Happy Birthday to MMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! It's finally 3/19! I'm turning 10! (Fine or don't believe. Jesuka-san did. And her boyfriend's supposed to be making me a moose. This is random. It's raining outside. Correction, pouring. And it'd like midnight. Almost. Okay then).

So of course none of you (Dude! Not even you, Reptile Princess! I thought you loved me inacompletelymetaphoricalway!) even tried to guess my bday! Haha! Good thing, too, cuz you would have never guessed it was so soon. EXCEPT. Lele-the-Greek-Geek, you are a freaking ninja. That is all. Oh, but using my deductive (and stalkerish) skills, like Sherlock Holmes, I have figured out your scheme.

Anyhoot, i managed to get a decent chapter up! And in 2 days too! Be proud of me and give me lots of presents. Just kidding. I swear, if I get any freaky anonymous gifts, I'm fleeing the... eh, I like everything that I could flee. Whatever.

Yeah, so I don't own PJO, but most of my birthday presents from my peers will come next week (party!), so you never know by then...
Fufufufu~!

(P.S. I dunno if you could tell, but the mood might change around in the chappy. Yeah, it's cuz of the music I was listening to/anime I was watching. Heheh ^^' a bipolar chapter)

Chapter 10

At the time of our visit, most of the dogs were asleep. Luckily, the puppies were up and yapping. Nico crouched in front of a wire fence separating him and an adorable cocker spaniel. He stuck his finger through a gap, and stroked its muzzle. The little puppy licked his fingers in response. Nico laughed. Other puppies started coming over to him. He probably would have been swarmed if there wasn't a fence between him and them.

I looked around. The guy at the desk by the dog area was pretty much absorbed in his bike magazine. A grandma and I would assume her grandkids were looking in amazement at the parakeets and cockatoos. A young couple was within the fence's boundaries picking out a dog to take home.

At another section of the fence a little boy was also crouched down. He was laughing at a little black puppy, a Labrador I think. The boy turned. Someone was calling his name. A older girl, three or four years older at least, was telling him it was time to go. Their resemblance showed they were obviously brother and sister. The girl took her brother's hand, but before they walked off, he knelt down to say good bye to the puppy. Then they left.

The Lab just sat there and watched. After awhile, it seemed to realize its new friend wasn't coming back. Slowly, it trotted back to the rest of the other puppies, and I noticed that it seemed to be larger than most. I also noticed it walked with a slight limp.

I was so busy looking around, that I did not see Nico go into the area. And he was on the ground swarmed with little puppies of all kinds. And he was enjoying all of it. I didn't really think the guy at the desk saw what was going on, nor cared. He moved on from bikes, and was now getting really into golf.

I went in to get Nico out of the area. There was a reason for the gate. It was there to keep the dogs in, but also to keep the trouble-making kids out. And I was getting bored just standing around.

"Ah… Nico…"

"Haha! Hey stop! Haha, that tickles!"

"Uh, Nico, it's time to go. We're not really supposed to be in here."

"Oh, Percy. Chillax a little, man! Jeff over yonder said it was okay." In response, the guy at the desk, Jeff, grunted. "But you're right. We should get going. Come on little doggies! I have to go now." They started running around and scattering. Some other puppies came over to join in, and pretty much add to the chaos. Wouldn't Eris be proud?

Then I saw the little black Labrador. It seemed to be larger than before, and its barks seemed to be louder than the rest.

I think Nico noticed this as well, because the next thing I know, he's yelling at me in all seriousness, "Percy! That dog!" Trying not to step on any loose dogs, he ran over to me. "Percy, that black Lab! He's a hellhound!"

"What? How do you know that?"

"Because, I just do! And I'm sure! We have to get him out of here, it's not safe!"

"Okay, but how? We can't just take it right out of the pet store!"

"Wait, we can't?"

"Of course we can! It's not illegal or anything!"

"I don't need your sass, sir. We can figure this out. I know! Cause a distraction," he said, motioning towards the fish tanks. "Say that the fish are making a ruckus!"

"Are you serious?"

"Entirely!" Yeah right. "And then I'll shadow travel the little guy back where he belongs! I wonder how he got here anyway… Go! Meet me at the arcade we passed by earlier!" Nico scooped up the little hellhound up in one arm, and shoved me back toward the fish with the other.

Here we go again. This better be worth it.

I ran from the pet store to the arcade as fast as I could. That was one of the most embarrassing things I have had to do in public. I'm sure if it was up to that Jeff guy, I would be forever banned from that pet store.

When I got to the arcade, I spotted Nico right away. He stood out like a sore thumb. He was the only kid screaming "Die you puny human! Die!" I approached slowly and cautiously.

"Nico... is everything... okay?"

He turned to me. "Oh, hey Percy! This game is so cool! You have to be this zombie guy and to get to the next level, you got to plow through as many humans as possible."

"Oh," I said at a loss for words. What a horrible game. "Did you get everything taken care of?" I asked.

He sighed and leaned against the game. "Yeah, but father wasn't to pleased with me. He was already upset about the usual problems down there, but when I brought a new problem to deal with, he was not happy. Plus, I think he knew it was me who sent that prank Iris Message."

"I'm sorry?"

"It's okay. So how was the distraction?"

"There is no way I'm gong to share that information."

"Oooohh. I see. Great to hear it worked out fine!"

"Shut up."

"Mm-hm. That's not very nice, Percy."

"I don't care."

"Okay, then what should we do next?"

This is rhetorical question. I know what's coming next, so I don't need anymore suggestions. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO THIS STORY, it means a lot =)

But did anybody read the ending A/N from last chapter? I would really appreciate it if you looked it over again and gave me your opinion. Thanks!
I do have the general funny/serious ratio meter all idealized, but I need YOU to decide if the content should be... whatever I said before.

Oh poo. Due to FF's dumb problems, that always seem to come at very inconventient times, it is now 3/26. Lame. At least it's spring time. Like that'll fix the weather. Today was my bday party. I was dressed as Thalia.