Ugh, it hurts. But wait…That's good. Pain equals alive. Alive equals good.
Opening her eyes slowly, she forced herself to stand on wobbly legs, barely managing to regain her balance.
With a thin stream of blood trickling down the side of her head, Sakura glanced around her with an unfocused gaze and her mind a disoriented mess.
Where…Where the hell am I?
Giving her eyes a few moments to clear and adjust to the darkness, she swept her surroundings uneasily.
The room she was in was dimply lit, though she couldn't quite place the actual source of the light; there were no windows she could see. Strangely enough, the air felt fresh as it filled her lungs, making her wonder if there was some kind of underground ventilation system right beneath her feet, just like in some of Orochimaru's old bases.
Even more peculiar was the array of coffins placed in a circle around the room. They were pitch black, almost as if they were made out of pure obsidian, and a shiver ran down her spine at the sight of them. An oval piece of luminescent green glass sat in the middle of each of them, not reflecting any of the pale light that seemed to somehow simply exist in the room.
Naruto, you're dead when I get back home. You just had to barge into a room full of forbidden artifacts and break that piece of glass on that coffin-
Her eyes widened.
No…oh, no…He broke that piece of glass on that coffin. A coffin just like these ones.
Glancing up for any possible escape routes through the ceiling, she realized that almost right above her head, a big, heavy-looking mirror seemed to float midair. Even from a distance, she could tell that the frame was intricately carved. The absence of ropes or anything that could have held the object that high up was painfully obvious, and Sakura cursed under her breath.
What…What in the world is this place?
"Well, well! This is quite unexpected."
Twirling around in alarm at the sound of the voice, Sakura's hand flew to her weapon's pouch to pull out a kunai. She fell into a battle stance, holding the blade defensively. She watched the shadows as a figure started to emerge, and she just barely managed to keep her eyes from widening in surprise.
The first thing she noticed was the half-mask that covered his face from the nose up. It was shaped like a raven's beak and she could see a pair of piercing, glowing golden eyes staring at her through the sockets.
His steps were slow, deliberate, and though there was no breeze in the room, the tail of his greatcoat swayed behind him. Thick blackbird feathers curled from its royal blue collar, dark and menacing.
Sakura fought the urge to take a step back as his eerie presence made their air thick with tension. "Who are you? Where am I?"
He flexed the gloved fingers of his one hand, his claw-like rings rattling with the movement. He cocked his head to the side, dark curls framing his face and pointy ears under his top hat, and his lips lifted in an unnerving smile.
"It seems to me that you are in quite the predicament, my dear. Is that blood I see on your skin?"
The woman frowned. "Don't concern yourself with my health and answer my questions."
The man walked in a slow circle around her, and Sakura followed his movements closely. Her eyes strayed to the key-shaped staff held in his hand and she made a mental note to be extra mindful of it in case it was a weapon.
"Why wouldn't I concern myself with the health of a young lady? Isn't it clear just by looking at me that I am so kind?"
"I don't have time for this, birdman. Either show me how to get back to Konoha or I'll make my own way out."
"Birdman? How delightful. However, it just won't do. I am named Dire Crowley, and I, for all my wisdom, have never heard of this Konoha you speak of."
Sakura glared at him, holding the kunai tightly. "Oi, don't you dare lie to me. Konoha is the biggest amongst the Shinobi Nations. It's impossible that you haven't heard of it."
He cackled again, his golden pupils watching her closely. "Quite possible, I would say. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say you are really, really far away from home, little bird. Though, I cannot, for all my wisdom, fathom why you were summoned."
"Summoned?" Sakura tested the word on her tongue. "Summoned for what purpose? Summoned where?"
"To a place far, far away, of course." Grinning, he motioned to the room as if that would somehow make things clear to her. "Now, if you would do me a service and stand right here," he said, pointing at a particular spot in the middle of the room, "that would be ideal."
Sakura snorted, mildly amused. "You cannot seriously expect me to fall for that."
He chuckled, raising his hand in mock surrender. "I mean you no harm, little bird. Why, I am but a lowly headmaster at a school nearby. I would not dream of laying a finger on a young lady such as yourself. I do, however, insist. Please, step over here and perhaps we might discover something useful in regards to how we will return you home."
Sakura bit her lip, her gaze shifting between the place he was pointing at and his disconcerting, beaked mask.
What am I supposed to do now?
She clutched the kunai in her grasp, wracking her brain for a way out of this situation, though she came up empty handed. She had absolutely no idea where she was, or how she had gotten there, and her sole lead was the man's admission that he had never heard of Konoha before.
What choice do I have? Damn it all to hell…
She glanced at the self-declared Headmaster, and though half of his face was covered, she could somehow tell that he knew he had already won this little game.
Scowling, she pointed the tip of her kunai at him. "If you try anything funny, I'll slice your throat before you manage to say another word."
He chuckled and that did little to alleviate the tight knot in Sakura's stomach. "I do vow that no harm will come to you, little bird. After all, I'm so very kind."
With her eyes glued to his form in case he really did try anything, the woman walked cautiously towards him and stood in the middle of the room. "Now what?"
Coming to stand beside her, he motioned to the mirror. "Now I want you stare deeply into the Mirror of Darkness. It will tell us what we want to know."
Doubtful but still very much willing to do anything to return to Konoha, Sakura followed his instructions and focused her eyes on the mirror. The frame seemed to glow, and the glass was so dark, she had to wonder if it even was glass in the first place. It was almost as if the abyss was staring back at her from behind her own reflection.
She furrowed her brow. "What kind of game are you playing with me-"
Before she could finish her sentence, an eerie green light engulfed the mirror, and when it finally died down, two numbers flashed on the surface of the glass.
"Huh? One hundred and zero?" Hearing the man suck in a breath, she turned to him with a frown. "What is that supposed to mean, birdman? That doesn't answer any of my questions-"
He chuckled and touched his pale chin with the tip of one of his claw-like rings. "Oh, but it does, my dear. It does, indeed. How peculiar. Now, this is something I, in all my wisdom, have never seen before. You must come with me."
"Come with you? Where?"
"Why, to the school of course. We cannot, in good conscience, leave unstable magic like yours without supervision."
Sakura snorted at his words. "Are you mad? Magic? I don't have magic, birdman."
Fixing his black tie, he leveled her with an inquisitive stare. "But that exactly is the peculiar thing, my dear. You do and at the same time, you do not. How strange." Turning on his heel, he motioned for her to follow him. "Well, let us not tarry any longer. Come along now. The school grounds are nearby, and we have a lot to discuss. We must find you living quarters and a uniform. Ramshackle Dorm is currently empty, so it should do. As for a uniform, I am positive we can find something that will fit you. Forgive our lack of variety when it comes to attire. Students must adhere to a certain dress code."
Having no other choice, Sakura followed after him briskly. "Living quarters? A uniform? I can't stay here. I need to return to Konoha!"
Crowley hummed under his breath. "And we shall try our hardest to secure passage back to your world for you. However, until that time comes, you will be staying here. Do not fret, our school is excellent, and we shall accommodate you splendidly. Now, do tell me. Is there any course or activity you excel at?"
Reeling from the plethora of new information, Sakura focused on answering his questions lest her mind exploded under all the pressure. "I am a doctor. I heal people."
"A doctor, you say?" Though she couldn't see it behind his mask, she could tell that had risen in curiosity. "How convenient. It just so happens that our infirmary could use another pair of hands. You do look rather young to be one, though I suppose I should not be as bewildered. You did seem rather confident in your ability to slice my throat a little earlier, so it is safe to assume that you are full of surprises, little bird."
"Sakura."
"Pardon?"
"Sakura," she repeated. "My name is Sakura."
"Fitting! Now, Sakura, let us proceed to the infirmary."
XxxxX
"What in the seven hells have you dragged inside my office, Headmaster?"
Sakura's eyebrow twitched as she gazed at the scowl the school's resident doctor directed at her.
Gotrus Valens was easily one of the most intimidating men Sakura had ever gazed upon. Middle-aged and very well maintained, he stood tall with his salt and pepper hair pulled in a stylish low ponytail at the nape of his neck. The red shirt and black pants he was dressed in contrasted nicely with the pristine white of his lab coat.
Beside her, Crowley straightened his top hat with a pleasant smile. "Now, do wipe that scary expression off your face, Gotrus. You will scare your new assistant away."
"My new what?"
"You have been complaining about not having enough help around here, have you not? Allow me to introduce you. This young lady here is Sakura, and due to unforeseen…circumstances, she must remain here for a while. She will be serving as your personal assistant from now on."
Gotrus glared at her. "I ask for help and you bring me a little chit?"
Sakura fought the urge to crack her knuckles in warning. This whole thing seems like one terrible, catastrophic idea. Oh Naruto, you are so dead…
"Do calm down, will you? She has assured me that she is a very capable."
The older doctor scoffed, as if the notion itself was laughable. "That puts my mind at ease," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The little chit says she's capable and I must take her word for it."
If he calls me a chit one more time…
"Perhaps a little test will convince you?"
Sakura's eyebrow shot to her hairline at that, but before she could reply, the doctor turned to her and pinned her with his hard, green gaze.
"You, girl, which organ may be most severely affected by prolonged use of gingko?"
"The liver," Sakura replied immediately. "Gingko is known to be hard on the liver, so liver enzymes need to be monitored in patients known to use it."
"It's exam season and a student comes to you requesting a tonic to boost energy. The only things at your disposal are chaga, sceletium and schisandra berries. Which one of these do you use to make the tonic?"
"Schisandra berries. They are known to increase resistance to the damaging effects of disease and stress. They are also used to increase energy, endurance, and stamina."
Unrelenting, the older man continued his rapid-fire questioning. "Professor Vargas comes rushing in with a student who just suffered a head injury during physical education. What do you do?"
Knowing that "use chakra" was not the answer the man was looking for, Sakura refrained from rolling her eyes and instead, crossed her arms across her chest. "Check the person's airway, breathing and circulation, then stabilize their head and neck. Stop any bleeding by pressing a clean cloth on the wound. Will not apply any pressure if a skull fracture is suspected and will simply cover the wound with gauze dressing. Roll their head, neck and body as one unit onto their side if the person is vomiting."
Even though she was confident she had answered all three questions perfectly, she still searched the older man's face for any signs that she had somehow displeased him. His piercing green eyes examined her, and for a moment, Sakura was sent back in time, to the first time she had walked in Tsunade-shishou's office, requesting to be taken in as an apprentice.
Finally, he hummed audibly, rubbing his chin contemplatively. "Huh, what do you know. You might not be completely useless after all."
Gee, thanks…
Clapping his hands in front of him, Crowley grinned his characteristic unnerving grin. "Well? Do we have an agreement here? I do believe the young lady has proven herself, Gotrus."
The doctor scoffed, but some of the harshness disappeared from his face. "I'll be the judge of that. I hope this little bird of yours is worth it, Headmaster." Turning to her, he roved her form from head to toe, looking unimpressed. "You don't look like much, tiny thing that you are, but you do seem to have a head on your shoulders. Use it to follow three simple rules. One, I do not tolerate tardiness. You are to report here every morning at 6am sharp. Is that clear?"
Sakura nodded. "Crystal."
"Good. Rule number two. You do not, and I repeat, you do not attempt to brew anything unless I'm present to supervise. You do seem to have some knowledge of herbs, but a lot of ingredients in my medicinal cabinet can turn…volatile, if handled incorrectly. I will not have you setting my infirmary on fire. Understood?"
Despite having a lot to say on the matter of just how knowledgeable she was, Sakura simple nodded. "Got it."
"I sincerely hope so. And now, the most important rule of all." He walked up to her, looking down at her with a furrowed brow. "You do exactly as I say, no questions asked. It would do you good to remember this, girlie. Doctor Gotrus knows best."
Not intimidated, the pink haired woman did not yield and met his stare head on. "Understood."
Pulling back and reclaiming his position behind his desk, Gotrus snorted in what sounded suspiciously like amusement. "That remains to be seen, little chit. That remains to be seen. Now," he continued, turning to look at Crowley, "if there's nothing else I can do for you, Headmaster, I would like to return to my studies."
Crowley's clawed fingers rattled as he fixed his greatcoat. "Of course. Do not let us keep you away from your duties, Gotrus. Do carry on and Sakura will report here tomorrow morning."
"She better."
Not sparing them another glance, the older doctor focused his attention on the stack of papers on his desk, leaving Sakura and Crowley to see themselves out.
Walking beside the masked man through the dim school, the young medic couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever see Konoha and her teammates again.
She followed Crowley silently as he led her through the maze of corridors and straight to a room with eight separate mirrors placed against the walls. Each of them was intricately made with words carved in stone right above them.
Savanaclaw? Diasomnia?
"Come along now."
Crowley's voice broke her out of her thoughts, and she found herself standing in front of one of the mirrors
"This is Ramshackle. It does not look like much as it hasn't been used in many years, but the morning light will make everything seem better, I assure you, my dear. All you have to do is walk through here and you will find yourself inside your dorm. You are to use this passage to move between your quarters and campus. I trust you'll be able to find your way to the infirmary come morning?"
She nodded absently, though her mind was elsewhere. Through the looking glass she could see the hall of a rundown building the looks of which made Sakura shudder.
Deep breaths, Sakura. Deep breaths. It can't be worse than the inside of Naruto's apartment, can it?
"I don't seem to have much of a choice now, do I?"
The Headmaster cackled. "I suppose you are correct. Do not allow that to dampen your spirits and spoil your experience here though. I'm sure you will find our school very interesting."
"I have no doubt. I must thank you though. For helping me and providing me with a place to stay, I am in your debt."
"Oh, I'm sure you will have plenty of chances to repay that debt in the days to come, little bird. After all, I am so kind." Crowley's golden pupils glowed with an unearthly light as he watched her closely from behind his beaked mask. Taking a step back, he bowed deeply at the waist, and offered her a cryptic smile.
"Welcome to Night Raven College, Sakura. Welcome to Twisted Wonderland."
TBC
I'm a crossover bitch. XD
Currently, I'm also a Twisted Wonderland bitch.
And you know what that means: a crossover with my favorite girl!
So, this fanfic won't be one continuous story. Rather, it will be a collection of one-shots, not connected to each other for the most part, featuring Sakura with different TW characters (chances are, you'll see a whole lot of Leona and Malleus, 'cause I got my faves too). The one-shots will range from fluffy to angsty to NSFW and the rating will change the moment I upload the first M-rated one.
This first chapter is a prologue to establish a few things that will be common for all one-shots, namely the way Sakura reached NRC and her position as doctor's assistant. Also, in case it wasn't obvious enough, Doctor Gotrus is the male equivalent of Mother Gothel from "Tangled". Please note, this character does not appear in the game and is simply a product of my own imagination.
The game is fairly new so there is not English version as of yet, and I haven't played it, but from what I understand after watching videos on YouTube and reading the Wikia pages – do correct me if I'm wrong – the Hall of Mirrors is essentially the room housing the portals to the pocket dimensions where each dorm is located. Just wanted to make that clear to avoid confusion!
I hope you enjoyed this and that it has piqued your interest.
Drop me a review to let me know what you think, if you have a minute to spare. Reading your thoughts always makes my day.
Until next time,
Lots of love!