A/N: EDIT: Flames can buzz off. Changing a few things around because of them. T_T
Also added more onto the ending. Hope you're happy. I'm so done with this.
As ever, this story remains under the "Embers" rule.
If folks don't like it, poof! Gone and deleted, once and for all and forever.
I'd really rather not do that, but I only have so much time on my hands these days...
Now, onto your questions:
Q: Wait a hot minute. Is Naruto -and by definition Cinder!- just going to convert everyone before they reach Beacon?! Is that even possible?
A: Would you like to see that? I could make it happen.
Question is, should I?
As entertaining as it would be, I don't think that's feasible.
Once we reach the events of Volume One, however? Well, its anybody's game, that.
Q: Well, the maiden's fucked.
A: Is she?
Q: Oi! What's the status on Kurama?! Don't you dare hurt our favorite fuzzball!
A: Read on and see.
Alright, then. I've kept you long enough.
As ever I own no references themes or memes. Not a wit or a one!
Prepare yourself. That's all I'll say here. Now cometh the chapter quote as always.:
"I'll do anything for my family. Remember that before you cross me.
"Do you see these bodies? They didn't listen. They died.
Would you care to join them? No?
Then stay out of my way."
~Future.
Fooling with Fate
Marcus Black died badly.
As far as deaths went, Mercury considered his father's end to be a particularly gruesome one; if only because the bastard neither heard nor saw it coming. Marcus never saw the man who killed him; never had a chance to look into the eyes of his killer, never did anything at all. He didn't even get to scream. There was a flash of red light, an awful ripping sound, then his head just...fell right off his shoulders. Like a some great overripe apple tumbling off a tree. It struck the ground, bounced once, and came to rest at Mercury's feet. There was a certain poetic justice to be had in that, he found.
The man's eyes were bulging, mouth still moving, lips trying to form words.
A faint rasp escaped him, somehow.
"Damn...you...
Really? Those were his last words? Screw him! Mercury snarled and raised a leg with intent. His father's piggish eyes widened as the shadow of a boot filled his vision. Then his son stomped down. Hard. Blood flew into the air to spatter across his right cheek. He stamped again just to be certain, wiped his bloody boot against the grass for good measure, and stumbled back on aching legs.
Only then did he dare take stock of his situation. Reality snapped back like a rubberband.
New legs? Check. The hasty prosthetics were still holding up. Semblance? Check. He considered his hands, mildly surprised to find that the void in his soul had been filled. Well! That was something of a pleasant surprise. He didn't think the old man would ever give it back; yet someone or something had wrested it back there just before the end. Nice. A cursory glance over his shoulder confirmed his suspicions; his home was still burning merrily behind him, engulfed by hungry flames and his past with it.
Freedom was his.
Not a bad Fourteenth birthday, all things considered.
Now if he could just figure out how to address the bloody red monster standing before him...that'd be great.
Mercury wiped a line of crimson from the corner of his mouth as he regarded his unlikely...ally? He'd certainly come tearing out of the trees quickly enough to help him.
And yet...
Sheathed in scarlet light from head to toe, the newcomer looked like some kind of crimson god, wearing the faint outline of a fox. A silhouette formed entirely of energy, with a single tail of crimson wrath swaying behind him. He stood hunched over Marcus -what was left of him!- furious red eyes glaring spitefully down into his corpse.
"Bastard." the blond snarled. "You don't do that to a kid! Good riddance!"
Against his better judgement, Mercury coughed. "Thanks for the help back there...though you stole my kill."
Baleful blazing eyes met his, red as blood and slitted like that of some fell beast. His teeth grit in a snarl. For an awful moment Mercury wondered if the blond would attack him. He was already on his last legs. Literally. It wouldn't take much to finish what Marcus has started. A stiff breeze would end him right about now.
Then the blond blinked, and those scarlet slits shimmered into sapphire.
He straightened his back with an awful pop and that shimmering shroud burned away, evaporating into the night.
"Whew!" he stood and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "Sorry about that. Still getting the hang of this power." A clawed hand scratched the back of his head, smoothing back into human fingernails. "Hope I didn't startle you too badly."
Right, this kid was cracked. "What're you lookin' at?
"Well, my mom sent me to look for Marcus Black." he nudged the corpse at his feet, "Seems I found him." Recognition flashed through the young man's eyes. "And you're his son, ain'tcha?" his grin only grew in the silence that followed. "I saw your fight from the treeline. He taught you well."
Mercury shrugged weakly. "Guess so."
"So! What's your name?" his savior beamed, heedless of the blood on his face. "You've got one right?"
As he looked on, the whiskered warrior extended a hand unto him, offering his palm freely. Mercury considered it for a long moment. Why not? It wasn't as if he had a slew of options right now. Nowhere to be, nowhere to go, naught but the open road before him. Besides, this kid was throwing him a bone. This felt like fate.
"Mercury." he gave up and clasped the stranger's hand. "And you are...?"
"Naruto." his erstwhile ally replied all too happily. Wanna be friends?"
It was that grin. That damn grin, that sealed his fate.
And not just that of Mercury Black.
Of so many things.
(...And Time Marched Ever Onward...)
"Are we strong?"
Naruto barely heard the words. His fist scythed through the air, bleeding droplets of sweet...and red chakra. Clad in crimson, it smashed through a pillar, then sent that pillar crashing into yet another, all but demolishing the training grounds. It didn't satisfy him. He was so close now, he just knew it. So close to a breakthrough; it was only a matter of time until he learned how to make this power work for him. Well, without losing his mind.
"You could always open the seal." a familiar voice growled through the back of his mind. "You'll have all the power you need, then."
"You know that's not something I want to do." And not for the reasons he thought. "Even if you keep your word...I don't think I'm ready for that kind of power."
He and the fox had come to an accord of sorts. Grumpy bastard still wouldn't tell him his name, though. He would one day. He was sure of it. He just needed time-
"Stop ignoring me!"
Emerald's voice cut through the fog of war at last, startling him with a hallucination of spikes. He jerked backward with a start and found his "sibling" glowering darkly at him.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?"
She stood a little, gripping her right arm as she did. "Are we strong?"
"Well, yeah." he pivoted in place with a smile. It became a frown when he beheld Emerald's pensive expression.
At fifteen years of age they were fit in a way most children were not; all lean muscle with little in the way of any real fat. Cinder had laid the foundations of their training. Neo had improved them. Hazel took them a step further, and Tyrian, further still. The four of them weren't necessarily the strongest, but they were getting there. Strength. Sometimes he wondered if he was missing something in his life, but such moments were few and far between. He was happy, he was loved, and he had a big family. What more did he need?
"What's wrong?" he turned to face her completely.
She looked away, not quite trusting herself to meet his gaze. "Does mom really love us?"
"Why would you say that?" irritation twisted his smile. "Of course she does. She's just been busy. Remember, she's due back any day now-
The door to the main yard swung open with a harsh crack, echoing that very statement. Naruto rounded on the sound and his faith was rewarded.
"There you are." Cinder swept in like a hurricane, eyes wild. "Pack your things. We have a mission."
Emerald sat just a little straighter. "We?"
Pyrrha and Mercury paused in their own regimen. "Wait, you mean all of us?"
"Yes, of course." Cinder's smile was positively euphoric. "All of you. Come with me. Its time."
(.0.0.0.)
"Do what must be done.
You cannot hesitate.
Show no mercy."
(.0.0.0.)
There was a girl camping on the side of the road.
Naruto saw her and knew he'd found his target. Just as he knew what was coming.
He'd tried to put this off, tried to delay it, tried to find a way around. It just wasn't possible.
Mom wanted the Maiden Power. No, perhaps want was too weak of a word. She needed it. Craved it, as she did nothing else. He didn't quite understand why -she was plenty powerful without it- only that she did. And to claim that power, to take it for her own and make it hers...someone had to die. It was one of the few things they disagreed on.
No one could sway her. Not uncle Roman, not aunt Neo, no one.
In the end, he could only support her. She was family. It was all he could do.
"Please don't be the Maiden," he muttered to himself. "Please don't be the Maiden, please, if there's a god out there don't let it be-
Amber looked up, saw him, and waved. "Hello, traveler! You look lost! Care to warm yourself by my fire?"
...damnit."
(.0.0.0.)
The fire faded.
Little by little, bit by bit, worn down by time and the chill of the night alike, it slowly succumbed to its fate. With each passing moment it grew weaker, unable to sustain itself.
A hooded figure regarded the dying sparks with a put upon sigh.
"You're going to be difficult tonight, aren't you?"
Echoing that very thought, the campfire crackled gloomily. There was something foreboding about it. No matter how much she fed the campfire it remained the same; regardless of the sticks and branches she urged into that faltering flame, the embers continued to die. Soon, only cinders would remain; and she a silly girl camping out in the middle of nowhere, freezing to death.
Amber tugged back her green hood and raised a single finger.
"Well," she murmured, "Its not like there's anyone to see me do this."
Bright eyes flashed with golden flames, magical fire licking at her lashes before smoldering away into the air. It was only a momentary use of her power, little more than a blink. Her power sang; fire leaped from that lone digit, lending her fire some much-needed fuel. In a matter of moments the blaze was burning brighter than ever before. A deep cherry red. Like blood.
Something shifted in her peripherals.
Her head snapped up.
There.
Keen eyes glimpse someone in the darkness, a figure just down the road, barely visible in the light of the shattered moon. They -he?- shuffled her way almost hesitantly, as though they were afraid to approach. Perhaps they were. One did not simply approach a stranger's campfire in the dead of night, least of all in the wilds of Vale. Who knew what might be lurking in the dark?
"Hello, traveler!" she called out to the stranger. "You look lost! Care to warm yourself by my fire?"
His shoulders stiffened, and she wondered if he would simply melt back into the black.
Gods, she hoped not. In truth, she'd be glad of company on a night like this.
...thanks." a low voice sighed. "I'd appreciate that."
Amber perked up a little as they stepped into view. Limned in the light of the faltering fire, his was a whiskered visage, a face framed by strike blue eyes and wild blond hair. Like her, he was dressed for the road ahead; clad in dark leathers with his chest and shoulders lightly armored. Of a weapon, she saw no sigh. Somehow that left her at ease. He looked harmless enough. Weapon or no, few could stand against her Power.
"You look familiar." she murmured. "Have we met?"
His brow furrowed a little. "I don't think so?"
"Oh. I'm sorry. Forget I said anything...
She scooted aside for him, making way on the log. He sat gratefully and warmed his hands by the fire. She couldn't help but notice the callouses on his hands. Not so weak after all. This was a warrior; someone who knew how to defend themselves.
"Its strange to see someone out here alone." try as she might, her gaze zipped back to his face. "Say, you really do look familiar. Are you sure we don't know each other?"
"Maybe in another life." The boy smiled at her, his whiskered face limned in the firelight. "I'm sorry about this, miss. I had a wonderful time chatting with you."
"Oh." Amber felt the beginnings of a frown pluck at her lips, her spirits faltering just a little. "Are you leaving already-
His hand latched onto her face. Something seized her soul and pulled. Pulled hard.
"I am so...so sorry...
Pain! Betrayal!
Amber kicked out with both legs and narrowly succeeded in pushing him away. The young man let her go, but when he did, most of her strength went with him. No! She recoiled with a grasp, struck the ground and tried to crawl away. Weak. So weak. Breathing became an effort, the every act of moving threatened to drain her completely. Where had it gone?
...well done, dear."
A woman with dark hair emerged from the shadows of the night and stalked after her.
"I know what it's like to lose, child." that golden-eyed beauty drew one of her blades from her back as she walked, wielding it loosely in a reverse grip. "To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail nonetheless. It's frightening. Turns the legs to jelly. I ask you, to what end?" a heel slammed into the Fall Maiden's back, pinning her in place. "Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same."
Her blade swept up in a gleaming arc. Amber cast a fretful glance at the boy. He wouldn't look at her.
"And now, it's here. Or should I say, I am." lightning crackled through the grief-stricken sky overhead as his Mother strengthened her stance and prepared to finish what he'd started. "Die now, and know that I will use your power in ways you cannot possibly imagine."
No.
The blade came crashing down at Amber's back.
Not like this.
Wide eyes burst into gold.
Anything but this!
Her back arched with a shriek as her Power sparked back to life. And then there was light. Cinder crashed backward with a pained cry. Amber paid her no mind and shot to her feet. Wind lashed at her face, carrying her up to safety, holding her aloft in spite of her exhaustion. Weakness fled. Wrath and fury and FIRE rushed in to fill the void, emboldening her, empowering her, filling her with newfound strength.
High above the clouds swirled, darkening in response to the seething hatred within her.
When she spoke, her voice boiled with the fury of the storm itself.
"I refuse to die like this!"
Flinging a hand to the sky, she rained lightning down upon mother and son alike.
They turned to mist. No. Not mist. Her bolts passed right through them. An illusion? But where-
Something hard cracked into her back and she lurched in the air, whirling to face them. A grinning boy with striking silver hair lowered his leg, grinning from ear to ear. She flattened him with a fireball for it. That was her last mistake.
A flicker of red burned in her peripherals.
Amber didn't hear Naruto move. Didn't see him snatch the sword from Cinder's grasp. But she felt the blade pierce her chest. It drove through her aura and pierced her chest; striking her from the sky as though she had been slapped by the hand of an angry god. Her body struck the ground and the blade pierced deeper still, bearing her down to the ground, sheathing itself to the hilt in her torso. Sorrowful blue eyes met wide gold, all but brimming with tears. She reached a hand out for him, trying to claw them out.
"Forgive me...!"
A girl with striking red hair hacked her hand off at the wrist and her arm fell well short.
Amber sagged to the earth with a wretched cry, mind gibbering This couldn't be happening. This wasn't...it wasn't real...
The woman with the dark hair!- was approaching now. Even as Amber's world dimmed, she watched the woman don a strange glove. No. Her heart quailed at the sight of the thing; not knowing what it was, but fearing it all the same. Unclean. Unholy. Darkness stepped from it, the white material all but swirling with shadows. Her vision dimmed hands and she knew what was about to transpire.
"Please," she rasped, "Don't...
"I'm sorry." The last thing she saw was the woman with golden eyes. "But I need this power."
...why...?"
Those poisoned slits narrowed. "To protect them."
Darkness burst from the glove and clung to Amber's face. Her body spasmed with a gasp. Pain. So much pain. It annihilated her thoughts, tore into her soul and shredded it apart. In her final moments, she tried to live. Tried to spite her killer and think of someone, anyone else. It availed her naught. She just...couldn't. Like the changing seasons, her Power fled from her. It bled up the glove and into her killer. Both eyes burned with fresh flames. Her flames. She saw the smile of her killer, and knew that no one would come.
She was cold now. So cold. There was no light.
Nothing. No light. None at all.
Her world went black.
A/N: As ever, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule.
If folks don't like it, poof! Gone and deleted, once and for all and forever.
I'd really rather not do that, but I only have so much time on my hands these days...
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly? It means the world to this ailing old man.
Next chapter is a happier one, rest assured.
(Previews)
Cinder considered her hands.
She needed this power. The power to protect them.
"I...I think I love you."
Naruto nearly choked on his spit.
Mercury toppled backward with a laugh. "Saw that coming!"
"Yah!"
Naruto retreated half a step as Pyrrha's javelin hit out at his face with frightful speed. Honed to a fine point and forged from the darkest of steel, the cold weapon cut a whirl of wild death before her, weaving an impossibly intricate pattern he had no possible hope of breaching.
So he didn't.
He ducked, and blasted her backward.
"Again!"
"Happy birthday, Auntie Salem!"
...such a good little nephew you are. What did you bring me?
"Open it and see~!"
"Don't you see?! That's what he does! That's how it starts!
He turns his enemies into allies. Rivals into friends!
His most bitter foes into...l-l-lovers!"
"Seems he's already got his claws into you."
"N-No! He hasn't!"
"Happy Birthday!"
Emerald regard the cake before her with wide eyes. "You remembered!"
"'Course we did!" Naruto slung an arm around one shoulder, and Pyrrha the other. "We were up all night baking the damn thing!"
Emerald hugged him tight. "Best brother ever."
Cinder hummed in quiet content and took a quick picture of her little quartet.
And then someone ruined it. "Alright, break out the booze!"
"Roman!"
"Hello, out there!" A voice hallooed from the darkness. "I don't suppose there's room for one more by your fire?"
"That depends." Raven hedged. "Who are you?"
Green eyes danced in the dark.
"Just a normal girl."
R&R~! =D