For The Sake of Gaia

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Naruto x Garnet

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Story Start
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The lights were dim as Naruto hurried to his position, and the boys waiting in the wings, quickly prepared for the play, and everything that would follow. A spotlight focused in on them; Naruto was knelt on one knee, head low over an exposed blade with Cinna and Blank either side of him.

"Bereft of father! Bereft of mother!" Blank said with theatrical sadness. "Marcus! Thou hast lost even they love!"

"Fortune hath escap'd thee! For what end shaft thou live?" Cinna added.

Naruto took his queue, pushing up of his knee to raise the sword high in one hand like a war bacon. "For the sake of our friend, let us bury our steel into the heart of the wrenched King Leo!"

Simultaneously, his comrades shouted "Aye!"

At a practised pace, the trio ran onto the main area of the stage where thunder was roaring, and lightning flashing in the backdrop behind the cardboard castle. From the castle entrance they rounded to where Marcus was standing opposite King Leo, two rhino guards at his flanks.

"We shall back thee, Kinsman!" Blank cried out. Marcus shook his head in disagreement.

"Pray, sheath thy swords! This villain is mine alone!" he replied, his eyes never leaving his enemy.

"Nay, kinsman!" Cinna said. "For I, too, have lost a brother to this fiend!"

"What ho?" King Leo laughed. "Out, vermin! Away! Thou darest bare thy sword before the King! All who stand in my way will be crush'd!" Marcus unsheathed his blade, the sound intensified by someone rubbing two sheets of metal together off stage.

"Treacherous Leo," Naruto spat out in disgust, "my kinsman's suffering shall not be in vain! For I shall instruct thee in his incomparable pain!"

Naruto began the battle with a display of fake magic, signalling to the guys backstage by touching the hilts of the twin daggers he was loaned together, and saying "Medeo!" He jumped, arm raised into the air as if casting the spell. A large, lethal ball flew out from the crevice above the sage, streaming colorful ribbons tied to its sides. It landed on Baku, who feigned a wince, and burst like a piñata realizing vibrant smoke over the line of villains.

The crowd gasped in amazement and cheered. Marcus stepped forward next dealing a quick blow to the Rhino on King Leo's left, making an over-the-top grunt. The rhino gagged, and flopped down the ground, twitched but then fell still. Blank, took out the second rhino guard in much the same way, leaving only King Leo, Marcus's sworn enemy standing to fight, sword raised high. He charged forward, shouting "Taste steel!" and slashed at Marcus, receiving jeers and gasps from the crowd. Marcus played on their sympathies, by clutching at his arm, where sham blood now dripped.

With a wave of his hammer, Cinna gave the next signal to the backstage crew. "Pyro!" he cried, and sharply brought his arms down again. Red smoke billowed up from the woodwork, giving the illusion that Baku had been set aflame. He moaned in agony, and the embers trickled away. In the time it took King Leo to recover, Naruto brandished the daggers, and slashed at the large man, flipping away to avoid a counter; Blank followed suit landing a lower hit than Naruto had, and narrowly missing a strike to the face. Rumbling with rage, Baku, pounded his legs calling "poly!" to the heavens, and setting the backstagers to action once again. Stars gathered around Blank, flowing in dark blue streams, and clustering into a ball above his ruby mane.

The ball flared with purple and jade, and someone out of view ran a stick across a set of chimes. The light coursed down onto Blank, who yelped with displeasure, but shook the pain off, his character stubborn and strong. Angered by the attack on his friend, Naruto came in for another attack, giving Marcus a moment to angle in the final blow. He struck the man, as practiced, on the chest, causing Baku to drop his weapon, to clutch mournfully at his wound, and stagger away to the stairs, abandoning the fight.

"Arrg … Grr…" he cried, half furious, and half agonized. He mounted the steps with a staggered gait, eager to run but too wounded to go quickly. When he reached the castle top, he called down to his rivals. "Thou hast not seen the last of me, Marcus!"

"Come back!"

After spitting the words, Naruto hurried to chase the King, but in a twist that sent the audience reeling in surprise, Blank jumped in his way. Infused with the need to catch the evil villain, Naruto slashed his sword at the guy; the red-head hopped up the staircase, his weapon drawn.

"Consider this, Naruto! If Prince Schnieder were to marry Princess Cornelia, peace would reign over both their kingdoms!"

"Tis foolishness! If all were so easy, why, none would suffer in this world!" Naruto retorted.

He continued up the stairs, this time in pursuit of his friend, now a traitor to their cause; Blank hurried to the top of the castle, and stopped to face Naruto there. Their swords met with a resounding crash. Naruto withdrew the blade quickly to swing at his counterpart again, but Blank shied away from the blow with a skilled movement, and countered aiming for Naruto's feet. Careful and precise, Naruto leaped into the air to avoid the slash. His landing forced Blank to move further along the wall; Naruto hit high, but Blank ducked away; swiftly Naruto swung the blade again, overcome with wroth for his brother, Blank flipped out of his reach. Their swords clashed again, as they swung for each other at the same time. Blank avoided one more strike, and then sprung over the wall, down onto the stage below and began to run to the stands.

"Come back here!" Naruto cried, hurtling after him.

The fight of the brothers was always a popular scene, because of the tragedy surrounding their relationship, and it was one they needed to make the most of now. Naruto pursued Blank down to the stands, and across onto a narrow platform underneath the balcony where the nobles and the queen could easily see them.

"En garde!"

"Expect no quarter from me!"

Naruto followed Blank's lead composing a fight with him from a set of basic moves which could be adapted depending on how the crowd reacted. The motion of Black's sword and body would instruct Naruto on what to do next, but their reactions needed to be in perfect sync. They ducked, leaped and flipped out of the way of their opponents' blade, moving back and forth along the platform so all the nobles could witness the fight, allowing their swords to occasionally crash together dramatically before resuming the onslaught. After a few minutes, feigning exhaustion, Blank exclaimed "We shall finish this later!"

"Come back here!"

They ran towards the castle, to a small servant's door near the stands, and after a quick glance at the balcony to check they weren't being observed, crept inside.

Naruto and Blank were moving on to the sword fighting scene as Garnet left to go put on her traveling clothes. The two men ran off the stage and thrust and parried within their fight. Naruto and Blank both had to drop on their side for dramatic ducks, and Naruto often dared to do a back flip, getting loud 'ahhhs' from the crowd. Their swords often collided, making some audience members jump. A particular black mage gasped at every time the swords bumped. When Naruto and Blank were through they received a lot of Gil from a very pleased audience, including Queen Brahne herself!

Naruto and Blank collected the Gil then ran...inside to Alexandria Castle.

Garnet got into her yellow-orange traveling clothes that covered most of her body and went over silken, white undershirt and garments. She wore red, leather gloves and a blue ponytail holder that held her low ponytail at her waist. Her retractable rod was hidden somewhere up her sleeve, locked in place by clever bindings upon her lower arm.

After willing her fear aside, she started to leave her room, putting on her cape and hood. She was now donned in pink silk. She walked around the castle, thankful that the Pluto Knights were too lax that they often left their posts. She was able to sneak by and arrive nearer to the exit without anyone catching her. Just then, she heard footsteps, right as she was passing the spiraling staircase.

"I wonder what part the play has gone to now."

"Wonder what part the play has now gone to, I do too."

Zorn and Thorn! She quickly drew in a panicked breath and wondered what to do now! They would see right through her disguise and report her to mother, where she'd surely get into trouble. Garnet had to hide quickly! She looked all around herself, trying to think of where to hide. Her mother's chamber, Zorn and Thorn wouldn't randomly transverse into there. Entering the room she felt an odd sense of surrealism. A sense of sadness washed over her as she couldn't remember the last time she entered her mother's chamber without instruction or facing a scolding. Her mother changed over the years, starting shortly after her father died. Garnet dove into the room and hid away from prying eyes.

Garnet's eyes spied something sparkling in the distance on her mother's dress-drawer. It was the royal pendant! "I must take it, otherwise I might not be recognized among the guards at Lindblum!" She took the pendant and rose it over her head and put it on. Around her neck was the safest place she found for it.

The guards were made short work of. Naruto used a henge as he received the package from Blank. From the ground it could jump about half of Naruto's entire height, and it made a strange warbling noise. Annoyed, Blank turned and caught the little beast between his slimy gloved hands, and held it upside down by its spindly legs.

"Alright! I should be able to put the Princess to sleep with one of my illusions.'' Naruto stated as they went out into the hallway.

Outside, the hallway split in three directions. The red carpet lining the elaborate tiles, stretched up a staircase, and divided both left to the door Naruto and Blank had first come through, or right further into the palace.

"According to recon," began Blank, his tone much more serious now, "the royal box should be right above these stairs!"

"Got it!"

A chorus of saddened cries erupted from the audience outside. Both Naruto and Blank turned to the door, suspecting which scene had just ended. Cinna's character had just met his end.

"Uh-oh! The scene where Marcus sneaks into Cornelia's chamber is about to start!" cried Blank. "Let's get this over with before the finale, okay?"

Naruto didn't answer, but hastened instead to the stairwell twisting up to the royal box. Above, the path split again to the balcony door on the right and another set of doors on the left, which if Naruto remembered correctly, would take him to the private chambers. As he was rounding the last of the steps, the left hand doors opened; suspecting it was another guard, Naruto spun and upped his guard, ready for a fight. Though instead of a guard a young woman dressed in a white hooded jacket came running towards him. Startled by his sudden appearance, the girl in the cowl, stopped also.

"Umm… would you please let me pass?" she kept her head and voice low, and spoke with a sheepish politeness.

Her scent was what puzzled him though. No hint of steel or other such scents that indicated she was a solider. There was also no scents indicating she was a cook, in fact she smelled of fancy lotions. Was she a noble of some sort? ''Are you a noble?'' he suddenly pressed, watching her seize up.

"N-no, I-I'm not..." she shook her head impatiently.

''Why don't I believe you.'' he said as he grabbed at her, allowing a brief glance of the face under the white hood.

''What are you doing mercenary?'' Blank's appearance had momentarily distracted the blond and in the moment the flustered girl scatted off.

Naruto headed after the girl down the stairs.

"Who the heck was that!" Blank asked.

Not stopping, Naruto answered him "Damnit thief that was Princess Garent!" he hopped over the splayed form of Blank on the floor in pursuit of her.

"Are you serious!"

Emerging from the shadows of the castle's shrubbery, came two small jesters who were dressed in over sized clown outfits of blue and pink. They had their faces painted to show no emotion and had a large hat protruding with bells dangling from it all around their head. The one in pink was Thorn and she held her face in terror seeing that Garnet had run away with a family treasure. Zorn, the one in blue, was frightened at what the queen would do to them if she found out the crisis. It would be best to report this to the queen as soon as possible no matter what the consequences may be...

They ran together as if perfectly synchronized into the empty castle complaining at every room they entered.

"We are in trouble!"

"Trouble are we in!"

The jesters ascended the stairs and they shouted at each other of the possibilities the Queen could do with them.

"This is terrible!"

"Our heads, Queen Brahne will have!"

They jumped up and down and made faces of agony through the white and black paint smeared on their faces and continued to run up the stairs.

"We must hurry!"

"Hurry, we must!"

As they continued they journey to the queen they constantly reminded themselves of the trouble they were in and what the Queen could, would, and shouldn't do to them. They were just jesters to the eye but powerful mages underneath and that could have stopped any thief. Just as they reached the spiraling staircase, Zorn almost ventured outside to the crowds.

"The right way, that is not!"

"I know that is not the right way!

Thorn regarded Zorn's poor attempt to convince her that he didn't know where he was going.

"Really, do you?"

"I really do!"

"Wonder, I sometimes do."

Thorn rocked back in forth in a very infantile often always behaved this awkwardly, mimicking what the other said and using exaggerated movements.

"N-Now is not the time to wonder!"

"Hurry to Queen Brahne, must we!"

"We musy hurry to Queen Brahne!"

As if realizing what their main objective had been, they went up the stairs and this time it was Thron who was distracted in another direction. She tried opening the doors of the Princess's chambers when Zorn squeaked behind her.

"That is not the right way!"

"N-Not the right way, I know!"

"Do you really?"

"Know I really do!"

Thorn was infuriated that Zorn was mocking her and she too was just as stubborn as he as to not admit his mistake. In a repeating manner Zorn sarcastically stated, "I really wonder sometimes."

"Th-The time to wonder, now is not!"

As if to change the subject Thorn jumped up and screamed aloud, "Hurry to see Her Majesty, we must!"

"We must hurry and tell her Majesty!"

The two jesters stumbled onto each other in the excitement to see the Queen. They yelled as they entered the balcony where the Queen was watching the performance as if to announce their entrance.

"Your Majesty!"

"See the queen, we must!"

Zorn and Thorn approached Adelbert Steiner who saluted them with a fist to his heart, his face stern and his priorities made up way before they had arrived. His voice was like a commander reprimanding his soldiers for interrupting his speech.

"Her Majesty is busy! Come back later!"

"Is it an emergency?"The voice that came from the other side of the Queen's balcony was soft yet determined; strong willed but not demanding. It called for respect and the woman who approached was definitely respected for all she had done and the warrior she had become. General Beatrix stood before them pushing elegantly the locks of her chocolate brown hair out of her face. Her features were exquisite from what people could see and she wore a band from her forehead to the bottom right of her face hiding her eye. Her thick hair was curled at her ends by her muscular shoulder and she wore a revealing yet function-able outfit, her sword stowed away in a sheath on her hip. She approached the jesters saluting them as well. They decided to explain to her the problem.

"Her Royal Highness..."

"..Princess Garnet..."

"Is in terrible danger!" They said that last part in unison.

"I see," General Beatrix said. "I'll see what I can do. Wait here."

She walked over towards the lump of queen that seated herself on the throne. She salute the queen by balling her fist and letting it hit the center of her chest and, straight as an arrow, let it stretch out in front of her and fall to her side. "Your majesty," Started Beatrix.

"What is it! Can't you see I'm watching the show?" Responded and irritated Queen Brahne, eyes glued to the happenings on stage. The crowd let out a gasp, as did the queen. Beatrix frowned inwardly and felt very stupid for disturbing the queen. She was also mad and Zorn and Thorn for causing her to do this! Beatrix cleared her throat. "Your majesty, Princess Garnet has run off with the royal pendant." There was no point in mentioning the danger part. It would worry the queen, believed Beatrix.

"Well of all the-what could she be thinking? Well, go find her! General Beatrix and uh..."

"Steiner...Captain Steiner." Steiner whispered, hoping she'd remember.

"Ah, Captain Steiner!"

Go figure, she remembered. He straightened his posture and moved his muscled bulk to her right side and saluted, hand going to his head before resting at his side.

"Go find Princess Garnet." Ordered Queen Brahne, unconcerned that her daughter was apparently missing and she was more focused on the play.

Steiner stole no look at the unsightly queen, but saluted and obliged and left to go round up his knights. He was disappointed in that he had to go get them all individually and that Squad Beatrix seemed better disciplined.

Naruto had chased the Princess down to the roof of one of the buildings. She was standing on top of one of he brick structures as their eyes met. He glanced up, revealing for a moment in the beauty of her face in the glow of the tower's lanterns. The princess merely smiled at the boy, her eyes holding a vaguely familiar sensation to him as she slowly edged over to the side. ''Hey wai...'' she went over the edge. ''Shit!'' Naruto swore as he watched her fall. He watched as the Princess swung from one of the ropes hanging from the theater ship.

Naruto leaped after her, swinging from flag banners and bouncing off columns. He made sure to keep an eye on the girl as the wind caused his hair to fly back. Both air bound denizens flew over the crowds in the stands from their monument. Naruto landed on all fours shortly after the princess landed on the Orchestral box.

During this whole thing the Captain of the Pluto Knights was making his way to the stage. He was thankful the princess didn't come to any visible harm, but if he didn't hurry she would be lost to him. The knight removed a string of flags from the tower and tied it around his waist; there wasn't time to calculate his trajectory! The princess was in danger! The magnificent feeling of soar like a bird was soon replaced by fear as his haste only lead to pain. Letting out a scream, Steiner flailed his arms, trying with all his might to slow his speed, but it did no good. The rope snapped with a freighting creak, sending Steiner airborne, lurching him with a force of the momentum he'd gathered straight into a face-full of wood. He crashed with such power the planks splintered, buckling to make room for his form. He was wedged to a stop when the thrust died away, and was left hanging amid a powering of dust, half-in and half-out of the ship. Severed wood fell past his twitching leg as he momentarily passed out.

Back with the others Garnet was still giving chase. Naruto had long since decided not to sweat it and just simply follow after the Princess, waiting for her to tire herself out instead of stressing about it. It wasn't like she would be able to get away. Sure enough she ran into that teal haired Tantulus girl Ruby.

"Hold yer horses, there! Whut kinda cattle you chasin', darlin'?" Princess Garnet didn't understand the question, so she let the woman continue. "You should at least say yer sorry!"

"Please pardon me," the princess responded, placing her hands over her heart in apology. "I was in a hurry, you see …"

"And here I am, fixin' to get ready fer my big entrance!" complained the girl, waving her hands about dramatically.

''Its futile to keep running.'' Naruto remarked as he stepped through the door. The girl of course took off once again. ''I'll handle this Ruby-san. Just tell the boss its time we high tail it out of here.'' he informed the teal haired woman. He was relieved when the young woman finally decided to stop woman. ''Have you decided to stop giving chase or are you tired?''

"Do you …" she began, uncertain. "Do you work on this theater ship?"

Naruto shook his head. ''I was contracted for a job. I am not a native to this kingdom if that's what you mean.''

"As you have no doubt suspected … the truth is that … I am actually…" the girl finally lifted her hood to her hairline revealing her famous beauty in its entirety. Her heart shaped face was tainted with a subtle worry which had wiggled its way into her otherwise angelic features. "… Princess Garnet Til Alexandros, heir to the throne of Alexandria." She placed her hands out in front of her as if about to pray. "I have a favor I wish to ask of you… I wish to be kidnapped … right away."

Naruto gave her a wry look and rose an eyebrow. Without a doubt there was much desperation rolling off the girl and something else? Fear? Uncertainty. Regardless just seeing her, just looking at her reminded him of Hinata that even if he wasn't on contract he highly doubted he would have said no.

"Princess! Where are you!"

Someone was shouting down the corridor. ''Must be friends of yours as I sure as hell don't recognize that voice.'' and whoever was coming was wearing very heavy armor if that jangling in Naruto's ears was an indication.

"Please," she begged, "They've come for me!"

''Very well...'' Naruto replied with a nod. ''I'll hide you.''

"Thank you. You have my gratitude," she replied, but she still sounded unsteady.

"What are you two doing? Come on, this way!"

Naruto vaguely recognized the voice, but the Princess let out a scream and ran behind Naruto as he was standing. She clutched onto his arm with both hands and buried her face deep behind her hood to avoid being seen.

"Don't worry, Princess its one of the members of Tantulus.''

"Oh, really?" she hesitated a moment, but let go of Naruto. "I am sorry. You startled me."

"Man, that hurts!" he complained, stomping. "I wash up every morning, you know!"

"Princess!" That voice and jangling got louder.

"This way!" said Cinna, pointing behind him to the meeting room.

"Alright, we'll follow you!" Naruto said as he turned to the Princess and gave her a reassuring nod. ''Go on ahead, I'll cover the rear and keep you out of sight.''

The latch clicked open and Steiner, after an unsavory journey through corridors of abandoned costumes which all looked the same, finally made it into a space which looked unique. "Princess?" he called. He was so sure he had heard her troubled voice from inside; where had that vagrant dragged her?

He kept calling to her, listening for even a muffled reply, perhaps through a gag of some kind. "Princess… Princess! Princess …? PRINCESS! Princess?" his cries received no response.

At last another of his knights came charging in after him. "Where have you been!" Steiner demanded, but then he noticed it was the same knight who had secured the tower. The name and number still escaped him, but that was of no importance now.

"Sir! I'm sorry, Sir!" replied the knight, dutifully.

Steiner turned, about to report the circumstances to his one capable man, but he closed his mouth again when he noticed the door on the left wall. In the momentary quiet, he thought he could hear voices."Princess!" Steiner tried one last time.

Inside the meeting-room, Naruto noticed a problem. ''I hope there's some sort of hidden passage on this ship.'' Cinna started laughing at the comment.

"Hehehe. I thought this might happen," he said, cheerfully and proudly. "Open!" Cinna stamped his foot once on a loose panel of flooring. The table sprung up as if hinged by its two back legs, and sat vertically concealing the strategy board behind it. "Sesame!" with another pound of Cinna's boot, a circular hatch which had otherwise been hidden by the table, flipped open to reveal an exit. Buzzing and clanking could be heard below, the familiar noises of the engine. "So I set up this escape hatch!"

"Princess!"

Garnet turned towards the voice. Shadows moved in the gap below the door.

"Come on! Jump inside" Cinna encouraged. He stretched his arms up, and pencil jumped into the hole. Garnet wasted no time and bound down through the narrow space to the engine below; once she was through Naruto plunged down also.

Steiner checked the surroundings, but stopped when he saw the perfectly trimmed hole in the center of the room. "The princess must be down there!" he concluded. His knight stepped forward, peering at the hole hesitantly before puffing out his chest.

"I-I'll go first, sir!" he proclaimed, and he lunged himself at the gap. Unfortunately, the armor casing his body added more girth to the boy than he had anticipated. He landed with his back wedged in the hole, his arms and legs flailing about like an upturned tortoise's. Try as he might, the man couldn't wiggle himself free.

"Hey!" cried Steiner, "What do you think you're doing!"

"Captain, sir! I'm stuck, sir!"

"Grrrr! Blast it!"

Steiner recognized the rattling of an engine and that gave him his next destination. He hurried away to find another path to the lower decks, leaving the nameless knight to ponder his own ineptitude. However, the moment he was gone, the 'knight' allowed the smirk he had been concealing to blossom. Ceasing his pretend struggling, he turned to ensure the hunk of metal had clambered fully from view, and reveled in his ability to act the role."Hehehe. He bought it!"