Chapter 3

Shukumei Toushuu

By: pillowsama

Kagome: Reminisces Be Complete

My heart ached after sweet Kouga left me. I remember only slightly dancing to the rhythm of the raindrops as they slipped from the branches only to splatter lightly on the earth to be one with the mud. I remember running out into the rain in nothing but his shirt to shield me from the wetness, my feet bare so that I might feel the softness of the grass before I stopped only to feel the water trickle down my face tracing paths for the tears that would soon follow.

Souta found of course, ran with a towel to cover me and gently urged me back toward the house. "You'll get pneumonia Kagome, and then I'll have to go over to Mr. Tashio's by myself."

"Leave me."

"No, you have to come inside." He grabbed my hand pulled harder. "Please Kagome for me!"

This is what I remember most clearly that day, I slapped him.

I pulled my hand away from his grasp before using it to throw him to the ground. It all seems like a blur now as I think of it. The next thing I knew I saw him grasping his face and walking his own way back into the house. I wanted so much to pull him back and scream at him more, for being so greedy. Hadn't I done enough for him? Hadn't I given up all I had?

Apparently not.

Because my heart caused me to break down and sob into the earth. Each time I stopped the ache that held my heart burned faster than harder than before. My sobs robbed me with sweet air. My swollen eyes stung from the salt. The wind and rain ironically reminded me of my departed mother.

The worst part of this bittersweet memory? When Kouga went out to find me, in my state of misery, he walked away.

My brother came back, and I began to yell for his departure, only to throw myself into his arms when I saw he came back with an umbrella. "If you don't want to come inside, I'll sit with you?"

There was a humble silence between us, him with his innocence of the circumstances, me with my unwillingness to break it. "I'll go with you tomorrow if you want."

"I'd like that." he paused momentarily, "Do you think Kouga might want to come?"

I ran my fingers through my hair and covered my face. "I honestly don't want him too."

"I mean it Kagome. Stop."

"Hm. How about…no?" I continued to twack his tiny behind with some stick I found on the wet pavement. It was birchy, the kind of birch that snags your pantyhose if you let it anywhere near your legs. aw...thats too hard.

It sounds like I'm being a brat I know, but sometimes I like to have the sweet release of childhood. No matter how selfish or rude it is to others. I'm sure Sota doesn't mind, he seems to like the feeling of being the mature one of the world. I dropped the stick and started to skip a few feet ahead before turning around. "Souta I'll race you! First one to the shrine has to carry the other on their back all the way home!"

With every ounce of energy I could muster, I bolted myself forward like there was a rabid monkey right behind me. "Come on Souta!" I looked back and noticed him still rubbing his backside. "I promise if you win, I'll buy you some of the ice cream on the other side of town."

Boy did he soar. Faster than anything he was able to do at any of his track meets, I candidly recalled.

So I let him run ahead, further and further until he turned the corner into the old shrine.

"Ok I'm here, what do you need me to do?...Souta?" I called leaning against the stone gate. The courtyard seemed relatively better, with a few more trips from Souta it would undoubtly be amazing. We left it in shambles when we sold it. Had to pull a bawling grandfather from the estate before the realtor kicked us out herself. Good times I recall, good times.

I was nostalgic, yup, that's the word for it. It was painful, slightly tear jerking, passing the grounds that I called home. I glanced at the ground where Souta and I had our picture taken together. The picture that had to be cropped so I could keep it. It was tucked away in a shoe box buried underneath several other boxes containing portraits of our parents. "Those were the only things the bastards didn't try and take."

But to me they were worth a fortune, more than all the crap that they drove with in that yellow rent-for-a-day truck.

My eyes were drawn to the open window, its a frame was a little shabby but nothing that paint couldn't possibly fix. The whole shrine came into my view as I stepped back to take a picture of my mind.

Something to treasure forever before I left.

I heard the soft rustling of fabric behind the rice paper door, and refused to look when they opened. I didn't want to gaze into the eyes of the mistress of my childhood home. It was probably some rich tart whose father was wealthy enough to buy the place as a winter home.

I bent down straight up the courtyard I was in, grabbing the sweeper to clear away the debris on the white stones.

"Are you honestly going to ignore those broke bottles over there?" a voice irritably asked.

He was manly, yes he was. Yet, mysterious and absolutely stunning in his robes. The shine in his platinum hair sharply contrasted with his golden eyes. I wasn't really sure if he had eyebrows, I was so caught up with his bold features. He looked as if he'd been grown there, like a patch of wild strawberries that had been naturally there, but never found. The coldness in his tone made is seem like he was the outsider; not me. The way the stranger lazily rested his eyes on my figure sent warmth to my cheeks.

"No."

I paused slightly to bend down and pick up the bottles that had mysteriously been broken into several pieces of glass. The bastard probably broke the bottles himself to make sure I cleaned them up. Well, it was either me or Souta, and I was not going to let him handle this all by himself. I sighed, carefully placing all the larger shards into the bag. Souta would have to come around the sweep the area since I had to go and clean the pond.

"Souta. You're wearing your tennis shoes right?" I shouted.

No answer.

My thoughts went back to the stranger, as my fingertips brushed the intricately cared stone bench. It still had a few ornate designs that time had left alone in the legs. There were plenty of wooden ones around the estate but this one was by far the most valuable. It was here longer than one in the family could remember, probably as old as the tree. I stared up through the leaves. So many memories...

"Kagome, seriously, aren't you going to go work on the pond?" Souta complained. His cheeks were smudged already with brown dirt and the stains on his clothes would take hours to clean tonight. I didn't even notice him sneak up. "We have to leave before four o'clock. That's what I promised, so can you please help me?"

I got up and started to take off my shoes and socks, hiked up my knee lengths skirt and dipped myself into the water slowly.

Cold...

To make things go as quickly as possible, I quickly scooped up all the junk and made sure the water was clear enough to see bottom before realizing I'd forgotten to bring an extra pair of clothes here. Cleaning up was a messy job, as I'd ignorantly forgotten. Despite my determination to stay dry, I'd managed to thoroughly wet both my skirt and the bottom half of my skirt. The skies were growing darker and the constant breeze was a sure sign that the change in degrees would be poignant. Pneumonia - be it as desirable as it is was not one of the things I'd wanted to receive.

"Damn it." I cursed. "Souta? Are you there Souta? I need you."

There wasn't anyone around. It was only me; therefore, I reasoned, it was okay to take off my skirt and dry it. It probably would take just a few minutes. I took off my blouse and quickly dried off my legs and the rest of my body before slipping down behind a row of bonsai trees. I'd grown thin, not thin enough to hide behind bonsai trees, but it was better than just standing around.

I heard the distinct sound of someone's footsteps and a laugh that soon followed. "Here Kagome. Put this on before you catch something."

Souta threw the bright red bathrobe on me. It was satiny, cool, and felt wonderful against ones skin.

"Is it time to go yet?"

"Almost, just let me finish up here. You go ahead and head on home."

I didn't think anything of it then, didn't stop and ponder how my brother knew I needed something to wear. Nor where he managed to get his hands on such a luxurious robe. I mostly thought of the meeting that Aunt Hana had arranged for tomorrow morning with one of my many suitors.

And because of my absenmindedness, I left my clothes on branch a bonsai tree.

"Ah, Kagome. Welcome." Kaede beckoned with a pleasant smile on her face.

We treaded on the polished hardwood floors, passed several corridors, and went up dizzying stairs. "You know, you were always so punctual. Very unusual for a young teenager as yourself. Why, in my days, people like me always had to be early for everything. It's so sad that now you've become on-," the elderly woman paused. "Oh I'm sorry, I've blabbed too much already."

"No, no, it's fine. Don't worry about it." I assured her. "If anyone has to be sorry its the architect of this house. So many stairs, but no elevator!"

It seemed as though, every time I visited this house, I'd taken a different pathway to the office. It seemed always eerily empty and none of the servants were to anywhere to be seen. "Do you take care of this place by yourself Kaede?"

"Oh no, goodness no! The Madame has always been kind enough to hire enough help to keep the house nice and tidy, so I don' have to work these old bones too hard."

She paused before the same wooden doors as before, "You wait here." Kaede slipped away quietly behind the doors and returned in a few minutes.

"She's ready."

I shuffled in with small steps as was expected of me, careful to keep my head bowed out of respect for her. Past all the feminity and softness that she was, she was still a delicate force that demanded respect. I did glace upward and saw her staring quietly out the french door windows. The curtains seamlessly blended in with the typical elegant white wardrobe she'd always worn.

There was something about this place suddenlythat I recognize. It was deja vu that moment. The picture that I'd seen before once more came into view. The boy of adolescence looked similarily like Aunt Hana, their bone structures, and passive eyes that sparked with emotion. "Are always so silent Kagome?"

Only a few minutes had passed, "Naturally, so."

"It seems your suitor won't be coming...The weather has made him a tad bit weary." She said motioning to the darkening sky. It seems as though the weather as adopted a mood similar to my own.

Dreary.

"Although I was able to settle your housing arrangements." She turned around. "It was difficult especially, since I didn't want to reveal the current situa-".

"I thought I would be staying with my family." I tried to interrupted. The thought of going to live in the house of someone who didn't even want me there was unbearable. "Surely, it wouldn't matter much. It's not like the person will be visiting me often."

"Wrong Kagome. It does matter. They'll be courting you, seeing if you are worthy of even marrying before proposing." Aunt Hana explained, making sure I absorb every word. "I've made sure everything looks as normal as possible, and even arranged for your new guardian to come and meet you."

I panicked. The only reason I was willing to do was to save my family. But if I was to be carted off... I had to find something other way. My legs began to give under me and I stumbled back towards the door.

"Kagome!"

I have to leave...I can't leave them.

But when I opened the door, I fell into the arms of that picture. "You!"

Thoughts of the deja vu I'd experienced in the room, the adolescent picture in the claustrophobic room, and the stranger from yesterday became one. Aunt Hana held her left up in a presenting gesture towards the man before me. My eyes grew blank in bewilderment.

"This is Sesshoumaru." She smiled, ignoring my surprise. Her eye softened as they met his before turning back to me. "He shall be your guardian until you marry."

A/N: I'm so sorry for being late! I rewrote and rewrote this chapter alot, because I wasn't sure how it would go and just stopped writing all together. But I did manage to finish this one! I really like this one, and believe that it could be a good story. Sorry if it gets confusing. You are more than welcome to ask questions (I'm more than willing to answer them...probably get back to you in a day or so).

Thank you so much for the past reviews (the precious birthday wishes...sorry for the late thank yous). I hope you enjoyed this chapter.Thoughts, comments, and questions are free to be given! Tell me if you enjoyed the chapter, whether or not you want it continue (could speed up my writing. lol.).

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