A/N: EDIT: Not a lot of feedback for this chapter. T_T Not sure if that's because of the glitches -no new chapter notifications- or something else. Either way, that hurts.
Can anyone see this chapter?
EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS -for the site at least- are down again. Glitches are affecting chapter lengths as well.
Here we go. We'll keep the note brief this time, before life has another chance to run me over with its bloody shenanigans.
I've finally found the cost for my car after paying for the parts...and its not good. Transmissions are bloody expensive, to say nothing of parts and labor and its driving me mad. No idea what I'm going to do about it, or even if there's anything I CAN do for that matter. I'll have to figure something out and soon, I'm running out of time. Might have to take out one of those awful loans after all...
*Sigh* but enough about me.
RWBY may have been canned by Warner Bros for now, but we fanfiction writers are out here trying to keep the light alive, as it were. So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
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. Dopooooo let me know~!
Draongball moment incoming. You all know the one...or do you?
Get the piano ready.
"Let me ask you something. Does a maiden like yourself ever experience fear?"
~A Legend.
Maidens and Massacre
She can't die.
It was Naruto's only thought, the first thing that registered in his mind as he watched Raven's lifeless corpse collapse at his feet.
She wasn't meant to die.
Team STRQ had been a facet of his life for so long now, the idea of one them dying to a cheap shot was anathema to him.
She's not supposed to die like this.
Reality reasserted itself with a lurch; his body knew what to do, even if his mind didn't; Kurama saw to that. He launched himself forward at Raven's still form. A screaming bandit tried to get in his way and in righteous recompense for their temerity he stove their face in with an open palm, all but tearing the top of their head from their shoulders. He snatched up their rusty machete before it could hit the ground and burying it into the chest of another. That one pitched backward with a gurgle and he kicked their corpse into their fellows, sending dozens of men and women sprawling.
The sudden savagery -fatality!- brought the others tribesmen and woman up short; he used the opening to crouch beside Branwen's body.
He knelt, grimaced at her wound -at the hole in her chest- and frantically went to work, hand glowing gold.
'I can fix this!' Such was his next thought. 'I healed Gai before, and he was nearly dead! I can fix this!'
She was still breathing, if only just; desperately convulsing as she choked for air that refused to come. Her eyes met his, wide and startled and panicked and he had an awful premonition of what was to come.
"No, no, no! You're okay! I can fix this! I just...give me a second!"
She gurgled wetly and fumbled for his hand. "I'm...sorry...
"Don't! There's nothing to be sorry about, damnit!
Raven smiled weakly. "Not your fault...
She stopped breathing.
Naruto knew it because he felt her heart stop in that instant; the life leave her body. She closed her eyes and went limp in his arms, head slumping to one side.
His mind blanked right out.
In his need, his greed, his urge to do a good deed, he tried to ignore what his senses were telling him. He kept pouring chakra into her body, restored her lung and closed her wounds, He took so much of his own life force and pushed it into her until her skin shimmered, but still she didn't wake up. Didn't evwn twitch. Her eyes wouldn't open. She couldn't awaken. Didn't rise. Her body, once warm, began to go cold in his arms.
Now it was his turn to tremble. "Please don't go away...
A bitter breeze blew across the camp, tugging at his blond bangs.
He wasn't sure what happened next; what came over him. It just...hurt.
In an instant, all his sundry schemes and stratagems flew right out the window. And in their place...he didn't know what he felt. It wasn't sadness or sorrow and it certainly wasn't relief, but an altogether different emotion, one he couldn't quite quantify. A lone tear welled up in his right eye and rolled down his cheek, dripping down onto her face. Kurama murmured words of comfort, but he scarcely heard them.
He'd been fond of Raven in his own way, he realized. Sure, she was a pain in the ass, but she was his pain in the ass. And now she was gone.
He bit his lip to choke down on a snarl.
"It wasn't supposed to be this way...
Golden chakra flared around him.
...you were supposed to live...
A shout tore out of him.
"...LIVE!"
Blue and gold chakra swarm around his body bleeding into green as the colors mingled. More tears came. The wind rose, tugging at his hair. All his emotions, so tightly bound down, tore free with a vengeance. His face twitched once, twice, thrice,now.
"Oi!" He heard Kurama's voice but it sounded so distant, so faint, that he could scarcely comprehend it. "Calm down! You're about to-
Calm down? How could he possibly calm down? IT WASN'T FAIR!
Naruto closed his eyes, threw his head back, and screamed.
That same blazing light burst from his body, washed over Raven's corpse and seared into the sky, a terrible pillar of unholy radiance to scorch the very clouds themselves. The heavens themselves dimmed, darkened now, the earth cracking and splintering underfoot great jagged spires of earth bursting from the soil as his voice piqued further and further into insanity. The sky itself drew down around him as though to embrace him in his moment of pain, the very fabric of reality shifted, even the air in his throat felt like it would ignite at the slightest provocation.
Naruto saw none of this, of course. Felt none of it, either. He kept screaming; howling imprecations curses, oaths, swears, a tide of vile vitriol seemingly without end.
Kill them. He'd kill them all. Each of them, all of them, every last one of them and BURN THEM ALL-
"Aw, what's wrong, Schnee?!" And then Vasir's laughter rippled behind him, hoarse and harsh. "Did I upset you?! Are you sad that bitch couldn't stand up to my power?! Well, swallow it!" she straightened up as he looked on, an ugly smiling tearing across her face as the survivors of the tribe rallied to her. "Because she won't be the last to go! You'll be joining her soon enough!"
It was like flicking a switch; his eyes snapped open and cries cut of.
Her words gave his fury a focus, his ire an outlet. He tucked his chin into his chest and glared down at the malevolent Maiden. "Is that all you have to say for yourself?"
The bandit blinked. "Ha?"
He pushed himself upright, rising woodenly without a care in the world. "I was asking you if those were your last words."
"Naruto," Kurama's voice rose over the clamor in his ears, "Whatever you're thinking, don't."
Too late.
His fist found her face and smashed her down into the ground. Once, twice, thrice now, to make certain she was out cold. He walked past her stunned form, grabbed the pair of bandits beside her, one to each hand, and crushed their skulls in his grasp. They popped like overripe grapes. Blood spattered his face but he barely felt it; hardly registered it at all. He flickered forward, found his next target in a woman wielding dual hatchets. He punched her in half, stepped over her corpse, and moved onto the next, a burly brute of a man with more muscle than brains.
On a whim, he actually let that hulking barbarian hit him.
The man's fist shattered on his cheek, as did his arm, followed by the rest of him as he ripped him asunder.
From there he moved onto the next bandit and the next and the next; on and on he went, weaving a wave of blue-and-gold-green devastation amongst them. He took no pleasure in the slaughter, no glee, no joy, just cold anger and the bitter relief of vengeance. He hunted them through the camp and spared none. He did what must be done. There was no hesitation, no mercy. Anyone that he found, he killed. It was slow, thorough work; he couldn't be sure how much time passed. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Surely not...
Annoyingly enough, Vasir recovered quickly and dared to stand in the midst of this slaughter. "Why, you...!"
She should've played dead. He laughed at her for her foolishness. "Congratulations."
Vasir edged backward, made wary by his words. "Excuse me?"
"No, really!" Naruto rounded on her, clapping both hands together with a death's head grin that practically split his face in two. "Congrats! You have my attention now. My undivided attention." He ripped his torn jacket away and cast it by the wayside, flexed his metal arm and started walking her way with slow, sedate steps. "The entirety of my focus, fixated firmly upon you. I hope you're happy; I hope its EVERYTHING you planned for, EVERYTHING you wanted, EVERYTHING you wished for...
A stay bandit tried ducked around an overturned tent and tried to shoot him while he spoke; he glared their way and they promptly evaporated on the spot.
...I actually felt sorry for you people at first...that you never had a chance to be anything better...but I don't care anymore...you can all just...
He placed his hands together and inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with pure chakra. Kneading it. Molding it to his whims. Letting it swell within his chakra coils until he was sure they would shatter from the strain. Some of the Tribe realized what he was up to and turned to flee. Others dove for cover. Good instincts. It wouldn't save them.
Had he been alive and present in this world, Madara would've grinned like a maniac.
He'd settle for the memory of the man's penultimate attack.
A single words parted his lips. "...Die."
What followed wasn't a fireball; but something far greater; he roared and an almighty wall of searing fire burst forth from his lips to surge toward the bandits, covering the distance between them in an instant. Vasir flung up a towering wall of ice between herself and the blast, only to be engulfed by it.
She vanished. As did the rest of the tribe. The entire camp was consumed in the blaze that followed.
Naruto closed both his ears and heart to what followed; the howls of pain, the shrieks of agony, the pleas for mercy.
Summer wouldn't like this. Taiyang and Qrow couldn't possibly understand why he was doing what he was doing. Willow would understand, however.
'All things must die. That includes bandits. Especially them.'
Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth. Evil for evil.
They'd taken Raven away, so he was going to take everything from them. It was only fair.
He'd thought it wasn't personal before; he'd been wrong.
Or perhaps he'd simply lied to himself.
It was very personal.
By the time the blaze finally guttered out five minutes later, all that remained of Vasir's tribe was rubble and ruin. If anyone had survived that, they weren't eager to make themselves known. He could sense some life signs in the burnt rubble, but so few of the Tribe remained, those willing to fight even less so. He'd root them out later; because right now, his focus was elsewhere.
A small part of him hopeed Vasir had managed another miraculous survival.
That one didn't deserve a quick death; he wanted to BREAK her.
Somewhere ahead of him, a piece of rubble shifted noisily.
Aha.
There she was.
No, no, no. There could be no escape. Not from him.
"Let me ask you something." He grinned and called out into the haze after her. "Does a maiden like yourself ever experience fear?"
A low whimper was his reward, and he spied a flash of burnt blue fleeing in the smoke.
Was she running away? How quaint. Vasir actually thought she could...escape.
"Go ahead!" he hallooed after her. "Run for it! Makes it more fun for me!"
Naruto whistled lowly, ominously, and gave chase.
(.0.0.0.)
A continent away, Willow's head snapped up with a start.
The smallest of shivers shook her shoulders.
"I've got a bad feeling about this...
A/N: Is Raven really gone?
You'll have your answers next chapter and the answer might surprise you.
Thad said, would you like weekly updates? Do let me know! Feedback is important.
As ever the Embers rule persists, reviews are my fuel, my fire, my life. Without them, I lose all inspiration, all hope, all ability to write.
That's no joke. I have so little time to write these days with two jobs, scarcely one day off a week, and silence hurts. So by all means, speak up! Make yourselves heard! Every bit of feedback, no matter how small or large, matters! Really, it helps a lot. Its a joy to talk with you all and bandy ideas back and forth; it really is. Sorry if this seems shorter than usual, working on a tight schedule here.
Reviews are the fuel that keeps me writing. That's no joke. I really am sorry that the chapters are shorter these days, and the updates slower, but I'm trying my best. Silence hurts more than any flame...without feedback, I can't write a single world. Seriously! So speak up! Every word -and every review!- really does matter!
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas... ...Review, Would You Kindly?
Here, have some previews. Lemme know what you think!
And as ever: Possible spoilers! Seriously!
Mostly the same previews here.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AWAIT AHEAD!
YOU WERE WARNED~!
(Previews are condensed to save space!
Vasir ran for her life.
Naruto, her death, walked after her with slowly, lazy steps.
Couldn't escape. Couldn't escape! No matter how fast she ran...!
Tyrian tittered. "Riddle me this! what do you get when a Maiden and a Shinobi have a child together?
The answer might surprise you! Shall I give you the answer?
You get a goddess."
Qrow was really starting to hate Mistral.
Bad enough that they had their crime syndicates, but this drug...no one had paid attention to it for the longest time. They'd known about it, even seen hints down in Menagerie, but this...
A drug that boosted semblances. Sounded great on paper, right?
It wasn't.
Using the damn thing killed you eventually. Semblances were meant to grow and evolve naturally. This...whatever it was, forced that evolution.
"Well, shit. Oz ain't gonna like this...
"We still haven't tracked down that semblance booster yet?
Evidently its cropped up in Mistral now.
"Lovely."
Target in sight.
She'd been so careful these last few days, making sure no one saw her, that no one suspected. This was her time, this was her moment! Her day was now!
"Ruby Rose! You put that cookie down! No desert before dinner!"
Buuusted.
Mommy was best mom, but she really did keep a close eye on her cookie jar...
Daddy was better. He let her have sweets all the time!
"Again."
Winter climbed to her feet. Cinder waited her, golden eyes shining with flame. Roman knelt to retrieve his hat, dusted it off, and brandished his cane at her. Sienna cracked her knuckles.
"Pick up your sword. We're not done yet, little sister...
Winter wasn't cut out to be a big sister. Truly, she felt she wasn't. She'd been born broken. She only knew how to fight and kill. That was why she seldom spoke. Why she shunned others.
It was precisely why she was hesitating now, as the mewls of a newborn infant filled the hospital room.
"Oh, stop that. Come here and hold your baby sister. Weiss won't bite."
...you're gonna be a daddy again.
Naruto fell out his chair!
...why do I laugh, you ask? I laugh because you have no idea what you've unleashed. There are things far worse than death."
Something tore the roof clean off above them; the roar of a beast split the air.
"Ah, right on time."
Winter scowled. It was a very impressive scowl she felt, easily capable of causing even the mightiest of Grimm to quaver in its boots.
It had no effect whatsoever on Big Sister Cinder. Her sister was everything she wanted to be; poise, power, and perfection. It didn't matter if they weren't related by blood. They were sisters. Anyone who said otherwise was getting an ice spike through the eye.
Now, now, there's no need to make such a face. You're only four, after all. What troubles you?
Daddy is busy again.
Cinder's face lit up. Really? Then I suppose we'll have to change that.
EDIT: Good 'ol Jason Statham here...
I asked twice. He started it. He's a bully.
...maybe this is my fault. I taught her to defend herself.
You think its a good idea teaching a little girl to fight?
Fight, no. Defend herself though? Definitely.
"Naruto, stop! This isn't you! This isn't who you want to be! They need to face justice!
Rationally, yes. But he wasn't feeling very rational right now.
"They came for my family. This is justice."
He squeezed their neck harder.
CRACK.
R&R~!