Ria
"No!" I yelled. The old janitor stood in front of me, his chin resting on the end of his mop from the exhaustion of our conversation. "I will not clean up this room!"
It turned out that the cleaning crew at the clinic had decided against picking up the dance room. Mancala, my psych group leader, had told them it would be an 'important experience in my development and help improve my self-acceptance.' I think she just wanted to punish me for walking out of my last group therapy session. Such a petty psychiatrist.
Burt the janitor stared at me for a few moments. "You're going to do it, and you're going to do it right. Clean up your own goddamn mess." He looked at me and hmphed for emphasis. Then he strode out of the room, pushing his mop in front of him, always cleaning.
This is a load of crap, I thought. How was I supposed to clean that mess up? It was really stupid of these people to make me clean it all up. I mean, this was their clinic, their responsibility. Whatever, I thought. Enough bitching about it and just do it.
I began thinking about what it would be like if I could just rewind time for the glass. I could just make the mirrors rebuild themselves. It sounded like a nice idea. I reached down and began picking up glass. I kept on thinking about turning the clock back, putting everything in that room back together just as it should have been. That's when it happened. The next piece of glass I touched floated in the air.
"What the-?" I couldn't even finish the sentence. I flipped the hand with all the shards of glass in it. The glass looked like it was going to fall, but it didn't. It stopped in midair. What the hell was going on? "Just be calm, Ria. You're obviously doped up on some serious stuff right now. Just ignore it. It's all in your head." I tried to pick up another piece of glass. This one did the same as the others, popping up like a grasshopper and hanging in the air like a fly on a spider web.
I gathered my hair behind my head then dropped my hands. At a loss as to what I should do, I slammed my hands together. A liquid black substance spouted from my fingertips, just like when I would perform my Shadow-Kissed Jutsu. But this was different. The liquid covered the broken wall of mirrors.
Snap your fingers, a voice whispered. I wasn't the only person to think that once you start hearing voices you've got more pressing issues than a few broken mirrors. I needed to leave that place. But I felt compelled to listen to this whisper. So I did as instructed. I snapped my fingers. The crackle of electricity flowed throughout the room. There was a flash just like lightning. I squeezed my eyes shut against the light. When I opened them, I caught my breath.
The wall of mirrors was completely reassembled.
Neji
It had now been two weeks since Neji and Ria had begun their stay in the psych ward. And that meant it was time for Neji to report back to Lady Tsunade. This worried him. What was he supposed to tell her? That Ria was completely psychotic? That it didn't matter anymore, she was no threat? It had been such a short amount of time and Neji knew Lady Tsunade was bound to have already heard about the mirror incident. It didn't matter, though, Neji decided. He would just have to suck it up and report whatever possible.
Neji made his way across the village to the Hokage's office. The rebuilding efforts had not made much of a difference to the decimated village. Neji knew there were still people unaccounted for. His stomach twisted with the feeling of sickness when he thought of what he had seen on the Night of Fire. That woman, trying to save her child, but both had perished anyway. Neji could still see her face, eternally shaped in the final scream of her life, her last call for rescue. No, he told himself. I will not get sick again. You can handle this, Neji. You can handle it..
He wished that the trek to Lady Tsunade's office could have lasted longer, but there he was, standing there. Waiting to make his report. He was just prolonging the inevitable. He sighed and knocked.
"Come in," the Hokage said briskly.
Neji did as instructed. Tsunade sat perched on the edge of her desk, her arms crossed over her heavy chest. "Well, what have you to report?"
Neji straightened his spine and held his head hide not out of pride but out of respect for her. "I assume you have heard about the incident with the dance room." Lady Hokage nodded. "After this occurrence, Ria remained in the hospital for several days. While she was there a boy by the name of Denieru visited her. He knew her before her memory loss."
Tsunade was obviously intrigued by this piece of information. "Is he still within the village limits?"
"I'm not sure, ma'm."
Tsunade looked annoyed. "Well then, use your Byakugan and find him." Neji stiffened ever more than he already was, which seemed a bit impossible. "What's the problem?"
He couldn't let her know. It wasn't of that much importance, was it? Eventually his injury would be fine. He would be able to use his Kekkei Genkai again. Neji refused to let any pessimistic thoughts into his mind. For the first time in his existence, he was being irrational. It made him feel bold. So, with this new feeling he steeled himself against any feelings of doubt and pretended to use his Byakugan, tensing the muscles in his face and opening his eyes as wide as possible. Lady Tsunade looked doubtful, but said nothing. Who was she to question a centuries old technique?
Neji had to think. From the short amount of time he had spoken and been near Denieru, had be glommed enough about his characteristics to know what he would do. Neji decided yes. He pretended to end the jutsu and looked back at the Hokage.
"He's still within the city limits."
Lady Tsunade nodded. "Very well. Tell him to come see me immediately. There is something he and I need to discuss." Neji heard the dismissal in her tone. He bowed and left. He didn't relax until he was several yards away from the building.
That had been close. I can't let something like that happen again, he thought. How was he supposed to get his injury checked out? No one of the Main Branch families would help him. Except…perhaps…no, he couldn't do that. He decided he would wait a few more days to see if his condition improved. If not, he would have no other choice.
Ria
I needed to run somewhere away from that room. I stood there in shock for a few moments as I stared at the pristine mirrors. Horror overtook me like a wave. What had I done? Where had that power come from? I couldn't handle it. I didn't know what else to do. So I smashed the glass again.
"Damn it! Damn it all!" I screamed. I couldn't stop the punches. My fists flew back and forth like pistons in an engine. Blood was everywhere. I knew for sure that my clothes were soaked with the blood from my hands. I knew that I had blood slathered all over my face. I didn't care. "Damn you! Damn you! Go away! Go away!" It was a few minutes before I finally stopped, my body quivering with the sobs that I tried to suppress. Tears streamed freely down my face as I slumped to the floor, my knees digging into the glass beneath me. The sound of a voice hit my ears. I didn't bother turning my head.
"Someone get in here! She did it again!" It was Burt the janitor. He was calling for back-up. I need to leave. I need to go away. Run…run…RUN! I pushed myself to my feet. My arms dangled from my slumped body. They had no feeling left in there; it was if they had been sown onto my body and none of the nerves had been connected. I was breaking down all over again. Except, I didn't care anymore. I was done caring about anything. Damn the world, I thought. Damn it all. I walked blindly towards the doorway.
"Wait! Stop right there, girl! You-!"
I flung one of my rag doll arms his way and he flew back into the wall. A loud crashing sound filled the room. I glanced over for a millisecond, to see that his body had hit the wall so hard that it had molded into the concrete. I suppressed a sick laugh. I walked out of that room and didn't look back. I was done looking back.
Neji
"It's not like she can leave the hospital!" Neji exclaimed as he ran with Naruto and Gaara to the hospital. The two had been alerted to Ria's 'breakdown' and had been dispatched to get Neji. The three boys ran with each other, arms flying behind them in the usual ninja-style of running. Naruto leapt from rooftop to rooftop above while Neji and Gaara handled the ground. When they finally made it to the hospital, no one had argued with what Neji had said. It was true, there was no true need to worry. She couldn't possibly leave.
Naruto crashed through the front doors and screamed at the lady behind the front desk. "Hey, do you know where Ria's room is!" The woman stared at him in awe as he stood there in front of her. "Lady, where is Ria's room?" She pointed feebly with a shaking hand. "Thanks," Naruto said with a flash of white teeth and hurtled down the hall.
Neji and Gaara came less violently through the doors. They looked at the woman manning the front desk and knew Naruto had already passed by.
"This way," Neji said and pointed. They both hurried down the hall.
When the two made it to the room, Naruto was standing outside of it with his arms crossed over his chest.
"What are you doing?" Neji demanded.
"Don't go in there." This was not a warning, it was a command. Naruto's face was fierce as he stared at two boys equal in his age yet to superior to him in rank.
"Did you jus-"
Gaara put an arm out in front of Neji as if to stop him before he did anything brash. "Listen to him, Neji. Obviously, something is amiss."
Neji pulled himself together. "Why can't we go in there?"
Naruto glanced at the door so quickly Neji barely caught the look. "A medic should be the one to see her, not anyone else." As if on cue, Sakura came rushing around the corner. Naruto turned to her. They exchanged a brief glance before she went into the room. All was quiet.
Sakura
Sakura knew the girl's situation, though not every detail was clear to her. As she stood in front of the now closed door, she didn't dare move. It was like dealing with an injured animal. No sudden movements, or Ria would freak out.
Ria sat slumped in on herself in the farthest corner of the room. She looked as if she was trying to hide from the world. She was in fact trying to do that.. To Sakura, it seemed as if Ria had lost all sense of the world, her mind consumed with some sort of madness.
"Ria," she whispered. The girl flinched. Sakura could see blood pooled all around Ria. Dried blood caked the poor girl's face. "Ria, I'm here to help you." She took an unsteady step forward. Ria remained completely still.
Sakura decided at that moment that Ria was in no way going to leave that room. The look of blankness on her face was enough to solidify Sakura's decision. She crossed the room in two steps and knelt before Ria. She took the girl's limp hand and examined it, tilting it back in forth to check the damage. Glass seemed to be ingrained into her skin, as if it had been there Ria's entire life.
All was quiet.
About an hour passed before Sakura reemerged from Ria's room. Gaara had been meditating while Naruto paced and Neji stood completely still and alert by the door. When Sakura came out, she made no eye contact with any of them except Gaara.
"Can I speak privately with you?"
Gaara opened his eyes slowly and stood at the same speed. Sakura led the way down the hall and around the corner.
"She's retreated into her mind," Sakura said bluntly.
Gaara looked at her for a moment. "I understand."
Sakura nodded, her lips set into a grim line. "Please give me an update on her condition." Gaara nodded in assurance that he would. Sakura bowed then left.
Neji
It was only a few moments before Gaara returned, no Sakura beside him.
"Where's Sakura?" Naruto asked.
Gaara glanced at him. "She returned to where she is most needed. I need to go ge-"
"Anyone call me?" It was Sumara this time who appeared around the corner. A slight blush formed on Gaara's cheeks at the sight of her. She wore her ink black hair back in a low ponytail. A pair of black cargo pants replaced her usual look of capris and fishnets. She wore a black tank top, the rest of her arms covered in her usual netting.
"I was just about to go and get you," Gaara whispered.
She smiled at him. "Your subconscious sent out a message for me, don't worry."
"But how-"
"I don't really know how, but I'm beginning to regain some of my mind reading powers," she interrupted, but he didn't mind. "So," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "what am I here to do?"
"Ria has drawn herself into the deepest recesses of her mind," Gaara explained.
Neji stiffened. Instantly, he mentally scolded himself for his reaction. Why should he care what happens with her? As long as he kept was able to monitor her, he should feel nothing more. Naruto didn't seem to care about keeping up a professional relationship.
He slammed his fist against the wall. "That's horrible, it really is. How could she do that to herself?"
Sumara stared at him for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was laced with comfort. "Don't worry about it, Naruto. I'll find out." She reached out and squeezed Gaara's hand then ruffled Naruto's hair before entering Ria's room. She did not do anything to recognize the fact that Neji was there. Deep within, in a part of Neji that he wished did not exist, he felt hurt. That didn't matter though. All that mattered was making Ria better.
All that matters is Ria.