It was a beautiful day in Japan, the festivities of ShÅgatsu just beginning to get underway, and the city of Tokyo was buzzing with activity. A young girl walked down the street, her white hair tied back into a long braid and a flowery shoulder bag pulled her white coat closed against her chest. Amy could feel the celebration in the air, the buzz of affection and well being making her smile uncontrollably. This was her favourite time of year, when people spent their time caring about one another and giving gifts.
A tiny tinge in her heart brought her mood down however. This was a sad time of year too, when too much was taken from the earth and waste was abundant. Amy looked up and down the street, looking at the store fronts with the shining displays and the huge red signs with kanji scribbled on them. 30% OFF! And so on. Suddenly she felt very old.
Quickly the girl turned her back to the busy street, turning off into an alley and towards a less busy neighbourhood. Looking up the tall buildings she watched all the lights that had been left on, every one a glare against her delicate eyes.
A western Christmas tune played from a third story window, and Amy stopped to look up. A mother and child, enjoying their time together. For a moment Amy tried to think of when the western holiday was, and realized today was Christmas. Six days until the night would ring loud with bells, and she would laugh and dance and bring as much happiness as she could to every person she saw.
Softly snow began to fall, as Amy made her way her way back towards her home, a small apartment in a more traditional neighbourhood. But she didn't feel like going home right now, restlessly she turned down a street she'd never been through before, making sure to remember which way she turned. South.
Amy pulled her hand sewn coat closer against her body as the wind began to pick up. She'd made it several years ago, white wool with a neat red design. She'd lined it with silk and a cotton layer. How many hours she'd spent on it she couldn't remember, but the skills she'd picked up in her younger years had stayed with her. As well, any clothing she could buy was so terribly made she'd have to fix everything on it anyways.
I could've spun the wool myself, made the dye and cultured the silk, the simple things that have been lost on this generation. How could they understand, what would they do without all the abundance they rely on? Amy thought sadly. Her mood had plummeted and her thoughts had darkened. What use were these people, one on top of the other in their concrete metropolis? Did they have the substance of the old world, remember what had been given up for their existence? Amy's eyes narrowed. Somehow, she doubted it.
Anger bubbled to the surface of her being, and Amy snarled as she kicked the wooden stairs to her right. Wincing in pain, Amy propped her foot up to rub the hurt away. Stupid everything... Looking past her boots, Amy studied the stairs and noticed how high they went up. She'd kicked temple steps. Guilt instantly flooded her. Temples were sacred, and not just to her, but to everyone. She had no right to take her anger out on such a holy place.
Shaking her anger off, Amy began to walk up the steps, determined to make amends by praying. The stairs were steep and covered with snow, so she made her way carefully up. As she reached the top, she breathed a sigh of relief and looked back, admiring the view down.
A huge tree was rooted at the end of the walkway, and Amy looked to her left and noted the house of the shrine keepers, as well as the temple to her right. But something pulled her to the tree, it's huge branches covered in snow, more so than the temple. Something both dormant and active, a shifting she hadn't felt in a long time. Slowly her feet brought her towards it, until Amy stood right before the great tree.
"You are truly magnificent." she breathed, her smiling eyes looking up into the branches. "It has been too long since I've seen a tree like you... Your power though, it's being sucked away by this world..." Amy sighed, gently placing her hand on the bark, reaching over the barrier in place. "This world is killing us..."
"Miss! That tree is very old, you mustn't touch it!" Instantly Amy changed her composure, turning to smile at the old man dressed in traditional Shinto monk clothes. "I'm so sorry!" she beamed, "I didn't realize. It truly is a beautiful tree." Snow still slowly fell, coating her white hair. "I just needed a little bit of cheering up, and this tree seemed so lonely."
"Yes, well, the sacred tree does have that effect. Welcome to Hirogashi Shrine, what are you looking for miss?" The elderly man looked the girl up and down, she looked relatively average, by modern standards. She was extremely pale, with white blond hair, though it didn't look dyed. There was something about her though, that he couldn't quiet place, that made him feel at ease.
As the girl opened her mouth to speak, a tell tale scream came from the well house.
"INYASHA, SIT!"
Kagome Hirogashi had had enough for one day of stupid Inuyasha. He'd insisted on coming home with her, to 'make sure she wasn't wasting time.' Though really, Christmas was not a waste of time, besides, Grandpa would be preparing for New Years and would want her help.
"Grrrahbhthh..." Inuyasha grumbled into the ground, his ears back in anger. Stupid woman, stupid holiday, stupid ground... Everything was stupid, and it was all Kagome's fault. As the spell began to wear off, Inuyasha jumped to his feet to follow Kagome out of the well house, intending to give her a serious piece of his mind.
Right as Inuyasha placed his hand on the framing of the entrance of the well, he froze, his mind reeling. His golden eyes instantly found the source of the scent, and he was beside Kagome before she would take another step, his hand resting against her arm as he watched the thing near the tree.
"Inuyasha what are you-" Kagome followed the hanyou's gaze to look at the girl, a shrine patrician with white blond hair, just a couple shades off from Inyasha's silver. Something about the girl confused Kagome, but the way she was looking at Inuyasha made the young schoolgirl nervous. A thought struck Kagome.
"Inuyasha, your ears..." Panic filled the girl, not knowing what the stranger would think, or say, about Inuyasha's appearance. Inuyasha's white ears were both strained directly to the stranger.
The girl with white hair stood, eyes locked with Inuyasha, as the elderly Hirogashi tried desperately to divert her attention. Her body was braced towards the tree, and for a moment everyone was silent, waiting to see who would make the first move.
Suddenly Inuyasha gave a whine unlike any Kagome had ever heard and folded his ears back, looking down. The girl looked smugly at the hanyou, then turned to Kagome's grandfather. "You were saying?" She asked sweetly.
"Excuse me!" Kagome bristled, who was this girl who'd intimidated Inuyasha in such a way. The girl turned back and smiled at Kagome, "Yes?" she asked.
"What did you do to him?" Inuyasha reached for Kagome to pull her back, but she shook him off and stood her ground. Inuyasha was struck with indecision, for the few times in his life felt completely helpless. He could in no way outright challenge the girl, and evoking her wrath would be insanity. Inuyasha had done many, incredibly stupid things in his life but even he had barriers.
"I simply put him in his place," the girl stared unblinkingly at Kagome, and the schoolgirl was finding it hard to keep eye contact. Something in her gaze clicked with Kagome, and the girl suddenly felt a rush of power, and recognized the danger they were in.
"Grandpa, get inside." Kagome looked at her elderly relative, who looked confused but seeing the look in her eyes quickly followed her advice.
The girl laughed at Kagome's determined expression. The air grew still as the two women looked at each other, and right as Kagome began drawing power around her Inuyasha found his voice, rushing in front of Kagome, his hand against her waist to hold her back.
"Please!" He shouted, falling to his knees in the snow as he bowed low before the girl. "Amaterasu, origin of all that is good and mother to us all... She cannot smell you, she does not mean to speak to you like that... please, forgive her."
For a moment everything was quiet, Kagome was shocked into silence, but when she looked up at the girl again everything changed.
It was like a light had been turned on inside of her, every pore of her skin a little glowing star. The eyes that stared back at her weren't the soft brown and a fierce amber that was glaring into her. Kagome's stomach sunk like a rock. Had she really just done what Inuyasha had implied? The world spun as Kagome fainted.
The girl was beside her before Inuyasha was, but his concern for Kagome overshadowed his mental commentary on her speed. Inuyasha looked at the goddess as she gently sat down with Kagome's weight, his golden eyes watching her carefully. He could almost feel the heat coming off her in waves, and the same sense of shame and fear came over him. He had no idea how to act or to think, to find this goddess holding the girl he loved was awe striking.
"Take her." Amaterasu commanded, and lifted Kagome up as if she weighed nothing. Inuyasha awkwardly maneuvered himself to take the girl, trying desperately not to touch the goddess. Their eyes met once Kagome had been passed.
"She won't remember what happened when she wakes up, and the old man has been seeing things for a while now..." The goddess breathed, her voice calm and reassuring. "Here." Amaterasu pulled something out from her coat, and tucked it into Inuyasha's obi.
"Have a wonderful holiday."
And then Inuyasha was alone. For a moment it felt like nothing had happened at all, but the hanyou could feel the small package against his hip. "Feh," Inuyasha grumbled, hoisting Kagome higher into his arms as he turned towards the house.
Inuyasha sat alone in Kagome's room, gathering himself for just a moment before rejoining the festivities downstairs. He'd remembered what Amaterasu had given him, and wanted to see for himself what the goddess had passed on.
He pulled out a little package wrapped with Santa Claus paper. It smelled like lilies and summer rains. Carefully Inuyasha tore the tape, revealing a handwritten note and a little velvet box. The hanyou unrolled the note.
Dear Inuyasha,
Hanyous live under the sun too, you are just as worthy as anyone else.
Love Amy
P.S. Next time we meet I expect a half-decent fight, you look like you'd be interesting to take on. Also, give it to her.
Inuyasha turned his attention to the box, and he hesitated to open it. Cracking the box open just a little bit, Inuyasha smiled. He placed the small box back into his obi and left the note of the table, heading downstairs and back to Kagome. He wondered if she'd say yes...
As he turned off the lights the words on the page shifted, so all they read was:
Merry Christmas
Author's Note: I know it's late, I know it's silly, but I can't resist angry Ammy and scared Inuyasha. Happy holidays, I'll update soon enough :)