Chapter 1
Inu-Yasha glared as he chased after Kagome. "I won't let you run out on -"
"SIT!" Inu-Yasha groaned as he slammed into the ground.
"I'll be back in a few days!" Kagome shouted, as she jumped into the well.
Inu-Yasha scowled. He couldn't believe how she could just run out on him like that. As if there were more important things in her time than finding the shards of the Shikon Jewel.
"My lord Inu-Yasha -"
"Shut up, flea."
"Inu-Yasha -"
"That's enough, fox."
Shippo and Myoga glanced knowingly at each other. Kagome had only been gone for a minute, and Inu-Yasha already missed her. Now he was heading back to his tree, no doubt to sit and sulk until Kagome came back. Myoga and Shippo went after him.
"I miss her, too," said Shippo. Inu-Yasha whirled around and glared at him.
"Who said I missed her?"
"Well, you -"
"I NEVER said I missed her!"
"Okay, okay, I just -"
"STOP putting words in my mouth, fox!"
"My lord Inu-Yasha -"
"What do you want, flea?" Myoga cringed.
"Why don't we go look for rumors of the jewel?" he suggested. Inu-Yasha frowned.
"Fine." He stomped toward the village. Shippo sighed. Kagome, he thought, you'd better get back here soon.
Kagome climbed out of the well. She ran into the house, dropping her pack at the door.
"I'm back, everybody! Mom! Gramps! Sota! Where is everyone?" Kagome stopped in the kitchen. There was a note on the table.
"Kagome," it read. "Welcome back. Go take your bath, and then pick up Sota from Satoru's house. Grandpa and I will be back soon. Love, Mom."
Kagome frowned. Where could they have gone? she wondered. Taking a peach from the bowl on the table, she went upstairs to take her bath. Then she went to get Sota. When they got home, her mom and grandpa were there.
"Where have you been?" Kagome asked as she hugged them. "And how did you know that I was coming back today?"
"You come home every week or so," her mother told her. "How's Inu-Yasha?"
"Did you get anymore jewel shards?" added her grandpa. Kagome nodded.
"Yeah, we fought this guy...whatshisname....uh...Leonaka or something like that. He -"
"You fought Leonaikai?" gasped her grandpa. "He's one of the strongest demons. He -"
"He liked to freeze stuff a lot. Anyway, since it's summer, I don't have school. No summer math this year. What are we going to do?"
"Kagome," said Mrs. Higurashi. "We may not be able to go anywhere for a while."
"Huh?" said Kagome. "I mean, I know I need to keep looking for the Jewel of Four Souls and go back in time, but -"
"We don't have anymore money," said Sota. Kagome stared at him.
"It's not like that, Kagome," said Grandpa Ojiichan. "We're fine economically. Really." Kagome frowned. "Why didn't anyone tell me this sooner?" she asked. "I could have helped out in the shrine or something."
"You had so much on your mind," said her mother. "With Inu-Yasha and all, and we didn't want to worry you."
"But I thought that people donated to our shrine and we sell things and -"
"Business hasn't been so good," said her grandpa. "People still donate, but not as much or as frequently. They don't pay very much attention to their religion, I'm afraid. I'm also not as young as I used to be."
Kagome was still in shock. Obviously, her family hadn't been rich, but they'd been well off. No one told me anything, thought Kagome, because I'd been so busy back there....in the Feudal Age.....with Inu-Yasha...searching for the jewel.....
"What can I do?" she asked.
"Nothing," said her mother. "You need to go back to -"
"I know," Kagome interrupted. "But I have to do something." Her mother sighed.
"Like I said, there's nothing you or Sota can do. But...well...."
"Well, what?" asked Sota.
"There was a shrine across town," began Grandpa Ojiichan. "The priestess there was very strong, and her daughter even stronger."
"Daughter?" repeated Kagome. "But - "
"The daughter is unusually smart," continued her mother, not noticing that she had interrupted Kagome. "When she was still young, she studied at a university in the United States, and then she lived in Europe for a while."
"They think she is the reincarnation of two of the strongest priestesses, though many are unsure. No two priestesses could possess her power," said her grandpa.
"Two?" asked Kagome. "How is that possible?" Her grandpa shrugged.
"There are things even I don't know, Kagome."
"You want to ask her for help?" asked Sota. "But doesn't she already have a shrine of her own?"
"That's the part I'm getting to," said Mrs. Higurashi. "While she was living in Europe, her mother took care of the shrine."
"Why was she living in Europe?" asked Sota.
"She was doing a research project for a professor at the university she studied at," said her grandpa. "As a foreign exchange student, I believe."
"As I was saying," continued Kagome's mother. "Her mother took care of the shrine. But one night, it was desecrated."
"How?" asked Kagome.
"It was burned down by an evil spirit," said her grandpa. "Her mother's powers weren't enough to stop it, and she died there."
"That's sad," said Sota. Kagome nodded.
"She was still in Europe at that time, but she blames herself for her mother's death. She thinks she could have prevented it," said Grandpa Ojiichan. "I don't think she could have. I felt something that night, a strong evil spirit, but I had no idea it was going to turn out like that."
"Now the poor girl doesn't have a shrine," said her mother. "She's living in Japan again. She came back after her mother's death."
"People pity her," continued her grandpa. "But no one really cares about a priestess without a shrine."
"So you want her to come here?" asked Kagome. Her mother nodded.
"If it's okay with you and Sota."
"Sure," said Sota. "I'll be as nice as I can to her, too."
"What about you, Kagome?" her grandpa asked.
Kagome thought a bit. She really didn't want anyone new to move in. They'd have to tell her about Inu-Yasha. But she could help them. Grampa wasn't getting any younger, and the shrine....her family...She looked into their hopeful faces. I have to, she thought.
"Yeah, it'll be great," she said. "But we'll need to tell her about Inu-Yasha." Kagome's mother and grandpa smiled and hugged her and
Sota, telling them how much they'd like the new priestess and how nice
she was. But Kagome was still digesting the new information. Will I
ever, she wondered, learn to like her?