The Legend of Naruto

by MercenaryGrax

During his training with Jiraiya before the finals of the Chunin Exams, something awkward took place. One of Naruto's attempted jutsu went awry & another world has seemingly merged with Naruto's own. Follow along as Naruto and friends discover the world of the Dragoons. What will happen when they encounter new foes, incredible monsters, & the heroes from The Legend of Dragoon?

19. Chapter 19

A/N - Okay, holy crap did this chapter take FOREVER to write! It's definitely the longest chapter I've written in a loooong while. I hope you all really enjoy this chapter, because I worked hard on it. I wanted to finish up the Tiberoa/Land of Water arc with this chapter, and I can say I finally did it! lol. Took quiiite a while, huh?

Anyways, I'm honestly exhausted. I think this chapter turned out pretty darn well, and I think you'll enjoy it as well. A looot happens in this chapter and some things get resolved for sure.

Anywho, read on and enjoy!

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Chapter 19 – The Water Dragoon

Shana frowned sadly as she followed Naruto from a distance. She knew that the three of them had probably already sensed her by now, but that wouldn't deter her. No, she was bound and determined to talk with him and get everything sorted out. Did she still have feelings for Dart? Some, but the more time she spent with Naruto, the more those old feelings faded away. She was furious with Dart for daring to do what he did. All he accomplished with that action was hurting Naruto and Tayuya! Scowling, she clenched her fists tight and paused, watching silently as Naruto and his girlfriends disappeared around the corner up ahead.

Sighing softly to herself, she followed them around the corner, only to see that the three of them had vanished. Dammit. Ninjas can hide anywhere. How am I supposed to find him now? I want to apologize…

Slumping down against the wall, she brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face between her legs. "Naruto…I already miss you so much. Please talk to me…" she said quietly to herself. She knew she wouldn't get a response, but she still hoped that he would at least come out and say something to her. Naruto ignoring her hurt worse than anything Dart could ever have done to her.

Up above, Hinata looked down at Shana before looking into her boyfriend's eyes. "Are you sure you don't want to talk to her, sweetie?"

Naruto frowned for a time before nodding his head once. "I'm sure. She needs to take some time to think everything over on her own. I love her, I do, but she needs to finish sorting out her feelings before we can move forward in our relationship. I'm not mad at her though. Disappointed? Maybe a bit. I'm more furious with Dart than anything. He's the one that initiated the kiss, and from what Tayuya-chan told us, if he had a choice between his revenge and being with Tayuya, he lied through his teeth. I'm highly tempted to tell Dart exactly who the Black Monster is just to see what he does. But it's not my secret to tell. That's entirely up to Rose-chan. I'm not sure what Tayuya-chan will do though…"

Hikari frowned deeply and said, "Chances are that she'll tell Dart who the Black Monster is. She loves him dearly, but he has hurt her deeply with his actions. If anyone needs to figure out their feelings, it's him. It might take a while, but I hope he and Tayuya can work things out between the two of them. She didn't deserve to be hurt in such a way."

"No she didn't. I feel like decking Dart for what he's done. I think Shana-chan will be all right, but Tayuya and Dart? I don't know how they're going to get past this." Naruto said before he stood up and hopped off to go and explore the port town a bit more.

Hinata and Hikari chanced one last glance at Shana before following after their shared boyfriend. As they followed him, Hikari said, "Naruto's been hurt by this too, but Tayuya's got it worse. Chances are that Dart has damaged their relationship beyond repair."

"All we can do is hope for the best." Hinata said. "For now, let's stay with Naruto-kun and help him deal with all of this. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he and Dart came to blows soon after what he's done."

Hikari simply nodded without saying anything. No, no more words needed to be spoken between the three of them. It was all up to Dart now to fix the mess he had created.

Tayuya

As Tayuya and her friends relaxed in the women's side of the hot springs, she breathed out a sigh of relief. The spring was slowly relieving her of all the built-up stress and pain she was feeling. "Ohhh, this is wonderful." She said with a small smile on her face.

Mei grinned at her and said, "You're right. This is exactly what we needed. What do you think Rose? Meru?"

Rose nodded and leaned back with her eyes closed. "Yeees. I didn't realize my muscles were so stiff. We've been through so much that it feels wonderful to relax like this for a while. I can definitely see why Fueno is renowned for its hot springs. They are amazing."

Meru nodded in complete agreement with that assessment. "Oh most definitely! Still wish Naruto could have joined us though. Just imagine how much fun we could've had teasing him!"

Mei giggled and said, "Too bad for us then, hm? Tayuya, I think the four of us need to have a little talk."

Tayuya frowned and said, "I know. Don't worry Rose, I won't go revealing your big secret to Dart-kun. It's your secret to tell when you're ready for it. It's not my place to say anything. I'm sorry if it sounded like I was going to just to get what I want. Besides, Dart-kun…he made it quite clear that his revenge was…was more important than our relationship."

Rose sighed and shook her head. "It's fine. Thank you. I'm still pissed at Dart though for what he's pulled. For what it's worth, I'm truly sorry for everything."

The pinkette shook her head and said, "It's not your fault Rose. I just…I wish…" Sighing heavily, she shook her head again and said, "I…I don't know anymore. I know Dart-kun loves me, but…"

Meru frowned sadly at her and said, "All I can recommend is giving it some time. The two of you need to figure out how you really feel before you even try to mend the broken relationship between you two. Though, in the end, you might have to be the first one to make a move of some kind. Dart's a bit on the stubborn side, after all."

Tayuya nodded and said, "You're right about that. I just don't know if I can forgive him as easily as Naruto forgave Shana. Then again, Shana and Naruto have been together for a while and they both know how they feel. That, and Shana wasn't the one to initiate the kiss. But me? The exact thing that I feared would happen…it happened. Does Dart-kun even love me…?"

Mei frowned and said, "You already know the answer to that question. You already said it yourself earlier. Dart does love you, but he's a bit…stupid. Sadly, as much as we might want to help you, there's really nothing any of us can do. This is an issue the two of you have to work out together. Just like Naruto-kun and Shana need to work out the issue between them."

"You're right. I just wish it wasn't so hard." Tayuya said sadly. "Guess we'll just have to see what happens, won't we?" The others nodded before they began to chat about random topics, deciding it best not to dwell on the kiss that Dart and Shana shared.

Dart

Dart sighed as he sat at the bar with Albert, Kongol, and Haschel. They each had a cold drink in their hands, generally just enjoying the alcoholic beverages of their choice. After a moment of silence, he closed his eyes and asked, "What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

Haschel frowned at him and said, "Be honest and upfront with Tayuya. Don't wait for her to make the first move. If you leave it up to her, it'll only hurt your chances at fixing things in the long run. Do little things to show her you care. And apologize, even if you don't think you're in the wrong. Whenever my wife and I got into an argument of some kind, I'd always take the initiative to make things better between us."

Albert nodded in agreement before taking a sip of his beverage. Looking into his friend's eyes, he decided to give his advice on the subject. "Just as Haschel said, be honest with her. But I'd recommend getting over your grudge against the Black Monster. Tayuya needs to know that she's more important to you than your revenge. If you can't prove that to her somehow, you'll never manage to repair your relationship with her. So before you even attempt to talk to her, figure out how you feel about her and everything else in your life currently."

Dart frowned deeply and took a swig of his drink. Afterwards, he set the empty cup down and looked into his friends' eyes, one by one. "Thank you. I need some time to really think on it, but I hope I can come to an answer soon. I don't want to hurt Tayuya any more than I already have. I just hope she can find it within herself to forgive me."

"We shall see, Dart. We shall see." Albert said before he finished his drink as well. You'd better come to an answer soon, or you'll lose her forever.

The Next Morning

As the party left the port city Fueno, the group easily noticed that Dart and Shana obviously hadn't slept well. It was easy enough to figure out why they looked the way they currently did, but nobody bothered to say anything to the two of them. For the time being, they would just ignore the problem and do whatever they could to put a stop to Lenus, the Sea Dragon, and Lloyd, if the man dared to show himself. Personally, Naruto was looking forward to a rematch with Lloyd so he could hopefully kill that bastard for what he had done!

As they entered the Undersea Cavern, they fought a few monsters before walking up to the center of the room. Once they neared the center, the ground began to shake and they heard the roaring of a dragon.

"What the hell is that noise!?" Dart questioned loudly.

"It's from over there!" Shana exclaimed, pointing off in the direction where the noise was coming from.

Albert frowned deeply and said, "There's definitely something there."

Rose took a few steps towards the raging whirlpool blocking entrance into the depths of the cavern. "It's not "something". It seems that the rumor about the Sea Dragon is true."

It was at this point that they took notice of Meru. She had practically curled up into herself on the ground. She was shaking and, if he wasn't mistaken, Naruto swore he could see tears trickling down her cheeks. "Meru-chan? What's wrong?"

Meru quivered more and said, "That is the Dragon's cry."

Rose frowned as she looked at Meru. "Can't say I blame you for feeling scared."

Meru quickly stood up straight and glared at Rose. "I…I'm not scared! Who'd be scared of a dragon or two, huh?!"

Naruto stepped up to Meru and hugged her close, letting her bury her face into the crook of his neck. When her tears began to drip onto his skin, he said, "It's okay to be scared sweetheart. This'll be my first time fighting a dragon as well. I'm nervous, but we have to do this. Not much of a choice in the matter. Still, are you sure you'll be okay?"

Meru nodded as she clung to her boyfriend. "I'll be fine. Thank you Naru."

"Anytime Meru-chan." He said with a supportive smile on his face.

"We have to look for a way to go to the Prison Island." Dart said after they were finished.

"Right." Naruto said. When they heard the dragon roar again, Naruto hugged Meru closer and thought, This isn't going to be an easy fight.

Lidiera

Seeing as there was nowhere else to go, the party hoped that they'd find something in the town of Lidiera that might allow them to explore the depths of the Undersea Cavern. Dart suggested that they speak to the mayor, so Naruto and Rose joined him on the boat to go and speak with the mayor of Lidiera.

Upon reaching the ocean terrace where the mayor liked to spend his time, the group of three approached him and tried to strike up a conversation with the man. However… "Sorry! I'm in the middle of something here! Here we go! How's this!?"

Villager A snapped his fingers and said, "Dammit. Not again!"

The mayor chuckled and said, "Well, I got a good win! Let's take a break! Hm?" turning his gaze to Dart and his companions, he asked, "And what do you want?"

Dart looked him in the eyes and said, "We want to go to the Prison Island, but we can't get there because of the flood tide. We were wondering if there is any other way to go."

"The Prison Island!?" the mayor exclaimed in shock.

"Are you serious?" Village A questioned.

Villager B was stunned as he asked, "Do you want to commit suicide or something?"

Naruto scoffed and said, "We aren't going there to commit suicide. We're a lot stronger than we look. We're looking into dealing with the Sea Dragon and a woman known as Lenus. So, you gonna help us out or not?"

The Mayor of Lidiera gawked at them for a time before he looked seriously into Naruto's eyes. "It's far too dangerous! You really shouldn't risk your lives in such a way! Why do you insist on putting yourselves into such a dangerous position?"

Dart was tempted to make a joke about danger being his middle name, but he decided to be serious. "We need to see the monster."

The Mayor frowned and asked, "You need to "see" the monster!?" Seeing the serious looks the three of them were giving him, the mayor sighed and said, "Damn. All right then, I'll tell you. But it's up to you whether you can survive there or not! I closed the route to the Prison Island after the monster problem arose."

Villager A interrupted him with a question. "Why didn't you just close the whole cave? It's really dangerous, after all."

Villager B shook his head and said, "If he did that, we wouldn't be able to go to Fueno."

The Mayor nodded and said, "That's exactly why I closed only the path to the Prison Island."

Rose frowned at him and asked, "I have a question for you. How do you control the tide? It doesn't make any sense to me."

The Mayor grinned at her and said, "Oh, don't worry about it too much. I just closed the gate to the sea when the tide was full! Then, even after the tide has ebbed, the water level won't go down inside!"

Naruto blinked a couple of times and said, "Huh. That's a pretty neat trick."

The Mayor chuckled and asked, "Did you really think I could come up with something complicated?" Looking off to the side at somebody, the mayor exclaimed, "Hey! Open the gimmick gate for 'em!"

The Villager he had shouted to nodded and said, "Got it!" Stepping onto the nearby lift, he used his own body weight to lower the lift, thus opening the gimmick gate.

The Mayor looked at his guests at this point and said, "Go into the cave from the right side of Pete's house. Turn the valve and you can open the gate. Then you can got to the Prison Island!"

Dart thanked the man before he, Naruto, and Rose hopped on the boat again. Riding it to Pete's house, they hopped off and proceeded to climb until they reached the now open gate. Once inside the cave system, they opened the nearby treasure chests for a Healing Rain and a Healing Fog. Afterwards, they proceeded down to the valve and proceeded to turn it. In no time, the water had drained from the cave, thus opening the path to the Prison Island.

After leaving the cave, Dart waved at the villager who was still on the lift/pulley system. Getting the message, the villager hopped off and hurried back up to his previous position beside the now raised pulley lift. Dart and the others quickly rejoined their friends and proceeded to leave Lidiera and venture back to the Undersea Cavern.

The first thing they did upon entering the cavern this time was open the nearby chest for an Attack Ball, which they figured might come in handy pretty soon. Afterwards, they proceeded into the next area and immediately went to the nearby chest, opening it for a Jeweled Crown, which Shana equipped right away.

Leaving through the west path, they entered another area further in. It was a long climb up a spiraling path, but upon reaching the top, they opened the chest there and got a Recovery Ball. Afterwards, they proceeded to return to the previous area and followed along the path until they came across another treasure chest that contained a Gushing Magma attack item.

Entering a new area that led further in, they followed the path to the left and entered the room with the ascending spiraling path. Opening the treasure chest there, they found another Recovery Ball and pocketed that for later use. Returning to the previous room, they proceeded down the nearby ramp and followed the path downwards. Opening a chest along the way, they obtained a Burn Out attack item. Then, after following the spiraling path around and upwards, they opened a final chest for another Attack Ball item.

The entire time they were within the cavern fighting various monsters and collecting items, Naruto couldn't help but blush a bit whenever Meru used her Hammer Spin Addition. Every time she fell over, he got a clear view of her panties and her fine rear end. Shaking it off, he and the others climbed up to the top and eventually exited the cavern, continuing on their way to the Prison Island. As they walked along, however, Naruto couldn't help but continue to cast glances at Meru. Not only was she a total hottie, but she was funny, charming, and sweet. He really liked her, and not just because she gave him a great view.

Shaking those thoughts off, he glanced towards the sky for a time before looking forward. It was storming, rain and lightning falling from the sky. Prison Island sure didn't seem like the best place for them to be, but this is where they would find Lenus and the powerful Sea Dragon, Regole. As they walked along, Naruto stepped up beside Meru and gently took her hand in his. Giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze, he said, "It'll be okay Meru-chan. There's no need to be afraid of this thing. So long as we're all together, nothing can stop us. Okay?"

Meru smiled sadly at him and leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder. "Thank you Naru. I'll be okay. Sorry I'm so afraid…"

"No, don't be. To be honest, I'm a little anxious myself, but I know that we can overcome anything that might stand against us. We have to. We can't let Lloyd get away again, and we especially can't let Lenus and this Sea Dragon wreak anymore havoc on this country. So long as I remember everything we're fighting for, I'm fine. How about you sweetheart?" Naruto said, smiling at his girlfriend.

Meru smiled thankfully at him and kissed his cheek. "I agree. This'll be easy peasy! Now let's go kick some butt!" she exclaimed, giggling afterwards.

Lloyd & Lenus

They knew the Dragoons and their companions were coming, but neither of the Winglies were concerned. Instead, Lenus smiled at Lloyd and handed over the Moon Dagger. "Here's the Moon Dagger that you wanted. I didn't kill those Humans as you said. I have to ask though, why did you suddenly start to say such a thing?"

Lloyd folded his arms across his chest and shrugged. "The blood-smeared road might be the only way to lead us to the world we desire." Turning, he stared out at the scenery and said, "Death gives birth to tears. Tears give birth to anger. When anger turns itself into rancor, it opens to war. It's silly that I have to repeat it, since once should be more than enough."

Lenus frowned and said, "Well, I won't stop you if you want to do so, Lloyd. Anyways, he's called something like Dart! And the other one you mentioned? His name is Naruto. That boy is far more powerful than I had expected someone like that to be. Isn't he the one that forced you to retreat before?"

Lloyd scowled at the reminder. "He may have forced me to retreat once before, but it won't happen again. If need be, I'll put him down personally. As for the others, it's all going according to my plan."

Lenus smirked at this point and said, "Hmm, a "plan", huh? Now, let me tell you my plan." Wrapping her arms around Lloyd, she looked deeply into his eyes and said, "My plan is to get a hot prize from you." When she went to kiss Lloyd, she and Lloyd both paused and looked at the party of adventurers. "Dammit! You're disturbing my moment here! You're gonna pay for this!"

As the party of heroes rushed up, brandishing their weapons, Dart chanced a glance at Lloyd and asked, "Why the hell is Lloyd here!? Is this all part of your plot!?"

Lloyd scoffed and looked disdainfully into Dart's eyes. "My will is with Emperor Diaz. Namely, everything was planned by the god."

"You're still talking about that crap!?" Rose exclaimed angrily.

Albert narrowed his eyes at Lloyd and said, "You murdered Lavitz! Let us settle the score now!"

Lloyd shrugged and said, "I have the calling to reform the world. I have no time to pay attention to little things like Lavitz."

Naruto clenched his spear tight and gritted his teeth in his fury. "Lloyd, I hope you're ready. I'm about to send you to your maker!"

Lloyd looked into Naruto's eyes with an apathetic expression on his face. "You, Naruto Uzumaki, will die by my own hands. But not today." Looking directly into Dart's eyes, he said, "I am the one who torched your home to the ground. I am the one who deprived your friend of his life. And now I hold the Moon Gem and the Moon Dagger in my hands!" Turning his back to them, he grinned and asked, "You abhor me, don't you?"

Naruto growled and made to attack Lloyd, only for a bright flash of light to suddenly blind him. "Dammit!"

"I am heading to Mille Seseau. Puruse me, if you can survive!" Lloyd exclaimed before laughing madly. And with that, Lloyd was gone.

Snarling at this point, Naruto turned his gaze onto Lenus when she began to speak. "Easy! Easy there! Wait a minute! You shouldn't be so hasty! It was nice of him to give you an "invitation", but you're gonna need to decline it."

When Naruto prepared to go on the attack, not willing to deal with Lenus and her shit, they were all caught off guard when she transformed into a Dragoon. Eyes widening in horror, Naruto shouted out, "You're a Dragoon?! The hell, dattebayo?!"

Lenus smirked and exclaimed, "You're going to die here!" And with that, she summoned her dragon, Regole.

Immediately, Naruto looked at Dart and the others and said, "I'm taking Lenus. Hinata-chan, Mei-chan, Haschel, and Rose-chan, you're with me. The rest of you focus on that damn dragon before it manages to kill us all!" And with that, he went on the attack, forcing Lenus to go on the defensive.

Dart shrugged and decided to just go along with the plan. If Naruto felt a smaller group would be better suited to fighting Lenus, he wasn't going to question it. Instead, he transformed and proceeded to use Final Burst on Regole, dealing a tremendous amount of damage to the dragon.

While Dart and company did battle with the water dragon, Naruto attacked Lenus with a ferocity she hadn't been expecting. Doing her best to weave around Naruto's attacks, she was soon caught off guard when Haschel nailed her with a 5 Ring Shattering Addition, causing her to scream out in pain. "Damn you!" Lenus exclaimed angrily.

Hinata smirked evilly as she notched an arrow and let it fly towards Lenus' face. Naturally, the Dragoon flew up and out of the way, but it wasn't enough to escape Naruto. Donning his Dragoon armor, he flew up and slammed the flat edge of his spearhead against her cheek, sending her crashing down to the ground. Descending rapidly, he went to thrust his spear into her shoulder, only for her to throw her chakrams up at him, forcing him to dodge out of the way.

Meanwhile, Albert dashed in and unleashed a Gust of Wind Dance Addition on Regole which dealt a good bit of damage to the beast. Afterwards, he grasped hold of an Attack Ball and watched as a fire-element battle item was unleashed on the dragon, dealing massive damage to it.

Shana aimed at one of the dragon's eyes and proceeded to lest loose with an arrow which pierced its eye, causing it to howl in agony once again. When it turned its attention on to her and lashed out with an attack, Dart quickly swooped in and carried her out of harm's way. Seeing that she was all right, Dart turned his attention back onto Regole and hit it with a Flameshot spell to deal even more damage.

Mei scowled at Lenus and proceeded to spew poison mist into her face, causing the woman to begin hacking and coughing, groaning when she coughed up a bit of blood. "D-Dammit…" she said. "I refuse to die here!" she exclaimed before throwing her chakrams at Rose, forcing her to go on the defensive to avoid taking any unnecessary damage.

Naruto scowled at this and rushed up to Lenus, thrusting his spear until the tip was pressing against her neck. "Please don't make me kill you Lenus. I don't want to take your life unnecessarily."

Lenus scowled at him and prepared to snap at him, only for him to press the tip far enough that it caused her to begin bleeding. "F-Fine! I give up!"

"Good choice." Naruto said before cancelling his transformation. Chancing a glance over his shoulder, he saw Dart land the finishing blow on Regole, causing the beast to apparently perish, though he doubted it was that simple. Regardless, he offered his friends a smile and turned back to face Lenus.

Releasing her, he took a few steps back and watched her for a time. She had yet to cancel her transformation, which worried him a bit. When she muttered Lloyd's name, Hinata frowned sadly at her and said, "You're truly in love with that man, aren't you?"

Lenus nodded and said, "I would do anything for Lloyd. If that means my death, then so be it!" Then, without warning, she threw her chakrams right at Dart, who wasn't paying attention at the moment.

Seeing this, Tayuya quickly hurried over to Dart and tackled him out of the way. When the second chakram flew at her exposed back, Dart quickly knocked it away with his sword. Glaring at Lenus, he was about to tear into her, only for Lenus' eyes to go wide as an arrow pierced her through the neck. Glancing to see where the arrow had come from, she saw Hinata glaring at her. "For what it's worth…I'm sorry. I didn't want to have to kill you, but you didn't give us much of a choice. Please rest well in the afterlife."

Lenus would have laughed, but the arrow prevented her from doing such a thing. Instead, she accepted her death. With the last bit of life that remained, she watched as the Blue-Sea Dragoon Spirit left her and landed in Meru's hands. My love…I'll be waiting…

Meru looked at the glowing Dragoon Spirit and held it almost reverently in her hand. "This…"

Dart smiled at her and said, "It's your Dragoon Spirit now."

Rose smirked and said, "I'm surprised that Meru was recognized as the new Water Dragoon. Interesting."

Meru blinked as she held the stone, staring from it to Rose. "Does that mean this Dragoon Spirit chose me?" Seeing everyone nod, she asked again, just to be sure, "It means… Am I one of the Dragoons now?" Once again they all nodded. Meru cheerfully spun around before glomping Naruto. "Yay! I'm like you now Naru-Naru! Yippee!"

Naruto chuckled softly and gently petted her long hair. "Congratulations Meru-chan. I'm happy for you. And I'm glad we're all okay too." Looking at Dart and Tayuya, he frowned sadly and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't think she'd do something like that. I just…I didn't want to kill her if we didn't have to. She was in love…"

Tayuya scowled at him, but before she could snap at him for his mistake, Dart said, "That's all right, Naruto. Was it a mistake? Yes, in this case it most certainly was. But I wouldn't want you to discard your pure soul and trust in the goodness of people. That's part of what makes you such a splendid person, after all."

Meanwhile, Rose looked at Meru and said, "Dragoon Spirits attract each other, and Dragoons gather as the Dragon Spirit desires… As Sea's fate leads…"

Dart looked at her and was about to say something before Tayuya got in Naruto's face and shouted, "What if Dart-kun had died because you decided to show mercy to an enemy like that?! I…despite everything…I still love him! I couldn't bear it if…if he were to die…"

Naruto frowned sadly and said, "I'm sorry Tayuya-chan. I'll be more careful next time. But I can't guarantee I won't try to show mercy again. I want to believe in people. I can't just shut off my emotions like once of Danzo's goons."

While Naruto and Tayuya talked, Dart looked at Rose again and asked, "Are we drawn to each other like that? Is that what you are saying?"

Rose shrugged and turned away from him. "It's just folklore." Walking off, she stopped momentarily before looking over her shoulder at him. "You are going to pursue Lloyd, aren't you?"

As Meru continued to cling to Naruto and stick her tongue out at the irate Tayuya, Albert turned to Dart and said, "Unfortunately, we have to go meet King Zior to tell him we couldn't bring the Moon Dagger back."

As they started walking off one by one, Dart approached Tayuya and looked her over for any injuries. "Are you hurt, Tayuya?"

Tayuya stopped berating Naruto and looked into Dart's eyes. "No, I'm okay thanks to you. Thank you, Dart-kun. Um, are you okay?"

Dart nodded and looked at her with a smile on his face. "I'm fine. Thank you for saving my life, Tayuya. I…I know I screwed up with you before, but I do love you dearly. I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. If you'll still have me, that is."

The redhead blushed and suddenly found her feet very interesting. Nodding her head slowly, she said, "I love you too much to stay mad at you, Dart-kun. If you promise never to do something like that again with anyone…I'll stay with you."

Dart hugged her close and said, "Never again. Let's always be together, Tayuya." And with that, she nodded and the two of them walked off to rejoin the others.

Seeing as they were the only ones left behind, Meru pouted at Naruto and said, "They're trying to leave us behind. How rude!"

Naruto chuckled and said, "Well then, let's go after them. Can't let them leave us in the dust, after all." And with that, they raced off to catch up with the others. Thank Kami that's over with. He thought to himself as they hurried along after their friends.

Fueno

Upon entering the safety of the city of Fueno, everyone let out sighs of relief. Despite the fact that the sea dragon would no longer be plaguing Tiberoa and the Land of Water, they still had to contend with a lot of monsters that still roamed the Undersea Cavern. It was nice to finally reach someplace safe!

Heading down the steps in front of them, they saw the same drunkard from before hobbling around, hiccupping and belching. Sighing at this sight, Naruto turned to the nearby man and asked, "Has he been like this all this time?"

The man nodded and said, "Yes, he has. He's so pitiful that we're gonna buy him a drink."

Facepalming, the blonde said, "Yeah, prooobably not the best idea. He needs to sober the hell up, not end up dying from alcohol poisoning."

Dart chuckled and said, "Not much we can really do to sway their minds once they're made up. Best just to leave them to it."

Naruto sighed and said, "Yeah, you've got a point there."

Looking at the drunkard, he listened as the man said, "The Dragon is dead, but it won't bring back my house or ship."

Dart walked up to the man and patted him on the shoulder. "You can always try to rebuild your home, my good man. You've got people that are willing to help you should you need it. Rely on them."

The drunk looked into Dart's eyes through his bleary vision and said, "That's not such a bad…" here, he hiccupped, his breath wafting into the brunette's nostrils, causing him to recoil and cough for a moment. "Tha's not such a b-bad idea."

Tayuya giggled a bit and held Dart close. "That's what you get for getting so close to him. Silly Dart-kun."

Dart chuckled ruefully and said, "You have a point there. Ugh. That'll teach me to ever get that close to a drunkard again. Phew."

Descending the stairs again, Tayuya spotted the little girl from before watching something in the dirt. Approaching her, she asked, "Whatcha looking at this time?"

The little girl smiled up at her and said, "Look, look! Lots of ants are attacking a praying mantis together!"

Tayuya blinked and looked down, watching as ants practically swarmed the mantis. "Huh, whaddya know? That's pretty interesting to watch. I can see why you'd be so fascinated with it. Not every day you see something like that happening."

The girl looked back down at the ants and said, "It was inevitable that the Sea Dragon would be killed so that Humans could live, wasn't it?"

The redhead blinked and looked into the little girl's eyes again. "Yeah. If there was a way to live in peace with such a creature, that would be wonderful. But it was wrecking ships, homes, and killing a lot of people. There wasn't exactly much else we could do but to slay the dragon. If Humans wanted to live in peace, the Sea Dragon had to go."

The little girl nodded and said, "I know. It's still sad though."

Patting the kid on the head, Tayuya smiled at her and said, "Yeah, it really is. Oh well, I've gotta get going. You take care now, okay?"

"Okay pretty lady!" the girl exclaimed before she resumed watching the ants.

Talking to the woman nearby, they listened as she said, "It's been half a year since we've seen such a tourist-filled Fueno! We're even getting a bunch of those shinobi people visiting us as well! Things are really looking up for our country."

Albert smiled at the woman and said, "That's great to hear. Your country will continue to thrive in the many years to come. I just hope you make good friends with the people of the Land of Water. You're going to be seeing a lot of each other, after all."

Bidding the woman farewell, the party decided it was time to check in on Pete and his mother. So, entering the clinic, they entered the treatment room and approached Pete. "Dart! My ma has gotten much better!"

Pete's mother looked at the party before resting her eyes on Dart. "Thanks to you, I got my strength back. My boy is crazy about you. He wants to go on journeys with many beautiful women like you, Dart." She said with a teasing smile on her face.

Pete shouted at his mother. "Ma! Don't tell him about it!"

Dart sighed and facepalmed. "It's not some pleasure trip, though. Besides, adventures like ours are fraught with peril. It can get rather dangerous."

Pete blinked and asked, "What? But how?"

Naruto looked Pete in the eyes and said, "There's a lot of dangerous beasts out there, for one thing. Aside from that, you have to take into account your allies and their needs and wants. You have to be able to work as a cohesive unit and you can't do that if there's conflict within the group. Besides that, if you're the leader of your ragtag bunch of heroes, you have to lead by example and ensure everyone in the party is happy. It's not easy to do, trust me. On top of that, if you surround yourself with nothing but beautiful women on your adventure…"

Dart picked up the explanation where Naruto left off. "You might have to deal with things such as jealousy and infighting. Especially if you have more than one woman that cherishes you and the bond you share with them. Then there's the fact that some women can be kiiind of scary if you anger them. And other times, you might find that it's a bit too noisy to work with that person. Anything could happen and you need to be careful to ensure the party stays happy, healthy, and safe. So you see, it isn't easy. I think you'll be fine, but you need to seriously consider everything before you even think about setting out on a journey such as that."

Pete looked past Dart and said, "Um…Dart? You might want to watch your back."

Dart blinked a couple of times and turned around to see what Pete was talking about. What he saw made him incredibly scared for his life. "G-Girls…I'm sorry!?"

"You'd better be! We aren't scary, we aren't noisy, and we aren't anywhere near as bad as you just made us sound!" Shana exclaimed angrily. "God, you can be so insensitive sometimes!"

Naruto sighed and patted Dart on the shoulder gently. "There, there. You'll be okay Dart."

"Gee, thanks." Dart said, casting a deadpan gaze at his friend. "Oh well. We should get moving. We do still need to get to Fletz, after all."

"Right!" everyone said as one. Afterwards, Dart looked back at Pete and his mother and said, "You two take care, okay? Hopefully we get to meet again someday." And with that, Dart and the others left the clinic.

Entering the hotel, they saw that the room was full of people. Everyone was drinking and being merry. Approaching the nearby table, they listened as a man said to his daughter, "Oh, my dear daughter, I miss those days when you used to say, "I'll marry you, papa." I wish I could be with you just a little longer."

Meru blinked and said, "Umm, that's kinda weird to think about. But you do you mister."

Naruto chuckled and said, "Y'know, I can't help but wonder what my children will be like. I'd like to think I could be that close with them."

Meru blushed and looked at her boyfriend. "Already thinking about children, huh? You know, I think you'll make a great dad someday, Naruto."

"Thanks, Meru-chan. I appreciate it." Naruto said before they approached the nearby waitress who was running around. "Everything going okay?"

The waitress beamed at him and said, "Everybody's so happy that the Sea Dragon is gone! Now the liners are back! So many customers came on the first liner! We are doing great business for the first time in half a year! It's so nice to see everything has improved in so short a time!"

Shana clapped her hands together once and said, "I'm happy for you! I'm sure things will only continue to get better now."

At this point, they approached the woman sitting across from her husband. "Our daughter got married, so I came here with my hubby to fill the hole in our hearts. It's a trip to mark the end of our parenting. Just the two of us enjoying ourselves here. Sadly though, the world is still unsettled. Things in Tiberoa may be looking up, but there's still so much wrong with the world…"

Hinata frowned sadly at that and said, "You're right. Unfortunately. It doesn't help matters any that the conflict of our world has trickled over into yours. For what it's worth, you have our apologies."

The woman looked at Hinata and smiled warmly at her. "Don't worry yourselves about us any, dear. We don't mind so much, so long as our daughter can be happy and safe."

Thanking the woman, they approached the man at the counter and listened. "We came from Lidiera for shopping and then there was the Sea Dragon incident, so our boat couldn't be put to sea. We could see Lidiera right over there, but we couldn't go back. It was very hard!"

Naruto blinked in confusion for a moment before understanding dawned on him. That's right. Regular people can't fight the monsters lining the road between here and Lidiera! Man, that must've sucked.

Heading upstairs, they spoke with the people in the first room, but nothing much of interest was said. So they proceeded next door and immediately listened as the man asked, "Oh…I really got married, didn't I? We're going to live together, just the two of us, from today on…"

Shana looked him in the eyes sternly and asked, "You aren't getting cold feet already, are you? You should be happy! Excited even! You got married to someone you obviously care for."

The man looked her in the eyes and said, "I am happy. It's just a little hard to believe it finally happened. I'm wondering what the next step I should take is…"

Shana chanced a glance at Naruto and said, "Well, I know what I would want once I get married…"

Understanding the implications, the man blushed deeply and said, "I-I see. It seems I have much to think about then."

Deciding to leave the man's wife alone, they exited the room and proceeded down the stairs. Afterwards, they exited the hotel and proceeded to make their way down the nearby stairs, heading for the wharf. Approaching the nearby merchant, they listened as he exclaimed joyfully, "The Sea Dragon is gone and the liners are back! I can stock up and customers are gonna come again! Now I'm really gonna make some money! Thank the gods of Tiberoa for that!"

Naruto chuckled and said, "I'm happy for you. It's a good thing business is booming again. It wasn't just you suffering from it, after all."

The man nodded and said, "You're right about that. I'm just so thankful somebody did something about that dragon!"

Smiling at the man, they left him to his own devices and went to walk past the children playing and the woman walking around, browsing the various shops. However, something she said made them pause. "At last, our lives can return to normal! But I wonder who defeated the Sea Dragon?" Chuckling to themselves, they decided to just let her be and proceeded to make their way down to the Queen Fury where Commodore Puler was waiting for them.

"Hello everyone! I heard about what you did! You successfully defeated the monster on the Prison Island and the female bandit!" Puler exclaimed, smiling broadly at the party. When he saw the looks on their faces, he frowned in confusion. "What's wrong? You have such long faces. We're ready to go back to Fletz in triumph!"

Dart shook his head and said, "We couldn't get the Moon Dagger back."

Puler frowned and turned to stare out at the ocean. "You know, I like the ocean. I suggest you let yourself flow in the waves and winds. The problems of this world become not a problem at all." Turning back around to face them, he looked straight into Dart's eyes and said, "Here is an idea, Dart. Why don't you come with me on the ocean? Dart, you would make a fine sailor, or even a great man of the sea!"

Dart frowned thoughtfully for a time before saying, "A man of the sea… That's not a bad idea."

Tayuya frowned at him and said, "What the heck are you talking about? We still have to pursue Lloyd, you know?"

Dart chuckled and turned to face her. "I wasn't saying I'd do that right this instant. Maybe someday when things have settled down, but not now."

Puler nodded in understanding. "I understand. It's a shame, though. However, I'm moved that you considered being a man of the sea! It's small, but here's my farewell gift to you! Take this!" And with that, Puler placed a small sack full of 100 G in Dart's hand. "Make good use of this, okay?" Walking up to the ship, he turned around and said, "As soon as you're all ready, just come aboard. We're ready to take off at any time."

Thanking the man, they proceeded over to Kayla, who was already waiting for them. "Are you ready?" she asked them. When they nodded, she turned and exclaimed, "We're ready! It's time to cast off!"

As they proceeded to enter the boat, Naruto frowned thoughtfully. I've got this horrible feeling that things are about to get a lot tougher from here on out. Who knows what Mille Seseau has in store for us? And what the hell is Lloyd planning, anyways? I still need to pay him back for what he did to Lavitz! I swear to Kami, when I get my hands on you Lloyd, I'll make you regret everything you've done!

Queen Fury

Once aboard the Queen Fury, they each went to their own places aboard the ship, just as they had done before. However, Shana had requested that Albert leave the cabin so she could be alone with Naruto. Looking into her boyfriend's eyes, she said, "Naruto…I'm sorry for hurting you in such a way. I never wanted that. I love you so very, very much. I just want to be happy with you."

Naruto looked her in the eyes and gently took her hand in his. "I love you, Shana-chan. Truly I do. What you said and did hurt me a lot, but I'd like to think I'm over it by now. I'm more worried about Tayuya and Dart, all things considered. What he's done will be hard for her to truly forgive, but I think they're on the right path to making up."

Shana giggled and said, "You're right. I hope for the best for the both of them and the relationship they've formed with one another. But right now, I want to focus on us. You and me, Naruto. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? You know, for what I did…"

The blonde smiled kindly at her and held her close. "You don't have to do or say anything, sweetheart. I know how you feel already. I trust you, okay? For now, do you think we could just cuddle for a while?"

"Sure, sweetheart. Although, we are alone in here…" she said somewhat teasingly.

Blushing at the implications, Naruto looked towards the door and shook his head. "Somebody could walk in on us at any moment. Even if I put up silencing seals, they could still just walk in here if they wanted. Besides that, I don't know how much longer Albert will be away. I wouldn't be surprised if he finishes with his walk and comes back in here soonish."

Shana giggled and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. "Relax sweetie. I was only teasing. But I do expect you to make love to me soon, okay? I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. Do you understand me?"

Naruto smiled at his girlfriend and hugged her close. Kissing her lips sweetly, he soon smiled at her and took her over to one of the beds, cuddling together with her on top of it. "I love you sweetheart. Now and forever."

Dart

Dart frowned as he looked for Tayuya. He wanted to talk to her about what had happened. At the same time, he was worried that she might have gotten hurt by Lenus' final attack, though she seemed perfectly fine on the walk back to Fueno. Deciding to go for broke, he proceeded into the depths of the ship where she had been on their ride to Fueno. Upon spotting her down below, he smiled and proceeded down to speak with her.

As he approached, Tayuya looked up from what she was doing and looked into Dart's eyes calmly. After a moment, she stood up and said, "Hi Dart-kun. Umm, how are you?"

Without a word, the brunette wrapped his arms around Tayuya and hugged her close. Absentmindedly, he began to stroke her hair gently. "I'm so sorry Tayuya. I should never have hurt you in such a way. I want you to know that I love you very, very much. I want that family with you. And, um…you aren't hurt are you? You know, when Lenus threw her weapons as us, you tackled me out of the way. I was worried…"

Tayuya giggled a bit and nuzzled her face against Dart's chest. "No, I'm fine. No damage done to me, I promise. I'm just glad you're all right, Dart-kun. If…if you had died…"

Dart smiled at her and tilted her head up so she could look him in the eyes. Before she could utter a word, he claimed her lips with his. Afterwards, he rested his forehead against hers and said, "I love you Tayuya. Now and forever."

Tayuya blushed prettily and nodded her head. "Thank you, Dart-kun. Please don't ever leave me…"

"I promise I won't die and I'll never leave you alone. We belong together. Now and forever." Dart said, happy just to bask in her presence.

The Next Day – Donau

Upon docking the ship in Donau, the party bade farewell to Kayla and the others before heading on up the stairs. Deciding to head on up and enjoy the view for a moment, they stopped to talk with a rather overweight man. "The other day, a commercial ship came here and I found out for the first time that the Sea Dragon is gone! Finally we can put the ship out to sea! The great sea is calling us!"

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Glad to hear it." Afterwards, they approached the kid playing in the area up ahead. "How's it goin' kiddo?"

Smiling brightly at Naruto, she exclaimed, "My daddy, who works on a ship, came back finally! We were worried cuz we didn't know where he was! I'm so happy my daddy wasn't killed by the Sea Dragon or the Phantom Ship!"

Hinata smiled at the kid and patted her gently atop the head. "I'm happy for you. Cherish the time you have with him, okay?"

"Okay pretty lady! Thank you!" the kid exclaimed. Afterwards, the party headed into the city proper.

As they wandered around and chatted to the various people, they found that not a lot of them were saying anything of relevance. So they proceeded to leave the city of Donau and ventured back to the Barrens. This could be a long trip. Naruto thought to himself with a chuckle.

The Next Day – Fletz

Upon entering Fletz, Naruto stretched his arms above his head and let out a pleased groan. "Finally. We're back in Fletz. What say we go turn in the Stardust we've collected and then go see the king, huh?" Dart and the others nodded in agreement with that. They were more than happy to take it easy for the time being and not have to worry about monsters, war, dragons, and whatever else could have been thrown at them during their time in Tiberoa and the Land of Water.

As they walked along, they were stopped by a woman wandering around near Nello's house. "You know what!?"

Dart blinked and said, "I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Oh yeah!? You don't know!? Well let me tell you! It's about Princess Lisa… It seems she is in love with somebody!" the girl exclaimed giddily.

"How did you find out?" Dart asked curiously.

The girl giggled before saying, "We girls have a wide network of information on romances!" When she saw that the men looked somewhat perplexed, she giggled again. "Just kidding. Actually, anybody can tell if they see the princess walking down the street."

"Huh. Is that so?" Dart asked, not expecting an answer.

After they finished talking with that girl, they proceeded to the tavern where they turned their Stardust in to Martel. After she thanked them, they looked at Kaffi and listened to her as she said, "There's a welcome party for the heroes who saved the country in the Twin Castle tonight! It seems everybody's busy with the preparations. I think everybody will come to our bar to take advantage of this opportunity to honor the heroes who saved the country. I bet it's gonna be busy today!"

Naruto blinked a couple of times and asked, "How the hell do you get such information?"

Kaffi simply smirked at him and said, "It's what I do. I'm very good at getting the latest gossip, after all."

The blonde chuckled and said, "Somehow that makes a lot of sense. Ah well, keep up the good work Kaffi."

"No worries there." Kaffi said, bidding them each a fond farewell.

Walking deeper into the city, they blinked when they heard somebody shout, "Princess Emille is here!"

Albert looked rather excited as he exclaimed, "Let's go!" and hurried off ahead of them. It was obvious to all of them that he was looking forward to seeing her once again.

Naruto chuckled and said, "Ahh, it would seem the good king is smitten. Kind of adorable in a way."

Mei giggled and said, "It really is. We should follow him and see what happens this time." And with that, they hurried forward to mingle with the crowd.

"Oh, her graceful steps… Her dainty movement of the hands… Her gracious eyes… She must be. She is our Princess Emille!" the people of the crowd exclaimed happily. "Princess Emille is back!"

Hinata smiled and said, "I'm so glad. They're all so much happier now that the real Princess Emille is back."

Naruto smiled and took her hand in his. "That's a good thing. Now let's listen to what she has to say."

Emille walked into the center of the area and looked around at everybody with a kindhearted smile on her face. "I have returned after a half year of sleep. My father, King Zior, wouldn't say it, but I heard that the evildoings of the sinner who feigned to be me has harmed our people in Tiberoa. I can say it is my fault, because people were wounded by trusting someone they thought was me. I am determined to make atonements for this, even if it takes forever."

Naruto frowned at this and said, "It wasn't your fault Emille-sama."

It would seem the crowd mirrored his sentiment as they shouted, "It wasn't your fault Your Majesty! Please do not blame yourself, Your Highness! Your returning to us only makes us happy!"

The blonde smiled happily at this, glad that the people were being so supportive of the real Princess Emille. "I think she'll be just fine."

"I owe you a debt of gratitude. I love this country. I love you people." Emille said as she wiped a few stray tears out of her eyes. "Let us make this country continue to be a wonderful country together!"

It was at this point that the pregnant woman from before approached Princess Emille. "I have a favor to ask you, Princess Emille. May I ask you to name my soon-to-be-born baby, Your Highness?"

Unlike the fake, the real Emille smiled at the woman and said, "It would be my pleasure." Taking a moment to pace around and think on it, she soon turned to the woman and said, "How about Eyie for a girl and Al for a boy? They have the sound of great energy and strength."

Naruto smirked and looked at Albert, deciding to tease him a bit. "Gee, I wonder where she came up with the name 'Al', hm?"

The King of Serdio blushed and shot a mock glare at Naruto. "Oh hush you! Let's just watch and listen" Naruto chuckled, but didn't say anything more.

"They are beautiful names! Thank you very much, Your Highness!" the pregnant woman exclaimed joyfully.

"God bless Princess Emille! God Bless the Tiberoa Kingdom! All the best for the kingdom and for us!" the crowd cheered as one, much to the party's relief. Everything was going to be just fine from here on.

After Emille returned to the castle, Albert smiled happily as he said, "Oh Princess Emille… How beautiful she is…"

Dart looked at him and asked, "Albert? You okay?"

"Just like I imagined… Oh, thank you lord for leading me to the country of Princess Emille…" Albert said.

The red-clad warrior chuckled a bit and said, "Somebody is obviously smitten."

Tayuya giggled. "Sure seems that way. Good for him. I'm sure they'll make a beautiful couple."

As if just noticing his surroundings and what was going on, Albert blushed deeply as he looked anywhere but at his companions. "O-Oh…sorry. Wait, where's Princess Emille?"

Dart chuckled and said, "You can meet her again in the castle."

Albert simply nodded and proceeded to walk with them to the nearby peddler. "The trouble caused by the sea dragon in Illisa Bay has ended and now they can put ships to sea again! Maybe I should go pay a visit to the mecca of the elderly, Fueno, and enjoy the hot springs there."

Tayuya grinned and said, "You really should. The hot springs are sooo relaxing. You'd love them."

Approaching the peddler on the other side of the area, they listened as he sang Emille's praises. "Oh, I love Princess Emille. So kind, gentle, and pure…" Looking around at the various party members, he asked, "Hey, don't you wanna join the fan club of Princess Emille?"

Hinata giggled and said, "Sorry, but I've had enough of fan clubs to last me a lifetime. Isn't that right, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto sighed and palmed his face. "You can say that again. The Sasuke Fan Club was insane. Too many rabid fangirls."

The peddler blinked and asked, "Umm…is there something I should know?"

Naruto looked at him and said, "Trust me, you don't wanna know. Suffice it to say, we aren't interested in joining any fan clubs."

"That's a shame. Oh well." The peddler said with a shrug.

Leaving the man alone, they walked up to the large guard and said, "We're here to see King Zior. Can we pass?"

The guard smiled at them and said, "I won't stop you folks. You can pass freely." Stepping out of their way, he watched as they proceeded to enter the Twin Castle.

As soon as they entered, a couple of knights hurried up to them before the first one exclaimed, "We have been waiting for you! Please proceed to the Chamber of the Sun!" The various party members nodded in understanding and listened as he exclaimed, "A salute to the twelve returning heroes! The stars bless the twelve heroes!"

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Well, have to say that's a good feeling. Not used to being called a hero."

Shana smiled at him and gently took his hand in hers. "You are a hero though, Naruto. Never doubt that."

"Thanks Shana-chan." He said before following the others towards the Chamber of the Sun.

As they approached the guards, they listened as the first one said, "King Zior, Princess Emille, and Princess Lisa have been waiting for you to return! Please go right ahead!" Thanking the man, they proceeded to enter the Chamber of the Sun.

Approaching the throne, the party kneeled to the king and bowed their heads. "We have returned, Your Majesties."

King Zior stood up with his daughters and said, "Heroes! Forget about formality! You are the special guests of Tiberoa!" When everyone rose again, he exclaimed, "Welcome back!"

Princess Emille brought her hands to her heart as she looked straight at King Albert. "I'm glad you are safe and sound…"

Lisa smirked at her sister as she said, "My sister is acting as if nothing happened, but until you came back, King Albert, she had lost her appetite completely."

Hearing this caused Albert to blush a little. However, before he could say anything, King Zior spoke up. "It's not only Emille. We were all longing for all of you to come back. Well done, all of you."

Dart frowned and said apologetically, "But… The Moon Dagger is still in their hands…"

Before he could say anything more, Zior shouted, "Stop it! You people brought justice upon the evil bandits! You defeated the Sea Dragon that infested Illisa Bay! It was you young people who brought peace and happiness to Tiberoa and brought smiles back to our people! I won't have you young people suffering from doubt and depression. You've done a wonderful thing for our kingdom!"

Albert frowned and shook his head. "The Moon Dagger has to be passed on to Princess Emille…"

Zior shook his head and said, "The Moon Dagger is a mere royal tradition. Tradition alone doesn't put smiles on our people's faces. That is all the Moon Dagger can really be." Looking into Albert's eyes, he said, "King Albert. We are satisfied with the way things turned out. So do not doubt yourselves anymore."

Emille smiled and said, "Instead of the Moon Dagger, we found something else to hand down. That is the heroic story of all of you."

Lisa nodded as she stepped forward. "It will be passed down through the ages from person to person: "The twelve stars arose from the East to save the country of the king who lives in the Chamber of the Sun.""

Dart smiled gratefully and said, "It was our pleasure, Your Majesty."

Zior chuckled and said, "That's enough formality! We are having a banquet for you! Please enjoy yourselves!"

Meru looked excited as she hurried forward, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. "Is a "Banquet" a party?!"

"Plainly speaking? Yes, it is!" Zior exclaimed with another chuckle following.

"Cool! It's a party! A party for all of us!" Meru exclaimed before she glomped Naruto. "Did you hear that Naru?! We're having a party!"

Naruto chuckled softly and held Meru close. "It's going to be a good one, I'm sure. Now quiet down a bit. They're still talking."

Meru pouted cutely at him before kissing him sweetly on the lips. "Okay, but only because you asked nicely." She said, sticking her tongue out at him.

Smirking at her, he grabbed her tongue between his index finger and his thumb. Smirking at her, he said, "Got your tongue."

Meru smacked his hand lightly, watching him remove it. "Not very nice of you mister. I'm gonna have to pay you back for that." she said, giggling a bit afterwards.

Hinata couldn't help it as she giggled a bit. "They get along really well, don't they Rose?"

"Indeed they do. But we've played around quite long enough. We should listen." Rose said before turning her gaze back onto King Zior and his daughters.

King Zior simply grinned and said, "It's good to see you young people so cheerful and excited."

Princess Emille smiled at them all and said, "We still have time before the party. Please feel free to relax for a while."

Zior grinned and shouted, "Let us prepare for the banquet!" And with that, Dart and the rest were ordered to go and get some rest and relaxation time in.

After leaving the room, the party walked down the nearby stairs and paused. Turning to face his friends, Dart said, "It seems we can relax for the first time in a long time tonight."

Albert nodded and said, "I think so too. We have to leave here tomorrow, so it's a good chance to relax for now."

Shana frowned and said, "Mille Seseau… The country where Dart was born…" Sighing softly, she said, "We'll be busy again…"

Naruto shrugged and said, "Not much we can really do about it. We knew our journey wouldn't be an easy one from the very beginning. I think we'll be just fine, though." Shana nodded in agreement, but didn't say anything more on the subject.

Meru walked up to Naruto and grabbed his hand. "We'll be walking around until the party starts! Come on Naru, let's go go go!" she exclaimed before hurrying off with him, much to his amusement.

Shortly after they left, Kongol, Haschel, Hinata, and Hikari all began walking off as well. Looking around at them, Dart exclaimed, "Hey! Where are you all going!?"

Haschel simply shrugged and said, "I have an errand to take care of."

Shrugging her shoulders, Rose turned and walked off with Mei, leaving Dart with Tayuya, Albert and Shana. "And there they go too…"

Albert turned to Dart at this point and said, "I'll be off as well. Remember, you have to appreciate what everyone did." And with that, he walked off, leaving Dart alone with Tayuya and Shana.

Turning to face Shana, Dart said, "I'm kind of surprised you didn't chase after Naruto. Everything okay?"

Shana smiled at him and said, "Everything's fine. I think I'm going to walk around for a while too. What about you Dart?"

Dart shrugged and said, "I think I'll walk around too and see what everyone's up to. See you later Shana."

"See you, Dart. Have fun!" Shana said before hurrying off to explore and have some fun.

Left alone with Tayuya, Dart smiled at her and said, "Let's go relax for a while." The redhead simply nodded and followed along as Dart led them to the raised walkway connecting both towers.

While Dart sat on one of the benches, Tayuya looked out at the horizon and said, "I love you, Dart-kun. I just want you to know that. What you did really hurt me. But…" turning around to face him, the redhead wiped away some unshed tears. "I love you too much to stay mad at you forever. If you promise never to hurt me like that again, I'll forgive you."

Grabbing Tayuya's hand, he pulled her towards him until she was sitting on his lap. Holding her close, he said, "I'll never hurt you again Tayuya. We're meant to be together no matter what might happen. Our journey may be fraught with peril, but everything will be just fine, so long as we're together. That's a promise."

"Good." Tayuya said before kissing him lovingly on the lips. "I know we'll be just fine. I just wanted to hear you say it."

Chuckling a bit, Dart would have said more, but a familiar face called out to them, "Dart! Tayuya! Welcome back!" Turning to face the newcomer, they saw that it was Fester. When he looked into their eyes, he asked, "What's wrong? You both have such sour faces…"

Dart sighed and shook his head in mild disbelief. "It's nothing."

Tayuya grumbled for a moment and whispered to herself, "Yeah right. Nothing, he says. Dammit Fester."

"Anyway! You're all famous in the city! The heroes who defeated the dragon that descended down on Tiberoa!" Fester exclaimed joyfully.

Dart rubbed the back of his head and said, "If you say so. It still doesn't feel like it's real."

Fester smiled at him and said, "It's your modest attitude! You are our time's latest hero!"

"Um…" Dart began, only for Fester to interrupt him.

"By the way, the party is starting! Get rid of the sour faces and be happy! See you later." And with that, Fester walked off, leaving the two of them alone together once again.

Tayuya smirked at Dart and shoved him down on the bench once again before going to sit on his lap once more. However, before she could, another voice called out to them. "Oh!? Mr. Dart! Miss Tayuya! Why are you here!?"

Facepalming herself, Tayuya let out an agonized groan and said, "Why can't people just leave us alone? Is that really too much to ask for?"

Dart chuckled softly and said, "Hopefully we'll have more time to ourselves later. I want to relax together, just the two of us." Turning to the maid that had interrupted them, Dart said, "We're just waiting for the party to start."

The maid, Libria, smiled at them and said, "Well it's starting soon! Please gather everyone or I won't be able to prepare the dresses! I'll see you later!" And with that, she hurried off, leaving the couple alone together.

Tayuya sighed in aggravation. "Dammit. Come on Dart-kun, let's go look for everybody so we can get this over with. I'm so not looking forward to wearing a dress. I don't do dresses."

Dart smirked at her and said, "Why? I bet you'd look real beautiful in one. If only for me, will you please wear one?"

Tayuya blushed prettily, but nodded her head. "I can do that, sure. But only because you asked me nicely."

The brunette chuckled and said, "I'm glad to hear it. Come on, we should go get everyone."

Naruto

Naruto smirked as he stood at the top of the west tower, just outside Emille's room. Staring out at the horizon, mostly just a lot of water, he couldn't help but smile as he basked in the company of his girlfriend. "This is such a great view. What do you think, Meru-chan?"

The platinum-haired dancer smiled as she rested her head atop Naruto's shoulder. "I think it's wonderful. Buuut…" Looking into Naruto's eyes at this point, she said, "Being here with you makes it sooo much better. I really like you, Naruto. A looot. I want to be with you forever and ever. You make things fun and you make me smile a lot. Plus, you don't get mad at me when I decide to act a bit weird or when I get kinda hyper. You're super nice to me and I can't help but love you for it."

Naruto blushed a bit, but nodded as he hugged Meru close to him. "I think you're wonderful as you are, Meru-chan. I promise you here and now that I'll never leave you, no matter what. I love you too, Meru-chan. And I don't care if you're a Wingly, a Dragoon, or whatever else you can think up. I think you're amazing as you are." Blushing brightly, Meru simply snuggled against Naruto and giggled happily.

Sadly, their moment together was soon interrupted by none other than Dart and Tayuya. "There you two are! We've been looking everywhere for you two! Come on, Libria's trying to get everyone fitted for their dresses."

Naruto sighed and looked into Meru's eyes. "Well, moment ruined. We'll just have to try and spend a little more time together later. Sorry Meru-chan."

The platinum-haired girl sighed sadly, but nodded her head in understanding. "Sure Naru. All right, we're coming!" Meru said before she and Naruto followed after Dart and Tayuya, entering Princess Emille's room. They saw Albert and Emille sitting together on her bed, talking away. Deciding not to interrupt them just yet, they hid out of sight and listened as the duo chatted.

"Do you know about the Legend of the Mermaid?" Albert asked.

Emille shook her head and said, "No. Please tell me about it."

Albert stood up off of the bed and began to pace a bit. "The king of some country is gazing out over the waves of the sea and thinking. His life is hollow, just like the vanishing bubbles. Everything looked like that because the king didn't know true love. Well, under the waves, a mermaid was thinking the same things while gazing at the clouds in the sky."

"Oh my. What happened to the two of them?" Emille asked.

Albert smiled at her and asked, "Would you really like to know?" Seeing her nod, he turned his back to her and paced around a bit more. "Sadly, this is a secret story handed down only within the Serdio royal family, so…I cannot tell you any more. Oh…I'm sorry I can't go on."

Emille pouted cutely at him and said, "Oh! That's not very nice! Stop teasing me!" Giggling a bit, she stood up and approached the King of Serdio. "I'm having a fabulous time. I don't even notice the passing of time when I'm talking with you."

Deciding now would probably be their best chance to do so, Dart knocked on the door before he and the others stepped inside. "I knew you'd be here." Dart said with a grin on his face.

Albert and Emille looked more than a tad disappointed at being interrupted. Still, Albert asked, "Is something wrong?"

"The party is starting soon. We're calling everybody down to get fitted for their dresses." Dart explained.

"It's already that time? My, how time flies." Albert said. Turning to face Emille, he said, "Unfortunately, I have to leave you now. My apologies, Your Highness."

Emille frowned sadly at him and asked, "When can we meet again?"

Albert smiled at her and said, "When the stars fill the sky…"

Naruto chuckled at this and said, "You could just say 'tonight', you know?"

Meru and Tayuya both giggled, but didn't say anything. Instead, they watched as Emille stepped up to Albert and said, "At the party…" The rest of what she said went unheard by them, but they didn't mind. It was a moment best left to Albert and Emille.

After leaving the room together, they ventured down the spiraling staircase and returned to the first floor of the castle to continue their search. As they went to pass by the kitchen, they heard somebody's voice inside. "I'm not planning to eat now. I just want to sample the food…"

"That is eating! Come on, please get out! You're delaying the preparation!" a woman could be heard shouting as she shoved Haschel out of the kitchen. Looking past him at Dart and the others, she exclaimed, "Mr. Dart! Please stop him!"

Haschel looked at her disappointedly and said, "Wars never choose their time. You have to eat whenever you can. That is a basic understanding for a warrior!" Turning to face his younger friend, Haschel asked, "You want to eat as well, don't you Dart?"

Dart sighed and said, "The party is starting soon. You can eat as much as you want then, right?"

Haschel's eyes seemed to light up as he exclaimed, "Why didn't you just say so?!"

"We were looking for you so we could tell you that." Naruto said.

"Well let's get going then! I want to find the others so we can eat!" Haschel exclaimed excitedly.

As they prepared to walk off in search of the others, a nearby soldier ran up to them in something of a panic. "Knights, maids, ministers…everyone is busy preparing for this party! Darn! We need more people! Preparing for a party is hard work! But somehow, we're actually happy doing it!"

Chuckling softly, they let the knight hurry on his way. Afterwards, they entered the nearby guest bedroom and saw Rose deep in thought. I wonder what you're thinking about now, Rose-chan. Naruto wondered to himself as they watched her.

I'm…a hero? Heh, he would probably laugh at me. Laughing quietly to herself, Rose shook her head in disbelief. Huh. I just realize that I started laughing more after meeting Naruto. I'm more expressive now than I have been in millennia. Naruto… Sighing softly, she removed her choker and looked it over. Ever since I started to wear this choker…I hadn't laughed for so many years. You've changed me Naruto. I'd like to think I've changed in a good, significant way. Giggling a bit, she thought, It was well worth the wait.

It was at this point that she heard a knock on the door. Looking at who it was, she smiled upon seeing Naruto. "Heya Rose-chan. The party's starting soon."

Rose smiled and said, "It's going to be a fun party."

"Agreed. We still need to find the others though." Naruto said.

Dart frowned for a moment as he looked around. "Wasn't Mei with you?"

Rose shook her head and said, "We split up earlier. I think she went into town with Shana. Hinata and Hikari should be with Kongol, the last I saw them."

Naruto nodded and said, "I'll go get Mei-chan and Shana-chan. You guys go find Kongol and the others." Dart and the others nodded and watched as Naruto hurried off in search of Mei.

Leaving the bedroom, they proceeded into the area below the Chamber of the Sun and listened as they heard the sound of somebody training in the nearby room. Standing at the entrance to the room, they listened as Kongol said, "Kongol has friends. Friends of different species. Not bad."

Hinata smiled at Kongol and patted him gently on the arm. "I'm happy for you Kongol. Are you and Hikari done training for the time being? It looks like Dart and the others have come for us."

Kongol and Hikari both stopped what they were doing and turned to face Dart as he entered with the others. Looking around, they realized that Naruto wasn't with them. "Where's Naruto?" Hikari questioned.

Rose shrugged and said, "He went to get Mei. The party is apparently starting soon and Libria wants to fit us for our dresses. Ugh."

Hinata giggled and said, "This will be my first time wearing such a formal dress. I'm kind of excited."

Meru nodded in agreement. "Yep yep! I'm looking forward to it! I bet we're gonna look so beautiful that Naruto won't be able to take his eyes off of us!"

Hikari grinned at that and said, "Good. I'll be looking forward to it."

As the party exited the room, they smiled when they saw Naruto appear before them with Mei and Shana at his side. "Looks like everybody's here now." Dart said. "We should go see Libria."

Naruto nodded and pointed to the next room. "I think that's where she is. I can sense somebody inside. That, and I've been there before. Looots of dresses."

Before anybody could say anything else, Libria walked out of the dressing room and looked around at everybody. "Good. It seems everyone is here. Miss Rose, Miss Shana, Miss Tayuya, Miss Meru, Miss Hikari, Miss Mei, and Miss Hinata? Please come this way. You have to change into the dresses. Princess Emille and Princess Lisa insisted on it."

Dart smirked at Tayuya and said, "Good for you."

Tayuya lightly whacked him on the chest, but didn't say anything in complaint. Meru, on the other hand, took some time to really think on it. After a moment, she looked at Naruto and frowned in thought. Hmm…would he prefer to see me in a dress? Or is my current outfit more to his liking?

As if sensing her thoughts, Naruto placed a gentle hand upon Meru's hand and said, "Sweetheart? If you're uncomfortable wearing a formal dress like that, you can just say so. I think you look beautiful as you are now, if that helps any."

Meru nodded in thanks before saying, "I think I'll wear one. Just for you though, okay? I can't dance very well in formal dresses like that…"

Naruto placed a tender hand upon her cheek and kissed her sweetly on the lips. "It's fine Meru-chan. Wear whatever makes you the most comfortable. And if you're worried about not being able to dance properly, then don't wear one of those dresses. It's perfectly fine."

"Are you sure Naru?" she asked, only to see him nod and smile supportively. Nodding in thanks, she looked at Libria and said, "I've decided against it. Sorry."

Libria frowned for a time before nodding her head reluctantly. "Very well then. What about the rest of you?"

Rose shook her head and said, "I'm not going to wear one either. I don't feel comfortable dressing like that. I feel naked without my sword."

Libria sighed, but nodded her head in understanding. "All right. All of you, please wait in the living room. I will come and escort you to the party later."

With that, everyone besides the women (excluding Rose and Meru) walked off to the living room, or rather the bedroom where they had spent the night once before.

Later

After what felt like an eternity, Libria entered the living room and smiled at everyone. "Everything is ready. Please proceed to the Chamber of the Sun." Nodding as one, the party of adventurers followed Libria into the Chamber of the Sun.

Upon arriving, King Zior stood up from his throne and exclaimed, "This is a banquet to honor the twelve heroes who saved Tiberoa! Please enjoy yourselves to the utmost!" And with that, the party began in earnest.

As everyone went off to do their own thing, whether that was sampling all the dishes, dancing, or generally just having fun, Dart approached Haschel and tried to speak to him. Sadly, before he could, two women called out his name and hurried towards him. "You must be Mr. Dart! I am just dying to hear your story…" the woman in the red dress said.

The woman in the blue dress scowled at her for a moment. "Excuse me, but monopolizing him is not fair." Turning to Dart, she offered him a disarming smile and said, "Please let me hear your story too."

"I would like to know more about you." The woman in the red dress said.

The woman in the blue dress lightly shoved her out of the way and said, "Don't be so fresh with him! I talked to him first!"

As they continued to bicker back and forth with one another, Dart stared in horror and mumbled quietly to himself. "Fangirls…I have fangirls? I wonder if this is what that Sasuke brat had to deal with on a daily basis? This is crazy."

At this point, Haschel stepped up beside Dart and got their attention. The woman in the blue dress looked at the old gentleman and said, "Oh… You must be Mr. Haschel."

Haschel smiled at them before looking at Dart. "I'll take care of things here. Why don't you go and enjoy yourself with Tayuya? At least tonight, you have to make good use of the time the two of you have together."

"Thank you, Haschel." Dart said appreciatively. At this point, he approached Kongol, deciding to leave the women alone with his old friend.

Before he could say anything, Kongol turned and looked into Dart's eyes. "What did you do to Tayuya?"

Dart blinked and asked, "Do…? I don't recall doing anything."

Kongol shook his head and said, "No Tayuya here."

"Huh?!" Dart asked in shock.

"Kongol tall. Kongol doesn't see from here."

"Where could she be…?" Dart wondered to himself. Shaking it off, he bade Kongol goodbye and proceeded to the center of the room where Meru was dancing. Chuckling softly, he asked, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Meru pumped her fist into the air and cheered. "Yuppers! It's a lot of fun! Are you gonna dance too!?"

Dart nodded and said, "I plan to dance with Tayuya…if I can find her, that is. I don't see her anywhere…"

Meru frowned and asked, "I wonder where she could be? Need any help finding her?"

The brunette shook his head and said, "Thanks, but I'll find her on my own. You should just have fun and enjoy your time here. Maybe you should ask Naruto to dance with you?"

Meru nodded. "I plan to. But right now Hinata is dancing with him, so I don't want to disturb them until it's my turn."

Dart nodded in understanding before he approached Hikari and Mei, who were waiting patiently for their turn to dance with Naruto. "How are you two holding up?"

Mei pouted cutely and said, "I'm tired of waiting. I want to dance with him soon."

Hikari giggled a bit and said, "Hinata beat us fair and square, Mei. The night is still young, so we'll have plenty of time to dance with Naruto."

Mei sighed and said, "I know. Wait…" Eyes widening in realization, she asked, "Why doesn't he just use his shadow clones?"

Dart shook his head and said, "Because he wants to dance with you all personally. He wants to show that you're all special to him. If he used shadow clones, it wouldn't feel right to him or to you."

Hikari smiled at hearing this and said, "That's so sweet. Thanks Dart, for explaining that to us."

"Of course." Dart said. He was tempted to go and speak to Naruto and Hinata, but decided against it. They deserved to have their special moment together. Instead, he climbed the stairs to the thrones and approached Princess Lisa first.

"Dresses and star light are not enough to illuminate a girl…" she said before looking Dart in the eyes. "Just one word is enough. A kind word from a loved one. That's what makes girls glow."

Dart's eyes widened a fraction before he nodded his head in understanding. "Thank you, Princess Lisa. I think I understand."

"Of course, Dart." Lisa said with a kindhearted smile on her face.

Dart turned to King Zior at this point and listened as he exclaimed, "I cannot thank you enough for what you've done! Your distinguished achievement will be passed down from generation to generation here in Tiberoa!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Dart said before he overheard a conversation taking place between Albert and Emille.

"I have to go to Mille Seseau with Dart and company." Albert said.

Emille looked crestfallen for a time before she said, "I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you forever."

Zior seemed excited by this as he exclaimed, "Emille! Well said! The future of Serdio and Tiberoa is shining like the sun!"

Albert smiled at them before looking into Emille's eyes. "I believe love is the only entity that never changes over time."

"And distance makes the love grow deeper." Emille replied.

King Zior turned away from them and said, "I cannot watch this anymore!" At this point, he seemed to take notice of Dart's expression. "What's wrong? Why do you have such a long face?"

Albert seemed to take notice as well. "Hm. If you're looking for Tayuya, she is not here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am talking with Princess Emille about the difference between being in love and loving…"

Deciding to just leave them to it, Dart descended the stairs again to continue his search. However, before he could make it more than a few steps, Libria could be heard shouting his name. Looking at her, he listened as she said, "Miss Rose needs you. This way…"

As he started to follow her, Dart paused and glanced around the room. "That's weird, I didn't see Shana anywhere. I wonder what she's up to." Shrugging it off, he proceeded out onto the balcony where Rose was waiting. "Rose…?" he asked.

Rose looked him in the eyes and sighed. "Dart, why are you procrastinating like that? Do you want her to catch a cold or something? Making her wait all night like that? She's over there." She said, pointing towards Tayuya.

Looking her way, Dart blinked when he saw Shana and Tayuya standing together. He was confused about what they were doing together, but decided not to dwell on it. Instead, he walked up to the two of them and waited for them to turn around. Looking into Shana's eyes, he asked, "Shana? Why are you out here?"

Shana smiled at him and said, "I was keeping Tayuya company until you arrived. She's nervous, after all. I'm going to head back inside. You take good care of her, okay Dart?" Dart nodded and watched as Shana stepped inside to take her turn dancing with Naruto.

After she and Rose were gone, Dart looked Tayuya over and blushed deeply. "You look really beautiful, Tayuya."

Tayuya was blushing badly as she fidgeted in her dress. "It feels so weird to be in this thing. I've never worn a dress like this before. Never had much need to. But thanks, Dart-kun. I really appreciate it. I bet I wouldn't look even half this good were it not for this fancy dress."

"That's not true." Dart said before hugging her close. "I think you're beautiful as you are. Dress or no dress. This dress just brings out your natural charm and makes it more prominent. Even without it, I still think you're radiant as the sun. I admit though, you do look amazing in that dress." He said with a chuckle.

Resting her head against her boyfriend's chest, Tayuya said, "Thank you, Dart-kun. That really means a lot to me."

It was at this point that they spotted a number of stars shooting across the sky. "Wow. Now that's a beautiful sight." Dart said as he held Tayuya close.

"Yeah. And I know just what to wish for." She said as she teasingly winked at her boyfriend.

Dart chuckled and said, "Yeah, me too."

Naruto

Naruto smiled as he danced with his girlfriends one by one. When it was finally Shana's turn, he looked her over for a moment before saying, "You look absolutely breathtaking, Shana-chan. Are you having fun? I didn't see you earlier…"

The brunette smiled and kissed her boyfriend lovingly on the lips. "Thank you. And of course I'm having fun. Being with you is all I need." She said. "And I was keeping Tayuya company until Dart found us. I didn't want to just leave her all alone out there."

Naruto chuckled softly and said, "I was wondering where she got off to. I'm glad Dart finally found her." Looking deeply into his girlfriend's eyes, Naruto said, "I love you sweetheart. I really, truly love you. I trust you. And I promise I'll always take care of you. Nothing will ever keep us apart."

Shana blushed prettily and clung to her boyfriend as they danced slowly together. "I'm glad to hear you say that, Naruto. Because…" Looking up into his eyes, she said, "I want to start a family with you someday. I want to marry you, birth your children, and grow old together. No matter how long it takes and no matter what might try to come between us, I want to push through it all and be happy together. With you and everyone else."

Naruto blushed, but nodded his head and kissed her again. "I like that. I'm looking forward to the large family we're going to have. I love you Shana-chan."

"I love you too." Shana said before they kissed again.

As they danced, Naruto couldn't help but frown for a moment. He had a feeling that things were going to take a turn for the worse when they finally reached Mille Seseau. He didn't know why or what might happen, but he knew things were going to get much harder for all of them. I don't care what it takes. We'll weather the storm and we'll succeed in protecting this world. And… looking into Shana's eyes, he smiled at her and thought, We'll have that family we both want so much. The family that we all want. Sadly, his gut kept screaming at him that things were going to get bad, and he knew from experience that he should always trust his gut. Still, no matter what might happen, he wouldn't let it deter him from being happy with his lady loves. Nothing will stand in our way. That's a promise.

---

A/N - And that's the chapter! It was a reallllly long one, huh? lol.

As you can see, a lot of things happened in this chapter. Meru became the Water Dragoon, Naruto and Shana made up and so did Dart and Tayuya. There was a banquet thrown. Lots of good stuff. Like I said before, I think it turned out really well.

Alrighty, I think enough has been said. I have no idea what I'll work on next, so whatever. lol. I need a break. XD