Chapter one.
4 years later.
"Ayame, time to get up. It's a beautiful day. Go outside for a while." Ayame rolled over and opened her eyes. She saw Taubaki, her caretaker, standing over her with a smile on her face. Rolling back over she pulled the covers over her head again and moaned. "Sora Ayame, now you listen to me and get up." Tsubaki pulled the covers off of Ayame.
"Hey!" Ayame sat up and tried to grab the covers back from Tsubaki, but was unsuccessful in doing so. She crossed her legs and arms and pouted. "That's not fair Tsubaki!" Tsubaki just laughed and shook her head. "I need to sleep when I'm young. When I get older and become a ninja there will be no time for sleep."
"Just get up child. Gaara is waiting for you to come play." Taubaki turned and walked out of the room with a wink.
"Gaara!" Ayame squealed as she jumped off her bed and ran to get washed up. She pulled on a new set of cloths and ran out the door.
"Ayame! Come back and get something to eat!" Taubaki yelled after her.
"Later! Gaara's waiting for me!"
"At least brush your hair…" Taubaki mumbled under her breath. "You can never tell that child anything." Brushing back her golden hair, she walked back into the house.
Ayame ran though the village to the place where Gaara usually sat with his teddy bear. She ran past a family who was playing a game with their son. The son looked to be a few years older than her but nonetheless he was having fun. Ayame felt a sharp disappointing stab in her heart for she had no family. At least Taubaki cares about me. She kept running and didn't stop until she saw the red hair of Gaara swinging on his swing with his bear. Panting she finally came to a stop and snuck up behind him as quietly as she could. "Gaara!" She jumped out at him and he fell off his swing.
"Who… Ayame!" Gaara yelled as he got to his feet, "I hoped that you would come to play with me today." He smiled. Ayame filled with warmth. She loved to see him smile.
"Of course I came to play!" She exclaimed blowing the pieces of black hair out of her face. "How are you?" Waiting for Gaara to answer she attempted to brush her hair with her fingers but got to lazy and ended up pulling it back in a ponytail.
"I like your hair down though." Gaara mumbled, "I think it is pretty." Blushing a little Ayame took her hair out and let it fall. It came to her shoulders and since she didn't brush it, it was pretty messy.
"You never answered my question. How are you?" She said impatiently. She wanted to go play.
"I'm good. Now that you're here…we can go play now." Gaara looked at Ayame. Grinning a little he walked closer to her and leaned forward, laying his hand on her shoulder. "Your…IT!" He yelled as he let go and ran away.
"Wha…" Ayame stood there shocked for a moment. Then after realizing that Gaara had already turned a corner and was out of sight she broke into a run. Gaara I will get you!
She ran for about 3 minutes and couldn't find him. I wonder if he is hiding. Then she heard a group of kids and wondered if Gaara was over there. She wasn't a big fan of other kids or people for that matter because they treated her like she was unapproachable. A monster. As she ran around the corner and saw the group of kids off in the distance. She ran a little closer to the group trying to see if Gaara was there.
The group consisted of mostly boys and a few girls. All at least eight or nine years older than she was. They are probably in the academy or just became ninjas. Being only four she chose to stay her distance. Gaara? Ayume just saw a flash of red hair within the group of kids. Smiling she began to sneak up on the group hoping Gaara wouldn't see her. The closer she got the more she could make out what they were saying.
"Monster!"
"Why are you out in daylight you demon!"
"Nice makeup kid! Love the over used eye liner!"
"Go back to your mother!"
"He can't! I heard he killed his mother while she was giving birth to the brat!"
"Gaara of the Desert! You monster!"
From what Ayume could see the kids were kicking sand at Gaara and daring him to try and harm them. Ayume clenched her fists. Why do they always have to do this to him!? She ran up and stopped fifteen feet away from the group of kids. Taking a deep breath she yelled, "Stop!" A few kids turned around making the others wonder what they were looking at. "Gaara!" Ayume ran in-between the group of kids.
"Ayume!" Gaara sobbed. Ayume hugged Gaara and pulled on his sleeve. "Come on Gaara. Let's go. These guys are jerks." One of the boys laughed.
"Such a young little girl to be calling us that isn't she?" The boy looked around and the group nodded. Some were grinning and some looked uneasy. Ayume gave them a dirty look and started to pull Gaara away when a boy grabbed her arm.
"Where do you think your going?" He asked as he yanked her away from Gaara. "Wolf eyes." The boy jeered.
"Let go of me." Ayume said as she gritted her teeth. She hated being called "wolf eyes". She struggled against the boy's grip. "Let go!"
"Oh look, the wolf is trapped!" A girl's voice rang out from the group. Ayume bit the boy in attempt to free herself. The boy smacked her.
"You bitch!" He threw her on the ground and put his foot on her. "Hey guys, why don't we have ourselves a little wolf hunt?" The group yelled their agreements. "Rules of the game are simple. First you…what the hell!?" The boy had just felt something creeping up his leg. He looked down. It was sand and it was crawling upward on him. In fright he tried to move but the sand held him in place.
"What the hell?"
"It's Gaara!" The crowd turned to see Gaara standing there arm outstretched. They turned back to see the boys body almost all covered in sand.
Ayume looked up from where she lay. From what she could see the sand had by that time engulfed the boys entire body. She took this chance to get away and make her way over to Gaara. No one tried to stop her. No one talked. No one moved. "Gaara," she whispered as soon as she was close enough. Standing up she took another look at the boy. "What are you doing?" Gaara looked at her. Her face was red from where the boy had smacked her. Feeling anger rush inside of him he looked at the boy again and clenched his fist. There was a scream and Ayume turned around just in time to see the boy crushed by the sand. "Gaara…"
"He hurt you." Gaara whispered. The boy fell to the ground covered in blood. The sand fell around him. Gaara stared wide-eyed at the boy. "I didn't mean to-"
"You killed him!" Yelled a girl. "You little bastard!" She ran out of the group toward Gaara. Two boys followed. She went to punch Gaara but his sand blocked the attack. One of the boys drew out his kunai and with a swift movement grabbed Gaara's arm and thrust it toward Gaara's throat.
"Gaara!" Ayume screamed. She ran and threw herself at the boy knocking him off balance. The other boy ran up and punched her. She fell to the ground.
"Hold her." The boy said. She felt herself getting dragged to her feet. The girl who had tried to attack Gaara, now held her hands behind her back. Ayume couldn't get away. The boy took aim and threw his kunai. Ayume struggled and managed to turn just enough so that it only sliced threw her clothing and gashed her side. She cried in pain as she fell to the ground clutching her side and her cry was met with another. The kunai had ended up piercing the girl's leg. Why? Why is it always Gaara and I? Anger rose and she felt hot. All she wanted to do was leave. She looked up and glared at the boy. He froze.
"Ayume!" Gaara ran up and knelt beside her. She looked at him and just like the boy he froze as well. Her eyes…they…they are…red!
"Stop." Ayume whispered looking at the two boys and the girl. The rest of the group had fled in fear because they thought that Gaara might attack again. "Just leave us alone!" As she screamed this flames shot out. They engulfed the boy and were burning the other two as well. Gaara's sand managed to protect him from Ayume's flames.
When her rage started to calm the flames died and the boy, which the flames had engulfed dropped dead on the ground. The other two lay moaning in pain. Ayume's eyes turned back to their soft wolf pup blue eyes.
She fell to the ground and blacked out.