"Sota?" Kagome called out into the back yard. "Will you come back in and
dry off? Go ahead and put your regular clothes on, too. We need to talk to
you, and it's very important."
Sota decided not to protest. When Kagome said something was important, she never meant going to the mall to buy makeup or calling a boy. His sister had different priorities, especially since she'd started visiting the feudal era.
________________________________________________________________________
Sango nervously played with a pillow on the living room couch. She and Kagome were already dressed, and she could hear Sota upstairs dressing now.
"Kagome, how are we going to tell him?"
Kagome smiled. "I'm more concerned about you right now, Sango. I'm very sure he's Kohaku's reincarnation - the fragment is in the exact same place, and Sota even resembles Kohaku. Are you going to be able to deal with this?"
Sango licked her lips nervously. "Actually, Kagome, I have an idea. Do you think Sota could help restore Kohaku?"
Kagome looked sorrowfully at Sango, obviously thinking she was in complete denial. "Oh, Sango, I...I just..." Kagome faltered. How could she possibly crush the dreams of the hopeful girl in front of her, who looked just like a child right now? Kagome tried again. "Sango, I'm not trying to-"
Just then, Sota bounded in and plopped into an armchair. "Okay, here I am! What?"
Kagome took a deep breath and began, "Sota, I know I've never really discussed my adventures in the feudal era with you. You know the basics. But I'm going to have to go into detail here, and tell you some things about Sango's family you need to know."
Sota nodded, and Kagome began her tale. She told him everything she knew about the Shikon no Tama and its powers. She also told him, using very choice words in Sango's presence, about Kohaku.
Sota looked a bit taken aback to find out about Sango's past. "I'm really sorry, Sango," he whispered quietly. "Don't be," said Sango, barely audible.
"Kagome, I'm happy you're sharing this with me and all, but...why are you sharing it with me, exactly?"
Kagome shot a nervous glance at Sango. "We have reason to believe..." Kagome shook her head. Why was she speaking like a juror?
"It's like this, Sota. We think you're Kohaku's reincarnation."
Sota blinked at Kagome. "Why?"
"You - you have a fragment of the Shikon in your back. In the same place he did. It's not as big, but it's there."
Sota wasted no time with reverent silence. "How come I can't feel it?"
"Oh, pull out a science book if you want to know that. Any real questions?" Kagome said exasperatedly.
"Does this mean I get to go to the warring states era with you?"
Sango's face brightened. This was exactly what she wanted to hear.
Kagome bristled. "Absolutely n-"
Sango's face fell, and Kagome froze. "Two days. I'll take you for two days, one night, and we'll see what happens." Sota grinned in his irresistibly cute way. "Ah, thank you, Kagome!"
Kagome sighed. "You're welcome. Go pack. Nothing stupid!" Sota nodded and flew out of the room. But Sango brought up a very realistic problem, giving Kagome no time to confront her about how, exactly, she planned to have Sota restore Kohaku.
"Kagome, how will we explain Sota's absence to your mother? I do not think she'll want him to visit feudal Japan with you. Sota is just a little boy," Sango said. Kagome flopped back down on the couch-she'd been pacing. After a moment of thought, it came to her, and she picked up the portable telephone from a stand next to the couch. Kagome punched in a number, and Sango watched with interest. Kagome had explained telephones before, and they were quite interesting.
"Hi, Mrs. Toshihiro! Is Yoshiko home?"
"Why, hello, Kagome! I'll go get her."
A moment of silence, and then-
"Hello?"
"Hey, Yo Chan! I need to ask you a favor."
"Oh, Kagome! How's that rash coming along?"
"What? Oh! -Augh-! It's fine, Yo Chan. Listen about that favor. I need to take Sota somewhere. I'm going to tell my mother he's staying the night with Mateo - will you cover for me if she calls?"
"Sure, but Mateo is a bit of an idiot. He might screw up."
"Just do the best you can, Yoshiko. Thanks again!"
"Wait, Kagome! Where are you taking So-"
~Click. ~
Kagome smiled at Sango. "It's all taken care of. We'll leave tomorrow." ________________________________________________________________________
Sota decided not to protest. When Kagome said something was important, she never meant going to the mall to buy makeup or calling a boy. His sister had different priorities, especially since she'd started visiting the feudal era.
________________________________________________________________________
Sango nervously played with a pillow on the living room couch. She and Kagome were already dressed, and she could hear Sota upstairs dressing now.
"Kagome, how are we going to tell him?"
Kagome smiled. "I'm more concerned about you right now, Sango. I'm very sure he's Kohaku's reincarnation - the fragment is in the exact same place, and Sota even resembles Kohaku. Are you going to be able to deal with this?"
Sango licked her lips nervously. "Actually, Kagome, I have an idea. Do you think Sota could help restore Kohaku?"
Kagome looked sorrowfully at Sango, obviously thinking she was in complete denial. "Oh, Sango, I...I just..." Kagome faltered. How could she possibly crush the dreams of the hopeful girl in front of her, who looked just like a child right now? Kagome tried again. "Sango, I'm not trying to-"
Just then, Sota bounded in and plopped into an armchair. "Okay, here I am! What?"
Kagome took a deep breath and began, "Sota, I know I've never really discussed my adventures in the feudal era with you. You know the basics. But I'm going to have to go into detail here, and tell you some things about Sango's family you need to know."
Sota nodded, and Kagome began her tale. She told him everything she knew about the Shikon no Tama and its powers. She also told him, using very choice words in Sango's presence, about Kohaku.
Sota looked a bit taken aback to find out about Sango's past. "I'm really sorry, Sango," he whispered quietly. "Don't be," said Sango, barely audible.
"Kagome, I'm happy you're sharing this with me and all, but...why are you sharing it with me, exactly?"
Kagome shot a nervous glance at Sango. "We have reason to believe..." Kagome shook her head. Why was she speaking like a juror?
"It's like this, Sota. We think you're Kohaku's reincarnation."
Sota blinked at Kagome. "Why?"
"You - you have a fragment of the Shikon in your back. In the same place he did. It's not as big, but it's there."
Sota wasted no time with reverent silence. "How come I can't feel it?"
"Oh, pull out a science book if you want to know that. Any real questions?" Kagome said exasperatedly.
"Does this mean I get to go to the warring states era with you?"
Sango's face brightened. This was exactly what she wanted to hear.
Kagome bristled. "Absolutely n-"
Sango's face fell, and Kagome froze. "Two days. I'll take you for two days, one night, and we'll see what happens." Sota grinned in his irresistibly cute way. "Ah, thank you, Kagome!"
Kagome sighed. "You're welcome. Go pack. Nothing stupid!" Sota nodded and flew out of the room. But Sango brought up a very realistic problem, giving Kagome no time to confront her about how, exactly, she planned to have Sota restore Kohaku.
"Kagome, how will we explain Sota's absence to your mother? I do not think she'll want him to visit feudal Japan with you. Sota is just a little boy," Sango said. Kagome flopped back down on the couch-she'd been pacing. After a moment of thought, it came to her, and she picked up the portable telephone from a stand next to the couch. Kagome punched in a number, and Sango watched with interest. Kagome had explained telephones before, and they were quite interesting.
"Hi, Mrs. Toshihiro! Is Yoshiko home?"
"Why, hello, Kagome! I'll go get her."
A moment of silence, and then-
"Hello?"
"Hey, Yo Chan! I need to ask you a favor."
"Oh, Kagome! How's that rash coming along?"
"What? Oh! -Augh-! It's fine, Yo Chan. Listen about that favor. I need to take Sota somewhere. I'm going to tell my mother he's staying the night with Mateo - will you cover for me if she calls?"
"Sure, but Mateo is a bit of an idiot. He might screw up."
"Just do the best you can, Yoshiko. Thanks again!"
"Wait, Kagome! Where are you taking So-"
~Click. ~
Kagome smiled at Sango. "It's all taken care of. We'll leave tomorrow." ________________________________________________________________________