Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto nor Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I am just a lowly writer with too much time in my hands.

Warning: This is a sequel story. Read the following first before you read this story.

Child of the Moon: The Lightning Thief
Child of the Moon: The Sea of Monsters
Child of the Moon: The Titan's Curse

Chapter 4

Spirits milled around a clearing. They chattered as they watched a sole spirit march forward towards a pit containing some mashed together goop.

Just then, a boy, way younger than all of them, spoke. "Who are you? Speak!"

He was so young that most of these spirits didn't respect him at all. What, being a mere child and all. But there was just something about this child that told them not to mess with him. His aura just screamed authority and respect. Also, there was this spirit with him.

"I am Theseus," the spirit introduced himself.

I know what you're thinking. Theseus is the guy who defeated the Minotaur. How can this guy be him? He's just a kid! Well, I'll tell you. Percy was a kid, and yet, he's gone on life-threatening quests and defeated monsters that could kill a mortal with ease. If you ask me, those depictions of Greek Heroes on the artworks were exaggerated anyway. (Want proof? Look at a painting of Mr. D, you'll see. Sorry, Mr. D)

Anyway, back to the story…

"How can I retrieve my sister?" The kid asked.

"Do not try. It is madness," The spirit discouraged him. Still, the boy was adamant. He really wanted to find his sister.

"Just tell me!" he snapped.

The spirit looked in thought like he was remembering something of long ago. "My stepfather died…He threw himself into the sea because he thought I was dead. I wanted to bring him back, but I could not…"

The ghost that was with the boy hissed, "My Lord, ask him about the soul exchange."

"That voice! I know that voice!" Theseus's ghost was distracted by the boy's companion.

"Fool! No, you do not!" The ghost denied. "Answer My Lord's questions and nothing more."

The ghost still insisted. "No, I know you!"

"Silence!" Nico commanded. "Why did you speak if you know this spirit will recognize you."

He turned back to the conflicted ghost and asked gently, "Tell me…Will the quest to the Labyrinth help me bring back my sister?"

Slowly getting his attention back to the young boy, he answered. "The Labyrinth is a treacherous place. Only the love of a mortal girl guided me through it. The string is only part of the answer."

Nico nodded. He didn't need any of this. The spirit that was with him could guide him through it. Wanting to know the answers to his question, he spoke, "Is it true? A soul for a soul?"

"Y-yes…But the spectre–" Theseus nodded but it seemed he was still distracted by the voice from earlier.

"Just answer the question, you knave!" the ghost snapped.

Suddenly, the other spirits around them stirred. Something made them restless.

"You must release us!" Theseus said in a panic. "He comes to find this source of power!"

"Who? Who is coming?" The boy asked. "Wait! My sister! I want to see my sister!"

The ground then started to tremble, humming with power. Whatever this thing was that was coming, it was full of power. Before anything else could happen, everything went black.

WITH NARUTO AND BIANCA

"And that's when I woke up," The girl finished her story.

"Hmmm," Naruto hummed in thought as he sealed the last of his things into the scroll. "I don't know what that dream entails for us, but I think your little bro is involved in this quest."

"In that case, will you…"

"You don't even have to ask," Naruto smiled.

Bianca lunged at him, wrapping him in a hug. She wanted to be part of this quest, so she, herself, can be involved in reuniting her family, but she knew how much was riding on this quest.

"Thank you, Naruto," Bianca said, unwrapping the hug.

"You know, I'm always thankful for the jacket you gave me back in my first quest, but…" She continued as she sat across the boy. She took off the jacket she was wearing and handed it to Naruto, the symbol of the lion glowing on his back. "A lion shouldn't be kept in its cage, right?"

Naruto grinned at the sentiment, "You don't have to, y'know?"

"Please take it," Bianca insisted. "This is the only thing I can do to assist in the quest…so, please…"

Naruto would have still refused, but looking at Bianca with her pleading eyes made Naruto break his cold exterior. "I can't refuse you if you look at me like that," Naruto chuckled. "Now, come on. I have a quest to complete."

ZEUS'S FIST

Everyone was packed and ready for the quest.

It was a clear morning, just after dawn. The fog had already burned off, revealing a clear blue sky. Camp lessons would resume today, and more campers were lining up to train from Naruto's sensei, in hopes to get as strong as him.

There was crying off on the side. Juniper was gushing over her boyfriend. Would you blame her though? She can't go with him due to her life force being tied to a tree.

Despite what she was showing, Juniper tried to stay strong for the sake of her beloved. She straightened the satyr's rasta cap and brushed the goat fur off his clothes. They may be going underground for this mission, but they didn't know what they might encounter. So, they decided that Grover would dress up as a human, just in case.

"Before we go," Naruto spoke up getting the attention of the group. "I'm not sure how we will meet him, but I have a feeling we would meet Nico in this quest."

"Th-that's great!" Percy raised his voice in glee at the news. Even if things weren't sure yet, this was still good news. Whatever drove Nico to leave camp, they would right it and bring him home.

Before anyone could say more, Chiron trotted up to them and said, "Well, it appears everyone is ready."

Naruto could feel the anxiety in his voice, but he tried to mask it with his upbeat attitude. This was a quest that no one had attempted; he didn't want to dampen the questers' spirit any further.

"Uhm, can I talk to you, Chiron?" Percy suddenly said.

"What's on your mind, my boy?" The wise teacher raised an eyebrow.

"Alone, please," Percy said gesturing for the old centaur to follow him.

"What do you think that's about?" Bianca asked.

"Probably one of his dreams," Naruto said, looking at the two individual's retreating forms.

Naruto turned back to Annabeth. She was giddy. Naruto couldn't blame her. This was the first time she was leading a quest. Anyone would be nervous in her situation.

"You good?" Naruto asked.

"As good as I'll ever be," Annabeth answered. "I'm just not sure if we really can navigate the maze. I mean, without the string…."

"Come on!" Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be fine. You're the smartest girl I know. You'll think of something."

"Even this whole quest is a whole uncertainty?" Annabeth reasoned. "And the prophecy said…"

She caught herself. She hid the last line from everyone yesterday, and now, she almost revealed it to Naruto.

"Yeah, you got us a prophecy," Naruto nodded. "As much as I hate those things dictating our futures, it just says that we'll succeed, right?"

"And if ever things go wrong, you can count on Naruto to get you out of trouble!" Bianca chimed in.

"Ow!" Naruto yelled in pain, as Annabeth socked him on the arm. "What was that for?"

"That endless optimism of yours," the daughter of Athena shook her head, but she smiled in the end.

Finally calming down, she looked around and noticed that Percy and Chiron had not returned yet. "What's taking them so long?" She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"I'll go check on them," Naruto volunteered and ran towards the direction they went.

"-Luke was talking about raising Kronos," Naruto heard as he walked up to the two.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Naruto shook his head as he heard. "This seems important, Percy. Why are you only telling Chiron?"

"I-I…" Percy was speechless. He hadn't expected Naruto to come to them. Had they been talking that long?

"Forgive the boy, Naruto," Chiron spoke for the demigod. "He did not want the group to worry more. Considering who's with the quest, he didn't want her to have any more worries."

"Fine, fine," Naruto said. "I'm not really mad. You could have at least told me. After all, I'm your brother."

"Look Naruto, I'm sorry," Percy apologized.

"Don't worry," Naruto said. "So, what's up?"

"Remember that golden coffin I told you about?" Percy began.

"Don't tell me Gramps's bits are close to being reformed," Naruto's eyes widened.

Percy nodded. "Luke mentioned something about, 'a new body worthy of the forges of Hephaestus'."

Naruto recalled the prophecy. "It didn't mention anything about Kronos, unless…"

He turned back towards the direction he came from.

"Whatever the case, you have to get to Daedalus first," Chiron said. "There's just one thing I do not understand…Something about one last soul joining the cause. This does not bode well."

Naruto and Percy stiffened, as a chill ran up their spines. Percy insisted that they kept Nico's heritage from Chiron, but why was he acting as if he knew. Had he known all along, or did he find it out somehow?

"I-I agree," Percy blurted out eager to change the subject. "We have to get ready now, right Naruto?"

"Yes!" Naruto nodded. "Annabeth is looking for Percy."

"One thing though, before we go," the son of Poseidon had to get one last word out. "Why do still keep Quintus here? He doesn't seem all that trustworthy."

"Well, my boy, it is better to have someone you mistrust close to you, so you can keep an eye on them," Chiron explained.

"Makes sense," Naruto nodded.

"Now come along," Chiron gestured towards the boys. "You still have a quest to complete."

THE LABYRINTH

"I know we just came down here, but how far along have we gone," Grover asked as he looked uneasily at his surroundings.

"Shhh," Naruto shushed the teeth-chattering satyr. "Let Annabeth do her job."

It was a dark sewer that Percy and Annabeth instantly recognized upon falling into the hole again. It was around sewer, constructed with red brick and iron-barred potholes every ten feet. Out of curiosity, Percy looked through the potholes only to find nothing through it, The hole just opened to infinite darkness.

Annabeth guided her friends through the tunnel. She decided that they would stick to the western wall. It was a smart plan. If ever they got lost, they could easily backtrack. It was a great idea if they were traversing a normal maze, but this one is alive. For all we know, the way they came from could change under their noses, and they would truly be lost.

Naruto couldn't explain it, but the walls had a faint glow to them. The only problem is, that everything was mashed together and he couldn't differentiate where it was going. One thing was for certain, they were kind on lost. He wanted to ask if the others could see it as well, but they seemed to be going towards the faint glow.

Anyway, everything was going well, until the left wall disappeared. They found themselves in the middle of a circular chamber with eight tunnels leading out.

"Uh, does anyone remember where we came from?" Grover asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Easy, we turn around," Annabeth said, gesturing to the others to follow.

Each of them turned around to a different tunnel, each identical to the other on initial inspection.

"Are we lost?" Tyson asked.

"No, we're not," Annabeth shook her head.

"So, where are we going next?" Percy asked.

The leader thought it over briefly as she compared each hallway. "Here," she pointed to one of them.

"Are you sure?" Percy raised an eyebrow.

"She's right," Naruto confirmed. Something about his vision was giving it away. "You can see it too?"

"What are you talking about?" Annabeth looked at him weirdly. "I just deduced it,"

"YOU WERE GUESSING?!" Percy raised his voice slightly in disbelief.

"N-NO I WASN'T" Annabeth snapped back. "Now, come on! Naruto agrees with me so it's two against one!"

"Grover?" Percy looked for support.

He nodded. "I agree with Annabeth. The sooner we get out of here the better."

"Tyson?"

"I will follow Percy," The big guy answered.

"We still have a majority," Annabeth huffed towards the tunnel. "Let's go."

Naruto shook his head. They were only down here for five minutes and they were already fighting.

"Actually, we're down there for more than that," Grover spoke with unease still in his voice as if reading Naruto's mind. "And why would Pan be down here? This is the farthest from the wild that we've ever been."

"Don't tell me it's the Lotus Hotel or the Sea of Monsters all over again," Naruto commented.

"I think mortal senses are dulled in the places of myths like this one." Annabeth guessed.

"I guess so," Naruto nodded.

They continued forward, despite the protests of the two sons of Poseidon. As they trudged on through, the walls got progressively narrow.

Just when Percy thought they were about to get squished, the tunnel opened into a huge room. He raised his sword to give his party some light. That revealed a large room filled with mosaic tiles, their colors ranging from red, blue, green, and even gold. There was a frieze that depicted the twelve Olympian Gods, that now Naruto and Percy knew was complete bullshit or the times had just changed that much. (I don't know. You decide). There was Poseidon holding his trident in one hand and handing out grapes with his other hand. Zeus was partying with satyrs, and Hermes was flying through the air on winged sandals, although his nose seemed a bit too big. And then, there was the most inaccurate depiction they both saw in the mosaic, the God of Wine himself, Dionysus. He stood in there with all his glory complete with six-pack abs while he turned grapes into wine.

I don't blame the artist though. He probably didn't see the Olympians personally or he might get smitten if he portrayed them any less.

Anyway, also in the middle of the room was a three-tiered fountain. It looked like it hadn't held any water for a long time.

"What is this place?" Percy asked. "They look,.. Old."

"Not quite as old as we like," Annabeth said. "These are Roman. The mosaic looks about 2000 years old."

"Roman?" Percy looked at the girl with skepticism. "How can we find Roman art when we're in the middle of Long Island?"

"Or we are no longer on Long Island," Naruto said. "Remember, we are in the Labyrinth. Who knows where this thing has brought us."

"It's growing, always expanding and adding pieces to it," Annabeth added. "It's the only piece of architecture that grows on its own."

"You make it sound like it's alive," Percy answered.

Just as he said that a groaning sound came from the tunnel in the room.

"Can we not talk about it being alive while we're down here?" was Grover's whimpering request.

"Right," Annabeth said. "We move that way,"

She pointed towards the hall that seemed to be made from older architecture, following her earlier argument.

"There?" This time it was Tyson who questioned him. "Down the hall with the bad sounds?"

She nodded. "The older architecture is a good sign. His workshop should be in the oldest part of the Labyrinth."

No one argued, so they forged on into the tunnel with a strange rumbling that scared even Tyson. As they continued on forward, it seemed like the tunnel was playing tricks on them. The older architecture melted into concrete, then to mud, then to bricks. It didn't make any sense at all. Later on, they stumbled into a wine cellar with a bunch of dusty bottles on dusty shelves. It was like they were in somebody's basement, only there was no exit, except for more tunnels. Where it led them, only the Gods know where, or not…

Later on, the ceiling above them turned to wooden planks. Through the wooden floor boards, they could hear people shuffling about like they were under some kind of bar. It was refreshing to hear the sounds of humans again, but then again, there was no way to get to them. Continuing on their way, it was only a matter of time before they came across their very first skeleton.

The poor bloke was dressed in white clothes, some kind of uniform. Beside him was a wooden crate filled with glass bottles.

"It's a milkman," Annabeth said.

"Wait, they really delivered milk back then?" Naruto asked.

"They sure did," Percy nodded. "Back when mom was little, like a million years ago. My question is, what is it doing here?"

"Some people wander here by mistake," it was Annabeth who answered. "Some come exploring on purpose and never make it back. Still, others are forced to come here."

"Now you say that, now that we're down here," Grover wailed. "What if we never get out of here? I'll never get to see Pan. We're never getting out of here!"

"Calm down, Grover," Naruto said. "We're getting out of here alive like we always do."

"You said something I can't ignore," Percy said. "Did you say 'forced to come here?"

"The Cretans…" Naruto began on a somber note. "They used to send people here as human sacrifices."

"He looks like he has been here for a long time," Percy pointed out. "There's dust in the bottle and his fingers look like he had been clawing through the walls,"

"Don't worry, Percy," Tyson calmed down his half-brother. "They are only bones."

"This doesn't scare me in particular," Grover's teeth chattered. "I smell monsters everywhere. Don't you smell it?" The satyr asked the cyclops.

He got a nod.

"Lots of monsters. But underground smells like that, Monsters and dead milk people."

"Oh thank goodness," Grover let out a brief sigh of relief, one of his fears being alleviated. "I thought maybe I was wrong."

After confirming their safety, Annabeth led them deeper into the maze. They came across more crossroads. They first turned right, then left, through a corridor made of stainless steel, then they were back in the Roman-tiled room. This time though, they were not alone.

Once they were in sight, the man spoke, "Well, what is your choice, Annabeth?"

"Don't mind him," Another voice came, but the thing is, the voice was coming from the same man. "He's terribly rude. Right this way, miss!"

When this individual came into view, it was confirmed. There was only one man but he had two faces jutting out of either side of his head, staring over his shoulders. On the side of his head, there was a pair of mirror-image ears and sideburns. He wore a dress that made him look like a New York City doorman: a long black overcoat, shiny shoes, and a black top hat that miraculously stayed on his wide head.

The man, or whatever it was, had an eager look on his face as if waiting for the quest leader's response. Realizing he wanted an answer from her, Annabeth spoke up, but in the confusion, all she got out was: "Uhm…I don't…"

Tyson, getting over his shock at the strange individual in front of them, frowned and gave his two cents, "The funnyman has two faces."

The man's left face groaned indignantly at Tyson's statement, "The funnyman has ear you know!" Upon telling off the young cyclops, it turned back to Annabeth with an eager expression. "Come along miss! Talk to me!"

"No, no, over here!" The right face called out. "Don't listen to him. Talk to me!"

For the first time since entering the room, the other members of the crew noticed the change in the room that they were in just a few moments ago. The room was almost exactly the same as they remembered, save for the pair of exits. Right behind where the two-faced man was standing were two doors. Both of them were made of wood, and each of them was locked with huge iron locks. The man held a silver key, presumably to open one of the doors. This key was being passed from one hand to the other. Behind the demigods, as Annabeth struggled to make a decision, the exit disappeared and was replaced by mosaics.

One thing was for certain: The only way out of this room was through one of the doors.

"The exits are closed," Annabeth said.

"Duh!" Both faces said.

"Where do they lead?" She asked in an attempt to narrow down her decision.

"One leads to the way you wish to go," The right face said encouragingly.

"The other leads to certain death. "The left face added with just as much enthusiasm.

"Hmmm," Annabeth hummed in thought, but then, it hit her, "Wait! I know you!"

She was agitated now. She was being distracted, and she was nowhere close to coming up with a decision. The only thing she established was this man's identity.

"You're a smart girl Daughter of Min—," he cleared his throat and stopped as if catching himself from saying something that he shouldn't have. "Daughter of Athena. Now, make your choice. I don't have all day."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. He definitely picked up on the god's slip-up. (Yes, if you haven't picked it up by now, this funny man is a god.) Anyway, Naruto wanted to bring it up, but the two-faced god was on a roll. Both faces kept trying to talk to the girl who was getting more conflicted at the moment.

"Gah!" Was Annabeth's outburst to the constant nagging. "Why are you trying to confuse me!"

Both faces smiled. "This is what you always wanted, right? To be in charge with all the decisions are on your shoulders." The right face said.

"We know you struggle with indecision every day. Sooner or later, you will have to make your choice, and that may kill you," The left face continued.

Annabeth was speechless.

Thankfully, Naruto spoke up for her. "Look here. Lord Janus. I don't know what you're doing here with clearly Greek demigods, but—"

The now named Janus turned to the blonde shinobi, "Ahhh, Naruto Uzumaki, chunin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I know about your promise to your friend. You will soon have to make a choice. Do you have what it takes to make that crucial decision?"

Janus regarded the blonde. Naruto knew what he was talking about. He knew of what his so-called best friend had given up for power. He even joined the titan's side. Can he really bring him home, or could he make the hard decision for the sake of this world?

As the two demigods struggled with their predicaments, Janus turned back to the girl. One more push and she will budge. "Now, Annabeth Chase…what is your decision?"

"I-I choose…"

Before she could choose though, a bright light flooded the room. Everyone raised their hands to shield their eyes. When the light died down, there was a woman standing in the fountain.

"Janus, are we causing trouble again?" The lady asked in a stern tone.

"N-no, milady!"

"Yes!"

Both faces gave different answers. With that, the right face raised his voice and admonished the other face. "Shut up!" It spoke.

The lady raised her eyebrow at the disrespect that the minor god was showing her. "Excuse me?"

"No, no, no! Not you, milady. I was talking to myself," The right face said, clearing the misunderstanding up.

"I see," The lady accepted the excuse. "But you do know that your visit is premature. The time has not yet arrived for these demigods to make a decision. Now, either you leave or I turn you into a door and break you down."

"What kind of door?" The left face spoke out unnecessarily yet again, causing the right face to once again admonish.

"Shut up! Not you, milady! Of course, I'll leave," Janus said and disappeared with a twist of the silver key in his hands.

Once he was gone, the lady turned to the quest goers and smiled. "You must be hungry. Come, sit with me."