This story is one I've had in my mind for quite sometime, it's changed a lot from my original idea. This is the happy version, my original version was much sadder. I'll publish that version as well and it will be titled Your Guardian Angel.

"Hi, my name's Ayumi. What's yours?" Shy brown eyes looked up and stared at the curly haired girl.

"Kagome," she replied. Ayumi broke out into a huge grin.

"Wanna be friends?" Kagome nodded, and from that point on the pair was inseparable.

Kagome grew to be more outgoing. She was headstrong and wore her heart on her sleeve; any emotion she felt you knew about, be it happiness or anger.

Ayumi by contrast was quiet and patient. She listened to everything Kagome had to say and always took her side no matter what.

When they met Erii and Yuka, Ayumi welcomed them with open arms and treated them like life long friends instantly.

As they grew Ayumi remained as innocent and naïve as ever. She loved going to the Higurashi Shrine, and at times Kagome would catch her looking at the well house or the sacred tree with a strange look on her face that would disappear the moment she saw Kagome watching.

In middle school something odd happened; Kagome would disappear for days at a time and the only answer they were given were outlandish claims of various illnesses. Yuka and Erii worried at first, but Ayumi declared she believed all the strange excuses and that they should too.

"You're so trusting," Yuka sighed and Ayumi just shrugged with a smile on her face.

"In all the years I've known her, Kagome has never given me any reason not to trust her." Erii and Yuka just shook their heads and decided to follow her lead.

While they thought Kagome's delinquent boyfriend was no good, Ayumi steadfastly believed it was true love and encouraged the romance, siding with Kagome in her defence of the odd man with white hair.

She found it hard to contain herself when she met him; he looked so young and different. There was sweetness behind a gruff exterior. He also seemed pretty clueless, but that was alright. He had Kagome looking out for him.

Then one day it all stopped. Kagome didn't disappear anymore, there were no more mysterious illnesses and no more sudden needs for a new uniform because hers were oddly torn or stained.

She also stopped smiling as much. Her mouth still made the shapes, but Ayumi could tell it didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm worried about Kagome," Yuka said as the left the shrine.

"Me too," Erii said. "She doesn't talk about her boyfriend anymore either. I wonder what happened."

"She'll be okay," Ayumi assured them. "Kagome's strong. She won't stay like this forever." It broke her heart to see Kagome look how she did, her eyes would stare out the window focused on something only she could see. She was withdrawn, even when they all went out together and refused many requests for dates.

If Ayumi wasn't positive that Kagome was going to be alright she would have been worried too. Instead she focused on her music, writing a few symphonies before she graduated high school and she would always give Kagome a copy of the cd.

Kagome's favourite was one she wrote entitled Feudal Rhapsodyand would play it over and over.

They went to high school and Kagome got better, almost like her old self. Almost.

"It sometimes feels like these past three years were just pretend," she confided in Ayumi after a night of karaoke.

"It is strange to think we've graduated and will be starting college soon. You still haven't applied anywhere?"

"I'm thinking I might take a year off, work at the shrine," she shrugged. "You know, take some time to decide what I want to do."

"I guess I'm lucky to know what I want from this life," Ayumi smiled.

"You have a gift for languages," Kagome agreed. "And you're so good with people, it was an obvious choice."

"You're right, it's almost as if I've spoken them for decades," Ayumi said with that mysterious twinkle in her eye. "You know, whatever you decide will be okay. Everyone will still love you no matter what." She took Kagome's hands in hers. "What's important is that you're happy. That's all we want."

"I am happy."

"No, you pretend you are, but you're not. You miss him and it's okay. You need to sort out your feelings about the past before you can truly decide."

"Maybe you're right," Kagome looked up and they realized they had reached the Higurashi shrine. "Well, see you later." Ayumi pulled Kagome into a hug and nodded.

"See you," she repeated.

"So, how'd the date go?" Yuka asked, fiddling with her straw.

"It was... Nice," Erii admitted. "He's a decent guy, I like him a lot. It's too bad Kagome didn't come, she's the one who convinced me to say yes." Ayumi shrugged.

"She had a lot on her mind after I walked home with her last night."

"Yeah, I guess I can tell her later."

"So," Yuka said bringing the conversation back. "Where did he take you for dinner?" The hair on the back of Ayumi's neck stood on end and she suppressed a shiver. She knew the feeling.

"Hey, Ayumi! you okay?" Erii asked, pausing mid story. "You just spaced out."

"Yeah I'm fine," she laughed. "Just zoned out I guess." Erii nodded and launched back into the story while Ayumi looked out the window, hiding her shiny eyes.

Kagome was gone.

"Mom! I'm home!" Ayumi called, shedding her layers. Golden eyes peered around the corner.

"She's in the back, gardening. Do you have to wear that out?"

"This happens to be my favourite skirt, idiot." Eyeing his red shirt and jeans. "Besides, at least I change it up sometimes. Do you even own any other colours?"

"I know what I like." He rolled his eyes and made to brush past them when a hand fell heavily on his shoulder. "It happened, huh?"

"Yeah, I had a feeling it would be today. I recognized the outfit she was wearing. She probably slept in it."

"You did good, you know that." He nodded and made his way to the back yard. He felt guilty, he'd have her and the others wouldn't. As if sensing his presence she turned.

"Shippo! I didn't know you were home." The kitsune ran to her arms and snuggled, inhaling the scent that was so uniquely hers. "Oh, today's the day, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Kagome's gone."

"Hey, none of that." Shippo looked up into the warm brown eyes he'd always known. She looked no older than her late twenties. "You've always had me, and in a few years we can go and visit Mama and Souta." She tucked his head under her chin and hummed, gently stroking his ears. "You just keep looking out for them. And for Erii and Yuka too"

"I will, I always have."

I noticed that Shippo and Ayumi have some similarities, the most noticeable being that they are voiced by the same actress. And wouldn't it just be like Shippo to watch Kagome and her family in disguise?