So we are all cool with the Kazekage living in a palace, yes? Good.
Also, anything in italics is Valentine's way of indicating that they are speaking in the 'old dialect'. I though the idea of 'old Japanese' would be quite cool and add another level of old-age romanticism, but now I'm not so sure…thoughts?
Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 21
Gaara's Return
As when you plunge, head first, into ice-cold water and emerge, gasping for air, fighting for life, our handsome prince found himself near-drowning, on the brink of consciousness. Slowly, steadily, he began to breathe easy. There was something weightless, something free about his current being that he could not understand; as though what had been tying him to the ground had suddenly set him free. All his emotions came tumbling in at once with relentless ambition; each one vying to be felt the most. Anger, happiness, sadness, grief, relief….all crept up and leapt on him with such ferocity that it was enough to send anyone to tears.
But Gaara did not let the heat of emotion get to him, for he could hear something calming, something like a cool breeze upon his brow, slowing down his thoughts, giving him peace. He heard her singing, welcoming him home.
"I am your undoubting follower; teach me, Gaara, how it is to love you."
"Ai?" The Kazekage opened his eyes and glanced around to find himself stood on the balcony of his bedroom. Feeling came rushing back into his fingertips and suddenly he could feel the hard stone of the balcony beneath his feet, the gentle breeze of the desert on his neck and the warmth of hearing birdsong. He felt strong, alive, ready to not let go of her.
"Gaara?" He heard an innocent and hopeful voice call out to him. Stepping between the white drapes that lead to his room, the Kazekage entered and came upon a sight that brought back that storm of emotions. There, sat upright and looking straight at him, was that doe-eyed beauty he had left on Earth. "Where have you been, Gaara?" Ai asked sweetly, standing from the bed. "I have been so alone." Gaara walked up to her swiftly and embraced her. She rested against his chest, a round teardrop fell from the tip of her nose.
"I am here now, Ai." The girl watched as a tear fell onto her hand that clutched onto the red fabric of Gaara's shirt. She looked up at him.
"For how long?"
"Forever."
Ai woke with a start as the bells of the temple in the village square began to chime with a low and thick-sounding GONG. She put a hand to her face and wiped her eyes quickly before remembering the conversation she had just had. She looked urgently around her, parted the drapes that surrounded her bed and looked around her room. Nothing. She leant against one of the posts of her bed and sighed. Had he been a dream?
Birdsong drifted in through her open window and Ai looked out onto daybreak. With a quick glance at the clock in her room she sighed before standing, to ready herself for prayers.
***
Gaara was never a very talkative child. Nor was he keen to express himself as he grew older; he remained in constant, unnerving silence. It was enough to drive anyone mad; how are you? What are you thinking? All questions that went unanswered for he was never willing to give a response. So what did Temari know of her younger brother? At the end of it all, what had he been to her? He was no longer a monster, that was clear. He no longer frightened her, in fact, he took orders from her! He listened to her and learnt to understand that her seniority to him meant something; it meant she knew better than him at times.
But what did she know of Gaara?
For the first time in her life, Temari was doubting herself. She was fearful of something that was not her brother. It was not even that she was wrong or lying, she was not scared of being to blame. But what she was terrified of, was remaining in the unknown.
Was Gaara really dead? She had seen it in the girl's eyes; Ai had slinked out of Gaara's room as though all the life had been forced out of her. The dancer had to be practically dragged from the balcony when they had found her. Temari and Kankuro stood with baited breath as they watched the delicate girl and waited. They knew Ai could tell them of Gaara's fate. How could they explain this belief? How could anyone. It just was.
And so, when Ai turned to them with that cold, blank stare, both were struck in the same manner as when a crisp cold air bites at your lungs. For a moment you cannot quite fathom that something so delicate cold hurt you, and eventually, you become numb to it. You become accustomed to the icy breeze.
As Temari sat in the living room that belonged to the Kazekage's family, curled up on the sofa, holding onto an empty clay mug, she wiped away a straying tear. Gaara was gone. She had seen it for herself in the broken glass of a photograph she had placed on her bedside table. She thought of Ai; that girl knew as little of the world as her brother did. Gaara was naive and alien to most things, including people. It shocked all in the household when Temari and Kankuro had found the two of them together. Well, seeing Gaara with a girl, that was not shocking; Temari had seen the way village girls would throw themselves at the tactless and unaware Kazekage. No, what had shocked her most was the way he would look at Ai; he was so full of love for that girl. And what had Temari done other than torn the two apart? What use was it now to think about it? Ai had not been seen for day-
"Temari-sama?" As though her thoughts were a premonition, the blond shinobi looked to the door of the living room to see Ai stood in a pale blue dress. A light pink veil with a gold trim on her head, looking as though she had stepped out of heaven and back onto the earth. The dancer had her long dark hair over one shoulder and was holding on to the cream coloured lamp that had become symbolic of her attachment to Gaara. Upon seeing Ai's face, Temari wiped another tear away quickly and gestured to the fireplace in the room.
The living room was a less ornate room than most in the palace; as part of the Kazekage's family quarters, it was only visited by the three siblings and occasionally their peers. Now, the room held vigil for its lost prince; candles lined every inch of the far wall. Along the mantlepiece, small tea lights and lanterns, much like Ai's, were lined up in respect for Gaara's absence. Hundreds of lights, from villagers, from the Kazekage's council, from overseas friends, were overseeing a little shrine for Gaara's safe return. All that could be heard was the light crackle of the fire and the chiming of jewellery as Ai placed her lantern amidst all the others.
Ai turned back to the room and looked at Temari whose face was red and swollen with grief. Slowly, as Ai tilted her head at the girl in sympathy, Temari began to gasp and nod her head and beckon Ai over hurriedly. The dancer obliged and knelt in front of the shinobi to embrace her. Blond strands of hair obscured Ai's view as Gaara's sister wept.
"Thank you." Temari whispered eventually. Ai, confused by this, raised an eyebrow at Temari as she moved away. "For being here," Temari explained, "Gaara was right. You are calming as the moon." Ai smiled softly.
"I would not-"
Forever.
The girl jumped to her feet, her arms went limp at her sides as she stared towards the door as though she had seen a ghost.
"Ai?" Temari asked, wiping her eyes. "What is it?" But Ai was already shaking her head in disbelief. The small chain of diamonds in her hair was threatening to fall out of place as her veil fell from her head. "Are you okay?" Ai was walking silently towards the doors which had closed behind her when she entered the room.
"What's wrong, Temari?" From another door way, leading to his bedroom, Kankuro entered upon hearing Temari talking to someone. As he looked around, he found an odd sight. His sister was sitting on the sofa, staring at Ai who walked slowly towards the doors of the living room, her heavy veil dragging on the floor, looking as though she had seen the impossible. This could only mean one thing. Kankuro's face became solemn. "Ai. Can you hear him?" But the dancer seemed undisturbed by Kankuro's question.
Ai reached the heavy, wooden doors of the living room and shook her head. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible. She placed both her hands softly on the large gold door handles and, with little strength, pushed the doors open. A frightful and wicked wind flew into the room.
In less than a second, Temari stood before her, the deadly kunoichi held her fan unfurled as she twirled it against the deadly breeze that had entered and shattered the lanterns behind them. Kankuro, kunai in hand, stood beside them, waiting for someone to enter.
After a few moments, Ai, who had ducked and held her hands above her head, lowered them slowly as the thing they were all waiting for, did not happen.
"What was that?" Temari asked slowly as her eyes adjusted to the change in light; the wind had tipped over most of the lanterns in the vigil, plunging the room into an eerie glow.
"I have no idea," Kankuro responded, replacing his kunai back into the fabric of his robes. "Ai?" The girl turned suddenly away from the doors to look back at the vigil. With wide eyes, Ai pointed to the direction of the mantlepiece. The two sand siblings followed her gaze, past the tipped over and shattered shards of unlucky lanterns, through the now-dark tea lights that had been blown out by the breeze, and up to the only remaining light in the room. There, amidst the darkness, Ai's lantern remained lit.
"Does it mean…?" Temari asked quietly, not wanting to get her hopes up. She looked down to Ai who remained silent, mystified by what was happening. A heartbeats silence passed.
"Go." Ai whispered suddenly. Temari looked up at Kankuro who seemed to be eyeing the dancer with scrutiny.
"Kankuro," her brother looked over to her, "gather reinforcements, let's move out." After a moments hesitation, Kankuro nodded, kissed Ai on the forehead and ran from the room. Temari did the same, leaving our heroine staring after them.
***
A hawk came with the message not long after Temari and Kankuro's departure. The Kazekage was saved from sure death by an elder of the village. Ai's ears began to ring as she listened through a locked door, into the council's meeting. A lump formed in her throat, her eyes began to burn as the whispers in the room began to turn into shouts of relief, of joy! She even heard one or two of the elders let out a gasp that sounded close to a sob.
"He shall return by noon," Ai tilted her head back to rest against the door, she practically slid down to the floor in relief. "Prepare the village for his welcome." The girl with the pink veil took to her feet and ran through the palace as though in some dream; her heart was light and her soul felt free. He was coming. Gaara was coming back to her.
***
If it had been hard to catch a glimpse of the moon since the Kazekage's capture, it was certainly not as difficult as this! Megumi had been searching for Ai for over an hour now. She had wandered through the palace gardens and searched through all the temples, but Ai was nowhere to be found.
Preparations for the Kazekage's return had been well underway since mid-morning and Ai was needed for all sorts of preparation. There was to be a funeral at noon when Gaara returned and a festival in the evening to celebrate. Paper lanterns on strings were already being hoisted up and strung between buildings. The colours of bubblegum pink, mint green and lemon yellow, were streaming from house to house. Villagers were jubilant and all of a sudden hungry; trays of food were being passed around with warm smiles and embraces for all. Flowers, all the shades of red and orange that this desert village had to offer, were placed outside of homes, in fountains, in girls' hair. There was music and laughter in the air for the first time in so long.
You could hear folk songs being sung in doorways, the clinking of glasses and chimes of temple bells. Even the sun seemed to shine more and heat up the Earth until the sand shone bronze and bright. Children ran from house to house, spreading the news, urging their grandmothers to make them sweets only brought out for special occasions. There was an air about Sunagakure that filled its inhabitants with courage and happiness.
And, as Megumi spied a pink veil vanish out of sight around a corner, it seemed one of the most important members of Suna was not so keen to join in the festivities.
"Ai!" Megumi announced as she entered the tower in which Ai had hidden herself away. "The temple bells are calling you," she exclaimed as she came to find Ai sitting on a window sill, looking down at the village. "Colours are raining in the streets, the village is set to rejoice, the flutes play out in the square, the girls are all twirling for you-!" Megumi stopped mid-twirl, she smiled affectionately, proudly, at her student and eyes began to burn a little. "Silly girl," Megumi said as Ai wiped her eyes on her veil. "Why are you locked away crying?" Ai released her veil so it hung from her head and licked the floor, it curled around a glass lantern. "Be sure your tears do not douse your lamp." As she spoke, Ai leant down and picked up the lantern. She peered into it as though to see him there.
"I am afraid, Megumi-sama," she said quietly, "no power on Earth could put out this flame." Megumi laughed and clapped her hands as though to ready Ai for work. The young girl looked up, a little startled.
"Your beloved Kazekage is returning." Megumi said, sounding as though she couldn't understand Ai's sombre mood. But she understood it. Any woman who has ever loved will remember the feeling that comes with the end of waiting. "I wish I could be young again," the elder courtesan laughed a little, "to remember this feeling. What is it like, my darling Ai, to be so in love?" Ai looked over at her and smiled a little.
"It is all I am." She said. How unusual, this songbird was usually full of melody and today, the day she should be ready to sing, it seemed she had lost her voice.
"Then why are you hiding yourself away?" Megumi asked. Ai shrugged and looked out of the window.
"I thought I could see better from here."
"You won't go down?" Her teacher urged her.
"Perhaps he will not want to see me." Ai said quietly, finally voicing her fears, "perhaps he will have forgotten me." Megumi rolled her eyes in an over-dramatic fashion.
"Perhaps Rajin himself will materialise and slap you to save my wrist the ache!" As her teacher approached her, Ai tried to hide her forehead but Megumi was too quick for her and rapped on it with her knuckles. "Perhaps your Kazekage is coming but only to glance at the moon," Megumi pushed aside Ai's hair from her face and began to speak in a forgotten tongue. "He loves you. We all knew it. Even before Gaara did. Now please come down so we can all hear him say it." Ai smiled and embraced her teacher.
***
"Ready?" Megumi asked Ai as she stood before all the women of the Tea House who resided at the palace.
"One moment!" From the back of the gathered crowd of dancers, who all stood in the main courtyard of the palace, a young dancer ran forwards and held up Ai's lantern before the crowd. "In case you lose your way," the crowd giggled around Ai as she blushed and smiled in thanks. Taking the lantern from the girl, who fell back into place, Ai stood before Megumi, at the head of the crowd, and nodded.
"Ready," she said and began to follow her teacher out of the courtyard. The courtesans, all dressed in colours of pinks, greens and yellows to match the paper lanterns in the village, had prepared trays of sweets for the festivities. Each girl carried some treasure in a tray as the procession headed out of the palace. Dressed in a pale green, the colour of Gaara's eyes, a trim of pink and white on her veil, Ai held only her lantern as she lead the girls out into the desert village.
Up went the parasols to shade them from the sun as they entered the village square. Orange coloured umbrellas with a lace trim gave shade to every girl as they met with the other townspeople, who smiled at them with warmth and excitement. Calls of the girls' resemblance to the sweets in their trays, echoed from the back of the slowly expanding crowd. Children ran out of their homes, dragging their elders to joining the festivities. Young girls of the village threw rose petals and confetti into the air as their mother's sang or scolded them for wasting the petals until the Kazekage were home. Shouts of jubilance echoed in the village square as, for the first time in a long time, the courtesans stood side by side with the villagers.
Perhaps it was a new beginning, Megumi thought as she glanced around, finding it odd that she was exchanging smiles with village women her own age. Or perhaps, she thought as she looked down to the unnaturally-quiet Ai, it was her doing. That girl was never one to follow rules and now, she lead them out, side by side with the rest of the village. The elder smiled as her eyes welled up; what a truly spectacular day this was going to be.
Beside her, Ai could not help but feel entirely different. What should she say to Gaara when they meet? Should she even greet him? His council members will surely greet him first…but then why should she greet him at all? They were no more than acquaintances in the public eye…weren't they? She had been so wrapped up in her own feelings that now, at the thought of facing him, she was terrified. She glanced around nervously and could barely smile when people recognised her and waved or called to her with affectionate nicknames. Her stomach was in knots; this was too much. Her grip was tightening on the handle of her lantern, which, in the middle of the day, was pointless. She must look a fool-!
"There they are!" Ai's heart jumped into her throat, she looked through the crowd to see, coming fast upon the horizon, a crowd of shinobi walking steadily towards the village. The ceremonial conch shell was hoisted into the air by a palace official and it's call of celebration echoed throughout the desert.
The courtesans, who were set to greet the Kazekage in the middle of the crowd, were lead by villagers with shouts of encouragement and cheering. Thousands of people gathered at the gates of Sunagakure and Ai's nervousness left her for a moment as she saw grown men wiping their eyes with relief at Gaara's return. She laughed as she saw them and was caught off guard when Miko grabbed her by the wrist and shook her to get Ai's attention.
"He's here, he's here!" Miko shouted and moved forwards with the rest of the girls. She did not notice Ai simply stand still and let the crowd move around her. Ai became swallowed by the surrounding crowd until she felt like an insignificant blur in the background. Ai turned slowly to face the palace and, hoping to remain unnoticed, began to make her way back. What had she been thinking? Was this even real?
Her thoughts of doubt were interrupted as she noticed the crowd fall silent. In fact they began to move away from her, they were making a clear path to the palace for the Kazekage. Ai moved between them and blended into the crowd. She could even see Megumi looking around for her as the procession began to enter through the gate to the village.
Ai kept her gaze downwards, not wanting to draw attention to herself, feeling perfectly hidden among the crowd. She looked up for a moment to glance pink hair walk past. Ai looked through the crowd to see Sakura, the Konoha ninja, walking beside a coffin with a heavy heart.
"Gaara-sama!" A shout of relief came from the crowd as the Kazekage began to follow after the coffin. Ai lowered her gaze again, hoping to go unnoticed. Why had she worn this colour? Amidst the villagers, all dressed in the colours of the desert, reds and earthy tones, she looked like a forgotten gemstone. Perhaps she could just move a little further towards the back?
The Kazekage walked side-by-side with his brother and closest friend; holding onto them for support as his body was still weak from death. The sun was near blinding and the crowd looked like a blur of reds and browns. He could hear cheering, girls calling out, squealing his name in that horrible way he never thought he would miss. But he did miss it; he longed to see his people again, to hoist the flag of his village against a red desert sun and stand together with his comrades. But there was something, he considered, as he saw the back of her darting between colourful banners, blending in with the pastel-coloured confetti, that he longed to see, much more than anything else.
"Naruto," he said softly, with what little energy he had. Upon hearing Gaara speak, Naruto glanced over to him and saw that look of determination in the Kazekage's eyes. Gently, Naruto let go of Gaara and Kankuro, who had already known what his brother was going to say, let Gaara take his first step alone. As he did so, the crowd quietened a little and parted for the Kazekage to walk alone.
The girl he was chasing after was darting between villagers, hiding among the colours, wanting to go unseen. The difficulty Ai was unaware of, was that Gaara could see no one else. She suddenly became aware that the villagers were moving away from her. She looked around to find eyes already on her, watching her with a small smile. What-?
"Ai?" The world stopped. She closed her eyes and took a breath. Was this real? As she opened her eyes she noticed the crowd around her disperse so she could be plainly seen by all. The girl in mint green turned slowly to face him, lowered her head and bowed slowly. Gaara gasped upon seeing her sweet face and laughed softly when she bowed.
"You bow to me?" Gaara asked teasingly. How could this girl think he were the one to be worshipped? He shook his head as she stood and, after a moment, their eyes met. Ai opened her mouth to speak but no words came to her. "How can you possibly bow to me?" Gaara asked, "your name took my last breath." Ai could not speak, she was paralysed by the sight of him. He stood so broad, so strong and achingly handsome, that there were no words to describe what she was feeling. The kazekage put a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head to him. "Do you know why?" He came in close and whispered, watching her eyes glisten over, her cheeks blush. "Because I have memorised you, Ai. You have become poetry. I have memorised you until you are the sound of my heartbeat." The girl smiled a little at him in a way that made all pain obsolete. Gaara took a step away from her to look at her properly, standing there, shy of him, aware that all eyes were on them. "I have often asked myself what was my reason for living." The Kazekage announced to a crowd in which all were near-tearful. "Now I know. It was to live just a few moments in the beauty of your grace." Ai immediately put a hand on Gaara's shoulder to stop him bowing. Many elders shared her reaction and gasped at this unorthodox display; a Kage bowing to a courtesan! Those who knew the pair, Gaara's siblings and Megumi included, actually found it quite funny.
Gaara was still mid-bow when Ai tried to push him to stand straight but to him, her strength was nothing. As a tear fell from Gaara's eyes and darkened the sand between them, the kazekage stood, pushed her hand away from him effortlessly and, holding onto her wrist, brought her in close.
"I love you." He gasped and kissed her forehead, "I am no longer incomplete, Ai, because I called you 'mine' even before I understood what that meant." Gaara took her face in his hands and rested his forehead against Ai's."I have memorised you, so you will remain in every moment with me, inori no yōna (like a prayer)." The crowd was cheering, confetti caught the breeze that twirled around the village. But in this moment there only stood Gaara and his Love.
Ai held out a hand to Naruto who looked shocked at being called to them. He approached with caution and was surprised when the girl simply struck her ring finger against a kunai that was tied to his jacket. She raised her finger up to Gaara's forehead, where her name met his skin.
"Death cannot part us, Gaara." She murmured softly, never letting her eyes leave his. She wiped her finger across the Kanji on his forehead, letting her blood trickle down his skin. "I am in love with you."