How to Save a Life
Alright, this is gonna be Chapter 4! And I also have a question: do you think I should get a deviantART? I've been told it's another good way to get work out (and since I'm still a pretty small author it might be a good idea) this is also going to probably be the last chapter too. The first bit is edited but the second half isn't.
Story:
I came to a harsh conclusion: I hate glass, there is nothing good about it in the least, at all. I could look out into a single room, at the same two people when they 'graced me with their presence' as they put it. Honestly, royalty are such jokes. But I couldn't leave because whatever sort of room I was in they had it built directly to the roof, and that in turn made it impossible to get more then the little air at the thin layer between water and stone at the top of the room.
My mind was swimming with idea's on how to get out, but I knew that the only way I was going to get out is if Kiba had been tracking me when I suspected it. If not, I could very easily have been lost to the prison. I had overheard the king and queen mumbling though, and it sounds like their getting suspicious about if mermaids can actually grant wishes. They had theories about if it was my tears that did it, or if it was my blood, one of them thought that if I ever turned into a human a wish could be granted to the man who 'took me' as they so brutishly said it.
The large wooden door opened again and I turned my head, scanning the two plush thrones and the harsh contrast of everything from the cold stone floor to the elegant wall tapestries telling the history of this young, futile kingdom.
"Ah! Glad to see you again my darling. How has your night been?" I tilted my head to the side, a night had passed, so that meant I was loosing my sense of time. I hadn't said a word to either the king or the queen, and seeing that the king had come in on his own couldn't mean anything good.
The queen was a softly spoken person, mumbling stuff to the king about my beauty, she figured I didn't under stand in the least. The king on the other hand, he thought that I was nothing but a monster. He was the one who had the theories of rape and forcing me to cry, he figured that my tears could be magic, or the blood that runs through my veins. All in all, I agreed with the queen more: I was beautiful beyond compare… but the king was right: my tear could grant any wish, and my blood could heal any injury, might even be able to bring people back from the dead- though I'd never tried it.
I hissed through the water, making the horrid sound watery as if a drowning human was making it. The king just smirked and stared at me, his head tilted to the side and his lips pulled up in a position I'd grown to learn as his sadistic political face.
"So… you still cant talk. You cant even imitate what we say I see… how horrible, here I hoped that you'd be fun to play around with. I wanted so badly to hear what you had to say as I made you cry." I scowled more and hissed again, showing the sharp shark-like teeth that ringed my mouth in only a single layer. "I figured you understood… so are you going to cry, or am I going to have to take it out of you?"
I flicked my fin a few times and swam to the far end of the glass section filled with water before swimming back, making sure to show off my curves in that alluring mermaid twist I'd learned drew the sailors in much more then just swimming. I watched the glint in his eyes and gave a smile.
"It's said that mermaids have beautiful singing voices… will you let me hear yours?" my smile grew wider and I moved down so my face was in front of his, just through the thin layer of glass I could probably have broken if I wanted.
Keeping my face smooth and seductive I opened my mouth a little bit and allowed my slightly blue tongue peak out to lick my lips much like a human would. I could see his eyes follow the movement. I took a deep lung full of air through the small gills under the back of my jaw-bone, so small that they could only been felt and not seen.
The king looked so serine and I watched as his eye lids fell slightly. My voice came out as a powerful shriek that made the king jolt and move back from the tank, hands reaching up to cover his ears at the high pitched sound that was coming from me. My eyes were red and my tail curling behind me as I shrieked, the king stumbled towards the door and even the guard fumbled though it after the king to get away from the sound.
Heavy wood fell closed and flush against the stone wall again and I smirked once I was done with shrieking. I was glad that they left when they did, unfortunately being a mermaid my lungs were smaller then humans, my stomach much larger then most creatures both on land and in the sea. I could tell that the glass would have cracked as well if I'd shrieked much longer.
The sound of the stoned above my 'home' moved, indicating that I was to be fed again, too bad they insisted on putting already dead fish through the small hole it made, just big enough for me to slip through if I had enough momentum and there was no net covering the hole.
The dead fish flopped into the water and began to sink to the bottom. I allowed my lip to curl at the horrid stink that'd continue to fill the tank until I ate the vile dead-things. I would talk to ask for living food if it wouldn't cause me more trouble.
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Loud bustling sounds and the horrid push of people against me on every side. It was the norm for people to push me around in the Underground, nothing I wasn't used to of course. But not when I was this pissed off. I'd lost a whole freaking day healing a wound some asshole had given me. I was going into this job with a bad attitude, a freaked out heart and a cut on my upper arm.
My nerves finally snapped and I planted my feet, hands clenched at my sides and my eyes shut as I waited a moment for that final shove I knew was coming. As soon as it came I took in a deep breath and let it out as loudly as I could.
"Arrrrrrgggggghhhhh! Back the fuck off you stupid pig-swallows!" my words carried out over a large section of the underground, flying over all the other sounds of hagglers and alleyway fights.
All eyes turned to me and I ground my teeth together and started pushing people out of my way so I could get the last few things I needed before heading into the palace to retrieve Ember. One of them being a meeting with a former guard who was supposed to tell me where the mermaid was, he'd apparently had a religious problem and was fired for trying to kill her- something that I couldn't possibly allow now that I had to bring her back alive to get Naruto back alive.
The Underground had become alive again with people resuming their routines, just making sure to stay out of my way as I moved. Few people nudged me or even looked at me until I got to the weapons dealer and I glowered.
"Hey Gaara… putting on a show for all of us are you?"
"Shut up and give me those arrows I ordered yesterday."
"Cant, their not made yet. I told you it'd take at least a week to get that many of the quality you want Gaara. I don't know what kind of hunting a kid like you does but-"
"Give me whatever damn arrows you have then! I need them, now! I told you to make them for me today and I gave you the compensation money. So do it!"
"Gaara, money cant make me shit arrows out of my ass! You'll have to wait the week like I-"
"I gave you enough money to close this stupid stand down for a month Asuma! If you want, I can shoot arrows up your ass, but I doubt that'd help you make 'em!" as far as everyone in the Underground knew I was just a kid who liked hunting, it wasn't like I didn't bring in some of the biggest game there was as it is, a bear or two even, I as famous for my big kills… but when your primary target is human, a bear is nothing but child's play.
"Gaara. Simmer down will ya? I told you, I'll have them by the end of the week. I've only got ten made, the other twenty will just have to take a few-"
"If you say 'day's' I'm going to kill you Asuma… give me whatever projectiles you've got and give me back my compensation money." I saw the anger flash across his face, but the fear that flashed was even more noticeable.
"Fine, here you go." he slapped down a bunch of arrows made of cedar instead of oak and the heads looked barely sharp enough to cut air at best. I waited a moment looking at the meager pile before he set out a few throwing knives and finally a large sword that looked like it'd been imported from Asia.
"And the money?" he growled as he slapped down five gold coins. I'd given him six in compensation, but I no longer gave a damn about my money since I was loosing more and more time just sitting around waiting for him to give me what I needed. "I'll see you when I get back most likely… if not, have a nice life." I saw him raise his eyebrow at the comment but paid it no mind as I scooped up the arrows and set them in the quiver, putting the knives in my belt and the long Asian sword on my hip.
"Where the hell are you hunting anyways? I haven't seen you bring in a kill from the last bunch of weapons you took out."
"Went to Ireland, did some hunting there but it was shit. So I came back." I shrugged the lie off easily before I rolled my shoulders and allowed my thoughts to drift for a moment, I only wished I knew if Naruto was alright or not.
Asuma never cared if I left without saying goodbye, I usually never did. But when my eyes landed on the red eyed black haired man who was standing against a stall, his arms crossed over the thin chest and a glare on his face that could rival my own I felt anger flare inside me; shouldn't he be keeping Naruto alive?
I walked towards him and scowled as he slipped between the stalls, his lips curling into a smirk as I followed into the unlit section, being able to see him only by the pasty white skin and this glowing red eyes that might haunt my dreams if I ever sleep again.
"Hey! Where is he if you're here?" I grabbed Sasuke's arm and he stopped in the thin space between the two stalls, his smirk still in place. "I want to know where he is."
"He's fine, but you've only got one day left. Shouldn't you be a lot further along then yelling at a weapons dealer about your weapons being made?" the anger in his eyes made me let his arm go and I clenched my fist instead.
"You got a problem? I'm working as quickly as I can. Now tell me how Naruto is doing. Is he alright or is he-" I was cut off at those cold slightly slimy lips were pressed against mine. He'd obviously just licked his lips and the thought of it made me want to puke until my vision blurred and I was once again granted a watery image of Naruto.
He wasn't under water this time, he was in what looked like an air-pocket cave, breathing freely on his own but still wrapped in seaweed and kelp to keep him from moving. The pink haired girl was laying down on the cave floor a little ways away, it looked like they were talking but because of the watered down image I couldn't read their lips- a skill I was good at from hiding too far away to hear conversations and having perfect vision.
I wished I could see better, but I lost the image as a tongue was thrust into my mouth and swirled around mine twice before I pushed the raven haired man against the wall across from me, both our backs against the sides of stalls and my arms not even being stretched fully.
"The hell?" his lips just pulled up into a smirk and he shrugged, brushing my hands away from his shoulders before leaning forward again and pressing a peck to my lips as I stood confused a fearful of the fact that my tongue was bleeding slightly from when I'd tried to push his tongue out of my mouth.
"Don't be mad… I just wanted a taste, but I'm satisfied now. I've been wondering why she chose you. Now thanks to that taste of your blood I can see it's because your heart would taste delicious." I blocked the spot in my chest where my heart was with my right hand and he just scoffed before moving my hand away. "That wouldn't help if I wanted your heart. Besides, it's much better to steal a heart when your victim is enthralled in pleasure, when it'd beating so quickly it might burst on it's own. But, if I kill you then who would go get my sister?"
"Where did you get the clothes?" I wanted off the topic and that seemed like as good as any reason to switch the flow of our conversation.
"A sailor… mermaids aren't the only ones who can kill sailors you know… mermen just like different… approaches." I watched the subtle curve as he smirked and leaned forward. I set my hands on his shoulders and glared as I pushed his back against the stall again. "What? You don't want to experience anything with another man before you see the blonde? Here I thought you'd try to persuade me not to touch him."
"I wouldn't have to, if you'd let me get going."
"Common, even a half incubus has to have some kind of desire to be with another man." he tried to move forward again but I kept his shoulders against the grainy wood of the back of the stall.
"No. now if you don't mind, I have to go save your stupid sister." I turned so I could get back to the room I'd rented when he caught my elbow and pushed me against the stall myself.
"You see… you don't get an option here Gaara…" the way he said my name made my skin crawl like spiders were rushing over my skin. "It's either you or him. I'm giving you a very good deal here Gaara." I turned back and looked into his eyes, seeing the rage swimming in those horrid red eyes. "You can lay with me, or I can lay with him. So make your choice."
I clenched my jaw tightly knowing that I had to keep Naruto from being hurt by any means necessary, to the point where it was pathetic how I realized I'd do anything for him. With a harsh glare of my own I gripped the front of the fairly dirty shirt from the sailor he'd killed and pulled him forward so our lips pressed together, only hoping that a kiss would allow me to see Naruto so I could forget about what was about to happen to my body.
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There was no image of Naruto in the small alleyway that anyone could have stumbled upon, nothing to stop me from having to think of what was happening. Every touch his cold hands made on my body nothing like Ember's as he dominated me with an anger that seemed ruthless.
I kept my glare though and I refused to close my eyes and even imagine Naruto feeling his hand in my hair, pulling my head back to try and divert my eyes even though I held the glare.
As soon as he was done he smirked, said something about a shame that he no longer had a reason to do anything with Naruto and that I'd bought myself another day to get Ember back.
I refused to watch as he left the alley between stalls, my clothes on the compacted dirt floor and my body still exposed and covered in sweat. My legs were shaking and my arms felt like they were about to turn into noodles because I'd had to restrain myself from hitting him so many times. I wanted dearly to kill him like that stupid pirate on the cliff back in Ireland, but I didn't, because killing him would do Naruto no favors.
I slowly lowered myself to the ground and knelt down, not trusting to have my butt touch anything from the flaming pain, I might have even been bleeding.
It took me a few minutes of looking internally to see if I believed in deity and once I found nothing I let out a huff and started to slowly get up. Once I pulled my pants up after checking if I was bleeding or not I heard the scuffing sound of a foot and turned with a knife in my hand, seeing the same man that I had in the woods, the guy who'd called himself my father.
"You know, incubi are no where near the same level as mer-folk. And the fact that you've let yourself be manipulated by them… goes to show me that you're weak." I weighted the knife in my hand for a few moments and I got ready to throw it if he got much closer.
"If you're my father, answer me this: why the hell did you kill my mother and leave?"
"Because she was dying as it was. I've told you this. What I want to know is why your selling yourself for that blonde? It's a disgrace to fight so hard for someone who isn't a lover."
I rolled my eyes and grabbed my shirt off the ground, wincing slightly when the fairly rough material brushed over a new bite mark on my neck from the shark-like teeth that'd been in Sasuke's mouth. "So, you want to be his lover… what made you this disgusting?"
"Why do you suddenly care?" he shrugged as he walked forward, his hands in his trouser pockets and a fairly blank expression on his face.
"Believe it or not, I'm proud that I've got a kid that's such an efficient thinker. No other incubi children I've seen have taken their natural abilities and done as much as you have. Killing just became instinct for you because you refuse to lay down and take it. Most of the other incubi and succubus children I've seen are harlots or worse." I just shrug at the comment. Killing was how I kept myself safe passed the age of five, everyone wanted to hurt me, so I always hurt them first.
Naruto has been my only exception, he's my only exception for everything. I'd even gotten a letter from Kakashi who was still in France the day before. Apparently they'd found a small fox kit and Iruka had decided to take it in. they'd described the kit as fairly aggressive but the trait I noticed most was the black markings they described from his eyes to the tips of his ears. I wrote Kakashi back right away that it was Naruto's and if he lost it he'd be my next target… his reply had been received earlier, apparently Naruto came after me and asked them to watched the little kit and they just wanted to see if I'd stand up for the kit.
"Well, as it is I'm sorry that you had to do that for him… you must be feeling pretty fucking shitty." I kept my jaw clenched as I fixed my clothes as best I could. I'd stumbled upon people being intimate together in the Underground myself but the horror of being found like that is so much worse that I cant even describe it.
With a huff the guy grabbed my elbow as I started trying to walk away again. With a clenched jaw I spun around and allowed my fist to connect with his jaw, smirking as he stumbled back a little bit. "Hey! I'm trying to help you here! What the hell was that for you stupid-"
"Why the hell bother? I can do this on my own. I don't need some freak telling me that he's going to help me when I don't want it. Leave me alone, or I'll rip your heart out so you can just die."
"Well, I'd hate to tell you, but I've already beat you to that. I have no heart to rip out. Being an incubus I gave it away a long time ago, it was necessary really, gave me better agility, stronger muscles… it really was the only real way to go." I just rolled my eyes as he went off on that stupid incubus crap again. I wasn't buying it, so I had no idea why he tried to keep selling it as that stupid shit.
"Good for you. Now get lost." I took my elbow back and started walking again, my quiver of arrows and bow strapped to my back, the long sword at my hip and several throwing knives all around my belt. I felt my wrist get caught again and spun around with one of the knives, jabbing it into his chest, right through his heart.
His eyes look distant for a moment, and right when most people fall down dead, he began laughing, quite hysterically actually. "Oh! That, that is rich! I just told you I got rid of it… so you stab where it should be. Oh, oh god… too rich." he backs up slightly and bends over as he wiped the tears from his eyes- tears of joy not pain or fear.
"The Hell?"
He stops laughing and looks up with a bright smile that can only be considered demon-like. "I told you…" he paused as he reached up for the knife still buried hilt-deep in his chest. I watched as he slowly drew it out of his chest and I ground my teeth as the blade came out with what looked like black blood. "I don't have a heart, and I don't have a soul. So before you go and find this girl your after, I'd get rid of both kid. Otherwise, you'll find yourself dead."
"What are you-" he moved too quickly, no one should have been able to see him move, I certainly didn't. But I was surprised, I could see his hand perfectly- rather I couldn't see his hand. Just a wrist then my chest. There was no pain which was something my mind expected as soon as I'd seen the wrist connected to the hand gripping my heart, flexing in tandem with its' beating.
My eyes hazed over slightly as the hand was ripped out, my heart still sitting in his palm and still beating a few times before I saw it stop. I could feel myself falling, but couldn't stop it, my limbs simply wouldn't move.
"You should have given it to him a long time ago as it is son… I shouldn't have to do it for you." I was looking up at him then, my heart still in his hand and a slightly red luminous glow emanating from it that I couldn't see before.
So, a soul was hidden in the heart… maybe poetry… had a point. I felt my eyes slip closed as everything went numb, and then I was just… gone, like existing never even happened.
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I was beyond scared straight as the king came back into the room, his wife floating beside him in a new dress I'd been hearing about from the guards all day, apparently it made her figure stand out more, but she had no figure to compliment, so they were all just looking to be the castle scandal.
It was horrible, I didn't know how to save lives, I just knew how to take them. Even when it was my life that needed saving. Shikamaru had been the only one to ever try saving me when I needed it, and in all my three thousand years to that point I'd never needed it more.
Tears sprung to my eyes and vanished into the water surrounding me as the king walked up with his wife, they'd learned that I could only pull off a scream once or twice before my voice started cracking, and my throat felt like it was raw and ripped inside. The king set his nasty nails against the glass in front of me and dragged them down, making the most horrid sound in the world. If it wasn't for the fact I was already crying and that they couldn't tell I'd started up then they'd try and haul me out of the water to collect the tears.
"Sai! Get in here a moment, I want to hear what you think of this… delectable creature." I could see the slightly angered expression on the queens face as a tall and slender boy came into the room, a blank expression on his face and his hands clasped behind his back.
"You called sir?"
"Yes… I want to know what you'd do to extract a tear from this creature." the new boy with black hair and a straight face looked at me for a moment. I noticed he looked a lot like Itachi and Sasuke put together, but the general lack of emotion and the fact he wasn't getting me out of the horrid glass tank was my one and only needed signifier that he was not my run away brother.
"Well, that is easy your majesty. I'd drown her."
"How do you drown something that can breathe water Sai? You make no sense."
"Easy… you drown her in air. And if that doesn't work, I'm sure a bit of heat wouldn't hurt to help us try… though it might hurt her. But that's the point, isn't it?" the smile that came over his face was just for show, there was no genuine emotion behind it, and even if there was, it'd just be sadistic.
"Oh my Sai… this is exactly what we needed! Thank you! James! Get her out of there and get a fire going!" fear washed my body and I forced the tears to stop flowing into the rest of the water around me, assuring that they wouldn't get any horrid idea's involving draining the water for diluted tears. But as for making me drown, that was impossible, and as long as they didn't set me on fire, I wouldn't let a tear slip- I wouldn't put it passed them to set me on fire though.
James walked out of the room and I knew he was going to be going to the room above the one I was in, most likely to take out more bricks then just the one they used to feed me. My only hope was that they'd take out too many and I'd be able to pull James into the water before he could get a net on me.
I was famished from all the dead fish I'd eaten, and it'd probably do the king some kind of good to see what I'm capable of, they didn't need to know that I could devour both above and under water though… a girl's gotta keep a few secrets after all, don't I? I swim to the far end of the water and watched as the bricks are removed at least three, plenty big enough to pull the biggest of men through. The net is lowered into the water and to my surprise as two people jump in after it. Each holding a knife in one hand and grabbing the net in the other
I glare at both of them harshly for a moment, pushing my back against the far wall so I can spring at one of them. The only problem that my plan has is that they both have a knife, and could easily cut me if I go for the other.
Legs, they were my only hope. I could use my legs to wrap around one of the arms and could just grab the other with my hands while I devour that person… or I could take the knives and drown them both. Drown victims were much fresher then dead before I got them… not quite as fresh as being eaten alive, but it's fresh enough.
With a simple curve of my tail I could take one knife then the other, drowning them would be simple from there of course. With a powerful flick and curve of my tail I sprung forward and snatched the knife out of the first persons hand and pulled them with me as I did the same to the other.
Wide eyes and shocked faces. They let out most of their air in screams that came out as nothing more then bubbles and a warbled sound as I pushed both men up against the far wall, my hands wrapped around their throats as I strangled them to death.
I could hear the king yelling on the other side of the glass, but it'd take a few minutes for the men to get to the room above the tank, and by the time more men dove into the water after removing more bricks, I was done with the first two and ready for more,
The water was stained red as I tore through people, ripping out their throats with either my teeth or my nails. I could still see perfectly fine, even as the water turned as red and almost as thick as blood itself. Just to scare the king I pushed one of the men's faces against the glass and allowed the king to watch me rip his throat out.
The sound of arrows staring to pierce the water started catching my attention and I ground my teeth together, the decided to shoot my now? Still wouldn't make me cry, no matter how hard they tried. I wouldn't go down that- shit, my tail!"
The fin on the end of my tail was ripped, making swimming impossible to do easily. Another arrow tears the second side of my fin into two and I flinch at the small amount of pain.
Leg are under me in a second as I sink so I feet are on the cold wet stones of the ground I spring up out of the water and lunge to attack the man with the bow and arrow.
Just as I'm coming down and five arrows are trained on me, the man I'm aiming for going down with an arrow in his head and before the others can react their in the same boat, dead on the ground and me crouching down to kill whoever just killed them.
"You have two seconds to follow me, and this isn't an option." the voice is familiar, but I know I recognize it.
"Who-who are you?" my eyes flash red and I hear thunder rumble outside. I know I'm making a storm outside but my veins pulsate with the horrid feeling that this person is going to kill me next.
A jacket comes out of the shadow filled corner and I look at it for a moment as the voice comes back. "Your two seconds are up." I see a flash of red and I instantly know who it is. My fingers grip at the jacket as I run after them, knowing the turned left around the corner of the door and I noticed he was walking briskly down the hell in front of me.
"G-Gaara! Wait up." he stopped and I rushed up, pulling the jacket over my shoulders and setting my arms through the jacket's arms. I barely open my mouth to talk before he's picked me up and slung me over his shoulder, the jacket so big on my it was more like a dress and covered everything. "H-hey! I can walk! Put me down Gaara!"
"Shut up and stop using my name or I'll gag you too!" my eyes went wide at the threat, wondering what happened to him to make him use that tone with me. He just saved me, shouldn't he be happy and kissing me? And why the hell did he feel different, just his body, it was more ridged, and the way he spoke… it was like he'd lost his soul and was still living.
Fear enveloped me as the realization hit me; he had lost his soul. There was no harsh beat of his hearts as he carried me at a fairly fast pace towards the long stairwell. I felt numb as he set me down and pulled the bow and arrow off the shoulder I hadn't been over, shooting down three guards and grabbing my arm so I could pull me down the stairs incase he needed his bow again.
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She was stiff, I could tell she knew something was wrong, but I didn't have time to ask what the hell was wrong with her. I just had to get her out and then I'd be fine, she'd be fine, and most of all, Naruto would be fine. Did she not know that I was trying to escape, with her no less? I kept her wet hand gripped in mine and shuffled along the stairs, just trying to get back to the window I'd used to get into the palace.
Out of the twenty throwing knives, I had only five left. Out of the thirty horrible quality arrows I had none and out of the ten good arrows I had two left. But the sword I had was still shiny and bloodless on my hip.
"G-Gaara, where-where are we g-going?"
"Home."
"I-I don't want to go home. Not to yours and n-not to mi-"
"Shut up Ember." I grit my teeth, Shikamaru had warned me before I came here that the Itachi card should be saved for last if she refused to come home completely, but that as long as she was moving I didn't have to use the card.
"No! I don't want to-" I stopped in my tracks and pushed her up against a corner as a few guards rushed passed the hallway we were stalking down, inevitably looking for us.
"You are getting out of this castle with me and taking me to that stupid underwater city or I'll kill you- better yet, I'll have them have you." the ear that crossed her face only lasted a minute before it was replaced with anger and I knew I had to sweet talk my way out of the hole I'd dug.
"I have to do no such thing! I was perfectly fine on my own!"
"Please. I've already killed a hundred men to get you back. So shut up and help me get you to safety." I allowed a pleading look to cross my face and pressed a kiss to her lips to emphasize my point, trying as hard as I could not to get sick from just the feel of her plump fairly wet lips.
I felt her fingers grip my hair and pulled me closer completely. I felt her grind into me and I pulled back. "Come." she didn't seem to question it as I started pulling her again, keeping her body close to mine with a firm grip in the front of the coat I'd given her.
The sound of her giggling was something I'd forgotten how much I hated as I pulled her with me, but there was no longer a pain in my chest from the horrid feeling that I'd kissed her, it brought no pain just a sad feeling that I know is because it wasn't Naruto. She grabbed at my hand but once she realized it wasn't moving from the front of the jacket she started draping herself over my shoulders. "Gaara… can we sneak into a room for a few minutes? Please? I want so badly to-"
"No, we're getting out of here. Now hop on my back."
"Oh! Yay, right here in the hallway, I didn't take you for that kind of-"
"So I can jump out the window." I rolled my eyes before turning to her. "You've got a choice of holding on or wrapping the jacket around us both." she just stood there and I let out a sigh, reaching for the zipper of the jacket, figuring it'd be easier then wondering if she'd be able to hand on.
Ember's eyes just stared at me as I unzipped the jacket and pulled her arms out of the sleeves. I took one of the throwing knives off the belt and quickly cut the sleeves away. I was about to replace the knife when a shout caught my attention and a large group of men in full body armor came barreling towards us.
My wrist flicked and caught the closest man in the eye as my other hand daftly moved for the sword on my hip. "Stay behind me."
"But Ga-"
"Shut up, and stay behind me." I clenched my jaw, figuring that all these men would have to die for me to leave. "Zip the jacket back up and do everything that I tell you." I heard the zipper and ignored the snide comments about me 'stealing the first wish' and just rolled my eyes. If having sex with a mermaid granted wishes I wouldn't have been there trying to save her.
A knight lunged forward and impaled himself on the sword, it was so sharp that it cut through the chain mail like it was nothing. I let a smirk cross my face as I turned my wrists and allowed the body to slip off of the sword. "Do me a favor Ember… get up on the window ledge." I checked over my shoulder to make sure she was doing what I asked, and as soon as I saw her perched comfortably I lunged into the soup of chain mail and shouts.
Killing, it still gave me that rushing feeling, stabbing and slashing, grabbing out one of the throwing knives so I could stab at people with that as well as the sword. I could feel adrenaline coursing through my veins along with blood, even without a heart my blood still pumped.
A small amount of pain registered in my upper left arm and I looked down to see a slight amount of black blood dripping down my arm before the blood clotted on the surface and I was left with a black scab. Effective in a fight, if I'd known giving my heart to someone sooner would have allowed that I would have done it sooner.
While I was unconscious I had heard so much talking that I'm assuming was my father. Apparently he said he'd take it to the tree where Naruto and I grew up, from there I had to hide it myself or give it to someone that I cared about- he actually used Naruto's name after, saying I should give it to him to consume. He told me that I could share my heart with Naruto and he wouldn't succumb to aging like humans but like me. And if he died then my heart would keep him alive. I wasn't immortal, not by far, but I would live for a long time.
The information had all sunk in much more while I was knocked out then when I'd just been listening. I no longer resented him for killing my mother once he told me the state she was in, apparently her body looked sunken and broken, that killing her was truly an act of mercy instead of just senseless. I hated the fact that she's gone, but there was reason for it at least… but it just drew me to the conclusion that he should have given her his heart, because an incubi heart would have saved, her… wouldn't it?
I shook my head to get the thoughts out of my head as I slashed at another guard, promising myself that after it was all over I'd only kill someone to protect Naruto, I'd try not to kill to even protect myself if it just gave him back to me.
"Gaara, watch out!" Ember's voice hit my ears too late and I caught the sword right through my left thigh, just missing the bone by the small jerk my body made. But she wasn't worried about me, she was worried about the precious soul and heart she could no longer steal from me. If there was nothing there, then there was nothing for her to steal from me, it should go to Naruto anyways… he's the only one I've ever wanted to give my soul to.
I jabbed at the man on the other end of the sword with the throwing knife, they just kept coming and I wasn't getting a break. Either being slashed at or having people punch at me, resulting in no time whatsoever to grad Ember and jump through the window.
I was on my own and I knew it, nothing I did could possibly make it any better. Ember wanted my heart in return for her time, the knights wanted my head for stealing the mermaid, and Sasuke wanted Ember or Naruto would be raped and killed. I let a few moments pass before making a move, knowing it looked like I was giving up, but that just wasn't an option for me.
Mind made up to go down swinging I did a quick spin and allowed my sword to slash at the protected stomachs of the knights, forcing them back a few feet. I took the opportunity of the time for them to get their feet back under them to turn to Ember and push her out the window. The fall wasn't far enough to kill her, and it was into a plush bush anyhow. "Go! Itachi's waiting for you, he came home to see you. So go and live!"
Pain, horrible pain wracked my body as I heard the tinkling metal of chain mail behind me, getting closer… there was no way I was getting out of here alive. And it hurt so much, knowing that I really never would see Naruto again. Sure, with the things I'd told people and asked of others he'd be wealthy enough to do whatever he wanted, but I didn't know if he'd be safe enough. I didn't know if he'd be willing to live on knowing that the kingsmen had killed me, if he ever found out I died trying to protect him he'd be heartbroken I knew.
But as another sword stabbed my right arm- the more powerful one -I realized that death is what comes to all, even if we have extended lives apart from humans. Death is something I accepted long before I went to save Ember, long before even my trip to Ireland, but Death was not something I was willing to go graciously into, I'd learned at a young age that there was nothing that I could really do without dieing harshly and with curses on my lips as I went out. At least, that's what I thought, but my muscles wouldn't move no matter how hard I tried to make myself move or to swing the throwing knife in my left hand.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
I waited a moment, standing just off of the bush looking up at Gaara, waiting for him to jump behind me, I could see his red hair, there in the window, just not moving. My feet wouldn't move for a moment as I waited. But with a sigh I realized that there was no longer anything for me to wait for. His heart and soul were gone, I doubt they were ever even remotely close to being mine as it was. But once his hair vanished completely from view I turned tail and ran.
A wall to scale, a street to run down in nothing but the jacket he'd given me. I no longer cared about him really, but just the thought that he gave his life to save me meant he was doing it for something, something big. Then there was what he said about Itachi, was he really back to see me? It seems far fetched, but I couldn't really take the chance that if he was at home he'd stay.
I turned in the direction of the ocean, my feet bleeding and my heart pounding as people yelled at me to stop running, men hollered that I should go home with them, women gasping and covering their eyes from my state of undress. Everyone seemed to have something to say, but nothing registered until I jumped into the water.
I heard the sound of a few people jump in after me, thinking I was insane and trying to kill myself but I was already too deep and out of their reach. My legs turned once again into a fin and I had no reason to show emotions. Even thought Itachi favored anything I did above Sasuke I knew he'd make me marry Shikamaru, or even Kiba. But he'd take into account that I at least get along with Shikamaru.
I felt nothing as I swam, my fin still trying its hardest to heal itself as I moved through the water, feeling like I was nothing but a log in the water trying to push myself further and further into the deep bowls of the word that lay only concealed completely by water.
I ground my teeth together, tasting the metallic copper-like taste that all blood had once I bit into my cheek. I moved, just wanting to get back to put that episode behind me as much as possible, as long as I could see Itachi I'd be fine he's held me to the earth before. Every time I get bad thoughts about my life he shows up like he know's what I'm thinking and I find myself crying in his arms for hours on end.
Granted, he was probably going to yell at me for being reckless and getting caught by the royals, but just the thought of the arms I've known for so long makes a smile split across my face.
Atlantis came into view and I let a sigh come out of my lips, swimming towards my house and seeing no one. The hope that Gaara had been told his name by at least once person was high, but as I looked around and saw no sighs of Itachi or Sasuke that hope quickly diminished to the point where I wanted to go back to the palace to kill Gaara myself if the guards hadn't finished him off yet.
"Ember… he's this way." I spun around, I hadn't heard Shikamaru approach, and I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was livid with me, I'd obviously caused him more worry over the last month then I ever have.
"Shika I-"
"Just come see your precious Itachi." he basically spat the name at me and I shivered, just hearing him sound so horrid towards me was something I'd only experienced when I was being horrid to him especially, and I'd only hear the tone at most three times. I wasn't accustomed to it in the least.
I followed him with some difficult, angered that he wasn't asking me why or how my tail is ripped, just keeps a fairly slow pace in front of me, headed for the annoying air pocket cave where we usually keep prisoners to gain something better out of the humans.
I got a sinking feeling as we approached, Shikamaru was abnormally silent at least on a normal day he'd be perfectly fine with at least humming something. But having him so eerily silent made my skin crawl.
We both came up in the cave and I looked around, two tails had been visible from under the water and that made me scowl since only one was black like mine. I surfaced and caught the eyes as easily as if I'd wanted them; Sasuke and Kiba. One set of midnight black eyes and the other rich brown.
"Ember! You're alright, what happened with-"
"Shut up Kiba. I told you, your done here. So get going." I look to Kiba and see the glare on his face and I'm shocked when a voice that isn't his cuts him off.
"Stop being such a drama queen Sasuke. And Ember, welcome back… I hear you've had some major adventures… and a lot of it has to do with this kid here, doesn't it?" I turned my head to the side and looked at the tall dark haired figure I'd missed. His permanently reddened eyes looking at me with a playful smirk on his face as he sat on a rock behind the blonde boy I'd only seem Gaara giving looks at.
"Itachi! I hopped out of the water and rushed over to him I wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling his arms wrap around my waist and lifting my still bloodied feet off the ground. Because of our heritage nudity was never an issue among our kind, so the fact that we were both naked was something that neither cared about. "I missed you so much! You wouldn't believe what I've been through!" he set me back down on the ground and chuckled.
"Actually I do believe it… it's one of the reasons I've come back. Word on the tide was you're vying for a soul, and that your choice in victims is soulless. Now, how do you think this makes our clan look Ember?"
"I know what you're thinking Itachi, but I swear that-"
"Don't give excuses. Now just tell us where his 'Gaara' kid is so we can deposit the blonde and get back to our lives."
My eyes went wide as I looked behind me at the blonde boy, sitting on the flood wearing little more then a ripped pair of pants, his eyes glaring across from him at Sasuke, the glare being returned with that Uchiha harshness the three of us had. "Ember? Tell us where he is." I could tell it wasn't a question but the single moment of sympathy- or whatever that was -vanished and I just turned back to Itachi with a shrug.
"I don't know, last I saw of him he pushed me out a window. Didn't follow me out, told me to run and not stop." I gave a shrug but the feel of hands on my upper arms shocked me. Before either I or itachi could move to stop him the blonde was pushing me against a rock, making a sharp rock jut out into my back. "Ow!"
"Where is Gaara? Tell me right now!" I looked into the deep blue eyes that looked red from crying and raw with hate.
"He's in the palace! They caught him for letting me escape! I don't even know if he's-" I was cut off as the blondes hands went to my neck, stopping my speech as his fingers tightened.
Itachi, Sasuke, Shikamaru and Kiba all rushed over, trying to pray his hands from my throat and his body from mine as he yelled obstinacies at me. Telling me how horrible I was for not even trying to save Gaara, that I should have looked elsewhere for a soul because whether Gaara knew it or not the red heads soul belonged to him. I didn't even know this guy's name but I was scared to death of him. I opened my mouth to bite at his wrists when an arrow rushed passed my head and embedded itself at least three inches in the rock beside my ear.
"The next one of you to make a move, is going to really, really piss my off and get an arrow through their heads." my eyes widened as I turned around and saw Gaara standing there, black scabs all over his body and a harsh glare on his face, bow up and arrow drawn to shoot at my head.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
New admiration for my tracking skills, even under water they were superior to what I thought they were. But seeing four mer-people roughly jogging his body made me want to shoot them all with arrows, unfortunately I'd seen too many mer-people in the five minutes before that to know not to kill them.
"Now, all four of you can let him go now, and I'll live. But if not, my arrow wont miss a second time." I saw the look in Naruto's eyes and I steadied my feet to either shoot or take an attack.
"Gaara! You're alright!" he let Ember's throat go and I noticed right away that he moved towards me. Hands stopped him though and I turned to Shikamaru, my arrow not leaving it's trained position between Ember's eyes.
"Shikamaru… would you care to let him go? I've covered my side of the deal and more. And by the looks of it you weren't going to live up to yours since you're probably thinking about killing him.'
"No, I'm thinking about saving Ember."
"She's fine, Naruto's fine. So let him go."
"Hold it! I want to know one thing first." everyone turned to Ember and I could feel my eyes pierce the annoying look in her eyes wanting simply to shoot her. "What happened to your soul? And your blood, why's that black all of a sudden?"
"That's two, so choose."
"The latter." I clenched my jaw, knowing that both questions led to the same answer, I just wanted to know which answer she wanted more, turns out my blood was more important then heart- a reason she never had it.
"I'm half incubi… if you want more then that figure it out yourself. Now give him back." I ground my teeth together and prepared to loose the arrow.
All four sets of hands let him go and he rushed over to me, hiding behind my right shoulder since it'd move less even if I did shoot the arrows. "So… is that how you made it here? Since human lungs cant get this far under water." I looked at the new man and ground my teeth together.
"Well… are you going to have to excuse us." I loosened the tension of the bow and arrow.
I jerked my head towards the water to signal Naruto to get into the water. He slipped into the water and I moved over.
As soon as I got into the water behind him I told him to take a deep breath. "Hold it." I froze and turned my head around, noticing Shikamaru walking over and slipping into the water on the far side from us before resurfacing a few feet in front of me. "I might as well help the two of you. The sooner you're gone, the sooner I can get back to my life and have this all behind me. The sooner I can get back to pretending you don't exist."
I looked at him skeptically but nod my head a few times. "Good, take a deep breath and hold it." we both nod our heads and do as he says.
Each time Naruto needed a breath Shikamaru pressed a light kiss to his lips and transferred air into my wonderful blondes lungs. He offered over and over again to give me air on our fairly quick ascend to the surface but I kept refusing since we just kept getting closer and closer.
I figured I'd make it perfectly fine… until I blacked out.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
I wasn't sleeping, but if I were to ever get close to it, I'm pretty sure that would be the feeling I'd want. It was warm, and soft, I could smell Ireland again, something I wasn't aware could happen outside Ireland… though in all reality I could have been there.
I could hear Naruto mumbling something and warm, caring fingers stroking my temple and running through my hair as I'd done for him so many times. Just by the angle of his fingers and the fact I felt nothing leaning against me I realized that my head was on his thigh, I was using it as a pillow.
"Gaara. Are you awake yet?"
"I don't sleep."
"Well, the snoring I've been hearing the last few days begs to differ Gaara. How do you feel?" I didn't want to leave the comfort of another one of my waking-slumbers, but if talking would allow me to hear Naruto's voice more then I'd have to.
"Tired… relieved… scared…" I heard the scoff in his voice and flinched, hoping he wouldn't think I was disgusting as I kept talking. "…that you'll hate me." that brought the chuckling to a stop and I cracked an eye open to look up at him.
We must be in some sort of extravagant hotel of sorts because the bed didn't feel like simple straw, real goose-down. He looked gorgeous, the morning rays shimmering through the window and making his hair look like a messy tangle of gold around his head.
"Why would I hate you Gaara? don't tell me; you killed Kurama? Because I'm sure I can live with that if it's completely-"
"I love you."
"-True, and even then I don't think that I'd dislike you for more then just a wee-" Naruto stopped, his eyes wide and staring ahead of him for a moment. I could see him pull his lower lip into his mouth and start to gnaw on it.
Without really thinking I sat up and kept my hand between his slightly parted legs to balance myself on the plush bed. His eyes flit to me for a moment before he looked down where I had been. The faint tint to his cheeks indicated embarrassment but at what I didn't know, so tentatively- oh so tentatively -I reached up with my free hand and used my thumb to gently tug his lip from between his teeth, seeing the slight amount of blood.
I took a moment to look at his lips, wondering what they'd feel like. I allowed my eyes to look up into his eyes and I was captured by the deep azure that was like the moment in a twilight sky after it's purple and as it's blue again before fading to black… a color that's been trapped in my head since our fingers brushed while reaching for the apple.
Softness, much softer then my mind even came up with. I'd wondered on occasion while kissing girls if Naruto's lips would be like theirs, or softer, or harder since he was male. But his lips were just lips, the sweetness is what held me. He must have just finished a strawberry and cheese breakfast because all I could taste were strawberries.
I found myself nipping his lower lip and gently snaked my tongue into his mouth as he gasped from the shock of it. He started to fall back and for a moment I was wondering what he was thinking was going to happen, wondering how far he was going to let me move before he got disgusted with me and forced me out of the hotel room.
Following his movements since I was unwilling to remove my lips from his until he pushed me away I laid down half on top of him the hand that had been keeping me balanced now gently spread out across his stomach as he reached up and tangled his hands in my hair.
I waited for him to rip us apart, anticipating it and knowing it'd hurt my feelings and heart more then my head, but at the same time I no longer had a heart in my chest to hurt.
Air was needed, but I didn't want to move away, scared that he'd never allow me to even look at him again, but I could feel the shaking in his hands in my hair and that they were in fact holding me in place, simply waiting for me to back away to take in the air that we both needed.
Our lips disconnected and we both gasped, Naruto starting to pant as I lowered my head to his neck and gently kissed the skin. I'd never wanted to kiss a girl before, only did it because they expected me to give them something out of the horrid nights I'd spent with them.
"G-Gaa…ra, w-what?"
"No, just a few more minutes. Please… humor me." I felt his hand in my hair and gently looked at him from where I was, no longer sucking at his neck but looking into hooded lust filled eyes.
"J-just tell me how long… how long have you loved me?" I felt the muscles in his stomach jump slightly as he says the word, the single word that I could hear coming from his lips again and again.
"Since I met you… when our fingers touched mine, or when mine touched yours." I could see the smolder of lust swirling in his eyes and moved up slightly to kiss just under his ear, sucking on the lobe as he let out a moan.
Right away I wished I hadn't heard it, I felt like there was no going back after that sound. It was like a silent bell ringing only so I could hear it and go to it. His hand went back to my hair and he tried to gently tug me away with another moan but I just kept at it.
"G-Gaara… I wa-want to tell y-you something." I drew my head back slightly, looking at the mark I'd left under his ear and smirked. I'd never left a mark on anyone before and even if Naruto rejected me then, I would have been alright knowing that he'd allowed me enough time to kiss him and taste him.
He grabbed my face and pulled my head so I was looking at him, his eyes brightly shimmering. "I-I love you too, Gaara." if my heart was still in my chest, it would have stopped, no matter where it was it might have stopped.
"Please Naruto… tell me I can love you." I knew my voice was pleading but he didn't seem to mind as he initiated another kiss. He blew my mind away as he flipped us over and pulled away with a laugh that could have made birds stop singing.
"Of course Gaara… as long as I get your heart in return." his smile so bright and kind that I didn't bother telling how true that'd be as soon as we made a final stop at our old tree so I could give him my heart and soul the way I'd always wanted.
AN:
Me: alright, that's it… uh, I don't really know what else to say. This is my attempt of a Naruto fanfiction because it's been nagging me that Gaara's only in the authors notes of my stories. Oh! And I got a Deviant Art under the same name! (I have no art up yet though^^)
Shikamaru: what happens with me and Ember?
Me: sorry Shika, but I'm letting the readers decide that for themselves… make it happy or sad, do with it what you will.
Sasuke: how come I've never been in these authros notes before now? And why am I just asking instead of saying something important?
Me: because I don't like you; get over it! Hee hee hee! ^_^
Axel: are you going to do another KH fic next?
Me: I don't know… will you let me finish this one?
Roxas: you are technically done… you said so yourself.
Me: stop patronizing me and go clean my room!
Roxas: I'm not your slave.
Axel: actually Roxie, we all are. She just likes me, Gaara, and Shika too much to make us do-
Me: all of you! Clean it and then do my dishes!
Shika: why'd you have to say it? If you didn't say it, we wouldn't be roped into it you stupid red head.
Me: here is Gaara! And I'll see you next time you tune into a fic… NEVER THE SAME BAT TIME, AND NEVER THE SAME BAT CHANNEL!
Gaara: that was new… anyhow, please review, Elizabeth is a little discouraged by how many people are reviewing… so even if you just say 'hi' she'd be happy, just to know that people are reading. It. Have a good morning/afternoon/night and drive safe.