Chapter Text
I couldn't believe my luck. After all this time, it would of course make sense that I would return to Palm Springs, California. I used to live here, y'know. My dad was a botanist, trying to reincarnate the original seven dryads, the Meliai.
But as I looked out at the scenery before me, it was obvious that Palm Springs was in much better condition. Of course, the dryads more acclimated to the desert obviously survived, but I was seeing some dryads around me that I didn't even know existed.
I was walking down the street to Aeithales, and I saw a couple dryads hopping about, running along the side of the road. I guessed they were palm dryads because of the strong resemblance they bore to the palm trees lining the streets.
I climbed the hill and looked at the new Aeithales. The greenhouses stood fresh and tall on the hill behind the house. They were green and bursting with life.
Dryads moved about. Herophile (the Oracle I'd helped Apollo save) wandered around, helping tend to the property. Prickly Pear prickled around, prickling aggressively next to other cacti as a greeting. Aloe Vera was nowhere to be seen. Reba was trying to convince one of the Meliai to dance with her. Joshua surveyed everything.
The light wind ruffled his shaggy, olive-colored hair. He squinted his eyes, which were the same color as his hair, and had his foot propped up on a rock. His dark cheeks were round and jovial with his smile. With his weathered khaki-colored clothing, he looked like an expeditioner ready to scout out new lands. All He needed was a pith helmet.
"Meg!" he exclaimed. He ran down the hill and wrapped me up in a rib-cracking bear hug.
I cleared my throat. "Hi," I said simply. I was trying to cover up the fact that my heart was pounding, and my face felt like it'd been stuck over the fires of Helios again.
"Aeithales and the Meliai have been doing great since we last saw you!" Joshua reported. "How've you been?"
"Good."
"That's good."
Joshua and I stood in awkward silence, watching the dryads move about. Butterflies ignited in my stomach so bad, I thought I was about to be sick.
"How's Apollo?" Joshua asked, finally breaking the awkward silence.
"He's alright," I said.
"Destroyed the Triumvirate?"
"Yeah."
"Restored to godhood?"
"Yep."
Joshua and I stood in more awkward silence. He cleared his throat.
"Hey, would you wanna run up to Enchiladas Del Ray with me?" he asked. Before I could question how he could make it out of Aeithales, he added, "They have a new location, like, right at the base of the hill, so I can go."
That cleared up everything for me.
We then proceeded to awkwardly buy Enchiladas Del Ray together.