A/N: PLEASE READ THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE, WOULD YOU KINDLY?
EDIT: If the site doesn't let you review at first, or you get a network error, keep trying/refreshing until it works. The site's gone glitchy.
Trust me, it WILL work eventually. It just takes a bit.
First, please ignore any grammatical errors. Still recovering from surgery over here. Tried to make it long as possible though, so I do hope you enjoy it, dear reader.
Second! Remember, work of fiction here. Lets all just relax and enjoy it, yeah. Still, that said...brace yourselves. That's all I'm going to say. This chapter's an intense one; worked real hard on it despite the crippling pain I'm in right now. Nooow then, time for the questions!
Q: Is Naruto the villain here?
A: Once again. Naruto is not. The bad guy in this story. Despite some of his more morally grey choices, he's done his best to stay of Ozma and Salem's radar. Of course that's clearly changed now, but the original sentiment remains. If he WANTED to he could have wiped Salem and Ozpin off the map. Instead he chose to hide, lock himself away from the world and live in isolation for the sake of others. But now he's been pushed past his tipping point; because Kaguya wants out, and she doesn't care about collateral damage.
He's not hiding anymore. He can't. He doesn't have time to. Remember dear reader, the more he uses his power, the easier it is for Kaguya to take control. He's a ticking time bomb, one that might go off again at any given moment.
Q: Do you hate Ozpin?
A: WHAT?! No! Oddly enough, he's one of my favorite characters. If anything, this is one of the few tales where he's genuinely an adversary of Naruto. Not saying a bloody THING about Kiss of Death yet. I've got a few surprises in store there. But I won't have folks thinking I hate Ozma.
Here, I'll even make a list:
An Untraveled Road? Wary acquaintances. They don't know one another. Remnants of a Shinobi? Naruto's questioning Oz and his secrets, but he doesn't hate him. Hell, Ozma's all but ALLOWING him to take the lamp. Rags to Riches? Nonfactor. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing? Nope. They're allies.
New Gods of Remnant. Haven't met yet.
Everybody Loves Cookies? Old friends. Partners In Crime? Haven't even met yet. Klling Monsters? Oz is more of a kindly grandfather in one. Just A Bit of Bread? Well! Would ya look at that?! ALLIES! Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover? The very best of friends, though I suppose that'll be a spoiler. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the gist.
I. Do not. Hate. Ozma. If anything, I pity him.
Q: So is Cinder good now, or...
A: She's complicated. If last chapter didn't make things abundantly clear, this one will. Cinder isn't a goody two shoes. She may be a bit more mellow than her canon counterpart at present, and even found herself slowly falling in love, but this is the woman who destroyed Beacon, killed Pyrrha, and would have done much worse if she hadn't run into the living roadblock known as Naruto. She likes to taunt her enemies. She mocks them. Then she breaks them.
Ironically, Naruto's made her a better mother to Emerald and Mercury, so I suppose that counts as an improvement. All hail Mama!Cinder and long may she reign!
Q: SALEM WHEN?!
A: Salem...eventually. Time will tell what happens to her.
Q: He's going to summon the gods, I just know it. Don't you do it!
A: What? No. No, no, no. Naruto has no desire to fight the Brother Gods, but he will if he must.
Now then, lets get ready. Set! Go! Once again, chapter title is part of the lyrics from the song "All Things Must Die."
As ever, I own no references, themes or memes!
And so, with that said...away we go~!
"I still remember the feel of sunlight on my skin. The scent of favorite foods. Smell. Touch. The color of my first love's eyes. The laughter of children playing underfoot. Yet you call me a villain, Ozma? You misunderstand everything. To be free of Kaguya, to experience those simple pleasures again, to live a normal life...would be worth anything.
To you, I am a monster. Perhaps you're right. Be grateful then, that this monster is holding back the devil herself."
~?
Life is Just a Journey
Jaune was missing, and Ozpin with him.
It was all so sudden, so unexpected, that Qrow didn't know what to do.
Not a note, not a word, not a nothing. Just...gone. Damnit, this had his semblance written all over it.
Team JNPR was up in arms about the whole kerfuffle, which meant his darling nieces and their teammates weren't far behind. Everyone wanted to go out and search for the two of them. Under normal circumstances, Qrow would've let them hare off and go find them. But in the middle of the night? On a new moon? With a storm coming? Nope. Not happening. Honestly, it was like herding cats. Really he had half a mind to take wing himself, track those two down, thrash them within an inch of their lives and smack 'em both upside the head besides! What were they thinking?!
No one was! That was the damn problem!
He knew 'ol Blondie wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but surely he knew better than to haring off in the middle of the night like this. And more fool Oz for chasing after him! Shit like this reminded him of Raven. Of better times. Happier times. Before the fall of Beacon, before Summer's death, before so many things. He wasn't used to leading. Summer had always done that back on Team STRQ, and Ozpin after her. Now he found himself in charge and for the life of him, he didn't know what to do. It was a frightening thought.
They were furious with him; of course they were. He'd coralled them in their their rooms for their own safety. They'd thank him come morning.
"Run, Qrow!" a sudden voice hissed in the back of his head, nearly startling him out of his skin. "Take the kids and run! NOW!"
A cold hand settled on his shoulder. The drunken huntsman spun and cast a glance over his shoulder only to find naught but empty air. A shiver stole over him; despite what he'd said earlier, he found himself reaching for his flask. Empty of course. Just as it had been for the last hour now. Still, where in blazes had that voice come from? It almost sounded like...nah. That couldn't be it. He'd had too much to drink. Hadn't he? But for a sliver of a second, for a moment there, he could've sworn he heard...
"Nah." he muttered, shaking his head. "Gotta be hearing things."
He gazed out the window into the coming storm; felt a misty wind caress his cheek, then it was gone. When he inhaled the faint scent of smoke and ash filled his nose. No surprise that. Flames danced in his eyes, not from a nearby candle was one might expect, but a far deadlier source altogether. A scowl plucked at his mouth.
Because the forest was burning.
Qrow knew it wasn't going to last much longer; the coming storm would douse the blaze before it could spread to the city; moreover there weren't any villages nearby, so there wasn't any risk to human life. None that he knew of. And yet this strange, nebulous feeling of cold arctic dread persisted. He felt restless. Agitated. What he'd just heard hadn't helped. He needed to move. Run. Fly. Something. Anything.
"Was that you, Summer?" he muttered. "Or am I imagining things?"
"Um...?" A voice tugged him back to reality. "Uncle Qrow...? Who're you talking to?"
Qrow's, already hammering heart nearly leaped out of his chest as he rounded on the sound.
"Ruby? What're you doing out of your room?"
"Zapped the lock." His niece raised her right hand. As she spoke a spark skittered between her fingers, shot down her wrist and vanished into her sleeve. Damn Maiden powers. Why had they gone to her? She'd be hunted forever for them. Or turned into a weapon. No. Not that. Anything but that. He wouldn't let it happen. He'd keep her safe. He would keep all of them safe. Every last one of them. He swore it. He had to.
"Jaune," she swallowed, steeling herself. "Jaune's coming back, right? Ozpin will find him, won't he?"
Qrow wanted to say yes. But he couldn't. the words stuck in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to answer, and she knew it.
"I dunno, kiddo...
Ruby dithered for a moment, kicking one foot against the other like the restless child she was. Without warning she vanished in a cloud of red petal and slammed into his side. Qrow grunted in mild pain, but caught her all the same. From there she tucked her head into his chest, stifling a whimper. He felt her tears against his jacket before he heard them.
"It feels like everything's falling apart." she whispered. "Jaune's been acting weird, I'm still struggling with this power, and now...
Something snapped. "Can't believe I'm doin' this..."
"Eh?"
Ruby blinked up at him as he pulled away. She tried to cling on, but he gently disentangled himself from her. Even as fresh tears gathered in her eyes, he dipped down and planted a hand on her head. He couldn't let her live her life in fear. Not like Raven. That was no way to exist.
Gods above, he hoped he wasn't making a mistake. "Go wake your friends up. We're going on a hunt."
Ruby blinked again. Once. Twice. Thrice. Realization dawned.
Then latched onto his arm like a limpet.
"Bestuncleintheworld!"
"Just relax, kiddo." He patted her head as she darted away. "Wherever he is, whatever he's doing, I'm sure Ozpin's got a plan."
(.0.0.0.)
To his credit, Ozpin did have a plan. Survive.
Downright brilliant really.
Simple, too.
Unfortunately, his opponent was rather opposed to said plan. Very much so. He'd tried to run long ago; to cut his loses and retreat back into the trees. She hadn't let him. Relentless like the storm itself, she hounded him through the trees, dogging his every step. There was no chance to escape, no opportunity to break away. His every offense was stymied, any attempt at defense obliterated. And he had no one to blame but himself. Pride proved his undoing. Arrogance threatened to annihilate everything he'd worked so hard for.
His eyes stung with stale sweat. His lungs burned. His muscles screamed, begging for rest he couldn't afford to give.
He'd been a fool to come here; he realized that now. But who could have predicted this? Who would've thought the enemy was so close; nevermind that they'd managed to seduce one of his own students? Not he. Ozpin had made many mistakes in his lifetime. Chasing after Jaune Arc alone was swiftly proving to be among the worst.
Frost crept at his feet and he leaped back with a hiss, desperate to place some much-needed distance between him and his foe.
"Poor, poor Ozpin." a sensual purr echoed after him into the dark as he scrambled to safety. "What happened to all that bravado? Where did your confidence go?"
Where had his confidence gone? Right down the drain the moment she appeared. Cinder Fall emerged from the dark, lazily cradling a flame in her hand. It cast ever-shifting shadows across her wicked visage, lending her an almost monstrous appearance. Like a panther stalking her prey. He was very much the prey in this conflict. No matter how much he might wish otherwise. Blast it.
"I'm quite confident." he lied through his teeth as he supported himself on his cane. "You've fallen right into my trap."
Her smile flickered. "Is that so?"
"Quite. Did you really think I would be so foolish as to come alone?" Lie! Bullshit! Bluster! Anything to buy himself time! Qrow must have noticed his absence by now. He had to. Arc was eerily silent in Roman's grasp, to say nothing of his companion. Teams RWBY and JNPR might not be the battle hardened warriors he needed, but he'd take anything he could get right at the moment. Perhaps they could yet recruit that Illia lass or the Sun fellow and the allies they'd brought with them. Qrow alone was worth three huntsmen in his own right.
He just had to hold out.
"I think not." Hazel rumbled suddenly with a grim grin of his own. "If you had reinforcements, they would've arrived by now."
"Hazel's right. He doesn't have any." the horned man- Naruto!- raised his voice. "I don't sense anyone."
Ozpin bit down on a curse. That one was the true threat here. His reluctance to fight gave Ozpin hope, however. He'd survived the first salvo thus far. Oscar's body might not be suited to a protracted battle, but he could dodge with the best of them.
"I'll enjoy killing you a second time, you wretched fool!"
Cinder swept out at him and he struck at her legs. Rather than dodge, she took the blow on one knee and sent him sprawling with a fresh plume of fire.
This time, her fingers managed to brushed the lamp before he could tumble to safety once more it away.
"I knew you were a foolish woman, but really, trading one master for another?" affecting his best disappointed expression the once-and-former headmaster shook his head as he climbed back to his feet. "Salem doesn't take betrayal lightly. She'll hunt you to the end of your days for this. You're nothing but an ant in her eyes."
An eye twitched quirked. Watch your words."
"Struck a nerve, have I?"
"Don't let him get to you!" once more, Naruto's voice cut through the misty haze as he called to her. "Stop playing with your food and get the lamp already. Or I will."
Irritation flashed through Cinder's gaze. Ozpin fought down a smile at the sight of it.
Ah yes, the relic. She hadn't gone all out against him for fear of destroying it, impossible though it was. But she didn't know that. Coupled with her fraying temper, he had a chance. He needed her angry. Furious, even. If she was blinded by wrathful rage, she would make mistakes. Mistakes might mean the difference between life or death tonight. The others were watching, but they had yet to interfere. Had they done so, this would have ended long. If it was just her, perhaps...maybe...!
"Do we really want her angry?"
Not at all, but it was his best chance to survive.
"You were nothing once, Cinder." Ozpin needled once more. "You'll be nothing again."
Golden eyes narrowed to thin slits of molter amber. "Silence!"
The heat spiked. It was his only warning.
Ozpin grit his teeth as Cinder shot forward in a howling streak of flame, raised his weapon and planted his feet, determined to intercept her once more. He had no choice. She'd just run him down if he fled. This time he paid dearly for it. Her blazing blades sheared another inch off his cane, smashed through his guard and caught him dead in the chest. A fresh trench seared itself into his coat as he found himself launched him into a tree. If it weren't for his Aura, he would have been cleaved in two; even then he felt his ribs creak ominously as they held.
'Oh, dear.' he sighed fretfully. 'That's going to leave a mark.'
Alas, the badly battered oak behind him was not so fortunate; Brittle bark burst beneath his back as his flight continued, tearing a dark swathe through the earth. Aura keened and screeched as his body skidded, twisted and bounced across the forest floor, plunging with each successive impact.
"Do something!" Oscar bleated in the back of his head as they flew, a frightened boy unready to face such trials. "She's going to kill us at this rate!"
"I will." the immortal reassured him. "Have some faith."
Pushing his mind to the forefront of their shared body once more, Ozpin caught a branch mid-tumble and swept himself up onto the bough of another tree. His battered weapon swung up, ready to bat away a blast of fire should it come, but it didn't. Ozpin lowered his cane. And he dared to hope. Had he finally lost her? Surely they were far enough away now. She wouldn't be able to catch them-
He turned and his face collided with Cinder's open palm. Bright eyes bulged.
"Running away, are we?" Burning golden orbs blaze down at him as an eerie glow swelled in her hand. "No, no, no. You don't get to flee."
Ozpin had all of an instant to shove his aura forward.
A torrent of flame burst from her hand and ripped him from his perch. He struck the earth like a falling star; the impact forced a cry of pain from him. This time Ozpin wasn't able to right himself in time; rather, he had no time to do so. Left with no choice but to trust in the strength of his faltering aura, he found himself drilled into the soil once more. Something cracked in his ear. It might've been his back. He wasn't sure.
Ozma had fought many powerful opponents across countless lifetimes. Cinder eclipsed all but one of them. And that one had been Salem.
He'd been stronger back then. Now he was merely a shadow of his former self. No matter how hard he fought, no matter how hard he pushed Oscar's body, it just wasn't enough. The gap between them was too great for him to bridge alone. Cinder outclassed him in every way. He had fallen to her in his last vessel that day; while she she was so much more than before. He'd only grown weaker since. Was she trying to kill him? If not, she was making a good show of it...
He staggered out of the crater she'd blasted him into, wasted and gasping for air. He couldn't die here. He was needed. There was still so much to do...!
"Are we going to die?"
"Not if I can help it, Oscar...
His host sensed the lie and despaired as he searched for Cinder once more. Ozma couldn't bring himself to condemn him for his fear. He was beginning to feel it, too. They couldn't win. It was galling to admit, but honor meant nothing here. Cinder was playing with him, exacting her vengeance for a grudge he couldn't understand. Meanwhile the others were watching, ready and waiting to intervene at the slightest provocation. He couldn't fight them all. A fighting retreat was their
A hand flew out of the dark, catching him by the throat.
Ozpin reacted instantly, bashing his cane forward into Cinder's face. Unlike his, her Aura held. She scoffed and lifted him from his feet.
"Look at you, wasted and gasping for air." her fingers tightened around his neck, scorching his windpipe with every breath. "But you don't get to go yet."
She slammed him down. Aura buckled. Bone fractured.
"When your legacy is in ashes," she snarled in his face, "When you've experienced the pain I have, then you have my permission to die."
A whirling kick send him skidding back to the others. His back collided with Hazel's leg. The giant snarled out and kicked him back toward Cinder, but beyond that made no effort to intervene. She retaliated viciously, cruel scalding fingers hooked into his side as she wrenched him toward her. With the other, she reached for the lamp. In a moment of primal panic he bucked against her and drove the back of his head into her chin as hard as he could, briefly stunning her. She reeled back and he dove forward, flinging himself to safety.
No more. His aura was nearly gone. This was no longer a sustainable battle.
Sensing his darkening thoughts, Oscar protested. Of course he did. "What about Jaune and Pyrrha?"
"That girl is not Miss Nikos. She cannot be." To admit otherwise was to step into the realm of the ubiquitous and unknown. This horned man could raise the dead. Who was here? Where had he been hiding? What did his presence mean for the world? Was he allied with Salem? He must be. The alternative was too absurd to consider...even if it was the truth. "I'm afraid we'll have to leave them behind."
He couldn't try to rescue them any longer and escape. It just wasn't feasible.
Oscar bristled all the same. "Surely we're not going to leave them?!"
Sacrifices must be made. They could not be allowed to have the lamp. Who knew what they might do with it? He dare not risk such a thing.
Hostage. He needed a hostage. A bargaining chip to ensure safe passage, something to buy time. Killing her was out of the question, but if they didn't want to see her harmed...
When Cinder came for him again he ducked under her arm and bolted towards Emerald. That one was the weakest by far; her hallucinations wouldn't be able to affect him. Roman and Neo were busy with their captives. Mercury and Hazel weren't close enough to stop him in time. And the horned man seemed reluctant to involve himself for reasons he didn't understand. Red eyes narrowed on him. Someone shouted.
"Enough."
And.
The world.
Quite simply stopped.
Ozpin shuddered, daring a glance over his shoulder to find the source of his sudden malady. What he saw there transfixed him. He beheld a transparent hand had plunging through his back, stabbing between his shoulder blades to find his chest. The pain was incredible. He wasn't sure who screamed first. And yet when he looked down, there was no blood. No wound. Not so much as a scratch on him. So, why, then? Why couldn't he move? Why was he in such agony?
Why did it feel like he was dying?
"Cinder," the horned man admonished, "I told you not to play with your food. He almost got Emerald just now."
"Tch." the Spring Maiden banished her blades and glared at the ground. "I underestimated the wizard. It won't happen again."
"You're right." Mismatching eyes regarded her coldly. "It won't."
Ozma felt something grasp his soul. He wasn't sure how he knew, only that he did. His soul. The very concept that defined his being. Not that of Oscar's. That, the horned man left well alone. His arm pulled and a strange, weightless sensation enveloped the old wizard. His vision narrowed, tunneling to a single pinprick of existence.
"Ozpin?! What's happening?!"
"You just had to make things difficult." his tormentor sighed. "This will shave months off my lifespan. I hope you're happy with yourself."
Ozma scarcely noticed the words. He could no longer hear Oscar, but found he could still sense him nearby. Curious.
Oh, he realized, looking up. That's why.
Naruto hefted his arm and to Ozma's eternal dismay, his soul went with it. He fought, he struggled, he tried to cling on, but the force puling him prevailed. In a sudden rush of light and pain Oscar was left behind, locked in his own body. His screams cut off. Hazel knelt to inspect him, but the poor boy didn't move. He looked to have fainted...or gone catatonic shock. Were it not for the faint rise and fall of his chest, he might have thought the poor boy dead.
"I really hate doing this." Naruto was speaking to him now, but the words were faint and muted now, as though spoken from a great distance. "But you left me with no choice."
"Holy shit!" Someone -Mercury?- swore just out of sight. "Did you just...is that his soul?!"
Emerald whistled softly. "Didn't know you could do that...
Ozma tried to speak, tried to curse them, but he lacked the capacity for speech. His existence was comprised of a tiny blue sphere clutched in his enemy's grasp. So too did he lack the ears by which to hear, yet still they came through. He wished they hadn't. He was painfully aware of each moment he was outside Oscar's body; with each passing second so too did he feel himself diminish. This couldn't last. Aura was the soul, but without a body to affect the very world around it, what could a soul hope to achieve? Nothing. Nothing at all. If he wasn't tethered to something soon...
Mismatching eyes flicked past and over him. "Get the lamp."
"R-Right. Sure. On it." Mercury deftly plucked it from Oscar's belt. "Huh. Lighter than I thought it would be...
Panic began to mount in his soul. He tried to speak, to move, to do anything, but even motion was denied him. No! The questions! There were still two left! Jinn couldn't be used by them!
"Ah, so her name's Jinn, is it?" As if sensing his very thought, Naruto granted him a grim grin. "Thank you for that."
"There was a reason I never killed you, Ozpin." Those eerie orbs seared into his soul, rooting him with the weight of their gaze. "Not because I feared you; no, no, not at all." A small, bitter smile plucked at his whiskered cheeks. "You were never a threat to me." His fingers tightened and Ozpin choked wordlessly. "I needed you to maintain the balance. If someone were to remove you, then Salem would grow in power; without you, no one would be able to keep her in check. And I wasn't willing to take up that burden. But that time is over."
Pain rocked the immortal's soul as claws dug into his very essence.
"I could kill you." the horned man mused. "Here and now. It would be simple." another twitch, another spasm of pain. "A true death, one that would return you to the afterlife. You would be free of them. You might even thank me for it. All I have to do is close my fist." His palm tightened just so and Ozma cried out. "Just. Like. This."
Instead, he let go. Relief flooded back and Ozpin felt his soul shiver in his grasp.
"But I won't." the word escaped him in a growl. "I'm not like you. I'm greedy. I want to hold onto everything. Even my morals."
"You really should kill him." Cinder, ever the devil on his shoulder was quick to argue otherwise as she swayed her way to his side. Golden orbs regarded his fractured soul with keen interest. "So long as he roams free, you won't have any peace. Unlike those brats, there's a very real chance that he could make trouble for you in the future."
"Hmm." A lonely blue iris swung back to regard her. "Perhaps you're right...
Ozma's soul tensed, and though he lacked a mouth with which to form words, he felt fear all the same.
...but I won't kill him." he shook his head. "He'll only wish I did. Roman!"
The master thief stiffened. 'Yeah, boss?"
"Leave the kids with Neo." Mismatching eyes of blue and bloody violet narrowed. "And me a cage, would you kindly?"
An awkward paused pushed itself been living and undead. "What, you mean for the brats?"
"No." Funny how a single word could carry such weight. "Not for them."
(.0.0.0.)
Salem dipped her quill into a small pot of ink.
With a quick stirring motion she withdrew the writing implement, set it to the parchment. She hesitated there, pale fingers quivering as she marshaled her thoughts. Steeling herself, she began to write. Words came easily to her. Too easily. There was so much she wanted to say. Too much.
Soon enough the steady scritch-scritch-scritch of the quill filled her study. She lost herself in it.
Try as she might, she couldn't remember the last time she'd written a letter. It hadn't been recent, she was certain of that much. In hindsight it seemed like a such a silly thing; technology had rendered the pen obsolete to many these days. Silly humans. They would never learn The pen was mightier than the sword. Always had been. No need had she for Scrolls or Internet or any of that high-tech malarkey. For all her might and magicks, Salem preferred a more...mundane means of communication.
Time consuming though it might be, she knew what she wanted to say. It was merely a matter of framing the right words. One god to another.
And wasn't that an interesting thought?
Just thinking of it caused her cold heart to beat again, and not for the reasons one might expect. She knew where this Necromancer resided. Mistral. If he could not be bested in combat -and from what she'd seen of Watts and Tyrian's failed escapade she knew that to be true- then she would find another way to treat with him.
Once again, not like that!
Perhaps it was selfish of her, but she had reasons of her own for extending the proverbial olive branch to this individual. She'd known what she wanted the moment she watched him raise the dead unto life. Not once, but twice! The first she could write off as a miracle. The second, a coincidence. Salem suspected there would be a third. Maybe a fourth. If he could bring back the dead...those gone from this mortal coil...
Then that meant he could revive her daughters.
She could see the four of them in her mind's eye now, close enough to touch. They were more real than the curse that plagued her. How she longed to apologize to them, hear their voices, hold them tight in her arms. For so long she'd given up hope, knowing she'd never see them again. Now the temptation was there; she couldn't let it go.
Ozma could go suck a lemon for all she cared.
Her dungeon was full of miscreants to serve as her sacrifices. Criminals all, blighted souls stolen away from society by the Grimm.
Her missive complete, Salem rolled the parchment up and bound it with a crimson cord. From there she rose from her chair, opened a door and glided toward a waiting Nevermore on her balcony. The bird was nearly as large as she was tall, and it quailed not as she bound the message to its leg. This one was unique among its kind, built not for offense, but speed and endurance. She'd even afforded it a small modicum of intelligence for its task. Grimm did not tire. This one would not rest until it had completed it mission. No sacrifice was too great.
"Fly." she commanded of it. "Do not stop until your task is done."
The bird didn't so much beat its wings as it did blur; all but vanishing in a swirl of dark feathers. Within moments it was little more than a dark speck on the blighted horizon. Despite herself, Salem winced. Oh, dear. She might've made it a little too fast. Meh. Surely it would be fine. It wasn't as if it could reach Mistral that quickly. Its purpose was to deliver its message, then perish. Nothing more. Nothing less. By comparison, sacrificing a single Grimm to gain the Necromancer's attention was an easy gambit.
Salem would gladly give much more, burn entire cities to the ground if it meant the return of her children. Such was a mothers love.
And from that single overture...the wheel of destiny began to spin in reverse.
This would change everything.
(.0.0.0.)
Oscar woke with a groan.
Really, it was a miracle he'd awoken at all. He remembered a hand stabbing through him and then...nothing. Nothing at all. Everything was blank. There was a strange numbness lingering in his upper torso; as if someone had hollowed him out and haphazardly stitched him back together. When he sat up, his chest itched painfully. He ran a singed hand over it, frowning silently.
"Finally awake, are we?"
And quite suddenly The Horned Man was simply there, crouched down before him, his forehead pressed against his.
Oscar clamored backward with a yelp.
"Ozpin?!" he called out in the depths of his mind. "A little help?!"
Only silence answered him. He couldn't sense him. Couldn't feel him at all. Horror dawned. "What have you done?"
"What was necessary." his unlikely ally hummed. "Ozma's soul is no longer a part of yours. Congrats." A hand came down on his shoulder and gave it a little pat. "You're free."
Free? No. Impossible. Lies! Tricks! "Where is he?! What did you do to him?!"
"Why, he's right here...
Naruto's gaze strayed to a tiny box nestled at his hip. Roughly the size of a human fist, it was bound to his belt and wrapped with strange seals bearing odd runic script Oscar found he couldn't comprehend. Even now the corners of the metal shimmered a faint blue, as if something had lit them from within. A candle perhaps. No, something told him it wasn't that simple. Oscar already knew what -who!- he was looking at, and the realization terrified him. He wasn't even sure how he knew at all, only that he did, and he wished he hadn't.
Oscar grimaced. "Is he...in there?"
"In a sense." Naruto's gaze followed his, staring at the black box. "Right now, his soul is...I suppose you could say he's dreaming, for lack of a better word. Its a rather pleasant one." his tone remained amicable, almost as if he were discussing something trivial. "I've sealed him away. He'll be released once our business is concluded. Or I may simply keep him like this. Regardless, he'll be at peace."
Despite himself, the farmboy blanched. "Is he still a part of me?"
"No." the word denied him. "As I said, we'll take care of him until a certain...parasite has been dealt with."
Befuddled by his words, Oscar offered a slow blink. Parasite? If not Ozpin, then who was he talking about? "Who is...?"
"Don't say her name." a finger flicked his forehead, briefly stunning him. "Speaking it gives her power. She has enough already. In any case, Ozma will go to another soul. It won't be yours," Naruto clarified quickly when his expression turned ashen. "I've made sure of that. Whoever his next host is, it won't be you."
"But Salem-
"Will be dealt with by us." Naruto bit out. "Roman. Let the kids up."
The thief balked at his back. "You kidding me?! Are you sure that's a good idea?!"
"No, it isn't." the whiskered warrior blew out a sigh, "But these are children. They're blameless in this business of ours."
Oscar scowled at the criminal. "You heard him. Let Jaune and Pyrrha stand."
Silence reigned supreme.
"Bit of a problem there kiddo; blondie and red are out cold." He wasn't prepared for the laughter that followed. "Neo might've squeezed a little too hard."
A long suffering sigh answered. "Neo."
The mute offered an unrepentant shrug. Roman proved more verbose. "Sorrynotsorry!"
"I'll lend you a pair of shadow clones to carry them back to Haven." Naruto said instead. "Take them and go."
Oscar dithered. He couldn't help it.
"He's giving you a chance to leave, boy." Hazel's voice grated like an avalanche. "Take it while you can. You'll not receive another."
Oscar looked left. Oscar looked right. Oscar despaired. "I...what am I supposed to do now?"
"We. Don't. Care." Cinder's blazing gaze seared into him. "Start over. Live your life. Find a wife. Have children. Your part in this is over."
It would be so simple to do as they asked. Oscar felt temptation tug at him. He could just...walk away. Go back to the farm. Start over. Eke out the rest of his days in pleasant normalcy. If not for Ozpin, he never would have left in the first place. This wasn't his fight. They were right about that much. And yet to leave now, to just abandon Ruby and the others...it rubbed him the wrong way. He wasn't ignorant anymore; he knew their world was in danger. Could he really entrust it to a group of criminals...?
His jaw hardened. "I...can't do that."
"Even after all this, you're still going to stand in our way?" he saw the precise moment Naruto's pity hardened into bitter resolve. "So be it. Run away then, Oscar." He barely had time to flinch before a hand locked around his jacket. No deadly blow came. All he received was a firm shove that carried him back three steps. Those eerie eyes drilled into what remained of his soul. He felt hollow beneath their wretched gaze. "Run away from this place, and never return."
When he didn't move, Hazel gave him another shove. "You heard him, boy. Go. Pray we do not meet again."
This was it, then.
The future awaited him.
Oscar Pine marched forward to meet it.
(.0.0.0.)
Naruto watched Oscar limp away into the woods and released a sign he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
Flanked by a pair of shadow clones -one to carry a slumbering Pyrrha and poor Jaune- the former farmboy crept back toward Haven under their watchful gaze. He'd not be doubling back anytime soon. More than that, he'd have some explaining to do when he returned in another life. In another life, he might've helped him with that. Now? He was too tired to care. This night had already dragged on longer than he would've liked and still there was no end in sight. They'd have to break camp and move soon, or risk retribution.
"You may regret that." Cinder touched her hand to his shoulder.
"I'll never regret sparing an innocent." He shook her off, took a deep breath, centered himself, and let it go. "Just let it be."
She looked like she wanted to challenge him on that; thankfully she demurred in the end. Instead her gaze fell to the Relic of Knowledge, now secure in Emerald's grasp. Naruto followed it.
"Emerald."
She perked up. "Yeah, dad?"
A small, bemused smile plucked at the corner of his mouth. "Give that here, would you kindly?"
She did as he'd asked. No hesitation. No glance at Cinder. Tan hands pushed the lamp into his palm. Naruto accepted it with a nod and considered it for a long moment. Such a little thing. Wars had likely been fought over this device People must have died for it. Knowledge was a terrible thing, after all. Many were willing to kill to attain the answers they sought.
This was the moment he had longed for.
In hindsight, the Relic seemed such a tiny thing, Naruto thought. If he'd had been aware of its purpose or powers, he might have spared himself a great deal of misery. But none of that mattered now. With this, he might have the shortcut he needed. Did the being within know of his world? Was her knowledge infinite? How many questions could she answer? Moreover, how many had been wasted?
"One way to find out...
"Wait, we're going to use it?!" Mercury sputtered wildly when he began to raise it. "Here?! Now?!"
"I'm tired of waiting for this. Any objections?" A blond brow rose when none answered him. "I'll be taking one of the questions, obviously. Does anyone have something they'd like to ask?"
Roman coughed. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying what I think you're saying? You're sharing it with us?"
"Well, yeah." he blinked. "You're family. So? Any takers?"
Neon shook her head.
"Nah." Roman waved a hand. "I'm good."
Emerald and Mercury exchanged an awkward glance. The latter found her voice first. "Once you get rid of Kaguya...you'll stay, right?"
"If I can, I will." he shrugged halfheartedly. "Can't really promises anything without knowing what'll happen." To live a normal lifespan and die a normal death...there was nothing in the world he wanted more. Eternity was too long, too painful to spend alone. With the wretched Rabbit Goddess removed he could finally rest in piece. Or pieces. He wasn't sure how his body would react to her removal. She'd kept his soul alive all these years, a hellish cycle of life like no other. Would he live once she was gone? Or would his body crumble to ash as the weight of forgotten years crept up on him?
He didn't know. Didn't care. He wanted an end to this.
Mercury must've sensed his thoughts; because he bridled as well. "Don't go dying on us, old man. You still owe child support."
A bitter laugh tumbled from his lips. "Brat."
Hazel was next in line and so Naruto's gaze sough him out.
"You promised me my sister." the stoic giant declared. "I have neither the want nor need for forbidden knowledge."
Finally, all eyes turned to Cinder.
"I...have no questions."
Everyone blinked.
"Is that so surprising?" she scoffed and blew a strand of raven hair from her healed eye. "I have everything I need. Under normal circumstances I would want to ascertain the identity of the Summer and Winter Maiden, but that can wait for the time being. It will make my inevitable victory all the sweeter." when that still wasn't enough, she tossed her head from side to side."If you expected a betrayal of some sort, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I cannot think of any meaningful inquiry beyond that."
"Well, alright then." Naruto blew out a sigh. "We'll make this quick. Make sure no one interrupts us."
Hazel and the rest closed ranks around him, forming a circle with him at the center.
Raising the Relic high, he cleared his throat and spoke.
"Jinn!" he boomed! "I summon you!"
And the relic answered him.
Azure smoke spilled from the lamp in his grasp, writhing to life.
From within that ethereal haze, a toweringly beautiful blue woman emerged, her shapely from wreathed in golden chains. Dark hair framed her face, as her eyes gleamed like twin amethysts. Roman whistled at the sight of her. Neo tilted her head all the way to the right and made a flattering gesture. Hazel's stoic silence turned to genuine awe. Naruto almost found himself mirroring it. This was different from chakra. This was magic on a worldly scale. Chakra couldn't seal a being like this away in a lamp.
"Wonderful." the being -Jinn?- cooed in a voice like warm honey as she stretched. "Its so nice to be free of that wretched thing, if only for a time."
"Holy shit." Mercury gaped. "She's stacked."
Emerald viciously elbowed him.
"Oh, what the hell."
...why was she naked? Naruto nearly asked the question aloud and only narrowly bit his tongue in time. Wasn't she? She looked naked. Even those strange golden chains seemed more decorative than anything else. Did the God of Light have a fetish for tall women wearing nothing but golden shackles? Did that make him an exhibitionist for finding her attractive? Nope. All the nope. Not going there!
As if reading that very thought, a slender brow rose.
"I am Jinn, a being created by the God of Light to aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge." a graceful smile tugged at her full lips as she placed one hand beneath her chin. "I have been graced with the ability to answer three questions every one hundred years. You're in luck, as I'm still able to answer two questions this era." as they looked on her head tilted, regarding them as one would an amusing band of children. "My, this is quite unusual. I do not see the old man among you, but I see one who is ancient all the same."
She drifted forward, and Naruto nearly stepped back despite himself.
Time stopped. There could be no other word for it; all the colors of the world faded to grey, his allies turning stiff and silent around him.
"A man out of time." The spirit hummed, all but pressing her forehead to his. "No-from another world. Fascinating. I haven't seen one of your kind in eons." Her eyes narrowed, seeing something she shouldn't have. "Ah. And you've got quite the cancer hiding within you. Vicious little thing. I see her, as she sees me. I thought their kind extinct.
Naruto recoiled.
Kaguya hissed in his head. "Witch!"
"I am not a witch. I am the spirit of knowledge." Jinn replied simply. "I know all there is to know. Your species is known to me, just as any other."
Shaking off such maudlin notions, Naruto stomped a booted foot and gathered his thoughts yet again. A thousand different questions bubbled up in him and he choked each of them down. Only one mattered. Only a single line of inquiry could possibly save what remained of his fractured soul. He could not -would not!- waste such an opportunity. This would be his vengeance. His redemption. His peace, at long last.
"I have a question for you." he began slowly, choosing his words with infinite care and painful precision. "I'd like you to answer it, if you can."
"Very well." Jinn granted him a nod. "Tell me then, death-dealer. What knowledge do you seek? Ask of me, and I shall answer."
Naruto blew out a breath, steadied himself, and raised his gaze. Now or never, then. "How do we defeat Kaguya?"
Time snapped back and all the colors of the world flooded back in.
Jinn gazed down at him for a long moment before she gave him her answer. "You cannot...
Despair. It hit Naruto like a physical force, driving him to his knees. His first instinct was to lash out, to deny her, but the truth of her words was too powerful. She knew things about him that she shouldn't. Couldn't. If she broke the truth here...hearing it broke him. Shattered his spirits and every hope he'd dared to clutch close to his chest. Was this his fate? Was he destined to die, his soul consumed by Kaguya? No. Not like this. He didn't want to die like this. Not like this.
A frustrated scream built in his throat...until the genie pivoted and pointed to Cinder.
The Spring Maiden blinked, eyes wide. Jinn's reply all but damned her.
...but your lover? She can. She, and The Girl In A Lonely Tower."
Naruto slammed back to his feet, seized Cinder by the shoulders, and crushed her against him. She didn't resist; if anything her pinched expression told him everything he needed. She knew what -who?- Jinn spoke of and more. What followed only served to confirm his suspicions. Lonely Tower. No, the Girl in the Lonely Tower. Who was that? Why did it sound so damnably familiar...?
He pulled back, gazing at her. "Do you know who she's talking about? Who's this girl in a tower? Is it who I think it is?"
"Tower?" Emerald perked up.
Mercury frowned. "Wait, doesn't Salem live in a tower-
Not a heartbeat later, a bolt of black came crashing down from the heavens.
"Screeeeeeeeeee!"
With a might shriek, an arrow of purest white and ebony shot through Jinn's incorporeal being and slammed into the ground at their feet, causing everyone to jump.
"Bloody hell." Roman clutched at his heart. "Is that what I think it is?"
Hazel sighed. "Unfortunately."
Somehow, the impact didn't kill the Nevermore outright; though its beak lay wedged into the ground and its body was left hideously contorted by the sheer force of the impact, it offered a raspy croak of pain and raised its right leg towards. To no one's surprise, there was a letter bound to the spindly limb. A still-stunned Cinder stumbled away from him and plucked it free from the bird's mangled leg. Everyone crowded in around her. Sure enough, the letter was a simple one, written in an elegant hand that she knew all too well:
Dear Necromancer,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I would like to apologize for my recent attack on your personage.
Furthermore, it has come to my attention that you possess a rather...unique set of skills.
As such, you are a cordially invited to dinner in the Grimmlands three days from now at these coordinates. Do bring your friends, won't you?
~Warm regards,
Salem. Queen of the Grimm.
Naruto regarded the words like a snake.
"What are the chances we can turn this down...?"
"Slim to none." she replied immediately. "She's rather stubborn."
"Tch." The blond slapped a hand to his forehead. "This just isn't my night."
Jinn clicked her fingers impatiently. "Do you not have another question for me?"
"Hmm?" he was so exasperated he'd nearly forgotten about her. "Oh, we don't have one. You can stick around if you like."
For the first time since she'd been summoned -perhaps for the first time in her very existence- the Spirit of Knowledge didn't answer him immediately. Struck silent by his words, Jinn nevertheless blinked, long eyelashes fluttering in naked confusion, much like her ill-clad form. She blinked once. Then twice. Now thrice.
Once more.
And she smiled.
"How amusing. I shall accept that offer...
A/N: PLEASE. READ. THIS.
Else, you might be horribly confused. Wouldn't want that, would we?
Only a few chapters left, now!
Remember when I said way back when that Cinder was the key to this? Yup. There we go.
Now you see where I'm going with this. Maiden power aka pure unrestrained MAGIC is the only way to eradicate Kaguya once and for all. Hell, we've all seen what magic can do. Spells aren't bound by the same system as chakra, and Kaguya isn't immune to it. More Cinder bits next chapter.
Surgery hurts. Surgery hurts a loooot. But silence from readers and reviewers? That hurts even more.
As ever, reviews keep this old man alive during this dark and crazy time. I ain't joking.
Seriously, we're all locked away anyways these days, its all that sustains me.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas... Review...Would You Kindly?
And enjoy these previews! Remember those hints?
Yes? No? Hope you paid attention. Because!
SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
PLOT DETAILS AHOY!
YE BE WARNED!
Read at your own risk!
SURPRISE.
Ever heard of Asura's Wrath? *cackles*
(Preview)
"Red...Reeed...REEEED...
Ruby flailed blindly in the gloom. "Whuzzat...who'se there...?!"
The ghastly grinning visage of Roman Torchwick resolved before her. "I'm haunting you."
A piercing scream filled the night.
Watts wriggled and writhed in Hazel's grasp. "Release me at once, you brute!"
"A pleasure to meet you, necromancer."
The letter burned to ash in Naruto's grasp. A slow, shuddering breath escaped him. His eyes flashed white.
"Calm down! You need to calm down! If you rise to that bait you'll lose control!"
Naruto was silent for a long moment. Cinder held her breath.
She hoped for silence. She did not receive it.
"AAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
The world erupted.
R&R~!