Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me

Chapter Seventeen: Kikyo the Cat

October 31

Every day Kikyo learned a little bit more about what it was like to be a teenager. Every day she discovered how much she truly enjoyed her new life. Her favorite thing of all was, of course, the banana split.

As she savored the taste of chocolate over slightly melted strawberry ice cream, she looked across at her companion. Hojo had taken her out to see her first movie the night before. It had been incredible! But now he sat across from her, silently eating his sundae. Suddenly she felt very awkward. It was an unusual feeling for her.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

Looking slightly taken aback, Hojo shook his head. "No." When he didn't elaborate she turned her attention back to her frozen treat.

"The Halloween festival was always one of the things that Kagome would look forward to all year."

Ah, so that was it. Kagome. Kikyo pushed bitter feelings away.

"She enjoyed dressing up as someone she is not?"

Hojo nodded.

"Or as someone she wished she was?"

Hojo looked a little surprised, but nodded again. Then he smiled gently. "Every year I would ask her to the festival."

"You went together?" Kikyo tried to push the odd and unwelcome feelings away.

Hojo laughed. "In a matter of speaking. We would always go in a group. We rarely did things with just the two of us. We were only ever friends."

"You wish that it had been different?"

"At the time I did."

Kikyo swirled her ice cream around in her bowl. "And now?"

"Now I know that she was right. We were only ever friends. It is all we could have been, all we ever could be."

"How do you know?"

Hojo softly smiled. "I just know different now." He began eating his sundae again. "Did you need help with your cat costume for tonight?" he asked.

Kikyo's eyes lit up and she shook her head. "No, I finished last night. Mother and Souta helped me. It is not as elaborate as many of the costumes I have seen, but it is one I feel comfortable in. Perhaps next year I will be braver."

"Impossible. You are already the bravest person I know." Kikyo blushed and her eyes actually misted. She couldn't believe how quickly he could turn her feelings into mush with just a few words. "You and Kagome."

Grrrrr.

The costume was very simple. Kikyo wore black form fitting pants and a black tank top. Her mother found long black evening gloves for her to wear. Her hair was braided and tucked under, and two fuzzy cat ears were pinned on. A black feather boa was cut in half and pinned to the waistband of her pants. She tied a red ribbon around her throat that had a silver bell attached. Her mother had painted her face, and her brother had bought whiskers that attached to the face with some type of adhesive.

Kikyo looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.

"I look like a cat demon." At that moment Kagome and Inuyasha appeared in the mirror. Inuyasha looked like he might have gone into shock, but Kagome squealed with joy and complimented her until Kikyo blushed.

It was difficult to keep hard feelings towards that girl.

Kikyo waited impatiently for Hojo to pick her up. They were going to walk together to the festival. The fluttering in her chest alarmed her. Her palms were sweating and she couldn't stop pacing her bedroom floor.

At last she saw him climbing up the steps of the shrine from her window. After checking her face in the mirror one more time, she dashed down the stairs.

"Have fun!" her mother called to her as she reached the door. "And don't forget a coat!"

Kikyo grinned when she saw Hojo dressed up as a pirate. The thought of sweet, gentle Hojo as a bloodthirsty pirate almost had her in giggles. She blushed when he smiled at her as he examined her costume.

"Your costume looks terrific, Kikyo."

Kikyo blushed some more. "I like yours too. But don't forget that you can't call me by my name in public."

"Yes, you are right. I apologize."

"Don't apologize. I… I like it when you call me by my real name." And it was true. When he calls me Kikyo I know he isn't thinking I'm really Kagome. She refused to speculate on whether this was because she was just happy that someone knew who she was, or if it was because Hojo was special.

The air was chilly, and Kikyo hugged herself to keep warm. She was glad she had followed her mother's advice and brought her coat. Her eyes opened wide as she felt a soft tug at her waist. Turning slightly she sees Hojo holding her cat tail.

"I didn't want it to drag on the ground," he explained at her questioning look.

She smiled at his thoughtfulness, her heart doing funny things in her chest. "Thank you."

All too soon Kikyo found herself at the festival. Though she loved the music and the companionship of Kagome's friends, she missed the time she got to spend with Hojo on the walk.

The beat of the music seemed to be in time with the beat of her heart as Kikyo danced. Her friends were there dancing as well. The festival was filled with music and lights and some of the most interesting costumes Kikyo couldn't even begin to imagine. It was beyond amazing. She thanked the fates that brought her to this world of Kagome's.

She smiled. Hojo was never far from her. Between songs they would get something to drink or eat. There were even games that they could play. Kikyo won a small stuffed kitten in a game of archery.

It was while pulling back the string on the bow that she realized that she no longer had any of her powers left. She was no longer a priestess. She expected to have a sense of loss for her powers, but she didn't. All she could feel was relief. Plus a little guilt.

The stars glittered in the sky as Hojo and Kikyo walked slowly back to her house.

"I want you to have this," Kikyo said as she handed him the stuffed kitten she won. "To remember this night by."

Hojo took the stuffed animal with a bow. "Thank you. But I doubt that I would need anything to remind me of this night." With a gentle smile he opened the door for her and waited until she was safely inside. Kikyo watched from the window as he walked away, the stuffed animal tucked safely in his jacket.

While taking off her makeup, Kikyo replayed the night in her head. The sights, sounds, and smells were incredible. She tried to memorize them all. But best of all was that last dance. It was the one dance she shared with Hojo. She closed her eyes and hoped she would remember every detail for the rest of her life.