Chapter 2

The Higurashi house was quiet, two of its three occupants having already gone to bed some time ago, while the fourth was currently missing.

Sitting in the kitchen with a single light illuminating the dim room, with a cup of tea as her silent companion sat Kun-Loom Higurashi. Her brown eyes staring worriedly into the now cold cup of tea she'd originally brewed in hopes it would calm her. Yet it had done nothing to quell the nagging feeling that something was seriously wrong; that Kagome wouldn't be coming home.

She shivered, remembering the dead look that had been haunting Kagome's once lively eyes. The girl that had just a year ago, jumped through the well and through time, was no longer the same girl. Kagome barely ate, rarely if at all spoke outside of being spoken to, and could often be found staring wantonly at the wellhouse or sitting beneath the Sacred Tree.

It hurt Kun-Loom to see her daughter so distraught over the past.

A gentle rapping sounded off the door. Looking at the time -11:41pm- she hurried to the door hoping it to be Kagome, the girl had left well before dinner and had yet to return home. As her mother, Kun-Loom had been worried about Kagome's growing depression, she hadn't been herself since the well closed.

Opening the door Kun-Loom blinked at the crying girl at her doorstep, clearly not her daughter.

"Auntie," the girl started watery. Brown hair fell straight against her back, with fluffy bangs falling into watery brown eyes. Even while crying the girl was lovely, with a gentle beauty that matched her mother's.

"Nanami?!" Kun-Loom gasped in realization. "What are you doing here sweetie?"

The girl crumbled to the ground tears falling down her face, with her shoulders shaking. She wiped at her eyes but the tears kept coming. "Papa lost the house! And then took off!" She cried loudly. "I have nowhere to go!"

"Oh dear!" Kun-Loom kneeled down and hugged the girl, cradling her lovingly to her chest. "You should have come straight here, my home is always open to you,"

The girl began to cry harder, thin fingers curling into Kun-Loom's shirt. How long had it been since someone, anyone, had held her like this? Her heart ached as she sobbed harder into the older women's motherly embrace.

"Come inside. I'll fix you up something to eat while you get fresher up- how does that sound? " Kun-Loom asked with a cheery smile.

Nanami smiled, her tears still falling as she nodded just as her stomach decided to growl hungrily.

Kun-Loom smiled, but frowned internally. The girl was far too small, her cheeks even looking sunken speaking of how little the girl probably had been eating. Kun-Loom laughed gently, not at all hinting at the anger she now felt towards her niece's father, while helping the girl stand so as to bring her into the house and out of the cold. "Do you remember where everything is?"

Nanami nodded, whipping away the residence from her tears.

"Good- you can find something to wear in Kagome's room, and once your done freshening up, we'll get you some dinner and figure things out from there,"

Nanami felt a new wave of tears burning at her eyes, and before she could stop herself, she threw herself at the woman. Hugging her tightly. "Thank you Auntie,"

Kun-Loom simply smiled as she returned the hug, hugging her half-sister's daughter just a little tighter before letting go. "Of course, now go, we'll talk after you shower,"

As the young teen made her way up the stairs Kun-Loom went about heating the leftovers that she'd originally put to the side for Kagome. If that dreadful feeling of Kagome not coming home was right, then she most likely wouldn't be hearing from her daughter till later on tomorrow as the teen had taken to staying out late or ever sleeping out in the well house.

She quickly wiped away a tear, Kun-Loom loved her daughter fiercely but since the well closed Kagome had become withdrawn and distance. Even if a rift had form between them, Kun-Loom had faith that her daughter would find the purpose she'd been search for, because from her birth Kun-Loom knew that he daughter was destined for some greater purpose.

~o.O~O.o~

Kagome leered at the unkempt steps, a couple hundred, some uneven or cracked. The foliage was overgrown, shadowing the edges or out stretching into the path. Fog hung heavy, flowing downwards from the red arching gate at the top. It looked ominous, almost haunted, but the feeling she got was the exact opposite.

The air hummed, her aura prickling with the shrine calling to her reiki that shimmered lively against her skin. It took all her strength to keep it from expanding further. This place vibrated with power, power that called to her, beckoning her to take that step; to come home.

Kagome shivered, shaking her head and biting at her lip. She should head home, back to her mother before the woman could worry further, yet the aura of the shrine pulsed as she went to step away.

The pulse had her own reiki bursting forth, tendrils of pink and white hue swaying around her, shining brightly in the darkness.

Kagome clambered to control her reiki, taking deep slowing breaths she pulled her growing reiki back to her. As wonderful as it felt to have her powers back, it equally terrified her.

"I guess you leave me no choice," Kagome muttered softly, looking back up the stairs.

With a deep breath Kagome took that step, not knowing that accepting the offer of the shrine, that her fate had been sealed.

wolfYLady: Sorry that I have taken so long to update but hope this will do until the next chapter. I had to add Nanami as it would be so unfair to just leave her homeless.Hope you enjoyed and please review, it really helps.Until next time!