Chapter Two: Mr. D Found His Soft Side

Author's Notes: Still a repost!

Warnings/Disclaimer: Can both be found in chapter one.

Full Summary: Zeus, reaching his limit with Percy, throws him back in time as a punishment. Percy's consequences, of course, are far more than he ever expected. When everything has changed, he has to find a way to make it right once more. Enlisting the help of fellow campers, he has to find a way to put things back the way they were, while simultaneously try not to make Zeus kill him. Easy.

Chapter Two: Mr. D Found His Soft Side

I finally managed to get up and out of bed, and I finally managed to find that familiar seat on the porch. Luckily, everything still looked the same. The strawberry fields weren't blueberry's or something. I was happy my second home hadn't been rearranged - much. I didn't even look towards the cabins. I couldn't face those if they had been changed.
Not yet. The woods looked the same from here.

I turned when I heard hooves clatter against the porch and I realized it was Chiron with Grover's legs. It will never look the same to me. He didn't even wear his jacket. He had nubby little horns.

"Chiron?"

Man did he look funny. I was used to seeing his upper-half attached to a horses body, he wasn't suited to be half-goat.
He smiled at me warmly, the smile I remembered Mr. Brunner would always give me when I got an answer right in class. His hooves shuffled nervously around on the ground just below the steps of the porch.

"We have to go meet with Grover." He told me. That sounded so weird.

Swallowing every word I wanted to say against that statement, I made to stand. I almost fell right on my face when my knees buckled, but Chiron was there in an instant. He threw my arm over his shoulders and together we stumbled on. I wasn't looking forward to meeting Dionysus all over again. I could really only take so many years of him saying my name wrong and his lazy, sarcastic comments.

Then again, I figured I pushed my luck so far, I could push it more by making Nymph jokes.

The table came into view. Where I thought Annabeth would be leaning against the railing, it was Bianca. I figured she had gotten distracted on her way to her cabin.
Just that thought alone made me confused.

"That's Bianca." Chiron told me as we approached, following my gaze. "She's been here longer than most campers. She took care of you."

My stomach twisted in a tight knot.

We managed our way onto the porch, and sure enough, Grover was sitting humbly at the table just like Chiron had done before. I looked at Dionysus and frowned.
He turned to me as we approached, and I saw a sick little smirk appear on his face. He turned back to the game and went about paying little attention to us.

"Welcome...or whatever." He sighed. "Percy Jackson."

I felt my head fall. Deep down, secretly, I was hoping Mr. D couldn't remember my name. It would show things hadn't completely changed. That he still loathed his job here and didn't bother remembering who I was.

"Hey Mr. D." I muttered.

Bianca and Grover both gave me looks of confusion. I wanted to smack myself. I wasn't supposed to know him yet. I wasn't supposed to know about Camp Half Blood or how anything worked. I was supposed to be a new camper that just now discovering I was a Demigod.

"Father did a number on you." Dionysus cackled. "Looks like you're taking it well."

I stumbled forward, getting out of Chrion's hold to help me walk and fumbled into the chair closest to the God. I stared up into his face imploringly. I figured I could ask, whether he would give me an answer or not was the problem.

"You know? I mean...you're normal."

He disregarded my rudeness and gave me a sharp look. "Yes. The effect doesn't work on the Gods themselves. Just you and the people who played a role in your life."

I glanced over my shoulder at the satyr Chiron and then back to Dionysus. "But even the Demigods? I thought you just said..."

He cut me off as he raised his hand, paused to take a sip from his Diet Coke and then turned towards me, looking bored.

"They are not Gods, the children." He said simply.

I went to open my mouth to either complain or ask another question – maybe both – but Dionysus cut me off.

"Grover, why don't you take that camper and go do...whatever it is you all do. Chrion, go along with them. Grover, I expect you back in a short while to give Mr. Jackson here the usual tour."

I was shocked with how...nice that had come out. Usually a few waves, a grunt, and rude sentence or two was how Mr. D handled everything. If he handled anything at all. He made it clear on several occasions how much he loathed his job.

I watched Grover walk off with Bianca. I still couldn't quite wrap my head around that being her. I didn't even want to think about Annabeth taking her place. It was still awkward seeing Grover with another animal attached to him. Seeing Chiron act nervous, stutter and stumble away freaked me out even more.

"Okay!" I snapped. "What in the Styx?"

I heard the thunder roll ominously in the distance and I had to hold myself back from cursing Zeus as loud as I could muster. Mr. D would probably be happy that I was electrified into a pile of dust right in front of him. I didn't want to give him the pleasure.

Dionysus regarded me for a moment before swiping his hand through the air and cleaning the table in a blink. With a snap of his fingers appeared sodas for both of us.
I sighed as I popped the top and took a giant swig. I didn't really expect Dionysus to give me any such answers. I honestly expected him to pause, glance at me, and wonder
who I was and how I got there.

Instead he lazily poked at his new Diet Coke.

"The Gods are cheering for you, in a sense. They want you to fulfill this punishment and make things right. If not, they all come to kill you."

I gulped, wondering if I he could have beaten around the bush a little. "Why?"

"You took away their children and gave them frauds."

I gawked, I know I did. "I didn't! Zeu-"

He instantly silenced me with a look. I didn't exactly want to relive my moment of looking into his eyes again, so I shut it.

"Don't test him even more." He said wisely.

"Alright..." I threw up my hands. "Why, in the name of the Gods, are you helping me?"

He gave me a funny look before he waved his hand and a Home and Gardens magazine appeared in his hands. I had a feeling I either touched a nerve or he was tired of talking to me. I was going with both.

"So..." I swallowed hard, continuing on. "All the campers have changed."

"Just about, yes."

"You still have your sons..." I remarked. They had been standing off to the side, as if determined to stay close to their father but out of earshot.

"A reward from my father." He said absently. He turned to them and said something quickly and they both walked off together. "I've also been told if you pull this off, I'll be rewarded with a glass of wine..."

I didn't want to ask why he was lucky enough to keep them. I figured it was something along the lines of 'putting up with me', and I didn't want to hear it come out of his mouth. Then again, it might have been a reward for actually helping in the war.

That reminded me, the war.

"So, about that war." I remarked. "Why did Zeus throw me back in time? I mean, doesn't that mean the prophecy will reset and the Titans will be trying to get to power?"

Dionysus yawned, and I felt a little relief in that yawn. Until, of course, he snorted. Then I felt annoyance.

"The people around you have changed, and so has the prophecy. The Titans, of course, were thrown back in time as well; unaffected by everything else – time is too powerful for
anyone not to be effected. We'll be faced with the war again. But, I daresay you make the right choices and moves, you can prevent it in its entirety."

My heart jumped at the thought. I could prevent the war? Prevent destruction and chaos? I can prevent even death?

"If I don't?"

I'd probably get maimed or something by a Dracaenae. Maybe killer cheerleaders would have my head on a stick. Maybe Zeus will throw me in a bubble and keep me in the thrown room for all eternity. None of those sounding appealing.

"I'll say this once. Father did say until you make the right choice. Of course, that doesn't mean just the offer you refused. But it seems you'll be repeating this until you do it correctly."

"So..." I paused and thought hard. I heard him snort again and I glared up at him. I instantly looked away as soon as I saw his eyes spark with anger.

"Are you saying I can save my friends? The ones who died?"

Mr. D shrugged. "No clue."

"But you just-!" I tried to counter.

"It's for you to find out."

I looked up when I heard the clopping of hooves. I thought maybe Dad had fought his brother and at least got me Chiron back. He was always the person who could give me just the right amount of advice for me to take the wrong way and get in trouble.

It was still Grover's body attached to Chrion's horse body. Mr. D nodded to him and waved me off. I wanted to ask more questions when I realized I had pushed my luck enough. The Gods weren't allowed to get involved with Demigod matters. They always did, mind you. Just to an extent. Enough where they weren't punished, but enough where everyone gets pissed off.

I stumbled up to Grover, my body still sore and weak. I remembered the tour seeming to take an eternity last time, with too much information to keep up with. Now I just wanted to get it over with.

I watched Castor walk next to his twin brother Pollux. The two of them were whispering to each other as they huddled close, walking towards their father. I wondered if Castor remembered dying. I shivered at the thought of Hades when he found out souls left due to his brother's time turn. I questioned if that was possible. Zeus taking souls from Hades' guarded underworld. They had boundaries, I know. I guess Zeus worked around that when he reversed time. I figured if the Titans couldn't dodge time, then neither could death.

I walked next to Grover as he explained the inner workings of Camp Half Blood and I practically ignored him. I'm pretty sure he was explaining things about being a Demigod as well. I kept wondering about all my friends and if they were still the children of the Gods and Goddesses I knew them as or if they were switched around. After my talk with Mr. D, I had no doubt it was all different. I kept thinking about who had been switched around and my hopes kept soaring when I thought about who might not have been. If Dionysus's kids stayed, maybe I'd get lucky. He did say just about.

Then it slammed into me like the smell of the Triple G Ranch.

Was Poseidon still my father?

"These here, Percy, are the twelve cabins of Camp Half Blood."

I grimaced at the ground before daring to look up. I was terrified the cabin's would have changed too, but then at the sight of them I remembered Mr. D told me the Gods themselves weren't effected. They probably at least made sure their shrines were still intact.

I smiled warmly to my familiar cabin and sighed when I realized Grover was leading me over to the Hermes cabin. My dad still had to claim me.

"The Cabin Head will take care of you. She'll give you everything you need."

I nodded along before I realized what he said. Wait..he did say she, right?

"I'll go collect your shirt and the horn."

I frowned. "I don't want the horn."

"It's a spoil of war, Percy. It's rightfully yours."

I know what you're thinking. The horn is fine. The thing is, first it was a reminder I lost my mom. Now it was a reminder I lost my friends. I should mail it to Zeus like I did with the head and tell him to shove it up his Godly a-.

"You must be Percy!"

I froze. Staring off at Grover as he met up with Chiron and they went together to grab my stuff. I was in the middle of wondering if Grover had gotten used to pooping with such a long tail when that voice greeted my ears.

I instantly turned, getting into a sloppy fighting stance. Then I almost feinted from shock.

I rubbed at my eyes instinctively as I took a step back.

"Clarisse?"

She nodded, her new sandy color hair tied in a sloppy bun. "Yeah, I'm the Cabin Head for Cabin Hermes."

This was the weirdest day of my life. The worst part? It just started.

Author's Note: The next chapter will either be up tomorrow, or the day after. Hope you all enjoy.