A/N: Would you kindly read this through to the end before you make your judgement? I promise you'll get hooked~!
As ever, we're going by the now infamous Embers rule. This WILL be deleted quickly if folks don't like it. So speak up! Make yourselves heard! Every bit of feedback counts!
Managed to pry myself away from Resident Evil for a bit to write this. Been burning through that game.
Well, well, here we are.
Now lets answer your questions:
Q: Update schedule, pretty please?
A: Used to be I'd update once a week. Then it became ever other day. Now its every day; because most of my team is gone, and those that remain don't write as much these days. Suffice it to say I'm quite busy as a result.
Send haaaaalp~!
And yes, for those concerned, I'm clearly updating/publishing non-RWBY content as well. Busy, busy, busy...
Q: I see you! Don't do Summer dirty! Or her family for that matter!
A: Come now, surely I wouldn't save her just to kill her.
Q: How hard can Naruto fight?
A: Like hell. He wasn't reborn into the the world of Remnant as a weakling, I'll tell you that much. At this point, he's become a walking Grimm magnet. They're drawn to him just as much as he is them. He even stated as much last chapter.
And his Semblance isn't done evolving, not by a long shot...
Consider this. What if Grimm were sentient? That's essentially what he's doing. Freeing them from Salem's control, and in doing so, granting them minds -and sometimes bodies!- of their own. Yeah, that'd cause some changes...and the world of Remnant might not like them.
Q: Is everyone aware of what he can do?!
A: Ozpin isn't yet, but Salem...well...what he did wasn't subtle. Lets just say he's set off a few alarms.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, memes or themes. Not a wit or a one.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in the world.
Hope this makes you smile~!
Cheers~!
"What happens...when all that you knew...
...becomes something else entirely? I suppose we all find out, sooner or later."
~the future.
Making Friends (Interlude)
Naruto found the journey to Patch a long one.
But the flock of Nevermore that stalked them from the skies? He wouldn't call those tame.
In hindsight, few of the birds were bold enough to approach him outright, yet the fact remained that they followed him nonetheless. He cast a wary blue eye at the dark cloud on the horizon, wondering if the swarm would swoop down upon him. Swooping was bad. This lot had proven themselves more curious than dangerous thus fa, but tame ? No.
Never tame.
Grimm were not beasts of burden; one couldn't simply clamp a collar on a creature of Grimm and expect it to obey. They had to be taught. They had to learn. And make no mistake, they could learn. They just needed a chance. More often than not it fell to him to confront them, convert them, and then set them free.
A curious trill beneath him reminded him where he was; namely, the giant freaking Nevermore he was currently riding across the ocean.
"Yeah, yeah." he sighed and absently stroked at its feathers. "I appreciate the lift. Just don't get yourself shot down. I don't know how to swim. Summer's still out cold, too...
An intent red iris regarded him, then swung back.
He patted its head once for good measure. "I really do appreciate this...
Thanks to his gift, he'd managed to convince the creature to ferry him and Summer to her home; still, he dare not reach out and make it his own. Not yet. Not completely. Fear held him back. What if there was a person inside it? That too, sounded absurd, but he had no way of knowing now. All he thought he had known was thrown into disarray.
As though summoned by that very thought, one of the smaller Nevermore swooped down.
"Really, guys?" he stifled a jaw popping yawn as one of its smaller brethren landed on his shoulder. "I'm not a scarecrow. Shoo."
Rather than respond, it began to preen itself.
...cheeky bird."
This was why he eschewed civilization.
This was why he had ever stayed to the wilds.
This was why he'd avoided forming bonds with others...until now.
By some miracle, Summer spent most of the trip asleep, too spent from her her ordeal to put up any meaningful resistance. She'd only woken once to tell him where she lived. Patch. Nothing more. He'd had to learn the rest on his own. Supposedly, it was a tiny little island off the cost of Vale, home to Signal, a prep school for Beacon. Heck of a place to live.
He stole a glance down at her now, considering the woman he'd rescued.
Restored though she might be, Summer wasn't entirely human. Even now he could still see the fragments of her mask fused to the right side of her face, molded there like a second skin. They couldn't be removed. He'd tried. She'd whimpered in her sleep and he dare not make a third attempt for fear of waking her.
Perhaps that was for the best.
Summer Rose would've been terribly startled when he'd stopped to ask directions from that Geist; even moreso if she realized she'd been sleeping among the plumage of this giant Nevermore. Many would've balked at riding on the back of such a foul fowl. To him? It was second nature. Really, Grimm were quite nice when you stopped to talk with them. So long as you didn't show fear, they would let you be. Or perhaps that was the innate nature of his Semblance at work. Who could say?
Atop his shoulder, the smaller Nevermore ruffled its feathers and shot away with a startled caw.
"Huh." Naruto blinked, drawn from his reverie. "That's weird. Wonder what spooked it...
On a whim, he turned his gaze upon the ocean. Something looked back.
Glowing eyes regarded him within the ocean waves, large and intent. Something massive shifted just below the surface, its long serpentine bulk barely in the muggy morning mist. His heart skipped a beat. Bugger. That was a Sea Feilong, wasn't it? Had to be. He'd done his reading. He didn't think his Semblance was strong enough to handle one of those yet. Leaning back he have his mount a subtle nudge, urging the Nevermore to fly just a bit faster, a bit higher.
The sea monster kept pace with them effortlessly.
"No, no, no." Naruto took his thumb between his teeth. "Not now...!"
Even now he could feel the beast's presence burning in the back of his brain; like a clarion call unto itself. Its mind brushed against his, considering him intently. No doubt it saw him as a threat; an intruder in its territory, a pest to be exterminated. If it reared up out of the water and took flight...no, he didn't want to consider that. The moment it did he'd be in a world of trouble. Sensing his distress, the Nevermore beat its wings anew in a frantic attempt to gain altitude-
"GWOAAAARGH!"
Below them, the beast body broke the water with frightful speed, blocking them with its bulk. Naruto reared back and his Nevermore with him, nearly spilling Summer's sleeping from from her crudely made saddle. She'd be cross with him later. If there was a later. Later didn't look very likely right now! Oh, jeez. Bastard was bigger than he thought.
Naruto hissed out a breath, mind whirling for a solution, but none came.
He could dominate a Grimm in a pinch if worse came to worst, though that often proved a battle of wills. His against theirs. Doing so left him more drained than he cared to admit...and he wasn't sure he could survive the attempt here. So he didn't even try. Instead he stretched his Semblance out like a net, weaving it over the Grimm's will in a light thread he prayed it wouldn't notice.
Its nostrils flared in surprise. Blast it!
"Easy, now." he soothed, raising a hand. "I'm not your enemy...?"
A warbling growl escaped the beast's fanged maw and it was all he could do not to gag. Ugh. Bad breath! Horrible breath! This close he could count all of its teeth; even the smallest was twice his size. It could devour him in a singe bite, and his mouth with it. No weapon he possessed would be able to kill it quickly enough. And if he hit the water...
He pushed just a little harder. "Look, buddy. We're just passing through. Go back to sleep, would ya?"
Sparks seethed between its jaws.
Naruto gulped. "Please...? I really don't wanna drown."
There had to be land somewhere nearby. There just had to be...!
Another push, firmer than the last. His skull screamed in pain. A line of blood ran down his nose...but the creature before him responded. Slowly, almost reluctantly, those glowing eyes began to close.
"Phew." he exhaled in a shuddering breath and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "Close call."
The tail came out of nowhere, striking hard and fast.
Naruto didn't even have time to gasp.
His world went black.
(.0.0.0.)
The balance had shifted.
Salem felt it in her bones, her heart of hears, in her very soul; somewhere, somewhen, somehow, she had been challenged. Her pale flesh itched most uncomfortably, leaving her restless upon her throne. She'd felt the link connecting her to the Grimm waver most unpleasantly - as if someone had thrown a pale of cold water over her. Even now her right arm twitched, aching to find the source and red it apart. So too had she seen the source of through the eyes of her children, seen the face of the one responsible for this most heinous crime.
Such a fool.
Steal the Grimm out from under they, would they? Impudent pup. Whomever they were, they would drown in their own blood for this.
Or perhaps...?
Murder was final. Death was the end for the other creatures of Remnant. Yes, the more she thought on it, the more she realized just how much of an opportunity this was. Why discard someone with such a useful skillset? It seemed such a waste to remove a being who may well be able to further enhance her Grimm.
She smiled softly. "Tyrian. I have need of you."
The faintest shuffling of shoes behind her stone throne answered her. "Yes, my lady?"
"There is someone I wish for you to find. He must be dealt with." She snapped her fingers. "Take Watts with you and see to it at once. Find him...
"But of course!" a merry giggle greeted her as the faunus rubbed his hands together. "And then...?"
...you will bring him to me. Alive."
Her minion sulked but a little.
...as you command."
(.0.0.0.)
"My head...
Summer woke fitfully.
Sharp pain stabbed through he skull, sharp and cloying...with sand. Why was there sand in her mouth? She wrinkled her nose and spat it out, trying to rid herself of the salty taste. Propping herself up on her elbows, she dared to take a glance for her surroundings; only for her arms to fail her. Water lapped at her face, and she sputtered upright.
Bleary silver eyes blinked up the afternoon sun.
"...believable!" Someone was growling just out of sight. "Where the hell are we?! No, I know you don't know but still...!"
The faint cry of a bird broke through her thoughts.
For a terrifying moment, she thought she saw a giant Nevermore.
It trilled once, a sad, forlorn sound as someone bound its ruined wing with white cloth.
"No, its fine." the man muttered to it. "I'll call for you when I need you. Be safe. Go on. Get outta here. Come back when you're healed."
With a triumphant scree something crashed into the trees just ahead; leaving a lone dark feather to flutter unto the ground. It was too much for her fragile psyche. She blacked out again a moment later, only to wake just as quickly and find her savior standing over her.
"Hey," his familiar voice plucked at her ears. "You're finally awake. C'mon. Wake up...
She didn't want to. She wanted to sleep, to forget, to pretend all this awful nonsense was just that; a fever dream. But she couldn't. Her dreams had been dark indeed; equal parts nightmare and terror alike. They say the worst nightmares are often true. This one certainly felt like it...!
"Naruto...right?" she vaguely recalled him speaking to her some time ago. "That's your name...isn't it?"
His head bobbed. "Good, you remembered. It was touch and go for a bit there."
...where are we?"
"An island, I think." he scratched his chin with a clawed finger. "Might be Patch. Might not. We washed up here after a Sea Feilong attack." blue eyes dimpled in a smile. "You didn't exactly give me an address."
Her mind whirled. "I thought I saw a Grimm...
He winced a little at that one. "Musta been dreaming."
"Right, of course." a nervous titter escaped her lips. "Must have."
People didn't talk to Grimm. Her mind gibbered at the thought, bent, but not quite broken. It just wasn't done. She was being silly. Maybe she really had hit her head. Yes, surely this was just that; little more than a fever dream as she recovered. To even consider otherwise threatened to undo her entirely...and wait, something was moving on his arm. A bug? No, not a bug...
...what's that on your shoulder?"
"This? Um...?" For a moment, she thought he'd lie to her. Evidently, he thought better of it. "No point in hiding it, I guess. Just a Geist." he shrugged. "He's harmless."
The specter waved at her with a clawed forelimb as if to say hello. Waved. At. Her.
Summer blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. Fear asserted itself with a vengeance.
"GRIMM!"
Her eyes went wide and she kicked out with her legs, launching herself backward. At least, that was her intent. She failed horribly; what followed was little more than a stumbling lurch that sent her crashing down to her hands and knees like a clumsy child. No attack followed. No aggressive moves were made. The Grimm -and its master!- just stared at her as if she were the odd one out.
Her savior quirked a brow. "Was that really necessary? I already told you he's harmless like this."
Yes! Yes, it was!
"Have you lost your mind?! There's no such thing as a good Grimm! They're all evil!"
"I prefer the term misunderstood." the young man huffed.
"Lunatic!"
"Careful, now." His eyes narrowed when she kicked at him again. "This lunatic made ya human again. Be nice."
Summer's teeth came together in an audible click. He had her there.
She squinted at the Grim anew. "Its really harmless?"
"I'm not trying to control them." he lifted his arm, allowing the Geist to drift around it in a harmless swirl of smoke. "I just want to unlock their true potential." when he realized she was staring, he wrenched his gaze down and to the right. "Pretty sure I've already done that for you. Unless you don't approve?"
She misunderstood him and cringed away. "You'd change me back?"
Her mind recoiled at the thought. Cold, lonely, swimming in shadow. Guts gripping in the dark, take the girl, take the girl, TAKE THE GIRL-
"Why did you even think-no, of course I can't do that!" Naruto's sharp snarl slashed through her thoughts, mercifully sparing her the trauma of what she'd endured. "Whatever you are now, you're stuck that way. At the end of the day, you're you." His hand slashed through the air, further drilling his point home. "You won't be that monster again. Never again." the heat of his words caught up with him again and he coughed once into a fist. "I mean...well...you know."
Summer rocked back on her weak legs with a frown.
For all her fears and trauma, her body felt light. She felt strong. Powerful. Agile. Was that a good thing?
There was still a presence in the back of her mind, a dark shadow that squirmed if she stared overlong at it. She flinched anew and shoved it away with a shudder.
"Ozpin needs to be told."
Naruto shrugged. "Don't know anyone by that name."
Had he be been living under a rock or something? No! Nevermind that! "If you can really do what you claim, he'll protect you-
"He can't." those sharp eyes narrowed upon her. "No one can. I'm a magnet for Grimm. A living beacon. They're drawn to me as much as I am them." his brow furrowed and he looked away, considering something. "When I...freed you, ya mentioned someone. Who is Salem?"
"That's easy. She's queen of the Grimm and...oh." Realization dawned a heartbeat later. "Ohhh, that's bad."
"Very." Blue eyes rolled in mild derision. "If she's anything like what I think she is, she won't take kindly to my meddling."
"Then you should stop!"
"Could you?" he turned a pitying look upon her. "If you knew you could change the world, make it better, wouldn't you? Or would you run and hide?"
Summer flinched anew. In that alone, he was right. Should Salem ever learn of his existence. Well. Death would be the least of Naruto's worries...speaking of which! An awful thought occurred to her. She'd been gone for so long. Her face felt funny. Stiff. Heavy. She could see with both eyes, but one of them felt...hot? She had to see. She wanted to see. She needed to see. A seed of fear bloomed in her heart.
"Do you," she swallowed once, "Have a mirror?"
...here." Naruto handed her a knife, polished to perfection.
It wasn't difficult to find her reflection within; though she soon wished she hadn't.
She touched a hand to the her cheek and flinched when she found white bone there. Not as whole as it had been when she'd been that thing but present nonetheless. Her hands trembled despite her best efforts, her mind struggling to comprehend the horror she saw before her. That was undoubtedly her face. It had to be. It must be. And yet it was all wrong.
Summer Rose saw her pale visage and the veins there. She whimpered softly. "My face...what did you do to me?"
"I saved you." when she looked to him he sounded so sure. So earnest. "I didn't even know you were in that Grimm when I freed it; apparently its not a seamless process." Clearly not! "Things...changed. I'm sorry. You're still healing, and I don't know what to do about your arm, but I'm sure the scars will heal and at least you're alive-oomph!"
Summer never gave him the chance to finish.
Her head slammed into his chest, driving the words out of him. Fist, she began to weep. Then she wailed. Alive. She was alive. Scars didn't matter. This mask didn't matter. None of it mattered. Here at last in her right mind, her emotions overwhelmed her completely. She was helpless as a newborn. She couldn't think. Couldn't move. Could barely even breathe.
Words bubbled up in her, fear broke through her soul and had its day.
In the end, she uttered two words over and over again.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you...
A/N: Must Protect Summer. And yes, the REUNION is next chapter.
As ever, we're going by the Embers rule. This'll be deleted quickly if folks don't like it.
So speak up! Make yourselves heard! Every bit of feedback counts! Seriously!
Had to cut some things for the next chapter, really not feeling well...
Aaaand there we go. As ever, reviews keep me alive. Without them, I cannot write.
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly?
Have some new previews!
As ever, a disclaimer:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
THAR BE SPOILERS AHEAD!
BEWARE!
(Previews!)
This changed things. "So...Grimm are people?"
"That or someone is putting people like you inside of Grimm."
"Madman! Lunatic! Abomination!"
"You keep throwing those words at me like they mean something. What have I done wrong? Have I killed anyone? No. Have my allies killed anyone? No. Yet you demean and denigrate me at every turn. You hiss and spit and twist the truth like I'm some kind of raving imbecile. This is your last chance to end this peacefully.
Let me through, and I'll be on my way.
But try and keep me here...
It was time to leave.
"Monster! Freak! We don't want you here!"
"I just wanted to help...
R&R~!