25.
I don't remember much of what happened after that for the next few days. I think they brought me to a hospital. I think a lot of people visited me. Some sad, some angry. Some brought flowers. Maybe. I'm not sure. I know some got into arguments around me. Maybe my name was mentioned. Maybe Yukio was too. I do think someone had tried to get me to drink some kind of liquid. Was it water? It may have been soup. Someone else had tried to force me to drink it. I think they got pulled away. Some just sat in the corner and watched. Others may have gotten frustrated and yelled at me.
Did that happen?
Did any of it?
How can I be sure?
Can I trust myself? that's another maybe.
Can I trust my own mind?
Maybe all of it was just a dream. A hazy, inconsistent dream.
How can I know? How would I be able to tell the difference?
I don't even know what's real anymore.
Or maybe I do. No, I don't think I can tell.
Someone new came in. no wait. Not new. It's the redhead again. Gaara! That's it. It is Gaara right? Or is the redhead named Jugo. No. Jugo is bigger right? And gone. Maybe it's Kakashi? No. Kakashi is the silver-haired pervert. I think.
I'm pretty sure this is Gaara.
No. this persons hair isn't red. It's pink.
Who is that?
/
"do you believe us now!" huffed a council member.
"there was nothing left of that young lad! Look at how dangerous that…that…creature is!"
"young lad! Young lad! That 'young lad' nearly massacred this village! Twice!"
"your not seeing the point, Kazekage, she turned him into mist! Absolutely nothing left but a fine, pink mist! Imagine what she could do to the village in one of her out of control fits!"
"I'm not seeing the point! I'm. not. Seeing. The. point. She saved this village from him! instead of going off about what she did, imagine what would have happened if she didn't do it!"
"I agree, she may have provided some small service to the village, but now that she has unlocked the full Kichi power it would be nothing for her to level the whole village! It is dangerous!"
"it! Now your calling her an it!" Gaara snarled, his voice dropping. "I'll tell you what's dangerous at the moment. Me. Now Leave!"
"we are not done on this matter, Gaara!"
"Kazekage!" he corrected, growling.
/
I screamed when she opened the blinds. My room had been kept nicely dim-lighted and warm for the past few days. Or was it weeks? How long had I been here?
Bright sunlight flooded through my window, piercing my eyes painfully. I grabbed a pillow and buried my face in it only to have the pink haired girl steal it from me.
I whimpered.
"you need to get better. To get better your going to have to try! Starting with simple things." as she spoke she walked around the room and tossed my pillow in a chair, grabbing a long blue robe in its place.
"you like blue don't you? Put this on, we're going for a walk."
It's not like I had a choice. She pulled me off my bed and nearly forced me into that robe. The robes themselves were soft and warm though. She made me put sandals on and then she tugged me out of my hospital room.
I didn't like the bright lights in the hospital anymore than I liked sunlight at the moment. I didn't have to worry about the lights for too long though because she made me go outside.
I think the sunlight intentionally hurt me. It could do that, couldn't it?
"come on! Fresh air is good for you!" she pulled me out into the street and I stumbled, tripped over her foot, then promptly fell on my face.
She helped me back to my feet and I glared murderously at her.
I blanched.
I checked my hands.
Pale, shaky. Clean.
I could still see them dripping with blood. And the scarlet droplets spinning in the air around me. The pink mist.
"come on!" Sakura called. Her name was Sakura right? I've met her before. I'm pretty sure I have.
I hurried after her.
She took me through a few shops, talked meaninglessly and tried to get me to try something on. I adamantly refused. She kept watching me. her eyes darting my way every few seconds. A flash of concern. A set line in her mouth. I hated it. She looked at me like she couldn't trust me to myself.
She was probably right.
A breeze drifted through the shop and I turned to face it.
She immediately reached out to grab my attention.
I shrugged her arm of and went back into the street.
"Kyo- Aani! Come back here!" she called, as one would to an errant child.
I turned and her face immediately fell.
I knew why.
I reached up and touched my cheeks.
I was crying.
Dammit.
I wiped off my tears and ran.
My feet could barely carry me but I ran anyway.
I don't know why but I knew there was one person who would accept me. No matter what.
I could be certain about that because I didn't know why I was sure of it. Which means its not from me and that means I can trust it. Right?
I didn't know why he accepted me.
And I definitely don't know why I ran to him.
Because he scares me.
But I ran to Gaara anyway.
I went up into the Kazekage building and into his office and pretty much threw myself forward and clung to the front of his robes.
Sobbing.
He froze.
Tensed up.
Relaxed.
And wrapped his arms around me.
He wrapped his arms around me and looked down at me with his loving, pained green eyes.