Iris and Crimson

-Gaara-

“Now, let’s look at her, shall we?” Tsunade said with a huge smile. My eyes widened, when did she get here?

“Who are you?” I heard the queen and king ask behind me.

“I am Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage” Tsuande said. The King and Queen nodded but they were still confused. Sakura was now in front of me, checking Ayame’s pulse etc.

“Hm, this poison is similar to Sasori’s. It takes about 24 hours to kill you” Sakura said.

“You can tell so much by just a brief examination?” The king asked, shocked. Sakura smiled and nodded.

“So, if it’s like Sasori’s, then we have to do the same operation we did too Kankuro?” Temari asked. Sakura nodded and I frowned.

“Operation? Kankuro?” I asked.

“Oh yeah, you were captured by the Akatsuki then.” Temari said. I nodded and followed Reira to the medical room so that Sakura could take care of Ayame. Since the Royal family had their own medical squad we were ordered to leave the room.

We all sat outside, waiting.

“This is all my fault” I mumbled finally. The king frowned at me and then shook his head.

“It’s not your fault, Gaara” he tried to comfort me.

“No, but if I only realized what she was trying to do….” I protested but the king shushed me. I sighed and closed my eyes.

About an hour later, Sakura walked out of the room. We all looked up, our hopes high.

“Her life is no longer in danger” Sakura said. We all sighed of relief.

“May we see her?” I asked. Sakura nodded and allowed us in. Ayame was asleep on a bed in the middle of the room. On the table next to it was many tubes and bowls which was most likely used for the operation.

Tsunade was looking over some papers, making notes and often taking a sip of water.

The first person to burst out in tears and run over to Ayame’s sleeping body was surprisingly, the queen.

The queen was now on her knees, resting her head in her arms which was on the bed next to Ayame’s arm. I didn’t know that the queen cares so much for Ayame. They’re not even related by blood.

The king comforted the queen while Sara, Freya and Juuri just smiled as they watched their parents. Temari and Kankuro were talking to Sakura and I was just standing there, staring at the world’s most beautiful girl.

“Um, your majesty, do you have a medicinal herb garden?” Tsunade asked. The king nodded and ordered one of the guards to take Tsunade and Sakura to the garden to make an antidote for Ayame.

The king and queen left short thereafter along with the other three princesses so I was the only one left. I decided to go get some flowers for Ayame so I headed for the village market.

It didn’t take me long to find the flower stall or shop. But there were so many flowers to choose from I couldn’t make up my mind. I sweatdropped.

“May I help you?” the owner asked me. I smiled and nodded.

“I’m looking for flowers” I said. The woman smiled at me.

“For who? Your mother or girlfriend?” she asked.

“Um, she isn’t my girlfriend….but something for the Princess, after all she is being hospitalized at the moment” I said as I looked at a bunch of roses.

“Princess Ayame? I heard! It’s terrible! She took poison for someone else. That person is lucky to have her care so much for him!” The woman said. I chuckled. The woman didn’t know I was the one she ‘saved’.

“Well, it it’s Princess Ayame I would buy Irises if I were you” the woman finally said. I chuckled again. Stupid me, her name is a flower.

“Princess Ayame loves Irises. She always comes to buy them here” the woman said as she pointed at the Irises. I paid the woman and left.

-Ayame-

It’s warm. I feel so, happy. Is this how someone feels when you died? When you go to heaven? Awhile ago I felt so cold, almost like kunai was stabbing me everywhere. But now I feel so………calm.

“Ayame?” I heard a familiar voice call to me. The voice seemed so far. But I knew that voice. The voice of the man I loved with all my heart. I was defiantly in heaven.

“Ayame?” I heard his voice again. I searched for him but I was surrounded by sheer darkness. This couldn’t be right. Where was Gaara?

Suddenly I saw far in the distance a light. I walked towards it.

“Aya?” I heard my mother’s voice call in the direction of the light. I gasped. Now I was running. My mother died ages ago, but her voice was still so clear to me. I was in heaven, and that means I can see my mother again!

I ran as fast as I could. I even tripped. How can you trip in heaven? Whatever.

I ran and ran. Until finally I reached a garden. My mother’s garden. She was sitting on the bench as she always did. Her long white hair loose. She had on her favorite Junihitoe and her bare feet was in the water of the pond.

“Mother?” I called. She looked at me over her shoulder. She was still as beautiful as I remembered. Her eyes that was the same color as mine, her lips, her nose…everything was the same.

My mother stood and smiled. She walked over to me and gave me a tight hug.

“See mother, now I am dead too” I said through my sobs of joy. My mother shook her head and let go of me.

“No, Aya, your time has not yet come” my mother said in a stern voice. I frowned.

“But-“ I protested.

“Gaara is waiting for you” my mother said. My heart skipped a beat and I blushed. How did my mother know of him?

“How did you?” I asked.

“I’m your mother, I am always watching over you” my mother said with a large smile.

“But….I broke his heart…how can he be waiting for me?” I asked.

“He realized the truth” my mother said flatly.

“But, I am dead, am I not?” I asked. My mother chuckled and shook her head.

“You are alive, now go!” My mother said as she started to fade away just like a ghost.

“Mother!” I yelled. She smiled.

“I love you, Aya, remember that, and tell Gaara the same” she said and then she was gone. And then the blackness took over.The world came to me in a blur. I heard mumbling over me. I spotted someone leaning over me but I couldn’t see who it was, but his red hair gave it away. My sight was still completely blurry so I couldn’t see his face.

I held out my hand to touch his cheek. I hesitated but felt Gaara’s hand take mine and place it against his cheek. Now that shocked me.

“Gaara?” I managed to choke out. I heard gasps and sighs of relieves among the other people.

“Yes?” Gaara asked, calmly. I smiled and closed my eyes.

“I can’t see” I mumbled.

“The antidote is on its way” I heard Sakura say. What was she doing here? Where was I?

“You’re in Cloud Kingdom” Gaara said as if he read my mind. I relaxed. I was back home. I felt someone else take my free hand.

“Oh, Ayame! I was so worried!” I heard a female voice cry.

“Haruna?” I asked, shocked. My step-mother was worried about me. ME!

“Yeah, you worried all of us” I heard another voice say. I gasped.

“Julien? What are you doing here?” I asked, remembering the past events.

“The queen came crying on her knees for forgiveness” Julien said as he chuckled. I heard Haruna growl. I smiled. Haruna was no longer the horrid beast I thought she was.

“Ayame, you’ll have to sit up to drink the antidote” I heard an unfamiliar voice say. Gaara helped me sit up and handed me a cup. Gaara supported me as I tried to swallow it all and finally it was in.

I fell back over on my back.

“You should be able to see again in awhile” The unfamiliar voice said again.

I nodded and recognized a familiar scent in the room.

“Irises?” I asked.

“Yeah, Gaara brought them for you” Juuri said. I smiled and pulled Gaara closer (since I was now holding his hand) and whispered in his ear.

“Thank you”

I could imagine Gaara smiling.

He whispered back: “You’re welcome”