Disclaimer: Ok, so I don't own InuYasha, but i wish i did, 'cause if so i. . .well, never mind. . .

Family Secrets

By: Aelinwen Elentari

Chapter 1: Cousins


Kagome heaved her gargantuan, yellow backpack over the side of the Bone Eaters Well and hauled herself out after it. She snatched up her bag and ran into the house. Only after she locked the door behind her did she drop her pack and rest. 'That's ten times I had to 'sit' InuYasha to come home! Won't he ever just give up?!' She gave a disdainful snort. 'Pigs might fly.' Then she giggled. 'Hey, maybe in the feudal era, some do.'

"Kagome, is that you dear?" came Kagome mom's voice from the living room.

"Yes, mom. I'm back." she replied as she walked into the living room.

"Hey, honey, I'm glad you're home. I need to talk to you about something." Her mom looked up from the show she was watching on t.v. and patted the couch beside her as she hit the mute button.

Kagome plunked down with a welcome sigh. She missed cushions when she was at Kaede's house; all she had was. . .well, wood floor. "What's up, okaasan?"

Mrs. Higurashi leaned forward with and exited look on her face.

"My brother in America has a daughter, as you know, and we've never had the opportunity to meet her, as you. . .also know. So, he's sending Kiryki here for a week, or maybe more, depending on how you two get along." Mom looked absolutely thrilled at the thought of finally meeting her niece.

"Really? Oh this'll be great! I finally get to see my cousin-Kiryki, you said her name was? When is she coming?" Kagome was practically bouncing up and down.

"Yes, her name is Kiryki (A/N: Pronounce as Keer-ree-key). Now, he told me about this a month ago, but you've been gone, so I haven't had the chance to tell you that she's coming tomorrow-"

"Tomorrow?! Oh horrors! I have to clean my room, do my laundry, turn in my homework-" as Kagome's little soliloquy went on she leapt from the couch and waved her arms around. "And, oh kami, what is InuYasha going to say about this? He's gonna go ballistic if I'm gone for a week!"

"Kagome, slow down. Don't worry about it. Your room's clean, I'll do your laundry, and you can turn in your homework next week. Grandpa's got a story out that you're out with. . .um. . .a brain tumor, i think (insert Kagome's snort of disbelief). And we can worry about what InuYasha will do later. Just get ready for your cousin. Now shoo!" Her mom waved a hand at her to suggest she am-scray.

As Kagome trodded up the stairs to the shower, she thought to herself. 'My cousin, eh? Wonder what she's like. . .'

Her uncle had never sent any other picture of her, other than a baby picture, and those don't count when you're 15 or 16, as her cousin was, so she had no idea as to what she looked like. 'Wonder if she's anything like me? Oh no, what if she's like InuYasha, arrogant, rude. . .sweet, cute. . .Ack! Where did that come from?! Ok, I'm going to take a nice warm shower, get some sleep, and forget about InuYasha. . .if that's possible. Stupid honyou, interrupting my nice clean thoughts like that.'

Kagome couldn't help it. It seemed that every little innocent subject somehow ended up with her mind pointed directly at InuYasha. She had tried an argument with her head one time to try to get it to stop, and guess how that went? (A/N: If you guessed 'It didn't work worth jack!' then give yourself an InuYasha plushie!)

'He's so. . .conflicting. One minute I think he may just like me, and the next. . .Kikyo. It always ends at her. Why could she just stop having break up issues and get on with death!' Kagome laughed at the odd statement running through her head as she walked into the bathroom. She gathered up her shower items and turned on the hot water. Her thought's continued as she shampooed her hair.

'Listen to me. . .Break up issues? Ok, i would so like to know where that came from! Alright, enough with this silly train of thought, jump off by the side of the tracks, and start thinking about tomorrow. Hey wait! Wasn't that formal dance thing about a month and 2 weeks away from when i last came back? I can take her to that! Oh, this is going to be so much fun.'

As she finished her shower, she imagined all the things they could do, all the places they could visit, with her cousin next week.

@} ~ ~ ~ ~ ^ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The figure crouched to the ground, bloody and rather beaten up, but this battle wasn't over yet! Not if they had any say in it!

A growl sounded from the shadow standing, or rather, kneeling and gasping before the figure.

They were alone in the woods, shrouded in the darkness of night, only a few bits and speckles of moonlight and starlight shinning through the trees. It made the whole affect of the battle grounds rather cool, in a creepy, dramatic way.

"You think you have won, that you have a chance still!! He will not stop hunting you, even if you kill me! You cannot destroy him; you will be his!" The shadow screamed out.

"Well, I may not be able to destroy him yet, but I will get rid of you, since your not worth my time anymore. Oh, but hey, don't feel bad, I enjoyed kicking your ass. Buh-bye!"

As the last words were said, the crouching one leapt forward into the air above the bent figure. A sound of something sailing through the air, being caught, and the airborne frame landed neatly in the space of terra-firma the now rather dead one had occupied. It bent and picked up a small, glittering, pink object from the ground.

A smirk flashed across a face, a shimmer in the partial light.

'One more for the puzzle, one more little piece of the full monty. Hehehe, getting closer, getting closer. . .'

A swish, a swirl of what might have been a cloak, and the presence of the being was no longer felt in the clearing by any perchance wishing to seek it.





A/N: Hey, my readers (if i got any, cuz i hope i did)! This is my first fic, so if you haven't seen me around, there ya go! Puleeeze, push the tiny, blue button in the bottom left corner and tell me how i did. If you hated my story and decide 2 flame me, I'll just roast marshmallows over the nice bonfire!! Ja matta ne!

'.' Aelii-chan