Kagome could not believe her eyes. Her grandfather was getting ready for trip after he just began to get over a cold. Although it was a warm winter's day it was still winter. Her grandfather was a collector for the local shrine and ventured for collectables around the country based on legends he has researched.
"Gramps, you should wait at least two more days before going out there. The ancient thing been out there for hundreds of years where will it go in a couple days?" The fifteen year old tried to persuade the fifty-five year old. If there was one thing the two had in common; it was their will to do what they set their minds to.
"Get off my back, woman! I told you once the barrier only opens for twenty four hours on until sunrise after the full moon." The old man snapped back raising his voice at his granddaughter. Kagome bit the inside of her cheek as she thought about the full moon that night.
"Well then let me go with you!" Kagome raised her voice to the same pitch as she watched Gramps pack a purple jar that she knew too well. Inside was a powder made to repel demons, Gramps made the young girl take it whenever she went into the forest for as long as she could remember.
"Don't you worry child. I'll be back before sundown. You have my word." He said almost rolling his eyes as he shoved another handful of Ofudas into his bag.
"Gramps you should not be venturing into the woods alone. It's dangerous!" Kagome knew there was many demons who would love to eat her elder for dinner. Her worries for Gramps raised as his decisions to do more reckless things grew as he aged. This had to be his most stupid choice in Kagome's opinion.
"Kagome." He stopped what he was doing and looked at the young girl across the small room. "I do not want to hear anymore of this. Understand?"
Kagome nodded her head quickly with wide eyes. This was the closest the fifteen year old has seen her elder angry. One final sigh Kagome had officially gave up on trying to convince him to change his mind.
"Let me at least pack you a lunch."
For the first time that day he smiled. It was a weak smile but still a smile.
"That would be nice dear."
Later in the day around noon Kagome wandered around the Village to keep her worried thoughts of her grandfather alone in the forest. In a way he wasn't completely alone, he brought along a demon cat named Kirara. She belonged to a neighbour boy named Kohaku. It was once said that Kirara belonged to a young girl but she went missing years ago.
Kagome wrapped her white and green cloak tighter around her body to try and prevent the winter chill from entering her personal bubble of warmth. She got a couple stares from others in the village but it was nothing that the teenager wasn't used to be before. Ignoring the other villagers Kagome went around picking up some herbs and little things that were needed for dinner that night. She was going to make a pot of Gramps' favourite soup: Dill and Bore. Kagome assumed it was Gramps' favourite soup because it was always his son's favourite. That was a speculation that Kagome has always kept to herself and has never dared to ask, not that she ever would.
"Hi, Kagome!" A little girl greeted she wore a pink cloak on top of her sunshine yellow kimono, Kagome wondered how the young girl was not cold with her cloak undone. Her hair was cut short just above her shoulders and her eyes filled with a joy that Kagome could only wish she had at her age.
"Hello, Rika." She smiled to the young child and knelt down to the child's height as she listened to her talk on and on about her day. Rika swayed from side to side as she recounted her favourite parts of her days, her pink cloak flowed in an almost perfect rhythm.
"One day I want to be a great priestess just like you, Kagome!" Rika squealed out and Kagome was quick to try to have the girl lower her voice. Part of the older girl was relieved to see the naive nature in the youngster but the other part didn't want the other villagers, especially her mother who stood a couple feet away to hear what she has just said. In their village being a priestess was not a top ranking job for a young woman, it being heard by a young child would lead to the suspicion of manipulation.
"I am not a priestess yet, remember I told you that before?" Kagome has told the little girl many of times that she wouldn't officially be able to be a priestess until at least her sixteenth birthday the earliest. Besides Kagome was still in-training with the village's head priestess, Kikyo. Kagome has been training with Kikyo for the two years and at that moment Kagome didn't know if she even wanted to be a priestess.
"Yeah but I know you will be the best priestess the village has ever seen!" Rika preached enthusiastically. Kagome smiled at the small child who had a toothy grin herself, missing a couple of her baby teeth.
"As will you, Rika. We will talk about this more when you're older?" Kagome said with pure sincerity. Even though she believed in a couple of years the thought of being a priestess would most likely be the last thing she would want to be.
"Come, Rika. We must prepare dinner." Her mother dressed in blue waved her hand trying to get her daughter quickly. Kagome and Rika exchanged goodbyes before the younging ran back to her mother, the elder prayed that her glimmer of hope would never fade.
As Kagome continued to walk through the village, already making one trip home to drop off ingredients. The teen went to one of the food vendors that others her age gathered. Although she was not exactly close to any of her peers, she was on the other hand a fan of the food services.
"Oh look who's here, Ka-go-me." A girl spit out Kagome's name like it was a bad taste in her mouth. A couple other girls giggled as Kagome felt her stomach drop with every giggle as she made her order. Kagome debated for a moment if she would just run away and forget about the food but why should she be the one without her order?
Kagome twiddled her thumbs and she looked around the room. The room full of her peers were laughing, talking and enjoyed their own company. She could feel the snickers being towards about her as the not so quiet whispers arose.
"Can you believe she showed up here?"
"Can you believe what her mom did?"
"I bet she will end up just like her."
With every passing moment of feeling like she was shrinking, Kagome's order was finally done. After paying the woman, she fled to the door but instead of being back outside her bottom was on the floor. A roar of laughter unleashed in the room and Kagome's face went more red than a cooked lobster.
"If it isn't my beloved, Kagome Higurashi."
Of course of all people I bumped into him
Kagome thought to herself as she looked up to the boy. His hand reached down to help her up which she thanked him as he pulled her back onto her feet. Both of his warm hands clasped over hers, clear sky blue eyes fixated deeply into the eyes that reminded him of the ashes after a campfire.
"Hey, Koga, I was just y'know leaving." Kagome stuttered as she pulled her hands away, taking notice of his jet black fur cloak.
"New cloak? It's nice!" The girl complimented dodging out of the hut, leaving the boy stood both speechless and in a daze.
Once again she was back in the cold air this time heading in the other direction towards her family's shrine. This was Kagome's favourite place to be, her little get away place. It was always quiet and a little piece of isolation she knew that in this place she was spiritually safe. No words of judgement or hate coming from the outsiders. It was her place where she could relax, read, or just think. To her the moments where she could escape into her little world were her favourite moments, even if it was for a short amount of time.
That day Kagome lit a couple of candles and began to pray. She prayed for her sick grandfather, she prayed for her deceased father, she prayed for herself and most importantly she prayed for her peers. She prayed for the very same people who crucified her earlier that afternoon in hopes that one day they will find peace that they will no longer find joy in belittling others.
A rustle outside perked Kagome's ears and she reached for the purple jar not too far out of her reach. Ready to throw the powder inside at any moment. It was silent for a moment before the door slid open quickly.
"Oi! Easy with that!" A cloud of purple smog filled the air and Koga coughed enough to make Kagome think he was going to hurl a lung. She apologised trying to fan away her mistake with her hand toward the open door.
When the air finally cleared the two of them sat next to each other to the fireplace which Koga lit when Kagome aired out the shrine. Both of them only had their cloaks draped in green and black fur.
"So where is Gramps?" Koga asked the priestess to be. It was nothing out of the ordinary, Koga calling him Gramps, many of the younger people in the village did.
"He went off in search for some lunar thing. He was pretty vague when explaining it." Kagome's voice was as soft as her wavy, black hair which she pushed back out of her face. The girl stared into the heart of the fire, she felt the worry that was possessing her earlier begin to come back.
"Hey. I am sure he's alright" Koga nudged his shoulder against her's as if he could sense her uneasiness. Which at that point it would not surprise Kagome if he could. By this point in their lives Koga could read Kagome like a scroll.
"Thank you, Koga." Kagome's voice just above a whisper as she placed her head on his shoulder. The boy's face started to heat up, and not just because the two were sat close to the fire. They sat in silence listening to the inconstant pops of firewood and both alone with their own thoughts.