Kagome woke up to Souta banging pots and pans by her bed; Inuyasha was yelling at Souta to be quiet. Kagome yawned and sat up. It wasn't even sunrise yet! Kagome looked at her alarm clock and her eyes grew large. it was four A.M.! "Um... Souta, how come you're awake...?" Kagome turned to Souta, "And waking me up?" She asked. Then she told Inuyasha to stop fussing.
Souta set the pots and pans down, and nodded. "We've got to get ready. Gramps said since you look like... her, to do your hair like hers." Souta knew not to speak of Kikyou. He previously did on accident, and Kagome bit his head off. So, to save himself, he didn't mention her name. Souta continued, "He wants you to wear whatever kimono you want. Inuyasha, Gramps wants you and me to shovel the snow away, so the people could get around." Souta tugged on Inuyasha's kimono sleeve and pulled him out of Kagome's room. Then, Souta came back and grabbed the pots and pans.
"At four in the morning?" Kagome had to make sure she couldn't get more sleep.
"Yep. Get moving." Souta said, walking out of Kagome's room, shutting the door.
Did Kagome really look so much like Kikyou?
Kagome rolled off her bed and reluctantly went to her mirror by her desk. She knew she looked a little like Kikyou, but did she...? Kagome opened the desk drawer, and took out the ribbon Kaede had given her a few months ago. Kagome slowly did her hair like Kikyou (she was afraid of the results). Kagome had closed her eyes so she didn't see. But Kagome opened one eye, and gasped. Her hand touched the mirror where her reflection was. She saw a reflection of Kikyou... no, even worse: her. I do... Kagome thought. "The only thing different," Kagome mumbled, "is that I have a slightly darker complexion..." Kagome then thought sadly, But that's it...
---
Downstairs, half of Kagome's whole family that lived in Tokyo were there. Every two seconds, an other family member would burst through either door that led to the living room, carrying a box or two. Inuyasha and Souta were playing 'Dodge the Higurashi' over and over again. After it calmed for a few minutes, Inuyasha looked down at Souta. "You sure we need to?" He asked, "They all seem to be moving around back there a lot." He stated.
Souta shook his head in disapproval, "Let's just hurry. I've got to pick Hitomi up at seven." Souta handed Inuyasha the shovel and walked out the back door, with Inuyasha following. Not even thinking about a hat.
First thing that happened as soon as one of Kagome's aunts saw Inuyasha's ears: squeals and she went straight to his ears to rub them. This aunt was named Hano. Hano gasped, "They're real!"
"..." Inuyasha began growling.
Kagome opened the window for a bit of fresh air and saw the issue. She stuck her head out of the window. "Eep! Aunt Hano!" Kagome's voice echoed through the air. Everyone looked up at Kagome. "Don't do that!"
"Only the ones I care for can do that..." He muttered. Hano and Kagome heard, which made Kagome quickly shut her window to finish getting ready.
Kagome had already put on the kimono, but there was a fine, thin, silk, loose, and long haori that went over it. A/N: Long description for one little thing, no? Kagome slowly lifted it and looked it fully over. It was so fine, so soft... Kagome was lucky to have someone like Inuyasha around her. Kagome carefully put it on, and went to the mirror to look at herself. Kagome closed her eyes. Just for a surprise, even though she didn't care if it looked good on her or not. It had the most beloved scent Kagome could ever want wrappedaround her: Inuyasha's scent.
Kagome slowly opened her eyes and gasped quietly. It was perfect on her! Kagome touched the mirror to make sure it wasn't just a dream. Her soft skin touched the cold surface, and she drew back from the coldness. It was reality. And she loved it, too! Kagome quickly redid her hair like Kikyou's and ran downstairs to show Mama.
It was -- by then -- six fourty-seven, and it looked like the men already shoveled the snow and were done with the rugs they were putting on the soil. And now, they were putting up the stands. It was probably going a lot faster since a half demon was there, helping them along the way. Kagome skidded to a stop in the kitchen, being careful not to ruin the kimono. "Mama, look!" Kagome smiled.
Mama and Hano were cooking, as the rest of Kagome's aunts were busy, shopping. Mama and Hano looked up at Kagome and gasped. "Dear, th-that's beautiful!" Mama smiled, "Inuyasha's mother's kimono, correct?"
"Yeah... I look like his late mother, and late love! How mean is that?" Kagome whined.
Mama shrugged and continued chopping the eggplant. Hano looked over towards the door, "That young man with the ears and strength ...? Is he your boyfriend?" Hano asked. Kagome looked at Inuyasha. She could see that he was being helped on how to use a hammer.
"Don't know. We love each other, but ..." Kagome changed the subject, "Probably wondering why he looks dog, right?"
"Well, yes." Hano said, fixing the sushi she was preparing. Kagome smiled.
"Mama, you tell her. I want to see Inuyasha's reaction." Kagome said, then running out the back sliding door.
Inuyasha smelt Kagome all of a sudden, and looked around. Mind this, that he was barefoot, and holding a hammer, okay? Kagome stepped out and waved at Inuyasha happily. Inuyasha's jaw dropped, and so did the hammer in his hand. And hit his toe.
"OUCH!" Inuyasha's voice woke the dead! Kagome came over to him.
"What happened?" She asked, trying to look at his foot, as he bounced on one foot in pain.
"You, baka!" Inuyasha snapped.
"Why?" Kagome asked. She told him to stop jumping, and she healed it with a little miko power. Inuyasha told her because she was beautiful. Kagome blushed, and he kissed her cheek. Kagome looked around, and saw that everyone was too busy minding their own business, so she leaned in and kissed his lips. He easily returned the kiss.
In the kitchen, Mama pointed to Kagome and Inuyasha, with Hano standing next to her. Mama explained what she knew. "See? He's from down the well. And Kagome woke him up from eternal slumber. Soon, she fell in love with him, and later, he fell in love with her. But it's hard for him, apparently." Mama sighed.
"Why?" Hano asked.
"Being hanyou, he is neglected by both human and youkai. Too powerful to be human, yet too weak to be youkai. It's the way it worked back then." Mama said, starting to boil seaweed.
Outside, after Kagome let Inuyasha continue on with putting up stands, a few of the other Higurashi family members arrived, the ones Kagome's age and older. They were to help manage the stands. Kagome was the main act, so she didn't have to worry until seven fifty, when the people freezing their butts off in front of the entrance to this shrine are let in.
Kagome went to the well shed and sat on the edge of the well to think. What special power does the shard hold? Why did Naraku make Kagura and Kannah retrieve THAT one little shard?
/Flashback\
"Kagome," Sango said, resting in the hotsprings. Kagome and her were talking alone, since Shippou was dead asleep when they left, "that shard was the first shard of the village."
"So?" Kagome didn't quite grasp the issue.
'It was found in the cave of Midoriko... In her chest! It was the purest of all the shards." Sango said. Kagome got it.
"So it has powers beyond imagination..."
/End\
"So it has powers beyond imagination..." Echoed through Kagome's mind. Kagome tapped her foot, trying to think why Naraku wanted the PUREST shard. What use did it serve Naraku? Especially since he would have had a difficult time turning the shard from pure to tainted with evil...