A/N: Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule. If folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! To the plot bin it goes.
As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a word. Simple as that.
Sorry if this seems short, I'm just finishing this as I walk out the door. I chipped a tooth so off to the dentist I go again...which means another long drive...
So much for having a day off. T_T
Dentists stress me out right and proper.
Been rewatching RWBY to get the bad taste of Volume 8 out of my mouth. Season three still made me cry.
Now lets move onto your questions:
Q: How do you come up with your ideas?
A: By meditating, actually. Works pretty well for the most part. But not always. I'm rather prone to stress myself and this this year has...proven difficult for me so far. Still writing keeps me centered. Without it, I probably would've gone mad by now. Of course, I write under other names as well -not giving those out to any person! Trolls would have a field day!- on different platforms, so it keeps me quite busy.
Q: How did you choose Juniper's Semblance?
A: It, just seemed the short she should have. Giving her the Remnant of equivalent of the Voice from Skyrim was an easy choice. Thats a veeery versatile semblance there. Oughta help keep the kids in line when they come around, no?
Q: Can we expect to see some timeskips soon?
A: Yup, plenty of those. The story would drag on forever without it; wouldn't want that now, would we?
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. Now off we go.
I think...we'll go with "Just" for the titles from here on out.
Sounds, right, I think.
"Are you sure you...don't want to go to a hospital?"
"No. No hospitals. I'm fine. I'll heal...eventually. I always do..."
"Well, if you say so...
~Arc.
Just a Little Courage
"Good morning, handsome~!"
Juniper Arc swept into her patient's room with tray in hand and a sunny smile that she felt deep in her soul. And why shouldn't she smile? The sun was shining! The birds were chirping! The weekend was here! Better yet, her patient was improving. His treatment had proven slow at first, but he'd made a marked improvement over the last few weeks. Why, at this rate, he'd probably be walking in a few days. From there it wouldn't be long. He was well on the road to recovery.
Still smiling, she set her tray down on a nearby dresser and turned to face him. "How are we feeling todaaaaandwheredidhego?"
Wide eyes beheld the bed where Ansel's newest patient should be, only to find a vacant space in his place. Someone had tided up the neat little cot with painstaking care. All that remained was a lone piece of paper -a tiny folded note really- laid upon the quilted covers. Nothing more. Juniper steeled herself as she reached for it, fingers fumbling against the worn parchment.
A lone line of dialogue awaited her within.
"Outside."
As if to echo that very statement, an explosion shook the house.
Her gaze traveled to the window at the end of the hall only to find it open.
"What's he doing out and about?! Its barely been a month for crying out loud!"
Smoothing her skirts, she stormed to the open window, vaulted it, and stalked out after him.
(.0.0.0.)
It was amazing what a bit of rest could do.
Apparently her patient agreed; because Juniper Arc found the young man flinging himself through a serious of exercise that the human body simply shouldn't be capable of.
Least of all in his state!
Nearly naked from the waist up, most of his torso sheathed in bandages, he nevertheless cut an intimidating figure in the early morning light as he ranged about the yard. A tan fist cut through the air like a powerful piston, shedding droplets of sweat as it went. Even as they flew away he whirled and kicked out at the air, creating a violent gust of wind that had fall leaves tumbling from the trees. His heel slammed down, scattering them in a violent stomp to crater the earth underfoot.
"And just what do you think you're...doing...?"
Juniper stilled, the angry retort falling still on her lips.
She watched him whirl, saw blue eyes ablaze with gold, and wondered what the change meant. Was it a Semblance of some sort? Maybe? Didn't feel like a Semblance. Whatever the case, he moved like a born warrior, not one of Ansel's militia or a Vale soldier. Was he a Huntsman? She'd always wanted to meet one...but no, something told her he wasn't. He didn't have a weapon on him for one, and that style seemed more self taught than anything the academies taught.
Among other things.
Her gaze drifted a little lower.
Good lords. You could grind meat on those.
Still he fought on, launching his body upright into an impossibly fast combination. His body blurred, striking out at an imaginary opponent.
'Well, now.' Juniper tilted her head to watch the show, eyes half-lidded as her patient went through his next kata. 'He's well fit-gah! No! Bad brain! You barely know him!'
Without word or warning, his right arm swung back, cradling a strange sphere of white light within one palm. Bandaged fingers curled around it and wind picked up; which in turn caused the sphere in his hand to swell and bulge like some living thing, pulsing larger for each second he held it. Blades of wind burst from the edge, wickedly sharp, to circle the sphere. Juniper steeped back, terribly alarmed by the sight. She'd never seen the like before in all her life.
With a triumphant cry her fellow blond leaped into the air and let it fly, hurling it high into the skies. It wheeled away with a faint hum, traveled for another moment and then...
THOOM!
Although the subsequent explosion detonated high above their heads, Juniper felt it rattle her teeth nonetheless. Wind lashed down at the earth to tear at her face and hair. She squinted up at it. In the skies above a stray cloud simply ceased to be; evaporating beneath the sheer force of the blast.
She touched one hand to her mouth. "Amazing...
Her patient displayed no such awe. He crashed down, alighted upon the ground in a pointed crouch and touched a hand to his forehead. Gold eyes shimmered back into true blue as he surveyed his handiwork. A boyish smile creased whiskered chekes. into the sun. She was still staring at him -and he, into the sky- when he spoke.
"I'm sorry." though his voice was low -no doubt still recovering from scorched lungs- it remained a far cry from the pitiful rasp he'd previously possessed. "I didn't mean to scare ya."
Heat rose to Juniper's cheeks. In an instant she was well aware of how she must look; her hair down, still wet from her bath, cheeks red as a rose. She looked down, alarmed to find her fingers wrapped around the hilt of her sword. Her knuckles were white. Juniper peeled her hand free slowly, taking a moment to suppress her fear. Only then did she dar espeak.
"I could ask you the same thing." she sidled up to him. "What're you doing out and about?"
"House was getting stuffy." he didn't look away from the sky, didn't even seem to register her presence. "Couldn't stand it anymore."
Was that what he thought Ansel was? A prison? The insinuation stung a little.
"Its not your fault." his hand moved a little, covering his eyes and the emotion within. "I'm just restless."
"I'm sorry, too." She touched a hand to his arm and tried to soothe him. "I didn't realize you were that agitated."
Her patient pivoted to face her, moving. "Ain't your fault.
In an instant Juniper she saw his...well, face in full profile without the bandages nor his hand to block them. He wasn't completely healed yet, but he looked a damned sight better than before. Those burns may well vanish in a few weeks, but the scars would never truly fade. But none of that mattered now; because he was smiling. Forget being well-fit. This guy was handsome. Not the pretty boy handsome of a mode, but the rough grace of someone who knew how to fight. He almost looked human again...and dare she say, happy to see her?
Her heart did a silly little flip in her chest as a thousand voices cried out in unison. 'Target acquired! Forward, ho!'
Juniper planted both hands on her hips and shook the giddy surge away, and felt some of her earlier concern return. "Now listen here, mister-
"Naruto," he muttered, still not sounding quite sure of himself. "My name is Naruto. I'm starting to remember things again. Bits and pieces. That sort of thing."
"Alright. Naruto. You're not fully healed. Ah! Don't interrupt!" she slashed a hand through the air when he tried to speak. "I don't care how strong you are; you can't just go rampaging about the yard like that! Aura or not, you'll open your wounds back up and-
"The hell is Aura?"
Juniper blinked in surprise. "I...beg your pardon?"
"Aura." Her fellow blond squinted at her like a curious fox. "Never heard that word before."
Bright eyes snapped to his. "Are you joking?"
His frown grew. "No...?"
Funny how one words can shatter your world view. Junpier's reality turned itself on its head. He didn't know what Aura was? That...that couldn't be right. Everyone knew about Aura. Everyone. From the fiercest fighters to the humblest of farmers. Men and women were taught about it from birth; it was a staple of education everywhere. Right, he was having her on. Had to be.
"Very funny." she huffed, tossing her hair over one shoulder. "Next you'll tell me ya don't know what a Grimm is! Ha! Yeah, right...
An innocent blink answered her forced laughter; one wholly devoid of subterfuge or guile. Oh. Ohhh dear. That wasn't good. Had he cracked his skull that badly?
"You're worse off than I thought." her hand tightened around his. "Maybe we should get you to a hospital." when he stiffened, she hastened to explain. "They could run some tests, take a few x-rays." his blue eyes went glassy with fear for reasons she couldn't understand. "They'll be able to help you better than I can, see if there's anything wrong-
He shrugged her hand off.
"No." Naruto croaked the word, growling at his still-recovering voice. "No hospitals. No needles." he shuddered, clutching his arms tight to his chest. "No tests. I'm fine. I'm happy here."
An alarm went off the in the back of Juniper's head. She lowered her voice and spoke anew, trying to soothe his stress with her Semblance. Her gift was a versatile one; but even she had her limits. She could shout with unrelenting force, spit fire when she was angry, rip weapons from an attacker's hand with merely a snarl... yet she couldn't control people. She could only give them a nudge in the right direction. In the end, the choice would always bee their own.
"Naruto, happy doesn't mean healthy-
His eyes flashed red, gone even as she gasped. "I said no!"
Juniper felt oddly pleased by his stubbornness. Still, something nagged at her. "But-
"I. Am. Fine." he looked back to her at the last, chagrined by his outburst. "Look, so long as I have chakra, I'll heal. Nothing to worry about."
"Chakra-what-now?" Quite suddenly, it was Juniper's turn to balk. She didn't know that word herself. "You're not making any sense!"
"For the love of...!" Naruto threw his hands into the air. "Now you're being weird! Chakra is chakra!"
Her forehead pressed against his. "Well, I've never heard that word before!"
Naruto pushed right back. "And I ain't heard of Aura!"
Green eyes met blue. Sparks flew.
Juniper reeled back first.
Naruto wasn't acting like he had a cracked skull. She'd seen the signs, and he displayed none of them. When the possible ceased to make sense, when all logic fell by the wayside...why, one was left with the impossible. The absurd. The fantastical. And what she'd just seen back there...that vicious display, the way he'd copied himself...well. At what point did the impossible become possible? Amnesiac or no, he was spouting things she knew next to nothing about. Her mind leaped to an incredible conclusion.
"You," Juniper Arc steeled herself, stomped a boot once for courage, and took the plunge. "You're not from around these parts, are ya, Naruto?"
"I...?" Naruto scratched the back of his head. "No," he managed, sounding quite sad indeed. "I don't think I am. Where am I from?"
Junipers mouth opened. Closed. She couldn't find the words.
For all the strength and courage she'd seen earlier, in this moment he reminded her of a small animal; one that had been kicked one too many times. It didn't matter that he was a good head taller than her; not his size, nor his strength, any of it. He could likely bend her over his knee and tan her hide like a little girl, even kill her, but here, in this moment, she felt no fear.
Instead, she did what anyone would do; she offered him her hand. "We'll find out together."
Naruto dithered only a moment.
...you're still going to help me? After all this time? I can't pay you or anything."
"Well, its like my pa always says." Juniper grinned up at him and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears, green eyes bright and intent. "If you do a job, do it right. An Arc never goes back on their word." And it was true; because Pa would absolutely tan her hide if she ever left a stranger in need. Still, Naruto needn't know that. "You help me, I'll help you. Sound fair?"
A blond brow quirked. "How the heck can I help you?"
Her eyes sparkled. "Teach me how to do what you did! I wanna be able to move like that!"
He reached out and clasped her hand. His fingers twined within hers. "Thanks. You don't know what this means to me."
With that smile, Juniper felt something flutter in his chest. A quickening of her pulse that she'd never known.
It was in that moment, this precise sliver of a second, that their fates were sealed.
Looking back...well. Juniper certainly didn't regret it.
Not one bit.
(.0.0.0.)
"Well. There you have it.
Time moved on; flowing like wind.
Days became weeks. Weeks became months.
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, years passed.
"And that, my little dear...well. That's how I met your mother."
(.0.0.0.)
"Freedom~!"
A young girl clamored across an open yard with a cry of childlike glee. Bare feet tore through long blades of grass as she darted to and fro, unfettered by concern or any restraint. A pale cream sundress whirled around her ankles like a ballroom gown, threatening to trip her at any moment, but she didn't pause. She ran without fear. Without pause. Without hesitation. Without so much as a care in the world.
She was invincible, after all.
"Saphron Arc!" a familiar voice shouted at her back. "You get back here right now!"
The lass risked a glance over her shoulder at her pursuer; bright blue eyes beamed at him, framed by sunny hair and faintly whiskered cheeks. Rather than obey, she simply dropped to her haunches and tensed her legs in preparation of her next herculean feat. Light flashed as her every muscles tensed. Her pursuer saw it and swore aloud.
"Don't you dare!"
His warning came too late.
"You'll never take me aliiiiive!"
With a single bound accompanied by a singular joyous whoop, the girl soared into the clouds. Gravity yanked at her slim shoulders, to no avail. It wasn't so much flight -not yet!- as a single mighty leap. Still she rocketed upwards, arms at her sides, eyes wide and tearing against the wind. A flock of startled geese saw her and wheeled out of the way with a chorus of angry honks.
"Sorry!" she hollered the words over her shoulder. "I'll be more careful next tiiiiiiiiiiiiforgothowtoland!"
Momentum finally had its say, sending her hurtling to the ground like a pale comet from heaven with a shriek. But only for a moment. Arms flailing, legs kicking, she tumbled in the air with frightful grace for one so young and righted herself at the last moment. Shock jarred up her feet with a mighty crunch as she landed in a rocky hillside, forcing her to steady herself in a pointed crouch.
"And she sticks the landing!" she sprang upright and hopped in place, flinging her arms into the air. "The crowd goes wild!" she cupped both hands to her cheeks and mimed a shout. "Aaaaah! Aaaah! Thank you! Thank you very much!"
She was still making noises when she heard Father shout for her.
"SAPHRON!" a dull thud signalled his own landing. "You are in so much trouble, young lady!"
"Uh-oh!" she pivoted on one heel and bolted in the other direction toward her final destination. "Gotta dash!"
Undeterred by the shouts of her parents, she sprinted off again; skipping from one stone to another, kicking off a fence before sprint towards, then up a tree. Gravity tugged at her once more and once more she ignored it wholeheartedly, running up the weathered oak at a dead sprint.
In a matter of moments, it was over.
Her objective reacted, the girl sprawled out over an impressive bough with a happy sigh.
Alas, her moment of triumph was short-lived.
"Aha! Found her!" Below her, she heard a dull crash; then someone placed one hand to the tree's worn bark and pitched their voice to be heard. "SAPRHON ARC! Get down here, young lady! You scared your mother half to death with that stunt of yours!
Booo! Spoilsport! She just wanted to race; she was tired of being cooped up in the house!
"But daaaddy!" She grinned down at him from the tree, legs swinging against the branch. "Look! I walked up here all by myself!"
"And?" her father quirked a brow. "Can you walk back down?"
Sure she could! If she wasn't feeling so...well...whoozy all of a sudden. Okay. Maybe she'd gone a little too fast after all.
She struggled to sit up, but the last of her reserves failed her. Her sheepish expression became telling. "Help?"
Naruto sighed and climbed up after her. "What am I going to do with you?"
She beamed down at him, full of clever little wit. "Spoil me rotten?
A pall of silence feel between Father and Daughter alike.
And then, afterwards. "Don't tell your mother."
Then he grabbed her and leaped.
"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~!"
Best. Dad. Ever.
A/N: Aaaand there we go~! Protect the child! Or children, in this case. We all know Sapphron won't be the only one!
As ever, we're going with the "Embers" rule. If folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. I'm quite firm on that!
Don't worry, we'll get more romance bits down the line; just wanted to keep my promise.
Super-powered shinobi kids with chakra AND Aura. Yeah, the world ain't ready for that. Keep an eye
Well...unless Jaune runs away to be a huntsman, because that strikes me as the sort of thing he'd do; then again, with a decent set of skills he might actually turn a few heads this time around. Careful there, Pyrrha! Ya might have some competition this time around!
As ever, reviews are my fuel. Without them I simply cannot write.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews.
(Previews)
Blue eyes snapped open with a hiss.
"Dreams again?"
"Hmm. Its nothing."
"Then let me distract you, dear."
Her mouth melded with his as she pulled him back to warm sheets and her waiting embrace.
"Dad, I wanna be a huntsman!"
"The day I let that happen is the day you beat me. In other words? Not likely."
Juniper knew how to use that sword.
She fought with poise and grace, weaving a line of steely death before her. "Hold still and let me stab you!
"Not a chance!"
He ducked and settled into a low stance, one hand dragging across the ground. For a moment, just a moment, he reminded her of a wild beast.
THen he grinned and launched forward, bounding on the balls of his feet.
"My turn."
Sword met fist.
"Brave of you, boy." Naruto grinned down at his attacker. "I would've thought you learned your lesson by now."
"What can I say?" Jaune matched his smile, blue eyes alight. "I'm a slow learner-NOT!"
He twisted his blade aside and slammed it into the ground, sundering soil like so much glass. The earth ruptured with the sheer force of the striking, physically spitting flame. Naruto sputtered in a rare moment of surprise, hacking and coughing, seemingly blind in the haze that followed.
"How'd you like my new secret move?!"
"Not bad." he dropped the act, raised a hand, then stabbed it behind him. "I still see you, though. Rasengan."
A boyish yelp answered him as his son spun away. "OW!"
"And that, son, is why we never let our guard down."
R&R~!