A new Kimono

Chapter 2

As villagers, friends of mom and dad, and our family were gathering in our small home for my party and I started to feel anxious. I didn't think I would feel anxious or even excited. Since the time I was born I never really wanted to celebrate my birthday or any special event. Mom always did because she said it made her feel close to her family and it was tradition. Whatever that means.

Mom is from the other side of the bone eaters well. She lives in a place called Tokyo. I never been there, but dad has. He always told us it was a scary and dangerous place, much more dangerous than here.

"Inuko, Inuko…" I heard a voice shout at me from outside.

I walked to the door. It was Rin and she held a small wrapped gift in her hand. "Hi Rin," I said to her.

"This is from Lord Sesshomaru, he can't come today but he sent this to me and asked for me to give it to you," She smiled and extended her arms towards me.

I never met my uncle Sesshomaru. Dad barely ever spoke of him, and I've only seen him once her twice in the village when he would come and deliver a gift to Rin. He would appear and disappear through the skies so fast that it would be impossible to catch him.

"Thanks," I said and took the gift from her. I wonder what it is.

"Inuko who's that from?" Mom asked behind me.

"Uncle Sesshomaru…." I turned around carefully not to disturb the package content.

"Really… huh!" was all mom said. I placed the package on top of the other gifts in the corner of the room next to our small round table. I'll be sure to open that first.

Even Shippo the fox demon and Kohaku Sango's younger brother had also joined our party night. I was happy to see Kohaku; I hadn't seen him in a while. Apparently he was permantely going to stay with Sango in the village. I was excited to have another friend to play with.

Night fell quickly outside our small crowded house. Mom and Sango had worked hard all day and prepared us a large feast, and a cake, a really cool cake.

"Woooooooaaahhhhhhh," I shouted as I looked at the cake and the flaring candles. Kikyko giggled in dad's lap and poked her finger quickly at the side of the cake.

"It's your favorite kind Inuko. I know you don't like cake but this one has your favorite ingredient in it," mom smiled and pushed the cake closer towards me.

"BLACKBERRIES," I shouted and blew out my candles. I was excited to take a bite out of it. Everyone clapped and cheered when I blew out my eleven candles.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY INUKO," the echo of voices shook my house.

"Woah," I said and laughed. I thought for sure our house was going to fall down on us.

The party dragged on for what seemed like the entire night. Haku and Kira and a few other village kids ran around the house and played for hours. No one seemed to care as we played silly made up games.

We managed to eat all the food and the amazing blueberry cake. Mom really made a good cake this time. Kikyko was thrown off by the taste of the blackberry and didn't like how it smelt.

As everyone was disappearing and a lot of the people in our home were leaving, the house slowly got quieter. Kikyko, Haru, Kira and I had fallen asleep next to each other.

"They must be exhausted." I heard mom's voice whisper. I was exhausted, it was a long day and all I wanted to do was sleep.

"Yeah, he didn't even open his presents yet. Oh well he can save that for tomorrow," Dad draped his haori over our bodies as we huddled together.

As the sun shone through our house I could hear Kikyko laughing and giggling. I think she was the only one in the house. I opened one eye and shifted around to peer at her.

"Aaahhh," I shouted and sat up.

She had leaned over me giggling and scared me.

"What are you doing?" I shouted at her.

She laughed and threw her arms around me.

"Inuko good morning…" She said and pressed her face against mine.

"Stop that," I blushed and pushed her away.

"Why?" she asked, her stupid and ridiculous questions again.

"Because that's embarrassing," I answered and rubbed her sent away from my face.

"Where is everyone?" I asked her looking around our empty house.

"Mommy is doing laundry outside, daddy is with Miroku and Sango took the kids and Kohaku back home," she said. Her face looked like she was trying hard to figure out her words. I chuckled at her.

"Haha, I see… well why don't you help me open these presents?" I asked her and tapped my hand to her head.

"Really I can do that?" Her eyes widened with excitement. She jumped to her feet and followed me towards the pile of wrapped gifts. We both grabbed a gift and counted to three, and opened them quickly. I made sure to keep Sesshomaru's gift to the side so I could open it secretly.

"Oooooh, so cool Shippo made you a drawing book, WOOW!" Kikyko laughed and looked through the pages carefully. Shippo was always so creative and drew with crayons that mom got him.

"That's so cool. I want to save them, okay?" I told her. She carefully stacked the papers together, tapped them between her feet to keep them neatly together and put them in a pile to the side.

"Hey big brother…" Kikyko always called me that. I never minded her doing so, I didn't hate her or anything like that I just found her annoying. Today however, she didn't seem to bother me.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"What does 'the demon inside' mean?" She always asked the weirdest questions. And sometimes they made no sense.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I wasn't sure if I should ask her that.

"I heard daddy talk with mommy and Miroku and Sango about you …. He said that he's worried about your inner demon…" she eyed me carefully, and then turned her eyes to the wrapped gift in her hand. "What does that mean?" she asked again.

"I'm not sure Kiki, I'll ask dad when he comes home and then tell you okay?" I replied to her. I pretended not to be worried about what she said. However, I was curious and worried.

"Me next," she said holding a small silver box in her hands. "What's that?" I asked her curiously.

She giggled and handed me the box.

"Can I open it?" I asked her carefully examing the box.

"Yes, yes open it." She shouted.

I ripped the box open carefully and took out the chain inside of it.

"WOOOOAAAHHH…. So cool, you made a flower chain?" I asked her I examined the flowers in my hands.

"MMm hmm," she blushed and swayed her feet back and forth.

"THANKS KIKI," I put the chain around my neck, it smelt nice, I really liked it.

"Kiki," mom's voiced echoed from outside.

"Yes momma I'm coming," she shouted and shifted to her feet.

I took this opportunity to quickly open the gift I received from Rin earlier. I ripped at the packing quickly.

"Woooaah," my eyes were surprised to see a white, and red kimono.

"So cool," I smiled and looked the kimono over carefully.

"Hey, nice kimono," Dad's voice startled me. I quickly whipped the kimono behind me.

"Aah, dad, your back."

"What's with you?" He asked, and sat down in front of me.

"Nothing, nothing at all," I said quickly.

"Did you get that from Sesshomaru? I'm not mad or anything, I think it looks good," I was surprised he said that. After all he hated Sesshomaru and never wanted anything to do with him.

"So I can keep it?" I asked pulling it around my back and held it up towards him.

"Yeah I don't mind," he replied. He looked normal today. It worried me, he was being nice, maybe a little too nice. He's usually disciplining me or lecturing me about… something. But today, he seemed… normal.

"Okay," I said and put the kimono on my lap.

"Inuko?"

I was opening my gifts and didn't notice dad even talk to me.

"Inuko?"

He said again. I lifted my head and looked at him.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"We need to talk…." He started to say. But was cut off when Kikyko ran through the door and towards him.

"Papa…." She shouted. She ran in to his arms.

"Hello Kiki," He smiled and threw her in to the air.

I took in a deep breath and exhaled. I was relieved for Kiki, I didn't really want to talk, or find out what dad wanted to talk about. Kikyko giggled and laughed as dad threw her in to the air and played with her.

I shifted to my feet, and draped my new kimono over my arms. I shifted out the back door quietly, and sat near the water pump. I watched mom drape sheets over a line.

For once I was happy I was alone. I held the kimono up to the sun and looked at it.