"Traitor! You realize what this will do! Leave that alone! If something arrives here, the damage will be catastrophic." An elderly woman in a uniform on a screen, sitting inside a technologically advanced room, stared petrified, wiggling in her seat.

She pounded on the cockpit exit to no avail as the electronics short-circuited.

"I know precisely what I am doing, you old crone." A man with a dark and thick mustache as he thumbed through his holo tablet with one hand, his other hand rapidly executing a program on another. "Can't let anyone interfere on your behalf, now can I? I doubt someone as nihilistic as you would have taught someone to pilot this outdated technology, but just in case, I can't risk it. Besides, if he's anything like the other, he'll survive the disaster coming this way."

"You are doing this just to find someone! Arthur! You maniac! Don't do this!" The woman screamed before the screen faded from his, a sinister smile spreading on his face as he cracked his knuckles.

Ah, he loved the sound of chaos in the morning.

"That should take care of her for quite some time. Maybe she'll do me a favor and have a stroke in the cockpit. Now, it's time to let the show commence. I'm very intrigued to see what these other worlders can do and why Lady Salem is interested in them."

It was pitch black again.

He sighed. It was the same thing every night. The massive, blurry orange figure stood before him within the void, speaking. Its words were incoherent. He couldn't make the jumbled mess…

If only he could. Maybe he could make sense of it all.

He could feel it didn't want to cause him harm. It tried to help. If only there were a way to reach it.

But like many times before, as he reached for it, the void carried him away from the blur, and he was left alone. Unable to get to the being.

Naruto exhaled, closing his eyes while, in reality, the drifting light of dawn peaked through the curtains of his window. But this morning was slightly different from others but possessed a familiar hint.

A friend was with him, sitting on his chest.

"Hey buddy, what are you up to?" Naruto smiled, seeing the fox staring at him with a queer expression.

It hopped off his chest as expected, but it went straight to his gear without wasting motion and pointed toward it. This action drew his attention as he sat up from his bed. He reached for the prosthetic on his nightstand, carefully picking it up. Locking it into place, he frowned, seeing the fox's gaze pierce into his own before it leapt away and out the door.

He wasn't sure why, but something felt off today. He didn't feel like it was leading him today…

If he didn't know any better…

It felt like a warning.

It was still a surreal sensation.

These last few mornings, Naruto would have to wake up and reattach his arm if he remembered to take it off. Based on his knowledge, he found it best to detach it every night. He didn't quite understand the reasoning, but it had something to do with the nerve connection they installed and allowing it to rest. After discovering his remarkable ability to recover quickly, he believed there wasn't much to be concerned about. However, it was still advisable to be cautious and let the injury rest. Fortunately, he could alleviate his worries by taking adequate rest occasionally.

However, having an arm significantly impacted his daily routine and minor activities. He may have become somewhat used to performing basic actions with one arm and even fighting solo with this mechanical marvel?

Oh, it was heaven! Even with the delay, it was night and day!

Clutching his mechanical hand around Milo's blade, emerald eyes shimmering at how quickly he responded, Naruto beamed. Releasing Pyrrha's sword, he straightened from his reactive stance and flexed his robotic fist a few times before him, gleaming toward it. "Gotta admit, this arm ain't half bad! Great reaction speed. Durable! Doesn't give when I start putting some effort into it…"

"Some?" Pyrrha sheaved Milo while placing Akouo on her back, raising her brow momentarily. She saw their practice had come to an end, squinting at his comment. She was utterly stunned and put off hearing that he was still holding back to such an extent.

In this last session, she felt so outclassed. She didn't want to use her Semblance, wanting him to get comfortable with his arm, but it was startling to see how much of a difference having two arms made. Perhaps adjusting for the imbalance was throwing him off so dramatically that he was over-adjusting or… Subconsciously, it allowed him to move freely.

Pyrrha frowned. Was that it? She hadn't noticed any stiffness in his motions before despite knowing otherwise. He was seeing physical therapy for it and was using sparring to deal with his physical limitations. But if she compared it to now… It was a world of difference, and that bothered her. He was more wild and free… Unpredictable.

"Yeah." Naruto rolled his right shoulder, flexing his prosthetic arm, unaware of Pyrrha's prying gaze. "I dunno. In the last couple of days, I've been putting more into everything, but I could go harder as the rest of my body feels looser, ya know?"

Frowning, somewhat dejected, knowing she was not taking on his best and felt outclassed, Pyrrha tilted her head. "Have you thought about cutting loose?" Seeing Naruto's peculiar glance, her eyes widened as she fumbled on her words and decided to explain herself further. "Obviously not using your prosthetic! You just received it, and the last thing you need is to damage it and the neuro connection!"

"Been thinking about it." Naruto scratched the back of his neck, nervously chuckling. "Just don't really know how or what I really do. Or even how to warm up to it. It's kind of funny, as I've been sparring with you all this time, that I can do way more, but I just don't know how. I'm kind of at a loss. My body just reacts, and I instinctually move along with it. Trying to adjust without my arm was a pain as I had to think about what I was doing and instead think about what I could do to throw off my opponent."

Snapping her head up, Pyrrha's eyes shimmered. Everything made more sense about why these few days felt so dramatically different. It wasn't just the physical aspect, it was the mental aspect! He could focus and think clearly without his body getting in the way. When she thought of it that way…

No wonder it was such a difference. It was like the training weights had been taken off.

Stopping in place, Naruto scowled and looked into the sky toward the harbor. A low thrumming sensation twitched within his eardrums, and he grimaced. What was that?

Glancing at Pyrrha, he knew he could only hear it as she was still looking at him peculiarly about how their spar transpired. He supposedly had above-average hearing, compared to a Faunus, so he could hear things she didn't. Still, it was best to ask.

"You hear something?" Naruto frowned, scrunching his brow and looking about. "I dunno. It felt a little eerily quiet earlier, and now… There is just this low rumble… Almost a growl?"

"We live a bit further on the edge of town and the perimeter. Maybe something happened at the harbor? A crash?" Pyrrha pursed her lips. She had learned that Naruto had exceptional hearing. He had heard the Hard Light Barrier activate during their monthly inspection from here, so she didn't doubt he could hear something from that far away.

However, her eyes narrowed as she caught a keyword he said. One that bothered her. "A low rumble… Like that of a growl? …From the harbor?"

"Yeah… It sounded like it came from that direction." Naruto noticed the tension in Pyrrha's muscles, and his lips quivered. Did she know something? He better elaborate. "Can't say for certain…"

"What is that?" Naruto winced, covering his ears as a piercing shriek radio siren resounded. "What the hell is that? Is that an alarm? Is the town under attack?!"

"I don't know! Let me find out!" A panicked and worried expression crossed Pyrrha's face as she fumbled, reaching for her scroll. Hundreds of birds flew into the skies, and Naruto squinted, frowning and watching the creatures take flight.

Everything slowed. He could see the wings beat of every bird in mid-flight. Something didn't feel quite right. He wasn't sure what, but something had them spooked. An unsettling sensation rumbled within his stomach, and his skin crawled. There was a sensation in the air, and he could feel it.

Something was coming.

Pyrrha finally picked her scroll from her belt, drawing it into her hand before covering her head as several airships flew overhead, scattering the birds racing toward the city's center. "What is this? …No… It can't be."

"Pyrrha?" Naruto heard the wavering in Pyrrha's inflection and the shimmer of her eyes. Her gaze knowingly fell upon the harbor before she gasped as her scroll suddenly activated, and a woman's voice echoed through it. "This is an emergency broadcast message for all residents in Argus. This is a Code Black. All available and nearby Huntsman are to head to Argus immediately! Repeat! This an emergency…"

"Code Black! No…" Pyrrha tensed, and her eyes dilated, sword and shield drawn immediately. Her teeth gnashed, and with a snarl, her eyes flickered with rage. "It is… It's been ten years…"

"Pyrrha?" Naruto glanced at Pyrrha, seeing how tense she had become. Her demeanor had suddenly shifted, and he could see her gaze visibly sharpening and darkening. He wasn't sure what it was, but something triggered, and she leapt forward, rushing ahead. "Pyrrha?!"

Naruto attempted to chase after, but the moment he did, images flashed before him. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his temples. Thousands of voices wrung out throughout as he lost track of Pyrrha. He couldn't keep track of them all!

What was this? This wasn't just a memory! He could see everything! Everyone Argus! All the Grimm flew above the city's barrier walls. But now he was seeing so much more… People wielding similar weapons to his own? Fighting against something he couldn't identify.

There was so much pain. He couldn't make any of it out… It was all blurring together…

He wasn't sure what that was, but it felt similar to this current situation. He didn't feel like he took part in any of that… But could he see it? How?

A yip drew his attention, and he stared into crimson eyes. The fox sat before him, tranquil despite the chaos in his mind and around him as if at peace. Its gaze calmed his nerves. Nuzzling against him, he closed his eyes at the touch, and a peculiar sensation washed over him.

It felt… Overwhelming at first. But as his eyes opened, everything became more… Natural? He couldn't describe it.

Slowly picking himself off his knees shakily, his eyes gleamed. His breath panted as he tried to push the images from his mind. None of that mattered. What mattered right now was what he saw currently, not his memories. People were in trouble, and if he could do something…

Exhaling, a soothing sensation washed over him. He felt… At ease. If there was one benefit to his memory, it had shown him that this wasn't the first time he had dealt with something like this in the past. Even with his stomach bubbling, a determined expression gathered on his features as he clenched his fist, looking down upon his prosthetic arm before glancing over at the fox and nodding. "Ya, this feels right. Thanks bud. Let's go."

"Maybe I learn a little about myself."

Ever since she was a young girl, Pyrrha was obsessed with becoming a heroine. She wanted to be the person to save everyone. To be the one to step in and protect everyone in their time of need.

To be like her father ten years earlier when the Colossus nearly failed, he almost had to give his life to redirect the Leviathan-classed Grimm away from the port.

And now, a new threat loomed upon Argus, approaching their lovely city. It had been so long since the last time it had happened. Ten years. She was so young when it happened.

Argus was a port city. Port cities, by their very nature, were vulnerable from attacks by Grimm. However, in particular, they were vulnerable to Leviathan-class Grimm. It didn't happen often, but it happened frequently enough that higher-quality defenses were necessary. Multiple Kingdom governments and councils worked together to build defenses to protect their trade markets.

While primarily Mistral-funded, Atlas provided the technology and manpower to defend the city.

But they did happen enough that she remembered the last one. It inspired her to become a Huntress after watching her father come home in the condition he did. His leg… He was never the same.

He gave everything to protect them…

That was what it meant to be a hero. To give everything to protect and serve. He came home that day, but many others didn't.

Pyrrha made a promise that day she wouldn't be like the heroes in the fairy tales in stories. No, she would be better. She would be like her father. To always be there in times of need. To be strong enough to overcome anything so a sacrifice wouldn't be necessary… But if it came to it…

With an earth-shattering quake, an electric burning crack coursed over the coast as the Hard Light Barrier shattered. The Leviathan had shattered it with its breath and was approaching the city. They didn't have much time.

She would play her role and believe in her destiny. She trusted her skills so that she would put faith in her story.

Slicing through several small Nevermores with Milo, Pyrrha panted as she stood on the docks. Rising from the depths, she watched the colossal Grimm emerge from the sea. She watched as several gunships fired upon it but didn't seem to phase it. Most weapons didn't. It took heavy weaponry to make a dent in Leviathan-class Grimm.

Many Atlesian ground troops and Atlesian Knights were out combating the swarms of Grimm flying in from above the city walls or swimming beneath the barriers. She had slain a few along the way. Everyone had taken shelter like the broadcast had warned them to. She hoped her mother had stayed in. She was likely worried for her, as was her father… But they knew she would come out if something like this would happen.

She trained for this. They helped her train for this. It was why no one stopped her and made any movement to stop. She was the Invincible Girl. The prodigy that was supposedly ready to be a Huntress. She dispatched the Grimm she came across with ease.

Flicking her shield behind without looking, a Nevermore crashed into it and bounced off. Before she could follow up, a small ninja knife penetrated its skull and drove it into the dock. Emerald eyes widened as Naruto withdrew his kunai from the smoking corpse of the Grimm and stood next to her. "What's the situation? What can we do?"

Pyrrha glanced into the harbor, her eyes glinting with doubt. She brought her sword hand to her chest. What were they going to do about this? Where was the Colossus? It should have already been…

"I don't know. Without heavy weaponry like the Colossus, defeating a Leviathan-classed Grimm is something beyond most Huntsman. The best anyone can do is distract it." Pyrrha's eyes shimmered. Despite all her skills, what could she do in this circumstance? Her eyes shifted to material nearby, and she noticed some discarded Atlesian Knights destroyed by some Grimm. Her eyes shimmered. "Years ago, my father distracted the last Leviathan that attacked the city when the Colossus malfunctioned due to a technical glitch and gave it the time to be repaired and finish it."

"What are you doing?" Naruto noticed Pyrrha holding her hand, dragging the droid's body over to her through the air and stepping onto it. Recognizing what she was doing, he stepped in front of her and stopped her. "This isn't going to work! What are you going to do? Nothing they are doing is getting its attention. What makes you think you will be able to do that?!"

"Because if we do nothing before it hits the second barrier, people could die!" Pyrrha snapped, staring into Naruto's determined gaze.

"Then I'm coming with ya!" Naruto hopped onto the knight behind Pyrrha, catching her off guard, throwing her balance for a moment, accidentally clutching onto Naruto's arm, finding he was sure-footed and steady as a rock on the hovering droid.

"What? No!" Pyrrha shook her head. "There's too much of a risk and…"

"Do we have time to argue?" Naruto barked back at her. "You control the thing, and I try to hit and distract it! Besides, I hit harder! You already know that!"

Gnashing her teeth, Pyrrha grunted. She wanted to argue her point, but they didn't have the time for this.

Holding her hands out to her side, lifting the knight, she propelled the knight into the sky using her magnetism. She had never done something like this before, so finding her footing was relatively new but not tricky. The speed was slower than what she was running so she could keep her traction… Not to mention, Naruto didn't seem to be struggling as she pushed up against him.

They didn't have the most room to work with, so that was a problem. There wasn't any room to operate or dodge. Pyrrha's eyes shift toward all the Nevermores in the skies, swarming toward them. They would be a problem.

"We have an issue!" Pyrrha grabbed Milo, preparing for close-quarters combat.

"On it!" Her eyes quivered as to her surprise. Despite the high velocity of the winds of travel, they were moving, and Naruto used his throwing stars. And he was still point accurate with each and every one of them.

"How many of those do you have?" Pyrrha finally cracked as she knew he hadn't bought any yet and kept having more. As the numbers thinned, she began to become bothered by it.

"I don't know! They just keep coming out of a scroll!" Naruto chirped. "Not sure how it works. I just know it does!"

"What… Woah!" Pyrrha momentarily lost control of their flight at the ridiculous statement before regaining control of his magnetism. Instead, she simply scowled. He was going to have to show and explain that to her later. She had only thought he had several stored in his pouch… Instead, he had some sort of pocket dimension or something inside a scroll?!

"What are you doing, kids?!" A mechanized whir roared as a voice shouted from above. A gunship floated from above as they approached the Leviathan Grimm, and the man on the Gatling screamed at them. "Get out of here! There is nothing you can do!"

"No!" Pyrrha yelled back, holding the drone over the Leviathan as it treded through the water toward the city. "We can't let it get to the city! Where is the Colossus?!"

"We don't know! We lost contact with Special Operative Cordovin! Something must have happened! The best course of action is evacuation! We can't hold it back without the Colossus!" The Altesian soldier responded, motioning for them to leave.

"Something happened?" Pyrrha's eyes glimmered, her worst fear becoming confirmed. Glancing down at the monstrous Grimm heading toward her home, an unsettling sensation gripped her heart before she gritted her teeth.

It seemed destiny was calling, repeating history. Was she to follow in her father's footsteps? To sacrifice herself to protect her home…

"Guys, it's doing something!" Naruto pointed toward the Leviathan as it reared its head back.

"Again!" The man shouted from the gunship, firing rounds wildly down at the beast in a feeble attempt to catch its attention. "It's too close to Argus! From this range, hitting the second barrier with that attack will cause significant damage to the city! Dammit, if we could just…"

"No!" Pyrrha shot the knight ahead, desperate to stop the Leviathan by any measure necessary.

Naruto's eyes flickered as time dilated all around him. He felt the air stiffen and still. Every bullet moved in slow motion, the air rippling around it. He could see the water droplets in the air begin to gather as electric particles built with the Grimms mouth.

A strange presence gathered within him, and his stomach cramped. Followed by the incoherent voice in his dreams echoing through his mind.

Let me.

His body froze. He understood it? Was it because it was a short and simple statement? Was it because of the situation?

Whatever the case, did he trust its words? Allow it to what exactly? Take control? Was that what it was asking to do? Did he dare allow it to do so? In a situation as dire as this?

"I believe there is every possibility that this fox you see is a creation of your soul attempting to reach out and guide you."

Hearing Athena's words, Naruto's eyes glistened, and his breath stiffened as time trickled back to normal. Closing his eyes, he bowed his head and whispered to the voice in his head. "I trust you…"

"Naruto…" Pyrrha heard Naruto whisper but didn't quite catch what he said. Her eyes then flickered and widened as she felt his weight shift. Her head snapped behind her to watch as he plummeted from the knight behind her, careening through the sky weightlessly. Was he having another anxiety attack?! Not now! This was why she didn't…

"Naruto!" Pyrrha halted her movement and tried to adjust her course to reach Naruto. However, she was forced to shield her eyes as a magnificent golden light enveloped the bay.

The same light she saw the day she first found him.

Pyrrha didn't understand. Blurry as the image was, she could see a humanoid figure cloaked in golden glow floating in the sky. She didn't understand how or what had occurred, but…

This was Naruto.

That face. That look.

But it wasn't… He was different. Something was off about him.

"Thanks for trusting me, kid. Until you remember everything, I'll take the trash out for ya." A much deeper voice resonated from the golden glow form of Naruto as he looked down upon the Leviathan, floating directly before it confidently. Scoffing, he snarled as its breath built within its mouth, electricity sparking, but paid no head as he looked into its glazed eyes. "Negative One! I know you are nearby and listening! You best let him go now. You don't know what you are dealing with."

"If not, well, you were warned." Kurama grinned, holding out Naruto's left hand as a spiraling orb of chakra began to form. "We're coming for ya soon as the kid's mind is in order, just like always… We'll bash his head in and get his mind back in order. Then your time is done."

"Now get out of here, you overgrown lizard!"

Pyrrha couldn't comprehend what she was listening to. This voice was decidedly not Naruto's. It was a different person speaking. An entirely different person. But they were aware of what was happening around them. To Naruto? To what happened to Naruto?

She didn't understand? Did Naruto have… Multiple personalities? Was this who he was before? None of this made any sense…

Everything snapped back to reality as an earth-shattering roar boomed, and a fiery electric breath scattered from the Leviathan's maw. And Naruto, regardless of this new persona and golden aura, stood directly in front of it, with this charged aura attack in hand, rushing directly into it, throwing it headfirst into it.

"Naruto!"

Never before had she been caught in such a violent gale of wind. She was blown clear off the droid she had been standing on. The breath attack before shook her, but this… "It felt as if she was trapped in the middle of a massive explosion."

The world whirled around her. Spun so violently she vomited… On the beach of the sand?

"What…" Pyrrha coughed, combing her hand through the sand. How did she end up here? She was just in the sky? Knocked off the…

"You're safe." Her eyes quivered as Kurama's voice resonated above her. "So is everyone else. I scattered them all amongst the beach… Though everyone should get away from here soon… A tsunami is coming. Can't do what I did and not expect some repercussions."

"How?!" Pyrrha croaked, scrambling to her feet, stumbling to her knees several times, seeing the regular version of Naruto standing before her and the bay behind her.

Only to drop to her knees once more. Her eyes quivered. Her stomach dropped, and her eyes fell back onto Naruto. She could not grasp the backdrop behind him, and words could not come.

The ocean had been parted, and the waves were crashing back into cratered remains. The skyline cut through, and the clouds drifted along the path created.

"What… What…"

"That is a difficult question you are trying to ask." Kurama sighed, seeing the pitiful state of the girl, seating himself next to her. "Just know, I'm not dangerous to you or anyone else… Just had to send the Negative One a message."

"What?!"

"You'll know soon enough, I fear…" Kurama shook his head and sighed heavily. "As for your question… I'm the fox that he sees every day. I am his guardian, trying to guide him back to some of his memories… It's not his fault… Or his fault… There was no way they could have known what would have happened in the end."

"Sometimes, fate works in strange ways."

R & R. Follow on Ao3 for more consistent updates.