(Three-Way Crossover Between Naruto, Ever After High and The Fate Series)
Chapter 1 - Rebel's Rising
(Ever After High, Morning)
"It was a beautiful Wednesday morning in the Land of Ever After. And it was a very special week for the students of Ever After High," spoke the Male Narrator in a welcoming tone as he introduced us to the story. "It was the year of Legacy Day. A momentous event where the second year students pledged to all the magical world to follow the same paths as their fairytale parents."
"And they better or else." added the Female Narrator in a snarky tone.
"I'm sorry, who's telling this story?" the Male Narrator shot back with equal amounts of snark. "If you don't-"
"Will you two stop fighting!? Peas and crackers." spoke one Madeline Hatter, tired of hearing the narrators squabble.
"Um Maddie, who are you talking to?" asked one Raven Queen with a befuddled expression as she levitated a package with her magic.
"Why the narrators. Though you can't hear them Raven. Only I can." Maddie replied, giggling as she listened to the pair of narrators squabble.
"Okay...Can I talk now?" Raven hesitantly asked, receiving a cheery nod from Maddie. "Okay, it's just that I'm tired of everyone thinking I'm so evil because my mom was. It's not FAIR!" With a burst of magic, Raven teleported her package while also startling a few nearby students.
"No one thinks you're evil, Raven. Now you're just talking crazy, balalala." Maddie replied, doing some weird babbles.
"Heh, the daughter of the Mad Hatter calls me crazy." said Raven in amusement, before sighing as she realized how sad that sounded.
"Will you stop with the worry-flurry? Everyone at school loves you." laughed Maddie as the duo ascended the steps towards the school's front entrance.
As they reached the main entrance hall, one of the three little pigs noticed the duo and gasped "It's Raven Queen! Everybody run!" At those words, everyone began to panic and run for the hills.
"She. Is. Evil." punctuated the Dutch Boy from a higher floor as he pointed at Raven, before being sprayed by a broken fountain..
"Run everyone!" Lily-Bo Peep exclaimed during the madness. Soon enough the entire hall was empty save for Maddie and Raven.
"See, they love you!" Maddie cheered, while Raven just sighed in disappointment.
"Um, excuse me? Do you two know where Ms. Baba Yaga's office is?" questioned a male voice behind the girls.
Turning around, the duo was greeted to the sight of a tan skinned boy about their age. He had slicked back crimson red hair, cerulean blue eyes and three whisker-like markings on each cheek. He was clad in a red and black hooded outfit with light armor plating near his chest area. A red jeweled necklace hung from his neck (1). He had a medium sized satchel hanging off his shoulder with a red swirl design on the front along with two duffel bags resting near his feet.
"Hi, I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm new and not sure how to navigate this place yet," said the newly introduced Naruto with a bow. "And you two are?"
"Well, I'm Madeline Hatter! Daughter of the Mad Hatter!" Maddie exclaimed in her usual bubbly tone as she did a dramatic bow, before she suddenly teleported onto Naruto's back. "Omg, those whiskers are hat-tastic! Are you part animal?" She kept continuously poking his cheek, but he didn't mind.
"It's nice to meet you, Maddie. And no, I'm not part animal," Naruto said, chuckling at how eccentric the girl was. "They're birthmarks and my connection to an old friend. But enough about me. I still haven't gotten your name, Miss Dark and Broody."
"You mean you really don't know?" Raven questioned with a look of disbelief as Naruto shook his head in denial. "I'm Raven Queen, y'know the daughter of the Evil Queen."
Naruto stood there wondering the name before he spoke "Oh, yeah. I've been hearing rumors and whispers about you. But I like to judge someone in person instead of listening to rumors," Raven wore a nervous expression as Naruto stared directly at her like his eyes were looking directly at her soul. "And from what I can tell you seem pretty cool, just misunderstood." Raven's jaw dropped at those words, but Naruto wasn't done yet. "Wanna be friends?"
"Are you serious? You just met me." Raven shot back, still feeling a bit shocked.
"And strangers are friends you haven't met yet," Naruto countered, offering his hand.
After a few moments of silence, Raven took the offered hand and shook it. With a small smile on her face, she replied "I think I'd like that, Naruto."
"Hurray for new friendships!" Maddie suddenly exclaimed as she hopped off of Naruto's back. Suddenly a ringing was heard from Maddie's watch, which promptly shattered into pieces as it finished. "And what better way to celebrate than some Tea Time!" Naruto was baffled as he watched Maddie pull an entire table, a tea set and three chairs out of her hair. "Come on and join me! Then after we take you to Baba Yaga's office, we can give you a small tour of the school."
Naruto stood there in silence before he started to laugh at how random this girl was, before speaking "Oh you are just a treat. Though if it's tea we're having, might I offer these cookies to go with it?" Maddie's eyes sparkled as Naruto pulled out a box of warm cookies from his satchel. "They're my own special recipe that I've made through practice."
"Oh my hex, yes! Those look amazing!" Maddie exclaimed as Naruto took a seat at the table. Suddenly a small squeaking was heard as a small mouse with a colorful top hat emerged from Maddie's hair and began to nibble on one of the cookies. "Oh Earl Grey, I was wondering when you'd wake up you adorable little dormouse."
"Hey Raven, what are you just standing there for? Join us!" said Naruto, patting on the vacant chair next to him. "You better hurry up or else we'll eat all the cookies."
Raven rolled her eyes in amusement and replied "Okay, okay, I'm coming. Save some of those cookies for me." And for the next few hours the halls were filled with laughter and cheering as the new trio of friends got to know each other.
(Castleteria, Noon)
After an amusing tea party and visiting Baba Yaga to receive his schedule, the girls had given Naruto a tour of the school as promised. When questioned about being caught skipping, Raven had explained how since she was technically evil, skipping class was actually a privilege granted to her. And Maddie was usually a partner in crime when she skipped classes.
We now find Naruto and his two new friends entering the school's castleteria.
"And here's the Castleteria, where we have our breakfast, lunch and dinner served by the school," spoke Maddie as she gestured to the massive eating space that was populated with various students. "Though we're allowed to leave the campus and head into town if we don't want to eat the school food."
"Hmm, neat. So where do you guys usually sit?" Naruto asked, wanting to eat his lunch.
"Meh, any table is fine. But aren't you going to get on line?" Raven questioned seeing that he was already walking towards a table.
"Oh I make my own lunch. I mean no disrespect, but I prefer my own cooking. I'll be over here while you guys to get your lunch." Naruto replied with a wave. The two girls nodded in acceptance and left to join the line to receive their food.
Naruto soon found an empty table and sat down, resting his bags under the table. Digging into his satchel, he soon pulled out a large-sized bento box with fuinjutsu inscriptions over the lid. The contents of his lunch included steaming white rice with a chicken-broccoli stir fry mix, wasabi, mixed tempura and some apple slices.
"Ah, you gotta love the fruits of your own hard work," he said as inhaled the wonderful aroma of his masterful cooking, before resting the side of his face against his palm. "Now I just have to wait for Maddie and Raven." Thankfully he wouldn't be bored as a certain Cheshire cat decided to make an appearance.
"Mreow, such tasty looking meal." spoke an amused voice as Naruto soon felt a weight on his shoulders. "It smells divine and is that fish I smell?" Looking to his right he saw a light skinned girl with blue cat-like eyes and lilac hair styled into high curly pigtails, a familiar smile adorning her face.
As she removed herself from his shoulder and sat down next to him, he noticed her outfit. She was clad in a light brown fur collar and furry light black sleeves that has a blue ribbon in the center where her brown fur collar meets. Underneath is a shirt containing dark purple and light blue cat patterns and brown arm warmers. She also has on a purple skirt with light purple stockings underneath. Her outfit is complete with sneaker-heels and blue yarn ball earrings.
"Well the correct term for it is mixed tempura," said Naruto, as he picked up a piece of tempura. "It's fish, veggies and shellfish fried in a special batter mix that I made. Would the mysterious Cheshire like a taste?" He watched as the girl's eyes widened briefly, though her smile remained in place.
"How did you know I was a Cheshire when I didn't even tell you my name?" the girl questioned as she took the piece of tempura and consumed it. "Mmmm, that is good. Gimme more!"
"Thank you for the praise. And as for how I knew who you are," Naruto started as he handed the cat-like girl another piece. "Your mother spoke a lot about you while I was staying with her. It's nice to finally meet you, Kitty. I'm Naruto."
"You know my mother!? You're from Wonderland!?" the now named Kitty quietly exclaimed, not wanting to draw the attention of other students. "How did you even get into Ever After? All the portals between the realms should be closed. Except for...the Well of Wonder." She watched as Naruto nodded at that mention. "But how did you even find it? It's always randomly appearing and disappearing."
"You can thank your mother's interest in me. In her words she wanted to 'see how much chaos someone like me can cause'," Naruto said with a nonchalant shrug. "She also wanted me to keep an eye on her whittle kitten~" Kitty found herself blushing at the embarrassing name that she wished her mother stopped using.
"Okay, okay. I believe you. Though now that you mention it," Kitty started, moving her face dangerously close to Naruto. She began to sniff him for a few moments before pulling back, a wide smile adorning her face. "I can smell the Wonderlandian magic on you, though there's something else on you as well."
"I'm not sure what it is, but I guess it's what attracted your mother's attention towards me." Naruto lied with a shrug, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "So here I am, joining Ever After High. I look forward to getting to know you, Kitty."
"It was to meet you as well, mreow. And thank you for letting me know about mom. It's nice to know that she's thinking about me," she replied with a genuine smile and a wink. "And thanks for the tempura. I'd love to try some more if you ever make it again."
"It was my pleasure and I don't mind making you some." Naruto answered, receiving an enthusiastic nod from Kitty, who then faded away with her Cheshire smile being the last thing he saw. He then turned back to his lunch to see that he was missing a crucial portion. "Aww man, she took the rest of my mixed tempura."
"What's wrong, Naruto?" Raven asked as she and Maddie approached his table with trays of food.
"Bah, it seems that a mischievous kitten has helped herself to part of my lunch." he replied, gesturing towards the empty section of his bento box.
"Ah, you've met Kitty. That sounds like something she'd do." Raven replied with a look of understanding.
"She wouldn't be the daughter of the Cheshire Cat if she wasn't up to some type of mischief." added Maddie, though the way it was worded felt wrong to Naruto. "Speaking of destinies, what's your destiny, Naruto?"
Naruto suddenly went silent, confusing the girl's a bit. After a few more minutes, he spoke up "I don't have a destiny. I'm not related to anyone important in Ever After, so I have no destiny to inherit. I came to Ever After High because I was told this place could help me find one."
There was another tense silence before Raven decided to pat Naruto on the back and say "Well, we'll be with you the entire way. I'm sure there's something out there for you. You just have to be willing to look."
"Yeah! Plus even if you don't have a destiny, there are still plenty of hobbies and jobs you could take up." Maddie added with an encouraging smile.
As Naruto looked at his newly acquired friends, he found himself smiling and letting out a chuckle. "Heh, and people say you're just like your mom. But, I don't think the Evil Queen would have said such kind words." He stood up and bowed to the two of them. "Thank you for your kind words. And again, I really look forward to where our friendship takes us." He put out his fist for a fist bump.
"Same here. I have a feeling this year isn't going to be normal at all." Raven said with a simile, bumping her fist against Naruto's.
"You said it, new best buddy!" Maddie cheered as she added her fist to the mix. The trio grinned from ear-to-ear in excitement.
Their little moment was soon interrupted by a bunch of girlish squeals, prompting the trio to turn around and see what the commotion was about. In the middle of the Castleteria, were two other students.
The first student was a guy with short and wavy light blond hair, pale skin and pale blue eyes. He also wears leather jackets with EAH printed on them (which is the Ever After High school-logo), white, high-top sneakers with gold designs and crown on them, blue jeans, and blue, checkered-patterned vests underneath his leather jackets.
The second student was a girl with bright blue eyes and pale white skin and red lips, and sports blonde curls. She wears a simple red dress with lace and the color red, which symbolizes apples.
"Oh it's Daring and Apple." said Raven. Seeing Naruto's confused face she continued "Apple is the daughter of Snow White, while Daring is the son of Prince Charming. Our stories are actually intertwined. I'm supposed to poison Apple, putting her to sleep. Then Daring comes in as her true love and wakes her with a kiss, just like in the original story."
"That's dumb, you're forced to be a villain, while those two get a happy ending. You deserve a happy ending too," said Naruto, not understanding the point of such a thing. He turned to Raven, giving her a cheeky grin. "Besides you're too adorable to be evil." Raven blushed at his praise before noticing that Apple and Daring were approaching.
"Raven and Maddie, how's every enchanted thing?" said Apple with a smile that radiates happiness.
"Apple, it's good to see ya. And hello to you too, Daring." greeted Raven as she got up to greet waved from her seat.
"Hello Raven. I have to warn you, don't stare at the teeth. I just had them whitened." said Daring as he grinned and there was a flash. He noticed Naruto and said "And who's this fine fellow?" He walked forward and put an arm out. "Daring Charming, pleasure."
"Naruto Uzumaki, the pleasure's all mine." replied Naruto with a grin. He turned to Apple and bowed. "Ms. White, an honor to meet you."
"Pleased to meet you as well, Naruto. And please, call me Apple." she said. The group then heard a bell, signaling the end of lunch. "Oh, there's the bell. Time for Good Kingdom Management Class. Raven what's you next class?"
"Um, history of evil spells." replied Raven, inspecting her schedule.
Apple giggled and said "Oh, that is so perfect for you. You wouldn't be the daughter of the evil queen without your evil spells." Naruto found his eyes narrowing at those words. They just didn't sit well with him.
He then noticed another girl walking Behind Apple with a tray of food. She has blue-grey eyes and straight hair with two white streaks, one part of her hair is draped over her shoulder and she wears a red hood.
"Hey Cerise, how's it going?" said Daring, showing her his flashing teeth. They blind the girl, causing her to drop her food tray. Her eyes snap open revealing yellow orbs and she growls at him, before coughing and calming herself.
"Ahem oh uh… sorry. I-I have a cold." she said, before scurrying off. Naruto narrowed his eyes at that, taking a quick whiff in the girl's direction. His eyes widened in surprise before returning to normal. A little pig then comes over and begins to eat the fallen food while everyone else makes their way to class.
(Hero Training Class, Afternoon)
We open up to one of Naruto's classes: Hero Training taught by Mr. Knight. It was an all boys class and right now they were having sword spars.
Naruto was facing Dexter Charming and giving the Charming a run for his money. Sparks were flying as steel clashed with steel as Naruto unleashed his assault, not giving Dexter any breathing space. Deciding to end this, Naruto unleashed an upward slash, disarming Dexter and kicking the boy to the ground. Catching the second sword, Naruto holds both blades in a cross formation to Dexter's neck.
"Yield!" he exclaims.
"I yield! I yield!" exclaimed Dexter. Naruto nodded, removing the blades and giving Dexter a hand.
"Nicely done, Mr. Uzumaki! If I may ask how'd you get so good?" Mr. Knight questioned
"Well I had a good teacher and lots of practice," said Naruto before adopting a thinking position. "Also, I don't think this type of blade is for you, Dexter."
"What do you mean?" asked Dexter with a raised eyebrow.
"Well while we were sparring, I noticed that you always try and go for heavy swings," Naruto replied as he held up their swords. "We're using short and long swords, so you always end up over-swinging since they're pretty light." He walked towards the sword bin, pulling out a sheathed greatsword this time around. He tossed it to Dexter, who stumbled a bit to catch it. "Try swinging that around a bit."
Seeing no harm in it, Dexter unsheathed the blade and began to test it out. As he went through the standard stances, he noticed that he felt more comfortable and natural with this blade. After a few more moments of swinging he ceased his movements and said "You're right. I feel way more comfortable with this and the weight feels good in my hands. Thanks for the suggestion, Naruto." He extended his fist out.
"No problem, dude." Naruto replied, bumping his fist against Dexter's. He then took a look around the room, seeing all the guys hard at work and sparring. Suddenly, he noticed some movement in the nearby closet. He walks to the closet in confusion and opens it up, watching as something falls out.
"Oof! Looks like someone found me." spoke a small female voice. It was a girl with platinum blonde hair with blue highlights, blue eyes and light tan skin. She's clad in a blue and silver outfit that looks like a mix between armor and a dress.
"Oh? And who are you?" Naruto questioned as Mr. Knight and Dexter approached them.
"This is my twin sister, Darling Charming. Someone who's supposed in her Damsel in Distressing class." said Dexter as he gave his sister a stern look.
"Umm, Damsel in Distressing?" Naruto asked in confusion.
It was Darling that decided to speak up, "It's a class where princesses are taught how to act like proper damsels for the heroes to save." Something about that didn't sit well with Naruto. Darling then turned to her brother and gave an apologetic look. "And I'm sorry, Dexter. I just really wanted to watch the Hero Training Class."
"I'm sorry Ms. Charming. But you know that this is a boy's only class," spoke Mr. Knight as he gestured towards the door. "Now come along, I shall escort you back to class."
"Okay." Darling replied with a downtrodden expression. She slowly made her way to the door as Mr. Knight followed after her, before Naruto stopped him.
"Mr. Knight, I'll escort Darling back to class. You should focus on teaching the rest of the class." he offered, letting Mr. Knight think about it.
"Hmm, alright. But make sure to take her there and come back." said the armored teacher, receiving a nod from Naruto in return.
"Alright, sir. Come along, Darling," he said, receiving a solemn nod from the white haired Charming as they exited the class, closing the door behind them.
The duo began their trek to Darling's class, neither saying a word. After a few more moments of silence, Naruto spoke "You're much more than you seem, Darling." This caused Darling's attention to snap back to Naruto.
"W-What do you mean?" she nervously asked.
"You hide it well, but I noticed something very interesting about you," he started as he grabbed her arm and pulled back her sleeve, revealing toned muscle on her arm. "You work out regularly, which should be pointless for a damsel. So tell me, what motivates you to improve yourself?"
Darling's expression resembled a deer caught in headlights, completely shocked by how quickly Naruto had figured her out. After a few more minutes of tense silence she sighed and spoke "All my life, I've been told that a princess doesn't fight and that we must be damsels for the princes to save. I don't know why, but that always has felt wrong to me," She began to roll her sleeve back down as Naruto listened on. "I've always admired the idea of being a knight. My parents would read me stories that involved knight fighting dragons, going on adventures, saving princesses and risking themselves to save others."
"So your dream is to become a knight?" Naruto asked with a look of intrigue.
"Yes it is, even though my family didn't support me," Darling continued with a cheerful expression. "So I put on a façade as this dainty, shy girl that's a bookworm and a damsel. But in actuality I'm more of the type for putting myself out there and venturing into danger." Her expression shifted into one of judgement. "But you probably think that's foolish? Just like my family."
There was another tense silence as the duo neared Darling's classroom. They stopped just short of the door, where Naruto spoke "Actually, I think your dream is admirable and that you should pursue it. Being a knight is an honorable profession," He then took notice of Darling's baffled expression. "What? You thought I'm so close-minded to believe that women can't be fighters. Let me tell you, I've encountered plenty of women who could kick my butt and many other males as well." The image of a kind-hearted girl that lived as a tool entered his mind, causing him to smile. "Being a girl doesn't mean you have to be weak."
Darling was silent as she processed what she just heard. Naruto soon heard sniffling, realizing that Darling was starting to tear up. He was then grabbed into a tight hug as Darling spoke "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You don't know how amazing it feels to have someone encourage my dream." Naruto gently patted her back as the girl cried a bit.
After a few more moments, he spoke up "And hey. If you'd like, maybe we can spar and train together. My form of magic is combat oriented, so I'd loved to match blades with you sometime."
Darling released her grip on him and pulled back. A smile found its way onto her face as she spoke "That sounds wonderful and I think I'd like that, Naruto. Though we'd have to do it somewhere private." Naruto waved her off.
"Bah, don't worry about it. I'll come up with something. Now head into class." he replied, waving her goodbye. She returned the gesture before rushing into her classroom. Naruto soon began walking in the other direction, wanting to get back to class before the period ended.
(Damsel-In Distressing Class, At That Same Moment)
As Darling closed the door behind her, she heard a light coughing sound, turning to see Ms. Marian giving her a stern look.
"Ah, Ms. Charming. Nice of you to join us. Would you like to explain why you're late?" the teacher asked with an inquiring gaze.
"Oh um, sorry. My locker got all messed up and I was cleaning it. Though someone helped me," Darling started, a content smile growing on her face. "He was even kind enough to escort me to class, though he had to leave for his own class."
"Oh, a 'he' was it?. Is he responsible for your rosy cheeks?" Ms. Marion teased with a coy smirk. "Has Ms. Charming found herself her own prince charming?"
"W-What!?" Darling sputtered as she patted her face, noticing the heat coming from her cheeks. "Naruto's just a friend. I just met him today." That proved to be the wrong thing to say as the rumor mill began to spin.
"Ooo, Naruto is his name. It sounds foreign, but unique."
"What does he look like?"
"Is he hot~?"
"Give us the deets, girl."
"No, no, no, no! There's nothing between us!" Darling exclaimed in embarrassment, her head beginning to roll from all the questioning. Ms. Marion tried to restore class order, but it was in vain as the rest of the period was spent with Daring being interrogated by her fellow classmates.
(Naruto's Dorm, Evening)
After attending a few of his new classes, we now find Naruto making his way to his dorm room. He had been told that he'd have the room all to himself for now until another male student entered the roster. He had gotten some odd looks from his female classmates on his way to the dorms, but other than that everything was fine.
He reached his door and entered, being greeted to the site of a divided room with two windows and a balcony. One side of the room is red and silver themed with a dresser, a king sized bed, a closet, small flowers and a little tree in the corner. The other side mimicked this layout, though it was more plain colored since no one was occupying it. Each side had its own separate bathroom.
"All right, time to set up." Naruto said, clapping his hands together. He began to open up his bag, revealing his clothing and other essentials. Though if one would look deeper inside, they would notice that each bag's innards were lined with storage formulas, allowing Naruto to carry much more than what could be seen.
(20 Minutes Later)
"Phew! And done." Naruto said as he released a relaxing breath and observed his handiwork. His side of the room was now decked out with a shelf full of spices, a mini-fridge and a few other cooking appliances. His clothes and shoes were neatly put away while his bathroom was decorated with his essentials. The final noteworthy spot was the top of his dresser which was decorated with two very important photos.
The first one showed a red haired woman sitting down with a pregnant stomach showing. There was a blond haired resting his head against the woman's stomach, as if trying to listen to something. Hanging above them was a banner that read "Welcome to The World, Naruto!" These two people are Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, Naruto's birth parents.
The second photo showed a man with light skin, brown hair and squinted eyes wearing a proud grin. Standing next to him was a young woman with similar features, though her eyes were open and shined a coal black color. She threw up a peace sign along grinning. Both people were clad in restaurant-like chef attire.
Standing in between them was a little boy of about nine years with mostly light tan skin with a few darker patches, cerulean blue eyes, and crimson red hair. He wore a slight smirk on his face with his arms crossed together. These people were Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku, Naruto's surrogate family. While the boy in the middle was a younger Naruto Uzumaki.
The final item on his dresser was one a great size. It was a small silver ring with the imagery of a fox engraved onto the front. This ring was a memento to the friend Naruto was speaking of in the beginning: Kurama, The Nine Tailed Fox and strongest of the Nine Tailed Beasts.
"Kurama, buddy. I really miss you and I damn Hagoromo's name for what he did to us." Naruto growled in anger as he remembered Kurama's creator. The man had been an unexpected road bump, one that had cost Naruto dearly.
{"Indeed, I didn't expect my father to roadblock us."} spoke a male voice with a tone of sadness from the confines of Naruto's mind.
{"But we have Kurama to thanks for getting us out of that situation, even though it came at the cost of his existence."} spoke another male voice, thought this one was deep and mature. Naruto soon found himself collapsing as he was dragged into his subconscious.
(Naruto's Subconscious)
Naruto soon opened his eyes, finding himself laying on a hard surface while staring at clear blue skies with white clouds. As he stood up, he was greeted to the sight of a kingdom of rubble littered with thousands of swords, spears, axes and other armaments anchored in the ground like grave markers in a wasteland, yet are well preserved.
There was an air of loneliness that permeated throughout the landscape, one that Naruto was familiar with. This was it, his Blade Works. The fragmented aria resonating through his core:
I am The Bone Of My Sword
He was a sword. One who lacked a purpose since escaping his chains.
Steel Is My Body And Fire Is My Blood
He had tempered himself through training, having bled and killed. He was iron, he was war.
I Have Given Life To Over A Thousand Blades
His armaments numbered in the thousands, each having been given life by him at least once.
Forged Through Isolation And Wrought Iron
Yes. He had chosen isolation over camaraderie. Only four souls ever holding any value to him.
But alas, it was still incomplete. He hadn't truly discovered everything about himself yet. Only then would his full power be able to be unleashed. He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps, turning around to see two familiar faces.
The first face was a man with tan skin, white hair and grey eyes. He was clad in black chestplate armor, black bow gloves, a pale colored cloak over his shoulders, black trousers and steel boots. The second face was a middle aged man with wrinkled light skin, black eyes and brown hair with a goatee. He was clad in a white kimono with black magatama adorned around the collar, which was held closed by a dark-colored sash. Underneath, he wore a black full-bodysuit.
These were Heroic Spirit Emiya and Ashura Otsutsuki, two souls that were heavily intertwined with Naruto.
"I miss Kurama. My Blade Works isn't the same without him occupying it." said Naruto with a downtrodden expression.
"We know, Naruto. And I must apologize for my father's actions," Asura started as he dropped to the ground, bowing his head profusely. "My father was trying to get me, knowing full well that extracting me would kill you."
"You're too selfish to be an incarnate of Asura. Pfft, who the hell did he think he was to judge me?" Naruto said with a scowl on his face. "And stand up, Asura. You are not responsible for the actions of your jerk of a father."
"The boy is right. You shouldn't be groveling," Emiya, adding in his own opinion. "You respected Naruto's choice to abandon our old world. It was your father and his obsession with the prophecy that's to blame for the loss of comrade."
"Seriously, If I were strong enough I would deck that guy in the nose," said Naruto with a familiar enraged expression, causing a shiver to go down Emiya and Asura's spines. "I'm not some savior figure he could just manipulate into saving a world that didn't care about me unless it was for it's benefit."
"Alright, let's move away from the topic of our old world. Let's talk about your new school," Asura quickly said, wanting to calm Naruto down. "What do you think of it so far?"
"That everyone except for a select few are sheep when it comes to the whole 'destiny' conflict," Naruto answered with a roll of his eyes, receiving hums of agreement from the other occupants. "I mean it's impossible to be exactly like our parents. We inherit some biological and behavioral traits from them, but in the end we are completely different people."
"You've got a point there," Asura replied with an empathetic nod. "I've tried to live up to my father's legend, but even I realized that I have to be my own person."
"These kids remind me slightly of my younger self," spoke EMIYA in a reminiscent tone. "They're borrowing their ideals from their parents, though at least they won't end up on a path to hell like me." Naruto and Asura patted him on the back in sympathy.
"At least you made peace with yourself, unlike Raven and Darling," Naruto added as he thought back to two of the friends he made today. "They're obviously uncomfortable with their 'destinies' but the peer pressure and expectations are keeping them from stepping up."
"Well not everyone has the balls of steel that you have, Naruto." Asura scolded, believing he was being too hard on the girls. "They've had different experiences than you, so you can't hold them to your standards." Naruto sighed in response, but understood what Asura was getting at.
"You're right, you're right. I'll ease up on them," he replied in surrender before switching to a questioning expression. "Aside from school, how's the situation with 'that'?" The trio found themselves turning in the opposite direction at the mention of the one thing that did unsettle them.
Located at the edge of his Blade Works was pitch black mass with a dark purple outline high in the sky of his Blade Works. From what they understood, it was a piece of the void between dimensions or Dimensional Gap that had latched onto him when Kurama had left.
"Nothing of mention has happened with it as usual." spoke EMIYA as he stared at the mass with disturbed feeling. It just felt wrong and out of place.
"Thankfully it hasn't had any adverse effects on you. We'll keep monitoring it and inform you if anything changes." spoke Asura, assuring Naruto of his safety. Naruto nodded in acceptance of the situation.
"Good, good. So, what do you guys want to do now?" he asked, seeing as he still had some time before bed.
Instead of a verbal answer, Naruto watched as EMIYA spawned two basic short swords and entered his combat stance. Asura, understanding what was about to happen, spawned a chair for himself and sat down. Naruto soon responded in kind, spawning his own pair of short swords and getting into a stance mimicking EMIYA's. The duo began to circle each other, each side keeping it's gaze focused on the other.
At the sound of Asura's clap, steel met steel in a dance of blades.
(Village of Book End, The Next Morning )
We now cut to Thursday the next morning, with Naruto exploring the Village of Book End with a cup of coffee in hand. He had woken up early and decided to take a look around town. He had already visited the Hocus Latte Café and Yarns & Noble Bookstores, though most of the other establishments weren't open yet. He was now making his way to the school, with thirty minutes left before classes started.
"This town is pretty nice and great for hangouts. I'll probably be visiting here a lot more often when I have time." he thought as he observed the multitude of students occupying the streets, smiling and chatting about miscellaneous topics of the day. He was soon brought out of his thoughts as a small figure carrying a box of muffins crashed into him.
"Oof!" a small feminine voice squeaked as the box of muffins was sent flying, spilling out it's contents. "Oh no, my muffins!"
In a feat of godspeed, Naruto's hand lashed out, grabbing the box along with every single muffin out of the air. He then neatly placed each muffin back into the box and handed it over, finally getting a look at the person he knocked down. It was a girl about his age with dark skin like his, long bright pink hair styled into two low pigtails and light purple eyes hidden behind a set of thick glasses.
She is clad in a multicolored dress with tan tights that have a frosting design and a cropped navy jacket with golden trim. Her dress also has a frosting and sprinkles design with a cookie trim on the hem. She has on shoes that are golden and pink, with heels in the shape of lollipops and pink dripping frosting around the ankles. To complete her outfit, she wears a headband with a golden cupcake embellishment on top.
"You okay there?" Naruto asked as he offered the girl a hand, which she took.
"Um, yeah. Thank you for catching my muffins and helping me up." she replied as he pulled her up from the ground. "I'm Ginger. Ginger Breadhouse."
"Nice to meet you, Ginger. I'm Naruto Uzumaki," he replied as he handed her the box of cupcakes. "And I don't mind. I hate seeing good food being wasted."
"Well at least you think it's good. Unlike everyone else," Ginger replied with a downtrodden expression. At the sight of Naruto's confused expression, she continued. "My mom is the Candy Witch from the story of Hansel & Gretel. So everyone is wary of my treats since my mom used treats to lure Hansel and Gretel into her trap. I was going to throw these out as a result." Naruto's expression became jaw-dropping as she finished her sentence.
"Oh come on! Are you serious!?" he exclaimed in disbelief, surprising Ginger. "First Raven, now you. Talk about sins of the father, I mean, the mother visited on the daughter. Why can't people understand that we're not our parents?" Naruto let a tired sigh at this nonsense. "You know what!? Imma eat one of your muffins!" Before Ginger could reply, Naruto snatched one of her muffins and devoured it in one bite.
She watched with a baited breath as Naruto chewed on her creation, wondering what he thought of it. After a few more moments of chewing, he swallowed but didn't say anything. Disappointment began to grow in Ginger as she thought he didn't like, but that feeling was soon washed away as Naruto grabbed her by the shoulders, stared at her with starry eyes and a bright smile.
"This is amazing! You actually cooked these!?" he asked with giddiness in his tone.
"Oh um, yeah. Baking is my passion, so I've had a lot of practice," Ginger answered, still shocked by how excited he was.. "D-Do you...do you actually like it?" It saddened Naruto to see the doubt and lack of confidence the girl had.
"Ginger, this is by far the third best thing I've ever eaten. I mean you somehow made a muffin that tastes like apples and bacon at the same time," he spoke, patting her on the back with a genuine smile. "You might have me beat in the sweets department."
"O-Oh, thank you. It's nice to finally hear someone's opinion of my treats," she replied with honesty, before she remembered what he just said. "Wait a minute, you cook!?"
"What? Is it wrong that I like to cook?" he asked with a raised brow.
"Oh no! No, no, no, no! I'm just surprised by it all. I'd think someone of your...stature," started Ginger as took his appearance and the visible muscle on the boy's body. She felt her cheeks heat up a bit before shaking it off. "Would be more interested in stuff like sports or knighthood."
"Bah! Sports here are kinda lame to me and being a knight isn't my cup of tea," Naruto replied with a shrug. "I've spent years honing my cooking to perfection. I mostly cook main dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I dabble in sweets once in a while. Maybe, you'd like to sample some of my cooking, maybe even cook together sometime?" He offered his hand, which Ginger took and shook with a starry look in her eyes.
"That would be wonderful, Naruto! It's great to have someone else who's as passionate about cooking like I am." she said with giddiness dripping from her voice.
"Nice, nice. Now follow me. I know some friends who'd love to try your muffins!" Naruto exclaimed as he pulled her along with him, heading in the direction of the school.
(Ever After High Front Entrance, 10 Minutes Later)
The duo eventually neared the front steps of the school, where Naruto spotted both Raven and Maddie chatting together.
"Yo Rae, Mads!" he exclaimed, getting the duo's attention.
"Oh, hi Naruto." Raven greeted with a wave, while Maddie hopped on Naruto's back with an exuberant smile.
"Hey, my whiskered super best buddy who makes awesome food!" Maddie exclaimed as she poked at his cheeks, a look of hunger on her face. "Do you have any breakfast treats you wanna share?"
"Well, I don't have any treats per say," he started as Maddie's face instantly shifted to disappointment. He then put his arm around Ginger's shoulder, bringing her closer to the group. "But my new friend Ginger here made a box of breakfast muffins that you could try." Maddie's expression immediately shifted into excitement as Ginger presented the box of two dozen still warm muffins.
"Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie, gimmie!" she exclaimed as she began scarfing them down with no restraint. After eating three, she stopped for a while to chew and enjoy the taste. "Mhmm~, This is so good~ Bacon and apple flavor, pancake and syrup flavor, egg and waffle flavor. How did you make these!?" Raven soon took one for herself and bit into it, being hit with a blast of flavor as well.
"Oh hex, that is good. These are really off the book, Ginger." she praised as she took a second muffin for herself.
"See. I told you your treats were good." Naruto praised, getting a smile out of Ginger. He then noticed Cerise walking nearby and waved to her. "Hey, Cerise! Come over here for a sec." Her attention snapped in their direction.
"Oh um, Naruto right? Nice hood." she complimented, getting a nod from the boy.
"Thanks, your hood isn't too shabby as well. Anyways, my friend Ginger here made muffins," he replied, taking one from the box and planting it into Cerise's hands. "Try it. I'm sure that you'll like it."
"Umm, sure." she said as she took a bite into her muffin. After a few moments, she ravenously devoured the rest of the muffin before looking back to the group. Her eyes bled gold and she growled before snatching the box with the rest of the Muffins. "Mine!" Before anyone could comment, she hastily walked away while munching at her muffins.
There was an awkward silence before Ginger spoke up "Oh Cerise, she hasn't changed as much as I thought. Still so crazy when it comes to food, especially meat."
"You knew Cerise?" Naruto asked with intrigue.
"Yeah. We were childhood friends, born of the same page," Ginger spoke with a reminiscent smile on her face. "She was so wild and adventurous as a kid. Sometimes I couldn't even keep up with her," She giggled before her expression became downtrodden. "But as soon as we started at Ever After High, she changed. She became more reserved and a loner. She's still friendly with me, but we don't hang out anymore."
Naruto gave her a look of sympathy and patted her on the back. He soon spoke "Hey, maybe it was just a misunderstanding. I'm sure she'll come around eventually and you'll get the chance to reconcile." Ginger smiled at his kind words and nodded. Naruto then turned back in the direction Cerise had left. "And you just keep getting more interesting, Cerise Hood."
Soon enough, there was a loud ~RING~, signaling the start of classes. The group of friends said their goodbyes and all went their separate ways.
(Destiny Court, Afternoon)
"It was a beautiful Thursday afternoon for the residents of Ever After High," spoke the Male Narrator in joyous tone. "Today our students are rehearsing for the Legacy Day Ceremony on the upcoming Friday night."
"Instructing them today was none other than Milton Grimm, the Headmaster and Founder of Ever After High." spoke the Female Narrator as the scene focused on the Headmaster.
He's a man dressed in a blue coat and light grayish blue vest with a light blue ascot with a golden decoration with a red stone on it. He has a dark grey mustache, green eyes and dark grey hair with lighter stripes. He also wears a golden ring in the shape of a mirror. He's also rather stout, at least in the stomach area, from the side.
"Now students, when your magical key appears you will insert it gently into the StoryBook of Legends. Then stand, shoulders back and declare your destiny to the world," he said with gusto and a calm smile as he posed in front of the stage podium. "Have I made myself clear?"
"Headmaster Grimm but what if-" started Raven Queen, the daughter of the Evil Queen, before she was interrupted.
"No questions? Good. Now we're going to practice with this tiny manual of entirely reasonable school rules." Milton instructed as three piglets brought the book to the podium. "Now who will go first?"
For the next 20 minutes, various students took turns practicing their declaration, starting with Madeline Hatter. Then followed Hunter Huntsman, Cedar Wood, Apple White, and Daring Charming and a few other notable mentions. It was now Raven's turn.
"I'm Raven Queen, and I pledge to follow my destiny as umm…" said Raven as she began to hesitate, before turning towards the headmaster. "I have a question?"
"What is it?" asked Grimm in an authoritative tone.
"I was just wondering, I mean what if I don't want to take the pledge." asked Raven. Everyone present gasped at her question. "What? It's just a question."
"And here's your answer," said Grimm in an ominous tone as inched closer to Raven. "If you don't pledge your destiny, your story ceases to exist."
"Ceases to exist?" repeated Raven with dread filling her very being. "So then what happens to me?"
"You will cease to exist. Poof!" replied Grimm, while making a dramatic hand gesture. "Now Raven, continue."
"But Headmaster Grimm," Raven started.
"Poof! Poof!" repeated Grimm.
High above the group was Naruto watching the rehearsal commence. He was using reinforcement on his ears to hear what they were saying, before his Negative Emotion Sense (NES) flared. It was a blessing from the remnants of Kurama's chakra within him, allowing him to sense negative emotions and intent towards him or others.
"He's lying to her, but she can't see that. Her fear is clouding her judgement," Naruto thought with mild surprise at the emotions he was picking up. "He actually feels threatened by her, but why?"
{"Well he's obviously hiding something. And what she's doing threatens that secret,"} EMIYA concluded, connecting the dots. {"But as of now whe don't know what he'd be hiding. So stay vigilant until something comes up."} He received a hum of agreement as Naruto returned his attention back to the rehearsal.
Raven stood with a nervous expression and dry mouth as everyone was watching her. The pressure of everyone's gaze soon became too much as she spoke "Umm I have to go." She turned to leave as everyone gasped and began whispering, wondering why Raven was so hesitant.
"Ms. Queen!/Raven!" The headmaster and Maddie called after her, but she ignored the as she ran out the court.
(School Gardens, 10 Minutes Later)
We now find Raven sitting on a bench near the school garden, dreading over her situation.
"What am I supposed to do? I don't want to sign the Storybook of Legends and ruin my life," thought Raven as she pondered on her current situation. "But I don't want to lose my story and disappear either. And Legacy Day is tomorrow, so I have to decide soon," Raven furiously shook her head, her mind plagued by the weight of her future choice. "Argh! I just wish I had some type of sign to help me choose which choice to make!"
"Sounds like you have quite the dilemma on your hands, Rae." a familiar voice spoke, causing Raven to jump a bit and to look towards the entrance, seeing Naruto walking towards her.
"Oh it's just you, Naruto. I thought you were Headmaster Grimm for a second," she replied with a sigh of relief before he expression became frustrated. "And yeah, it's this whole destiny thing. I'm afraid to not sign, cause I'll disappear. But if I do sign, I doom myself to a horrible life while Apple gets to live the good life." There was a momentary dark glow in her eyes but it left as quick as it appeared.
Naruto was probably sure that this was the first time he heard Raven speak Apple's name with such venom. He could tell that this was weighing heavily on her mind, so he decided to give her a push.
"Alright, I want you to do me a favor. And listen carefully," he said, receiving a slow nod from Raven. "Take a few breaths and forget about Apple, Headmaster Grimm and everything having to do with your destiny. Clear your mind of them. They don't matter at the moment."
"Okay, I can try," she replied as she closed her eyes and began to take her breaths. Slowly but surely, the topic of her destiny and the Headmaster's words left her mind. "Okay, what now?"
"Now, I want you to think about what makes you, you." he said, but soon sighed at the confused expression from Raven. "I want you to think about who Raven Queen is and what she wants. Because in the end everyone else's opinion won't matter when it's your life that is affected." He turned around and began to walk away. "When you reach a conclusion, then you'll have your answer to the whole destiny situation. See you until then, Rae." He gave a wave and exited the garden.
{"You're not going to tell her about the Headmaster's lies?"} Asura questioned, wondering why the boy left that bit of info out.
"That'd be too easy for her. I want to see what decision she makes without knowing he was lying." Naruto replied, receiving a hum from both Asura and EMIYA.
Back with Raven, the girl watched as Naruto disappeared from view, before she started to ponder on his words. "Who am I and what do I want for myself? Do I even really know?" Right now the answer was alluding her, but she chose to put it aside for now. The final bell soon rang, signaling the end of the school day.
"Will Raven be able to find her answer? Or will she fall prey to the pressure of those around her?" spoke the Male Narrator in ominous tone.
"She may not have her answer now, but her choice will go down in history." added the Female Narrator in an equally ominous tone.
(Vault of Lost Tales, At That Same Moment)
"Within the Vault of Lost Tales, deep beneath the school, another was listening." spoke the Male Narrator as we are brought to a small room with various bookshelves, a small table, a desk and a large screen. Within that room was an elderly man with green eyes, dark grey hair and a long, dark grey beard. He was clad in a maroon coat, an orange vest, a loose ascot, glasses and sneakers, along with a pair of long mismatched blue striped and brown-striped socks.
"Introducing Giles Grimm, younger brother of Milton Grimm." the Female Narrator stated as we see the man jumping for joy as he viewed Raven's talk with Naruto.
"The Raven that wants to break free of it's chains, undecided on whether to take the reins," the man spoke with a cryptic tone, having seen the girl's doubt. "And the mysterious boy who reeks of metal and ash, will he be there for the raven at the eventual clash?"
(Main Hall, The Next Morning)
We find Naruto, Raven and Maddie walking through the halls. Though Raven seems more distressed than happy, especially since it was the day of Legacy Day.
"Guys you have to help me. I don't feel like I can sign the StoryBook of Legends, but I don't wanna let everyone down either." said Raven with hesitance in her tone.
"And do not forget the whole "If you do not sign, your story disappears poof! And you may vanish into oblivion," Maddie added while munching on a PB&J sandwich Naruto had made for her. "That's a thing you know and it's gotta hurt."
"But we don't know if that's true." replied Raven.
"But what if it is?" Maddie questioned.
"But what if it's not." Raven shot back .
"But what if it is?" Maddie reiterated.
"Okay! Going back and forth won't help the situation," said Naruto as he separated the two. "How about we think of ways to solve this?"
"Wait a tick. ~I think I know who can help~" Maddie sang happily "To the library!" She walked away with Naruto and Raven following her.
As they made their way to the library, a voice called out behind them:
"Raven, there you are. We have to talk."
Turning around they saw Apple waving at them. Next to her was a girl with golden locks, white skin and bright dark blue large eyes. She dresses in a childish Victorian esque fashion with blue and yellow. This is Blondie Lockes, daughter of Goldilocks.
Naruto, seeing that Raven really didn't want to speak with Apple right now, decided to employ his secret technique. He grabbed Raven and Maddie, placing them under his arms before shouting "NIGERUNDAYO!" and making a dash towards the library.
"Raven come back!" shouted Apple, moving after them.
"Apple, where are you going?" asked Blondie.
"I have to convince Raven to sign the book. My destiny depends on it." replied Apple with a worried expression before dashing down the hall after Raven.
(Library, 10 Minutes Later)
The trio arrived at the library and Naruto let the girls down. Maddie led them to a door all the way in the back of the library and knocked. A blue mist came from the door and surrounded the trio, teleporting them away. Apple walked in just after.
"Raven?" she called out, getting no answer.
(Vault of Lost Tales, 10 Minutes Later)
Maddie led them down a hall saying "If anyone knows the truth about the StoryBook of Legends, it's Giles Grimm, Headmaster Grimm's brother." They entered a room, revealing the man standing there.
"Feathers and friends, together alone." said Giles in a riddle.
"He's speaking Riddlish," said Maddie, clapping "He was cursed with a babble spell. Makes him sound do-do-lo cuckoo. "He says It's nice to have us here"."
"Ask him about the book. If I don't sign, am I really gonna disappear?" asked Raven nervously. Naruto put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Mmhm. Can the musical chair change it's tone? When the tablet of granite is inscribed with a bone?" she asked in Riddlish.
"Hmm. The king who sings with pages of sky, fears too much the dawn that rises with lies." replied Giles.
"He says there's something wrong with the book. And that if you don't sign your story will," said Maddie, pausing and taking out a table with some tea for Giles.
"What? WHAT?" asked Raven hesitantly.
"Oh sorry. If you don't sign, your story will continue. " replied Maddie calmly sipping tea.
"Ah really! Oh that's great!" said Raven in relief.
"I think." added Maddie.
"Ugh you think!?" retorted Raven, discouraged.
"Hey. Riddlish is not an exact language." replied Maddie with a smile.
"Well I guess you're gonna have to make a decision, Raven," Naruto spoke, getting her attention. "Have you found an answer yet?"
"Partially I think," she replied with frustration. "But the fear of disappearing or even disappointing everyone is still there."
"Well, whatever you decide I won't abandon you," he replied with a shrug and a smile. "But remember this: you are not your mother. You may have gotten some traits from her, but you two are still two different people." Raven nodded in acceptance of those words but still dreaded the future.
"Don't forget that I'm still here for you too!" Maddie exclaimed with excitement in her tone. "I'll always have you back, Raven."
"Thank you, guys." Raven replied, pulling the two into a group hug.
(Destiny Court, Evening)
"It was now the night of Legacy Day and time for our fairytale students to pledge their destinies." the Female Narrator spoke with joy in her tone.
"The first students to go were our very own Apple White and Raven Queen." the Male Narrator added.
"And now we have Apple White." said Grimm in a cheerful tone. The crowd cheered as Apple made her way to the podium, sending off a flock of Birds from her arms.
"I am Apple White, daughter of Snow White. And I am ready to pledge my destiny." she stated as she opened the book up to her page and signed her name. In the future cast mirror, she saw herself as the future ruler of her kingdom. The crowd cheered and she bowed in response.
"And next we have Raven Queen." said Grimm in a serious tone. The crowd was silent and staring as Raven made her way to the podium.
"I am Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen. And I pledge to um," she said nervously.
"Come on do it." said Apple enthusiastically. Grimm was giving Raven a serious stare, urging her on.
Raven used her key and opened the book up to her page. The air was tense as she watched images of her poisoning Apple, being ostracized by her peers, getting caught and locked up appeared. In the future cast mirror, she saw herself bound in chains with a horrified look, causing her to gasp. She grew more nervous at this, but in that moment she remembered all her interactions with Naruto.
(FlashBack)
"That's dumb, you're forced to be a villain, while those two get a happy ending. You deserve a happy ending too," said Naruto, not understanding the point of such a thing. He turned to Raven, giving her a cheeky grin. "Besides you're too adorable to be evil."
I want you to think about who Raven Queen is and what she wants. Because in the end everyone else's opinion won't matter when it's your life that is affected." He turned around and began to walk away. "When you reach a conclusion, then you'll have your answer to the whole destiny situation. See you until then, Rae." He gave a wave and exited the garden.
"Well, whatever you decide I won't abandon you," he replied with a shrug and a smile. "But remember this: you are not your mother. You may have gotten some traits from her, but you two are still two different people."
(Flashback End)
What Do I Want?
It was at that moment that Raven knew what she was gonna do. Everyone watched in anticipation for what she was gonna do.
"I am Raven Queen. I am not my mother and will never be. I'm a lover of music and a good friend to those who are close to me," she started as a warm smile began to creep onto her face. "And I'm going to write my own destiny! My happily ever after starts now! I AM A REBEL!" She slammed the Book of Destiny closed, shattering the floating mirrors with a pulse of her magic in the process.
There was a tense silence before clapping was heard. Maddie was the first on the left side of the audience to stand and exclaim "I'm a rebel! Best friends stick together!"
Ginger was next to stand and yell "Me too! I'm a rebel as well! I don't want to be like my mom!"
Up on the balcony above the Destiny Court was Naruto, watching the events unfold with a proud smile. "You did it, Raven. You made your choice and started an uprising because of it. Don't worry, this rebel of wrought iron will have your back." But for some reason he couldn't shake off this feeling of impending doom.
The next person to rise was surprisingly Hunter, as he shouted out "I'm a rebel! I love animals and nature, so I can't bring myself to hurt them." Soon enough plenty of other students began to exclaim their choice to rebel. Though some weren't as vocal, they still showed their support.
"REBEL!"
"Yeah, I'm a rebel too!"
"Rebel Up!"
"We stan the Rebel Queen!"
That last comment got a blush out of Raven, but it soon disappeared as she noticed that she didn't disappear. "I'm still here. I didn't disappear." she spoke as she stared the headmaster straight in the eyes, while frowned in response to this development.
Apple on the other hand was heartbroken and shocked. Her lips quivered and tears gathered in her eyes as she spoke "How could you be so...so... so selfish!?" The 'royal' side of the audience began to boo at Raven, showing their disappointment.
"I'm sorry, Apple. But," Raven started, trying to communicate over the noise, but was soon interrupted by a loud "CRACK!" that silenced the audience as well.
Up in the sky a visible dark purple crack appeared and began to grow in size. After a few more moments everyone watched as reality shattered and a gateway opened. Two orbs of darkness fell from it and were crashing down towards the stage!
"Look out!" Raven exclaimed as she tried to reach for Apple and Milton, but she was too late watching as the two orbs crashed into the stage. She was blown back by the force of the crash, knocking her off the stage.
"Raven!" Maddie exclaimed in worry for her friend, but soon released a sign of relief as Raven was able to use her magic to correct herself midair. She then levitated herself towards the crowd, where Maddie glomped her in joy. "Oh, you're okay!"
"Yeah, I'm fine. But where are Apple and the Headmaster?" Raven questioned, worried about the two.
"Don't worry, I got 'em right here." spoke the familiar voice of Naruto as he appeared in the middle of the crowd. Cradled in his right arm was Apple who was looking worse for wear. There were a few cuts and bruises on her pale skin, while a trickle of blood ran down the middle of her head. Her face wore a frazzled expression with tears in her eyes and it looked like she was gasping for air.
Milton on the other hand wasn't as damaged, only having a few bruises. Naruto carelessly dropped him to the group getting a yelp out of the man.
"Excuse me, I'm injured!" he exclaimed, but was ignored by Naruto in favor of gently resting Apple on the ground.
"Naruto, what's wrong with her?" Raven asked as she kneeled down next to them, horrified by the state Apple was in.
"I think she's having a panic attack." he said, getting a gasp from most of the people in the crowd. Ignoring everyone else, Naruto gently taps Apple to get her attention. "Apple sweetie, I need you to take some deep breaths for me. Can you do that for me?"
"I*gasp* can *gasp* try." she said as she struggled to speak through the pain. Gritting her teeth a bit, she slowly began breathing in and breathing out.
"Good, good. Now can you tell me five things you can see?" Naruto asked, waiting for Apple to respond.
"The sky, the moon, my crowd, *gasp* you and Raven." she replied in a weak tone, still taking her breaths.
"Nice. Now tell me four things you can feel." he said next.
"The ground, the pain in my shoulder, my clothes and...Raven's hand holding mine." she said next, a small smile forming on her face.
"You're doing great, sweetie. Now tell me three things you can hear." Naruto continued.
"The crowd around us, my heartbeat in my ears and my breathing." she added, her panic starting to wane.
"Awesome, Apple. Now tell two things you can smell." he said next as she began to calm down.
"My perfume and Raven's." she quickly replied as her breathing was starting to become normal.
"You did amazing, Apple. Finally tell me one that you can taste." Naruto asked.
"My lip-gloss," she replied as she finally felt calm, her previous fear erased. "Thank you, um what's your name?"
"It's Naruto and your welcome. Now lay still, I'm gonna heal you." he said, shocking some of the crowd. In quick succession, he weaved the serpent, boar and ram hand seals before his right palm began to glow with white chakra.
He then gently placed his palm onto Apple's stomach, bathing her in white light as her injuries began to heal. After a few more moments, she was fully healed and standing up. The crowd observed in awe as she checked herself to see no bruises or blemishes.
"Thank you, Naruto." she said, doing a small curtsy towards him.
"Umm, excuse me. I'm still injured over here." complained Milton.
"Alright, alright. I'll have my clone heal you." Naruto relented, spawning a shadow clone and instructing it to heal the Headmaster.
"You can make copies of yourself, heal people and cook!? What else can you do?" Maddie questioned in awe as she poked at the clone while it healed Milton.
"You're about to get a demonstration, cause we're about to find out what attacked us." Naruto replied as everyone shifted their attention towards the wreckage.
The smoke from the crash soon dissipated, revealing the completely demolished remains of the Destiny Court stage. All that was left was piles of rubble, with the two orbs of darkness planted in the middle of the wreckage. There was also a clear view of the forests behind the school. Naruto also noticed that the gateway they arrived in had disappeared. Suddenly a loud 'CRACK!' was heard as cracks in the orbs began to form. After a few more moments of cracking, they shattered and revealed two armed figures standing there.
The first figure was a tall male with light skin, blue hair styled into a rattail with a red tip, clawed hands and a dark blue blindfold over his eyes. He was clad in a dark blue full body tights that had light blue accents, a mass of fur around the neck and dark grey pauldrons on the shoulders. He also wears a pair of earrings. He wore a savage grin as he twirled the blood-red spear in his hands, radiating a menacing aura similar to that of a beast.
The second figure was a short female with pale skin, pale blond hair and a black visor with red veins covering her eyes. She was clad in pitch black battle armor and wore a black ribbon at the end of her hair. Blackened mist like wind surrounded her as she wore a neutral expression, while she wielded a blackened holy sword with red markings in her right hand.
Even with their face partially obscured, Naruto knew who these two heroic spirits were just by looking at their weapons. Standing before him was none other than Ireland's Child of Light and the King of Knights, Cu Chulainn and Artoria Pendragon. The fact that such beings appeared out of nowhere alarmed him greatly, but he soon schooled his features.
He began to walk forward, showing no fear on his face. The headmaster and students watched in awe as Naruto's outfit began to morph and change. After a few moments, Naruto stood in the Heroic Spirits' presence clad in his Servant attire. He now wore a black chest armor with two red sleeves with golden accents held together by a white tassel, hugging his body and exposing his muscles. There was a red Uzumaki symbol on the center back of the black armor. He also had on black trousers with steel-toed boots and a red skirt over them held in place by another white tassel (2).
"Apologies, Hound of Ulster and Blackened Saber, but I cannot allow you to cause any more harm to this school," he started, before clapping his hands together. "Steel Style: Foo Dog Two Red Yang Formation!" The ground rumbled as two pillars with faces resembling foo dogs rose. Inscribed on each pillar were jutsu formulas which glowed a bright red, causing a large red flame-like barrier to be erected. This barrier separates the school body from Naruto and the two corrupted servants, giving the combatants a wide area to duke it out.
"Naruto, what are you doing!?" Raven exclaimed in worry as she tried to get through, but the flames of the barrier lashed out in the form of a foo dog head.
"Hey, Raven. It seems you found your answer, am I right?" he asked, ignoring her question.
"Um, yeah. I've decided to forge my own destiny." she replied, a bit confused as to why he's asking such a thing right now.
"That's good. Then as of today, I'll have your back for whatever comes," he said giving her a thumbs up as he looked back at the crowd. "Now all of you sit back and watch the show. I'll show you who I am in this fight." Turning his attention back to the two corrupted servants, he grinned. "Sorry for keeping you two waiting, but now you have my full attention." The mental imagery of an arrowed knocked into a bow filled his mind as he intoned:
"Trace On!"
The Arrow Flew And Sparks Ignited As The Rebel Of Wrought Iron Leaped Into Action.
END
Author's Note #1
(1) Look at the cover photo
(2) EMIYA's Third Ascension Attire from Fate/Grand Order
Hello Senpais and Fellow Readers, Giblenator here with a new story. This one has a similar premise to Golden Rebel's Ever After, except for a few key differences and similarities:
A. Naruto is the vessel of EMIYA this time around. Though due to Emiya's influence, Naruto can't use the five basic nature transformations. He only has access to the Yin, Yan, Yin-Yang and Steel Natures.
B. Naruto says fuck you to the Prophecy and the Shinobi World, though it's mentioned that he was met with interference, which in turn caused Kurama to sacrifice himself to allow Naruto to escape.
C. Asura is awake this time around.
D. This version of Naruto is more intune with his Uzumaki heritage so expect some fuinjutsu feats and the obvious EMIYA sword feats.
E. JoJo references will still be a thing.
F. Pairings for Naruto are unknown for Naruto, though it's being limited to 1-2 partners. I've developed a wariness for harems as of late, though I'll still read a story if the writing is good. Leave a comment for who you think would pair well with this version of Naruto. Though I'm kinda leaning towards Cerise and Duchess.
G. Kaleidosticks Ruby and Sapphire will be making an appearance, so I have to decide on their contractors. My current candidates are: Raven, Apple, Cerise, Briar, Maddie, Darling, Duchess and Kitty. Let me know what you guys think.
And that's all fellow Senpais and Readers. Don't be afraid to comment. I take all types of comments, except flamers. Your comments let me improve my writing and fix any mistakes made. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and stay tuned for the next one. Be sure to check out my other stories. This is Giblenator signing off.
Edit: Please make sure to letter your responses if you're answering in response to this Author's Note.
P.S. Izuku's Road To Six Paths is finally going to be updated soon. My writer's block has finally disappeared.