1,839Sorry for the long wait everyone. I haven't had much time to write recently. I hope everyone is well and staying safe. Once again, thank you to all my the readers of this story.
I hope you all enjoy the chapter.
Naruto/Percy Jackson Crossover
Dining With Divinity
Part IX
"Where are you going?" Melinoe heard, her face pointing in the direction that led towards Elysium.
The souls that came to the Underworld divided into three sections, with Elysium, the Fields of Asphodel and the Fields of Punishment stationed next to one another like three separate islands. Elysium consisted of a valley surrounded by walls, a gated community from which one could hear laughter and the smell of barbecue. The path that led towards Elysium was a golden brick road that started from the Judgement Pavillion and ran through the centre of the Underworld. On the left was a black brick road that led to the Fields of Punishment, and to the right was a red brick road that led to the Fields of Asphodel. All souls had to go down one of these roads, but for today, the only one she was interested in was the one that led to Mortal Paradise.
Ever since she visited the Fox's Den with her father, and met Naruto Uzumaki, the blonde mortal had been on her mind night and day. Not in the romantic sense, but in the sense that he was a puzzle that needed solving. His feelings and connections towards several souls that resided deep within Elysium was something she couldn't shake, and she needed to find out what was going on. She never felt threads connected to souls as old as the ones he possessed. No other mortal in the world had anything close, and it only deepened the mystery. What made him special?
Her father had no idea she was here, and neither did Thanatos.
However, despite their absence, the womanly voice behind her had been expected.
Turning around, the Goddess of Ghosts did not appear surprised when a set of vivid green eyes, reminiscent of greek fire stared at her in idle curiosity. Hecate was one of the most bizarre goddesses within the Greek Pantheon, and one of the few that had been around longer than her Father and the other elder Olympians. While technically born a Titan, she was an integral part of the system that ran the world, and the one that created and maintained the barrier that kept their world and the mortal world separate. Without her witchcraft and the mist, the world would look very different from the one they knew.
Dressed in a chiton of green silk to match her eyes and dark hair cut into a bob, the Goddess of Witchcraft stared at her, waiting for an answer.
"I have a matter I need to attend to in Elysium. It's nothing serious, but it something I would like to finish off sooner rather than later."
The answer wasn't enough to satisfy the older goddess, who took one step closer to the daughter of the Dark One, "Is your Father aware of this matter?" She asked with her face a mask void of emotions. Melinoe thought she was good at appearing expressionless, but Hecate practically invented the look. "You know he does not approve of any god or goddess entering one of the fields without his knowledge. He gets moodier than normal when someone goes behind his back within his domain. It's not as bad as his brothers, but it's still quite terrifying."
As someone who could move between the domains of the Big Three, the Goddess of Magic was well-versed with how each son of the Titan King ran their respective Kingdoms and Domains. The one thing they all had in common was their tempers when it came to people going behind their back. It was a headache for all involved.
"He doesn't. It's a matter not worth Father's time. I don't want to bother him with something as meaningless as this," She replied, trying to dampen Hecate's curiosity, "It won't take long."
"What does it involve?" Hecate replied.
"Just stuff involving a silly little mortal, that's all. I think one might be trying to escape from."
"Escape from Elysium? Why would any mortal soul be trying to escape from Elysium?"
"Why do mortal's try and do anything these days? They are so bizarre to understand in the modern world. They're nothing like they use to be back in the older days. Back in the time of swords and sandals." The Goddess of Magic didn't refute her claims. Mortals in recent years were very different from the ones that use to populate the earth. For instance, few believed in magic these days, resulting in a vast majority of the world's population to forget about her very existence. Most don't even know her name anymore.
Only a loyal following of Wiccans, or wannabe modern witches as she called them, understood her importance in the world. The followers of Hecate ran all through the world centuries ago, but with the rise of the Church and magic labelled as the work of the devil, magic was little more than a tool for fictional stories and the big-screen movies. The Salem Witch trials back in 1692 and 1693 didn't help either.
Oh, and don't even get her started on those silly books from England. Hecate had some choice words for those books.
"Hmm." The Goddess tilted her head, observing the younger goddess with keen eyes, "True enough. However, It must be more then that if the Goddess of Ghosts is seeing to it personally. Wouldn't this be a job more suited for Thanatos? It feels like a small-time problem's he's better off solving." The God of Death was notorious when it came to dead souls trying to find a way to escape the chains of the Underworld. He often had dealings with souls trying to escape the Fields of Punishment and the Fields of Asphodel, but she couldn't recall the son of Nyx dealing with a soul trying to escape from Elysium. It was unusual.
Melinoe huffed, and couldn't help but wonder why was Hecate making this harder than needed?
'Normally, she wouldn't care for such things. Hecate is like a lone wolf compared to the other gods. She does what she wants in her own time.' Hecate didn't show any interest in much outside of what she deemed worthy or necessary. Her friendship with her parents allowed Melinoe to understand what the goddess was like, and what it took to hold her attention. The mystery revolving around Naruto Uzumaki was one she wanted to solve on her own, hence the reason she had not informed her father. If she told Hecate, she feared the information would undoubtedly end up back with Hades, given Hecate's position within Hade's small but trusted inner circle.
"There's no need. As I said, I can handle it. It won't take long."
The Goddess of Magic crossed her arms, "Perhaps I can accompany you then, and watch you at work."
Melinoe shook her head, "Your offer is kind, but there is no need.
"I can't help but feel like you're trying to get rid of me, Melinoe."
"I would never," Melinoe feigned surprise, "The task at hand is simply not one that requires the attention of two goddesses."
"I can be the judge of that."
Frowning, Melinoe inwardly sighed and resorted to a tactic she hated having to use, "Auntie Hecate, don't you trust me?" She stuck her lip out and widened her eyes in a way that made her look like a puppy. Gods, this was embarrassing.
Hecate didn't say anything straight away, but when she did, her face gained a disapproving edge.
"Gods, Melinoe. Have some self-respect to lower yourself to such tactics. For shame."
"What!"
Before the Goddess of Ghosts could get another word out, Hecate threw up her hands, "Alright, alright. If you don't want to tell me what's going on, then I'll leave it alone. You better know what you're doing though. You know how your father gets when other gods mess around in his domain. I don't need to remind you about the syrup incident back in the 1950s, do I? It took two weeks to clean up, and to this day Styx will take shots as Hermes when he passes by. Hades was in a mood for months, and a pain in my ass." Hecate let out an uncharacteristic huff while crossing her arms, "How Persephone put up with him I'll never know."
"This won't be like the syrup incident, I swear." She wasn't an idiot like her Olympian uncles.
Hecate gave the younger goddess one final look before disappearing in a haze of smoke, leaving Melinoe alone once again.
"Finally," Melinoe muttered. She thought the Goddess of Magic was never going to leave. Gathering her bearings, Melinoe took a deep breath and started along the golden brick path, a firm expression on her face, beginning the investigation on the man known as Naruto Uzumaki.
At the same time as Melinoe making her way to Elysium, the blonde shinobi was displaying another side of him the goddesses had yet to see.
"Who's a cutie! Who's a cutie! Is it you? I think it is! I think it is you!" Naruto babbled, making funny faces and waving his hands in the air to entertain the little girl who sat in her mother's lap. The little girl kept looking his way when he passed the table, and it didn't take long for his attention to turn her way.
She was such a cute baby! Blowing a raspberry at her, it didn't take long for the girl to fall into a fit of giggles, making babbling noises of her own, much to the blondes delight and the mother's amusement. Clapping his hands in rhythm, the little girl copied his actions, her smile wide enough to show off her baby teeth, "You're such a happy baby, aren't you! Yes, you are! Oh, that's such a lovely smile you have!"
"It is, isn't it." The mother said, cradling her baby close and kissing the top of the head, "She likes you. She gets fussy when she meets new people, but she seems to have taken to you immediately. You have a way with kids."
It was the middle of the Friday afternoon, and he was quick to notice it was quieter than it usually was. Then again, the weather over the past couple of days had been awful, with nothing but grey clouds, rain and the odd thunderstorm hitting the residents of New York. It was strange to see such a sudden change in the weather. One week prior, the sun had been out, and it was warm enough that Naruto hadn't needed to wear a coat. The woman he was serving walking in fifteen minutes ago, bringing along the little sweetheart in her pushchair.
The pulse coming from the little girl had caught his eye the moment she came inside with her mother. It was faint given her age, but he could feel the aura coming off her. It was the first one he sensed near himself since his arrival in New York.
'A Demi-God.' He thought to himself, 'Haven't met one of them in a few decades.'
Walking back over to the counter, he brought over a plate with a croissant sitting in the middle. Sitting on the side was a pot of jam and a dab of butter. He meant to bring it over moments earlier, but he got distracted by his new little friend, though the mother didn't seem to mind.
Crouching to his knee's, he started chuckling as he gently played with the little girl's hands when she reached out for him, "I don't know about that. I think it's just a sign that she's going to be a very social person when she's older." He poked his tongue out at her and laughed harder when she copied him, "I bet you're going to be a cheeky one too!"
"Don't I know it."
"What her name? If you don't mind me asking."
The young woman smiled, "I don't mind." The other replied, gently bouncing the baby on one knee, "This is Clarisse, and I'm Aline. Aline La Rue."
"It's nice to meet you." He looked back at Clarisse, "Clarisse, huh? That's a beautiful name. Both your names are french, right?"
Aline nodded, "That's right. I named her after my Grandmother, who was born in France, but moved to the United States in the 1940s after World War Two ended after meeting my Grandfather."
"You don't say? It sounds like there's a story there."
The woman hummed, and gently placed Clarisse back in the highchair Naruto set up for them when they first arrived. She started buttering her croissant when she continued, "He was a soldier you see. Jonathan Tracey, originally from the state of Arizona and signed up to do his part when he was twenty. He was part of the forces that dropped on the Bays of Normandy, part of the second wave of troops that made their way up the beaches. He always told us it was a miracle he survived, but he'd lost some good friends that day. That day stayed with him until he passed a few years back."
The blonde gained a look of sympathy, "I'm sorry to hear that." He hadn't been there on the day, but he remembered seeing the aftermath of the Normandy Landings. The world was a strange place, but after the Fourth Shinobi War had ended, Naruto believed he would never see war again in his lifetime. Looking back on it now, and looking at his situation, the number of wars taken place during his lifetime was countless. The unimaginable loss of innocent life from each war could populate the planet threefold. Even now after all these years, humanity still hadn't managed to make peace with itself, and abandon the concept of war for good.
Was peace achievable? Because he didn't know any more.
"And they meet after the war?"
Aline shook her head, "During the war. My Grandmother was a nurse working with the French Resistance. She met my Grandfather after he got hit by a piece of shrapnel from a destroyed German Panzer Tank. It was this big and went straight through the abdomen," She held her hands out, and the space between was roughly the same length as the knife she was using, "She tended to him and stayed with him until they could move him. After that, they were joined at the hip until he died. He even took her surname when they married.
Naruto smiled, "It sounds like a cliche movie romance."
"In a way."
"And then you named your daughter after her."
"I did."
"What did your partner have to say?" He asked.
"Oh." Aline wiped her mouth, rubbing away a piece of jam from the corner of her lip, "He didn't say anything. He's not in the picture."
"I see. I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be. It is what it is." The brown-haired woman shrugged. She didn't appear overly upset that her child's father wasn't in the picture. Then again, Clarisse was a happy and healthy baby if their meeting was any indication, showing that Aline was doing a good job raising her daughter. She appeared to be a well put together woman and was taking her role as a Mom seriously. There were plenty of women who sadly didn't take that role seriously in the modern world, but it was good to see Aline was not one of them. "Becoming a Mom was a surprise, but since Clarisse came into my life, it was like a missing piece of a puzzle I didn't know existed was completed. You know what I mean?"
'Yeah, I do.'
He knew that feeling all too well.
When Hinata told him she was pregnant with Boruto, he'd scarcely believed it. He was in the middle of a bowl of ramen and promptly ended up chocking on his noodles. He fell into a coughing fit afterwards for five minutes before gaining his bearings and turned to his wife. He remembered a lot of tears from both of them, which were followed by smiles and laughter. Afterwards, he picked Hinata up and spun her around their living room, eliciting a squeak of surprise from Hinata. All their friends had bee delighted for them. Choji, Ino and Kiba even started to cry, though the latter vehemently denied the accusation.
Telling Hiashia had been nerve-wracking. Things between them were on good ground, but the blonde remembered what Hiashi was like during their childhood, and old habits didn't disappear quickly. He needn't have been worried. The elder Hyuga embraced his daughter with tears of happiness in his eyes, before following it up by embracing Naruto. He never saw Hiashi happier than the day they told him he was going to be grandfather, a role he lived for when Boruto and Himawari were born.
And then the day came when Boruto was born, and he could say with his hand on his heart, he was never more nervous than that night. They were in bed when Hinata's water had broke. He nearly took the front door off when they headed for the hospital. When they arrived, he'd been in a panic, while Hinata was as cool as a cucumber. She was the one keeping him calm throughout the ordeal, which was a testament to her strength.
'There is no need to panic. We've spent nine months preparing for this moment. We've got this.'
Her word rang through his mind. She's been right, as always, and suffice to say, Hinata kicked childbirth's ass. Even Shizune, who had been present at hundreds, if not thousands of births, complimented Hinata on how she handled it. All he could do was stand by her side, take her hand and lend his strength to his wife. Boruto's birth had taken nearly six hours, but the moment he arrived and Shizune placed him in Hinata's arms, it was like the world stood still. He was tiny! Little tufts of blonde hair sat atop his head, showing everyone his lungs were working as they should be.
They both cried, and before long, Hinata passed their son over to him. Despite practising with a watermelon for months, Naruto still felt unready as their son sat in his arms, manoeuvring his arms into the correct position.
Then, as if feeling his father's insecurities, Boruto opened his tiny eyes, revealing a stunning set of blue eyes brighter then his own.
At that moment, it felt like his body lifted from the earth. It could be different for other people, but for Naruto, that moment it was as if his reason for existing was to co-create this precious life sitting in his arms. Like his sole purpose in the world wasn't to be the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, nor was it to be the person who ended the Fourth Shinobi War. It was to be the father of this little boy.
He wondered if this was how his parents felt the moment he was born.
When Himawari was born, it was a similar feeling. His little girl had been the apple of his eye, and so much like his darling wife. She was always helping everyone and taking care of them. Looking at Clarisse and playing with the little girl, he couldn't help but think back to all the times he played with her when she was that age.
"Urm..are you okay?" Blinking in surprise, he looked up at Aline. She was looking at him in concern, "You're crying."
'I-I'm what?' Bringing his hand up to his face, he found the woman to be correct and felt the wet patches around his eyes and his skin stretching in the corner of his eyes, 'I didn't even notice.' When did that start to happen? He was so wrapped up in the memories of his children that he didn't notice his emotions beginning to get the better of him. Grabbing one of the unused napkins on the table, he turned away and dabbed his eyes.
"I-I'm fine." He replied, "I don't know what came over me. How unprofessional of me."
Aline shook her head, and her expression bore no ill will, "Don't be. It's not my place to ask what caused this, but I hope you're okay."
Not wanting the attention, Naruto waved it off, "I'm fine. I'm not sure what that was, but I'm okay." To his relief, a table off in the corner was trying to get his attention, and provided a much-needed distraction, "If you'll excuse me." He glanced down at Clarisse and gave the little girl one last smile and raspberry before making his way across the room.
"Of course." Aline watched him go, her dark eyes following his back as he wove his way past the tables. She wouldn't pry, but she didn't believe it was nothing.
Feeling Clarisse beginning to fuss, she looked down and couldn't herself from smiling when she saw Clarisse reaching out to him, a pouty expression on her face. Her daughter was taken with the blonde man and in an adorable way. He was warm and gave off a kind aura that was comforting to be around. Sadly, she couldn't say the same for that idiot god who fathered her daughter.
The God of War, Ares, lived up to his namesake. Damn, she had a habit for falling for the bad boys. She never intended to end up sleeping with and get knocked up by a Greek God of all people, but a couple of beers and a few shots of tequila, and boom. Instant baby. The God of War didn't even bother to stick around in the morning, and only bothered to visit her after Clarisse was born to inform her of his identity and the challenges Clarisse would face one day. He held Clarisse once, and their daughter had screamed her head off.
She couldn't blame her. His aura was the opposite of the blonde barista. Thankfully, Ares didn't frequent Arizona much, and they were only in New York to visit her Mom. Suffice to say, Clarisse's father had yet to make an appearance if he ever did.
Shaking her baby daddy out of head, Aline found herself laughing when she spied Clarisse reaching for the jam. The little girl looked determined to reach the sweet condiment, though it turned to annoyance when her mother pulled it away.
She looks a lot like her father when she's annoyed. Aline could only hope that was all she picked up.
Underworld
The Goddess of Ghost's let out a low huff as she looked out across the never-ending neighbourhoods that covered Elysium. Up until this point, Melinoe had a plan to follow the emotional threads from Naruto Uzumaki and see where it took her. She would confront his loved ones and gather what information she could to unravel the mystery that surrounded him. However, Elysium, like its two other havens for mortal souls, was never-ending, and technically expanded forever as more and more souls filled its valleys. Now that she was within its walls, Melinoe could safely teleport herself across the valley and towards her goal. She couldn't do so before thanks to the enchantment placed around the valley by Hades and Hecate, which stopped anyone from teleporting in and out from Elysium as they pleased. If someone wanted to visit or leave, they had to walk through the golden gates. Even her father abided by that rule.
It was purely for security purposes, but it was still a little annoying.
"Where to start." She said to herself, standing by the entrance and crossing her arms over her chest, "Let's check the map."
With Elysium as never-ending as it was, the Lord of the Underworld came up with the idea to set up a map point after entering through the gate. She remembered the conversation well, her father informing her and her mother of his decision over dinner on the veranda overlooking her mother's garden. He seemed proud of the idea but got defensive when the pair questioned him on why he was making this decision now of all times.
Then she remembered the Queen of the Underworld had dragged her husband to the most godforsaken place known to both humans and gods alike.
Disney Land. The idea that her father, the man that invented brooding spent the day at the happiest place in the world was comical to imagine. Sadly, there were no pictures. Hades ensured to burn them all before returning. He wasn't going to allow any evidence of the visit becoming public knowledge. The last thing he needed was his younger brothers or the rest of Zeus's brood finding out about it.
Still, Melinoe was aware amusement parks like Disneyland had maps detailing the entire park on every street and corner and was positive that's where her father got the idea. Also, Melinoe couldn't help noticing the distinct sound of the song, 'It's a small world', coming from the Fields of Punishment. She didn't envy those poor souls. Whoever created that damn song deserved a thousand lashings curtesy of Alecto and the Furies.
The map was sat in the centre of a courtyard as you walked through the golden gates, a fountain built behind it with beautiful water features shaped like animals jumping out of the water. The map was enormous, twice her size and built inside a frame of solid gold.
"Hmm."
With new souls entering Elysium daily, Elysium divided into sections. Each section resembled the very best of the living conditions from that era along with additional perks. There was Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Medieval, Victorian, Renaissance, just to name a few. Biting her lip, Melinoe couldn't stop herself from shaking her head.
None of those felt right. Her eyes initially lingered on Ancient Rome and Greece, with the two being among the oldest within Elysium. In her mind, his emotional threads to the dead couldn't have gone any further than Ancient Greece, since it housed the souls that first entered the Underworld under her father's reign and jurisdiction.
'Well, that's not entirely true.'
Her gaze shifted from Ancient Greece and slowly turned to another section on the opposite end of the map. There was one area that predated Ancient Greece by a sizable amount of time. How long those souls had rested in the Underworld was questionable. When Hades came to power alongside his brothers and divided up the Sky, Sea and Underworld amongst themselves, it had taken the eldest son of Kronos decades to wade through everything that waited for him. The Underworld, for lack of a better phrase, was a mess when he first arrived.
Before the time of the Olympians, the Titans ruled the world. At that time, the Underworld was presided over by Iapetus, the fifth son of Gaea and Ouranos, and the Titan of Mortality, Pain and Violent Death, and the Lord of the West. Although given the duty of watching over the Underworld as a type of warden for his brother and King, Ipaetus shirked his duties and looked at it as little more than a bothersome responsibility. He rarely visited the realm of the dead, and on the rare occasion he did descend to the lower world, he would lie to his brother about the state it was in. In his reports, he would tell the Titan King the Underworld was doing great, and the younger brother had no reason not to trust his loyal brother. In reality, the Underworld was in pieces. The souls of the dead wandered from corner to corner for eternity, monsters did as they pleased and the Furies each ruled a corner of the Underworld with dozens of lesser creatures at their disposal. The Warden had lost control, and the asylum now belonged to the inmates.
Then the Underworld was taken over by Hades, and the eldest son of the Titan King took one look at the lower world and decided a change was in order. He decided he needed to put his stamp on his new domain, and he did just that. He brought the Furies under his will and struck fear into the monsters that lived within the Underworld. He placed Thanatos as his right hand, and with the God of Death in his service, there was no one else that could refute his claim over the Domain.
When Elysium, the Fields of Punishment, and the Asphodel Fields came to be, he ferried the first batch of souls to their rightful homes. Some resisted, in particular, those that belonged to the Fields of Punishment. However, information about the first batch of souls was the knowledge that Melinoe didn't have. If she had to guess, the souls belonged to the Mortals that pre-dated the Olympians. The first batch of mortals created by Gaea during the Golden Age.
Hades never spoke about them, and neither did her mother. It was bizarre to think some mortals pre-dated her father. When she asked questions about them, all he did was frown.
Could they be the answer?
"The old souls, huh?"
The voice came from over her shoulder, freezing Melinoe in her place. Slowly, the goddess swivelled her focus until she found herself staring into familiar green eyes.
"Hey."
"BWAH!" Melinoe yelped, jumping back a couple of steps, "HECATE! What are you doing here!?"
The Goddess of Magic shrugged. A nonchalant expression was on her face, though her lips were twitching into a cheeky smile, "I followed you."
"Oh, yeah! No shit! Why did you follow me! How did you follow me!"
"How? Melinoe, I'm an old Goddess. Older than you, and older than your parents. I still have some tricks up my sleeves." She revealed, serving to annoy the younger Immortal. Hecate had this bad habit of popping up when you least expected. Case and point, the situation Melinoe was now experiencing, "Back to the matter. You're looking at the Old Souls. Why?"
"Would you believe me if I said curiosity?"
"No, I don't think I would believe you." She replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I didn't think so," She replied with a sigh. She could feel a headache coming on, "You're not going to leave me alone until I tell you, are you?" When the Goddes of Magic saw something that caught her attention, she was just like every other Goddess attached to their Pantheon. She had to know, and she had to have it. It was universal with their family.
Crossing her arms, Hecate gave Melinoe a look that few could go up against, "Correct, so you may as well tell me why you're suddenly interested in the Old Souls. Souls that pre-date the Olympians, and are among the first group of mortals to walk this world. Souls, in which Lord Hades does not talk about with anyone. Souls that are off-limits to everyone, and I do mean everyone."
Hecate put plenty of emphasis on the final word for Melinoe to notice. Neither spoke for a good minute, but when Hecate's gaze remained stonily calm and focused, Melinoe couldn't do anything but relent. How could she hold such a straight face for so long? It was honestly a complete mystery to her.
"Fine, I'll tell you, but I'm saying it once, so you better pay close attention! And don't go and tattle on me to Father!"
"Very well. Now, please explain why you are here."
Explain she did, and she told the older immortal everything she knew, including the parts that weren't as important. Hecate didn't react with lively expressions like some Gods and Goddesses they knew, but one hand did come up and gently rest against her chin in an Athena-like manner. She didn't interrupt, merely listening to the information Melinoe had to give, only reacting with gentle head nods. After Melinoe finished, a twinkle in those emerald eyes of hers told Melinoe enough.
Her curiosity was peaked, and Melinoe had a feeling she wouldn't be journeying through Elysium alone any more.
"How interesting. I think I'll join you."
'And there it is.' She thought. She hadn't planned to have company on this excursion of hers. However, out of all the immortals she knew, Hecate was one of the more tolerable to be around. Some like her divine uncles, namely Apollo or Ares, would make her want to rip her hair out if left alone with them. The Goddesses weren't as bad, but one's like Athena, talking about mind-numbing trivia all that time, sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
If it had to be anyone, she could have done far worse then the Goddess of Magic.
"I thought as much." She sighed again, sounding like a child who had their Saturday afternoon ruined, "Come on. Let's get going."
"Lead the way."
The pair of Goddesses left the map of Elysium, briefly looking at the dozens of path that branched off to the different sections before the Goddess of Ghosts led them down the one that led to the Old Souls. The area was named the Old World, an apt name given the status of its residents. Melinoe didn't want to say it aloud, but she had no idea what was waiting for them at the other end.
It was unknown to her, but she couldn't resist the temptation of her curiosity bubbling up in her stomach. All she could hope for was to get some answers before her Father realised where she was and dragged her back.
'Two in one day. Another Demi-god,' Naruto thought, finishing up serving a customer as he turned to the entrance as the door was pushed open.
Like earlier with Aline and Clarisse, a woman and her daughter walked into the Fox's Den, though the daughter was noticeably older. If he had to guess, the girl was around four or five years of age. She had dark hair down to her chin, and a row of freckles splashed across her nose, adding an extra dose of adorable.
Visibly, she didn't favour the woman much, who had long light blonde hair falling to the middle of her back and sharp features. Even their eyes, though blue, the little girls were much darker. If he had to compare the shades, the woman's were a pale blue like the sky. The girls though were the same shade of blue as a Chidori.
Like Clarisse, he could sense the aura around her. She was a demigod for sure, and the pulse coming off her was more potent. If Clarisse was a splash in the pond, then this girls was reminiscent of someone cannonballing in the swimming pool.
Prepared to walk over, he stopped and stared for a second at the way the woman was moving her body. There was a stagger in her step, and every time one foot went forward, she tilted to one side. It was like watching a seesaw, and her body couldn't decide which way to go. For a brief moment, he watched her steady herself with the help of the little girl.
"Welcome to The Fox's Den. Please-" He started, but halted momentarily as his nose wrinkled. The smell of alcohol clung to the woman like a second skin. It was strong. So strong that he visibly recoiled as it overloaded his sense of smell. Whether or not the woman noticed, she didn't give any indication. However, it confirmed his thoughts.
'She's drunk.' He tried not to frown and kept a smile on his face. Looking at her face, he saw traces of mascara sloppily rubbed away, leaving dark patches on her otherwise clear skin.
"Please, let me show you to a table." He ushered them to the closest table and brought out the chair for the woman to sit on. Whether the woman was aware of what was going on, he wasn't sure, but the moment she sat on the chair, she slumped forward. Her face buried itself in her hands, strands of hair woven through her fingers and nails pinching against her skin. Luckily the room only had half a dozen customers, but those still here looked their way when muffled sobs broke out of the woman. Her daughter sat in the other chair and put her knee's up to her chin. She just stared at her mother with those big blue eyes.
The woman, for whatever the reason, was not in the right mindset. He didn't know what had caused this woman to end up this way, but maybe he could help her in some way.
Pocketing his notebook and pen, he crouched down to the woman's level, gentle asking, "Mam? Are you okay?" Whether she heard him or not, she gave no indication. Her muffled sobs only continued as he waited for an answer, "Mam? Do you know where you are?"
Again she didn't say anything.
"Mam, my names Naruto Uzumaki. I own the cafe you've entered, and I'm worried about your current state. Is there anyone I can call for you?" Again, there was no response but her sobs. He tried for five minutes, to which, half the people in the room got up and left the room. They must have found the situation too uncomfortable to bear, but he paid them no notice.
Seeing he wasn't getting an answer from the parent, he tried his luck with the child. Maybe she knew what was going on.
Shuffling across the table, he crouched a couple of feet away from the little girl and smiled at her to show it was okay. At first, the little girl did nothing but hide her face in her knee's. She was a shy little thing, though he could see her peeking at him from the corner of her eyes. One of her hands came up and played with one of her hairclips decorating her hair. She was a little cutie.
"Hi honey," He greeted, trying to use sweet words to show her he could be trusted, "My names Naruto, and I work here." He motioned with his arms to the interior, "Do you know what's wrong with your Mommy?"
She didn't say anything, but he did get a little nod from her.
"Can you tell me? I'd like to help."
She raised her head ever so slightly. He could just about make out her mouth.
"H-Help?"
"That's right." He edged a little closer, looking between the girl and her sobbing mother, "Did something bad happen to make her sad?"
Again, the girl nodded.
"Can you tell me?"
As he spoke to the little girl, the remaining customers slowly filtered out of the room. Some ignored the situation in front of them, while one did show some sympathy and mouth if he needed help. He responded with a soft shake of his head, though he did mouth back a thank you for their consideration. After the last person left, he quickly got up and spun the open sign to close before returning to the little girl's side. Her face scrunched up.
"M-Mommy wanted to see Daddy."
Naruto didn't react, and instead softly nodded.
"I see." He replied. Thinking over her words, he rubbed his chin. 'She wanted to see Daddy, which meant she tried to see him but possibly was unable too?' If that was the case, then a sticky situation was forming in front of him. If his senses about the little girl were correct, which he knew they were, then this woman had tried to visit her divine partner. He was aware that there were rules set in place by the divine ones. One of those rules, when it came to the children, enforced they had to be raised by the mortal parent. The immortal parent had minor, possibly zero contact with the child.
The ones he knew and spent some time with in the past had a similar rule in place, though they watched over their children in secret. For the rest of them out in the world, he couldn't say what rules they had in place, but if he was a betting man, the topic of demi-gods was likely universal.
He returned his attention to the little girl, "You didn't get to see him?"
This time, she shook her head, "The man wouldn't let us."
"The man?"
"The man in the big building."
Before he could ask what building she meant, she turned in her seat and pointed to a picture of the New York skyline he put up a few weeks back. Following her finger, his gaze settled on the most iconic building in New York. The Empire State Building.
'So that's where they live.' He thought. He had a feeling that was the case ever since he first sensed the energy that radiated from that building. If he could describe it in one way, it was like a never-ending pulse of invisible energy that few in the world could sense. It was a commanding presence. Like it wanted everyone who could sense such things to know they were there. The immortal's ones of the world vary. At least, the ones he met anyway. Some kept it under wrap, and others like to boast and brag. He didn't need to guess what kind lived at the Empire State Building, 'Not to mention, given the regular that visit, which pantheon they belong to.'
"H-He said h-he loved me!" He heard and leaned into the sobbing woman. She repeated the same ling over and over again, each with an equal amount of anger and sadness.
A scenario was beginning to form in his head and turned to look at the sobbing woman. Her daughter sat quietly next to her. Her gaze flickered between her mother and himself. Gently slapping his cheeks, he decided to try and help in whatever limited way he could. A new smile etching over his face, he asked the little girl a question.
"What's your name?"
"T-Thalia." She replied, a murmur in her voice.
"Well, Thalia, have you ever had a milkshake before?"
The little girl blinked. A little unsteadily, she nodded her head and tilted her head to the side. She was too cute.
"Well, I happen to be very good at making sweeties and drinks," He replied, "I'm going to get your Mom a warm drink to help her feel better. Would you like a milkshake? A chocolate milkshake?"
The word chocolate immediately sparked the girl's interest. Her whole body straightened, and her lips formed a tiny O shape. Instead of answering, she nodded her head a little more vigorously than before. The wonders of chocolate never ceased.
"Okay, I'll get right on that." He replied, before turning back to the sobbing mother, "Mam, I'm going to get you some water and some food to absorb the alcohol in your system." She didn't answer him back, and nor did he think she would.
Standing up, he rubbed the back of his head. What a weird day this was turning out to be.
The moment he turned around and headed for the counter, his body stopped when the sound of gagging filled the room, followed by the dreaded sound of vomit hitting the floor. He twisted around, noticing Thalia was no longer in her chair and was now next to her mother. His face scrunched up into a scowl as the woman tried to push her daughter away, a nasty glare forming on the woman.
"Get a-away from m-me!"
"Mama!"
"I-I said, get away f-from me!" A harder shove pushed the girl back a couple of feet and sent her sprawling on the floor. Naruto was there in a second, cathing the visibly upset Thalia and levelling her mother with a harsh glare.
"Hey!" He said, watching the woman turn away and put her back to him, "I don't care what state your in, you don't harm your child." Thalia sniffled, and the blonde could sense the waterworks beginning to appear. To his mild surprise, he watched her shuffled until she was hidden behind his right leg, her tiny hands clutching at the fabric of his pants.
Gently patting her head, he shushed her sweetly, "It's okay. I'm sure your Mom didn't mean it."
Thump!
He threw his head back and groaned. The wreck of a woman and mother of the little girl clutching his leg for comfort fell forward, narrowly avoiding hitting another table and slumped to the ground in her vomit. Heading over to check on her, he crouched on her side and found her out like a light. The day's events, coupled with the booze and heightened emotions proved too much for her.
"Great," He mumbled, rolling the woman over on he back. He took off his apron and rolled it up into a ball and stuck it beneath the woman's head. Rubbing his hand over his face, he looked back at the little girl, the latter of whom was shuffling idly from side to side. Her face was all scrunched up and a sniffling.
Despite the situation he was in, he put on the brightest smile he could and shuffled over to her, "Momma's just fallen asleep. Mommy and Daddy's can be silly like that some times."
She didn't reply. Instead, she continued to sniffle.
He raised his hand and gently patted her on top of her head. What more could he do right now?
'I think it's safe to say I won't be opening for the rest of the day.' He thought, before doing his best to comfort the upset little girl.
Back in Elysium, the Goddess of Magic and the Goddess of Ghosts found themselves standing at their destination.
"This is not what I expected," Hecate muttered, standing to the left of Melinoe, and letting her green eyes travel across her surroundings. They stood in the middle of the gates that led into the lands of the Old Souls, looking out at the distinct architecture often found with Eastern Civilisation of old. It expanded as far as they could see. The gates themselves were impressive to look at, comprised of two iron gates a couple of feet thick with a symbol written on the surface in gold.
The two halves of the symbol sat on each side of the gate. It took a moment for the older immortal to recognise it, "It's a kanji."
"A kanji?" Melinoe replied, a frown on her face, "As in those funky letter things they use in the East?"
Hecate scoffed at the description but gave a subtle nod, "That's right. It's a form of writing comprised of a system of symbols that represent words or ideas, and that can have different meanings and pronunciations depending on their context. It's an old form of written language. How old though is often up for debate. To find them down here though is most odd."
"Alright, so what does this one mean?"
Melinoe didn't get an answer right away. She could see the cogs working within Hecate's mind, her index finger and thumb pinching her perfect skin on her brow.
"I could be wrong," The older immortal said, "I never spent much time in the East in my long life, but, I did take it upon myself to familiarise myself with some of the languages. Some of my past lovers of whom were from the East wrote in such language you see."
The Goddess of ghosts made a gagging noise.
Hecate shot her a look, but continued, "If I'm right, then the kanji written on the gates is the word, 'Shinobi'."
"Shinobi? Isn't that another word for ninja?" The dark-haired goddess rose a perfect eyebrow, "Are you telling the souls of ninjas are the ones living here?"
The older goddess shrugged, "How am I supposed to know? I've never been here before just like you. That's what the kanji reads."
"Fine, fine." Waving her hands in the air, she turned around and looked out at the expanse that made up this part of Elysium. Dense forest populated the area with the tops a shade of green that would have made Pan groan in delight from how healthy they looked. Small mountains dotted a few parts, and from where they stood, they could have sworn they saw tiny dots moving up the side like birds. Dirt roads wove through the lands connecting small villages and towns in various parts of the area. It appeared idyllic to nature lovers, "I guess we should follow the closest thread and see where it takes us."
"And where might that be?"
Humming to herself as she focused on the threads of Naruto's emotional ties, she soon pointed down one of the dirt roads leading to one of the towns.
"That way. A particularly strong thread is emanating down that path. I suggest we start with that one." Nothing more needed to be said as the two immortals turned in that direction and headed along the path. They fell into silence, one with a determined expression on her face, while the other stared at her in mild curiosity.
The Goddess of Magic spent most of her time in Underworld thanks to her friendship with it's Lord and his wife. She felt more at ease and at peace in the shadows of the lower world then basking in the light of Olympus. The company was better and didn't force her to socialise with people she couldn't stomach. Not to mention, it was nice not having to deal with gods trying to woo her into their temples. A certain Sky God had a habit of trying to wiggle his eyebrows her way. That wasn't happening. Not now, and not ever.
She didn't desire to be a notch on his belt, nor did she want a vengeful Queen turning her eye on her.
However, in all her time spent in the Underworld, this was the first time she'd seen Melinoe this determined. Melinoe resembled Persephone, but her personality was too much like Hades most of the time, skulking in the shadows and the dark corners of the Underworld. Seeing the younger immortal sparked something inside Hecate that forced her to find out what was going on, and so far, she hadn't been disappointed. A mysterious mortal with ties to souls that pre-date the Olympians? Yes, please! As the mortals would say, Christmas had come early.
"This is where it stops." Melinoe's voice rang out, forcing Hecate from her thoughts and looking at their destination.
"Here?" She sounded sceptical, "You're positive about that?"
"Hey! I swear this is where it stops."
Coming to a stop, Hecate and Melinoe found themselves staring at a moderately sized building with a large sliding door made of wooden panels. A thick wall ran on both side before meeting in the middle, dividing into two. When they were walking closer to the area, there was a distinct shift in the temperature. Now, they understood why.
"A hot springs?" You didn't see many of those in the Underworld." The only thing vaguely similar was Hade's hot tub, though only he and his wife were permitted to use it.
"To each there own, I guess. Maybe these were big back when the Old Souls were alive." Melinoe shrugged, not having a better answer.
"I guess," Hecate looked around. She didn't see many souls around, though she could hear a mixture of men and women talking on the other side of the building. Though on a mission, Hecate couldn't help but feel tempted to walk through and indulge with what the hot springs had to offer. The number of times she participated in a hot spring was few, though each time she felt relaxed and rejuvenated. Perhaps she could convince Melinoe to set aside her quest for knowledge for an hour or two.
"Pffttt."
Both women blinked.
"Did you hear that?"
"Like someone was giggling? I heard it. Though, where did it come from?" Both looked around but saw no one nearby.
"Pffttt."
"There it is again," Melinoe muttered. A frown washed over her face and found herself following after the sound with Hecate hot on her heels. They turned the corner away from the entrance and walked against the large wooden wall that separated them from the hot springs. The path was short, but it did lead them into a small wooded area that rested against the bottom of the establishment. They could feel the steam tickling against their skin. As wonderful as it must have been, they weren't here for that.
"Ow! That branch hit my face!"
"Then try and duck out the way next time!"
Pushing against some tall bushes with Melinoe narrowly avoiding another branch to the face, the two goddesses found themselves staring at the back of a fairly large man crouched on his knee's with one eye pressed against the fence. A laugh, or a giggle, they weren't sure which, erupted from the man's mouth and didn't appear to notice they were there. The way he laughed, it felt wrong to them. Like he was laughing over something that the pair of them wouldn't agree with or tolerate.
It felt wrong.
Tilting their heads and tiptoeing to either side of him, they got a good look at the man. The first thing noticeable about the man was his long and shaggy white hair tied into a ponytail that reached his lower back with two shoulder-length bangs framing his face. On his cheeks, they spied red markings going down his cheek emanating from the bottom of his eyes with a small wart of the side of his nose. His clothes were most bizarre and served to help the goddesses in believing the Old Souls lived in a society similar to the Eastern parts of the world they knew. He wore a green short shirt kimono and matching pants, under which he wore mesh armour that is visible at his wrists. He also wore handguards, a black belt, traditional Japanese wooden sandals, and a red haori with two yellow circles on each side. It was a unique look that neither goddesses had seen before.
'Some kind of warrior?' Hecate wondered.
"Excuse me, but what are you doing?" Melinoe's voice rang out, crossing her arms and frowning down at the soul.
To both their surprise, he didn't turn around, but he did wave a hand in the air, "Sshh, quiet kid. Can't you see I'm busy." Between him and fence, they noticed a small notebook settled down on the grass with a pen resting between the pages.
"Busy? Doing what?"
"Research! What else!?"
The two immortals look at each other before Hecate replied, "Research?"
"Yeah, so if you could amscray and-" He started, turning his head for a brief moment, revealing a small hole in the fence. He was mid-sentence when his jaw dropped, his dark eyes gazing over the forms of the two immortals. It only lasted a moment before a gaga-like expression washed over his face, turning his whole body to face them, "Hot Mama! You are two smoking babes!"
Both goddesses blinked, though a pair of scowls quickly appeared on their faces.
"Excuse me!?"
"What did you call me!?" The latter who spoke was Hecate, who looked at the white-haired man with sudden intensity. She did not take kindly to being called a babe.
A funny look washed over the man's face. His hands came up and wiggled in the air, a dust of red appeared on his cheeks. If the goddesses were honest, the look he was giving them gave them the creeps. It was like he was looking through their clothes and ogling them like a piece of meat. Didn't he know who they were!
"Oh man, I haven't seen you two around here before! You must be new, which is weird because we haven't had new people in...well, in a very long time." He replied, taking a step towards them, "But hey! You won't hear me complaining."
"If you don't cease these vile words, I will carve you into tiny pieces."
"Hey! Hey! There's nothing wrong with appreciating a good-looking woman!"
"There is when you look at them like that!" Hecate stormed forward. It was rare to see her angry. Usually, the older goddess kept her feelings bottled up inside. However, that was not the case with this man. Melinoe couldn't disagree. The man's behaviour irked her. "What are you looking at through that hole!?"
"Wait! Don't loo-"
His words went unanswered as Hecate lowered herself and peeped through the hole in the fence. Watching her from behind, she glared at the man when she caught him staring at Hecate's bottom. She kept a close eye on those wandering hands too. Whatever was on the other side of the fence, it made Hecate go still. She could have sworn she was muttering something underneath her breath.
A moment later, a red-face but angry-looking Hecate levelled him with a glare that would have made Zeus shiver.
"Y-You," She started, her arms shaking at her side. Her eyes shined, and Melinoe could have sworn she felt the ground shake beneath them, "You-You vile PERVERT!"
A spear appeared in Hecate's hands and pointed it at the white-haired man, who started nervously laughing. Pushing her way through the Goddess and the spirit, Melinoe lowered herself and looked through the hole in the fence. What had gotten Hecate so angry?
'Oh.'
She quickly understood. On the other side of the fence was one of the hot springs. In particular, the female side of the hot springs. Dotted all over the pool, Melinoe spied at least two dozen women, all of whom looked as if they were spawn of the Love Goddess. Some were basking in the water with just their heads and neck visible, and other's had their legs dipped in partway while accumulating a healthy sweat on the top half. Either way, it left nothing to the imagination and basked the man in all the beautiful curves these women had to offer.
After a moment of looking through the peephole, Melinoe stood up and spun around with an eerily calm look on her face. Her eyes though told a different story as she looked at the man accusingly.
"Pervert."
"Hey! I resent that term!"
"Then what the hell are you!"
To their surprise, the man laughed and wiggled his fingers in the air, "I'm a big one!"
Melinoe huffed, wanting to walk away from this man and never see him again as Hecate pointed her spear closer to his face. Unfortunately, to her dismay, she felt a tug in her gut towards the white-haired man. Her face dropped, praying to whoever it was the gods prayed too in these situations but found them unanswered. The emotional ties that came from Naruto Uzumaki were thrumming stronger than before. It was like a heartbeat getting stronger. As much as she didn't want to believe it, she was one hundred per cent sure this awful man in front of her was the one it was connected too.
"Hecate."
"What is it?" The Goddesses emerald eyes never left the man as she kept her weapon inches away from his face. She didn't dare look away from those wandering hands.
"He's the one."
"The one?"
Melinoe gave her a look.
"You have to be kidding me."
"I wish I was."
"But HIM!"
"I know. I don't like it either. I mean, look at him."
"There's no mistake? It's not someone on the other side of the fence?"
"I wish it was, but sadly we're stuck with this fiend to women everywhere."
"I'm still here, you know." The man said, a defeated and annoyed look plastered on his face. His shoulders slumped forward and hung his arms loosely by his side. His lip pouted outwards like a temperamental child.
"Don't remind us," Melinoe replied with an annoyed expression. Why did she have such bad luck? It was supposed to be a simple mission to gather information, "Look. I'm going to set aside what we caught you doing just now if you answer some questions of ours."
The man's eyebrow rose.
"What kind of questions?"
"Well, to start with, you should know my name is Melinoe, Goddess of Ghosts and daughter of Hades, the lord and ruler of the Underworld." She announced, pride evident in her tone and watched the man's eyebrows raise higher by the second, "The woman holding the spear inches from your face is Hecate, Goddess of Magic. It would be wise not to do anything rash, or she will poke you full of holes."
"Y-Your Goddess's?" The man stuttered out. His back pressed against the wall.
"We are, and we have questions for you."
"What kind of questions?"
Melinoe smirked. Finally, some answers.
"Anything and everything about your relationship with Naruto Uzumaki."
The second his name left Melinoe's mouth she felt a shift from the man. It was quick, but both Goddesses saw his fearful expression change to serious. It was as if a different person suddenly stood in front of them. He stood taller, and it felt like his shoulders widened.
Before Hecate could react, she was left wide-eyed when her spear was knocked from her hands, and caught mid-air by the man. He spun it around a few times, a whistle in the air before embedding the tip into the earth. Both goddesses were silent at the sudden movement, neither expecting it.
"What the-"
"So the gaki's still up there, huh?"
The white-haired man closed his eyes and a small smile appeared. His words caught them off guard, though Melinoe did take one uneasy step forward.
"I take then you know who we're talking about?"
His eyes opened. He still appeared serious, though neither could say he looked hostile. Merely prepared should they try something.
"Girlie, I dare you to find someone in this neck of the woods who doesn't know the name, Naruto Uzumaki," He replied, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the wood with one foot pressed on the fence. He mumbled something under his breath, though they could have sworn he said, "Kushina and Tsunade will be pleased to get news of him."
This time, it was Melinoe who stood straighter, and put her trepidation to one side, "Then who are you to him? Your emotional bond and ties to him are strong. That's how we were able to locate you."
"Is that right?"
"That's right."
A silly grin made its way onto his face, "Well! It's nice to know the Gaki still thinks about me after all this time. I swear, that kid knows how to worry me to death, even when I'm dead." He looked into their dark and emerald coloured eyes, "Is he doing okay?"
"I've never met him," Hecate replied, a little off-put at how easily he disarmed her.
"I've only met him once, but he was kind. I've wanted to know more about him since I met him." Melinoe answered honestly. She wanted some answers. She could only hope this man was willing to give some. "What can you tell us about him?"
"What can I tell you?" He replied, a snort coming from him, "I could tell you everything about him if I wanted too." One hand broke from his crossed arms, and poked his thumb to his chest, "The names Jiraiya, and I'm that blonde knucklehead's Godfather. Nice to meet you, ladies."
This was another long one.
I had some trouble with this chapter. I spent a while trying to figure out what Elysium was going to be like. We haven't been given much information in the main series in regard to Elysium, so I had to go with my imagination on this one. I hope the way it was explained was okay for everyone. When I was trying to write it, Universal Studios in Florida popped into my head and the way it was designed with different sections for different franchises.
As you can see, things are about to get complicated for Naruto. I won't give too much away, but there will be a surprise or two in the Part X.
Thanks for reading and please review.
