A/N: Please read this note, would you kindly? It has some important information.
Sorry if this seems short, been burning the candle at both ends here.
I've been updating DAILY for while now, and its starting to wear on me. Your words keep my spirits strong. Every bit of feedback helps, large or small!
So speak up! Your words matter!
As ever, reviews are fuel for this weary old man. Every bit of feedback, large or small, helps me immensely. Speak up! Your voice matters!
Now then, its time for the usual questions!
Q: That's clever, using the kids as cameos. Anymore familiar faces to be seen.
A: One in particular. Heard of Resident Evil, have ya?
Naruto and Salem have been busy little bees, and they can't always control their children.
Ironically, this works out well for them. One can rule with love just as well as they can with fear.
Q: Soooo...how long is this story gonna be?
A: You might be surprised.
Q: I must insist that this remain a single pairing! Naruto and Salem are just too good together!
A: Ironically, Salem doesn't much mind. After all, she can't die, and Naruto's basically got eternal youth at this point. If it were ever to come to a discussion between the two, it would be something along the lines of:
"By all means, takes as many mistresses as you like. I'm curious to see what kind of children you'd make with another woman."
...you're being awfully blase about this. You actually want me to...?"
"Silly man. I am eternal. They are not. I can use magic. Again, they can not. I can do things they cannot even begin to imagine; satisfy you in ways they don't even know. I was first. I will always be first, and superior to them at that. Its that simple."
"Really though, I'm a one woman man-
"BUILD YOUR HAREM ALREADY!"
*laughs*
Allllllrighty, then! I've kept you long enough.
As ever I own no references, quotes, themes or memes!
Buckle up, because this chapter...well...I'll let it speak for itself.
"This is...a temple?"
"More a school, really. All are welcome. Let Ozma have his huntsman academies. We will teach our children of chakra and magic. And their children's children.
"This'll start a war."
"Then let there be war!"
~The Future.
Kiss of Blood
The army had been routed.
Perhaps that was too kind a word. To rout an army implied defeat to be sure; a panicked, disorderly and undisciplined retreat of troops from a battlefield. A collapse in a given unit's command authority, unit cohesion and combat morale. An utter, disorganized, and unsightly show of cowardice as men and women quit the field in droves.
There was no such retreat. Not in the least.
Everyone was slaughtered nearly a man; their blood drunk, their bodies ripped apart, their souls consigned to the void and their miserable carcasses left to rot. It was the first coherent attempt to strike at Salem's forces; greedy men and women had descended upon the castle in droves, led by a lone sage, a man who promised them riches unimaginable if they but did his bidding.
To say it was a disaster was...well, a bit of an understatement.
It was here, on the plains of Vale, that an army of nearly five hundred soldiers encountered a lone woman. This woman was not Salem; but rather, one of her many daughters. She slaughtered them all the same. In time, historians would one day come to call this brutal bloodletting the Battle of the Bloody Fields. But that is a story for another time. Of the massacre, only three souls lived to tell the tale.
The first died and was reborn, as dictated by his eternal curse.
The second -a clever spy bearing the surname of Heisenberg- simply returned to Salem's fold and was rewarded for a job well done.
The last was merely a humble hedge knight; one who quit the field entirely and fled away on horseback, taking a precious treasure with him. He whipped his mount into a frenzy and bolted for the hills, determined to tell the world of the horror he'd witnesses here. Through brush and briar the knight fled; through forest and vine alike.
It was this poor soul that found himself hunted down like livestock.
This young lad did not allow his steed to rest, not for a moment; if only for fear of what might catch him if he did. For nearly a day he spurred his charger onward, riding on without rest. He doffed his heavy plate armor in the trees and thrown away his shield, the better to lighten his burden. Only his sword remained...that, at a strange golden-blue lamp bound to his belt. The sage had begged him to protect it, to keep it safe-
THUNK.
Hooked claws speared his horse from behind, drawing a squeal of pain from the startled beast. It bucked and flung the knight from his saddle, sending him slamming into the dirt. Pain lanced through his back as his steed shrieked in agony and with a startled cry, the young man clamored back to his feet. He had to run. Had to move. Had to do something -anything!- before they caught-
He turned just in time to see something rip the noble beast in half.
A young woman stepped over the remains, her pale face spattered in blood.
"There you are, little knight." her voice was a low, bemused hum. "We meet at last."
Taller than any human being had any right to be, her unnatural appearance made her a terror unto her foes; moreso now than ever. Her eyes were gold poisoned honey, her hair a dark cloud of curls beneath a sweeping black hat, and her skin the purest of grey ivory. All of that, wrapped up in a startling white dress that trailed against the grass. She stalked forward and her shadow loomed large over him, swallowing any semblance of hope. Even now she regarded him like little more than an ant; one she could crush with but a flick of her wrist.
The young knight stumbled backward and ripped his sword free from its scabbard, brandishing the blade. "B-B-Back! Stay away from me, foul creature!"
Her lips pursed. "Such a rude little man-thing you are...
He clamored back until his spine struck a tree. Steel would avail him naught here. He already knew that. She could heal from nearly any wound instantaneously. She already had on the battlefield. Swords did not harm her. Axes could not pierce her flesh. Arrows barely inconvenienced her. Only the magic of the sage had even slightly impeded her, but the sage was gone, his head decorating a pike upon the battlefield he'd left behind.
That had been...what...days ago? It felt like an eternity since he'd fled from that horrible scene.
Now, the hedge knight faced death itself, with nowhere to run.
"Come now, aren't you going to flee?" A small smile quirked at her lips. "Its no fun if you just stand there."
"Go on." she stepped aside, her smile just the wrong shade of cruel. "Run. I'll give you a head start."
"Wh-Why...?" he warbled.
"Whyever not?" The giant woman shrugged. "Father says its important to show mercy."
It was too much; with those knight's resolve broke and he lunged forward with a roar. His blade arced out in a streak of scarlet light, stabbing int her guard. Rather than evade, the giantess simply slapped the flat of his blade aside with an open palm to send him stumble. Even then he pivoted, swinging his sword overhead with both hands, bringing it down in a vicious overhand stroke.
"May the light prevail!"
Her smile became a scowl. "It never will."
Firm fingers elongated into cruel claws anew; slender blades that he recognized all too late. They cut through his blade and body alike, burying themselves deep just above his breastbone. Blood filled his lungs, turning his lunge into a stumbling lurch. She lifted her arm, dragging his body down across her fingers. She hauled him closer. Her lips parted. Pearly white teeth bit down into his neck, piercing his flesh. He couldn't stop her. Even as she drank deep of his blood, he could only groan.
Her eye strayed to the treasure at his waist, regarding the blue-and-gold ornament.
"There you are." her golden eyes danced with mirth. "That's the Relic, isn't it? I can feel its power. How kind of you to keep it safe for me."
His world was fading to grey, yet even then, he managed one last fitful burst of strength.
He reared back and spat in her face. "Filthy...demon...
"You dare?!"
She ripped her blades free, disemboweling him as she sent his body tumbling to the bloody grass.
"I am no demon!" she scoffed at him and gave his ruined chest a kick for good measure. "My name is Alcina. Daughter of Salem! Take that to your grave, you filthy man-thing!"
The knight didn't answer. Glassy eyes regarded the shattered moon high above, dull and devoid of life. He'd already expired.
"Dead, are you?" His tormentor sighed. "Such a pity. And here I'd thought to play with you a bit more...
There was nothing quite like man-blood in the early evening. Such an exquisite bouquet of flavors. Like women's blood, it just needed the right spice. Fear added some to be sure, but defiance was a flavor all its own. And this one had been just so willful, even at the end. It was almost a shame to see him dead. The blood of the freshly deceased always tasted a little...stale. The willful ones never lasted long. Fresh prey was always the best; she did so love it when they ran.
Mother and Father might not...approve of her habits, but she couldn't help herself. She'd been born this way.
Really, the silly fool actually thought he stood a chance? Foolishness.
She was a daughter of Salem. And he?
He was just a man.
With a slight shrug, she knelt but a little to inspect the body, and took it by the wrist. With a spring in her step she dragged her prey behind her.
She wasn't Salem's youngest by any means or measure -really, Mother and Father went at it like rabbits these days -but quite possibly the strongest yet. They were Titans of Remnant to be sure, but what did that make her? Something more? Something less? Something new?
Alcina supposed it didn't matter. They were family after all.
One day she would have a domain all her own, and a castle with it. One day, someday soon, she would have a family of her own. She'd already picked out names for her daughters-to-be, assuming she ever found herself a proper mate. Bela, Cassandra, Daniela. Those just felt...right, somehow.
But enough musing. She could hear mother calling.
Alcina reached down and plucked the lamp from his belt. "I'll be taking this." she hummed.
Her task complete, she turned and sauntered back toward the castle, dragging her meal with her.
(.0.0.0.)
"Report."
Ozma's spy did so diligently.
...they...they have found a Relic, my lord."
Ozma buried his head in his hands. "Which one...?"
The silence was telling. Dread coiled in his stomach like a serpent.
(.0.0.0.)
"ALCINA! COME HERE! NOW!"
"Yes, Mother."
Credit where it was due, the girl flinched but a little as Salem called out to her. Her stride didn't falter in the least as she came into the courtyard; nor did she release the shriveled body she was dragging by the ankle. One look at her rose red lips told her what her daughter had been up to. Bold of her to wander off like that. She'd been gone for days. Honestly, such a troublesome little thing she was...and she was getting blood all over the cobblestones!
Salem pinched the brow of her nose. "Someone be a dear and wash that out before it stains."
A nearby servant saluted and scuttled off to do just that. She didn't miss the fearful look they shot at little Alcina. Well. Maybe not so little anymore. She'd grown so rapidly!
Resisting the urge to shout, the Queen of the Grimm planted a hand on her hip as her wild daughter came to stand before her.
"Where have you been?"
"Hunting." her progeny answered just a little too quickly for her liking. "I was thirsty." She sank into a large chair fashioned just for her, yet still managed to look wretchedly uncomfortable. Doubtlessly she would outgrow it by the end of the year. They'd have to fashion new ones. And new clothes. That dress looked a little too...tight.
Salem felt a migraine coming on, yet she nevertheless took her own seat in the garden.
She was by far the most willful of her children; on a certain level Salem could respect that, but in the same vein it concerned her. She'd been born different from the rest; far, far different. Incessant hunger for blood and incredible regeneration, there were other matters that had complicated her birth. Alcina had grown quickly. Too quickly. A young woman she might well be, but she was already well over seven feet, and growing more with every year! By the spirits, she was going to surpass nine feet at this rate. Thankfully she'd not taken to biting and turning anyone...yet. Which brought her to other matters.
"Thirsty, were you?" she quirked a brow. "I heard you eradicated an army. By yourself."
Alcina wilted. "How did you know?"
"Heisenberg."
Her daughter burst to her feet, rage twisting her pale face. "That cheeky little...!"
"Now, now. He is your brother, dear girl." The other brow rose. "He only wants what's best for you."
"Best for me?!" she flounced back into her chair with a huff. "That child wouldn't know responsibility if it was welded to his hammer!"
"He might surprise you."
Her child tore her gaze away. "Not likely!"
That said, Naruto would throw a fit once he realized what she'd done. Had he been present, he probably could've talked the lot of them down; perhaps even convinced a number to join their side. Alas, he was busy training their children. Matters of state fell to her. As did this blasted kingdom and country they were still trying to build. So many ideas, so much time to enact them...! Too much!
But now Alcina was stirring, her petulant expression burning away into pride.
"I nearly forgot." she shifted a little, dipping a hand into the satchel she'd worn for this occasion. "I've brought you a gift, Mother."
Salem cocked her head aside. "Do you, now?"
Alcina withdrew her "gift" and Salem's world ground to a halt. Her heart skipped a fretful beat. "Is that...?"
"I believe so. The knight fought hard to safeguard it."
Salem frowned at the lamp, willingly given unto her now by her daughter. This was undoubtedly a Relic. She could feel the power thrumming within; a clarion call that only those with magic could truly hear. As she was her blood, surely Alcina had sense the same. A pale hand turned it over, watching as it shrank to fit in the palm of her hand. How quaint. It would seem there was some manner of magic involved there after all. How odd indeed.
"Such a little thing." she mused, turning it end over end. "But how do we use it...?" it refused to stir at her touch. "Perhaps your father will know-
A distant explosion caught their ears and rattled the earth. Both women whirled on the noise with a frown.
It wasn't hard to find the source.
Young Loki's cry pierced the air, guilty as sin. "That wasn't me!"
"Don't worry!" Naruto's hacking cough soon echoed his son's. "I'm okay!" Slowly, the jinchuuriki began to clap. "Not a bad prank. Well done! I actually felt that one!
"Wait, what...?" The dark haired boy blinked up at him. "You're...proud of me?"
"Of course I am!" he clapped his shoulder. "You're my son!"
"I almost killed you!"
"Meh," much to their chagrin, the overlord shrugged. "Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. "Now, lets see if we can make that explosion bigger, but this time lets add a bit more oomph to it, ya know!" he pulled him close, rubbing his knuckles against his head. "We'll get your sisters and your brother involved too, I'm sure they'd love to use this as a prank...or better yet! We could use Ramen."
...what is ramen, Father?"
Naruto squawked in indignant outrage.
Alcina palmed her face and looked away with a rueful smile. "Are you certain he's my father?"
Salem watched father and son laugh, looking on intently as the former tousled the latter's hair and made him smile."
"Undoubtedly." she smiled fondly. "Find yourself a man who looks at you the way he does me and you'll be a happy woman, my dear."
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all...
A/N: Yup. That Alcina. AKA Lady Dimitrescu as a young girl. I regret nothing.
At this point, Ozma's starting to tear his hair. And why wouldn't he?
Naruto and Salem aren't even actively recruiting at this point. Once they do...well. Who would you side with? Two all powerful Titans, or a half-mad knight who believes he's the hero in a story that has, quite literally, thrown him to the wolves.
Army of Darkness, baby!
Right then, as ever, Reviews are love, Reviews are Life. Reviews keep me Writing.
Without them, I just can't seem to write these days.
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)
Salem kissed him. Then her lips trailed lower.
Naruto stiffened. "Oh, that is not fair."
She ignored him wholeheartedly.
"Alright, kids. CHARGE!"
"You can't touch me! I was handcrafted by the Relic to kill you! My speed! My stamina! My weapon! They dwarf yours! In comparison to you, I am a demigod!
"Really? You're quoting that? Really? Really? Really!
And there was pain.
"You don't seem to understand." he kicked the assassin through the wall. "This world?" he reached down, grabbed him by the face and slammed him through a tree. "It isn't yours to conquer." His would be killer stumbled up just in time to catch a spinning backhand to the face. "Its mine."
"You'll never win!"
"Already have. I'll just be taking this-
His foe fell upon him in a whirl of steel. "GIVE IT BACK! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!"
"Quit your whining. We're almost there!"
Alcina preened but a little.
"Now, now, there will be enough for everyone. We'll start with his legs.
Poor mercenary. He didn't stand a chance.
"What are you thinking?"
"Four families. Four lords. One to rule each continent. Seems a bit cliche, don't you think? The people don't need kings and queens.
"We already have the Schnee family. Soon enough, they'll have a stranglehold on dust as we know it." Salem swept a hand over the map. "Our darling Alcina's already set up a kingdom for us in Mistral. She's since taken the name Dimitrescu for herself. Now, those of the Belladona clan have proven themselves able spies and assassins, to say nothing of their tracking skills.
"Yeah, and they're right paranoid, too...
"Don't give me that look. You recruited their matriarch!
"By accident." Naruto grumbled. "She can moon over me all she wants. I'm a one woman man."
...I WOULD be curious see what a child with whiskers and cat ears looks like.
"Salem. No. Bad Salem."
"Oh, very well. Then we have those of the Silver Eyes.
...yeah, those we need to deal with. But no killing!
Don't you see?! You will still be here when this world crumbles to dust! Everything and EVERYONE you love will be gone!"
"Then it will be one helluva life we've lived. Not get out of here. Before I kill you."
"Lunatic! Do you not see that this is madness-
*explosion*
"Well, I warned 'em...
~Nz.