Hello all Storm here with a new chapter! Here we'll be having two flashbacks, the first showing the start of Percy being trained by Kyoko and the second of Kyoko meeting a certain punk-styled demigod we all know and love. We'll also see Kyoko and Percy learning about the Master Bolt being stolen and given a quest along with some hints of Kyoko's prized weapons and getting some new ones. So, without further ado.
I own nothing
A week as passed since Percy was claimed by his father, Poseidon, and Kyoko was officially claimed by her mother, Hera. Since then, most of the camp had begun avoiding them; Kyoko more so than Percy, given they were still fearful of a lightning bolt shooting down and vaporizing her, and them by extension of being anywhere near her.
Kyoko had also begun helping Percy master the powers he's inherited from his father, the one he's gotten the best at was water manipulation, especially after their first lesson when Kyoko showed just how powerful the element of water could be.
*Flashback*
"Why are we in the woods? And why did we have to get up so earlier?" Percy asked, while glaring at Kyoko in annoyance.
The reason is that it was currently six in the morning with Apollo's chariot just starting to rise. Percy had been sleeping until Kyoko had started banging on his cabin door and shouting at him to get up.
He had been tempted to simply ignore her and go back to sleep, that is until she threatened to drag him out and throw him to the harpies. While despite it being an unsaid rule that you don't enter another cabin unless you were invited in, Percy doubted that would stop Kyoko from carrying out her threat.
So, with great reluctances, Percy got up and got dressed, before exiting his cabin and followed Kyoko into the woods without her giving a reason why.
"Simple, we're going to work on your water manipulation." Stated Kyoko, before placing her hand on the ground and created a wooden stick, which she picked up, while Percy looked at her in confusion.
"Then, wouldn't it be better to do this by the beach or lake?" Percy asked, since they weren't anywhere near water.
"No, it's better here, since you're a child of one of the Big Three, which means that monsters will be more drawn to you, given how strong your scent is. You'll have to be ready at all times for an attack when you aren't at camp, and there will be times when you won't have easy access to water, which brings us to our first lessons, sensing and locating water." Kyoko said, with Percy giving her a deadpan look in response.
"I don't think I need help locating water. OW!" Percy winced when Kyoko smacked him with the stick.
"Don't interrupt." Kyoko said, while pointing the stick at him threateningly, before she started drawing kanji on the ground, along with an Ancient Greek translation under each of them.
"Now then, before you can try and manipulate water, you have to know the basic principles of it. When I first started my training, my father taught me there are five main elements used in Jutsu; Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water. There are also sub-elements, like my Wood Style, that combine two or more of the main elements together; in the case of Wood Style, it's Water and Earth. Most Ninja can only use one or two elements, but powerful ones, like my father, can use all five. Though while the elements are strong individually, they're also weak to each other; Fire beats Wind, Wind beats Lightning, Lightning beats Earth, Earth beats Water, and Water beats Fire. Certain elements can also be combined to become more powerful; for example, combing Wind and Fire will increase the Fire's power. You still following?" Kyoko said, while looking at Percy, who nodded slowly, though not sure what all this had to do with him learning to control water.
It also kind of reminded him of the "Avatar" series, with all the talk of the elements.
"Alright, now learning to use the elements is difficult and requires weeks, if not months or years, of training in order to successfully transform your Chakra into Elemental Chakra. Luckily, you don't need to do that, given you don't have Chakra and simply do it instinctively. But you also limit yourself in that you need to be near a water source to use your powers." Kyoko said.
"How exactly is that a limit?" Percy questioned.
"One of the strongest Water Jutsu users in my world could create water from the air, while being in the middle of a desert." Stated Kyoko, shocking Percy.
While Madara hated Tobirama Senju for killing his last living brother, he also knew the man had unrivalled control over water.
"Percy, there is water everywhere around you, in the air, in the ground, plants, even inside people. You simply need to be able to feel it and learn to use it. Do that, and you'll always have a weapon, no matter where you are." Kyoko said.
*End Flashback*
After that, she had begun teaching Percy to sense and feel the water around him in the air and the ground. When he was able to do that, she began teaching him to pull water out of them. The demigod showed to be a natural, as it wasn't long until he could pull large amounts of water from the air and ground. After that, she had Percy work on manipulating it into different shapes, to gain better control over it. She also got him started on controlling the temperature of the water to make it either boil or freeze.
Unfortunately, while he showed to be a natural at controlling water, the same couldn't be said for Quake Manipulation. At most Percy could cause small, barely noticeable, tremors; before accidentally causing a large one, that scared a good portion of the camp at the sudden quake. After that, they agreed that Quake Manipulation was too advanced for him at the moment and decided to focus on what he could do.
For Kyoko, it also felt nice training someone, along with getting to better know her cousin.
Currently, Kyoko was in her cabin watching "Hellsing Ultimate".
'I wonder if Vampires are real.' Kyoko thought.
She knew about Empousa in Greek and Roman Mythology, that are one of the basis for modern day vampires. But Kyoko always wondered what else was real, or if any of the other Pantheons exist. After all, if the Greek Pantheon is real, then what about other gods or other Supernatural aspects?
This is what Kyoko really wanted to find out during the times she leaves camp, to see what else is real, but only passed off as myths.
Pushing those thoughts aside for now, Kyoko focused back on the show, specifically Alucard's dual guns, Casull & Jackal.
'Wonder if I could get the Hephaestus Cabin to build guns like Casull & Jackal, or maybe Ebony & Ivory from "Devil May Cry"; maybe Blue Rose and Red Queen too.' Kyoko wondered, having dozens of ideas for weapons and armor from various anime and video games.
She was thankfully still on good terms with Charles and a few other children of Hephaestus, despite being Hera's daughter. Which was good, as she asked Charles for help building a special project before she was claimed, and he had informed her yesterday that they were almost ready.
Kyoko was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a knocking on her bedroom door. Going over, Kyoko opened it and saw Annabeth standing there.
"Yeah?" Kyoko asked, wondering why Annabeth was here, given they didn't have a lesson today.
"Chiron and Mr. D want to see you and Percy at the Big House. Grover's already getting Percy and I was sent to get you." Annabeth said, with Kyoko tilting her head, confused as to why they were needed.
Nodding, Kyoko exited her cabin and followed Annabeth to the Big House.
Looking up at the sky, Kyoko saw dark grey storm clouds overhead, it looked like a storm was brewing, even worse than the one when Percy and Grover showed up at camp.
"So, wanna tell me what exactly your problem with Percy is?" Kyoko asked, having noticed that ever since the claiming, Annabeth has gotten more annoyed with Percy than usual and would hear her muttering to herself.
"It's simply the way things are, our parents have been rivals ever since my mom was made the patron deity of Athens and Poseidon brought his girlfriend into my mom's temple." Annabeth stated, as if that explained everything, with Kyoko scoffing at her words; both at how childish it was and because she knew what really happened with Medusa.
A priestess of Athena who Poseidon tried seducing and when that failed, he raped her in Athena's temple. And rather than comforting her priestess, Athena turned her into a monster.
"And because of that, Percy should pay for his father's sins? How wise of you Annabeth." Kyoko said sarcastically, with Annabeth blushing in embarrassment, since hearing Kyoko say it like that did make it seem childish.
"If you don't want to get along with Percy, then fine, don't. But don't let it be because of some rivalry between your parents. Especially since it happened thousands of years ago." Kyoko said.
If the demigods judged each other for the crimes their parents committed against each other, then they'd all be at each other's throats.
"Fine, I get it. I'll make my own opinion of the Seaweed Brain." Annabeth conceded, seeing Kyoko's points.
"There's hope for you yet, Annie." Kyoko cooed, while petting Annabeth's head, with the Daughter of Athena swatting her hand away.
"Don't call me Annie and don't pet me, or I swear I'll take away your anime." Annabeth threatened.
"You wouldn't dare!" Kyoko hissed.
"Oh, I dare." Said Annabeth gravely.
After a few moments of the two staring each other down, Kyoko crossed her arms and pouted as they continued towards the Big House.
They soon arrived with Kyoko seeing Percy and Grover were already present.
"Well, well, here's our other little celebrity." Mr. D said, without looking up from his cards.
"Nice to see you too, Donna." Kyoko retorted, with Mr. D looking up briefly to give her a scathing look.
"Hmph, well don't expect me to kowtow to you two, mortals, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father or that the Preening Peacock is your mother." Mr. D said.
A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.
"Blah, blah, blah." Said Mr. D, not at all intimidated.
Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. While Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.
"If I had my way, I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. Sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm." Mr. D said, while looking like he was considering doing just that.
"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D." Chiron chided.
"Nonsense." Mr. D said, looking at Kyoko and Percy with glowing purple eyes.
"The Brats wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself. I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin and a peacock, before sending you back to your parents."
"Mr. D-" Chiron warned.
"Oh, all right, There's one more option. But it's deadly foolish." Mr. D stated, standing up as the playing cards dropped.
"I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy and girl are still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose and her into a peacock, or maybe a cow. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, Kyoko Uchiha, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do." Mr. D said.
Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. A credit card? No. A security pass.
He snapped his fingers and the air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a gust of wind, then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.
"Sit, Percy, Kyoko please. And Grover." Chiron said smiling, while laying his cards on the table, showing it was a winning hand.
"Tell me you two, what did you think of the hellhounds?" Chiron asked.
Kyoko noticed Percy shiver at the mention of the monsters.
"It scared me, if you hadn't shot it, and if Kyoko hadn't killed the second one, I'd be dead." Percy admitted, with Kyoko shrugging.
"Meh, they were overgrown mutts." Kyoko said, having seen and killed scarier things than Hellhounds in the Elemental Nations.
"Well, you'll both meet worse. Far worse, before you're done." Chiron said lowly.
"Done… with what?" Percy asked.
"You're sending us on a quest." Guessed Kyoko, with Chiron nodding in confirmation.
"Yes. Will you both accept?" Chiron asked, while looking between the two.
"But you haven't told us what it is, sir." Stated Percy, since he didn't even know what the goal of the quest would be.
"Well, that's the hard part, the details." Chiron said slowly with a grimace.
Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. As far as they could see, the sky and the sea were boiling together.
That's when it clicked for Kyoko; why her mother claimed her, why Poseidon claimed Percy, and why it seemed like the sea and the sky looked ready to tear each other apart.
"Something was stolen, a weapon, wasn't it? That's why they're fighting." Kyoko stated, with Percy nodding in agreement, having come to the same conclusion.
"How did you two know that?" Chiron asked.
"The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft. And... I've also been having these dreams." Percy admitted.
"I knew it!" Grover said excitedly.
"Hush satyr." Ordered Chiron.
"But it is their quest! It has to be!" Said Grover.
"Only the Oracle can determine it." Chiron reminded, while stroking his beard.
"Nevertheless, you're both correct. Your father, Percy, and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt." Chiron revealed.
"A what?" Percy asked with a nervous laugh, though no one else laughed.
"A lightning bolt Percy, the Lightning Bolt. Our dear uncle's Symbol of Power, rivalled only by your father's Trident and Hades' Helm of Darkness. Their weapons created when they first overthrew the Titans, forged by the Cyclops, Brontes, to be even more powerful than our grandfather's Scythe." Kyoko said, with Chiron nodding gravely.
"She's right Percy. I'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag that you'd see in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives." Said Chiron.
"Oh." Percy muttered with wide eyes.
"Zeus's Master Bolt, the symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the Master Bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers." Said Chiron gravely, knowing in the wrong hands the Master Bolt could bring untold amounts of destruction.
"And it's missing?" Percy asked.
"Stolen actually." Said Kyoko.
"By who?" Questioned Percy.
"By whom?" Chiron corrected out of habit, before pointing to them.
"By you two."
Percy's mouth fell open, while Kyoko scoffed at the accusation.
"At least, that's what Zeus thinks. During the Winter Solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: Mother Rhea always liked you best, air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters, etcetera. Afterwards, Zeus realized his Master Bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another gods symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."
"But I didn't-"
"Patience and listen, child; Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the Master Bolt and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. So, Zeus believes he has found his thief." Chiron said.
"And what about me? I wasn't even in this dimension." Kyoko said, with Chiron clearing his throat, seeing her point, but he doubt Zeus would.
"Yes well, given the fact you are the child of his wife, something that has never happened before, along with Hera's part in the first Olympian Riot, where she helped imprison Zeus. It isn't that hard to believe he blames you as well, especially given you are from the Elemental Nations." Chiron said, with Kyoko making a "Tsk" sound.
"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!" Percy said, given he hasn't even known about all this for even a month yet.
Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds didn't seem to be parting around them, as Grover had promised. They were rolling straight over the valley, sealing them in like a coffin lid.
"Er, Percy… we don't use the c-word to describe the Lord of the Sky." Grover said nervously.
'Yeah, how about egotistical, power-hungry, arrogant, hypocritical, and a giant prick.' Kyoko listed mentally.
"Perhaps paranoid, then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam…" Chiron trailed off looking at Percy, as if expecting him to remember the answer.
"Something about a golden net? Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods . . . they, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?" Percy guessed.
That's the one good thing Kyoko admired about the ones who stood against Zeus and tried getting him to be a better ruler. The only problem was that they didn't leave him in a more secure location, where no one could free him, and afterwards, they just spent all their time arguing with each other.
"Correct, and Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since and after your claiming Kyoko, he has even less reason to trust Poseidon or Hera. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you both have come along—the proverbial last straw." Said Chiron.
"But I'm just a kid without any training at the time this happened!" Percy argued, since he would have had to be very sneaky to somehow get into Olympus without anyone noticing.
He'd be lucky to sneak up on a deaf person.
"Percy, if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II. That he's fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you, and not only that, but to learn your wife also cheated you and sired a demigod. Wouldn't that put a twist in your toga?" Grover asked, with Kyoko finally having enough.
"Okay, I'm going to stop you right there." Kyoko said, standing up and silencing everyone with a glare.
"You say Zeus is throwing a hissy fit because Poseidon broke the oath, well that just makes him a giant hypocrite, because correct if I'm wrong, but isn't that right there proof that he broke the oath first." Kyoko said, pointing to the Pine Tree at the camps border, the same one that Zeus turned his daughter Thalia into.
Grover and Annabeth both flinched at the mention of their friend.
"As for my mom cheating on him, one time I might add, that makes him an even bigger hypocrite! As how many times did he cheat on her?! How many demigods did he sire?! If anything, they have every right to be pissed off and want him gone!" Kyoko said angrily, with her Mangekyo Sharingan activating unconsciously.
She refused to have the poster boy for hypocrisy be defended, when he has given her mother and Poseidon a thousand reasons to want to see him dethroned.
"Kyoko! Enough!" Chiron said loudly, surprising Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, given they've never seen Chiron shout.
After a few minutes, Kyoko sat down with her arms crossed.
"…Poseidon, my dad, he didn't really have the Master Bolt stolen, did he?" Percy asked, with Chiron sighing, while rubbing his forehead.
"Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera, Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the Master Bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?" Chiron asked.
"Bad?" Guessed Percy.
"Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight."
"Bad." Percy repeated.
"And you, Percy Jackson and Kyoko Uchiha, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath." Chiron said gravely.
'Like our parents would let that happen.' Kyoko thought, given Hera and Poseidon were still at full strength, while Zeus's power was greatly diminished without his weapon.
It started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.
"So, we have to find the stupid bolt and return it to Zeus." Percy said angrily.
"What better peace offering than to have the Son of Poseidon and Daughter of Hera return Zeus's property?" Asked Chiron.
"Yeah, and then turn us to ash as a thank you." Kyoko muttered sarcastically.
"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?" Percy asked.
"I believe I know. Part of a prophecy I had years ago... well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle." Chiron said grimly.
"Why can't you tell us where the bolt is beforehand?" Percy asked annoyed that everything had to be riddle and just wished for a straight answer.
"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge." Chiron stated.
"We're already marked for death if we don't return his precious toy, what would it matter if we're afraid." Retorted Kyoko.
"You agree then?" Questioned Chiron.
Percy looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly. Easy for him, he's not the one at risk of being killed by Zeus.
"All right, better than being turned into animals." Percy said.
"I'll go, but only so I can hopefully fight some strong monsters." Added Kyoko.
"Then its time you consulted the Oracle. Go upstairs, you two, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more." Said Chiron.
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." Kyoko said sarcastically, with a deadpan expression.
Getting up, the two demigods entered the Big House with Percy looking at Kyoko.
"Hey, what was that from before and pointing at the Pine Tree?" Percy asked, not knowing about Thalia.
"It's not really my place to tell. But that Pine Tree, it powers the barrier that surrounds the camp and keeps the monsters out. It also wasn't always a Pine Tree, her name is Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus, our cousin." Kyoko revealed, with Percy looking at her in shock that Zeus also broke the Oath of the Big Three, though something Kyoko said caught his attention.
"'Is'? But, if she's that tree, then isn't she… you know…" Percy said nervously, not wanting to actually say it, with Kyoko chuckling lightly.
"She's not dead, she's just trapped in the tree. Think of it like Limbo, you're not dead, but you're not alive either, you're just… stuck." Kyoko said, while frowning at the end, with Percy nodding slowly as they ascended the stairs, still confused about one thing.
"How do you know that?" Percy asked.
Kyoko smirked as she remembered how she discovered that during her second month at camp.
*Flashback*
'I swear, Annabeth must be a Legacy of Deimos or Phobos.' Kyoko thought with a haunted look in her eyes.
She had just left the infirmary after having a couple of Apollo's kids heal her mind of that… horror Annabeth made her watch with her Sharingan. Kyoko didn't think it'd be a problem, using her Sharingan to better memorize all the lessons to help speed them up and get back to training.
Obviously, Annabeth didn't have the same opinion given what she forced Kyoko to watch afterwards, tricking her into believing it was part of her lesson. The moment it started, Kyoko hadn't been able to look away or turn off her Sharingan, it was like watching a train crash, it was so horrible to watch but you just couldn't look away.
After it finally ended, Kyoko was sure she blacked out and woke up in the infirmary with her mind being healed by some of Apollo's kids. The terrifying part was Annabeth had just been standing in the corner, watching with a blank expression, but Kyoko swore she saw a gleam in her eyes.
Kyoko swore she wouldn't ever use her Sharingan during her lessons with Annabeth again, she didn't need to be scarred anymore, than she already was.
Exiting the Big House, Kyoko soon found her way to the large Pine Tree on Half-Blood Hill by the camp entrance. Looking at the tree, Kyoko brushed her palm against it.
'What are you?' Kyoko wondered.
Ever since her father implanted Hashirama's cells into her, Kyoko had gained a strong connection to nature and even stronger sensing abilities. She could sense every form of plant life, from blades of grass to trees, she also found out that if she channeled her Chakra into plants, she could make them healthier and live longer, along with healing them.
After coming to Earth and entering Camp Half-Blood, she had managed to get a feel for Dryads, allowing her to feel where the Dryads were and what trees housed them. It was interesting, being able to "feel" living creatures within the trees.
But this one, when she had first entered camp and saw it, she had felt there was something different about it, it felt like the tree itself was alive. Kyoko knew the tree was connected to the barrier that kept monsters out of camp, but that was it. She had tried asking some of the other campers, but they clamped up and made some excuse to get away. It only made Kyoko more curious of just what this tree was.
Sitting against the tree, Kyoko closed her eyes hoping to get a better idea of figuring out what, or perhaps who, this tree is.
*Limbo*
Opening her eyes, Kyoko blinked in confusion when she saw she was still in camp, only everything seemed… empty.
Standing up, Kyoko looked around and frowned when she didn't see anyone or hear anything, not even the wind.
'I can't sense anything either.' Kyoko thought.
Suddenly, Kyoko heard a banging sound coming from one of the cabins. Curious of who else could be here, Kyoko followed the sound that grew louder the closer she got, finally pinpointing the sound as coming from Cabin One, Zeus's Cabin.
Normally, Kyoko wouldn't risk entering another god's cabin, especially her step-fathers as there's no doubt she'd be turned to ash before she could even put a foot through the doorway. But after thinking about it, she came to a conclusion of where she was, it was likely she's in some form of limbo within the tree and had nothing to worry about entering the cabins.
Kyoko was immediately pulled from her thoughts when she heard a loud crash in the cabin, making her jump slightly.
'Okay, not sure if whoever or whatever is in there is friendly. Really wish I had my weapons.' Kyoko thought, since she didn't feel any of her weapon pouches or her weapon scrolls on her.
Taking a deep breath, Kyoko stepped forward and pushed open the large bronze doors, not sure what to expect, but ready for a fight. Though who she saw wasn't what Kyoko expected.
It was a girl her age, perhaps a year or two older, spiky black hair to went down to just above her shoulders, a spray of freckles across her nose and cheeks, electric blue eyes, and wearing punk style clothing.
'She is… oh wow.' Kyoko thought, while blushing lightly at seeing the very pretty girl.
The girl looked at her in shock and… hope? Kyoko wasn't sure if she read the latter emotion right, but after thinking about it, Kyoko guessed she's been here a long time and believed she was here to help her. Kyoko also found the source of the loud crash when she saw the ten-foot-tall statue of Zeus had been tipped over.
"Wh-who are you?" The girl asked, her voice sounding a little scratchy and hoarse, though it also sounded soft, which made her look more beautiful to Kyoko.
"My names Kyoko Uchiha. Who are you?" Kyoko asked, wanting to know who this was and whose demigod she was.
"Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus." Introduced Thalia while scowling, with Kyoko's eyes widening at hearing that.
'Oh… shit.' Kyoko thought, since if that's true, then that means Zeus broke the Oath of the Big Three.
That'd also explain why her mother had gone to the Elemental Nations, Kyoko hadn't been told the full details, only that she wanted to give her husband a taste of his own medicine.
"How long have you been here?" Kyoko asked, with Thalia looking like she was thinking it over for a few moments before shrugging.
"Who knows, a couple years maybe, three or four is my best guess." Said Thalia, since she didn't really have a way to tell time here.
"W-what about you, wh-who's kid are you?" Thalia questioned, while mentally scolding herself for the stutter.
Though it was understandable, given how longs it's been since she had any human contact, but during her time on the run after leaving home, she learned quickly not to show any weakness. It was only after meeting Luke, Annabeth, and Grover she started letting her guard down, if only a little since she still kept herself guarded.
"Don't know, only that it's my mom and she brought me here after my dad passed away." Kyoko said, while sitting down next to Thalia, prompting her to do the same.
She didn't tell Thalia that her mother was Hera, given the fact her mother didn't have the best track record when it came to Zeus's affairs and illegitimate children.
"Anyway, I came here after sensing something strange about the Pine Tree, next thing I knew I ended up here. Now seeing that you're stuck here by yourself, I could come here every now and then to keep you company." Kyoko said, while smiling at Thalia, who returned the smile.
"Yeah, I'd really like that." Replied Thalia, thankful and relieved at finally having someone to talk to, besides herself and shouting at her father's statue.
She couldn't even leave the camps border and was limited to just exploring the cabins. Honestly, the worst part isn't even the part of her being trapped in a tree, it was the sheer loneliness and silence that drove her crazy. Now she finally had someone to talk to and learn about what's happened.
"By the way, have you met any campers named Annabeth and Luke, or a satyr named Grover?" Thalia asked, wanting to know if her friends managed to reach camp safely.
"I've met both Luke and Annabeth, haven't seen or heard of anyone named Grover though, though he's probably on an assignment from Chiron." Kyoko said, making Thalia feel relieved that her friends were at camp and her sacrifice wasn't in vain.
"That's good. How are they?" Asked Thalia, wanting to know how they have been since she was turned into a tree.
"They're good from what I've seen, Luke is the Hermes Cabin's counselor and Annabeth is the counselor for the Athena Cabin, I'm also pretty sure she's secretly a sadist." Kyoko said, with Thalia giving her a disbelieving look, doubting that Annabeth could have a mean bone in her.
Seeing her look, Kyoko sighed and told Thalia exactly what Annabeth made her watch after she tried cheating on her history lessons. After hearing it, Thalia's expression turned to one of shock and horror.
"I don't know whether to be proud or terrified." Muttered Thalia, having a hard time believing the plucky seven-year-old she remembered could do something so… evil.
"So, how exactly did you get stuck here?" Kyoko asked, changing the subject to a less scarring one.
Shrugging, Thalia told Kyoko of how she ran away from home and met Annabeth, Luke, and Grover, everything they had been through together, being chased by monsters sent by Hades in retaliation for Zeus breaking the oath, and how she sacrificed herself so her friends could escape, but before she died, her father turned her into a tree to save her and now she's stuck here in limbo. Kyoko in turn told Thalia of how she was born in another world, about Chakra, and her training with her father, and her mother bringing her here, even activating her Sharingan to prove it.
"Wow, hard to believe there are other worlds." Thalia said, since even knowing the gods are real along with all the legends and myths about them, to meet a demigod from another world was shocking and awe-inspiring.
The Uchiha chuckled at her expression, making Thalia gain an embarrassed blush. Punching Kyoko in the arm only made the Ninja laugh louder, with Thalia glaring at her with a red face. It didn't really effect Kyoko, plus she thought it made Thalia look cute.
"Well, I should probably be going, the others might come looking for me if I'm gone too long." Kyoko said while standing up, with Thalia nodding sadly, since she had finally gotten someone to talk to, and now they're leaving.
"Hey, don't worry. I'd said I'll come back and I will." Assured Kyoko, with Thalia nodding with a small smile.
"I'd like that." Thalia replied, while Kyoko's body started vanishing.
Before she fully vanished, Thalia leaned forward and hugged her before quickly letting go. Kyoko was surprised by the gesture before she fully vanished.
"See you later, Kyoko." Thalia said, while smiling.
*Real World*
Opening her eyes, Kyoko found herself back in the real camp, before she stood up and smiled at Thalia's tree.
"See you next time, Thalia." Said Kyoko.
*End Flashback*
Since that day, Kyoko always made time to visit Thalia every day, usually at night where she didn't have to worry about anyone disturbing her. Kyoko had also taken to infusing Thalia's tree with her Chakra, both to keep it healthy and see if it'll eventually free Thalia from the tree, at least until Kyoko can find a much more sure way to free Thalia.
After her claiming, Kyoko had also finally told Thalia who her mother was and was prepared for her to be angry, or not want to be friends anymore. But Thalia surprised her, when she simply laughed and said it was about time someone finally gave Zeus the finger, which surprised Kyoko at how hearing Thalia say that about her father.
Then again, she guessed it was understandable, given Zeus was the one who turned Thalia into a tree, even if it was to save her, and leaving her trapped and alone for four years. Anyone would feel bitter and angry.
Thalia then told Kyoko that it didn't change anything, which relieved the Uchiha that her friend, and secret crush, didn't hate her.
She'd also told Thalia about Percy being Poseidon's son, which had surprised her that another of the Big Three broke the oath. Kyoko had also been telling Thalia of the different ways she could use her powers over wind and electricity/lightning, both from her own training to master those elements and the things she learned from anime/manga. Thalia had been very eager to try out some of the attacks Kyoko told her about, thankfully she could still use her powers even while in limbo, as it gave her something to do when Kyoko couldn't visit.
"Kyoko." Percy said, snapping his fingers in front of her face, making her blink and pulling her from her thoughts.
"What?" Said Kyoko, annoyed, and moved his hand away.
"Well, you weren't answering me and you just kind of spaced out. Anyways, how do you know Thalia is trapped in limbo?" Percy asked.
"I'll tell you another time, now come on, we're here." Said Kyoko, seeing the green trapdoor above them.
Pulling the chord caused the door to swing open and a ladder to fall down.
Climbing up, Kyoko wrinkled her nose scent of mildew, rotten wood, and snakes.
The attic was filled with Greek hero junk: armor stands covered in cobwebs; once-bright shields pitted with rust; old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying ITHAKA, CIRCES ISLE, and LAND OF THE AMAZONS. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled things—severed hairy claws, huge yellow eyes, various other parts of monsters. A dusty mounted trophy on the wall looked like a giant snakes head, but with horns and a full set of sharks teeth. The plaque read, HYDRA HEAD #1, WOODSTOCK, N.Y., 1969.
By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was the most gruesome memento of all: a mummy. Not the wrapped-in-cloth kind, but a human female body shriveled to a husk. She wore a tie-dyed sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair. The skin of her face was thin and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles; she'd been dead a long, long time.
'Yeah, cause that just doesn't scream horror film.' Kyoko thought sarcastically.
The two approached the mummy, though Percy looked like he wanted to leave immediately. Kyoko was tempted to agree with him and leave, when the mummy sat up straight and a green mist poured from the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. Then they heard the voice echo in their heads.
"I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask."
Trading uneasy expressions, Kyoko and Percy stepped forward.
"What is my destiny?" They asked at the same time.
The mist swirled more thickly, collecting right in front of them and around the table with the pickled monster-part jars. Suddenly five men appeared, Kyoko didn't recognize four of them, but she recognized the last, given the fact it was her own father.
Looking at Percy, she saw him clenching his hands, showing he knew who the other men were and clearly didn't like them. They then all looked at them and started speaking in the Oracles voice.
"You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.
You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.
You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.
And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.
The queen's daughter shall return the symbol of darkness at the cost of deteriorating her light."
With that, the figures dissolved into green mist and returned to the mummy's mouth.
"Wait! What do you mean? What friend? What will I fail to save?" Percy questioned, but he didn't receive an answer.
Seeing him worrying over his part of the prophecy, Kyoko put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry so much, nothing's set in stone, and besides, if you worry too much about what might happen in the future, you'll lose sight of what's in front of you." Kyoko said, with Percy nodding slowly.
"Well, at least your part is easy enough to figure out." Percy said, while Kyoko nodded with a frown.
"Yeah, but it also means things are worse than we thought, especially if the Helm of Darkness has been stolen as well." Said Kyoko.
*Later*
"Well?" Chiron asked them once they had come out of the Big House.
"She said we would retrieve what was stolen." Percy said, while slumping down into the pinochle table.
"That's great!" Said Grover as he chewed on the remains of a Diet Coke can.
"What did the Oracle say exactly? This is important." Chiron stressed, knowing prophecies can be interpreted in many different ways, depending on the wording.
"She said we would go west and face a god who had turned. We would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned." Percy said.
"Anything else?" Asked Chiron, with Percy hesitating for a moment.
"No, that's about it." Percy said.
Kyoko didn't say anything about Percy keeping part of the prophecy to himself, given she's sure it was private and given he didn't have many friends at camp, he didn't want to be on edge by tipping off a potential traitor.
"Very well. From what you say of the prophecy, there can only be one god who the Oracle is referring to. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken." Chiron said, with Kyoko rolling her eyes, since that hinting was about as subtle as a flying hammer.
"Hades." Stated Percy, knowing that they were wrong, given Kyoko's part of the prophecy.
"The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility." Said Chiron.
"It's not Hades. He's missing something too." Kyoko said, cutting into the conversation.
"What do you mean?" Asked Annabeth, speaking for the first time after having sat silently and simply observed.
"Simple my part of the prophecy was basically that I would return the Helm of Darkness to Hades." Said Kyoko, surprising the others at hearing this.
"Then why didn't he ever say anything, that's two Symbols of Power that have been stolen." Annabeth said, since if it was revealed two of the Big Three had their prized weapons stolen, it'd push them even further to try and find the thief.
"Well let's see, he's feared by his entire family, was sent to the Underworld alone with only the dead keeping him company, is only allowed on Olympus during the Winter Solstice, and frankly has never been given a reason to trust anyone. Now ask yourself Annabeth, if you were Hades, would you trust anyone enough to tell them your Symbol of Power was stolen, or simply try and find it yourself?" Kyoko questioned, with Annabeth looking away, seeing her point.
"That would explain the Fury that attacked Percy." Chiron said in realization, Hades must believe that Percy is responsible for stealing the Master Bolt and his Helm of Darkness.
"Still, it would be best if you still travelled to the Underworld. While Hades may not be the thief, you might still find some answers as to the true culprit." Chiron said, with Percy groaning as he covered his face.
"So, let me get this straight, we're supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead." Percy said.
"Check." Said Chiron.
"Find two of the most powerful weapons in the universe."
"Check." Annabeth said.
"And get them back before the summer solstice, in ten days."
"Sound about right." Said Kyoko dully.
"Awesome." Muttered Percy, before looking at Grover, who looked incredibly nervous and afraid.
"You don't have to go. I won't ask that of you." Percy said, not wanting to put his friend in danger.
"No… it's just that satyrs and underground places… well… You saved my life, Percy. If . . . if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down." Grover said determined.
"All the way, G-man." Percy said in relief, before looking at Chiron.
"So, where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west." Said Percy, once again annoyed at the vagueness.
"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America." Chiron said.
"And right now, it's in the City of Angels." Added a smirking Kyoko.
"Los Angeles? Of course, it is. Anything else?" Percy asked.
"Yes, normally only three people go on a quest, but given you both have parts to play, you'll be allowed two companions." Chiron said.
"Gee, who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?" Percy said, feigning ignorance while looking at Annabeth, who smirked.
"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain. Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up. And to keep Kyoko from causing too much destruction." Annabeth said, giving Kyoko a deadpan look, with the Uchiha having a mock hurt expression.
"Annie, I'm hurt when have I ever…"
"They're still rebuilding the Climbing Wall after you knocked it down." Stated Annabeth with a deadpan expression.
"…The lava ruined my 'Akame Ga Kill' shirt." Kyoko muttered in her defense.
"I suppose you have a plan, wise girl?" Percy asked, getting back on topic, while mentally swearing to never mess up any of Kyoko's clothes.
"Do you want my help or not?" Retorted Annabeth.
"Okay, we got our team. What next?" Questioned Kyoko, while looking at Chiron.
"This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own." Chiron replied.
Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.
"No time to waste, I think you should all get packing." Said Chiron, knowing their time limit just started.
*Later*
After leaving the Big House, Kyoko had stopped by Thalia's tree to fill her in on everything that happened, the quest, the prophecy, and that the Helm of Darkness had also been stolen. Thalia had been worried of how bad things have already gotten between her father and uncle, and knew if the Master Bolt wasn't returned soon, it'd only get worse. She was also annoyed that she couldn't do anything to help from in the tree and could simply wish Kyoko luck.
Kyoko had then returned to her cabin and began packing her supplies, weapons, ambrosia, change of clothes, along with some mortal money and drachmae, having found a drawer in her closet had also been stocked with plenty of money from different countries.
'Mom really thinks of everything, doesn't she.' Kyoko thought, while sealing her scrolls away into the seals on her wrists.
She then went to get changed but stopped to look at another scroll.
'Should I really take these with me?' Wondered Kyoko, as she picked up the scroll and immediately, she heard the whisper.
Even while sealed away, the blade still called out to her. Though it wasn't just one blade, these were her prized weapons that her father gave her before he passed away, and they were unlike any swords she's ever seen. Even in all the stories and legends her mother told her of weapons wielded by heroes, these ones were still unlike any other.
But that's also what made them the most dangerous, since in order to wield one of them, you must wield the other to counterbalance it. And while one of them was something Kyoko would have no problem with, it was the second blade that caused her problems.
She didn't want to risk using them, especially if she lost control of the blade's curse and attacked her friends.
'Then again, the prophecy said we'd face a god who had turned. And while it may not be Hades, there's still a chance we'll be forced to fight a god and if that's true, I can't risk not being prepared.' Kyoko thought, before sealing the scroll away as well.
She's just thankful she made sure the blade's thirst was thoroughly sated, before coming to Earth.
With that done, Kyoko changed into civilian attire, consisting of a "Bleach" shirt showing Ichigo in his Bankai form while half his body was his inner Hollow, a black hoodie with red flames along the bottom and cuffs with the Uchiha symbol on the right side and on the back, navy blue jeans, and black shoes showing Majin Vegeta with the words "I clawed my way out of hell" on them.
Now finished, Kyoko exited her cabin and made her way to Half-Blood Hill.
Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Chiron, and Argus were already there. The latter three did a double take at her attire, while Percy and Annabeth didn't react, already knowing about Kyoko's love for anime/manga, so her attire didn't surprise them that much. Grover though was surprised, given he didn't spend as much time with Kyoko as Percy and Annabeth did, only knowing her by her title and the image she portrays to the rest of the camp.
"Yo." Kyoko greeted.
"Kyoko, that's… rather interesting attire." Chiron said, knowing that Kyoko was fond of anime/manga, but didn't think it was this much.
Kyoko just shrugged; she ordered some things with her laptop, but also found the clothes in her closet were suited to her taste as well.
Before they could go, they heard footsteps. Looking, they saw Luke running towards them, carrying a pair of basketball shoes. Kyoko rolled her eyes when Annabeth blushed, like she always did when Luke showed up.
Luke stopped for a moment to look at Kyoko's outfit in surprise, before turning to Percy.
"Hey! I'm glad that I caught you." Luke said smiling.
"Just wanted to say good luck, and I thought… um, maybe you could use these." Said Luke, handing Percy the sneakers.
'Those aren't… are they?' Thought Kyoko, as she narrowed her eyes.
"Maia!" Luke said as wings sprouted from the heels of the shoes.
'They are. Just what're you planning?' Kyoko thought, while looking at Luke suspiciously.
Despite appearing friendly and cordial with Luke, Kyoko never really trusted him. While she may not have the best social skills and had limited interactions with people, she had been trained by her parents to be able to detect lies and deceit, and something about Luke always seemed fake to her. Her suspicions were only strengthened when she managed to catch Luke glaring at her and Percy when they were claimed; sporting an angry, but also calculating look in his eyes, like he was trying to figure out how they could benefit him.
This only confirms that she was right to be suspicious, as he knows Percy is a Son of Poseidon and giving him flying shoes should be sending all the wrong signals.
Kyoko was pulled from her thoughts in time to see Percy give Grover the shoes, making her nod, and be given a sword, Riptide, by Chiron.
Seeing they were all ready, they went to enter the van, but were stopped again when someone else came running towards them, this time it was Charles Beckendorf carrying a wooden box.
"Phew, I'm glad I caught you guys before you left." Beckendorf said, before holding out the box to Kyoko, who gasped in excitement.
"Are these…"
"Yep, just put the finishing touches on them. Built exactly to the designs you provided, and I have to say these are some of the best things I've built in a while." Beckendorf said, while smiling happily, since not only were they great to build, but also a challenge.
The others were curious of what exactly Kyoko asked Beckendorf to build and went to see Kyoko open the box. In the box was a set of regular black leather bracers with metal plates engraved with the Uchiha Clan symbol with peacock feathers sprouting from the top.
At first, they didn't see what was so special about them, until Kyoko picked one up and revealed a complex mechanism on the bottom part of the bracers. Slipping the bracers on her wrists and tightening them, Kyoko flicked her wrists causing six-inch blades to pop out of the bracers, surprising them.
"You built Hidden Blades." Percy said in amazement at seeing the trademark weapons of the Assassin's Creed series.
"Built them and improved them. The blades are made from Celestial Bronze and that metal you gave me Kyoko. They also include the dart launcher, the hidden gun, the pivot blade to rotate the blades and use them like daggers, and one side is serrated, perfect for skinning and hunting." Beckendorf listed, while Kyoko was giddy with excitement, testing out the pivot blade function.
These were the perfect weapons for an Assassin, or a Ninja. They were easily hidden and could be used to kill someone before they even realized what happened, plus she could load sleep darts, poison darts, or berserk darts. And the hidden gun would be a surprise attack for a long-range kill. Plus she had given Beckendorf some Chakra Metal to use with the Celestial Bronze, allowing her to channel her Chakra into them for additional strength.
"Thank you Beckendorf, these are better than I could have imagined." Kyoko said as the blades returned to their sheathes, with Beckendorf waving it off.
"No thanks are needed, it was great working on those. If you ever needed anything else built, you know where to find me. And good luck on the quest guys." Beckendorf said, while waving as he returned to his cabin.
"Alright, let's get the movie on the street!" Kyoko said, while getting in the van.
"Show on the road." Annabeth corrected, with Kyoko's head popping out with a sheepish grin.
"That too!"
So, what did you think, good. Yep Kyoko is helping Percy become much stronger at manipulating water and showing him new ways to use it, along with getting several ideas for weapons and armor. We also see her not willing to let Zeus be defended and her mother be talked down about along with her part of the prophecy revealing the Helm of Darkness being stolen clearing Hades name of being the thief. We also got to see Kyoko meet Thalia within her tree and the promise of visiting her, not to mention infusing her Chakra into the tree (which may come into play once Thalia is freed). Finally we get to see hints of Kyoko's prized blades given to her by Madara, which will be revealed later but feel free to anyone who can guess what the swords are, along with seeing Kyoko has her suspicions of Luke along with getting her own Hidden Blades that she commissioned. Now Kyoko, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover have begun their quest to retrieve the Master Bolt and the Helm of Darkness before the Summer Solstice. So, review if you liked go away if you didn't.
Storm out