A/N: EDIT: Oof, not much of a response. Saw that coming...T_T
This is far shorter than I'd like...mostly because I just got my third shot -not by choice!- and I feel like craaaaap. Sadly it was forced on me due to my bad health and...other issues. Should be alright in a few days. But for now?
Ugh, life is hell.
As ever, we're going by the now infamous Embers rule for this story and many others. Two jobs keep me busy as all hell, and my energy's at an all time low as of late. I don't have time to write a tale folks don't enjoy. So by all means! speak up! Make yourselves heard! Every bit of feedback counts! That's no joke! I really look forward to reading and chatting with you all after a long day working back to back shifts. What little downtime I have is often spent writing these days, and that really has a tendency to wear me out these days.
Now, then lets answer your burning questions! Mostly general stuff this time around.
Q: May I have a refresher for the teams?
A: Sure, I'll do it for everyone since its been a bit:
WPYN is obvious Weiss, Pyrrha, Yang and Naruto.
RVRB is Ruby, Nora -last name!- Ren, and of course, Blake.
JMMN is none other than Jaune, Melanie, Miltia and our dear Neopolitan.
CRDL remains Cardin, Russel, Dove and Sky, while CFVY is still CFVY. In this story, at least.
*cackles*
Q: We've not seen the last of Pyrrha's father, have we?
A: *zips lips*
Q: Is Pyrrha going to become a Maiden in this?
A: *laughs*
Q: Team WPYN solidarity! Whoo!
A: We get more into that here; say what you will about Yang and Weiss, but they are fierce friends. They protect those close to them.
Q: Is Naruto aware of Kurama? You've been hinting at it..
A: Kurama is...a touchy subject for him. Recall that in the beginning, the 'ol furball usually emerged when he's angry. We haven't really seen much of that here; he'd had a good life, and most of his friends and family are quite capable of defending themselves. But to answer the unspoken question, no.
They haven't struck an accord as of. Meaning that if Naruto slips, its the RED cloak we'll be seeing. Not the gold.
Q: Ozpin be plotting?
A: Isn't he always? Granted, he usually means well by it, but as we've seen, his secrets have a tendency to blow up in his face. Time will tell if he makes the same mistakes here, or actually learns to trust a bit earlier than the events of canon.
Whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen.
Q: Who's the strongest here?
A: As stated, Minato and his gym...well, its helped to elevate many to new levels. Ruby's but one example as we saw during her bout. Others are coming along quite nicely; as such, that's something Ozpin's all for. Strong huntsmen mean strong soldiers against Salem.
I mean hell, if she weren't invincible Minato or Jiraiya could just blitz her.
But as well know, immortality doesn't mean invincible.
Alright, I've kept you long enough.
I'll let the chapter do the talking for me. Hopefully everyone enjoys it.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, memes or themes. Not a wit or a one~!
"You'll never break that girl. She's stronger than you know.
What's that? You don't believe me. Have it your way.
Fine. You'll see...
~?
Carry On (Fragment)
Three days passed in relative peace.
Weiss counted them down with palpable dread, expecting an attack at any given moment. And yet none came. Bar that brief interruption, their idyllic days continued unabated. Even after a full seventy two hours, and neither hide nor hair was seen of Caesar Nikos. Indeed, Team WPYN -the name had started to grown on her somewhat- carried on as they always had. Naruto provided spotty training for Pyrrha. She studied, and as for Yang, well...she was Yang. The less said about her puns the better.
No one wanted to address the issue.
She couldn't blame them. Families were awful and mess; they had a habit of taking a neat, orderly life and throwing it all into violent disarray. Finally, it reached a head for their team. Well, half. To her credit, she managed to wait until Naruto and Pyrrha went out on the town for a well earned weekend respite. They deserved it.
It gave her time to come up with a plan.
"Had a feeling you'd pull this sooner or later." Yang bounced on the bed beside her, snapping her back to reality. "Has widdle Weiss cream gone soft?"
A glyph sprang to her fingers. "Care to repeat that?"
"C'mon, I think it went well, don't you?" she shrugged. "We drove him off."
"Did we, now?" Weiss planted a hand on her hip. "Or did he make a tactical retreat? Say what you will about their methods, but the Nikos family is not without their own resources." her lips pursed, recalling another Father she wasn't predisposed toward. They can make life rather difficult for us -and Pyrrha!- if we leave them unchecked for much longer.
Yang planted a fist in her palm. "So lets check 'em. Hard."
Well, well, well. Her partner was taking the initiative. Color her impressed.
"Why, Xiao-Long!" Weiss crossed one leg over the other and smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. "It would seem I underestimated you...
(.0.0.0.)
"You know, this is kinda nice."
"Isn't it?" Pyrrha's head kissed his shoulder.
"It is." Naruto agreed wholeheartedly as he sprawled out in the grass beside her. "Its nice to just...relax for once.
"Without our noisy teammates?"
She giggled a little into his neck. "I suppose.
A picnic really wasn't something one considered when relaxing, but this did put a smile on his face. They'd chosen the park at random -and gotten more than a few odd looks for lazing about rather than eating!- but really, it was the sentiment that mattered. Food could come later. For now the day was theirs.
"So?" his partner asked apropos of nothing. "How badly did you beat Ruby?"
A bead of sweat ran down Naruto's brow. He looked away. "No idea what you're talking about."
"Naruto, I'm not blind." Green eyes pinned him. "She looks up to you. Adores you like the brother she never had." a finger poked his cheek, denting it a little. "You've been taking her training seriously, haven't you?"
"Maybe...
Pyrrha propped herself up on one elbow. "How hard did you push her this time?"
Nothing to be gained by lying. "No broken bones if that's what you're worried about. Maybe a few bruises. Bit of aura exhaustion."
Pyrrha elbowed him. "That's more than a little!"
"Meh, she'll live. 'Sides, she asked for it."
"Really...?"
(.0.0.0.)
Ruby kicked the door open, stumbled into her dorm and pumped a dirty fist in the air. "I won!"
Nora bounced upright in her bunk. "Won what?"
"What happened to you?" Blake looked up from her book. "You look like you got run over by a bus." a sniff. "Smell like it, too."
The little reaper flopped onto her bunk with a weary smile.
"I actually managed to hit him this time!"
"Ruby, I wouldn't call that a victory...
"Let me have this, Ren!"
(.0.0.0.)
"Anyway, the days is ours! Anything you wanna do?"
Pyrrha pursed her lips. Such an innocent inquiry. Her mind said otherwise. He'd corrupted her. Ideas swelled in her head, none of them tame. Granted, they were in a public place, but when had that stopped them before? She tucked herself a little closer, fingers hooking in the waistband of his jeans.
"Hmm." she touched a finger to the corner of her mouth. "I can think of a few things...
Heat flooded his face in a rare blush. "Pyrrha!"
"Kidding!' She waved him down. "I'm kidding. Its been so long since we've had proper time to ourselves. Maybe I'm just giddy."
"Hrmph." he grunted, but didn't budge when she tucked herself into his side. "Whatever you say."
.
..
...
They lay there in companionable silence for what felt like an eternity.
"You know," he mused, if we go any further into the city, there's a chance we'll be recognized.
"Probably."
The silence grew awkward.
"Are you sure you don't want to talk about-
"No!" she winced at the sharpness of her reply and amended it. "No."
"We'll save your mom, Pyrrha." he pulled her closer. I promise. I'm sure Weiss is already cooking up something."
...and if it fails?"
A grin. "Brute force hasn't let me down yet. If worst comes to worse, we'll get her out the hard way."
Pyrrha made pleased Pyrrha noises. "Then...can we stay here a little longer?
"Sure." He looked an arm around her waist as she cuddled close.
This was fine. He didn't need anything more than this.
Fate had other plans.
(.0.0.0.)
The very next day saw them dragged before Headmaster.
Weiss planted a fist on her hip. "What business do you have with my teammates? Shall I fetch our lawyers?"
Ozpin smiled. "I only require a moment of Naruto's time, nothing more."
Pyrrha didn't budge. "Anything you have to say to him, you can in front of us."
She half expected anger at that remark; she only received a sigh instead.
"Such solidarity." Ozpin shook his head. "I had thought tell you before the news spread, but if you all wish to know...
Naruto stilled. Weiss didn't like the look of it. Yang and Pyrrha even less. The former flailed her arms.
"Well, don't keep us in suspense!"
Ozpin laid a broken kunai on his desk. Weiss didn't recognize it. The others did. Yang gasped. Pyrrha physically recoiled. Naruto...just stared.
And then came the words.
"I am afraid your father has...passed away."
Pyrrha saw it in that moment, the instant the light died in her partner's eyes. "...what?"
A/N: Has Minato, though? Has he really? Or do they simply "believe" he did? You'll have to read and see.
As ever, we're going by the Embers rule. This'll be deleted quickly if folks don't like it.
So speak up! Make yourselves heard! Every bit of feedback counts! Seriously!
Strange at it may seem, I can't write without reviews. That's no joke.
Worry not, we haven't seen the last of Summer or the rest.
Didn't see that coming now, did you?
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?
Have some new previews!
As ever, a disclaimer:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
THAR BE SPOILERS AHEAD!
BEWARE!
(Previews!)
"If you take this power, you could better protect him."
"Do I look like I need your power?"
Naruto's world had dropped out from under him.
"I know what its like to lose a father.. If you want to talk...
...not now, Ren. He's fine. Has to be."
"What you fail to realize is this, boy. You have averted disaster, but not prevented it. You have enemies. Oh, so many enemies. Even now they are seeking you. And you know it not. When they find you, everything will run red. Like scarlet clouds in the sky...
"Clouds? I don't understand."
Pyrrha plucked up her spear up and took a stance.
"Just you watch!"
Ruby knew better than to question him. He'd been more...intense since thew news about his dad.
She wouldn't let him down.
"So! You're Pyrrha's mom? Nice ta meetcha."
"Who...are you?"
Naruto watched her with a keen eye, idly observing her movements as she became a streak of petals so much like her namesake. She'd increased her speed once again. He didn't budge; even when she began to run rings around him. Faster. Faster still. Even faster now...
There! His fist soared up and caught her chin.
Ruby went down. "Owie...
"Again."
R&R~!