A/N: Holy crap that RWBY episode 0_0

EDIT: In horrid pain as I write this, so please excuse any spelling errors. I'm doing the best I can.

Well, here we are. This chapter Not nearly as long as I would like it to be, but I'm still recovering from surgery, blew out my back, and had a root canal done recently. My team's taken a step back due to the madness of Covid, so I'm left to continue the updates on my lonesome for the time being until this mess is sorted. Throw in two jobs and the aforementioned pain? Suffice it to say I'm a bit of a mess.

Yeah, not in the best of places right now. But you came here for a good chapter, didn't you?

Buckle up ladies and gentlemen, because here. We. Go.

"That man is the last reason for me to tolerate human life.

You will not touch him. You will not harm him.

If you do....your world will burn."

~Salem.

Kiss of Passion

Salem spent the rest of the day lazing about in bed.

Her mind was left in shock; not the painful sort mind you, but rather the delirious glee of one who had been unexpectedly granted a long cherished wish. Never in her life had she needed something so much and never known until she received it. Yes, she was still cursed. Yes, she still lived eternal. Yes, she was still immortal and doomed to exist forever. But all of those problems seemed so small now. Tiny, even, compared to the knowledge she'd just been granted. Not only did she have someone to spend eternity with -a blessing by itself!- but said someone had recently fought a god for her.

An actual god! Living divinity! A being mortals had no business fighting!

Naruto had squared up against one of such oppressor and sent them running with their tail between her legs. It was glorious. Even now she replayed the event in her mind, cherishing the memory. For she had seen it all. Heard it all. The God of Light had offered him a chance to leave this world behind, an opportunity to forsake her like all the rest and return to his own. She'd braced herself for his answer, dreading that he would accept; if only because a small sliver of her soul still doubted him.

Once again, Naruto took all those fears and shattered them.

Before her very eyes he denied the God of Light, knowing full well such an offer wouldn't be made again. She'd feared the worst as the God attacked him for such sacrilege; when the lighting struck she cried out his name, but no one heard her over its mighty roar. None heard her gasp as Naruto threw that bolt back in pompous deity's face, knocked him about, wrestled him down and blasted him back into oblivion. Ozma? Who the hell was Ozma?! Ozma never smacked down a god!

In all fairness, Ozma had been many things to Salem.

Her first love, her first kiss, her first husband. Her fist loss. Ozma had been good and sweet and kind. She would always cherish the brief time they'd spent together. In another life, might things have been different. A life yet unlived, a future that would never come to be. And yet Ozma was gone. Nothing could bring him back. Surely not the gods. No, That chapter in her life had been closed for decades now. Centuries, even. She simply hadn't been willing to let it go.

With the God of Light broken, Salem found herself able to do so at long last.

One chapter in her life lay finished; but what lay ahead was a story yet unwritten, a book filled with countless pages. And she held the pen.

Salem hummed softly to herself as she leaned back in bed, contemplating the matter further. What now? Where did one go from here? The Gods -well, God in this case- had been bested beyond belief. Her curse remained for now, but was life eternal truly a curse when you had someone to share it with? Naruto wasn't simply her partner now. He was her knight. Her protector. Dare she say her husb-

"Boop."

Red eyes fluttered in a rapid blink as a tan hand reached around her and flicked her nose, gently drawing her from such mundane thoughts. Sure enough she turned her head to find bemused blue eyes gazing back at her from the pillow. Without thinking she turned and scooted closer, instinctively seeking the warmth his body offered. His hand came around her bare back and pulled her closer, offering her the sanctuary she sought. One of her arms twined with his, lazily seeking his palm.

"Spacing out again, are we?" Naruto hummed in her ear. "You've been doing that a lot lately."

Salem couldn't quite keep smile from her lips as she buried her head in his scarred chest. "I suppose so."

Tangled in the sheets they lay spooned against one another in the morning sunlight, not so much as a single stitch of clothing to their name. With her ear against his upper torso, Salem could hear his heartbeat, beating in time with her own to match her own flawless. Intimacy had been inevitable, really. It was bound to happen sooner or later. One could only know someone for so long before they let their guard down. And she knew Naruto very, very well. He had seen her in her darkest moments and not batted an eye. And she had seen his.

Unbidden, her eyes trailed up to his right shoulder and the bandages there. "Does your wound still trouble you?"

"A little." he admitted. "Its fine. I'll be alright."

Salem scowled. "Will you?"

The God of Light could not curse him as he had her, but their battle left a mark upon Naruto all the same. When he'd ripped the deity's teeth from his shoulder he tore a bloody trench in his body. The wound would heal in time as all things did, but she knew he would carry a scar there for the rest of his days. A small price to pay, or so Naruto said. He seemed quite spry for an injured man. Was it true, then? Had he successfully stolen some semblance of the Light's power as he claimed? Who could say?

"No need to glare at it." he laughed. "I'm fine. You said you liked scars."

Salem did. They were proof of life, a legacy lived. Naruto had many while she had none...but...still...how dare that thing harm her beloved. Just thinking of it stirred her anger.

Remnant didn't need the Brother Gods anymore, wretched old fossils that they were. Their time had come and gone. This world needed someone better; someone to guide humanity into the future once they returned. Rulers who show them the way. Yes, THEY should be the true gods, the leaders of this world. Naruto would be an Emperor, and she, his Empress. It would be the dawn of a new era. All would fear them and rejoice. They would shape the world in their image, destroy any who dared to oppose them and...wait. Where had that thought come from? Salem shivered silently.

She'd been having worrying thoughts like that of late, an urge to destroy everything before her. With an effort, she stamped it down.

Calm, she willed the word at herself, chanting it like a mantra. Peaceful thoughts. There was no need for destruction here. She could always vent her misguided wrath on a forest or some empty field. There was no need to hurt anyone. Nothing to kill. She would not lose herself to her darker impulses. Taking a deep breath to center herself, she snuggled closer to her lover.

"Naruto."

"Hmm?" he quirked an eyebrow down at her.

Her mouth formed a thin line. "If I go down a dark path...

He pulled her closer still himself up on his elbows. "You won't."

"But if I do." she pressed, piercing him with a bleak look. "If I lose my way-

"Then I'll drag you back. He dipped his head down and his mouth melded with hers, sending an electric thrill shooting down her spine. "Every time." Salem gasped beneath the sugary sweet kiss, and said gasp became a grown when he pulled away. "I'll be here for you. Always will." his chin came down over her shoulder. "Not like we're gonna let you torture children or anything."

"We?" she feigned laughter she didn't feel. "And what does Kurama have to say about this?"

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "He says you're being melodramatic."

This time, her laughter felt genuine.

Nevertheless, a wild pang of fear shot through Salem at his words. This had to be a dream. She couldn't be blessed. Only cursed. The idea that she might actually have a chance to be happy, to live unmolested by the Gods, to believe that her curse might one day be broken...it was almost too much to bear. Hope was painful. Hope hurt. Hope implied the possibility of success but also failure. Better not to believe. Better to be an evil witch that despised humanity. But...she couldn't do that now. Naruto was human. To despise them was to think less of him, and she could not bring herself to be such a monster.

By the elements, he'd broken her. Maybe that was a good thing. She feared what she might become without him.

Naruto was the last reason for her to tolerate human life. If something happened to him...

A tiny, bittersweet laugh tumbled from her lips. "This is your fault, you know."

"Wait, what?" he guffawed happily against her. "Me?! What did I do?"

"Yes, you!" she gave his chest a weak slap. "All your fault!"

He only laughed louder, body shaking against hers. Before long Salem found herself joining him. Blond buffoon. But he was her buffoon. The apple of her eye. Her light. Her hope. It made all the difference in the world. He would never forsake her, never betray her for another. After all, Remnant was barren. Even if it wasn't, she knew he wouldn't turn on her. She'd not let him.

"Now look what you've done." Still laughing, she butted her head against his. "Take responsibility, blast you!"

"Well...okay." he went with it and leaned against her. "What did you have in mind?"

What did Salem have in mind? Her thoughts were quick to conjure an answer. What did she desire? Many things. A home. A warm hearth. Family. Perhaps a pet or two as well. No, wait. Did not Luna -their hound- already fulfilled that role. Laughter and love, then. Humanity might yet return someday, but such a day would be in the far-flung future. Until then it would be just the two of them...unless...Could she have children? It might not be possible. They'd both been exposed to the pool of darkness after all. Neither of them were human. Who knew what any offspring of theirs would look like? Still the thought stayed with Salem.

It needled her, digging deep into her heart and taking root. Oh, she could hear their voices now.

"Mama! Papa!"

Little ones running and laughing as they played at her feet. Amber-eyed girls with blond hair and whiskered cheeks. Or perhaps boys bearing blue eyes and pale hair? Unbidden, her mind conjured forth yet another image. Four girls. How strange. She'd never thought of having that many. The thought warmed her more than words. Who knew what the future held? She didn't want to spend it alone.

Her heart ached and just like that, her lips moved of their own volition. "Marry me."

Naruto's went still against her, laughter dying. "Come again?"

A slow, insidious heat infused Salem's cheeks. She sputtered and buried her head in his chest again, desperate to hide it. Fire and brimstone, she'd said it aloud! Curse her treacherous tongue! She hadn't meant to! What would he think of her for this?!

But why not, came the whisper. What's stopping you?

Why not indeed? They'd spend hundreds of years together as time ground by. Thanks to that cursed pool, Naruto no longer aged; or if he did, it was incredibly slow. They were the both of them, ageless. There was no one to object to their union. No one to officiate it either of course, but who needed to? A ceremony could be held later when humanity crawled back out of the primordial mud.

"Marry. Me." she raised her gaze and this time, her words held weight. "Please."

He reached across her body, fingers threading with hers. "Sure."

Alas, her courage failed her and she didn't hear him.

"W-W-We needn't do it right away of course...

"Salem."

...and I'd understand if you're reluctant...

"Salem."

...and I'd be willing to wait...

"Salem!"

Reality snapped back with a lurch as his hand tousled her hair. "I said yes."

"Eh?"

Salem's mouth clicked open, forming a perfect oval. Everything rebooted. She couldn't think. Couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe. Error. Error. Erro. has stopped working. Please send an error report. She was fairly certain she made a sound, that he said something, but she didn't hear it. It might've been a certain word she'd been longing to hear for the last century. Salem didn't know. Didn't care. Realization dawned. Her body snapped forward and she crashed against him with a vengeance, smashing her mouth against his, tongue ruthlessly plundering his.

Hers. He was hers. No one could contest it.

Naruto tried to speak, but she wouldn't let him. Dark desire flashed through her as she wrestled him back down, arms linking around his neck as one hands cupped her rear and pulled her into his lap. Her heart hammered a wild tempo beneath her breast as the other cupped it, fanning the flame within her to a feverish pitch. No one else could have him. She'd not let them. She would eviscerate any who dared to try! Flay the very flesh from their bones! It was a frightful thought and perhaps selfish of her, but in this moment, Salem embraced it wholeheartedly

"Relax." he chuckled between kisses. "I'm still here. I'm going going anywhere."

"Oh." she blinked, struggling out of her lust-filled gaze. "Yes. Well. That's...good. Very good."

"Don't really know how to forge a ring," her partner continued with a grin, "But I'm sure I can work something out."

A laugh tumbled from her lips. "Metalsmith now, are we?"

"Nope." he raised a hand, golden flames flicking at his fingertips. "Just a jack-of-all-trades."

"I want children." she babbled, unable to hold the words back any longer. "To start a family with you. If that's alright...?"

"Me too." he hummed. "Should be nice having a kid or two running around. But can we...?"

They hadn't tried in earnest yet. Both knew it. Both feared failure.

Red eyes flashed. "I suppose there's one way to find out."

Salem pushed him down again and climbed atop him in the same instant, straddling him with her hips. She was well aware of how she must look in this moment; pale skin gleaming in the sunlight, ashen hair spilling down her back, concealing not a thing. Her body was open to him, her soul laid bare, her bosom heaving with anticipation. His eyes roved across her, and she did the same unto him. Slowly, gradually she began to move her body against his. Soon enough, he responded in kind.

"I am yours." she breathed, taking him within her. "Forever and ever."

"'Till death do us part." he linked his hand with hers.

Salem laughed. "We can't die, you silly fool."

Naruto mirrored her smile. "Exactly."

And that, as they say, was that.

(.0.0.0.)

As time passed, humanity returned. But gods don't suffer defeat lightly.

They are spiteful, petty creatures.

Petty indeed.

(.0.0.0.)

Ozma opened his eyes.

Wakefulness came back to him quickly as he pushed his consciousness to the fore once more.

He stood slowly, giving his body a brief glance over. It was...not quite as he remembered; as if donning an old suit for the first time in years. Gone were his armor and weapons, in place of his knightly attire he found his new form clad in a simple pair of black trousers and a worn wool jacket. His skin had gone tan and his hair was white, but his face felt familiar to the touch. It held the same shape. Good. He appeared to be the same age as he remembered. Another small blessing, that. He didn't much like the notion of being reborn as a child.

"Well," he murmured in a voice not quite his own, "I suppose it worked, then."

A worn iron sword hung at his side. He drew it, performed a quick flourish, and sheathed it once more. Not the best of blades, but it would do. One final check put the last of his fears to rest. Magic still burned through his veins, another promising sign of his rebirth. He'd been reborn just as powerful -if not moreso!- than he'd been before his untimely end.

Keen eyes glanced up, squinting in the dim evening light. He would need to find shelter. And soon.

Reincarnation was a strange thing indeed; being born again in a new body even moreso. It was like waking from a long dream. He had been told there might be some discomfort, but Ozma felt it not. If there had been a soul here, it was silent. Perhaps its owner expired before he came to them. Perhaps these "Grimm" creatures had slain him. He'd been told of their existence and wasn't sure how to think of that.

Then there was the matter of his new body.

On one hand the thought of subsuming an innocent for the chance to live again did...not necessarily sit well with his notions of chivalry; but in the same vein he was just grateful to exist again. Hopefully for more than a few minutes this time. The Gods had proven themselves to be fickle in the past, and he had no desire to anger them again. If doing their bidding was the price of his resurrection, then he would obey.

Surrounded by naught but trees, Ozma picked a direction and wandered aimlessly through the brush, hoping to find.

As he walked, his mind turned inward, finding life of its own. The God of Light had asked him for his help in restoring order to a fractured realm. He had accepted...for reasons of his own. They'd even been so graceful as to place him somewhere near civilization, or so they said. What reason would He have to lie?

But it had left him with a warning all the same:

"The woman you once knew no longer exists. She has been corrupted by another. He must be destroyed."

Ozma didn't want to believe it of course. Salem had been -was!- a good person. She would never be so cruel as to do the things they claimed. Surely they must be mistaken. There was no need for these "Relics" that they had scattered about the world. If the God of Light knew the truth of what he'd intended, he hadn't made a move to stop him. Perhaps that was a failure on his part. Instead he was successfully reincarnated. Bore anew to bring peace to a world in which monsters ran amok and the people lived divided. And he would help them. But first...

Who was this monster the gods spoke of? He found himself both curious and dreading the thought in equal measure. Time had passed since he last walked the world of Remnant. What might have transpired since then? It felt like a moment since he'd died, but for her it may well have been eons. Was she still the same?

As he pushed through the undergrowth, he came at last into a clearing.

And then he saw her.

She was a waif of a girl, nearly seven years of age all wrapped in a pretty red cloak to protect herself from the cold. Her body lay hunched over as she played with a cloth doll and a wooden horse. Hers was a cherubic visage; pale as ash framed by slitted amber eyes, pointed ears and the longest, bluest hair Ozma had ever seen. Several scales could be gleaned on her whiskered cheeks, scattered almost piecemeal. Even her forehead seemed strange; for it bore a small red stone, gleaming the color of blood. Or was that just his imagination?

Whoever she was, she clearly wasn't human.

The fist thorn of fear pricked at his heart and he stepped back.

A brittle branch cracked under his boot and those strange ears perked up.

In a heartbeat, she rounded on the sound -on him!- with a whirl of crimson cloth. Bright amber eyes regarded him for a long moment, blinking quizzically. He saw Salem in her face, or at least some strange semblance of his long lost love. Was this the monster the Gods had spoken of? The thought filled him with dread. No, it couldn't be. They'd said "he" and this child, strange though she seemed, was clearly of the female persuasion. This could not be the beast...so what was this strange sense of dread he felt?

"Hello~!" she waved cheerily and called to him in flawless English. "Are you lost?"

With a hop and a skip and a jump, she bounded his way.

"Greetings." Ozma released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding; a smile came easy to him as she approached. "Who might you be?"

"I'm Wiene." she declared, clamoring to a halt just out of arms reach. "Who're you?"

Manners had been drilled into Ozma from birth. Reincarnated though he might be, he could not forsake them. This girl didn't seem to bear him any ill intent. He pried his fingers from the hilt of his sword, ashamed to find them there in the first place. Thankfully, the girl didn't seem to notice; or if she did, she didn't much care. Did that make her fearless, or foolish, he wondered?

"My name is Ozma." he introduced himself with a genteel bow. "Pleased to meet you, young lady."

"Ooh!" she giggled and clapped in delight. "You're like a knight! Mama likes knights."

A wistful smile began to pull at the immortal's tan visage. "Does she, now?"

"Yup." Wiene swung her arms to and fro. "She usually lets them go."

Ozma's smile died an ugly death. "I beg your pardon?"

No, no, no. He was getting off track here. Putting that...disconcerting remark aside, he willed himself to focus. He had the girl's name and she didn't appear to be a danger to anyone other than herself. What manner of child played out in the woods at this hour? There might be wolves about. Or worse. Angry red eyes gleamed at him from the dark. Distant perhaps, but still noticeable all the same. Why did he get the distinct feeling they were glaring at him rather than the girl? Surely that was his imagination.

"Do you live alone in these woods?" If she did, then he was bound by duty and honor to guide her unto safety.

"Nope!" the little hybrid beamed, dashing that hope. "I live with mama and papa. We have a house."

Ozma nearly stumbled. "Is that so...? Do your parents have names, perchance?"

"Mama is mama." the girl blinked guilelessly. "Papa is papa."

Well, that didn't answer his questions at all. Perhaps another, then. "You live with them?"

"Mmm-hmm!" Wienne bobbed her head. "Our house isn't far from here. Mama's making stew tonight."

Ozma's stomach rumbled treacherously. He balked at it with a hint of helpless shame.

Wiene grinned. "You can stay for supper! Our house is this way!"

Before he could think to protest she took him by the hand and tugged him after her. Wiene's grip was surprisingly strong for one so small. He suspected he could have escaped if he wanted to; but again, he felt no need to do any such thing.

Indeed, she spoke true; it wasn't far at all.

Wiene's "house" wasn't a house at all, but rather a homely little cottage, one that had seen a good bit of repair in its day. Even from here Ozma could spy the discolored patches where boards had been replaced, walls repaired, and the like. As if someone had built it hastily at first, then decided to expand upon its construction. Whomever lived in there, a carpenter they were not. Still, he could see smoke rising from the chimney and light within one of the windows. Someone undoubtedly lived here.

A giant Grimm lounged by the porch. The moment it saw him, its hackles rose in a growl.

"Luna, no!" Wienne shouted at it. "Bad doggie! Don't eat this one! He's nice."

The beast huffed and laid its head back down with a whine.

Humming, the little girl led him up the steps.

"Mommy! Daddy!" The door swung open as she grasped the handle and pulled it outward, "I'm home~!"

"Welcome back, dear." a familiar voice crooned as someone rounded the corner. "Be sure and wash up for...supper...

A plate struck the ground and shattered harshly, followed by a gasp.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Ozma's heart lurched in his chest. It was her...but she was changed. Salem's skin had gone terribly pale, her eyes red and hair ashen, spilling down a black dress and red. But he knew. It was her. Her face was the same, her voice left unchanged. And she knew him. There was a man behind her, but he barely paid him any heed beyond his initial appearance. Blue eyes, whiskered cheeks, blond hair. Clad in silver and azure. Irrelevant in the greater scheme of things, or so he first thought. Perhaps that was a mistake on his part.

Salem dared a step forward. "Ozma? Is that really you? How...?"

She didn't see Naruto's smile crack behind her back. Ozma saw him and his smile did the same, fracturing ever so slightly.

"Daddy!" Wiene broke the impasse, bulled past them, and clamored into the man's waiting arms. He scooped her up with a laugh. The fracture in Ozma's mind widened just so.

"I...you...what...how...?"

At first, it didn't quite register in Ozma's mind. How could it? Shock shattered sense. He looked down. Saw the ring upon Salem's finger, a gleaming silver band bearing a flawlessly cut ruby. His eyes swept to the young man beside her and beheld a matching ring wrapped round a finger where it couldn't- shouldn't!- be, where it just couldn't be. But it was. His gaze rose again, wide eyes meeting hers. Hers, and the sapphire eyes of the man behind her.

As he looked on, he looped an arm around her waist.

Salem leaned into him with a soft sigh, but her eyes never left Ozma. Not once. Perhaps she knew his pain. Perhaps not. Who could say? She did not scowl at him, nor did she scoff, demand that he leave, or do any such thing. She just...looked at him. And so she spoke he spoke the words that damned Ozma's hope forever.

"Hello, Ozma." she began slowly. "Would you like to come in...?"

Pity. Why did it have to be pity?

And Ozma's world.

Quite simply.

Broke.

A/N: Ayup, the Brother Gods are dicks. You've been played, Ozma. Now lets see how you handle it. Salem's moved on. She has a life now. Its a simple matter of words and deeds. Consider this. Ozma rescued Salem from that tower. Ozma showed her the world.

Ozma died.

Then a few hundred years later, along comes Naruto, stranded in Remnant for reasons he can't understand. He who doesn't balk at her appearance, is literally the only other human being left on Remnant, and a gentle soul at that. He willingly stays with Salem for years, CORRUPTS himself for her, and then fights a bloody god on her behalf. Then he wins! Instant husband material in her eyes. Yes, she feels bad about rejecting Ozma but at the end of the day, Naruto won by being himself.

Ozma came back too late.

And there is another factor to consider. Naruto might never admit it, but diving into the pool of darkness did affect him, if not necessarily Kurama. He's less likely to put up with bullshit and if someone lays a hand on his family...well! The hand comes off. Followed by the arm. And everything else attached to it.

But if you think the story is going to simply end there...well. Life is seldom so simple.

Right then, as ever, Reviews are love, Reviews are Life.

Reviews keep me safe from any and all strife.

So in the immortal words of Atlas...

...review, Would You Kindly?

Every bit helps out!

As ever:

SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

(Previews)

"You want to gather the relics?! You'll doom us all!"

"No, I won't." Naruto snapped, already irritated by Ozma's outburst. "I'll drag the gods down here, beat them and lift Salem's curse. This world is better off without them. Now where are they?"

"Madman!" Ozma flung up his hands. "Even if I knew I'd not tell you! I'll not let you risk humanity like this! You can't win!"

"Can! Am! Have!" the blond smashed his forehead up against. "Where's your faith?!"

He had none. "They were right about you...you're a monster...

Wiene whimpered and scurried behind their legs. Something in Salem stirred.

"Then I think its best that you leave. Before I make you."

Ozma flinched. "Salem, please...!"

"What happens to a Grimm when you remove its mask? What miracle occurs when you mix darkness with light and give it human form? Let me show you."

"That girl is not a monster. You're the monster. Let he who is blameless throw the next stone!"

"Do not underestimate magic."

~Nz.