Soft wind blew thru the Higurashi family's courtyard, rustling the nearby Sakura trees, their petals scattering around the whole ground. Nearby, a girl of about 12 sat stiffly in the house trying to keep her hair in place.
The older daughter of the nobleman Higurashi household winced at the oncoming breeze. Dressed in a kimono of splendid crimson red and gold with cranes embroidered in slivery white, she long waist length hair bound slightly at the back, she looked fit to be a queen. Her stiff expression showed no much feeling.
Nearby, a young girl of about 10 played nearby. She wore a simple pink kimono with flowers printed on. Her long ebony hair let loose, a simple sakura flower rested in her hair between her right ear. She danced around the garden, her long sleeves following her like silk, her robes twirling as she pranced and spun around the sea of Sakura petals. Another gust of wind swept thru as more petals fell like snow. She looked almost like her older sister, the difference was very small.
"Kikyou-onee-san! Look at all the flowers! Come and play with me!" the younger Higurashi daughter smiled as she reached to catch one of the falling petals.
The older Higurashi sniggered and looked away. "No thank you. I would choose not to dirty my new kimono."
The younger sister pouted a little and twirled as she caught a handful of petals from the ground and threw them into the air. "Isn't it so beautiful?" she asked.
The older girl stood up and turned one round. "Isn't my new Kimono beautiful? It fits me doesn't it?" she said, half admiring herself.
"Anything looks nice on you, Onee-san." Her younger sister replied as she caught another handful of petals and threw them into the air again.
"Of course they do. I don't see you getting anything nice though. Not to mention, you are dirtying your hands by touching all the mud on the ground." The older sister snapped.
The younger sister stopped and looked at her hands. They looked rather clean, only a little bit of mud. She dusted her hands and continued to admire the beautiful scene of falling petals.
"Kikyou-sama, Kagome-sama! Master would like to see you inside the house! Kagome-sama! Why are you out there? Look at your hands! Come, let's wash them before you master sees you." An old lady entered the courtyard.
The older sister stood up gracefully and walked off in nimble steps. The younger sister instead skipped along her nanny.
"Stop that Kagome-sama, walk like your sister. Take graceful steps and slowly with your back straight." The nanny reminded.
The young girl stopped for a few seconds, trying to digest the words. Then, suddenly broke into a giggle and continued to skip.
The nanny shook her head. The differences between the two sisters were not by looks but by personality. Both sisters looked almost identical, although from different mothers. The older was more refined and lady-like. She held herself like a real princess, always treating others with respect and discipline. The younger one was a wild child, prancing and dancing around, living in a world of her own. Many would have preferred the older sister, saying that her manners and actions were what a future queen should have.
Maybe, the only difference was in their eyes. The older sister's eyes were cold and distant. One could freeze if they stared too long into her eyes. The younger sister however, had eyes that were kind and warm. One could stare into it for hours and yet not feel bored. Her eyes were always full of emotions. Happiness in a while, and suddenly change to curiosity maybe deep in thought the next.
The nanny followed behind as the young girl walked towards a pond and dipped her hands into it, slowly scrubbing then lifting them up. She stared at her hands.
Curiously, the nanny walked over.
"What's wrong, Kagome-sama?" the nanny asked.
"Do they look like jewels, Kaede-sama?" the young girl asked looking at her hands, deep in thought.
The nanny laughed a little. "They are but water droplets, Kagome-sama."
The young girl looked up and peered into the nanny's eyes curiously. Suddenly, she broke into a smile. "I think, these are the most beautiful things in the world! Better that jewels I say." She exclaimed, slowly shaking them off her hands.
The nanny looked at the child. Indeed, she was a special one. Water droplets more valuable than jewels? Maybe… this child knew how to appreciate things that people now did not understand. The nanny smiled as she slowly led the child into the main house.
"Come, we must hurry. Your sister is already there." The nanny hurried as she watched the young girl skip cheerfully across the path.
X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X