(Tim Seltzer, seltzer@seltzerbooks.com) Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own Wedding Peach.
I do not own any great quantity of money or property. I'm a STUDENT; that's
why I'm poor, okay?
Author's Notes: Estimated length until this story ends — Chapter
50 is the absolute maximum.
Information about sequel: Well, all I can say now is that it'll have
a tad more Japanese mythology in it, since Dimensional Exchanges covers
a lot of Western mythology. Should I throw in Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata
as main characters in it as well? Well, Hinata and Itachi are definitely
going in.
Nocterayne: don't worry. Minoru still has work to do. And he has a defense!
Well, sort of. As any character, he's not perfect. Even Sakura isn't all
that great by now; she's doing something VERY dangerous and stupid. It's
a tad out-of-character for her to do something like this — but at this
point, it's safe to say that she's a just a little miffed. Inner Sakura
and Outer Sakura have already fused — the girl still has some control over
her outbursts, but there's a definite change in her.
Ciastor: Oh, my God, you're right! I fixed the dialogue to clean it
up — and Minoru's more in a calm state. I can't change the mirror, as that
object is used in the alternate world for communication — Minoru simply
reprogrammed it with his own abilities. When I came up with Minoru's entire
personality and past, my friend told me that she'd like to see Sasuke mentally
suffer for his coldness to Sakura. But I couldn't think up of anything
logical, as NOTHING seems to faze the boy in real life! — except maybe
Itachi and Naruto. And then I read about fauns in mythology, and a light
bulb turned on. I planned Minoru's activities and Sakura's flight a long
time ago, so I can't totally change the situation, but I ripped and stripped
the dialogue apart to make things better. I'm thankful that you pointed
out this dangerous corner. And Emerald's chapter is right here.
To make things COMPLETELY legal, here is a list of things that show
even the slightest HINT of influence from other works. I do not own ANY
of them.
Changing dimensions/worlds via wormholes - science fiction. Minoru and
the other Rifts people - "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter", and pretty
much any fantasy I've read or seen. Icarus - Greek mythology. Ramah - Hindu
mythology. Erda and Frida - Norse mythology. Jura - name of a mountain
range in Europe. Elemental Guardians - mythology according to Paraclesus.
First round (Sakura vs. Cardella) - Kakashi's calling jutsu in his battle
with Zabuza. Shi Shi Houkoudan, and Amano Takuji's personality - Amano
Takurou in the "Wedding Peach" series, and Ryoga in the "Ranma 1/2" series.
"Life is suffering" - Buddhist philosophy. Tennyo - Japanese mythology.
Dream/Reality scene between Sakura and Sasuke - "Carousel" the musical.
Medicinal alchemy - alchemy. Traps in the Ninja Mansion - various ninja
manga and anime.
"The highest justice is the highest injustice." - one historically important
Roman. (I think it's Julius Ceasar, but I'm not sure.)
"The meaning of life is 42." - "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy",
by Douglas Adams.
"Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat itself." - one Western
historian; I honestly don't remember his name.
Of course, Serpentine Rose is the main influence of this story. She
proved to many people that a Sakura-centric fic can be good if well-written.
"Impossible," Naoharu muttered. "No living creature has escaped the
notice of our guards."
"Technically, we can't prove that," a guard pointed out, irritating
his superior even further.
Minoru emerged from the dying crowd. The festivities were beginning
to simmer away. When he felt Sakura's anger ebb, he slipped out of his
room in search of her. The elf walked towards the collection of soldiers.
"Naoharu, Where's Sakura-san?" he asked.
His brother looked back, and frowned. "It seems like one of your two
girls attacked one of our guards. And looking at the nature of the attack,
it WASN'T the purple-haired demon who performed the deed."
Minoru's brow furrowed. So the kunoichi was miffed enough to snap. The
elf really did not care if Sakura attacked someone of this village, as
long as she did not take a life. He was the source of her anger, after
all. "Where is Sakura-san?" Minoru repeated. "You did not chain her, did
you?"
Naoharu groaned. "Don't you understand? She vanished! She knocked out
a human, who says that he overheard her asking Potamos to go into the area
of Shadow with her. He also mentions that she has some magic abilities
of her own!"
The blood chilled in the younger elf's veins. Without another word,
Minoru dashed off back to his father's house.
"MINORU!!" Naoharu exclaimed.
Just then, a group of unknown beings dropped out of a vortex nearby.
Two teenage boys — one raven-haired and the other a chocolate-brown — and
a young lady with long, golden hair dropped from the sky. All three of
them landed gracelessly onto the dirt.
"Get off me, Linton!" Amano Takuji snarled, pushing his glasses back
into place.
"Gladly, Amano," Angel Linton growled as he pulled himself up.
The Amazon with black leather and armor sighed in exasperation as she
snapped her body up. "Now where's this Sakura girl we're supposed to find?"
Naoharu let his head drop. 'Just when the state of affairs begin to
show recovery, things go from bad to worse...'
(((Flashback to nine months ago)
Sakura wiped the sweat off her brow from practice, and sat down onto
the picnic blanket Minoru folded out. She helped herself to a piece of
fruit. She contemplated it in her hand, and then looked up. "Minoru-san?"
"What is it, Sakura-san?" the elf answered.
The kunoichi gulped nervously. She was afraid that this might be insulting,
but the curiosity in her bubbled up. "Why do you wear those robes all the
time?"
"Oh, yes. I seemed to have forgotten to explain that quirk of mine.
Well, the first reason is that I am employed with the healers in Minerva,
making simple potions. The second reason..." He made a visible cringe.
"And?" Sakura pushed on.
He heaved a sigh. "When I first became acquainted with Salvia-sama,
she was impressed with my abilities as a fighter. So at her request — which
I could not refuse, as she had helped me gain residence in this city —
I entered the official tournament. The first round... I won."
"You lost the second round?" Sakura guessed.
"Not exactly," Minoru sighed. "There were a few... overly-enthusiastic
women seeing my first performance."
Sakura frowned. "You were mobbed by some girls?" she asked. Somehow,
the idea of a Minoru fan-club irritated the kunoichi.
"I was not mobbed; I could evade them easily!" Minoru said, a note of
hurt pride in his voice. "The only thing that went wrong was that I let
my guard down when one of my drinks was prepared."
"You were drugged?!" Sakura asked, horrified. "With what? Were they
so desperate to get you out of the tournament?"
"Not exactly," the blond elf mumbled. "A waitress slipped some potent
Aphrodisiac in my drink. I could tell that she liked me, but not to such
a desperate extent..."
Sakura stared at Minoru. A wide grin began to creep over her face.
"It's not funny!" he exclaimed. It was embarrassing for Minoru to admit
that he had been drugged, as he was trained in both medicinal alchemy and
thieving methods. "Love-potions don't work on my kind properly unless there
is mutual love on both parties prior to taking it — in fact, it makes an
elf painfully bed-ridden for at least a week! I had to resign from the
tournament. That was when I decided to dress in healer's robes, and never
fight in public again!"
Sakura's face was turning red from all the giggles in her, fighting
to be let out. "Don't you get male suitors now and then?" she squeaked.
"A few who mistake me as a woman — yes, it has happened," Minoru admitted.
By now, Sakura was rolling on the picnic blanket in laughter. "The good
thing is, I can refuse them politely, and they usually go away without
knowing my true gender. Only once did one drunk push me, and I knocked
him out. The few gay men who pick up information — they're especially polite
and understanding when I explain my disinterest."
The elf coughed. "Are you quite finished laughing, Sakura-san?"
"I am not — in the least bit — surprised..." Sakura gasped, the tears
of mirth filling her eyes.))
Sakura and Potamos jumped through the trees. The atmosphere grew sweet-smelling,
like a hypnotic fog. Some birds flitted about in the foliage.
The kunoichi looked around, and sighed. Something was wrong with the
place. The Tree of Life did not heal its surroundings this quickly. Plus,
the birds were not making any noise whatsoever. Sakura put her hands together
— 'Kai!' — dispelling the weak illusion. She then jabbed Potamos' shoulder
with two fingers.
The dramatic change in scenery was amazing. The trees looked less promising
for fruit, and many shrubs poked out here and there on the ground. The
grass was anything but green.
"Wow!" the water-demon piped up. "You can get rid of illusions from
other people, too?"
"It's just one hand-seal," Sakura explained. "It takes practice to be
effective. But it's quite handy when you get the feeling for it. I can
teach it to you."
Potamos stopped in her tracks. She shivered.
Sakura first was bewildered that the water-demon might be getting scared
— but that idea disappeared when she saw the malicious grin on the girl's
face. If Potamos' expression were a billboard, it would have had 'TARGET
SPOTTED!' printed on in bright letters.
Potamos threw a thin spray of icy particles at an enormous flower —
and it screeched. Blue tentacles shot out from its stem, and Sakura and
Potamos evaded the attack. This plant's movements were slower and less
controlled than Minoru's vines.
In the air, Sakura flicked her hands together, and slid out a green-glowing
sword. With the powered-up weapon, she sliced off the plant's limbs, jumping
on and off the tree-trunks in the surroundings for anchor-ground.
Potamos twirled around, freezing various sections of the branches with
her hands, and then amputating them by kicking through the frozen areas.
Sakura finished the monster off with a well-aimed cut at the stem.
The giant plant scrunched down into a brown mass. "That wasn't so bad,"
Sakura panted as she put away Tennyo. "We just have — a three-day walk
to the Energy Spring, and then wait for the portal to open near it."
The kunochi was beginning to think that this maybe was not such a good
idea. The feeling of guilt, a result of leaving Frida Village without Minoru,
began to penetrate her heart. But she quickly brushed it away.
The main strategy of Potamos and Sakura was simple: if any intelligent
being attacked the two, Potamos would shoo them off, saying that the pink-haired
girl was her human slave. Quite frankly, those smart in the Rifts held
fear and respect for celestials, especially demons. If things became too
dangerous, Sakura would interfere. Except in very extreme circumstances
would she activate her angel aura. The two had to look normal, at least
normal among travelers willing enough to go through these parts.
Sakura sighed as she trod through the grasses, allowing Potamos to take
the lead. Her thoughts lingered back to Minoru. All the time she spent
in this dimension — she thought he was such a beautiful person. So perfect.
Not just in looks, but in personality as well. The blond elf helped her
train in both sword-fighting and mental awareness. He even touched her
subconscious with fun dreams, showing her something more glamorous than
the stop-and-go nature of the trip through the Rifts.
The kunoichi was, to say the least, disappointed in Minoru. What evil
spirit possessed him to do such a thing?
In truth, Sakura had no idea what Minoru showed Sasuke. It did not even
occur to her that the young Uchiha would almost immediately forget them,
as was the nature of most dreams. Yet her suspicions, along Sasuke's voice
and image — it all made her blood boil. And the casualness in which Minoru
reacted to Sakura, letting her go to let off steam as if it were just some
family quarrel...
'What exactly did Minoru show Sasuke? And how much of it?' Sakura wondered.
'If it was several times, and something awful — then Minoru is no better
than Itachi or Orochimaru. Sasuke may be a jerk, but he doesn't deserve
any more pain!'
As for Sasuke: Sakura had no idea what to think about him. Yes, a pang
of sorrow shot through her when she heard his voice again. It harkened
memories, especially when Orochimaru gave a quick bite on the boy's neck
— and the terrible twenty-four hours that followed. 'That's right,' Sakura
recalled. 'Sasuke screamed, and gripped my hand so much that it hurt. I
had to catch him in my arms. Naruto hung on the tree unconscious; I had
no idea what to do. I felt so helpless and useless...'
But now, Sakura felt mild pity for Sasuke. She lost respect for him
a long time ago. The only thing left was sympathy, perhaps ready to flicker
out of her heart anytime now. It seemed ages ago when he left the village.
It had already been — what? — almost a year and a half from now? Sakura
suddenly realized that her fourteenth birthday must have passed recently.
The trip made her lose track of time.
The kunoichi smiled quietly as she followed Potamos like a faithful
handmaid. It was so mind-boggling, that she, Haruno Sakura, put all her
trust in this young demon to help her through the last of the Rifts.
'How did it ever come down to this?'
(((Forty-nine years ago, Frida Village)
"Minoru, just go!!" Naoharu yelled as he let loose an arrow through
the window. "Take her and run!"
Emerald's green eyes turned sharp. "I am not going to run while you're
battling!" she exclaimed, readying the thin sword at her waist.
"Don't be rash, Emerald; most of the creatures have wings and fly too
quickly!" Naoharu exclaimed. "The elfin guard can take them down, but it's
too dangerous for a swordfighter like you."
Minoru swung open a closet in the house, and yanked Emerald in with
him.
"I'm not going to hide here like a coward!" the half-elf sobbed, trying
to pull away from her brother.
"We are NOT hiding," Minoru said, opening a hidden trapdoor of the closet.
Emerald blinked away her tears at the sight of the underground passage.
Minoru's voice turned into a whisper. "We are going to sneak to the Tree
of Life, and ask for help from the other creatures and beings of Dryad.
Do you understand?"
Emerald sniffed, realizing that there was no hope for arguing. "I...
understand." She wiped her eyes.
There was not even a torch around in the underground pathway. Minoru
chanted some words over his wristband, and slid his fingers over the stone
steps. Slowly, the rock began to glow, and the pathway lit up with a tan
glow, inch by inch. "Stay close to me," Minoru whispered as they began
to quickly walk.
Emerald shivered, and clasped both her hands on his arm. She was not
so much afraid of the dark now; it was the coldness that tingled her shoulders
and arms.
They had to be quick. Zombies and dark beings were swarming the village.
Creatures from the Shadow lands wandered into Dryad area now and then,
but this situation was too calculated and too extreme to be just a coincidence
of meeting.
"We might go into war, Emerald," Minoru said, breaking the silence.
"The village will want you for your sword skills if it turns into a battle-field
situation."
The half-elf with dark, pink hair seemed bewildered for a moment. Emerald
then looked down. "Maybe," she sighed.
Emerlad always had dreamed of being an official warrior. But now that
it was a real possibility, it felt strange. She was normally an outcast
to the rest of the village. They already knew that her swordsmanship was
decent. If she became a war-hero, would they truly love and hail to her
existence at last? Or would they consider her only as a tool?
"Remember that you are dear to me, as well as to my father and brothers,"
Minoru said, patting Emerald's shoulder. "No matter what happens."
The girl looked at the grim look on her brother's face. It was rare
for him to speak such deep words. He talked as if he knew something was
going to happen.
"Minoru-oniisan, is something you're not telling me?" Emerald suddenly
asked. "Can you foresee things like Father?"
The blond elf cracked a smile. "No — I cannot recall seeing any unusual
pictures at odd intervals. I can sense the immediate inclinations of other
souls only if they are close by. Our brothers have more experience in this,
so they can detect evil intent at a longer distance. And I am not like
Father with his foresight."
"You can see dreams," Emerald pointed out.
"Yes, but it's a bother at times. It's rather useless, really."
"You have those potions," she said. "I like the ones about flying."
"But you forget them!" Minoru argued.
"The details of them, yes," Emerald agreed. "But the fact that those
came from you... that's what I remember and treasure."
"...Oh," the blond elf said, feeling warm inside again. That ended the
conversation.
The two reached the end of the tunnel, which went up into the hollow
of a dead tree. Minoru gracefully slid out of the opening. In contrast,
Emerald tripped over a root. She stumbled a bit, yet caught herself in
time before her knees gave out. Emerald recently began to lose her clumsiness,
due to a certain someone in her life.
A shadow flinched nervously in the trees.
Minoru stilled. He had felt something, but shook off the feeling. It
was not blood-lust. More of a nervousness, it was probably some scared
creature...
Emerald glanced at the bushes. Her sea-foam eyes captured a familiar
sweep of a mantle. A pale face revealed itself from the shadows, and her
heart melted. She ran towards him with a look of joy on her face. "Delvaux!"
she exclaimed, full of longing and concern for the man.
A shot of alarm ran through Minoru's senses. "Emerald, no!!" he shouted.
A cry of surprise and pain escaped Emerald's lips as she embraced her
love.
Thrust out of her back was the end of a broadsword, the pure blood staining
its dangerously beautiful silver.
Emerald's eyes blinked a tear, which did not go unnoticed by the vampire.
She coughed, and mouthed out his name.
Her eyes turned blank, and her body fell limp. Her life force disappeared.
Both the elf and the vampire felt it.
"EMERALD!!!" Minoru screamed. He pulled an arrow across his shaft, and
aimed at the traitorous bastard. The elf chanted some words, putting wood-magic
into its shaft. If struck correctly, it would kill him.
The undead being was too close: he ran forward and swiped Minoru's bow
away, then delivered a severe blow to his head. Quite soon, the elf found
himself on his back, struggling to push the other off.
"It's unfortunate that your kind relies too much on the bow and arrow."
The vampire leered, holding down the elf by the wrists. "No true experience
in close-combat."
For the first time in his life, Minoru cursed. "BASTARD!!!"
Minoru's left hand slowly forced its way towards Delvaux's chest, despite
it being in the strong grip of the vampire's fingers. The blond elf focused
all his grief and love for his dead sister, along with a newly-born hate,
into a chant of ancient words.
A thick vine grew out of his wristband at a supernatural agility. It
shot through the vampire's chest.
Delvaux screamed, and the elf used this opportunity to kick him away.
Breathing heavily, Minoru watched the dark man collapse onto the ground.
Minoru, exhausted with producing a magic weapon for the first time,
crawled over to Emerald's body. He cradled his sister in his arms.
The vampire gave out a snarl of pain. And then — his face turned relaxed.
"I thank you, Elf."
Minoru looked up, the tears dripping from his eyes. "Pardon?" he said,
barely audible. "You killed my sister. Are you thanking me for letting
her meet you in the forest? For the satisfaction of taking her heart, and
then murdering her?"
"I did not want to take her life," the vampire said in dark sincerity.
"But my master ordered it. He somehow found out about my outings with her,
and she was a potential threat for his own ambitions against the village."
"So you chose duty over love," the elf stated. His voice shook. "Well,
it seems like your plans have crumbled. You're not even going to survive
that little stake I made."
"No, this was my plan," the vampire answered. He winced as he felt the
wood-magic flow into his veins, pulling apart the undead strings holding
him together.
"...What?" Minoru whispered. He did not understand the logic of it all.
"I am nearly five hundred years old," Delvaux mumbled. "All of my kin,
before I was cursed into this state of being, died out or rejected me.
For most of my life, I have not known any being except as a victim, enemy,
or master." The vampire trembled. It looked like he was fighting to keep
himself from crying. "But Emerald fit none of those categories. She was
the light who banished my emptiness. I planned to die immediately after
her death — I'd rather follow her spirit than wander alone again, incapable
of killing myself. Had you not put this stake in me, I would have walked
into Frida Village anyway, and showed my face to anyone who was strong
enough. I first thought that you were not competent enough, especially
at your age. But I suppose witnessing her death broadened your magical
ability."
"You..." Minoru hissed. He had no idea whether to be horrified or angry.
"You're a sick monster."
The vampire gave a weak smile. "Of course. What else would I be?" he
said in grave humor. A last shot of pain passed his heart. He felt his
soul slipping away. 'Finally,' his inner self said with contentment. He
then looked Minoru directly in the eye. "Do you think... Emerald will forgive
me?" he asked him.
With a final tilt of his head, the vampire's body collapsed into a heap
of dust.
Minoru's face was covered in tears and sweat. He looked upon Emerald,
her once-shining eyes now closed forever. Her blood caked into his robes;
he could feel it growing cold from exposure to the outside world. The elf
choked on a sob.
The wind picked up through the trees. Minoru's blue eyes caught the
vampire's dust, swirling around. He watched, as the particles slowly danced
towards him through the air — and lingered upon Emerald's body.
Seeing this, a sudden rage poisoned his soul.
"Get away from her!!" Minoru screamed. He pulled her out of the cloud
of the vampire's remains. Even in death, the bastard was trying to touch
his sister.
'This is my own fault,' the elf grieved. 'If only I had more sense to
keep Emerald away from him. If only I had not absorbed the stories about
romantic love Mother told me as a child. If only...' Minoru panted, feeling
the warmth in Emerald's body fade away. He glared at the ashes. "I swear,
Emerald, if I find anyone like you and Delvaux — I will even things out
by making him witness true suffering. Do you hear me? ...Emerald, my dear
sister..."
The elf stroked away the rose-colored hair from Emerald, and kissed
her forehead.
And then, he cried.))
Notes:
Delvaux - a Surrealist painter who is famous for his strange, often
beautiful, images that were inspired by dreams and the subconscious.
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please tell me! If
I suck, by all means tell me. In an intelligent manner.
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