A/N: Aaaaand we're back~!

Slifer really came through helping me with this chapter.

My health has been...better. Between back and breathing problems I'm feeling the pains of being old. I still refuse to take those bloody muscle relaxers. Not a chance.

With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally 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. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. 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.

I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.

Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.

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. Disclaimer over.

Hope you enjoy~!

"The most terrifying force of death comes from the hands of men who just wanted to be left alone."

~?

Omen of Family

When Naruto had witnessed the blur that was the Elden Lord barreling towards him at speeds he could only just perceive, let alone track, a myriad of feelings had washed through the young Omen. It was truly amazing how much one's mind could emote in scant moments, but he was sure that the time it took between gut wrenching apprehension at what he expected to be a haymaker to flabbergasted disbelief at the fact that for the first time in this new life he hadn't been able to truly react. It served as a solemn reminder that for all his power and the touch of an Outer Goddess, he was still growing into his own power…

Or it would have been had he not been knocked flat by the tonal whiplash of Godfrey not lifting him onto his exceptionally broad shoulders and running a lap around the capital to announce his newly discovered grandfather status.

Great power did not always go hand in hand with stoicism he reasoned.

But in the few days that had elapsed since his and Albedo's arrival in the capital of the Lands Between, the pale haired young man had been met with a pleasant surprise.

Leyndell was marvelous.

Naruto hadn't a chance to truly appreciate it the first time around; he'd been shepherded by Godwyn and Ranni, too concerned about Albedo, and what may-or-may-not have been their impending executions. Golden Lineage or no, he knew from one of Morgott's many depressing diatribes that any adherent to the Golden Order was oath bound to dash them against the rocks at first sight.

Yet instead of an uncaring monarch of virtue, order and duty, Naruto had found Queen Marika the Eternal… well… a grandmother. One blessed with a divine body and power to shake the world but still, a woman who would rather enjoy a goblet of claret and read a book. His existence to her had amounted to a pleasant conundrum.

His eyes narrowed momentarily, pragmatism pushing through. He had had a Goddess for a 'Grandmother' in his first life and she had hardly been the most outstanding example of moral fiber…

Bah! What the hell, he'd verify her actions later; for now he'd enjoy his time in this magical place.

Now he had all the time in the world to see and stare, and so stare he did.

Albedo looked lovely in a gown of white and gold, her bright eyes shining, ebony hair washed so well that it almost seemed to glisten in the sun and the Erdtree. Ahh, the Erdtree, that had been a sight to see and sense to feel, the glittering light of grace seemed to flutter around Albedo and her new raiment.

He'd never seen someone so lovely and had accidentally said as much to her.

As far was mistakes went, it wasn't a bad one. His fellow Omen was practically preening after that slip of the tongue.

He knew Godwyn wanted -needed!- his help to find whomever was behind the Dung Eater; to prevent more murders and the like. But it was just so hard to focus on that today!

She looked so alive.

"Where should we go first?" Albedo danced by in a swirl of silk. "Should we visit the shops? Or perhaps the smithery? I know Brok is still working on that weapon of yours down below, but still!" she kept talking, not giving him a chance to pipe up. "Oh, oh! Maybe a bakery! There's so much to see and do!" It occurred absently to Naruto that Albedo must have read about bakeries in some of the few books they had been able to salvage in the depths.

She sashayed past him, hips swaying. His throat went dry and he shook his head to clear it.

"Don't get so far ahead, ya know!" he squawked, running a hand through the thicket of pale hair that sat around his horns.

The ebony haired omen whirled around, pale face red as a beet, and effected a low bow. "Forgive me, I let my emotions get the better of me again."

"S'fine," he waved a hand. "I like this more girlish side of you."

She looked away, fussing over her hair. "I see… I shall endeavor to become an abject stepford when you need it!" she exclaimed earnestly.

"Hrk!"

Then she was gone again, racing past. He held a hand out but pulled back, spotting the movements of the outlying guards moving to keep up with her. Did knowledge that these guards would not strike out at them really embolden her so?

The Formless Mother tutted in his head. "It is no sin to cling to that which makes us happy."

Naruto couldn't even bring himself to blame her. With Marika's blessing and guards to protect them, they were free to wander where they wished...within reason of course. Many a passerby still sneered, but none dared speak against either Omen.

Not with Great Godfrey himself looming over them all with Serrosh on his shoulder.

That said, Godfrey had proven to be quite an enthusiastic grandfather.

"Come!" his grandsire boomed a laugh. "This way!"

For someone who only recently had discovered that his wayward son had sired a child, Godfrey was taking to the position like a fish to water.

In other words, overzealous in his role to the point of embarrassment for all those around.

He wanted to show them everything the capital had to offer and today that included something he had never experienced in this life nor the one that preceded.

A Royal Parade.

After making their way through the multitude of Quabba adorned structures that littered the capital, gilded flowers atop marble stems, the Omen Prince, his winged consort and Elden Grandfather had been ushered through a series of illusory gates to better reach where they needed to be. The gates were only supposed to be used by the fist and second estates of clergy and nobility but the symbol of the Eternal Queen and snarling visage of Serosh had dissuaded any of the particularly prejudiced guards or priests from blocking their path so they made it through the city in a record time, even moreso given the heaving throng of lesser folk that were apparent by their noise.

Walking through a pillared skyway across a tributary of the great river of pedestrian traffic, Naruto let out an appreciative whistle, even on this smaller road the tide of pedestrian traffic was at least fifty wide and many hundreds deep before disappearing around the bend.

"A far cry from the depths, my boy?" Godfrey questioned, peeking down at Naruto, three feet in height and one spectral lion separating them.

That was putting it mildly.

"A far cry and then some, old man." He replied, looking over the people, their passage obscured by layers of illusion. "The most Omen you ever see in one place is…" he paused, considered his words then thought better of giving an exact number, "more than you'd think, but less than this."

A truth, albeit obfuscated. The reality was that the number of omens in the depths was far, far higher than anyone knew. After all, when the Lands Between had been flushing their omen kin into the sewers for aeons, they were going to find solace in one another… the ones that hadn't been gelded at birth anyway. The horned youth's face darkened, the atrocities that had been committed against his kind were without number and it was a horrifying thing to earnestly admit that the only thing that kept their population in check was a combination of murdering each other over scraps and the suicide rate.

Serosh warbled thoughtfully, Godfrey nodding curtly in turn, respecting his grandson's privacy for now. "It must have been a harrowing place to grow, but you survived it, and for that you must be strong. Something few here can honestly say," he muttered the last for only his ears to hear.

"Do you like it here?" Naruto asked, curious of the man that was the strongest mortal in the world.

"Hmm… I can't say I don't love the capital, young grandson, the Elden Ring is close at hand and all its glow and splendour are what I earned. But, as the saying goes, hard times breed strong men, strong men breed easy times, easy times breed soft men-"

"-and soft men breed hard times." Naruto finished, looking up at the bearded man. The Elden Lord smiled, pleased with the answer and show of light defiance, likely used to people being in sniveling deference to his power. Passing into an annex, a wash of noise and the rumble of endless steps fell over them and they arrived at a grand stand.

It was several stories in height and formed from hundreds of metal and wooden vines painted a sumptuous gold and arranged into a stand that ascended in tiers, the top of which were covered by silk coverings to shade the occupants, all bearing the sigil of the Erdtree.

Albedo's wings flapped happily, she was clearly enraptured by the spectacle and waited for Naruto and Godfrey to come level with her. "Oh, my lord Naruto, they have set out a stand befitting of your arrival!" she exclaimed.

Naruto cringed internally while Godfrey boomed a laugh that shook the stairs, slowly ascending them. "An earnest assumption, but a tad off the mark young omen, thy dedication to the gratification of thy consort should be most lorded. But nay, today is but a trooping of the color from visitors and vassals."

As the trio and their entourage of guards ascended the steps, Godfrey explained that Leyndell and Marika's dominion was known of world over and it was something well worth marking from other kingdoms and fiefs as well as other nations marking their respect to the Eternal Queen. Reading between the lines, Naruto was able to see this for what it was, his Grandfather wished to show them the standard of life which he was entitled to as a descendant of the Golden Lineage.

Arriving at the tiered landings at the top of the grand stand, they were privy to a spectacular view of the main thoroughfare that ran from the gates of Leyndell and along most of the city, hedged on both sides by tens of thousands of people all giving their praises to the royal family of demigods. Three landings were arranged in a trio of tiers with one rising above the other two by a slight gradient, each festooned with several thrones, numbering eight in total, all save one with a smaller secondary throne.

Of the eight, only three were currently occupied, the largest and most splendid of them all belonging to Marika who relaxed into its obsidian and golden pillows with a golden goblet in her hand that she sipped from. Spotting Godfrey and her grandson, she graced them with a magnificent smile and small nod of acknowledgement. To her left sat Godwyn in a smaller but no less plush throne, he sent a pleasant wave Naruto's way which the horned youth returned. Lastly, Ranni sat in a throne of her own several seats down marked with glintstone and a darkened moon. The haughty redhead gave Naruto a sideways glance before turning her nose up with a pout.

"Quite the view, isn't it," Godfrey said, leaning his axe against his own throne before indicating a comparatively simple throne roughly the size of Ranni's next to Godwyn's. "Your throne, dear Grandson."

Walking along the line of thrones with Albedo in his shadow, Naruto looked upon each seat as he passed it, quickly realizing that the smaller adjacent seats were for consorts before arriving at the one he had been shown to. It was carved from a rich mahogany with black leather quilted upholstery and a pair of ivory horns poking from either post that framed the back of the chair. Across the apex of the chair, carved deep into the mahogany he read the carved but faded name set into the wood.

Morgott. His father's throne.

Slowly easing himself into it, Naruto set his mind awhirl, a deluge of thoughts and scenarios at work in his mind. There was meaning here, in this placement, in this moment, a lowly omen from under the world sitting in his father's throne, overlooking allies and enemies alike. If Morgott was an Omen, why keep his throne? If they had confined Morgott and Mohg to the sewers at their birth for being Omens, why would Marika and Godfrey be so easy in seemingly welcoming him and Albedo into the fold? There was so much at work here… but he would not be a patsy to machinations and fate, he would bring about change by his own means.

Albedo sat beside him in her consort's throne, wings gathered behind her for extra cushioning. Her hand came to rest over his. "What happens now?"

"Now," Naruto lent forward, a chorus of Carynx signalling the beginning of the parade, "we see that which we shall overcome."

A parade is a strange thing.

It was a banal statement but one that held much truth when one sat down to consider it. Hundreds if not thousands of troops, performers and musicians, many of whom had never met before or would ever meet again gathering together to play for the adoration of those that looked on at them. This served three purposes, diametrically opposed in their intent but the same in their execution.

Entertainment, inspiration and intimidation.

Appropriately then, the procession was headed by clergy and warriors of the Golden Order, a block of them in white and gold. Their front line was two dozen men and women, half of which waved burning incense burners and the other half bearing gleaming silver and gold partisans at parade rest. As they advanced, the clergy hummed ancient hymns in a susurus of prayer to Marika, the white smoke frothed from the alloyed censers while the warriors of the church began to twirl their partisans in hypnotic movements.

Then came the soundscape, for while the initial impetus had been heralded by the haunting call of the carnyx the Golden Order's apostates hefted looping horns from which hung Erdtree streamers, filling the air with glorious tenors of sound.

"What a racket," Albedo said, her face implacable, "they should be bearing your banners, it's an insult to head a parade in your honor with the banners of those who would see you ground to pulp." Despite the words that might have been spoken in a tone so sweet it might have induced diabetes, and the words themselves being heresy of the highest order, she actually drew an exhalation of laughter from Marika.

"They are a tad stuffy, and I rather the strings than the horns but they bow their heads to me, and in doing so show they are lessor. But lessor is not without worth, the mightiest ziggurat cannot stand without those that support it." Marika introspected, illuminated by the light of the Erdtree.

The banter between Goddess and Omen was drier than a desert and thrice as harsh for those who couldn't read the room, but the assembled demigods and Golden Lineage were instead focused on the endless stream of people, Godfrey grinning at the militaristic thump of drumbeats and lockstep. His own troops were decked out in full parade regalia, gleaming steel polished to mirror shine and marched to the perfect beat of their outlying war drummers.

Despite himself, Naruto found himself fascinated by the coordination of hundreds of drummers who did not have sheets to refer to notes. Hands clad in segmented cestus span fur tipped drumsticks as if it was as easy as breathing, rattling out complicated and uplifting percussion that made the horns of the golden order seem like a mournful dirge.

And on and on the procession went, ranging from Leyndell's local guard serving as vanguard for a four thousand horse cavalry parade adding the clopping of iron bound hooves to the swelling of sound. Then came something much more interesting to Naruto;s perspective.

Visitors from foreign lands.

The Samurai of Ashina were a full coterie one hundred strong and wore familiar kabuto style samurai armour, Yumi bows and the familiar curved blades of Katana and Tachi worn sheathed at their sides. As they passed in impeccable lockstep, their leader, a scarred gentleman in a pale blue kimono and gold Kabuto helmet saluted the Eternal Queen. Naruto was transfixed, after so many years in the sewers in a world he knew not his own, it was oddly bizarre to see a familiar sight from his old world.

More foreign nations and principalities admitted their members, each bringing its own unique sight and sound to the parade. But as more and more groups moved passed, it truly began to set into Naruto just how much power Leyndell wielded, how many nations paid them respect.

The Onion Knights of Catarina, the giant slayers of distant Drangleic, Astora, Lordran, the Vilebloods of Cainhurst and scholars of Bergynrowth. It went on and on and on.

Through all of it, Godwyn the Golden watched his nephew with intrigued eyes and an easy smile. He was glad things were going so smoothly, because his own actions he had had to do to poor Morgott to bring Naruto to his home, the golden prince was glad that he seemed to be enjoying himself. So it was with supreme willpower that he kept his composure when a shadow reared up from the shade cast by his throne. It was not something he could truly see, not anyone could see but he knew it was there through its connection to Death, a darkness that cast a shadow on the bleakness of oblivion.

"You should have left the Omen in the sewers. He intrudes upon things he does not understand." a voice spoke from the dark.

Godwyn did not speak in response, instead subtly manipulating magic in the air to emulate speech for the thing to hear. "He does so on my behalf."

"You overreach yourself, Godwyn… do not meddle in the chain of fate."

And just like that it was gone, leaving Godwyn with a feeling of foreboding.

He blinked away with an easy smile, not noticing that his mother's gaze had briefly drifted to his shadow.

A grand fanfare shifted everyone's focus and all the members of the royal family sans Naruto brightened, the horned youth raising a pale eyebrow in interest.

Down below, at the head of a small army of figures clad in blue and red armour, rode four figures on horseback. One was huge, a maintain of a man donning lion themed armour and a plume of verdant red hair, twin black steel greatsword slung across his back. His immense bulk was sat upon an impossibly small horse but the little steed, scrawny as he was, offered no complaint. Naruto wondered how the little creature could support the mountain of a man but his keen eyes spied a glow of purple around his stirrups.

At his side rode another man in his late thirties, austere and regal but not without a level of jovialness to his bearded face, even at this distance his serpentine orange eyes picked out the denizens of the royal entourage and Ranni inclined her head.

Behind the two men rode a man and woman, both tall and refined, one a truly beautiful woman with a narrow aristocratic face and tall crown while the other was a redhead like his apparent sons, only his eyes were the same gold as Marika's.

All the pieces fell into place in Naruto's mind as he looked over the missing thrones, finally, the Demigods… his family had assembled.

Now, things would get interesting.

A/N: Aaaand scene.

Once more, we're sticking with the now infamous "Embers" rule for this particular 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 will remain, but it won't progress. 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.

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?

Here, have some previews.

Some are the same.

And as ever.

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

HERE BE SPOILERS!

(Preview)

Naruto pouted, an action that seemed bizarrely cute given his horns. When he had first seen the Carian Queen amidst the totality of martial and arcane might, he had thought her to be a cool and aloof beauty, only to be blindsided but just how… how…

MOTHERLY SHE WAS!

Rennala tutted softly, running the comb through his messy tresses. "Dear boy, you simply must take care of your hair."

"How are you so nice? Ranni's such a...a…"

"Brat?"

"That!"

She giggled, weaving a ribbon into his hair, "Finding someone able to match you tends to curb your delusions of grandeur, little culver."

Naruto scoffed, "I'd think myself a Shrike…"

"Nonsense, while you may not be a dove, you are hardly the bird of torture."

"You don;t know me."

"I know you never knew a mothers love," Rennala hummed sincerely, "So little one, before we decide what bird you shall be, let me give you wings."

"...you have a daughter?

"I do." Rykard preened. "She's nearly of an age with you. Would you care to meet her?"

Albedo bridled behind him.

"Why are you crying? This is your doing. You said it yourself; you'd rather feel pain yourself than inflict it. You choose to be neutral.

But you know what happens when you play both sides?

In the end, everybody loses.

This is the result. You've learned a lesson few seem to grasp. Sometimes, to protect one thing, you need to have the resolve to let go of another. You're not weak. Break your chains. Even if your decision is wrong, its your decision. You started this, after all."

I'm not wrong. What's wrong is this messed up world! And I'm gonna fix it.

EDIT: Hey, you made it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was a blast to write.

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

Seriously, writing only to receive silence hurts. It hurts alot.

Tired,

~Nz.

R&R~!