Chapter Thirty - I Ignore Family Arguments
Posted: Friday 31st May 2024

The days passed in a blur of near-nothingness on Delos. I found a ball of deep anxiety forming in my stomach over the prospect of having a child. I had no knowledge of parenting other than the vague memories of the six years I had with my father.

I hadn't thought of my father in a long time and now here on Delos, I realised that the memories of my father had faded quite significantly, so much so that my only distinct memory of the man was the last time I had seen him before Nyx took me into her care.

This thought scared me even more, such an integral part of my life, the person who had first shown me what love was had faded from my mind.

I wondered if this was what it was like to be immortal. Was this how Apollo felt about previous lovers, had even their names faded from his mind. In 1,000 years would I remember my friends at Camp Halfblood or those who had fallen in the Titan War?

I lamented these thoughts but did decide that I had too much time on my hands to be deep diving into my own doubts this much. I tried to put on a facade so that Apollo couldn't tell what was on my mind, and it seemed he had enough on his own mind to occupy him. Myself and the two gods proceeded on with our days in quiet misery, each of us lost in our own world. Artemis and Apollo bickered incessantly. It seemed that Artemis blamed Apollo for them being stuck here on Delos. How or why? I was too absorbed in my own misery to work it out.

One afternoon found Apollo, Artemis and me at the bottom of the ampitheatre carved into the hill. Apollo had a Ukulele in his hands, he was strumming a melancholy tune, trust the god of music to be able to make a ukulele sound sad. Artemis was whittling a tree branch she had salvaged into a bow. I was practicing my sword swipes when a familiar voice ripped through the air.

"Don't shoot!" Leo Valdez shouted from the top of the amphitheatre. He was followed closely by Hazel and Frank. Apollo and Artemis both looked up, groaned and then went back to their previous tasks. I sheathed my sword and watched as the demigods made their way down to where we were.

"So you were expecting us then," Leo said when he reached the bottom, "I can tell because you're all so excited to see us. What are you doing here Ariadne?"

"Married," I said, "Remember?"

"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 said, "they require our help with their quest, even if the odds are hopeless."

"Be nice," I reminded Apollo.

"You lot are full of cheer," said Leo, "Why are you hiding out here anyway? Shouldn't you.. be like fighting giants?"

"Delos is our birthplace," said Artemis, "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 step off of this island I would become incapacitated with pain. All I can do is watch helplessly whilst Orion slaughters my followers. Many gave their lives to protect your friends and that accursed Athena state."

"You mean Nico? Hazel almost squeaked, "is he alright?"

"None of us are alright!" Apollo lamented.

"Hazel Lavesque, your brother is still alive. He is a brave fighter like you. I wish I could say the same for my brother."

"I was mislead by Gaia and that horrible Roman child!" Apollo complained. My ears pricked up, I had been ignoring the bickering of Apollo and Artemis for the last few weeks, so much so, that this was news to me.

"Um, Lord Apollo, do you mean Octavian?" Frank Zhang asked.

"Do not speak his name!" Apollo stummed a minor chord on his ukulele. "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."

"You are so easily flattered, brother," Artemis snorted.

"I didn't realise your head needed inflating anymore," I snorted.

"I have so many amazing qualities to praise!" Apollo complained, "my closest family should see that! Octavian said he wanted to make the Romans strong again. I said fine! I gave him my blessing."

I rolled my eyes.

"As I recall," Artemis said, "he also promised to to make you the most important god of the legion, above even Zeus. Which is bold of you to support considering certain prophecies."

"Did you want Zeus to blast you?" I laughed.

"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."

"So fix it," said Leo, "tell Octavian to stand down. Or you know, shoot him with one of your arrows. That would be fine too."

"He can't," I said. "To use their powers off of Delos, they have to leave Delos. He can't do that without Zeus striking him down or letting his Roman side start a war with his Greek side."

"Father never liked me!" Apollo complained. "He hasn't trusted me ever since he heard that prophecy!"

"Well," Artemis offered, "there was that time you conspired with Hera to overthrow him."

"That was a misunderstanding!"

"And then you killed some of Zeus' cyclops."

"I had reason!"

"And then you married Ariadne."

"An accident!"

"Oh thanks, that makes me feel fantastic!" I rolled my eyes again.

"I did not mean it like that!" Apollo said, "At any rate, Zeus blames me for everything- Octavian's schemes, the fall of Delphi-"

"The fall of Delphi?" I demanded. I hadn't put a second thought to listening to Apollo and Artemis' bickering, it was only now that I realised how much I was missing.

"When the schism began and I was distracted, Gaia took advantage of my confusion! She raised my greatest enemy, Python, to reposses the Delphic Oracle. It's there now, blocking the magic of prophecy. I am stuck here, so I can't even fight him!"

"Bummer," said Leo.

"Bummer indeed!" Apollo agreed.

Apollo continued to lament all of the ways that Zeus was blaming him for everything.

"Of course he picked the most handsome, talented, hopelessly awesome god to blame!"

Artemis made a loud gagging noise.

"Oh stop it sister, you are in trouble too!" Apollo complained.

"Only because I stayed in touch with my Hunters against Zeus' wishes, but I can always charm father into forgiving me. It's you I'm worried about." Artemis said.

"I'm worried about me too!" said Apollo, "We have to do something, we can't kill Octavian, perhaps we should kill these demigods?"

"Absolutley not!" I stepped towards Apollo. "You're not killing anyone here!"

"But it might make me feel better!" Apollo argued.

"I promise it won't make me feel better," I said, the threat very evident in the undertone of my voice.

"You could help us instead?" Leo suggested.

"What can we help with Leo Valdez?" Apollo asked.