A/N: (EDIT)

SO BE IT.

I tried being nice. I tried to warn you. I asked you all to be nice and respectful. I have cried and begged and pleaded for the harassment to stop, but this...this...THIS! I'm so over and done with getting flak for trying to write stories-SIMPLE STORIES!-and all I do is get shat on.

T_T

So.

Wasting my talent, am I?

Lost my damn mind have I?

Only capable of updating Fate stories, am I?!

One trick pony with a hard on for Naruto, am I?!

No, no, by all means! Lets keep reading down the list of insults and see just ow angry I can get! Apparently I'm also irrelevant, retarded, not interesting and an utter failure as a person. And lets not forget that one chap who enjoys spamming my stories with senseless hate telling me to kill myself.

Really?

...Really?

...REALLY NOW?!

Sorry for all this but I'm absurdly pissed off at the moment now. Someone even suggested all my stories are "most unlikely" to be continued. How many times do I have to say that the "Most Unlikely" series is one big story told from different perspectives? And still I get flak for trying to write, for trying to make people happy. God forbid I actually update my other stuff!

Fine. Whatever. I see how it is.

I've been on this site for TEN SODDING YEARS. Not only have I finished other stuff by now, but I've also branched out and broken ground where others wouldn't tread. Look, I know I ain't the best writer on this site. That much is abundantly clear. There are others on this site better than me, much, much better at that. I wish had even a tenth of their ingenuity. They're the true trailblazers, the sort that aren't afraid to take a new approach to things. That honor goes to folks like Perfect Lionheart, Crossy Cross, Silver Queen, and others, the list goes on and on. Frankly, I don't even count myself in the top ten.

But folks like what I do and I think I'm decent hand at it. Crossovers are my thing. They always will be. That's where I shine. And I HAVE written other stories that aren't about Naruto. Game of Thrones, Bleach, Mass Effect, and more!

*exhales deeply*

I do apologize for flipping my lid there.

Been awhile since I got back to this, but here I am!

Maleficent is getting another movie soon, so here. Lets kick this into high gear and get and interlude going shall we?

Sorry for vanishing like that, but at least now you know the reason why. So here, have an interlude while I dig up my notes.

Sorry if its short, but I aim to update again soon. How soon? Well, that would be telling, but I aim to give you all a pleasant surprise~!

"Whatever it is, we'll face it. Together."

~?

Coming Storm (Interlude)

"Mama."

Maleficent stared down at the little girl in disbelief, trying to make sense of this odd little beastie in her dreams. Surely this must be a dream; for she'd never seen this child in her life. She looked up at her, the child did, her bright blue eyes-Naruto's eyes!-regarding her beneath a curtain of dark, ebony tresses, and a smile creased her little face. Small cheeks bearing faded whiskers, a cute little nose that scrunched now as she poked at it. Where one to look closely at her, closer still, they might even see the beginnings of horns forming in her head.

A laugh followed, bell-like and perfect.

Perfect.

That was the first word that came to her mind. Because that's what she was. Perfect. A flawless union of herself and the man she loved. And yet...something felt wrong about this. Her features, once so clear and pristine, were suddenly hazy and indistinct. How did she know her? Why was she here? Everything felt warm. Too warm. Almost hot by comparison. A cold sweat broke out across the back of her neck, yet try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to move, to blink, or even breathe.

Something was wrong, here.

Terribly, horribly wrong indeed.

Her daughter-Aurora-hugged her, then.

"Mama." she whispered, "Why do I have to die?"

Before her eyes, the blue-eyed girl burst into flames.

Those hungry tongues of fire lashed out into the horned woman, scorching her.

Maleficent started out of the dream with a yelp, senses screaming as she jolted upright in her cot.

"NO!"

Her first instinct was to take flight; or, barring that, hold onto something. Anything hat wouldn't drag her back down into that horrid dream, the terrible image of watching that child fall apart in her arms, to feel the fire scalding her skin, watching that innocent little face turn to bone and ash in her arms. It had felt so real. Painful. Even now the skin of her bare arms burned and she felt herself trembling. All the shadows seemed alive around her; ghastly looming things that would drag her kick and screaming into the dark if she but let them...

Strong arms closed around her from behind and in a fit of panic she lashed out, tore at them, raked their race with her fingernails.

Thrashing about, she clawed at the first thing within reach; desperately seeking a handhold to keep herself awake, to free herself from her captor.

"Calm down, will you?!" an annoyed growl broke through the bulwark of her terror, tinged now with a low undercurrent of pain. "It was only a dream! You're safe!"

She didn't hear them, not at first; the fear had her by the throat and mustered a feral snarl. She lashed out blindly in the dark and the arms holding her shuddered, but held fast in spite of the damage she'd dealt them. A second hand was only just reeling back when someone sucked in a breath and gave her a hard headbutt. Her world spun and bone battered against bone, sending her world reeling.

"Maleficent! Stop!"

That familiar shout pierced the gloom and the fairy caught herself reeling back despite her fear.

The horned woman blinked.

...Naruto?"

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

A wisp of light arose in answer to reveal a familiar visage.

"Your face...

Naruto clicked his tongue.

...is fine." the cuts healed even as she looked on, torn flesh replaced by healthy tan skin once more. "Though I'd like it if ya didn't do that again, ya know?"

Her hand graced his wounded cheek and his own palm rose to meet it, gently cupping her fingers against his.

With that, Maleficent finally felt the frazzled fragments of her psyche begin to knit themselves back together, some semblance sense reasserting itself over the mind-numbing madness that driven her from slumber. Naruto made no move to accuse her, to shout or even snarl at her for hitting him. He simply held her hand in the faint light. Something about it undid her. She inhaled softly, made a small sound that might've been a sob, and he embraced her. Rough, calloused hands gently stroked her wings, but she still felt herself stiffen in his embrace, fear of the nightmare poisoning even this respite as she tried to clutch it to her bare breast.

"Wanna talk about it?"

She couldn't bring herself to tell him.

The mere memory of it was enough to evoke the pain.

She couldn't allow herself to dwell on that dream, to reflect upon it or what it might have meant. What it could mean. Who was that girl? Why did she know her name? Aurora. Even now it lingered with her, a silent herald of a future she didn't understand, a portend of things to come. And all the while, those deep blue eyes peered at her in silent concern. No, Maleficent decided. She mustn't tell him. Doing so would only make him worry overmuch, and his wounds were only recently healed at that.

"I'm fine," she demurred. "It was just a dream, nothing more. Don't worry."

So she shook her head and held her tongue, tried to ignore his pensive expression.

Eventually his arms settled around her again and tugged her back to bed. She allowed him.

"Just go sleep." he soothed, absently stroking her hair. "I'll be here when you wake up. Promise."

He could have questioned her, demanded answers for both this and the attack. It was well within his rights, certainly. She would have insisted on such if he'd been the one to wake screaming in the middle of the night. Yet instead he simply laid himself down beside her, the warmth of his nakedness a silent boon against the own chill that had crept into her bones.

Fool. Why did he tolerate her madness so?

And why did she love him for it?

She supposed she knew.

Fighting down another sob, Maleficent carefully turned her head toward her lover's chest and pressed it against the naked skin there, laying her ear to rest against his heart. A steady thump-thump-thump, like a slow rhythmic drum, one that banished all her fears and gradually lulled her into quiet complacency. Her arms tightened around Naruto, but he didn't protest; his sole reply was a sleepy grunt. She'd nearly fallen asleep-and thought he'd done the same-when she felt his lips gently brush the outer lobe of her right ear.

"Its gonna be alright." the words were calm, almost firm in the quiet gloom. "Whatever it is, whatever you saw, whatever tomorrow brings, we'll face it. Together."

A sudden swell of emotion surged up on her and she clung to him.

...promise you won't leave me."

Despite holding her, he somehow managed to flick her forehead.

"Silly." the word was a yawn. "I couldn't leave if I tried. Nah, I'm not going anywhere."

Maleficent didn't trust herself to speak again, she only held to him tighter, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck. Her horns poked his cheek as she instinctively butted her head there A low, easy laugh greeted her, but he didn't deny her advances. If he was at all uncomfortable or aroused by her bare body pressing against his, he did little to show it. He simply tucked the blanket all the more tightly about them and allowed her to do as she pleased, to simply rest against him and tremble in this brief vulnerable moment. Of course, that didn't mean he stayed silent.

"I could sing, if you want." she recognized the humor immediately for what it was. "Might cheer you up."

Her lover may be many things, but a bard he was not. He couldn't sing to save his life.

A small, wry smile plucked at the woman's mouth. "Please, don't."

Within minutes sleep silently snared the two of them.

She had no more nightmares that night.

A/N: And there you have it!

I do apologize for the delay, as you can see from the author's note above, there's been a reason for my prolonged absences.

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

...Review, Would You Kindly? This sad soul would certainly appreciate it. To those who predicted this would happen, I congratulate them =D

(Preview)

"Where are you off to at this hour?"

A lone blue eye regarded her, over his shoulder.

"Gonna kill some people." The words were blunt, almost terse. "Coming?"

Blue eyes gleamed gold.

"Now, now, don't make this difficult. You don't really have a say in this."

Tan arms rose.

"And the castle comes falling...dooown."

Maleficent arched a brow when nothing happened.

"Darling, I'm afraid you've great overestimated you new-

And the heavens chose that moment to erupt in a storm she'd never seen.

Naruto blew out a breath.

"Burn."

And the enemy soldiers did. Like kindling.

R&R! =D