Chapter 6: Olympus

Note: I am on a tentative return. I was feeling nostalgic about the time I used to write fanfiction and went back and re-read everything I had done so far. My writing style has evolved and I am afraid some fics I have completely forgotten where the plot was heading. However, of all the fics, I thought this one would be the perfect to continue even if, sporadically. If there is enough interest I may just continue where I left off in other places—if not redo some. There may be some inconsistencies as my memory may fail me in some aspects hopefully the transition is not too painful.

Natsuki sat by the fire after a successful hunt. A deer, which would yield a lot of leftover meat now that Miroku was not around. Still, she cut up the pieces she wanted to consume first, placed some aside for Shiori, and the rest she put out to smoke in the smoking hut not too far from the place she called home. She set a grill over the fire and began to cook the meat, seasoning with with simple salts and herbs. Soon the house smelled of cooked venison.

Shizuru watched her in silence, only to be surprised when the younger woman offered her a piece of meat which she kindly declined. "Gods have no use for mortal foods"

"Yet we give them to you as offerings in your temples." Natsuki retorted, which made Shizuru smile. The woman had some wit about her.

With a false sigh, she took the piece and sampled it, ignoring the fact it was pretty hot from the fire. "It is good." She complimented.

"Do gods even have a sense of taste?"

"Well it is no Ambrosia—but it will do" she humored her. Kiyohime scoffed but her attitude changed when she was offered some raw meat which improved the birds mood and affection toward the human woman.

"So tell me, why is it so important to restore balance in Olympus?"

Shizuru let out a soft sigh, "Well you must know how we gods are—not all of us carry ourselves with nobility and justice in mind. Some of us are… ambitious, and seize opportunities that are not meant for us. A goddess of hunt may seem like a minor role in all of our pantheon, but it leaves a vacuum that some may be too willing to fill. Some feel entitled to that position and wish for it to be an extension of themselves, and it makes them more powerful than they should be. Gods draw their power from worship—the more there is to worship the more power they ascertain. And they would… potentially, abuse that for their own purposes. I hope you see where this is going…"

"So, they would potentially challenge other… gods? Like what happened with the Titans?"

The goddess of wisdom smiled, at least Artemis had made sure that her little sister was well-read on the history of Olympus. And again, there was a demonstration of intelligence, something that she appreciated very much, even in a human.

"Yes, exactly. I doubt it would thrill the core of the Pantheon."

"The core?"

"The three siblings: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades."

There was a moment of silence when Natsuki finished cooking the rest of the meat and serving it on a plate. There was a plate for Shizuru but she made no move to eat any of it and the woman did not insist.

"Say I do become a goddess…then… what?"

"It covers the vacuum, for one." She raised a slender finger up as she said this, and then raised another with the next sentence "And, you could use the connection with the hunt in order to see if Artemis is still around."

"And then we can restore the proper goddess of hunt" Natsuki concluded between bites of her food.

"Yes."

Suddenly Natsuki stood up and Shiori jolted up, the wolf raising its ears in alarm and growling towards the door. Shizuru had reacted, a bit too late to the divine presence that stood behind the door, wrapping their knuckles against the door.

"Hello!" came in a way too cheery female voice. They did not wait for a response as the door burst open and before them stood a woman with voluminous wild red hair held back by a ponytail. Lime green eyes took in the scene of the wolf, younger woman, and Athena respectively, the smile never leaving her pinkish lips. "Hermes at your service, but you can call me Midori"

"Hermes?!" Shizuru and Natsuki exclaimed together while Kiyohime shrunk a little realizing what this meant.

"I came to fetch all of you, as you are personally invited to Olympus by the all-father Zeus!"

"Father… called us?" Shizuru asked with a worried expression.

"Come now Shizuru, did you think you could wander off somewhere without him noticing?" she placed her hands on her wide hips in a challenging but also boisterous pose. "Especially when it comes to matters in regards to his favorite child?"

"Zeus has invited me to… Olympus?" Natsuki asked while Midori's attention returned to her. "Yes. What an honor I must say, especially for a mortal such as yourself. Though it would not be possible without a bit of spiritual energy. Lucky you. You have some."

Shizuru stood in front of Natsuki breaking Midori's line of sight from the woman. "Why is father even interested? He has shown nothing but inaction towards the missing of Artemis. Why move now."

"Let's say you have piqued his interest. Or maybe he is bored. Ask him yourself when you see him." And with the snap of her fingers, one moment they were in Natsuki's home, and the next they were before golden gates in the shape of large harps slowly swinging open.

Shizuru scowled at Midori realizing she had teleported them giving them no choice but to accept their current predicament. The goddess of wisdom also noted that Kiyohime and Shiori were left behind, perhaps on purpose.

The goddess was not without her own enemies in Olympus but she hardly would consider Hermes, the messenger god to be among them. They were… amicable at best. Though she had a hard time reading what Midori's intentions ever were, if she had any. In her many years of knowing her, she had concluded two things: The messenger god was mischievous. But she was also loyal towards humans, often offering aid to mortals that the gods looked down upon. Shizuru hoped this soft some that Midori harbored towards humans extended to Natsuki as well. For both their sakes.

Midori ushered them through the gates into a large marbled building made of various carved pillars with a large Peristyle or courtyard lined with trees, fountains, and lounging areas. It was full of various gods, both major and minor, along with demigods and other blessed beings.

In the far end there was a large carved throne where a man sat smiling at them proudly "Welcome, welcome" his voice carried without effort all the way where they stood.

Shizuru looked at Natsuki who was too aghast to really react, Olympus was a sight for a mortal. And she was drinking it all in through her green eyes. The goddess waited and when their eyes met, she ushered a silent warning: stay close to me. The human nodded, seemingly with understanding.

"Come closer, I do not bite" Zeus exclaimed invitingly, amongst some soft chuckles by onlookers. All three of them moved closer until they were right before the god of gods who inspected them very closely.

Zeus was, relatively handsome, he looked like a well-kempt middle-aged man, medium-length peppered hair, braided and with golden beads. He also had a medium beard that matched the same style. His clothes were not too different of that of a human, he wore a celestial white tunic adorned with a crimson red himation (toga) wrapped around his body. His arms and fingers were adorned with golden accessories, rings, and bracelets. This was a god who despite their simple clothes enjoyed luxury and riches.

He stood up and walked up to them, closing what space they had left, first to Shizuru whom he gave a hug. She reciprocated albeit with a little stiffness. "Welcome home Athena. Granted I didn't know you were out." He added the last bit in a chiding manner. Before his light eyes fell on Natsuki, completely forgetting about Midori "and you—I was told your name is… Natsuki?"

"Yes… Kyrios…"

"Kyrios? So formal, call me Zeus and nothing more—I hear we might practically be family at this rate. Should my daughter have her way that is." Another jab. Shizuru did not react.

"Natsuki tell me… You were well acquainted with my other daughter Artemis?"

"Sime… I mean yes Artemis"

"She adopted you while you were young, and now you come here seeking my blessing to take her place"

"No… I—"

Shizuru clenched her fist, there was her father making up his own narratives to suit his needs. There was not much she could do without openly defying him. Zeus seemed to be in a good mood, and while that was still the case, she could not risk souring it and putting the human woman at risk. More so than she already was.

"No? Being the goddess of hunt is a great responsibility. And an honor. Not only is the goddess of hunt in charge of all wildlife but also a symbol of innocence. Humans need that innocence wouldn't you think?"

Natsuki felt she was being baited into an unfavorable answer. She was also worried about offending Zeus. She had heard the stories, and he of all gods was not very forgiving of transgressions. Natsuki opted for deflection with truth.

"Humans need my sis….need Artemis. She is out there. I wish only to find her my lord Zeus."

Shizuru blinked and gave Natsuki an appraising smile. She was really beginning to understand why her sister may have been so attached to her, to the point of being willing to raise her.

"Ah yes, Artemis is missing," Zeus said distracted, a hint of sorrow within his light blue eyes. He recovered quickly "And why would we need the help of a mortal" his tone less kind.

"You do not need my help. But I offer it all the same."

Red eyes snapped up at those words, Natsuki caught her look but too late. She knew she had made a mistake but it was not yet evident what it was.

"Offer. Anything?" Zeus doubled down, and Natsuki got a sense that she had fallen into a situation she would later regret.

"Anything that is within my ability to offer" she tried to clarify weakly. But the damage was done.

Zeus smiled and walked back to sit on his ivory throne.

"You will complete your trials and prove your worth to me as a temporary replacement of the goddess of hunt. You will also seek Artemis, with… Athena's guidance." He added looking at his daughter a smile creeping up his lips "Athena's new priorities will now include finding the goddess of hunt. And thus her affairs will be managed by Apollo and Ares."

Her lips stretched thin, and Natsuki realized this was not a desirable outcome.

"See? If you have only asked I would have granted you permission to pursue what you wished." Zeus said with a smile "Now as for the second trial, I will make things very easy for you little mortal…"

"Get Artemis' tiara… hardly seems fair," Midori remarked as the three of them walked away from their encounter with Zeus

"Why?" Natsuki asked since Shizuru seemed set on being silent for now.

"Well… the artifact went missing a long time ago, during one of Artemis's famous escapades. Simply put, it is lost. That darn thing was so quirky. Even thieves couldn't nick it."

"Thieves?!"

"Eh, I mean, I am a patron of merchants, but also of thieves and travelers. I will not say that I tried to steal it for myself as a prank. But that tiara is downright strange. It says it turns the wearer invisible. But I would not be surprised if it turns itself invisible. Therefore—an impossible find."

Natsuki's heart sank. "Zeus wants me to fail?"

"Who knows what he wants... The only one who could deduce something is sulking right next to us."

Shizuru looked up at that.

"Yes, you. Why are you so down? I think he let you off the hook pretty easily didn't he?"

"He punished me," she said incredulously, "gave my… responsibilities to Apollo and Ares. I can't believe…"

"It isn't forever, you are one of his favorites. Had you been anyone else, you would have been banished or worse."

"Artemis was his favorite too, and he hardly goes searching for her does he?"

"He sent me out to look for her" Midori countered

"Hardly. All of it is strange"

Midori shrugged "Who knows the ways of Zeus."

"He wants me to find Artemis when you travel at the speed of light and cover every spec of dust to be found in the mortal realm." A pause "Mortal…"

Midori seemed to catch on while Natsuki was left oblivious.

"You cannot traverse the…other realms can you?"

"Can't isn't the right word… more like… not welcome to" Midori clarified as if that made more sense. "But, it is true that my search focused on the mortal realm. Which is not far from Olympus. Zeus would have still sensed her presence. No matter how elusive she is."

"Then, maybe… he suspects—knows something" Shizuru pondered out loud. "But it doesn't make sense why he would send Natsuki on a wild good chase. I need more time to think this over."

Natsuki interrupted. " I am all for grandiose plot unraveling but I really need a place to begin looking for this tiara… even if it is just a dead end."

Midori looked at her sympathetically. "Well, I can hook you up with an old friend. He is a bit of a character but, I think you will find that he knows about every little spot an artifact of the gods could end up in. Not much of a lead, but it is a start and that is what you need right?"

Natsuki nodded, suddenly feeling very grateful. "Thank you—"

But the messenger of the gods waved her hand dismissively "I want to be entertained too, not everything is for your benefit. Everything in Olympus is so stale and boring, this will bring me joy"

Shizuru gave her a sideways glance.

Back in the mortal realm, Natsuki was back home in the blink of an eye as fast as she had arrived to Olympus. She was immediately greeted by an anxious Shiori who had no idea where her master had been. Shizuru appeared shortly after with a stern look on her face.

"What is it?"

The goddess of wisdom looked up at her, red eyes meeting green. "We need to discuss some things before we proceed any further."

"Can't it wait… I am drained—" This was true, suddenly she felt like she had walked dozens of miles in mere minutes.

"No. Now that my father is involved it is important I give you this information."

"Fine… what is it?"

"You need to be wary of taking the aid of gods. Not everyone is truly honest about their intentions. That includes gods like Hermes."

"Gods like yourself?" Natsuki asked in good faith, though the words stung Shizuru in an odd way.

"…Even gods like me" she warned for good measure "though trust that our goals are aligned. And trust that Artemis did truly seem to care for you. And my respect for my sister extends to your safety and success."

"Not because your father ordered you to"

"I was helping you before was I not?"

A moment of silence, then a shy nod.

"Good. Natsuki. I will be nothing but honest with you—finding my sister is a priority to me. More than your ascension to godhood. However, you are more useful as a goddess so I will assist you there as well. Zeus did not command me to not help you in that regard. And right now, we just have no leads—nowhere to start looking other than… she may not be in the mortal realm."

"So you will come with me to meet with Midori's … contact?"

"Midori does not mingle with… savory crowds. I would not recommend going alone, so yes. I am coming with you."

"Will you … change what you are wearing?"

"What is wrong with what I am wearing?"

"Well, it is… temple attire. Hardly meant for travel and you—just stand out… You have a… what is the word … divine aura to you"

"Oh…" she paused looking down upon herself. And then she shuffled, her clothes seemed to melt and its place came in garb more suitable for the road. It was a more muted color as well, still a bit too clean-looking for someone who might have been traveling for a while. Too clean. Too well kept. Too new. Her aura seemed to be less noticeable, or maybe there had been no aura at all. The woman was beautiful—her crimson eyes now a more rusted human color still seemed to shine through all that natural beauty of hers. Long golden hair, pale skin… a perfect complexion.

"Better," Natsuki said honestly taking her new appearance with rapt attention. The attention that made the goddess shift her weight from one leg to another a little nervously. Maybe because she felt more vulnerable muting her divine abilities like this. Or was it something else? "Here."

"Ara?"

Something warm wrapped around her made of grey fur "A cloak… it is going to be cold out there" Natsuki said as she went to get a satchel and prepare for the journey ahead.

"Thank you Natsuki… you are much too kind"

It was a three-day walk from the town where they were to meet Midori's little friend. Who was not very easy to track down. They wandered from bar to bar as they were told that Autolycus had been there at some point. They had found him hours later by a ship docked ordering crew around.

"Autolycus?" Natsuki ventured upon seeing a man who fit Midorya's description. Middle-aged, well-built, sun-kissed skin…

"Who is askin'?" came in a heavily accented voice indicating he was not from the area.

"Natsuki, on behalf of Midoriya, or lady Hermes."

"Ah fuck."