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ALL TOO WELL

THE LAST OLYMPIAN
[ A F T E R   T H E   W A R ]

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NATALIA FLYNN STOOD in the lobby of the Empire State Building. Just mere hours before, she was defending it from a Titan army. But they had won the war. She was so glad it was over, but there were terrible losses. As she stood there with Percy, Annabeth, Sally Jackson, and Paul Blofis, she wondered if she would ever get over the trauma this war brought. She highly doubted it.

Suddenly, Nico di Angelo ran in from the street, his facial expression panicked.

"Nico," Natalia began. "What's wrong?"

"It's Rachel," he answered. "I just ran into her down on Thirty-Second Street."

Annabeth frowned. "What's she done this time?"

"It's where she's gone. I told her she would die if she tried, but she insisted. She just took Treasure and—"

Natalia's eyes widened. "Woah, she took Treasure?"

"Moon Moon," Percy scolded, obviously thinking her priorities were not straight.

She made a noise of protest. "Fish-Boy, she took my Pegasus!"

"I know, I heard, but we can't worry about that right now. Nico, where is she going?"

Nico sighed. "She's heading to Half-Blood Hill. She said she had to get to Camp."

As they raced towards the East River, Natalia couldn't help but let her eyes glow silver in anger. Nobody took Treasure, not without asking her permission first. Everyone knew that Treasure was important to Natalia, and the girl only allowed them to ride him if she gave them permission.

Traffic in New York City was horrible. Everyone was out on the streets, gawking confusingly at the damage left from the battle. Police sirens were going off on every block. Catching a cab would definitely not be possible, and the rest of the Pegasi had flown back to Camp Half-Blood. So they ran, pushing past the dazed mortals that crowded the sidewalks.

"She'll never get through the defenses," Annabeth voiced. "Peleus will eat her."

Rachel Elizabeth Dare could see through the Mist. She would be able to find Camp without any difficulty, but the magical boundaries and Peleus the guard dragon would try everything to keep her out.

"We got to hurry," Percy warned, and then glanced at Nico. "I don't suppose you could conjure up some skeleton horses."

He wheezed as he ran along with them. "So tired . . . couldn't summon a dog bone."

Natalia nudged his arm with her elbow. "Hey, don't worry about it. You did great."

Finally, they scrambled over the embankment to the shore of the East River. Percy let out a loud whistle, and three wake lines suddenly appeared in the gray water. A pod of Hippocampi broke the surface, whinnying unhappily while shaking the muck from their manes. They were beautiful sea creatures that had multicolored fish tails and the heads and forelegs of white stallions. The one in the front was much bigger than the others. Natalia recognized him.

"Rainbow!" Percy called. "How's it going, buddy?"

He neighed back, probably complaining about the dirty river.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. But it's an emergency. We need to get to Camp."

Rainbow snorted in response.

"Tyson?" Percy questioned. "Tyson is fine! I'm sorry he's not here. He's a big general now in the Cyclops army."

"NEEEEIGGGGH!"

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll still bring you apples. Now, about that ride . . ."

In no time, Natalia, Percy, Annabeth, and Nico were zipping up the East River quickly. They sped underneath the Throgs Neck Bridge and headed in the direction of the Long Island Sound. Finally, after what felt like forever, they spotted the beach at Camp Half-Blood. All of them thanked the Hippocampi and swam to shore. Argus was waiting there, his arms crossed and his hundred eyes glaring at them.

"Is she here?" Percy asked.

Argus gave them a grim nod.

"Is everything okay?" Annabeth inquired.

He shook his head. They followed him up the trail. Natalia felt it was surreal to be back at her home. Everything looked so peaceful, unlike how it had been the past couple of days in the city with burning buildings and wounded fighters. The Cabins were glowing brightly in the sunshine and the fields glittered with dew. It was mostly empty, due to all of the Campers being back at the city.

Something was definitely wrong up at the Big House. Green light shot out of all the windows. Mist — the magical kind — swirled around the yard. Chiron was laying on a horse sized stretcher down at the volleyball court with a bunch of Satyrs standing around him. And then that's when Natalia noticed her Pegasus, cantering nervously over to her with his golden specks glinting in the sunlight.

"Treasure!" she exclaimed. "What the fuck, dude?"

He whinnied in response. Natalia looked at Percy with a raised eyebrow, since he could talk to horses.

"He said Rachel made him do it," Percy told him.

Rachel stood at the bottom of the porch steps with her arms raised.

"What's she doing?" Annabeth demanded. "How did she get past the barriers?"

"She flew," a Satyr replied, looking accusingly at the white and gold Pegasus. "Right past the dragon, right through the magic boundaries."

"Treasure!" Natalia scolded.

He nickered and nudged against her in apology. Sighing, Natalia pet his head.

"Rachel!" Percy yelled.

However, the Satyrs stopped him when he tried to go any closer to the redhead.

"Percy, don't," Chiron warned. When he tried to move, he winced in pain. His left arm was in a sling, his two back legs were in splints, and his head was wrapped in bandages. Other than that, he looked okay. "You can't interrupt."

"I thought you explained things to her!" Percy protested.

"I did. And I invited her here."

Percy stared at him in disbelief. "You said you'd never let anyone try again! You said—"

"I know what I said, Percy. But I was wrong. Rachel had a vision about the curse of Hades. She believes it may be lifted now. She convinced me she deserves a chance."

"And if the curse isn't lifted? If Hades hasn't gotten to that yet, she'll go crazy!"

The Mist swirled around Rachel, and she shivered like she was going into shock.

"Hey!" Percy shouted. "Stop!"

He ignored the Satyrs and ran towards her. Percy only made it ten feet until he hit something and bounced back, landing in the grass. Rachel opened her eyes and turned to look at him. It almost looked like she was sleepwalking.

"It's all right." Her voice seemed far away. "This is why I've come."

"You'll be destroyed!" Percy protested.

Rachel shook her head. "This is where I belong, Percy. I finally understand why."

Percy tried to stand to his feet but couldn't. Natalia kept her hand on Treasure's neck, watching in concern. The Big House rumbled, and the door flew open, making green light pour out. Mist curled into a hundred smoky serpents that slithered up the porch columns and wrapped around the house. Then the Oracle herself appeared, shuffling forwards in her rainbow dress. Natalia didn't know how, but she looked worse than usual, with her hair falling out in clumps and her skin cracking. Her glassy eyes were staring right into space, but she seemed to be drawn towards Rachel.

Rachel held out her arms, not looking scared whatsoever. "You've waited too long, but I'm here now."

Suddenly, the sun blazed more brightly. A man appeared floating in the air above the porch. He had blonde hair and wore a white toga, sunglasses, and a confident smile.

Natalia blinked. "Apollo?"

He winked at her and held a finger to his lips. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare, you have the gift of Prophecy. But it is also a curse. Are you sure you want this?"

Rachel nodded in response. "It's my destiny."

"Do you accept the risks?"

"I do."

"Then proceed," the God stated.

Rachel closed her eyes. "I accept this role. I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future and embrace the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles, Seer of Fate."

Natalia had no idea how Rachel knew those words, but they flowed out of her as the Mist thickened. A green column of smoke uncoiled from the mummy's mouth and slithered down the stairs. It curled affectionately around Rachel's feet. The mummy Oracle crumbled until it was nothing but a pile of dust in a tie-dye dress. Mist completely enveloped Rachel until they couldn't see her at all. Then the smoke cleared, revealing Rachel collapsed on the ground in a fetal position. Natalia, Percy, Annabeth, and Nico rushed forwards.

Apollo stopped them. "Stop! This is the most delicate part."

"What's going on?" Percy asked. "What do you mean?"

Apollo looked at Rachel in concern. "Either the spirit takes hold, or it doesn't."

"And if it doesn't?" Annabeth questioned.

"Five syllables," Apollo replied while counting them on his fingers. "That would be real bad."

"Apollo, for Gods' sake, now is not the time for poetry!" Natalia exclaimed.

Despite the God's warning, Percy ran forward and knelt over Rachel. The Mist had sank into the ground and the green light had faded, but the redhead was still pale while barely breathing.

Then her eyes fluttered open, focusing on the boy above her with difficulty. "Percy."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

She tried to sit up, but pressed her hands to her temples. "Ow."

"Rachel, your life aura almost faded completely," Nico told her. "I could see you dying."

"I'm all right," she muttered. "Please, help me up. The visions - they're a little disorienting."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Percy asked.

Apollo floated down from the porch. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the new Oracle of Delphi."

"You're kidding," Annabeth scoffed.

Rachel gave her a weak smile. "It's a little surprising to me too, but this is my fate. I saw it when I was in New York. I know why I was born with true sight. I was meant to become the Oracle."

Percy blinked. "You mean you can tell the future now?"

"Not all the time," she answered. "But there are visions, images, words in my mind. When someone asks me a question, I . . . Oh no—"

"It's starting," Apollo announced.

Rachel doubled over. When she stood back up, her eyes glowed serpent green. Her voice sounded tripled when she began to speak.

"Eight Half-Bloods shall answer the call. A final decision determines if to storm or fire, the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, and foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."

Rachel collapsed the last word. Percy and Nico caught her and helped her to the porch.

"I'm all right," she assured, her voice going back to normal.

"What was that?" Percy inquired.

She shook her head in confusion. "What was what?"

"I believe that we just heard the next Great Prophecy," Apollo responded.

"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me," Natalia complained. "We just finished a Great Prophecy, and now we have another one?"

Rachel frowned. "I don't even remember what I said."

"No," Apollo mused. "The spirit will only speak through you occasionally. The rest of the time, our Rachel will be much as she's always been. There's no point in grilling her, even if she has just issued the next big prediction for the future of the world."

"What?" Percy cut in. "But—"

"Percy, I wouldn't worry too much. The last Great Prophecy about you took almost seventy years to complete. This one may not even happen in your lifetime."

Natalia thought about the lines Rachel had spoken, talking about storm, fire, and the Doors of Death.

"Maybe," Percy continued. "But it didn't sound so good."

"No," Apollo said cheerfully. "It certainly didn't. She's going to make a wonderful Oracle!"

Percy seemed like he wanted to talk more on the subject, but Apollo insisted that Rachel needed to rest. While Rachel talked quietly to Percy and Apollo spoke to Chiron about their new Oracle's sleeping arrangements, Natalia turned to her Pegasi.

"I'm still mad at you," she told Treasure.

The horse gave her a look, as if to say, seriously?

"Yes, seriously. Anyways, to make it up for me, I want you to go back to New York City and pick up some campers, all right? Bring them right back here, and no stopping to eat pizza."

Treasure butted his head against hers and took off into the air. Natalia let out a wistful sigh and watched as the Pegasus disappeared into the blue sky.

The rest of the day was pretty much as strange as the beginning. Campers came back from New York by car, Pegasus, and chariot. The wounded were cared for, and the dead were given proper funeral rites at the campfire.

Silena Beauregard's shroud was hot pink with an embroidered electric spear. The Ares and Aphrodite Cabins both lit the shroud together, claiming her as a hero. Natalia, as she had promised, took out her French braid now that they had won and threw Silena's hair tie into the fire. No one mentioned the word spy. That secret burned away with the shroud. Ethan Nakamura was also given a shroud, which was made of black silk and had a logo of swords crossed under a set of scales. Natalia hoped he knew that he had made a difference in the end. And even though he paid more than an eye, the minor Gods would finally get the respect they deserved.

Dinner at the dining pavilion was a little quiet. The one part of it that made Natalia feel happier was when Juniper the tree Nymph gave Grover a flying tackle hug, making everyone cheer. They went down to the beach to take a moonlit walk. Mrs. O'Leary the Hellhound happily ate everyone's scraps. Nico sat at the head table with Chiron and Mr. D, but he didn't look out of place. People congratulated him on his fighting.

Slowly, campers left the pavilion to either go to bed or have a sing along at the campfire. Meanwhile, Natalia and Annabeth slipped away to bake Percy a cupcake with blue icing for his birthday. Tyson helped them. It was a little misshapen, but other than that, it was fine. When they found him, Percy was still sitting at the Poseidon table, watching the moonlight reflect on the Long Island Sound. When Natalia glanced up at the moon, it shone a little brighter. She smiled.

"Hey." Annabeth greeted with the cupcake, both of them sliding on either side of him. "Happy birthday."

Percy glanced between the two of them. "What?"

Natalia laughed slightly. "Your birthday. It's August eighteenth, isn't it?"

He seemed to be stunned for a moment.

"Make a wish," Annabeth told him.

"Did you two bake this yourselves?" Percy asked.

Natalia smiled. "We had some help from Tyson."

"That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick. With extra blue cement."

Natalia and Annabeth chuckled.

Percy thought for a second before blowing out the candle. They cut the cupcake in thirds and ate with their fingers. The three watched the ocean. Except for the crickets and monsters making noise in the woods, silence filled the air.

"You saved the world," Annabeth voiced.

"We saved the world," Percy corrected.

Natalia put her chin in the palm of her hand. "I guess we did, huh?"

"And Rachel is the new Oracle, which means she won't be dating anybody," Annabeth added.

"You don't sound disappointed," Percy noticed.

Annabeth shrugged. "Oh, I don't care."

"Sure you don't," Natalia commented.

The blonde reached behind Percy and hit Natalia's shoulder.

"Uh-huh," Percy continued.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow at him. "You got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?"

"You'd probably kick my butt."

"You know I'd kick your butt."

Percy brushed the cake off his hands. "When I was at the River Styx, turning invulnerable . . . Nico said I had to concentrate on one thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal."

Annabeth continued to stare at the horizon. "Yeah?"

"Then up on Olympus, when they wanted to make me a God and stuff, I kept thinking—"

Natalia rolled her eyes. "Don't deny it, Fish-Boy, you definitely wanted to be a God."

"Well, maybe a little," Percy answered. "But I didn't, because I thought — I didn't want things to stay the same for eternity, because things could always get better. Much like you thought, Tals, when Artemis asked you to become her lieutenant two years ago. And I was thinking . . ."

"Anyone in particular?" Annabeth questioned softly.

Natalia smirked at Annabeth trying not to smile.

"You're laughing at me," Percy complained.

"I am not!" Annabeth protested.

"You are so not making this easy."

She laughed for real and interlocked her hands around his neck. "I am never, ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."

Then they kissed — finally. Natalia stood up and summoned moonlight in her hand. The orb floated over Percy and Annabeth's heads and burst into small glowing particles. It sparkled over them, making the moment even more magical.

"Fucking finally!" she yelled. "I've only been waiting for four years!"

Suddenly, the pavilion filled with torchlight and campers, making Percy and Annabeth finally pull away. Clarisse La Rue led the way as they all charged and hoisted them onto their shoulders.

"Oh, come on!" Percy protested. "Is there no privacy?"

"It's a small Camp, Fish-Boy," Natalia giggled. "I really don't know what you expected."

"The lovebirds need to cool off!" Clarisse exclaimed.

"The canoe lake!" Connor Stoll shouted.

With a huge cheer, they carried them down the hill but close enough so they could hold hands. Natalia laughed at the sight of Percy and Annabeth's red faces. They held hands until they dropped the new couple into the water. Natalia knew it wasn't a very smart idea because he was a son of Poseidon, but she decided to let them have their moment. They deserved it.

Natalia then smirked. She turned to Will Solace and innocently pushed her hands against his arms. Will flailed and grabbed onto the nearest thing to him, which just so happened to be Natalia. Both of them fell into the lake. She came up from the water while gasping. Will immediately began splashing her with giant waves. Natalia splashed him back. Soon enough, all of the campers jumped in the water, participating in the splashing war.

And finally, through all the pain of the last couple of days, everything was all right.

»»---------------------►

MUCH TO NATALIA'S excitement, Camp lasted two weeks more than normal, right up to the start of a new school year. She might have been biased, but they were probably the best two weeks of her life. Seeing Percy and Annabeth happy made her happy. But them becoming a couple wasn't the only good thing happening. Grover was sending Satyr seekers across the world to find unclaimed Half-Bloods. So far, the Gods kept their promise, and new Demigods were popping up all over the place. Chiron said he was expecting to have twice was many Demigods next summer.

New Cabins were under construction during the day. Soon, the U shape would become a complete rectangle. The Demigods were really working hard. Nico had even summoned some undead builders to work on the Hades Cabin, which had solid obsidian walls, a skull over the door, and green torches that burned green fire at all times. Next to his were the Cabins of Iris, Hypnos, Nemesis, Nike, Hebe, Tyche, and Hecate. New ones were being added to the blueprints everyday. Annabeth and Chiron suggested adding an entirely new wing of Cabins to have enough room. Not to mention, the Hermes Cabin was a lot less crowded than it used to be. Unclaimed kids received signs from their Godly parents, or new Demigods came over the property line with Satyr guides. Some monsters pursued them, but almost all of them made it through.

And, of course, all of the campers got a new bead to put around their leather necklaces. It was designed by the Hephaestus Cabin this year. There was an image of the Empire State Building an etched around it in Greek were the names of those who had fallen in battle. There were too many names, but Natalia wore it with pride. She had six beads now for her six years at Camp.

The next morning, Natalia, Percy, and Annabeth stood at the top of Half-Blood Hill, watching as buses and vans took most of the campers back to the real world. A few year rounders and a couple of the newcomers were staying. Natalia, on the other hand, would be coming back. She was visiting her dad for the month — or at least until the monster attacks became so frequent that she would have to leave. Percy would be going back to Goode High, and Annabeth was enrolled in a boarding school in the city so she could be close to Mount Olympus — and to Percy, of course.

"Good-bye," Rachel said to them.

She looked nervous as she shouldered her bag. Rachel would be attending Clarion Academy in New Hampshire, so it wouldn't be until next summer that the Oracle would be back.

Natalia gave her a tight hug. "Hey, it'll be fine."

Annabeth hugged her as well. "You'll do great."

Isn't it funny how Annabeth seemed to get along great with Rachel these days?

Rachel bit her lip. "I hope you're right. I'm a little worried. What if somebody asks what's on the next math test and I start spouting a Prophecy in the middle of geometry class? The Pythagorean theorem shall be problem two. . . . Gods, that would be embarrassing."

Natalia and Annabeth laughed. Rachel smiled at them.

"Well, you two be good to each other." Rachel then winked at Natalia. "And I foresaw a boyfriend for you in the future."

Natalia rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on—"

"Always trust the Oracle!"

With that, Rachel wished them well and ran down the hill to catch her ride. Annabeth laced her fingers with Percy's, and Percy slung an arm across Natalia's shoulders. They watched as the guard dragon Peleus fell asleep around Thalia's pine tree, where the Golden Fleece blew in the wind. He began to snore, blowing steam with every breath.

"You both have been thinking about Rachel's Prophecy?" Percy asked.

Natalia blinked at him. "What, you a mind reader or something?"

Annabeth frowned. "Yeah, how did you know?"

"Because I know you two."

The blonde bumped her shoulder to his. "Okay, so I have. Eight Half-Bloods shall answer the call. I wonder who they'll be. We're going to have so many new faces next summer."

"Yep," Percy agreed. "And all that stuff about the world falling in storm or fire by a final decision."

Natalia tensed. Something about that line made a shiver travel down her back. For some reason, it made her anxious and sad.

Nevertheless, she let out a sigh. "And an oath with a final breath, and foes at the Doors of Death. I don't like this Prophecy. Gods forbid I thought we would get some peace for a change."

"Wouldn't be Camp Half-Blood if it was peaceful," Percy commented.

Annabeth shrugged. "I guess you're right . . . Or maybe the Prophecy won't happen for years."

"Could be a problem for another generation of Demigods," Percy agreed. "Then we can kick back and enjoy."

Natalia allowed herself to nod, but she didn't seem so sure. If it was a problem for another generation of Demigods . . . why was the Prophecy making her so uneasy?

"Race you to the road?" Percy questioned.

Annabeth scoffed. "You are so going to lose."

Natalia removed Percy's arm from her. "Please. I'll fucking obliterate you all."

They all sprinted down Half-Blood Hill. For once, they didn't look back.

★彡

the extras are next and then this book is over :(