I miscalculated the chapters, it is next chapter where things change on a broader scale. There are a lot of changes in this chapter too, as I reshape Aaron's personality and the knowledge he has. m

To model his powers better I am going to model them after Medea and Davina and Vincent...

It was pain that awoke him, pain that came from light dancing across unaccustomed eyes... and oddly nothing else. Sitting upright, he felt a breeze cross his mostly naked frame and with that fear startled him entirely awake.

"Shit!" He squealed, looking down to see bandages wrapped around his torso... and yet, oddly, no pain. "What... happened?"

"Quite a bit, actually." He jumped again, turning to see a very tired looking man in a wheelchair looking at him. Balding slightly, he was actually rather handsome with nice square features that sort of reminded him of Anthony Stewart Head. The same power, calm and steel in every bite of his features. His eyebrows were bushy though and he had a nice beard obscuring his features. Still he radiated a rare calm that was hard to find in the world. "I was hoping you'd tell me what happened, from your perspective Mr. Mathews."

"How'd you know my name?" His eyes widened, and he looked the man back over, debating how much to tell the man before him. Did he know about the supernatural, was it all a hallucination anyway and Aaron would have ended up in the loony bin? He had to be careful.

The man frowned for a moment. "Grover told me."

"Grover..." He shuddered as the image of cloven hooves danced across his mind and before he could stop it, words spewed forth. "Grover the Goat boy told you about me?"

"Ahh I wondered... tell me, how did you feel when you discovered the truth of Grover's status as a Satyr? Panicked or calm? Abnormally so I mean." The man, who had not named himself, blinked at him. "Oh, how rude of me. My name is Chiron."

"Wait the Chir… the Chiron? Trainer of Heroes and all of that?" Looking at the man, he searched for horse legs but found nothing..."No horse legs...is it that Mist stuff?

Chiron's eyes went wide. "Calm it is... I am surprised. When the Mist parts from a mortals eyes, they usually go mad, you seem to have embraced the truth instead of running from it...and no, my chair is masking my legs, my true form." The man smiled rolling his chair closer, before holding out a hand, which both shook. " I am sorry for my rudeness, I was so worried about your physical injuries I forgot my manners. Yes I am Chiron. Welcome to Camp Halfblood, Mr. Mathews. Grover did tell me about you. I am glad to see you awake, I spent the better part of three hours treating your injuries. A severe concussion and internal bleeding from the crash, as well as severe burns from the Lightning that struck your car."

Unable to mask his shiver, Aaron nodded. "Thank you... for that... We were hit by a lightning... damn it, who pissed off your brother?" he tried, though with only so much success, to restrain the urge to curse Zeus's name. Hate built in his heart at the mere notion of that bastard, if he had indeed been the one to attack him like Hades' monster had been earlier.

"My brot-... your aware of the power of names?" Chiron's eyes were cold, tight and ruthless but oddly they didn't scare Aaron.

"I figured that if the gods and such are real, then the power of a name is real. All faiths talk about it. The Egyptians even saw names as a literal part of the soul, so I figured it would be best to lie on the side of caution."

Frowning, Chiron tipped his head. "You do seem to be rather educated. Why, if you don't mind me asking? Grover mentioned that you just met Percy, but were never overly surprised to learn of Grover's status."

He couldn't really answer for a moment, looking at the beautiful room he was in instead. It was a large room, with only his bed as the main feature. There was a small desk to the side and a dresser. Wood was clear on the walls like a cabin and not drywall. It had a homey sort of feel, especially with the fireplace roaring happily in the center.

"I was homeless for a few months... before that, I was learning about the Greek Gods at school. It was interesting so whenever I went to the library, I'd red on them... then the other gods since I read quickly. It was fun and I felt like it helped me. I used to write stories in my head... still do actually." He paused here, looking back at the centaur in hiding. "Thank you, for saving me. I appreciate it. Really I do."

The man's smile was intense but incredibly kind. "I was all too happy to help you... but you cannot stay, I am afraid. The gods will not allow it I am afraid." He sighed, looking the peak of exhaustion. "This place, Camp Halfblood was created only for the children of the Gods. Only those bound to the gods may stay here, and you simply are not. I am sorry... I have managed to convince them to let you stay here for a few weeks, so you can recover fully and get yourself prepared to leave... three weeks was all I could manage. I am sorry."

"No... it's alright. I appreciate that much... can I leave my room? I want to see this camp if you don't mind." He tried to stand, only for Chiron to stop him with a glance.

"Your body Is human, our treatments are meant for divine blood. You can only handle so much, so there is still some damage. Be careful. Here are some clothes for you. I will leave so you can get dressed."

The Bright Orange Camp Halfblood shirt and blue jeans may have clashed in the worst way, but they fight perfectly so he managed to get dressed easily enough. Slowly though, very slowly as finally the aches from the gaps in his treatment became clear. He was exhausted before he fully got dressed, and had to rest against the bed for a moment before walking out of the room.

The view was epic. Flying horses filled the sky, kids dotted the landscape doing everything from swimming in a lake to his left to playing volleyball to climbing a massive clashing pair of walls. There was the massive pine tree he remembered vaguely through his blurry memories, standing tall in the distance. The lake was incredible, filling the air with a sweet scent that only a lake could, just like when they were at Montauk point only not salty. There was a freaking amphitheater, a forge bellowing smoke and a many other impossibly amazing things! It was epic and powerful and incredible and he was amazed to be standing somewhere so amazing.

"Wow..."

Chiron chuckled, looking him from the porch of the building they were in. "Yes, it is quite a sight, isn't it... come, this way. There is someone you are required to meet."

With some hesitance, he followed the wheel bound man around the wrap around porch until it led to another man sitting at a table impatiently shuffling cards. "About time, I thought you'd be gone for a decade."

"Patience, Mr. D, we have a guest." Chiron wheeled up to the other man, sitting across from him as he started to pass out the cards. "Do you know how to play Pinochle, Mr. Mathews?"

"It's Aaron and yeah, it's been a while but I can play." He sat in his own seat, and waited as he was passed cards.

The other man was a short, frumpy looking little beast clearly unhappy to not be knackered. He was a lush, plain and simple, with rings around his eyes and shattered bloodvessels in his eyes. Wearing a leopard print, he seemed the opposite of dangerous and yet there was something about him that left Aaron on edge. Maybe it was his recent realization that the gods were real? Regardless, he knew better then to underestimate anyone at this point. His guard was up.

The game slowly evolved and he was beating the frumpy man but losing to Chiron and so he felt it was a good chance to speak. "So... what does D stand for... I have some ideas but … wait names have power. Sorry, forgot for a moment." He offered a shaky smile to Chiron, who oddly smiled back looking pleased with him. "How's Percy?"

The game all but stopped, well for Chiron and Aaron. Mr. D didn't so much as flinch. "Boy's in for a life of pain but otherwise he's fine. Sleeping off his dangerous battle." His snort and the way he said dangerous quest made it clear that not only was he a jerk, he was probably a powerful jerk. Never a good combination.

"What was it that was after us? I was barely conscious after the crash... I never got to see what it was that attacked us."

Chiron sighed. " The power of names go for monsters but in this instance I do believe your mortal state can help. Your simply not important enough, no offense, to summon or draw their attention... it was the Minotaur that attacked you. Percy killed it, breaking off a horn and ramming it into it's heart."

"Wow... that's... wow..." He could not help but feel shocked and uncomfortable at the notion that Percy had managed that. The minotaur being killed by a kid his age, a small skinny kid... it seemed almost impossible. "That's amazing... but how... I mean he died, a long time ago... by Theseus?"

"Monsters are incarnations of Chaos and pain, they draw on that energy reform. Most stay gone for months or years but some decades and centuries. The Minotaur is a powerful monster so he tends to resurface after only a few years. He'll be back, sooner then later." The older man sighed. "Hopefully you'll never have to face him again, but he might remember your scent. Most monsters are bored with attacking humans, but he was trained and raised to so he might... might find you down the line."

"And your sure I can't stay here and train?" He enjoyed the look of disbelief and shock in Chiron and Mr. D's eyes, and he recognized that he was possibly stepping into dangerous territory but something was starting to click in his head. " There's a precedent. Jason was human and Odysseys was barely related to the Gods..."

Chiron seemed proud. "They were sponsored by a god. Jason by Lady Hera and Odysseys by Lady Athena. That is what allowed them to accomplish what they wished. Without that you cannot be allowed to stay here, I am sorry."

"Huh, so If I get an ally among the gods I can stay?"

"That's the idea."

"Huh... and if I stay, I will be fed and clothed and trained to fight the dangers I can apparently now see?" Chiron nodded slowly. "Meaning I don't have to live with my abusive family... I guess I need to make allies with the gods then. Who to start with, I mean there are so many. How do I get their attention, does prayer work?"

"One just heard you." Mr. D sneered at him.

"Oh... oh..." He knew who this man was, the leopard print and hungover look should have filled it in. He was looking at Dionysius... and that thought left him faint. "There isn't a chance that you'd sponsor me, is there? The thought of going back to my father or the streets is... nauseating."

Dionysius just looked at him before summoning ( to Aaron's amazement) a diet coke and sipping it lightly. "Sorry, your not all that interesting. Now let us finish this game, I think I am about to finally win!"

He wouldn't, but in that time it gave Aaron time to think about all he knew about Greek mythology and the ancient world.

'My best bet would be to appeal to someone threw a fire, offer a sacrifice of something... however it is done here. I can see at Dinner or Lunch or whatever... then I guess make a promise that I have to keep... I just... I hope it's enough really... who would take me as a sponsor? I am not a hero, nor skilled in anything... I'm smart and I know how to survive but is that enough...

Jason and Odysseys weren't pure mortals anyway, they were Hermes' legacies so they were technically already in this world...

What would or could I offer...

Sighing, he turned to Chiron after the man beat them both. " Where is my Percy?"

"He's in the room next to yours, it's only been a day since your crash. He will recover in a few days time. Activating your divine blood has a strong effect on the body. Most have days to prepare but Percy's came about all at one. It has left him exhausted."

"Thank you... I am getting pretty tired again, I think I'll go for a walk then nap for a bit. If I am not awake during the next meal can you have someone get me? I know it is a lot to ask but I fear with how tired I am I wouldn't be able to get myself up."

Chiron nodded. "I will see what I can do."

And so he left them, walking towards the Lake with an optimistic smile. Sure at the moment he had no allies or friends but who cared, he had a path to change and growth in front of him. All he had to do was gain the attention of the Right God or Goddess, that was all... shouldn't be too hard...

Right?

Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

This is fun to rewrite, and I am really enjoying it.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.