Ding!
[Pikachu is now level 9!]
"All right," said Naruto, fist-bumping his pikachu.
"So what's that mean?" asked Kakashi as he paused to poke a disturbance in the air.
[Your share: 75s.]
[Sasuke - Leather Pants.]
"It means that his attack strength and speed went up, and he's one level away from getting an extra attack besides Quick and Thundershock," said Naruto after pulling Pikachu's stats up.
"No, Sakura," said Sasuke, responding to something Sakura had whispered. "I am not wearing those."
"But it gives you a '+3 to Fire Resistance'," protested Sakura. "Wouldn't that be handy?"
"Pika pi," said Pikachu.
"Okay," said Naruto, checking his device. "I'll let you rest, and pull out... this guy."
Zabuza reappeared out of apparently nowhere, having gone ahead to scout. "Keep it quiet. That room up ahead has an interesting scene going on."
"Someone want to tell me what's going on?"
"This is intolerable! I demand an explanation!"
"Since we're all prisoners, chained to the wall, in what's obviously a dungeon cell, it seems unlikely any of us are actually responsible for our shared predicament. Correct?"
"Wha' language wa' that?"
"Nerdish, I believe."
"Okay, everyone calm down!"
"I was calm, even considering the situation."
"You're... not human?"
"You can tell? Princess Asrial of Salusia. And you?"
"I've got a gift. You're neither human nor demon. I don't understand."
"I think the cat-eared girl has a point."
"From a study of Earth species, I believe 'skunk' is the appropriate term."
"Whatever. You're a princess. So am I. So is... Shion."
"How do you know my name?" asked the named Shion.
"There are nameplates above everyone's head, and each name is proceeded by the word 'Princess' - ergo we are captured Princesses held in a dungeon. That said, this is the weirdest and most realistic-feeling dream I've ever had."
"I'm not a Princess, I just portray one in the movies."
"I'm not technically a princess, unless you count my identity as Sailor Mercury who was a princess in a previous life."
"I'm not either. What does my nameplate say?"
"Ramen Princess Ayame."
"I work with my father at a ramen stand. I hardly qualify as a princess."
"Yer da' prolly consider ye a princess."
"Well, I certainly don't," said Ayame. "Come to think of it though, he HAS called me that a few times."
"And you're... Princess Merida?" asked the talkative princess. "Where have I heard that name before?"
"Ye heard o' me?" The redhead gave a swift tug at one of her manacles."
"Not sure where, but the name sounds familiar," said the talkative princess. "Oh, and I'm Princess Amelia."
"So we coom to da question of why and how," said Merida, rattling her chains.
The short-skirted girl in blue frowned. "Whatever these shackles are, I haven't been able to access my computer or my magic. They appear to have magic-negating abilities."
"Ye're a magickal princess?" asked Merida.
"So am I, but I haven't been able to access any magic since I woke up here," admitted Princess Amelia.
"Two of ye?" asked Merida. "Ah can only hope ye do better than me own experience with the hocus-pocus stuff."
"You mean like ninjutsu?" asked Ayame, sounding quite confused. "I don't have any chakra techniques but I know OF them."
"Ninjutsu? Are you from a ninja village then?" asked Shion.
"Konohagakure," answered Ayame.
"I've heard of that!" said Shion, seizing on at least SOMETHING being familiar. "You're from my world!"
"Waitaminute," said Princess Asrial. "I remember. Princess Merida - you're from that 'Brave' movie."
"Wha be a 'movie'?" asked Merida.
"Your mother got turned into a bear in a drama in my world," said Asrial.
"Oi! Ye know aboot that?!" asked Merida, blinking.
"And you!" said Asrial, pointing with one leg. "You're Ami Mizuno, Sailor Mercury! And you're Amelia from Slayers! The girl with the creepy sister!"
"Let's really NOT talk about my sister," said Amelia, hanging her head and wondering how long that sister would be a dark cloud hanging over her family. Not that she was hoping anything happened to her, just that she'd stop doing that sort of thing. ANY of that sort of thing.
"So what are we..." Asrial stopped as the door opened.
Five women, looking absolutely identical, in black skintight leather with high heels, walked into the room.
"Oh hell," said Ayame.
"New recruits," said one of the redheaded women, cracking a whip. "We'll make you hurt so good."
"You'll see things our way," said another, cracking her own whip. "Sooner or later."
"We'll make you proper princesses," said a third.
"Ready to wake up now," said Princess Amelia.
"You're all here because our great mistress is seeking to conquer your worlds," said the first redhead. "When you wanted to be elsewhere, away from your duties - you provided the key to your summoning. Our great mistress, the Succubus Queen, has directed us to convert you and then send you back to your homeworlds - as agents of conquest."
"Oh, it's one of THOSE plotlines," muttered Princess Ami. "At least it's not something silly like dream-mirrors this time."
"After all," said one of the false-leather-clad women, snapping her whip as punctuation. "Who could possibly save you now? There is no prince charming, no hero, no rescue for any of you!"
BOOM!
The door to the cell flew off its hinges, sweeping aside the lead redhead as it passed, and slammed into the far wall.
The other redheaded leather-clad women looked at the door, then slowly back to the open doorway.
A blonde kid riding an enormous rhinoceros beetle grinned at everyone in the room. "Anyone order ninja heroes?"
"YES!" said several captives.
"What's a 'ninja' anywhoo?" asked Merida.
"Naruto?" asked Ayame.
One of the leatherclad girls cleared her throat. "The Princess you are looking for is in another castle!"
Naruto stared at her.
"Well, it was worth a try," said the redhead, cracking her whip. "Has to work sometime."
"Heracross," said Naruto, patting the side of his mount. "Tackle!"
"Triangle formation! Whips out!" tried one of the remaining four catsuited women just before they were hit by a charging massive beetle.
"Kinda like the Earth-sport of bowling," noted Princess Asrial as the result of the two forces meeting was observed. The result being several faux-leather-clad forms being bounced off walls.
One staggered close to Princess Merida who brought her legs up, and managed to get her ankles scissoring around the woman's neck.
Kakashi and Zabuza just chose a wall to sit back and watch as Team 7 began beating on the redheads, the whips proving to be largely ineffective in short quarters.
"HEY! STOP THAT!" one of the punishers said after being hit by the whip wielded by another of them.
Then the fight was over, the superior numbers and ages of the defenders not up to the assault by the attackers.
"Seven seconds, you'll have to do better in the future," said Zabuza, deciding to ignore that for now. Though the tinkle of coins moving around in that little coinpurse gave him a warm and pleasant feeling.
"But I want to rescue ALL the Princesses... Ayame?" Naruto stared. "You're a Princess?"
"No. My father calls me that every so often, apparently that was enough. And there's a timer on the wall behind you."
"If I'm right, only the first princess you rescue will count for whatever this 'recruit' means," said Sakura, glancing at the timer. "One minute. Does anyone object to being 'recruitable'? I'm thinking that one slot marked 'Guest' would be for summoned characters. Maybe?"
"Do that mean I'd get to swat yon skanky types?" asked Merida, dropping the pummeled-and-partly-strangled dominatrix to the floor.
"I think so," said Sakura.
"Count me in!" said Meridia. "I got dibs on bow or sword."
"Uhm, they looked like yoma, or at least possessed, so I believe that I can offer a certain degree of experience," said the one whose nameplate read "Princess Mercury."
"You said 'only the first'," said Naruto. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!"
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(Posted Thu, 11 Jul 2013 16:55)
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