Chapter Ten: Memories

Sphinx awoke, to the sun shining in her face through her window. By what she thought it was about 4 pm. Sphinx sat up and looked around.

"Nani?" How'd I get here?" Sphinx asked herself as she scanned the room. Then suddenly it all came back to her. She slightly lowered her head and sighed out.

"Oh yeah." Sphinx turned her head as she heard the doorknob turn and the door open. She saw a cautious Temari pop her head into the room.

"Oh, so you're finally awake." Temari said with a smile as she walked in, closed the door, and grabbed a chair in the room, sitting next to Sphinx's bed.

"You had a high fever when you collapsed. But by the looks of it, it's finally gone down." Sphinx nodded.

"Arigatou Temari-chan."

"No need for thank your's." Sphinx nodded with a smile and thought back to that time before she collapsed. Then suddenly Sphinx remembered Gaara. She sighed heavily, her head lowered, and her bangs covering her face.

"Oh yeah..." Temari said. There was a small pause.

"I suppose you would like an explanation for Gaara's 'behavior' yesterday." Sphinx nodded.

"Please tell me."

"Very well. Hmm... Well obviously Gaara has no memory left of you." Sphinx flinched. Temari noticed and paused but Sphinx urged her on.

"To be truthful, we aren't for sure what happened to Gaara's memories. He just arrived home one day covered in blood, with a dazed look on his face. He hasn't been the same since."

"...I see..."

"...Don't lose hope Sphinx-san. After all he did remember Kankurou and myself. And still has memories of when he was a child. There might be a way to bring his memories back."

"How do you propose we do that?"

"Not us. You."

"Me?"

"Hai. I think that if he spends enough time around you, then maybe his memories will return."

"I...I guess..."

"It's worth a try Sphinx-san. Well, I'll leave you alone for a little while then." Temari said as she rose from the chair and left the room. Sphinx sighed again, then got up and opened the window next to her bed then sat back down onto the bed.

Sphinx stood up from the bed after a few moments of thinking, and walked to the middle of the room. She realized that she was now dressed in a night robe. She smiled lightly.

Sphinx walked into the bathroom and started running a bath for herself. She turned the water up to a pretty hot temperature and then walked out of the bathroom waiting for the bath tub to fill.

An old song she sang often during the previous time she lived in this house began playing in her head. She sat back down on the bed, for a few moments. Then began singing:

Dear my love, haven't you wanted to be with me
And dear my love, haven't you longed to be free
I can't keep pretending that I don't even know you
And at sweet night, you are my own
Take my hand

CHORUS:
We're leaving here tonight
There's no need to tell anyone
They'd only hold us down
So by the morning light
We'll be half way to anywhere
Where love is more than just your name

I have dreamt of a place for you and I
No one knows who we are there
All I want is to give my life only to you
I've dreamt so long I cannot dream anymore
Let's run away, I'll take you there

We're leaving here tonight
There's no need to tell anyone
They'd only hold us down
So by the mornings light
We'll be half way to anywhere
Where no one needs a reason

Forget this life
Come with me
Don't look back you're safe now
Unlock your heart
Drop your guard
No one's left to stop you

Forget this life
Come with me
Don't look back you're safe now
Unlock your heart
Drop your guard
No one's left to stop you now

Chorus

Silence

Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah

Fades out

Just as she finished the last line, she heard a sigh from behind her. Quickly Sphinx jerked her head around, to see... Gaara, crouching in her window sill. Sphinx looked at him with sorrowfully eyes then turned away.

"That song..." Gaara said.

"What about it?"

"It's calming somehow."

"It's calming just to sing it."

"Something is wrong?"

"Iiya. Of course not."

"I see. That song though. It's very familiar." Sphinx paused. All her movements ceased. She turned her head and looked at Gaara.

"I don't believe I know your name."

"Oh. Just call me... Sphinx."

"Ii... Sphinx..." Gaara said a bit slowly, then disappeared in a gust of sand. Suddenly Sphinx fought to hold her tears back. She jumped up and ran into the bathroom. Immediately stripping off her clothes and getting into the bathtub. She submerged her head into the water, to stop the tears that she could feel coming.

With a mental sigh Sphinx brought her head up above the water once more. She leaned her back against the wall, and watched the steam from the hot water rise and fog the mirror up.

At least two hours passed when Sphinx finally came out of the bath. She slipped on a simple black kimono with a red sash and her armor sleeve, and then finally emerged from her room. She looked around the hallways, her eyes landing on the door to Gaara's bedroom. She sighed once more then made her way for the stairs.

She walked down them slowly, once again feeling like a complete stranger in this house. Outside the sun was setting, and its light shined in through the window in an orange and gold glow. Sphinx walked to the front door and walked outside.

She was about to jump up to the top of the house, but then saw what she assumed was Gaara. So instead she walked over to the metal wall and leaned forward on it. Overlooking the village, like on the same day when Nariko showed up and Sphinx left this house.

She sighed again and moved her arm. The armor on it glinted in the setting sun. Sphinx looked down at the simple black kimono she was wearing, when suddenly something hit her in the head rather heard making her stumble backwards.

Sphinx shook her head, and then looked at a ball that rolled next to her feet. She picked it up and looked down at the children bow, looking up. Sphinx smiled gently, then jumped down from the ledge and landed softly using the chakra focused to her feet.

"Thanks lady for returning our ball." One boy called out happily. Sphinx opened her eyes and smiled again. Then when the kids laid their eyes on Sphinx's open eyes they all stiffened up. Sphinx tilted her head to the side.

"What?" She said to the children as she held the ball out to them, waiting for one child to come and grab it. There was an awkward silence. But quickly that silence was broken by one child yelling out.

"She lives with Sabaku no Gaara! Run!" Then immediately the children turned tail and ran as fast as they could. Sphinx, stood there a few moments...Shocked. Then just let the ball drop from her hands. She looked down at the ground, but then quickly shook it off.

Quickly Sphinx turned around and ran up the wall once again using more chakra in her feet to stick her to the wall. She jumped over the wall at the top and brushed her black kimono off. Truthfully her kimono looked ore like a man's. It had no decorations on it and was only the under layer and the top part, but Sphinx didn't care much.

The sky was now red and everything was getting dark. Sphinx then looked at the wall. She studied the width of the top, then smiled. She jumped onto the wall. She looked around carefully. She took a deep breath then took a stance on the wall. In her mind she imagined the tune of a simple guitar playing. Then she began singing again:

I can't run anymore,
I fall before you,
Here I am,
I have nothing left,
Though I've tried to forget,
You're all that I am,
Take me home,
I'm through fighting it,
Broken,
Lifeless,
I give up,
You're my only strength,
Without you,
I can't go on,
Anymore,
Ever again.

My only hope,
(All the times I've tried)
My only peace,
(To walk away from you)
My only joy,
My only strength,
(I fall into your abounding grace)
My only power,
My only life,
(And love is where I am)
My only love.

I can't run anymore,
I give myself to you,
I'm sorry,
I'm sorry,
In all my bitterness,
I ignored,
All that's real and true,
All I need is you,
When night falls on me,
I'll not close my eyes,
I'm too alive,
And you're too strong,
I can't lie anymore,
I fall down before you,
I'm sorry,
I'm sorry.

My only hope,
(All the times I've tried)
My only peace,
(To walk away from you)
My only joy,
My only strength,
(I fall into your abounding grace)
My only power,
My only life,
(And love is where I am)
My only love.

Constantly ignoring,
The pain consuming me,
But this time it's cut too deep,
I'll never stray again.

My only hope,
(All the times I've tried)
My only peace,
(To walk away from you)
My only joy,
My only strength,
(I fall into your abounding grace)
My only power,
My only life,
(And love is where I am)
My only love,
My only hope,
(All the times I've tried)
My only peace,
(To walk away from you)
My only joy,
My only strength,
(I fall into your abounding grace)
My only power,
My only life,
(And love is where I am)
My only love.

She danced carefuly and gracefully on the wall. Not once did her footing step beyond the wall. Not once did she even stumble. Though her eyes were closed for the most part, it was as if she was on normal ground, as she spun, stepped forward and back, and moved her hands around. The dance steps were similar to her fighting style especially.

Each move flowed into the next one gracefully and was very unpredictable, but seemed very well rehearsed. As she sang out the sad words, Gaara, who was still on the rrof silently jumped down landing nearby. He had been watching her and saw everything.

Sphinx soon ended the song. She took another deep breath and stepped off of the wall, only to see Gaara not a few feet away from her. She didn't know she was being watched. Especially Gaara of all people.

"Who do you sing that song for? What person deceased do you sing it for?" Gaara asked Sphinx after a short silence.

"You wouldn't know. Nor would you understand why." There was another silence and Sphinx passed Gaara and walked back into the house.