A/N: Ask and ye shall receive.
This request wouldn't stop crawling around in my head, so I had to let it out.
To clarify, there will be a Naruto-reincarnated-as-Godywn story in addition to this with a VASTLY different direction, but that's it. Can't go overboard on the Elden Ring stories.
Shed No Grace On Me should be updated tomorrow; I've been replaying the Radahn fight to get ideas. Likewise, Practice Makes Perfect and Rise of a Beast Hero are coming along nicely, but they need more time in the oven, as does Set Your Heart Ablaze, and What Could Have Been.
And that's just me naming the popular ones~!
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story, and others. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! Gone. Completely. I'm working two jobs -might need a third soon!- so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
Alright, then. This old man has kept you long enough.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, memes or themes. Not a wit or a one.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
As ever in the words of Kaif...
...SPOILERS!
"There is nothing stronger in this world than the bond one has with one's twin.
But are the two really siblings? That's the question.
After all, your "brother" has died before...
~?
Forget Me Not
"Somebody turn out the lights!"
Someone most assuredly did not dim them.
If anything they burned ever brighter, blinding Naruto.
He tried to raise an arm against it, shield his face a little, only to find that he lacked a limb by which to do so. Lacked a lot of things, really. Arms. Legs. A body at all. He looked down-in as much as one without a corporeal form could look -and beheld his form, little more than a whisp of light in the void.
He could see, could hear, could think, but he couldn't feel. Not a dam thing. Panic hit him for all of a moment before reality -and his memory- reasserted itself properly.
Don't underestimate me, you inferior creature!
Come, Otsutsuki. Let me show you what true resolve is.
You'd throw your life away for this?! Is that truly what you want?! To drag us both to hell?!
Right...I died, didn't I? the realization numbed him. Isshki. Baryon Mode. Kurama. He'd gone down fighting and taken that damn madman him. Was it wrong that he felt a petty flash of satisfaction? With that lunatic gone no one would be able to threaten his family. His life was a small price to pay for that. He would've gladly paid the price himself if it meant sparing Kurama.
But if this was the afterlife, then it wasn't at all what it was cracked up to be.
Where were the fields of flowers? His loved ones? The pearly gates? He saw nothing beyond an endless expanse of...nothing. Shadow and darkness, as far as he could see. There was nothing here. No deity to congratulate or condemn him, no great presence to send him on his way, nothing at all. It chilled him more than he cared to admit. He wanted out. Out of here, out of this place, out, out out!
Craning what passed for his neck, he spied a glimmer of brilliance in the void.
'Where am I? Hold on...now I see a light.'
On a whim he walked towards it.
Everything lurched and his vision swam.
When he blinked it away, the world had reasserted itself into...
He blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice now.
...why are my hands so small?'
Reality came back in fits and spurts and he found himself blinking at a pair of small, pudgy palms. He felt his spirit sucked out and down, crammed into a form several sizes too small for his liking. Indignation sparked and he tried to lift his hands higher, only to fail miserably. Someone was holding him, hoisting him upright...and it was still so damnably bright!
"Its a boy!" Someone, a woman, spoke just out view. "We shall name him Miquella."
'Excuse me?! That's not my name!'
There was another one there, too; a tiny little squalling babe, bundled up in swaddling cloth. Her face was a newborn pink, a tuft of red hair crowning her head. Healthy pair of lungs on that one. A screamer, through and through. He almost felt bad for her-no, no, no. Don't get distracted.
"Malenia." the woman's voice came on again. "Isn't she lovely?"
'Wait, wait, wait. I have a sister? The hell is this?!'
Realization proved slow to pounce, but once it did his world ran cold.
No.
Yes, fate seemed to laugh at him.
'No, no, no! I am not going through diaper hell again! Absolutely note! Once was more than enough!'
He tried to squint his eyes and force himself awake, hoping, praying this was a dream. No such look. Through his dim vision he beheld his doom. Damnit, he couldn't move the way he wanted. Everything was getting fuzzy and it took all his willpower just to think...
...is the boy alright?" again, the woman's voice tugged him back to reality.
"I know not." said someone nearby. "He's been awfully quiet."
Scowling fiercely, Naruto shifted his head as best he could -this feeble body didn't want to cooperate!- and glared bloody red daggers at those holding him. He spied a golden-haired woman and a man with striking locks a pace away; each pale of face, each bearing striking golden eyes. They were staring at him so, as though expecting something from him. At long last, his temper slipped the leash. Naruto tried to speak. Tried to shout.
In that, at least, he succeeded. His cry blew their hair back.
"My, listen to the lungs on him!"
'I'll give ya lungs!'
He shouted wordlessly and was rewarded with a wince from those he could only assume to be this parents of this...body. Not his parents. Not Minato. Not Kushina. He wasn't about to get attached to two perfect strangers, no sir, not him, no chance in hell. There was absolutely no way he would-
The babe beside him whimpered.
All his anger flew out the window, sure as an arrow in flight.
Naruto blew out an explosive sigh. Irritated as he was, he couldn't bear to hear a baby cry.
Even if he'd apparently been reborn as one, he wasn't that heartless. Never could be. And so he cast about with his sixth sense. Those at least, were quite intact. This new body felt odd, but there was power in it. In time it might even outstrip his old body. And yet there was something wrong with it, a faint gnawing sensation he couldn't quite place. Another frustrated shout built in the back of his throat.
The baby -Malenia!- whimpered anew, perhaps sensing his festering ire.
Naruto sighed inwardly. 'Can't believe I'm even considering this...
The woman spoke again, much to the blond's infinite chagrin.
"Dear Miquella, may you grow big and strong.
Naruto said exactly what he thought of that.
He would not be forgotten.
One way or another.
Forget Me Not.
(...Five Years Later...)
"Miquella!"
That was the only warning Naruto received. He still wasn't used to that name. Even now. It always took a second to respond. Not nearly enough time to react; he barely had a chance to close his journal before a whirl of wild red hair and green cloth hurtled across the bedroom and crashed into his back at speed. Truly, he never stood a chance. He teetered forward with a yelp and crashed facefirst into a pillow as someone bore him down, all but burying the leather tome beneath his body.
A pair of slim arms wrapped around his chest. Not a moment a later he felt a warm face nestle against his back.
Her pleased hum rose in his ears. "Caught you."
He sighed against her. "So you did. Can you let go now?"
Malenia nuzzled closer with a contented sigh. "I do not wish to."
A sardonic smile touched the corner of Naruto's mouth. Blast this feeble body. Even at the age of five he still couldn't move the way he wanted. She wasn't going to let him be until she had her fill. His twin, as he'd learned early on, liked to cuddle. Ever refined and elegant in public, she dropped that facade right quick when they were alone.
She nudged his back with her nose. "You're warm."
Siiiiiigh. Such a greedy girl.
Still, she was his sister. Sort of. Technically. Nothing wrong with a bit of bonding every now and again.
"Hmm." she hummed into his shoulders. "Whatever will I do with you?"
"Me?!" Naruto looked up in her arms with a squawk. "You're the one picking fights, Melania! Must be the redhead in you."
She thumped him with a pillow and he fell out his cot with a laugh.
They were children, after all.
"I take it you're feeling better?"
She'd been scratching herself an awful lot lately; if she felt safe enough to glomp him like this, then surely she must be better...
.
..
...right?
Naruto sniffed once. Frowned at the sweet, sickly scent emanating from her. He knew that smell; he'd grown up with it these last five years.
Wriggling in her grasp, he pivoted to face her and glared up at his clingy other half. "Hand."
Malenia released him and jerked back as if she'd been scalded. "I beg your pardon?"
Naruto didn't budge. Not a jot. "Hand. Now."
She flushed. "I'm fine, Miquella...
He snapped his fingers.
"Hand."
She complied with a little whine, a noise she'd never make in public. Even then she dithered a moment. Under his unflinching stare she reluctantly began to roll up her right sleeve. Slowly at first, tentatively even, and he knew full well why. She was ashamed of this. Afraid of it. For good reason.
Sure enough, there were dark, calcified patched on her skin.
Naruto inhaled sharply despite himself. "Again?"
"Its nothing." she made to roll down her sleeve but he caught her wrist.
"Did you tell mom you're feeling ill again?"
She looked down.
...no?"
Naruto fixed her with a look that could make Malekith quail, but Malenia merely hung her head. She could be so terribly stubborn when she wanted to be. Just like their mother.
Of course she was. They only had one another.
For five years now Marika-Mom!-had sequestered them away from their siblings, from a family they barely knew. All because of this Malenia's illness. If she knew Malenia was suffering a relapse, she would doubtlessly put them into further isolation.
And he couldn't bear to see his sister suffer so.
Naruto dragged himself upright with a sigh.
"Fine, fine. Hold still."
Closing his eyes, he pulled on the tattered threads of his strength. Much of his might had followed him into this world, but not all of it. Not Kurama. Still, he wasn't without his tricks. He pulled on those fraying threads now with gusto, weaving them out of himself and into the trembling arm of his sister. He wrapped them around the patches of rot. There was resistance, of course. It always felt like something fought him whenever he tried to treat his sister. Nevertheless, he forced the Rot to retreat, battering the blight back with sheer will alone.
He fought on, even as the act of doing so sapped his strength, taking just a little more from him than before.
Malenia made a little noise of relief. "Thank you. That's much better."
Sure enough, when he opened his eyes, her arm was hale and healthy as always. Hale. Whole. She often was...for a few days. He didn't want to imagine what might happen without these treatments. It was almost as if she were crumbling from within. But that was a silly thought, wasn't it?
He'd have to do more research. Ugh. Which meant more lessons with Radagon-dad!-and yet more reading. He hated reading.
...I'm sorry, brother." Sensing his gaze, little Malenia hung her head and chewed at her lower lip. "How much did it take from you this time?"
"Not much." the lie came to him easily. She didn't need to know just how draining these sessions were. "I'm fine, see?" He held up an arm and feigned a flex. "Good as new."
...you have problems too, you know."
Naruto knew did, and he didn't deny it. This new body of his was growing slowly. Too slowly, some might say. Malenia was his twin but she was already nearly a good head taller than him. Whereas it felt like he had to physically force his body to age at times. Who knew what next year would bring? It was a sobering thought, just as before. Dread reared its ugly head.
'What if I'm stuck like this? What if I don't grow up? Damnit, I don't wanna be a runt again!'
He struck down that wild thought. His current state didn't matter. Malenia mattered. She was all that mattered. There was something afoot here, but by the log he couldn't figure out what. He could only treat the symptom of her disease, never the cause. And each time he drove the "Rot" out, it came back stronger.
"It won't be enough...
The words slipped out before he could hold them back, and his shame with them. Something was bound to break at this rate. Be it him, or Malenia. He couldn't allow that. He'd been brought into this second life for a damn good reason, and it wasn't to fail. Fate couldn't be that cruel. It just couldn't.
There had to be a way to cure her. There just had to be.
"Don't worry, dear brother." Malenia perked up on a sudden, golden eyes alight. "I can protect you. I'll be your blade."
Naruto bit his lips to hold back a peal of bemused laughter. Malenia? This scrawny girl? Protect him? He wasn't so weak that he needed a bodyguard, even now. But she was looking at him again with those earnest golden eyes, waiting for his answer, squirming under his gaze. She just wanted to help him. How could he deny her?
On a whim he reached out and laid a hand on her head.
"If that's what you want. But you'll need to train hard if you wanna catch up with me."
"It is!" She pouted. "And I will! just you wait. I'll become strong. I'll find the finest instructors. No one will harm you under my watch!"
Adorable. Must protect.
"I'll hold you to that." He said the words in jest, but by the way her expression tightened, she took them seriously. "But don't be in such a hurry to grow up, eh? We've got our whole lives ahead of us, ya know."
Malenia surged forward and embraced him tightly.
"Dearest Miquella, oh, brother. We'll be together forever, won't we?"
Naruto felt his heart twitched as he returned her hug. He wasn't sure that was a promise he could make.
"Sure we will." he stroked the small of her back and smiled for her sake.
He'd be damned if he didn't try.
A/N: And there we have it. Request fulfilled.
Pairing's very much up in the air here, so lemme know what you think.
Do you want this to be a story? Yes? No? Maybe so? Make yourselves heard!
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this particular story, and others.
If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! Gone. Completely. I'm working two jobs -might need a third soon!- so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
Aaaand there we go. As ever, reviews keep me alive. Without them, I cannot write. So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly? And have some previews -potential blot bin things- that I'm working on.
(Previews)
Ranni tilted her head, looking down at him with naked scorn. "'Tis a fool's quest you're on."
He couldn't hate her. He shouldn't. She was his half-sister. Don't hate..don't hate...
"Come now," Rykard laid a hand on her shoulder. "Let the boy dream."
Naruto exhaled heavily.
"Even if it is a fool's dream."
It was too much. His eyes blazed red. "Who asked you?!"
"I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella...
Godwyn slapped his back. "Never let go of your dreams, little brother."
"We'll call it the Haligtree. Who knows? Might grow into an Erdtree someday. Wouldn't that be grand?"
Malenia slapped a palm to her forehead. "Your curse is getting worse, isn't it?"
"M'fine." he pushed himself off the wall. "I've still got time."
"But how much time, brother of mine?"
...enough."
"Well met, Miquella!" Radahn boomed a laugh as he climbed down off his horse and unslung his swords. "Finally! A worthy opponent! Our battle shall be legendary!"
Naruto found himself mirroring the man's grin despite himself. This guy...was just too damn nice. Honorable to a fault, and refusing to disparage him even now that they were at odds with one another. He couldn't possibly be Ranni or Rykard's sibling. Or maybe he'd grown so noble and kind because those two were such bitter, cruel souls. Regardless, it didn't change what he had to do.
"Alright." With a groan, he dragged himself upright. "I'll play."
He took hold of his drooping shoulder...
"Aaargh!"
...and popped it back into place.
"Y'know," he rasped out, bending down to retrieve his weapon, "I'm glad I met you...
Radahn grinned right back, a pure and boyish thing for one so large. "And I you! TO BATTLE!"
"You would betray the Golden Order?"
"This isn't a betrayal at all! I'm trying to save her!"
"Assassins?"
"Oi! This body may be small, but I can still kick your ass seven ways to Sunday!" he planted his foot and swept an arm forward. Four fingers crooked in a come hither motion as the other curled into a fist behind his spine. "C'mere. Lemme show you why they call me an Empyrean...here."
He reached across the counter, grabbing the first thing within reach.
"I'll kill you all with this teacup."
Malenia whimpered in the dark, curling up in pain. "Stop, stop, stop...please stop...I don't want to rot...
...what do you want, Mohg."
The omen bowed, low and deep at the waist.
"A moment of your time Dearest Miquella, nothing more."
Naruto felt the faintest flicker of disgust stir in him. He choked it down.
Calm down. Breathe. Don't rise to the bait. He had enough enemies already. "Unless you know a way to save Malenia, I ain't interested."
"Ah, but I do, dear one!" the madman sounded far too giddy for his liking. "The formless mother has show me much...
Here at last, his temper slipped its leash.
"I ain't your dear one. Call me that again and you'll lose the other eye!"
R&R~!