Color Me Emotional *Chapter 6* Evergreen
*((Revised!))*
By: Kitty Amani
"Ugh, come on, you two," Yukio growled loudly in annoyance as he weaved quickly through the crowded streets, attempting to make it to Suna's main entrance in time. Tylina and Sunshine followed him at a much slower pace, the raven haired girl was dressed in a tight black shirt, a black skirt with fishnets covering her legs, and black combat style boots. She had her hands behind her head, staring up at the morning sky. The blonde, sporting a short, hot pink sundress with neon green fishnets on her arms and legs, along with a pair of pink flats, growled at the boy.
"Chill, Sunny," Tylina flashed her a brilliant smile, her emerald eyes sparkling and the similar colored highlights in her hair shining brightly. Sunshine stuck her nose in the air, emitting a "hmph" as she flipped her long ponytail over her shoulder.
"What makes him so special that he gets to be the escort?" She whined. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she glared daggers at the dark clothed man, who was almost completely invisible to them, due to the waves of people. "You and I would make a better team if the Kazekage was attacked, so why did Temari pick him?"
"You know that statement isn't true, and that I work equally well with the both of you," Tylina scolded, which made the brightly dressed teen pout. Tylina ignored her and continued. "There is no way she could have split us up to make everyone happy. She separated Kankuro and I, and you and Yukio, making everyone's job easier." Sunshine held her pursed lips and puppy dog eyes a while longer, but sighed loudly when she realized that they were having no effect on her friend.
"You know it's no big deal to me whether I were to stay in the village or not," Sunshine allowed her arms to drop to her sides in defeat and a sad smile came over her face. "Ever since Masura-sensei was killed, I haven't really been motivated to see the outside world again." Her eyes locked with Tylina's, who's heart wrenched at the sadness they contained. "I just wish it had been arranged to where you and I could have spent more time together, Ty, because I love you."
"Oh, I love you, too, Sunny," Tylina faced forward again and began to push her way through the crowd, not wanting to hear the next sentence that she knew was going to cross the blonde's lips.
"But...not like I love you," Sunshine's voice followed her. It was dreamlike, slightly far away. Tylina sympathized for a second. However, she couldn't help bitting her bottom lip in annoyance, wishing that Sunshine would keep her flirtatious comments to herself. Sometimes, she was just as bad as Kankuro.
The rest of the walk to Suna's main gate was silent. Sunshine's mind seemed to be racing with thoughts of their sensei and possibly her feelings for the girl at her side. Tylina's mind roller coastered. Her thoughts went from the excitement of being out of the village for the first time in a long time, to the anxiety of Gaara being outside the safety of the walls that surrounded the place where he grew up, to the nervousness of meeting new people. Soon the crowd began to fade as they exited the main part of town, and the wall against the horizon grew as they neared the entrance way that stood between them and miles of desert. Six figures came into view as well, one being Yukio, and the five at his side appearing to be Temari, Shikamaru, Gaara, Kankuro, and Baki.
"Hey, Baki-sensei," Sunshine's voice rang through the air as she waved her hand wildly above her head and took off sprinting in his direction. Tylina sighed softly and smiled. She was glad to see the Sunshine was over her 'mood'.
"Hello, Miss Sunshine," Baki bowed his head slightly in greeting as the blonde stopped in front of him. He then moved his gaze behind her, to her companion. Tylina still trudged at a slow pace, earning a knowing smile from the man. "Pacing yourself as always, Tylina?"
"Well you know me, "She let her hands drop from behind her head to her sides and laughed nervously. "Don't want to get too tired before the party's even started." Baki opened his mouth to reply, but before any words came out, Kankuro stepped between the two. Tylina raised her eyebrow as he took both of her hands into his.
"I'm going to miss you, Ty," He smiled sweetly at her. "Just, have fun, okay? Enjoy your time outside of this place. You deserve it." Tylina's expression changed immediately and she smiled back before throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug.
"Thank you, Kankuro, for everything," She whispered in his ear as he slipped his arms around her. He nuzzled his cheek against her soft hair and inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of her jasmine shampoo as if it was the last time he was going to do so. Tylina blushed at the action. Once again, it was just the two of them, the two best friends that did everything together. After what only seemed like a few seconds, but Tylina was sure was more than that due to Sunshine's growls behind Kankuro, she went to pull away. Before doing so, she let her lips gently graze the puppet master's cheek. He blushed furiously and scratched the back of his head in a nervous manner.
"Well, I, um, I'll be waiting for-" Kankuro started but was cut short by a jealous looking blonde who shoved him from in front of Tylina. Tylina blinked a few times before arms were around her again.
"Oh, Ty, when you get home, I'll have the house cleaned, dinner cooked, and I absolutely promise that I will keep the tramping to a minimum." She tightened her grip on Tylina, who began to have trouble breathing.
"How about you just don't bring any of your hoes over at all, whether we are here or not?" Yukio growled under his breath as he tightened the straps on his backpack. Sunshine ignored him and released her hold on Tylina, smiling brightly at her.
"I miss you already," She muttered before placing a light kiss on her lips. Tylina's face grew hot, and she looked away, causing Sunshine to giggle.
"What the hell was that!?" Suddenly, Kankuro was at their side, face red with anger and hands balled into fists. Sunshine smirked at him before flipping her ponytail over her shoulder and sticking her nose into the air, definitely her signature pose. Yukio appeared almost as instantly at her other side, looking just as infuriated as Kankuro.
"Is there something wrong with your brain?" He yelled, appearing to be holding back the urge to hit her. Sunshine kept her smug look under the glare of daggers that she was receiving from both of the boys. They both began to growl and swear loudly. Tylina blushed once more as she slowly edged away and over to the other four, who shook their heads at the childish fight.
"Do they always act this way?" Shikamaru questioned the group, who all nodded in unison.
"Needless to say, I feel quite loved," Tylina joked, turning her gaze to Gaara, who shared a smile with her.
"I'm glad two of the three of them are staying behind," Shikamaru commented, still observing the fight. Tylina glanced back over in time to see Kankuro lunge at Sunshine, who laughed mockingly as Yukio attempted the hold the face-painted boy back.
"That means I have to put up with them," Baki mumbled, earning a sympathetic look from Tylina. She placed her hand on his shoulder.
"I come home to something similar to this every night," She shook her head, but forced a smile up at him. "Not to worry, though, Baki-sensei," She dropped her hand from his shoulder, attempting to give him reassurance with a wink. "We will get our work done as quickly as possible and get back here to rescue you, not to mention the villagers." He chuckled lightly.
"You guys take all the time you need. I can handle these two." He spoke the words too soon. As soon as they were out of his mouth, out of the corner of her eye, Tylina saw Sunshine's neon green blur in the air. Only a second passed before she heard the sound of a fist connecting with a jaw. She quickly turned to see Kankuro fall to the ground, rubbing his now red cheek. He cried out savagely as he climbed to his feet, ready to return the attack. However, in a flash of crimson, Gaara was in front of him. Both Kankuro and Sunshine now had wide eyes and gaping mouths. Yukio, who had stumbled off to the side after Sunshine's violent action, gulped loudly in fear. Tylina shivered, feeling immediately how tense the air around them had become.
"Stop It!" Gaara demanded in a harsh, cruel voice. His eyes were first on his brother, and then they moved to Yukio, and then to Sunshine. His eyes flared with a fire that radiated his extreme annoyance and agitation with the three ninja who were supposed to be labeled as his body guards. Those standing around the Kazekage watched as the sand around his feet stirred as if it were going to spring up. Tylina took a few steps toward him defensively. She was ready to fight him if necessary, although she was sure he had full control over his demon half now. She knew part of her still clung to who she used to be, the one who sprung to Gaara's side if someone made him cry, or if he lost control. It would always be that way, even now that he was able to care for himself.
"I'm sorry, Gaara," Kankuro's voice came out soft, almost a whisper.
"I don't want to hear it," He snapped, the sand kicking up around him once again. "Kankuro, Sunshine, I'm leaving you in charge of a whole village, and you're going to act like children? Can I even trust you?" He paused, as if waiting for a reply. When one didn't come, he continued on. "Baki will be sending me both reports on village activities along with one on how well you guys work together while I'm gone. If I hear of anything that makes me unhappy, you can bet there will be punishment when I return." His dark eyes then turned and bore deep into Yukio's soul, making him stagger back a few more steps. "And you," He turned his back to all three of them, walking to where he was about a foot in front of Tylina. "You're on your way to a village that is not your own, and this is how you want to represent Suna?" He paused again and still no answer. With that, he moved forward, head hanging low and fists clenched, a small tornado of sand now spinning around his legs. Tylina threw a nasty look at the three stunned and frightened ninja before hurrying after Gaara. He now stood outside of Suna, staring at the vast amounts of sand that made up the desert.
"Are you okay?" Tylina asked gently, reaching forward and grabbing his hand. There was silence as the sand at Gaara's feet died down, but only a few seconds passed before Tylina noticed Gaara's shoulders heaving up and down. At first she thought he was crying, but when she stepped closer to hug him, she noticed the wide grin on his face.
"Do you think they'll behave now that I scared them?" He had a mischievous glint in his eye that at first made Tylina blink in confusion, but then, a smile much like his crossed her face as well.
"Dude, I bet they won't say a word for hours," She threw her arm around Gaara's shoulder and began to lead him away from the village, hoping she was going the right direction. "You scared the shit out of them." Gaara and Tylina walked on their own, Temari, Shikamaru, and Yukio soon falling in step pretty far behind, and silently, Tylina noted.
The walk across the desert was long and tiring. Tylina found herself drinking a lot of water, attempting to wash down the copious amount of sand that she was breathing in. She also felt disoriented from the heat, in addition to her eyesight being dulled by the bright sun above them. After what seemed like days of walking, but had really only been hours, Tylina began to see something in the distance. At first, she thought it to be a mirage, a trick being played on her by her mind that the sun's rays had definitely fried. However, the image didn't go away, and soon, Tylina realized it to be the edge of a forest. Thousands of thoughts ran through her mind as she began to make out the brown bark of the scolded trees. As they walked on, the trees became lively with green moss and leaves. Grass developed under her feet and the sand slowly faded away, which made her heart pound wildly in her chest. Not too much longer passed before she stopped. Without hesitation, she spun in a circle, taking in the sight of the dense forest around her. She fell to her knees and closed her eyes as she breathed in the scent of nature. The grass, the wind, the flowers, everything smelled so wonderful. Over the years, she had forgotten how much she loved the green life that now flourished around her. Something brushed her shoulder, bringing her from her thoughts. She glanced up and saw Gaara standing at her side, his hand lightly resting upon her. She felt a presence on her other side as well, and looked to her left to see Yukio crouching at her side, a smile on his face.
"Oh my," He whispered, peering over at Tylina and running his fingers through his hair. "It's been so long." And with that he belly flopped onto the grass, laughing loudly before rolling around like a five year old. Tylina giggled as she reached up and placed her hand on top of Gaara's.
"Thank you for bringing me," She muttered, still watching the icy haired boy as he jumped into a nearby tree and plucked a leaf from one of its branches. He ran his fingers over it repeatedly, as if making sure it was real.
"No, Tylina, thank you for watching over me," He squeezed her shoulder lightly. She looked up at him, mouth hanging open slightly. He chuckled at her expression before removing his hand from her shoulder and extending it to help her up. When she was on her feet, she glanced around once more, taking in everything around her. Then, she locked eyes with Gaara, a smirk on her face. Unexpecedly, she reached out and ruffled is hair, earning a growl from his lips.
"I hate it when you do that," He voiced.
"Yeah, I know," Her thoughts raged as she walked over to a nearby tree and placed her hand on the rough bark, feeling, loving the texture.
"You'll love this," Came Yukio's voice from next to her. She glanced to her right to find his eyes level with hers, however, he hung upside down, his feet planted firmly on the bottom of a branch that wasn't very high up. He extended his arm to her, shoving the leaf into her face. She stared at it before taking it into her hands and examining it, holding the object as if were extremely fragile. She ran her fingers over it, feelings it. She pressed it to her nose, smelling it.
"It's beautiful," She spoke lightly, smiling wide as she stared up at the trees that extended high above.
'Evergreen,' She mused, still not able to process the moment. 'The color of a thriving forest, something that grows and lives on forever. Life. Yes, evergreen is life.'