InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Difference Between Time and Distance: A Sesshoumaru Tale ❯ Questions ( Chapter 6 )

The broth scalded the roof of Ayame's mouth as she brought it up to sip. Barely awake, and already she was feeling overwhelmed. She remembered it perfectly.

 

“Kami! Are you all right Ayame? We were so worried!” squealed Kagome. In a fit of excitement she had thrown her arms around the barely awake girl, slumped up in a haphazard sitting position.

 

In the background Ayame could here InuYasha yell, “Oi! Wench! Your gonna kill her before she's even awake!”

 

Kagome pulled away, her eyes filled with relief, and Ayame smiled reassuringly, so the girl could know she was just fine.

 

“Are you sure?” Asked the young miko, “we really were worried. And to wake up at such a bad time as well…”

 

Ayame, for some reason—as memory grasped her pulling her down—rasped… the whisper came out as, “Sure… fine.”

 

In a flurry of motion and unanswered questions the food had been shoved in Ayame's weakened fingers.

 

She was quite uncomfortable at all the eyes turned her way. Surrounded by foreign people in odd clothes, Ayame was quite uncomfortable.

 

The tension of the air wrapped around her like a thick fog, un-breathable, and certainly palpable. The silent curiosity hovered around Ayame like mosquitoes in summer heat, heavy with humidity.

 

Filled, Ayame set down her bowl, ready to deflect the onslaught of interrogation. She was surprised though, when instead Kagome started to introduce her to the group.

 

Pointing at each character, she recited their names, “This is Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kaede, Kirara, and as you know, InuYasha.”

 

Ayame nodded with a shy smile, unsure of what to say, “Nice to meet you all…”

 

Miroku asked the first question, “Where do you come from? You are human… so?”

 

“She's from across the world, Miroku, and we don't need to be asking her that right now.” For what felt like the millionth time, Kagome turned to her, “Do you feel all right?”

 

“She's fine, wench, you already asked a freakin' thousand times!”

 

“Sorry, InuYasha, she's sick! Were not all indestructible hanyous! We want to make sure she's okay!”

 

InuYasha turned his back to her, eyes flat against his head, barely apparent, “Feh!”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes, turning her winning smile back on to Ayame, “Well, if your feeling well enough, would you like to tell us how you came here?”

 

Ayame, shifting from the weight of attention placed on her, began to pick at the blanket covering her.

 

“I don't really know,” she shrugged, “I just fell in, and then…”

 

Goosebumps spread across her body, though they came from no outside force. The images, the feelings, from that space of time truly did haunt her. reliving it as little as she could, she decided not to elaborate.

 

Silence suddenly reigned, and Kagome asked the true question, “Do you… wish to go back?”

 

Ayame didn't really know. She had barely been in this…world…time…place? There wasn't much missed at her home in Japan, or anywhere else, for that matter, but… how was she supposed to answer that?

 

`No! Leave me be!'

 

Ayame shrugged, eyes locked on her fumbling fingers.

 

“We could see if you are able to go back… I'm sure it would be possible. You already came through… me and InuYasha do it all the time.”

 

Dread gripped her chest. And unreasonable fear froze Ayame's form. Her shoulders tenses and rose the barest bit, and her fingers immediately stopped their perusal of the thin cloth.

 

The reaction did not go unnoticed by the group, and the other members in the hunt began to speak up.

 

With wise words, Kaede spoke up, “That can wait until the girl is feeling better. Young—Ayame? Is it?—is just recovering. There is enough time for that to happen.”

 

Ayame relaxed, the energy releasing her as almost as quickly as a puff of wind, and just as tangible.

 

“Thank you…” she murmured, ashamed at her weakness, and seemingly foundationless fear, “thank you very much…”

 

`What is going to happen to me?'

 

The question—like others—remained unanswered.

 

 

 

Sesshoumaru furiously slashed at a hapless tree, his frustration built up.

 

`Why am I like this?'

 

The answer didn't come to him as he slowly composed himself.

 

The fight had been interrupted, of that he was certain. By a weak human, he was most positive of that as well. No, what Sesshoumaru was really upset about was of how distracted he had gotten. A simple human—a mere human—had caused him to turn away from a fight: a battle with InuYasha, none the less.

 

`What is wrong with me?'

 

Again, the question was left floating in his mind, unsettled like a leaf in autumn.

 

Finally—finally—he was calm. Sesshoumaru straitened, turning in the direction of his destination, the TaiYoukai began to walk.

 

Rin had been left in a cave with Jaken. If anything, Sesshoumaru feared for the sanity of his royal retainers. It wouldn't surprise the demon of the girl somehow managed to turn a pile of stones into a wreath of flowers for the little imp.

 

 

The wind sifted through her hair as she leaned against the rickety fence set next to the old lady's garden.

 

A few feet away from Ayame say Kaede, methodically pulling weeds and checking up on the herbs used in poultices and teas. Ayame had offered to help, but the old priestess had smile and refused, her lined face seemed to enhance her kindness. What really attained Ayame's dislike of the old woman, though, was her cynical side.

 

Kaede didn't hesitate to make dry comments against Miroku, of sarcastic ones against InuYasha. Ayame liked the boys well enough, but… well; it made for a good laugh. And the every once in a while chuckle really helped.

 

Already Ayame was feeling better. There had been nothing really wrong with her. She figured it was just fatigue… shock, maybe? In any case, her strength had definitely been regained.

 

In fact, she felt almost perfectly fine.

 

Yet, somehow—though physically better—she would still have these nightmares. Well, not nightmares exactly… but… feelings. Somehow the feeling of the well would come back to Ayame, that feeling of total helplessness. It was as though she could never forget. It would catch her unaware; when she was leaning against a wall, helping shop some vegetables, dry some roots… it would just appear.

 

Ayame's eyes would go dull, her hands would pause, the world would tilt. These little episodes didn't go unnoticed, but Ayame would just wave them off like it was nothing.

 

The rest of the group didn't really understand her fear of the well. Kagome had asker her about it, but Ayame had replied.

 

“It just wasn't good.”

 

Ayame shook her thoughts away with a nod of her head, turning to look back at Kaede.

 

“Are you sure you wouldn't like any help?”

 

Kaede looked up, slight smile on her lips, “No, don't trouble yourself, girl, you need to rest.”

 

“Okay…” Ayame answered, a little uncertainly. She felt bad, sitting back and relaxing while somebody worked around her.

 

That had always been a problem of hers. Like anybody else, Ayame disliked boring, menial work. Or, at least, jobs that she had already mastered, brought her no pleasure, and were forced to do over and over again. Yet when she was allowed to sit back, relax, and do nothing, while somebody else performed a wary task right next to her…

 

Well, she felt uncomfortable.

 

In an effort to pull her mind away from the puffing woman a few feet away from her, Ayame began to swing her legs back and forth, like a bored child. Staring down at the hakama she wore, shoulders hitched up to her ears, she mused at the odd way the pants flowed about her legs.

 

Ayame wasn't yet all the way used to the clothes of ancient Japan. They were comfortable, but the feel of air sliding about her legs, and the odd twist at the waist of the hakama was slightly odd to her. To add to her misfortune, Ayame was constantly embarrassing herself by being shoved into clothing mishaps.

 

The most common problem was that she always became entangled in her own pants, tripping into things, and barely catching herself. Of course, the time when her shirt became un-tucked was worse, especially with the slits at her hips of the hakama.

 

She dealt with though, and after a few days, she had gotten used to them. Actually, she sort of liked them, now that she had learned how to wear them. The slits in the pants was the only part that bugged her now.

 

Ayame picked at those particular slits in the pants as she stared at the worn down path, which was almost a road, leading away from the old woman's hut. As she concentrated on the dust rising—a little difficult since the sun was setting and her eyesight was growing dull from the lack of sight—she spotted the familiar figures walking towards her in the distance.

 

Ayame grinned and jumped up, waiting with anticipation for them to get back. Kaede was interesting, certainly, but she didn't proved the…humor the rest of the group did.

 

A voice called out to her, waving at the same time, “Ayame! Come here!”

 

Ayame did as requested, walking lazily—contrary to her gut being wound up—and went to meet them.

 

Ayame had to contain had to stifle her giggles at the sight of the group, it was quite amusing. InuYasha was scowling fiercely, his eyes even more luminous with his outward appearance. Miroku had an appeasing smile on his face, trying to calm down Sango, no doubt, who had her arms crossed, a furious frown on her face.

 

Shippo looked absolutely miserable, being held in Kagome's arms, with his face in sag. Kagome, taking it all very well, kept her face carefully neutral, only smiling to greet Ayame.

 

Ayame wisely chose to stay silent about the small bands predicament, though her eyes quite obviously showed her mirth, as well as the tightness around her mouth. She needn't have worried about that though, for as they reached the small hut, Kaede di not hesitate to comment.

 

“Oh my…” A bark of laughter filled the air, as the woman sat back on her haunches, covering her eyes in order to see them better.

 

“Shut up, Old Hag!” Snapped InuYasha, hands gripped tightly around his sword, eyes glaring off at some unseen enemy.

 

“InuYasha!” huffed Kagome, “It's not that bad…”

 

The hanyou seemed taken aback, “Not that bad? Not that bad?” InuYasha shouted, “Look at you! Look at us! This is all your fault!” InuYasha had turned his attention to Miroku, who put his hand up in a sign of peace.

 

“Now, now, InuYasha… It really isn't that bad.”

 

Ayame couldn't help it anymore. The giggles welled up, and she clutched her stomach as it tensed with laughter. All of them, standing there, arguing, completely covered in mud.

 

They were almost black covered in the gunk. Ayame supposed it was mud, it was black and thick, and slowly drying on them into a dull brown color.

 

It would be near impossible to get out of their hair.

 

It was at this moment, that Sango decided to join the fray, “It is your fault, monk!” She pointed at him, “You're the one who pushed us in the bog! You're the one who dunked us under! You're the reason were like this!”

 

“My dear Sango, I was just trying to protect you from the youkai. You know those gnat youkai can be quite painful. Isn't this better than being bitten to death?”

 

“Fuck that!” Shouted InuYasha once again, “We could have taken them! One shot from my Kaze no Kizu and they would have been dead!”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes, putting down Shippo, who ran inside and grabbed his and the girls bathing materials.

 

In the time that Ayame had been there, Kagome had grabbed Ayame's bags—which had been left in the well—as well as a few other necessities to tide her over. Soap and extra pairs of clothes now lay nestled in her bags, along with a few other things to keep her clean and feeling hygienic. It comforted Ayame, that she had a few of her things from home. it was a little stupid, them being her school and sports supplies—like the lacrosse stick—but they helped her none the less.

 

In fact, the whole group had been fascinated with her lacrosse stick.

 

“What's this?” Miroku asked as he fingered the foreign object in his hand. Ayame rustled on her palate, sitting up in an attempt to explain the odd looking staff. InuYasha interrupted her.

 

“It's a pretty weak looking sword.” He growled, snatching it from Miroku and slightly scratching the sides with his nails.

 

“InuYasha! Stop it! that's not yours, so don't mess with it!” Lectured Kagome, who took it from him, placing it back in the corner with the rest of Ayame's possessions, “And for your information, it's a lacrosse stick. You know, sports equipment. A physical that's sort of like fighting, but not.”

 

“Fighting?” Asked InuYasha, interest picked.

 

Kagome sighed, and went on to explain it, her friends listening avidly in a circle around her. Even InuYasha was silent, for a time.

 

“Feh! Sounds stupid to me! You can't get hurt? No killing or anything? Not even maiming? It's a weak person's game. For stupid mortals”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes, “Whatever…”

 

“Well that sounds absolutely fascinating, Kagome,” Intoned Miroku, followed by Sango, who nodded her head in agreement.

 

Kagome smiled gratefully at the two, turning back to scowl at InuYasha, who scowled right back. Quickly though, his eyes became inverted at a very interesting corner of the hut.

 

“Feh!”

 

 

Ayame laughed as the group made their way into their hut, though Kaede stalled them before they could cross the threshold.

 

“Ye ain't comin' in here like that. Wash of the dirt and I'll think about letting you enter.”

 

InuYasha scowled, muttering `Old hag.' Then jumping off into some unknown niche I to clean himself.

 

The girls and Shippo had already gotten their supplies and were readily heading towards the hot spring. Miroku was left staring dejectedly after them.

 

That's when it hit her. She was staring at them laughing, being a family of sorts. When the though hit her.

 

`These people…they've become my friends…'

 

Ayame went to go sit back on the fence, swing her legs as she waited for dinner.