Chapter four: Ties of friendship
I sighed and turned around
'what will become of me now?' I questioned myself, and looked up to the now setting sun. The sky was the loveliest shade of rose pink as the sun was setting and the clouds were leaving the endless stretches of sky.
'I am once again an orphan…' The negatives pilled up in my mind.
'No one to train me, I will ravish as my strength will too!'
I turned to Gaara and his siblings and tried to hide my rising sadness and feeling uselessness,
"Well anyway, nice seeing you again…Gaara" I croaked as my voice was beginning to break and my eyes welled up with tears and became redder and redder. I turned around and began to walk away and I made sure to hide my sad expression from them. Almost as if I wanted to hide it from the world.
'I have no dreams, no support… I'm now useless to the world'
But as I had taken exactly 6 paces away, I felt something rough wrap around my ankles. I gasped as I tried not to collapse in a pile of sadness. I looked down to my feet, it was sand. The putrid mix of sand and blood still radiated off its rough surface and flooded my smell receptors. I wiped away any remaining tears
"Don't try to stop me… I am now of no use" I sniffled and my silky hair fell over my eyes.
I really did feel as if I was no longer useful to anyone, not even Gaara.
He had found a purpose a long time ago, and my purpose had now left me in blazing paw prints left behind on the hard soil. That I knew would disappear in a few days...
I collapsed and sniffled as my nose ran and the sand had given way for me. I rested on my knees and wept lightly, I then felt warmth radiating off something infront of me, and it was Gaara.
"Now, how did you come to decide that?" Gaara asked me with a disappointed tone. He gripped my chin lightly and made me look at him, I felt him tense up as he saw my tears flowing from my eyes. He hated to see me in such a low state. His thumb then ran over my cheeks to wipe away my cold tears, he frowned sadly at me and he held a lock of my hair in his left hand.
"Rani, if you think that… you're a fool" He retorted coldly and let go on my hair. Gaara cupped his hand on my cheeks and made me look at him directly, I got lost in his sea-green eyes. They showed much mystery and hurt, also hidden lust and blood thirst.
"Your demons need you to survive" Gaara reminded me "Your family needs you to carry on and revive your clan" He went on "And most of all…" he stayed silent for a little while.
"I need you… you are my only friend, the only one who saw past my demon and saw the real me… I need you more then anything else in my life" He struggled to say. What was he saying?
I smiled slightly and he went on again "If it wasn't for you, I would have became a bloodthirsty demon" He trailed off and looked into my eyes. I blushed as I realized how close he was now; I felt his breath on my skin and it warmed me up. My slight smile turned into a chuckling grin,
"Gaara, you are a bloodthirsty demon!" I joked sarcastically and stood up, as did he. Gaara brushed himself off and whispered in my ear,
"I don't want to leave you just yet. I've missed you for too long" he whimpered like an injured puppy. I giggled and sniffled once more from the previous crying I'd done "Fine Gaara" I giggled and walked towards my cave I slept in every night,
"I'll be in my cave" I stated and signaled the sand siblings to follow me. I saw Kankuro, Temari and Gaara slowly walk a few paces behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see that Kankuro and Gaara were dangling behind. Kankuro seemed to be talking about something to Gaara and (I couldn't tell much) Gaara seemed to be blushing a little. I smiled as Kankuro must have said something embarrassing to his little brother, I had a brother like Gaara but he disappeared a long time ago…
When we got there, I watched the bright sun set on my right. It was a truly beautiful sight and later I got to see the first stars light up in the dark sky.
When it was early night, the stars were all out, the sun had set, and the moon had risen to reveal a lovely crescent. I smiled as a light breeze brushed against my cheek, 'Maybe...this is where I belong' I thought and smiled once more.
My tranquillity was disturbed by a voice coming from behind me "Rani, we need to talk" the voice commanded me. My eyes turned to my right and I saw Gaara sit by me, I narrowed my eyebrows at him as he had emotion hidden deep within his green eyes.
"What is it Gaara?" I asked him playfully and smiled cheerfully at him. It disappeared rapidly, as he didn't return it, he was dead serious about something; what was it?
"I'm serious" He growled warningly at me and narrowed his eyes at me.
I cocked my head to the side and backed off. He raised his head to look at the moon in its mysterious glow. "Rani… Why did you leave me?" He asked me sounding sad. My heart dropped, I knew deep down I'd have to tell him. I gulped loudly and I felt my cheeks burning up quickly. Gaara looked at my blushing face but appeared to ignore it, he edged closer and closer to me.
"Tell Me," He urged me on as my face got redder and redder. I wanted to tell him but all that came out was a frightened squeak. Gaara growled frustratingly; he NEEDED an answer NOW. He snorted annoyed and then got up and clenched his fist
"Fine. I guess you don't care that my heart broke that day" He spat and started walking off. I stopped him with my plea "Gaara! Please don't leave!" I cried.
I hate my feelings so much...
Gaara sighed and turned to face me. He walked up to me once more and sat infront of me.
"Don't you trust me anymore?" He asked me with the most sadness I his voice. I couldn't hold it in anymore, I threw my arms around his chest and hugged him as tight as I could, "G-Gaara… I had no choice! My demon called me weak! He said to care for someone so much will make me perish!" I cried and sniffled as my heart was sinking and sinking.
"Please Gaara… I-I care for you so much… I would never forgive myself, to lose you…" I ended in a quiet whisper and refused to let him go.
"Rani… to see you in so much pain makes my heart ache. If what you say is true, I swear to protect you always" He whispered in my ear and hugged me back lightly. I looked up to see him smiling warmly at me.
"Oh Gaara!" I cried and tears fell on his shirt, he tensed up. He sighed sadly and sat down on the top of the cave, he picked me up and rested me in between his legs, at that instant the clouds that were hiding the clouds that were hiding it's beauty faded away.
"Rani look… the clouds are fading away…" Gaara noticed in awe, I looked up to see the moon shining down on us. "Do you think, we'll be friends forever?" Gaara asked me suddenly. I jumped at the desperation in his voice. I closed my eyes and instantly fell asleep. I fell into the darkness...
'who knows Gaara-kun? Maybe someday… we'll be more…'
Gaara:
"As long as she feels alone I will reach for her to pull her out of the darkness.
When I see he tears fall it makes me think that her hearts still healing but aslong as I'm here I will always be there for her as a friend.
But do I want her as a friend? that's why I asked her... I feel like...
Rani, why have I grown so attatched to you? Its killing me inside!"
