Fan Fiction ❯ The ORIGINAL Ayame Story ❯ The Fateful Night . . . ( Chapter 1 )

The Fateful Night . . .

I lay on back looking up at the sky. I was thinking about my past again when I suddenly sat up as I heard the sound of approaching feet.

"Hey, there you are!" called out Chang. "I was looking for you. You know what today is right?"

"How could I forget? You've been reminding me about it for the last couple weeks!" I said with a little laugh.

"Well why are you up here? I thought you'd want to start getting ready."

"I do but I don't know if I really am ready." I said with doubt in my voice. "There's a lot I don't even know about myself."

"Oh, cheer up! It's finally the day that you become a woman." Chang looked at me for a second, then said, "And you sure don't look like one from where I'm sitting."

"You know I don't like wearing those kimonos if I can help it. I just don't see why you seem to like them so much."

"Well I can't see how you can stand to be in boys' clothes either. Ayame Sukihara you look like a boy in that." We both started laughing at this comment. Well it was true. I, Ayame Sukihara, soon to become a woman, was really no woman at all. I dressed in boys clothes all the time, and spent more time hanging out with the boys in the forest or mountains playing capture instead of playing with dolls and gossiping about boys with the other girls.

"You know I don't like wearing kimonos." I said as I looked at Chang in her kimono. Chang is my best friend. She accepts me for who I am and doesn't try to change me, although she's a girl and plays with dolls and does all that a good girl should do. She's always been there for me and sticks up for me. And I do the same for her.

"Well I just don't see what's so bad about them. You hardly wear them except on holidays when you know you'll be in trouble if you don't. You know how the elders think it's important."

Oh yes, we both knew all right. In fact, if I was found wearing boys clothes in open day light in our village, I think most of the women would have fainted at the sight of me in boys' clothes and the men just stunned.

"Come on, if we don't get back soon, everyone will think that you've chickened out," said Chang as she stood up and dusted herself off.

I jumped up, "Chang-Mi Hikara, are you saying I'm chicken about becoming a woman?"

"Oh no, Not at all, Ayame dear. I think it's the kimono that's got you scared," she replied in a teasing manner.

"I will put on that kimono and become a woman. I want to become one but I also don't because that's when boys expect you to flirt." I stuck out my tongue. "Yuck!"

"Oh, it's not that bad. It's actually kind of fun," Chang giggled as she watched my expression.

"So, a couple weeks of being a woman has taught you everything you need to know about flirting?" I replied as we started walking down to the village. A couple weeks ago before she had her ceremony and she was nervous because she didn't know how to flirt. And it wasn't something our teachers taught us at our lessons on being a proper woman and good mother. Our teacher said it was something that we should be able to figure out for ourselves if we were real women. She said it was like our final test. Now Chang was flirting with all the cute guys. The thing she doesn't know is that I told all the nice guys that she had her eye on that she kind of liked them. That's why she's getting so many boys. I personally don't want to flirt. I like to play with them but I can't understand the so called "art" of flirting that my teacher, Ms. Kim Sok-Pak, calls it. She's all right as far as lady teachers I've had goes. She tells me that she does not approve of me sitting and eating with the boys during lunch hour. All young ladies who will soon become a woman must go through training. You must start two months before your ceremony. Luckily for me, Chang was there for most of the time; otherwise I think I wouldn't be where I am today, the day of my ceremony.

As we started to near the village, we side tracked and I changed back into my dress that I had worn out to the forest edge. There I keep a pair of boys' clothes and hide them well. Then I change into them when I go off to play and change when I come back to the village. As we neared the village entrance, I saw a small boy running up to us. As we got closer I saw it was Shou.

"Hey Ayame! Where are going? I thought you were gonna come with us and explore the cave we found yesterday. Heyon said it might be a great new hide out!" That's Shou. He's, I guess you could say, everyone's pet or favorite. He's everyone's kid brother. He's kinda scrawny looking but he's actually very strong for his age, and he can run almost as fast as some of the kids 3 years older than him.

"Oh yeah! Tell the guys I can't make it today," I said as I knelt down and picked up Shou and swung him around.

"But why can't you?" he pouted as I put him down. "You're the best tree climber, you're strong and can carry more logs than anyone! If it looks good, Heyon said we'd start building today! Come on we need you!" He gave me his puppy eyes.

"Sorry kid, that's not gonna work on me. And I can carry more logs than almost anyone. Plus you got Heyon to help you out." Heyon was like our leader. He was the oldest of us all, not to mention the strongest, most fit and most talented kid in our village. Chang said that a lot of girls had him on their list of who to flirt with. I had just laughed at this with her, but I did warn him about it. It wasn't too long after that, that a lot of the older girls started getting adventurous, although they didn't wear boys clothes or even boots. They somehow managed to find us hanging out just talking one day. I had to climb up into the nearest tree before they could see me. If they saw me, I bet they wouldn't hesitate to tell the village elders, not to mention they could black mail me by saying they wouldn't tell as long as I set a date up for them with Heyon. I didn't want anything to do with it, so I hid in the tree instead.

"Ayame we should get going. You still have to get ready for the ceremony." Chang reminded me.

"What ceremony?" Shou asked, suddenly curious.

"Oh it's - -" I started to say.

"Ayame has to go prepare for her ceremony this evening for when she becomes a woman," Chang finished. I wished she hadn't said anything because now Shou would most likely go tell all the guys at the cave. Well, no point in beating around the bush.

"Yeah kid, I'm gonna be a woman tonight." I bent down and whispered in his ear, "But you can tell the guys that doesn't mean I still can't kick their butts." I winked at him and his eyes had a mischievous glimmer. "O.K., now go tell them."

"O.K. Will you play later Ayame?" he asked, giving his puppy eyes again.

"O.K. I promise I'll sneak out tonight and meet you and the guys at the cave. Remember the usual time. Now get goin'." I ruffled his hair and he laughed and ran off to the secret cave on the east side of the mountain.

"You'll make a good mother, Ayame." Chang teased as we headed for my house.

"Oh be quiet Chang, I'll never be half as good a mother as you'll be." I said, both out of truth and modesty.

"Yeah, but I don't know what to do if I have a son. If I have a daughter, then I'll know exactly what to do, but what do I do if I have a son?"

"Chang, you worry too much. Well, I'll know what to do about a son, but I'm not that good with little girls." We laughed as we reached my house.

"Well, Ayame, are you ready to try on............THE DRESS!"

"Oh, please, Chang I'm not scared of them. I just don't like wearing them," I said as we both laughed.

"Hey mom, I'm home! Chang's here to help me get ready," I called out as Chang and I took off our shoes.

"Good afternoon, Miss Sukihara," Chang said as she bowed lightly to my mother before we headed off to my room.

"Oh, don't forget you need to have a bath before you get into that new kimono I made you." My mother called from the kitchen. I think she was still preparing the food. When you become a woman, your ceremony is shared by the whole village. Mother was cooking for the rejoicing after the ceremony. Many people would come to congratulate me and my mother.

That was one of the reasons I went off on my own today. I didn't know about my past. I didn't know who my father was, or if I even had a father. I was already having serious doubts that my mother was my real mom. I'm pretty sure she is, but what about my dad. Why did he leave? Does he even know about me? Or that today I become a woman? Was he disappointed that I wasn't a boy? All these questions were going through my head as I took my bath. When I finished I stepped out and dried off. Then I went into my room and put on my new under skirt. It fit perfectly. My mother was an excellent seamstress. That's one of the ways mother made a living. She was the one who made cloth and sewed clothes for the villagers.

My new kimono was lying out on the chair in my room. It was beautiful. I couldn't help it even if I didn't like them, I felt so happy. Just as I was trying to get my belt on, Chang walked in the door.

"Hey, you need help?" she asked, and before I could answer she was behind me, tying my belt securely so it would stay, and starting to wrap the bow.

"I think this is the prettiest kimono I've ever seen. You're mother sure is good with her hands," Chang commented as she finished tying it for me. "There you go. All done."

"Thanks, Chang. Now what do I do?" I hadn't done this and Chang had, so I thought she would know. I didn't feel like disturbing my mother while she was trying to finish up the cooking.

Chang pulled out a medium sized purse. "Now. It's time for the make-up." A gleaming flash of playfulness sprung into her eyes.

"You better do a good job and not make me look bad Chang," I said getting a little nervous.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." She said as she started.

Half an hour later she was done. And she was right, she did know what she was doing. I looked great.

"Wow, this looks great, Chang!" I said, trying not to sound too excited.

"Don't mention it, Ayame. You deserve to have a happy day."

By now the sun was starting to set and it was almost time for the ceremony to start. I wanted to get some fresh air before it was time, so I went out back. Our house is right at the edge of the forest so I can just stand there and feel like I'm in the forest without having to go in to it and get all dirty. My mom doesn't like it when I get too dirty. I'm just grateful that she lets me hang out with the guys of the village.

Just then I heard screams break out in the village. I herd the loud cry of men, women, and children all screaming. And I heard the sound of metal against metal. It was the sound of clashing swords. I ran into my house and saw from around the corner of my room that my mother was being tied up and carried out by a muscular looking man to a cart where they seamed to be placing all the women. In an instant I was on top of the man tackling him and beating him up as best I could in a fancy layered kimono. Then I felt the ground leave my feet. And I was being pressed against the wall by a large hand. I could tell he was holding me by my neck because it was getting harder to breathe. Then I hit the floor. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Chang pounding on the man. Things were getting darker and then I saw him tie up Chang and he threw her over his shoulder. He set her down next to where I was lying and he tied me up as well. Then he looked at us together, picked up Chang, and just kicked me in my stomach several times over and over again. I rolled over a couple times before hitting the wall. Chang was screaming and crying all at once. On his way out, he passed me, and then he stopped at my mom. He took out his sword, and smiled at me. I was too weak to do anything to save my mother. I knew what was going to happen then. He thrust the sword into her. I heard him laugh as I finally passed out, and I heard Chang's scared voice calling out my name.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~