A/N: As ever, the Embers Rule Persists; if folks don't like this; poof, gone, to the void it goes. Poof! Gone! Deleted forever.
Would you rather this be a story? Yay? Nay? Really need to hear back from you.
By all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard!
Well, the doctor's ordered me to a full day of bed rest to let my back recover, and I'm going MAD. As for this, Consider this a fragment of...something I'm working on for a friend. Might just send the rest to him rather than post it here. He's fine with it, so I figured why not?
This isn't the first chapter of course, more like the thirtieth, for example.
So!
Here we are, a little something to tide you over until "Partners in Crime" is updated tomorrow. That chapter's getting mighty long in the tooth...
And yes, you may get that "Weapon Masters of Remnant" as a story. Still a big if for now. That said it seems folks aren't fond of these fragments. Maybe I should just stop... That, or just lengthen them into actual stories. I don't know anymore...
To clarify, this follows the idea of Ozpin having Naruto in his head...with all the power that entails.
Yes. All the power. Ironically, this was mean to be a more humorous story...
As ever I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. Not a wit or one.
This story has quite a large pairing, funny as that sounds...
Time will tell if that part ever sees the light of day.
"There are many types of monsters that scare me.
Monsters who cause trouble without showing themselves, monsters who abduct children, monsters who devour dreams, monsters who suck blood... and then, monsters who tell nothing but lies. Lying monsters are a real nuisance: They are much more cunning than others. They pose as humans even though they have no understanding of the human heart; they eat even though they've never experienced hunger; they study even though they have no interest in academics; they seek friendship even though they do not know how to love.
If I were to encounter such monsters, I would likely be eaten by them... because in truth, I am that monster."
~A Wise Man.
Switch
They say a man can't outrun his past.
Some try, of course. Such is the nature of humanity. They always try, and try and...try. Some embrace their past. Some choose to leave it behind. Some actually manage to get out, then you got out, lying to themselves that their past has no sway over the future. You cant outrun who you are, anymore than you can outrun your past. Embrace who you are. Own it.
And if you don't?
Your past follows you.
It stalks you. Clings to you, infecting everything you love...
(.0.0.0.)
"Well. This is hardly ideal."
"I'll say." Naruto frowned down at his hands, grimaced when he realized he was missing one, and pushed himself upright. "You said you had it handled."
Ozpin grumbled something in his head that sounded vaguely like a curse.
"Really?" the sage sighed. "You're sulking? Now? Of all times?"
"To be fair, I thought I had it under control. That girl...Cinder...she acclimated to the power far too quickly. "How was I to know she would be that strong?"
"Excuses, excuses. This is what you get for not switching with me when I asked...
...fair enough.
Another tremor shook the vault, flinging a wave of dust upon them.
"If you must blame someone, blame Salem." Bits of glass and ruined masonry tumbled off his back as he climbed to his feet. "I'm not as strong as I once was. As you well know."
"Hrmmph."
Old eyes flashed blue for a moment.
He found their severed hand on the floor, slightly cooked, and retrieved it. From there it was a simple matter to reattach it to his mangled wrist. In a matter of moments his fingers began to twitch. Ten seconds later it had sealed itself to his arm once more. Burnt digits formed a fist. Good. Better to reattach a limb than grow one from scratch. He didn't have weeks to spare.
He touched a hand to Amber's chest. Freshly dead. Easily rectified. He healed the gaping wound in her chest and went to work on her heart.
"Don't." Ozpin cautioned. "We have little enough life left as it is. Saving her accomplishes nothing."
"Screw you. Doing it."
A faint pulse of gold traveled from his hand into her chest. She jolted once with a faint gasp, though her eyes didn't open. She would wake soon enough; moreover, she would be safe fro down here until he came to collect her. With her powers gone, she was in no shape to fend off Grimm.
Best leave that task to Raven and Summer. Qrow and Tai were up there, too. They'd defend the campus as best they could.
Limping forward on a sprained ankle, he stumbled toward the elevator. He found his cane as he went and snatched it up, leaning upon it heavily.
"You know, sometimes I really regret that deal we made."
"You had your son, I had my wife." he heard him chortle softly. "Believe me, you had a far better deal. Many a man has been rewarded for his misdeeds. Which is why the gods took you from your world...and unleashed you upon me."
"Stuck me in your head, more like."
"I did not ask for this, either. This life follows you. It clings to you. Infecting everyone who comes close to you. We are cursed you and I."
...On that we agree."
Ozpin took control and assessed the ruined elevator with a put upon sigh.
"Would you mind? I'm afraid I'm rather exhausted at the moment."
Naruto sighed. "No problem."
His skin shimmered gold, his tattered suit burning with black markings. He gathered his legs beneath him, body coiling as one might expect of a spring. Those once gentle blue eyes burned a baleful shade of crimson as his pupils became slitted, rather resembling that of a singularly flat line with a spoke driven through the center.
Then he leaped.
They weren't so easy to kill these days.
A fact Cinder Fall would soon learn firsthand. Maiden or not.
His feet hit the wall and he forced Ozpin's broken body run up it, to do what it shouldn't be able to do. Aura wasn't the same as chakra; in that neither meshed well. They never would. But it served its purposes well enough. His shoes smoldered away beneath the sheer friction of what he was doing; leaving his feet coated in aura. Even then the heat still smoldered through his feet. The world blurred, his eyes tearing up as he ran fast, faster, fastest...!
They caught Cinder midway up the lift.
She was flying of course, showing off her new powers; blind to all else as she rushed to her destination.
She never saw him coming.
With a soundless snarl and a vicious kick, he launched himself off the wall, leaping up to grab her. A hand closed around her ankle. Her gaze snapped down, burning golden eyes wide. A look of pure terror flitted across her visage mere moments before he pulled her down and yanked, gripping her by the throat with both hands. She latched onto his face with her left, burning him, even as she struggled to keep herself aloft with the right.
"You?! But I killed you!"
He grinned at her. "I got better.
A snarl tore between them. "You insolent wretch! I'll KILL YOU-
His right hand whipped around at speed, clutching a Rasengan around clawed fingers. Cinder saw it and flared her aura. It didn't save her. He heard three ribs crack even two more shattered entirely. She doubled around the blow for all of an instant. Then momentum caught up with her and the jutsu sent her slamming outside the tower.
Naruto gathered himself up and leaped out into the madness after her..
"Don't go dying on me, now! We're just getting started!"
And the battle raged anew
A/N: As ever, the Embers Rule Persists; if folks don't like this; poof, gone, to the void it goes. Poof! Gone! Deleted forever.
Would you rather this be a story? Yay? Nay? By all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard! Still, Hope this made you smile. I'm in a bit of a funk at the moment. As stated, the my doctor's ordered me to a full day of bed rest and I'm going MAD. Hearing from you guys and gals would make my day a lot better...
So In The Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review, Would You Kindly? It keeps us all alive.
No previews or potential ideas this time. Not writing 'em unless folks want to see them.
See you all tomorrow, I guess. I think I need to rest...
R&R~!