Hi Readers! This is my first "chaptered" fan fiction so I hope it isn't too bad, ha. It's basically my own twist on 'Beauty and the Beast'. I was watching Naruto, then Disney's Beauty and the Beast, so one thing led to another and -BOOM- this happened. Anyway, hope you enjoy!
NOTE: I do not own any of these characters or the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast.
Sasuke huffs as he stomps down the stairs to the basement. Kakashi's incessant calling sounds muffled through the thick door below, but that doesn't make it any less annoying. The teen nearly kicks the door off its hinges. "WHAT? What do you want?"
He scans the room, taking in all the odd looking doo-dads and knick-knacks tossed about the small space. Kakashi whips around and scrambles towards him, barely avoiding prods and points along the way. "I need you to get something for me."
"As in, get you something from, say, the kitchen? Or get you something from somewhere not in this house?" He says the second with an icy tone and folds his arms across his chest.
Sasuke's obvious displeasure does nothing to faze the man. He clips without hesitation, "the latter", to which Sasuke throws his arms up in exasperation. He fixes the man with a cold glare but finds he's equally met. It's a losing battle and he knows it; putting up a fight would be a waste of time. The teen breathes a defeated sigh, "Where?"
"A flower shop in the village by the other end of the forest."
"Wha-the forest!? It'll take the whole weekend to cross it!"
"Indeed so, and?"
Another sigh, "Never mind. What is it that you need?"
"A rare specimen of African Nematoda. I had a letter sent to the distributor, so all you have to do is inform them you are the one retrieving the goods in my stead."
Sasuke glares at him again before dropping his head in his hands. Kakashi gives him a questioning look, though the boy cannot see it.
"I don't see any problem."
The teen groans and lifts his head, "I don't understand why you can't do this yourself."
"Ah. Simple." He turns and gestures toward an ordinary looking potted plant sitting on his work desk, other less fortunate, withered looking plants lye in heaps on the floor. "I cannot afford to leave this experiment. This is the only surviving subject and I must keep a close watch on it. What if I left and the injections backfired, causing the central system to collapse without me to give the precisely measured amount of—"
"Okay, okay," Sasuke cuts him off, the explanation already tiring his brain. "I get it. I'll get your Nema-whatevers. But you owe me."
He gives Kakashi a pointed look before heading to the door, opening it when he hears the older man mutter a "thanks". Sasuke gives the room a final glance, eyes scanning the many failed "experiments" crammed along the walls and chuckles inwardly.
"Hn."
Sasuke latches the belt of the saddle under Uma's belly while the mare idly grazes on wisps of grass. Because his current mission is of "urgency", he has no time to grieve for the loss of his weekend. Why he isn't used to this happening by now is beyond him. For years the inventor, his guardian, has been sending him off on ridiculous errands to fetch supplies for his experiments, most of which turn out to be a failure in the end anyway. But the man never stops, even after the incident with his eye, turning it red and forcing him to wear a mask at all times. This is the focus of most of their arguments, otherwise they're perfectly fine. Well, as "perfectly fine" as you can get with a sardonic genius and an outcast teen living under one roof.
"Looks like we're trekking through the forest today, girl…"
Uma's head perks up, as if in annoyance. Sasuke absently strokes the fur above her nose, instantly mollifying her, though it does nothing to soothe his own nerves. The forest…
He may not show it, but the place has always given him an eerie sort of feeling. It's definitely not something he feels often, (being known for his calm demeanor), and it puts him on edge.
The teen quickly tries to smother his frets and mounts Uma in one effortless movement. The moment he lands on the saddle, he's facing the woods. It looks dark, like the morning sun doesn't shine where it resides.
A sick feeling writhes in the pit of his stomach like a snake, coiling and squeezing.
"Hya!"
The bright blue of the sky slowly transforms into shady violet, a splotch of pink-ish orange where the sun sets. The thick foliage of the trees blocks most of it from view, only allowing flecks of blue or violet to be seen here and there as Uma jogs. Snow fell a little after they crossed into the wood, now having accumulated into a thick layer on the forest floor.
Thoughts of rest make their way into Sasuke's mind; they'll have to stop soon.
He gives the reins a slight tug, "Woaaah…slow a bit Uma."
The horse complies, bringing her pace down to a steady trot. Sasuke uses this chance to observe their surroundings while shaking icy flecks out of his hair.
The place still gives him a bad feeling but now it looks almost…beautiful.
Glittering white is peppered along every surface, standing out on the dark wood of the trees. The stark contrast between the black of the forest and the shine of the snow is absolutely breathtaking, but that feeling is still there, like something savage hides behind the mask of beauty; its disguise.
Suddenly Uma stops and stares intently at something the boy can't see. Her posture is rigid, the silence as she stares almost suffocating; something's not right.
Sasuke shifts his head to get a better angle, but before he can catch a glimpse of the threat, Uma whips off, blazing through the wood. He barely has enough time to right himself and fiercely latches his hands to clumps of her mane. The reins whip in the air, but he doesn't dare let go of her mane, for fear that he will immediately fly off her back.
"Uma! S-Steady!"
But the horse doesn't listen, or rather doesn't hear; doesn't hear anything, being completely consumed by her fright. She whinnies and snorts in panic, whizzing through the forest, tree branches littering their bodies in cuts. Everything around them is one blur blending into another.
Uma stops abruptly, causing Sasuke to slam into her neck and lose his grip on her hair. She lifts her front legs in the air, kicking and bucking wildly. Sasuke falls off her back, hitting the ground hard and rolling down the steep drop-off at his side. His heart beats so hard it's a miracle it hasn't burst from his chest.
He has no control over his body as it topples down the rocky slope. The snow does little to cushion his fall or protect him from the sharp rocks jutting out of the ground.
Spinning…everything is…spinning…
The world around him moves in spirals even after he feels his body hit the bottom. He faintly recognizes the crimson oozing into the snow as his blood and the sharp pain coursing through his entire body, before he slips out of consciousness.
Why is it so cold?
Sasuke's eyes flutter open, feeling heavy. It takes him a moment to recall the situation, then his eyes widen and his heart beats fast once again.
Uma got spooked. She ran off and now I'm—where am I?
He raises his torso and immediately regrets the decision when searing pain shoots up his spine, "Agh!" He bites back a curse, eyes squeezing shut.
It's when he opens them again that he sees it; the blood. My blood. The dark fluid stains the snow, the surreal image bringing forth disturbing memories.
Memories of blood, so much blood, and unbearable grief. The screams echo in the distance. He knows, but he can't hear them, can only watch as the life drains from those eyes. Those eyes...—NO.—
No. Not now. There's no time. I have to move now or I will die.
Sasuke shoves the painful memories aside, now trying to evaluate the situation, and hopefully save his own life. His eyes skim over his surroundings; anything could be of help at this point. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit—wait-what the hell?
He spots something—well it's just sitting there blatantly obvious so it'd be hard not too.
A massive castle looms before him, not too distant, a black iron fence marking its perimeter. The forest surrounds the fence, the area inside containing a sparse number of its own trees. Snow coats the ground so he's unable to see if the lawn has been recently cut, but the place itself looks well kept, which means it may be occupied by people.
People who can help me. Sasuke sighs with relief. The fact that there's a castle here at all is the least of his concerns, he's too enamored with the enormity of his luck.
First thing's first, I have to get there.
Placing his hands in the bloodied snow, he slowly pushes himself onto his heels, groaning at the pain. More blood seeps into the icy froth as his wounds stretch with the movement. He uses a slim tree to support himself while he raises the rest of his body, hissing at every burning wave shot up his spine.
He careens toward the castle in a stumbling mess, breath coming in short gasps and vision swimming. "D-Damn…"
I will not die.
Sasuke collapses the moment his feet pass the entrance of the open gate. He feels his body sink into the snow.
Just…make it through…yard…but…sleepy…
Rest sounds so alluring it's unbearable, but he knows if he sleeps now he won't ever wake up. With this thought in mind—being the only thing to push him on—he weakly crawls through the snow, eyes never leaving the large wooden door of the castle.
He knows the color red smears on the snow with every pull. Knows he's dying and this whole endeavor could be for nothing, but he simply cannot die; cannot lose hope; cannot give up on life. It's not what he would have wanted for him…
His chest heaves for every bit of icy air and his arms ache, but it does nothing to deter him. So…close…
An arm stretches painfully to rest a palm on the first stone step. The feel of the cool granite is like a promise of life.
Made it.
Sasuke tries to call out, but his voice escapes as a hoarse whisper. He tries again, screaming this time, but it's still the same result. He rests his cheek on the snow, praying someone will find him. At this point it's all he can do.
After lying for a bit, struggling to stay awake, he hears something.
Faint sounds of voices from inside the castle, seemingly right by the entrance. Sasuke tries to tune in, but can't understand a word, only registering that there are two male voices, one almost animated and the other cautious. The louder one talks quick, even shouts a few times, only to be—what he guesses—hushed by the other.
Please see me.
The voices suddenly stop, and Sasuke waits for the door to creak open, but it doesn't come. He wants to scream so bad, hates feeling so helpless.
Just as his hope starts to slip away, the door opens. All strength has left him, so he's unable to lift his head, but he doesn't mind. Instead he relishes in the relief that floods his body, beginning to succumb to the pull of sleep.
Now he's staring into the sky. Whoever it was that came through the door must have flipped him on his back. He doesn't remember it though.
A gentle brush of fingers on his skin, and his bangs no longer cloak his half-lidded eyes. He hears a small gasp, then something moves over his face—no—someone moves over his face. Sasuke's vision starts to fade, blackness growing around the edges.
The other person moves closer until their eyes hover directly above his own.
Purple. Their eyes are purple—impossible…
Then everything goes black.