Flowergirl, Percy Jackson

016. Way Down Hadestown

Lila wakes up to Percy's worried eyes staring down at her. 

She groans in pain, forcing herself to sit up. He helps her, hands shielding her back as slowly her sight returns. She's sitting in a garden of Olympus, surrounded by other wounded demigods, Hunters and satyrs, all lying in pain. Yet, when Lila looks down, she's completely unharmed. 

"What happened?" She mutters, rubbing her eyes. 

Percy's eyes swim with worry. "I don't know. Thalia found you passed out on Fifth Avenue. We brought you up here, but all your wounds just healed themselves. I don't know how - you haven't had any nectar or ambrosia."

Slowly, Lila's memory begins to return. Gaia, Clarisse, Silena. Gods, what has she done? She's not even certain herself. Yet, while her body aches, the pain is dull, a distant memory of days ago, despite it being mere hours since her body was slashed. 

"I think you'll be okay," Percy says uncertainly. "Be careful, yeah?"

He turns to leave, but, quicker than she usually moves, Lila grabs his wrist, stopping him from leaving her. "Wait, where are you going?"

"Kronos is advancing on Olympus," he says. "I've got to go down there. Annabeth, Grover, and Thalia are waiting for me." 

Lila pulls herself to her feet. "I think you mean we've got to go down there."

"Lila, no. You're healing."

She scoffs. "Healing from what? You said it yourself, my wounds have healed. You need all the help you can get." 

He doesn't have the time to argue with her, she knows. So he concedes, allowing her to pull him towards the elevator. When Annabeth, Grover, and Thalia see Lila, they all look surprised, but none of them dispute her presence, knowing they need help. Annabeth's bandages look matted and red, while Thalia's bow is snapped in half, no arrows left in her quiver. 

The elevator ride downwards is silent. Everyone stares into space, thinking of anything. This could be the last time we are alone before we die. When Lila dies, she wants her last thoughts to be of her friends, so she takes the time to memorise every little thing about them. Annabeth, retying her ponytail so it doesn't come undone while she fights. Grover, nervously playing his reed pipes without blowing, as if to memorise the notes. Percy, staring into space as if visualising what they could find out there on the street. 

Lila wishes Silena was with them. The thought hurts a little too much to continue, so she shoves it away, ignoring her grief. She can't afford to be distracted, not now. There's no time to think about this.

Whatever he imagines, Lila's sure reality is worse. Campers and Hunters are splayed across the ground, either dead or wounded. Clarisse is frozen in a block of ice. There are no centaurs left - whether they're dead, or panicked, Lila's not sure. About twenty feet from the doors, Kronos stands, backed by Ethan, the lead dracaena, and two giants. 

And, facing Kronos, stands one person. 

"Chiron," Annabeth sobs. 

The centaur has an arrow notched, aimed right into Kronos's face, though the Titan is staring through it, unbothered. As soon as he sees them - or sees Percy - his eyes glow slightly, and they are all stopped in their tracks. Lila's feet refuse to move, rooted to the ground, no matter how she wills them. 

Kronos looks toward Chiron. "Step aside, little son."

It's weird to think of Chiron as someone's son. But he says "son" with as much contempt as he can, like he can think of nothing worse. 

"I'm afraid not." Chiron says calmly. 

"Chiron!" Annabeth cries. "Look out!"

The dracaena queen charges toward him - Chiron's arrow flies straight between her eyes, and she turns into nothing more than empty armour.