Warnings include SEXUAL ASSAULT/PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, swearing, elements of dub-con and monsters being monsters. PLEASE HIT THE BACK BUTTON NOW IF THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY HARMFUL/OFFENSIVE TO YOU!
Chapter 1 - Fine Print
Wrist throbbing in time with his racing heart, Naruto groped carefully in the darkness. His thoughts were hammering around inside his skull like frightened birds taking wing in too small a space, making it that much more difficult to remember what he needed in order to survive.
First and foremost, Naruto needed to tend to his injuries and get his bearings. He'd read plenty of survival guides about what to do in a crisis situation, though not many detailed a scenario quite this extreme. Car crashes, falling from a great height, shark attack - all things he'd read about and maybe could imagine dealing with. Being pulled through a mirror by a paranormal version of himself hadn't made that list.
It took a few hysterical moments to recall that the first critical step was not to panic. All the guides agreed that panic was a sure fired way to put yourself in more danger - could even be the reason you ultimately die - Naruto couldn't think of that. He cut that thought off before it could take root. He didn't move from his hyper tense position, repeating to himself over and over to get his head together, willing the message to settle his mind enough to focus.
The room was too dark. Naruto needed light. Maybe that was a terrible idea - he feared potentially drawing attention of other - things - but he desperately wanted to see. He couldn't think clearly when shrouded in darkness, fumbling and in pain. He needed light to help secure the calm that was just out of reach for his state of mind.
Swallowing roughly, Naruto tentatively felt around, fingertips skimming the walls. It only took but a second before he found the switch and was bathed in fluorescent light. Blinking rapidly to dispel the dark spots, sweat dripping down his face in rivulets, Naruto immediately looked at the mirror.
Nothing.
Nothing but solid black.
The light on his side meant nothing to the other side.
"Deep breaths….get your act together…..don't panic!" Naruto whispered fervently to himself through numb lips. "What can I do? What would be the next step?"
Reluctantly, Naruto looked down to assess the damage to his right arm. The pain had dulled somewhat but that changed immediately when he tried to move his hand. There was already pretty significant swelling and discoloration just above his wrist. Thankfully that seemed the extent of it though. No bone peaked out through his flesh; Naruto was sure that was beyond his abilities to cope with and counted himself lucky. His arm seemed to be his most notable injury besides a bit of scattered bruising from the tumble so Naruto could still run like hell if he needed to.
He felt a kernel of hope spark. He wasn't mortally wounded - already the odds were in his favor.
"All right, no biggie….just need to splint the forearm and immobilize the wrist….right…." Moving with care, Naruto rummaged around in the cupboards. A once over of the room told him it was literally what he guessed it might be - things on this side were just a reflection of things on the other. He knew their home on the other side of the mirror was stocked with a complete first aid kit - courtesy of Sasuke's practicality - so it seemed likely that would be the case here. But several minutes of hasty searching wasn't turning up anything other than dust.
In fact…
…It was empty. All of it. Not just the cupboards and drawers, but there wasn't anything on the counters either or in the bath. There wasn't toilet paper hanging off the holder - no water even in the toilet bowl itself and when he tried the taps, nothing came out; while the room may have appeared virtually the same, it was a barren waste compared to the place it emulated.
"It can't all be empty….it can't-"
Suddenly, the mirror lit up from within, startling Naruto so badly he nearly fell into the bathtub. Catching himself painfully on the backs of his knees, he managed to stay upright and stared not at himself but at his black-haired roommate.
"Sasuke!"
Sasuke leaned forward over the sink, a small frown on his pale features. He was still in his office clothes though they were clearly rumpled from a long day of work.
"Teme, help -" Naruto felt tears pricking the backs of his eyes. He stumbled up to the counter and pressed his good hand against the mirror.
Sasuke looked away, and turned on the faucet to splash water on his face.
Naruto began to cry despite himself. "He can't see me….why can't he see me?!" Desperate, the small bit of hope he'd felt shriveling up in his chest, Naruto slammed his open palm against the glass. It shook visibly but Sasuke failed to notice. He watched helplessly as the other man went about the business of brushing his teeth and then was gone as quickly as he'd appeared. The mirror turned black, cutting the connection off once more.
Naruto heaved, coughing up bile into the sink as the room spun around him. Blinded by tears and distress, he clung weakly to the countertop, feeling as if he were about to faint. He stayed hunched over the sink for some time, riding out the waves of nausea as he repeatedly told himself that it was only a minor setback. Of course it wouldn't be that effortless - he just had to pretend like he'd never saw his friend in the first place.
Eventually when the dry heaves subsided and his eyes so raw from crying that it hurt to blink, Naruto made himself stand up straight. His wrist still needed wrapping, and standing around bawling his damn head off obviously hadn't magically fixed anything.
"I'm not dead yet." His voice scraped against the raw edges of his abused throat but the steel in it made up for that. Naruto allowed himself his mini breakdown; now was the time for action. Seeing Sasuke had also reminded him of something equally important.
All his precious people were totally unaware of the thing that had replaced him; they didn't know and he needed to get back before the truly horrific could happen. Not that Naruto wanted to think about that either.
Holding that determination close to his heart, Naruto turned to the cracked door that led to the rest of the apartment. First his injuries then the matter of getting home. One, two, three - he had a loose plan of action and all he had to do was follow through.
It'd be a piece of cake.
Gently pushing the door the rest of the way open, Naruto peered out into the gloomy hallway. Besides his own hushed breaths everything was deathly silent. Moving as quietly as he possibly could, he eased out of the bathroom, eyes darting left then right.
What room did he want to check first? Sasuke's - or what would be his room - was still at the end of the hall, with Naruto's diagonal from the bathroom. Both doors were slightly ajar and equally uninviting. The laundry closet down the opposite way towards the living room was closed providing him with an unobstructed view of more eery darkness.
Deciding to start from the furthest point, Naruto moved towards the bedroom at the end of the hall. It might mean getting pinned down with no option for escape, but given that he was so far out of his depth here, he needed to be thorough in his investigation.
Naruto hoped he could figure this out on his own - subtle details and connections had never been his strong suit - but maybe his intuition would get the job done as it had in the past.
Constantly checking over his shoulder for any movement, Naruto pressed himself against the wall as he approached the door. Holding his breath, he pressed an ear to cool wood, hand poised over the doorknob. Ready to bolt at a moment's notice, Naruto counted to ten slowly, straining to hear over the dull thud of his heart. Several beats of silence and Naruto felt like he was playing Russian roulette with the way he kept waiting for something to kill him. The blonde tightened his grip on the doorknob and turned it. He stayed backed up against the wall until the door was pushed completely open.
Naruto peered around the doorframe, blue eyes sweeping the minimal expanse of space before stepping inside and shutting the door swiftly behind him, twisting the knob so it closed without a sound.
Relaxing the tiniest bit, Naruto felt like cursing as he took in the stark environment. Much like the previous room, it was a skeletal copy of the real deal. The bed was nothing more than a frame - no mattress - and the nightstand only had a plain lamp that was also missing its shade. Sasuke was meticulously sparse in his material possessions but this was beyond even his roommate's proclivities. A quick look in the closet yielded nothing, and he doubted that anything had ever been stored in there at all. The only notable detail was the lamp worked. It buzzed to life without any trouble and Naruto didn't have a clue why electricity was a thing that existed there when water seemingly didn't.
Which left Naruto to wonder what was going to happen to him if there was nothing to be found. If he didn't find a way back to his own world, the possibility of him dying of thirst or starvation was…. He clenched his good hand into a tight fist, squeezing until he felt the bitten edges of his nails threaten to cut into the flesh of his palm.
Time was against him; he was moving too slow.
Glancing down at himself, Naruto took stock of his clothing. If he wasn't going to find anything to use as a wrap, then he'd settle for what he could spare already on him. Which probably wasn't a good idea considering all he had on was a pair of threadbare sleep pants. Easy to tear into strips, but he really shouldn't bare more skin when the air was cool, if just tolerably so…
God, he didn't want to think about what ifs anymore.
Fuck it, the wrist would have to heal without proper support. Naruto would just be extra careful not to bump it; the faint laughter of Kiba calling him the klutziest doof in existence drifted up from his subconscious. Naruto scowled. He didn't need that kind of negativity; not when he had it in spades already.
Determination now edging into anger, Naruto was a little less cautious on his way to examine the rest of the apartment. When it became increasingly clear that there was nothing lurking in the shadows, he was all but slamming the doors of empty cupboards and drawers; the persistent silence drove him from anger to seething rage.
In his search, he'd found the bare bones of furniture and sparse light fixtures and little else. Even more maddening was how everything was monochromatic in appearance - even the carpet which should have been beige was leached a dull grey. It felt utterly lifeless and it was having a profound effect on Naruto's mind. The apartment was driving him insane but he was afraid of what the rest of the city looked like. If it was anything like what he'd already seen then the blonde believed he really would lose his grip on reality.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't force himself to look anyway.
With that thought fueling his anxious fury, Naruto wandered over to the living room window, and peeked out through the plastic blinds. A sea of pavement, glass windows, and metal yawned back at him. It was a chasm of pointless structure, devoid of people and animals alike, and lit dimly from above by a sun hidden behind a swath of storm clouds that didn't move or change.
The truth kept glaring back at him but Naruto refused to process it. He couldn't be the only living thing on this side of the mirror - he just couldn't. The blinds clacked back into place as Naruto dropped his hand.
"God damn it….." Naruto swore softly. He turned and glared hatefully at his surroundings, feeling as though he were being mocked by the absence of all material comforts. He could already feel his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. Dehydration was going to be a real problem before too long. It only made him angrier. "Fucking hell, I need to get out of here."
Sick to death of being in the apartment, Naruto decided to do just that. He'd explore some more of the city and if he didn't find anything useful, he'd come back and bang on the mirror some more. Naruto harrumphed on his way to the door, "Next time I see the teme, I'm going to beat the shit out of him for ignoring me in my time of need!" And then Sasuke was going to help him figure out how to defeat his doppelganger.
Jesus christ, Naruto couldn't wait to wake up from this nightmare.
Certain that he wasn't going to immediately come across anything - he'd honestly made more than enough noise to prove nothing was around to hear him - Naruto exited the complex with only the minor inconvenience of having to remember that left turns were right turns and vice versa. He made it out onto the street and found that he'd been right about the lifelessness of the place. What cars there were sat still and silent, parked on the curb, and appearing as if they'd been abandoned for years. Walking down the sidewalk, the blond noted that there wasn't even trash in the gutters, which made him worry more consciously over food.
He didn't know how long he walked before he finally noticed something extremely disturbing.
All the windows he passed had reflections.
At first he'd thought it a trick of the light, or maybe that he was simply wishing to see something that wasn't there, but when he passed by an empty corner market window, he finally saw it clearly. A man in a sports jacket and jeans was standing on the corner, cellphone pressed to his ear, waiting for the light to turn red so he could cross the street. Naruto looked back and forth - from the window that held the man's reflection back to the empty street corner he was standing on - until eventually the man walked away outside the view of the window. Thinking hard about what he'd just witnessed, Naruto felt like he should have known.
Mirrors were the link between this world and the other. It made sense that he should see people all over the place as long as there was light on both sides. But was that the key to crossing between?
It was only thanks to paying such close attention to the windows that he noticed a ripple of shadow surge across the surface like a wave. Naruto stopped to a dead halt, immediately tense. Again, a shadow swept across the surface of the store window - and kept going, sweeping down all the windows lining the street as far as Naruto could see. Pivoting, Naruto was sure something had finally crept up on him - he was already cursing himself for being too careless -
The moment he looked away the window exploded.
Naruto was thrown back from the sheer force of it out into the street. He felt the sting of tiny cuts as the shards blew past him. The blond did his best to shield himself with his arms, head ducked between his shoulders. Reeling, he heard explosions coming from all directions. Windows up and down the street were shattering, glass was raining down on him from all sides - it was chaos.
Naruto fell to the ground, trying to make himself as small as possible, scared to death of moving for fear of being torn to pieces by flying debris…. And then all at once, there was a booming clap that shook the ground under his feet followed by a horrible ringing silence.
Shaking, the blond cautiously looked up from his prone position. The mirrors were whole - as if it had never happened. Cautiously standing back up, Naruto winced as he forgot not to put pressure on his wrist. "What the hell was that…?"
"What indeed?"
Naruto's prayers had been answered - he was no longer alone. However, Naruto was far from feeling relieved when he turned towards the source of the noise.
A man shaped figure wearing the oddest clothes Naruto had ever seen was lounging against a light pole on the other side of the street. Swathed in crude garments made out of strips of fabric and crimson fur, barefooted, and sporting a wild shock of red and gold hair - it looked like something out of a fairy tale. Edging away - painfully aware of how vulnerable he was - Naruto felt a shiver go down his spine as slitted yellow eyes watched his every move.
"What have I woken up to.…?"
Naruto stumbled, twisting back around as the wicked voice spoke directly behind him that time. The figure had moved in the blink of an eye, magically teleporting from one place to the next, and now terrifyingly close. Close enough that Naruto could see the unnaturally long canines, pointed ears, and claws.
"Poor thing hasn't the words." Its voice was a silken rumble that would have been seductive if Naruto wasn't scared witless. "How long has it been…?" Yellow eyes narrowed accusingly at the blond man, "And how did it manage to cross the barrier?"
Naruto's throat worked even as he kept backing up. The creature didn't let him get too far before it started moving with him, its gaze never once wavering from Naruto's.
Aware that he was being herded, Naruto struggled to think. What could he do in this situation? Could he distract it enough in order to run? Or would it just teleport again? Could he talk it down? Too many scenarios were flashing through Naruto's brain. All he knew was that he was completely at its mercy. Judging by the leisurely way in which the other being moved, he wasn't the only one who'd reached that same conclusion.
Amusement flashed across elfin features as Naruto stumbled, nearly falling on his ass from his heel catching on the edge of the street curb. It was backing him up towards the buildings - cutting off his ability to escape. Breaking eye contact in order to regain his footing, the blond felt his heart skip a beat when he looked back up to find the thing had disappeared again.
Naruto didn't care if he was practically flirting with Death at this point; he refused to be tormented further. He'd had enough. "Damn you, stop toying with me!"
"The human has some fight after all."
A clawed hand spun Naruto around. Taking the chance Naruto swung his left fist, using the momentum to his advantage - but too late it was gone again, and Naruto's efforts were met with taunting laughter.
"Fucking coward!"
Strong arms encircled him from behind, pulling him back against a solid chest. "Oh, but I have missed the thrill of the hunt."
Naruto thrashed in its grip, but it was like being held by iron. "Let go of me - bastard - monster - fucking evil piece of shit - !" His cursing just made it laugh harder, and he felt the rumble of it against his back.
Hot breath fanned the side of Naruto's face as it bent to whisper directly into his ear, "Prey this pretty should be savored….I haven't even begun to enjoy our game." With that ominous declaration, Naruto felt a bulge being pressed against his backside - not unlike a hard-on.
Naruto's struggles became desperate at the implication of what was to come. "NO! No, no, no - I'll kill you, I swear to God I will -"
The pale arms wrapped around him squeezed in response, crushing his arms against his sides until the bones felt ready to snap. Naruto screamed, but he refused to beg; instead he kept up a constant litany of threats - promises of revenge for everything that befell him to be paid back a million times over. He kept screaming as his face was pressed up hard against a rough brick wall. He fought to break loose when the monster adjusted its hold so that his arms were pinned above his head with one powerful hand, allowing it to press into Naruto more fully with its body. Only when a knee wedged itself between his legs - spreading him open - did Naruto's shouting stop. He wouldn't cry out while it was happening. If he couldn't stop it, then he'd wait until after. After it was over - when the thing left him for dead. Naruto clenched his jaw, bracing himself for the assault.
Seconds crawled by as the monster simply held him there - breathing him in, its body radiating an unnatural heat. The moment seemed to go on forever; Naruto felt his muscles begin to cramp with tension. He flinched as a clawed hand trailed up his quivering side, reaching up to caress the side of his face.
"How about a bargain, human?"
Naruto's eyes blew wide with disbelief. "….A what?"
Firm fingers gripped his chin, twisting his face just enough for him to make eye contact with the creature. "A bargain - or would you prefer I continue with our current proceedings?"
All too aware of the body pressed up against his, Naruto felt suspicion coil low in his gut. "What…exactly are you offering me…?"
Canines flashed with an easy smile, but its eyes gave nothing away. "An exchange of resources - something that benefits us both."
Naruto chewed on his lip, thinking franticly of what the thing could possibly want from him - something that didn't involve violence to his person.
Reading the doubt on his face, the creature purred. "How about a gesture of good faith?" Dropping its hold on his hands, it moved away from Naruto, giving him back his personal space and then some.
Not quite daring to believe this turn of events, Naruto lowered his aching arms. He was convinced that it was up to something sinister. Whatever deal it was offering him wasn't actually going to benefit him in a good way - the sly glint in its eyes was a dead giveaway. But then what were his options? Naruto turned so his backside was safely pressed against the wall before he responded, consciously picking his words. "It's not much of a gesture when you attacked me."
Clawed fingers flicked dismissively in his general direction. "Nothing personal - its merely instinct to attack what willingly wanders into our cage."
Naruto growled, "I didn't choose to come here!"
Yellow eyes stared at him greedily, and Naruto wondered if he'd just said something he shouldn't have. "Oh? Then how is it that you came to be here?"
Feeling that he was at an advantage now, Naruto fired back, "Why should I tell you anything?"
Half expecting to be punished for his brash responses, Naruto was surprised when all it earned him was a shrewd smirk. "While it may please me to ravage your body and feed from your flesh, it does little for me beyond instant gratification," it shrugged, "Hence, a compromise. You're much more useful to me alive - I understand humans do not speak so well when they are dead."
Naruto considered what that meant for him - it sounded brutally honest. Even simple. Information in exchange for his life. But what did it mean in the long run? Live now, and die when he was no longer useful? Did he even want to barter with this thing - what would it do with the information he gave it? It probably wanted to cross into his world and kill and feed on innocent people freely. That wasn't worth his life… He felt his pulse quicken at the thought of sacrificing himself. Was he brave enough to make that decision?
He didn't know. All he knew was that every move he could make had dangerous consequences; it was about more than his own survival. What had he been thrown into?
Naruto slumped tiredly, but kept his gaze level on the creature watching him with seemingly infinite patience. "This deal you're offering me…..what are the conditions?"
Its expression turned triumphant. "The benefits outweigh the price you'll pay, I promise you that."
"What-are-the-conditions?" Each word ground out between his teeth, Naruto stubbornly repeated the question.
"You willingly supply me with sustenance in the form of your lifeblood - never enough that it should kill you, of course - and I give you my protection and sworn oath to provide for your most basic needs."
Repeating those words to himself, Naruto didn't believe for a minute that it was as straightforward as that. The unspoken implication that he would die without the creature's assistance was clear - whether by its own design or by some other monster, he could only guess - but he was afraid. He was afraid of the thing standing in front of him, and of the mirror world, and of dying, alone and starving or alone and torn to pieces, and of what may happen to his friends and family - he didn't want to have to choose.
Determined to buy himself a little more time, Naruto decided to ask a question that had been plaguing him the start. "What are you anyway?"
A myriad of emotions flickered in the depths of its eyes. "What am I? I am old - older than your kind - though I once lived among you." Its expression hardened, "Time made me powerful, arrogance made me blind. I have been called many things but I only have one name."
Naruto shivered despite there being no breeze. Its yellow gaze froze him in place.
"You may know me as Kyuubi."
Elsewhere….
"Hey, Kankuro, do you know where Gaara is?"
"Uh, no? Why would I care where the runt has run off to?"
"It's been a couple of days since he came home -"
"So what? He's always doing shit like that."
"You're right - I don't know why I'm asking you to begin with."
"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. I'm going to work - I left money on the fridge in case you want to order some food, all right?"
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Temari…..I'll let you know if the little bastard decides to show up while you're gone."
"That's all I ask. Good night."
"…Night."
…..
"Damn it, Gaara, what the hell are you up to now….?"
A/N: So true to my word, I'm cross-posting to both accounts. Here is the sequel/continuation of Mirror Image, which will be an ongoing series (this part will be multi-chaptered focusing mainly on Naruto/Kyuubi, for those interested, and all other perspectives will be posted as standalone to the series as a whole). Hopefully, both RIC and TIB will be updated by next week, but no guarantees! Thank you for reading and if you feel so inclined, then drop a review! Until next time!