Ch. 6

The thick fog cleared; revealing a beautiful, elegant meadow of flowers of all different kinds, some even didn't look naturally found. The smells were intoxicating to Percy's nose. In the middle stood a tree that seemed to be five stories tall. All around the tree the branches had glowing gold apples.

A large, serpentine body was coiled around the tree. One hundred dragon heads were asleep on various parts of the tree; guarding the apples. Ladon.

Percy was confused. Why would Zeus give his immortal, goddess-as-a-wife an immortality give tree for wedding present? She was already immortal; so the entire gift would be irrelevant. It's legend prompted anyone to seek it out for it's apples. Why not give her a regular tree so no one would be motivated to steal from it?

Percy felt the hairs on his neck stand on end when several appearances made themselves. Walking from shadows were four young women. They all looked similar to Zoë in appearance. Wearing white Greek chitons; they had coppery skin, long, silky ebony hair, and volcanic black eyes.

Zoë gave them an impassive stare, "Sisters."

One of them glared harshly, "You lost the privilege to call us 'sister' the day you betrayed us."

"Le signore," Percy said with peaceful gesturing, "there's no need for such hostility."

Another Hesperide glared dangerously at Percy, "Who are you?"

"Percy, mie signore," the kitsune bowed dramatically; making the girls of his group groan and roll their eyes. Percy rose to smirk flirtatiously at them, "A fox spirit from Shinto."

"Good, then you have no business in our… family affairs."

"Leave him be sister," the fourth one said; she was petite and slender. "Perhaps he could… entertain us," her eyes traveled over his bare chest when they gained a hungry glint, "it has been since we've had company in our midst."

The flirting fox smirked wildly at her offer. Percy smiled apologetically, "As much as I would love to entertain you, business does come before… pleasure. It's with a heavy heart I must decline."

Percy looked towards his companions, "Be ready to move." Before the girls could ask why, Percy threw his head back and released an earth-shaking, eardrum-bursting roar. The effect was Ladon's body shifting as it woke and uncoiled itself from the tree. Unbeknownst to the son of Amaterasu, the Hesperides scurried back into the shadows.

"Do you have a death wish?! We can't fight– let alone kill Ladon!" Zoë came up to Percy with fear and anger in her eyes.

Percy grinned at Zoë's emotions he felt from her, "La signorina Nightshade, who said anything about killing?"

Ladon charged the questers with thunderous roars from several of it's heads. Percy spew bolts of his fox-fire at Ladon. While small and seemingly harmless, they detonated in large explosions that seemed like fireworks in the dragon's face.

Percy wrapped his tails around the girls' waists before disappearing in a swirling tornado of red flames.

In a flash of inferno Percy and the others appeared several yards away from the hundred-headed dragon and the immortality-giving tree. The girls painfully grabbed their heads as intense migraines set in.

"Sorry," Percy chuckled, "traveling by and through fire can give you a bit of a headache."

Thalia got to her as she dizzily walked up to Percy. The fox in question ungracefully fell to the ground after Thalia slugged a sloppy, yet hard right hook to Percy's jaw.

Percy spit a wad of his white blood on the ground. Getting on his knees, Percy rubbed his sore jaw, "Kami. Damn, you hit pretty hard, principessa. Remind me; why hit the that saved you from an angry, hundred-head dragon?"

Thalia massaged her head in an attempt to get rid of her head-pounding migraine. The daughter of Zeus winced in pain, "For not telling us what you were doing. And for this one hell of a headache."

Percy nodded, "Good point."

X

Trekking up the mountain the group found ruins around the mountain. The ruins themselves seemed to flicker in movement. As if they were reconstructing themselves.

Zoë looked at the ruins with narrowed eyes. Percy watched the ruins with confusion, "What the hell is all of this?"

Zoë answered, "The ruins of Othrys. They're reforming."

Percy's ears twitched when he came to a conclusion, "I saw Atlas before, so that means… another immortal is holding up the sky."

"Artemis," Zoë answered darkly. Having her ex-father kidnap her mistress, and force her to hold his burden was enraging.

Reaching the summit, the group saw a small combination of a tornado and hurricane being held up by a young girl with auburn hair and silver eyes–– albeit drained.

Zoë and Phoebe ran up to the girl with urgency and fear in their eyes. They'd never, in their ageless lives, would see their mistress and mother figure in such shape. Artemis's arms were shaking, she was sweating profusely; most likely from the strain of the sky. She looked so… weak, as if the sky was draining her divinity and immortal life. Even the silvery glow in her eyes were considerably dimmed.

"My lady!"

"Mistress!"

Artemis's eyes snapped to her most devoted huntresses. Her voice was raspy and strained, "Get back! It's a trap!"

The huntresses ignored their goddess's orders and tugged effortlessly at her celestial bronze chains. The moons goddess's bonds were too sturdy and strong for the girls to break, but that stop them from trying.

"How touching!"

Percy, Thalia, and Annabeth turned to the direction of a booming voice. A tall and muscular man stood behind the group. He had a brutal face with dark grey eyes; kind of like stone, dark, slicked-back hair. He wore an expensive, silky, brown suit. The mountain of man had the same coppery skin of Zoë's. He even Zoë's cold yet proud look. Only worse.

It was hard to determine this was Atlas; Titan of Strength, Endurance, and Astrology. The similarities in appearance and facial expression was almost uncanny.

Beside the Titan stood a young man with sandy blonde hair and light blue eyes. The man was tall and handsome. But the only unsettling thing he had was a scar under his eye.

"Luke!"

Annabeth unsheathed her dagger and Thalia summoned her spear and Aegis shield. Both had a determined light in their eyes, but looking closer anyone could see the demigoddesses had a hesitant glint. Who wouldn't be? Annabeth looked at Luke like an older brother and Thalia had romantic feelings for the son of Hermes. Now they were forced to fight and possibly kill him. It left a disgusting taste on their tongues just thinking about it.

"Some family reunion," Atlas mused, "and speaking of family; Zoë, how has Artemis been treating you? Oh, I forget, she's… indisposed of right now. But I hope I get an answer after I kill you right in front of her."

Atlas's daughter looked ready to burst. But Artemis's words caught her. "Do not fall for his tricks. He wants your emotions override your head."

Another figure stood next to Atlas. It looked to be a humanoid body of light. The figure was obviously male with the way it was shaped. The eyes were lit with red, and seemed to be glowing like headlights.

Percy eyed with suspicion. He'd never seen or heard anyone from Greek mythology with this kind of form. With his superior senses, he felt the aura and power it held. It felt equivalent to his own, so it was one of the Kami, thankfully. The kitsune didn't have the power to fight Kami and a Titan.

Percy took a few steps to the light being, "I assume you're an agent of Izanami?"

The light being's voice was distorted and overlapped with others. But the loudest voice was deep and rich, it was unmistakably male. It even had the same strange accent Percy had. "Wow," he spoke with a sarcasm-laced voice, "Izanami told me your powers of perception were mighty; but now they appear to be godlike, seven-tails."

Percy scrunched his eyebrows in annoyance. Sarcasm was something made Percy– well, Percy. To hear someone using it against him was irritating.

"Well, can I get a name then?"

The being of light held a hand up to his chest in mock hurt, "I'm hurt, don't tell me you've forgotten me," light being sobered up as he looked to be glaring at the kitsune, "… Perseo."

The name Percy was called rang through the entire mountain. It froze everyone in place as they looked at the fox and the light spirit. Even Artemis rose her head at an attempt to look at the two beings in a standoff.

Percy, in his seven hundred years of living, never thought he'd hear that name again. Let alone someone address him with it. Hearing this light spirit call him with it sparked a burning inferno in inside him. White-hot rage and fury spread like disease in his heart.

Percy's eyes and tails burst into white flames, he crouched low with his feet spread far apart and his rear in the air. His tails waved dangerously as they grew longer in his length, almost like a rattlesnake's tail; warning it's enemy.

The light spirit chuckled, clearly amused with itself, "It appears I've struck a nerve."

Atlas looked at the light spirit and fox spirit with suspicion. He narrowed his eyes, "You too know each other?"

"Yes," the light spirit spoke, "we go way back. Right, Perseo?"

Percy released thunderous roar that struck fear into his quest-mates. "You've got a pretty big set balls on you to call me that! Now, I'm going to ask this once, and only once, before things turn bloody: Who. Are. You?!"

"Now who said it was gonna be that easy?" The light spirit chuckled; summoning a katana made of light.

Percy's hair sticks glowed when they shifted into two katanas; one golden blade, and another an onyx black blade. The golden one was glowing ethereally red and the black had a dark purple glow.

Percy and the light spirit charged each other as both jumped in the sky. The swords clashed as a thunderous shockwave was released from the connection. The shockwave sent both back a few feet from each other as they both floated in the air.

The white flames in Percy's eye-sockets caught sight of seven long golden fox tails protruding from the base of his spine. They produced their own heavenly light as they waved.

Percy's eyes narrowed dangerously, "You're a kitsune," it wasn't a question, "then why are we fighting. Aren't kitsune supposed to be a species that don't follow anyone? We don't follow rules or order, we do what we want; yet you dishonor us by submitting to the ruler of Yomi."

The light spirit sneered in hatred, "I dishonor us?! Last time I checked you follow Amaterasu like a dog–"

The light spirit ducked forwards as Percy performed a horizontal strike to the head. The enraged son of Amaterasu executed a series of strikes; each parried by the light spirit.

Percy locked swords with his enemy, he tried to force him to the ground but the light being held firm.

"What's the matter Perseo? You seem angry," light fox spoke as it stared in Percy's eyes.

Percy bared his fangs as he got into the light fox's face, "Angry would be an understatement, now, who are you, or do I have to send you back to mistress the hard way?"

The light fox got so close to Percy's face that their noses were touching. "Like I said before: it's not gonna be that easy."

Deflecting Percy's swords to the side, the light fox's swords shimmered away as he followed up with knee to the gut. Percy flew back a few feet from his opponent's follow-up.

'Dannazione, got to give this guy's trainer props. He aimed straight for the solar plexus; the weakest center of the body. Impressive.' Percy thought as he wheezed from having the wind knock out of him.

The light fox fired a laser beam of light at Percy. Acting fast Percy flew through the air, around the beam at the other fox. Caught off guard the light fox was struck in the throat by the webbing in between Percy's thumb and index finger.

Percy wrapped his legs around the light fox's neck before flipping himself upside and throwing his opponent to the ground; creating a crater into the ground. Percy formed his black katana as he flew to his opponent in a charge.

A dust cloud was created from Percy's descent. When it cleared the light being had Percy's sword in his hands as Percy tried to force his blade in the light spirit's chest.

The light fox rolled backwards before kicking Percy off him. Flipping himself on his feet, Percy held his black sword in the Te Ura Gasumi stance.

The light fox stared at Percy, "So, Izanami was right…"

Percy held his stance, he dared not even blink. His eyes were glue to his opponent, his muscles were clenched in anticipation. He didn't move because he was waiting for the fox to make a move and find out any information the fox could unknowingly give.

"… so it's true, you really are nogitsune."

Dead silence.

Both foxes stared at each other. A storm ensued when a hard rain started to pour. Lighting flashed in the distance when thunder rung through the heavens.

"I can see the death, chaos, and destruction in your eyes." He said noting Percy's new form.

Percy's hair and fur was snowy white, the veins under his eyes were black and extruding, and his sclera was obsidian eyes. His front and back torso was littered with glowing, purple, Japanese wording tattoos.

"This was fun, Perseo. I could care less about this war between gods and goddesses, the only thing I care about is killing you. Kitsune, nogitsune, it makes no difference to me; your death is the only thing I want. So I won't spill the beans about your true form to the half-bloods. Until we meet again."

The light fox vanished in swirl of light. Percy slowly exited his stance. His long, wet bangs had covered most of his most. The tattoos quickly faded as his icy white hair turned back to an obsidian onyx. Even his sclera looked normal.

Percy held his head down in anger. He promised himself he'd never enter this form ever again. He'd never become nogitsune again… until now. Looking at his black blade he instantly knew his black sword channeled his destructive and chaotic power. The power of a nogitsune.

His ears perked up as he heard a booming roar. Flying to back to the summit, Percy saw Artemis with her attendants and the demigoddesses. Atlas was back under the sky, where he should belong. The girls seemed to to be extremely weathered as they had several cut and bruises. Artemis looked, relatively, well. She'd gain back her divine glow that all immortals had.

"It seems your still breathing," Artemis commented towards Percy.

Percy smirked at her words, "Ms. Artemis, I've lived seven centuries full of death, danger, fighting, wars, and the odds against me surviving were stacked. If it would be that easy to kill me, don't you think someone would've done it by now?"

Artemis and the others rolled their eyes at his obvious arrogant statement. It wasn't in Percy's nature to be an arrogant dick, but it was in his nature to be an asshole. Overconfidence was just part of the package.

"Nice to see your pretty face hasn't been beaten senseless, principessa." Percy smiled coquettishly.

Thalia scowled angrily, "I wish I couldn't say the same."

Percy gasped as he clasped the sides of his face, "You think I'm pretty?" Percy grew a large grin when addressed the moon goddess, "Artemis, you heard that! Your little sister thinks I'm pretty!"

Artemis glanced at Thalia with a stoic expression. The daughter of Zeus's cheeks turned bright red as her anger increased every time Percy said she thought he was pretty.

'No, you can't kill the kitsune, Thalia.' Artemis's words echoed in Thalia's head. 'After we report this to father, then.'

Artemis snapped her fingers when, out of thin air, a chariot appear out of silver smoke. It was entirely silver with silver-horned golden reindeer pulling it.

Percy's laughter slowly ceased when seeing it. He was gonna make a joke including Santa's sleigh, but decided not to. He chose to keep his manhood over having a goddess cut it off.

"I must go to Olympus," Artemis announced, "father expects a report of what happened."

She looked to Percy with a look no one could place. "Well done, Percy." Everyone knew it was a hard pill to swallow just by calling him his name. Normally, she'd call him something 'boy', 'kitsune', 'fox', 'dog', or something else insulting. But if this was her way of saying 'thank you'… he'd take it.

Percy nodded with a lazy salute; waving his index and middle finger upward from his forehead. Artemis took off into the night sky leaving the five people in Mt. Tamalpais.

"So," Thalia getting everyone's attention, "getting over the fact that Lady Artemis basically just said 'sorry', how do get back to Olympus?"

"I think you already know the answer to that, Blue Eyes."

Thalia's electric blue orbs widened as they took in Percy's grin. Before anyone could ask what he meant, Percy's body glowed a ruby color as his grew and elongated. After the glowing died down in stood Percy's place was a very large seven-tailed fox.

It seemed to be three times larger than horse, and considerably much more muscular. It had onyx black fur with it's underbelly and the tips of the tails and ears were white. The bright ruby irises were filled with light and energy. The fox's ears were much larger than need be; each was as long as it's head.

"Percy?" Annabeth questioned at the fox before Percy nodded and cooed softly in return.

Percylaid sideways in front of them, it looked like he was telling them something.

"I think," Annabeth said with hesitance, "I think he wants us to ride him."

Phoebe had her bow gripped tightly, "Should we trust him?"

As much as it killed Thalia to say, "Well, Percy's never let us down before, and he's never given us a reason to not trust him."

"We also don't have a lot of options when it comes to getting to Olympus," Zoë added.

The mutual agreement was that riding Percy to Olympus was the only option. The seating arrangement was: Thalia, Annabeth, Zoë, and Phoebe. While Thalia wasn't too thrilled to be in front, she needed something to curb her ironically terrible acrophobia. Thus tightening her arms around Percy's was the only option.

Percy jumped in the air as he gracefully reached the heavens. His body moved as if he ran on solid ground. He seemed to be leaping from cloud; there was nothing more graceful, supple, or elegant than Percy in his fox form. Thalia was still stiff from being so far from the ground, but burrowing her face into Percy's silky obsidian fur.

When reaching New York, Percy flew near the Empire State Building. He then ascended straight up into sky. He seemed to be running vertically straight up. Reaching far into the atmosphere, Annabeth caught sight of an enormous mountain with a large city throughout it. The city had several various palaces around it; each with distinctive style and flavor. Each one for an Olympian.

Percy glided down to the throne room. Reaching the ground, the girls dismounted the fox spirit before his shimmered and glowed back into his original form.

"So… you can do that?" Annabeth asked.

Percy nodded, "It's a kitsune thing."

Opening the doors to the throne room, the girls bowed in respect toward the Olympians; especially Zeus.

Zeus stayed silent a few moments before speaking to Percy. "My daughter has informed me of your endeavors. You left Camp Half-Blood, recruited my daughter, Athena's daughter, and two of Artemis's attendants to release her from the burden of the sky. You fought off Atlas, the traitorous son of Hermes, and someone from the Shinto. Is this true?"

Percy nodded before waited for Zeus's next words. Zeus locked eyes with Percy in a staring contest. Both didn't blink or look away.

Zeus looked crossed before continuing, "Well done."

Percy thought his illusions were getting the better of him. Zeus was praising him; something he'd never thought he'd hear.

"But the question is," Hera added, "who was the third with Atlas? From what Artemis provided he seemed to have some connection to you."

Percy narrowed his eyes in no particular direction. "He was a kitsune, and from our battle he seems to be a celestial kitsune. Since there is an infinite number of kitsune, it's nigh on impossible to narrow it down. Plus with the amount of people I've pissed off in the last seven centuries it could literally be anyone. It could be the guy who's wife, daughter, sister, or girlfriend I've slept with. Wow, I've slept with a lot of women–"

"We aren't here to discuss your depraved, lecherous views of women," Artemis interrupted.

"Bottom line," Percy said finally, "it could be anyone. The best option is to let him come up for air then find out his identity."

Zeus sighed in exasperation, "Well, does anyone have anything else to add?"

When no one said anything, Zeus finished, "This then concludes the Winter Solstice meeting, dismissed."

Zeus flashed away large lot of lightning as well as the others gods flashed away. Only Artemis stayed behind for her huntresses.

Zoë went up to with her hand held out. "Make no mistake, we're not friends. But you helped save my mistress, fox. For that, you have my thanks… Percy."

"Your welcome, huntress," Percy shook her hand.

X

After getting back to Camp, the trio was beat from the unofficial quest they had. Annabeth had fallen asleep instantaneously, not even bothering changing into some sleeping attire. Thalia on the other hand, couldn't get a wink of sleep, despite how tired she was. Her father's pride didn't allow her to do what her heart wanted. But ultimately her consciousness overpowered her pride.

Walking out of her cabin, Thalia swiftly avoided the harpies as quickly as she could, entered the forest. She walked silently when she came upon Percy. He was staring intently at his reflection in a river as the moon showered him with light. It was truly tranquil.

Thalia came up behind him when saw something glinting on his ears. "I didn't know you had your ears pierced."

The kitsune had three large gold earrings pierced on his ears. His overly large canine made it seem the large fitted perfectly. Percy chuckled dryly, "People tend to block out the small significant things; focusing on only what find worthwhile."

Thalia and Percy sat in an awkward silence. Twiddling with her fingers, Thalia spoke hesitantly, "Look, umm, I'm not good at this kind of thing, but, well… thank you. If hadn't been for you being there with us, we probably would've failed embarrassingly."

Percy shrugged, "No problem, principessa. Just doing my job."

As much as she wanted to knock his teeth she didn't want to ruin a good moment. But looking closer, she noticed his brooding look.

"Are you okay?" Silence. "Does it have something to do with that other kitsune, or him calling you Perseo?" Silence was Percy's response. "You know you can talk to me if you need to, right?"

Fed up from his silence, Thalia rose and begun to stalk out of the woods. "Fine, I was trying to be nice, but it seems your not used to nice."

Before Thalia could get far, she looked down to Percy's tails lightly grasping her forearm.

"Perseo…"

She moved back to Percy's side as he looked at the stars in the sky. "Perseo is… my real name."

Thalia's eyes widened; she'd never given thought to Percy's real name, or he had a real name and Percy was just something he gave himself. But finding out his real name was eye-opening.

"It's Italian," Percy continued, "for Perseus. My mother was extremely fond of the story of Perseus. So when I was born she thought 'why not'."

Thalia was probably gonna regret it, but powered through anyway. "Percy, hold are you?"

Percy sighed, "728 years old; 1279 was my birth year. Perseo was the name my mother gave me when was born in Venice."

"You're Italian?"

Percy looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "What language do think I've been speaking?"

"Spanish," Thalia answered, "or something close to it."

Thalia looked at Percy with concern, "Since that other kitsune knows you, and you don't it, that means–"

"It's someone from my past," Percy finished, "I haven't been called by my full name in six centuries. To find someone that knows it is… shocking."

Percy and Thalia sat in a comfortable silence. Thalia sat unreasonably close to the fox. Normally, Thalia didn't want such close proximity with him, but he obviously needed someone with him at this time. So as tough and assertive she was, she wasn't gonna deny someone a shoulder to lean on.

Thalia swallowed her anxiety thickly before calling him, "Percy,"

The said fox looked at her before the daughter of Zeus pecked him on the cheek. Her cheeks turned pink before she quickly rose and scurried away.

Percy stared at Thalia's backside when she left. Kissing him on the cheek was the last thing he'd expect her to do. Punch, slap; yeah, but kiss. He chuckled amusedly, "Good night to you too, principessa."


I don't own Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan does. READ, REVIEW, LIKE, FAVORITE, and SUBSCRIBE. Really hope you like this on, tell me what you think.