Hua Mulan...er... I mean, Higurashi Kagome...
Kagome stared at her reflection in the small pond that sat next to her. Life was dull... Her family was dull... Worst of all... She would be marrying soon. The old guy she was marrying was sixty—he was Gramp's best friend too, which made it even creepier, because they could have been twins for all she knew! They looked alike, talked alike, and acted alike. Kagome often had trouble telling who was who! But she had to marry—it was the wish of her parents and the gods cursed any who did not follow the parents. Sota peeked over her shoulder and smiled. "Hello, Jie Jie, Big-Sister, Kagome." "Hello, Di-Di, Little-Brother Sota." Kagome didn't look up, and continued to stare at her reflection, cursing herself out for being so pretty, and to catch the eye of the man people knew as the biggest womanizer in the village, the man who went to the brothel everyday, who kept thirty mistresses... oh the sins he had could go on for li and li and li... Kagome sighed loudly and began trailing her hand in the water, watching the fish nibble at it. "You look... Depressed..." Sota said, after a quiet moment. "You would be too, if marrying someone four times your age." Kagome bit out. "Jie-Jie, I'm very sorry." "Come here." Sota went over to Kagome. Kagome brought out a handful of his favorite sweets out of a tiny sack next to her. Sota looked happy then shook his head. "They're yours, jie-jie." He tried to pass it back; his young face was tormented by both the fact that he was giving away his favorite sweet because it was right and the fact that he wanted it. "I bought them for you." Mother would not be so pleased to find out that she had used some of the money she had earned from her weaving to give to Sota, but she would forgive Kagome, most everyone did when they found out that the things she seemed to buy for herself were in reality for Sota. Boys were, after all, precious commodities, worth more than girls. For that reason, Kagome had been shunted aside, until Gramp's Friend, the richest man in the village offered for her. Suddenly, she had friends in the village—all those who believed her strange because she refused to wear makeup and other girly items. Her parents once left her in a room with makeup and a mirror and a bow and sword, and she was to choose her growing up present. Everyone had expected her to take the mirror and makeup. It was expected of all girls. She chose the bow and sword, reality overturning her initial desire of the beauty items—even if she declined to wear it. When word got out, her parents had yelled at her, telling her that she had shamed her family, and worse, they may never get her a suitor because of it. Now everyone sucked up. Too bad. She had no intent on staying long enough for her marriage, which was to take place a year from now. She would become a nun before she let that lecher touch her. "Thank you, jie-jie." "Go back to your studies." "Shall I teach you again tonight?" "Yes. As long as you know that mother is keeping watch over father, and that Kong-Kong, Gramps, is asleep. "I just don't understand why people don't allow girls to study." Sota said. "A virtuous woman is a stupid woman." Kagome recited. "Besides, everyone view women as inferior." "You're virtuous, and you're not stupid!" Sota said. "You're definitely NOT inferior, either!" Sota stood there, breathing heavily. Kagome smiled, then shooed Sota towards the house. Kagome looked up at the sky wistfully, dreaming of becoming a scholar, or someone worthwhile, before a loud voice interrupted her peacefulness. "Attention!" Kagome looked up to see her sick father balanced in the doorway, trying to get out of the house. Kagome ran. "Ba ba! Father! I'll go see what's happening, please, stay here and get your rest!" She pleaded. "No need." Her father said dryly. "It seems the messenger has come to us." "Mr. Higurashi! I come bearing important news from the emperor! You must ride with us to do battle with the Mongols! Your camp will be camped nearby, we will see you there!" Bowing, the imperial officer left. Sota ran out. "Ba ba!" Let me go in your steed!" "No! Who will carry out the family succession?" "Kagome!" Sota said, undaunted. "No! We need a male heir!" "Why?" "Because then our family name will be carried on, and our ancestors won't be displeased!" "Have you ever thought that we should allow a woman to be in charge for a bit?" "Women are inferior! They are unclean! They bleed! They are subservient!" "Ba!" Kagome slipped out of the courtyard and counted her money. Behind her, she heard her furious father scream, "That's it, GO TO YOUR ROOM!" She had enough, she decided, to buy a suit of armor and a horse, at the least. She scanned the marketplace, and found a place to buy armor. She put down the money and bought an armor that fit her perfectly. The shopkeeper gave her a skeptical look, but made no comment. Kagome smiled brilliantly and walked out. Horses... Horses... Kagome glanced around, and then found the horse keeper. He smiled his weasel-like smile, then brought Kagome to see the horses. A horse was running around the field wildly. He ran over when he saw Kagome and tried to nip her. Kagome blew her scent into his nostrils. He settled down. Kagome, disregarding her clothes, jumped over the fence and mounted the horse. He reared up. Kagome held on tightly to the mane, as he raced around the field again. Kagome's spirit exalted. He slowed down, and Kagome got off his back. She stepped towards him, and he nuzzled her. "How much is this horse?" "Free, if you buy that horse." He pointed to a horse next to the fence. Kagome got on that horse, and it sped around the field, like the first horse. Kagome decided to buy this horse for Sota, because if she was any judge, she would say that the first horse would never listen to anyone else. "I'll buy them." The horse keeper smiled. "Yes, they are a good bargain. They—" He leaned against the first horse, who suddenly snapped and began to try to bite the horse keeper. Kagome giggled, then pried the first horse away. "I think I'll call you Huang. King." She whispered, as the Horse keeper struggled to get to his feet. She pointed out a saddle and the horse keeper—now badly bruised—gave her the saddle as she paid him her money. Kagome led her horses into the shadowed forest, and began to change.
A sharp rap hit the wood gateway. Sota and his father stopped arguing long enough to gaze at the doorway. They stopped, as they found a soldier leading two horses standing in the gateway, his face politely blank. Sota rubbed his eyes, thinking the person looked oddly familiar. "Um... Hello. May I ask what is it that you want?" Father asked curiously. "Ba! It's me!" "Kagome?" Her father squinted, then stepped back. Kagome did not look like a girl anymore. She looked like a fierce warrior, ready to charge into battle. Her eyes sparkled and her sword, bow and arrows hung from the saddle of one of the horses. Her face was feminine, her form was only slightly muscled, and her voice would never pass as a male's but she looked a worthy opponent. Kagome nodded to her father's question, then lead into the courtyard two magnificent horses, both dark midnight in color and proud in their bearing.
"Sota, here. This is yours." Kagome held out a horse's rein towards Sota. Sota walked forwards eagerly, then smiled up at his sister. "Thank you!" The other horse nipped at Sota's shoulder fiercely, missing because Kagome tugged him back. Sota jumped, and stared at the horse. "Down, Huang!" The horse gave her a rueful stare then made a distinctly horsey humph. Kagome smiled, knowing that she was the only one who Huang would listen to. "You're not going!" A furious voice echoed in the doorway. Her mother blocked the pathway. Kagome sighed, and came up with a suitable idea. "Ma Ma. Would you rather Ba died, or Sota died? Will you let me go? It might be the best idea."
"She's right." Ba said, after a moment. "But she'll be marrying..." "Kagome will be back after a year, besides, you need me here to direct our laborers and Sota needs to be here and safe." "Thank you, Ba!" Kagome got on the horse, and sped out of the courtyard, her face turned towards the spire of smoke that rose from the ground. "Good luck, and be safe, my child." Her father whispered. His wife buried her face in his shirt then began to cry. "My baby. My baby." Their touching scene was interrupted by gramps and his friend. The two were...indubitably... drunk... "Where's Kagome?" Gramp's friend asked. "She's gone to visit mother's relatives in...er... Fuxi." Sota interjected. "Oh. I was hoping since we were getting married, that we could..." "Get out!" Sota screamed. "Get out, you filth! For all you know Kagome will refuse your offer!" "Sota!" His mother said. "Apologize to him!" "No!" In the ensuing chaos, Gramps and his friend walked away, still drunk. Bemused, Sota turned to view his parents with a mature look in his eyes. "How exactly are we going to explain this?"
Thank you for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed it. I don't owe any of these characters, except the random ones! Yes, people in China even today, and in my family call each other like, Big- Sister (jie-jie), Little-Brother (di-di). Li is a type of measurement. The gramps I write about is one from my imagination, not the temple dude. Inuyasha: Why am I not in this???? Yvee: You will be... You will be... Inuyasha: (Growls) I'd better be.
Kagome stared at her reflection in the small pond that sat next to her. Life was dull... Her family was dull... Worst of all... She would be marrying soon. The old guy she was marrying was sixty—he was Gramp's best friend too, which made it even creepier, because they could have been twins for all she knew! They looked alike, talked alike, and acted alike. Kagome often had trouble telling who was who! But she had to marry—it was the wish of her parents and the gods cursed any who did not follow the parents. Sota peeked over her shoulder and smiled. "Hello, Jie Jie, Big-Sister, Kagome." "Hello, Di-Di, Little-Brother Sota." Kagome didn't look up, and continued to stare at her reflection, cursing herself out for being so pretty, and to catch the eye of the man people knew as the biggest womanizer in the village, the man who went to the brothel everyday, who kept thirty mistresses... oh the sins he had could go on for li and li and li... Kagome sighed loudly and began trailing her hand in the water, watching the fish nibble at it. "You look... Depressed..." Sota said, after a quiet moment. "You would be too, if marrying someone four times your age." Kagome bit out. "Jie-Jie, I'm very sorry." "Come here." Sota went over to Kagome. Kagome brought out a handful of his favorite sweets out of a tiny sack next to her. Sota looked happy then shook his head. "They're yours, jie-jie." He tried to pass it back; his young face was tormented by both the fact that he was giving away his favorite sweet because it was right and the fact that he wanted it. "I bought them for you." Mother would not be so pleased to find out that she had used some of the money she had earned from her weaving to give to Sota, but she would forgive Kagome, most everyone did when they found out that the things she seemed to buy for herself were in reality for Sota. Boys were, after all, precious commodities, worth more than girls. For that reason, Kagome had been shunted aside, until Gramp's Friend, the richest man in the village offered for her. Suddenly, she had friends in the village—all those who believed her strange because she refused to wear makeup and other girly items. Her parents once left her in a room with makeup and a mirror and a bow and sword, and she was to choose her growing up present. Everyone had expected her to take the mirror and makeup. It was expected of all girls. She chose the bow and sword, reality overturning her initial desire of the beauty items—even if she declined to wear it. When word got out, her parents had yelled at her, telling her that she had shamed her family, and worse, they may never get her a suitor because of it. Now everyone sucked up. Too bad. She had no intent on staying long enough for her marriage, which was to take place a year from now. She would become a nun before she let that lecher touch her. "Thank you, jie-jie." "Go back to your studies." "Shall I teach you again tonight?" "Yes. As long as you know that mother is keeping watch over father, and that Kong-Kong, Gramps, is asleep. "I just don't understand why people don't allow girls to study." Sota said. "A virtuous woman is a stupid woman." Kagome recited. "Besides, everyone view women as inferior." "You're virtuous, and you're not stupid!" Sota said. "You're definitely NOT inferior, either!" Sota stood there, breathing heavily. Kagome smiled, then shooed Sota towards the house. Kagome looked up at the sky wistfully, dreaming of becoming a scholar, or someone worthwhile, before a loud voice interrupted her peacefulness. "Attention!" Kagome looked up to see her sick father balanced in the doorway, trying to get out of the house. Kagome ran. "Ba ba! Father! I'll go see what's happening, please, stay here and get your rest!" She pleaded. "No need." Her father said dryly. "It seems the messenger has come to us." "Mr. Higurashi! I come bearing important news from the emperor! You must ride with us to do battle with the Mongols! Your camp will be camped nearby, we will see you there!" Bowing, the imperial officer left. Sota ran out. "Ba ba!" Let me go in your steed!" "No! Who will carry out the family succession?" "Kagome!" Sota said, undaunted. "No! We need a male heir!" "Why?" "Because then our family name will be carried on, and our ancestors won't be displeased!" "Have you ever thought that we should allow a woman to be in charge for a bit?" "Women are inferior! They are unclean! They bleed! They are subservient!" "Ba!" Kagome slipped out of the courtyard and counted her money. Behind her, she heard her furious father scream, "That's it, GO TO YOUR ROOM!" She had enough, she decided, to buy a suit of armor and a horse, at the least. She scanned the marketplace, and found a place to buy armor. She put down the money and bought an armor that fit her perfectly. The shopkeeper gave her a skeptical look, but made no comment. Kagome smiled brilliantly and walked out. Horses... Horses... Kagome glanced around, and then found the horse keeper. He smiled his weasel-like smile, then brought Kagome to see the horses. A horse was running around the field wildly. He ran over when he saw Kagome and tried to nip her. Kagome blew her scent into his nostrils. He settled down. Kagome, disregarding her clothes, jumped over the fence and mounted the horse. He reared up. Kagome held on tightly to the mane, as he raced around the field again. Kagome's spirit exalted. He slowed down, and Kagome got off his back. She stepped towards him, and he nuzzled her. "How much is this horse?" "Free, if you buy that horse." He pointed to a horse next to the fence. Kagome got on that horse, and it sped around the field, like the first horse. Kagome decided to buy this horse for Sota, because if she was any judge, she would say that the first horse would never listen to anyone else. "I'll buy them." The horse keeper smiled. "Yes, they are a good bargain. They—" He leaned against the first horse, who suddenly snapped and began to try to bite the horse keeper. Kagome giggled, then pried the first horse away. "I think I'll call you Huang. King." She whispered, as the Horse keeper struggled to get to his feet. She pointed out a saddle and the horse keeper—now badly bruised—gave her the saddle as she paid him her money. Kagome led her horses into the shadowed forest, and began to change.
A sharp rap hit the wood gateway. Sota and his father stopped arguing long enough to gaze at the doorway. They stopped, as they found a soldier leading two horses standing in the gateway, his face politely blank. Sota rubbed his eyes, thinking the person looked oddly familiar. "Um... Hello. May I ask what is it that you want?" Father asked curiously. "Ba! It's me!" "Kagome?" Her father squinted, then stepped back. Kagome did not look like a girl anymore. She looked like a fierce warrior, ready to charge into battle. Her eyes sparkled and her sword, bow and arrows hung from the saddle of one of the horses. Her face was feminine, her form was only slightly muscled, and her voice would never pass as a male's but she looked a worthy opponent. Kagome nodded to her father's question, then lead into the courtyard two magnificent horses, both dark midnight in color and proud in their bearing.
"Sota, here. This is yours." Kagome held out a horse's rein towards Sota. Sota walked forwards eagerly, then smiled up at his sister. "Thank you!" The other horse nipped at Sota's shoulder fiercely, missing because Kagome tugged him back. Sota jumped, and stared at the horse. "Down, Huang!" The horse gave her a rueful stare then made a distinctly horsey humph. Kagome smiled, knowing that she was the only one who Huang would listen to. "You're not going!" A furious voice echoed in the doorway. Her mother blocked the pathway. Kagome sighed, and came up with a suitable idea. "Ma Ma. Would you rather Ba died, or Sota died? Will you let me go? It might be the best idea."
"She's right." Ba said, after a moment. "But she'll be marrying..." "Kagome will be back after a year, besides, you need me here to direct our laborers and Sota needs to be here and safe." "Thank you, Ba!" Kagome got on the horse, and sped out of the courtyard, her face turned towards the spire of smoke that rose from the ground. "Good luck, and be safe, my child." Her father whispered. His wife buried her face in his shirt then began to cry. "My baby. My baby." Their touching scene was interrupted by gramps and his friend. The two were...indubitably... drunk... "Where's Kagome?" Gramp's friend asked. "She's gone to visit mother's relatives in...er... Fuxi." Sota interjected. "Oh. I was hoping since we were getting married, that we could..." "Get out!" Sota screamed. "Get out, you filth! For all you know Kagome will refuse your offer!" "Sota!" His mother said. "Apologize to him!" "No!" In the ensuing chaos, Gramps and his friend walked away, still drunk. Bemused, Sota turned to view his parents with a mature look in his eyes. "How exactly are we going to explain this?"
Thank you for reading this story. I hope you enjoyed it. I don't owe any of these characters, except the random ones! Yes, people in China even today, and in my family call each other like, Big- Sister (jie-jie), Little-Brother (di-di). Li is a type of measurement. The gramps I write about is one from my imagination, not the temple dude. Inuyasha: Why am I not in this???? Yvee: You will be... You will be... Inuyasha: (Growls) I'd better be.