This is a fix it story, sadly, but I kind of like it. So few Stories have a proactive character, one that goes his own way, not just with fate... that is why things change in his favor.

This chapter was a great change and I adore it.

There was no morning in the maze, but once everyone woke up and had a fabulous of food Aaron had magically sealed away, they continued traveling, following the magical light only he and Annabeth could fully see. The old stone tunnels changed to dirt with cedar beams, like a gold mine or something. Annabeth started getting agitated.

"This isn't right," she said. "It should still be stone."

They came to a cave where stalactites hung low from the ceiling. In the center of the dirt floor was a rectangular pit, like a grave.

Grover shivered. "It smells like the Underworld in here."

Then Aaron saw something glinting at the edge of the pit—a foil wrapper. I shined my flashlight into the hole and saw a half-chewed cheeseburger floating in brown carbonated muck.

"Nico," Percy said. "He was summoning the dead again."

Aaron growled. "That little shit was warned to not practice such magics alone. I only did it with Agnes' help. I can track his magic down with this, he is so dead." He smacked the side of the wall, angry beyond measure with the boy who might as well be his stepson.

Tyson whimpered. "Ghosts were here. I don't like ghosts."

"Percy!" Annabeth called as Percy charged ahead.

He ducked into a tunnel and they saw light up ahead. By the time they all caught up with Percy, they were staring at daylight streaming through a set of bars above their heads. They were under a steel grate made out of metal pipes. They could see trees and blue sky.

"Where are we?" Percy wondered.

Then a shadow fell across the grate and a cow stared down. It looked like a normal cow except with was a weird color—bright red, like a cherry. Aaron groaned. "Apollo's sacred cows, he hates me... this could be bad." They all looked at him. "Apollo tried to date me, that's how I and Hades got hooked up. He was grounded by Hera for attempting to assault me. She is one of my patrons, you know."

The cow mooed, put one hoof tentatively on the bars, then backed away.

"It's a cattle guard," Grover said.

"A what?" Percy asked.

"They put them at the gates of ranches so cows can't get out. They can't walk on them."

"How do you know that?"

Grover huffed indignantly. "Believe me, if you had hooves, you'd know about cattle guards. They're annoying!"

Percy turned to Annabeth. "Didn't Hera say something about a ranch? We need to check it out. Nico might be there."

She hesitated. "All right. But how do we get out?"

Tyson solved that problem by hitting the cattle guard with both hands. It popped off and went flying out of sight. We heard a CLANG! and a startled Moo! Tyson blushed. "Sorry, cow!" he called.

Then he gave us a boost out of the tunnel.

They were on a ranch, all right. Rolling hills stretched to the horizon, dotted with oak trees and cactuses and boulders. A barbed wire fence ran from the gate in either direction. Cherry-colored cows roamed around, grazing on clumps of grass.

"Wait," Grover said. "Listen."

At first everything seemed quiet…but then I heard it: the distant baying of

dogs. The sound got louder. Then the underbrush rustled, and two dogs broke through. Except it wasn't two dogs. It was one dog with two heads. It looked like a greyhound, long and snaky and sleek brown, but its neck V'd into two heads, both of them snapping and snarling and generally not very glad to see us.

"Bad Janus dog!" Tyson cried.

"Arf!" Grover told it, and raised a hand in greeting.

The two-headed dog bared its teeth, only to start choking. Everyone turned to Aaron who was squeezing his fists. "I hate rude beasts, behave or I'll snap your neck." Then its master lumbered out of the woods.

He was a huge guy with stark white hair, a straw cowboy hat, and a braided white beard— kind of like Father Time, if Father Time went redneck and got totally jacked. He was wearing jeans, a DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS T-shirt, and a denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off so you could see his muscles. On his right bicep was a crossed-swords tattoo. He held a wooden club about the size of a nuclear warhead, with six-inch spikes bristling at the business end.

"Heel, Orthus," he told the dog, then he turned to Aaron. " Let him go, Master Aaron." His voice was not threatening, but terrified. You could see it in his eyes. "My father told me about you, you are something of a legend. The First pure mortal to reach God tier power. I know better than to piss you off."

"Good. " Aaron let go and Orthus fled to his master, whimpering.

"What've we got here?" The man asked.

Aaron stepped closer, sniffing. "I know you, your Eurytion, master of Orthus, and son of Ares. You work for that monster with three torsos, Hercules killed you both... you are an immortal, tied to said monster. I can smell your power, it's rather potent."

The man smirked. "Glad I smell so good. Who are your friends?"

Happily, Aaron put a hand on Percy and Annabeth's heads. "My baby brother, Percy Jackson son of Posiden. My adorable new witchy sister, Annabeth Chase." The girl beamed at him, seemingly adoring that he called her sister. "The Cyclopes is my other brother, Tyson, son of Posiden. The Saytr is Grover, he is actually really powerful, I can sense his growth. Don't piss him off. We are on a quest and I know you have another Demigod here, I can sense him. " He turned his head towards Nico's potent aura. "He is extremely powerful. I can feel him and I know a ghost is guiding him. I need you to take us to him, or I might be forced to kill you."

The man shivered. "You have the means to unravel my immortality, I know better than to piss you off. Follow me... but be warned, my master is without mercy, you might have to kill him." He turned his tone low. " Actually, please do kill him. He is abusing the animals, forcing me to do the same. I am bound by powerful magic to obey most of his commands."

Aaron sensed his truth. "I can fix that, with my power or my lovers." He grabbed a shaking Grover's shoulders. "This one's magic can help, right Grover?"

Grover nodded. "Yes, sir I will!"

Eurytion nodded. "Good... very good. To my boss we go."

"""

Orthus the two-headed dog growled a lot and sniffed at Grover's legs and shot into the bushes once in a while to chase animals, but Eurytion kept him more or less under control. They walked down a dirt path that seemed to go on forever. It must've been close to a hundred degrees, which was a shock after San Francisco. Heat shimmered off the ground. Insects buzzed in the trees.

Every so often They'd see a pen full of red cows or even stranger animals. Once we passed a corral where the fence was coated in asbestos. Inside, a herd of fire-breathing horses milled around. The hay in their feeding trough was on fire. The ground smoked around their feet, but the horses seemed tame enough. One big stallion looked at me and whinnied, columns of red flame billowing out his nostrils.

"What are they for?" Percy asked.

Eurytion scowled. "We raise animals for lots of clients. Apollo, Diomedes, and…others."

"Like who?"

The man sighed. "I literally cannot answer you... sorry, kid."

Finally they came out of the woods. Perched on a hill above them was a big ranch house—all white stone and wood and big windows.

"It looks like a Frank Lloyd Wright!" Annabeth said.

"Don't break the rules," Eurytion warned as we walked up the steps to the front porch. "No fighting. No drawing weapons. And don't make any comments about the boss's appearance."

"Why?" Percy asked. "What does he look like?"

Before Eurytion could reply, a new voice said, "Welcome to the Triple G Ranch." His face was weathered and brown from years in the sun. He had a slick black hair and a

black pencil moustache like villains have in old movies. He smiled at them, but the smile wasn't friendly; more amused, like Oh boy, more people to torture! Like Aaron ahd said, the man had three torsos. His neck connected to the middle chest like normal, but he had two more chests, one to either side, connected at the shoulders, with a few inches between. His left arm grew out of his left chest, and the same on the right, so he had two arms, but four armpits, if that makes any sense. The chests all connected into one enormous torso, with two regular but verybeefy legs, and he wore the most oversized pair of Levis anyone had ever seen. His chests each wore a different color Western shirt—green, yellow, red, like a

stoplight.

The cowherd Eurytion nudged Percy. "Say Hello to Mr. Geryon."

"Hi," Percy said. "Nice chests—uh, ranch! Nice ranch you have."

Before the three-bodied man could respond, Nico di Angelo came out of the glass doors onto the porch. "Geryon, I won't wait for—"

He froze when he saw them, then he paled and tried to run away. Aaron, not having that, mist stepped and appeared behind his brat. In one swift motion, he lifted Nico by his shirt and growled in his face, making him lose any trace of color.

Nico squeaked out. "Hi, Aaron."

Shaking his kid, he restrained the urge to strangle him. "You little shit, you ran away, and are listening to some ghost despite my many warnings and entered the Maze! Oh I should blister your bottom! In fact, I might just do that and since I very well may marry your dad I think he won't mind." Waving his hand, a shadow appeared, showing a very angry looking Hades.

"My love, wh... Nico!" The man growled. "You are in so much trouble!"

Aaron nodded. "I might blister him, as it is I am casting a curse so he cannot leave my side or the Camp."

"Good, add the Underworld in case I summon him."

Nico whimpered. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"NO!" They yelled.

He pouted with arms across each other. "I... I just... I wanted to get rid of Bianca's immortality, so she could be with me instead of those nasty Hunters..."

Aaron sighed, putting the boy down and getting to his level. "I am not too shocked, kiddo... not at all really. You sister abandoned you, in the worst way... but you lack that kind of power. Hell, it would take all of my power to do so. No god can do that either, bar Artmeis and she wouldn't. Bianca is acting lieutenant and is doing a damn good job from what I gather. This is not something you can manage."

"But Minos said-"

"Trade a life?" Nico cringed. "I thought as much, yes in theory that would work, but the cost wouldn't just just be mortality, it would be her life. Her lifeforce is tied to her Goddess, it is why she glows and has so many powers now. My sweet boy, let her have her peace. I am sorry for your loss, for our loss for she is my kid too, but it was her choice and perhaps even her destiny..."

Letting out a loud sob, the kid threw himself at Aaron and started to weep. No words were exchanged past this, but Nico's agony was palpable... All Aaron could do was hold his kid and help him through the pain.

And then, suddenly, Geryon patted Nico's shoulder. "There, we've all made nice. Now come along, folks. I want to give you a tour of the ranch." Only to collapse into Dust when his head went flying off his head, his body dispersing.

Everyone was gaping at him, even Hades, who laughed. " Why?"

"He was abusing Eurytion and the animals here, I do not tolerate either thing. I need a favor, turn the tables, let Eurytion be the leader here, so he can take care of the beasts here, which include Apollo's sacred cows might I add, and not ship them to the Titans anymore."

Hades turned to Eurytion. "Is this true?"

"Yes, my Lord, I do not wish to do it but I had no choice. You know how my immortality works... I ... please, help me help the Creatures here. Oh he has some of your Sacred Horses too..."

Hade stood up, rage oozing from every pore. "That ... I... It is done." He clapped his hands and Eurytion shivered as an aura of shadow overtook him. "I will talk to Ares, he will be made to answer for his lack of action. I know he knows what is going on here. Oh he will pay." He turned back to Aaron and Their kid. "Aaron, watch over our son. Nico, listen to Aaron. You will be grounded after this mission, big time... but I do understand your pain. I will speak to Artemis and your sister. She should never had abandoned you... I am so sorry you are in so much pain... for my laxness in that. I will give you a chaperone, a driver that will give you freedom in case your other Father and I cannot act in that position."

"Or me." they all turned to Persephone, who walked into view. "I thought about it long and hard. I will act as Nico's mother." They all gaped, every one present. "Nico. I do no like my husband's affairs, I allowed and encouraged Aaron due to his respect and hard work, yes but otherwise I do not like it. However, seeing Aaron's love and care for you and Bianca, from the beginning... I do believe it is my turn to act as a mother. For that, I give you this."

From the ground, a creature appeared, a gorgeous hound oozing dark power. It was odd looking, like a smaller but more human hell hound. Nico rushed to the creature, holding it close. "What is it?"

Persephone laughed. "A Mutt, part Hellhound, part Hunting Wolf. I asked Artemis to help with this. I have never used my magic as such. I know animals tend to not like your ilk, so I had a powerful ally created for you, to serve and love you. I blessed him powerfully, if he dies he will enter the Underworld to be revived, not Tartarus. Consider this my apology for my... I pressured my Husband to not tell you about Maria. I had no right to stop that, Queen or not."

Nico scowled, then sighed. "It is not fair that my father has had affairs... truce?"

"True... my son." Above Nico's head appeared a radiant green light, one with a rush of flowers appearing signifying spring and life. "With my blessing, you will gain greater power than you know what to do with. All of your father's inherent power will grow. You will also inherit my powers, whatever that means."

Nico beamed. "Thanks... ah... Mom?"

Persephone looked radiant. "That also means your aura will make animals like you more, not as much a born son of mine but still!" She turned her gaze to Eurytion. "I care quite a bit about animals, make an offering to me, a large one, and I can help bless this place significantly. I should also be able to help with all of them. Make a shrine and I will be able to send you some Nymphs to help with your operation. Betray that and you will beg to end up in the Fields of Punishment."

The Immortal son of Ares nodded. " I would be honored, my lady..."

With that the two gods smiled at everyone, even Percy. "Our blessings on all of you. Sleep here, you need the rest, and stock up. Wait until it is cooler to hurry on. Oh and Percy, I can see your future. It is about to be very interesting, but do not despair... and remember your brother if you ever feel lost.'

The shadows vanished and they all turned to Aaron. Percy gaped. "You can just summon a god."

Aaron laughed. "I am dating one, Might marry him one day. You are looking at A future God of Magic, Lord of Asphodel and the Weredogs, God of Humanity, Equality, Balance, and Clearsight." He giggled at their stunned looks. "I will be adopting Nico fully, with three gods empowering him, he will be as immortal as his sister, Hell he will likely become a god. So will my Meggy. Now, let's get to resting and maybe a small magic lesson for my kiddos."

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

This was a joy to write.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.