Co-written by Engineer4Ever.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Son of the Earthshaker

VI

"It smells horrible here! How is that even possible?" Misaki asked as they walked through the stables near Crater Lake.

"Just plug your nose like I am," Zack said, his fingers firmly pinched around his nose. He looked at Naruto. "How are you not bothered by this? It's worse than the stink bombs Cameron of the Second Cohort uses in the war games."

"Who do you think deals with most of the latrine duty?" Naruto grumbled. Upside to being the son of the god of the sea, he has control over water. Would be neat, if his power wasn't mostly abused by his cohort to clean the latrines. That, and he was much better with controlling quakes, not something he's proud of, but something that's more useful, in his opinion. Plus, there wasn't a lot of water near the Fields of Mars. Wasn't like he could make a tidal wave to wipe out the opposition. That would be useful.

Misaki turned to him with her hand pinching her nose shut, giving him the best apologetic look she could muster. "You poor dear."

Naruto let a smile cross his face at the nasal voice that came out as opposed to her usual regal one. "It's not so bad. I can't really smell anything that bad anymore."

"Good for you," Zack said dryly. He pointed at the horse in the last pen. "You go talk to him and we'll wait outside."

"Good idea, and be careful. Keep an eye out for the birdbrains," Naruto said, getting a nod from both Zack and Misaki. The two vacated the stables quickly while he walked down to the stable. The horse neighed at him and snorted on his approach. Naruto looked it over with a bit of awe. The horse was massive, easily larger than the few pegasi that hung around camp. Its build was like a Clydesdale Naruto had seen on those weird adult drink commercials on television, but its coat was a striking gold, almost like his hair, and the mane was a platinum shade of yellow.

Oh joy. Another filthy brat that wants to feed me sugar cubes and stroke my muzzle. The voice was that of an older man, one who was wise but weary. Naruto furrowed his brow at the judgment.

"Wow, you do know what they say about assumptions, right?" He asked.

The horse blinked and turned his head. You...You can understand me?

"Yeah..." Naruto scratched the back of his neck. The bracer glinted in the moonlight and the large stallion straightened up.

A son of Poseidon!

Another Greek? Weird. "Neptune."

The horse seemed to ignore him as a light grew in his surprisingly dark eyes. I knew one would come, I knew! I told Xanthus to hold out, but that stubborn colt refused to listen to reason! Well, look who's "too optimistic" now, Xanthus!

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Naruto said with his hands up. "Who're you and who's Xanthus?"

The stallion looked slightly embarrassed and dipped his head down. A thousand pardons, m'lord. It's been so long since I've been near the sea that I've forgotten its scent. The horse ducked its head down in a bow. I am Balius, son of Zephyrus and brother to Xanthus, the steed of Achilles.

"Achilles...You mean that dude with the foot problem?" Naruto smirked slightly in amusement. Sure, the guy was one of Greece's greatest heroes, but c'mon. He was beaten by an arrow to the foot?

Balius snorted and shuffled. Yes, er, but he was still a hero and I'm proud to have been in his and his father's service for as long as I was. Enough of that, m'lord, it's been millennium since I've seen a demigod! Er, begging your pardon, m'lord, but I never got your name.

"Sorry, I'm Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto said. He brought his arm over his chest in a formal greeting. "Member of the Fifth Cohort, of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata."

Fulminata? A Roman? Balius asked before he went silent and shook his head. It could be worse, I suppose. I could've never been found.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked with a frown.

Balius' eyes widened. I meant no offense, M'lord! But you must understand the Roman's view on Lord Poseidon-er, Neptune and vice versa.

Naruto grimaced. "Yeah, I know their view." He shook the depressing memories off and his eyes met Balius' once more. "Whatever, so think you can do me a favor?"

M'lord, if you can get me out of this blasted stable, I'll be at your beck and call whenever you need a ride. I'll follow you back to the Legion and breed off for a cavalry!

Naruto scratched his chin. "We could use a few more stallions around...the Pegasi aren't as fertile as we'd like, but that's probably from Neptune."

M'lord is very clever, Balius noted with a nod. A lack of respect to Lord Neptune would offend him. He is the father of all equine, our Lord, and as such can determine who does and who doesn't deserve stables full of Pegasi. Pray tell, M'lord, but why don't you have a steed already? Surely, even the Romans can see that a son of Neptune would do well with a mount.

"Stop calling me that," Naruto said. He did agree with Balius on the part about him having a horse or pegasi, and his cohort had even suggested it to the Praetors. The council had denied the request, though.

Calling you what, M'lord? Balius tilted his head.

"That! M'lord!" Naruto grimaced as he said it. "I'm just a legionnaire, not a high class citizen. Titles aren't really my thing."

Balius neighed as though he were insulted. But-but you are a son of Lord Neptune, M'lord! I cannot, in good knowledge, speak of you so-so lowly!

"...Misaki's going to love you..." Naruto mumbled. He looked at a saddle and scratched his head. "Well, think you could carry three of us?"

Balius ducked his head. Apologies, M'lord, but while I may be large, three may be against my limit. Balius perked up and neighed. But! If I could get out of this stable, I could find Xanthus and he could help us. Especially if he knew he'd be helping you, M'lord.

"Would you mind if I came with you?" Naruto asked warily. He didn't think that Balius would leave him hanging, but there was a slim possibility that the horse would run free. Which was understandable, being cooped up in a small stable had to suck.

There was a reason the sea was open and spacious.

Balius perked up and stamped his hooves excitedly. You wish to accompany me? M'lord, I'm-I'd be honored!

Naruto let his shoulders slump and went to grab a saddle from the rack. "Balius, please, stop calling me that."

I cannot, M'lord. Wait, not that saddle! There was a rather rude young man that rode with that saddle. I can't allow you to use that one. Balius snorted. It's beneath you.

Naruto rolled his eyes and went to grab another saddle.

Not that one either, M'lord. A pregnant woman's water broke on that one.

"...Okay, ew." Naruto moved down the line to another worn and torn saddle.

M'lord, as a son of Neptune, you should not be forced to use a lowly saddle such as that!

"Oh for the love of Caesar, what saddle should I use then, Balius?" Naruto rounded on the horse with a look of annoyance on his face. Balius scanned the rack for several minutes before he snorted.

None of these are good enough for you, M'lord.

"Of course not." Naruto rubbed his temples with his hands. That so figured. Again, there were a lot of things he loved about being the son of Neptune, but at the moment, talking to horses was not one of them.

M'lord, if I could make a suggestion? Balius looked at him with respect and his head low. I know it's not my place, but might I suggest you ride without a saddle? Just until we can find Xanthus and a chariot? When we return to your camp, the finest of leathers could be used to make your saddle!

Naruto rolled his eyes. The day he got a regal saddle from any of Vulcan's children or legacies would be the day that he got promoted to Centurion. It wasn't going to happen anytime soon. But, he didn't want to risk angering the horse, so Naruto just nodded. "Alright, sure."

Balius' eyes gleamed excitedly and he ducked his head down. Thank you, M'lord.

"Don't mention it, Balius," Naruto said as he walked back to the pen. "So, how exactly are you trapped here?"

Balius turned away, slightly ashamed. The rafters are too low for me to jump the gate, and before we were left here, Lord Neptune had ordered us into hiding from the Romans, so we could not show excessive strength or power. That was several centuries ago, around the time that silly mortal war was going on. The Courteous War? The Chivalry War? ...Blasted memory. Apologies for the language, M'lord. This will nag at me until I get it right.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Naruto said. He lifted the lock on the pen that was just out of Balius' reach. The door swung open and Balius exited the pen with a grateful sigh. "So if you were in 'hiding', how did Xanthus escape?"

Balius snorted as Naruto tried to get a good grip to mount the horse without hurting him. The lucky fool's pen was left open one night. He just ran. Didn't even bother to say goodbye or offer to let me out! Ungrateful...And after all that time I took returning him to a somewhat respectable intellect, too!

"Respectable what?" Naruto asked with a frown, his hand on the top of Balius' shoulder to act as a grip. Balius turned his head and bit onto the back of Naruto's shirt. With a mighty lift, the son of Neptune found himself moved to Balius' back. "Whoa, warn someone next time, will you?"

Sorry, M'lord. Balius apologized. He trotted to the door while Naruto adjusted himself on his back. But I had to restore Xanthus' mind. Before Achilles' demise, Xanthus was granted a boon by Juno, to speak to unworthy mortals. This goes against Divine Law, and Xanthus spoke to Achilles. Lord Neptune punished him by striking him dumb. Thankfully, I discovered the punishment wasn't meant to be permanent.

"Oh, got'cha." Naruto nodded. He grabbed a portion of Balius' mane to steady himself and blinked in surprise. It was soft, softer than anything he'd ever felt before. He'd heard that horse manes were coarse like hay, but this felt more like fur than hair.

Now, hold tightly, M'lord. I can smell Xanthus nearby. Fool must've gotten lost several times in these woods. Balius warned before he galloped. Naruto felt himself fly back from the force, but tightening his grip reassured him that he wouldn't be thrown off the divine horse. He heard Misaki and Zack call out to him, but didn't dare risk looking back. Naruto was sure if he did, his head would snap off.

Balius' hooves sounded like Jupiter's thunder as they struck the ground. The divine horse was also quick to warn Naruto to duck, lest he got injured by a branch or something.

"So, how far do you think he is?" Naruto asked, two minutes and at least twenty miles since they left the stables.

Just over this hill, M'lord! Balius returned as they came across a rather large hill. They passed over the hill and Balius slowed to a stop. Naruto lurched forward and grunted as his chest slammed into Balius' neck.

"Ow. Why'd you stop?" Naruto asked as he sat up and rubbed his chest.

Xanthus has been captured. Balius' words made Naruto look ahead to see a dark chestnut coated stallion with a splash of white across its back. The horse's mane was the stark opposite of Balius', a dark shade that matched the night sky. The captured horse was stuck in a cage to the side of a small camp where three shirtless men sat.

Only these men lacked heads.

"Blemmyae." Naruto narrowed his eyes at the sight of the man-eating monsters. They weren't the most dangerous monsters to encounter, but they were still dangerous. Even if they were a head shorter than most men, literally.

I can hear them from here, M'lord. They plan to eat Xanthus! How barbaric! Balius snorted and stomped his hoof. Over my hung hide!

"Wait, hold on," Naruto said, keeping the stallion from charging in with a small tug. He scanned the camp for any signs of others or traps. He scowled when he saw a Blemmyae pick up something originally out of sight. "They have guns? Seriously? Pluto's pauldrons."

M'lord, we must do something, Balius implored as he shifted uneasily on the hill.

"I know, I know, give me a second to think." Naruto furrowed his brows together as he watched the Blemmyae lean back to laugh. Without heads, they couldn't easily turn to find something, so he and Balius could try to sneak in and rescue Xanthus. However, the three monsters were seated rather strategically, not one on a single log, nor blocking another's view.

How could something without a brain be so smart?

Balius let out a soft whinny. M'lord! Xanthus' has spotted me!

"Okay, good! That's something, right?" Naruto asked as he watched Xanthus start to move around.

Not good. He's not that smart, M'lord. He'll reveal us to them if we don't do something soon, Balius snorted worriedly.

"Damn." Naruto grimaced. He released his hold on Balius' mane and swung his leg over to the side in preparation to dismount. "Alright, here's the plan. I'm going to go down there and get Xanthus. You stay here and keep an eye out."

What? M'lord you can't be serious! Balius gave him a disapproving look.

"You're going to have to trust me." Naruto dropped as quietly as he could from the large stallion and crouched down low. The son of Neptune carefully made his way down the hill, trying not to draw attention to himself. Fortuna was on his side, as he made it to the edge of the Blemmyae's camp without issue. Naruto kept low, dropping to military crawl on his stomach just a bit further into the camp. This allowed him to hear what they were saying.

"...hungry, Lash. When are we gonna eat the pony?" one Blemmyae asked.

Another, Lash, turned his torso half-way to look at Xanthus. "Soon, Strill. We gotta let him starve a bit more. Tender that way."

"Hopefully better than those people we had the other day," the last Blemmyae, whose back was to Naruto, said. He pulled out a rag from his pocket and coughed into it. The rag was then tossed over his shoulder and landed in front of the blond.

It was a torn and bloody child's T-shirt, a girl's, with a white unicorn on the front.

Naruto closed his eyes and counted down from ten before he resumed crawling. He had to get just a bit closer to Xanthus. As he crawled along the ground, his eyes locked with Xanthus, who looked ready to release a loud joyful neigh. Naruto lifted a finger to his lips and held it there for a good long while until he was sure that the stallion wouldn't make a sound.

"C'mon, I'm so hungry, Lash! Just a leg?" Strill asked, making Naruto pause as he heard a log shift.

"No, Strill! We gotta wait a couple more days. Then the horse will be dead on its feet and none of the meat will be ruined," Lash said. He growled at the whimpering Strill. "Unlike last time..."

"I was so hungry!"

"Lash is right, shut up Strill. I'm still spitting out shotgun pellets."

Naruto was now torn between being grateful for the Blemmyae's culinary tastes and furious with himself for letting these monsters live for so long. Another break to calm himself and Naruto looked up at Xanthus when he whinnied.

"Oh, shut up!" the nameless Blemmyae shouted. He apparently missed Naruto or didn't bother to turn, because he resumed complaining to Lash about the shotgun pellets in his last meal.

Naruto really had to give a heap of thanks to Fortuna when he got back to Camp Jupiter. And make sure Zack gets a big commendation from Edward to the Praetors.

Another glance at the distance between himself and Xanthus' cage made Naruto decide he was close enough. The son of Neptune put his hands on the ground and closed his eyes to concentrate. The ground was a lot more firm here, but sure enough Naruto felt the tingle in his head. His arms shook lightly and then the ground trembled.

Xanthus and Balius neighed loudly in protest while the three Blemmyae were tossed to the shaking ground. Naruto furrowed his brow and felt sweat bead up on his forehead. He needed to make the quake larger and last longer.

"Earthquake!" one of the Blemmyae cried out. "The Sea God is angry!"

"No he's not! It's a Demigod!"

Naruto felt the eyes of the monsters land on him and decided that the time for stealth had (thankfully) left. Naruto pushed himself up from the trembling ground and ran to the cage that held a disheveled stallion.

"Xanthus, when I get this open, you run!" Naruto ordered firmly. Xanthus nodded, understanding, and watched as the blond took hold of the iron cage's front. As the tremor died down, Naruto heard the iron groan in protest of his actions. When it was over, Naruto felt portions of the cage give way.

By the time the Blemmyae had readied their guns, Naruto had ripped off the side of the cage and moved so that Xanthus could flee.

"No! My dinner!" Strill cried out in anguish.

"We'll just have Demigod tonight, boys," Lash said as he lifted the rifle up to his left eye. Before he could fire, Naruto turned and tossed the cage at him, making him cry out before he was trapped beneath the metal.

"You guys should've gotten takeout," Naruto said as he slammed his fists together and made his gauntlets appear. Strill and the other Blemmyae lifted their guns and fired at him.

Naruto dropped to his knee and slammed his left fist into the dirt, causing another, larger and more violent tremor. The unnamed Blemmyae let out a yell as he fell to the ground, but Strill managed to keep his feet.

"I'm gonna pump you full of lead, grind you up, and make soup out of you!" Strill declared as he primed his shotgun. A loud whinny made him turn towards a charging stallion that ran him down, knocking the gun from his hand in the process.

The son of Neptune rose from the ground and rushed at the Blemmyae he had dropped. A hard kick knocked the rifle from his hand. He twisted his torso to face Naruto, dark eyes narrowed in hate and a scowl over his stomach.

Infuriated sea green eyes matched the distaste the monster showed and a gauntlet covered fist was quickly plunged through the gap in the monster's eyes. Naruto's hand shot through the back of the Blemmyae, a strange pink organ that looked like a cross between a heart and a brain was in his grasp. Naruto pulled his arm out and crushed the abomination in his hand, black liquid spraying over his face and the Blemmyae's body.

"Tong!" The trapped Lash cried out. "Damn you, boy! I'll kill you! I'll eat you!"

You will NOT harm my lord! An angry neigh made the monster look up as a heavy golden horseshoe came crashing down onto the headless man's face. Balius snorted angrily as Lash and Tong turned to dust, leaving behind small leather pendants with faces engraved on them.

"Lash! Tong!" Strill wailed as he got to his feet. A chestnut coated stallion bucked back and kicked him hard, making him fly towards Naruto.

"Die!" Naruto yelled as he drove his right fist into Strill's face. The force of his punch made the top half of the Blemmyae's chest rip off of the rest of the body. As Naruto wiped the black gunk off of his face, he watched the Blemmyae turn to dust, another pendant dropped with another face carved into the leather.

Naruto looked up as Xanthus came over to him and inspected the blond closely. Naruto arched a brow and was caught completely off guard as the stallion suddenly dragged its tongue up the side of his face. He shuddered at the feeling, he didn't even know horses could do that!

Thank you. Xanthus' voice sounded younger than Balius', but it was deeper. His eyes were also a bit duller than his brother's, but still stood out compared to a regular horse's.

Naruto dragged his arm over his face with a grimace. "Don't mention it."

Xanthus, that's no way to speak to our Lord's son. Balius chided his brother. Xanthus turned to him with a disinterested glance and then snorted. Balius' head shot back and he let out an affronted whinny. Who are you calling stuffy? I'm acting properly, you simple-minded foal! He's the son of Neptune!

Balius turned to Naruto with an apologetic look in his eyes. Forgive Xanthus' manners, M'lord. I'll try to get him to speak to you with the proper respect you deserve!

Xanthus snorted again and dipped his head down to pick up one of the pendants the Blemmyae had left behind. The stallion offered it to Naruto, who took it carefully from the horse's mouth. Naruto looked the pendant over before he frowned. What sort of reward is a leather pendant with a face on it?

Hm, quite hideous aren't they? No magic either. Perhaps they are meant to be offerings, M'lord. Balius suggested as he picked up the other two pendants. Naruto nodded silently in agreement before he pocketed the three pendants. He could worry about them later.

First things first, though. "So...Xanthus, how do you feel about helping me on a quest?"

"He's gorgeous!" Misaki cried as she wrapped her arms around Balius' neck and rubbed her cheek against his muzzle. Naruto returned, this time on Xanthus' back much to Balius' protest, to his friends outside of the stables rather quickly. Xanthus might be slower than Balius mentally, but the two were tied when it came to speed. However, once they came to a stop and the two demigods realized they weren't under attack, the daughter of Venus took one glance at Balius and began to smother him with affection. "Who's a pretty pony? You are, yes you are!"

Balius' eye shifted over to Xanthus, whose tail swished in what appeared to be amusement, and narrowed. Silence, you buffoon! Balius looked pleadingly at the son of Neptune. M'lord, please tell her to stop rubbing against my face. It's unsettling.

"Misaki, let go of Balius." Naruto sighed as he dismounted Xanthus. He shook his head as she whined at him. "Please?"

"Only because you asked so nicely," Misaki said with a pout as she released the stallion's neck. Balius shook his head and glared at Xanthus, who nickered once more.

I am NOT a softy! How dare you accuse me of such a thing! You were there when I trampled the Trojans beneath my hooves! Er, apologies, M'lord. Balius ducked his head down towards Naruto.

"Don't worry about it," Naruto said as he rubbed Balius' muzzle. He looked at Zack, who just walked out of the stables with a saddle slung over his shoulder and another in his hand. Xanthus, seeing the saddles, reared backed and neighed in protest, freezing the son of Fortuna in his place.

Naruto held his hands up to the large stallion. "Whoa, easy, Xanthus! Easy!"

Xanthus, control yourself! We are in the presence of Lord Neptune's son! Balius neighed at his brother. Xanthus settled back on the ground, his dull dark eyes locked warily on Zack.

"...So, I take it he doesn't want a saddle on his back?" Zack asked after a moment.

Naruto snorted as he gently brushed his hand down Xanthus' muzzle to soothe him. "Yeah, something like that."

Nor will I! Both of these saddles are highly unsuitable for a son of Lord Neptune, not to mention extremely uncomfortable. Balius huffed. M'lord, Xanthus and I are much more accustomed to chariots.

"Well have you seen one anywhere?" Naruto asked.

"Seen what?" Misaki asked, giving Naruto a small pout. Clearly she was still a bit upset at not being able to pet Balius.

"A chariot," Naruto said. The two Romans looked at him confused. Naruto shrugged as he gave Xanthus a light pat on the shoulder and gave Balius, who stood taller, a small smile. "These guys are Achilles' chariot pulling horses, the golden stallion is Balius." Balius took a step back to bow, which made Misaki giggle and clap in approval. Naruto rubbed Xanthus' shoulder. "And this excitable lug is Xanthus."

"Wow, two divine horses that obey Neptune, what are the odds of that?" Zack asked with a chuckle. He dropped the saddles in his hands to the ground and rubbed his chin. "We could go back to the Ranger Station and ask if they have a chariot."

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "We didn't exactly leave with a good impression on them, even if they were Legionnaires."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Joan didn't want anything to do with the Legion," Misaki said with a frown.

Zack scratched the side of his head. "Well...then maybe we don't ask."

"I can't believe we stole this piece of crap! There was a nicer one right next to it!" Zack groaned as Naruto steered the chariot away from the ranger station. He looked down at the rickety wheel that was latched onto the side next to him. One good bump looked like it could knock the whole axel off.

"I'm with Zachary on this one, Naruto," Misaki said with a grunt as she hung onto Naruto's arm. She was trying not to get hooked by the nail that stuck out from the edge of the chariot. It was old and the paint was faded. The bronze on it looked like it was ready to give out at any time.

"By the time you saw the other one, I had already hooked Xanthus up." Naruto rolled his eyes at their whining. And they weren't the only ones doing that.

Oh, I've shamed Lord Neptune! Shamed him! Balius wailed as he galloped next to his brother. Naruto groaned and Xanthus snorted as the golden stallion continued to moan. Not only making his son steal from fellow Romans, but also use a chariot below his worth?! I should be punished severely!

Eyup. Xanthus agreed with mirth in his voice.

Balius sent a glare to his brother, looking back ahead at the road when Naruto pulled on his reign slightly. Oh, you shut up. This is mostly your fault! Being so fussy when Zachary wanted to hitch a ride! You should be grateful that M'lord was so generous to give you the chance!

"Balius, focus on the road." Naruto sighed. Xanthus may not be the brightest of divine equine, but he sure knew how to rile up his brother. Naruto looked over at Zack. "You've got the map, lead the way Zack."

Zack looked up at the sky. "Fortuna, if you can hear me, please don't let this wreck in the making fall apart on us." He pulled the map out of his back pocket and looked at it. "We need to take a left in a mile if we want to get to Columbia River."

"Is there a bridge we can take to Lois Island?" Naruto asked.

Zack groaned as he looked at the map. "No." They all let out grunts as the chariot hit a pit. "Di immortales! Watch where you're driving, Naruto!"

"I am, you focus on giving directions!" Naruto returned with a glare. He turned to the two stallions in front of him. "Guys, can you pick up the pace a little bit?"

Xanthus leaned forward slightly, forcing Balius to do the same. Eyup.

Yes, M'lord! Many apologies for the bump, M'lord! Xanthus, watch the road! If the chariot falls apart on Lord Naruto then I will blame you for it! Balius barked at his brother. He whinnied when Xanthus flicked his tail to slap his flank. You uncouth, intolerable...buffoon! That was highly uncalled for!

Funny. Xanthus retorted simply, making Naruto chuckle. He tightened his grip on the reigns and pulled back on Balius to keep him from taking his eyes off the road. The odd curses that escaped Balius' mouth made Naruto remember that the horses were originally Greek. He was a bit disappointed that he couldn't understand everything the twin stallions could say.

Xanthus suddenly smacked Balius' flank again with his tail. Children.

Yes...Yes, you're right, Xanthus. I apologize for my words, M'lord. I'm nothing like Mars' stallions. Balius sounded ashamed of himself.

"It's okay, Balius. Not like I understood it anyway," Naruto mumbled in a bit of disappointment. He shook himself out of it and cracked the reigns. "Come on, guys! Show me why Neptune gave you to Achilles!"

He had a dagger to find.

AN: Man... That was hard to bust out. Seriously, it felt like this took me MONTHS to write. Now, you all know what I want from you next.

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