Ch. 8

Thalia's head throbbed as her eyes slowly opened. Her vision was blurry as she raised her head. Though her sight was fuzzy, she managed to see her surroundings. Her eyes saw the unconscious form of Percy in the middle of a grove of trees in a jungle. Percy laid on a circle of vine covered stone. Japanese wordings she couldn't read was carved into the stone ground; in a circle around Percy. He was bound to the ground in glowing white chains.

By the looks of the sky, it was night. The moon burned brightly in the sky with the twinkling stars around it.

She found herself chained to a tree in celestial bronze chains. Looking to her left, Thalia saw the children of Hades chained as well to a tree. "Uhhh…" Thalia heard a groggily voice groan next to her. "Where the Hades–"

Hearing the voice of the owner, she knew immediately who it was. She looked around to her and saw her friend chained to the same tree she was. "Annabeth?!"

"Thalia? What happened? Where are we? What's happening?" Annabeth became frantic as she thrashed about, trying to get free of her bonds.

"I don't know, one of those oni took us," Thalia eyed her surroundings, "to what looks like a jungle."

Large thumping sounds came from behind them. The blue oni came from the darkness. It crouched down in front of Thalia with a leering smile.

"Don't worry, daughter of Zeus, your time will come, along with the daughter of Athena."

Thalia's anger boiled. Inhaling, she spewed a torrent of lightning from into the demon's face. The result was him grabbing his face in pain before standing fast. The attack left his face badly burned, but he didn't seem to mind. He sneered at Thalia before he gave her a vicious grin.

"Your fighting spirit and stubbornness is greatly admired, half-blood," his arm swirled with red electricity, "but, you should understand when you're terribly outmatched."

The oni shot Thalia with a stream of crimson electricity. Thalia wailed as her body was hit with what her body felt was her father's master bolt. Echoes of pain and waves of burning was all Thalia felt. The only thing her mind and body could comprehend was the writhing agony she howled to be rid of.

Annabeth threw curses at the demon that would've made her mother gape at. She struggled against her restraints as her friend convulsed in her suffering.

Thalia's head dropped as she fell into unconsciousness. The demon feigned innocence, "Oh my, it seems the famed Thalia Grace isn't as indestructible as she makes herself out to be. Perhaps, after I'm done with the fox, you and I can have more fun."

The blue demon went over to Percy. He crouched in front of the kitsune. He smiled down at the fox, who began to stir and move faintly. "My you're a persistent little fox."

Percy got to his knees slowly, he growled lowly at his kidnapper. The glowing in his eyes flickered as he did his best to move. Percy's arms felt like jello with his vision blurred.

"Don't worry, Seven Tails, it'll be over really quick."

The children of Hades stirred just in time to see Percy get kicked in his stomach by the demon. He fell on his back, wheezing and coughing violently.

"What are doing to him?! Stop it!"

Nico's outburst made the demon look at him. The son of Hades gulp fearfully. The oni gave him a mocking smile, "Don't worry, little one, his suffering will end. Tonight."

The oni snapped his fingers as thirteen katanas appeared evenly around Percy, evenly distanced from the fox; forming an even tridecagon. They all had different colorful auras.

"Hear this, Heaven!" The oni had black flames swirling around his left arm and pointed it toward the sword with red aura. "Your champion, the Seven Tails, is dead!"

He shot his flames at the sword. The flames covered the weapon and spread to the other swords. Almost like an infection. The flames from all the swords gathered above Percy formed an orb of black fire. The orb had a black tendril snake its way down to Percy. It linked to one of Percy's tails, snaking around it.

Percy roared with every breath in his lungs. The demigods' ears heard only the reverberating thunder of Percy's voice. Waves of force came from his mouth, blowing back debris. Wind came with the force of his roar.

Nico could only watch with tears streaming down his face as he saw his newfound friend wail in desperation. They haven't known each other long, but he cared for the fox spirit. He almost saw him as an older brother. Unbeknownst to the son of Hades, the shadows danced toward him.

The black flaming tendril broke off his tail, but not completely. Between his back and the severed appendage stood a river of flames. Bianca was in awe, was there fire inside of his tail? The black tendril continued to pull on his almost severed tail. Percy's wail grew even louder as his body rocked with spasms.

Filled with rage for his companion, the shadows encased Nico, he found himself in the darkness of the tree line. Without a moment's hesitation, Nico ran for Percy. The oni's eyes widened when he looked at Nico, before racing to intercept him.

Nico slid under the demon. He used his momentum to launch himself to the ball flames. Crashing into the orb made the ball flicker furiously. The ball sucked Nico inside like a black hole. The orb of black fire turned stark white. It's light burned brighter and brighter until everyone had to avert their eyes.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Bianca's heart stopped after hearing Nico's fear and pain filled scream.

The light died. The swords and black flames disappeared. All there was was Percy laying on the ground. Nico was no where to be found. The chains binding the female demigods disappeared, Bianca wailed and sobbed in agony and heartache.

"Well, that wasn't my plan," the oni got to his feet and stalked to the kitsune, "but I guess I have to make due."

An explosion of purple energy burst in the blue oni's face. It flew back on his back with it's chest smoking. The girls looked at origin of the source.

Nico stood next to Percy, only, he looked like Percy. From waist down his body was that of a fox. Black fur coated his form and covered his sex, white fur from the ankles and wrists down. A long, bushy tail originated from his lower back. His arms were coated with ebony fur. The tips of his ears had white fur. His unnatural black eyes had purple sclera. His voice meshed with a low growl.

His hand smoke rising from it.

He charged the oni with unknown speed. The oni charged him as well as. In a flash, Nico stood with his claws against the demon's chest. Nico's strength stopped the demon mid stride, and held him in place.

The girls watched as the oni's widened as he stood in place. "It c-can't be… y-you can't b-be…"

The demon's body seemed to drain itself of sustenance and life. He turned deathly pale, his frame—which was lean and built—became unhealthily thin. His eyes turned a pale grey, he became blind. Anything sign of liquid in his form was gone, like his form became fragile stone.

Nico pushed the decimated body back, it fell easily. The body crumbled to pieces, like a broken statue crumbling.

Nico stood in place, hands on his sides. Bianca took in her brother's new body. He was a little taller with a little more muscle than he had before the explosion. His longer, shaggier hair covered his eyes.

"Nico…"

Her brother fell unconscious, Percy appeared behind him. The son of Hades fell into Percy's grip, he put Nico into a fireman's carry. "Remind me to kick your ass, Nico, for being so reckless and stupid. The only one whose stupid and reckless around here is me."

Bianca looked at her brother worriedly, "Is he going to be okay?"

"He'll be fine," Percy reassured her, "he just drained himself."

"What happened to him?" Annabeth questioned, staring at the long tail on his back.

Percy looked at Bianca with sympathy, "Something that isn't to be discussed here out in the open. Follow."

The girls didn't hesitate to follow the fox.

X

After about an hour of searching the jungle, the group found a large cave. It's walls echoed from too much sound. The darkness of the cave was perfect from concealing themselves.

Night had descended upon the jungle. Within the cave, Percy had conjured a fire to keep everyone warm. Bianca held Nico's head in her lap, stroking her fingers in his messy hair. She held a frown on his face when remembered how stupid he was being. Annabeth and Thalia crowded around the fire with the intentions of staying warm. Percy was in the back of the cave with his eyebrows furrowed, sitting against the wall. His eyes were locked on Nico's new furry appendage.

"Hey, Percy," Bianca called to Percy, "what happened to Nico? Why is he like this? Is he… like you? A kitsune?"

Percy was silent a few moments before he sighed. He closed his closed, "Yes, Nico is a kitsune. Kitsune kukan to be precise."

"But how is that possible?" Annabeth questioned.

Percy answered, "It shouldn't. Kitsune are only created or born from one or both parents that are kitsune. But looking at Nico, its safe to say that that isn't the only way to become a fox."

"How do you know?" Thalia looked at Percy skeptically.

"Because I can feel the power he possesses, and his star ball," he closed his eyes, allowing himself to feel power flicker inside Nico, "he's strong, must be the blood of Hades within him."

"Wait," Bianca said, "what about him being a son of Hades? What will happen to him?"

Percy explained, "The oni tried to kill me and take my power. In order to kill a kitsune, you need to cut off it's master tail, the first tail. Those thirteen swords were representations of the elements kitsune control. The thirteen elements would've been enough to kill me. Nico interfered with the spell, the powers of the kitsune was unintentionally infused with his mortal form. Turning him into a fox as well."

Bianca looked at Nico sleep soundly as she heard Percy continue, "It was a painful process, the most pain he'd ever experienced. But as the saying goes: 'whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger'."

Bianca looked at Percy worriedly, "What did you call him? Kukan?"

"Yes," Percy nodded, "kitsune kukan. It means 'void kitsune' or 'dark kitsune'. I'm guessing because of his lineage to Hades the Void chose him, to gift him with power over dark magic, since he is a son of Hades. Now as a fox he holds power over Hades's domains and dark magic."

Bianca ran her hands through Nico's shaggy hair, worried for her brother's future. What was to become of Nico, such an imbalance of power wouldn't be tolerated by higher forces. Especially, Zeus, she'd heard legends and stories of him and his selfish, avaricious greed.

But as much as she wanted worry for her sibling's safety and future, she couldn't. The unexpected tiredness and sleepiness hit her like a freight train. Sleep, daughter of Hades. She heard Percy's voice in her head, soothing and gentle. You, just like your brother, will need your strength.

Losing her battle with sleep, Bianca's droopy eyes closed with her head against the wall.

X

Nico opened his eyes, he saw blackness. A dark, empty void that held nothing but dark mists. He turned around and found nothing; up, down, sideways, anywhere.

The dark mists started to swirl around his arms before snaking around his form. The cool feel of the mist put his mind at ease. Nico gained an odd feeling of pleasantry from the darkness of the void.

"The dark looks good on you."

A petite girl—around his age—appeared in front of him. She had sweeping blonde hair that cropped into a hime cut. She wore a white furisode kimono with blue koi fish on it. She must've been a kitsune, like Percy, Nico guessed. He saw two large, tawny colored ears on her head with ten really long, fox tails coming out from under her kimono.

"Hi."

Nico was taken back by the girl's casual, warm greeting. He shifted awkwardly, "Umm, hi?"

His unsure response made her giggle, "You're funny, no wonder Percy likes you so much."

"You know Percy? Where is he? Where's Bianca? Where am I?"

She held up her hand, to stop him from shooting her with more questions. "Don't worry Nico, your sister and Percy are fine, right now you're just sleeping."

Nico breathed a sigh of relief, before the girl asked, "Tell me, what do you remember?"

Nico's eyes popped out, "I stopped that thing from killing Percy. But after that it's all white and hazy."

"That you did," she responded, "and in the process, you've evolved beyond your mortal state."

"Evolved," he questioned, "what do you mean?"

She gave him a sad smile, "I wish I could explain it to you, but my time is up."

Her body began shimmering violently, Nico looked panicked, "Wait, tell me!"

The girl's body ignited in shimmering blue flames, she spoke one last time, "I am the Ten Tailed One, or Ten Tails. Percy will explain to you of your state. Tell him to be wary of the island of Onogoro. Don't fear, I will be watching."

X

Bianca awakened with groggy eyes, her vision was slightly blurry from the deep sleep she fell into. She reached for her brother and felt nothing. Confusion turned to fear when she looked around didn't see him.

She turned to the entrance of the cave and saw Nico standing their. Walking closer, Bianca noticed his eyes were glued to the flora of the forest. His long tail swung softly and slowly.

"Wow," Nico spoke breathlessly.

"Nico—" Bianca was cut off by Percy, "Nico's fine, he's just adjusting to his more acute senses. Sights, sounds, smells, even feeling the slightest touch in the earth."

Nico turned to Percy with an eyebrow arched, "Do you always live like this?"

"Every second," Percy replied with a grin. Nico winced before clutching his forehead, "How? It's so overwhelming."

"Lesson 1: your senses are at their peak, so focusing on specific things can help hone them. Try it."

Nico closed his eyes as Percy continued, "Focus. Pick only one sound or smell and concentrate on only that specific thing; turning everything else into fading background noise."

Bianca saw her brother's ears twitch, "What are hearing?"

He turned to her, "Water."

"Bingo!" Percy began to walk in a direction of the sound he and Nico heard. The Di Angelo siblings followed.

Nico trailed behind Percy, "So," he began, "I'm like you? A fox?"

"Long story short: you did something stupid that made you a sort of synthetic kitsune." Percy pushed back several branches that revealed a flowing, crystal river.

"Synthetic," Bianca questioned from behind Nico.

Percy knelt down and began cupping the water to drink. He closed his eyes, allowing the clear water to quench his parched throat. "Artificial. He may be a fox, but he isn't natural. He's a fox because he was unintentionally created."

"So," Nico trailed, "is there a cure? Or a spell to reverse it?"

"Not that I know of, Nico."

Nico's ears dropped as he frowned at his reflection. Unintentionally turning himself into a Japanese fox spirit wasn't exactly his plan when he tried to save his friend. He felt claws on his shoulder and turned to Percy.

"Grazie amico mio," Percy spoke, "you saved my life, at the cost of your humanity and possibly could've been your life. You have my thanks."

"Uh, yeah, your welcome," Nico said dejectedly, until a thought him, "what is Onogoro?"

"Onogoro," Percy questioned, "where'd you hear name from?"

"A girl," Nico responded, "from my dreams. She told me to tell you to be wary of it."

Percy froze before closing in on Nico with a predatory gaze, "A little girl? What'd she look like?"

Nico recited, "Petite, blonde hair, she wore this kind of dress. It was white with blue fish on it."

"Anything else? Anything?"

Nico's ears stood upright, "Oh, right! She was kitsune too! She called herself 'Ten Tails'."

"What's wrong?" Bianca questioned, seeing Percy lose the color in his face.

Percy stared at Nico, dumbstruck. For Nico to be visited Kami, especially her, was jaw-dropping. Percy didn't actually know how to break to him. So he settled for the truth.

"Nico," he swallowed thickly, "this girl; was one of the Kami. Ten Tails is a spirit, she's the Goddess of Kitsune."


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