Reading: Sun's Heir, Death's Guardian II: A Hero's Peril
XII
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
"So who likes Tex-Mex? I could go for a chimichanga," Apollo said as he led the teens into the dining area.
Hades chuckled. "Classic Deadpool."
Nico rolled his eyes. His father had such a hero crush.
The few already there quickly vacated when they pieced together who Apollo was. The blond man frowned at one of the tables of the barracks' dining pavilion. With a simple wave of his hand, the table had changed into one that could be seen at a restaurant, complete with tablecloth, rolled napkins around silverware and placemats for them.
"Of course you would." Artemis said with a roll of her eyes.
"Hey, you have to do business with style." The sun god argued.
"No you don't. Just do your business and be done with it."
"Bah, what would you know about business, Sis?" Apollo asked with a childish pout.
Apollo took the now lush and expensive looking dining chair that could arguably called the head of the table, leaning back with a content sigh.
"It's not the Ritz, but it's comfy," he said. The God then gestured to the other chairs, "Take a seat, ladies. And Jason."
Jason rolled his eyes as he did, sitting across from Thalia. Reyna sat next to her fellow Praetor while Piper claimed the spot next to the older Grace. Thalia warily kept an eye on the God of the Sun, who was looking at the four teens with a serious gaze.
"She should, punishing someone like that would raise anyone's caution flag." Athena said to her brother.
"Little brat deserved it," said Apollo with a shrug. The Romans silently agreed with the Greek sun god.
He then looked at their empty placemats, "Hm. No Tex-Mex, then? Something else, perhaps?"
"We should really discuss why you're here," Jason said, almost insistent.
"Ooh, bad move lightning boy. Roman side goes by his flow," said Apollo, who shook his head.
"Well, we rarely ever see the gods." Jason pointed out, plus, to his other, a good friend was just taken, or at least he thought he was taken.
Apollo sent him a look of annoyance before rolling his eyes with a huff, "I try to be nice, and this is how I'm repaid?"
"I know!" Apollo agreed.
"It's not that, Lord Apollo," Reyna said, "But we have urgent matters to attend to. Prisoners from another land have escaped and Naruto Uzumaki is-."
"I know where he is," Apollo interrupted. The four teens looked at him and he smirked, "Yes, I figured that would garner your attentions. Now, Jason, you have a quest to ride Sol's steed, correct?"
"Joy, the flaming horse." Thalia grimaced, she agreed with her other. She did not like that horse.
"Yes...You insisted that Octavian give me the quest," reminded the son of Jupiter.
"Oh he was practically begging to tell the boy." Hermes said with roll of his eyes.
"I know, such a good little messenger boy." Apollo grinned, getting his younger brother to glare at him for the messenger remark.
"Technically, yes I did," nodded the God of the Sun. He then looked to the Greek side of the table and said with a thinly veiled tolerance,
"It's just how our other sides roll sadly." Apollo shook his head, it was stupid, but his other loved to mess with little Greeks.
"Now as for you two. You will be... accompanying him because of your part in Naruto's Prophecy."
"We have a part in Naruto's Prophecy?" Thalia asked with surprise. Great, even more things are being revealed that Naruto had kept hidden. She didn't even receive the full prophecy, just little hints.
Thalia frowned, her other had yet to truly explode on Naruto, or even talk about this. She wondered how that was going to end.
"I'm not surprised that he didn't tell you," replied Apollo, "It was a unique prophecy, one given to him by Helios."
Thalia felt her jaw pop open slightly, "R-Really?"
"Do you think I would lie about that?" The god asked.
"Truth god, can't." Apollo grimaced.
Apollo snorted before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He fiddled with the device for a moment before he said, "Ah, here we are."
The God pressed a button and placed the phone down. The prophecy was read by the voice of a woman,
"A life risked for the Ghost King's precious one,
"Me again." Nico said, bored kinda from hearing it once more.
The family reunites after the Roman attacks the Sun."
"That they did," Thalia grinned, getting Jason to smile back at her.
"That's already happened," Reyna said with a hint of disgust in her voice. To think, one of Bacchus' children would be a traitor.
Dionysus frowned, "He didn't know." He muttered.
"Three take the Fire Steed neither West nor East,
The Pinwheel's Spiral Blade revives the Leaf's dreaded Beast."
"The first part obviously relates to us," Jason said, gesturing to Thalia and Piper as well as himself.
"Wonderful, I have to fly on the horse." Thalia grimaced; she was already not liking this. She could only wonder what was going through her other's head.
"Just wait," Apollo said with a raised hand, "There's still more."
"Rescue comes from the power of Lightning and Thunder,
The Shadow Slug defeats death with a gift of wonder.
After the Guardian's past returns twice more,
Two brothers shall fall during the Labyrinth War."
Dionysus and Apollo frowned, remembering which two brothers died in this dimension.
The phone clicked off and Apollo retrieved it, stuffing it back into his pocket. He looked around the table before he said, "Listen. Normally, I just let these things run their course, last winter aside.
Artemis smiled towards her brother, who gave a beaming one back.
However, this was a prophecy devised by someone outside of my circle. When I caught wind of it, I decided to issue my own prophecy to you, Jason."
Leaning forward to the boy, he continued, "I want you to bring my son back from the place he was taken."
"And he better," the sun god frowned.
"He will." Jason said confidently. He was a tad nervous, having never dealt with the Roman Apollo personally, but believed his other could do it.
"'Rescue comes from the power of Lightning and Thunder,'" Piper's voice earned everyone's attention, "What? The prophecy is talking about Jason and Thalia. The only thing I can't figure out is where I fit in."
"Really?" inquired the girl seated on Jason's left, "'Lady of the Doves?' Charmspeaking? You're obviously a daughter of Venus."
"Don't have to be all snippy about it," Piper frowned, and started to mutter mocking things about Reyna. Her dislike for the girl was getting the better of her.
"Aphrodite," Apollo corrected sternly and looked as though he swallowed something sour, "Little McLean here is Greek."
"Not much of a difference between my Greek and Roman children, love is universal after all." The love goddess said.
"The Goddess of Love is my mother?" Piper asked in surprise. She didn't see that coming, especially with how tomboyish she is.
"I know the feeling girl, trust me." Piper said to her other.
Aphrodite pouted, "Sweetie."
"Sorry mom."
Wasn't she supposed to be a total love obsessed girl in that case?
"They are not that bad," the love goddess frowned.
"Yes they are." Said Artemis, Thalia, and even Piper.
Aphrodite just gave a pretty frown.
"Yeah, Naruto had a theory on that one," Thalia added.
"More like knew." Thalia corrected.
The raven-haired girl continued as the pieces fell in place, "So you are the Dove in the prophecy Jason got."
"Alright, now that we have this titling revelation out of the way, shall we get a move on?" inquired the Sun God. The teens all stood and began to leave the dining pavilion. Apollo stopped Thalia, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh no," Apollo groaned, covering his face with his hand.
Thalia frowned, remembering the talk Roman Apollo had with Naruto. Yeah, this wasn't going to be pretty.
When the others looked at him, he smiled reassuringly, "We'll only be a second, just a few words of advice for my son's girlfriend."
"More like a back off warning," Thalia frowned.
"I want it to be known that I am not responsible for my Roman half!"
Jason was the last to leave, but the second he did the door of the dining pavilion shut. Apollo removed his hand and walked around Thalia, glaring down to her with his arms crossed. After a few moments of tense silence and shifting uncomfortably under the God's gaze, Thalia finally broke, "What do you want?"
"I want many things," Apollo said in a crisp tone, "But from you I would like it if you broke it off with my son."
"And so it begins." Hera smiled, wondering how this was going to go, hopefully bad for one Thalia Grace.
The Queen of Heaven's siblings rolled their eyes, knowing that look she had meant nothing good.
"Excuse me?" Thalia asked. She faltered for words before finding her voice once again, "You're the one that tricked us into a fucking dance at Christmas!"
"He did?" Thalia said in bewilderment. Seriously, what happened during Christmas?
"Oh Grace...Little Miss Thalia Grace, let me explain," Apollo began,
The hunter frowned at his wording, not liking the pitying way it sounded at all.
"You see, that was my Greek self; my stupid self.
"See, a huge dick! Both figurative and literal." Apollo assured, getting looks of disgust from the others.
"Agreed." The love goddess nodded happily, to which her boyfriend and husband scowled at.
I'm Roman right now."
Thalia just gave him a confused look, prompting the god to cup his chin, "Hm, how should I put this? Ah, Elvis has left the building is an appropriate phrase."
"Not that helpful to be honest." Athena mused aloud, getting her brother to stick his tongue at her.
"B-But you're standing right here," the raven-haired girl said.
"Wow, that's kinda sad."
"Shut up, wethead!"
"Oh Order, why is this so difficult?" said Apollo as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Lowering his hand, the God of the Sun said, "Alright, I'll put it like Naruto would. The Gods have Multiple Personality Disorder, one is Greek and the other is Roman. Get it?"
"That is much better." The kids nodded, seriously, why not just say that all the time and not be cryptic about it.
Thalia slowly nodded, making Apollo exhale in relief, "Thank Us."
"Tell me why you don't want me to be with Naruto," Thalia bluntly demanded.
"Straight to the point and blunt as a two by four," Hades said, "Wonder where she gets that from." He mocked.
Zeus glared at his brother for the remark as Thalia frowned along with him.
The Roman God of the Sun snorted, "Why? I'll tell you why. He's going to outgrow you, Thalia. At the end of this war with the Crooked One, the Olympians are going to offer him a place amongst the Gods."
"They are?" asked the demigods.
Most of the gods nodded to this, with Naruto's circumstances, they would probably do that.
"Why would they offer him that?" asked the girl in confusion and a bit of envy.
"There's that power lust." Percy said in a chipper tone.
"Oh go jump off a building."
"Already did that once, thank you very much."
Apollo shook his head as his hands went to his waist, "Oh, it's so sad how sincerely confused you are.
Apollo ignored the glare being sent his way by his half-sister. Like he said, he held no responsibility over his Roman side.
Why would we offer him a place amongst us? Hello! He's got the soul of a God and the strength of one to boot!
"That's the main point." Poseidon said, but not the fully part of the reason. A good chunk of it nonetheless.
He bested and disarmed Atlas, a feat not many can declare. Naruto even managed to slip him back into his punishment, a slight of hand that thieving Greek God would be envious of."
"True," Hermes admitted, that was amazing to see and something he wished he could have pulled off.
Thalia admitted that it was an impressive bit of info to put on his resume, but still Naruto wouldn't have originally disarmed Atlas without Zoë's help,
"Indeed." Artemis said with pride, but looked at her brother for his other trying to undermine that fact.
"Not my fault, geez!"
something she brought up, "But what about when Zoë helped him?"
"As a subordinate should do when their commander is in trouble," Apollo waved the claim off,
Apollo fidgeted under Artemis stern moon-like eyes, "He does kinda have a point."
The huntress huffed, not in the mood to even speak about this now, unless she wished to ruin the mood of the story.
"As far as I'm concerned, Naruto is already worthy. But where would that leave you? A silly little Greek with...What's the female equivalent of a bastard?"
"What?!" Thalia screamed out in fury.
"It's still bastard." Hera supplied helpfully, a smile adoring her face. Thalia just sent the woman a scalding glare.
"Wow, he is really gunning for you," Apollo whistled, sure, he knew his Roman half was an asshole, but damn!
While Thalia was fuming, Jason was also frowning, fists clenched at the Roman god's words towards his sister.
"I don't have to take this from you!" Thalia snapped, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparking with rage.
"Damn right you don't!" the hunter readily agreed with her other.
"Never said you did," agreed Apollo. His eyes hardened as they narrowed, "But I still want you to call it off. ...Weren't you going to anyway? After you found out he kept your brother a secret? Maybe that's not the only thing he's keeping from you."
"Ooh, he is good." Aphrodite smiled, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
The raven-haired demigoddess just stood there glaring at him for a moment before storming around him and out the door. She couldn't dispute that since it was one of the things she dreaded the most, that there was something even worse Naruto was keeping from her.
Thalia frowned at that, what else could he be hiding?
What could be worse than hiding Jason, Thalia wasn't sure, but the fact remains that it was something she really needed to address when she said to Naruto.
"I say beat it out of him," the hunter grunted.
"Ah, violence, typical Thalia," Nico nodded, getting punched in the shoulder. He just sent his violent cousin a death glare for speaking truth about her nature.
Phoebus Apollo smirked in victory before his form shone brightly once more, revealing the Greek Apollo standing in all of his surfer attire glory.
"Hi me!"
Whipping his head around in confusion, Apollo scratched the back of his head and mumbled, "I have the strangest feeling that I totally just threw someone under a bus for some reason.
"You did, but it isn't your fault." The sun god said with a stern nod.
Aw, man if my douchebag side said something to Arte again, I'll never hear the end of it for millennia!"
"It has happened before." Artemis said with a pointed glare.
"I said I was sorry!" her brother cried out.
Apollo shone once more and Phoebus stood in his place. With nothing else to say, he calmly stepped out of the pavilion, slipping his sunglasses back on. Thalia refused to look at him, which he was perfectly fine with.
"I bet," the hunter girl simmered.
Jason took note of his sister's upset features and put a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Thalia snapped, jerking herself out of his grip.
"Ouch, sorry," Thalia mumbled, but Jason nodded.
"Hey, if I knew why you were upset, I would perfectly understand," the boy told her, getting the hunter to smile.
Jason wanted to pursue the subject, because clearly she was not fine, but was unable to due to suddenly being blinded by a bright flash of light. When the light died down, the son of Jupiter was in awe at what was before him. Strapped to a golden horse that appeared to be made of fire was a golden chariot that had a Greek sun engraved on the front.
"An elegant sight to see." Artemis hummed.
"Great, my other has to ride on that," Thalia grimaced.
"Is-Is that horse on fire?" Piper asked in concern for the creature's state.
"It's fine Piper," Poseidon waved off, it was how the being was made after all.
"Its Zephyr," Thalia said, her surprise at seeing the fiery steed overcoming her other emotions. The horse whinnied at his name, prompting Thalia to continue, "He's a spirit of fire that once belonged to Helios."
"He's Naruto's now," Apollo interjected, approaching the horse and patting him on the side, "Do me a solid, Zephyr, help these kids get Naruto back?"
"Still not cooler then Blackjack." Percy said with a nod.
"Or Tempest." Jason added.
Annabeth snorted, "Oh gods, they aren't cars you two," getting the boys to flush a little at her comment.
Zephyr whinnied and nodded his head excitedly, making the God of the Sun nod. He turned to the three teens and said, "You got the go ahead. Get on and hold on tight."
Thalia, Piper and Jason did as they were told, the older child of the Thunder God glaring at her boyfriend's father as she passed. Jason took the reins in his hand, preparing to crack them when Piper asked, "Um...How are we going to stay in the chariot?"
"The biggest problem they have," the hunter girl grimaced, getting her matron to smile with mirth at how she teased her hunter at times.
"Hold on to the edge," Thalia suggested as she realized what type of transportation she just got onto. Her eyes squeezed shut and she clenched her fist tightly onto the edge. Piper saw this and copied the older girl.
"Wow, flying to save your boyfriend. Says a lot."
"Quiet Annie." Thalia said in a stern tone, still kinda pissed at Naruto, even if he wasn't real here.
As they took off towards the sky, Apollo stepped back to stand next to Reyna. Glancing at the other Praetor, the Roman God said, "Don't let the daughter of Zeus beat you so easily.
"Cheering for the Roman, typical, but so very encouraged."
"Mom," Piper said in a dry tone, "I thought you liked Nalia?"
Thalia blanched at the name.
"Oh sweetie, I do, but the drama makes it all the better~"
"Ah, of course." Piper didn't understand at all.
And increase the training drills. War is coming; Mars grows restless."
"Damn right I do." Ares grunted.
He left before Reyna could speak, feeling as though his purpose was done, leaving the Praetor to wonder what the God of the Sun had meant by his first statement.
"Heh, clueless." Piper jeered.
"Piper…"
"Sorry," the love child said, not really sounding sorry and kissed Jason on the cheek.
"Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick," Thalia groaned as she barely avoided looking over the edge of the chariot, "I thought that the chariot would be something...something with a seat?"
"I personally like standing upon it," Artemis confessed. Oh sure, she could change her chariot like Apollo, but classic was best in her opinion.
"Sol's Chariot hasn't been seen or used since the rise of Rome," Jason said calmly, "What'd Apollo say the spirit's name was?"
"Zephyr," Piper repeated, getting the horse to whinny at his name, "Well, it sure is as beautiful as he is. But I thought that was the Greek God of the West Wind?"
"Misconception." Athena said.
"Trust me, I've met that god," Thalia snapped, "He's definitely not a horse."
Jason looked over his shoulder at his sister, "You alright?"
Thalia sent a playful glare to her brother, who in turned looked sheepish.
"I. Hate. Heights," Thalia grit out as she managed to glare at her little brother.
Taking the hint, Jason looked forward, mumbling, "Didn't think it was that bad."
"I know." Jason nodded, getting a halfhearted slap from his sister.
"Where are we going anyway?" the younger demigoddess asked, "North?"
"South," Thalia corrected, "It feels like we're going south. Now can we please stop talking about what we're doing?"
"So whiny." Leo muttered, getting a sharp glare, "Well you are. I mean, I'm suppose to hate heights, yet I ruled on Festus." He smiled proudly.
Thalia huffed and turned away from the fire boy.
Piper took the hint, deciding to quickly change the subject to hopefully a better topic, "So...How did Naruto come to Camp Jupiter?"
"Now there's a story." Hazel smiled, eager to find out about the child of light's past.
"Most likely the usual way," Jason answered, "He trained with Lupa for a bit before being sent to camp as a Probatio, a probationary camper of no rank in our army."
"And yet I got promoted to Praetor." Percy bragged.
"Something rare Percy for someone new to the Legion," Jason pointed out, "but don't let it get to your head."
"But when we were looking for him, the guy who sent us to you called him a Legionnaire," continued the daughter of Aphrodite, "Did something change?"
"It's a long story," Jason said as he looked forward, "It was during my third year as a Legionnaire, when I became a Centurion, for the Fifth Cohort that Naruto arrived. He was...not the average Roman."
"He was Greek, of course he wasn't." Athena said with a frown.
"I think he was talking about his personality." Apollo said smugly.
"Oh, like yours then."
"Damn right!"
"…I pity the boy then." The wisdom goddess said with a smirk, getting her brother to frown at the remark.
"He's not the average guy either," Piper admitted, grinning at Thalia slyly, "Or is he?"
Piper flushed at the comment of her other, her mother was smiling proudly at that.
"Overstepping your grounds," Thalia warned before groaning as she relaxed her eyes for a split second, closing them immediately, "Jason, story, tell it. Now."
"Okay, okay," replied the younger Grace, "I saw him from time to time, the occasional passing in the Fifth Cohort, but I was different then. Arrogant because of who my father was, a kind of no-nonsense guy."
"Our Jason, arrogant?" Leo gasped.
"Say it isn't so?!" Piper cried out jokingly, getting Jason to flush.
"Well, being brought up like some holy child didn't help. The war evened me out and Lupa was a humbling teacher." The blond boy said.
"In other words, you had a stick up your ass," Thalia bluntly summarized.
"Blunt, how quaint." Jason said in a dry tone, getting Thalia to snicker at her other's wording.
"...You and Naruto are so meant to be," Jason retorted dryly,
"And even Jason says so, fight on Nalia, fight on!"
Piper just covered her face with her hands, her mom was so embarrassing!
"He said the same thing during our first sparing match before the weekly siege battle."
"I feel this will not end well, not at all." The blond boy said.
"Oh yeah, time to see Jason get some," Percy said menacingly, finally, he wasn't going to be the butt of Naruto's wrath!
Jason stood across from the older blond, eyes narrowed in thought as the older teen rolled his neck, excessively delaying the battle that was to come. Gritting his teeth, Jason cried out, "Are you so cowardly that you wish to delay your own demise?"
"Dramatic isn't he?" Hades muttered, looking towards his youngest brother.
Zeus was only facing forward, ignoring the look.
The teen currently stretching his arm across his chest paused in his action, tilting his head in thought before replying, "Nope. I couldn't honestly give a damn if I lose here."
"He kinda should," Jason frowned, knowing why his other may be upset.
"If you lose here, you are denied admission into the siege!" Jason snapped, furious at how disrespectful the older boy was being, "You are a Probatio, the fact I am fighting you should make this all the more serious!"
"That's why," the blond pointed out, but then again, Naruto didn't seem like the type to care.
"And I should care who you are because...why?" Naruto asked as his brow arched.
"I am Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, Centurion of the Fifth Cohort!" announced the boy proudly, "I am your superior and you will respect me."
Jason buried his face into his hands, embarrassed of his childish behavior as all his friends laughed or snickered at him. Even Thalia was outright laughing at him.
"Respect is earned, kid," replied the blond with a snort, "And so far, you have done nothing to earn mine."
"Burn."
"Leo, man, come on." Jason bemoaned, getting a snicker from his friend.
"Then I'll fix that!" Jason snapped, pulling his coin out and flipping it in the air. It descended and landed in his hand, the face of Julius Caesar looking back at him. The coin shone brightly before revealing an Imperial Gold sword, ready and willing to attack.
Naruto rolled his eyes, shaking his arms before bringing up his right arm, revealing a golden band with a gleaming red jewel in the center. Naruto opened his mouth, and then suddenly changed his mind, lowering his arm and slipping back on his right leg. The blond suddenly looked up and said, "You ever just...watch the clouds? Wonder how they move?"
"Oh he knows mind games," Athena smiled, hoping to see the Roman child humiliated.
"I will not be made a fool!" Jason announced, "Begin the match!"
"Nah..." Naruto interlocked his hands behind his head as he looked up, "I'd rather watch the clouds...Maybe see how long I can stare into the sun."
"Which he can forever if he wanted to." Apollo snickered, poor little golden boy.
"Then I will begin the match!" snapped the younger blond. Jason rushed forward, bringing his sword up to attack. When he brought it down his eyes widened as Naruto just...vanished. Jason found his sword was still lodged in a portion of a log that was sliced nearly in half.
"And he pulls out the switchy move on you. Having fun with woodshop Jason?" Nico asked
"Shut up."
"Too slow, Jay," teased the older boy from behind the younger blond. Jason angrily grabbed the log, pulling his sword out and tossing the fallen bit of wood away. He spun around with an angry slash, slicing the air.
"Ole!"
Jason just sent a glare to his friends for laughing at him, he could only hope this scene ended fast. Very fast.
"Ole!" the blond laughed out, making Jason grind his teeth in frustration.
"See, Naruto is having fun," Leo snickered.
"Oh, I swear!"
Something tapped his shoulder, prompting Jason to spin in the opposite direction in hopes of catching the older teen off guard. Once again he hit nothing, making the Centurion growl.
"Well, he has his sister's temper, that much is certain." Annabeth giggled, getting Thalia to look betrayed.
"Why so serious, kid?" laughed out the older teen in a way that his voice sounded like it came from everywhere, "You're what? Ten? Relax and enjoy life!"
"I'm sorry for being very serious, it comes with the upbringing." Jason frowned, crossing his arms.
Thalia placed a hand on his shoulder.
"The only thing I care about is the Legion's success!" Jason snapped, "That's all that matters!"
"When I was younger and naïve." The boy sighed
Piper rubbed his shoulder, "We know," she smiled at him, getting the blond to place his hand atop of hers and give her a small smile back.
"Wrong thing to say to me, kid," retorted the blond from right behind Jason. There was a plopping sound and then Jason cringed as something slick penetrated his ear.
"He didn't?" Jason groaned.
Leo laughed loudly, "Oh dude, I think he just did!"
Naruto laughed as he pulled his finger out, causing Jason to furiously start wiping at it. The older blond laughed, standing in front of the younger one, "Wet Willy!"
"He did!" Thalia laughed out, everyone giving a good snicker or chuckle as Jason's face lit up in embarrassment.
"You are an embarrassment to the Legion!" Jason snapped with a glare.
"Someone's just angry." Hermes smirked.
"You need to lighten up," Naruto replied with a grin. Jason growled and swung his sword at the teen, making Naruto laugh as he kept hopping out of the way, taunting with each miss, "Oh, you were so close, just then! Nearly got me that time! Try and put some back into it!"
Jason stopped, panting and glaring at the hardly out of breath teen, "Fight back, damn you!"
"Give the boy what he wants." Ares grunted out, eager to see more.
"You want me to get serious?" Naruto asked, "Is that what you want?"
"FIGHT ME!" demanded the younger blond, his face one of fury.
"Definitely a younger Zeus, just without the libido." Poseidon murmured loudly, getting chuckles from the gods, well except the King and Queen.
"Alright then, all you had to do was ask," Naruto said.
"No, don't stop." Percy moaned, he wanted to see what Naruto did!
"Then he vanished," Jason said, "And...I don't remember anything after it."
"He does."
"Oh he so does."
"Without a doubt."
Jason's shoulders slacked, please don't say it, please, he didn't want to know!
Thalia noticed Jason's shoulder twitch as he said that, and she smirked.
"Oh, she knows." The hunter said in glee.
"Please just let it be an ass kicking, please." Jason prayed, Naruto was a fickle person. Who knows what he did…besides other Thalia.
He had gotten her to ignore what they were currently doing with his story, and for that, Thalia was grateful.
"No problem." The brother said.
However, he had teased her about it. As Naruto would put it, payback was a necessary evil.
"Now that is just hurtful." The boy muttered as Thalia smirked, oh she loved her other. She was just so awesome.
So the raven-haired teenage girl leaned forward and whispered into her brother's ear, "Sennen Goroshi."
"One thousand years of pain?" Apollo whistled, "Damn, my boy be vicious!"
Jason did not like that at all!
Instinctively, Jason flinched and pulled on the reigns, causing the chariot to rise. He struggled to retain control while both Thalia and Piper screamed in surprise. Jason pulled the reigns back and called out the steed's name, making Zephyr steady himself. Jason, panting heavily, turned and looked at his terrified looking sister. Through gritted teeth, Jason said, "Do not ever say those words again."
"Metal scarring?" Piper asked Annabeth.
"Most likely." The blonde nodded.
"Yeah, I figured that out, thanks!" Thalia snapped back as she tried to regain control of her racing heart.
"Geez, take a chill pill Jay."
"Oh come on, if I freak out like that, you only instigated it by bring it up!" the younger brother argued.
"What did she say?" Piper asked curiously.
"A move Naruto had used on me," Jason answered after a beat of silence. The blond teen shuddered as he thought about it, "A move I wish upon no one, enemies included."
"It can't be that bad." Percy said.
"One thousand years of pain."
"...Okay, bad." Percy revaluated.
"Oh come on! All he does is poke you in the ass!" Thalia exclaimed.
Everyone burst into laughter as Jason burned red in the cheeks, shame all over his face.
Jason glared at her, "It's an invasion of personal privacy!"
"Amen to that!"
"How do you know what it is?" Piper asked the older girl.
"He used it on my cousin Percy during a training session," Thalia explained.
Jason turned to Percy, "Ha, ha," he said in mockery.
It was Percy's turn to flush red as everyone laughed at him once more, "He still did it to you first!"
Jason just growled at that.
At Piper's furrowed brow, Thalia clarified, "He's the son of Poseidon."
"Ah," Piper said with a nod of understanding.
"Strangest thing was the sick grin Naruto had on his face before he used it," Thalia added.
"Big brother enforcing for his lil' sis." Apollo informed Annabeth, who giggled, which succeeded in getting her boyfriend to pout.
"That grin was the last thing I saw before it happened," Jason mumbled as another shiver went down his spine. Shaking the horrible memory away, Jason looked down through the clouds with furrowed brows. The blond's eyes widened and he gasped, earning Thalia and Piper's attentions. Letting go of the reigns with one hand, Jason pointed down and said, "We...We're flying over Antarctica."
"So the ninja land is in the south pole?" Nico asked
"Seems so," his sister nodded analytically, "Must be protected by the Mist."
"No way!" Piper exclaimed as she looked over the edge in awe. They had only been in the chariot for ten minutes!
"Helios knew how to train a horse, I'll give him that." Poseidon smiled at how well off that horse was.
"Don't care," Thalia said flatly as her eyes closed again, "Just tell me when we're back on the ground."
That seemed to be the magical sentence, because Zephyr suddenly climbed up before diving back down. The three teens in the chariot screamed in fear for their lives as they rapidly descended through the clouds. Zephyr whinnied once again once they broke through, and before them, was a massive walled city. To the south of the village was a large mountainside with five faces, four men and one woman.
"Yep, that's Naruto's home." Apollo said, remembering it from the first chapter from the first book they read.
They were not falling towards it, thankfully. No, the three chariot riders and the fiery steed were heading for a large building that looked almost like a school. Jason pulled back on the reigns hard enough to force Zephyr from driving them through the wall of the building, instead crashing them into the ground outside.
"Smooth Jay, smooth."
"Hey, you try riding a temperamental fire horse." He argued to his sister with crossed arms, "Oh wait, you don't fly." He said with a smug look.
"Oh, oh, someone's got a mouth on them." The sister frowned at him, glaring.
Piper and Annabeth rolled their eyes. It was good to see them bonding.
The three teens lost the little balance that they had left and fell out of the chariot as the doors to the building were thrown open. The chariot's attachments to Zephyr came undone and the burning horse reeled back on his hind legs, whinnying in success as the chariot burst into flame and vanished in the wind.
"Perfect storage." Hephaestus said with a nod, Leo looking intrigue by it.
"I'm going to kill that horse!" Thalia raged as she got to her feet. The horse in question shot past her, making her spin around and prepare to attack only to gape at what she saw.
"Zephyr!" a familiar voice cried out in surprise as the horse tackled him to the ground once again. Getting his face licked by a fiery tongue was none other than Naruto Uzumaki, son of Apollo.
"Perfectly hygienic too since there are no germs." Apollo nodded with his winning white smile.
He was wearing a new shirt, an orange T with a large black arrow pointing up that fitted to his chest, and most likely new pants by the darker shade on them, the same battle sandals on his feet he often wore. It was at that point Thalia remembered that he also had hers and Piper's clothes sealed away. Something she was hell bent on getting back.
Piper nodded, she would too.
"Naruto!" "Namikaze-sama!" It was then Thalia realized that men and women wearing light body armor and white animal masks surrounded her, her brother and Piper.
"Kids got his own honor guard!" Ares laughed aloud.
"Well, he is considered a hero in his homeland," Hera told her war child.
As Naruto pushed the overly affectionate Zephyr off of him, Thalia caught sight of a tanned man standing behind the blond. He had his brown hair pulled up in a ponytail and a scar across the bridge of his nose. He wore the attire of the men that had attacked them outside Mt. Othrys, putting Thalia on edge.
"Well, you are in the heart of enemy territory." Athena said, understand her half-sister's guarded attitude.
"I'm okay," Naruto said to the man with the cut across his nose. He turned and lightly patted Zephyr on his emblazed neck, "I'm good."
He turned to look at the other three and nodded, "Hey Jay, nice landing."
Jason wiped his hand across his mouth, checking for blood, before flipping the blond off.
"I think they have the fun Jason." Leo pouted, getting Jason to frown at him. He could be fun.
"Load of kindness, aren't you?" Naruto mumbled before grinning at Thalia, "Thalia-chan...you flew all the way out here for me?"
"Didn't have much of a choice in the matter," snipped the girl with a frown.
"Yes, still mad, good." Thalia nodded to her other. "Honestly, making her fly, some boyfriend."
Naruto winced at the tone. He decided to not aggravate his girlfriend further and smiled at Piper, "Did you enjoy the ride, Dove?"
"Now he's just playing with me," Piper pouted with crossed arms.
"Your dad told me who my mother is," Piper replied before smiling at Zephyr, "But I did have fun. He's a very good ride and a pretty awesome horse."
Poseidon smiled at his creation, a prideful look on his face.
Zephyr turned to Naruto, transmitting his thoughts freely to his master, I like this girl Master. May I give her a gift?
"See, Piper is so awesome all the ponies want to give her stuff," Leo snickered as the girl pushed him. There was some flowery girly joke in there, and she did not like it.
"You don't need my permission," Naruto replied with a smile. Grinning at the girl, he said, "Hold out your hand. Zephyr has a gift for you."
Piper furrowed her brow in confusion but did as Naruto said, extending her right hand. Then suddenly the space above her hand burst into flame, forging a curved blade about seven inches in length, the handle just two inches long. It was a beautifully golden blade with a Greek sun engraved on either side. Piper held the blade in her hand, running the other over the engraved symbol.
"Well, seems Piper's equipped." Annabeth said, wondering if she was going to get Helen's dagger as well.
"Well it's almost official now," Naruto said, gaining her attention, "All that's left is the claiming ceremony at Camp Half-Blood."
"And she will love it." The love goddess.
"No I won't." Piper said in a stubborn tone.
"I thought you looked nice," Jason told her in a kind tone, getting the girl to flush a bit with a smile on her face.
The love goddess smirked, thank you golden boy.
"Namikaze-sama I must insist we take the intruders in for questioning," A masked warrior said, getting Naruto to look at him.
"Oh snap, no he didn't." Apollo sung out.
"Do you remember what happened to Owl when he tried to apprehend me?" Naruto inquired.
"Hehe," Ares chuckled out, he liked his nephew, very violent when he wanted to be.
The warrior nodded his head, prompting Naruto to narrow his gaze into a glare as he continued, "Then you would do best to leave them be. If you so much as look at them wrong, I will put you down. Understand?"
"So protective," Aphrodite smiled to Thalia, who had a stoic face. She wasn't going to give the love goddess something to use on her, besides she was growing a good deal of skin from all this teasing.
The warriors stiffened at the threat before vanishing in in explosions of smoke. Naruto exhaled in relief and patted the concerned spirit on the head, "I'm alright. Thank you Zephyr, you may leave."
Cannot leave Master, not again. May I stay, Master? Pleaded the fiery horse as it nudged Naruto's hand. The blond demigod's whiskered cheeks pulled back into a grin and he affectionately rubbed the horse spirit on the head.
"Naruto..." began the man that stood behind him. Naruto turned to the man, his hand not leaving Zephyr's head as he did, prompting him to continue, "Who...Who are they?"
"Who is the man, behind the mask?" Apollo said in a mysterious tone.
"Lame," Artemis chimed, getting her brother to deflate. She smiled, yep, best pastime ever.