Blurred Lines
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 5
Sasuke woke up back in his world. That's when he immediately panics and checks his neck. If the necklace was still there, that meant that other world was real. If that was the case, that meant his family was still alive!
He felt the cool gold chain and beautiful ruby underneath his hand as he touched his throat. Holy Hell! It was there!
"They're alive." He whispers to himself as he clutches his necklace tightly.
When he was thirteen, his parents had taken Itachi on a trip. Itachi was a senior in high school and had been looking at the various universities that he might attend in the fall. Sasuke had desperately wanted to go, but his parents didn't want to take him out of school for the week. He remembered it like it was yesterday.
"Mother, Father, let me come too! I can make up the week later. I can! It's not fair that you three get to go and I can't! Besides, eventually I'll graduate high school too! It can't hurt to have an early look at some of the places!" Sasuke pleaded.
"Sasuke, it's only a week. We'll be back before you know it, baby." Mikoto said as she kissed her youngest son's forehead.
Sasuke nodded. It was only a week. It wasn't that long. He could take a week off of school. He'd catch up.
"Exactly, it's not that long." He protested.
"Sasuke, we've made our decision. When we get back, we'll all do something together.. We can go to that amusement park that you have been wanting to go to. I know that you really are eager to try out that wave pool." Fugaku said in amusement as he embraced Sasuke lightly.
Sasuke never called his father's embraces hugs. They were never that firm. He was pretty sure that Fugaku Uchiha didn't want to be viewed as too "soft" and the type of man who hugged people. Sasuke knew that he cared though.
"You promise?" He asked.
"Yes, foolish little brother. He promises. We'll be back before you now it." Itachi told him as he poked Sasuke's forehead.
Sasuke grumbled and watched as the three of them headed out the door. Well at least Kakashi was "watching him." He was thirteen and didn't need a freaking babysitter. If he had to have one though, Kakashi was a good choice.
Knowing the silver haired man, he'd probably spend the entire week with his nose buried in one of those perverted books of his. Sasuke would have free reign to do whatever he liked. Maybe this week wouldn't be so bad, after all.
A few days later, he got the call. His family had been in a tragic car accident. They were all at the hospital. Comas.
"What happened?!" Sasuke demanded as he raced into the hospital room to find his mother, father, and brother laying on the bed.
"It looks like someone fell asleep at the wheel. They crashed. I'm sorry. I truly am, but they are all in a coma. We are trying to see if Mikoto and Fugaku have a will. Itachi was only 18. I doubt he has expressed, if he would want the plug pulled in this situation. It may end up being up to you." The doctor whispered.
Sasuke broke down. He screamed, he sobbed, he kicked, he punched. The doctors had to call in security to soothe the teenager who was now in complete agony.
For months, he visited them. He would stay at their bedside, after school. Every day. At some point, it became apparent that they were never going to wake up. They had to pull the plug. That was how Sasuke had ended up living with Kakashi, until he was old enough to attend college.
"Someone fell asleep at the wheel. They fell asleep. That's how I go to Eien no Yume. Maybe they didn't really die. Maybe they just couldn't come back." Sasuke whispers to himself in horror.
Was that what was going to happen to him? Was he going to just fall asleep and never wake up? Sasuke wasn't sure how he felt about that.
His family was in the other world, but he had a life here. He had friends. He was doing well in college. He'd probably get a good job. Could he really give up his life here and even his humanity?
"I'm not even human over there. I'm an elf. I'm an elf who has a Dragoon for a boyfriend." He says with a sigh.
Maybe boyfriend was a stretch. They weren't exactly official, but Naruto was definitely into him. He laid next him and even went so far as to get him access into the Library of Alexandria. Not to mention, he had this really expensive necklace that the blonde had given him. He was acting like a boyfriend, even if he probably wouldn't understand the word.
He was so screwed. If he stayed in Eien No Yume, he could have his family back. If he wanted that though, eventually he'd have to give up everything else. His friends, his future, and even his humanity. Could he really do that?
"DAMN IT!" He says as he punches a wall.
Meanwhile back in Eien No Yume, Naruto eyes Sasuke's "parents" suspiciously. This could all just be a really elaborate trick. It would take a lot of creativity to pull something like this though.
"Start from the beginning. You said the Goblins took your other son and that's why you attacked us." Gaara says.
"That's correct. We thought that things would get better after Orochimaru was banished. Sadly, the new King is even worse than him in some ways." Fugaku says with a sigh.
Mikoto nods. She couldn't believe that it had come to this. It had all started years ago, when her family began having strange dreams about another land. She remembered it like it was yesterday.
"We're going to have to make a decision. Sasuke is only thirteen. I'm not sure that he fully understands." Fugaku said.
"We'll go on my college trip. I want at least a chance to decide which world is a better choice for us. Once we decide, we'll tell Sasuke of our decision. He might be thirteen, but he's smart. There's a chance that he could understand." Itachi murmured.
Mikoto sighed. For months, they had been drifting back and forth between the realm. Now it was hard to tell which was their true home and which wasn't anymore.
In the other world, they were completely different. She was a banshee. Her husband was a Fae and their sons were elves. From what she gathered, your race was determined by your personality. So perhaps it wasn't surprising that their sons were both elves. They had always been so close.
"That seems like a reasonable idea." She whispered.
They were also living in Ancient China. They were all of Japanese descent. So it was a simple matter to pretend to be Chinese. The Chinese had either fallen for it or had decided it was close enough. They loved having four Travelers amongst their ranks.
For all practical purposes, she and Fugaku might as well have been the Emperor and Empress. Itachi and Sasuke were essentially princes. Life was almost perfect over there.
"If we choose to stay there, there is still King Orochimaru to contend with." Fugaku pointed out.
There were so many different mini worlds in Eien no Yume. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of timelines were there. One only had to travel a few days in any direction to be in a completely different geographical location and era. That wasn't even factoring into the fact that most people were not human over there. There were many different races.
"We'll find a way to deal with him." She said.
Sadly, they didn't have as much time as they thought. They crossed over when she fell asleep at the wheel. Sasuke hadn't. Without them to guide him, he simply stopped crossing over.
His magic wasn't developed enough to do it on his own. Ever since then, they had been living in the other realm. Hoping, that Sasuke might cross over one day on his own and to be reunited with their youngest family member and now he had.
"And what makes you think that you can trust him?! Goblins aren't exactly known for being honest!" Naruto exclaims.
"We have no choice. He has our son. We have to do everything in our power to get him back." Mikoto says.
Mei frowns. Well this was quite the uncomfortable situation to put it mildly. She couldn't really blame them. They had just been trying to save their child. Mikoto and Fugaku were doing what any parents would have done in their position.
"I think that we may have a solution. We can help them find their son and in exchange, they will cease all hostility between our Kingdoms. That goes for Egypt AND the Vikings' Realm as well." The half succubus says.
Fugaku pauses has he considers that offer. It was better than a war with another empire and another era. It might be the best compromise.
"Very well. We simply have to get him back though. His name is Itachi. He's an elf like Sasuke." The fae explains.
Naruto blinks. There were two Sasukes?! Well not two Sasukes, but least two Traveler Elves. He couldn't help but wonder if Itachi and Sasuke looked alike or not. He mentally slaps himself for the directions his thoughts were taking. He didn't need a second elf. Just Sasuke was more than enough.
"We shall find him." Gaara says.
"Thank you. We must be careful though. The new Goblin King is even more of a snake than Orochimaru was." Mikoto mutters in disgust.
Fugaku nods in agreement. Orochimaru had been obsessed with their family. He kept trying to entice them to join the Goblin Kingdom. At first, it had been the honey approach. When they hadn't agreed to move there, his approach became less sweet.
Towards the end of his reign, the man had become borderline psychotic. He had completely neglected his duties as the Goblin King. His sole goal was the capture the Uchihas.
"Is such a thing, even possible?" The blonde Viking inquires.
He remembered Orochimaru. The man had gotten so out of control, that everyone had banded together. They had banished him to another realm. Naruto had barely been old enough for his first raid. So his memories of the time were fuzzy, but they were intact.
"It's possible." Mikoto says sadly.
It was hard not to notice how much Sasuke looked like the banshee. It was uncanny really. Naruto still wasn't exactly sure what determined a Traveler's species in this realm. Sauske was an elf and so was Itachi, but their parents weren't. Sometimes magic didn't make much sense.
"Well don't worry. He'll be back soon. He's never gone for that long." Naruto says brightly.
"I hope that is the case. There is much that we have to discuss." Fugaku says.
A few hours later, Orochimaru was waiting for Kimimaro's return. The fairy soon walks through his door. The Goblin King had never been so relieved in all his life. Thank goodness, maybe this meant that they would be able to return home soon.
"What happened? Have you earned their trust?" He inquires anxiously.
"I had breakfast with them. I think that they are receptive towards my offers of friendship. Jugo may even be receptive to more than just that." Kimimaro says with a smirk.
Orochimaru's heart leapt with joy at that news. That was a very good sign. If Kimimaro could win their trust, then Sasuke would follow. They were going home!
"Excellent work." He replies.
The fairy nods his head in agreement. It was a start. Honestly, he rather liked Jugo. He was such a gentle giant. Maybe the Traveler wouldn't mind taking his friends to the other realm.
"Thank you. I'll keep you fully informed of course. I imagine that you are just as eager to return as I am." The silver haired man says.
"You're right about that. Well do let me know, if you need anything. I'll do my best to provide it." Orochimaru reminds him.
Kimimaro smirks. Well there were a few things that might be helpful. Perhaps he should really try to impress his newfound friends.
"Perhaps I could borrow that red convertible of yours. A ride around town in it, might go a long way towards impressing them." The green eyed fairy suggests.
Orochimaru felt himself twitch. That car was like his baby. Damn it. Well, desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Very well. If there is one scratch on that car when you are done though, you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?" He demands.
"Perfectly." Kimimaro says with a sly smirk.
He couldn't wait to show the others that car. This was going to be great fun. That vehicle was potentially the key everything.
At that same time, Sasuke heads off to find Taka. He needed to see his friends. He wasn't sure if he was going to tell them the truth yet or not.
Suigetsu sorta knew, but that was different. The violet eyed college student thought that it was all just a dream. He might not be so understanding, once he knew that it was real.
"There you are. We've been looking for you all day!" Karin says as she waves Sasuke over.
They were in one of the college cafeterias. That didn't surprise him. Sugietsu was a bottomless pit when it came to his stomach and they were college students. Naturally, that would be the first place Sasuke looked for them.
"Hey! Yeah. Sorry about that. I guess that last term paper took more out of me than I thought. I slept most of the day." The raven haired man apologizes to his friends.
"Yeah. That happens sometimes. Damn professors. They all scheduled the stuff to be due at the same time." Karin says as she pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
Sasuke just nods as he makes sure that his necklace was hidden. If they saw that gold and ruby, they'd ask questions. Questions that Sasuke didn't really know, if he'd ever be able to answer.
Hell he barely understood what was going on. How could he ever expect them to? He couldn't believe this was happening, but he could feel the weight of the necklace against his heart. It really was happening.
"Oh did you know that Jugo is apparently gay or at least bisexual?" Kimimaro asks cheekily.
"Yeah." Sasuke says with a shrug.
He was gay himself. Sasuke certainly wasn't going to bat an eyelash, if Jugo was. It looked like Suigetsu and Karin were pretty surprised though.
"I can't believe you guys didn't tell us!" Suigetsu says.
"You never asked." Sasuke and Jugo say simultaneously.
Suigetsu grumbles and Taka proceeds to eat together. Sasuke smiles. It was just like old times. If he chose the other world, he wouldn't have this though.
Well at least he didn't think that he would. Was it possible to take people with him? Even if it was, would his friends actually want to go to another world that they knew nothing about and that Sasuke knew very little of?
"Why does everything have to be so complicated?" He whispers to himself as he bites into his salad.
The next day, Sasuke falls asleep. He wakes up in the Library again. Naruto, Gaara, Mei, and his parents were there. Sasuke suddenly felt rather tongue-tied.
"I'm sorry. I can't really control it. I'm only here when I'm asleep in the other world." He whispers.
"That's okay, Baby. That's how it started for us too." Mikoto says as she takes her youngest son into her arms and holds him tightly.
Sasuke returns her hug. It was still mind-boggling. In this world, his family was alive. That wasn't the case in the world that he belonged in though.
"How are you both alive here? Doesn't your body die here when it dies out there?" He whispers.
"It's complicated. Essentially, our souls chose this realm. Once that happened, we were fixed here. Our bodies back on Earth, became nothing more than shed skin. Much like how a snake can outgrow its old skin, that's what happened. I'm so sorry, Sasuke. You must have been so terrified." Fugaku says to his son as he joins the family embrace.
The youngest Uchiha blinks as he tries to absorb that. His family had subconsciously chosen to stay here. They had been alive the entire time. They just didn't know how to reach out to him.
"How do you know when your soul makes that choice?" He demands.
"It varies for every Traveler. Sometimes it's a conscious choice and other times, it just happens. You were so young, that you couldn't travel without us. We never meant to leave you behind, Sasuke." He promises him.
Well he hadn't been abandoned. Sasuke believed his father when he said that much. That didn't care of his problem though. Apparently, he was going to be forced to choose. Either consciously or subconsciously.
To make matters worse, he didn't know when he'd be forced to chose. It could apparently happen at any time. Though it did seem to be implied that it would take awhile for his soul to choose its home.
"I think I'm going to be sick." Sasuke says.
"I'm sorry, Baby. I know this must all be so overwhelming for you. We're here for you though." Mikoto assures him.
"Maybe Sasuke should lay down. Gaara, may we use one of your guestrooms?" Naruto asks.
The Egyptian nods and gestures for the pair of them to follow him. Gaara walks in front of them for awhile and eventually stops at a door. The red head swiftly opens it and gestures for Sasuke and Naruto enter it.
"You may use this place as long as you like. Should you have need of anything, I will instruct my servants to assist you in whatever manner that you deem necessary." The other man says.
"Thank you. You're very kind." Sasuke says as he sits down and the red head nods, before leaving.
That meant that he was alone with Naruto. He was alone with the Viking that was clearly trying to seduce him. Maybe he should have asked his parents to come back with them.
He didn't entirely trust himself to be alone with the blonde. Naruto was too gorgeous and too sweet. Sasuke had a lot to think about and he couldn't let the sexy Viking Distract him.
"Did it work?" Naruto asks as he sits on the bed next to him.
The Dragoon didn't have to specify what he meant. It was obvious. Naruto was asking if the necklace had crossed over with him. Sasuke sighs and nods.
"Yes, the necklace came with me. This place is actually real. I thought that it was just a dream, but it's not. My family is alive here! I thought that they were dead for years, but they weren't." The raven haired man chokes out.
He knew that he was going to end up crying. Whether from joy or exhaustion, Sasuke didn't know. He just knew that tears were a very real possibility.
"Of course, we're real. I'm not going to lie. I want you to choose us, when the time comes. I understand that you have another world though. You probably have people back there that want you to stay as much as us, but you can be happy here. I mean look at your parents." He says with a smile as he kisses Sasuke's cheek.
His parents. His parents who had had thought were dead only a couple days ago. Not only were they alive, they were a banshee and some kind of Fae. This was going to take some getting used to.
"Where's Itachi though? Shouldn't he be with them?" Sasuke whispers.
"I'm not sure you are ready to hear that answer. I mean you're already very distressed." Naruto says warily.
"Naruto, I NEED to know what happened to my brother! Just tell me!" The elf snaps at him.
The Viking sighs. This wasn't going to be pretty. Sasuke wasn't going to take this well and who could blame him? His brother had been kidnapped by the Goblin King.
"Itachi has been kidnapped by the Goblin King. That's why your parents attacked Egypt. He blackmailed them into it. They just wanted to get Itachi back." He says.
Sasuke just gapes at Naruto. Itachi had been kidnapped?! He'd been kidnapped by some sort of monster?! Not only that, but his parents had been willing to go to war with one of the greatest empires the world had ever known to get him back?!
"We have to find him!" Sasuke says.
"Don't worry. We will. I promise you. We'll find him. There are lots of magical beings in this realm. Not all of them are good, but I imagine that it's the same in your world. Some people are good and some aren't. Most are somewhere in the middle." The Viking reasons.
Oh God help him. Naruto was trying to make some sort of sales pitch. The blonde wanted him to stay in his realm. He probably had some weird fantasy about them having an egg together or something!
"We HAVE to find him, but you're right. It is like that in my world. Right now, I'm more worried about finding Itachi than how friendly our neighbors are." Sasuke points out.
"Of course. I promise you that our tribe will do everything we can to find your brother. I'm sure that Gaara feels the same way." Naruto says.
"Thank you." Sasuke says as he kisses Naruto's cheek.
While he wasn't ready to hatch an egg for Naruto yet, he did like the other man. He was trying to help him. Sasuke should at least be somewhat affectionate towards him.
"You're welcome, but you really don't have to thank me for doing the right thing. Do you want to talk to your mother and father? I imagine that the three of you have much to discuss." The blue eyed Viking inquires tactfully.
"I don't know. Part of me wants to run straight back into their arms. The other part of me is terrified. I don't know them. Not really. They've lived in this realm for years. They might not be the same people. They aren't even the same species." Sasuke mumbles.
"Species doesn't really matter. There are advantages and disadvantages to being anything. What really matters is what's in your heart or hearts." Naruto says brightly.
Sasuke nods. He supposed that was true. What mattered was what was in your heart. Wait. Did Naruto just say HEARTS?
"Hearts? As in more than one?!" Sasuke asks.
"Well yeah. Some species have more than one heart. It's a long story though." Naruto says.
"I bet. I'm going to the library. I need to find a book about all the different beings in this realm and study up. I don't want anymore surprises." Sasuke says.
Naruto nods. That was probably a good idea. He was pleased to have such a smart Mate. A smart Mate who was taking this all rather well. Sasuke was certainly resilient.
"Alright. That's probably a good idea. I'll come with you." Naruto says as he leads Sasuke back to the Library.
Sasuke allows himself to be led. Naruto knew this place better than he did. Maybe he could help. One way or another though, he was going to find Itachi.
That much was nonnegotiable! When he got his hands on the Goblin King, he was going to feed him to Naruto in his dragon form! No more Mr. Nice Elf!