Chapter 2

New Love & Percy's New Cabin Mate

[Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto manga or Percy Jackson series. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Rick Riordan respectively. This fiction is just for fun.]

"Character Dialogue"

'Character Thought'

'Telepathic Conversation'

"Jutsu!"

"Demon / Monsters/Summon/ Angry God"

"Tha-lia's tree is poiso—ned

," Annabeth said. She found it kinda hard to breathe because of large pressure.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and asked, angrily, "Who done this?"

"We do-n't know."

He snapped his fingers and his clothes changed into civilian clothes—Gray T-shirt with black sleeveless, hooded jacket over it, black pant and black boots. He pulled the hood over his head and without saying anything to them, he began to walk away.

"Naruto," Percy asked, gathering some courage in his voice. "Where are you going?"

"To see Thalia," he answered before disappearing from front of him.

XXX

Naruto teleported to Half Blood Hill in front of the sickly looking pine tree. He looked at it sadly before placing his hand on it. He immersed himself in the now chaotic limbo world. Instead of the usual green forest, it was a dark forest, filled with half dead trees. The sky was purple and stormy. It wasn't a good place to live.

He was looking around to find Thalia, when his eyes landed on the large pine tree. Then he saw her leaning her back against a pine tree. Her eyes were closed. Quickly, walking up to her, he gave her a warm hug, careful not to hurt her.

When somebody suddenly hugged her, Thalia was caught off guard. She quickly opened her eyes to see him. "Naruto!" she said in a strained, but happy voice. "You're back!" She returned the hug.

"Yes, I'm back," he said, looking in her eyes. "And don't worry about poison. Nothing's going to happen to you. I will save you. It's my promise."

They held each other tightly for a few minutes before they separated away from each other. Naruto placed his hand over her forehead and ran a quick diagnostic Jutsu. Bright green light encased her before he finally sat beside her with a thoughtful look.

He opened his pouch and took a small needle and a glass bottle out. "I need your blood sample," he said to Thalia, earning a nod from her. He took her blood and put it inside of a small glass bottle. He put both back in his pouch.

"Naruto!" she said, softly.

He looked at her. She looked sick, but her beautiful blue eyes were filled with many emotions like fear, hope...and love.

"Before I die I want to tell you something—"

"You aren't going to die Thalia. I—" He tried to say something to her, but it was cut off by her, leaning up and weakly kissing him on the lips.

"Shut up!" she shouted with a small blush after breaking up kiss. "I want to say...I Like YOU!" She looked in his eyes and kissed his mouth again, this time with hot, longing passion.

They broke the kiss and looked at each other in the eyes.

"You like me?" he asked. He saw she gave a nod, her face was still a little red from blushing. He smiled at her. "I like you too, Thalia."

This time, he was the one who leaned forward to capture her mouth with his own. She snaked her arm around his neck once more, her fingers tangling in his hair. Her lips more pressed by his lips, and his tongue tried to go through her mouth. "Nn..." she mumbled between they kissed. She grabbed him and welcoming his tongue in her mouth. He pushed her with their kiss until she laid her back on the tree. She closed her eyes and grabbed him, melt into his kiss.

They pull apart, breathing heavily, and he gives her a small smile. "You are the most beautiful girl I've ever met," he said and he kissed her again.

She smiled and she wanted to continue this forever.

They broke the kiss again.

He held her tightly. "Now, sleep. You need rest."

She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. He used some medical jutsu to reduce her pain.

Looking at her beautiful sleeping face, he thought, 'I'll have to do something.'

XXX

Things didn't look different in Half-blood camp. The Big House was still there with its blue gabled roof and its wraparound porch. The strawberry fields still baked in the sun. The same white-columned Greek buildings were scattered around the valley—the amphitheatre, the combat arena, the dining pavilion overlooking Long Island Sound. And nestled between the woods and the creek were the same cabins—a crazy assortment of twelve buildings, each representing a different Olympian god.

But there was an air of danger now. Like something was wrong. Instead of playing volleyball in the sand-pit, counsellors and satyrs were stockpiling weapons in the tool shed. Dryads armed with bows and arrows talked nervously at the edge of the woods. The forest looked sickly, the grass in the meadow was pale yellow, and the fire marks on Half-Blood Hill stood out like ugly scars.

Percy, Annabeth and Tyson made their way to the Big House; Percy recognized a lot of kids from last summer. Nobody stopped to talk. Nobody said, "Welcome back." Some did double takes when they saw Tyson, but most just walked grimly past and carried on with their duties—running messages, toting swords to sharpen on the grinding wheels. The camp felt like a military school.

None of that mattered to Tyson. He was absolutely fascinated by everything he saw.

"What's that!" He gasped.

"The stables for Pegasi," Percy said. "The winged horses."

"What's that?"

"Um...Those are the toilets."

"What's that?"

"The cabins for the campers. If they don't know who your Olympian parent is, they put you in the Hermes cabin—that brown one over there—until you're determined. Then, once they know, they put you in your dad or mom's group."

He looked at Percy in awe. "You...have a cabin?"

"Number three." Percy pointed to a low grey building made of sea stone.

"You live with friends in the cabin?"

"No. No, just me," Percy said. He didn't know how he was going to explain him. Thalia, Naruto and him were big Three's children, whom weren't supposed to be born.

Thalia had gotten herself turned into a pine tree when she was twelve. Naruto...Well, he was Naruto; he had his other powerful relatives to protect him. But he...well, he was doing his best not to follow Zeus's daughter's example. He had nightmares about what Poseidon might turn him into if he was ever on the verge of death.

XXX

When they got to the Big House, they found Chiron in his apartment, listening to his favourite 1960s lounge music while he packed his saddlebags. He was a centaur after all. From the waist up, he looks like a regular middle-aged guy with curly brown hair and a scraggly beard. From the waist down, he's a white stallion. He can pass for human by compacting his lower half into a magic wheelchair. But most of the time, if the ceilings are high enough, he prefers hanging out in full centaur form.

As soon as Tyson saw him, he froze. "Pony!" He cried in total rapture.

Chiron turned, looking offended. "I beg your pardon?"

Annabeth ran up and hugged him. "Chiron, what's happening? You're not...leaving?" Her voice was shaky. Chiron was like a second father to her.

Chiron ruffled her hair and gave her a kindly smile. "Hello, child. And Percy, my goodness. You've grown over the year!" He noticed Naruto wasn't with them. "Where is Naruto? I've heard he has returned from his training trip."

Annabeth said, "He is with Thalia."

"How did he take it?"

Percy shivered after remembering Naruto's scary eyes. "I don't want to remember it."

"Percy's friend is scary," Tyson said.

Percy did completely agree with him.

"Well, thanks for compliment!" Naruto voice said from behind them.

"Naruto!" Chiron said.

"No, I'm his clone. Boss is with Thalia."

Annabeth looked at the clone and asked hopefully, "Can you do anything?"

"Sadly, nothing," Naruto's said. "But I've taken her blood sample. It will take some time to analyse poison." He turned to Chiron. "Do you know what kind of poison has been used?"

Chiron said, "It's something from the Underworld, Naruto. Some venom even I have never seen. It must have come from a monster quite deep in the pits of Tartarus."

"Hmm." Naruto was in deep thought. 'I'll have to talk to father.' He looked at Chiron. "Anyway, Clarisse said they've fired you. Is it true?"

Chiron looked away from him. "Yes."

Percy asked, "But why?"

Chiron turned toward him. His eyes glinted with dark humour. "Someone had to take the blame. Lord Zeus was most upset. The tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned! Mr D had to punish someone."

"But this is crazy!" Annabeth cried. "Chiron, you couldn't have had anything to do with poisoning Thalia's tree!"

"Nevertheless," Chiron sighed, "some in Olympus do not trust me now, under the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Percy asked.

Naruto didn't say anything because, unlike others, he knew the reason. Chiron's lineage was different from other centaurs. They were born of sun and raincloud, rendered by Greeks of the Classic period as from the union of the king Ixion, consigned to a fiery wheel, and Nephele while he was sired by Kronos, the king of the Titans, when he had taken the form of a horse and impregnated the nymph Philyra.

Chiron's face darkened. He stuffed a Latin-English dictionary into his saddlebag while the Frank Sinatra music oozed from his boom box.

Tyson was still staring at Chiron in amazement. He whimpered like he wanted to pat Chiron's flank, but was afraid to come closer. "Pony?"

Chiron sniffed. "My dear young Cyclops! I am a centaur."

"Chiron," Percy said, "Then we know who's responsible. Kro—"

"Do not invoke the titan lord's name, Percy. Especially not here, not now."

"But last summer he tried to cause a civil war in Olympus! This has to be his idea. He'd get Luke to do it, that traitor."

"Perhaps," Chiron said. "But I fear I am being held responsible because I did not prevent it and I cannot cure it. The tree has only a few weeks of life left unless..."

"Unless what?" Annabeth asked.

"No," Chiron said. "A foolish thought."

"Thalia's tree is a source of power and it is poisoned," Naruto explained. "Now, the whole valley is feeling the shock of the poison. The magical borders are deteriorating. The camp itself is dying."

Chiron said, "Only one source of magic would be strong enough to reverse the poison, and it was lost centuries ago."

"What is it?" Percy asked. "We'll go find it!"

Chiron closed his saddlebag. He pressed the stop button on his boom box. Then he turned and rested his hand on Percy shoulder, looking him straight in the eyes, he said, "Percy, you must promise me that you will not act rashly. It's much too dangerous. But stay here now. Train hard. Learn to fight. But do not leave."

"Why?" Percy asked. "I want to do something! I can't just let the borders fail. The whole camp will be—"

"Overrun by monsters," Chiron said. "Yes, I fear so. But you must not let yourself be baited into hasty action! This could be a trap of the titan lord. Remember last summer!"

"Don't worry about camp or Thalia, Chiron. I will find a way to save both of them…and you," Naruto said as he started to disappear in a flock of crows. "Just do one thing, stay in camp." He completely vanished from there.

'What is going on in your mind, Naruto?' Chiron thought.

XXX

The sun was setting behind the dining pavilion as the campers came up from their cabins. Percy and Tyson were standing in the shadow of a marble column and watching campers file in. Annabeth was still pretty shaken up. She was with her siblings from the Athena cabin—a dozen boys and girls with blond hair and gray eyes like hers. Annabeth wasn't the oldest, but she'd been at camp more summers than just about anybody, so no one questioned her right to lead the line.

Next came Clarisse, leading the Ares cabin. She had one arm in a sling and a nasty-looking gash on her cheek, but otherwise her encounter with the bronze bulls didn't seem to faze her. Someone had taped a piece of paper to her back that said, YOU MOO, GIRL! But nobody in her cabin was bothering to tell her about it.

After the Ares kids came the Hephaestus cabin—six guys led by Charles Beckendorf, a big fifteen-year-old African American kid. He had hands the size of catchers' mitts and a face that was hard and squint from looking into a blacksmith forge all day. He was a nice guy, but no one ever called him Charlie or Chuck or Charles. Most just called him Beckendorf. He could make anything. Give him a chunk of metal and he could create a razor-sharp sword or a robotic warrior or a singing birdbath for your grandmother's garden. Whatever you wanted.

The other cabins filed in: Demeter, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Dionysus. Naiads came up from the canoe lake. Dryads melted out of the trees. From the meadow came a dozen satyrs.

After the satyrs filed in to dinner, the Hermes cabin brought up the rear. They were always the biggest cabin. Last summer, it had been led by Luke, the guy who'd fought with Thalia and Annabeth on top of Half-Blood Hill. But now he was a traitor, because he tried to kill Percy.

Now, the Hermes cabin was led by Travis and Connor Stoll. They weren't twins, but they looked so much alike it didn't matter. They were both tall and skinny, with mops of brown hair that hung in their eyes. They wore orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirts untucked over baggy shorts, and they had those elfish features all Hermes's kids had: upturned eyebrows, sarcastic smiles.

One cabin was absent and it was Hades' cabin. Technically, Naruto was head of this cabin because he was only one in this cabin.

'Where is he?' Percy thought.

XXX

As soon as the last campers had filed in, Percy led Tyson into the middle of the pavilion.

"Who invited that?" somebody from the Apollo table murmured, when they saw Tyson.

Percy glared in their direction, but he couldn't figure out who'd spoken.

From the head table a familiar voice drawled, "Well, well, if it isn't Peter Johnson. My millennium is complete."

Percy gritted my teeth. "Percy Jackson...sir."

Mr. D or Dionysus, the god of wine, sipped his Diet Coke. "Yes. Well, as you young people say these days: Whatever."

He wore his usual leopard-pattern Hawaiian shirt, walking shorts, and tennis shoes with black socks. With his pudgy belly and his blotchy red face, he looked like a Las Vegas tourist who'd stayed up too late in the casinos. Behind him, a nervous-looking satyr was peeling the skins off the grapes and handing them to Dionysus at a time.

He sipped his Diet Coke again. "Besides, where is Naruto?"

After hearing Naruto's name murmuring broke out at all the tables.

"Naruto is back?"

"Yes."

"Now, I feel safe here."

Most of the campers did agree with him. Naruto was their best fighter and they were glad he was back.

"ENOUGH!" Dionysus yelled as all campers instantly went silent and sat down at their tables.

Next to him, where Chiron usually sat, was a pale, horribly thin man in a threadbare orange prisoner's jumpsuit. The number over his pocket read 0001. He had blue shadows under his eyes, dirty fingernails, and badly cut grey hair, like his last haircut had been done with a weed whacker. Percy noticed he staring at him; it made him nervous, because he looked...fractured, angry, frustrated and hungry all at the same time.

"This boy," Dionysus said to the man, "you need to watch. Poseidon's child, you know."

"Ah!" The man said. "That one."

His tone made it obvious that he and Dionysus had already discussed about Percy at length.

"I am Tantalus," the man said, smiling coldly. "On special assignment here until, well, until my Lord Dionysus decides otherwise. And you, Perseus Jackson, I do expect you to refrain from causing any more trouble."

"Trouble?" Percy demanded.

Dionysus snapped his fingers. A newspaper appeared on the table—the front page of today's New York Post, There was Percy's yearbook picture from Meriwether Prep with the headline: Thirteen-Year-Old Lunatic Torches Gymnasium.

"Yes, trouble," Tantalus said with satisfaction. "You caused plenty of it last summer, I understand."

Percy was too mad to speak. This guy was pissing him off.

A satyr inched forward nervously and set a plate of barbecue in front of Tantalus. The new activities director licked his lips. He looked at his empty goblet and said, "Root beer. Barq's special stock. 1967."

The glass filled itself with foamy soda. Tantalus stretched out his hand hesitantly, as if he were afraid the goblet was hot.

"Go on, then, old fellow," Dionysus said a strange sparkle in his eyes. "Perhaps now it will work."

Tantalus grabbed for the glass, but it scooted away before he could touch it. A few drops of root beer spilled, and Tantalus tried to dab them up with his fingers, but the drops rolled away like quicksilver before he could touch them. He growled and turned toward the plate of barbecue. He picked up a fork and tried to stab a piece of brisket, but the plate skittered down the table and flew off the end, straight into the coals of the brazier.

"Blast!" Tantalus muttered.

"Ah, well," Dionysus said, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "Perhaps a few more days. Believe me, old chap; working at this camp will be torture enough. I'm sure your old curse will fade eventually."

"Eventually," Tantalus muttered, staring at Dionysus's Diet Coke. "Do you have any idea how dry one's throat gets after three thousand years?"

"You're that spirit from the Fields of Punishment," Percy said. "The one who stands in the lake with the fruit tree hanging over you, but you can't eat or drink."

Tantalus sneered at him. "A real scholar, aren't you, boy?"

"You must've done something really horrible when you were alive," Percy said, mildly impressed. "What was it?"

Tantalus's eyes narrowed. Behind him, the satyrs were shaking their heads vigorously, trying to warn Percy.

"I'll be watching you, Percy Jackson," he said. "I don't want any problems at my camp."

"Your camp has problems already...sir."

"Oh, go sit down, Johnson," Dionysus sighed. "I believe that table over there is yours—"

But before he could complete the sentence. The fire of the dining pavilion turned pitch black. With loud cries several crows came out of it and started to gather around a specific spot beside Percy. They gave a loud cry before Naruto materialized from them.

"Hello, Mr. D," he greeted as everything went back to normal except campers. They started to cheer.

"He is back!"

"Welcome!"

"He looks hotter than before."

"Well, well, well, you're back and it looks like you're pretty much popular," Dionysus said, hearing campers. He sipped his Diet Coke. "Nevertheless, welcome back."

"Thank you, Mr. D," Naruto said. Then he turned towards a new Activities Director. "And you are?"

"I am Tantalus, The new Activities Director," Tantalus said with a smirk.

"Tantalus...hmm...I've heard that name before," he said thoughtfully, placing his hand on his chin. "Aha! You're 'That' man...Interesting."

"'That' man?" Percy asked.

"Trust me. It's better if you don't know about it."

"Whatever," Percy said, "Come on, Tyson."

"Oh, no," Tantalus said. "The monster stays here. We must decide what to do with it."

"Him," Percy snapped. "His name is Tyson."

The new activities director raised an eyebrow.

"He helped me to save the camp," Percy said. "He pounded one bronze bull."

"Yes," Tantalus sighed, "and what a pity that would've been."

Dionysus snickered.

"Leave us," he ordered, "while we decide this creature's fate."

Percy grits his teeth at the order, but he knew he could not disobey it. "I'll be right over here, big guy," he promised. "Don't worry. We'll find you a good place to sleep tonight."

Tyson nodded. "I believe you. You are my friend."

Naruto didn't say anything; he just walked to his table.

XXX

Percy trudged over his table where he was the only one to sit there. He hoped things would be ok for his Cyclops friend. When a Wood Nymph brought over some food, he took it, but he was not hungry. He was too busy thinking about what had happened so far. But before he let it go to waste. He scraped some of it into the flames to off some to his dad.

"Poseidon," he murmured, "accepts my offering."

'And send me some help while you're at it,' he prayed silently. 'Please.'

The smoke from the burning pizza changed into something fragrant—the smell of a clean sea breeze with wildflowers mixed in.

He went back to his seat. He didn't think things could get much worse. But then Tantalus had one of the satyrs' blows the conch horn to get their attention for announcements.

Dionysus clapped politely, leading to some half-hearted applause from the satyrs. Tyson was still standing at the head table, looking uncomfortable, but every time he tried to scoot out of the limelight, Tantalus pulled him back.

"And now some changes!" Tantalus gave the campers a crooked smile. "We are reinstating the chariot races!"

Murmuring broke out at all the tables—excitement, fear, disbelief.

"Now I know," he continued, raising his voice, "that these races were discontinued some years ago due to, ah, technical problems."

"Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations," someone at the Apollo table called.

"Yes, yes!" he said. "But I know that you will all join me in welcoming the return of this camp tradition. Golden laurels will go to the winning charioteers each month. Teams may register in the morning! The first race will be held in three days' time. We will release you from most of your regular activities to prepare your chariots and choose your horses. Oh, and did I mention, the victorious team's cabin will have no chores for the month in which they win?"

An explosion of excited conversation—

"No KP for a whole month?"

"No stable cleaning?"

"Was he serious?"

"But, sir!" Clarisse objected. She looked nervous, but she stood up to speak from the Ares table. Some of the campers snickered when they saw the YOU MOO, GIRL! A sign on her back. "What about patrol duty?"

Before Tantalus could say anything, Naruto said, "Don't worry about it, I'll handle it." He made some hand seals and slammed his hand on the table. "Summoning Jutsu!" As a large crow came out from his shadow, shocking new camp activities director and few campers, who didn't see anything like this before. "Guard the camp and inform me if anything unusual happened."

"Yes, Master," Crow said and he disappeared in the shadow.

Clarisse sent a thankful smile in his direction and sat back in her seat.

"Very well," Tantalus said after he recovered from his shock. "But before we proceed to the campfire and sing-along, one slight housekeeping issue. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase have seen fit, for some reason, to bring this here." He waved a hand toward Tyson.

Uneasy murmuring spread among the campers. A lot of sideways looks at Percy.

"Now, of course," he said, "Cyclopes has a reputation for being bloodthirsty monsters with a very small brain capacity. Under normal circumstances, I would release this beast into the woods and have you hunt it down with torches and pointed sticks. But who knows? Perhaps this Cyclops is not as horrible as most of its brethren. Until it proves worthy of destruction, we need a place to keep it! I've thought about the stables, but that will make the horses nervous. Hermes's cabin, possibly?"

Silence at the Hermes table. Travis and Connor Stoll developed a sudden interest in the table cloth. Percy couldn't blame them. The Hermes cabin was always full to bursting. There was no way they could take in a six-foot-three Cyclops.

"Come now," he chided. "The monster may be able to do some menial chores. Any suggestions as to where such a beast should be kenneled?"

Suddenly, everybody gasped while Naruto raised his eyebrow.

Tantalus scooted away from Tyson in surprise. There above Tyson's head was the same symbol that was above Percy's head last year. The Symbol of Poseidon.

There was a moment of awed silence.

Being claimed was a rare event. Some campers waited in vain for it their whole lives. When Naruto and Percy had been claimed by their Godly parents last summer, everyone had reverently knelt. But now, they followed Tantalus's lead, and Tantalus roared with laughter.

"Well! I think we know where to put the beast now. By the gods, I can see the family resemblance!"

Everyone laughed except for Percy, Annabeth, Naruto and a few of their friends.

Tyson didn't seem to notice. He was too mystified, trying to swat the glowing trident that was now fading over his head. He was too innocent to understand how much they were making fun of him, how cruel people were.

'Now, this is interesting,' Naruto thought.

XXX

Next day, both Percy and Annabeth entered in the Big House. They saw Chiron and Dionysu.

"Did Naruto call you here?" Chiron asked.

Percy gave a nod. "Yes, where is he?"

"I'm here," Naruto said as he rose up from the ground like a ghost.

"Naruto, why did you call us here?" Chiron asked.

Naruto turned to him. "I've a way to save Thalia."

"What?" Both Annabeth and Percy shouted. They were surprised by this, even Dionysus looks surprised.

Annabeth took a deep breath to calm herself. "Really?"

Naruto nodded.

"Ok, where is Tantalus?" Dionysus asked. "He is the camp's activities director. He is supposed to be here."

"Well, he's kind of busy," Naruto said with a smirk.

Dionysus raised his eyebrow, but didn't ask anything more to him.

"Anyway," Chiron said, looking at Naruto. "How are you going to save her?"

"It's simple," Naruto said confidently, his dark blue eyes flashed red for a second. "By freeing her soul from the tree and bringing her back to life."

(TBC)

OMAKE:

Tantalus was in his bedroom, sleeping on his bed and dreaming about foods.

It was a nice, warm night. The sky was pitch black, with the full moon illuminating the shining stars. Tantalus was in camp, sitting on a dinner table. He noticed a rather good-looking a big burger was on his plate.

'Just one time,' he thought.

He stared at a burger with childlike wonder, as he made a grab at the piece of food that wanted so badly. He picked up the food.

'Yes'

However, like usual, it disappeared before he could eat it.

"No, not again!"

He saw a big burger somehow returned back to the plate.

"Ok," he said to himself. "Let's try it again."

He did try to eat many times, but the results were same.

"One last time," he said as he tried to pick up the Burger again.

But this time something different happened. A Burger suddenly grew eyes, mouth, arms, and legs. Tantalus stared at the burger in shock for a few minutes.

"Hallo," a burger said in a childish tone. "If you aren't going to eat me..." Suddenly, white the moon turned red with rings and nine commas on it. "Then I'm going to eat you." a burger said in dipper, demonic voice. Its size started to change.

Now, it was big, bigger than Tantalus. It had long, sharp claws, razor-sharp teeth; horns began to grow on top of it.

Tantalus looked at the monster-burger for a few minutes and then he shouted in fear.

"AAHH!"

A far away from him, a black raven with two Sharingan eyes was watching him.

(THE END)

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