Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Faerie Tale ❯ Chapter 6

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Title: Fairy Tale Part 6

Author: Theablackthorn

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Sasuke/Naruto

Warnings: BL

Note: Part of my 100 themes Challenge no: 61.

Sasuke sat in a tailor's seat; hands limp in his lap, head feeling oddly heavy as he looked out over a lake that was far too familiar. The lake from his dream, the hazy blue water lined with a thick forest that never seemed to quite resolve itself into individual trees. It was so quiet here, there was no birdsong, no wind rippling across the water or through the tree's as there was in the real world. Here everything was fuzzy, not quite correct and that's how he knew he wasn't in his own dream anymore. He'd been dreaming of Naruto, broken and bleeding on the floor of the throne room in Underhill.

"Such a demanding brat." Sasuke didn't startle, he had known that the fox would find him here as he'd been dragged into this dream realm by the great beast. He turned to look in the direction of the voice, noting the deep rasping quality of the words he'd heard only three times before, there was something off about them though and when his gaze landed on the source of sound he knew why. Sasuke viewed the fox sat on its haunches before him with critical eyes. The beast was obviously smaller than when Sasuke had last seen him, now no bigger than a large dog rather than the size of a small house, it's once neat fur looked ratty and bald in patches that were littered with freshly healed scars like shiny welts of pinked skin.

"Nothing to say, little Uchiha?" Sasuke arched a brow but said nothing in response, eyeing the creature before him that looked beleaguered, exhausted and in need of rest. The fox sighed a strange gesture from an animal, its shoulder's lifted and dropped in an almost human gesture and it made Sasuke wonder if the creature had a human visage but chose this one instead. The fox snorted softly before speaking in a rasping whisper as though it pained him, "You are your Fathers get."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at the implication, but didn't react to it, the word's both insult and approval from the odd cadence of the beasts tone. Sasuke could admit that he was curious, wondering how the creature had known his Father and by extension if that meant that his Father had known Naruto's parents? His Father had died before Naruto was born so was it possible? There were so many question's and though they rolled through his mind like a steadily encroaching fog they were not as imperative to him as what had drawn him here, his will alone had made the fox pull him across from one dream realm into another to answer this need. The only thing Sasuke needed to know in relation to Naruto, who was tucked beside him unconscious in the blond changeling's bed, was that he was his mate.

There would be other times for questions and he was certain that Naruto would want to hear the answers too.

"You have been wailing for hours with no sense of decorum irritating brat." The fox chided, golden gaze alighting on Sasuke and glaring balefully, voice thin. The fox rose very slowly from its haunches', tail's slowly drifting to land limply behind it as though it didn't have the strength to wave them around in a halo of red as it had done at their last meeting. The beast had been intent on cowing him and it had worked - briefly. It stepped forward gingerly; its leg's stiff as it took each step approaching the water with a rigid posture that belied the extent of its injuries.

Sasuke watched in silence, not acknowledging the accusation the beast had made, as the fox grazed it's nose across the hazy blue water, before it sat cautiously, shifting its weight to the right side rather than distributing it evenly over its four paw's, a stifled whimper escaping it as its weight pressed into the muddy grass at the edge of the lake. Sasuke didn't acknowledge the sound nor the clearly pained movement's, knowing only too well how humiliating it was to show any kind of weakness in front of others. He would not wish to show such weakness and he had no doubt the beast felt the same. So he played the game of ignorance as the fox turned it's muzzle to look at him before it spoke, word's broken periodically by drawn out silence's that Sasuke presumed were filled by the need to control the pain of its injuries. "I have no wish to… to speak with you - watch the water for your answer."

And to all intents and purposes the fox lay it's head on its fore paws and went to sleep, ears resting along its head, thick tails curling about it like a living, moving fur blanket.

Sasuke's brow arched sharply and he watched the fox for a few quiet moment's and when it did not stir he gave a disgruntled sigh, shaking his head in silent consternation before lifting himself from his seated position and walking on bare feet to the edge of the lake. The cold mud sucked at his feet and seeped between his toes as he settled to lean on one knee, peering into the water and watching as blood, magic and battle unfolded.

He watched the still surface of the water transfixed as a battle the likes of which had not been seen in millennia played out before him. The two great beast's clashed and retreated with brutal strokes and immense strength, though Sasuke noted with a strategists eyes that the fox was twice the size of the coiled snake. Though Sasuke knew that Orochimaru would make up for any disadvantages with cunning and underhanded tactics. Their word's were mixed with growls and hisses of pain, anger and blood curdling fury echoing around the room.. Sasuke could see bit's of the roof crumbling under the press of bodies that were flung back with brute force, he looked on as claws raked across feeble stone without out a care but for the opponent that stood poised before them.

Sasuke watched as fang's bit into furred flesh, burrowing deep. Saw blood bloom in matted fur as poison tipped death withdrew, but his gaze didn't flicker to the fox beside him. Instead Sasuke watched as the Kyuubi took one step back and chuckled thickly, a deep gritty sound laced with something beyond hate, “You think that poison will harm me? You are nothing compared to your sire, Manda was a true beast of old.”

“You are nothing but the spawn of a whore and a snake. Bitter, twisted and not even worthy of his legacy.”Kyuubi sneered and Sasuke watched Orochimaru hiss in outrage, eye's dropping to slits as his body coiled tightly, bunching ready to lunge.

“You never stood a chance”, Kyuubi's words rang out and Sasuke thought he heard something that could almost have been pity. There was no time for the snake to move the Kyuubi's mouth opened and a boiling energy dipped in blood coalesced and exploded forth. Sasuke's eyes were forced shut by the brilliance of the energy that spilled from the fox, bleaching out everything as a high-pitched wail screeched through the air as though it were right beside his ear, there was a loud crack and shift of the earth and then silence.

Sasuke waited, eyes opening slowly to see coloured spot's dancing across his vision as though he had looked at the sun for too long. The dust slowly cleared in the image, rubble littered the ground and it took Sasuke a few moment's to realise that the energy had been too much for the ceiling, he could see the faintest glint of star's through the slowly clearing veil of dust. He looked to where Orochimaru had been and saw only a black inky coloured stain oozing across the ground. His looked to the Kyuubi and saw the great beast sigh, it's tails twitching slowly, it glanced at its bleeding side ignoring the other gashes caused by the rock fall and breathed slowly across the wound a pale grey mist coalescing then spreading out, seeping into the punctures.

Sasuke watched with wide eyes as the black ooze pushed the skin outwards and then leaked from the hole's, a thick viscous thing that trailed to the ground. He blinked slowly, no one had known that the beasts of legends could heal; the Kyuubi had been renowned for being the most violent and destructive when he had been free but this? Sasuke hadn't expected this and strangely he garnered an odd sort of comfort from it. Surely if Kyuubi could heal himself, he could and would heal his host if needs be? Sasuke watched as the beast took one last look at the mess that had once been Orochimaru before his whole body shivered, shrank and vanished in a soft sigh of air.

Sasuke settled back slowly, his weight resting on his heel, one hand lifting to rest on his knee as he stared at the water were the image of the battle had played out with narrowed eyes. His mind whirred with thoughts even as he felt eyes watching him from his left were the fox had lain feigning sleep."You drained him dry beast." Sasuke accused, still not turning to look at the beast.

The fox gave no pretence of sleep this time, chuckling deeply before it spoke, “He will live, with rest and food, he will rise. But your concern amuses me, little Uchiha."

Sasuke turned to glare darkly at the fox, noting the way black lip's lifted from sharp white teeth in a feral smile. Sasuke said nothing, keeping his thoughts clear and intent knowing the beast could read him as easily as opening a book, which irritated Sasuke to no end. Why did the fox take more from Naruto when he had a deeper wellspring of power?

"If I had taken more from you then you would be dead, little Uchiha.” The fox paused before continuing a little grudgingly, “It would have upset the cub."

Sasuke considered that for a brief moment before his gaze grew more intent, "That you care for the Dobe's feelings make me believe that you speak falsely. I would be more inclined to believe that you did it for your own purposes."

The fox chuckled, "Perhaps,” golden eyes locked with Sasuke's own, “but you would be mistaken."

Sasuke searched slit pupil's surrounded by molten gold hunting for truth, but he wasn't sure it was truth that he found in the intense gaze that never wavered from his own. Sasuke needed to question further and did, "Why should I believe that? If you'd drained me completely, killing me by taking the raw magic of my life force, you would have saved your host's power or further charged your own. Why would you not do that, Kyuubi?" Sasuke needed to know, needed to see if the fox was capable of caring for its host - for Naruto.

The fox's gaze darkened at the use of its true name but Sasuke ignored it in favour of trying to find an answer that made most sense but the beast, like all its kind, was alien to him and beyond his understanding. Sasuke considered that perhaps only a host could truly understand these ancient creatures, if only because they were linked at the very foundation of their souls.

"And yet here we sit, brat. I do not have to answer your questions - you have no fear of what I am or respect for the power I wield." The fox shifted restlessly, tail's slowly rising and shifting in a sea of roiling fur and Sasuke knew the beast grew agitated, whether because of him or the wound's it had received from Orochimaru - he was inclined to think it was a little of both and felt his lip's tip into a half smile.

Sasuke couldn't deny the beast's word's, the creature was no nightmare from distant legend, it was bound by its host and any who choose to summon it. Sasuke snorted indelicately, "You are as weak as a new born babe."

The fox growled, gnashing its sharp teeth at him, "It will not always be thus, brat!"

Sasuke nodded his acceptance of that fact as he spoke, "I have no doubt."

The fox made a distinctly human sound of irritation, grumbling through its teeth, “Irritating little Uchiha and yet your stubbornness matches my kit's. You may yet be good for him.” The last was said with a resigned sigh, reluctant yet acknowledging that Sasuke was going to be part of Naruto's life for the long haul if Sasuke had anything to say about it that is.

“Though you must mate him - your claim will not last long." Sasuke's eyes lifted to look at the fox, who was looking out at the lake with feigned nonchalance.

"Hn." Sasuke murmured, cheek's warming slightly at the implication of the falsely careless word's as he felt eyes staring at him intently.

“But I suppose I might indulge your nosiness. I am rather attached to this boy." The fox acquiesced, head going down to rest on its paw's, whisker's flicking back and forth as Sasuke looked back up at it.

"Because he is one of very few left of your kin?" Sasuke questioned, settling more comfortably on the ground in a tailor's seat once more, ankle aching in faint throbs from the weight of his body and he had good reason to believe that he had injured it out in the world beyond dreams.

The fox's head snapped up and it growled deeply, making the earth shiver under his feet, "Who is telling this story?"

When Sasuke said nothing else, just looking on quietly the beast nodded it's head, mildly placated before continuing, "No and yes, Naruto is one of only four fox changeling's left in the world, there has never been so few and Orochimaru is to blame for the loss of so many, but it is not the true reason."

Sasuke could hear the venom that filled the fox's voice when it spoke that bastard's name and he couldn't have agreed more with the fox's clear hatred of the viper. "Then what is?" Sasuke queried brow furrowed in concentration, questing for more answers when the fox went quiet for a few moments as if lost in thought.

"You do not understand?" The fox retorted, answering a question with a question as all fae often did. It was a good tactic when one couldn't lie.

Sasuke arched a brow, gaze darken at the response, "No."

"So, little Uchiha's are not all knowing after all." The fox's head tipped back and a peel of thick, rasping laughter echoed across the silent pond, the sound interlaced with barking cries that made the whole thing far eerier than the silence that surrounded them.

Sasuke glared darkly but remained stubbornly silent as the fox's laughter faded into throaty gasps and soft whimpers, it sides heaving at the exertion. He waited for what felt like forever before two glowing golden eyes turned on him once more, the beast's breath's steady once more pretending that it had not been desperate for air just moments before.

"She was the first; all the previous hosts from the beginning were male. She was the first and only woman. Kushina was fierce, smart and fearless." Sasuke watched the fox's face, seeing in it the toll of ages past and precious thing's lost. At one time he had believed the great beasts of the past that had fallen to legend, with their immortality, immense strength and cunning were to be admired - he had never thought he would find pity for one.

Sasuke knew only a mere fraction of what the Kyuubi had suffered, eons of life would make one hard pressed to want to care about anything if all they ever did was die. He refocused on the words filled with melancholy that fell from the fox's mouth. "She was my host from her youth to her death, I went through pregnancy with her, Naruto's birth and the transition from her cold corpse to his young skin."

"He is like a son to you." Sasuke said with dawning realisation, eyes wide, heart picking up a pace as his hand's bunched in the thin cotton of his white linen trousers.

The beast watched Sasuke with dim eyes, "They are all my children and yet she and he are, were my closest."

Sasuke tilted his head, watching the fox with sharp eye's, pondering silently whilst a smoky golden gaze watched him in return. "You want him to be happy, that is why I live?"

"Yes." The beast nodded in affirmation.

Sasuke watched the fox take a slightly unsteady breath before speaking stiltedly, "He... He will be…unharmed, it is the first time I have manifested completely in centuries and it took its effects on us both. If you had not helped, Naruto would have perished."

Sasuke nodded, calculating quickly as he watched the fox, "His magic is still developing"

"Yes." An almost nod but it was stopped before it could cause more pain. It seemed that the beast's pain was growing, likely due to the magic it took to keep Sasuke here in its dreamscape and the battle that went before.

"He will need some time to recover his reserves as will you but they will come." The fox stated, word's softer, breathier and Sasuke recognised the tells of barely held in pain.

Sasuke nodded slowly in ascent, "and you?"

"Your consideration is noted little Uchiha. I will sleep for a time, recuperate and lick my wounds. I am far to rusty it seems - one of the strongest and last of the great beasts challenged by a snake." The fox shook his head slowly in open scorn, eyes narrowing slightly before it stopped the motion altogether.

"Admitting a weakness?" Sasuke chided, not acknowledging everything he could see as clear as day.

"There is nothing wrong with admitting there are some things that cannot be done by oneself, Sasuke Uchiha." The fox's voice went hard as bright gold pierced night black with an intensity Sasuke hadn't been prepared for. Sasuke blinked and felt incredibly young under the fix of that heavy gaze, the beasts meaning not hidden or veiled in ancient eyes. Sasuke dipped his head in acknowledgement, then something cool pressed against his cheek. Sasuke looked up and to the side to find a finely haired muzzle pressed to his cheek then down to his throat.

"Take care of my cub. He has been waiting for you."

Sasuke felt hot breath against the skin of his throat and his heart picked up a beat but he remained still, speaking softly, "How could he have been waiting."

"Naruto has been waiting for you from the beginning, a quarter of your lifetime and you," the fox gave Sasuke a steady look, "have been waiting for him all of yours."

The words dropped inside Sasuke like a lead weight, it settled on a set of scales and balanced them perfectly. Something inside Sasuke's heart softened and eased, it was familiar and welcome, the waiting was over and Sasuke had never known he'd been waiting for something until it had arrived.

"There now, go sleep real dreams and recover. He will win you when he wakes."

"What?!?" Sasuke gasped, turning startled eyes on the fox but his image was already going hazy and his mind was sinking back into the depths of true dreams.

"You have to chase him, little Uchiha."

Then Sasuke slept.