A key chosen by darkness

by The Swordslinger

"Your dream has been shattered. Those who stand in the light cast you in their shadows. You who hide your true self behind that mask you call a face have seen and understood what darkness is all about. Anger. Sorrow. Despair. Is it any wonder the darkness accepts those like you?" Naruto finds himself in his own darkness and the biggest adventure he could have.

5. Maddening and Wonderful

I OWN NOTHING

It's about time to see if this fic is worth it or not. I set the stage and don't want any of you to cling to the original like it was a masterpiece when it was not.

X-X-X-X-X

"So, Pinocchio, where did you come from?"

Back in the ship, Vivi's curious question at the puppet about his size made the wooden child tilt his head in confusion. To the tiny living marionette the four warriors that saved him were too odd for words. One was a boy who held a key as a sword, the man seemed like a fun if really carefree guy, and the girl spoke weird. Adding to the fact one of the quartet's faces was hidden in shadows made him curious.

But he had been asked a question, "I don't know." He finally answered, "All I recall is that woman putting me in a cage. And then she talked about some king."

"Our buddy, I assume." Laguna guessed, "So, the old witch has her eye on you. Any idea why?"

"You're asking me? She was spouting all that crap about me being some dark lord or something and I didn't even get to ask what it meant." The whiskered boy replied annoyed more by the horned woman's antics and her lack of answers than the question being one he wanted to make, "I wish I knew what she was talking about, other than being like...that guy."

Gulping, the gunman nodded, "Yeah, the least we think of the towering demon, the better."

Vivi hummed, "Is it odd that I feel more compelled to find them?" he got everyone's attention, "I think my brothers were... No, there were definitely people like me, and my brothers and I heard that title." He then looked at Naruto, "King of Darkness... I can feel how saying it makes my own body want to reach deeper for answers."

"Good." The blond said, "Because after all they did and how they just ran off, I'm sure of one thing." He summoned his Keyblade, holding it up, "Whatever being a king means with this thing, I'm not letting anyone get it. No matter what life I had before this, I know I would have fought them. Using people like they did with Pinocchio and Tinkerbell sickens me."

"Then you share the same feelings as many around the worlds do." Laguna kept his smile as he said that, "Which means I got to take you see my boy."

"Wait, how does that make sense?" the blond stared at him in baffled wonder.

"The fact he's keeping tabs on Maleficent, for starters." The man sighed, "He's a lot smarter than his old man for sure. Our best bet to check on how things are going is asking him."

Naruto nodded patiently, crossing his arms, "Seems good. The chief and other Indians didn't tell us more than Tiger Lily." Sad as it was, meeting a tall man with a large feathery headband and a face that said he only smiled to scare children didn't shed any light on the key business. All he told them were a few words they remembered.

As Naruto stood before him while other Indians rebuilt the place, he eyed him suspiciously but didn't let anyone attack him. Pinocchio had been hiding from his sight behind Laguna, Vivi did the same but behind a rather protective Tiger Lily. Despite the chief's eyes burning holes into the souls of lesser men, the blond stepped forward and got ready for answers.

"Chaos and wars, these only things brought by Keyblade." He started, "Ancestors know little of forgotten battles. Legends speak of light and shadows cast by light. A king born from shadow seek destruction. Young Keyblade wielder not master. Naruto not dark king of destruction either. Boy before chief... Child destined to face hardship."

"So, back to square one..." the blond sighed deeply and let his head drop. "Don't you have any good news, old fart?" Everyone gasped, but the man was unfazed... He did tighten the grip on his elbows. Tolerating the words would be part of the reward for saving his daughter, he thought.

"One more thing." The chief said, "Horned woman tell truth. Dark Kings fall and become monsters. Naruto avoid void of own heart or sink into eternal darkness."

Currently, back on the ship as it soared through space, the blond looked at his Keyblade, "Eternal darkness? Do I really carry something that dangerous with me...?" he couldn't hold back a bitter chuckle the moment a simple connection crossed his mind, 'It's like the fox again...' he closed his eyes tiredly, "I guess I'll have to face it head-on once I see it." He looked at his friends and leaned back on his seat.

"Do you really think you could...uh, be in trouble?" Vivi asked nervously.

And Laguna chortled, "Really, Vivi!? Give our little buddy some credit! Didn't you see how hard he wanted to save Pinocchio here?"

"Thank you for that again." The puppet cheered, waving at him.

"Thus, he's a good guy deep down!" Laguna reasoned, "Protecting others because you want to or think it's the right thing isn't dark king stuff, you know?"

"But..." Naruto started, "I feel that part of me really wanted to cut down that witch. Like she said, I felt my anger boil, but I directed it at her, her actions..." he hummed, "Maybe she was on to something when she told me about controlling my own rage."

Laguna ruffled his hair with a grunt, "Uh...ok, it sounds right, but oh so wrong coming from her."

"You really don't like her." Vivi pointed out. The way Laguna slid a hand over his long hair and looked away said a lot, "Sorry... You don't have to talk about it." Vivi knew it wouldn't make things any better leaving a matter like that for later, but he didn't know what else to say.

Laguna didn't either, "It's fine. It is in the past, so I have to live the present and work for the future. It's what one of my fair maidens said." For a moment it was non-verbally decided that everyone would be quiet until they finally arrived. And they did so sooner than later, "Here it is, Traverse Town."

The three boys stared at the place in question, a rather colorful town with brick roads, houses and stores of all kinds. Residents of many worlds walked around. Once their ship landed safely on the world, the four made their way forward. Naruto stared at the buildings in awe due to how different they were from his world, Vivi felt intimidated by the size, and Pinocchio was excited due to the new wonders.

"Wow, so Father may be here, right?" Pinocchio said and ran off, the three gaping.

"Wait up, kid!" Laguna shouted, running after him.

Before they could get close, the boy was stopped by a tall, blond man with blue pants, goggles on his head, and a toothpick in his mouth. Said large piece of wood dangled from his lips like a cigarette, and he had a decent amount of muscle shown through his tight white t-shirt. All around, he didn't seem very friendly or the guy that would mince words. He also had a stubble of blonde hair on his chin.

"As I breathe and kick, it's you again." He said to the gunman, "Picking up more strays, old man?"

"C'mon, Cid, no need to be so cynical." Laguna waved with a warm grin, "Look at it this way, I helped three kids make it here."

Rubbing his nose, the man identified as Cid huffed, "Just tell me that scrap of junk of yours finally took more than she can handle."

At that, Laguna beamed in pride, bumping his chest with a fist, "Once again, Raine proves her worth. Sorry, buddy, she's still ready for one more trip."

"Dammit..." the man grumbled, "Fine, I'll look her up, but you should totally let me make her a proper Gummi Ship."

"A what?" Pinocchio asked for Naruto and Vivi.

"See this?" the man pulled a colorful block from his pants, "This is a Gummi. Only the best ships out there are made of these. But this madman who brought you here wants to keep going with that fossil of his. Can I really blame him when I'm a bit nostalgic?" he grunted at that, "But, yeah, you're lucky to be alive, ankle-biters."

"Hey!" Naruto took offense to that, "Who are you calling short, old fart?"

"Heh, calling it as I see it." The man smirked.

"Oh, right, introductions." Laguna bumped his fist into his palm, "Naruto, Vivi, Pinocchio, this is Cid. We go way back..." the gunman ruffled his long hair with a nostalgic smile, "He did machines and I always bugged him to help me with my guns. One day when our world was under attack, Cid helped me get my son and some other kids to safety."

"Had to grab that boy by the diaper." The gruff man grumbled, "And who'd ever thought you'd be related?"

"Well, I kinda get the oddest people to be in my life, just like my new partners." The gunman grinned.

"Partners?" Cid eyed the kids, "Are you sure you are talking about these kids?"

"I'm plenty strong and Vivi's a great mage." The smaller and younger blond told the gruffer one.

"Fine, fine, if you say so..." Cid half-conceded, "You gotta be tough if you survive living next to this guy and that antique he calls a vessel."

Vivi had a question, "Um, if you know his ship is dangerous, why do you fix it?"

Laguna beamed, "Our agreement as best buds."

"Keep telling yourself that," Cid groaned. "I bet he'd never be able to fly on that thing through the worlds, and he still did so. I meant it to scare him off from killing himself, but I am a man of my word. So, every time he comes back safely, I try to make sure that thing doesn't kill him on his next trip."

"Yeah, thank you for convincing us to get another." The Keyblade wielder told the man.

"Hey, she will get a fine tune up." Laguna argued weakly with a shaking grin.

Vivi looked away from him, "So...how much does a ship cost?"

"Vivi?" the gunman looked betrayed.

"Well, prices aren't ship." The goggled man said, "If you really want to other worlds, your best bet is hitching a ride. Problem is no reasonable person would do so with all the Heartless ship unless they had quite the powerhouse. Problem there being no person would let kids like you with them unless they were mad."

"So...back to the flying grave." Naruto dreaded the idea of going back into Raine. But then had to make a request, "Wait, can you at least equip some weapons or anything so that thing doesn't fall as easily?" he would have gotten down on his hands and knees to beg after what happened last time.

Cid hummed, "I've been meaning to, but the guy with you has always left as soon as I got the repairs done. Not to mention the times he fixed the ship himself he made her a bigger mess."

Laguna chuckled awkwardly, sheepishly scratching his cheek, "Well, we, uh, got time on our hands. Feel free."

"It's not a favor, it's a moral duty now." The gruff man said, "Now, take your toy here with you and find your kid to get them caught up or whatever they need."

"But mister, I'm no toy." Pinocchio said, shocking the gruff blond.

"You talk?" he gaped, putting the puppet down, "Laguna, you warn people about these things."

"Would you believe it's not the weirdest thing we found?" the other man retorted.

"Fair enough..." Cid moved his teeth, waggling his toothpick, "Alright, just get them someplace safe. The town has had some Heartless roaming lately."

"We can take care of them while looking for old man Laguna's son." Naruto commented, "Is there, you know, any kind of reward for it? I'm not sure I got enough money for...anything."

"Hmm..." Cid hummed, then smirked nastily, worrying Laguna.

"Wait, what're you plotting, Highwind?" the gunman asked as he slouched forward, holding Naruto's shoulders as if ready to pull him away from danger.

"Relax, nothing too big for a newbie." The gruff man replied, "See, there's some nests or big Heartless people want out of their lives. End them and you can claim some money. It's how people get around if they do nothing but fight. Also, it gets rid of the pests. Wanna try it?"

"Good question..." Vivi turned to Laguna, "Um, I don't have any cash, do you?"

"I have this guy do my repairs for free, so...no." Laguna dropped his head in shame.

Shrugging off his grip, the blond walked forward, "Alright, it seems we'll do it. We could use some equipment and food..."

A low rumble reached the other males' ears, drawing their eyes to the boy's stomach, "Wow, no kiddin'!" Cid let his eyes jump out slightly at that, "If you're looking for a quick fix, District 2 is getting infested with a couple too many Heartless. Go to a colorful building called the Gizmo Shop and kill a large horde of the little ones."

"And it's near the hotel..." the long-haired man commented.

Another rumble made everyone turn to an embarrassed Vivi as Pinocchio chortled, "Uh, can we go now?" the tiny wizard asked.

"Oh yeah, care to watch the little one for us?" Laguna said quickly as he and Vivi followed Naruto, "You will? Thanks, buddy!"

"Wait, you sneaky son of a..." Cid contained himself when realizing a kid was nearby.

"So, mister, do those blocks really take people to other worlds?" the puppet asked innocently.

"I'll fix the ship..." Cid said as if it was a soothing mantra, then ground his teeth angrily, "...then I'll kill him."

Luckily for Pinocchio, Cid was kind enough to plug his ears with his fingers.

PLAY

TO

YOUR

HEART'S

CONTENT

FOR

IT

CANNOT

LAST

Inside the Gizmo Shop, a colorful place with gears, platforms, levers and Heartless, the party fought wave after wave of Shadows.

"You guys really don't give up, huh?" Laguna commented while careful not to shoot at anything important.

"Less talk, more action!" Naruto shouted, cutting through the fifth wave of the evening.

"Ah! Help!" Vivi wasn't physically adept at fighting despite his spells and magical prowess. When some Soldiers joined the fray and ran at him, the tiny wizard waddled away as fast as he could. Unfortunately for the boy, his maximum speed didn't measure much to the Heartless. However, he had friends.

"Outta my way!" Naruto exclaimed, bringing up his leg for his spinning strike, mimicking the Soldiers' while using his Keyblade to kill them in one move. As their darkness was absorbed, the young Uzumaki let out a frustrated and almost tired sigh. More Shadows popped out, accompanied by extra Soldiers as if multiplying out of sight. They continued exterminating the Heartless until the last Soldier was beheaded and absorbed.

"I'm beat..." Vivi moaned weakly and let himself fall flat on his butt, "They wouldn't stop chasing me since there were so many..."

Laguna hefted his rifle on his shoulders, "Do you see why some people make a living out of this? Well, at least we can claim some munny."

"And see who your son is..." Naruto commented. Even if he said that, it felt weird. He pondered on what it would be like to meet such a person. Bells rung in the background as he tried to picture a face, but it was no easy task. The gunman noticed and just smiled kindly.

"No problem." Laguna smiled as he walked out of the building, smiling as he stepped down the stairs to the hotel, "He's all act. Despite how cold he tries to be, he's a good boy."

"No."

A simple response from a brown-haired young man. Just walking out of the hotel doors, he posed an intimidating presence that made Vivi run behind Naruto for protection. He had a large diagonal scar on his face with a short-sleeved black jacket, matching pants, more belts than needed, and a white t-shirt. With his wild black hair parted which bangs framed his face, he painted a stoic figure.

Laguna beamed, "Squall!" he threw his arms to his side, ready to hug the young man. Instead of affection or a polite response, he found a large saber which handle resembled that of a revolver's, complete with the spinning bullet chamber. The long-haired gunner gulped as he took a step back, both hands held up.

"Feels like déjà vu." Naruto commented, reminded of how his first meeting with Laguna went.

"Name's Leon, old man." The grumpy young swordsman said, hefting his weapon on his shoulder, "What are you doing here? I thought you were looking for..." he blinked when seeing the two kids, "Alright..." his eyes scanned them while he restrained a sigh, "I know you pick every stray you see in need of help, but the others are busy tend to some residents after a Heartless attack."

"Wait, Cid didn't mention anything like that." Laguna exclaimed.

"Listen, I got to keep the Heartless at bay along Yuffie while Aerith deals with the injured." Leon sighed, "Everyone else is still hiding and Cid had other matters to attend to. But you can relax, everything's fully under control." He started to walk away, "Go your way after you help these kids settle in."

Vivi timidly poked his head from behind the blond, "See, that's the thing, sir..." he hid again when Leon turned to him.

Naruto growled, "Would it kill you to smile?" he didn't like his attitude, "I know not everything's all sunshine and rainbows, but how can you treat your own father that way?"

"I'm busy, and he has matters to attend to, that is all." Leon coldly answered him. "Do you expect me to just shrug things off like he does?"

The blond grew madder, "Act like he's your father! Do you know how lucky you are to even know him!?"

"I do, but it doesn't mean I can daydream about it when Heartless come." Leon stoically told him.

"Why you..." Naruto cracked his knuckles, to which Laguna replied by grabbing him by the back of his jacket so he didn't attack his son.

"Naruto, it's fine." The man smiled softly, then turned to his son, "It's alright. I know you're busy, Squall. I don't mean to be much of a bother, but..." he chuckled sheepishly, still smiling, "I, uh, kinda need your help since your old man's still not that bright."

Leon held back a groan, "It's Leon...And what is it this time, old timer?"

"This kid." Laguna casually lifted Naruto, who stared baffled at the display of strength, "And his Keyblade."

"His what?" Leon finally looked surprised, if only due to his wider than usual eyes.

Raising his hand, the blond summoned the blade, "Do we have your attention now?" the blond asked with a glare.

Leon had to point something out, "You look...not as intimidating as you think dangling like that."

"Old man Laguna, put me down!" the kid snapped at the adult.

After one lengthy exposition about how Heartless worked, what they did, and what the Keyblade represented, Naruto was left with more questions than answers.

"In short, it chose you, but this one's really...odd." he said and stared at its design, "It fits the master's will and heart, but if this one really absorbs darkness."

Laguna put both hands on Naruto's shoulders, "Hey, I know what you're thinking, Squall." Leon started his retort but his father's enthusiasm cut him off, "And no, the kid's not bad. Sure, he's a little rude, far more impulsive than your old man at times, and he prefers to plow through enemies than think things through... Where was I going with this?"

His pause made Naruto shrug his hands off, but Vivi knew what he meant, "He's not bad. He helped me, kept us safe from Heartless, and even faced and refused Maleficent and her offer-"

"Maleficent!?" the brunet exclaimed.

Laguna rubbed his chin, deep in thought, "Oh yeah, I knew I forgot a detail or two..."

"I can choose my friends, not my family..." Leon grumbled to himself with a hand on his face, "So, what happened?"

As the others explained, a soft glow moved around the halls. Its light floated through it, illuminating the walls and windows. However, it was being followed by those the men were fighting. Telling Leon a story of a witch offering a kid to be a King of Darkness, the refusal, and her chilling words took time. Once they were done, Shadows had started to swarm the inside of the hotel.

"And that's about it, so please don't misjudge Naruto, sir." Vivi ended.

"You expect me to believe you based on your words alone?" the swordsman reasoned, "I'd like to say I do, trust me. More than anything with that scenario, I want to believe. However, a dark king isn't something I can see Maleficent chasing nonchalantly." He walked to Naruto, "You're going to be trouble as well as get in trouble, kid."

"Well, so long as I can stop Heartless from harming people or taking their homes, I'm fine fighting." He retorted, "As for Maleficent, let her try to talk, I've made my mind." He hooked a thumb to his chest, "I'm not letting her play with people or allowing guys like that ferryman to use others. If anything, I'm making that my way to be a king."

"A king is bound to help his people, and yours seem to be the Heartless." Leon started.

"Not much of a kingdom if they try to kill me." the kid retorted, "Besides, this stupid title just got thrown to me and I got no other way to fight. Do you expect me to sit by and do nothing while others can suffer or my own world get devoured?" he looked at Leon straight in the eye, to which the young swordsman didn't flinch as he returned the glare.

"Stubborn as a mule..." Leon started, gripping his Gun-blade, "I can't just let you go. From here and now, I can't let someone like you be a puppet of Maleficent's."

"Squall!" his father roared, but his son's mind was made.

"It's Leon, remember the name for it will be the last you hear, O King." The swordsman readied himself to attack, and Naruto was happy to fight back.

But before they could clash swords, the windows broke, "Heartless!" the two spun around, killing Soldiers that had tried to ambush them. Naruto spoke, "Dammit, didn't we get rid of that nest properly!?" he let a growl when more popped in out of thin air, "Can't you guys get a hint and leave me alone? Or at least take a knee!" he aimed his Keyblade at them.

All they did was twitch and approach them, "Very disciplined lackeys, O King." Leon commented.

"Squall, don't be so mean and help us!" his father said, but his son's mind was still made.

"Sorry, old man." He turned to Naruto, "I know you prefer to enjoy everything, but there won't be anything to enjoy if he lives."

"No, wait!" Laguna stood before his own flesh and blood, arms thrown to his side to protect the blond.

"Stand aside, he's too dangerous for you to get attached!" Leon argued, but Laguna didn't budge.

And the sight made Naruto snap, "Fine, if you want me, you can try and take me down, but leave the old man out of this!"

Saying that, the blond ran to the side, Leon mimicking him as the two faced each other. They cut a Soldier each after said Heartless had broken in through the window, and then leapt out of the opening created by the manifestations of darkness. Once outside, in a dark alley with a water canal, the two got ready to fight while Laguna and Vivi dealt with the Heartless in the room.

Both glared at each other before Naruto twirled his Keyblade in his hand, jumped forward and tried to strike Leon, swinging it down like it was an axe. The more collected of the two stuffed one of his hands into a pocket, leapt to the side, and watched coldly as the boy missed. When their eyes locked, the brunet slashed through the air to cut the young blond in two.

And he hit a log, "What!?" Leon exclaimed, only to feel two feet on his head to use it for support.

Jumping off him, the blond smirked at the stoic swordsman, "Catch me if you can!" he taunted and landed on the roof, quickly slashing two Shadows that had followed them.

Leon jumped at him, cutting through three Soldiers that tried to strike him, "I know you're reluctant to go down, even more without a fight, but you're dangerous."

Mock-humming in fake-thought, the blond rubbed his chin, "I dunno...It just makes me want to prove you wrong harder." He grinned to tick off the swordsman even more and threw his arms to his sides as if to tell him to give him his best shot, "Last I checked, I'm still no king of evil and your dad likes me more than you."

"And this is why I'm doing this." Leon remained stoic, "Otherwise, do you think he'd be able to fight you if you became a Heartless and tried to eat his heart?"

His words made Naruto hesitate on his answer as that image alone made him sick to his stomach, but... "Who says I will do that, then?" he remembered why he hated the eyes of the man he was seeing. Not those eyes staring at him right now, but the stare they mirrored, "If you want to look down on me because of something I never chose, I'll just show you who I am!"

Naruto was the first to attack as he charged at the man with his Keyblade held high. He brought it down, which the other swordsman easily blocked with his own weapon. The kid attempted to knee him in the gut, but the stoic man easily swatted his leg away and punched the boy in the stomach. The force of the punch was so strong that it made the blonde fall to his knees, trying hard to keep his last ramen meal in.

"Had enough?" the swordsman asked and jumped for a downwards slash.

"Dream on!" Naruto growled as he swallowed hard then rolled away. He grabbed the edge of the roof before falling off, swinging himself back up and behind Leon. He then moved to slash the stoic swordsman, but the older fighter disappeared into thin air. The boy searched the alley for him but couldn't find him.

"Thanks for the trick," the man said from above the blond. What Naruto knew next was that a heel impacted on his back, making him fall face first to the floor of the alley. The boy immediately jumped back to his feet and swung around to hit his opponent, but he jumped once again, high enough to avoid him. Growling at the cold expression on his face, the blond threw the Keyblade to the air and climbed back up.

Leon watched in stunned silence how the kid used his teeth to catch the sword by the handle before jumping back on the roof where the older swordsman stood on, "You're stubborn, I'll give you that. You are still making a big mistake." He glared at the boy and held his sword with both hands, "Sooner or later, that darkness you're using will consume you."

"Wanna bet I'll prove you wrong!?" Naruto furiously shouted.

Before the masked swordsman could even realize it, the boy stood before him and slashed upwards. Leon stepped back in pain before he was kicked to the side of his face and sent flying into the wall behind him and fell. The young man grabbed said wall as support to pull himself up. He moved away just in time as two Naruto's came in front out of nowhere and cut across, cutting the wall in the process.

"Clones, huh?" the brunet mused to himself, "I may have underestimated you." he admitted "But, are you skilled enough to wield such a powerful item as a Keyblade?"

"If you don't think so then I'll show you," Naruto said, determination burning in his eyes as he raised the giant key, his double doing the same.

"Fine, this will be the last strike, the first to make it wins."

"I'll make you be sorry!"

The alley was silent, both combatants waiting for the other to make a move until the man slightly moved his foot. They both charged at furiously blinding speeds and jumped up into the air. The Naruto's and Leon came closer to each other and gripped their swords tightly. They both brought their blades up and swung them down with one final blow. The two landed and waited to see who had won.

A eruption of darkness made the doppelganger burst, returning to the original's shadow while the real Naruto bent his legs.

Suddenly, a large cut appeared on the shoulder of the man's jacket as he fell to his knees.

Naruto smirked, and said in tired pants, "And…to finish it…off…" he fell to one knee, holding his side as blood spilled onto the floor, his gauntleted hands barely adding pressure.

Leon's jaw slackened as he turned to him, "Why did you...hold back?" his eyes were wide in surprise, for he was hurt but not as much as the boy, "You had that opening...I hit you with all I had and you still..." His wound stung and it would take time to heal, but the fact remained: the boy he thought would end life around him had done his best to not injure him lethally when he had a chance.

"You are old man Laguna's kid..." he grunted, standing up on shaky legs, "There's no way...I'm letting the guy cry because you're too stupid to listen to reason."

A Shadow sneaked behind him, and the blond was too weak to react, but someone could take the shot, "Oh no, you don't!" Laguna shouted, ending the Heartless singlehandedly while his free arm was holding the boy to not let him fall, "Kid, stay awake! Vivi can heal you!"

"Y-Yeah, just hold on!" said tiny mage shouted.

As the wound started to close thanks to Vivi's magic, Laguna turned to his son and sighed deeply, "Listen, I know I made, make and will make a lot of bad calls. However, you've seen now that he's not a bad kid. I'd even go as far as to say he's the farthest from a dark king there is. So, whatever Maleficent is plotting will backfire, I know it."

Leon huffed out a groan, "Whatever..." he looked at the boy, hissing as the wizard's green magic healed him, "I guess I owe you a clean set of clothes...and an apology." He got up with help from his father, while his hand nursed the injury the blond had given him, 'Kid's not bad with a sword. Reminds me of the other one...' he stared at him, 'A King of Darkness... A Keyblade of Light... This should be interesting.'

"Hey, what're you staring at?" Naruto asked, "Want the rematch?"

Leon let out a short hum through his nose to signal laughter, "Later, once you can stand up."

KINDNESS

CANNOT

SAVE

YOU

FROM

ALL

YOUR

ENEMIES

After getting his clothes fixed and washed like new – even if the gauntlets made it a pain to take off and put back on –, Naruto felt more cooperative. Leon did too, so he started to explain to the party what events had transpired in Traverse Town, surprising the blond immediately.

"Sora's been here!?" he exclaimed loudly.

Leon nodded, "He sure was. He already left to other worlds."

"Looking for Riku and Kairi, I guess..." the blond guessed correctly.

"What about you?" the swordsman asked. "If you're looking for them or going back to your world is your choice."

"I'm looking for them, of course." The blond said, then rubbed the back of his head, "Besides...I don't even know where my world is."

"It's not like we have a way to know where there is a world unless we travel." Laguna commented, "I've been to a lot, but not one like what you described, kid."

"And with Heartless around, charting a map is no easy task." Leon added, "Really makes you wonder how this idiot is still alive."

Laguna beamed, "Goes to show your old man's a tough cookie, doesn't it?"

"No, not really..." Leon grumbled.

"Come on, Leon, don't be so mean." Said a brunette in her late teens.

She had been helping Naruto heal after he was brought to her with Vivi helping along the way. She had even mended his clothes. She had a cute pink dress, long hair in a braid held up by a red ribbon, a beautiful face with green eyes, and an aura of motherly love and care as she finished patching up both the boy and his clothes, leaving him good as new.

"It doesn't concern you, Aerith." He growled.

The young woman giggled, easily brushing off his words, "Forgive Leon, he's not very good with words. Although, may I make a suggestion?" the trio of travelers looked at each other, Naruto nodded and the other two returned the gesture, "Aid others as you have done so far in your travels. When in a new world, give a helping hand. I believe the bonds you'll make may help you reach those you're looking for."

"Like getting a favor back?" Naruto asked, frowning, "I'm not sure I like the idea of doing free chores, it sounds like payless D-rank missions."

Aerith didn't lose her smile, "You can think that the reward is a chance of seeing them again by making good friends."

Her words sunk into him, "When you put it like that..." he squinted his eyes in thought, "It's not like I was going to leave everyone to the Heartless, but I have my priorities. So far, I want to see if Sora's alright and, if I find it, also check how things are in my world to set some straight."

"Pray tell what exactly?" she asked, cutely tilting her head to the side.

Looking at his chest, the blond produced a familiar necklace, "A lot of things are happening, and some promises I made may have to be broken..." he took it off, closing his eyes while holding it tight in a fist, "I can't carry this like I used to. It links me to my world, but..." he opened his palm and eyes, "...I want to keep seeing other worlds, not be bound to mine."

Aerith looked at the floor slightly sad, "You're ready to say goodbye, then."

"I'm not sure, but I know I've enjoyed my time with Sora, Riku and Kairi more than with anyone else." He looked at his two companions and chuckled, "And travelling with you has been fun. I just want to return this if needed. I'll be in a long adventure, but I want to help those three more than anything."

"Then let's go!" Vivi cheered, "I-I want to find out about who I am and my brothers, so let's help each other!"

"Hey, didn't we all agree to this already?" Laguna chortled, "Or maybe we made a silent pact as true manly men and forgot? Oh well, Uncle Laguna's not leaving you alone."

Leon groaned, "Please stop calling yourself that."

Aerith fell into a giggling fit, "Oh, but it's such a cute nickname."

Both Naruto and Leon stared blankly at her, "Don't encourage him..."

After that, and with Cid's reparations done, the trio got back their ship. Not before an earful from the mechanic.

"You utter moron!" he grabbed a sheepish Laguna by the lapels, making the gunman sweat.

"C-C'mon, Cid, it's only a scratch!"

"I can forgive you for putting me to fix that deathtrap of yours and leave her as good as new, but leaving me with a kid!?" the enraged blond barked, "Do I look like a friggin' nanny to you!? Am I the kinda guy who'd just go and open a nursery out of the kindness of his heart!?"

"Well, anyone's got a heart of gold in- Ack! Too tight, too tight!" Cid's tightened grip started to lower the oxygen flow.

While Laguna tried to pacify the enraged mechanic, Naruto and Vivi sighed in relief at the sight of the fixed Raine. It wasn't anything big, but it looked like it could fly better. And it had a nifty cannon on the bottom. Considering the nightmare that had been a near crash-landing on Neverland, they were glad to see it. Being polite as usual, Naruto turned to the mechanic.

"Hey gramps!" he called Cid's attention, allowing Laguna a quick and sneaky escape, "Are you sure she won't crash?"

Brushing his nose with his thumb, the goggled man clicked his tongue, "Do I look like third-rate to you? She'll hold up this time now that I fixed what our idiot thought was a repair. Also, that little cannon there? Do not let it fool you, it should be able to hold off most Heartless ships. Don't go abusing it or her now." Then he glared, "Also, don't call me gramps, I'm younger than Laguna."

"Well, no time like the present, then!" Laguna cheered inside the ship, "Naruto, Vivi, hop on! Thanks for everything, Cid. Take care of Pinocchio!"

It took the mechanic two seconds to process the words, the same time it took for the kids to get in and close the doors, "You dirty-" and his words were thankfully blocked from the two boys' ears when Laguna closed the door and started the engine. All he needed to know was that Cid was going through every insult in the book on the other side.

Aboard the Raine, the group sailed through the skies and into space, looking for a new world, "Are you sure you can find Sora?" Naruto asked the pilot.

Said man nodded, "Sure I'm sure. After all, Leon told me the general location he went, and there aren't many worlds near that destination." Scratching the back of his head, he chuckled nervously, "I am not as well traveled as I'd like to be, but worry not, I have been to other worlds. It's just, well, there is a lot."

"About as many as there are stars in the sky, correct?" Vivi said more than asked.

"You got it, little buddy."

"Wow..." the blond whistled and looked at the stars, "No wonder someone like Sora would want to see them all..." he stared at some big stars, deep in thought, "Mine's out there, right?"

"Yup, makes you feel small, doesn't it?" Laguna answered, "But it's the charm. You're a part of something so big, and now you can see as much as you can and want. It's the thrill of adventure!"

Vivi leaned his head to the side in askance, "But what if I'm not that adventurous?"

"Doesn't matter, a peaceful life is a joy, too..." Laguna smiled at that, "Coming home after a long day, relaxing by doing your thing, and..." he let out a deep breath, "...seeing what you care about there with you." He turned to the kids with a large grin, "Let's fix things up to enjoy that relaxed part of adventuring, shall we?"

"Sounds good!" Vivi cheered, his eyes showing signs of happiness.

Naruto thought on it, 'A peaceful life...? Guess that would have been nice, if I had been another guy.' He looked outside, and then grinned, "Adventuring's more my stuff, though."

"That's good, too." Vivi commented, "If not for it, I wouldn't be here…having so much fun with you."

The two taller males smiled at that and soon the group found their first destination. Luckily, no more enemy ships had come their way blasting away. However, the cannon came in handy to take out floating debris in their way. Soon the three adventurers landed on a new and rather bizarre world. All three looked around as they stepped into darkness.

"Huh, it looked a lot brighter from outside…" Laguna commented when opening the door and stepping out…falling immediately, "Ah!" his yelp alerted the boys behind him to try to help him, but when their hands gripped the man's jacket, they were pulled in.

And what happened next surprised them, "Um…aren't falls supposed to be…faster?" Vivi asked nervously.

"Okay, weirdest world yet, confirmed." Laguna commented.

"Hey, this is fun!" Naruto cheered, doing some flips in the air. The deeper they fell, the odder things became. A world map came into view and it turned upside down, signaling that they were in it, but with a big arrow just pointing to the general planet. There was a chimney's cozy fire going upwards. And soon all three found chairs to rest on. Naruto got a sofa, Vivi a rocking chair, and Laguna a stool.

"Alright kids, first rules of the adventure book says not to muddle with other worlds and their affairs." Laguna said, and then grinned, "But it's a rule that no one has really cared for."

Vivi nodded, "We do have to find our friends, and if we hadn't 'meddled'…" he paused to let Laguna notice his mistake, "…we wouldn't have stopped the ferryman."

"Let alone making sure Maleficent didn't use those kids or captured Tiger Lily." The blond added, "Yeah, I'm looking forward to see what kinda plans she has here if she set foot in this world."

"Yup, so if anyone cries for a hero, we need to muddle." Laguna smiled oblivious of his error.

Both kids stared blankly at him. Fortunately, they arrived and got off their seats to land safely on a tiled floor. A long hallway led them to a group of opened doors. Quite the bizarre set at that. All were in the same frame, but the first one was larger than the next one. In the end, they had to crawl through a tiny one made for a dog rather than a human.

"This place seems like it's trying to mess with us…" Vivi told his two friends.

"I'm finding out who's doing it, then." The blond crawled into the hole, his two friends following suit after shrugging to each other. Once in, they found a strange room with a round table, a chair, and a tiny door.

"Yup, confirmed twice as the weirdest world." Laguna said with a low whistle of awe.

Naruto walked to the door, crouched down, and knocked, "Hey, someone in there!?" he exclaimed, banging on the wood.

As a result, the doorknob's eyelids flew up, its mouth-keyhole clenched in a cringe, "Ow! Do you have to be so loud!? I was having a good nap!"

"It talks!?" all three exclaimed.

"Yes, and I was actually having some good rest." It grumbled, "Why did you have to be so loud?"

"Oh, sorry, I just want to find my friends." The blond replied, "You wouldn't have seen them, would you? There's three of them, one…"

"Good night." The doorknob groaned and shuts his eyelids.

"Wait, how do we find someone!?" the blond threw himself to his knees, twisting the doorknob, much to its dismay and pain.

"Ow, ow, ow! Alright, alright!" it yelled, finally freed from the boy's hand, "If you want to find those you can't see, try those bottles." They turned and, for some reason, two small bottles appeared on the table. An appearance like that certainly took them by surprise, but the doorknob didn't care, it went back to sleep.

Laguna grabbed one, reading its label, "Drink me?" he popped the cork, "Well…nothing ventured, nothing gained!"

Vivi panicked, "Wait, curiosity killed the cat!" he tried to reason with a saying.

Unluckily for him, Laguna knew the rest of that one, "But satisfaction brought it back!" and with a large beaming smile, he took a sip. After setting the recipient back on the table, he smacked his lips, "Not bad. It's got a fruity taste…" he then looked up…staring at a giant Vivi, "Whoa, how did you grow so tall!?"

"You shrunk, old man!" the blond exclaimed, crouching down to look at the gunman.

"Wait, there's something here…" the small mage looked at the labels, "Since he drank this one to shrink… This one…" he took a sip, somehow not letting Naruto see a mouth as he seemingly just tilted the bottle to his face. A few seconds later, and a nine-foot-tall Vivi was forced to crouch on the small room!

"Okay…" Naruto started, holding the bottle Laguna had drunk, "Vivi, take a couple sips, I'll go after you."

After doing that, all three were the size of mice. Suddenly the doorknob looked gigantic, but it was fast asleep. Off to the side was an opening that the blond ignored as he instead decided to go back to the door to get into whatever was inside it. Knocking once again, didn't wake the doorknob. Instead, it just kept snoring due to the boy's fists not being large enough to make too much noise.

"What gives?" Laguna asked, "Do we need a key to..." he turned to Naruto, who looked at his hand before summoning his Keyblade.

"Well, Leon said it opened all doors." The blond walked to the mouth and tapped its nose, hoping to open the snoring keyhole more. However, a click was heard, and the door opened. Everyone looked at his blade in curious wonder, but it couldn't last. Venturing in, they stepped into what looked like a large garden filled with gorgeous marble pillars and beautiful bushes adorned with white roses.

And in it was a blonde girl, getting dragged by a bunch of Heartless, "Again!?" Naruto growled. "Let her go, you creeps!"

Hearing his voice, a platoon of Soldiers turned their attention to him and ignored the girl. Meanwhile, a Large Body held her shoulders to keep her from moving. Our heroes ran to face them and got into their own stances while the monsters twitched in their own horrific manner. The beautiful scenery of contrasted with the ensuing battle.

The girl in distress turned out to be a cute blonde with mid-back length hair kept out of her face with a black tiara, large blue eyes, a simple blue dress with white stockings and a white apron. She seemed his age or a bit younger. She was barely his height and he was quite short, but she was certainly an adorable little damsel. One he felt angrier just by seeing the Large Body drag her away.

"H-help!" her plea was more than enough.

"Out of the way!" the blond roared and held his Keyblade with both hands skywards, near his head.

Leaping at the Heartless, he cut through the ones closer to him, wilding swinging it side to side. First to the left and then the right before bringing it over his head. Swinging it down again, he cut down five Heartless and split a six down the middle when his overhead strike went through its head and sunk into the ground. The force of the strike made some of the dark creatures stagger back.

Seeing how they boy would just chase them, the Large Body turned to a dark portal that looked familiar to the blond. It moved a foot to it, still holding the desperate girl. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to get a hold of anything or anyone that could stop whatever fate awaited for her on the other side. Naruto launched himself at her to help her.

But he wasn't alone, "Naruto, think fast!" he heard Laguna shout as the man shot his grappling hook at the Large Body's foot.

Pulling with all his might, the gunman tripped the monster and sent it rolling into the portal. It released the girl as it rolled into the closing dark abyss. However, the other Heartless were still near her and would try to stop the blond. Roaring out a dark spell, he aimed his left palm and fired off several balls of dark fire. His strike burnt them to the ground, their darkness consumed by his Keyblade.

"Most curious..." the girl whispered, a hand to her mouth to cover her shocked expression.

"Are you all right?" Vivi asked while readying his staff.

"Not another!" she yelled angrily, stomping her foot, "Shoo! Leave me alone, you Heartless!"

"Hey, he's not with those monsters!" Naruto exclaimed, walking to the girl and standing face to face with her. Red dusted her cheeks at the proximity, the boy still followed Laguna's tip of keeping his hair in a short ponytail and opening his jacket to reveal his fit chest. After taking a step back, she composed herself, dusting her dress and apron until she was satisfied.

Facing him, she turned to the blond swordsman, "And who might you be?"

"Name's Naruto." Her fellow blond answered.

"Laguna Loire at your service." The gunman replied.

"Vivi." The wizard told her meekly.

"A pleasure, then." She bowed deeply, even pulling the sides of her skirt slightly up as she did so regally, "I am Alice Lydell, and I do apologize for my earlier outburst. It's just..." she turned to Vivi before facing the admittedly handsome boy who stood by him, "...I haven't had a good day. Ever since I arrived to this world it is as if everyone is out to cause me no end of misfortune."

"No problem..." Vivi responded.

"Listen, why don't you tell us about those Heartless?" Naruto asked, "Did some witch or a cloaked old man send them after you? Or anyone who could work with or for them?"

"I'm afraid I know as much as you on the matter." She said sadly, pressing her fingertips together. "Ever since I followed the White Rabbit to this world it's been no end of mischief from the residents. Not to mention the three that tried to help me are possibly in danger..."

"Three?" Vivi echoed, "Um...did any of them look like me? Only bigger and, perhaps, a bit scary..."

"No one of the sort." She answered politely, clasping her hands, "I owe a great deal of my gratitude to three odd warriors who seem to be of other worlds, just like you."

Curious, Naruto asked, "What makes you say that?"

"One had a sword like yours." She aimed to the Keyblade.

"Sora!" the blond exclaimed, "So he's here!" a happy and peaceful sensation overwhelmed him, showing in his face.

"Indeed, but they are probably looking after me after that fiasco with that cruel Queen of Hearts." The polite Posh girl informed them. "We should find them immediately."

"No need to tell me twice, just point the way." The blond beamed.

"She sure is gutsy after getting chased." Laguna commented, "Pretty unusual for a girl with such elegance."

Alice nodded, "Maybe so, but I wish to lend them a hand after they helped me with that hoax trial of the queen's."

"Long story?" Vivi asked and got another nod.

"Tell us along the way!" Naruto urged her, grabbing her hand, "Where to now?"

She blushed as he restrained himself from running off, "I-I'm sorry, but I don't recall or believe we could just return..." she felt her heart sink when seeing his break a little, "It's not my choice in this matter. This odd world called Wonderland isn't very friendly towards strangers nor does it give them a helping hand."

"My life in a nutshell." Naruto commented, waving dismissively, "It's not going to stop me. If you got any clue of where to go, I don't really care, just point me there." His words weren't hesitant, but the girl felt her fair share of nervousness. One look at his determined but pleading eyes, conveying how much his friends meant to him, was all it took to convince her.

"Alright, I was dragged from over that general direction." She pointed to a large garden maze, "However, many turns I took in this place lead to nonsensical places. Be careful."

"Don't worry, we're...getting used to it." Vivi commented bashfully.

"So, three bigger Vivi's..." Laguna commented, "Are those your brothers?"

"Um, yes..." the shy boy answered.

"Oh..." Naruto realized that in his outburst he forgot about the mage's own issues, "Sorry, I just..."

Vivi shook his head, "It's alright, you want to find them badly. I wish I could want to find my brothers as much..." his eyes were cast down, "I don't remember much, but they can be terrifying. If you think my magic is any good, it's nothing compared to them..."

"It kept us alive, I'd say you're nothing to sneeze at." Naruto told him with a grin, determined to not allow sadness to grip the boy's heart.

"Th-thanks..." Vivi blushed under his hat, but his eyes showed their happy U-shape.

"Not so fast..."

Everyone turned to find a new voice but saw nothing. Alice grew alarmed and held Naruto closer, getting him to blush. Curious, Vivi looked left and right while Laguna used a hand to block his eyes from the light as if it'd help him locate the speaker better. Growing more and more curious, the small wizard walked forward, and immediately regretted it when two eyes popped out of thin air!

If his face had been visible, it'd have lost all color, "AAAAAHHH!" he screamed at the top of his lungs and fell flat on his butt, using two hands to prop his torso up. His friends ran to aid him, but their shock was about as big as his. A smile grew under the eyes, floating midair like a crescent moon.

"Ah, I see you want to go find your friends." The voice said and Alice spoke up.

"Cheshire Cat, what riddle do you have for us?" she frowned at it.

"Ah, dear Alice, I hope you didn't mind my amusement when you told the Queen your true thoughts about her." It smiled wider and soon a body of a fat, purple and pink striped cat appeared. However, both head and body were separated, and said body was standing on the head like a circus clown on top of a large ball.

"Yup, no contest, weirdest world ever!" Laguna exclaimed in horror, clenching his jaw tightly as sweat built on his face.

Vivi shook like a leaf, "W-what are you, a Heartless?"

Naruto shook his head, regaining his composure, "Hey, did you just put Alice in trouble to be an asshat to her?"

"I am an onlooker, neither shadow or a source of light." The cat disappeared, and then popped on top of a bush, casually assembling itself, "For you, though. Light or dark are a blur. Gray shades all over this world and your heart." His words put the three warriors in high alert, all three getting into battle positions. "Although, I did enjoy myself watching little Alice meet the Queen's darker side."

"I'm skinning you and making a belt out of you, Tora No. 2!" he really hated that cat, so seeing the one before him being so needlessly mean to Alice more than irked him.

"Tora?" the cat didn't lose its grin, but it looked amused, "Tiger, Cat or Jester, it matters not. For, as I said, what you will face shall blur what darkness is, young king."

"Again with that, are you with Maleficent?" Laguna asked.

"I'm afraid our styles clash." The cat rested on its side, in midair, "I'd recommend you choose your allies well, O King. You know too well how a friend can become an enemy."

With that, it pointed to a path behind them. A part mysteriously appeared on a bush wall out of nowhere, and from it came several soldiers. All were armed with either spears of axes, but they weren't humans. All of them were cards, hearts and spades with the heart cards holding spears themed like them and the spades carrying black axes. Turning to the cat again, they found it gone.

"Argh, I really hate cats!" the blond snapped before facing Alice, "Stay behind us, we won't let them lay a finger on you."

"There she is!" a card man exclaimed, "By order of the Queen of Hearts, ruler of Wonderland, you are to be taken back to her court and end your trial!"

"I am not partaking in that biased woman's games any longer!" the girl shouted back.

"You heard her." Naruto started, "Leave now or else..." as he said that, a dark aura started to ooze from his body.

And it hurt!

"What is that!?" a spade man exclaimed, but the boy yelled as pain exploded in his chest.

"Gah! What!?" he fell to his knees, clutching a hand where his heart was.

"Did I not warn you?" he saw a small version of the Cheshire Cat before him the size of his thumb, floating in front of his nose, "All darkness and light shall be as one to you. Carelessness will be your downfall, young king." It then shrugged, its smile looked mocking, "Use darkness and it will consume you, but try to remain in the light and it'll harm you... What can you do when they fight over you?"

"Who...?" he tried to ask, but the pain suddenly stopped.

"Bah, charlatans!"

And in came a new face.

One Naruto would never forget since that day.

All card soldiers bowed to the man, "Ah, Adviser Kefka!" they all bowed to the man.

White face with a permanently smile like that of a clown coming from crooked purple lips. Blonde hair tied in place with an assortment of bizarre and colorful hair accessories and feathers. And his outfit just yelled 'jester' to the wind for it was a chaos of colorful pieces of cloth seemingly stitched together by someone who could only be described as mad, mad, mad, mad, mad. All five mads needed.

"Oh my, there's grass on my shoes." He sighed tiredly, dramatically dropping his head and the cards jumped to his feet, wiping them with their gloved hands. And it only made the man laugh out loud, "Wahahaha! Fools, you really are charlatans like our precious Queen thinks!" he leaned forward, smiling at the four before him.

Using the Keyblade as a cane to get up, Naruto glared at him, "This guy...?"

Whoever the adviser was, he just smiled wider, "Ah, I wished I could've seen your beheading, my dear. Oh well, no time like the present! Chop-chop, men, yes!?" he laughed out loud again as the card soldiers shot up and readied themselves for battle. And all the while Naruto felt something was wrong, too damn wrong.

'He's like that guy who crushed the ferryman, he's pure darkness.' The blond got up and swung out his Keyblade, grunting as the darkness oozing from him kept harming his body.

"Ah, another little king..." the sinister jester sighed, "What a – CATASTROPHIC! – sight you are, lad!" showing his obvious insanity even more, he just yelled that one word in the middle of his sentence for no reason with buggy eyes. "Anyway, men, you're taking too long! The girl's head has a meeting with my favorite guillotine!"

Both sides got ready for battle as the mad adviser cackled to himself, clapping like a giddy idiot. Meanwhile, the three warriors took their battle positions with Naruto and Laguna charging and Vivi staying back as a shield for Alice and backup for the other two. Once they were about to clash, the macabre clown let out an uproar of laughter and clapped louder and louder.

Each smack of his hands got harder and faster, confusing even his subordinates, "What's with this creep!?" Naruto asked.

"I just had a most wonderful, terrific, fun, and downright hilarious idea!" the jester exclaimed and then threw his hand forward. From that move, a gale of powerful wind shot forward, flipping the cards into the air and pushing back the three warriors, "See!? Wahahahaha! What a marvelous sight! You're all like dust in the wind! Just the specks of nothing you really are!"

"Guh, this guy's no joke..." Laguna grunted, "Sorry for the pun!"

Due to the increasing power of the wind, all four non-habitants of Wonderland were flung back as Kefka cackled, "My, my, my, my, my, my! OH MY!" he giggled to himself, skipping on the tips of his toes as well as clapping around in circles, "Another king! Goodness, and here I thought one of the Princesses' deaths would make my day!" He stopped and clasped his hands, "Better tell the big guy..."

His attitude changed with that last sentence, his shoulders dropped as he lazily opened a portal. A penetrating pair of yellow eyes glared at him from atop a mountain.

YET

ANOTHER

FAILED

BUFFOON

FOR

YOU

TO

SURPASS

"Sora!"

"Naruto, I can't believe I found you!"

"Neither do I, but we can't chat, an insane clown's after us!"

"A clown...?"

"Yeah." Naruto told him with a firm nod, "His whole face shouted: downright creepy."

"You wouldn't believe how unhinged he was... Downright terrifying." Alice added.

"Understood..." a nasal voice replied, "Now, how about getting off!?"

The wind had blown all four into an odd group. Not only had Sora appeared, and the reunion made him and Naruto happy, but they had also gotten to meet two odd companions of his. Currently, Naruto and Sora were on top of Laguna, who was sprawled over two very odd creatures. On the Keyblade wielders' backs was Vivi and hung up like a coat on a perch on a large rose the size of a tree was Alice.

Naruto felt sad that he wasn't with Riku and Kairi. Instead, he was accompanied by a large duck which wings were replaced by arms and a large bipedal dog with long arms and short legs. And things were far weirder than that. The two were truly a sight to behold. For starters was the white, short duck with a blue jacket filled with zippers and a blue hat. He had a bi beak and two large eyes set in an angry, impatient stare.

The dog wore orange pants and a green shirt underneath a black vest. His hands were covered by a pair of white gloves, and he wore an orange hat on top of his head. He had a playful, friendly, funny glance and a big mouth with two teeth coming out of it. As if to add to the weirdness, he was armed with a round shield and the duck carried an odd staff.

"Donald, is that a..." the dog started, staring at the dark Keyblade.

"Another Keyblade?" the duck, identified as Donald, asked in disbelief, "But the king told us to find one..."

"Gwarsh, do we have to choose one to follow now?" the dog asked in confusion.

"Come on, Goofy, no need to panic." Sora told the large canine, currently identified as Goofy, "He's a good guy, so I'm sure he was chosen to help with this mess."

"I'm not so sure anymore..." the blond started, "We got a lot to catch up on."

"We just beat a giant Heartless, so we could use it as a rest." Sora commented. "We were also looking for Alice, but..."

"Yes, and I thank you. Now, could someone please set me back on solid ground?" the petite blonde pleaded, pressing her hands on her skirt, "And no looking."

The boys blushed but went to help regardless. Naruto's jumping was as good as always, so it didn't take much. Once they found a clearing in the gigantic forest were flowers were twice the kids' size and still taller than Laguna, they found makeshift seats. Every odd warrior and the young lady tried to get acquainted and explain their situation. By the end of it more questions than answers arose.

"Your king..." Naruto started, "Does he have any relation to some guy locked in a big mountain?"

"Doesn't ring a bell, sorry." Goofy's answer could have been suspicious with anyone else, but his sincerity was undoubtable.

"King of Darkness, though..." Sora whistled, "If you are one, why are the Heartless attacking you?"

Vivi pondered on it, "Well, they're attracted to people's darkness just as they want to take you out because of your Keyblade..."

"These things are turning to be more of a pain than a blessing." Naruto grumbled.

Laguna nodded, "Sounds right, if my history lessons aren't as rusty as I recall, legends go that they bring prosperity and destruction."

"Sounds complicated." Donald commented, "And to see another Keyblade..."

"Perhaps..." Goofy started, "There can be more than one wielder, since there could be more than one."

"Not arguing that." Sora replied, "So, that whole being king, do you understand any of that?"

"All I know is that there have been failed ones." Naruto answered, "And if I make a big mistake I could end up worse than a Heartless."

"Gwarsh, and I thought Sora would have it rough." Goofy commented.

"You guys have to find your king and Riku and Kairi." Naruto stated with a confident smile, "All I gotta do is figure out how to fight back. I'd say I got it easy." Sora hesitated as did the others. Despite the smile, they could tell Naruto wasn't being honest. Forcing a grin in hard times came as second nature to him due to his upbringing.

Thus, the young brunet spoke up, "You know it's not true." Sora then forced his own confident smile, though his was more genuine as he bumped his fist on his friend's chest, "You got us, after all. Really, you think you'll have a hard time with us to back you up?"

Alice giggled at that, "Seems fair."

An unfamiliar warmth filled the chosen dark king, "Thanks..." his smile lowered, but it was a true one.

"You're very much welcome." The girl told him politely, "Now, could I please ask for you to escort me out? Anywhere but this world, please."

"Can they?"

"Cat!" Laguna screamed when the feline appeared, juggling his head, torso, tail, and legs with floating arms.

"What part of what you see is reality and what a dream?" it asked cryptically as it let its parts fall to rearrange its body, "For those who try to find comfort in easy answers much grief awaits. Can you shut your eyes to overcome darkness or will you stare deep into it for its secrets?"

"Can you give us a direct answer?" the blond growled, shaking a fist at the cat.

"Now, now, I'd recommend keeping an eye on that adviser your friends didn't see." The cat hooked a thumb to one side, "Of course he won't let you go easily, for he's grown quite bored."

"That mage?" Vivi asked.

"Ah, you called him a mage but not a jester." The cat leaned against air itself, holding its body at a 45-degree angle, "If you see more, you will see he's more than a buffoon and how much of a clown the Queen is to that man." And just like that, it vanished into thin air.

"Um, should we really trust him, fellas?" Goofy asked.

"It sounds like a trap." Laguna pointed out, "No other way to check if it's one than tripping it."

"Wait, hold on!" Donald exclaimed, "You're walking us to our deaths!"

"Alright, how else do we see what that adviser has than going?" the gunman reasoned.

"You know..." Sora started, "It does make a little sense."

"A little!?" the long-haired man exclaimed.

"It is risky, to say the least." Alice commented, "But if that man is plotting something, I wish to find out. He wanted me dead as much as the queen. I have to find out why."

"Guess that's most of us." Naruto affirmed, "Let's make sure he needs the makeup."

"Be careful, though." Vivi warned them, "I think he used a spell on you to drain your energy, or..."

"Or...?" Naruto and Sora asked.

"No... Never mind..." Vivi sighed, 'No one is that powerful, right?'

Meanwhile, in a large court in the middle of a garden, the crooked adviser walked behind a large woman.

"I see, so those pesky rats are still out there." Grumbled a fat woman with black hair done in a bun and a tiny crown on top. She wore a regal dress with a black and white color scheme as well as a heart motif and held a heart-shaped red fan on one hand. She had a rather unfriendly face with her frown aimed at the madman following her.

"Yes, why oh yes, my queen." He chortled, "Nothing better than seeing them without their heads, trust me. However, if you want your way..." he let out a snicker there, "YOU HAVE TO GO ALL OUT!" he went back to a calmer demeanor by the end of that outburst, "But to do that your men must be better, to really deserve to serve you."

"True..." she smirked, "And if none of them are worthy of me as their queen, then they don't need their heads."

Her adviser waved dramatically, fake-wiping tears off his eyes with a handkerchief, "You make me so glad I chose to be an adviser."

X-X-X-X-X

And that's my rap!

We have the introduction of one of our first recurring villains, who he's in cahoots with, and a lot of trouble for the next chapter. I'm really sorry for leaving such a cliffhanger, but I feel like this chapter was getting long. Perhaps I'll go around 12k words per chapter or 20k if necessary to get some bits out. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter as some of you may tell, and next one will be mad, mad, mad, mad, mad.

All five mads will be needed.

Swordslinger out!