A/N: Would you kindly read this note? It would mean the world to me.
...I recently realized I updated this story last week, but the site/app never showed it? I know I clicked the right thing. What the heck?! What else is it not showing?!
*checks*
THREE OTHER STORIES DIDN'T UPDATE PROPERLY?!
Great, now I need to see why the new chapters for Welcome to Heaven, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished, and Don't Judge A Book By its Cover glitched out.
...seems site notifications are even more broken than I first thought, so I'm re-updating this AGAIN in the hopes that folks are actually able to see it this time around. I'll have the others reposted once I have a proper day off. On that note, Father of Monsters will be updated the 17th of April.
Genshin Impact is currently going to war with Baldur's Gate 3 in my skull and RWBY is beating me over the head. Managed to bury the plot bunnies long enough to crank out this chapter.
Writer's block is a helluva thing. Thanks for being patient with this old man. Apologies once more for the delay. It doesn't help that I'm dealing with possible cancer scare on my sisters side AND I now need to get tested for freakin' LYMPHOMA. Hopefully I don't have it, but I'm proper stressed over here
If by some miracle this chapter gets a ton of feedback-unlikely, but possible, given its well past 1,000 already-I'll do my best to update early, possibly even weekly as I am with other stories. Until then, I'll be updating other things.
No questions this time. We've got a lot of ground to cover! Once more, I own no references, quotes, memes or themes. Not a wit or a one.
Nope. They're simply tributes to legends far greater than I.
"He did what?! Where?! With who?! No, no, no, this simply will not do. He's upstaging me!
I won't have it! Only one person can be the talk of Fontaine...!"
"Lady Furina?! Where are you going?!"
"OUT! Don't tell Neuvilette!
~?
Shower Me With Praise (Shall We Dance?)
Nahida wasn't happy.
Naruto knew it the moment he opened his eyes to find himself in an unfamiliar bed with said goddess sat in a chair beside him. It would've been bad enough if she were actually awake, but no, she was very much out cold and that was infinitely worse.
So how did he know she was angry, you ask? Simple. She was scowling in her sleep!
The faintest smile touched the corner She must've dozed off at some point during her vigil; because she'd laid her head on her arms and passed clean out, heedless of the morning sunlight tickling her face. Honestly, the sight was adorable and made him wish he had a camera. He committed the sight to memory regardless, gave her head a gentle pat, and, careful not to wake her, dragged himself out of bed.
The moment his feet hit the floor, her eyes snapped open.
"Oh," she yawned adorably and stretched both arms above her head with a languid sigh. "Good morning." She must've remembered she was angry at him then; because her face dimpled in a scowl. "You're awake?! What did I say about overdoing it?! What were you thinking?!
"Whoa, hey!" he flung up his hands to ward her off. "Calm down! I'm fine, I just passed out!"
"Just passed out?!" Something flitted through those lively green eyes of hers; he recognized the anger too late. "Do you have any idea how long you've been asleep?!"
He touched a finger to his chin, tried to think of a number and shrugged. "A day?"
Nahida fell silent, hung her head, and tucked her chin into her chest.
Naruto took a deep breath as he waited for her anger to pass.
...are you alright?"
Definitely? Hopefully? Maaaaybe?
Nahida hopped onto the bed and pinched his cheek.
Nope! He winced as she yanked at his face. Not alright! Definitely not!
"You slept far longer than that!" the little goddess released his face and plonked down beside him with a huff. "The Sabzeruz Festival is tonight!"
Shit. Her birthday. He'd nearly slept through it.
"I was out for that long?!" He nearly guffawed, only to see the tears in her eyes. "Well...damn."
Nahida was staring at him intently, worryingly so. "What the last thing you remember?"
His brow furrowed. "I was just pouring some life back into Sumeru's desert-
"At the expense of your own, dummy!"
Was that her concern, here?
"I've got plenty-
His fellow Archon pinched his lips between her thumb and forefinger, essentially sealing them shut. Yikes. She never did this; just how concerned was she...?
"If you finish that sentence," she all but hummed the words, "I will be very cross with you. Do you understand?"
He nodded. Times like these reminded him just how old she was.
Heh. It felt kinda nice. Like havin' family.
"Good." she released him with a huff. "Oh, my archon...how did no one teach you this?! Your life force isn't infinite! You've spent time you'll never get back!" She looked like she wanted to give him a good hard shake, but he still didn't understand why. "Do you even realize what you've done?"
"A good thing...?"
"Well, yes." she sputtered, face flushing, "Sumeru's desert has been gradually restoring itself since you passed out, but
He bolted upright, a smile tearing across his face. "It has?! I wanna see-
"No!" she pushed him back down. "Listen to me."
.
..
...she really was worried about him, wasn't she?
"No more."
His pride prickled at the demand, but he rallied.
"Hey, I've got Kurama with me, remember? He won't let me die-
Nahida seized him by the collar and dragged him down to her level to meet her verdant green gaze; only then did he see the tears glimmering within her bright eyes, the sorrow shimmering in her soul. "No more charging ahead on your own like that, do you hear me? Consult with me first! I won't let you throw your life away to save this country, do you hear?!"
What could he do but nod? But when he tried to speak, he realized she wasn't finished.
"You're very dear to me; not only did you set me free from my cage, but you...you're...you're my...
She wanted to say something else; he could tell, but whatever it was, whatever it might be, she lacked the courage to follow through.
For once, he didn't have the heart to press her.
"...alright." he set his hands on hers. I'll be more careful in the future.
She hiccuped a little. "Promise?"
He held out his pinky finger to her and gave it an anticipatory wiggle. "Sure think. Pinky Promise."
She curled her finger around his, hooked them together and gave his hand a shake.
"Okay." Nahida scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I trust you."
"Great! Now, c'mon! We've got a birthday to celebrate!"
He swept her up into his arms and bolted.
(.0.0.0.)
A few enterprising souls had arrived in Sumeru since he slept.
Truly there was no fast travel like shadow clone fast travel; his doppelgangers could carry people as well as gifts. Granted, it wasn't the most comfortable ride...
Ergo, Sumeru City saw a sudden influx of guests, much to the dismay of the Akademiya...
(.0.0.0.)
Lisa read him like a book the moment she saw him approaching. "Finally out of the doghouse are we, dear?
Heat. Embarassment. Shame. Naruto felt himself go red.
"Not another word form you, Lisa."
She eyed the still-smiling Nahida on his shoulder and cooed softly. "I'll take that as a yes. You had us rather worried; we had to keep poor Paimon fed and happy this entire time. That said, a certain someone was terribly concerned about you...
He didn't even have time to ask who; Shenhe didn't so much appear as she did materialize, latching on to his arm like a limpet. Her pale eyes regarded him soulfully and stole a sigh from him. Good lord, if he was having this much trouble in Sumeru, he shuddered to think what the other nations would be like...
Arguing was a bad idea, here. could only bow his head. "I'm sorry."
She cuddled a little closer. "...you're forgiven. This time."
Lisa coughed pointedly into her first. "Ahem?"
"Don't suppose you'd care for a dance?"
"Hmhmhmm." She hummed in response and delivered a swift peck of her lips to his cheek. "That's sweet of you. But I believe someone else deserves your attention tonight."
"Eh?"
Like a patient den mother, Lisa steered his gaze toward the stage.
Only then did he notice Nilou standing atop it.
Evidently, she'd begun dancing when he wasn't looking.
He gazed upon her, and the very sight stole his breath away.
Now, he knew he couldn't sit still after that. Alright, then. Only one thing for it.
Only then did he feel several pairs of eyes on him. Blast it all; he had to dance with everyone tonight, didn't he?
Right, using this trick tonight might be unfair for everyone else in attendance, buuuuut so long as it made the ladies happy...!
He set Naihida down, wriggled free from a rather confused Shenhe, crossed his fingers and flared his chakra; time for an old favorite.
"Shadow clone jutsu~!"
(.0.0.0.)
Dehya tilted her head as she regarded the small army before her.
"Well," she whistled, "Now that's a handy skill to have."
She couldn't even tell which was the real one!
The moment Naruto created his army, they all turned and pivoted, circling the crowd rapidly as they picked their partners for the evening. In a matter of moments she lost sight of the original; each copy of him had paired off with someone, much to the amusement of those presents. And would you look at that? The New Archon could dance.
Was this the power of Anemo? No, it felt different. Probably wasn't important.
Thankfully her she wasn't one to dance. Let the other girls have their spotlight. She'd just slip away when no one was looking and-
A hand clamped down on Dehya's shoulder, drawing a squeak from her. "And where do you think you're going?"
"Meep."
A bead of sweat ran down her brow as she looked back to find Lisa smiling at her.
It was not a nice smile; nevertheless, she tried to placate it.
"Away from here...?"
"I think not." Although her eyes were closed, the magician radiated killing intent. "You're quite responsible for making that poor boy exhaust himself earlier, so its only right you have to suffer through this.
"Wait, wait, wait! I can't dance-
"Then you had best learn, my dear."
Lisa giggled and threw her at a shadow clone.
(.0.0.0.)
Vengeance was sweet.
Lisa couldn't help but preen a little as Dehya was carried off to her doom -and public humiliation- kicking and screaming like her namesake. Too bad, so sad. Really, it served the silly girl right. She couldn't even begin to comprehend just how weary Naruto was, and yet, she'd made him pass out.
If she had her way, she would've taken a few fingers for that. Who cared about the restoration of some stuffy desert?
Life would be so terribly boring without the Anemo Archon in her life.
A finger tapped her shoulder.
She turned to find another Naruto standing there; as she looked on he winked, sketched a courtly bow, and held out his hand to her.
"Well, well." she looked him up and down, letting her eyes feast upon him. "Which one are you? The original, or a shadow clone?"
Whether he was a clone or not, Naruto took her lust in stride. "...why not find out?"
Ohhh, he was a clever one. Lisa accepted his hand with a hum.
Turnabout was fair play, she supposed.
They danced the night away.
(.0.0.0.)
Shenhe did not know how to dance.
She knew the steps of battle of course; put a spear in her hand and she could flow with the best, better than the rest, but here? She felt hesitant. Hot. Her heart hammered in her chest and her pulse pounded in her veins even as her ears rang. She'd never thought to miss her red ropes before, but now? She almost did.
Naruto winced as she stepped on his foot again.
She flinched. "I'm sorry...I can't dance."
"Easy fix." He tugged her closer and instinctively, she looped her arms behind his neck, linking her hands there, not to grab or strangle as one might think, but to hold on for dear life.
It was...nice all things considered; no sudden sharp movements to further inflame her anxiety, jut a sweet, simple sway.
Her heart calmed and she surrendered herself to the music.
(.0.0.0.)
The archon could dance after all!
Very well indeed!
Really!
It came as a rather pleasant surprise to Nilou; she'd expected something when he offered to dance,
It wasn't a dance as she knew it; not in the style she'd been taught, but she adored it all the same. Step one-two-three-four, pivot and-oh! A light laugh leaped from her lips as he spun her right round and they parted with a bow. She wasn't done with him yet; nor he, her. Nilou found herself silently amazed by his skill; not only did he mimic her movements but he mirrored them, matched them, exceeded her wildest expectations.
Let the worries of the world fade away for awhile; tonight was a night to live.
(.0.0.0.)
Klee clapped her hands and giggled in sheer delight. "So many Naruto's!"
"Move over! This one's mine!"
Nahida scooted past her, hopped into the arms of the nearest, and was soon both the smaller girls were swept up into the madness.
(.0.0.0.)
Naruto lingered on the outskirts.
Even after creating countless clones, he'd lingered on a whim, made wary by habit; festivals were often the perfect time for the enemy to strike. Call it experience. Call it paranoia. But he'd retreated from the revelry for a moment just to make certain no prying eyes were about tonight, Fatui or otherwise.
"On your right."
His wariness was rewarded.
He pivoted midstep and found his target at long last.
"Hellooo~!" a young lady wrapped in a cloak waved his way cheerily as they approached. "I seem to be lost. Might you direct me to the festival, good sir?
Who was this outlandish girl and what was she doing here?
"Sure he pointed, Its that way."
I'm also looking for someone," she pressed her hands together with a happy chirrup. "Might I avail myself of your services?
Sure, why not, he muttered under his breath, everyone else seems to be doing that this week...
"Splendid." the baffling girl clapped her hands and hopped in place; despite his best efforts, he found himself smiling nonetheless. "Let's see here; she began counting off on the fingers of a gloved hand. I believe he's a rather tall fellow who rides a dragon and wields spear. Oh! And he has green eyes, blond hair, too.
Naruto's gaze, currently very much blue and not under the influence of the glowing green gnosis at the moment, twitched just so. 'Oi, oi, oi! What ind of stories have people been telling about me?!'
The girl looked to him, blue eyes glistening "Have you seen him?
Was she serious? Dvalin aside -he'd never ridden the dragon like that!- He was suddenly glad he hadn't summoned skyward spine today. His spear was rather distinctive. Thankfully this girl was denser than she looked; he would've made the connection ages ago, but she hadn't.
He coughed into his fist to hide a flush. "You wouldn't happen to have his name, would you?
She thumbed her chin. "I believe it began with the letter N...?
"And you're looking for him because...?"
She clammed right up. "That's a secret!"
"Nope! Never heard of him!" That was a red flag right there! Evade and avoid at all costs! "And you are?"
"I'm so very glad you asked! Salutations!" She swept aside her cloak and sketched a bow, revealing pale hair, mismatching blue eyes, and a fanciful blue outfit he had no hope of describing, much less that had she'd suddenly donned. "You have the great honor of addressing Lady Furina, the Hydro Archon!"
The gnosis pulsed in his chest. Liar.
..well, I'll be damned.' It was correct. She didn't have one.
"Are you though?" He tilted his head to regard her. "are you really?
"Of course I am!" She stomped her foot with a huff when he gave a shrug. "I snuck out for the day. I'm sure Neuvillette will give me an earful for this when I bet back, buuuut-
His temper sparked, irked by her prattling. "Is this going somewhere? I have places to be."
...oh." She winced a little. "I'm sorry, I got a little ahead of myself." She clasped both hands before herself, voice falling to a small whisper. "I'll just be going now...I won't waste anymore of your time...
Naruto winced despite himself. Where had this gregarious girl gone all of a sudden? She looked so sad; he hadn't meant to hurt her feeling...s
"Naruto, no. Don't fall for the tears."
'But she really is sad...
"Don't you dare!"
He took up the stance Jiraiya had taught him so long ago, drew one foot back, and held out his right hand to her. "May I have this dance?"
Her face lit up, the spark of sorrow momentarily muffled by quiet confusion. "Eh?"
"Tonight's a festival. You can dance, can't you?
Much to his amusement, Furina sputtered, then rallied with an imperious huff. "Yes, of course! Can you?"
Well, he couldn't call himself a man if he didn't rise to a challenge like that now, could he? No sirree!
Her gaze widened suddenly, taking him in, perhaps seeing something she hadn't before. "Wait...are you...?
He swept her up into his arms and drew her away. Just one quick dance away from preying eyes he'd send her on her way.
She looked harmless; what could possibly go wrong?
They danced the night away.
A/N: Aaaand scene. There we have it!
Hope you enjoyed this; its rare that I write a dialogue heavy chapter. Now then, should this be moved to a weekly update? Yay or nay! Really need to hear from you this time.
Once more, the Embers rule remains. If folks don't like this story? Well...I'll not continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days; basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore. My free time is limited and as such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts. I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact.
Right then, as ever, Reviews are love, Reviews are Life.
Reviews keep me safe from any and all strife.
So in the immortal words of Atlas...
...revieeeeew, would You Kindly?
Enjoy these humble previews.
Next time: Forget Me Not.
As ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
(Preview. EDIT: But who is it...?)
Naruto opened his eyes with a sudden start.
Rolled over in bed every so slowly.
Realized he wasn't alone.
A sigh parted his lips.
...crap."
Best get out of here before there's trouble.
How cute.
Was this how Orochimaru felt when he stared them down in the Forest of Death? A master facing three idiots, utterly out of their league. He could appreciate the irony, if he still didn't have the best opinion of said snake sanin.
And what kind of trouble would that be?"
This kind! The bruser growled and threw a punch straight at his face.
Naruto rolled his eyes and tossed Nahida straight up into the air, sending her flying out of harms way with a shriek. In the same moment he bent backward, leaving his spine nearly parallel with the ground as the punch passed him by and drove a leg upward into the one place no self-respecting warrior wished to be kicked. The thug crumpled with a groan, clutching at his groin.
All this, in the blink of an eye, an instant really.
Nahida came crashing down out the sky a heartbeat later, hollering at the top of her lungs.
Naruto caught the little archon with a grin
"Gotcha!~!"
He expected anger, indignation at the very least. Instead she giggled and clapped her hands, utterly delighted. That was fun! Again, again!
Shenhe was on the bandits a moment later.
Poor bastards. They had a bad time.
A very bad time indeed.
Paimonial wraaaaath!"
Collei flinched. "I'm sorry. I don't like being touched.
"S'fine." the amusing archon before her shrugged. "Your just remind me of someone. A certain red-wearing girl with a bow.
Her eyes lit up. "You know Amber?"
Jeanne bowed her head. "I...overreacted. For that, I wish to apologize."
Nahida tilted her head. "Who is this small child?"
Klee clapped her hands with a delighted squeal. "New friend!"
"Are you certain you won't go to Liyue next?"
Lumine squinted at him. Naruto squinted back. Grinned now.
"Did we just become best friends?"
Blood spattered his face.
His victim laughed. "There he is. There's the monster. You can be surprisingly...heartless...when push comes to shove...
They died in his arms, still laughing.
She went by many names. Lesser Lord Kusanali, the God of Wisdom, Buer. But Nahida. That was hers.
"May I have this dance?"
Furina blinked. She blinked hard.
Oh, jeez. Why was her face so darn warm...?!"
"We just did a good thing, didn't we? So why...why am I crying?"
"Oh, honey. Its alright. Come here...
"What have we done...?"
"We all nestle under the great tree of wisdom, peering out to perceive the world. From the earth and from the rain we perceive its wonders until we become a white bird to perch atop a branch and finally snap off the most important leaf. Once upon a time, I alone dreamed in this world.
In my dreams, everybody would also dream after they fell asleep. Wild and wonderful thoughts would emerge from their minds. Some would tumble to the ground, and others floated to the sky, connecting all things in this world into a dazzling net. Among a plethora of worlds were numerous smaller worlds, all of fate, finding within the tapestry their brilliant glow. I gradually understood that these indescribable and constantly changing things are the most profound things in the world.
Only they can completely repel the madness. Only dreams can awaken consciousness from the deepest darkness. I'm the one who posed this question, yet also the one who sought a solution. Saving the world with the dreams of the people used to be my answer. And now, despite my objections, you've also found your own answer. So I shall return all the dreams to the people.
Goodnight, people of Sumeru. May you be blessed tonight with the sweetest of dreams.
...now that you've done that, you can apologize for making Nahida cry."
"Ehehe, I suppose I'm in trouble, aren't I? How did you do it?"
Never you mind that. Apologize. Now.
"Owww! My ear! Okay, okay!"
Naruto flicked her forehead. "You're acting like a child."
The Shogun recoiled with a yelp, clutching her stung brow. "Excuse me?!"
"Losing your loved ones...yeah, that sucks, I know. Being alone is worse. It makes you want to scream at the world. I can understand that. But this?" He swept a hand up, indicating the desolate landscape around them. "This isn't the answer. I know it hurts. I know you want to hide away from it all. Yet what you're doing here is wrong."
"And what would you know of it?"
"More than you could possibly imagine."
How dare he...! "You cannot even BEGIN to imagine what I have lost."
"You're right." his nod startled her. "I can't. But you don't know me, either. So why don't we sit down and talk this out like adults." those piercing blue eyes glimmered green, glancing to her weapon. "We've got plenty of time in here. Or we could fight." he planted his feet and strengthened his stance, ready to move at the slightest provocation. "Kill each other again and again until death finally sticks for one of us. Is that what you want?
"..."
"Neither, then? Fine. Be a coward. Think about it. You know where to find me when you're ready to talk."
His peace said, he turned his back on her and strode away.
She twitched. "You would walk away from me...?"
A continent away, Venti winced. "Oh, dear. I heard that from here. He's really angry...
...why are you in a tree?"
"Dunno. Why are you dancing where no one can see?"
Ayaka felt heat spear through her face. "You are...a very strange man."
"Lady, you don't know the half of it.
EDIT: Hope you enjoyed!
Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work tonight~!
Maybe you all have a good day, and may it be blessed with muc luck;
~Nz.