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Beta: ShikiKira

The sweet sound of classical music weaved the serene atmosphere of the modest kitchen of the Sunset Shrine. A daughter and mother pair were dancing around each other, moving in synchronizing movements. The pair was currently having one of the rare moments of mother-daughter bonding time. There was no verbal communication needed. Nodoka was busying herself with cleaning up, while Kagome was taking her time to cut perfect fruits pieces to add as garnish to the almost complete four tiers vanilla cake with whipped-cream cheese icing.

A nostalgic feeling swept over Kagome suddenly as the ancient grandfather clock struck five. Delicate rays of warm light from the setting sun shimmered through the kitchen window's glass and embraced Kagome's small form. There was also a light wind that danced around her. Kagome's breath was lost to her for what felt like time itself had stop just for her. Her heart was encased by warmth that was of an unknown origin to her. Her hand unconsciously moved to cover over her beating heart.

Where did this warmth come from?

Her silent question was left unanswered. Her eyes followed the light of the warm sun to the outside world of the kitchen window. It was beautiful. The rose colored sky was so breathtaking at that moment.

This is our time. Her heart skipped, its drumming increased in rhythm. This was the time that I met him.

The reason behind her heart reaction she dared not analyze; yet her traitorous mind provided her with a beautiful vivid image of the handsome blonde. An almost whimpering sound escaped her lips and she closed her eyes tight. Half of her wanted to get rid of the captivating image and yet the other half of her wanted to keep a tight hold on it, less it slipped away.

Why? The thought was so simple yet not. Why, why what? Why did she think of him? Why had her heart reacted the way it did, when her mind had yet to truly let go of her first love? Why, why, why? Why indeed.

"...chan? Kagome-chan? Is everything alright, dear?" The soft timber of Nodoka's voice stringed Kagome back from her nostalgic trance. Her head jerked in reflex at the call of her name and she blinked in quick sequences to clear away any residue of her dreamlike-state.

"Hai, Mama...? Ano not really, I do not know what had come over me." Her voice trailed off and her brows furrowed as her eyes once again gazed out at the setting sun.

Nodoka gave her daughter a confused look. She set down the kitchen towel that she had used to dry her wet hands on onto the counter top and walk over to her daughter. A motherly smile adorned her soft-aged face as she cupped her daughter cheeks. Kagome reflexively turned her head to and locked sapphire eyes with her mother's dark oak. She unconsciously snuggled into her mother's warm, soft hand and basked in the affectionate gesture.

"Sweetie..." Nodoka's voice trailed off as she gently brought her arms around her daughter and embraced her. "My daughter is growing up." The wording of her voice let Kagome know that her mother was talking to herself as much as she was talking to her. "I can see it in your eyes that you are letting go of your childhood. The carefree child that I raised and nurtured is slowly, but surely slipping away from me."

Her mother's voice was so soft and strained; Kagome did not need sight or touch to know of her mother's tearful state. Kagome hugged her mother tighter and buried her face into her hair in an attempt to hide away the fluid that threatened to flow from her ocean colored eyes.

"Mama…"

"My daughter is so kind, too kind. I am so proud of her. She gives and gives, sacrificing so much and yet gets so little in return. I have to watch on the sideline as she journeys to face unknown danger, as her heart cries for the love that can never be returned. She thought that I know not of her struggles, but I'm your mother! My dearest daughter, my blood flows in your veins. I was the one that nurtured your personality into what it is. You cannot hide much from me."

Kagome had long surrendered to the river of tears that consumed her. Her body shook in tension and the heartbreaking sound of sobbing mixed with the classical melody of the radio.

For an uncounted amount of time later, Kagome calmed down from her tearful emotional high and pulled back from her mother's warm embrace. She wiped away her tears with her mother's help and did the same for her.

"Mama, I'm really sorry for keeping things from you. It's just...I don't want to bother you with something that you really have no control over. Heck, I don't even have control over most of the things that I have to face. Plus Mama, when I come home; I really want to leave problems behind and just be a normal teenager."

Not that it worked much.

Nodoka studied her daughter face for a moment. She resisted a sigh as she gently smoothed out her daughter's soft mane of raven hair.

"I see. But Kagome, ignorance may be bliss but in the end it will turn lethal. I can carry on and tell you many possible scenarios but let's sweep away this depressing atmosphere and enjoy this rare bonding time."

The emphasizing on the word rare was not missed by Kagome. She relented in her moody replies and followed her mother's example. She set out to acquire plates and utensils for the cake while her mother was working on the finishing touches before she proceed to cut it.

"Ne Kagome-chan, what this I heard about a date with Hojo?"

Kagome let out a groan as she halted in her finishing touch for her essay assignment homework.

"Mama, who told you?"

She glanced up to quickly, studying her mother's expression before she turned back to her paper and continued her train of thought before she lost it.

"That would be telling, sweetheart. I don't give away my information."

"For a moment there, I thought you would make a great spy Mama" Kagome said without looking up as she hands move in furiously across the page. She missed her mother's slight flinch at her words.

If you only knew, sweet heart, if you only knew.

"Well, I am your mother. Where do you think you get all your talents?"

At her mother's almost arrogant tone, Kagome looked up and caught Nodoka's playful wink. She shared a small smile with her and turned her attention back to her essay.

"I am quite talented aren't I?" Her voice was overflowed with amusement before she let out a sigh. "It's too bad that I haven't been able to do any of my hobbies since my fifteenth birthday."

Nodoka gave her a sympathetic look that went unseen by Kagome as she was still busying herself with her homework. A quick decision to change the subject, Nodoka stood up and made her way to her daughter's closet. She opened it and began to browse through the many articles of clothing.

"Have you decided on what to where for tomorrow yet, Kagome?"

Kagome rolled her eyes at her mother's enthusiastic tone. I swear, sometimes she acts more like a teenager than I do. "Not yet, Mama." She replied blandly. I don't really care what I wear tomorrow.

"Don't be like that, dear. Hojo-kun is a nice guy; besides you never know, you might bump into someone that you would want to see. Let's say, Takuma-san?"

Kagome missed the underlining tone of her mother's voice as she dealt her reflexive reaction to the handsome blonde's name. Her heart skipped a beat and caused her breath to hitch and a noticeable blush flushed her cheeks as an abundant amount of images of him raced through her mind. "D…don't be silly, Mama! Takuma-kun is visiting Kaname-san and Yuuki-san!"

Nodoka pulled out a dark blue blouse and a white knee-length skirt, showing it to Kagome with a bright smile on her face. "Ne, Kagome-chan, what do you think about this?"

The younger girl sighed, knowing that there was no point in arguing with her over enthusiastic mother. "Hai Mama, it's perfect."

"Glad you agree." her mother set the outfit out and headed for the door. "Oh. And Kagome-chan?"

"Hm."

"Try not to stay up too late, ne?" Nodoka spoke, glancing at the clock on the nightstand.

Kagome nodded her head, waving her mother out of the room. "Hai, hai, I'll go to bed as soon as I finish this."

The soft clicking of her door notified Kagome that her mother had left her room. She quickly finished her essay and changed into her pajamas. As she lay in her bed she allowed her thoughts to drift off to the strange aura of the three students of Cross Academy.

What was with their strange aura…and why was there a barrier around Takuma-kun's when Kaname-san showed up? Something is up with that Academy, and I want to figure out why. Tomorrow, I'll ask Mama to grab me an application for Cross Academy; I will get to the bottom of their strange aura.

As Kagome drifted off to sleep, her dreams were plagued by the mysterious, beautiful blonde and also of someone she wished to forget…the silver haired Inu hanyou she met nearly a year ago in the Sengoku Jidai.

"Ohayo, minna-san!" Kagome chirped as she ran into the kitchen.

"Ohayo, Kagome-chan!"

"Ohayo, Nee-chan!"

Jii-chan did not look up from his paper, still not ready to forgive Kagome. "Ohayo, Kagome…"

Kagome walked over to her jii-chan and threw her arms around him, hugging him closely. "Gomenasai, Jii-chan. Please don't be angry at me. I'll bring you something back from the past." She gave him her best puppy eyes, adding a quiver of the lip for good measure.

Jii-chan looked away from the cute image his granddaughter was making, but made one fatal flaw. He looked back at her, thinking she had quit. His heart warmed and a slow smile spread over his wrinkled face. "I can't stay mad at my favorite granddaughter for long." Jii-chan returned her embrace. "You better bring me back something good."

Her sapphire eyes sparkled as she beamed up at her grandfather. "Hai, Jii-chan!" She ran over and gave her mother a quick hug and kissed Souta soundly on the cheek before running out the door. "I'm leaving!"

"So, Kagome-chan, are you ready for you date with Hojo-kun?" Yuka asked eagerly as she leaned on her desk.

Kagome scowled at her friend's eagerness. "You mean the one you and Eri are forcing me to go to?"

Eri looked taken aback. "Kagome-chan, that was kind of mean."

"No, what is mean is you and Yuka, who are supposed to be my friends, are forcing me to go on a date with a boy I'm not interested in!" the ocean eyed girl snapped.

Ayumi tried to play the peace-maker, calming Kagome down a bit. "Kagome-chan, you don't have to do with Hojo-kun. We, well I, just don't want to see you depressed over your two-timing Ex, Yasha."

Kagome took a deep breath in order to fully cool her ire before placing a bright fake smile on her face. "Okay and arigato Ayumi-chan. You are a good friend."

The sliding door opened, revealing their sensei. "Alright, class. Lunch time is over. Back to your seat and put away your bentos." He turned to the chalk board, scribbling down the classwork.

"Tadaima!" Kagome called out, shutting the door.

"Welcome home, Kagome-chan!" Nodoka called from the kitchen.

"Hi, Mama!"

"I just got off the phone with Hojo-kun; he will be here in half an hour. So, that gives you enough time to take a bath."

Kagome's face twisted into a small scowled, but nodded and ran upstairs to gather the outfit her mother picked out.

After the tub filled with the muscle soothing warm water, Kagome's thoughts once again began to drift. Cross Academy? Once I'm able to rid myself of Hojo-kun, I will do research on that school. Kagome sunk lower into the water as vivid images of the beautiful blonde she met just mere days ago Takuma-kun…how are you making my heart pound every time the clock strikes five?

A rasping of the door shook Kagome from her musings as her brother's voice flowed through.

"Nee-chan, Hojo-nii is here!"

Groaning, she pulled herself out of the tub. "Okay! I'll be down in a minute!" Throwing her clothes on Kagome tied her hair up in a loose ponytail with a white ribbon. Giving herself an once over, she deemed herself suitable. Just because she didn't want to go on the date didn't mean she wanted to look horrible. Kagome slowly drugged her feet down the stairs, dreading each one. Plastering a smile that did not reach her eyes, she looked up at Hojo. "Hi, Hojo-kun."

Hojo rubbed the back of his neck. "Ano…you look very pretty, Higurashi." he offered his hand.

"Arigato." Kagome placed her hand in his, telling her mother that she was gone and walked out the door with Hojo.

Argh! I still can't believe I let them trick me into going on a date with Hojo-kun! Kagome ranted to herself as she sipped quietly at her milkshake.

Hojo shyly glanced at the girl who stole his heart. "Ano, by the way Higurashi, I have something for you."

"Eh? What is it?"

Hojo leaned down and reached into his bag and pulled out a plastic bag. "Here, Dried Newts. I heard that they were excellent for Beriberi."

Kagome fell over in her mind. Come on Hojo-kun, do I look sick to you? Geeze, how clueless can a guy get? "Ala?" Kagome felt someone watching her. Turning her head she spotted the culprit.

It was a beautiful looking woman, her long strawberry blonde hair swaying in an un-blowing wind. Those piercing navy eyes locked with Kagome's ocean colored orbs. A small smile crossed the woman's face before someone passed through Kagome's line of sight, breaking the connection. Once the person had passed the woman was gone.

That was strange. Kagome looked around the small restaurant, searching for the unearthly beautiful woman. Who was that woman?

"Kagome…is that you?"

The sapphire eyed girl whipped her head around and spotted the man she met a few days ago. His blonde hair highlighted by the sun's warm rays; those beautiful emerald colored eyes locked with her own ocean gems. Her pulse began to accelerate as she whispered his name.

"Takuma-kun."

Finished! Can anybody guess who the woman was? Here's a hint it deals with Takuma later on in the story. Okay for those who want Kagome to go back to the past, she will in the next chapter for sure!

Review!

~The Lovely Kaykai-sama

~CrescentMelody