Chapter 1
"The Day I Didn't Get Rabies"

Kagome rubbed her eyes with her fingertips. She should have said no. She should have claimed to have too much homework, which really wasn't a lie either. But her grandfather insisted he needed to go ward off an evil spirit possessing his friend and causing his ill health that she just couldn't not go. Besides, her grandfather, despite his opinions on the subject, had no spiritual power whatsoever, and she couldn't, in good faith, let him go off and possibly duke it out with an actual spirit or ghost or demon or whatever it was, if it even was anything at all. What kind of granddaughter would she be if she said no?

Not that she really had that much more experience, but she did actually have some reiki to back her up, which was more than most had these days.

Besides, she could handle a little exorcism. She'd been part of them plenty in the past. Okay, maybe not part of the actual 'exorcising' but she'd seen Miroku do it often enough.

Outside the window, the buildings passed by, and she watched them, realizing how similar the experience was from riding on Inuyasha's back.

"Now, Kagome," her grandfather started, interrupting her thoughts. She turned towards him. "We are visiting my friend, Mr. Nakamura. He is very well-known in the shrine community, despite not owning a shrine."

"Yes, Grandpa, you told me this before we left."

He harumphed in annoyance.

"Well, he believes that there is an evil presence in his house. It might be a spirit or even a youkai." The way he spoke it made him seem almost giddy at the idea of battling it out with a youkai. "Now, I want you to stay back and observe how the head priest of the Higurashi shrine works!"

"Grandpa," she groaned. She loved him, she really did, and tried to cover up the smile that threatened to break free as he began to retell stories that she'd heard a thousand times already. And then began explaining the steps to a proper exorcism.

"I've seen them in the past, you know. I know how to do an exorcism."

"I'm referring to real exorcisms! None of that make-believe nonsense you see on the television these days."

"I know. Miroku does these all the time."

He didn't respond right away.

"Right, well, I am going to show you the Higurashi way of doing things."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head a little at his antics. There were, of course, ancient family heirlooms that must be used.

By the time they arrived at Nakamura's house, she'd listened to a lecture that started with exorcisms, which brought up the topic of human vs youkai spirits, which transferred to the youkai artifacts in the storeroom that he swore were authentic, which then delineated to a to-do list that Kagome needed to remind him to complete later when he got home.

Also, somewhere in there was talk about asking for a donation towards the shrine.

Standing from the car, she stretched her arms up over her head. She'd decided to wear the traditional robes at her grandfather's request. Not that it really mattered, but he wanted her to look the part. It was fine really.

"Now Kagome, I want you to merely observe the blessing. Mr. Nakamura is incredibly old fashioned; he's not as liberal minded as I am." Kagome snorted and received a glare.

"Sorry." He let out a soft sigh as he popped the trunk to retrieve his things. "I'll get the bag." He gave her a grateful smile and then started up the walk towards the front door. It was a cute little house, two stories, a porch on the front with a bench swing; the lawn was immaculate and the beds full of flowering plants. It was, in short, adorable. Kagome pulled the bag out of the trunk and shut the lid of the trunk before jogging the couple of paces to catch up with her grandfather.

He reached up and rang the bell, glancing over his shoulder at her before facing forward as the door opened.

She was an older lady, gray-haired, but not what Kagome would consider old.

"Ah, Kasuo! We're so glad you were able to come!" She said, smiling at her grandfather, who held out his own hand.

"Of course! What sort of priest would I be to ignore the requests of my dearest friends."

"And this must be your granddaughter! I'd recognize her from the pictures anywhere!" The woman smiled at her, and Kagome smiled in return.

"It's very nice to meet you!" She chirped and the woman seemed even more star-studded than she was a few minutes ago.

"Oh, forgive my manners! Please, come inside! That bag must be atrociously heavy." The woman ushered them inside quickly, shutting the door behind them and guided them into the kitchen. "I will have some tea and cookies shortly for you. Please, my husband is in the study. You remember where it is, Kasuo?"

"Of course, just up the stairs?"

She gave a small nod, smiled, and turned back towards the tray for tea. Kagome opened her mouth to offer to help, but her grandfather called to her from the bottom of the stairs.

"Kagome! Follow me!" Scurrying to his side with the bag in tow, he continued, "I don't want you getting lost in here."

It was a home half her size and she could literally see the hallway that led to the front door from the bottom of the stairs, she doubted that getting lost would be a problem. But if it made her grandfather feel better, so be it. He turned to the left when they came to the top of the stairs and slid the double doors open. It was a beautiful study. A large wooden desk sat against the wall, an old typewriter with paper partially rolled up sat on a green leather mat. The shelves were lined with book cases, overflowing with books and pictures. A sitting table and a series of cushions sat in the middle of the room. Facing them sat Mr. Nakamura, an older gentleman, slightly younger than her grandfather, more grey-haired than his wife, but still held a strong presence in the room.

"Kasuo, welcome!" He smiled and motioned for the both of them to sit. "It's been too long."

"Indeed! Kagome, this is Mr. Nakamura." She smiled as she took a seat and realized that the man looked ill. Dark circles under his eyes. She could see an inhaler poking out the top of his shirt pocket. His skin looked a little sallow, but that might be the lighting in here.

"Ah, the fabled granddaughter! We've heard so many stories about you; it's nice to meet the girl in the photographs!" He grinned and then broke out into a series of coughs that sounded rather wet.

"That cough doesn't sound good. Have you taken anything for it?" Kagome asked him, ignoring her grandfather's instructions to be quiet.

"My apologies, yes, I've been to several doctors. No medications have helped. It's not pneumonia or lung disease or cancer."

"Well, that's good news at least." Her grandfather leaned forward, elbows on the table.

"Yes, which brings me to our visit. It has to be something else. It's not bothering Ichika, which I am thankful for, but it has been a long time since I have slept soundly without nightmares or a coughing fit."

"And you believe it to be an evil presence within the home?"

"It must be something else. There is nothing medically wrong with me. It's the only other solution, wouldn't you agree?"

"Hmm," her grandfather mused. "It can't hurt. We have everything that we need to do it."

The soft click of nails on the wood floor drew Kagome's attention and a brown and white corgi appeared in the doorway, ears perked and tail wagging. Her heart swooned over the small thing, and she motioned for it to come closer, which it did. She quickly set upon it, scratching its ears and running her fingers through its coat.

"That's Jasmine. She's quite taken with you."

"She's so cute! Look at these ears and her little nose!" She cooed, scratching under her chin. "Do you like that?"

"Kagome has a special fondness for dogs. Especially strays." Kagome shot her grandfather a look as he sipped from his tea.

Wait. When did the tea get here? She looked at the table and sure enough, there was a steaming cup set in front of her. A plate of cookies sat in the middle of the table, but Kagome didn't remember hearing Mrs. Nakamura arriving, or coming up the stairs. But she must've because neither man thought it was odd. Maybe when she was playing with the dog?

Weird.

Something odd flitted by her senses, cold and calculating, running up from the base of her spine to her neck, like a cold finger running up along the skin. She sat up straight and felt her hair stand on end.

Maybe Mr. Nakamura wasn't imagining things. Maybe there was something in this house after all.

Her grandfather asked several questions and dragged out the supplies for blessing the house. He deemed an actual exorcism unnecessary, but Kagome saw the ofuda and on the table and pulled two from the small stack.

"We don't need those Kagome," he said.

"Just in case you need them. You don't know what spirits are capable of these days."

"Quite right, my girl." Her grandfather nodded.

They were going to bless Mr. Nakamura directly since he was the one that was ill. Her grandfather thought it might be a spirit leeching off his health and good nature, and wanted to bless the man and pray for his good health. Mr. Nakamura was willing to do whatever it took to feel better.

Kagome sympathized with the poor man. It must've been awful to not feel well for so long. There was something before, but she couldn't feel it now. She reached out with her reiki, trying to sense anything out of place, but so far there had been nothing. Not a blip of anything.

"Mr. Nakamura, you haven't recently bought any old antiques have you?" Kagome asked.

"No, in fact, the only thing to have left this house and been brought back in is my old typewriter. I had it repaired and just got it back a few weeks ago."

"I do regret selling mine," her grandfather sighed. "I was much faster on it than the computer."

"Indeed, and finding someone to repair them these days is difficult. I had to send it off to Nagasaki to have it fixed this time."

"It's a very pretty machine," Kagome added, trying to appear as though she were listening. Her fingers continued to scratch the dog's neck and ears, and she thought bemusedly that she'd love to rub a certain half-demon's ears again. It always shut him up whenever he was ranting about whatever had upset him that day.

Jasmine's ears perked up, and she raised her head before darting out of the office and down the hallway. Pouting at the loss of her furry companion, she turned back to the conversation. The two old men were now lamenting their lots in life and how the youth of today had no idea of the troubles they'd faced in their younger years.

At least they were only drinking tea and not sake. Though knowing her grandfather, that particular request wasn't far off now.

"Grandfather, we should do the blessing before we wear poor Mr. Nakamura out with our company."

"You're absolutely right. Will you be a dear and fetch Mrs. Nakamura for me? I think it would be best if I blessed you as a couple. Just to ward off any other ill spirits."

"You're a good man, Kasuo."

Her grandfather only smiled and gave a slight nod as Kagome left the study and headed downstairs towards the kitchen where she'd last seen Ichika.

The kitchen was empty, but the back was there and Kagome took a moment, before pulling out one of the ofuda, charging it with her reiki and a quick prayer before placing it on the upper edge of the door. Out of sight enough that they shouldn't peel it off anytime soon. Maybe it will give whatever is bothering them some time to move on. Moving to the front door, she did the same before, feeling the pulse of reiki move throughout the house. Smiling, she moved back through the kitchen, calling quietly for the older woman.

She came from another hallway around the staircase, smiling.

"Ah, there you are! Grandfather wants us all present so he can bless the both of you together." She motioned for the elder woman to take the stairs ahead of her and followed behind her.

Mrs. Nakamura sat beside her husband, smiling, and Kagome hoped that she could have a relationship like that one day. She sighed internally as she listened to her grandfather's voice announce the blessing over the couple and their home. Jasmine slunk into the room and sat next to Kagome at the table.

Once her grandfather was finished, and everyone was smiling, Kagome reached out to scratch the adorable dog between her ears. Her fingernails lightly scratched the top of her head, and she smiled as the tongue lolled out before turning back to the adults at the table.

A short, very short, growl and teeth sank into her forearm. She cried out, trying to pull her arm away, but the little dog refused to let go, snarling and clamping her jaw even tighter. Pulling just made it feel like she was ripping at her own skin. Kagome tried to pull her arm away, but the jaw was set and the teeth painfully deep into the flesh and tissue. Mr. Nakamura was trying to pry the dog's mouth open to release her arm, but it only made the little dog lurch away, growling at anyone who got close, and dragging Kagome with her wherever she went. Both men managed to corner the dog, who now had Kagome stretched out across the floor, and Mr. Nakamura was trying to pry the dog's mouth open, but the resounding force when he lost his grip felt like the teeth were scratching at her very bones.

In a reflex, she let loose a fit of reiki just as Mr. Nakamura got his fingers into the dog's throat, forcing it to yelp and gag, releasing her arm. Her arm bled. The deep puncture wounds on both sides of her arm dripped blood onto the floor and she quickly clamped her hand over the wound to stem both the mess and the loss. Her hand wasn't big enough to cover the bite, but Mrs. Nakamura appeared with a couple of towels, and her grandfather quickly wrapped one around her arm.

"I don't know what's gotten into her! She's never even growled at anyone before!"

"Oh Kagome! Let me help you bandage this."

She nodded and let the older woman help her down the stairs.

"Do you want us to call the ambulance?"

"Oh no, it's not that bad, I'm sure," Kagome insisted as the woman moved her to the sink and turned the faucet on.

"Honestly, Jasmine has never done anything like this! You must think terribly of us!" She removed the towel and pulled her arm under the running water. The towel was soaked with blood; she'd seen worse, but her arm was already throbbing. The water stung a little bit more than she was expecting, and she winced. "These are really deep. I think that you're going to need stitches. We can give you a record of her shots to take with you."

The bite was bad. Jasmine had managed to bite at an angle, so that most of her teeth on one side had punctured the skin, the deepest ones being the front canines and the back molars. She didn't look that strong. Who knew Corgis had such strong jaws?

"Okay, let me pour some antiseptic over this. It's going to hurt." She uncapped the bottle of rubbing alcohol and poured it liberally over the wounds. Kagome whimpered, remembering how many times she'd told Inuyasha to deal with it, and rested her head on her uninjured arm as she waited for the burn to subside. She kept her arm extended, feeling gauze being pressed against her skin as she bandaged it, adding more pieces as she went. "I really think that you should go to a hospital. Please, we would be more than happy to take care of the bill."

Her entire arm felt like it was pulsing in tune with her heart beat. Maybe she should go.

Two more sets of footsteps came down the stairs, hurrying.

"Kagome!" Her grandfather shouted.

"It's okay, grandpa," she called, and he rushed to her side, every bit the worried grandparent.

"I really think she should go to the hospital. I think she needs stitches." Mrs. Nakamura applied tape to hold the wrappings in place.

"Of course, I'll take her straight away. Please excuse us." With gentle hands, he guided Kagome away with gentle hands towards the front door.

"Please, call if you need anything. Kagome, I am so sorry."

"It's okay. I'm sure I'll be good as new in a couple of weeks."

"Kasuo, you'll let us know—" Mr. Nakamura asked and her grandfather cut him off with a smooth wave of the hand as he opened the door for Kagome to get into the passenger seat.

"Of course, I will call and let you know everything is fine." He moved quickly, spryness hiding the age of the old man. The car started, and Kagome leaned back in the seat trying to ease the pounding of her head and the throbbing of her arm. "Kagome, are you alright, my dear? I am driving as fast as I can."

"It's fine. I'm not dying, so you don't have to speed." She smiled at him, trying to ease his nerves. He was clearly upset at what had happened and knowing him, blamed himself for bringing her along. Kagome tried to placate him, reassure him that she wasn't dying, without elaborating too much, because that would only freak him out more.

"My poor granddaughter!" He bemoaned at a red light.

"Grandpa, it'll be fine." He pulled into the emergency room driveway. "Go park and I'll meet you inside."

"Wait here, I will fetch an orderly for you!" He started to get out, but Kagome was already on her feet, gripping the edge of the door firmly.

"Go park. I am perfectly capable of walking inside on my own. I'll see you inside, okay?" She shut the door and started walking inside, cradling her arm against her stomach. It was really hurting at this point, and it felt hot. It was too early to feel infection, but she really wanted to make sure that it was clean and stitch it up to prevent as much scarring as she could.

She wasn't vain, but it was her arm! She didn't exactly want a giant dog bite front and center. She did wear long sleeves a lot, which would allow her to hide it somewhat.

Man, it was really pulsing now. Maybe it was because the bandages were so tight.

Standing in front of the counter a nurse looked up at her.

"Can I help you?"

"I probably need stitches. I was bit by a dog."

"Fill out this form and we'll get you in to see a doctor. It might be a little wait though. It's been a little busy today."

"Of course, do I bring them back to you?"

"Yes, please." The nurse dismissed her and Kagome took a seat where her grandfather could see her easily and attempted to write, but the injury made it painfully difficult. Of course it would be her right hand, the one hand she did everything with. Shooting a bow was going to be near impossible. Muffling a groan, she realized that a certain hanyou was going to lose his mind when she finally showed up. Not only would she be late, but there was no way that she'd be able to hide this from him. If she got lucky, he might have gone back down the well in his impatience.

She snorted.

Highly unlikely to say the least.

She was almost done with the form when her grandfather came huffing and puffing into the waiting area.

"Oh, Kagome! Have they not seen you yet?"

"I have to fill these out first. She said they've been busy and that it might be a little while." She explained, grimacing at her handwriting that was no where near as neat as it usually was. Her hand had started to shake as she put forth more effort into writing legibly.

"But you're bleeding!" He cried.

"Calm down before you give yourself a heart attack. They will see me when they can."

"I feel awful! What can I do to help?" He asked, and Kagome wondered if he'd been talking to Inuyasha about perfecting the puppy eyed look. She handed him the clipboard with the now completed forms on them.

"Take these to the lady at the desk over there, and please, do not make a big deal about waiting." She stared at him for a moment before he huffed, took the clipboard, and walked over to the desk. He spoke to her for a long time and the nurse glanced over in her direction, an eyebrow cocked.

Well, in all honesty, she should have really known better than to let him talk to anyone in charge. The nurse was probably getting a speech about how important shrine maidens were.

There was nothing good that was going to come from existing today, was there? She let her head fall back and stared at the ceiling, pondering how to get both her grandfather to stop pestering, because they would see her when they saw her. They couldn't work any faster than they already were. And to be quite frank, she didn't want them rushing on her either. If it took an hour for her to get good quality stitches, she was willing to wait, especially if the nurse could make them relatively painless.

"They said it could be an hour to an hour and a half before they see you."

"It'll be okay," she told him.

"Shouldn't I be telling you that?" He patted her good hand lightly and she smiled, settling in the for the long wait ahead.

Dark had fallen by the time her name was called. She stood, feeling her muscles stretch from being in one position for too long. The bandage was really starting to feel too tight, and she was on the verge of removing it herself if she didn't think that she was going to bleed all over the place.

"It says here that you were bitten by a dog?" The nurse asked, motioning for Kagome to sit on a hospital bed.

"Yeah, the owners said that she'd had all her shots though."

"Hmm," the nurse mused, glancing over the paperwork.

"We were performing a blessing on behalf of Higurashi shrine. This was Kagome's first outing as a shrine maiden."

"First time, huh?" The nurse smiled, setting the notes to the side, and reaching for Kagome's arm. She took a small pair of shears and cut through the bandaging. "Well, let's take a look and see what we're dealing with."

The bandages fell away. She didn't realize that she'd been bleeding through them. They were soaked with blood, and so were her clothes.

"How big was the dog?" She asked, gently pressing around the wound and moving her arm to see it in different light.

"Not that big. She's a corgi." The wound didn't look any better. The blood had clotted, though movement was breaking some of those enough to cause them to bleed again. They were dark black marks, and already bruising was forming, light shades of purple and red against her pale skin.

"A corgi did this?" The nurse asked. "You're sure?"

"Yes, why?"

"This is a large bite for a corgi and deep."

"Well, I mean she was biting really hard. It hurt."

"I bet." She was frowning the more she looked at the bite.

"I, uh, got it bandaged as soon as I could. We came straight here." The nurse was making her nervous and she really wasn't sure why. It wasn't like she'd done anything wrong, just got bit by a dog.

"Well, you're going to need a few stitches, so lie down and I'll grab a kit." Kagome stretched out on the gurney as her grandfather moved to her good side and held her hand.

"Squeeze my hand as hard as you need to, okay?"

"Sure," she answered, flashing him a smile.

"Alright, I'm going to numb the area and give you something for the pain. The doctor will be here to do the sutures and prescribe some antibiotics and pain medication for you."

"Is it that bad?" It hadn't looked that bad to her. She'd literally seen worse. Maybe she was a little desensitized after dealing with Inuyasha for so long.

"It's going to ache for a few days. Have you had a tetanus shot recently?"

"No?" She glanced at her grandfather who shrugged. She probably should know since she's traipsing around the feudal era.

"We'll give you one while you're here. Make it a one stop shop, okay?" She draped a small curtain around Kagome's arm, blocking it from view, but she could feel the prick of the needle as she injected the numbing agent into various spots into her arm. Her sleeve was pushed up higher and a sharp pinch from another needle. "One more and we're done." Another pinch and Kagome winced. "Sorry. Tetanus shots do hurt a bit. Might feel like it's a bit bruised for a couple days too. Alright, we'll give that a moment to settle in, and the doctor should be right back."

"You know, you don't have to stay back here. You can wait out front. It would probably be more comfortable," Kagome suggested.

"Nonsense. Where else would I be but with my beautiful granddaughter?" He lightly patted her good arm as a man, the doctor presumably, appeared at the end of her table.

"I hear that we're getting some stitches," he commented, taking a seat at the stool. She heard the snapping of latex gloves and the pressure of someone pressing their fingers into her arm. "This looks like you had a good fight with a dog. Do you feel anything here?" Light pressure ran along the skin.

"Tickles," she giggled.

"Ah, good. I see the pain medication is kicking in. We're ready to stitch this up then. Hold tight and we'll get you out of here in no time."

As he stitched, he asked her some basic questions. Where did she go to school? What was her favorite subject? Color? When was her birthday? She knew that she was giggling a lot. More than she ever did, but the doctor was just—so—funny. In fact, this whole experience was just—hilarious. And the fact that the pulsing and burning pain had finally stopped was just a relief in itself. She felt really good. Like really really good. Better than she's felt in ages.

"Okay, all done!" He announced, swinging the curtain away and revealing her bandaged arm.

"This is really good work!" She told him, marveling at the skill used to bind and tape her wounds. "I mean, look at this!" She swung her arm over to show her grandfather, who caught her shoulder and pushed her arm back down. "I give it five stars."

"Always glad to please a patient." He looked over at her grandfather. "I'll have a nurse bring a wheelchair. She shouldn't be up and walking without supervision. She'll be fine in the morning. I've put in a couple of prescriptions, they should have them when she's discharged. If you'd like, you can start the process and bring up your car. We should have her out by then."

"I have a bracelet!" Her name was clearly printed on a white band around her wrist.

"That's nice, dear girl. Now listen here, Kagome," her head snapped towards him and for a moment the world spun. "I'm going to leave you here with the good doctor. I'll be back in a moment." She gave him a mock salute and busted out into giggles. He rolled his eyes with a sigh and walked out into the lobby.
When the nurse appeared with the wheelchair, she put it beside the bed and turned around to collect the paperwork. The doctor said something to her and left, giving Kagome a quick smile and wishing her good night.

"You don't have to give me a wheelchair, I can walk."

"Hospital policy. We have to do it," the nurse said with a smile.

"You don't have to. We could break the rules," she whispered.

"Yes, but I could get fired if you don't. Besides, we don't want you to fall."

"That would be bad," Kagome concurred with a nod to her head. It really wasn't necessary. But rules were rules and she really didn't want the poor lady getting fired, so she'd help her out in whatever way possible. With a small jump, Kagome slid off the table, collapsing into the wheelchair almost completely sideways with one leg draped over the arm.

"Oh dear, you weren't supposed to move on your own!" The nurse quickly helped her get adjusted before grabbing the paperwork and shoving it under her arm before rolling the chair towards the doors. "How about we just take you outside and I'll finish this later?"

"You know, if you went a little faster, I bet I could pop a wheelie."

"Maybe next time," the nurse said with a little giggle.

But then she was at the car and the nurse was talking to her grandfather, holding a white bag and giving him a blue folder. The passenger door was open, and she was still in the wheelchair; well, no one was getting home quickly that way! She stood and climbed in and that's where things got complicated.

The seatbelt worked on the way here; it did. But now, now it wasn't working at all. She pulled on it and tucked it into the side, but it wouldn't stick. She jabbed it into the hidey-hole next to the seat. The place where French fries go and never return, the black hole, the Bermuda triangle of her grandpa's sedan. She jammed it in there and let go, but it kept flying out towards the door. It was very upsetting, and she didn't want to fly through the windshield if her grandfather had an accident! She'd seen those commercials where the test dummies were thrown, limbs flailing wildly into a concrete wall, landing in pieces and broken beyond repair. She'd seen that and could already feel the grit of the air bag dust in her teeth.

"What are you doing, child?" He asked and she yelped, jumping back against the door. When had that closed?

"I don't want to be a crash test dummy!" She wailed, clutching at the seatbelt dramatically, as if she could physically stop herself from launching out of the car.

A long sigh escaped him. "Give it here, Kagome," he said, gently prying it out of her fingers and clicking it into place next to her hip. "Okay?" She nodded, still sniffling, but he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.

The streetlights flashed by her, and she marveled at their luminosity against the night sky.

"You know, grandpa, I could have just driven myself. You didn't have to come."

Silence for a breath, before a quick snort from his side of the car.

"Well, I couldn't just leave my granddaughter at the hospital and expect her to drive herself home." Another pause. "Especially since she's only fifteen."

She snapped her head towards him so harshly that she smacked her cheek on the headrest.

"Grandpa! That's a secret!" She hissed at him, her uninjured arm covering her mouth. "You can't just tell that to people!"

"That you're fifteen?"

"That I don't know how to drive! People will make fun of me!" She grabbed his sleeve and tugged at his arm. "You can't tell a soul! Oh God, what if Inuyasha found out?"

"I wouldn't dream of it, but we have to at least inform your mother."

Kagome let out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine, if we must." Her stomach gurgled quietly. She hadn't eaten anything since lunch, and she was actually a little hungry but also very tired. She really wanted to go to sleep when she got home, so her hunger would just have to wait until morning.

Maybe her mother would make her breakfast. An omelet would be nice.

"What are you frowning about over there?"

"Omelets are good." Another snort from his side of the car.

"And that is upsetting?"

"They are only for breakfast," she lamented, collapsing completely back into her seat, body melting against the fabric. "And it is not breakfast."

The car stopped and the engine died promptly; she watched her grandfather climb out of the car and walk around her side of the vehicle to open her door. She moved to stand, and the seatbelt strap jerked her to a stop at her neck, making her cough.

"You have to be patient, Kagome," he chided and quickly clicked the seatbelt free.

"Those things are dangerous."

"For some, I suppose so." Narrowing her eyes, she watched him as he moved to help her stand from the car. "Your mother is coming down to help you up the stairs. Let's go meet her, alright?" Kagome nodded and staggered her way to the steps of the shrine, before a flash of red made her yelp and stumble backwards towards the ground.

"Kagome!" Strong arms stop her fall, but she's halfway tipped over backwards, and frowning at the sight of the faceless black man standing next to the car.

"Who's that?"

A/N: Honestly, I have no idea of when I'm updating this. It's something I doodled up on a whim, and I have a (very) general idea of where I'm going. Also, I needed something more lighthearted than my other piece.