A/N: Funny thing happened to me today.
Went to the doctors once again -preparing for potential colonoscopy stuff now, blech- and was minding my own business in the waiting room reading a magazine. Then some cheeky kid pointed at me, got a big 'ol grin on his face and went: Mommy look! An old person! Why is his hair all silvery?
Ooomph. Right in the kicker. I actually laughed when he said it. Maybe I should start dying it black again...
In any case, I'm still alive, still here and still updating! As stated earlier "Snow", and "Journey" are written monthly.
Ergo! One update per month! Maybe more if Slifer and I can double team it. The previous chapter was in December and now, its January, ergo...update!
This will be updated again in early February. Already have the next chapter mostly written.
RWBY updates will be restarting soon as well, got a few to wrap up, and others to continue as season nine nears.
I'll say it plain, if this email opt-in business with the Fanfiction site doesn't get resolved soon, I'm probably going to retire. The app helps for some, for others it doesn't. It HURTS to say that; but with this new system, reviews and readers have dropped to an all time low, authors are leaving the site in droves, and it feels like the end of an era.
If you're not already aware of it, ever since the 16th of November -More than two bloody months now!- you now have to turn ON your email alerts in account settings-MAKE SURE YOU CLICK SAVE SETTINGS!-else you won't be notified when anyone updates. No alerts, no email, no nothing. Apparently that's a thing we all have to do every ninety days or so, now. Alas, not many are aware of it...which is a problem. As things stand this new "fix" as it were, has cut everyone's viewership/reviewers in half because most folks don't know about it. Authors are leaving/quitting because of this.
Sometimes opting in works. Sometimes it doesn't. Really depends. Hopefully the devs can fix tweak/update this system before everyone leaves. No questions this time. Only story...
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. Not a wit or a one! Really, they're just tributes..
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
Got a few Norse words herein. They're simple enough.
"Do I fear death? Mother, no. Not anymore. I fear a life left unloved. Unfulfilled.
When I finally meet Death, when I hear that lovely whistle...
...he'll be nothing more than an old friend."
~Meeting of Minds.
Wisdom
"You look tired, little brother."
Naruto felt tired after the night he'd had; his throat was dry, he was missing a boot, his head ached and his body was deliciously sore in a way that suggested either a good fight or a good hard...well, a shorter and far more enjoyable word that began with the letter "F". Dimly, he became aware of being sprawled out in a bed -probably not his!- and a hand nudging him back to wakefulness. He flailed around with one arm, frowned now when he he found the bed empty. "Tired, he says. I had one helluva night. Where's...?
"Gna and Hildr woke before you, Baldur." the same, placid voice informed him. "Rise and shine. You've been asleep for two days."
Had he and Thor partied that hard? Ugh. He didn't remember anything after the brawl in Black Thunder. "Don't wanna...
Someone waved a plate of eggs and toast beneath his nose. He knew them by their smell.
.
..
...
...nevermind. I take it back." He creaked a sleep-gummed eye open, only to groan and close it again when sunlight slashed at his face. "Is that really you, Tyr?"
"In the flesh. Eat slowly, now."
...he was going to have to open his eyes, wasn't he?
Naruto heaved a sigh and as he was bade. His half-brother pressed a tankard of water into his hand and he guzzled it greedily. From there it only took him a few moments to polish off breakfast. Only then did he raise the plate and likewise, his gaze to meet his savior.
Sure enough, a bemused Tyr smiled back at him. "Better?"
" brings you back? No, nevermind that." he climbed to his feet and stifled a yawn with the back of his hand. "How was Alfheim?" Tyr's face said it all, even if his golden bifrost eyes didn't. "That bad?"
The God of War shrugged with one shoulder. "For a time I thought I would succeed, but...well." he heaved a sigh and looked away. "Both the Light and Dark Elves are more firmly entrenched in their ways than I thought. What I thought was an armistice proved nothing more than a ruse. Within a week, they were fighting again. And what of you? How fares our father? Has he been stirring up trouble again?"
Naruto winced despite himself.
There was no point in lying to Tyr. He longed to see the best in people, but he wasn't stupid; he certainly wasn't afraid to pick up a weapon and cut through the bullshit when the situation demanded it.
Even so, he couldn't help but look away. "Can't say he hasn't...
"Baldur."
"Alright, alright, yeah." He palmed his face. "He's been surly. Wanted Thor for something yesterday. Dunno what. Probably something to do with Jotunheim. Again."
"..." No response came.
"Tyr? You alright, there? You're acting strange.
...just thinking of the future." A heavy hand settled on his shoulder. "Look after them, won't you?"
A bright brow furrowed in confusion. "Look after who?"
"You'll know when the time comes. In any case, Father wants to see you. That's why I'm here...
(.0.0.0.)
"Rough night, Baldur?"
"Nooo...did the bruises give it away?"
Naruto raised a middle finger in a sarcastic salute as he staggered into Odin's chambers. The All-Father looked particularly smug about that last bit, but beckoned him forward nevertheless. Even a blind man could see that he was distracted by something. His emotions betrayed him, and his eagerness moreso. A map lay sprawled over his table, one he didn't recognize. Curiosity reared its ugly head.
"Alright," he yawned. "I'm here. What do you want this time?"
"There's a stranger in our realms, son."
"Well that's not so surprising-
"Another god. Greek."
His world ground to a halt. "Come again?"
"Ha!" Odin rasped out a chuckle. "Got your attention there, did I?"
He had. The Greeks were legends, myths even Tyr had limited interactions with...for good reason. Zeus and his lot were an arrogant bunch; many of his kin claimed to be so much smarter, so much more enlightened than all others. What could possibly bring one here to their shores? Moreover...
"Why are you telling me this?"
Ingrid poked out of her sheathe upon his back, trilling something similar.
"Because," Odin stabbed a finger into the map, "They caused quite the stir before went into hiding; masked their presence shortly after their landing. They might be a scout-
-or not." Naruto interjected.
"Or not." Odin assented with an annoyed huff. "Regardless, they're up to something, and no one can find them. But you?" his good eye swiveled, pinning him where he stood. "You're my best tracker. You can find anyone, anything, if you put your mind to it."
True, his sensing abilities -and Kurama's!- were nigh unparalleled and second to none, but he didn't like there this was going. This sounded less like scouting and more like he was hunting this newcomer; hunting them as one would a prize deer with full intent to bring it down. "I'm hardly going to hunt down and murder another god for trespassing...
"Not asking you to." Odin's reply took him aback, as did his smile. "Go. See what our young god is up to. Invite them to Asgard if you can and wring some answers out of them while you're at it.
"...you think they might have a way into Jotunheim, don't you?"
"Its a possibility." he didn't miss the eager note that threaded its way into Odin's voice. "They may have a means of travel we haven't considered."
Naruto forbore the urge to sigh. Even now Odin hadn't let go of his obsession with the giants and Ragnarok. Rather, he couldn't. Prophecy dogged the All-Father's step. He didn't see why. If this precious "prophecy" was to be believed, that great cataclysm was a ways off. Hundreds of years. Why fuss over something that hadn't happened yet? He simply couldn't see the appeal.
"And if I can't reason with our new friend?"
"Now don't you worry about that." Odin's nonchalance set off all manner of alarms in his head. "What matters is the effort.
"...fine." his bare shoulders slumped with a sigh. "Better me than Thor. I'll do it-I'll find them."
Odin clasped his shoulder. "That's my boy. I knew you'd come around.
"Where did you last see them, anyway?"
"Funny you should ask." The ghost of a smile touched the corner of Odin's mouth. It was the only warning he received. "I'm sending you there right now."
Naruto bridled. "No, no, no! Don't you dare use your foul fowl to drop me off in the middle of nowhere agaaaaaaa-
Ravens swirled around him.
(.0.0.0.)
-aaaaaiiin!"
He fell from the sky, plunged headlong into a body of water, and came up swearing.
"Every time!" he splashed furiously, spitting like an angry wretch. "Why?! Why does he always do that?!"
Righting himself, he flooded his arms and legs with chakra and pulled himself upright. A mighty shake divested him from the worst of the water; the rest sloughed off him as he stumbled to shore. A familiar scent reached him as he walked, causing him to wrinkle his nose against it. He knew that smell. Pungent and thick, a wretched humidity in the air, the verdant tress and lush forest surrounding him. He could hear animals chattering off in the distance, broken by the cries of birds winging overhead. A brief glance at the skyline and his surroundings only served to further conform his initial concerns.
Vanaheim.
What in the nine realms was a Greek god-or-goddess doing in Vanaheim?
"Enjoying the scenery?"
Ingrid trilled miserably in her sheathe. Don't like water...
"Yeah, yeah." he reached back to pat her hilt. "Sorry I went and got ya wet, kiddo...
Shaking the last of the river-water away, he knelt and grasped some of the loamy soil, running it through his fingers.
The realm of the Vanir wasn't one he'd visited often; despite it being Mother's home, he'd only ever been a handful of times on tasks for Odin. Usually collecting small things, relics and the like. He'd never lingered for long and now he almost wished he had; if only because he had no idea where he was or where to start.
"Does it matter? Just find this God and call for Huginn. He'll come."
Kurama had a point, he supposed. He could feel a shift in the air. Now that he knew what to look for it was a simple matter of closing his eyes, drawing on the natural energy in the air and...
"Aha!"
Golden eyes burst open, lids rimmed by orange dust.
There. He saw it. Off the beaten path. Footprints. Rather than lead out of the water like this they started suddenly, leading into the jungle.
He knelt to examine the tracks. They glowed a bright white-gold to his sixth sense, still sparking with latent energy. Slight. Small. Whoever they were, they were young. But who could it be? Tyr hadn't been off visiting the foreign plane for quit some time, and even when he did, he never brought visitors with him when he returned. Which begged the question: how had another God found there way here? It wasn't impossible he supposed, but for them to suddenly appear, as though cast from the sky itself...
.
..
...well, that made a man curious.
Rolling his shoulders, he adjusted Ingrid's sheathe on his back and waded into the brush. Ferns parted before him but he paid them little heed; his gaze remained fixed firmly on the footprints. They wove a winding, meandering path through the brush; a stride that bespoke of uncertainty to his certainty. Whomever they were, they were clearly disoriented. Tired. Perhaps even wounded-
Blood spattered the next bush he passed. His stride lengthened, devouring the distance, abandoning all pretext of stealth.
He found yet more spattered across the dirt as he followed the footprints. His heart quickened.
Were they dying? Bleeding out? Had something managed to hurt them...
An arm looped 'round his shoulders as a sword tickled his throat.
"Don't move." A furious voice hissed in his ear. "Who are you? Did HE send you?"
"Foolish of you, Naruto. That's what you get for hyper-focusing on something."
"Alright, alright." he sighed to Kurama as much as his captor. "Lets not do anything we'd regret. Why don't we just talk this out and...
He drove an elbow backward while speaking. In the same instant Ingrid burst from her sheathe and smacked her hilt against their kidnapper's head. The result spoke for itself. His captor folded behind them with a pained gasp, allowing him to reach back and claim their sword for himself. Huh. Lighter than he thought. It would serve. With his free hand he snatched Ingrid out the air, brought his borrowed blade to bear, and laid it atop her, effectively trapping his foe's throat in a scissoring motion. The slightest twitch or movement on her part would lop her head clean off.
...how about YOU don't move, missy?"
For he found himself looking upon a girl. Not a woman, but someone who was little more than a child, an adolescent scarcely out of their teenage years. Long dark hair framed a startled visage fro which stark green eyes, shone, her cheeks adorned with pale gold jewelry. He caught the faint glint of armor beneath her white robe and little else, because before his very eyes the poor thing started to cry.
"Please, wait, I beg of you!" her voice rose in a plaintive plea. "Mercy! I meant you no harm!"
His grip wavered, but he didn't let her go. "...who are you?"
She bit her lip but didn't look away. Couldn't,with his blades holding her fast.
...I am Athena." she spoke at last, her voice scarcely a whisper. "Goddess of Wisdom."
A blond brow rose. "Don't seem very wise to me, missy."
"Yes, well!" she huffed. "Today has been a rather strange day. I'm hardly in top form and I thought you were hunting me...
He was. He wisely chose not to say that. "You could stand to be a bit friendlier.
"I beg your pardon." she tried to bow her head, then thought better of it when she remembered her position. "I'm afraid a trick on my Poseidon's part landed me here." her smile soured a little as she spat his name. "Or perhaps it was Hades. Blasted uncles of mine, but I suppose that's what I get for quarreling with them. Might you know the way back to Olympus...?"
Olympus? She really was Greek, then.
"...you're a long way from home. This is Vanaheim."
"May I get up then, please?" her voice warbled a little. "My legs are falling asleep."
Naruto released a sharp breath...and prayed he wouldn't regret the decision he was about to make.
He lowered his blades, stabbed hers into the dirt offered her a hand. "Here."
Athena grasped it all too happily.
A/N: Didn't see that coming, did ya?
Mind you, we're still a good bit out from God of War. Hence the younger Athena.
Would you like this story to be upgraded to M?
Do you want this to remain 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.
Well, potential ones. And of course...
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AWAIT THEE~!
YE BE WARNED~!
(Previews)
"I can't read you." Skuld blinked at him. "Why can't I read you? Say something?"
Naruto eyed her as one might a rabid squirrel. "Um...hello?"
"Yes, that!" the youngest Norn thrust a finger in his face, all smiles. "Do it again! This is fascinating!"
Tyr stepped up beside him. "We wish to know-
"Quiet, you." she flicked a hand at his companion. "You I can read. You're predictable. We already know what you'll do-
"That's not possible!"
"That's not possible!" she sang in unison, talking over him. "Not you." gleaming golden orbs swung back to him, wide with mirth. "Your choices! Unpredictable." much to his annoyance she began to skip around him as a child might, not a young woman. "Erratic! Chaotic!" her face thrust against his, forehead to forehead. Baldur, yet not Baldur! But we don't know you! We don't know what you'll do-
"You're too close!"
He smacked her hindquarters with an open palm, desperate to force her away.
Skuld jolted with a yelp, clutching her flank...and still smiling!
"Lovely! I didn't see that coming, either!
"Push!"
Gna absolutely snarled. Tell me to push again and I'll push you out a window!
"Pretty sure that wouldn't kill me-
"I AM PREPARED TO TRY!"
Alright, alright, just trying to inject a little humor into the situation...
Hurry up and get this baby out of me!
"Its a boy!"
Forseti." she rasped. "His name will be Forseti.
Huh, it fits. The God of Peace fathering the god of justice. There's some poetry there...
"How many children do you intend to have?!"
Naruto grinned blearily. "Yes."
"That's not an answer!"
"It really is, pops...
A woman with an ax walked past him.
Naruto paused. Blinked now. "Hey! Wait a second! I know that brand!"
Bright eyes flicked to his beneath flaming hair. "Leave me be, Norse God. I've no interest in your quarrels."
"Now wait just a second-
"I said leave me!" She sneered at him. "Baldur, brother of Thor. You may play the peacemaker but I know better. You're just as responsible for this as he is."
"Lady I have no idea what you're on about-
The ax swept up under his chin. One more word, and I swear I'll make you wish for death."
Naruto couldn't help himself at that. "Sorry?"
Faye smashed him into a mountain.
Freya opened her hands. "Do you trust me, son?"
...don't do it."
"Why are you laughing?"
"Because." Naruto palmed his face. A red eye peeked through his fingers. "My name, my real name, isn't Baldur. I had one before this, a life long before this.
If you try to take this life away from me...I'll let the monster out. Then you'll see. Just how dangerous. I really am."
Mimir, you old goat. What're you up to this time?
...you haven't heard? Someone made off with Thor's hammer in his sleep!
"HAMMER DOWN!"
"Owwwww! Whatcha do that for?!"
"False god! Pretender! You shall be flayed for-
THUNK.
"Finally, some silence. Thought they'd never shut the hell up...
"Papa, look! I can fly!"
"Wait, whaddya mean you caaaaaaaaan?! Eir, come quick! Our baby girl go her wings early!"
"Kratos, Ghost of Sparta."
...do not call me that, norse god."
"Hey, hey, from what I heard most of that Pantheon had it coming."
Most? The word was a briar, snagging at the Spartan's thoughts. "What do you mean...most?"
Baldur beamed. "Met a few. Convinced 'em to live here. Sired a couple kids. You know how it is. Say hello to the big man, sweetie."
A little girl poked her out behind the norse god's legs and dared a timid wave. She hadn't been there a moment ago.
Kratos felt his throat close. She looked so familiar, almost achingly so. "What do you want?"
"Is the boy in? I was hoping these two could play while we talk...
EDIT: Hey, you made it!
As ever, the Embers rule remains: If people don't like this story? If they don't enjoy it? Well...it will remain, but I' won't be able to continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with two jobs; holidays are HERE and basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore.
My free time is limited and as such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts. I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact...
Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work~!
Warm regards,
~Nz.
R&R~!