Disclaimer: I own nothing, everything belongs to their own, respective authors and I'm not making squat from this either. ^.^
*Flames will be used to heat my coffee.
Blackhaven18: there's going to be angst in this chapter, just thought I should give you all a little warning.
PS: This chapter is dedicated to two people, stephvamp25 for 'shattered', an absolutely wonderful poem, which is actually the theme of this chapter ^.^ and to Divina17 for her sweet art piece. Which hopefully she'll allow me to post the link for. =)
Riddicks-gurl1998: Well, here's the meet and greet. I'm afraid it's not all smiles and hugs and is more on the angsty side...
Utena-Puchiko-nyu: Thanks!
Winter Alais: I know. Personally, whenever I read the Twilight books Sam just gave off this 'My-way-or-the-highway.' vibe. Not that it isn't bad in certain cases, but there's a time for it and his constant prejudice's and 'I-know-all' attitude was really starting to make me angry. Also, I'm glad you like the whole 'Traveler' thing. ^.^
stephvamp25: Lol, thanks! As I was writing this chapter I kept thinking 'Finally! They meet!' Now I just need to get them to meet 'properly.' *Sighs* You'll see what I mean when you read this. An author's job is never over I guess.
HumanSage: Thanks! and no I don't mind, 'Blackhaven18' is a mouthful after all and is bound to cause hand cramping at some point, Lol.
Divina17: Getting your review made me so happy! I'm glad you like it so far, =D Also, I'd like to get your permission to share the awesome picture you drew. I looked it up the moment I saw your email and nearly fell out of my share seeing it. I think It represents Naruto perfectly.
Sunakolllx: Lol, glad you like the AMV's and the story. To answer your second comment, your right, and it won't be the last we see of her either.
Fates Illusion: I did the same thing a few months ago and got squat. That's when this little beauty invaded my mind, now I'm afraid to end it, Lol. Thanks, I'm sure the move won't be too bad. I seriously hope I didn't just jinx myself.
Name: Sea of Flames: Trilogy, Part 1.
Summary: Naruto was banished from Konoha for over two years and while he was gone something huge happened. Naruto hasn't been the same since. Now though, he's had enough of being used as a tool and leaves Konoha to start what he hopes is a new life, where people won't judge him for the demon inside.
More information available in the (Fake) Theatrical trailer and MV's on my Blackhaven18 account in Youtube. Sorry it won't let me post the actual links...
Rating: Pg-13 to start out, it will move to M and possibly MA.
Pairings: EdwardXBella, EdwardXNaruto, JasperXAlice, EmmettXRosalie, CarlisleXEsme, JessicaXJacob.--- Betcha' you didn't see that one coming.
Warnings: Slash, BoyXBoy, Yaoi, angst, suicide attempts, possible mental breakdowns, mentions of blood and gore, Sakura Bashing, some Sasuke Bashing, Kakashi bashing, and Danzo bashing (though I think we hate him already, ne?)
Shattered
Behind this smile no one notices how shattered I am
Every day I wake up and look in the mirror and all I see is the truth (I see what I am)
I put on a mask that hides my pain and wonder why no one notices how shattered I truly am
all they see is a smile,
that stupid smile
Behind this smile no one notices how shattered I am
By: stephvamp25
Chapter 6: Shattered
"Dude! There he is!" Quil yelled over the roar of thunder pointing to a bobbing mass of blond a few leagues away... unfortunately it was right next to Jacob's ear.
"If I go deaf in that ear I will hunt you down!" Jacob yelled right back as Nate pulled out a mesenger bag from his truck and slung it over his waist before heading over to the group, sans Sam. Nate waved to an older man and women in the car as they drove off.
Nate seemed to have grown another few inches since the last time they saw him and was now standing at a proud five foot eleven, not quite breaching six feet, but close enough. Before he had easily been the shortest of the group and the more... approchable because of it.
A group of large, hulking boys did sort of scream 'Beware!' if someone didn't know them of course.
Nate though was always wearing a constant smile that put people at ease in his presence and drew them in, even now with his height gain people couldn't help but openly stare at him.
Only they knew how quick that easygoing nature of his could switch to that of a killer in an instant...
"Over here! Follow Quil's idiotic ramblings!" Jacob yelled over the crowd waving a hand as he did so and watched as the blond jogged over to their little picnic alcove.
"It's been awhile Jake." Nate chuckled as Seth stood next to him using his hand to measure their now obvious height difference.
"S'not fair..." He whined and Nate ruffled his hair.
"Oh, yes it is. I was the shortest of everyone I knew for fourteen years. Even the girls! and if I can last that long there's not doubt you'll be able to do the same. Who know's, you might just outgrow the brick wall over here." Nate jerked his thumb in Jacob's direction and outright laughed at the glare.
"Hey! I am not that big."
"Sure your not and I'm not blond."
"There's no way that's your real color." Quil stated, "You must have dyed it."
"Sorry man, but I've got to agree with Quil on this one. It looks like your hair was attacked with a highlighter." Jacob added in, thankful for the oppurtunity for a jab.
Nate glared and ran a hand through the mess, "It only looks like that because everything here is so dark, " He all but hissed in retaliation, "And this is my real color. Here, look and be amazed gentlemen." Nate reached into the messenger bag he was carrying and pulled out a small photo wrapped in plastic to protect it from the elements. "Harm it in any way and I'll make your lives a living hell."
The photo was of a small baby, obviously wailing his lungs out, wrapped in a blue blanket and being held close by a grandfather they guessed. As the old man stood smirking down at the bundle they could't help but notice a bright mop of highlighter blond hair on the child's head.
"No way!" Quil shouted in disbelief and and handed the photo back.
"It's just part of my natural charm."
Jacob snorted, "Sure."
Nate ignore him, "What the hell are we all standing around for? Ya'll said you were going to show me around, hop to it!" He clapped his hands in dismisal.
"Yes, master, sir." Jacob drawled.
"Giddyup!"
"I'm not a damn horse, Riven." Nate laughed and pulled out a rather freaky looking white mask from the depths of his bag.
"Now, let's visit this forest of your shall we? I can show you how fast I can kick your ass down from that pedistal."
Bella stood in the kitchen of her home and twirled her finger around the cord of the telephone as it rang for the tenth time. She felt her bottom lip throb as she bit it again in nervousness. What if he didn't want to speak with her? Or told her he didn't want to be her friend anymore?
(Hello?) A voice sounded from the other end and Bella nearly sighed when she was able to get through this time.
"Hi, Billy. Can I speak to Jacob?"
(...)
"Please, Billy? He hasn't spoke to me in ages... and the argument we had left things bad between us. I just want to make sure he's alright." She pleaded when the man went silent on the other end.
(... I... I'm not sure that's such a good idea Bella. He's perfectly healthy, had bout with the flu not long ago, but other than that he's fine.) Billy answered.
Why would Jacob let one relationship ruin a childhood of friendship? It just didn't make any sense... Unless...
"Billy... you told me that the Cullens' weren't good people to hang around with, then a few days later Jacob comes by and practically begs me to break off my relationship with Edward... Just what aren't you telling me?"
(Bella, this really isn't a good time. We have a guest staying over and I really need to ge things ready for him.) Billy always had been a good actor...
"Yeah, alright. I'm sorry for the interruption."
(No, problem. I'll make sure to tell Jake you called.)
"Thank you, bye."
(Goodbye, Bella.)
~Beep, beep, beep~
She placed the phone back into its cradle and let out a long sigh. "Where did everything go wrong?" She murmured and grabbed the notepad on the counter to write a brief note to her father.
Charlie, heading to town with Edward and Jasper.
I have my cell phone if you need anything.
Love, Bella.
Quickly pasting it to the fridge she grabbed a hair tie and bunched her hair into a messy bun before she made her way out to Edwards' ostentacious car...
"Edward? Are you alright?" Bella asked when Edward seemed to be staring off into space again.
"Hmm? I'm fine Bella, just something Alice said is all."
"Does she want to take you shopping again?" She smirked at how persuasive Alice could be in getting her way.
"My impending doomsday with her is nothing to fret about, love."
Bella laughed and contiued to look out at the scenary passing them by.
Flashback:
It was a quarter to nine, plenty of time to reach Bella and Edward began to put away the piano sheet music. He looked up when Alice stood in the doorway, looking at him in a contemplative and worried fashion.
"Is something the matter, Alice?"
Alice walked further into the room, paced for a but before tugging on her sleeve nervously.
All were worrisome actions because he had never seen Alice in such a state, even when she relayed the knews about 'The Traveler,' or the mysterious man at school.
She looked at him again and sighed.
"Edward... the only advice I have for you today is to follow your heart..." and with that bit of cryptic, cliched information she walked out of the room, leaving behind a very confused vampire.
End Flashback:
'Just what could she have meant...?' Edward thought and helped Bella from the car...
Pushing those thoughts away he turned to Bella, "Alright, shall we just walk around today? Maybe visit some of the stores?"
"That sounds like fun."
When Edward left to make a brief call, leaving Jasper to watch from afar, Bella walked to one of her more favorite stores in the tiny town of Forks'.
She shifted through some of the older CD labels in the music store and heard the chiming bell of the door behind her, expecting Edward she looked up. Instead though, she saw a man with unreal blond hair, dripping wet and splattering water all over the previously dry floor.
He held his hands up in mock defence when the store keeper glared at him for ruining the floors.
"Sorry about dripping, it's coming down out there, " he said and the clerk faced away from him muttering something she was sure she didn't want to hear.
Letting out a sigh at being let off he walked his way over to the rock section of the store and pulled out a couple CD's, ACDC, Bon Jovi, Breaking Benjamin and Nickelback were some of the titles she was able to see before he turned away. What was most odd she noticed were the scars decorating his cheeks.
Seeing her stare he smiled a cheery grin, that surprisingly enough reminded her of Jacob and she blushed at having been caught before studiously looking down again.
'Odd, I don't think I've seen him around before...' She thought as walked further down the aisle.
"'Scuse me?" She heard and snapped her gaze to see the stranger directly in front of her looking at her with a curious gaze, she couldn't help it, she gasped at the sudden proximity and stepped back.
As she took a step back her foot, unknowingly, caught of the stack of records at least as high as she was and the entire thing came tumbling down with a loud crash.
"Hey! What do you kids think you're doing?!" The store clerk yelled at them, eyeing the stack of records.
"I'm sorry sir, I must have startled her and she accidentally tripped over this hazardous stack of misplaced records. It really is a miracle she wasn't hurt, now wasn't it. After all suing a small store really sounds a bit much, don't you?" The stranger's blue eyes narrowed, full to the brim with implications and the clerk stuttered. "I'll make sure to set the stack up again though, no worries." He smiled his cheery smile again and turned back towards Bella to help her clean up the mess. "Sorry about that, I only wanted to ask if you knew where the school is in this area. I didn't think it was safe asking that fool." He looked back towards the clerk.
Letting out a light laugh she answered, "The school? Ah, yes. Forks' High is a little ways from town, in fact if you stay on the main road, heading south you can't miss it."
"So, I was right. You're a student aren't you?"
"Yeah, I'm a junior this year."
He smiled, "Good to meet you miss junior. It'll be nice to know someone when I start next year, I'm Nate Riven."
"Bella Swan."
She quickly picked up a few more records while Nate started at the otherside of the pile.
"Bella? Is everything alright?" She heard from the doorway and looked up to see Jasper staring at her new aquaintace warily.
"Yeah, I just tripped and brought the entire stack down with me. Nate, here is helping me pick it up because he scared me." Bella replied with a smile, ignoring when Nate muttered 'traitor' underneath his breath playfully.
"She's right, it's my fault. I kind of snuck up on her while she was staring off into space."
Nate stood momentarily to properly introduce himself, "Nate Riven." He held out his hand and saw as both Bella and her 'guard' stiffened at the gesture. 'Interesting, he's obiously been trained to an extent. He seems uncomfotable at any skin contact and proximity though,' He thought and watched at the other man size him up took his hand to shake it, looking slightly awed at him when Nate stepped away.
"Jasper Hale," he quickly added in.
"Edward should be joining us shortly, " Jasper said once Nate was at the cash register to pay for his music and noticed as Nate paused at the name.
He shrugged it off as good timing when he saw the look the clerk gave him, the sneer more than likely being the cause for his stillness. There was no possible way Nate could hear him from this distance.
Nate put the CD's into his messenger bag, before heading back to them. He stopped on the other side of them, his back facing the door.
"It's been good meeting you both, but I have people waiting on me and need to leave. See you around?" He asked as the bell above to door rang out again, Bella's face instantly brightened when she saw the person standing behind Nate.
"Of course, Nate." Bella said, "Edward, there you are, I want you to meet someone. This is Nate Riven, my new friend."
Edward stood next to Bella and faced Nate, familiar blue eyes locked with his and shocked him to his core. 'I-It can't be...' He thought as he saw 'Nate's' eyes widen in recognition upon seeing him. He could hear as the blond's heartbeat picked up dramatically, seemingly trying to burst from his chest as it slammed against his ribcage.
'N-Naruto?' He thought and saw the blond step back, glaring a hole through Edward's head. 'Why can't I hear anything from him...?'
Both Bella and Jasper cringed at the look that seemed quite at home on the blond's face, like he'd used that look a million times before. It was one they didn't expect from the cheery person they were just speaking with.
Nate bolted out into the pouring rain before Edward had the chance to say more at a rather remarkable speed and Edward moved to give chase, asking Jasper to look out for Bella while he was gone. He ran down the street he saw Naruto run down following the scent the blond exuded when it just abrubtly ended a little further down and nothing was left but the smell of burning wood.
He let out a growl of utter frustration and had no chocie but to turn back...
Jasper watched from across the way under a small overhang as Bella walked into the music store and as a blond man joined her a while later. He moved forward when he saw the man move closer to Bella and his sensitive hearing caught the conversation.
"'Scuse me?" The blond asked and he moved quickly when Bella gasped and tripped over a large stack of records, looking sheepish when the cleark reprimanded her.
Jasper smiled slightly when the blond told the clerk off and helped Bella clean up the mess with an apology for scaring her. Hearing them speak he figured now was as good a time to intervene and stepped inside.
"Bella? Is everything alright?" He asked and he watched at the two bantered and poked fun at each other as if they were good friends.
Bella introduced her friend as 'Nate Riven' and Japser was reluctant to shake his hand when the man moved forward, but when the scent wafted over him he stopped, confused. The man smelled nothing like the temptation he was expecting and he couldn't help but still at the revalation.
He felt his gift reach out and this mysterious person confused him even more... how could he laugh and smile like that when there was nothing but turmoil on the inside. He felt a wave of negative emotions, grief, pain, anger, heartache, the young man was a completely and utterly shattered piece of work...
Thet conversed for a bit and Nate slinked away to purchase his CD's, he came back and told them he needed to leave for prior engagements when Edward walked through the door.
"Edward, there you are, I want you to meet someone. This is Nate Riven, my new friend." He heard Bella say and watched at the peculiar meeting.
Both stiffend upon spotting each other and their emotions were so alike it was kind of frightening, confusion, awe, recognition, and warmth, but then Nate's emotions nosedived into hate, anger, and disgust. The unexpected emotions washed over him and he had the urge to rip Edward limb from limb... all coming from the blond in front of them.
He watched at Nate eased back into a defensive position, a hand reaching into his back pocket, waiting.
Edward's jaw seemed to go slack and Nate's clenched as he shifted backward slightly, though before anyone could act Nate bolted from the store and Edward gave chase, returning only a few moments later with a look of frustration.
Now all they had to figure out was how the human lost Edward...
Nate made sure he was a few blocks away before calling upon his chakra and shushining away from the scene. He appeared a little way's from Jacob and Billy's house, but he kept running completely oblivious to the voice that shouted after him and ran further into the forest.
Finally, he stopped at a rocky outcropping and began to level the place.
Jacob was washing the dishes when he saw a flash of flames outside the window... and Nate completely drenched, leaping from the flames to continue running into the forest.
Sensing his friends distress he dropped the plate back into the water and ran outside, despite his father's protests, grabbing a pair of shorts along the way as he saw the speed Nate was traveling at. The rain was so thick he could barely see the movement ahead of him...
"Nate! Hey, wait up!" Jacob yelled and quickly changed to his wolf form to give chase once he was at the edge of the forest. Because he waited to change, Nate had managed quite a distance between them.
, 'Something's horribly wrong, he's never acted like this. What the hell happened?!' He thought distressed and gave a loud whine. A little ways up he heard an enraged scream and following that a loud explosion. 'Shit! Just how far ahead is he?" He thought after a moment when he had yet to reach the area. Finally he reached him.
The entire area was bare, as if a fire had swept over the area and Nate was pummeling a boulder in front of him, large cracks fell off as he continued to punch it with sickening cracks, smearing blood over it as well. Jacob could hardly believe when Nate's forearms began to give off almost and icy scent that burned his nose, but lessened as he grew used to it.
Thunder crashed around them and lightening lit up the sky, muffling the sound Nate was making.
A large sphere-like object materialized in Nate's hand and the blond brought it forward with a yell of "Rasengan!" obliterating the boulder into a fine powder.
He heard a large cracking sound from above and saw the trees above him were still on fire, threatening to collapse. Hearing another crunch and seeing the ground that Nate just hit after the boulder was gone indent into a crater he had finally pulled from his shocked reaction.
He quickly changed and pulled on the shorts before running forward to wrap his arms around Nate's chest. The blond in his arm's struggled half-heartedly. He knew Nate would have been able to break free of he really wanted to. "Nate, buddy, you need to calm down!" He yelled over the growling and roar-like noises the blond was emmitting, but Nate refused.
"No! He's supposed to be dead! I don't get it! He can't be here, it's got to be a trick! They're tricking me, wanting me to break! I'd rather kill myself then let them have that satisfaction!" Nate hissed and stopped struggling as realization dawned on him. Even now the scent was the same, still taunting him. That was irreplacable. To anyone else it would be the same, but Nate's 'freakiness' assured him this was no trick. He really was alive. "Why?" He whispered and tears he promised himself would never fall again began slide down his cheeks. "Why now? Just when I started to heal... I shatter again..." He said in a monotonous tone.
Jacob was at a loss in all their time spent together he had never seen the blond break like this, whatever happened was huge. Instead he pulled the blond down and did the only thing he could do at the moment, he held Nate while the blond cried, whispering 'it's going to be alright,' all the while vowing to shred the man to pieces that reduced his friend to this...
Blackhaven18: and there is chapter 6, Nate/Naruto and Edward's meeting. Probably not what you expected, but it's how I figured Nate/Naruto would react. Especially if he was put on the spot like that.
~TBC~