Chapter 10
Seiros smiled tranquilly at her tea, a glow about her that anyone who knew her could clearly see; if you hadn't witnessed the past 20 minutes, you wouldn't even be able to tell she had been balling her eyes out. Bright brown in color, its smell hinted at an herb she'd had many times, yet despite the delicious aroma, she had not taken a single sip from it. Looking up, she found that the other two occupants of the round table did not share her thoughts.
The whiskered kid was carefully sipping at the cup while his floating companion hovered over him. She could tell the heat of the brew was a bit too much for the boy by how tiny the sips were. If it wasn't for his expressionless reaction, Seiros thought the scene would have been cute.
As for Sothis? Her nostrils twitched as she took in the aroma of the brew. "This tea...Chamomile? You still remember my favorite brew?"
If possible, Seiros's glow seemed to brighten as she replied, "Of course I remember, Mother. Hard not to when you used to make us repeat the brewing to the point where even the temperature was proper."
"Hmph! Your memory is clearly failing you, Seiros. I remember having to repeat myself multiple times to get the lesson to finally stick into your head. I mean, honestly, you failed so many times that I began wondering if I'd accidentally dropped you during your infancy."
"Your expectations for brewing tea was simply too demanding, Mother. How was I meant to brew when you were constantly over my shoulder?"
"What did you expect? There's only so many times I can watch you screw up before I begin to worry about our supply. I had to make sure you didn't right."
"It, was difficult, at the time..."
"How hard is it to brew tea? Your siblings did it well enough, and you are of their blood. What sets you from them?"
"Maybe the fact that I was but a few Moons while my siblings were many name days?"
"Hmph, excuses like always. You truly haven't changed at all, Seiros."
"And you are just as impatient as I remember, Mother." Despite coming off as insults, the two greenettes' smiles were something only a mother and child could share. It made Naruto suddenly feel like an outsider peeking in, which would simply not do.
"Onee-san," the blonde broke the serene atmosphere, getting both pairs of eyes to fall on him. "Why does she keep calling you 'Mom'?"
The expressions on the mother's and daughter's faces were both one of incredulousness.
"I know you not to be daft nor blind, Child." Sothis said. "Look at her. She's my spitting image!" Naruto looked to the daughter, who seemed to have taken the comment as praise. Despite Sothis's claim, he couldn't see the resemblance.
"But isn't she older than you?" The slack jaws courtesy of the mother-daughter duo were picture-worthy.
"Y-you brainless buffoon! I've told you I am NOT a child! It's this form that is young, not I!"
The blonde blinked at the Divine. "Then how old are you, Onee-san?" Sothis opened her mouth but considered the question. Both hands then came to her face as she began counting on her fingers.
"I do believe it is impolite to ask a lady her age," Seiros said, coming in with the save.
"Why?" Was the boy's flat response, causing the mint-haired woman's smile to strain.
"You sure do ask a lot of questions, Child."
"That's because no one ever really answers them, but I learned that if I continue to ask, then someone eventually will answer me."
Instead of deeming him with a reply, Seiros turned to the still-counting Divine. "You have quite the peculiar vessel, Mother.
"Sothis halted in her count to take in what had been said. When she did, her nonexistent chest puffed out in pride. "He may not look like much, but he is a bright child—one that has gained my favor."
"I see..." Seiros gaze turned analytical as she looked to boy who her mother says has gained her favor. "Tell me, boy, where is your father?"
"I don't have one." The blonde replied flatly, getting a look of shock from the Archbishop.
"Did something happen to him?" She asked, Sothis able to hear a hint of loss in her voice.
"He died." The blonde said before a strange look crossed his stoic features. "At least, that's what Hokage-jiji says. I don't think he's lying, but whenever I ask who my Dad is, he never really answers me..."
"Ho, kahgei?" Seiros tested the foreign word, it sounding strange on her tongue. "I'm, not familiar with the term."
The boy blinked. "You don't know who the Hokage is?"
"More like she doesn't know what a 'Hokage' is, Child." Sothis piped in, getting him to tilt his head in what Seiros thought was confusion.
"But everyone knows what a Hokage is. He's the strongest. How do you not know?"
"She doesn't know because she is not familiar with the terminology. The language of your world is foreign to that of Fodlan."
If possible, Naruto looked even more confused. "But we're all speaking the same language, aren't we?"
Seiros peered at the boy. "Have you not realized you've been speaking the Nabatean's tongue this entire time, Child?"
Naruto blinked at the Archbishop as if she'd grown a second head. "No I haven't. I've been speaking Elementian."
Seiros looked lost for words at the admission while a hand came to Sothis's chin in thought. "Hmmm, I hadn't even realized it. The differences are subtle, but there... This world may not be as separated as I'd once thought."
"I, don't understand." Seiros voiced, to which Sothis was all too ready to elaborate.
"Fodlan, it is not of the same world as my ward's, but is of the same plain of existence—possibly stars away, but connected all the same. It would explain why I was able to grasp their language so quickly."
"Wait, Mother, you are not making any sense. Same world? Not of Fodlan? Are you saying he comes from the Blue Star as you are?"
Sothis looked perplexed at her daughter's words. "Blue Star? What are you talking about, Seiros?"
"Where you come from, Mother. Surely you remember, no? How the legends say you descended from a Blue Star onto Fodlan?" Seiros pushed, looking as if her world would fall apart if her mother did not confirm the statement. Sothis's face scrunched up in confusion, but she gave no confirmation.
"I, do not remember coming from...somewhere... A star... It's, familiar, but..." A hand went to her head as if it would burst. "How did I get here? Why did I come? It's all so, foggy..."
This was all becoming too hard to follow for the Jinchuuriki.
Other worlds? Plain of existence? It was becoming 'adult talk' again, and whenever there was 'adult talk' the adults in the situation typically always left him out, which was completely unfair.
Thankfully, Seiros brought a more worrying matter back to the blonde. "Tell me, boy, are you not Byleth Eisner?"
The boy blinked at the Archbishop and replied, "No, I'm Uzumaki Naruto."
A hand went to Rhea's head, a look of bewilderment similar to her mother's crossing her features. "This, doesn't make any sense..."
"Who is this 'Byleth Eisner'?" Sothis queried. "I've not heard the name before. They must be of some importance for you to mistake my ward for them. Could they, perhaps, be one of my grandchildren?"
"That, is not too far from the truth, Mother." Seiros assented, hesitant under her mother's analytical gaze. Thoughts suddenly warred within her, fist tightened under the table as she suddenly found the wooden structure to be very fascinating.
"Well? Are you going to explain or not?" Sothis did not miss the way the woman tensed more at her words. After nearly a minute of silence, the woman finally built the courage to reveal whatever it was she had hidden.
And what a revelation it was.
Konoha
Hiruzen looked down at the four ANBU prostrating before him. They'd been like that for the last 5 minutes—a small show of cruelty they were sure not to forget after this meeting. Considering the situation, they deserved far worse, but it was hard to blame someone for a perceived 'failure', especially if you witnessed said 'failure' with your own eyes.
"...So, you mean to tell me Naruto-kun simply 'vanished'?" As hard as it was to believe, it was true.
Through his telescope orb, he'd seen the exact moment the boy had entered the training grounds. The ANBU had cleared the area as their job demanded, and the boy did not enter with any third party. There were no seals present at the scene, and the boy did not do anything that warranted suspicion aside from the sudden need to go to Training Ground 3.
Then, as the ANBU had reported, he vanished. Not in a puff of smoke, not a slow dissipation of one's form, not even an afterimage. The boy was simply there one moment, then you blinked and he was gone.
Hiruzen remembered his eyes nearly leaving his skull, much like the ANBU, at the impossibility. No self-respecting Shinobi would believe that the boy simply 'disappeared', let alone their freaking Jinchuuriki.
Which was why he had to, at the very least, put on such an act. This way, at least no one but he and the ANBU in the room knew he also fell for whatever trick the Uzumaki likely pulled. Sorry, Cat. It wasn't personal...well, it was, but surely she wouldn't see it that way, right?
"It is as I've reported, Hokage-sama. My watch has lost track of the Jinchuuriki. We take full responsibility for this blunder."
Cat, the ever-devoted one she is, was already taking all the blame. This made it all the easier to shift any blame off his shoulders. Sorry, Cat, but you volunteered, not me.
Just as that thought passed, a knock sounded at his door. Dismissing the ANBU into the shadows for now, he called out for the one on the other side of the door. Upon opening, the Jonin he had called in prior to his ANBU's arrival.
Shimura Kagero walked in to stand tall before him, her features as stoic as ever. "You wish to see me, Hokage-sama?"
"...I suppose I don't need to ask?" Hiruzen started off the bat, knowing well that the 13-year-old already knew their situation.
"...Hai, Hokage-sama. I was already in the midst of investigating when I was summoned...and no, Hokage-sama. ROOT had nothing to do with the Jinchuuriki's sudden disappearance."
Ah, blunt as ever. At least that saved him the need to play these games. "And your findings?" To his disappointment, the girl shook her head.
"There is not even a trail, Hokage-sama. However, I did feel another surge of the Jinchuuriki's chakra before the events. I believe it has something to do with the Jinchuuriki's sudden disappearance."
A hand immediately came up to massage the bridge of his brow, a headache forming. "And what do you think are our chances of finding him?"
"Truthfully? I do not find the odds favorable. Without a trail or a trace, then the only thing we can really do is search every nook and cranny of the village, or wait until he finds his way back."
That headache was getting worse.
"...Continue the search, but stick to your agents and keep things discreet. We do not need a panic."
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
Monastery: Rhea's Room
The three sat in silence amidst the end of Seiros's tale—or more like 'confession'. Most went right over the younger boy's head, either not knowing, or caring, about such history.
The only thing Naruto found worth listening to was the fact that Seiros 'created' someone.
The mother, Sitris (he thought that was her name at least) was created in hopes of reviving his Onee-san. In order to do that, she placed his friend's 'Flame Stone thingy' inside Sitris, who turned out to not have what was 'necessary' to revive his Onee-san. When this 'Byleth' was born, she was 'stillborn'...whatever that meant. To save her life, the Sitris lady asked Seiros to take her heart, the Flame Stone thingy, and place it inside Byleth. She did so, and in doing so, she created the 'perfect vessel' to revive his friend. If not for this 'Jeralt', Byleth would have likely been...um...played? Played with? Until she had the perfect body for his friend.
It all sounded evil and mean...Yet the boy couldn't say he was particularly interested in it all. He had his friend, so why should he care about something that ultimately ended up not hurting anyone?
But wanna know who did care?
Sothis—the 'Progenitor God' cared very much.
A haunted look marred her features. Her daughter's words had clearly struck her far more than any other in the room. Memories of a time far past played constantly in her mind—visions of a society she'd built herself.
In a society, and time, she could honestly say she was 'happy'.
"Julius...Penelope...Athena...they're all..." Her voice sounded lost, far from the commanding confidence it once held. Seiros saw this, and any melancholy she was feeling was replaced with panic.
"F-forgive me, Mother. It was not my intention to bring you such sorrow. I should have been more considerate of how such a reveal would make you feel."
"No, Child. I, needed to know this... Thank you, Seiros."
The Nabatean felt no joy despite the thanks. Instead, determination filled her. After centuries, the time had finally come for her to fulfill this world's rightful order—for this world to go back to the way things should have been.
"Mother, we cannot bring back the dead, but we can build from the past to a better future." She started, succeeding in getting her mother to look at her in confusion. A smile came to her face as she said, "You have found a vessel, Mother. A vessel more perfect than even its predecessors. In a few years, it will be ready for you to take as your own, and you can reclaim what is rightfully yours." Seiros missed the way the boy looked at her, but did not miss her mother's.
"Seiros, what are you implying?" Sothis asked, a warning in her tone. Unfortunately for Rhea, she was far too ecstatic to hear it.
"The boy, Mother," Seiros said, looking to said boy as if he were but a solution rather than a human being. "He is the key, Mother. The one capable of holding your being. With his life, you will be able to be reborn again!" Rhea became more animated as she spoke, her smile looking almost deranged. Naruto, on the other hand, was beginning to feel ill. He didn't understand everything the lady said, but he knew he didn't like it. Her smile looked scary, and he didn't like the way she was looking at him. It made him feel like he wasn't a person, but a thing; much like the people back home. This woman was looking at him as if he could be used, and he wanted her to stop. "If you will allow it, I can take you to your throne now. I'm sure sitting upon it will give you the necessary power for you to-"
"You will not harm this child."
Seiros froze upon hearing the words. Over and over, the words played in her head, yet she still couldn't compute what she'd just heard come out of her mother's lips.
"I'm, sorry?" She had to speak, trying to get understanding where there was none. Understanding on why those words had been spoken and why her mother was now glaring down at her while floating almost protectively in front of the vessel.
"I care not for whatever machinations you have for him, nor will I allow them. This boy has gained my favor, and I have sworn to nurture his growth until he has become worthy to stand above all. I will not tolerate any harm to come to him, even from my own blood."
Seiros gawked, her tongue failing her upon hearing her mother's words. "M-Mother, this...I don't mean to question you, but, surely you jest?" She tried, her tone now desperate for understanding as she turned to reasoning. "This world needs you. Only your leadership can restore it to its natural order—like how things used to be. He, is but one boy—one life for potentially millions more you can nurtur! Only with your power can these people fall back in line! A-and if it is children you seek, then you can make more! It will be just like-"
"I've heard enough, Seiros." Sothis said with finality, the Archbishop's mouth shutting immediately upon hearing her mother's stern tone. "I have heard your words, Child, and I have heard enough. You are far too ruled by your emotions. They have blinded you to the point of-"
"I-I am not blind, Mother! These humans cannot be-"
"Do not interrupt me when I am speaking!" Seiros cowered—actually cowered—under the sudden pressure her mother's glare exuded. A hand clasped over the fist in her lap, a nervous gesture she'd held since long ago. Her entire body had stiffened, her body that of a woman, but her mind reverting to that of a child once again—a child who rarely garnered her mother's ire but witnessed and feared it all the same.
Watching her child cower before her brought Sothis no joy. Rarely had any of her children drown her ire, but she knew how to be firm when needed. Coddling was never her path, and now wasn't the time to start. She believed in a firm hand, and she needed to make sure Seiros remembered that.
When next she spoke, it was not with gentleness but with the sternness of a mother.
"Listen and listen well, Seiros. I care not for the lies you have spread, nor the things you have done since my absence. It is a discussion we shall have for another time, and be assured that you will answer for any and all of your actions. But for now, you will heed my words. Don't speak, listen." Sothis added at the end just in case the point hadn't gotten across yet. "There will be no more of these 'creations', nor will there be anymore lies. My time has come and gone, and I will not live knowing what my child has done to bring me flesh once again."
Seiros's bottom lip trembled at the words.
"Furthermore, there will be no more blood shed under my name. Ever. It is NOT based on my teachings, and these lies will cease along with any plans you have for these children. Humans are not toys to be played with, nor manipulated. They are meant to grow under guidance, not oppression. Cease this at once, or so help me, I'll have you bend over my knee before all of Fodlan! Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
Seiros did not feel the need to point out how outdated such a punishment was, especially considering the woman's age. The stern frown on her face said that she was more than ready to follow through with her threat, and Rhea had no plans on being humiliated.
The grip on her fist tightened, Seiros's lip trembling as she remembered everything taken from her—remembering who was taken from her. How losing one life changed her life forever and turned her into the woman she was today. All the things she'd done to avenge her mother, all the things she'd sacrificed to see her again, how could she just forget all of it? How could she forgive?
"I...I can't." She couldn't forgive. She could stop the lies; they meant nothing to her. She could admit them proudly, but she would not apologize for them. Humans have proven they can't be trusted. If not for her lies, there would have been no order. The humans would continue to go unchecked with their blasphemous ways, and she would be left alone once more. "I, I can't forgive them. Not after what they've done to you."
The sigh Sothis let out held disappointment, her following words twisting Seiros's gut further. "...You've lived for so long, yet you still act like the child I raised."
"Why, Mother? I, I just don't understand." Seiros sounded almost pleading, desperate to understand her mother's lack of animosity—desperate to understand how her stance hasn't changed even after knowing all that's become of her and her children. "After everything they've done, after everything they've taken from us. They've proven they cannot be trusted! They've proven that force is all they know! So why? Why do you defend them? I just, I just don't understand..."
Tears were falling down her cheeks once more. The battle between yielding to her mother's wishes and her hatred warred within her like a storm. She couldn't let it go.
"It hurts, Mother. This pain... I, I don't want to lose anymore..."
She tried. For years, she tried not to think about what she had lost, yet even after millennia, the past still haunts her dreams. The screams of her brethren, the pleas for mercy, the children, she couldn't-
Something soft and warm touching her hand stopped her sobs cold. The touch was followed by that same warmth rubbing against her head, forcing her to acknowledge its source. Through blurry eyes, she found a head of yellow standing next to her. Blinking away the tears, she could now clearly see the blonde kid standing next to her on the tips of his toes. Despite garnering her attention, the boy did stop in his menstruations, his stoic face unchanged as those seafoam orbs peered into her eyes.
"There, there. Don't cry, Lady." She heard him whisper, the Nabatean unable to keep the confusion from showing. Seeing her confusion, the boy explained his actions by saying, "My Onee-san did this for me once. It made me feel better."
Seiros didn't understand. Did the boy not listen to what she'd said? What she had done? Or did he simply not comprehend? He was young, yet he should still be able to understand her words and the hatred she held.
"You, should hate me." She voiced just that, yet the boy's hands did not stop, nor did his features change.
"You gave me my Onee-san, and she means everything to me. You are also her family, so I can never hate you." The words were spoken like a true child. He knew not the depths of her crimes, nor did she think he knew what would become of him if she had succeeded in giving her mother flesh. In the end, his words were but wind. "I'm also going to change the world one day. To do that, I need to understand people. I don't think I understand you yet, but I know people hurt you, and you hurt people because you're still sad."
The hand on her head left to join the one on her own. The boy's features suddenly changed. His brow furrowed ever so slightly, and she could now see a determination many wouldn't be able to catch on his stoic face. "So I'm going to fix you. No matter how long it takes, I'm going to help you until you like people again. That's a promise, and I always keep my promises, dattebayo."
Seiros stared at the boy who couldn't be no older than five. He was but a child, yet he held a fire she could not deny. He was but a child, yet he spoke as if what he would do was fact and not ideal. It was like a light in a sea of dark you just couldn't ignore. It was bright, inviting, and warm. It reminded her of...of...
Her gaze broke from the boy to her mother. The disappointment was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she was looking down—not at her, but at the boy. A big, dare she say, proud split her face. It was a sight she hadn't seen in millennia.
At that moment, she understood her mother's words from before. She turned back to the boy, a vision of shock on her face as she looked at him, truly looked at him for what she thought was the first time. His words were but wind, but they calmed her. They did not change how she felt, but the look her mother gave him was, reassuring, as if she truly believed his words even though he was just a child.
Hesitantly, a hand came to rest on his cheek. The whisker marks were, surprisingly, rough against her hand. His expression did not change, yet the way he leaned into her touch did things to her heart she didn't think possible.
"You were right, Mother," she said wistfully, a smile coming to her face as she stared into those Seafoam eyes. "This boy, truly is special."
...
Seiros smiled serenely as the moonlight glinted off the cobblestones of the monastery's courtyard. She had been living here since she was chosen by the Church of Seiros as its leader, and she wished to show it off as one of her accomplishments to the one she held above all. A big part of her wished that seeing this would be enough for her mother to reconsider, give Fodlan a chance once more and take her rightful place above the humans. But alas, she knew her mother, and knew that once her mind was set, there was no changing it no matter what.
Sothis and Naruto followed Seiros in wonder, taking in the sight of the picturesque statues and ornately carved arches. They had heard of the place from the Nabatean but nothing could compare to the grandeur of the place in its evening splendor.
Seiros paused in the center of the courtyard, gesturing grandly to the towering spire of the Monastery Chapel overshadowing them both.
"This is my home," she said with a smile. "It is here that I have worked alongside the Church of Seiros for many years... and it is here that I have found the peace I need to aid in my mission." Sothis nodded in admiration, feeling her own soul ignite in the presence of such a holy place dedicated to her. She would be fooling herself if she didn't acknowledge the pride she felt in her daughter for building such a structure in her name.
Meanwhile, Naruto couldn't help but think of the homeliness of the place and the legendary heroes and divine creatures that had likely passed through its gates. The knights they passed greatest him with a smile, which was already a vast contrast to the glares he got back home; they, for some reason, not acknowledging his friend at all.
As the night wore on, Seiros led them through each section of the monastery, pointing out the unique features that made it such a special place. Each step brought a new story or lesson, until eventually, the pair found themselves standing on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the sprawling landscape below. As the wind blew across the cliff, they felt as if they were standing between the heavens and the earth—the divine chanting of prayers carrying up from the Monastery echoing in the air.
Seiros smiled warmly next to her mother, wishing she could enjoy the scene even more with just a little bit of physical affection. 'This is where I come to find my strength,' she whispered, her voice barely audible over the night breeze.
Sothis nodded, finally understanding why Seiros had chosen this place as her home. With a shared smile, the three stared out into the night, feeling blessed to share this moment together in such a place as this.
When they were done, they returned to her quarters. Small talk was shared between the mother and daughter before Sothis brought her attention to a more pressing matter.
Rhea observed the parchment she'd signed. With this 'contract', the boy would be able to 'summon' her, as well as the other way around. She didn't exactly understand how that worked, nor did she understand the need to do these 'hand-signs'. It sounded needlessly complicated when using words was a lot more efficient, but she wouldn't question her mother.
They now stood in silence, Seiros understanding what needed to happen, yet not wishing it to. Nevertheless, she asked her mother one last question, "When, will I see you again?"
"We cannot say," Sothis let her down. "The world this one inhabits is not kind. He is an important asset to his village...which means we must now deal with the repercussions of his rashness upon our return." Said buffoon looked away sheepishly. Disheartened but not deterred, Seiros decided to go for a compromise.
"Then will you promise to visit? It won't be much, but it will bring me much joy to have you by my side, even for a bit. You may also use that time to regain what was lost. You have not been here long, yet your divine power agrees with Fodlan."
Sothis blinked rapidly at the claim. Looking down at her hands, she reached in to pull on her power. Her eyes widened at what she found.
"Wow, you're right! I feel... I feel almost complete. My power is flowing through much more smoothly than it had ever before..." Sothis paused as a realization came to her. "Is this why you can see me? Because I am now complete?"
"I know not, Mother. However, if that is the case, then it is prudent that you return often."
The Divine's eyes narrowed at her offspring. "You're only saying that to get me to return, aren't you?"
Seiros smiled innocently and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about."
A bit more banter was shared before Sothis reached into her mind to find their way home. While she searched, Rhea looked down to the blonde boy who also met her gaze.
"You make sure to take care, OK?" She said, kneeling down to come into eye contact with the boy.
"You too, Priest Lady." The name brought a smile to her
"And make sure you listen and take good care of my Mother, OK? She can be a handful at times, but she always means well."
"I heard that," said the mother while continuing her search. Naruto stared into the warm look of the Archbishop before replying not with a confirmation, but a promise.
"I'm going to keep my promise, Lady. I'm going to fix you, then you can love people again." Seiros smiled, a hand coming to cup the boy's face.
"I look forward to it."
Konoha
Naruto appeared back in the same clearing he'd disappeared from in a puff of smoke. A quick scan of his surroundings told him he was alone, which likely meant the ANBU had already reported to the Hokage. It had only been 4 hours in Fodlan, yet he dreaded what the Hokage would be forgiving once he was found. Dreading the very thought, he opted to quickly head back to his apartment before anyone caught him.
He didn't make it even a few steps before someone landed in front of him.
It was a face worse than the Hokage's.
Kagero looked down at the blonde, her features equally placid. Nearly a minute went by in silence before the girl finally spoke, "...Would you like to explain yourself?"
Naruto didn't have an excuse, so he used a lie he thought was acceptable. "...I wanted to play hide n' seek with the village."
A pregnant silence stretched after the obvious lie.
Kagero did not shunshin them back to Hokage Tower like the blonde thought she would. Instead, she grabbed him by the ear and walked him silently back despite his flat protests.
And Sothis?
She sat quietly as her ward was dragged from the training field, through the village, and straight into the Hokage's Office.
It was a fitting punishment for his blockheadedness.
Byleth
Location: ?
Byleth's eyes opened to iron bars.
The jail was eerily quiet, as was the norm, however, unlike the many times she'd found herself here, the malice in the air was strangely absent. In fact, the oppressive aura that had permeated the jail since her first visit had completely vanished.
It didn't take Byleth long enough to understand why.
Peering into the darkness, she found the demon.
She didn't even know if what she was seeing was a dream or not.
His usual red-orange fur was now pale. The once-flowing tails behind him were now grounded, and its expression showed exhaustion. His physique had shrank considerably, now resembling an oversized starving animal rather than the overwhelming, proud, and threatening beast he was. If anything, he looked as if he were at death's door.
Byleth said nothing as she took in the sight. Only days prior, this being threatened not only her life but the people around her. It threatened to do unspeakable things—things that she would be powerless to stop. Now, looking upon it, a shell of its former self, she felt...nothing.
As if sensing her gaze, its eyes turned to meet hers, hatred immediately replacing the tired expression. "What do you want, human?"
'Goddess, even its voice,' Byleth thought upon hearing the demon's scratchy voice. Not feeling fear, or much of anything for once, she opted to ask the obvious. "What happened to you?" The beast snarled at her, but did not answer, leaving Byleth to draw her own conclusions based on her memories. "Was it because of what happened? Did I, take took much of your power?"
To her surprise, the beast answered in the form of a snort. "Do not be so arrogant as to believe you can take anything from me, human. My condition is simply the byproduct of an oversight. Nothing more."
"I remember quite differently." That got the Fox's attention, Byleth giving a frown of her own to the demon. "When I was dying, I saw you. I could barely see, but I saw that," she pointed up at the piece of paper with the strange symbols, "It absorbing your power... You looked scare."
"I WAS NOT!" The fox roared, its pride breaking through its exhaustion. Unfortunately, that one shout seemed to take nearly all his breath. Immediately, he began heaving even more, yet his glare never let up. "You *heave* know not what you speak, human."
"Then explain it to me. Explain what happened. Explain what you are. Explain why you're inside of me. Explain everything to me so I can stop being ignorant!" Byleth shot back, her own anger rising. The fox opened its mouth, and Byleth felt, for a moment, he was about to tell her something for once instead of spitting out the same threats after all these years. Her hope died when the fox simply huffed before turning its head away to rest on his human-like hands.
"I've nothing more to say to you, human. Be gone."
"...You can't kill me, can you?" The accusation had a red eye glaring at her once more. The look held a warning, yet Byleth was not detered. "That's why you saved me, because if I die, then so do you—permanently."
The Fox growled, but still did not refute her words. At the silent admission, something within the Eisner clicked into place. Memories of the pain, suffering, and the lives she'd taken because of this beast, this monster, played through her head briefly. But most importantly, the threat he had made her not days ago came to the front.
In an action that surprised both her and the demon fox, Byleth began laughing. It started off as a little chuckle, but quickly grew into loud, uncontrollable cackles that unsettled even the weakened beast. At first, she didn't realize what was happening. She'd never laughed so loudly before, or truly, at all. But as she stumbled, the laughter becoming painful to her gut, she began to realize what was going on.
The manic laughter was a symptom of her sanity, something she had been trying to hold onto all these years. The beast's words, followed by the revelation she'd come to on her own along with his silent confirmation, had finally fractured that fragile wall.
When her laughter stopped, unsettling silence followed. The bangs of the girl covered her face, the Fox unable to discern the human's emotion without his chakra. When she started moving, he was surprised, but did not otherwise react. She got within range of his nails to pierce her through the bars, but still did not react.
Then she walked right through the bars.
The Kyuubi's mouth fell open in wide-eyed astonishment. He was not expecting the stupidity of the human, and it showed. She came to a stop in front of him, her face devoid of fear, or any emotion for that matter.
In a move that confused him further, she held her arms wide, looking to him almost expectingly. "What are you waiting for? Go ahead. Eat me. Kill me. It's what you wanted, no?" Even if he was at full power, the Kyuubi was far too stunned to act. He had met human's who'd lost their wits before, but none like this. This was another level of insanity that shook even him. "This is why you ruined my life, right? Because you wanted to be free? Well, this is your chance. You're a big, bad fox and I'm just a kid. You're stronger than me, so do what you promised and kill me. Then we can both be free... permanently."
For a moment, he was tempted. It would be easy. So easy in fact that he wouldn't even need to waste a drop of his chakra. With just a finger, he could squash her like the insect she is, freeing him and herself like he wanted.
The consequences of that action was a quick reminder of why that was a bad idea. The pain of having his chakra, his life force, drained from him through every pore was a pain so excruciating that it made him, the strongest of his brothers and sisters, cower in fear. It shamed him, but despite his pride, he did not wish to die.
And he now knew the human knew this as well. A smile, just a manic as her laugh, split her face.
"If you've come to flaunt your false confidence, then you are wasting your time." He tried confidence, not wishing for the human to win in any manner.
She was unphased.
"But it was not a waste. In fact, I now know more about you than I had previously... much more. For so long, I thought you a mindless curse meant to punish me for whatever crimes I committed in my past life." A smile came to her face, making the one on the demon's face drop. "But now I know you are intelligent, and that you can also be 'reasoned' with."
"I will not give you my power." The Fox growled, already knowing where this was going.
Her smile dropped, and the temperature in the cell seemed to fall with it.
The Demon Fox didn't know how it was possible, but her killing intent suddenly leaped through the roof. It wasn't enough to cow him, nor did it hold a candle to him at full power, but it was enough for him to notice it. It made him pay attention in his current vulnerability.
"You see, that's where you are wrong." She said calmly, turning her back to him to travel back to the iron bars. "You see, this is my body. I make the decisions, and I now control my life. Thanks to you, I lost a home. Thanks to you, I lost friends. And thanks to you, I forever put my father in danger. People are likely to come after me now, and I'm not foolish enough to believe I can protect him on my own. He is the only thing currently keeping me in this world. Without him, I have nothing to live for, and I will not hesitate to take you with me... So here's what's going to happen."
She paused at the gate, resolving herself for what she would say.
"You give me power. Whenever I call for it, you'll give it to me—enough to protect my father, and to defeat any who come for us. Do that, and I'll think about keeping us alive. These are my terms, and there will be no negotiations."
"I won't-"
"You will." The mindscape shook in the wake of Byleth's words. Kurama eyes were wide, the killing intent in the air rising to proportion that were beginning to rival a Biju. He knew not how this was possible, but he knew it was unnatural. It felt as if the girl was using his chakra to intimate him, and it was working. "You will give me your power and you will do as I say. My life may mean nothing to me, but your life means even long as you remain useful, then you can continue living your pitiful existence. This is my body and you no longer have control. The only thing you now live for is as an energy source to protect my father. He dies, and you die—end of story. So, you can fight with me," Byleth looked over her shoulder, a coldness in her now crimson slit eyes that spoke the truth of her next words. "Or you can perish with me."
A/N:II personally believe that we were robbed of a great opportunity going down to church art with Rhea. Instead of going with what we got, I believe the church arc had the potential to be one of the best if throughout the chapters, Rhea learns that loss is a part of life and slowly she begins to deal with it. Thought we would have that opportunity in three hopes but was disappointed again, sad face...
Well folks, this is officially the last you will see of Byleth for some time. The reason for her appearance will be made very clear within a few chapters, so to David(Guest) there is a reason I did not split this into two stories. There is a big "maybe" on having Byleth completely to her own story, but that is maybe a year down the line; or whenever this story ends.
Next chapter is the last of the childhood ark. It will include a few time skips as well as the POV of a few characters along with Naruto realizing something about his heritage (for those who read the prewrite, you will know what it is).
Also, thank to all the positivity I got last chapter! It made me get this chapter out a lot earlier and work on other chapters in both stories! I know Naruto did not stay in Fodlan for long, but it will not be the last time he visits (as you will see in the next chapter that is an interlude). Now that Seiros is a summons, I wonder who ELSE he can summon *wink* *wink*.
Thank you all for the follows and favorites. If you like this story, consider giving my other work 'The Fate We Have Chosen' a try. Reviews, both good and bad, give me motivation to write, so please keep them coming, and I hope you all have a damn good day.
Current ages in Scene:
Naruto: 5
Byleth: 12
Seiros: Fossil