A/N: Why is this year going by so fast?!
We're already in February, oi!
As ever, the Embers rule persists. If folks don't like this? Poof! Gone! To the void it goes. So by all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard! Your reviews matter! Really, they do! That's no joke. I don't have days off anymore -two jobs will do that to you- and I'm working myself to the bone.
Now, lets have your questions!
Q: We gonna get that Summer scene anytime soon?
A: Careful what you wish for...
Q: Baby Weiss! Now! We demand it!
A: Hold your horses governor, I'm getting to that...
Q: Update schedule?
A: Bit of a surprise this time. I'm spreading the love around, as it were. Still, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
Q: Has Naruto gone insane?
A: No. Its not that simple. Jacques left Naruto in a no-win situation. Let him go, and he'd be a constant menace, one both with the resources, means and methods to harass him and his newfound family indefinitely.
Of course, killing a defenseless man breaks his code...something he wasn't happy about.
But Willow will be~!
Q: Ren better be born soon, or he'll miss out on Beacon!
A: Rest assured, Ren's coming...as are Melanie and Miltia Malachite.
That's all I'll say on the matter.
As stated, Yang is only a few months old at this point in the story. Likewise, Weiss was only just born. Needless to say, Ruby isn't quite here yet.
Q: When will we get to Beacon?!
A: Oi! I can't just jump straight to Volume One. Not possible. Rest assured, timeskips are a-coming, but nothing that big, not yet.
Q: I wanted to ask about the pairing. Now that Raven's conscious, I assume things are going to speed up, no?
A: Naruto hasn't had TIME for romance until this point, he's been running from one disaster to the next. Now? Now he has breathing room, brief though it may be. A more rational soul would take a step back to plan his next move. But have we ever known Naruto to be rational? He's the sort that wants to "save everyone in front of him" and as we've seen, it takes a great deal to push him to kill. Or...at least it did. Until Jacques. Time will tell if he crosses that line again.
Alright, I think I've kept you waiting long enough.
As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes or memes. Not a wit or one!
Now then, hold onto your hats ladies and gentlemen, because heeeeeere we go!
This chapter really gets deep into the intrigue here; because make no mistake, things have changed...
"Go back? From this? Ha! That's rich. You've changed things, whiskers, there is no going back. But you've caught my attention.
Who will you become, now that you've taken a life? Will you continue to kill? Restrain yourself? Or perhaps...
Well? Do you even know the answer, Naruto?
~Raven.
Spoil the Girls
She'd finally found her trail.
After searching for what felt like an eternity, Summer Rose had managed to track Raven Branwen down. It hadn't been quick, and it certainly hadn't been easy. Even now shefought down a snarl as she stalked forward through the thicket. A branch swung back and slapped her in the face. The huntress sputtered, slapped it aside, and marched on. Anger kept her going. It helped her press on; to persevere, just as she'd through Grimm and foul weather, through anyone and anything foolish enough to bar her path.
She was strong! She was mighty! She would not be stopped!
"Gah!" a yelp tore out of her as her hood snagged on a scraggly branch. "Again?!"
Alright, maybe a white cloak wasn't the best choice to wear. It kept getting caught on everything!
Thrashing her way free, she stumbled out into a clearing and paused to get her bearings. There. Smoke on the horizon. It had to be Raven's Tribe. Couldn't be anything else out here in the boonies. There had been rumors of bandits in the months ago; a slim lead, but it was all she had to to track Raven down. Now it seemed her hard work was finally paying off. Her goal was in sight.
Her conscience stabbed at her. 'This would've been so much easier if we'd brought Qrow and Tai along...
Summer smothered that thought a heartbeat later. No. Absolutely not. Had to be her. Alone. Someone else might've gotten it wrong. Qrow was too unstable, wracked by drunken grief. Taiyang...no. The less said there, the better. She'd taken Qrow's niece, but Yang was Tai's daughter. His baby girl. If he ever saw Raven again without Yang...
.
..
...he just might kill her.
But none of that mattered now. Because she was on the case! She'd kick her flighty arse before the entire tribe if that was what it took! Bad birdie! Very bad birdie! She'd beat her down and drag her back. It was too much to hope things would be as they were before, but she would see it done way or another, Team STRQ would be whole again.
"When I get my hands on her I will tan...her...hide...?"
Summer trailed off as she rounded the bend.
Mission accomplished. She found the Tribe, but not at all as she'd thought it to be. From what little Raven revealed she'd expected a sea of tents, a horde of raucous thugs, each a body she'd have to fight through in order to rescue Yang. She disliked the idea of killing people -much less unleashing her Semblance on them!- but it was for her niece, then she'd gladly bloody her hands.
Such a tribe was nowhere to be seen.
In place of what had once been a mighty fortress she found a broken gate and a ruined palisade...each of which bore the telltale claw marks she knew all too well. Smoke billowed out beyond it, weak and faint, not at all from a campfire.
Dread seized Summer heart in an icy fist. She slammed forward.
No.
Within, it was worse. Only ashes and ruined bodies remained. Vultures picked over the remains, uncaring of her proximity.
No, no.
And there, in the center, where the main tent should have been...nothing but burnt rags, broken timbers, and...and...!
No, no, no!
She stumbled forward on numb legs. Her eyes took in the scene, trembling fingers peeling away the rubble.
There was a broken cradle among them, pitted and scorched by flames.
Summer fell to her knees with a wail.
(.0.0.0.)
Willow looked smug.
Aglow with brimming vitality; practically preening she was, and Naruto knew why. Frankly he didn't know how she pulled it off. Laid back in a hospital bed in little more than a nursing gown, and yet still she managed to look so very alive. Brow beaded with sweat, pale hair freed from her braid to cascade free 'round her shoulders, a tiny squirming bundle of pink nestled in her arms, wrapped in swaddling cloth. And yet for all that she'd never looked more alive.
A testament to her spirit he supposed; she'd been in labor for nearly a day. If she was looking this lively now, it meant she was well on her way to recovering.
"I hear you." she didn't look up; oh no, she only had eyes for her newborn daughter. "Won't you come in?"
Kurama barked a laugh in his head. "Sharp ears on this one."
Naruto blew out a breath and slunk into the room.
Warm white walls greeted his gaze; matched by a beige ceiling and cyan carpet. The color was certainly...Mistral. Just what one might expect to find in an actual hospital. Malachite had connections, if nothing else. His gaze flicked to the man stationed in the corner; an older bearded fellow clad in patchy leathers, twin revolvers hanging loosely from his belt. A black spider proudly emblazoned on his neck all but proclaimed his loyalty. One of Malachite's boys, then. Was he guarding Willow? Or just making sure she wouldn't escape...?
Dark eyes fixed upon him, stern and unwavering beneath the intensity of his glare. "Need somethin', boss?"
Blast. What was his name again? His last name started with an A but he couldn't remember for the life of him. Ah! There it was.
"Take a walk, Ackerman."
"Whatever you say, boss." The gunslinger tilted his hat down to cover his eyes, pushed off the wall, and sauntered toward the door. A lazy hand waved through the air. "Have fun with the missus."
Willow squeaked, even as heat slammed into Naruto's cheeks. "Damn, it Kenny!"
Merry laughter to echo out in the hall after him.
...I really hate that guy."
Willow still wouldn't look at him.
"Heh. Widowed Wilow. Has a bit of a ring to it, I'll admit."
His right eye began to twitch. "Aren't you being a bit blase about this?"
"Don't doubt yourself now. It needed to be done." his partner remained unapologetic. "No body. No evidence. Simple and clean."
"Folks will ask after him."
"Let them."
In that case, might as well break the ice now. "How're ya feeling today?"
"Much better." Willow's mouth curled in a faint smile as the infant in her arms made a little noise. "Aren't we, Weiss?"
For all his exhaustion, Naruto found himself perking up. Just a bit. He edged closer. "Is that her...?"
"It is." she preened as only a mother could. "Would you like to say hello?"
Against his better judgement, Naruto found himself leaning in over her shoulder. His lips parted, but no sound emerged. Yang at least, had been a few months old when Raven foisted him off on her. Weiss...she was so small! And pink! Very pink! Bright blue eyes framed by a wisp of white hair alongside a fearsome scowl. Could a baby scowl? She was making a good show of it. Something told him she would grow up to have a healthy pair of lungs.
By the sage, she really was staring at him!
"I'm free to raise her properly, now." a tiny shiver shook Willow's shoulders; here at last she looked up at him. "Thanks to you." Crystal blue eyes met his, damp with tears. "You killed him."
It was not a question; more a statement, really. He wasn't sure how she knew; maybe Malachite had welched on him when he wasn't looking. She'd certainly been shaken enough by the sight. Perhaps Willow could simply read the blank on his face. She might've guessed and not known at all. Lying gained him nothing here. It wasn't as if he'd sold his sold his soul. Not to Willow, at least.
A low sigh trickled into the room. "I did."
"Good." There wasn't even a moment of hesitation. "Was it painful?"
Giant jaws snapping down. A scream. The crack of bone.
...lets just say it left a bad taste in my mouth."
"Blech!" Kurama gagged at the reminder. "He did not taste good!"
Willow blinked, not quite comprehending his reply. "But you don't feel guilty about it?"
Naruto considered that for a moment. Guilty for killing an unarmed man? Yes. Guilty for ending Jacques? He wasn't looking forward to the chaos that would follow, but now that the deed was done he found he felt lighter for it. If there had been another way, he would've happily taken it...but Jacques had left him no choice. Leaving him alive would only torment Willow; worse, the Schnee had all but professed his desire to make his life a living hell. Releasing him hadn't been an option. use all his resources to make his
...nope."
She tilted her head just so. A strand of damp hair fell across her brow. "Then why do you have a bad taste in your mouth?"
Kurama made a noise of discontent, one Naruto mirrored. Nope, nope, nope! Not elaborating! Not a chance in hell!
Willow swooned suddenly, and not from glee. It proved just the distraction he needed.
"You alright?"
"Just bit faint." she favored him with a wan smile. "It was something of a difficult birth. I'll be alright."
A black cloud fell over Naruto's every thought. Willowe might be fine...but why take that chance? He'd already learned his lesson with Raven. By the time he'd found her, it was nearly too late, and her recovery had been hobbled because of it. Better to ask forgiveness than permission. A single step brought him closer to Willow; from there laid his marked hand upon her shoulder and pushed a bit of his divine chakra into her.
"Oh!" Willow sat up, a bit of color coming back to her cheeks. "That feels quite nice, actually. What is that? Aura?"
"Not...quite."
She tilted her head back and made a little noise caught somewhere between a whine and moan. Heat hit his cheeks again and he looked away. She squirmed in her bed, making little noises that heated his blood while his chakra did the same to hers. Every physical injury was sought and mended with ruthless precision...even as he tried to ignore the sounds she was making.
Finally, she leaned back and sighed once.
"It seems I owe you yet again." this time her smile held a pearl of strength. "Whatever you did, I feel...better. Refreshed. You have my thanks-
Weiss suddenly began to squall in her arms, startling them both terribly.
"My, my." Willow tutted. "Poor dear. You're hungry, aren't you?"
Nimble fingers unfastened her gown.
Naruto caught a tantalizing glimpse of milky white skin before the infant latched on; before he tore his eyes away. A lifetime ago he would've spat and sputtered like a loon, made an utter fool of himself. Now? All this the madness and violence had...not quite inured him to it, but he had the decency not to leer while she breastfed her baby girl. A minute passed before he dared speak again.
"So," at length he coughed into a fist. "What will you do now?"
"I...am not certain." Wilow pursed her lips, turning her gaze toward the window and the world beyond. "I doubt Jacques left a will behind in the event of his death. He wasn't the sort to think of such things. Still," her chin lifted a little as a spark of defiance shown through, "I will find my way."
She looked so pitiful; it was too much. He just couldn't help himself.
Damn him and his blasted bloody bleeding heart.
"I...might be able to help on that front."
"You've done so much for us already." Her brow drew down. "It would be remiss of me to ask for more."
She wasn't lying. Her emotions were plain as day. No fear, no hate, no glee; only exhaustion. This woman was exhausted, all but drained in mind and spirit. His chakra may have given her a boost, but it could do nothing for her mind.
"Then consider it a favor." he tossed the words out carelessly, not giving them so much as a second thought. "You can pay me back later."
She chewed at he lower lip. "I still fail to see how you can help here...
"Lets just say...Jacques Schnee is about to do something right for once in his life."
Long lashes fluttered in a slow blink. Once. Twice. Thrice. "How? You yourself said he was dead."
He was. Nothing would change that. There was nothing left of that lunatic.
.
..
...but no one said "he" couldn't deliver a posthumous speech.
Naruto crossed his fingers. Smoke flared. Willow recoiled as if she'd been struck. She physically jerked back, trying to put as much distance between him and her as she could. The sheer pain in her eyes almost made him regret was he was about to do. Almost. Cancelling the jutsu was second nature to him; indeed the very moment he did so, the tension drained from her shoulders.
"Oh!" Willow blinked as it faded. "That's quite the skill. How long does that last?"
"Long as I like." he couldn't quite hide his smile. "Its pretty useful."
She didn't answer.
"Look, I've got an idea, but I need your help." he bulled forward to touch his forehead to hers, hands coming down over her shoulders. "I need you to teach me-
Willow made baffled Willow noises, cutting him off. "I...you...this is too sudden! My body isn't ready!"
Naruto blinked. "Your body...?"
The faint pitter-patter of feet behind him drew ears and eyes alike.
Naruto pivoted, already knowing who he would find there. Sure enough, little Winter Schnee glared back at him, hands balled at her sides. He tried to step back, but it was too late; she'd seen him leaning over her mother and jumped to the wrong conclusions.
"Why are you here?" her scowl promised bloody retribution. "This is a place for family. You are not my father."
"No, I am not." he plastered a smile to his face, one he didn't quite feel. "But I WILL tan your hide if you keep abusing my hospitality. How's that for fatherhood?"
Willow snorted. Winter clammed up.
"..."
"Go on, now." He made way for her when it became clear that she wasn't going to budge. "See your sister."
"She's here?!"
Winter scooted forward, trying to keep an eye on him and failing utterly. She saw a tiny bundle of pink nestled against Willow's bosom and that was it. Something raw flashed in her eyes; all anger at him was forgotten in her haste to see her new sibling. She didn't so much run as she did scramble her way closer. She all but thrust her up over her mother's arms to get at her.
A small, girlish smile touched her pale face. "Hello, Weiss...
Willow met Naruto's stare over her shoulder.
As one they shared a glance...
...and nodded.
(.0.0.0.)
Not three days later, "Jacques Schnee" held a press conference at an airport in Mistral.
Before the eyes of the world he stood.
"Thank for coming here, today." he betrayed on the slightest sign of anxiety by fiddling with his collar. "I'm sure you're all terribly busy, so I'll keep this brief." a faint cough into his fist followed the first. "I'm sure you've all heard of my disappearance these last few days. Some of you thought me, dead. Others, mad."
His mustache twitched.
"I wish to dash these rumors...
(.0.0.0.)
Miranda Malachite hummed softly as she raised a flute of champagne to her lips.
Oh, he was good. He was very, very good.
The Spider had found her Fox.
(.0.0.0.)
"I have not been a good father to my children. Nor a good husband to my wife. That changes today."
Countless reporters held their breath. So did the world. A moment passed. And then.
"As such, I am stepping down from the SDC. Effective immediately!"
(.0.0.0.)
"I have made many mistakes, both toward humanity and Faunus alike...
(.0.0.0.)
Ironwood's brow shot into his hair as he regarded the screen.
"What the devil is he doing?"
He wouldn't, surely...?
(.0.0.0.)
...and I can no longer run this company with a clean conscience."
(.0.0.0.)
Willow's jaw clicked open.
If she hadn't seen the skill firsthand, she would've thought him real.
But the words told a different tale. Jacques would sooner die than say say such. He hadn't told her he'd do...do this!
"Mother?" Winter tugged at her sleeve. "Father's alive?'
"Shh." she hushed her."Let mommy listen."
(.0.0.0.)
"All my stock in the company, as well as my resources, have been bequeathed to my wife. Her, and her alone...
Questions abuzzed but he spoke over them.
"This is not a matter for discussion!" His voice boomed, silencing them. "The deed is done, the papers signed, the matter settled! I have to chosen to live in exile. Such will be my penance for my crimes. The bullhead you see behind me will take me to the heartlands of Mistral, from which I will eke out a humble existence in solitude. I do not intend to return. Do not look for me."
His hands gripped the podium, ice blue eyes staring into the camera.
"The SDC now belongs to Willow Schnee."
(.0.0.0.)
Willow's jaw clicked open as she watched the press conference dissolve into chaos.
Realization broke like the dawn. A lone tear rolled down her cheek.
"You beautiful bastard...
(.0.0.0.)
Raven's legs kicked in the air as she cackled.
Ann rounded on her. "You knew he was going to do this?!"
"I didn't!" she crowed! "Doesn't mean I can't laugh my ass off at it!"
The door burst open.
There was neither word nor warning for what came next; one moment they were at peace in their rooms; in the next all hell broke loose. A guard -some bald fellow whose name she couldn't be bothered to remember in the least hurtled through, his neck hanging at an awkward angle. Ann jolted back with a yelp. Startled, Yang began to wail.
In another life, Raven might have been a bit quicker on the draw. As it stood, her injuries -and shock!- slowed her by a hair.
She was only just beginning to rise when she saw them.
Masked men stormed in, stomping over his corpse. A great big brute of a man led them.
His eyes locked on her. Her, Raven Branwen, and no one else.
"Take the girl."
Understand proved cold as it was bitter. Salem's flunkies. They'd tracked her down. Worse, they still thought she was the Spring Maiden. Raven cursed and forced herself upright, to no avail. Her legs buckled beneath her. Shit! Still too weak. If she could just reach her sword...no, she couldn't even do that; because she was holding Yang. Putting her down wasn't an option. She shivered her to the nub of her ruined arm and tried to balance her there, to no avail. She wouldn't stop crying.
The giant was coming closer, even as his flunkies moved to flank her.
Ann stepped forth, placing herself between her and certain doom. It was such a simple gesture, yet something in it set the former maiden's senses shrieking. She hadn't heard her move. Her footsteps, once loud and noisy suddenly held no noise at all.
"Stand aside." the giant rumbled down at her. "We're not here for you."
She smiled up at him, all innocence and sunshine. "Might I ask your name?"
When faced with such politeness, the giant couldn't help but falter. "...Hazel. Now, move."
"Alright. Hazel." Ann continued to smile. It was not a nice smile. "You won't be taking anyone. I suggest you turn around."
...what can you possibly do?" he didn't scoff, but he did scowl down at her hand. "Are you going to attack me? With that kitchen knife?"
"I tried being nice." her face went blank, the mask slipping away inch by agonizing inch. "But if this is where it leads me...if you're going to come after that baby girl...
Something flashed in her eyes; Raven almost thought they burned.
...then you're gonna have a bad time."
Her would-be attacker looked down, startled to find that simple "knife" thrust through their chest, buried to the hilt. A black mark bloomed over the wound. It kept spreading. Creeping over them like a disease. Pain raced in hot on its heels, a thousand fire ants crawling beneath their flesh. All the while those shadow bands constricted, creeping up their throat, choking them. Raven winced at the sight. It looked awful. Painful. Evidently her victim agreed; because his voice rose in a reedy whine.
"What have...you done?!'
"Oh, good." Ann hummed softly. "Seems my semblance works just fine after all these years." She touched a hand to her cheek as they crumpled to her knees. "And here I was worried I'd lost my touch. Silly me, really." a hand dipped down, cupping their chin. "Now then, I believe you owe me something...
At her touch, the marks spread threefold.
Hazel Rainart died screaming.
So would the rest.
(.0.0.0.)
Naruto stumbled in an hour later, feeling positively harassed.
"Alright, pretty sure the ruse worked...
He paused. Saw the bodies.
"What did I miss?"
"More than you think, less than you'd expect." a familiar voice drawled across the room. "Tell me you brought us something to eat. I'm starving."
Raven was awake! Truth be told, he hadn't expected it; if only because she puffed up and glared at him the moment he opened the door. Ann sat off to one side, Yang nestled in her arms. Her smile was nothing short of beatific. Downright euphoric, really. He took one look at her face and frowned. Said frown deepened as he beheld the bodies sprawled across the floor.
"What did you do?"
Her smiled wavered. "Alright, but you can't be mad at me."
A muscle began to jump in his jaw, pounding alongside his temple. "What. Did you. Do."
"Killed them all, that's what she did." Raven guffawed from her bed, earning a baleful glare. "Seems little miss country bumpkin over there can actually kick some serious ass when she wants to."
Ann winced and resumed rocking Yang in her arms. "I wouldn't go that far...
Naruto tilted his near horizontal to regard the pink-eyed woman. He wasn't sure what to make of what he found there. She looked...calm. Relaxed in a way she hadn't been since they reached Mistral; a coiled spring finally granted release. Her eyes met his and didn't waver. She stepped to him, in spite of his frown.
"Alright." her head bobbed once. "No more secrets."
Naruto blinked. "No more secrets?"
She took his hands in hers. "Yup. No more secrets."
It was too much. Naruto belted out a laugh. It felt...good. Free.
A/N: And there we go!
As ever, the Embers rule persists. If folks don't like this? Poof! Gone! To the void it goes. So by all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard! Your reviews matter! Really, they do! That's no joke. I don't have days off anymore -two jobs will do that to you- and I'm working myself to the bone.
So by all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard! Your reviews matter!
That's no joke! I can't write without feedback. Guess that makes me weak...T_T
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews!
Potential ones at that.
Also, references.
(Previews)
Winter tried to look back over her shoulder. "...are you strong?"
Ann clicked her tongue. "Hold still and let me brush your hair, kiddo."
A pleased hum dragged itself out of the little girl's lips before she could snatch it back.
Her eyes narrowed to thin, glowing slits.
"Do you know what they used to to call me...?"
"Stop that!" the words were a snarl. "I'm rusty, not weak. Here, I'll prove it." she spread her arms wide. "Hit me."
Naruto winced. "Bad idea, even for you. I'll tear you apart."
She grinned, and it was the smile of a killer. "Chicken?"
"No, I just don't wanna hurt you."
"Coward, then."
"Oi!"
She flapped her hands and made clucking noises. "Bwack-bwack!"
He snapped forward. His fist slammed into...
...an open palm?
She tilted her head slightly, long hair falling over one bright eye. "Told you I don't break easy."
NOTE: Not saying who that is...but it ain't Willow. You'll just have to guess.
Raven dragged herself upright.
"That's it." Naruto ushered her forward. "One foot in front of the other."
Willow's brow shot into her hair. "This is Yang, then? My, she's adorable. Perhaps she'll befriend Weiss when she's older.
"Sure, they'll get along...like a house on fire.
Winter peered at the little blond.
"May...may I...hold her?"
The adults cooed.
R&R~!