~NRK~
Parsley's eyes snapped open as she shot up in her bed, face bright red as she clenched her sheets.
'No! No, no, no, no, no!' She swallowed as she looked at her sheets, lifting them before sighing in total embarrassment. "... Dammit," Parsley whispered as she got up before getting clothes out of her duffle bag and moving to the bathroom. "Dammit."
Disrobing, she hurried into the shower and turned the faucets to a sort of slightly warm cold.
She grumbled as she stood there, looking up at the showerhead with a soft frown as she held her burning cheeks. 'D-Dammit! I can't be… right?!' It would be stupid!
She'd met Naruto for, what? Three weeks? There was no way… Right?
Parsley huffed as she looked down at her body, a toned one with what she knew was little fat and more muscle than probably most other girls… Gah! Dammit! Stop thinking like that!
Her face went red some more as she crouched and tucked her head into her crossed arms.
She let the water wash away her embarrassment for a bit before focusing on cleaning up.
'It was Saturday, right? One more week, they'd be allowed to take trips outside on the weekends. That would be around the time that 'Aster' guy showed up, from what Naruto and Snapdragon had said, yeah?'
Focus on things other than him and you. Don't let your thoughts wander…
'I need to fix his bracelet,' this would be her first chance at fixing something enchanted. 'Oh but what about the wood? I want to be there for that, too,' she'd ask Professor Hakone when they might be messing with that.
She wanted to make them, make the very best armor for her friends!
"I'm sure they'll allow ya," Naruto said as he huffed, Parsley chuckling in embarrassment.
'Gah! Dammit!' She huffed as she lathered up some more, ears twitching a bit as they reddened. "... Stupid guys," Parsley whispered as she washed her feet. "I didn't think I'd end up like this," she'd thought her brothers would end up in this situation before she did.
Of course, she knew she'd help them, the little monsters would need guidance no matter what.
She chuckled at the thought, washing off with a sigh before getting out and pulling her towel off the rack.
Parsley hopped up on a wooden stool and checked her hair in the mirror.
"Hmm, I'll have to wash it next time," she told her reflection before holding the sink and looking at herself, blushing a bit. "God, I'm really over here checking myself out," Parsley facepalmed before getting down and drying off completely.
Changing into a pair of yellow shorts and a black tank top, she stepped out of the bathroom and blinked as Thyme rubbed her eyes in front of it.
"Morning, sorry if I woke ya," the dwarf said as she moved out the way, Thyme going in.
"Hmm, no, it's fine," the elf said as she yawned. "Mmmm! Besides, it's 7 in the morning."
Parsley sputtered. "H-Huh?! I-I thought it was six!"
"Hmm, nope," Thyme said as she closed the door, shocking the dwarf to no end.
'I really sat in there for an hour?!' She gaped at herself, embarrassment not even rising to her mind. "Guh… I have it bad, maybe," Parsley told herself before moving to her bed only to look at the nightstand between her and Thyme's bed.
A familiar cuff that was now broken came into view only for her to blink as she walked over and picked it up.
'Huh, I thought I was looking at it last night,' how'd it get to Thyme's side? 'Must have been tired,' now she wasn't so she took the busted-up cuff and placed it on her bed before getting several items out of her duffle bag.
With a high-intensity loupe on her left eye, durable leather gloves on her hands, and a small chisel, hammer, and board on her bed, Parsley observed the cuff with a hum.
With the magnifying effects of her eyeglass, she observed the metal's grooves and symbols before staring at something that had her blinking.
"Huh?" She leaned in closer, squinting as much as she could. "I-Is there something there?" Parsley wondered with a frown.
She tried looking harder and the only thing she came away with was seemingly invisible energy that she only caught randomly.
"Dammit, what the heck is that?" She grumbled as Thyme came out of their bathroom, dressed in some new black pajamas. "Oh, sup."
"Hey, finally getting down to it?" Thyme asked as she walked over before kneeling by Parsley's focusing form.
"Yeah, I was trying to see the deeper damage. So far, there aren't any small fractures or splinters. It was likely broken perfectly or the material's stronger or more malleable than I knew. It's gold so that last part is definitely possible. Still, I feel like I'm seeing things," she said as the elf blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"I think there's something there? I don't know. I keep catching something randomly and I'm not sure if I'm seeing things or not."
Thyme hummed before patting her shoulder. "Let me see," she said and Parsley nodded, handing her loupe to her friend who put it on before observing.
"... oh…" Thyme blinked as she leaned back, Parsley shooting her a look. "I guess this isn't enchanted to see small magical energies, Pars. I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be the energy of the spell inside the cuff."
The dwarf's eyes widened. "Crap! I need to get new equipment?!" She squeaked as Thyme nodded.
"If you think about it, it makes sense. It's not like you treat a magical item like a normal version. There's magic involved, you'll likely have to get some guidance on this."
"... yeah, I figured," Parsley nodded before putting her things away. "... I wonder… w-would Professor Phlox know how to do this?"
"He might."
"Then I know what I'm doing today!"
~NRK~
Meanwhile, in his and Cal's shower, Naruto looked down at his body with a sigh.
"These are gonna get out soon," he realized. "Maybe I can get a change in uniform if I ask?" Naruto hoped so as he lathered up before hearing a feminine meow. "Huh? Oh, it's you."
He chuckled as the female cat looked up at his grin before her eyes went down as he focused on washing.
When he went around to his 'netherlands', the cat watched with a rosy blush but observant eyes.
"Meow~"
"Huh?!" Naruto jumped and looked around the bathroom in total shock, embarrassment, and confusion. "The hell was that?!" He yelped as he looked around before looking down at the rather innocent-looking cat. "... I-I think we might need to get an exorcist," he told the cat as he quickly finished up.
The cat smirked with trailing eyes. "Meow."
Drying off, he put on his teal-green boxers and orange pants before looking at his body in his bathroom's mirror.
Claw marks, lash wounds, and other scars of similar origins covered his chest and the top of his abdomen while spreading onto his arms' biceps and the beginning of his forearms while doing the same with his legs, reaching all the way down to the very beginning of his shins when he rolled up his pants legs.
"... it's fine, I'll find a way," he said to his reflection with a determined nod before blinking, and then chuckling, at the sight of a small black cat appearing with his reflection. "Hehe, I guess you wanted a good look at yourself, too, huh?"
The kitty cat meowed and Naruto began to put on a shirt when he noticed something about the feline.
He blinked at the sight of a scar on her stomach that left him feeling the slightest bit ill. He scrambled to get the black clothing on before looking at the female feline with a worried look.
"... I…" He looked at the cat before going back to their reflections, his pained expression visible. "... You're not her, are you?" Naruto asked the feline who meowed innocently, allowing his head to drop. "... I…"
"Hmm?" Came a feminine voice that left him flinching, his head snapping up to look into his reflection as he felt a feminine embrace from behind, his back hiding the young woman in question but her light chocolate-colored arms were visible with her favored black nail polish, a pair of cat ears and a tail visible from his point of view.
"Ol-"
"Shhh," her finger came up and pressed softly against his lips. "..." She embraced him tightly once more and Naruto's eyes closed in guilt. "... I don't blame you, you know?"
"I still do," he said sadly as she sighed before releasing him.
There was a set of bangs on the door. "Dude! Hurry up! I feel like I slept in slime!"
"... going back to the kitty cat?"
"Duh."
He chuckled weakly at that, the sight of a black cat coming back into the reflection nothing more than a reminder of his sins. Of his biggest ones since being brought into this world.
Of two friends who he'd hurt because of that woman.
~NRK~
Snapdragon blinked as he sat up in his bed, looking at the astral form of Aster once more.
"So, how's the adventuring going?" He asked the, currently, blue spirit boy.
"Oh, rather well. W-We stopped at a rather interesting village who needed m-monsters slain!" Aster said with a shaky grin and expression, confusing Snapdragon like he did every other time the ginger saw him.
A change in mood that always left the lanky boy confused on if he was even talking to the real Aster at the moment.
Still, the switch-up was something he'd gotten used to so he adapted like always.
"Sounds… dangerous," he said as he rubbed his cheek, Aster blinking at the scar there. "We did our first potent Everything Hours this week."
"Oh, right, when we go to different places?"
"Yeah. I, Rosemary, Cal, and Thyme went to a tainted forest by the name of Alberach."
"W-Wait?! THE FAIRY KING'S FOREST?!" Aster spazzed out before looking excited. "Tell me everything! I-I've always wanted to visit the high elves and see what they knew about spirits… m-my method of fighting," he clarified as Snapdragon nodded.
"Thyme's an elf, remember? She doesn't know anything about spirits, though, so maybe she's not a high elf like you mean."
"Most likely not. High Elves aren't really seen. They're a reclusive race even compared to their normal elf relatives… a-at least, they usually are? I just heard about them from my… partners."
Snapdragon hummed as he got up and grabbed some clothes. "Alright, talk to you whenever, Aster."
"Same," the other boy said before vanishing.
"Vision Crystals are so interesting," Snapdragon said as he went to the bathroom and disrobed. "..." He blinked at the ginger in his reflection.
Scars, quite a few despite how small they were, and slight definition greeted him.
The form of the young man in the mirror was still rather lanky and soft-looking but he was growing. He was getting better. He was becoming confident-
"You want this? Take it from me. What do you want, Snapdragon? You've a dragon in your veins, show that you're capable of getting it!"
Green eyes widened as he paled at what else appeared in the mirror before rushing into the shower and tossing the curtains across, breathing rapidly and covering his body.
Hair on his chest, his armpits, his chin?! No! No, he didn't… he wouldn't have that!
Snapdragon was forever thankful that Aster wasn't living in their dorm room yet.
Because Snapdragon was sure he was making sounds that sounded like shivering horrors and worried tears.
Dammit.
~NRK~
Rosemary stretched before wincing as her body rebelled instantly.
"YOWZERS!" She shrieked as she flopped out of bed, Sage blinking as she woke up to see her childhood friend on the floor. "Owwwww…"
"Are you alright?" She asked Rosemary who groaned before nodding. "... That's a bit contradictory," Sage said before she fiddled with her Light Core Terrasphere.
White light shot out before forming a platform beneath Rosemary's body and lifting her back into bed, Sage breathing out slowly as she looked at her newest equipment.
"T-That's probably not wise in the morning," she shivered before looking at her friend. "Are you better, Rosie?"
"Yeeeaaaaa…" The rosette huffed as she stuffed her face into her pillow.
Sage nodded before getting up, making her bed, and then gathering some of her clothes.
She checked on Rosemary one last time before heading to the bathroom for a well-deserved shower.
As she entered and locked the door, Sage disrobed before blushing at herself in her mirror, quickly covering up in her towel despite the absurdity of the act.
"I-I'm not small," she pouted to herself as she hurried to the shower before, obviously, taking off her towel and hanging it on the rack. "Mmm," she moaned as she realized how stupid she was being. "Stop it. Stop it," Sage blushed.
God, boys were so… ERRGGGG!
She stepped in, turned on the shower faucet, and let her mind vacate.
'Two weeks in and our friend group has literally faced two life and death situations,' the fact this was true made her hold her head. "Oohhhh," she whined. 'What happened to my life?! Two weeks and I f-feel like…' They were 'friend' friends.
It was odd. How could she feel this way? Two weeks wasn't a lot of time and yet here she was, realizing that she might have enjoyed their group dynamic more than she expected.
Sage sighed before getting some shampoo and washing her long hair. "A witch must value her hair as both a woman and a symbol," she recited without a thought as she cleaned it in a routine that she'd learned so many years ago. "... I wonder what Rosemary's thinking."
Outside of the bathroom, Rosemary turned on her back and stared up at her dorm room ceiling.
'We fought a giant crab-beetle thing and Naruto, Pars, and Mint almost died,' she thought as the sentence ran around in her head as she closed her eyes, hands over her chest. 'If you don't fight you'll die, that's the way it is… and we're just starting out!'
They had all the necessary skills to fend off something after a week of trying! They were AMAZING and she giggled at the idea of fighting bigger, tougher, monsters together with them.
Her team. Despite how long they actually knew each other, Rosemary understood this feeling.
Fighting together, eating together, learning together, resting together, they'd done this almost routinely ever since the school year started.
Cal and Amaryllis made perverted remarks while carrying a big amount of cynicism.
Thyme was their true level-headed person, she seemed to know how to keep her cool no matter what!
Snapdragon and Sage were their smarties! They made plans, charted things, drew them out so they were easy to understand!
Finally, Parsley and Naruto… Rosemary would likely admit this to only Sage out of embarrassment but… they were the really mature ones, it felt like. Like the big sis and big bro.
Thyme, despite how she acted, how calm she was, Rosemary felt like she approached things too logically. In a way, it was Thyme's kid side in that she thought she could approach everything with a logical, cautious, set of emotions.
Naruto and Parsley did no such thing. They came and went with their positive energy and yet were understanding, seemingly able to suss out weirdos and bad people, and could do this while managing their own emotions… Well, mostly.
Rosemary's mind went to the male blonde of their nine-person group and frowned as she sat up.
"I need to talk to him."
~NRK~
Naruto sighed as he laid in his bed with a neutral expression.
He kept his sight on the black cat on his and Cal's windowsill, eyes conflicted but not turning away from her gaze. One which he knew he was happy wasn't full of hate or anger but his guilt shined through.
The female feline jumped down before bumping his forehead with her own, eyes filled with intent. Naruto sighed again as he sat up, looking at Cal's empty bed.
"Two weeks is more than enough time to try and get an 'in' with the girls around here," Cal smirked.
The blonde groaned before facepalming.
"Honestly, he's more of a horn dog than a human," the fox boy said with a flat expression as the female feline snickered behind a paw. "Haa, fine, dammit, you want me to go and do something today, don't you?"
The way she tilted her head at him with a kitty smile had him huffing.
"Yeah, yeah."
There was a knock on his door and Naruto blinked before getting up and answering it to find Rosemary standing there in a white long-sleeve shirt and pink shorts, Flowering Thorn on her back in its holster.
"Rosie?"
~NRK~
Naruto blocked Rosemary's downward swing with his shield before kicking out at stomach only for her to jump over his kick, their weapons still locked.
He pushed up before she could recover better, sending her tumbling through the air before the rosette recovered shakily, eyes locking onto the rushing Naruto.
She squawked before jumping back as he sliced the air only to focus more as he continued to give chase, not stopping for a moment.
Rosemary dug the tip of her sword into the floor before swinging out with more strength than Naruto expected, a cleave full of strength, dirt, pebbles, and metal coming his way.
In response, he rotated around the attack before his sword bit into the side of her hastily-raised block, the blow still knocking the rosette onto her rear before she found a fan-like tip of a blade at her nose.
"My win," Naruto grinned as she giggled, the young man removing his weapon from her face and helping her up. "Not bad, I didn't expect the strength from that familiar swing."
Rosemary blushed a bit with an embarrassed giggle. "Y-Yeah, I just wanted to see how you used that move,"
"Well, to be fair, I didn't dig into the ground on purpose, I slashed past it. While I'm sure I could do that, it'd be more trouble than it's worth. I want only a bit of resistance."
She nodded as they stabbed their weapons into the ground before taking off in a bit of a run, Sage coming out of their dorms in a purple nightgown and nightcap, slipper-covered feet taking her over to the two's weapons.
"Mmmm," she stretched before looking at the two's running forms. "Way too early," Sage said as Thyme landed beside her. "O-Oh!? Oh, hi, Thyme."
"Hmm, they're training already?" The elf asked and the mage nodded. "Alright."
She quickly ran after the two, joining up without hesitation and being integrated in an instant.
"Mmm, how do they do it?" Sage whined a bit. "That makes my head hurt."
"It's probably because it's fun," Sage shrieked as she turned to find Parsley there, chuckling.
"Ahhh! Stop doing that!"
"Sorry, sorry, but to be fair, you're kind of caught up in only what's ahead of you. Now, if you'll excuse me," Parsley grinned before running after the others, easily slipping into their workout, leaving Sage's eyebrow twitching.
She looked around, just in case, before sighing.
"I wonder what Amaryllis is doing."
~NRK~
"Later, Zinnia," Amaryllis said through the bathroom door, rolling her shoulders as she finished drying her body. "Hmph, I guess I should call them," she said to herself as she finished up and left the bathroom, walking into her dorm room without a hint of modesty, towel over her shoulder. "Hmm, clothes first."
Getting dressed in some purple tights and a wide-collared white shirt, she opened up her suitcase by her bed end before pulling out a bright blue diamond-like crystal that held a small pale-yellow glow within.
Quickly going over and dropping into her bed, Amaryllis rubbed the Vision Crystal's surface and it glowed.
"Please, please, don't let it be that bitch," she muttered as the crystal glowed brighter before a voice reached her ears, getting a relieved sigh out of her.
"Amaryllis? Amaryllis!"
She giggled a bit as she laid back onto her pillow. "Hey, dad."
"Goodness! It's been so odd not hearing you asking for stories for the past two weeks!" Her father said as her eyes softened. "Tell me, how was your first exhibition? Apologies for no current astral projections, I'm in need of a shower."
She snickered. "Hehe, well, I got to go into a cursed tomb."
"Marvelous! Anything that's forwarding your goals?"
"Y-Yeah, a bit," she sighed. "Though, it's more in-line with… her than it is New Magic."
"Well, my child, you were born with more potential than anyone your age at the time. It's only right," he said matter-of-factly as she groaned. "But I know, I know, you don't wish to hear that."
"Yeah, thanks. Where is she?"
"Not here," Amaryllis sighed in relief. "She hasn't been around for quite some time, my little gem. I worry for you, sometimes."
"I know. I'm just… I don't want to be around her no matter how it happens," Amaryllis frowned. "But forget that. I actually needed to ask you about getting some new Terraspheres," he made a curious sound. "Let me explain."
She retold the entirety of her week, the demon, the chase, the exploration, her friends' adventures, and so on… yet she became rather confused when her father made a rather… curious remark.
"Huh?"
"This fox boy you spoke of, Naruto was it? It's just… something that one of the High Witches has been speaking of, I believe," he said as Amaryllis's eyes narrowed. "It might be someone else but High Witch Sumac has been rather excitable as of late. A few messengers of her returned, it seemed, and she spoke that name at a meeting we recently had."
'What?' How did Naruto relate to Witch Country? "T-That so? Well, he doesn't seem to be from our country."
"Yes, it was probably my hearing. Now, as for Terraspheres, you'll be happy to know that we just made a higher-quality batch," Amaryllis grinned. "I'm sure you're grinning as we speak so I'll say, yes, it's quite impressive. These Terraspheres last longer, have more manipulatable energy, and can recharge with your magic, Amaryllis," her eyes widened.
"W-Wait! No way! How?!"
"It's actually been a tip we received from High Witch Sumac. She had originally been helping, you remember? With some odd fur she'd had, we were able to have it imbue the Terraspheres with the ability to recharge."
Something in Amaryllis 'cricked' as her grin grew weaker and shaky.
"Fur?"
"Yes, quite curious orange fur," her body relaxed and she sighed. "She said it was from some sort of fox," she tensed right back up. "And she lost the key to its method a year ago."
'A year ago?' Something knocked on the back of her noggin as her expression shifted into one of shaky excitement. "R-Right?! W-Well, when can I get them do ya think?"
"Most likely in two weeks. We're still learning how to contain them but we're making good progress. Just know, these will be greater than before!"
"Alright, pops, I'll talk to you later," she said. "I'll call uncle tomorrow, most likely."
"He'll be excited."
"Bye."
As she ended the conversation, her mind replayed all the bits and pieces that stuck out to her.
Orange fur from a fox.
A 'lost key' from a year ago.
Naruto's name had possibly been mentioned.
A witch had an odd connection with him.
Hadn't Naruto said he was adopted a year ago? Adopted by a Guardian who likely saved him from somewhere… dangerous?
'Oh… o-oh God,' don't… don't tell her he'd been… "..." She got up before looking outside her window to watch the group exercising, noting Cal and Snapdragon's absences. '... if it's true,' she had to confront him about it.
Not to offend but to make sure he never ended up there if this was all true.
Then, there was a knock on her dorm door, surprising her, before she realized it was only one of three people.
Going over to open it, it took Amaryllis all of one second to usher the pale Snapdragon inside and grab some snacks from her suitcase.
For now, she had a Snap to help.
~NRK~
Three hours later, now refreshed and clean, the group walked towards the school cafeteria, all together with Mint right behind them in a casual red dress with a black string around her waist.
"Hmph…" she noted the group's differing dispositions.
A good amount of them seemed fine, great, even. Naruto, Cal, Thyme, Rosemary, and Sage seemed to be fine.
Meanwhile, Parsley seemed stumped by something, maybe her newest methods?
But the most concerning were Amaryllis and Snapdragon. For the record, she'd learned all their names, unwillingly, from their first meeting in the dorm living room.
Continuing on, the short mage seemed to be focused and yet worried while the ginger was… for lack of a better word?
He looked horrified and Mint was disturbed by how seemingly deep-rooted it was.
"So, what do you guys think we'll have for lunch?" Naruto asked as he folded his arms behind his head. "It's likely gonna be some kind of bread, potato, and jam."
"Mmmmm~" Rosemary's eyes shone like stars as she wiped some drool away. "Jams!"
"Hm, hm," Sage giggled a bit as Cal smirked. "Jam does sound nice."
"Yeah, it does!"
As they entered the school, Thyme raised a brow as she turned her head to see Amaryllis's contemplative face. She allowed herself to slow down and find her way near the short mage and Snapdragon.
"Something up?" She asked and Amaryllis frowned. "You've been looking at Naruto's tail for a while now."
"... Yeah, well… there are a few things I gotta ask him about," she admitted as Snapdragon's attention, formerly focused on nothing but the air in front of him, blinked to attention. "I spoke with my dad and… some stuff came up I want to clarify."
"Wait, what?" The ginger blinked before holding his head. "I-I actually haven't been paying attention."
Thyme had noticed. "Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah?!" He jumped as Amaryllis shook her head with a huff. "T-That is… Rylls helped me through already, thanks, though."
Thyme nodded as they reached the cafeteria before looking around at all the other drained-looking students or ones fiddling with the new items they got from the tombs.
"I guess everyone's not feelin' so hot," Naruto said as Cal nodded.
"Trust me, they're not feeling anything, or -one, right now," he added, wearing a gray tunic and black shorts, as Naruto's eyes went flat. "Hey now, it's nothing crazy," Cal chuckled.
"Right. I'm sure you'd know," Cal's smirk told him everything. "Shut up, let's get something to eat."
As they did, quickly finding a table for them all to eat at, Parsley messed with her hot potato with all kinds of fixings on it.
"You alright, Pars?" Thyme asked her and the dwarf nodded.
"I'm just thinking about everything, you know?" She said. "Right now, I need more specific equipment and need to know how to handle making magical stuff and need to see if I can't get in on the stuff they'll be doing with the Crabbe and Gnarl materials. There's a lot on my mind."
"Hmph, why not ask Professor Phlox?" Mint suggested as Parsley hummed.
"I know. I'm gonna be asking Monday, I just hope they don't use the materials before then."
"Well, why not go and find where they are?" Rosemary suggested as Parsley blinked. "It's not like it's illegal to, say, go find where the baby dragons are so you can get your revenge."
"That was… oddly specific," Sage said as Rosemary chuckled nervously. "Rosie… R-Rose?! Please tell me you didn't!"
"I-I just teased him with some meat cubes, nothing big."
"That sounds dangerous," Snapdragon said as Amaryllis smirked. "I mean, what if you got caught?"
"I'd just say I was feeding 'em!"
"Hm, hm, is that so?" Came a voice that had Rosemary freezing before she mechanically turned her head to see an eyebrow-risen Wyverna Dretch, the demoness in a pair of red and black pajamas and fluffy pink slippers. "Why, Miss Rosemary, I'm sure this is a big part of your Ethics class."
"Ididn'tdoit!" Rosemary said immediately. "Iwasjoking!"
The other snickered or laughed at her expense while their teacher hummed before chuckling herself.
"Very well, no punishment this time," Wyverna said as Naruto hummed.
"Hey, teach, are we allowed to go to find the materials?" He asked and she hummed.
"It's not against the rules unless the materials you're going to find have been marked from the beginning by a blacksmith's signature. The items that were gathered last week were all left marked for 'Freshmen' and no one else. You can go and grab some any time you want."
"Really?!" Parsley said in shock before stuffing her face. "Mmm! Mmm! I need to go and see them… Mmm! Now!" She said as she shoved her food into her mouth while her friends sweatdropped.
"R-Right. Then, do you know if the teachers are going to do anything with the stuff?" Cal asked.
"Hmm, Moss was going to have the second years use the items if he could secure enough. Though, I'm sure you can grab some, Parsley," the demoness said as the dwarf and Naruto nodded.
"Then we'll head over there soon!" The fox boy said.
The group never noticing a student whose eyes narrowed.
~NRK~
The nine hurried to the Materials Shack run by Moss Phlox, the group hurrying outside the school and towards a large building that sported an anvil, hammer, and chisel as its emblem over the front.
Rushing in, Parsley turned to the receptionist, a sheep woman with a lazy-eyed expression.
"M-Ma'am! I'd like to take some of the materials from the latest Everyday Hours!" Parsley said the moment they locked eyes. "It's really important to me!"
"Hmm~" Naruto sweatdropped at the woman's slowly blinking eyes. "Ahh~ Okay. Let me get your signatures, please…" She said with more sluggish words, offering the dwarf a clipboard with several pages of names on it.
Flipping to the back, she looked at the names and dates. "The last one was a… Chervil? It says he did it this morning?"
"Hmm? Ahh~ Yes, right, him. The elf boy," Thyme perked up with a raised brow. "He was here earlier using the smithy on some of the materials, though he couldn't carry much due to his… mmm, slight stature," the woman said with a lazy smile.
"Sounds like someone needs to lift," Cal said with crossed arms. "Come on, let's go and grab some shit."
With some directions from the receptionist, they hurried to the storage rooms with the desired materials within.
And who would they find by it but a man, a satyr, to be specific?
He was big, tall, and round, have fair skin with a red nose, seemingly perpetually-closed eyes, orange-brown hair that came down from his head to form connecting sideburns, a beard, and a magnificent mustache.
His ears were short and pointed, like Parsley's, while, atop his forehead, were a pair of small gray horns.
Wearing a thick-looking pair of blue pants, a similar tunic, and a blacksmith's smock, the man turned to them with a curious raise of his brows.
"Parsley? Hmm, I didn't think you'd come so quickly," he said with a slightly gravelly tone that somehow kept a soft quality to it. "Hmm… you're here for the materials, yes?"
"Yeah," Parsley nodded. "... And, sir?" He hummed. "For the second-year class, I know you upped me to the third-year but can I sit in on that one?"
"Hmm, I was going to ask you," she smiled as he nodded. "You've shown the greatest aptitude with normal weaponry, hmm, but you've told me about wanting to make… magical ones."
"Yeah, sir," Naruto said with a bow. "Naruto Uzumaki," Phlox's eyelids opened at that, revealing amber embers that looked at the boy who blinked. "Whoa… your eyes…"
"... ahh," he closed them again, leaving the group confused. "Blacksmithing effects, apologies."
"Wait, what?" Mint blinked. "But your eyes… does looking into fire do that to you?" She asked Parsley who frowned.
"No, my dad doesn't have eyes like him and he's been a blacksmith for years… does this have something to do with magic blacksmithing?" Parsley asked the now smiling teacher. "It does. H-How? What do your eyes do?"
"Hmm… the power of a blacksmith's soul can be awoken," Moss said as their eyes widened. "Yes, hmm… my Vow allows me to greet impossible materials and mold them. When you can apply your Vow to your smithing, you, too, will gain eyes like I."
"... Vowsmithing?" Rosemary tried as Snapdragon chuckled only to gawk as Professor Phlox nodded.
"Vowsmithing… is the ability to apply your Vow to the process of smithing itself," he said as Parsley focused. "Especially if you have a Title for Blacksmith," she blinked.
"I-I do! Grandiose Blacksmith! That was one of my Titles," she said as his eyebrows rose once more.
"I see… you've great potential," he said as she blushed a bit, Naruto's chuckling causing her cheeks to grow aflame. "Perhaps, you will gain more Blacksmithing titles for your Vow," the group blinked. "Hmm, you'll learn in your classes this week. Come, materials are wasting."
As they walked into the large entrance in the wall, the students marveled at the assortment of materials all around them.
Scales, metal, oddly colored stones, wood, scraps of cloth, flowers, herbs, shells, fur, and more. The amount of items around them, on shelves, in boxes with labels, in cages with glowing scriptures on the bars, and others nearly had the group overwhelmed before Parsley blinked at the sight of glowing words on specific groups of items.
"... are those the marks for specific people?" She asked their professor who nodded. "Alright… there they are!"
They hurried over to a neatly-piled stack of familiar wood before looking on both sides of it to see an assortment of shell pieces and some odd stone with very familiar markings to Sage and Amaryllis.
"Oh, thank God, Professor Caraway did grab some," the short mage said as Sage smiled.
Parsley, Thyme, and Naruto, meanwhile, moved towards the wood as the others looked at their spoils.
"Hmm," Thyme noted as they kneeled by the pile.
"Wait, that's right, Thyme! You could use your Vow more. Maybe we can find out some more stuff!" Parsley said as her elf friend nodded, picking up a piece of the Gnarl remains.
Holding the piece of the Ultra Gnarl, as Naruto and Parsley called it, she blinked at the feel of it.
"It's different compared to the other Gnarl stuff," she said as Naruto nodded.
"The Ultra Gnarl was way tougher, way stronger, and way bigger than them. It's probably because it's a fusion of three of 'em," the boy said as his tail wagged behind him slowly.
"Making monsters combine for more powerful materials," Phlox said as the group blinked. "A dangerous practice in these times."
"Wait, people do this on purpose?" Cal gaped as Amaryllis shivered.
"Who in the world would do that?!" She yelled. "That sounds beyond dangerous!"
"It is. It's been banned by the kingdom's council and any caught doing this on purpose will be brought to trial."
The group winced at that. "Hopefully, they don't think they did it on purpose," Snapdragon said with a frown. "I guess they shouldn't, we have so many witnesses. For now, what about the materials?"
Parsley looked at Thyme. "What do ya think?" She asked her.
Thyme's form glowed red as she observed the wooden scrap.
Dark magic resistance(Low).
Durability(Low).
Protection From Projectiles(Low).
She blinked in alarm. "O-Oh," she blinked as the group leaned in. "A small bit of resistance to dark magic, low durability, and a bit of protection against projectiles."
"Hmm, rare," Phlox said, gaining the students' attention. "Protection From Projectiles is an abstract effect… it's not something you can just find randomly."
"Whoa…" Rosemary said in awe. "That's so cool! What can she make with it?!"
"Hmph, wood can be fashioned into shields and training weaponry," he said as Sage considered the options. "Its low durability isn't good for armor but it can be made into a ring. You'll be lowering the durability more but we can give it a coating of minor resistance which helps protect it from you clenching your fists too hard."
"Rings? I've never made jewelry before," Parsley said with a determined nod. "But this'll be a start!"
"What about the other stuff?" Amaryllis asked and Thyme nodded.
She checked the shell of the Crabbe next and got different results.
Durability(Medium)
Water Magic Resistance (Low)
Earth Magic Resistance (Medium)
Minor Earth Magic Boost (Small)
"That's a lot," Cal noted. "Minor Earth Magic Boost? That sounds pretty cool. Though, none of us use Earth Magic. Or, wait, Rylls might."
"Nah, though it seems weird, there's a different specification for my kind of magic," Amaryllis explained. "Trap and Plant magic are my specialties. Plant Magic is related to Earth Magic by the category of 'Nature Magic' so if it boosted that or 'Plant Magic' specifically, it'd be good for me."
"Damn, sounds complicated."
"It's not once you really get into it."
"... I could probably make use of it," Thyme said. "Even then, it's still good for armor, I'd bet," she added as Moss Phlox nodded.
"Yes, medium-durability is typically the minimum requirement for materials to be made into protective items such as shields, armor, and extra braces," the satyr said.
"And last but not least, the stone," Sage said as Thyme held it curiously. "I'm honestly not sure if stone counts as 'Nature', though."
"It should if I reach hard enough," she said as she focused on it. 'Stone. There are all kinds of stones. Gems, crystals, stalagmites, stalactites, and more, it's all formed by nature one way or the other.'
Pressure, erosion, natural phenomenon, animals crushing it underfoot.
It was nature.
Naruto's eyes widened a bit as the red glow on Thyme grew thicker. 'Did she… did her Vow become more powerful?' He thought in wonder as he watched his elf friend hold the stone.
Durability (Medium-Low)
Magical Connections (Large-Low)
All-Magic Resistance (Low)
"..." She considered what she'd learned before standing up. "It's got a similar grade to the Crabbe's shell but a bit lower. It can connect magic or Magical Connections with a Large efficiency to it," Thyme added as Moss hummed curiously. "And it's got All-Magic Resistance on a low level."
He froze, eyes widening as he looked at her. "S-Say that again? All-Magic Resistance?" He asked in disbelief as she raised a brow.
"Yeah? It's got it."
"That's nearly impossible," their professor said as Sage, Amaryllis, Parsley, and Naruto blinked. "... there are skills and abilities that can be ascertained only by a few and even then, the chance for such possibilities is too low for most to give them the time of day," he said.
"So, you're saying that Thyme found a part of it that not many guys could?" Naruto said before the man nodded only to shake his head. "Huh?"
"... Vows are mystical parts of our world," Moss began as Mint raised a brow. "They're not something that can be easily understood but one thing is for certain, they are our world or our connection to it," Thyme looked a bit surprised. "When I said she could ascertain it, there's more to that skill. When one ascertains a material, or gets it ascertained, that material's true value becomes known. It's not normal but its true nature being revealed means that its value is now easily understandable. Having someone in your group who can do that isn't just rare, you all. It's a nearly impossible skill that can make Miss Thyme rather sought after."
Thyme blushed a bit as Snapdragon looked on in awe. "Hmph," she crossed her arms, embarrassed, as Naruto and Parsley laughed.
"Awesome!" They said in unison as she huffed.
"Idiots."
"You've truly done your fellow students a grand service. With this, Thyme," the satyr began to say as the group looked at him. "I'd like for you and Parsley, all of your friends can even go, to use your Everything Hours the week after the next to go to a rather special place. A special mine that's not really open to those outside of known blacksmiths."
The group perked up. "Really? Why?" Cal asked.
"For two reasons. One, it's a mine that's special in that it's one with nearly all forms of magical ores can be found," they all choked as he nodded. "And the second reason is that it lines at the center of Scarborough and is an agreed-upon neutral zone for all the countries in Scarborough."
Amaryllis's eyes widened. "W-Wait, so you're saying-"
"You could interact with someone from Witch Country there."
The group flinched at that, none more so than Naruto whose eyes widened before they narrowed.
"Well, you guys are definitely not going alone," he said as Rosemary nodded.
"Yeah! If you two go, we're coming with ya!" She declared as Parsley blinked before chuckling.
"Sounds like a fun time," she said before looking at Thyme. "What about you? Do you want to go?"
"It's simply a request," Phlox said with a nod. "I won't force you but I feel you two will learn something important from going there, especially Miss Thyme."
"... fine," the elf nodded. "We'll go. Not just because of that last part but because it'll help in lots of ways, I'm sure."
"Good. I'll have Bay Laurel create a copy of my Master Map," he said. "It'll do you all good to know which sections of the Vulcan Mines."
The group looked determined, ignorant to the other student peeking into the room.
~NRK~
With a few pounds of the Gnarl's remains in front of her, Parsley blinked as her professor brought over several items.
"These are… some general tools reserved for the school," he said as she saw the glowing loupe, a pair of silver needles, a bronze chisel, and a pair of elbow-length gloves that were lined with golden borders and fingertips. "You've figured out that the tools necessary for your future endeavors will be different. These are the tools you'll need for your own forge."
Parsley swallowed in admiration as she pulled on the gloves and watched as they shrunk a bit to fit her size.
"Oh…" She'd been wondering about that. "Hmm."
Moss Phlox sat in front of her, the satyr having put an anvil between them with the tools on it and their to-be-molded materials at the side.
Naruto and Thyme sat at Parsley's sides, the others having left to go and do their own things after helping bring in the materials.
So, here the four were, prepared to, hopefully, learn something incredibly useful down the line.
"So, the first thing you should know is that magical items are… finicky," the professor said as he picked up a Parsley-sized piece of wood with ease and placed it on the anvil, the large metal support big enough to have it there and not lean over the edges. "Though, in this case, you're not working with enhancing weapons with extra materials. Let's focus on making accessories."
Parsley tilted her head. "I've never done it before like I said. I could fix one, it's not complicated when you know what needs fixing. Is making an accessory difficult?"
"Somewhat, usually, we only deal with the process when someone has a powerful material that can be used that way. In this situation, making a ring out of this won't be too difficult. Refining it will be the harder parts," he said as Parsley nodded. "Now, for the wood, we must sand it down to a smooth surface."
Grabbing a knife and a file from beneath their feet, the two blacksmiths cut, smoothed out, and peeled off wood for the sake of making it fit their needs.
Come the end of their work, which lasted almost 45 minutes due to the amount of wood, the four were looking at ten smooth 'boards' of differing sizes but all smooth and slightly oval.
"Hmph, usually, I just make handles or shields," Parsley said as Thyme nodded. "What's next?"
"Well, since these will all become rings unless you've other ideas," he offered and only received a shake of the head. "Hmph, then we'll begin by carving out several from this piece."
Watching them go, Naruto hummed with his eyes closed. "That wood's dark intent… it lessened?" He wondered as Moss chuckled. "Sir?"
"We had it purified," he said as Thyme's eyes widened.
"Y-You have a Priest?" She asked as Naruto tilted his head at the urgency within her question. "Do they do visits?"
"Apologies but, sadly, we don't have a Priest here. We sent this off to the merpeople who have odd purification magic. We actually have a student who's a mermaid, Z… Zinnia? I believe?"
"Wait, hold on, I've met her, she's a normal two-legged girl," Parsley said as the older blacksmith chuckled.
"Of course, we sadly don't have the facilities… for constant swimming usage. A potion made by Ms. Redbud helps her attend."
Naruto tilted his head. "Whoa… I-I guess there are even giant students here?" He asked and the man chuckled.
"Yes. There are all forms of Guardians from all sorts of races, big and small, young and old, there aren't a lot of us but there's enough that we have Guardians in every race."
"Whoa."
Thyme nodded, rather curious about the idea of meeting a 'giant' student randomly.
"Hmm, now, Parsley, this is the easiest part," Moss said as he raised his own glove-covered hands and grabbed some wood. "These gloves have higher durability than most gloves, and gauntlets, worn by Guardians. They're meant for the extreme difficulties in smithing and, so, are rather resistant to friction, heat, sheer cold, stabs, and slices from rather heated or crude metal. With these, you can take the wood," he lifted one of the boards. "And bend it as well."
The three students balked at the sight of the man folding the board into a circle without an issue, he didn't even grunt a bit, and the wood didn't break?
"Are these gloves enchanted?" Parsley asked.
"Yes. They help us make more complex shapes for armors of different species. These pairs typically allow me to 'fold' materials into shapes thanks to my Vow," he said. "You should be able to do the same. Focus on it, nothing more than the material as 'material' and conduct your Vow. You want to fold it, to mold it, to do as a blacksmith does."
Parsley blinked at his words as she held a board as well. 'Look at it like it is?' So, not as 'wood' but just as 'material'.
Conduct it like any other bendable material. Generalize and just say you can 'bend material'.
Her form began to glow yellow as she gripped her 'board'.
It was just a 'plank of materials'. It wasn't a board of wood.
It was material meant to be folded into rings.
Naruto and Thyme blinked in surprise as Parsley folded the item with a few small grunts, turning it into a circle before sighing as she put it down next to their professor.
"Well done," he smiled as she grinned, flexing her fingers. "A Vow is a part of the world, yes, but it's also just as much a part of yourself. Finding ways to expand a Vow is how one makes it complete, like your friend, Thyme, did earlier."
"I-I think I get it," Parsley nodded. "And if I can do 'folding'-"
"You can do other actions with 'materials'."
She grinned.
"Huh…" Naruto blinked. "I-I didn't know there was a sort of imagination part to it."
"Yeah… I only tried earlier because I know it's extendable but hearing it in person," Thyme said. "It makes sense. So, for example, Cal might be able to extend his Vow from 'heavy weapons' to 'heavy objects'."
"And Rosie could probably go from 'wielding in both hands' to 'wielding any weapon in either hand'."
She nodded as they watched the two blacksmiths keep going.
All the while, Naruto looked down at his curling tail.
'Could I make my Titles into something more?' Could he turn these curses and 'beasts' into something good for the world? 'A 'Beast of Lust'... a 'Cursed Child',' could those things even be translated into something good? 'Maybe I should…'
"Focusing on 'Peace Bringer' would probably be the best thing for you," Thyme said as he flinched, looking at her as she tilted her head to look at him intently. "I don't know what the other Titles you have are… but I can guess you're thinking so much about them due to how bad they are."
"H-How?"
"Your emotions are always clear," he blushed before looking away with a huff. 'Cute,' well, it was in her head, she could say that at least. "Besides, you shouldn't be focusing on all three at the same time, much less the easier ones. Also, you need to make the most of Peace Bringer as is."
"... I-I guess, thanks, Thyme," Naruto admitted as she nodded. "... Peace Bringer…" He closed his eyes.
The first thing that came to mind when he thought of the Title was… Child of Prophecy from the Old Toad Sage from Mount Myoboku. Still, extending that Title with that in mind wasn't easy.
'They did it through expanding the meaning of it,' but Peace Bringer?
How would he extend that reach?
"So, what? I'm gonna end up an actual fox?" He whined as Parsley tilted her head at them, the way they twitched in rhythm with his emotions getting a small giggle out of the blacksmith. "Guhh… I can hear more stuff now, at least."
His eyes widened. 'Kurama?' He was a part of him to help save the world. 'But isn't that a crazy reach?' Besides, Kurama was…
Thyme's eyes flickered to Naruto and they widened at the rage in a pair of red orbs before they disappeared behind their owner's eyelids.
'I'll fix that. I'll get stronger and face her again!' He thought as his eyes opened, focused blue orbs locking onto the fireplace beyond the blacksmiths. 'But I know what she's like, had Hakone-ossan not been near that cave,' he'd never have gotten out.
Not with his curse, the after-effects, and the will to not leave them-
"Naruto?" His eyes blinked and he turned to Thyme who shot him a concerned look. "You alright?"
"..." Naruto blinked as he looked down at his hands before his eyes widened and he hid the bleeding by balling them up, claws hidden… wait, claws? "... S-Sorry, I was just… lost in the past."
"... hmm," was the sound she made, getting another wince out of him. "... We're here, I guess."
"I know, I know."
They watched Parsley work in silence, a more awkward one than Naruto would have ever liked.
'Dammit,' he watched as the two blacksmiths began to shave down the wooden rings. "I'm sorry, I mean it, it's not that I was gonna just stew in it. I literally just thought about it and I'm still pissed at myself."
"... You shouldn't be, I bet you weren't even capable of fighting back," Thyme said after a moment of thought. "You shouldn't have had to. That's not fair to you, definitely not," she knew that well if only from the other side.
Because she'd been too weak, because she'd allowed herself to be that pathetic.
Her father had to send her away-
A hand on her shoulder had her eyes blinking as she looked from herself to the beastkin, Naruto's eyes searching her own. "You good?" He asked quietly as he looked back at the entranced Parsley working on their accessories. "Thyme."
"... I'm-"
"Don't be a hypocrite," he immediately said before she could finish her sentence, the elf grimacing as she closed her eyes. "You just told me, didn't you? I can talk to you guys, you're right, but the same goes for you."
She groaned a bit, crossing her arms. "... I told Snap already and Pars knows… but I don't have a great relationship with my parents… my people. My home," Thyme began to count off, growing a bit more heated as she did. "... Haaa. I was too weak," she whispered as his fox ears popped up. "I couldn't help my home because I was so weak. I just stayed a child when I could have been training."
"Thyme, that's not fair to anybody. You were a kid, your parents wouldn't put you in danger if they could help it."
"How? It's my home as well," she hissed at him as he nodded. "So, why is it, when the time comes, I'm the only one who doesn't help!" She whispered hotly as he sighed.
"It's your home, I'm sure your parents know that," he said slowly as she crossed her arms with a narrow-eyed gaze at the ground. "But you're also important to your parents, right? You want to protect your home but, to them, you're more important than anything else," Naruto added with a hum as she frowned, looking at him. "... I never really got to know my parents, you know that, but I did receive a few things from them," he grinned cheekily and she rolled her eyes, knowing what he wanted.
"What?"
"Well, for one, my looks," he smirked as she scoffed. "Hey, it's true. As a kid, I never really got it but I was always looking at my parents when I looked in the mirror. On that same subject, my life was given to me, more times than I can count," Thyme looked down. "I was given a few memories, as odd as it sounds."
"... Recorded memories aren't new…" she said to him as he smiled melancholically, gaining more of her attention. "... I'm sure they made sure you knew about them."
"Hehehe, well, it's a bit more complicated than that but you're right. Hehe~ I would have had awesome parents, I'm sure we could have also been an amazing team, but it wasn't in the cards. Yet, from several other things they gave to me, I know, more than anything else, a parent's love for their child is literally otherworldly," he snickered as her heated gaze chilled a bit. "It's a whole part of my history but I know that bit way more than others will mostly know. So, don't just count them, or yourself, out, yeah? You're important to them and they want you safe and happy, I'm sure."
"..."
"And done!" Parsley declared as she grinned, the two looking at her proud face as a series of rings were in front of her. "T-That was fun!" She chuckled before looking at her friends with a nod. "Come on! Let's see if it feels different!"
Naruto chuckled before getting up with Thyme staying seated. "Think about it," he said, confusing Parsley, as he came over. "Alright, hit me with your best shot," Naruto said as the dwarf hummed curiously before grinning.
"Here, this one is to your finger size," Parsley said as she handed a moderately big one to the blonde male. "Let's see how you feel about it."
Putting on the accessory, Naruto hummed before jumping at a feeling that had him looking at his body.
"Whoa… that's crazy," he said as she grinned.
"Thank God, it works!"
"Yes, she did a fine job," Moss Phlox said with a sleepy-looking smile. "I hope you all can learn something from, and enjoy, her work," he added as he got up before stretching and leaving the forge. "Remember to clean up."
"Thanks, sir!" Naruto said as Parsley nodded.
"Thanks for everything," she said as he chuckled.
"I'm a teacher… hmm, it's my job."
Watching him go, Thyme sighed before getting up and walking over. "Alright, give me one," she said bluntly but Parsley grinned, all the same, giving her the third most slender-circled ring. "Hmph."
Putting it on, her eyes widened as she felt the changes.
"O-Oh," she blushed as the two blondes snickered. "Hmmm! Shut up," Thyme blushed with a growl.
~NRK~
Come evening time, Naruto hummed as he sat on the witch hat-like roofs of the dorms, peering out into the horizon.
"What's up, Rylls?" He asked the girl beside him, the two of them still dressed the same way from this morning.
"I had some stuff I needed to ask of you," the 'purple mage' said as the wind blew their hair back. "Naru… did you originally get saved in Witch Country?"
Naruto's eyes widened as his head snapped to her. "What?"
"I spoke with my dad today, he lives there," she watched the way he flinched. "And he told me some things about a woman there… a High Witch by the name of Sumac-"
The way his eyes widened, skin began to glisten, fox ears poofed into existence, and his tail bristled had her eyes narrowing.
"So, I was right…. Dammit, Naru."
"... I-I'm sorry, I… I didn't want people to know," he admitted with a grimace as she sighed nodding.
"I… I know, I know exactly how rotten many witches are, alright? My mom's a capital 'S' slut, it's not something I'm unfamiliar with."
"You really don't hold back, do you?"
"Ain't got time for shit like that. Now… well, I'd say 'out with it' but I have a feeling this isn't… good. Like, this might be extremely fucked-up," Amaryllis said with a worried look as he sighed, looking down. "... You don't need to, you know that, right? Like I told Snap today, it's none of my business if you don't want to."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked as she facepalmed. "Wait, hold on, go back! What's up with Snap?!"
"Nothing. It's not… it's just some issues he has with his family."
"Are they… alright?"
"They should be fine but his older brother is a Guardian so…" She shrugged. "Though, for now, yeah, they're good. That's not why he was kinda tweaking."
"..." Naruto frowned as he pulled up his knees and rested his elbows on them, the hands hanging in the space between. "Is he good?"
"He's just dealing with some image issues. It's not really my story to tell."
"Thanks, regardless, and…" Naruto frowned. "I was kidnapped by a witch," her mouth dropped. "And… it wasn't pretty, Ryllis, I got experimented on," Naruto admitted to her quickly paling face. "..." He got up before slowly pulling up his shirt.
Amaryllis's mind, rather fortunately if not a bit messed up, focused on the smooth definition of his abs that had her allured before it, unfortunately, went back to the reality above his abdomen and on his back.
She paled as she noted several of them and how they were positioned. "... o-oh shit," she trembled as he sighed, putting back on his top while a cat watched from the tip of the roof with a sad expression. "N-Naruto, I-"
"It's fine, it's not like I hate witches, mages, or anything," he said as he sat back down. "I know the dark side to witches like Sumac," Naruto said with narrowed eyes. "And… things didn't… stop there."
Amaryllis's mind went to dark places as Naruto's stoic expression didn't change as he sighed.
"I left a friend there," his fists clenched as his hair and fur bristled. "I left him, I hurt another, and I'm sure the last one got twisted into some kind of monster due to that bitch."
Amaryllis shivered at the feeling of wicked energy spilling past her. "N-Naru, yo?! Chill!" She told him as he froze before his ears flopped, his head fell, and his tail went limp, the red energy from before falling away, leaving the area empty and cold.
"... Dammit."
"... no, you've got a real right to be angry," she said despite how much she had to gawk at him. 'Dude, you're angry about friends, right now?!' How soft or good of a person was he that that was why he was angry?! "I-I get it, well, I don't get how you're not angry at everything besides the friend thing."
"Hm?" Naruto blinked at her. "Well, I mean, I am angry about that, they took me against my will and experimented on me. Okay, not 'they' but 'she'. I am pissed and want to see them behind bars but… my friends had nothing to do with this, why are they suffering for something that really has nothing to do with them?"
"... You're a real boy scout, you know that?"
"Yep," he grinned and she snorted before considering an idea that had her blushing a bit. "Hmm? You alright? You're looking pretty red there."
"... Nahhh," she shook her head at the idea with a grin. "I'm good with eye candy. That log ain't mine to keep."
"Huh?"
All Amaryllis did was snicker.
The black cat above felt her eyebrow twitch as the two got up before heading inside.
"Meow."
~NRK~
Naruto hummed in the shower, Cal's absence from his room not something he chose to give too much thought to.
'Honestly, he goes after Sage and now he wants to be a horn-dog?' The blonde sweatdropped as he let the water rush over his body. "Honestly, he's too much sometimes."
"Who~?" Came a voice from behind him.
"Hmm? Olive? What are you-" The blonde boy began to turn around, eyes blinking, before he came face to face with Olive. "W-Wait! H-Huh?!"
Short dark hair that came down in a little bob cut he always thought was a bit cute, her black cat ears twitching a bit as she grinned pervertedly, amber eyes full of mischief… and the blonde before her.
"Yep, it's me~" She grinned at him and he blushed bright red, trying to turn away only for her hands to wrap around his waist before he could, leaving the two of them blushing something fierce. "And we're gonna do something that'll bring back some bad memories but is gonna make sure you're not a grump."
Naruto's eyebrows twitched at the buck-naked cat girl's tail wrapping around his own. The look in her eyes brokering no argument.
"Why is my life like this?"
"Nuh-uh-uh, no time for that kind of moving mouth."
He burned like a candle before holding her close, lifting her chin, and pressing their lips together.
It should be noted, there was no burning in his soul when it came to her. This was a part of the ruse. Of the curse.
To tie him to the one female who could touch him but was on that side.
The kiss took them away, though, leaving his mind filled with nothing but thoughts of her.
Of Olive.
She made him forget, for a night, and he tried his damndest to make up for the things he did, despite her protest which quickly turned to lust-filled screams.
Come the end of it all, he ended up naked in his bed with a satisfied cat girl at his side, snuggling beneath his sheets. He held her close and she let him without issue, tucking beneath the sheets a bit more for safety.
They slept through the night.
~NRK~
And that's the chapter with quite a few things that might be surprising.
For one, if it wasn't obvious, Kurama's not exactly in a land far away but a country. He and Naruto are a prized set, after all.
Two, Amaryllis now knows about his past but not his curse. Which is obviously not something Naruto just shares with people who don't notice his mannerisms.
Three, well, yeah. Naruto isn't a virgin. He never was one, Olive and he have done the horizontal tango as a sort of 'fail-safe'. The full depth is being considered here on whether I really want to push the 'envelope' on that plan of action the now-named witch, Sumac, had.
Those would be the biggest revelations while we learn a bit more about Vows and the group's next, united, adventure. It's bound to be fun to write about the meetings with the differing 'people' in Scarborough.
Oh, and Snapdragon is currently going through my rendition of his issues in canon. It should be obvious, again, but it's not gender-dysphoria. We'll get into it in time but it's already spelled out. We'll see how that progresses.
For now, the story is a-rollin'. Let's see how it goes.
Words: 11.2k+
~NRK Out~