Blurred Lines
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 4
Sasuke is lead to into perhaps the most famous library in history, a few moments later. It was so massive, that Sasuke was certain that there were more books and scrolls inside it than he could ever read in his lifetime. Before the Internet, this was likely the greatest collection of knowledge that he had ever been gathered in one place before.
"Incredible." He whispers.
"It seems like your Mate is a scholar. That's unexpected. You've always been such a warrior, Naruto. Then again, most elves do tend to be rather well educated and they do say that opposites attract." The Pharaoh muses.
The elf hears Gaara's words, but they didn't bother him. This was amazing. He was the only person alive, who had actually seen this place in the flesh. Well sorta. It was just a dream, he tells himself for the millionth time.
A wondrous dream. A dream that was extremely detailed and apparently historically accurate. Well at least Sasuke thought it was historically accurate anyway.
"I have no idea where to begin." Sasuke murmurs.
"I would look under the T. T for Traveler. That's likely what you'll be the most interested in. Though it wouldn't hurt for you to learn more about our world. Many people and creatures are going to be extremely interested in you. You're very vulnerable to kidnappings." The Queen warns him.
Sasuke didn't detect any malice in her voice. Mei was just being honest and likely concerned. He nods his head gratefully at her as he looks around trying to find the T's. He finds a rather large area of books and scrolls that had a door in front of them with the letter T painted on it.
It was English. He wasn't sure why that surprised him. Somehow he understood Naruto and the Egyptians perfectly. He knew that they were speaking different languages, but it came out as English to him. He decides that was just his imagination being considerate though.
"This place is confusing enough without language barriers." Sasuke whispers as he looks around for any books or scrolls about travelers.
There were dozens of them. Travelers were apparently a rather popular topic in this strange new world that he found himself in. He chooses the smallest book and begins reading. Hopefully, it would be concise and offer him the ancient cliff note version. He needed to get up to speed fast.
Travelers are beings from other worlds that can travel through the Veil. The Veil is the boundary that separates our worlds from the others. To most, it is invisible and they can not even feel it. This is not the case for Travelers.
One of the most curious things about Travelers is that they sometimes can slip through the Veil without realizing it. In addition to this, it isn't uncommon for their species to change to adapt to the new environment that they find themselves in. Travelers come in both genders and in all ages. It's hard to identify who is most likely to be a Traveler based on age and gender alone.
Sometimes Travelers don't understand what is happening to them. It's common for them to go insane before they understand their abilities. In the event that does not happen, they generally discover other magical abilities.
These abilities are as diverse as Travelers are themselves. Sometimes it can be something psychic in nature such as mind reading. Other time it might be something more tangible such as weather magic. No matter the Gift, it is always a powerful one and some Travelers end up having many different Gifts.
Sadly, whether by choice or necessity, most Travelers end up having to choose a realm. Living between two worlds is not easy. Many end up leading a double life or a half life for years. Eventually, most Travelers will give up traveling and choose their preferred Kingdom.
"It can't be real." He whispers to himself.
Was his imagination really this creative? Could he possibly have come up with such a detailed book in his sleep? Sasuke desperately hoped that was indeed the case. Somehow though, he doubted it.
"Don't look so scared, elf. All will be well. What troubles you though?" Naruto asks him, having finally tracked down Sasuke.
"It says that eventually, I'll have to choose between my world and this one." The college student says in a horrified whisper.
Naruto winces. He had been afraid that would be the case. The blonde had been hoping that it wouldn't be, but it looked like fate was not going to be that kind to the beautiful elf.
"Does it say that you have to choose now?" The Viking asks gently.
"No. It's implied that I could go back and forth for years. It tends to lead to insanity though. I would have to lead a double life. One here and one in my world. That's enough to drive anyone crazy." Sasuke chokes out.
Naruto sighs and wraps his arms around Sasuke protectively. He hated seeing the other man like this. It wasn't fair. Sasuke should be able to enjoy his talents. He shouldn't be worried about them.
"Then you don't need to worry about it now. Take it one day at a time." He whispers into his ear and places a soft kiss to his cheek.
Despite the situation, Sasuke found himself smiling. It was nice to be held like this. It was hard not to feel safe in the arms of a powerful Viking. A powerful Viking who could turn into a dragon at that.
"Maybe you're right." He murmurs as he leans into the embrace.
"Of course, I'm right. I'm very smart, you know? That's why I'm going to be King after my father." The blonde says smugly.
Sasuke laughs at the expression on Naruto's face. How could a Viking remind him so much of a puppy that had just learned a new trick and was terribly pleased with itself? It didn't make any sense.
Not that that mattered. Nothing about this world made sense. He shouldn't be able to go from a forest to Egypt this quickly. Men shouldn't be able to transform into Dragons. A half succubus shouldn't be Queen of Egypt. Oh and yeah, he shouldn't be a fucking elf! The fact that a Viking was oddly adorable, made perfect sense compared to all that!
"I'm sure that you will make a great King." Sasuke says as he snuggles into Naruto.
He was still desperately hoping that this was a dream. Though every time that he came to this strange realm, it felt more real. Was he going insane? Was this real? Sasuke honestly didn't know anymore.
"Thank you. You aren't sure if this is real or not, are you?" Naruto whispers as he strokes the elf's cheek.
"You're right. I'm not sure." Sasuke admits as he leans into the caress.
Dream or not, it felt nice. Naruto had been nothing, but kind to him. While he certainly was a bit wary about the fact that he could turn into a mythological creature, he wasn't afraid of Naruto the man.
"What if I gave you something? If it's still with you when you wake up in the other world, you'll know that both worlds are real. If not, this is all a dream." Naruto suggests.
Sasuke blinks. That was a brilliant idea. Why didn't he think of that? Naruto may have just solved a very big problem of his.
"That's a good idea, but what would I take? It has to be relatively small." Sasuke points out.
Naruto smiles and places a golden chain around Sasuke's neck. It had a large ruby in the shape of a heart on it. A necklace.
"I told you that you couldn't take any of my treasure, without my permission. You have my permission to keep that one." He says.
"Naruto, it's beautiful? Are you sure though? This must have cost a fortune." Sasuke asks.
"I'm sure and it didn't cost me anything. I found it on a raid." Naruto says proudly.
The raven haired man blinks. Sasuke couldn't help but wonder if Naruto had killed anyone to get this necklace. He decides that he didn't want to know and just smiles.
"Thank you. This way, I'll at least know. I'll know, if I'm crazy or not." He says.
Meanwhile back in the human realm, Taka was having breakfast with a certain fairy. Kimimaro smiles as he sits down next to Jugo and listens to his friends bicker about something. They were speaking so quickly and so angrily, that he couldn't understand a word that they were saying.
That didn't matter to him though. Karin and Suigetsu weren't his primary target. Jugo was. That and the gentle giant did have a surprisingly soothing presence. It was hard to feel alarmed, when he was by him.
"So what's your major?" Kimimaro asks.
He wished that he could think of something more creative to ask. Still it was a classic for a reason. It was expressing an interest in his interests and would allow Jugo to talk about something that should make him happy. Thus that happy feeling would hopefully be transferred to him. There was a reason why it was the most common pickup line for college students.
"Zoology. In particular, I'm focusing on birds." He explains.
Hmm. Kimimaro could work with that. He was a fairy. Nature was his specialty and he knew a lot about wings.
"That's an interesting choice. Why birds though?" He asks kindly.
"Well there's something very sweet about them. That and there's a certain freedom they have. They can fly. We can't do that without a plane or something similar. They can fly on their own accord and they can be traced all the way back to the dinosaurs. Anything that has survived that long, must be doing something right." He says.
Kimimaro knew what dinosaurs were. He had lived in the human realm long enough to pick up on things like that. He had seen a few movies and educational programs. Suddenly, he was grateful for that fact. At least he could follow Jugo's conversation.
"I have to admit that flying is a subject that has always fascinated me." The green eyed man says with a smile.
Jugo smiles back. Kimimaro really did have such a nice smile. It was kinda a miracle that he was smiling as much as he was. The man HAD just broken his leg after all.
That had to be painful. Well at least Kimimaro didn't seem to mind being in his wheelchair too much. The damn janitor should have put up a slippery floor sign or something. Maybe then Kimimaro wouldn't have broken his leg!
"Me too." He agrees.
On second thought, it was probably a good thing that the janitors forgot to put up that sign. If they had, then Kimimaro wouldn't have fallen. Then Jugo probably would have never met him. It was a big campus, after all.
"So Kimmy, what's your favorite sport?" Suigetsu asks.
Kimimaro raises an eyebrow at the nickname. He didn't particularly care for the feminized version of his name. He was starting to get to know Suigetsu though. The other man was as playful as a sprite. He likely didn't mean to insult him by giving him this ridiculous nickname.
"I don't really have a favorite sport. I am fond of hiking though." He replies diplomatically.
"Ah for me, it's definitely swimming." Suigetsu says.
Karin rolls her eyes playfully. Sometimes, she wondered if Suigetsu was actually part shark. One day, she fully expected him to sprout fangs and gills. If he kept this up, it could happen. Anything was possible.
"I do enjoy swimming as well." Kimimaro offers.
Yes, it was all going according to plan. If things kept going this smoothly, soon they would be able to return home. Kimimaro couldn't wait.
Meanwhile Sasuke had decided to take full advantage of the fact that Gaara was letting him explore the library to his heart's content. He still couldn't get over the sheer volume of knowledge contained inside the building. He barely knew where to start.
"You really are a scholar. Your eyes are lighting up over these books like mine would for treasure." Naruto observes.
"Yeah. I can't help it. Do you have any idea how much all of this is worth? The knowledge is priceless." Sasuke replies as he pulls out a book.
He notices that it had Dragoon on the title. Maybe this would tell him something about Naruto. Hmm. Curious, he opens it and begins reading.
Dragoons are a mostly humanoid race that is blessed with the ability to transform into a dragoon. Dragoons come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. There are Dragoons who live in the sky, land, and sea.
Like their animalistic counterparts, they have an extreme attraction to shiny objects. They tend to collect massive amounts of treasure. They use their treasure to increase their status amongst other Dragoons and to impress potential Mates.
Curiously, Dragoons make no real distinction between genders when it comes to Mating. Male Dragoons are able to sire offspring with either gender. When female Dragoons choose to Mate with another female, they are also able to breed. It is unknown how they are able to do this. They tend to be more secretive than their male counterparts.
In the event that a Dragoon takes a male Mate, their Mate may become pregnant. In which case an egg will develop in their belly. Once the pregnancy is complete, they will eject the egg (or eggs) and form a nest. After a few days, the egg will expand and eventually hatch.
Pregnancy lengths vary depending on species. On average, Dragoon Pregnancies (or their Mate's Pregnancies) last between two months to a year. Though in rare cases such as when a Dragoon Mates with a Giant, it may take up to a year and a half.
"What the Hell?" Sasuke asks as he glances at the ancient book in shock.
"What's wrong?" Gaara asks as he approaches the Traveler, having decided that he should check on his guests.
"This book is saying that Dragoons can get other males pregnant." He says.
Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Oh. Apparently, that wasn't normal wherever Sasuke came from. It varied by your species in his world.
"That's accurate." Naruto says and Sasuke takes a few steps back.
"Um right. Good to know. Thanks Gaara for allowing me to use your library. I'm going to learn a lot here." Sasuke says.
"Anytime. It is always a pleasure to have a Traveler in our midst. Though it looks as though you're a bit Mating Shy. I presume that we aren't going to see any Dragoon Elvin hybrids in the near future?" He asks with a chuckle.
Naruto gives Gaara a dirty look. He didn't need the Pharaoh to make Sasuke anymore skittish than he already was. The elf was going through a lot. It couldn't be easy to go between worlds.
"Probably not. I don't really live in this world. That wouldn't be fair to any of the kids and we just met." Sasuke says.
"Of course." Gaara says with a knowing smile.
That's when a loud thundering sound is heard. A blonde woman comes running in, her eyes wide with horror. Something had gone very wrong.
"We're being attacked!" Temari shouts.
"Sasuke, this is my sister. Princess Temari. Temari, who is attacking us and why?!" Gaara demands.
"It's the Chinese. I don't know why. They are attacking with cannons. We are going to need your sand." Temari says.
Sasuke blinks. They Egypt was being attacked by China with Cannons. What the Hell?
"Wait. How do they have cannons? I know they invented gun powder, but cannons?" He demands.
"The Chinese have begun trading with certain sections of the various Medieval Europe sections of our world. Vikings don't generally use cannons, but some of their neighbors do. The Chinese know of our alliance with the Vikings and must have asked their allies for firepower. Why they are attacking now though is unclear." Mei says.
Sasuke blinks. Great. Just great. Ancient civilizations not only knew about each other, but apparently there was some trading going on. Trade that dealt with weapon. He just hoped that there wasn't a modern section of this world with some more…destructive weapons than cannons.
"Yeah. It gets complicated really fast. Sasuke, stay inside the library. Gaara's sand will prevent them from storming. I have to go fight." Naruto says.
"Wait. You're kidding me, right?! You can't honestly expect me to stay behind while you fight against cannons?!" He demands.
"I told you that my hide is tough!" The blonde counters.
He said that his hide could withstand arrows. Naruto never said anything about cannon fire! He must have been crazy!
"Naruto, don't you dare. Don't you even think about going out there!" Sasuke snarls at him.
"I'll be back soon. Don't worry. I've survived worse. Just stay here. You'll be safe. Mei, Temari, protect him." Naruto says as he darts off with Gaara.
Sasuke twitches. He couldn't believe this. This was insanity. Naruto had to be fucking stupid. He didn't actually think that he was going to let him face cannons on his own, did he?!
He chases off after them. Unfortunately, Naruto had already transformed into a dragon by the time he got outside. The blonde took off and the red head had erected a massive wall of sand in front of the Egyptian soldiers.
"Naruto wasn't kidding about the ultimate defense." He whispers.
As soon as the Chinese saw the dragon, they all took aim. No. Damn it! The cannons were all trained on Naruto. There was no way that he was going to survive this!
"Naruto!" He screams as a purple light ejects out of his hands and barrels towards the dragon.
He didn't know how he was doing it. Sasuke didn't know what it was, but he knew he had to get that light around the dragon before those cannons made contact.
Unbeknownst to him, amongst the Chinese there were two Uchihas leading them. Mikoto's eyes widen. That couldn't be what she thought it was.
"My love, is that the Susanoo?" She whispers.
"It looks like it. A primitive form of it." Fugaku murmurs.
"Only our family can perform that technique though. It's purple though and rudimentary. It can't be Itachi's. Sasuke! He's here! He's alive!" She exclaims as the battle rages.
The Egyptians and Chinese clashed. The dragon pauses, but turns his head back towards the source of the light. It was Sasuke.
Naruto bares his teeth at Sasuke in annoyance. Somehow, Sasuke just knew that the blonde was attempting to chastise him. He rolls his eyes in response.
"Mikoto, don't. You know the deal." He says, but his wife wouldn't be reasoned with.
He tries to cover her mouth, but it was too late. Mikoto was letting out her shriek. Her banshee shriek. It was so powerful that it even dazed the dragon, causing Naruto to tumble towards the ground and the Pharaoh's to lose his concentration. Down went his wall of sand.
His wife didn't care though. She teleports off towards the source of the purple light and Fugaku sighs as he follows her. This might end in disaster, but there was no reasoning with her at this moment.
"Sasuke?" She Mikoto whispers once she arrived at the source.
Could it really be him? She hadn't seen her youngest son since he was thirteen. That was when she crossed over. It COULD be him. Years had passed and this man had the same dark hair, fair skin, and dark eyes of her youngest child. Was it an imposter though?
"Who are you and who do you know my name?" Sasuke asks warily as he takes a step back.
He looks around and notices that the purple light was still around Naruto. It had softened his fall and the dragon was attempting to get up. If this being attacked him, he didn't think Naruto would make it in time.
Sasuke grabs his quiver of arrows and pulls one back. At this range, he couldn't miss. That was assuming he got the shot in. This woman was a banshee.
"It's been so long, that it's not surprising you wouldn't recognize us. Lower your weapon, my son." A man says.
He looked almost human. Sasuke knew that wasn't the truth though. This man had crimson red eyes and his teeth were far too sharp to be a human. Vampire? No that couldn't be it. He was walking in the daylight.
"What'd you just call me?!" He demands.
"My son. You finally crossed over. You likely don't recognize me in this form, but I am Fugaku and this is Mikoto, your mother." Fugaku replies.
The woman was beautiful with long raven black hair and ivory colored skin. Her eyes were red like rubies and she was drabbed in flowing white robes. She was transparent though. She looked like his mother, if she was a banshee.
"Get away from him!" Naruto snarls as he flies over to them, finally managing to get on his feet and into the air.
"Naruto! Wait! Stop! It's okay. I think. Maybe." Sasuke says.
Naruto raises an eyebrow. Sasuke knew that he didn't sound terribly reassuring, but he had to know. He had to know if these strange beings really were his parents.
"Sasuke, what is going on?" He demands.
"They're claiming to be my parents. They look like them. I don't know. They might be lying, but I have to be sure." Sasuke says.
"Your favorite food is tomatoes." Mikoto says.
Sasuke blinks. Alright. He had to give the banshee that point. She was right about that.
"Don't buy it that easily. She's a banshee. Who knows what sort of magic she and her Fae lover possess?!" Naruto snaps.
Fae?! Wait. Fae as in faeries?! Sasuke suddenly felt dizzy. His vision was becoming blurred. It was too much to handle at once. He fainted.
"What did you do to him?!" The Dragon hisses at them.
"We didn't do anything. He used a very powerful form of magic. He simply overexerted himself." Fugaku says defensively as he catches his son.
This had to be him. There was no denying it now. It was written all over his face. He was using a form of magic that was only associated with their Clan and he looked so much like Mikoto.
Somehow, Sasuke had crossed over. He had crossed over and found them. It was a miracle. There were so many worlds inside this one. Sasuke could have landed in any of them, but somehow they had been reunited.
"I think that it's time that we all had a discussion. First of all, why were you attacking us?" Gaara thunders at them as he strides over.
"The Goblins kidnapped our eldest son. They promised that if we weakened Egypt, they would return Itachi to us." Mikoto says.
"That would explain the sudden attack. Come inside. Call off your army, as I said we all have much to discuss." Gaara says suspiciously.
Mikoto nods and lets out a shriek that the Chinese would know as one of retreat. They quickly left. Naruto shifts into his human form and heads inside with them.
Sasuke's body just vanished. That's what happened to Travelers that weren't native to this world though. He knew that his elf would come back to him. Naruto wasn't worried. His Mate would always return to him.