Chapter 18: Paradise of Eternal Darkness

A/N: Whoa so tense, here's the next chappie hope you'll reward me nice reviews. Onegai.

As soon as the voice vanished, the cave became dimmer and dimmer. Sakura, think what was their mistake? Time is running short. She encouraged herself as again and again she played in her mind the scenes she have seen just a moment ago.

Think Sakura, Think what would Shikamaru do in this situation? I'm sure he would sit for awhile and meditate but I don't have the time plus… Wait was I talking about? The boy with spiked ponytail and… and… who was he again?

No, this can't be happening I'm already forgetting. Tears that she thought were already too tired too reform gathered in her eyes and again flowed down her cheeks and drip to ground below. This is no time for crying. I have to answer that damned question to regain what was lost.

That's right to regain what was lost just like my friendship with Ino… What would she do? Imagining an image of her blond friend… She would probably say "I'm too pretty to think… and… and… who was she? Ino's voice rang in her head as she tried to rethink who was its owner. Sakura could feel the chains tightening as the light in the cave diminished to only small flickering light.

I'm scared. What if I don't answer the question right? What will happen? I will never get to see my parents again and... Trying to recall the faces of her parents… Why can't I remember their faces… or their voices or… their names and…

The question Sakura, answer the question! Her inner self screamed. Right, the question was… what was their mistake? Her mind was totally blank. For the first time ever she felt she couldn't answer a question… she felt… clueless. Why can't I think of anything! Damn it!

Is this the result of everything I've been through? To be this dumb? The image of Kakashi and Tsunade flashed in her mind… I know those faces… they're… they're… I can't remember. The picture of Kakashi's sharingan marked in her mind.

That's the sharingan… I remember because… because… Sasuke! Sasuke has those kind of eyes! The face of Sasuke with his sharingan showed perfectly in her imagination until… Wait Sasuke… wait… The image blurred and then completely disappeared.

It's no use. I give up. "I'm never going to give up!" a voice rang in her mind as clearly as if she was standing near him. "Naruto!" Sakura called in the darkness only to hear the echo of her voice. For the countless time, she restated the question, played again what she saw and tried to find an answer.

Moments passed, she felt she couldn't even get near to what the answer was supposed to be. I'm never going to give up… that's what… that was… who said that? Her breathe was growing short, she felt her body was becoming heavier and tears was falling incessantly. I don't know anymore…

Meanwhile…

The sand master was nearing the man with chestnut brown hair but hooded figure with three pairs of angel wings brushed away his sand attacks and aimed their swords at him. Seeing this, he slowed his pace and stopped dead mere feet of a distance to the points of their swords. These enemies were different. They were now flying above him and was about to dive and attack him. Gaara was ready. He dodged the first attack and the others that followed. Seemingly, he cannot make an offensive attack with his sand since whenever he does the creature covers itself with its wings and none can penetrate.

His irritation was evident in his attack; he was becoming more and more emotional through very attack leaving him open. After receiving a few attacks, he fell back. Observing his enemies closely, Gaara tried to find a weakness but found none until… the wind blew scattering the pink petals of the cherry blossom to the battlefield. Gaara watched as the first single petal touched the back portion of the hooded beings. The part in which the wings connect, he smirked as he dashed forward.

The creatures advanced as Gaara attacked the flying creatures from below. They quickly covered themselves with their wings as expected. He grabbed the first one he could, got on its back and delivered a mortal blow on the portion that the petal touched. It took a lot of work also he had to dodge the other's attack.

As one fell, it was replaced by three. Not minding the odds, he sprinted forward as his sand moved the way he ordered. Surprisingly, two of the creatures that were about to attack him fell to the ground. Gaara continued his attack on the first one he could reach.

As he landed, he saw Sasuke with his crimson eyes and Naruto with his yellow ones had their foot on one of the winged being. "We'll take it from here," Sasuke coldly said as Naruto gave him the nice guy pose. Glancing at his back, he saw his siblings and with the rest of the team. "Go for it," Ino cheered as she dodged an attack.

Looking at the open field, he saw the man now drawing his sword.

In another world…

The harmony of her tears and blood resounded though out the place. I'm beyond help now. I can't find an answer to a simple question. The infamous Haruno, Sakura. In the middle of her self-pity, a character of love flashed in her mind. Love? "I only love myself… that is the only love I'll ever need," a male voice in her mind proclaimed. Her eyes widen as realization dawned to her, "Gaara!" she shouted as if he can hear her call. His image appeared in her mind as perfectly as if he was really in front of her. "Love… Love is the answer," she said aloud. "Their plan was flawless. They were truly correct when they said that the flame of life is important but… but… but the first rule of everything is… yourself. To consider something important, you must consider yourself first and foremost. Their mistake was… they did not value their own life. HOW CAN ONE TRULY PROTECT LIFE IF NOT PRESERVE HIS OWN! That is my answer!" She said as she felt the chain loosen.

At that instant, the flames re-appeared; shedding light to the dark place. "WRONG!" The eyes appeared enraged as it proclaimed. "What?" she replied incredulously. "I will devour your soul later but for now consider it a favor that I will leave you in this paradise of eternal darkness to contemplate your fate." With that the light together with it's bearer vanished.

I failed… she felt the chains tighten once again. Gathering up what's left of her courage, of her hope… of her whole being. "No! I was right!" the chains loosen once again. "There is no more correct answer than the one I gave… stay true to your word! Bring me to life!" she commanded. At that instant, the chains broke apart. Flames again illuminated the place. "You have succeeded mortal," it proclaimed. "It don't understand," She truthfully said. "The real test was not the question… the true test was a test of confidence… the chains that bound you were your self-doubt. You see, even though you answer correctly the question but had a single strand of doubt that it was wrong then…" "I would fail," Sakura was the one to finish his explanation.

Back in the battlefield…

Gaara cautiously approached Ken as his sand moved all around him in defense. "You laid your hands on her, didn't you?" he asked furiously. "Who? Ah, the beautiful pink-haired kunoichi… what was her name again… Sakura. Yes, now I remember." Ken teased as they now started the dance of death. "IT WAS YOU WHO KILLED HER!" Gaara shouted as he commanded his sand to attack in their ultimate offense. Ken can barely dodge his consistent attack. Finally, a mortal attack hit him in the back while he was off-guard. This leeway was just enough to attack him yet again.

In moments, Ken now knelt in front of the sand master as he was about to end his life then and there. The pointed sand aimed for his head when… someone brushed his sand away. Gaara jumped backward in defense. The cloaked stranger faced Gaara as Kagura stepped forward.

"Ken…" Kagura said as she approached him. Ken swung his sword around madly. "No one of you shall touch my maiden," he said as he continually attack. The sand rose around him. The stranger raised his right arm to stop him; Gaara without hesitation did so and the problem was he didn't know why.

"Ken, Reika is already dead… I… killed her… remember? She saved you." Kagura explained as she still approached her hostile friend. "Yes, I remember. I remember her selfless sacrifice and you petty apologies. But look at her, I brought her back! She lives yet again." Ken replied as he looked sweetly at the maiden sitting in her throne.

"Don't be pathetic you only loyalty is to the dead. Look at her, she not Reika. She's something else," Kagura said as she gestured at the blood countess. "Do you think Reika can stomach the things you are doing just to let her live? Reika was a woman of virtue. She would rather die than live like that… in the consequence of innocent lives," she continued. "No, she begged me to save her life. I heard her… she's calling for me… that day…" Ken stammered as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Look at her," Kagura ordered. Ken did so. His tears that were held before flowed freely down his cheeks, onto the blade of his sword and to the blood tainted earth. The blood countess was… crying in tears that appear to be her own blood. "Reika, I'm so sorry," Ken apologized as he approach her and gingerly touching her hand. It's ironic how the blood countess' unparalleled beauty stained with crimson tears blended well together.

Ken then nodded to Kagura as she looked at the hooded man beside her. Performing various hand seals, a huge black phoenix with silver fire as its feathers appeared from the horizon as it sang a sad yet beautiful melody. It flew steadily above the stranger. A nod from the stranger was all it took to order the huge beast.

The phoenix flew forward to the Blood Countess. Flying first upward then it dove directly towards the Blood Countess, she screamed as the silver flamed consumed her flesh. Without warning, Ken came forward and embraced her. No one reacted to what they saw as if they were already expecting it to happen. As the phoenix flew away, the wind gust caused the hood of the stranger to fall to her shoulders… he has pink hair and… green eyes… it was Sakura.

Azrael was the first to react. She ran fast and jumped of Sakura and the others quickly gathered around her as they rejoiced.

Gaara on the other hand was dumb struck as the fabric flew and rested on her shoulders. He can't believe what he saw. Although, the others passed him or even bumped him to get near her, his mind just couldn't register the person he was seeing laughing with her friends was real. The need to run to her and feel her in his arms again was overwhelming but his pride just wouldn't let him closing his eyes to hopelessly stop the urge to kiss her then and there, he turned around to walk away. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see her emerald orbs inches from his. In an instant, Sakura tip-toed to kiss him. Gaara was shocked as she was kissing him he was there still forcing his mind to remember the things he erased just moments before with his eyes wide open.

But his astonishment was short lived, as soon as he felt the sensation denied of him for so long it seemed. He closed his eyes and kissed her back madly. Sakura smiled through the kiss as she felt him kissing her back. His pride shattered before him, as he continually wrote love letters on her lips. Messages of longing and despair, of love and sorrow were sent through the every caress he made. He held her as close as possible eliminating the space in that hinders him to feel her. Gaara didn't care whether the whole world was watching or whether the group behind them was rampantly cheering or whether the air in his chest was growing short or whether the Kazekage, Hokage and Jiraiya were watching with naughty smiles on their faces. All he cared about was her. She came back to me. She didn't leave me like everyone else did before. She's my life… She's my all. I'm never gonna let her go.

At this precise moment, tears trickled down the sand master's face. For the first time in his life, he cried out of the overwhelming happiness in his being. "Welcome back… Sakura,"

A/N: Alright, this sends shivers down my spines. It's a good thing I wrote this early in the morning so no one can see me blushing madly. Please R n R.