Temari stared out of the balcony, it was a special night – the moon lost its basking shine, instead it is being slowly devoured by darkness – inch by inch, the moon was turning red, like the eyes of a blood starved wolf.
Temari shuddered at the thought as she soothed the surface of her round abdomen. She felt strange – some thing tells her that tonight would be different than the nights before.
She turned around and stared at the guards standing at her door, there were four of them – more than the usual two. She questioned the purpose of doubling the numbers, but they only replied her with one sentence – "It is His Majesty's orders."
She rubbed her temple and sat down on the bed.
Yukihanu's visit troubles her – her sister in law came to see her in the afternoon.
The sun was shining strong, a blazing fireball hanging in the sky.
Temari was about to fall asleep, sweat teeming from the roots of her sandy blonde hair.
"Sister," she heard her voice, it was hoarse, as if she had been crying.
She looked up and saw Yukihanu – her usual dark haired, blue-eyed self, she sat down next to her on the bed and smiled at her.
She could sense something strange with her.
"Remember this, take Hanabi to the temple at the oasis after her wedding with Gaara." Temari nodded, looking at Yukihanu puzzled.
Yukihanu placed her hand onto Temari's abdomen, she rolled her eyes back and began to shiver; Temari dared not to move a muscle – she knew that it was her usual scrying, but this time it was different, she shook like she was a shivering leaf in the dusty wind.
After a while, she closed her eyes and returned to her normal self when she opened them again.
"Sister." Yukihanu said, solemnly. "You must be strong."
"Huh?"
"Be strong, it is all you need to do, and it is what you must do."
She nodded and left the room without another word.
Temari was left hanging in the suspense.
Temari frowned – perhaps it was one of her pregnancy mood swings, perhaps.
She tried to dismiss the idea – lying down, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
In her current state, she could only lie down facing the ceiling – but inside she was tossing and turning. She felt sick, but her mouth was as dry as the desert.
Everything turned dark, for a second, a minute, an hour.
Her eyes opened right away when she heard a blood-curdling scream.
She shot up from bed and instinctively grabbed her giant fan, which was placed next to her bed.
Swiftly opening her fan, she was just in time in blocking a few flying darts coming her way.
At a quick glance, she quickly analysed the situation in front of her.
Three men, dressed in Konoha black ops armour, wearing an animal mask is clashing swords with the guards. The scream of the maid attracted more guards to come as reinforcements, but the three men were strong – they have already cut down a few of the Suna man.
One of them saw a gap and came charging towards Temari. She closed her fan quickly and blocked his sword, using the fan as an iron rod. She blocked slashes and lunges, countering them with swings of the fan.
He kept charging, and she kept dodging – then she lost her balance.
Crashing onto the floor, she felt a splitting pain within her – then she saw it.
Agony swept through her as she let out a painful roar.
Blood seeping out from between her legs, creeping out like a scarlet stream.
No. She thought. This cannot be.
She struggled and stood up, and faced her enemy. A warm streak of red was rolling down her leg.
She braced for the charging man, and was greeted with a splash of warm liquid on her face.
Gaara had put his sword through the man's heart and the last thing he did was spit blood onto her face.
Temari looked around, all three of the assassin's were lying on the floor, along with the Suna soldiers.
She managed to smile briefly at her brothers, before collapsing onto the ground.
"Temari!" She could faintly hear them before everything turned dark.
"Ahhhhh!" The pain ripped through her, as Temari laid on the bed, her legs spreaded open.
"Hang in there, Temari-sama," said the midwife.
The physician looked extremely worry, exchanging brief words with Gaara as Temari screamed with each contractions.
"Husband," said Yukihanu, rushing towards Gaara and pulling him aside.
"There was an assassination – she fell on the ground and …" Gaara almost collapsed onto the ground, he was shaking – they have never seen him like this before.
"Stay strong, my husband." She said, helping her up. "No harm will come to Temari."
She helped Gaara sat down. The physician walked towards them, he shook his head before falling to his knees.
"Your Majesty, I am afraid…"
"If my sister dies, I will have your head." Gaara gritted his teeth. Yukihanu waved the kneeling man away, and walked towards the bed.
Blood stained the sheets red; Temari was panting – she was gasping for breath in between her screams. Her nails dug deep into the sheets, almost tearing them. Her sandy blonde hair spread across the pillows.
"When the time comes, Your Grace – do we save the mother or child?"
Yukihanu glared at the physician, who quickly avoided her glance.
She knew better – no one could save Temari. No one - except for her.
She walked towards her husband – the King who knelt on the ground with his brother. Both of them were in a wreck – the war may have made them into men – but in the face of their elder sister, they are two young boys that need her guidance.
They helplessly stared at Temari, as she screamed and cried. The scent of blood filled the air. She laid there powerlessly, gasping for breath.
Yukihanu walked towards her husband and helped him up.
She then pressed her lips onto Gaara's – it was too quick for him to react.
Kankuro was too overwhelmed and did not manage to react. Gaara looked stunned, his turqoise eyes stared into hers.
"For you, a thousand times." She whispered. Then she walked towards Temari, and began to murmur.
Temari pushed again, a slimy, blood covered infant was thrusted into the midwife's hands.
Temari's body became flaccid and she laid there, gasping for breath.
"She is weak," said the physician, while the midwife tried to stop her bleeding.
Yukihanu walked to Temari's side – she held her hand in hers, the other covered her forehead.
"Save the child, if you must." Temari said weakly, her eyes were fleeting – staring into the void.
"Hush, sister – you must be strong." Yukihanu made Temari close her eyes, and she began to chant in a language that no one understood.
She threw her hands into the air; her lips were moving, whispering silently.
"Hand me the child." She ordered – the maid passed the bawling infant into her arms. The physician already knelt on the ground, thinking how to save himself from the wrath of the King and Kankuro.
She embraced the child and kissed it on the forehead – the child stopped crying.
She placed the baby next to Temari – she seemed asleep. She was not moving, no one was sure whether she saw dead or just resting. No one dared to touch her when Yukihanu was hovering above her.
She let out one final chant before collapsing onto the ground herself. White foam emerged from the corner of her lips, and her blue eyes stared into the void.
"Your Grace!" The physician shrieked and headed over to tend to the Queen. Gaara rushed over and held her in his arms.
"Wake up," Gaara said, his voice unusually agitated. "Wake up!"
Yukihanu opened her eyes – she looked at Gaara and was startled.
"Who are you?" She asked, pointing at Gaara. "Who am I?"
That moment lasted longer than a lifetime.
The physician turned and checked on Temari.
"Your Majesty – it is a miracle," he said almost soundlessly.
Kankuro headed over and looked at Temari – he saw her chest heaving up and down, the blood slowly returning to her face – she was alive.
"Temari." He softly called her name, his sister opened her eyes and looked at him, smiling.
"Where is my child?" She asked, Kankuro placed the newborn child into her arms.
"It is a daughter," said Kankuro. Temari looked at the child, sleeping soundly.
A tear rolled down her face. "They said you should have died – but Yukihanu did something – she saved you, but now she doesn't remember a thing."
Temari looked at the frightened woman who was squirming in Gaara's arms.
"Let me go!" She shrieked, the calmness of Yukihanu escaped her eyes – her eyes were bewildered, frightened, as if she was in an unknown realm.
She sighed. "What a time to be born, little girl." She kissed the child on her head.
"What would you name her?"
"Mari – the jasmine flower." Temari said, stroking the tiny hairs on the head of the infant. "She is the purest things to be born into this sinful world."
"The daughter of Temari, eh?" Kankuro smiled. "At least something good has happened to Suna, eh?"
Temari said nothing, she snuggled her little daughter and looked at her face.
She has a pair of slender, almond shaped eyes – kind of like what hers and Shikamaru's eyes combined.
At least there is something that she could hold dear to, something to remind her of him.
She held her close to her chest, and sang softly the lullaby she used to sing for Shikadai.
Outside, the moon has yoked itself free from the grasp of darkness and shone again.
Life would never be the same again.
Author's note:
Another chapter! This is a little short, but I hope you would enjoy this!
More coming up since I have already finished my exams!
Enjoy!
V.S.V