A/N: EDIT: Well, that wasn't a very popular reception...worked hard on this one, too...T_T
Added some extra content to, not that anyone noticed...
Here we are.
The second half of the battle, among other things.
It took me longer than I would've liked, but I really wanted to give everyone a chance to shine~!
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story...and others. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! Gone. Completely. I'm working two jobs with ever increasing hours so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that.
Two jobs keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
Now for thine questions, comments, and concerns. Its a doozy!
Skip this at your own peril~!
Q: Update Schedule! Givessss usss the preciousssss!
A: Update schedule is as follows, Ronin is working on A New Archon and Genshin stuff, so those will be ready when he says they are, DarkLord and I are pouring over RWBY, and *REDACTED* is giving me a font of ideas for Elden Ring.
I want to make quality updates here, not those short interludes or Fragments if I can help it.
Q: Have you SEEN some of the closeups of the unmasked NPC's?! Lanya and Tanith look great! To say nothing of *SPOILER* not to mention *SPOILER* and of course one can't forget the ashes of *SPOILER* because this is Naruto we're talking about, surely there's a way to save *SPOILER* too, no?
A: Oi, stop giving me ideas. Lalalalala! I'm already working on a bit with the Outer Gods. So many of those. We've got the Greater Will, the Frenzied Flame, -God of Chaos- Formless Mother, Goddess of Rot -sealed away in the Lake of Rot- not to mention the Goddess of the Dark Moon.
*checks notes*
Huh. Apparently the DeathBirds have a Goddess too? And the giants have a one-eyed god, then there's the Blood Star -separate entity from the Formless Mother- good lord, this gonna be a long story if we have to deal with all those meddlers in the land between.
Don't get me started on the speculated DLC.
Q: Did you know that the jellyfish in Elden Ring are dead CHILDREN? Food for thought.
A: ...I do now. Almost wish I didn't. Another thing to include in the Roderika bit I'm working on.
Q: Naruto didn't just up and dispel all his clones, did he? That'd be a waste! Just think of all the loot and quests he could do there! AND THE NEEDLE! Mustn't forget the needle!
A: He's still got a few scattered about Caelid. I'll not say more...yet.
Q: Hey, its me again! I am needing to correcting myself about Milicent's sisters! Mary is the eldest, and she wields a halo scythe. Maureen is the second sister, and she wields a deadly tree spear. Amy, the third sister, wields two flowing curved swords. Curved! Swords! And then we have Polyanna, the youngest, who uses daggers and rot incantations.
A: Erm...thanks for that? You really want me to write about those, don't ya mate?
Q: Is there any chance you could write about the Dung Eater-
A: NO. I cannot, and will not, ever give that monster a story. Dude wants to fuck the world over.
Q: Ladies are nice and all, but don't forget the lads! We need more jolly cooperation!
A: Be assured, everyone's getting screentime, not just the girls. I've not forgotten our dear fellow Blackguard, nor Boc or Blaidd, Alexander, Tragoth, Patches, and the like. To say nothing of Godfrey. Ohhh...I wanna write that scene so bad. Its gonna have "Standing Here I Realize" vibes all over it...
Q: Is Radahn about to pull a-
A: SHHHHHHH!
Alright then, this old man has kept you long enough! I'll let you enjoy this sappy little story.
As ever, I own no quotes references, themes or memes. Not a wit or a one!
Now then, I'll not keep you. Get ready to smile~!
Minor verbatim for ingame dialogue.
Won't be a thing much longer.
"It was indeed a meteor.
A meteor named...
...Radahn."
~?
At My Side
...get up!"
His ears were ringing. No, that wasn't it. Everything was ringing.
He couldn't remember the last time someone hit him from orbit. It hurt like hell.
Naruto touched one hand to the side of his head, grimacing in pain as the skin there regrew. Why were his ears ringing? Why was everything blurry? Why couldn't he think straight? He could feel someone shaking his right shoulder, hear them shouting while the earth trembled underfoot, but it all felt so distant somehow. One fists lay buried in the sand, his body down on a single knee; even the singular act of raising his head made him feel violently ill. Had to move. Had to get up. Had to...to...by the log he was going to be sick.
"Breathe. Your eardrums were ruptured by the blast."
...any chance you could fix that, Kurama?'
"Just did."
A clap of thunder rang in his head, taking the nausea with it. Dimly he became aware of the world again as he climbed to his feet. He immediately wished he hadn't. He could hear Greyroll growling and Radahn raging across the next dune, which suggested at least a few combatants had survived his landing, but...
Then he saw them.
He found Trish sprawled out in the dunes not a yard away, and her mangled shield not far from that. Her armor was caved in from a mighty blow and her helm knocked aside. By some miracle she still lived, but only just. Melina was crouched beside her with a ruined leg, forcing a flask of crimson tears to the larger woman's lips.
"Drink, blast you!"
The Sentinel planted a trembling fist in the ground and punched it, but acquiesced.
Naruto nearly gagged as beheld the mangled joint of the kindling miaden's knee; the limb itself bent at an unnatural angle. How was she ignoring a wound like that? Would she heal from that? Could she heal? Not likely, not when she was using her flask on Trish. He stumbled her way and made to lay a hand on her knee, only for her to glare daggers at him. He still did despite her glare.
...he wouldn't forget the awful noise her leg made as it popped back into place.
"My injuries are of no concern!" she gasped out, batting his hand away. "Tend to your sword. She is in more need of your strength than I."
Sword? The blond paused as he realized they were missing someone. Wait. Where was...
.
..
...good to see you awake," a weak voice whispered behind him. "My lord."
He found their resident redhead propped against the very same mound of weapons he'd just risen from, clutching her right arm...what remained of it. The very same limb he'd restored, now reduced once more to a ragged stump at the shoulder and an ugly tear in her collarbone. Blood flowed freely from the wound, forming a scarlet puddle beneath her. Memories rushed back. The meteor. Wrong. Radahn had been the meteor. He'd crashed down on them, a falling star; power bombing them from the upper atmosphere. She had shoved him aside at the last, saving his life.
Incredulity dawned, rooting him where he stood. "Why...?"
"A sword protects her Lord. In any case, its just a flesh wound." her waxy complexion said otherwise. "I've...suffered worse."
Her words untethered his legs; just like that found himself moving, slamming down onto his knees, pressing both hands to her gaping wound. Chakra surged out, wrapping the length of her shoulder. She didn't react to the mending energy in the least; she was just that far gone. He could feel her pulse fading, growing weaker. And with her weakness something deep inside her stirred, rising to the surface. The Scarlet Rot. He had suppressed it once before, but she'd not been this weak then. He could feel it in her now, an angry writhing tide, eager to bloom, to flower into new life.
He shoved at it, and a ghastly, oily presence touched his mind.
"Why do you resist?" a low contralto -a woman's voice!- whispered in his ear, sweeter than poisoned honey. "She already belongs to me. She is mine, just as her sisters are mine, as Malenia is mine, as this world will be mine." It reminded him of Kaguya, but worse. So much worse. "Why struggle fruitlessly?"
He kept his eyes fixed on Milicent's slowly mending collarbone, watching the wound close to the exclusion of all else.
A hand took him by the chin. Milicent's hand. He didn't want to look up, for fear of what he'd find there. He tried to resist...and failed. She gazed back at him, her golden eyes a tainted pink-on-red, a coy smile tugging at her normally dour expression. It was a look he'd never seen her wear before; if anything it helped him distance himself from her.
Something was controlling her body; no, speaking through her very soul. Something not of this world.
"Scram, whatever you are." Kurama rallied before he could. "He's already got one passenger."
"Mine business is not with you, creature. 'Tis with him. We need not be enemies." her voice dipped lower still, running silken fingers over his spine a she turned her tainted eyes back to him. "Be my champion, mine dear Consort." he shivered a little as her forehead kissed his, lips brushing his ear. "Free me from mine Lake of Rot, and I shall usher in a new cycle of rebirth for this decayed world. Together, our children shall devour the very-
The ring on Naruto's finger erupted into searing brilliance, warping her words into a wail of pain.
"Begone. He is not yours to claim."
"Milicent" withdrew with a start, her eyes gone gold once more.
"I...you...forgive me," she rasped, leaning back against the rusted weapon. "I don't know what came over me...I was not myself...!
"That's putting it lightly...
Naruto had an awful inkling; that she wasn't aware of it only confirmed his suspicions. That thing...whatever was inside her...it couldn't be set free.
Greyroll's scream echoed across the wailing dunes. Radahn roared back. She fell silent.
"They need you." Milicent's head lolled to the side. "Leave me...
Dread dawned and he shouted her down. "Quiet, you!"
In that moment, Naruto felt like screaming himself. He shoved more chakra into her, and this time, she gasped. The Rot receded with a snarl. He took that as a good sign. He couldn't regrow her arm in time; in his current state, he was struggling just to stop the bleeding and close the gaping wound. Every second he wasted was another in which someone might die. Even now, their survival wasn't a sure thing.
Radahn howled and another cry of pain pierced the air.
Panic clouded his mind, tangling his already tattered thoughts into ugly red knots. Maybe send a swarm of shadow clone? But that would mean taking his hands off Milicent, and if he did that she'd keep loosing blood and if she lost too much she'd...!
"Allow me."
Someone knelt beside him. A gentle golden glow suffused Milicent's body.
Naruto's head snapped to the side, taking in the newcomer at a glance...except, she wasn't a newcomer at all. It was the woman from the plaza. The one in the robes who'd bowed to him back then. A faint golden sheen stemmed from her hands as she brought them forward against Milicent, brow writ with concentration. He felt something pushed against his chakra in that moment, strengthening his attempts at healing, doubling them up with a blessing. As he looked on, the wound finally closed, the blood within slowing to but a trickle.
"Well, well. Seems someone has a gift."
The stranger granted them a tiny, tremulous smile. He didn't even know her name.
"I'm no fighter m'lord," she warbled a little, flushing prettily under his gaze. "but I can at least keep your companion stable while you fight."
"You-
Blaidd's body hurtled past them and crashed into Alexander, just now cresting the next rise. He heard the great jar crack as both brawlers went down. Credit where it was due, the half-wolf bounded upright and hurled himself back into the fray with nary a pause. His fellow did not. The jolly jar lay there, still as a stone, out cold.
"Warrior!" Greyroll belted out a yelp. "A little help?!"
"Go." Milicent nudged him with her good arm. "I'll live. Stop him."
Naruto grimaced. He had to, didn't he? One way or another, someone needed to put the general down. Greyroll and Blaidd might well be the ones to do end Radahn if he let them be-but who was he to leave them to their fight? It hadn't been personal before. Now, after all the wounds his comrades had taken? An ember of anger kindled in his chest, righteous and powerful.
Wincing at his wounds, he climbed to his feet. "...I'll be right back."
Milicent smiled at him; his heart skipped a beat, moreso at her words. "Be safe."
Naruto ran then, from her as much as the strange feeling in his chest. He wasn't ashamed to admit it; his mind was already elsewhere; locking down, focusing on the fight ahead. A quickstep shot him over the dune, past a startled Blaidd, followed by that fellow with the great hammer, then the masked madman with two swords.
He saw Radahn first, a strange series of what could only be described as boulders looming over his shoulders as he howled at...
...Greyroll?
That had to be Greyroll. He scarcely recognized her covered in blood as she was, hair matted, dress in tatters. In her desperation she had nearly reverted to her draconic self; now she seemed some strange amalgamation caught between human and dragon. Even from here, the changes became apparent. Her human form stood proud and unbowed despite her wounds-was it his imagination, or had she grown? No, she looked to be a good head taller than he remembered; more than that. She was nearly half the General's size now, if not his equal in sheer tenacity.
"I won't die here!" She snarled, fangs flashing in the moonlight. "Not yet! Not to you!"
In that split second of inattention, Naruto stepped in.
He whistled sharply. "Hey! Big guy!"
Radahn heard his challenge and rounded on him with a roar, brandishing his blades. Naruto let him raise them. They swung down in an overhead smash...one that became so much wind in his hair as he stepped into the good general's guard. Radahn grunted in surprise; a grunt that became a snarl as he reached up and grabbed the man's wrists. The demigod tried to pull away of course. Tried.
As in, he did not succeed.
"Sorry," Naruto apologized to him as much as the withered horse currently staring him the face. "But this is the end for you."
The beast gave a low whinny and slammed against him, to no avail. He didn't budge.
"Its alright." He whispered. "I'll give you a long rest after this."
Golden hands began to squeeze; buckling first Radan's gauntlets and then the wrists beneath. He kept squeezing, hardening his heart to the cries of pain that followed. That plucky steed drove itself at him again and again in spite of it all, determined to protect its master. All for naught.
'Kurama.'
"...I've got him."
A golden limb burst from his back and pinned the steed.
It was the final straw. Radahn's arms spasmed and lost hold of his greatswords at long last. They sheathed themselves in the sand at his feet, driven nearly to the hilts by their weight alone. How a man could carry those things, he'd no idea, let alone when they were enhanced with those rocky cragblades. Even then the general didn't give up. He reared back and brought his head smashing down in a vicious headbutt, all but flattening his poor mount against the sand to get at him. Stars flashed through his vision, but once more, he held firm.
Placid red orbs gazed into eyes of maddened gold; the gaze of a starving lion longing for an end.
Still he searched for some sign of sanity within, some semblance of serenity.
And against all odds, the General...spoke. Well, more a roar really.
"MALENIA!"
Was it the eyes? Had to be the eyes.
"Sorry. Ain't her. You never asked for this, did you?" he leaned his head against the general's and let his eyes drift shut. "Maybe we could've been friends, before all this."
Radahn tried to headbutt him again for it. This time he was ready for it.
Still gripping the general's wrists, he released his mount, leaped up and drove a golden knee into the man's midsection. Radahn doubled over. He didn't stop there. Abandoning his hold on the man's fractured wrists, he let momentum have its day. It carried him up and over and away, but not before he got ahold of the general's crimson mane.
From there, gravity did the rest.
With a cry of triumph he slammed him down to the dunes, momentarily stunning him. From there he pressed his marked palm to the giant demigod's forehead and focused. Golden chakra flowed forth, lulling the. Distantly he became aware of Greyroll and the other combatants approaching. She was grinning at him, looking like a goddess of the battlefield. He waved her down with a smile and returned his attention back to his patient. Only had one shot at this...
'Alright, big guy. If I healed a dragon, I can fix...what in the blue hell is this?'
He nearly recoiled what he found there.
Radahn's insides were gone. His internals were a literal mass of Rot soup. Nothing more. Nothing less. Of his organs, precious little remained.
He'd never regrown organs before. Eyes and arms yes; hell, he'd brought Gai back from the very brink of death after using the Eight Gates, but even that was merely a matter of reversing the damage; spurring the body's natural defenses into overtime to heal great wounds and recover that which had been lost.
How did you heal that which no longer existed? Without the Rot...would he even be alive?
Radahn had been feasting on the rotten corpses of former friends and foes for centuries now. The Rot had a hold on him unlike any other. Of those who came before him, he had precious little of his wits left, let alone his sanity in any meaningful capacity. Milicent and Greyroll had been infected to be sure, but not even poor Ekzykes had fermented with this much poison. Radahn had been at ground zero when Malenia unleashed the Scarlet Rot. Even boosted as he was by Godrick's Great Rune, he didn't think he could fix this.
"Can't I?" The realization rattled him. 'No,' he rallied. 'I can fix this. I can do it this; I have to. He's not like Godrick. He's a good guy! He deserves to live!'
Dragging his chakra out, he flung it at the ailing general in a web, wrapping him in golden light beneath his armor. The Rot realized what he was doing at once and clung on tenaciously, refusing to give an inch. He had to batter it back bit by bit, a craftsman chipping away at obsidian with a chisel. It was slow, murderous going. Someone shouted at him and tugged on his shoulder. He ignored them, torn between two-no, now three tasks at once. He wasn't simply trying to push out the infection, but heal Radahn's body and mind simultaneously; without his organs, the good general would fall apart the moment he ripped the Rot out.
It didn't help that the Starscourge was fighting him every step of the way.
He couldn't even blame Radahn for that. In his heart of hearts, the general had nothing left to live for; as such, he longed only for an honorable death in battle. An end to his pain. This was not that. It was slow. Agonizing. Probably felt like torture. Only natural he'd rail against it with every instinct he had. If only he could make him see! He was just trying to help! He didn't want to hurt him...!
"Finish me. Please."
The world went white.
Naruto closed his eyes against it.
Kurama's voice pierced the veil, returning him to reality.
"You need to stop! This is beyond you! He's breaking free!"
Sweat beaded down his brow as he grit his teeth. 'I can do still do this, damnit!'
...Naruto. You may be able to heal his body, but you can't make a madman sane."
'I've almost got it! Just give me a few more minutes!'
And then Radahn bucked under his palm.
Kurama yanked him back.
It saved his life.
A massive fist shot up and struck them in the chest, fracturing three ribs to launch him into a dune. He kicked upright in an instant, but it was too late.
The moment Radahn moved, everyone went mad and fell upon him en masse.
In that madness, someone struck true. Naruto was never sure who. Only that they did. Radahn flailed about himself with grasping hands, but not enough. He took wounds. Someone slashed out his right eye. An agonized cry pierced the air. The good general jerked upright, then stumbled on rotten legs. He fell forward, catching himself with both palms...as his withered mount collapsed beneath him.
Naruto swore in the same breath as Greyroll. "Who did that?!/Fool of a Tarnished!"
Blaidd lowered his blade. "They've done it now...
Radahn nudged his faithful steed once more, trying to spur him on. The poor beast slumped to the sands with an exhausted whine. A giant hand descended, cradling its exhausted body. Nursing the grievous wound in its belly. Trembling fingers set it aside in the rot-ridden sands. He gave it another desperate nudge, making a pitiful noise. The withered beast managed to raise its head a fraction of a foot, then fell still. It did not move again.
He lowered his head and sniffed once. Sobbed, softly.
"Leo...nard...?"
His horse didn't move.
"Not thee...please, not you, too...
The stars sang a mournful dirge overhead.
...I think we've just made a terrible mistake."
(.0.0.0.)
Leonard wouldn't move.
Radahn's rotten mind struggled to make sense of it all, to no avail.
It didn't make a lick of sense. How had this happened? Why wouldn't his beloved steed move?
Radahn didn't know what to do. Not without his horse-without Leonard.
What was he to do now? He wanted to die. He NEEDED to die.
A worthy death was all he sought. And yet...
These monsters...had slain his horse.
All that he had left of his family.
An answer came to him then.
Kill them. Kill them all.
...okay."
(.0.0.0.)
Radahn dragged himself upright...and fell off his steed.
On ruined legs did he right himself.
"Why...?"
His neck craned back, a single golden eye gazing at the moon high above. Heavy hands reached up for it as though to grasp it, and failed. A mournful howl escaped him then; a wail of grief and despair, of a good man who had tried to do right and failed; a tortured wretch who had finally lost one too many. In his heart of hearts, Naruto heard his voice then.
"You were...at my side all along...all this time...
And so the general spoke. Slowly, haltingly, but words emerged nevertheless.
"My oldest friend...my dearest companion...
A shiver shot down their spines.
...taken from me."
His head bent low as his helm fell away, leaving the flowing crimson mane of his hair to tumble down his back.
"Oh, Leonard." he rumbled, jaws parting, setting teeth to flesh. "Lend me thy strength once more."
Naruto turned his head away as Radahn fed upon his horse like a starving dog. Devoured its corpse, marrow and flesh and bone, all. And as he fed, he healed. Radahn pushed himself upright on rotting legs. Gravity magic flared beneath them, forming boots of hardened stone around his ankles. He stood tall, wounds closing, spears falling out his ruined back. His hands snapped open. Once more did the Starscourge Greatswords fly into his waiting palms, bathed in baleful light. Yet now there was a hint of a hint of something else to them. Darker. Tainted. Rotten.
"You took...the last...of my family." Uncaring of his bloody visage, he rose. "The only thing that still mattered to me."
His voice gained strength as he spoke, spurred on by the pain of loss.
"You wretched Tarnished...
When the Starscourge raised his gaze, there was a frightful glimmer in his eye. Rotten his body may well be, but a shard of his self remained-awakened now, spurred on by the pain of loss. His ruined eye wept rot, trailing crimson tears as he raised his blades high.
Starscourge Radahn died in that instant. In his place, Radahn the Rotten was born.
"Let it all rot." he rumbled. "I care naught anymore. Let the heavens quake; let the stars cry. Let this wretched world die."
Lionel and Okina never saw the blow that slew them; one minute they stood there balking at the reinvigorated general; in the next, a star smashed down upon them, hurtling them back to their respective worlds in a shower of golden light. Tragoth survived by dint of his superior armor alone, yet even he found himself hammered down, unable to rise. Radahn took full advantage and brought his blades crashing down. The severed halves of the horned knight's spirit crumbled into dust. With his passing, so too were their numbers cut in half.
And then he turned to them.
"I...will have...each and every one...OF YOUR HEADS!"
"Now you've done it." Blaidd hefted his greatsword with a forlorn sigh. "There's no reasoning with him now."
"Me?!" Greyroll hissed back at the wolf. "T'was not my blade that slew his steed! Blame the bloody swordsman for the deed!"
Radahn chose his target and lunged with a bestial howl. Greyroll backpedalled.
Naruto leaped forward himself, knowing he'd be too late. Radahn struck. Blood spattered the sands.
Those deadly Starscourge Greatswords bit deep...into the dirt as Greyroll flitted out of harms way. She took flight, borne aloft now by a pair of towering wings. Black viscera spattered the sands, her shoulders even now bleeding from their sudden emergence. Silhouetted against the moon, she held up a clawed hand to beseech the heavens. Sparks danced at her fingertips...scarlet sparks.
"Enough!" there was something off to her voice now as well, as if another, far greater presence were speaking through her. "Ye dare make me exert myself, you mongrel?!"
His sixth sense shrieked a warning well before Kurama balked.
"Back! Now!"
"I am Greyroll! Mother of Dragons! Child of the great Lord Placidusax! Do you hear?!" Eyes wild, she cast her arm forward, a bolt of purest light manifesting in her off hand. "You are beneath me. I am a Dragon, you dull creature!" He made a blind swipe for her ankle, which only earned him her scorn. "And I will suffer your insolence no more!"
In a shower of purple gravity magic, Radahn took flight -actual flight!- to meet her challenge.
"Flight does not make thee a dragon!"
A wordless roar was his answer.
Greyroll scoffed and cast the bolt down with a contemptible flick of her wrist. It skewered the bereaved berserker in the chest, aborting his short-lived charge. Momentum speared him down to the dunes. She landed atop him not a heartbeat later, teeth gone sharp, gaze ablaze. A hand rared back smashed down atop her crimson spear.
The world boiled red.
Naruto flung up an arm against it; even then the resultant eruption of heat and light nearly blinded him for a moment.
"Since when can she do that?!"
"That's not her strength." Kurama jabbed him with a paw. "Can't you feel it? She's channeling it from something else...someone else."
Maybe so, but it didn't change what he'd just seen. Whoever was empowering her was strong, but not strong enough. He glimpsed the two titans in the smoke. A tail had bloomed from Greyroll's back to ensnare Radahn by the waist, reeling him as one might a fish. As he looked on she grabbed the general, all but mounting him in her fury to get at him.
"Mine is the true strength of dragons." flame flickered behind her teeth and she leaned in, as though to kiss him. "Care for a taste?"
Full lips parted in a scream; one that sounded more beast than woman. From her cry, golden fire was born. There was no chance to evade. No time to dodge. Greyroll all but embraced Radahn and breathed naked napalm into his face; scalding his visage, his being, his very soul.
Radahn roared into it and lashed out with both feet, catching her center mass. Naruto heard the awful crack of bone. The startled dragoness hurtled away with a yelp.
She was only just rising when a star fell from the sky and smote her into the sands.
"Well, she's out." Blaidd set his greatsword in the sand. "Finish him, won't you? He's suffered enough."
Naruto stepped forth...only to dither at the last second. He'd gone into this battle intending to save Radahn. To help him, as he had so many others. Now their forces were down to two, and the general was getting back up. Slowly to be sure, but the burned hulk was still very much alive.
Any moment now, and he'd be upon them.
His hands clenched into fists at his sides, fingernails biting down until they drew blood. How had it come to this? In another life, another story, he could have saved him. He knew it. He should've saved him. But if he made one slip here, one mistake, it was over. There was no one left to fight. Fate had conspired against him, and for once, he didn't know how to turn the tables. They'd simply run out of time. Even if he managed to save him, Radahn wouldn't thank him for it as he was now. He'd hate him for it. Curse him. Try to kill him. But still...!
"Not everyone can be saved, Naruto."
They should be! That was why he'd chosen to stay here!
Angry tears stung at his eyes. "...why does it have to be me?"
Blaidd heaved a sigh and touched a hand to his chest; his palm came away soaked with blood. "Because I can't fight that thing. I can't kill Lady Ranni's brother."
Naruto felt his hackles rise. Wasn't she that witch who met him at the fire? "Ranni? I know that name."
"Slip of the tongue, mate." the half-wolf looked away with a wince. "Don't dwell on it."
A hand clasped his shoulder. "He's right, young chum. The deed needs to be done.
Naruto nearly slapped his forehead. At this point, he didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry. Why had the bloody castellan joined the battle-no, of course he had. Life just loved its little surprises. Of course Jerren would be here to see it all end. He shouldn't have expected any less of the odd duck.
"He's fought long and hard, he has." the man's mask betrayed nothing when he looked to him, but his emotions shone through it all the same, ringing true. "If there was any way to save him, we would've found it by now. Send him to his rest."
...it had to be him, didn't it?
"I was supposed to save him." he croaked out. "I still want to...
"You tried lad." Jerren clapped him on the back. "That's what matters. Ask yourself this. If the General was in his right mind, would he be happy with what he's become?"
Naruto knew the answer.
He stepped forward with a heavy heart.
Radahn rounded on him, brandishing his blades with a braying roar.
An impossibly fast fist snapped into his chin and sent him sprawling onto his back. Credit where it was due, it didn't stop him. He lumbered upward. A rousing roundhouse smashed him down. His swords swept forth in a black blue and were summarily ripped from his grasp. Bones broke. Blood and fingers flew through the air.
He didn't use Godrick's ax, not once; he beat Radahn the Rotten down with his fists alone and nothing else.
Blaidd whistled behind him. "So that's what it looks like. A fight between two demigods.
He still didn't consider himself a Demigod. No matter what they said.
Naruto stalked after the dazed general, trying to steel himself. He'd already made the mistake of underestimating Radahn once and his allies had paid dearly for his arrogance. That wouldn't happen again. No. Never again. Mercy meant nothing here. Whatever state Radahn was in, he'd gone well beyond help. There was only one course left to him.
"I can't do it." the words escaped him a low rasp as the wind keened anew. "I...don't think I can save you. Don't you want me to save you?"
Radahn only roared at the moon.
...give him peace."
Naruto's palm snapped out as he snarled, Rasengan spiraling in hand. Kurama's cloak blazed about him and fed still more energy to the maelstrom. It grew large within his grasp. Larger now. Largest, until it loomed over the general himself. Impossible to miss. Even if he dodged the first strike, the followup would surely finish him off. Even now he hoped against hope.
"Last chance!" his voice cracked. "Stand down! Don't make me do this!"
Perhaps Radahn knew that; because he didn't bring the stars crashing down upon him as he had the others. As he looked on, the general's shoulders slumped, his very being sagging in exhaustion, bone deep. But only for a moment. Then he threw himself forward, barreling down at him in one last wild, suicidal charge.
Naruto's arm fell with a thunderclap and a cry.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Let there be light.
(.0.0.0.)
Ranni woke from her deep slumber with a frightful start.
She felt it, then. His spirit passing in the night.
A tear ran down her cheek. "Radahn...?"
(.0.0.0.)
Melina felt the battle end.
It came not with a whisper, but a roar.
She heard the keening of the wind...and saw what followed.
Stars raced by, freed at last from the General's grasp. One hurtled into the distance and rent a mighty explosion upon the Lands Between. The kindling Maiden fought down a wince. She knew full where it had fallen; such was the knowledge granted to her by her mother. Such were the trappings of fate, and likewise, they were well known to her.
With this, Ranni's schemes would begin to move once more.
But now was not the time for such thoughts; because she saw him.
Naruto crested the dune, Greyroll leaning heavily against him, with Blaidd and that foolish Castellan not far behind. She paid the latter little mind.
Because you see, she saw them. Radahn's greatswords, shrunken to fit the blond's back. Likewise, she beheld the general's Great Rune etched into the blond's right arm. Full of lively vigor it was, burning a bright baleful amber over his armor. Orange. The sight drew a bitter laugh from her. It would be orange. Of all the colors. The irony wasn't lost on her. Radahn had ever loved the sight of a sunset, that great big oaf...
Mastering her emotions, she wiped a lone tear from her eye and forced herself to rise on trembling legs. "The battle is over, then?"
Naruto laid Greyroll down, ignoring the latter's angry growl. Blaidd plonked down beside her with a wary sigh.
Still he said said not a word.
Blank blue eyes met hers. It was as if he didn't see her; no, he did see her, he simply stared right through her. He looked tired. Hollowed out from the inside. Dread dawned. Had the ruinous Rot in Radahn taken hold of him as well? Nay, she didn't sense such. He must be tired. Surely that was all...unless...?
Realization struck like a thunderclap.
Naruto had failed to save Radahn. He'd been so confident, so certain, so sure that he would. And in the end...he was left with no choice but to slay the madman. For once, she'd been right. She had proven him wrong. It should have been a pleasant feeling...but it wasn't. Where was the pride she'd expected? It tasted like ashes in her mouth.
No, no, this wouldn't do. Victory might yet defeat him. Break him. This could not pass. He had two Great Runes in his. The damage he could cause with such was unimaginable. Only once before had a Tarnished accomplished such...and never in such a short time. Vyke had languished for years to reach this point. Naruto had done all this in less than a month. If he broke now, if he went mad, all her efforts would be for naught...or so she told herself.
Something else nagged at Melina. She refused to acknowledge it.
Are you happy now? a little voice cooed in her ear.
She wasn't. Not at all.
Melina stepped to him quickly, took a handkerchief from her pocket, and use it wiped a bit of blood from his face. "You fought well. It could not have ended any other way."
It was the wrong thing to say; she regretted it at once. Something hot and angry burned in his eyes. Yet for all his ire, he said not a word.
For a moment, just a moment, she felt the icy touch of fear. He looked well and truly furious with her.
"Indeed he did!" Jerren bulled between them with a merry laugh and slung an arm around them both in a hearty embrace, shattering the impasse. "A finer fight I've never seen in all my days!" those burly limbs drew them closer than she would've liked, leaving their faces nearly parallel with one another as he squeezed them senseless. "Come, let us tend to our wounded! Then we shall make merry!"
Blaidd thumped the ground with the flat of his sword. "A banquet, then? Suits me just fine...
Greyroll raised a trembling fist from where she lay. "Will there be wine?"
"As much as you can drink, my lady dragon!" He dipped a hand to the flask at his belt, and the moment Melina took her chance to squirm free. "It shall be a feast unlike any other!" as she looked on, he poured it out on the sands. "A toast! For our new General!"
Trish and Blaidd barked a pained laugh where they lay.
Naruto's head whipped around with an audible creak as he tore himself free of Jerren. "Excuse you?!"
"You got blood in your ears, lad?" The castellan chortled behind his mask. "You slew a Demigod in honorable combat. There's no one better to take his place." Melina noted the curious look of panic in the blond's eyes just then. So too did Jerren; because he barreled onward before he could recover. "If you truly wish to set things right with the Rot, then the lads and I would be happy to have you." Still chuckling, he buckled the flask back to his belt and clapped him on the arm once more. "Give it some thought."
Much to Melina's relief, Naruto only made an irritated noise. "...I'll think about it."
"That's all I ask." his peace said, the castellan sauntered away, waving as he did. "It will take some time to prepare another festival, of course. I'll send word when we're ready. Feel free to stay at the castle for as long you please in the meantime~!"
Greyroll tried to rise. Naruto yanked her back down. Her legs flailed in the air as she whined. "But wiiiiiine~!"
...you're already punch drunk as is." blue eyes rolled in mild exasperation. "Take a nap."
She rolled over to glare golden daggers at him. "Who are you to command me...?"
A blond brow arched her way. She quivered under his stoic stare.
"Urk. Very well, I shall...yes, I'll just rest, shall I?"
"That's what I thought."
When his gaze swung back to her, Melina couldn't help but squirm. He looked at her for a long moment, letting her shrivel under his sight like a naughty child. She forced herself to meet his stare. Pah! If he thought she'd roll over like that dragon woman he had another thing coming. She would not be cowed by strength alone.
"I've been thinking like a ninja." he said at last. "Time to start thinking like a tactician. Everyone almost died today because I rushed in."
She felt the a strange need to comfort him. "They didn't."
"But they almost did." he clicked his tongue. "That's on me. I need to take responsibility for that.
Melina blinked. Was that a flicker of pride she felt just now? No! Nay! Surely not!
She shoved it down. It lingered still, smoldering as Naruto walked away.
Exasperated and exhausted, she slumped back to the sand.
Where was he off to now?!
(.0.0.0.)
Numb and drained, Naruto finally traipsed back to Milicent.
He found her slumbering peacefully, mangled arm bound by a crimson tourniquet as the nameless maiden fussed over her. It was a far cry from the state he'd left her in. When he touched two fingers to her throat, he felt her pulse come through, steady and strong. Shame about her arm, though. He'd have to see his way to healing it again...or maybe finding her a prosthetic?
Thoughts for later. Right now, her health mattered more. "How is she?"
"Stable." The nameless maiden bowed her head as he knelt beside her. "That was a very brave thing she did."
"Yeah." Unbidden, he found himself reaching out, pushing a strand of red hair from Milicent's eyes." She's a stubborn one." Her nose wrinkled in sleep and he released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Let her sleep. She's earned her rest. If she'd died because of him-no, he didn't want to think about that. There had been enough death this day.
Beside him, the Maiden took a breath, wriggled a little, then looked to him. "Brave Tarnished, might I have a...moment of your time?"
Naruto looked away...and bristled when he saw Radahn looming over her. His shoulders tensed. How...?!
A blink, and the general was gone. He scrubbed a this eyes. Seeing things. Had to be.
"If its a reward you're after, I don't have much on me...
...'tis not a reward I seek."
When he looked back the maiden was in the process of removing her bloodied mantle. Rich dark hair spilled out, complementing pale golden eyes. He'd never seen a more striking combination. It helped distract him from what he'd just seen. Right, don't think about it. Focus on her. That'll help.
"My name is Therolina." she stood and introduced herself properly with a polite bow. "I believe you are the one that I have been searching for."
He blinked, not quite comprehending. "For me? What for?"
She dipped another skittish curtsy. "Why, to be your Maiden, of course."
...eh?"
Blaidd howled out a laugh where he lay. Naruto could feel Melina glaring a hole between his shoulders, waiting for his answer.
"You want to be my maiden?!" A touch of disbelief must've bled through his words; because she seemed to shrink at his remark. "You must be joking...
"Oh." Therolina hung her head. Gravity itself seemed to suck her down. "I see. Yes, of course. It was foolish of me to say such a thing." Her shoulders shook and her chest convulsed once. "I suppose you're right. After all-who would want a useless wretch like me?" bitter laughter tumbled past her lips. "I'm no warrior. I can't even swing a sword. All I can do is heal...
She looked so small and lost in that instant...
.
..
...damnit.
"Don't you do it."
He just couldn't help himself.
"Hey, hey!" he waved his right hand furiously. "I didn't say no. I just...why me?"
Therolina's head snapped up red rimmed eyes regarded him, wet with unshed tears. "You're having me on, aren't you?"
"Not about this!"
...you're the strongest warrior I've ever met." she sniffled a little, somewhat chagrined by his remark. "Yet you lack the arrogance that often heralds such strength." her hands came up, wringing themselves against one another as she rambled on. "Not only that; you're the first Tarnished to hold two Great Runes since Vyke himself. You seem fair without being foolish, kind without the naivete that plagues the most gentle souls. And...
She looked away, wrinkling her little button nose in naked embarrassment.
...you care for your companions." her gaze raved over the motley crew of his allies, acknowledging them each in turn. "Even a wretch like me can see that. You'd gladly give your life for them. Any of them."
"Well, I would, but I'm pretty sure there are plenty of other fish in the sea...
"You're the one I want!" she clasped her hands before her face. "It has to be you! No one else will do!"
No one else? How in blazes did you argue with a remark like that? You didn't.
Naruto looked left. Naruto looked right. No one came to his aid.
'Melina's gonna kill me...!'
When he turned to look her way, he thought she just might. Her good eye met his in silent judgement. Her mouth opened. Closed now, as she saw the resolve in his gaze. Rather than protest, she huffed and vanished in a swirl of blue mist. Her presence lingered nearby; a silent and sullen shadow, sulking at his decision.
There would be hell to pay for this later. He just knew it. And yet:
"Alright." it was almost painful to see Therolina jump at that. "If you wanna follow me-
"YES!"
He was still speaking when Therolina hit his chest; an arrow loosed from a bow. Her arms locked tight around him and held on for dear life. He could have pried her off; shoved her away in an instant, he knew he could've, but it would've been like kicking a puppy. Couldn't do it.
"I finally have a purpose. Thank you. A thousand thank you's, my lord," bright, golden eyes shone up at him, framed by a cherubic smile."You'll not regret this, I swear by the Fingers. I'm sure we'll get along splendidly."
Well, at least she had spirit. Still, for better or worse, Radahn was gone.
Which left him with another matter to deal with, one yet-unresolved.
Now where in blazes had his clones gotten off to in Caelid?
(.0.0.0.)
A shadow clone had wandered too far.
He knew he had; just as he knew the Boss was gonna be all sorts of angry once he finally dispelled himself. He'd seen a lot. Done a lot, too. In all likelihood his memories were gonna give the original a mighty migraine he'd not soon forget.
It wasn't his fault!
He'd been following orders, him and his brothers, trying to clean up Caelid as best they could with their limited resources. The Boss had put him in charge of a sizable squad, even reinforced him with extra chakra to make sure he wouldn't "pop" in one hit like the rest of the lads. Not much, but enough. As a result of that generous patronage, it was smooth sailing for awhile there. They'd torn through a great many beasties, nabbed a bit of loot, even managed to rescue the odd soldier here and there.
Yessir, it was smooth sailing indeed. Until they blundered into that rotten dragon. Things went downhill after that.
They'd sent a runner back to the Boss of course, only for said Dragon to take notice. He'd taken a hit covering for him. Instinct, really. They were just clones. Doppelgangers. Pale imitations of the genuine article. They didn't matter. He'd fully expected to pop like a balloon when 'ol ugly swatted him with his tail.
But he hadn't now, had he?
Instead he'd, awoken in some god forsaken rainy peninsula, with nothing but a trail of bodies to follow.
With a long suffering sigh he continued down the road.
"The boss is gonna kill me for this...
(.0.0.0.)
Irina waited for her death.
She knew it was coming; could feel it in her bones. How long had she been sitting her by the wayside, waiting for an end? Minutes? Hours? Days, now? Her stomach was twisting something terrible, but she had exhausted her meager meager rations long ago. Her poor eyesight availed her naught, her sense, even less so. The night was dark and cold, and the rain did precious little for the thin shift she wore.
Yet where could she go?
Fear held her in thrall; if she were to stand up and walk, she might well blunder into more trouble than she could handle. Without her guards to protect her, she would surely be slain. Yes, better to sit here where it was safe. All she could do was sit and wait for her end. Wait for Father to come...
Even if that too, terrified her...
Wait? Was that...? Sound like footsteps?
"Hello?" she called out feebly into the rain. "Is somebody there?"
The shuffling footsteps stopped. Oh, she hoped it wasn't another Misbegotten. If so she'd sealed her fate No, wait. Now they were coming closer. Her heart skipped a single, frantic beat. This was it, then. The end. She would die here, alone and forgotten, and father would neve rknow...
Thankfully the voice that answered was delightedly. human. "...what're you doing way out here?! You'll catch a cold!"
Oh. Oh, my, my, my. His hands were so very warm. She felt like as if she were melting away in his palms. No! Nay! Focus, Irina!
"Nevermimd that! Might I bend your ear for a moment, please?" she stumbled over the words hastily before her composure could forsake her further. "My name is Irina. I've escaped from Castle Morne to the south. The...the servants there have rebelled, you see."
She felt his hands tighten around hers, but still, he didn't speak. That was good, wasn't it? He'd given her a chance to continue.
"I can't be sure what it is, exactly...my eyesight's been week since birth, you see." in her hysteria, she almost giggled at the poor choice of words. "But I swear, I heard frightful howling from all over!"
"How did you get away?" His voice was low, soothing even. "I saw the dead guards...
By dint of luck and little else, she wanted to say...yet she stilled her tongue.
"My good father secreted me out of the castle, but decided himself to stay. He says," she swallowed once to master the surge off ear that followed, "Its his duty to stay as commander. That he couldn't come with me just yet."
Her visitor made a noise of anger. "Duty over his daughter...? That ain't right.
He agreed! Thank goodness. This might make things a bit easier, given what she was building up to.
"I fear its not any different at Castle Morne." Irina dared to thread her fingers through his, improper though such a thing might be. "Please, I implore you, would you do me a service?"
"Pretty sure I know what it is...
"I implore you, take this letter to my father." taking one hand from his, she retrieved her handkerchief and the words written within, then presented it to him. "Let him know that my sole wish is that he escape from that wretched place, even if his honor is the price. Please," here at last, her courage faltered, and her voice with it. "I just want him to be safe...
A weighty pause followed.
Slowly, tenderly, he took the handkerchief with her.
"I'll do it. But I ain't leavin' ya here. You're coming with me."
Whatever did he mean by that? She would be useless in a fight and ohgodshewascarryingherlikeaprincess!
(.0.0.0.)
"Good sir, where are you taking me?!"
"Someplace safe." No taking it back now. "Shut up and accept my generosity."
The clone stomped down the road with sound and aplomb, carrying his charge, face carved from granite.
First things first. That castle could wait awhile longer. Irina's health mattered more. Best get her out of the rain.
And after that, he had to let the Boss know what was happening here.
Surely he was having an easier time of things, wherever he was.
Right? Surely he must be..?
(.0.0.0.)
"Have you come to visit again, my dear?"
Fia patted the empty space beside her, pale fingers creasing the bed in tender invitation. She'd removed her hood and revealed her face to him. Warm firelight from the hearth danced across her lovely visage, casting it molten shades of amber and golden, seeming to set her very body aflame. For some reason, that last thought terrified him. The idea of someone burning alive...why was he even thinking about that?
And so he watched her like a hawk from the doorway, unwilling to approach any further than he already had. "I...don't think that's a good idea."
"Whyever not?" her smile was guileless as the grave. "I mean you no harm."
No harm, she said. That was precisely what worried him!
This...was not what he'd expected to find upon returning to the Roundtable. He'd made the rounds upon his arrival, just to let everyone know he was still alive, to help the girls settle in and convalesce from their wounds. He wasn't sure what drew him here; not when he still needed to call on Roderika and Hewg. But he'd been drawn here nonetheless. Now he found himself hesitating like some skittish fox. Upon further reflection, he found an inkling why.
"I will take you in my arms as often as you need."
Was that what had urged him here? A need for comfort? Someone to talk to?
"There's nothing wrong with that. You're human. Ain't wrong to seek a little solace."
It was weak of him, gushing to a perfect strange. He walked Fia's way on leaden legs anyway. Sat beside her. Leaned in. His head touched her shoulder.
"I...killed someone today." The words tumbled out of him and once he started, he couldn't top. "Someone who didn't deserve it. Someone who shoulda lived. Its my fault...
She touched a hand to his head. "Did you try to save him?"
"Not hard enough...
Naruto looked up and saw Radahn again. Smaller perhaps, but still every bit the great general he'd face. The man's specter-he could only assume it was such-smiled at him. Why wasn't he angry? He should hate him. And yet his specter only smiled. He looked calm. Happy. At peace, despite all the suffering he'd endured. Hale and healthy, he gazed upon him without so much as an ounce of hate in his heart. His lips moved in his open helm, but no sound emerged. What was he saying? What was he trying to tell him?
It was too much; the shame and the deed alike. Naruto couldn't bear it...and averted his eyes.
"I surmised as much." Fia's gaze traveled to Radahn's rune, even now pulsing painlessly in his right arm. "This act pained you, did it not? You are a gentle soul. You do not enjoy hurting others; nor do you kill for the sake of killing."
True words. More than he dared admit. He bobbed his head, not trusting himself to speak.
...just a moment."
Fia waved her hand. The doors to her chamber eased shut, sealing off all sounds.
Ordinarily, Naruto would've taken issue with that.
But he was just so terribly weary...
"There is nothing wrong with kindness, my dear." when she turned, taking his face in her hands, he couldn't bring himself to resist. "Empathy is what makes our kind strong." her forehead touched his, imparting yet more words with her meager blessing. "Never forget that. I am sure...that you did all you could. If there had been a way to save him, surely you would have found it."
"There should've been a way." he glared down into her lap. "If I'd just had more time."
"Time is something everyone craves, even we Tarnished."
Again with that moniker. It was the final straw.
Naruto surged upright.
"I AIN'T A TARNISHED!" His fist flashed back, obliterating a nearby bookshelf. "I ain't a demigod, either!" he brought his arms crashing down again, splintering the floor. Fia didn't flinch, even then. "I'm trying so hard to fix things, and I thought I was doing a good job, but a good man died today because I wasn't strong enough!" when he looked at his hands now, he couldn't help but see blood on them. So much blood. "I almost lost Milicent and everyone! I...can't...!"
"I understand."
He rounded on her with wild eyes. "How?!"
"I know what it is to lack strength when needed most." Fia met his gaze evenly, a hint of pained steel burning through her bright eyes. "I know what it means to fail. Just as I know you aren't Tarnished." Fia rose to meet him. "As I have known from the moment I first embraced you." She met him halfway, took him by the hands, and tugged him back to her bed despite his outburst. "Even so, I will hold you as long as need be."
With that simple act of kindness, the dam broke. Naruto buckled against her with a sob.
Fia's slim arms enfolded him, holding him close. And he wept.
"Its not fair...
A/N: Poor Naruto. And so ends Radahn. Had to be this way.
In this story, the General really had nothing left to live for; Leonard's death and the Rot only made it worse. He wanted to die. And he got his wish.
Naruto rarely fails to save someone and this...this is going to impact him, going forward. Worry not, he's not about to go full edgelord. He just needs time to cope.
Well? Did you like this story? Yes? No? Maybe? Speak out! Make yourselves heard! Your voice matters~!
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story.
If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! Gone. Completely. I'm working two jobs during the holidays so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas....Review, Wouldst Thou Kindly?
And have some previews. Some are quite off, but still...
(Previews)
"My love...
"Could you stop sulking? She needed a place to belong."
"How kind." Melina rounded on him, eerily calm. "And how many more misfits will you take in?"
"As many as it takes to fix this world." Naruto palmed his face and exhaled in a sullen sigh. "You're going to be difficult about this, aren't you?
"Difficult?" He knew it was the wrong thing to say; because the moment he dd, the kindling maiden stomped over and glared up at him. "Considering you've taken a second maiden into your service? Yes, I think I'm going to be difficult about this."
He stood his ground. So did she. Something had to give.
Eventually, one of them did.
Latena could feel herself slipping.
"See!" she heard a voice. "Told you there was an exit...here. Oh."
"Mate with me."
Naruto's jaw clicked open. "Eh?"
Enia was but a humble finger reader. It was her task. Her purpose.
And yet she knew the Fingers had begun to fear this man.
She could see why.
This warrior...he would be the one.
Ah, if she were only a few centuries younger.
"I wanna break Hewg outta his chains."
Roderika nearly spat out her tea. "Is that even possible? He was cursed by Queen Marika herself.
"He had that look in his eye, the one that mad the impossible quite possible.
"Lanya!
"Pah! You worry too much, Diallos! I'm fine, see?" the grinning redhead slung an arm around Naruto's shoulder. "Right as rain, thanks to this one. Speakin' of which. I quit."
The knight of Hoslow twitched. "I...beg your pardon?"
"Did I stutter? I'm rick sick of your waffling about. You got a problem with me leaving?"
"Well, yes! Of course I do!"
Her smile said he'd fallen right into her trap. "Then prove it."
Naruto rolled his eyes and disentangled himself from the pair. "Get a room!"
Rya blinked. "Why are you patting my head?"
"Dunno. Can't help myself."
...could you continue?"
Tanith tilted her head. Then tilted it some more.
He couldn't see her face behind the mask, but he felt the weight of intent all the same.
"My, my, aren't you a stubborn one...
R&R~!