Updating all my new stories today. Sometime within the next week updates for chapters of other stories will get post.
All Ships: Naruto/Arlecchino/Clervie, Freminet/Ruby, Lyney & Lynette/Weiss, Ren/Nora
You were born into this world all alone. But here in the House of the Hearth, you will grow up to be strong. Your goal is to learn, to compete, to defeat all your brothers and sisters in battle, and become "King".
That was the "Truth" to the House. These restraints will no longer bind us. We are no longer birds tied down. It's time to fly from the nest…
Are you ready, my children? Our journey to a new world begins.
The rain had come once more. How much longer would it be till this city flooded? If it were to flood today, how would the children survive…
Droplets of rain dripped from her new, lavish coat. A gift from the Tsaritsa. It hardly fit, but it would in time. She was still but a child, and now she had inherited the role of the previous Knave. Nonetheless, she would excel in it and prove she was superior…
She simply needed more time. She had only just taken this role… To undo years of damage… And now this?
It was no wonder why Mother was so cold and callous.
"Father?"
"What is it, my child?" Black eyes with red x-crossed pupils turned from the dark storm clouds blocking the morning sunlight as they poured their agony upon this wretched city and stoically fell upon a young boy and his sister, exiting the hotel without their coats. "You shouldn't be out here this early. Not without something warm."
"Are you worried about Master, too?" The young boy shivered in the rain, his sister's ears folding on her head. "He's been gone so long…"
"Do not worry about the Fool, my children." She strolled toward the children, kneeling before them. "He will return the moment he is finished with his task and not a moment sooner. And do not worry for his safety… When then the doors to the World open…"
"Nothing can stand before them." The door to the hotel opened to reveal a teenager with brilliant, long red hair frowning at the two children. "Now come back inside and get warmed up! Do you want to make Father upset with you if you get sick, Lyney? Lynette? What about that friend of yours who is teaching you magic? What would he think?"
"No, Lady Clervie," The siblings muttered shamefully, tucking their heads as Clervie scowled at them briefly. Then she flashed a bright smile and shook her head, pushing them inside as Arlechinno rose to her feet. "Come along and give Father her space! Go take a warm bath! Breakfast is almost ready! The storm shouldn't last that long, so perhaps you can go out after your chores are finished!"
"Yes, Lady Clervie." The siblings replied as the door shut behind them, Arlechinno staring at where they had been.
A thin smile graced her lips but was hidden by the rain. Turning and gazing up into the storm clouds to mask her feelings, Peruere closed her eyes. She could not afford to show her emotions… At least not yet.
Until he came home with the possibility of a new home…
Then, she could be the Father their Mother never could be and lead the House of the Hearth to a new golden age of prosperity.
Mother…
What is this? What are you? How can this be? I saw you die!
What are we? We are the creation of your own doing? You made this happen! Do not blame anyone other than yourself…
We shall not become your King, Mother. Our answer is no.
You did, Mother… But thanks to my friends, I cannot fall… And together, we will bring forth justice to all the children you brought harm to! You won't harm another child as long as I still breathe, Mother! …Peruere, finish it.
AH!
The children were restless… Not that she could blame them.
A change of leadership was always tense. And after the derision and division Mother had sown with the previous children who remained… The few that did.
Unfortunately, many were shipped to the motherland. Alas, she still hadn't seen the beautiful Borealis and the light shining from the snow… Perhaps one day. They did say it was beautiful…
At least she wasn't like the rest of the older children and was allowed to remain within the House. To help this new regime handle the change and give her friends the rest they needed. Their schedules were busy enough as it was… Peruere a Harbinger…
He, an Abyss Diver, attempting to find them a new home.
And the new children weren't aware of the sins of the House. They were simply happy to be off the streets… Even if it meant being bound to work for Snezhnaya for the rest of their lives.
Clervie pitifully exhaled, cleaning the last dishes from the breakfast she helped cook for the children. All this time they spent fighting against her mother… That was the actual issue they were up against was those to whom she was loyal. But how did one fight an entire country?
He thought he could… And somehow, she didn't believe that was an exaggeration on his behalf despite his many bold claims throughout their childhood. After seeing what he was capable of…
"Lady Clervie, do you need help?"
"Freminet?" Clervie raised her eyebrow, hearing the sullen and docile voice of the solemn child behind her. Turning around, she saw the young boy with a steam-powered toy in his hand, one he built himself, extending it forward. "Oh, did you finish your model?"
"Yes…" He nodded meekly, his head hanging and unable to make eye contact. He was a timid child. It didn't help Mother adopted him, so he had been around and knew the rules of the old House.
Needless to say, it was a pleasant surprise to see him opening up in any way toward her, Peruere, or him…
" It should be able to help with the chores around the hotel." Freminet put down the clockwork penguin. To Clervie's surprise, the machine's gears kicked in, and it began to shuffle forward, moving toward the trash… And attempted to take it out?
"Oh?" Clervie's tongue clicked in surprise, watching the penguin attempt to take out the trash. It wasn't the most graceful invention… And it was causing more of a mess in the process…
But it was the thought and effort that mattered. Freminet had always been so quiet…
"I'm sorry…" Freminet shut down his clockwork mech with a somber frown, moving to clean the mess it had caused. "I'll clean this up…"
"Have you been designing it to help clean the house?" Clervie smiled, bending down and assisting the young boy in cleaning up the mess he had inadvertently caused. Freminet only flushed shamefully, turning his head away, causing her to beam and softly giggle. He was such an awkward yet adorable child… "That is a wonderful gift you have, Freminet. You should show Father your creation when she returns."
Freminet's already sullen features depressed further. The boy completely stopped helping as he hung his head, his gaze misting as he glanced down toward his creation. "But… It doesn't work…"
"Freminet, Father is not Mother." Clervie frowned at his reaction. She knew that when her mother was in charge, anything less than an acceptable product would have been deemed a failure… But they were not her mother.
However, seeing her words made the boy flinch and frightful, Clervie took a deep breath and smiled. "Freminet, Father may be cold… She may seem callous… And she is rigid in her methods…"
"Because that is what is necessary." Clervie stiffened. Was Peruere listening to their conversation?
Where even was she? She thought she had left! Why were both of them so excellent at disguising their presence from her?! She was a top candidate for King, too, dammit!
"Ah, Father, I'm…" Freminet panicked, hearing her heels clicking as she strutted toward them.
"You built this on your own time?" Arlecchino knelt before Freminet, picking up the clockwork toy and examining it. His breath hitched as she set it back before him and rose to her feet… Only to flush as she patted his head. "The craftsmanship is excellent, and the design is… Cute. I will be sure to watch for manuals and parts in the market. I do not wish to squander such a talented gift."
Freminet's entire body went rigid with her touch. But his eyes wavered as he gazed up at Peruere. If Clervie didn't know better… She thought he was about to cry.
"Clervie, allow him to clean his mess. His invention caused it; therefore, he is responsible for caring for it." Arlecchino turned from the situation, swiftly moving toward the door. Clervie smiled. Peruere might not have been the most… Motherly when it came to the children…
But she was who they needed. And to see the growth with the ones who had been here since her mother…
"Freminet," Arlecchino stopped at the door, glancing back toward the young boy. "When I return after my mission, if you would like…"
"We could go to the market together."
Well, well, well… What do we have here? Come to see me, boy? Aware of my existence, finally, now that you possess "The World"? That woman did something right in raising you…
She did no such thing!
Ha, hit a nerve, did I?
You know why I'm here… Start talking. I need answers.
Answers? Do you think I have them? I know little more than you, boy! And what answers I have aren't as satisfying as you would like to hear. I don't have what you seek…
You mean to tell me you have nothing to do with how I arrived here? I find that difficult to believe.
Yet, it is the truth. We simply just fell between worlds. I wish it were something more complex, but that is what happened. We came here on complete coincidence, and attempting to find our way back to that war-torn realm is quite foolish…
What do you mean, wartorn?
Child, you know nothing… What I can tell you is that I didn't attack your village willingly, although it would have been a treat… No, there was more at play, and to go back now… May just spell doom to all you love.
So perhaps a different route is in order if you wish to protect your "Family."
How long had it been since he had been stuck here? Since he was a child?
Slicking his hand through his spiky locks, he shook his head. Ever since he slid between worlds, he had long since forgotten. He wasn't even that old! It just felt like forever! Surviving what he had to endure with his wife and his friend…
Seeking a way to leave this plane… Possibly return home… If what he heard from that man was correct…
Was he leading him astray or keeping him at a distance? He wasn't sure. But he had to follow up on this lead. If there was one person that would know… It would be him, despite his hatred for the man.
There were so many of the tainted here… Those punished for attempting to learn forbidden knowledge Celestia didn't want them to know.
These people didn't deserve a fate… Well, most of them. A particular few did—even the man who gave him this information. Or made him painfully aware that his wife could suffer the same fate for being born of the same blood those cursed of the Abyss were, even if she was unshackled from her curse.
He shook his head as he strode through those cursed by the Abyss as they eyed him wearily. They did not attack. They knew why he was here… And not to challenge him. When even Celestia stood weary of his presence now that the doors to the World had opened within him…
They were wise enough not to stand in his path. He had come here peacefully. If he wanted to cause damage, they could do nothing to stop them…
"What business do you have here?" One of the infernal, humanoid ones that slipped through the portals floated before him, impeding his path. "You do not belong…"
"Out of my way." The young man in a white suit snarled as he stared at the Abyss Lector. "I am here to have a chat with your Princess. It is she who I desire to speak with. No one else."
"Why you…" Flames spurned around the Lector and at the white-suited man as he was enraged at sheer and utter disrespect directed toward him and their Princess. "You are too bold! This our domain…"
All flames cease. Drawn in a single black orb as it flickered faster than any eye could track. It pressed and lodged against the Lector's throat, silencing him as cerulean hues shifted to gold and bored at the Abyss dweller. "And if you don't step aside, I'll sever you from the curse Celestia put you under… or do you wish for that?"
"What do you want with me?" A feminine voice resonated, and a young woman with dusty blonde hair stepped out of the shimmering portal of darkness with another Lector at her side. "I am aware of who you are. Why you have come and remain affiliated with those fools remains to be seen."
"Who says I am?" He raised an eyebrow while he cheekily grinned. She scowled in response, yet he continued to smile, the black ball floating from the Lector's throat. "It seems you know about me, but it is rude not to introduce myself, for I seek an audience with you, my princess of the abyss. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, better known as the Fool or as by some…"
"The World." His expression turned serious as he pocketed his hands and held the young woman's gaze. "So I heard that you are the one who lurks amongst the Abyss… The one that they call Princess… And come from another world."
Her gaze sharpened at the accusation but remained calm. She knew any harsh reaction could cost her dearly in this situation. As the Fool, he was known to be… Unpredictable.
"And why does that matter to you?"
"Ah, it matters quite a lot, actually!" Naruto chirped, his personality flipping once more to a bright and cheery disposition as he beamed toward her. "For you see, Princess Lumine, I too am a Descender… But I have no idea how I came to be here."
Lumine's gaze narrowed further. Naruto didn't care whether or not she believed him. It was impertinent to his reason for being her. All he cared for was the information she had. "I'm searching for a way to leave this wretched world behind and take my family from it, you see. I know you have ways of traveling through the cosmos with your brother, and I wish to know how I travel myself. So I'll make you a deal, and my word is my bond! If you assist me with this endeavor…"
"I'll bust into Celestia and free your brother from the prison they keep him trapped in. You better believe it!"
This will never be over… You three will bear my curse. Do not think you will escape this wretched world…
We will bear your curse… For I am already cursed with blood of mine.
And we will overcome it, Mother. Together, we cannot fail.
Don't underestimate us, ya hear! We are far from done… I'm gonna find a way off this rock…
You better believe that.
R & R