Home is Where the Heart is

Silver's Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. We hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 11

Alright, asking Itachi questions, or to practice with him was one thing. Sasuke didn't really find it too hard to talk to Itachi. Maybe that was because Itachi doted on him while he was recovering, or rolled around in the dirt and grass with him. Asking his new parents for a favor when they'd only just adopted him…that was more than a little anxiety-inducing. His initial determination was still there, of course, but his excitement was now tamped down by worry.

Still, his new mother should probably be in the gardens this time of the morning. At least, that's when he'd noticed her going to the gardens. They always seemed more alive after she visited them, so maybe that put her in a good mood too? Well, there was only one way to find out.

He sneaks through the halls, out towards the massive gardens behind the palace. Well, sort of behind, since they technically extended in a ring all around the base of the gigantic tree. But that wasn't important. What was important was that Sasuke could see her as soon as he set foot outside, spotting her sitting in the middle of a profusion of wildly colored roses. She really was beautiful.

Steeling himself to calm his nerves, Sasuke walks quietly towards the grassy patch of the garden, the scent of the flower hitting his nose more strongly than anything on Earth had. "Um…Mother?" Yeah, he was still getting used to calling her that. "May I sit with you?"

She smiles at him. "Of course. You don't have to ask." Mikoto gestures to the flowers. "I was just singing to the flowers. It helps them grow." One day, he would be able to do the same. Though she supposed that Sasuke should adjust to the world more, before they endeavored to teach him much in the way of magic.

Sasuke's eyes widen a little, before he relaxes and smiles slightly, one of those rare smiles that was slowly becoming a little less so. "They're beautiful flowers." And though he didn't really understand the singing part very much, it seemed to make her happy. That was good. "You like to sing, then?" He approaches slowly, settling himself on the grass a foot or so away from her.

"Mhm. Most elves do." She smiles at him mischievously. "Unfortunately, your father can't carry a tune for the life of him. Earth magic was never his strong suit, I suppose." Mikoto nods at him. "Is something on your mind?" He seemed rather nervous about something. Though...that tended to be his general demeanor.

"It's just…next week…" They were introducing him to the court, and he'd been nervous about it since Naruto left a few days ago. The wild elf had been a great distraction, and he liked being able to get out of the palace and see the city. But now that he was gone, Sasuke had just stayed in his room mostly, practicing his archery. "I was…wondering if maybe I could invite a few people to…you know, the celebrations?"

Mikoto wasn't really sure who he knew that wasn't already going, but she nods. "Of course, Sasuke. This is your celebration." She kisses his cheek. "You can invite as many people as you want...well as long as they aren't orcs anyway." Mikoto Uchiha considered herself a tolerant elf, but she drew the line at orcs.

His ears flush red as he touches his cheek. "Uh…no, they're not orcs." At least, Sasuke doubted that someone like Naruto would have an orc for a parent. "It's a friend I made while I was exploring the city. His name is Naruto Uzumaki." She was a wild elf, so he figured that she was the best person to ask about inviting wild elves. "He's…my friend, we spent a few days exploring the city together before his tribe started moving back towards the south."

"Well we were going to invite him anyway." Mikoto nods at him and smiles. "I'm glad you made a friend. He's a prince like you, but of a wild tribe. Their territories are considerably more flexible than ours, but he's still royalty."

"Yeah, I know. He told me about his people whenever we managed to escape Jugo and Itachi." That part, admittedly, Sasuke had probably taken more pleasure in than he should have. "I like his stories, and he's very bright and warm." And extremely energetic, though Sasuke didn't mind that too much. It was better than being boring. And Naruto paid a lot of attention to him, almost a freakish amount, actually. "So I just wanted to invite him and his parents, since I don't really know anyone else." Though he was working on that. "Oh, and I suppose there's his cousin Karin. But if she comes, then Suigetsu will come, and I'll probably want to punch him in the face again."

She laughs softly at that last part. "Well I'm glad you made a friend, but let's try to curb the violent impulses until you see battle or unless it's for training." Mikoto smiles at him. "You're certainly a scrapper though."

"…I used to get into a lot of fights." Not that it was his fault. People just rubbed him the wrong way and pushed their luck further than they should have. Or they pulled something cruel and stupid in front of him that he wasn't going to let fly. "I have a violent reaction to idiocy and bullying."

"I'll keep that in mind." She smiles at him. "Suigetsu doesn't mean any harm though. He just lacks...tact."

"Yeah, that's what Itachi said." He'd also speculated that Suigetsu was part water sprite, but Sasuke wasn't entirely sure if his brother had been kidding about that or not. "…I'm sorry…I'll try to control my temper around Suigetsu." No matter how much the elf insisted on irritating him.

She shakes her head and waves it off. "Well boys will be boys, I suppose. Just try not to do any permanent damage." Mikoto gives him a somber look. "And no kicking below the waist."

"I was tempted." Probably not the best thing to admit, but Sasuke didn't like lying if he didn't have to. And here, well, he didn't seem to have to. "It's something of a reflex."

"Well I suppose that's only natural." Mikoto runs her hand through his dark locks, curling them around her fingers. "Just remember if you kick there, that gives them license to kick there as well."

"They could try, but I'm fast." And Sasuke wasn't nearly that easy to hoodwink. He was, however, growing rather fond of being touched. Particularly when his new mother played with his hair. It had annoyed and embarrassed him a little at first, but it was starting to feel more…soothing, relaxing. So, in a fit of anxious embarrassment, he lays down with his arms on her lap, propping his head up just a little.

"Yes, Itachi has mentioned that and outrunning a nightspawn for any length of time would indicate that." She chuckles softly. "You do have such nice hair. We'll have to do something special for your ceremony."

Do something special? "Like what?" He only really dressed up particularly nice if she was the one dressing him. He preferred simpler clothes, and less adornments, because decorating himself made him feel like the center of attention, which, when he was dressed up, he usually was. It was unnerving.

"I'm not sure yet." She giggles at him and kisses the top of his head. "Though since you like the wild elves so much, we could dress you like them if you really wanted to shock people."

"Really?" He blinks, tilting his head to look up at her. "We could do that?" Because that would actually be really cool. Or maybe a blend of the two styles, taking elements from each and making it all his own. There were so many possibilities.

"Well you are my son now and I'm originally a wild elf, so it wouldn't be TOO surprising." He seemed to like that idea. "It would...definitely make an impression though."

"Yeah…I'm sure it would." Sasuke lays his head back down, ideas swirling excitedly through his mind. "I like the leather hunting clothes that Shisui got me." They reminded him of the leathery, fur-laden clothes that Naruto had worn. "I like the black leather with the silver stitching best." He just hadn't wanted to say anything earlier, since she seemed to really like dressing him in silk and satin.

He certainly did seem to be a wild elf. "If that's what you like best, that's what you should wear." She plays with with his hair some more. "Whatever you feel will make you feel more confident is the best choice...though Fugaku would probably make a fuss if you showed up in pink..."

"If anyone put pink into my wardrobe, I would toss it into one of the fires." There were a few scattered about the palace, mainly for the guards to warm themselves with if the nights were cold. He glances up at her again, taking note of her ears. "…Earrings, however, are negotiable." He liked the idea of them, he'd just never worn any before.

"No pink then." She laughs at his threat and expression. "Well if you would like earrings, we can certainly do that. Though no one will judge you negatively not for having them."

"Really?" Everyone else who had them were older than he was. But then again, Shisui had told him that there was one he'd had since birth. Sasuke was more constrained by rules, and the fact that earrings on Earth, well…there wasn't as impressive a variety as there were here. And then…people. "I mean…no one will look at me funny if I had them? I know that some earrings are supposed to mean something, like your birth, or your first hunt, or…other important things." And he hadn't done anything to earn one yet, but some were worn for fashion, so…maybe?

"There are some that are for special purposes, but most are for decoration." She nods at him. "I would help you select ones that anyone could wear. If that's what you want to do."

His ears start to burn a little as he pushes himself up from her lap, but he nods shyly. "Okay." The school dress codes had never allowed for him to try out earrings, but without so many of the usual constraints in place, it was kind of…liberating.

Mikoto smiles at him. "When would you like to look at some earrings?" There were many choices. the poor boy was likely going to be overwhelmed.

Well, they only had a week left, and the queen was likely going to be very busy the last few days. So maybe… "After lunch?"

"That sounds good." The queen nods at him in understanding.

Sasuke smiles despite himself, his stomach fluttering with excitement. Not that he would ever tell anyone that. Sasuke Uchiha did NOT flutter.

Okay. Obviously, elves REALLY liked their jewelry. Sasuke expected a jewelry room, of course. They were in a royal palace, so why wouldn't there be a room for them to keep the crown jewels and accessories for formals events? A room. Not ten, and certainly not stacked up and down the walls with racks and shelves of displays, and twisting wooden towers with nooks and crannies and ledges to hang even more jewelry from along the middle of the room. "Whoa…" There was enough gold and silver and jewels in here to bury a house.

"Yes, you may have a look around and see what catches your eye." Mikoto smiles at him encouragingly. "I will inform you if there are any special meanings for various pieces."

He…honestly wasn't even sure where to start. "Okay…?" There were so many luxurious pieces that he felt kind of bad even looking at anything made of gold, or where he could see diamonds. Then again…maybe something simpler would suit him best, anyway? There were diamonds and emeralds, rubies and sapphires, topaz and amethyst, so many choices, and all so very bright and intricate. It was hard to believe that some of the pieces were shaped and cut without the use of modern tools. What he thought was jade looked rather nice, with white veins through the green, and the aquamarines all clustered together. "What color do you think would suit me best?"

"Hmm black, I suspect." Mikoto considers the matter briefly. "Though I"m sure they will all look lovely on you no matter the color." Blue was another that would probably look particularly nice on him. Oh and red. Though one could never go wrong with silver...

"Right, black…" Well, if that was the case, then it would have to be something that stood out sufficiently from his hair to- He blinks. What was that? "I think…there might be something in the next room…" He strides through the archway connecting the third and eighth rooms, ignoring the fourth and fifth off to his right.

In this room, there was a great deal of silver, and set in it were sapphires and rubies, and most startlingly, silver crystals, and jet black onyx. Clearly, these ones were chosen and put together with the Uchiha's looks in mind. Everything just screamed dark hair and pale skin.

Especially a pair of long, black crystals hanging from silver settings, studded further with small diamonds. Almost in a daze, he reaches for them, picking them up from their little red cushion. The black gems glitter softly, like amethysts injected with ink the color of the darkest night sky.

"Do you like them?" The queen smiles. "I think they'd look quite nice on you." The boy did have good taste. Most people would have overlooked onyx in favor of some more colorful gems, but apparently that wasn't the case with Sasuke.

"They're beautiful." Truly, they were. There was an elegant simplicity in the way that the silver wing hugged the tops of the crystals, holding them in place, studded in a curving line from top to bottom with small diamonds. "Do they belong to anyone?"

"Any jewels in these rooms can be worn by any member of the Royal Family, Nobility, or their intendeds." She nods at him reassuringly. "So if you want them, they're yours."

If he wanted them, they were his. "…I want them." And those were three very weird words to say. But they made him smile. "I want to wear these ones." They just felt like…him. Sasuke couldn't explain it, really, they just felt like something that shouldn't be hidden away in here, never to be worn.

"Alright. Well I can pierce your ears for you or have a professional do it." Mikoto nods at him."It's a simple procedure."

Right, he'd forgotten about that part for a bit. Well, it was a simple enough procedure back on Earth, and though some people weren't good at it, horrendous, really, they didn't have the grace the queen did. "…I'd rather you do it." Sasuke was still a bit skittish about having strangers touch him.

She smiles at that. "Alright. Whenever you like we can do it." It was a relatively simple spell.

"Now." It was better not to think about it too much, otherwise he would just make himself anxious, or procrastinate getting the piercings. Besides, the sooner it was done, the sooner he would grow used to them.

She reaches into one of the boxes and pulls out a small needle. "The spell will make it pierce through the ear with ease and without pain." She waves her hand over it and the needle briefly glows green before returning to its normal color.

Painless piercing? Sasuke could get down with that. "That's good." He bites his lip briefly, then nods, reaching up to brush his hair away from his ears.

She smiles and places the needle in his left ear quickly. "See? Painless." Magic could be a wonderful thing sometimes. "And now for the other ear." Just as the queen said, she pierces the right ear and smiles. "Perfect."

It was so weird. Sasuke had felt it both times that the needle went through, but it didn't even pinch. He'd heard that the piercing was supposed to feel like a pinch, and yet… "Thank you." Though his newly pierced ears still turn a little red. He was used to hearing the word perfect around his grades, but coming from her, it was different.

Gingerly, he presses his fingers to his ears, bringing them away and expecting to see blood. …Not even a speck could be seen. Painless, and it left no blood behind. "That's really convenient."

"Magic can be dreadfully useful." Mikoto smiles at him proudly. "Though some elves are more gifted in that art than others. Almost anyone could learn that spell though."

"I see." That was good to know. Sasuke had been learning a little about magic as a whole, even if he wasn't studying it in particular. It was impossible not to learn about magic in a world where it was so deeply connected to the people, but it was far from his primary focus. For now, his primary focus was poking the metal curls through the new holes in his ears. The first proved a slight challenge, but he'd learned from the first, and the second slipped in without issue. "…Do they look weird?"

"I think they look quite nice." She smiles and hands him a hand mirror. "See for yourself?" Mikoto was definitely going to have to work on the boy's confidence before he came of age.

Sasuke blinks at his reflection in the mirror. He wasn't usually one for staring, but he just looked so different now. It was astonishing, really. "That's me?" The onyx crystals and silver contrasted with his skin, and the gems were so dark that they made his eyes look…softer in comparison.

She laughs and nods. "Of course, it's you." Yes, she definitely needed to work on his confidence. "I think they look lovely on you. What do you think though?" He was the one who had to be comfortable with them.

What did he think? "…I like them." They were pretty on their own, but hanging there, their weight, while a little strange, felt comforting, and the silver would match those chains that the queen liked to put in his hair. Silver, black, and the red of the rubies in the chains. Even without the chains, he looked striking, older, less like the scared kid he remembered. "Yeah, these ones are right."

"Good." Mikoto nods at him. "You look even more like a Prince of Thiral now." The transformation between his arriving and now was rather astonishing.

Sasuke's cheeks heat up, the red flush extending right up past his new earrings as he lowers the mirror. "That's still weird to hear." Prince Sasuke Uchiha of Thiral…yeah, that was taking a lot of getting used to. And in a week, a lot more people would be calling him that, instead of just the palace staff. "But…thanks for bringing me here."

"Of course." She laughs softly. "Between you and I, jewelry is not exactly your brother's forte. So it was best I do it."

"Ah, that makes sense." Sasuke didn't really see Itachi wearing jewelry much, and if he did, it was always rather simple. Silver, jeweled earrings, maybe a necklace here or there, but nothing elaborate. "Shisui seems more into that stuff, anyway. I kind of wonder if he and Naruto ever feel like their ears are going to fall off."

Mikoto shakes her head in amusement. Where did the boy get these musings from? "Elf ears are much more durable than human ones."

"Apparently." Sasuke's glances at his mother's ears, smiling a little cheekily. "After all, yours are still attached to your head."

"Most of these were gifts from your father or your brother." She shrugs gracefully as if it was all perfectly normal. "Elves don't think much of wearing many earrings if the mood strikes them."

"Oh." That certainly explained the number, and the variety of different earrings. "Well, I'm sure that they're happy to see you wear them." He would be, if he was the on who'd given her such pretty gifts.

"Mhm." She smiles at him. "Though you don't need to give me earrings. I am eventually going to run out of space." Mikoto laughs softly at that thought.

And then her ears might actually fall off, though Sasuke hoped not. That would be very unfortunate. Though, there was something else that came to mind as his cousin flitted through his thoughts. "So…I've been learning how to shoot a bow, and I'm getting pretty good at it." Sasuke shifts nervously. "And I was going to try and get Shisui to help me set up swinging targets in my room to help me with my practice."

Normally, she would be rather reluctant to let such a young child do a thing like that. "Well Shisui knows what he is doing and I"m quite certain he'll take all the necessary precautions to ensure your safety, less his own 'bow' be cleaved from its quiver so to speak." She kisses the top of his head. "So it's alright with me." By human standards though, Sasuke was more or less an adult, she was sure. An exception could be made.

Okay, well, that part went well enough, though Sasuke really didn't want to see his cousin get castrated. So, Sasuke sucks in a breath. "And…I may also have asked him if he could take me on a hunt this winter, once my archery's improved. For elk and stuff, nothing dangerous. You know, something that I could sit in a tree and shoot at." Best to make it sound as safe as possible.

"I give you a leaf and you try to take a forest." Boys, honestly. "Well...I would have to confess to quite a bit of anxiety about such a situation, but seeing as you have already proven yourself faster than a nightspawn, I suppose elks should be an easy match. You would have to get your father's approval..." She would also still hold Shisui personally responsible for any injuries Sasuke sustained.

Sasuke's eyes light up in an instant. Itachi had implied that their mother was going to be the harder sell, and if that was true, then convincing the king shouldn't be too difficult. "I'll practice hard, I promise. I'll be a great hunter before you know it!"

"I wish you had waited at least another decade." She shakes her head. "Though I suppose that is probably a long time to humans..." Their lifespans were ridiculously short.

Tentatively, Sasuke reaches towards her, hugging her tight. "I'll be careful, I promise." After all, since Jugo had been assigned to him by the king, Sasuke would likely have to bring him along on the hunting trip. And with an experienced hunter like Shisui taking him, who knew the forest clearly much better than Sasuke possibly could, he would be fairly safe, unless he fell out of a tree. In which case, Jugo would probably catch him. "And before I go, I have a lot of training to do, so it'll be six moons at the earliest."

"That is nothing to our people." She smiles at him. "You are a quick learner though, so I have faith in you. I also have another pair of earrings for you." She shows him a silver pair of leaf earrings with emeralds at the center. "To mark your station as a Prince of Thiral, and because Itachi brought you to us from the forest." They were intricate enough that they almost looked like real leaves save for their coloration.

Sasuke stares at this second pair of earrings, a silver vine curling down from each other them, and swirling beneath the emeralds. "They're beautiful…" He rubs along the curve of his ear, visualizing how they would fit there, just a centimeter or so higher on the lobe. He'd only excepted one pair today, but he could handle a second easily enough. "…I'll wear them too, then."

Mikoto nods approvingly. "Good." It looked like he was all set then. "Well now you only need your outfit." Except for that.

Oh boy, that meant it was time to play dress-up again. "Less silk this time, right?" Not that Sasuke didn't like the fabric, it was a nice fabric, but it was a bit on the airy side, even for him.

"Whatever you want to wear is fine." Well she supposed men were less fond of silk than woman. "You wanted to look more wild anyway. Wild elves don't really wear silk often." If at all.

"I just want to feel…comfortable." And Sasuke felt most comfortable in the soft leather riding clothes. Though he hadn't tried on the leather hunting armor yet, and he was kind of excited to try it on. "Wait…no one would get mad at me for wearing leather armor, would they?" Sasuke was hardly an expert on etiquette, but there was no telling whether or not that would go over well.

"Angry no." She smiles slyly at him. "Though I imagine they would be rather shocked.

Probably because, in their eyes, he was a kid, and because wearing armor to a social event was something that the older warriors would be more prone to doing. At least, that's what Sasuke guessed. "I see." He glances back at her, smirking. "Then would you mind helping me finish adjusting the straps? I can never really reach the ones in the back of the set that Itachi got for me."

"Of course." Mikoto nods at that. "You'll get used to them in time. Why don't you go try it on and I'll get the back for you."

"Okay." Sasuke barely shoots even a backward glance at the rest of the jewelry rooms as he strides quickly towards the outer hall. For the first time in a while, he was eager to finish playing dress-up with his mother.

It was a combination, really, of silken clothing and padded leather. The blackened leather, set into patterns of overlapping plate-like sections consisted of a flexible chestpiece, with smaller overlapping strips trailing down the abdomen, unobtrusive, but obvious pauldrons in similar style, elbow-length vambraces, thin thigh plating, and softened greaves. The trouble was, of course, with the straps in the back, there there was no accompanying backplate.

Sasuke squirms a little in the armor, tugging at the soft cloth beneath the leather, and readjusting the straps across his palms. "It still feels a little loose in the back."

"Don't worry." Mikoto quickly fixes it for him. "There. That's much better. How does it feel now?"

"Weird, mostly. I'm not used to wearing armor." But it also felt…good. It felt safe. He felt…stronger, in a way. "But it feels like it fits properly. I just have to get used to it." Sasuke stretches out his arms, twisting them up and down, testing out the flexibility of the leather. He wasn't sure where Itachi got the armor, or when his brother had gotten his measurements, but now that it was properly tightened, it fit like a glove. And while he had busied himself with the armor, his mother had worked carefully around his fidgeting and poked new holes for the second set of earrings, fastening them in place as well. "How do I look?"

"Like a Prince of Thiral, ready to march off into battle or train with the troops." That and adorable. She wouldn't say that though. It'd hurt his pride too much. "Was there anything else that you wished to do to prepare for the ceremony?"

He couldn't think of anything right now, but he still had a week, so maybe something would come up. "I don't think so, but I can probably get Itachi to help me if something comes up while you're busy." After all, she was the queen, so she would likely be giving out orders and doing the last-minute organizing. "And I think I've gotten the hang of braids. Mostly."

"That was a very fast mastery. Most take years to learn the art of braiding." She smiles. "Well I shall let you continue your training. I know you're eager to go on that hunt."

"Yeah." And now that the armor fit right, he could undo different straps and take it off without loosening the annoying ones. "Thanks for the help." And before he took it off, he could get in some practice and get a feel for shooting while in hunting armor.

She nods and heads off. There were so may details that still needed organized before his announcement.

And after one last glance in the mirror, Sasuke turns away, picks up his bow from his bed, nocks an arrow, and aims at the closest target. One breath in. Release on the breath out. It slams into the bullseye as he nocks his second arrow. In, out, and release…