A/N: WARNING! As ever we're still sticking to the "Embers" rule here, folks.

Every review no matter how large or small, keeps me writing in spite of my busy work schedule.

No reviews? No inspiration. No inspiration? No story. So speak up! Your words matter!

That's no joke!

After all, I do so enjoy chatting with my readers.

Now then, lets answer some quick questions. Really want to get into this chapter.

Q: WE DEMANDS A NORA P.O.V.! Forthwith, I say! FORTHWITH!

A: And they say I quote TFS...sure. Why not.

Q: So are Raven and Leo good now or...?

A: I wouldn't say good per se. Raven is whipped. Utterly. This chapter all but cements it. Lionheart would sell his own mother to save his skin, so him turning shouldn't come as a surprise.

Lets see if he can find his redemption in Kuroyuri.

Q: What's Naruto's game plan? Is he just going to stay where he is now or...?

A: Read and see for yourself~!

Alright then, I think I've kept you long enough.

Lets get on with the delightful madness that is this story.

As ever I own no reference, quotes, themes or memes. Not a wit or a one.

"She's not that bad. I think this power will help her."

"Yuuuup. You just jinxed it. Definitely."

"Oooh! More sparks!

~?

Power and Responsibility

This!

WAS!

AWESOME!

Nora couldn't help but grin as she surveyed the ruin she'd wrought; because for the first time, she had been the one to do something. All this destruction was her doing. The yard that lay before her was simultaneously a charred-yet-frozen mess, scorched and twisted by the elements brought to bear upon it.

Yup. She did this. Because she had superpowers!

Technically, they weren't "real" superpowers per se and yes, they tended to rage out of control when she got emotional, but still! Progress! She could direct it to an extent now, channel it, though it exhausted her. To come this far in a week was worthy of praise. Well, Naruto said it was. Nora wasn't sure. She wouldn't be satisfied until she learned to fly.

Yet for all her inability to focus, one element came naturally to her.

Stifling a grin, she took aim once more and flung out both palms toward a nearby straw post, one of three erected for the purpose of her training. Her hands crooked into claws. Blue eyes burned with azure flames. In this alone, her Power answered readily. A snarl tore out of her, bringing with it that same burning heat as ever. Auntie Raven had been right about one thing. It really was a rush.

Wild violet-white lightning burst from each of her fingers and arced forward at speed.

Faster than the eye could see, they crossed the distance in an instant and forked, splitting three different ways. With an almighty crack, each dummy blew apart in an explosion of straw-filled timber. Nora tilted her head back with a small smile as the ashes rained down on her head. And if she spread her arms as she cackled a little? Well, no one heard her.

"UNLIMITED POWAH!"

"Nora, no," a familiar voice yawned somewhere behind her, "Bad Nora. None of that."

Leave it to Renny to sound unimpressed even when doling out compliments. He could be so stoic sometimes. Maybe that had something to do with his Semblance.

"Don't be like that, Renny!" she twirled in place, threading her fingers together as she cracked her aching knuckles. "I'd never zap you!"

A pink eye peeked over the book he'd engrossed himself in. "Why does that smile of yours not fill me with confidence?"

"Oh, you!" She paused then as a thought occurred to her. "Waitaminute. I thought Naruto had you running laps?"

"He did." another page came and went. "I finished early. Someone needs to keep an eye on you."

She flicked his forehead. "Is that what you're doing?"

A dark brow quirked. "As far as he knows."

Yup. Good 'ol Renny. Nora couldn't help but giggle as she flopped down beside him. "He's pretty awesome, isn't he?"

The tiniest smile touched his face.

...he really is."

Really, this training wasn't so bad at all. A kid could grow to like this. Only seven days ago DanononoNaruto! -she flinched a little and quickly corrected herself- had declared that she and Ren would start their training under him forthwith. He hadn't said why, only that he wanted her to. More often than not her "training" involved wreaking absolute havoc on a singular plot of land set aside just for her. Ren was forced through no small amount of grueling feats, many of which he refused to speak of.

She still had no idea why Naruto wanted her to do this, but then again, she didn't much care.

He was her Semblance, after all. No way he'd hurt.

Some still called her mad for insisted on that, but really, it was the only thing that made a lick of sense. Sure, she hadn't been able to summon him to her side -or anyone else for that matter!- since that awful night, but it all seemed so simple. If he wasn't her Semblance, what was? Nothing, that's what! Definitely him!

Still, these powers were amazing!

That crazy bird lady said she would be able to fly someday. Just like a superhero! Now all she need was a cape and a hammer. Maybe a grenade launcher. Why not all three?

...you kidding me?!"

Her keen ears heard a shout and caught sight their Mentor across the way, flanked by Auntie Raven and...ugh, had really let that sketchy Lion out of his cell again? Super sketchy that one; always jumping at his own shadow like he thought he'd find a monster lurking within it. She didn't trust him one bit, even if he'd pledged his loyalty to the Boss.

Speaking of servitude...!

As ever, her mouth twitched into a smile when she saw what the grumpy woman was wearing this morning. Servant, indeed! Who would've thought the once mighty Raven Branwen would be reduced to this? Not her. Heh. That brazen maid outfit suited the cheeky. Black and white were totally her colors. Even if she hated them; it only made Nora crack up whenever she saw her.

Even as she looked on, the duo flanked her teacher as a woman in red robes knelt before him.

"I have come to pledge my fealty to you, Lord of Light." her voice was strong and powerful, audible even at this distance. "What would do wish of me?"

"Another one? Is this a cult?" Naruto slapped a hand to his forehead. "Have I started a cult?! Why do I have a cult?!

Raven shrugged. Lionheart muttered something too soft to be heard. Not so Naruto. Not this time.

"What's your name?"

Her head bowed lower, kissing the floor. "Melisandre, my lord."

"Another one with another weird name." Naruto groaned. "That's the third this week!"

Nora muffled a giggle behind her palm, only to frown as the adults lowered their voices once more. Boo! No fun! She craned her neck as the woman in red robes was ushered away by an aide, and yet in spite of that, the unlikely trio lingered to speak among themselves in hushed voices. Inevitably, her frustration mounted. This wouldn't do.

The little maiden crouched low to the ground. "Hey, Renny."

"Hmm." he didn't look up from his book.

"Let's eavesdrop on 'em."

"I don't think that's a good idea-hey!"

Nora gave him no say in the matter; she all but grabbed him by the wrist and crept closer, keeping low to a crumbling wall for cover. A few passerby noticed them and let them go with an indulgent smile. She didn't much mind that, so long as their targets didn't.

Thought they could squabble without her listening in, did they? Well! They were mistaken!

...declare you my successor." Leonardo was finishing as they drew within earshot. "That might draw her out, if only to strike at me. If you're certain you can face her...

"No," Naruto shook his head, vetoing the idea." That's too risk for Haven and everyone involved." His eyes swept back to Raven. "And I still don't believe you about this Relic nonsense."

"You could always take that girl of yours to the Vault and see for yourself."

Girl? Were they talking about her?

Ren frowned at her side. "Should we really be listening to this?"

"Shhh!" Though pressed a finger to her lips and strained her ears, only catching the tail end of Naruto's reply.

...want to keep her safe. There's no point burdening her with that kind of knowledge."

"Then you're the same as Ozpin." Raven folded both arms before her bosom, summarily realized just how much cleavage that action revealed thanks to the low cut of her hated uniform, and dropped her arms again. "I thought you were better than him. Now who's the coward?"

"Oh?" blue eyes flashed gold. "I thought I heard something just now. Was it the wind?"

She grit her teeth. "Probably...Master."

Leo coughed once, hiding a laugh.

"Look," Naruto continued, "I never said I was going to sit on my hands and do nothing. I'd like to make Kuroyuri more defensible before...!" His right ear twitched and his head snapped in their direction. "We'll finish this discussion later. We have guests."

Nora blanched and ducked down. "Hide!"

It was no use; if he wasn't aware of them before, he definitely was now. She knew they'd been found out.

"You can stop hiding now, Nora." his voice called. "You too, Ren. You've heard all you're going to hear today." He planted a hand on his hip when they didn't appear. "You have until the count of three-

"Alright, alright!" Nora popped out of cover before he could pull out a prank. "We're here!"

"Well?" A blond brow quirked. "What do you have to say for yourselves."

There could be only one response when face with such.

Nora grabbed Ren by the wrist and bolted. "You'll never take us alive!"

(.0.0.0.)

"You'll never take us alive!"

Naruto watched them go with a fond smile. "Cheeky little scamps."

Raven scowled as they scampered away to what they thought was safety. "You're too soft on them."

"Maybe," he shrugged carelessly. "They won't be children forever. Might as well let them enjoy it, ya know?"

"Even if it puts them in danger-urk." A blond brow rose and she quailed beneath its weight. "I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn. Forgive me."

There was a certain word to describe this kind of behavior, wasn't there? Aha! He remembered now. Whipped. She really was afraid of him, wasn't she? He wasn't sure he liked it. Granted, didn't regret thrashing her within an inch of her life back in the Tribe, but he hadn't thought it would scar her this badly. And really, the uniform was a bit much. Kuroyuri hadn't been kind to her.

...I'll just take my leave and get something to eat then, yes?" Lionheart saw the tension for what it was and scarpered. "Don't mind me!"

Naruto waved him off and returned his scowl unto Raven.

"So," he began, apropos of nothing, "This relic you keep talking about, just how many questions can it answer again?"

Was that the ghost of a smile on her face just ow? "Three, ever hundred years. Two should be left...

There was the faintest hitch in her voice just then. "And why is that?"

Raven chewed her lip and looked away.

...ya used one of them, didn't you?"

Her head bobbed. "I did."

He should've known. How else would she know so much about Salem? Small wonder she was a nervous wreck.

Sharp red eyes sought his. "So, are you going to use it...?"

"Tch." Naruto pinched the brow of his nose. "You know it ain't that simple. According to you, a Relic draws Grimm. Even assuming I run to Haven at top speed, and that's a big if," he shot her a dark glower when her eyes shone with triumph, "There's nowhere safe to put the damn thing. It'll draw the beasties here. What would I even use it for?"

"You don't have to use it," she argued. "Just take it, seal the vault, bury it somewhere. If she doesn't know where it is, she'll be delayed decades, maybe even centuries."

...don't we have our storage scrolls?" Kurama chimed in. "We could always toss it in one those...maybe. Not sure how a Relic would react to that."

Naruto touched a hand to his pouch, considering. He did have a few on him. They didn't have much in them beyond the odd kunai and throwing star, but maybe...if something was sealed away in a scroll it was essentially stored away from time itself. Food kept, metal didn't rust, cloth didn't fray. Could he really just toss this so-called Lamp in a scroll and be rid of it?

"Or I could destroy it." he offered blandly. "How badly would that screw her? You said she wanted all four relics, so if she couldn't have one...

"Unlikely." Raven's lips pursed into a thin line. "The Relics were made by the gods. They cannot be destroyed."

"And who decided that?"

She winced. "Its your funeral."

Kurama scoffed. "Sweetheart, destruction is our specialty these days...

"Or you could go with a third option. Use the lamp. Think about it, master." her arms looped around the back his neck, fingers linking there. "All the knowledge in the world. Wouldn't that be helpful to you? There must be something you want to know."

A small part of him was warming to the idea. And yet suspicion prevailed. "You're being awfully pushy about this. Why?"

"I can be more than your servant." her forehead touched his. "You know what they say about rulers." her smile gained an edge. "A king must have a queen."

With her? Unlikely. That beautiful face hid an ugly personality. After all the trouble she'd caused him he wasn't feeling all that generous toward her at the moment. And him? A King? Surely not...right? He was just helping the village out. He wasn't king of anything. No way.

...right?

"Not a chance." He shook himself free, meeting her scowl with one of his own. "Sorry, not sorry."

Raven let him go, displeasure writ all over her face. "You'd rather go for that widow, then?"

"Wha-no!" he recoiled. "An just lost her husband! She needs time to mourn, not," his cheeks burned when he remembered just how close she'd been, "What the hell's wrong with you?!"

"Oh?" came the hiss. "So its An, now? That why you're avoiding her? Don't want her to tempt you?" her chin rose in defiance, emboldened by her anger. "I'm better than her. Faster. Stronger. What does she have that I don't?"

"Leave it!"

Naruto shot her a black glower and turned his attention inward.

'Thoughts?'

"One or two." Kurama offered the mental equivalent of a shrug. "There are some secrets not meant for mortal eyes. Then again, I'm not mortal."

Blue eyes rolled. "Thanks ever so much for your words of wisdom."

...I can't choose for you. But I will say this. We already fought one immortal before this." a sigh punctuated the darkness of his mind. "If you take this "Relic" or whatever it is, she'll notice. Do you really want to tangle with another unkillable foe so soon? Raven's a far cry from Sasuke, and I don't trust that cowardly cat one bit. It would be you and me against her. Alone. We don't know a thing about her skills, abilities...anything. To say nothing of what might happen if we unite the relics."

"So you're against it, then."

"Hmm." he sounded almost surprised. "Seems I am. What would you even use those questions for? To find a way home?"

"Nah,' his rejoinder proved swift. "I mean, I'd like to someday, but I'm not in any rush.

Really he wasn't. When he'd left them, the Elemental Nations had been at peace. Whereas this world, Remnant, most assuredly was not. The people here were a hardy folk, but they couldn't protect themselves from the Grimm. Not yet. He could train them of course, but that would take time. Time he might otherwise not have.

So what to ask, indeed?

There was a great deal he could ask the Lamp, but most of his inquiries pertained to the future, which by her very nature -and Raven's own admission- Jinn wasn't allowed to know. He could ask about Salem, but what would that gain him? Not much in the long run. He already knew who she was and likely what she wanted. She was immortal, sought the maidens, and probably wanted to rule or end the world. In that order. Not all that different from Kaguya, excepting her search for the Relics and Maidens with them.

The maidens...

He pondered the matter for a moment, considering what Leonardo had told him with his own assumptions. A teacher for Nora would be nice. Raven knew a little of the spell theory thanks to her brief time with Spring, but it wasn't enough. She didn't truly understand the power. None fo them did. In many ways they were running blind here. Reacting, rather than attacking. Perhaps it was time for a change.

On a whim he turned to face Raven once again. "Any idea where the other Maidens are?"

"Unfortunately, no." The former chieftain shrugged, though her voice remained sharp. "Last I heard, they were in the academies. One or two might have flown the coop since I left. As you know, Spring certainly did. Although...

Naruto perked up. "Although?"

"I do remember something about the last Fall Maiden. She was a warrior, real young when she got her Power." The swordswoman thumbed her chin as she warmed to the topic and grinned. "Fighter through and through, that one. Ozpin and her never saw eye to eye on things. No idea if she's still kicking. Her power might've gone to someone else by now."

"Do you at least remember her name?"

"You know, its funny." her eyes fluttered in a brief, baffled blink. "I should, its right there on the tip of my tongue, but for the life of me... I can't." she touched a hand to her temple and shook her head. "Strange."

Man and beast alike winced. "Well, now."

'That ain't ominous at all.' Outwardly, he said otherwise. "And the others?"

"Atlas still has their old hag, Freya, though her mind is all but gone." Raven turned her head aside and spat at the mention of her. "Nobody knows about Vacuo. What?" she quailed a little under his flat stare. "Folks don't much care about that place. Damn desert. Trust me, you don't want to go there.

With that, the bare bones of a plan began to form.

Right, that was one theoretical question sorted. What of the other? Meh. He'd figure something out down the line.

He'd always been the sort to charge in first and ask questions later. But there were people depending on him here. The Maidens might be useful, helpful certainly, and it wasn't as if he intended to gather them all in one place. Recipe for disaster, that. No he just needed one. Not for very long, just enough to give Nora an grasp on her powers. That was all.

He heard his ward sneeze in the distance. A peal of thunder echoed her.

Hopefully soon.

"Hey, Ren! Nora!" he cupped both hands to either side of his face and called for her. "You up for a road trip-oomph!"

He grunted in mild pain as the girl in question slammed into his leg, latching onto the limb for all she was worth.

Burning blue eyes met his, framed by a giddy grin only a child could pull off. "When do we leave?"

He'd only just opened his mouth to reply when the bell began to toll. Clang! Clang! Clang!

Nora's smile bled away as cried went up from the main thoroughfare

"Grimm at the gate!" someone cried! "Grimm at the gate!"

Their enemies had come again.

A/N: Didn't see that coming, did you?

Once again, As ever we're sticking to the tried-and-true "Embers" rule.

I don't want this to meet the fate of other discontinued stories, but I'm very much a man of my word.

So by all means, speak up! Make yourselves heard! Your words matter!

I'm sure you're wondering about the Maidens. Rest assured, there's a plan there, and its going to be absolutely bonkers.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review...Would You Kindly?

And have some previews.

(Preview)

"Back!" his voice boomed like thunder!" Push the beasts back!"

Why the hell was Raven hiding?

"Summer, was it?" Naruto shook the thought away. "What brings you to Kuryoyuri?"

The huntress tugged down her white hood, revealing stark silver eyes and a smiling face.

...have you seen a Nuckelavee around here?" he found himself gazing at a curious visage indeed. "I was sent to eliminate it...

"Oh, that? Already killed it.

"Really?" she blinked at him. "By yourself? Well, I was looking for the Branwen Tribe, too, but I haven't been able to find them. Her gaze strayed to the strange piece of jewelry at his belt. "Is that a lamp?"

Nora and Ren hid behind his legs. She saw them and absolutely cooed.

"Aw, they're adorable! I've got one their age...

A cloaked figure pushed themselves upright from the cavern floor.

"Shame on Salem, sending a young man after an old woman like me." Beneath their worn hood, bright eyes pulsed with living flame, fully realized in its might. "Doesn't she have any respect for the elderly?

...you're not old at all, witch."

A small smile flashed across her face. "Perhaps not."

"Surrender and you will not be harmed. I dislike violence."

"Then I'm afraid we've come to a bit of an impasse." She stood, casting him in the shadow of her campfire. "Y'see, I LIKE violence. And you, made one fatal mistake. You messed with the wrong girl...

Salem's fingers drummed against her throne.

Still no word from Lionheart. And curious rumblings at Haven.

Curious. And concerning. Perhaps it was time to sent someone to investigate...

"The lamp is missing."

Ozpin set his mug down. Steepled his fingers, closed his eyes, and sighed.

"WHY IS THE LAMP MISSING?!"

R&R~!