Time... And how it flies ...

[MarcDonati]

Two years

Mayako woke up today in a haze like state, she had lost track of how long she has been here.

The sky was blue, quite sunny on this particular day, white clouds scrolling on by , the sun hanging in the air Water would be nice to go to ... Maybe a beach , shame wasting the day away Mayako simply smiled to herself , full of energy and glee of potentially going out again

She sighs and looks down at the bandages covering her body and grimaces Still not much better... Lucky to be awake or even still be together... I thank my graces that they were able to get rid of the burns...

It had been long, maybe far too long being cooked up in the small hut, in the middle of nowhere, she simply had nothing to do until her body fully recovered, at least she still had her mind to entertain her, maybe the few nurses that visited a little too infrequently for her liking, but was still thankful

Sighing again she just lies still on the bed thinking about how she even got here in the first place.

With all concept of time having almost left her it seems like yesterday , that this all happened.

I was on a mission, not official, but a personal one , I had hoped to start a new, build fresh and perhaps live in quiet bliss near everyone , selling my plants and trees and flowers, making the world beautiful again, these missions of mine usually go well , I bring my gear, my cart , a shovel and clippers, and I am fine , when this happened however, somehow it all went wrong, I was not paying attention... Or expecting anyone....

I walked for quite a while , unaware of being followed, I was happy, in bliss, in my own world , walking and I ended up somewhere that I could not recall , I must have been going on for ages as when I stopped to check where I was, I was feeling exhausted, hungry and not one bit of recognisable scenery was in sight, I might have well walked into another country , or that's what it was beginning to feel like at least, I sat down by my cart, and rested my eyes far too tired to continue, I would walk back home on the morn I thought , how naive I was.

I don't know how it all happened , but when I woke everything I brought with me was broken , all of my tools, all of my collected seeds were missing, my cuttings dissappeared , and smoke. Smoke was everywhere, blinding my senses , blinding me to the world around me, filling my lungs with the terrible smog left in the air, and fire, everywhere I could see, I tried to run, but I couldn't move, it was far too sore, I was lying in it ! The terrible blaze around me , and it had near engulfed me, I slipped into unconsciousness . . . And that's all I can remember , next thing I know I'm in this hut , in the middle of nowhere , covered in bandages...

She was lost in her own thoughts, she never even seen the nurse standing infront of her awe struck, shouting for more help
" Grannie ! Freda ! Thorrin ! Toru ! Come quick , she is awake and moving , "

It was only after all this when the room was full of people she shook out of her stupor and realised the people around her were all surprised
" What is all the commotion about ? Is something the matter? she could only ask this simple question to everyone gathered, she didn't even know why they were all here.

One of the nurses stood infront of her and grimaced slightly , but smiled softly as well, the oldest of them all , a frail woman , wrinkled , by far older than Mayako anyway
" Deary , don't you know? We're all happy to see you finally awake , it has been a long time ... We were afraid you would never wake up ... You were stable, but had no signs of improving , all your wounds were healed ... But you seemed to sleep , and never wake up ... We call it a coma , it had been two years , did you know that young one? Two whole years you have been here , and you never moved one single inch, until today , that's why we are happy to see you, and are all here

Mayako just never said anything for a long while , just looking in at the faces, trying to see any sign of them kidding her on, any sign of a lie, but it was no luck, they were sincere " Two . . . Two years? It can't have been that long... Could it ? I remember what happened like yesterday , I felt like I was walking around each day ... Or maybe I was just in my mind...

" My dear , we don't know what you were thinking about, but we can tell you that we are speaking the truth , it's been two years that you have been here, we fed you, bathed you, changed your bandages, healed your skin and injuries, knitted back together your muscles and bones , and even cut your hair when it got too long , we did our best and now... Now we see that it was worthwhile the old one smiles, and gestures for the rest to leave the room , and starts taking off the bandages covering Mayako , and points over to the clothing " You may call my Grannie , everyone else does my dear , I won't be offended if you do , you are welcome to stay here for as long as you want , and it can be your home if you so choose it to be

Mayako stands and stretches , unaware of being unclothed , even after she realised , she does not blush , she finishes the stretch and puts on her clothing " Thank you Grannie , I might keep visiting you all, I owe you a great deal , but I think it might be time to get back ... They probably assume me dead , or a traitor, I need to fix my name ... Speaking of... I am Mayako Yamanaka she simply smiles My family and friends call me May , or Maya , also ... Where is here, and how do I get back? she giggles slightly and stares up The ceiling Two years... Huh? It's funny how time flies

[MarcDonati]

To Pay a debt

It has been a difficult time for Mayako , what seemed to her a day , in reality it had been two years, she was still trying to come to grips with it all , a difficult situation , her body had changed and has grown, in many ways, her face barely seemed familiar to her now, everything was different , her whole body seemed foreign , the place she was staying in, that was definitely foreign , it all seemed like a long dream , one she wasn't sure if it was actually real or not , she kept on waking up expecting to be back home, but it was not the case and it was time to get a grip of reality , it had been a long two years , and she probably was not missed.

It was now two weeks since she has been awake and moving, today was particularly overcast , about to rain, and the day was cold , she had been helping with chores, in any way she could , her money was all buried in a safe place back home, she could only hope it was still there , she had no other way to help than her own skills, drawing for them , helping in their garden , and even playing music , to pay back her debt and earn at least some money to give back to them, they had become like a little family, replacing the one she had lost in the attack of Konoha all that time ago and she smiled, 'she was at home, but yet , in her mind , something was pulling at her, bothering her, it felt like she did not leave affairs finished before she had left, and thought she had to back and set things right , it would be trouble, but she knew it had to be done , she just didn't feel right without reimbursing the family before she went out again.

They have been kind to m,e, a stranger and accepted me as their own , it's all I can do to help

She went through day by day , helping the most they can, even though it was not needed , most of the time the family only took some of the earnings just to keep Mayako happy, they were well off in their small hovel , a farm to feed them, animals for food and milk, a river near by for water, and sheep for furs , they had everything they needed, but yet Mayako still went on , she learned so much from these humble people and only gave back ryo for time spent .

This went on for a few weeks , before Mayako was fully satisfied she had payed her time back , the family might have been well off, but now they had even more ryo incase they needed it, Mayako smiled to herself " I'll come back and visit soon , I promise ! , thank you so much for everything you have done for me " She gathered her clothes, a backpack, and some longlife foods, dried meats , some cheeses, and bread , and a flask for her water, before hugging each one for a long time, before heading off.

Well, past , here I come ... I wonder what it's like to see a ghost come back ... I've seen it, once in the burned and ruined Konoha , I wonder how the people will react to me? I wonder how everyone I know will act , and what will they say?

She simply smiled, and continued onwards, she was a long time away from where she needed to be , but she travelled onwards, always checking if she was being followed, using her chakra to feel out like she was trained to do all those years ago, keeping doing it like a third sense , can never be too careful , with some of the earned ryo from her exploits back in the small village , she bought a horse, and left , travelling won't be as hard now ... but still , the only thing that was going through her head was
What will I say to them ... if I even see them again , or maybe if they are still there ... everywhere could be ruined ... hopefully the world is still intact and there is something for me to go back to , wouldn't want this to be a wasted trip... Look ... the sun is out, no sign of bad weather , there is always hope ! Time to leave Mayako

She smiled and left now , she did not know how long she would be away for, but prayed it would not bve the last time she saw the place again