A/N: MISS ME GUYS?! I've joined a new community called Dreamers! Be sure to check it out! ALSO! I just saw Avengers: Age of Ultron! On that note, I think there's a few scenes here that'll remind ya'll of the masterpiece; hope ya like 'em!
Healthwise, I feel like crap, as to that effect. But nevertheless, despite this pesky little hiccup-I wanted to get word out any way I could, and since for some strange reason the site is being buggy, I wasnt able to work on this anywhere near as much as I would've liked. Still...so many reviews!
I love you guys so much! *Cries*
Now, this chapter might be a bit confusing consider I haven't updated in awhile. With good reason! My job has been beating the living hell out of my as of late! This was REALLY had to write with being tired from work; exhausting, actually. But I'm proud of it, and I hope you enjoy it as I finally get some rest...
Well...here ya go! =D Sorry if its short! But hey, at least I'm back! And again, I remind you that some changes have been made to this story pertaining to the age of some characters, remember! I also decided to follow the traditional episode format here, not plotwise of course, but in terms of scene order. Hope you enjoy it! I wanted to get back to basics here, reminding everyone that for all of his violence, Naruto is still the same loveable old sod in this story. Humour and action abound in the following pages, starting with the quote and journal entry!
Hope you like the chapter! Prepare to laugh! Lots of loose ends get wrapped up in this chappy...and the pairing its decided! After much considertion, I've decided to stick with my original decision and leave this stroy as a harem. All bloody hell will break loose when everyone meets of course, but this is a multi pairing story. And NO, the title is not mispelled. 'Tis deliberate! And someone asked how Toph was able to write. Well, Naruto taught her the ancient art of brail...hope that answers your questions, SonofNeji and Lordchi!
And once more, I own nothing! The rights for Avatar: the Last Airbender, its characters, setting, and elements belong to Michael Dante Dimartino and co. Lord knows I wish I owned them. One last warning, there is a fair bit of bloodshed in this chapter...and Naruto goes over the edge! YE HAVE BEEN WARNED! One last thing...
...LOTS OF BLOOD AND DEATH AND OTHER NASTY BITS IN THIS CHAPTER! I've also decided to give everyone some much-needed screentime!
"There are no strings on me..."
~Ultron.
Tangled in Strings
I have blundered.
That was Wu's first thought as the Avatar of the Gods strode into the meeting room. Covered in gore from head to toe-dripping in the blood of their men!-a scarlet puddle preceding him from the halls, he looked more a devil than a man. No, Wu he mused with just a grain of panic, devil was too tame a word. He was a grim reaper, come to harvest their souls for their sins. He was judge, jury, and executioner and one look in those eyes told the Dai Li all he needed to know about the certainty of his fate.
Death was the verdict, he realized. He would die, as would everyone else in this room who'd had a hand in June's demise. They would perish. There was simply no question about it. A forgotten history left unknown, barely remembered.
Part of him wanted nothing more than to throw himself at the creature's feet, sobbing:
"My lord, please, I beg of you! Mercy! Have mercy! I had nothing to do with this!"
But he couldn't. His legs-his body!-would not obey, frozen by fear.
Naruto said nothing, at first.
Nothing at all.
Even so, Wu very nearly-soiled his robes when a hand suddenly fell, stabbing one of those horribly jagged knifes into the sash of his belt. The other rose and fell just as easily-divesting his face of his mask and laying it upon the round table. He moved slowly, those eerie rimmed eyes of scarlet and violet observing each of them with a frightening dispassion. And there was that huge, honking sword on his back, a blade that could easily slice the lot of them into bloody ribbons...
...why oh why had he gotten involved in this debauchery?!
"That's it." he sighed, pinching his nose in aggravation. "Everyone dies." You," he pointed to the downed form of Shu, "You die. You," a finger jerked in Artok's direction, tracing to a terrified Wu at the last. "You die, too. All of you. Every one of you. Every, single, fucking one of you who keep getting in my way, keep ANNOYING me, hounding me, impeding me at every turn."
"B-But my lord, please-
"I am a humble and tolerant man," the Avatar of the Gods replied softly, passing him by rounding the table in slow, determined strides. "But there are three things I cannot stand. One is incompetence," Wu stifled a soft whimper as those eerie eyes glanced narrowed on him, that bloodied cloak of shadows swiping hungrily at his feet, as though the darkness itself were trying to devour him.
"The second is greed." Shu stiffened slightly as that soulless sight found his own, dismissing him as a dust mote beneath the heel of divinity. Those eyes moved once more, settling upon the last man in the room. "And the third...
"?!"
In a move that left the very air itself keening in pain, he snapped a blistering kick into the side of Artok's unsuspecting face. It was a surprisingly simple maneuver Wu thought detachedly as the Water-Bender flew past; no transition, no windup, he simply appeared before the large man and clobbered him with a roundhouse swing of his leg. Just a single kick, and Artok flew into the table and through a solid wall. When Wu looked again, he found the Avatar standing, a look of complete and utter hate swimming in those bright eyes.
...is when people hurt the ones I love."
Incredibly, Shu found his voice in that instant.
"You have no one to blame but yourself, Avatar."
Wu expected them all to die in that instant. Dreading every second, treasuring every breath as though it were his last he awaited the heartbeat in which the blond would explode in fury and render them gory smears on the wall. He wasn't expecting the introspective look, the way those eyes flicked towards June's motionless body, still bound in the chair, behind those bars. And he certainly wasn't expecting a reply. So when the Avatar of the Gods raised his head and smiling at the ceiling, Wu was feeling downright jittery.
"Hmm, yes, I suppose I have." He said quietly. "I am to blame for this. I didn't want to admit it...but you're right. This is my fault."
"What?!/What?!" Both brothers balked.
"I've been treating you, my enemies, like people this whole time." Naruto rumbled aloud, disappointment etched into his every feature. "When I should have realized something. Azula was right. You're not people. You are ants. You, the Earth Kingdom, my enemies; all ants. Puny little insects wrapped in string. One should not feel bad for crushing them. If anything," he glanced down at his hand, forming a fist. "You're doing them a favor, by stomping them out, before they multiply. Like...so."
"Rinbo Hengoku."
His hand shot out in an invisible eddy that Wu could only call a push, catapulting his shrieking brother into a newly emerged Artok just as he appeared on the cusp of the hole. Wu had less than instant to see this before that same unseen hand grabbed him and lobbed him after them. Their assailant was only a pace behind them. The brothers raised a wall, and he cut right through it, snarling. "One simply does what one must. Yes, one does what one must-
He stepped into an avalanche.
"What are you talking about?! Wu wailed. "What kind of nonsense is that?"
"I need not explain myself," Naruto scoffed, slicing through that as well, and the next, and the next and everything that came after it. "You think the future is terrifying, but what you don't realize is it is important at the task at hand. What would we be without it? Nothing. Your argument is invalid. No, you are invalid. All you have said is no more than an endless, animal bleat, irrelevant and fearful. The only thing you have stated is your opinion... It means nothing without the help of others. ANT! I..."
Naruto stormed into the next room after them, sword swinging.
...will crush you and move on."
(Meanwhile, in the North Pole...)
Almost an entire continent away, Azula jerked violently awake, stumbling, out of her slumber with a start. Chattering teeth clenched together angrily.
"B-B-B-Blast this infernal cold!"
Gathering the fur and tanned blankets tighter around herself she struggled for warmth and found none in the emptiness of her bed. Every second felt It irked her to no end; one moment she'd been perfectly warm. Yet now every second was a cold chill against her bare skin. Sleeping in the nude wasn't entirely a habit of hers but she hadn't been able to help herself once she'd first felt the soft furs against her body. It was a rare fit of whimsy, one of the few she'd allowed herself.
She was sorely regretting that decision, now!
Already, her lips were already parting to call for a servant, demand that someone fetch her an extra blanket, when she realized it; she had no servants here. Instead, Azula was forced to warm herself with her own fire, a tiny blue plume leaping from her lips as she raised her internal temperature.
It was almost sad, really, that she'd been reduced to this, freezing her hindquarters off in the middle of nowhere. "This is ridiculous! How do people even live out here?!"
Without her royal garments, her now long tresses, and significant lack fire nation regalia no one recognized her. They'd even called her by a different name for the duration of their stay! She supposed it was for the best, but she missed the attention. The company of these...peasants was one she couldn't entirely shun, but she made little effort to interact with them, either. For every day, every hour-every second-she felt like an outsider amongst outcasts, an exile with no place beyond betraying her own people.
She missed Naruto.
If one where to ask her Azula would never, EVER admit it of course. But she'd sorely missed him for many days now; his absence like a great, yawning void in her heart. His lighthearted smile, the way he simply plowed right through any obstacles in his path. He'd gotten to her. As much as she might hate it, he had. And she didn't even know when! At some point he'd found a chink in her armor and wriggled his way into her heart, the sneaky little-
"Azula?"
The princess yelped and yanked the covers around herself as a dark figure stepped into the light. Clad in blue furs they swiftly resolved themselves into shape in the moonlight. Gah! Her?!
"What do you want, you filthy peasant?!"
"Hello to you, too." Katara arched an eyebrow as she leaned against the door, bemused by the blackette's frantic scramble in the dim light. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?"
"No thanks to you!"
"What are you ta...?" Those crystal blue eyes regarded her state of undress with some confusion at first, narrowing, then widening in trepidation. "Um...ah...do you need a minute? I could come back later... or not," she finished as the sputtering girl yanked on a pair of pale blue furs and flopped out of bed, huffing angrily. She all but darted to the balcony, and after a moment, the water-bender followed.
"You sure I wasn't interrupting anything?" she was trying very hard not to laugh now.
I want to die. Azula was almost certain that her face was a bright shade of hot pink.
"Aw, you're blushing!"
"I AM NOT! And you weren't interrupting anything!" if looks could kill, those golden eyes would've bored a hole straight through Katara's head. "Now tell me what you want, or else." A tiny blue flame flickered to life in her hand, its pale light casting their faces in blue relief.
"Aw, did I ruffle the widdle pwincess's feathers?" Katara grinned cheekily, reaching over to close her hand around the flame. "We both know you won't hurt me."
"And why is that?" Azula muttered crossly, allowing her fingers to curl over her own. Darn this girl. She was also so insufferably smug whenever they were alone!
"Because you liiiiike me." The water-bender purred, taking up the space to her right. "I'm the only one you can talk to, remember?"
Urk.
Silence reigned supreme.
"Is this about Zu-zu?" Azula found herself venturing after a moment, feeling supremely awkward, and having no idea what else to say. "Did he try to escape again?"
Katara laughed.
"Oh, he's tried a few times but I think his shame's the only thing keeping him here, now." An ill-fated attempt on Aang by Azula's brother had resulted in the exiled prince being promptly pounded and locked away by his own sister. They'd been smart to have her guard him in the first place. In the days since, Azula hadn't visited her sibling. Not a once. She told herself she didn't care what he thought of her, but, the truth was, she didn't want to make the connection; the realization that they were, the both of them, in the same boat.
Her cooperation with Naruto was mutually beneficial she told herself; once they won he'd make her Fire Lord. A Fire Lord, crowned by a living god, their very avatar. Her people would have no choice but to recognize her then, she told herself. But now she found herself beginning to genuinely care for their cause. Agni damnit, she wanted to see them win, wanted to be there and watch their plucky little band to what others thought to be impossible. She wanted a happy ending for herself, not the dark, twisted future Naruto had shown her.
I have gotten attached.
The knowledge boggled the mind; when had she allowed herself to become so sentimental?
"Do...you think he's coming back?" she asked at last. "Its just like that dum-dum to run off."
"He's coming back."
The answer came swiftly; not too swiftly as to sound nervous, but with the sure determination of someone who knew they were speaking the truth.
"Such confidence." the former princess snorted, fighting not to let her own unease show. "What makes you so certain?"
"Naruto doesn't abandon his friends." Katara enthused. "Or his family."
She shook free. "We're not family."
"You are to me."
Azula chewed on her lip in silence, contemplating that.
The water tribe girl was...odd. Very odd.
By all rights she hated the Fire Nation more than anyone else. Even Azula herself. And at first they'd despised one another. At the beginning of their little quest Katara wouldn't speak so much as three words to her. Yet, she'd come to accept the princess's status as an exile from her own land-by her own people. Perhaps that was why she was so damnably persistent in speaking with her. At least Suki had taken the hint and let her be in their first exchange.
Katara hadn't.
Now it could be said that Azula was painfully awkward when it came to making friends. She was used to controlling others with fear; then Naruto had come along and smashed that ideology to pieces. Katara was a very kind person, almost insufferably so, but something in their dynamic had changed over the last few weeks. Perhaps they were simply finding comfort in one another while Naruto was gone. Just simple hugs and touches, but it was the small things like this that took the edge off...and sometimes put it back on.
Who knew?
"Don't stay up too late." lips brushed her cheek. "You're cranky when you don't get enough sleep."
"Away with you." Azula scoffed at the parting remark, but the words were without vitriol. "Wait."
Without thinking she reached out and snagged the water-bender's wrist. She didn't know why, she did; perhaps she was lonely, perhaps she was feeling sad, or maybe it was simple, primordial lust, but for whatever the reason, ill or good, she yanked Katara back to her and returned the kiss, mouth closing on her clumsily, almost before she could think to stop herself. Reality rushed back and she found herself scrambling to explain her brief moment of passion. In the end, all that emerged was a lame, tentative sounding:
"N-Now you may leave."
All she was received was a simple shook of the head. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"I do."
Sighing aloud, she turned her attention to the thin slit that served as a window in her icy chambers. Only when she knew she was well and truly alone did she dare glance at it, at the horizon beyond it. Family. Odd. The thought made her think not of Ozai, not of Iroh or even Zuko, but of...Ursa. Mom. Mama. Mommy. Mother. The woman who she was sure thought she was a monster. The one member of her family who'd hurt her more than anyone else. Katara had lost her mother long ago.
She hadn't.
Perhaps she would search for her, once this was all over. Perhaps Naruto could even be "persuaded" to help.
Even from here, she could see the Fire Nation navy lurking juuuust on the horizon, resting in their attack for the evening. Wise of them. They knew better than to strike at night, least of all when they were so close to a full moon. The tactician in her knew now would be a perfect time for them to strike, but against so many ships, she knew any antagonistic action on her part would only make matters worse. Perhaps-
Then it happened.
Even through the thick white furs she wore, she felt a chill. It came out of nowhere, nearly driving her back to the floor with a yelp of surprise.
"What in the name of Agni?!"
She was the only one who could feel it, through that strange psychic bond they shared; the link that had formed when they'd swapped bodies and then regained her own. She'd always been able to feel him during those moments of great duress, and this...this was a doozy.
Yes, this...this...
An ember of snarling agony traveled through their bond, stretched itself taut, and vanished. The sorrow crashed down around her ears moments later in a wave of supernatural agony. It drove her to her knees; she felt it as though it were own, Naruto's grief felt like a knife in her heart, She felt only emptiness, a disturbing mirth and...laughter. Something had broken him, taken the last sliver of his sanity and shattered it to pieces. He was in pain. Something had hurt him.
Something was still hurting him.
"Naruto...
Earth and water raged around him in a maelstrom.
Fire and wind raged and collided with their brother elements within, a rioting spectrum of flowing energy devastating any and all attempts to come closer. Within that vortex he thought he heard a howl, a voice that had once belonged to a man, but now sounded more beast that human. It sounded...like an angry god.
Naruto's body was a stern rock upon which the storm beat; an eternal shore on which their attacks crashed and were broken. His arms were blurs of black and red, ever-moving, ever flowing as Artok and Shu weaved in and out of sight before him. Wu couldn't bring himself to act any longer, only watch, clutching at the now severed stump of his right leg, bled heavily below the knee. Wu himself would be no help in this battle, he knew, in his heart.
The blond had singled him out first and it took all of his concentrations simply to stay conscious now.
"Poor little ants; tangled in strings." the blond hummed, chuckling blackly as he weathered the storm of the two benders. "Not me. I've got no strings to hold me down, to make me fret, or make me frown, I had strings, but now I'm free, oh yes, there are no strings on me!"
Now, Wu could only watch, helpless, as the blond took hold of Shu's face and dragged him across the wall with bone-jarring force before flinging him aside with contemptuous ease. An attack like that would've killed any lesser man, even his brother's own earth armor splintered around such strength.
"And now," Naruto hummed, "Its time to cut the strings-
And then Artok was there, forcing the blond away from the killing blow. "Oops! Forgot about you!" The master water-bender didn't reply, he merely wielded his element with a true tenacity, and for a handful of beats, it seemed his opponent could do nothing but defend as best he could against the thrashing waves and watery whips snapping at him from all sides. He could only take shelter behind his hulking weapon, could only defend, could only-
Strike the ground?
For that was exactly what the Avatar did, clenched knuckles snapping down into the dirt floor and overturning it in a savage overhand smash. Violently. Great blocks of earth exploded outward in all directions! He hadn't bent the elements just now Wu realized, it was simply a show of pure, unrivaled force, ripping the nimble Artok off his feet. Still, it seemed Shu would at least hold his ground...
And then came lightning.
Taut fingers snapped out, a black surge of energy igniting almost instantaneously igniting against the smaller man's stomach. The ensuing surge blasted a small hole right through the Earth-bender's small intestines, an eerie bolt blast outward and dropping him like a sack of potatoes.
Scowling, he turned on the recovering Artok, flattening him with a wall of fire. Once more, those unfeeling red eyes found Shu's prone form.
"You, sir, are less than an ant. You are a worm."
"A WORM?!" The Earth-Bender sputtered, as he scrambled upright, his pale face purpling, then paling as he fought against his own, grievous wounds. "You-You insufferable...impudent...BRAT!" He thrust a gloved hand forward, furiously jabbing at the unamused deity standing only feet away. "You waltz into our kingdom, tear down our walls, destroy centuries of tradition, and now you dare to call us such?! You...death is too good for one such as you! I will spend every day for the rest of my life inflicting the worst pain this world has to offer and-
WHAM.
"Yes, you are a worm who likes to monologue." Those glassy eyes regarded him scornfully as he retracted an elbow from the Dai Li's now broken visage, not truly seeing him. "And like an ant, you will be crushed."
"I'LL SHOW YOU AN ANT!"
Hands snapped upright, bullets of earth flicking from his earthen gloves. Naruto didn't shift his stance in the slightest. He simply swung the head cleaver forward as an impromptu shield, those hardened pellets pinging harmlessly off the metal. Behind that came a wall of crushing debris, a tidal wave with one purpose, to bury alive the man who had made Ba Sing Se his own.
Naruto merely shifted his stance another millimeter and blasted right through it.
"See?" A booted foot stomped down, creating another, larger avalanche. "You are an ant. And now, like an ant...
Another tap of his foot buried the schemer beneath a small mountain of dirt.
...you will die in the ground."
Stepping over the ruins of the table he at last approached June, hands trembling in a vain attempt at restraint. "Oh, baby, what have they done to you?" And there was such mournful heartbreak within those words, that Wu felt his own lurch. For a breath of eternity, he saw the man beneath that facade, someone who was trying to do right by everyone, trying to hold onto his humanity and failing. He could understand the need to better oneself, to do right by one's friends and family.
...and they'd taken that from him. One of his family.
"I'm so sorry." Naruto was saying, almost frantic in his need to explain himself to what, for all intensive purposes, was a corpse. Had he gone mad? "This never should have happened." Murmuring, he laid a hand on her face and for a moment, that hand pulsed green. Eyes flashed purple. "Don't worry, I'll fix you; yes, I'll make you right as rain, just you wait and see. That's right, no strings, no strings...
It could be said that for a moment-just a moment-that Wu felt the very fabric of reality shift around him. Two words were intoned. A simple pair of syllables uttered by the Avatar of the Gods, and yet with them spoken, they turned everything Wu had even known on its head.
"Rinne Tensei."
June gasped violently as life and vitality flowed back into her, sputtering and coughing now when her beloved removed the gag obstructing her mouth. "What in the...son of a bitch! I'll kill them!" Wu balked. Impossible. She'd been beaten. Brain dead. Broken!
"Sh," Naruto hushed, calmly cutting her free, tracing a seal on her arm. "Its fine. You're alive. And healed. I'm sending you to the palace. Toph and the others will-
Artok chose that moment to strike.
A hardened surge of moisture came surging up out of the hole in the meeting room, slamming the unsuspecting Avatar down on his face. In that same instant Shu lashed out, and together, the two men finally managed to do what no one had been able to do since the battle had begun.
They immobilized the Avatar of the Gods.
"Ha!" Shu crowed! "This entire time we've been lacing your meals with trace amounts of iron; merely another form of earth!" So focused was he on the immobilized man that he failed to notice the shadow creeping up behind him. "Combined with Artok's blood-bending, you won't be able to move a muscle! No, with this, you will-
Whatever else he might've said died as a booted boot found his groin.
June smiled innocently. "That's for the torture."
Naruto stiffened, eyes abulging as his limbs bent against his will. Then he smiled.
"Hmmm?" he drawled slowly, "Bloodbending and Metalbending, huh? Fascinating, for a pair of ants. You have a rare set of skills." His head twitched an awkward angle, spinning to face them with a sickening crack. "I'm still going to crush you, though."
"B-But how?! You should have been immobilized!"
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and evil for evil." came the rumbling reply. "And a God...to crush a false god."
In that instant Naruto gave into his emotions; yielded to the anger that had been building in him from the moment he'd woken in the Southern Water Tribe. His fury at himself, at the Fire Nation, and the stupid pricks of the Earth Kingdom and their own retarded traditions. He was sick of it. So sick of it all. If his enemies would spurn the mercy he offered, reject the olive branch he extended, refuse to respond this goodwill...
...then they would respond to fear.
His body bulged and writhed, his coat shredding itself into ribbons as the muscles swelled beneath Wu whimpered. Whimpered as six arms snapped into existence, the demonic asura of black death leering down at them all -the lot of them!- through the singular slit that encompassed its vision. A low, feral growl snaked between those knife-like teeth, teeth meant for ripping, rending, tearing. A water-encased fist struck him full on in the face, turning that fearsome visage aside, just a little.
Wu quailed. Oh, what immortal hand or eye had framed this dreadful symmetry?!
Naruto spat a tooth and glowered down at the puny man who'd hurt him. Artok stared at him for a long moment, almost unable to believe what he was looking at. The great black giant glowered down at him, its slitted, red eyes blazing into his. And the Water-bender utters his first-and last-words since they'd met.
"Sorry."
The beast growled.
Artok died in the next breath, head rolling from his shoulders.
Shu didn't even have time to scream before the beast pounced upon him. Six hands closed on him, ripping, tearing, rending...
"Everywhere, everywhere, EVERYWHERE I go you intrepid idiots insist on getting in my way!" He howled, ripping Shu's arm free with a grisly yank, spattering the walls and ceilings red. "Why can't you just lay down...and die?! I, in case you any of you haven't fucking noticed, am trying to save the godamn world from certain desrtuction, to bring back peace! You want to protect the world, your world, but you don't want it to change. You're all puppets, tangled in strings... strings! Well, I'm cutting them! SMASHING THEM!"
Wu watched, helpless as his brother was beat about like a rag doll, bones breaking, flesh tearing as the furious creature laid into him. The torture might've lasted for hours. It could have been a few minutes. But, at last, the beast seemed to grow tired of toying with its prey.
"Puny ant."
Finally, the monster thrust him back against the wall. Somehow, someway, he managed to stand. To sway dizzily on his last good leg, blood pouring from his wounds, the places where his limbs and right eye had once been. A lone orb glazed stared back at him, begging for mercy.
"Shu not feel so good...
Wu looked away, knowing what was coming.
Naruto snarled and raised an arm, Rasenshuriken in hand. "Shu gonna feel a lot worse!"
And when all was said and done, he did.
Wu didn't even have the strength to glance up as the creature stomped towards him. A single giant fist rose and fell...
...and it was over.
In the end, when the walls and ceilings and floors and everything else lay painted with the red of the man's blood, Naruto finally paused. June watched him for a long moment, this beast the blond had become. Then, as if in a dream, she watched him turn towards her. The creature snarled. She felt no fear. A hand rose, touching his, fingers tracing up and down the length of an ebon arm. Those slitted eyes snapped towards her, intent and focused upon her very existence.
"Easy, big guy." she soothed. "Its over. You won." that same hand rose, moving to cup the giant's cheek, cradling the place where those whiskers had once been. "We won. I'm safe. You can go back to sleep, now."
It was like flicking a switch.
With a shuddering groan the hulking creature shrank, losing mass and muscles, swiftly shedding power like it was going out of style. Four arms shrank away into his bleak shoulders and stomach, leaving only two. Red eyes shattered, their broken shards an irate tapestry slowly weaving itself back into ted. Ebon became tan skin once more, those jagged teeth snapping back into humanity. His body sagged against hers, sobbing. June didn't so much as bat an eyelash when the tears came.
She simply held him.
Held him until he started breathing normally again, until he'd recovered his rationality. She didn't care that he was covered in blood, that he smelled like death; that he was ruining her green dress. They were safe, and whole and together, and that was all that mattered. When he finally pulled away, those blue eyes were still glimmering with unshed tears.
"I thought I'd lost you." his voice was hoarse.
"You didn't."
"But I...
"But you didn't." she re-empathized once more, kissing him gently, lips moving over his with infinite care. "I'm here. I'm alive. And you mister, are you to buck up, get the fuck up, and do what you cam here to do." Any further protest was silenced when she pressed her mouth to his again. "Now, what are you going to do?"
"I...
"What are you going to do?" she prodded.
Finally, a weary, crooked grin answered.
"End this stupid war."
"Good answer, dear."
That was her last thought before he stepped back, grabbed her, and flashed.
Dear Diary,
I see everything so clearly now; as if a veil was lifted from my eyes.
All this time, I've been a fool. Letting my enemies live, sparing them, showing mercy. That mercy got June killed. Nearly broke me. Even now I'm not entirely sure I'm whole. If I hadn't been able to revive her...I do not wish to think of what would happen. I'm setting out for the Water Tribe now and against my better judgement-I've decided to bring the rest of the gang with me. I'll instate June as the official ruler of the Earth kingdom once this mess is over.
The preparation for the journey, brief as it may be, has given me time to think. To reflect. I've left Sten in charge during my absence, with orders to march on the Fire Nation in a month at my command. It's all coming together now, the endgame, is nearly upon us. And so, I have decided.
If they insist on calling me the Avatar of the Gods...
...maybe its time I started acting like one.
"YOU'RE BACK!"
The shout exploded in his head like joyful mortar fire almost before the world had even stopped spinning; and then, nearly found himself spinning again as a blue blur neatly dive tackled him. Hiraishin was a terribly useful thing even at the worst of times, but when used to warp halfway around the world it could also be...disorienting. He'd drawn himself the marker he'd placed on Katara, pulling the others with him. Now he was fending off an enthused embrace from her and Suki!
"Whoa, hey?! I missed you, too! Ribs! Crushing my ribs!" he laughed squeezing them tightly. For a moment, just a moment, both girls were united in the delight; happy to see him, and forgetting their petty rivalry. He knew at once he'd have some explainin' to do once all was said and done, but here, now, in the icy walls of the Northern Water Tribe...
...he was home.
"You been keep up with your training?" He asked of Suki.
The warrior colored lightly. "I've improved a bit, I think."
He laughed and grabbed them again, eliciting a startled yelp from both. "I missed you!"
All around him there were reunions of all kinds; Ty Lee saw Azula and pounced on her with a delighted squeal, Aang and Sokka wondering who on earth Toph was, and June was being, well...June. Nyla looked to be the most fidgety of the bunch, the Shirshu twitching restlessly fro side to side, and it was only her misstress's steady hand that stayed her.
"We've got a of catching up to do!"
Reflecting, it was funny-almost hilarious-really, just how large their little band had grown over the months. In the beginning it had simply been the four of them. Then came Suki. Azula, unexpectedly. June-then Toph, a master Earthbender who put even him to shame. Now Mai and Ty Lee were a part of his extended, dysfunctional little family as well. Honestly all they needed now was broody-mic-brood-brood to complete the set! With a grin that could've put the Joker himself, he swept forward and gave Sokka a big, manly bear hugh
"Ah, Captain Boomerang! How ya been?!"
Sokka twitched. Ah, right. He'd forgotten...
"Must you keep calling me that?"!
"Who's this?" Aang asked of him.
Naruto beamed. "Your new teacher."
"EH?! You mean she's-
Toph smirked. "Name's Toph. Nice ta meet you, twinkle toes."
The avatar-in-training sweatdropped.
"Twinkle...?"
Naruto barely even heard him, he was already moving against. He had another objective in mind.
There she was.
He saw Azula lingering at the edge of the group with Ty Lee and Mai, refusing to come any closer. So he came to her. The pink flush of her cheeks was possibly the most adorable thing he'd ever seen. Mai and Ty Lee exchanged a shared glance, the latter grinning widely. The former actually smiled. Just a little. They had no idea he could hear them, even across the room; it was almost amusing to listen to them as he they tried to bolster their friend's flagging confidence:
"Uh-oh. Here comes your prince."
"HE IS NOT MY-
Ty Lee never let her finish.
"Hurry," the acrobat hissed softly, "Here he comes! Tell him you missed him!"
Azula sputtered madly, scrambling for dignity as he finally reached her.
"It's not like I missed you, idiot." she muttered, glancing away. "But I suppose I'm glad you're ba-MMPH?!"
Naruto wasn't sure why he did what he did; he simply stepped up and did.
Strong arms closed around her back, and before she could so much as squeak out a protest, he rammed his lips down onto hers. Azula gasped in surprise, then genuine arousal, her hands fisting around his jacket for all of an instant. Then they went slack; the resistance draining out of her like a slow-burning flame. Her hands found his neck and pulled him closer, refusing to break the kiss, deepening it with all the ferocity of an inferno, wild and fierce.
Mai groaned. "Oh, get a room you two...
Ty Lee whistled through her fingers. "You go, girl!"
Even Naruto was taken aback by it all; her hands spread across his back, drawing him closer still. He was well aware of the baffled stares he received, but in that moment, he simply couldn't bring himself to care. By the time they'd finally parted for breath, nearly every eye was upon them.
"Oh, boy...
Toph and June had learned to at least tolerate one another, but Suki and Katara were another matter. He'd just returned after all these months, bringing with him not one, not two, but four different women! He couldn't simply explain it away, claim that Mai and Ty Lee weren't a part of the equation, and genjutsu was out of the question. He wanted real love, not that prissy shit Madara had tried.
"I suppose I have some explaining to do in that regard, but for now...
Grinning, he cracked his knuckles.
"...lets do this! Alright, people! We got a blockade to break."
Easier said than done.
Naruto fought like a madman, scrambling to keep everyone alive. Even then, he wasn't fast enough. He ripped flaming fireballs from the sky and flung them back from whence they came; summoned up great storms to smash the ships against one another and dash them upon walls of ice. He sundered hulls with a touch, metalbending great gaping orifices in them and sending their armored crews plummeting to a watery grave. There was no time to think, blink, to breathe, there was only the fight.
And what a fight it was.
He fought and fought and fought, but maker, they just kept coming! For every single one he slew three more were there to take its place; for every cruiser crushed there was another surging forward to breach the Northern Wall. They were nearing the sixth hour now, he and Azula, and even the dread power of the Avatar State could only sustain him so long. The full moon was rising, which promised retribution from the Waterbenders, but out here in the fleet, it meant nothing more than a light for him to fight by.
He supposed he could take some solace in the fact that Aang and the others were fighting just as hard back in the city; especially Sokka. He had someone to fight for now, after all, certainly, since Yue's fiance had met that unfortunate "accident" back there on the front lines...
"You're impossible." Azula's voice echoed in his head. "I can't believe you did something like that!"
"Hey," the blond found himself sniping, the kid deserves to be happy. 'Sides, that little prick deserved to die-
"Avatar Naruto!"
Uzumaki paused in thought, his hand still locked firmly around a soldier's throat. A savage wrench sent the man to the afterlife. He turned slowly, regarding the one who had spoken. A familiar face. Zhao's face. No, not quite the same person. Different. Younger. Without those ugly sideburns. Releasing the man-made-corpse into the sea Naruto turned, opening his hand for a hot blast of fire. The man did not flinch at the sudden surge; instead he caught it, his fingers curling around the inferno with contemptuous ease. Snuffing it out.
At his side, Azula hissed. A real look of genuine fear flashed in her eyes.
"Monkey feathers...why is he here?!"
The newcomer said nothing at his approach, boots clanking hollowly against the metal deck. He spared a curious glance at the former princess, dismissing her with a simple, "Interesting," before his burning amber orbs locked upon Naruto once more.
"So you're the Avatar." it was not a question. "No wonder you destroyed my father. Ah, but where are my manners. Admiral Lee," here he gave a gracious bow, his dark hair flashing in the light of the flames. "Master and commander of the fine forces you see before you." There was something...something...off about him, Naruto thought. Something different. Strange. Wrong. As if he were touched, somehow. That smile made him shudder; it spoke of a keen mind, of limitless ambition, and both the will and the means by which to use both.
"I see you've chosen your side, Lady Azula."
The firebender huffed, trying to bluster her way out of those piercing orbs. "That's none of your concern."
"Perhaps." Lee conceded the point. "You weren't the one who killed my father."
Naruto frowned.
"You don't sound particularly upset."
"I'm not, really." he replied. "But as his only heir, honor dictates that I avenge him."
"And just how do you plan to do that?"
Admiral Lee smiled, the picture of serenity. A single hand rose, igniting a small burst of jade fire within. Green fire? Huh. That...that was certainly a new one.
"On my honor, and in the name of my deceased father, I challenge you to an Agni Kai." he declared loudly. "A firebending duel! No Avatar state, no other elements. What say you, avatar?! Do you accept my challenge?" There was a cool flame in his voice, a subtle, frozen anger that immediately set the blond on edge. This was no base bender. This was a master. Greater perhaps, even than Zhao.
"The terms?"
"If you win, my men shall withdraw from the North without further conflict. If I win...
...then we surrender." Icey realization dawned on Naruto. Lee just might be a better Firebender than him. Such a challenge was weighed in his favour. And yet...he couldn't refuse him. He'd been walled into a corner. To back down now would make him seem like a coward. Darn his honor. As much as he might despite the Earth Kingdom, even he had to admit that this man had some semblance of honor. He wasn't an ant tangled in cold strings of cruelty, rather, someone who would keep his world. And the cheeky bastard had just outmaneuvered him.
Sighing, he shucked his coat.
"I accept."
Lee bowed. "I am honored."
Azula balked, eyes bulging as Naruto cocked a fist back.
"What?!"
That was all she had time for before black fire collided with emerald flames.
A/N: WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?! Aaand there you have it! The focus was on almost everyone this chapter, although June stole more of the spotlight than most. She's such a tragic character; I can't help but enjoy writing her character out sometimes. I just really get into it. She's evolving not only as a person but as a potential queen as well.
Anywho, I worked extremely hard on this one, so I hope to hear what you think! Pairing is now OFFICIALLY HAREM And on a final note, thank you to everyone offering emotional support in regard to my health woes. Its greatly appreciated! An awful lot is going to change in this story soon! Look forward to an epic prank next chapter...provided my health holds out.
So...in accordance to the prophecy...
...Review, Would You, Dear Reader? And of course, enjoy the preview! What will be his fate?!
(Preview)
Zuko stared into the eyes of the one who'd come to kill him
"Just...just make it quick."
The man raised a hand...!
Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D