Blurred Lines
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy the ending to Blurred Lines. If you're interested, feel free to check out my other stories.
Chapter 20
A year had passed since the final battle for the soul of the Goblin Kingdom. In all that time, Sasuke had never crossed over to the human realm again. His heart had apparently chosen Eien No Yume and that was the end of that.
"By the Gods and Goddesses, I wish that someone had told me that Dragoons learn to fly before they walk." Gaara mutters in irritation.
"Why? What's wrong?" Sasuke asks the Pharaoh in confusion.
"My daughter has apparently decided your son is to be her horse so to speak." The red head replies.
Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He almost was afraid to ask. Kenji was his pride and joy and he knew that Naruto felt the same way.
Kenji was also a hybrid. He was half Dragoon and half Elf. That meant that he could sometimes transform into a dragon and fly. (Well really it was more like hovering at this point, but Naruto said that was normal for hatchlings).
"I'll have Naruto get them. Don't worry. Besides, Kenji likes Zara. He wouldn't hurt his favorite playmate." The Traveler tries to assure him.
"Not on purpose, but the boy isn't even a year old. Who knows how much control he really has in his dragon form?" The other new father asks fretfully.
Sasuke hated to admit it, but that was a good point. Kenji and Naruto were the loves of his life, but Kenji really was just a baby. What if Zara simply got too heavy for him to carry?
"NARUTO!" Sasuke calls out and with that, his husband comes running.
"What's wrong?" The Viking Prince asks anxiously, his father at his side.
"Kenji has flown off in his dragon form with Zara. Gaara is worried. Justifiably so. Can you grab them?" The Uchiha asks.
Naruto nods and quickly transforms into a golden dragon, taking off to find their wayward offspring. This meant that a rather bemused King Minato was left behind, chuckling. Sasuke didn't really find the situation funny and gives him a dirty look.
"I'm sorry. This is very normal behavior for our kind. Our hatchlings are basically born knowing how to fly. The parents always have a difficult time keeping them in the nest. I remember when Naruto was that age. He gave me a good run for my money." Minato observes.
Right. This was normal for Dragons. Of course. Really, Sasuke should have expected for his son to turn into a dragon and fly off. Naturally.
"I've been here for year and yet, there's still so much that I have to learn." Sasuke says with a sigh.
"Don't worry, Sassy. I'm sure that you'll get the hang of it eventually." Suigetsu says as he walks over to the three men.
"Sassy?" Gaara asks with a raised eyebrow.
Sasuke sighs. Great. Just what he needed. Now the Pharaoh knew about Suigetsu's nickname for him. That was embarrassing.
"It's just a name that he calls me. A nickname." The raven haired man explains.
"Oh I see. What's a nickname?" The Egyptian Ruler asks in a completely baffled way.
The sound of giggling is heard as Mei makes her way over to her husband. The proud mother clearly found her husband's confusion amusing. Well Sasuke supposed that it might be cute, if you were into that sorta thing.
"It's what their people call a term of endearment. Just as I call you, My Lion." She informs him as she kisses Gaara's cheek.
"My Lion? Well, someone has a warm bed." Minato observes with a loud laugh.
"Wow. Didn't think you had it in you, Red. I always figured you were more of a cold fish than anything." The violet eyed merman adds.
Now it was Mei's turn to give a dirty look. She might not completely understand what the merman had called her husband, but the sentiment was obvious. One that she didn't appreciate.
"He's a very affectionate lover. I'm half Succubus. I wouldn't be with him, if he wasn't." She growls at him.
"Now. Now. Everyone play nicely. Itachi will get upset, if you don't." Kisame says as he heads over with his Mate.
Sasuke shakes his head. Kisame was trying to convince Itachi to have hatchlings of their own. The youngest Uchiha really didn't want know the details of how Kisame was supposed to carry their children.
The fact that Kisame referred to them as hatchlings, implied that eggs were involved. Well, if Dragoons could get either gender pregnant and have hatchlings, maybe mermen were the same way.
"Kisame, you do realize that trying to micromanage my environment is not going to make me more likely to agree to fatherhood, correct?" Itachi asks slyly as he joins his Mate's side.
"I'm just trying to prove to you that this is a perfectly safe environment for our hatchlings," The blue skinned man says.
Itacih laughs and wraps his arms around his Mate's neck. Kisame was nothing if not persistent. He wasn't exactly sure how a Elvin/Merman hybrid would work. That was his main concern.
"Has this combination ever been tried before? Apparently, Dragoons and Elves can breed easily enough. What about Elves and Mermen?" Itachi whispers.
"I'm sure that it can work somehow. I mean if Naruto can turn into a dragon, merman/elf babies should be easy." Karin says as she joins the rest of the group.
Sasuke blinks. Yeah. This was disturbing. He really didn't need to see this. It was too weird.
That's when a rainbow appears out of nowhere and his parents slide down. Well it seemed like they had talked Guy into it, after all. God only knows how many youth speeches they had to listen to before they earned the privilege of the Rainbow Slide though.
"Does this mean more grandchildren?" Mikoto asks hopefully.
It was interesting to watch his father's bemused reaction at his mother's antics. One day, Sasuke was sure that he would be in Fugaku's place. Naruto would be the one to push for grandchildren first. He was almost certain of that.
"Yes, Mother. This means you get more grandchildren." Itachi says with a laugh.
"Wonderful news! Hmm. Maybe this one will be a girl. Though another boy would of course be adorable as well. It'd be nice to be able to dress her up and do her hair though. Well I guess dressing her up might involve seashells or coconuts." Mikoto says thoughtfully.
"Oh boy. My Love, you are getting ahead of yourself." Fugaku observes as he kisses her cheek.
That's when Kimimaro and Jugo fly in. Sasuke was still amazed by the fact that their fragile, but beautiful wings could support them. He supposed that the laws of gravity were somewhat looser in this realm.
"Well, one can't really blame her for being excited about the prospect of more grandchildren." Kimimaro says with a smile.
"That's true, but it will be awhile before the girl needs coconuts and that's assuming it's a girl in the first place." Fugaku reasons.
"Indulge her in her fantasies. You'll be happier that way. I know that's the way that it works with Kimimaro." Jugo suggests and with that, he kisses his Mate's cheek.
Sasuke could only smile in response. Really, the two of them were nothing short of adorable. Whoever came up with the phrase opposites attract had clearly been thinking of Kimimaro and Jugo.
"And I know that I'm much happier when he indulges me as well." The silver haired fairy muses with a smile.
That's when a large shadow fell over them and Sasuke looks up into the sky. He smiles at the sight. It was Naruto and his lover was carrying the Zara in his mouth. Kenji was flying alongside his other father dutifully.
Kenji's animal form currently was about the size of a horse. He had scaly wings and sharp talons. His eyes were sapphire blue though. Just like Naruto's, Sasuke thinks with another smile.
"There they are. See, Your Majesty? The children are safe and sound." Minato promises Gaara.
"Thank goodness." Gaara and Mei say together.
Zara was their first and only child at the moment. The little red head had inherited her father's locks and her mother's looks. She didn't have any wings, but she could use mother's techniques in a manner similar to how her father used his sand. It was instinctual.
"Don't worry. I got em." Naruto says as he lands and then transforms back into a man.
Once that was done, he scoops Zara up into his arms and gives the baby back to her loving parents. Her very anxious, loving parents. Damn. Those two were overprotective.
Naruto had thought Sasuke was overprotective, but Gaara and Mei were in a league all their own. Gods and Goddesses help the boy who would eventually fall in love with the Egyptian Princess. By Thor, that kid was going to have a tough time of it.
"Thank you." Gaara says as he and Mei cuddle their daughter to their chests and Zara basks in their attention.
"THAT'S THE POWER OF YOUTH! Look at all the love in the air and the sounds of the little ones!" Guy exclaims joyously as he slides down the rainbow.
Sasuke mentally groans. Currently, they were in the heart of Viking Territory. Minato and Naruto owned their own large castle. That meant that the leprechaun had to use rainbows or travel by ship to get all the way from Ireland to the Viking Castle.
Not that that stopped him. Guy was a very attentive friend. He was a good man, but Sasuke was rather disturbed by the fact that he wore spandex. He had no idea how the Leprechaun King had gotten hold of the material in the first place, but he wore it every single day. (It was really quite traumatizing).
Meanwhile Orochimaru smirks as he stands on his balcony and surveys his Kingdom. He had returned and thanks to his new allies, he had taken back his throne. Life was good.
Unfortunately, the goblins had suffered heavy losses during the final battle. That and Kisame had sunk the Royal Fleet. That meant that there was still much work to be done, but recovery was going as well as could be expected.
"Your Majesty, I come baring good news." Another goblin calls out respectfully.
Ah yes. Everything was as it should be. Orochimaru was now receiving the respect and fear that someone of his position was entitled to. He could hear it plain as day in the other goblin's voice.
"What is the good news?" The former college professor asks.
Orochimaru couldn't be bothered to remember this particular subject's name. He worked at the castle and served as something of an accountant in this world. He track of things like the coin the Kingdom was earning and what it owed.
"It seems that we managed to build ten more battleships this month. That's two more than expected." The slimy green goblin informs him.
Slime might be considered an unattractive trait in many species, but not to goblins. It was really a personal preference. The goblin was also fairly small for his breed and had pleasing blue eyes. Orochimaru decides to dub him George.
By Goblin Standards, George was attractive. He was also a hard worker and eager to please. That and the man was obviously suitably terrified of him. It was Orochimaru's intention to develop a Kingdom filled with Georges.
"Excellent work. Is there anything else?" He inquires.
"It seems as though Naruto and Sasuke's son is thriving. That and the Egyptians have sired their first heir. Our allies are growing stronger. I do hope that the alliances hold. We can not defeat them all combined. That's been proven before." He points out nervously.
The green goblin had right to be nervous. Saying such things to a ruler was an easy way to get yourself killed. Still Orochimaru admired his honesty.
"Then we shall have to do our best to ensure that the alliances hold." He states simply.
"Of course, Your Majesty. Well the harvest was a fruitful one this year. That's about it really." The blue eyed goblin says.
"That's good news, indeed. You may take your leave." Orochimaru says and with that, George scurries off.
It would take some time to recover fully, but the TRUE Goblin King now reigned supreme again. Orochimaru was confident that eventually his Kingdom would recover and would be stronger than ever before, once it did. The fact that he now had four tenuous alliances with other Kingdoms was also an added bonus.
"MY PEOPLE, YOU HAVE DONE WELL THIS MONTH! Thanks to all your hard work, we have added ten more battleships to our fleet and seen another successful harvest. In honor of this achievement, tonight we shall all feast!" Orochimaru bellows out to thunderous applause.
Orochimaru smirks at their reaction. Ah yes, it was good to be King. Never again, would he lose his throne or be banished to another realm. He would make sure of it.
Elsewhere, Sakura had currently made her way to the American 1970s with Lee. Lee was a leprechaun who had agreed to join her on her journey. While Sasuke and the other Travelers couldn't send her back to her time, they had released her.
Honestly, she hadn't expected mercy. The fact that they didn't hold a grudge against her for working with their enemies surprised her, but the witch wasn't going to argue. Not when she was currently enjoying a rather fascinating trip with a leprechaun.
"And they call it Disco." Lee says excitedly.
Lee was always excited. It was a fact that amused her to no end. He could take the most mundane things or situations and always act as if they were the most fascinating things that he had ever seen or had happen to him. It was a gift really.
"Well it certainly sounds interesting. Why don't we go to the club and you can show it to me first hand?" Sakura suggests.
They had released her to do as she pleased with a suggestion. Mikoto had suggested that she could just travel through the more modern sections of their realm in chronological order. That was the closest thing that Sakura would ever get to experiencing what she would have in her other life, had she not gotten sucked into this strange land.
Sakura had seen the wisdom in such a suggestion and soon set off to explore what 'modern life' had to offer. She had never expected to have a traveling companion, but she was grateful that Lee had come with her. It meant that she wasn't alone and he was funny in an eccentric sort of way.
"That sounds like a most youthful idea!" Lee shouts excitedly and Sakura laughs in response.
"Yes, it does." She says with a smile as she heads off with her leprechaun to go explore the World of Disco.
Later that night, Sasuke and Naruto had managed to put Kenji to bed. The proud parents smile down at their now sleeping son. To them, he was the most adorable child in the world (or any world really).
"He definitely has your eyes." Sasuke muses.
"He has your dark hair and fair skin though." Naruto counters.
"Well he can turn into a dragon and has your smile. So your genes are rather well represented." Sasuke assures him.
Naruto tilts his head to the side. He and Sasuke had been Mates for awhile now, but he still knew that he had a lot to learn about the world that Sasuke had come from. Sometimes he would say things that sounded almost like his beloved elf was speaking in another language.
"What are genes?" The Viking Prince asks in confusion.
"There the stuff that makes you, you. For example, you have blue eyes because it was in your genes. Your father had blue eyes. It's the traits that family members pass onto one another." Sasuke explains.
"Oh. Well I guess that makes sense. He has a lot of your genes too then." Naruto says sagely.
Luckily, Sasuke didn't seem to mind explaining these strange concepts to him. That was a good thing. Otherwise, Naruto was sure that he wouldn't understand half of what his elf was saying to him.
"Yes, he does. Do you think that Orochimaru will keep his word?" Sasuke inquires as he kisses Naruto.
Naruto smiles and kisses back. Once he breaks the kiss thought, the blonde frowns. It was a good question and one he didn't have an answer to. Well at least not an answer that he was confident in.
"I'm not sure. I know that he'd be a fool to stand against us though. We have the Chinese, the Irish, Vikings, and the Egyptian Kingdoms on our side. When we stand united, nothing can defeat us." Naruto assures him.
"I guess that's true. I suppose we are the United Empires of Eien No Yume." Sasuke observes with a chuckle.
"That has a nice sound to it. We should talk to the others and see what they think." Naruto suggests as they head towards their bedchambers.
He sees his elf snort in amusement. Well that was Sasuke for you. He could make even snorting sound sexy.
"If anyone could talk them into it, I think it would be you. Come to bed, My Love." Sasuke says with a seductive smile as he opens the door to their room for his lover.
"You needn't ask twice!" Naruto assures him as he follows his husband into their room and locks the door behind them to ensure their privacy for what was likely to be a very long and very pleasurable night.
The next morning, Kakashi sighs. It had been over a year since Sasuke disappeared. Though he had read the words of his former friends hundreds of times, it was hard to fully appreciate them.
If Sasuke was in that other place, that meant that his heart had chosen its home. The boy that he had helped to raise had become a man. A man who was apparently quite content in his new home. He should be happy for him.
"It must have been terrifying for him." Kakashi mutters to himself.
He could scarcely imagine what it was like to be in one realm one day and then to suddenly discover that you were in a completely different world. Somehow though, Sasuke had adapted though. More than that, the young man apparently had thrived in the new realm.
Kakashi smiles wistfully. Well that just proved what Fugaku had always said, true. Never underestimate an Uchiha.
"I still can't help, but wonder where he ended up." He says to himself.
"That's when something very strange happened. A bright light could be seen in his bedroom. Curious, he investigates it and then he gets pulled inside.
After that, everything went black. When Kakashi finally awoke, he was in a forest of some kind and there was something staring at him rather intently. The man had fair skin, dark hair and eyes, with a creepy smile.
That wasn't the only thing unusual about him though. The lower half of his body was that of a horse. A centaur?!
"Well I guess you're alright. I don't see anything wrong with you. You merely got the wind knocked out of you. It looks like you must have gotten sucked in through a hole between the realities. That's rare, but it happens sometimes. Come with me. My name is Sai. I'll take you to the King." He states as if this was a perfectly natural, though unusual occurrence.
"I'm Kakashi. Where am I? Which King are you referring to? Is he welcoming towards strangers?" He asks warily as he tries to stand up, only to fall back down.
That's when he realizes that he no longer had human legs. He had four black furred horse legs. Actually, all of his lower body was now that of a horse and equally as black and furry. Well save for his silver hooves. Kakashi was barely able to resist panicking.
"You must be from the Traveler's Realm. You're looking rather shocked at your new body. That happens sometimes. When beings fall through the veil, they tend to transform into another species to naturally adapt to their current realm. Don't worry. You'll get the hang of being a centaur in no time." Sai says as he helps Kakashi up.
Kakashi wasn't entirely sure of that, but it did answer a few of his more pressing questions. Unfortunately, it didn't answer all of them. He would need to probe the other centaur for more information.
"Good to know. Now can you kindly tell me where I am and more about your King?" He inquires.
"You're in Eien No Yume. As for King Minato, he rules the Viking Era. He's a good man. He let me move into his Kingdom after the Goblin War. That was kind of him to accept me. I used to work for Danzo. I'm not sure that I would have done the same thing, if I were in his place. So don't worry about him being aggressive towards you. He can probably help you find a place in this realm." Sai states.
The silver haired centaur nods his head in response. Well that was somewhat reassuring. Sai's smile was creepy, but his words sounded sincere. That was something, right?
"Alright. In that case, I believe it's time that we paid the King a visit. I have many questions to ask him." Kakashi says as he trots off with him.
"Of course." Sai says as they continue on their journey the castle.
What they found surprised Kakashi. It was a thriving Viking City and once inside, Sai escorts him to the Throne Room. Sitting on the throne was a handsome, middle aged blonde. At his side discussing something rather animatedly with him was another blonde and SASUKE!
"Kakashi?!" He asks with wide eyes.
"Yes, it's me. How? Why? I don't understand what is going on. Are your parents and Itachi here as well?" The centaur inquires in an utterly stunned voice.
"Well it seems as though you two know each other. I'm going to go finish my patrol. Good day, Your Majesties." Sai says as he bows and then proceeds to head off.
Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Oh boy. He had no idea how he was ever going to explain this one to Kakashi.
"There are many realities and realm. Sometimes the veil between them thins and people end up in a different one or they turn out to be Travelers, like me." Sasuke begins.
"Yes, I know about Travelers. Your parents left me some information before they disappeared." The silver haired man informs him.
"Oh good. That will make things easier. Well welcome to Eien No Yume. After awhile, the lines between your world and this one blur. Eventually, this place will seem more real to you than the one you left behind." The youngest Uchiha tells him.
Kakashi nods in understanding. He couldn't believe this. Somehow he had ended up in a completely different realm and it looked like he wasn't going to be able to get back home.
That thought didn't upset him as much as it should have though. It wasn't like he had any family, besides Sasuke. He had no wife or lover. He mostly kept to himself, so Kakashi didn't really have to worry about friends being upset by his "death." All in all, this might be a good thing. Well once he got used to the fact he was now half horse, anyway.
"That's good to know. Who is he?" His former guardian asks.
"This is Naruto. He's my husband. I'll introduce you to Kenji later. He's sleeping now. Oh and we'll have to tell Itachi, mother, and father about your arrival. I'm sure that they will be thrilled to see you." The Traveler replies.
"I've missed them. It'll be good to see them. Wait. Who is Kenji?" He inquires.
Minato chuckles. Oh this poor man. It seemed that Kakash had a lot to learn about Eien No Yume.
"Kenji is my grandson. Naruto is my son and Sasuke's Mate. Things work differently in our realm. It doesn't necessarily matter what gender you are, if you are Mated to a Dragon. We can sire children with either gender." He states.
Kakashi blinks. Whatever he had been expecting, that certainly wasn't it. Oh well. It was probably best just to go with it.
"In that case, congratulations are in order." He says with a smile.
"Thank you. I'm sure that you'll grow to love it here. As I said, this place has a way of blurring the lines between realities rather quickly and who knows? Maybe you'll find your own Dragoon Prince, one day." Sasuke says with a smile.
"I hope so. Wait. What's a Dragoon?" The other man asks.
"I'll explain later. For now, lets go tell the others that you've arrived. I'm sure that mother will organize quite the grand celebration in honor of your return." The raven haired youth says, positively beaming.
Kakashi nods. That did sound like a good idea. He was suddenly starving. Maybe, traveling between realms just made people hungry.
"I'm sure she will. Mikoto was always a very gifted hostess." He says.
"That's most certainly true." Sasuke says as everyone makes their way towards the others.
A few minutes later, Sasuke and Naruto had explained the situation and everyone was welcoming Kakash into the new realm. To say the least, it was quite the joyous occasion. Sasuke couldn't help but marvel at how his life had turned out.
He was in a fantastical realm and married to a very sexy Viking Prince. (Who could turn into a dragon) He also had an adorable son and was friends with many supernatural beings.
"I'm the luckiest Traveler alive." He whispers to himself.
Oh and not to mention they had managed to save the Goblin Kingdom. To most, it was the stuff of fantasy. To him, it was his reality and he wouldn't have it any other way.
"Did you say something, My Love?" Naruto asks.
"Just that I'm the luckiest Traveler in the world and that I love you." Sasuke answers him.
"I love you too. Come on. We better get some of that fish before Kisame eats it all. Who knew that mermen could be such pigs?" He asks with a laugh and Sasuke just rolls his eyes in amusement, only in Eien No Yume did you have the opportunity to learn about things such as the eating habits of mermen.