A/N:...I wasn't satisfied with Age of Reunion. It was lacking. T_T
Sorry about that. I let you all down. I need to do better when I post a story.
So I went back, revamped it, changed the summary, and title, then retooled the pairing.
Hopefully folks like this revamp. Put a lot of effort into it. I'm praying that work paid off in the end.
If this makes it to 100 reviews, I'll continue it. If not...its gone for real.
In other news, My health has been...not so good.
Breathing problems are sorted, but my back is torturing me and I'm having trouble walking. Comes with being old, I suppose.
Speaking of which...
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
Minor verbatim here from my "Shed no Grace on Me" story.
Quote is meant to make you laugh:
"A star fell from the heavens and struck Caelid.
It was there that a Man of Fire met a Maiden of Rot...
He offered her his hand, his aid, his everything...and the world changed.
~?
Take the World
...you're not dead, are you?"
As far as greetings went, that rather took the cake.
Milicent might've laughed, if she weren't on death's doorstep.
Really, she was. One good shove would thrust her through that door, and that would be it. The end of her. An ignoble one at that. No one would remember her. None would mourn her. Not even her own kid. She would be forgotten, snuffed out like a candle in the wind. After all she had said and done. Surely she was meant for more than this. More than just rotting away in this forsaken chapel...
"Please don't be dead..."
Fire and brimstone, they weren't going to let her die in peace, were they? Was that so much to ask?
...hello?"
With an exasperated sigh, she creaked open a sleep-gummed eye to gaze at the interloper who bothered her so. He was standing over and looking quite anxious for it. From there she took him in at a glance; tall and triumphant and true, merry blue eyes framed by strange whiskered cheeks and tawny blond hair. Clad in burn and battered orange-on-black rags, he wore strange mesh shirt beneath the latter, each of which looked rather...burnt, all things considered. Smelled like it, too. Had he run through a fire or somesuch...?
He was also missing an arm.
His right limb, Milicent realized belatedly and with some dismay, just like hers. Someone had completely blasted the it off just below the elbow, forcing him to wrap it in bandages. Bloody bandages, she amended, gazing at the wound anew. It looked recent. Only hours, if not minutes old.
Yet for all that, he didn't falter.
For some reason that irked Milicent, angered her more than she cared to admit. There he was, proud and defiant despite his injury, while she lay battered and broken. It wasn't fair. Why should he be hale and healthy with the loss of his limb, when she herself felt so wretchedly weak?
Then again, the Lands Between had never been a terribly kind place, had they?
"What do you want?"
He beamed at her, relieved to hear her speak. "Well, you're the first thing in this damn swamp that has't tried to kill me on sight and also a fellow cripple, so...
She still had strength enough to scowl at him, and scowl she did, though it was a weary, tired thing indeed. "So you decided to speak with me?"
"Pretty much." he granted her a sheepish smile, one that made her heart flutter. "You also look like you're in a bad way, so...
Hoe fluttered anew beneath her breast. No. She could not hope. She dare not hope. She mustn't hope.
Hope was poison.
"If you are wise, you will leave immediately." it took much of her strength merely to speak "My flesh writhes with Scarlet Rot. It is more than a simple disease; it is a curse. Not to be meddled with by man..."
"Well, you're in luck, then." Had he a hat, she was sure the cheeky fool would've tipped it. "I stopped being human a long time ago."
.
..
...surely you jest."
"Nope." he smacked his lips with an audible pop. "Its a bit of a long story, but I've walked through an entire swamp to get here, and I'm juuuust fine."
She balked at him, made incredulous by his words. "How?!"
He beamed at her instead and her heart ached. Her sisters had smiled at her like that, once. Left to rot and die by her siblings, her own kin. The Rot had not completely eroded her memories, not yet. She wished it had. Better to forget and live in ignorance than suffer through the horrid pain of betrayal.
"You will betray me." She had suffered such before.
"I will not."
"You'll use me." She had been, more times than she could count.
"Not a chance."
Her lips thinned. "This is a trick." Her sisters had tricked her, called it mercy, and left her here.
"Nope, not now or ever."
Exasperating, infuriating oaf of a boy...!
...you're not going to let me die in peace, are you?
"Not gonna let ya die at all." He crouched down before her, whiskered cheeks dimpling, lone hand glowing. "Look, I can't do anything about that arm of yours just yet but I should be able to-"
Yeow!
Mliicent jolted upright with a yelp, unable to stand, but neither able to simply lay down either as the Scarlet Rot within her recoiled. That had felt...rather nice, actually. Very nice indeed. Like gentle sunlight suffused just under her skin, like an electric current buzzing through her blood, like warmth pooling just under her stomach. For a single blessed instant she had felt no pain; in fact, it had been a very pleasant feeling indeed. Oh, my. Was it warmer all of a sudden, or was it just her?
"I have no need for aid." the lie ached even on her lips. She wanted more of that wonderful feeling. "Leave me."
"Too bad." His retort proved decidedly cheeky. "I deny your denial. But first...
He plucked something from his pack and in his fist, Milicent glimpsed a glimmer of gold. Such a little thing It called to her for reasons she couldn't comprehend.
"What...is that?"
"Found it on a crazy knight in the swamp." the whiskered warrior hummed." Some old geezer fixed it up for me, but he felt like bad news, so I thrashed him. Then he turned into some kinda weird bug monster and ran off." he laughed even as she balked in utter confusion. "Still, this needle feels right, though. Whoever made it wanted to help people, I think. Reckon it can help ya, to.
She blanched a little at the idea. "You're going to shove that inside me?"
"Oi!" His face flushed in a blush, the first she'd ever seen from him. It would not be the last. "Don't make it sound lewd."
But it did; at least to her. Shoving a foreign implement into one's body hardly sounded pleasant. If anything it was most depraved. Nearly as bad as handholding. One mustn't do such things until they were married. And yet here this stranger was, standing so terribly close to her...oh dear Her mind really was getting away from her, wasn't it? Must be the anxiety. Yes, that was it. That and nothing else. If anyone else said otherwise, she would have strong words for them.
"M-May I close my eyes?" She swore softly at the slip as her nerves got the better of her. "I do not wish to see you stab me."
To his credit, the warrior at least looked a little embarrassed about all this himself. "Sure, if you like. Let's try...here."
Pain lanced into Milicent's neck. With it came an odd numbness, one that soon suffused her entire being.
That feels...rather nice.
Her vision dimmed. Her mind went fuzzy. All he worries and cares began to fall away as slumber beckoned, briefly stripping all inhibition away.
"Oh, hey." dimly, she heard her savior speak. "That thing works fast! It'll make healing you a lost easier. Just let me focus. C'mon, Kurama...
Milicent blinked as the bedraggled blond began to glow. She must be hallucinating. She had to be. Why else would his body be on fire?
So bright. So shiny. Like the very sun itself.
She granted him a sleepy smile. "Pretty...
The blond sputtered. "Come again?!"
She didn't. Darkness took her.
(.0.0.0.)
Miracle of miracles, she lived.
Indeed it came as something of a shock to Milicent when she opened her eyes and found herself alive...with no pain. None, not a jot, not so much as a smidgen. The pain was gone. The Rot had ceased to writhe within her in its entirety. She rose gingerly, propping herself up with her good arm, not quite trusting herself to truth. Even then she tensed; expecting another paroxysm of agony to wrack her body. Any moment now she foul fall over, howling in pain.
It never came.
Indeed, she felt...nothing.
Nothing at all, bar the annoying weightlessness on her right side.
Ah, yes. Her arm. Or rather, a lack thereof. The reminder soured Milicent's good mood. It was still gone. Whatever miracle had been wrought upon her tortured flesh wasn't enough to restore that which she had already lost to her own foolishness. Losing a limb was a wrench, but surely she could learn to fight again.
Surely...?
The faint smell of cooked meat rouse her further, tickling her nose.
Rolling over, she found her savior sat upon a log before a small fire, roasting a bit of meat on a stick.
No, she realized. Not a stick. A staff. Forged of darkest midnight, it bore several strange rings hooked into it, rings which clattered softly as their master moved, turning it over the flames like some sort of impromptu spit. As she looked on in quiet curiosity he nodded once and said staff dissolved into a strange black sphere. Bereft of balance, the roast meat was left to drop into his waiting palm, while the eerie sphere vanished completely. Satisfied, the blond ducked his head, took a great hearty bite out of his prize, chewed then swallowed with a pleased noise.
Only then did he notice her.
"Hey!" that winning smile flashed out once more, turning her smile to so many butterflies. "You're finally awake."
Milicent inhaled deeply, trying to puzzle out the meal in his hands. "Is that chicken?"
"Crow, actually." he turned the food over for her inspection. "Those big birdies are nasty and a pain to fight, but they taste pretty good once you purify and cook 'em." he saw the glazed look in her eyes and that merry grin redoubled. "Want some?"
Yes! Very much! She was famished. "I wouldn't wish to impose...
"Who said anything about imposing?" he scoffed. "I'm offerin' this to you."
Her face darkened with shame."No, its not that...
"Ah, I get it." his head bobbed in understanding. "Need some help?"
"I do not-meep!"
Milicent had all of an instant to squeak in surprise, then he was upon her. He knelt and, taking the roast crow deftly between his teeth, swept her clean off her feet. He shouldn't have been able to carry her with one arm like this. Certainly not like some princess. Yet carry her did, cradling her against his chest before plonking her down on the log beside him.
"There we go." he held the meat out to her with a hum. "All sorted. Go on, dig in!"
Face burning, it was all she could do to eat. At least he was kind enough to keep it steady for her.
She sank her teeth into it and bit down ravenously. Wasn't half bad. Bit salty, though. "Have you anything to drink?"
"Yup." He plucked a silver hip flask from his belt and offered it to her. "Here you go. Bottoms up!"
Milicent clasped it between her thighs and held it in place, allowing her to unscrew it with one hand. She sniffed at it delicately unable to place the scent. "What is it?"
"Watered-down booze, I think?" he shrugged his good shoulder. "Bought it off a trader at a shack near here. Hasn't killed me yet, but you might wanna take a few sips before-
In her haste to quench her thirst, Milicent paid him little heed and guzzled it.
Mistakes were made.
"Strong!" She gasped out, coughing harshly.
"Warned ya." He regarded her with a rueful smile. "You get used to it."
Setting the flask down, she thumped her chest and granted him a curious look. "...might I ask your name?"
"Naruto." he cast a glance for the scarlet sky and sighed anew. "Not sure where here is; got smacked out the sky by a giant arrow and fell down here." He paused abruptly and sighed. "Yeah, yeah I hear ya, Kurama. We'll find a way back, just lemme think...
He'd said that name before, but she'd been too drowsy to comprehend it. Now she frowned. "Who or what is a Kurama?"
"He's my pal." Naruto thumbed his chest. "Best biju a boy could ask for."
She blinked owlishly, wondering if her savior was sane after all, or worse, deranged. "Biju...?"
"Do you...not know what a tailed beast is?
Milicent mutely shook her head.
"Here, I'll show ya."
Light burst from his stomach as he spoke. It took shape rapidly, resolving itself into the shape of a large golden fox head, followed by a body, then nine tails, all tethered to the young man's torso. In nearly no time at all, the creature loomed over her, growing large, larger, largest, dwarfing the ruined church itself. The light bled away, revealing him in his crimson glory, red eyes and all. The beast bared its fangs in what might have been a smile, a snarl, or a sneer. Milicent wasn't sure which. She was too busy toppling off her log with a yelp and scrambling backwards like a drunken crab.
Death.
This beast was death.
It dwarfed anything she had ever seen and likely would ever again.
Worse, the behemoth paid her little heed as it stretched. "Finally! You have no idea how dull it was in there...
Bravery quailed deep inside Milicent, whimpering in fear. How did that thing fit inside him?! Its head was larger than her entire body!
"What is that?!"
"This is Kurama." An ember of anxiety etched itself into the whiskered warrior's visage when she didn't respond. "You know, a tailed Beast. Chakra, elemental nations, great shinobi war. Any of that ring a bell?
...it does not."
He gulped. "And this place is...?"
"Caelid." she answered softly. "Of the Lands Between."
"Aaaand I've never heard of either. Damnit." He hung his head, shoulders slumping in another sigh. Blue eyes sought is giant companion. "We're a long way from home, aren't we?"
"Hrrm." the fox rumbled, looking past her toward somethin the distance. "Seems like it."
Milicent quailed in his presence nonetheless. "Could you send your friend away, please? He's rather overwhelming...
Quick as can be, she found herself staring at a massive eye, and her reflection lurking within. Fast. Far faster than anything its size should be. "Are you afraid?"
Very much so! But she daren't say it aloud. Mustn't show fear. Not here. Not now. Not like this. She clamped her jaw shut and stood her ground. She dare not do anything else for fear of provoking the ancient monstrosity before her. It could snap her in half before she had a chance to flee, and while she very much doubted he would allow such, the fear persisted still. There was nothing she could do. She could only meet its gaze and pray that it wasn't hungry. She could not fall here.
She mustn't. No, mustn't falter. Must not look weak...
"Ohhh?" Without warning, the fox smiled. "You have a spine. Good. You get to live."
Just as quickly, he returned from whence he came. Golden light shimmered away, leaving them alone.
Naruto granted her a bemused look as the last of it faded to mere embers. "You made a pretty good impression there...
...was that a good thing?"
A shrug. "Dunno. Kurama ain't fond of most people...
Oh, dear. She'd upset him with her earlier display. Shame curdled within Milicent and her conscience stirred, roused by his plight. "My apologies. I did not intend to cause you distress...
"Don't be." he waved her concerns aside. "Wasn't like you stranded me here, and this ain't the first time I've gotten myself lost." his grin was fragile now, strained, but he smiled still as he thumbed his cheek. "'Sides, my friends were doing alright when I left. Not like its a crisis or anything."
She mustn't leave it like this.
"I beg your forgiveness, regardless." she bowed her head despite his protests. "But I also feel I must thank you. Its just as you said. The rot within me has ceased to writhe." She glanced at the stump of her arm, feeling a bit wistful. "I may not understand it, but all the voices in my mind are...silent. Even the nightmares have abated." a fresh spot of color hit her cheeks and sh ducked her head anew. "I slept like a babe. For that, you have my eternal gratitude."
He perked up. "So you're feeling better, then?"
"I am!" her head bobbed, excitement betraying her for the briefest moment. "Though I can scarcely believe it, I can move as I please. It is all thanks to you. There is no way I could ever truly repay you, but," her hand dipped into the pouch at her side, clutching something she'd almost forgotten. "I would like you to have this, by way of thanks." out came her hand, holding a golden medallion in her palm. "A mere trifle it might be but it would mean the world to me if you were to take it." trembling fingers pushed it at his own. "Consider it a token of my appreciation."
Naruto shook his head. "Don't need it."
"But I-
-need it more than me." he finished, pushing it back her way firmly. "Keep the trinket."
Stubborn boy-no, this wasn't a boy. He was acting every bit a man. "You truly won't take it?"
"Nope!"
She tried to speak, only for her head to bob again, not in a nod, but in exhaustion. She grimaced. Blast it all. Now that she'd had something to eat and drink, she could feel the fatigue creeping back in again, dark shadows lurking at the edge of her vision. T'would seem she was not so fully recovered as she thought. Sleep sounded a tempting prospect, and yet...
.
..
...
She cast a glance his way. "Will you be here when I wake?
Her erstwhile remark earned her a sidelong look. "If that's what ya want."
"Yes. I want." Her face burned, realizing how sordid that must sound. "I mean, please, stay."
A blond brow quirked in mild, if puzzled bemusement. "Thought ya didn't want anything to do with me."
He was teasing her. She could recognize that now. Her words reflected it. "I have...reconsidered. I do not wish to rest alone, not in this cursed place."
"Sleep," then. He sat opposite her, facing the ruined entrance of the church. "Nobody's gettin' in here on my watch."
Milicent yawned. "I shall...hold you to that."
Reluctantly, she closed her eyes and let herself slump against the wall. Sleep was merciful. It came quickly and silently, wrapping her mind in a warm blanket. For once her dreams did not torment her. They were soft and pleasant, reminiscent of gentle clouds enfolding her in their embrace. No nightmares came for her under Naruto's watch.
It was just a simple act of kindness from one wounded soul to another, an act of mercy between two perfect strangers, who would one day be something more. So much more.
So began a grand new adventure for Milicent.
So began the greatest love of her life.
So began a tale of Hope.
A/N: Aaaaand scene.
To be clear! This pairing is exclusively NarutoxMilicent...with possibly Milicent's sisters as well.
Well? Did you like this story? Yes? No? Maybe? Speak out! Make yourselves heard! Your voice matters~!
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? Well...I'll not continue it.
That's no joke.
I'm working two jobs during the holidays so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that.
Next chapter title: Long Live the Queen. *whistles innocently* gee, I wonder who that is...?
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas....Review, Wouldst Thou Kindly?
And have some previews. Some are quite off, but still...
(Previews)
"You're not going to let me out of your sight, are you?"
"Hey! Us cripples have to stick together."
"I just watched you beat three knights. Cripple indeed!"
"Bad dog! Sit!"
Remarkably, the beast obeyed.
Naruto grinned and scratched its chin. "Whose a good boy?"
"MAY CHAOS TAKE THE WORLD?!"
"How about no. I'm taking this world without your chaos."
"Heresy!"
Radahn grunted, sniffed Milicnet once as a dog might, and plodded away.
She winced. "He's...not attacking? Is that a good thing?"
"Sisters?"
"I have four of them."
Naruto whistled despite himself.
"TOGETHA-
A giant golden fist smashed the snake down.
"No! Bad snake! I have had entirely enough of you!"
"Is that...an arm? Wherever did you find such a thing...?"
"What are you doing?!"
"Huh?" he looked back at her. "What's it look like? I'm fixing Caelid."
"Even you cannot-
"See this mark?" he held up his hand revealing a single circle etched within his palm. "It lets me do some pretty incredible things. Now watch!"
He slammed his hand down.
...I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella. And I have never known defeat."
Milicent flinched back despite herself. "Mother...?"
Malenia stalked ehr way. "I have no child."
CLONG!
Clenched knuckles crashed into her helm, leaving a decidedly fist-shaped impression behind. Back she went, landing on her rear. Another kick knocked her flat.
Down she went into the puddle.
Naruto planted a boot onto her bosom, pinned her there, leaned down, and smiled. It was not a nice smile; his was all teeth. "Say that shit about Milicent again. One more time...
R&R~!