A/N: Please read this note, would you kindly? It explains my absence.
I'm aiming to update this story weekly as well now; the feedback really keeps me going.
In the end, it all comes down to time, which I have very little of these days. Hopefully I'll be able to remedy that soon.
Trying to get back into the swing of things, just really busy. In other words, work, work, and more work. I took three days off last from writing not working, haven't had a proper day off in almost two weeks- but with my sister recovering from surgery, I've gotta pay the bills for lack of bills, since she's not making any money and lives with me.
With my SIXTEEN year anniversary on this site now here -has it really been that long?!- I find myself reflecting on the little things in life; and of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
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, far, 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. Feedback is important.
Kudos to Chronosign for some dialogue in this. They wrote some up in a review.
Also playing around with a few rhymes/lyrics here.
You know them well!
"You are here for a purpose. As are we all.
I hope you find it someday.
May they remember you."
~?
Clouds and Cuddles
Was he dreaming?
Because this felt like a dream.
There was just one problem with said dream.
Adam couldn't wake up. Oh, he wanted to, make no mistake, but he couldn't; instead he found himself floating on his back staring up at an empty white void. Couldn't do much more beyond that. Couldn't blink, couldn't move, couldn't even flex his wings. He could only stare and breathe. Angels usually didn't need to do the last one in heaven, but for some reason it felt like he had to.
Weird-ow! A jolt of pain wracked his soul out of the blue, drawing a yelp from him.
And with it came an all too familiar voice, echoing high above. "Repent."
Was that...? It was. Ohhhhhohoho shit on a stick.
He knew that voice.
Adam tried to smile; instead grimace wrought his face. "H-Hey, big guy. Long time no see! How's the vacaaaaaaaaation?!"
A fresh paroxysm of agony shook his soul from head to toe, rendering the last word a reedy cry.
"Repent."
"Gah!" he tried to look away, but it was no use, his soul wouldn't stop convulsing. "What the shit was that for?!"
"Repent."
"For what?!"
"You know well the reason."
Adam had an inkling, and it pissed him off. "What, you want me to say sorry to that whiskered bastard?!" Just thinking of it pissed him off! "Hell, no! I didn't do anything wrong!"
"That misguided belief is why you have fallen so far. Now repent."
Dozens of fire ants burned through his veins. "Not a chance!"
"Repent."
He gnashed his teeth, riding out another spasm. "Stop! Just stop, alright?!"
Just like that, his tormentor paused. "You gave your word, did you not?"
"I didn't think that blond bastard would actually win, okay?!"
"So you had no intention of honoring you promise?
He winced. "Well, when you put it like that...?"
"Such is why you must repent, Adam."
"Yeeeeeaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhh!"
The pain ceased, leaving the First Man wasted and, gasping for air. "Why are you doing this?!"
"Because my Boy, you have become a Bully since last we spoke. Bullies need to know they can be punished, too. Now...repent."
An almighty shadow fell over him, their face burning so bright that Adam couldn't bring himself to look them in the eye. His own bulged anyway as a glowing hand settled atop his forehead. Almost immediately, he felt an all too familiar pressure squeeze against his temples, like an iron vice clamping down against his skull. The agony that followed was unlikely any other; it broke through his defenses as though they weren't even there. Pain didn't even begin to describe what followed.
"Now, just hold on! W-W-Wait a second! Can't we talk abaaaaaaaaaaargh?!"
His pained shrieks of torment echoed into the void.
A single word overtook them.
Just the one.
"Repent."
(.0.0.0.)
One month passed.
Four weeks.
Twenty-eight days.
Naruto meticulously kept track of each one; if only because it helped him stay sane...
.
..
...among other things.
Flight was a novel thing with wings, but as with all things, he resolved to master it. And he had, given time.
Emily had been an abolute godsend in that regard.
Adam's so-called exorcists...not so much.
Even now, a month after the fact, Lute and most of the other girls still bridled at the notion of working under him; even moreso as it became abundantly clear that Adam wouldn't wake up. They were keeping something from him, he just knew it, but whatever it was, they'd evidently been sworn to silence.
That, or Lute was just being a colossal bitch about it. Meh. Probably the latter.
Settling into the afterlife when you were, well, dead, was easier than it sounded. At times he almost found himself forgetting he'd died at all, only to catch sight of himself in the mirror or a nearby building, and then he'd be right back at square one again. He still found himself balking sometimes at it.
Everyone thinks they're immortal. Until they aren't.
Speaking of immortal and mortal beings, he could sense the former glaring his way now.
"That'll be all for today, ladies." he dismissed them with an absent wave. "No more drills. Get some rest."
A few nodded. One or two even bowed. The rest scoffed or flipped him the bird as they left. He couldn't particularly bring himself to care; not after he'd driven them to the point of exhaustion. Adam had been sloppy in his training. No surprise, there. The man was a pig and he'd drilled some awful habits and mannerisms into these girls, much of which he found himself forced to undo. If that meant breaking down these so-called "Exorcists" and rebuilding them from the bottom up, then so be it.
Turning his back on on them, he considered the clouds and the sun above.
Heaven had so many things he didn't understand; the Lute and her Exorcists were but one small facet of the greater whoe. Sure this place was nice, the buildings looked great and all, but it just felt so...beyond him, at times. Some of these souls even had things called cell phones. What the heck was a cell phones? Bah! So confusing! How was a man to make sense of it all?
Irritated by his thoughts, he flared his wings and burst into the sky.
Flying was still...difficult, if he was entirely honest with himself, but at least he needn't fear crashing anymore.
"Its just a matter of instinct." Emily's innocent giggle filled his mind with a memory. "Don't worry, you'll figure it out sooner or later."
His face burned.
He soared higher to free himself from such thoughts.
But the the higher he went, the more those human cares fell away.
He liked this place. Up here it was calm, peaceful. Downright soothing really.
Maybe it wasn't so bad being dead after all...
.
..
...like hell it wasn't!
Naruto recoiled from that foreign thought and snapped his wings out, cutting his ascent short. He shook his head violently, vaguely aware of a distant ringing in his ears. Where had that come from? Was this place messing with his mind? Had to be. The higher he went, the worse it became; so much so that he found himself turning away from the upper levels of Heaven and gliding back the way he'd come.
He needed to get some air; proper air. Real air-not whatever this was.
Descending, he plonked down upon one of the lower clouds.
And with it, he felt his emotions return.
This close to the pearly gates, that surreal calm seemed nothing more than a distant memory, or a bad dream. Except it wasn't, now, was it? He knew what he'd experienced. He'd sensed something up there, something strong, something powerful enough to affect even his emotions.
What in blazes was hiding all the way up there, and why did the thought make him shiver?
Kurama would know the answer. He always knew these things. His absence pained him.
Sprawling out amidst the clouds, he sighed, draping an arm over his eyes.
It wasn't long before a shadow fell over him.
"Did you crash again?"
Naruto moved his arm and creaked an eye open. Sneaky little angel. He hadn't heard her coming.
"Didn't crash," he muttered under his breath. "Just thinking."
Emily leaned closer, hands on her knees as she regarded him intently. "What about?"
Recognizing the unspoken inquiry for what it was, he sat up and scooted over, making way for her, idly rubbing his head.
She noticed at once, bless her simple soul. "You're not feeling well, are you? What's wrong?"
"Head hurts," he grunted. "M'fine."
His fellow Seraphim perked up. "I can help!"
Could she, now? He doubted that, but was willing to humor her.
He arched an eyebrow. "Unless you're a healer, I very much doubt-
Emily patted her knees with both hands and his argument died and ugly death in his throat.
"Just come here!" She waved him down eagerly, less of a command, and more of a plea. "Let me help."
He dithered.
"Please?"
Urk.
Reluctantly, he scooted closer and lowered his head, letting her tentatively guide him into her lap until he was resting the back of his head against her thighs.
It felt...nice. Surprisingly soft. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done something like this.
Emily laid a dusky hand upon his forehead, light as a feather's brush.
"Close your eyes."
...why not?
He complied on a whim and did as she asked, only because she asked. Had it been a command, he would've refused her on principle...
.
..
...what was that noise?
He could clearly hear something, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Music? No, wait, he told a lie. Not quite music, but neither could he call it words either; it was like something trapped somewhere between the two, like a tale as old as time, or a song old as rhyme. A wordless tune that settled over his soul like a fine shroud, lulling him to sleep. What was the word for that? Ah, he had it now.
Lullaby.
This was a lullaby.
It brought him...dare he say peace?
Not that awful artificial feeling he'd experienced when trying to reach the upper levels of Heaven, but proper peace. He felt a hand run through his hair, gently teasing out the knots there, stroking his scalp with delicate ease and care. He flushed, suddenly and incredibly aware of the intimate position he was in, yet his eyes were drooping all the same; in no time at all, found himself drifting off...
"Do not worry." a voice spoke to him in that moment, unseen, unknowable, and unfathomable. "Everything will be alright. Soon you will see. You were brought here for a reason. You'll save them all, both above and below..."
Naruto sat up with a jolt, but the voice was gone, taking his migraine with it.
"Phew!" Emily heaved a sigh and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, utterly unaware of what he'd just experienced. "That always takes a lot out of me." Her wings drooped a little as he looked on. "Did you like it? I hope that helped...
He found himself stricken into gobsmacked silence.
Emily kept staring, spurring him into action.
...did you hear a voice, just now?"
"Sorry," she seemed to shrink in on herself, misunderstanding him. "I know, I'm not very good...
"Not good?!" He seized her hands in his and yanked them close. "If that's what you call "Bad" then your best must be out of this world!
.
..
...Why was her face so red?
"Th-There's no need to flatter me!" she sputtered out, "Sera sings better than I and-
"Didn't ask about her," he cut her off with a huff; in this moment his mind didn't even conceive of the prudish older angel or anything about her. "I was talkin' about you."
Sera? Sera who? Sera was nobody! Every fiber of his being remained focused upon the innocent and -growing increasingly red- angel sitting before him.
"M-M-Me?!" Emily squeaked and looked away, her gaze flitted this way and that, eyes unable to meet his for some reason. "I'm flattered, really...
By the log, she was just so small. Or perhaps he was simply too tall in this form...?"
Regardless, whenever he found himself looking at her these days, he found himself stricken by a strong urge to keep her safe; to shield her at all costs. It was foolish he knew; she didn't need his condescension she wasn't a child to protect. He knew she'd be angry if he said so. She might not look it, but she was older than him after all.
A thought occurred to him suddenly, striking out of the blue. Naruto pounced on it. "Do you ever leave heaven?"
"No?" she blinked, flush fading for a moment. "Why would we? We already have everything we need here."
On that, he disagreed. This "Heaven" didn't have what he needed. It might never, for that matter.
"Well, that just sounds silly, doesn't it...?" he said." Angels should be out saving people, not staying cooped up in here."
Liar. As far as excuses went, it was a poor one. He just wanted out. Only for a little while! Just enough to clear his head, ya know?
And yet Emily considered it.
"I suppose you have a point." She touched a finger to her chin. "I've never thought about it that way before. Maybe you could ask Sera...?
Why not. He needed to talk to her anyway. "Sure. Maybe I can show you around where I grew up."
Assuming it still existed. There was no way of telling if this was "his" afterlife, after all...
Nevertheless, his words had Emily perking up. "Really? You promise?"
He puffed out his chest. "I never go back on my word, ya know."
The little Seraphim grinned at that...and absolutely froze.
"Emily?" he poked her cheek."Em? Emmy? You good?"
Abruptly, she moved.
"Eeeeeee!" Emily made happy Emily noises and tackled him with a squeal. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! That sounds great! I can't wait!" A bell chimed somewhere high above, unseen somewhere in the clouds, cutting off her happy exclamations, causing her to look up. "Oh, that's for me!" she flared her wings and took flight, releasing him. "I'll see you later. Let me know how the talk with Sera goes!"
He couldn't help but wave her way; she was just too pure for her own good. "I will. See you around."
Emily paused suddenly, dithered for a moment, seemed to consider something.
Without warning, she darted back, quick as a sparrow in flight.
"Mwah!"
In that instant he comprehended several things at once: Warm. Soft. Light as a feather's touch and innocence's first blush, lingering against his cheek, her face so close to his, cheeks dusted with pink.
"Thank you," Emily whispered to his ears and his ears alone, "For the compliment."
He barely had time to comprehend it, then she was gone, whisking away over the clouds. He touched a hand to his cheek. "Huh...
"Are you that easily led?"
He looked back over his shoulder, nonplussed to find a certain voyeur perched on a nearby cloud.
Of course she was watching him.
"Whaddya want, Lute?" he pivoted to face her with a scowl. "To see me suffer? Is that it? Is that what you people do for fun up here?"
In response, Lute began to remove her shirt.
When he was alive, he might panicked; even now, he felt a fierce flare of surprise. but it was muted. Distant.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Having fun. He didn't miss the spiteful sparkle in her eyes.
Cut the crap." he slashed a hand out before she could finish. "There other ways to do that."
"Really? We're not prudes up here." he growled and she grinned in return. "Fine. I was only joking anyway." Her head tilted suddenly, her smile gaining a vicious edge. "Have you solved the little mystery I gave you, yet?"
He hadn't, and they both knew that for a fact. "I'm close...
"Then let me pull the wool off your eyes, captain."
She leaned in and whispered into his ear.
"Ever heard of Extermination Day?"
His eyes widened. "What's that?"
Lute told him.
A/N: She's done it now.
Next chapter title: One Wrong Move.
Emily really is adorable, isn't she? We'll pick up here next chapter.
Hope you enjoyed this! Would you like weekly updates? Four slots remain!
Might make an alternate version for this with Naruto down in the hells. I'm torn between "Smile Like You Mean it" or "All Eyes on Me". I've not written anything on that front, we'll see. As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here. That's no joke. Really, it isn't. If folks don't like this...well, we'll not continue it. Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule, I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!
Reviews are my lifeblood. Without them, I cannot write.
So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Revieeeeew, Would You Kindly?
They keeps an old man alive.
And enjoy the previews.
As ever:
SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!
PLOT DETAILS AHOY!
YE BE WARNED!
Get ready to smile~!
Obvious references are obvious~!
(POTENTIAL!) Previews! What can I say? We've been busy.
"SERA!"
Who told you of this? Lute? Of course she did. That girl seems determined to make you Fall.
No, no, no. He wasn't letting her wriggle out of this...
"I've got people to protect! Friends I can't neglect! So I'm not taking chances here!
You've made you're one wrong move! Now you're done for! I will be the one to prove that you're done for!
Not even a prayer saves you now, 'cuz you're done for! Ohhh you better run, or soon those wings will be done for!"
Verosika stopped short. Did a double take, now. "Hullo, handsome...
"I want to be better." He gripped his throat, dangling him over the edge. "Don't make me let you down."
"You're insane."
"Ah, but what is madness if not the path to brilliance?"
"You'll learn, or you will be made to learn. Simple as that."
Alastor tittered merrily. "Well, well. This promises to be...entertaining."