Beautiful Kagome
Amongst the bustling cobblestone streets of Asakusa, the famed geisha district of Tokyo Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome eagerly marched amongst the tourists and other shoppers with Inuyasha quickly following behind them. However, nary was a geisha seen for such creatures were creatures of the night.
The trio was not interested in geisha or the magnificent shrine of Asakusa that attracted the tourists, instead they were looking for the shop they were instructed to purchase the tools needed for their study of magic. They had walked up and down this shopping district three times each thoroughly confused by the directions left for them by Sensei Ishii.
"Where the hell is this place?" Inuyasha hissed, irritated by the crowds and the noise.
"No swearing dear." Inuyasha growled and glared at the woman. Mrs. Higurashi ignored the growling hanyou and turned to her daughter "Kagome, what is this place called again?"
"Muromoto. It says so here," Kagome said pointing at the unfolded rice paper. Inuyasha peered over Kagome's shoulder looked at the letter then at his surroundings and asked, "Are you sure that letter is correct?"
"Excuse me," said a young woman wearing a fashionable pale blue yukata with a lace-trimmed collar and her hair in a traditional up do with a couple of discreet silk floral kanzashi hairpins interrupted. "Are you looking for Muromoto's?"
"Yes," Kagome earnestly replied.
"I'm heading in that direction," the young woman enthusiastically replied. "Follow me." On the way down the alley, they discovered that the young woman was actually a teenager named Kimiko Takahashi who also went to Yukiyanagi Academy and whose aunt and uncle operated Muromoto's Wand Shop, which had been supplying wands and other magical instruments since 1443!
She led them down a small hidden alley composed of modest wooden structures and opened a simple wooden gate. She bowed and tapped on the simple fabric curtain decorated with Sakura blossoms three times then lifted it. Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome and Inuyasha followed her through the curtain into a beautiful new world. They found themselves in a large outdoor courtyard lined with shops with elegantly curved awnings, the scent of incense flavoring the air. All sorts of Onmyogi ambled around in a variety of traditional kimono.
"Wow, what is this place?" Kagome gasped looking wide-eyed at the scene before her, her eyes falling on the colorful kimono and elaborately tied obi on the young women who balanced themselves on tall wooden sandals held to the foot with colorful silk straps that passed between the big and second toes.
Kimiko turned around and smiled, "This is the Hoshi District! Where the Onmyogi of Tokyo can find anything they need." Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome, and Inuyasha nodded and followed Kimiko through the crowded courtyard to the small shop they had been searching for initially.
"Here, we are!" She pleasantly said turning to continue onto her destination. "See you at school." And in a flash she was gone, quickly scampering around a corner on her way to her appointment. Kagome tentatively stared at the small ancient establishment and smiled as she slid the door open and stepped inside, butterflies danced in her stomach. Inuyasha and Mrs. Higurashi slipped inside after her, gasping at the store.
Small boxes lined the majority of the walls with a few odd looking objects occasionally found squeezed in the rare free shelf space. Ancient looking books and scrolls occupied one wall. A basket on a shelf was lined with neat stacks of ofuda while another basket held incense.
"Welcome," and elderly man dressed in traditional light blue haori and hakama said bowing to his three customers. Kagome bowed back and smiled, "Excuse me, we need to get wands."
"Of course, sit on the stool here and we'll get started. He pulled out several long boxes and held out wand after wand for her, of which nothing happened as she waved each in the air.
"Hmm, this is most interesting indeed," Muromoto sighed before shuffling to the storeroom behind the counter. Kagome turned to her mother and Inuyasha and shrugged as Mr. Muromoto returned with several more boxes.
Once again, Kagome waved each wand in the air to which nothing happed. Inuyasha, growing impatient, frowned, "what is it supposed to do?"
"At this point, anything," Mr. Muromoto huffed wiping his forehead with a handkerchief as another wand failed to react to Kagome. He then ran his hand through his gray hair and asked, "Higurashi you say. You wouldn't be of the same Higurashi family that runs the shrine."
"That would be correct!" Kagome smiled, eager with excitement to find a wand.
"Hmm, I wonder," the shopkeeper pondered realization crossing his face as his fingers passed over a simple green box. Tentatively he opened it and passed an elegant yet simple wand of a light colored wood to his customer.
Kagome carefully wrapped her hands around the base of the wand and carefully waved it into the air where a series of small sparks resembling a colorful fireworks display decorated the air. Mrs. Higurashi and Inuyasha gasped as Kagome laughed.
"Amazing," Mr. Muromoto proclaimed, pleased to find a want perfectly suited for Kagome. "Your wand is made of Japanese boxwood, not an easy wood to come across nowadays, and the hair of the fire rat. But your wand was also blessed by both a high ranking Shinto priest and a powerful Buddhist monk." Mr. Muromoto's face grew serious as he leaned over the counter and looking directly at Kagome, "Guard your spiritual powers young lady, for it is a very valuable commodity."
Kagome nodded and slid off the stool, her heart racing and not sure what to say about the shopkeeper's words for these words left her uneasy. Slowly she made her way next to her mother and bowed her head.
"Now on to the hanyou," Mr. Muromoto said looking at Inuyasha sighing, for hanyous were difficult to match to wands. They could either be matched with a wand for human based magic or with a wand for youkai based magic all based on the traits they exhibited strongly, a difficult process that once took Mr. Muromoto an entire month to accomplish for a particularly finicky hanyou.
Smirking, Inuyasha removed the bandana off his head and sat on the stool. Like Kagome, Inuyasha had gone through several wands upon which nothing happened. He tried wands made for humans and wands designed for youkai, but they did not react in his hands causing Mr. Muromoto to sigh repeatedly and run his hands through his hair several times. Inuyasha watched as the shopkeeper's wife walked in, take one look at his ears and nodded in acknowledgement. He resisted the urge to growl and watched as she returned with an ancient box panting slightly.
"Try this!" she said with strange excitement in her voice as she lifted the lid off. Inuyasha took the wand and waved it in the air as yellow and blue and red sparks resembling the night sky flew out of its end. "I knew it!"
"Knew what?" Inuyasha asked with annoyance in his voice.
"The core of your wand comes from the fang of a youkai of Musashi. In all the centuries this wand has refused all those who've tried to claim it." The elderly couple was now looking at him with reverence, which made his blood begin to boil. Remembering the promise he made to Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi he kept silent as he watched as both wands were quickly wrapped and bagged. Mrs. Muromoto calmly instructed Inuyasha, "That is a special wand. Take good care of it. I recommend you stop by regularly to have us look at it for any damage that we can fix. Just remember to wipe it clean if you get it dirty, okay?"
Inuyasha nodded and followed Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome out of the shop. As they walked down the alley in silence, Mrs. Higurashi could tell that the visit to the wand shop was difficult for both of her young charges. Mrs. Higurashi watched as her daughter left the shop looking slightly downtrodden, her gaze to the ground and her shoulders drooping. She walked over to her daughter, "Don't worry about what that shopkeeper said. He was just trying to scare you."
"And I'll always protect you!" Inuyasha added crossing his arms. Kagome turned around and flashed a smile at Inuyasha, "thanks."
"How about we get you some new kimono?" Mrs. Higurashi suggested, recalling how she had seen Kagome eyeing the beautiful garments when they had first entered the Hoshi district. Kagome nodded still smiling, "sure." In back of them Inuyasha merely sighed, hoping there would be a bench for him to sleep on.
And as they entered the kimono shop Kagome was quickly whisked away by the energetic shopkeeper. Inuyasha found a nice corner and sat down leaning against the wall and was about to close his eyes when Mrs. Higurashi kneeled next to him, "Inuyasha, you should select some hakama and kimono for yourself for school."
"Feh, my firerat should be fine," Inuyasha mumbled crossing his arms and closing his eyes. Mrs. Higurashi stood up and smiled, "then you won't mind me picking out some items for you then."
"Do what you want," Inuyasha replied uninterested, his eyes remaining closed. However after a few seconds he creaked his eyes open to gaze upon Mrs. Higurashi who had draped over her arms several striped and strangely patterned hakama pants and kimono.
"Feh, I'd never wear them," Inuyasha hissed under his breath closing his eyes once again. But he knew the power that woman wielded and somehow she would coerce him into wearing those clothes. Inuyasha opened his eyes quickly stood up and marched over to Mrs. Higurashi.
"Oh, hell no!" Inuyasha huffed taking the pile out of her hands and one by one tossing each piece on a wicker chest, "No, no, no, no, and no"
"Well if you don't like any of those than go pick out something you might like!" Mrs. Higurashi countered. Inuyasha glared at her, "maybe I will."
He marched to the tables where the hakama lay and quickly selected several that revealed his preference to solid colors with little or no patterns on them. Mrs. Higurashi smiled as she helped him select some kimono tops and haori and observed never voicing her thoughts, For all that tough talk that boy's got good taste.
"Okay, I found our stool," a pretty young seamstress in a delicate lavender kimono announced as she walked over to Mrs. Higurashi and Inuyasha. And with stool still in hand she turned looking at Inuyasha she stated, "So I guess we can get your measurements."
"What measurements?" Inuyasha retorted. The girl placed the stool on the floor and smiling cheerfully replied, "For your uniform silly!"
"Uniform?" Inuyasha replied blinking at her. "What uniform?"
"For school. Every student at Yukiyanagi has to wear a uniform. A dark red kimono with blue hakama."
"Oh hell no!" Inuyasha proclaimed rather loudly. From behind the shoji screen, Kagome froze at the sound of Inuyasha's voice, "what's going on?"
"Your friend there has just found out about the uniform policy and doesn't seem too happy about it," the shopkeeper replied draping a delicate pink kimono over the equally elegant juban under kimono and tying it securely in place.
"I hope he doesn't cause too much a ruckus," Kagome groaned with despair in her voice as the shopkeeper skillfully wrapped and tied the obi around her waist. She tentatively stepped out from behind the curtain, a smile of relief plastered on her face as she found a rather irritated looking Inuyasha standing on a stool as a seamstress took his measurements with a tape measure and her mother holding up several hakama and kimono for him.
"All done," the seamstress proclaimed stepping back and retreating to the counter.
Inuyasha looked up and saw Kagome step out in the pink layers of silk and walk around the shop. And as Inuyasha watched her, he could have sworn he was looking at a different person. She appeared calmer but more determined as if she were more sure of herself.
"I like the way you look in those," Inuyasha whispered. Kagome paused and looked over at Inuyasha, their eyes meeting for a second before looking away with reddened cheeks. Mrs. Higurashi walked up and smiled at her daughter, "You were meant to wear that."
"You can wear that out if you want," the shopkeeper offered to which Kagome eagerly agreed. She then turned to Inuyasha, "Now why don't you try your clothes on." Inuyasha nodded, grabbed the hakama and kimono tops from Mrs. Higurashi and quickly walked behind the shoji screen. Kagome turned to her mother, "you got him to pick something out. How?"
Mrs. Higurashi smiled and shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure dear, he sort of convinced himself. Why don't you run to the store next door to get some geta and I'll pay for everything here?"
"Okay," Kagome chirped heading out of the shop.
As they left the kimono shop with several wrapped packages, Mrs. Higurashi and Inuyasha met Kagome at the shoe store to find her balancing on a pair of tall black lacquered okobo, the tall wooden sandals worn by maiko, apprentice geisha. She smiled and stepped towards them, tripping over her feet and magically falling into Inuyasha's waiting arms, "Feh, are you sure you want to wear those?"
"Um, yeah," Kagome tentatively replied looking up at Inuyasha. Neither moved until Mrs. Higurashi commented, "I think you look lovely Kagome. Don' you agree Inuyasha?"
"Uh huh," he earnestly replied as the pair quickly pulled apart. Kagome then looked down at Inuyasha's feet and smiled, "I'm almost as tall as you."
"Feh, you're still short," Inuyasha smirked, but with softness in his voice. Yet as they left the store, Inuyasha helped Kagome out the door and tentatively down the cobblestone walkways of the Hoshi District when a loud rumbling noise came from Kagome.
"Hungry?" Mrs. Higurashi laughed. "Let's get something to eat!"
As they entered the noodle shop she noticed how much more gentle Inuyasha was to Kagome now she was in traditional clothing and how much more accepting she was of his assistance and smiled to herself.
They were led to a low table and sat on cushions where they quickly ordered their meal. As the waitress placed a pot of tea and a plate of colorful succulent and glistening sushi in the center of the low table, Mrs. Higurashi commented, "I think you should start to wear kimono more often, so that by the time you go to school you will feel more comfortable in them."
"I feel like a real Onmyogi dressed like this," Kagome smiled as she held her long sleeve as she reached across the table for a piece of sushi. "And I'm really excited about my first lesson on Monday."
Inuyasha merely sighed at this comment, the reality of school finally hitting him. It made him uncomfortable to be told what to wear, what to learn, when to do this. And this world left him uncomfortable half the time for he was never sure what to say. He looked down at the tabletop ignoring the food before him. Kagome noticed this and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay Inuyasha?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," he slowly whined. Kagome knew him too well and quietly said, "then why aren't you eating?"
"Not hungry," he sighed. Mrs. Higurashi nearly choked on her tea. Inuyasha was always hungry. She frowned slightly suspicious of what could be bothering the hanyou and discreetly said, "It must be hard for you two to step into this strange and fantastic world, to have to change your whole lives."
"Feh, ain't that hard," Inuyasha interjected, crossing his arms. "Nothing I can't handle." Kagome merely giggled while trying to chew her sushi at the same time, covering her mouth with her hand. Inuyasha scowled and turned his head to glare at her, "and what is so funny?"
Kagome's giggles became more pronounced causing Mrs. Higurashi to giggle softly. Inuyasha growled in annoyance. Kagome took a sip of tea and smiled, "sorry Inuyasha but that was so typical of you."
"I ain't that predictable," Inuyasha huffed taking his chopsticks in his hands and swiftly swiping a piece of sushi. Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi quickly eyed each other and smiled oblivious to Inuyasha who was still fuming. And it was at this moment that the waitress returned with their order and the large steaming bowls were placed before them.
Inuyasha quickly picked up his chopsticks and quickly began slurping noodles eliciting more smiles from Kagome and her mother. Mrs. Higurashi turned to Inuyasha and smiled, "good?"
"It's great!" Inuyasha proclaimed taking a bite of eel. "Udon is just as good as ramen." He then paused noticing both Kagome and Mrs. Higurashi laughing and cheeks reddening in embarrassment returned to his meal eating more slowly.
Kagome took a few bites of her ramen before leaning close to Inuyasha and moving her chopsticks closer to his bowl. Inuyasha cradled the bowl with his hands and pushed it away from Kagome, "Hey, eat your own food!"
"Yours looks so good," chirped Kagome with wide eyes. Inuyasha could only smile and offered her some noodle with his chopsticks, which she tentatively ate and smiled, "Its really good Inuyasha."
"Of course," Inuyasha boasted. "I picked it myself." Kagome giggled and fed him some of her ramen before noticing her mother discretely observing them and returned to her bowl her cheeks reddening.
Mrs. Higurashi smiled as she quietly ate, observing this dance of young lovers not aware that they actually were in love. The upcoming year would most certainly be interesting, she mused, in more ways than one.
"So on Monday afternoon," Mrs. Higurashi began, "you two have your first lesson, right?"
"That's what that goofy guy said," Inuyasha mumbled chewing on his eel. Kagome placed her ceramic cup on the table and turned to face Inuyasha, "That's not very nice."
"Well he was practically tripping over his feet," Inuyasha mused slurping some noodles. Mrs. Higurashi chuckled, adding "Well he was rather clumsy when I first met him, spilling his tea all over the table then tripping over the chair as he got up to help me clean up the mess."
"So what if he's clumsy," Kagome huffed crossing her arms. "He is taking his time to teach us."
"Relax dear," Mrs. Higurashi cooed. "We mean no harm and I find his clumsiness is rather endearing."
Kagome smiled and looked up at her mother giggling sheepishly, "Well, I guess he was a little clumsy."
"But seriously," Mrs. Higurashi warned placing the chopsticks over the lip of her bowl, "I want both of you to be home on time, prepared, and looking presentable for Mr. Akano." Both Inuyasha and Kagome somberly nodded.
Mrs. Higurashi then smiled and teased her two young charges, "Don't be so serious. I expect you two to work hard but have fun."
The meal ended with both Kagome and Inuyasha leaning over the table to snag the last piece of sushi, and then pausing to offer it to the other. A large smile spread across Inuyasha's face as he snatched the last piece and quickly fed it to Kagome who had no choice but to accept it.
With full bellies and contented smiles, they headed out of the restaurant for one final item, an owl. As Kagome and her mother looked at the selection of owls, Inuyasha wandered to a table loaded with water filled cups each filled with a strange frog like fish. Inuyasha kneeled down and admired them.
"What the hell are they?" he asked a young sales clerk. The young man smiled and stated, "they're samurai fish?"
"Samurai fish?" Inuyasha mused. "They fight each other or something."
"Exactly," the sales clerk replied. "That is why they are in different cups." Inuyasha smirked and dipped his finger into one of the cups yelping as the fish bit his finger and blood pooled into the water.
"Ouch! Why didn't you stop me?" Inuyasha huffed repulsion on his face as he watched the fish drink the blood in the cup. "Is he, is he drinking my blood?"
"Yes he is. Samurai fish have a liking for blood, particularly youkai blood," the salesclerk stated with boredom in his face. Inuyasha took a step back and slowly walked away muttering to himself. The salesclerk shook his head and mumbled, "Someone always has to stick their finger in the cup."
Inuyasha stopped as he reached the back of the store, jaw going slack in amazement, as he spotted the beautiful animal resting so soundly. He leaned forward and the creature raised its head, opened its deep blue eyes, and then closed them again and rested its head once more.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said from the back of the Majikku Yama, "you're going to want to see this." Kagome ran to the back of the store and laid her eyes on a petite feline youkai with not one, but two tails.
"Oh my," escaped from Kagome's lips. The store clerk happily marched over to where Inuyasha and Kagome were standing observing the cat napping on a cushion.
"You two are interested in the youkai cat?" the same bored salesman that had answered Inuyasha's questions about the samurai fish stated.
"Yeah, why else would we stare at it," Inuyasha smirked.
"Be nice for once!" Kagome scolded as Inuyasha leaned down and scratched the cat behind the ears, which then opened its eyes and mewed at Inuyasha. Kagome leaned down next to Inuyasha and clasping her hands together in front of her chest cooed, "I think she likes you!"
Inuyasha smiled and stood up eagerly asking, "How much?"
"Don't worry. She's not too expensive. Not many witches and wizards are interested in feline youkai."
"Really?" Kagome said sadly, thinking of Kilala. "They are amazing creatures. Does she have a name?"
"Yeah, Sora." Kagome picked up the cat and looked at her eye to eye.
"I bet you could take to the clouds if I let you, huh Sora." The cat mewed and rubbed her face against Kagome's.
Moments later, Kagome, Mrs. Higurashi, and Inuyasha were leaving the store clutching an owl in a cage and a cat in a basket. They retraced their steps and soon found themselves outside of the enchanting Hoshi District and into modern Tokyo.
"I think she can transform," Kagome exclaimed as her mother hailed a cab, clutching the basket. "Poor thing has been confined for so long I bet she's aching to fly."
"Not all feline youkai can transform like Kilala," Inuyasha added. "She'll be helluva lot useful though."
"Useful?" Mrs. Higurashi inquired. Kagome smiled and gushed, "You know, like Sango's cat."
"Youkai cats are fiercely loyal, helpful, and have amazing vision," Inuyasha explained. "They will defend you with their lives." Mrs. Higurashi's face brightened in recollection of Kagome's stories.
Inuyasha watched as Mrs. Higurashi failed to flag a taxi and stepped up to the curb and waved his arm the way he watched Mrs. Higurashi do. Within seconds he had flagged a taxi and smiled with accomplishment as he climbed into the backseat next to Kagome. Mrs. Higurashi climbed into the front seat and turned to face Inuyasha, "Thanks."
"No problem," Inuyasha smiled back. As the car took off, Kagome dozed off and leaned onto Inuyahsa. The movement of the car, the even sound of Kagome's breaths soon caused Inuyasha's eyelids to grow heavy and leaned next to Kagome.
Mrs. Higurashi turned around and smiled as Inuyasha and Kagome had fallen asleep leaning against each other. It had been an exciting and emotional day for both of them and she wondered what this magical world would offer for them. She could see, even from this short venture into the world of magic that they had already begun to acclimate themselves to this strange world.