The Dragon Queen // (Under Revision)

Home

As Naruto ran, images flickered along the walls, wavering like tongues of fire. A flash of yellow caught his eye. He slowed, turning his head to look, and spotted himself. He stopped altogether. In the images that passed by, hazy and rough, Naruto saw Tsuyoi. She was standing, eyes alight with anger, staring the other him down. The lightning in her eye fizzled out, leaving pain so vibrant and bright he felt a searing pain in his chest. The other him didn't, though. The other him stared back at Tsuyoi, eyes hard. He muttered one word that Naruto couldn't catch but felt like he knew what it was anyway, and then the other him turned and stalked away, leaving Tsuyoi in the shadows. Tsuyoi stood firm for a moment longer, then collapsed to her knees, shaking with silent sobs.

"Naruto," Kurama said softly.

"Tsuyoi's biggest fear is...is me leaving her," Naruto muttered, mostly to himself.

"Naruto, you have to move. Her mindscape is folding in on itself." Kurama said, still soft.

Naruto lifted his eyes, brilliant expanses of blue sparking with passion. "I will save Tsuyoi. Even if it kills me."

*******

She was drifting again. This time was different, though, because her drift had direction. She was being pulled down, down, down, towards something that was dangerous. Something that was black and dark and lonely. There was no home there. Only darkness. She wasn't sure she wanted to be there, but she was no way for her to fight the force pulling her.

"Remember what you said? Home is where Naruto is! And Naruto is looking for you! Your home is looking for you! So why are you running away from it?" Natsukashii's voice was in her head.

Tsuyoi's head was pounding. Stars had fallen from the sky and onto her skull. She was in pain. She was on fire. Her mind was hurting. It was broken and bruised and bleeding. Her eyes opened. She screamed.

She screamed to release the pain. She screamed to be heard. She screamed for home.

"Naruto!"

She heard his voice approaching her's, laced with Natuskashii's.

"I'm coming, Tsuyoi!"

She reached with her arms, fighting the tendrils that made up her consciousness.

"I got you." His hands closed down a moment after he spoke. He pulled and she pushed, and in that moment, their minds clicked into sync. In that moment, their goals and feelings aligned. Both of their eyes opened wide and their iris colors switched. Tsuyoi's eye were now blue, Naruto's green. 

Suddenly the green of the room was plunged into red and black and Tsuyoi found her body feeling weightless. She was freefalling, down into darkness.

"Naruto!" She yelled to him somewhere above her, terror rising in her voice.

"Give me your hand!" He shouted back.

Reach out for him!  Natsukashii instructed.

Her hand shot out, crashing into his. He grabbed for her but her hand slid out of his like water. Tsuyoi screamed, feeling the pulse of the blackness beneath her. If she fell down into that, she would never get out again.

"Naruto!" She looked up, seeing a flash of blonde above her. Then her vision went dark. For a moment, she panicked and flailed her arms against a strong chest and arms. Naruto was hugging her close. 

"Grab hold and do not let go!" He ordered. When she made move to wrap her arms around him, something hard and firm slid up her leg and pressed against her stomach. The foreign pressure suddenly thrust them apart, sending them both spinning away through the air.