A/N: Double update today! This and another story.
Head still hurts something fierce form my fall. Trying to take it easy.
Tires of these long author's notes. Writing is making my head hurt even more...
Several stories have been moved back in the update rota. Sadly, this was one of them. But here we go.
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site here, 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. More every day it seems. 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 with my health being the way it is. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
No questions this time. Someone complained, so only story~!
Alrighty, then I've kept you waiting long enough. As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes, or memes. Not a wit or a one!
Seriously. I mean that. They're tributes to legends far greater than a measly writer like me...
Hope this chapter makes you smile, and have a great day~!
"You can't fight fire with gasoline, boy."
"Says who?"
~Dragons.
One Shall Stand
Radahn did not expect him to return so soon.
Naruto saw it writ across the general's face as he traipsed back into the man's tent not an hour later; the Great Starscourge was surprised already, pleasantly so perhaps, but surprised nonetheless. He wasn't sure if the man had expected him to perish in Malenia's camp or not. It was hard to get a read on him. He seemed like an alright sort; enough to show mercy before after ambushing him.
"Young Master~!"
Not so Tomoe; she took one look at him and all but tackled him, wedging herself against his side. He weathered her examination with a rueful sigh, content to let her fuss and fawn over him. If she was looking for injuries she wouldn't find any. His meeting with Malenia had been fruitful. He'd emerged from her camp unscathed. Still, he let Tomoe wrestle him down into a chair if only to mollify her for the moment.
"You should know your limits!" she railed at him. "What if she infected you with the Scarlet Rot! What then?!"
"She didn't, and I'm fine." he waved her pressing hands aside. "It was a productive meeting."
"Well?" It was enough to incite Radagon's curiosity if nothing else. "What news?"
Naruto looked to Tomoe. "...would you mind waiting outside?"
She flicked him a baleful look. "Are you certain?"
"Radahn won't hurt me. I need you to stand guard and make certain we aren't interrupted."
She wasn't much pleased by that, he could tell. If anything she looked downright mutinous. But she was a woman of her word and she'd sworn to serve him. With a shallow bow and a decidedly rebellious gleam in her eye, she stalked out the tent. He knew it wouldn't prevent her from eavesdropping later, but he didn't want her to see him like this; or have her undermine his authority. He could only pray that his silver tongue would see him through to other side; because if it didn't...
.
..
...well. Best not to think about that.
Radahn, at least, seemed to understand his reasoning. "We're alone now. Speak your mind."
He grimaced. "She'll stand down, but she wants certain...assurances."
The big man perked up. "Name them, please."
"She wants to meet with you. Alone."
"I can do that." he sounded almost relieved. 'What else? There must be more."
There was. Careful now... "She asks that you aid her in her search for Miquella posthaste."
Radahn perked up. "Miquella lives? No, no, he is my brother as much as hers. Of course I'll help her find him."
So far, so good.
Naruto took a beat to steady himself, rallied, then barreled on. "She also, ah, wants you to stop holding back the stars, big guy."
Radahn's smiling face faded somewhat. "I beg your pardon?"
"Only for a little bit!" he flailed his hands to ward off the coming storm. "Something about a ritual. I think it has to do with an eclipse and bringing someone back to life-
"No."
"No?" Naruto winced at the bite in that word. "Whaddya mean no? You can just go back to-
"I said no." Radahn's smile vanished entirely as he loomed over him. "You ask much. Too much. I cannot release the stars, even for a moment, for to do so might mean I could never hold them back again. Letting them go would do more than open the path to Nokron-which would put a great many of us in danger-but it would unleash something else altogether."
"Nok-what-now?" he fumbled the name, trying and failing to make sense of it all. "What's so dangerous about this Nokron place?
"Nothing you need concern yourself with. It is the monsters in the stars you need fear. I alone hold them at bay."
Monsters in the stars? That was news to him. "Can't you explain better than that?!"
The good general turned away. "I cannot. It is...complicated.
Naruto flung up his arms. "Then uncomplicate it!
...I am sorry, little dragonling. "You want there to be peace. I can respect that." he clasped a hand to his shoulder. "I can, truly...but just wanting doesn't win wars. There's a limit to what words alone can do.
"So it would seem."
Naruto jumped and rounded on the voice, and Radahn with him.
Something shifted in the corner of the tent, a body crouched low. As he looked on they rose, standing to their full towering height. He prayed it wasn't who he thought it was...and they weren't answered. She stood with regal glace, casting aside a dark cloth bearing a lustrous sheen. Her visage was grim beneath her helm.
"Malenia?! You followed me?!"
"I did.
"Indeed." Radahn's grim gaze fastened upon her with intent, then the dark cloth gripped tight in her fist "That's a concealing veil talisman. You've been listening to us this entire time. You never had any reall intention of honoring our bargain at all, did you?"
Naruto cast a stricken look Malenia's way. "Did you...?"
"I did, but it has become clear to me that you cannot see the forest for the trees." she crossed both arms before her bosom and fixed him with a bleak word. "In that regard you are no better than Ranni and Rykard. No," she amended suddenly, "At least they had the courage to seek out other paths. You cling to your tenets and your dogma like a coward. To think I once thought better of you."
Radahn tensed. "Careful, now...
"Careful?" She scoffed. "I have been careful. It has earned this." she snapped her fingers. "Nothing and naught. Draw your blades if you won't negotiate, and let us be done with this."
Radahn unsheathed his words without a word. No flourish. No grand boasts, no impish retort or witty one liner. He simply drew them. His intent was clear.
"You will regret those words, dear sister.
Malenia brandished her own blade. "We shall see. I have never known defeat-
"Stop!" Naruto thrust himself between them, fighting his own rising temper to physically shove them apart. "Both of you, just calm down for a second, will you?!" he planted a palm on Radahn's chest and another upon Malenia's good shoulder, narrowly keeping them at bay." We can talk this through! There's no need to tear everything up over this!"
Radahn shook his head. "I already told you. Just wanting doesn't win wars. It is clear to me that my sister doesn't wish to talk."
"The negotiations are over, envoy of the dragons." Malenia seconded him. "You've hit your limit."
Those were struck him like a slap across the face.
Limit. Limit, limit, limit. Limit again.
He.
Hated.
That Word.
He'd grown so terribly tired of everyone telling him what his limits were. From here to Farum Azula. Limits, limits, limits. You can't do that, Naruto You can't do this, Naruto. Its just not possible, Naruto. Know your limits, Naruto. Accept your place. You're not strong enough. Not fast enough. Not smart enough to do these things. Because you have limits. Because you're only human.
Naruto twitched. "Limit?"
Malenia and Radahn exchanged a baffled glance. "What's gotten into him...?"
Naruto furiously shouted over them as draconic wings burst from his shoulders. "LIMIT?!"
Scarlet scales burst across his body as horns burst from his head. Growling, he gathered his knees beneath him and leaped upward with a scream, tearing the tent wide open as he hurtled into the sky. Someone shouted at him. He paid them no mind as well and kept flying. Rocketed into the clouds now, up and up, higher still. He stopped just short of the atmosphere, took a deep angry breath...
.
..
...and raced back down.
His wings snapped open miles above the ground, popping painfully.
Pulse pounding in his ears, heart hammering in his chest, Naruto spread his arms, making himself visible to all.
"Limit?!" His right hand opened, conjuring a massive spear of red lightning forth to his palm, a bolt larger than he was tall, a terrible calamity ready to devastate all. "That's all I ever hear! Well, guess what?!" Placidusaax would've been proud as he howled down at them, his voice rattling the heavens themselves. "I've got your "limit" right here!" Crazed laughter tore out of him as he cocked his arm back and took aim. "WATCH! I'LL SHOW YOU JUST HOW "LIMITED" I AM! LOOK AND SEE~!"
He let the ancient dragon-spear fly.
Red lightning screamed down...
.
..
...and struck the distant Mountaintop of the Giants.
Even from here, he felt his ears ring. The mountain he'd targeted didn't so much explode as it did vanish; fire and smoke rose in a singular mushroom cloud to herald its demise. Everyone in the Lands Between saw it. He made certain of it. Radahn and Malenia were stricken speechless below him. Neither uttered so much a word. Even their armies were frozen by the sheer horror of what he'd done.
It gave him all the time in the world to swoop back down and give the Demigods a piece of his mind.
"You!" he seized Radahn's head in his hands before the larger man could hope to react and gave him a mighty shake. "Stop being so stubborn. You beat the stars once, right?!" At the man's dumbfounded nod, he shook him once more. "You can beat them again! If any of these so-called "monsters" come down from the stars, you beat them and hold them back! You're freaking General Radhan! Mightiest demigod of the Shattering. That's what you do!"
Malenia scoffed below and behind them. "He is far from the strongest-
Oh, no, no, no. A thousand times no.
He wasn't having this shit.
"I'm sorry," he landed and rounded on the scowling Demigod. "Did I say something that you found funny?!" a finger thrust itself against her helm, denting the unalloyed metal. "Wipe that smug smile off your face and talk to this dummy before I spank you raw!"
Malenia's face went redder than her hair. "But-
"NO BUTS! Now, both of you!" he glared between them, daring either to object. "Sit down, right here, right now, and start talking or so help me, I will NUKE this entire continent, destroy your armies, and take your Great Runes for myself! Is that what you want?!" he bared his teeth at them, flashing his fangs. "Because I'll do it! And I guarantee I'll be able to get at least one shot off before either of you can stop me!
Neither of the Demigods budged a bit, stricken where they stood by his earlier display.
Naruto heard Tomoe's delighted laughter just outside the ruined tent.
Bah! He'd deal with his attendant later. These two came first.
He conjured another spear of light to his hands.
"Oi, oi! Did I stutter?! I SAID SIT."
A long moment passed. Then:
Radahn and Malenia sat.
A/N: Naruto being the only adult in the room. That's rare.
Neogtiations next chapter, if that's what you want to see. Or we could skip ahead. Your choice.
I have scenarios written out for both, but I reeeaaallly need to hear back from you guys and gals on this.
Well? Should this remain a story? Yay or nay? Your feedback matters! That's no joke. Reviews keep me writing.
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this particular story, and others. If folks don't like this, it will remain, but won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular...well, I'll not be able to continue it. I'm working two jobs -taking on 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.
Aaaand there we go. As ever, reviews keep me alive. Without them, I cannot write. So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly? And have some previews.
We're keeping it light this time to avoid spoilers.
But just in case! SPOILERS AHOY!
(Previews)
"I admit, I am impressed. I did not foresee such an outcome."
"Quiet. I don't wanna talk about it.
"LET ME OUT!"
"No." Naruto palmed his face. "Not yet."
"You're mad! I won't allow it!"
...wasn't askin', Tomoe...
She grabbed him by the face and kissed him.
"TOGETHA!"
"Hey, is it blasphemy if I let the fox eat the snake...? He's getting hungry.
Rykard whimpered.
EDIT: Hey, you made it!
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story, and others. Meaning folks don't like this, it won't be continued. If the story itself ain't popular/well-received...well, I won't be able to continue it. I'm working two jobs -taking on 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 chatting with you all when I get back from work!
Hope you all have a great day~!
R&R~!