A Fire Burns Within Me Version 2

Once Upon A Time...I Fell On My Uncle

Previously:
"I'm leaving again," I said softly, albeit, I am sure everyone heard. "I just came to say good bye this time. Although, if it were up to me, I would not have ever come back."

Dad's eyes teared up again.

"But I'm glad Mom is so persuasive," I said, smiling at Hestia. "I would never have seen you all act as a real family."

"Mom?" Now Dad was confused.

"Yeah, apparently, Hestia adopted him after...she died," Apollo said, tactless as ever.

Apollo's statement hung in the air like the stench of bananas. Believe me, that smell lingers.

Speaking of-I sniffed-was that bananas? I looked around at the gods, trying to find the smell. My dad was frozen next to me, still shocked about what Apollo said. Hades and Hestia were staring at each other, having a private mental conversation. Hermes and Apollo were laughing at my dad and Athena, who was just as frozen as Poseidon. Demeter and Hera were both discussing something like Hades and Hestia. Artemis looked as panicked as Aphrodite, which was strange. Dionysus, Hephaestus and Ares were arguing mentally about something. Zeus was...

Eating a banana. So that's where the banana smell came from.

"And they all say I'm immature," Zeus said to me with a triumphant smile. "Look at them-" he pointed to Hermes and Apollo "-laughing like ninnies. And them-" now he pointed to Dionysus, Hephaestus and Ares, "-completely off topic. What does motor vehicles and plants have to do with anything?" He pouted and took another bite of his banana.

I laughed, throwing my head back and shaking my shoulders.

Eventually, I stopped laughing and everyone else finally was brought back on topic.

"Percy, my nephew," Hades started, taking charge. "I would like to give you my blessing. For you may need it when you go through other dimensions."

I looked at him carefully. "Thank you, uncle, but I don't want to risk turning into shadows and the dead freak me out," I said bluntly.

Hades laughed to my relief and shook his head. "No, my blessing from my domains of wealth," he corrected me. "You will always have just the right amount of money to buy what ever you may need in the right currency."

I saw everything get darker for a second and I knew he blessed me. Mentally rolling my eyes, I said, "Thank you."

"Oh, I want to bless Percy too!" Aphrodite shouted, waving her arms around like a maniac.

"No, Aphrodite, please you don't need to-" suddenly I saw pink and reeked of designer perfume.

"You can change your clothes at will," Aphrodite informed me. "To blend in with the different cultures."

I sighed but thanked her anyway. Although I didn't want to admit it, her blessing might actually come in handy.

"On that note," Hermes said as I suddenly saw green. "You need to be able to understand any language you come across and they need to understand you."

"Thanks," I said, slightly annoyed with all the gifts suddenly coming my way.

"Here," Apollo threw me a backpack that hit me in the face. "That has an unlimited supply of ambrosia and nectar as well as a first aid kit that won't run out of supplies. Incase you need to help anyone else."

"Anyone else want to give me even more power?" I demanded after I accepted the bag.

"Actually-"