Chapter has now been updated with the proper formatting.
"You can't expect us to believe any of that!" Yang grunted, finding the story Naruto told her to be beyond belief.
"But Yang, you have your arm back. How can you not believe it?" His tale enraptured Ruby. Her expression quickly softened as she went pensive before she winced. "And if you consider how we got here, is it different? Maybe we did die when we were thrown into the void… And this is the afterlife."
Naruto couldn't contain his frown as the girl shrunk. The girl was positively glowing and brimming with energy for one second, and now he could feel a negative aura overwhelm her. He could almost see it! It didn't feel as if it were an unnatural aura either.
Was this what depression felt like? It was horrible!
"Mah, this ain't the pure world!" Naruto confidently proclaimed, unable to sit back upon sensing Ruby's despair.
"Not sure what the pure world is, but he's right! We're not dead. The void just sent us somewhere far away." Yang patted Ruby's back in a comforting manner.
Ruby momentarily perked up. She then shrunk back into herself. "How can you be so sure?"
"Cuz the first people I would see if I were dead were my mom and dad! So we ain't in the pure world, that's for damn sure! Old man sage wouldn't let a creature like that there!" Naruto flashed his patent grin and laughed.
"That's one way of putting it," Yang blanched.
Ruby, however, held her head up. A light smile graced her features, and she nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Mom would be here, so this can't be the other side."
"Eh, I guess that's true." Yang uncomfortably twitched at the topic of conversation.
Ruby noticed her sister's nervousness and grimaced. She had fallen into the void first. She could only imagine how she felt not being aware of how…
"Guess we should head for that tree then," Naruto pointed through the jungle canopy, drawing Ruby and Yang's attention.
"Woah… How did I not notice that before? How does a tree get that big?!" Yang exclaimed, eyes bulging.
"I wonder… It makes sense, but is there a particular reason why?" Ruby questioned after the shock of seeing the massive tree through the jungle. She understood that it would make a good base camp, but…
"It feels like it's alive." Naruto scrunched his facial features. "Call it a hunch. I've already dealt with a sentient tree roughly the same size, and it didn't go well."
"A sentient tree?" Yang furrowed her brow and stared at the tree. "I mean, it is way bigger than any other tree… Hm… Hey, Rubes, wasn't there a fairy tale Dad used to read to us about a World Tree?"
"Yeah," Ruby nodded after a moment of thought. "Wait, are you thinking…"
"Maybe?" Yang shrugged. "It isn't beyond the realm of possibility. Just think about how many things we've been learning are real lately. To think a little over a year ago we didn't believe in magic…"
Naruto scrunched his brow. Listening to the two, he couldn't help but feel similarly about everything that happened to him. A sentient tree a month ago would have been something out of a story or legend. Now?
Well, now he was living that legend as a part of its story.
"Alright then! Guess we should make that our destination and get going!" Naruto chirped, cracking his knuckles.
"Don't have any other clues, so I'm on board!" Yang followed suit and did the same, her eyes shimmering in ecstasy as she did. "Oh, that feels so good! …Ah, man! Now I have to find the materials to craft another Celica!"
Ruby faintly smiled at her sister's excitement and chuckled at her dilemma. It was almost euphoric to see, yet her mood dampened. "I guess I will have to do the same. I'm useless without Crescent Rose…"
"Oh, that reminds me! Does this belong to someone you know? Found it next to me when I woke up, so I thought it might belong to one of the presences I sensed within the jungle." Naruto proclaimed, revealing a very familiar scythe in a plume of smoke.
"That's mine!" Ruby's eyes glistened as Naruto held out and handed over Crescent Rose. It was short-lived as her mood dampened. "I thought I lost it when it was knocked out of my hands… Before Blake tried to save me and we fell into the void…"
"Blake fell?!" Yang shouted, her eyes darting around the jungle before sharpening back on Ruby. "Why didn't you say anything until now?!"
"I'm sorry! Too much happened at once! I was trying to find you and Blake with Little, only for that creature to ambush me, and then this happened!" Ruby wailed and shrunk at Yang's raised voice, her eyes shifting wildly. "Wait, where is Little? He was with me when I was attacked…"
"Ugh, who cares?!" Yang grimaced momentarily. Her gaze darted back to the jungle. "If Blake is in this jungle, we've got to find her! This place is dangerous!"
"Yang!" Ruby called out as Yang rushed into the wilderness without abandoned, following her suit in an attempt to calm her. "We shouldn't just recklessly rush in! Yang! Wait!"
"She's an impulsive one," Naruto quipped, watching the scene with a hint of amusement. Then he frowned with a moment of retrospect. "Can say the same about myself… Am I that bad? Nah, can't be…"
"Guess I should chase after," Naruto began to trail, grimacing at dealing with the vines again. However, he stopped as he felt something slightly off. There was a presence nearby.
"Ruby? Help…" A squeaky voice called out.
"Eh, who's there?" Naruto responded, attempting to locate the squeaky voice. It felt like it came from where the negative presence of that creature still lingered despite having destroyed it. "Where are ya? I can't see you."
"I can't see. It's really dark! I think something heavy fell on me. I'm stuck and can't move!" The voice cried out.
"Something heavy?" Naruto pursed his lips in that direction, and his eyes sharpened toward the trees he had kicked that creature through. "Wait a second, hold on! I think I understand!"
With a simple toss of the tree, Naruto blinked. Where was the person that was calling out for help? Were they tiny? This place was rather weird…
"Thank you, mister! I thought I was gonna die!" Little squeaked, looking up expectantly at Naruto before looking around. "Where is Ruby? Did she find her friends?"
"So you're Little. That makes sense…" Naruto chuckled, scratching his chin before kneeling and offering his hand to the mouse. "Climb on board, pal."
"I'll take you to her. Seems like she's still trying to find her friends."
It was clear these girls had come from a different world than his own.
Sasuke's contempt for the predicament he found himself in was palpable. The girls' account of their ordeal shed light on the gravity of the situation. This was no ordinary occurrence. Whatever their Void had to be similar to what drew him, and likely Naruto, into this forsaken realm.
Kaguya's dimension rifts were a possibility. Perhaps she wasn't as well sealed as he had thought.
Sasuke shook his head. Whatever the case, what mattered was finding a solution. He could discover the cause later.
"What?" Sasuke snarled, seeing Black and Weiss shrink and wince around him.
He scowled before suppressing an eye roll. His aura was positively menacing toward them. They were weak and unable to handle the pressure he could assert. Not many could if he was in a foul enough mood, so he would need to contain his presence.
"Let's go," Sasuke grunted, turning his attention deeper into the jungle, expecting them to follow without hesitation.
"Why would we follow you?" Blake hissed.
"Blake, please," Weiss attempted to soothe her partner. "I do apologize, but we can't. Our friends must be here, and we need to find them. You are right about that tree being suspicious. It could be connected to why we fell here, and we should investigate it. But we're stronger together and…"
"Didn't you say they wouldn't know you are here?" Sasuke flatly stared back. "The tree is an obvious place to start with searching this place. Not only is it unusual, it is a great landmark. It isn't easy to obscure and easy to locate. If your friends have their wits about them, you will be more likely to run into them heading that direction or find them there."
Blake furrowed her brow, glaring at Sasuke momentarily. Her expression shifted the more she thought about it. He was confident that while she detested the thought of heading out with him, it was the right decision. And he was proven correct as she let out a defeat sigh, her ears folding on her head. It was almost cute to watch. "Lead the way…"
Weiss' head jerked, and she raised her eyebrow at seeing her friend submit to his request. "Blake, are you sure about this? We don't know this guy and…"
"But he is right." Blake refrained from hissing, scrutinizing Sasuke with her stare. "Given his logic and how he came to our aid, I think it is safe to assume he's looking for someone too. Am I wrong?"
Sasuke's flat stare only intensified. She was perceptive enough to recognize that he was looking for someone. She picked up on subtle hints others would have missed out on. Clever girl.
"Yes," Sasuke grunted and headed deeper into the jungle. "However, I know I will find him at the tree… If he doesn't find me or, what I feel is more likely, finding your friends first."
"It's just in his nature to help others in need. It is what he does best."
This place… Where was she? Where did Little Red go? She had her! Ugh!
Neo glowered at the strange jungle, the remains of vines shredded all around her. Her face scrunched, and she looked down toward her hands. Why did she feel so… Different? No, not different. Stronger. Faster.
The vines felt like they were standing still.
She clicked her tongue silently. Whatever. It wasn't like they were a bother if they were that easy to handle. What bothered her was everything in this jungle just seemed off. Odd patterns and colors to everyday objects. It felt as if she stepped into a fairy tale.
Neo silently exhaled. It had been forever since she had read. She used to enjoy reading. It was her way of escaping reality and finding herself in exotic places like where she found herself.
Her blood boiled. No, she didn't need that escape any longer. That place no longer existed! It burned to the ground. Her hell was over…
Neo's eyes glistened, her hands balling into a fist. Her nails dug in and caused her to bleed, but she did not wince. Now, she existed in a state of a new hell.
Her hero was gone. And she was all alone. She had nothing left but his memories. The one that left her with only that would pay. Oh, she would suffer for taking him from her!
With a click of her parasol, it flicked open as she slowly strutted forward, uncaring of the world around her. Her goal was simple. If she was here, Little Red had to be. She had fallen into the void first.
A sadistic grin crept onto her features. Yes, she would get her revenge. And if this new strength was real… Maybe she could finally bring retribution onto the one that drug her into this darkness.
And bring a fiery end to fall.
"Yang! Please, wait up!" Ruby desperately called out from behind her sister.
Ruby understood Yang's panic. She knew what Blake meant to her sister. It had been evident for a while now. Yang was afraid of admitting it and taking a risk for fear of rejection. Blake had a strong relationship with Sun, and she remembered that the two were almost always flirting. Yang was afraid of taking that next step because she wasn't sure despite how close she and Blake had become over the last year.
All of that had to be running through her sister's head. It was why she wasn't thinking rationally and acting out of instinct instead. Ruby grimaced. Would she have reacted the same if it was Penny…
Dispersing into a wave of roses, Ruby flickered ahead of Yang and reformed before her, stopping Yang in her tracks. "Yang, stop and listen to me, please! I know what you are feeling! I get it; I really do! But running headlong like this without a plan is foolish! You know it, I know it!"
"I…! But… Blake…" Yang could hardly string a coherent sentence together.
"She's right, ya know!" Naruto's voice resonated from above.
"What the…" Yang's jaw dropped as she looked up to where his voice came from—that unbelievable story of his started to make a lot more sense.
"Out of the comics…" Ruby had stars in her eyes as Naruto floated down to the ground beneath.
"Woah, that was amazing!" Little cheered, jumping out of Naruto's pouch. "It was like, whoosh! Again! Again!"
"Ah-he, maybe later," Naruto patted the little mouse on the head after he scurried up onto his shoulder.
"Little!" Ruby gasped before profusely apologizing. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to leave you behind!"
"You were looking for your friends! I understand!" Little leapt over from Naruto's shoulder and landed into Ruby's open palms as she went to catch him, standing up and giving Ruby an anamorphic smile. "You helped me, so I will help you find them!"
Ruby returned the smile with a gentle one of her own. "Thank you, Little. Oh, this is my sister, Yang."
"Eh, hi…" Yang blanched and leaned back while Ruby held out Little toward her. "Nice to meet ya, I guess…"
"Woah, so many visitors!" Little's eyes grew big at seeing Yang. "It's been a long time since so many people have crossed through our home!"
"Your home?" Yang pursed her lips pensively. "Hey, by any chance, have you seen anyone else? I'm looking for another girl… Short, black hair. Wears very tight leather clothes…"
"Nope!" Little squeaked. Yang looked disheartened and devastated, her eyes shifting to the jungle around them. She knew Ruby was right…
"But if we head to my village, I can gather more to help us search! We know our home very well and are sure to find someone if they are here!" Little chirped enthusiastically.
"Village?" Yang stated in surprise before grimacing, watching Little scurry up and into Ruby's hood.
"Yes! Let me guide you there! It's close by!" Little held out his tiny hand, directing Ruby toward the general direction of his village.
"It's fine by me, so lead the way. It's the best bet we got since my senses are all messed up." Naruto's eyes crossed with Ruby, and he nodded.
"Thank you, Little. We need all the help we can get… Does that work, Yang?" Ruby turned to her sister, her question more of a pleading response.
"Yeah, I guess…" Yang grimaced after a moment but gave her consent. It was clear she wasn't comfortable with the situation, and her worry about Blake was palpable.
But she placed her trust in her sister. If she believed this little mouse could assist in finding Blake, she would also. She knew the results too well when they didn't trust one another…
It led to disaster.
The palm trees had slowly become more and more sparse. They were almost out of the jungle.
But something still felt off to Sasuke. Blake and Weiss seemed none the wiser and were keeping pace with him while sharing information. It was a good use of their time. He honestly did care about their story, but it clued him in precisely what happened that brought them here.
Magic was genuine in their world. They used it to create a realm to try to evacuate an entire nation that was under attack. A noble goal, if a little foolhardy. Moving so many people simultaneously wasn't without risk, and they paid the price for it.
His senses sharpened. This distortion was an annoyance. Something snuck way closer to them than he would have liked. It was insignificant to him, but that didn't matter. Something was scurrying nearby, and he didn't like it. After focusing momentarily, he located it but couldn't help but be more confused.
That was a lot of mice. Sasuke grimaced. Were the mice like the vines in this place? Disgusting. The creatures contained so many vile bacteria and viruses…
"Blake, is that…" Weiss pointed to something ahead, and Blake rushed ahead.
Sasuke's attention snapped from the vile rats to what Weiss brought attention to. A gun? With a blade attached to it? Why was it embedded into… Vines?
"Pay attention!" Sasuke snapped, cutting through the vines instantly and cut off Blake from her intended goal. He scowled and deathly glared at her before shoving the weapon into her grasp. "If you can't spot an obvious trap, you will fail time and again. We're being watched."
Blake shrunk at the venom in Sasuke's voice. Her ears curled on top of her head. However, she listened. Scanning the environment, her eyes sharpened. "Mice?"
"And they have been tracking us?" Weiss commented, her eyes slitting as a strange look of disgust crossed her expression. "Oh, don't tell me everything in this place is more dangerous…"
"They've been following us for a while. They likely sent a group ahead to lay the trap, so they are clever." Sasuke commented before opening his Rinnegan eye and holding his hand toward the mice. "So let's find out what they want."
"How do you expect us to catch tiny, fast-moving… Ah, they're flying at us!" Weiss attempted to question before screaming and hiding behind Blake.
Sasuke rolled his eyes at her reaction and the dozens of shrieks as he picked up the mice and drug them using the power of Universal Pull. He somehow felt Sakura or Karin would have reacted similarly. The vermin suddenly flying in their direction could cause a fright, he had to admit…
Blake openly gawked as the mice panicked and squealed as they landed on the ground before Sasuke's feet. However, her ears pinned back, and she repressed a snarl. There were too many of them…
"Don't eat us!" Sasuke's lips twitched with amusement. Despite the terror of being pulled toward him in the air, all their attention was focused on Blake.
He quickly hid that amusement with a scowl. If they could speak, they were at least intelligent enough to negotiate. "You attempted to set up a trap and were following us. Tell us why she shouldn't."
"I'm not going to…" Blake hissed before her eyes flickered as her gaze met with Sasuke's. Placing her hand on her hips, she intensified her stare and glared down at the mice. "Right, why shouldn't we? You were trying to trap us first!"
"We're sorry! We were just trying to help! Little brought friends home and asked for help!" One mouse blabbered.
"Little? Friends?" Weiss furrowed her brow and pursed her lips.
"Big friends! Like you… And you!" Another mouse pointed toward Weiss and then toward Naruto.
"Take us to your village, now." Sasuke's eyes sharpened.
He didn't care how tense the two girls became. It was clear to him what that mouse meant. Not only were their friends at whatever they deemed as a village… So was Naruto.
If something could distort his abilities and senses, the threat could very well be at the same level as what they had been facing. Even if it wasn't, it was a priority to have someone he could trust as a backup. So far…
These girls were disappointing.
The mouse village was quaint. It wasn't quite what she was expecting, but it was lovely.
Thankfully, the mice were accepting of their presence. It was tense when they first arrived, but Little explained everything and decided to help them. So now all they had to do was hope they could find Blake soon…
It was also bizarre how they gathered around Naruto. It was almost as if they acted like they had a kinship with him. Sure, he seemed to have a magnetically upbeat personality, but they acted as if they knew him.
It wasn't helping he was giving them rides and allowing them to fly…
"It's like they revere him," Yang muttered, sitting next to Ruby after carefully ensuring she hadn't sat on anything important. She then tilted her head. "I mean, he is capable of many weird things, but…"
"It is odd," Ruby agreed, her lips pursed. "I wonder why they like him so…"
"He feels familiar." Little chimed in, drawing Ruby and Yang's attention as the sleeping mouse awoke and lifted his head from Ruby's hood.
"Yo, you finally woke up? You sure sleep a lot." Yang glowered, recalling how Little fell asleep on the way to the village and only woke up from all the commotion.
"I'm sorry," Little shrunk from Yang's glare.
"It's okay," Ruby smiled and attempted to lift Little's spirit. Her gaze shifted toward Naruto, who laughed while trying to get a moment to himself. "Familiar, huh?"
"It feels like… We have known him for a long time. I don't know how to explain it. It's like he's been here before." Little glanced at Naruto as he separated himself from the rest of the mice.
"Gah, the little buggers are too much!" Naruto chuckled, sitting beside the two sisters, and scratched the back of his head.
"It's better than them declaring war on us," Yang muttered.
"Yeah, but I do get why. Many of us would do the same if a giant suddenly appeared at our home." Naruto sagely nodded.
Ruby lightly chuckled, noticing her sister give a slight nod of acknowledgment. She was sure their reaction would be the same if a giant had marched upon their home.
"Hm?" Ruby noticed the mice began to scurry. It was almost as if they were agitated by something. Her attention shifted to the rustling of foliage, hearing something in the distance. It was nearly as if something was… Running toward them?
"We've got company," Naruto nonchalantly stated, gazing at where the noise came from. "Know someone with cat ears?"
"Blake!" Yang shot up and bolted in that direction.
Ruby swiftly followed behind. However, she slowed her pace to a stop and subduedly smiled, watching her sister embrace her friend and teammate. It almost melted her heart.
But then it skipped a beat in horror upon seeing who trailed behind Blake.
"Yang, you're okay!" Blake cried, tears building in her ducts. "When you fell, I thought… Wait, you arm! But how?!"
"A lot has happened," Yang released Blake, her expression softening as she reached out and wiped the tears from Blake's eyes with one hand while holding her other tightly. "I'll tell you when we get a second. All that matters is we are all okay. We can figure out everything later… And more on who this is!"
"Hn," Sasuke clicked his tongue, striding past the two and directly toward a sheepish Naruto. "Thought I would find you if I stayed with them. You are too predictable, idiot."
"Guess I am!" Naruto laughed while Sasuke glowered.
"Get a room," Weiss muttered with a partial smile, stepping past the two as they flushed in embarrassment. Her eyes then shifted to Ruby. "Good to see you're okay as well."
"Yeah," Ruby meekly retorted, her heart dropping into her stomach. "You fell too… We failed, didn't we?"
"Yes, we lost Atlas, but at least we kept everyone safe…" Weiss' voice wavered, and she hung her head. "I'm sorry Ruby… I'm so sorry…"
"Weiss?" Ruby's blood ran cold.
Why was Weiss apologizing? She knew the dangers. She accepted them and took that burden on. She knew failure was an option. It was painful that they lost, but…"
With tears in her eyes, Weiss made eye contact with Ruby, almost pleading with her. "Ruby… Penny sacrificed herself to stop Cinder. She's gone, Ruby… She's really gone this time."
Ruby's heart stopped. Everything slowly darkened. Her lips quivered as a shiver traveled down her spine. The image of what happened to Penny in Vale replayed in her mind repeatedly.
And this time, there was no coming back. They wished for her to become human… she couldn't be rebuilt this time.
"Penny…" Ruby's world went black. She felt the world collapse around her.
And then she felt nothing.
She was here.
The tracks were obvious. Another person was wandering through this forest. And it wasn't just one.
Neo snarled, her determination unwavering. The fact that they had already united was a challenge, but not an insurmountable one. She needed to find a way to balance the odds in her favor.
Shards of her aura gathered much to her confusion. She wasn't using it. Neo furrowed her brow. How long had it been since her aura acted out on its own? It hadn't done so since… She was a child.
Her eyes sharpened as an image formed before her—a mirror image of herself. Yet for the briefest glimpse, she swore she saw it smirk at her. It was almost as if it was reacting to her thoughts independently.
Neo scowled at her doppelganger. This reminded her too much of her childhood when her desires would manifest into an alternate persona. How she hated this place. She didn't want to remember any of her past.
"Grrr…"
A growl resonated from the jungle around her. Darkness gathered before her, and slowly, a terrifying figure formed from it, stalking toward her.
Neo glowered, unafraid of the creature. Her doppelganger slapped her parasol against her hand several times, annoyed at its arrival. A wicked grin crossed Neo's expression as she glanced at her clone. A way to balance the odds…
Shards of aura shattered like glass. Dozens of Neo copies formed, all confidently striding toward the creature that had the audacity to challenge her. It would pay dearly for picking this moment to try and attack her. Neo smirked insidiously. Perhaps she would give it the same treatment she had received over these last few years.
Show it just how horrible it was to lose one's freedom.
I hope you enjoyed this quick update!
Like always, I love hearing from you if ya have a moment. It makes my day and keeps me going. Even if it is a good job or letting me know of a minor mistake (as I'll be honest, it's harder to find mistakes in my own work), it makes my day.
Until next time, Peace.