This story has been thoroughly rewritten. I hope it has improved drastically (because it needed to). Please let me know what you think of the new version. Thank you. Enjoy :)
Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor Pride and Prejudice.
An Arrival
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. However little known the feeling or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.
The Higurashi family had been in residence at Higurashi shrine since it was first constructed, hence the name. Currently the shrine was managed by an old priest, Higurashi senior, known to his family as "Grandpa"; and his daughter-in-law, Kaede Higurashi. Her husband, deceased several years prior from an unknown (and unheard of) disease, had left her with their four unmarried daughters and his singularly foolish father to look after.
Higurashi Shrine was a handsome old building just outside a quiet village situated in the Musashi province of southern central Honshu. The area was ruled, nominally, by the Daimyo Hojo, but in practice the little village was quite out of the way, so much so in fact that Hojo-sama had never been there, and had probably never even heard of it. Strangers here were a rarity bordering on the mystical, and thus the arrival of a young monk and his friend caused a great commotion among the village's immediate inhabitants. Soon rumours were flying around to those families that lived on their country estates, including the Higurashi Shrine.
"My dear Kaede," said Higurashi senior to his daughter-in-law one day, "have you heard that Kazaana House is let at last?" Kaede Higurashi replied that she had not.
"But it is," returned he; "for Eri-san has just been here, and he told me all about it."
Kaede was helping the housemaid to hang out the washing, and did not reply.
"Do you not want to know who has taken it?" cried her father-in-law impatiently.
"Patience, Grandpa," said she, "Till I have finished here."
Patience was an unknown quantity to Grandpa Higurashi, and so he went ahead and told her anyway.
"Why, my dear, Eri-san tells me that Kazaana House is taken by a young monk from a well-respected temple in Shikoku; that while traveling to Musashi to visit our Daimyo, who is, I hear, a family friend, he happened upon the house, and was so much delighted with it that he went to see the agent immediately. He is to take possession before Cherry Blossom Season, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week."
"Tis true, ma'am," said the housemaid, "Miroku Bingari his name is, I seen him in the village just two days ago. Such a nice looking gentleman."
"Indeed." said Grandpa Higurashi reprovingly. "And what were you doing in the village, I'd like to know?"
"Only buyin' fishes for your dinner, sir!" Cried the maid defensively, looking to Kaede for help.
Kaede reassured the girl while Grandpa, satisfied that his story was now his to tell, continued.
"A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!"
"How so? how can it affect them?"
"My dear Kaede," replied he, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them."
"A wedding!" cried the housemaid, "Glory, what fun!"
"Quite so," said Grandpa approvingly, "Kaede, you must be sure to invite him to dinner."
"And how am I to do so?"
"Why, simply run into him- in the street, out shopping, which ever you please. It is simple if you will only take the trouble of observing his movements."
"Spying, that is, ma'am," added the housemaid eagerly, "Just like a ninja, they say.."
"That's enough, thankyou Hito-chan." Kaede knew better than to gossip in front of girls like Hito. "I'll finish this. You go back inside and help Buto-san with dinner. No chatting about this, now."
"Yes ma'am." Hito was an obedient girl and she ran inside, intending to confide everything she had just heard to her closest friend, Yuki, just as soon as she could.
Grandpa was still making plans. "They could be married by July!" He turned to Kaede. "You must invite him to dinner as soon as possible."
"It is more than I engage for, I assure you."
"But think of your daughters! What an establishment for them! Toutousai-sama is determined to go, merely on that account, for you know in general he visits no newcomers."
"In general there are no newcomers to visit."
"Kaede, how can you? You take delight in vexing me."
Kaede Higurashi was a complex woman, so full of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve and caprice, that her father-in-law had yet to understand her character. She had fallen in love with Higurashi-san junior when she had met him in the city, and had married him without ever having met his family, something she regretted to the present day.
'Grandpa' Higurashi was much easier to comprehend. He had once been complimented by a high-ranking priest on his sutra work, and had never recovered from the shock. He considered it his duty to systematically wipe out any and all demons that happened to come within his temple doors. Since all the demons still surviving from the feudal era tended to be wealthy businessmen, he usually just ended up making a fool of himself. Of the many things the shrine contained, his favorite was the shard of the Shikon no Tama that he kept locked away for fear of thieves. He refused to leave the temple grounds, claiming there was a written rule that the priest must be constantly near the shrine. He must have mistakenly thrown away the book containing this law, however, as the rest of his family had yet to discover it.
As it was now mid February, winter was beginning to yield into spring, and further south the cherry trees were already breaking into blossoms. The snow was melting and the only patches left were on the mountaintops. It was the time of the Doll Festival, and even in this small village families were laying out their displays in their drawing rooms. Some of the dolls had been handed down through generations and were particularly delicate and valuable. Grandpa Higurashi had the biggest and most impressive collection of dolls in the neighborhood, and he was very proud of them. They had, he said, been used in many exorcisms by many generations of Higurashis, and were invaluable to the safety of the village.
That afternoon was the designated time for the Higurashi family to help Grandpa to prepare and lay out their doll display. Despite the constant scoldings and lectures on the proper handling and treatment of such valuable historic artifacts, the girls enjoyed taking the beautiful figurines out of their wrappings and marveling over the exquisite detail in their clothes and faces.
"Oh Kagome, just look at this one!" Cooed Kagome's elder (and favourite) sister, Sango. "Isn't she gorgeous?"
The doll she held was an image of an emperor's concubine, dressed in a blue and green kimono. Kagome inspected it with due appreciation.
"The colours are pretty enough, I grant you, but just look at how many layers she's wearing. How could you run, or even move, in clothes like that?"
Her grandfather overheard her.
"Run, Kagome? Let me tell you, young lady, that these women were much too refined to do something so unladylike. Perhaps you could take a lesson or two from them."
Kagome rolled her eyes, but was careful enough to make sure her grandfather didn't see her.
The youngest daughter, Kikyo, interrupted them without ceremony, holding up another doll wearing a pink and gold kimono.
"Grandfather, I love this dress! I want one! Won't you buy one for me?"
Yura, who was only a year older than her sister Kikyo, raised her head and interjected that she would very much like a new kimono as well. The rest of her family ignored her. Grandpa was still focussed on Kikyo.
"Careful with that now!" He chuckled indulgently. "Well now, we'll have to see about that. Perhaps when your mother goes to Edo next..?"
Both of them turned to look hopefully at Kaede, who was packing away the empty boxes and picking up the discarded wrappings. She raised her eyebrows reprovingly at her youngest daughter.
"Now, Kikyo, you should know better than to place such importance in worldly objects."
"But mama..."
"No, Kikyo. You don't need a new kimono, and we simply can't afford it."
