Kagome slammed her alarm clock to silence before groaning in her duvet. She sat up and wiped her eyes before forcing herself to leave her bed and stumbled into her bathroom, glad that she didn't need to go hunting for the bathroom in her current state. Moments later found her grabbing a sandwich that she made herself, stuffing them into her mouth and putting on her rollerblade. Not only was it a faster way to get to school, it also kept her physique in good shape. Kami know how her girlfriends envied her long, lean but shapely legs.

Sesshoumaru listened as she left the house, looking outside his attic window just in time to see her passing through the barrier in a rush. He then turned back to his calligraphy works as he wracked his brain for a new idea for his newest book.

Walking on the grassy path away from Sesshoumaru's garden to the main, tarred street was hard work for Kagome, she wobbly and clumsily made her way through the shrubbery, trying her best not to dirty her new school uniform; Karakura High School uniform. Since this would be her third year of high school, Kagome tried to make the best of it. The early two years of her high school were done while being treated with depression and insomnia. The fact drove her friends away from her as she often drifted into depression at odd times.

Shaking her head, she headed for Karakura High and soon, joined the masses of students heading for the same building as her. Kagome headed straight for the office to report her attendance…

Inoue Orihime yawned as she opened the door of class 3-3, immediately being 'attacked' from behind by her lesbian classmate Honshou Chizuru, "Good morning Princess!"

Orihime gently squirmed out from her hold and smiled tiredly at her friend, "Morning, Honshou-san,"

She then heard another voice calling her, "Orihime!"

Orihime turned to smile at her best friend Arisawa Tatsuki, "Tatsuki, how are you?"

Tatsuki frowned, "I should be the one asking that question to you. Lately you came later than your usual time to school and you slept in class several time for the last few months. And you have eye bags under your eyes. What's going on?"

Just as Orihime opened her mouth, the bell answered for her. Seconds before the bell finished their ringing, Kurosaki Ichigo burst through the door with an equally out of breath Ishida Uryu. Ichigo sighed as he catches his breath while his noisy friend Asano Keigo shouted, "SAFE!"

Ochi Misato or Ochi-sensei rebuked him as she entered the class behind Ichigo, Uryu having left for his seat long before, she pulled Ichigo's ear, "Safe alright, but not from me you don't," She teased as she sent Kurosaki to his seat. Ichigo ignored her tease and gladly take his seat. She then took roll call before settling down, "Well, I have great news today!" She looked around the class bored face and sighed, "I had expected a more enthusiastic reaction but…oh well! We have a transfer student from Tokyo today!"

The class atmosphere immediately changed from bored to expectant. Keigo raised his hand, "Is it a girl? Is she cute?"

Misato ignored him, "Come on in,"

Orihime felt a strange shift in the air and she noted how the rest of her friends who can see and detect spirits changed from expectant to wary. Could it be another shinigami? But instead a familiar face or someone with shinigami pressure, a human girl stood at the front of the class. Keigo mouth fell open and Chizuru shows signs of interest.

She has long raven hair with midnight blue highlights; her height was medium, not too tall but not on the short ends either. Though her hourglass shape can't beat Orihime's own, it was eye catching enough. Her fair skin blemish free and her lips supple red, her wavy hair framed her delicate angelic face and her soft smile stole the hearts of billions…or just her future classmates. She bowed and introduced herself, "My name is Higurashi Kagome. It is nice to meet you, please teach me,"

Orihime chuckled at the faces of her classmates. For some reason, the girl practically glowed in her eyes. There was an air of serenity surrounding her and soon, Higurashi filled the chair next to her, opposite from Tatsuki. Orihime immediately greeted her, "Hi! My name is Inoue Orihime, nice to meet you!"

Higurashi smiled at her but her answer was interrupted by the teacher as the class commenced. Orihime smiled, feeling content and happy, hoping to be Higurashi's friend…

Kagome sighed as she felt eyes on her person but couldn't pinpoint the direction of the gaze. The problem was it came from all around her. Kagome has never experienced the feeling of being a new girl before; having lived all her life in Tokyo before and being new in Sengoku Jidai can't be counted. Sure the villages and towns that they passed through in their travel didn't give her much mind, assuming her to be a youkai and dismissing her at that.

So being stared at while nothing new to her; being stared at for being a new girl was something else entirely. She fought from squirming openly under their scrutiny. Taking out her bentou, she decided to take her lunch on the roof. Opening the rooftop's door, she heard cheerful voices greeting her. She stared at the sight before her. They made the strangest group she ever set her eyes on, not counting her own group of friends in Sengoku.

There was that busty neighbour of class seating with the burnt orange hair, not quite red and not quite blond either. Then there was that Mexico-like guy with tall stature and muscular built, his curly hair covering eyes and framing his strong jaw. There was also the nerd-like class scholar sitting with the guy with the bleached orange hair who looked much like a rebel. They really don't add up.

Kagome squirmed and grinned sheepishly, "Uh…Sorry…didn't think anyone would be up here…so…if you'll excuse me…" She backed up and was about to turn when the girl, Inoue called her, "Higurashi-san! Join us!"

Kagome blinked and turned to face them, blinking in surprise at her sudden invitation, "Yes?"

Inoue called again, beaming at her, "Come join us! Let's get to know each other!"

Kagome timidly approach them. One would think having faced dragons and supernatural megalomaniacs hell bent on dominating the world, or Japan at least, she will have more confidence in dealing with people. Here's the problem, Kagome felt that she will have more confidence in dealing with the supernatural and villains after her throat than dealing with everyday teenagers, most of all dealing with teenage human troubles. After all, she only recently gained a handphone. It was only because it was a necessity living away from family.

Taking a seat at the spot patted invitingly by Inoue, Kagome bowed in greeting to her other classmates. The boy with the bleached blond hair greeted her, "Hi! Name's Ichigo, Kurosaki Ichigo, nice to meet you!"

The bespectacled boy nodded at her, "Ishida Uryu,"

Ichigo grinned as he thumb-pointed at the tall, dark skinned boy, "He's Sado Yasutora, but we all call him Chad," Chad gave her a wave, "Hi,"

Inoue smiled at her, "Would you like a red bean paste sandwich? My specialty! Oh, and I don't put any pickle in it today!" She cheerfully offered her one of her own sandwiches. Kagome blinked at the idea of pickles with red bean paste in a sandwich, but she has seen stranger food in Tokyo before so she just smiled as she accepted the offering, "Thank you. Uh…I'm Kagome, Higurashi Kagome from Tokyo,"

Orihime asked casually, "Why did you move to Karakura, Higurashi-san?"

Kagome paused mid-bite as she considered the question, before putting her chopsticks down to answer, "I decided I needed some space and some independent experience away from family," She looked at their open wondering faces. Ishida pushed his glassed up the bridge of his nose, "Well, that's…daring of you,"

Chad nodded, "And so far away from your relatives too,"

Kagome shrugged as she chewed on her food, deciding that despite appearances they were all cool with her. Ichigo asked, "But why do you want to do that so far from your family? Got family trouble?"

Uryu glared at Ichigo, "Idiot, that's personal,"

Ichigo frowned, "What? I'm just asking,"

Kagome chuckled, "No, never mind. It's not my family; it's just me deciding to be independent,"

The conversation turned light and full with stabbing sarcasm from Ishida aimed toward Kurosaki who responded in the familiar explosive temperament that reminded Kagome so much of her hanyou friend. The rest of the school proceeded as any ordinary school although at one moment Kurosaki and Ishida disappeared for long hours. Kagome wondered about their bladder but there was ridiculous but probable whispers among the class students about the real nature of their explicit relationship.

It felt like forever when the final bell rang through the empty hall and students burst from their classes like a beehive disturbed. Kagome sighed, it has been so long since she last truly experience a life without being hounded by her experience in Sengoku and worrying about nothing but her studies and…well, maybe it had something to do with the fact that she now has a new secret to keep.

Entering Sesshoumaru's 'secret garden', she smiled melancholic of her current situation. She had wanted to run away from the familiarity of her surroundings that lacked vital pieces of what made it dear to her. The lack of Inuyasha's voice from her bedroom window yelling about the shard hunting, his absence on the Bone Eater well's lip. The rush of having something so important in her life being kept from her 'normal' friends, that she will come back to another part of her life that was utterly separated from the rest of her typical teenage girl's life.

She found it again in Karakura….

Kagome grinned as she opened her roller blades and putting aside, rising her voice enough that she knew a trained youkai ear can hear loud and clear without shouting, "I'm home!"

When there was no answer, she shrugged and went to the kitchen where she heard some sounds coming from beyond the back door. Her head tilting to the side in question, she headed out through the door. Looking around, she saw the shed and heard the sound coming from her left. She looked at the clogs lined outside and wore a pair of them. She called out, "Sesshoumaru?"

He turned the corner and walked toward her, both hands holding onto two wooden pails. She greeted him, "Hi, what are you doing?"

He gave her a short answer, "Feeding,"

She blinked, "You keep large pets?"

He didn't answer but didn't warn her against looking for the answer herself. So Kagome huffed at the lack of answer and went into what she assumed was a horse shed. A shriek and a shout for the great Kami above later, she came running out after Sesshoumaru who was washing his hands at a water pipe near to the back door.

She stopped before him, eyes wide and frantic, "There's a dragon in the shed!"

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Miko, you have met Ah-Uhn and seen Ryukotsusei,"

She nodded, "Yeah, but not the other one!"

He stared at her, no emotion passed over his feature as he stood to his full height. Kagome can't seem to form words but she finally spoke what befuddled her mind, "It's a unicorn! A UNICORN, Sesshoumaru! They aren't supposed to exist!"

He didn't show any sign of confusion or shock, "So? Miko, your people think we youkai does not exist, but we do,"

She stared at him, remembering their conversation last night about youkai and wizards. She shook her head, "Okay…so-what's a unicorn doing in your shed?"

He turned to enter the house, speaking over his shoulder, "This Sesshoumaru has a hobby of collecting rarities,"

Kagome gaped even wider at his answer, "He…has a hobby?"