A/N: Writing this while hungover, and it affected this chapter somewhat. Apologies.

Well that was a wild birthday. Spent most of yesterday partying as well, and today I'm recovering, sorry about that. Still! I've been lax this month with the updates and I'm determined to press on, even if I feel like shite.

Another year older, wiser, and with even more grey hairs.

Makes a man feel proper old. Hard to believe I've been at this for almost fifteen years...

Speaking of which!

I'll say it plain, if this email opt-in business with the site doesn't get resolved soon, I'm probably going to retire.

It HURTS to say that; but with this new system, reviews and readers have dropped to an all time low, authors are leaving the site in droves, and it feels like the end of an era.

At times, the app helps mollify this. But not always.

If you're not already aware of it, ever since the 16th of November, -more than two months ago, now!- you're required to turn ON your email alerts in account settings-MAKE SURE YOU CLICK SAVE SETTINGS!-else you won't be notified when anyone updates. No alerts, no email, no nothing. Apparently that's a thing we all have to do every ninety days or so, now. Alas, not many are aware of it...which is a problem. As things stand this new "fix" as it were, has cut everyone's viewership/reviewers in half because most folks don't know about it. Authors are leaving/quitting because of this.

Sometimes opting in works. Sometimes it doesn't. Really depends. Hopefully the devs can fix tweak/update this system before everyone leaves.

So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this story, and all others.

No questions this time. Only story. Alright then, I've kept you long enough. Lets get back to it.

Once more, I own no quotes, references, or memes. Not a wit or a one. NOT! A! THING!

They're all tributes to legends far greater than little 'ol me.

Here we go.

"If I had to describe this situation -or that man!- with one word...it would be an avalanche.

He starts small. Wears your down. A pebble here. A bit of loose dirt there...

...by the time you notice, its too late. There's not stopping it now.

~?

Madness My Friend

Powder stared into the mirror.

A stranger gazed back at her within hollow glass. Matched her motions now as she laid a hand against the thin pane. Even the thin, hesitant smile she wore was the same. She almost didn't recognize the stranger staring back at her. Had she always looked so..lean? And mean? Not thin or even skinny, but strong. She wanted to say yes, but she knew the truth wasn't so simple anymore.

"..."

Somewhere along the line she'd begun to change. Naruto's training had been the catalyst, but there could be no denying the end result. Vander would've scoffed to hear her say such a thing. Change as a natural part of living. She was growing up. Her hair was longer; she noticed that now she took time to look yet there was more to it than that; she could see the beginnings of who she was, who she would be in a few years; the faintest glimpse of what her future might become if she continued down this path...

.

.

...and she wasn't sure she liked it.

Yes, she had power but she had to be careful with it, take more care than she ever had before. She'd already hurt Vi, driven Mylo and Claggor away. But she was strong now. Wasn't she? She had the power to change her fate. Her destiny. Wasn't that worth it?

"Strong?" her reflection sneered at her, startling her terribly. "Nah, you're weak."

Powder jerked back and closed her eyes. "What? No. No, I'm not...!"

When she looked back to the mirror she found someone else staring back at her. Not a child. A woman grown, a maddened willowy thing, tall and emaciated with long hair and wild violet eyes. She laughed at her, a pale hand over her mouth, long braids swaying side to side as she giggled madly.

"You're gonna screw up again." The image before her tittered. "He'll abandon you, ya know."

Powder took a deep breath to steel herself. "You're not real." she exhaled, breathing her fear out. "Leave me alone."

"Not real?" Her -future- self rasped out a laugh. "Listen to yourself, kiddo. You already messed up once. What's to say you won't again? All you do is drive everyone away...

"Not listening to you...

Her madness crooned at her. "We both know what you really are...

A muscle jumped in her jaw. "Stop."

...what you'll always be.

Powder whirled away from the mirror, only to find she couldn't. Confusion bloomed in her heart and found itself strangled by terror. What, how...?

"You think you can just walk away from this?" her "self" wagged a long finger at her. "Nope. Nuh-uh. Negatory! After all, you're a...

She clamped both hands over her ears. This was a dream. Just a bad dream. That's all it was. Wake up. Wake up, wake up!

...Jinx."

Her entire body convulsed. How she hated that word-loathed it with every fiber of her being. It was everything she was, everything she wasn't, everything she would and would not be. She pinched her arm furiously. Pain roared trough her wrist but still she didn't wake up. Her eyes bulged. Why couldn't she wake up?

A hand with chipped fingernails settled on her shoulder. "Ain't now waking up from this nightmare, honey. This is real. You're awake."

Powder whirled but no one was there. Just her and the smiling mirror.

"You're a Jinx." the Mirror laughed at her. "No away around it."

She hunkered down, staring at the floor. "I said stop!"

They only laughed louder. "Jiiinx."

"Knock it off already!"

"Jiiiiiinx~!"

Powder whirled away and bashed her head against the wall. Once, twice, thrice now. The pain left her with a roaring headache; but it also brought her clarity and silenced the Voice. She took a small shuddering breath. Looked back to the mirror now. It was silent and still, her own pensive frustrated face stare back at her. She exhaled softly, covered her eyes with one hand, then slumped against the wall. Silence at last. She was safe. She was fine. She was alright. Must've been the stress getting to her. Yeah, that was it. Nothing to worry about. She wasn't losing her mind. She wasn't/

Cold lips brushed her ear, a whisper soft as a feather's brush. "Jinx."

Powder's eyes -and her world! went red.

"Raaargh!"

Her temper sparked, sanity snapped, and her self screamed. She swung at her doppelganger -her madness!- with a shriek. Clenched knuckles barreled into the mirror head on; a singular chakra-empowered punch. Her self shattered. Broken glass tumbled to the floor, fracturing into countless images of herself. They laughed at her, loud now, louder, LOUDEST-

"Powder!"

She jolted and came back to herself. Why did her hand hurt so much...?

Naruto poked his head in from the hall, regarding her and the broken mirror with a pensive expression.

Sure enough, his eyes were drawn to her bloody knuckles. He took one loot at the broken glass at her feet. "What happened here?"

Shame turned her face red. She looked away with a huff. "Nothin'...?"

He entered the room fully.

"Powder."

She wilted under her mentor's stern gaze. "I got a little too excited, alright? Its nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing to me."

She never knew if or when he he saw through her; couldn't tell if now was one of those times. But for all that, he didn't mock her. He simply knelt, pulled a roll of gauze from his pack with one hand, conjured up a chakra limb with the other and offered that palm to hers. His intent was clear. Even so she found herself too stubborn to respond.

Her mentor tutted softly. "Hand."

She placed her bloody fingers in his. No fair. His hand was so damn big. It dwarfed hers in every way. Rather than retort Naruto sighed softly and began the painstaking process of wrapping her bloody knuckles. It was a surprisingly tender gesture from someone who professed next-to-no experience in the realm of first aid. A gentle golden glow stemmed from his fingertips, speeding the healing on, but not mending it completely. Maybe he was distracted...?

As he worked, she got a better look at him. Rather, his outfit.

He'd changed it since she'd seen him last. Gone were his colorful clothes, in their places he wore an outfit of purest black, its hood slumped over his shoulders. Judging by the fabric bunching around his neck had half-mask to wear, too. She almost snorted at the sight of it. She knew ninja were meant to wear all black, but still...

She looked him up and down. Frowned. "...that outfit looks awful."

"Its only temporary, and I need it for what I'm about to do." he tousled her hair. "I'm going to settle things tonight and take responsiblity for this. For all of it."

She knew what he was going to say next. "I can help! Don't tell me to stay here!"

He winked down at her. "Wouldn't dream of it, kid. You with me?"

She quivered at the trust in his eyes. "...'till the end."

"Good. I've got an outfit for you, too." he pulled a parcel from his pouch and gave it to her. "Get dressed. I'll be waiting in the hall.

Powder had never moved so quickly in all her life. She donned the black attire hastily, clumsily, fearing he'd leave her behind.

Sure enough, Naruto awaited her just outside the door.

He looked her up and down. Nodded now. "Ready?"

She nodded eagerly.

"Good." Naruto tugged up his hood. "Follow me."

Together, they vanished into the shadows.

A/N: Aaaaand scene.

Next time: Has to be Me/Someone Else Might've Gotten It Wrong

As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here. That's no joke. Really, it isn't. If folks don't like this...well, I'll not continue it. Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule, I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!

Reviews are my lifeblood. Without them, I cannot write.

So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Revieeeeew, Would You Kindly?

They keeps an old man alive.

And enjoy the previews.

As ever:

SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

Get ready to smile~!

Obvious references are obvious~!

(POTENTIAL!) Previews! What can I say? I've been busy.

"Hands up!"

Naruto held his up with a smile.

"Hello, hello! Is Grayson in? I'd like...a word."

"I finally found you! You little shit, you made a fool of me! I'll make you pay!"

Powder quirked a brow. "Deckard, right? Scram. I don't have time for-

The boy tipped a vial back and drank.

His muscles bulged. Body twisting.

"DIE."

"You're my sister!"

"Choose, Powder. What will your answer be?"

The world erupted into blue light.

EDIT: Hey, you made it!

As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here. That's no joke. Really, it isn't. If folks don't like this, if people don't enjoy...well, I won't continue it. What's the point in writing something no one likes? Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule -two jobs!- I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!

Looking forward to chatting with you all~!

R&R~!