A/N: Double update day, once again! This, and a Genshin story.

As for the nature of this particular shard...well, its because folks asked after the latest chapter of "Witch"

Not sure if I'll ever make this into a true blue story -gotta finish the rest!- but hopefully this satisfies them for now.

Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story, and others. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! Gone. Completely. 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, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.

As ever, I own no references, quotes, memes or themes. Not a wit or a one.

I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.

So here we have a little something that never quite made it past the cutting floor. Hope you enjoy it.

As ever in the words of Kaif...

...SPOILERS!

"Huh. Guess I have a thing for tall girls...who knew?"

~?

Dream a Dream

Rennala woke with a start.

Heart hammering in her chest, a cry on her lips, she bolted upright in bed. A spell spurred to her lips, ready to be unleashed with but a whisper. If anyone sought to strike her now, even in her weakened state, she would slay them in an instant. Naked she may well be, but she was never without her defenses. Her eyes roamed the darkened walls and feared the worse.

No attack came. Not a jot. Slowly, gradually, reality reasserted itself.

The specters of her dreams remained just that, dreams. And what a frightful nigthmare it had been. Dreams of shattering and death, of assasins and black knives in the dark. Abandonment. Watching her children die or fall to madness...of being alone. Forsaken. Forgotten. The world turned against her, leaving her shell of her former self left to waste away without her beloved by her side...nay. She shuddered to even think it.

.

..

..but it was just that. A dream.

A faint kick spurred her belly, jarring her thoughts. It distracted Rennala more than she cared to admit. She took comfort in that, at least.

"Hush, little Ranni." she laid a hand on her full stomach to soothe the babe within. "I'll soon birth thee, but not yet...

Another kick. She found herself gigglign despite herself. Such an impatient child-ah!

Warm hands kneaded her shoulders from behind, another pleasant reminder that she wasn't alone.

Rennala melted into them, luxuriating in the feeling with a sigh. "Beloved, what art thou doing?"

Turning her body she risked a glance for her side. Sure enough, he was awake. Blue eyes blinked back at her from a scarred face, framed by tawny blond hair. His hands didn't cease their ministrations, even as she pulled herself closer to him. His smile was just as pure now as it had been that fateful day, the sun to her moon. She leaned into him with a pleased sigh.

"Helping you relax." he hummed back, pausing beneath her gaze. "Is it working?"

More than she cared to admit. "I can think of something better, my love."

She pushed him down and climbed atop him. He laughed, letting her.

Withn moments, Queen Rennala found herself distracted.

Most distracting indeed.

A/N: Yup. Went there. NarutoxRennala, the latter of whom is pregnant with their first child~!

*cough*Ranni*cough*

And there we have it. Another Request fulfilled.

Do you want this to be a story? Yes? No? Maybe so? Make yourselves heard! Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this particular story, and others.

If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! Gone. Completely. 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, and 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.

And some...some are from other stories of mine, written and some consigned to the void.

Thought I'd branch out, just this once. Weeeell? What say you?

(Previews)

"You wanna play that game? Fine."

Note: Just a plot bunny that never quite left my head. Its fate rests in your hands~!

"Wait, wait, wait. You're both me?! Just how many lands did I land in?!

"I could say the same. Ain't that a bit of a tongue twister?"

"Quiet, you! I don't wanna hear that from an Undead!

"Sorry." the Hunter tilted his hat down to hide his blue eyes, but not the rueful smile tugging at his whiskered cheeks. "Looks like I took the wrong road back there. Don't suppose you have a way back. I really gotta get back to the Doll and Maria...

"Huh." the knight beside him removed his helm, revealing a similar visage. "Those names...are they your Firekeepers?"

"Fire-what-now?" once more the Hunter tilted his head to regard the third, heavily armored member of their party. "...the hell's a Firekeeper? Why are ya wearing all that armor? And you," his head swept back to him, "What's all this talk about Runes and trying to become a Lord? That some sort of Hokage or something?"

"Three of them...oh gods...there's three of them...I must be in heaven...

Milicent looked left. Milicent looked right. Her eyes rolled up in her head and she went out like a light.

Naruto banged his head against a wall. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Where's was Melina when you needed her...?

Naruto paused. Counted on his fingers. "Wait, if I'm marrying Ranni and Rykard's yer dad...?"

Rya perked up, innocent as ever. "I have an uncle?"

Realization dawned. "I have a niece?!"

"They'll all be cursed, every last one of-ack?!"

He looked down, alarmed to five firm fingers wrapped around his throat through his armor.

"Dung Eater, was it? Hello~!"

Those fingers tightened.

...and goodbye."

CRUNCH.

"And who are you, the proud lord said, that I must bow so low?"

His son squirmed into his side, wriggling with anticipation. "What happened next?!"

Naruto hummed, closed the storybook, then ruffled the boy's golden hair. "That's a tale for another time...

Fia hummed softly and wrapped her arms round them both. "Come now, my dear Lord. Don't torment our child. Finish the story."

R&R~!