Hey guys! Okay, so I'm late on this one. I had to go to my grandmum's today so I couldn't type at all. Gomen.
Hope you guys like this one. Lots of memories of Sarah and Azurine as kids. Plus, an amazing automatic candle! You'll find out.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: ChibiBean does not own nor claim rights to InuYasha or any of it's characters, nor do we claim the lyrics by Relient K. Thank you.
It's Been Ages
"I've given up on doing this alone now,
'cause I've failed and I'm already to be shown how;
you've told me the way, and I'm trying to get there." –Relient K
"Where are you taking us?" Yuto cried as Sarah and Azurine dragged him and Miroku along, respectively.
"You'll see!" Sarah replied. "Have either of you tried the well?"
Yuto shook his head and looked at Miroku, who did the same. Azurine sighed. "Well, Shippo got through with me, once, so maybe it will work on the two of you," she said, tugging harder on Miroku's hand feeling the cool silver band press into her palm. She grinned. "Sarah needs medicine for the new baby and I'm the one with the cash, so we decided to drag you two along, too."
It had taken a week for Azurine to finally recover followed by another week in which Miroku kept her bedridden, just to be safe. Now, she no longer wore her school sweater, though the rest of the uniform remained. Instead, she wore a long, green trench coat over her outfit, and she wore gloves to hide the ashen right hand and the sparkling left. Originally white, the gloves were now stained silver from her magic trying to leak from her left hand.
Mostly, Azurine wore the hood up on her coat, so she might hide her face in embarrassment after the tainted shard ordeal. She was, however, starting to feel less self-conscious, and so currently had it down. The loose-fitting trench coat was much too cool and comfortable to get rid of, though.
"So, Azurine," questioned Miroku. "Hear anything from Noki?"
"As if we're not joined at the hip and you don't know exactly what I do." She sighed heavily and said "I suppose the dolt is after me. Idiot."
They reached the well and Azurine smiled. "In true tradition, I'll go first. You follow, Miroku."
Please wait a moment while our heroes traverse the time stream.
As Azurine hauled herself out of the well, she heard Miroku land.
"Did I do it?" he asked.
"Yeah!" Azurine replied. "Come on!"
Yuto touched down a few seconds later carrying Sarah. When they'd all tumbled out of the well, Azurine realized something.
"We look a little awkward."
Miroku looked at her curiously. "Do they not have monks in your world?"
"Not like you. They don't have samurai either," Azurine replied.
"Even if this was Japan, we would be out of place, but this is a different country as well as time," Sarah explained. "We come from America, way far East of Japan. Azurine and I were lucky we took Japanese lessons in school or else no one would have known what we wanted."
"Except me, Sarah. You know I speak English. I came from Europe originally and was only taken away when Sade found me."
Sarah smiled and plucked at her dress. "I would have changed my outfit, but I'm seven months pregnant. I don't fit into my old clothes anymore."
Azurine sighed. "Time to hit the Salvo."
At the Salvation Army, they all bought semi-normal clothes, though Azurine wouldn't part with her trench coat and gloves. Besides that, she now wore deep navy blue flares, a white shirt and new sneakers.
Sarah, used to and needing loose-fitting clothes, bought a denim dress that fell to the floor and she also bought some sneakers.
It was a truly anime-moment when Yuto and Miroku walked out of the fitting rooms in their modern clothes. Yuto wore tight jeans, a long-sleeved, navy blue shirt with a denim jacket over top. Miroku, also sporting jeans, wore a deep violet T-shirt. Little anime roses budded in the background.
(Chibi: drool
Azurine: drool let me bear your child!)
Azurine looked at Sarah. "I never realized how hot they are!"
"I know. Look at Yuto's tight, little butt!" she whispered giddily. (Real comment made by Chibi).
"Uh, no thanks, I'll stick with Miroku."
There were no problems until they reached the pharmacy. At the doors, a group of teens were just standing there. Recognition slowly spread over the face of one of them.
"Azure! You've been gone forever!" he exclaimed.
"Hello, Tom," Azurine sighed, exasperated. "Let us in."
"You know the rule. This here is a toll, and you need to pay. Kissy-kissy."
"Ugh, you are so disgusting," Azurine groaned.
Sarah's fist was clenching.
Miroku walked up behind Azurine. In broken English, (he'd learned some from Sarah and Yuto over the years), he said "These guys bothering you, Azure?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
Azure smiled at him, relieved. "No, I'm okay, Miroku." She kissed his cheek and turned to the quickly paling Tom. "I trust you'll give me and my friends access?"
Yuto stepped forward, the gang stepping back a bit. They were clearly intimidated by the two young men who were obviously, taller, stronger, and definitely more handsome than they.
"Who are you?" Yuto asked.
"Tom. Tom Marshall."
Fire blazed in Yuto's eyes, remembering the stories Sarah had told him about this 'Tom'. "Never EVER lay a hand on my wife again."
"And leave Azurine," Miroku added, "well and alone."
Not really remembering a time that he had ever seen, let alone touched, the blonde, though he did have a vague memory of being thrown across a room, Tom ran followed by his friends.
Sarah and Azurine both blushed. That was very embarrassing, and yet, in a way, they loved it.
Inside the pharmacy, Azurine bought the medicine quickly and sighed. "Come on, guys. Let's go. Yuto? Miroku?"
She found them in the back of the store. Miroku was playing with a testable light bulb, astounded as Yuto watched in equal wonder.
Miroku pulled Azurine over. "What's this? How does it work?"
"It's a light bulb and I have no idea how it works. Now come home."
"But…but look at it!"
"Come on."
Miroku looked thoughtful before suddenly asking, "Can we get married next week?"
Azurine blushed and blinked confusedly. "Huh? Why do you ask?"
"Look at this amazing automatic candle, Azure. See how it's shining? That's me, okay? But look now." He turned it off. "I'm gone. I won't be able to love you before I die."
Azurine blushed harder and her heart hurt. "You've still got a long time, Miroku, and we'll find Naraku. You're not going to die."
"I'm afraid, my dear, that dying is something I've got to do." He winked. "It's the 'so soon' that scares me."
She grinned a little and kissed him.
"No PDA!" Sarah laughed.
Azurine pulled away automatically, blushing. "Sorry."
Sarah was grinning. "I was only joking." She held up the bag with her medication. "Let's go home."
"But, the amazing automatic candle!" Yuto cried.
Sarah sighed. "Yuto."
"Eh?"
"I love you."
He turned around and smiled at her. "I love you, too." He hugged her.
Reaching behind him, Sarah switched off the light. Yuto turned back and pouted. Sarah told him to go wait outside.
Azure looked at Sarah. "Oh, buy him a flashlight."
"You're the one with the money," Sarah pointed out.
Azurine gave her cash and a flashlight and batteries was bought.
The short walk to the well was interrupted as Azurine stopped short. She'd forgotten; by going to the Salvo, they'd avoided this.
The house stood three stories high; the topmost room was the attic. It was painted dark red with white shutters. A porch wrapped along the front and side of the house. Paintings, lining the walls of the porch, brought back memories of six years past. The house looked almost empty now.
A neighbor saw these people stopping in front of the house. Three of them looked normal enough, but the forth wore a long, green cloak and had a staff tied to her pack. Odd. He approached them.
"Come to admire? Those paintings were done by a young girl who lived there, but she went missing three years ago. Cain, her guardian, rarely comes back. He's still looking for her, they say."
Azurine turned to him. "It's me, Mr. Petrakis. Azurine. And Cain's not looking very hard." She smiled. "I've just got to get something and we're gone. I'm eighteen, now, so know worries. Tell Cain 'hi' if you see him, but I'm a legal adult and don't need him anymore."
Mr. Petrakis, more than a little confused, smiled awkwardly. "All right. Nice to see you again." He went back to his yard work, scratching his head.
Azurine turned to the others. "Stay here, alright? I'll be out in a second." She walked up to the house, opened a screened window, and tumbled inside.
Slowly, memories returned to her one by one.
She was thirteen years old. It was the first time she was allowed to have a friend sleep over. It was Sarah.
Cain came home in a drunken rage while the two were watching Sailor Moon. Azurine forced Sarah into the basement.
"Please," she begged Sarah, tears in her eyes. "For your own safety, stay here."
She locked the door, but Sarah, as you well know, is stubborn. Ten minutes later, Sarah had snuck out of the basement window and knocked on the front door, thus saving Azurine from any more pain. Azurine then swore her to silence.
They'd been best friends ever since.
She was fourteen, the night of the school social. Cain had shown Yukito, Azurine's escort, up the stairs. There, he saw Azurine and fell in love.
He looked at her in a way that made Azurine feel beautiful for the first time in her life.
She was fifteen and almost ready to begin her great adventure. Brushing dust off a decrepit, old rope, she shoved it into her pack, planning an adventure nowhere near the size of what she got. Fastening her faerie necklace around her neck, she stood and walked out the door, the faerie's wings glimmering mysteriously.
She was coming home for what she hoped was the last time, but she was caught. Shippo, Sarah and Yukito were tumbling through her window. Her friends were rescuing her.
She felt happy to have them.
Azurine sighed and shook off the past. She was in Cain's room, the most fearsome and intimidating in the house. This was where some of the worst things had happened.
She spotted an old, leather-bound book, the initials 'T. D.' etched in silver on the cover. She stopped short, lifting it from the desk it rested on.
"Daddy," she said softly. "Toyah Deltan, my daddy."
Flipping open the cover, she saw a picture of a happy family. There was a dark-haired, gray-eyed father. Three sons, all spitting images of their father: one six, one eight, and one ten, stood around him. All four were looking at a baby girl, chewing on her father's thumb. The brothers, Tobias, Kadin, and Daniel, had all been killed six years after this picture in a fire. They all had dog-ears.
Flipping through more pages, Azurine broke into sobs, realizing the happy life she could have led.
Then, Miroku's hand was on her shoulder. She looked up, wiping her eyes. She hugged him. Yuto came wandering through the door, looking around. "Anyone seen Sarah?"
Azurine stared at him. "How did you lose your own wife?"
Sarah wandered through the yards absent-mindedly, not really caring where she went. She was just revisiting her old neighborhood.
She came to a yard that she recognized as her own. She gazed fondly at the swing set she'd played on as a kid…and lost her two front teeth. Good thing they were her baby ones. Just then, a man opened the front door.
"Sarah?" he whispered in disbelief. "Sarah is that you? Come here." He beckoned her inside the gate eagerly, kindly.
"Dad?" She entered the yard, but paused.
"Come here, let me see you."
Sarah had her doubts. Her father was a dangerous man, easily driven to anger. It was because of him that she met Azurine.
She was thirteen, Azurine: twelve. Sarah was running through the streets from her dad and his drunken buddies. Her left eye was already shiny as it swelled and bruised. She could barely see out of it as she ran. That was probably how she ran into the other girl.
With a crash, they both fell to the ground. The other girl was rubbing her head. She had golden brown hair, streaked with silver. She had jade eyes. Her shirt seemed to be on backwards like she'd dressed in a hurry.
She looked up. "Sorry! Oh my, gosh! Did I give you that black eye? Here!" She took the bag off her back and pulled an ice pack from a first aid kit. She broke the ice in the pack and held it out. "It should help."
Sarah took it, gratefully, and grinned, showing her missing teeth. "No," she said carelessly. "It wasn't you. It was my d…someone else."
"It was 'my'd'? Who's Myd?"
Sarah laughed nervously. Putting a finger to her lips, she said, "Promise you won't tell?"
The girl nodded. "Cross my heart."
"It was my dad. He and his buddies wanted to prove how tough they are. They like to use me as a punching bag." She shrugged.
The girl looked off to the side. "I know how that feels," she murmured, more to herself than to Sarah. She looked back up. "I'm Azurine."
"Sarah."
"Why are you so happy after all that?"
Sarah shrugged. "I dunno. I figure that it happens for a reason. 'Que sera sera' and all that. I don't mind so much. I hurt myself enough that a little punch doesn't hurt a lot. See this?" She pointed to the missing teeth. "I did that last week falling off my swing set."
Azurine shook her head. "Let me see your eye." Azurine pulled the ice pack away. "The swelling's going down a bit. Hey, let's hit the park, okay?" She smiled a little.
Sarah nodded. A friendship was forged.
After a few nervous moments, Sarah stepped forward. Her father noticed her bulging stomach. He didn't like that. He looked around to see if anyone was out. No one was.
"Pregnant?" he hissed angrily. "You little whore!"
He boxed her ears and dragged her up the porch steps to the inside of the house. She thought of screaming, but her head hurt too badly.
He was hitting her, now. Again and again. Her eye was swelling, her nose: bleeding, her head: throbbing. She didn't know how much time had passed. It could have been minutes, hours, or days. All she realized was that a fist was sailing toward her stomach. He was going to kill the baby!
At the last minute, a hand stopped him. More hands grabbed Sarah, pulling her away.
"Another black eye." Azurine handed Sarah an ice pack. "Here, it should help."
Sarah grinned a little. "Just like old times, eh, Azure?"
She nodded. "Just like old times. But this time, it's not 'Que sera sera.' You all right? The baby?"
Shouting interrupted them. Sarah grimaced; it was about her.
"Don't worry. Yuto saved you. Sarah?" Azurine watched her friend cringe in pain. Sarah hated when people fought about her. She never minded the beatings, but when others were angry because of her, that's what pained her most.
Azurine didn't like this. Sarah deserved happiness. Sarah had always wished it on everyone else, but never for her self.
There was a sound of flesh on flesh. Yuto, his face stone cold, had hit Sarah's father. Yuto then came back and scooped Sarah up in his arms.
"Let's go home, now, okay?" he asked, his face now soft and caring.
Sarah nodded. She turned away from her father as they passed him. He was sprawled against the wall, unconscious.
The rest of the trip back was uneventful. Yuto safely held Sarah while Azurine tended to her; stemming her nosebleed and icing her eye. Azurine's book was tucked away in her pack.
Azurine jumped through the well first.
Her feet connected with the earth. She looked up to find the expectant faces of her companions.
"Uh-oh."
End Chapter.
Chibi: Dramatic minor chord! Why didn't Azzy get through the well? Find out next week! Bai-bai!