See notes in First Chapter.
+ the pacing will be "glacial" and Kagome will seem "bitter". Because 1) Kagome's whole life was abruptly changed by an assault 2) followed by stalking behaviors and 3) the lacking support of her own mother. She was then 4) removed from everything she was familiar with and transplanted to a hostile environment until 5) her new and greatest supported passed away approximately two years before the start of the story.
VI
Kagome was cleaning the lantern Sesshoumaru had blown out the night before when the youkai culprit of her current frustrations made his appearance. Having grown up in close proximity of youkai from a fairly young age, she had mastered the art of complaining about people under her breath without using actual words. Muttering was a healthy vent for mild anger, and the only way to do it without escalating any given situation was to make sure no one around her could hear or understand what she was saying.
Oki and Naoki had overheard her a few times after Inuyasha's calls or after Natsuo and Ryoichi had argued over something silly. The pair of shimarisu had given her the same looks some of her classmates in school had done until she explained. They still looked at her weird, but now their eyes held childish mirth after she stopped self-consciously. A moment later she would usually join them.
It was silly to miss her two charges. If Kagome were willing, she could reach out into the town below the shrine and find them. Even in a nest of kitsune energy, she would be able to distinguish which were her regular companions. She knew their energy well.
But she wasn't willing to unnerve every youkai in the area to reassure herself that the kits were fine. Kagome had concocted the plan to send them to the Fujimoto home for the first three days of the year and she still believed that doing so was best. Mixed in with Natsuo's grandchildren, the quieter chipmunks would be well hidden from shrine patrons that didn't respect the privacy of a Jinja no Sewanin.
Taking a deep breath, Kagome set aside the brushes used to clean the lantern before carefully refilling the fuel reservoir. There were far too many locals that saw nothing wrong with snooping through her things. It was one of the reasons she hadn't wanted to live her adult life on a shrine.
Growing up, they'd always tried to keep at least one family member in the private areas of the shrine in order to chase off nosy teenagers, lost tourists and irreverent visitors. The shrine family was viewed like living exhibits in a museum by some. Kagome had hated it. It never failed that someone, regardless of the time or situation, would attempt to move farther into the private spaces than they should.
There had been several minor thefts. Graffiti across the inside walls of their house a time or two. The worst had been after her father's funeral. The Higurashi family had come home from the memorial wearing their mourning clothes to find the house trashed, heirloom blankets ripped to pieces, and every room had clearly been invaded. Kagome's bed had dirt and greasy mud caked into the bumble gum pink comforter. Her curtains had been half ripped from the rod. School books littered the floor from where they had been ripped out of her new backpack. The brand new school uniform sported slashes and splashes of foul smelling ink. The only thing that had kept Kagome from dissolving into six year old hysterics was that her very special treasure box remained untouched in its hiding place behind her bookshelf.
Still it was almost as traumatizing as watching her father die all over again. And every time something happened along those lines again, it just reconfirmed Kagome's zeal to become a trauma surgeon, save lives and get out of shrine life.
Kagome carefully bit her tongue to distract from any further thoughts on that track.
"Higurashi-san," her youkai guest approached her. Kagome had tried to think of the most plausible story to tell her patrons to explain the presence of the youkai daijin. She didn't get many visitors and his visibility in prominent respectable newspapers made it dangerous to allow his visit to be associated with anyone from Nishi no Mura. It wouldn't take a lot of digging to unearth Sesshoumaru's species and people in town would assume he would only have reason to visit youkai.
Kagome was already under suspicion, but there still needed to be a plausible explanation for him to be here. She'd prefer to keep her past private. In the city, the police and enforcers hadn't blamed her for Inuyasha's behavior, here they would. Dating a partially non-human person would remove her credibility with the few in Nishi no Mura who accepted her blood ties to Mattaki. These people were not open to species mixing in their town let alone romantic relationships.
Of course, many people didn't know that humans and youkai were compatible in any way. Hanyou were extremely rare even in the city. Inuyasha himself was referred to as a youkai in the papers as demanded by his father. As enlightened as Japan was today, mixing between ethnicity was still something commented on, mixing between species made the comments vicious. Masashi's status protected Inuyasha, insulated him from being terrorized over his blood.
Kagome would not be protected for having dated him outside of Tokyo and Masashi's immediate sphere. Here Inuyasha would be considered by the locals as worse than simply youkai. He was a threat to the status quo of species separation. More than that despite his unpalatable behavior issues, Inuyasha was inherently attractive. Strength and power were attractive. Exotic characteristics in a mostly human appearance could be extremely attractive, especially to teenage girls who are attracted to shiny, flashy things.
Kagome herself went through a phase at thirteen where she was absolutely stuck on a J-pop band. She moved on to a Hollywood actor in high school. A sigh escaped her as she finished with the lantern. She wished she'd had the same relationship with Inuyasha, one from afar with no personal interactions.
It almost had been like that. Kagome had certainly noticed him that day they met. Masashi's genes were strong in his sons and their coloring could never blend in a crowd. Long white hair was far too striking with such young features. Of course Inuyasha's personality also made it impossible for him to blend. He was just too loud in general.
She'd been rather taken with his animated ears, but Kagome was too busy to have acted on her interest. Too many would-be boyfriends hadn't made it past the first date when her suitors found out she was a dedicated med student with little time to spend with some shallow boyfriend out for a good time. There weren't many guys willing to put in the work for a relationship that wouldn't have more party nights and less sleeping alone.
Kagome had received a fairly average amount of male attention throughout her teens and early twenties. Perfectly nice guys would ask her out and she'd be willing to give a first date to most of them, wanting to form an informed opinion. Few lasted longer than that for whatever reason. Distractions were not actively pursued on her part.
Kagome shook her head out of the past and headed to deposit her bucket behind the partition wall and pick up her broom. It was better not to delve too far down memory lane. Inuyasha was her last boyfriend. He had changed her life. Better to focus on the life she had rather than the one she didn't. That way lead to trouble, emotional and mental trouble.
"Do you have another broom?" Sesshoumaru's deep voice broke into her thoughts. She hadn't precisely forgotten he was there. It was hard to miss such loud youki in her shrine space. It danced along the edges of her caged reiki, sending electric tingles over her skin. It was like her aura was waking up after falling asleep, only there was no end when he was near.
Silently she handed the tall male her broom before going to search out the spare her uncle had used. Kagome hadn't wanted to hand over any part of this particular chore. This was her meditation and she needed it more since Inuyasha's element was reintroduced into her life. But today was going to be busy and it was very important that she get the sweeping done quickly.
Kagome's hands closed over the shaft of her great uncle's broom and she gave a sad smile. She missed him. Mattaki had been better company than she deserved when she first came here. Towards the end, he was her greatest comfort. He saved her life. That old man was her greatest hero and she missed him with a quiet sorrow that ached in a soft way.
Starting in the far corner from where Sesshoumaru worked, Kagome dragged the softened natural bristles over the paving stones. There had been a light dusting of snow over night and she needed to clear it so she could check the grounds for ice.
It was something Kagome did even when she wasn't expecting visitors and there was no need. Other days she wouldn't care if ice covered parts of the grounds. It was winter and slick pavement was unlikely to hurt anyone when she was the only one likely to move over the grounds. She didn't worry about Naoki and Oki because they were mostly kept inside for lack of a healthy winter coat. Besides, youkai were less likely to slip on slick surfaces by virtue of their enhanced balance and a fall was unlikely to cause them much damage if they did take a tumble. She did it for the calming effect the chore had on her nerves.
The kits were finally starting to fill out to a proper weight and muscle density, but Kagome's efforts to help them had started too late for the kits to develop a thicker fur for the cold weather. As such everyone involved in looking after the pair minimized their possible exposure to the cold weather.
Kagome knew when the time came to let them go, she would hurt as bad as when she'd lost her father, her great uncle, all of Tokyo, and her dream. She didn't know how to do right by them without giving of herself. And once she gave of herself to lose the person she cared about was to lose a part of herself.
Still, Kagome couldn't regret knowing Oki and Naoki. She couldn't regret saving them. Without Kagome, Naoki would have drown and Oki would have starved to death before she had the chance to freeze. Their family situation made it almost impossible for either of them to have survived even if they had made it past that single difficulty.
Ryoichi had looked into how the pair had ended up on their own. He didn't need their names when scent couldn't be faked. Higuma weren't the scent trackers that inu and ookami could be, but Ryoichi had enough of their scents to be able to identify when he came upon a relative. As a youkai official who already lived in the wild, he would have a better time of approaching the forest youkai for information than Kagome or the kitsune would. Most of the non-humans who lived in the woods were keen to avoid townsfolk, especially those with power enough to harm them. Even still, Ryoichi could only expect the shy forest folk to receive him because he was an emissary of Sesshoumaru and Masashi.
The story Ryoichi pieced together was a sad one which Kagome believed was fairly common among the forest people. Naoki and Oki's father had died in the harshest part of winter years past. Their mother had done her best by them and might have managed to raise them almost to adults if not for the increasingly pressing interest of replacement suitors. Breeding was serious business for youkai, and as far as shimarisu were concerned, the mother was a prime partner. But males were not generally kind to offspring of previous partners and she refused to move on. Things were beginning to swing into more violent territory when the female died protecting her young.
Naoki and Oki were then transferred into the custody of their paternal aunt who was not enthusiastic about the new responsibility. One of the more pressing suitors to their mother switched his attention to the aunt for no other reason than because he wanted the kits dead. Convinced this male would partner with her, their aunt abandoned them near the town and shrine.
Ryoichi had indicated that while the aunt was found in the presence of this male, there was no partnership likely to be undertaken. Of course Naoki and Oki's aunt hadn't realized this until after she'd bragged about her smart method of disposing of the kits, rendering herself completely unacceptable as a guardian. After her boast, the would-be suitor quickly departed declaring he'd never really wanted her, just the kits dead for the death of the partner he did want.
Kagome hadn't tried to keep it from Naoki and Oki, much as she felt they didn't need any more bad experiences or hurtful knowledge. It was highly likely they already knew on some level what had happened.
Life was hard and vulnerable. Living in hiding was difficult and precarious. Several youkai species managed it to greater or lesser success. The koorigamo and shimarisu were only two known species to prefer living amongst the trees. They were successful only because they were inherently small and the resources they needed were either protected under treaty or not wanted by humans.
Still, there weren't really enough resources to go around for expanding communities as the koorigamo problem plainly illustrated. Naoki and Oki's history was further proof.
Kagome dragged the broom against the snow, guiding it to the edges of the open ground hemmed in by trees and torii. Crowds liked to linger and would somehow manage to spread across all the grounds. The booths were close to the torii facing the haiden, but most new year visitors milled around. Extended families would wait to meet up before offering their respect to the shrine. Teenagers would congregate close to the amazake table, hoping to sneak more than was allowed by their parents. Students with exams coming up would stop and buy omamori for academic luck. Young adults would seek out charms for romance or financial luck. New expectant couples will hope someone else will gift them omamori for a safe delivery or birth. Some reach for the ema if their specific needs aren't met by the ready made charms. They usually take longer to disperse as they must word their wish properly and then find a way to leave it on the designated wall stand without embarrassment. Older people would seek out placards to ward off evil energy and promote good health. Children would spend too much time trying to put off purifying their hands in the frigid water if they didn't fling it at their siblings or friends before their parents or guardians could get them in hand.
All generally seemed to find a reason to dawdle. The Jinja was a comfortable space to meet in and many hadn't been out to the shrine since the warm weather left them behind. Some felt guilty at the gap of so much time. Most were unconsciously reacting to the easing of their stresses down in town and enjoyed the brief respite all unknowing. They reacted to her reiki despite not knowing it existed. Even the youkai that came to camouflage their heritage and knew her power were comforted by the emotional shelter this shrine offered.
Kagome didn't think she could ever live anywhere else now. She was reliant on the emotional balm this place had given her. She still ached and some wounds occasionally flared up with a rawness that wouldn't fade, but it wasn't as bad as she could have been without it. Her broom moved over the grounds and she followed, ignoring the sharp pain that the vibrations engendered in her old wounds.
Peace in the shrine was never so disrupted as during the regular rites celebrated here. Kagome smiled, as exhausting as it could be, she genuinely enjoyed the occasional chaos. Emotions ran high in jubilation and hope, especially when the year was so young. It was a new year with a new hope that things would change, improve, or at least not get worse. Everyone had just finished their deep house cleaning, purging their homes of excess clutter and dust. A clean house made one feel as if the world were made clean as well.
She liked even better that there was a deadline for it to stop as well. Kagome breathed in deeply and held the chilled air in her expanded lungs for a moment before letting it back out. The shrine was her home and while it was sometimes enlivening to have company, it was better that her guests knew when to go home if nothing else. Most of the locals disregarded the proper etiquette required for visiting another's home because it was a shrine too.
Visitors treated the whole place like it was open to the public now. Kagome's grandfather used to bitch up a storm about the devolution of manners concerning shrine families. They were treated like celebrities in some areas because there was no more prominent figures in most towns smaller than Shizuoka or Okayama. They weren't plagued by paparazzi, no pictures were taken, but they were often the subject of gossip and their privacy was just as disrupted.
The problem was a result of the untamed and unregulated trait of curiosity. People wanted to know everything. What made the shrine families different? Why were they so respected? How did they straddle the unstable ground of negotiation between species? Couldn't any normal person do that?
The questions eroded respect for privacy and admiration for ability. There were no secrets found in the blood. Ordinary people could do the same work, if they trained into it. Nobody bothered to realize that it was training that set shrine families apart. Not inheritance. Not blood. Not species. Education and a willingness to serve the greater good at some personal expense. The rewards were not coin or respect or admiration. It wasn't even personal as often other aspects of a shrine family's life suffered beyond the negotiations and treaties and politics. Some shrine families lacked emotional warmth inside the bloodline as they were often called away from family milestones and events to handle something of more public import. Expectations ran deep for the bloodlines to keep to the same calling as had been met by ancestors before.
Kagome had learned at the shrine school that she had been lucky in her family ties. Even with a mother who didn't support her dream and a deceased father, she was still better off than some of the others there. She had not befriended many at the school. There were not many willing to open up, their family life had taught them against it. Emotional growth and family bonds were harder to develop in a family where all the adults were always called away on shrine business. There were some who had been forced to find support from siblings until even that bond was betrayed by the shrine calling with admission into adulthood. She'd been lucky in that her mother wasn't shrine family by a stronger bond than marriage and her grandfather was too old to be called away from the shrine anymore.
It had been one more reason Kagome had refused to pursue shrine life for her future. She'd never wanted to choose between her family and her duty. Not that being a trauma surgeon wouldn't be exceedingly demanding on her time too. She sighed one long gust of moist air out over slightly chapped lips. A surgeon was half expected to be selfish sometimes where a shrine family was not. Shrine family members couldn't say 'no' to a summons. A surgeon could.
A trauma surgeon actually did so on more occasions than Kagome probably would have. Often times putting a patient under the knife immediately after trauma was dangerous. The patient had likely bled too much or was too shocky to risk anesthetic or surgery. Sometimes other mitigating factors made cutting a person open hazardous. In the end, surgery could be better avoided than actively pursued in many trauma cases.
All of which was neither here nor there. Kagome could never become a surgeon now. Instead she was a small shrine family all by herself. One without the acceptance of the human community she served. The youkai treated her well enough, what few she interacted with.
"Higurashi-san," Sesshoumaru called from the charm booth by the torii. He had finished his portion of the grounds and she was almost done. They were lucky that temperatures hadn't fluctuated wildly between the day and night hours this year. Ice was a bigger problem when it did. Still, caution would prevent more injuries than assumption.
Kagome collected her broom from her impromptu helper and returned both brooms to behind the partition. Normally she would put them away in the shed properly, but if it began to snow during the day, they would be needed. She retrieved the bucket of gray sand she used to offer traction on the thinnest, most difficult to see layers of ice. This was the type that created a slick spot in one spot or two rather than creating large patches.
Sesshoumaru took the scoop from the bucket to his cleared area and started sprinkling the sand needed over there. They worked silently in the quiet dark of morning. Kagome wasn't generally talkative this early in the day and her experiences with the tall inu lead her to believe he wasn't much for words at any time of day.
"What else needs to be done?" Sesshoumaru asked when he returned to drop the excess sand back into the bucket.
Before she could answer a young enthusiastic voice called out from the beneath the torii. "Higurashi-sama!"
Kagome turned to look that way, slightly surprised that one of her volunteers had turned up already. "Fujimoto-san!" she addressed Tasuke in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Baa-chan said it was alright for me to volunteer today since we made our visit yesterday and I've already told people at school I intend to apply for the part-time position as soon as I'm eligible," the fox rushed to get out. He'd been a great help to Natsuo when she visited Kagome the last few months. It had seemed he came up more often than even the old nurse did. The kitsune paused in his excitement as he took in her guest.
Kagome wanted to laugh that Tasuke had been so focused on volunteering at the shrine that he had missed the powerful youki present beside her. "Sesshoumaru-sama," the male was breathless in his awe and embarrassment. The shrine keeper imagined that now Tasuke was fully aware of who he'd ignored in his excitement, the fox was keen to make up for it but unsure as to how.
"Fujimoto-san," Kagome called his attention back to her over the grunted hum of her inu guest. "Could you get the amazake table ready for the day?"
"Eh? Um? Sure," Tasuke nodded uncertainly before dashing in that direction.
The fox's presence could be dangerous for him if he addressed Sesshoumaru differently from the way everyone around him did. It was a risk to allow him to volunteer, but Natsuo was probably right in that his expressed future intentions to work at the shrine made his desire to work here today quite safe. But the fox elder hadn't known their esteemed daijin would be present.
Kagome sighed, "Sesshoumaru-dono, would it be all right if I directed the volunteers to address you in the same manner as I do today? They will be representing the shrine and temporarily serving as shrine family."
Sesshoumaru's eyes had shifted to her curiously and she discreetly sent her own gaze to Tasuke in silent communication. "Hn," came the nondescript sound she heard most often from him.
"In this case, Sesshoumaru-dono, I would feel more comfortable with a definitive answer," she grumbled quietly. "Your people offer you great respect and while I would never seek to diminish - "
"This Sesshoumaru thanks you for working so hard to protect my people," the inu cut in. "Your request is considerate and suitable. You may direct your temporary staff as you believe will offer them most safety in this situation."
"I thank you for such an allowance," Kagome nodded politely as more volunteers wandered up the white gravel path. The volunteers were mostly older adults who had become single through the passing of years. Teenagers occasionally volunteered in hopes, like Tasuke, that doing so would boost their chances of claiming the assistant spot come spring. Every few years, some teenager would be sentenced to community service as punishment for some behavioral problem.
The widower, Liu Wen, volunteered nearly every year. Kagome followed her uncle's example by setting the half-Chinese man to work the Charm booth. It was part of the Hatsumode experience to buy charms of "old man Wen" while trying to dodge his efforts to educate all comers on the meanings and necessity of thanking the kami for all blessings gained and lost. Mattaki had confided in Kagome that, were it not for his age, Wen would have been his choice to inherit after him. Unfortunately, Wen was of similar age to her great uncle and while he had outlived Higurashi Mattaki, he was not likely to do so for long.
What Kagome had figured out on her own was that age was only part of the reason. Wen's half foreign ancestry would have caused serious breech between the town and the shrine. One he wouldn't live long enough or have the energy to mend before his time was up.
"Higurashi-chan," Wen greeted her gruffly, his steely eyed gaze glaring suspiciously behind her at the pale youkai lingering there. "What's this stranger?"
Date Kaede huffed at the old man's demanding tone. Her one eye reproving him the more strongly for the lack of its pair. "You mouldering old fool," she growled at him. "'Tis clear he is here in some official capacity. You'll make outsiders think us barbarians without manners."
"Now, now," Kagome winced. The pair were about as amicable as Ryoichi and Natsuo. With so few staff members volunteering there wasn't much of a buffer to be had between the two that would stall arguments. "We are being honored with a visit by Sesshoumaru-dono and we will offer him polite respect as he observes and assists our work today."
"Sesshoumaru-dono?" Wen was incredulous. "I am older than that pretty half man. He should be offering us respect."
"If Higurashi-san instructs us to address this stranger with respect, she does so for good reason, you blowhard," Kaede declared sweetly. "This is a shrine and appearances can be deceiving. Unless, of course, you believe yourself older than kami?"
"Hn," came the quiet sound of stoic observation over Kagome's shoulder and she had to resist the urge to cringe. Kaede and Wen were usually very helpful even in the midst of their most explosive altercations. Mattaki had told her stories from years before her transplantation where the two had devolved into waving canes and tossing pebbles at each other across the opening of the torii. He'd had to threaten to bar them from working the shrine ever again to get them to behave.
"Meddling woman," Wen grumbled sourly.
"Sesshoumaru-dono is also older than you both," Kagome smiled tightly. "As such he deserves the respect of rank and age. We are pleased he honored us with a visit and blessed that he chooses to help." The old man snarled at her words before performing a creditable stomp to the charm booth despite his bad knees and smooth walking cane.
"Hopefully our guest will not tax the curmudgeon's politeness too much," Kaede grinned saucily before sauntering to her designated station by the purifying trough. "It's always best to let the old windbag distract himself with the young people's attempted evasions." Kaede was another regular volunteer. The stout, older woman was a very managing sort. She'd been attempting to manage Liu Wen since her retirement, years before Kagome arrived at the shrine. Such was why they got along so poorly, Wen resented the attempt and Kaede refused to quit trying.
Kagome's smile remained strained as the last of her expected volunteers made an appearance.
Fuse Etsuko was a divorcee who volunteered at the shrine to distract herself from her empty house. Kagome wasn't fully vested in all the details, but she understood the inability to conceive had played some part in the dissolution of her marriage. She was a solemn, quiet woman. Cutoff from any family that would want to see her over the holiday.
"Higurashi-san," the dark eyed woman nodded politely.
"Ah, Fuse-san," Kagome greeted her back. It was hard to feel anything for Etsuko beyond deep sympathy. All of her trust had been broken because of something her body was incapable of doing. Kagome wanted to travel back in time and defend the somber woman from everyone that had abandoned her for something she couldn't control. "If you could assist Liu-san today, it would be most beneficial. He's in a bit of a mood upon discovering Sesshoumaru-dono's presence." Kagome waved Fuse's attention towards the silent youkai still hovering over her shoulder. "I hate to condemn you to Liu-san's censure, but-"
"It is alright, Higurashi-san," Etsuko broke in. "There are not many who like change or surprises. Welcome, Sesshoumaru-dono," the woman bowed. "It is hoped you will think highly of our hospitality after this visit. If you sing our praises perhaps we will be honored with a visit from the esteemed Masashi-dono."
Kagome's smile was less polite and more surprised. "Masashi-dono rarely leaves Tokyo anymore, but it would be a great honor if he were to deign to visit," was her cautious answer. "Fuse-san don't volunteer Sesshoumaru-dono's relationship to the youkai ruler to anyone who doesn't prove to already know."
"No worries, Higurashi-san," Fuse Etsuko smirked with the first show of amusement Kagome had ever seen from her. "If I learned anything from my failed marriage, it's how to mitigate the fits of small-minded, ego filled people terrified to find out how unimportant they truly are in the great scheme of things." The woman walked sedately over to set up behind the charm booth, helping Liu Wen to achieve a more solid perch on the stool provided for his use.
"Ah," Kagome observed quietly, unsure of how exactly she was meant to respond to that assertion but clearly not expected to. Fuse had obviously moved on with her day and it was a strong sign that Kagome needed to do the same. "I'd like you to work with Tasuke-san, Sesshoumaru-dono," she turned her attention to the hulking mass behind her. "He's seen as underage and will likely be harassed by his classmates attempting to purloin more amazake than their parents approve of."
Left unsaid was the reality that she couldn't really place the youkai in any other station. The purifying trough was infused with reiki to help keep the water clean. She couldn't heat it and she wasn't supposed to add anything to it to keep it from freezing, but Kagome could infuse the trough with her energy to keep it from growing anything hazardous for everyone's health year round. Too much time around strong youki would cancel out her efforts. The same could be said about the ema and omamori. While the charms wouldn't actually answer wishes for good luck of any kind, the exposure to her healing energy stored in the paper and wood could counteract some minor health problems. In youkai, it would merely make them feel alert, sharpening their senses to help maintain whatever subterfuge brought them to the shrine in the first place. It was really only a minuscule amount of reiki present.
But to allow Sesshoumaru and Tasuke or any other youkai to linger around them would neutralize what reiki was there.
"Fujimoto-san, Sesshoumaru-dono will be sitting with you for most of the day," Kagome didn't want to assume Sesshoumaru wouldn't wander around briefly. He wasn't exactly committing to anything here. In a quieter voice she continued, "He has agreed to allow you to address him as a shrine employee instead of as an unaffiliated person." Despite her lowered volume, she still didn't risk anything but a cryptic message. Date Kaede and Liu Wen had both proven to have sharp hearing before. Neither would intentionally spread gossip, but when they argued loudly, as always, they didn't need to tell anybody anything.
It was one of the few things everyone in the area could count on. Kaede and Wen would argue about everything, and when they really got going they expressed themselves in excessive volume. Kagome always knew what the town rumors were without needing an informant actually ensconced in the gossip network. It was inevitable that Kaede and Wen would be found arguing over the latest rumors – usually not whether it was true, but whether the people around them should be allowed to perpetuate such nonsense, more especially when the latest rumor concerned the shrine.
Some days Kagome found that argument funny, since people had always talked about shrine families. There were many strange things assumed about shinto officials throughout time. So the continuing gossip of today was just as customary as the rites and celebrations conducted in shrines throughout the year.
Most days, Kagome simply shrugged it off, absorbing the latest theory for which non-human creature she was supposed to be this time, or what scandal had been assigned to her name and moving on with her day. Information about what scandals were current in Nishi no Mura were important as such troubles often sought out the kami for comfort and direction.
Fewer days than formerly, Kagome struggled not to take the latest accusations being pandered about by her judgmental neighbors personally. She was only human and hearing some of the more negative opinions about her character on a day that was already difficult could send her into a fit of bitter tears. It happened less often now that she had Naoki and Oki to keep her company, despite Inuyasha's pointed disruptions. It was good to be needed and allowed to supply that need without criticism.
"Fujimoto-san, did you find everything you needed?" Kagome asked the kitsune. She didn't know Tasuke's exact age. She didn't know if he was of the correct maturity to be called an adolescent or a young adult. She could only assume his experience by the strength of his illusions.
"Everything was easy to find," the young male assured her. "I imagine it would have been harder if it hadn't all been used yesterday," his grin was cheerful and communicated a lot more than dangerous words could be allowed. "Is Sesshoumaru-dono here to guard me?" Canny, disguised green eyes darted to the observant golden of the stoic daijin.
"I don't want you to be overwhelmed," Kagome offered gently. Tasuke, being youkai, could probably more than handle the job even if the crowds were demanding and excessively huge. That is, if he wasn't worried about exposing himself by utilizing more than human speed and strength. The kids seeking to sneak more than their parents allowed would be hard tasked to move under his senses. But again, the subterfuge he lived under would effect what Tasuke could do about it.
Sesshoumaru would not be so limited.
What Kagome wouldn't say to either male, was that being in charge of the amazake stand would help protect Sesshoumaru from too much crowding for other reasons. Parents of teenagers would limit time spent near that table, more than an oblivious mother or father might restrict access to a male of Sesshoumaru's appearance and rank. Harassment of celebrities was a hazard difficult to mitigate without overt efforts to do it.
Kagome left the slightly awed Tasuke and underwhelmed Sesshoumaru to get situated and figure out how to deal with each other. The crunch of guests on the gravel was already starting and she needed to be in position to receive them with words of ceremony and greeting.
There wasn't a specific script to follow. There were no ritual words that had to be said. Every shrine handled Hatsumode slightly differently. Uncle Mattaki had instructed Kagome to greet her visitors after purification and respects were paid but before charms and amazake were received. She was to greet them politely, offer words of well-wishing and encouragement followed by one specifically tailored personal comment. Such proved her care for the community and brightened the outlook of everyone that came to the shrine. Or so he'd believed.
Kagome had found that no matter how sincere her concern and wishes for the year developing around them, most patrons sneered at her expressions of interest. The politest would merely dismiss her words and continue on with their visit. Most would huff in indignation that she knew anything about their business, certain Kagome's knowledge was merely used as backhanded criticism or future blackmail. The particularly rude ones would turn around and yell.
The absolute worst were the arrogantly snide members of the community. Such as Hamasaki and his increasingly ill-behaved daughter. They were also nosy and not shy of making inquiries about things they had no business knowing.
"Ah, Higurashi-san," the mayor sidled out of the main path of shrine goers to extend the conversation he wanted to have. "We seem to have a visitor."
As expected, Sesshoumaru had caught quite a lot of attention. There was no avoiding it as the amazake dispenser was stationed just inside the torii gates across from the omamori booth. The stands were tucked against the edge of the shrine grounds out of direct sight from the gravel path, but most people noticed him once they reached for the dippers to wash their hands. His coloring made it difficult to escape detection.
"Sesshoumaru-dono is here to observe and assist for his own purposes," Kagome answered blandly. It was the only answer she would give. It was the only answer that wouldn't endanger those who needed protection.
"What happened to your "Equal respect" crap?" Sumiko demanded haughtily. "I always knew you were a hypocrite! Papa is the mayor here and you don't recognize him for it."
"Sumiko, be quiet!" the mayor growled at his daughter sternly.
Kagome glanced at the smug teenager. "Were there another person here of similar recognized rank and service, they would receive the same address," the words were formal and flat. "Sesshoumaru-dono is the youkai daijin of this region. He assisted in the efforts that ultimately resulted in the uniting of youkai powers and giving us this lasting greater peace we currently enjoy."
"You allow a demon here?" Sumiko hissed, scandalized.
"This is a shrine," the Jinja no Sewanin returned bluntly. Her blue eyes seeking out her guest in hopes of preventing a regrettable display that might insult the mayor and his brat. The exalted youkai had moved away from the amazake table to approach Kagome and her current company.
"This Sesshoumaru must express his deep admiration for your level of patience in the face of such ignorant disrespect," the inu called to her from some distance away. Movement in the immediate area stopped as individuals tensed, trying to interpret his words as compliment or insult.
Kagome remained silent even as he ceased walking mere steps to the left of her, his golden eyes sweeping in a quick flick to the mayor and his stunned daughter. "This one would not have near so much tolerance for this degree of blatant rudeness before either refusing to deal with such unworthy miscreants or teaching better manners with violence," he continued to make his meaning abundantly clear.
"How dare you-" Sumiko glared until her father cut her off with a sharp hiss and tight grip on her arm. "Ow!"
"Shut up!" Hamasaki gruffly ordered his unruly scion. "Perhaps our visitor does not fully understand all the nuances of the situation he finds himself in."
Sesshoumaru turned his full attention on the human mayor bruising his daughter under his watch. "As Higurashi-san has responded to many an inquiry into my presence, observation is partly the reason for my presence here. After several hours of watching interactions between what should be your respected shrine official and the local people, watching her be dismissed and sneered at and listening to many slanderous comments made towards her person without basis, it is doubtful there is much about this situation beyond the grasp of even a toddler," the youkai denied the claim of partial ignorance in himself. "She stands as your greatest proponent for continued peace and prosperity, performing her duties with dedication and at cost to herself, and you treat Higurashi-san like she is your enemy." His eyes narrowed at the oily man. "You dislike the Jinja no Sewanin because she does not care to take part in your political aspirations. Shrines exist outside of elections, popular or otherwise. Their task is far more narrow than governing a town, state, region, or country, but it is far more vital with far-reaching consequences if they were to blow it off."
"Do not belittle me, youkai!" Hamasaki demanded.
"Then correct your ignorance and respect the shrine for the vital work it does to insure you have a town to be a mayor of," Sesshoumaru growled thunderously, throwing a shade over the smaller male's efforts to sound fierce and dangerous.
"Ah," Kagome tried to neutralize the situation. "Perhaps Sesshoumaru-dono could use a break. This visit was not planned and is not a regular part of his usual duties."
"What have you done that he needed to come here in the first place?" Sumiko snidely demanded. "Are the people in charge finally realizing you shouldn't be here?"
Kagome sighed as her effort to soothe ruffled feathers abruptly went up in smoke.
"This visit has convinced this Sesshoumaru that you are not deserving of having a shrine to protect you at all," the inu declared lowly. "Better to have such stupidity wiped out of the human gene pool than to allow it to propagate and spread. No malignant infection this virulent needs to gain purchase in the greater populace."
"How dare you call me a disease!" Sumiko screeched unpleasantly. "You just need to take this bakeneko bitch out of here and go away. You're not wanted here!"
"Further proof of the rampant ignorance plaguing this place," Sesshoumaru boldly stated. "Higurashi is so human she was sent to the shrine school to learn control of her human specific spirit energy. No youkai can contain, possess or use such powers as youki and reiki negate each other when held in balance. In the absence of balance, one destroys the other. She blesses your shrine with her strength, and you believe her to be youkai," he nearly scoffed at the ludicrous notion. "Not only youkai but one that is incredibly rare and short-lived. Do you learn nothing in your schools this far north?"
"Sesshoumaru-dono," Kagome called in a restraining tone. She didn't particularly like bandying it about that she had reiki. High school had proven how this seeming gift could be turned into as much of a curse as being part of a shrine family. More so, because it set her apart even further. Despite the fact her energy could cause the most harm to youkai, it was the humans around her that had the more negative reaction.
Her mother had tried to tell Kagome it was due to jealousy, but her mother's explanations for things were suspect since everything boiled down to Higurashi Akina's desire for Kagome's life to turn out "normal". Kagome could no more believe her mother's views about her peers' reactions to reiki than she could accept that same mother's definition of beauty. Akina was biased.
"Sumiko, desist!" Hamasaki hissed at the unruly girl.
"Sesshoumaru-dono, the shrine in this area is old and integral to more than just the local town," Kagome tried to derail the situation. "There is no reason to close it without a real cause."
"Better a closed shrine than one that is compromised!" Sumiko scoffed before hissing in pain as her father's grip tightened again. "Let go! You're hurting me!"
"Hamasaki-san, I must insist you release your daughter," Kagome reinforced the brat's demands. "I cannot stand by and witness abuse." The mayor glared at her before throwing Sumiko's arm away from him.
"Hn," Sesshoumaru commented as his narrowed eyes watched the girl rub at her bruised arm.
"What's the to do!" Liu Wen demanded as he stumped over to the scene. "You're holding up traffic and disrespecting the kami!" His glare encompassed all four of them severely. The old man's cane came to a solid rest on top of the mayor's big toe.
The mayor let out a sharp sound of protest before jerking his foot out from under the flat end of the wooden cane. "Please watch where you put that, Liu-san," Hamasaki Shin got out from between gritted teeth. For all Liu Wen's faults, he was a well known elder in the community. There weren't many who liked him or took the old man seriously, but no one would openly condone rudeness towards him for anything.
"Sesshoumaru-dono and Hamasaki-san were having a mild disagreement," Kagome answered Old Man Wen. There was still hope that she could fully defuse the situation. Wen wasn't the best way to do it, but he was all she had to work with. It would be more effective if Sumiko wasn't working against her.
The teenager snorted derisively. "It wasn't a disagreement," she asserted boldly. "That pretty man insulted us!"
Liu Wen looked the girl up and down, "And? You probably deserved it."
Sumiko turned red at the assessment. "He called us ignorant!"
"Which you are," the elder returned solidly. "Insulting the Jinja no Sewanin is foolish, disrespectful and only proves your ignorance. I over heard you just yesterday gossiping down at the convenience store over which type of youkai Higurashi-san might be. A real youkai would definitely take insult on her behalf because your words are not driven by real evidence. You just don't like her!"
"Hn," Sesshoumaru agreed softly.
"She shouldn't even be here!" Sumiko insisted. "We don't need her!"
"Sumiko be quiet!" the mayor ordered his daughter ineffectively.
"You don't like her either," Sumiko accused her father.
"Higurashi-san could be more involved in the community," Hamasaki hedged.
"The shrine has always abstained from town politics," Wen scoffed. "Mayors come and go, the shrine duties remain the same. Puffed up bullies like you make it harder."
"Watch what you say old man," Hamasaki Shin growled.
"Don't try to police me, Hamasaki Shin," Liu Wen growled right back. "I remember when you were just the biggest kid on the play ground stealing lunch money."
"I am not a child any more," the mayor declared in his defense.
Kagome watched all this at a loss. The situation spun further out of control as Kaede abandoned her post to enter the fray.
"Surely this loud discussion could be conducted elsewhere," the old woman scolded the group. "This is a shrine. This is Hatsumode there is no reason to interrupt the rites observed by others because you can't act respectful towards place and time."
"We respect those who deserve it!" Sumiko insisted.
"Then you think too highly of yourself," Liu Wen muttered. "Higurashi-san and Sesshoumaru-dono deserve your respect since they help insure you have a safe place to live and be a spoiled brat in."
"How dare you!" Sumiko hollered.
"He is right dear," Date Kaede added gently. "You are not the most important person in Nishi no Mura. Other people are your equals and deserve your consideration and courtesy. There are elders who could teach you lessons about the world and survival, about history and economics. They deserve your respect for their greater experience. You and many of your peers choose to scoff at us instead of listening, maintaining your ignorance with an air of disrespectful disregard."
"Hn, Ignorance and Disrespect," Sesshoumaru repeated with disdain.
"Shut up!" Sumiko huffed.
"I must insist you treat Sesshoumaru-dono with respect," Kaede admonished the girl. "He is a youkai daijin with limited patience."
"He shouldn't even be here," Sumiko insisted. "He wouldn't be here if not for her!" the teenager flung a wildly gesturing arm in Kagome's direction, nearly striking Liu Wen and Date Kaede where they stood.
"Nonsense," Kaede dismissed the accusation. "Higurashi-san is unlikely to be the sole draw for a youkai of Sesshoumaru-dono's rank. There are youkai who live in this area that are beholden to his father's rule and his own. We do not live alone in the world."
"If the Jinja no Sewanin was doing her job they wouldn't be there at all," Sumiko glared at the old woman.
"They have always been there," Kaede pointed out. "They were there before humans were."
"Then the shrine fails to serve its purpose," Sumiko declared.
"We are not exterminators!" Kagome couldn't help but interject.
"Youkai are not mere pests," Sesshoumaru added. "Were this Sesshoumaru more petty, your words and behavior could be used to incite violence against your pitiful human settlement."
Kagome flinched. She would have to protect the local humans from the youkai and she would likely die from the effort. She was probably the most powerful human born from a shrine family in recent history, but she was still human. She would tire before being able to completely eliminate the threat. If Sesshoumaru incited the youkai of this region to act, the conclusion was foregone.
"But this Sesshoumaru refuses to cause harm to Higurashi-san simply because the people she is duty bound to protect fail to teach their children basic allowable behavior," the inu growled at the teen. "She will do her duty and strive to protect you. She will die for the effort and she does not deserve it. Her death would be pointless because you would still die."
"Are you threatening me?" Sumiko mocked him.
"Hn," Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the foolish female.
"It is a warning," Date Kaede translated. "Hamasaki Shin-san has certainly failed to bring you up properly."
"I find that insulting," the mayor protested.
"Hmph!" Liu Wen harrumphed loudly. "More like he raised her in his image."
Kagome wanted to groan, this was a disaster. She must not have completely stifled the urge because Sesshoumaru directed his next words her way.
"If it comes to it, this Sesshoumaru will incapacitate the Jinja no Sewanin before allowing anything to happen here," the northern daijin's words were serious and her eyes went wide. "It will prevent serious injury being brought down upon the one person who is completely undeserving of it."
"Youkai-lover," Sumiko sneered. "The only reason for these creatures to be so worried about her if she's not a youkai is if she is a whore to one."
"Oh give me a break," Kagome gave up trying to be stoic in the face of this insanity. Her hands came up to rub over her face in frustration and consternation. She was really beginning to hate this latest generation of girls. The jumping from one conclusion to another without any reason was getting on her last nerve.
"See! She hides her face in shame!" Sumiko smugly pointed at the older woman.
"Higurashi-san likely is stunned that you could make such stupid assumptions," Sesshoumaru glowered at the brat. "This Sesshoumaru could tell you precisely what each of your recent ancestors was, and I can assure you, you shouldn't be so derogatory towards anyone you suspect of cross species affections."
The group stood shocked silent for a moment before Sumiko lunged for the tall youkai in insulted rage. Kagome jumped forward to block the unschooled strike, absorbing the blow on the back of her shoulder rather than allowing it to hit her guest. If the teenager managed to land a hit on Sesshoumaru, he could maim her in retaliation without repercussions. She wasn't expecting to be cut.
"Higurashi! You're bleeding!"
Sesshoumaru steadied Kagome as she began to sink to the ground after falling against him. Kaede and the mayor held Sumiko away as Fuse bolted from behind the charm stand. Over a dozen townspeople milled about the shrine grounds gawking.
"It's not deep," Kagome shook her head, her voice calm as Sesshoumaru's long tapered fingers pressed some of the excess fabric of her robes into the wound to staunch the flow of blood. "Fuse-san, there's a first aid kit on the table in my quarters. Fujimoto-san could you call your grandmother. I can't see the wound very well, let alone reach it for cleaning and bandaging." The assigned pair shoved through the crowd to achieve their tasks. "Date-san could you call law enforcement? We'll need to make a statement and press charges."
"Surely, you won't hold Sumiko-chan responsible for -" Hamasaki Shin tried to talk Kagome out of bringing in the authorities.
"Hamasaki-san, if Sumiko-san had managed to hit Sesshoumaru-dono, she'd be missing limbs right now," Kagome glared sternly at the elected official. "If the northern daijin were less indulgent, she could have instigated a cross species incident that would have wiped this town and the people in it off the map completely. Be thankful she will only have to face the human police."
"What?" Sumiko shrieked. "He said-"
"He said he could tell exactly what your ancestors were," Kagome cut her off. "Sesshoumaru-dono can do that, his breed of youkai can identify species markers from the scent you give off just standing there. He likewise stated that you shouldn't be so prejudiced about where other people place their affections across species lines."
"He implied -" Sumiko continued to argue, pushing against a couple of fishermen that had stepped in when Kaede was required to step away to make her call.
"It does not matter what Sesshoumaru-dono implied," Kaede cut in sharply. "He did not reach out to hit you."
"Almost rather Higurashi had let the brat hit him," Liu Wen grumbled. "It might have taught her a real lesson to be short an arm."
"Liu Wen!" Kaede gasped. "You take that back!"
"I won't!" the old man shook his head. "The problem with this generation is their lack of accountability. They never suffer the full consequences for their actions! They're a coddled bunch of spoiled ninnies who will bring about the end of this country as we know it!"
Fuse shoved through the crowd, the case of first aid materials being used as a battering ram for the particularly stubborn impediments to her path. "Here, Higurashi-san!" the woman knelt down behind Kagome before opening the case. "You seem to be low on disinfectant."
"I haven't had a chance to restock since the last time I used it," Kagome explained before gasping in pain when Fuse Etsuko ripped the tear in the cloth over the wound wider so she could see what she was working on.
"Well, it's not deep, but it is long and in a bad place," Etsuko pronounced as she got a good look at it. Sesshoumaru stood up from his crouch in front of Kagome to look at it himself. "What I don't understand is how she cut you at all. I didn't see her pull a weapon. Unless she had it in her hand the whole time there should have been no way for her to cut through cloth to slice you at all."
Sumiko was wearing gloves like everyone else who'd finished at the haiden. No jewelry worn would have cut through both Kagome's robe and the thermal garment underneath to reach the meat of her shoulder. The girl didn't have claws, which would have been hampered greatly by the gloves anyway.
Kagome's sharp blue eyes darted to the sound of something metal dropping to the paving stones underfoot. One of the fishermen had reached for Sumiko's hands and squeezed her wrist until the teenager dropped the knife she'd concealed along the forefinger of one glove. The blade wasn't long or sinister looking despite its dark color. It was stained with Kagome's blood and looked less than well cared for indicating there was a tetanus shot in the caretaker's future.
Its presence raised questions though. Sumiko must have planned to use it on somebody if she'd been carrying it around. No one had known Sesshoumaru was going to drop in, so he couldn't have been the original target. Kagome closed her eyes and wanted to groan.
There was more than one way to get a youkai to reveal its true self while under glamour. Physical pain was one of them. Most youkai that suffered a severe enough injury would revert to their natural state. Once again Sumiko was trying to prove Kagome wasn't human. It was only Sesshoumaru pissing the teenager off that changed the original plan, though the original target had been hit anyway.
"This was premeditated," Kagome observed aloud. "She consciously brought a knife here to harm someone."
"You can't prove that," Hamasaki insisted.
"Then why was she carrying a knife that blends in with her gloves?" Kagome asked. "It is not a common color for a blade to be. Unless you're going to tell us your daughter doesn't think the town you're in charge of is safe enough to go out on public streets without carrying a knife?"
The mayor shut up. One of the platforms he'd continued to win elections on was the fact the local crime rate was so low. The town was safe, he claimed responsibility for that statistic and its continuation. If Hamasaki Shin now confessed that his own daughter didn't feel safe in his "safe town" it would undermine his electability next term renewal. Not that having his daughter nearly start a species war during Hatsumode wasn't likely to hurt him already.
Kagome hissed as Fuse daubed a cotton ball soaked in clean water over the wound attempting to clean it and the skin around it.
"Sorry, Higurashi-san," Fuse apologized.
"It's all right," Kagome shook her head. "We need to get it clean."
"Out of the way!" Fujimoto Natsuo shouldered her way through the crowd. "What are you all standing around for? Surely there's something you should be doing. If you're going to stick around some of you could probably be helping out the shrine itself. You know it doesn't run itself!" The disguised kitsune began directing members of the crowd to either disperse or start working as volunteers. With her direction, the charm booth, the amazake table and the purification trough were soon restaffed and the stream of people was once again moving smoothly through the torii. "Higurashi-san, are you unable to move without hurting yourself?"
"I thought it was better to keep Sesshoumaru-dono from maiming a teen-aged attacker than to allow Hamasaki Sumiko-san to hit him," Kagome dragged her head back to look up at the approaching nurse.
"Should have let the brat suffer the consequences of striking the youkai daijin," Liu Wen scoffed before returning to his preferred post in the charm booth.
"Sumiko did this?" Natsuo slid in behind Kagome once Fuse gave up the spot.
"It seems to have been a planned effort to expose Higurashi-san as youkai again," Sesshoumaru informed the fox.
Green eyes widened in surprise at Sesshoumaru's presence and words but quickly reverted to inspecting Kagome's wounds. "Do we know what she cut you with?"
"The weapon has been recovered," Kaede announced, holding the bloody blade out for Natsuo's inspection, careful to avoid touching it with anything but the clean tissues used to pick it up with. "My boys should be here any -"
The sober uniforms didn't really stand out as they approached, it was more the annoyed expressions on the face of the local cops that gave them away. Clearly this ruckus had pulled them away from family festivities and they didn't appreciate it.
"What is it this time Date-san?" the first of the pair demanded in a beleaguered tone. His partner came up behind him looking equally certain there was no reason for them to be present or involved.
"Don't talk to me like I constantly call in false alarms," Kaede admonished the pair. "I ran this town like a tight ship . Even when I thought something was a waste of time I ran it down all the way." Kagome imagined if the pair of officers that served her area weren't already somewhat seasoned in their jobs as long as they were, the men would have rolled their eyes at the old woman. "Use your eyes! Observe the situation you incompetents!"
"Date-san," Fuse called, rushing over to the retired law woman. "Mind your blood pressure."
"I am minding it," Kaede scoffed. "Tell them to mind their job. They were trained better than to walk into a situation where a single person is being restrained and a second is being seen to by medical personnel. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out one caused the harm to the other."
"I saw that," the vocal one acknowledged. "I also saw that the mayor's daughter was being held back from the Jinja no Sewanin and a strange looking fellow not known in these parts. For all we know, he's the one who injured the caretaker and Sumiko was being held back to protect her."
"You are a fool," Kaede declared bluntly. "If such was the case, would not the mayor also be suffering from the same efforts of protection? Wouldn't both be swiftly removed from the area to prevent injury?"
The pair blinked at the old woman blankly. They really didn't care at this point. They just wanted to get back to their holiday plans.
Fuse decided to interrupt the staring contest that could clearly continue indefinitely. "Hamasaki's daughter attacked our esteemed guest and Higurashi-san got caught in the middle trying to prevent a worse situation. No harm should have been done except it appears Sumiko-chan planned to cause injury to someone by bringing and using a knife in the blow."
"The unknown person you are so quick to condemn is the Northern youkai daijin, Sesshoumaru-dono, son of the great Masashi," Kaede added dryly. "If Sumiko-chan had managed to hit where she was aiming, we might now be burying her for the insult. We'd be lucky if the casualties ended there. Higurashi-san chose to step in, as is her duty, and attempt to minimize the consequences of the ignorant, impulsive brat's actions. Now she must bear the insult of your bungling because you feel annoyed to be called from your lives to perform your duty, one you voluntarily swore to uphold at any time? You insult her dedication and pain with your petulance!"
"Come off it, Date-san," Hasegawa Eita scoffed. "Just because such a situation happened, the likelihood that anyone will press charges-"
"Is definite," Kagome cut in. "I will be pressing charges. Petty insults, I don't care about. False tales, I have no control over. But risking the lives of every man, woman and child in Nishi no Mura because of bad personal behavior needs to be taken seriously and seriously dealt with. Sesshoumaru-dono has been exceedingly lenient with us, but if he chose to take insult the town would be overrun with creatures we cannot all fight off or defeat. Her actions could set off a major conflict in this area, one which many would die from for no other reason than she didn't like what he said about her bad behavior."
"He insulted my father and the whole town!" Sumiko insisted.
"For the general bad treatment of your protector for petty reasons," Kaede pointed out. "Most of the people in Nishi no Mura do not show Higurashi-san proper respect or courtesy. It is not her fault Mattaki felt the need to look elsewhere for his successor. It is not her fault that she was chosen. Higurashi the former made a choice for the good of our future and you have done nothing but insult and condemn that choice because it wasn't what you thought it should be."
"Hn," Sesshoumaru snorted before returning his attention to Fujimoto Natsuo's efforts to staunch the bleeding.
"It's shallow at least," the nurse told Kagome, switching topics abruptly. "But it's in a bad place and a bit longer than I would like. I don't think it'll start healing without being closed with stitches and limiting the use of that arm."
Kagome sighed wearily, "I'd hoped it wouldn't come to that." She still had one more day of Hatsumode before she could afford to allow herself to rest properly. "It'll have to wait then."
"I advise against that," Natsuo declared urgently.
"And I hear your reasoning, but there is only one Jinja no Sewanin and I have to be here," Kagome insisted. "We can do something about it after the bulk of visitors have gone for the day. I'll wear a sling tomorrow to help the wound, but I'll still have to be here then too."
"They do not deserve such sacrifice," Sesshoumaru told her quietly.
Kagome smiled ruefully up to him, "Maybe you don't think they do, but I will do what I promised to do regardless of whether those who receive such a blessing deserve it. It is about personal integrity and I cannot compromise mine because you believe those who witness and benefit from it should be required to earn it first."
"Hn," Sesshoumaru responded taking her point.
"I don't like it either," Natsuo gave her input.
"I know," Kagome agreed. "You can have your revenge later when you stitch me up at the clinic."
"Hmmph!" the kitsune grumbled on as she cleaned and carefully covered the sluggishly bleeding wound.
"You can't really mean to press charges against the Mayor's daughter," Hasegawa insisted.
"But she does," Kaede returned. "The Shrine caretaker has never played favorites or politics so when others might be too afraid or cowardly to do what is right because of social positioning, the shrines never do. They'd put their own people through the judicial system if it came to that. The proof is in how often they've done so in the past."
"Higurashi-san is new to our town and does not fully understand the consequences of -" Hasegawa protested.
"Seven years is not new to an area," Sesshoumaru cut in, at least it wasn't for a human. Even for youkai seven years was a bit long to consider someone new to an area, interacting with humans had tempered general held perceptions of relative newness. "This community is not so complex as to require more than a few weeks to understand the local politics. Higurashi-san comprehends more than your ignorance would like to believe."
Kagome pushed herself up on to her feet. The move rocked her back a little as her head protested the abrupt change. A clawed hand settled against her uninjured shoulder to steady her. "I'm all right," she assured Sesshoumaru and Natsuo automatically. "Hasegawa-san, I will be pressing charges. Hamasaki Sumiko-san will learn nothing from this if you allow her father's position to protect her from the consequences of assaulting another person. I would not be serving this community by allowing dangerous behaviors to go unpunished. Gossip as you like, laugh and snicker, vilify me if it makes you feel superior, but I will not allow anyone to compromise the peaceful relations between species in this area for no good reason."
"He slandered -" Sumiko burst out loudly.
"Nothing the youkai daijin said would result in the death of anyone involved," Kagome cut her off crisply. "The actions you took and the words you spat would."
"You heard the Jinja no Sewanin," Kaede barked at the two males that served as police officers during the winter months. "Take the brat into custody."
"Please do," Kagome encouraged the officers to get to their duty. "We have interrupted enough of the community's Hatsumode experience for today. I would very much like to allow all those uninvolved to continue to enjoy their shrine visit."
The as yet silent officer opened his mouth to put his opinion out there and Kaede shot him a glare. "There is a difference between an officer of the law on call over a holiday and a group of uninvolved civilians who happen to visit the same place where an assault occurred," the older woman growled at him. "If you don't like the job, resign and be jobless, don't dishonor this town by complaining about it in front of a visiting dignitary." The male shut his mouth. "Now do what you were trained for like a grown adult already."
"I really don't like that you won't run down to the clinic," Natsuo fussed over Kagome. "You look flushed and your breathing is uneven."
"I'm fine," Kagome insisted stubbornly. "Your visit yesterday included a few words from the Jinja no Sewanin and all the visitors this morning were offered the same. Everyone who visits for the rest of the day shall receive equal courtesy as will those who come tomorrow."
"I think those who really care about it would rather the Jinja no Sewanin maintain good health in place of offering such small blessings," Natsuo grumbled to herself. "You should reserve your strength for bigger things."
"One does not maintain a skill if it is never used," Kagome declared through gritted teeth. "Small blessings are practice worthy and do not drain reserves kept for the bigger things."
"Practice should only be performed when injuries are solidly on the mend or completely absent," the secret kitsune returned.
"My reiki wasn't injured," Kagome growled. "Words do not strain any physical wounds."
"Hn," Sesshoumaru cut across the covert argument, as amusing as it was to watch the two argue politely, it wasn't a productive use of time or energy.
Kagome's shoulders squared at the reminder of her current company and she turned back to her shrine work. Continuing to argue would be childish and achieve nothing. Kitsune delighted in the kind of trickery that wasted time, but Kagome couldn't afford it. Once again she assured the pair of impatient, sullen members of the local law enforcement that she would be pressing charges. She tactfully shooed Liu Wen and Fuse Etsuko back to their posts and Kaede selected a replacement to cover her own while she assisted with wrapping up the legal side of the incident. Hamasaki Shin continued to argue and protest the arrest of his daughter while everything else got back into the regular swing of Hatsumode at the shrine. Fujimoto Natsuo joined her fellow at the amazake table leaving Sesshoumaru free to hover over Kagome's shoulder.
She didn't care what the youkai daijin chose to do with his time so long as he didn't interfere with the shrine workings. Kagome certainly received a lot more pleasant smiles from the women this year. The Jinja no Sewanin was fully aware Sesshoumaru was the reason. Teenage girls flirted and married women tittered for attention.
This Hatsumode was turning out far more successful than all her years previous, even when her uncle was alive. Word had seemingly spread about their illustrious guest and more families than Kagome usually saw were dropping by. Never was there a line so deep waiting for the haiden. When there was a crowd already taking up Kagome's attention after respects were observed, people would usually try to by pass the well wishing from the shrine keeper, impatient to get on with their festivities. Kagome was hardly an important part to most of the locals' new year plans. She wasn't sure that such excessive interest in Sesshoumaru was a good thing. He wasn't going to be a permanent fixture and the fact that he wasn't could send the tide of public opinion in extreme directions, positive and negative. Only time would tell.