A/N: Double update today!
Wow, that...is a lot of feedback.
Papa Knows Best just might become a story at this rate.
But a lot of folks were asking after that Little!Rennala preview, too.
So here we are. A snippet. I'll let feedback and the readers decide its fate.
In other news depression's starting to hit real hard these days. Like a sledgehammer paired with concrete.
Sometimes I wonder why I do anything at all. can't claim to understand what's going wrong with my head anymore.
I don't even know why I'm feeling this way! One moment I'm fine, then my mood craters for a few hours, then I'm back again for a bit, and the cycle repeats. On and on, round the bend, forever and without end! Its rather annoying; as though I've become a prisoner in my own mind sometimes. Sure, what's one more mental problem on the pile. Not like I don't have enough, what with already being this old. Feels like every day is a battle sometimes. Meanwhile, my doctor insists that I'm fine. Take a health walk he says. Go fishing. You'll be fine.
*siiiigh*
Right. Suuuure.
Don't bloody feel fine, doc.
As ever, I own no quotes, references, quotes, themes or memes! They're simply tributes to legends far greater than I.
I'm just an old man who writes as a pastime. I don't make any money doing this, not a single cent.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
This chapter's written from a child's point of view, clearly:
"I never thought I'd be a father. There. I said it.
But I made a promise. I told your mother I'd protect you.
What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut lose and show you just how I mean to do that...
~?
Fireworks
Papa was preparing more fireworks.
Rennala knew he was; she could smell the smoke in the air tonight; there was always smoke when he made them. She knew precisely where to find him at this hour; he was always up on the castle walls with the soldiers, watching the cliffs. That didn't really make much sense to her -why should the Lord Marshal of Raya Lucaria stand watch with the soldiers and spellcasters?- but when she'd asked once he'd told her not to worry about it, so she didn't.
Instead she focused on showing him a manuscript in her little hands.
"Papa! Look what I made!"
The Lord of Raya Lucaria quirked a blond brow at his daughter. "What's this?"
She held up her creation. "A new spell! I made it myself. See? It uses the light of the moon!"
Really, she was rather proud of it. Most five-year-old girls were busy playing with crayons or dollies. Not her. She was smart. Papa always said so. And she was!
A tan hand patted her head. "That's adorable, Rennala. I can't wait to see you use it tomorrow."
She beamed up at him, terribly pleased with herself. "Hmm!"
She'd never really had a mother, or not one she could remember. Father had always bee there, a fixed constant in her live, an immovable pillar for as long as she could remember. He said she had Mother's hair and her face, but sometimes he looked sad when he looked at her. She wondered why that was-
Someone blew a trumpet on the lower wall, distracting her.
Father tutted. "Again?That's the Those Golden Order idiots just don't learn, do they? How many this time?"
One of the men lowered a spyglass. "At least then thousand this time, my lord. There are Fire Giants among them."
"So they're working together, now. I shouldn't be surprised. Sage knows we've embarassed them badly enough." he turned a grin on her. "Ready for some fireworks, little culver?"
Rennala nodded eagerly She loved papa's fireworks. They were the best in the world. "Yes, please! Can you make a reeeaaally big one this time?"
"Alright, then." Papa swept her up onto his shoulders, the better for her to see. "Lets not disappoint."
A grim chuckle arose from the soldiers.
Not so the scholars, but they were rude, so Rennala didn't care.
As she looked on Papa raised a hand and muttered something under his breath.
It ended with one word, her absolute favorte word in all the world:
"Kurama!"
An almighty golden specter materialized over him, larger than the entire Academy itself. She cooed happily at the sight. Watched intently now as the beast crouched forward on all fours, levered a mighty claw upon the southern wall and dragged itself over to face their foes. She always liked watching Uncle Kurama work. He was older and pretended to be scary, but he was actually really nice and shiny-and fluffy, too! She liked when he gave her rides. Maybe he'd give her one later. But right now, before her very eyes, a towering sphere of black light formed in its jaws.
Larger and larger it grew, dwarfing them all, threatening to blot out the very moon itself.
The advancing army saw him tried to scatter, for what good it did them.
That first initial explosion killed hundreds.
The second, third, and fourth Tailed Beast Bombs that followed slaughtered THOUSANDS more.
The land itself was rent as the blast detonated, devastating the land and forming another basin that would one day become a lake. So would the land of Liurnia come to gain its name as Liurnia of the Lakes. The attacking army of the Golden Order was routed once more and the survivors forced into a crushing retreat.
Rennala was too young to understand any that, of course. She was just a child.
For her?
They were pretty fireworks.
That was all she needed to know.
Hmm. Speaking of shiny, pretty things! "Hey, papa?"
Father quirked a bemused blond brow at her as another explosion rocked the moonlit night. "Hmmm?"
Rennala beamed up at him innocent as only a child can be. "If you can make fireworks, can you make me a sister?"
Papa made silly Papa noises. He almost sounded flustered. "Sweetie, it doesn't work that way...
Rennala pouted. "But why noooot~?"
A/N: Rennala, no! It doesn't work that waaaay! Somebody cover the kid's ears!
Aaand we'll cut this here.
Bit of an AU, but I'll set the scene. Naruto got with an as-of-yet unamed woman and Rennala was born. Sadly, her Mother was lost during childbirth, leaving him to raise Rennala alone.
But as we all know the Golden Order is quite intent on taking Raya Lucaria for its own..
...that's likely not going to happen anytime soon.
Hope you enjoyed the little multiverse I'm making.
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? 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, 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?
(Previews)
"Nice sword you've got there." he snapped his fingers. "Mine's bigger."
Radagon balked as Kurama loomed over him, "That's not a sword at all. You promised a fair fight!"
"Dear boy," The Lord of Raya Lucaria tutted at him, "This is fair. This is me, facing you out in the open. I never said I'd hold back."
"Right, that does it! You're grounded for the next decade, young lady!'
Ranni sputtered in sheer disbelief. "I am no child of yours! You cannot ground me!
"Grandpa privileges. Definitely can." he plucked the fragment of Destined Death from her fingers despite her protests. "I'll just be taking this...
"Listen, you little shit...
One step. That was all they saw.
Right before his hand closed around their throat.
...If she doesn't wake up by the time I'm done with your pals...I'll make sure you won't either."
"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear." his right eye blazed with blue balefire. "I SAID SIT."
Maliketh dropped down on his haunches.
"Good boy."
EDIT: Hope this made you smile, and have a great day!
Warm regards,
~Nz.
R&R~!