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Ayu
Chapter Ten: Gone Again

I woke early the next morning to the familiar sound of birds in the trees, the sunlight peeking at me through the trees.

I sighed and sat up.

Well, I tried to, but something was holding me down.

When I saw what it was, I almost screamed.

It was Sesshomaru.

And he…uh…wasn't really dressed.

I felt my cheeks flare furiously as I realized I was wrapped in his Kimono top.

I…slept with him…oh…my….fucking…God.

I was so dead.

What had I been thinking? Because I wasn't drunk and I hadn't been drugged and I knew very well what I had been doing.
What would my mom think when I came home and was all "Yeah, sorry I ran away. Oh, and I lost my virginity while I was gone, too. Yeah, to the guy who kidnapped me, too".

That would not go over well, not well at all.

I quickly untangled myself and grabbed my clothes, slipping them on faster than you can say paranormal activity.

Then I just…stood there.

Where else could I go?

Well, I had to get my guitar, that was for sure.

So that's what I did.

Rin was still asleep, along with Jaken, but Ah Un was awake, watching over the two.

I pressed my finger over my lips as I approached the dragon demon, ushering him to be quite.

Then I grabbed my guitar from beside Rin and ran into the forest. Not far enough to make everyone think I ran away, but not close enough that they'd hear my guitar.

My guitar was like my stress reliever, and right then, I had a lot of stress.

I mean, you would too if you woke up to find yourself lying next to…well, the guy you're not supposed to be in love with.

But I was. In love, I mean, with Sesshomaru.

I hadn't told him that, but I was. If I hadn't been, then I wouldn't have gone through with…uh…last night.

I felt my cheeks flare again, just at the memory. I was stupid, so, so stupid.

Not that I regretted it or anything, much. But it's just the whole…ugh, I can't even explain it! It had been silent enough between Sesshomaru and I, now every time I saw him I was going to turn bright red.

I had to get home…

I found a nice quiet place in the forest and I sat down with my guitar, taking a deep breath before I finally started to play Avril Lavigne's "Fall To Pieces"

Her songs were so good for the guitar.

"I looked away, then I looked back at you. You tried to say, things that you can't undo. If I had my way, I'd never get over you. Today's the day, I pray that we make it through. Make it through the fall, make it through it all." I sang, strumming along, the wind tugging slightly at my hair. "And I don't wanna fall to pieces, I just wanna sit and stare at you. I don't wanna talk about it. And I don't want a conversation, I just wanna cry in front of you. I don't want to talk about it, cuz I'm in love with you."

"You're the only one, I'd be with till the end. When I come undone, you bring me back again. Back under the stars, back into your arms."

I continued with the song, staring up beyond the trees at the sky, a brilliant blue, untouched by the clouds. It was always so beautiful here, in the Feudal Era. I loved it.

"I'm in love with you, cuz I'm in love with you, I'm in love with you…I'm in love with you."

Ironic enough song.

I sighed and started strumming again, this time a faster song. "Try to tell me what I, shouldn't do. You should know by now I won't listen to you. Walk around with my hands, up in the air, cuz I don't care. Cuz I'm all right I'm fine, just freak out let it go. I'm gonna live my life, I cant ever run and hide, I wont compromise, cuz I'll never know. I'm gonna close my eyes, I can't watch the time go by, I won't keep it inside. Freak out let it go."

I sighed and stopped the song. I was not in the mood at the moment.

Sadly.

Suddenly, I heard a twig snap behind me and I turned, expecting to see Sesshomaru or Rin, but instead I saw someone else…someone that I'd rather not see.

And he just reached out and grabbed me, slapping a hand over my mouth.

"Don't scream Ayu." Inuyasha hissed. "We're here to take you home."

I shook my head, my voice muffled under his hand.

"Come on Inuyasha!" Miroku hissed from the bushes, Kagome and Sango at his side.

I glared at them. So they were all in this together.

I managed to maneuver my mouth from Inuyasha's hand long enough to say, "I don't want to go!"

"What?" Inuyasha growled. "You have to Ayu! You have to go back home."

I pulled away from him, holding my guitar in front of me defensively. "No Inuyasha, I'm staying here. I don't want to go."

Inuyasha stared at me blankly for a while, his amber eyes full of wonder.

Then he said, "You seem…different, somehow."

I felt my cheeks flare. Did he know? Could he tell?

I bet.

"I'm not different." I said quickly. "But if I were you I'd get out of here before Sesshomaru or someone comes."

"Ayu it's not safe for you here." Kagome said, stepping out of the bushes. "Sesshomaru is always going off to one battle or another and is constantly on the move. You wouldn't last long with him."

I glared at her. "How do you know? You don't travel with him. He protects me, Kagome, he will protect me. I'm not worried about my life."

"Please." Inuyasha said. "You want to go home, to your era, don't you? We have to get you through the well."

"It won't let me!" I snapped. "What do you think I was doing when he grabbed me? I sprained my ankle trying to get back home! Kagome's right, I have a purpose here, and I'm not going home until I find out what that is."

"But you don't belong here Ayu." Kagome said. "You're an artist. What would you do here?"

I sighed and lowered my head, my blonde hair falling around my face. She was right, I didn't belong here.

But…I felt good here, I was happy here.

"I'm not leaving." I said, looking back up at them. "I'm sorry, but forget about me, okay? I'm safe here, with Sesshomaru."

"That's it." Inuyasha growled, grabbing my wrists. "You're coming with us, like it or not. You'll thank me later. It's not safe with Sesshomaru, he's cold and heartless, you'd never be happy!"

And then he did something that made me really, really hate him.

He tossed me over his shoulder as if I were a sack of potatoes.

"Put me down!" I shrieked as he walked back to the group. Sango, Miroku and Kagome were now all on Kirara, ready to go. "Put me down right now! Sesshomaru!"

"Shut up Ayu!" Inuyasha growled. "He wont care when your gone. It's for your own good."

Would Sesshomaru care if I was gone? I wonder…maybe…I don't know. Last night he seemed to care.

But at that moment, all I was focused on was staying there, with Sesshomaru.

After all, I'd gotten pretty attached to Rin.

"Let me go!" I kept on shouting as Inuyasha started off in a run, darting through the forest, the others a little above him. "Sesshomaru! Let me go you ass hole!"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha groaned. "It's not like we're gonna hurt you"

Yeah, think again there Inuyasha. You're breaking my heart.

I think that counts as hurting me.

"Let me go!" I shouted, pounding my fists on his chest.

I had dropped my guitar, again, and it was back in the clearing, lying alone on the ground.

Let's hope Sesshomaru found it and got a whiff of Inuyasha's scent.

If Sesshomaru wanted to kick Inuyasha's ass, I would so not stop him.

I kept yelling and shrieking all the way back to Kaede's village, finally stopping when Inuyasha tossed me, literally, to the ground.

"Will you shut the hell up?" he shouted at me.

"No I will not!" I growled, getting to my feet, glaring up at him. "I can't get back through the well Inuyasha, you know that!"

"So? Being with Sesshomaru wasn't going to help keep you alive." Inuyasha snapped. "You said he'd protect you, and guess what? He won't, so get over it."

I glared at him. I really, really hated Inuyasha at that moment.

"You don't understand." I growled, glowered up at him. "You're dense Inuyasha, so stupid!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the group. "No, I think I get it perfectly."

"Prove it." I challenged.

He frowned at me. "I know why you didn't want to leave. Don't think I don't know what's different about you."

I caught my breath in a sharp gasp. He knew…oh God he knew.

Inuyasha nodded, confirming my fear.

I sighed pitifully and sunk onto a nearby log, resting my head in my hands. "Damn you and your ultra scent."

Inuyasha smirked and knelt in front of me. "You lost your innocence to him, didn't you?"

I felt my cheeks heat up even more. Nice word there Inuyasha, nice word.

But, regardless of my extreme embarrassment, I nodded. "Yeah."

He sighed. "How can you be so stupid?"

"I'm not stupid!" I growled.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and pushed my hair from my shoulders.

"What are you doing?" I growled.

"He didn't…mark you." Inuyasha said softly. "That's…odd."

"What's odd? What are you talking about, mark?" I asked, confused.

Inuyasha sighed. "When a demon is claiming another as their…mate. They, uh, bite their neck, to show other demons that they belong to them."

"Like…a vampire bite?" I asked.

He nodded. "Why didn't he mark you?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Why? What's so bad about that?"

"Did you tell him, that you love him?"

My eyes widened. "I-I don't love him. I-I mean-"

"Of course you do." Inuyasha growled. "Or you wouldn't have let him-"

"I get it." I snapped, cutting him off. "And no, I didn't tell him, okay?"

"That's why then." Inuyasha said, smirking slightly.

Why was he smirking? There was nothing entertaining about this!

"What's why? Because I didn't tell him?"

He nodded. "Yeah. He probably figured you weren't ready to belong to him then, so he didn't bite you."

Why was I talking to him about this? Talk about embarrassing!

I quickly got to my feet, ignoring Inuyasha's question of "Where are you going?" and stomped off into the forest.

I did so not just have that conversation with Inuyasha, Sesshomaru's brother. His brother, for God's sake! How embarrassing!

I stormed through the forest towards the old well. I wanted to go home, now. Pronto, fast, etc.

But I knew, all too well, that the well wouldn't let me through.

I leaned over the edge, staring into the dark hole.

I sighed and sat on the grass, my back against the warm wood, and closed my eyes, resting my head on my knees, silent tears rolling down my cheeks.

I was so, so confused.

Did I really want to stay here, in the Feudal Era? Or did I want to go home, to the Modern Era?

I still could barely believe this was all happening. I half expected myself to wake up at any moment.

But of course I couldn't, because everything was real. Going through the well had been real. Kagome and her friends had been real. Rin, Jaken, Ah Un, they were real. Last night…it had been real.

And my feelings were real.

I sighed and looked up, rubbing the tears from my cheeks. Had Sesshomaru even noticed that I was gone? Was he looking for me? Or did he even care?

He must have cared though…

Suddenly the wind picked up quickly, blowing dust and leaves into my face.

I gasped and covered my eyes with my arm, wincing against the sharp feeling the bits of the ground had on my skin.

Finally, the wind died down, and I was free to look up.

But when I did, I wasn't alone.

There was a woman standing in front of me. A woman with black hair tied back into a ponytail, piercing ruby eyes staring at me, a fan in her hand.

"W-Who are you?" I asked, getting to my feet. "Where did you come from?"

"My name is Kagura." the woman said. "And where I came from is of no concern to you."

I glared at her, my hands clenching tightly at my sides. "Then what do you want?"

"You want to see Sesshomaru again, don't you?" Kagura smirked, tapping her fan on her chin. "I can arrange that. I can take you away from Inuyasha."

Tempting. Very tempting.

"How?" I asked. "They'll catch us."

"They didn't see me come here." she said. "But Inuyasha has caught my scent by now, so if you want to see Sesshomaru again, I suggest we go now."

I frowned, staring blankly at her. Was she to be trusted? She seemed sincere enough.

"Okay." I said finally. Her name, Kagura, rang a bell…but I couldn't remember.

Maybe it would come to me later.

"Good." she smiled. "Come to me."

I nodded and walked over to her, standing in front of her. "Take me to him."

She lifted her hand to her hair and pulled a feather from her ponytail, and we were instantly surrounded in smoke.

When the smoke cleared we were flying through the air on a large feather.

"Wow." I breathed.

Kagura smirked, turning to me. "Stupid girl."

I gasped as she lashed out, hitting me, hard, across the head.

I slipped into darkness.


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