The Fourth Inheritor (A Percy Jackson/Chaos Fanfic) [Complete]

Chapter Twenty: A New Inheritor

Chaos appeared next to Naudia in Haven as she looked around. She jumped a bit, turning to face him, and frowned. "Who are you? Where am I? Where're Ari and the kids?"

Chaos held his hands up placatingly. "Calm down. My name is Chaos. You're in Haven, which is essentially a different yet coexisting reality to Earth. Ariadne and the kids are still on Earth."

Naudia seemed like she was digesting this information when she frowned again. "How did you know her full name was Ariadne?"

"About that..." Chaos rubbed the back of his neck a moment. "I should properly introduce myself. I'm Chaos, the fourth inheritor of the power of, well, pretty much everything. I was formerly known as Percy Jackson."

Naudia's eyes widened. "Ari's older brother? You... You died!"

"Before she was even born, yes. I've been watching all of you though, when I can. I think we need to talk. What do you say?"

"Uh... Yeah, ok." Naudia, it seemed, was just going with it until she figured out what was happening. They were back on the Island in the time it took Naudia to blink, and she gaped at the sudden change. "What just happened?"

"This is the Island, or that's what I call it anyways," Chaos said. "It's where I can watch everyone from. One of the rules the third inheritor, Eternity, gave me was that the power I host may not be used for any personal gain, nor may I change what my predecessors have done or what the Fates choose must come."

"So... when Sally died..." Naudia stopped when she saw Chaos' face, how he looked almost ashamed. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Chaos said. "For her and for everyone else and for you."

"Me?"

"Technically, you died. On Earth, at least. I'm sorry, Naudia." Chaos wasn't looking directly at her.

Naudia frowned. There was more to this than just what he said. What more could there be? "Not your fault. Now why don't you tell me what's going on?"

"W-What? Nothing. I don't know what you're... talking... about?" Chaos trailed off, ending it as more of a question than anything when he saw the glare Naudia was leveling at him. She was definitely a parent. "Ok, ok. So Eternity said something that made me realize something that you probably aren't going to like."

"Oh? And what might that be?" Naudia was still staring him down, so Chaos shifted away from her a little. "And who's this Eternity you keep mentioning?"

"Like I mentioned, Eternity was the third inheritor. She brought me to Haven and then eventually passed the power to me. Before her was Order and before them was Creation."

"I see. Now, back to the bigger question. What's this 'something' you mentioned. Spill, kid."

Chaos scowled a little. "I'm way older than you. I'm not a kid." Another parent-glare from Naudia, and he sighed. "Alright... Eternity said that only the next inheritor could enter Haven as a whole soul, a Solid with their memories... someone still living."

That gave Naudia pause. "You said I was dead."

"Yes. You were brought to Haven an instant before that." Chaos looked her in the eyes, muted red meeting what was once nearly-purple. "There must be something about our family. I got shot too." He tried to laugh it off, despite the sadness in his eyes. "It's funny, you know. Everyone else was here for so long. Compared to them, I've barely been here the blink of an eye."

"Wait, what? You want me to be this next inheritor person?" Naudia shook her head. "No, nope, not a chance, no way. Are you crazy?!"

"Maybe? That's up for debate. Annabeth usually just says I'm a Seaweed Brain." Chaos smiled slightly just thinking about her. "You may remain here, watching from afar as Eternity and I have done, or you may interact with creation as Order did. Although I suppose I didn't remain quite as removed as Eternity."

"I could... go back?"

"Sort of. You wouldn't be Naudia anymore, not in the sense you are now. You'd be someone more than just yourself. It's sort of hard to explain. Like, right now I might be Percy and have all of Percy's memories and all, but, beyond that, I'm Chaos," Chaos attempted to explain it, but he was starting to get why Eternity was so cryptic. This stuff really made no sense. He blamed Creation.

"Alright. I'll do it." Naudia held up her hands, which were clenched into fists, as she gritted her teeth. "Bring it on."

Chaos nodded. "Very well. Just... don't freak out too much. Your heart's gonna stop permanently this time."

"What?" But Chaos was already gone.