A/N: Still here, still tired, still writing.

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.

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.

Once more, I own no quotes, references, or memes. Not a wit or a one. NOT! A! THING!

They're all tributes to legends far greater than little 'ol me. Now then..

This will most likely remain a single pairing, but it may become a harem depending on feedback. It'll be a shorter story at that.

We'll clarify again for Naruto and Malenia's sisters since there are a LOT of names going around right now. Nania's really the only OC here. The rest actually exist in the game.

First and foremost we have the adorable Nania and Millicent.

Mary is the eldest, wielding her halo scythe with ease.

Maureen comes second, with a heavy-treespear.

Amy, would be third with her curved swords.

Polyanna is, the youngest, having a dagger.

Now, then! let us continue!

"Heed my words. Parents protect their children.

I have watched a mother walk through hell for her daughters.

I have seen a father climb the highest of heights for the sake of a single son...

And I say unto you, wake not their wroth. Let the scarlet bloom sleep. Let fox slumber.

Leave them in peace. Anger them not. For if you do, if you provoke them...all that you are...SHALL BURN."

~A Warning.

To be Family

Life fell into a strange rhythm soon thereafter.

"Papa!"

Naruto found himself mildly baffled by it all; to have a miracle daughter was one thing, but to suddenly gain another a short time later followed by FOUR MORE soon thereafter, well; even now, a week after the fact, he still didn't rightly know how to deal with it. Neither did Malenia at that; in the end it fell to them to figure it out together. Each lacking experience, they chose to take life day-by-day. For him, he'd taken to writing in a journal-if only to marshal his thoughts.

"Father?"

Not that he was unhappy with these present circumstances mind you! Not at all! He'd always wanted a large family. Just thinking about it made him smile.

"Daaaddyyy!"

Six daughters? Not a problem. He had shadow clones in spades. No one would be neglected.

"Is he ignoring us? I think he's ignoring us...

Neither would other members of the Family. It was his turn to watch over Miquella's cocoon today, and while he'd admittedly not done a very good job of the latter, nothing had changed on that front as of yet. Malenia's twin still hadn't been reborn, his cocoon still shimmered a faint gold, and they were still waiting for some semblance of a response. He knew Miquella was in there somewhere, he could sense his spirit, but his body was changing. Growing. Becoming something...else. He wasn't right sure what the Empyrean would look like when he emerged, but it would be soon, surely.

"Pa~pa~! Stop writing already! Don't ignore us~!"

"Ignore what now-oomph?!" Naruto grunted as someone -several someones!- slammed into his back, forcing him to double over his journal shut or risk dropping it into the puddle at his feet. He thanked his lucky stars he was already sitting; else they might've bowled him down there and there. "Greedy girls!" He laughed without rancor. "Tap my shoulder next time, would ya?!"

Mary and Maureen grinned and nuzzled closer, as did Millicent, even if she looked a little embarrassed at having being dragged into their antics.

"You said you would train us this afternoon." the former -Maureen!- found her voice first. "Its well past noon. You didn't forget, did you?"

"Hmm?" He blinked and looked up. The light in the grove had dimmed considerably. "Is it already that late...?"

Millicent granted him a small, shy smile. "We did try to rouse you fa-sir." she corrected quickly, "But you were very focused."

Always so serious. She still wouldn't call him Father. Unsurprising. She'd need a bit of time before she came around. Hopefully they'd be able to work on that in the coming

Mary took hold of his left arms and Maureen, his right. Together they all but dragged him up...or perhaps that was their intention, until neither released him. A deadlock was inevitable.

Maureen glared at Mary. "You let go first."

The eldest huffed. "I shall when you do, sister of mine."

Millicent palmed her face and heaved a sigh of her own. "Why must you be this way...

A bead of sweat ran down Naruto's brow. Yeah, that about summed it up. Clingy girls! He couldn't help but laugh a little as they tugged him back and forth. He didn't much mind it; Millicent aside, Mary and the others had never been shown much in the way of affection. They had lived loveless lives; for it to be so readily available to them now...they simply couldn't help themselves. Ergo, they got greedy.

"That's enough, you two." he lifted his arms, hoisting them upright and off their feet. When they didn't leave go he glowered at them. "Mary! Maureen! You have until the count of three...!"

They winced and released him at once, looking as though they expected him to strike them.

Worrying. A thought occurred to him as he contemplated it. "Come to think of it, who was it that sent you here in the first place."

"Sage Gowry." Mary answered dutifully. "He dragged us out of the swamp. Told us it was our duty. Our destiny. And so we followed the call."

His sixth sense tingled. It was his only warning.

"Well, well. Gowry...that names sounds vaguely familiar." Malenia strode into the chamber, a sleeping Nania nestled snugly in her arms. Even so the goddess managed to look absolutely smug as she leaned into his side. "We already have business in Caelid, do we not? This is but another reason to rush there posthaste."

She was still on about that, even now? Naruto blew out a breath. "Malenia, no. We talked about this."

"Indeed we did. Which is precisely why we're going." Why was she being so stubborn?! "I said I must make amends, and I intend to. Not only to Radahn, but to Caelid as a whole."

He pivoted to face her fully. "Don't make me call Loretta."

"You cannot." she tossed her head flicking her long scarlet hair over one shoulder. "She's quite occupied with Polyanna and Amy up in Elphael. I very much doubt she can hear you."

...well, she wasn't wrong there. The Knight of the Haligtree had warmed quite quickly to Malenia's "daughters" and proven all too eager to take them under her wing. Bit of a shame, that; he could've used her help swaying Malenia right now. He could see the determination gleaming in her golden eyes, the faint lift of her chin, the defiant pout she wore. She was going to be stubborn about this, he just knew it.

Blast it all. He just wanted to relax a little longer; hold onto these happy moments while he could. Was that so wrong?

Nania startled awake in Malenia's arms with a yelp, a pained cry so poignant that it tore at Naruto's heartstrings.

"It hurts!" Her words were spoken with such shock and pain that all eyes turned toward her.

"They're burning me!" the little girl gasped and curled inward against her mother's breast, clutching at herself, "They're burning the tree! It hurts! Make it stop!"

All thoughts of arguing fell to the wayside. He laid a golden hand on her head and channeled some chakra there until her cries quieted. She fell back into fitful slumber, whimpering softly. Distantly he became aware of the world around them; of Polyanna and Amy barreling down the stairs with Loretta and hollering about intruders, an army outside. It all sounded so far away.

"Shh, shh." he cooed softly. "You're okay. Just sleep. This'll all be over when you wake up...

Nania whimpered. "Hurts...

"I know." he kissed her forehead. He took her into his arms and handled her off to Millicent. "I'll be right back.

"Naruto, no." Malenia saw his face palmed her own. "Whatever you're thinking, don't do it. We must consider this rationally-

"Naruto, yes." he stood stiffly, eyes blazing with intent, and she knew any chance of arguing with him was long lost. "Naruto smash..."


(.0.0.0.)


They really were under attack.

A might army advanced upon the gates of Elphael in lockstep. Their boots shook the very earth. He could see them marching from the parapet; knights, trolls, trebuchets and other contraptions that didn't concern him. What DID concern him were their numbers. Counting them proved an exercise in were being teleported in as he looked on, appearing in a rush of golden light as though someone or something were summoning from far away. He counted dozens, hundreds, thousands of them.

Yet for all those who advances, some lingered. These were armed with torches, trying and failing to set fire unto the sturdy golden roots of the newborn Erdrtree, yet harming it all the same.

For a moment, he could've sworn he heard Nania whimper, despite the distance between them.

Kurama rumbled a growl. "Sounds like scorched earth to me."

Naruto's world went red. "Scorched earth it is."

Wind rose around him.

His body blazed gold even as his hands opened. Chakra keened within each of his palms, taking familiar destructive shapes. He spun and unleashed them, hurtling a pair of Rasenshuriken into the seething mass below. He couldn't possibly miss. Not at this range. Not with so much fodder below them. Now when he could sense their ill intent. Not satisfied with two, he loosed another pair. Two became four. Six now. Dozens died in an instant, obliterated before they even realized his peril.

The sudden barrage and the screams that followed brought the army to a grinding halt.

He took the chance to shout down into the silence that followed "Burn one more root and I'll burn all of you! ALIVE!"

A cloaked figure, larger than the rest, detached itself from the army and stomped forward, cane in hand. He glimpsed a grisly horned head and a twisted tail; one that lashed the ground angrily as he looked on, sweeping a goodly number of unlucky soldiers out of his path.

"Foul usurper!" The man's unfamiliar voice brayed up at him in return. "Cease this foolishness! Yield and open the gate if you wish to live!"

"The only fool I see here is you, Morgott." Malenia stepped up beside him, wearing her battle armor once more. "Truly you are mad to strike at us here. How did you even find this place?

The horned man recoiled. "And so the witch shows herself at last."

Naruto glanced at her, not quite comprehending. "Morgott?"

She grimaced. "The brother of Mohg."

"Oh." he winced in return, anger cooling for a moment. "The guy we killed. He was the lunatic holding Miquella captive, right?"

"Indeed he was," Malenia thumbed her chin, "Morgott is mad in his own way however; slavishly devoting himself to the Greater Will and the Golden Order as a whole, though both have been silent until now. Still, I can't help but wonder; what does he hope to gain from this? Vengeance? A chance for redemption? Or does he simply wish to remove our fledgling Erdtree from the world? I cannot say."

Below them, Morgott found his voice. "Surrender the god-child at once!"

...so that's his aim." Malenia absolutely hissed, a rare sound she seldom made. "I will not give up our girls."

Our. The way she said it sent a pleasant little thrill through him. Inexperienced in romance though she might be -as was he!- and fledgling though their relationship was,there could be no denying the joy those words brought him. He wanted to hear them again. Over and over again. For the rest of his days.

"He threatens our family." Malenia looked to him, awaiting his response. "How shall we answer?"

A trebuchet barked and ball of flame hurtled their way. Naruto gave it all the respect it was due; namely, none. He casually flung a rasenshuriken at it, blasting it clear out the sky. Fiery sparks rained down upon Morgott's army from on high, like so many dying fireworks, casting the world in baleful red glow. Knights cried out and shrank back, burning beneath the scalding hail.

"That answer your question?"

Malenia looked at him with half-lidded eyes. Her lips parted to speak-

"Enough!" Perhaps sensing the momentum slipping away from him, Morgott barked out below them once more. "You will burn that blasphemous Erdtree to the ground and the child with it, or you shall die. You have no other recourse! No hope! An army stands against you!"

"An army? Piss on that!" Naruto shouted back from the parapet. "We have a Kurama! Your argument is invalid!"

There was a pause as they considered his threat."...what in the Greater Will's name is a Kurama?"

A golden hand rose. "Take one step forward and you'll find out!"

Morgott scoffed and crossed the line. Nothing happened.

"I see naught but empty air!"

A rush of black light -could light be black?- burst past the castle walls, raced over his head, and detonated, annihilating a score of knights and trolls. Then another. Another now. Hellfire rained down on the battlefield, turning the plains into a killing ground, Head aching, ears ringing from the blast, Morgott fell to his hands and knees.

When next it returned, the usurper's voice was smug...and far too close. "We'll accept your surrender now~!

The Omen King bridled and climbed to his feet, temper roused. "Never! I shall not yield!

"Is that so?" Golden danced in his peripheral vision. Thoughtlessly, he looked down.

Every single drop of blood drained from Morgott's pallid, horned visage.

Naruto looked back with a grim smile. Much to his horror, Malenia stood with him. "Then this shall be your grave, brother of mine."

Together, they swung upward with all their might.

Clenched knuckles barreled into his face.

And then there was pain.

A/N: BATTLE NEXT CHAPTER.

You're about to see Naruto and Malenia unleashed. Will Morgott survive? Suppose that's the question."

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Writing this really wore me out.

Well? Should this remain a story? Yay or nay, what say you? Not much else to say this time 'round. Reviews keep me writing, and without them, my inspiration falls flat. Ever bit of feedback helps. Pain hurts. Pain hurts a loooot. But silence from readers and reviewers? That hurts even more. As ever, reviews keep this old man alive during these dark and crazy times. I ain't joking.

Seriously, we're all locked away anyways these days, feedback is all that sustains me.

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

May the make you smile~!

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

Read at your own risk!

Mostly the same here. Didn't want to spoil the next arc.

(Previews)

Morgott had never thought to face Malenia in combat.

He regretted it now. Oh yes, he did.

By the gods did he regret it.


Isn't it remarkable? One can have all the power in the world, and yet a single act of kindness undoes it all.

There's irony to be had in that, I suppose. Now, onward they tread.

Over Fallen Leaves.

"Mama! Miquella's awake!"

Malenia all but vaulted the steps, taking them three at a time to reach her brother's cocoon.

Someone stood before it, tall and slender, their back to her. Perhaps that was a mercy; because they were naked as a newborn. But no newborn was this. She recognized that golden-white hair, but little else. Her mind all but fizzled at the sight of what should have been her brother...and yet Miquella was not as she knew. What on earth was that body?!

"Brother...?"

The stranger turned to face her fully, revealing golden eyes and a small smile. "Good morning, sister."

Malenia absolutely choked. Behind her, Naruto took one look at Miquella and fell over laughing.

Nania clapped her hands. "Pretty!"


...to what do I owe this visit, Sister?"

Ranni raised her hands. "I would have words with you."

"Bold words, coming from the witch who begot this madness in the first place." She clicked her tongue. "Oh, yes. I know about the night of Black Knives. You were its architect...

Ranni's gaze cooled. "Then you know of what I am capable. I would ask you to stay out of my way."

"You come here, into my home, and threaten me?"

"Not a threat, sister. A warning. I wish no more death between us. Has there not been enough?"


Radahn raised his head, swords in hand, to loom over them.

"Oh, bugger, you didn't say he was that big...

All hell broke loose.


"WARRIOR!"

"Oi, oi, oi! Its too damn early for this!


Malenia took a deep, shuddering breath.

Then she rounded on Naruto.

He balked. "Uh-oh."

She stepped in and drove her lips against his with furious passion, all but crushing him against the bed. Her bosom pressed into his chest. Wings bloomed behind her back, sending rotten butterflies flitting through the air in a storm of noise. She paid them no heed; there was no need, because he was holding her, returning her affection with slow, gentle sincerity. It was too much. She lost herself.

A hand flitted out, tearing his shirt away...

EDIT: Hey, you made it! Thanks for reading!

Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story, and others. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? Well, it won't be continued. 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.

Looking forward to hearing from you all when I get back from work~!

R&R~!