A/N: Can anyone see this?
Read this note first, would you kindly? Bit of an update and a notice all in one here.
After a long talk with my team, I've decided that I won't be updating anything major until Fanfiction fixes this notification/review problem. Case in point, reviews aren't showing up on site; although the number does go up, they're appearing sporadically in our email clients at best, and sometimes not at all. Rest assured, they ARE there; again, the number does go up, we just can't see them until the site gets fixed. I'm sure they'll all be visible sooner or later.
What does this mean?
It that means a day or two -possibly more- of silence from me an mine mere until they get this glitch worked out. I want to believe it'll be fixed quickly. But hey, look on the bright side. That gives me plenty of time to make and edit longer chapters. That includes Archon and Payback. But until then, I'll have to wait, though it pains me and mine to do so.
Hopefully enough folks use the twitter and support email to get the word out to the admins; with luck, we'll have this fixed soon...hopefully I want to hope.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, memes or themes. Not a wit or a one. They're merely tributes to those far greater than I.
This was something I very nearly wrote as a new story today...but the glitches stopped me.
So, here. You get an abridged version while I wait for the site to be fixed.
Time will tell if this becomes a proper story...or stays in the bin.
"You don't understand. I made a promise to her."
"So you did. Will you keep it?"
...I have to try."
~?
Omen of Change
Morgott considered himself a patient father.
After all he'd seen and done, a single parent raising a baby in a sewer, it had been something of a must.
The boy was special. Of that, there could be no doubt. He even had the horns of an Omen though they were strange and localized to his forehead sticking up like twin spokes between his blond hair. He seemed to find that funny for some reason, occassionally, muttering something about an old man named Hagoromo Ĺtsutsuki. Morgott knew not those names. But he didn't know patience...even if his son was testing it. Sorely testing it indeed...
Once more, his ward stepped forward, determined to seek freedom.
Once more, the father blocked his son's path.
"Outta the way!"
"...no."
Sixteen years of age, and so full of hopes and dreams. He wore a ragged cloak of gold and red, matching nicely with his black trousers, like some castoff prince. He wanted to go above ground, leave the sewers, meet his grandmother, Marikia, and in doing so, change the world. Morgott did not begrudge him that desire. Such was the nature of any living creature, from the greatest god, down to the lowliest of omens. They all had their dreams, the albinaurics, misbegotten, demi-humans, even the sirens, all cast off by the Golden Order.
But the boy wanted to change things too swiftly; rapid change that he could not allow.
...these dreams of yours will all come to naught in the end, my son."
"Maybe." Naruto unsheathed his own sword, a curve blade gleaming red-on-gold in the dim light. "But that's my choice to make, old man! Not yours. We deserve more than this. I won't have us rot down here in the sewer while everyone else lives it up above!
A tiny glimmer of pride sparked in his chest.
Those few Omen around him, male and female alike hearkened to his words with a ragged cheer. Of course they did. They were young. They did not yet know the ways of the world. They wore their horns with pride, each and every one of them willing to fight for the cause. Warriors and mages alike, their courage knew no bounds...because they didn't not understand. The women on his arm certainly didn't. Pah! It was all the fault of that gloam-eyed wench. She had been the first to fill his head with silly dreams, delusions of grandeur, lofty ambitions of arrogance.
The rest had come after, emboldening his son. Too bold, indeed.
Did they not know? Did they not see?
Down here they were safe. Down here, they were protected.
To venture above, as they were now, would surely see them massacred. All the Sewers would be put to the torch.
Surely his son wasn't so strong as to prevent that, no matter what power he might claim to weild.
"Put these foolish ambitions to rest, son." he tapped his cane against the ground. "They will only bring you pain."
Naruto cracked his neck and stepped forward, leaving his companions behind. "There can be no change without pain, nor pain without change."
Foolishness. Utter hubriss. He'd hoped the flame of ambition would at least spare his son, but it was not to be.
"You are set on this path, then?" Sure enough, the boy nodded. "Then you must best me in combat."
Here at last, Naruto hesitated. "Fight you? Dad," he stepped back. "I don't wanna hurt you ...
"You must! Or you shall never be prepared for this world."
He didn't give him time to prepare. He lunged.
The boy parried, gritting his teeth.
An Omen of Change.
A/N: Aaaaand scene. Well? Did you like it? Yay or nay?
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? Sadly, there won't be any previews this time.
I'm getting a little depressed with the state of things in my life lately.
The site glitching is the just the latest in a long domino line.
T_T
R&R~!