Kagome and Sakura trudged through the forest on the mountain's edge, turning their backs on the rim of the cliff as the sky became dark. One by one, millions upon millions of stars lit up the sky, accompanied by a pale half-moon. It was a fairly cloudy night, and by the time the two reached their home in the heart of the woods, it was also a pitch black one.
Sakura had her arm around Kagome's shoulders until they reached the comforting warmth of their house, where she released her friend and told her to change clothes. The smaller girl nodded and withdrew into her bedroom while Sakura made her way to the living room. Another girl who looked to be around Sakura's age was slumped on the couch, watching the dim blue glow of the television. She had interestingly-styled auburn hair that reached her mid-back, and the ends were all dyed a ferocious red. Her eyes were also red, and she wore a halter-top of a lesser shade of red over a ¾-sleeve black shirt and a pair of torn-up black jeans.
"Miyako," Sakura said, causing the girl to look up from the television.
"What is it?" she asked. "Something wrong? You look angry."
Sakura realized that this was true, and her expression relaxed. "Listen… you might want to turn the TV off for this, okay?"
Miyako did as she was told, then motioned for Sakura to come and sit down. "Sakura, what's going on?"

"You remember Inuyasha?"

She blinked. "Uh… yeah. Why wouldn't I?"
"Good point," Sakura replied, seeing that she'd spoken as though Inuyasha had been gone for a long time. "Well… he's dead."
"What!" Miyako exclaimed. "You're kidding! Was it Naraku?"
Sakura simply nodded. Miyako's hands were now clasped on her lap, and she looked down at the floor. At that moment, Kagome entered the room, smiling brightly as if nothing had happened. She now wore a white t-shirt over a black long-sleeved one and gray fingerless gloves under that, a similar black skirt to the previous one, only longer—this one reached her knees, a pair of black and white striped stockings, plus a pair of pink socks.

"There!" Kagome said cheerfully. "All changed. How do I look?"
Miyako gave a weak smile, then her eyes grew wide in shock when she realized Kagome's haircut. "Oh, my god! You're hair's short!" she cried. Kagome giggled and nodded.
Sakura managed to fully mask her pity in an approving grin. "You look awesome, my Kagome!" she told her. "Dig the tights."

"They're not tights!" she exclaimed, but then she realized that tights and stockings were the same thing. "Oh, wait… yes they are."
Sakura and Miyako started to laugh, then Kagome followed suit, but they all stopped when the abrupt crash of thunder rang out through the room, shaking the floor and walls. Kagome looked to the window with a jolt, and she saw through the trees a mass of storm clouds hovering closer and closer to their house. Miyako's eyes closed tight when rain started coming down hard on the roof, but all Sakura did was yawn and reposition herself on the sofa.
Just then, the front door burst open again, and the sound of the pouring rain pained Kagome's ears until the door closed. A considerable group of people, laughing and joking with one another, dragged their wet selves into the living room to be met by Kagome, Sakura, and Miyako, staring intently at the four oddities who had come into their home.
"Uh… hi, guys!" said the only girl in the group. Her knee-length black hair was a little wet from the rain, as were her clothes: a black leather jacket left open over a pink bikini-style top, an extremely short black skirt with pink pleats, and a pair of black boots that tied up to the knee with pink laces. Her hair was also streaked with pink. "Whoa, Kagome's hair! It's all… short!" The four male members of the group didn't seem to react at all to Kagome's new cut.
"Hello, Steph," Sakura said, purposely lacking enthusiasm and ignoring Steph's comment on Kagome's hair. When she looked up at the group, she rolled her eyes. "What did we tell you about bringing /them/ here?" she asked, motioning towards the four boys who surrounded Steph.
Steph shrugged. "I don't remember."
"Don't," Miyako answered. "Just /don't/."
One of the guys, a blonde, spiky-haired one with blue eyes, stepped forward. "Even me?" he asked innocently, though his innocence was ironically false.
"Even you," said Sakura and Miyako in unison. Miyako instantly realized that tonight was an especially /bad/ night to have him, of all people, in the house, and so she shot a bone-chilling glare at the boy. He took a step backwards.
"Aw, c'mon, Miyako. Whya' gotta be so mean?" Steph asked pleadingly. "Let 'em stay. Just this once! Pleeeeease?"
Miyako's glare worsened. "No," she said sternly. Kagome had now withdrawn into the shadows, peering blankly out at the others from behind her hair. When Steph saw her, she suddenly changed from looking irritatingly joyful to sad and sorrowful.
"Is something wrong with Kagome?" she asked. One of the other boys, one with shoulder-length white hair and bright yellow eyes, immediately pushed himself out of the circle and bolted towards Kagome.
"Are you okay!" he asked worriedly, gripping her shoulders and leaning close to her face. "D'ya need a kiss?" Kagome didn't respond; she only stared straight through him.
"Get away from her, you damn clone!" Sakura yelled, throwing a few shuriken into his back. He released Kagome and pulled the stars out of his back, where a trickle of blood stained his shirt.
"What was that for?" he asked angrily. "I was only trying to help."
Sakura stood up and faced the group. "All of you, get /out!" she shouted. "Get the hell /out/ of our house/now!"
Steph ran up to the wounded albino and said, "It's okay, CR. See you tomorrow!" She shoved him towards the door along with the others, then started waving happily. "Bye, Zell! Bye, Irvine! Bye, Riku! Bye, Skyy!" All of them waved nonchalantly as they left the house, running through the rain as a flash of lightning illuminated the forest for a split second.
"Thank you," Sakura said exhaustedly. She stalked over to Steph and glowered at her, backing her up a few steps before saying in a low, angry voice, "/Never/ bring them here again. Do you understand me?"
Steph nodded nervously and said, "Yes! I get it! I get it!"
"Good," Sakura spat, turning away and returning to the couch. Kagome shuddered and ran off into her room, and before Steph could follow, Miyako grabbed her wrist.
"What's going /on!" Steph yelled. "What's /wrong/ with her?"
"Inuyasha's dead," Sakura's irate voice answered. "If you even /attempt/ to talk to Kagome about it, I'll personally tear you limb from limb."
"And when she's done, I'll burn what's left of you until it's gone," Miyako chimed in.
Upset that her friends would threaten her like that, Steph frowned and said, "Fine! Just let me go and I'll… I don't know, I'll go to sleep or something!" She tore her wrist out of Miyako's grasp and stormed in the direction opposite Kagome's room, toward her own room. Then Miyako sat down on the couch once again and turned the television back on, and both she and Sakura watched contently.