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[Caterpillar] Chapter 37 - Through the Gates of Tartarus
🕑 Added 2024-03-16 22:45:25 +0000 UTCAN: Maybe I should change the title of the previous chapter to "Death by snu snu"? haha. Jokes aside, I'm glad to see you liked the surprise lemon.
A new chapter is up, enjoy!
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Chapter 37 - Through the Gates of Tartarus
The Amazon society did not consist of warriors only. Not all Amazons liked violence and not all of them could fight. A good number of them were farmers and livestock caretakers, some were teachers, others were attendants at the royal palace and so on. For a community to function in peace for over 3000 years, completely isolated from the outside world, it had to be self-sustaining.
"My Queen, Princess Diana and the guests have settled in their rooms. One warrior has been assigned to guard each of their rooms, as a precautionary measure," one of Hippolyta's closest attendants said.
"It is not necessary, Phoebe," Hippolyta said. "Diana is my daughter. As for the man she brought with her, I have tested him with the Lasso of Truth. He bears no ill intent towards us."
The woman in question, Phoebe, was very surprised to hear that. During the 'interrogation', the only people present in the throne room were the Queen, the Princess, Naruto, Kyuubi, and Artemis who got knocked out cold before the questioning actually started. That said, the rest of the Amazons did not know what had transpired there. In a way, the embarrassing moment happened "in the family" and would remain "in the family" so to speak. No outsiders were aware of it.
"What about Artemis? Is she alright?" Hippolyta asked.
"She suffered a minor concussion. Nothing serious. A bit of rest is all she needs for a full recovery." Phoebe said. Hesitatingly, she asked: "What happened to her? Did that man-?"
"It is a private matter, not something to gossip about," Hippolyta said and Phoebe obediently lowered her head. "Yes, my Queen."
"As absurd as it may sound, the man that came with Diana is a good person."
Seeing the sceptical look on her attendant's face, Hippolyta continued:
"Most men are indeed selfish, violent, cruel, and wicked. That is the truth. However, there are no absolutes in this world. Not all men are evil; though few in number, there are exceptions too. Just like how not all Amazons are good people. Women are capable of terrible things too, are they not? Otherwise, we wouldn't need to have a prison, would we?"
Not only that Amazons' society was self-sustaining, but it also had everything that a properly working community should have. There were a school and a college for education, a coliseum and a racing field for entertainment purposes, a very impressive library for cultural purposes, two temples dedicated to the two most important patron goddesses of the Amazons, training grounds and barracks, a hospital, the Queen's palace, a research centre dedicated to studying magic and technology, a craftsman centre for economic purposes, and even spots for relaxing such as a swimming pool, a park, and a hot spring. Naturally, there was a prison on Themyscira too. With thousands of women living on the same island, it was natural for some conflicts to arise between some of them once in a while. If someone was too much of a troublemaker, they would be sent to the prison on Reform Island, one of the several smaller islands around Themyscira. Though the Amazons' land was called Paradise Island, it was not just one island, it was an archipelago.
"This man is one of those few exceptions. He truly cares about my daughter and he is willing to even follow her through the gates of Tartarus. He is ready to trade his life to protect her. I could not hope for a better companion for her. Ask yourself, if one of your Amazon sisters was to be sent by the gods to Tartarus, would you follow her?"
The attendant looked like she had a lot on her mind after hearing what her queen said.
"You can retire for the night, Phoebe."
"Yes. Good night, my Queen." Phoebe said. She brought a hand to her chest and bowed before leaving.
Phoebe's body was on auto-pilot as she headed towards the servants' quarter. Like every other Amazon on the Island, her instructors had taught her and warned her repeatedly about the wickedness of men and the evils in the Man's World. There were no illiterate people in Themyscira. All Amazons studied in the school on the island courses such as literature, warfare, grammar, maths, music and arts etc. Among the classes taught in school, there was also one called "Man's World" which was, simply put, just biased propaganda against men and the society outside of their island. But the Queen's words earlier clashed against the things that she had been taught to believe from the beginning.
As she was walking absent-mindedly through the corridor heading towards her quarters, a tremor suddenly shook the entire palace.
"An earthquake?" Phoebe muttered to herself in surprise.
But then, another tremor followed. And another one. And another one. Her expression changed.
"No, it's not an earthquake."
Although she was a non-combatant Amazon, she still took her duties very seriously. Her job was to attend to her majesty, the Queen of the Amazons. She broke into a run, rushing back towards the Queen's chambers to confirm her safety.
But the rhythmical and constant tremors of the building made Phoebe lose her footing and fall on the floor with a thud.
"Enemy attack!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.
But her screams were not necessary to alert the others because all the guards stationed at the palace that night flooded the corridors, armed to the teeth. The repeated tremors made the Amazons on duty quickly realize that it was clearly not an earthquake and that it was coming from somewhere inside the palace, not from outside.
Following the tremors, over 30 Amazons wielding swords, shields, and spears arrived in front of the princess's chambers.
To their surprise, however, there was another female warrior stationed by the door. By the looks of it, she was struggling to maintain her composure and keep her spear and shield straight. She was subtly rubbing her thighs against each other and it could be seen even despite the helmet on her head that her face was flushed.
"Sister, are you alright? What's happening beyond that door?"
The Amazon guarding the princess's chamber was spared from answering that question when a wanton moan came from the room and another tremor shook the entire building.
One of the more simple-minded Amazons asked naively:
"Why is the princess crying? Move aside, sister, we have to save her! Is that man inside? Is he hurting her?!"
But the female warrior guarding the door blocked her way.
"You're not allowed to enter."
"Why? Are you perhaps in cohorts with that man? This treachery won't go unpunished!" the naive Amazon started yelling self-righteously but one of her friends pulled her back before things escalated any further.
"Hey, Penelope, let go, what's the big idea?" the naive Amazon tried to break free.
Another erotic moan came from the other side of the door and a tremor made the palace shake again. By now, most of the Amazons gathered there were starting to feel hot under the collar. For anyone with a modicum of common sense, it was impossible to not understand what was actually going on at that moment inside their dear princess's chamber.
"Since you don't get it, I'll spell it for you. The princess is having intercourse." the Amazon guarding the chamber spat out, blushing furiously.
"I-Intercourse?" the naive female said dumbly.
"They're fucking each other's brains out like animals in heat! Is that clear enough for you? Great Hera, why are you so stupid!" the Amazon stationed in front of the door screamed, unable to cope with the embarrassing situation anymore.
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"Please keep my daughter safe. She is my little sun and stars." Hippolyta said, looking at Diana tenderly.
But Wonder Woman could not meet her eyes. Ever since she woke up that day, it was like she was suffering from a constant fever.
'How could I have acted in such a manner?!'
Her cheeks were burning whenever her mind went to the debauchery from the night before. She was so ashamed that she had not met with any of her Amazon sisters the entire morning. It was only now, when they were preparing to open the Gates of Tartarus, that she finally left her chambers to speak with her mother one last time.
"Don't worry, mother. Diana is strong enough to take care of herself. I'm only tagging along for fun. And, of course, to make sure nothing unexpected happens."
Hippolyta's left eye started twitching for some reason: maybe because he was already calling her 'mother' as if he was already her son-in-law. Or maybe because he was treating a perilous journey to kill the God of the Underworld, in his own world, as if it was some recreational trip?
"I've never seen someone as thick-skinned as you." Hippolyta said in exasperation.
A glance at her daughter, however, let her know that despite how she was steaming in shame, Diana was beaming from happiness.
"Do not underestimate the dangers of Tartarus. Hades is the brother of Zeus, the King of Olympus. And you will be intruding into his domain." she exhorted. "I know you are very powerful, probably almost as powerful as a god. You are the very reason why I was forced to reveal the truth to Diana about her true origins. However, magic works in mysterious ways. True gods are gods for a reason."
Despite his cheeky behaviour, Naruto nodded obediently this time.
"I won't let my guard down, mother. I promise."
Hippolyta smiled at him. Then, she opened her arms and looked at her daughter. The princess listened to her non-verbal plea and came to her. Mother and daughter embraced each other dearly.
Showing a measure of tact that would have never been seen at him when he was a kid back in the Elemental Nations, Naruto left the throne room, giving Diana and Hippolyta a moment of privacy.
The squad of Amazons stationed in the halls of the palace were watching him intently, not missing any of his movements. But strangely enough, most of them were avoiding making eye contact with him. Even with how thick-skinned he was, Naruto could not help scratching his cheek in slight embarrassment.
'It's all because of her. That perverted princess!'
It was not hard for him to guess why. To say that Wonder Woman had been a bit too vocal during their activities last night would be an understatement. But in spite of his thoughts, he smiled fondly and chuckled. He had definitely not expected Wonder Woman to have such a wild and perverted side to her. But he was not complaining. Not in the least.
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The entrance to Tartarus was located below Paradise Island, in an underground space holding the ruins of an ancient city. The only intact structure in the ruined city was what looked like the grandiose entrance of a temple built in a cliff. It was the Gates of Tartarus.
A stone key was inserted into a special lock and, following that, the enormous Gates of Tartarus were opened with a loud grating sound. All that could be seen through the entrance was just a rock bridge traversing a sea of fire.
Hippolyta embraced Diana one more time.
"Go. May goddess Athena give you strength!"
When they parted, Naruto's voice came from behind Diana:
"Don't I get a hug too?"
The Amazons standing by the Queen's side immediately brandished their spear at him threateningly.
"Step away from the Queen!" they yelled.
Naruto raised his hands and stepped back.
"Sheesh, you women need to lighten up a little."
Hippolyta found herself smiling. She was beginning to see why her daughter liked him. She and the rest of the Amazons were very tense and sombre, looking almost as if they were at a funeral, but he was relaxed and even cracked jokes at a time like that. His easy-going and likeable personality managed to get under one's skin very quickly.
"You will get your hug after you bring my daughter back safely," Hippolyta said.
Naruto perked up and grinned:
"It's a promise then. Don't you dare go back on your word!"
Diana pulled one of his hands almost petulantly.
"Are you trying to woo my mother now? Let's go already!"
He burst into laughter.
"Okay, okay, let's go."
With that, he stopped joking around and headed towards the gates. A nine-tailed fox cub was already waiting for them in front of the gates, flicking his fluffy tails restlessly. His vertical pupils were pinned on the bridge traversing the sea of fire.
Naruto grabbed Kyuubi by the scruff of his neck and placed him on his shoulder. Then, man, woman, and fox stepped through the gates, into Tartarus. The Amazons were quick to push the gates after them but right before they were completely closed, a peculiar snake slithered its way through.
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As the three of them walked across the bridge, Naruto and Kyuubi looked around curiously.
"So this is what the afterlife looks like..." Naruto said.
"Um, not exactly," Diana replied. "This is just Tartarus. The hellish part of the afterlife. This is where the sinners and those who have angered the gods of Olympus go. The souls of people who have led a virtuous life are sent to Elysium, to paradise."
"So can you find here jerks like that dude that started World War II on Earth?" he asked.
Wonder Woman shook her head.
"You mean Hitler? He came from a Christian background. He's most likely in Christians' version of hell. Different Pantheons don't intrude in each others' domain."
"I wonder where did the Psions' souls go after I killed them," Kyuubi said from atop Naruto's shoulder.
Diana shrugged.
"I have no idea. I don't know what gods they believe in."
"What about atheists?" Naruto asked another question. "How is the afterlife of those who don't believe in the existence of gods?"
"I've never asked myself that, to be honest. It's an interesting question. I'd like to know that too." Diana said.
As they chatted about this and that, the end of the bridge came in sight. However, when they reached the head of the bridge, an enormous creature's threatening growl greeted them.
The relaxing mood from before dissipated and the princess unsheathed her sword and grabbed her shield.
"This is Cerberus. The three-headed dog of Hades, one of the guardians of Tartarus." Diana said tensely.
Naruto looked in interest at the monster ahead of them. It was an over 20-foot-tall creature weighing several tons. Its skin was pitch black and rock-like formations grew out from its body like protective armour. But the most noticeable thing about the creature was its three very ugly and large dog heads. The creature's gaping maws revealed several rows of jagged teeth that looked like daggers, and the drool falling from its mouths was making sizzling sounds when it fell on the ground, melting it.
Right as Wonder Woman was bracing herself for a vicious fight against the huge three-headed monster, the tiny fox cub jumped off Naruto's shoulder. Then, an enormous silhouette appeared. It made the already large Cerberus appear like a small pup in comparison.
The monster's 3 pairs of eyes widened in fear as it took in the sight of a creature even more monstrous than itself. Hundreds of feet tall, crimson red fur and 9 enormous tails that stirred powerful gales with simple flicks. Cerberus' ears fell flat on its head and its spiky tail was tucked between its legs. When a demonic growl came from the enormous behemoth, the three-headed monster let itself fall flat on its belly and started whimpering submissively.
A dark chuckle came from the demonic nine-tailed fox.
"You're not just a stupid mongrel, after all, are you? At least you do know who's the boss." Kyuubi's voice rumbled, making the Cerberus whimper even more pitifully.
"Listen here, mutt. Do you want to live?"
The dog's three heads nodded fervently at his question.
"If you want to live, you're going to be my bitch. Any problems with that?" the fox's demonic voice rang.
Cerberus shook its three heads humbly and prostrated itself in front of the god-like being towering above it.
"Hahaha! Very good. Now, stand on two feet and bow to me."
The three-headed dog gave its all to stand on two feet and struggled to maintain its balance as it bowed.
"Now sit."
The guardian of Tartarus did as told and sat down.
"Roll."
Cerberus rolled obediently. It even let its tongue hang out of its mouths and attempted to smile as if it was very happy to follow any order.
The enormous fox's laughter boomed in satisfaction.
"Whahaha! This is so fun! Naruto, look, I got myself a new toy!"
Naruto was laughing out loud too at the bijuu's antics.
Wonder Woman was looking at the surreal scene in front of her with an incredulous face. She and the rest of the Amazons had been told many stories about the gods and various creatures that had submitted to them. Cerberus was a famous creature in their legends, one said to be a fiercely loyal and vicious servant of the God of the Underworld, Hades.
'Yet he was reduced to... this?' Diana thought. She put a hand on her forehead.
Just then, Kyuubi grabbed a large piece of rock from the ground and threw it. Cerberus burst into a sprint, giving its all to catch the rock. Then, it came back to Kyuubi, wagging its tail.
"Good boy." Kyuubi chortled.
He took the rock from Cerberus' middle mouth and then threw it again. Just like before, the three-headed dog burst into a mad dash to catch the rock, as if its life depended on it.
Single-mindedly chasing the rock with everything it had, Cerberus tunnel-visioned on the piece of rock, losing track of anything else in its surroundings. Its jump was almost majestic when it launched itself from the ground and caught the rock in mid-air.
*splash*
Dark laughter reverberated in the abyss. Kyuubi started beating the ground with his fists, laughing his ass off.
"Bwahaha! What a stupid dog! Ahaha!"
So focused the three-headed dog had been on catching the rock that it had not noticed that Kyuubi had thrown the rock towards the sea of fire to their side. It jumped off the bridge, into the chasm, into the lava below.
The Cerberus wailed in agony and struggled in despair to escape. But its death cries did not last for long. A few moments later, its howls ceased. The three-headed monster disappeared below the boiling surface of the sea of fire. Only the bijuu's cruel laughter could still be heard.
"Damn, Kurama, you're sick. You didn't have to do him dirty like that." Naruto said. Nonetheless, he had lived with the fox for over a century. He had long gotten used to Kyuubi's twisted personality.
Wonder Woman appeared to be disturbed by what had happened. She had nothing against someone killing their enemies when necessary but the fox's cruelty startled her. She had gotten so used to seeing the cute and fluffy fox cub that purred under her caresses that she had forgotten that the fox was a being capable of destroying planets, to say nothing about toying with a monster to its death.
