I know I'm supposed to have my other works on hold and that means no new stories but I can't help it when the muse calls you listen for face the lack of inspiration for all other works… Oh well here's the story.
Summary: Kagome's family decides to try something new, a foreign exchange student named Mari. Life is fine and dandy with this new member, until there's an unexpected visitor, InuYasha. What happens when Kagome is called back, but her mother demands she take Mari with her to feudal Japan?
Rating: PG-13 (may change later)
Paring: Like I know right now, probably K/I M/S
Any who, on with the story! Oh and if anyone has an idea for a title for this fic that'd be wonderful if you could suggest it in a review.
Prologue: Meeting Mari
Kagome woke up to banging on her door, and a yelling voice that could only belong to her mother. "Kagome wake up! We need to go to the airport to pick up the exchange student!" she yelled. Kagome bolted up. She had forgotten the student was arriving today. After rushing around to get ready she finally walked out to watch her family finish up the last portions of breakfast.
"Hey don't I get some?" she whined.
"If you had gotten up earlier you would have, we need to go now so if you want something to eat then grab some fruit and lets go!" her grandpa said, as he, Sota and Mrs. Higurashi all stood and went to the car. Kagome grabbed several small snacks and ran after them.
The ride to the airport went by slowly as Kagome drifted in and out of thoughts. After a few moments, she remembered her I-pod and decided to listen to some American songs she'd loaded the night before. Her friends had been telling her about different American artists and she wanted to see what she liked, the songs she did went to her I-pod, all else went to the recycle bin.
Seemingly and eternity later they reached the airport, and Kagome got out to meet the exchange student with her mother, Sota and Grandpa were going to find a parking place and were going to meet them at the gate. As Kagome and her mother walked to the gate, her mother looked at her watch. "Kagome we're late! We need to hurry up, we needed to be at the gate ten minutes ago!" she said, speeding her pace up.
While the two hurried to the correct terminal, Kagome wondered what the exchange student would be like. She'd talked to several of her friends and had heard some stories about the students that she didn't like. Her friends had nearly scared her out of wanting one. They had critiqued all of the kinds that had lived with them, from the worst to the best. The Chinese being the worst next to the American females and some guys, and the best being the German and Belgian students, the Russians were a category of their own.
Kagome had then hoped the student was Russian, however she was informed that the student was an American from California. Her mother knew all the information about the student; she wanted to surprise Kagome and her brother so she refused to tell them anything.
On the other side of the terminal, a girl sat looking around at the new country she was to spend the next year with. Wondering where her host family was she sighed as she took a book out of her bag. Having already gone to the baggage claim and retrieved her luggage. Opening the book, she found her place and continued to read.
She had spent the last several hours in the plane riding here; she had spent the time looking either out the window at the sea or at the screen on the TV watching random documentaries about different events, from scientific and historical events. She'd enjoyed the documentary about the Japanese Samurai, and just as much the one about the evolution of the sword in the different countries.
She had a love of weaponry, archery, and sword fighting mostly. She hoped she would be able to practice both skills, and that the girl she would be living with had some amount of interest in those things as well. However, she didn't think that the girl would.
As she finished sighing to herself, she heard a girl and her mother arguing with each other. They were arguing about how the girl, Kagome had told her the wrong terminal, and the girl kept replying that the mother had told her the wrong terminal. Taking a hopeful step, the American girl walked over to the two fighting women.
"Gomen, but I overheard your discussion and was wondering if I could be of some help." She said, the older woman looked at her and smiled.
"Yes, that would be wonderful. I was looking for girl by the name of Mari Rose, she's an exchange student and we're her host family, she flew in today." The woman replied.
"Ya, we got lost on the way and forgot the gate number." Kagome replied, watching the woman turn a light shade of pink.
"I am the girl you are looking for. It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Higurashi, and this is your daughter?" she asked.
"Yes," she said, elbowing Kagome.
"I am Kagome. Its nice to meet you." Kagome said. 'Well she doesn't look horrible at least.' Mari had dark red hair that ended slightly above her elbows, and bright green eyes. She wore a pleated blue plaid skirt that ended around her mid thigh and a white muscle shirt.
"I don't think we should keep Grandpa and Sota waiting so lets grab your things and be off alright." Kagome's mother said. Mari nodded and shouldered her bag, picking up her duffel bad and a wheeling suitcase. Kagome's mother grabbed a bag as did Kagome and they left.
Kagome and Mari spent the drive getting to know each other and discovering different things, they had in common. This time the drive went by very quickly, as the two girls got to know each other. When they arrived at the shrine, Kagome and Mari took her things into the guest room next to Kagome's room. Mari took out a small stereo out and an I-pod, and proceeded to play some music.
Kagome sat on Mari's bed and watched her unpack. When Mari had finished Kagome looked at the black duffel that had yet to be opened. "If you don't mind, could you please tell me what's in the duffel?"
"oh, I'll show you, you seem interested." Mari walked over and placed the bag atop the bed next to Kagome. I'm a lover of fighting stuff so I brought some of my training stuff with me if your family doesn't mind." Mari said.
"That's fine! Here let me show you where you can put that." Kagome said picking the duffel up. She led her through several hallways and finally into an empty room. "this used to be a training room, but as time went by, my family slowly lost interest into fighting, I'm into archery but only recently and well that basically." Kagome said.
"You do archery. I do that too!" Mari exclaimed happily.
"Ya, you seem really happy about that."
"I didn't think you would."
"Oh. Well I really am. Do you want to practice for a bit? Then I could show you around the shrine. Mari nodded and took out her bow; it was old fashion, not a modern bow that too complex.
"Do you have any arrows? I wasn't able to bring any of mine." Mari asked.
"We've got plenty." Kagome replied. They went outside and Kagome led the way to a small shack. Upon opening it, Kagome took out two quivers and filled them with arrows. "We have a range, I'll take you there now." Kagome told her.
As they walked to the range, the two girls discussed different weapons and their favourites. As they reached the range Kagome watched, Mari string her bow and get ready to shoot. Kagome strung her and they set the targets up. As Kagome watched Mari shoot, she realized her new housemate knew how to shoot. Kagome was not that good yet; she never took the time to practice that much when she was out of the feudal era.
Kagome shot her first arrow and missed her target, Mari watching Kagome decided to try and offer some assistance. "when you shoot, you look like your afraid of getting hit by the string, and your not looking down your shaft. Try pulling back more and look down the shaft." Kagome tried and just missed her target.
"I get what you mean I just am not much good I haven't been doing this long.
"I understand, try just aligning your sight with the arrow, you should miss unless you don't pull back enough." Mari said. "Try again" Kagome tried and hit her target.
"I did it!" she exclaimed.
"Good job." Mari said. The two girls continued to shoot until Kagome's mother called them in for dinner. The two picked up their arrows and put the targets away and washed up for dinner. As they came in and sat Mrs. Higurashi served dinner.
"I hope you enjoy dinner Mari, maybe tomorrow night you can make us an American dinner." She said. Mari smiled and agreed. Dinner was spent asking Mari about where she was from and what she thought of Japan thus far.
"Mari, what part of the United States are you from?" Souta asked.
"California, Napa County." She replied. "That area is well known for it's wine."
"Does your family own a vineyard?" Kagome asked.
"Yes actually we do." She replied. "I brought pictures if you want to see them after dinner."
"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Souta asked.
"Actually I have a twin sister, and brother, my sister and I are identical however."
"Triplets!" Kagome's Grandfather exclaimed.
"Yes. My parents only wanted one child and had three, I'm the middle child my brother is the oldest." She said.
"Could I see your brother's and sister's pictures?" Kagome asked.
"I don't see why not." Mari replied. She took several more bites of her food. "This is very good, thank you for making dinner." She said.
"You are welcome Mari." Mrs. Higurashi replied. When dinner was done Mari helped clean the dishes before going into her room and getting her pictures.
"Here they are." She said, setting them on the table. Kagome looked at a picture of a guy who looked like Mari and held it up.
"Is that your brother?" she asked.
"That's Kevin alright." She said. The picture showed him in a baseball cap with a bat in his hands, as if a ball were being thrown at him. Mari looked through the stack and picked up a picture of a girl that looked just like her, but her hair was lighter, blond. "And this is Ashleigh." She said. The girl was wearing a dress and reminded Kagome of a flower, all soft and delicate.
"She's not as gentle as she looks, she's been on the wrestling team since last year and plays any sport she can play." Mari said.
"Like you?" Kagome asked.
"Almost, I prefer things like Karate, and fighting arts, fencing and archery and fighting, she likes team and not so violent sports." Mari said.
"Oh alright." Kagome said. "so did you want me to show you around the shrine now?"
"Sure, just let me get a coat." Mari grabbed a coat and they went off. As they ventured around the shrine, Kagome's thoughts started to venture to InuYasha and what was happening in feudal Japan. However unknown to both girls they were being followed by the subject of Kagome's thoughts. Mari was about to meet Kagome's secret.
Authors note
I hope the chapter is good, Please review and tell me what you think so I can make this story better.