Hey guys, it's been awhile. Had some technical issues (Computer shit itself and died) that caused me to lose most of this chapter a few weeks ago, which was a huge bummer and really shot my writing desire. I had to rewrite this whole chapter over, pretty much beginning to like three fourths of the way through, and I'm still reeling over losing so many documents. I'm probably gonna just start writing this stuff on Google Documents or something, just to make sure I never lose it again. Sorry it took so long, I'm happy to finally get back to this, and no I don't intend on it taking this long to do update again. I'm hoping to eventually get onto a sort of weekly cycle of Broken Angel and Darkness Reborn with Chaos undone thrown in whenever I feel like it. I'm gonna try to start that now, so expect the next chapter of Broken Angel two weeks from today. I really want to get back onto a writing schedule because I really enjoy it. Anyway, just wanted to let you all know what's been going on, and why I haven't updated in awhile.
Alright, here's the next chapter for you guys, hope everyone is excited to get to the next arc. Gonna start jumping ahead over the next two chapters. This one has a mini arc in the middle, and the next will contain the rest of it, and the time jump, that'll put us at the start of the next arc, which will be our Fate/Stay Night arc, so look forward to that. Just so everyone is aware I've begun rewriting Broken Angel, going through and fixing grammar mistakes adding in a few plotpoints to tie into future events, I'm hoping the story itself will be far more cohesive and organic. I'm up to chapter 30 so far, and I've updated it across each of the various websites that Broken Angel is on, and I'll continue to do so. I'll probably also update this story as well once I finish Broken Angel, just to get everything ordered and help the story as a whole flow much more organically.
Broken Angel: Rising Demon
Chapter 45: Building towards a better tomorrow.
-March 10th 2002-
A time of great change had washed over the world. For well over three days, Riley held her Susano'o in place, preventing humanity from engaging in further conflict. Very few people tested her, and those that did were destroyed in an instant. A single punch, or kick from the mighty avatars of valor was all that was needed to wipe out their machines or destroy their flesh. If they tried to fight away from her, and continue their conflicts, one of Riley's clones would appear over the new battlefield and put a stop to the fighting with vicious cruelty.
She made sure that the world understood that her will was absolute. The fighting was done, and if they wanted to test her, then she would put them in their place. She was tired of hearing about war, tired of the endless fighting that led to nothing but pain and suffering. The time had come to search for other solutions.
Left with no other choice, humanity did just that. The first thing most countries wanted to know was if this peace was being enforced by Albion. Artoria released a statement that while she agreed with an ending to the conflicts plaguing the world, this wasn't an action sanctioned by herself or anyone in Albion's government. The Princess was acting of her own accord.
Whether people believed that or not was inconsequential, Riley had taken action and there was little that could be done to resist it. At the end of the third day, Riley's clones dispersed, and she returned home, to be immediately summoned by Artoria, Daphne and the Round Table, all of them eager to hear what she intended to do next.
As it currently stood, Riley's only plan was to enforce this peace for a few weeks, just to make sure the message truly sank in, and that people couldn't just go back to their conflicts now that she was gone. Beyond that, she had no other plans, and in fact didn't care what people did. She didn't care what alliances were made, or what they ultimately did, just so long as the bloodshed came to an end.
With that being the full of it, Artoria and the Round Table quickly returned to work. Not long after Riley had first initiated this peace, they were contacted by the UN, the hope being that Albion would work with them to bring an end to these conflicts permanently through the use of whatever powers Albion could offer.
Even if only as temporary solutions that bought time for more permanent fixes, it was their hope that Albion could come up with some ideas to help stabilize other nations, or at the very least, pull them back from the brink so that saner minds had the chance to prevail and draw those peoples onto a new path.
Currently, the Round Table was unsure of just how much support they were willing to offer, as Artoria was still adamant about not being the world's caretakers, or allowing themselves to be used and exploited though arguments were now being made that Albion was in a position to offer it's help and secure its position as the world's new superpower.
After a few days to consider it, Artoria came to her decision, Ablion needed to take a leading role in helping to rebuild the world, not only because the world needed their help but because she knew what was coming. She knew that an invasion the likes of which had never been seen before was on the horizon, and they'd need every advantage they could get. For a time, they could ignore the rest of the world while they focused on their own prosperity, but now that they were prospering, continued indifference to the situation large swaths of the world was stuck in, only served to weaken their position.
So, Albion began to move carefully, agreeing to join the UN once more and even being offered a position on the UN security council.
Riley offered no complaints but merely warned Artoria to keep an eye on them and take everything they said with a grain of salt. She was more than happy to help others if that's what Artoria wanted, but she'd always place Albion before the rest of the world, and her family before even Albion.
It was Riley's way, and that didn't seem like it would ever change, much to Artoria's chagrin.
With the wars of the world suddenly halted and Riley enforcing a momentary peace, benevolent forces, far and wide began to emerge in order to help rebuild the broken world. While Albion used it's magics to help rebuild, there were other groups as well. Nations came to offer their aid, powerful metahumans or so-called superheroes like Superman began showing up in places of conflict and distress in order to try and fix things. Even several major corporations put forth considerable and noteworthy effort to try and help the peoples of the world, some noteworthy examples being LexCorp, Wayne Enterprises, and Queen Industries.
It truly was an awe-inspiring sight, one that would surely be spoken of in the future with incredible fondness. Riley's actions had served to shock the world into a positive action, one that was so rarely seen, except for in times of extreme disaster.
With things beginning to look up, many started to have hope for a brighter tomorrow, it had felt like a lifetime since such hope permeated the world. Time would tell how long it lasted though.
-March 26th, 2002-
Things progressed rather smoothly across the world. Countries were beginning to stabilize, and those who accepted Albion's help began to prosper. While it would seem obvious to some, there were plenty of countries that didn't want help from magical people. Many still blamed magicals for Second Impact, even if the blame had been placed squarely on Toneri's shoulders, most people didn't want to see a difference. That man was dead and could no longer act as a focal point for their hatred. So, while there was plenty of good going on, animosity still remained.
Thankfully after seeing the results of magic's influence, many who were on the fence happily agreed to accept the help of the magical nation.
Having people like Hashirama who could sow life back into dead fields, and allow farmland to flourish, was an absolute godsend in many places. Teams of Legionaries would often be deployed alongside aid workers from Albion to offer help to groups and peoples in need.
It didn't take long for Artoria to ask Riley for her help, which was all Riley really needed to get involved. She had often been apathetic to the suffering of those who weren't directly in her view, or part of her social circle, but when called upon by those close to her, she would happily respond.
Riley's presence around the world garnered some interesting results. Those that hated magicals and would protest their presence were instantly silenced when she appeared. Riley didn't need to threaten or challenge them, her mere presence scared off any naysayer. On the flip side, Unitologists would emerge en masse to watch her and pray to her while she busied herself with some tasks like building hospitals or other such care facilities. Groups as big as a hundred would gather and watch in awe, just waiting to catch a glimpse of her magical powers.
Riley for the most part, paid her followers little mind, unless they asked for her help. That was always something that had been a part of her character, if someone willingly came to her and asked her for help, she'd give it, in one form or another, but you had to be willing to ask. Their requests ran the gambit, some simply asked to be blessed, some asked for healing or for an ounce of wisdom or certainty. Most were simply searching for hope, for some kind of direction in the chaotic world that had been thrust upon them. Riley's wisdom and suggestions were always simple, and tended to be what most would consider good life advice. Fill your life with friends and people you can consider family, work towards building those friendships and relationships, and when you feel you've got the strength to do it, work on yourself, build yourself up. Become stronger as a person so you can face life's challenges and help those, you're closest to face their own problems.
Aside from the odd deeper questions, such as secrets of the universe and things like that, most of the time that was Riley's basic advice to the people of the world. To focus on their friends and family, and to work on themselves. It was Riley's opinion that too many people spent their time worrying about the whole world, about people they didn't know, would never know, and would never truly connect with. People spent too much time looking out over the entire planet rather than their own homes and communities, and it allowed problems to grow and build up until they overflowed into everyone's lives.
Whether or not her advice would help them, Riley offered it, if she was asked.
Aside from aiding the Legion in its philanthropic work, Riley occasionally went out and hunted for criminals like she used to under the guise of Ralael. She was far more discreet about it now however, usually using the Invisibility Cloak and taking them down swiftly without leaving a trace of her presence.
It filled Riley's time and gave her something productive to focus on. Never a shortage of scumbags in the world that were willing to make other's lives miserable.
It was as she filled her time with this that she began to consider if she should once again take part in dealing with the criminal underworld. It had seemed like a lifetime since she went out hunting scumbags and criminals. Seeing all the so-called superheroes running around and the way they inspired people, made her consider it. Watching how her own family reacted to such heroic acts definitely helped tilt the balance in favor of doing it, but if she did, how would she go about it? Just another thing to occupy her mind in this time of change and restoration.
-Metropolis, March 29th, 2002-
"I'm happy to see you again." Riley offered in greeting as she appeared before her son.
Lex Luthor stared back at her, gifting her with a pleasant smile and nod as he motioned for her to have a seat. It had been some time since the two had met in person. Over a year since Riley had introduced herself to her wayward offspring and offered him the chance to get to know his family.
In that time, she'd kept an eye on him from a distance, while Lex put his time and energy into rebuilding his nation and working with Superman to improve the lives of others. Lex was a leading figure in the world when it came to philanthropic work and was well loved and respected.
Though he had not contacted Riley or her family directly, she had noticed him keeping tabs on them. Private Investigators who'd watched from afar on LexCorp's dime. She knew that learning about his actual history, and the truth of his birth would carry deep ramifications, and it was apparent that the man was the type to work through his problems to the best of his abilities before asking help from others.
Despite it all, Riley sensed a yearning from the man, a desire to know more, and make contact with his family. He was able to bury himself in his work for over a year, but now that the world's problems were actually getting solved, and things were moving, there was less to occupy his time.
"I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I sent that message. Though I am happy you came." Lex responded.
"So, what can I help you with? I'm assuming this has something to do with your business, given the nature of your message." Riley said to him.
"Yes well, it's no secret that Lex Corp has been working tirelessly to help rebuild our ailing world. Not only is it imperative that we get the world back on track, but begin building towards a better future. We've tried reaching out to our own magical communities here in the United States and we've received mixed results. MECUSA is still rather shy about stepping into the light, and while that's understandable given the lukewarm reception towards magicals here in the states, it puts a damper on progress. I asked you here in the hopes that perhaps Albion would be more willing to cooperate." Lex explained to her, getting right down to business.
Riley offered a hum of understanding at that. She turned thoughtful for a moment before letting out a chuckle.
"Well, I don't see why I can't extend the offer to our own magical populace, Lex Corp has ties all over the world, and I can think of more than a handful of business moguls who'd be interested in extending their own corporate enterprises, working alongside one of the largest corporations in the world would certainly open plenty of doors. With that being said, I'd advise no small amount of caution. The introduction of magic to modern society led to quite a few changes to the corporate and economic landscape of Albion. Magic can do things easily that muggle technology just can't quite compare to, and that doesn't always sit well with those who lose out. You remember my attack on the Eastern seaboard, the one that led to my confrontation with Superman due to the CIA's attack on my family? They were aided by muggle businessmen who'd seen their companies and wallets take a major hit due to magic's reveal." Riley took the time to explain, earning a focused look from Lex as he took in her warning.
He seemed to have already taken that part into consideration, though the revelation at the end did come as a bit of a surprise.
"People who cannot adapt to the changing world, are left with no other recourse but to rage against it. We try to help as much as we can, but some people just can't find purchase when the reality of things shifts." Lex offered up sagely.
"Very true. Like I said, I'm not against bringing the offer to them. I doubt the Queen will have any gripes with beginning to open business connections with the outside world. What with Albion ending its stint of isolationism, for the second time…" Riley hummed with a shrug.
"Well, I'd be most eager to have those discussions. It's become apparent to a lot of us that the world isn't going to stop changing any time soon. If we all just stand by and let it go on without us, we'll find ourselves standing in a place we can no longer fathom let alone recognize. I know Albion must still have its growing pains, but it's existence is proof that magical and non-magical peoples can exist together, just like the growing emergence of meta-humans is proof that such coexistence is possible in the right circumstances and with proper care." Lex noted.
"I agree. Finding ways to learn to live together would be best for everyone. The time will come when the world once again has to unite in order to survive. I don't know what form that challenge will take, but we both know it'll come. When it does, it's for the best that we can all stand together. Learning to live together is just the start." Riley offered her agreement to his statement.
"Well, I thank you for your agreement. I feel I should also offer an apology, for not contacting you sooner…" Lex began but Riley simply smiled and shook her head.
"This revelation came out of nowhere, and I didn't expect you to just accept and come join the family like it was no big deal. These things take time, and we all have our responsibilities to tend to. So don't apologize. I'm just happy you reached out. Like you said, learning to work together is important, and we all need to figure out how to adapt when things change. Sometimes that takes time." Riley offered to him.
"Well, I appreciate it, and I would like the chance to get to know you, and the rest of my family. I can't say what'll come from it, but I still wish to make the attempt." Lex said to her.
"Well, I'd be more than happy to have the chance to get to know you, as I'm sure your mother would too. Like I said before, you have plenty of brothers and sisters, as well as several nieces and nephews who I'm sure would love to meet you as well." Riley responded.
"I think I'd like that." Lex agreed.
"Hmm… well… I think I can come up with the perfect answer to give you the chance to make introductions and also meet with the queen." Riley formed the offer after a handful of moments of thought.
"Oh?" Lex wondered curiously.
"Yeah, I'll throw a little ball, and invite several illustrious individuals, give you the perfect opportunity to meet with Artoria and discuss business, while keeping things more casual. That's usually how such introductions are made from my experience." Riley said to him.
"I'm certainly familiar with it, though if that's your plan, I'm sure such an event will be covered by the media, and if so, there are some friends I'd like to invite." Lex noted, a small smile touching at his lips.
"Someone you owe a favor to?" Riley inquired with a smirk.
"Just a couple of friends I think would very much enjoy such an opportunity." Lex offered with a light chuckle.
"Well, I see no reason to say no. I might even be able to convince Artoria to answer a question or two, if you ask really nicely." Riley said to him, her grin matching his own.
"Oh, well now I have to convince you. If she knew something like that was available and I didn't help her get it, she'd see my life brought to a swift and tragic end." Riley smiled at that and nodded.
"Whelp I'll see to it that your friends find themselves onto the guest list."
"I appreciate it, truly I do." Lex said to her.
"I do what I can for my family. Even the ones I've just met. So long as I hold no ill will towards them, I'll do everything I can to help them out, I've got no reason not to. Let me go and get things set up, once I do, I'll contact you, as well as everyone else we'll be inviting. I know that there will be challenges that'll arise one day that'll require all of our help to face. Forging strong bonds will help us face those challenges, so best to get started on crafting them." Riley put forth.
From there the two shared their farewells and Riley returned to Albion, immediately swinging by Artoria's office to inform her of her meeting with Lex Luthor, as well as the nature of their relationship, which she had kept to herself so far, so as to allow him time to decide how he wanted to handle the situation. Once she was brought up to speed, Artoria quickly endorsed the idea of holding a gathering of the wealthy and influential here in Albion. It was a chance to show off the newfound splendor of their nation while also opening the door to forming new alliances and connections. It allowed influential people to schmooze about, while also basking in the brilliance of the newly born magical nation.
Artoria was also interested in hearing about what kind of business arrangements Mr Luthor was interested in when it came to working with Albion. She was knowledgeable about a lot going on in her country, but she'd have to spend the next few weeks brushing up on the business side of things, so she had something to form an opinion on when time came for the gathering.
The two discussed when the best time to hold it would be, and once they had a time, Riley excitedly went to work planning for the party. They'd hold it in two months' time, giving people plenty of warning to decide on whether or not they wanted to come.
Riley already knew where she intended to hold the party, placing it at Gryffindor castle, a place she rarely ever got the chance to use.
Before she could start planning though she'd have to go and talk to Fleur and let her know about the son she was going to meet in a few months. She'd also have to let her know that she'd found him over a year ago and had kept it hidden. Riley already had a decent excuse, but she knew Fleur was going to be cross with her for keeping it quiet for so long, considering they were one of the few couples that hadn't found any of their possible future offspring.
She'd have to bite the bullet on that one, best to just get it over with.
-Gryffindor Castle, Albion. June 1st, 2002-
The party was in full swing, Riley stood beside Gaia, watching as more people arrived, many of whom were brought here via magic, much to their amazement.
This gathering would play host to wealthy politicians and businessmen the world over, both magical and muggle and would act as an opportunity for people on both sides of that divide to approach one another on neutral ground and interact.
Many of Riley's mates were present, some of them working, some of them schmoozing. Gaia was there, as was the Raikage, and the Mizukage. Magicals and muggles from all over the world had gathered for the party, eager to take part in the first of such events, which would no doubt be anchored in history.
A few minutes passed before Riley led Gaia over to where Artoria stood in conversation with a number of political leaders, both magical and muggle.
She left Gaia to the politicking and made her way around the first two floors of the castle which had been setup as the main areas for the party. While Artoria handled inviting everyone, Riley spent the past two months working on refurnishing the old castle and repairing any damage that time had done to it. It now looked resplendent in the beautiful colors of house Gryffindor, red and gold being the main themes of color.
Riley found her way over to Fleur and Katie both of whom were standing in a corner observing the party but nervously keeping out of sight. Or well, Fleur was keeping Katie company while Katie hid out of sight. Originally Katie had been placed on protective detail along with a troop of legionaries to guard the estate, though that had secretly been a ruse that Riley had worked out with Itachi so that she wouldn't know what was waiting for her when she got there.
Due to their marriage, Katie was technically the lady of House Gryffindor, so as soon as she showed up, before the party began, Riley pulled her aside, reminded her of that fact, and gave her a fancy dress to wear which showed off the red and gold that her new house was known for, while also being emblazoned with the crest of Gryffindor on the back of her shawl.
Katie was absolutely unprepared for this, so after welcoming all of their guests she quickly took to hiding to avoid having to converse with the rich and powerful, who'd no doubt immediately pick up on the fact that she had absolutely nothing in common with them.
"You two seem to be having fun." Riley offered as she passed by them, earning a light chuckle from Fleur, and a glare from Katie.
Riley met Katie's glare with a smirk and held it for several long moments before she caught the sound of a familiar voice. She glanced across the room, past the various clusters of conversations happening to spot Lex speaking with a trio of businessmen that he obviously recognized.
"Time to make introductions." Riley spoke, turning towards Fleur and motioning with her head.
Fleur blinked at her and quickly tidied herself before glancing at Katie. Katie was quick to set aside her displeasure with Riley to offer Fleur some assurance that she looked great, and she was perfectly ready to go and make a good first impression with her son.
Riley walked with both women on her arms as she crossed the room. Lex caught sight of their approach and glanced at them, Riley stepping away from her mates to meet him.
"Happy to see you here. Enjoying yourself?" Riley inquired.
"Been to one gathering of the rich and famous you've been to them all. Still though, this castle is wondrous." Lex offered to her.
"It truly is." Riley agreed, allowing her gaze to drift around the room, admiring the décor before returning to Lex.
"Hard to imagine you have so many powerful political ancestors." Lex noted.
"Well in truth, I'm not actually descended from House Gryffindor. The line went extinct, though the magic of the founder, Godric Gryffindor still remained. I inherited the title of Gryffindor when I willingly went into battle against a fearsome monster known as a basilisk when I was just a teenager." Riley regaled him with the short of how she came to inherit the title of Gryffindor.
"Truly? It must have been quite the harrowing adventure for the magic of a long-deceased man to home in on you as a means of continuing his line." Lex mused.
"Oh, it was most certainly interesting. I'd be happy to regale you with the tale some other time, though when it comes to Gryffindor, he was always a man who favored the brave and the bold. Courage was and still is one of the main tenets of his house. Speaking of Gryffindor, I'd like to introduce the lady of House Gryffindor, my eighth wife, Katie Gryffindor Bell. And beside her, my second wife, Fleur Delacour Uchiwa." Riley introduced her mates. Lex shook their hands in greeting though his eyes remained on Fleur when the introduction was made.
Fleur offered him a pleasant smile, meeting his gaze with her own.
"Greetings Mr Luthor, I'm very happy to meet you." Fleur said to him.
"I'm very happy to meet you as well." He returned.
Fleur beamed at him, and the group stood around making small talk while the party carried on. They kept their conversation general, avoiding the topic of their shared familiar connection until later, when they could speak in private.
It was Lex who drew the conversation in a new direction when he took notice of some friends of his and invited them over to talk.
Riley recognized one of them instantly. The glasses and meeker stance did little to hide the Man of Steel from her gaze. He was there with a woman, obviously one of those that Lex had invited to the party. Riley knew that Superman was some kind of reporter after seeing some of his memories, though she knew little more than that, and he seemed to be trailing alongside his partner, a Caucasian woman with dark hair, sharp features, and excitement in her eyes.
"These are some friends of mine from Metropolis, Lois Lane and Clark Kent." Lex introduced them.
"Hello." Katie offered in friendly greeting.
"Nice to meet you." Fleur added in.
Riley simply offered the two a nod, her eyes briefly meeting with Clark's.
"You certainly make friends wherever you go Lex." Lois spoke up.
"It's that Luthor charm you're always going on about." Lex hummed in response.
"You two do not strike me as part of this same crowd, what do you do for a living?" Riley inquired, knowing full well what the answer was.
"Reporters, we work for the Daily Planet." Lois answered, her eyes filling with unbridled curiosity when focusing her attention on Riley.
"The Daily Planet… why does that sound familiar? Wait, Lois Lane? I think I recognize that name. Weren't you the one who first broke the news about Superman when he first showed up?" Katie asked after a few seconds of thought.
"The very same." Lex answered with a chuckle, while Lois beamed, all the while pretending to show modesty. It was readily apparent that this was a woman who appreciated having her work recognized and getting her name out there.
"Well, what can I say, I'm not the kind of woman to overlook a story. Superman's arrival in Metropolis really sparked a change in the atmosphere there. Nowadays he serves as an inspiration for people all over the world, and I think it's important to understand these things and help the public to understand them too." Lois said to them.
"True enough. Lois has always had an eye for the big stories. Never seems to miss them, even if no one else is taking notice yet." Clark spoke up for the first time.
"Oh, don't try and flatter me too much Smallville, I'm not going to overlook the fact that you're the best competition I've had since I started at the Planet. Why do you think Perry keeps sending us out on assignments together." Lois said back to him.
"I always thought it was your winning personality, and the fact that it was easier to have me along as your sidekick than out there searching out my own leads." Clark responded, earning a challenging smirk from Lois.
"And a fine sidekick you make." Lois responded, ignoring his playful accusation.
"I'm assuming business is going well in the media world. With everything that's been going on, must not be hard to find a story these days." Katie noted.
"That's true." Clark offered in agreement.
"The hard part isn't finding a story to write about, it's finding the right story. There's so much going on in the world that it can be easy to fall into the loop of just writing about the day's events. People get so distracted by all the little things that happen that they miss the big things that build up over time." Lois added on.
"Is zat why you wished to come here? Hoping to find one of zose big zings that people are not noticing?" Fleur asked curiously.
"Well yes, If I'm being honest. I mean there's hundreds of reporters here interviewing everyone they possibly can just trying to gather as much information as possible to report on, but how many of them are asking the really important questions? I mean you have some of the most powerful people in the world here in this building. World leaders, and decision makers, business leaders, and political elites. The people who run society are all gathered here, and it would be easy to forget the big picture." Lois replied honestly, her words earning a hum of agreement from Riley.
"You've certainly got the drive; I'll give you that. I agree that people need to be informed, they need to be reminded of the big picture and how the major events in our lives shape and change our society. They need to see these things, even if sometimes it's hard to perceive them, even if sometimes you aren't able to grasp the scale of things." Riley offered.
"On that note, would you mind answering a few questions?" Lois inquired with an ever so charming smirk.
"Why not." Riley shrugged.
"Well first, I'd like to ask you about recent events, surrounding your actions in bringing a halt to all global conflict. I doubt many have complained but still, it definitely came as a surprise. I have to ask, what drove you to intervening in such a manner?" Lois inquired, beginning her questions, while Clark wrote everything down.
Riley went through the motions, answering each of her questions, more or less honestly. She expressed how she had simply grown tired of the unending stream of conflict that plagued the consciousness of everyday life. It was always on everyone's mind, always coloring everything they did, and most importantly, it was bothering her loved ones, some of whom spent their time dealing with the worldwide crisis as they continued to play out.
Riley told them how she simply felt that it had gone on long enough, and that she was tired of it being a focal point in the lives of those she cared about. So, she simply chose to end it, to force the world to find another solution to its problems. She had no intention of putting a stop to all conflict in the world forever, or policing everyone, she simply sought to force a new direction just to see if some of the problems could be fixed by traveling a new path.
"So, you don't intend to get involved if any future conflicts emerge?" Lois questioned.
"Can't really say. It would depend on the conflict and whether or not Albion is involved." Riley shrugged in response.
"There are some who take a look at the actions of people like the Flash, like Batman, like Superman and wonder why you yourself don't get involved in fighting crime and working to put a stop to criminal activity. With the powers that you have, surely you could do some good in that area. I've heard people wonder why you don't choose to engage in vigilantism, when there are few forces in the world that could stop you. So instead of leaving it to the imagination, I'd like to turn that question over to you, why don't you engage in superhero activities?" Lois inquired, her question earning a very curious look from all present, especially Riley's mates, whom both knew of her stint as Ralael doing basically that exact thing.
"Firstly, I'd like to put out there that I admire what these so-called superheroes do. I think that often times the laws of men can be to easily twisted and corrupted, and justice systems can be bought and dominated by criminals, so sometimes vigilantism isn't just acceptable, it's needed. I don't wish to downplay any of their actions, because I do deeply admire them. With that being said, my answer is actually two-fold. Firstly, it's because I have no desire to become a tool or crutch for humanity. I won't enslave myself to their whim or will. Even now, as I stand here, people believe me to be a servant of Albion, they think that Artoria controls me. That couldn't be further from the truth. She is my partner and I love her, so I listen when she speaks. I respect her, and I want to make her happy, so I try to act in a way that displays that love and respect, but I am not her servant. I am under no one's control, and I have sworn no oaths to Albion. My service to this nation is entirely voluntary and predicated on the fact that it is my home, the home of my family, my loved ones, and they seek its betterment. That could be true anywhere. Now I am Albion's Princess. It's not a title I sought or chose. But it was placed upon me by someone I love very much, and for her, I will bear it. I will protect my people, for her, for my family, for those who choose to believe the best in me. Secondly, I've always believed that those who face adversity and rise above it are stronger for it. Sometimes people need help, but you can't take on every challenge they face in their lives. Without adversity there's no chance for them to grow. I may intervene to protect the innocent and I'll help if asked, but going out of my way to protect humanity from itself isn't something I desire. The world is full of its cruelties and injustices, and I believe that in order for the average man or woman to have the chance to rise above themselves, they have to face intense challenges. It's admirable what these superheroes do, but when I look at their actions, I see what many others don't. I see them taking on these challenges, I see them facing these problems. It allows them to become greater, to improve upon themselves, but it also takes that opportunity away from those who might flourish from it. If I wanted to, I could create a number of clones and send them out daily to fight crime and within twenty-four hours, I'd have erased crime from the face of the Earth. What then is left for mankind? In the area of law and justice, what challenges then remain for humanity to allow it to grow and evolve?" Riley explained herself, putting forth her rationalization.
"So, you don't believe that those with such gifts have a duty, a responsibility to help mankind?" Lois questioned.
"Not at all. Mankind didn't create these gifts of mine. My powers come from three sources, one being a long lineage of magicals, the second being a craft Fox Spirit that was sealed into my gut one the day I was born, and the third being decades upon decades of back-breaking work to master and control my powers. I wasn't just born with strength, I had to learn how to wield it, I had to train night and day. It wasn't mankind that made me strong, it wasn't humanity who made me what I am today. I built myself up into what I am, I did so under the guidance and tutelage of incredible teachers, people to whom I do owe a lot. Some of those people are humans, but that doesn't mean humanity itself, earns the right to my abilities due to the actions of a few individuals. Truth be told, I care very little for humanity. Sometimes I even hate them. Humans treated me like trash when I was growing up. They made my life a living hell, and I've never forgotten the actions of those people. It was this dichotomy that helped me to understand mankind. There is good and evil amongst humanity, and they cannot be grouped into a singular category. So, I choose to fight for those I love, those I respect, and care for. The rest of mankind, the faceless nobodies that exist everywhere else, they've done nothing for me, good or ill. I may choose to intervene if asked, or on a whim, but I'm not their salvation. Honestly, I believe that is a triumph restricted to them. Only they can truly rise above themselves. It's no one's responsibility but theirs." Riley responded, shaking her head and shrugging.
"What about those who view you as a god? As their salvation? You don't feel you owe anything to them?" Lois inquired, everyone's eyes still on the two, listening intently as they continued.
"Do you know why they consider me a god?" Riley asked in response.
"I'm not sure I understand the question. The obvious answer would be your incredible powers, but that's obviously not what you believe." Lois replied.
"It's not. Superman has incredible powers. He can carry an entire aircraft carrier over his head without much effort. To any normal person, he's a god yet he's not worshiped like I am. Power is only a facet of the reasoning. Yes, I have incredible power, but that's not why they think me a god." Riley explained to her.
"Then why is it?" Lex asked before Lois could, eyeing her curiously.
"Take a look around you. We're surrounded by some of the most powerful people on the planet. Business leaders, world leaders. Those with the power to change the course of humanity if they banded together. With a snap of my fingers, all of that power could vanish. I'm not just talking about killing them. Killing is easy, killing is simple and definitive. No… I could go out and render any form of currency obsolete by simple taking it from everyone. I can force the world to use only the currency I provide for them. That simple action would take away half of the power in this room. Every rich billionaire, every business mogul, suddenly becomes just like everyone else. I can go out and erase the borders of nations. Unlike people like Superman, like the Flash, like Batman, I can be everywhere at once. I could single handedly rewrite the course of the world, on nothing more than a whim. They consider me a god because I have the power to change things. To make them one way or another, and to enforce it. All of these powerful people, all of their collective power, only brings them up to the level of trying to change things. Even if every person in this room banded together and worked together to make the world a certain way, there is a very real chance that they could fail. I wouldn't. I have the power to enforce change. I can reshape continents, twist the minds of millions. If I wanted to, I could use my powers over illusions to mind control every person on the planet. They consider me a god because if I wanted to, I could completely control their lives. They believe it, they recognize it, and it's true. The power of gods is the power of dominion over mortals. You asked if I feel I owe anything to my believers, and the answer is no. Their belief is born of a hope, one that I did not gift them willingly. They see in me that ability to change their lives, to change the course of the world. They call me a god because they recognize that on nothing more than a whim, I could take over the planet, and enforce my will upon every denizen of this world. I could alter the minds of every person on the planet to view the world as I wish them to view it and use my understanding of human psychology to direct their actions. I could do these things, I could change the course of fate, I simply choose not to. My Grandfather once told me about the true nature of power. And that is that power is not will, it is the ability to make things happen. You can have lofty ideals, you can believe in a cause, or believe in people, but true power comes in the form of making things a reality. If that logic, if that belief is true, then only those that could make anything possible, truly could be called gods." Riley explained to them, laying out just how easy it would be for her to alter the course of human existence.
Using her powers over illusions, Riley could mind control every person in the world, slowly but surely altering the way they thought until they acted in a manor, she saw fit. She could use Infinite Tsukuyomi to place every conscious being in the world under an illusion, though instead of showing them a world of happiness, she could show each and every person whatever she wanted, to ensure that when they awoke from the dream their minds had been conditioned to act in a specific manner. It was by no means as easy as she was expressing, far more thought and time would have to go into such an endeavor, but it was also well within her ability to accomplish, and with the use of Kamui the hardest part, which was figuring out exactly how she would do it, could be accomplished in a few seconds.
And that was only by one means, there were plenty of other ways she could go about affecting unspeakable change in the world. Using her raw strength, and power over the elements she could reshape the planet, shifting landmasses, raising mountains and forming seas. She could transform the earth into something entirely new, and that would leave all of humanity scrambling to try and find their place in such a new world.
Though she had no hand in the creation of her religion, she fully understood how normal humans could look at her and see God. See a supreme being.
"So, if what you're saying is true, and not just prideful boasting, why don't you enact such change? You obviously have a few gripes with the rest of humanity, so why not work to enforce such a change, or make the world the way you want it?" Lois asked after a few moments to mull over her earlier words.
"What would be the point in living in this world, if everything was the way I wanted it? Yes, I have gripes with mankind, and yes, I won't hesitate to retaliate against those who wrong me, or anger me, but if I went out there and got rid of every threat in the world, what then would be left? I'm a paranoid person by nature, I love my family, I love my wives. If I went out there and took over everyone's minds, then the world becomes like an illusion. It's no longer real anymore. As big as some of my gripes are with mankind, and as much as I want to protect the people I love, eliminating the free will of billions of people sounds like it would lead to a pretty boring life. At that point nothing has meaning anymore. There's no sense of accomplishment, or victory. Having complete control would be absolutely mind-numbing. People wouldn't live anymore; they'd just be following a set of commands. They wouldn't create anymore. There'd be no more true art or creation. People wouldn't have real feelings, or emotions, no wants or desires. Such control would lead to an absolute wash of life itself. Yes, I have issues with mankind, and yes there are times when they make me want to set the world on fire with how much they piss me off, but that doesn't mean I don't see the beauty in the chaos, or the struggle. Watching heroes rise from the ashes to build a better tomorrow, watching leaders guide people through the darkness. Watching the loving mother, and father raise their child with hope brimming in their eyes, it's honestly beautiful. I have the power to do these things, but why would I? The world is so much more beautiful when left to its flaws, and its chaos. And the gems of humanity, those that separate themselves from the masses and rise above the daily drudgery, they remind me, remind everyone I think that mankind is more than just another animal. I choose not to walk that path because the moments when I get to see the true extent of the human spirit, the depths of bravery and courage that a simple man can reach when pushed to it, those are moments worth enduring the rest for." Riley offered in response, her words earning a smile from Fleur and Katie. Both of whom had long understood this about her.
Her beloved mates knew her well enough to understand why Riley chose to watch from a distance rather than control every aspect of their lives. Despite her fears, despite her paranoia, there was a reason she stood back and let them fall, let them take the hits in their own battles. She was there to save them if they needed her, but beyond that, she let them succeed or fail on their own. She'd offer her help, but if they chose not to take it, Riley wouldn't force it on them. As she said, it made their accomplishments real. It made their successes and failures real. By allowing the world to exist outside of her control, Riley allowed their actions to matter, to have actual weight in the world.
Both understood the part that went unsaid. Though her explanation may have been a big part of her reasoning, another equally big part of why Riley allowed the world to carry on without her, was because she didn't intend to remain forever. Her hope of building them a paradise was always in the back of her mind, always something she would think about as she watched the world change. One day she would take her loved ones from this place and bring them to paradise. A place that was as close to perfection as one could get, but it would never be there. Perfection would always be the goal, always be the aspiration, but it would be a goal forever on the horizon, outside of reach, something for them all to pursue, endlessly improving upon themselves.
A world of challenges, but unity. Where they would suffer, but that suffering would never overwhelm or destroy them. It was Riley's desire to build that paradise, and every action she took, every event that played out in the world, every movement of leaders, and commanders, it was observed and studied to see what she could learn from it. In the back of her mind, Riley was always thinking about her dream. Ideas upon ideas, always grinding away, being refined into new shapes and forms.
"You do make a fair point; I think sometimes people forget that we need to fall in order to rise. Without adversity how would we know right from wrong? And on the note of having whatever you want, I do agree that it can take away some of the meaning behind things. When you have everything, when everything is perfect, you stop seeing the beauty in things that aren't extremes." Lex offered up.
"It's an interesting take. Definitely paints a clearer picture into the mindset of the world's most notorious magical." Clark added in as he finished writing down Riley's previous answer.
"I do believe he was quoting Reverend Phillips Brooks, when John F. Kennedy said 'Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.' It's a fine point of wisdom that I think more people should embrace." Riley hummed after a moment of thought.
"Well, on that note, I have one final question. If you could talk to any of those superheroes, what would you say to them?" Lois inquired.
"Hm… I would tell them that I admire them, to keep up the good work. I would also tell them that it's alright to be a pillar of strength for people. It alright to be their salvation. I understand the desire to help others, and I believe more people should act on that desire within their own communities. That's essentially what I'd say. It's not my position to preach, and of course, my beliefs are my own, formed by my own experiences and choices in life. They should stick to whatever it is they believe in. If I wanted everyone to think like me, I'd work to make it that way. The challenge of ideas is what allows them to strengthen and survive. So do what you feel you must, believe in your own cause, and may humanity be better for the effort." Riley offered as an answer, her gaze momentarily going to Clark before passing around the other members of the conversation.
"That was certainly insightful. I appreciate you taking the time to answer some questions." Lois said to her once Clark finished writing everything down.
"No problem. You move fast enough you may just get a few moments to speak with the Queen." Riley said to her, as her eyes caught sight of Artoria moving towards them, no doubt in search of Riley for something.
Lois and Clark both glanced over, spotting her approach, along with Merlin and Hashirama.
This allowed for conversation to turn towards the Queen's arrival. Just as she'd promised, Riley was able to get Artoria to answer a few questions from Lex's friends, which went quite well. Artoria rarely got flustered when she was in that mode, acting as a ruler, so answered the reporter's questions with practiced ease.
The rest of the night afterwards went swimmingly, aside from the occasional argument here and there between various groups, it all went exceptionally well.
Towards the end of the night Riley found Fleur standing beside Lex discussing their lives. She was happy to see them forming a bond, and quietly left them to their discussions.
It seemed as if the party had gone down without a hitch. New connections had been formed, business dealings opened up, and the game of politics was played. One of her better ideas, when it came to helping build up Albion and further ingrain it into the ever changing world.
Time would tell though, just how effective these first steps would be.
Later that night, Riley stood staring out over the vast expanse of hills that surrounded Gryffindor Castle. Her mind had filled with introspective thoughts as it drifted back towards her brief interview with Lex's reporter friends.
She found herself wondering just what kind of person she'd be, if she was like Superman. She didn't know a lot about him, but she knew, and had seen enough to gather that he felt it was his responsibility to help others, and even more than that, he felt that he owed the world for taking him in. While Riley had difficulty grasping the first part, she sort of recognized the second one. While not the exact same, she sometimes felt that same need in regards to Albion, or Britain, for taking her in. When she had chosen this place as her home, she approached it with an open mind, and while it certainly had it's ups and downs, it was still her home, and she could understand the feeling of wanted to repay that acceptance with whatever aid you could offer.
It was interesting to consider, thinking on the kind of person she would be, if she played the superhero roll. How would her life be different in the situation? It was thought-provoking, and led her to being lost in her own wonderment until the time arrived to return home. The last of the guests had departed, and Riley's mates and family gathered around her.
Time to return home, and prepare for what tomorrow might bring.
-London, Albion. June 5th 2002-
Riley sat reading a copy of the Daily Planet, namely a special article that Lois and Clark had written in regards to their brief interview with her.
It was remarkably honest, painting Riley as she had described herself. While she didn't suspect any underhanded tactics behind the reporter's desire to get a few questions in, she knew how the media could be, so she was curious to see what would come from their conversation.
What she got was an honest publishing of what had occurred with only a few interpretations on Riley's emotional state during certain answers. It was refreshing to find such honesty in the media. She'd have to keep the two in mind if she ever wanted more media coverage in the future.
She set the paper aside and glanced out at the expanse of London. A content sigh escaped her lips as she rose to her feet and leaped off the rooftop she was resting on. She made it only about a dozen meters or so when she felt herself come to a halt and she was standing before the hooded figure of her Zanpakutō spirit.
"Come to take me on another adventure?" Riley inquired curiously.
"Yes. You've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Wondering what your life would be like if you walked the path of a Superhero, if you embraced the role of a Goddess. What would you life be like if you were that person?" Ralael responded, causing Riley to grimace.
"So am I going to meet a version of myself that did do those things?" Riley asked, as she prepared herself to be transported to a new world.
"In a manner of speaking." Ralael answered.
"What does that mean?" Riley wondered aloud.
"Being a hero, wasn't the only thing that's been on your mind recently. You've spent a great deal of time facing your greatest fears. The time has come to see what it would be like, if you failed." Ralael declared.
"Shit, well this is going to be unpleasant…" Riley thought to herself as she felt herself being transported to the new world.
-London, Albion. A new world-
Riley appeared out of thin air, standing at the base of the hill that led up to her house. She blinked a few times, gathering her bearings as she did. The first thing she noticed was the absence of Hashirama's forest, which should have been nearby, meaning he either hadn't made it in this world, or he wasn't here.
"Hmm… well time to explore, and meet the new you. Considering what Ralael said, I'm guessing this isn't gonna be a happy meeting." Kurama spoke up.
"Yeah. I doubt it." Riley thought back as she turned her eyes to the house upon the hilltop.
It looked nothing like her own house, which was rather modest in appearance despite it's size. This house was closer to a manor, more akin to what Riley would move into now, if she had to get a new place, rather than just continuing to expand upon her own home.
The building's perimeter was surrounded by a rather intense ward scheme, one that wasn't at all colored by Riley's own magic. In fact the magic within the wards, seemed to almost resemble a combination of Naruko's and Sasuke's, which again, she found odd.
Riley stared up at the wards with a curious gaze. She took note of just how complex they were, definitely on a level at or just above the wards around her own home. Within the boundary of the wards upon the roof of the house she could sense the presence of several magicals. What they were doing there wasn't immediately obvious.
It struck Riley as curious that her alternate self hadn't come out to investigate her presence. Riley was currently hiding her energy but her copy should be able to hear her approaching if nothing else. She might not have been home, but then why did Ralael dump her here of all places? Usually when this happened, she was placed at or near enough to a location of importance for her goal.
'Weird' Riley hummed thoughtfully as she advanced through the wards immediately alerting the guards to come and check of the unknown presence.
In an instant the squad appeared before her.
"Wh-what?" One spoke up in confusion.
"How did you get out here?" Another questioned.
"Wait! Her eyes! Look at her eyes!" Another spoke panic filling her voice.
That's when they all noticed what she had. Riley's demonic gaze was relaxed, curious even, yet these warriors apparently knew well enough to fear her eyes.
"How...?" One man muttered as the group began to back away from her.
Riley sensed their fear, sensed just how scared they were. They were about to retreat, to make a run for it. Riley had no desire for a confrontation just yet, so she moved to render them all unconscious before they could escape. Using her immense speed, she vanished from sight, and knocked all five of them out.
With the troop of guards disabled she turned her gaze back up to the house. Almost like a skin, covering it's exterior she could see another set of wards. She also spotted an open window, and the eyes of someone staring down at her.
Riley recognized that face and quickly lifted into the air, floating up towards the window, stopping just beyond it's boundaries, her eyes meeting with her alternate self who sat staring back at her with a curious gaze.
Riley could tell instantly that something was terribly wrong with her doppelganger.
Her alternate self was thin, her cheeks sunken in, her eyes hollow. They were the deep blue of her childhood, yet lacked any sort of life to them. She was sitting in a rocking chair, her legs covered in a blanket. Her position, the way she was almost placed before the window, made it seem like she had been left there, like an elderly woman, unable to move on her own.
"Have you come to kill me?" Her alternate spoke up.
"That seems like it'd improve your situation…" Riley responded, taking note of how her chakra system seemed drained, almost as if her power had been stolen from her. It took a moment before she realized that she recognized the nature of her magical network. It looked similar to Kurama's when he'd had his chakra pulled out of him by Minato.
A dry chuckle escaped the mouth of her alternate self, and she slowly tilted her head, her eyes passing over Riley's hovering form, curiosity slowly beginning to swell within them.
"I knew one day that something like this would happen. An unspeakable power would come, and I'd be unable to protect them from it. I tried to tell them… they just didn't want to hear it." The Alternate said to her.
"What happened to you?" Riley asked her.
"You don't know?" The copy asked in response.
"I was brought here by my magical sword. It does this from time to time, takes me to alternate realities, where I can meet alternate versions of myself, and see how my life could have been different. I'm only really here to learn a lesson about my life, about the path I walk, or the path I could have walked. Once I learn that lesson, I get to go home. I did come here for you, but not of my own choice. I don't know a thing about you." Riley explained.
Her Alternate self blinked at her several times as she thought on her explanation. Finally she offered a slow nod of acceptance.
"I see. Well if you're here to learn something from me, perhaps it's to see what'll become of you if you put trust into your loved ones, and give them too much power over you. This is what happens to you if you let others control you. If you have any means of taking that control back, I'd suggest you do so as soon as you go home. I've been trapped like this for six months, and I've spent every waking moment, wishing I was dead." The alternate said to her. Riley took in a breath at that, and blinked several times.
"Your loved ones did this too you?" Riley asked, disbelief coloring her face.
"Yes." Was the response given.
"Why?" Riley asked in response, drifting forward a bit, her face only a fraction of an inch away from the edges of the second layer of wards around the house.
"Some stupid bullshit they all believed…" the alternate said to her with an annoyed shake of the head.
"What kind of stupid bullshit?" Riley asked her.
"My daughter. She convinced everyone that my powers were weakening the barriers between our world and the Dark Realms. She has got them all convinced that by simply being here, I'm making it easier to attack this planet. She made them believe that if they didn't remove me, or at least my powers from the world, than soon those barriers would be completely destroyed and our world would be swallowed by darkness. It wasn't a swift thing, she did it under my nose, convincing them all in secret, until it became a runaway effect and soon everyone believed it." The alternate explained to her, her gaze filling with pain and resentment.
"But… but that's stupid. The Rabbit Goddess corrupted the power of the Shinju tree into that of a demon, and she lived for decades before having her children, and the barriers of our world didn't suffer any damage then. Unless you were actively using your magic to constantly mess with those barriers, your power shouldn't have affected them like that. I mean hell, if you're anything like me, than you have access to Kamui and you just train there. Shit, the Tailed Beasts ran around the world for three thousand goddamn years, and never harmed the protective barriers around our world, so what the fuck are they on about?" Riley uttered in dumbfounded disbelief.
"That's why I called it stupid bullshit." Came the response from her doppelganger.
"Fuck… this daughter of yours… was it Elizabeth?" Riley asked after shaking her head.
"Yes."
"Was it your Elizabeth, the one you rescued, or another, one from the future who asked for your help?" Riley questioned her.
"A bit of both, I'd say. While the Elizabeth I rescued was the one who led the endeavor, I know for a fact that she got the idea from her future self." The alternate said to her.
Riley's face twisted in anger at hearing that. So this is what Ralael meant by seeing the what would have happened if she had failed. This was what could have happened to her, if she allowed Future Elizabeth to manipulate her friends and family. There were no doubts in her mind that both of their Future Elizabeth's were the same person, and it also revealed that her future daughter wasn't just working on one world at a time. She had multiple worlds where her so-called trap was being prepared. It seems in this one, she'd chosen to strip Riley of her powers for some reason. Maybe she was getting too strong, or too rebellious, and future Elizabeth had to regain control over her by neutering her.
Still, it shook her to her core, that her own family would do this to her. At the very least Sasuke and Naruko were involved, as they had created the wards around the house, and were helping to essentially keep Riley a prisoner here.
"How did they do it?" Riley asked.
"Tricked me into another dimension. There they ambushed me. My friends, my family, allies, people that I trusted. My mates used their connection to me as my Paths to blind me, take my sight away and suppress the powers of the Rinnegan. That coupled with their betrayal was enough for them to get me. Sasuke and Naruko used the powers gifted to them by the Sage of the Six Paths to strip me of my demonic power. They took Kurama from me, and sealed it all into an earthen satellite. I was left powerless, weak. They kept telling me it was for the greater good, that it was only temporary. Said I'd get my powers back once the barriers healed. I realize now that they wanted to control me. To keep me as a puppet. They'll give me my powers back, but only when they find a way to easily remove them again. That way they can unleash me whenever they want. My family spends their time gaslighting me into thinking that I'm the one at fault, that I'm overreacting. I haven't spoken a word to anybody in months. I have no one. Their apologies, and their pleasantries just fill me with pain and rage. They took Kurama and grandfather Madara from me. I'm truly alone here… reduced to nothing more than a tool for them. They turned me into their weapon, and they can't seem to wrap their minds around why I refuse to say anything to them." Her counterpart answered, her eyes filling with rage, her face warping into an inhuman snarl. Even with most of her demonic power stripped away, this woman was still a demon. Her eyes filled with a smoldering red glow, as what little power she did have began to manifest itself.
A pulse of magic echoed off of her counterpart's body, one visible to Riley's eyes.
"That was an alert…" Riley noted.
"They'll be coming now. To check on why I was using magic…" Her counterpart growled out.
Riley blinked several times, and then let out a sigh. She then met the gaze of her counterpart for several long moments.
She spoke her next question into her crippled opposite's mind, so that she could answer before whomever was coming arrived.
"Do you want revenge? Do you want me to set you free?" Riley asked her.
"Yes." She replied, and a moment later, a yellow flash appeared beside her.
Minato Namikaze manifested beside his eldest daughter. The alternate turned her gaze towards him losing all light in it. Her eyes became muted and lost their demonic essence.
"Riley, what are you doing?" Minato questioned the alternate, as he stared down at her. The Real Riley sat directly above them, her chakra presence completely muted, and all faculties of her body halted. She was like a statue.
Silence was the answer he got. Minato continued to stare down at her for several long moments before he sighed, and glanced around, almost as if searching for any sign of what she could have been up to.
"You can't keep doing this Riley. If the Guardians or the League start to hear about these rebellious outbursts, they'll start to argue that you should be removed from the planet. We all fought very hard to keep you here with us. The only way this arrangement works if you refrain from performing any magic. I know it's tough, but you've got to endure. You're strong enough to do it, I know you are. It wont be much longer, and everything can go back to the way it was before." He chastised her, in that fatherly way of his. He sounded disappointed, but also sympathetic. Above them, Riley herself was grinning viciously, wanted with every fiber of her being to drop down into the room, through the wards, and tear that bastard limb from limb.
"Is there something you want to say to me?" Minato asked her, as he continued to stare down at her. Riley's alternate just continued to stare at him with her cold, detached gaze. Her eyes showed no emotion, whatsoever. It was like she was staring at a wall.
Minato stared down at her for several long moments before his discomfort got the better of him, and he let out a sigh.
"I'm going to have to tell your wives about this. You know how upset they'll be to find out you're putting yourself in so much danger." Minato again made an attempt to get something out of the doppelganger.
Above them, Riley was positively seething. Her alternate was absolutely correct, this bastard was doing everything he could to gaslight her into reacting. If the rest of the family was acting this way, than Riley could understand why her copy wanted to simply die.
"Fine. If you wont tell me, then I'm just going to have to let the others know. This can't keep happening Riley. You jepordize everything we did, everything we had to go through to keep you here by breaking the rules." Minato chastised her again, before performing a summoning jutsu.
He summoned a toad, and commanded it to go and speak with Naruko, and ask her to speak with Riley's wives about what happened here.
The toad quickly vanished, as it was desummoned.
Silence filled the room, and Riley could tell that Minato was just standing there, staring down at her alternate. If she closed her eyes, she could see his disapproving stare, that reminded her so much of her childhood.
She clicked her teeth several times before letting out a soft chuckle and cracking her neck.
The noise instantly alerted Minato, who hopped out the window and landed behind her in the blink of an eye.
"Who are you!?" Minato demanded, drawing a kunai and focusing his gaze onto her.
Riley turned her head to look back at him, causing his eyes to widen.
"R-Riley?" He questioned with confusion.
Slowly, Riley rose to her feet, a smirk appearing on her face.
"Hello, Minato… and goodbye." Riley said, her smirk turning hellish.
Before he could react, she was on him. Using Amenotejikara she traded places with his kunai. Her hand instantly appeared in his, and at the moment of contact a Black Chakra Receiver erupted from her palm, sent a flush of her chakra into his own network, preventing him from focusing his energy, and preventing him from teleporting away.
He barely had time to even register that this had happened. Riley knew well enough to never give this man an opportunity. He was simply too damn fast. If she gave him even a moment to try and focus, and throw off her disruptive chakra, than the first thing he'd do is teleport away and alert everyone else here.
So she wasted no time. Her eyes blazed as they met with his, and from her eyes, a beam of energy shot out. She used her magical Heat Vision to instantly sear a hole through his head.
She let out a hellish chuckle as she watched as his face melted and his brain boiled away. She didn't stop until the beams had melted through his skull.
To Riley, the process was slow, hell to Minato it must have felt painfully slow as well. Given how fast their reaction times were. Yet in reality, no more than an instant had occurred between the start and end of these events. Hell the blood from his hand, where her chakra rod had pierced his flesh, hadn't flown more than an inch or two away from his flesh.
Riley's alternate watched as Riley herself drifted off the roof, carrying Minato's dead, still holding him by the hand.
"Gods I hate this man." Riley spoke up, releasing her grip, and withdrawing her Chakra Receiver, causing the body to drop towards the ground below.
"I forgave him… after the war. When I brought everyone back, I forgave him, forgave Lily. I just wanted to be happy, I didn't want my life colored by hatred anymore. I forgave them for everything they did, and they still betrayed me…" Her alternate spoke, her glare having returned as she stared up at Riley as she hovered beyond the window.
"Sounds to me like she went through a life very similar to yours. The only differences I'm noticing is that Madara never got his real body back and remained a summon, so when her powers were taken he got sealed alongside me. There's also the point that she forgave Minato and the others. Meaning Lily, and probably Tsunade too. That would insinuate that she did destroy Konoha, unless they were killed by someone else. Though it doesn't seem like she met Kushina as she didn't mention Hashirama being sealed away with Madara." Kurama noted, as he observed the situation.
"Yeah, seems that way, mind offering a helping hand?" Riley said to him as she drifted forward and placed a hand on her Alternate's shoulder.
"Sure thing, I'm curious to see how this plays out." Kurama replied, allowing Riley to channel some of his chakra instead of her own, knowing that the Alternate was used to his chakra, but may not be fully compatible with Riley's own, given the differences between them.
A surge of magic rushed into the body of the alternate, flooding her with demonic chakra. A red chakra cloak soon manifested around her. Riley watched as her alternate seemed to regain some semblance of her health back. Her flesh filled out more, causing her to return to normal, and her pupils became slitted as her eyes turned red.
Slowly her alternate rose to her feet, and glanced down at her hands. She stared at them for a good long moment before turning her eyes to meet with Riley's.
"Why help me? Why even bother? If all you have to do to leave this place and return to your home is learn something, than why not just learn it and leave?" Her alternate asked her.
"What happened to you, it was something I've agonized over for years. Literal years, and I searched for a means of protecting myself against such a betrayal, but I can only imagine the pain you've been going through, the agony that you must be feeling. So I'm going to help you, because it helps me. This is one of my greatest fears, and I've been forcing myself to face such a possibility for years. Now that I'm standing before it, and have the chance to watch it all play out for real, I can't just walk away." Riley said to her, earning a firm nod from the Alternate.
"Do you have a plan?" Her Alternate asked her.
"A simple one. We go to where they sealed away your powers, I killed everyone there, rip open the seal, and get you your powers back. Ya know, easy." Riley shrugged in response.
"It'll require breaking the Six Paths: Chibaku Tensei. Are you sure you're up to it?" The Alternate asked.
"Oh? Well that's gonna be fun to try. I guess we'll just have to see. Any other defenses I should know about?" Riley asked.
"It'll be guarded by the Green Lantern Corp, and the Justice League will no doubt have placed sensors there to alert them if anything happens. And I wouldn't put it past them to call upon anyone they possibly can, including people that I've known my whole life, to try and stop us." The Alternate said to her.
"I see. Well I've got no idea what a Justice League is, but I'll happily fight it. The Green Lantern Corp, well I'm working on an alliance with them in my time, but this isn't my time, so I don't really care what's done with them. As for your friends and family, anyone you want me to keep alive?" Riley asked her.
"Yes, hurt them, but don't kill them. They're mine. Once I get my powers back, I'll remind them of just what I am. After all this time they've allowed themselves to forget. But I'll show them. I'm a demon, just like you. I'll show them what happens when you betray a demon." The Alternate spoke with thinly veiled rage.
"Are you going to kill them?" Riley asked, honestly curious to hear if their betrayal had pushed her alternate so far that she'd actually kill her wives, her family.
"Of course not. They're being manipulated. My beloved mates are just doing what they think is right. Trying to protect this world. But see… that's the thing they forgot. In choosing to hurt me, in order to protect the world, they've now placed the world between them and I. Now I have no choice, but to remove that world, and reclaim what's mine!" The Alternate responded to her, the red chakra cloak boiling around her.
Riley stared at her for a good long while, taking in her fury. She still had a lot to learn about this alternate Riley, but she knew one thing for certain. So far, she completely agreed with her desires.
If her own family, and mates had betrayed her the way that the Alternate's had, her fury would burn the world away.
Even thinking about it filled Riley with absolute fury. She was angry on behalf of her alternate, despite knowing that this wasn't her world, and these weren't her friends or family, she felt the echoes of the alternate's pain.
In the years she spent with Parallax, enduring similar betrayals, never did Riley have the chance to retaliate. Because it wasn't real, because it was all just a twisted illusion. This though, was real. She now saw the effects of this betrayal in real time, and would see this out to it's conclusion. She had to, it may not have been her, but she now had the chance to look upon the lengths that she would go to if she were betrayed by her loved ones. She didn't know exactly what lesson Ralael wished her to learn, all she knew for certain was that she intended to see just how far she would go, when faced with such betrayal.
If nothing else, that alone would show her how far she would go when faced with such pain.
So with no other immediate questions, Riley placed a hand on her alternate's shoulder and drew her into Kamui. She had to remove the seals and other security measures placed on her alternate and she had to do it fast. She knew for certain of one person who could track her no matter where she went, and that was Sasuke. If he possessed the Rinne Sharingan than he had the power to sense her and the alternate through dimensions, and open portals to them. So they had to move fast. Free up the alternate from any seals that could be used to control her, and then find a way to the dimension where the alternate's power was being kept sealed away.
Once there, Riley would help her reclaim it, and see for herself, the true depths of her own fury.
-To Be Continued-
Alright, there you go. Riley has found herself in another what-if and she's on a mission to see just how her alternate self will react once she gains back her powers. Next chapter will see the consequences of this mini arc, and see us fully jump ahead to the time of the Fifth Holy Grail War, which will be a decent sized arc, at least several chapters, and that i'm really excited for. can't wait to have Riley interact with some notorius heroes, and also, i'd like to see how some of those heroes, namely Gilgamesh, react to Artoria's return, in a very different form. Can't wait to play the game, wonder what it is that draws Riley and her wives into the Grail War, we'll see in the next chapter, until then later!