A Journey in a Different Time
-Chapter 13-
This Guy is...
After Natsuyo and Michelle ran out of the forest, they saw a boulder, they walked to it and climbed up and sat on it. Michelle was breathing in and out to catch her breath. Clutching onto her shirt, making sure her breathing was fine. Natsuyo was leaning back on the boulder, looking up at the sky, thinking of all kinds of things, mostly, Michelle of course.
He turned his head to face her, she was still breathing in and out. He smiled and lifts his hand up behind her, rubbed her back softly and firmly, and then it moved up her back to the end of her hair. He runs his fingers through her light brown hair, but it moved, Natsuyo looked up at Michelle and notice she was looking at him with curious look on her face.
"What are you doing?" Michelle asked him.
"Um, nothing really," Natsuyo answered with a little smile on his face. He put his hand down and looked back up the sky.
Michelle was still staring at Natsuyo; she looked at the way he was looking up at the sky, both hands sitting on the boulder behind him, his head back all the way to look up at the sky. She smiled and blushed a little; she crunched her knees to her chest, and rested her chin on her knees. She was now thinking on how they were fighting the youkais.
"Hey, Michelle..."
She lifts her head up and looked at Natsuyo. "Y-Yes?"
"That guy you mentioned a couple days ago that you said was a real jerk, who was he?"
Michelle couldn't believe it; she thought he would figure that out by now. Is it just her or is he really stupid? She was clenching her fist quietly, making sure Natsuyo doesn't see it. She just wish to knock him right out. But she stopped clenching her fist when she felt something going up her shirt from the back. She looked over at Natsuyo and saw his arm behind her. She turned her head back to look behind her and saw the hand moving up more of her back.
She was clenching her fists again, that it created a couple of veins on her head. She lifted her hand high up in the air and smacked his hard, hard enough for him to fall off the boulder.
She heard movement on the ground and heard Natsuyo speaking.
"What did I do?" He asked.
"You were being a jerk," she explained to him.
"But I didn't do anything." He tried to speak innocently.
"Liar, your hand was on my back, what were you trying to do?"
"Uh..." Natsuyo rubbed the back of his head. "I, uh...I knew your back was kind of cold so I used my hand to rub it for you."
Michelle looked down at him from the top of the boulder, glaring down at him also. "Liar..."
"Alright, Michelle! I'll be back up-!"
"Don't even THINK about coming up here, if you come up here, I swear I'll rip the skin off you and burn in it hell!"
Natsuyo eyes widen and smiled, still rubbing the back of his head. 'Tough girl she is...heh heh...I like that in a woman.'
So, Natsuyo sat down on the ground, crossing his legs and his arms over his chest. He smirked...knowing how strong she is physically, and maybe emotionally. He started to open his mouth but before he could say anything, he heard: "AND DON'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING!! NOT A WORD!!!"
He smiled. 'Yup, a strong woman she is.'
'That baka better not come up here. If he does, I'll kill every inch of life in him!' Michelle was clenching her fists on her knees again. But she knew she needed to calm down, so she took a deep breath and breathed out. She lay down on the boulder, looking at the sky, trying to calm herself down.
'Why does this all happen to me? I mean...school like tortures me of hell! I had NO single friend. But...Kagome Higurashi, I have seen her couple of times, but never talked to her. She congratulates me when I scored the last point in volleyball. That was it; I didn't say anything to her though. I must've been afraid to speak, afraid to make a friend. If I said something to her, maybe...I wouldn't feel so much pain in my heart, and think that no one cares for me. Inuyasha just makes things worse...he hates me. So what's the point on trying to be friends with Inuyasha? I should just give up...'
"You're good for a laugh sometimes..." "I have words that can not be explained..." "I care about you too...but..."
'Those words of what he said to me...did he really mean them? If he didn't, then he shouldn't have said anything at all! I believed him...but...it seems to me that, he's not telling the truth. I know I was...Why can't he be a little friendlier with me? But he's the type of guy that can't do that.'
"DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PROBLEMS YOU CAUSED, YOU WENCH!?" "Look, pest!" "You're so damn annoying!"
'I know he means all of that...Hell...I'll just continue to be rough on him and he can do the same, that way, Kagome and the others will not notice what happened. I don't want them to notice.'
"Who cares about you!? No one! That's who!!"
'How can I tell if he is...trying to be nice or something? Should I runaway from them or stay put and get tortured?'
Down at the bottom of the boulder, Natsuyo was wondering why Michelle is so silent. He thought she would be talking to herself or started to scream or laugh out loud. He wasn't sure if he should climb up and check on her or just stay put where he is now and won't get hurt or yelled at?
He decided to climb the boulder. It was bumpy so it was a little easy to climb to the top. When he got to the top, he saw Michelle taking her shoe off, and threw it at his head! He fell backwards and landed on his back, aching out in pain, Michelle's shoe on his face. Michelle looked down from the boulder.
"I thought I told you not to come back up here! Now look what you did! You made me throw my shoe at you and land it on the floor," said Michelle.
Natsuyo slowly got up, making sure his back doesn't hurt more because now it's in real pain; she really hurt them physically that time. His hand was on his lower back, trying to straighten it, and then he bends down to pick up Michelle's shoe and looked up at the boulder.
"Do you want me to come back up and give you your shoe back?"
"NO!! I'll come down...I think..."
"What do you mean? I don't bite, remember?"
"I'm still not sure if I should get down, because I might fall and you might see under my skirt and turn red."
"I promise, on the bottom of my heart, I won't touch or feel anything. Just jump down and I'll catch, I won't turn red, come on."
What was he trying to do? Was he thinking of to use his crummy hands on her body? He's like Miroku, but in a way he's different then him. Probably much more different. "Alright...I'll be right there."
Natsuyo smiled, Michelle wasn't sure if that was a good or bad smile. She first stepped back a little...then ran a bit and jumped off the boulder. Michelle used her hands to press the back part of her skirt against her thighs so Natsuyo won't see it.
Natsuyo first put the shoe down on the ground and then jumped up and caught her in his arms, one arm around her back and one arm under her legs. He landed back down on the ground on his feet and stood up straight. He put her down on the ground, and picked up her shoe, he grabbed her foot at the end, and put it back on her feet. Michelle made a little gasp and blushed as he put her shoe back on her foot.
"Sorry..."
"Hey, there's no need to apologize, I understand you're in a lot of stress, but it's not good. You need to find a way to relax your mind and let the stress out. I know you wanted to stay and fight with Inuyasha, but the thing is you can have what you want all the time, people just seem not to get that very well."
"What do you want?"
There was silence; a black aura was covering his eyes when he was looking down at her feet. But when he lifts his head up, the sunlight revealed his blue eyes and she looked closely at him.
"Freedom..."
"From what?"
Another silence occurred.
"I can't really say yet. I want freedom, but I know I can't have that just because I want it. The only way for me to get what I want, is to earn it. What do you want?"
"Friends...love...to escape from loneliness..."
"You don't see it, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"You have friends: Kagome and the others-!"
"I'm not sure if Inuyasha counts..."
"Anyway, you have love: from God and your family-!"
"I don't talk with my family; I hardly do anything with them."
"And you're not alone...you have me..."
Michelle looked at his blue eyes, so nice and mysterious but full of...happiness somehow. Those eyes remind of her this one guy at her school. She can't remember his name, but he has the same color eyes and the same color of hair as Natsuyo. Could he be...the reincarnation of Natsuyo? Nah...no way...but...it could be.
"Natsuyo..."
"Hm?" He said when he looked up at her.
Michelle shook her head. "Never mind..."
Natsuyo lifted his head up at her face, his lips close to hers. "Don't worry, Michelle..." He whispered into her ear. "I'll protect you..." He then kissed her cheek and stood up, whipping his butt from the dust. She looked at him, blushing when he kissed her cheek, but some how...it drew pain inside her. Is something wrong with Natsuyo or is it...
(Inuyasha and the others in battle!)
Kagome aimed her arrow at one of the youkais heading to Inuyasha, she let go of the end of it, letting the arrow hit straight through the youkais' body, in half. It was the youkai that Inuyasha was about to attack, but stopped when Kagome's arrow went through him. Sango jumped on Kirara's back as soon as it transformed, grabbing onto her boomerang tight.
"Hiraikotsu!" And she threw it at the youkais surrounding Miroku, and returning back to her. Then, Miroku removed the prayer beads on his right hand and aimed the palm of his hand at the remains of the youkais.
"Kazaana!" The black hole in his right hand sucked up the youkais carcasses and quickly put the prayer beads back onto his right hand. 'Strange...usually it takes us awhile to destroy them, and then Kagura comes...why this is different?'
"Is that all the youkais?" Kagome asked curiously.
"Probably, but it's strange, there use to be more."
"Maybe...it's a trap..." Sango was trying to guess. They were all thinking of how it can be a trap. All of them were fighting the youkais, Michelle and Natsuyo escaped...so...
"Uh...guys? Do you think this was to lead us here and...?" Shippo was trying to find the word.
"And make us stay here to fight while..." Miroku was helping him out.
"...The other youkais attack..." Inuyasha finished it. They all gasped and notice a mistake they made. "They're going to attack the both of them!"
"We better get back right away!" Inuyasha jumped off the ground to a branch and started to jump from branch to branch on out of the woods.
(Michelle's group....kind of)
"Dammit...Michelle, you're going to have to stay behind me! ...Michelle?" He turned his head behind him, knowing that the youkais are in front of him and Michelle. She found Michelle lying on the ground on her back. What happened to her? Did she past out? She must've, Bankotsu put his sword down and put an arm around Michelle's back. "Michelle, this is no time for sleep, wake up!"
He shook her a little, trying to get her too conscious so she can run instead of just laying here. How is he going to fight like this? He wanted to slap her but he didn't want to hurt her in any way. But he had to...He first slapped her right cheek, no response, he smacked her left cheek, still no response, she's out cold.
"Dammit! Why did you have to pass out right now!?" Natsuyo couldn't believe this had to happen now. He can't carry her to safety, that's just going to kill him when the youkais are going to try and kill him. The only thing he can do is fight with Michelle in his arms, if he can, and try to kill them all until Inuyasha and everybody else gets there. He knows it's too risky to run.
"Man! Come on, Michelle! Wake up!" He shook her hard again, still, she didn't even move, she just continued to breathing and sleeping. "Dammit!!" He held Michelle close to him, her chest against his, her head tucked under his chin, hold one hand with his sword, Yorozo. He tighten his grip on the handle, even though he's in a bad position to fight, he needs to at least defend himself against these youkais.
'I don't stand a chance against them!' Natsuyo turned his head to Michelle and pulled her closer. 'What happen to you anyway? Were you dizzy? I don't think so...but she hasn't eaten yet...it couldn't be that, it must be something else. Oh, why did you have to pass out!?'
He turned his attention back to the youkais, he realized one of them was going to attack him, a serpent youkai, ten feet long with venom in it's mouth was about to attack him. He quickly pulled his sword in front of him to block its teeth, but before the serpent can even bite Yorozo, he saw Inuyasha coming out of nowhere and used Tetsusaiga to cut him in half.
Inuyasha landed on the ground, and turned to Natsuyo. "What happened!?" He asked him.
"I don't know! She just past out when the youkais came!" Natsuyo answered him. "I can't wake her up! I even tried to slap her and there's still no response!"
'What is wrong with her?' Inuyasha thought. Inuyasha quickly swung his sword up, chopping up another youkai that was heading to his direction. "Hello!!" Inuyasha shouted over to Natsuyo, who was still holding Michelle in his arm. "Aren't you going to help out!?"
"I can't help out if I have Michelle in my arm!"
"Then get Sango or Kagome to watch over her!!"
Kagome came with Sango, who were on Kirara's back, Shippo on Kagome's shoulder. Miroku was running on the ground to the battle field. Kirara landed on the ground and Kagome jumped off and ran over to Natsuyo and Michelle.
"Natsuyo! Go help Inuyasha while I look after Michelle," Kagome commanded him.
"But-!"
"No buts! You go and help him!"
Natsuyo was frightened by Kagome, he just nodded slowly and stood up and ran next to Inuyasha. Inuyasha turned his attention to Natsuyo, eyes landing on his sword, the end pointing at the ground.
"Nice sword..." Inuyasha complimented.
"Thanks, Yorozo will definitely help me against these youkais," said Natsuyo.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because of this..."
Inuyasha saw Yorozo started to turn clear like ice, Inuyasha felt the cold aura coming from it. Natsuyo used his other hand to grab a hold of the handle and lift it up, then he started to charge at the youkais, all piled in one pile, getting ready to attack all at once to Natsuyo. The youkais started to roam on the ground, heading to Natsuyo.
Natsuyo first jumped up in the air, lifting Yorozo above his head and sliced in the middle of the pile of the youkais.
"Keh...is that all he can do?" Inuyasha asked himself. But Inuyasha was surprised on what happened next, the youkais started to turn into icicles, frozen solid a little above the ground. Natsuyo landed on the ground behind the frozen youkais, he took a step backwards to the youkais and swings his sword behind him, breaking the frozen bodies of the youkais.
Pieces of ice blasted when Natsuyo destroyed it and fell to the ground all over the place. A couple of pieces were almost hitting Inuyasha and the others. One piece of ice hit the back of Miroku's head; he rubbed the back of it because it created a big bump there.
"Miroku! Use it!!" Inuyasha commanded Miroku.
"Right..." Miroku said slowly as he continues to massage his bump. He quickly took the prayer beads off and sticks it out to the youkais. "Kazaana!" Then all of the youkais got sucked into the hole, the crystal ice of the youkais vanished and there was no trace of them. Miroku put the prayer beads back on and smiled to the others.
"All right, Natsuyo! Why-!" Shippo cut Inuyasha off.
"Why is Michelle sleeping?" Asked Shippo.
"I was about to ask that! Why is Michelle sleeping!?"
"I already told you, Inuyasha! I don't know why! She just past out when the youkais came here. She must've been exhausted from yesterday," Natsuyo answered him.
'I don't think that is the situation. She's not exhausted...it's something else.' Miroku thought. He knew it was something, but he wasn't sure. Do the others sense it? He looked at Inuyasha and then at the others. They don't suspect anything...
(Dream)
It was all dark, pitch black that she couldn't see her feet at the ground. She couldn't walk; all Michelle could do is stand there and wait for someone to spot her. She slowly sat on her bottom, and crunched her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around the legs to try and keep her warm because it was a little chilly there. She closed her eyes and hoped for someone to find her.
She then heard footsteps coming to her. She didn't open her eyes to see whose coming. She can't anyway because it's too dark to see anything. She felt something on her shoulder and lifted her head up. But for some reason, she could see the face of the person. It was the guy who looked like Natsuyo. The short black hair and the same blue eyes, but he's wearing the school uniform at school.
"Don't worry...I'm not like the guys at our school..." he said.
She was right; he does go to her school. "What do you mean?" Michelle asked him.
"You mean you don't remember?"
"It's hard for me to remember..."
"Not true...you forced yourself to forget it so you won't believe that it happened."
"You don't understand! I am nothing! What am I them anyway?"
"To who?"
"Home...our time...what am I to the people at our school?"
"To them, you're something. A volleyball player, silent girl, smart girl...great and wonderful girl..."
"Who would think of me as a great and wonderful girl?"
"Why did you think I defended you that one time?"
"Huh?"
"That's the memory you forced yourself to erase from your mind. You didn't want to remember me or the time when those guys from our school tried to jump you."
Michelle put her hands to her head. "No, it's not true!!"
"It is true and you know it. You can't deny it...I defended you against those guys. The first time you got jumped by then, you were sent to a hospital, the second time they tried to do that, I defended you. But you just want to erase that memory and think that they still jumped you."
"It isn't!"
"Lying to yourself, huh? Also lying to me."
Michelle stood up on her feet. "Who are you anyway!?"
"Koya Zuki...I appeared in that other dream when you couldn't move. Michelle, you made yourself to believe no one loves you or even cares for you. Look around in the outside world where Kagome is. She and the others, including Inuyasha, care for you. Inuyasha doesn't show it that often."
"How would you know!? You don't know me!"
"Let's just say I've been watching you for awhile now. Come on...try to remember the time I defended you."
"I won't! Because that memory is not there! I never was!"
"Stop lying to yourself. Just clear your mind and you'll find it. It's not erased completely."
"Yes it is!"
Koya sighed. He's getting tired of trying to convince her he defended her. He wants her to remember, wants her to know that she's not alone, to know that, he was there all along, watching over her. It seems like...Michelle has forgotten who she was. But...she probably never knew who she was. Michelle was always in the darkness, Koya noticed that a lot at their school. She never talked, hardly ever, the only time she talks is when she raises her hand to answer a question or ask the teacher a question.
Michelle was a loner in school...every time she tries to talk to someone, she either backs away or the person that she tries to talk to walks away from her. Koya sees her cry on the school roof secretly, she never knows he's there watching her. So in his point of view, it's sad to just stand there and watch her in pain and in tears. He hates to watch her like that, he wants to comfort her, but to Michelle, Koya is just a stranger, a class mate, who she doesn't know. Michelle is a loner in the outside world, inside world as in her family, and, even deeper, she's lonely in her heart. What can he do to make her more alive and positive?
Koya walked up to her, Michelle faced him with angry eyes, and not sure of what he's going to do. When he was just standing right in front of her, he lift his hand up and put it flat on her head, softly. He started to rub it while Michelle's eyes were closed really tight, afraid of what he's going to do to her. Michelle just doesn't understand what's going on in the world right now.
"I'll show you what happened in on the day I defended you from those idiots..."
He said slowly, Michelle's mind started to clear and then...it showed something in her mind that she hoped to never see again in her life.
FROM THE WRITER!!
To all my fans who has read my stories. I'm having problems at home with Microsoft Word so the only time I'm able to write my stories is at school, and plus, I have that damn writers block!! So just be patient for my other stories of the chapters to be published. Thank you!
Kunasu