Captain Blues: Hey crew, this is your captain speaking and I have some news. My sister, ViolettheCutieGrimReaper is currently in the hospital. Which is why this chapter is ungodly short. So everyone, please send some well wishes her way and when I update again, it'll be its normal length. Ironically, this chapter may be super important too. So enjoy!
Champion of the Dark Moon
Mini Chapter: Captives within the Moon's Gaze
There were dozens of questions that swirled through Hinata's mind as she hid in the bush as the visibly disheartened Naruto walked out of the church ruins.
When she came out to follow Naruto, she didn't know what she expected. But it wasn't none of that. Spirit Calling Bell, Moonveil, Adula, Renna, Latenna, Haku….So much had been said and talked about that it made her head spin.
But from what Hinata could tell, Haku was Naruto's beloved who died, but her soul was being held captive by this Renna? Hinata rubbed her temples as she felt a headache coming on. She stepped out of the bushes beside the side of the church and murmured, "What could it all mean?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Fū's voice answered, which caused Hinata to jump in surprise. She looked up at the tree that sat in front of the ruins and saw Fū perched on a branch, her face twisted in both confusion and concern.
Hinata didn't even know she was there!
"H-How long were you there?" Hinata stammered as Fū jumped down from the tree branch and landed in front of her.
"I saw you jump over the ledge of the apartment and followed you," Fū explained. "Little did I know, we would overhear something so… mind-boggling."
Hinata nodded in agreement and said, "Naruto-kun is going through so much. More than anyone could know…."
"He really is," Fū agreed. "I feel bad for eavesdropping on what was not a conversation for us to hear."
"Agreed," Hinata remarked. "W-What we heard….It shouldn't be possible…r-right?"
"It shouldn't but it is," Fū said as she crossed her arms. "Pieces of the Golden Fell Star…What did she mean by that?"
"I-I wonder a-about it as well," Hinata noted. "A-And who this Renna is…"
"Maybe we should ask Naruto about all of that," Fū said. "It'll make us look shitty for overhearing all of that, but he's going through something no human should be going through."
"Maybe h-he will understand," Hinata offered. "I-I followed him because I was w-worried and you d-did the same for me."
Fū nodded at this and said, "But both of us could have left when we found that he was okay. But then again…How could we have left after that?"
Hinata sighed.
She didn't know.
"N-Naruto-kun accepted those things from Haku to free her," Hinata spoke after a moment of silence. "Free her from this Renna person…"
"And Haku is a spirit," Fū followed up. "That means whoever this Renna person is, she must be extremely powerful to control a spirit and employ other spirits to work with Naruto….But what could that mean?"
"It means, Piece of the Golden Fell Star, that thou and thy ally hast overheard something thou shouldn't," a regal voice chimed in from behind them. Hinata and Fū could feel a deep chill permeate the area and watched as a mist of ice floated around them.
The two of them whipped around to see a pale-blue-skinned woman garbed in white with a witch's hat, four arms, and a spectral second face that sat alongside her own.
"I hast watched thou both interact with mine champion for some time," The woman spoke. "I am the witch, Renna. Doth forgive mine intrusion on thy conversation. Alas, I am repaying both of thou for intruding on mine retainer's conversation with mine champion."
The woman tilted her head and without warning, both Hinata and Fū fell to one knee as an unbelievable amount of weight slammed on top of them. "Say to me, why hast thou eavesdropped on this night?" Renna questioned with a cold tone.
Hinata tried to open her mouth, but the weight on her body became heavier. "Nought to say?" Renna asked. "I figured as much. Since the two of thou are prone to overhear matters that do not concern either of thou, haply thou both may grant me assistance."
Renna held out both right arms and snapped her fingers, causing both Hinata and Fū to buckle as the weight left their bodies. Hinata looked up, only to see Renna standing before her. She felt her body being lifted by an invisible voice and came face to face with Renna.
"Curious. Bear thou the eyes of those who created the Golden Fell Stars. The Amatsubito, vassals of the Ōinaru Ishi (Greater Will). Such an abominable sight…Alas, These eyes hast been diluted with time." Renna noted with a noticeable frown. "They bear never the power of the Amatsubito, nor the Ōinaru Ishi…."
Fū stood up and shouted, "Hey! Let her go!"
Hinata squirmed as Renna narrowed her open eye and spectral eye at her. "Yes. Thou shall be perfect for mine plans." Renna then turned her gaze to Fū and without warning, Fū was snatched into the air and hovered beside Hinata before Renna. "The like can be quoth for thou, wielder of the piece of the golden fell star."
"In time, mine champion shall engage in combat with his greatest foe in mine protector, Adula, the Glintstone Dragon," Renna explained to Fū before she turned her gaze to Hinata. "Since the two of thou hast decided to meddle in mine affairs, thou two shall assist mine champion in taking arms against the vassals whom bear thy eyes."
"He doesn't want to be your champion," Fū hissed with a strained voice.
"H-He said as much to your retainer, H-Haku," Hinata added.
"And it is regrettable. He doth not understand the peril this world faces. Should the vassals of the Ōinaru Ishi succeed in reuniting the pieces of the Golden Fell Stars," Renna explained. "All he sees is his heart in mine captivity. In time, Uzumaki Naruto shall understand the danger. And thou two shall assist him when he sees the light of truth that the moon wishes for him to see…"
Once more, Hinata and Fū fell to the ground, free from the force that held them before Renna. "Till he becomes mine champion, thou two shall act as mine retainers. Till that time, this conversation 'twixt us hath ne'r befell. Now…Begone…"
With those words, Renna vanished in a flourish of midnight blue mist with frost-blue sparkles within it, leaving Fū and Hinata on the ground, with dread embedded in their hearts.
Captain Blues: And just like that, Fū and Hinata have been enlisted. So a lot of lore has been placed. The Amatsubito aka the Ōtsutsuki Clan has been revealed to be the vassals of the Greater Will.
The Greater Will, who in the Elden Ring canon, sent the Golden Star beast, the living incarnation of the concept of Order to the Lands Between, which would later become the Elden Ring.
