A/N: Alright!

Back at it again with a nice LONG chapter!

I'm pleased to deliver good news! My sister is home safely and she seems to be doing alright. Her Catscan (not familiar with the terminology) came back clean, and she's up and talking. Rather loudly at that, thank goodness, haha! She's also starving, which is a good sign considering how small she is. Can't say how much of a relief it is to have her back safe. There doesn't appear to be any lasting damage aside from her being tired. Furthermore, she's speaking properly, and eating normally as well. What's scary is that we don't know what caused it in the first place. There's no sign of whatever caused it so I think I can tentatively say she's alright for now.

Thank you for all the wonderful support!

Now, ladies and gentlemen!

I!

AM!

BACK!

HUZZAH!

LONG LIVE THE REQUEST YEARS! In case you haven't noticed, I've been on something of a revival/update spree as of late, breathing new life back into my fics. Flames may have driven me away from them for a time, but I'm back and better than ever, ready to devote my all to this site once more!

Of course when I say "all" I still have to eat and sleep, not to mention work, but you get the picture, right?

On a quick note, I feel I should remind some of my detractors of something. This story has *ahem* interesting and unconventional relationship dynamics If you don't like that sort of thing, than feel free to leave. Also, Aang isn't in this story. He, unfortunately, perished with the rest of the Air Nation. He's dead and gone and won't be coming back to life. Naruko MIGHT see him in the Spirit World perhaps, but I don't want to say anymore for fear of spoiling things. Additionally, she isn't a carbon copy of him.

Events won't always progress according to canon.

Furthermore, its been heavily implied several times now, yet some have failed to see it; Naruko is batshit crazy. Yes, she deflects this often with humor and pranks as well as overabundant affection, but in reality she's raw on this inside. Fractured. Nor is she a pacifist in any sense of the word. Like Korra, she is fiercely proud of the fact that she's the Avatar, yet not to the point of being arrogant because of her title. She knows her limits intimately and respects them.

Even so, she'll fight tooth and nail for her friends and if you hurt them, well...

...spirits help you.

But Neon, you ask, how can the Air Nation be restored if Naruko won't...you know...?

Got a plan for that too.

We good?

Great!

ONWARD~!

Remember that Naruko is an unabashed pervert regarding women and you'll find yourself enjoying this story quite a bit!

We also get to check in on Zuko and see what he's been up to.

This has been a LONG time in coming, and it also serves to further point out that Naruko isn't your average Avatar. Absolutely bonkers perhaps, but she sports some unusual abilities in spite of her vengeful vendetta.

Also, things get a bit...ah...steamy later in this chapter.

And yes, the italics in the first half are intentional.

Furthermore, quotes are intentional.

Once again, I own nothing!

Hope you like it!

"They like fire?! I'll burn them in their homes! In their beds!"

"Hmm. You're a lot angrier than I remember. What happened to you?"

"Fire. Death. Destruction. Lots of things. Also, I think I may or may not have lost my mind."

"Ha! There's the girl I know! Sanity's overrated anyway. Just look at me! I'm mad as a hatter and fit as a fiddle!"

"I've missed you, old friend."

~Naruko and~?

Shadow and Flame

Zuko was dreaming.

He was certain he must be; for nothing else could explain the strange scene in which he found himself. By mischief or miracle he'd returned to the ancient halls of his ancestral home. Seated at his father's side no less. No. This was sheer folly. Impossible. He had no recollection of coming here, no memory of this event, no knowledge of being recalled from his seemingly lifelong mission. Surely he would've remembered such a momentous occasion. After all, he'd been banished. To return to the Fire Nation-to Father-without the Avatar in hand meant almost certain death. Or worse. He'd heard tell of what Ozai had done to those who disappointed or failed him. His face stood in stark testament to that.

So why was he here?

Belatedly, he realized someone had deprived him of the traditional top-knot he often wore in his waking hours, for dark hair fell against his face and into his field of vision. Irritated, the prince huffed aloud and blew a stray strand out of his eyes. Ugh. He avoided wearing his hair down for this very reason. Yet somehow, or perhaps in spite of his ruffled appearance, the royal robes remained. Spirits, what was going on here? What manner of dream was this? Why did he feel so aware? As if he could just reach out and touch the food at the table. On a spur of impulse he reached out to do just that, seizing a nearby bit of fruit and biting deeply into it.

...?!"

The apple felt-and tasted-all too real.

By Agni, what manner of foul sorcery was this?

Indistinct conversation flowed around him like water, stirring his curiosity further.

Craning his neck, the prince stole a glance at his surroundings.

He immediately regretted that decision when he saw his mother seated beside his father. Ursa. Despair and relief took up arms in Zuko's heart and promptly tore to bloody ribbons. No. No, no, no. This was a lie. A trick of some sort. It wasn't happening. She couldn't be here. She was gone. Lost. Missing. As if sensing the weight of her son's regard she turned her head. He wished she hadn't. Instead of that same sad smile she'd oft favored him with in his youth, Zuko saw nothing. No, nothing would have been preferable to the vision of horror she presented him with.

She didn't have a face.

Despite that, she somehow still spoke to him. Old words, painful words, soft, yet somehow still jagged and sharp.

"Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."

Those very words-the last words he'd ever heard from her-cracked at him like a whip, tearing the scab off a wound Zuko thought had long since healed.

"Mother!"

She began to fade from the moment he bolted up from the table; by the time he'd reached her side she was little more than a shadow. Still, Zuko stretched out his hand in the vain hope that he might touch her, in spite of her horrid visage-a lack thereof. Instead he found black smoke between his fingers, tiny wisps curling away into nothingness. Soon even that was gone. The exile felt something shatter in him as he clutched at empty air. Gone again. He should've been numb to her absence by now. He was supposed to be stronger than this. Firm. Noble. Proud. He'd been wrong. He wasn't strong at all.

"Please...don't go...

Bereft, he sank to his knees, uncaring of who witnessed his weakness. In an instant he found himself cast back to that awful day, helpless and alone.

No.

Not alone.

"What on earth are you doing, boy?" his father-or was it truly Ozai?-growled at him from his seat at the head of the table. Zuko didn't have to raise his gaze to know his face; how he must be sneering; scowling at him in open derision. "Get up! Your pathetic weakness shames us all!"

"Poor Zuzu." Azula-no, not his sister! None of this was real!-mocked him with that lilting voice of hers. "You always were such a crybaby...

"You're right. He is weak," Ozai growled in agreement, rising from his seat. "I always knew you were weak! Just like your mother! You failed me that day and you've failed to bring me the Avatar! I have no need for such failures! Banishment was too good for the likes of you!"

"No, I...

Real or not, the fury in his father's eyes and the fire in his hand made Zuko quail. There was always something about that rage that had terrified him; in an instant he was a boy all over again, facing his father for the very first time. The scar on his face seemed to pulse with new life of its own and he found himself powerless to move. Rooted, just as he he'd been on that fateful day. Dream or no, the trauma of past was still very real; it took hold of him now and he could only stare into his approaching doom.

"Begone!"

A light purer than the driven snow blazed into existence between him and the apparition of his father just as launched the searing flame. Interposing itself before the raging Fire Lord in quiet solemnity, the figure raised a hand and effortlessly caught the inferno in its palm. Cradled between pale fingers, their owner soon formed a fist and crushed it out of existence. Then that same hand flicked outward, ripping the Fire Lord and his retinue from their seats with a howling gale. A second speared them against the walls and a third drilled them there.

Miraculously, Zuko found himself spared by the short storm.

"Well." a new voice sighed within the otherworldly radiance that had defended him. "This dream's kinda fucked up. Or is it a vision? Never could tell the difference."

Wait.

He knew that voice!

"Avatar?! What have you done?!"

Rearing back again the Avatar-for it must be her-he nearly attacked.

Waves of light stopped him cold before he could so much as summon a flame.

No, this went beyond mere light, the simple emitting of photons or simple, ordinary chi. The light itself was a physical force, a barrier he couldn't hope to surpass. She stood before him resplendent, clearer than a cloudless sky on a summer afternoon, radiating blue-white glow from every pore as though lit from within. As Zuko looked on in quiet disbelief the overwhelming wraith dimmed and descended to the floor beside him. Revealed was familiar and infuriating face, her beauty marred only by the slightest scowl.

"What, this is the thanks I get for saving you?"

A spark of rage ignited deep within Zuko's chest.

"Save me?" rounding on her, he seizing the impudent blond by the collar of her robes. "SAVE ME?!" he roared, shaking her to and fro, "You're the one who caused this! Why are you here?!"

"As I said, this is a visit." her fine features didn't flinch, even in the wake of his wrath.

"Visit...?"

"What can I say?" she chuckled ruefully. "I'm a special case."

"Are you...sane?"

Naruko favored him with a small smile. Ah, but it was a sad sort of thing, that smile, weighed down by countless burdens.

"Nope. What was your first clue? Now...let go."

A hand snaked out, violently upending his grasp on her robes and hurling him to the floor.

"You'll pay for that!"

"Now, now, scars." she soothed, raising her hands in a placating gesture as he swarmed upright again, "I'm not responsible for any of this. I'm just paying you a friendly visit. Although by the look of things," she inclined her head toward the glowering apparitions of Ozai and Azula, "I'm not welcome here am I? You've got demons of your own."

Was it just his imagination, or did they flinch?

"That's right, I see you over there! Usurper! Murderer!" With that, the full weight of the Avatar's gaze came crashing down upon the dream-Ozai, sending the tyrant reeling back as though he'd been struck by an invisible fist. "Get over here!"

Not one to toy with her prey, Naruko pounced on him, pinning him to the floor.

"You know," she purred over Ozai's pained cry, "I can't wait to meet the real you." her hand flared a molten red, fingers burning into his face like a brand. "Your line's caused me so much pain. Pain I intend to repay. Your ancestor wiped out my friends, my family, my home. And you? You're no different. Just a small man pretending to be big. Well, mister man," for a fleeting moment, Zuko thought he saw those blue eyes burn a raw white, "I'm going to make you suffer for every bloody drop. I suppose I'll have to settle for a pale imitation in the meantime. How ironic. Speaking of irony, ever had your face burned? No? LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT IT FEELS LIKE...!"

CRUNCH.

Common sense forced Zuko to avert his eyes mere moments before Naruko's hand blazed anew.

The telltale scent of scorched flesh told him all he needed to know.

"Why, you...?!"

"Oh, piss off." Naruko flicked a dismissive hand towards the dream-Azula as she started forward. "I'm not interested in a fake. I prefer the genuine article. To quote daddy dearest: BEGONE!"

This time, Zuko wasn't able to look away.

A blaze of impossibly black fire burst from the Avatar's hand and roiled over his dream-sister, rendering her so much ash on the floor.

She didn't even have the breath to scream.

Despite that, Zuko still railed against it.

"Why did you do that?!"

"Why?" Naruko looked at him, aghast. "I thought you'd be grateful."

"Grateful?! Why would I be grateful?! Dream or not, they're still my family!"

He expected her to erupt in anger then, to snap and snarl at him for his dogged stubbornness. Instead, her face fell.

"You blind, bloody fool."

"Excuse me?" Zuko drew level with her, uncaring for the stir it caused in his dream world. "The only fool I see here is you." This was his dream after all, and both Father and 'Zula were now gone from it. What did he have to fear? So what if the Avatar had wormed her way into his dreams. She couldn't possibly kill him here. Again, what did he have to fear?

What, indeed.

"So I'm the fool?" Rather than rise to the bait, her pitying expression only deepened. "If that's what you believe than your truly are lost." her voice seemed to echo with that of another then; as if an ancient, endless series of beings had just taken his measure and found him wanting. "You poor, poor unfortunate soul. I pity you."

"I don't want your pity!"

"Too bad!" she stuck out her tongue in a fit of pique. "You have it!"

A pause followed as her words echoed through the hall.

"You know," Naruko continued, her gaze drooping, "I didn't come here to argue with you. I came to tell you the truth."

"The truth?" Zuko bristled. "What truth is that?"

When she dared raise her gaze to look at him, to truly gaze upon him, Zuko felt his heart lurch.

Perhaps it was a trick of the dream.

Some illusion, conjured by his own mind.

A ruse, concocted by the brilliant little blond.

But in that instant, she shifted her body and brushed her hair from her face.

In that brief moment of weakness, the torchlight pounced and cast itself upon her scars.

It was during times such as these, in those rare moments when his all-encompassing anger didn't cloud his vision, that he remembered. Naruko bore wounds of her own. His was merely confined to his face. Hers pockmarked her jaw and wound their way down that side of her neck before slithering across her arm like an angry snake. Hers ran deeper, far deeper indeed, beyond the physical and into what lay beyond. Still, she wore her disfigurements with pride however and for that, if nothing else, she could be commended.

This...this was such a far cry from her usual behavior that Zuko didn't know how to respond.

He was well and truly stuck.

"The truth about me." Naruko offered quietly, holding her burnt arm aside. "Who I am. Where I came from. How all this started."

"Why?" he croaked.

"I already know plenty about you." she replied stoically. "It only seems fair you get to know a little of me."

Funny how a few syllables can unnerve a man.

There was something vulnerable about the way she'd uttered the last word.

Jagged.

Sharp.

Raw.

With that, Zuko found himself-dare he say it?-feeling conflicted for perhaps the first time in his life.

The Avatar-Naruko!-was the enemy. He'd been raised to believe it since birth. Anyone not of the Fire Nation was the enemy. But she was the key to his freedom, his honor, his everything. He couldn't kill her; if he did so, he lost his chance home. Yet in that same vein, she made him question everything he knew. He'd spent enough time on that ship with her to know how she worked. There was just something about that voice of hers that made you want to listen, caused you to question your very beliefs, the way she looked at him, the pain in his eyes, the need to be understood...in that moment, pride reared its ugly head.

Never!

He refused to be swayed!

"Be quiet! I won't listen to your lies!"

Something flashed across her scarred face, gone before he could recognize it.

Hurt?

No, that was impossible. This wild girl didn't know the meaning of the word. How could she possibly be upset by his response?

"Lies, is it?" Azure eyes narrowed. "Then we have nothing more to discuss. Goodbye, Zuko."

Just like that, she turned her back on him and marched away.

Oddly enough, this incensed Zuko, more than he knew.

His scarred eye began to twitch furiously.

"Don't walk away from me!"

Naruko didn't reply.

"Damnit, I said come back!"

Her fading footsteps were the only answer.

Infuriated, Zuko vaulted the table between them and stormed after her, paying little heed to his surroundings. He caught up to her in seven steps. Then he made the mistake of trying to grab her. Naruko flowed around his arm and levered him face-first into the wall with a vicious force. Never once breaking her relentless stride. She didn't even pause to watch him slide down its surface, much less see him tumble to the floor. Zuko lay there, unable to breathe properly, propping his good side up against a nearby pillar. By then she was little more than a speck in the distance, the slow sound of her fading retreat the sole sign she'd ever lurked within his dreams to begin with.

"Gah! I hate you!" he shouted at her back!" You don't make any sense!"

At that, the prince finally earned a reaction.

It was not the one he'd hoped for.

Those retreating footfalls stopped abruptly and the world went still.

Too still.

As if a giant had taken a deep breath and held it, so too did the realm of his dream fall silent, waiting to see what came next. It didn't wait long. An ear-popping crack rent the air and suddenly, Zuko found himself all but gazing up at the impassable visage of his nemesis. He never even saw her move; much less felt her foot until it slid between his ribs and drove the air from his lungs. 'Oh, I see.' A tiny, detached part of his mind realized as he doubled over to clutching at his dented stomach, as she continued to scream and rain down blows upon his battered head. 'I know what I did. 'I've blundered. I should apologize. Maybe then she'll stop.'

But he couldn't bring himself to breathe, much less croak the words.

"Hate?" when Zuko finally summoned up enough strength to raise his gaze, her fists stopped falling on him. He almost wished they hadn't. Because she was looking at him now, those burning blue orbs boring through his very soul as though he were no more than an insect, pinning the prince in place. "You don't know what hate is."

"Do...you?!" he rasped out.

It was exactly the wrong thing to say.

In a blink she was on him, gripping his arm and slamming him into a pillar.

"You want to know what hate is, scar boy?!" for the first time since he'd met her, an ember of genuine anger sparked across Naruko's scarred visage. "Hate is when you loathe something or someone to their very core, an impermeable, inescapable wrath that never leaves! A cancer of the soul! Revulsion, fickle and vile! And your family's responsible for all of it!"

"That has nothing to do with my-

"They burned my home!" the airbender shouted him down before he could interrupt her. "My people! I'm the last of the Airbenders, you twit! ME! Once I'm gone there won't BE anymore! And you say I don't know anything about hatred?! Piss off!"

"I-

"Yes, yes, I know what you're going to say. Family, and honor. What kind of family is this anyway?" she flung a scarred hand around the ruins of the throne room for emphasis. "Your mother? Fled. Without bringing you with her like a REAL mother should have done, I might add! Your father? He treats you as if you were dead-no, worse than dead. Your uncle is the SOLE person I don't have a problem with and your sister's only remotely capable of turning her act around 'cuz I knocked her pretty little ass into next week. Face it. Your dirt to your father. Less than dirt. And still you try to defend them? I'm trying to help you and you attack me! What kind of twisted logic is that, oi?! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Confronted with such harsh truths, Zuko couldn't bear it.

Ugly reality warred with his once proud dream.

In the end two words sprang to his mind.

"Shut up!"

"I WILL NOT!"

In an instant Naruko's blazed into the Avatar State and the world erupted around them.

"LISTEN to yourself!" she thundered furiously, towering over him in more ways than one. "Oh, I want dear daddy to love me! I want him to honor me! I want him to be proud of me! Bollocks! All that work and what did you get instead? Abuse! Cruelty! Hatred! That scar! A true father would never burn his own child for speaking out of turn, let alone exile them afterwards! That man isn't any more your father than the grass is blue or the sky is green! When will you see that?! You know what I say?!"

With a snarl, she flung her hands upward.

"Dishonor! Dishonor on you, dishonor on your family, dishonor on your cow!"

"Wait, I don't have a-

"ShutthefuckupZuko!"

In a breath Zuko's dream shifted, the poisoned halls of his home fading and falling away to mountainous terrain. Grass sprouted underfoot and the regal trappings of the royal palace crumbled like rotten wood, giving way to open air and stormy skies. It would've been beautiful if not for the Avatar, blazing like an avenging angel in the middle of it all.

"Welcome to my domain."

"I...you...how?!"

The change came so suddenly that he physically staggered-which turned out to be another mistake as he felt the soil shift beneath his feet. Naruko She raised her hand and the earth rose with it, drawing a towering mountain from the soil; as if it had always been there. Always existed. Just beneath the surface. As the massive shadow loomed over Zuko, he realized the true depth of his error. In this world, one wasn't bound by reality. In this realm, more than any other, the Avatar was so much more than merely a master of all four elements.

She was a goddess.

He'd just pissed her off.

"CATCH!"

Something deep inside the prince quailed and he threw himself out of the way in the nick of time. An incredible rush of air heralded the mountain's passing, the sheer force of it physically flattening him against the ground against his will. Distantly he felt the earth break beneath him, but even then the sheer force of the gale prevented him from raising his gaze.

Then, as abruptly as it had begun, so too did it end.

Naruko glared down at him from the lip of the crater she'd created with the force of her throw, those eerie white irises gradually fading back to a merry true blue. Her smile was quite possibly the most unhinged, menacing thing Zuko had ever seen in all his years. Here was a being who cared not-a-wit for his pride or his honor, someone who'd grind him to paste if he ever stood against her. His very soul quailed at the sight of it. On the other side of the spectrum he realized she could have easily turned him to paste just now. But she hadn't. Either she had piss-poor aim, or she'd deliberately spared him. Which was good, or so the prince hoped; because if she threw another one of those attacks-nevermind if she actually came DOWN here-he was honestly going to contemplate suicide.

That was good, wasn't it?

The sound of loose dirt rolling down the crater informed him that she'd done just that.

"Do you understand now, scars? I'm not here to hurt you. Spirits, I never wanted to." her scarred hand ghosted under his chin, fingers curling upright, forcing him to look up at her in spite of his anxiety. The gaze he found waiting for him there was neither smug or scornful and not at all what he'd expected from the Avatar. If anything, she seemed quite miserable with herself. He knew that look all too well. It was the same face that haunted his every waking moment, those wounded eyes that glowered back at him in the mirror, reflected now in her scarred visage. Damnit. Damn her. Damn him for caring!

"What do you want?" he groaned. "Just tell me!"

"I want you to understand." Her hand left his face and took hold of his hand, forcing him to his feet, forcing them eye-to-eye. "We're the same."

They were, weren't they?

Wounded by flame, yet still they plodded onward.

He could understand that. Perhaps even respect her for it.

"I'm not your enemy." perhaps sensing this realization, the Avatar gave him a slight shake and bulled forward with her argument. "I will never be your enemy." She held up his hand and intertwined her fingers with his, suffusing them with warmth. And another, strange sensation. One he couldn't quite describe. Was it strange that he didn't want to let go of that hand? Still, her statement left him with a burning question, on even more prevalent than the sudden hammering of his heart.

Zuko frowned.

"What are you, then?"

"A friend? Honestly, I'm not sure."

"You tried to throw a mountain at me!"

"Che! I wanted to see if I could do it, okay?!"

Zuko twitched. "By Agni, you're worse than Azula!"

"Great, now you've got me thinking about those lovely lips again!"

A pall fell over them.

'What in the-

That was perhaps the second time she'd mentioned Azula in that...interesting light. Wait. His sister and the Avatar? Ugh. Nope. Not going there. Absolutely not. No. A thousand times no! Zuko's mind rejected the notion so utterly that his brain actually rebooted and wiped all mention of it from his mind.

"I...am going to pretend you didn't just say that. Any of it."

Naruko nodded, her golden hair bobbing wildly.

"Aye, probably best, for sanity's sake. Still...

She took a small, sultry step forward.

...this is a good opportunity."

"O-Opportunity?"

"Yes."

Oh.

Blue eyes danced merrily.

"I think you're owed a little happiness after all the misery you've been put through. Hmm. Maybe more than a little. C'mere." too late, Zuko realized he was still clutching her hand. Naruko gave him a soft tug, causing the prince to stumble forward. In that brief instant of vulnerability, the Avatar proved herself every bit a woman of her word; for rather than attack, she reciprocated by pressing her forehead to his. Golden eyes met sapphire and the former hurriedly averted their gaze, afraid of what they might find there.

Urk.

Zuko gulped.

"This is a dream." he argued.

The blond beauty beamed softly.

A pale hand danced 'cross his cheek.

"Then it's a good dream." she replied.

Abruptly, her serene smile vanished.

"Oh, for the love of...!" Naruko groaned, palming her face.

"What?" Zuko blinked, baffled by her sudden aggravation. "What's wrong?"

"I'm about to wake up. Meet me in Omashu if you'd like to continue this...conversation."

Before Zuko could think to ask what the devil that meant, his dream shattered into a thousand pieces and he found himself snatched from sleep.

(..Presently...)

"Will you wake up already?!"

Blue eyes burst open without warning, causing Sokka to jerk backwards in alarm. Too late. A hand snaked out of the bedroll to find his throat with impossible speed. Strong fingers crushed against his windpipe, stifling the impulsive retort he thought to give and smashed him to the ground as though he weighed no more than a leaf. Ears ringing, the water tribesman was distantly aware that she'd climbed atop him. In that moment, her eyes were the color of blazing skies, white and brimming with wrath.

"Damn you!" she snarled at him, the words hissing out through clenched teeth. "I was so close! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"Um...?"

"I told you not to wake me." she warned, "Until we reached Omashu! Clearly, we have not!"

"We have." Katara's voice sang from across the campsite. "Its just over the hill."

Naruko's gaze cut to Sokka.

"Is that so?"

"The sun's been up for hours. We were beginning to worry. Not that you needed it," he amended at her glower, massaging his sore throat with a hand. "What were you doing, anyway?"

"Dreamwalking." she replied glibly, dismounting him. "Its a...unique skill of mine."

"You know, its hard to believe someone like you could be...

"Could what?" the Avatar tilted her head, curious.

Mad, Sokka wanted to say.

But he dare not.

Heedless of his dark thoughts, Naruko tilted flashed him an innocent grin, seemingly ignorant of them as a stray breeze swept through her singed hair. Something in that smile made Sokka shudder. For a fleeting moment the young tribesman honestly wondered if she truly meant what she'd said back on Kiyoshi island; if she truly intended to burn her enemies until there were none left. That wasn't the rationale of a sane person. The notion had briefly occurred to him as they began to break down camp for the day, but the idea that the last hope for the free world might not be altogether there was...unpleasant, to say the least. Spirits, now that he gave it serious thought, Naruto could be just actually be insane. Not only did she possess an irrational disregard for her own safety and that of others, but she had an ax to grind against the Fire Nation.

Granted, so did most of the known world, but still!

"Why, Sokka!" Feigning dismay, Naruko clutched at her chest and leaned over the smoldering remains of their campfire, blue eyes dancing in the faint light. "You're staring! If I didn't know better, I'd say you were coming onto me. Are you?" he should've known better than to space out like that, but that saucy wink of her still rattled him regardless. There was just something about that confidence of hers, her need to be close to people that terrified him-more than words could ever say.

"What?!" he exclaimed loudly, recoiling. "No!"

"Hmm." the blond leaned back, interest fading from those azure orbs. "Pity. You're fun to mess with." Bemused by his behavior she flicked her wrist at the fire, rendering the spent sticks little more than ashes in the wind. Such a casual display, yet something Sokka watched the brief display in silence. Then, unable to stand it any longer, he burst out:

"You...you're...not altogether there, are you?"

"Does it count if I wasn't really sane to begin with?" Naruko inquired quietly, snatching her pack off the ground. A moment later Momo swooped down to claim a perch upon her shoulder, demanding her attention. Naruko gave it gladly "Look," she sighed, "I really don't want to have this conversation with you right now. We're almost at Omashu."

Sokka felt his right eye begin to twitch.

"Yes!"

"Then, aye!" she sang back. "I'm as crazy as they come!"

"You can't just go killing anyone who calls themselves your enemy-

"That's what it comes to in the end, 'innit? Vows. So many vows." she growled, thrusting her face against his, forehead to forehead. "They make you swear and swear. And for what? Maintain the Balance. Keep the peace. Do no bidding save your own. But obey your nation. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Avenge the wronged. Obey the laws. It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or the other. And what of my sins, hmm?! I've killed firebenders without a second thought! What atonement do I deserve for that?! No, I'm going to burn them all and if you get in my way so help me-"

"Settle down, both of you!"

With that, Katara finally intervened, forcing herself between them before they could come to blows or worse. Naruko spun away with an annoyed grunt and made for the hill. In that sense, Sokka was almost grateful. He knew he was no match for her; she could pick him apart with ease. The other half wanted to smack that smug smile right off the blonde's face.

Thankfully it was silenced as they crested the hill.

Omashu was a masterwork.

Located in the Kolau Mountains, the tall mountain peak on which Omashu was founded was located in the southwestern Earth Kingdom. Rising high out of a deep chasm, it had been was created by earthbenders several centuries ago in a monumental display of bending not seen since. Being built on this mountain provides the city with one of its best defenses; the only way to reach the gates of Omashu was across a long narrow bridge of stone that spanned the sheer gorge.

As it should.

The sight of that imposing mountaintop city carved from rock and earth put all to shame. The second largest city in the Earth Kingdom and the capital of one of its states, only outdone in size and importance by Ba Sing Se, Omashu was perhaps one of the last great strongholds of the Earth Kingdom that still stood against the Fire Nation. Even now it continued to supply the Earth Army with troops and supplies. The gates of this bustling metropolis were guarded by an elite army of earthbenders. This city was also well known for its famous delivery system powered by a combination of both earthbending and gravity.

In short, it was a marvel.

"Used to come here a lot." Naruko mused aloud. "Seems like a lifetime ago."

Katara sidled up beside her. "You must have fond memories of this place."

"Some." The Avata conceded, a thorn of sorrow pricking at her mind.

The last time she'd come here, Aang had still been...

No.

Her mind slammed the lid on that thought before it could escape. Her old friend was gone; no amount of power could ever hope to bring him back. She had to believe that. The alternative would drive her mad with worry and guilt, something she couldn't afford.

Distantly, she realized Katar was speaking to her.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

The little waterbender flinched slightly.

"I said...you might want to consider a disguise."

"Disguise? Why?"

Katara immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say; to the Avatar, the very idea of concealing her identity proved as abhorrent to her as the Fire Nation. The scorn in her eyes told her all she needed to know. She'd sooner die than hide who she was from the world.

Naruko exhaled a short, irritated breath.

"Screw that. I've got a better ide-

"What the hell?!"

Whatever else she might retorted was interrupted by Sokka's startled shout; it didn't take long to see what had startled the water tribesman thus. Upon Appa's back, she saw the shadow. A slight in their supplies, one that immediately garnered her attention then; Sokka lobbed his club at it and the smallest of groans emanated from the thick pile of cloth. A snake of dread coiled in Naruto's gut, tying itself into agonizing knots. A stowaway? Who was it? When had they managed to infiltrate their camp.

Then came the anger.

"Intruder!"

With a brief bit of airbending and a fierce war cry Naruko dove into the pile in search of the unlucky stowaway. Whomever they were, they reacted immediately and attempted to bury themselves deeper into the mound of supplies like an angry badger-mole. Didn't matter. The Avatar would not be denied. Amid the sounds of their scuffle, Sokka heard a startled hiss as they wrestled with one another, broken by a startled gasp as the Avatar abruptly ascertained the identity of their would-be-lurk-about. Wait a minute. He knew that voice.

"Wait, is that...?"

"Aha! You're not getting away from me!" Naruko crowed, tumbling to the ground with the interloper atop a thick pile of furs. The scuffle lasted a moment longer before she too recognized their unlikely guest. Granted, this took her a tad longer than most due to the distinct lack of painted makeup...

"Suki?!"

The Avatar jerked back as if she'd been burned, but didn't release her grasp on the startled girl.

"I...you...how?! Why are you here?!"

The Kiyoshi warrior offered a rueful grin.

"Oops?" she managed a small, meek smile.

That did it.

Naruko felt her lips begin to twitch.

Words burst out of her like an overflowing dam.

"YouhavenoideahowhappyIamtoseeyouyaknow!"

Without thinking, and much to the consternation of those present, she grabbed her startled escort and delivered her a searing kiss on the lips. For her part, Suki gave the slightest gasp at the Avatar's unexpected ferocity before her cries turned to soft moans beneath the blonde's ministrations. A heartbeat later, she returned those affections in kind, her slim arms wrapping loosely around the Avatar;s waist. A warm, almost glazed feeling pervaded every inch Naruko's body as she clung to Suki, a roaring high she felt she'd never come down from. She didn't want to. She didn't care if she dirtied her face and clothes in the dirt, nor for the scene she made.

There was only the here and now.

Finally her delight was too much to contain and she, Naruko tumbled to the ground, unable to restrain her laughter any longer.

"Oh, this is perfect! I didn't even ask for this and yet, here you are! Ha!"

Her first thought had been that it was a spy of the Fire Nation. Someone out to kill them or worse, bring them to Ozai. But this...this was a most pleasant surprise and an unexpected one at that. After all this, arguing with nearly everyone, reflecting on what she'd lost...it was a balm to her ragged nerves. Just when she feared she'd hit her lowest point, a familiar face had appeared to dash all her sorrows. It lifted her spirits more than she could ever hope to explain. Fate worked in strange ways it seemed...

"Right," she sighed, righting herself to wipe a mirthful tear from her eye, "Guess it doesn't matter. You're staying. That's an order."

Flushing, the warrior offered a demure bow.

"As you say, my lady."

Naruko's right ear visibly twitched.

"My lady?"

"Oh, great." Katara groaned.

"What?" Sokka blinked. "What's wrong?"

"That's absolutely gonna go straight to her head...

A/N: And there we go.

Based on what we know of Kiyoshi, I thought it would make sense if Suki referred to Naruko as "Lady" in public, especially given the unusual nature of their relationship. And of course, our pretty little blond just eats that right up because she likes the attention. And remember, for all her flirts and advances, Naruko truly doesn't know what to do when it comes to a relationship. She pities Zuko and feels she should dote on him. Also, hence why she's so enamored of Suki's attention atm.

Will it last I wonder...?

Yes, I say again, in case you haven't realized by now, there WILL be yuri-girl loves girl-action in this fic. Kiyoshi will also be more present in this fic than she was in the last. I apologize for those of you who don't like yuri, as one reviewer -I won't name names- has already made their dislike of that element clear. But that's the mindset for this story. Although NarukoxZuko remains an amusing possibility, given their painful pasts. After this we will be seeing a major departure from Canon-Naruko isn't Aang after all, so she won't be acting like him.

Finally, and I'm only going to say this once, I am NOT bashing Sokka. I merely took into account that he was very suspicious of Aang in the beginning, and here Naruko outright attacked him when he insulted her. Of course there would be some hostility there. He doesn't trust her, and she certainly doesn't trust him. Heck, she hardly trusts anyone at the moment. They won't be bickering for much longer, though!

That aside I sincerely hope you enjoyed the latest chapter and all of the chaos and hilarity that is to come.

So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review...Would you Kindly? And of course, enjoy the Previews. This one's painful.

(Preview!)

"Ozai promised you mercy if you betrayed me! I MAKE NO SUCH OFFER!"

Snarling, she slammed a hand into the earth, a searing shockwave ripping her foes from their feet.

"TELL THE FIRE LORD THAT I COME FOR HIM!"

"And what of your great deeds?"

"There's still time." Naruko grimaced.

"Is there? For a broken girl unable to trust anyone, let alone herself?"

"No, I did it for...!"

"For me?! Bollocks!"

"If you'd just listen to me-

"Fat chance of that! Don't ever speak to me again!"

The words cut deep into her heart like a rusty knife; lancing through her chest to carve out a piece of her very soul and slice it to ribbons. She stood there, unmoving as she pushed past her, angrily jostling her aside with a shoulder. Even then she remained rooted where she stood. Motionless for a long moment, quivering, hands clenching into fists, unable to move. Not trusting herself to speak. To blink. Breathe.

Only when she was alone did she allow herself to cry.

R&R! =D