Temari woke up in a cold sweat. The nightmare she had years ago, had come back. It chilled her to the bone and made her a nervous wreck.
They can't be dead. They aren't dead. They are alive. They wouldn't ever die. They won't ever die before I will.
It's been 7 years after the shinobi war. There was finally peace through out all the nations.
Temari was now 26, afraid of nothing and could over power almost everything. That was, except this stupid nightmare that scared her shitless.
She had a nice life now. Temari had married, and settled down, slightly. She'd married Nara Shikamaru and had a little boy first. At this year, he was 3. The named him Asuma, after Shikamaru's deceased sensei. She had a joint citizenship for Suna and Konoha, but lived in Konoha. She was Konoha's Ambassador to Suna, even though it wasn't really needed.
It was the quick movement of Temari sitting up that woke up Shikamaru. Without a word he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Temari hyperventilating wasn't something common; in fact, he'd never seen it happen before. Freaking out because her water broke didn't count.
Temari couldn't calm down or get the pictures out of her mind. It was all too real and felt real. Shikamaru could only hug her from behind because she refused to move. He couldn't get her to talk because she was freaking out. It was a complicating situation, and he was upset he couldn't do anything.
From the small room across the hall, tiny foot steps were heard across the floor. It seems the whole house was up, as Asuma poked his head in his parent's door. His black locks were down and tangled, he hated wearing elastics to bed. He was stubborn like his mom. Asuma was wearing green footy pajamas with the Nara clan symbol on them.
Asuma didn't need to understand what was going on; he just walked over to the bed and climbed up. When he did get up, he climbed onto hi mother lap and hugged her.
Temari knew that they were only trying to help. After she calmed enough that she wasn't hyperventilating, she moved so Asuma could go back to sleep. He wasn't going to leave his mommy now.
"You had that nightmare again, didn't you?" Shikamaru whispered in the silence.
"How'd you –"Temari questioned
"I talked to your brothers not long before I proposed to you. They said you sometimes had nightmares that really freaked you out." Shikamaru confided
"I didn't know they knew." Temari said in the silence, as a stray tear managed to crawl down her cheek.
Shikamaru saw the reflection of the tear from the moonlight that shone in. He wiped it away and leaned over, careful enough not to squish Asuma, and kissed Temari's forehead.
"I just want them to go away." Temari whispered, squeezing her eyes tight
"Tell me about it." Shikamaru stated rather interested.
Temari stood alone, in front of the rubble and sand that once was Suna. She should have died with all the citizens and shinobi that were underneath it. She should have been there for when Gaara was kidnapped, to help stop it. She should have been there for when Kankuro got poisoned, he needed her. She should have been there. For Baki, for the village for her brothers, she should have died before they did.
The faces, she could see them. Gaara, he looked disappointed. Kankuro, he looked in pain. Baki, he looked confused. The villagers, they just glared. She could see all of them staring at her. Just staring and judging.
The survivors ignored her. Anyone who was out of the village that day, they denied knowing her. She wasn't the Temari they knew. She wasn't brave enough to leave and save her brothers. She was too weak to move.
She was being judged by everyone. They all hated her. She could have stopped it. The voices, that's all they said. "You could have stopped it."
It became too much. The looks, the voices, the tragedy, the ignorance, it drove her insane and made her mad. She just wanted them to stop.
"How? How do I stop it?" Temari would scream as she grabbed her head, and cried like she had never cried before.
Gaara, he always appeared in front of her. He always had his hand outstretched, like a peace offering. But when she'd go to take it, he'd become their father. Their father would grab her wrist and drag her away from everything that had ever been dignified as Temari.
She'd then become no one. She was lost and alone with no one to protect her from the world. She was never Temari. She was never a citizen of Suna. She was never apart of a family. She had never been an Ambassador, a jounin, a kunoichi. She was nothing, and always was nothing.
She was looked down upon. She didn't deserve to have life. No one would give it to her.
Except someone, they offered her their hand. It radiated light and happiness. It was comfort. But if Temari reached for it, she was afraid it'd disappear. Everything she wanted. Gone forever, and forever out of reach, never to be hers.
Shikamaru moved so he could properly hug his distraught wife. She needed a hug. One that was filled with love and caring. One that would scare away the nightmares and give her comfort.
Temari never felt out of place in his arms. She was meant to be with Shikamaru. She knew that for sure.
She knew Gaara and Kankuro may end up dying before her, but not without a proper good bye first. They'd never leave their sister behind without goodbye. She deserved that much.
Temari would never turn her back on Suna. Sure, she lived in Konoha, but she will always be their Suna princess. They respected her decision when she left. They welcome her and her family when she visits. She's their princess and they won't let her forget.
Konoha is her home too. They treat her as an equal, and care for her safety.
"Tem, you're never in the dark." Shikamaru whispered. "You're surrounded by so much light you forget what its like to be in the dark."
Temari couldn't help but chuckle. It was cheesy after all.
"As long as I'm remembering, will you lead me back?" Temari asked curling up next to him, with Asuma still between them.
"As long as you need it." Shikamaru said digging his face into her neck and wrapping his arms around her waste.
"From you, always." Temari whispered in the silence.
Asuma woke up slightly to find he had been moved. No caring, her just curled up next to his moms sleeping form and went back to sleep. If he had nightmares, her presence drove them away. She was his light back home.