Old Friends

Amaya was still showing off the Tetsusaiga to Yuko and the others. She still couldn't believe that it had chosen her! She admitted, only to herself, that Kazuki had made some valid points in his reasons for believing that it would choose him instead of her. Kazuki was after all the splitting image of their father Inuyasha and he was most like him as well in personality, especially in how arrogant he can be! And Amaya realised that she too thought it would have chosen him because he was a guy...

Yuko stuck closely to Amaya all morning and kept praising her and saying proudly how she had always known it would be her. Tanaka joined in Yukos praises of Amaya but after a while she had enough of all the attention and decided to go to the roof for some thinking while Tanaka and Yuko went into the kitchen with the others. She stared at the Tetsusaiga and thought 'I can't believe that only eight years ago you were wielded by dad' and pondered about the fact that her father's hand once rested exactly where her hand is now. She paused for a moment and then asked the Tetsusaiga, "Do you miss him?" She always thought that the sword was alive somehow, but of course it gave her no answer. She signed and started to miss her father even more.

A light breeze blew over her face making her ribbon curls sway and the leaves swirled in circles in the yard. It was about spring now, Amayas favourite season, she began to relax her eyes and almost fell asleep when suddenly she heard a knocking at the door.

She peered over the roof top to the front of the house and saw Rin and Kagome talking. They had bright smiles on their faces and were chatting cheerfully. Nira, their daughter, stayed very close to Sesshomaru. She didn't seem to approve of this visit. Amaya guessed that she didn't get out of the forest very often. It almost seemed that the Empress was a little frightened to be around so many people. Amaya saw them walk inside the house and decided it was time to go inside to see them.

Inside the house it was busy; everyone was very excited to meet their guests! Sesshomaru was obviously uncomfortable with all of this attention while Rin only blushed slightly while chatting with everyone. Nira suddenly looked very much unlike herself; she was hiding behind her father clasping his kimono tightly. Everyone had heard about 'the beautiful Empress' but this was the first time they had actually seen her.

Tanaka walked up to Amaya and said "Do you think she's alright? Nira I mean. She looks scared."

"She's probably not used to all of this attention, Tanaka. Remember that anytime she has ever met a stranger was when they were in her forest. She probably has killed people more often than she has made friends with them!"

Tanaka flinched at this and then replied, "Do you think she even has any friends?"

Amaya paused for a moment and watched the scared Empress. Tanaka was right; she probably didn't have any friends because she had been in that forest for so long and there wouldn't be any other kids her age there either!

She smiled at Tanaka and then walked over cautiously towards Nira. "Hey Nira, remember me? I'm Amaya."

Nira stared at Amaya, she could tell that she recognised her, but Nira stayed where she was. Sesshomaru was looking down at the two of them, watching Amaya trying to talk to his daughter.

"It's ok you don't have to be afraid of me! We're friends right?"

Nira looked up at Amaya, a shocked expression in her eyes as if this was the first time she had ever heard these words.

"Did you want to go outside? It's a little crowded in here." And indeed it was, with Kagome and Rin, Sesshomaru, Sango, Miroku and their four children, not to mention Jirou, Kazuki and Tanaka.

Nira looked up at her father who simply nodded slightly, then she rushed over and clasped Amayas kimono in the same way she was clasping her father's just a moment ago. Amaya was taken by surprise at this! She was expecting Nira to reject her offer, and was glad she could get through to her cousin.

She directed the Empress out the back door and into the yard when no one was looking. Nira ran away from Amaya and went to the first tree she saw and gasped for air. It seemed that social interactions terrified her.

"Are you alright?" Amaya asked, keeping her distance.

Nira turned around and slowly hid herself behind the tree, peeping out slightly and replied shyly, "I'm ok."

Tanaka came out from behind Amaya with some food from the table, "I thought you guys would be hungry." He gave a plate to Amaya and offered one to Nira. She looked at it, blushing slightly but after a minute she slowly outstretched her hand and accepted the meal. They ate in silence for a while when Nira spoke, " Thanks,... for getting me out of there." She was so quiet they almost didn't hear her.

"You don't seem to like crowds very much." Amaya observed.

"Yeah... I don't talk to people often..." She said blushing more furiously then looking down at her plate.

"Maybe," Tanaka began, "you could hang out with us for a little bit... if you're up to it."

Nira looked up wide eyed and curious. This was the first time she had anyone around her own age ask her to hang out with them.

She nodded and smiled slightly and her golden eyes looked cheerful. Amaya thought that her cousin had a sweet smile. Nira looked very child like when she smiled and very cute. She didn't at all look like the Empress of the forest that she had first met, the Empress who had a cold look in her eye and who was rude to others.

Amaya and Tanaka chatted for a while and Nira listened eagerly, commenting and agreeing every now and again. She didn't have a lot to say but Amaya and Tanaka could tell that she was interested in talking to them further. Maybe they should hang out with her more often and then Nira will talk and open up more, they thought.

It was beginning to get dark when Rin came around the corner and noticed the three of them in a tight circle. She stayed there smiling as she watched Nira light up with everything the other two said.

"What's taking so long?" A flat voice said quietly behind Rin. It was Sesshomaru, Rin put her index finger up to her mouth and said "Shhh!" then pointed towards Amaya, Tanaka and Nira. He looked up and gasped slightly, he didn't expect to see his daughter so lively with others. Just like Rin he stared for a few minutes before looking back at the setting sun.

"We better interrupt them, Rin. It's getting late." He pointed towards the west.

"Oh!" Rin said disappointed. "Then I guess we will have to come back another day soon!" She then walked over to the trio and told them that it was time to go.

They both were sad that Nira had to leave, especially Amaya! She was enjoying chatting to her cousin.

"Bye." Nira said waving to them before she and her parents went through the house and were gone back to their own cottage in the forest.

"Turns out she's not so bad after all." A husky voice commented. It was Kazuki, and this was the first time he had spoken to Amaya since the Tetsusaiga had chosen her instead of him. He looked at her, a grumpy look on his face; clearly he still wasn't over it yet. "I heard you guys talking and everything. At least she's a lot friendlier than last time!" He said while walking away.

Nira came over a lot more often after that day and for the next few months the three of them became closer. Sometimes she'd even come by herself and it seemed that her confidence in socialising had improved. She was still quiet for the most part but not as shy as she used to be, or at least not around Tanaka or Amaya who she had become very close friends with!

One day the three of them were fishing at a river. They wanted to cook up some fish for dinner and decided to have a bit of a camp out.

"You know... You guys always invite me out and stuff... Maybe you should come over my place for once? You've never been there before... accept that one time." Nira said.

"Yeah that would be really fun!" Amaya replied.

"Just don't distance yourself this time." Tanaka teased, and they all laughed.

"I'm really sorry that I was rude to you guys the first time you came over. I didn't know how to act around strangers."

"It's no big deal." Tanaka replied. "Besides you're much better now! It's all in the past."

"Yeah!" Nira smiled.

That night they cooked their fish over a camp fire. They were at the small opening that Tanaka had shown Amaya when she had first moved there with her family, though the fairy demons hadn't been around much lately.

"Hey guys! I thought you would like some extra snacks!" Yuko called from the distance. She had in her hands a few packets of chips. Tanaka and Nira looked at them suspiciously.

"Oh mum must have gotten them." Amaya explained to them. "She's from the future and came back in time through a well. That's how she met my father Inuyasha..."

They both blinked at her with confused expressions on their faces.

"Nevermind it's hard to explain." Amaya opened one of the packets of chips and offered them some. "Just put your hand in and grab some chips, they're delicious!"

Yuko sat down with the others; she was used to this time travel stuff because she had grown up with Kagome and her family.

So that night everyone just laid down and stared at the stars and exchanged stories over the campfire.

"Oh I almost forgot!" Yuko said shuffling through her bag. "I got these too Amaya." She said handing a packet of marshmallows to her. Tanaka and Nira watched curiously as Amaya allowed the marshmallow to catch fire until it was black, blew it out, and then peeled off the outer skin and ate it.

"Common you should try this!" Amaya said while she began to cook more for Tanaka and Nira. Yuko was already happily roasting four marshmallows on her stick for herself.

The next morning they took all their camping gear back to their house and then went over to Niras cottage in the middle of the forbidden forest.

"I've never been to Niras place before!" Yuko said excitedly. "Hey!" She called to Nira as they were jumping from tree to tree. "Are there a lot of demons I can tackle?" Nira looked confused at her friend.

"I guess..." She said.

"Good!" Yuko replied with a devilish grin on her face. She always liked physical activities the more dangerous the better.

"You know this is meant to be a nice, friendly day out right?" Tanaka said to Yuko. "No battles."

Yuko pouted angrily.

They had a really nice time at Niras cottage, she even tried to cook them lunch, with the help of her mother Rin of course, though the meal didn't turn out as well as she wanted. Cooking after all wasn't really Niras talent.

After everyone said their goodbyes Tanaka took Amaya and Yuko home.

As soon as they walked into the door everyone noticed something wasn't right with Kagome. She was holding a letter loosely in her hand and looked pale.

"What is it mum? Is everything alright? Who's that letter from?" Amaya urged Kagome to give them an answer, but it took her a few minutes to reply.

Kagome looked at her daughter and the others and said, "They've found Kyoufu Oni."