A/N - Okay, really wanted to work on this chapter, sooo...yeah. Chapter 13 of Legend of Naruto comin' at ya! lol.

Anyways, this chapter introduces one of my favorite characters in the game: Meru. One thing you should note is that this chapter is pretty heavy in dialogue and barely any action takes place. It should flow nicely into the next chapter, as there's going to be quite a bit of action in the new chapter after this one.

Anywho, not sure what else to say, sooo...enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 13 - Now Introducing: Meru!

As the party entered Donau, the Flower City, they couldn't help but marvel at the sheer beauty of this city. Flowers of practically every kind could be seen all over the place and even Tayuya couldn't resist smiling.

"It's beautiful here." Hinata said as she stopped to smell some of the flowers. "It's heavenly."

Tayuya nodded her head in agreement with that statement. "I've never seen anything like this. Working for that pedo snake Orochimaru never allowed me the opportunity to see things like this. I swear, I could live here for the rest of my life and never grow tired of seeing its beauty."

Shana nodded in agreement. "It's so peaceful here."

"Definitely." Naruto said before they stepped forward along the path, deciding it would be prudent to explore the city and see what they could learn about the Gehrich Gang and maybe even Lloyd.

After a moment, they were approached by a young girl who greeted them with a shy smile. "Wel-Welcome to Donau the Flower City."

Shana smiled down at her and said, "Thank you."

The girl seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at this before she exclaimed, "Thank god!" before taking a few steps away and turning to face them once again. "You don't look like bandits! Your clothes are so filthy that at first I thought you might be!" and with that being said,, she walked away to begin tending to some plants.

Albert looked himself over before looking at the others. After a moment he chuckled a bit before saying, "We really are covered in dust. It's natural the girl would be mistaken."

Dart turned to Shana and looked her over with a critical eye. Shana, feeling uncomfortable, shouted out, "Don't stare at me like that!"

Naruto frowned as he looked at Dart. He wasn't comfortable with him looking at his girlfriend so closely, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he watched as Dart shrugged his shoulders before saying, "It's not that bad."

Rose decided to get their attention by saying, "We don't have time for fooling around like that."

Haschel, smirking a bit, turned to Rose and asked, "Are you jealous?" just to tease her. He knew that she and Naruto were in a relationship, but he could still poke a little fun at her.

Rose sighed and shook her head before walking past them into the center of the area they were in. "Of course not. You know damn well I'm in a relationship with Naruto. I am just concerned about the Dragoon Spirit."

Elsewhere in Donau

"Noooooo!" somebody could be heard screaming. A young woman was being chased by bandits and was soon cornered. Turning to face her assailants, she shouted out, "What are you going to do!?"

One of the bandits grinned as he replied with, "We are deciding now!" Stepping closer to the frightened woman, the bandit looked her up and down for a moment before saying, "Hee Hee Hee…. As I expected. You are one of the Sacred Sisters of Mille Seseau aren't ya!? You have such a pretty face, don't you!?"

Bandit #2 cheered loudly before shouting out, "Great! Selling her will make us rich!"

The third bandit stepped closer and brandished a knife. "Don't make a noise and we won't harm you!"

"Some, somebody help!" the woman screamed as they grew closer to her.

It was at this point that Lloyd stepped out of a nearby building, catching the Sacred Sister's attention. Looking pleadingly at him, she shouted out, "Oh, Gentleman over there! P-please…."

The bandits each turned to face Lloyd before Bandit #1 shouted at him. "Just go away! Or you'll be sorry!"

They watched as Lloyd took a few steps away before suddenly drawing his sword. Bandit #2 glared at him and asked, "Are you gonna get in our way!?"

Turning to face them, Lloyd stared at them disinterestedly before saying, "Please continue."

"What!?" Bandit #1 exclaimed in shock.

Lloyd smirked at them and said, "If you don't mind dying."

The bandits surrounded him and drew their blades, their leader grinning evilly as he exclaimed, "YOU are the one to die!" before rushing in to attack the platinum-haired man. However, as he went to attack, he was suddenly blown away, screaming, "Argh!" as he hit the building next to the Sacred Sister.

Bandit #2 looked at his friend before staring at Lloyd in horror. "Wh-What did you do!?"

Turning to face the second bandit, Lloyd stared at him disinterestedly for a moment before asking, "Shall I continue?"

"Ahhh!" the bandits screamed before they quickly fled the area.

Sheathing his blade with a sigh, Lloyd turned to leave when the Sacred Sister called out to him. "P-Please wait! I don't know who you are, but thank you very much for helping me!"

Shrugging, Lloyd said, "It's nothing."

Taking a few steps closer to her savior, the woman shouted out, "Oh, please, let me at least have your name!"

Turning to face her, Llody said, "It's Lloyd."

"My, my name is Wink! I am a Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau!" the woman introduced herself. As she watched Lloyd walk away, she couldn't help but smile as she said, "Oh, Lloyd."

Back with Naruto & Company

It wasn't hard to spot the bandit wandering around near them. When they approached him, he said, "This city belongs to us! If you wanna survive in this city, don't mess with us!"

Quirking a brow at the bandit, Naruto stepped forward and slugged him hard in the face, sending him crashing to the ground. "Wrong. I suggest you leave this city and find some new haunt. You and your kind aren't welcome here in Donau any longer. If I catch you trying anything or harassing anybody, I'll do worse than just a punch to the face."

Pushing himself to his feet, the bandit scowled before drawing his weapon and lunging at Naruto. Sighing in disappointment, Naruto sidestepped the sloppy attack and kicked the bandit in the back of the head, sending him crashing to the ground. "I don't want to have to kill you. Leave."

Groaning in pain, the bandit stood up and turned to face the whiskered teen. "Y-you'll regret this!" he exclaimed before hurrying away.

Tayuya frowned as she looked at Naruto with a raised brow. "Was that really a good idea? What if he returns with his pals?"

"I...hadn't exactly thought of that. Hopefully they don't take out their frustrations on the city…" Naruto admitted somewhat hesitantly. "Sorry."

Sighing, the redhead shook her head before turning away from him. "All we can do is hope things don't get bad, Shithead." she said before the group began to explore the city.

As they entered the building they passed on their way into the city, they saw a woman pacing around nervously, muttering to herself. "Oh why did you go Lynn? We are having a wedding soon. It's impossible to have a talk with the Gehrichs." It was at this point that she noticed that she had guests. "Who...who are you!?" she exclaimed in a bit of a panic.

Dart quickly waved his hands in a placating gesture to try and calm her down. "Don't worry. We are not bandits."

"Really?" the woman, Kate, asked.

Shana frowned sadly as she looked into the woman's eyes. "There is something wrong, isn't there?"

"We might be able to be of some help. Tell us." Albert insisted.

Kate took a moment to think it over before she nodded decisively. "Okay. It all started this morning. When I finished my errands and came home, Lynn was gone." Sighing sadly to herself, she shook her head and continued with her tale. "In his letter…. It says he is going to persuade the gang to pull themselves out of Donau. I'm supposed to wait for him at home."

Dart quirked a brow in curiosity. "He left a letter?"

"I have an idea!" Kate suddenly exclaimed, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow in a mixture of surprise and intrigue, wondering just what she thought up. "If I show this letter to the Mayor, he might do something to help! The Mayor is Lynn's father!"

The red-clad mercenary smiled at the woman and said, "I see. Let's bring this to the Mayor. You have to wait for Lynn here."

"Oh, thank you!" Kate exclaimed as she placed the letter in Dart's hand.

As they were getting ready to leave, Hinata paused and turned to face Kate. "Um, I'm sorry, but we never got your name. I'm Hinata."

Kate blinked as the realization struck her that she hadn't given them her name throughout the entire conversation. "Oh, silly me. My name is Kate. It's a pleasure to meet all of you. Please, help my Lynn."

Nodding at her, Hinata said, "Don't worry Kate-san, I promise that we'll save your fiance. Just try not to lose hope." before the group left Kate's home.

Entering the church, they were surprised to learn from one of the people inside that there was a Sea Dragon terrorizing folks out at sea. Not only are there a bunch of bandits, but there's a Dragon on the loose too? Peachy. Naruto thought to himself silently.

When they approached a sleeping person on the other side of the room, Naruto couldn't help but quirk a brow as he listened to the man mumbling in his sleep. "Zzz. Zzz. Zzz. Pichu pichu."

"What the heck? We in the world of Pokemon now or something?" he questioned, causing the others to look at him weirdly. "Hey, it's a valid question!"

"What the heck is Pokemon?" Dart questioned unsurely.

Before Naruto could respond, Hinata whacked him in the back of the head. "Stop breaking the fourth wall, Naruto-kun."

"Yes Hina-chan." Naruto said submissively. "Sorry."

Leaning in and kissing him sweetly on the lips, Hinata smiled at him. "You're forgiven."

"Seriously, what the hell is Pokemon?" Dart questioned. When nobody responded, he let out a sigh and shook his head. "Guess I'm just not meant to know."

After leaving the church, they went up the nearby stairs into the next area of the city of Donau and saw some soldiers wandering around. When they speaked with the closest one, they learned that they were searching for the person that saved Sister Wink. Whoever that is. Naruto thought to himself with a shrug.

Speaking with the second of the soldiers, he asked, "You are warriors, aren't you? Have you heard the name, Sister Wink?"

Rose shook her head in the negative and said, "Sorry, but we don't know the person you're speaking of."

The soldier nodded in understanding. "You don't know Sister Wink. Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"It's fine. I hope you're able to find who you're looking for." Hinata said with a smile before they entered one of the nearby buildings.

Upon entrance, they saw a couple of bandits harassing the store owner. "Tut. That's it!?" the first one asked.

"Fine. We'll let you, but only today!" the second one said before turning and making his way towards the stairs leading out of the building. "Let's go!"

As the second bandit made to pass by the group, he paused to look each of them over for a moment before he and his cohort left the building. "Whatever that was about." Shana said with a shrug.

The first thing they did upon perusing the equipment store was sell their Long Bows and Haschel's Disciple Vest. Afterwards, they bought Silver Vests for Shana, Hinata, and Tayuya. They also bought Tiaras for Shana, Rose, Hinata, and Tayuya. Afterwards, they sold the Capes they were equipped with. With that, they left the store and returned to the first area of the city, passing through there to the next area on the opposite side.

Entering the tavern, they were once again surprised when they heard from the man at the bar talking about a Phantom Ship. So not only are there bandits on land and a Sea Dragon at sea, there's also a Phantom Ship plaguing the waters? Damn, this country's messed up. Tayuya thought with a wry grin.

When they neared the bandits at a nearby table, they were shocked to hear them talking about Gehrich and how he was soft on children. So the leader of the bandits is kind to children? How interesting. Rose thought.

With that, they left the bar and walked up the nearby stairs where they proceeded to enter the Mayor's house. Approaching the Butler, they listened as he said, "You cannot meet the Mayor because he is busy. I'm sorry, but please come back some other time."

Dart pulled the letter out of his pocket and showed it to the Butler. "Can you take a look at this letter?"

Looking it over, the Butler read through it before his eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror. "Th-this is…." Stepping away from the doorframe, the Butler looked at the group of heroes and shouted out, "P-Please come in!" Rushing over to the Mayor, the Butler shouted out, "Mayor! A horrible thing has happened! It's about Mr. Lynn!"

The Mayor took the letter from his Butler and frowned as he read it over. "!" he exclaimed in shock. "What kind of man would venture to face the Gehrich Gang by himself?" he wondered aloud as he read through the letter two more times to be sure he had read it correctly.

"I didn't know Mr. Lynn was that consumed with…." the Butler began, sounding nervous.

The Mayor shook his head as he took a few steps away from the group. "It was my fault for not realizing it!"

"I bet Miss Kate is very stressed." the Butler said sadly.

Walking back over to stand beside his Butler, the Mayor of Donau looked at each member of the party before shaking his head sadly. "You must go. As the Mayor, I don't want you to be involved in this."

Dart shook his head before saying, "We are already involved. The gang took something very important away from me." he explained before taking a few steps closer to the Mayor. "Where do they come from?"

The Mayor looked away uncertainly before breathing out a sigh. "They are from the Valley of Corrupted Gravity, but we don't know anything about them other than that."

The Butler frowned as he looked at the group with a serious expression on his face. "That place is very dangerous. They say nobody can come back once they enter the valley."

Before Naruto could say anything in reply to this, the Mayor turned to his Butler and shouted, "Butler! Don't say that! Lynn...Lynn went there!"

The Butler took a few steps away before releasing a quiet sigh and turning to face the Mayor. "Now, we have to gather the people of Donau and form a rescue team."

The Mayor of Donau quickly shook his head in refusal of the idea. "And then what will happen to the city? The gang might take over the city."

Stepping between the Mayor and his Butler, Dart looked into the Mayor's eyes and said, "Let us do it."

Shana smirked as she looked at her longtime friend. "You were planning to go anyway, weren't you?"

"Of course he was. We all were." Naruto said with a grin.

The Mayor turned to Dart and shouted out, "Oh...it is encouraging to hear that warriors like you are going! Now, I can face those punks in our city with courage!"

Naruto grinned at him and nodded. "Good luck. I'm rooting for you and the people of this city. Leave rescuing Lynn to us!"

And with that, they gathered the piece of Stardust from the sink, making that the second and last piece of Stardust they found in the city of Donau, the first they received from one of the fountains at the entrance of the city. Afterwards, they left the Mayor's house, ready to make their way out of the city and towards the Valley of Corrupted Gravity.

As they made their way down the stairs, they heard a commotion down below. "Hey you, alky! How dare you touch my butt!"

Chuckling could be heard from the woman's harasser. "Don't be silly! Why would I dare to touch the butt of a kid like you?"

"What did you say!?" the girl questioned angrily. "I could forgive you if you'd admit that I am too sexy to ignore and apologize!"

The bandits looked at one another in complete bewilderment before the boss asked, "Huh? Is this kid dreaming or what?"

Throwing her fists up and quivering in rage, the young woman shouted out, "I can't stand it anymore!" before decking all three of them, knocking them to the ground roughly.

Pushing himself to his feet while his cohorts did the same, the boss shouted out, "Ouch…! You! You don't know who we are!?"

Looking between the bandits, the platinum-haired girl said, "I know."

"You think you can get away with it!?" the boss questioned angrily.

"Let me see….I think so!" the girl exclaimed with a big grin on her face. Shortly afterwards, the bandits fled in fear, but not before one of them shouted out, "Darn! You'll pay for this!"

"I won't be paying you!" the girl exclaimed as she watched them flee.

Shana looked at the girl uncertainly for a moment before asking, "Doesn't she have a better way to say goodbye?"

Turning back to face the group of heroes, the girl took hold of her large hammer and said, "Are you one of the Gehrich Gang? Do you want me to smash you too!?"

Albert frowned as he looked at her carefully. "Platinum hair…. The same as Lloyd."

Haschel smirked as he looked her over. "The rest is different."

Naruto sighed and palmed his face before looking into the girl's eyes. "Do we look like we're with that gang of losers?"

The girl looked them over carefully before asking, "Are you maybe one of my groupies? Hmm, don't seem like it though." Pacing a bit and looking them over once more, she frowned in thought. "You guys...are some strange group of people." Walking up to Dart, she looked him in the eyes before asking, "What's your name?"

"It's Dart." he replied.

The girl spun in place before throwing her hand up into the air with a cheer. "Mine's Meru! I'm the best dancer in Donau!"

Rose sighed and shook her head as she looked at Dart. "We don't have time for playing with a kid."

Albert nodded once in agreement. "I agree. We can't waste any time if we are going to help Lynn."

Shana stepped up to the girl and said, "Sorry. But we gotta get going."

Before anyone could so much as take a step away or say anything else, Meru rushed over to Rose and Albert and exclaimed, "You said Lynn!? Then you guys are going to rescue Lynn!"

Dart raised a brow in curiosity as he asked, "How did you find out about that?"

Meru stepped back in front of Dart and turned to face the group again. "'Cuz I heard it from Kate. But people in this city are all chickens, right? So I was gonna make a raid on their hideout! Then those bastards gave me a hard time! I guess they didn't take me seriously 'cuz I'm alone." After a moment of kicking idly at the ground, she turned to face the group again and shouted out, "You know what!? I'm gonna go with you guys!" Seeing the look on Dart's face, she walked up to him and poked him hard in the chest. "Hey, you don't need to make such a face!"

Rose sighed and shook her head in annoyance. "Just leave her alone. Let's go."

Before they could walk off, Meru shouted, "Hold on! Do you guys know where the hideout is?"

"It's somewhere in the Valley of Corrupted Gravity, isn't it?" Dart questioned.

Meru smirked as she stepped away and turned to face them once again, waving her arms dramatically. "Wow, how naive! You make it sound easy, but you cannot go through such a mell of a hess kind a place without a person like me whose totally knowledgeable and totally pretty! Besides, you need the Permission of the King just to enter the valley! Don't ya know that!?"

Shana turned to Dart at this point and asked, "What are we going to do Dart? This girl is serious."

Dart folded his arms across his chest and hummed in thought for a moment before saying, "Oh well, you can come."

Rose looked at Dart disbelievingly. "Are you serious?"

Naruto frowned at Rose and said, "Is that a problem? I like her. I think she'll make a good addition to our group."

Before Rose could say anything in reply, Dart spoke up in response to her question. "We can trust her intentions to rescue Lynn. Besides, we don't know the place. We might need a guide."

"Right! He's completely right!" Meru exclaimed as she bounced around. Rushing past the group, she placed her hands on her hips and shouted out, "Now, let's go! Beautiful dancer Meru, and friends, form a posse for dealing with the Gehrich Gang!"

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Great to have you with us Meru-chan. Looking forward to seeing what you can do!"

Meru turned and grinned at the blonde. "Nice to meetcha! What's your name?"

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki. I'm a ninja of the village of Konohagakure. Same as Hinata-chan here, and I suppose Tayuya's part of the village now as well, huh?" he said, looking at the redhead.

Tayuya shrugged her shoulders and said, "Yeah, Shithead's right. I'm technically part of their village now, though I don't wear anything to show it. We're kind of on a long term mission to deal with a bunch of crazy shit."

The dancer of Donau looked between them before nodding once in understanding. "I see. So you guys are some of these shinobi people I've seen around? Cool! Though some of them were kinda mean. Walking around like they owned the place and threatening to kill people if they were disobedient or what they called 'bloodline users'. They weren't very nice."

Dart frowned at this and shook his head. "Sounds like the loyalist shinobi that work for that Yagura fellow we've heard about. If they're here, that's not good for the rebel faction."

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Tell me about it. This is still way too close to their hideout. We might have to step in and do something soon."

Rose scowled at this and shook her head. "Getting the Dragoon Spirit back takes priority over everything else."

Hinata frowned at Rose and shook her head. "We'll get it back Rose-san, but we can't just ignore people in need. Please try to understand that."

Before Rose could reply, Naruto took her hand in his and smiled at her. "It'll be okay Rose-chan. I know you're in a hurry to retrieve the Red-Eyed Dragoon Spirit, but we can't rush through this. It'll take some time, but I promise you that we'll get it back. We need to do what we can right now."

Looking into her boyfriend's eyes, Rose frowned for a moment before releasing a sigh and nodding her head. "Fine. You win. I just hate that we lost it like that."

"I know sweetie. I understand. But we will get it back and make the Gehrich Gang pay for what they've done." he promised.

Meru looked between them all curiously before throwing her hands up in the air somewhat childishly. "I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but it sounds serious! You're gonna have to explain it to me."

Dart nodded slowly and began to explain everything to her. After he was finished, the platinum-haired girl nodded a couple of times before saying, "Well...damn. That does sound serious. And you're chasing after this Lloyd guy too? Wow. You guys have a lot of stuff going on! But now that I'm here, everything will be a-okay!" she cheered.

Naruto chuckled a bit and nodded his head. "You're going to fit in quite well with us, I'm sure."

After their conversation had finished, they gave Meru the Morning Star they had been holding on to so she could equip it in place of the Mace she was carrying. Afterwards, she equipped the Red-Eye Stone to help negate some of the damage Fire-based attacks would do to her, as she was a water element by nature and therefore Fire-based attacks would deal increased damage to her.

With that done, they turned and began to make their way back towards the entrance of Donau. They needed to get some rest at the inn, so they made their way there. They hoped they'd be able to take baths and wash their armor and clothes so they wouldn't be so dirty anymore during their stay.

As they entered the inn, they saw a rather big man behind the counter. They found out that while he was big in stature, he was timid and not very capable of looking out for himself, but that his stature intimidated people enough that they left him alone. His brother, a smaller man by comparison, was hired on as his bodyguard.

Putting that thought aside, they paid the 20 Gold to spend the night and the girls of the group went off to take baths while the men of the group began to try and clean all the grime and dust off of their armor and clothes.

It was as they were doing this that they were approached by a shinobi from Mizu no Kuni. Naruto, quickly taking a kunai in hand, spun around and pressed his blade to the neck of the shinobi that had been creeping up on them. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The young man raised his hands in surrender and said, "Wait, wait! I'm just a messenger from Mei-sama! We have another mission for you."

Lowering his kunai, Naruto nodded his head slowly before he resumed cleaning his clothes. "Speak then. What's the new mission?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, the shinobi began speaking, "We've received word that a number of Yagura's forces have taken up residence in a place called the Valley of Corrupted Gravity. We don't know what they're doing there, but it's a tad too close for comfort. Mei-sama wants you to eliminate all of the enemies within that valley. We'll take care of cleaning up the mess, so long as you're able to eliminate all of them."

Albert looked over at the shinobi and nodded his head in understanding. "Alright, we can do that. That's where we were headed next anyways, so it works out for us alright. Thank you sir."

"N-no problem." the man said before he looked back at Naruto. "You're a bit scary, I hope you know that." he said before vanishing in a Body Flicker.

Naruto sighed and nodded his head. "Can't help it if I'm a bit jumpy. We're in the middle of a damn civil war. Enemies could be everywhere." he said before shaking his head. "Going from one war right into another. How fun this is."

The Next Day

Before leaving the city of Donau, they sold the Mace and the Bracelet Meru had been equipped with initially. Afterwards, they left and made their way back through the Barrens, fighting a number of monsters along the way. Thankfully, they weren't much of a threat, but they still had to be cautious about some of their foes.

As the party entered Fletz once more, Albert paused and looked at everyone, reminding them of why they were here. "We need the permission of the Tiberoan King to enter the Valley of Corrupted Gravity."

Dart nodded once before asking, "Have you met him?"

Hinata piped in at this point. "If you two are familiar with one another, it would certainly help us."

Albert nodded in understanding before he paused to think on it for a moment, his hand stroking his chin. "I think I met him several times when I was little."

"If the king remembers you, it'll be quick." Dart said with the utmost certainty.

"That's our king! Dignity, huh?" Meru said, a bright smile on her face.

Albert frowned and shook his head as he took a few steps away from the group. "I am not going to reveal my identity. I am not traveling as the King of Serdio. I am traveling as your companion, and Lavitz's friend."

Naruto frowned at this and folded his arms across his chest. "That's nice and all, but if you aren't going to announce yourself as the King of Serdio, then that brings up the question of how the hell we're supposed to get in to meet with the king here. We do kinda need that pass, after all."

Dart shook his head before looking towards the Twin Castle. "We'll worry about that when we get there. Who knows? We might just get lucky."

"Yeah, knowing how my luck works, I'd say we'd have a better chance of learning to fly without having to transform." Naruto muttered, but ended up shrugging afterwards. "Oh well. Might as well give talking to the big guard a shot and see what happens."

As they approached the giant guard (what, he's huge?!), Meru stepped up to him and put her hands on her hips, looking into the guard's eyes with a narrowed gaze. "Hey! Can you get out of our way!?"

The Giant Gate Keeper shook his head and looked down at the platinum-haired girl. "No way. No strangers can go through here."

"Never!?" Meru exclaimed in disbelief.

The Gate Keeper nodded in affirmation. "Never."

Meru sighed and walked over to the others before looking up at Dart. "That big man is blocking our way. I'm gonna take care of that." she said determinedly before turning to face the Giant Gate Keeper. Without warning, she charged at him and attempted to tackle him to the ground, only to end up on the ground herself after she hit him. It was like she had just tackled a solid wall! "Ouch!" she exclaimed as she rubbed her sore bottom.

"I-I didn't do anything. You bumped into me by yourself. You can't enter the castle by doing that." the Giant Gate Keeper said with a frown on his face.

Meru, frustrated by this, stood up and got into his face, well, at least that was the intention. It was more like she barely reached above his belly. "Hey big belly! Why can't you let us in!?" Grumbling to herself, she walked over to Albert and exclaimed, "Hey Al! You are a king! Can you do something about it!?"

Albert quickly shushed her and whispered, "Shhh! That's secret!"

Throwing her hands up in the air in frustration, the dancer turned to Dart and pointed at his face. "Aw! Come on! Dart! Do something!"

With this being said, Dart rubbed the back of his head and walked up to the Giant Gate Keeper with Shana, Hikari, and Meru joining him. "There is no way you can let us in?" he questioned.

Once again, the Giant nodded his head. "There are lots of bandits walking around. I was told to never let anybody in."

Shana spoke up at this point, getting the Gate Keeper's attention. "Can we at least send a message to the King?"

As he stared at her, the Giant blushed a bit and said, "You are...pretty…." and took a few steps closer to her, causing her to back up along with the others.

"Wh-What did you say?" Shana stuttered out, feeling a tad nervous under the Gate Keeper's gaze. "I'm in a relationship!"

This seemed to snap the Gate Keeper out of it as he quickly resumed his post. "Oops, I am on duty. I cannot let you in. I cannot let any strangers in."

Rejoining the rest of the group, Naruto had a scowl on his face as he said, "I thought he was about to try and hug you or something."

Shana shook her head and just hugged her boyfriend tight. "That...was kinda scary." she admitted.

Dart simply shrugged his shoulders as Meru looked up at him again. "What are we gonna do?" she asked him.

Folding his arms across his chest, Dart stood in thought for a moment before he whispered, "Let's retreat now."

Haschel nodded and whispered back, "It's a sober judgement."

Obviously having heard them, the Giant Gate Keeper said, "Oh! Finally you are leaving! Come back if you find someone to vouch for you."

Albert looked curious as he looked into Dart's eyes. "Nello the Green Planner. Do you think he knows somebody in the royal family?"

Haschel was quick to offer up his own suggestion. "How about Kaffi!?"

Figuring it was worth a shot, Dart said, "Let's go back downtown okay?"

Returning to the entrance of Fletz, the group quickly approached Nello, who was tending to his garden. Patting him on the shoulder to get his attention, Dart decided to explain their situation. After he had done so, Nello was shocked. "What!? You want to go to the Valley of Corrupted Gravity!? I recommend you change your mind! Lately they say, the Barrens are infested by bandits called the Gehrichs. Of course, when the earth is filled with green, I think those gangs will change their attitude."

When Nello turned away to resume tending to his garden, Hinata patted him on the shoulder and smiled up at him. "Can you please help us Nello-san?"

Looking at the teenage girl, Nello frowned and shook his head. "The King's permission is required to go to the Valley of Corrupted Gravity. I cannot help you. I'm more than happy to talk about plants that can grow in the barrens, but I cannot help you in going to the Castle."

They nodded in understanding before they walked away. Upon reaching the bridge, Naruto frowned and said, "Well, that was a bust. Let's see if Kaffi can help us somehow. Otherwise, I think I might know who can help us."

"Oh?" Haschel said, clearly curious about who Naruto had in mind. "Who do you have in mind?"

Smirking at his friend, Naruto shook his head and held a finger up to his lips. "I'll tell you after we talk to Kaffi. If I'm right, this person will be quite helpful."

And with that, the group approached and entered the tavern so they could not only speak to Kaffi, but deliver the two new pieces of Stardust to Martel. Doing just that and realizing that they had given her 27 Stardust in total now, they bid Martel farewell before they approached Kaffi.

Patting her on the shoulder to get her attention, Dart offered Kaffi a friendly smile as she spoke up. "Hey! You're back! What would you like?" Once more explaining the situation, Kaffi was clearly confused as she exclaimed, "What? The Valley of Corrupted Gravity!? We don't have such a cocktail!" Explaining it once more to her so that she understood this time, she once again spoke up, "Why are you thinking that you wanna go there!? I dunno what you have in mind, but just chug-a-lug up and fawgetaboutit!"

At this point, Kaffi's boss shouted at her, "Hey! Kaffi! We are not that kind of bar!"

Chuckling somewhat nervously, Kaffi turned back to Dart and the gang and said, "Sorry, I got bawled out again. But, if you really wanna go there, you hafta ask the King."

As Kaffi returned to work, Albert walked up to her and got her attention once more. "Sorry to disturb you again while you're in the middle of your work, but do you think you can assist us and help us get into the castle?"

Frowning at this, Kaffi shook her head sadly. "How can I enter the castle? Even with this hip Kaffi, it's still a mystery. Hmm…. Can you ask somebody else about the castle? Hey, but if you come here as customers, I'll give you something extra!" she promised.

Returning to the group, Albert sighed and shook his head. "She can't help us either. Who did you have in mind, Naruto?"

As they left the tavern, Naruto glanced over his shoulder at everyone and said, "Fester. If we can find Fester, I'm positive he can help us enter the castle. After all, he told us that he's Princess Lisa's governor. He clearly has access to the castle, and therefore should have enough sway to get us in as well. All we need to do is find him, wherever he is, and ask for his help."

Meru clapped her hands and said excitedly, "Naruto! You're a genius!" before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Naruto found himself blushing a bit as he looked into Meru's eyes, stunned by what she had just done. His girlfriends, on the other hand, were scowling at her for doing such a thing. "Um...thank you? You're...quite forward, aren't you?"

Nodding excitedly, Meru shouted out, "Yep! Now c'mon, let's go on the hunt for Festy-Fester!"

After a bit of searching, they came across Fester in the item shop. As they approached, they could hear him muttering to himself. "Hmm...it's a little expensive. If I curtail food…."

Approaching him, Dart patted him on the shoulder to get his attention. When Fester turned around, he said, "Oh, Dart. Are you looking for something?"

"No, I am not." Dart said.

"Oh, you look troubled." Fester said with a frown. "I would like to say I can help you, but I am a little busy now." Walking past Dart so he could examine something, Fester continued saying, "It will be over soon. I need some materials on stars for my research. I have to look in a couple of more places." Walking towards the shop's entrance/exit, he stopped and turned around to face the group. "I have to go now. When I finish my errand, I'll be available. Ask me whatever you want." And with that, Fester turned and left the shop.

Following him out of the shop, they looked around, trying to figure out where he had gone to this time. Naruto, being a sensor, quickly found him and led the way to the market stalls a little north of their location, where the Giant Gate Keeper was standing.

Approaching him once again, Dart patted Fester on the shoulder to get his attention once more. When the astrologist turned around, he was surprised to see the group once again. "Oh boy. We run into each other again. Was your problem solved yet?"

"Not yet." Dart said. "I guess you are the only person we can ask, Fester."

Nodding in understanding, Fester said, "I see. Fine. i have finished my errand. You can come to my house and talk." and with that, Fester led the party back to his house where Dart explained their situation to him.

Once Dart had finished, Fester reached up and stroked at his chin for a moment as he thought things over. "Gehrich Gang, I see. They must have taken one of your most important possessions, if you are thinking of venturing directly into their hideout."

Dart nodded. "It's not just a memento. It means more than that to me."

"We're gonna rescue Lynn, too!" Meru exclaimed.

Looking around at everyone for a moment, Fester nodded in understanding. "I understand. Shall we go to the castle? I can take care of it. I have a side business in addition to being an astronomer that lets me freely enter the castle."

Meru, curious about what he meant, asked, "What are you doin' Fester?"

Dart spoke up at this point to explain for Fester. "He is a governor. Just like Naruto said before."

Fester nodded and offered them all a smile. "Yes I am. You can enter the castle by mentioning my name."

"Oh. Can't you answer some other way than that? That's boring." Meru complained.

"You, you think so?" Dart questioned a bit unsurely.

It was at this point that a bell began to ring, catching everyone's attention. After it had stopped, Fester said, "It's time to go. Let's head to the Twin Castle. Follow me."

As they followed him outside, they saw that it had turned dark, meaning they had once again been chatting with somebody for quite a while. Following Fester to the castle, they watched as he spoke to the Giant Gate Keeper. When he stepped aside and allowed them entrance into the castle, the group was glad to see him move finally.

Entering the castle, they continued to follow Fester as he led them to the throne room. Once there, everyone took a knee and bowed their heads to the king as a sign of respect. "I am here, Your Majesty." Fester said.

Rising from his throne, the king took a few steps forward and said, "Oh, Fester! Please take care of my dear Princess Lisa, for today!" It was at this point that he noticed the others and frowned as he rubbed at his chin in thought. "By the way, I think I have some problem with my eyes. I see many Festers."

Fester took a few steps forward until he was standing on the bottom step of the stairs leading up to the thrones. "King Zior… There is only one of me. These people are my friends, Your Majesty."

"Oh, indeed there is only one Fester! And, what is their request?" Zior questioned.

Albert, taking the initiative, stepped forward and said, "We are here to request permission to enter the Valley of Corrupted Gravity."

"Hmm...Fester...I think I've heard of the "Valley of Corrupted Gravity"... Was it my imagination?"

Fester shook his head. "King Zior… Your ears are fine too. These people need to talk to the Gehrich Gang so they would like to go to the Valley of Corrupted Gravity."

"Oh, you too!" the King exclaimed in surprise. "Well, the other day, a young man named Lynn came to me for the same reason." he explained. "It seems being a daredevil is becoming trendy nowadays."

"We are not going there for a picnic." Dart explained somewhat impatiently.

The King sat in his throne again and said, "You understand all the risks. Fine. Servant! Bring the pass for them!"

Sure enough, a young man walked forward and gave Dart the Pass for the Valley of Corrupted Gravity. Looking them over, King Zior said, "Be careful!"

"I appreciate this Your Majesty." Dart said thankfully.

Before they could turn and leave, King Zior stood up once again and said, "It is late already. Why don't you relax in the castle?"

As the group left the throne room, Fester stopped and turned to face them. "I am going back to work. Princess Lisa's studies are going very well by herself." And with that, they watched as the governor left to go visit with Princess Lisa.

Talking to the nearby guard, they were informed that the throne room in which they had just met with King Zior was actually called the Chamber of the Sun. Interesting name. I wonder why they call it that. Naruto thought to himself.

Talking to another guard, this one on the western side of the entrance hall, they learned that the tower on the west was called the Moon Tower and that it was the place that housed Princess Emille's room.

Glancing back down below at one of the statues, Naruto frowned as he saw something glinting in the statue on the eastern side. Hopping down there, the blonde stepped up to the statue and smiled as he grabbed the piece of Stardust and held it up to his eye, admiring the beauty of it. "Well, one more piece of Stardust for us." he said with a grin before rejoining the others.

Speaking to the guard near the guest chambers, they learned that the eastern tower was called the Star Tower and it was there that Princess Lisa's room was located.

Seeing as they couldn't explore the castle right now and they couldn't exactly leave the city, the group entered the guest chambers. Upon entering, they saw a maid hard at work. Approaching her, they struck up a conversation with her and learned that King Zior had also been acting strangely as of late.

Leaving the room, they ventured towards the entrance of the Twin Castle, preparing to go and wander the town a bit at night and see what it was like during the nighttime hours. However, as they were about to leave, a voice called out to them. "Excuse me, Your Majesty Albert."

Looking at Albert, Naruto couldn't help the grin that plastered itself on his face. "For trying to stay incognito, you were found out pretty quickly." he teased.

Albert could only sigh as they turned around to face the one who had called out to them. As the woman approached, a maid by the looks of her, she said, "I am Libria, the Lady's maid for Princess Lisa. Princess Lisa had me call you and your company."

The King of Serdio's expression showed that he was a bit shocked by this declaration. Then, as if realization had dawned on him, he said, "...Princess Lisa knew of our visit."

Libria nodded once before replying, "She speaks with the stars and knows the future. Astrology shows her the way." Turning, she walked to the bottom of the stairs before turning to face them once again. "This way please."

Dart frowned as he stepped up next to Albert. "What is going on?"

"We will find out when we meet Princess Lisa." Albert said as he began to follow after Libria.

They soon entered the Chamber of the Sun and exited out onto the balcony overlooking the sea. Once there, they looked over the princess before them and had to admit to themselves that she was quite attractive, though from what they had heard from people, Princess Emille was the one that was more renowned for her beauty.

Turning to face her guests, Lisa said, "Welcome, Albert, the King of Serdio. I am Lisa, the younger sister of Emille. I have invited you here because I have a favor to ask of you."

Before anyone could say anything in response, Meru rushed past them and looked at the group. "Hey wait a minute! How does she know he's a king?"

Hinata frowned at Meru and shook her head. "Her maid already told us that she can commune with the stars. It's quite likely that she already foresaw our visit and knew who he was from that."

Dart frowned at Meru and nodded his head in agreement with Hinata's assessment. "Albert was talking about it a moment ago, wasn't he? Princess Lisa found out about it through astrology."

Haschel rushed up in front of the group this time and looked at them. "Hold there! What the heck is astrology?"

Shana took this time to explain it to Haschel in her own words. "It is the telling of a person's fortune from the location of the stars."

Princess Lisa began to giggle at this, catching their attention. "...You have such amusing friends." she said to Albert.

After Meru and Haschel returned to their previous positions towards the back of the group, Dart turned to Lisa once more and said, "Please continue."

Nodding once in thanks, Lisa said, "It is about my sister Emille."

Albert frowned at this and asked, "What has happened to the princess? I cannot believe that's her normal self…."

Naruto nodded his head in agreement. "True. Besides, we already know she's an impostor thanks to Hinata's Byakugan and my sensory abilities. Still, let's hear with Princess Lisa has to say."

"Well, it started a half year ago." Lisa started. "Back then, my sister Emille was very kind, and my...or everyone in the country admired her. It all started when the two of us went horseback riding. Suddenly, my sister Emille's horse bucked and ran away to the forest."

"What about Princess Emille?" Shana questioned curiously.

"It seemed that my sister lost consciousness, and couldn't control the horse. I chased her with my vassals. My sister was on the ground in the forest. Fortunately, she didn't have any injuries. Everybody felt profound relief. However, when my sister Emille came to, she was a completely different person. Everyone says it is because she hit herself on her head, however, something more than her language and attitude was wrong. It was as if she was a different person…"

"Does anybody doubt the change? How about King Zior?" Albert questioned.

Lisa sighed and shook her head as she turned her back on them. "No, instead he was happy to see my sister Emille become so active… I heard you are heading to the Valley of Corrupted Gravity. And I have a favor to ask. I would like you to find out about the relationship between my sister Emille and the Gehrich Gang."

"The relationship between Princess Emille and the Gehrich?" Dart questioned somewhat unsurely.

Lisa nodded once. "Tiberoa appears to be peaceful, however, we are having a serious problem. It is infested with bandits. Not to mention that our world was combined with another some time ago and we have a whole new situation to worry about with the shinobi of the other world and the civil war that has been taking place here in Tiberoa and Mizu no Kuni."

Meru nodded as she exclaimed, "Donau is totally awful now!"

"I know. However, it used to be different. Yes, until a half year ago." Lisa said.

Haschel nodded in understanding. "It was the same time Princess Emille began acting strange."

"Astrology also says there is some kind of relationship between my sister and the Gehrichs. And one more thing… The stars told me "Never hand over the Moon". My sister will celebrate her 20th birthday soon. At the ceremony, the Tiberoan national treasure, the Moon Dagger will be passed down to my sister Emille. I assume the "Moon" refers to that." Lisa explained.

"The second divine moon object." Albert said as he nodded a couple of times in understanding.

"First the Moon Gem Lloyd took from Albert, and now this Moon Dagger. I'm willing to bet Lloyd's goal is to get his hands on that treasure." Naruto said.

Dart nodded in agreement. "It is linked with Lloyd."

"I have to find out the truth before the ceremony. About the relationship between my sister Emille and the Gehrich Gang. Would you please look into this for me?"

"We will." Dart said. "We have no reason not to because our original intention was to pursue the Gehrich Gang."

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Lisa said sincerely.

It was at this point that they were interrupted by one of the servants calling out to them. "The dinner will be ready soon your highness."

Lisa was shocked as she turned to face the party once again. "Oh, is it already that late? Oh, I forgot about Fester! I left him in my room!" Taking a few steps away from them, she turned to face them once more. "I am expecting you there."

After Lisa walked off, Libria walked up to the group and said, "King Zior also said to invite everyone. When you are ready, please let me know. I will take you to the dining room."

After Libria walked away, Meru stepped in front of everyone and grinned. "I was totally right about coming with you Dart! I was expecting these things to happen!"

Haschel walked up to Meru with a grin on his face. "Right!? I am looking forward to it! I wonder what I can feast on there!"

It was at this point that Naruto's stomach rumbled and he scratched at the back of his head sheepishly. "I haven't eaten anything all day. I'm looking forward to a nice, hot meal."

Tayuya nodded her head in agreement. "Agreed, Shithead. I could go for some grub right now myself."

Once they were back in the entrance hall of the Twin Castle, they approached Libria who asked them, "Oh, everyone. Are you ready for dinner?"

Dart nodded in affirmation. "Yes, we are ready."

"Now, I will show you the way to the dining room." Libria said before she led them to the dining room.

Once there and the food had been served, the group couldn't help but stare at the impostor Princess Emille and her eating habits. It was a horrendous sight to behold and it made some of them feel a little sick.

"Please make yourself at home!" King Zior shouted. Seeing how they were looking at his daughter, the king said, "Haa Haa Haa! Isn't she a great eater!? It seems when girls become 20 years old they develop quite an appetite!"

Is he really that delusional? Naruto wondered as he stared at the king with a deadpan expression on his face. This guy's got some serious problems and quite a few screws loose if he can't see that his daughter's behaving completely differently from how the real Emille behaves. How can this guy be such an idiot?

"Oh, Fester? Would you introduce our guests to Emille?" Zior requested.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Fester said.

The impostor Princess Emille turned to Fester and said, "Oh, I didn't know you were here, Fester. Are you still wasting time on useless things? Those things with moons or stars?"

"L-let me introduce my friends, Your Highness! This…" Fester began before he was rudely interrupted.

Emille looked at Dart, Albert, and Naruto for a moment before saying, "You, you, and you. What's your name?"

Dart, seeing no harm in telling the woman his name, said, "I'm Dart."

"I am Albert. It is a pleasure to meet you." the King of Serdio said politely.

Naruto frowned as he looked into the impostor's eyes. "The name's Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meetcha." he said politely as he forced a smile onto his face.

"You are cute guys. I like you." Emille said with a smile.

Fester breathed a sigh of relief at that before he began to speak again. "I am glad to hear that. And these…."

Once again, Fester was interrupted by Emille. "I didn't ask you about the others."

King Zior smiled at his guests and said, "Oh, please don't be insulted. Emille is a bit shy."

Really? How can this guy be that big of a moron?! Hikari thought to herself frustratedly. It was insane how stupid this king was!

"I'm not shy! I don't like them. That's all! Hey! Bring more food will ya!?" Emille hollered.

Lisa sighed before she spoke up. "Please enjoy your meal. I assume you are leaving early tomorrow morning?"

"Where are you going?" Emille questioned curiously.

Zior smiled at his daughter and said, "Well, they are saying that they want to go to the Valley of Corrupted Gravity. They understand the risk so I have granted them permission."

Shocked by this, Emille dropped her knife on the floor before leaning down and picking it up, resuming her feasting. "Huh! Stupid guys!"

"Come on! Enjoy yourself! Let yourself go tonight!" King Zior encouraged his guests.

She really doesn't want us to go there. This impostor is definitely involved with those bandits. I just wonder how deeply their relationship goes. Naruto wondered curiously to himself.

Later

After the dinner, the party was once more on the balcony just outside the Chamber of the Sun. "Can people change that much from only the shock of falling from a horse?" Albert questioned.

"I can produce the same impact with my fist." Haschel admitted shamelessly.

"It won't work!" Shana exclaimed. "Besides, if Naruto and Hinata are right, then this has nothing to do with a blow to the head."

"Then with my hammer!" Meru exclaimed, totally ignoring what was just said.

Dart sighed and shook his head. "It won't work either."

It was at this point that Princess Lisa walked up to them. "Everyone, it is getting late. Please stay at the castle tonight."

"Thank you for your concern." Albert said with a warm smile on his face.

"It is fine. It is me asking you the favor. Have a good night."

At this point, Lisa left and Libria, her maid, walked up to them. "This way please. I will show you the way to your bedroom."

Following her, they once more exited the Chamber of the Sun and quietly walked with Libria as she led them to their bedroom for the night. Once inside and Libria had departed, Shana let out a sigh. Sitting down on one of the beds, she looked at Dart with a frown. "You don't like such a formal feast, do you Dart? Aren't you tired?" she questioned before looking at her boyfriend. "You looked a bit uncomfortable too Naruto. Are you okay?"

"I would rather practice with my sword." Dart admitted.

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "I just find it hard to believe that King Zior is such a fool. It's pretty much impossible to not see that Emille isn't the same as she used to be. Something's very wrong, but he seems excited about the change. That...and I couldn't really enjoy the meal, what with the impostor's horrible eating habits."

Meru pouted as she walked up next to Naruto. "I didn't have enough to eat! Princess Emille stole my portion!"

"Me neither. And I was looking forward to it." Haschel admitted with a sigh.

Hearing this, Naruto sighed and pulled a scroll out of his pack before pouring chakra into the seal on it. Out came a few pieces of fruit. He gave an orange to Meru and an apple to Haschel. "It's not much, but here. Enjoy them."

Albert spoke up at this point after Haschel and Meru had thanked Naruto for the fruit. "I understand Princess Lisa's hardship." After everyone nodded in agreement, he continued. "But, Princess Emille might lead us to Lloyd. The Moon Dagger is our guide."

"Everything leads to the Gehrich." Dart said as she sat upon his chosen bed.

Shana nodded in agreement with that. "It all started with the Dragoon Spirit."

"We have to get it back quick or it'll be too risky." Dart said frustratedly.

Rose stood up again and glared at Dart. "You shouldn't have let it be taken to start with, then."

Haschel frowned at Rose and said, "You are harsh as always. There are some other ways to say that. Why don't you show a little smile at least?"

The Darkness Dragoon frowned and shook her head. "I smile. I smile plenty when I'm with Naruto."

Naruto blushed a bit before he chuckled. "Yeah. Rose-chan has a beautiful smile."

Blushing a bit, Rose turned around and said, "Good night." before walking off to find a bed for herself. After a moment, she turned to Naruto and said, "Come on Naruto, let's cuddle and get some sleep."

Naruto chuckled a bit and nodded as he followed his girlfriend to her chosen bed. Shana, meanwhile, laid back on her chosen bed and sighed. "I'm getting sleepy too."

Albert nodded before turning away. "I'll get some sleep too." he said before walking off to pick his own bed.

As everyone walked off to a bed, Dart smiled at Shana and said, "Good night, Shana." Afterwards, he walked up to Meru and asked, "Won't you sleep?"

Meru smirked at him and said, "I'll be in danger if I go to sleep before Dart."

Dart, oblivious to what she meant, asked, "What are you talking about?" When she didn't reply, he sighed and walked over to Haschel. "Thinking about something?"

Haschel nodded as he said, "Being with you young people reminds me of Claire."

Meru stepped up to them and asked, "What's she like?"

"She had a strong will. She suffered by herself, decided things by herself." Haschel explained.

"Same here!" Meru exclaimed.

"Call me a fond parent, but she looked like her beautiful mother. She was a strong fighter, but her heart was too sweet. It's the complete opposite of Meru."

"I am a strong fighter too!" Meru exclaimed with a pout on her face.

"That's not the point." Dart said.

"I only taught her how to use her fists, but I wish I could see her in a wedding dress." Haschel said sadly.

Meru skipped away before turning to look into Haschel's eyes again. "You can see me in a wedding dress! I'll be totally beautiful in that! Don't you think?"

Dart smiled awkwardly at her before saying sincerely, "Yes, I think so."

"Right!?" Meru exclaimed joyfully before she flopped on her chosen bed. "Happy sleeping time!"

"I'll get some sleep too." Haschel said. Afterwards, they each went to their own, separate beds, and dozed off.

The Next Day

The first thing they did upon awakening was agree to explore the castle a bit. First they entered the training hall where the knights of Tiberoa trained to improve themselves. Entering the first room here, they spoke to the knights that were blaming themselves for what happened to Princess Emille. Afterwards, they collected a Moon Serenade and a Sun Rhapsody from the crates in the southwest corner of the room.

Afterwards, they went outside, towards the towers, and collected another piece of Stardust in the divining room at the bottom of the eastern tower. They climbed the tower and spoke with Princess Lisa and her maid, but they didn't really have anything new to say. So they left and went towards the western tower, climbing that until they reached Princess Emille's room. However, as they approached, the two guards standing watch turned to face them, the first of the Knights saying, "Hey, hey! This is Princess Emille's room! It's not a place that a bastard like you can go in!"

The second Knight shouted out, "Just go away! Shoo Shoo!"

Frowning at their suspicious behavior, Naruto remained there for a moment, simply staring at them with narrowed eyes. However, deciding against taking any hasty actions, he turned and walked down the steps with his friends. Something's really fishy about those two.

With nothing else to see or do in the Twin Castle, the party left and made their way back to the tavern in the city of Fletz, turning in their newest pieces of Stardust to Martel. Afterwards, they proceeded to leave the city and ventured back to the Barrens, planning to cross through there to the Valley of Corrupted Gravity.

Once again, they were accosted by monsters quite frequently as they traversed the Barrens. They ended up getting another Bemusing Arrow weapon, which they planned to sell later as they had no need for it. Eventually they ended up at the crossroads where the path split in three directions: the south one leading back to Fletz, the eastern one leading to Donau, and the western one leading to the Valley of Corrupted Gravity. Naturally, they left through the western path and began their trek to their current destination.

They had to cross through a mountain range along the way and had to fight a few monsters as well, but they eventually made it to their destination, the Valley of Corrupted Gravity.

As they entered, they saw a gigantic gate stretching up for quite some ways. "Damn that's big." Naruto muttered. "I wonder how those loyalist ninja got in here?"

"Who knows? What matters is that we deal with them before they can become a problem for Mei-san and the rebels." Hinata said as the group proceeded forward to speak with the Tiberoan Guard at the bottom of the makeshift guard tower.

"It is blockaded by the ordinance of King Zior! I cannot let anybody not having a pass issued by the Court pass through." the Guard said. When Dart flashed the pass to him, the Guard's eyes widened as he shouted out, "! Oh, excuse me sir! This is a pass for the Valley of Corrupted Gravity!" Turning to look up towards the top of the tower, he shouted, "The gate! Open the gate!"

With that, they watched as the gigantic gate began to slide open before a bright light flashed in their eyes, blinding them temporarily. When the spots began to clear from their vision, they looked at what awaited them on the other side of the gate and blinked in astonishment. "Okay...this is gonna be an interesting experience." Naruto said, finding it hard to grasp exactly what he was seeing.

"Over there is the territory of the Gehrich Gang! If that's not enough the gravity is warped! Advance with caution sirs!" the Guard said.

Deciding to go up topside and speak with the guard up there, they were pleased when he offered them some advice. "Some places are glaring white. Those are called Gravity Paddles. When you step in them, the gravity around you is reversed. Without using the Gravity Paddles, you cannot go all the way. Be careful."

Thanking the man for his advice, the group returned to the ground and took a deep breath before they entered the Valley. Well...here goes nothing. Naruto thought as they began their journey into the Valley of Corrupted Gravity where a large battle awaited them.

A/N - And that's the chapter! As you can see, a lot happened...sorta. lol. I would have written more, but the chapter was already long enough as it is, sooo...yeaaaah.

Anyways, for those of you who have played the game, you know quite well about the upcoming boss they have to fight in the Valley towards the end. On top of that, they have to deal with the shinobi loyal to Yagura. So...next chapter's gonna be hectic. Hope you're looking forward to it!

Alright, can't think of what else to say, sooo...yeah. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!