A/N: WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
This is the expanded form of "From the Ashes" Its clearly not finished yet, but do let me know what you think.
Once again, Its not done, and very much incomplete, but do let me know what you think.
If folks like it, we'll polish it up and make this a story.
Sorry for the delay. Covid knocked me flat for awhile and devastated my update schedule, to say nothing of the side effects from long covid. I'm still dealing with that more than a month later, though apparently its not life threatening so I have to just "ride it out" according to the docs.
Sometimes, when I look to the future, I 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. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. 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.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes to legends far greater than I.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild, wacky world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine what remains a story and what doesn't. Simple as that.
In other words...the fate of this is up to YOU, the reader. Doooo let me know~!
References to A Most Unlikely Pretender, which, yes, I'm still working on.
Running around updating a lot of categories today.
So in lieu of a long explanation...away we go~!
"If I can just save one person from this hell...
...just one lost little soul...
...that's enough."
~?
Just One Person
In the end, I couldn't save anyone.
Not even one person.
Nobody
Ironic, isn't it? I said I would protect everyone, didn't I? I said that I would beat Kagya. That I would take all of Sasuke's hatred and die with him. I promised, promised, promised so many things. And for what? I tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it didn't even matter.
Sasuke died alright, but not with me.
Kaguya rotted the poor bastard from the inside out.
I still see his death in my dreams. All I have left is his sword.
I said so many things. Made Am I a hypocrite?
She killed Sakura next. Then Kakashi. Followed by Obito.
You resisted me. Your punishment must be more severe. You will live knowing you failed...in exile.
She ripped me out of my world and threw me into another.
I wish I could say this was the end of my story.
This world's even more borked than mine. Monsters everywhere. Civilization is tucked away to four kingdoms and a few outlying settlements, but even those are constantly under threat from Grimm.
They call them...Grimm.
And so I wander, stumbling from town to town, outpost to outpost, trying to make a difference.
Its been three years of this, without end.
Let me make a difference. Please. I beg of you.
Please. If there's a real god out there...
Just One Person.
(.0.0.0.)
The town burned.
Again. He'd been too late again.
Naruto knew it even before he crested the hill and saw the ruins.
It didn't matter how fast you were, how strong you were, or even how smart you were. No man -not Huntsman!- could be everywhere at once. Not even him. They said he shouldn't feel guilty about that. You're doing good out there. Ozpin always said that. Glynda, too. So did Ooobleck and Port, even James when he could wrangle a word out the bastard. He tried to remember their words now. Tried to take solace from the knowledge that no one would blame him for this but himself:
Its alright. Everyone falls. Even us.
Please don't give up. The people of this world need you.
I know what is like to live with loss. Don't let it consume you, Naruto.
Don't fret my boy, you can't be everywhere at once. You're doing good work.
Its not your fault. Why can't you understand that? This! All of this! None of this is your fault.
Sure felt like his fault.
While he'd been off saving one village, this one burned.
He didn't so much walk as he did stumble past the broken gate; no guards challenged them. Their corpses were crushed, their bodies broken. The Grimm had scoured everything clean of life. Burnt bloodstains told a story all their own. There had been a fight here, perhaps even a fire, but he already knew the outcome.
Those only ever ended one way.
Charred buildings awaited him within, ruined and pitted, shattered shells of broken wood and masonry, piles of shattered rubble where some had given way. No signs of life. His heart clenched. He cast a quick glance about and squinting as the wind picked up, creating a mournful cry threading between broken buildings.
"I'm sorry." he spoke the ruins. "If only I'd been quicker...
An angry Beowolf burst from a pile rubble and lunged at him.
Naruto unslung Sasuke's sword without even pausing, swung his good arm once...and sheathed it a heartbeat later. The Grimm barreled past him; only to pause as battered blade clicked back into its scabbard. It tried to turn and face him, but its body buckled and fell apart behind him, carved into dissolving pieces faster than it could comprehend. His feet carried him onward. Nothing else challenge him after that.
Please.
He called out.
Just one person.
No one answered him.
If I can just save one person!
He hollered until he was hoarse and his voice cracked, and still no response.
His shoulders bunched as he stifled a sigh.
"He-Help...
There!
Naruto whirled toward a crumbling home and spied a flash of color half buried amongst the rubble. Blood. Fresh blood. Three quick strides brought him forward. His sword swept out and obliterated the rubble barring his path, annihilating stone and wood with ease. Nothing was cut that he didn't want to cut.
He followed the trail of blood until he finally came to a battered upboard.
Slowly, gently, he knelt, took hold of both handles and eased it open.
It parted with a soft creak, revealing...
.
..
...a child hunched in on herself.
She couldn't be more than five years old.
This silent, sole survivor was a mess, clearly in shock. Not only was she covered in dust, but she was covered in blood, and clearly half-starved. The blood on her back told an ugly story; someone must've tried to protect her. Their absence told a story all her own. His heart clenched at the sight of her. A quick pulse of healing chakra put her to rights but even then she didn't respond.
"What's your name?
(.0.0.0.)
...what's your name?"
She couldn't bring herself to answer.
How long had you been hiding in there? She didn't remember. Minutes? Hours? Days?
It felt like forever.
Forever, since mama hid her in here. Forever since she watched her die through the cracks in the cupboard.
And now someone had come for her.
He looked...tired. But that sword at his hip told her all she needed to know. Something twisted in her chest.
Hunter.
Huntsman.
Powerful, strong, superior.
Do you kill Grimm?
A nod. "I do.
You're huntsman.
In a sense.
Teach me. She grabbed at him. I can't die here!
He drew her close. A faint tremble passed through her tiny body. You can cry if you want.
A pause.
I don't think I can anymore. Could she? She'd cried and cried and cried when the Scorpion and Grimm came, but that didn't change anything now did it? Everyone still died.
Its alright. You don't have to fight.
Anger sparked in her.
I want to! She pushed off his chest to glare up at him. I'll fight whatever I can!
What's your name? he asked her again.
Pyrrha. Her last name didn't matter anymore.
Another pause, now." ...Are the monster's gone?"
...most of them."
Dull green eyes blinked up at him, blank as glass. "Was there anyone else...
He shook his head. Something tore loose in her with an awful crack.
Oh. She could cry after all.
She could hear still that man's laughter. That awful scorpion. Echoing in her mind. Over and over and over.
I'll kill them. She looked up at him and grit her teeth as the tears finally ran over. Each and every last one of them. I won't rest until every single Grimm is dead!
That seemed to sadden her savior somehow. He didn't say a word.
He just stared a ther.
"What do you want from me?!" she threw her emotions at him, overwhelmed. "You don't know anything! You're strong! You haven't lost anything!. If you're not going to help me then leave! She threw rocks and him, pebbles, everything she possibly could. He stood there and weathered it all.
"Leave!"
She flung a pebble a thim.
"Just leave!"
He took it silently.
"I said LEAVE!"
She heard a growl. The Grimm.
They were coming back to finish what they started.
Here at last Pyrrha felt a flickr of fear. She didn't want to die. No, she couldn't die. She absolutely could not die! She couldn't face mama and papa in the afterlife like this! She'd be so sad...!
...I want revenge! I want power! I want...!
Her eyes sparked green.
She had no way of knowing, you see.
The power that was contained within her. The power that sinister scorpion sought and seen her town destroyed.
Her power.
Green eyes erupted into flame; It all rushed out of her in an instant. Heat. Fire. Death. Die! She howled at the horde! All of you just die! And die they did. It wasn't even a contest; dozens of them went up in so much smoke, evaporating as the flames struck them.
And then it was done, her strength was gone, she could barely breathe; air coming in tiny little gasps.
"Please...help me...
Grimm swarmed in.
The blond man knelt, took off his headband and wrapped it around her forehead. Pyrrha didn't know what that meant. It numbed the ache in her chest. A hand tousled her hair, and when she looked up, she saw his smile at last, the smile of a man who had finally saved someone.
"Of course I will."
He stood woodenly.
Of course I will.
Walked a few steps away.
"OF COURSE I WILL!
A pillar of golden light burst from his body to pierce the clouds, revealing the shattered moon far above.
The sword at his side clicked free from his scabbard and sang. That was the only name Pyrrha could think to give the shining steel. All that golden light from him wrapped around the blade as he pivoted and brought it to bear on the approaching horde.
Naruto took a step forward. Raised both arms above his head and brought them down in a single slash.
He brought that pillar of golden light crashing forth, annihilating the rest in a single stroke.
She wanted that.
A bird fluttered down behind him and alighted upon a broken building. You're late, Qrow. In a flicker of feathers it assumed the shape of a scruffy man. Hey, hey. Don't blame my semblance for this. Any survivors. Pyrrha perked up. How did you turn into a bird? Bit of an acquired skill, that. Can you teach me? I wanna be strong.
Oh gods, she sounds like a mini Raven.
A pause. Hmm.
Food sounds like a good idea.
Warm arms drew her upright.
He held her close like Mama used to her. Her mind fizzled a little at that.
Why? Why were his arms so warm? Shouldn't he be cold?
She didn't understand...but a part of her wanted to.
Pyrrha passed out.
A/N: Aaaaaaaaaaand scene.
Clearly, if this becomes a story, it would radically redifine the dynamics of Ruby.
Hope you enjoyed this little tease. Soooo? Should this be a story? Once again! This is an AU.
Hope someone, somewhere, enjoyed this. I just don't know anymore these days. Its terribly hard to tell...
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review...Would You Kindly? Let me know what you think!
Only a few previews this time.
(Previews)
Little Pyrrha took a deep breath...
Closed her eyes...
...and cut.
A mountain crumbled before her.
Naruto clapped. "That's my girl!"
"You wanna sister?"
So you're going to Beacon, then? Be safe. I'm just one call away.
"What's this I hear about you dating a blond boy?"
"Daddy, no.
Daddy yes! Naruto wants details!
EDIT: Hope you enjoyed!
Sorry...T_T