AMARANTHINE-ɪ, pjo/hp

AURORA WAKES UP

Aurora's gasped as her eyes flew open. 

"Rory, careful!" someone cried, a familiar voice. Her eyesight was still hazy, but the voice soothed her nerves.

She blinked a few times, ignoring the pounding headache. She was in the sickroom. Kayla stood in front of her, her eyes filled with worry as she scanned her. 

"You idiot," she heard another very familiar voice say from somewhere to her right. She turned and her eyes fell on a very concerned and angry looking Annabeth and a half dead Percy. Chiron towered behind Annabeth and his eyes fell on Aurora.

"Aurora," he sighed in relief. She offered him a small smile.

"You'll were green and turning gray when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing ..." Annabeth continued. She didn't seem to have noticed that Aurora was awake as she berated Percy for his stupidity. 

Her eyes flickered back to Kayla whose eyes were shimmering with tears. She jerked forward and pulled her into a hug. "Rory, you, absolute shit-for-brains what were you thinking?"

Aurora sniffled as she held on equally tight. Everything was crashing back onto her. Luke. Kronos. The scorpion. Her dad. Hecate. Hogwarsh and Ilvmoney. Her mother.

"Now, now," Chiron's voice said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit."

"It was Luke, Kay-Kay. He betrayed us,..." she whimpered in Kayla's ear. 

Kayla pulled back and met her eyes. "It's true then?" she murmured, and she could see the heartbreak in her eyes as well.  Admittedly she wasn't as close to Luke as Aurora, but he had been like an older brother to all Campers. Everyone loved and respected him. 

She nodded.

"Aurora," Chiron said, calmly. "How are you feeling?"

She met his warm brown eyes and her father's words flashed in her mind. Did Chiron too know her mother? Did he see Adhara every time he looked into her eyes.

"Like I'm dead but I'm not," she said, trying for a smile but she failed.

He nodded, smiling sadly before turning to Percy. "And you, Percy?"

"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved." 

Aurora snorted a little at that which was a bad idea because her pounding head just pounded more. However, Percy glanced at her from the other bed and offered her a loopy smile. She smiled back, feeling something strange in her stomach.

"Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."

Aurora swallowed and shifted a little uncomfortably. Kayla placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and met Chiron's gaze.

"Let Percy explain, Chiron. Rory's still recovering."

She glanced at Percy pleadingly who just shot Aurora a concerned look before telling the whole story between sips of nectar. Rory interrupted whenever she felt there was something missing. By the end of it, the sick room was deathly quiet.

"I can't believe that Luke ..." Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and then sad. "Yes. Yes, I can believe it. May the gods curse him.... He was never the same after his quest."

Aurora sniffled a little and met Annabeth's gaze. Her friend looked close to tears, but she knew Annabeth would never let them fall. She was much too proud. 

"This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured. "I will go at once." 

"Will there be a War again Chiron?" Kayla asked, her voice low.