Destined

Chapter 1

Lately, ever since he stumbled upon this old well, he has had memories resurface from a time when he was young and before he felt like he was submerged into the darkness. Memories that had he recalled back then would have possibly been enough to keep him from being completely alone because he did have a friend at one point.

~~~The well sat in a more isolated portion of a park and he had been sitting back there watching from a distance while all the other kids played but would never let him join in, instead they would run and scream to get away from him. It hurt.

But then she came, a sudden flash of blue and a crying voice from deep inside the well, he had to stand on his tippy toes to look over the rim and see the upset figure down there. Afraid of hurting them but wanting to help out he did his best to guide the sand carefully down the well to pull them out as their small tears and sniffles echoed in there. He is always sad and lonely; he doesn't want to see someone else like that.

When they finally emerged and he set them on the ground he noticed it is a girl his age looking at the sand curiously before looking up at him with those tear stained eyes. She looked confused but it was better than anything else he expected. He could see something pink glowing from her stomach area under her shirt and he felt curious in return as he felt her own power feel calming to him. Remembering the blue light that flashed and knowing he has never seen her or that outfit style around here he asked, "Who are you and how did you get at the bottom of the well," his aqua eyes studied her, still expecting her to start screaming or something.

"I'm Kagome and I fell in…" she mumbled sadly. "I wanted to go somewhere that no one could find me because my mommy and grandpa said daddy will no longer be coming home a week ago and now grandma is gone too…" she began sniffling as the tears resurfaced again. Putting her face into her little hands she cried again saying, "I want them back, why did they go to heaven already?"

He looked at her unsure what this heaven is. Seeing a shadow he looked up at his Uncle Yashamaru. "She is sad but not bleeding, does that mean her heart needs that medicine you can only get from another?"

"Yes Gaara but where is she from," he looked down at her after not spotting her parents anywhere.

"There was a blue light in the well and then she came," he said to him. "She was glowing pink on the left side of her tummy; do I do that when I cry?"

He looked down into the nephew's curious orbs as he tried to understand why she would be glowing pink as well. "No Gaara, that must be something unique to her or her clan," he answered all though he couldn't see anything right now. Crouching down he put a hand on her shoulder as he drew the girl to look up into his kind face, "Where are you from?"

"I'm from the Higurashi Shrine in Tokyo, Japan," she easily answered stumping him further as she calmed down and looked at them with watery eyes. "What are your names?"

"I am Yashamaru and this is Gaara, my nephew. How about you come with us for a little bit, are you hurt anywhere," he asked just to make sure.

"Just here," she clenched a hand over her heart as her eyes looked downcast.

"I could give you love to help heal it," Gaara offered making his uncle cover his smile at how kind Gaara truly is but still not quite understanding of this medicine called love. It really was adorable as he watched the little girl look at him curiously once again.

She cocked her head rather cutely as she told him, "But I thought boys had cooties, that is what Yuka and Eri were telling me at school."

"What are cooties," he wasn't sure if liked these cooties and he doesn't want to have them.

"I don't know that is what I asked them but they didn't know either," she replied and Yashamaru found the two of them to be so cute in their interactions together. Looking down at her lap she said, "Daddy and grandma always said they love me too but now they are gone. Does that mean they don't love me anymore," her eyes looked up at the kind man.

"You were told they went to heaven," he asked to be certain since he hadn't heard quite everything.

"Yes, daddy went there last week and now grandma did too. We had to suddenly move to live with grandpa and grandma on the shrine because mommy is pregnant with Souta. That is what I was told," she informed him.

He has heard of heaven in some religions so he understood what happened. "They still love you very much but they had to answer their new calling and could no longer stay where you can see them but I am sure they still live inside here," he pressed her little hand to her heart again. Seeing her hands and knees covered in dirt he suggested, "We should get you washed up while we try to find your mom and grandpa. Maybe you and Gaara can play, you know he lost his mom a long time ago, you two might feel better knowing you have the same pain," he looked at her hopefully since so far she has yet to mind Gaara.

"It hurts here too for you," she turned her eyes to Gaara watching him nod. She looked shy for a moment and scuffed the dirt with her shoe and stood up flashing him a smile, "Would you be my new friend, I don't even care if you do have these cooties?"

Looking hopeful at her outstretched hand he felt happy, the hurt was lessening and he took her hand before they walked away following his uncle. He has a friend, his very first friend and she doesn't even care if he has these cooties he smiled. Catching the eye of his uncle he beamed at him while he smiled in return, watching as the little girl began swinging their arms back and forth getting Gaara to skip along behind him as she giggled.

When they sat in the living room playing with his toys she turned her curious blue eyes back on to his nephew while Yashamaru fixed them a snack and tried to figure out what to do with the little girl as he reflected over everything so far. "Gaara, why do you have black around your eyes," she asked him.

Shrugging his little shoulders he said, "I don't know, I always have them they never wash off."

"Really, then what about your eyebrows," she studied his face with interest.

"I don't think I have ever had them," he wondered if maybe these things are what made others not like him as he looked at her worriedly.

"My friends like to call different boys at school cute but I think you are cute," she giggled and twiddled her thumbs a little.

Gaara looked at his new friend, having heard the term by others many times before and only directed at him by his uncle but now she is calling him cute, not monster, cute… "You are cute too," he said to her with a smile and was suddenly greeted with her hugging him and the best thing yet, she didn't get hurt so he smiled even brighter.

"Will we always be friends," she asked him after sitting back down and looking at his teddy bear.

He looked at his uncle that stood looking happy while wearing his apron as he cooked, "I want to always be your friend Kagome," he said honestly.

"Maybe my mommy and grandpa will let me come visit again sometime. I hope so but I was naughty and went into the well shed after being told not to. Grandpa always says there are demon bones at the bottom of it and they might come back as evil spirits to haunt me if I'm not a good little girl. I don't want mean demons to come after me, I just was mad and sad," she looked up at him again and then noticed her small bracelet. "Oh wait I know," she said excitedly. "I will let you keep my bracelet, that way my mommy and grandpa will have to let me come back to get it, this way I will see you again!" She took the blue and aqua color bracelet off her wrist and put it on his while Yashamaru thought it funny that the colors matched their eyes perfectly.

"Do you really think that will work," he asked her as looked down at the temporary gift.

Biting her lips she stubbornly said, "It has to because I want to play with you again and see my new friend."

Yashamaru knew it wasn't likely and from what he gathered he will have to return the little girl to the well since somehow it turned into a magical portal between wherever she came from and here. The kids ate dinner and went off to play in another room. When it grew quiet and he felt something strange he headed off into the direction he had last heard them and was alarmed at first to see Gaara sleeping so peacefully but Shukaku didn't come out. He could still feel something and narrowing his eyes in concentration he could see pink and pale lavender leaking out from the girl and the glowing pink his nephew described. Lifting her shirt up he could feel the power as he pressed a hand to that area, feeling something hard and round inside the little girl that felt so pure but as he pulled back startled, he realized something evil was calling out to him as well telling him to kill the little girl and take jewel for himself, tempting him with power or any wish he desires. 'This child,' he looked down at her watching as her own pale lavender power was mostly out and calming the Shukaku inside his nephew.

Choosing to rest in the room with them he covered them with blankets as he sat there worried about what might happen should another discover the powers in this little girl, especially his brother-in-law, the current Kazekage. After the decisions he had made that burdened Gaara and forced Karura into a premature birth of him and then costing her life, he had no doubt that Rasa would have no qualms in using the little girl as a tool for the village whether it was for Gaara's benefit or taking that jewel, possibly costing her own life. He felt sad, the little girl had truly accepted him as her friend, his very first friend and he will have to send her down that well first thing in the morning or she may never be able to go home ever again since tomorrow is when Rasa will be training Gaara in ninjutsu meaning he will discover the little girl and Yashamaru refuses to see such innocence be hurt quite possibly. With a heavy sigh he let his eyes drift shut so he may rest.

"Uncle Yashamaru, Uncle Yashamaru," he urgently shook him feeling a little panicked.

"Hmm huh," he woke up feeling drowsy, "Gaara, what is it," he looked around for anything that might have him so alarmed.

"I fell asleep, I didn't hurt anyone did I," he asked getting really worried.

Recalling the events of last night he said, "No Gaara you didn't because of your friend," he said as he noticed her still sleeping. "Gaara will you come with me, we need to speak quietly elsewhere so we don't wake her up." He nodded and followed along with him, feeling happy no one got hurt because he has this cute new friend. "I'm sorry to say but we need to send her home because I'm worried," he told him.

"You're worried, why? Did I do something bad again," he asked looking sad.

"No it is not you; it is for her safety because I discovered something last night Gaara. That pink glowing is really a powerful jewel and it tried to tempt me into hurting her, I don't want your father to find out about it or anyone else for that matter or they might end up killing her just to get it. On top of that she has her own powers that made it so you could sleep through the night, so you see, if we don't get her back this morning before your father comes she may never see her home again and we will end up losing her regardless. Sending her home is the right thing to do so she remains safe and alive," he watched his nephew become sad.

"Would they try to turn her into a monster," he asked while looking at the floor.

"I don't know but I don't want to chance it. Just remember that somewhere out there she will always be waiting for you, waiting for the day you two will most likely meet again because you were most likely destined to meet," he cheered him up, gaining a small smile.

Nodding his head he smiled a little brighter, "So I can protect my new friend we will send her home and never tell anyone about her," he decided right then and there.~~~

So they did Gaara could recall as he looked down at that well feeling a little sad he never did see her again and worried that maybe something bad did end up happening to her. He wasn't sure what led his feet here; it was like he was called back to this area and as he let his sand drift around it he could just barely sense the magic still dormant inside. Turning his back on it he needed to get back to work and focus on the village, not on a memory he had somehow only just now remembered. Perhaps the well triggered it or maybe his Uncle had suppressed it with a jutsu to further protect Kagome, his actual very first and true friend.