A/N: EDIT: I can't tell if folks don't like this story, or if its just the site -web version- breaking to bits. T_T

That's a shame. Already wrote three chapters -was feeling inspired before my allergy attack, but now I'm afraid to post them for fear that they won't be seen.

I suppose that's what I get for trying to venture out of my comfort zone.

...I'm still alive, if only just.

Yesterday was horrible with that allergic reaction and my hospital stay not at all pleasant. I'm home now, but I'm weak and still feel ill. After suffering a near-miss like that, I've decided not to hold back any longer. So...here we go. No regrets! Let it be known that I am very much a ROOKIE in Baldur's Gate a the moment and learning. Have mercy on my soul. I am, at present, writing this going entirely off of walkthrough, given that I don't the means or money to play the game.

Please be merciful.

Site is still bugged to heck and back with notifications/email alerts/chapters vanishing, profiles not loading, and its driving me mad. Almost two weeks of this, with no fix from the admins, and the problem is getting progressively worse. Web version is broken. But hey, the app works right? Only problem is, some of us can't us the app, or don't wish to. That's a lot of people not getting alerts.

Its driving me batty.

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, and stay alive, one word at a time.

Time and feedback-reviews-will determine if this will remains a story. Simple as that.

Title comes from the now infamous Miracle of Sound song for Baldu'rs Gate:

"Whatever Comes Our Way" Give it a listen, if you like.

Its quite catchy!

"A gift can be a blight, and a kind word can be a slight...

~?

A Burning Sensation

Naruto blinked.

He blinked real hard.

...well, this is a bit of a problem."

Perhaps that was something of an understatement, given the perilous predicament in which the young shinobi found himself. He wasn't in any danger mind you, quite the contrary, really. He was perfectly safe; not a hair out of place if one were to ignore his ripped, ruined clothes and aching arms. He just had no idea what was going on. His ears were ringing, his mouth was dry, and he was fairly certain he had a hangover. Which was odd given he didn't recall picking up any sort of sake bottle...

.

..

...nor did he recall stumbling out of the village, legging into the woods and setting up camp in the arse-end-of-nowhere just before sunset.

Then, of course, there was the ever so insignificant matter of the crimson cadavers currently sprawled out at his feet.

Did he mention the dead bodies before now?

Pretty sure he hadn't.

"Aw, jeez...

There were quite a few of them. He could see each all too clearly, even in the wan, flickering light of the campfire. Oddly enough, he didn't remember making one of those. He looked down and frowned; his hands ran red with their blood. Most bore the telltale wounds of the Rasengan and Rasenshuriken, while others looked like Kurama taken a great big bite out their bodies. Others were torn clean in half at the waist and left for the crows. Speaking of foxes and crows...

"Kurama?" he ventured a confused croak into the stillness. "You there?"

No response. He could sense the old fox in his stomach, but he was unconscious, out cold.

Back to the bodies then. He made an attempt to count them now and gave up after he reached five.

Strange as it might seem, he felt no guilt for their demise. No shame. No panic. Only mild curiosity and confusion. Who were these people? Why had they attacked him? He was sure they must have picked a fight first; why else would his clothes be in such a state? Even drunk, he wasn't the sort to kill without provocation or good cause. They must've been some real bad guys for him to kill them...right?

The brush rustled ahead of him. He tensed, reached for his kunai holster, only to realize that was gone, too.

Someone stumbled through.

Naruto froze, as did she.

For she was most certainly a woman, there could be no doubt about that. Her skin was the most scintillating shade of scarlet he'd ever seen, like a full on body blush, inked with all manner of tattoos and scars alike. Yet despite the concern in her golden eyes-or perhaps in spite of it-she stood tall and strong, clad in a strange assortment of dark leathers torn near her bosom, leaving most of her shoulders bare while exposing a faintly glowing chest. He frowned at that last bit before noticing something else. Several somethings, really.

Was that a tail swaying behind her?

And she had horns!

Actual horns!

Well, one horn, really, but still! Semantics. The left curled crazily before jutting out through wild dark hair threaded through with crimson, further framing her long, pointed ears while the right had been broken off near the base of her brow. Said brow furrowed now in confusion at the sight of him, golden eyes squinting warily his way.

Was it the bodies?

Yeeeaaah, might be the bodies.

Wait, was she going to try and kill him, too?

That was mighty big ax on her back and he wanted absolutely no part of it...but he could kill her. It would be easy. He was stronger than her, faster than her. It would be simple. Pivot, get behind, her, grab her by the head and twist-stop. He pushed that unexpected dark urge down and shook his head. Why would he want to do that? She was no threat to him.

"Hey, hey." sure enough, the horned woman raised both hands to show herself harmless...and probably to fend him off if he tried to attack. "Easy there. I'm not exactly itchin' for a fight.

Neither was he! Best to play peacekeeper for now.

"Same," he grunted. "I'd rather not tussle with anyone right now."

"Yeah?" that got a smile from her. "Looks to me like you just had one helluva brawl already. You running from these bastards, too?"

"Maybe?" He scratched the back of his head. "I don't think...I can't remember." There was a great big gap in his mind when he tried to remember where he was or how he'd arrived here; a if he had forgotten something terribly important.

The one-horned woman titled her head and barked out a little laugh.

"Well, shit." She whistled. "Looks like those so-called paladins of Tyr really pissed you off. Shame you didn't get all of 'em, though."

He wrinkled his nose at her. "Paladin-what-now?"

"Well, they're not really paladins." she gave one of the corpses a nudge. "They're posers, this lot. I'm a barbarian. Woulda cut right through 'em." She puffed out her chest, and it almost seemed to glow in the low light as he looked on-no it was glowing, pulsing with every beat. Was that his imagination? "Say, you mind if i frisk 'em?" he words snapped him back and he found her tilting her head his way. "They might have some valuables and I'm fresh out of coin. We can split it fifty-fifty?

What could he say to that?!

"Uh, sure." he beckoned. "Go right ahead."

"Thanks." the horned woman knelt down and set to work; only then did he realize just how snug all that leather was, so much so that it had him looking away even as she spoke. "You're alright." she raised her head and he dared to look at her face and nowhere else. "I'm Karlach. And you are...?

He shrugged. "Naruto.

"Well met, Soldier."

A blond brow rose. "Solider?"

"Sorry, habit." she cracked a rueful grin at him. "Do you not like it?"

This woman...she was too good. Too pure. Shameless, even. He didn't sense an iota of ill intent from her

...its fine. But you don't have a problem with...? He made a rude gesture at the corpses, half expecting her to recoil and shout at any given moment.

"Nah," she scoffed and went back to looting. "Far as I'm concerned, you did me a huge favor, taking this many of 'em out." A pause, and then that dazzling white smile flashed forth once again. "Say, soldier." her tone took on an almost cheery quality, "Now that we're old pals an' all, how would you feel about helping me kill the rest of those evil bastards?

His heat cocked, Naruto frowned. "There's more of em?"

"Yup." Karlach smacked her lips audibly, slipped a few coins into her pouch, then moved onto the next corpse. "A little background, if your moral compass needs something to point at." he couldn't help but notice the fact that was most determindely not looking at him now. "I...ah...fought in the Blood War, you know." the term sailed right over his head, despite the shame in her voice. "I was good at killing demons. Really good. So good, that Zariel, the archdevil herself, made me her personal attack dog.

She must've mistook his silence for acceptance rather than confusion, because she barreled right on.

"I played along and danced to her tune until I could get out of there." the horned woman grunted, tearing a particularly shiny-looking trinket free from another corpse. "Took me ten years to properly escape, but now I'm free. Ever since I got loose, she's sent goon after goon to hunt me down an' drag me back, but believe me when I tell you, I'm not going." here at last, she dared to look him in the eye and he saw the anxiety there, just beneath the jovial facade she'd worked so hard to erect. "The latest yappy little dogs she sicced on me are nearby, posing as Paladin's of Tyr...well, what's left of them," she amended with a rueful look at their corpses. "Wanna help me take 'em down?

.

..

...did he?

Karlach seemed alright, and clearly didn't mean him any harm.

"Fine," he relented. "If they're as bad as you say they are, then someone needs to stop them."

He had no idea about devils or blood wars or hells or anything like that, but he didn't need to know a bad guy to punch 'em.

"Fuck yes!" Karlach laughed again then, a rich throaty sound that set his heart racing. "They cornered me outside the Tollhouse, just up the hill." she jerked her head in a given direction, so he assumed she at least knew the way. "Doubt they've gone far after the scorching I gave 'em...or what you did."

His gaze strayed back to her ax. "You look like you can handle yourself. I'm surprised there's anything left of them at all." It was the friendly ones you had to watch out for. He'd leaned that from experience. Not just the quiet ones, no siree!

"Heh." her grin gained an edge. "You're alright, Soldier. I'd hug you if it wouldn't scorch your skin off."

Curious choice of words, that. As if there were something more to it.

"...you gonna combust or something?"

"Or something alright," Karlach finished filching the last corpse and stood with an irritated grimace. "Might as well be honest with you. There's an infernal engine in my chest. It can get a little...hot sometimes." she must have seen his baffled expression too; because her own wavered. "But don't worry about it! My engine won't be a problem so long as you keep your distance. Honest! I'll get it fixed and then I'll be right as rain, you'll see."

That subject...sounded like something in dire needed unpacking, but there wasn't the time for it.

The sun was even now creeping below the horizon.

Might as well get a move on.

But when turned to do just that, a sudden wave of dizziness assailed him. It struck with neither word nor warning, causing the world to lurch. The sudden spell all but drove him into a tree and brought him to a knee. He clasped his face and shook his head with an irritated noise as his stomach revolted, leaving him feeling vaguely ill. He couldn't fathom why but something was wrong, something was in his head, something was telling him to get up and MOVE before it was too late...

"You alright?"

He turned to find Karlach peering at him, hauling him to his feet.

Was he alright? He couldn't remember. He'd never felt dealt with anything like this before.

...I dunno." as ever, he settled for a shrug and a false smile to hide his simmering fears. "Just feelin' a little under the weather, I guess."

"Look, you seem like a decent sort and you offered to help me." Quicker than he could think, the tall woman scooted over and slung an arm around his quivering shoulder. "Stick with me once this is done, and I'll help you get your problem sorted, eh? You and me against the world." she swept a hand toward the setting sun and laughed. "Whatever comes our way. Sound fun?"

Naruto dared a swift, albeit reluctant nod of his own. Fair enough. Those were good terms. Better than he deserved, really. Maybe he would stick with Karlach for the time being. She'd didn't seem the duplicitous sort and her enthusiasm was proving quite contagious.

But more than that, her words encouraged him.

He clung to them like a lifeline.

Whatever Comes Our Way.

A/N: Aaand scene.

Yes that was a Dark Urge reference near the beginning.

Naruto has no idea what he's stumbled into here, and not all is as it seems.

After all, he's no the only protagonist walking about. Our dear Tav is also walking about...

Pairing might be a single pairing, or might be harem. You decide! Do let me know in your reviews~!

Sooooooooo, do you want this to be a story? Would you like weekly updates? Yes? No? Maybe so? Make yourselves heard!

Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this particular tidbit, and others. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? Well...I'll not be able to continue it! Sad as that may sound, I'm working two jobs -might need a third soon!- so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard!

As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, as such, I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.

Aaaand there we go. As ever, reviews keep me alive. Without them, I cannot write. So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review...Would You Kindly? And have some previews -potential blot bin things- that I'm working on.

References ahoy~! And ideas for new stories. Hopefully this will sate my muse for the time being.

(Previews) Death battle references for the second one. That line was amazing~!

"Can't die, eh? Lets test that theory~!


"Behold the mighty lord Gortash." the crimson fox before him rumbled out a low laugh. "Ruler of no one and nothing. Where is your army? Where are your soldiers? Where is your brilliant scheme now?" it leaned forward, exposing row upon row of wickedly sharp teeth. "So powerful and yet you will die screaming, not because over your plots, or schemes, oh no, but because you hurt one woman. The wrong woman. The woman who has my dear friend's heart. Ohh, the irony.

"What are you?!"

"A warning. What a fool you are." It laughed at him. "And you will die a fool's death. Wake up now, little mouse."

His world went red and he awoke with a furious snarl.

What manner of nightmare was that?!


Pretty sure some of these so-called gods need a good talkin' too...


Tell me more about this engine of yours." he asked as they sat down to eat. "It doesn't sound good.

It isn't, they cut me open and shoved it where my heart should be.


Minthara did not see him until it was too late.

"Hello~!" he dropped from the ceiling. "Mind if I knock you out for a bit?"


"I wish you dead!"

"And I wish you'd shut the hell up, ya noisy bitch...

Vlakith blinked. Hard. "Oh, dear.

Kurama smiled.


Note: Bit of an obscure reference to Jonathan Young's song here. You can thank him for pushing me into Baldur's Gate.

"Devil with a heart of iron? Me?" Karlach scratched the back of her head with a sheepish smile. "I mean it has a nice ring to it and all, I'm flattered really."


"You're just full of witty quips and sarcasm, aren't you? What was your name again? Shade...?

The surly girl scowled at him rising to the bait he'd set all too easily. "Shadowheart."

He clicked his tongue. "Honey, ain't no way in hell that's your real name...


"I've decided." Naruto clamped a hand on Orin's shoulder. "I'm going to fix you."

The changeling sputtered in confusion. "Fix me?!"

"Yup. You clearly need a friend~!

Karlach slapped a hand to her forehead. "Naruto, no."

"Naruto yes!"

R&R~!