A/N: Shorter chapters for the next few days, sorry. I'm writing this on an hour of sleep WITH NO DAYS OFF.
My aunt has finally been laid to rest, but it seems this year isn't done messing with me yet; my sister -the one who lives with me- needs to have several tumors removed forthwith in the coming days, which means she'll be off for more than a month, which MEANS I have to work even more hours to make up the difference in rent/expenses/electricity and etc. I'm already working crazy hours at both jobs, but now I'll need even more, which means overtime, most likely. Life is just peeling pieces of me as of lately and it hurts... FML right now...
To summarize, I don't have a day off until late next week. Maybe not even then, because I have to deal with three people quitting and train up their replacements, which means longer hours still.
Stepped away for awhile after one of my co-writers passed away, had to hash a few things out. I had originally planned this out for July, but with Roosterteeth being liquidated by Warner Bros, well, lets just say I'm feeling motivated, despite my health woes. No idea if anyone's going to buy the franchise, or to whom it'll go.
We fanfiction writers -Coeur, me, and so many others- are doing our best to keep the RWBY fandom alive over here.
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.
Alright them, I think I've kept you long enough. Hope you're ready; because from this point on? Weeell...!
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes, one and all. Now off we go.
Verbatim for Volume Two and Four~!
"Blake...its alright. We never held anything against you, and I never feared you would fail.
The only thing I ever feared was that you would fall down the wrong path.
And I am so proud to see you haven't."
~Ghira.
A Beautiful Disaster (Interlude)
The attack proved as sudden as it was startling; they hit without word or warning.
A streak of yellow broke down the door and barreled headlong into Kushina.
In all fairness, that gave her plenty of time to exclaim happily.
"Minato?!" She sputtered in surprise. "You're alive?!"
He kissed her and there was no more talking.
(.0.0.0.)
"...?"
Blake felt her ears twitch.
For a moment there, just a second she could've sworn she heard someone moan in the distance.
Why, it almost sounded like Naruto's mother. That was absurd of course. Right? Had to be. Definitely. No way she could hear her from here...
.
..
...it was probably nothing.
Shaking her head, she idly ran a hand through her hair and continued to considered herself in the mirror. Golden eyes gazed back at her, half-lidded and momentarily amused by her latest thought. She looked the same, but her eyes seemed more...keen somehow. Sharper than they'd been before. She supposed that was only natural, given all she'd experienced.
Life had been something of a beautiful disaster as of late, but then again it was her disaster.
Sometimes it amazed her just how much her life had changed in such a short time; ever since she opened the Book. She hadn't been looking for a boyfriend when she came to Beacon and in truth, she hadn't found one; instead she found a partner; a confidant, someone who understood her. Their relationship had evolved well past that now. She could see herself spending the rest of her life with him. And wasn't that a thought? After all they'd been through, to think of a future with Naruto perhaps even...
Children?
Children!
Children.
She rolled the thought around in her head three times and worried her lower lip between her teeth as she considered the matter. Maybe not right now- she still intended to graduate at the top of her class with the rest of Team RWBY- but who could say what the future held in store?
The White Fang might.
She flinched at the painful thought -Adam!- and shoved it down, trying to focus on something else. Anything else.
A strand of dark hair tickled her nose. She seized upon it. Her hair really was getting too long.
Perhaps she should cut it.
Her scroll vibrated and annoyed, she silenced it. Yang again? Her team was out for the day, so who in blazes...no, nevermind. Probably wasn't important.
A thought occurred to her and bemused, she craned her head back, a golden eye gleaming over her shoulder. "Do you like long hair?"
Naruto's head poked up over the book he'd been reading. "What kind of question is that?"
"Its a simple question." Blake ran a hand through her hair, glancing his way out the corner of her eye. "If you don't like could always cut it...?"
Naruto flung himself at her, landed on his knees, and skidded to halt at her feet, hands clasped before him. "Don't you dare!"
She tilted her head. "What will you give me if I don't?"
His smile became strained. "My unconditional love?"
"Hmm...
He caught sight of her teasing smile and burst to his feet. "You're teasing me!"
"Just a little." She stepped into him and laid a hand on his face. "Is that a problem?"
"No, no, not at all. I'm glad to see you getting back to your normal self. You've been acting odd lately. You've been quiet, antisocial, and moody, which I get, is kinda your thing, but-ow!" he laughed when she smacked his arm, but didn't back down. "You've been doing it more than usually this week. I was worried."
"Worried about what?"
"Didn't we make a promise to one another?" his forehead touched hers. "I know you made one to your team, to all of us, that you would let us know if something was wrong. So? What's wrong? Its not like you to stay cooped up in here all day.
Had he seen through her that easily? She warbled and broke. "I just...I don't understand how everyone can be so calm!"
"Calm?" A blond brow rose. "Have you met me and Sasuke? We're anything but calm."
She stomped on his foot.
"You're still thinking about the docks."
"The docks, the white fang, Torchwick, all of it." she sighed and set her head against his chest. "Something big is happening and no one is doing anything about it. Cinder may have sold most of her allies up the river, but not all of them; Roman's in hiding and Neo's nowhere to be seen and now all this talk about Mountain Glenn-
"You don't think the police and the huntsmen can handle it?
"No!" she flung up her arms. "They don't know the white Fang like I do! I've been trying to ignore it, trying to be normal, but I just can't...!"
She expected anger from him, a rebuke at the very least. Instead he took her by the hand and led her back to bed. "And what are you suggesting, exactly? You and your team are hardly read to-
"We may never BE ready!" she sprang back to her feet, drawing a sigh from him. "Our enemies aren't just going to sit around and wait for graduations day. They're out there, planning the next move and none of us know what it is, but its coming whether we're ready or not-
"Hey," he laid a hand on hers. "We're in this together, remember? And I'm worried about you. This paranoia is seriously starting to mess with your head-
"Its not paranoia if Adam's out to get me!"
"Blake!" He took her by the shoulders and planted his feet, forcing her to stand still. "Look at yourself. You're raving; just calm down. Is this why you've been skipping class?" when she looked away, he gently took hold of her chin and steered her back to him. "Or why your grades are slipping?"
"Weiss told you, didn't she?"
He winced. "A certain Schnee may have mentioned something to me, yes."
"Do you think I honestly care about my grades right now?! People's lives are at stake! There are still unanswered questions-
"Boop."
She blinked, briefly going cross-eyes when he flicked her forehead. "Did you seriously just...?
"You won't be able to find anything if you can't even keep your eyes open." when she tried to protest, he pressed a finger to her lips. "I'm not asking you to stop. Just take it easy for a day. One day. Twenty-four hours of relaxation. Do that, and I swear to you, I'll squeeze both Roman and Cinder until they squeal. I'll even send some disguised shadow clones out to this "Mountain Glenn" of yours. Whatcha think?
It sounded tempting. Naruto's scouting skills were second to none; to say nothing of his destructive capabilities. And that was without taking his allies into account!
Yer for him to do it without her, to sit still while he threw himself into danger...
"I think this sounds like a colossal wast of time."
His face fell. "I'm sorry to hear that.
...but maybe you're right." she forced herself to breathe, to still her restless soul. A night of rest might be just what the doctor ordered. "You know, we have the room all to ourselves today. We could just stay in and watch a movie...
His eyes lit up. "Just a lazy day?"
"If you like."
"I do like." he laughed and covered her hand with his. "I'd like that very much."
Blake felt her phone vibrate again. Annoyed, she slapped a hand to her hip and silenced it. No. She wasn't having any drama today. Just a peaceful evening. It was...good to focus on the simpler things for once. A night free of crazy parents, teammates, and White Fang.
She stepped toward Naruto and he mirrored the motion, but it was she who kissed him first.
His lips were warm against hers, his hands sliding down her back like a warm, protective blanket. She lifted a leg and wrapped both arms around his neck, let him lift her now her, pivot, press her against the wall, grind against her, kiss her neck now and OH GODS that felt good...
"Guys!" Ruby crashed through the door in a storm of petals. "Why didn't you pick up your scrolls?!"
"Ruby?!"
The little reaper saw their state of undress, squeaked once, then rallied and barreled on. "Roman was right! We found a crater in Mountain Glenn -
Naruto waved her off. "Oh, that's nice. So long as no one says any words starting with "W" or "F", we'll be just fine.
-White Fang and a train!"
Panic bleated in Blake's breast and she whirled, eyes wide, all thoughts of intimacy forgotten. "White Fang?!"
Naruto slapped his forehead. "Look! Look what you've done!"
Blake bolted.
A/N:...Hope you enjoyed.
Shocks and surprises await in the coming chapters!
And no, I've not forgottten Neji or Tsunade. There's a reason we haven't seen them. I need time and help writing those scenes, to say nothing of Winter and Gaara and Tsunade and Qrow. Don't get me started on Sakura and Ironwood or how Ozpin is somehow OBLIVIOUS to all the chaos ust under his nose.
We're still barreling toward the conclusion...or are we? Supposed that depends on you, the reader. By all means, speak up. Do let me know if you want weekly updates and the like as well! Feedback is important!
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story. Ergo, if folks don't like this -and its hard to tell sometimes- then it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? It will remain, but it won't be continued. 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.
Seriously, I work EVER DAY now and feedback keeps me going.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review..Would You Kindly?
And enjoy some previews!
(Previews)
"We've been rumbled!"
Ozpin twitched. "What, exactly, is going on here?"
"Nothing~!"
Ruby tilted her head. "Just how many weapons do you have?"
Tenten beamed at the excitable girl. "Wanna see?"
Yesyesyes! Teach me your ways!
"You let your mom meet my mom?!"
"It'll be fine, Blake...what's the worst that could happen?"
"Neji?!"
...I think I'm in love.
"Qrow, no!"
"Qrow, maybe...
Sasuke was looking at a ghost. What else did one call the dead?
"Hmm. She'll do, Sasuke. I approve of her."
Cinder flushed.
"Alright, you." Naruto jabbed a finger at the tome. "I don't know what you're up to, so I'll just ask. Why ya bringing the dead back to life?"
The book radiated a strange sense of satisfaction. Odd. Books didn't have emotions. Did they?
He ran his palm against the tome.
"Just what are ya...?
R&R~!