A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I'm on the mend. Even better, My grandpa's all but recovered from congestive heart failure, and I managed to sell my old house, though all that money went to more bills. Ugh. Anywho, I've finished moving my things and am now a proud resident of East Berlin, Pennsylvania! Alas I'm now jobless, and the bills are piling up because of my health. Fun, right? But enough about this.
As I'm sure you've all noticed, I've been on a bit of an updating binge as of late. I've rewatched several shows, reread manga to its latest chapter. And I realized something. I wanted to try my hand at a slower-paced fic. My others are just fine, but I wanted to make this more realistic. More character time, instead of setting Naruto on a path and making him run it, he'll walk before he remembers what it truly means to sprint.
On that note, I should warn you. This Naruto is a bit more vulnerable-emotionally-than most. Why, you ask? Because unlike his others counterpart there's very little left to redeem here and he really isn't afraid to shed blood. However, his tendency to violence has also made him emotionally crippled of a sort. You'll soon see why.
Anywho, I managed to put this up here at points between job hunting. A bunch of you have been clamoring for another NarutoxAvatar fic when I thought of this, so...
...I give you my laest work!
"I will kill them...each and every one of them!"
~?!
Reborn
Somewhere, someplace in space and time, a universe shifted. Threads came undone and fate was unwound, destiny was shaped and broken a thousand times. Lives were shattered and events altered, reality bent until it was nearly doubled over in agony. A thousand lives were simultaneously extinguished in the blink of an eye. Walls were shattered. Bodies burned. An entire culture was laid to waste in the span of a single night, nigh but obliterated by a power-crazed madman and his inane dellusions of power.
And it all centered around a girl.
Tongues of fire scrawled around her body, fizzling angrily in the rain. Streamers of water encircled her. Currents of air tugged at her matted blonde tresses. Pillars of earth shifted in the ocean floor beneath her feet. All the power of the Avatar State lay at her fingertips, and yet in her state of turmoil she was powerless to control it. Powerless. Weak. Helpless. She screamed in frustration and the heavens cried out with her, thundering their almighty fury, drowning her words out amidst torrents of white-capped water.
She thrashed furiously in the sea as it took her, struggling to stay afloat with her bison. At first, she succeeded. Despite the ghastly burns marring her right arm, stinging in the salt of the sea, she somehow managed to right herself and suck in a gasp of much-needed oxygen.
Then the ocean crashed down on her once more, tearing at her robes and ruthlessly forcing her head under. It was only for an instant, but in that split-second, that heartbeat of mind-numbing terror, she panicked. The world spun around her, her eyes unable to tell up from down as her hands flailed at the water. Gasping she fumbled to the surface, clinging tight to the shaggy coat of her mount once more.
They had told her to run, to take Appa and escape the destruction of the temple when the Fire Nation attacked. It had been the hardest thing she'd evern done. All her friends, playmates, Aang and the others. Gone. It had to be her, they said. She was the Avatar, they said. She needed to survive. To live on. To run. Flee fro, the forces pursuing her. But how did you outrun a storm? You didn't. She had no idea where she was now-not that it would've mattered anyway. Her people were dead. Gone. With every second of her flight she had felt their passing, gentle souls torn from this world and flung into the void.
Extinct.
She could feel it in her heart. They were gone, and there was nothing she could do to bring them back. Now heaven itself seemed intent to send her on its way to join them. It would've been so simple to give in, to just surrender and let the water take her. But she didn't. The only thing keeping her afloat was the anger, an undying hate for those who had perpetuated their untimely deaths and sent her people to their graves. Were one to know this girl, indeed, had they met her only a few days ago, they would've called her kind. Gentle even. Unwilling to hurt so much as a fly. But now?
Uzumaki Naruko, fifteen years of age, one of the only females of the Southern Air Temple, and currently the last of her people? She felt only one thing. Anger.
But even the hatred wasn't enough now. Her resolve was wavering. Every pent up doubt, every thing she'd ever questioned, all of it gnawed at the back of Naruko's head, like an itch she couldn't scratch. Mastery of the wind wasn't enough; unable to command the raging storm around her, unable to save Appa or even herself, she succumbed.
I...I can't...
With one final and defiant shout, she sank beneath the waves after Appa. This was it. She was done. Finished. She was going to die her, alone and forgotten, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Yes, you can. Countless voices answered her, an ancient power taking hold over her very body.
Blue eyes flashed into white.
(Many years later...)
The Southern Water Tribe was renowned for very little in these icy wastes she called home. Unlike her Northern brothers and sisters she did not have dozens upon dozens of waterbenders at her beck and call; countless raids by the Fire Nation had seen to that long ago. Only one bender remained, and even she was slowly coming into her own. Given time and training she might make a name for herself someday-perhaps even prove to be a peerless master above all.
But for now, Katara was just a girl, fishing the arctic wastes with her brother. Fishing, and failing to catch any fish!
"Will you please stop playing your little water games?!" Sokka groaned, wringing out his parka. "That's twice now!"
A moment ago, he'd been on the brink of catching dinner when she'd accidentally doused him with water in her own attempt to catch a fish. Yes, she'd gone and gotten him wet. Now, Sokka was no stranger to the cold, but, he was not enjoying the sensation. Not in the least! His sole satisfaction was that he'd managed to catch said fish before it could escape back into the briny depths. He made for quite a sight, she thought his crystal blue eyes shadowed by sopping wet bangs, his lips quirked downward in a slight frown, gloved mitten clenching tight their hard-earned dinner. If not for that last remark, she would've been laughing.
"They're not games, Sokka." she admonished, her face dimpling into a rare frown. "They're-
"Right right, an ancient art indigenous to our tribe." her brother finished mockingly. "Because that's completey
"Look out!"
A heartbeat later, the warning proved prophetic. The canoe smashed through a pane of ice with a mighty crash, sending their hard won catch flopping out of the canoe and back into the sea.
"No!" Sokka cried! "Not my fish! Katara, do something!"
"Oh, now you want me to?!"
"Iceburg!"
"What do you mean Ice-BURG?!"
The brunette jerked her head upwards, drawn from her chastisement just in time to witness the inexplicable; an iceburg was indeed rising from the depths of the ocean, right in their path. Before she could think to do anything about their impending doom the glacier was suddenly upon them, dashing their canoe against its unfeeling edifice; flinging them from its confines to send them sprawling head over heels in a hilarious tumble of arms and legs. Their previous squabble was all but forgotten, however, as they gazed upon the construct responsible for the loss of their craft.
"Hey, there's someone in there." Katara murmurred.
Indeed, upon closer inspection one could see that the iceburg was no iceburg at all, but rather a sphere. And trapped within that sphere, sitting seiza style before what could only be described as an incredibly massive something was a girl. White eyes glared unflinchingly out at them, frozen in time, her whiskered cheeks pinched in a silent grimace of exertion. And yet there was something about those eyes. As if they were calling to her somehow...calling...her...
Sokka blanched as his sister clamored out from under him and found her footing. He knew that look in her eye; that inate curiosity that so defined her. Fumbling on the slick terrain, he started after his sibling, realizing too late what she intended to do. Even now she was extending her arm, haltingly moving toward the icy sphere in trepidation of what she might find awaiting her within that icy prison.
"Um, Katara, I really don't think we should touch-
Too late, she reached out and did just that.
-it."
That was all it took.
One brush of her gloved palm and the iceburg burst into radiance, shattering like so much glass. A pillar of light erupted into the sky, a heavenly beacon for all wayward eyes to see. Wind ripped through the air in a sad and mournful howl, a keening cry that bespoke of agony and despair, a heartbreak so painful it brought tears to the eye.
...thank you." A timeless voice, legion personified, spoke to them. "For freeing her."
From that wind, within that unholy radiance, she emerged. Tall and lithe yet not quite slim. Every step was taken with a brief, transient grace, her bare, arrow-adorned feet padding softly against the icy snow. Her eyes were narrow and hard, the most blinding shade of white.
Molten gold hair lay tied back in a pair of twin ponytails, the twin tethers of her hair thrashing furiously in the unseen gale summoned by her unexpected reawakening. There was an anger in those eyes, Katara realized, an unspeakable and righteous fury barely leashed by the girl's own humanity. Looking over her, she could see why.
For all her grace and poise the strange girl was injured. Her right arm and shoulder were horribly burned a swathe of angry red flesh marring and leading up to her neck, a blight on her otherwise flawless beauty. If she was at all impeded by this injury she did precious little to show it yet still functional, evidenced by her hand's effortless touch of her savaged sleeve.
"Whoa...
Jaw clenched, her gaze seemed to bore right through them. Suddenly, she smiled. Once more that strange not-voice inssued forth from her mouth.
"We leave her in your hands."
Then she collapsed.
Katara darted forward to catch her even as she fell, the stranger collapsing quietly into her arms as the light issuing forth from her body vanished. There was no pulse. It was as if she'd simply ceased to be, exhausted by the strain of summoning forth such power.
"Hey?!" Katara exclaimed. "Are...are you alright?!"
Slowly she stirred, blue eyes fluttering open with a groan. Unbidden, the waterbender felt her heart skip a beat. And when she spoke, her voice was as sweet as honey.
"Ugh...what day is it?"
(Meanwhile)
Leagues away, Prince Zuko saw it. And how could he not?
Rocketing into the heavens like an arrow loosed from a bow, the great pillar of light dominated his vision, demanding his awe, his attention. His everything. He could feel it calling out to him like a clarion call; the return of his honor merely a few miles to the north. A single thought dominaited his mind, turning his scarred face intent with fury. It did not matter to him when it cut off abruptly, he already knew his heading. Knew what did await him there, not just the fight of his life, but the chance to finally, at long last, return home.
'At long last, I've found him.'
That which his father, grandfather, and even his great grandfather had been unable to find.
The Avatar.
With a brisk stride he stalked past his guards and into the bowels of the ship, dutifully ignoring his uncle when he asked to join him for tea. Zuko did not have time for tea. Not when his destiny awaited. Perhaps had he lingered he might have noticed Iroh's slight smile in passing. Might've heard his words. But as it stood Zuko did not listen, instead, he stormed into the cabin and issued a fateful order that would forever reshape his life in ways he had yet to foresee. Unknowing of this, he still gave the order:
"Helmsman, head for the light!"
A/N:
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would you Kindly? And of course, enjoy the Preivew! Also, the next chapter for Die Another Day is coming out soon-I've already got well more than Seven thousand words and I just want to live up to your grand expectations, is all =D
(Preview!)
Naruko stepped forward, staff whirling slowly in her hand. There was an anger in her eyes Katara realized, the playful teenager with whom she'd come to associate herself having all but vanished in the wake of this new and unexpected arrival. And still the whiskered blond advanced, her lips pulling back to expose an angry, toothy grin.
"Ohhhhhhh," she hissed at Zuko. "I'm going to enjoy this far more than I should."
To his credit, the prince only blinked.
He saw one thing in Naruko's eyes as he met the girl's steely gaze, and with mounting dread he realized he had seen it too late.
"Who are-
He never did get to finish that sentence.
Because the blond snarled, and he suddenly found himself slammed back into the hull of his ship. Wave after wave of wind assaulted him, savaging his armor, relentlessly beating him down, battering at him from every side, offering no respite and no relent in the slightest. Death was the name of this creature, this seemingly hapless, ditzy, girl he'd glanced over without a secound thought. But even as he saw the arrows tattooed upon her arms, even as her eyes flashed white, he realized his mistake.
With every ounce of strength within her, Naruko sent her fist flying towards the monster whose only sin was being part of the Fire Nation. Zuko'snose crumpled beneath the blow with a sickening crunch and he toppled back onto the icy floor. Yes, her name was death.
And she had come for him!
R&R! =D
A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I'm on the mend. Even better, My grandpa's all but recovered from congestive heart failure, and I managed to sell my old house, though all that money went to more bills. Ugh. Anywho, I've finished moving my things and am now a proud resident of East Berlin, Pennsylvania! Alas I'm now jobless, and the bills are piling up because of my health. Fun, right? But enough about this.
As I'm sure you've all noticed, I've been on a bit of an updating binge as of late. I've rewatched several shows, reread manga to its latest chapter. And I realized something. I wanted to try my hand at a slower-paced fic. My others are just fine, but I wanted to make this more realistic. More character time, instead of setting Naruto on a path and making him run it, he'll walk before he remembers what it truly means to sprint.
On that note, I should warn you. This Naruto is a bit more vulnerable-emotionally-than most. Why, you ask? Because not only is he a SHE, but unlike his others counterpart there's very little left to redeem here and she really isn't afraid to shed blood for the sake of her duty. However-her tendency to violence has also made her emotionally crippled of a sort. She's not exactly open to positive emotion at present, but that'll be a changing soon. She's been scarred-in more ways than one-and it shows in this chapter.
Anywho, I managed to put this up here at points between job hunting. A bunch of you have been clamoring for another chapter in my NarutoxAvatar ficlets, so...
...I give you my latest chapter!
"We forge our own honor! It is not given to us!"
~?!
Rise
"A hundred years...
Naruko's jaw snapped shut, her teeth jarring together with a harsh click of enamel. Her once tan visage had turned ghost white, a pallid expresson overtaking her whiskered features. When she'd asked for the day, she had also gotten the year. One hundred years. She had spent one hundred years locked in that iceburg while her family fought and died for her. A hundred years as war undoubtedly raged across the land, consuming all in its fiery inferno. And where had she been? Locked in an ice cube. It was wrong. Not right. She should've been there. Should've stayed. Should've fought.
Wrong.
She wanted to shout. Tear at her hair and scream. This was all wrong. It was too much. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest, her body threatening to hyperventilate as all those god-awful memories crashed down around her ears; her arm and shoulder throbbing something awful as the phantom pains of the fire stabbed into her. Even now she could hear the screams and smell the smoke. Feel it clogging her lungs, as if she had never left. But she had left. Fled, because they'd told her to.
Wrong.
She had to go back. Back to the Air Temple. Maybe...maybe some of the monks had survived after all these years and continued on. It was a foolish hope, but it was the only thing driving her now besides the hate. The anger burned through her like wildfire now, threatening to consume her in its burning throes of passion. She had to leave. Get far, far away from here. Dimly, she was aware of the one known as Katara speaking, but it may as well have been a whisper for all it was worth; the voices were screaming at her now, condemning her for her cowardice.
Wrongwrongwrongwrongwrong!
"Are you alright?"
The blonde stiffened as a mitten-covered hand closed around her scarred arm. Without thinking she jerked away, bending the air around her as she leapt into the air. Wind roared around her from the sudden ascent; an immutable current of power burgeoning her body and sending her rocketing upwards into the sky. For a wonderful moment it was just her and the clouds, none of the soul-crushing guilt that had burdened her from that cruel instant she opened her eyes to find she was alone in this world. Then she descended, reality and gravity exerting their dominance over her once more.
Upon landing, she found herself seen in a new light. The boy-she knew not his name-was the first to recover his voice.
"You just jumped and flew ten feet in the air!"
"..."
His sister blinked, realization dawning across her dark face.
"You're-
"An Airbender, yes. I think that's rather obvious by now." Naruko didn't mean to snap at the girl really; it just happened. The words came out harsh and biting-forcing her to flinch. She herself nearly cringed at the acid in her own words. But everything was still raw and fresh and so painful now. She could barely think straight, let alone hold a proper conversation. "The Last Airbender, probably." she ammended softly, eyes tearing just a touch at the thought. Aang and all the others...pleading for her to flee...
"Are you sure?" Katara asked, her curiosity emerging once again in the wake of this unspoken apology. "I heard they dissapeared over a hundred years ago."
"They did." Naruko frowned, a muscle jumping in her jaw as she battled the urge to bite back. "I was there when the Fire Nation burned our home to the ground."
The waterbender faltered and averted her eyes from that cyrstalline gaze. "Oh...I'm sorry for your loss."
Naruko paused at that, a rare frown marring her face. What was wrong with this one? Why was she so compassionate? She herself couldn't claim to have much experience with her fairer sex having been the only girl at the Southern Air Temple, but this? It was baffling. What was Katara to her? A stanger? Ally? Acquaintance? Perhaps... even a...friend? She didn't know how to deal with this. And what if she-Katara-was? Aang had been the closest thing she'd ever had to one outside of Appa. At least until the monks had told her she was the Avatar. After that, there had been no time for friends, only training. She'd dutifully accepted this, mastering her Airbending talents, taking the skill to a level few her age could ever dream of. She had created wind-based techniques capable of unquantified levels of destruction such as the Rasengan and Rasenshuriken, reached the highest level of mastery she possibly could.
But none of that training could've prepared her for the simple kindness there in Katara's eyes.
Mastering all four elements and saving the world was one thing. But this? Talking to someone who'd saved her life? One who'd set her free from a prison of her own making? It was like trying to speak hogmonkey. She felt hot. Flustered. She didn't know how to deal with this. And that frightened her. It didn't make any sense. Perhaps-no. She needed to leave. Now.
"Thank you." she bowed and turned away, striding back toward the hole, clutching her staff tight. "I...I have to go."
"Where?"
Naruko stopped in her tracks, her face slowly appearing over her shoulder as she curiously regarded her once fallen saviour. A look of confused irritation crossed her visible eye as it regarded the baffled bender behind her. What was it about this girl that confounded her so? What had her so ill-at-ease? She didn't understand. And the lack of knowing only worried Naruko all the more.
"Does it really matter?" she muttered. At Katara's piteous expression, she sighed. "If you must know, I intend to return home and search for my people. Then I suppose I'll head to the North Pole and master the art of Waterbending under a teacher. Unless the South Pole has capable benders?"
"But...
"But?" Naruko frowned.
"You're an Airbender." Katara pointed out. "How can you Waterbend?"
"For your information, I am also an Earthbender and a Firebender." she spat the last part with distaste, lips curling hatefully around the word. "I just have yet to learn them, is all." She'd meant the words to discourage the younger girl; imagine her surprise instead when Katara jolted forward to take hold of her hands in her own. The look on the girl's face was nothing short of rapturous, as though she'd just been told the secret to life or somesuch. Naruko visibly squirmed at the unexpected contact, moreso when the young waterbender leaned towards her.
"You're the Avatar!" she exclaimed!
"Yes," the girl's voice was a pained whisper. "And I'd rather not talk about it right now, if its all the same to you. Now, please...let go of me."
Katara reluctantly aquescied the request. Naruko found herself stricken by the sudden urge to apologize. Another inexcusable breach of her character. Rage at the Fire Nation aside she should be calmer than this. More controlled. Calm. And yet when she looked into Katara's eyes, she felt positively skittish. Perhaps her selfless, undiluted kindness reminded her of Aang. Perhaps she was simply being nice. Maybe this was all just some strange side effect after being cryogenically frozen for so many years. Whatever the case she could not purge it from her mind, and it galled her.
By the wind, what's wrong with me? I'm alone now, and yet-
As if to punctuate this question a low rumble shuddered through the air, jerking her back to the present. Just like that, the blond remembered; she wasn't alone. In her anger and anxieties she'd all but forgotten about the other occupant of her icy prison.
"Appa!"
When the smile finally blossomed across her face, Katara it was brighter than the sun itself. To see a pained face like that suddenly light up nearly took her breath away. Or perhaps it was the knowledge that she'd just held hands with a girl who claimed to be the Avatar. Whatever the case she found herself speechless as Clamoring up the side of the glacier, Naruko flung herself over the rim. Sure enough there he was, his furry coat, rustling with each breath, his eyes closed in deep slumber. He was alive. Alive!
"C'mon, big guy." she nudged him lightly, affectionately. "Rise and shine."
The large bison complied with an equally large rumble, its eyes fluttering open slowly at her behest. Naruko yelped when her old friend decided to give her a mighty lick, its longue pink tongue coating her battered body in a thick layer of saliva. Naruko didn't care. She was too relieved. He'd been her constant companion ever since she was little; the knowledge that he might not have survived being frozen for the last century had been almost too much for her distressed mind to bear...
"W-W-What the heck is that thing?!" Sokka gawped, startling her. Ah. He'd been so silent she'd nearly forgotten about him; hadn't even noticed him or his sister following her around the bend. Frowning, she turned and began to tug at Appa's reins, ensuring they were still serviceable after having been rigid in ice for so long. Then there was her staff to reclaim, the weapon having been stored away securely in the saddle. It felt good, to have it back in her hands again.
"This is Appa, my flying bison." she said, ignoring their questing stares.
"Riiiiight." Sokka's deadpann was barely concealed, though she didn't see it. "And this is Katara, my flying sister."
"Hey!"
"Your sarcasm isn't appreciated, water tribe." Naruko frowned, her lips quirking ever so slightly at Sokka's scowl. "What? I take it you two live somewhere around here?" When Katara began to answer she began to turn around, having finished adjusting Appa's reins-
That was a mistake.
"Don't answer that, Katara!" Naruko started slightly as she spun and found herself face to face with the business end of Sokka's spear. "Did you see that crazy bolt of light?! She was probably trying to signal the Fire Na-urk!" The breath exploded out of his lungs as a wall of wind contemptuously backhanded him into the glacier, emptying his diaphragm within a mighty woosh. Katara was still in the proccess of opening her mouth to all but chatise him when she say reprimand her brother for his cold insinuation when Naruko shot past her, shrieking like a banshee.
Then she saw it.
"You shall not," Naruko hissed, pressing down against his throat with the staff, "Associate me...with those savages." Her grip tightened white-knuckled around her staff. "They murdered my people in cold blood. I am all that remains. They're murderers, the lot of them!" As if to punctuate that statement, her eyes flashed white, words resonaiting with the voices of a thousand men and women. "And I will have you take back what you said!"
"Wait," Sokka started, choking slightly as she intensified the pressure. "You're the Avatar?"
Naruko blinked in disbelief, the eerie glow fading from her eyes and tattoos.
"I just told your sister that! We'ren't you listening?!"
"Hey, I was distracted by the giant bison!"
"Okay enough, both of you!"
Naruko and Sokka growled as they found themselves abruptly thrust apart by Katara, the waterbender quickly interposing herself between them. Yet even arm's length wasn't enough to stem the animosity between the pair. Sokka scowled. Naruko hissed.
"He insulted my people!"
"She tried to kill me!"
"Only after you insulted her." Katara admonished, swatting her brother upside the head with a mitten. "Now apologize!"
...sorry." Sokka sulked.
"Forgiven." Naruko replied in a measured tone, though her eyes failed to properly convey the emotion.
"Alright, lets try this again. The paranoid there one is my brother, Sokka." At Naruko's unflinching stare, the latter cowered slightly. "And you are?"
The teenage Avatar held her silence a moment longer before relenting.
"Naruko."
"That's a lovely name." Katara smiled.
The blond spluttered helplessly.
Sokka groaned. "Gigantic light beams, flying bison, Avatars-that does it. I think I've got midnight sun madness. I'm going home to where stuff makes sense." The young warrior made to do just that, only to discover an open expanse of water stretching before him, with nothing else in sight. He could feel Naruko's stare boring into his back as he realized his unfortunate plight. To his dismay, he saw Katara was already climbing up after her, the Airbender even reaching down to hoist her up. To make matters worse she was looking right at him, smirking sinisterly from her place in the saddle. That grin of hers, he thought, was just a touch too vindictive for his liking.
"I could give you a ride home," she called tauntingly, "But Appa doesn't like sarcasm."
Torn between his pride and his stomach, Sokka made a decision.
"Ugh, fine!"
Clamoring up after them, he resolutely ignored the fact that a girl had just gotten the better of him. Oh, but he would learn...in time.
"So can Appa really fly?" Katara asked.
For the first time since she'd met them, Naruko smirked. Clutching the reins tightly, she gave them a gentle tug. Two words were uttered:
"Yip. Yip."
Sokka's girly squeal as they took flight, she decided, was particularly satisfying.
Being introduced to Katara's village however, was not. It was, for lack of a word, incredibly awkward.
Avatar or not, Naruko had never been very fond of gatherings. She'd always been socially awkward ever since she was little, preferring the silent solace of solitude to large groups of people. In that way at least she was still a monk. Her unique whisker markings and golden hair had simply been another factor in ostracizing her from the others. In a way she'd been relieved when the monks revealed she was the Avatar. At the time, that had been a godsend. It had meant that for all her shortcomings and strange appearance, she had a purpose beyond being an outcast amongst even the recluisive Airbenders themselves. A strange girl who'd never been able to truly detach herself from her emotions and instead thrived from them...
...now the last of her people.
She wasn't even a monk by defintion anymore; a true Airbender wouldn't fret like this.
"Avatar Naruko," Katara began, gesturing at the gaggle of children and women assembled before them, "Meet the entire village. Entire village, meet Naruko." Part of her blanched at the use of her title but she tolerated the theatrics with only a slight sigh.
"Pleased to meet you."
"Are you truly the Avatar, child?" An elderly woman asked, stepping forward. Naruko idly noticed a bit of a familial resemblance to Katara. Where they related, somehow? "I understand my granddaughter is quite taken with you."
That earned her an arched brow.
"Is she now?"
"Gran Gran!" Katara admonished beside her. "Not like that!" Ah, there it was.
"Katara, its alright." Naruko unconcsiously touched a hand to her scarred arm, restraining a grimace as she turned. She was nothing if not respectful towards her elders. "Yes, ma'am. I am." Keenly she felt the woman's eye rake over her, taking in her scars and tattoos, even her whiskered face at a glance. What a strange sight she must've been in these tattered clothes. A teenager who looked like she belonged in an infirmary with an injury like that, yet still stood proud in spite of all the world had thrown at her.
"So you plan on fighting the Fire Nation, then." it was not a question. Neither was the next one. "Are they the ones who gave you that scar?"
The blond nodded jerkily in affirmation, her hair bouncing from the motion. Having since released it from the captivities of her ponytails, it now cascaded down her back in a sea of molten gold, nearly reaching the back of her knees. It had been said she took after her father, Minato, in that regard, with her blue eyes and bright hair. The monks also said she had Kushina's-her mother-wild temperment when it came to being social with others. She supposed she was skittish in that way, if not bold in everything else. Her scar certainly served as a reminder in that regard.
That thought was broken as the aging water tribe woman reached up and past her...and patted Katara on the head.
"Well then," Gran Gran smiled up at her, "It's been so long since I've had hope for this world, but you seem to have brought it back to life again, my little Waterbender." Then, turning back to Naruko, she continued. "I welcome you to our village, young Avatar. We have precious little to give you, but what's ours is yours."
Naruko was left reeling. She'd been expecting an icy reception of sorts. The warmth with which she'd been greeted was...shocking. Unbidden, she found herself bowing again.
"I thank you for your kindness."
"And make sure you take care of my grandaughter."
"Yes, of course-what?!"
Impossibly, Kanna's smile grew.
"You're headed to the North Pole, aren't you? She's been searching for a teacher for quite some time now. Who better to learn with than the Avatar?" Once more the whiskered warrior sputtered helplessly, jaw working mutely as Katara's Gran Gran walked back from whence she'd come. The crowd slowly dispersed now that the excitement seemed well and truly over, their children still ambling about restlessly around the new arrivals, more focused on the giant bison than they were the reborn Avatar standing in their midst.
"How did she know-Katara!" Her gaze cut petulantly to the waterbender. "Did you tell her while I was sleeping?!"
"What?! No!"
"Then who-
"I did."
Both girls whirled around; but it was Katara who recovered first.
"Sokka!"
"Its not like I had a choice, alright?! Someone had to tell Gran the truth! And I told Dad I'd keep you safe from threats like her!"
"She is not a threat!"
"Well she certainly acts like one!
"You..." Naruko's face was slowly staining red in aggravation, "Insufferable...you've poked around in affairs that had nothing to do with you!"
"So what if I did?!" Sokka snapped back! "Its not like I expected Gran Gran to give you two her blessing to go off on an adventure!"
"I NEVER SAID I WANTED COMPANY!" Naruko exploded! "You should've stayed out of it! I wished I'd left you on that glacier!"
"Maybe you should have!" They were face to face now, glowering at one another heatedly.
"Why I oughta-
"Pssst!" Thankfully, Katara's gentle nudge served to remind Naruko of where and when she was. "Both of you! The kids. They're staring." Sure enough, the outburst had drawn their attention and more than a few of the other villagers as well. Sokka blanched.
"What," Naruko grouched, "Do you want me to Airbend for them or something?"
Her gaze was telling.
"Alright, just this once." The Avatar sighed and weaved her hand in a circular motion, summoning a tiny twister in the palm of her hand. Exhaling, she blew it toward the children, kicking up a little malestrom of ice and snow in its wake. The little ones squealed at this demonstration, tripping over one another in an attempt to catch the tornado before it snuffled itself out. And then it crashed into Sokka's watchtower, sending it toppling in an avalance of snow. End result? Priceless.
"My watchtower!" Sokka cried!
A laugh burst from Katara's lips. But when she turned to compliment the blond on her aim...
Naruko was gone; all that remained of the enigmatic girl were a series of footprints. She'd simply vanished into thin air.
"Ah, let her go." Sokka muttered. "She's been nothing but trouble."
Katara bristled. She wasn't quite sure what it was that had Naruko and Sokka at one another's throats, but enough was enough.
"And you've been nothing but a big jerk!"
Her brother flinched, stung by the accusation; because it was true.
"Katara, I-
Huffing, she stormed past her sibling and followed the trail left behind by the Last Airbender.
In hindsight, the Avatar wasn't that difficult to find. Then again, she didn't exactly make it difficult, either. Naruko could've easily taken Appa and departed but she hadn't; instead she'd left behind a clear cut path for a trained eye to follow. And Katar was nothing if not sharp. Still she didn't hastenher pace, instead recalling the teenager's bitter and angry words. She didn't want company. Ironically, she had never even considered the idea of going to the North Pole until now-thanks to Sokka's machinations. The idea of leaving home was a painful one, and she knew her brother had just been looking out for her own wellbeing, but still...
There she was.
Katara slowed in her stride, as she suddenly came upon a streak of blond and orange in the snowdrifts, a lone figure standing prone amidst the wadling forms of the penguins. At first, she had trouble believing what she was seeing here. Naruko. Many of the black and white birds were congregating around the Avatar, eating right out of the palm of her hand. But that wasn't what held her back. There was a sereinity in her gaze that had not been there before, a placcid peace in those jaded blue eyes that once held nothing but sadness and sorrow. It was...entrancing, to say the least.
Naruko smiled as the creatures ate placidly out of her hand, cooing softly and stroking at their feathers, laughing -giggling?- as they continued to swarm her, even when there was no longer anymore fish to be had. She was gentle and kind to those little birds, her personality showing none of the harsh and jagged edges that had been seen back at the glacier and the village. Katara longed to call out to her but feared spoiling the tender moment. And then something spoiled it for her.
Sqwuaking and squalling the penguins scrambled away as a tiger seal suddenly pulled itself up out of the water, its large bulk rippling with exertion as it plodded onto the icy land. Katara had seen these creatures many a time before, but even from this distance she couldn't quite conceal her gasp behind cover. Naruko stared down the seal, unflinching, as it crawled towards her. Imagine the bender's surprise when the Avatar extended a hand without hesitation, smiling as the large predator nuzzled its whiskered face against her palm. Was it her imagination or was the beast...purring?
"You're just a big softie, aren't you?" Naruko murrmured softly as she stroked its snout, those words just loud enough for her to hear. "Go on now, get out of here." Nudging the aquatic hunter on the nose she shooed it away, sending it scurrying back to the icy hole from which it had just emerged. She stood there in silence for a long moment-watching it retreat to the safety of the watery depths once more. With the alpha predator no longer present the penguins gradually began to trickle back in, approaching the blond once more.
"You can come out, now." she called. "I know you're there."
It was only then that Katara realized Naruko had been aware of her prescence all along. This entire time. Blanching slightly, she stepped out of cover and into plain view. The blond immediately beckoned her closer with her staff and the younger bender meekly complied, knowing full well the weight of her temper. When she finally reached the blonde bender, she half-expected her to snap at her. She did not. Instead they stood there in companionable silence, gazing out at the horizon, the now setting sun staining the sky crimson. At last, one of them spoke.
"It's nice, isn't it?" Naruko sighed, her eyes shining wetly with nostalgia. "I used to see sunsets like this all the time back at the Air Temple."
Katara nodded, uncertain of what to say. In any case, Naruko didn't give her the chance to agree.
"Which brings me to my next question. Katara," she began slowly, turning to face her, "What do you want from me?"
There was a silence as she gathered up the nerve to reply. Steeling herself, she looked her elder in the eye.
"I want you to teach me Waterbending.
Naruko cocked her head aside, baffled.
"I cannot teach you, ya know. Surely someone else in your tribe would be a better fit-ah." Understanding dawned on that whiskered face. "There's no one else, is there?"
Katara cringed. "Yep, you're looking at the only Waterbender in the whole South Pole."
"Which is why you wanted to go to the North Pole with me."
Realizing she was waiting or an answer, the Waterbender fumbled to speak, nearly tripping over the words. "Look, I'm sorry I followed you out here. I just wanted to make sure you were alright..." Her courage faltered under that piercing stare, once more struck by how incredibly old those baby blue eyes seemed. The girl had been through a world of hurt and it had marked her in more ways than one. Her family was gone. No wonder she wanted nothing to do with them. "I'll just leave you alone-
"No!" A hand closed around her wrist, holding her fast. There was iron in that vice-like grip, surprising strength in those slim, scarred fingers.
"Please, don't go." Naruko continued softly, releasing her. "This whole mess is my fault." she sounded sorrowed almost. Resigned. "I've been incredibly rude to you both from the moment we met and for that, you have my humble apologies. I should've realized you were a Waterbender from the start. Is your brother one as well?"
"Who, Sokka? Nah, not unless you count jerk-bending." she'd meant it as a harmless jest to break the ice, only realizing how incredibly lame it sounded after it left her mouth. To her surprise, Naruko actually cracked a smile at the ill-conceived joke.
"I never really understood boys." she muttered. "They're loud, sweaty, annoying, always trying to prove how tough they are-
"And they flex everytime they see their reflection." Katara added primly.
"Really?"
"No, just my brother."
Naruko laughed at that, the bell-like sound of her mirth filling the air. Then her stomach growled. It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't eaten in one hundred years.
"Here," Katara offered. "I've got some seal jerkey."
The Last Airbender tentatively accepted it and turned aside, her teeth sinking into the chewy, tasty treat.
The taste...it was good. Remarkably so. Before Naruko knew it, she'd all but finished the entire thing and felt more full than she had since she'd awoken. Smiling tiredly, she absently noted the crisp scent of the evening air, the cool feel of the snow against her bare feet, and the steady stream of tears now running down her whiskered face. Bringing a hand to scrub away the tears she relished in the feeling she currently felt. It was as if all the anger and aggression locked inside her was slowly trickling away, running downstream with the water on her face.
She smiled... finally feeling alive.
Katara was still staring at her. Naruko flushed.
"I-Is there something on my face?" she asked, fearing she'd seen the tears.
"Oh," Katara blinked. "No, its just...
"Just?"
"Your hair." she said. "You've had it down for awhile now. Doesn't it get in the way?"
"What?! No!" Naruko instinctively clutched at her golden locks, trying to shield them from the brunette's prying eyes. Her hair was her pride and joy; she'd never been willing to cut it ever since she was young. The idea of trimming so much as a single hair-it hurt almost as much as the idea of losing her people to the Fire Nation. These long tresses were all that she had to remind her of the mother she'd never met-the woman who had died giving birth to her so long ago. She'd never known her father; the monks had said he was another monk from the Eastern Air Temple who had run off when he'd gotten her mother pregnant back. Strangely though her looks might be her they were all she had to remember her family by and she wouldn't trade them for anything.
"So, how good of a bender are you?" Naruko was looking at her with renewed interest now, bright blue eyes gleaming keenly.
"Well, that's just it. I'm not very good at it." A contemplative expression crossed her visage. "Although...I bet I could get all that gunk out of your hair and give you a cleaning."
"Gunk?" Naruko frowned, skittish at the thought of anyone touching it. "My hair does not have gunk!"
"Its covered in ash and grime." Katara pointed out.
"Still, I really don't think that's...by the winds!"She was interrupted as Katara swiftly ran her hands through her hair expertly-combing the knots out with her hands, nimble fingetips dancing over her scalp, subtly bending water to the battered locks and soothing her skin. Cocking her head aside, Naruto moaned in soft contentment as the oddly pleasurable sensation of having her head stroked hit her. "Okay, I take it back." Another gasp. "This is amaaaaaaazing~!"
Naruko decided then that having her hair cleaned wasn't so bad.
"Wow this is long," Katara murmurred, pulling her fingers through the smoothing tresses. "You've never had anyone cut it before?"
"Nope!" the blond chirruped happily, her anger all but forgotten in the wake of the soothing treatment. "I like it long."
"Why?"
"Eh...
Damn those eyes! Naruko squirmed slightly before relenting under the younger girl's gaze. "Well, everyone always told me my mother had long hair, and this is all I have to remember her by. Its not red like hers, but it makes me happy to know that I look so much like her, hair color or not." Katara seemed to soak in those words, her hand drifting up to the engraved necklace she wore around her neck.
"I know what its like to lose a mother." she murmurred.
Naruko empathized.
"Yeah, well I never really knew mine, so...
Abruptly, her mouth curled into a smile.
"Say, Katara...
"Hmm?"
Still, her grin grew.
"Have you ever gone penguin sledding before?"
As it turned out, Katara had.
"Where is he?!"
Prince Zuko had no idea just how incredibly close he was to catching the Avatar. Indeed, how could he know that even now she was racing toward him on the back of a penguin? He was far too focused on the cowering villagers standing before him and his men. Already his temper was roused to volcanic proportions thanks to Sokka's efforts against him, made even moreso by the boy's helpless grandmother in his grasp. She, too, was afraid of him, too terrifed to speak.
"He should be about this old," he shook the older woman for emphasis. "Master of all elements!"
When no reply was given, he shoved her back to her people. He wasn't above hurting them to get what he wanted-
Then Sokka's boomerang came back.
CLANG!
Zuko stumbled as the curved weapon clanged into the back of his helmet, filling his ears with the deafening sound. But even stunned as he was, he hadnily managed to turn and swat aside the spear when it came flying at him; shattering the sharpened whale-tooth that was its point in a single blow. Snatching the shaft from the warrior's hand, he jabbed him in the forehead, knocking his fellow teenager down to the snow.
"Not bad, peasant."
"Then you'll love this!"
This war cry came not from Sokka but another; even as Zuko realized this a black and white missile shot across the landscape and slammed into him the penguin's rider making herself known as she leapt from its back to bodily smash into his unprotected flank. Raining down blows on his shoulders and neck she all but roe the helmet from his head. Grabbing hold of his ponytail to jerk his face down into the snow. The reversal was as sudden as it was unexpected, leaving the proud prince momentarily at a loss for words. He lay there, staring into the snow.
What just happened?
"Looking for someone?" the words were little more than a growl in his ear; more than enough to invoke the fiery wrath that was his bending. No one made a fool of him! No one!
Gasping Zuko bucked, using his larger body to rear back and drive his skull into the unsuspecting visage of his opponent. A pained cry rewarded his efforts and the hold on his hair fell away, allowing him to scramble to his feet and find his footing once more. Sputtering, brushing the snow and ice from his eyes, he turned to face his new adversary.
Naruko stepped forward, staff whirling slowly in her hand. There was an anger in her eyes Katara realized as she scrambled off her own penguin mount-the once shy, playful teenager with whom she'd come to associate herself having all but vanished in the wake of this new and unexpected arrival. And still the whiskered blond advanced, her lips pulling back to expose an angry, toothy grin.
"Ohhhhhhh," she hissed at Zuko. "I'm going to enjoy this far more than I should."
To his credit, the prince only blinked. Now that he'd finally laid eyes on his attacker...she didn't look all that threatening. Kind of...cute, actually. But there was only one thing in Naruko's eyes as he met that girl's steely gaze, and with mounting dread he realized what he had seen it too late. Hate.
"Who are-
He never did get to finish that sentence.
Because the blond snarled, and he suddenly found himself slammed back into the hull of his ship. Wave after wave of wind assaulted him, savaging his armor, relentlessly beating him down, battering at him from every side, offering no respite and no relent in the slightest. Death was the name of this creature, this seemingly hapless, ditzy, girl he'd glanced over without a secound thought. But even as he saw the arrows tattooed upon her arms, even as her eyes flashed white, he realized his mistake.
With every ounce of strength within her, Naruko sent her fist flying towards the monster whose only sin was being part of the Fire Nation. Zuko's nose crumpled beneath the blow with a sickening crunch and he toppled back onto the icy floor. Yes, her name was death.
And she had come for him!
"You're the Airbender?" he gasped out at her.
Naruko growled.
"And you're dead."
Instinct took over in Zuko. It was live or die. Kill or be killed. Even as she twirled her staff and sent another gale screaming down at his head, the prince was in motion.
Fire sprang forth from his fingertips as he vaulted to his feet in an impossible motion and kicked, rapidly interposing a wave of heat between him and Naruko's next attack. Flame licked around the edges as his element struggled to stand up against the headwind; tongues of fiery death licking around the edges of their elemental struggle, to taste at their village. Out of the corner of her eye, Naruko saw Katara and the others cringe as a tent caught flame, collectively shrinking back from the roiling inferno. It was with a painful start that she realized something.
She couldn't stay here.
Anger warred with reason deep within Naruko's heart; her very soul screaming at her to continue on and crush the Fire Nation standing before her...but cooler heads prevailed. Her brief time with Katara had taught her something. She wasn't the only one that mattered. These were people. Was she really going to risk their lives-the safety of their home-just for the sake of her vengeance? No. She had to get out of here. And there was only one way that would ensure. The answer was painfully clear to her, galling as it might be. She could let them take her...then escape out to sea, somehow.
The Avatar's eyes hardened as she swung her staff around and pointed it at the prince in front of her, effectively ending their clash. "If I go with you...will you leave them in peace?"
Zuko paused, considering her offer, weighing it against his anger. For all his flaws, he had his honour. If this girl was truly surrendering to him, he saw no reason to harass this puny village any further. It had nothing of strategic value save furs, and he had no need of their food. No, his mind was made up.
"Yes."
"Then...I surrender." the words tasted like bitter bile in her mouth, acid burning her tongue as she dropped her staff and kicked it over to him. "Take me as your prisoner and leave this place." Rasing her hands, she did nothing as his men moved to bind her wrists, but when one made to gag her, she snarled.
"I hope you're not attached to that hand."
Wisely, the guard lowered his arm. When he moved to flank her however, he found himself met with a roundhouse kick that dented his armor and sent him skidding into the snow. Naruko's message was painfully clear in that instant, telegraphed to Water Tribe and Fire Nation both. The Avatar might be bound, but she was not helpless. She had chosen to go with the Fire Nation, she was not some helpless prisoner to be bartered with as Zuko saw fit. And if she saw fit to leave...
Somehow, that actually managed to impress the prince.
"I will walk." she declared scornfully, striding up the ramp. Those words finally seemed to jolt Katara out of her daze. Struggling to push through her fellow villagers she tried to reach him, only to find her way barred by the soldiers.
"Naruko! you can't! Don't go with them!"
"I'll be fine." The blond called over her shoulder, never once looking back. "Don't forget to take care of Appa for me. He gets lonely on his own, ya know?"
Katara blinked at that, though the name was utterly lost on Zuko. Was she telling them to follow her? Rescue her? Whatever the case she still found herself helpless as Naruko disappeared into the ship, leaving her cold and dead inside, intensely afraid not only for the safety of the world, but the young girl upon whom that fate surely rested. Naruko...
What was she thinking?
"Set a course for the Fire Nation." Zuko declared, striding up the ramp after her, almost unable to keep the smile from his face. Two years. Two hellishly long years of exile and abandonment, all ended in the blink of an eye. He hadn't expected events to play out this way, but who was he to queston fate? If this was his destiny, to find the Avatar so soon, then he would glady accept it.
"I'm going home."
Oh, how little he knew...
A/N: And there we go. Yes, there WILL be yuri-girl loves girl-action in this fic. I apologize for those of you who don't like it, as one reviewer -I won't name names- has already made their dislike of that element clear. But that's the mindset for this story. Although NarukoxZuko remains an amusing possibility, given their painful pasts. After this we will be seeing a major departure from Canon-Naruko isn't Aang after all, so she won't be acting like him.
Finally, and I'm only going to say this once, I am NOT bashing Sokka. I merely took into account that he was very suspicious of Aang in the beginning, and here Naruko outright attacked him when he insulted her. Of course there would be some hostility there. He doesn't trust her, and she certainly doesn't trust him. Heck, she hardly trusts anyone at the moment. They won't be bickering for much longer, though!
That aside I sincerely hope you enjoyed the latest chapter and all of the chaos and hilarity that is to come.
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would you Kindly? And of course, enjoy the Preivew! Also, the next chapter for Die Another Day is coming out soon-I've already got well more than Seven thousand words and I just want to live up to your grand expectations, is all =D
(Preview!)
"Mind if spar with you girls?"
Suki and the rest of her warriors startled slightly at the voice-alarmed to find the Avatar leaning against the door of their dojo. She was watching them keenly, interest shining through her bright azure orbs as she made herself known to them.
They all collectively stared at Naruko, who tilted her head to the side cutely at their silence. "Is that a problem?" Their response was nothing short of enthusiastic.
"NO!"
R&R! =D
A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I'm on the mend. Even better, My grandpa's all but recovered from congestive heart failure, and I managed to sell my old house, though all that money went to more bills. Ugh. Anywho, I've finished moving my things and am now a proud resident of East Berlin, Pennsylvania! Alas I'm now jobless, and the bills are piling up because of my health. Fun, right? But enough about this.
As I'm sure you've all noticed, I've been on a bit of an updating binge as of late. I've rewatched several shows, reread manga to its latest chapter. And I realized something. I wanted to try my hand at a slower-paced fic. My others are just fine, but I wanted to make this more realistic. More character time, instead of setting Naruto on a path and making him run it, he'll walk before he remembers what it truly means to sprint.
On that note, I should warn you. This Naruto is a bit more vulnerable-emotionally-than most. Why, you ask? Because not only is he a SHE, but unlike his others counterpart there's very little left to redeem here and she really isn't afraid to shed blood for the sake of her duty. However-her tendency to violence has also made her emotionally crippled of a sort. She's not exactly open to positive emotion at present, but that'll be a changing soon. She's been scarred-in more ways than one-and it shows in this chapter.
Anywho, I managed to put this up here at points between job hunting. Prepare to laugh in this chapter so...
...aways we go!
"This is pretty good tea...!"
~?!
Clash
"Soooo, I had tea with your uncle. Not bad guy...considering he's Fire Nation."
Zuko felt a muscle jump violently in his jaw as he glowered at Naruko, his teeth grinding togethers as he struggled to repress his anger at the bewitching blonde draped across the rail only yards away. Needless to say, he did not succeed. Every second he spent staring at this arrogant airbender only stoked the hot flame in his stomach, spurring him to an action he was almost certain he'd regret. This was wrong. He should be calmly resting in his bunk, not allowing her to interrogate him whilst she sipped at her tea. The situation had been hopelessly reversed from the moment they'd embarked, and he had been powerless to make it otherwise.
No escape attempt had been made as of yet, but he was certain it was only a matter of time. She was just waiting for the right moment, that was that. She had to be. Else she wouldn't be tormenting him like this. But hours had since passed and still, she continued to talk to him.
"Why are you doing this?" he seethed at her, snarling against her bemused expression. "Do you enjoy tormenting me?"
"Not really, no." she replied, delicately drinking her gingseng once more, her bewitching blue eyes never leaving his, not even for a moment. "I mean, I kinda did at first but now? I just feel sorry for you-actually. The banished prince, scarred by his father, doomed to forever chase the avatar-little ol' moi-until the end of his days. And now that you finally have me? You don't know what to do with yourself. You're even more twisted up inside than ever before and its killing ya. At least I have an outlet. I mean, look at you!" At his thunderous expression, she was all too happy to continue her subtle mockery. "You want so badly to kill me don't you scar boy? I can see it in your eyes. You hate me."
Zuko reeled. Not form the words, but from the truth within them. She knew. He didn't know how, but she knew.
"Who told you that?!"
"Your uncle." came the ever-so eloquent answer. "Chatty, that one. But back to the bit about you wanting to kill me. You obviously want to, scars. A blind bandit could tell you that." she was tempting him. Mocking him. Zuko knew this and yet, with every word she spoke, the Airbender dug herself deeper into him, picking him apart with ever syllable. Finally, he could take it no more. At the meintion of his mark, he rounded on her with a sibilant hiss.
"Don't," he warned, his voice dropping in a low growl as he spun to face her, "Call me that."
Naruko's lips quirked into a smile. She cocked her head aside cutely. "Whyever not?"
"Because."
There was a silence. And then:
"Sca-
Zuko whirled with a wordless scream, the fireball already forming in his hand. Imagine his surprise then when her hand closed around his fist, snuffing the flame out like a tiny candle. They stood there for but an instant of silence, a sliver of time. Naruko studied him for a moment, unfaltering as she held fast, her grip shifting to his wrist and wrenching the limb behind his back. Then, ever so slowly, she smiled.
"You know," she began, her words the most naked of whispers, "I've been called many things. A fast learner. Genius. Prodigy, even. If I see something -anything- once, just once, I can duplicate it. And you've shown me enough of your firebending today...that I think I've learned something." Drawing a deep breath, she pulled her free hand backwards, fingers clenching into a fist. "Your uncle was right when I asked him-the power comes from the breath, not the muscles. This energy flows outside our bodies and becomes something more. The physical representation of our will. Something like...fire."
Then she firebent at him.
It was a straightforward motion, her fist simply snapping forward to produce a thin lance of flame. It shot past him with a might whoosh carromed harmlessly off the iron hull and into the sea, where it fizzled out quietly amidst the glaciers.
Zuko gawped, his silence overshadowed by her smug smile.
"But you...how did you...
"Before I took that century-long nap the monks taught me a thing or two about firebenders and their nuances." she twisted aside as his leg lashed out, sweeping over him effortlessly. "For starters, you take away their oxygen, and all their bending becomes useless in a fight. Also, no offense to insult your tea-loving uncle, but from what I've seen so far...
"They're predictable!"
In a single, startling movement the Airbender swept herself off the rail and vaulted at him in a great gust of wind; her hair swaying violently from the summoned storm, bringing her face mere inches from his. He never saw the technique that bested him but it was certainly felt. One moment he was standing the next he was clutching at his throat, gagging and trying to breathe when there was no air to be had. A wave of her wrist and sensation slithered back into his larynx, allowing him to breathe once more. In that instant, he became clearly aware of the clenched fist pointed at his face.
She smirked at him over her outstretched arm, flames flicking at the edges of her fingertips.
"Whaddya say now, scars?"
The prince balked.
Naruko was surprisingly tall for a girl, he realized, only an inch or so shorter than him. And her eyes. Saphire bored into saffron without relent; refusing to back down at the fire in his gaze. Unbidden, his eyes strayed to her scar, the ugly burn that marred her arm, shoulder, and even part of her neck, a blotch on her otherwise flawless beauty. But Naruko, she was proud of her scar; it signified her strength. His only reminded him of his weakness on that fateful day. His failure.
Perhaps that was part of the reason he couldn't stand to look at her; because she was everything he wasn't. The picture of pristine composure-utterly unfetered by everything that had been thrown at her. In a way, she was almost like Azula. And he loathed her all the more for it.
"Leave me alone!"
Biting back the insidious urge to incinerate the Last Airbender, he stormed off the deck for the sanctity of his quarters. Hopefully, he thought, she wouldn't follow him there. Once more, he was proven hopelessly wrong in his belief. The soft padding of her feet followed after him, an almost silent shadow that dogged his every move. He ignored her, hoping in vain she'd grow bored of this game and leave him be.
"You're just like Azula." he snarled, refusing to slow, not daring to look back at her. "Always so perfect, so dogged. Everything comes naturally to you...
"Ah," her sing song voice chimed, "Maybe she'd be more fun to mess with! But for now, I'll have to make do with you, I suppose."
"Aaargh!"
Things weren't working out at all as he'd hoped they would. He should have known better. But it had all seemed so simple at first. Fate had handed him the Avatar on a silver platter and instead of ending him as he had feared she might. Yet instead she'd surrendered allowing him to capture her and instead make full speed for home. And so they were beginning to see the glaciers thinning around them. But not soon enough. He wasn't entirely sure where everything had gone terribly, horribly wrong, only that it had. Instead of being taken to the brig as he'd instructed, this insufferable Avatar had simply taken it upon herself to roam the ship unbound and wreak all sorts of havoc, perusing their weapons and wares, sharing tea with uncle and the like. As if she owned the place! And now, as if to add insult to injury, she'd somehow picked up a modicum of Firebending solely by watching him and listening to Iroh!
It was insufferable!
"Oh, and one more thing-
Something snapped inside Zuko, a wellspring of anger and wrath sprining forth. All those years of searching for the Avatar, hunting, scrounging, and now he wished he'd never found her. She mocked him at every turn, challenged his beliefs, and constantly made him think. She was his enemy! His foe! She was his prisoner! She should be under his control! So why, why did this keep happening to him?!
"What do you want from me?!" he roared. Whatever she was going to say, planned to say, he didn't give her the chance. With one hand he dashed the tea from her grasp, sending the warm liquid spilling out across the wall, the ceramic cup shattering against the iron hull. With the other he seized her, bodily slamming the blonde into the nearest door. He'd expected Naruko, to flinch. She didn't so much as bat an eyelash. Instead she simply stared, those bright blue eyes silently damning him for his weakness.
And then she breathed.
Whoosh.
A wall of wind explods out of her mouth, launching him away from her and slamming him into the far wall like a rag doll. Stunned, he slumps, collapsing to the ground in a heap. He waits for her to approach and deliver a final insult of some sort. But nothing comes.
Naruko sighed.
"We forge our own honor, scar boy." she breathed, reaching down to pat his marred face. Her fingers trail from the motion, surprisingly gentle given her history. "It is not given to us. Not by anyone. When did you lose sight of that, I wonder?"
The Prince said nothing to that; because, her words had shaken him. He simply lay there and stared up at her-his face devoid of any expression. That silent moment seemed to extend indefinitely. Then, without another word, Naruko broke the stalemate turned and walked away, her hips swishing back and forth until she finally rounded a corner and was mercifully lost from sight.
Zuko watched her go. Then he realized he'd been staring.
"What's wrong with me...?"
Shaking his head, he slammed the door shut behind him and barred it.
He did not emerge for quite some time.
"He didn't take it well, did he?"
"Not even remotely." Naruko sighed at Iroh as she flopped down onto the cot beside him. It was strange she thought, colluding with a Firebender, spilling her heart and soul out to a man she should by all rights, loathe above all else and everything. But Iroh was different. She wasn't sure when she'd realized it, but somewhere between the tea and the talks she'd come to understand that this man had just as much of a pained past as she did. Perhaps even more. Losing his son had wounded him somehow, marked him in ways that she couldn't quite understand.
"So? What are you going to do now?"
The Avatar considered it for a moment. She'd kept Katara and Sokka at bay for nearly two days now, instead of being rescued posthaste. She'd gotten what she'd come here for, learning the first nuances of Firebending in only a matter of days. So for what reason did she have to stay in the first place? Zuko couldn't stop her, and Iroh certainly didn't seem inclined to stand in her way after their talks. Deep in her heart she knew that he was right in a sense; she'd learned something more than valuable during her stay here. Perspective. Perhaps the Fire Nation wasn't as wholly evil as she'd thought. Perhaps not.
Either way, her mind was made up. Ozai needed to die. And she couldn't accomplish that until she mastered the elements. She'd gotten a head start on Fire, but she still needed to learn Water and Earth. And she would not find either on this ship. Sitting up, she sighed.
"I'm going to leave." she said at last.
Iroh laughed at that, deep and low from his belly. "I thought as much. At least I can say that I had tea with the Avatar."
Naruko appraised him for a long moment, frowning.
"You're really just going to let me go?"
The former general merely chortled and stroked at his beard. "If you'd asked me that a few days ago, I would've said no." His eyes lingered on her scars, tracing the marks. "But after seeing your scars, I say otherwise, now." At her baffled expression, he swiftly ammended those words. "You are young, Naruko and still learning your way in this world. And yet even after everything that has been done to you, despite all the hurt and all the strife, you still seek to restore balance to this world. I think it I would be doing you a great disservice, were I to try and stop you now."
"And Zuko?"
"In a twisted sort of way, you give my nephew hope. So long as he has you to chase, I won't interfere."
"Good. I'd hate to have to kill you."
"I think you'd get along well with Azula." Iroh said suddenly. "You certainly seem to have the same...mannerisms."
Her ears perked up at that.
"That's twice I've heard her name now. I take it she's someone important?"
Iroh simply smiled.
"Just pray that you never meet her."
Naruko did something she'd never expected to do, then.
She bowed.
"Its been a pleasure, sifu."
"What, that's it?" Sokka balked in the dead of night as Naruko clamored onto Appa's saddle. "They just let you go?" For a long moment her only reply was silence as she swarmed up the bison's furry hide and squirmed into the seat. They'd been following her at a distance for the last two days, their first rescue attempt having been repulsed quite violently. Katara could only wonder why the blonde had insisted that she stay for as long as she had; it didn't make any sense...
"Something like that." the Avatar whispered. "I learned a few new tricks." Flexing her fingers, she summoned a small fireball to her hand. It danced there a moment, the warm tongues of fire lighting the darkness with its soft touch of light.
"Oh." Katara blinked. "Well, that explains a lot...
"That reminds me," Sokka grumbled, reaching around into his pack. "We found...this. Friend of yours?"
Suddenly and without warning, a bllur of white and brown leapt from the sack and into the girl's arms, clamoring onto her neck and behind her head for safety. Naruko nearly squealed before she realized who-what-had secured itself on her shoulder. A familair chattering greeted her ears.
"Momo!" Naruko grinned in delight at the sight of her old pet. "But how did he...?"
Sokka thrust a thumb at the roll of sacks and furs in the saddle, doubtless where the lemur had secured itself all those years ago.
"Stowaway."
Everything moved most swiftly after that.
Eventually they happened up the island of Kiyoshi...and nearly got themselves eaten by a giant sea monster. Naruko wondered if they should've visited the Air Temple but...no. Going back there would have caused too much pain. Her friends and family were gone. Vising there would have been pointless.
"So...I'm guessing that was an Unagi."
"Well, Unagi or not, I'd rather not stick around." Sokka decided, dusting himself off. "Time to hit the rooooooo-what the heck?!"
They hit without warning.
One moment they were standing beneath the trees, listening to Sokka. The next, four shadows leapt from the branches and attacked them. In the time that it took Naruko to turn her head Sokka, Katara, even Momo were all subdued-bound and blindfolded-thrown down to the sands at her feet. Naruko was spared only because he'd been standing near the beach. It gave him just enough time to realize their attackers weren't men as he'd first suspected, but women. No, not even that. Girls!
Interesting.
Even as they closed on her she spun, a wall of wind leaping from her fingers.
"Mind if spar with you girls?"
Suki and the rest of her warriors startled slightly at the voice-alarmed to find the Airbender hanging merrily from a nearby branch. She was watching them keenly, interest shining through her bright azure orbs as she made herself known to them.
They all collectively stared at Naruko, who tilted her head to the side cutely at their silence. "Is that a problem?" Their response was nothing short of enthusiastic.
"NO!"
A/N: And there we go. Yes, there WILL be yuri-girl loves girl-action in this fic. I apologize for those of you who don't like it, as one reviewer -I won't name names- has already made their dislike of that element clear. But that's the mindset for this story. Although NarukoxZuko remains an amusing possibility, given their painful pasts. After this we will be seeing a major departure from Canon-Naruko isn't Aang after all, so she won't be acting like him.
Finally, and I'm only going to say this once, I am NOT bashing Sokka. I merely took into account that he was very suspicious of Aang in the beginning, and here Naruko outright attacked him when he insulted her. Of course there would be some hostility there. He doesn't trust her, and she certainly doesn't trust him. Heck, she hardly trusts anyone at the moment. They won't be bickering for much longer, though!
That aside I sincerely hope you enjoyed the latest chapter and all of the chaos and hilarity that is to come.
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would you Kindly? And of course, enjoy the Preivew! Also, the next chapter for Die Another Day is coming out soon-I've already got well more than Seven thousand words and I just want to live up to your grand expectations, is all =D
(Preview!)
Naruko yelped and ducked aside as a swathe of fire sizzled over her head. Bending it away, she turned to face the foe who'd been hunting her.
"Are you insane?!"
"No," Azula laughed, "I'm having the time of my life!"
R&R! =D
A/N: Alright ladies and gentlemen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I'm on the mend. Bad news, my inspiration is flagging as of late.
Now, I've worked my ass off updating this month, updating a bunch of fics, and the last few, Avatar of Change and Imperfection, have gotten almost no reviews. That rankles me a bit. Am I not trying hard enough? Do I need to devote more time to this site? I'm on it almost twenty four seven except when I'm working, so I don't see how that can change. I work really hard on every story and chapter that I publish, and, while I may not have time to update them all, I like to think they each have my heart and soul invested in them.
So...what's wrong? I dunno. I just thought I'd lay it out there for ya'll.
But eh, back to this fic!
I've rewatched several shows, reread manga to its latest chapter and pondered many things. Then I realized something. I want to try my hand at a slower-paced fic. My others are just fine, but I wanted to make this more realistic. More character time, instead of setting Naruto-or in this case, Naruko!-on a path and making him run it, he'll walk before he remembers what it truly means to sprint.
On that note, I should warn you. This Naruto is a bit more vulnerable-emotionally-than most. Why, you ask? Because not only is he a SHE, but unlike his others counterpart there's very little left to redeem here and she really isn't afraid to shed blood for the sake of her duty. However-her tendency to violence has also made her emotionally crippled of a sort. She's not exactly open to positive emotion at present, but that'll be a changing soon. She's been scarred-in more ways than one-and it shows in this chapter.
But she can shine brightly with the best of them!
Anywho, I managed to put this up here at points between my job. Prepare to laugh in this chapter so...
...aways we go! Sorry if its short, but consider this story revived!
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory."
~(a last message from a great, great man...)
When in Kiyoshi...
It didn't take Naruko long to realize she disliked being worshiped.
Perhaps dislike was too weak of a word.
She.
Hated.
Being.
Worshiped.
It wasn't the awe or the adulation that irked her; she could handle the burden of responsibility well enough. Not even the knowledge that she expected to save the world. She'd grown into her role as Avatar since she'd been a little girl. She knew what to expect in that theatre, at least. However, there was one thing she could not-would not!-withstand, despite her stoicism. Worse than being called arrowhead, traitor, or even being all but accused of hiding away from the world.
No, it was something worse. Much, much, MUCH worse.
It was the fans.
Fanboys. Fanboys. Fan! Boys! Everywhere, everyplace, the blasted FANS! Kiyoshi was covered with them, people wishing that the Avatar would return, and the moment they learned that she did in fact exist, well...
...merely a day of it proved unpleasant. A week...madness!
"Moh, leave me alone, 'ttebayo!" she whined aloud to herself as she took shelter in the dojo, gasping for breath. Behind the closed door the crowd rushed by, blissfully unaware that their precious idol was hiding only a few feet away. A blessed silence followed, broken only by her own heavy breathing.
With one final, relieved gasp, she slumped, the loose locks of her hair trailing behind her. "Never...again!" she decreed, slamming a small fist against the door. "These people are nuts!" And they were! Katara and Sokka were left well enough alone, but this was ridiculous! It was also the reason she hated boys! "Always so damn clingy!" she hissed. Not like girls; they, at very least, she understood. "Girls can see reason! Stupid boys, I'm so sick of them!" Girls could be persuaded. Not boys. They didn't listen!
Girls were softer. Sweeter. Not boys. Once they saw something they wanted, that was it, and that was precisely why-
"Having fun?"
"Grr!" The avatar colored right to the roots of her hair and spun about at the amused drawl, fireball in hand. "Who said that?!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! No need to flame me!"
Anger drained out of her visage as she found a painted face staring back at her. Suki smiled, one hand planted firmly on her hip. Naruto blanched, realizing she must've spoken aloud. To her dismay, she found the rest of the Kiyoshi Warriors gathered behind their leader, each looking at her in various shades of shock and surprise. Some were even smiling. Her flush deepened.
"H-How much of that did you hear?"
A slender eyebrow was arched. "Enough, I think."
The blond deadpanned.
"Oh, that's just wonderful."
Naruko wanted to die.
"If you're done running from your adoring fans," Suki offered, turning back to her girls, "You still owe us that sparring session. How about it? Are you up for it?"
She took a moment to consider that invitation, gently glossing over her earlier outburst.
Blasting them with fireballs was still very much an option, but she preferred not to charbroil innocents if she could. An angry, flaming goddess wasn't exactly what the world needed right now. With this thought in mind, and an effort of supreme will, Naruko snuffed out the fireball in her hand. A curl of smoke wafted up as she uncoiled her palm.
"Alright, alright." she muttered. "I see your point. No bending, but so help me, if someone sneaks in her and grabs my ass again...
That got a laugh from the brunette.
"Not much chance of that. Well," she smiled, casting the older girl an appraising glance as she brushed past. "A chance is a chance, after all...
Naruko stood there a moment, her brain refusing to process the words. A small, disbelieving smile ghost across her tan face.
'I did not just get hit on.'
Suppressing a pleasant shiver the blond preened instead, happy for a change of pace. "A spar, you said? Make it so!"
In short order she was whisked away into wardrobe, her sweaty, soaked Air-Bender attire exchanged for the traditional warrior robe, vest, and headdress the warriors themselves favored. Her face caked in generous applications of paint, her eyes shadowed by red, she scarcely recognized the girl staring back at her in the mirror. Blue eyes shown back at her, framed by golden tresses ending in a neat bun at the back of her head, completing the look, leaving a few golden bangs to hang neatly before her visage.
Bar the hair color and the whiskers, she really did look like Kiyoshi.
This strange, gorgeous creature staring at her looked as though she belonged in some Earth Kingdom gala, not an old training hall!
"You clean up nice." Suki's head appeared over her shoulder, appraising. "You'd be a dead ringer for her if your hair was brown. Its like she really came back to us, you know?"
Naruko recalled what little she knew about her past life and disagreed. With all this anger inside, she didn't deserve to be compared to her, and she felt lesser for it.
'There's nothing wrong with a little righteous anger, child.'
The Air-Bender jolted upright at the sudden, unexpected voice, but even as she tried to trace it back to its source, it was gone. As though it had never been. Avatar Kiyoshi? Her mind reeled for a moment, contemplating the sudden surge of warmth she felt. She wasn't even able to go into the Avatar State at will yet. Could she really have been contacted-reassured, no less!-by one of her past lives?
"Ready to get started?"
"Hmm? Eh? What? Oh...right." A spike of excitement stabbed through the blond at the prospect of stretching her muscles after a week of inactivity. "I was born ready." Her earlier anxiety was forgotten altogether as her opponent drew her fans, the subtle shing of metal promising combat.
"We'll see." the warrior sashayed away, taking up her place. "You don't have to use them, you can fight like you usually do. Just no bending. C'mon, don't be holding back!"
"Hold back?" Naruko blinked. "I don't hold back. And I like helping people. Its what I do."
"And theeeeen," cut in Sokka, who walked by the now opened door, muttering crossly, "they'll all cry out, 'Oh, Avatar! Sink the ship! Slay the platapus-bear! Find my hog monkey!' Really! This is what we get for making another pit stop! Bah, dumb girls and their dumb dances, what a load of...!" His drawling voice trailed away, as he disappeared around the bend. Both girls sweat-dropped.
"Friendly guy." Suki muttered crossly.
Naruko winced.
"You get used to him."
"So...are we going to do this, or what?"
"Alright...but don't say I didn't warn you." she settled into a strange stance, one foot forward, her right arm edged back. It wasn't the traditional Air-Bender stance, nor was it the aggressive tempo of a Fire-Bender. The form she'd taken was a blending of both, her boy weight leaning forward, ready to spring at the slightest provocation. "Last chance. You might want to raise your guard."
Suki's smile was just a little too patronizing for her liking.
"I'm sure I can handle myyyyyyiiiiiiiiiiipe!"
When the blond moved, she barely had time to react. Her left fan shot out, trying to parry, but the girl flowed like wind, twirling away and sweeping her legs. The Kiyoshi warrior righted herself almost immediately not a moment later; a heelpalm slammed into her chin, snapping her head back, but the blond took the blow, kept moving as though she hadn't felt a thing.
And then it was over.
Naruko flowed around her in an impossible movement and struck down in a blinding sweep.
The end result left Suki sprawled out on the floor, head spinning.
"Ha!" Naruko crowed, doing a little dance. "Eat boomstick!"
"Boom...what?"
"Eh, just a word I made up." Naruko laughed, offering her a hand. "Pretty sure we don't have any of those, yet."
Suki started when the blond hauled her forward. Too hard. She was suddenly intensely aware of just how close they were, of the girl's hand in hers, the other steadying her at the waist. A beat of silence passed. Then another. She gulped.
"You know...
"My Lady Avatar!"
Naruko looked away from the brunette, momentarily discomfitted by that title.
She didn't know if was Suki, or the something else, she simply felt...drawn here. But what was it? Suki was a nice girl after all she supposed, she'd warmed to her considerably during the last seven days and although she remained loathe to admit it, she had enjoyed their spar, especially-stop! Stop stop stop! That way lay ruin! Shaking herself from those treacherous thoughts Naruko rose, wiped the sweat from her slim brow, and turned to face the messenger standing in the door.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Fire Nation troops have landed in Kyoshi!"
The blond nearly facepalmed at the news. So much for this peace and quiet.
"Not Zuzu again...
"Zuzu?" Suki asked as she slipped backwards.
"He's just some pesky prince I beat in the South Pole." Naruko replied, scrubbing the paint from her face. "And I may or may not have used him to learn firebending. Don't worry about it. In the meantime, I need you to get Katara and the others; we may need to bug out if things get heated in any case.
"But-
Naruko hissed, a dark look flashing in those blue eyes.
"No, I won't endanger your island any longer than I already have." A small pang twisted at her heart as he said this. In the lone week that they'd spent here, she'd actually felt normal around Suki. To leave that behind and voyage out into the unknown again...was strangely disheartening. "It was selfish of me to make everyone stay here this long; I've put you all in danger because of that."
"What, you don't think I can handle a few Fire Nation troops?" she challenged as she slipped on the last of his armor.
"No, I understand that you're a warrior...but Fire-Benders are way out of your league."
"So you just don't trust me, then." A pained note entered her tone, her painted face seemed strangely sad somehow.
Naruko sighed, spinning aeay.
"Damnit you, why won't you listen-
Her hand closed around her wrist, holding him fast."
"Yes, I may be a warrior." she replied softly, her voice the barest, breathiest whisper. Something soft touched a whiskered visage an instant later, lingering. Lips. But I'm also a girl. So don't get yourself killed." Naruko blinked, touching a hand to her cheek. Suki smiled and turned to leave-
Yank.
A small cry of surprise left her lips, and then she was hauled forward, a mouth violently meeting hers. The kiss was savage, short, and sweet and it made her melt like a candle before a firestorm. Naruko held her for all of an instant longer then pulled away, an odd look in her eyes.
"You be careful, too. I've lost enough people already. Oh," and here here eyes did sparkle, "Don't flirt with me if you're not prepared for the consequences, dattebayo." She opened her mouth to speak, but it was already too late. Naruko was gone, leaving her with his innermost thoughts. Where the hell had that come from? Brown eyes bulged.
'Naruko...
The Avatar crossed the streets with swift strides, reaching the docks almost in no time at all. Still no sign of Katara. She hoped she'd realize what was happening and be ready with Appa. If not...
Oddly enough, she didn't encounter any Fire-Benders. That was odd in and of itself. In fact, the closer she came to the docks the more certain she became; they were waiting for her there. The barge didn't even lower its ramp until she was a few feet away, clanking to the ground with a hollow thud. Steam poured forth, momentarily obscuring her vision.
Nevertheless, she prepared herself for battle.
"Alright Zuzu," she called, flexing her hands, knuckles cracking. "Kets get this over with so I can get back to training...oh."
She, for this was certainly a she, certainly wasn't Zuko. At all.
Golden eyes flashed in the fading light of the sun. Hair the color of night bound back in a bun, framing a pale, heart-shaped face. Every step bespoke of power and confidence-the red, curved armor immediately signified she was someone of great importance. But more importantly...
Her jaw clicked open as she finally beheld the figure aboard the ramp. "You...are not Zuzu."
"No," Azula smiled; it was a decidedly predatory thing that smile, and it spoke to something dark inside of her.
...I'm not."
"The hell-?"
Naruko was expecting an angry Zuko to step off that ship and face her. Not a girl. Certainly not someone her age! Sheesh! So she stood there and watched-wary as this newcomer surveyed her surroundings. There was something dangerous about her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, perhaps it was her aura? Or maybe it was the eyes.
In any case Uzumaki Naruko, Avatar, found herself just a touch uncomfortable.
"So, this is Kyoshi Island." the girl murmured to herself as she disembarked. "How quaint. Ah, a welcoming committee! Wonderful."
Suddenly wary, Naruko edged a foot forward. This girl wasn't like the others she'd fought...
"Erm...you're not Zuzu." What came next honestly surprised her.
Azula laughed.
"Zuzu?!" she burst out between giggles. "You...You call him that, too?! Oh, this is too much...
...eh? How do you know...
The girl saw her hesitation and her laughter died, replaced by a smile then; it was a soft, deadly, dangerous thing, that smile. Despite her and all her power, Naruko actually blanched behind his guard. Then the newcomer spoke again.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" she chuckled. "You mean to say you're the Avatar that I've heard so much about?" Her gaze roamed across her lightly-armored body with intrigue, a spark of interest shining in those dark orbs of hers. "Hmm, you look...different... I'll give you that. But you should be humbled." A hand rose in a fierice flourish of blue flame. "You have the honor of addressing Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation! I do hope you've prepared yourself."
"Waitwaitwait...you're Zuko's sister?!"
"Not much of a resemblance, right?" Azula stifled another laugh behind her palm.
"Yeah, no kidding! He's all emo and broody and you're well...
"I'm?" Azula cocked her head aside, curious. Odd. She found herself rather enjoying this witty banter. "What am I, exactly?"
...well, if I say gorgeous, would you turn around and go home?"
Her lips thinned. "Sorry. I don't think so."
"Oh. Too bad." Naruko pouted. "I wouldn't stand there, though."
"Why-oh."
Whatever else she might've said died as a blast of wind scythe into the hull, slamming the ship backwards. Azula leapt away with all the grace and skill of an accomplished dancer, alighting nimbly in the street. Another blast was dodged as well, carroming off an empty hut. By the time she'd angled around, the young avatar had already yanked her fans free, bearing down on her.
She half-expected a physical assault; imagine her surprise then, when the girl flung them. For a moment, just a moment, the princess actually balked. The tactic was so unorthodox that she reacted a hair slower than a master might-her first blast caught the second fan and turned it to ruined metal. A blast of wind sent the already edged rims of the first slashing forward, opening a thin rent in the side of her face as they shot past. The silence that followed was smoldering.
...th-that was a lucky shot!"
"Avatar one, crazy princess zero." Naruko sang. "All's fair in love and war!"
"Don't you know fangs only makes fire stronger?" Azula sneered back. "And you just gave up your weapons!"
"Don't need 'em." came the counter.
"I take it that means you're finally serious about this?"
"Dare I ask why?"
"To fight, of course." Azula said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You didn't think I rushed here ahead of my brother just to have tea with you now, did you?"
"A girl can hope."
That eerie grin grew.
"Oh, you're cute. If you live, I think I might keep you."
"You can try." Naruko scoffed and raised her hands at the waist, palms crackling with a fireball each. "Might get burned, though."
"You know...I'm going to enjoy this far more than I should."
"Same."
That was all Naruko had time for before her vision erupted in a sea of blue fire.
A/N: And there we go. FIERCE FIGHT NEXT CHAPTER!
Yes, I say again, in case you haven't realized by now, there WILL be yuri-girl loves girl-action in this fic. Kiyoshi will also be more present in this fic than she was in the last. I apologize for those of you who don't like yuri, as one reviewer -I won't name names- has already made their dislike of that element clear. But that's the mindset for this story. Although NarukoxZuko remains an amusing possibility, given their painful pasts. After this we will be seeing a major departure from Canon-Naruko isn't Aang after all, so she won't be acting like him.
Finally, and I'm only going to say this once, I am NOT bashing Sokka. I merely took into account that he was very suspicious of Aang in the beginning, and here Naruko outright attacked him when he insulted her. Of course there would be some hostility there. He doesn't trust her, and she certainly doesn't trust him. Heck, she hardly trusts anyone at the moment. They won't be bickering for much longer, though!
That aside I sincerely hope you enjoyed the latest chapter and all of the chaos and hilarity that is to come.
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would you Kindly? And of course, enjoy the Preivew! Also, the next chapter for Die Another Day is coming out soon-I've already got well more than Seven thousand words and I just want to live up to your grand expectations, is all =D
(Preview!)
Naruko yelped and ducked aside as a swathe of fire sizzled over her head. Bending it away, she turned to face the foe who'd been hunting her. Her hands lashed out with wind, followed by fire, a maelstrom of heat and flame barreling into
"Are you insane?!"
"No," Azula laughed, "I'm having the time of my life! Aren't you?!"
Naruko opened her mouth to protest...then realized that she was.
She really was.
R&R! =D
A/N: Alright ladies and gentlemen, I! AM! BACK! LONG LIVE THE YEAR OF THE REQUEST! In case you haven't noticed, I've been on something of a revival/update spree as of late, breathing new life back into my fics. Flames may have driven me away from them for a time, but I'm back and better than ever, ready to devote my all to this site once more!
Of course when I say "all" I still have to eat and sleep, not to mention work, but you get the picture, right?
Now...
...OFF WE GO!
On a quick note, I should REMIND you. This Naruto is a bit more vulnerable-emotionally-than most. Why, you ask? Because not only is he a SHE, but unlike his others counterpart there's very little left to redeem here and she really isn't afraid to shed blood for the sake of her duty. However-her tendency to violence has also made her emotionally crippled of a sort. She's not exactly open to positive emotion at present, but that'll be a changing soon. She's been scarred-in more ways than one-and it shows in this chapter.
But she can shine brightly with the best of them!
Anywho, I managed to put this up here at points between my job. Prepare to laugh in this chapter so...
...aways we go! Sorry if its short, but consider this story revived! ALL FLAMES SHALL BE FED TO AZULA! MWAHAHA!
And hurrah for obligatory cannon fodder! Remember that Naruko is an unabashed pervert regarding women and you'll find yourself enjoying this story quite a bit!
NarutoxAzula for the win, folks! Eh, among other pairings...
"Fire is death, child. But it is also life. Madness. Sanity. Its up to you to choose which."
...what if I choose both?"
"Then it appears I underestimated you."
~?
Scorch Me Sweetly
Leng was not having a good day.
Or week, for that matter.
Nor a month, even.
Ordinarily, being assigned to the Royal Procession was a badge of honor. To serve the Firelord and the royal family among the Imperial Firebenders as his ancestors had done before him, a place of immutable pride, was one of the highest honors anyone in the Fire Nation could hope to attain, short of becoming Fire Lord themself. But not Leng. He had no desire of ruling nations or commanding armies. He dreamed of serving his nation as a true patriot should, as he had ever since he'd first discovered his raw talent for Fire-bending at the tender age of seven.
And when his dream saw itself realized on the eve of his thirtieth birthday he couldn't have been happier. This was all he'd wanted and more! He would serve in a place of pride and prestige, answering only to the royal family-in this case, Fire Lord Ozai and his daughter-who were respected and honored by all. Life couldn't be better. He even had his eye on a childhood sweetheart back home, planning to ask her to marry him once this was all done.
Then Ozai's daughter dragged him and his fellow benders out into the boonies.
Their mission was twofold, they were to succeed where the dishonored prince and his traitor uncle had failed; to capture the Avatar. Her awakening had been felt the world over and the Fire Lord was determined to have her by his side or in chains before the arrival of Sozen's Comet. The second was to bring the exiled prince and his much dishonorable guardian back to the Fire Nation. The crime? Teaching the Avatar the art of fire. They alone could have taught her such mastery of the flames and as such-they would be executed for this. A worthy goal, one that went hand-in-hand with his rigid beliefs. And in theory it should have been rather simple; the Avatar's antics made her easy to track.
But upon setting out, Leng soon realized the error of that assumption.
Now, Leng could not claim to be wholly wise in the ways of the world, but he knew they were truly far from the Fire Nation now, and the Avatar was still nowhere to be seen.
Days soon stretched into weeks.
Nearly a month had passed before word finally reached them of her presence on Kiyoshi and now that they'd finally made landfall, he and the rest of the crew had been forbidden from leaving the ship. Which really was not all that bad when one considered it; no one could reach the deck unless they outright flew and from here, they had a grand view of the pyrotechnics sweeping across the southern half of the island. Curtains of azure and saffron flame danced wildly with one another before one triumphed, launching the other and into the air. He could understand the need to follow orders, respect them, even.
"Mineminemineminemine...
But why did he have to miss all the fun?!
...minemineminemineminemine...
Guard the ship, Azula said.
...mineminemineminemineminemine...
"Let me handle the Avatar," she said.
...MINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINE...
And by Agni, what the hell was that noise?!
"HELLO MOTHERFUCKERS~!"
Leng did not die well.
In the next instant the Avatar herself plummeted from the sky and crashed into him like a fiery asteroid from on high, vaporizing Leng's faint hope of glory alongside...well, just about everything. It was a quick death all things considered. Painless, even. By the time Leng's mind realized he'd died he was already in the Spirit World, wondering just what had happened. He never knew what became of his fellows or the ship, never realized that the princess had left them to die, used them as scapegoats to exhaust the fiery blond in battle so that she might better stand a chance against the raging inferno.
He simply ceased to exist.
To be fair, so did most of the ship but still!
Naruko straightened slowly among the ruined wreck, pushing a stray strand of saffron out of her eyes and wiping a bit of soot from her face. After a moment, she gathered herself up and leaped from the shattered ship, wind in her face as she flew, hair flying madly. A jet of flame at her hands and feet-a particularly useful technique she'd ferretted out of Iroh-sent her arcing forward, alighting effortlessly upon the shore with the grace and poise of a skilled acrobat, hands extended for balance.
"Well," she hummed. "That worked. Now, where's that crazy-
"You shouldn't speak ill of your betters!"
Pain seared across the blonde's lightly armored back as she spun, pivoting against the sudden sneak attack. Her blistered shoulders screamed a protest as she dove to the sands, narrowly escaping another sea of flame by diving into the sea itself. She was counting on Azula's lack of information on her to stay her hand; remarkably, her gamble paid off. Sure enough, she was right. Doubtless the princess expected her to Waterbend any second now, and had thus chosen to forsake offense in favor of defending herself against what she expected to be a devastating attack.
When it never came and Naruko rose from the water, sputtering and wet, it was honestly something of a surprise for the proud princess. So much so that she forsook the opening presented her and actually blinked, not entirely certain of what to do. Was this a trap of some sort? Whatever it was, she refused to lower her guard.
"Something wrong?" she posited.
...can't bend water yet." Naruko confessed sheepishly. "Just needed some breathing room."
"Clever girl." the Firebender conceded. "But that won't work again. Next time I'll just obliterate everything behind you."
"Are you trying to burn down the island, oi?!"
"Not all," Azula laughed, "I'm having the time of my life! Aren't you?!"
Naruko opened her mouth to protest...then realized that she was.
She really was.
Fine.
TWO could play that game!
"Every scar will build my legacy, princess!" she challenged, beckoning. "Gimme your best shot!"
Full lips thinned into a scowl.
"As you wish."
Naruko tensed, half expecting yet another relentless rush, a wild series of fireballs and flame. When Azula did none of these things, Naruko found herself beginning to worry. As she looked on the princess raised her arms and began to make strange, circular, curving motions with her hands. Motions that made sparks. Sparks that skittered through the air, down her arms, to the tips of her fingers like angry, living things, itching to be unleashed. All the while, Azula didn't utter so much as a word.
Somehow, the silence was even more terrifying.
Even so, when she thrust her right hand forward, two fingers forming a point, Naruko was still expecting fire.
She got something else.
BA-KRAM!
"What in the name of me?!"
Lightning howled a hairsbreadth from her face, obliterating one of her twintails and snarling across her leg as she frantically tumbled away. Deprived of her target the unleashed chi shrieked past to discharge harmlessly into the sky. A mighty roar answered, and then all was still once more, sheer silence falling over the battlefield.
Naruko balked at the near miss, eyeing the scorched expanse where she'd once stood. Azula felt a swell of satisfaction at the sight. But instead of the fear or terror she'd been hoping to inspire, she found something else entirely in the face of her fellow. Something she hadn't expected. An emotion she didn't know what to do with.
Awe.
An almost childlike glee had filled the blonde's face, which was mildly disturbing in-and-of itself but the giggle that followed left Azula's skin rippling in goosebumps.
Because the Avatar's eyes were sparkling.
"Was...was that...lightning?!" she cried.
"Yes." Azule preened. "Yes it was."
Perhaps now she'd finally feel fe-
Nope.
Instead of despairing for her life, the blond to fling herself at Azula's feet!
"Teach me your ways, oh mighty mistress!"
Azula blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
...ha?"
The sheer incredulity of the request nearly floored the proud princess; here she was trying to rip her head off and the girl actually asked her to teach her?! Unbelievable! Once again she passed up another opportunity-the second one!-to strike down the Avatar, but in all honesty, the girl was proving simply too amusing to kill. No one save Ozai -or Mai and Ty Lee- had ever treated her with such...normality. Anyone else should have been blubbering out of sheer fear or running for the hills. Naruko had done neither of these things. In fact, she'd been downright flirtatious on multiple occasions, which baffled Azula all the more...yet also intrigued her.
She was rather starting to like this girl.
"I could," the princess mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "But what's in it for me?"
"My undying love and affection for all time?" the blond blinked innocently up at her.
"Rather tempting...but, no." Then a smile dawned on that wicked visage. "I have a better idea. Kneel." she declared imperiously, placing a hand beneath the whiskered girl's chin. "Pledge your undying loyalty to me and I'll teach you all sorts of things."
Naruko groaned.
Lightning was a damn impressive trick. She really wanted to learn it, but damning the whole world just wasn't worth it. And that suggestive tone was playing havoc with her brain. Damn, why did the pretty ones always have to her enemies? It just wasn't fair! Azula had gone and gotten her all hot and bothered with that little display just now, and she wasn't going to get anything out of it?! Times like really made her wonder about her attraction to the fairer sex, they could be so damn confusing sometimes. And she was a girl!
The gods were cruel indeed!
...no can do. Sorry. Guess I'll just have to beat it out of you."
"Pity." Azula hummed, pausing to taking the chaos in. "And here I thought Airbenders went to great lengths to avoid violence. Clearly, I've been misled."
Naruko sniffed.
In all honestly, she hadn't really been aiming at the Firebenders to begin with. She'd targeted the ship with the intent of stranding them. That she'd successfully slain the royal escort at all was something of a bonus. In the Avatar's recent experience, the only good Firebender was a dead Firebender and she made very few exceptions to that rule. Iroh was one. Possibly Zuko, if only because she enjoyed poking him like a big sister would their younger sibling.
She was currently considering whether Azula fell into the "should be spared" category.
She certainly wasn't in the sibling one!
"I'm not most Airbenders." she replied at last, realizing the blackette was still awaiting an answer. "I really should thank you, though. When you launched me into the air back there, the timing was perfect!" Unbidden, a smile plucked at her whiskered cheeks. "I couldn't resist dive bombing 'em like that."
"Clearly." the princess sniffed, restraining a small smile of her own. "But did you have to destroy my ship? I need that to get home, you know."
"Meh, its still seaworthy."
CRUNCH.
Both girls flinched as the battered iron hull pitched backward into the water. For a fleeting instant it hung there, teetering precariously between shore and the sea, unable to decide which it favored. Then, a rotten apple ready to burst, the boat's iron hull split in twine with a harsh crack of sound and took on water, sinking rapidly, vanishing beneath the flat surface of the sea. Within seconds, nothing remained beyond a few tiny bubbles of muted protest. Avatar and princess alike found themselves standing, momentarily dumbstruck
...mostly?" Naruko shrugged weakly.
Azula twitched, her good humor fading in the wake of the knowledge that she'd all but stranded herself on Kiyoshi Island, due in no small part to her own arrogance. It was...not a pleasant realization. Unless she stole a fishing boat or something. Somehow, the idea of that rankled even more than the possibility of being shipwrecked. A pale blue fireball snarled into existence in her right hand, followed shortly thereafter by her left palm, casting the princess's pallid visage in ethereal blue glow.
"I'm going to take my time with you."
"Are you...coming onto me?" the avatar blinked, backing away. "I mean, I'm fine with it and all but-YIPE!"
Naruko yelped and ducked aside as a swathe of sizzling sapphire fire sizzled over her head to obliterate a nearby, and thankfully abandoned, hovel. Bending it away in a sheathe of golden flame, she spun to face the enraged princess. Her hands lashed out with wind, followed by fire, a maelstrom of air and flame barreling into the surprisingly flexible form that had eluded her so. It was one of her more devastating techniques, all of her strength forced and focused into a single point, a roiling pillar of wrath that charred the earth and shriveled the trees.
It was supposed to lay the Fire Princess out flat.
Imagine her surprise then, when Azula simply caught it and added her own chi to the roiling saffron storm in her palms, blue overcoming yellow to stain the flame an eerie jade. She held it aloft a moment more, cradling it proudly, feeding the eldritch energies behind it. Then with a triumphant cry, she redirected the now-blazing hurricane of fire right back at the baffled blond, bright eyes blazing like pale golden diamonds. Naruko had a fleeting heartbeat to realize her peril, but by then it was already too late.
"I think this belongs to YOU!"
The teen swore virulently.
I've blundered.
That was all she had time to utter before the massive inferno was upon her.
Cold fury burned the world white.
Azula had intended to observ the resulting mushroom cloud with quiet pride, but something about the blonde's expression changed that and she ended up beside herself with laughter. Near the end there, just before the blast consumed her, she'd seen actually fear in the Avatar's eyes. What a sweet release it had been! Not that she likely had much in the way of eyes anymore. Or... anything, really. It was a pity she couldn't have taken her alive but at the least, the Avatar wouldn't be a threat for another-
THUD.
Grinding pain registered in her stomach and she vomitted blood her chain of thought brutally severed.
For a fleeting moment Azula didn't understand what was happening; didn't comprehend who she was looking at, nor did she see the clenched fist currently wedged wrist-deep into her stomach. She saw only the eyes of her foe. Blazing white orbs, devoid of happiness of mirth, brimming with wrath, burned out at her from Naruko's tan face, that once silly perky smile now set in a rigid scowl. But that didn't make any sense. She'd killed her in that explosion just now. She was dead. She had to be. The alternative could only mean...
Oh.
Oh dear.
This was going to hurt.
Velocity and momentum caught up to her all at once.
Then the blonde's hand moved and the island itself cried out at her call.
Azula flew.
Literally.
"Gah!"
Azula cried out in shock as the earth-bound pillars ripped her away from the blond and launched her body across the island with punitive ease; as if the hand of a great an' angry god had come down to smite her. Her armor disintegrated as her body skipped across the surface of the ground like a flung stone. By the time her mind realized what was happening. Naruko, clad in the Avatar State, was already on her. Her intricate blue tattoos burned a blinding white, forcing Azula to look away lest she be blinded. As such the princess never saw the water whip smash into her, never noticed the earth rise to smash her back to land; in her mind's eye the savage beating only further serving to detach her baffled brain from the series of unfortunate events happening to her.
'What...is...going...on?!'
Scrambling out of the crater she'd formed with her own body, the princess struggled to orient herself as the one-girl army rushed her again. Her hair an unkempt mess, clothes in rags and pride in tatters, the Firebender quickly conjured the largest blast of flame she could manage and hurled it at the raging blond.
Said blast of fire on her part was negated by the blonde's own golden flame, but she was far from finished. Her hands were already going through the motions, already moving...
"No you don't!"
Naruko swept aside as a narrow blue bolt of lightning crackled past, viciously perforating the tree she'd just occupied. A flash or orange and forest green and she was gone again, vaulting into the leaves with all the skill of a ninja, swinging onto a fresh branch. Azula made to leap after her, but suddenly that very same tree found itself uprooted, hurled at her with incredible force. Mere moments before it could render her a red smear on the ground it swerved crushing into her side with jarring force, hurling her away into the forest.
By the time a tree finally stifled her momentum, she was almost grateful.
A heartbeat later, she wasn't.
Naruko alighted after her, a white specter of wrath and rage.
Her hand arced up...
...and the burning white glow vanished from her eyes.
Azula blinked, baffled as a messy slop of water and tiny rocks assaulted her face, leaving her coughing and retching on the ground. Had she been paying better attention to her surroundings, she might have noticed the sky bison approaching rapidly on the horizon. As it were, she could only blink helpless up at the girl who'd literally beaten her within an inch of her life.
"What...what was that?"
Naruko grinned weakly.
"Looks like I can use the Avatar State when I'm in danger after all," she gasped. "Thanks, red! I've really learned a lot today. But before I go, princess...
She leaned close, delight dancing in those blue orbs.
"I think you owe me some satisfaction."
Then, grinning, she kissed her.
"Mmmph!"
To Azula's dismay/delight, she actually found herself enjoying the heated lip lock, her mouth instinctively parting on a moan for the taller blond's tongue. If there was one thing she respected it was power, and she'd just dueled one of the the greatest in this generation, been dominated utterly. So yes, the princess would've been lying if she'd said she had honestly struggled against the Airbender's advances.
At least until she realized the blond was groping her ass.
Anger overrode desire very easily.
Why that little...?!
"Get off me!"
"Alas, my dear princess, it wasn't meant to be this time!" Naruko feigned heartbreak as she danced away, clutching at her robed chest in faux agony. "Ah, but at least we shared one last dance together!" Before Azula could comment on the absurdity of that, the blonde thrust a fist forward and conjured a forceful gust of wind, sending the Firebender spinning into a prickle bush. Before Azula could try to recover the bewitching blond blew her a kiss then leaped up and away, a column of air rocketing her into the sky just in time for her beloved bison to swoop in and snatch her up.
"You're not getting away that easily!"
Azula lashed out with a snarling spiral of flame, only for the blond to leap up and bat it back, forcing her to roll aside lest she be consumed by her own power. In the time that it took her to prepare another the sky bison was already well beyond her range. The last she saw of the Avatar was her still blowing heart-shaped kisses as she faded into the distance.
"Until we meet again!" she catcalled! "See you later, sugar lips!"
In the end, Azula was left to sputter helplessly, faintly touching a hand to her mouth.
Then she flushed to the tips of her toes.
By Agni she was going to burn her!
A/N: And there we go. Naruko and Azula, ladies and gentlemen. Those two are truly two of a kind.
Yes, I say again, in case you haven't realized by now, there WILL be yuri-girl loves girl-action in this fic. Kiyoshi will also be more present in this fic than she was in the last. I apologize for those of you who don't like yuri, as one reviewer -I won't name names- has already made their dislike of that element clear. But that's the mindset for this story. Although NarukoxZuko remains an amusing possibility, given their painful pasts. After this we will be seeing a major departure from Canon-Naruko isn't Aang after all, so she won't be acting like him.
Finally, and I'm only going to say this once, I am NOT bashing Sokka. I merely took into account that he was very suspicious of Aang in the beginning, and here Naruko outright attacked him when he insulted her. Of course there would be some hostility there. He doesn't trust her, and she certainly doesn't trust him. Heck, she hardly trusts anyone at the moment. They won't be bickering for much longer, though!
That aside I sincerely hope you enjoyed the latest chapter and all of the chaos and hilarity that is to come.
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would you Kindly? And of course, enjoy the Previews. Hope they makes you smile~!
(Preview!)
Naruko blinked rapidly.
"So. You stowed away."
Suki offered a rueful grin.
"Oops?"
The Avatar tumbled to the ground, laughing madly.
"Are you...sane?"
"Nope. What was your first clue?"
Naruko glanced up from the crater, idly flexing her fingers, the glowing white irises fading back to a merry true blue. Her smile was quite possibly the most menacing thing Zuko had ever seen and something in him quailed at the sight of it. On the other side of the spectrum, he realized she could have easily turned him to paste just now. But she hadn't. Either she had piss-poor aim, or she'd deliberately spared him. Which was good, or so the prince hoped; because if she threw another one of those attacks he was honestly going to contemplate suicide.
That was good, wasn't it?
"You tried to throw a mountain at me!"
"Che! I wanted to see if I could do it, okay?!"
Zuko twitched. "By Agni, you're worse than Azula!"
"Great, now you've got me thinking about those lovely lips again!"
A pall fell over them.
"I...am going to pretend you didn't just say that."
Naruko nodded, her hair bobbing wildly.
"Probably best, for sanity's sake."
R&R! =D
A/N: Alright!
Back at it again with a nice LONG chapter!
I'm pleased to deliver good news! My sister is home safely and she seems to be doing alright. Her Catscan (not familiar with the terminology) came back clean, and she's up and talking. Rather loudly at that, thank goodness, haha! She's also starving, which is a good sign considering how small she is. Can't say how much of a relief it is to have her back safe. There doesn't appear to be any lasting damage aside from her being tired. Furthermore, she's speaking properly, and eating normally as well. What's scary is that we don't know what caused it in the first place. There's no sign of whatever caused it so I think I can tentatively say she's alright for now.
Thank you for all the wonderful support!
Now, ladies and gentlemen!
I!
AM!
BACK!
HUZZAH!
LONG LIVE THE REQUEST YEARS! In case you haven't noticed, I've been on something of a revival/update spree as of late, breathing new life back into my fics. Flames may have driven me away from them for a time, but I'm back and better than ever, ready to devote my all to this site once more!
Of course when I say "all" I still have to eat and sleep, not to mention work, but you get the picture, right?
On a quick note, I feel I should remind some of my detractors of something. This story has *ahem* interesting and unconventional relationship dynamics If you don't like that sort of thing, than feel free to leave. Also, Aang isn't in this story. He, unfortunately, perished with the rest of the Air Nation. He's dead and gone and won't be coming back to life. Naruko MIGHT see him in the Spirit World perhaps, but I don't want to say anymore for fear of spoiling things. Additionally, she isn't a carbon copy of him.
Events won't always progress according to canon.
Furthermore, its been heavily implied several times now, yet some have failed to see it; Naruko is batshit crazy. Yes, she deflects this often with humor and pranks as well as overabundant affection, but in reality she's raw on this inside. Fractured. Nor is she a pacifist in any sense of the word. Like Korra, she is fiercely proud of the fact that she's the Avatar, yet not to the point of being arrogant because of her title. She knows her limits intimately and respects them.
Even so, she'll fight tooth and nail for her friends and if you hurt them, well...
...spirits help you.
But Neon, you ask, how can the Air Nation be restored if Naruko won't...you know...?
Got a plan for that too.
We good?
Great!
ONWARD~!
Remember that Naruko is an unabashed pervert regarding women and you'll find yourself enjoying this story quite a bit!
We also get to check in on Zuko and see what he's been up to.
This has been a LONG time in coming, and it also serves to further point out that Naruko isn't your average Avatar. Absolutely bonkers perhaps, but she sports some unusual abilities in spite of her vengeful vendetta.
Also, things get a bit...ah...steamy later in this chapter.
And yes, the italics in the first half are intentional.
Furthermore, quotes are intentional.
Once again, I own nothing!
Hope you like it!
"They like fire?! I'll burn them in their homes! In their beds!"
"Hmm. You're a lot angrier than I remember. What happened to you?"
"Fire. Death. Destruction. Lots of things. Also, I think I may or may not have lost my mind."
"Ha! There's the girl I know! Sanity's overrated anyway. Just look at me! I'm mad as a hatter and fit as a fiddle!"
"I've missed you, old friend."
~Naruko and~?
Shadow and Flame
Zuko was dreaming.
He was certain he must be; for nothing else could explain the strange scene in which he found himself. By mischief or miracle he'd returned to the ancient halls of his ancestral home. Seated at his father's side no less. No. This was sheer folly. Impossible. He had no recollection of coming here, no memory of this event, no knowledge of being recalled from his seemingly lifelong mission. Surely he would've remembered such a momentous occasion. After all, he'd been banished. To return to the Fire Nation-to Father-without the Avatar in hand meant almost certain death. Or worse. He'd heard tell of what Ozai had done to those who disappointed or failed him. His face stood in stark testament to that.
So why was he here?
Belatedly, he realized someone had deprived him of the traditional top-knot he often wore in his waking hours, for dark hair fell against his face and into his field of vision. Irritated, the prince huffed aloud and blew a stray strand out of his eyes. Ugh. He avoided wearing his hair down for this very reason. Yet somehow, or perhaps in spite of his ruffled appearance, the royal robes remained. Spirits, what was going on here? What manner of dream was this? Why did he feel so aware? As if he could just reach out and touch the food at the table. On a spur of impulse he reached out to do just that, seizing a nearby bit of fruit and biting deeply into it.
...?!"
The apple felt-and tasted-all too real.
By Agni, what manner of foul sorcery was this?
Indistinct conversation flowed around him like water, stirring his curiosity further.
Craning his neck, the prince stole a glance at his surroundings.
He immediately regretted that decision when he saw his mother seated beside his father. Ursa. Despair and relief took up arms in Zuko's heart and promptly tore to bloody ribbons. No. No, no, no. This was a lie. A trick of some sort. It wasn't happening. She couldn't be here. She was gone. Lost. Missing. As if sensing the weight of her son's regard she turned her head. He wished she hadn't. Instead of that same sad smile she'd oft favored him with in his youth, Zuko saw nothing. No, nothing would have been preferable to the vision of horror she presented him with.
She didn't have a face.
Despite that, she somehow still spoke to him. Old words, painful words, soft, yet somehow still jagged and sharp.
"Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."
Those very words-the last words he'd ever heard from her-cracked at him like a whip, tearing the scab off a wound Zuko thought had long since healed.
"Mother!"
She began to fade from the moment he bolted up from the table; by the time he'd reached her side she was little more than a shadow. Still, Zuko stretched out his hand in the vain hope that he might touch her, in spite of her horrid visage-a lack thereof. Instead he found black smoke between his fingers, tiny wisps curling away into nothingness. Soon even that was gone. The exile felt something shatter in him as he clutched at empty air. Gone again. He should've been numb to her absence by now. He was supposed to be stronger than this. Firm. Noble. Proud. He'd been wrong. He wasn't strong at all.
"Please...don't go...
Bereft, he sank to his knees, uncaring of who witnessed his weakness. In an instant he found himself cast back to that awful day, helpless and alone.
No.
Not alone.
"What on earth are you doing, boy?" his father-or was it truly Ozai?-growled at him from his seat at the head of the table. Zuko didn't have to raise his gaze to know his face; how he must be sneering; scowling at him in open derision. "Get up! Your pathetic weakness shames us all!"
"Poor Zuzu." Azula-no, not his sister! None of this was real!-mocked him with that lilting voice of hers. "You always were such a crybaby...
"You're right. He is weak," Ozai growled in agreement, rising from his seat. "I always knew you were weak! Just like your mother! You failed me that day and you've failed to bring me the Avatar! I have no need for such failures! Banishment was too good for the likes of you!"
"No, I...
Real or not, the fury in his father's eyes and the fire in his hand made Zuko quail. There was always something about that rage that had terrified him; in an instant he was a boy all over again, facing his father for the very first time. The scar on his face seemed to pulse with new life of its own and he found himself powerless to move. Rooted, just as he he'd been on that fateful day. Dream or no, the trauma of past was still very real; it took hold of him now and he could only stare into his approaching doom.
"Begone!"
A light purer than the driven snow blazed into existence between him and the apparition of his father just as launched the searing flame. Interposing itself before the raging Fire Lord in quiet solemnity, the figure raised a hand and effortlessly caught the inferno in its palm. Cradled between pale fingers, their owner soon formed a fist and crushed it out of existence. Then that same hand flicked outward, ripping the Fire Lord and his retinue from their seats with a howling gale. A second speared them against the walls and a third drilled them there.
Miraculously, Zuko found himself spared by the short storm.
"Well." a new voice sighed within the otherworldly radiance that had defended him. "This dream's kinda fucked up. Or is it a vision? Never could tell the difference."
Wait.
He knew that voice!
"Avatar?! What have you done?!"
Rearing back again the Avatar-for it must be her-he nearly attacked.
Waves of light stopped him cold before he could so much as summon a flame.
No, this went beyond mere light, the simple emitting of photons or simple, ordinary chi. The light itself was a physical force, a barrier he couldn't hope to surpass. She stood before him resplendent, clearer than a cloudless sky on a summer afternoon, radiating blue-white glow from every pore as though lit from within. As Zuko looked on in quiet disbelief the overwhelming wraith dimmed and descended to the floor beside him. Revealed was familiar and infuriating face, her beauty marred only by the slightest scowl.
"What, this is the thanks I get for saving you?"
A spark of rage ignited deep within Zuko's chest.
"Save me?" rounding on her, he seizing the impudent blond by the collar of her robes. "SAVE ME?!" he roared, shaking her to and fro, "You're the one who caused this! Why are you here?!"
"As I said, this is a visit." her fine features didn't flinch, even in the wake of his wrath.
"Visit...?"
"What can I say?" she chuckled ruefully. "I'm a special case."
"Are you...sane?"
Naruko favored him with a small smile. Ah, but it was a sad sort of thing, that smile, weighed down by countless burdens.
"Nope. What was your first clue? Now...let go."
A hand snaked out, violently upending his grasp on her robes and hurling him to the floor.
"You'll pay for that!"
"Now, now, scars." she soothed, raising her hands in a placating gesture as he swarmed upright again, "I'm not responsible for any of this. I'm just paying you a friendly visit. Although by the look of things," she inclined her head toward the glowering apparitions of Ozai and Azula, "I'm not welcome here am I? You've got demons of your own."
Was it just his imagination, or did they flinch?
"That's right, I see you over there! Usurper! Murderer!" With that, the full weight of the Avatar's gaze came crashing down upon the dream-Ozai, sending the tyrant reeling back as though he'd been struck by an invisible fist. "Get over here!"
Not one to toy with her prey, Naruko pounced on him, pinning him to the floor.
"You know," she purred over Ozai's pained cry, "I can't wait to meet the real you." her hand flared a molten red, fingers burning into his face like a brand. "Your line's caused me so much pain. Pain I intend to repay. Your ancestor wiped out my friends, my family, my home. And you? You're no different. Just a small man pretending to be big. Well, mister man," for a fleeting moment, Zuko thought he saw those blue eyes burn a raw white, "I'm going to make you suffer for every bloody drop. I suppose I'll have to settle for a pale imitation in the meantime. How ironic. Speaking of irony, ever had your face burned? No? LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT IT FEELS LIKE...!"
CRUNCH.
Common sense forced Zuko to avert his eyes mere moments before Naruko's hand blazed anew.
The telltale scent of scorched flesh told him all he needed to know.
"Why, you...?!"
"Oh, piss off." Naruko flicked a dismissive hand towards the dream-Azula as she started forward. "I'm not interested in a fake. I prefer the genuine article. To quote daddy dearest: BEGONE!"
This time, Zuko wasn't able to look away.
A blaze of impossibly black fire burst from the Avatar's hand and roiled over his dream-sister, rendering her so much ash on the floor.
She didn't even have the breath to scream.
Despite that, Zuko still railed against it.
"Why did you do that?!"
"Why?" Naruko looked at him, aghast. "I thought you'd be grateful."
"Grateful?! Why would I be grateful?! Dream or not, they're still my family!"
He expected her to erupt in anger then, to snap and snarl at him for his dogged stubbornness. Instead, her face fell.
"You blind, bloody fool."
"Excuse me?" Zuko drew level with her, uncaring for the stir it caused in his dream world. "The only fool I see here is you." This was his dream after all, and both Father and 'Zula were now gone from it. What did he have to fear? So what if the Avatar had wormed her way into his dreams. She couldn't possibly kill him here. Again, what did he have to fear?
What, indeed.
"So I'm the fool?" Rather than rise to the bait, her pitying expression only deepened. "If that's what you believe than your truly are lost." her voice seemed to echo with that of another then; as if an ancient, endless series of beings had just taken his measure and found him wanting. "You poor, poor unfortunate soul. I pity you."
"I don't want your pity!"
"Too bad!" she stuck out her tongue in a fit of pique. "You have it!"
A pause followed as her words echoed through the hall.
"You know," Naruko continued, her gaze drooping, "I didn't come here to argue with you. I came to tell you the truth."
"The truth?" Zuko bristled. "What truth is that?"
When she dared raise her gaze to look at him, to truly gaze upon him, Zuko felt his heart lurch.
Perhaps it was a trick of the dream.
Some illusion, conjured by his own mind.
A ruse, concocted by the brilliant little blond.
But in that instant, she shifted her body and brushed her hair from her face.
In that brief moment of weakness, the torchlight pounced and cast itself upon her scars.
It was during times such as these, in those rare moments when his all-encompassing anger didn't cloud his vision, that he remembered. Naruko bore wounds of her own. His was merely confined to his face. Hers pockmarked her jaw and wound their way down that side of her neck before slithering across her arm like an angry snake. Hers ran deeper, far deeper indeed, beyond the physical and into what lay beyond. Still, she wore her disfigurements with pride however and for that, if nothing else, she could be commended.
This...this was such a far cry from her usual behavior that Zuko didn't know how to respond.
He was well and truly stuck.
"The truth about me." Naruko offered quietly, holding her burnt arm aside. "Who I am. Where I came from. How all this started."
"Why?" he croaked.
"I already know plenty about you." she replied stoically. "It only seems fair you get to know a little of me."
Funny how a few syllables can unnerve a man.
There was something vulnerable about the way she'd uttered the last word.
Jagged.
Sharp.
Raw.
With that, Zuko found himself-dare he say it?-feeling conflicted for perhaps the first time in his life.
The Avatar-Naruko!-was the enemy. He'd been raised to believe it since birth. Anyone not of the Fire Nation was the enemy. But she was the key to his freedom, his honor, his everything. He couldn't kill her; if he did so, he lost his chance home. Yet in that same vein, she made him question everything he knew. He'd spent enough time on that ship with her to know how she worked. There was just something about that voice of hers that made you want to listen, caused you to question your very beliefs, the way she looked at him, the pain in his eyes, the need to be understood...in that moment, pride reared its ugly head.
Never!
He refused to be swayed!
"Be quiet! I won't listen to your lies!"
Something flashed across her scarred face, gone before he could recognize it.
Hurt?
No, that was impossible. This wild girl didn't know the meaning of the word. How could she possibly be upset by his response?
"Lies, is it?" Azure eyes narrowed. "Then we have nothing more to discuss. Goodbye, Zuko."
Just like that, she turned her back on him and marched away.
Oddly enough, this incensed Zuko, more than he knew.
His scarred eye began to twitch furiously.
"Don't walk away from me!"
Naruko didn't reply.
"Damnit, I said come back!"
Her fading footsteps were the only answer.
Infuriated, Zuko vaulted the table between them and stormed after her, paying little heed to his surroundings. He caught up to her in seven steps. Then he made the mistake of trying to grab her. Naruko flowed around his arm and levered him face-first into the wall with a vicious force. Never once breaking her relentless stride. She didn't even pause to watch him slide down its surface, much less see him tumble to the floor. Zuko lay there, unable to breathe properly, propping his good side up against a nearby pillar. By then she was little more than a speck in the distance, the slow sound of her fading retreat the sole sign she'd ever lurked within his dreams to begin with.
"Gah! I hate you!" he shouted at her back!" You don't make any sense!"
At that, the prince finally earned a reaction.
It was not the one he'd hoped for.
Those retreating footfalls stopped abruptly and the world went still.
Too still.
As if a giant had taken a deep breath and held it, so too did the realm of his dream fall silent, waiting to see what came next. It didn't wait long. An ear-popping crack rent the air and suddenly, Zuko found himself all but gazing up at the impassable visage of his nemesis. He never even saw her move; much less felt her foot until it slid between his ribs and drove the air from his lungs. 'Oh, I see.' A tiny, detached part of his mind realized as he doubled over to clutching at his dented stomach, as she continued to scream and rain down blows upon his battered head. 'I know what I did. 'I've blundered. I should apologize. Maybe then she'll stop.'
But he couldn't bring himself to breathe, much less croak the words.
"Hate?" when Zuko finally summoned up enough strength to raise his gaze, her fists stopped falling on him. He almost wished they hadn't. Because she was looking at him now, those burning blue orbs boring through his very soul as though he were no more than an insect, pinning the prince in place. "You don't know what hate is."
"Do...you?!" he rasped out.
It was exactly the wrong thing to say.
In a blink she was on him, gripping his arm and slamming him into a pillar.
"You want to know what hate is, scar boy?!" for the first time since he'd met her, an ember of genuine anger sparked across Naruko's scarred visage. "Hate is when you loathe something or someone to their very core, an impermeable, inescapable wrath that never leaves! A cancer of the soul! Revulsion, fickle and vile! And your family's responsible for all of it!"
"That has nothing to do with my-
"They burned my home!" the airbender shouted him down before he could interrupt her. "My people! I'm the last of the Airbenders, you twit! ME! Once I'm gone there won't BE anymore! And you say I don't know anything about hatred?! Piss off!"
"I-
"Yes, yes, I know what you're going to say. Family, and honor. What kind of family is this anyway?" she flung a scarred hand around the ruins of the throne room for emphasis. "Your mother? Fled. Without bringing you with her like a REAL mother should have done, I might add! Your father? He treats you as if you were dead-no, worse than dead. Your uncle is the SOLE person I don't have a problem with and your sister's only remotely capable of turning her act around 'cuz I knocked her pretty little ass into next week. Face it. Your dirt to your father. Less than dirt. And still you try to defend them? I'm trying to help you and you attack me! What kind of twisted logic is that, oi?! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
Confronted with such harsh truths, Zuko couldn't bear it.
Ugly reality warred with his once proud dream.
In the end two words sprang to his mind.
"Shut up!"
"I WILL NOT!"
In an instant Naruko's blazed into the Avatar State and the world erupted around them.
"LISTEN to yourself!" she thundered furiously, towering over him in more ways than one. "Oh, I want dear daddy to love me! I want him to honor me! I want him to be proud of me! Bollocks! All that work and what did you get instead? Abuse! Cruelty! Hatred! That scar! A true father would never burn his own child for speaking out of turn, let alone exile them afterwards! That man isn't any more your father than the grass is blue or the sky is green! When will you see that?! You know what I say?!"
With a snarl, she flung her hands upward.
"Dishonor! Dishonor on you, dishonor on your family, dishonor on your cow!"
"Wait, I don't have a-
"ShutthefuckupZuko!"
In a breath Zuko's dream shifted, the poisoned halls of his home fading and falling away to mountainous terrain. Grass sprouted underfoot and the regal trappings of the royal palace crumbled like rotten wood, giving way to open air and stormy skies. It would've been beautiful if not for the Avatar, blazing like an avenging angel in the middle of it all.
"Welcome to my domain."
"I...you...how?!"
The change came so suddenly that he physically staggered-which turned out to be another mistake as he felt the soil shift beneath his feet. Naruko She raised her hand and the earth rose with it, drawing a towering mountain from the soil; as if it had always been there. Always existed. Just beneath the surface. As the massive shadow loomed over Zuko, he realized the true depth of his error. In this world, one wasn't bound by reality. In this realm, more than any other, the Avatar was so much more than merely a master of all four elements.
She was a goddess.
He'd just pissed her off.
"CATCH!"
Something deep inside the prince quailed and he threw himself out of the way in the nick of time. An incredible rush of air heralded the mountain's passing, the sheer force of it physically flattening him against the ground against his will. Distantly he felt the earth break beneath him, but even then the sheer force of the gale prevented him from raising his gaze.
Then, as abruptly as it had begun, so too did it end.
Naruko glared down at him from the lip of the crater she'd created with the force of her throw, those eerie white irises gradually fading back to a merry true blue. Her smile was quite possibly the most unhinged, menacing thing Zuko had ever seen in all his years. Here was a being who cared not-a-wit for his pride or his honor, someone who'd grind him to paste if he ever stood against her. His very soul quailed at the sight of it. On the other side of the spectrum he realized she could have easily turned him to paste just now. But she hadn't. Either she had piss-poor aim, or she'd deliberately spared him. Which was good, or so the prince hoped; because if she threw another one of those attacks-nevermind if she actually came DOWN here-he was honestly going to contemplate suicide.
That was good, wasn't it?
The sound of loose dirt rolling down the crater informed him that she'd done just that.
"Do you understand now, scars? I'm not here to hurt you. Spirits, I never wanted to." her scarred hand ghosted under his chin, fingers curling upright, forcing him to look up at her in spite of his anxiety. The gaze he found waiting for him there was neither smug or scornful and not at all what he'd expected from the Avatar. If anything, she seemed quite miserable with herself. He knew that look all too well. It was the same face that haunted his every waking moment, those wounded eyes that glowered back at him in the mirror, reflected now in her scarred visage. Damnit. Damn her. Damn him for caring!
"What do you want?" he groaned. "Just tell me!"
"I want you to understand." Her hand left his face and took hold of his hand, forcing him to his feet, forcing them eye-to-eye. "We're the same."
They were, weren't they?
Wounded by flame, yet still they plodded onward.
He could understand that. Perhaps even respect her for it.
"I'm not your enemy." perhaps sensing this realization, the Avatar gave him a slight shake and bulled forward with her argument. "I will never be your enemy." She held up his hand and intertwined her fingers with his, suffusing them with warmth. And another, strange sensation. One he couldn't quite describe. Was it strange that he didn't want to let go of that hand? Still, her statement left him with a burning question, on even more prevalent than the sudden hammering of his heart.
Zuko frowned.
"What are you, then?"
"A friend? Honestly, I'm not sure."
"You tried to throw a mountain at me!"
"Che! I wanted to see if I could do it, okay?!"
Zuko twitched. "By Agni, you're worse than Azula!"
"Great, now you've got me thinking about those lovely lips again!"
A pall fell over them.
'What in the-
That was perhaps the second time she'd mentioned Azula in that...interesting light. Wait. His sister and the Avatar? Ugh. Nope. Not going there. Absolutely not. No. A thousand times no! Zuko's mind rejected the notion so utterly that his brain actually rebooted and wiped all mention of it from his mind.
"I...am going to pretend you didn't just say that. Any of it."
Naruko nodded, her golden hair bobbing wildly.
"Aye, probably best, for sanity's sake. Still...
She took a small, sultry step forward.
...this is a good opportunity."
"O-Opportunity?"
"Yes."
Oh.
Blue eyes danced merrily.
"I think you're owed a little happiness after all the misery you've been put through. Hmm. Maybe more than a little. C'mere." too late, Zuko realized he was still clutching her hand. Naruko gave him a soft tug, causing the prince to stumble forward. In that brief instant of vulnerability, the Avatar proved herself every bit a woman of her word; for rather than attack, she reciprocated by pressing her forehead to his. Golden eyes met sapphire and the former hurriedly averted their gaze, afraid of what they might find there.
Urk.
Zuko gulped.
"This is a dream." he argued.
The blond beauty beamed softly.
A pale hand danced 'cross his cheek.
"Then it's a good dream." she replied.
Abruptly, her serene smile vanished.
"Oh, for the love of...!" Naruko groaned, palming her face.
"What?" Zuko blinked, baffled by her sudden aggravation. "What's wrong?"
"I'm about to wake up. Meet me in Omashu if you'd like to continue this...conversation."
Before Zuko could think to ask what the devil that meant, his dream shattered into a thousand pieces and he found himself snatched from sleep.
(..Presently...)
"Will you wake up already?!"
Blue eyes burst open without warning, causing Sokka to jerk backwards in alarm. Too late. A hand snaked out of the bedroll to find his throat with impossible speed. Strong fingers crushed against his windpipe, stifling the impulsive retort he thought to give and smashed him to the ground as though he weighed no more than a leaf. Ears ringing, the water tribesman was distantly aware that she'd climbed atop him. In that moment, her eyes were the color of blazing skies, white and brimming with wrath.
"Damn you!" she snarled at him, the words hissing out through clenched teeth. "I was so close! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
"Um...?"
"I told you not to wake me." she warned, "Until we reached Omashu! Clearly, we have not!"
"We have." Katara's voice sang from across the campsite. "Its just over the hill."
Naruko's gaze cut to Sokka.
"Is that so?"
"The sun's been up for hours. We were beginning to worry. Not that you needed it," he amended at her glower, massaging his sore throat with a hand. "What were you doing, anyway?"
"Dreamwalking." she replied glibly, dismounting him. "Its a...unique skill of mine."
"You know, its hard to believe someone like you could be...
"Could what?" the Avatar tilted her head, curious.
Mad, Sokka wanted to say.
But he dare not.
Heedless of his dark thoughts, Naruko tilted flashed him an innocent grin, seemingly ignorant of them as a stray breeze swept through her singed hair. Something in that smile made Sokka shudder. For a fleeting moment the young tribesman honestly wondered if she truly meant what she'd said back on Kiyoshi island; if she truly intended to burn her enemies until there were none left. That wasn't the rationale of a sane person. The notion had briefly occurred to him as they began to break down camp for the day, but the idea that the last hope for the free world might not be altogether there was...unpleasant, to say the least. Spirits, now that he gave it serious thought, Naruto could be just actually be insane. Not only did she possess an irrational disregard for her own safety and that of others, but she had an ax to grind against the Fire Nation.
Granted, so did most of the known world, but still!
"Why, Sokka!" Feigning dismay, Naruko clutched at her chest and leaned over the smoldering remains of their campfire, blue eyes dancing in the faint light. "You're staring! If I didn't know better, I'd say you were coming onto me. Are you?" he should've known better than to space out like that, but that saucy wink of her still rattled him regardless. There was just something about that confidence of hers, her need to be close to people that terrified him-more than words could ever say.
"What?!" he exclaimed loudly, recoiling. "No!"
"Hmm." the blond leaned back, interest fading from those azure orbs. "Pity. You're fun to mess with." Bemused by his behavior she flicked her wrist at the fire, rendering the spent sticks little more than ashes in the wind. Such a casual display, yet something Sokka watched the brief display in silence. Then, unable to stand it any longer, he burst out:
"You...you're...not altogether there, are you?"
"Does it count if I wasn't really sane to begin with?" Naruko inquired quietly, snatching her pack off the ground. A moment later Momo swooped down to claim a perch upon her shoulder, demanding her attention. Naruko gave it gladly "Look," she sighed, "I really don't want to have this conversation with you right now. We're almost at Omashu."
Sokka felt his right eye begin to twitch.
"Yes!"
"Then, aye!" she sang back. "I'm as crazy as they come!"
"You can't just go killing anyone who calls themselves your enemy-
"That's what it comes to in the end, 'innit? Vows. So many vows." she growled, thrusting her face against his, forehead to forehead. "They make you swear and swear. And for what? Maintain the Balance. Keep the peace. Do no bidding save your own. But obey your nation. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Avenge the wronged. Obey the laws. It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other. And what of my sins, hmm?! I've killed firebenders without a second thought! What atonement do I deserve for that?! No, I'm going to burn them all and if you get in my way so help me-"
"Settle down, both of you!"
With that, Katara finally intervened, forcing herself between them before they could come to blows or worse. Naruko spun away with an annoyed grunt and made for the hill. In that sense, Sokka was almost grateful. He knew he was no match for her; she could pick him apart with ease. The other half wanted to smack that smug smile right off the blonde's face.
Thankfully it was silenced as they crested the hill.
Omashu was a masterwork.
Located in the Kolau Mountains, the tall mountain peak on which Omashu was founded was located in the southwestern Earth Kingdom. Rising high out of a deep chasm, it had been was created by earthbenders several centuries ago in a monumental display of bending not seen since. Being built on this mountain provides the city with one of its best defenses; the only way to reach the gates of Omashu was across a long narrow bridge of stone that spanned the sheer gorge.
As it should.
The sight of that imposing mountaintop city carved from rock and earth put all to shame. The second largest city in the Earth Kingdom and the capital of one of its states, only outdone in size and importance by Ba Sing Se, Omashu was perhaps one of the last great strongholds of the Earth Kingdom that still stood against the Fire Nation. Even now it continued to supply the Earth Army with troops and supplies. The gates of this bustling metropolis were guarded by an elite army of earthbenders. This city was also well known for its famous delivery system powered by a combination of both earthbending and gravity.
In short, it was a marvel.
"Used to come here a lot." Naruko mused aloud. "Seems like a lifetime ago."
Katara sidled up beside her. "You must have fond memories of this place."
"Some." The Avata conceded, a thorn of sorrow pricking at her mind.
The last time she'd come here, Aang had still been...
No.
Her mind slammed the lid on that thought before it could escape. Her old friend was gone; no amount of power could ever hope to bring him back. She had to believe that. The alternative would drive her mad with worry and guilt, something she couldn't afford.
Distantly, she realized Katar was speaking to her.
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
The little waterbender flinched slightly.
"I said...you might want to consider a disguise."
"Disguise? Why?"
Katara immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say; to the Avatar, the very idea of concealing her identity proved as abhorrent to her as the Fire Nation. The scorn in her eyes told her all she needed to know. She'd sooner die than hide who she was from the world.
Naruko exhaled a short, irritated breath.
"Screw that. I've got a better ide-
"What the hell?!"
Whatever else she might retorted was interrupted by Sokka's startled shout; it didn't take long to see what had startled the water tribesman thus. Upon Appa's back, she saw the shadow. A slight in their supplies, one that immediately garnered her attention then; Sokka lobbed his club at it and the smallest of groans emanated from the thick pile of cloth. A snake of dread coiled in Naruto's gut, tying itself into agonizing knots. A stowaway? Who was it? When had they managed to infiltrate their camp.
Then came the anger.
"Intruder!"
With a brief bit of airbending and a fierce war cry Naruko dove into the pile in search of the unlucky stowaway. Whomever they were, they reacted immediately and attempted to bury themselves deeper into the mound of supplies like an angry badger-mole. Didn't matter. The Avatar would not be denied. Amid the sounds of their scuffle, Sokka heard a startled hiss as they wrestled with one another, broken by a startled gasp as the Avatar abruptly ascertained the identity of their would-be-lurk-about. Wait a minute. He knew that voice.
"Wait, is that...?"
"Aha! You're not getting away from me!" Naruko crowed, tumbling to the ground with the interloper atop a thick pile of furs. The scuffle lasted a moment longer before she too recognized their unlikely guest. Granted, this took her a tad longer than most due to the distinct lack of painted makeup...
"Suki?!"
The Avatar jerked back as if she'd been burned, but didn't release her grasp on the startled girl.
"I...you...how?! Why are you here?!"
The Kiyoshi warrior offered a rueful grin.
"Oops?" she managed a small, meek smile.
That did it.
Naruko felt her lips begin to twitch.
Words burst out of her like an overflowing dam.
"YouhavenoideahowhappyIamtoseeyouyaknow!"
Without thinking, and much to the consternation of those present, she grabbed her startled escort and delivered her a searing kiss on the lips. For her part, Suki gave the slightest gasp at the Avatar's unexpected ferocity before her cries turned to soft moans beneath the blonde's ministrations. A heartbeat later, she returned those affections in kind, her slim arms wrapping loosely around the Avatar;s waist. A warm, almost glazed feeling pervaded every inch Naruko's body as she clung to Suki, a roaring high she felt she'd never come down from. She didn't want to. She didn't care if she dirtied her face and clothes in the dirt, nor for the scene she made.
There was only the here and now.
Finally her delight was too much to contain and she, Naruko tumbled to the ground, unable to restrain her laughter any longer.
"Oh, this is perfect! I didn't even ask for this and yet, here you are! Ha!"
Her first thought had been that it was a spy of the Fire Nation. Someone out to kill them or worse, bring them to Ozai. But this...this was a most pleasant surprise and an unexpected one at that. After all this, arguing with nearly everyone, reflecting on what she'd lost...it was a balm to her ragged nerves. Just when she feared she'd hit her lowest point, a familiar face had appeared to dash all her sorrows. It lifted her spirits more than she could ever hope to explain. Fate worked in strange ways it seemed...
"Right," she sighed, righting herself to wipe a mirthful tear from her eye, "Guess it doesn't matter. You're staying. That's an order."
Flushing, the warrior offered a demure bow.
"As you say, my lady."
Naruko's right ear visibly twitched.
"My lady?"
"Oh, great." Katara groaned.
"What?" Sokka blinked. "What's wrong?"
"That's absolutely gonna go straight to her head...
A/N: And there we go.
Based on what we know of Kiyoshi, I thought it would make sense if Suki referred to Naruko as "Lady" in public, especially given the unusual nature of their relationship. And of course, our pretty little blond just eats that right up because she likes the attention. And remember, for all her flirts and advances, Naruko truly doesn't know what to do when it comes to a relationship. She pities Zuko and feels she should dote on him. Also, hence why she's so enamored of Suki's attention atm.
Will it last I wonder...?
Yes, I say again, in case you haven't realized by now, there WILL be yuri-girl loves girl-action in this fic. Kiyoshi will also be more present in this fic than she was in the last. I apologize for those of you who don't like yuri, as one reviewer -I won't name names- has already made their dislike of that element clear. But that's the mindset for this story. Although NarukoxZuko remains an amusing possibility, given their painful pasts. After this we will be seeing a major departure from Canon-Naruko isn't Aang after all, so she won't be acting like him.
Finally, and I'm only going to say this once, I am NOT bashing Sokka. I merely took into account that he was very suspicious of Aang in the beginning, and here Naruko outright attacked him when he insulted her. Of course there would be some hostility there. He doesn't trust her, and she certainly doesn't trust him. Heck, she hardly trusts anyone at the moment. They won't be bickering for much longer, though!
That aside I sincerely hope you enjoyed the latest chapter and all of the chaos and hilarity that is to come.
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would you Kindly? And of course, enjoy the Previews. This one's painful.
(Preview!)
"Ozai promised you mercy if you betrayed me! I MAKE NO SUCH OFFER!"
Snarling, she slammed a hand into the earth, a searing shockwave ripping her foes from their feet.
"TELL THE FIRE LORD THAT I COME FOR HIM!"
"And what of your great deeds?"
"There's still time." Naruko grimaced.
"Is there? For a broken girl unable to trust anyone, let alone herself?"
"No, I did it for...!"
"For me?! Bollocks!"
"If you'd just listen to me-
"Fat chance of that! Don't ever speak to me again!"
The words cut deep into her heart like a rusty knife; lancing through her chest to carve out a piece of her very soul and slice it to ribbons. She stood there, unmoving as she pushed past her, angrily jostling her aside with a shoulder. Even then she remained rooted where she stood. Motionless for a long moment, quivering, hands clenching into fists, unable to move. Not trusting herself to speak. To blink. Breathe.
Only when she was alone did she allow herself to cry.
R&R! =D