Work Text:
Chiron never considered what he did to be easy. A millennia spent tutoring, he could say, demigods. Sometimes, he never remembered their names. One thing which always ate at him. He hated looking at names on the pyres and failing to remember their faces. Sometimes, he saw echoes of his previous demigods in his new ones. He would see Achilles and Patroclus leaning against each other at midnight and blink to realise it was Nico and Will. He saw flashes of couples from years ago in the way Percy and Annabeth bickered. He saw a lot, and what never failed to make him feel guilty was watching them crumble in the aftermath of war.
Our little army boy, is coming home from BFPO
Chiron could only watch as Percy dived in and out in a desperate attempt to recover the body of Michael Yew. He could only watch as the Apollo kids cried as Percy emerged with Michael in his arms, his own chest shuddering with sobs
I’ve a bunch of purple flowers, to decorate mammy’s hero
He watched the flames burn into the sky. His heart heavy, he counted the losses faced over the years. Smiling children reduced to ashes and tears.
Mourning in the aerodrome, the weather warmer, he is colder
He, along with everyone else had seen Luke. He could only offer his comfort as he watched Thalia and Annabeth fall into despair. Found family, they were. Reduced to two and tears.
Four men in uniform, to carry home my little soldier
The seven, Nico, and all others at camp had vastly changed since the wars. Hopeful, energetic children (oh god, that’s all they were. Children) reduced to hollow, hopeless teenagers. He had the misfortune of watching the light fade from their eyes.
What could he do? Should have been a rock star
He remembered Percy when he first came to camp. Grieving over his mother’s “death”, but a kid who still had hope. He used to trail around Luke, looking up to him.
But he didn’t have the money for a guitar
The Percy after the giant war was different. Hollow, broken. It was what you’d expect, after all. Tartarus wasn’t a place one came out with their mind intact. He screamed at night, and that was why Annabeth was allowed to sleep there and she, Percy and Nico were sent to therapy.
Should have been a politician
Chiron knew Annabeth. He knew the way she laughed, the expression on her face when she was thinking. He was practically a father figure to the girl. She had come grieving, hurt, but still looked at the camp with awe.
But he never had a proper education
Annabeth was meek after the wars. Quieter, reserved and always on the verge of tears. She wouldn’t leave her cabin for days. She clung to Percy, who clung back. Husk of their former shells. He went easier on them, asking them to prioritise their mental health.
Should have been a father
He remembered Jason’s arrival at the camp. He was a shy fellow, and tensions were running high at camp. No word from Percy. He wasn’t accepted right away, of course. It took time. He often hung around Leo and Piper, even as he mingled with the others.
But he never even made it to his 20s
Jason’s funeral was a sad one. Everyone was sobbing their eyes out, or were lost in grief. Thalia stood still, refusing to cry even as Annabeth and Percy offered comfort. Annabeth herself had tears falling down her cheeks, and Percy was clearly bottling up his emotions to be let out at a later time. Nico was crying softly, even as Will wrapped his arms around the boy. Piper was outright sobbing, clinging to Leo who was sobbing even harder. Jason had died without meeting him. Frank and hazel were crying too, not as much as the rest but they were still pretty close with him. Reyna was sobbing softly, on the other side of Thalia. Some campers claimed they saw Lupa.
What a waste of army dreamers
Chiron wondered the point of this all, not for the first time. Perhaps it was wrong, this approach of throwing demigods into war. They didn’t deserve to die at such young ages. They didn’t deserve to have a parent who didn’t really care.
Oh, what a waste of army dreamers
Chiron vowed to do better.