Chapter seven: Gaa-ruesome Assistance

We arrived at a large lake what seemed like hours later, taking in deep breaths as we ran from Shukakus sands. The view of the lake was stunning; there were trees bordering it and the moon shined high over the glass like water. I wanted to stare at the moon forever, but its mocking words finally made me look away.

"You will never find love…" the moon whispered.

I shut my eyes and tried to block out the sound.

"Kazan?" Lee's sweet voice echoed from above my head. I couldn't help it but… Lee calmed me down greatly… He helped me out of the sands… How could I repay him…?

As I was lost in my mind, Lee pulled me lightly forward till we had reached the part of the lake where the reeds grew. He started to step into it when I snapped back to reality.

"Lee!" He looked to me with cool brown eyes with a hint of curiosity. "I-I can't swim!"

Lee's lips formed a small smile. My heart raced for a moment.

"Don't worry. You won't get wet at all! I promise."

He stepped into the large lake until the water was half way up his legwarmers. Lee then leaned forward into the water, till his lips were just above the waves. He whispered something faint, so faint I could barley even know if he breathed or hummed something.

Suddenly waved started to form around his face and shoot away from him, revealing the bottom of the lake. The waved went further and further away from Lee, in fact further into the sky. I stared in amazement as the water separated into what looked to be a water path. Ten feet away from Lee, the ground disappeared into motionless water. I knew the land went deeper, but it seemed like the water needed to go straight from that particular spot.

I took a small step forward. A warm hand grasped mine.

"It is alright. I got you."

All of my fear disappeared. I knew I was safe.

He led me slowly to the still water and when we reached it, he kept on walking, pulling me along ever so lightly. My foot landed on the water carefully, since I was afraid that it would sink threw to the depths of the unknown lake. My foot stood as it was on cement. Blue rippling cement, but cement none the less.

After many yards of the water path and two insanely high walls of water on either side of us, I eventually saw what we were heading to. It was a stone building. Right in the middle of this huge lake.

"Not even that will protect you, Gaara! You have given me time to recover when you were being overly cautious over a stupid water puddle! Prepare to die!"

I gasped in shock; I had completely forgotten about Shukaku! From Lees sweet kindness to the fish that were staring at me as I walked by, I had completely forgotten what were running from.

"He's coming!" I yelled as I lunged toward the building. Lee seemed surprised but ran along with me. I turned my head around and saw a wave of sand coming to us. Lee must have noticed it as well since he had bolted forward and we were at the door in a matter of seconds. Right as the door slammed shut I could hear the water hammering back to its original glassy lake form. Along with that, I could hear the threats of Shukaku screaming in my inner mind.

"Ah! Lee! It is nice to see you again." A voice said.

I whipped my head from away the door and saw a woman standing in front of Lee. She was about five feet tall with short black hair. Her skin was deep brown as if she had been in the sun too long… Or she had moved from someplace hot. She wore a creamy silk band that went around her breasts and back and had a verity of jewels dangling from it. Her skirt was also creamy colored, stretched down till it was mid thigh, and had gems from the hip till the hem at the bottom. She had gold chains in her hair, bracelets on her wrists and ankles. She looked Egyptian.

She smiled at me, and I noticed her bright green eyes. "Ah! I see that you have brought a friend. Who is she?"

I blinked for a moment and stared at Lee. He must have noticed my stare since his ears turned red. That or the woman's obscured comment.

"This is my friend Kazan. He is in need of your assistance."

Her eyes widened and her lips parted with shock when Lee said this. "Ah! Forgive me! From your long hair, slim figure, and eye liner I assumed that you were female." She shrugged. "I have yet to learn about this Japanese fashion that walks about my lake constantly." She turned her back to us and sat on a stool.

Once she sat down, I allowed my eyes to wonder to the surroundings. The building seemed more like a two-room hut made of stone. However, the stone was barley noticeable since the walls were draped with dark purple curtains. The floor had a divine rug on it, but I couldn't really tell what the pattern was. Scattered all around the place where bottles of liquid, small trinkets, more furniture with dark cloth, and crystals hanging from everything.

"By the way. My name is Amunet. I am a Fortune Teller, or what some people would say, a witch." She smiled again. Her gaze settled on Lee, then back to me. "There is a dark creature inside you, dear Kazan."

Lee nodded. "Yes. That is why I brought him to you. I will not trust him in any other hands beside you own."

Amunets eyes twinkled. "I do what I must." She rubbed her hand across her chest then flicked her hair. She then flicked her hand to the stool across the table from her. "Sit down, please. I wish to examine you more… thoroughly."

I looked to Lee with worried eyes. He smiled at me through his eyes. "You will be fine. I promise."

I hesitated, but still sat down across from Amunet.

She rested her chin in her hand and stared at me with strong eyes. "Ah… So I was wrong before… You have sleeping rings around your eyes. Not eye liner. I assume that you have had sleeping problems since birth?"

I nodded, surprised she could see this.

She smiled again. "Enough with this small talk. We have a demon to seek out!"

She flicked her finders over a large glass sphere that was on the table and lifted it up expertly. She held it in front of her right eye and stared at me. Her green eye had now turned into the eye of Shukaku. I jumped in shock, not having seen that eye in ages.

"My my… What a very strong demon you have… Since birth… Taken control… You only now have decided to fight against it… Why is that?"

I noticed considerably that her accent had become clearer as soon as she had put up the jewel to her eye. Her voice was originally cracked and full to the brim with an accent in which I did not recognize. Now it was strong, compact with knowledge, and smooth. I had never heard such a smooth voice in my life… If I hadn't known any better, the smoothness was almost seducing.

She frowned when I didn't response and seemed to glare into the crystal, scaring me since her eye was reflecting as the eye of my demon. She tisked a few times and looked all around my face –sometimes lower, much to my embarrassment- as if taking in everything that I was made of.

"As far as I can tell this… Shukaku of yours has no weakness. I can however, calm him down somewhat."

"How?"

I had jumped at Lees voice. I had almost forgotten he was there.

"Oh, simple really." She had put the jewel down as soon as Lee had said 'how'. Her voice was also back to normal. "I just put a spell on him, and wala! Shukaku is asleep and his sands are tame..." She put the sphere back up. "For a little while of course. The task is simple. I will need you to sit still and trust me."

I nodded slowly after much hesitation.

I gasped in shock. It was as if someone was digging sharp claws into my brain and was trying to rip everything out. My ears felt like they were bleeding because I could hear Shukaku screaming horribly in anger, pain, and fear. The clawing sensation settled a bit till it was only on my neck and heart. The claws kept on tugging, threatening to take out my voice and my blood pumping organ and show them to the two other people of the room; one was terrified, one was calm and focused. I wasn't entirely sure, but I think my eyes were leaking. Blackness erupted into my vision and I could no longer see the purple glittering room.

I blinked in confusion and let my eyes wander for a moment. The room was rather large, and was smoking slightly. Something made the ground shake and I fell over. I looked up, and saw something that I had regretted even before I could speak simple words as a child.

Shukaku was standing over me, with an angry scowl on his hideous face. He was about to roar when a sudden wind started to blow. It seemed amazingly strong since it was making the sand raccoon slide away from me. From behind him, I could see a giant crystal sphere –about one fourth the size of the demon- lower from the pitch black sky above. It levitated above the ground, and let off an eerie red light. The wind picked up, pushing Shukaku closer and closer to the sphere, until his tail touched it. Large smoky hands leaped from the sphere and started to grab onto the demon, pulling him even closer. He roared with rage.

From what was happening, I barley even noticed how it was becoming brighter and brighter in the room. Blinding light erupted from above the sphere and the struggling demon, making both of us look up. I squinted and saw Amunet with a smile on her face. She waved down at me and smiled rather proudly. When Shukaku howled threats at her, she smirked grimly down at him. She reached her hand down into the room and tapped the crystal sphere. Shukaku toppled over and fell face first into it. He looked rather distant now, as if I was looking at him threw a reversed blurry mirror, but I could still hear him as if he was standing right next to me.

Amunet reached her hand back into the room and grasped the sphere as if it would break under any pressure. She lifted it slowly, and before her hand was out of the darkness she hummed, "We are done now, sweetie."

I blinked and the purple room reappeared.

Amunet looked at me with a grand smile that almost screamed that she had succeeded in what she was doing.

Lee, however, was as white as a sheet, and was leaking sweat. He looked terrified.

I gave him a weak smile, as if trying to calm him down.

My eyes drifted back to the smug Amunet.

I gasped in shock. Her eye that reflected to me was now my own.

Shukaku was completely and entirely silent.