Lily: mwahahaha! feel the aftereffects of letting me read too much yaoi! *stands on cliff while lightning flashes in the background*
Phantom: ;_; oh god, not again. *takes cover under desk*
Fly-Girl: whee! hyper time! *skips about* this chapter will be sort of short but don't worry, there is a reason!

Beast: Ki Tsu Ne
Chapter Five
Mirror

Mirror
- folklore: a. soul: if you look into a mirror you do not see your self, but your soul;

Over the next few days Sasuke fell into a sort of schedule. Wake up, get a good morning kiss, have breakfast, help with cooking, have lunch, fight over cooking, say bye to Naruto, read until dinner, get a good night kiss, go to sleep.

His affections for Naruto and, oddly enough, Ki Tsu Ne grew over the days. Naruto had started out an obnoxious idiot, but had slowly turned into an extremely good friend... or, as Sasuke continually reprimanded himself for thinking of, hopefully more. Ki Tsu Ne was becoming something of a beloved pet, the kind that you hugged when you were upset. Sasuke could tell him anything over their meals together.

Life was almost... good. Sasuke felt strangely content.

But, still, something was missing. it was during dinner, when he was telling Ki Tsu Ne about his friends that it had struck him. His friends. He hadn't seen them or spoken to them. It seemed like a small thing but it meant a lot to him. Sasuke looked hesitantly at Ki Tsu Ne.
Ah... Ki Tsu Ne, is there any way that I could see my friends? I know that Naruto comes and goes, so I was wondering if...
Ki Tsu Ne's vermillion eyes flashed.
No. I'm sorry, but I can't allow it. he said in his broken doll voice.
A thought suddenly struck Sasuke. In the fairy tale, Beauty and the beast, the beast had a mirror... what was stopping a mirror from being in this fairy tale?
Is there any way I can see them without leaving?
Ki Tsu Ne looked at him oddly. Yes... there is...
May I use whatever it is?
Yes... you may.
Thank you.
One moment. Let me bring it for you.

Ki Tsu Ne left the dining room and vanished into his room. He came out holding a small piece of burnished copper in his mouth. He dropped it onto the table.
Just look into it and say the name of whoever you want to see.
Sasuke nodded and picked the small disk up. It fit comfortably into the palm of his hand. Sasuke wondered why the fox had something obviously made for a human when he obviously wasn't.
Thank you, said Sasuke, with a small smile.
Sasuke wasn't sure, but he thought that Ki Tsu Ne looked rather sad that night, as he gave Sasuke his good night kiss. Sasuke didn't like to see his friends upset. Friends? When did I begin to think of Ki Tsu Ne as a friend, not a captor?

The next morning, after his good morning kiss from Naruto, Sasuke told him,
I'm going to be a little late helping you in the kitchen. Ki Tsu Ne gave me this thing so that I could see my friends and I really want to try it.
Naruto's face fell, betrayal and sadness evident in his eyes, but he quickly hid it behind one of his foxy grins. Hope you see something good!
Don't worry, I'll come help you in a bit.
Sasuke smiled at Naruto's back as he left the room.

Sasuke cupped the mirror in his hands and stared at the surface. It was a beautiful orange, like the foxes fur, light shifted in it, turning shades of yellow, red and brown. But, Sasuke noticed, there were also strains of cerulean, the color of Naruto's eyes, mingled with the other colors. Sasuke took a deep breath.
Haruno Sakura,
Sakura had been his best friend since kindergarten, she was like a little sister to him. He was sad when she and her family moved to a different city, but they kept in touch, e-mailing and talking to each other on the phone almost every day.

The colors swirled around until they formed and image in the center of the disk, the image had a slightly orange tint to it. Sasuke stared. There was Sakura, lying in bed. But... something was wrong. Her normally sparkling green eyes were clouded, her pink hair was lank and greasy and her skin seemed gray. Sasuke heard a voice, She doesn't have much time left. A few days, by my diagnosis... The voice faded away.

Sasuke let the disk fall to the floor with a sharp clang.