A/N: Can anyone see this chapter? Notifications are down yet again. Do let me know in the reviews!

There! That's Elden Ring caught up for the month! Slifer is working on Strings for next month. We were right to wait for the DLC~!

Now I can get back to Welcome to Heaven, RWBY, GOT, MHA, and the rest.

Short chapter this time. I'm not pushing myself too hard the rest of this month, lest I have another anxiety attack.

Just wanted to say, I appreciate you all! More feedback means faster updates! It's especially important, in these, trying times, with the main site notifications down. Every word counts and i appreciate you all! All these reviews really keep me inspired! Looking forward to hearing from you~!

Speaking of which, I finally bested the last boss on NG 4 after many hours, I've beaten the DLC...and I am dead inside.

What. Was. THAT ENDING?! How am I to sleep after that! The DLC also forced me to change up a few story beats in several of my stories for Elden Ring, while, oddly enough, enhancing others. Runt of the Litter -Naruto reborn as Godrick- and Forget Me Not -Naruto reborn as Miquella- come to mind. To say nothing of the others. Slifer and I are preparing a story given Marika's official origins now, and it's going to be a doozy.

As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes to legends far greater than little 'ol me.

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.

In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!

SPOILERS FOR SHADOWS OF THE ERDTREE AHEAD!

"Every Empyrean divests a part of themselves.

Some take it...quite literally.

Behold."

~?

Thy Descent

Into the depths they went.

Down, down, down, then down some more.

Ranni couldn't help but feel some small anxiety at that.

Into stone and shadow they went, through rock and soil and stone, deep into the earth; such did the elevator of Renna's Rise lead them down into the Lands Between. She did not fear the dark, hers was the chill of the cold moon and she feared naught. Such was her lot in life but she was well beyond it now, better equipped to face that which lay ahead. With the last of the baleful shadows felled -or so she could only assume, given the lack of challenge to their egress- they were able to penetrate the underground with relative ease.

Try as she might, she couldn't find the right words to say; granted, she knew there would be many trials to come, but they would face them all. Together.

Wouldn't they?

For his part, Naruto seemed content to keep the peace for now as well; he barely said a word as they delved into the dark.

Ironically first true resistance came in the form of a most unlikely creature. Namely...

Ants!

Giant ants!

Giant hairy ants!

Ranni took one look at them and shuddered, shivering all over.

Naruto noticed and granted her a rueful chuckle. "Didn't think you were afraid of bugs."

"Of course I'm afraid of bloody bugs!" she shrank behind him, clinging to his back with all four hands. "Why do you think I had a dragon outside my tower?!

A blond brow rose, made mildly incredulous by her seemingly simple statement. "For spiders?"

She growled into his spine. "Kill them with fire, Naruto! Kill them with fire! All the fire!"

"I dunno," he hummed, "They seem pretty harmless...

One of the creatures saw her and raised a foreleg in warning.

That small, girlish part of her soul took one look at the creature and-

"NOPE!"

Ranni jumped into his arms and screamed into his chest, legs flailing in the air.

Naruto raised his right hand and conjured a Rasenshuriken.

"Say no more."

(.0.0.0.)

Next, they passed through a city of false stars.

They did so stealthily; skulking in shadow. Ranni had no desire to treat with the Nox at present; the stoic women warriors guarded their eternal cities jealousy these days. She couldn't even bring herself to blame the lot of them, given what the Greater Will had inflicted upon their people. Although they too sought a Lord of Night, might not even accept her and Naruto as they were now. Best to give them a wide berth and come back later.

Much later!

So it was that they found another lift and came upon a more more...unusual adversary.

"Gah, what the hell?!" Naruto pinched his nose as they stood before the Lake of Rot, gagging violently. "What is this place?!"

Ranni edged into him. "The sight of a great battle. We mustn't linger."

He grimaced. "Don't gotta tell me twice.

No, they musn't stay here because-

"Vistors? How quaint."

Ranni sighed.

Damnit.

Naruto whipped around with a hiss. "Who said that?"

"I did."

Her dear consort eterna; squinted. "I don't see you."

"I am all around you, child." On came the voice again, and Ranni felt the weight of something settle upon her shoulders then, like the distant gaze of some unseen voyeur. "You stand in my domain, diminished though it may be."

The sorceress lifted her chin. "We have no quarrel with you, Lady of Rot."

Speaking was a mistake. She felt the Outer Goddess latch onto her like a limpet.

"Ah, Ranni. Little Ranni." her voice crooned the darkest of seductions. "Look how far you have come. I had thought to make you my vessel, but alas, your mother was ever vigilant against mine interference. Malenia is a poor and tawdry vessel by comparison."

Naruto stepped up to the short, blade in hand. "Who are you?"

"I am the Goddess of Rot. You stand in my domain, at the precipice of my Age. My time will soon come; and I have you to thank you for that. Come. Walk upon mine flesh and become a part of me. All shall be one in my glorious Age."

Ranni grimaced anew. Even a demigod could fall to the Rot. Radahn and Malenia were prime examples. One of them, they had managed to cure. The other...that would be a far more delicate matter, her brother was owed his vengeance. And they were, the two of them, alone. She was vaguely familiar with the legends; a blind swordsman had sealed the Goddess of Rot long ago.

But she hadn't though it would be here.

They weren't equipped to fight a goddess, even a sealed one.

Blast it all! The Two Fingers were laughing at her. She just knew it.

And then Naruto surprised her, as he often did. "Right, heard enough outta you."

Ranni glanced his way, not quite comprehending. "How do you expect us to cross thaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiieeee?!

Her words piqued into a decidedly shrill yelp as he swept her off her feet, into his arms, and leaped across the cavern, leaving her to cling onto him for dear life. A bitter breeze lashed at her hat and she grabbed at it with one hand whilst the other three held tight, terrified of falling, lest she make the mistake of looking down.

And look down she did.

"You can fly?!"

"Nope!" he winked her way. "Jump good! I mean, I can fly, but you aint seen nothing yet!"

They left the Goddess of Rot behind, leaving her to stew in the mire of her own madness.

"This isn't over! We shall meet again! Mark my words, we shall-

Naruto kept right on walking, uncaring of her rant.

The descent awaited.

With more bugs.

Yuuuck!

(.0.0.0.)

Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, would prove their next test.

A ghastly beast comprised of darkness and light most twisted and deformed, a mad amalgamation between a human skeleton and a some ghastly winged insect. It clattered forward on its many limbs to face them, mighty coblat black pincers clacking, lone eye glaring at them hatefully. Naught but hate in its heart this one, the desire to rip and red.

Also, giant bug. Her phobia reared its ugly head in her heart and she shuddered.

Why did it have to be a bug?! Not that! Anything but that!

Ew, eww, ewww!

"Jeez," Naruto flicked her a pitying look. "You really don't like bugs, huh?"

She glared heatedly at him. "No more than thou feareth ghosts!"

"Ha!" he laughed jovially. "Fair enough."

Astel loped closer, jaws clacking.

"How do we kill that?"

"Easily." he raised both hands and she had a moment to balk before he spoke again. "Close your eyes and cover your ears. BIJUDAMA!"

Ranniw as a second too slow.

Light.

Dark light.

Could light be dark?

The demigoddess blinked, her good eye squinting into the haze that followed. Her ears were ringing. She couldn't see straight; but once she could she immediately wished she couldn't; because what little remained of Astel was rapidly disintegrating into a pile of ash. Said ash was soon blown away by an errant breeze, conjured forth for her beloved. A flickering shard of grace beckoned across the cavern, utterly oblivious to the one-sided slaughter that had just transpired.

Ranni blinked several times. Squinted. Rubbed her eyes. Blinked again, now. "You one shot it…

Her beloved flexed a glowing arm. "Yup, sure did. Wasn't hard. He was pretty weak."

Weak?! That beast had been a monster born beyond the stars!

And now? It was ashes unto ashes, dust unto dust.

Naruto hadn't even broken a bloody sweat!

Ranni pinched the bridge of her nose to stifle her earnest anxiety. "I don't even know why I am surprised by anything you do anymore." she stood on the very tips of her toes and kissed his cheek, drawing a pleased flush to his face and an embarassed one to her own. Come," she murmured, averting her gaze beneath the brim of her hat. "The two fingers await."

And with them, the battle of her life, for the soul of the Lands Between.

Destiny awaited her and Naruto both.

It would be a fight for the ages.

A/N: Aaaand Scene.

Hope you enjoyed this lovely little chapter.

Well? What say you? Should this remain a story? Moreover, do you want weekly updates? Ya or nay! By all means, lemme know!

Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this little tale. Sad to say, but if folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? Well, I'll love the drive to continue it! I'm working two jobs during the holidays 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.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly?

Enjoy the previews~!

(Previews)

...will you marry me?"

Ah, but who was it that asked first?

"Heed my words. I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella. And I have never known defeat.

Naruto smiled. It was not a nice smile. "You're about to. I brought friends."

The doorway shimmered behind him. "Hello...sister."

"Usurper! Smoldering with thy meager flame of ambition! You shall not pass!"

Footsteps resounded behind him.

...I already have. I'll just be taking a look at the tree now...

Morgott rounded on them. How had he gotten past?!

In a frantic fit, he lunged at him!

"I want a daughter."

Naruto's throat closed. "Excuse me?!"

EDIT: 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.

As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. Not a one.

They're tributes to legends far greater than I.

Hope this chapter brightened your day!

Peace~!

R ~!