Holy crap, we're actually back?! Welcome to Twilight Key, Chapter 45!

You know…When I first started this, I never would have figured that I would turn into one of the things I hate the most…A fanfic writer who just disappears for months at a time after a somewhat reliable schedule, and doesn't give any warning or explanation. I really should not have been that optimistic…Yeah, my bad. Am I back for good? I don't know. I honestly thought I was with the last chapter, but then before I even realized it, three months had gone by and I was still only about 3k words into the next chapter. Don't expect me to go through PM's or anything else anytime soon.

I've been having problems with things in real life. It both takes away the time I have for fanfiction and destroys my temptation to work on any stories. Is this a generic excuse? Pretty much. Is it true? For the most part. Do I feel bad? Yes, yes I do. Bad enough to revive all my stories and get back to a schedule? Ha!

Not too long of an update, length-wise, especially given the amount of time it took me to get this out…But hey, progress, amirite?

Kairitrion Cerulean: Hey, don't you miss those days when I was only late by a week? And ugh, you're over thinking things! I've honestly considered that, but the easier option is to use game logic. Munny is the currency of the KH games (For the most part), and it is accepted everywhere! Don't know how, but it is.

The Sorrowful Deity: Yeah, about that…

jburk40: That's a decent assumption.

Dark Natsu Dragneel: Oh, a like-minded person! I like the way you think!

Guest: Keep waiting!

Remzal Von Enili: Yes, and I am loving it. The only downside to the game is the waiting period where I'm caught up to all of the story missions.

Guest (2): The Fairy Tail members are before the Tartarous arc. Hell, I haven't put anything concrete yet, but I'm thinking about making this before the grand magic games arc.

ImagineBreaker7: The Negima girls as a pairing would be a little weird and harder to work…At least, some of them would be.

NoFocus: Probably will be at some point, yeah. At the very least, I can't see myself resetting Naruto for every new part of the story (Like what happened to Sora with every game. Having to relearn magic? Seriously?).

Anthony Do-Urden: I still have a couple of slots open for worlds, so suggestions are welcome. Just keep in mind that I reserve the right to either go with it or ignore it completely.

Guest (3): Next chapter of Embers is when I feel like it. When is that? Not even I know…

Jack of Blade's Daughter: Agreed. At that point, not much is going on besides the basic Naruto stuff.

Rio Skyron: Shhh. That there's spoiler territory. No one goes into spoiler territory.

Satner'sKagune: Happy super belated birthday!

TravisUmbra: :P

Skywolf99: Life can really suck sometimes, you know?

Psychochiken: I'm contemplating returning to some worlds, if that's enough of an answer.

Anyways, on with the story!

I don't own Naruto, Kingdom Hearts or anything else. I'm just a broke college student...

Normal Talking: "Insert witty remark here."

Normal Thinking: 'Insert witty remark here.'

Biju/Deity Talking: "Insert witty remark here."

Biju/Deity Thinking: 'Insert witty remark here.'

Scene Change: Insert Place Here

Jutsu/Magic/Technique: Insert Jutsu Here

"Take this!" Asuna rushed at Naruto and brought her fan down at him in a strike from above. Quirking an eyebrow at the somewhat poor technique and speed, Naruto calmly stepped to the side. "Eh?"

"You need to be faster than that." Naruto teased, making Asuna blush in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "More like this!" He lashed out a leg that caught her in the center of the chest, hurling her away.

"Asuna-san!" Negi cried in alarm. Swiftly pulling himself together, he abandoned thoughts of avoiding any fighting. "You won't get away with that!" He placed his staff on his back and slid into a battle stance. "Song of Battle!" Naruto frowned when he saw a bright glow came to life around Negi.

'Definitely not a spell that I've seen…' Despite not knowing the spell, it's purpose became abundantly clear when Negi rocketed at him with a palm strike to the chest. 'Well, he's faster than I thought!' Unable to move out of the way in time, Naruto settled for using the side of his keyblade as a shield.

Although he wasn't expecting this, Negi was quick to follow up with whirling his body around in a reversal so that he was behind Naruto. Using that opening, Negi gathered wind in his palms and thrust them both into Naruto's back. "Double Ramming Palm!"

Grunting in pain and surprise, Naruto's body launched forward. Flipping in midair, Naruto landed on his feet and raised his keyblade for his counter. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to go with this idea when Asuna came back at him with another attack. "I've got you now!" Naruto shot his keyblade up to intercept the strike before immediately rolling to the side to avoid the elbow Negi sent at him.

Naruto sprang back up and swiped his keyblade at the two of them. "Wind Storm!" A harsh explosion of wind accompanied Naruto's strike, flinging Negi and Asuna away.

"Whoa!" Asuna flailed as she flew through the air before quickly righting herself again. Next to her, Negi was much more graceful in his landing.

"Seriously, I would rather not fight you guys!" Naruto called to them. "We can still end this now before someone gets hurt!"

Asuna growled in response. "Shut up, brat! You guys are the ones who came in here and picked a fight!" She readied her weapon again. "Trying to act innocent won't save you!" Negi nodded in agreement and got into his own battle stance.

A quiet groan escaped Naruto. "No, we didn't pick a fight with you…Or at least, only my idiot companion did…"

"I said stop making excuses!" Asuna demanded. "Negi, power me up!"

"Right!" Negi took a card that was similar to Asuna's out of his pocket and began casting. "I invoke the contract for 180 seconds! Ministra Asuna Kagurazaka!" Asuna twitched as a light encompassed her frame.

Encouraged by the boost, Asuna grinned and pointed her fan at Naruto. "Now you're definitely going down!" She took a moment to crouch before rushing him again, surprising Naruto slightly with her increased speed, but she only managed to get a few feet before a shout stopped her.

"Asuna-san, watch out!"

Eyes wide in surprise at Negi's words, Asuna skidded to a stop. The next second, a volley of bubbles sped by in in front of her face. Asuna yelped and jumped back in shock. "What the hell?!" Naruto smirked as Asuna and Negi turned their heads towards the source of the bubbles.

Standing off to the side was a smiling Kairi with her hand raised at them. "You should quit before you get too far behind~" She quipped.

This only served to anger Asuna further, as shown by her darkening face. "Why you…" She shook her fan at Kairi. "What kind of weapon is a bubble?!"

Naruto quirked an eyebrow. "A bubble isn't a weapon, it's a spell." His eyes slid to her fan. "And the girl swinging a giant fan has no room to talk about dumb looking weapons."

"Says the kid with the oversized key!" Behind Asuna, Negi had a small frown on his face as he stared at Naruto's weapon.

"I never said mine wasn't weird!" Naruto sighed in irritation and shook his head. "But back to the point, none of us want to fight!" At that exact moment, an explosion boomed from somewhere nearby, along with the gleeful laughter of a certain dragon slayer.

"Come on, step it up! I'm having fun!"

A similar bout of laughter was heard from the black haired boy. "You're pretty tough! But are you sure you can handle me going all out?!"

"Of course I can! Ha, in fact, I'm really getting fired up now!" This declaration was punctuated with another explosion. "I knew there would be people to fight here!"

The crimson blond closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "…He doesn't count."

"Save it for someone who believes you!" Asuna shouted. "This ends now!" She sped at Naruto again, who looked to be getting increasingly annoyed that she wouldn't listen to him.

Frowning, Naruto pulled his keyblade back. "Fine then…" A soft glow covered his body. "I will just have to make you listen…" Deciding upon the best way to disarm her, Naruto tensed his body. In a flash, he shot across the plaza at the older girl. Asuna's eyes widened in shock when Naruto appeared in front of her with his keyblade raised. "Sorry about this." He slashed at her.

"I think that's enough for now." Both Naruto and Asuna were stopped cold by a newcomer seemingly materializing between them, blocking Naruto's keyblade.

Naruto blinked at the sudden appearance of the man. 'Where did he come from?' Naruto didn't even notice the man get close, let alone get close enough to get in the middle of them and end the fight.

The man had a small smile on his face as he glanced between the plaza's occupants. "You guys are getting pretty loud. I realize that this is a festival, but this kind of noise is typically frowned upon…" Looking to the side, Naruto noted that the other fights stopped too.

Asuna blushed crimson when her brain caught up to who had stopped her. "T-Takahata-sensei!"

Next to her, Negi was equally shocked to see the man. "Takamichi!"

Naruto had a small frown on his face as he took in the man's appearance. At first, Naruto thought him to be an older man, but a closer look made Naruto second guess that notion. The man was wearing a white suit, but unlike Negi's, his seemed more natural. A cigarette hung from his lips in a manner that reminded Naruto of Asuma, and the effect was only increased by the way the man had both hands in his pockets, like Asuma often does.

The now named Takahata took one last scan of the plaza and its current condition before releasing a tired sigh. "I knew this was going to be trouble…"

"Y-You knew we were going to be attacked, Takahata-sensei?" Asuna stammered. Naruto blinked at the sudden shift in personality for the girl. If he hadn't seen firsthand how loud and brash she was, he would have thought her to be a somewhat shy teenager. "So does this mean you know what they're up to?"

The orange haired girl's question only prompted Takahata to sigh again, much to her and her companions' confusion. Instead of answering, he turned towards Naruto with a sheepish expression. "I'm really sorry about this…"

"Takamichi? Why are you apologizing to them?" Negi asked.

Not having expected the apology, it took Naruto a moment to process it. "…It's not a problem." Shaking off his surprise, he smiled and got into a more relaxed stance. "I'm just glad that it ended before things went too far." Hesitantly, the others also got into non-hostile stances and walked over to where Naruto and Takahata were standing.

"I'm really confused…" The black haired boy muttered, getting an agreeing nod from Setsuna. "Why are you talking like these guys are guests or something?"

"That's because they are." Takahata said tiredly, further shocking the them. "These four people are not a threat. In fact, we should be welcoming them to Mahora."

"B-But they attacked us!" Asuna cried out.

Naruto frowned minutely. "Hey, remember that I tried to avoid a fight, but it still escalated into one." He threw a glare at the dragon slayer, who whistled innocently. "But that isn't entirely your fault."

Takahata nodded. "I can imagine that one of the people on our side was eager to fight someone." He shot the black haired boy a pointed look.

"That's…They…" Asuna's eyes were wide as she attempted to come to terms that they were the ones who had messed up. "Wait, then who the heck are these people?!"

Smiling slightly, Takahata turned towards Negi, who seemed to be extremely guilty over the situation. "I'm actually surprised that Negi didn't realize who they are. After all, he is a collector and must have done quite a bit of studying into magical artefacts and weapons."

Negi's eyes grew wide at that Takahata's words. "Um, I should have known they were not a threat because of a magical artefact?"

Takahata's smile grew. "Negi, how many magical weapons do you know of that is shaped like a giant key?" Negi frowned at the clue and took another look at Naruto's keyblade.

"I'm not sure I have heard any weapons of that nature…" His frowned deepened as his mind raced to remember his readings. Suddenly, he released a gasp. "Wait, I think I have read about weapons that were shaped like keys, but one hasn't been seen in a long time!" Naruto watched as Negi's face glowed in excitement. "If I recall correctly, your weapon is a keyblade!"

Naruto slowly nodded. "Yeah, it is…" He could feel a resigned weariness creep up on him. 'I thought that most people didn't know about keyblades or other worlds…Out of the four worlds we've been to, only one of them had people who didn't know anything…'

The black haired boy and Setsuna traded a confused glance while Asuna's agitation rose. "Okay, so his weapon is an oversized key, so what?"

"Um…" Negi rubbed the back of his head. "I'm…not too sure, really. Takamichi, how does knowing what his weapon is help me know that he isn't a threat?"

Takahata hummed in thought. "I suppose you didn't come across the purpose of a keyblade and its wielder then…" He shrugged. "In the end, I guess it doesn't matter. I will let the headmaster explain it to you." Takamichi turned back towards Naruto. "Would you mind coming with me, please? Besides stopping the fight, the reason I'm here is to guide you to the headmaster."

Naruto frowned and dismissed his keyblade. "That's fine…But a member of our group got separated from us before the fight. We were searching for him when this entire thing happened…"

"Oh, that could be a problem…" Quickly considering his options, Takahata spoke up. "There are other people here who are aware of magic's existence. I can send out a message to them and ask for their help in finding your friend. Would that be alright?" Seeing that Natsu was about to protest, he continued. "I promise that we will let you continue searching for him as soon as possible, but he shouldn't be in any danger."

Although he didn't like it in the least, Naruto slowly nodded in agreement. "…That's fine…But I'm not sure I trust him to be on his own for too long and not get into any trouble."

Takahata huffed a laugh. "Sounds like some troublesome students I know. I can think of a class that is full of students like that." Off to the side, Asuna blushed while Setsuna simply averted her eyes.

'Judging by their reactions, I can take a guess as to who he's talking about…' Naruto thought dryly.

Headmaster's Office (A Little Later)

Takahata led the group into a large room with a window that overlooked the city. Taking a quick glance around, Naruto noted that the room somewhat reminded him of the Hokage's office back in Konoha. Once he was done, he turned his eyes to the old man behind the desk.

It took a lot of self-control not to show any surprise over the man's appearance.

"Whoa! Look at his eyebrows!"

Naruto immediately turned his head around to glare at Natsu, who was openly gaping at the old man. "Idiot, don't say things like that-ttebayo!"

"But look at them! They're huge!" Natsu defended. Gray sighed at the spectacle and Kairi released a nervous giggle. Despite this, it was obvious that Takahata thought the dragon slayer's words were amusing, judging by the fact that his smile grew. Standing near the back of the room, Negi appeared to be shocked by Natsu's words while Asuna and the black haired boy snickered quietly. Setsuna's face was carefully blank, but it had lost some color.

"It doesn't matter! That's not what you say to people when you meet them! Especially not important people!" Naruto reprimanded before looking back to the old man. "I'm really sorry about him. He doesn't have a complete grasp of basic manners yet..."

"Ohohoho~" Naruto blinked in surprise when, instead of getting mad, the old man began to laugh. "It's not a problem, it's actually refreshing to hear such an honest opinion!"

Natsu grinned. "You see? Everything is fine. He's not mad!"

"That's not the point!" Naruto growled. Shaking his head in frustration, he shifted his attention back to the old man. "It's nice to meet you, sir. I apologize for any trouble we caused by coming here."

The old man waved him off. "Again, it's not a problem. No damage was done so there is nothing to apologize for."

"If you say so..."

"I do say so." The old man nodded. "Now, before we get any further, how about some introductions? I'm sure that there are a few people here that would dearly like to know what is going on."

"Finally." Naruto heard Asuna mutter from behind. "Who the heck are these people?"

Ignoring her, Naruto smiled slightly. "My name is Naruto. This is Gray," Said ice mage nodded. "Natsu,"

"Hey there!"

"and Kairi."

"Hello."

"Naruto, Gray, Natsu, and Kairi." The old man repeated. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm Konomon Konoe, the headmaster of Mahora Academy."

A small frown made its way onto Gray's face. "...Isn't Mahora the name of the city?" He asked. "Which part of it is the academy?"

"The entire thing."

Gray blinked. "...What?"

Konoe appeared to be amused by their shock. "The entire city is the academy. There are many divisions, but Mahora Academy spans the entire city."

Natsu's gaped at him. "This city is a gigantic school?! It's huge!"

Laughter erupted from Konoe as Takahata chuckled. "Yes, I suppose it is somewhat larger than normal." The headmaster waved a lazy hand at the other people in the room. "You've introduced yourselves, so now it is our turn. You already know my name, the others are Setsuna-kun," The black haired girl nodded silently. "Kotaro-kun,"

"Yo!"

"Asuna-kun," The orange haired girl glared before huffing and turning her head away. "Takahata-sensei," Takahata smiled. "and "Negi-sensei."

Negi bowed formally. "H-Hello there."

All of the off-worlders stared at the boy. Slowly, Naruto turned back to the headmaster, unsure if he had heard correctly. "...Did you say Negi-sensei?" He asked hesitantly. "He's a teacher?" Negi blushed at the question and began stammering in an attempt to explain.

"Oh! I-I promise that I'm qualified for the position!" Negi said quickly. "And I like to think that I've been doing very well!"

Sighing, Naruto shook his head. "Never mind..." He wasn't going to question it. Things would be easier if he simply accepted it as something normal for this world. Naruto shifted his attention to the headmaster again. "Back to the reason we're here…Takahata-san said that you wanted to see us?"

Noticing the subject change, Konoe nodded. "I did request that, yes." He leaned forward. "Many of the magically aware people on campus noticed your arrival earlier, as I'm sure you have deduced. And while not all of them were able to tell who you were and what your purpose coming here was, some people were able to tell...Myself included."

"Wow, you were able to tell just by sensing them, headmaster?" Negi asked in awe. "That's amazing!"

Konoe smiled at the boy. "Thank you, but it is hardly a difficult feat for those who have come across a keyblade wielder before." Takahata nodded in agreement. "Keyblade wielders give off a very specific aura and presence, so it was simple to recognize young Naruto's status." His eyes locked with Naruto's. "...Although I do sense something slightly different about your aura..." He shook his head. "But it was still easy enough to tell."

Naruto frowned slightly in thought. "You've met another keyblade wielder? Who?"

"I haven't seen them in many years, but I have friends who are keyblade wielders." Konoe explained. "I imagine that by now, they have become masters and perhaps have taken on students of their own. Their names are Eraqus and Yen Sid." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Master Eraqus..." He repeated.

"Oh, you do know him?" Konoe happily inquired. "So he managed to become a keyblade master then? Are you his student?" He paused when he saw the sad look on Naruto's had. "Oh, I see..."

"I'm sorry...Master Eraqus died over a decade ago." A scowl formed on Naruto's. "He was betrayed by another keyblade master."

Konoe sighed deeply. "That's terrible..." After a moment of silence, he spoke up again. "What happened to the other master?"

"Master Eraqus' students fought him and took him out, but it is doubtful that he is gone forever." Naruto said quietly. A determined expression made its way onto Naruto's face. "But when he does come back, I'm going to be there to stop him. He is a danger to all the worlds out there, he can't be allowed to win. It isn't the main reason I'm traveling from world to world, but it is definitely one of them." Naruto's companions were giving him surprised looks, not having heard this story before.

"May I ask why the main reason is then? It is unusual for a wielder to travel far from their master, unless the master has a specific task for them...And you seem to be a tad too young to be a keyblade master..." He paused. "Unless this is your Mark of Mastery exam? Are you taking it early?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I'm not here for my exam. There has been an alarmingly large number of worlds that have been consumed by darkness recently. That, along with another issue, makes us believe that there is a person out there behind it orchestrating things."

The atmosphere in the room instantly turned tense. While Negi, Asuna, Setsuna, and Kotaro didn't appear to understand what they were talking about, it was obvious that Takahata and Konoe did.

The headmaster steepled his hands, his presence completely changed into something far more grave. "That is a serious problem...One that cannot be allowed to continue. I will admit that this isn't my area of expertise, but I have learned enough from Eraqus and Yen Sid to understand the implications." His eyes trailed over the off-worlders. "So then your mission is to find the person responsible and stop them?"

The crimson blond nodded. "Exactly. And I'm locking up the keyholes I come across along the way."

This time, it was Konoe's turn to nod. "That is a good idea..."

Before anything else could be said, a voice interrupted them. "Wait, now just hold on a minute!" Glancing back in surprise, Naruto saw Asuna standing there with a glare. "I'm sorry, headmaster, but what the heck are you guys talking about?! You guys aren't making any sense! You're talking like there are other worlds!" Negi, Setsuna, and Kotaro seemed to agree with her.

Despite the situation, Konoe allowed a small smile to pull at his lips. "That's because we are speaking about other worlds that are out there, Asuna-kun." A stunned silence from those who were unaware. "It is a well-kept secret, one that is even lesser known than the existence of magic." They just stared at him.

Kotaro was the first to recover from the revelation. "Wait...Hold on...So they're aliens?!" Negi gasped dramatically as Naruto twitched. As opposed to Naruto's irritation, Kairi released a giggle while Gray snorted.

"We are?!" And then there was Natsu...

"Strictly speaking in terms of what world we're from...yes, we're aliens." Naruto rolled his eyes at the shock they displayed. "But we're still humans...Just ones that aren't from around here."

Asuna glanced at them warily. "Are you gonna probe us?"

"...What?" Did she seriously ask that?

"You know! Abduct us, tie us down to a table, and then dissect us! And then drop us back off with no memories of what happened when you're done!" Asuna ranted.

"They're going to dissect us?!" Negi asked frantically.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto spoke slowly. "Did you not hear the part about us being humans too? Or the thing about being here for a reason?" Asuna's wide eyes blinked at him. "...You know what? Never mind." He shifted his attention back to the obviously amused headmaster. "As I said, were here to both search for any clues on who is behind the worlds disappearing and to lock the keyhole."

Konoe stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I see...And time is of the essence..."

"Do you know where this world's keyhole is, headmaster?" Kairi asked curiously. If he was able to tell them, then it would save a lot of trouble.

With a sigh, Konoe shook his head. "Unfortunately, I do not know. The keyhole only appears when it is needed, and usually only to those who wield a keyblade. If it appears for any other reason, then things are indeed dire." He glanced out the window that overlooked the city. "It could be anywhere."

Crossing his arms, Naruto frowned. "Then we need to start searching. When this world came up on our ship's computer, this city was what was focused on. That makes me believe that the keyhole is at least somewhere within it. All the light I'm detecting in the area only improves the possibility of this." He grimaced. "Although I don't know how much of a comfort that is. This place is huge."

"It does seem to be a difficult job." Takahata began, a small smile playing at his lips. "Especially if it is just the four of you looking...And to top it off, none of you are familiar with the city..." His smile grew as Negi gasped.

Beaming, Negi took a step forward. "I'll help them, headmaster! I know my way around the city and I know what's going on!" He actually appeared to be somewhat excited to help.

Unfortunately for Negi, Asuna immediately dashed all his hopes. "Don't be stupid, Negi. You're already busy enough without worrying about all this alien stuff! There's no way that you will be able to keep all of your promises and help them!"

"B-But..." Negi faltered. "This is important!"

"And your students aren't?" Asuna demanded.

"I never said that!"

Still smiling slightly, Takahata interjected. "Your enthusiasm is appreciated, but it wouldn't be right for you to break your promises." Negi looked dejected at this, not noticing the amused glances that Takahata and Konoe exchanged. "...However, this is a serious situation where any help offered would be appreciated. I'm sure you can rotate out helping finding the keyhole with your normal patrols. You can do both."

Konoe nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea. I approve of this and will send you a revised schedule as soon as I am able to." His eyes moved to the off-worlders. "And I assume you are not against having some people tag along to help?"

Naruto smiled and shrugged. "Like I said, this place is big. Having another person who is willing to help and knows the area is always welcome."

"Sweet! Then I'll help too!" Kotaro cheered before shooting a small look of distaste at Negi. "And unlike Negi, I didn't fill my schedule up with a bunch of meetings with girls..." Those who didn't know what he was talking about were shocked about the implications of a ten-year-old being so busy because he had too many dates.

"It's not like that!" Negi's face was nearly as red as his hair. "They're my students!"

"Ehehehe...But they're still dates, Aniki..." For the first time, Naruto noticed something white sitting on Negi's shoulder. "Deny it all you want, but it's true."

"It is not!"

'Now there's a talking ferret...' Deciding that he didn't want to follow this direction for the conversation any further, Naruto turned to the headmaster. "I have two more things to ask you."

Konoe quirked an eyebrow in interest. "Yes? Go on."

"How much heartless activity do you get here?" Naruto asked.

A small frown formed on the elder's face. "Heartless activity...We're fortunate that we don't get that much of it, but there is no denying that activity has picked up somewhat in recent months. Because of the secrecy concerning other worlds, they are classified as a type of demon. There is a barrier surrounding the city that keeps them out, so there shouldn't be any problems with them."

After absorbing the information, Naruto moved on to his second question. "Alright...The other thing is that we were separated from one of our companions after entering the world. We were in the process of looking for him when it was requested that we meet you."

"Oh, I see..." Konoe stroked his beard in thought. "A person lost in an unfamiliar place is already a potential problem, but I assume that your companion at least knows to stay out of trouble and not draw attention to himself..." He stopped upon seeing Naruto and Gray grimace while Kairi smiled sheepishly. "Or is that not correct?"

Hanging his head in resignation, Naruto spoke up. "No...No it's not. I don't trust him on his own. Whether it's to keep his mouth shut or not get into trouble, I wouldn't be surprised if he has already started a commotion."

Takahata sighed quietly. "That could be a problem...We should focus on finding your missing companion before searching for the keyhole. What does he look like?"

Gray snorted. "He's a talking, flying, and blue cat. You can't miss him." All of the locals stared at him in disbelief. "I'm completely serious."

Asuna scowled at him. "Yeah, right! Cat's aren't blue, they can't fly, and they definitely can't talk!"

"And I guess a talking ferret is acceptable?" Naruto muttered, earning a glare from said rodent.

"Hey, whisker face! In case you haven't noticed, I'm an ermine!"

"I'm sorry for my inability to tell the difference. I'll do my best to not make that mistake in the future." Naruto said sarcastically, not liking the name the ermine used for him. "Now then, if that's all, I would like to start searc-"

Suddenly, he was cut off as the room and its occupants were submerged into an overwhelming feeling of cold. Tensing, Naruto summoned his keyblade out of reflex and slid into a battle stance, his companions preparing themselves in similar ways. The thing that really set Naruto on edge was the fact that there was the feeling of darkness mixed in to the new presence.

Kairi glanced around nervously with wide eyes. "W-What is this?" She had never felt something so…sinister before. Slowly, she began to inch closer to Naruto while preparing herself to either attack or defend as needed.

Before anything else could be said, a glowing magic circle appeared on the floor in the center of the room. A moment later, a voice that sent chills down the spines of the off-worlders echoed. "Kukukuku…No, that is not all, boy."All eyes were locked on the magic circle as a person rose from it. "You see, you will be doing me a special favor…" Naruto tightened the grip on his keyblade and glared at the woman who was giving off the feeling of overwhelming darkness. "Ah, that is a good expression you have." Her already wide grin spread further. "But I advise you to not do anything foolish." Her eyes moved to his keyblade. "I am lucky to have such an opportunity. It has been a long time since I have met a keyblade wielder…"

Naruto glared at her. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded.

The woman was tall, blond, and had ice blue eyes. She was wearing a grand outfit fit for a dark queen, complete with a cape. Had circumstances been different and she wasn't giving off such an evil aura, then Naruto would have even called her beautiful. But the fact that he felt uneasy simply by being in her presence destroyed any such thoughts.

A dark chuckle escaped the woman as her eyes glinted maliciously. "Me? Do you truly not know who I am?" She released a cold laugh. "In that case, allow me to grant you the honor of knowing whom you stand before!" She flourished her cape dramatically. "I have gone by many names over many centuries, but there have been a few that I am particularly fond of." A chilly wind swept through the room, making her cape billow again. "I am the Puppet Master. The Advent of Evil. The Apostle of Calamity." The wind picked up as frost slowly crept across the floor. "The Queen of the Night! The Disciple of Dark Tones! The Gospel of Darkness!" She laughed high and cruelly. "I am-"

"An overdramatic, talkative, and annoying little brat!" The extensive introduction was cut short by Asuna wielding her oversized fan. Not bothering to pay attention to the wind or ice, the orange haired girl rushed up to the woman and struck her in the face.

"Gah?!" And just like that, the entire changed from only a moment away from a fight to everyone staring at the spectacle in front of them. The moment Asuna's fan hit the woman, there was a puff of smoke and the feeling of cold and darkness vanished. In the woman's place was a little girl around Negi's age, and she was clutching her cheek while glaring with teary eyes. Taking a closer look, Naruto noticed that she looked like a younger version of the woman, but she was instead wearing a school uniform. "W-W-What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Asuna pointed at the girl, matching the glare head on. "Me?! What the hell do you think you're doing?! You're the one who came in here and started the whole doom and gloom evil queen speech!"

Naruto slowly relaxed his posture as he watched the two girl descend into bickering, both of them ignoring Negi's pleas to stop arguing. "…What am I watching…?" He asked.

Behind them, Takahata sighed silently, already having figured out what this was about. 'Here we go…' Dearly wishing he could take out a cigarette while inside the office, he answered. "That girl is Evangeline A.K. McDowell, one of Negi's students. She is magically aware and powerful, so it isn't a surprise that she detected you guys and recognized what your presence meant."

The crimson blond frowned and took in her appearance. 'The darkness is still there, but it seems…muted now. Something is suppressing it.'

As if reading his mind, Takahata spoke up again. "Don't worry about her, she isn't an enemy." He said reassuringly. "Evangeline does use darkness, but she doesn't let it control her. And she has enough experience with it at this point that it is extremely unlikely for her to lose herself to it, if not outright impossible."

Humming in thought, Naruto studied the girl one last time before nodding and relaxing completely. "Alright then." He glanced back at the man. "So? Why is she here?"

Hearing this, Evangeline stopped arguing with Asuna and sent a wicked smile at Naruto. "Me? I'm here for one reason." She pointed at Naruto. "Boy, you will use your keyblade to release me from my prison!"

Smiling, Takahata interjected. "Sorry, Evangeline, but that won't be happening." The blond immediately faltered.

Recomposing herself, she glared at Takahata. "And just why the hell not?!"

Takahata chuckled. "You know full well that keyblade wielders aren't supposed to interfere with matters that don't concern other worlds. Your seal has no impact on the balance and safety of other worlds, so he can't release you." Evangeline scowled at that.

"Oh, so it's a seal." Naruto realized, regaining the attention of the room. "I was wondering why your darkness felt like that."

With a huff, Evangeline crossed her arms. "Yes, yes. My power and I are bound. While I can access it in small amounts, most of it is still out of my reach." Her scowl deepened. "And to make matters worse I am forced to stay in this damn school as a student!"

Negi hesitantly spoke up. "Um, Master…How can Naruto-san help you?" Evangeline's scowl fell as she raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? I was under the impression that you had the abilities of a keyblade explained to you, boya. Was I wrong?"

Naruto shrugged. "They mostly just listened in while we told the headmaster we were here to find and lock the keyhole. They don't know the details or the other powers of the keyblade." He turned to Negi and the others. "Keep in mind that while the keyblade is a weapon, it is also a key. A keyblade has the power to undo any type of lock or seal, no matter how powerful it is. On top of that, something locked by a keyblade can only be unlocked by another keyblade." Negi, the ermine, Asuna, and Kotaro's jaws dropped at that, while Setsuna simply had wide eyes.

"Something like that actually exists…" Setsuna said quietly. "That is a very powerful and dangerous weapon."

The crimson blond nodded in response before looking to Evangeline. "Like Takahata-san said, I can't undo your seal, sorry. While it is within my power, there are rules I need to follow."

"Tch." Evangeline wasn't happy to hear that. "Fine, fine, whatever…"

Smirking at her attitude, Naruto met the headmaster's amused eyes. "Anyways, back to the matter at hand, I would like to start searching for our missing companion now. After we find him, we can start doing sweeps for the keyhole."

Konoe nodded in understanding. "Very well. The search may take a few days to complete. Do you have a place to stay?" A smile began to creep across his face. "Because if not, I can arrange one for you…" Off to the side, Asuna began glaring at Naruto in distrust, already knowing where the headmaster was going with this.

Naruto shook his head. "That's alright, we can stay in our ship. But thanks for the offer." Asuna allowed herself to relax. "If that's all…?"

The headmaster nodded, slightly disappointed. "Yes, that's it. I wish you luck in finding your companion. I will send out word to the magically aware population in the city to keep an eye out. Also keep in mind that while you are in this world, you shouldn't use magic freely. That is a secret that must not get out."

"We understand. We won't do anything to expose magic." Naruto and Gray both pinned Natsu with glares. "Right?"

Swallowing nervously, Natsu averted his gaze with a nervous laugh. "R-Right…Of course. I can totally keep a secret…" Gray snorted but didn't comment.

"Glad we all understand…" Naruto muttered. 'But that can make locking they keyhole a problem…The entire process is pretty flashy.' Deciding to think about it after they found Happy, Naruto nodded to the headmaster. "Then we will be on our way now." He turned to Negi's group. "Sorry for the inconvenience, but we appreciate the help."

Negi smiled at him. "It isn't a problem at all! We're happy to help! I can help you search for about an hour before I need to check up my students who are operating our haunted house. After that, I'm free until this afternoon."

Setsuna dipped her head in agreement. "Helping you will be our pleasure. Is there anywhere specific that you think we should check for your friend first?" While Natsu took on a contemplative expression, Naruto, Gray, and Kairi traded glances.

Sighing, Naruto answered. "Can you take us to the booths selling fish?"

There we go! Finally all done with Chapter 45!

I don't know how he did it, but the creator of Negima really stretched out the Mahora Festival arc. When it started, the Negima manga was on chapter 81, but the arc ended on chapter 162. So by the time it was done, it seriously spanned half of the manga…Wow. The weirdest part is that the entire arc took place over just three days, but it was hard to tell because of all the time travelling and stuff that goes on. Obviously, we don't have time for that, so I won't be putting everything in here.

Okay, at this point in the series, the Negima characters…I'm not going to say they're weak, but I sure as hell am not going to say they're strong, either. It could be that I'm a little biased, but I don't think that Naruto would have too much trouble against them right now…Especially Asuna (Who has only just started actually training) and Negi (Sorta the same for him, but not to the same extent). Some of the other characters, sure, but not those two right now.

Evangeline's nickname for Negi is boya, for those who didn't know.

Expect the next chapter…Eventually.

Until next time,

Kog6943