Chapter 6: Nightmare
Where am I? Gaara stood on a flat, reflective ground that seemed to stretch out forever. The sky was an eerie blood-like red. He looked at the floor and saw a perfect reflection of himself, except that it was red. As he looked his reflection's eyes started to widen hysterically. A malicious grin spread across its face.
Monnnstterrr...
It had a strange, echo-like voice that made Gaara cringe. He tore his eyes from the ground and looked up. What seemed like a hundred people were suddenly before him. He recognized his father and siblings at the head of the crowd. They all had fierce glares as they looked at him.
Monnnstterrr...
...They all hissed. Gaara was suddenly terrified at being with them. He turned and ran as fast as he could, looking behind him and watching them all shrink in the distance. He looked forward and saw someone standing before him. He stopped, and realized it was Yashamaru. She looked at him warmly, and Gaara felt relief spread over him. She walked up to him, her hands outstretched, and held his head in them. She gave him a look of maternal warmth. He smiled happily. But then her grip tightened, and a manic gleam appeared in her eyes. She grit her teeth as her eyes got wider. Her grip was so tight that Gaara was sure she would puncture his skin. He knocked away her arms and ran away from her.
Gaara-sama! You will never be loved!
Gaara kept running until another figure appeared before him. He saw that it was Kitai, standing with her back towards him. He stopped, and slowly reached towards her. He turned her around slowly. Kitai looked at him with eyes full of terror. She screamed so loud that it hurt his ears and he had to cover them. 'Kitai, why...?' he tried to yell, but his voice was gone.
You did it! You killed my family! You caused my pain!
...She screeched at him as tears of blood ran down her face. Since Gaara couldn't speak, he shook his head frantically.
Yes you did! Because you're a monster! A monster of death! A monster that brings pain!
Everyone he had run away from suddenly appeared again. They all had red eyes as they started laughing at him. He couldn't take it... they had to stop. He shut his eyes tightly. Then, everything was quiet. He opened his eyes slowly, and realized that they were all gone. Everyone except Kitai, who was on the floor. He ran to her and turned her over, only to realize with horror that she had been horribly mauled to death. He dropped her and stood up. Even though he couldn't hear his yells, he still screamed for the murderer to come forth. He heard a deep laugh echo into his ears, but no one was near him.
Down here.
He looked down to the ground and was horror struck to see that his reflection had turned into the demonic Shuukaku, a red moon floating by its ear.
It was you.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!" Gaara's eyes snapped open.
"Gaara! Gaara!" Kitai was grabbing him on the shoulders. Apparently she had been trying to shake him awake. Her face was wet with tears and full of relief when she saw that he was awake. He looked at her, then the image of her mauled body came into his mind. He pushed her away and she fell back on the ground. More tears ran down her face as he gasped for air.
"It was all a dream," Kitai told him sadly, "It's ok... you're awake now. You're safe." He looked at her again, but he couldn't get the image of her death out of his mind.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." he gasped as he clutched his chest. For the second time in his life, tears started streaming down his face. He closed his eyes to try and stop them. Was he destined to kill her? Would the Shuukaku force him to do it? Did the Shuukaku force him, or did he do it on his own?
Kitai looked at him sadly. She stood up and slowly went towards him. She put an arm around him and his eyes opened in surprise. Tears were still flowing down her face as she buried her face in his neck and wrapped her other arm around him. Gaara calmed down. The feeling of her body against his, her breath on his neck, made him realize that she was still alive... still here...
Where am I? Gaara stood on a flat, reflective ground that seemed to stretch out forever. The sky was an eerie blood-like red. He looked at the floor and saw a perfect reflection of himself, except that it was red. As he looked his reflection's eyes started to widen hysterically. A malicious grin spread across its face.
Monnnstterrr...
It had a strange, echo-like voice that made Gaara cringe. He tore his eyes from the ground and looked up. What seemed like a hundred people were suddenly before him. He recognized his father and siblings at the head of the crowd. They all had fierce glares as they looked at him.
Monnnstterrr...
...They all hissed. Gaara was suddenly terrified at being with them. He turned and ran as fast as he could, looking behind him and watching them all shrink in the distance. He looked forward and saw someone standing before him. He stopped, and realized it was Yashamaru. She looked at him warmly, and Gaara felt relief spread over him. She walked up to him, her hands outstretched, and held his head in them. She gave him a look of maternal warmth. He smiled happily. But then her grip tightened, and a manic gleam appeared in her eyes. She grit her teeth as her eyes got wider. Her grip was so tight that Gaara was sure she would puncture his skin. He knocked away her arms and ran away from her.
Gaara-sama! You will never be loved!
Gaara kept running until another figure appeared before him. He saw that it was Kitai, standing with her back towards him. He stopped, and slowly reached towards her. He turned her around slowly. Kitai looked at him with eyes full of terror. She screamed so loud that it hurt his ears and he had to cover them. 'Kitai, why...?' he tried to yell, but his voice was gone.
You did it! You killed my family! You caused my pain!
...She screeched at him as tears of blood ran down her face. Since Gaara couldn't speak, he shook his head frantically.
Yes you did! Because you're a monster! A monster of death! A monster that brings pain!
Everyone he had run away from suddenly appeared again. They all had red eyes as they started laughing at him. He couldn't take it... they had to stop. He shut his eyes tightly. Then, everything was quiet. He opened his eyes slowly, and realized that they were all gone. Everyone except Kitai, who was on the floor. He ran to her and turned her over, only to realize with horror that she had been horribly mauled to death. He dropped her and stood up. Even though he couldn't hear his yells, he still screamed for the murderer to come forth. He heard a deep laugh echo into his ears, but no one was near him.
Down here.
He looked down to the ground and was horror struck to see that his reflection had turned into the demonic Shuukaku, a red moon floating by its ear.
It was you.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!" Gaara's eyes snapped open.
"Gaara! Gaara!" Kitai was grabbing him on the shoulders. Apparently she had been trying to shake him awake. Her face was wet with tears and full of relief when she saw that he was awake. He looked at her, then the image of her mauled body came into his mind. He pushed her away and she fell back on the ground. More tears ran down her face as he gasped for air.
"It was all a dream," Kitai told him sadly, "It's ok... you're awake now. You're safe." He looked at her again, but he couldn't get the image of her death out of his mind.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." he gasped as he clutched his chest. For the second time in his life, tears started streaming down his face. He closed his eyes to try and stop them. Was he destined to kill her? Would the Shuukaku force him to do it? Did the Shuukaku force him, or did he do it on his own?
Kitai looked at him sadly. She stood up and slowly went towards him. She put an arm around him and his eyes opened in surprise. Tears were still flowing down her face as she buried her face in his neck and wrapped her other arm around him. Gaara calmed down. The feeling of her body against his, her breath on his neck, made him realize that she was still alive... still here...