Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Chapter 05: The Queen Awakes, Adjustments Part 1, and the First Knight
Tier Harribel felt distinctly strange upon her consciousness returning, having fallen asleep soon after accepting that strange young man's help. She didn't feel empty, Hollow- Hungry -anymore. Instead she felt invigorated, and she revelled in it. It was such a feeling of fulfillment that she almost wanted to sing.
Granted, the Hunger was mostly gone already when I became Arrancar, but it was still there. She thought, her muddled mind slowly marshaling itself despite an inner wish to simply bask in the sensation of being Hunger-free.
She could feel that she was in a remarkably soft bed, with the softest of covers over her body and plumpest of pillows beneath her head. It was odd, she had never really bothered with any sort of real comfort before, preferring to simply sleep on a kind of stone slab. So finding herself in this level of luxury, she decided to just enjoy it for the moment.
As her consciousness returned more fully, she could feel that her body was naked beneath the coverlets. It was strange that she felt no amount of embarrassment though, when the thought that her new Lord might well have been the one to strip her while she was out cold. She had always held something of a wary understanding of men, and this one was bypassing all the walls she naturally put up that even her previous boss hadn't passed so easily.
Squirming slightly, relishing the feel of the soft sheets on her, one hand unconsciously trailed down across the plain of her smooth stomach to her lower abdomen, where he Hollow Hole was supposed to be...
Tier's eyes snapped open in shock when her hand encountered nothing but more smooth skin. Her hole was gone? How? Was this part of what that boy, Naruto-sama, had done to her? Was this what he meant by giving up even her body? What about the comment about surrendering her soul as well? Did she still possess her powers as a Hollow, as an Espada? Was she now just a weak little thing, unable to protect her silent vow to never allow Naruto-sama to be alone?
A quiet snore broke her from her runaway thoughts. Her gaze moved to the side of the bed she occupied, and saw her new master asleep in a chair, his head resting on the bedside. A small trail of drool out of one corner of his mouth told her that her lord was still asleep, and probably had been there for a long time.
Tier couldn't help herself, and a small smile made it's way onto her lips. Her master looked adorable like this. His golden-blonde hair as messy as she remembered, snoring lightly with a little bit of drool, and her right hand clasped tightly in his own…
Wait, what?
She looked again, and sure enough, he had her right hand held in his. Her smile grew from a small one, into one of gentle amusement. It was too bad that he'd never see her smiles, she thought, the bone fragments would hide her lower face from him…
"You should smile more often, it really highlights your beautiful face," a young masculine voice said, startling her.
Her gaze refocused on Naruto's face, and saw he had a smirk and one eye open. When did he wake up? And how did he without her noticing?
Then his words hit her, and her free hand flew to her face. She expected bone reminiscent of a shark. Hard. Unyielding. Instead her questing fingers were met with soft skin, softer lips, and the feel of her chin and cheekbones. Never mind that she already knew that her hole was gone, this was just too much to hope for!
"How-?" Her confusion and wonderment evident in her soft tone.
Naruto's smirk widened as he sat up and stretched a little, never letting go of her hand. "Whatever race you were, you are now a devil. And no devil will live with a permanent hole in them, or with those bones blocking their mouth. The Queen, the Evil Piece I used on you, reincarnated you as a perfect devil, rather than leaving you as you were."
"Devil?"
"Mmhm," He hummed, settling back into his chair. "I said it didn't I? You were making a literal deal with a devil. The devil in this case being myself. Welcome to an unknown spot on the food chain."
"Unknown?"
He shrugged and his grin seemed to widen further, "I'm not entirely certain where we devils stand in the grand order of things. There are some who would claim to be at the top, but I really don't believe them. Then there are those who would say that we are the scum of the earth, that we don't even deserve to exist. Yeah, I don't agree with them either. Personally? I figure we're somewhere in the middle."
He said it all with such a cheerful tone, that Tier couldn't stop a small giggle. He painted such an interesting picture with his words, and she found she suddenly didn't really care if she didn't have her Hollow abilities anymore. She would be just as glad to start fresh if this was the kind of man she was standing with.
Aqua met silver-blue, and Tier found herself drowning in his emotions. Fear that she would reject him for something, hope that she would accept the situation. Trepidation and excitement in equal measure.
She reached out her free olive-skinned hand, at least her skin hadn't changed color on her, and cupped his still-grinning cheek gently. "Naruto-sama, you have nothing to be worried about. Remember our contract, so long as you do not abandon me, I shall stay by your side."
His grin disappeared, and a look of confusion replaced it. "How did you know what I was thinking?"
It was Tier's turn to be confused, her hand coming back to rest on the sheets over her heart. "I can feel you. Your emotions are as plain to me as the sky." She cast a puzzled look at him, "Is this not what was supposed to happen?"
He shook his head, "No, everything I've read about the Evil Pieces, nothing like this was mentioned."
"What do you think it means?" She was worried now, and it was scaring her. She hadn't had to deal with real emotions in so long! And what few she'd still had as a Hollow were well-controlled.
Naruto quickly reached out and grasped her hand in his, sending a feeling of reassurance to try and calm her wildly beating heart. "No need to worry, Tier-san. We'll figure it out, neh? Together."
Her fear vanished like water in a desert, her heart calming in contentment as she felt his assurance across the bond. She spent a few minutes making certain that she was indeed calm, silently reveling in the feelings she was receiving, then nodded, "Yes. Together."
A sudden look of consternation crossed his face, and Tier could feel a small amount of annoyance and resignation from him. "Oh, I hope it's not the Pieces. Ajuka told me there could be something strange, but this?"
Tier sat up, ignoring the absolutely clear view of her naked upper body that she was giving Naruto. "What do you mean?"
Naruto sighed, running a hand through his hair even as he tried to find somewhere safe for his eyes to look, finally settling on her face. "The set of Evil Pieces I have, the Queen I used to reincarnate you as a devil? It's not exactly a standard set. For one thing, they are supposed to look like red versions of those."
He waved a hand at a standing chessboard, complete with both sides of white and black pieces already set up. The pieces didn't look like anything, really. You could tell each of the six types of pieces apart easily enough, but beyond that they didn't look like anything special. Certainly nothing like the incredibly detailed Piece she had…absorbed? Was that what happened?
With an internal shrug, Tier figured that was probably as good as term as any.
"I was told that the set I got may have additional complications due to the differences they held from the standard," Naruto admitted sheepishly, "But they were made especially for me, so I didn't really see a reason not to use them."
He paused for a moment, "That and I highly doubt I'd be allowed another set. So I have to use what I have."
Tier's mind was running a mile a minute. She wasn't a stupid person, not by a long shot. She was of an extremely logical mindset, however. By putting little bits of information together, some of those bits quite often being so small that no one normally noticed them, she quickly reached a series of conclusions that left her surprised yet again.
"So you're saying, that the Queen you used on me, not only made me whole and turned me into a devil, it made a connection between us? A one-way connection that lets me know your current emotional state even if you're trying to hide it?"(1)
With a small grimace, he nodded. She couldn't believe it, and he couldn't blame her. It was a whacked-out theory.
Unfortunately, it was the only one they had.
Naruto's expression turned serious. "I think we should bring this up with Ajuka Beelzebub. As the creator of the Evil Piece system, I think he may be the best person to have an answer for us."
Tier nodded and slipped out of the bed, heedless still of her naked body. She turned her head this way and that, before asking,"Where are some clothes, Naruto-sama? While I don't mind you looking, it would not do for others to see me like this."
Stemming a small amount of embarrassment, and covering his eyes with one hand despite knowing he'd never forget that wondrous sight -damned teenage hormones!-, he pointed at a set of double doors that would lead her to a walk-in closet filled with women's clothing. This was originally Lady Kethry's room before she married Gressen, and had used it primarily because of an old tradition where the bride-to-be had to live in her groom's household for a time before the wedding.
This is going to be a looong day.
XxXxXxXx
It was a long ride to Ajuka Beelzebub's laboratory. Thankfully it was made fairly comfortable with the stretch limo that was owned by the Asmodai family, and with Sebas driving the trip was going rather smoothly. The only sticking point at the moment was young Rias' reaction to Tier. The redhead sat on one side and just stared at the new Queen with a blank expression.
Naruto could hardly blame the girl either. If for nothing else than that Tier's choice of clothing was… interesting.
The blonde woman kept her short, messy hairstyle, complete with three braided locks. And that was where the tame ended. Dark blue hakama that rode low on her wide hips, kept up by a thick black belt, and left a fair amount of skin along the outside of the thighs open to the air covered her legs, accompanied by a pair of dark blue thin-soled boots. To compliment this Tier had donned a small, long-sleeved jacket that barely hid her breasts from view and terminated in attached gloves, with a grey-furred collar.(2)
Naruto didn't know if this was simply what she was comfortable with or if she was purposely teasing him, but he honestly wasn't complaining. And if the amused looks she gave him every time his eyes wandered over her were any indication, then she was fully aware of the effect her outfit was having on him. But seeing the outfit caused him to wonder just what kind of person the late Lady Kethry was, because that certainly wasn't a modest look by any stretch of the imagination!
Naruto himself had donned a simple grey pinstripe suit with a white shirt left unbuttoned at the top two. It had become his default outfit whenever he wasn't at home, mostly because Albedo, Yugao, and Konan all agreed that it looked good on him. And if there was one thing he had learned quickly, it was that when more than one of the women in your life, be they romantic partners or not, agreed on something, it was best for his health if he went with it.
"Really, you chose her for your Queen?"
Naruto sighed, his hand coming up to cover his eyes. This was not the first time Rias had asked this exact question. It seemed the young girl simply could not understand his reasoning.
Well, it wasn't really his reasoning, but rather the spell and the Piece that chose her, but Rias didn't know that. And quite frankly, Naruto had no intention of telling her that either. It was something she didn't really need to know after all.
"For the umpteenth time, Rias, yes. Tier is my new Queen." Naruto said, his voice heavy with annoyance.
"But why her?" The girl was persistent, he'd give her that.
"Rias," Naruto said seriously, one eye peeking out from between his fingers, "If you don't drop it, I am going to be very cross with you."
The young devil immediately zipped her lips and sat ramrod straight. Those were not the silver-blue eyes she had come to know. No, she saw a glimpse of a murderous slit on a bloody background.
Tier frowned at him in worry, and gently placed a calming hand on his shoulder. She could feel his irritation keenly. It was just shy of actual rage, and she was glad that her silent support managed to calm him down. It was also nice to actually see him show his emotions, unlike her previous boss who always went to great lengths to seem inscrutable and all-knowing. Even if Naruto's seemed to be more volatile at the moment, it was nice contrast to Aizen.
Naruto drew in a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. "Alright. Sorry, stressful few weeks so I'm a little on edge. I'm good. And Rias, if you really need to be sure of Tier's ability to be Queen of my Peerage, you'll just have to wait and see."
Rias nodded hesitantly. But she had to wonder just what that strange eye was about. People's eyes didn't just change like that! And the feeling she'd gotten from it, like if she disobeyed she'd be torn limb from limb… though it also made her think that she had chosen the appropriate style for her new life under him: the traditional white haori(3) and red hakama of a Japanese Miko(4), both marked with the Asmodai family crest(5), and finished her look with a traditional hair-tie and tabi with waraji.(6)
Why did the girl think it was appropriate? Well it was mostly because a bishop is a high-ranking member of the Church, a Priest. By becoming one of Naruto's Bishop Pieces, Rias thought of the irony of at least looking like a Japanese priestess. And she would likely be touting Naruto's saving of her from that wretched contract to any who asked, which may or may not end up sounding like a priest giving a sermon.
*Shudder* Okay, maybe not quite that bad. Rias thought to herself.
If nothing else, she found it amusing, and Naruto didn't really mind. Japanese traditional clothing was rather voluminous, and surprisingly warm. So he had no problem if she wanted to wear it.
Partly because she wore a simple long skirt and turtleneck inside the mansion for comfort.
The three of them fell into a quiet companionable silence. Awkward, yes, but companionable for all that. The quiet allowed Naruto to slip into a light doze that quickly deepened into real sleep, using Tier's shoulder as his pillow.
Sebas drove very carefully, so there wasn't even so much as a bounce to disturb his passengers. The fact that his new Master was riding in the back just made him that much more determined to provide a smooth ride with no trouble. And if trouble found them anyway… well, Sebas was fully prepared to deal with anything shy of God's Wrath.
A few minutes later, Rias broke the silence by asking a quiet question. "Tier-san, do you know why we're going to meet with Beelzebub-sama?"
The blonde woman looked at her and gave a small nod; she didn't want to disturb Naruto after all. Especially when he looked so peaceful in sleep. Unfortunately her seemingly indifferent attitude always somewhat irked Rias.
Rias gained a small tick mark, but reigned in her annoyance. She didn't want to wake Naruto either, and losing her cool now may bring back those scary red eyes. So she kept her calm and continued in a soft voice.
"So? Why are we going to meet with him?"
Tier answered just as softly, "To see if there is something wrong with me."
"What do you mean?" Rias' curiosity was piqued.
"I mean that there seems to be something odd about the Queen that was used on me," Tier explained, "It formed a kind of one-way connection between Naruto-sama and myself. I can feel his emotions as if they were my own."
The young girl's eyebrows shot up past her messy bangs, "You can feel-? Are you sure it's the Piece?"
"Yes. Naruto-sama and I have come to the conclusion that it must be the Piece, because prior to my change emotions were-" Tier hesitated for a moment, searching for a safe term to use, "-difficult for me."
Rias chewed on her lower lip. She had done her study on the Evil Piece system of course, as a former heiress she had been slated for her own set. Not that she couldn't still get one for herself, but it could cause her more trouble than it would be worth. However, she had never come across anything in her reading about any kind of empathic connection being made, one-way or otherwise.
She recalled the ridiculously detailed wizard-shaped Bishop that had been used on her. Could that have had a similar effect? Could her Bishop piece from Naruto-sama have done something to her like Tier's Queen piece?
Now that she thought about it… her mind did seem much clearer and less flighty than it used to. Like it was easier to focus and remember things, or to analyze…
Rias' eyes widened. If her suspicions were true, then it would be not only unprecedented, it could change the very nature of the Evil Piece system!
Come to think of it, the plots of my animes have been getting boringly predictable lately. ... Still gonna watch them, though. Some of that stuff is just too cool!
XxXxXxXx
Ajuka Beelzebub was stumped. He stared at a computer screen with various types of data, all pertaining to the mystery that was Naruto's Queen. Running a hand through his slicked-back green hair,, mussing it slightly, the Maou wondered if it wasn't more the fact that she was a previously unknown species, a 'Hollow" she called herself, reacting to the spell inherent in the Piece in a unique way instead of something weird with the Piece itself.
He sighed, "I don't know what to tell you, Naruto. There's nothing wrong or strange about the Piece inside her. Nor is there something with the Bishop you put into young Rias. If I had to point a finger at something strange, I think I'd point it at you."
Naruto's eyes widened, "Me?"
"Yes." Ajuka nodded firmly. "You and that damned Daikoku's Blessing!"
Naruto sweatdropped and rubbed the back of his head. "I forgot about that thing," he muttered.
Ajuka snorted, of course the moron forgot about one of the most ambiguous Sacred Gears that existed. Daikoku's Blessing was a Gear that only showed up in in a handful of stories at best throughout the history of the Sacred Gears. Despite its passive nature, which relegated it to ranks of the low-tier Gears, the damned thing gave immense boosts to its wielder's luck in times where they were gambling. The typical stories ended up being about the wielder winning some kind of huge monetary bet.
The worst part was that it wasn't stuck to just showing up in the adjacent human world! The stupid Gear could pop up anywhere!
Rias looked confused, "Um, Daikoku's Blessing? What's that? Isn't Daikoku the Japanese god of gambling luck?"
Tier raised an eyebrow. This was the first she was hearing of anything like this. She resolved to keep her mouth shut, if only so she could learn more.
Ajuka nodded distractedly, "Yes, he is. However, at some point the Biblical Asshole thought it would be funny to make a Sacred Gear based off his ability to grant absurd luck. Naruto here managed to be born with it."
The older devil rubbed his forehead, "In short, it's not the Pieces, it's that damned Gear. Tier-san has said that as a Hollow, emotions were difficult for her. And now that she's a devil she says she lacks the distinctive bone-like armor of her species, as well as some kind of 'hole'? Ajuka looked at the blonde woman and received a nod. "I think that what happened is this: When trying to reincarnate her, the Piece ran into the problem that a flesh and blood creature would have difficulty with a permanent hole in them, and the Gear activated. Using the energy that created the bone armor, which I am hypothesizing is her emotional energy, and filling that hole. This had the unintended result of returning her emotions, her 'heart' in other words, which then latched onto the strongest thing they could find: Naruto."
Naruto looked at Tier and Rias confusedly, receiving confused looks on their parts as well. He rubbed his temples, "Ajuka… can we get that dumbed down, please?"
"I believe he's saying that the cause is not so much the Piece, but a combination of the Piece with my own unique Hollow physiology and your Gear's ability to randomly do something," Tier explained in a quiet monotone. She smiled internally, she was already starting to get control of herself again. While she kind of enjoyed feeling things again, it was also discomforting.
Ajuka shivered, that voice creeped him right the fuck out!
"So," Rias started shyly, "It's basically a giant cluster of weird things all happening together?"
Ajuka nodded, leaning back and crossing his arms. "Pretty much, yes. If you're wondering about your own situation, I believe that the Bishop took a small portion of Naruto's personality, or his shinobi training, and added it to your own."
"Huh?"
Sighing, the Maou shifted in his seat, "Naruto comes from a very war-like culture. A wizard, such as the shape of your Piece, is an extremely knowledgeable person, and an aged one is even more so. My thoughts are that the Piece noted how young you are, and gave you a small bit of Naruto's own mental training and fortitude so you wouldn't be overwhelmed when he starts doing crazy shit."
"In other words," Naruto interrupted, "What you're trying to say is that this is all my fault?"
"Essentially, yes." Ajuka admitted without preamble. He didn't really care what happened, but he'd admit that as a scientist and researcher his curiosity was piqued.
"Just fantastic," Naruto drawled sarcastically.
The older devil sighed, "Look, based on these two we can assume that each of the types of pieces in your set will do something strange. The Queen created an empathic bond. The Bishop, Wizard if you prefer, granted a measure of mental training. If we look at the others we can probably assume a few things safely. Your Knights are in the shapes of unicorns, creatures of light and purity, so we can guess that they may very well pass something of your 'light' or 'purity' onto your eventual members."
Naruto nodded, then frowned, "What about the Rook? It's a freaking castle tower on a mountaintop."
Ajuka shrugged, "My guess? Probably something to do with your own natural defensive strengths."
"And the Pawns?" Tier asked, her curiosity winning out over her normal caution. This man was eccentric, yes, but he was also extremely intelligent and reminded her of the Primera Espada.
Ajuka laughed, "Dragons, such prideful creatures. I can only guess that whatever they grant will be based on something about Naruto that he prides himself on, at the deepest levels of his subconscious that is."
"Pride?" Tier raised an eyebrow at her master.
Naruto shrugged, "I dunno, Tier-chan. My subconscious self is something of an asshole."
He noticed a round of incredulous expressions and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head,
"Heh-heh, I, ah, kinda met him once or twice." (7)
Turning back to Ajuka, Naruto asked, "What about her previous species' need to feed on spiritual energy?"
Ajuka's light blue eyes lit up in interest. "That's something else I wanted to know more about. You mentioned that she used to feed on 'spiritual energy', but I found no such physical need during my scans."
Tier cast a bored glance his way, "I assure you, Ajuka-sama, I am well acquainted with my people's truths. We require spiritual energy to survive, though that need drops greatly once one of us becomes what we call Vasto Lorde. I was of the uppermost echelon of that variety, known as Espada."
Ajuka's eyebrow raised. "Those sound Spanish… 'Vast Lord'? 'Sword'? I assume there are reasons for these terms?"
The blonde woman nodded, "The Vasto Lorde is the type of Hollow all wish to become, but to do so is usually reached through feeding on others of our kind. Thus our species is kept from ever attaining its full potential, when at most one in ten million ever reaches that level, for when one of us fed upon, our evolution stops at that point."
He nodded, an expression of pure fascination on his features. Tier continued her explanation, "The Espada were created from the ranks of the Vasto Lorde, each numbered according their potential for destruction, ten to one. The lower the number, the greater the potential. We were formed by a man who thought himself to be suited for the throne of the Spirit King, and were meant to be his sword against his enemies when the time came.
She nodded to Naruto, "That is where Naruto-sama found me. The assault had begun, and I was dying after my lord betrayed me."
Ajuka nodded again, rapidly digesting the information. "What number were you? You say were in the top ranks, but you said you were dying from being betrayed…"
Tier stared at him for a moment before answering, her blank expression causing Ajuka to squirm slightly on the inside. "Three. I was the Tres Espada, recognized as the one with the third highest potential for destruction."
Ajuka just nodded. Maybe he should just see about watching this world she came from for himself, and get these people out of his house as quickly as possible. This woman's blank-faced attitude was seriously creeping him out!
Note to Self: Do not let Tier Harribel and Grayfia Lucifuge meet!
XxXxXxXx
Another magic lesson with Albedo a few days later was expanded to include both Tier and Rias. Tier had said that she used to possess a rather large affinity for water-based techniques and wanted to see if she still had them, while Rias was testing something else. She wouldn't say what, and her discussions with Albedo were quiet enough that the other two couldn't really hear anything.
That last bit annoyed Naruto a little. He had better hearing than most humans could ever hope for, and it wasn't because of becoming a devil. He had spent enough time in his childhood running around the back alleys of Konoha that he had developed an excellent sense of hearing. It was one of the things that allowed him to avoid some of the more persistent self-styled "Fox Hunters" each year around his birthday.
Not memories he dug into lightly, but he was thankful that there weren't any actual mobs chasing him around back then. Just the odd wasted moron who typically ended up in Konoha's T&I under the not so tender mercies of Morino Ibiki.
Naruto's slightly annoyed expression turned to slight awe, though, when he watched Tier practically dance with the water she called up in her training. If he had to guess, he'd say that her affinity for Water was pretty damned close to his for Wind. She called the Water, and the Water answered her instantly. The closest he had ever even heard of such before was the Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama, who was said to be able to use his Suiton ninjutsu even in the harsh Suna desert. In Naruto's opinion, Tier's ability was just plain awesome.
The small, absolutely tiny, smile she had lighting up her face while she danced with the water was also an incredibly nice view.
Then there was Rias' ability, the Power of Destruction she inherited from her Bael mother. At first Naruto was somewhat impressed by its potential, but he quickly saw that her power was similar in nature to a Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu in that it was energy given shape and a target, then left to pretty much massacre anything in its way. The fact that her fully released attack took on the form of a large black serpentine dragon didn't help in that impression.
Well that, and it was slow. He wasn't certain if that was simply his ninja training talking, or if it was something else, but he knew most second-year students in the Academy could have dodged that blast and have time to launch a counter attack. Assuming said student hadn't frozen, crapped and pissed their pants, and been too terrified to move out of the way that is. Naruto was fully willing to admit that the blast of energy naturally taking the form of a dragon was slightly intimidating, and most of the Academy students were civilian kids trying to get away from the boring tedium of their parents' lives.
So he created several Kage Bunshin to act as surrogate teachers to help Rias get her spell-slinging up to speed.
It wasn't going very well. Certainly she had increased her casting time… by thirty seconds. In regards to her childish tendencies to spin, twirl, or otherwise pose before attacking, it was a fair and dramatic bonus. Now he just had to explain to her that posing should be done after her opponent was defeated.
And by "defeated" he meant "dead and buried".
There was no room for such antics on the battlefield, and he blithely ignored the many times when he had done the same thing. Yugao might have called him on those moments, but she wasn't there.
Once again she was with Konan and Kurama, waiting for the Mirror of Remote Viewing(8) to focus in on another potential member for his peerage.
Naruto shook his head, and turned his attention back to his newest spell, one he absolutely had to control properly, or his talent for destroying things might very well end up killing them all.
Frost Spear was a result of one of Tier's questions about low-level water spells. Apparently for magic, Ice was simply one aspect of Water, and so all ice-type spells fell under the Water category. Naruto would be the first to say that his ability in Water was minimal at best, so he was only really going to learn how to cast a few low-level spells, and then learn how to recognize the casting of anything higher so he could dodge or block as the situation required.
At least, for the time being.
Frost Spear was supposed to conjure a small super-chilled area that would freeze water molecules within it into thin, sharp lances of ice, and then hurl them at the enemy in rapid succession. In theory, simple. In practice?
Not so simple. Naruto's noted affinity for destruction was once again playing havoc with his spells. His first few attempts were reasonable, three to four spears lanced his target without issue. Then his luck kicked in with a vengeance, and a small storm of frozen spears rained down out of the sky and demolished the area around him for nearly fifty yards in any direction.
And it just got worse from there.
Thankfully Albedo was a Master of Defense, which meant she specialized and preferred defense oriented spells. She had cast a one-way kind of dome-like barrier, spell energy could go out, but nothing could get in. Then she cast a second cylindrical barrier to keep everything inside that and thus had created a safe space for training her lord's unruly powers.
With a sigh, Naruto bent his will to his task. He dropped into a meditative stance, and felt within himself for his devil magic. It was pretty easy to find, all things considered. He had managed to isolate and identify his chakra away from his magic fairly early on in his training, mostly because his storehouse of magic was nearly twenty times bigger than his chakra, which he attributed to gaining the accumulated power of the previous Asmodai generational heads.
In his mind, standing before the well that was his magic, Naruto stopped. What had made his first few attempts so much easier to control? What made them so much more successful? Or was that the wrong way of thinking about it? Could it be that like his chakra, it had to be done in a certain way? To really use his Wind chakra he had envision two blades of wind grinding against each other. Could he use that same principle with his magic?
If so, then what characterized Water? What made Water move? What made Water, Water? It wasn't simply that it was wet, or that it made things wet. There was something he had to realize before it would come to him, something about the Nature of Water.
Let's see...He thought, standing before his well of magic with his mental arms crossed, What do I know about the elements? What was it Iruka-sensei said in that class? Fire is a Purifier, it cleanses and renews that which it destroys. Wind is a Confrontationalist, never standing still, never apologizing, it cuts away the dross and renders speech pointless as it says everything with its actions. Lightning is Wrath, it pierces everyone and everything equally and makes no discernment between friend or foe. Earth is Steadfast and Enduring, but also Gentle as it nurtures and guides as a Mother. And Water…
Naruto wracked his memory, and his eyes widened as the lesson surfaced, … Water is Ever-flowing! It is the Giver of Life, and washes away all impurities, forgiving all transgression!
No wonder its not my element, Naruto thought ruefully, I may be able to forgive and forget, but I hold a grudge against people who piss me off too easily.
His gaze returned to deep pool of energy before him, So to get my Water spells to work properly, I have to let them "flow", huh? Don't force it, but let it run its course… and I should probably drop my frustration with it as well.
His wry expression at that last thought would have probably made his companions laugh. With another sigh, his held out one hand toward the pool, coaxing a tendril to come forth. Once in hand, he looked up at the ceiling of his mindscape and willed himself to return to consciousness, never noticing a pair of bright red eyes glaring out at him from the darkness.
His real eyes snapped open, his right hand came up, palm out, his golden circle flaring to life in front it. The air around him cooled drastically, and he let the magic flow.
Seconds later his target was demolished, a dozen spears of ice perforating it in a perfect circle.
Naruto slowly released a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Water is ever-flowing, and so too must Water magic be allowed to flow."
A soft clapping caught his attention, and he glanced up from his meditative seat to see all three females with smiles on their faces, applauding him. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He wasn't used to receiving praise, And for some reason, seeing Tier clapping for him with that small smile of hers made him almost giddy.
Albedo stepped forward, "Congratulations, Naruto-sama. I see you have found your problem with your magic?"
He nodded, a smile of his own in place, "Yeah. I just had to remember what a good man tried to teach me. It didn't hit home at the time, probably because I was a huge brat," He laughed deprecatingly at his own expense, "But it certainly makes sense now."
A small window opened up in the air in front him, Kurama's face in it. "Yo, Brat, the mirror's starting it's funky dance again. Looks like a heck of a catch, and one full of irony."
Naruto raised a brow as he stood up, softly talking to himself, "Irony?"
XxXxXxXx
A blaster bolt struck her a glancing blow on her left arm, sending her spinning to the swamp floor. A look of horror etched itself upon her face as she was forced to watch one of her dearest friends be blown to pieces. She rolled over painfully, and stared up into white helmet with a black visor and yellow accents.
"Why?" She croaked, her throat choked with pain both physical and emotional as her thoughts swirled.
"Nothing personal, General," Clone Commander CC-5052, Bly was his name, said professionally as he levelled his blaster at her. "Just orders."
Aayla Secura, Master(9) of the Jedi Order, Closed her eyes with a tear and a silent sob. Her mind was filled with too much pain to focus, and she feared if she called on the Force now she would fall to the Dark Side. She didn't want that, and she could feel it now, the loss of Jedi all over the galaxy, like tiny lights being snuffed out.
The galaxy was a dark place now, and Bly, her friend whom she had trusted with her life on many occasions, was poised to snuff her out as well. She was content to die, for without the Jedi she had nothing to really live for. But her whirling thoughts betrayed her, sending her down a path of memories that she truly did not want to remember.
Born to a slave, the first thing Aayla knew as a child were the slave pens of the Hutts. She wasn't even certain where anymore, what planet or city, she just knew that she was a slave, and that was to be her future as well.
Until one day when that man came. He rescued her, blazing emerald blade in hand. He took her from the pens to the Jedi Temple. He said she had Force potential, the ability to become a Jedi like him.
She was ecstatic. Her hero, the man who saved her, was now giving her a new life. A life where she could grow to be powerful, and never be a slave again! He was showing her a new path. And she took it.
Aayla wasn't the most outstanding student in the Temple, but she did excel in her combat training, and every now and then she stumped her teachers with her agile mind. But nothing could ever really erase the child, a child that now had her freedom. Freedom to do and say what she wanted. But her time as a slave could not be entirely erased either, and she knew that she didn't want to risk her new freedom for something foolish.
So she turned to mischief… the mischief of words. Here her agile mind was a huge boon, because she could say things that had multiple meanings, and all of them would be correct, but the first one most people thought of tended to be funny.
Years passed, and finally she came up for the right to be taught by a Master. She was beyond joyful when she was chosen by the same man who saved her from the pens. He gave his name as Quinlan Vos, a human Consular and Jedi Master, a type of Jedi who focused on the mysteries of the Force. But he didn't let his contemplations stop him from doing what he thought was right, such as saving a little Twi'lek girl-child.
The two of them quickly formed a bond similar to that of Father and Daughter. This came to be something of a problem for Quinlan, as his views in regards to her advancement and training were seen as biased by his fellow Jedi. Or most of them, rather. When the time came for her to undergo the Trials for Knighthood, Quinlan passed her to his own Master to complete her training.
Magnus Tholme, another human male, but this one was old, and he focused primarily upon his combat techniques and his proficiency with his lightsaber. A Jedi Weapon Master, he said he was called. He himself didn't agree with the term, but he was a Master, as was the other person who helped Aayla finish her training.
With him came Jedi Master Tra'Saa, a member of the Neti people, and another who had followed the way of the sword by focusing on her lightsaber and combat prowess. Not that she was any slouch at wielding the Force, oh no, she had plenty of time to work on all aspects of the Jedi. Her race could live up to eight hundred years or so.
These two also became like family to the young Twi'lek girl, taking the positions of a grandfather and grandmother respectively. They nonetheless completed her training and stood beside Quinlan Vos as she received her Knighthood from Jedi Grandmaster Yoda.
Yoda, now there was an odd little thing. He was the oldest Jedi in existence, nearly nine hundred years old, and it was said that he had been the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order for most of those years. He was also the shortest member of the Order, bar none save the absolute youngest children. No one knew what his race was, if it even had a name, but many jokingly referred to him as a "Trog", the term coming from when one person said they thought he looked like the child of a Troll and a frog. Far from being insulted, it was said that Yoda merely laughed and took something of a liking to the name.
Aayla's mind raced forward, there being little between her Knighting and what would start the Clone Wars except for minor missions of a diplomatic nature and the further honing of her skills with a lightsaber, for she had chosen the path of the Guardian, the step before becoming a Weapon Master. She had chosen that path for the simple reason that she wanted strength, the strength to protect what was dear to her, whether the Jedi Code forbade it or not!
The Jedi Code. Now there was an odd little bit of dogma.
There is no emotion, there is peace
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge
There is no passion, there is serenity
There is no chaos, there is harmony
There is no Death, there is the Force
Many took it mean that emotional attachments were forbidden, but that was not true. That assumption led to many a Jedi leaving the Order simply because they fell in love. Yet, when Aayla recited the Code as a Youngling as part of her Initiate Trial, it was a very different wording.
Emotion, yet peace
Ignorance, yet knowledge
Passion, yet serenity
Chaos, yet harmony
Death, yet the Force
To her this meant that though she had emotions, she must control them so they don't run away with her. Though she did not know something, the only crime would be to continue to know nothing. Though she was passionate about combatting evil, she must remain calm and serene so as to not create openings. Though there may be chaos, in the grand scheme of the universe it is all part of the whole. And though she may die, she would forever live on in the Force.
Then the Clone Wars started, and Master Tholme died near the start. That alone almost broke her and Quinlan, who forever carried a regret that he was not there to maybe save the old man's life. It was a long time before either forgave themselves for what they viewed as a failure.
In remembrance of Master Tholme, Aayla delved more deeply into the mysteries of the Force in the hopes of somehow communing with his spirit. She created a second lightsaber of emerald green to compliment her original sapphire blue, and was one of the few Jedi to wield two sabers.
Through her delving into the Force, Aayla found peace yet again.
But there was precious little time for quiet reflection as the Wars raged on, and the call for the Jedi to help became impossible to ignore. And so, Aayla headed once more to the battlefield, this time primarily in charge of a recon unit. She had a thing for wilderness tracking which she chalked up to her time learning under Vos who seemed to hold an intense dislike for crowded places.
Mission after mission, year after year, the Wars dragged on. Before she even knew it, three years had passed, and now she lay in the muck of Felusia, a swamp world that had been her latest assignment. And she was about to be shot to death by a man she had considered to be her friend.
Aayla's heart broke again, and tears streamed freely from behind her closed eyes. "Please," she whispered, just loud enough for her executioner to hear, "Make it quick."
"As you wish, General. Goodbye."
His finger squeezed the trigger. A bolt of bright blue seared the air. She braced herself for pain.
… She didn't feel pain?
Aayla's eyes snapped open, and widened in confusion as they saw young man holding the blaster well out of the line of being able to hit her. Her eyes roved around her, taking in the sight of her entire former squadron were now littering the ground as corpses. She could see the precise lines on each of their throats, easily figuring that they must have been killed by some kind of incredibly sharp implement.
Her gaze refocused on the young man who had presumably saved her just as he turned his head enough to look at her in return. Aayla caught her breath, he was probably somewhere in his mid-teens, but he had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, a deep silvered cerulean that shamed the moonlit seas of even the watery world of Manaan. His shock of untamed blonde hair framed a strong face that would no doubt become more than a little handsome in the years to come. Then there were three whisker-like markings on his cheek which added a bit of a cutely feral appeal.
Confusion hit her full-force, like a Rancor's charge. Who was this young man? Why was he saving her? What could he possibly gain from it other than her gratitude?
Then he spoke to her, and she started a little at the slightest rough undertone. She would know that undercurrent anywhere, she had it too, from her time as a slave. It was the easiest way to mark someone's life, how they talked. Whether they knew it or not, it revealed so much about them.
"Ah, I'm in time I see," He grinned at her over his shoulder. "I'm glad. I would hate to be late. I'm not Kakashi after all."
While that last bit confused her a little more, Aayla figured he was probably referencing someone he knew to almost always be late. Her eyes caught a fast movement as the Clone Commander reached for something on his opposite side, and she tried to call out for him to be careful… only to be met with the sight of Bly's left arm and head rolling free on the ground after a failed attempt to draw a spare blaster pistol.
The blonde man frowned and looked to a woman Aayla hadn't noticed before. An older blonde woman whom might have been mistaken as this young man's relative if not for the very different facial features and natural olive skin tone. Well those and the different eye colors… okay so the only thing they really seemed to have in common was that hair of sun-kissed blonde.
"Ah, thank you, Tier-chan. I really should have dealt with him first," The man commented blandly while staring at the now-headless corpse, before shrugging and turning his full attention on the fallen Twi'lek, proving that the marks she had already seen had twins on his other cheek.
Aayla took a moment to view him better, managing to raise herself into a sitting position. He was dressed a little oddly, that style of suit went out of date so long ago! Yet the grey pinstripe jacket and pants with the white shirt left unbuttoned at the top two seemed to fit this young man, and lent him a dignified air. Her eyes glanced down, and was surprised to see shiny black shoes standing on top of the murky water!
How the heck is he doing that…?
With the young man just presenting more questions, Aayla's confusion only grew. It was almost like she had a tone-deaf Bith trying to play a song in her head now. There were pieces that fit, and many that did not.
Her eyes panned over to the woman and instantly felt as though she had lost at something she didn't even know she cared about. The woman was beautiful, bright yellow hair, deep green eyes, lightly tanned olive skin, and a figure that Aayla knew many women even in the Jedi Order would happily kill their own mothers for. Aayla glanced at her own body, then back to the other woman, and sighed inwardly. While she had confidence in her body's appeal, there was just no comparison, this strange woman- Tier he called her? -easily beat her in the looks department.
And that simply audacious outfit-! The woman would both scandalize and set new trends with such clothing!
Aayla's attention snapped back to the young man when he started talking again.
"I suppose introductions are in order, aren't they? My name is Naruto Asmodai. This," he gestured to the woman behind him, "Is Tier Harribel. And you would be?"
The twi'lek stared at him for a minute, taking in the kind smile and the slightly awkward positioning of his body. He was uncomfortable about something, but what?
"Aayla Secura."
There was no flash of recognition in his eyes, but there was no hostility either, nor was there any sign of cleverly concealed ambition. Just a slight widening of his smile, and small relaxation of his posture.
He was nervous about meeting new people? Is that where the awkwardness came from?
No, it was still there, but the initial introduction had been part of it.
Great, more questions.
"Ah! Progress!" He stabbed one finger in the air in triumph. "Now, Aayla-san- may I call you Aayla-san?" He received a confused nod from the blue-skinned twi'lek woman, and continued, "I would guess that you are rather confused about our presence here, am I correct?"
Another nod. Freaking understatement!
"Well, believe it or not, we're devils. And we're here to offer you a deal."
Aayla blinked. Devils? Was he talking about the Cortosian Devil pirate gang that had been plaguing the Republic before the Clone Wars? Could this young man be a pirate? Well, it wasn't impossible, some fell into a life of crime early.
"I see you're still confused…"
"A little," Aayla admitted, then changed her answer. "Actually, a lot. Are you speaking of the Cortosian Devil pirates?"
"Ah, no. I mean a real devil. You know, from Hell and all that. Though it's called the Underworld these days."
She blinked again, and asked incredulously, "Are you on drugs?"
Naruto tilted his head, then looked back at Tier, "Gotta say, I should have seen that one coming a while ago."
He sighed, and brought his gaze back to Aayla, then a pair of black over-sized bat-like wings sprouted from his lower back. "No, I'm not on drugs."
Aayla goggled. She'd never heard of a race like this! Rubbing her forehead to try and help think through her confusion, she asked from the safety of hiding behind her hand, "Okay, and just what is this deal of yours?"
She could practically feel his nervousness return tenfold. "Ah, that. Yes, well, the offer is simple. I want you to come with me. Become part of my… family… so to speak. Do so, and I can guarantee your survival. Refuse, and I will be forced to leave you here."
Her eyes blazed with anger, and her hand slipped from her eyes so he could see her fierce countenance. "What do you mean, 'guarantee my survival'? Are you part of this-this-!"
She couldn't bring herself to finish her question, a hard lump forming in her throat. As she blinked back tears, she suddenly realized that there was a rather large- and undoubtedly sharp -metal sword blade at her neck, and she couldn't see the blonde woman.
A female voice hissed into her ear, "Do not insult Naruto-sama! He is nothing like these drones who do nothing but follow orders! He would never betray an ally!"
"Tier, that's enough." Naruto said clearly, his earlier nervousness gone, "She doesn't know any better. Even you haven't known me for long, it's only natural that in her confusion she draw rash conclusions."
"That's no excuse, Naruto-sama," Tier claimed as she gently removed her blade from Aayla's neck, "But as you wish. I will let it slide this once."
Naruto nodded, then dropped his gaze back to the twi'lek. No longer was there any form of nervousness or confusion, and Aayla could readily read the honor in his firmed stance. This was the posture of a man who knew both war and peace, a fighter, a leader, and Aayla found herself unconsciously beginning to trust him. And that loaned his words a greater amount of effect on her wayward thoughts.
"Aayla Secura, rest assured that I had nothing to do with your soldiers turning their weapons on you." He spoke firmly, and she couldn't find it in herself to doubt him. Even her current intuitive abilities with the Force told her that he was telling the truth. "That having been said, I am indeed a devil, from a different universe and reality. I am here to offer you a chance at a new life, with new comrades, as my Knight. I ask only that you think it over carefully, as I have no doubt that whomever is behind this attempt on your life will continue to hunt you down, and try again should you remain."
Aayla nodded without conscious volition. His words made sense, at least when it came to that last part. She wasn't so certain about the rest of it, but could this really be any worse than a life without the Jedi? In a galaxy gone dark, could another darkness be the answer? Was this like falling to the Dark Side?
Was it wrong to be so tempted? Tempted to join a honorable evil?
But evil couldn't be honorable, could it? Yet this young man, this Naruto Asmodai, his stance and frank stare told her that he had honor, but he said he was a real devil. She had no real reason to doubt him either…
Aayla raised her confused brown eyes to his silver-blue, "What does all of it mean?"
Naruto held out his right hand, palm up, and a statue of a rearing transparent red unicorn appeared. "As my Knight, you will become a devil, and your purpose will be to not only serve and protect me, but also to protect others of my House."
Serve and protect? That sounded good, and he'd already mentioned new comrades, so she wouldn't really be alone. Well, she'd probably be the only Jedi in his universe, but she could cast away the inflexible rule about creating bonds with others. Not that she ever really paid much attention to it in the first place. She took too much after her own Master that way.
Maybe she could even find Force Sensitives and train a new brand of Jedi? That could be interesting. Unlikely, yes, but interesting.
But could she abandon her duty as a Jedi in this universe?
"Further," he continued as she held her thoughts, "I will promise you this: I will never abandon or betray you. I will fight with you, laugh with you, cry with you, eat with you. I will be your King, but I will also be your friend. I will support you in your choices, as I hope you will support me in mine."
A beeping sound interrupted them from the headless body of Bly, a small holographic communicator attempting to contact the deceased. A small image popped to life on it when Naruto stooped to pick it up. The figure, despite wearing heavily concealing robes, was obviously male. This was made abundantly clear when they finally spoke after a few moments.
"And who might you be, boy?"
Naruto grinned and replied flippantly, "Oh, you know. Just your average helpful devil out to save the universe one damsel in distress at a time."
"Are you now?" The man seemed to be either darkly amused or merely curious. Naruto was hard pressed to determine which without seeing the man's face. "That's interesting. I was unaware that any of the Jedi had friends among pirates."
"Ah, you refer to those-" Naruto paused and looked to Aayala for support.
"Cortosian Devils," she supplied, easily guessing what he was after.
Naruto turned his attention back to the cloaked figure and finished lamely,"Yeah, them. The Cortosian Devils."
"Of course," the man sneered, "There is no such thing as a real devil. Do not test my patience boy!"
Naruto blinked, and turned back to Aayla, "So… who's this? He just screams Evil Overlord if you ask me."
The twi'lek shook her head, honestly still confused, but quickly coming to the idea that the two blondes might be the only ones she could trust right at that moment. "I don't know."
"I?" The figure asked incredulously, and with more than a bit of spite in his tone, "I am the first Emperor of the First Galactic Empire! I am Darth Sidious!"
Naruto's eyes gleamed for a moment, " 'Sidious', you say? Like the word 'insidious'?"
"Indeed."
"Ah, then I see how you managed all of this," Naruto nodded wisely. "After all, the word insidious tends to mean something that wormed it's way into your infrastructure and then destroyed it from the inside. So I assume that is how you worked. Praying upon people's fears and insecurities, then probably engineering a greater conflict, and maneuvering your biggest threats to be taken out as a result of said conflict, and seating yourself firmly upon the throne."
There was silence, and Naruto could swear he felt all three of the others blinking at him.
"How the Hell did you figure that out so easily?!" Sidious demanded.
"Eh," the blonde boy shrugged, "Believe it or not, sometimes these things just come to me."
"..." the self-proclaimed Emperor was dumbfounded. This child had taken all of about three seconds to see through his entire plan. A plan that had taken Sidious nearly a full century to implement! Who or what was this boy that he managed such a feat?! And he'd managed it all from hearing a name?!
"Who are you?!"
Naruto smiled like someone about to explain something to a small child, and gave a small mocking bow. His tone became cultured, benevolent, and for some odd reason carried a heavy British accent.
"Naruto Asmodai, Head of my House, and all-around pain the ass."
Meanwhile for the poor, confused twi'lek woman, that decided it all. Aayla reached out and grasped the unicorn-shaped knight still in the blonde young man's hand. She wanted friends. She wanted family. She wanted to love and be loved. She wanted to be wanted, needed. She wanted so much that the Jedi Code either forbade or warned against.
As a devil, who would care? She certainly wouldn't.
But most of all, she wanted to give one final Fuck You to the bastard that dared tried to have her killed!
… And she was now incredibly curious as to what else this young man would get up to, and just how he managed to put together such disparate facts.
"Hey, Sidious," She heard Naruto say in a taunting, insulting voice, "She's mine now. You want her? You go through me."
In that moment, Aayla Secura, Jedi Master, pledged silently to always support her new King and Friend. He would support her. She would support him. And together they would protect what was important to them. All this and more, as she felt herself enveloped in bright gold light and be reborn.
Aayla Secura, Knight of Naruto Asmodai.
XxXxXxXx- Ending Notes
1- The connection made between Naruto and Tier serves a very specific purpose. It's not a random idea of mine. It IS the result of my dice-rolling, however, to add it to the Queen Piece. The Queen is the Second-in-command, and in the absence of the King she has his authority. This is the only "mutation" that the Queen will be getting, and I think it will be an interesting change.
2- This is basically a dark blue version of Tier's normal outfit, just with the change of a fur collar instead of hiding the lower half of her face.
3- Haori: this not only that over-coat we so often see in Bleach, it is also the word for the upper-body covering of a shrine maiden.
4- Miko: A Japanese Shrine Priestess/Maiden. Often having duties such as exorcisms, I thought it would be kinda funny to put a born devil in one of the outfits.
5- I am not even going to attempt to describe a crest. The thing that pops up in my head every time is the marking used in the Lesser Key of Solomon, so if you want a mental image go look it up.
6- Tabi and Waraji: the traditional socks and reed sandals of Japan.
7- No, I'm not talking about that Yami Naruto from the series. Naruto's subconscious is gonna be a different entity altogether.
8- For those who have seen Overlord, it's that mirror Momonga was using early in the third episode. It's just not limited to only viewing the same world as that one was. For those unfamiliar with Overlord, think a mirror version of the Sandaime's crystal ball.
9- Aayla Secura made the rank of Master before the end of the Clone Wars. When exactly, I'm not certain. It's just listed that way in her profile on Wookiepedia. I presume it was shortly after the Battle of Geonosis, which is what officially kicked off the Clone Wars.
YES! Aayla Secura as Naruto's first Knight! I find it supremely ironic that a Jedi would become a Devil, even more one known for her adherence to the Code. Even if I've tweaked her a bit. Next chapter will have the meeting with the Phenex! Oh, now won't that be … enlightening?
It is unfortunate, but Moon is unavailable to me at the moment, so my help on this chapter has come from SkySage24.
The Peerage stands thus:
Queen- Tier Harribel
Bishop- Rias Gremory
Knight- Aayla Secura
~Dreaming of the Phoenix~