CH15 : The Darkness Couple
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Percy Jackson & the Olympians or any related Movies.
"Naruto" Speech.
'Naruto" Thought.
"Katon" Jutsu/Technique/Demon talking.
Mount Olympus, Athena's Temple
Athena is conflicted. She is angry, longing, and worried all at the same time. She knew Naruto had lifted that curse she placed on Medusa, but can you blame her? She was angry at the time; it was all Poseidon's fault. She didn't want her beloved wrath, if she has anything to say about it. Speaking of her beloved, she fell for him when they played his mind games, shogi. If others hear her say that, the Olympians would probably laugh at her face for falling in love because of board games. She still remembers the day she fell for him.
FlashBack
"And that's checkmate," Naruto said, watching as Athena tore at her hair in frustration across from him at the shogi board in Athena's temple. The labyrinthine structure was lined with bookshelves, a maze that only Naruto's Rinnegan could navigate without getting lost.
"Why do I remember your tactics and still lose? It makes no sense!" Athena cried out, snatching Naruto's cherry cake and devouring it hungrily, her eyes fixated on the shogi board, already planning her next moves based on Naruto's strategy.
Naruto chuckled. What she didn't realize was his unpredictability. While Athena's moves were strategic and anticipated, Naruto's seemingly foolish moves added an element of surprise before he executed his strategy, making him unpredictable in their matches.
"Well, Athena, it's late. I should head back to my mother's temple," he announced after three hours of intense gameplay. Playing shogi together had become a ritual for them, a form of family bonding.
Athena grabbed Naruto's arm, glaring at him as if he had committed a grave offense. "Tomorrow, we play again," she declared, her cheeks still puffed from the food she had yet to swallow.
Naruto couldn't help but find her adorable. "Of course, Athena. I'll come tomorrow," he promised, though she continued to glare until finally nodding, her cheeks still puffed.
Before leaving, Naruto flicked her forehead gently, causing her to widen her eyes. "Don't speak while eating, Athena. It's bad for you. Swallow your food first," he advised, his tone oddly paternal or perhaps even that of a lover reprimanding her.
Blushing furiously, Athena lowered her head, hiding her flushed cheeks behind her hair. "Don't be late tomorrow," she murmured as Naruto nodded, making his way out of her temple.
"What is this feeling in my chest?" Athena wondered, her heart racing as she blushed, a hint of anticipation lingering in the air.
FlashBack End
Ever since then, Athena's feelings for Naruto kept growing day by day. She found herself at a loss for how to respond to these emotions, much like her daughter. Then, Artemis discovered her mother's feelings for the blonde.
The next thing she knew, Artemis was glaring at her and distancing herself. Athena noticed the smug looks Artemis would send her way, and one day she even mouthed, "I've given him a hickey and you haven't." This ignited a fiery rage and jealousy within Athena.
She knew her daughter also had feelings for Naruto, but she hoped it was only brotherly love. Chaos knew this was the first time she had truly loved someone rather than just favoring them like other mortals. Athena had thought she could confide in her daughter about her feelings for Naruto, but now she worried if the blonde didn't feel the same way.
Determined to confess her feelings to Naruto after their quest, Athena felt an urgent need to hurry, lest that cursed Medusa take her man away. She was resolved to win Naruto's heart, and nothing would stand in her way. If he didn't return her feelings, she vowed to pursue him relentlessly from Sundays to Saturdays.
Later that night, they camped out in the woods, a hundred yards from the main road, in a marshy clearing that local kids had obviously been using for parties. The ground was littered with flattened soda cans and fast-food wrappers.
"Mokuton: Shichūka no Jutsu (Wood Style: Four Pillar House Jutsu)," Naruto said, as wooden pillars emerged from the ground and twisted together into a huge mansion. Annabeth, Percy, and Grover thanked Naruto gratefully and walked inside the house. They had seen Naruto making houses at Camp Half-Blood, so witnessing him create a mansion wasn't shocking.
Inside the mansion, they found everything they needed, just as they expected. They took some food and blankets from Naruto's Kamui dimension and decided to sleep in shifts. Naruto volunteered to take the first watch. Annabeth made Naruto tuck her in and gave him a goodnight peck before curling up on the blankets and falling asleep almost instantly.
Grover fluttered with his flying shoes to the roof of the mansion, leaned against it, and gazed at the night sky alongside Naruto and Percy.
"Go ahead and sleep," Naruto told him. "I'll wake you if there's trouble, but I doubt there will be any on my watch."
Grover and Percy nodded, but still didn't close their eyes. Grover sighed, expressing his sadness about the state of the environment.
"It makes me sad, guys," he said, pointing at all the garbage on the ground. "And the sky... You can't even see the stars. They've polluted the sky. This is a terrible time to be a satyr."
Naruto suggested Grover was like an environmentalist, to which Grover glared at him. He explained the significance of finding Pan, the God of the wild, nature, and satyrs, who disappeared two thousand years ago. He expressed his determination to be the first searcher to return alive and find Pan.
Naruto encouraged Grover, promising to help him in his quest and have a drink together afterward. Grover smiled warmly, appreciating Naruto's support.
As they talked, a strange breeze rustled through the clearing, carrying the scent of berries, wildflowers, and clean rainwater. It momentarily overpowered the stench of trash and muck, offering a glimpse of what the woods might have been like in the past.
Percy asked Grover about their quest and the challenges they faced. Grover explained the long-standing tradition of searchers seeking Pan and his personal determination to succeed.
Naruto intervened when Grover seemed weighed down by his past mistakes, offering words of encouragement and advice like a caring mother. Grover nodded, seeming to take Naruto's words to heart.
Grover then shared his suspicions about their quest, noting inconsistencies and strange behaviors from their adversaries. Naruto and Percy listened, realizing there might be more to their mission than they initially thought.
When Naruto insisted it was time to sleep, Percy hesitated but relented under Naruto's maternal glare. Naruto chuckled to himself, recognizing his inherited trait from the fierce women in his family.
Setting a clone to watch over the mansion, Naruto left to explore the forest until he encountered the two individuals he sensed earlier.
The first figure was a woman, her form churning with ash and smoke. Her dress resembled the void, a deep black intermingled with the colors of a space nebula, as if galaxies were being born within her bodice. Her face was obscured, save for the pinpoints of her eyes, shining like quasars. When her wings beat, waves of darkness rolled over the cliffs.
The second figure was a man, with dark hair and onyx eyes. He wore an expensive suit, similar in color to the woman's attire, evoking the depths of space.
"Who are you?" Naruto demanded, assuming a fighting stance and activating his eyes.
The woman smiled, accompanied by the man. "Hello, Naruto. My name is Nyx, Primordial of the night, and this is my husband Erebos, Primordial of darkness. We were sent here by Father."
Naruto relaxed his stance slightly but remained cautious. "So, why would you want to meet with me?"
Nyx's smile turned sad. "As your grand-aunt, we apologize for giving you a late birthday present." Erebos nodded in agreement.
Approaching Naruto, they placed their hands on his shoulders. "What did you do to me?" Naruto asked as the symbol of Nyx appeared on his right shoulder like a tattoo.
"We granted you Umbrakinesis, allowing you to manipulate darkness and the night," Nyx explained. "As well as Circadian Manipulation, which grants you control over the day and night to a limited extent, enough to harness darkness. Additionally, you now possess the ability to control animals, particularly nocturnal creatures such as owls and bats."
Nyx spoke with a motherly smile. "I also enhanced your ability to see through darkness and strengthened your Titan blood. Your mother didn't want you to become mortal," Erebos added, smirking slightly, which left Naruto puzzled.
"Did my mother, Hera, really say that?" Naruto inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Nyx looked at him hopefully. "I infused you with my blood along with Erebos, Naruto. Would you allow us to be your parents?"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock. After a momentary pause, he smiled softly. "I would like that."
Nyx beamed happily, and Erebos smiled at him. Nyx stepped forward and hugged him. "Naruto, you're welcome to come to our home whenever you want, okay?" she said softly.
Naruto nodded, and with a flash of darkness, they disappeared.
Percy's Dream
Percy found himself standing in a dark cavern, facing a vast, gaping pit. Gray mist creatures swirled around him, whispering eerie fragments of smoke that he instinctively recognized as the spirits of the dead. They tugged at his clothes, attempting to drag him back, but an irresistible force pushed him forward toward the edge of the chasm.
Gazing down made him dizzy. The pit stretched wide and impossibly deep, engulfed in an unfathomable darkness. Yet, he sensed something sinister stirring within its depths, something malevolent and immense.
"The little hero," a voice echoed from the depths, its tone amused yet ancient and weighty. It wrapped around him like heavy chains. "Too weak, too young, but perhaps you will suffice."
The voice continued, its words chilling. "They have deceived you, boy. Strike a bargain with me. I can grant you what you desire."
A shimmering image materialized above the void—his mother, frozen in the moment she had dissolved into a shower of gold. Her face contorted in agony, as if still under the Minotaur's grip. Her eyes pleaded with Percy, urging him to flee. "Go!"
Percy tried to respond, but his voice failed him. Laughter echoed from the depths, and an unseen force threatened to pull him into the abyss. He resisted, anchoring himself against the pull.
"Help me ascend, boy," the voice grew more insistent, more hungering. "Retrieve the bolt. Strike against the treacherous gods!"
Then, he suddenly heard, "Tsukuyomi."
The shimmering image of Percy's mother faded away, leaving confusion in its wake. "What?" the voice screamed in rage and disbelief.
"You will return to your realm and rest in pieces, Grandfather," Naruto's voice cut through the darkness.
"I will not—" the voice protested, but Naruto intervened.
"Shinra Tensei."
Real World
Someone was shaking Percy awake, and as his eyes fluttered open, he found himself bathed in daylight.
"Well," Annabeth said, "the zombie lives."
He trembled from the remnants of his dream, feeling the grip of the chasm monster around his chest. "How long was I asleep?"
"Long enough for me to cook breakfast." Annabeth tossed him a bag of nacho-flavored corn chips from Aunty Em's snack bar. "And Grover went exploring. Look, he found a friend."
His vision blurred as he tried to focus. Grover sat cross-legged on a blanket with something fuzzy in his lap—a dirty, unnaturally pink stuffed animal. Or so Percy thought. The "stuffed animal" turned out to be a pink poodle, and it yapped at Percy suspiciously.
"No, he's not," Grover warned the poodle. Percy blinked. "Are you ... talking to that thing?"
The poodle growled in response.
"This thing," Grover cautioned, "is our ticket west. Be nice to him."
"You can talk to animals?" Percy asked, bewildered.
Grover ignored the question. "Percy, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, Percy."
Percy hesitated, but Annabeth's serious expression prompted him to comply. "Hello," he muttered reluctantly, receiving a growl in return.
"Whipped," Naruto whispered in Percy's ear, earning a glare from Percy before he noticed something odd about Naruto's arm—it appeared to be made of ash and smoke.
"Naruto, what happened to your arm?" Percy asked in shock.
Naruto waved his ash and smoke hand nonchalantly. "Oh, this is nothing. Just a power-up."
While Percy continued to stare at Naruto's unusual appendage, Grover explained that Gladiola had run away from a rich local family and was willing to help them in exchange for their assistance.
"How does Gladiola know about the reward?" Percy inquired, still fixated on Naruto's arm.
"He read the signs," Grover replied matter-of-factly. "Duh."
"Of course," Percy muttered sarcastically, the absurdity of the situation not lost on him. "Silly me."
"So, we turn in Gladiola, get the money, and buy tickets to Los Angeles. Simple," Annabeth explained, trying to sound strategic.
Naruto gave her a deadpan look. "Yeah, just met two, I repeat, TWO Kindly Ones, and we're traveling with one of the Big Three demigods. Yeah, simple." Annabeth blushed at his remark.
Percy couldn't shake off the haunting images from his dream—the whispering voices of the dead, the sinister presence in the chasm, and the shimmering image of his mother turning to gold. He knew that journeying to the West might hold more challenges.
"Not another bus," Percy said warily.
"No," Annabeth agreed, pointing downhill toward train tracks they hadn't seen in the dark. "There's an Amtrak station half a mile that way. Gladiola says the west-bound train leaves at noon."
"Okay," Percy agreed, but before they could proceed, Naruto grabbed his arm.
"We need to talk," Naruto said urgently, and they vanished in a distortion.
Kamui Dimension
"Percy, I know you're worried about your mom, but believe me, she's safe. Nothing can harm her at Camp Half-Blood," Naruto reassured Percy, his voice firm and confident.
"But in my dream—" Percy began, but Naruto cut him off.
"That was just an illusion, Percy. Do you know who our grandfather is?" Naruto asked, his expression serious.
Percy thought for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. "You mean Kronos?"
Naruto nodded gravely. "I believe the crooked one is behind all of this—the theft of the lightning bolt and Hades' godly weapon. He's pulling the strings, manipulating events like a puppet master."
