I know that this story is about Diana, but I've been reading so much fan fiction about Zatanna losing her dad in the Young Justice TV show, and I've decided to make this chapter about how Chiron is dealing with the loss of Annabeth.
Disclaimer: *sobbing* I don't own PJO, but I do own the plot.
With a snap of her fingers, the pair was at Camp Half-Blood.
XXX
Chiron trotted back and forth on the stony ground, worried sick about Annabeth. She, practically his own daughter, had been captured by the army of Kronos. As much as he wanted to, Chiron knew he couldn't send another party after her. That would be a suicide mission, and Camp Half-Blood couldn't risk losing any more campers.
It tore him apart, seeing Percy and Thalia's faces as they pled with Mr. D to go after Annabeth. There was so much he wanted to say to them, to comfort them, to assure the two that it would be okay. But, Mr. D was there. Chiron had to be professional. He had to mask his emotion as he told the two about the "Friendly competition" of capture the flag between Hunters and Campers. That was the last thing he wanted to talk about. Chiron paced back and forth more, lost in his thoughts. Sadly he turned to the camp brazier, its hearth. There sat Hestia, with a small girl in her lap, injured.
Startled, his mouth gaped open. Upon realizing how silly he looked, Chiron regained his composure.
"Lady Hestia… What brings you here?"
"The child is of the Hunters. She was injured during the battle of Westover Hall, about to die, and Artemis asked Apollo to heal her. As a favor, I brought her back to Camp Half-Blood after she was healed at Olympus."
Chiron looked pained at mention of Westover Hall. The hurt of Annabeth's disappearance was fresh, but seeing the girl there injured reminded him that Annabeth would not, and was not the last casualty to happen in the war against the Titans.
Note: Casualty means injury/MIA/Dead, not just death. I learned that fun fact on my D.C. trip to all the memorials…
I take back the phrase fun fact. Death is not something funny. But casualty describes all human losses during war, not JUST death. Sorry, I needed to specify.
"Diana, this girl, is past the worst of it. Unfortunately she is still in recovery. I trust you can take care of the rest… Right Chiron? You seem a little dazed."
"I'm fine Lady Hestia. I can get her back up to speed."
"Good, then I'm on my way."
Hestia gently laid Diana's body onto a bench surrounding the brazier. Right before she was on her way, Hestia looked sadly back at Chiron and Diana.
"Two at this camp will soon lose people very precious to them, Diana being one. Keep a close eye on these kids."
With a snap of her fingers, Hestia became a flash of flame and disappeared. The flash of heat made Diana's deep green eyes shoot open.
Stumbling, she got herself onto her feet. Diana stumbled as she made her way over to Chiron.
"So much danger. Must warn Zoe." Diana mumbled.
Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and Diana collapsed into Chiron's arms. Her eyebrows were clenched together, as if she was trying to be brave against her worst nightmare and trying to hold back the screams and tears. She was still whispering under her breath, repeating the same word over and over.
"No, no, no."
"Hush, Child. Everything will be alright." Chiron said into her ear. He gathered her into his arms, and for the first time took a good look at her. Diana reminded him so much of Annabeth when she first came to Camp Half Blood. At eight years old the feisty blond arrived, so young yet with so much pain. As Thalia made her last stand against the monster foes trying to buy more time for her partners, Annabeth was knocked out. Unconscious and injured, Annabeth was dragged across the border to safety only waking temporarily to try and get back to Thalia.
Annabeth was too late, her older "Sister" gone, and she didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. Chiron nursed Annabeth to health, standing at her bedside during nightmares, and feeding her ambrosia or nectar. He soon began to feel like a father taking care of his child.
Chiron would have to do the same for Diana. Except this time, he couldn't take the risk of getting attached. It would just be too hard when she died. Young heroes, especially ones in Artemis's group of hunters, had a nasty habit of dying.
XXX
Dinner came that night, with everyone gloomy moods. Well, everyone but the hunters was in a gloomy mood. None had yet noticed that they were missing their youngest companion. Iyasu had given a cover story that Diana was feeling sick and that she had to go to the infirmary.
Chiron had to leave Diana alone to keep up the guise of normalcy, as normal as life with a centaur, satyrs, and nymphs can be. After the food was finished he made the customary toast to the gods and welcomed the Hunters of Artemis to Camp Half-Blood. He also announced the capture the flag game with Hunters against campers the following night.
Swiftly after he finished his talk to the demigods, he rushed off to get back to Diana. Without anyone noticing, Iyasu tailed him back to the Big House where she was being kept. She followed Chiron in through the doors. By now, the centaur had noticed her and beckoned for the Huntress to keep up.
Diana lay in a cot, tossing back and forth. Her forehead was beaded with sweat. Chiron took a towel and wet it in the basin next to her bedside. He wiped off the perspiration.
"How is she?" Iyasu inquired.
"Annabeth's doing fine. She'll be up and about really soon." Chiron replied.
"Annabeth?"
"Yes, Annabe-." Chiron trailed off realizing his mistake.
"Annabeth was the girl who fell off the cliff if I'm correct? She was a brave soul. Were you thinking about her now?"
"I'm sorry, I practically raised Annabeth. She arrived here in the same sorry state as Diana. My mind has been wandering to the past when I brought her back to health at such a young age. It's been a long day and I'm not thinking straight. But Diana will be just fine. She's past the worst of it. Now it's time for her recovery."
Iyasu looked worried as she began to leave the room. She wasn't comfortable leaving Diana like this with a man, even Chiron, whose mind wasn't focused. But after giving it more thought, Iyasu realized that this was the famed healer of legend whose skills were only second to her father Apollo. She went back to the Artemis cabin.
Chiron lowered himself into his wheelchair. He sat down, rubbing his temples. It was going to be a long night.
So I hope you liked the chapter. Sorry that it's a little short but I decided to post it now as a small chapter rather than later(2 weeks) as a long chapter. Questions? Comments? Concerns? Be sure to voice them in the review button down below. And I'll try, not a promise, but I'll try to get the next chapter written and posted in the next 2 weeks.
