HEY!!!!!!!
Another one of my fics. I am only going to continue if I get some reviews.
Inuyasha doesn't really appear in this chapter but I have a really good
Kag/Inu moment along with a San/Mir as well.but that is only if you
review.some things in this may be confusing so e-mail/review me the
questions and I will happily answer them for you!
I choose this topic because it is one of my favs and I have some books on it soooo I tried to explain the things I wouldn't think were obvious.hope you like it!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: (can't forget this ^_^) I do not own Inuyasha.ok? jus keepin it real n_n
"Good-bye mama. I love you and I will miss you." Kagome gave her mother a quick hug and a kiss on the check. She wanted to smile for her one last time no matter what her own feelings for her mother were at the moment. It was because the young girl knew this was one of the last chances she would get to see her mom for a while. Kagome made sure that any dislike she was currently feeling towards this women did not show in her voice.
'It's not her fault. This is for the family.' She had to remind herself to keep from bursting into angry tears and yelling that she was to young and she missed her father and she wanted to stay. Acting on wisdom that only the death of a loved one could bring, she took a deep breath and continued with saying goodbye.
"Grandpa, make sure the shrine stays open, ok? I know that the money for me to go to work at the teahouse hasn't come yet, but it will." Kagome knew that that had cruel intent and was aimed at her own mother but she resented the fact that she was being sent away for money.
"Souta, take care of mom and grandpa for me alright?" The young boy nodded his head, acting as maturely as he could manage with his only sibling leaving. He stood erect, his face held high with his shoulders straight. Then his whole body broke down and the small figure began to shake, bursting into tears.
"Kagome!! I am going to miss you so much! Come home as soon as you can and when you get back you will see, you will see that I took care of everything! Grandpa and mama will be fine and the shrine will be ok and everything will be perfect again!" He said through his tears as he tried to control himself once again. Kagome used all her will power to keep herself from crying as well. Her younger brother had put up more of a fight for her to stay than she had. He was the one who would miss her the most and she the same for him.
"Shhhh, Souta, it's ok. I promise we will see each other again. Now the kago is waiting and I must go. I love you, remember that." She gave everyone one last hug and kiss and an extra one to her only sibling, as she walked out the door to the kago.
'I wonder what it's like being a geisha. I still can't believe that they actually bought me. I hope the money that they send to my family will be enough. Kami, I'm too young to be doing this kind of thing. I am only thirteen for kami's sake. I hope I survive. I heard some of the mothers are mean.' (*at the bottom is an explanation for mother and kago)
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Kagome looked out of the kago into the early morning light, her hair disheveled as her steel blue eyes opened wide. The sudden burst of brightness had awoken her. A man had pushed aside the bamboo door and prodded her until she rubbed the sleep from her eyes to show that she knew they were there. It had been a bumpy ride but she had the comfort of the kago. It had been very early morning when she had left, long before the sun was due to rise and the pillow lined shelter had been of some comfort, which she was not willing to leave so readily. Once again closing her eyes but sitting up in the process she fixed her hair as best as she could by raking her fingers through it and tried to straighten out her best and only semi-decent skirt.
As she stepped out of her contented refuge the cold air stung her eyes and lips as the sudden temperature drop assured her wariness of her newfound surroundings. Glancing up towards the building ahead of her she noticed it wasn't a spectacular sight to behold but also knew that at night it would be quite a view.
A stately middle-aged woman who had a perpetual annoyed look on her face as she stood in the doorframe of the building looking thoroughly inpatient with the girls' unwillingness to collaborate so eagerly.
"I am the okami (owner/mother) of this tea house and I have heard some recommendations from your relatives that I have close connections with so I am willing to train you. You must know right now that it will not be easy but you are to live and work at this teahouse. You will get a list of chores and you are to complete them and immediately after you are to go to your training. This one of the better Tea houses and I normally do not take girls in but I am going to make an exception for you." The last statement was stated as though it were and accusation not a complement.
"Be happy that you are at the Sakura Teahouse and not at the Augusta falls." Kagome knew already that she wasn't going to like the women.
Taking a quite glance around, she was taken through, what Kagome assumed was the kitchen, towards a staircase in the back of the room. Up the stairs the new girl saw that it wasn't as nearly decorated as the down stairs and was only a single long hall with doors lined on either sides.
"The last door on the left. Sango will explain everything you need to know." Was all she said before one single swish of the dress she wore and was gone.
Assuming that everyone one was still asleep, Kagome began to wonder why the mother had insisted that she come to the teahouse at such an ungodly hour. She lugged her suitcase toward the end of hallway wondering where she could find this Sango person. Finally making it to the room, curious as to how many people were waking up because of all the racket she was making, the young, vicarious, stubborn, now slightly paled girl stood staring at the thin paper door as though it were an ancient relic that she had spent her entire life looking for. This seemed like the door. The one everybody faces sometime in his or her life. The one you know as soon as you step through your entire life will be different from here on in. Summing all her courage she stood outside the ever-looming doorframe with a slight queasy feeling before deftly latching her fingers on the handle and giving it a quick shove, sliding it open.
The door reveled a girl that was awake and waiting for her inside the room, sitting on one of the two parallel sleeping mats.
"Sango, I presume?"
"Yea. So who are you? The mother didn't tell me much about you but I guess I will just have to find out since we are roommates." Sango told her.
Kagome looked at her in mild surprise but decided that she like the girl. "Hello Sango. My name is Higurashi Kagome."
"Ok, you may want to sit down, I am going to explain everything as quickly as possible but it still may take awhile. First of all we have to do chores and I am saying that first because if you don't do them you could find yourself in trouble with okami and trust me, you don't want that. You will have the same chores as me because we are both living in the same quarters and each room has a different set of chores. Here's the list:"
Mon-Wed-Fri Tues-Thurs-Sat Sun -Cook for all meals -attend to the fire -cook for all meals -Clean the leisure room -set up the leisure room -bring water in from well -Set up the training room -cook lunch -wash the floors -Prepare the sake for guests -prepare food for tomorrow -Clean/set up training room
After reading the list she handed it back to Sango who carefully slipped it into her obi before continuing on with the quick lay out of tea house work. "As you can see we do most of the cooking because I assume that who ever recommended you to this place said you can cook. That's what happened to me.oh and you must never make outa-san angry, trust me on that one, it isn't ever a good out come when that happens. She especially gets angry if I mess up the food.hehehe. so she usually gets angry with me.
After we finish all our chores we have whatever free time to eat lunch and relax, but there is never much time. When we make breakfast we have to wake up earlier than everyone else so everybody won't be angry and have there chores delayed but I normally wake up early anyway to get a head start. Also there are twelve other girls here and one bitch."
Kagome smile at the last comment, intrigued. "Well I want to here about her first."
"Naturally." The girl sitting across from here stated with a smile. "Well first you must know that one of the most famous geisha's in all of Koyto is living here in this very Tea house. Her name is Tsune and she is beautiful, graceful, wonderful, talented and everything a geisha would dream of being or so I have heard, I have never met her personally. Naturally every maiko girl wants to be her little sister. (maiko and sister explained @ the bottom ^_^;;;) and of course Taika Kagura, the bitch, has to go and make an announcement that she is going to be the one who is excepted to be Tsune's little sister. Anyway, that little kuso (a/n means 'shit'.^-^) is going to be proved wrong, by me."
"Alright, my mouth hurts from talking so much. Any questions?.I'm kinda bad at giving explanations." (a/n that last comment was meant for readers.I am really bad at explaining things so ask away and I will tell you any answers you wish to no!!!)
"Ok, first things first. Her take this. You need to put this on. It's our work clothes." She tossed the new girl a long skirt that was plain white with a trail of Sakura leaves going down across the hem and than a plain white sure with the same design on the sleeves and the bottom. Kagome's fingers trailed across the thin thread and she wondered how on earth these could be work clothes. Then she picked up a pink cotton obi which in itself was fairly decent.
"I know, why give us such fancy attire for work? But, when I asked the mother she told me that it was because incase an unexpected guest turns up and sees one of us while we are working. Then she told me to shut up and get back to work" Sango told her with a laugh. "Come on lets hurry, or mother will be mad at us. It's not that I care or anything, but it's just that if I get kicked out than my family won't have any money."
Quickly changing Kagome followed Sango out the door only to find a completely silent hallway. "Where is everybody?" Kagome asked curiously.
"Nobody's up yet. I like to wake up early so I can get the chores done sooner and can have a little time before training."
While doing there chores Kagome started swearing. It was still early and nobody had gotten up yet and the girls were eating breakfast and Kagome had spilled water on her new work outfit. "Damn it! This is better than my finest clothes at home and now it's all wet."
"Be happy that it's only water.that stupid woman who proclaims herself to be okami would make you pay for a new one if you ruined that one."
"Great.I am already beginning to hate her and I've only seen her once." Kagome told her new friend before they burst out in a fit of giggles.
"Ok, come on, I'll show you the leisure room. Last night, before you came we had a few particularly rowdy guest so it should probably be a mess in there." Sango led the curious girl down the hall where she couldn't get enough of the elaborate decorations.
"I am guessing that outa-san used to be a geisha. A very prominent geisha."
"Yes, she was. She then took all of her money that she had earned and built Sakura Tea house. Now it is one of the most prosperous tea houses, this place and the Augusta falls."
The leisure room turned out to be the place where the geisha would entertain the guests. It would always be a mess until the next morning because by the time the last guest would leave everyone would be to tired to clean.
It didn't take very long to clean the room and set it back up since there were to of them and it was fun because the two girls became quick friends
Sango soon learned that Kagome had a little brother and her father had died and had been living with her grandfather, mom, and brother, that her family owned a shrine and she knew how to use a bow and arrows.
Kagome found out that Sango also had had a little brother but he had died when her village had been raided by demons. That's why she had been sent her, to be safe and to earn money to rebuild the village. The newbie also learned about the teahouse, the vigorous training, learning how to dance and the all of the arts of being a geisha. That the girls were now not even considered maiko's because they had to do half a year of training to become one and then after that be excepted by a geisha to be her little sister and finally after years of training then they would become a geisha.
After finishing their chores way earlier than anyone else, Sango gave her roommate a tour of the building. The bottom floor had four different leisure rooms a foyer were the samurai where required to place there weapons and were the mother would greet the guests. There was also a small, inconspicuous, door that led to the kitchen. In the kitchen there was another door that led out back. It revealed a small stone path outline with flowers. Much to Kagome's surprise there was another building but it was not noticeable from the front because it was much smaller.
"That is where Tsune lives. We are never allowed to go in there or a sure fire way to get yourself kicked out." Sango explained when she saw a look of now-familiar curiosity cross her friends face.
"Hey, I never said a word." Kagome replied earning her a 'look' from her friend.
"Come on, lets go to the training room." Which was also another building but past the Tsune's house and so it was also unnoticeable in the front.
Training was every thing that Sango and outa-san said it would be and much more. There were certain instruments they had to learn how to play, dances, songs, flower arranging, how to take on an off a kimono, how to except gifts properly, so many things that it made the girls heads hurt.
So this was the routine day in and day out. Doing there chores, talking and entertaining themselves, going to training, then preparing for the night. Kagome and Sango weren't allowed to entertain the guest nor were they allowed to even appear in front of them unless they were called for. They went to bed late and woke up early but always enjoying themselves because they had become best friends. Kagome also met Kagura. Sango had been right in summoning her up in one word: bitch.
It had been the second month and the three top students were all competing to see who could be the most impressive in front of Tsune who was watching them. All of the girls were ordered to a particular grueling dance that required grace, balance and stamina. Kagome and Sango were tied for the best followed by a very angry looking Kagura and in last place was a slightly pudgy looking girl who had fallen over and silent tears had been pouring down her face since then. All the other girls had done fairly well.
After everyone had left, except for Kagura and her little group of friends, they approached Kagome and Sango who were idly chatting about Tsune. Kagura was furious her eyes were flashing there reddish color. Not the kind of red that Sango had, ones of mystery, beauty and danger but they were immodestly furious and blazing and the color of mud. Kagome and Sango had actually dared to make a fool of her in front of Tsune and now they weren't going to get away with it.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Well, Kuso, I mean Kagome I hope you enjoy your stay here because it's going to be for a very long time. I am going to be the Tsune's little sister and when that happens you will be left in the dust and you will see who exactly gets the last laugh. And you Sango, ha! You have no chance to be her little sister. I am surprised that you were even allowed to come here!" The evil girl said her voice rising steadily with anger.
Kagome had seen this coming and decided that she didn't want a fight physically because of the risk somebody might find out. No, no matter how much she wanted to punch this girls lights out she refused to sink to that level. Outa-san would always take Kagura's side since Kagura's father donated regularly to the Teahouse. Sango's thought's ran along that same track as her best friend's except she thought about more than punching her lights out..
"I am very sorry that you will not be able to be her sister now but maybe if you practiced harder." Kagome told her in a sweet voice adding a bow at the end to ad insult to injury.
"Yes. I quite agree with Kagome just because you lost today doesn't mean you need to get mad. Maybe more practice and you will get better." Sango told her in the same charming tone also adding a bow. It was completely legal advice and Kagura could do nothing about it.
Over come with anger she raised her hand in order to slap one of the two but a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"That will be enough, thank-you." A soft almost inaudible voice told them but it was unmistaken. Knowing before she even looked up who it was Kagome saw that it was Tsune.
"You girls should go back to your rooms. It was a hard practice today and some rest would do you good. Since the fire in the city has prevented the Teahouses from being open I suggest you young lady's go find something to do." She had said all of this in a voice barely above a whisper but it was as affective as if she had been screaming at the top of her lungs.
When Kagome and Sango began to leave Tsune held out a hand to stop them. She closed the door after the other girls had left.
"You to are friends I take it?"
"Yes, miss." The two girls told her at the same time both bowing slightly.
"Well then. I would like to teach you both a dance I learned. It was with my best friend while I was training. I was before the accident happened and she passed away. I never got the chance to perform it but I would love to see you to learn."
Kagome and Sango turned to look at each other. They could barely contain their excitement! Tsune had asked them if she would allow them to be taught by her!
Sango managed to find her tongue in time. "We would be honored to allow you to train us." The girl who was nearly insane with delight told the elegant mistress.
"Then I wish to see you outside of my house everyday during training hours."
"Thank-you very much." The vivacious girls chorused in unison.
"I will talk with mother but you are to tell no one of this."
"Of course Tsune-sama. We will work hard." They gave her a deep bow to show their respect and left.
"Scored one against the evil bitch and now we are training with one of the greatest geisha's in the entire city! I can't believe it!" Sango said in a very cheerful voice.
"Believe what? Did they finally kick you out? I wouldn't be surprised if they did. Outa-san is wasting her time with you and you know it." Kagura said viciously as she rounded the corner obviously over hearing Sango's last sentence.
Kagome was about to shoot back such a comment that would leave the evil witch speechless for a week but a warning glance from Sango reminded her the promise they had made to Tsune-sama. She settled for a smile and Sango dragged her off to there room.
After several more months of working hard to learn the steps and the song that went along with the dance the two best friends had it perfected. The dance was that of Ying and Yang. The two rulers of the living, light and dark, the dance it self was entrancing if preformed correctly. The two young girls seemed to be made to dance this dance, it was there destiny. They each were skilled and graceful. They had the right moves; they could glide seemingly like fluid. Their movements on the other hand told a completely different story:
It showed of times long past; where demons and humans waged long wars, where destruction was every where; when a evil unnamed being had ruled all; when times had been so long ago they could not be certified as reality or myth. The world was in chaos, the world could not sustain its own self or it would be wiped out completely. So the kami's, in a desperate act to save the thousands of years of evolution, created two beings made to embody the night and the day, these to remarkable people reigned over all that had lived or ever will live. They were Ying and Yang. But even Ying and Yang were deceived by the unnamed being and were tricked into sealing themselves into the earth to be reincarnated in the future. However, as soon as the spell had been sealed upon their flesh and blood did the unknown one place a brand of his own magick upon them. There power was to remain for ever untapped, they would be reincarnated many times but only as normal humans where they would never be able to discover there secret. The unidentified form moved about the earth looking for the power he had collected before, only to find that it had been sealed along with the two girls. It was said to this day that he wanders around the earth looking for the girls to release and harness the power of Ying and Yang.
The day the dance was perfected Tsune made the announcement that Kagome and Sango were her new little sisters. This mortified Kagura who vowed revenge. She could not believe it. She had thought that they weren't allowed to become geisha's because they had stopped coming to training.
That evening Kagome and Sango were each given identical kimono's as a gift from their wealthy sister.
"I can't believe this! So much has happened today! First we perform the dance perfectly, than we become Tsune's little sisters, and now we are going to be announced to the public as maiko's!!" Sango could barely contain her excitement as she tied Kagome's obi around her waste and then helped her with her hair.
"This is going to be so fun! To bad we will not be able to perform for another year! Oh well." Kagome told her as she helped Sango prepare for the night ahead of them.
That evening they had seen Tsune perform for the first time. Her dancing was beautiful and her voice rose in a melody that could not be described. They had had a wonderful time even though they were a bit nervous.
----------------------------- One year later
"Sango, we are both officially 16 and tonight we are going to perform Yin and Yan!!!!!!!!!!!"
"This is so unreal! I can't believe it has been an entire year already! This is going to be the best night ever! Now I am making myself nervous!!" The girls went into a fit of nervous and excited giggles. ------------------ In the castle
"Miroku! How many times do I have to tell you, I am not going damn it!" Inuyasha yelled.
"Inuyasha, quit morning over Kikyou, she nearly killed you, your family, ME!! and she was toying with your heart. You say her die and you cannot change that, so come with me. If you don't I will tell your father you lost the Tessengia's sheath." Miroku had said the harsh truth, emphasizing it by waving his cursed had around dramatically.
"Feh. I'm only going because of the sheath and when I find it I am going to slice your head off." Miroku smiled expecting this. Inuyasha grumbled the entire way there as Miroku told him about Tsune and her two little sisters.
"They were greeted at the entrance and were shown to Tsune's room because Miroku was a regular customer and a high priest and Inuyasha was a prince.
When they entered the room they found a small table near the back and listened as Tsune made an announcement.
"Tonight you will have the great honor of watching my to little sisters perform for the first time, and not only is this their first but it is Ying and Yang. You surely must all know the legend but this is the dance which only few people have seen. The long forgotten dance that only a few humbled people know including my sisters and myself. Please watch."
Inuyasha was only mildly interested. He had heard the legend, of course who hadn't, but he had neither seen the dance, nor had any reason to really care if he watched it or not. He hoped to get the night over as soon as possible, but as he glanced over towards Miroku, he noticed that the monk seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. Glancing towards the stage he saw two girls, they were both beautiful he knew, all maiko were but they were moving to fast he couldn't see there faces. The half demon watched as they danced, it was intricate and seemed only fit that an experienced geisha would be able to perform this, let alone this gracefully as they demonstrated. The women only seemed to be 16 maybe 17, around his own age. Finally they slowed, he got a good look at their faces.it was Kikyou!
"Miroku! Look at that girl!" Inuyasha said trying to refrain from yelling.
"Yes.the one with the red eyes. She is gorgeous. I will invite them over when they are done."
"No! The other one! It's Kikyou!" Inuyasha told the entranced monk. That had gotten his attention.
"It can't be! I am going to ask Tsune if she will allow her sisters to come see us when they are through." Miroku quietly got up and edged around the back of the room to where the elder geisha was sitting. Inuyasha did not bother to look at him, his eyes only on the girl. For one brief second there eyes met (a/n people usually say: Amber met blue or something like that but I couldn't bring myself to write something that sappy.^_^;;; hehehehe) and he saw something that he had never seen in Kikyou's eyes before. The way she had looked at him, could she possibly come back from hell to haunt him?
CLIFFY!!!! NANANANANA HAHAHA for those who like it. I am only going to continue you if I get reviews!!!!!!! Reviews I tell you!!! Reviews!!!!!!!!!! I like writing this story to! This is my longest chapter I have ever written. I have been working on it for days and even pulled an all-nighter to write it!!!!!!!!! Well actually I went to bed a 7:00 and woke up at 9:00 so I did get 2 hrs of sleep.anyway REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!!
*A kago is a type of transport back in Japan around the 1600's that really rich people use. Kagome's not rich but the teahouse is so they sent one to pick her up.
**A mother is the woman who owns the teahouse - three different names for her: outa-san, okami, and mother.
***a maiko is a like a geisha in training.
****A little sister is someone who a geisha trains personally and they travel with the geisha to learn how to practice the arts properly.
I choose this topic because it is one of my favs and I have some books on it soooo I tried to explain the things I wouldn't think were obvious.hope you like it!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: (can't forget this ^_^) I do not own Inuyasha.ok? jus keepin it real n_n
"Good-bye mama. I love you and I will miss you." Kagome gave her mother a quick hug and a kiss on the check. She wanted to smile for her one last time no matter what her own feelings for her mother were at the moment. It was because the young girl knew this was one of the last chances she would get to see her mom for a while. Kagome made sure that any dislike she was currently feeling towards this women did not show in her voice.
'It's not her fault. This is for the family.' She had to remind herself to keep from bursting into angry tears and yelling that she was to young and she missed her father and she wanted to stay. Acting on wisdom that only the death of a loved one could bring, she took a deep breath and continued with saying goodbye.
"Grandpa, make sure the shrine stays open, ok? I know that the money for me to go to work at the teahouse hasn't come yet, but it will." Kagome knew that that had cruel intent and was aimed at her own mother but she resented the fact that she was being sent away for money.
"Souta, take care of mom and grandpa for me alright?" The young boy nodded his head, acting as maturely as he could manage with his only sibling leaving. He stood erect, his face held high with his shoulders straight. Then his whole body broke down and the small figure began to shake, bursting into tears.
"Kagome!! I am going to miss you so much! Come home as soon as you can and when you get back you will see, you will see that I took care of everything! Grandpa and mama will be fine and the shrine will be ok and everything will be perfect again!" He said through his tears as he tried to control himself once again. Kagome used all her will power to keep herself from crying as well. Her younger brother had put up more of a fight for her to stay than she had. He was the one who would miss her the most and she the same for him.
"Shhhh, Souta, it's ok. I promise we will see each other again. Now the kago is waiting and I must go. I love you, remember that." She gave everyone one last hug and kiss and an extra one to her only sibling, as she walked out the door to the kago.
'I wonder what it's like being a geisha. I still can't believe that they actually bought me. I hope the money that they send to my family will be enough. Kami, I'm too young to be doing this kind of thing. I am only thirteen for kami's sake. I hope I survive. I heard some of the mothers are mean.' (*at the bottom is an explanation for mother and kago)
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Kagome looked out of the kago into the early morning light, her hair disheveled as her steel blue eyes opened wide. The sudden burst of brightness had awoken her. A man had pushed aside the bamboo door and prodded her until she rubbed the sleep from her eyes to show that she knew they were there. It had been a bumpy ride but she had the comfort of the kago. It had been very early morning when she had left, long before the sun was due to rise and the pillow lined shelter had been of some comfort, which she was not willing to leave so readily. Once again closing her eyes but sitting up in the process she fixed her hair as best as she could by raking her fingers through it and tried to straighten out her best and only semi-decent skirt.
As she stepped out of her contented refuge the cold air stung her eyes and lips as the sudden temperature drop assured her wariness of her newfound surroundings. Glancing up towards the building ahead of her she noticed it wasn't a spectacular sight to behold but also knew that at night it would be quite a view.
A stately middle-aged woman who had a perpetual annoyed look on her face as she stood in the doorframe of the building looking thoroughly inpatient with the girls' unwillingness to collaborate so eagerly.
"I am the okami (owner/mother) of this tea house and I have heard some recommendations from your relatives that I have close connections with so I am willing to train you. You must know right now that it will not be easy but you are to live and work at this teahouse. You will get a list of chores and you are to complete them and immediately after you are to go to your training. This one of the better Tea houses and I normally do not take girls in but I am going to make an exception for you." The last statement was stated as though it were and accusation not a complement.
"Be happy that you are at the Sakura Teahouse and not at the Augusta falls." Kagome knew already that she wasn't going to like the women.
Taking a quite glance around, she was taken through, what Kagome assumed was the kitchen, towards a staircase in the back of the room. Up the stairs the new girl saw that it wasn't as nearly decorated as the down stairs and was only a single long hall with doors lined on either sides.
"The last door on the left. Sango will explain everything you need to know." Was all she said before one single swish of the dress she wore and was gone.
Assuming that everyone one was still asleep, Kagome began to wonder why the mother had insisted that she come to the teahouse at such an ungodly hour. She lugged her suitcase toward the end of hallway wondering where she could find this Sango person. Finally making it to the room, curious as to how many people were waking up because of all the racket she was making, the young, vicarious, stubborn, now slightly paled girl stood staring at the thin paper door as though it were an ancient relic that she had spent her entire life looking for. This seemed like the door. The one everybody faces sometime in his or her life. The one you know as soon as you step through your entire life will be different from here on in. Summing all her courage she stood outside the ever-looming doorframe with a slight queasy feeling before deftly latching her fingers on the handle and giving it a quick shove, sliding it open.
The door reveled a girl that was awake and waiting for her inside the room, sitting on one of the two parallel sleeping mats.
"Sango, I presume?"
"Yea. So who are you? The mother didn't tell me much about you but I guess I will just have to find out since we are roommates." Sango told her.
Kagome looked at her in mild surprise but decided that she like the girl. "Hello Sango. My name is Higurashi Kagome."
"Ok, you may want to sit down, I am going to explain everything as quickly as possible but it still may take awhile. First of all we have to do chores and I am saying that first because if you don't do them you could find yourself in trouble with okami and trust me, you don't want that. You will have the same chores as me because we are both living in the same quarters and each room has a different set of chores. Here's the list:"
Mon-Wed-Fri Tues-Thurs-Sat Sun -Cook for all meals -attend to the fire -cook for all meals -Clean the leisure room -set up the leisure room -bring water in from well -Set up the training room -cook lunch -wash the floors -Prepare the sake for guests -prepare food for tomorrow -Clean/set up training room
After reading the list she handed it back to Sango who carefully slipped it into her obi before continuing on with the quick lay out of tea house work. "As you can see we do most of the cooking because I assume that who ever recommended you to this place said you can cook. That's what happened to me.oh and you must never make outa-san angry, trust me on that one, it isn't ever a good out come when that happens. She especially gets angry if I mess up the food.hehehe. so she usually gets angry with me.
After we finish all our chores we have whatever free time to eat lunch and relax, but there is never much time. When we make breakfast we have to wake up earlier than everyone else so everybody won't be angry and have there chores delayed but I normally wake up early anyway to get a head start. Also there are twelve other girls here and one bitch."
Kagome smile at the last comment, intrigued. "Well I want to here about her first."
"Naturally." The girl sitting across from here stated with a smile. "Well first you must know that one of the most famous geisha's in all of Koyto is living here in this very Tea house. Her name is Tsune and she is beautiful, graceful, wonderful, talented and everything a geisha would dream of being or so I have heard, I have never met her personally. Naturally every maiko girl wants to be her little sister. (maiko and sister explained @ the bottom ^_^;;;) and of course Taika Kagura, the bitch, has to go and make an announcement that she is going to be the one who is excepted to be Tsune's little sister. Anyway, that little kuso (a/n means 'shit'.^-^) is going to be proved wrong, by me."
"Alright, my mouth hurts from talking so much. Any questions?.I'm kinda bad at giving explanations." (a/n that last comment was meant for readers.I am really bad at explaining things so ask away and I will tell you any answers you wish to no!!!)
"Ok, first things first. Her take this. You need to put this on. It's our work clothes." She tossed the new girl a long skirt that was plain white with a trail of Sakura leaves going down across the hem and than a plain white sure with the same design on the sleeves and the bottom. Kagome's fingers trailed across the thin thread and she wondered how on earth these could be work clothes. Then she picked up a pink cotton obi which in itself was fairly decent.
"I know, why give us such fancy attire for work? But, when I asked the mother she told me that it was because incase an unexpected guest turns up and sees one of us while we are working. Then she told me to shut up and get back to work" Sango told her with a laugh. "Come on lets hurry, or mother will be mad at us. It's not that I care or anything, but it's just that if I get kicked out than my family won't have any money."
Quickly changing Kagome followed Sango out the door only to find a completely silent hallway. "Where is everybody?" Kagome asked curiously.
"Nobody's up yet. I like to wake up early so I can get the chores done sooner and can have a little time before training."
While doing there chores Kagome started swearing. It was still early and nobody had gotten up yet and the girls were eating breakfast and Kagome had spilled water on her new work outfit. "Damn it! This is better than my finest clothes at home and now it's all wet."
"Be happy that it's only water.that stupid woman who proclaims herself to be okami would make you pay for a new one if you ruined that one."
"Great.I am already beginning to hate her and I've only seen her once." Kagome told her new friend before they burst out in a fit of giggles.
"Ok, come on, I'll show you the leisure room. Last night, before you came we had a few particularly rowdy guest so it should probably be a mess in there." Sango led the curious girl down the hall where she couldn't get enough of the elaborate decorations.
"I am guessing that outa-san used to be a geisha. A very prominent geisha."
"Yes, she was. She then took all of her money that she had earned and built Sakura Tea house. Now it is one of the most prosperous tea houses, this place and the Augusta falls."
The leisure room turned out to be the place where the geisha would entertain the guests. It would always be a mess until the next morning because by the time the last guest would leave everyone would be to tired to clean.
It didn't take very long to clean the room and set it back up since there were to of them and it was fun because the two girls became quick friends
Sango soon learned that Kagome had a little brother and her father had died and had been living with her grandfather, mom, and brother, that her family owned a shrine and she knew how to use a bow and arrows.
Kagome found out that Sango also had had a little brother but he had died when her village had been raided by demons. That's why she had been sent her, to be safe and to earn money to rebuild the village. The newbie also learned about the teahouse, the vigorous training, learning how to dance and the all of the arts of being a geisha. That the girls were now not even considered maiko's because they had to do half a year of training to become one and then after that be excepted by a geisha to be her little sister and finally after years of training then they would become a geisha.
After finishing their chores way earlier than anyone else, Sango gave her roommate a tour of the building. The bottom floor had four different leisure rooms a foyer were the samurai where required to place there weapons and were the mother would greet the guests. There was also a small, inconspicuous, door that led to the kitchen. In the kitchen there was another door that led out back. It revealed a small stone path outline with flowers. Much to Kagome's surprise there was another building but it was not noticeable from the front because it was much smaller.
"That is where Tsune lives. We are never allowed to go in there or a sure fire way to get yourself kicked out." Sango explained when she saw a look of now-familiar curiosity cross her friends face.
"Hey, I never said a word." Kagome replied earning her a 'look' from her friend.
"Come on, lets go to the training room." Which was also another building but past the Tsune's house and so it was also unnoticeable in the front.
Training was every thing that Sango and outa-san said it would be and much more. There were certain instruments they had to learn how to play, dances, songs, flower arranging, how to take on an off a kimono, how to except gifts properly, so many things that it made the girls heads hurt.
So this was the routine day in and day out. Doing there chores, talking and entertaining themselves, going to training, then preparing for the night. Kagome and Sango weren't allowed to entertain the guest nor were they allowed to even appear in front of them unless they were called for. They went to bed late and woke up early but always enjoying themselves because they had become best friends. Kagome also met Kagura. Sango had been right in summoning her up in one word: bitch.
It had been the second month and the three top students were all competing to see who could be the most impressive in front of Tsune who was watching them. All of the girls were ordered to a particular grueling dance that required grace, balance and stamina. Kagome and Sango were tied for the best followed by a very angry looking Kagura and in last place was a slightly pudgy looking girl who had fallen over and silent tears had been pouring down her face since then. All the other girls had done fairly well.
After everyone had left, except for Kagura and her little group of friends, they approached Kagome and Sango who were idly chatting about Tsune. Kagura was furious her eyes were flashing there reddish color. Not the kind of red that Sango had, ones of mystery, beauty and danger but they were immodestly furious and blazing and the color of mud. Kagome and Sango had actually dared to make a fool of her in front of Tsune and now they weren't going to get away with it.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Well, Kuso, I mean Kagome I hope you enjoy your stay here because it's going to be for a very long time. I am going to be the Tsune's little sister and when that happens you will be left in the dust and you will see who exactly gets the last laugh. And you Sango, ha! You have no chance to be her little sister. I am surprised that you were even allowed to come here!" The evil girl said her voice rising steadily with anger.
Kagome had seen this coming and decided that she didn't want a fight physically because of the risk somebody might find out. No, no matter how much she wanted to punch this girls lights out she refused to sink to that level. Outa-san would always take Kagura's side since Kagura's father donated regularly to the Teahouse. Sango's thought's ran along that same track as her best friend's except she thought about more than punching her lights out..
"I am very sorry that you will not be able to be her sister now but maybe if you practiced harder." Kagome told her in a sweet voice adding a bow at the end to ad insult to injury.
"Yes. I quite agree with Kagome just because you lost today doesn't mean you need to get mad. Maybe more practice and you will get better." Sango told her in the same charming tone also adding a bow. It was completely legal advice and Kagura could do nothing about it.
Over come with anger she raised her hand in order to slap one of the two but a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"That will be enough, thank-you." A soft almost inaudible voice told them but it was unmistaken. Knowing before she even looked up who it was Kagome saw that it was Tsune.
"You girls should go back to your rooms. It was a hard practice today and some rest would do you good. Since the fire in the city has prevented the Teahouses from being open I suggest you young lady's go find something to do." She had said all of this in a voice barely above a whisper but it was as affective as if she had been screaming at the top of her lungs.
When Kagome and Sango began to leave Tsune held out a hand to stop them. She closed the door after the other girls had left.
"You to are friends I take it?"
"Yes, miss." The two girls told her at the same time both bowing slightly.
"Well then. I would like to teach you both a dance I learned. It was with my best friend while I was training. I was before the accident happened and she passed away. I never got the chance to perform it but I would love to see you to learn."
Kagome and Sango turned to look at each other. They could barely contain their excitement! Tsune had asked them if she would allow them to be taught by her!
Sango managed to find her tongue in time. "We would be honored to allow you to train us." The girl who was nearly insane with delight told the elegant mistress.
"Then I wish to see you outside of my house everyday during training hours."
"Thank-you very much." The vivacious girls chorused in unison.
"I will talk with mother but you are to tell no one of this."
"Of course Tsune-sama. We will work hard." They gave her a deep bow to show their respect and left.
"Scored one against the evil bitch and now we are training with one of the greatest geisha's in the entire city! I can't believe it!" Sango said in a very cheerful voice.
"Believe what? Did they finally kick you out? I wouldn't be surprised if they did. Outa-san is wasting her time with you and you know it." Kagura said viciously as she rounded the corner obviously over hearing Sango's last sentence.
Kagome was about to shoot back such a comment that would leave the evil witch speechless for a week but a warning glance from Sango reminded her the promise they had made to Tsune-sama. She settled for a smile and Sango dragged her off to there room.
After several more months of working hard to learn the steps and the song that went along with the dance the two best friends had it perfected. The dance was that of Ying and Yang. The two rulers of the living, light and dark, the dance it self was entrancing if preformed correctly. The two young girls seemed to be made to dance this dance, it was there destiny. They each were skilled and graceful. They had the right moves; they could glide seemingly like fluid. Their movements on the other hand told a completely different story:
It showed of times long past; where demons and humans waged long wars, where destruction was every where; when a evil unnamed being had ruled all; when times had been so long ago they could not be certified as reality or myth. The world was in chaos, the world could not sustain its own self or it would be wiped out completely. So the kami's, in a desperate act to save the thousands of years of evolution, created two beings made to embody the night and the day, these to remarkable people reigned over all that had lived or ever will live. They were Ying and Yang. But even Ying and Yang were deceived by the unnamed being and were tricked into sealing themselves into the earth to be reincarnated in the future. However, as soon as the spell had been sealed upon their flesh and blood did the unknown one place a brand of his own magick upon them. There power was to remain for ever untapped, they would be reincarnated many times but only as normal humans where they would never be able to discover there secret. The unidentified form moved about the earth looking for the power he had collected before, only to find that it had been sealed along with the two girls. It was said to this day that he wanders around the earth looking for the girls to release and harness the power of Ying and Yang.
The day the dance was perfected Tsune made the announcement that Kagome and Sango were her new little sisters. This mortified Kagura who vowed revenge. She could not believe it. She had thought that they weren't allowed to become geisha's because they had stopped coming to training.
That evening Kagome and Sango were each given identical kimono's as a gift from their wealthy sister.
"I can't believe this! So much has happened today! First we perform the dance perfectly, than we become Tsune's little sisters, and now we are going to be announced to the public as maiko's!!" Sango could barely contain her excitement as she tied Kagome's obi around her waste and then helped her with her hair.
"This is going to be so fun! To bad we will not be able to perform for another year! Oh well." Kagome told her as she helped Sango prepare for the night ahead of them.
That evening they had seen Tsune perform for the first time. Her dancing was beautiful and her voice rose in a melody that could not be described. They had had a wonderful time even though they were a bit nervous.
----------------------------- One year later
"Sango, we are both officially 16 and tonight we are going to perform Yin and Yan!!!!!!!!!!!"
"This is so unreal! I can't believe it has been an entire year already! This is going to be the best night ever! Now I am making myself nervous!!" The girls went into a fit of nervous and excited giggles. ------------------ In the castle
"Miroku! How many times do I have to tell you, I am not going damn it!" Inuyasha yelled.
"Inuyasha, quit morning over Kikyou, she nearly killed you, your family, ME!! and she was toying with your heart. You say her die and you cannot change that, so come with me. If you don't I will tell your father you lost the Tessengia's sheath." Miroku had said the harsh truth, emphasizing it by waving his cursed had around dramatically.
"Feh. I'm only going because of the sheath and when I find it I am going to slice your head off." Miroku smiled expecting this. Inuyasha grumbled the entire way there as Miroku told him about Tsune and her two little sisters.
"They were greeted at the entrance and were shown to Tsune's room because Miroku was a regular customer and a high priest and Inuyasha was a prince.
When they entered the room they found a small table near the back and listened as Tsune made an announcement.
"Tonight you will have the great honor of watching my to little sisters perform for the first time, and not only is this their first but it is Ying and Yang. You surely must all know the legend but this is the dance which only few people have seen. The long forgotten dance that only a few humbled people know including my sisters and myself. Please watch."
Inuyasha was only mildly interested. He had heard the legend, of course who hadn't, but he had neither seen the dance, nor had any reason to really care if he watched it or not. He hoped to get the night over as soon as possible, but as he glanced over towards Miroku, he noticed that the monk seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. Glancing towards the stage he saw two girls, they were both beautiful he knew, all maiko were but they were moving to fast he couldn't see there faces. The half demon watched as they danced, it was intricate and seemed only fit that an experienced geisha would be able to perform this, let alone this gracefully as they demonstrated. The women only seemed to be 16 maybe 17, around his own age. Finally they slowed, he got a good look at their faces.it was Kikyou!
"Miroku! Look at that girl!" Inuyasha said trying to refrain from yelling.
"Yes.the one with the red eyes. She is gorgeous. I will invite them over when they are done."
"No! The other one! It's Kikyou!" Inuyasha told the entranced monk. That had gotten his attention.
"It can't be! I am going to ask Tsune if she will allow her sisters to come see us when they are through." Miroku quietly got up and edged around the back of the room to where the elder geisha was sitting. Inuyasha did not bother to look at him, his eyes only on the girl. For one brief second there eyes met (a/n people usually say: Amber met blue or something like that but I couldn't bring myself to write something that sappy.^_^;;; hehehehe) and he saw something that he had never seen in Kikyou's eyes before. The way she had looked at him, could she possibly come back from hell to haunt him?
CLIFFY!!!! NANANANANA HAHAHA for those who like it. I am only going to continue you if I get reviews!!!!!!! Reviews I tell you!!! Reviews!!!!!!!!!! I like writing this story to! This is my longest chapter I have ever written. I have been working on it for days and even pulled an all-nighter to write it!!!!!!!!! Well actually I went to bed a 7:00 and woke up at 9:00 so I did get 2 hrs of sleep.anyway REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!! REVIEW!!!!
*A kago is a type of transport back in Japan around the 1600's that really rich people use. Kagome's not rich but the teahouse is so they sent one to pick her up.
**A mother is the woman who owns the teahouse - three different names for her: outa-san, okami, and mother.
***a maiko is a like a geisha in training.
****A little sister is someone who a geisha trains personally and they travel with the geisha to learn how to practice the arts properly.