Disclaimer: This story is based on "Inuyasha," copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi. No infringement of copyright intended or implied.
A New Chance
"I always wanted to make Kikyo smile."
Kaede tried not to cringe at her words. What must Satsuki-dono think?
"Try the tea," came the eventual reaction. Kaede stared at the cup in her hands. She didn't really want it, but obediently took a sip. Her nose wrinkled. "Too much lemon grass," she pronounced, then tried not to cringe again.
"Ah?" Satsuki sounded amused, if anything. "I found it just right, but that's me. You don't need to finish."
Contrariwise, Kaede took a larger sip. It wasn't horrible…
"I understand you knew Suriya when your sister was training at the temple," said the headwoman. "You were five? Six?"
"Five." Kaede glowered at the tea, remembering some of the incidents. "She hated Kikyo," she muttered.
"She admitted that she was jealous of your sister's gifts, and lost her temper a few times. She said that her experiences taught her how unfair she'd been, to your sister."
Who cared? Kaede thought, but didn't say.
"It can be hard to get past first memories of another, especially one who was unfriendly to a relative," mused Satsuki. "But, if Suriya were someone you hadn't met before, what do you think you'd feel about her?"
Kaede shifted her weight, uncomfortable. She didn't want to consider that.
Her gaze fell on the green sleeve of her new yukata. Her discomfort increased. "She… didn't have to buy me new clothes…"
"No, she didn't. I only planned to cut down a discarded robe, though Yasuo would have bought new, had I asked."
Kaede hunched her shoulders. She chewed her lip. "The clothes … are nice," she admitted.
A hand stroked her unruly hair. "That's a start, Kaede-kun. Just try to give her a new chance?"
Kaede pouted to herself, then sighed, telling herself not to be childish. She nodded.
Author's Note: This piece was written for the LiveJournal Community I-B-4-Y, for the prompt "Experience teaches only the teachable." It was originally posted on July 1st, 2011. (7/19/11)