Hey guys! This is my first fanfiction, and I hope you enjoy! Feedback is always welcome, and please let me know if there's a grammar mistake or anything, but please, please, please, constructive criticism only! I don't want to see any hate or anything. And yes, solangelo is really cute, but I'm not comfortable writing any romantic relationships, and I needed a really big problem to start my story...Sorry. Enjoy!

Chapter One
Nico was confused. He'd woken up in a hospital type bed, but couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. Everything in the room was white, except for the small fire burning on a tiny black alter in the corner. He thought back, but couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. Then it suddenly all came rushing back. Will kissing some girl from Demeter, everyone mocking him for thinking that he'd ever be accepted. Even Reyna and Hazel, who'd promised him that they'd always love him, had turned away in quiet disappointment. Jason, the first person ever to hear his confession about Percy, had shut the door in his face when he'd come to escape the others. As far as Nico knew, everyone, except possibly Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia, hated him. After nearly a week of shunning from the entire camp, he'd been suddenly called to Olympus. Zeus had Asclepius and Hygeia examine him, who had announced that Nico's mental health was so bad that it was recommended that he be banned from camp and other demigods until he was stable. When Nico looked around for help, the other gods just looked away.

Hades looked directly at him and shook his head slightly, face impassive. Nico could practically feel the words vibrating through him. "You should've died... your sister was always better... immature, irresponsible, reckless..." He wanted to curl up and cry in the corner but knew that showing weakness would only reinforce the Gods' conclusions. Desperate, he looked around one more time and saw Hestia suddenly appear at the edge of her hearth.

"Come, Nico di Angelo, I will take you in. You have suffered much, yet you're still that innocent boy who stopped and talked to me within the heart at Camp Half-Blood somewhere deep inside. Come, brave protector of Olympus, and rest at my hearth." She opened her arms and Nico almost ran to her, collapsing into her welcoming embrace. She stroked his hair, whispering softly, "Come, child, and be at peace."

—LINE BREAK—

Nico looked around the white room and jumped when the door suddenly opened. "Ahh, Sleeping Beauty awakens!" It was a short young man, who looks about twenty years old, with light brown hair and eyes and a wide smile plastered on his face. He shrugged when Nico didn't respond and turned away, still grinning broadly, checking the machines that Nico was hooked up to. "Looks like you're all good to go, my friend! It's your lucky day." He disconnected the wires from Nico's hand and arm, then carefully placed a hand on his wrist, checking the pulse. The action was so familiar to what Will used to do whenever he got hurt Nico's throat clogged and his eyes started to burn.

"What am I doing here, why would not be 'good to go', and who the heck are you?" He said angrily, trying to hide his emotional state from the young man. Nico swung his legs over the edge of the bed and slowly stood up, black starbursts dancing before his eyes.

"Well, you had the symptoms of major depressive disorder," the man said as he caught Nico as he began to waver. He continued slowly, "and severe malnutrition and dehydration." He looked over his shoulder. "That's my cue to leave and let m'lady explain everything to you. Good luck, kid! Hope you don't need it." He gently let go of Nico after he was sure he wasn't about to fall over.

"Thank you, Walter," Hestia said as she walked into the room. Nico immediately bowed deeply when he saw her. Hestia raised her eyebrow at him, gestured for him to rise as Walter left the room. "How are you feeling, child?" She asked gently, looking him over carefully. He rose slowly, still exhausted, and tried not to let the pain show on his face.

"I'm fine, m'lady. Thank you for giving me refuge in your temple. I'll just go now..." he trailed off. "She's probably only letting me stay here out of pity. She definitely wants me gone as soon as possible, just like everybody else would." Nico thought sadly.

Hestia grabbed his shoulder with surprising force. "Nico di Angelo! Stop your train of thought right now! You are not worthless, you are not completely alone, and you are not leaving this temple until you get your life together and find a new purpose in life! You are not leaving and wasting all my hard work and committing suicide just because your idiot father and friends have thrown away one of the best things that happened to Camp Half-Blood!" Nico looked down, ashamed and embarrassed that she knew his thoughts. "Nico," she said gently, letting go of his arm and putting her hand on his cheek, "I care, and not all of your friends have left you. Not all the gods have betrayed you. Percy and Annabeth care. Sally Jackson and her husband care. Thalia cares. And," she paused, looking over her shoulder, "I have three more goddesses who definitely care, and want to say something to you." The door opened again. Hecate, Artemis, and Lupa walked in, and Nico bowed deeply to them as well.

"Rise, hero," Hecate commanded, "and listen to our proposal." Nico slowly rose and felt Hestia's hand on his shoulder. "Nico di Angelo," Hecate said softly, "will you be my champion?" Nico just gaped at her, dumbfounded. "My children are trying, but I have many tasks that even the strongest among them are unable to complete, and I have found none so worthy or capable as you. I know you have gone through much, but with these new blessings, you should be able to overcome them. It will help you regain your lost purpose and heal your pained heart." Nico nodded, overwhelmed at her words.

"Yes, Lady Hecate, I will accept your blessing and become your champion." He dropped to one knee and bowed his head as she shot a light forest green beam of light into his heart. The light coursed through him, and he felt a sudden pain in his chest.

Hecate stepped forward and helped him rise. "You have the ability to manipulate the mist as well as my best children, and the ability to perform many other kinds of magic, which I will help you with at a later time." She nodded, pleased, and stepped back. Then Artemis stepped forward before he could say anything.

"Nico di Angelo, your sister was my hunter and died bravely in battle. Along with Percy Jackson, you are one of the few decent males of this time. I also wish for you to become my champion, and bestow a blessing on you." Nico looked at her, dumbfounded. "I have my hunters, but as faithful and useful as they are, I have some situations where a single individual, one who is slightly more adept at blending in and finding information, especially from other males, is useful. Do you accept?"

"Yes, Lady Artemis, I would be beyond honored," Nico said, as he dropped to one knee and bowed his head as he did with Hecate. Artemis shot a silvery beam of light into his heart, and once again he felt pain in his heart.

She helped him rise and said, "You have partial immortality, same as my hunters, but have also gained the ability to shift into a wolf upon command and shoot a bow and arrow as well as my best hunters. Your tracking and camouflage skills have also increased." Lupa stepped forward and nudged his hand.

She spoke into his head, "Pup, I have seen your trials and am proud of your strength. Though I never trained you, you are accepted into my pack and are a child of Rome. I also give you my blessing, something I have not given since Romulus and Remus." Nico bowed deeply, stunned. A beam of golden and silver light shot into his heart, and she continued, "you have the ability to shift into a wolf, now, and all wolves will obey your call, for you are an alpha."

"Thank you so much, m'ladies," Nico stammered. "I..."

Hestia cut his thanks off. "Nico, I too, would give you my blessing, and ask you to become my champion...and my son?" She said, sounding almost nervous.

"Lady Hestia, I," Nico said, overwhelmed. "I don't know what to say. Yes, I would love to become your champion and son!" He cried, traitorous tears welling in his eyes. She hugged him tight, then let go and he dropped to his knee and bowed before her. Smiling broadly, she shot a beam of soft red-orange light into his heart, and he gasped as the now-familiar pain entered his heart.

As he rose, she said, "you now have the ability to control any type of fire, and summon any kind of food you desire. In addition to your shadow traveling, which you can now do free from fear of fading, you can fire travel."

"Thank you so much, Ladies. I will try to live up to the honor you have bestowed on me." Nico said, bowing deeply.

Hestia smiled at him and said, "We now ask for your oath of loyalty. Are you willing to swear this, our champion?" Nico nodded as he knelt for the fourth time.

"I swear my loyalty to Lady Hecate, Lady Artemis, Lady Lupa, and Lady Hestia on the River Styx. I swear to obey any commands they ask of me and pledge my first loyalty to them and those under their protection." He bowed his head and waited for their response.

In unison, they said, "We accept your oath of loyalty, Nico di Angelo, and grant you one final blessing. You shall have the ability to learn and speak any language, whether animal, human, or other." As one, they reached forward and placed a hand or a paw on his head. He felt a tingling, burning sensation in his left arm and looked down to see a tattoo creep up his hand and arm to cover his arm, almost to the shoulder. He watched in awe as the swirling patterns of black formed intricate pictures. A flame curled around his fingers, rising to mingle with swirls of mist and sparkly brambles. Running gracefully through it all was a wolf pack under a full moon, twining together in an intricate dance. Another sudden tingle blazed on the inside of his right wrist. Five symbols appeared, a flame, a swirl of mist, a moon with a bow and arrow hidden inside, a running wolf, and a skull combined with a gem. The symbols of Hestia, Hecate, Artemis, Lupa, and his father, Hades. He smiled because even though his father had practically rejected and disowned him, the symbol meant he still was and had the powers of a son of Hades. "Rise, our champion." The goddesses said after the tattoos had formed. He nodded and rose, overwhelmed by the emotions rushing through him. Gratitude, happiness, loyalty, purpose, peace, mixed with the still bitter sting of betrayal and loss from earlier. Artemis smiled at him, sensing his torrent of emotion.

"Nico di Angelo, we each have another gift for you, now that you have sworn the oath of loyalty. I give you three gifts. First, a tent that can collapse into a package the size of a handkerchief. Second, a bow that can change color from silver to black, with an automatically refilling quiver. Third, a magically refilling bag, that contains ambrosia, nectar, unicorn draught, water, black and silver clothing, and an extensive first aid kit. All three gifts will shift with you when you turn into a wolf, so you don't have to carry them, and the bow and quiver will magically reappear on your back if they are lost or stolen." She handed him the three items and Nico bowed deeply in thanks. "And," she added quietly, "I make you an honorary member of my hunt. Though you are not required to travel with us, you may seek refuge with us at any time, and any hunter will provide you aid when in need."

Nico gasped at her words, then bowed deeply. "Lady Artemis, thank you for your blessing and the gifts. I am honored to be part of your hunt, and will respect your commands and protect your hunters if ever need be." She nodded, pleased, and stepped back.

Hecate stepped forward, and said, "I too have a gift for you, Nico di Angelo. Another Stygian Iron sword, which turns into a skull ring, like your other sword, and armor and a black shield, made of a mix of Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold, they retract into these bracelets when not needed." She handed him two slender, perfectly smooth black bracelets, which he slid onto his wrists, where they adjusted to fit him snugly.

"Thank you, Lady Hecate. Again, I am honored to be your champion, and swear to obey you and protect those you protect, including your children, when in danger." Nico bowed to her as she stepped back, face impassive except for the pleased glint in her eyes.

Lupa prowled forward and thought into his head, "you are now given full years in the legion of Rome." His brand burned, and suddenly fifteen lines formed in neat rows. "You have completed any necessary service in the legion, and I name you ambassador in my name, and protector of both children of Rome and Greek demigods."

Last, Hestia stepped forward and said, "Nico di Angelo, I too have another gift. Unlike the others, this gift is not tangible, although it may come in handy when dealing with others. You can sense others emotions, and give peace to another if you touch them and say, 'Peace be unto you.' They will remain calm for the next three hours, or until you release the spell."

"Thank you, Lady Hestia," Nico stammered, "and I swear to obey you and protect those you hold dear if there ever be a need." He bowed one final time as she stepped back to the other two goddesses.

"Now rest, my son," Hestia said softly. "I can sense your weariness, and you deserve at least a few more hours of rest. If any of us have a need for you, we will call. Now, rest." He bowed and sat down heavily on the bed, more tired than he'd realized. He shielded his eyes as the goddesses revealed their true forms and flashed away. He studied the new, intricate tattoo on his left arm and the five small symbols on the inside of his right wrist. He traced each one of the symbols softly and thought about what had just happened. He'd become the champion of Hestia, Hecate, and amazingly, Artemis, and Lupa, and had been adopted by Hestia. And although his father seemed to disapprove of him, his symbol had still shown up, along with his four new patrons.

He looked up, startled, as Walter's cheerful voice filled the room. "Well, mate, nice tattoo! I see you've accepted m'lady's blessing, along with Ladies Hecate, Lupa, and Artemis. Well, that must I've been really something." Nico nodded without looking up. "You're all tuckered out, then," Walter said cheerily. "This is your room, mate, and you can stay here and rest. The walls can change color, just imagine what you want and push it onto the walls. They respond very well, but simple color schemes are the easiest to ensure you get exactly what you want." He waved goodbye as he exited the room, leaving Nico alone. He focused on his walls, changing them to black. There were four stars, however, directly above his head. One was shining silver, one was light green, one was a confusing swirl of dark silver and reddish gold, and one was orange-red. As he lay back on the bed, memories swarmed his head. The too-recent betrayal, being tortured in Tartarus, kept in that awful bronze jar with the pomegranate seeds and his death trance, Percy telling him of Biancas death, Minos in the Labyrinth, and more. He opened his eyes and tried to focus on the three stars above him. His nightmares faded as the three colors overwhelmed all conscious thought, and he slipped off into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

Hey guys! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! Please feel free to comment below, but only constructive criticism please, don't hate. I can't promise regular updates, but I'll really try to get one out at least once a week.