Taro gazed moodily at the vines in his backyard. He couldn't believe that Haru and his loser pals had stomped his grape vines to mush. He reached down and picked up one limp, bruised leaf. Dead as a doorknob. Taro held onto the leaf, as if he could will life back into it. He looked out over the fence, holding his leaf and after a few minutes, when he looked back down he dropped the leaf with a gasp. It was good as new! There was a streak of health that was running down the vine, headed for the fruit. He just stared at the leaf, stunned. Then he let the warm energy flow through his body. Come on, get better, get better, come on, he thought. The vines sprang to life under his direct energy. Bruises healed, fruit swelled and the vines popped back into place. Taro gasped again.

"Crumbs! I wish I'd know I could do that earlier!" he said to himself. He walked around the garden, healing his plants and replacing them on their trellises. In just a few minutes, all the plants were healed, but Taro was exhausted. "What is this?" Taro mused to himself. He examined his hands. They didn't look any different.

"It's not in your hands, thickhead," a bored voice drifted to Taro's ears.

"Huh?"

"The power to control the vines. It's in your blood." Taro spun around and saw a plump man with curly black hair watching him from the center of a rainbow. "Who are you?" he asked.

The man sighed. "I can't believe you're really my son. I'm Mr. D, Taro. Otherwise known as Dionysus, Greek god of wine."

Taro furrowed his brows. "But the Greek gods are myths."

Dionysus sighed again. "No, we're not. I'm here, aren't I? Why did I bother sending you this Iris-message if you're going to waste it asking me stupid questions?"

"So, if you are real," Taro said skeptically. "What do you want with me?"

"Did you not hear me, flea brain? I'm your father."

"No, my dad's in the house." Taro pointed.

"For the love of Zeus! You stupid child, that mortal is not your father, I am! You are a demigod! Talk to your mother, and tell her to send you to this wretched Camp Half-blood now!" Dionysus vanished.

"Hey mom!" Taro called. His mother came out, wearing an apron with flour powdering her black hair, tied back in a bun. "Yes, Taro? What is it? And what happened to your plants? I thought they died…"

"Mom, is my father…I mean…dad's not my real father is he?"
His mother sighed. "That's a long story Taro…"

"I've got a bit of time while I pack," Taro said, holding the door open for his mother.