𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋 ― n. flynn ✓

↳ the trials of apollo: the burning maze

Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"I'm only your most favorite uncle ever!"

Natalia's eyes widened. "Apollo?"

He nodded.

"Wow," she commented. "You're so . . . mortal now. I mean, Percy told me that you stopped by his apartment . . ."

"And Artemis?" Apollo continued. "Is she all right?"

Natalia shrugged. "I haven't heard from her since that day at the Parthenon. You know, when Gaea woke and everything went to shit?" She then shook her head. "Okay, how about you start from the beginning. Tell me everything."

After introducing the girl with glasses as his companion, Meg, daughter of Demeter, he began to dive in about his adventures. Natalia stood next to Jason, his arm resting comfortingly on her waist while Piper sat on the floor with her back against the wall. Meg stood by Jason's desk looking at his diorama of Temple Hill at Camp Jupiter. They all listened to Apollo speak about the Triumvirate, the things he had to endure after emerging from a dumpster in Manhattan, and his time in Indianapolis, which included staying at a place called the Waystation, facing the emperor Commodus, and the Hunters of Artemis saving them on a football field.

Then Apollo casually mentioned that Leo Valdez was on a mission to Camp Jupiter. All of the electrical outlets in the room sparked — courtesy of Jason — while Natalia's eyes widened. The couple looked over to Piper with stunned expressions.

"I know," Piper responded. "After all we went through."

Jason sat down on the bed, keeping his arm around Natalia securely. "I can't even . . . I don't know whether to laugh or yell."

"His dumb plan worked," Natalia said in amazement. "Despite my line in the Prophecy of Eight . . . he really survived."

"Hey, what is this?" Meg called out from her place at the desk.

Jason's cheeks flushed a light shade of red. "A personal project."

"Don't be modest," Natalia scolded, pushing his head to the side a little. "It's Temple Hill at Camp Jupiter. He's redesigning it."

Jason had decided a couple of months ago, when they were still sailing aboard the Argo II, that he would honor all of the Gods at both Camps. It took up most of his time, but he was most proud of the diorama he made. Each building was represented by small plastic pieces glued to a foam board with the names of the shrines hand-written. He was so passionate about it, and made Natalia love him even more.

"Are these Monopoly houses?" Meg questioned.

He shrugged. "I kinda used whatever I had — the green houses and red hotels."

"Kymopoleia?" Apollo asked. "My goodness, I haven't thought about her in centuries. Why did the Romans build her a shrine?"

"They haven't yet. But I made her a promise. She . . . helped us out on our voyage to Athens."

Whipping up a crazy sea storm and almost completely destroying their ship didn't seem like helping to Natalia. However, Kymopoleia had agreed not to kill the Demigods aboard the Argo II, which was great, because then they could keep going on their merry way to destroy Gaea and her Giants. Their plan didn't really go very well because Gaea woke, courtesy of Percy Jackson getting a nosebleed, but they had destroyed the Giants with the help of the Gods and managed to dissolve Gaea's full presence back at Camp Half-Blood.