Hello again, and welcome to another exciting chapter of Demon Dance! As I'm looking at my chapter numbers and pages, it has occurred to me that this story will probably be significantly longer than Silent Angel is. Since Silent Angel filled up a one-inch binder nearly to the brim, I will probably have to get a bigger binder for it. I'm not sure whether I should be exacerbated or amused at myself and my busy fingers that can't seem to leave well-enough alone. Oh well, I hope you guys don't mind. Just for the record, Silent Angel had thirty-two chapters, and I would put the average length at about six or seven pages. There were a few shorter ones and some longer ones, namely the last chapter, but most were around that area. Oh yeah, one more thing, I'm developing a new story, and it will be called Your Shadow. It's another Gaara/Hinata fic., but it won't be out until I get one of these others done. I seem to be hell-bent on single-handedly increasing this particular couple's amount of fics. I can't help it; I just really like this couple. Okay, onwards to chapter twenty-five!
Chapter Twenty-five
Sinister Guardian
She felt the cold metal chain against her throat, and fingered it lightly as she stared worriedly at her soup. The inn was nice, albeit a bit rustic, and it was warm, for the most part. The food was plain but good and the beverages were free of any nasty creatures that might have fallen in. The wooden floor was worn, but clean, as were the tables. The dishes were clean, and the barmaids were attentive to their patrons, but not overly nosey, and the innkeeper was a friendly fellow who told the girls to mind their manners and their own business when it came to strangers. The innkeeper had recognized Kisame, even if he had been in disguise, and promised to keep their little secret a secret. Money was money, no matter where or whom it came from and at this time of year the customers were too few to go and be picky about them.
She was scared to death, really. He had never done that too her before, and coupled with his "games" she was a nervous wreck. Okay, so it was pretty obvious that they were a gang of thugs that would've attacked them or sold them out to the townspeople, but still, to toy with them like that…she shuddered violently, and felt no inclination to eat her soup.
The necklace also threw her off. Why on earth had he given it to her? Yes, it was very pretty, and yes, she did like it, but why? Why was he suddenly being so, dare she say it, nice to her? What was his game this time? He hated her.
Perhaps it had something to do with her being his Chosen, whatever that was. She would have to ask one of the others, sooner rather than later, when he wasn't around.
Shukaku was out of the question. Not only had he seemingly forgotten that she even existed, she had seen a lot of a different side of him this trip that she didn't really like. She knew that no one was perfect, but really, he wasn't fazed at all when they came across Gaara about two hours ago, with all of those men…she shuddered again. Not only that, but he had left her all alone when Gaara had gone crazy back in Tanzaku. She wished that she had never taken that turn in the woods so long ago, the turn that had led her to them in the first place. If she hadn't, she could've hidden from her father, sneaked back into the house to gather some necessities, and then ran off to another place to start a new life. She could make a living by knitting, weaving, sewing, cooking, or gardening. Perhaps she'd have a place of her own on the outskirts of some small town or village.
But she had taken that turn, she had run into Gaara, and he had taken her back to his hellhole he called home. There she had endured months of torment, both physical and psychological. Yet, all of a sudden he had begun to act differently towards her. Why? She fingered the necklace again. She hadn't been able to make herself take it off, mostly because she was afraid of offending him. She had seen his temper, and what he could do in a fit of rage, and had been on the receiving end on more than one occasion, and she had no desire to awaken that monstrous thing. Besides, lately Kyuubi had been prodding that beast, and had been smacked down a few times as a result.
Kyuubi was busy stuffing himself silly with the beef roast and potatoes, along with several tankards of ale. His son sat next to him, doing the same. Zetsu and Shukaku ate at a more manageable pace, busy with a game of checkers that they had whittled out of wood on the trail. Two different colors of wood made up the small board and pieces. Shukaku was sipping some sort of tea, and Zetsu was nursing a pint of water. The barmaid had had to ask him twice about the water, just to make sure she had it right. Kisame was also chowing down on the beef and potatoes, and was using a piece of bread to sop up the gravy. He was sitting next to her, having taken up the role of bodyguard while his lord was away. He liked the girl, really, she was just so easy to like that he had taken to her very swiftly, on their first meeting practically, and being her bodyguard was a chore that he enjoyed.
"You should eat your soup, little missy, you need your strength to fight off your illness. It's good, I've been in these parts before, at this same inn, actually. They've got good food here. C'mon, just a few bites, or Lord Gaara'll have my head." She looked at him anxiously, and took a few small bites, but then put the spoon down. She just couldn't get those images out of her head.
The door slammed open, startling them all, and a foreboding silhouette stood against the dark sky. One step foreword revealed it to be Gaara, looking content. Apparently he had enjoyed his game immensely. He strode over to them, pausing behind Hinata.
"Has she eaten?"
"A few sips of the broth is all, milord. She doesn't seem to have much of an appetite, maybe her belly's upset."
"Perhaps," he murmured softly as he lid down on her other side. He pulled her into his lap, and scooped a bit of the broth in it before bringing it to her mouth. She shied away from it.
"Come now, Hinata, humor me. You need to eat little one; your body can't get better without proper nutrition. Eat, Hinata."
"He's right you know, little girl. Your body can't get rid of that nasty bug in you without good food. What'll it be, sir? The special tonight is the roasted beef and potatoes, with gravy and bread. We've got ale and water, along with several different kinds of tea if you want. We also have that chicken and dumpling soup, pork over bread with a side of sweet potatoes, and a beef and vegetable stew." The barmaid stated as she set down a tankard of ale in front of Kyuubi.
"The special is fine, with tea, if you will. Also, a mug of hot water for her medicinal tea, miss."
"Comin' right up, sir." She bustled off, and returned a few minutes later with the food.
"Okay then, dessert tonight is a bread pudding, and tomorrow's breakfast is eggs, potatoes, bacon, or oatmeal with sweet cream and honey, with juice, milk, coffee and tea. If you folks need anything else, you just give a holler and we'll take care of it, alright?" Gaara nodded, and she went off to clear some of the tables.
Shukaku and Zetsu were deeply involved with their game. Shukaku moved a piece to his opponent's side.
"King me, bitch."
"You bat-licker." He grumbled as he made his move, jumping one of Shukaku's pieces. Shukaku retorted by jumping three of Zetsu's pieces, and smirked triumphantly.
"King me again, bitch."
"Jackass." Kankuro snorted, and Temari bit back a laugh. Kankuro had explained to Shukaku that although Temari did have a bit of a potty mouth, she usually wasn't that bad unless she was extremely worried about him or someone else. After a few days on the trail she had simmered down a bit, although she still cursed her brother regularly for getting his ass kidnapped in the first place. Kankuro insisted that it wasn't his fault and that he had just been returning to work from escorting one of their fellow workers homes when he had been snatched up. Temari didn't buy it, and told him it was because he couldn't keep his pants zipped and that was what had made him late, which caused him to cross paths with the evil emperor of doom in the first place. Kankuro said that he didn't sleep with the girl, and that had nothing to do with his kidnapping, but Temari didn't buy it. Shukaku thought it prudent to withhold his son's history with women, since it would only add fuel to the fire.
In fact, it would probably be best to stay out of that fight completely. He was unfamiliar with this aggressive girl. Yes, her soul was the same as his precious Karura, but she had no memories of her past life, and he wasn't sure how to handle this feisty girl. She had stayed away from him for a while after he had forced her to recognize his superior strength, and this was the first time she had actually sat next to him of her own accord. It was nice, and he didn't want to spoil it.
"Hah! King me, guano sucker!"
"Fine, you've been kinged, but now my king has taken out three more of your checkers."
"You douchebag, take that! I killed one of yours!"
"Numb nuts, I just killed your only king."
"No! You jerk!"
"And now, your final three pieces have been jumped, loser." Shukaku reclined a bit in his seat, basking in the warm glow of victory. Risu giggled as she slurped up the remains of her soup, and Temari snorted in her ale. Zetsu snatched up the pieces again and reset the game board.
"Let's go again, 'cuz that was just a fluke, and you know it!"
"It's your funeral, pot head." The game began in earnest once more, with the customary muffled swear words and insults.
Gaara continued to coax his Hinata to at least drink the broth, but she wasn't too keen on it, and it swiftly became apparent that she was eating more out of fear than any real hunger. He sighed softly, not liking this turn of events, but at least she was eating a bit. She had half the bowl down when she stopped. He tried to coax another bite, but she shook her head, looking at him with wide, frightened eyes, pleading and begging silently.
"No more? Very well, little one, no more soup for now, but you have to drink your tea before you go to sleep," he murmured as he pulled her into a hug, and then set her down. She darted off for her room, off to sleep presumably, or at least a bath. Gaara bit back a sigh as he began to eat his own meal. It was good, not the best he's ever had, but he has been living for seventy thousand years and was bound to have had better. Still, this was good, especially considering the sludge served at that rundown place in Tanzaku. He had refused to eat there, after scenting that refuse. He ate slowly, taking his time, giving his mate time to settle down. With any luck she'll be asleep by the time he got up there. He checked her mug, to assure himself that her tea was gone. No, it wasn't, and sure enough she scurried back down, and proceeded to sip from it. He chuckled softly, such a silly thing, always forgetting to take her medicine…he caressed her cheek gently, and she flinched, finished her tea, and darted back upstairs. He shook his head and resumed eating.
Hinata had washed off the dirt from the trail, and was now dry and burrowed as deeply in the blankets as she could get. She fingered the necklace and wondered, not for the first time, if Gaara had put a curse on it or something. If she tried to take it off, would it grow teeth and chew through her neck, or shrink and strangle her? Or any number of other nasty sorts of things that she was sure he could come up with? Did she really want to find out? She sighed wearily and sank into sleep. Her slumber was so deep that she didn't even stir when Gaara entered the room and caressed her cheek.
However, the peace and quiet didn't last long, since Naruto, so drunk that it was a wonder that he could even stand, started singing loudly in the hallway. Gaara hissed softly, and glanced over to see Hinata stirring slightly. He growled softly and went to shut the fox up.
"And dat wittle dirty birdie shniffed my pantaloonsh, and poked my balloonsh, and they pooped in the air, and, wait, nononono, no, datsh not right, wait a shecond, they popped in the air, yeah, thash better, and she picked at my pricker, and made me cryyyyyy whyyyyy oh whyyyyyyyyy did you hurt me sho, little birdie?! *Hic* and at the doctorsh, I met a little she mermaid, who unpricked my pricker, and made me-oh, hello Word Gaara, no wait, er Mord Maara, no, thatsh not it, Lord Laara? No no, itsh Gord Gaara! Whatsh up, besides my dingling?"
"Shut up, you'll wake my Hinata, and show some respect, or I'll have you neutered!" he hissed at him angrily.
"Ishn't that a, uh, um when you stick a rod up shomeone'sh ash?"
"No, it's when I tear off your balls and feed them to a dog, now get lost, and shut up!"
"Thatsh really grossh, you know, and mean. Why are you sho mean, Lord Golly? Arrguahewaa!" Gaara yanked him off his feet and proceeded to dangle him by his ankles. He then began to shake the young fox, muttering curses and dire threats in several different languages that conveyed in no uncertain terms that if he didn't shut the hell up. Suddenly, he heard a creak behind him and turned to see Hinata peering through a small crack in the slightly open door. He froze, not sure what to do. It was at that moment that Naruto chose to throw up. Gaara's snarl of disgust startled the poor girl and she slammed the door shut, locking it. Gaara bellowed an obscure protest and dropped the fox in the pool of vomit and tried to open the door.
However, he only succeeded in breaking the doorknob off in his hand, and getting his claw stuck in the wood above it. He began to swear profusely in several choice languages as he attempted to free himself without further damaging the door.
"Thatsh not how ya shupposhed to do it, put mushle in it!" Naruto garbed the stuck claw and gave a violent tug, splitting the door into three pieces, revealing a terrified Hinata.
"Hey, she looksh hot, c'mere, gorgoush, augh!" Gaara backhanded him with the hand that was still lodged in a piece of the door, causing it to splinter into several pieces. He sighed in exasperation, and gave the girl an unusual look.
"I don't suppose you'll be a dear and get me some fresh clothes so I can bathe? I don't like vomit." She gave a shaky nod and pulled some out while he sent for hot water. He then scrubbed himself clean, dried off, and changed into fresh clothes. He re-entered the room and somehow rigged a blanket to hang in the doorway, giving them a little privacy. He then lay down next to his Hinata, who had retreated deep within herself, making her eyes look dead again. He sighed softly, frustrated by this turn of events, and promised revenge on the young fox, who was lying unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. He hopped someone pick-pocketed him.
The next morning he left early to find another apothecary, hoping for some better-quality herbs. Hinata was left behind, and Naruto was doing laundry, specifically Gaara's clothing that had been splattered by the vomit. He also had a monster hangover.
Hinata picked at her oatmeal, alone at the table since Zetsu and Kisame had began to hitch up the horses, and the mule, Temari and Kankuro went off to pack, and Shukaku had abandoned her to extricate Risu from some sort of trouble with another little kid. A stranger whistled at her to get her attention. After a few moments of deliberation, she went over to him.
"Listen girlie, I know what that guy is. I also know that he probably isn't too good to you. Whaddaya say you come with me? I know the town like the back of my hand, and we can lose him in it. C'mon, I also know a place that you can work at until you get back on your feet." She thought for a few moments. She didn't trust him, not his motives anyway, but still, the desire to escape Gaara was strong. Strong enough to override common sense, and she agreed. She could always lose him later if need be. The guy's shifty brown eyes warned her of some hidden intent. The guy was brown all over, really. Brown skin, brown hair, and brown eyes.
After a while, she was thoroughly lost, and, once they were alone, he suddenly shoved her against the wall. She hissed in pain and began to struggle.
"Yeah, you'll probably earn a lot of money for me on the streets, but you need to be broken in first. You keep your mouth shut and hold still!" he began to tug on her clothes, but was suddenly yanked away. Gaara had found her, again. He looked at the man in contempt.
"You claim to know what I am, but do you really? If you did, you wouldn't have tried to take what's mine," he hissed at him, baring his fangs before slashing the man's stomach open, and then ripping out his throat. He turned to Hinata, who quaked before him.
"You, little missy, are a magnet for trouble. Now, come along, it's almost time to go. I want to cover a descent amount of ground today." He took her by her arm, and began to make his way back to the inn, with Hinata in tow. She was confused, and pleasantly surprised. Her sinister guardian wasn't that mad after all.
Holy crap, that spell check took forever, just because of Naruto's drunken slurring. Oh, yeah, um, I was going to mention something, but now I forgot what it is. Damn it. Oh, now I remember! I have to go through my jump drive and delete a bunch of files just so I can find my chapters in a timely manner. I have all of Pint sized on it, Metamorphosis, two chapters from Silent Angel, and all but two chapters of Demon Dance. Since neither computer alphabetizes them, it has become rather cluttered and takes me five minutes just to find a freakin' chapter to work on. I have no idea why I'm telling you this, since it won't affect you, since I'm just deleting the ones already posted and printed. Oh well, there are my random thoughts for you. You will be seeing more of Gaara's past as time goes on, but the main cause for all of his issues comes from the abuse he suffered prior to being found by his father. In fact, you will see the major impact it has on his various behavior and actions. Some of it is just odd, while some will be disturbing. Oh well, I hope you enjoy it. The past scenes are, as always, in Italics just to help you guys keep them separate from the rest of the story, but aren't necessarily from one set point of view. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.