A/N- Instead of focusing on another demigod whose powerful or mysterious, I wanted to try it from a different angle. So the basic story is Nico has more to his family background than he realizes. His mother is really Selene, the former moon goddess. After a random meeting with his uncle, he begins visiting more often. It's told from his uncle's p.o.v. Slight one sided Nico/Percy. Also there's a few gods from Japanese mythology.

~Helios~

The bell rings over the door, signaling a customer. He walks in shyly, always does. Nico Di Angelo started visiting after he came into my shop looking for a monster. Of course I had long since killed it and invited him for a snack yet he didn't know it. He's been visiting more frequently lately. I think it's because it feels safe to him. I watch him from behind the counter as he looks around for anything new. I own an antiques store. On the side I also monster hunt when I can. Keeps me in shape. Finally he drags an old stool from the corner to the counter and sits.

"Nico."

"Helios," He answers. Yes my name is Helios. THAT Helios. Former sun god but he doesn't realize it. Nico simply thinks I was named after him. He told me there's several Helios' at his camp so he doesn't find my name unusual. I pull out a cigar and lighter. The kid watches as I take a few puffs before sitting on my own stool. I continue to peruse over the inventory list, waiting for him to speak. I've learned with him that it's best to wait until he's ready to talk. Trying to force anything out doesn't work. He's like his mother in that way. Yes I know his mother. I say 'know' because she's not dead, at least I don't believe she is. I still haven't found her location yet everyday I feel like I'm getting closer. You probably think his mother is mortal right? No. She's a goddess. The former goddess of the moon to be exact. Selene, my sister. Nico is my nephew and a full blooded god. He doesn't know any of this either. I haven't found the right time to tell him. You see Hades loved my sister for the longest time and she him but she didn't want to live in the Underworld. Feeling upset, he confided in Persephone who was a friend of his at the time. She'd been to the Underworld plenty of times and knew not to eat the food but for some reason she forgot and did anyway. So now Hades has to make his friend, his queen. You're probably thinking that's not what you heard. Well it's the truth. Persephone spread the false story to gain sympathy. It didn't matter which story she heard, Selene was still heart broken. She and Hades continued to see each other off and on, which made Persephone the bitter creature she is today. She'd hoped her husband would eventually forget about my sister, which obviously he didn't because he had two children by her. I loved Bianca and Nico as if they were my own. I even offered to have the two live with me instead of placing them in the Lotus Hotel. Hades thought the hotel would be safer. He didn't want Zeus finding out about his children. He'd lose it. No full blooded gods have been born in centuries. In her grief, my sister ran away. At first we allowed it, thinking she'd return but when she didn't , I and our middle sister, Eos, scoured the world for her with no luck. To this day, I hope she'll come back or that we find her.

"You've been staring at that for five minutes," Nico's voice brings me my out of my thoughts.

"Have I?" I place my cigar in the nearby tray and look at him. Gods, he's looks just like his mother. "How've you been?"

"Okay I guess," He shrugs. I know he's not okay. Nico feels lonely. Being a child of Hades can do that to a person. He's told me on several occasions how he feels out of place at camp, even when the other campers are nice to him. Just recently he confessed to me his feelings towards Percy, the first boy who made him feel like he belonged. Unfortunately I hear Percy is taken which I know is hurting my nephew yet he never admits it.

"Got anything to eat?" He asks. I nod and tilt my head to the back.

"Arashi! Bring out that pizza!" The clanging of items lets me know he's annoyed but he comes out with the pizza we ordered earlier. Arashi looks like a typical teen, only he insists on wearing a dark blue scarf over the bottom half of his face. It's a weird thing he started and now has my sister, Eos, mimicking. He mumbles a hello in Japanese to which Nico responds. Arashi has been teaching him bits and pieces each time he comes. Nico picks up quickly. They practice while he eats. I return to my inventory list. I'm on the second page when the bell sounds again.

"Nico's here!" Amaterasu says. She's dressed in black motorcycle gear, jacket, helmets, jeans, shirt and boots. Anyone would think she's a goddess of death and not the sun. She gives him a kiss on the forehead, winks at me and flicks her brother on the nose before setting her helmet down. When I grew tired of the Olympians all those years ago, I went to the home of the Japanese gods. They took me in and allowed me to stay. Eventually Selene and Eos followed. Even though it meant giving up our duties and the worship of humans, we never regretted our decision.

"Is that a new tattoo?" Amaterasu asks. She's pointing at my arm where I got the tat of a crown going around it.

"Nice. I didn't notice before," Nico asks. "But why a crown?" Arashi and Amaterasu glance at each other quickly. It's supposed to represent the crown I used to wear when I was a true sun god.

"Thought it looked cool," I answer.

"So how's progress with you and Percy?" Amaterasu quickly changes the subject but into an even worse one.

"Perfect Ami," That's how she introduced herself to him. "If you ignore the fact he has a girlfriend."

"Oh…" Amaterasu is such an airhead. I've told her a million times about it already. Why would she ask again? "Wanna see the new bike I got?"

"Not really," He turns to me. "Is it okay if I take a nap?"

"Sure. You know where to go." Indeed he does. Nico's taken enough naps over to know. He heads to the back, leaving the three of us in the front. When she's positive he won't hear, Amaterasu groans.

"I can't believe I forgot. Poor kid. Unrequited love is terrible."

"Yes and thank you for reminding him," Arashi snaps.

"Hey it was an honest mistake Susa-I mean Arashi! Why can't we use our real names with him? You get to."

"How many people do you know named Susanoo or Amaterasu?" I simply turn to my next page. I can tell she's pouting. At times I feel like the only adult out of this group. "And where's Tsukiyomi?"

"I don't know. Went shopping with Eos I think. She'll be pissed Nico came and you didn't tell her."

"She'll get over it." The phone rings, sparing me from my friend for several minutes. When I hang up, they're staring at me. "Demons." I explain then grab my bo staff from underneath the counter. Arashi pulls out his katanna while Amaterasu simply cracks her knuckles.
"Why's there been such an influx of demons here?" She wonders out loud. Arashi and I have debated the same thing for weeks. We're just not sure. I slip my hoodie on and pull the hood over my head.

"Do we leave Nico?" Arashi asks.

"Yeah. It shouldn't take long." This has happened before when he's been sleeping here. Usually we go out and take care of the problem before he wakes.

"Where are you guys going?" We stop in our tracks and stare at him like he caught us doing something wrong. The way he rubs his eyes reminds me he's still a kid no matter how mature he can act at times.
"Just a small problem. Won't be long."

"Small problem?" He repeats incredulously. "You're carrying a staff. Arashi has a sword. What's happening?" Should I tell the truth? Arashi answers the question for me.

"Demons." My friend states. Nico's eyes widen. I don't think he's ever fought a demon, monsters yes but demons no. They're in two very different categories.

"So you're all secret demon hunters? Well I'm going too then."

"Absolutely not!" I say. If anything ever happened to him I wouldn't be able to forgive myself, just like Bianca.

"I'm going." He says defiantly. We have a stare off for several minutes. Finally I smile.

"Fine. Just don't get in the way." Nico is taken aback, especially by my smile. I've been told it's amazing and it's like I light up the room when I do. Go figure. A sun god with a bright smile. Nico's sword is already in hand so he nods and follows us out.

"Where are we headed?" Ami hops onto her bike.

"Outside of Boston."

"They have to be coming from Canada since the last few times they were in Maine and Vermont. Nico, wanna go with me?" She places the helmet over her head. I don't know if I'm imagining or not but Nico scoots closer to me and shakes his head. "Suit yourself. Helios isn't the safest option." Ami laughs as her bike speeds away. The wind picks up around us and I can see Arashi is gone.

"Where'd he go?" Nico is stunned. "He literally disappeared. You guys are human right?"

"What do you think?"

"You're not. I always suspected but wasn't sure." He answers. I smirk and take his hand. The sun shines brighter over us. As fast as Arashi we disappear. When we land, it's in a grassy area. Nico instantly falls to his knees and vomits. Traveling on the sun's rays is the fastest way for me to move yet it can have terrible side effects on those who aren't full gods, demigods included. He's lucky vomit is his only problem.

"I think I know how Percy feels when I shadow travel," Nico mumbles. I kneel to gently rub his back. That's when I hear it. The scream of a demon. It has two heads, scales and sharp teeth and is running right towards us. I push Nico out of the way and side step it while at the same time sticking my staff out to trip it. It lands hard on the ground. Ami appears, yelling wildly. Hunting demons is her specialty. Arashi follows.

"Who sent you here?" I poke the creature. It snarls at me as it tries to stand. Blood is running down its mouth meaning it must've just eaten. That's the thing about demons. They'll attack humans whether they can see them or not.

"Answer the question." Arashi slashes one of its legs. It howls in pain.

"Go to hell," It finally spits out.

"Suit yourself." I turn to the other two. "Rock, paper, scissors?" They gather around as we begin our game. The demon takes the opportunity to run.

"He's getting away!" Nico shouts. We continue. Arashi and Ami have each won once.

"Rock, paper, scissors shoot!" We say at the same time. Arashi beats his sister.

"I really wanted this one," She whines. Arashi closes his eyes. Storm clouds form over us. The wind grows stronger. Rain begins to pour. I grab Nico to keep him from blowing away. The demon stops to see what's going on. His last mistake. Suddenly Arashi is gone. Like I use the sun to move, he can use the wind. His katanna is through the creature's heart before it realizes what's happened. Arashi stands over the body and says the words to send it back where it came from. When he's done, the storm subsides. I look down at Nico to see him staring wide eyed at the scene. We're all soaked and by the sound of his stomach grumbling, hungry.

"You ate the rest of our pizza," Arashi raises an eyebrow. Nico simply shrugs. I think our little display has stunned him.

"I know this great Italian place! Let's get food!" Ami says, pumped for no reason. We all link hands this time and I use the sun to set us down in a quiet area. We've also dried. Ami instantly starts heading for her restaurant. She visits Boston often with the excuse of it being a wonderful city. Arashi and I think there's a human male involved. As we walk, I notice Nico hasn't removed his hand from mine.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…it's just…I don't wanna sound weird but there's something familiar about you." He looks up at me while I try to mask my happiness. He's remembering. "It's why I keep coming back. Well that and I feel safe around you. I'm sorry. I probably sound stupid."

"You're fine Nico. If it means anything, I'm glad that you like being around me." I don't want to push anything too much. "You brighten up the place when you're around."
"Stop lying. I make it more depressing."

"You don't."

"I do. Who likes hanging with a son of Hades? Even if I had regular human friends I'd probably creep them out. It's not a big deal. I'm getting used to-" His words are cut off when I abruptly stop to turn him towards me.

"You should NEVER get used to feeling this way, do you understand me?" My voice is stern and commanding. He's never heard me talk this way before. I kneel so that we're eye level. "Being Hades' child shouldn't automatically cut you off from everyone. You have to admit you play a part in this. You've put up a shield and decided already no one will understand you. Nico, you're a good person. It's okay to allow yourself not to be bound by who your father is. I've met plenty of Hades' children who went on to have amazing lives. All because they moved beyond this."

"You just said you've met my father's children before."

"I did."

"But since this ban there's only been myself and my sister."

"Oh…" I can't believe I slipped up like that. I start walking again but he doesn't let it go.

"How old are you?"

"Very old."

"Did you know my mother?"

"Why would I?"

"If you've known Hades then I hoped maybe you knew her. I know you, Ami and Arashi aren't human. I just haven't figured out yet what you are. I'm close I can tell." He pauses then continues in a lower voice. "Thanks for the advice. I'll try."

"That's all I can ask." I smile and ruffle his hair. We spend the rest of the day eating, touring the city and even taking pictures. Nico gradually opens up as the day progresses. He plays around with Ami, learns jokes in Japanese from Arashi and forces me to get him a fake tattoo similar to mine. It's fun watching him just be a kid without worrying about monsters or saving the world. When the sun starts to set we all find a nice park to sit and watch. All four of us manage to fit on one bench. Nico rests his head against my arm while Arashi and Ami sit on either side of us.

"We should go before it sets," Amy whispers.

"Why are you talking like that?"

"Look at your nephew." I do what she tells me. Nico is softly snoring next to me.

"I wish I could take away all of his pain and worry," I mumble.

"I know one way…" Arashi doesn't need to finish. We already know. It's time that we start searching for Selene again. In the last rays of the sun, I use it to send us just outside the camp. Nico is in my arms. I'm tempted to just take him with us but he needs to be able to choose. Ami hands me his bag from earlier. When she had grabbed it, I had no idea.

"Stay here. This won't take long," I tell my friends and move quickly to get him to his cabin. Most of the campers out are watching us curiously. I see a boy I instantly can tell is Poseidon's son. What did Nico say his name was? Ahhh Percy.

"What happened to him?" Percy asks, keeping in step with me.

"Nothing. He's sleeping."

"Who are you?"

"No one for you to worry about." I then ignore him for the next few minutes. When I reach the Hades cabin, Percy opens the door for me. Trying very hard not to wake him, I place Nico on his bed, brush the hair from his face and head towards the door.

"Take care of him," I tell Percy on the way out. As I'm leaving, a blond haired girl rushes inside along with a few other campers. If he can open himself up and let go of this low opinion he thinks everyone has of him I think he'll be okay. Even if some really do then he needs to ignore it and move on, not let it define him. There's so much I wish I could say but I don't know when I'll see him again if we're seriously searching for Selene again. I'm on the edge of camp, not too far from Arashi and Ami when I hear a commotion behind me. I turn to see Nico running towards me with his friends frantically trying to calm him down. He's saying something.

"Uncle Sunny!" I sharply inhale. He remembers. Instantly I'm taken back to when he and his sister were little and they would run to me. Bianca called me 'Uncle Sunny' because Selene said my smile was bright as the sun. Nico copied his sister. I hadn't heard that name in many years. He's closer now. His friends have stopped chasing him and are just watching now. I catch him as he throws his arms around my neck. I can feel his tears against my skin.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why?" He cries. I hold him, watching the campers as they point and whisper. A small wind begins to whirl around us, blocking out their vision. I make a note to thank Arashi later.

"I didn't think it was my place to tell you anything. Hades obviously felt you didn't need to know yet." I pull him away to look in his eyes. "How much do you remember?"

"You of course." He wipes his eyes. "You used to always visit us or take us with you. You had strange friends. I remember Arashi and Ami too." I sigh in relieve. Nico and Bianca never knew we were gods, Selene made sure of it. She wanted them to have as much of a normal life as possible.

"Will you go back to the store?"

"Eventually."

"I'll be by this week." He promises and I know then that I can't look for Selene, not yet. He needs me. Our wind barrier is beginning to die down. "And don't worry about them asking about you, I'll have something to tell them."

"Well then I guess I'll see you later. You know where to find me." I grin and ruffle his hair. As I walk to Arashi and Ami, I see a car that wasn't there before. Ami has us covered so we don't raise anymore questions. I manage one more glance at Nico before we go. He's surrounded by his friends and I feel satisfied he'll be okay. No words are spoken as we speed to the shop. When we finally reach the shop, I pull out a cigarette and sit on the curb. Arashi and Ami head inside, allowing me a few moments by myself.

"He hasn't figured it out yet?" A voice says from the roof. I chuckle.

"Nico will. He's older now and I'm sure he'll put the pieces together soon."

"If Zeus finds out…do you realize how long it's been since a full blooded god has been born?"

"Don't remind me." I blow out a cloud of smoke through my nose.

"He needs to be trained. Properly. Only allowing him access to his powers from Hades is smart but eventually he'll discover he has another set. How will you explain that? And did he never consider you haven't aged? Ugh, big brother it won't take long for him to figure out who we are. You should've just told him flat out."

"Did you only come here to nag me?"

"Of course not." The sound of feet landing softly makes me roll my eyes.

"What's with you and dramatic entrances?"

"I excel at them," Eos sits next to me. She's a bit of a tomboy. Tonight she's dressed in sweats and an oversized shirt. Her hair is cut boy short and a scarf covers the bottom half of her face like Arashi. I can't recall when she entered this phase but it makes her happy so I leave her alone. "Gaea knows we're around." My sister tells me. It's one thing after another. "She wants our help. She tried to use father against us."

"And what did you tell her?"

"To go fuck herself," She says proudly. I grin.

"That's my girl. Now let's go look at this sword collection I got." I'm not sure what will happen with the Titans but I'm staying out of it. The only things I need to worry about are finding my sister and watching over her son.

"Helios," Eos breathes clutching my arm. My eyes follow her gaze. Across the street is a person I haven't seen in many years. A cloud of smoke flows out of my mouth as I study her.

"We haven't seen you in a while," I say. "I heard Apophis was wrecking havoc."

"How do you stay out of these battles? First the Titans, then Apophis. What's your secret?" Bast asks me, coming closer. I laugh softly.

"I don't care if the world ends. Gods don't technically live on Earth so we'd still exist. They're just afraid they'll have no more humans worshipers."

"Such a negative attitude."

"Tell us about your battles. It's been forever since we saw you last." Eos gestures for Bast to come inside with us. I stand to stretch.

"First, I have a job for you." Bast stops in front of me. Periodically I take work from gods, usually the Japanese ones. I try to stay away from the Egyptian set, too much drama.

"Is there danger?"

"Yes."

"Could I die?"

"Possibly." She smirks, knowing I like putting myself in impossible situations.

"What is it?"

"I heard you were looking for your sister. I learned a clue to her whereabouts." And just like that, there goes my week. I've been on wild goose chases before. What could she know that's so different? "One of the children I watch over has been having dreams of a silver horse. Not just any silver horse. This one wears the light of the moon on its head. Interested?" Oh I'm very interested but looking at Bast's smile I get the feeling whatever I'm getting myself into will be much more than I bargained for. Eos watches us, arms crossed. She raises an eyebrow waiting for my decision. I take the cigarette out my mouth.

"Of course you know we're in. Not get inside so we can talk."

End?