Back at it with another one.

Getting this last one out before focusing on Hushed Dreams for an update on its first anniversary.

This one is gonna be a Naruto and Ruby ship and a rare twist of events, Ruby is going to be the older of the two.

So let's get into...

A Twist of Fate.


No…

It couldn't be…

Her sister… All of her sister's friends…

They had vanished into the abyss. Every one of them was gone, swallowed by the void.

They had all given up their lives to save the people of Atlas.

Cold blue eyes stared deeply into amused amber gaze. Her face twisted with rage.

No, she wouldn't get away with this. They wouldn't get away with this.

She could see the traces of shadows lingering in the air. She could almost feel the laughter of the witch. So she was in here, too?

Then, there was one option left.

With a burst of wind beneath her feet, she flew through the void. Her opponent was ready for her.

But she wasn't ready for the attack to be just a distraction.

As a wall of flames countered the ice barrage, those amber eyes widened as a portal to the outside world froze over, the bridge to it disintegrating.

And the portal collapsed into itself, to her horror.

"Jaune, destroy that exit now!" Winter commanded, her eyes seething in hatred.

"What, but that will mean…"

"I know what it means!" Winter shouted at the young man, staring down the Fall Maiden, her jaw clenched. "They're both in this place with us…"

"So let's make sure they don't escape to harm the world any further."

Swallowing the lump in his throat at her decision, Jaune saw a mist of darkness floating to a distant exit. She was right…

If this could be ended here, it needed to be done.

Without a second thought, he reached down and down and slipped Myrtenaster into his grasp as he rushed ahead to catch the rapidly moving mist. He would not fail his fallen friends… The sacrifice they had made today.

Amber eyes flickered in horror at the statement, watching as other portals began to close around her. She felt her mistress' presence within, too. She was passing through to where she desired. It was the faster option.

But now…

"No, you don't!" Winter screamed; an icy storm of shards wiped around her as she burst toward the Fall Maiden, using her saber as only a means to deflect her attack.

Her sister's blood was on her hands… And she would drag her down with her.

The storm ruptured the portal she tackled Cinder into and through the bridge in front of it. It shattered into dust as flames and ice roared into the void.

Shadows consuming both.

Jaune grimaced as he neared the portal the mist was floating toward. Someone else claimed by the void… Was this really how this was going to end?

Swallowing the bile back, his eyes gleamed with intent. If they could catch her in here with him… This all would end. It was a strategy he detested, but…

If this is what it took to save everyone, he would gladly…

"Ahk!" Jaune bounced and rolled against the starlit path, Myrtenaster rolling out of his hands and into the void, the mist slowly taking shape into the form of a pale woman, stepping on his chest.

"Valiant effort, child." Salem smoothly spoke, her hand glowing with a golden magical orb. "But this isn't your day. I will succeed…"

"You think that," Jaune smirked, his resolve flickering in his eyes. "I may fall here…"

Revealing a vial of red Dust he had taken from Myrtenaster, Jaune threw the vial directly into the orb. "But so shall you!"

Flames ripped around them both, and the starlit road shattered. The portal next to them dissipated as black mist rose from the fire.

To only see darkness fading, the gateways to the outside world all closing.

And there was nothing she could do as the void swallowed her whole.

"No! This can't be how it ends!"


"Mah, should we really be doing this?"

Scowling, looking up from the menu upon hearing his sullen tone, emerald eyes squinted toward the blonde enigma, her pink locks swishing behind her. Her gaze softened, and her eyes glistened. "Yeah, it does feel a little odd after what happened… But, this is an occasion that doesn't happen very often… And we never celebrated your birthday before you left to train with Lord Jiraiya."

"I guess," Naruto hesitated, attempting to lift his right arm, wincing as he did before rubbing the back of his head with his left. "Never really have celebrated it before. Just got a few gifts from the old man and a few mysterious other ones, but that's it. …It just feels awkward given what happened…"

"Give it a rest, would you?" A lax voice responded to Naruto.

The trio of Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji strolled toward them, each with various shades of excitement as Shikamaru led the trio. He simply glanced at Naruto before scoffing. "Whose idea do you think it was to celebrate your birthday? And if we're okay being here, you damn well should, troublesome idiot."

"It's what Asuma-sensei would want." Ino chirped, taking a seat beside Sakura and shaking her head. "He wouldn't want to see us moping around, depressed. He would want us to be living our lives to the fullest… Isn't that right, Shikamaru?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just not there yet." Shikamaru waved the mild glare she shot in his direction, taking a seat by Naruto.

Before Chouji dropped a large bowl in front of Naruto, a broad smile on his round face. "And he would want us living it up for one of our best friends, ya hear!"

"Wait," Naruto's eyes wavered, a specific aroma wafting into his nose. "Is this…"

"It's off Ichiraku's secret menu! Got it packed up just for you!" Choji grinned, stretched from ear to ear as he took a seat. "Even if we're celebrating here, I wasn't going to let my friend be without his favorite dish!"

"Yatta!" Naruto excitedly cheered, the sullen air leaving as he flashed a brilliant grin. "Ah, you know me too well!"

"It's not that hard to guess, genius…" Ino rolled her eyes along with Sakura, both faintly smiling. "Say, we're Sai? Wasn't he supposed to…"

"Yamato-sensei is out helping him search for a gift," Sakura responded, chuckling at the memory of the two taking off before. "He was at a loss of what to get someone for such an occasion. Sensei said he would help and took him shopping, saying it would take a while."

"Ah, well, at least he'll be here later." Ino groaned in disappointment before beaming herself. "But at least he'll be here!"

"Uh-huh. Just wanted to celebrate because he would be around?" Shikamaru thinly grinned, seeing Ino flushed from his statement.

"Baka, don't make me come over there!" Ino shouted, lifting her fist and profusely shaking it toward him. "If this wasn't a party…"

"When has that stopped you?" Shikamaru flatly retorted, amused with her reaction.

"So this is what it looks like from the outside." Naruto and Sakura responded simultaneously before glancing at one another and busting out laughing, causing the rest of the table to break out.

Wiping a tear from her eyes, Sakura feebly glared at Naruto with a smirk. "You have to stop getting on my nerves all the time."

"Never! You are beautiful when you're flustered!" Naruto vehemently denied with an equally large smirk.

Sakura flushed tomato red and mumbled under her breath before shooting a sharp glare at Naruto, still smiling as she did. "One of these days…"

An audible and thunderous crack caused all five to jump in their seats.

"Nani! Was that thunder?" Naruto scowled, jumping out of his seat and glancing at the open veil of the restaurant. "Nah, it's not raining! It was clear skies before we came in!"

"It was." Shikamaru narrowed his gaze, examining the possibilities in his head of what the noise could have been.

"Was a jutsu backfiring?" Ino inquired, glancing over at the rest of her friends, worry etched on her face.

"It would be a very dumb decision to use a high-grade technique out in public. That's a criminal offense." Sakura scrunched her nose, recalling and memorizing various details while assisting Lady Tsunade.

"Mah, let's just go check it out!" Naruto took the lead after another boom of thunder, jumping ahead before rushing to the exit.

Stepping outside, Naruto glanced all around, furrowing his brow. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first. But thinking of what it sounded like, he turned his gaze above. It did sound like thunder…

His jaw dropped, gazing up at the broken sky.

The sky had turned a deep blue, almost black. A golden crack rapidly spread throughout the darkened hue. Thunderous claps followed as dazzling sparkles of light fell from the cracks, shooting toward the earth.

"What is this?" Sakura muttered, awestruck at the scene before her. "I've never read about anything like this before…"

"Nor have I." Shikamaru agreed, his calculating eyes scanning the altered sky.

Naruto grimaced. If neither Sakura nor Shikamaru knew anything, this was something exceedingly rare.

But with each thunderclap, another bolt of light fell from the sky. And this one he tracked, attempting to locate where it would fall.

"Nani, that one is gonna land nearby!" Naruto proclaimed, pointing up to a light that was coming closer and closer.

"Evacuate the restaurant and stores! Get everyone out of here now!" Shikamaru ordered, using his status of Jonin to take command of the situation.

Choji, Ino, and Sakura didn't hesitate, bolting into action. Naruto, however, kept tracking the falling star. And his eyes widened, seeing something within. "It's a person!"

"What?!" Shikamaru stopped in his tracks, hearing Naruto's observation before his eyes widened. "Naruto, wait!"

Bounding several times of the buildings nearby to gather speed, Naruto gathered as much speed as he could. He was gonna need it. There was no way someone could survive a fall like that at such velocity.

He had to make it in time!

Gnashing his teeth as he accelerated his chakra throughout his body, his arm stinging as he had only recovered recently and was still not a hundred percent, Naruto launched himself as far as he could toward the trajectory of the falling star.

He needed every bit of acceleration to stand a chance to catch them as he reached out and cradled his arms around the golden light. "Gotcha! …Whoa!"

He had severely underestimated the impact velocity of the person, and he was drug along with them. He grimaced as his right arm buckled, but he held fast. They were gonna hit faster than anticipated, so wrapping their more petite frame into him and rolled his back forward so he would take the brunt of the impact.

What felt like several layers of wood cracked around him, air rushing from his lungs at the impact of every single blow until the last. He groaned in agony as he felt the sod beneath him crunch while he skidded through it.

But he refused to let this person take the brunt of the blow… He could take it.

The combined effort of Tsunade and the Nine-Tails could patch him up later.

"That was a ride." Naruto agonizingly groaned, feeling wood slivers and chunks shredding his backside.

Yet, glancing at the person in his clutch, Naruto could see silver eyes fluttering as she slowly faded in and out of consciousness, her red cape fluttering over them.

A girl? Naruto frowned, taking her weary appearance in. Around my age? Looks roughed up too…

"Wherever the hell you are from… It must have been one hell of a fight." Naruto muttered, slowly adjusting his grip to cradle her in his arms, grimacing as he lifted her and himself out of the crater.

"Let's get Granny to check you out. Figure out what happened to ya."


And that's a wrap for this snippet.

If you would like to see more, please let me know.

The more you make your voice heard, the likelier the story will come to fruition.

But it's gonna take a little more than before, unfortunately.

With how dismally The End as We Know It and Memories of a Rose have been performing (Prince of Hearts wasn't much better and that story had the strongest reception) and the negative feedback I got from Brothers of the Sun and Moon (originally A Wayward Kitsune), it's gonna take something more to get me to post a new concept.

I really would like to tell some of these stories, so it is up to you guys.

Anyways, I hope you are having a wonderful day and this brought you some comfort today!

If you enjoy Hushed Dreams or Lost Destiny, updates are coming soon!

But until then,

Peace my friends!