Memories

At first there was no sign of Kaya or the others so the four of them unpacked their things and took them inside the cottage. It had been abandoned for eight years, so the inside was a little dusty and the vines outside were etching up the walls. She went into her old room where she and Kazuki had slept. Tears began to fill her eyes, and she wished that those days had never ended.

But at the same time if they hadn't have she would never had met Tanaka, Nira, Yuko and all the other people from the east that she loved. As she was rubbing her eyes to wipe away the tears Nira came up behind her.

"Is this where you and Kazuki grew up?"

Amaya nodded her face still in her sleeve.

Nira looked sadly at her cousin and then looked around the old cottage. She could imagine the life it once had. She stared at the fireplace where Yuko and Tanaka were trying to light a fire.

"I started making us something to eat-" Tanaka said walking into the room and then noticed that Amaya was crying. He put a hand on Amayas shoulder and pulled her into a hug.

Nira decided that she should leave them alone so she left the room to assist Yuko with the fire.

"Thanks, I'm ok." She said pulling out of the hug.

"It's ok." Tanaka said softly, and she looked up at him. She was still sobbing and her eyes were overflowing with tears. "You know, I never told you-" he suddenly paused. 'Maybe this isn't the best time' he thought.

"Hm? What?" She said, her voice was a little croaky from all the crying.

"Oh... Never mind." He smiled and turned to walk out of the door.

"No, tell me! What is it?"

Amaya was expecting Tanaka to turn around and to give her a verbal explanation but instead he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

She was shocked and didn't expect this at all! He continued to kiss her and before she knew it she closed her eyes and kissed him back.

Amaya opened her eyes for a moment and over Tanakas shoulder she could see both Nira and Yuko staring at them looking gobsmacked.

Tanaka noticed Amaya tensing up and pulled out of the kiss to look behind him and saw what she was looking at. Straight away his face turned beetroot red.

"What?" He asked them.

"Oh nothing, nothing!" They both said awkwardly and walked back into the next room.

Tanaka turned back towards Amaya, a soft look in his green eyes, "Where were we?"

This time it was Amaya who made the first move. She couldn't remember feeling like this since about nine years ago when she received her first kiss from Hotaka.

After a few moments Tanaka stopped kissing Amaya and gently played with one of her ribbon curls before being interrupted by Yuko who told him that his food was burning.

Amaya laughed as Tanaka ran out of the room to save what was left of their meal.

About an hour later after everyone had eaten what Tanaka could salvage, Kaya and the others arrived. They had been off to get more food and supplies and didn't think that everyone would be there before they got back.

"I am sorry that we weren't here sooner." Kaya said. Riku bowed to everyone and nodded pointing to Kaya meaning that he was also sorry. Shushu ran up to everyone and started to lick their faces and rubbed up against them so they would give him a scratch. Kaya told them that they would all have to travel up to the North West to find the old man they had met with Inuyasha eight years ago. She said that he would be able to train Amaya on how to use the Tetsusaiga. "I hope he is still alive." She pondered.

Later that afternoon Amaya went to the meadow. It had felt like a lifetime since she went there last and when she arrived it looked like it hadn't changed a bit. Memories lingered in her mind. She saw the time Kazuki was jealous when she first met Hotaka, the time Inuyasha had chased her and Hotaka around the forest after he had kissed her, and all the times her and Kazuki had play fought. Amaya laid in the grass, it was so soft and comfortable, and there were daisies throughout the whole meadow. She looked up at the trees, where the sunlight streamed through the leaves and branches. She always felt at peace here in the past and being here now made it feel like nothing had changed.

But of course that wasn't true. Kazuki wasn't there with her, and she had no idea where Hotaka was anymore. She missed the old days.

She could have been lying there for hours but she wouldn't have noticed. Amaya didn't care how long it was, as long as she would never have to leave again. Nowhere felt like home more than the meadow did.

Suddenly she heard someone coming towards her, but she didn't care to move. She was too comfortable where she was, so she didn't object when whoever it was laid in the grass above her head.

They both remained silent until the other person said. "You know, you could at least say something!" Amaya shot up, because this voice didn't belong to any of the companions she had brought with her and knew straight away that it was Kazuki.

"When the hell did you get here? And weren't you staying behind?" Amaya demanded.

"Yeah well I couldn't let YOU have all the glory of kicking Kyoufu Oni's butt now could I?" He huffed before falling silent again.

So they both laid there in silence, in the meadow where they had grown up together. They both knew what the other was thinking about. Everything they had to leave behind before they moved and also remembering all the days spent with their father when he was alive.

That night after they walked back into the cottage Sen was talking to everyone and giggled when she said "You know, as soon as you all left Kazuki started saying 'I don't want to go! Who needs Amaya anyway. She'll be fine!' and then he started saying 'But what if she isn't?... That would make me a bad brother!' but then he would go, 'Nah screw her! She's "stronger than me" anyway. HA! She can kick Kyoufu Oni's butt on her own!'" Sen laughed even harder when she said "He was like that for about half an hour before he packed our things and carried me here!"

Amaya looked at her brother; he was furious and refused to look back.

Sen turned around when noticed that they were there. "Isn't that right, Babe? You were soooo worried about Amaya!"

"SHUT UP! I WAS NOT!" He yelled back but this only made Sen giggle more. He turned to Amaya when he noticed she was staring at him and said "What are you looking at? I just wanted to kick some demon butt that's all!" She didn't argue because she knew that he wasn't going to admit to worrying about her so she shrugged and followed her brother into the living room where everyone was gathered.

"OH SHUSHU!" Sen suddenly exclaimed. "I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN YEARS!" She embraced the demon affectionately and started to rub his ears. "Shushu was born into our family because Kirara was owned by my mother but for some reason he wouldn't go to a home like the rest of his siblings." Sen told the others. "I guess you wanted to be wild and free, Shushu?"

Shushu uttered a wheeze that meant that he agreed.

"So where is it that we are going" Kazuki asked Kaya, but she only stared at him for a moment before saying,

"You are Inuyashas son I presume? Your features are the same as his."

"Yeah I know, I hear it all the time."

Kaya began to explain the plan to Kazuki and Sen.

"Alright so this old guy is going to teach Amaya how to use the Tetsusaiga?"

Kaya nodded.

"When are we going?"

"The day after tomorrow."