A/N: Its a plot bin day today; these, and the other three. I'm too ill to do anything else.

Even writing this makes my hands ache. Speech to text is a thing this old man doesn't know how to use.

Very quickly before I forget, Forgotten Son, Far From Home, A Boy's Journey, and Rise of a Beast Hero should be this week. Somewhat in the order. Ideally I'd like to update Genshin and Doctor of Demons as well, but time will tell.

With my fifteen year anniversary on this site here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.

And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.

Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. The recent earthquake in Turkey/Syria serves as a terrible example. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.

Might fuse this bit with "At the Edge" in honor of the finale...and a certain crossover movie we do not speak about. But for now it a fragment.

Do let me know what you think; I'm off to get some rest...

...seems you're stranded, too. Gotta name?"

Who, me? I'm Naruto. As to where we are, a cat called this place the Ever After...

Hey, hey. Don't give me that look. The cat talks back. I'm perfectly sane, I'll have you know...

~?

Wonder of Wonders

Her head hurt.

Gods above, it felt like someone was crushing her skull.

Sitting up only made it worse; the moment she did her world burst into stars; the pain so intense that she found herself pitching forward with a gasp. Something splashed against her ankle. Her fingers dug in against wet sand. She barely felt it. Water? Why was there water and sand here? Was she on a beach somewhere? Her lungs ached; the mere act of breathing proved an effort in and of itelf.. Had she drowned?

...what have we here?"

A shadow fell over her.

Blearily, she squinted at them.

A rough looking young man. The sun hid his face. Not so the rest of him.

"I wasn't aware you humans could breathe water."

"We can't." came a grunt. "Had to fish her out of the sea and give her CPR. She barely survived as it is."

...so much for breakfast, I suppose. She hardly looks edible. Look at her, all skin and bones.

The Girl blinked, coughed up water. "...why is there a cat sitting on your shoulders?"

The young man tilted his head in return. "Why isn't there one on yours?"

She didn't really have an answer to that. Sleep took her before she could muster a response.

Life returned in fits and spurts after that. Vaguely she was aware of being carried. The sound of birds in trees, of wildlife teeming all around. For some reason that soothed her nerves. She felt at home in such a place, in the glory of nature, unfettered by the constructions of mankind. As if she were at home. Where was home? The memory slipped out of her grasp and she floundered in the dark once more.

Voice stirred at her as she slept.

.

..

...what is she?"

"You're asking me? Dunno."

...I suppose we're going to take her with us, aren't we?"

"Might as well. She nearly drowned. I can't just leave her on the beach...

"You could, but that doesn't seem to be your style. Now, now, don't give me that look. Its getting dark. You'll need to build a fire. Trust me, you don't want to be out here without one...

Something nudged the Girl and she awoke.

Bleary eyes blinked. she'd been laid on the ground and the same young man from before -she took him in at a glance, tired blue eyes, whiskered cheeks with the barest beginnings of a beard, tawny blond hair- crouched before her, face limned in the low light of a campfire. Why was it night? It had been morning a moment ago, hadn't it? Idly she noted he only had one arm.

She could see that cat blue-and-purple cat of his from before curled up near the fire. Its tail twitched lazily in sleep.

"Here." the young man pressed an earthen cup into her cold fingers, distracting her oncemore. "You gotta drink; need to get some fluids in you. Ya've been out all day."

The girl could see her reflection in its water. The pale visage of a teenager gazed back at her; framed by a golden tiara with a red star in the center, dark hair, a bruised cheek, and deep blue eyes. She stared at them. They stared back. She kept staring, waiting for something to job her memory.

...nothing. She didn't remember...anything. "Who am I?"

A shrug. "I can't answer that for you. Only you can."

Therein lie the problem.

...seems you're stranded, too. Gotta name?" when she only blinked, a tired smile bloomed on those whiskered cheeks. Who, me? I'm Naruto. As to where we are, a cat called this place the Ever After." she kept staring and that smile became indignant. "Hey, hey. Don't give me that look. The cat talks back. I'm perfectly sane, I'll have you know...

Know. For some reason the word gnawed at her.

What did she know? What indeed? What?

Nothing. Seeing her face did nothing.

"I...don't know?" The girl palmed her face, her voice growing higher, eyes wider with each passing moment. "I don't know." repeating the word only made it worse. "I don't know!" her breath hitched in her chest. "WHO AM I?! Why can't I remember anything?!" She tried! She really did! The most she could recall was a fight; she and her friends had been fighting something, but everything else was a hopeless blank. "Who...?!"

Naruto knelt beside her, one hand out to defend himself. "Now just calm down-

"I can't!" She latched onto him for dear life. I don't know who I am! You have to tell me!"

"Oi!" he flung up his good arm. "I don't have any idea who you are, either!"

She wanted -craved!- the kindness of comfort, the surety of soft words, but the young man before her seemingly didn't know how to give them. He watched her warily; as though she were some wild animal that might bite him at any moment. Perhaps she was. She certainly felt like one. All her emotions ran amok, tearing through her chest like a raging hurricane.

Tears burned in her eyes. She tried to hold them. Failed, now.

"Aw, jeez, don't cry. Its gonna be okay!"

Too late. She bawled like a baby.

A/N: Ought to be obvious who that girl was. Lets see if folks figure it out...though the preview outright states it.

Aaaand there we go. Hope you enjoyed this little tease.

Soooo? Should this be a story? Once again! This is an AU.

Hope someone, somewhere, enjoyed this. I just don't know anymore these days. Its terribly hard to tell...

So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review...Would You Kindly? Let me know what you think!

Preview are the same, because this just might become a story...

...but of course, that depends on feedback.

Hope you enjoy 'e~!

(Previews!)

"Her name is Diana. She mumbled it in her sleep."

Time passes quickly here.

"I noticed. My hairs too damn long and I'm growing a beard.

Indeed. I daresay if you wore armor, it would have been rusted by now...

Someone else fell into the Ever After soon thereafter.

"My, my!" a paw poked and prodded the prone, burnt body. "You humans are just cropping up all over the place, aren't you? You're the third one this month after Naruto. Wherever did you come from-yeow!" those words became a yelp as a hand grabbed his tail. "Ouch! That's actually quite painful! Would you mind releasing me?!" They did not; in fact they tightened their grip and dragged him closer. "Naruto! Help, help! I think she's going to eat me!"

This close, he got a glimpse at the battered, burnt girl. Who was she? So many questions.

She was barely breathing, the poor thing. And those burns! "Where...am I...?"

The Cat blanched. Oh, dear. She couldn't die here. Dying would be so very boring. "Naruto! Quickly, please!"

"Don't rush me, ya damn cat, I'm coming...this one better know who she is...

He growled at the Jabberwalker as it grappled with him. "You think you can eat me, bitch? I'll eat you! KURAMA!"

It screamed. "No!

"Yes."

"Its not death, its rebirth. The tree could help you. Restore you. Fix what's broken inside. You could have your arm back. You could be whole again. Leave your pain behind."

Naruto laid a hand on the bark..."will I still be me?"

The Cat frowned. "I supposed that depends."

Naruto tilted his head toward him. "On?"

"On what you define as...well, you."

R&R~!