A/N: EDIT: Ugh, flames everywhere again.
Looks like the reviews really dropped off compared to last chapter...guess folks aren't as keen on this as I thought. T_T
That hurts a little. Did I do something wrong? I wrote this when I was sick, because I thought everyone would want the next chapter.. Sorry, this isn't as long as many would've liked. I can barely bloody breathe and that's left me miserable...
Moreover!
I had. To Type This. With one hand! You think Qrow has a bad luck semblance?! My luck would put his to shame! To make matters even worse, I can't use speech-to-text to write faster because I can't bloody TALK right now thanks to my throat. Yup. I'm effectively mute for the time being.
Now then, onto all your questions, comments, and concerns!
Q: Sooo...gotta ask...how powerful is Salem? She's clearly royalty, but does that count for anything in this world?
A: Well, she's strong to do some very real damage if she gets angry. Our little Grimmling can control her magic, but as seen in the last chapter, its essentially wild magic. It surges with her emotions, and well...
...its quite powerful. Have you SEEN her fight in the show?! I have! Yikes!
Q: Can we expect to see some more Lore soon? Salem clearly isn't normal, and I'm sure the story will change because of it.
A: Aye, but I want to be tacit about said explanation. No info dumps here.
Q: Hey! Listen! Is this inspired by If It's for My Daughter, I'd Even Defeat a Demon Lord? Because those are the vibes I'm getting here. If so, kudos to you! I love that show! This seems like a glorious bit of entertainment and I can't wait to see more! Stay healthy and don't die!
A: I...have not seen or read that, but I'll give it a look. *EDIT* Saw it now. Yup. Fits with what I'm writing.
MUST PROTECT _
Q: How powerful is Naruto in this particular tale?
A: In a word? Very. However, Naruto isn't immortal. Little!Salem accidentally summoned him fresh the final fight with Sasuke, their very last clash to be precise. He was lucky enough to keep his arm and the mark with it. As we saw last chapter, he still has his truth seeking orbs as well. Of course, he's a jolly good fellow, but that may very well come back to bite him.
He's not immortal of course, but then again, we know how slowly an Uzumaki ages...and how stubborn Naruto is...and how many times he's spat in the face of death...
Yeah, good luck putting a monster like him down.
Q: Dunno how to put this eloquently, so Imma say it outright. Death to the gods?
A: If they muck about with Little!Salem...DEATH TO THE GODS!
I'm tempted to make puns of the chapter titles but I can't think of one right now. Maybe later.
I own no quotes, references, memes or themes. Not a wit or a one!
As ever, Little!Salem is adorable and must be protected.
"Look, I'm not a bad guy, so I'll try to say this nicely.
The next time you raise your hang against her?
Will be the last time you have hands."
~?
Year One
The world was big!
Looking back, it was a rather sad thought for one so young. Everyone knew the world was large and full of wonders. Salem didn't. She had only ever seen the outside world from afar; a distant horizon glimpsed through a tower window. Close enough to see, never to touch. Her sheltered upbringing ensured she lived vicariously through books, but even the heartiest of novels could only do do much. Pen and paper could not replace the feel of a cool morning breeze on her face, nor the pleasant ache in her legs from walking, or the sunlight on her face.
In years to come, Salem would cling to moments such as these. She would remember this feeling of childlike awe; it would keep her warm during cold winter nights.
But for now she was far too focused on her surroundings to think of the future.
Naruto had stopped over in the first town he found; and what a town Magnus was. At least to her. In truth it wasn't that special; in the far flung future she would see sights that would make this place look like a hamlet by comparison. Magnus was little more than a port town on the southern edge of the continent. Its buildings were well maintained; painstakingly painted in loving shades of blue and green with roofs of hard slate. The scent of the sea was in the air, a salty tang that filled her lungs with every breath.
"What's that?" she stabbed a finger at the docks in the distance and beyond them a glittering expanse of blue water. "Is it a lake?"
"Lake...? Oh!" Naruto followed her gaze and laughed. "Naw, that's the ocean. Pretty big, huh?"
Salem's head bobbed in mute agreement as she watched a mighty war galleon glide up to the pier. She hadn't been sure, she'd only ever read of it. Seeing was believing after all. Words didn't do it justice. It kept going forever and ever and ever. Supposedly there were other lands across it. She wondered if she would see them someday. The water looked nice and cool, too...
"Can I go swimming?" a sudden flight of fancy struck her and clasped her hands together. "Please, please, please~?"
"Maybe tomorrow." he tousled her hair. "Wanna explore some more?"
"Hmm!"
Salem agreed wholeheartedly and darted down a new street. It wasn't long before something else caught her attention.
She found herself immediately taken with the market when she found it; if only because she'd never seen the like before. She glanced about the bazaar like the child was, gaze flitting from one stall to another, unable to contain herself; unwilling to stay still. Her world spun. So much to see! So much to do! So many places! So little time! She scarcely knew where to start! Her head pivoted this way and that, skirts swirling about her ankles as she whirled to and fro.
"This is amazing!" Wild red eyes drank it all and came back for more, finding new things with every breath. "There's so much...stuff!"
"Careful!" Low laughter rang in her ear as he waltzed after her. "Don't wander off."
"I won't, Papa!"
Behind her, Naruto choked. "Still not used to that...
Salem heard him, but his caution seemed distant; muted when faced with the wonders before her. Here she saw fine silks from the north. There she glimpsed gleaming gemstones mind in the south. Magical tomes hailing from the eastern continent. Wicked weapons from the west! She'd read about such wonders in her books, but to see them firsthand...! All these sights and sounds threatened overwhelm her. She let them. This was good civilization. She was happy. She was free. She was content.
Then the faint scent of baked goods and fresh vegetables reached her nose.
A tiny cry of giddy glee fled from her lips.
Food!
The prospect of a proper meal did more than merely entice her, it seduced her utterly. She would've happily sold her soul for a good meal. A proper meal. Not bread, not water fetched from some stream, not Naruto's field rations -the very last of which were given to her while he went without- but a true and proper meal. Salem licked her lips.
Naruto caught up to her, caught her looking, and favored her with a smile. "Hungry?"
Pride reared its head and she tore her gaze away with a flush. "N-No! Not at all!"
Her tummy growled. A blush crept into her pale visage.
...yes."
"Well, lets get you something to eat, then." a rough hand tousled her hair, drawing a pleased smile to her face. "We'll sort the rest later."
An awful thought occurred to the cursed girl. Her face fell as she voiced it. "I haven't any money."
His smile warmed her soul. "Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out. Always do."
Yet as they approached one such vendor -a grocer, perhaps?- things began to change, and not for the better. At a glance said grocer looked harmless enough when they approached him - a heavyset balding man with brown eyes, set in a lined face framed by thinning grey hair- but once they drew within eyeshot...well...
The results spoke for themselves.
Although the portly fellow initially perked up at the sight of Naruto, his tan face closed down at the sight of Salem. Even his posture changed; his once languid smile slipping into a wary scowl. Brown eyes narrowed. He pushed himself upright and straightened his back. He wiped one hand against a green apron. The other hand strayed beneath the wooden counter and withdrew a heavy-looking cudgel from within. Salem saw it and her feet faltered; were it not for Naruto's guiding hand between her shoulders, she might have turned back altogether.
"Hello, there!" her protector hallooed, raising an arm to catch his eye. "Got anything good to eat? We're starving!"
Rather than greet them kind as she expected, they were rewarded with anger and suspicion instead. Dull brown eyes swept to Salem.
"We don't serve Demons here."
Naruto bristled. "Excuse me? Demon? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. I'm talking about her." as Salem looked on aghast, the baker stabbed a calloused finger in her direction. "That creature you've got with you. She's one of them." he spat behind the counter and made some strange sign to ward off evil. "She's a Forsaken. Cursed by the gods. Bad luck all around." his brow furrowed, regarding her anew. "Thought we ran the last one out of town years ago."
Salem blinked. There were others like her? But Naruto was speaking, ans she lost that thread of thought.
"That's not right. She's just a child. You can't call her a demon-
"Look, I'll sell my goods to you if you're that keen on them, lad," the grocer capitulated, "But not to her." his gaze hardened on Salem and she quailed behind Naruto's legs. "If I give her so much as a loaf of bread, I'll have an Inquisitor breaking down my door by morning." another quick gesture. "You'd best get that thing gone from here if you know what's good for you. Say," another thought occurred to him as he squinted at the two of them. "You don't look so decent yourself. Got any coin on ye?"
Naruto, honest to a fault, winced at those words. "No, but-
"Then you can sod off too, demon lover."
Naruto twitched.
Salem had been silent during their exchange, stricken by silence and confusion. Initially, the bombardment of information overwhelmed her. Now? Fear gave way to anger. She could tolerate disparaging comments so long as they were directed at herself. Maybe that was the way the world worked. Who could say? She liked it not, but she could ignore it. But for toward her Papa? Her everything? Her all? No. Not happening. Not a chance.
Something stirred in her and she absolutely hissed.
"Why you no good, jumped up PEASANT! How dare you speak to him that way!"
He hawked a wad of phlegm at her feet. "I'll speak to him as I please, demon! Now be off with you before I call the guards!"
Let them come. Her magic boiled at the thought. If they're anything like you, they should be taught a lesson. This man was rude and cruel; he'd insulted them and spat at their feet for no reason. Their crime? Existing. He deserved to be punished. Sparks skittered at her fingertips, aching to be unleashed. Initially she panicked, trying to tamp the power down before it wriggled out of her grasp. No good. The surge pounded at her temples; a great drum hammering with the beating of her heart. She was powerless to stop it...so why fight at all?
Salem's gaze locked onto the grocer.
Her magic whispered to her. She should strike this fool down, smite him for his insolence, wipe him from the face of the earth. Men like him should die. Why not start now? A dark miasma built around her upper back and shoulders, turning the air cold and icy. Her eyes began to glow. He didn't look so arrogant now. Nay, he was quaking in his boots. One good nudge and he'd fall right over-
"Salem, no!" Naruto's hand came down on her collarbone cutting the legs out from under her rant. "Bad girl! No smiting!"
"What?!" Incredulous, she rounded on him with a whine. "But daaaaaaddy! He earned my wraaaaaath!"
"Its fine." His palm tightened almost imperceptibly on her shoulder. "Let it go."
She wriggled free and glared up at him. "No! It won't! He insulted you!"
"Salem." his smile stilled her. "Let. It. Go."
Through eyes hard with anger she glared at him...and understood. His grin was still there, just as it had always been, but for once it didn't quite reach his eyes. Nor did he look at her. His gaze had gone cold and hard, fixed firmly on the scowling merchant before them. The man squirmed under his gaze and looked to his weapon. Naruto placed a hand on the counter first. The wood began to creak ominously under his grip. The grocer jerked back, alarmed by the sight.
His point made, Naruto let go.
"We don't want any trouble." he hummed, taking his hand away. "We'll take our business elsewhere."
"See that you do!"
Salem scowled over her shoulder as Naruto guided her to safety.
"That's not right." he complained freely once they were out of earshot. "They shouldn't treat you like that. What's a Forsaken, anyway?"
"I don't know." her anger slipped through her fingers as she gazed up at him. "I've always looked like this." A small, helpless shrug escaped her. "I didn't think it meant anything...
"It shouldn't!" A scarlet spark snarled through his eyes, startling her somewhat. "There's nothing wrong with you!" Naruto wasn't smiling. Not anymore. "If the world would do this to a little girl, then the world needs to be changed.
"Or destroyed." a low, rumbling voice whispered in the back of Salem's mind.
Her lashes fluttered in a quick blink. "Did you say something, Papa?"
It was the right thing to say; because Naruto's anger guttered out like a windswept candle. An impish gleam replaced it. He glanced back to the grocer's stand, eyes narrow. He didn't look much pleased, but his ire would appear to be buried for now. His smile returned and brought reinforcements. As she looked on it grew wider still. The whiskered warrior began to rub his hands together. Was he laughing? Oh, dear. He was.
...why did that concern her?
"Follow me!"
Quick as a flash, he guided her down an alley and out of sight. Safely concealed by the rising walls, no one save Salem saw him weave a quick seal with his fingers. Even she barely saw it; but she certainly noticed the aftermath. A copy of him sprang to life from a plume of smoke and she jumped back with a yelp.
"Another papa?!"
"Eh, just a shadow clone." the blond waved her concerns away with a laugh. "He'll keep an eye on you while I'm away. Now seriously, wait here." he tapped her once between the eyes, drawing a scowl from her. "I'll be right back."
His peace said, Naruto stalked around the corner and out of sight. Salem watched him go, utterly at a loss. What did he intend to do? He'd turned in the direction of that curmudgeonly grocer. She wanted to ask, but felt it wasn't her place. Still, she was a good girl and did as she'd been told. She waited five minutes. Ten. Twenty. Paranoia plucked at her heart. Surely he hadn't left her...? No. Surely he wouldn't do that. She leaned against a wall and willed herself to wait, heart racing as the minutes dragged on...
Without warning, he returned.
Salem immediately noticed some changes; for there was now a bulging pack strapped to Naruto's back, and another smaller -but no less full!- satchel swinging merrily from his off hand. He held an apple in his right and she heard the faint clink of coin when he walked. All of this she took in at a glance. Relief bubbled up inside her heart. He hadn't run away after all. Her fears and paranoia had been for naught.
She slammed her head into his waist and wrapped both arms around his right leg. A traitorous sniffle escaped her. "I thought you'd left me...
"Nah." he smile was true this time. "Just getting some good ol' fashioned payback. I pranked the hell outta him."
An odd word. Salem tilted her head. "What's a prank?"
In lieu of an answer, her guardian guided her out of the alley and back the way they'd come. Salem followed, not quite understanding, but trusting in him all the same. A cold breeze drew a shiver from her and she heard Naruto mutter something about getting a cloak for her. She dared to look up and saw his smile. What was a prank? The term niggled at her. She longed for an answer.
Naruto led her a little further up the street and stopped quite abruptly.
He held up three fingers, then began to count down. "Wait for it."
Two.
A blink. "Wait for what?"
One.
Behind them, an almighty explosion of flour and smoke burst into the air. A sharp cry chased it, high with mournful dismay. "My cabbages!"
Naruto cackled, swept her up into his arms and broke into a dead sprint. Soon enough, Salem's voice joined his.
If pranks were anything like this, she rather liked them.
(.0.0.0.)
Naruto, when pressed to it, had absolutely no qualms about filching food from fools. Least of all from grubby merchants who weren't kind to little girls. Who knew? With Salem carefully out of sight, the whiskered warrior was able to cajole a number of supplies for them. Or maybe he stole them. She wasn't sure. and the knowledge left her a little guilty. Just a little.
But the results spoke for themselves.
Now, clad in a shiny new cloak of deep ocean blue and with a coin pouch all her own secured to her dress by a sturdy money-belt, Salem found herself pleased beyond measure. She liked her new warm boots and gloves, just as she she liked listening to her coins jingle while she walked. She'd never had money of her own before. It was an enlightening experience. What do to with it? How to spend it?
Such questioned entertained her until they finally found an inn.
Salem kept her hood cinched tight and her head down, just in case. Anyone who saw her glimpsed only the barest outline of her chin as Naruto paid the fare for a night. Those that did see her merely assumed her pale of face with bright eyes. None noticed the veins in her cheeks, nor her ashen hair. A few kind remarks were given, and Naruto sputtered as the title of fatherhood was thrust upon him once more.
Somehow they made it to their quarters unchallenged.
Their room itself proved to be spartan, with only two beds and the barest of furnishings. She barely glanced at them. Wooden walls. Wooden floor. Wooden ceiling. Nothing really to speak of. Still, the beds were soft as were the blankets heavy, promising protection from the bitter chill of the night and all its terrors.
It was here that Salem's world turned upside down. Again.
-stay here for the night and move on tomorrow morning." Naruto's words tugged her back to reality and she blinked, realizing he'd been speaking. She'd dozed off for a moment. Her bed was just that soft.
Heh. She had a bed. Lucky her.
"Salem?"
"Hmm?" she blinked, fighting sleep again. "Y-Yes, I believe that sounds grand." A thought occurred to her as she lay there. Salem wrinkled her nose. "Stealing is bad. We shouldn't do that again.
"It is, but we didn't have any money at the time and he was a jerk." a small smirk graced his whiskered cheeks. "Its not something I plan to do regularly, you know? Oh!" said scowl shattered abruptly, replaced by a smile as he recalled something important. "Which reminds me...
He turned and pulled the back from his shoulders. Salem squinted at him as he began to rummage around in it.
"I'd like to apologize in advance." Naruto coughed into a fist.
He pulled a wrapped parcel from within and-
"Happy birthday to youuuu!"
Salem jolted upright
...what?"
"Well, you don't remember when you were born, right?" he beamed back, presenting the item to her as she sat up in bed. When she nodded tentatively, his smile burned brighter still. "So I decided. Today's your birthday. Makes things easier, yeah? Go on, open it!"
She peeled back the box, wrapped in colorful silks and set them aside. Whatever it was felt light...no, there was definitely a weight there, but it wasn't a heavy one. Her fingers made quick work of the concealing fabrics and her breath caught short. Naruto wasn't the best singer. But he'd gotten her a scarf. It was bright and red and warm against her fingers; enchanted for warmth, no doubt. He'd surely stolen it. There was just no way he could have paid for this, even with the meager coin they had.
A gift. For her. A birthday. Just for her. Salem swore she'd wear the scarf forever.
"Do you like it?" a calloused hand tousled her hair. "I'll wrap it around you as many times as you want."
Trembling fingers lifted it from the box. She cradled it close to her cheek, savoring its warmth.
"Are your really on my side?" The question tore out of her before she could stop it.
"Eh?" he blinked at her. "What kind of question is that?"
It was too much.
"I don't understand you!" she sat up straighter, doubt rearing its ugly head in her heart. "Why did you save me?" when he didn't answer her fears only grew. "Why are you being so kind to me?! Why give me all these nice things?! I can't give you anything in return!" she clutched the scarf white-knuckled in her hands, suddenly afraid he might take it away. "I have nothing!" her voice broke. "And yet...and yet...!
Naruto didn't bat an eyelash in the face of her fear. "I just you want you to be happy."
Salem's heart shuddered to a stop. "What did you say?"
"I want you to be happy." he leaned back against a wall, well aware of her eyes on him. "You deserve to have a good life, and all that comes with it." A lone finger scratched his whiskered cheek and he looked away with a nervous laugh. "I may not have the best idea about what a good life is but I'll do my darndest to make sure you have one." His gaze swiveled back to her. "And I can guess. A little."
Every word was a blow against her doubts, battering them down.
"Someday you're gonna grow up, meet a nice boy and fall in love." her protector looked away, gazing out the window at the silent town below. "You'll marry him, he'll treat you right and together you'll have one big happy family. Then later, your kids will have a family of their own. And one day, decades from now, you'll pass away with a smile on your face, surrounded by family and friends."
With that, her final protest crumbled like so much sandstone.
"I...you...for a reason such as that...I don't understand." she whispered, at a loss. "You still haven't told me why?"
"Lemme ask you this, then. Why not?" the grinning jinchuuriki thumped a fist against his chest. "I don't need a reason to save someone."
His words broke something in Salem, something she thought had healed long ago. A traitorous tremor rocked her shoulders. The little girl quivered. Her lower lip trembled as her eyes began to water. She wasn't crying. She was too proud to cry. She would never cry. A tiny keening sound pushed itself between her teeth as she clutched the scarf tight. Oh gods. She was crying. She dabbed at her face furiously, trying to scrub away the droplets with the back of her hands, to no avail. And then. Quite suddenly.
Naruto was there.
A strong limb fell over Salem's shoulders and pulled her head into his chest. He didn't call her out for crying, didn't mock her, nor did he rebuke her. He simply held her. She burrowed deeper, muffling a sob against his shirt. For all his earlier protests and squawking whenever she called him "Papa" or "Daddy" or any such title, he didn't flinch now. His good arm tightened around her, pulling her closer still, until his forehead touched the back of her neck. Until she could hear his hear beating against her ear.
"I'll always be on your side, Salem. Remember that, alright?"
Salem hiccuped softly and let her tears fall freely.
"Yes...always...
A/N: And so passes Year One! Gah, really need to find better chapter titles. Salem best daughter? Definitely!
In other news I plan to post that plot bin tomorrow, so by all means look forward to that. Its already proven its worth; I've been able to shelve certain ideas and save them for that. Best to leave the self-contained stories for said plot bin while I update the good ones.
Partners in Crime should be updated by Wednesday. After that...well. I might have a few surprise updates in store.
I'm genuinely shocked by the amount of reviews this story has received; looking forward to reading through your feedback when I get back from work. Well, until then! I'll talk with you later!
Reviews help keep me going, despite being sick and in isolation. Every bit helps.
So In the Immortal Words of Altas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
(Preview)
"Burn the witch!"
"Daddy, I don't feel so good...
"Hmm? Lemme see. Yeah, you're runnin' a fever."
Salem crossed her arms and sulked in bed. "I feel icky. I don't like it, not one bit."
Salem blinked. "The Grimm...obey me...?"
"She is a child of dusk. A daughter of darkness. You will give her to me."
"Yeah...no."
"M-Monster!"
"Monster, am I? Perhaps you should speak more softly to me, then...
A terrified squeal pierced the gloom.
"What's wrong, dear?" Salem smiled, exposing far too many teeth. They thought her scary? Alright. Time to put on a show. "You were talking all that good shit a second ago...until I blew your fucking legs off! Go on." she cast them down at his feet. "Grow them back. Summon up your familiars, unleash your magic, hit me, fight me, give me a hug...!
Her victim gulped. "R-really?
Her eyes narrowed to vicious slits. "No."
"Cease this foolishness. You are beaten. You cannot stand against us.
"Beaten? Nah...just finding my second wind...
"I don't think you understand what I just said. I already told you if its for my daughter...I'd even defeat a god." A shadow fell over his face as he hung his head. "Hell, I'll do a lot more if that's what it takes to give her a normal life." he climbed to his feet, blue eyes blazing red. "Now the question you need to ask yourself if this. Do you want to tangle with someone willing to go that far? I'm not above being a godslayer. Do you want that?"
His body burned gold.
"DO YOU?!"
R&R~!