A/N: So.
Tomorrow is THAT day.
September 11th. Well. That sucks.
Needless to say that day brings back some...unpleasant memories for me. But I'm going to soldier on. I want to to crank out a double update tomorrow to distract people from that unpleasant day, but for now, I have promises to keep and a daily update schedule to maintain. So, yes, this is a short interlude. I'm terribly sorry. With luck, I'll be able to crank out another chapter for this by next month, along with Date or Die as promised. So here we are. A quick refresher...
...and proof that Naruto's at his lowest point here.
Thank you very much for your patience.
Sorry that this is so short,
~Nz
"Oh, no you don't! I forbid you to die! Do you hear me?!"
"I...don't think that's how it works...
"FORBIDDEN!"
~?
Why Do We Fall? (Interlude)
"So...you're dying."
That wasn't a question; they both knew the answer.
Neither wanted to give voice to game next, neither Naruto nor Toph.
It wasn't the most eloquent way to put things, but then again, she had never been one to sugarcoat things. Honestly, hearing her voice alone was enough to make Naruto smile. Even if he couldn't see her. Gods. Just how badly had been hurt? He couldn't see...anything, really. Most of his senses were muted; he was only distantly aware of her kissing his forehead, of her hands propping him up against a boulder. Still, here, he could hear her speaking to him, smell the earthy scent that always preceded her presence.
There was a certain irony in being blind as a bat-he was just too tired to appreciate it.
Unfortunately, his partner didn't take too kindly to his morbid outlook; because she clobbered him a heartbeat later.
"Hey!" Toph slapped his cheek, jerking him back to reality with a harsh crack of sound. "Don't fall asleep. You won't wake up again."
Naruto coughed in surprise, but sure enough, the pain hauled him out of the sweet embrace of slumber. Only time would tell if it lasted; or if he survived the next five minutes for that matter. Having your soul torn in half and your body shredded from the inside out was...painful to say the least. He'd fallen. And for the life of him, he couldn't muster the strength to get up. That should be concerning. But he was just too tired to care. Already he felt that brief burst of energy fading-
Toph slapped him.
Twice. Again.
"Hey!"
Had he possessed his sight, Naruto would've glowered at her. As it stood he could only snarl and swat ineffectually as she stood and slung him over her shoulder. At least, he assumed it was her shoulder. He couldn't very well tell in his condition. But there was the decidedly faint sensation of being lifted, and the shame that came with it. His ears pricked at the faint sound of a sob.
"Don't you dare die on me." the words were a snarl. "I finally found you again. So don't die. I forbid it!"
A loose, rustl
"I...don't think that's how it works...
"FORBIDDEN!"
"Well, unless you know how to stitch up a man's insides and fix his eyes, you have to face facts." Naruto found his own response turned bitter as he realized here, at the end, he didn't want to go. Didn't want to step into that abyss again, never to return. "I'm sorry its been so long, I'm sorry its going to BE this way, but...I'll be lucky to survive till nightfall. Is it night?"
Somewhere nearby, he heard Korra groan.
"C'mon now, don't be like that! We won! You can't give up now!"
He waved a hand weakly. "Still can't see you, kiddo. You'll have to do better than that."
He didn't need his eyes to know Toph was giving them both the look again; he felt the chill sure enough.
"As a matter of fact, I...might...know somebody."
The Avatar of Change blinked.
"That...doesn't sound fun."
It wasn't.
Not at.
All.
A/N: Don't think I've forgotten about Season Four. Frankly, I haven't. Clearly its going to be...
..interesting, to say the least. Now onto the rest...
So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly!
Sorry, no previews.
Not this time.
STAY TUNED! R&R! =D