READ MEMO! REALLY REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT!
The sand rages, the wind howls and spreads its fury across the bare land. A lone figure
desperately drags her way towards the large village, near death. The freezing temperature
and the raging sandstorm was eating at her life, but that village was her only hope, her
only hope in life.
Deep pools of emerald look out into the plains of sand as
the wind thrashes its brown particles; spreading its raging debris through out the silent
village. Narrowing her eyes at the distasteful weather, she mutters something about
hating sandstorms. Resting on a hand, she continues to look out dully at her home,
wishing it'd be less boring and more eventful. The only excitement that gets around here
would be sandstorms and work, which were not really exciting in the least. She wished
she at least had a decent friend, or a sister. She wanted someone who she can express her
inner feelings and share secrets with, blow steam off on, and go shopping with. Temari
turns around to glance at her working brothers, Kankuro and Gaara. Who were ignoring
each other.
Why don't they talk to each other? Cherish one another's
existence? Gaara got rid of Shukaku! Plus he's the Kazekage ... gosh, stupid Kankuro.
The oldest sister scowls at her first brother, wanting to smudge his stupid purple paint
and ruin his makeup for being such a jerk. She really hates how her younger siblings
could not talk to each other and such. To be quite honest, she had been like that before.
But what she had learned from her mother was the best cure is love; and she still had
believed in that cure.
"Oi, Temari, why don't you help us do some work?
Stop daydreaming about that Shikamaru guy," Kankuro looks up from reading a contract,
his eyes half open from exhaustion. Temari growls and glares at the purple painted face
of her brother, she had really hated him at the moment.
"Oh will you shut the
hell up? I don't even know what the hell you are talking about!"
"Sure you
don't. Now come help me finish these contracts!" Crossing her arms and posing her chin
up, she angrily looks away back towards the window, absently looking out.
Temari can hear her brother mutter incoherencies but had continued to work, now fully
awake. Maybe he fights with me to keep himself awake ... Temari thinks to
herself, feeling her anger cease.
"Gosh, this sandstorm is horrible ..." The
oldest sister comments, stating the obvious.
Kankuro snorts, "When were
sandstorms not horrible? They never bring anything good, except dead stuff and a
whole shit load of sand to clean."
Temari shrugs, agreeing with her slightly
smart brother, "I just wish it'd be more beneficial to us or more ... fun." Her gaze stays on
the infuriated storm, she was about to groan and walk away ... until something caught the
pair of dark green eyes. "What the..."
"What? What is it?" Kankuro
immediately gets up from his unfinished pile of work and walks over to the window as
Temari tries to make out ... something.
"Is that a cat? Wait-- no, it ... it looks
like a ..." The whole room freezes, the only thing that can be heard were the murderous
bellowing of the tempest. She had been sure ... it was most definitely... "Gaara! There is
someone outside!"
The smell of anesthetics fills in her nostrils and the bright
white lights blinds her. The cold, monotone voice of a doctor speaking could be heard.
Was he talking about me? Was he talking about how crazy it was to be out in such a
weather and how even more insane it was that I was still alive? Probably.
"Yes, it is quite a miracle that she lived ... had you not saved her
Kazekage-sama, the girl would have been doomed,"
Kazekage? What the
hell ... Straining, the injured girl pushes her half dead body up, leaning it on the wall
that laid behind her. Four pairs of eyes shifted in the direction of her frail body, brown,
green, brown, and teal. Interesting pattern of eyes.
The doctor, was
easily identified, the white coat had given that away. What really caught her interest were
the other three that seemed to be together. One of them was kind of stalky, in a muscular
way with a purple markings on his face and a weird black jumpsuit; he had maroon hair.
The more noticeable one, a girl, had blond hair that went into four ponytails. And the last
one ... the last one had resembled a raccoon. Rings of black circled his eyes of teal, his
hair was maroon like the other guys, but his built was not bulky ... he had looked more
lean and he had no eyebrows, and the sign 'ai' was grazed on the left of his forehead.
"Miss? Do you hear me?" The stench of rubber gloves travels to her nose as
the doctor waves his hands in front of her face. Frowning at the displeasing scent, she
nodded. "You still look badly hurt, you should lay down." Advised the physician as the
group of three walks over to examine her. Reluctantly, the girl lies down, but does not
close her sapphire eyes. "Can you speak, miss?" He asks, scribbling down some notes of
the patients progress.
She nods.
"May I ask what your name
is?"
With much straining and a whole lot of pains, she opens her mouth and in
a scratchy but loud voice, she whispers, "Mariko."
The doctor nods, and jots
something down on his clipboard. "Good, good ... Where did you come
from?"
Wearied, the girl looks at the doctor, her expression had been worned
and confused, "I don't know. I do not really remember anything ... I don't even know why
I am here or how I got here ... "
"Is she suffering from amnesia?" Temari
asks, bewilderment filling her eyes. Her brothers had also wondered the
same.
The doctor skims through his notes until he reached a certain page of
his notes, " .... It doesn't say anything about head injuries, her skull wasn't damaged ... nor
was her brain." Perplexed, the doctor stares hard at the floor, as if it would speak to him
and tell him what was the cause of the amnesia.
Finding this quite annoying,
Kankuro waved the doctor off, "Ano (hey) doc, you don't have to stress out over this. If
you don't know it's fine. Amnesia ain't gonna hurt anyone." Nodding, the doctor excuses
himself to tend to another patient, who was more in need than the memory-less girl. "So
what are we gonna do with her?" Kankuro glances at the girl, Mariko.
Temari
examines the healing patient and smirks, "Let the elders decide of course, I doubt Gaara
wants to go through the trouble of doing it. I will go schedule an appointment with them
tomorrow for you, Kazekage-sama." So with everything all planned out for their younger
brother, the two quickly dashed out of the hospital in the now calmed desert. Leaving the
equally peaceful Gaara to ponder.
The next morning, Gaara immediately left
to the hospital to take care of business. Intrigued, the Kazekage watches the girl struggle
to pull her aching body up from the bed. The doctor had warned him when he came in
the morning to keep her from doing that and that it might make her condition worse. But
some movement might do her some good. Lying there like a vegetable wasn't Gaara's
idea of getting better, but then again this was just an average girl, not him. He mentally
sighs to himself, and thought best to follow the expert physician's orders, "You should
rest."
For the first time, Gaara had spoke to her, his low voice had sounded
so blunt ... it matched well with his expression.
"I-I rather not ... I want to get
out of here," Mariko stammers from the pain of pulling, then collapses on her bed and
defeated for the fiftieth time, "Damn it ..." she lies in bed, her varied colored brown hair
had disarrayed all over her sullen face, her blue eyes glazed with exhaustion. "So ... what
are you gonna do with me?" She looks into the teal eyes of the ruler, giving off the feel of
question.
"We are waiting for the elders to decide that." Was all she got out
of the emotionless Gaara. He waited silently, watching the girl work in vain to get herself
in a sitting position, again.
Hearing footsteps, Gaara looks up at the door,
"Kazekage-sama, good morning." The group of three elders bows lowly, Gaara nods his
head. Then looks back at the now still Mariko, who had looked at the newcomers
curiously. "Is this the girl?" One of the elders walk closer to Mariko's paralyzed body,
making her shrink back farther. "It is all right child, I will not harm you." he chuckles
warmly.
"This is the girl who survived the sandstorm? She looks so frail and
weak ... truly, this is quite a phenomenon." Another elder, who was a man, muses aloud.
Mariko glares lightly at him, feeling quite offended, You try crawling out there in that
mess of a storm! "Of course, she would not have lived any longer had it not been for
you, Kazekage-sama." The second elder compliments Gaara, who nods politely. The
occupants of the room bore their fascination into the slightly embarrassed Mariko. "What
is her name by the way?" The first elder asks Gaara, backing up from your
bed.
"Mariko, that is all she remembers, her amnesia caused her to lose most
of her memories," Came the monotone reply. "What should we do with her?"
The elders looked at each other, they nodded with much satisfaction, "Kazekage-sama,
we believe this is a special ... gift, from the Sand God." If Gaara had any eyebrows to
arch, this would be the time to do so ... it was such a crazy idea. Their age is getting to
them ... Gaara thinks sourly to himself as the wrinkled faces grin at their
leader.
"What do you mean ...?" Gaara did not know what to make of
this.
"Well Kazekage-sama, why else would she had lived so long? The Sand
God has sent us a sign, this girl, maybe she will help improve the lives of Suna! Or
maybe she is a gift for you and your family (Temari and Kankuro) for doing such a great
job at ruling!"
Gaara looks uneasily at Mariko, who looked quite startled.
These old fools were truly out of their mind. " ... What are you
implying?"
The elders beamed at one another, their heart was set on this
wondrous so called 'gift.' "Why, she is yours to keep! The gift was obviously for you, you
were the only one who could've gone out to get her!" All the excitement and ridiculous
yelling was getting a bit frustrating, Gaara can feel a small headache coming on. The
elders seem oblivious to the matter of course.
"Kazekage-sama, she is now
yours!" Gaara closes his eyes, thinking to himself, What the hell is wrong with these
people? Can't they take the time to do something else with her instead of putting all this
... shit on me?
After the exhilarated elders left, the best medic ninja came
and fully healed Mariko. She was to immediately go and live with Gaara and his family,
that was ordered by the elders. She was a bit upset that she had no say in what was to
become of her ... but then again, this Gaara guy did save her life. In addition to that, she
had nowhere to go ... she didnt even really know who she really was and how she had
got in the desert in the first place! Maybe the Sand God did send me here ...
Mariko looks over at her expressionless savior, and smiled ... she was sure lucky to be
alive. "So ... I am going to live with you guys? Serious?" Gaara, keeping his gaze forward,
nods. Not a very talkative guy, eh, at least he isnt loud and scary like those old
people were ... Mariko shudders at the thought of the old people yelling, overjoyed
and all that weird stuff. She reminded herself not to go too close to them, ever again. The
desert's sun beats down on the two as they walked through a street, Mariko trails close
behind the Kazekage, who was doing a good job at clearing a path.
"So,
what are you exactly?" she had been wondering what the hell this guy was to be getting
stuff from the Sand God.
Gaara glances behind him, then answers,
"Kazekage, leader of Suna."
Mariko politely nods her head, thanking him for
the information, "Wow ... sounds like an important job." Gaara does nothing to reply, but
he does stop walking. Stopping as well, Mariko looks at the house they had stopped in
front of. Judging by the height of the building, it seemed to belong to Gaara, it was a
plain terracotta colored home that had towered over the rest of the dome shaped houses.
This was to be her home. "Home sweet home ..."
Sitting at the table, the
siblings hear the brother they had waited for to come home. Although they had not really
known her, Mariko was the newest (and most exciting) thing that has appeared in this
village (for the time being). They wanted to know what had become of the gossip of the
day. Kankuro's jaw drops as a slightly shorter figure than his younger brother walks in,
and Temari's mouth suddely forms a large smile. They had all knew what was to happen.
"She will be living with us?!" Temari hops from her seat, overjoyed. She did not really
care to know why ... it just sounded nice to have another girl around!
"Yeah.
I am going back to work." Another curt answer, but it was not unusual. "Watch her. We
will discuss more of this when I come back,"
The Kazekage then leaves his
siblings and the sand gift behind, he could no longer stand the stress of taking care of
another person. He had to fill out applications for her, order more food, buy more
furniture, and all this other crap. She better not be a pain in the ass. was all he
thought about as he made a mental list of what to do for Mariko.
Kankuro
lays in Temari's bed, watching his sister and their new guest look through clothes.
"Temari-san, you really don't have to do this. It is enough that I am staying at your home,"
Mariko tries to stop the older girl from her ravaging of her overly large closet of
clothes.
"Oh, Mariko-chan, it isn't a problem at all! I don't mind it really.
Besides, you can't wear those old clothes. It's uncomfortable." Finally agreeing with
Temari, Mariko silences herself and watches the pretty blond dig through her
closet.
"So Mariko, what did the elders say to Gaara? What was their reason
of keeping you here?" Temari stops her rummaging and looks at Mariko, curious to as
why she was staying as well. Gaara was not one to disobey the elders' orders (not
anymore), but what wise reason had they persuaded him with?
"Well ..."
Mariko blushes, her lips form a thin, uncertain line, she had been embarrassed. Kankuro
and Temari traded befuddled looks. " ... The elders told Gaara-sama that umm ..." They
waited for her to answer as she decides whether to tell the brother and sister. "That I was
a gift from the Sand God, for him. Since he was the only person that could go out there to
get me ..." As soon as Mariko had finished, laughter bursted forth from her new friends,
they had laughed so loud, Konoha could hear their mirth! Tears had formed at their eyes
and they held their stomachs from laughing pains, Mariko has nervously chuckled at first
but was now amusingly waiting for Kankuro and Temari to finish. What was so funny?
Good question.
"What is so funny?" Mariko asks, Kankuro and Temari were
easing their glee.
Temari wipes tears away from her eyes and smiles widely at
Mariko, "Well, Mari-chan, it is just ... THE SAND GOD! Come one! That was like, first
grade stuff. I mean, thanks to him and all for making Suna ... but ... A GIFT? FROM THE
SAND GOD?" Once again the siblings exploded into fits of laughs, leaving Mariko to
wait again, I do not think this is in the least bit funny. I am really thankful that the
Sand God left me to live, and I am thankful to Gaara-sama as well! These two should try
being more respectful ... While the Suna ninjas laughed joyfully at the childish
thought, Mariko took the advantage to grab some pants and a tank and went to change. It
would probably take awhile for them to quiet down again.
After the laughing
and changing, Kankuro and Temari take Mariko around the house, showing her each
room. "You will be sleeping with me for a couple of nights, until we get a bed for you,"
Mariko nods, not really minding if she had to sleep on the floor or on a bed. "Oh, there
are some rules to this house that Kankuro and I will have to go over with you." Temari
nods at Kankuro, who casually pulls out a list from his pocket and hands it to
you.
2. If you
must go, knock.
3. Stay quiet when Gaara is home.
4. Do not touch Gaara's
stuff.
5. Do not bother Gaara when he is working. Do not bother anyone if they are
working.
6. If someone looks pissed off. Leave them alone.
7. If a certain food
is no longer available or is needed, write on the list (on the fridge).
8. First come,
first serve.
9. If you are a nuisance, change it now.
10. Respect
everyone.
You chuckled at the first five rules, since they all
consisted of Gaara. "You guys sure are strict about Gaara-sama's
privacy."
"That is because he is really strict on it. He isn't much of a
loud kind of person. Maybe you could tell." Mariko nods, noting her conversation with
Gaara earlier. "He isn't open with anyone, he's the type that are kind of ... you know, he
doesn't trust people easily ... not even us, his sister and brother." This did not surprise
Mariko, he was not really a chatterbox when they had met and he did not really look
happy.
"Why is that?" She asks, people just did not act like that for no reason
... something must have happened in their lives that caused them to act this way. Temari
and Kankuro averted their gaze tothe floor and lowered their heads in a shameful
manner. "There is a cause to that unfortunate behavior. We do not really feel like ...
talking about that right now," Understanding, Mariko puts aside the issue for some other
time, "Feeling hungry?" Temari smiles, trying to lighten up the mood. Grinning, you nod
even though you were not in the mood to eat, it would be rude to refuse especially at such
an awkward moment.
"Are you guys all close?" The sudden question from
the brunette caused Temari and Kankuro to cease their eating.
"What?"
"Are you guys close? Gaara-sama, and you two." The weird atmosphere
between the three siblings had been pestering her. They had made Gaara sound like a bad
person, "Why do you treat him so differently and so distant?"
"We don't need
to answer you. You would not understand." Kankuro coldy replies, he then continues
eating his meal.
"I am sure what ever he had done ... has an explanation to it,
and I am going to guess that explanation has to do with his life with the people he is
surrounded by,"
Temari could feel her eyes tear up, her mind had flashed
back and went through so many memories of their mother and Gaara. She had already
understood the cause of his actions. She had known for quite awhile, she had blamed
herself for not being more invovled with the situation when it was not such a big
problem. Breathing slowly, her green eyes met the relaxed stare of blue, "The trouble had
taken effect when Gaara had been born ..."
Gaara walks into his home,
through the unlocked door, rubbing is temples. What a long day it had been for the hard
working Kazekage, he was, for once, glad to be home. Silently walking through the living
room, he could hear three voices chattering in the kitchen and laughing. They get
along already? Strange ... Gaara thinks to himself as he looks into the lit up kitchen.
Noticing him, his siblings immediately stood up and greeted him warmly and joyfully.
... What the hell ... Why are they so happy? Gaara maintains his blank face as his
brother and sister pat him on the back, laughing and smiling. Feeling a stare (a strong
sense he has obtained over his depressing childhood days), Gaara takes his eyes off of
Temari and Kankuro to the lone body that sat at the dining table in front of them. Cool
blue eyes greet him warmly, and a smile touches her lips. A true smile. His heart thumps
softly against his chest, the presence of everyone else in the room had disappeared,
except for her's. This was certainly a new feeling.
"Otooto (little brother)
how was work today? Not too tough on you without us there, was it?" Temari gently tugs
her brother to sit in a chair that had faced Mariko.
"No, not really." Ignoring
the bizarre feeling from the girl, Gaara softly replies, still not really what to make of the
sudden change.
Temari beams at her brother, proud that he had made some
response instead of a shrug or just saying nothing at all. She had always felt bad that he
was ignored and was abandoned by their family. Even their deceased uncle, Yashamaru,
had loathed his existance, he had even faked his kindness and love towards Sabaku no
Gaara. With each passing day, Temari had grown to love her little brother more (even if
the guy had murdered quite a number of people ...)... he had improved in so many ways,
for not only the sake of the village or himself, but for his family. For one, he did not
randomly kill, he was not as cruel and threatening, and he said thank you (and meant it).
She just wished she could show her brother just how much she cares and how much he
was appreciated.
"I filled out your forms for living here, Mariko." Gaara
plainly throws out, getting up from his seat. He was not sure how to handle the gushing
love he was receiving, so what better solution to solve this problem than to run
away?
Mariko stands up from her seat and bows, "Arigato gozaimasu (thank
you), Kazekage-sama."
Not saying anything, the Kazekage left for his room.
What has gotten into them .. Images of his sister and brother showering him with
greetings and smiles flashed through his mind, he really had no idea how to take it. And
that unusual feeling in his chest, was he sick? Probably. But there was this small feeling
of warmth that slowly started to rise.
When the closing of a door was heard,
Kankuro sighs in relief and slides in his chair, his smiling was starting to hurt his cheeks.
"That was very exhausting ... and painful," the puppeteer rubs his aching cheek, he has
not felt this tired eversince ... well, paperwork.
Temari on the other hand
thought different, "I thought it was really great! It feels nice to be ... loving," her eyes
twinkled with much joy, she was really happy that they had done that. "And we didn't get
a punishment for doing that! I told you so, baka!" Mariko laughs as she watches the
siblings argue, I wonder if I have any brothers or sisters ...She shrugs quietly to
herself and finishes her water. That thought will bre reserved for some late night
thinking. "That was a really good idea, Mari-chan," Temari praises you, while Kankuro
tries to get up from the floor. It seemed like Temari at some point and time had knocked
her brother to the ground.
You nodded, "It was annoying, had I been Gaara, I
would have took off running," Kankuro irritably remarks. Earning another smack from
his sister, Kankuro yelps and glares at her.
"That sort of attitude is not
acceptable in a family, Kankuro-kun." Mariko comments with a strict and teacher-like
tone. "Negativity is what drives people away ... why not think more positive once in a
while?"
Kankuro rolls his eyes, That is pretty stupid ... he tells
himself, in a negative way (lol).
"Why don't you tell my beast of a sister that?"
That Kankuro, he never learns. Mariko shuts her eyes tightly, hearing a loud smack, then
a thud, she opens her eyes to see a fuming Temari and an unconcious Kankuro. Oh ...
these three have a long, long way to go ...
Read memo? Read story? Go message&rate (:
Rate and message! :D I know. It was long, but it will all pay off! Patience is good x) (especially in my case). Anyway, thanks! Hope you had fun!
