I OWN NOTHING
For the past days, I have been extremely busy and dealing with a lot of things along a new more demanding job. I'm afraid I may get rusty, but it doesn't mean I'll quit writing.
WARNING: I despise Peter Pan. To me he's the real villain of the movie. He laughed as mermaids tried to drown Wendy and cut off Hook's hand before feeding it to a crocodile, giving the man PTSD. He takes kids from parents who will never know if they'll even see them again. All to live out his fantasy. And you think Sasuke had issues and Naruto an ego; Peter is a textbook sociopath.
X-X-X-X-X
"Ain't she a beauty?"
Laguna's enthusiasm was met with awkward stares from the two boys. His ship was junk, to put it lightly. A triangular shaped spaceship with an oval-shaped window for the cockpit and enough space to carry up to five people. It looked fast, had a nice blue paintjob and five tubes on the back to fly with jet propulsion. However, the paint didn't cover all of the rust, and they could see duct tape all over some parts.
"Can it even fly?" Vivi asked nervously.
Laguna leaned on his ship, which creaked slightly from his weight, "Call her a veteran, but don't doubt her." He rubbed the underside of his nose with the back of his index finger, his smile wide, "I've had her for a while and she hasn't let me down. Sure, I fix her without knowing much other than a proper way to fly her, but she holds up well."
"Do we have any other way to get out of this place?" Naruto asked.
Laguna rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry, kiddo. She's your only option. And if that witch was here..." he went silent, arms crossed, "Well, I can't just stay here. And I need your help, you two are quite strong. Guy like me could use some proper backup." He then grinned, "Besides, we make a killer hero team. We saved many kids from becoming Heartless."
"Not all of them..." Naruto growled.
Pitying the boy, the gunman patted his shoulder, "Don't blame yourself, kid. Blame Maleficent."
"Who's that?" Vivi asked.
Laguna frowned, a surprise for the two kids, though it looked more like a pouty glare, "Only the meanest witch to ever walk all worlds, that's who." He looked at the distance towards the island, "My world and a lot more have a score to settle with her. And she has to pay interests. If not for her, Heartless wouldn't be so quick to spread like fire."
"Is she...?" Naruto asked, "I once saw a man control them on an island. Not to mention that master of the ferryman's..."
"Yeah, I get you, but they could be working for her. No, they must." Laguna said too sure of his theory, whether by resentment or true belief was hard to tell.
Vivi hummed, "Well, I may need to find her, then." He gathered the others' attention, "I am looking for my brothers, but...all I can remember are Heartless."
"You have amnesia?" Laguna asked in surprise.
Nodding sadly, the mage explained, "Ever since I could remember, Heartless were around me. One day it was like I awoke and all I could see was a battlefield. The moment I reacted was when I found the ferryman, and..." he held his head, "It feels like I've fought so long, even if I'm not that good as a mage, that all memories are battles."
"Maybe the guy hypnotized you." Laguna guessed, "His master could have done that, and perhaps something snapped you out of it like a fair maiden's kiss."
"K-k-ki-kiss!?" the tiny boy squeaked, "B-but, I've never...and even if I could remember, I...I don't think I could have..."
"Hey, nothing to worry about." Laguna cheered, a hand up, "Everyone can get a kiss if they try hard enough. It can happen whenever and wherever with whoever. You may have had a lucky chance, right Naruto?" a grunt escaped the blond, "Uh...touchy subject?" the gunman asked awkwardly.
"Drop it." The blond growled.
"Okaaayyy..." the long-haired man replied with an eyebrow uneasily raised up, "Anyway, Vivi's in. Are you?"
Sighing, the blond nodded, "I've got to find my friends, not to mention make Maleficent answer for a lot. So long as your ship doesn't kill us, I am in."
"Hey, no need to be so harsh on the old girl." Laguna winced, then patted his ship, "It's alright, baby, he doesn't know what he says."
Soon all three boarded the ship, which engine roared, blasting them off into the distance and surprising Naruto that they were not only flying but coursing through the stars. Laguna smiled and let the two children enjoy the sights, Vivi standing on his seat to observe a passing by comet. Naruto was glued to the window as he saw them leave behind the amusement park and how small it looked.
"This is amazing…" he marveled at the asteroids, the stars, and the large space surrounding them.
Laguna nodded, albeit sadly, "You should've seen it when it had worlds to spare. Thanks to the Heartless those numbers are real small."
"Yeah… but it's still incredible." Vivi commented as they passed by traces of light some flying comets left behind, and then shook in excitement as they passed by shooting stars. Naruto could agree to that with his softest smile to date. Placing a hand on the window, he thought back on Destiny Islands, his home, a thought crossing his head.
"My home was just a small part of all of this?" he chortled, "Man, and I thought leaving my village made my world look big."
"Nope, plenty out there." Laguna commented, "It's part of the reason I love going out. Sure, my son isn't all sunshine and smiles about it, but-"
"You're a father!?" both kids exclaimed.
"Oh, yeah." He said, slightly concerned by their outburst, "Why do you ask?"
"Some lady actually had a kid with you?" Naruto squinted his eyes suspiciously.
Laguna gasped in shock, "Hey, what's that supposed to mean!? I-I, sure, wasn't the brightest tool in the shed, but I still got heart!" he put a hand on his chest, trying to look manly, "It took me a while but I managed to win a fair maiden's heart. Even befriended a little lady I swore to protect, and had a wonderful boy with them."
"Then, why aren't you looking for your son, too?" Vivi asked, "Is he…?"
"Oh no, he's fine!" Laguna chortled, "No need to worry about him, he's plenty strong…and scary…" he chuckled awkwardly, "Really strong and scary. He doesn't even need me to take care of Heartless or take care of things where he's at right now. Kid sure grew fast…" a sad sight escaped him as he looked at his feet, "Not that I can blame him with what happen-"
"Look out!" Vivi and Naruto yelped, grabbing the controls.
"Wha- A Heartless ship!?" Laguna exclaimed, pulling the lever and getting out of the way, "Oh shoot, this isn't a fighting ship! Hang on, kids!"
Doing as told, they felt the G-force sink them into their seats as Laguna pulled up. The Heartless ship followed after them. It was firing, missiles missing their vessel thanks to a radar and Laguna stirring their ship to the side almost violently. The projectiles collided with an asteroid, blasting it into burning rocks and pebbles. Biting his lip, Laguna stepped on a pedal to accelerate…and his ship shot a plume of fire out the pipe.
"What was that!?" Naruto yelped.
Laguna snickered in fear, sweating nervously as he answered, "I, uh, seem to have not fixed the energy issues." As the enemy ship approached them, everyone grit their teeth when seeing it come straight for them from the front to crash face to face. Laguna kicked the pedal, trying to start the ship again, praying for a miracle…and it came in the form of Vivi!
"Thunder!" he called forth a lightning bolt which shot to the ship. Right after that, the turbines roared to life and their ship blasted off, down into the new world as the three screamed in shock. The boys held on to their seats as the sudden rush sent them flying back while Laguna gripped the controls to not get sent deeper into his seat. Luckily for them, their enemy crashed into an asteroid that had been behind their vessel.
However, their ship started to catch fire, "Vivi, what did you do!?" Laguna asked while his cheeks fluttered.
"I-I thought you needed energy, so... Sorry!" the boy yelled while flailing up and down as he desperately gripped his seat.
"Old man, can't you stop this thing!?" Naruto snapped.
"C-Can't reach the button!" the man struggled to lift his hand as a grassy terrain approached, "Oh crap!"
"Naruto, I got an idea!" Vivi exclaimed, "Use your shield magic with me!"
"Got it!" the blond pushed forward his left hand as best he could, while Vivi did his best and tried not to get flung back.
"Protect!/Shield!"
Laguna yelped when a forcefield enveloped his ship as it crashed on the ground. Dirt flew all over it as it left a large trail, kicking up grass and bushes, and it even went through a couple trees. As it finally stopped in the middle of a forest, the trio crashed against the control panel, groaning at the sudden stop. All in all, they would survive without major injuries, though the bruises would last for a while.
A dazed Laguna, with his face still on the controls, raised a single finger, "Alright, note to self: seatbelts..." he grunted while the kids disabled the magical barriers.
"I-I can't b-believe it worked...or that we're alive." Vivi mumbled, shivering like a leaf against the wind of winter.
"So, how much did we break this heap of junk?" Naruto panted slightly as he questioned the pilot.
"Hey, she's still good as new." Laguna argued, pounding the panel with a fist. A loud crashing sound later, and they felt it sink into the ground as the punch forced it to tilt forward, "Okay! May need to do a little bit of tuning, then!" the gunman exclaimed with a forced smile while the two kids stared at him in disbelief.
Once out, the trio stretched their legs while Laguna inspected the mess he called a flying vessel, and the worried look on his face had Vivi concerned, "Is it that bad?" he held his hat with both hands, "I am so sorry. I just panicked and-" he was halted when Naruto waved dismissively.
"Hey, if that little trick hadn't done its job or your shield idea gotten in my head, we'd be dead." He reassured the smaller boy.
"Yeah, besides, I can fix her." Laguna smiled and patted his vessel, making sure to get some dirt off the ship's name, "Stay put, dearest Raine. We'll be right back."
"What kinda name is Raine?" Naruto asked.
Laguna just beamed, "An angel's name, why ask?" he chortled, embarrassing the two boys at his jovial attitude.
"Hey, so, where are we?" Vivi finally asked.
Looking around, they seemed to be in a deep forest of sorts, but Naruto's ears picked something, "I can hear the sea." And then he sniffed something, "And I can smell..." his eyes widened. Calling upon his Keyblade, he took a stance and his companions did as well, taking out their own weapons. Rushing through bushes, a yelp was heard, and soon in came the Heartless following a girl.
"Ah!" she yelped upon seeing the strangers, just as a Shadow leapt onto her back and pinned her down.
"Learn when a lady says no, creeps!" Laguna exclaimed, opening fire as Naruto rushed at them and the gunman got those too close to the girl.
Mimicking the Soldiers' signature spinning kick with his own take on it, the blond spun his Keyblade in his hand, inverting the hold on the handle. With the icepick grip, he brought up his leg and hurled himself at a small platoon of Shadows like a spinning top, cutting them in two. Once again, all nearby darkness was absorbed by his Keyblade, which he put back as he cast a barrier to block a charging Large Body.
"L-Let me help!" Vivi exclaimed as he ran to the girl, waddling at high speeds like the little boy he was. Using his magic staff, he cast a green light on her, and all cuts and bruises she had were gone. A more than a little fair amount of red glowed from his hidden face as he helped her up. However, the blond swordsman bumped into him accidentally as he stepped back for the Large Body kept running at him.
"Ugh, why're you guys so persistent!?" he growled while the big Heartless was practically sumo-wrestling the boy's barrier.
"I got him!" Vivi announced, bringing up his staff, "Thunder!" At his command, a lightning bolt emerged from the dark clouds that appeared in the sunny sky literally out of the blue. It struck true and fast as it was, killing the round monster instantly by frying whatever brains were in its dark head.
"Much gratitude." Said the girl. "I, Tiger Lily, Princess of village."
Naruto understood why Vivi blushed once more and then hid right behind him, a slim and young yet curvy body did that to any growing boy. Exotic dark reddish skin and dual braids showed she was an Indian. She even had a blue headband with a feather. She looked a year or a couple months older than Naruto given her height. There was something regal in her, besides the exquisite Indian dress she had.
"You're w-welcome." Vivi responded, pulling down his hat to further hide his face. "I'm Vivi... Nice to meet you."
"Name's Laguna, at your service, young lady." The tallest of the tree said with a polite bow.
"I'm Naruto." The blond replied calmly.
Tiger Lily eyed him cautiously, mostly his Keyblade, "Keyblade user, not master." She hummed, "Many moons before, ancestors speak of your kind. Destruction by Keyblade bring despair, but also hope." She then looked at the tiny mage and the gunman, "But you have friends of strength. Perhaps not dangerous." Then, the Indian girl nodded, "Tour to Indian village. Invitation by me."
"Okay, so you know a bit of history we don't." Laguna commented, "What do you wanna do, kid? Repairing Raine will take some time, so you could go and get caught up in what you carry."
"Yeah, I'm not sure." Naruto looked at his Keyblade, "Wherever I step in, Heartless are after me. I wouldn't want to do that to her village."
"No problem, village warriors of great strength." She answered with a smile, "Heartless pursue Tiger Lily by order of Hook. Evil pirate, man of cunning."
"So, he ambushed you?" Vivi asked in shock, "B-But why? You seem nice."
"Gratitude, small wizard." She replied with a smile, then frowned, "Hook a dangerous, clever man. Catch Indians by surprise, then force Tiger Lily away from Indians."
"Sounds like a swell guy." Laguna commented with his trademark carefree grin and slight sarcasm, "Well, how's this sound, little lady? You get three bodyguards to keep you safe on your way back, and you can tell my little buddy here what you may know of his Keyblade."
"Actually, that sounds like a good plan." Naruto smiled, "Guess you're smart, old man."
Laguna cringed, "Don't you mean smarter than I look?"
"Old man smart?" the Indian girl questioned.
"Oh come on..." the gunman sighed, looking down.
Deciding to be nice, the blond suggested something smart, "Okay, let's get to that village and we can rest and see if they have anything that could help you with the ship."
"Sounds like a plan." The man returned to his laidback smile, "Anyway, I think she could still fly. She's had worse."
"Yeah, that doesn't really make me feel confident." The blond glared at him, not really wanting to hear the words after their harsh landing. How did the man remain alive piloting such a piece of junk? And why had he thought keeping it in the air and space was better than leaving it in the junkyard? The whiskered boy may never know.
-Tiger Lily has joined the party!-
Currently as a quartet, the group moved through the jungle after Tiger Lily retrieved her weapon which she dropped after the Heartless became too much to handle alone. It was a tomahawk. A normal tomahawk's not more than two feet long. Hers was a held in a practiced grip as the group made their way to her village. However, they didn't get too far when a clearing appeared in view.
Tiger Lily smiled and let out a shout, "Father!" she cupped a hand to her mouth, "Tiger Lily here! Father, please welcome warriors who protect Tiger Lily." Silence was her only response, to which she blinked awed, or rather stunned by it, "Father! People of village! Answer!"
"Um..." after a small pause, Vivi timidly approached her, "Maybe he's out."
"Father unable to leave village unguarded." She grew worried.
"No, he's having a fun time." Came a smug sounding voice. Before them, armed with a knife and confidently smirking, floated a boy with green tights and a matching shirt. He had red hair and a green cap with a red feather on it. He floated around the group with his hands on his hips, sizing them up as well as Tiger Lily.
Tiger Lily easily identified him, "Peter Pan." She said and readied her axe.
"So, did we win the game?" Peter asked calmly, aiming a finger, "I mean, of course we did. You had to get extra help?"
"We're not playing games here." Naruto told the taller, flying boy.
"Oh don't be like that." Peter frowned, "Neverland's Indians love to have a good time, but they should admit when they lose. Getting help from strangers means we win this round."
Rubbing the back of his head, Laguna tried to be reasonable, "Listen, kid, we just want to get to the village and ask some questions there. We're not part of anything, honest."
Frowning deeper, the redhead scowled, "What's an old codfish doing here?" he floated around the man, who looked shocked at the harshness, "Hey, Tiger Lily, why'd you get a pirate?"
"Hey, I am no pirate." The gunman retorted, "At least let us introduce ourselves before you make assumptions, please."
"Oh fine, but this better be good." Peter retorted, "Only fun grownups are the Indians, and only because they're almost as fun to play with than Hook."
"Wait!" Vivi exclaimed, "That Hook... I-I think we dealt with Heartless he was using to attack Tiger Lily!" he tried to look at the boy in the eyes, craning his head back a lot due to his height.
"Really?" Peter asked, intrigued before smirking, "So, you're quite strong, right?" he pulled out his dagger, unsurprising for Naruto. "Let's see what you got!"
"We don't have time for this!" Naruto growled, "I want to learn more of my Keyblade to help my friends, I don't want to waste my time fighting you!"
"Do you really want to do something that boring?" Peter asked, annoyed. "Fine, I'll see what else I can do, then. Take care, Tiger Lily."
And just like that, he flew off, Laguna speaking as the kid sailed towards the clouds, "Kid's got issues, and a lot of hot air to fly like that." He turned to the Indian girl, "So, uh, is that normal?"
"Yes, pixie dust can grant power of flight." The girl answered with a nod, "However, only one fairy in Neverland. Peter's companion, Tinkerbell."
"Huh, so she has dust that could make my baby girl fly..." Laguna hummed, eyeing the two boys.
"Well, if it'll help us avoid crashes..." Naruto thought out loud.
Vivi hummed, "But what of the village..." he looked at the princess and then turned away quickly, "Y-You want t-to learn about your Keyblade, right?"
"Yeah." The blond replied, "Well, we can do both. I can learn how more of how this thing got me in this mess, and make sure the ship can fly decently for once."
"Hey, you only flew once on it." Laguna commented, a tired grin on his face, "Give her a chance, trust me."
"Fine... village it is, then." The blond didn't feel like arguing. As the group made their way forward, something nagged him at the back of his mind. It started slow, but soon it felt like it nibbled deeper and deeper in his heart. Once they could see the smoke, that feeling grew exponentially as Tiger Lily's hands clamped her mouth in shock.
"Father!"
Running into a set of crashed tents, dying fires that consumed some of the abodes for the Indians, and broken weapons, she raced to the biggest one. As she did, Laguna examined the place while Naruto took it all in with horror causing his eyes to bulge. Vivi stood frozen, a hand reaching to the retreating girl before he lowered it almost shamefully but definitely in regret.
"Did Heartless do this?" Naruto finally asked.
"No doubt about it, but they had company." Laguna sniffed a piece of cloth, "Yep, definitely gunpowder. Someone must have used explosives, and the Heartless..." he pointed to a claw scratch on an abandoned tomahawk, "...did their job."
"Wait, I thought the warriors here were strong to keep them at bay." The blond retorted.
Vivi thought on his words, "And if they know Hook's smart, shouldn't they have kept their guard up?"
"Looks like we got a mystery and our only answer is this Hook fellow." Laguna commented, "Let's help clear the place, though. Maybe find where they ran off t-"
"No need..." Tiger Lily returned, eyes wide in shock, "Note..."
Quickly walking to her side, the three males read it with shock:
Dear Peter Pan,
If you are reading this, know we've captured that Wendy girl you fancy. Please come to our ship to face the captain and his army of Heartless. Also, be kind enough to bring Tiger Lily with you. Beware, any suspicious moves and she shall walk the plank. Be there before the sun sets down and do not dare come with allies. The captain wants to face you directly without interference.
Signed, Captain James Hook's First Mate, Smee.
P.S. Please, do not forget to bring Ms. Tiger Lily for the captain has urgent business with her. She has been captured by the King of Darkness, Naruto.
"That's dirty, using my name to make Peter Pan fight us." Naruto growled. "But we have Tiger Lily, she could tell everyone the truth."
"I hate to say it, but Peter Pan probably won't believe we're innocent." Laguna whispered. "Guess he saw us crash... Maleficent must have done this."
"Are you sure?" Naruto asked.
Keeping his cheerful expression, the man's nod was somewhat more serious, "She's a tricky one. However, we need to focus. According to the note, we don't have much time."
"No, Hook look for me too." Tiger Lily mentioned. "So, he need Wendy and..." she paused, letting them get the idea.
"Looks like he gave us extra time and a reason to visit." Naruto gripped his Keyblade tightly, "Still, where is everyone?"
"Warriors strong, villagers definitely safe." She argued, "Revenge is only answer now after crimes against village."
"Seems she's right." Laguna commented, "It does seem like the people here fled or else this entire place would be far, far worse given the fact bombs were used."
"Uh-oh!" Vivi yelped as several Heartless appeared. They looked like tiny dolls with pot-shaped bodies, straw hats on their heads, and stick legs poking out from under their bodies. There were two varieties, one a vibrant red and the other a cool blue. And as they floated towards the quartet, the two magic users sensed a strange energy flow from them.
"Looks like they are looking for survivors." Laguna commented.
"Heartless find survivor and death." The braided girl growled, twirling her weapon.
"That's the spirit." Naruto smirked and rushed at the small mages.
One of the red ones shot a fireball at him, a fiery projectile which he swung out of his way while charging headfirst as usual. Vivi noticed the blue mages readying ice-based spells and was quick to summon a large fireball which blasted the nearest one. Laguna for his part ran to the side, keeping his distance while firing and dodging any magic projectiles coming his way.
Tiger Lily on the other hand, "Back off!" she threw her axe, which bounced off one vanishing Heartless and then back to her hand. Upon grabbing it, she ran to the tiny mages and swung it down in a wide arc to get three of them in a single motion. She spun around and brought the tomahawk up, swinging it for a cleaving strike that split one of the floating critters in two.
As she used the direct approach with the advantage of using her weapon like an unconventional bouncing boomerang, Naruto stuck to close and personal. Once he saw a blue mage ready to strike him after he had cut the red one he chased first, he covered his hand on fire. Dark azure flames enveloped his black gauntleted hand as he punched the small mage into oblivion, his fist absorbing the darkness.
"Blizzard!" knowing elemental weaknesses and advantages, Vivi unleashed a freezing gale of wind against some of the red mages.
However, as Laguna stuck to shooting at the blue ones to help Vivi even out the numbers, he didn't notice one behind him, "Oh yeah, we're winning this one!" he cheered, pumping a fist and noticing too late how a sudden heat source appeared behind him. Turning, he yelped at the fireball coming his way.
"Wait right there!" Naruto exclaimed, aiming his sword with both hands at the fireball and Heartless, "Freeze!" a frozen layer of air coated his Keyblade before an ice spear shot forward! Laguna let out a heavy sigh of relief when it dispelled the fireball and impaled the Heartless, killing it instantly.
"Thanks kid, good thing you're a fast learner!"
"Thank whatever Heartless I kill." He replied, looking at his hands.
As Vivi and Tiger Lily finished the others, Laguna approached him warily, "Seems like the most ridiculously useful thing to have." He then frowned, "And all I got is a gun. Man, I sure feel out of place." Then he gave the blond a grin, "But hey, I guess I ought to try that much harder, right? Can't let you leave me behind if I wanna lend a hand, after all."
Naruto chuckled through his nose, "And people say I'm optimistic…"
"Why thank you." Laguna chortled.
Meanwhile, Vivi gulped as he tended to the Indian girl, "A-Are you alright?" he asked while holding his staff with one hand, the other holding his hat down to not look her in the eye.
"Yes, thanks to you." She smiled softly as a burn from frostbite was healed quickly and off her arm, "Powerful magic. Vivi a strong warrior."
"N-No, I'm not… I am still not as good a mage as the truly powerful ones."
She giggled and patted his head, "Modest, too." Her words and touch made the dark part covering his face glow red.
"Alright everybody, time to find us some pirates!" Laguna cheered, breaking the moment.
SHALL
YOU
SINK
INTO
DARKNESS
OR
CONQUER
THE
VOID
? ? ?
In a massive pirate ship, a man paced back and forth with Maleficent standing in his cabin.
"I assure you, I am not lying to you. That Tiger Lily is not one of our targets." She calmly told him.
"After the war we went through to get her!?" the pirate snapped, "And now you expect me to stand and do nothing until further orders!? What is your plan!? That boy you just told us about is here, and he had not only company, but Tiger Lily herself! Peter Pan was supposed to bring her!"
"Vengeance aside, do not worry." The witch responded, "You have the Heartless on your side, and I've looked into the island." She snapped her fingers, a lamp appearing on his desk with a glowing light floating up and down angrily with the ringing of a bell echoing from within.
"Tinkerbell, what a wonderful sight you are!" Maleficent gave him a slight nod to his cheering as the man walked to the lantern. The tinkling of the bell grew in volume, only to be stopped when he dragged his hook against it with a scratching noise that grated the ears. "Hm, I may be able to force the two to fight. That brattish king and that infernal Peter Pan!" Captain Hook said once he had his cruel fun.
He walked past the witch and looked at a map, his expression one of nefarious intent. "Oh?" She asked, turning around to face him, her fingers idly playing with the orb atop her staff, "Continue. You have a plan in mind, do you not?" she felt a genuine smile curl the corners of her mouth.
Captain Hook slammed said implement into the map, right over the Indian village, "Yes. We've already set fire to the village, and left clues that it was the boy-king who did so! And even better, we'll make use of that hostage we recently acquired! Yes! Wendy, wasn't it?" he looked at her orb, which she held a hand over, an image of a young girl sitting alone in her cabin, her hands on her cheeks.
The way his smile became a touch more sinister brought a cold laugh to Maleficent's dark heart. Meanwhile, our heroes stared at the ship from the trees at the shoreline. It was massive to say the least and was more than a fair swim away. Should they just go swimming straight to it they would be seen. Wendy's life would be risked. Whether they knew her or not wasn't important, saving her was.
Tiger Lily wanted to go herself to aid her, but it didn't mean they just could do that, "So, how to get there?" Laguna asked, spotting the crow's nest, "Hmm, seems they have a man watching our moves. And even if we went in the dark, they could see us at a safe enough distance. Not to mention they told us to go before nighttime..."
"Heh, that's easy." Naruto bumped a fist on his chest, "They want Peter Pan, and I can give them the guy."
Laguna stared at him incredulously, "Are you going to call him? Remember they told us-" He was halted when Naruto put his hands in a familiar sign, but once again a voice spoke to him.
And he repeated the words, "Mirage!" in a cloud of smoke, another Peter Pan took Naruto's place, frowning, "Ugh, it seems I find ways to be people I don't like."
"Naruto, you know transformation magic?" Vivi asked, stunned and awed, "S-So you know magic! C-Could you teach me that one!?"
"I'm afraid I'm not sure how I'm doing it." Naruto answered and dispelled the spell, "But it's a good way to get what we need."
Laguna beamed, a hand on his cheek as he tried to look intelligent with a composed expression, "Ah, and now our plan is coming to fruition, but..." he was suddenly stumped, "How do we get to the ship? It's not as if we can do like the real Peter Pan and fly... It'd be nice if we had that fairy you mentioned, Princess."
"Hmm..." the Indian girl commented, "Mermaids."
"Excuse me?" all three males asked, stunned and very, very intrigued.
"Mermaids best swimmers. Know about the sea. Sneak into the ship easy." She nodded firmly with a smile, which then turned into a worried expression. "Shallow women. Only listen to Peter Pan because stories of adventures entertaining and he most handsome guy for them."
"Handsome, you say...?" Laguna smirked, and eyed a suddenly worried Naruto.
"What's with that look?" he asked, and the man merely hooked his arm around his shoulders.
"Kid, time to teach you how Mister Laguna became a true knight in shining armor for the best lady in all worlds."
"I am very worried for Naruto now." Vivi whispered to the Indian princess, who nodded in agreement.
Soon the group walked to a lagoon, nearing the mermaids quietly to not scare them. There were six of them, and all had beautiful bodies – near-naked torsos. Two had red hair as intense as the fire of dusk, another duo's long manes were dark as a night without stars, and the third pair had blonde hair which glittered like gold. All had very long hair, and the only things covering their breasts were shells, starfish or their hair.
When they knew Naruto was close enough due to Laguna shoving him forward, he had to talk. "Oh...hello?" he asked and fought his blush.
He stared at any teenage boy's fantasy being his reality after Laguna had done his best to make him look stylish despite his protests. After getting the boy to cooperate, he tied his spiky mop of long hair into a tiny spiky ponytail, leaving some bangs to frame his leaner face. Other than forcing him to straighten his back and open his jacket a bit more to reveal his fit chest clad in a tight t-shirt, he didn't do much.
And it worked, "Oh my..." giggled a redhead with a faint blush.
"Are you new?" asked one of the dark-haired mermaids.
"Did Peter invite you?" the closest blonde inquired.
Off to the side, Laguna nodded, holding up a fist with a bright smile, "That's my boy..." he closed his eyes tight, "Oh, I feel so proud..."
Vivi blinked in astonishment, "I can't believe it actually worked..."
Tiger Lily pondered on his words, "Naruto handsome enough to make plan work?"
"Y-Yeah..." Vivi mumbled, "Oh...am I handsome?"
The princess giggled, "Brave, powerful and adorable. Better than handsome."
The tiny mage blushed furiously, though not as bad as Naruto as the mermaids practically dragged him to sit on a rock. As the nubile girls who looked around his age practically kidnapped him, he had many things to question. One of them was regarding their outfits or lack thereof, but shrugged it off and tried to focus... As best as he could. Sadly, they were grabby.
"Oh, I love your hair, so much shinier than mine..." one of the blondes whispered, flicking his new ponytail.
Gulping, he tried to recall what Laguna told him: 'Lady charmer tip number one is to be assertive! Don't let girls know you're afraid or nervous, show them who's the man!'
"Please stop that, I need a favor." He forced his eyes to remain on theirs even if temptation had them gravitate slightly southwards.
"Oh, but we're so bored!" a dark-haired one with an odd cap grumbled, "You should do something for us, as a favor for a favor, don't you think?"
One of the redheads beamed, "Bring us some treasure!" she held his arm, flashing her eyelids, "I mean, you've got such cool gloves. We can trade."
Closing his eyes, he tried to think clearly, Laguna's voice came to the rescue: 'Tip 2 requires you to say no firmly. If you try to please a girl too hard, she'll see you as a pack mule, not a man.'
"Sorry, but no deal. I don't have treasure nor can I just hand you these gauntlets." He said more firmly, "If you want a favor for this, at least make it reasonable."
Pouting, a blonde with two seashells as her bra spoke, "Oh come on, you want us to help, right?"
Controlling his urge to groan, he thought of what to say, 'For my third piece of advice, surprise her with your personality and abilities! It's best if a girl sees you as a reliable man than have you tell her that! As for the last one... Uh... lemme check the book... Oops! Nope, that's not for kids!' He wanted to slug the man badly for that part.
"How about I tell you my adventures!?" he grinned, "I've got good tales, and you may like them to keep you entertained!"
The mermaids huddled together, one speaking up, "Well, we've been hearing Peter talk of every adventure he has."
Her friends agreed, "Yes, plus they're kind of similar with the whole messing with Hook..."
"And this guy looks strong, so maybe he has fought people as strong."
With that it was agreed that he would tell them of his adventures. And Laguna, Vivi and Tiger Lily listened intently as well.
"...so when he returned to normal..." Naruto was disguised as his sensei Iruka, then dispelled the spell, "...that Mizuki didn't know what hit him because I never left Iruka alone! When it was time to fight, I showed him my newly mastered technique and beat him!" he summoned his doppelganger, and they mimicked punches.
"Kid's smart and gutsy..." Laguna commented.
"What kind of scrolls would his world have?" Vivi asked.
"Oh my..." the mermaids were huddled closer, two of them leaning as close to him as possible.
"Amazing!" one of the dark-haired sea girls exclaimed in excitement.
"And I got more." Naruto baited them, "Like when I fought a master swordsman and a poor person who thought they should be his living tool. There's also a tournament I entered where I fought many strong ninja and by the end I faced a giant racoon. Also, I went searching for a legendary healer, but had to fight some evil men who wanted to use her."
"That's amazing! Oh my! How strong was this master swordsman?" a blonde asked in excitement, looking into the story.
The redhead next to her was nearly bouncing in excitement, "Do raccoons really become giants?"
"How scary were those evil men?" the dark-haired twins one pleaded to know.
"I can come back and tell you girls, but only if you do me that favor." He told them with a smile.
"Yes!" Laguna pumped his fist in victory, "I knew that book was… What's that sound?" they all heard a swooshing noise. Flying down from the tree tops was none other than Peter Pan, who let his hand throw up a cloud of leaves. He came to a stop seeing Naruto with the mermaids.
"You! That weird lady with the staff and robes told me you'd be here!" he accused the blond king, who narrowed his eyes.
"Weird lady? What was her name?" he had a good idea thanks to his gunman partner.
"Doesn't matter! Now listen! She told me you're to blame for kidnapping Tiger Lily and burning the village down!" Peter Pan responded, throwing his hand out, and then unsheathing his dagger.
"She told you that!? You really would believe someone clearly suspicious over someone who can prove you wrong?!" the blond got his Keyblade ready.
"She told me that you'd lie to me too!" Peter was absolutely impossible!
"Wait, Peter, he's not a bad guy!" one of the mermaids argued.
"True, Naruto, Vivi and Laguna save Tiger Lily!" the Indian girl exclaimed.
"You're being tricked, I saw it!" Peter shouted, "No matter, I'll let you see what he did once I take care of him!"
"I knew Maleficent had a hand on this!" Laguna clenched his jaw, and then gave the mermaids a worrying grin, "Hey, little ladies, how about you get going before this gets messy?"
One tried to argue until Naruto stopped her, "Go, we'll clear up this mess!" And despite her reluctance, she and her kin swam away but not too far.
As Peter darted to the skies, circling the quartet, they got ready, "Seems like there's no use knocking some sense into him." Naruto commented seriously as he kept his eyes on the flying boy. "We'll have to knock him out first." He finished with a harder grip on his Keyblade.
"You're one scary kid…" Laguna retorted.
"He right, Peter stubborn but we strong." Tiger Lily commented.
Peter dived right at them, targeting Naruto first. As he came in for a stab, the young swordsman stomped forward and slashed at him. Sadly, the green-clad lad zipped over the red one's cleaver. Once safely away, an unnervingly amused grin was plastered on his face as he kicked Naruto on the face. And it was replaced by shock when the boy disappeared with a cloud of smoke, replaced by a log of all things!
"Where'd he-" the red-haired boy asked, but felt a pair of feet hit his back, sending him crashing into the rock the blond had been on.
"Am I glad that requires no chakra…" the blue-eyed king whistled in relief, the mage and gunman racing to his aid with the former waddling to get to him through the water.
"Wait up!" the long-haired man shouted, swimming to him.
"Need a hand?" the Indian princess asked the tiniest of visitors, who nodded.
"Y-Yes, please!" try as he may, he was too small to swim as fast as his taller partners. And then he went redder than usual when the Indian girl placed him on her back for a quick swim.
Meanwhile, the flying menace of pirates growled under the other boy's feet, "Can you listen to us now?"
"Nope." The cap-wearing boy grinned and flew backwards, making the other child trip and fall on the water. "Hahahaha! You thought you had the best under your feet!? Well, the old codfish has tried and he hasn't got anywhere near close!" Readying his dagger, he flew in to strike his opponent while he tried to get on top of the water, "No log will save you now!"
"Blizzard!" from his safe – and ridiculously soft perch – the small wizard froze the green-clad daredevil in his tracks.
Freezing air covered the boy and shoved him back with great strength, turning him slightly blue. Clicking his teeth quickly, the flyer hurriedly rubbed his arms to get some heat back. The blond quickly swam to safe rocks to stand on, finding one large enough to be a platform for a fight. His friends arrived just in time, Laguna throwing his rifle on it before pulling himself up.
Vivi hopped off the princess' back, rather stiffly at that, "Um…thanks." He did offer his hand to aid her get on top, which she happily accepted.
"Thanks in return, but problem still in sky." Tiger Lily replied.
"How do we get him to come down?" Laguna asked.
"He's slippery, but cocky…" Naruto assessed, and gained a grin, "Yo, Peter, what're you, chicken?"
"W-What!?" the shivering boy clenched his jaw.
"The mermaids were listening to my stories because they were bored of yours!" he taunted, worrying his male partners.
However, the Indian girl caught on, "What plan?"
"Lure him in, he doesn't fight from distances." He whispered and then extended his arms to his sides, "Come on, give me your best shot and I'll show you who the best is!"
"Damn you!" the green boy darted at him, but instead of going straight for Naruto, he zipped around him to get to his back for a quick slash.
"Naruto, Protect!" the small mage shouted, and the blond did as told.
"Shield!" Peter's strike bounced back, allowing Tiger Lily to hook her axe around his wrist and yank his dagger off his hand.
"Wait, Tiger-" he yelped when seeing her help them, but she didn't stop there. Twirling her short weapon in her hand, she used a blunt side like a hammer to smash his head with it. However, Peter had flying as the advantage and darted away. He looked at her in disbelief but shook his head quickly, thinking she was being tricked by the blond.
"Please, stop embarrassing yourself and let us talk!" Laguna yelled. "We can share some food if you feel like it!"
"Like I'd trust you after fooling Tiger Lily!" Peter didn't have his dagger, but still flew at the group.
Knowing how they fought already, he targeted the weakest one, "Vivi!" Tiger Lily warned the small boy when Peter tackled him and pulled him up by a leg.
"Let him go!" Laguna shouted.
Panicking, Vivi cried as he held his hat in place with one hand and his staff with the other, "Please don't give him ideas!" he begged at the point of tears.
"Peter Pan, let Vivi go!" Tiger Lily was furious, though not as much as Naruto.
"That's my friend you're dangling in the air!" he roared and jumped high in the air, trying to smash Peter with his Keyblade.
Once again, the green boy had the advantage, "You want him!?" he flew over the strike, avoiding getting smacked on the face by the large cleaver-like key's dull side. "Then take him!" he spun himself and Vivi for a violent throw which impacted directly on Naruto's gut. As the two magic users fell and their friends tried to catch them, Peter went straight for his dagger into the water.
"Bastard!" Naruto shouted and curled his body around Vivi's to soften his fall.
Both sank into the water as Peter recovered his weapon, flying up to get a good view, "Alright, show yourself!"
Tiger Lily and Laguna knelt at the edge of the rock, breathless, "Hey kids, come back up!" the man shouted, down on his hands and knees, "Don't make me beg, please!"
"Vivi, Naruto, come back!" the princess pleaded.
"Alright, old codfish." Peter started, aiming his dagger at the gunman, "Hand over Tiger Lily and maybe the chief will kill you quickly."
"Are you nuts!?" Laguna snapped, "Y-You wanted to kill my friends! I can't just let you do as you please!" he took aim, but Peter smirked cockily.
"Oh, some gun? Do you think you can hit me?" he taunted, and it worked.
Tiger Lily stood stiffly at the man's side, "What now?"
"I don't know, I couldn't get a good line of sight." He whispered back, "All I got is this and some tools, I'm not as powerful as those kids..."
"So, are you willing to hand her over?" Peter smiled, holding his hand forward.
Closing his eyes, Laguna snickered, "Sorry, did I give that impression?" he tightened his grip on his rifle, "A kid once did his best to win against a man far more experienced than him when all odds were against him. I am not like him, but...it doesn't hurt to try to be brave, even if it's all over." He put his hand on Tiger Lily's shoulders, her eyes widening. "I'll hold him off, give it your best shot."
"Tough talk coming from a codfish!" Peter lunged at him, readying a series of quick stabs.
As he got close enough, Laguna flipped his rifle, held it by the barrel like it was a baseball bat, and stomped forward, "And...homerun!" he swung with all his might, the boy's flying helping him push back against an adult man's strength. Grinding his teeth, the gunman struggled to keep the kid at bay, but Peter was as tricky as ever.
He rushed upwards, flipping his dagger into an inverted grip for an overhead stab, "You're done for, old codfish!"
A more confident Laguna grinned, "Nah, because..." he let Tiger Lily continue.
"Stop, Peter Pan!" she screamed as she fired the man's grappling hook.
Laguna cheered as the surprised boy looked at the artifact and barely avoided, "Checkmate!" he exclaimed and pushed him towards the wire, which coiled around Peter, wrapping him and making it impossible for him to leave. "Wow, I can't believe that actually worked! Did…I actually have a plan?" he laughed nervously, but Peter started to fly up. "I got him!" Laguna shouted, tackling the boy.
"Let me help!" Naruto jumped over him.
"Wait for me!" Vivi added as the princess watched all three keep the flyer down.
"Oof! Kids!" Laguna exclaimed breathlessly, "Am I glad...Uff, you weigh a ton!"
"S-Sorry!" Vivi stuttered, "We didn't want you hurt, so we rushed to help."
"But how...?" Laguna asked as all three finally got a hold of Peter.
"Thank them." Naruto said and pointed to the mermaids.
As they waved, Peter grunted and struggled against his bindings, "Blasted king wannabe… You'll give Tinkerbell back!"
"Tinkerbell?" Naruto echoed, "Your fairy friend who helps you fly?"
"The horned lady said you had her, so give her and Tiger Lily back!" the redhead snapped.
"Horned, definitely Maleficent…" Laguna closed his eyes and crossed his arms and gave as sagely a nod as he could. "She tricked you, kid. Don't believe what-"
"Heartless!" Peter shouted, making everyone turn to look behind them, but something felt off.
Naruto noted it first, "I don't sense any…" he turned to see that he fell for the oldest trick in the book when Peter flew away after cutting loose, "Damn it! What now?" he asked and was angry enough to find a good rock to beat Peter's face with.
"We still got our plan." Laguna commented, "Let the kid slip by, he'll possibly try again and, well, he'll see how wrong he is."
"You mean…" the blond started and turned to the stunned silent mermaids. Each of them looked at their fellow water enchantress before nodding to the blond, "Thanks, girls." The whiskered boy turned his party, an odd group to say the least but a reliable one nonetheless, "It's time we clear our names and stop Hook's games!"
BE
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"Are there any news on Peter Pan and your beloved king?"
Hook grew tired of waiting, Maleficent knew so she remained composed, "I assure you, that brat will become this new king's meal with how arrogant he is. Regardless of how pure of heart he paints himself, we saw clear as day how cruel a child is without a strong hand to guide them."
"Better words I could never speak." The pirate then hummed, "But what if that blasted Pan does him in?"
Maleficent let out a short if amused laugh, as melodious as it was threatening, "My dear friend, do you believe I hold such interest in this child for nothing?"
"What do you even see in him?" the man asked, but a shout surprised him.
"Cap'n! He's here, Peter Pan is here with the princess!" a short plump elderly man with a red cap, a striped shirt, and a balding head exclaimed as he ran in.
Hook was astonished by the older man's words, "Smee, do my ears deceive me? He beat that boy king?"
Smee gulped, and tried to explain himself firmly, "I'm not sure, sir. We have seen no sign of battle, but he is coming carrying the lass in his arms and floating barely over the water."
"Hah, so the brat snatched her from that young king of yours, Maleficent!" Hook chortled, "Seems he isn't as tricky as he should be!"
"Hmm…I am not sure." She grabbed the lamp and handed it to the pirate captain, "Be sure to remind him where he stands, though."
"A pleasure." Hook said.
Meanwhile, near the ship, Naruto – using his Mirage spell to disguise himself as the flyer - looked apologetically at the mermaids carrying him on their backs while he held Tiger Lily bridal style. The plan was exactly as before, but with the added danger that the real Peter Pan could be a bother. However, that could work in their favor.
"Sorry if I'm heavy."
"Not a problem, we owe you one and want more stories." One of the two carrying him told the fake Peter Pan.
"Remember. Act like Peter Pan." The Indian girl reminded him.
"I know, be ready for anything yourself." he looked to the side. Under the water, Laguna and Vivi were doing their best to hold on to the mermaids, using straws to breathe. "If Peter arrives, let's use the confusion to get to that Wendy girl, free Tinkerbell if Hook also has her, and deal with Maleficent." Laguna stuck out his hand from the water, giving the plan a thumb up.
"We've arrived." The other mermaid told him and the man hid his hand back under the sea.
Using the redhead's voice, the disguised blond shouted, "Codfish, I've arrived."
"Damn you, Pan!" the pirate growled as the fake daredevil leapt to his ship.
At least Naruto's leg power made it seem like he had flown, "Time to give Wendy back!" he said as he set down the Indian girl.
"Ah, aren't you forgetting something, boy?" and in appeared Maleficent, holding a certain lamp. "You must understand the dangers, do you not?"
Tiger Lily recognized the sound, "Witch capture Tinkerbell and make Peter Pan fight Naruto!" she pointed an angry finger at her.
Cruelly, Maleficent held up the cage, "And it seems you've tried to trick us." She smirked coldly at the boy, to which he replied with a deep frown, "You're not Peter Pan, only an impostor. Otherwise, you'd have recognized this fairy and tried to save her worthless life."
The witch dangled the cage for him to see a tiny and very voluptuous woman banging her fists against it. She had blonde hair done in a bun to let everyone see a heart-shaped face, child-bearing hips, and curves with no end. Containing all that was a rather revealing green dress with a skirt so short it was a wonder it didn't show too much. And despite having crystalline butterfly wings, her feet wore green shoes.
Realizing keeping the act was over, the blond dispelled his spell and readied his Keyblade, "You're Maleficent, right?" he wasn't guessing.
"Correct, my dear child." She then turned to the captain of the ship and handed him the fairy, "I hope you can be reasonable."
"Haha, did you hear yourself?" the pirate exclaimed in laughter, then faced Naruto with a mockingly kind smile, "How about I teach you what you'll face as a king?" he raised Tinkerbell, walking to the edge of the ship. Before Naruto could go straight to him, the witch slammed her staff down, summoning a barrier that shoved him back.
"Grr, let me through!" he said and slashed the magical shield, but it did nothing other than bounce back the Keyblade.
"You assume your weapon can consume all darkness, but you are too weak." She smirked, "Powerful as you may grow to be, you are no master of your darkness. Unless you truly hate your target, despite them and channel that animosity to destroy them, you can't do anything."
Hook started cackling, "So, boy, what'll it be? Will you let the little lady sink to the depths or lower your weapons?"
"What are you talking about?" he clenched his jaw, "All you've done is ruin my day as much as you could, and now you want me to surrender just like that!?"
"Again, be reasonable." Maleficent cooed, appearing right beside him to caress his cheek, "Do not fear the darkness, for you can be its king."
Naruto jumped back when her sharp nails touched his birthmarks, "Like I'd buy that! Didn't you hear what I said!?"
"You believe I am plotting your ruin when I am doing the only thing that may save you." She let out a humored laughing noise, a soft and venomously sweet melody akin to a hum, "Or did you forget the dark failed monarch forever sealed in the mountain?" seeing the spark of realization in his eyes, she continued, "He wasn't the first, and if you fail then you won't be the last."
"What're you talking about?" he felt like someone had dumped ice cold water on him.
"Fail to be a true King of Darkness, and you'll be like him, a demon." Her smirk grew into a full on grin, "So, choose. Sink into the darkness or conquer it. Only I can guide you."
Gripping his Keyblade so tight he nearly burnt his hand, he faced her coldly, "If I did, what would happen?"
Smiling softer, she walked to him, "I'd give you a chance to escape such fate. All I've done is show you ways to not become like that. Facing Peter Pan's ego showed you what kind of spoiled brat not to be. Dealing with a loss even when we never injured or killed an Indian helped you understand a little grief. And now here we are and I assure you, giving me your hand to guide you shall save you."
Closing his eyes, Naruto lowered his head, his body jolting when seeing her hand offered to aid him, "Or I'd be like that...monster in the mountain?" he slowly raised his hand to hers, a wicked grin growing on the witch's green face...Until she had to step back to avoid a punch, "Like I'd buy that!" he roared while shaking his fist.
"Do not be foolish!" she warned him as well as she could, "We're keeping that fairy for you to no give in fully to your rage! Now, see reason: if you do not follow my advice, you will succumb to a darkness of eternal torment! You'll no longer be yourself but a true demon! And if you just let your emotions cloud you, you'll strike friend and foe alike!"
"And I'm sick and tired of people telling me what's my path!" he snapped, "Hokage, king, whatever! I want to choose something for myself! And right now, all I want is to see my friends, but first I have to save that fairy girl! Otherwise I wouldn't be able to face them, because they'd have helped her, too! That's what my reasoning is telling me!"
Maleficent ground her teeth, "Fine, so be it, another failed king. This time one blinded by a light he can never grasp..." The fairy was more than touched by Naruto's words, and placed her hands on the crystal walls as a sign that she wanted his help. However, the pirate had the lamp.
"Not another step, child!" Hook said and dangled the lamp. "Reconsider our offer, or we may I remind you that you can hurt others as much as yourself."
Naruto smirked, "What's with the threats? Didn't you want to help me?"
Maleficent found a more worrying question, "Why is this brat not overcome with rage!?"
As if to answer her, a wire was fired into a mast, pulling two warriors up, "Because he has friends!" shouted Vivi as he carried the lamp, Laguna holding him with one arm.
"Yo, Maleficent!" the gunman saluted atop the mast, "Glad to be a pain to you and proud of it!"
"Who are you!?" she growled.
The man had a confident, carefree smile as he hooked a thumb to his chest, "Just a guy you may not remember, but one who certainly didn't forget you!" he aimed his rifle at her, not losing his smile, "Now's time to give may souls a little rest! And don't think I'm letting you mess with my new buddy! Naruto, Vivi, Tiger Lily, let's do this!"
"Y-Yeah, king or not, we're not leaving his side!" the mage announced, "He has friends to find, I have brothers I need to see, so until we do that... I...I will fight!"
"Tiger Lily stand beside friends, always!" she smiled and the team got ready.
Hook turned to the blond boy in shock, "Brat, you had this planned all along!?"
A smirk grew on his face, "Of course, I plan everything from the start!" he inwardly chuckled, 'Not really, we were lucky to think about ambushing from both sides!'
"Enough, for mere insects, you ramble more than people should." The horned woman growled, then turned to the blond, "As for you, newest contender for the title of king, it's time to see if you're worthy of that title." With her piece said, she slammed her staff on the deck, summoning a wave of darkness which oozed around everyone's feet. Naruto was unaffected as was Hook, but Smee and Tiger Lily stumbled back.
Moaning came from the pool of darkness, "Father..." A giant wooden arm rose out of the darkness.
It was a white gloved hand sporting splinters that looked more like wooden spikes in the knuckles and between the elbow and wrist. Another pulled out the rest of the body clad in broken red overalls. Bars behind the suspenders showed a puppet held up by glowing purple cords sucking out his life. A spherical head with two glowing yellow eyes stared at them, between them was its kin's emblem.
"What the..." Naruto felt his heart go cold, for he could feel why the puppet was there, "It's...draining that puppet's life."
Smiling, the witch nodded, "You are correct. A perfect Heartless to test your current power."
Entire trunks that made the legs stomped to Naruto, showing him a nine-foot-tall monster. Roots brushed the wooden deck as Hook readied his rapier. The spherical head cracked noisily, splitting below the eyes to show a jagged mouth. Letting out a horrifying, ear-splitting screech, it lowered its head to do so on the Keyblade user's face. The wind almost caused him to fall back!
"Test me!?" he roared, and stomped forward, "If you want to see how I do in battle, face me yourself!" Jumping over the monster, he tried to slash at the witch, to no avail. A cloud of black smoke was all he hit, and she reappeared beside a crookedly grinning Hook.
"Still too weak." She whispered coldly before swinging her staff forward.
Dark gales of wind blasted the group skywards, sending them flying high into the air. Following her lead, the large Heartless hunched over, crossing its arms before violently throwing them upwards. Pikes of wood flew at the party of four and the captured fairy, trying to impale them. Seeing that they were falling to their early demise, the Indian girl snatched the lamp!
"Everyone, pixie dust help fly!" she said as Tinkerbell realized her plan and flew around them.
"Wait, you mean fly like birds!?" Laguna asked.
"Think happy thoughts!" the Indian urged them.
Closing their eyes, the three men thought on what made them happiest. For Vivi, memories of how kind and friendly his new friends were emerged in his mind. Laguna's heart was flooded with memories of three very important people to him. As for Naruto, it didn't take long to picture Sora, Riku and Kairi's smiling faces or their island tour. Upon opening them, all five flew off to the side, dodging the wooden stakes.
"Whoa!" Naruto gasped in cheerful surprise, doing a flip midair, "This is like a dream!"
"Ahaha..." Vivi laughed nervously due to how close they were to death, "It's...incredible!" he ended up cheering.
"And it's going to be their nightmare!" the gunman added with a confident smile.
"After Hook and crooked Maleficent!" Tiger Lily let out as her battle cry.
Said horned witch snapped to the Heartless, "Shrieking Marionette, after them!" Doing its name justice, it shrieked on their faces. All four heroes flew straight to it, and once it swung one spiked arm, they broke apart. Naruto and Vivi darted over its head. Laguna started to spin around it, taking shots to damage the joints. Tiger Lily went straight for the bars and landed a strike with all her might.
"Ready?" Vivi asked once Tiger Lily's actions got the monster's attention.
"Of course!" the blond shouted and both took aim, Vivi summoning a fireball over his staff while Naruto's left hand glowed with azure fire. Before it could hit the girl, the two boys let out their spells on the Shrieking Marionette's back. Fire was the answer, and it immediately jumped into the sea to put out the flames.
"Hah, should've used bricks for that one, Maleficent!" Laguna taunted her, feeling cocky.
The witch smirked, "Does it need such a thing?"
Her rhetorical question halted any cheering from the man as the monster's roots started to absorb the water at high speeds, "You gotta be kidding me!" the gunman yelped when it opened its mouth, revealing its sharp wooden teeth and the swirling water that moved in a spiral at high speeds.
Throwing its head forward, the Heartless spat the water at such high speeds it was like a bullet. The group had to fly out of the projectile's way and the others that followed. Once it was done firing, the living cage leapt back into the ship like nothing had happened. Maleficent couldn't avoid giving them a soft, mockingly polite smile when their eyes got close to tell them how bad a time they would have.
"Ok, fire works for a bit..." Naruto thought out loud, "We can't hit the front because that puppet could get burnt..."
"And it's about to fire!" Vivi warned him, flying in front of the group, "Protect!" his shield stopped the next attack, a repetition of the first which consisted of Shrieking Puppet throwing sharp wood spikes. During a brief pause, he dispelled the barrier and the group returned to the attack.
Once again, the giant marionette swung its arms, throwing more needles. For once, the warriors were ready. Laguna shot a couple out of his way and kept. Vivi burnt them with magic fire, and even got some which had been headed towards the Indian girl. Tiger Lily took her chance to throw her axe once more, and quickly retrieved it after it sunk into one of its legs. Naruto just slashed right through violently.
"Eat this!" he shouted and slashed at its face, which jaws clenched on his Keyblade, "Wait, not literally!" he tried to fly away, to free his sword.
"That's it!" Vivi exclaimed, hit by inspiration, "Mister Laguna, remember the park! Go for the legs!"
"Got it!" the man said, "And I'm still too young to be called mister!" he added and fired his grappling hook at the nearest knee.
"Keep it busy, Naruto!" Vivi shouted and summoned frozen air, "Blizzard!"
The strike hit the floor, freezing it and the Shrieking Marionette's legs. Its footing slipped and thanks to Tiger Lily catching up quickly, she swung her tomahawk with both hands at the ankles. The result was as odd and brutal as it could have been expected. The Heartless was forced to flip in the air, but Naruto showed his strength by flipping the monster over his head and flat on its back against the floor!
And it awoke the puppet, "Huh...? Where am I!?" Pinocchio screamed, struggling to break free.
"Don't worry, we're getting you out!" Naruto said as he started to slash at the bars with Tiger Lily helping to hack them. However, the sturdy wooden monster let out another ear-splitting shriek. Both teens had to cover their ears to try to stop the horrible pain drilling to their eardrums. And to make sure they'd be away, the monster swatted them off.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Vivi felt his happiness drain, losing altitude because of the fear he felt.
"Gah!" recovering his senses and breathing in sharply, the blond nailed his Keyblade to the railing of the ship in time to stop himself from falling into the water. As he did, his hand shot forward and grabbed the girl before she could even see the salty liquid. Vivi went straight to them, the relief helped him to fly faster.
However, Tiger Lily's eyes widened in horror, "Vivi!" the mage turned, eyes wide in terror when the Shrieking Marionette leapt at him to slam both hands down.
"Not on Uncle Laguna's watch!" came the heroic response of the long-haired gunman as he swopped in and took the mage away, only for another shriek to stun the group, paralyzing them midair. Due to that, all four were thrown off the ship with a painful backhanded punch. Some spikes scratched them, but they managed to block the strike as best they could.
"Ugh...that mouth of his is gonna be a pain..." Naruto grumbled, then had an idea of his own when seeing Laguna's grenades, "Wait, I got it! Old man Laguna, get behind him and get ready to throw!"
"I...I'm not sure what you want, but sure, I can do it!" the man decided to trust him.
"Good enough, Vivi and Tiger Lily, distract him." The two nodded and they flew back for another round. Once they were close enough, the monster once again fired another set of wooden stakes, only for the child king to block them with his barrier, "Shield!"
"Take this!" Tiger Lily shouted, throwing her axe with all her might past the monster's defenses and right between the eyes. It let out a shriek, and the mage took it as his cue.
"Fire!" Vivi's strike hit the monster's legs.
The result was the same as before, it jumped to the water to put out the fire, and opened its mouth, "Okay, now I get it!" Laguna exclaimed and took out six grenades, three on each hand, "Here goes, kid! Bombs away!" he chucked them straight into the whirlpool as Naruto finished his plan by aiming his Keyblade at it, a frozen layer signaling his finishing move.
"Freeze!"
And the ice spear nailed the monster on the back of its throat, freezing the water but not fast enough to render the grenades useless. A burning inferno shattered the ice, burning the Heartless' head as it sunk into the ocean's depths. However, unlike the usual times it didn't leave a heart for the blond to absorb, only darkness and an unconscious puppet.
Off to the side were the villains.
Seeing them fly to rescue Pinocchio, Hook gulped, "Drat, it's Peter Pan again, but worse!"
Maleficent frowned, "It appears he clings to that light too much to touch his potential. Fairly...intriguing."
"Is that all you have to say!?" Hook was ready to run.
"Worry not, we've seen enough." She said and stomped her staff on the deck, and the ship was gone.
FORGET
NOT
WHAT
YOU
LEARNED
ABOUT
YOUR
ANGER
Back on the shore, the group sighed tiredly.
"So, we missed Maleficent..." Laguna grumbled.
"And Wendy's gone with her..." Vivi looked down.
"Looks like she was just playing around..." Naruto growled.
Tiger Lily had other thoughts, "You save Tinkerbell, odd wood boy, and Hook escape Neverland. Peace to come in future."
"Yeah, thank you all!" the puppet cheered, "I was so scared and you saved me! Thank you!"
Laguna rubbed the back of his head, "Guess that's one bright side to look on."
"Yes, and proud warriors return if Hook come back." The girl told them, "Then, we end battle."
Laguna grinned, "Sounds like a plan. What say you, Vivi?"
Said wizard nearly jumped out of his skin, "WHAT!? WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME!?"
"Just saying, we may return, but you may want to say something nice." Laguna's cheerfulness only embarrassed the tiny boy further.
"Knock it off, old man Laguna." The blond told him.
"Old-" Laguna started to feel hurt, but something in that sentence changed his mood, "Did you just call me by my name?"
"Yeah." The blond nodded, "After how you dealt with Peter, I think I owe you that much."
"Heh, it's a start, even if you call me old..." the man snickered a bit.
"Um..." Vivi turned to the princess, "We'll return sooner or later, I promise. So... Uh... I...I promise to be of better use next time!"
At his adorable exclamation and even cuter double fist pumping, the Indian girl leaned down and kissed his cheek in the darkness under his hat, "Tiger Lily remember. Return soon." She giggled with a faint dusting of pink on her cheeks while Vivi's face could lighten the entire island.
In the end, the group's adventure had only just started...
And someone's was on its way.
"What...?" Sora asked in a hotel room, surrounded by two people he didn't know or was conscious enough to understand who they were.
X-X-X-X-X
And that's my rap!
I had a lot of fun on this. I tried to keep the bashing down. And no, the mermaids won't be in a harem or part of a mass-harem. As fun as it'd be, let's be honest and admit they have little to no personality save for being mischievous and rather evil with their whole drowning people. Even if it's playful for them it's dangerous for humans.
Also, yes, I am linking Naruto's adventure to Sora and saying he woke up far earlier. Think that Sora was swirling in the darkness longer while Naruto – immune to it due to being a candidate to be its king – was not fazed at all. However, I will try and keep some things different from canon. I may have set the return to Neverland to play a bit like the game, but with what I did there have to be differences.
By the way, no, Hekapoo won't be in the next world, but she will return, that I promise. Like some of you said, I bombarded new worlds with new party members. And yes, she'll join Naruto's group. I read a comment that suggested perhaps having Kairi paired with the Disney princesses I had as warriors in the old fic. It sounds possible and fun since my idea for her was to have a girl-only party.
On that note, I don't want to focus on the harem, so sorry for such an abrupt change.
The Lord Of Pages: Hey everyone! I helped out my big bro once more on this chapter! I was more or less responsible for writing several scenes, and giving him some advice regarding the characterization of the mermaids and what to do with the chapter. We hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as we enjoyed writing it, and we hope to see you all again! So long, farewell, until we meet again!
Swordslinger out!