A.N: I'm back after long absence. I'm afraid I can't say much on pairing, but it's defintly going to be Kagome/Inuyasha with a little bit of Inuyasha/Kikyo and Inuyasha/Rei. I know it sounds like Inu-san's a bit of a womanizer, but it will all make sense soon enough. R&R!
Disclaimer: I own very little. I certainly DON'T own any of the characters in the fic, or the show/manga they originate from. So please, don't hurt me!
Chapter 2: The Family I Never KnewThe train ride had been stressful. You'd never think so; it was only to the other side of town. Of course, it was kind of expected, being the Japanese transport system, packed with busy people going to work and Minako's many bags. Rei's eyes nearly popped right out of their sockets, when Minako had arrived at her house earlier with at least six large bags. Everyone else, even Usagi, had bought at max two small bags.
"Oh, I know it's only to the other side of town…but you never know what might happen!" Minako had said smiling.
So the five of them were squished into the carriage, each holding their own bags and one of Minako's. It was hot and none of them had felt very sociable. It was a wonderful feeling to be out in the "fresh" air and stretch.
"Ami-chan, are you sure you know where we're going?" Usagi said as they walked the winding streets. Ami glanced down at the map and studied it.
"I think if we go to the left-"
"NO! Let's go this way!" Usagi yelled, grabbing the map and rushing off. The remaining girls sighed.
"I guess we should follow her," Matoko said, adjusting her brunette hair. She was the tallest of the group, with green eyes and medium length hair. In Senshi terms she was labelled "Sailor Jupiter".
Minako smiled her "Sailor Venus" smile, shifting the weight of one of her bags onto her other shoulders and brushing her long blonde hair to one side. She held a tote bag in each hand had two on her back and had two on wheels. Her blue eyes laughed at the others as she tore off after Usagi. Ami looked flustered, her blue eyes confused.
"They're going to get lost…" she said with concern. Ami, the "nerd" of the group, bit her lip and stared at the others. Her short blue bob swayed in the wind. A typical "Sailor Mercury" hairstyle. Rei laughed.
"They'll be fine. The shrine can't be that hard to find right?"
Rei was wrong. It took them another hour to find they had walked in the completely wrong direction, then another hour to locate the shrine. They arrived hot; sweaty and tired, Usagi's two blond hair bobs drooping in the afternoon heat. Minako's bags had been alternating around the group, but they now dropped to the ground.
"It doesn't look anything like your shrine, Rei-chan" Matoko commented as she lent against a nearby tree in exhaustion. The shrine in front of them looked more like a house with shrine-like building placed at random intervals. It was a large block, but if you were walking past, you just think it was just another house rather then a shrine. It too was covered in the familiar cherry trees Rei had back home.
"What should we do now?" Minako asked, slumped on the ground, leaning against Makoto. Usagi leant forwards onto the fence, her head in her arms. Ami stood straight as ever, surveying the area.
'Will I fit in with these people?' Rei thought as she saw a boy run across the yard, a familiar girl coming out after him. The girl stood in a fair few metres ahead, but she appeared to be about Rei's height. Rei noted that she had long dark hair like her own, though bushier and shorter. She was dressed in a green and white high school uniform, tied at the front with a red bow. She had picked up a broom and started sweeping, but the littlesandy-haired boy had run past and poked his tongue at her, prompting the girl to teasingly pretended to hit him on the head.
'I always wear shrine clothes when I'm doing chores…' Rei reflected. The girl seemed undisciplined compared to her. More free.
'But then again she has a REAL family…' Rei thought sadly.
"SOUTA!" yelled the girl as the two came nearer to the gate. Then they stopped and the girl stood straighter at the group.
"Have you come to visit the shrine?" the girl asked and came closer to the fence, the boy in close pursuit. Usagi opened her mouth but a loud voice from the house interrupted.
"Kagome! Invite your cousin and her friends inside! It's hot out there! Why didn't you tell me they were here?" said the voice as a middle-aged woman and an old man came out onto the porch outside the house. Kagome gasped and bowed.
"I'm sorry! I forgot! Come, come!" Kagome gushed, grabbing their hands and leading them towards the house.
"Get their stuff Souta!" she cried back, leaving the small boy frowning. At the door the woman and the old man bowed.
"Welcome to our home!" the woman said warmly taking Rei's arm and pulling her towards. Inspecting her. Rei hoped she lived up to her Aunt's expectations. Living upto one's expectations wasthe only thing some people cared about. People like her father.
"It's been so long since I've seen…you've grown!" the woman said, turning Rei around. The woman smiled.
"You look just like your mother! I didn't expect you to remember, but I'm your Aunty!" the woman said smiling again. She gestured towards the old man.
"This is Ji-chan. One of your grandfathers" The old man smiled and the Senshi bowed.
"And of course Souta. He's 10" Aunty said pointing at the frowning sandy-haired boy.
"Pleased to meet you all" Rei said brightly, feeling nervous.
'They're so cheerful…'
Kagome stepped forward and bowed to the group of girls.
"Kagome. Miko-in-the-making!" she said laughing. The other girls introduced themselves formally.
"Tsukino Usagi"
"Mizuno Ami"
"Aino Minako"
"Kino Makoto"
"It's nice to meet all of you. I know we'll all get along nicely. Kagome show them where to put their bags, onegai, while I prepare dinner…Ji-chan! No more weird objects!" Aunty said as Ji-chan pushed a scared boar ear at her.
"It will protect the newcomers!"
"They don't need protection!" Aunty called as they disappeared down the hall. Kagome sighed and gestured towards the bags Souta had left at their side.
"I'm sorry, they'll a little strange…" she said as she led the girls down the other end of the hall to their rooms.
"I'm sorry I won't be able to help much, I get awfully busy this time of year…I'm going camping later on today," Kagome said. Rei noticed she had strange facial movements as she said this. Rei mistook this to mean she didn't like camping.
"Why are you going then?" Rei asked. Confusion showed on Kagome's pretty face.
"Going where?"
"You seemed like you didn't want to go…"
"Oh, I do…I'm just…nervous…" Kagome said, sighing.
"Dinner will be ready soon!" she said as she left the girls to unpack. Rei blinked.
'I wonder if they're always like this?' she thought watching her move down the hall. 'Their weird…but you can tell they care for each other…will they care for me that way? This family I have never really known? Or will they be just like Father and Mama?'
It's kinda screwy. R&R!
… # Rei Ant # …