A/N: PLEASE READ THIS NOTE, WOULD YOU KINDLY?

Shorter than I'd like, but I'm preparing a massive update today. Possibly a double, or even a triple. That means two other stories including this one.

Hopefully that makes everyone happy...

Just a reminder, but this IS one of my darker stories. So brace yourself.

Elden Ring's clawing at me -a friend gave me a copy but I've not played it yet- so I'm trying to crank out as many updates as a I can. Because from what everyone's told me of it -Ranni, Fia, Melina, Roderika, etc- once I start playing, I probably won't be able to stop.

Must! Resist!

As ever, the Embers rule remains in effect. If folks don't like this story...well, I won't continue it. Hell, it might even end early like "Wolf" and "Killing Monsters" So by all means, speak up! Every bit of feedback matters here! Truly, it does! Reviews are fuel these days, and sometimes it feels like chatting with you all is all that keeps me going. Just wanted to thank you all for the feedback. Every bit of it helps. Really, it does.

No questions this time. Only story~!

Alright, then. I think I've kept you all waiting long enough, no?

As ever, I own no references, themes or memes. Not a wit or a one! They're merely tributes.

"When hunting monsters, take care you don't become one yourself...

~?

And He Shall Appear

With age came wisdom.

And wisdom followed intelligence.

A bit of an odd adage Freya felt, but then again she wasn't exactly old anymore herself. The Gods had seen fit to grant her a miracle -a second chance at life!- and she'd sworn not to waste it. Indeed, she turned right back around and given Maria the same opportunity. But although her youth had been restored to her, she hadn't lost any of her wit. She saw the signs in the young ones before her; the tearing in the team that she'd begun to call her own.

Because you see, Naruto had come back bloody again.

None of it was his blood of course; the silly boy was many things, but even in his current state he wasn't one to ignore an injury. Not like that doll of a woman that followed him everywhere; she had to be told to do nearly everything these days. Freya took some small pleasure in that last part. The mighty Cinder Fall, scourge to Maidens everywhere, now made little more than a pet. She supposed there was some irony in that. He'd had the wench walking on all fours for an entire day already.

But enough about fallen foes and petty pride. Naruto was the problem here. Out all day, back at night just long enough to fall into his cot, then come morning he was gone again.

How long had been at this? Days? Weeks? Longer?

To make matters worse, she didn't think Emerald would mind his little escapades once -if!- she finally woke from her coma. Girl was practical like that. He wasn't targeting innocents -not yet!- but when would that change? What happened when he found someone with a useful Semblance? What if he decided to start ripping the life force out of others, just to pump it into her? How far was he willing to go, if it meant saving Emerald? How long before he snapped and forsook his code completely, abandoned who he was in pursuit of power; the power to heal her, the strength to take vengeance on those who had wronged her?

They couldn't even call him crazy for it; not when his "treatment" and she shuddered to call it such, was working.

Naruto had found no shortage of healing and regeneration semblances. These days, Emerald's vital signs were out of the red and into the yellow; almost stable even...which made the fact that she wouldn't wake up all the more painful for him. And so the hunt continued. Vale's underworld had already been stretched thin; if he kept this up, there wouldn't be anyone left.

Which begged the question: Where would Naruto go once he ran out of victims? What would he do, and to whom?

Ironwood couldn't stop him, Ozpin didn't want to. His skills made him useful; too valuable to make an enemy of.

All the while their team was fracturing.

"Someone needs to talk to him." Someone had to set him straight. Before it was too late. "Any volunteers?"

Silence stretched on into the room, a heavy cloying blanket strangling all sense.

Blake leaned back on her cot and buried her face in a book, golden eyes just a little too wide. "Not it."

Pyrrha tucked her knees into her chest and studied her shoes with single-minded intent, refusing to utter a word.

Freya sighed. "Kids these days.

Younger body or no, her mind was still very much that of an adult. She'd seen her fair share of madness. This went well beyond the pale

Someone had to do something.

Pyrrha had tried to approach him in her own, faltering way and found herself summarily rebuffed. Blake was terrified of his new powers and Maria...

...fucking fool of a boy!" the door slammed as she came stalking back into their room. Rejuvenation had done little to dull the Reaper's tongue. "I give up! He's not my problem anymore! I tried! Bloody bastard's beyond help! He can fling himself off that rooftop for all I care!"

.

..

...so be it.

It fell to her to take charge.

She was, after all, still the Winter Maiden.

Hopefully she would survive the experience.

Unless she could find someone he wouldn't lash out at...?

(.0.0.0.)

Why didn't they understand?

Naruto bit down on his lower lip, stifling a snarl as he glared up at the broken moon hanging in the night sky. It glared back, mocking him for his weakness. His failure. His powerlessness. Because at the end of the day, he was alone. Maria couldn't understand. Blake was afraid of him, he'd accidentally pissed Pyrrha off, and now...who was left? Would Freya try to counsel him? Velvet? Coco? He couldn't think of anyone else willing to pluck his thoughts out of the abyss.

How could you save someone who didn't want to be saved?

Why couldn't they help him? Why wouldn't anyone help him? It would be so much easier if they helped him. Not like Ozpin and Ironwood. They let him run amok. That wasn't helping. That was tacit denial; or perhaps fear of him. If he went too far, too hard, too fast, they'd probably disavow any knowledge of him. That hurt, but it was a dull pain, like the one he felt when he thought about Cinder. Poor broken Cinder, once the bane of his thoughts, now little more than a broken puppet to command as he pleased.

'Am I losing myself?' he curled his right hand into a fist. 'No. I'm still me. I have to be. I just have to make them understand...

He heard the door to the rooftop creak open at his flank.

Sure enough, she found him on the rooftop.

"Well, you look like shit."

"Not in the mood, Coco." he didn't look back. "I don't have time for this.

"Yeah? Too bad." You're gonna make time."

She was always like this; truth be told he'd enjoyed her pushiness, but now?

"Have you come to lecture me, too?" he turned his head and spat down over the edge. "Come to tell me how wrong I am?" She didn't answer, and it only sparked his fury to new heights. "Go ahead! Laugh!" He glared at his hands. ""I have all this power, part of the Winter Maiden, part of Fall, too. And what good is it?!" His fist swung out, rending the air, to no avail. "What does it matter if I can't save the one I...!"

The words lodged in his throat, choking him.

...you love her, don't you?"

Naruto went rigid and heard Coco hiss; for a wild moment she probably wondered if he would attack her.

No. He couldn't bring himself to do that. Not to her.

Instead he slumped to his knees.

"You have to understand," the words escaped him in a dull rasp. "Emerald and I...aren't normal." he ran a hand through his hair, trying to make some sense of it. "We were kids when we found each other; when I found her. She was starving, had a broken leg, too. We grew up together. Faced the world together. Reformed together. Now...

He turned to look at her and she saw the boy beneath the man.

...what's the point?"

So too did she see the veins in his face.

"Jeez, whiskers." she gasped, hands shielding her mouth. "What did you do? How many semblance did you take?"

"Enough." he looked away. "I'll do anything...anything to be actually able to tell her...that I love her."

"She'd want you to live."

He rounded on her, eyes wild, teeth bared. "Without her?! No! Never!"

Everyone kept saying that. What Emerald would want. What Emerald would do. What did they know?! Nothing! Less than nothing!

"Look whiskers, I've been around a time or two." she sat beside him. "The path you're walking now? I've seen where it goes. Trust me. You don't want to do this.

He favored her with a sad, tired smile. "Neither do I. But if its for her sake, if it means bringing her back...

Coco's elbow hit his ribs, drawing a wince. "You're committed to this course of action, then?"

Naruto set his jaw. The only way out was through. He knew that now. "I am."

"Then come back alive." she squeezed his shoulder. "Emerald will never forgive you if you die trying to save her."

She wouldn't. They both knew that.

"I hate this." he bowed his head. "I know what I have to do, but I don't think I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?"

She flicked his nose. "I ain't givin' you my semblance."

"Not that!" He scowled before he caught her teasing smile. "I just...tell them why I left. Tell them I'll be back in a few days."

...will do. You know, in another life I might have fallen for you." Warm lips brushed his cheek. "Good luck, Whiskers."

He stiffened. Coco liked to tease; no, she loved to tease. But just now, had she really...?

The moment passed, and the door swept shut behind him.

"Friends, huh?"

His scroll sprang to life.

Naruto ignored it for all of three seconds.

Then he ripped it free from his pocket and slammed it against his ear.

"Ozpin," he growled into it, "I swear this better not be another wild goose chase-

"Frustrating, isn't it?" a low voice rumbled in his ear. Not Ozpin. Not Oz at all. "He'll never let you save her, you know. You're too useful."

His blood ran cold. "The hell is this? How did you get this number?"

...someone who wishes to help." the baritone voice intoned. "As to the how, it how doesn't matter. We've been watching you for some time. You're a slave to Ozpin, boy. You just don't realize it. Your friend? She'll never wake up. He won't allow it." a faint sigh followed, the words folding in on themselves. "Why would he? Once she returns to normal he'd lose you, his greatest weapon. Best to keep you primed and aimed at the enemy in your current state. And what better way to do so than by dangling her over your head.

Ozpin would never...wouldn't he?

"You don't know that." Blue eyes flicked up and down, glaring at the moon. "You don't know anything about me."

"On the contrary. I know everything. I once stood in your shoes and lost my sister to his machinations...

He squeezed his Scroll until he heard it crack in his grasp. The stranger only grunted.

"If you truly wish to save her, meet us in the city at this address...

"Us?" His brow furrowed furiously at that. "Who the hell is us?"

...someone who knows that old parasite far better than I."

A/N: Naruto, no!

As ever, the Embers rule remains.

If folks don't like this story, POOF! Away it goes. That's no joke.

So by all means, speak up! Every bit of feedback matters here! Truly, it does! That's no joke!

As ever, reviews keep this old man writing. Looking forward to chatting with you all! Hope you enjoyed!

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas... ...Revieeew... Would You Kindly?

Not a lot of previews this time. No one seems to like them these days.

...and I'm tired. So very tired.

T_T

(Preview)

"Can't I just have this one thing?!"

"Why couldn't you just give it to me?! Why didn't you help me?! Why won't anyone fucking help me?!"

"I remembered. This isn't my first life. Its my second." What was he rambling about? "Maybe its all the Semblances I devoured. All the life force I've eaten." he palmed his face and the sight had her drawing back, wincing now, at the heat boiling off his body. "I'm a monster. The old me never would've done this, but by the time I remembered it was too late...I can't live without her...

His body blazed gold-on-red.

...welcome to my dark side. Its the last thing you'll ever see."

R&R~!