Disclaimer: I cannot claim the wonderful orange clad ninja known as Naruto to be my own, nor can I claim the ownership to the wonderful world of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Monster of Ember Island
He sighed in relief as the shackles binding him to the bed were released before growling as a new pair was placed on his arms by the Fire Nation Soldier standing before him. Four days had come and gone, Naruto hated every minute of it. The first day, Prince Zuko was his guard. The prick wouldn't even look at Naruto, and when he did it was a glare. The blonde wondered if it was due to the fact he was jealous of his power or if it was because his markings reminded him of the boy he used to chase. The second day he was granted the presence of Azula herself. She got on his nerves well enough, taunting him with the promise of being alone, trying to entice a reaction out of him while she pushed his buttons. The third day he met Mai. Needless to say, he enjoyed her company. She left him alone while he meditated. This morning was the most taxing of them all, as he was left to fend with the hyperactive and happy Ty Lee.
~~That Morning~~
"Aw, you're not still mad for the chi sealing thing are you?" The brunette asked as she tied her hair into her signature braid as she sat in the chair across from Naruto's bed. The blonde kept his eyes narrowed as he ate a cooked fish with one hand. He didn't understand her; she was always so happy, so talkative.
Ty Lee pouted and crossed her arms over her chest, "Well it's not like you were gonna come peacefully."
"Why couldn't you have left me alone?" Naruto finally snapped, his cold eyes locking on the surprised ones of the brunette in front of him, "I was fine! Peachy keen until you had to bring those...Benders! I was alone! Why did you come back?"
Ty Lee smiled, "Because no one needs to be alone, silly!"
He snapped. He chucked the half-eaten cooked fish at her and tried to stand, only to be pulled back down by the strong shackle attached to his right arm. Ty Lee ducked under the thrown meal and looked at Naruto as he glared at the shackle on his arm. The blonde growled in anger and tugged at his binds, his muscles tensing with each pull and the temperature in the room subtly started to rise.
"I don't want this! I don't want to be near anyone!" Naruto snarled as he tugged at the chain, "I JUST WANT TO BE ALONE!"
Ty Lee watched with slight fear as the red aura grew around the blonde, eclipsing and devouring the saddened blue aura that he was usually with. The demonic image resurfaced itself next to Naruto's arm, and smirked at her before turning back to the blonde and chuckling. The brunette watched as the half-naked blonde tugged and pulled on the reinforced chains restraining him. She had to give it to Azula, her friend's training supplies came in handy when needed.
A loud sickening pop filled the room and Naruto howled in pain. His left hand went to his right shoulder, and just as his fingers grazed his skin, he cried out again. His eyes squeezed shut and his teeth grit tightly. Ty Lee worriedly looked at the blonde and started to walk over to him, when he snapped his attention back to her.
"Get the hell away from me!" he growled, tears of pain brimming along his eyes, but it was easy to see he was fighting them back. Ty Lee's concern grew, but had been overshadowed by the anger she felt growing in the back of her mind. Now, usually, she'd go spar to relieve her pent up 'dark' emotions, but with the way her kindness was being received, she wondered if he would respond better to her if she snarled back.
Which she did.
"Oh get over yourself!" Ty Lee snapped, making Naruto look at her as she approached. He watched her with caution as she grabbed his shoulder and arm, earning a hiss of pain from the blonde. Ty Lee, feeling slightly better that she was now able to help him, pushed her anger back and spoke kindly to him once again, "This might hurt..."
"Might nothing," he grumbled back, already grabbing the edge of the bed with his free hand. Naruto watched as she pressed his arm in several spots, making it seem number than it was, before she gripped his arm tightly. A crack echoed in the room and Naruto cried out in pain. The wooden frame he was clutching snapped under his reflexive grip. Naruto's jaw shut with a snap and he pressed his teeth together hard enough that blood leaked from his gum-line.
Ty Lee winced at the sound of his cracking arm and felt horrible when he cried out, but to distract herself, she began reopening the chi in his left arm. The blonde's tense body started to relax as she did this, and when she finished, he lied back on the bed, releasing a small sigh of relief.
It was quiet for a moment then, but Naruto broke the quiet when he mumbled something.
"What was that?" Ty Lee asked, curious as to what he mumbled.
"I said thank you," was the quiet reply she got from him. Ty Lee's smile returned full force and she hopped to her feet.
"No problem!" Ty Lee shot back with her wide smile, not dimming at all when the blonde sat up and stared at her with impassiveness. She flipped back to her chair and sat down, her legs crossing over one another as she stared at him. They sat in silence once again before Ty Lee broke it, "So...have you decided?"
"Yes."
"Really? That's great! What'd you choose?"
"No."
"No?" the brunette asked with shock before frowning, "But...you'll be locked in the brig. Azula said-"
"I remember what she said," the blonde quietly replied. He closed his eyes and reopened them; anger flashing over the dark blue orbs Ty Lee stared at, "She wants me to be a 'weapon' for the Fire Lord. To 'spread the good will and beliefs of our Kingdom'."
"Right! Which is great...isn't it?" Ty Lee asked, her voice turning shy and innocent as she watched a smirk appear on Naruto's face.
"Denial," he said to her, making Ty Lee blink before Naruto continued with an amused chuckle, "I see. If only I was like you, then I might be able to push the darkness away, hide from the truth."
"What truth?" Ty Lee asked, her heart speeding up as fear seeped its way into her mind. Did he know? Would he call her on her fouls?
"That what the Fire Lord is doing is no better than what the Earth King two hundred years ago did," Naruto said, his eyes locking on the fearful chocolate brown ones before him. He pursed his lips upon seeing her fear, but remained true to what he was saying as he continued, "Only then...the Avatar wasn't a boy...nor was he the last of his kind. A shame, but it's his people's own fault. Just like the inevitable future the Fire Lord has set for our people."
"W-What do you mean?" Ty Lee asked. She wasn't liking where this conversation was going. His aura was turning red again, but he wasn't getting violent. He was just getting cruel...and being honest.
"When this war is over," Naruto said, looking past her to the window, looking to the water, "The victor will decide what happened in the beginning. Their decision will justify the means of prejudice towards the losers."
"W-What...?"
"If the Fire Kingdom wins...then my words are not meaningful...today, anyway," the blonde said, his voice softening as he said the last words. With a fire in his eyes, he continued, "But if the Fire Kingdom loses...Do you see where I'm going with this?"
Ty Lee remained silent and slowly nodded. Naruto smiled and looked at the ceiling as he laid back down. The brunette watched with a frozen posture before she asked, "T-Then why not choose to join us? Why choose to be imprisoned?"
"Because I'm not going to kill innocent people...not again," the blonde whispered as he closed his eyes. Ty Lee remained where she was, deep in thought, while Naruto fell asleep; memories of a past and violent life echoing in his mind.
~~Present~~
"You were foolish to choose imprisonment boy," the soldier said as he and a platoon of Firebenders escorted the blonde towards a large naval ship, "You could have had the honor of fighting alongside the great Fire Lord Ozu's army!"
"Yeah, and your mother could have fucked an Earthbender," Naruto shot back, making the soldier stop and growl at his insult. The blonde remained impassive before yawning and looking at the ship, "But, the past can't be changed, now can it?"
"Smug little prick..." the soldier grumbled as they resumed escorting him to the ship belonging to the two children of the fire lord. Azula smiled smugly as he walked past her towards the holding cells. Mai and Ty Lee watched with mixed emotions as the blonde was escorted down towards the brig. He gave a look towards Zuko, now wearing Fire Kingdom issue armor, who merely glanced back without a single emotion on his face.
Naruto was chained in his cell, the two ends of the chain linking to cuffs around his wrists and the chain itself being held above him by a hook imbedded in the wall. He growled at the two guards standing before his cell and tested the strength of the links. Sighing he closed his eyes and began to think about how quiet it was in the cell.
Days passed since they had left Ember Island and a brunette teen on the ship couldn't stop thinking about a prisoner being held below. She had visited him from time to time, Ty Lee frowned and thought, No, not time to time...Every day...I visited him every day and he hasn't even said hi to me...or acknowledged me! Why didn't he even look at me?
Ty Lee groaned in frustration as she flopped backwards on her bed, dressed in a light gi and slacks, her hands going to her head as she clawed through her hair. She had never gotten so stressed over a boy before. Not even growing up or when she had crushed on a boy while in the circus had she been so determined to get the attention of a boy near her age.
"Thinking about your boyfriend?" Ty Lee snapped her head over to see Azula standing in her doorway, her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk plastered on her face. The brunette's face turned a shade pinker and she sat up, her arms crossing over her chest.
"N-No! I don't have a boyfriend, so...Why are you here, Azula?" Ty Lee asked, her attempt of changing the subject amusing the raven haired princess of the Fire Nation.
Azula's smirk didn't even falter as she replied, "Oh, so the prisoner is just a friend? You wouldn't mind if Father had me try to bed with him?"
Ty Lee's heart clenched at the thought but she brushed the feeling aside and paled, "Ew! Azula, that's...Ew! We're not talking about that!"
"Oh? Is wittle Ty Wee embarrassed by the thought of having relations with the prisoner?" the daughter of the Fire Lord asked, making Ty Lee's face turn just a shade darker, before she continued, putting a finger on her chin as she feigned consideration, "He does have a unique...allure, doesn't he? Not to mention his power...Throw his looks into the mix and he'd make a perfect Fire Lord...well, a face for a Fire Lord. I'd be the one in charge after all."
"Azula!" Ty Lee whined, covering her ears as her face heated up, "This is gross!"
"This is reality!" Azula snapped back with a roll of her eyes, "Ty Lee, stop putting this foolish façade up before you do something you'll regret. Now, just tell me why you've been visiting the prison-"
Before the question could be asked, an explosion rocked the ship and Azula gripped the doorway to remain where she was, stumbling only momentarily. Ty Lee, meanwhile, used her agility and trapeze skills to flip onto the wall before pushing off and landing near Azula. The princess looked at her friend, a raging fire glowing behind her eyes.
"I'll get my answer Ty Lee," Azula growled, gripping the collar of the brunette's gi, "But after we stop whatever nuisance has decided to attack us!"
"R-Right, Azula," Ty Lee replied before following her friend/leader. Her thoughts drifted to the blonde suspended in his cell within the deck and she worried momentarily for his safety. Her thoughts were dashed when a fist suddenly flew at her, making her duck under the attempted punch before she spun to her left and sweep kicked the legs of her attacker out from under their feet.
Her eyes narrowed at the geisha now cradling the back of her head and she rolled backwards to dodge a sudden bladed fan being imbedded in the ground before her.
"You!" She said accusingly to the Kyoshi Warrior, who smirked as she pulled her fan back.
"Heard the Fire Lord's children were heading back to Ba Sing Se," the girl with short brown hair said as she opened her fans and went into a fighting stance, "Heading there with a prize that would turn the war's tide."
"Ty Lee, deal with her!" Azula called from where she stood opposite a North Water Tribe member, "I've got my own problems..."
"Fine by me," Ty Lee mumbled, settling into her own stance.
Naruto grunted as the boat shook again. The blonde opened his eyes to see two Fire Nation Soldiers impaling a Water Tribe member with their blades. The dark skinned warrior gasped as he slowly died; the keys in his hand dropping to the floor. Naruto frowned.
If they freed him and took him away, they'd want him to fight for their cause.
If they didn't, he'd probably end up fighting them.
Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath when he heard cries of pain, from both sides, echoing through the night. The blonde bowed his head and prayed, asking the spirits to give him an answer.
He was not disappointed.
KILL THEM ALL, BOY! KILL THEM ALL! The monster from his dreams cried, its roar echoing in his head.
No, Naruto thought stubbornly, his eyes snapping open as he watched the two soldiers enjoy the slow death of the Water Tribe member. They sounded like they were laughing.
Just like he did many years ago...only without the cruel reason for doing so.
He thought of Ty Lee as she visited him every day since their leaving of Ember Island. She was pure...an innocent dragged into the madness, much like the children of these men and the man dying on the ground. Naruto frowned again.
I respect her denial...I envy it...He realized as he looked down with pity towards the man dying, Dammit...if I want to do something, I might as well stop her from corrupting herself. Maybe if I save one soul...I can redeem my own.
Foolish mortal...we are beyond redemption! He ignored the thought and tensed his arms as he pulled on the chain.
The two guards heard the cracks, but paid them no heed. The left soldier cried out when a hand plunged through his stomach, drenched in blood and acidic fluids. The right gasped in shock as the prisoner, once bound to the wall by simple chains, now pulled his arm from his dying friend.
"They called me Monster," Naruto mumbled as he melted the cell door, making the soldier back away in fear, "But you...you are the monster."
"I-I-I-I..." the unnamed soldier stepped back, unsheathing his blade and held it with shaky hands, "STAY BACK!"
Naruto glanced at him and extended a hand. A flash and a scream was all that was needed before the soldier was reduced to ash. The blonde glanced down at the coughing Water Tribe member. The man reached up with a bloodied hand and dragged it down Naruto's right arm, over the marks he was cursed with.
"Y-You...not...A-Ava...Avatar..." the man said with unbound sadness, his eyes tearing up before he died. Naruto let the body fall before he calmly walked away. He was a monster for letting the man die with such sadness. He was a monster for brutally killing two of his countrymen. He was a monster for not caring about either.
But he was a monster on a mission, and that's all the blonde Bender cared about.
"Gah!" Zuko grunted as he was suddenly shot backwards by a bullet of rushing water. He rolled backwards and stopped when he collided with someone's hard legs. The prince of the Fire Nation grumbled and rubbed the back of his head as he looked up. His eyes widened as he saw the blonde prisoner standing behind him with arms crossed over his chest.
"Having trouble?" Naruto asked, a blonde brow arching in slight amusement. Zuko growled and got back to his feet, facing Naruto and firing a ball of fire at the opposing Waterbender. Naruto looked past him as the Waterbender was sent flying over the edge. The blonde looked back at the angered prince and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Down." He said, pushing the prince down as he turned to the left and dodged a flying icicle. Naruto reached out and grabbed the icicle with his free hand and caught it midair. He twirled it in his hands and chucked it back, shocking the Waterbender that had sent it flying in the first place as it impaled his chest.
Zuko blinked as he looked at the dead Waterbender before looking up at the blonde. Naruto looked down at him with cold eyes and spoke, "You've never taken a life. Don't start."
"Who are you to decide?" Zuko asked with narrowed eyes. Naruto kept his cold gaze on the burnt face of the prince and shook his head.
"Perhaps I was wrong," Naruto mumbled before turning and walking away, "Have fun."
"Fun?" Zuko repeated before he was suddenly knocked forward by a ball of ice. He stood and turned around, growling as he rushed to fight back with his Firebending. The words Naruto had left him with made him wonder, Wrong about what?
There's chapter three. What does Naruto intend to do with his newfound freedom? What is going on in Ty Lee's head. And what's up with the sudden attack from the Kyoshi Warriors? Guess we'll never know...until the next update.