A/N: As ever, reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing.
Silence...silence only hurts.
I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact.
First lets answers some quick questions. A handful should do this time.
Q: Why do I get the feeling you're enjoying this story more than most?
A: Its rare that I show favoritism to any given chapter or story, but this chapter? This does put a smile on my face. And hopefully it will do the same for you. Volume Seven made me genuinely angry in a way I hadn't felt since the events of Volume Three. So much could have been avoided if Ruby and the rest! Just! Used! Their! Heads!
Don't even get me started about Volume Eight!
Q: How did Naruto learn Jinn's name?
A: Simple. He asked Ambrosius about the other relics and their names. Our flamboyant genie may not have infinite knowledge, but he can certainly chat up someone if he wants. By comparison, not much happened off-screen after Naruto claimed the lamp from Ruby. I could say more, but...
...well. I'll let this chapter to the talking for me.
Q: Is it just me, or does Naruto seem a wee bit hostile toward RWBY and their friends as a whole?
A: That's understandable. To Ruby and her friends, Naruto seems like an antagonist, in that he's not willing to cut them much slack. That's their view of him. Consider this. He swooped in, arrested them, told them he doesn't trust them, and all but swiped a Relic off them.
He's loyal to James and Atlas, both of which have proven themselves to be worthy of that loyalty, but at the end of the day, he answers to no one but himself.
And right now? He doesn't trust RWBY, ORNJ, or Qrow one bit.
Alright, I've kept you long enough.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes!
Now, then. Are you ready? Yes? No? Maybe so? Because! Here. We. Go.
"Change is an inevitable part of life. It comes to us all, eventually."
Nothing stays the same. Not the earth, or even the sky.
The key is making that change a positive one.
~Future.
Fearing Change
Naruto eyed the new arrivals like a hawk.
He watched Team RWBY as they filed into Ironwood's office, watched them as James welcomed them into his home, watched as Ruby and the rest asked their questions. He never took his eyes off them, not once, even as he stood ready by his ally's desk with Winter and the rest. And as he watched, so did Ciel.
"What do you think of them?"
"I do not know." her voice caressed the back of his mind in a gentle whisper. "I lack sufficient data to render a proper analysis." the faint chime of a laugh filled his ears, though her lips had yet to move. "My sister made mention of them but Penny's descriptions were...lacking."
Naruto bit back a chuckle of his own. "Not her fault. She really only knew Ruby."
Even with her new flesh-and-bloody body they were still connected via the nanites in his bloodstream. Their link had been left intact; enhanced, even. Perhaps that was luck on their part. Perhaps Ambrosious had simply meddled with it intentionally, or perhaps he was simply being kind. Their shared telepathy might even be a byproduct of Steel's semblance since she'd become Ciel. Who could say?
Regardless, it allowed the two of them to share a conversation of their own as the world raged on without them.
"Any chance you could pull up some files on them?"
...I could. What are we looking for?"
"Anything and everything."
"Certainly!" A beat of silence followed. And then. "I...cannot. Their files have been heavily redacted by someone named...Ozpin." Another pause. "As were those of Team JNPR.
"Juniper?"
"They had another team member. I believe she perished during the fall of Beacon."
Still, Ozpin. That name rang a bell. James had made mention of the man once or twice. He didn't see him here.
So he listened, and she with him as James exchanged brisk pleasantries with Rub and the rest, listening with one ear while the other paid attention to Ciel. All the while he kept half his focus on the newcomers, straining for any sign of deception. There wasn't much to go on, but listen he did.
For instance, Winter wasn't much pleased that they'd stolen a ship to get here, nevermind that her precious "little sister" had been both part and privy to it. He let them hash it out. James made a point of saying that the Winter Maiden was "in stable condition" not once mentioning the Split. Also for the best. If the world thought Frey was still alive, it might well draw Salem's forces out of hiding. The Staff of Creation was spoken of in only minor passing, secure in its vault.
He didn't miss Penny's cheery little smile, so he supposed that cat was out of the bag.
He listened as James outlined his plan to reveal Salem's existence to the world and held his tongue. He waited still as the man met Oscar -and suddenly the name Ozpin meant so much more than before- curbing a brief flare of impatience as he waited for the main event. It was only when James plucked the Lamp out from behind his desk that Naruto truly felt his heartbeat begin to quicken.
...you told them?"
"Did you really think were the only one who got to work on a new plan after Beacon?" He snapped back to reality in time to hear James answer an unheard question. "With Ozpin gone, I needed my own team of people I could trust. So yes, I told them. The Ace Ops, too. Which is why I'm so glad you're all here. With this." he gestured to the Lamp. "Until recently, I thought it was impossible to turn the tide against Salem."
Weary eyes fell upon Naruto.
"But the situation has...changed."
"With this," James held the lamp aloft. "We can change things. Did Ozpin tell you how to use this?"
Showtime. Here it was, the moment of truth.
Naruto sent a quick thread of thought at his partner. "Ciel?"
"Affirmative." her eyes pulsed. "I am ready."
"Stand by for now. Lets hope we don't have to do anything."
Despite figuring it out for himself, he hadn't revealed the truth of the lamp to James yet. He would once this meeting adjourned, of course, but Ruby didn't know that. She assumed he already knew; that they were being baited. Tested. And they were. Not by Ironwood. By him.
Oh, how she squirmed.
He knew for a fact that Jinn still had a single question remaining to her. She'd given that information graciously. What came next had proven more difficult, but in the end he'd managed to pry the knowledge out of the sly genie by virtue of his silver tongue alone. She hadn't been happy about it, yet succeed he had, all without wasting that precious final inquiry. Knowledge was a powerful thing, and Jinn had told him much.
If Ruby tried to claim otherwise, if she said all the questions were used up already...the results would speak for themselves.
It would be five of them against these runts and that Qrow fellow. One skilled huntsman among a gaggle of teenagers did not an army make. It wouldn't be a fight but rather, a massacre. They held the edge in experience and skill, to say nothing of numbers if he wished it. To say nothing of Penny and Winter's maiden powers.
Anxious silver eyes met his across the room.
Don't be stupid. he met Ruby's gaze with intent. Be reasonable about this. Tell the truth.
He could forgive many things, but lies were't one of them. Really, the whole thing reeked of a setup. A bunch of kids just happen to show up right before the most important date in the history of Atlas? No, something was afoot here, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.
They didn't trust him? Fine. He didn't much trust them either. Not with all this shifty behavior.
"Her name is Jinn." And then Ruby did the unthinkable; she spoke the truth. "She can answer three questions once every hundred years." Her lips pursed like she'd bitten into a lemon, but she barreled on. "There...There's still a question left."
Yes! Vindication!
"Because you used one already, didn't you? Naruto leaned forward, considering her intently. "Come now, cat's out of the bag. Don't be shy."
The little reaper made a keening noise through her teeth. "I...yeah. We did use one of them."
"You did?" Penny tilted her head. "What did you ask?"
Ruby sounded like she wanted to die.
"Guh...!"
Naruto could have called her on the carpet for that; could've twisted the knife further. He chose not to; not only had he gained his point, but to push her any further felt like kicking a kitten. He didn't hate her. Far from it. Hate implied an unwillingness to work with someone. He was willing to try make no mistake. He just didn't trust her yet. Trust had to be earned.
There was a difference, ya know.
"Now, now, I'm sure that can wait." James saw his second's knowing smile and trust him, diffusing the situation with a raised hand. "I know how this all looks, recalling my military. The embargo. I probably don't seem like the most trustworthy person right now.
"Then why continue it?" Blake challenged.
Nora jumped on it. "The people of Mantle are hurting!"
Naruto's right eye twitched. It wasn't their fault. They didn't understand.
"I needed to ensure Salem couldn't infiltrate Atlas. And I wanted my military here," James stabbed a finger at his desk, "Protecting my people.
"But its not protecting them." Yang said. "Its making everyone hate you."
His shoulders heaved in a sigh. "Its a price I'm willing to pay.
"They don't hate you, sir." Winter chimed in before anyone else could sandbag him further. "They're better off now than they ever were before."
Jaune flung up his arms. "How?!"
"They have us." Naruto stepped up, bringing Ciel and Penny with him. "We've been keeping Mantle safe. Thanks to us they have warmth, food, and protection. I'll be the first to admit its not ideal," he show a black glower at Nora when she opened her mouth. "But we're working on it. And things will get better, make no mistake."
"Who even are you, anyway?"
James seized the moment for what it was.
"May I present Naruto Uzumaki." This time that that beard of his wasn't quite able to conceal the smile that followed. "He's...an associate of mine."
"What," Qrow jabbed with a raised brow, "He works for you or something?"
"Hardly; our interest align. If you want to call him something, I suppose a ninja would do. He's our one many army."
"I'm afraid I can't believe that." Blake chimed in.
"Oh?" Winter frowned. "And why not?"
"Because its absurd!" the faunus flung up her arms. "Ninja exist in stories and fairy-tales, old legends from the past. They're not real!"
"But they are!" Penny hummed as she swayed on her feet. "Naruto's the greatest of them."
Ach! Praise! His one weakness!
Naruto all but smacked his forehead. "Penny, no. I don't deserve that."
"Oh." her face closed down as she recognized her faux pass and what it meant. "I'm sorry. I did not intend to offend...
"Eh, its fine." Cat was out of the bag now. Might as well roll with it. "Also, on your left, kitty-kat."
"Wait, on mywheredidthatcomefrom?!
Blake all but leaped into Yang's arms as a small army of smiling shadow clones -easily two dozen strong!- materialized at her flank. Credit where it was due, his fellow blond caught her partner with able grace. Almost like she'd done that before.
"What kind of semblance is that?!" Someone, he never knew who, shouted. "Just how many can you make?!
"Suppose that depends," Naruto hummed as he banished most of his battalion back into the ether. On a whim he kept one on hand just in case.
"On what?" Ren murmured, eyeing the now-vacant space warily.
Ciel smiled. "On how high you can count."
"Aaay!" Naruto rounded on her with a grin, right arm raised. "That's my girl! High five!"
When he looked back, he found a sea of pale faces regarding him from the Vale contingent. No doubt they were recalling Ironwood's earlier statement. Did they fear him now? A lifetime ago, he would've tried to explain it to them, tried to make them see. But here? Now? After all he'd been through? He owed them no such obligation.
"That," Ruby swallowed once and cleared her throat for good measure. "That's not a very good answer."
"Well, its all you're getting, little red."
Something about those words made her mouth snap shut with an audible click.
"Amazing." Weiss waved a hand before her partner's blank face. "You actually got her to clam up. I didn't think that was possible. Will miracles never cease?"
"Oh look, a sassy Schnee." Naruto rolled his eyes. "Thought those were extent."
Winter sighed. "Be nice, dear."
"Wait...dear?" Weiss nearly choked on her own spit. "You...and my sister...?!"
Winter quirked a brow. "Is something wrong, Weiss?"
"You! Him!" She sputtered! "When?! How?!"
...I think we broke her."
"Great! Lovely! Of course! Next you'll tell me she's pregnant?!
Winter coughed into a fist to conceal rosy cheeks. "I believe we're getting off track here...
There was a silence. In the ensuing void, one could've heard a pin drop. Penny tilted her head. Naruto tilted his yet further and turned to face the still-coughing specialist...who pointedly avoided meeting his eyes. His mind ground to a halt, all his fears and suspicions falling by the wayside.
"Oh." Naruto blinked. "So she's pregnant. Huh. That's a thing...which means I would be...
"The father, yes." James put in. "Congratulations."
"Greeeaaat...
His worse trailed off a she pitched forward and smashed his head into a wall.
For once, fate was merciful and he blacked out almost immediately.
James smiled but a little. "I believe I win the bet."
Ciel slapped a wad of lien into his hand.
(.0.0.0.)
Being alive was truly a sensational experience.
Penny certainly enjoyed it!
For a girl who had never known the miracle of touch from the moment of her "birth" she gloried in every aspect. She took pleasures in the tiny imperfections of her newfound existence; her hands, for instance, were rather sensitive to hot and cold. Some might have worn gloves or tried to bundle up against the elements. Not she! Likewise, she found she could not simply work without rest anymore. She'd tried that once and slept for nearly an entire day afterward. Another new thing to learn
It was delightful. Just as she delighted in leading her friends to the dorms.
Paired with a shadow clone for the duration -until the original woke up.
Now if only said clone would stop arguing with her friend! Then she could have the best of both worlds!
"What was that back there?!" Ruby glowered pale daggers at the doppelganger. "Were you trying to get us in trouble or what?! That was cruel!"
"Was it?" the clone blinked. "I thought I was being kind."
"You weren't."
"That's the thing about humans." Naruto raised a finger as he guided them down the hall and around a bend. "We can be cruel, yes. That's undoubtedly true. But we can be kind, too." he held up another hand. "Back there? I was being kind. Would you rather I stop? No more jokes. No more gifts. No more surprises?" when she didn't reply, he slapped her back. "I find life is better with surprises. You never know what's going to happen. It adds spice. Flavor, you know?" he clapped his hands once, eliciting a wince from them. Which brings me to the next point of interest on our little tour. Surprises."
Even Penny recognized his tone.
The others did too, if only by association.
"This might sound like a threat, but really, it isn't." his shadow clone grinned. "If you lot ever turn on James...well! Best not do that, alright? I can be a very good friend...but you don't want me to be your enemy."
Weiss bridled a little, eyes gone narrow. "Is that a threat?"
"Not at all, little Schnee. I don't make threats. I make promises...
Alright, none of that! They were all friends here! Executing friendship protocol!
"We have so much to talk about!" Penny pushed herself between them before they could come to blows. "How have you been!"
Ruby squeaked but a little as she grabbed her in a crushing hug again. "Ach! Yeah, definitely a human Penny!"
"Affirmative!" She set her down and snapped off a merry salute. "I can do human things now!"
Naruto's clone slapped a hand to his forehead and nearly dispelled himself. "Penny, no."
Her best friend winced. "But if you die again...your dad can't...
"Do not worry, Ruby! I am combat ready!"
Her friend remained fretful.
"But they'll come for you!"
"I do not mind." Penny couldn't help but preen a little. "Even if they do, I won't be alone."
And she wouldn't be? She had so many friends now. They could fight together. They would fight together if she had anything to say about it. If they didn't get along at first, she'd make certain they did. What else were friends for? They were all of them on the same side, after all.
Weiss looked away, eyes downcast. "Even if you die, one day?"
"Maybe." she shrugged. "I do not think I will."
"Maybe?!"
Father had studied her news cells and Ciel's alike. Their new bodies weren't quite human; they were something more. Of course they were. Naruto had been terribly clever when he'd asked Ambrosius to make their new bodies. Any enemy of theirs would find themselves in for quite the surprise indeed. Humanity came with sacrifice, but these were sacrifices she was willing to make, so long as she could be with him. Hmm. Now that she thought of it...
Father had once mentioned that people often shared things. Could you share a person?
More and more often she wondered about that. She found her eyes were often drawn his way; she didn't like the way Agen Hariett looked at him. Winter was her friend, Ciel was all but her blood. She liked them. They saw the truth and understood. But others...well...she wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"Nothings gonna happen to her." Naruto's clone growled, tugging her back to reality. "Trust me."
"Trust. Right." Yang grumbled. "Like you trusted us."
Naruto rounded on her with a snarl.
"Trust. Such a simple thing." he snapped his teeth, startling his fellow blond. "I trust James. He carries the world on his shoulders." a finger scythed out, swatting Yang on the shoulder. :I trust Winter. She's earned that trust ten times over by now. I trust Penny. Once again, she earned every bit of that, in spades. I trust Ciel. She's proven herself to me, to everyone, time and time again. I even trust Robyn. She wants the best for her people; that keeps her pure. Focused.
But that's the thing about trust." His head butted against hers, eyes ablaze. Y'see, trust can't simply be given away. Trust has to be earned. And you? I know nothing about you, your team, or your friends. So why would I trust any of you?"
He shouldered past.
"Prove yourselves first. Then we'll see where things go."
"But that's not fair!"
He nudged her aside and kept walking.
"Spare me the speeches, red. I've got a job to do until the boss wakes up...
Penny considered everything she'd just heard. She couldn't help but feel she was forgetting something. Oh! She remembered now. A child.
...
...
...
Was it so wrong that she wanted one? Could she even have such a thing? She confessed herself curious about the matter of procreation. If Winter was indeed pregnant, that implied the two of them had...well...coupled. It left her with an unpleasant burning sensation in her chest.
Perhaps she should broach the subject with the original.
Once he woke up, of course. People need their sleep.
She really was too pure for this world.
(.0.0.0.)
"I don't trust them, James. Not one bit."
Coming from Naruto, those words meant something. At least, Ironwood felt they ought to. For as long as he had known this young man, he had never spoken false, never led him astray, never done anything to endanger Atlas. Why would he do so now? Upon waking, Naruto had demanded his time; in good conscience, he hadn't been able to deny him.
Sure, he'd knocked himself out a moment ago, but he was up again and moving. That was the important thing.
Even if he absolutely refused to look at Winter for the time being.
"I'll take that under advisement." Steeping his hands together, the General laid his chin atop them. "Might I ask why?"
"They're hiding something. All of them." the blond began to pace before them. "Especially little Red and the Schnee."
"Careful," Winter frowned. "That's my sister you're disparaging."
"And I'm sorry for that, but I don't know her." Naruto shrugged, making a concentrated effort to avoid her eyes. "You and Penny only told me so much about them. I had to see for myself." his brow furrowed. "And I didn't like what I saw. Or sensed."
With Penny seeing to their housing, it was just the four of them here in his office for now, so he felt they could speak candidly once more.
Just as well, that; because he had a horrid feeling about this.
"I wasn't sure what at first," Naruto continued. "But now I've got a good read on them. And I want to show you something. You kept the lamp, right? Good. Let me see it."
He pulled the lamp from his belt and held it aloft. Almost immediately, James felt a stir in the air. At such close proximity he could sense something otherworldly about it. A tingle on the edge of his perception, like a faint hum easing away a migraine from another hectic day. No mere bauble, this. It really was a Relic.
"And for my next trick," his comrade cackled, "Jinn! Up an' at 'em!"
Time ground to a halt.
Azure smoke spilled forth from the Relic and resolved itself into the shape of a lovely young woman wreathed in golden chains. Her skin was blue as the sky, long hair cut from midnight itself. Wide eyes fluttered open with leisurely grace, revealing a gaze deep and unknowable as the ocean itself. She looked upon each of them and knew them.
It was...a humbling experience.
"Hello again, boy." Full lips curled into a smile that would leave most men undone. "Do you have a question for me this time? Or have you come to play more games?"
"No games," Naruto smiled. "I'd like you to repeat what you told me." a pause. "What you told Ruby and her friends. Show them."
Her eyes danced, mildly amused by his play on words.
"Again?" her lips thinned. "I'll grant you were clever to trick my name from Ambrosius the first time," one long leg folded over other, briefly causing James to avert his gaze as she prattled on, "And cleverer still to entice that from me without a question, but I would ask you no to make a habit of this. You play with forces you do not understand."
"Bah." he waved a hand. "What're the gods gonna do, smite me? They left. They can't come back.
Winter pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't understand, how...?"
"Jinn can speak of that which is already known, or common knowledge." Naruto raised a finger to elucidate. "I had a feeling Team RWBY might've used the lamp to ask a question. Jinn confirmed that. So did they when I got her to admit it a few minutes ago.
"You are a clever one, aren't you?" Jinn huffed. "Or perhaps my dear brother had grown lax in his long exile."
"Don't blame Ambro' he's got a good head on his shoulders."
"Very well." her gaze swept over each of them in turn. "I will speak of what this one," she waved a lazy hand at Naruto, "Has learned. Know that I cannot lie and speak the truth." Those lovely eyes became glassy for a moment before she focused again, marshaling her power. "In the interest of saving time, I'll summarize:
When next she spoke, her voice rippled with the low undertones of another.
"Salem is immortal. Cursed by the gods to be undying and unending. No true force of this world can hope to slay her." James didn't miss that phrasing, nor the way her gaze lingered upon Naruto. "So long as this world turns, she will walk its face."
Her eyes dimmed and the presence faded.
"There." she seemed to sag from the effort. "I have spoke of the Girl in the Lonely Tower thrice now. There will not be a fourth without a question."
Those words hit James like a sledgehammer; if only because they confirmed that which he'd feared all along."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Salem is...immortal?"
"Yup." Naruto cracked his neck. "I've dealt with immortals before. Undying doesn't mean undefeated. Nobody reads the fine print. Don't worry about that. Just wanted to prove my point. Speaking of which!" He whirled to beam up at Jinn. "Thank you for your time~! Sure you don't wanna stick around for awhile?"
"And be taken for granted yet again?" the genie huffed, crossing both arms beneath her bosom. It did...interesting things to her chest. "I think not!"
James coughed and looked away as she gazed down at the lot of them. Good gods. Did she have to be so revealing...?
"How about a trade, then?" Naruto said suddenly. "There must be something you want."
"I am a being of knowledge. I know all there is to know. I want for nothing-
"How about a body?"
She went still. Her eyes narrowed.
"You're bluffing. You have no such power as you are now."
"True." his head bobbed once. When it came back up, he wore a smile that would put Salem to shame. "However," It was the look of a fox who'd gotten into the hen-house and gobbled up every last chicken. "But don't we know someone who can?" he thumbed his chin, pretending to ponder the matter. "Now, whoever might that be...?"
Ciel perked up. "Ambrosius!"
"Bingo!" Naruto clapped his hands. "Give the girl a prize!"
"You say that and...wait." Jinn opened her mouth to protest. Closed it. Frowned as her mind perused the nigh-unlimited knowledge she'd been given, and the rules that came with it. "Such a thing is not forbidden...
Ironwood slumped into his chair and watched the ensuing negotiations with a war-worn smile.
Naruto could haggle like a sailor and bargain like a merchant when he wanted to. Perhaps the boy had taken to Atlas culture a little too well.
A knock resounded at the door.
"Um, sir?" a soldier's voice came through. "Miss Hill is here to see you."
Blast it all, was that today?
"Oh?" Naruto beamed. "Came for a pep talk, did she?" his brow waggled knowingly. "Or maybe she just came to see you."
James felt an unfamiliar heat crawl up the back of his neck. "You know its not like that."
"Do I? The stern general and the darling revolutionary." he clutched a hand to his heart and pretended to swoon. "A man and a woman against the world; each trying to sway the other to their side. Sounds like something straight out of a romance novel
...You're have far too much fun with this."
"Am I?" He blinked. "I think I might've snapped. Too much to take in."
It would certainly explain his jittery behavior since he'd passed out. "Perhaps you'd like a few minutes?"
"Yes, please. C'mon, ladies." his eyes fixed on Winter, who'd barely uttered a word since. "I think we need to have a talk.
"Yes," Winter's face flushed to the very roots of her hair, "That would be best."
Naruto took her by the left hand, while Ceil claimed he right.
Together, they led her away.
.0.0.0.
He was cross with her.
Winter just knew it; she felt it in her very bones.
Stress gnawed at her with every step as he and Ceil all but dragged her to their quarters, locked the door behind them, and plonked her down on the bed. From there they moved to flank her, denying her any attempt to escape. Not that she would have made one. She knew they had her number.
Still, she tensed, anticipating the inevitable explosion.
Thus, it came as something of a surprise when Naruto go down on his knees and laid both hands on her stomach. Her world ground to a halt.
"Soooo, as far as names go, I've got a few ideas." a guileless grin shone up at her, devoid of any fear or hesitation. "How does Wendy sound for a girl? Or maybe Wesley for a boy?"
...eh.
...eh?
...EH?!
ERROR! Winter has stopped working! Someone send an error report!
"I...you...what is this?!" She balked at him. "Why aren't you angry?! You should be angry! Not...not...whatever this is!"
"Are you kidding me?" her beloved blond stood and flung himself down across the bed beside her. "I always wanted to be a dad." he touched her stomach again, fingers curling around the faint bump just so. "I grew up with nothing. Nothing at all. No parents, no money to my name, no love to speak of." his eyes narrowed, gone half-lidded with memory. "So I told myself, if I ever found myself in a situation like this, I'd stick with it. With them. And their mother."
...I don't think I'm qualified to be one."
"Nah, you are." he waved her concerns away. "Just think about it; you know exactly what not to do."
"Ass!" she smacked his arm, but blow was weak and her words lacked rancor. "Why can't you take this seriously?!"
"But I am!" he turned a near-bleary grin on her. "Really, I'm actually very happy about this. I mean, you're pregnant." shining eyes regarded hers. "You're going to bring a new life into this world, Winter. How can I not be excited about that?"
...you fainted."
"Hey! I was shocked. It happens."
"That said," Ciel piped up a moment later. "May I have one as well?"
"Oi!"
"What? I think I would very much like to be a mother...
Naruto groaned. "Ciel, no...
It was too much.
Just like that, the last of Winter's stress abandoned her en masse.
The last feeble holdouts of anxiety fell to an army of hope.
She fainted dead on her feet and crashed into bed.
A/N: Funny thing, I believe it was mentioned somewhere that Naruto always wanted to be a fathter.
So? What'll it be? Wendy or Wesley? I'm partial to Wendy myself...
As ever, reviews are my fuel.
I can't write without them~! Not a wit or a word!
Felt good to write this. Downright freeing, really. Now the gears are spinning!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews!
And as ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
BEWARE~!
(Previews!)
Naruto grinned. "Alright, people! Showtime! Take your positions!"
Cinder scowled. Where was the Maiden? Why couldn't she find her...?"
Robyn crossed one leg over the other.
The countdown began.
She had to win.
She must.
Warm lips touched his cheek.
"I will do what is right. Now get the hell out of my way. I've got a murderer to catch."
R&R~!
