I OWN NOTHING
Whether I am mad or serious I know that all I am is a guy trying to have a fun time writing stories to enjoy himself. With that said, take everything you will see here as someone putting a little effort into having fun.
WARNING: What I'll do here is entirely my own choice after contemplating your suggestions. I won't change this, and if you aren't happy with this decision then remember this is a story I write for fun, nothing else. In this story, Naruto will have to do necessary evils to get things done, but I don't want him to basically become another Sasuke. I want him to be a protagonist we can root for.
Also, some of you showed interest in Sabor turning into a leopard woman. If you're interested what that'd be like, think of Cheetara from Thundercats.
Beta's notes: Hey gang, it's The Lord Of Pages here. I was responsible for doing the bulk of the design work for Sabor and helping my big bro The Swordslinger create her. So if you want to blame anyone for making a monster girl Sabor, blame me. Other than that I also helped with a lot of the dialogue, and helped him iron out ideas for what to do and where to go with Sora and Naruto. We hope you like what we wrote, and I hope he doesn't beat me too hard before shoving me back into the Naughty Box. Until next time, so long, farewell, see you soon!
XXXXXX
YOU
ARE
A
KING
WITH
NO
NEED
FOR
JESTERS
LIKE
HIM
To say his guest was shocked was an understatement, "This is your kingdom?!"
Upon arriving to Opar, Sora was shocked by the city, and even more when a single hand gesture from Naruto stopped the leopard men from attacking them, "None of you will harm him while he's my guest." He told the feral warriors, who bowed to him before the blond turned the other Keyblade user, "Sorry about that, they are quick to attack any intruder they find."
"At least you didn't send them to cut off my head…" Sora whispered, which Naruto heard and earned the brunet a confused glance, "Long story."
"We got time until we reach my throne room." The blond replied, "And plenty enough for me to talk to my consort to help you."
Sora blushed, "Wow, you have consorts?!"
Naruto – unaware of what he said – nodded, "She's incredibly beautiful and intelligent. It wasn't easy to win her over, but she's loyal to me and I feel, deep down, that she's good."
The brunet whistled, "Man, you sure sound lucky." He chuckled meekly, "Truth be told, I don't have any sort of luck with this girl I like… I want to, but it's hard to tell her."
Crossing his arms, Opar's new king pondered on his friend's words, "Kairi, right? Sure sounds like you're fond of her. Listen, tell you what, if I can help in any way at all, I'll find her for you. Just be warned, I'll expect you to listen to some demands of mine first."
Sora stared at the whiskered boy quizzically, "You're talking of this deal quite a lot without giving me anything. Can't you just give me a hint?"
Sighing, the dark king shook his head, "I'd like to, but I want to talk to my consort first and see what to really talk about. I'm not sure about several things, though…" he smiled genuinely, "I do mean what I say about being a friend to you."
Rubbing the back of his head, Sora snickered, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you have feelings for me."
Laughing felt almost alien to Naruto, but it was welcomed. He had never been with many people to talk to in a friendly way. He did see how some people interact, but at best what he had was talking to the Ichiraku family and the Third. To talk to someone his age like they were just normal kids was a very welcomed change of pace. The blond was still a smartass, and just like how he mocked the likes of Zabuza and Neji…
Naruto gave him a cheeky grin, "Well, with a wig and a dress, who knows what guy could resist you?"
Sora was quick to reply, "Hey, at least I got some muscle!" he showed his stick arms did have some muscle marking them, "Give these babies a few more years of hard training, and bam!"
The blond grinned widely, "Heh, if that's the case, then I'll be glad to give you a good match and see if that's not just talk there."
Sora returned the cheeky grin, "Then I shall see you're really up to being king and not just a boasting jester."
Just the fact he was talking to someone like an equal was amazing in itself, and while the blond wanted such a thing to never end, he could see his throne room drawing closer. Steeling himself, albeit reluctantly, he guided Sora forward. Once inside the throne room, the brunet was amazed by the pillars, the red carpet, the oil lanterns, and the throne. But he was mostly surprised by the king's obvious consort.
"She's your consort?" Sora whispered to his new friend.
Naruto nodded, "Yeah, though she seems busy."
Indeed, La had her back turned to them, mulling over some scrolls in her hands, so Sora asked, "Given the fact you're surrounded by these leopard men, I thought you… Uh…"
Naruto scratched the back of his head, "I guess I will get that a lot, but don't worry. La's as human as you and I, and she's quite capable with magic. Maybe she can give us a hand to find your friends."
Hearing her king draw closer, the still active ruler of Opar turned with a loving smile, "My lord, you've come back! I've good news about my progress to help…" her mouth remained open, her smile was still in place, but her sentence ended as she gazed at the other boy, "Who… is this?"
"Sora, this is La, queen of Opar and my consort." The dusky skinned beauty felt herself die and be reborn in the same second, "And La, this is Sora, a... friend of mine."
"M-My lord!" she held one of her reddening cheeks while trying to keep her eyes on the other Keyblade warrior, "You brought one of the warriors from the light here… Why would you bring such a… guest?"
"I want to see if I can make a deal with him." Naruto replied, "Finding his lost friends for a favor."
La nodded before motioning to her king to come closer, "I shall see what I can arrange, but we should talk about my progress… in private."
Sora got the hint, "Oh sure, take your time." He put his hands in his pockets and looked around.
Seeing that his guest would get bored, Naruto spoke to his servants, "Hey, leopard men, treat Sora as you would do me. Bring him food and show him a good room to rest."
The brunet was surprised but thankful, "Really?! You're great! Thanks!"
As the leopard men did as told and the queen and their new king were left alone, La had to be very vocal with her thoughts, "My lord…"
He nodded curiously but wary, "Yes?"
She grabbed his shoulder with a hand and forced her smile as she looked him in the eye, "Have you lost your mind?!"
Having expected the reaction, Naruto wasn't too shocked, though he was still amazed that she managed to scream at the top of her lungs without Sora turning his head, "I know it's crazy since he's got a Keyblade of light, but-"
She grabbed him by the shoulders and put her eyes inches from his, "My lord, that kid and his kind are your most lethal, most dangerous enemies! I know you've got a good heart despite being the future conqueror of all worlds, but I wish to know if you're about to stab him in the back!"
Chuckling a bit, he looked away, "Uh, no."
La massaged her face with a hand and with the other made him look her in the eye before she replied, "Then what is it that you want to do? Will you turn him into a proper servant? Force him to submit to you…? Actually, I swear I have seen a spell for changing someone's gender, so you could-"
"No, you're not listening." He grabbed her hands and put them down, "I want to see if I can make him my friend, make him see my reason for doing what I do. If he thinks I'm a tyrant that must be stopped, that may as well be it. However, I promised him to find his friends, and if there's one thing I truly hate is not keeping my word."
She growled but could see he wouldn't change his mind, "And how do you plan to do this convincing? Bringing back his friends only to tell them you have plans to claim all worlds, theirs included, won't end well."
"That's something I'll deal with when I get to it." He answered firmly, though not as much as he wanted, "I'd rather have his respect first rather than acting like the kind of ass that thinks everyone owes him their life to help him with his goals."
"But why go to such lengths?" his servant queen asked.
Taking a deep breath, he was as sincere as he could, "One that I thought was an ally did so. After trying and failing to save him, he tried to kill me to obtain power. After seeing that kind of attitude, I want to be nothing like him. I don't want to force Sora or anyone like it's their duty to pay me back, I want to at least be able to show everyone that I'm not doing this selfishly, and I really want to help him."
She felt herself blush at his kind words, but had to ask, "But what about Demona and I, you did beat us."
"I gave you a choice." He answered, "I won't stop you if you want to leave, but I'd like your help. That's why I'm hoping that you helping her can get her to be more at ease with us. She's… someone I feel that I can reach out to, so I got to try."
"And me, your… consort?" she asked with a deeper shade of red.
He smiled, "If there's anything I can do to make you happy, I'd be glad to do so."
Her cheeks were burning hot, so she turned around and giggled like a schoolgirl as he stared confusedly, "N-No need to do so, my lord! This one's happy servicing you already… I mean, being of service to you!"
'Weird as she can be, she's nice.' He thought to himself before speaking, "Listen, if there's a way to find Sora's friends, I'm all ears."
Nodding and trying to control herself, the queen politely answered, "There is a way to do so, and perhaps…" she thought on the boy that was led away by the leopard men, "I could kill two birds with one stone. That boy is blessed by the light, meaning there's a chance I could have that gift he got since birth for Demona."
Growing worried by the sound of that, Naruto asked, "This won't hurt him, will it?"
She chuckled, "After what you told me, I'd hate to make you unhappy, my lord. No, he will be unharmed. However, side-effects may happen. Who knows? Maybe he'll turn into a gargoyle for the rest of his life."
"Are you serious?!" he asked in shock, "Then why don't you use me? Surely, I can be of use too, right? And being a gargoyle doesn't sound so bad." He thought how cool it'd be to glide around.
Shaking her head, La explained, "No can do, my lord. You and the gargoyle are children of darkness. It would have no effect. To help her, we need someone blessed by the light to share their gift. The ability to bathe in the light without turning to stone or grow weak under sunlight."
He thought out loud, "Now that you mention it, I feel more at ease when I'm in the dark…"
"And thus we need someone blessed by light, and someone like your new friend is the ideal candidate."
Taking her words and letting them sink, he turned to her with a serious gaze, "I shall discuss this with him and see what he thinks. Thank you, La. I will find a way to reward you for your help, I promise."
La blushed as the thoughts she had of a reward involved her king nude under her bed's sheets.
IS
YOUR
DESIRE
TO
BECOME
A
CONQUEROR
OF
WORLDS
AND
HEARTS
? ? ?
"Wait, are you kidding?!"
Naruto expected that kind of reply while he and Sora stood on a bridge over a river, watching the lost city. The blond king leaned on the stone rail, resting on his back, while his brown-haired friend stared at him. It was obvious that telling him the plans to help Demona would make the Keyblade wielder chosen by light reluctant to listen. However, Naruto was a stubborn one, and he wouldn't give up that easily.
"It's for the sake of someone whose trust I want to earn." He answered the brunet as he got up and approached him, "Besides, think on it. If you do this for me, La will have more time to look for your friends."
Looking around, Sora tried to think of anything to say, "But you said I could become a gargoyle, and who knows what else could happen if that is one side-effect?"
"I'll give you that, but please think on it." Naruto tried to be polite though he didn't implore, "The person I want you to help is someone I can see pain in. Her eyes are always filled with anger and sorrow. It's like a bad joke where she's forced to lead a life she didn't choose. That's why I'm asking you this not as a king but just some guy that cares for someone who could be a good friend. Help me give her a chance."
Perhaps it was the way he spoke, but Sora could tell there was a sincerity in him so heartfelt that he couldn't ignore him, "If I survive to regret this after something awful happens to me, you will owe me a favor."
"Just one?" Naruto questioned, perplexed. Seeing Sora nod, he responded, "Well then, name it."
"You'll find Riku and Kairi and make sure they're safe."
Giving him his word wasn't hard, "I'll bring them back home with you no matter what."
Witnessing Naruto's honesty put Sora at ease once again, so he took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "Alright then, what do I need to do?"
At the blond boy's throne room, Sora was standing beside Demona in her human form, the gargoyle glaring at the boy but mostly at the king, "Are you sure this will work? To think I owe him for this is painful."
La sat cross-legged between the two, the leopard men spreading paint in circles around the two, "It's the best I got, so don't move or say anything that could have some horrible changes like switching bodies."
"Are you sure this'll work?!" worry was all over Sora's face when he turned to ask that.
"We shall see." La replied before taking her staff and putting it on her lap, the jewel glowing, "Heart of this world, heart of this jungle, hear my call. Power from the winds, the earth and the sea, come to my aid. The fire in the soul and heart united as a whole…" her body started to emanate green energy, "Allow blessings of the sun and moon to be shared by all!"
Sora and Demona stared dumbfounded while Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Is that… it?"
And he was soon blasted back with an explosion of green energy that rocketed him back to his throne, where he watched the events unfold. Sora and Demona were coated in dark green energy, oozing white fire from their eyes. La's hands were up, aimed at the two and connecting her own energy to theirs. Naruto watched pillars of green energy form around the two, and soon he heard a loud ripping sound as Demona's skin turned darker, her tail sprouted out, and her wings flapped in the day's warm air.
"I… It's working, I can feel it!" Demona started to cackle as she admired her claws and the sun sipping in.
However, not all could be that happy, "Wait, something's wrong!" La cried, grunting as she looked at Sora, "This boy… there's too much light in him… It's like he has three pure hea- Ah! My king!"
Everyone was too shocked to move in case they could mess the spell, but after seeing La's body shocked with a bright light like she was zapped by lightning, Naruto acted and ran to her, "What do I do?!"
She struggled but managed to speak through the pain, "Give me your strength and darkness, help me balance his power!"
Needing not another word, he placed his hands on La's shoulders and then Sora, with complete horror, saw a dark shadow pop from Naruto's back and take form, "Is he a…?"
He had no time to finish his question when he felt a sharp tug on his chest, making him fall to his knees. Demona watched it all in amazement as the green energy turned purple, burning like a dark fire while Naruto's body oozed darkness. The gargoyle and former queen of Opar watched the Guardian on Naruto's back embrace the king and La in a nearly loving manner.
"I see, he's loved by darkness, and he in turn loves not only the dark, but even has the tenderness the light claims to possess…" she whispered in amazement.
A brief flash of pink emanated from Sora's chest, and Naruto felt something pulling him towards it, "I feel it… There's someone crying for help, to reach out… Go!" he commanded his Guardian, who flew at the boy and, much to everyone's shock but Naruto's, punched the brunet's chest so hard that it pierced right through.
And, to their increasing shock, including Naruto's, the Guardian pulled out a pink, glowing gem in the shape of a heart, "Is that my… No, it's…" Sora gasped and tried to grab it, "Give it back, that's Kairi's heart!"
"Kairi?!" Naruto asked, but at that moment La's body had given in, and the former queen fell unconscious, and with him resting his hands on her shoulders he also fell down.
Demona and Sora followed suit, for the spell's energy that had run through their bodies finally hit them like a hangover. Naruto was quick to sit up and cradle the barely conscious La in his arms while Demona grunted to get on all fours. Sora was lucky to fall on his ass, so he propped himself up with both elbows and looked at Naruto, and his Guardian holding a heart.
Sora narrowed his eyes, "Was this all a trick to take her heart? Did you know about it? What do you want with Kairi's heart?" he pushed himself up with his Keyblade and a glare.
Once he had set the exhausted La down, Naruto mimicked him, "Trust me, I'm as surprised as you, but my word still stands." He nodded at his Guardian, which surprised Sora by handing him the glowing heart, "My exact words were to give you back your friends, and that's at least a step forward."
Sora grabbed the heart, staring as it floated inches over his palms, "Kairi… So she was with me the entire time."
"How did you know it was her?" Naruto asked curiously.
"I just… do." Was Sora's reply, "I'd never mistake her for anyone."
"Then what do you plan to do?" Naruto asked, worried, "If you bring that heart with you, who knows what could happen to it? And if you do find her body, what do you plan to do with a heart in your pockets?"
Sora grit her teeth but answered firmly, "I'll just find a way to fix her, no matter what!"
Naruto nodded, he could see that he and Sora were alike, both were stubborn, "Then let me keep my word by making sure it's safe."
"What?!" Demona and a suddenly awakened La shouted as they sat up.
Naruto sighed, "Listen, I gave my word. I can't really bring Kairi back half-way, and I do want to be friends with you, Sora."
Demona scowled, "Stubborn boy, he's your enemy! You should have destroyed him when he lost his use!"
Naruto glared at her, "Isn't making him my friend a way to destroy my enemy?" he turned to Sora, "I don't want to fight you and really want to be your friend, but you'll have to trust me on this."
Sora held the heart close, "How do I even know you're telling the truth? This… it all sounds too good to be true. What're you really after, Naruto?"
Sighing, Naruto walked to Sora, his incomplete Keyblade still in his hand, "The truth, then… I wish to be king of all worlds, to claim them as my own so no one can oppress anyone." Sora was understandably shocked by the declaration, "And if someone who is mad with power wants to control them or make their people suffer, they'll have to answer to me. That's my way… as future King of Darkness."
"You're just as mad with power!" Sora shouted, "What if they don't want you as king?!"
Naruto slammed the ground with his sword like it was a cane, "I want to protect those who deserve a chance!" he snapped, "Light, darkness, does that even matter?! When someone's born, they share a life with everyone else! There's people who take their own life for granted and harm another on a selfish whim! I want to be the king to stop that, to make sure that everyone who can earn a chance have it!"
Sora took a step back and shook his head, eyes closed, "Even if that were the case, you can't really expect me to stand aside if you plan on forcing yourself on everyone."
"Then I'll see if I deserve to be one…" Naruto clenched his fist, his Guardian vanishing, "I don't want to be at all like the people who took my life and your friends away from us. You have my word on that."
Staring at the blond, Sora shut his eyes tightly and clenched his jaw before, to everyone's surprise, extending the heart to give it back to Naruto, "Then, if we meet again, you'll really help me get Kairi back?"
Naruto's eyes hardened as he firmly answered, "If I can't keep this promise, then I'm not fit to be king, am I?"
"How do I know this isn't a trick?" Sora finally asked, narrowing his eyes but not really glaring.
"I won't stop you from taking the heart with you." Was Naruto's reply before he motioned for everyone to stand down, which they did.
"You won't… Will you?" Sora asked him quietly, his expression contemplative before he finally looked up and nodded. "Alright… Alright. I'll trust you. I don't have anything left to lose. Riku's gone. Kairi's gone except for her heart. I don't want to lose anything else. So I'll trust you." Sora said seriously, the boy gazing up at him with a nod.
Naruto smiled and his Guardian approached Sora with its hand stretched, where the boy put the heart, "Thanks, I won't-"
"But…" Sora started looking at Naruto in the eye, "If it comes down to it, if you do become no better than a Heartless, I will take her back by force."
Staring into the boy's strong eyes, Naruto nodded, "Thank you for at least giving me a chance." He gave Sora a bittersweet smile, "It's… the first time someone does that after knowing what I am. I mean it, thanks."
"My lord…" La started, worried.
He sighed and motioned at the leopard men, "Escort him and help him to find his friends, and tend to Demona and La until they're better, then we'll do what we must."
He didn't give the detail about taking the world's heart for himself, he didn't know how Sora would react to that.
WITH
YOUR
CHARISMA
AND
KINDNESS
THERE
ARE
ALLIES
OF
GREAT
POWER
AWAITING
TO
JOIN
YOU
While La and Demona recovered from the rush of energy from the spell, and Naruto waited in his throne with some leopard men bringing him lunch, he expected an uneventful evening.
He certainly didn't expect to have the leopard men escort a humanoid female leopard, "You again?" he asked the feline, whose emerald-like eyes stared at him intensely in a familiar way.
"Yes. My king." The leopard was of a nature entirely different to her fellows, and clearly displayed a feminine form all her own, "I am known as Sabor, from now on I shall be yours to command."
Her skin possessed the black spotted fur of her species, but it was clearly adjusted to her new body. With a body that could put a super model to shame, she displayed a sleek and curvy appearance that spoke of an innate ability to dominate those around her with both beauty and strength. She possessed incredibly toned legs and biceps, as well as a flawless six pack stomach. However, her body possessed the spotted fur of her kind covering her very curvaceous humanoid form. Her chest and stomach were covered in white fur like the leopard men, though it was hard to ignore she had other more womanly assets.
Her arms and legs were bare, save for bronze bangles worn around her limbs, which possessed a curious fusion of paw and hand into one. Jagged black claws were kept sheathed in the palm of the figure's hands, and over her breasts and womanhood she wore a simple attire. A rag like cloth bikini that hugged her large and very shapely breasts, and a loincloth that flowed into a long sarong like dress in the front, which was exposed as a shorter skirt in the back. She was also walking barefoot, but her feet were those of a leopard, though aside from that her furred legs were mostly like a human woman's, and nicely shaped.
Her head had undergone the largest metamorphosis by far, having lost its feral state and most of its animal appearance. Her head appeared to be the halfway point between Queen La's own appearance and that of a leopard. A furred face with a mane of wild blonde hair that possessed black spots among its surface. It was clear however that Queen La had not merely shaped Sabor to be a copy of herself. Her features bore a far more brutal and feral countenance than Queen La's more aristocratic features, and it was clear by the very fact that her face bore no fat whatsoever nor had any flawless traits to it.
Her fur had hidden the fact that she had multiple scars running across her face, and her wild green eyes shone with a long experience born in the wild. She even had a feline's black button nose, long jagged feline ears atop her head with furred tips and two gold earrings in her left ear, and, behind her toned and deadly looking rear, a long tail. Said tail waved, with a golden jeweled ring over it.
La appeared, fully healed, "It is the first time a female leopard came to me and asked to become one of the servants of this city." She told her king as she stood close to him, glaring at the leopard, "This one's truly one of a kind. I've never seen a leopard like her. Despite being old for her kind when she first appeared before me, she's intelligent and the darkness in her could serve you well, my king."
Sabor got on all fours and crawled to Naruto, squatting before him, and making him blush by rubbing her face on his lap, nuzzling his thighs, "I serve to kill your foes. Whoever, wherever, and whenever you wish me to. I am yours my liege. You spared me for no reason but mercy, I will give everything that I am to you in exchange. Tell me who to kill, their bodies will drop and their blood will flow endlessly. I will rip out their hearts and offer them to you. Direct me in their direction and I will slaughter entire villages for you. I only ask, you allow me to watch you become the King Above All."
Sabor swore to him, her slit eyes gazing up intensely at his own as she gave him a wide fanged smile. "As expected of a good leopard warrior, loyal with their very life." La praised for her king to hear, but then whispered to herself, "Perhaps too loyal, I will have to make sure she knows her place."
"Sounds good." Naruto commented while still blushing, and put a hand on the feral woman's forehead to push her face gently off his lap with his best serious face, "Please get serious and just tell me if you know of this world's heart. Do you have any idea of what I'm talking about or where it could be?"
Sabor nodded and started to crawl around him, her tail wagging, "I do, my king. After all, I've been hunting a pack of gorillas back when I was just a mere leopard. I have heard them talk about such a place. Though bizarre as it sounds, their leader knows and even keeps such location safe."
Naruto groaned, "So a gorilla is who I need to talk to, how am I-"
La interrupted him gently, "My lord, I can speak the same language as animals. After all, the leopard men raised me. I can talk to any creature, and I can help you question this ape."
Smiling with a sigh of relief, Naruto leaned his head back, "Good. Then all we have to do is find this gorilla. Good job…" he patted her head like she was a domestic cat, even scratching her ears which made her purr, "Ok, this is a bit… awkward. I never really had a pet, or even got to pet a cat without getting scratched all over my face."
La decided to cut short Sabor's petting with narrowed, cold eyes, "My lord, do remember that I – as your consort – will do anything for your sake." She put a lot of emphasis on consort, "Give me the word, and I will hunt down this ape you need, torture him if needed, and even turned into a slave if it's your wish."
"No!" Naruto stopped her, a hand up, "If I am going to claim this world's heart, I need to earn it. Besides, taking things by force is the way a disgusting bastard did in my world." He growled at the memories, "Gato was his name, and he ruined every single life he came across for money and power. Just doing the same as him wouldn't make me a true king, and that is why I want to earn this world."
"But that child with the Keyblade could get ahead of you and seal it first!" La argued.
Naruto stood up and looked her straight in the eyes, making her shiver at the sheer aura of power that just seemed to appear out of nowhere to cover him, "What good is it to be king of this world if people will just resent me for it? I will show no mercy to anyone who doesn't deserve it, I promised myself that when I started this. However, I don't want to be cruel to those that don't deserve it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have you."
"M-My lord Naruto…!" Queen La uttered, her expression one of pure adoration and contentment until it grew furious.
Demona's footsteps made them turn around as she silently walked past La as a gargoyle. She was staring at the rising sun above their heads, one hand protectively blocking her gaze from its rays. The queen rose until Naruto silently put his hand to stop her. He silently placed a hand at Demona's shoulder, gripping it gently as she twisted her head to look at him, tears running down her eyes.
"This is what my race should've seen all these years… It's beautiful. A sun rise…" she wiped her tears as her rage boiled inside her with the intensity of hellish fire, "And those that abused the gifts of the light took our chances to see it away from us. They cast us into shadows and cursed us never to see the sun!"
"Will you help me make a kingdom where no one has to feel that way?" Naruto extended a hand to her, "It's your choice, but I wish to have someone as strong as you to help me make my kingdom a reality."
She shook his hand and smirked, "I'll follow you wherever you need me, may as well do so to keep you from doing anything foolish."
He smirked right back, "I should've expected that, but I'm not surprised. Now then…" he turned to Sabor, who was still in a squatting pose before him, "Take me to this ape."
EXPAND
YOUR
KINGDOM
AND
EXTINGUISH
THE
CRUELTY
OF
THE
LIGHT
As Sabor guided Naruto through the jungle with the boy once again using his sword as a machete to cleave through the thicker parts of the vegetation, they started to move into an area densely packed with trees. A brief look up, and they could see the leaves kept everything under a decent shade, giving it a slight homey feeling. And soon they found a massive three with roots all over the ground, and a trunk as big as a house.
He expected many things, resistance, animals running away from him or at the very least his more intimidating party members appearing, or curious looks. What he got was nothing of the sort. A man with a large chin, a yellow shirt, red scarf, brown pants and a sophisticated look with his black hair combed back and a well-shaved small mustache was there. On his hands was an artifact Naruto had never seen called a shotgun.
And behind him were two far more bizarre individuals that couldn't be native to the world he was visiting. Both of whom were around Naruto's size, with the bigger of the duo barely being a couple inches taller.
The shorter and least friendly looking was a duck not even three foot tall. He wore a blue beret fastened with zippers, a blue vest-tunic fastened with even more zippers, and gold bangles on each wrist. He had a white feathered body, two blue eyes that shone with intense emotions and aggression, and wielded a rod topped with a small mage hat and what looked like a small cloak, like a little wizard rested on it. He was currently tapping said rod against his side, glaring at Sora who looked extremely happy to see him.
The taller and more friendly of the duo was a dog, with an odd hat fastened with goggles, huge clownish shoes, a green under shirt with a black vest worn over it, and yellow pants fastened with a black belt. Though his confused face with two large teeth poking out at the sides made him look peaceful. In his hand was a large shield topped with that same symbol Naruto saw on Sora's sword, three circles forming a mouse head.
While the two odd ones in the picture had something deep inside Naruto feel – to best describe it – opposed to them being there, the obvious hunter gave all kinds of bad signals. The way he looked at Demona and Sabor like he was sizing their heads for his wall, and how he played with his shotgun's trigger gave the gargoyle and leopard woman the same impression. The other two became weary of the quartet and readied themselves for a fight. It was clear everyone had a judgmental first impression, so the one thing to do as a king was simple.
"I see you're lost in my jungle." Naruto said as casually as he could, though the effort could be seen by how he took a couple of seconds to put a hand on his hip to be even more forcefully casual, "It's the first time I meet anyone like you guys in my jungle. Who are you?"
The hunter chuckled, "Your jungle, boy? Sounds to me like you're taking a game too far with your lady friends. But alas, it'd be rude of me to not introduce myself to a native."
Seeing La was getting quite irate with the man's disrespect, Naruto put an arm in front of her to keep her from acting reckless, "I am king of Opar, and this jungle you're stepping in is just a part of my kingdom. If you wish to continue walking freely around these parts, I need to know you're not going to be trouble." He narrowed his eyes to tell them to comply or else.
The man bowed with a smile still in place, a facial expression that was a laugh away from being blatantly mocking, "The name is Clayton, lad. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Name's Goofy." The dog waved.
"Donald Duck." The duck added with his arms crossed and frown still in place, "And if you're king, tell us if you've found ours."
La didn't let anything stop her then, "Rude little bird! Are you just going to flap that beak of yours to insult my lord?!"
Sabor raised her rear, ready to pounce… and giving Naruto a view that had his cheeks heat up, "My king, I'm famished, am I allowed to devour that bird?"
Knowing what they meant, Donald's demeanor changed and he quickly scurried behind Goofy, who looked as if nothing happened, "Oh gee, I know he's a bit hardheaded, but do forgive my pal. He's worried about King Mickey, as I am."
Taking note of the dog's good attitude, Naruto decided to let it slide, "You at least I can approach. So, you're looking for your king." He looked up, "It seems a lot of people I find in this jungle are looking for someone."
Goofy grew ecstatic, "Have you found Sora?!"
"You know him?" Naruto was confused but then he recalled something he heard when he first met the boy, "Wait… Don… Donald?"
"Yes?" the duck asked, peeking out behind his larger friend.
"So it is you who he… seemed to look for." He did his best to word it.
And Donald still got mad, "Bah, that troublemaker is worse than one of my nephews on a sugar rush!" he quacked angrily, even stomping the floor with a webby foot, "If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be trapped here but still looking for the king!"
Goofy interjected, "But Donald, ol' buddy, we found that Gummi block. The king could still be here."
Opening his beak to argue but closing it reluctantly, Donald hung his head low in defeat and waved a gloved hand, "Fine, I'll give you that."
Snickering slightly at the display, Naruto spoke, "I can help you find your king so long as you can accept my terms."
Clayton, who had tried to be patient, stopped being silent, "Yes, well, I am sure it is a matter of importance for you, but I probably should go. After all, I was only escorting these two to safety. However…" he grinned, "It would be unlike a gentleman like myself not to offer you and your lady friends a cup of tea. Does black tea sound good? Please, come and talk to us, and maybe we can help you find these lost friends."
Naruto took a moment to think how to say no in a rude yet subtle way, 'I can feel the pure darkness in his heart, like it's begging me to rip it out. This guy's nothing but selfishness. He's not as bad as Gato, but he's a close second. His ambitions, I can feel them. Is it because of my Keyblade? Still, I can't let him near Demona or Sabor.'
He was going to reply, but Sabor approached him, "I smell the gorillas in him." She whispered to her king's ear, "He must be hunting them like I am, and I also smell the scent of one close to the gorillas in him. One who I know is of a strong heart. My king, let us go hunt them to find this world's heart. My claws and fangs are dying to sink into this man, but I can wait for you."
As the hunter, the knight and the mage stared at Sabor in confusion, Naruto had to come to a decision even if he didn't feel happy, "I don't want him close to you or Demona, but…" he walked forward and extended a hand, "I accept. After all, I'd like to talk to your friends about this king of theirs."
The man smirked, "Wonderful. After all, it's best to not walk alone in this jungle. Who knows what dangers lurk around?"
Naruto didn't need to see to know the man had a smirk on his face when he turned around to guide them.
YES
! ! !
A
HEART
RIPE
WITH
DARK
DESIRE
FOR
YOU
TO
TAKE
! ! !
XXXXXX
And that's my rap!
Sora and Naruto are sort of bitter allies. Naruto respects Sora for being kind to him despite being a denizen of the dark, and Sora acknowledges that Naruto's good deep down. They will, inevitably, come to blows, but as you and I know, Naruto's not the kind of guy to break a promise. He will keep Kairi safe. I will have some trouble writing this, but for the time being, this is what'll happen.
As for Sabor, think of her design as a mixture of Cheetara from Thundercats, Cheetah from DC's new Injustice, and Tigra from Marvel. Is it a furry thing to be attracted to them or am I too much into monster girls?
And if you're wondering, I won't say whether Kairi will remain in the harem or not, or what'll happen to Sora until much later when the time comes.
Swordslinger out!