Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter.

Consul of the Underworld: Grinding Phase

Chapter Twenty Four: Japanese Emergency

Beta: ShadowofAxios

Alkaid sat at her writing desk in her room in the Big House and looked through Camp's mail, one of the many less pleasant but necessary duties that she had to carry out as its Assistant Activities Director.

"Bill, bill," Alkaid said as she sorted the aforementioned bills into a pile to make payment later. "Bill, and what's this?"

The out of place letter had a cream envelope with a beautiful border of sakura petals and was addressed directly to her.

"Hmm... I wonder who this is from," the daughter of Hades hummed curiously. "Guess I should check it out."

Reaching over to a letter opener she'd had at the ready on the table, she used it to elegantly cut the envelope open to reveal a folded piece of sakura scented lined paper with a beautiful watermark that Alkaid recognized as the magic circle of the Sorceress Supreme.

Not that there was any doubt who the letter was from what with the recurring sakura theme it had going for it.

Shaking her head at the excessive theming - and including it in stationery to such a degree was definitely excessive - Alkaid began reading the letter. As she did however, she couldn't help but frown.

"She wants me to go to Japan?" The sorceress asked incredulously. "Even if this splinter group of her disciples she's talking about has aligned themselves with Kronos, expecting me to fly over just to deal with them is too much."

And that was not even considering all the work the daughter of Hades currently had on her plate. She was far too busy assisting the Camp with rebuilding in the aftermath of the Battle of Zeus' Fist. That was in addition to planning the Campers' increasingly dangerous missions in the ever escalating war. Of note was the mission that she'd been working on for the past week: a planned assault on the repaired Princess Andromeda. With all that work, she simply did not have the time to travel to Japan to deal with a bunch of renegade magicians.

Tapping the letter on the desk, her lips formed a frown as she pondered what to do.

"You should accept," Mr. D's voice said from behind her.

Spinning around, she found the god seated on one of the chairs she'd set up alongside a small table next to a window that she occasionally used as a dining area when she didn't feel like going down to the Dining Pavilion.

"And why is that?" Alkaid asked curiously. It was odd enough for the Camp Director to just appear in her room uninvited, but to also make such a leading suggestion on what she should do? That was unprecedented.

"Actually, you must go," the god of wine insisted, conveniently evading her question. "The gods demand it."

"Again, I ask why." Alkaid repeated. She wasn't about to act without at least some answers.

"Most just go do whatever we want when we tell them to." Mr. D said with a sigh. "Though I guess someone in your position does deserve a little more leeway."

"I'm so glad that my years of service has earned me that much," Alkaid shot back sarcastically.

"Ah, good flowery words. Now onto why, simply put we got a demand from a power that cannot be ignored."

"Demands don't sound like something Sakura would do," Alkaid pointed out thoughtfully. "Even her letter was phrased more like a request than anything."

"Oh, it isn't Miss All Powerful Immortal Sorceress." Mr. D said with a snort. "That girl, for all her power, is too nice."

"Who then?"

"I'm afraid, Alkaid, you haven't quite earned the privilege to know that." Mr. D informed her as he stood. "Though I'm sure you'll find out soon enough anyway."

With that he disappeared as quietly as he'd arrived.

"Now I have to pack."

Teleporting to Sakura's mansion in Tomoeda, Japan was quite the experience for Alkaid. Not only was it an intercontinental teleport, which was always a little draining, but it also involved travelling through more wards than she was sure were active on Mount Olympus outside of a war. Thankfully they were expected guests so the wards didn't deliver them to whatever dark fate they had in store for intruders, but the feeling of power that the sorceress felt as she passed them by gave her goosebumps.

"So we're here," Pyrrha said as she surveyed the traditional Japanese garden they found themselves in. "Where do we go now?"

"Yes we are." Alkaid smiled as she looked around. They were just by the front gate and Alkaid could see that just beyond it lay a town that was saturated with magic. More so than any place she'd ever been to before outside of mythic realms like the Underworld. A part of her wanted nothing more then to go exploring.

It must have shown on her face because Pyrrha tugged on her arm.

"Come on, we don't have time for sightseeing. We should get this done and then head back to Camp ASAP."

"Yes, of course." Alkaid cleared her throat, feeling flushed at her wanderlust getting the best of her.

"Ah, Potter-sama and Potter-sama," a pretty maid greeted them in flawless English and a bow from the porch of the traditional Japanese mansion that the garden surrounded. "We have been expecting you."

Remembering what she'd read of Japanese manners, Alkaid quickly returned the bow which caused Pyrrha to follow suit.

"Thank you."

"If you would be so kind, please follow me." The maid said as she opened the door to the building and gestured for the two demigods to proceed inside. "Sakura-sama has certainly already sensed your arrival and should be waiting for you in the living room."

Nodding, Alkaid led Pyrrha as they followed after the maid through the surprisingly Western interior of the house to a homely living room. Contrary to the maid's assertions however Sakura was not yet there.

"It seems Sakura-sama has been delayed." The maid said with an apologetic bow. "If you two would wait a moment, I'll go see what has kept her."

"Thank you," Alkaid said, offering the young woman a smile.

Bowing once more, the maid retreated leaving the two demigods to their own devices. Pyrrha took the time to get herself settled on one of the room's sofa. For her part, Alkaid chose instead to examine the room more closely. It looked normal enough. In fact, it looked like something out of an average, if wealthy, Japanese home. Certainly not one that belonged to the Sorceress Supreme.

There was one oddity however and that was a letter lying rather innocuously on a side table. The moment she'd glanced at the letter, it had triggered her magical senses eliciting a feeling like a gentle tug that called out to her. Walking over, the brunette picked up the letter which was oddly enough written in English.

Welcome to Japan, Alkaid! And Pyrrha! Can't forget your wife now can we?

Now that you're here, we do hope you visit us soon. Hopefully without us having to apply more pressure on you to do so.

Yours truly,

The Amanos

P.S. the Seer: We've dealt with the nuisance that you call Andromeda Azalea Potter of dimension E-four-E-dash-semicolon-alpha-omicron. Honestly, how you let a failure of a heroine that let her home reality die run amuck for as long as you did is just ridiculous. Well, we've cleaned up after you. Again. So you owe us. Understand?

"Do we even want to know what that post script was?" Pyrrha arched a brow after Alkaid handed the letter to her for a read.

"I don't think so." Alkaid responded wearily as she took the letter back. "But I'm more concerned about who these Amanos are and why they insinuate that they're the ones who brought us here."

"And why they want to see us?"

"That too," Alkaid agreed with a nod.

She glanced at the letter again hoping to read it over again and gain some more insight, only to discover that it'd disappeared.

"That's creepy," Pyrrha deadpanned.

The sound of movement outside the room alerted the demigods that their hosts were about to arrive, so shaking her head Alkaid moved to stand next to her wife as she jumped to her feet.

"We can worry about whatever that was about later," Alkaid assured her wife. "Let's deal with the problem at hand first."

Pyrrha nodded in agreement just as the door to the room opened and Sakura entered. She was not alone however. Clutching tightly to her right arm was a handsome young man with spiky brown hair and brown eyes, while hanging on just as tightly to her left arm was an elegant beauty with porcelain-white skin, long, wavy, greyish-violet hair and startling purple eyes.

They must be Sakura's husband and her mistress.

Honestly, Alkaid didn't think she would be skilled enough to juggle a ménage à trois. Once more, Sakura proved to be an exceptional woman. Personally, Pyrrha was enough for her. The sorceress wasn't one for sharing. Though a mistress role play scenario was enticing… Note to self: work on that for wife.

Pyrrha herself looked stunned at the dynamic but thankfully didn't comment on it.

"Syaoran-kun, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura whined as the trio stumbled towards the two demigods. "Could you two let me go? It's difficult to walk like this."

That we're hearing this in English must mean there is a translation spell in place because I'm fairly sure Sakura won't talk to her lovers in anything other than her native Japanese.

"No," the woman, Tomoyo presumably, said firmly. "Syaoran-kun had you yesterday. Today's my turn."

"We're working now, Tomoyo-chan," the man, Syaoran obviously, shot back. "So let Sakura-chan go so we can get down to it."

"Only if you let go first!"

"I'm escorting Sakura-chan."

"Hmph! How convenient for you then."

"Enough!" Sakura said, gently pushing both her lovers away from her with a burst of magic. "If you two can't behave, in front of guests no less, then I'm sleeping in my own room tonight."

Tomoyo gasped at this. "But Sakura-chan, you promised! Tonight we were going to reenact that scene from YuriHime for my collection!"

That certainly perked Alkaid's ears. She loved that series! It had given her so many ideas about things to do in bed with Pyrrha over the years.

"And we won't get to do it unless you behave," Sakura informed her mistress firmly, her cheeks a glowing pink. "Got it?"

"Hai," the violet eyed beauty said sounding throughly chastised.

Syaoran looked smug but that only lasted until Sakura rounded on him with a firm glare.

"And you Syaoran-kun," she said her voice radiating frustration. "Today is Tomoyo's day with me. So stop trying to steal time with me on the pretext of work. Now, I'm going to let you stay for this meeting but only if you play nice, is that understood?"

"Hai," the man said, sounding just as chastised as his wife's other lover.

"Ehem," Alkaid coughed into her fist politely. "It is wonderful to see you again, Lady Sakura. Of course you know my wife, Pyrrha."

"Hello." The redhead said politely, still looking somewhat stunned at the earlier display.

"Hoe~!" Sakura cried out in dismay. "Apologies for letting you see that, Alkaid."

Tomoyo giggled while Syaoran looked embarrassed.

"It's not a problem, though a formal introduction might be in order."

"Of course," Tomoyo unexpectedly said as she stepped forward. "My name is Tomoyo Daidouji, Sakura's mistress and this gentleman is-"

"Syaoran Li," the man cut in. "Sakura's husband. And I can introduce myself."

Yes, one lover was all Alkaid wanted if this was the dysfunctionality in store when more were added into the mix. She couldn't fathom how Melinoe could handle this.

"Tomoyo-chan, Syaoran-kun, behave," Sakura warned her lovers sternly even as she gestured for everyone to sit.

Complying Alkaid sat down next to Pyrrha on the sofa the redhead had previously occupied, directly across from them in a rather cramped loveseat sat the Sorceress Supreme and her two lovers. Said immensely powerful magician sighed at her lovers' behavior but despite her words earlier didn't do anything, in fact she adjusted her position so that she ended up sitting on their laps. The ease of the action and her long suffering sigh was proof that this happened all the time for her, though the light blush she sported made it clear she wasn't exactly comfortable with that being the case.

Okay, I think I know why she finds the whole situation so embarrassing now.

"So Lady Sakura," Alkaid said, hoping to help the Sorceress Supreme along by getting down to business. "Your letter mentioned that a group of magicians from your community has gone rogue and has set out with the intent to do harm to Camp Half-Blood?"

Sakura jumped on the lifeline that the daughter of Hades offered as she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, that's right." She confirmed. "Specifically they are a cabal of magicians who have taken to the worship of Hecate and Circe, who acting on their matrons' new allegiances have decided to target your Camp."

"New allegiances?" Alkaid asked, confused. "Hecate is neutral. She's sworn on the Styx even."

"I wouldn't know." Sakura admitted with a shrug. "But Circe has most assuredly sided with Kronos and Hecate has not said anything to stop the cabal from following her lead."

Alkaid groaned at that. "That actually makes sense. They must see her staying neutral as tacit consent to proceed. Plus as the goddess of crossroads, Hecate would let them make that choice on their own."

"I defer to your greater understanding of the goddess."

"So where is this cabal holed up?" Pyrrha asked.

"They've set up a base in an abandoned village in Miyagi Prefecture," Syaoran informed them as Tomoyo leaned over to hand a piece of paper to Alkaid. "That's the village's coordinates."

"So why aren't these guys heading over to the States if they're going to fight for the Titans?" The redhead asked curiously.

"Ah, but you see they don't need to travel to America to do you harm." Sakura said with a sad smile. "They intend to assist the Titans with long-range strategic support."

"What's that supposed to mean for magicians like you?" Pyrrha asked, clearly confused.

"What Lady Sakura is saying is that the renegades intend to use long-range WMD style strategic magic."

"That and provide the Titans with scrying and other supportive magic," Syaoran added.

"Oh, that's bad." Pyrrha said rather lamely as she processed the severity of the threat these rogues posed.

"Indeed," Alkaid said, standing and prompting the others to do the same. "Which is why we need to set out immediately."

"I understand," Sakura said with a nod. "But before you go, a word of warning. One of my overzealous disciples has already set out to destroy the cabal. Be careful when dealing with her but please don't hurt her too badly if you can help it."

"But not at the expense of your own safety," Tomoyo insisted. "Angel is dangerous."

Despite looking pained, neither Sakura nor Syaoran corrected the violet eyed woman.

Angel? Wasn't she that woman we met on that mission in London? Alkaid thought with annoyance as she recalled the German strumpet.

"We understand," Alkaid said with a nod. "We'll be setting off now."

"Godspeed," Sakura said, offering the two demigods a bow that her lovers imitated.

Bowing in return, the couple departed. It was time to get the job done.

Omake: Two Girls, One Baby (FFN version)

After a magical ritual that involved much lovemaking and use of newly developed spells, Sakura looked down at her thoroughly satisfied mistress and smiled as she shared in her joy.

Tomoyo-chan's face was glowing, her smile more beautiful than anything. "I'm going to have Sakura-chan's baby. It's what I've always wanted next to you."

"And if we time it right, we'll even give birth together." Sakura said, offering her mistress a smile as she rubbed her own belly where Syaoran-kun's baby was growing and lay down next to her.

I'd have to cheat a little and put my baby in stasis for a few days but I'll manage. It's the least I can do for Tomoyo-chan.

Her own pregnancy had greatly accelerated her plans to get Tomoyo-chan pregnant, forcing her to use as complicated a process as they had instead of a more elegant magical solution the research for which had been progressing slower than expected.

But who cares about elegance. It worked and that's all that matters.

"Ne, Sakura-chan?"

"Yes, Tomo-chan?"

"You remember the Potters?"

"Yes," Sakura replied with a frown. "What about them?"

Why bring them up now?

"Well, why don't you share this ritual with Alkaid-chan? I'm sure they'd appreciate it."

"Not sure it would be necessary," Sakura confessed. "As far as I know, Alkaid-chan is actually bisexual. So an old fashioned futanari spell would be enough."

"Ah, but what about Pyrrha-chan? She's a lesbian like me isn't she? I'll bet she'll prefer this way then to having a penis in her. I know I did."

"Hm, you have a point. Who would use it on who though?" She asked with a giggle.

Tomoyo-chan tapped her chin cutely in thought. "I dunno but let them sort it out. So you'll share the ritual?"

"I'll transcribe everything down and mail a copy to Alkaid-chan by the end of the week."

"Mm! That way our children can play together." Tomoyo-chan nodded eagerly, stars in her eyes. "They'll be so cute!"

"They would," Sakura agreed with a pleasant smile.

Done and done! Thanks to Nameless and Axios as always!

Ah, Japan, where almost everything happens in Anime. It has been a long time since we visited Alkaid's true origins of magical girl-ness. Tis good to be home! And yes, Sakumoyo. OTP.

Nameless: Hope you enjoy the Omake, it's the reason why this chapter is so short. We split it just to include it. As usual, the full version will be available on AO3 posted on our NamelessEngine handle. Beyond that, all I have to say is I hope you liked the foreshadowing we did for the next couple chapters. They should hopefully lead to a nice payoff for you guys. E4E, please take it away.

You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!

SoA: Author Notes? What Author Notes?