"I-I...um.." Kagome struggled to speak.
"It's ok Little Raven," He chuckled then turned away and walked back inside. Kagome sighed.
"Men," she grumbled and turned back towards the Goshinboku,"Inuyasha...what am I going to do? I can't keep living in the past..." She let out another sigh and walked inside.
"Goodnight, Little Raven," she heard Ren as she walked by the living room.
"Goodnight Ren," she whispered back and quietly made her way upstairs.
~The Next morning~
Kagome awoke to the sun shining in her eyes. Reluctantly she sat up. Nanami and Shibuya were still fast asleep. Kagome yawned and got dressed and went dowstairs.
"Morning," Masato greeted as she walked into the kitchen. He was sitting at the table with a cup of tea.
"How long have you been awake?" Kagome asked pouring herself come coffee.
"An hour. I came inside for a break," he said.
"Break from what?"
"Tea stand. Your mother was helping me out and then she went to the store for something,"
"Oh...So Tonights the festival," she smiled.
"Im aware. Are their other people working the stands as well?" Masato asked.
"Ya. Eri Yuka and Ayumi are working seperate ones. Hojo is as well. Grandpa is doing a story tellling thing in the living room, so we have to get that decorated. Mama is working the Yukara stand and I'm going to go around helping others. Also some of mom's friends are helping out as well," Kagome explained.
"I see,"
"Ya. Im going to get the boys up so we can get the living room cleaned and decorated," Kagome stood and left the room. She walked into the living room and saw the boys sprawled all over the room. Ren was on the couch, Syo was in the chair and the others were on the floor. Kagome reached over the couch and shook Ren's shoulders.
"Ren. You and the others need to get up. We still have things to do," Kagome said. Ren opened his eyes and stared at Kagome.
"Good morning little Raven," he greeted. Kagome smiled.
"Morning," she went to the next person.
"You're not going to get them up easily," He said as he sat up.
Kagome smirked,"Boy if you don't wake up I won't make breakfast!"
Ittoki was up in an instant but swayed on his feet. Kagome steadied him. The others groaned.
"Make sure they get up. I'll start breakfast," she told Ittoki who nodded and began getting the guys up. Kagome hummed as she cooked pancakes, eggs, bacon and made toast.
"Kagome," Souta yawned rubbing his eye as he entered the kitchen.
"Good morning. You're just in time. Breakfast is done," she made his plate and sat it on the table. Souta made his way to the table and sat down. He was soon joined by the others. Kagome made plates and served them.
"Your cooking is amazing!" Ittoki said taking another bite out of his pancake.
"I've never had pancakes so delcious," Shibuya let out a blissful sigh.
"Thanks!" she grinned. After everyone was done, Kagome and Souta cleaned the plates. In the middle of cleaning, their mother came in with an arm full of grociers.
"Kagome thanks for getting everyone up and breakfast made!" Her mother gave her daughter a quick hug.
"Natsuki come help me out," her mother called.
"I'm coming!" Natsuki said and made his way to the living room. He and her mother folded the blankets and put them back in the hall closet.
The boys were still at the table when her mother entered the kitchen once more,"You boys, not you Ren, will be helping decorate the living room. Kagome and Ren will finish the last Yukata's. Souta, Shibuya, and Nanami will you do a one over on the shrine and make sure everything is where it's supposed to be. Kagome after your done I need you and Souta to go to the store and get the fireworks I ordered. Souta listen to your sister," Her mother instructed. Souta nodded and everyone sprang into action. Souta went upstairs and woke his grandfather up then went back downstairs where Nanami and Shibuya were waiting. The three went outside to do a once over on the shrine.
Kagome and Ren set out the few remaining, incomplete, yukata's and began working on them, occasionally they would have small talk but their main priority was getting the outfits made. It took close to two hours before they were finished. Kagome sat back in her chair and stretched out her tired arms.
"These are so pretty! I might have to buy one for myself!" Kagome said staring down at one of the Yukata's.
"Kagome! Hurry up!" Souta yelled from the other room.
"I'm coming! Thanls for your help Ren!" Kagome bowed and her and Souta were out the front door. Kagome and Souta made their way to the firework store.
"Welcome! What can I do for ya?" the man behind the counter asked.
"I have an order," Kagome said.
"Name?"
"Higurashi,"
He nodded and bent down. He pulled up 8 bags of fireworks. Kagome grabbed half and Souta grabbed the other half. She thanked him and left.
"Kagome...is Ren your boyfriend?" Souta asked as they were walking up the shrine steps. Kagome nearly fell face first.
"No! Of course not!" Kagome yelled. The two were at the top by now, completely unaware of the group.
"Then what about Inu!" Souta yelled back.
"What about him?"
"I thought you two were going to get married and have kids! You were so in love with him! And now he doesn't even come around no more and you haven't spoken a word!" he glared at his elder sister. Souta had grown attached to Inuyasha and thought of him as a older brother.
"Souta...i'm sorry...Inu and I were never going to be together...it was obvious the first moment when she came back into his life. He chose her..." Kagome whispered sadly.
"Why doesn't he come visit?" he asked
"He...went to hell with her," she grumbled.
"Oh...sorry..." he looked at the ground.
"It's ok. Im so over him now!" Kagome grinned,"Come on let's get these inside." Souta smiled and followed her into the house. Ren watched as she walked inside. He knew what Souta was talking about but he dare not utter a word.
Everyone shrugged it off and continued down what they were doing.
~Later that day~
Kagome,Natsuki, Eri,Yuka,Ayumi,Hojo, her mothers friends,Syo, Ren, Ittoki, Nanami, Shibuya, Masato, Grandpa and Souta were all crowded into the living room.
"Alright. Eri you have the floating lantern stand. Natsuki you said you wanted to work the masks?" Her mother stood in front of everyone. Natsuki nodded.
"Alright. Hojo your in charge of fireworks. You and Ren. I will be working the Yukata stand. Shibuya and Nanami can work the toy stand and everyone else, not including you Kagome, willl be working the food and drink stands! Kagome hurry and get changed. People will be arriving soon. Grandpa you stay in here and get ready for story telling," Kagome nodded and hurried up the stairs.
She walked into her closet. On the shelf layed a package. A gift from Kaeda. Kagome smiled as she took it down and opened it. In the package was a traditional Miko outfit. She smiled and quickly changed into it and tied her hair back with a white ribbon. Much like Kikyo.
Kagome looked at herself in the mirror and scowled,"I look like Kikyo." She shook her head and made her way downstairs. Everyone was already outside. Kagome walked outside and approached Nanami and Shibuya.
"Kagome! You look beautiful!" Nanami gasped when she turned to look at Kagome. The others turned to look and froze in their spots with mouths hanging open. Kagome blushed from the looks but smiled at Nanami.
"Thanks!" if Inuyasha was here he would mistaken me for Kikyo...again.
Soon guests began to arrive with bright smiles. Kagome stood at the stairwell and told them a little about the festivals and what stands there were. Those who requested the storytelling, Kagome guided them into the living room where her grandfather was waiting. She even gave people a tour around the shrine, though they were older people looking for a good story.
Kagome went around checking on everyone. Kids passed by, wearing the yukata's her mother made. She went to her and smiled as her mother directed a little girl to a chair. The little girl had a striking resembalance to Rin. She had been thinking about the little girl that walked with Sesshomaru when she made a replica of the Kimono she wore. She picked out a pink Kimono that had cherry blosson petals on it. Kagome walked over to her and bent down with a smile.
"May suggest a Kimono I made for someone your size?" The little girl nodded,"I'll be right back!" Kagome ran inside and grabbed the Kimono she had made. She grabbed it and rushed back downstairs to the waiting girl. Kagome handed her the Kimono and the child's face lit up.
"Momma! Can I get this one instead?" The little girl asked.
"Of course, Rin," Kagome had to hold a hand to her mouth. How ironic.
"Do you want to change into it?" her mother asked. The little nodded,"Kagome will you take her to the bathroom?"
Kagome nodded and the child leaped off the chair, grabbed Kagome's hands and followed her inside. She waited outside the bathroom and waited for her to change. When she came out Kagome smiled.
"Can I put your hair up?" she asked sweetly. The child nodded and allowed her to brush her hair and put it up in the side pony tail. Just like Rin had.
"Done!" Kagome gave her a hand held mirror so she could look..
"I like it!" She grinned.
"Im glad. Let's go back to your mother," Kagome led the child to her mother who was talking to her mother.
"Why don't you look adorable!" Rin's mother commented. Rin and her mother paid for the Kimono and went off. Kagome left to go check on her grandfather. She had given him permisson to tell herstory as long as he didn't mention her name.
"Kagome! What happened to the Shikon No Tama after is disappeared? She's young and can remember more things that I can," The children giggled.
"Let's see, legend says that, after the wish on the jewel was made, it went inside the guardians body where it layed dormat,"Kagome smiled at all the children's awe strucked faces. Then one girl stood.
"I want to be like the girl in the story!" She announced. Kagome giggled.
"Well you can start by getting a priestess outfit!" kagome smiled.
"Where!" A bunch of girls asked.
"I can make them for you. As long as it's ok with your mother. That and I'll need measurements but you have to talk to my mother about that," The girls turned to their mothers with puppy looks. They all agreeded and went to speak to her mother. Grandfather began telling other stories as she left.
The night ended and everyone around was tired. Kagome helped her mother set things up for the boys. Her hair was not pulled back cause she had taken the white ribbon out of her hair and tired another child's hair with it. Ren fell onto the couch with a sigh.
"Tired?" she questioned. Kagome recieved a nod.
After everyone was settled, Kagome made her way upstairs to her room where Nanami and Shibuya were already out like a light. They hadn't even changed! She smiled, turned the lights off, and fell on her bed, to tired to change clothes as well.
~Dream~
"Miko..." a voice called out. The voice sent shivers down her spine. Kagome knew she heard this voice somewhere but couldn't remember where. She could not see his face cause it was pitch black.
"W-who's there!?" Kagome asked. The voice chuckled.
"I'm hurt Miko. You do not remember who I am? Your greatest enemy!" The voice chuckled.
Kagome narrowed her eyes,"Naraku!"
"Correct!"
"Why are you here? Or how did you get here?"
"I'm still alive Miko. Though I will never be able to manifest a body ever again," he chuckled darkly.
"B-but..How?!"
"Before I died I sent a part of my soul inside the Jewel. Not I am forever locked inside the jewel!"
"Bastard!"
Naraku chuckled.
"I will be getting my revenge..."
"You can't kill me,"
"No...but I can make your life a living hell!"
Then everything faded.
~End dream~
Kagome woke with a start. She glanced at her clock.
3:30 AM
"Damn it..." she whispered.
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A/n
Ya know...by chapter 9 I usually have like...30-50 reviews...ya'll should like...suggest my story to your friends
Motivation!
Anyone want to suggest ideas?
The more the merrier.