Ametsuchi
By: lilsapphire2004
Disclaimer: I hate these things. The people know we don't own these characters unless we make them up. SO BUZZ OFF....
Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I greatly appreciate the constructive criticism I receive and also the many compliments.
Chapter 2
The girls talked for over an hour about what happened to them that day. They didn't know how this had come to happen or why it happened. They only knew they had to figure it out as they went.
The window to the driver seat opened and the driver looked at the three girls in the backseat.
"We'll be entering the city limits in about an hour," he said.
"Why are you doing this sir?" Cassie said.
"I don't know exactly what is going on. I just know I was told to take you to your new home," said the driver.
"Well, are the offers that we were given really true?" asked Cassie.
"Yes, those are very true. The way of how you got them is very mysterious," said the driver.
"Do you know anything about this?" said Leann.
"No, I do not. I'm sorry," said the driver.
The girls sat back again into the back seat getting comfortable and awaiting what was to become of them.
"I wonder what my parents will say about all of this," said Leann.
"Your parents already know what is going, my lady. I personally contacted them while you were asleep. You will be able to give them a call when we get to where we are going," said the driver.
The driver started to slow down and took a sharp turn to the left. He slowly drove down a long driveway and followed a circled path around to the front of a house.
"Are we here?" asked Amber.
"Yes, we are. Someone will come to get you in five minutes. Until then just sit back," the driver said.
He opened his door and stepped out. He walked up the steps and disappeared into the house.
The girls sat there in a very uncomfortable and tense silence for what seemed like hours. But those hours were only five minutes.
Someone knocked on the window of the back door, and opened it up. The person ended up being a squat man of about sixty with a weatherbeaten face. He sat his weight on a cane that looked as old as he was. He motioned for the girls to exit. They stumbled out of the car and followed the man to the door. Since it was dark outside, they couldn't see exactly where they were going. They just followed the man in another tense and long silence.
Inside the house the man motioned for them to enter a door to their left and he disappeared leaving only a sound of scuttling feet for parts unknown. The girls just stood there for a few more seconds, until they saw the door move of its own accord. They looked into the room to find a small and very cheerful sitting room.
Layed out in the middle of the room was a small table setting with three chairs. The girls could smell the tangy aromas of delicious food nearby.
They walked quickly but nervously into the room. When they were fully ensconced into the room the door closed behind them and ended with an almost inaudible click. They began to feel a little nervous, and thoughts of their demise ran through their young heads.
They heard another soft click and saw a young man standing near the fire poking it to get it up.
"Good evening, ladies," he said with a slight Asian accent.
"Who are you?" said Amber angrily.
"I am Hiyono Matamari," said the man.
He leaned his hand out for them to shake. The girls just looked at him strangely and took a step back.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to harm you. I'm actually here to help you. I'm a guide of sorts," Hiyono said.
"How do we know that for sure?" asked Leann.
"You don't know for sure. But to gain your trust, you can ask me anything you want. I will answer to the best of my knowledge," said Hiyono.
"First question. What are we doing here?" said Amber.
"I, myself, do not know that for sure. But in two days' time you will be going to Japan to begin a new life," said Hiyono.
"What do you mean a new life?" asked Leann.
Cassie went to sit at the table, while Amber and Leann sat on the floor in front of Hiyono.
"From a list of millions of prospective people, you three girls were chosen for this momentous occasion," said Hiyono.
"Please quit speaking in riddles, and tell us what is going on," pleaded Amber.
"Okay, you three girls were picked from a list of millions to represent America in Japan," said Hiyono.
"Isn't that why we have trained diplomats to represent us for?" said Cassie from the table.
"We have noticed that over many years, that all diplomats are trained to lie for the best advantages," said Hinyono.
"What is that supposed to mean?" said Leann.
"Japan was tired of dealing with the diplomats of your country, and we wanted something new and fresh. We wanted them to send three untrained and young citizens to our country to represent your country. It the grand scheme of things, my people have learned that the young have an uncanny ability to figure out what is best for others without a whole lot of fuss and lies," said Hiyono.
"And why were us three chosen? Three girls from the middle of nowhere to do God knows what," said Amber.
"You three girls being chosen for this new program was no accident. At this time though, I do not know the full details myself," said Hiyono.
"And what do we do in Japan?" asked Leann.
"You will be doing what was offered to you. Ms. McCoy, you will become a writer for the local paper in Kyoto, and be trained as a journalist. Ms. Overholt and Ms. Brewer will be going to finish up their schooling. After their two years are up, they will be given a year to decide if they wish to stay. Since you are complete with your schooling, Ms. McCoy, you will have your year of occupation and decision. At the end of the year you will have the choice of staying of going," said Hiyono.
"What if we choose to return home?" asked Amber.
"Then your memories will be wiped clean and you will be given new identities," said Hiyono.
"Why for all that?" said Leann.
"What you will learn while you are in Japan cannot be let out to the rest of the world. If you choose to remain there, you will be handsomely cared for. If you choose to leave, your memories will be wiped clean, and you will basically begin your life all over again," said Hiyono.
"What if we want to leave now?" asked Cassie.
"It is too late to leave, if you try, I will be forced to kill you," said Hiyono.
He pulled a knife out of his pocket and held it in front of him. The blade was polished steel about four inches long. The hilt was of ebony wood with a golden and red dragon inlay.
"Please do not force me to use this," he continued.
Three distinctive gulps could be heard from the girls.
Leann stood up and walked to Hiyono. She held her hand out.
"Can I see your knife?" asked Leann.
Hiyono laughed and handed her the knife. Leann began to inspect the blade and knife with a curious eye.
"Hey Amber, could you look in the top pocket of my backpack and hand me my knife?" asked Leann.
Amber grinned and ran to Leann's backpack. She rummaged through the top pocket until she found the blade. She brandished it triumphantly and handed it to Leann.
Leann opened up the pocket enough and compared the two knives. Both were exactly identical. She handed Hiyono's knife back to him.
"It seems that we have the same knife," said Leann.
"Where did you get yours? Only specific people have these knives. Out of the whole world maybe twenty carry this blade. Your's must be a fake," he said.
Hiyono motioned with his hand to let him see the knife. Leann slapped it into his hand. He looked at the knife carefully for a few minutes.
"Where did you get this blade?" Hiyono demanded.
"It was given to me last year for my seventeenth birthday," said Leann.
"By who?" said Hiyono disbelievingly.
"I don't quite exactly remember. I remember that it was an old woman. I was walking through the woods, and I saw her having some trouble with a basket she was carrying. I grabbed the basket and carried it for her to her cabin. When I got to the cabin, she invited me inside. I went inside and she handed me that knife in payment. She said something to the affect, "You are one of us." Then she disappeared," said Leann.
"What did this woman look like?" asked Hiyono.
"She was about this tall," said Leann.
She motioned the woman's height to about her shoulder.
"She was, I guess, pushing close to eighty. She was of Orient descent. You could tell by the tilt of her eyes," said Leann.
"Was there anything distinctive about her you remember?" asked Hiyono.
"When handed me the knife she had a mark on the top of her left hand. It was the shape of a black dragon, and a red symbol was in the middle," said Leann.
"Did it look like this?" asked Hiyono.
He pulled the sleeve of his shirt up and showed a tattoo on the underside of his wrist. The tattoo was a black dragon shape and had Japanese characters in red in the middle.
"That's exactly what it looked like, but her symbols were different," said Leann.
"All members of the clan have different markings to signify where they came from. My markings signify that I came from the town of Ise," said Hiyono, "Can you give me a basic description of the woman's markings?"
Leann sat down near the soot that was on the hearth near the fire. She traced a rough sketch of the symbols in the soot.
"Those markings signify that this woman was from the city of Kyoto," Hiyono said, "Very strange. There has never been mention of one of the clan coming from Kyoto."
"What is the name of the clan?" asked Leann
"I come from the Fire Clan," said Hiyono.
"But how can I be part of something like that if I am not Japanese?" asked Leann.
"I don't know. That is something best answered by researching it in Japan," said Hiyono.
"Okay," said Leann.
"I bid you three to eat. You will have a very long day ahead of you tomorrow. Please eat your fill, and then I will show you your sleeping quarters," said Hiyono.
The girls settled down into the three chairs and looked at all the food. There was an assortment of meats, vegetables, fruits, and a few desserts. The girls ate all they could until they were absolutely full.
They all stood up and were ushered out by Hiyono.
He saw them upstairs into the rooms designated for them while they were staying there.
The girls all bid each other good night and headed into their rooms.
---Two Days Later---
"Here are your tickets, girls. I hope you have a wonderful flight," said the ticket person.
"Thank you," said Leann.
The girls walked out to the tarmack and to the private jet.
"I still can't believe we have our own private leerjet," said Amber.
"This kidnapping is actually turning out to be really awesome," said Cassie.
The jet door closed and someone came over the intercom.
"How are you doing today?" someone said.
"We are doing good," said Leann.
"That's really good. I hope you have a great flight. I'll give the signal for when you can move around," said the person.
"Okay," said Leann.
They heard a click and the jet started taxiing to the runway.
"Well girls. Here we go to our new life," said Amber.
"I am so nervous," said Cassie.
"I think we all are, Cas," said Leann.
The girls leaned back into their seats and just listened to the engines and looked out their windows. The world seemed to get smaller and smaller as they got higher and higher.
Leann began to think about her old life. She remembered her brother the most. She remembered how they would always fight and then fight some more. And then she remembered how she felt when her brother left. How basically everything had broken and had to be picked up and put back into place. She also remember her mother and how heartbroken she was when her son left. Leann also reflected on how her mother would be reacting to her leaving. She knew her mother would know the last baby bird would be leaving really soon. She knew her mother was left with nothing but an empty nest to keep her company.
Amber also began to think about her family. She had thought of back when she was a young girl, before her mother's accident. Amber had had a hard life, but she remembered the few happy times that she had as a kid. She remembered how everything had went downhill after her mother's accident, how her almost happy world had crumbled beneath her. She remembered the many hours she had spent making sure her mother was happy and comfortable and how nothing would make her go into a fit. Her brother had made it very hard for Amber to keep everything in some semblance of order. He condemned his younger sibling with everything imaginable, and as a young girl, Amber had had to learn how to grow up and take care of her mother and herself.
Cassie leaned back and looked out of her window. Memories from her childhood began to flash before her eyes. She remembered her mother, two brothers, and most of all her father. She remembered her father's laughter and the way he always seemed to brighten Cassie's day when she was down. She also remembered the day of his death like it was yesterday. She remembered the casket and the funeral procession and her mother's tears. But most of all she remembered herself at that age. At that age, she shut herself away from the world and fell into a deep depression that lasted for a long time. She remembered being coaxed into moving away from her closest friends and everybody she loved a few years later and moving to a small town in Mississippi with her mother. She also remembered her horses, dogs, and her many cats that kept her company when the rain of loneliness blackened her mind.
All three girls sighed in sadness at the same time, and they all just stayed into their own thoughts for a little while.
A click could be heard again and someone came over the intercom.
"It is safe for you to move around now," the person said.
The intercom clicked again and was shut off.
Leann came out of her reverie and unbuckled her seat belt. She got up and began to walk around the cabin.
Amber sat where she was still stuck in her memories.
Cassie leaned over to look fully out of her window. She saw the clouds and the ground below and gulped.
"Boy we are high up," she said.
"Duh!" said Leann.
Cassie just gave her a mean look and continued to look out the window.
"Hey Am, wake up," said Leann.
She snapped her fingers and front of Amber's face and Amber woke up with a start.
"What? Huh?" she said sleepily.
Leann laughed and pulled Amber out of her chair.
"I don't want to explore this place by myself, so come on," said Leann.
She was greeted with Amber's slight snoring.
She walked quickly to the back of the jet.
The front of the jet near the cockpit was the normal seats. Two seats to a row, with three rows. The middle held two tables. One to place food on. And the other table was long enough to seat six people comfortably on two very nice benches. A door blocked that area off from the bathrooms and the kitchen. The kitchen was a usual galley style, very small. In the back of the jet was a bunking area. Four bunks lined the area from top to bottom. Underneath the bottoms bunks were a set of drawers for storage. Back in the back of the bunk area was a dressing area with a small vanity and a stool screwed to the floor. A door to the left of the vanity led to the cargo storage area.
Leann leaned to the drawers and opened one and then the other. Clothes filled the inside of the drawers.
'I wonder who these are for,' thought Leann.
She moved to back into the main cabin area and headed to the cockpit door. She knocked softly on it.
"Yes," someone called through the door.
"Can I come in, please?" Leann said politely.
The door opened slowly and Leann was led inside.
"Can I help you?" the pilot asked.
"Oh yeah! I was looking around the cabin and noticed that the drawers in the back were full of clothes. Who are those for?" asked Leann.
"Those are for your use," said the pilot.
He made a signal and Leann was shut back into the cabin area.
"How rude," she yelled through the door.
Silence met her comment.
Leann ran to Cassie and Amber. She started trying to get them back up.
"Come on, you guys. Wake up! I got something to show you," said Leann.
"What is it?" asked Cassie.
She slowly got up and stood near Leann.
"Amber, get your big butt up. I got to show you something," said Leann.
"Leave me alone. Wake me up for school in the morning," Amber yelled.
Leann went to the back of Amber's chair and tilted it forward quickly. Amber tumbled out into the floor in a not so graceful pile.
"What was that for?" she yelled angrily.
"I have to show you something," said Leann.
She ran before Amber could catch her. Cassie and Amber ran after her to the back.
"Yah! Beds!" Amber screamed.
She jumped up onto a bunk and snuggled down for a nice long nap.
"That's not what I wanted to show you, you goof," said Leann.
She moved Amber's legs out of the way none too gently and opened up the drawer nearest her foot.
"This is what I wanted to show you," she said.
"Whose are these?" asked Cassie.
"The pilot said that these were for us to use. I got a sneaky feeling that they are going to pamper us," said Leann.
Cassie grabbed a shirt from the drawer and looked at it. It was a burgundy color with a nice round neckline and long sleeves. It was of a velvety almost silky material.
"These are really nice and seem really expensive," said Cassie nervously, "are you sure these are for us?"
"Yes! That is what the pilot said," said Leann.
The girls pulled out every piece of clothing. By the end of an hour, shirts, pants, and everything else littered the floor of the bunking area.
"Girls, please take your seats. We will be landing shortly in Los Angeles," said someone through the intercom.
"Aye, aye, el capitain," said Amber in mock seriousness.
They went into the main cabin and sat down in their seats and buckled up for the landing.
---The Next Day---
A lady boarded the plane as soon as it had landed and been parked. She was a kind woman about the age of forty. No wrinkles marred her perfect face. She looked at the girls kindly and was almost saddened to wake them up. She walked to the first one and pulled the cover from the girl's face and gently shook her awake.
"It's time for you to wake up," said the woman.
The woman moved to the other girls and also shook them awake.
"I'm to take you to your new home," said the woman.
"Okay," said Cassie.
She pulled herself from the bunk and began to head towards the main cabin area. Leann and Amber followed suit a few seconds later. The woman followed close behind.
She ushered them towards another limo that sat not twenty feet from the jet. The girls settled themselves inside and the limo began to drive away from the airport.
"What time is it?" asked Leann yawning.
"It's about ten in the morning," said the woman.
"Oh," said Leann.
She looked out of the window at the passing scenery.
"Who are you by the way?" asked Amber.
"Oh! Please forgive me. I'm Hatome Takamora," said the woman.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Amb---"said Amber.
The woman cut her off by saying, "Don't worry about introducing yourself. I already know who you are."
"Where exactly are we going, Mrs. Takamora?" asked Cassie.
"Please call me Hatome. I'm taking you to your new home," said Hatome.
"Where exactly is this house?" asked Amber.
"It's on the outskirts of the city of Kyoto. We should be there in about thirty minutes," said Hatome.
The people sat in a companionable silence for the rest of the ride.
The girls looked around them when the car turned onto a tree lined avenue. The avenue went for about a tenth of a mile and then ended into a circle driveway.
The driver came around and opened their door for them to exit the limo. They gasped at the house that sat before them.
The house was a traditional Japanese house that fit into Mother Nature seemlessly. The house was one story and was at least thirty feet wide. Two small wooden steps led onto a wide front veranda that ran the length of the house.
Hatome walked to two shoji screen doors and opened them. The doors opened up toe reveal a large open room with a firepit centered in the middle of the room. The wood flooring was a deep rich cherry wood that contrasted with the whiteness of the rice paper windows. Hatome moved the other side of the room and opened up another shoji door to the left.
"This door leads into one of the bedrooms," said Hatome.
She motioned for the girls to look in it. The room was a fairly good size and had a chest of drawers and a few quilts propped in a corner for bedding.
Hatome closed the door to the room and went to the right and opened up another shoji screen. This one led outside to a small sized courtyard that was centered in the middle of the house. A hot spring for bathing lay at the far left end of the courtyard. A small deck sat off to the side of the hot spring. Many pathways flowed in out of plants and trees creating a nice zenlike atmosphere. Hatome followed one of the paths to the other side of the house. She opened up a door that led to a small bathroom. It held an old fashioned toilet and small pedestal sink.
She showed the girls the other bedrooms and ushered them back into the main part of the house.
"This is your home to do with as you wish. All that is asked is that you do not destroy anything that is original to the home," said Hatome.
"Okay," said Leann.
"Well, I must go. Please call me if you need anything," said Hatome. She waved bye and headed back to the limo. She turned back.
"By the way. A package will be delivered in an hour or two that will explain everything to you. It will include school uniforms, schedules, a map, etc." she said.
She waved again and hopped into the limo and was gone before the girls could say anything.
Ametsuchi
By: Lil Sapphire 2004
Three girls are given chances of a lifetime to live and work and breathe the life of Japan. But unknown forces have their own agendas for our three heroines. Throw this plot together and twist in a little Inuyasha and see what happens next. Chapter 12
Rated: Fiction M - English - Humor/Adventure - Chapters: 12 - Words: 28,921 - Reviews: 24 - Favs: 6 - Follows: 1 - Updated: Jan 5, 2006 - Published: Jun 15, 2004 - id: 1912392
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