A/N: *coughs* still sick...

My health hasn't been the best lately either, sorry about that.

First and foremost, this fragment is inspired by Arcs Foster Future by TexanMagnus. Coeur has recommended it to many in his last update, now so shall I. Its a sweet little slice of life story and absolutely ADORABLE. Needless to say, I felt compelled to throw my hat into the arena, and try my own hand at it, as it were.

Only thing stopping me is a good title. I just can't seem to think of one...

I also had an odd request the other day, someone asked me to take Twyin Lannister (adult) and put him RWBY. I'm mentioning it everything I post, to see what folks think of it it, even if I'm trying to resist that idea. It would be entertaining...hell, I could see him taking over the SDC before Jacques ever got his mitts on it. What would that made it? LDC? Hmm...

No, no, no, mustn't be tempted...

As my fifteen year anniversary on this site draws near, 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. The recent earthquake in Turkey/Syria serves as a terrible example. 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.

This is a rough draft. Time and feedback will determine if this becomes a story.

In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!

"Ain't nothing wrong with running an orphanage. Way I see it, I'm suited to it."

"You could LITERALLY conquer the world!"

Could, but don't wanna~!"

~A grandfather.

Home of Broken Dreams

Her house was on fire.

It was a very pretty fire, the girl though absently. Bright and pretty. It kept her warm against the chill of the night. She didn't know who had started it. But it was pretty. She had to keep telling herself that; because if she didn't then she would break, and if she broke she would start crying. Crying would bring the monsters back.

So she didn't cry. Not even a little She bit her lip and warbled once, even as her eyes began to burn, but she did not cry.

Only five years old and she dare not cry. Because the monsters would hear her. If they heard her, they would find her. Kill her. Mummy and Daddy were already dead. They were in there, burning with the one they'd killed. But a lantern had broke in the fight and the house went up. No one would come to put out the flames. Theirs was a small home; they lived out past the walls of Vale. It would burn and burn and burn until only ashes remained.

Just like her.

The girl hiccuped a little and clamped her hands over her mouth. She'd made a noise!

A Grimm paused outside the bush. Sniffed, now. Its face was so close...

Closer it came, leaning into the brush. It had her scent now. Slavering jaws parted.

'Please don't let them see me!' she prayed to the brother gods, begging for rescue. 'Please, please don't see me!"

The gods must've heard her; because a golden comet fell out of the sky and squashed its skull flat. It wouldn't be seeing much of anything now. The other Beowolves cried out in surprise, only to die a moment later as that shining star changed course and struck them, smashing them apart. Stars weren't supposed to move like that, were they...? But this one did, all gold and black and out of whack, it blasted through the beasts until nothing remained.

Quite suddenly the sounds of dying Grimm ceased, leaving her in silence.

Footsteps, now.

Boots stopped before her bush. "You can come out, now. They're gone."

The girl scrambled out of her bush, wincing a little as she scraped her elbows.

She found herself staring up at at a man glowing gold and black, but now that light faded to reveal the warrior within. He wore tattered black pants and a worn orange turtleneck, over which he'd flung a long blue jacket. It made him look ridiculous, but in a silly, not-dangerous way. She looked high and saw whiskered cheeks with the beginnings of a beard, blue eyes and long tawny blond hair bound back in warrior wolf's tail, like he didn't know what to do with it. It looked even sillier than his clothes. Under any other circumstance she might've laughed.

A little girl was sitting on his shoulder, maybe two years older than her. Her hair was long and pure, white as the driven snow, and her eyes like ice. A small saber danged at her hip. She looked like she knew how to use it too, so why was she sitting on his shoulder? Had she been riding him?

"Another one?" she heard him mutter. "I swear, orphans are just falling out of trees these days...what's your name kiddo?

She saw her reflection in those bright blue orbs.

Her eyes burned with golden flame.

And so she answered. "Amber."

"Amber, eh?" he smiled, just like daddy used to when she was being silly. "That's a pretty name. Where are you parents?"

She pointed toward the burning cottage. She couldn't bring herself to say the words. That would make it real.

...I see." The man winced. "You can come with me and little Winter, then. Would you like that?"

Amber nodded tremulously. She didn't want to stay here.

Winter sighed. "Well, I suppose you're right, sir. We can't leave her here."

"Would it kill you to call me papa? Or at least Naruto? C'mon!"

"...sorry sir."

"Oi, missy, I plucked you out of that snowdrift back in Atlas. You could be nicer...

Winter bit her lip and flushed. "...sorry, sir."

"Grumpy girl." he turned to her with a smile. "Don't mind her. She's been like this since I found her. Pretty sure its a coping mechanism. Anyway," he offered his hand. "Lets see about putting out that fire. Then we can lay your folks to rest. How does that sound?"

Amber blinked. "You'd...bury them?"

"Of course I would. Its the least I can do."

It was too much. Amber couldn't bear it any longer.

She all but leaped into Naruto's arms.

And she bawled.

A/N: Gotta adopt 'em all!

Hoped you enjoyed this!

Its heavily implied that Naruto's everyone's grandfather in this story, aka Nicholas Schnee.

Strangely enough, it fits when you look into Nicholas' backstory. They're a lot alike.

Aaaand there we go. Hope you enjoyed it.

Soooo? Should this be a story? Once again! This is an AU.

Hoe someone, somewhere, enjoyed this. I just don't know anymore these days.

So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review...Would You Kindly?

Have some previews. They're for random little things I'm working on.

Hope you enjoy 'e~!

(Previews!)

"P-Please...I'm so cold...

"Jacques Schnee?"

"Yes," he turned, "Who's asking?"

A knife forged from purest shadow set itself to his throat. His eyes widened. He tried to speak...for what good it did him. Cold steel slashed across skin. Blood spurted and he fell, gurgling, bleeding all over the carpet. All the world grew dim around him. He felt the blade touch his n

"A man who pays his debts."

R&R~!