always likes a good bargain."
Frank and Hazel both glanced at him, like Please don't die. Then they followed Artemis up the steps of the amphitheatre and over the crest of the hill.
"Well, Leo Valdez?" Apollo folded his arms. His eyes glowed with golden light. "Let us bargain, then. What can you offer that would convince me to help you rather than kill you?"
