Royalty

by Nasha Rei-Kun

Lineage was a big part of Etheria and Naruto Uzumaki was forced into making one of his own. To protect his comrades, his friends, his family, and even people like Shadow Weaver and Hordak. Adora and Catra had a big part in it, too, despite all the pain and trials they'd go through. They were a big part of his 'royalty', in the end.

4. Year Long II

~NRK~

Shadow Weaver had deemed their session for that day over with and now, post-choking, Naruto found himself in a Training Room.

In his hands, a pair of metal rods sat with a thick cylindrical weight sitting on both.

He lifted his arms up before bringing them down with a huff.

Lonnie just shook her head. "I swear that guy's idiocy knows no bounds," she said with a shaky grin.

Catra's countenance looked ready to go for 'round two' on Naruto's neck while Adora just sat there while taking several deep breaths.

Scorpia grinned beside them, just happy to be there. "Whoo-hoo! Swing!" She cheered as Naruto laughed mid-swing before wheezing.

Rogelio hummed as came up to the blonde with a single weighted rod.

"J-Just gotta swing, Lio," Naruto told him, coming down again. "I'm going for at least… 100!" He told his lizard comrade who nodded.

They kept swinging.

Kyle just blushed, looking embarrassed and flustered as he cleaned one of their stun guns.

"I don't know how he's this much of an idiot," Catra groan-growled into her hands as Adora took one last deep breath before groaning herself.

"H-He's such a pain on the heart," she whined as Lonnie shrugged.

"I mean, it's not like Naruto did something really crazy, did he?" She asked as they shot her flat looks. "Chill out there, gals, I'm being serious. Is making a spell that hard?"

"... We wouldn't know," Adora sighed.

"He keeps jumping into this crazy stuff and never learns," Catra grumbled. "Shadow Weaver says it's hard and requires tons of studying. Naruto's already a self-proclaimed idiot," Lonnie snickered. "Do you honestly think he has a chance?"

"I mean, maybe he'll surprise us? He did say he'd be taking everything more seriously now," Lonnie said. "Maybe that'll include genius smarts?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Not on his life," the three said in unison.

~NRK~

That night, Naruto hummed as he laid in his bed, eyes closed.

"Come on up, Adora, I know you're there," he told the soon-on-his-bed blonde girl. "What's up? If it's to be angry at me, again, you'd be right but I have a rebuttal."

"... I doubt it," Adora said with crossed arms, sitting on her knees as he sat up. "Naruto, were you serious about what you said?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "I will get all the skills and stuff down before making a whole new spell," he grinned. "I know what I want it to be and what it should do, I just need to know how to create it."

Adora considered her fellow blonde before groaning, running her hands through her hair.

"You realize she'd basically humiliate you without remorse, right?"

"I mean, I'd deserve it at that point. I made a promise and a deal, I will do it. I won't go back on my words, Adora."

Yeah, she knew. Even when he wasn't trying, Naruto was the upright-type.

'Is that why he appears in my dreams, often?' She wondered with red cheeks, confusing the fox boy. "Nothing, I just wanna tell you that we're here. If it's some studying, we can all do it," Adora said seriously.

Naruto nodded with a smile. "Yeah, Team Adora-Naruto-Catra is a team that sticks together."

"Um…"

"It's a work in progress, we should totally come up with a team name!"

Adora chuckled at that before cupping her chin. "Well, we have a lot of skills."

Naruto smirked. "So, let's go for something cool."

~NRK~

The first month of their tenure, and Naruto's 'Deal', had just been spent training.

Training, training, training.

Whether it was their new sessions in the Simulation Rooms, Naruto's new 'weighted regimen' for them, or Catra's new, self-proclaimed, 'greatest training ever', they were really easing into their new titles.

And, in that time, they'd finally received their weapons.

~NRK~

Naruto, Catra, and Adora blinked in a meeting room with Scorpia, the scorpion woman having three cloth-wrapped items on a large conference table.

"There ya go! The weaponsmith guys were pretty happy with what we ended up with," she grinned as Catra went up to hers first.

"Hmm," she undid some of her weapon's cloth-binding as Naruto and Adora followed her lead. "... Alright," Catra grinned as she hefted her battle hammer. "I-It's pretty heavy!" She said in surprise.

It was maybe two and a half-feet long with a pure gray handle, black wrapping running up the length of it, and a large sledge hammer-like head that was covered in small bits of circuitry.

"You wanted stun abilities, right? Well, that gal there has that and a bit more," Scorpia chuckled, showing her tail. "With some help from your senior Force Captain, we added paralysis, too!"

"Whoa…" Catra rolled her eyes at the grinning Scorpia. "Fine, thanks," she said honestly as she hefted the item in both hands. 'I guess it was a good thing we started all that extra training,' pained her as it did?

Naruto's ideas had helped in this regard despite how much of a pain they were.

Adora, meanwhile, blinked at her own revealed weapon. '... I was so happy to get one,' she still was, really.

She felt happy to follow-along her fellow Captains and get something to wield… So, why did she feel so…

Disappointed?

It was a five-foot-long weapon with the blade a gleaming silver, the guard a wicked rendition of a tiara, and the handle a red cloth-wrapped thing that she hefted experimentally.

All along the blade, Adora noted odd markings and the like. "Is this more tech?" She asked Scorpia who smiled.

"Nope, your master pitched in and added some stuff to it!" The scorpion woman grinned. "I think it was… Oh, yeah! It was like a mini-barrier! A projectile spell and what I think is some kinda enhancement spell?"

Adora blinked at that, lifting up her blade with squinted eyes.

"I'll thank her."

"Hmm," Catra frowned at that. 'Anything for her prized pupil,' she thought as she clenched her weapon. "You'll respect me, too," she whispered, eyes narrowing.

Naruto hummed as he observed his weapons.

"The toughest thing our guys could come up with," Scorpia said with a claw tapping her lip. "The thing is, with what you're asking for, I'm pretty sure one of them went crazy with power and totally took over the project!" She grinned as Naruto sweatdropped. "Those were made using a new method. A gravity-condensed titanium pair of axes."

They were two-feet-tall weapons with gray handles covered in thick-leather grips. The ax heads, meanwhile, were the real 'show'.

They were large, almost a foot-tall and wide, and black in color with silvery edges.

Naruto lifted one… with two hands. "G-Geez, kaugh, man! W-What the hell!?" He grunted and coughed as he lifted one ax with focus. "This thing feels like I'm lifting a damn carrier!"

"Well, duh, it was gravity-condensed, Naru, it's got more metal in it than any melee weapon known to man!"

Naruto huffed at that, holding out the weapon in both hands with narrowed eyes.

"They could probably adjust it-" Scorpia began to say.

"No, I've got it," Naruto said with taut muscles. "I-I'm gonna wield these things, call it goal," he added with a strained but excited grin. "Still, just one's gonna be tough," he muttered.

When he was healed, he hoped he might have just been suffering from that and not too weak.

Catra and Adora blinked at it. "How heavy could it really be?" The cat girl wondered, putting her weapon down and grabbing the second ax on the table. "It can't-"

She pulled.

And it didn't move.

"... What?" She balked, feet pushing on the table and only barely moving the weapon across it a bit. "Are you serious?!" Catra gawked, letting go and landing on her rear in sheer disbelief. "N-Naru, how are you moving that thing?!"

"... Catra, I'm very strong," Naruto said flatly at his weapon. "And I think these things are heavier than heavy."

Adora was intrigued, leaning over with interest. "Are they seriously that heavy, Naru?" She asked as he nodded.

"Hm, hm, hm, he seems to be happy about it, though," Scorpia said while walking over and hefting one of the items into her pincer.

Jaws dropped.

"Yep! That's heavy!" She said with focus as she held it with one 'hand'!

"I think I've learned enough today," Catra said.

"Yeah, me too," Adora wheezed.

Naruto just looked determined.

~NRK~

With the gaining of their weapons, the girls had chosen to train with the blonde in the morning.

So, Lonnie and Kyle followed, the six working out together most mornings.

And on the metaphysical front, Naruto and Adora casted their own barriers and projectiles.

~NRK~

Naruto smiled from within a golden bubble.

That was stylized, the thing having a tail, black 'eye marks' that extended up its ears and white eyes.

Shadow Weaver raised a brow at him. "Your type of magic affected it… Speaking of, we don't know what your type is," she said while stroking her chin.

Was it bestial? A sort of derivative of magic connected to animals?

"Oh, well, I'm pretty sure it's Nature-focused," Naruto said, confusing her.

"Naruto's power gave life, and healed, trees in the forest we went to," Adora said vaguely.

"Yep," Catra agreed. "Honestly, he seems to pull power from nature."

Shadow Weaver's eyes narrowed in thought. 'If that's the case, his powers could be unfathomable,' one who pulled from 'nature' and not an 'element' wasn't to be underestimated. "I can imagine… So, it represents itself through his basic skills, I suppose it's just a flavor mix added to water, for now," unless it did more but they wouldn't know yet.

For now, she had a slave-to-be to teach.

"Adora, follow his example."

Adora blinked at her before holding her sword up to her noggin. "Barrier… Barrier…" She muttered as Catra sat next to the meditating form of Naruto.

"Is it hard?" She whispered.

"Only kinda," he answered.

The guard of the weapon glowed softly before expanding out into a large transparent black barrier that covered some four meters around her.

Shadow Weaver clapped. "Good, good, your application and efforts are to be praised," she complimented as Adora blushed a bit. "Tell me, how does it feel?"

"I-It's like my senses are around me, sort of," the girl answered. "Naruto?"

"It's your spirit activating it, you'll feel what's in it. That's convenient," he said with a smile as his own barrier fell away. "You can run around with that on to sense other presences within the barrier like a crazy sixth sense. It can move, right?" Naruto asked Shadow Weaver who hummed.

"Perhaps but that depends on Adora to gain the proper mastery. I'm sure she will but it will take time," the sorceress thought. 'An instant value to it, ay?' Well, not like the boy was wrong.

She'd designed Adora's sword purposefully for the girl's development, she'd need to master her blade and more to apparently deal with Naruto of all people's growth.

'He's clearly creative,' it pained her to admit it but… the boy had surprising potential.

His mind, while not studious to the accepted degree, was cultivated by his creative ideas and moods. He held a powerful body that, at a moment's notice, could be put to the test.

A combat mage if you will. One with potential up-close and far-away.

It was painfully interesting.

"So, they know barriers now, projectiles next?" Catra asked with a putout expression.

Shadow Weaver tapped her fingers together. "Yes. You two, show me the results of your training," she stated, hands glowing black for a moment.

Behind her, six shadowy targets formed in the air, Naruto and Adora blinking before standing to their full heights to aim.

Naruto with a raised hand and Adora with her blade.

Gold and black energy formed before the girl's shot off first.

"W-Whoa?!" She stumbled back a bit as her attack barely hit the edge of a target, Catra's hands latching onto her back to keep her steady. "T-Thanks," Adora said, looking surprised. "That's gonna take some time," she muttered.

Naruto nodded before bracing for his own projectile.

It shot out at a target and nailed it a bit off from center, leaving four left.

Shadow Weaver cupped her chin. "... Continue until they're all gone," she instructed.

Adora nodded in Catra's grip before taking aim.

Her next shot, now that she was ready, nailed a more solid part of a target, causing it to disappear.

Naruto followed suit, downing another.

They finished up under Shadow Weaver's attentive eyes.

'Of course, he's stronger and has magic,' also Adora couldn't prepare for the sword's power compared to a gun. "You both seem to hold an understanding of basic magic attacks. Throughout your lives, simply keep practicing it. We'll be moving onto another basic topic."

~NRK~

It was two months later when Naruto blinked within Hordak's chambers alongside Catra and Adora.

The reason? A mission.

"It seems our traitorous vixen has decided to show herself, somewhat," the man said, hands behind his back as he faced the three. "There's word that she was last seen near the Kingdom of Snows," he told them, confusing the three.

"So, you want us to go and find her?" Catra asked as he hummed in thought.

"No, I want you all to go and remain stationed there for a month's time, Naruto Uzumaki will scout the country while you two will be minding all the natural roads into the lands. Force Captain Scorpia will be joining you to help even out your numbers during Force Scout Uzumaki's absence."

The three looked surprised before nodding, fists to their chests and a trio of bows presented.

"We understand," the three said as he nodded.

"Do well."

~NRK~

Shadow Weaver huffed as Catra explained their mission.

"So, um, this might get in the way of you two's contract," the cat girl said as Naruto shook his head. "Dude, come on, we're on a mission. You wouldn't be able to study."

"Maybe not study," Naruto implied before bowing to groaning Shadow Weaver. "But, you could give me a single spell to get better at over the next month. Maybe even two?" He grinned with waggling eyebrows.

Shadow Weaver shot him a flat look. "... Very well, here are the two spells you'll be learning," she told him, finger raised. "A Familiar Spell and a spell to conjure your personal first element to this plane."

"Nice!" Naruto grinned. "I hope I get a toad!"

"..." The woman's finger wilted at his excitement. 'Right, I'd forgotten, I'm dealing with an idiot,' it made her want to groan. "Hmph, the ritual for the spirit you'll be summoning…" She huffed one more time before twirling her finger into the air.

Naruto blinked before catching a leather notebook. "?"

"It'd be annoying to give you copies of my books… So, here."

Her finger twirled once more.

The book snapped open before finding a blank page ten pages in and filling it with scripture.

"Whoa…" The Force Scout grinned cheekily as she rolled her eyes. "Thanks, teach!" He bowed again, 'angering' her.

It had to be 'anger', Shadow Weaver would not allow any other emotion to be relevant.

She couldn't. Not with him…

"Huh?" Catra looked over the blonde's shoulder with Adora, noting the 'Element' spell. 'Is that it?' She wondered with interest.

Adora just smiled. "We won't let you down, ma'am."

"It's not you girls I fear will make a unique mess," Shadow Weaver said, shooting Naruto a glower he chuckled at.

"No problems here, teach, I'll keep everything, and everyone, safe," he smiled as she sighed.

"Leave, there are cloaks for your mission, they're in the locker by the end of the room."

Naruto blinked, looking at those 'supposed' lockers. 'When the… W-Were those there before?!' He wondered in disbelief.

Adora was of the same mind while Catra gawked at this… Kindness.

'What the hell is happening?!' She thought in disbelief as they hurried to the lockers and found cloaks within.

Perfectly-matching-their-size cloaks. Their colors were a pure black with red borders and accents in their shoulders, hem, and back.

Her head turned to see but a wisp of shadow fading away, the girl looking utterly baffled.

What?

~NRK~

Their ride to their mission nodded to Kyle who swallowed while looking hopeful.

"Alright, let's see how you handle this bird," the actual pilot said in the co-pilot seat.

Sitting in the back with an encouraging grin, Naruto chuckled and threw the nervous Kyle a thumbs-up with Rogelio, Lonnie, and Adora.

Scorpia tried… but all Kyle got was an embarrassed grin and a raised closed pincer.

"U-Um, thanks… Ma'am?" The human boy said with a shaky smile.

"I-I'm trying!" The woman squeaked as he nodded before sitting back in his seat. "I can't give a thumbs-ups!" Scorpia wailed as Catra snickered with Lonnie while Naruto and Adora sweatdropped.

Their travels weren't filled with much else besides comforting Scorpia and addressing Naruto's book.

"Ooh!" The oldest among them said with interest, peeking over his shoulder. "Oh, that's cute!" Scorpia said happily with clapping claws at a little caricature of a formless elemental blob.

Naruto chuckled at that as Adora smiled. "I guess master's a real girl at heart," he said as he read it while Catra blinked.

"Master?" She asked him in shock as Naruto grinned sheepishly.

"I kinda fell into it at one point while you two were grabbing lunch. I said it once and I swear she flipped out on me."

Had she?

Or… Or was the opposite possible?

"Hmm, I've never called her that," Adora considered as Catra shrugged. "You've given me a lot to think about, Naruto," she snickered as Catra gawked.

"Do not, she'll just get a big head!" The other disciple said.

"Hehehe," Naruto snickered. "Hmm, now as for this spell… It seems pretty straightforward. Get some of my blood, draw this magic circle, and fill it with energy. Apparently, I'll get good enough at it to just do it without doing most of that," he said as Lonnie blinked.

"Hope you're not squeamish," she said lazily as Naruto shook his head before getting up. "Huh? What are-"

He bit his thumb and tore at skin.

She paled as he began to bleed out onto the floor?!

"N-Naru?! What the hell are you doing?!" Catra hissed like the cat she was in disbelief as Adora's eyebrow twitched repeatedly. "Y-You just-!"

"It's only a little blood," Naruto shrugged before paling at the look on her face. "H-Hey, um, C-Catra we can-Don't get up!" He wheezed as she did while cracking her knuckles. "This is a delicate process-"

"Finish it so I can choke you."

Scorpia snickered with Rogelio at Naruto's nervous expression.

"Oh man…" He whimpered before doing as told and finishing the circle. "Now, some power-"

She choked him.

"When will you learn?!" Catra growled at him as her foot breached the magic circle. "The world's crazy enough without you pulling your regular bullshit!"

"A-Ack?! I-I'm doing my-"

"No, you're not-!"

There was a glow from below, the two 'fighting' teens blinking before looking down-

There was an explosion of red and gold smoke, Naruto and Catra coughing while waving away the smoke to find…

"What?" Catra asked in disbelief.

"Uh-Oh," Naruto said in shock.

For, standing there where the circle should have been… was a child, right?

"Uhh, is this how magic normally works?" Scorpia asked as she got up and then down on her knees and elbows. "Sup, kid?"

The girl standing there was short, looking almost like a four-year-old, with spiky black hair, blue eyes against yellow sclera, peach skin with whisker marks on her cheeks, and a fuzzy cat tail with a pair of wings?

Wearing a black bodysuit under a large black skirt and red vest, her feet were covered in toeless stockings while her eyes trembled as she looked around.

Adora wheezed as Lonnie's jaw dropped.

Rogelio blinked.

Kyle peeked back. "What happe…?" He blinked thrice. "What?"

The young girl scuffed the floor before looking up at the pale Naruto and Catra.

"H-Hi, mom, dad-"

They fainted.

"Whoa?!" Lonnie jumped to her feet with Adora as Rogelio blinked thrice.

"U-Um?!" Adora wheezed again as she looked at the pouting child… spirit? "Look, what… W-What are you?" She asked nervously.

The girl pouted some more. "A Nature Familiar," she answered as Scorpia tilted her head.

"Nature Familiar?" She asked as the child nodded while scrunching up her skirt. "Hey, hey, come on, kiddo! It's fine, your parents are just taking a pretty shocking nap!"

"I-I know what happened," she pouted as Adora's jaw stayed dropped. "I knew everything dad knew up to this point."

"Oh… Well, I've got nothing. I mean, you know why this is weird, yeah?"

"W-Why's it weird? I was made from dad's blood and mom's DNA."

"W-W-Wait!" Adora didn't think the universe would toss her entire life around in a matter of hours! "Please stop, explain," she pleaded.

The little girl spirit puffed up her cheeks.

What followed was the previous explanation with a few more details.

"So, when Catra put her foot into the circle, she…" Lonnie almost wanted to laugh but then she was also terrified. 'This isn't normal! Is she alive?! She called them her parents!' What did that mean in this context?!

They'd learned from Glimmer about what those terms meant. 'Mom' and 'Dad' were basically pronouns used to talk about someone's parents.

The people who gave birth to someone who'd recognize them as their creators.

And now this 'familiar' was saying that Naruto and Catra were her parents.

"I am way too sober today," she whispered as Rogelio rubbed the back of his head while Kyle wheezed along with the Horde-affiliated pilot.

Fuck.

---

An hour later, Catra returned to the land of the conscious.

Sitting up, she blinked at the noises around her and the feeling of another cloak resting over her body with her back on a bed.

"W-What the hell?" She blinked one more time before looking around. "What happened-?"

"Um," Naruto's voice broke through her confusion, getting a quick head turn-

"Oooh no."

There, sitting in his lap, was none other than the chil-spirit. The familiar that WASN'T THEIR CHILD, RIGHT!?

"So, there's some stuff we need to talk about," Naruto said, sitting on the floor with a small golden glow about him that the child spirit seemed pleased by. "Like, things might have just gotten weird."

Catra's cheek twitched as Adora groaned, forehead resting against her steepled hands.

"I-I don't… What is she, really?" She asked, the three of them in one of their emergency med rooms on the carrier. "G-Girl, who are you?" Adora asked.

The childish spirit kicked her legs back and forth as she leaned back into Naruto's chest. "I'm a familiar born from mom and dad," she said as Adora held her head again.

Catra just stared. "No, you're not," she said immediately with a twitching brow. "You're not an actual kid, you're a spirit. What happened was an accident, this isn't parenthood, SPIRIT."

The girl flinched at that while Naruto sighed. "Catra, look, I get it, it's not like she's unaware but she needs to actually understand what you mean."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I-I don't understand, dad?!" The girl flinched in his hold before Naruto tapped her nose. "?"

"Let me put it this way," he began as he ruffled her hair. "Catra isn't wrong in that we aren't actually blood-related… Ahem!" Naruto cleared his throat while looking away from the now-blushing cat girl. "That's not something that's happening, kid, the thing is. You're a spirit, as ya know, and while Catra's DNA and my blood are involved, I'm not sure how well that turns into parenthood."

"O-Ooohhh."

"I mean, I don't care either way," he continued with a grin as she perked up. "You're not my kid, not normally, but I seemingly did give life to you. I read the familiar spell, the spirits we summon aren't normal. Shadow Weaver just uses hers as mediums for her sneaking but familiars aren't just something we summon while coming and going, you're 'alive' in the sense that you got all your own thoughts and stuff. So, while you exist, I have no issue-Whoa?!"

The girl hugged him deeply, cutting him off before he sighed and used his one arm to hold her close.

Adora looked hesitant to try and process it. 'Is… Is this what a father is like?' She didn't know.

Glimmer told them that fathers were wise, strong, and taught them the kind of things that might protect their emotions.

Mothers guided them emotionally, protected them, kept them hidden from the worl-Adora had a feeling that one was directed… oddly.

The point she was getting at was this.

Naruto seemingly made a good father.

Her cheeks reddened and she blinked in confusion.

'Huh?' She rubbed her cheek. 'I don't… Why are my cheeks warm?' Adora didn't understand.

Catra, meanwhile, was 'taut' on a metaphysical level as she watched Naruto get hugged by that… T-That child-

'Spirit! She's a spirit!' That was the truth, wasn't it?!

Then, Naruto's earlier words sprung to her mind and she burned.

'W-We aren't… It's not like in my dreams!' And then there was the notion of this 'spirit' not being… S-She was 'real' in ways that left Catra worried. "... Hmph," she steeled her nerves and hardened her face.

This… This was none of her business as Naruto seemed to understand.

She didn't have to care about this child who looked more like her than she'd ever want to admit. Her matching sclera was proof she wasn't hers-

It's like Naruto fixed you.

Catra froze, cheeks bright red at her traitorous mind. 'No! No, he didn't!'

She might have had some issues but Catra wasn't a bundle of issues!

"Alright," Naruto chuckled as the little girl held his neck at arm's length with a grin. "Well, I guess I should ask, first. Do you have a name?" He asked, his fellow Captains' eyes widening.

The child spirit shook her head. "I-I didn't come with that," she admitted.

Naruto nodded. "Alright, I guess I gotta give ya name," he chuckled as she squealed. "Now, what'd be a good one-"

"I-It might be good to focus on her traits!" Adora said quickly as he blinked. "T-That is! Sometimes, simple is best!" She added on just as fast, not looking him in the eyes.

"I mean… I guess?"

Catra just gawked at Adora. 'No… There's no way she's trying to do what I think she's trying to do,' it nearly made her want to choke her fellow young woman along with Naruto. 'You can't just jump into a kid's life when she has par-'

She froze, eyes wide as she covered her mouth.

Naruto shot her a concerned look with those stupid expressive eyes of his.

"I-I'm fine," Catra said before getting up and heading to the bathroom. "Whatever, name the girl something so we can keep moving," she told him before closing the door.

Catra leaned over the sink in horror. 'She's NOT my kid! Hordak-dammit! She's not even REAL!' She wanted to scream but that'd out her thoughts.

Then, Naruto would come in and express her emotions for her since he knew she was horrible at it-

Catra slapped herself.

It rang out in her ears as she let out a breath.

"I'm letting someone who doesn't exist control my head," she said to her reflection with a frown. "Grow up, dammit, you're a Captain now. Stop being some kinda dumb bitch and act like yourself," Catra closed her eyes and cleared her mind-

"Yay!" A voice came through the door.

The child's…

She quickly exited to find the girl squealing in front of Naruto, hopping around in excitement.

"I love them!" She said with excitement.

Catra swallowed. "Y-Yeah? What the hell did you name her? She looks like she's hopping on some kinda drug," she asked.

Adora just looked excited.

This fact seemed to annoy her and… A-And…?

Catra's hands clenched.

"Catty!" The girl declared.

Catra's eyebrow twitched. 'These bastards,' she thought in disbelief as Naruto snickered. "N-Naruto, you're getting the feather for this!"

The young man wheezed out his last laugh as Catty covered her mouth in shock and awe?

What was wrong with this kid?

"Y-You'll tickle dad too much! He can't handle it!" The girl declared as Naruto blushed while Catra raised a very curious brow. "See?!"

"C-Catty, please, you're giving her ideas!" Naruto pleaded.

"No, please, keep giving me ideas," Catra said with narrowed eyes. "Catty? Man, that sounds awfully interesting."

Naruto chuckled off to the side. "I-It's just a coinkydink," he lied like a jester. "S-So, Catty, tell us about yourself," please take the heat off himself!

The girl spirit grinned with her hands in the air. "OK!" She said as he sweatdropped before chuckling. "I'm a Nature Familiar! I got lotsa similar powers to you, dad!"

Adora let out a breath with a smile. "Is that so?" She asked as Catra sat down.

"Yep! Dad's got a buncha cool powers," the girl beamed as Naruto perked up.

"Really? Tell me, Catty, what's up with my powers? Is there something different about me when I'm in 'that form' and not?" Naruto asked.

"Yu-huh, you get super-strong," she flexed proudly as he snorted while Adora's eyes shined and Catra stared with a huff. "You can enhance stuff 'naturally', too, though it works normally, too," Catty twitched her fingers before looking at her fingers. "?"

Naruto considered that before Adora nodded.

"Your original ax," she said as he perked up. "You did change it."

"Oh right, that's cool," the fox said. "What else, Catty? I mean, I know I'm basically filled with energy like it doesn't end and I'm stupid-strong as my friends would say," he added with a cupped chin.

Catra rolled her eyes with a smirk while Adora chuckled.

Not wrong.

"Mmm," the girl tilted her head as she hummed. "You have extend-y arm powers, normally," she told him as Naruto blinked before considering something. "And you have a big affinity for 'Nature' and 'Purification'!"

"We learned that much," Catra muttered. "Anything else?" She asked in a standoffish manner.

The girl fiddled with her skirt and a good bit of Catra's mind twinged in guilt.

That expression looked familiar and it made this harder all of a sudden.

"D-Dad can't use the full power of Sage Mode," she said, confusing Adora and Catra while Naruto's eyes closed. "That's his super form! He's the Sage of Heart and can use his Runestone's power when he connects to it."

"Wait, so, he's not connected to it right now?" Adora asked.

"Nope, it's like a water pipe. He's gotta turn it on."

Naruto blinked at that. 'If that's true, how?' He asked as much. "Catty, how? I can feel that thing even from here, it's at full power… Right?"

"Nope," the young familiar shook her head. "It's not able to use its full potential s-so 'full' is… Not full?" She said vaguely, scrunching up her nose as she focused.

Naruto chuckled before ruffling her hair. "I get it," so he couldn't use it to its full potential right now. "I'm sure you can guess my next two questions."

Catty grinned, pleased.

Catra's mind burned with jealousy. 'What?' She stared at the two in disbelief.

She was jealous of this young girl? She wasn't even REAL! How could she be jealous?!

And for what? Naruto clearly saw her as a child, he was playing up the 'dad' role.

Why did she feel so heated?

"Um, well, I don't know how you get better at using it," the little girl smiled pleasantly. "But I do know how to connect it! You need to pull from the Runestone and not just the nature around ya, dad."

Naruto perked up at that. "Huh, that's so?" He wondered, taking his hand away to cup his chin before chuckling at the whining familiar. "Hmm…"

Naruto closed his eyes.

---

He saw it in the distance.

It was like seeing the sun, not that it was unbearably bright but it was like it was always there.

Like an old friend who never left his side.

Naruto raised his hand as he floated in that white space.

There was a flash of gold that connected himself to his Runestone.

---

Catra's eyes widened at the sight of him as Adora's eyes flickered.

Naruto's glowing form sat there, the giant young man's eyes opening and allowing them to see his cross-shaped pupils on yellow irises.

He'd regained his previous 'outfit' despite his 'previous' clothes not being the same as his first transformation, Naruto humming as he looked down at Catty's grinning form.

"Okay, I kinda get it-WOW this drains energy fast!" He said in disbelief.

The feeling within his Runestone was definitely not infinite! With his current rate, he had to guess that he had five minutes of full power.

He clenched his hand.

And the form vanished, returning him back to normal.

"Okay, whoa," Naruto blinked. "Thanks, Catty, I'm gonna have to get used to this."

"It's fine!" The child familiar smiled. "So, um, what do we do now?" She asked, peeking at Catra who looked away from her. 'M-Mom doesn't like me,' Catty pouted, ears wilting.

Catra flinched at that.

Adora, meanwhile, just held the side of her head. 'What was that?'

It was like the moment Naruto transformed, she got flashes of something again.

A similar feeling of something far off… What was that?

"For now, we should go back to the others," Naruto said as he got up, Adora nodding and Catty following along.

As they made it to the door, he blinked at Catra's still sitting form.

"You good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she grunted before getting up and walking ahead. "Just keep your daughter to yourself," Catra muttered.

Naruto blinked at that while Catty pouted.

Leaving the med bay, they found everyone looking at them with tilted heads.

"So…?" Scorpia asked.

"A lot of things," Naruto answered. "How far are we from our landing point?"

"Maybe an hour to go," Lonnie said. "Seriously, what the hell did you do now?" She asked him as her eyes went to Catty. "No offense, kid, but… Lord, this is all weird."

"Mmm," Catty pouted some more as Rogelio blinked in interest.

"?" He looked to Naruto for answers.

"Let me explain."

~NRK~

As they reached the lands of snow and ice thirty minutes ahead of time, the others just kept on staring at the girl in Naruto's lap, the fox boy in question just looking at his gifted notepad.

He looked completely unbothered.

Damn, that boy could acclimate fast.

"So, he has a spirit kid," Lonnie emphasized flatly. "And has clearly just accepted it by this point?"

"It's pretty weird to me," Scorpia said while peeking down at the happy little girl familiar. "But if Naru's fine with it, so am I!" She declared.

Rogelio hummed as Catra huffed while working out in the back, Adora running a dry cloth over her weapon.

Catra didn't want to think about the whole situation, when Naruto left she was sure he'd take the 'spirit girl' with him.

She did not want to look at the kid right now.

'Still,' she stopped mid-push up. 'Does that mean I can use magic?' Or was that stupid?

As the girl had said, Catra had unwittingly added her DNA to the circle. It just meant that she had likely decided the girl's gender and extra features.

That didn't mean much of anything when it came to magic.

Adora, on the other hand, just considered what Catty's existence meant.

'What would Shadow Weaver think?' Amongst all her thoughts, this one reigned supreme with an odd feeling about it.

Would the woman be at odds with the familiar like Catra was? Confused and curious? Pleased, maybe?

When she considered the woman and Naruto's current standing… 'She's honestly been a lot more attentive,' odd as it was to think, Adora was pretty sure this was true.

The heat, vitriol, and hate that had originally been born from Naruto's crazy actions seemed to have all faded away in three months. Well, okay, not all of it but the woman's teachings for her friend had been, forced or not, cordial and rather calculated.

In the beginning, when Naruto went to her for advice on spells, she'd begrudgingly inform him of piece by piece information he'd have to figure out himself.

That begrudgingness had quickly turned to cryptic messages, clues, puzzles, and even downright tutelage as of a week ago.

'He changed her somehow,' Adora wasn't sure what it was or how but Naruto seemed to have a positive effect on Shadow Weaver.

Of course, it could all be a ruse. Their master wasn't above tricking someone to garner some benefit as she'd taught them.

Adora just hoped that Naruto came out the end of all of this without too much harm.

Another half hour passed before they were all standing by the side haul door as it opened.

The freezing winds sent shivers down most of their spines.

Naruto looked at Catty in confusion.

"I'm a familiar of nature, pops," she said with a beaming grin. "I don't really feel cold or hot like that. This is easy!" Catty giggled as he hummed.

"Alright."

Departing from their ride, Kyle leaving the pilot's seat with a few compliments from the actual pilot, he came over and said one sentence to sum it all up.

"What the hell did you do in under four hours?" He asked the group who looked at Naruto for his response.

"Magic," Naruto said.

"Oh, of course, whatever else could it have been."

They grabbed their supplies from the back, Naruto carrying an extra big box of supplies, his weapons, and more. The young man carried it with slightly pained huffs and a golden glowing form that he reassured them made it easier.

They waved off their ride before following behind Adora as she looked at a map.

"So, hmm," Naruto tossed Catty up on his pack before continuing on, the girl kicking her legs on one side of his luggage. "I guess I'll head off tomorrow-"

"No, you won't. Not yet," Catra said, confusing him as Scorpia let out a cool breath, fluffy cloak pulled tighter around her body. "... You need to know a couple more things about Kingdom of Snows," she said.

"O… kay?"

"Hmph."

'I have a feeling she's gonna say something to me,' he thought with a hum as Catty tilted her head at him. '... Wait, can you hear this?'

'Now,' she smiled as he nodded.

'So, if I want you to hear my thoughts, gotcha.'

They kept walking for fifteen minutes, Naruto's eyes going over the snowy landscapes that trailed up, down, and around.

Hazy blue mountain tops with snow caps, foggy areas trailing between their valleys, and lots of blue icy structures all around.

Notably, one of those structures led far off into the distance like a raised path, one that he could barely see the beginnings of a castle to.

"Yo, Kyle, how close are we to the Ice Princess's castle, really?" Naruto asked his recently not-as-skinny-as-usual friend.

Kyle hummed, thick coat taut and warm. "Well, from what I know? The fact we can see her castle is just a bit misleading. Due to the moonlight, her castle shines from damn near the beginning of the country. Some say it's rumors but we're 50 miles away and you can still see it. We barely passed the border half an hour ago!"

"It's supposed to breed some of the toughest bastards outside of Bright Moon," Lonnie said. "The Kingdom of Snows is the second biggest and strongest right up there with it. Horde doesn't come here because I hear it's too much trouble."

Adora's eyebrows merely lowered a bit, expression still 'searching' on her map. 'I know that's not the case.'

Shadow Weaver had long since revealed a lot of things to her, long before Naruto had truly put in effort.

The reason they didn't come for this place was because it just wasn't necessary right now. As Lonnie said, the Kingdom of Snows was too big and strong.

The Horde needed to capture the surrounding areas, first.

"It's just too much hassle," Lonnie nodded. "Plus, it's cold as shit up here! We have to have traveled a good twelve kilometers UP to get here. Nah, I ain't seeing this happening."

Naruto hummed at that while Scorpia tilted her head.

"How far are we now, Adora?" She asked.

"A minute or so," the leader Captain nodded. "Still, Naruto's right, still being able to see the castle isn't… great," and considering the blonde would be traveling around?

No, Adora was concerned.

"Are you comfortable with this, Naruto? You'll be running around for, at least, two weeks of this coming month. We don't have supply caches in these lands so you'll have to live off the land or slip into colonies alone."

"Does it have to be alone?" Kyle asked worriedly. "Naruto's strong and he's fast but is it safe?"

"I mean, I've got Catty now," Naruto chuckled and they all blinked as if remembering the child. "So, it won't be alone… Then again, we just figured out we can talk with our minds."

"No way!"

"That's super useful," Lonnie tilted her head. "So… Should she go with you?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head as his 'daughter' pouted. "Come on, Catty, they're not wrong. If you can always keep them updated on where I am, it'd be a huge help."

"But we've only been together for a couple hours," she whined.

"I know, I know. But it's not like I'm leaving yet."

"... Give it a day or two," Catra said at his look before huffing at his grin. 'Idiot's making me soft.'

The blonde had the power to seemingly get under her skin and 'tenderize' it!

"Ugh."

"See? We've got a couple days to hang out and figure out more stuff about us," Naruto said as Catty tilted her head, wings resting. "Like, will I get wings or not?" He asked as they stopped, the others perking up.

"Wait, will he?" Adora asked, a bit awed by the image. 'It'd be so cool,' she grinned.

Catra raised a brow at that idea. 'Eh,' she shrugged.

"Yep!" The little girl familiar grinned. "Dad should be able to do it now, too, but I think you gotta get better at it," Catty said, getting a hum out of her 'father'.

"I guess more training is in order!" Naruto declared as Rogelio and Kyle chuckled.

Setting up in their coincidentally reached spot, they set up one large thick tent and had Naruto put the large box he'd brought on one side of it.

"The temperature up here is dangerous as is," Lonnie said as they all sat around a pre-made burning gas kit, flames licking up between the eight of them. "Now, imagine that at night."

"It's not a good idea to be out at night, pretty cut-n-dry," Scorpia agreed with a smile before making a confused face and turning to Naruto. "Still, um, what about Naru-Naru? You're gonna have to always find a place around, bud. Much less pay for housing and stuff."

Naruto nodded. "I did get some emergency cash from our suppliers but I can also just do a couple jobs," he hummed. "Well, I hope they do quests here and stuff, right?"

"You mean odd jobs," Catra said as he nodded, her battle hammer sitting across her lower back. "This place is most likely to do so. Due to how far apart villages and towns can be, they seriously take any help they can get in the farther-reaching areas," it'd be his bread-n-butter for a while.

They couldn't just bog Naruto down with supplies. One, he'd still run out regardless.

Two, it'd be suspicious as all hell.

Adora focused on the fire, her sword plunged into the icy ground. "Naruto, we have some points that I, Catra, and Lonnie figured you'd be able to get to the quickest. These 'village settlements' are typically really clumped-together but far apart as a whole. This means you can rest in one for a time or pick up jobs without too much issue, I'd hope."

"Fill me in."

~NRK~

Four hours later, still in the afternoon, Naruto nodded as he and Catty sat in front of their tent.

The young man's eyes closed as he glowed a soft gold, Catra sitting at the side of their tent, observing.

"You should be able to kinda get used to the nature around us," Catty said, eyes flicking to Catra who closed her eyes. "Mmm…" She pouted.

Meanwhile, Naruto could kind of see that.

… 'Huh?' He perked up.

---

He blinked at a far off, a REALLY far off, pink gem.

"Is that… Perfuma's Runestone?" Was he always able to sense it? To see it?

To feel it like he was near it?

"Maybe it's because my Runestone is near hers… but then," his eyes went to a farther away Runestone.

One he'd never seen outside of once.

"Is that Glimmer and Queen Angella's Runestone? What? Why? I don't get it," he frowned, cross-legged in this odd space.

And then Catty appeared. "Hey, dad!" She smiled, 'swimming' over to him before sitting in his lap.

"Hi, honey."

"What's going on?"

"I'm trying to figure out why I can see and feel these Runestones even though I'm so far away."

The familiar tilted her head. "Um, I think it's because they've connected to you through your connections with the Princesses," she said, confusing him. "I don't know, dad, it just seems like it."

Naruto looked around in thought before blinking at something far FAR away.

"Then… What about that thing?"

"I don't know. It's like it's not normal. It feels so restrictive and… mechanical?"

Naruto stared at that small 'star' in the distance with a frown. 'Mechanical?'

---

He opened his eyes, returning to the conscious world to find Catty in his lap. "I guess there's just way too much to figure out about my powers, huh?" Naruto asked the grinning child, ruffling her hair.

Catra got up before coming over to stand behind him. "She's a magic familiar, why are you treating her like she's an actual child?" She frowned at him as Catty pouted again, mumbling. "For Lord's sake, you know that! You come pre-programmed with this like you told us!"

"Look, I know this is probably beyond weird for you," Naruto nodded as she grimaced while Catty turned around and stuffed her face into his chest, the boy's one arm rubbing her back. "And I'm not going to lob responsibility on you because of an accident. In the end, you're right, she's my familiar but she's clearly just a kid in both ways. She knows all that I know, Catra, but she doesn't get it. She doesn't have experience or even knowledge of why I do or say some of the things I do."

Catra crossed her arms again, looking away.

"I know this is bothering you and I'm sorry it is-"

She crouched down and lifted his chin with a hand, getting a worried grin out of the blonde.

"You know how this all ends," she hissed at him, forehead knocking against his own before she rubbed it with her other hand. "D-Dammit, no wonder, you have a hardass head."

Despite the 'threat', Naruto chuckled while she huffed at him, rolling her eyes as Catty peeked up past his chest.

"I'm not your 'mom', kid, I barely even know what that is but I know it ain't me. You gotta stick with just a 'daddy' as Glimmer would title him," she muttered with a squinty-eyed confused expression. "Why are these 'good guys' making all these words? Just stick with one, dammit."

"People make a lot of words for all kinds of stuff, ya know? Daddy would usually be said by a kid," Naruto began as she slowly began to smirk. "Don't, come on, don't be mean," he chuckled as she made a smug sound. "All I'm saying is that it can also just be used as a term of endearment. Though, I'm pretty sure only girls really say it beyond childhood on occasion. Not us, dudes."

Catra rolled her eyes before releasing his chin. "Smartass."

"Hey, language."

"I can bet she knows more curse words you've uttered."

He coughed to the side with a nervous chuckle as Catty covered her mouth in shock.

"Yeah."

From the slightly parted flaps of the tent, Scorpia, Adora, and Lonnie shot the three some very weird looks.

None more so than Adora who felt something prick at her heart?

'What's wrong with me?'

~NRK~

An hour later, Naruto practiced his elemental spell.

"Huh," he smiled at the golden wind shooting up around his body, the air warm and glimmering. "So, I'm basically just summoning it, right?" Naruto asked Adora and Catty, the two pouring over his notebook.

"Shadow Weaver put that you should be able to reach Level 2 by the end of this mission if you work hard enough," Adora said with a frown. 'Am I seriously still feeling this?'

She'd long since lost the 'prick' in her heart and had felt a bit better… but now it was replaced by this eerie feeling of worry.

"You have to master Level 1, first!" Catty grinned for him as the others sat behind them, cooking in Kyle and Rogelio's cases.

Working out in Scorpia and Lonnie's cases.

Or simply sitting covered up in Naruto's extra cloak, Catra.

The blonde had said that his powers were warm and Catty had supported this idea.

So, he'd decided to shed it and allow anyone else to get it.

Catra had been the closest, much to her satisfaction.

So, she sat there, very nice and warm, while watching Naruto cast spells.

"Alright, how do I start?" Naruto asked.

"It says that you should be able to control it," Adora said with a bit more focus. "Apparently, she wants you to be able to cut down one of our machines with it alone."

"I mean," he blinked. "Okay? That doesn't give me a lot to work with."

"She put in that you just need to cut one of the BIG BLOCKS here!" Catty grinned as Naruto blinked before humming with closed eyes.

"Alright, sounds like a plan."

"Is your idiocy back on again?" Catra asked, looking a bit sleepy as she snuggled up into her 'cloak blankets'. 'Dammit, why is his so warm?' It was bigger than her, to be fair. "Dude, come on, we've seen what the ice here looks like."

"She's right," Adora said with a look to the side, down the large hill they were on to the icy blocks that were scattered throughout the whitish field they'd arrived in. "And the blue ice isn't weak. Our scientists literally had to make bombs designed to break it. Normal gunfire isn't gonna cut it nor will weapons."

"But magic is different," Naruto said as he curled some of that golden wind into his palm before it began to… shear the air itself? "Magic is powerful with enough control. Even a regular spell like this can be used to beat something like that ice… And I'm gonna do it by the end of this mission. That one," he declared, pointing at one of the biggest blocks there.

The block was about the size of a large tent from Perfuma's village, maybe some ten-by-ten square foot thing that was clearly all blue ice.

"For Hordak's sake, Shadow Weaver isn't even here," Catra moaned, 'scrunching' together to look like a large pile of cloaks. "Wmhy are myou meing stupid right nmow?" She asked, muffled.

Naruto chuckled. "I'm not just putting up a show with her, you know. I do this because it's who I am," he said with a thumb jutting towards his chest.

Adora nodded, smiling warmly. "We know… But you'll, essentially, only have two weeks of constant effort, Naruto," she said even as her admiration rose a bit.

"Yeah but you have to work hard for what you want. Besides, if I want to make that spell, I need to prove to her that I can do this. We're already a quarter of the way through the year and I know there's gonna be more studying than I'll ever like down the line. I'm gonna master everything she throws my way as soon as possible. A little harsh training is just in order!"

Adora sweatdropped before her sword caught her attention.

'Harsh training, huh?' She considered it.

Naruto was willing to put his heels to the grindstone and train to prove his point and win his part of the contract.

'Slavery versus the need to understand,' she could never consider making such a lopsided deal, herself.

How could Naruto accept it? Why? Were his morals really that strong that he'd accept such a harsh exchange for one's respect and the loss of his freedom?

Her eyes softened. 'I guess this is how he's so different compared to us,' to her.

Adora was just like her fellow cadets a couple months back, she'd never thought otherwise about the Horde.

They were 'right', they brought 'order', and they would 'lead'.

All of it was nothing but lies, they wrought destruction and sorrow.

And if she'd figured it out… Adora's not sure if she could look at herself in the mirror anymore. A soldier of destruction wasn't to be given sympathy-

A hand on her wrist had her snapping out of her reverie, the young woman's eyes snapping to Catty to see the girl's confused expression.

Adora blinked before she smiled for her.

'But Naruto knows better and he believes in us,' in her, in Catra.

In their team. He cared and wanted them all safe.

He was odd, brash, and a bit idiotic but contrasting those qualities were bravery, courage, righteousness, strength, kindness, and wisdom amongst all else.

How could she think him anything but amazing? Inspiring even?

'I need to be able to help in the future,' she thought, looking at her blade with a determined stare. 'It's enchanted, I should master these skills first.'

Then, she could probably ask for more enchanted items from Shadow Weaver.

~NRK~

That night, the group sat in their tent as the wind roared outside.

"Oof!" Kyle shivered next to Rogelio and Lonnie, the three back-to-back with the girl asleep already. "H-How do they deal with this?" He asked, letting out a frosty breath with a wheeze. "How can she sleep through this?!"

Scorpia scrunched in on herself, looking uncomfortable as well. "T-The people here are said to be pretty tough, a-after-ACHOO!" She sneezed mid-sentence, a shiver running up her spine.

Catra raised a brow at them as she and Adora sat together, cloaks pulled up and shoulders pressed. "You guys basically got it the worst, what with the two of you being cold-blooded," she began. "Kyle not exactly being a man of muscle and Lonnie already being asleep."

"H-Hmm?" Adora blinked, almost asleep. "W-Wait, dammit, where's Naruto?" She asked.

"He went to get firewood but I'm not sure how he's surviving out there."

"I'm back!" A familiar blonde said as he peeked into the tent with a grin and his familiar in tow, the two coming in with the young man carrying a large box of brown… wood?

Brown wood? As in wood that didn't look icy?

"W-Welcome-achoo!" Kyle sniffled with a groan as Naruto nodded.

He put his box down before Kyle quickly had a cloak thrown over him, Rogelio, and Lonnie, much to the others disbelief before they saw 'him'.

The Force Scout's slightly steaming body, the fox going over before dragging Scorpia over to the three huddled-together cadets.

"Warm up," he told her as she whined at a bit more warmth.

"Why are your hands so warm? G-Gimme," Scorpia whined again.

Naruto just chuckled. "I've got you guys with something better," he said vaguely as he set up the wood. "Alright, Catty, spark it."

The girl grinned before raising her hands out to the wood.

Those awake balked as a flame lit up the wood before it began to grow stronger and stronger.

Soon enough, Naruto just smiled at the controlled raging flames. "There, much better, yeah?" He offered the others.

Rogelio perked up, scales flexing a bit before he closed his eyes and fell asleep in comfort.

Kyle blinked before smiling. "Thanks," he said.

"No problem. Turns out, Catty did get a lot of powers from me," Naruto began with a chuckle as Catra raised a brow. "But she also has affinities. Wind and fire, it's a hell of a mix," he added without giving any of 'it' away. "So, with some talking, she'll stay here while I go and do my patrolling. She can keep you guys warm at home base."

"T-That sounds amazing," Adora smiled for the blushing familiar. "Thank you, Catty, seriously. I understand you don't want to be separated, you're helping us out a lot."

"D-Dad said it'd be okay s-so it will be!" The little girl said, messing with her skirt. "A-And he said we could go and run around tomorrow!"

"You sure? You need to be well-rested, Naruto."

"Yep, promise," he said as she relaxed a bit with a smile. "Now, I'm sure everyone is-"

The collective snores of everyone but him, Adora, and Catty got a chuckle out of him and a smirk out of Adora.

Catty just smiled.

"Alright, I can take a hint."

He looked around before Adora's patting on a space next to her got his attention.

Going over with his familiar and taking the seat, he found Catty in his lap and leaned on Adora's shoulder.

They slept well even in the horrid icy winds of the Kingdom of Snows.

~NRK~

Bright and early the following morning, Naruto smiled as he leaped about with Catty.

The familiar flew, actually, her small wings unbelievably giving her the ability of flight. She giggled as she kept up with her rapidly hopping-about creator.

Back at camp, Adora grunted, feet crunching into icy dirt, as she dodged out of the way of Catra's hammer, the tip of her blade slamming into the side of it with a thrust.

Catra stumbled with a wheeze before letting go of her handle to duck Adora's blade's wood-covered edges and kick her away, picking up her weapon with a good amount less effort than when she first got it.

She chased her, speed only half as good as it usually was without her weapon.

Adora had recovered from her fellow Captain's kick easily, prepping her blade. "Fire!"

Catra hopped over the first shot before swinging out with her hammer at the second.

It dispersed and she grinned as she landed in front of the blonde young woman, swinging out at her abdomen.

Adora was already jumping off her back before she could hit her, landing behind her comrade as Catra re-affirmed her balance.

"Alright, this is kinda not fair," Catra said with a groan as Adora smiled apologetically.

"We sadly don't have any wooden weapons here. We probably should have, I'll remember from now on," Adora said to her friend as a pair of figures landed in the center of their camp.

The explosion of wind could have been uncomfortable but it was quickly followed by an explosion of flames that only cast a warm mist over everyone.

"E-Easy!" Lonnie shouted from somewhere before one more, gentler, wind blew away the fog. "Dammit, Naruto, be easy!" She said, a gun in her hands.

"Sorry!" The fox boy said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not great at this spell's control yet so I pump it up to compensate… Probably should hold back some more."

"Yeah, ya should."

Catty giggled as she floated down to her creator's shoulders, sitting on them with her hands in his hair. "Are you gonna go do the ice thing, dad?" She asked him, cat ears perking up.

"After breakfast."

"Breakfast is ready!" Kyle called out as Scorpia popped out of her tent with a still dazed look on her face. "C-Captain Scorpia, come on, it's already eight o'clock!"

"I-I'm not an early-riser, right now," she whined, flopping down with snores aplenty.

Lonnie snorted before finishing off the last target of a bunch of small ice blocks. "Well, more food for us," she grinned.

With everyone coming forward and getting their own plates, they sat down in a circle with Naruto raising a brow at his 'daughter'.

"So, you don't eat normal food, huh?" He asked the girl atop his shoulders.

"I don't think so," Catty tilted her head as she kicked her legs. "Familiars eat, like, magic and stuff."

"Really?" Kyle blinked. "I mean, isn't that just the energy source?" He asked.

"I don't think it's the same for dad and me."

"... Ah, well, she is a Nature Familiar," Adora considered as Catra ate without chiming in. "So, in that case, what if she gets 'food' from the world around her?"

The young spirit tilted her head with a humming expression, plopping her chin in between her father's ears. "Mmm~."

Naruto chuckled, energy hand holding his spork.

They ate with small bits of chatter between them, Scorpia finally pulling herself together to eat before they ate most of everything.

Now, it was even between them and the woman's large appetite.

"Alright," Naruto, after resting for a bit, got up and walked off to 'that' particular ice block. "I'll probably be at this for a while… I'll probably try to cut it in half all the way through."

Scorpia hummed in satisfaction against the ground. "C-Cut what again?"

"That big-ass ice block," Lonnie reminded her. "I mean, is it really that hard, though? With magic, I mean."

"We mwouldn't mkmow," Catra mumbled around her food as the cadet sweatdropped while Rogelio snickered. "Hmph," she swallowed. "It's not like we have magic. Hell, the closest thing we have is Adora's weapon."

"..." Adora considered her magic sword. "Hmph, it's not really… I don't know how to gauge it, either. I'm not wielding the magic so much as the sword has a charge, like a battery, and it can run out. Apparently, this thing has three spells in it, an enhancement skill, magic blasts, and a barrier."

"Whoa… What's the first skill do?" Kyle asked.

"I don't know yet, Shadow Weaver even told me that I should find out on my own and learn to master it."

"That seems about right with her teaching techniques, I guess," he said, looking at Naruto's back. "I mean, she's the same with him, isn't she?"

"Ehhh… Forced to, really," Catra said. "The thing is, they have a magical contract. Naruto added rules to it without knowing so she has to teach him properly. Honestly, it was annoying, even now, but it was very satisfying to see her forced to follow someone else's thread who isn't Lord Hordak."

"Hmm?" Rogelio blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, it was great! I mean, it's kinda weird now," the young cat woman frowned. "At the start of all of this, she was so… angry about this. I was sure she was planning on doing more ridiculous shit but… she hasn't."

Adora nodded. "Naruto does get put through odd physical trials but she knows he likes it. He does the studying as much as he dislikes it and she stopped rebuking his requests for help about a month back."

There was a glow as Naruto conjured up that golden wind again.

"All things considered," she continued, eyes on their scout. "He's not gonna hold back and go all-in. It's honestly frustrating, a bit, that I only have this sword but I'm not even a master of it. Much less a magician."

Naruto swung.

A harsh line carved itself into the surface, the depth not that deep.

"But I'm sure he'll work with it."

He swung again.

Another harsh line.

He kept going for what had to be an hour, each of his blows filled with as much energy as the first blow.

The golden wind had grown a bit more transparent throughout the duration but that had to mean something. A noticeable increase in control as he kept hitting it.

By the end, Naruto leaned down on his knees, sweat dripping off his form, as a large harsh crack fitted itself onto the ice a foot deep.

He grinned. 'It's almost like waterfall training,' speaking of, he'd like to try and copy that.

To cut a glacier instead of just a block of ice.

"Phew," he fell onto his rear as his daughter familiar floated down next to him with a smile.

"Are you alright, dad?" She asked as he chuckled.

"I've never used up so much energy like this," magic energy wasn't like chakra.

It just filled his being and felt like emptying a 'tank', making him feel more drained with each throw of wind magic.

"Y-You good?" Kyle asked as he slid down the hill with a steaming towel in his hands. "Be careful, Naruto, hypothermia doesn't seem like a good time."

Taking the offering, Naruto wiped off with a small sigh of relief. "Honestly? I didn't even notice the cold if you'd believe it," he said, getting a hum from the cook/pilot.

"Maybe you finally did that acclimating thing?" He asked, turning to Catty for answers.

"Dad did it unconsciously," the familiar smiled. "He's gotta get better at it! I think something good will happen."

Naruto considered that with a nod. "I will."

~NRK~

The last day of his 'stationary lifestyle' passed before the fox boy was adjusting his cloak and supplies on his back in the early morning frost.

Adora and Catty were all who saw him off, the others still asleep.

"Alright, please, take care," Adora smiled, nose a bit red from the cold already. "These lands aren't gonna be nice to you, Naruto, and I don't know what the people will be like," she said, focusing on his outfit.

Wearing a pair of thick orange pants, black Bright Moon sandals in this weather, a thick black long-sleeved tunic, fingerless orange gloves, and his apprentice scarf, he nodded with a pair of goggles on his head and one of his two axes on his upper back.

"I will, I promise, you guys drilled all the usual dangers in this place into me. The giant monster mammoths, the slippery bridges, and even the hunters of the wilderness," he frowned as he turned his head out into the tundra. "Even here, it's kinda sad. Trafficking?"

Adora shook her head as Catty quickly hugged her father. "Sadly, it seems so. Due to how the weather is, Naruto, this place is kinda a hot spot for missing people. Especially in settlements, you need to be careful."

"I will," he said, hugging Catty deeply before releasing her into the air. "We'll see each other-"

Adora burned as she hugged him, head tucked beneath his chin.

Naruto was a bit shocked, blinking as he hugged her back. "... hey, come on, I'm not gonna die on you guys or get 'that hurt' again. I've gotta be around to keep this dynamic of ours going and to see you guys hit your full potential and stuff," he chuckled as she laughed a bit, patting his lower back a bit.

"Y-Yeah, well, same. Things seem to go a bit smoother while you're around… I'm not sure how well we work when you're not around," Adora said into his chest, eyes closed but eyebrows furrowed. "I need to get stronger and better to help you help us. I know Catra wants to get better, too, we're not… You told us not to think too much about it but I can't. We've hurt people…"

They held one another at arm's length, Naruto frowning softly as she sighed.

"I thought we were doing the right thing like everyone but you, I was gonna lead us well into well-known legends but now… We'd have been heading into infamy."

"You know better now, that's basically how we get better," Naruto said with a grin. "All things considered, I think we'd have been amazingly bad at being bad guys under your leadership. You might have thought all the same things as the Horde tells us, Adora, but you were better than that. I think, amongst all else?" She looked up at him in confusion. "You would have changed your mind on your own without outside help. Because you're a good person."

She burned up at his words, his praise, his compliments. '... Do I have a crush on Naruto?' That was alarming!

She let go with a nervous laugh and a snort. "A-Alright! Um, thanks, errmmm," Adora burned bright red as Naruto raised a brow.

His hand found her forehead before he placed his own against it, causing her to freeze.

"You might want to go back inside, you might be getting a fever-"

"Later!"

He blinked as she ran back inside the tent and left him there, confused.

Catty giggled as she floated in front of him.

"Yeah, I really don't get women," Naruto sweatdropped before rubbing the back of his head and walking off. "Alright, Catty, I'll be back in a week."

"Bye!"

Meanwhile, Adora was both happy most of her team was still asleep and freaking out as she tried to stop her heart's million beats per hour status.

Rogelio blinked at her, raising a very high brow before snickering.

She burned like the sun.

~NRK~

Naruto hopped over powerful landscapes, ran across icy fields & hills, and slid down icy rock, his feet covered in a golden glow.

'This place is beautiful,' despite the cold, icy winds, and snow.

These lands were mostly untouched by human hands and cast amazing hues with the sunlight.

He grinned, pulling up his scarf some more as he barely remembered his first stop.

Nebbel.

He could see the settlement on the horizon a bit, the moons' lights helping cast a bright glow over the Lands of Snow.

He hopped from icy rock to icy rock before slowing into a walk, raising a brow at the line of caravans and the like.

"... Please… Don't do this to me," he wanted to cry, really he did.

ANOTHER FREAKING PRINCESS?!

The procession was decently big, maybe twenty or so guards with smaller carriages than the larger one in the center of it all.

Bearing sharp architecture, dark blue and white colors and banners, a flap for an opening, and two of the many thick bears that carried the whole thing through.

"Whoa, those bears are…" Strong, really strong. 'Are they after those?' With some consideration between them?

The team realized that there was a high chance that Chackles wanted to infect powerful animals and monsters with the corruptive goo of the Horde's destructive actions. That spider, that supposedly tiny insect, had been made into a forest-destroying thing that would have torn up the Plumeria Kingdom if left unchecked.

Even with the Queen's guards and her magic, it'd only been harshly hurt. Were the insect trying to just destroy things… It'd have ended in a slaughter they couldn't imagine.

The moment she got something actually powerful, it'd be horrifying and almost unstoppable.

'She needs to be stopped, she's as big a threat to the world as the Horde is,' that couldn't be allowed! "Still, we need to find out what animals she's after and stop them from being controlled," Naruto said to himself before nodding.

He descended from the top of the cliff, sliding down ice and sleek rocks.

The closer he got, the more noise he heard and felt.

'What?' He blinked in surprise as he finally reached that lower level, form hissing as he took in a deep breath.

He hissed more, magical energy thrumming in his chest as he let out a frosty breath.

"Alright."

He shot off into the distance.

~NRK~

'This is bad,' her hands clenched into fists in her lap.

Sitting in the middle of her carriage, she looked at the worried citizens of her kingdoms with a pained look.

You're ten and a quarter, you shouldn't be doing this.

She shook away her inner thoughts, shivering at it.

'I-I'm fine!' Harden your visage.

She was the Princess, dammit! Her people needed her!

She couldn't be a child anymore, that was off the table as of two years ago.

Why'd dad do this to us? This isn't fair!

Her eyes trembled.

Life wasn't fair. Her people knew this more than many.

And so would she-

"Keep your distance," one of her guards said with a grimace as she perked up, head turning to the back of her carriage. "The Princess is not to be bothered!"

"Easy, dude, I'm just passing by!" A voice said, confusing her.

"?"

She crawled to the back of her cart before opening the flaps a bit.

---

Naruto blinked as he began to walk past the confused but on-guard guards.

"It's fine, I'm just heading through…" He said as his eyes caught another's.

She was young, maybe only nine? He wasn't sure.

Bearing light tan skin, cobalt blue eyes, and short dark blue hair that had two long bangs… and a familiar 'duck tail', she blinked at him, her icy-looking tiara shining atop her head.

Wearing a thick-looking dress composed of numerous blue hues with fluffy white cuffs, hem, and a collar, she looked at him in confusion.

'The Princess.'

'He's not from these lands.'

The two raised brows at one another before Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head-DID HE ONLY HAVE ONE ARM?!

Her jaw dropped at him as he hurried on ahead, eyes following him as much as she could.

'T-That looked bad!' Was he hurt in an accident? Did he actually live here?! '... He was dressed so lightly,' she was sure she'd seen steam, hadn't she? "Who was that?"

"We don't know, Princess Frosta."

~NRK~

'So, I've already seen the Princess,' Naruto thought, walking around the area with eyes going everywhere. "... Do I really stick out that badly?"

Everyone stared at his lacking arm, 'light' clothes, and/or steaming form with looks of shock, disbelief, or interest.

Even now, walking the grassy floor of Nebbel, he could lock eyes with anyone just by looking to the side.

They'd blush and look away, look sheepish, or even shoot him looks of respect, mostly the men who he could assume were hunters.

Those same men carrying scars and disfigurements of their own.

He nodded back… before heading towards them. "Yo? You know any place that's in need of a bit of work done? And an inn?"

They chatted for a bit, Naruto getting directed to quest boards and even a couple of taverns and inns.

Then, they explained something else.

"What?" Naruto balked before they all turned to look at the Princess's, Frosta's, guards and cart stopping in the middle of the street. "Doesn't she do this every year?"

"She does," a man with a scarred lip, Cogel, said with a sigh. "But things are a bit worse than that. She's here to find someone who tried to attack the castle," Naruto's jaw dropped. "They… They wore our clothing," Cogeel frowned. "And they attacked our Princess."

"Wait, so, here here?"

"Thankfully, no, but that makes it harder to find them. The Princess has already passed through many towns and villages by this point."

Naruto's eyes went to the young royalty descending from her cart before a block of ice rose up from beneath her feet. "... She's so young," he whispered softly. "And she looks so lonely."

"My people! Hear me!" Frosta declared across the town from her self-made podium, more and more individuals coming towards her from all over. "You've heard in your taverns and from your hunters that there's been a betrayal afoot," she spoke with a soft frown.

Naruto frowned deeply at her shaky confidence.

She looked nervous.

That wasn't…?

His eyes snapped to the side across the murmuring people to see a man in a dark blue cloak with his hood up.

'...' His eyes narrowed.

"The castle was attacked, I-I need your assistance in searching for the individual, or individuals, who did it," she spoke to them. 'I-I don't want to do this alone,' Frosta thought.

She winced at the looks in the crowd, worried ones, pitiful ones.

Ones that really didn't respect her as a Princess.

I don't want to be up here.

I didn't ask for this.

I don't want to d-

Her expression 'froze' over and she glared into the crowd, getting flinches out of a few.

'... If I need to scare you, I'm sorry, but I am your Princess,' she thought coldly. 'I lost the title of child long ago,' Frosta thought. "I'll be making camp outside of the village, if you should have any information, come and inform us immediately. We'll be here for a time."

Her piece said, she began to climb back into her carriage.

Naruto's eyes widened. "No!" He shouted as the Princess froze before the sound of something shooting through the air had her turning to see.

A large metal dart-

"?!"

"!"

She blinked from atop her cart, clothes and hair settling down as she balked in Naruto's arms.

There were screams as the crowd looked around in horror.

"Y-You?" Frosta whispered as he grinned before putting her down. "What?!"

"Hold on," he ruffled her hair before his eyes snapped to the rushing figure. "I'll catch him."

Her hair flew about as her eyes snapped to Naruto's descending form on a single figure. 'That's him?!' Frosta's eyes narrowed. "Assist the boy in catching that man!" She ordered, her guards jumping before half of them hurried through the crowd.

Naruto, meanwhile, blurred across roofs and shingles as he chased that grimacing figure who tried to slink away.

"Not this time!"

He shot down from a roof before tackling him.

Their forms tumbled down the road with grunts and grimaces before Naruto's eyes narrowed at a sickly green light aimed at his face.

Naruto kicked up over the sickly magic before slamming his feet into the man's biceps as wind formed in his right hand.

"RASENGAN!"

Frosta's eyes flickered as an explosion of golden wind and cold dirt, the attack's potency getting a gasp out of her.

'He's so strong!' She thought.

W-Was that a named technique, too?! I-It was SO cool!

When the dust and dirt cleared, she really saw the damage before looking intrigued.

Hurrying forward with her entourage, they saw the cart-sized hole with the blonde standing above her attacker within.

Naruto nodded to her as she came down and saw her attacker's unconscious form.

"This guy is a problem," he said to her as she frowned with a nod.

"Come with us to our tent."

~NRK~

Back with the other Horde members, Catra blinked as she stared out at the icy lands atop their tent, Naruto's extra cloak over her shoulders.

'I wonder if something happened already,' she thought with a frown. 'Seriously…'

Just the other day, she had his chin in her hand, his eyes on her, and his attention & fear.

Those three factors had seemingly touched something deep within her and she muttered with red cheeks, hair tousled by the, luckily, lighter winds of the day.

"Catra!" Adora's voice came from down below, Catra looking down to see her in front of the tent with Catty on her shoulders. "Come on! We have word from Naruto!"

---

Inside the tent, they sat around a nice fire and Catty.

The child's wing's glowed.

"So, this man, he's not just causing issues in my kingdom?"

"Nope, he's likely part of a group causing trouble all over."

"Whoa, he works quick," Scorpia said in shock as the others nodded. "I'm pretty sure that other person is the Princess."

Adora nodded, a notebook in Rogelio's hands as the young lizard man stenographed for them.

Catra's eyes trailed the girl's wings. 'So, this is also how it works,' the familiar was useful, she guessed.

"Still, this likely won't end well," Lonnie frowned. "Think about it. They found an attacker but he's not that tough, why would Chackles choose him?"

~NRK~

Naruto nodded as Frosta explained her previous passage in other villages.

"We didn't have this happen before," she frowned. "I-If that's the case, this has to mean something."

"You guys might be getting close, actually," Naruto said to her, gaining her attention.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah. It's either that or…" He cupped his chin as she leaned forward in interest. "Well, you could, maybe, already be here."

~NRK~

"If they're attacking now," Adora frowned. "After numerous villages, there's something there. Naruto's probably right."

"B-But the people! You're saying they're all not involved?" Frosta asked.

"I can sense negative emotions, Frosta, most of those people are concerned but they're not dangerous… No, I think there's a high chance that this guy might know something big," Naruto said.

"O-Oh… I hope my i-interrogation unit can handle it."

"I've heard, ya know? You haven't hit your groove yet."

"... Hit my what?" Frosta had to have asked in confusion. "G-Grooves? W-Who hits grooves?!"

"No, wait, it's just a saying. It comes from a lot of places," Naruto explained. "Like, some people say it's raining cats and dogs."

"THEY DO THAT?!"

Kyle sweatdropped while Rogelio chuckled. "I mean… I guess she's never really got to talk with normal people a lot."

"Aren't these said everywhere?" Catra raised a brow. "How the hell… What? Has she never left her house?"

"Maybe," Lonnie offered. "She's just a kid."

"Still, she's a Princess."

"I understand what Catra means," Adora said. "She's likely been protected since her royal ceremony, she's just trying her best."

"Hehe, I guess you've not heard 'em before. There's all kinds of stuff like that all over. The world's a big place, Frosta."

~NRK~

The Princess looked down before closing her eyes, taking a deep breath, and sitting back down perfectly.

Naruto smiled kindly for her and she looked away from him.

"Ma'am," one of the guards entered Frosta's tent, shooting Naruto a nod of appreciation before coming and sitting down in front of the two. "Sir, thank you for helping our Princess," he said bowing to Naruto who chuckled as Frosta blushed.

"No problem, I was worried about that guy for a bit when I first saw him, good I was right on doing so," the fox boy said.

"We're sure," he smiled before frowning. "Though, ma'am, we may require his assistance in this matter. That man, Koin, finally revealed his affiliations," the guard said as both looked at him with frowns.

"What are they? Who's after my life?" Frosta asked with a grimace.

"Apparently, there's an entire faction of them hiding in the mountains. They're in the Ava Caves… a cult that worships a 'magician's finale'… and the Horde."

~NRK~

They all winced sans Scorpia who really just frowned.

"That's a bit much," she muttered as Adora's eyes snapped to her nervously before going back to the frowning Catra.

"The actual heck?!" Frosta hissed. "W-We're dealing with a death cult?!"

"... A death cult?" Naruto asked. "Well, I can take a shot at what it is but can ya just tell me? What do you mean by a 'magician's finale'? Why?"

"They're followers of the belief in death being the 'final destination' for magicians," the guard said, sounding sick. "Magic is such an odd aspect of life, there are numerous aspects to it, sir, ma'am. Unfortunately, that leads in all directions and can have horrid offshoots."

Rogelio grimaced at that, pen working halfway into the notebook.

Kyle shivered.

Lonnie's eyes narrowed. "They sound like people fucked in the head."

"There's certainly no smart people in there," Catra muttered.

"And, from what he says, they're working with a Horde traitor. They don't know her name but they said she granted them something."

Adora's eyes widened. 'Chackles did?'

~NRK~

Naruto's eyes narrowed. 'That crazy woman's here… maybe?' It seemed so. "Did he say she was still here?"

The man sighed while shaking his head. "No, we made sure to ask him about that and he insisted she left here… a week ago," he frowned as Frosta's eyes widened. "The same time that the castle was attacked… This isn't good."

"She's the one," Frosta grimaced. "She has to be! Why would she leave so conveniently?"

"I'm of the same mind, ma'am."

"Still, we have to deal with these guys," Naruto reminded them. "Are the Ava Caves far?"

The guard nodded. "They're a three days' trek from here. They're near one of our grand lakes of rain. No wonder no one found them."

"What?"

"Our lakes are sacred," Frosta said. "They're the largest streams of drinkable water that reach throughout the kingdom. We have wells just for that purpose even in the castle. The issue is, no one goes there, they're dangerous and inhabited by the animals of our lands. Some of the most ferocious known to my kingdom… I-I don't know your name," she realized a moment later, blinking in surprise.

Naruto chuckled. "Name's Uzumaki, pleased to meet you," he answered with a smile as she tilted her head at him with her guard.

"That's a curious name," the man said as Frosta nodded.

"It's really unique," the Princess said as Naruto grinned, tail raised and slowly wagging behind him.

She giggled a bit before covering her mouth, red in the face.

The guard smiled and she mumbled.

"So, you've heard of these guys before?" The man asked the blonde. "You seemed to think so."

"Well, I know the woman they're following. She's someone by the name of 'Chackles' and she's planning something big and problematic," Naruto shook his head. "She's bad news, you guys."

He explained her looks and armor, hoping that those bits hadn't changed too much-

"Actually," Frosta covered her mouth in thought, eyes narrowed. "There was an odd commotion in Douo Village. There was word of a 'phantom' there that was constantly moving about near their borders."

"Is there anything important about that village?"

"Well, they're the most notable tamer of our country's greatest hunting wolves."

"... Crap."

~NRK~

"We can't leave that alone," Adora frowned. "If that's true, she's likely picking up animals to infect with that gunk. And if they're tough…"

"It's gonna be a shitshow," Catra grimaced. "God, this bitch is something else… So, what'll we do?" She spoke up, gaining their attention. "You guys think minding the main road out of the country is still good? It seems like she's gone already."

"I-I mean, if this is the case," Kyle rubbed the back of his head. "Then, we should inform L-Lord Hordak about this. If she's rousing up death cults-"

"She's making real big moves," Lonnie growled as Scorpia covered her mouth in terror. "Imagine if she had some positioned all around the Fright Zone? If there are magicians that'd randomly attack us, she could sneak in."

"And likely come after Naruto," Adora's eyes narrowed. "We need to stop her."

"But should we leave?" Kyle asked. "Even with my own idea, would going to this village give us anything?"

"... We don't know," Catra said before getting up. "So, I'll go and find out," she told them.

"Catra, that's…"

"It'll be fine, I've got two cloaks for coverage and I'm pretty fast, closest to Naruto in speed, remember?"

"I know but the thing is, do we know where it is?" He asked.

Adora brought out the map and placed it down by the light of the fire, Catra crouching to it.

"Douo Village is…" The blonde girl looked around. "... There, it's twenty miles from here and closer to the castle."

"Twenty miles, you sure you wanna run in that?" Lonnie shivered as Catra frowned. "Catra, that shit is no joke! We run ten miles for training and I know you're almost as tired as we are when it happens. Now, imagine that in the freaking cold and snow."

"I know! But what? We're just gonna wait? If we want to stop her, we need to chase every lead possible."

Catty's head fell while Rogelio shook his hand.

"How good are they at it?" Naruto asked Frosta.

"Good enough, they said to be able to track a person for miles, Naruto. Trust me, those wolves are tough and they're almost as big as our bears," the Princess said.

"... I-I'll go with m-C-Catra!" The familiar said before fumbling with her words.

"W-Whoa, kid! The cold!" Scorpia whined.

"But I can get us there faster!" The Nature Familiar said as she flexed her wings. "W-We can fly," she offered to Catra who grimaced.

'No, come on! Seriously?!' Why was this one of their options?!

Adora's eyes narrowed before nodding. "She's right, Catra. If this death cult is around, there's a chance they'll attack us when we're on the road. I'd like for all of us to be as high in numbers as possible. You two should go and hurry back while we prepare to leave. When you get back, we'll just go to a nearby town of your choice."

Catra hissed at that, Catty fidgeted in the middle of the tent. "Freaking… Fine, I hate this, by the way," she muttered, internally wincing at Catty's twitching ears. 'Fucking hell,' that wasn't for other ears!

She took several deep breaths before walking to a corner of the large tent and packing her bag.

"Tsk, well, it'll only be less than two days, I'd hope," she said to herself.

Catty pouted a bit before finding a hand patting her head.

"It'll be a bit tough," Adora admitted. "I don't know why Cattya doesn't like-I mean Catra," she corrected as Catty giggled a bit. "... I'll use your other name now, I know for a fact it might get confusing if we keep calling you that, for the moment."

"So, the other one?" Catty asked with bright eyes as Adora rubbed her head with a smile.

"Yep. For now, maybe even Catra will like it. Nice to meet you, Rutadora."

"Hehe~."

"What are you two talking about?" Catra asked suspiciously as Adora chuckled.

"Well, you might not have heard it but we didn't just give Catty one name," she said, confusing Catra to no end.

"What?"

"Y-Yeah, dad said I could get three," Rutadora said, confusing Catra.

"And the name we're using is…" Catra felt like something was 'up'.

And realized it a second later when she heard the name.

"R-Rutadora! That's all!" Adora said quickly as Rogelio's head slowly turned up to stare at her with squinty eyes. "It's fine, Lio!"

Catra's eyebrow twitched as her mouth dropped, 'Rutadora' giggling around the fire.

Lonnie snorted while Scorpia gasped with shining eyes.

"You're like her parents!" The big woman said with a squeal.

Adora's face burned as Kyle perked up in disbelief.

"W-Whoa, that's crazy," he muttered in surprise. "Um… I-I'm not gonna say anything," Kyle said quickly as he noted Catra's growing irritation.

"Rutadora's on the road!" Rutadora giggled as she hummed while moving to the flaps of the tent.

Catra's mind rebelled.

"Why did you take THAT from me?" It asked Adora almost angrily before the cat shook her head with a huff and followed Rutadora out.

"We're gone, I am not dealing with this shit, keep what you want," she said.

Stepping out into the cool air, Catra's mouth set into a grimace as Rutadora flew around in the air with a smile.

"Oi, kid!"

The familiar perked up. "Y-Yeah?"

"... We're going, you've seen where it is on the map, right?" Catra asked.

"Y-Yeah! Adora said it's that way," Rutadora said as she pointed in a direction.

'Not mom, huh?' No, stop it.

Why did she care? She didn't want to be a part of this.

"Whatever, let's go."

Then, the girl's form 'blinked' before a golden orb of gold and red with wings floated there.

"A-Alright!" She 'said', confusing Catra until she somehow 'latched on' to her back. "Prepare for take-off!"

"Wait, what?!" Catra choked as they began to ascend. 'When the hell could she…' Now that she considered it. 'If she can make it easy for me to move around…' Catra smirked at her ideas.

They flew higher and higher, Catra wincing at the sharp drop in temperature… before blinking at a glowing red haze over her form.

"I almost forgot!"

Catra chuckled nervously at that. "... Alright, let's head off," she declared, viewing the wide lands of the Kingdom of Snows. 'This view is ridiculous,' and the familiar had been seeing this for so long?

And Naruto would get to see it soon, too?

Well, that wasn't fair.

~NRK Out~