Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson nor Naruto. I can only wish.

Note: Excuse my grammar :)

Rhea knew she was the goddess of motherhood. The moment she had started to exist, she had known. Yet, every now and then, doubt consumed her heart, freezing her in place no matter where she was. It was a weird feeling, as if an air of melancholy had surrounded her. And it was something Rhea absolutely despised.

The few years she had been alive in this world had been spent with her siblings. It was obvious to her that the ones that shared her blood were very arrogant, and Rhea wished she wasn't associated with the Titans. But even in their boasting and hubris, the young Titaness was quick to realize that all her siblings knew who they were. They were aware of their powers, heritage, personality, everything. And despite the terrible beings they were, Rhea was jealous. If only there was somebody there to just help me understand why I was chosen for this role.

Everyday in her spare time, she found herself trailing after young mothers, trying her very best to understand the intimate bond between child and parent. Be it animal or insect, she failed miserably every single time. Rhea recognized, to some degree, why one would love and care for another, but what she could not accept however, was the willingness for somebody to completely throw away their life for a stranger that had, without a choice, entered their family. And they call me the goddess of motherhood, Rhea thought bitterly as she found herself heading towards her favorite spot. Well, 'favorite' was an exaggeration. It was simply a corner of a forest no one, except her of course, visited.

"Why hello there young girl."

Until now.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here? Why are you here?" She asked immediately, a bit uneasy. She didn't really feel afraid, as she couldn't die and not many could harm her, but Rhea still found herself a bit tense under this being's presence. The thrum of power that radiated off of this individual made it clear to her that she was in the company of another immortal.

Pushing aside her curiosity on that matter, Rhea squinted, trying to make out the dark silhouette of a figure. The voice definitely did not belong to any of her troublesome siblings; it didn't even seem familiar, and Rhea, though she had only been alive for a short while, knew quite a lot of beings. Also, Rhea thought to herself, she had never heard a voice that sounded so much like a combination of amusement and sorrow.

"Hmmm," The voice, Rhea now realized belonged to a man, spoke. "I can't really say so myself, I have no idea who I am either. As for what I'm doing here, I guess you can say I was thinking."

Then the man stepped out from behind a tree, presenting himself. Rhea instantly found her breath hitch, and it wasn't because of his odd looks. It wasn't because of the short flaxen hair, or the cerulean, azure eyes that didn't seem to reflect her but something far away. It also wasn't because of his plain, white clothing that made him look like one of those ghosts in Elysium. It, for some reason, was not because of the weird whisker-like marks on his face as well. No, the reason why she found herself paralyzed to the core was because of his expression. The sad smile, the look of feeling lost. Rhea knew with certainty what this man, whoever he was, whatever he had seen, was feeling. After all, she always had the exact same countenance whenever she would look at her reflection from a body of water.

Sure, his almost-impenetrable eyes and inscrutable stature gave little away, but Rhea wasn't a goddess for nothing. He was just like her.

"So little girl, what's your name?" Rhea slightly scowled at the way he addressed her, but shook it off immediately after. She technically was a young girl to him, no matter what she was.

"Rhea," she replied, stepping closer to the man. "Yours?"

The man's smile remained fixed on his face, except Rhea felt as if it was slowly turning wistful. There was some sort of sad look that clearly lay on his features, but she couldn't exactly place what it was. Nostalgia? That was definitely not it. Grief? No, there was more to it than that.

"My name is Naruto," he said, one hand rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry for scaring you earlier, I did not realize you often came here."

Rhea studied him closely for a minute, wondering why he was being so nice to her. Many would fall back in fear; she was a goddess despite her young look. Finally, after coming to the conclusion that he just wasn't aware of who she was, she spoke. "It's okay. I'm a bit curious, though, why haven't I ever seen you before? I may look young, but I know a lot. You can't be an immortal deity, right? I would have known if you were. You also don't seem like a human created by Prometheus. What are you?"

Then Naruto laughed, more like a chuckle, and Rhea slightly blushed at his sudden outburst. Was he laughing at her, or what she had said. Was it really that funny to ask if the other was an immortal?

"Why?" She half-whispered, looking up at him.

"Nothing, you just reminded me of someone I used to know. He was much quieter than you, but he did also hate it when he didn't know something." Naruto then looked at her with an expression Rhea didn't think any immortal could ever make. A look of heartache. But his smile never left his face. "I am not quite sure what I am anymore. You can say I am an immortal, as I have been alive for quite a long time, but I'm not exactly the same as you are."

Rhea felt another bout of questions rise up, threatening to escape her mouth all at once. So he knew who she was all along, but still chose to treat her as a young girl?

"Naruto," Rhea smiled to herself. The name felt nice to say, like something that just seemed so natural. "You haven't exactly answered my question," she teased, now really curving her lips into a genuine smile. For some reason, the young goddess found herself comfortable around the blond. The man's aura radiated such a warmth that Rhea, without a doubt, had never felt before. Perhaps it was because the two were alike.

"About why I am here?" Naruto questioned, and, at Rhea's nod, continued. "I'm not so sure myself. I do not typically visit this . . . dimension, I guess. But I felt a sudden need to come here."

Rhea cocked her head to one side, a million more questions tickling her mind, but let them go. There was something about Naruto that told her, screamed at her, that she would never unravel all the secrets about him.

"Let me reintroduce myself," she finally said, "My name is Rhea, the goddess of motherhood. Or I should be. I'm not sure if I should be what I'm supposed to be. It's complicated, and a bit hard to understa-" Rhea abruptly snapped her mouth shut, mentally berating herself. Why was she telling this man, a stranger she had met just a few minutes before, about her problem? It had certainly been nagging her right before Naruto had turned up, but that didn't mean she should talk about it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. It's just . . . it's been in my head for a while, and I sometimes just blurt out whatever I think."

Rhea looked down, feeling more sheepish than she had ever felt in her entire life. The so-called great Titaness daughter of the earth goddess Gaia, and the sky god Uranus. And here she was, acting like a pouting child that needed to voice her problems.

"Alright," Naruto said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Biting her lip, Rhea slowly looked up. But she wasn't met with an exasperated, annoyed face. She didn't see the pity some Titans would throw at her; disappointment that she didn't act as dignified as she should was nowhere to be seen. His smile was still there, the same small one that seemed to convey his anguish, but his cyanic eyes were now filled with determination contrary to its gloom from earlier. "I think I understand why I felt the need to come here. You called for my help."

"What? No." Rhea denied, taken aback by his statement.

Without replying, Naruto knelt down, staring directly at her. Rhea flinched momentarily, then calmed down. His face, compared to the many beings she met in her lifetime, felt so genuine, so real.

"Little one, I don't exactly know everything about you. I am unaware of your background, and what exactly is required for you to be a true goddess. However, there is one thing I am sure of. I can help you."

"How can you be so sure?" Rhea questioned. After all, from what she had seen, he was like her. How could one that had fallen into the same pit as another, help?

"Trust me young one," his voice was steadfast, sure. "You have simply stepped off your path."

"But how? How are you supposed to help me?" Rhea wanted to believe in him, she really did. He was being so kind, willing to go out of his way to help a young girl with a minor problem. But was it even possible for somebody to change a person altogether? Their belief? "How am I supposed to change? I've been trying, for nearly a decade now. I know how much love a mother holds for her child, but how are you supposed to help me understand why when I have witnessed thousands of births and have not changed?"

Without a word, Naruto turned around, and walked towards the place he had been when Rhea had first seen him. Rhea stood where she was, dumbfounded. Before everything could click into place, he returned. There was nothing different about him except for the fact that he was now clutching an egg on one hand. Before Rhea could ask any questions, he began to explain.

"Just a few hours ago, before you came, I witnessed the death of the bird that had laid this egg. I did not step in as that is how life flows; however, I had been debating whether or not I should take care of this egg." Naruto held out the egg to her, once again staring right at her eyes. "I want you to take this egg, and take care of it for two weeks, without using any of your powers, and come back here. You must come back here right at this time exactly two weeks from now."

"But I don't have the means to care for it," Rhea argued, she had tried this many times, just to see if perhaps being something akin to a mother would help her understand. It hadn't helped her at all. "And . . . I don't want to take care of it. You see? This is exactly why I don't understand why-"

"It doesn't matter to me whether you want to take care of it or not. I'm telling you to take care of it." Naruto interrupted, his eyes gazing into hers. Rhea searched his face to understand what he was planning, but, as nothing changed, sighed in defeat.

"Okay, but this is only because you told me to. I won't take care of it afterwards once it hatches though."

Naruto's face broke into another smile. "That's a deal."

Rhea sighed as she stared at her egg. She was fairly sure the chick inside it had died, despite all her efforts to keep it alive. For a short while, she had wondered if she should use a bit of her magic to make sure it stayed alive, but thought against it. Naruto told her she could not use her powers, and Rhea was going to keep her promise.

But the two weeks had flown by so quickly, and not a single chirp had come out from the egg. Nestling the egg close to her chest, Rhea began to head towards the forest she had met Naruto in. After their first conversation, Naruto had simply disappeared, vanished. No matter how much she tried, Rhea had been unable to sense him. Every day she visited that one place, in hopes that the man she had grown to feel comfortable around, even if they had only met for a short while, would be there. He never was. But today, Rhea knew, he was going to be there. Naruto was going to smile at him with that sad smile of his. He was going to look at her in a way that filled her with something akin to hope and love.

"Naruto?" She called, looking around. Rhea couldn't believe she was finally going to meet him, the one person that had been in her head the past two weeks. Clutching her egg tighter, she called out again, a bit louder, "Naruto?"

"Hello young one."

Rhea's head immediately snapped to her side, relief flooding through her. She hadn't realized until now how much she was afraid he might not show up. That he might break their promise.

"Naruto," she grinned, holding up her egg. "I took care of it."

The edges of his mouth quirking up into a smile, Naruto tentatively took the egg. Giving her a brief look of pride, he set the egg on the ground.

"Now we wait," he said, his cerulean eyes fixed on the egg.

Rhea looked at him, wondering if he was serious. "How are you supposed to know when it's supposed to hatch? Won't it depend on the bird inside?"

"Sit down young one," Naruto said without looking up. "The bird will hatch soon."

Rhea wanted to question how exactly it was that he knew but decided against it. For an unknown reason, she realized she trusted every word Naruto told her. This feeling of trust just seemed so intrinsic and natural. It was something she had never felt before toward anyone; ever since she had begun to exist, Rhea had been wary of every immortal she met. But not this sad, lonely, mystery of a stranger.

Then the sound of cracking snapped her out of her thoughts. The shell of the egg was slowly coming off, and the sight of the chick inside, which was very much alive, made Rhea feel warm inside. Even the short, but loud chirps of the animal made her heart flutter. It was quite an ugly thing, from one perspective. But the tiny feathers of the bird, which was in vibrant shades of orange, only seemed beautiful to Rhea's eyes. Finally, after the two weeks of caring for the egg, her efforts had not been wasted.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" Naruto asked, finally looking at Rhea's expression.

Rhea nodded, her fingers twitching from the urge to pick up the chick. "How do you know it's a he?"

"I don't, but I feel as if I do. Do you understand?" Naruto smiled at her, the exact same smile that had adorned his face two weeks ago. But this time, it didn't seem so sad anymore.

"A bit, I guess." Rhea replied.

"Now, young one," Naruto said, pointing towards a large hole. "I want you to take this chick and place him in that fox's den."

"What?!" Rhea asked incredulously. She had definitely not seen that one coming. "But . . . but you told me to take care of it."

"Did you not say you wouldn't care for it after it hatches?" His voice didn't hold any more amusement, and Rhea felt panic begin to ignite.

"But . . . but . . . you said."

"So because I told you to take care of it, you won't let it die? But right now, I'm telling you to put the bird in the fox's den so the baby fox won't starve. Why won't you do it now?"

"No, but, I can't." Rhea spluttered. She didn't understand why Naruto was acting this way. He knew that it wouldn't make any sense for her to send the chick she had raised to its death. On one hand, though, she was asking herself why she couldn't do it. She was immortal, she had witnessed thousands upon thousands of deaths, and would witness millions more.

"Why not?" He asked, his gaze meeting hers. Underneath it, Rhea could see what she always saw, a look of forlorn sadness, but as those blue orbs stared into her for some more, Rhea was also able to see a tint of genuine curiosity.

"Because . . . because I took care of the bird." And at that, everything seemed to piece itself together in Rhea's mind. As if she had finally found the answer to a riddle. "Because I cared for the bird, I am the bird's mother. I won't let the bird die, no matter what."

"What about the fox cub, don't you think it might starve?"

Rhea paused, unsure of what to say, then answered. "Unlike this bird, however, the fox has a mother. And the mother, like me, would do anything to make sure her child does not die."

This time, it was Naruto that paused, shock evident on his typically impassive face. Then it melted away as he gave Rhea a smile.

"Indeed. That is love, and it exists everywhere even when you sometimes cannot see it. It is quite unexplainable, but unconditional. You, yourself, have doubted multiple times if you would ever feel this love seeing as how you have tried to raise multiple animals yourself. However, you have been feeling it all the time, It's just that you needed a small push for that love to manifest itself."

Picking up the small chick, Naruto handed it to her. Rhea accepted it without a moment's hesitation, and felt another surge of comfort at the sight of the bird.

"Thank you," she whispered, stroking the bird. "Thank you." She felt cold tears stream down her face, and brought up her sleeve in an attempt to cover it. Rhea couldn't believe how stupid she had been, not being able to see what she had been looking for when it was right in front of her.

After a moment of silence, Rhea let out a small yelp as a hand rested on top of her head. Putting down her arm, she looked up to smile at Naruto. Then froze.

Her blood began to run cold, her eyes searching frantically for an explanation. Anything to tell her why it was that the blond in front of her, who she had grown to love, was transparent. It didn't make sense, it was like he was fading away.

"Ah, looks like my time here is done." A faint, distant smile graced his face. Naruto now held a forlorn expression, and Rhea felt her tears, the one that had fallen because she was happy, trickle down her face as she realized what was happening. No, no no no no no, this could not be happening. She reached out to grab his shirt, in an attempt to make him stay, and felt her power grow out of control. Why wasn't her power working? She was strong, she was a Titaness. She was the goddess of motherhood, and now she had full control over her domain. And yet, she had never felt so powerless.

"Little one," Naruto sighed, his voice almost dejected. "I am not meant to be here. I never was supposed to be. This dimension . . . I can't exactly say what it is but I believe it is rejecting me. I cannot be here, especially now that my job is done. Perhaps it was our need to meet one another that brought me here."

"You can't go, don't leave me." Rhea finally gasped out, slightly surprised her voice didn't come out in an incoherent scream. "I need more help. You said you were sent here because I needed help. Then I need it, now."

Naruto only smiled at her more, his hand now stroking her hair. But it didn't matter, because Rhea couldn't feel it.

"If you ever feel that you are doubting yourself again, just think back to how you felt just now. And even if that does not work, you need to remind yourself that love comes at random, spontaneous times, but it always shows itself at one point. I promise you, and I never go back on my word, that you will become an excellent, loving mother one day."

Now it looked like Naruto was simply fading away, his figure could barely be seen. Rhea desperately let out another burst of her power, causing the ground to tremble, and the wind to whirl fiercely around her, and yet. . . and yet, the blond didn't come back.

"Wait . . . don't go!" She finally cried out, praying to whatever higher being there was that he was not entirely gone yet. "Please, I don't know what to do on my own. What if I mess up? What then?"

A faint chuckle could be heard, but Rhea had no idea where it was coming from. It sounded so far away, so distant.

"Do not worry. Have a little faith in yourself, you are so much more than you think you are."

Rhea was now sobbing uncontrollably, curled up against a tree as she drowned herself in her sorrow. Why was she feeling this way? Why did it hurt so much?

Then the final words of Naruto rang through her ears, soothing her as much as it made her want to scream.

"Farewell, young one."

Aaaaaand cut! I know, that is one ugly ending.

FYI: Rhea is young, but not too young. Just young for an immortal. Also, to clear things up, this world is in another dimension. You know like how Sasuke can travel through different dimensions. . .? Yeah? No? Ok, it made a bit of sense in my head anyway. It's confusing. I hope I kind of made it clear about Naruto's past. . . :*(

… Why did I just spend so many hours writing this? By the way, this is a one-shot.