Thanks to all that have taken the time to read and review. Your kind words mean a lot and I'm really happy you've enjoyed this story. As I've said before, this is the last chapter and it was imensly fun to write. I hope I don't disappoint any of you with it. Also, please vote in the poll on my profile page. It's for what I'll be working on next. It may be in your benefit to go back and read the last couple of chapters to understand this chapter. It may be confusing if you don't remember everything.
p.s Read slowly to get the full effect :P
Thanks again.
Inside the Fire
Chapter 4
"Tell me more about the fire trick," he said once she found him sitting by the fountain she had brought him to a few days ago. His hands were together in what looked like a circle and a look of pure concentration adorned his face. For the past two hours, he had been sitting on the small platform, thinking about what he had seen in the flames. So far, the only thing he managed to wrap his mind around was the fact that he longed for Temari.
The problem was, he didn't feel it.
He didn't feel love for the woman before him. It had to be lust. Who could resist Temari with her killer body and curves in all the right places? Surely, she couldn't be what his heart longed for the most. He had dreams, ambitions. And none of them involved that troublesome woman in the slightest. He wanted a normal life, a normal wife and two normal children. That's it. End of story.
So why did his heart beat that much faster when he saw her emerge from the shadows with an expression that crossed between fury and concern? It was obvious that she had been looking for him the whole time since he left the clearing of her Tirji. She moved to sit beside him on the cold marble and crossed her arms beneath her chest, trying to look pissed off.
"It's not a trick," she said haughtily and her voice screamed annoyance. "It's a mythical dance that is performed by the Princess of Suna. It's obligotory that I perform it every fortnight for the people. It gives them something to hope for."
He shrugged, not exactly taking in the finer details of what she had said. He was more interested in hearing about why the hell he had seen her in the flames. He turned to face her and noticed her eyes soften a little when she saw the look of pure curiosity on his face.
"That's not what I mean," he said, letting his fingers dip into the water of the fountain. "I want to know everything that happens inside the flames. Is there a chemical reaction in the brain that sets it off? Or is it something different? I haven't any more theories except for that."
She smiled as though he was stupid and at that moment, he felt it. Here he was in the middle of Sunagakure No Sato, the ancient (and supposedly lost) city, living amongst the people he had studied most of his life. Who was stupid enough to be kept prisoner? If he had a brain that worked, surely he would have tried to escape some time during the night. Surely; But no. He was still here and only now did the prospect of trying to escape actually cross his mind.
"No that's not it," she said and her voice was much more gentle than it had been a moment ago. "What you see is actually happening in that split second. Everything you see, feel and even smell is real. But nothing lasts forever and unfortunately, this only lasts for about six to eight seconds."
He nodded once, processing all of the information and storing it in the back of his mind. So what he experienced was real. He had actually felt and kissed Temari. But how was it real if she didn't remember any of it? It couldn't be real if she wasn't actually there and she had already proven that she was still performing the dance when he had experienced it.
"But lets just say that what I saw in the flame involved another person," he said, being very careful with his phrasing. "How could it be real if they're not actually there?" She adjusted herself on the seat and dipped her full hand into the water.
"It's real for you and you alone. If you see another person, you can feel, touch and smell them and everything is reality. But that may not be what their hearts desire the most so they won't feel or see it." He cringed at that. If Temari only knew what he had seen in the flame, she would surely skin him alive. He didn't want to think about her but the way her body molded to his in the flame was perfect and everything about that moment had felt right. But he knew she would never feel the same thing as he did. He didn't even feel it himself. It was just lust. Nothing more.
"What do you see in the flame?" he asked and he was careful to sound uncaring and detached. The last thing he needed was for her to be suspicious.
"I don't see anything. What my heart desires is impossible, therefore the Tirji cannot make it real," she told him and she had a far off expression on her perfect, flawless face. He didn't want to pry so he dropped it at that, not sure he wanted to know what she desired the most. She didn't seem ready to answer any more questions so he waited for her to return from her little dreamy state. It didn't take long and he felt that it was okay to proceed. What he wanted to say was 'Do you know what anyone else sees?' but what actually came out was,
"I saw you in the flame."
The words hung in the air between them. She wanted to say something but her mouth just opened and closed like a fish. Her heart was thumping in her chest. Had she heard right? She was thinking of something so say or ask. Something like "what was I doing?" or "Oh my Kami, you're such a pervert" but neither of those things could satisfy her. He didn't give her a chance to think of anything else.
"I saw you in the flame and I was holding you, kissing you," he told her and his voice was filled with anguish as though it hurt to even say it. "And I didn't want it to stop. I wanted to keep kissing you and it's the stupidest thing I've ever thought of in my entire life."
She pretended she wasn't hurt by the last part. What was so stupid about it? Instead, she turned more fully towards him.
"I understand. It's nothing more than basic desire. The body of a foreign woman must be appealing to you. It's only natural," and she said it with so much confidence that he looked at her and right there, he knew she was right. Her eyes were hard as though she was trying to convince herself of her words. She was looking at the moon, her teal eyes still piercing and much more beautiful than any silver orb in the sky. He nodded once but she didn't see him.
"I guess you're right. It's nothing but hormones. It's natural to want to kiss you," he said before he could stop himself. It was like word vomit. The words just came spewing out of his mouth. She turned sharpely to him, her mouth doing the fish thing again. Now, she honestly didn't know what to say. She wanted to tell him to leave, maybe have a guard or two escort him out of Sunagakure so that he could find his own way back to the camp he was supposed to be staying at. But that thought alone hurt far too much. Much more than it ever should have.
"Then I think you should," she said because for the first time, she was actually sure of what she was saying. His body wanted to kiss her and she'd be lying if she said that she wasn't curious. He looked at her like she had grown an extra head.
"Are you insane? That was the part where you were meant to slap me across the face and call it a day. You're not serious.." but when he saw her unspoken articulation in her defined features, he added, "...are you?
She looked at him and the moon was reflected in her eyes. The wind was barely there, nothing but a small breeze. The leaves of the nearby trees ruffled and the rest of the area was completely still. Shikamaru waited for his answer a little impatiently.
"I'm completely serious," and then she explained her reasoning; how it was natural to feel curious and natural to kiss another person. "I care about you Shikamaru."
He stood and she met his gaze. He looked like he had been physically wounded, his face contorted in pain. If she was joking, he didn't know what he would do. Why would she bother telling him this when he was to leave soon enough anyway. This was pointless.
To show how serious she was, she took his hand in hers and led him back to the Kazekage quarters. Gaara was gone into the Amazon after being called away by some of his most trusted advisors. He had business he needed to attend to so that left the huge house to themselves. The compound was in darkness and once inside, Temari lit a few candles. She guided Shikamaru into her room and gently pushed him onto her bed. He was too stunned to do anything else. Her bed smelled like lavender and spice, an odd combination but not a bad one. She was busy in the corner of her room, seemingly taking off her necklace and hanging it up on a nearby rack. He stayed completely still, not sure if this was a dream or a nightmare. And then she was in front of him with a candle in her hand.
"I'm going to perform the Tirji for you but with a candle. It won't have the big ceremonial thing that you saw before. It's simple really. If you still see me in the flames, then we will progress."
He nodded dumbly and waited for her to start. She closed her eyes and sang quietly, the fire flickering slightly before bursting outward. He found himself once again encased in the red flame. He opened his eyes; he didn't realise he had closed them and saw her once again. She was just standing there, not doing anything else. She was smiling at him and his heart leapt into his throat. She extended her hand to him and he took it carefully, unsure if this was what she wanted. Her smile was all the encouragement he needed but then the flames were gone and he was back in Temari's bedroom, sitting on her soft bed as her eyes snapped open along with his.
He looked at her for a second and she sat down next to him, tired of standing and waiting for his explanation. If he didn't see her in the flame, then it was obvious that his heart's greatest desire was nothing more than lust. If he did see her in the flame again, then maybe he actually felt something for her. Temari didn't like naming it. It wasn't "like" and it wasn't "love," it was just there. Some strange gnawing feeling in the pit of her gut and by the look on Shikamaru's face, she guessed he was feeling the same uncomfortable feeling.
"Well? What did you see?" she asked, and couldn't help but keep out the slight impatience from her voice. His eyes were glazed and he seemed to be thinking hard, staring into her eyes but not actually seeing them. He could faintly make out some shapes in the teal pits of sky and if he looked hard enough, he was sure he would be able to see clouds.
"I saw you again but it was different," he said and his voice sounded far away, even to himself. "You were just standing there smiling at me. Just standing there," he repeated as though he couldn't quite believe it himself. What could that possibly mean? He just wanted Temari around? Was that it? He couldn't help feel the sense of let down and he was angry at his heart for betraying him. How could he want something that he didn't know he wanted? It wasn't possible.
Temari remained quiet, looking at the candle she had set down on the small bedside table to her right. They remained in silence for five minutes before Shikamaru spoke.
"What now?" he asked and Temari looked at him once more.
"I think you should kiss me," she said but it wasn't really necessary. His body was already moving towards hers before she completed her sentence.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The next morning, Shikamaru awoke with a crick in his neck and an awful pain in his lower back. Upon further examination, he found the reason for his discomfort. Temari was lying on him, even though he was half sitting up. His head was prompt up against the head board of the bed and his legs lay tightly together. One of Temari's hands was at his lower back and she would probably have a pain in it when she woke. Her hair blocked most of his vision, having come out of its ties during the night. They were still fully clothed, having done nothing but kiss and talk for most of the night. It wasn't until the late hours of the morning that they actually fell asleep.
He found out so much about her. She hated tomatoes, liked apples and strawberries and her favourite animal was a ferret. Her mother died giving birth to Gaara and her father died a few years ago. She was the oldest, having taken care of her brothers ever since her mother's passing. She told him stories of her childhood and of how she, Gaara and Kankurou would pull pranks on the villagers. She laughed so hard as she remembered the face of a fish merchant who had lost his cart to some "accidental" fire.
And Shikamaru had just listened.
There was nothing more fascinating than all of Temari's facial expressions. Her eyes grew darker when she was happy and they stayed dark for the whole night. When she was remembering something, the corner of her mouth would turn up ever so slightly, something that could be easily missed but Shikamaru was an analyst. He looked for these things. He was actually quite curious as to who Kankurou was. He was the main character in most of Temari's stories and he seemed hilarious from what he was told. Apparently, he took the death of his mother the worst but had hidden it from everyone. He tried to be strong for both Temari and Gaara and Shikamaru found that to be admirable.
Managing to free his hand from the tangle that was Temari's hair, he rubbed the back of his neck gingerly, trying to free some of the soreness from the tight muscles. Temari groaned on top of him, the slight movement waking her from her sleep. She looked up groggily, eyes still half lidded as she took in Shikamaru's dishelved appearance before looking down at herself. Most likely to make sure she still had clothes on.
She climbed off of him ungracefully and sat down by his knees as he pulled himself into a sitting position. They remained quiet for a few seconds before Temari spoke.
"I had fun last night," she said and she looked at him carefully to judge his reaction.
"I did too," he said and for once, he truly meant what he was saying. Normally, when he was with his friends back in Konoha, they would ask him if he had fun and the usual response was very plain "yes". But this time, and he couldn't really explain why, he felt like he needed to say more. Looking at the woman before him, he realised he couldn't imagine never seeing her again. He would have to leave and it would hurt like hell. He knew it and there was no denying it. He felt something more for Temari than basic lust. Something much more. He wouldn't call it love because he didn't know what love was. He apparently loved his friends and family but all he saw was the need to protect them. With Temari, it was so much more.
"So what do you want to do today?" she asked, edging a little closer to him in the process. He noticed but didn't say anything.
"Would you mind if we went back to that star watching place? I wanna see it again before I-" he stopped before he finished it and Temari was silently thankful. She knew he had to leave soon but she wanted to put it out of her head for as long as she could.
"Yeah sure. No problem. I've been itching to get back there too. I just hope Gaara doesn't have any duties for me," she said, a bit more cheerful than before, trying to hide the fact that him leaving would hurt her more than it ever should.
After getting dressed, they made their way out of the house only to run into Tenten. She seemed to have been waiting for them outside for a few minutes. Her face was unusually grim and she didn't take her eyes off of Temari. The blond seemed to notice instantly and she closer to her best friend.
"They're back," said Tenten and Temari promptly stopped in her tracks. She shook her head slightly, trying to look firm and confident but both Tenten and Shikamaru could see she was a little worse for wear, even if Shikamaru didn't know why.
Tenten reached for Temari's arm but the blond pulled away. She didn't need pity.
"I was out on patrol when I saw them return. There's a bunch of them. Kankurou is leading the mission," said Tenten seriously, a small frown on her beautiful face. Temari remained frozen in place and it took a wave of Tenten's hand in her face to wake her up to reality.
"What's happening?" asked Shikamaru confused. What was this all about? He was slightly annoyed that he didn't know what was going on. Tenten looked at him and her eyes were sad.
"Um, Kankurou just got back from his research in the forest and it seems that he's found a few of your humans along the way. They're at the main gate at the moment."
Shikamaru froze in place, a complete statue. This was it? This was the lousy farewell he would get with Temari? He expected a tearful goodbye (even though he hated them) and maybe some sad music playing in the background. Instead, he got a slap of reality.
"Temari," he said but that was it. He couldn't think of anything else to say. Him saying her name seemed to have awoken her from her little daze. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along towards the main gate, not making eye contact once on the way. They arrived a few seconds later because of the speed at which she was pulling him.
"Shikamaru I have to tell you something before you go," she said but she seemed reluctant. "I knew that Kankurou had picked up some of your friends. Gaara told me during the dinner but I didn't want to tell you. Not yet. I didn't think they would be back for a few days and I didn't want to ruin the rest of your stay with anticipation. I'm sorry."
He didn't reply. He was angry with her for not telling him but it was kind of hard to keep any emotion in his body for more than a second. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that he would never see Temari again after today. It just wasn't fair.
The small crowd at the gate looked at them when they arrived and Tenten followed close behind, biting her top lip nervously. A man with dark brown hair and purple war paint on his face looked at Shikamaru with curious eyes before he seemed unfazed and returned to talking to his younger brother. Gaara looked at Temari when they reached the group and he frowned slightly. They all stared at each other before Shikamaru realised who was with them. Four of his friends; Chouji, Neji, Lee and Sakura were standing behind Kankurou, looking a little worse for wear. They must have been travelling for a few days. He ran towards his best friend and Chouji practically picked him up in a bear hug.
"I knew we would find you! I knew it! Ino didn't believe me and she's been crying for days!" he said, squeezing tighter and tighter with every word until he finally let go. Shikamaru rubbed his ribs but wasn't bothered by the pain. He couldn't help but laugh. The kind of laugh that occurs after a near death experience. He couldn't believe it. His friends were here! Sakura ran to him and he gave her a quick hug. They were never close but it was still nice to see her. Neji and remained quiet but Lee on the other hand made a huge fuss.
"SHIKAMARU-KUN! It is REFRESHING to have your YOUTHFULNESS with us once more! Gai-sensei would have been TERRIBLY worried if we returned to Konoha without you!" he said before striking his nice guy pose. Shikamaru smirked. It was even nice to see Lee again.
"Yeah I'm sure Lee. We can't have Gai-sensei upset now can we?" he asked, still smirking all the while. Lee nodded proudly, tears streaming down his face. There was tension in the air for all of ten seconds before Tenten squealed in delight.
"Oh, Gaara-sama! Can I keep these two?" she asked, rushing over to where Neji and Lee stood together. "They are sooo cuuute! I want them!"
Gaara rolled his eyes as she continued to examine them and then squeal. Lee looked positively delighted while Neji looked a little uncomfortable. She began pulling at his cheeks and speaking to him like he was a baby; "Who's a wittle cutie!"
Kankurou stepped forward and Shikamaru realised that he was far taller than anyone else. His chest was broad and his shoulders were square. He was the type of person that a wrestler would hate to fight. When he spoke, his voice was much deeper than anything Shikamaru had ever heard.
"I don't believe we've met. I'm Sabaku No Kankurou, Temari's younger brother," he said but he defintely didn't look it. Temari barely reached his shoulder. He extended a hand and Shikamaru took it, noticing how tight Kankurou sqeezed his hand. He almost winced but managed to refrain from doing so.
"It's nice to meet you," he said, trying to be nice for Temari's sake. She stood next to Gaara, completely silent and staring at her hands, not making eye contact with anyone. The breeze blew her hair softly, the small ponytails swaying ever so slightly. It wasn't cold but it wasn't exactly hot either. The sand beneath their feet was moist, someone obviously having poured water over it recently. Tenten continued pulling at both Neji and Lee's faces while Sakura looked amused and Chouji kept his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder as though fearing he would just disappear again. Shikamaru stepped forward, facing Temari though she refused to look at him. She didn't want to make this harder on either of them. She would miss him but she knew she could live without him. Time healed all wounds and she wasn't sure if this even was a wound. He was her friend. She liked his company. If she kept telling herself that, maybe she would believe it someday too. After all, it wasn't everyday that you found your solemate and the troublesome thing was, she knew she would never meet anyone like Shikamaru again.
He used his hand to life up her head until his eyes finally locked with hers. "I guess this is goodbye," he said, trying to remain indifferent although his voice cracked at the last word. Chouji, Sakura and Neji had the decency to look away, pretending to be in deep conversation with Kankurou. Lee and Gaara on the other hand found no such need. They continued to stare blatantly.
"I guess so," she said, taking his hand down from her face and tracing the lines on his knuckles with her fingers. He felt shivers run down his spine and he knew it had nothing to do with the breeze.
"I'll see you again someday," he said, trying to lighten the damp mood. Temari shook her head and smiled sadly.
"No you won't. There's no point in fooling ourselves into believing the opposite," she told him and managed to keep her voice from breaking. That was when Gaara looked away. He didn't want to see his sister's pained eyes any longer. Chouji turned to him, a sorrowful look in his eyes.
"Shikamaru, it's time to go. Everyone is so worried. We sent out a search party almost instantly and we found Kankurou... Well, more like he found us but that's besides the point.. Your mother and Ino haven't stopped crying," he said, his eyebrows furrowed as though he was telling himself that what he was saying had to be said.
Shikamaru nodded and looked at Temari once more. "Goodbye," he whispered and she nodded slightly.
"Goodbye." As the others thanked Kankurou for bringing them to Sunagakure, Shikamaru walked away, unable to look back at what he was leaving behind.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
2 days later
The sun was setting on the horizon in the Amazon rain forest. The soft soil squashed beneath their feet as the stomped their way through, moving branches out of their way as they did so. Neji held the map as Sakura worked the compass while Lee shouted out encouragement to the rest of the group. Chouji walked behind them with Shikamaru in silence. The latter hadn't wanted to talk since they had left Suna.
"You love her don't you?" asked Chouji, watching his best friends sad eyes. Shikamaru didn't say anything but looked away. That was all the reassurance Chouji needed."You should go back to her. I mean, that's what I would do if I was you. But I'm not you."
Shikamaru looked at his friend and met his eyes. "The difference between you and me is that you're not a coward."
Chouji seemed taken aback but quickly recovered. "You're not a coward Shikamaru. You're just afraid. There's nothing wrong with that."
"Chouji... I love her so much."
The larger of the two friends nodded sadly and stopped in his tracks, causing the rest of the group to do the same. "Well Shikamaru, it was nice knowing you. I'll miss you but don't worry. I'll tell the others that you wanted to stay. Or I could tell them that you were eaten alive by a bear. I'm sure they'd believe that one much more."
Shikamaru looked aghast. "Chouji, I can't just go back to Suna... To Temari. She doesn't feel the same way and I'm not in the mood for rejection," he said, walking on a few more steps but stopped when he realised that no one was following him. Was this an intervention?
Sakura handed him the compass in her hand and tied it onto a small rope before tying it in a knot to form a necklace. "If you ever get the chance Shikamaru-kun, come home for a visit. I'm sure everyone would like that," she said and for the first time, Shikamaru appreciated Sakura for what she was. She was Ino's best friend and while the blonde wasn't here, she played the role well.
Shikamaru took the necklace and draped it over his head and watched as it rested on his bare chest; he realised he had forgotten his old clothes. The others stared at him as he made up his mind. He knew what he had to do.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The sun was setting in Sunagakure, Twilight finally setting in. The Kazekage building loomed over the village, a dominant feature in the daily lives of the people. The streets were silent, almost as if they were respecting their princess. She needed quiet at the moment. Shikamaru leaving hurt far too much. Much more than it ever should have. It was like a pain in her chest, aching and aching every few seconds, when she thought of his smirk and his pineapple shaped hair.
Gaara was sitting behind his desk while Kankurou stood in front of him, giving his report on the mission's success.
"Everything went according to plan. Esmerild's tradition has been broken and Lord Kyoshi's spirit lives on." Temari barely registered what they were talking about. She was staring at her hands again, sitting in a small wooden chair in the corner of the large room. The paintings on the wall seemed to torment her. All of them of her family, of what they used to be. That was what she wanted more than anything. To have her family back together, in all its dysfunctional glory. The chances of that were slim and none. She could hear the conversation in the background but didn't register a word.
"I don't think the mission was a great one. Look at her. She can hardly stand. She needs him, just as legend tells us," said Kankurou, pointing a long thick finger at his sister. She looked like she was about to fall out of the chair, or die in the next few moments. She continued to stare at her hands, still feeling Shikamaru's hair run through them, see his mouth kissing the tips of each one. See him massaging her shoulders as they talked about absolute nonsense but enjoying each others company none the less.
"And if legend is correct, he's going to need her just as much. I know what you're going to say. Change for the people of Sunagakure could mean a disaster but the same routine for Temari will cause her to die. There's a fine line between Kazekage and brother. It's up to you to draw that line."
Temari vaguely heard her name being mentioned but couldn't bring herself to care. She felt like she was being eaten from the inside out. Like something was clawing at her heart, trying to rip it apart.
"Temari?" said Gaara, finally addressing his sister. When he got no response, he moved from behind the desk and made his way over to her. "Temari, are you okay?"
She looked up slowly, her eyes blood shot and her hands shaking. She nodded slowly, her mouth slightly open and completely dry.
"Do you miss him?" asked Kankurou, ignoring Gaara's disapproving glare. She nodded slowly once more, not meeting her brother's eyes. "Then it's settled," he said, clapping his big hands together. "The Nara boy has to come back. End of discussion."
It was amazing how Kankurou could command the Kazekage with a few simple words. Kazekage or not, Kankurou was his older brother and that at least deserved some merit. Gaara sat down again behind his desk and nodded once at Temari.
"You may go," he said and that was the last thing Temari heard before she ran from the office as fast as she could, down the streets of Suna to get to the thing she wanted the most.. Needed the most.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
When she arrived it was to find a blockage near the gates of Sunagakure. There were four guards there before but now they were surrounding one man. He seemed to be pleading with them, either that or telling them to "fuck off". It was hard to tell.
Temari flitted between the crowd, telling the occasional person to go home and waiting until they had turned the corner before proceeding. A man in dyed green animal skin stood just at the boundary of the village and her heart rose at the sight.
"My name is Nara Shikamaru. I stayed here! Now move out of my way, get that pointy stick out of my face and let me see Temari!" he shouted, an angry expression on his face. The guards didn't back down and continued to shout in incoherent voices. Shikamaru sighed in exasperation.
"I friggin' love that woman and you won't let me see her!? When she hears about this, someones going to get a foot up the ass!" Temari laughed, a true and honest laugh and even though it hadn't been long since he had walked out of her life, it felt like an eternity. He looked up at the sound and so did everyone else, eyes focusing on their princess. Shikamaru stopped mid-argument and dropped the bag in his hands before running towards her, much to the protest of the guards. She laughed as her picked her up and spun her around, hugging her so tightly that it almost hurt.
"I love you," he whispered into her soft gold hair, her bangs covering her eyes. Teal met onix and that was the only thing they saw for the rest of the night.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
3 days later
Kankurou stood outside the Kazekage building in his best clothes, an uncomfortable set of newly acquired animal skin that had been stitched together by Tenten. She stood next to him, hand on his arm as they walked towards the main fountain of Sunagakure. Civilians sat in rows upon rows of white seats, staring in admiration at the large pavilion that had been set up before hand. A man with dark brown hair and matching eyes stood in the center, his hands shaking with nerves. Music started and from behind the building, a beautiful woman in a light blue dress and blonde hair that reached just past her shoulders stepped out with her younger brother holding her hand. She walked towards the man in the pavilion and didn't see anyone else in the room. The common folk whispered in awe as their princess glided through them, a dazzling smile on her face. She reached the top of the pavilion and her brother kissed her forehead before taking his seat to the right beside his receptionist who was dabbing the corner of her eyes with a napkin.
The music was soft and and gentle when Shikamaru took Temari's hand, pulling her closer to him to just feel her there. They were supposed to dance but neither of them wanted to. This wasn't a wedding as Shikamaru originally thought. It was a ceremony, designed to empower the people. Something strange bubbled up inside him and from the looks of it, the same thing was happening to Temari. It felt like a bubble, too big to fit inside of him and needing to burst. His feet started moving and Temari allowed him to lead her in the dance, the bubble inside growing almost painful until..
Large white lights bursts from their skins, moving slowly and in random patterns as it danced around them. The pain was gone and the bubble had been burst and Shikamaru looked at the face before him. It was no longer Temari. It was another woman, one that he recognised from the numerous paintings in the Kazekage's building. Lady Esmerild was smiling at him and he knew in that second that he was no longer Shikamaru. The love he felt inside for this woman wasn't his own but it rivaled the way he felt about Temari. He knew that he was experiencing Lord Kyoshi's feelings. The civilians gasped in awe as they watched their history come alive.
"And so history repeats itself," said Kankurou to his brother who was sitting on his other side. Tenten continued to cry into his sleeve with constant gasps of "it's s-so beautiful!"
Gaara nodded, not exactly pleased with the loving expression on his sister's face but not exactly begrudging it either. It was nice to see her like this. The music stopped and Lady Esmerild and Lord Kyoshi disappeared, leaving a slightly confused Shikamaru and Temari. The crowd applauded and the couple practically ran to their home.
"Gaara. Do you regret letting history repeat itself?" asked Kankurou, eyeing his brother curiously. Gaara shook his head. "Legend tells us that history will continue to repeat itself. Whatever child Temari gives birth to will be the new leader and nothing will change that. I suppose constant isn't always a bad thing."
Kankurou nodded wisely. "He loves her. She loves him. It seems like the perfect ending doesn't it?" he asked. It was Tenten who answered him in Gaara's place, tears still streaming down her face.
"No... It's the perfect beginning."
~End~
And so this draws an end to my TemaShika AU Trilogy but you can be sure there will be more in the near future. I know that this story was very confusing so if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. The legend came into play again so if you're not familiar with it or you've forgotten, feel free to take a look at the previous chapters to understand them. I also want to thank everyone that has reviewed, favourited, alerted and read this story. I'm really glad you liked it. The poll on my page is to indicate what I'll be writing next. Please take a look at it!
Also, you may have noticed, the last line came from the movie "Anastasia" which I watched yesterday for the hundredth time! It wasn't really how I intended the story to end but I rather liked this new idea. It leaves enough room for a sequel if I ever feel the need to write one. You can be sure that it would chart the growing of Shikamaru and Temari's child as the ruler of Sunagakure. Just giving the heads up. So please review and let me know what you think. As I've already said, feel free to ask me any questions! *COOKIES AND MILK FOR ALL*