Reincarnation in the PJO verse: Volume 1

『Half-Blood Camps and Horses』

Diedre would like to say that his entry into the camp was totally great and awesome.

It wasn't.

It was truly so horrible that Diedre would have cried if he was a bit more conscious.

He would have liked to say that he walked into the camp, head high, with the Minotaur horn held proudly in his hands and no blood trickling down his forehead.

Instead, he was wet as a dog, his golden hair was matted down, he was covered in mud and looked like he hadn't taken a proper bath in days and his half-delirious friends one of them kept muttering 'Food'.

Clearly, Diedre would have been better if he fainted but he was much too alive to actually faint now.

Grover and Percy were dragged off in a direction he really hoped was the Infirmary while Chiron walked beside him, ready to provide any support anytime Diedre's body failed on its own.

"You need rest Diedre, we'll talk tomorrow when you're rested properly," as he was guided into the Infirmary.

♬♬♬

Diedre was present when Percy came into full awareness. 

Grover sounded out a 'Careful' when Percy's hands trembled around the glass, still too weak to do anything. Grover was leaning against the porch railing, looking like he hadn't slept in a week. He was wearing blue jeans, Converse hi-tops and a bright orange T-shirt that said CAMP HALF-BLOOD. Along with Diedre who had changed into a CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirt (No, he was yelling in joy in his mind, that is what everybody else thought he was doing) and a pair of jeans that he had 'borrowed' from the Hermes Cabin.

Diedre started off before he had to break poor Percy's heart twice, "It was all real, the monster, the crashing of the car and your mom's 'death'."

And he placed a shoe-box, in which he had carefully put the Minotaur horn in. Percy opened the box and looked inside. Inside was a black-and-white bull's horn, the base jagged from being broken off, the tip splattered with dried blood. Proof that it hadn't been a nightmare.

"My mom. Is she really...'

He looked down.

"Um, I can provide you with a hug if you want," Diedre piped as he moved towards Percy, his arms open wide and wrapping it around him, before pulling him into a close embrace. Percy's arms wrapped around him as he heard tiny sniffles, not-so-audible ones coming from Percy before he moved away from Diedre.

"I'm sorry,' Grover sniffled. 'I'm a failure. I'm – I'm the worst satyr in the world.'

He moaned, stomping his foot so hard it came off. I mean, the Converse hi-top came off. The inside was filled with Styrofoam, except for a hoof-shaped hole.

'Oh, Styx!' he mumbled.

Thunder rolled across the clear sky.

Percy said, 'It wasn't your fault.'

'Yes, it was. I was supposed to protect you.'

'Did my mother ask you to protect me?'

'No. But that's my job. I'm a keeper. At least... I was.'

'But why...' Percy suddenly felt dizzy, my vision swimming.

'Don't strain yourself,' Diedre said. 'Here.'

He helped him hold my glass and put the straw to his lips.

Percy recoiled at the taste perhaps he was expecting apple juice.

"Was it good?' Grover asked.

Percy nodded.

'What did it taste like?' He sounded so wistful.