Updating all my new stories today. Sometime within the next week updates for chapters of other stories will get post.
May the birds soar from their cage
Sunbeams filter through the foliage
Flames grow with immortal courage
And I hope you won't be tainted by fate
Nothing to fear
So go alone
By the grace of pain
Hundreds of times, you fight in the ruins
Your pride will not be slain
From the heart to the veins
(Naruto, Age 10)
How long had it been since he had come to reside here at the House of the Heart?
Was it two… No three years? Yeah, that sounded right. That was when Mother found him.
She looked so heavenly… Like a saint. Her dulcet tones… Her sweet lullabies… They were nice at first. Then, he came to realize the truth.
She was a monster.
People back home may have called him 'a demon' once or twice, but no… This woman earned that title. The way she treated all his friends… No, his family! If he could do something, he would… But not even the police would believe him! They were all bewitched by her gentle demeanor and her bewitching tongue!
Nothing worked… She managed to conceal her deception from the world. They were trapped in her cocoon, and there was no way to escape.
He wished he understood how he arrived at this place filled with oceans. If he knew how, he would have found a way back home already. He wanted to continue his ninja training! But nah, he had to screw up a prank on the old man, and the next thing he knew, he was here, starving and struggling to find food until Mother found him and brought him 'home.'
That word made him laugh. That was what she wanted them to call this place. But that was far from what this place was. Even if he treated everyone here as a brother or a sister… She was training them to see one another as competition… See who would stand alone, rise to the top, and become King.
The woman was sick and twisted… Made all the worse because she wanted them to practice being kind and courteous toward one another in public or when guests arrived. It was not so difficult, but it crossed her messages and made her teachings confusing… The woman was an enigma.
At least everyone else was easy to figure out… Well, almost everyone.
All except her. …She stood alone—an odd one out.
Just like he was back home.
He sighed as he found her sitting alone in the house garden. A young girl with white hair and black strands knelt before a tree and stared at a small mound of dirt in the grass.
Naruto softly smiled. Clervie was correct. She was here. Carrying the cupcake he had helped her bake as an apology this morning, he knelt beside her, offering it. "How are you doing, Peruere?"
"Did Mother send you?" Black iris with x-crossed pupils blankly glanced up into his as she took the offer. Setting it down before the mound of dirt, she stared blankly at the cake. "Spiders don't eat cake."
"But you do." Naruto scratched his cheek, forcing a smile. "Mother did ask where you were this morning when she was reading, but Clervie didn't say anything. I made sure I wasn't followed. It's just us. Can I stay?"
"You may stay." Peruere nodded, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. After a breath pause, she shook her head. "I don't like sweets."
"You don't like anything." Naruto snorted, crossing his arms as his lips quivered momentarily. His head then tilted before his eyes glistened. "I'm sorry. From what I remember from one of my few friends back home, spiders don't have long lives and have many natural predators… Didn't think Gama-chan would get out and immediately… Ya know."
"It's part of the rules of nature." Peruere stood from the grave where her friend lay. "The strong live and the weak perish. Nothing more. My friend… My only friend perished."
"Ow. I think Clervie felt that one too…" Naruto weakly muttered and flicked his hand through his hair.
Peruere closed her eyes. Her lips trembled for a moment before she bit the other edge. A quick shake of her head, she turned and strode away. "We are rivals to become King. As such, we cannot be friends… Mother will not allow us to connect in such a meaningful way."
Naruto scrunched his face. His gaze sharpened and focused on Peruere's retreating form as she walked away. He jumped up and scowled. "Well, I don't care what Mother thinks! I didn't have a friend back home! Just like you, I was all alone! Now, here with a chance for family and friends, I won't be told no! I will protect you, Clarvie, and everyone else! I won't let my friends get hurt any longer! I don't know how, but I'm gonna stop this! You better believe it!"
Peruere stopped in her tracks, her black eyes shimmering. She briefly pursed her lips as she peered back into the determined cerulean gaze of her peers. If there was one thing that Naruto was known for…
"Do you promise?"
"You damn right I do!" Naruto growled, his eyes slitting as Peruere outstretched her hand to him, accepting her gesture and shaking her hand.
"Then allow me to make a promise in return." Peruere tightly gripped his hand, her gaze intensely focused on his. "I will place my faith in you if you become King to protect everyone… And you will do the same if I become King."
"Absolutely!" Naruto grinned, meeting her gaze with unflinching resolve. "You got a deal, Mother… Ow, ow, ow! My bad, my bad, my bad!"
Peruere scowled, releasing his hand after intently squeezing it, turning away, disgusted. "Don't call me that… Ever."
Naruto grimaced, clutching his right hand in his left, watching Peruere storm from the garden. "Mah, I'll never understand girls…"
(Present Time)
Eyes flickered from the warmth. He was dreaming again… Ah, he loved the sunshine. He wished he could enjoy it more.
The weather was sublime. The sunshine was perfect. A gorgeous view from the perch of the old ruins, overseeing the sparkling, crystal clear ocean. Not a cloud in the sky to ruin their day with the threat of rain. The danger of a flood seemed so distant… So, for now, they can enjoy this time together.
Yes, he could enjoy the sun today. It wasn't often he had luxuries…
"You spoil them too much." Her voice resonated from beside him, seated at the table that their children had scavenged from the ruins so she didn't have to stress herself today. Crimson X-crossed pupils stared at him, unamused, across the table while she leaned back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest. "If I didn't discipline them, there would be no order."
Flicking his hand through his spiky blonde locks, a man dressed in a fiery orange overcoat with long coattails and black pants stood before the stoic white-haired woman with black streaks of hair meshed within. "Mah, come on now. Peruere… Forgive me, Arlecchino." Seeing her lips curl into a disgusted scowl, he winced before he sighed. "I know… The past is dead and buried. It's time to move forward."
"Indeed, it is." Arlecchino's expression returned to neutral, her hands sliding down to rest in her lap, awkwardly resting underneath her pronounced belly. "We cannot forget what happened; we must progress and make way for the future. … The children are already becoming incessant about it."
"Can't imagine why." A brilliant smile gleamed at Arlecchino, causing her to break her rare stoic demeanor and snarl. "To see their strict and reliable mother in need of assistance and… Don't you do it."
"Finish that statement, and I will, Naruto," Arlecchino whispered, calmly seated in her seat, steadily making eye contact. However, her body began to distort, and a red blur would occasionally unnervingly appear where she sat.
The two sat before one another, locked in a deadlock. Neither was willing to cede to the other's will. Both stared into one another's eyes as the air around them intensified. Ignition sparked as their Visions glowed red hot…
"Father, Mother! We're back!" Two voices chimed, unaware of the staredown that was occurring. A young boy and young girl strolled up with a basket in hand. "We brought berries, and Freminet caught fish! Lyney caught a bore!"
"It was quite a venture! Our hunt was successful, and Lynette's endeavor with Foltz and Heloir to find supplies for our picnic was quite fruitful!" A young boy dressed as a magician chirped as he walked behind two small children, flanked by a girl with similar hair color with nekomata features on his right and a young sullen boy on his left. Quickly taking note of the tense situation, he stroked his chin and playfully mused. "Oh dear. Have we interrupted an important conversation?"
"No." Naruto and Arlecchino responded simultaneously, the pressure around them releasing as Naruto's expression turned to them, beaming, while Arlecchino's returned to her stoic self. "Your father was being… playful. Nothing more."
"That explains the death glare. He must have deserved it." Lynette muttered under her breath so only they could hear. Freminet nodded in agreement, keeping his head lowered to keep Father and Mother from catching his glance toward them.
"Father does have the tendency to speak before he thinks."
Naruto twitched at his two quieter, older children before turning away and darkly muttering. Why did Lynette and Freminet always take their Mother's side? Why was it only Lyney who sided with him?
Her gaze sharpened at the youngest of the five as the children brought the basket to them and smiled. It fixated on her hands. The shades were different colors. Reds, blacks, blues, and purples stained her hands. All usual colors when picking berries… However…
The attempted slight of hand she made toward her dress wasn't as hidden as she would have liked to believe it was. She lived amongst those who practiced that routine daily. Who were exceptional at it. She could not get away with such an action without someone noticing.
"You know the rules, Heloir," Arlecchino announced. A daunting atmosphere filled the air as she lifted her chin and sternly gazed down at the youngest of her daughters in the House. "Come clean, and your punishment will be light. You know you are not allowed to craft potions or gather materials unauthorized without strict supervision."
Wincing, having been caught, several berries dropped from Heloir's hands as she lowered her hands. "I'm sorry, Mother…"
"Heloir." Lynette frowned, placing her hand on her hip dejectedly before sighing. Attempting to deflect their mother's discipline from the young child, she stepped forward. "I will take the blame. "I had warned her several times before and had thought I had stopped from gathering Nightshade berries she was obsessed with earlier. If it wasn't for my inadequate supervision…"
"As admirable as that is, and as at fault as you are in the matter, Lynette, what is done is done," Naruto responded, plucking a Nightshade from the bucket of berries. Grimacing, tossing it behind him, he sighed as he distantly looked past the children. Of course this day would be ruined. "These berries are tainted, and we can't enjoy them… Alas. Your efforts were in vain. I think having to return home without a sweet treat this afternoon is punishment enough, wouldn't you say, Mother?"
"You are too lenient on them, Father." Arlecchino scolded Naruto, her gaze shifting to where her husband's eyes had wandered. Stepping off to the side of her chair, she swiftly stepped behind Naruto and nodded in agreement, their gazes briefly intermingling with one another's. "For this occasion, I will allow, however. We must return to the hotel at once. Father has work he must attend to."
Lyney and Lynette quickly registered and understood the message Mother and Father were conveying. Two sets of purple eyes glanced behind them and noticed a shadowy figure slowly approaching the group—one they both recognized from many visits to Hotel Bouffes d'ete to see Mother and Father.
Given the current state of the House of the Hearth, they knew this would end poorly.
"Ah, 'tis a shame. I wanted to enjoy the day off. It's a rare chance to visit with Father. We hardly get a chance to speak these days. Oh, well. There is always next time." Lyneny snapped his fingers, putting on a solid front with a bright, popping smile as he joined Mother's side. "Think I'll hold a magic show when we return. What do you say, Heloir, Foltz?"
"Yay! Your magic shows are the best!" Heloir happily clapped.
"Can I handle the pigeons this time?" Foltz asked hopefully.
"Afraid not. That's one rule I cannot make an exception for." Lyney shook his head.
"You make exceptions?" Arlecchino raised her eyebrow, causing Lyney to blanched and jump in his boots.
"Ah! Of course not! It's just an expression. You know the sayings! Like water under the bridge!" Lyney nervously chuckled while rubbing the side of his head. Beads of sweat dripped down his neck as her x-crossed eyes keenly bored into his. It was as if she knew he was lying…
"Very well." Arlecchino turned her attention from Lyney and motioned for them to proceed. "Say your goodbyes. We must go so Father may conduct his business."
"Ah, right…" Lyney nodded, his attention shifted back to the shadowy presence, who seemed to patiently wait for them to leave. He must have known that acting with them present would not earn him any favors on their behalf.
Father was unkind when his family was put in danger. He had earned his name within the Fatui as the Demon rightfully.
He looked back at his father, who was wholly focused on the man waiting for him. Lyney grimaced. This would end poorly. Father was strong… "If you need anything…"
"I got everything I need." Naruto flashed a vivid smile, patting the boy on the shoulder as he stood up. "Your magic pocket does wonders! I can keep all my trinkets in there! And if I find anything cool, I can bring it back and show you all!"
"That's not what I meant…" Lyney scowled at being treated like a child. He was eighteen!
"I know," Naruto softly chuckled before his face straightened. "Take care of the House for me while I'm out. After this, I don't know when I'll return. It's gonna be a long trip into the darkness, and there is no telling when I'll see the light again. So make sure you keep everything safe up here… Especially Mother."
Naruto ignored the withering glare shot in his direction. Instead, he grinned, seeing the determined glint in Lyney's eyes as he steeled his expression. "You can count on me, Father."
"Course I can," Naruto smirked, stepping toward Lynette before squinting his eyes at her and grinning. "Less standby mode. More engaged mode. You can rest and ignore everyone later, got it?"
"Understood… Exiting standby mode." Lynette nodded, her ears perking and her gaze becoming more attentive than before. "Engaged and awaiting your return, Father."
Turning to Freminent, the boy tucked his chin into his chest and averted his eyes, causing Naruto to chuckle. "Don't fret. I'll be back soon, and we can go diving again. Gotta work on your people skills while I'm out, alright?"
"Yes, father." Freminet meekly nodded, a grim expression worn on his face.
"Hey, it's gonna be fine. I'll see you soon, ya hear. Consider it a promise." Naruto ruffled Freminet's hair before glancing down at the two youngest. "As for you two… Follow Mother's rules no matter how harsh you think they are. They are in place for your and everyone's safety. We love you, but that doesn't mean everyone understands you as we do. People tend to struggle with some of our more peculiar aspects. Most normal people struggle to accept us into society. "
"Yes, father." Heloir and Foltz nodded, the former twitching before hanging her head. "I'm sorry, Father. I didn't mean to disappoint you… You only came back today…"
Combing his hand through her hair, Naruto's eyes twinkled as he softly laughed. "I'm not disappointed. I'm just happy to see you thriving. Now listen to Mother and head back to the Hotel to take care of your chores. Then you can enjoy Lyney's magic show."
"Let us linger no longer and allow Father time and space to operate House operations. He works better alone." Arlecchino beckoned toward the children, blazing the trail forward with Freminet. Lynette walked behind Heloir and Foltz and ushered them ahead. At the same time, Lyney lingered for a moment, keeping his eye on the shadowy figure and Father for a mere moment longer before giving Naruto one last nod and following the rest of the family.
Naruto scoffed as his family left, but a sliver of a smile crept on his lips as he whispered, his eyes intent on Arlecchino. "Not entirely true, Peruere. …There just aren't many around that can handle me at my best like you."
"I did not mean to impose… But given the terms of our last encounter, we are left with little recourse." The interloper wore extravagant white regalia and gold trimmings, yet a black mask covered half his face.
"You were left with plenty of recourse. To let us walk and the House of the Heart stand from the ashes of the foundations you monsters created." Naruto's face twisted into a snarl, his hands sliding into his coat pockets.
Despite this seemingly calm gesture, Pierro could feel the very air intensify as the heat began to build. Soon, the air levels would reach combustible levels, yet he placidly stood and looked down into the demonic crimson gaze of the Demon. "There is no need for such hostility. I merely arrived to persuade you from your decision. Lady Tsaritsa does not wish for this to escalate, nor do any of us…"
"Lies." Naruto hissed as the very combusted and shimmered around him. Flames whipped and hissed around him, lashing and wounding him in the process. Blood dripped onto the concrete, yet he walked through the fire with steadfast determination. His blood mixed with the flames coating him, forging into aura armor over his flesh… An armor adorned with a mask…
A demonic Kitsune mask.
"I know of your history, Jester." Naruto's voice altered, and a second gravelly growl resonated alongside his voice as he undauntingly strolled toward Pierro, a single black ball of condensed energy forming and floating behind him. Standing directly before him, bleeding crimson eyes seared into the Jester's. "I know what you have done. I have seen the pain you inflict, warmonger. I want no part of it."
"I see… Alas, I forgot you would remember him because you are a Descender. … A critical err on our behalf… That puppet has been more trouble than he has been worth…" Pierro muttered. However, without breaking eye contact, his prestigious attitude did not waver. "Like I said before. This is but a courtesy offered by Lady Tsaritsa. She doesn't wish for anything to happen to you or to your family…"
His jaw rattled. Bone cracked in ways he had never experienced before. The ruins around shattered as he merely stumbled a few steps back. Pierro's eyes narrowed. He did not wish this to come down to violence. There was a reason they gave him the Zero Rank within the Harbingers…
As the first, he was confident he was the strongest of all the Harbingers… Until his induction alongside Arlecchino when together they killed Crucabena. The devastation they left together was immense, but it was clear one had far more destructive talent than the other…
And he had learned to harness and control it over years of training within the Abyss.
Standing before the Demon in only his first incarnation when there were eight others was not something he wished to test. But the boy had always been volatile and prone to violence.
"You are lucky I let you leave with a jaw. Threaten my family again, and nothing will be left of you but scorned ashes." A guttural growl escaped from Naruto's fiery crimson aura that burned around his bloody shell. "This is your last chance to leave with your dignity intact. Neither of us wish for this to come to violence for Lady Tsaritsa's sake. The House goes free… but we both know how this ends."
"So let's see just how cursed with immortality you are, Khaenri'ian."
The silence was deafening. The temperature was rising. It hadn't been this hot when they left… But now it felt like it was boiling, and they had made some distance from their picnic site and were already on the ferry back home.
Yet Father was not with them. He had returned for the first time in months, and they had a chance to spend time with them… And she had to go and pick those berries! And then they had to show up and ruin their wondrous day!
"Father will be okay, won't he, Lyney?" Heloir whispered with her head hung lowly.
"Hey now! Chin up." Lyney pouted, holding his hands on his hips, and frowned at his fellow family member. "Do you think I would have gotten as strong as I am without Father's help?"
"No…" Heloir shook her head, panting lightly, and the walk to the ferry exhausted her while Foltz rested, lying on one of the seats.
"That's right!" Lyney warmly smiled. "None of us would be as strong without Father's guidance and Mother's strict tutelage. It's a potent combination if I were to say so for myself, and I do! If we were to compare…"
"You talk too much, Lyney." Lynette sighed, her ears folding on the top of her head; she wiped the sweat from her brow. Then, with an annoyed glare, she patted Heloir on her back to comfort her.
"Ah-ha… Sorry. Got carried away." Lyney grimaced, seeing his commentary wasn't affecting anything. "I just wanted to point out how strong he was by comparing him toward us…"
"You needn't worry about Father." Arlecchino flatly cut off Lyney, sitting upon the back of the ferry, gazing distantly back toward the ruins. Her x-crossed eyes carefully scrutinized everything with great detail. "Lady Tsaritsa held uncompromised respect toward him. It was why he was the first ever to be delegated the Zero Harbinger… Rest assured, Lady Tsaritsa does not wish to escalate this situation…"
"Only the fools will be purged in the flames of retribution." Her eyes burned with a fiery glow as an ear-splitting thud resonated through everyone's eardrums and caused everyone's chest to recoil and reverberate.
Everyone turned back to the ruins, where Mother was looking to see a tower of flames where the ruins once stood. The fire pierced the heavens, reducing the landscape nearby to ash and cinders.
As her children stood in awe, a sly smile crawled on the corner of her lips as an old memory resurfaced. Clutching the scar on her chest, her eyes glistened as she watched the pillar of flames burn brightly. "Let us burn the taint of this world away…"
"And in it, our world will stand in its place."
(Naruto, Peruere, Age 16)
"There is no turning back…" Her voice quivered as black irises shone. A set of heels shakily clicked ascending the stone steps of the ruins Mother used for her Lumidouce Bell garden. It was time to end this farce once and for all…
"For our friends…" Her grip tightened around the saber in her left hand as she clutched her right chest, tracing the scar left by her friend in a fight they did not wish to partake in…
"We did what we could, Peruere… I'm sorry." His voice wavered as another set of footsteps echoed next to her, a broad claymore dragging through the stone steps behind him. Clenching his open fist before him, drawing blood, he winced as the blood melded before him. "If only I had learned of this sooner… Then maybe things could have been different…"
Glancing up into her friend's wounded and pained visage, her curse flared. She wished she could express her sorrow like he could. Instead, her misery…
Offering her free hand, her near expressionless gaze showed just a hint of compassion as her lips faintly hid a smile. "Let us end this… So another generation does not have to suffer our plight."
Cerulean eyes shimmered. He never thought he would have seen such a display of affection from Peruere, but here she was… Offering her hand?
"It really is dire, isn't it?" Naruto chuckled, interlacing his hand with hers as they ascended the steps together, seeing the woman responsible for all their pain waiting for them in the garden, weeding out the flowers. "For Clarvie… And the rest of the Hearth."
"How grotesque." She mused as they approached, holding out a wilted Lumidouce Bell. "I should have pruned these flowers, yet I waited til they wilted. Tis a shame, wouldn't you agree?"
"We come to end this, Mother," Peruere announced, her left hand turning black as a single blood-soaked angelic wing emerged from her back.
"Oh, have you? What a shame. I had hoped one of you would have decided to become my King." Mother's eyes twinkled in amusement, seeing Peruere's transformation. "The two of you were so promising… Sadly, you are both birds tied down to the nest and could never learn to fly. Tied down by your kindness and innocence. While beautiful qualities… They are useless!"
She burst forward, a geyser of water trailer behind her. She swiftly slashed her saber toward Peruere's throat, recognizing that a two-on-one fight, even with the children, would not be easy. As a Harbinger, she was skilled, but these children were talented…
"What?!" Mother screamed as a tower of flames and blood ruptured around, slamming her into the glass roof of her garden and cratering her into it.
And in the vortex of blood and flames stood before a kitsune and angel of blood and flames, hands interlaced, held toward her as energy for their debt gathered. "Mother… We have come to a decision."
"Our answer is no."
(Present Time)
"Ah, so it begins." A figure tipped his wide-brimmed hat, looking upon the tower of flames.
A malicious smirk graced his lips as a wicked laugh escaped him. "Well, now. I'm glad I know which side I choose to bet on. Those fools honestly think they stand a chance." With straps of his clothing flicking in the wind behind him as he began to move forward, he turned from the flames and wandered through the wilderness. "Good thing I've got a few scores. I need to settle myself."
"Let the games begin."
R & R