Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 1: How it all started

Gaara was sitting alone on the swings outside the sand village school, watching some of the kids in his class play with a bouncy ball. His red hair was ruffled and slightly spiky. Gaara was young, about six. He sat there, watching with his pale green eyes, and clutching his only friend, a teddy bear.

Among the kids playing, was a girl named Kira. Kira had pretty eyes that were the color of the sea, and brown hair that shone coppery gold when the sun hit it just right. (Like the picture below only with blue eyes) She was a little older than Gaara, about two years or so, but not by too much. She was in Temari's (Gaara's older sister) and Kankuro's (Gaara's older brother) class, but most times she's come to hang with kids younger than she was. It didn't make much of a difference anyways. Kira was small for her age, and got along just fine with Gaara's class. The only thing that could separate her from the other kids was her attitude. Kira knew how to act really mature if she wanted to prove her point.

Every so often she'd glance back at Gaara, a little concerned. She called over to him, "Gaara-san, do you want to play with us?"

Gaara's small face lit up, and he stood, about to walk over to her. The other kids whispered in shock.

One of them hissed to Kira, "No! Don't let the freak play! He'll ruin it!" another one said, "He's too weird!"

Kira shot a look at Gaara, who, after hearing the kid's rejections, sat down again. They continued to pass the ball, but Kira stood still. "You guys really shouldn't be so mean to him-"

"Oh man!"

She looked up and saw that one of the kids had kicked the ball so high, it had gotten stuck on a ledge of the sand wall that they were playing next to.

"Nice." Snorted Kira.

"What are we gonna do?" one of the kids wailed, ignoring Kira.

"None of us can do the wall-climbing technique yet…"

Kira was about to suggest something, when suddenly she saw two small piles of sand slither up the wall, and around the ball. The sand floated and carried the ball back down. Kira knew there was only one person who had the ability to do that…

She looked over her shoulder. Gaara had come forth, and caught the ball as the floating sand eased it into his hands.

Kira wasn't the least bit phased by what Gaara had done, but he other kids gasped. "Y… You're…" Gaara held out the ball innocently.

"I …It's Gaara!" one of the kids, a girl named Katari, was trembling in fear "Gaara of the sand…"

"RUN!!!"

All of them, except for Kira, screamed and ran away from Gaara.

"Wait!" Gaara called, looking hurt. "Don't go away!"

Sand came up around little Gaara. It swirled and twisted, and reached out to the running children. It grabbed at them.

"Waaah!"

"Help!"

Kira looked around anxiously. She understood how Gaara must have felt, but this was getting out of hand.

Oh… what should I do??? She thought.

She started running towards Gaara. "Gaara-san, you must stop!" She put an arm around him. "Please!" she sobbed.

But the sand sped. It was about to cover another kid when-

"No!"

Someone jumped in front of the kid. The sand hit the guy hard, but he had put his arms up as a shield. All of the sand immediately retracted. Now that it had cleared, Kira could see who the hero was.

"Lord Gaara, Please calm yourself!!" It was Gaara's uncle, Yashamaru.

Sighing in relief, Kira let go of Gaara. The three of them stood there, panting.

A few of the kids were unconscious, and the other was trembling behind Yashamaru.

Gaara stared up at Kira for a moment, then turned his gaze to his uncle. Yashamaru gave him a long look of sympathy, enough to make Gaara hang his head in shame.

***

The next morning, Kira was out on the street, running a shopping arrond for her dad. She was buying things like food and such, when Gaara walked by looking sad.

She called out to him, "Gaara!" but he seemed to be lost in thought and couldn't hear her. He also looked like he wasn't watching were he was going, because he almost bumped into some teenager that was walking the other way.

"Watch it!" the guy yelled rudely at him.

Gaara looked up, surprised. "Oh, sorry…"

"Yeah yeah, say you're sorry to my little brother whom you almost killed yesterday!" The guy spat.

Even from were she was standing; Kira could see that Gaara was trembling. "I…"

The boy slapped Gaara, then punched him in the gut.

"Oww…"

Kira had seen enough; she ran up and stood defensively in front of Gaara. She was tired of just watching people be so mean to the poor thing. "Stop!" she yelled.

The guy stepped back in surprise, and then quickly recovered. "What are you doing? Get out of my way, punk!"

Kira shook her head. She was scared, but determined. "I'm sorry, but I can't just stand there and watch you push this poor boy around!" after shouting this, she then gulped. That may not have been the best choice of words, but she had to do something!

The guy's eyes turned steely "'Poor boy?!?!' Do you know who this dumb kid is? It's Gaara of the sand! The monster! The freak! Lord Kazekage's son!"

Kira narrowed her eyes. "What? I know he's different, but he can't help it! He just needs some love…"

Love? Gaara thought. He looked up at the girl who was defending him. Yashamaru said something about love… Gaara remembered what his uncle had said earlier: "Love is… the feeling that makes you want to strive for and protect those who are precious to you." Gaara stared. But why is she protecting me…?

"Love!" the teenager sneered. "This creature does not deserve love!"

Gaara bent his head. His hands balled into fists. Why?

"He is a monster…"

Sand started to slither up from the ground but Kira didn't notice. She pointed a finger at the guy. "You know as well as I, that monster was purposely put inside of him! And look at what it has done! Again, not his fault!"

The sand stopped.

The teenager held up a fist. "Don't make me…" But before he could finish, Kira had grabbed Gaara's hand and was pulling him away. "Come on… don't listen to him."

After they were a little ways from the street, she let go of Gaara's hand.

"Are you okay?" she asked, turning and patting his little head.

"I'm fine…" He answered shyly "but…"

"Hm? But what?"

He looked up at her, confused. "Why… why did you defend me like that?"

"Well…" Kira shrugged. "I guess I was just tired of people being mean to you. And… because I sort of understand the pain you must have to go through, too. I don't like seeing people suffer emotionally, and besides…" she looked at Gaara and half-smiled. "I think I kinda like you, Gaara."

This would another one of the times Kira could act so mature for her age. It was rare for small kids to stand up to teenagers, or even Gaara.

She seems to be the only one who isn't afraid of me… let alone like me… Gaara realized.

Gaara shuffled his feet, all of a sudden nervous. "Well… I'm sorry… but I don't even know your name…"

Kira blinked in surprise. "Oh, you don't? My bad let me introduce myself…" She bowed. "My name is Kira Shitoya, at your service!" She stood up and gave a big solute. Gaara giggled at that. He could see that she was nice. One of the nicest people he had ever met. But that wasn't saying much; just about everyone Gaara had met had been completely scared and mean to him except for Yashamaru. He smiled.

He and Kira hung out for the rest of the day, and the day after that, and the day after that. The two of them turned out to be really good friends. Kira also became friends with Kankuro and Temari, whom she already knew but grew closer to. Kira would always stand up for Gaara, and he would return his thanks by acting the best he could around her.

The two finished the day by watching the sunset n the roof of Gaara's house while eating ice cream. Gaara had never felt so happy in his life. He couldn't help but turn to Kira, smiling, and say, "Thanks for everything, Kira. You're a really great friend."

Kira stopped slurping her ice cream to look at him. "You really think so?"

Gaara nodded sincerely. "Uh-huh. You're the nicest anyone has ever been to me. I like you."

Kira felt her face get hot, and she faced the sunset. "Thanks Gaara, that means a lot to me. You're a good friend too." She looked down and mumbled loud enough for him to hear. "I just wish they would see it, too."

Gaara knew he was talking about everybody. "Nobody ever takes the time to get to know me." He said. "They just take one look at me, then scream in fear. Most of the time they either run away, or hurt me."

They sat there in silence for a few moments, then Gara spoke up again. "Kira…"

"Yes?"

"Do you know about love?"

Kira cocked her head in wonder at the random question. "Yeah, of course I do. I brought it up with that guy that was hasslin' you, remember?"

"Oh yeah…"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well…" Gaara nervously licked his ice cream. He remembered back to earlier that day. "You said that I deserved love, and the way you protected me…"

Kira blinked. "Where are you going with this?"

"Um…" Gaara looked down, embarrassed. "S-sorry, it's just…" He looked up at Kira who was watching him thoughtfully.

"Yes?"

Gaara shook himself. "Just forget it…"

"No no, it's ok." Kira put a hand on Gaara's shoulder. "Go on."

He decided to give in. "I've never met someone like you before. You're… different."

Kira looked away for a second. "Different is right…"

"No, no, I didn't mean that," Gaara insisted, "I meant that… well you're the nicest person I've ever met."

Her gaze softened. "Thank you, Gaara." She gave him a friendly hug. "You're my best friend ever!"

Gaara started to feel his face grow hot. He hadn't predicted that kind of response, but he liked it all the same. So he awkwardly hugged her back.

"You too."

***

Later that night, Gaara was running happily up the streets of the village, a bag of medicine in his arms.

He was on his way to Katari's house, she was the girl that was kicking the ball the other day and that Gaara had attacked with the sand.

Gaara had been so inspired by Yashamaru and Kira that he was trying to be extra nice and show the people of his village that even thought there might have been a monster inside of him; he was still a human with feelings.

I can do it! I'll show them… I'll be really nice and then… then they'll see that I am not as much as a freak that they think I am.

He had arrived at the house, and he knocked at the door. It opened just a crack, and Katari glared out from inside her house. Gaara straightened up and gave her his best smile.

"Hi." He began, "I'm really sorry about yesterday… it must have hurt… I brought you some medicine, please take-"

"Go home you, freak!" Katari interrupted and slammed the door in little Gaara's face.

Gaara stood there, stunned. The medicine fell from his hands. Head drooping, he started to walk away.

He felt crushed, absolutely crushed. He wished Kira were there, to help him, to encourage him and make him feel better. But he knew that she would either be asleep, or not wanting to be disturbed. So he passed by her house without even glancing up.

Gaara continued walking, when suddenly a man bumped into him. The man held a beer bottle in one hand, and he smelled of sick and alcohol.

"Hey, watch where you're goin, br…" He looked down and saw that it was Gaara. His eyes opened wide. "Unh… you're…"

Gaara looked up. That look… again…! His eyes opened wide and sand started to slither up and around him. Why…

Gaara's sand wrapped around the man.

WHY…?!

"H…Hey!"

The drunkard was buried in the chocking sand. His beer bottle slipped out of his hand and shattered with a loud smash as his screams echoed around the village.

Kira was running, hard and fast. She needed to find Gaara.

She hadn't been able to sleep that night. She had some sort of feeling, but she couldn't explain it. It was like she knew that something bad was happening, or was about to happen. And she was dead sure that in involved Gaara.

Not only had she felt something suspicious, but she heard it, too. She had heard a man screaming, and felt the air heavy with death.

Kira stopped abruptly, and gasped.

To her right, was a body. It looked as if it had been slammed against the sand wall, because blood was smeared all over the wall, and the sandy ground below. Men crouched around it, and started to lift it. Now Kira could get a better look. She could see it was a man; it must have been the same man that she had heard screaming. But that wasn't the thing that scared her. What terrified her the most, was that bloodstained sand was poring out of the dead-man's mouth, ears, eyes, and neck. Not only was this image completely horrifying, but it also revealed the killer.

Kira tried not to puke.

She went up to one of the men and asked, "Who… did this…?" she choked. She already knew, but she couldn't believe it.

One of the men looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and rage. "That… Gaara…"

Wide-eyed, Kira stood, wondering what to do.

Something's happened. I need to find Gaara!

She set off running again, through the streets.

She looked up, and there, sitting on top of the roof of one of the sand houses, was Gaara.

He was crying, his face was buried in his hands.

At least he's not hurt! Kira felt a flare a hope.

She called out to him, "Gaara! Gaara-kun!" but he didn't appear to hear her.

She kept running towards him and calling "Gaara!" Then suddenly a man, dressed in ninja clothes and a mask over his face, appeared a little ways behind Gaara.

Kira gasped and stopped running as the ninja drew out twenty or more kunai and prepared to throw them at the little crying boy.

Scared for Gaara, she tried to cry out and warn him. "Gaara-kun look ou-" but she was cut off by a sharp pain in her back.

"Augh," She feel to the ground, only to spring back up again and whip around to face her attacker.

"Wha… Lord Kazekage??"

Glaring down at her, was the Fourth Kazekage, Gaara's father.

"Stay out of this, little girl…" he snarled, and held up a handful of small weapons. Understanding reached Kira, and she put a hand on her back and felt one small shuriken star stuck in her back. It wasn't too deep, but deep enough to have felt it, bitterly.

Fear and confusion rushed through her. "L-Lord Kazekage, it's Gaara! There's someone trying to hurt him, you must help him!!"

The Kazekage glared down at her with eyes that burned into hers.

"No…" he rasped. "That terrible excuse for a child is better off dead."

Kira's eyes stretched wide and she gasped. "W…. What? That's an awful thing to say!!! Gaara's your son!"

He shook his head. "It was a mistake to implant that monster inside of him. I regret it deeply." He narrowed his eyes. "Little Kira, Gaara is too dangerous, it would be best for the village if he dies. Everyone would agree with me on that. I cannot control his power, so... I have ordered Yashamaru to kill him"

Tears welled in Kira's eyes. "No, you can't…."

Lord Kazekage rose on eyebrow. "You don't seriously care, do you?"

Kira knew in her heart that she did, but she didn't reply. Instead she turned and ran once again towards the building where she had last seen Gaara. But he was nowhere in sight. "NOO! Gaara-samaaa!"

Again Kira felt a pain in her back, but this time it was worse. She slumped to the sandy ground and couldn't get up.

"No…" she tried to move, but a wait pushed her back into the ground. She could feel the Kazekage's hot stinky breath on her neck, and heard his eerie whisper in her ear "The boy shall die, and you will too if you are not careful. You also hold a special power…"

Kira tried to cry out, but pain throbbed in her head and she was overtaken by darkness.

Gaara…