Hey there! Sorry it took so long! I'm so sorry!
I do have good news for once! I got inspired! Woohoo! I have a different idea of how to end this story so not only is it going to be better that way but it'll also be longer! -Happy dance-
I hope you like this chapter! More to come asap, I promise!
-Crosses fingers- Wish me luck anyhow!
Chapter Thirteen
The next morning when Ria arrived at the daycare she was instantly set upon by an eager Tsubame and Hana.
"So what happened?" Hana demanded, dragging Ria to the far off bench.
"Did you kiss? Tsubame asked with a dreamy sigh, her creative mind obviously at work creating a romantic setting for Ria and Gaara.
Laughing, Ria let them seat her on the bench where they hurriedly crowded her, eager for details.
"Nothing happened" Ria stated bluntly, instantly deflating Tsubame and fanning Hana's fire.
"Nothing happened? Is that possible?" Tsubame asked in a forlorn tone.
At the same time Hana boomed in with, "Aha! You're hiding something!" As Ria and Tsubame turned to her, Ria with a brow lifted and Tsubame with a hopeful expression, Hana hesitantly added, "Right?"
Again Ria laughed a bit, giving the older girl a wicked grin, not that she could see it but, ya know. "Sorry to disappoint, but…." Ria let the word hang as she struck a contemplative pose.
At her pause both girls leant forward, eager for any tidbit of gossip she might give them.
"I am only five," Ria continued matter-of-factly, her shoulders shrugging, "What would we do?"
At her disarming remark both girls fell off the bench in a comical fashion. Inwardly Ria laughed at the girl's groaning faces. It's so funny that everyday life is so like an anime here. Remembering the previous day Ria's smile widened, Flowers and all.
Just as the girls were settling back onto the bench Thomas arrived and stood before them. Ria's eyes widened and she was extra grateful for her veil when a huge grin spread over her face.
Thomas was standing in front of Hana at military attention and decked out in the most outlandish formal attire she'd ever seen. He must have borrowed it from his grandfather, Ria thought with a snicker. His hair had also been preened. It was awkwardly combed on his forehead, neatly parted down the middle and curved upwards into little curls. He looks like one of those old guys from the fifties. Ria resisted the urge to clap a hand over her mouth and swallowed a laugh as she pictured the awkward teen in a silent movie. Oh god… how priceless.
Judging by the tautness of his features and the fistfuls of clothing he had bunched in his hands, Ria guessed that he was going to ask Hana on a date.
"Uuuh… H-hana-chan?" He asked stuttering.
As Hana finished settling on the bench she looked up to his and smiled, "Yes Thomas-kun?" Instantly roses sprouted around the girl and Thomas turned a attractive shade of pink.
Ria batted a sparkling rose from out of her view, eager to watch the exchange.
"C-c-could I… uh…. t-t-talk t-to you? P-p-please?" The poor boy could hardly speak.
Hana stared at him for a moment as if dumbfounded he actually knew the word please. Actually that surprised me Ria thought to herself with a little shrug.
"Uh… ok." Hana stood abruptly and clasped her hands behind her back before moving away to a more secluded part of the playground.
As they walked away both Tsubame and Ria leant forward to keep them in their sights.
"Oh this is lovely!" Tsubame said, sighing dreamily as she clasped her hands together under her chin.
Glancing at the girl Ria had to do a doubletake when she saw stars, literally, glittering in the girl's eyes.
Lifting a hand to her mouth Ria let out a puff of amusement before looking back towards Hana and Thomas.
They had stopped walking and Hana was staring at the ground with a huge blush on her face. Thomas was standing so stiffly Ria was sure he'd fall over if a breeze blew through. All at once flowers bloomed around them and Hana leant forward and kissed Thomas on the cheek before turning quickly away and heading back towards the bench.
Once Hana started back both Tsubame and Ria leapt back into their original positions before Ria burst out laughing. Just before she'd turned away she had seen the boy turn several shades of red and have a puff of steam spurt off his head like a train engine. Oh god… this place is a riot.
"Oh that was so lovely!" Tsubame sang again, a light blush on her cheeks. Apparently she was bashful to have witnessed the event.
Hehe. She reminds me of Tomoyo from Card Captor Sakura. Ria thought with a snicker. She's just missing her camera.
Ria grinned towards Hana as the older girl dropped onto the bench and stared at the ground.
"Soooo…." Ria meandered.
Hana turned an even darker shade of red, "He wants to date" she blurted out. "I said yes." Ria was shocked as the girl turned even more red. I didn't know that shade existed!
"Oh that's so lov-"
"Tsubame!" Hana cried out, slapping her hands to her hot cheeks, "you're killing me here!"
Ria laughed and patted the older girl on the back. "Good for you." Ria turned to Tsubame and quickly added in a whisper, "About time."
The young girl grinned mischievously and nodded her agreement enthusiastically, stars shining in her eyes once more.
The rest of the day passed by uneventfully and when Ria was picked up she was ready to go home because then in a matter of a few hours she could visit with Gaara again.
Once home Ria quickly choked down her dinner and ran to her room to get ready to go.
"Ria! Slow down! He probably hasn't even finished eating himself!" Dyvka called from the kitchen. "Plus, you can't go until I'm done."
Ria immediately poked her head out of her room and glared towards the kitchen, "Why not?" she asked haughtily.
"That was the deal."
"No it wasn't!" Ria marched across the living room and glared at Dvyka from the doorway. "Our deal was that I could only spend two hours and you had to walk us HOME."
Dyvka opened her mouth to argue and then seemed to recall their conversation and instead shoved a ball of rice into her mouth.
Ria grinned to the woman, "See? Told ya." Turning she ran across the living room back into the bedroom and finished dressing in a fresh wrap. Once she was dressed she ran back to the kitchen and waved, "See ya in a few hours!"
She sprinted towards the door.
"Hey, hey! Get back here young lady!"
Groaning Ria skid to a stop and turned around, stomping back the kitchen, "What?"
Dyvka pointed at her with her chop sticks, isn't that supposed to be really rude? Ria thought, scanning her memory to see why she thought so,
"Veil. Now."
Groaning Ria stamped her foot, "Aw! C'mon Dyvka-sama! Can't I just go ONCE without it?"
The Jonin shook her head, attempting to hide a smile behind another ball of rice.
Growling with frustration Ria whirled around and ran back to her room and hastily arranged the veil on her face. Running out she went right for the door, "Bye!"
"Hey, hey! Get back over here!"
Spinning around with a grunt of frustration Ria ran back to the kitchen, "Yes?"
Dyvka nodded in satisfaction at seeing her properly veiled. "Good. Have fun."
Ria nodded and ran for the door again.
"Ria."
"OH MY GOD, what?!"
"Keep it on."
She made a frustrated noise and shifted feet."
"Ria. I want you to promise now."
"Ugh! Fine! I promise! The veil stays on! OK?"
Ria heard the older woman's chuckle, "Alright, have fun."
Leaping out the door Ria escaped before Dyvka could come up with anything else to stall her. Damn and I wanted to take it off later too. Pouting to herself Ria trotted towards the cliffs.
When she reached the cliffs she was delighted to see Gaara already standing there. Running up Ria called out to him and waved happily as he turned.
Once again they huddled against one of the cliff walls and talked about simple things. Before she knew it Dyvka was heading up the slope to get them and it was pitch dark outside.
"Alright you two, time to go!" Dyvka beckoned.
The days flew by and before she knew it they were celebrating her first entire month in the sand village. Ria had been allowed to invite the kids from the daycare, including Gaara, for the party at her house. She'd meandered her own party searching vainly for red hair and aquamarine eyes. In the end Gaara never did show up to the party. Neither did he attend the daycare anymore.
After a few days Ria couldn't take the stress of not knowing what had happened and she began harassing Dyvka to answer her questions. For weeks Dyvka put her off and tried to tell her that her worries were in vain and that Gaara was fine. But deep down Ria knew that he wasn't. Because in that month that she had been there and meeting Gaara at the cliffs every evening she knew she had become as close a friend to him as he had to her. He was so much more than she had ever known from the anime. Now she couldn't see him anymore and no one would tell her why.
One day Ria came home, depression written clearly on her face, and Dyvka finally gave in and sat her down.
"Ria." the older woman hesitated.
"Dvyka…" Ria started, resting a hand on the older woman's, "I can't take it anymore… please tell me what is going on… please." Ria felt tears well in her eyes and Dyvka grimaced and smoothed a hand over her veiled hair.
"Gaara-sama… Ria you can't see Gaara-sama anymore because something very bad happened to someone very close to him. He's gone away from other people for now." Ria glanced up and saw tears glittering in Dyvka's eyes. "You can't see him anymore hun."
Suddenly it occurred to her what had happened. Gaara had reached that moment where he killed his uncle. Burying her face in her hands Ria started to cry, bawling over her inability to help him. To save him from the horrors the people around him would subject him to. Now she was stuck in a world that still mostly didn't want her there and kept away from the one person she wanted most to be near.
I know the ending is really weird! Sorry! XD But I promise this isn't the end! -Sweat drop- It... just... seems that way. Hehe...