My Light

My Light
By Kagehoshi
CH2 Light Discovered


The silence was deafening, and rather awkward. None of the guys knew how to respond to that kind of announcement. The priestess smiled knowingly at the silence and removed the broom handle from Yusuke’s throat. As the irate Detective got off the ground, Kuwabara began to snicker into his hand.

“What’s so funny fish for brains?!” Yusuke groused, wiping dirt and dust off of his jacket.

“Urameshi got his ass kicked by a blind girl.” Kuwabara snickered, before falling to his knees in hysterical laughter.

“Damn it! I did not get my ass kicked!” Yusuke bellowed at the laughing redhead.

“Technically he’s right.” Came the soft response from the sweeping Priestess, “He didn’t get his ass kicked.”

“See! There you are. I told…”

“He got his head smacked by a broom.” At this announcement Kuwabara let loose an even stronger stream of laughter from his mouth and wheezed as he tried to draw in breath. Not even the stoic fire demon Hiei could hold his amusement in, and let out several small chuckles before he caught himself and closed up again. Smiling broadly Kurama stepped forward and bowed before the Priestess.

“Lady Kagome, I commend you with all my heart. I’ve been wanting to smack him all morning.”

Kagome smiled softly and inclined her head slightly towards the fox.
“I guessed as much, your aura is quite agitated. I’ve never felt anyone that frustrated before.” She opened her mouth to say more but quite suddenly grew silent and tilted her head slightly to the left. “Young man, you had better have a damn good excuse for coming back this late. I was worried sick last night!”

Kurama blinked in surprise and twisted his head around to see whom she could be talking to. He hadn’t sensed anyone approach, so it was to his complete shock and amazement when a young Kitsune kit made his way ruefully out of the bushes.

“I’m sorry Mama, I fell asleep in the forest again.” He scuffed his feet and looked at the ground his guilt quite apparent to all.

“We have guests Shippo, what do you say?” Kagome’s voice was softer and held a note of forgiveness. The kit, Shippo, looked up a hopeful look on his face, and seeing the warm smile on the face of the woman before him, he broke out with a smile. Turning to the group of curious males before him the kit bowed politely and greeted them formally.

“Hello my name is Shippo Higurashi, welcome to Sunset Shrine I hope you enjoy your visit.” He glanced over to the priestess to see if he had gotten it right, and at her nod of approval he gleefully leaped into her open arms.

“I suppose you’ll want to come inside?” Kagome queried as she gathered the small kit in the crook of her arm, “I’m sure you have plenty of questions, and I would like some of my own answered.” Without waiting for a reply Kagome turned and walked silently to the house entrance, placing the broom by the door and kicking her sandals off in the genkan(1). The Spirit Team members looked quickly amongst themselves before silently following the Priestess into the small home.

As they entered they were amazed at the efficient grace the young woman displayed as she moved about. Still carrying the young kit in the crook of her left arm, she deftly set out five mugs and a small cup onto the kitchen table. So lightly did she move about that it seemed as if her feet were never meant to touch the ground. She did not fumble or hesitate an instant as she filled each mug with boiling water and tea bags and the small cup with milk.

“Have you eaten lunch yet?” She queried softly, “I prefer to keep busy as I talk and I know Shippo hasn’t eaten anything for awhile so I need to make something anyway.”

“Hell no we haven’t eaten! We’ve been too busy looking for you all morning!” Yusuke exclaimed, still pissed over the ass beating, or head smacking in this case.

“Does okonomiyaki (2) sound alright to you?” Kagome asked, completely ignoring the detective’s outburst.

“Yeah!! okonomiyaki!!!” Came Shippo’s exuberant reply as he wriggled out of Kagome’s arms and clambered over to his milk.

“That would be fine Lady Kagome.” Kurama said, wryly watching the antics of the young kit.

“Very well then sit down while I get everything ready. We’ll talk as I work.”

Her tone brooked no argument and the boys sat down with relief, resting their aching legs and feet. The tea was warm and soothing and caused heat to pool comfortably throughout one’s body as it went down your throat.

They continued to watch her in silent awe as she floated around the kitchen gathering those ingredients necessary for making lunch, and tying back the sleeves of her long white chihaya.

“So who exactly are you all, and why are you so interested in how I use my powers?” Kagome asked as she began to swiftly and accurately cut into the head of cabbage on the counter before her.

“Of course how rude of us!” Kurama exclaimed, shocked at his complete lack of manners, “My name is Suichi Minamoto, but you may call me Kurama.” He gestured towards Hiei, “And my silent friend here is Hiei.”

“And I am the great Kazuma Kuwabara.” Kuwabara introduced himself with the usual dramatics. When everyone turned to stare at Yusuke, the still irate detective grumbled his name.

“Yusuke Urameshi.”

Kagome frowned to herself as she finely chopped the cabbage into thin strips.
“I thought that’s what the big one called you, that would make you Koenma’s team wouldn’t it?”

“You know about Koenma?!” Hiei let out a surprised grunt, just because the little priestess knew about demons didn’t mean she had to know much about the dealings of the Spirit Realm.

“Of course I know him. That pompous excuse for a Godling has been coming to me for about two years trying to get me to give him something in my possession.” Kagome said chopping the cabbage a little more viciously.

“What does he want?” Kurama started to ask, curious as to what the Priestess could posses that had Koenma in such a tizzy, but he was interrupted when Kagome called out loudly.

“Get your hand out of that cookie jar Shippo! No snacks till after you’ve eaten!!” At once everyone’s attention was on the young kitsune who had crawled across the kitchen table in an attempt to get a treat from the jar sitting in the middle. He gave a sheepish grin and settled back in his seat as Kagome mixed the eggs, flour, water and sliced cabbage in a large bowl.

“Hey! How’d you do that?!” Kuwabara exclaimed in surprise, “I thought you were blind? How’d you know he was going for the cookie jar?”

Kagome smiled softly and gave a soft laugh.
“My eyes may not work, but that doesn’t mean I can’t sense what’s going on around me. I heard Shippo as he climbed his way up to the tabletop and heard the sound of his clothes sliding over the wood. It wasn’t hard to guess what his goal was.”

“Wow, that’s neat!” Kuwabara exclaimed, “That’s better than having eyes in the back of your head!”

Kagome let out another sound of laughter, which tinkled merrily throughout the kitchen and caused shivers of joy to go up the back of more than one occupant.

“Well that’s a novel way of putting it.” She responded warmly. The kitchen fell into a comfortable silence as Kagome scooped out the okonomiyaki batter on to the grill. “So what did Koenma send you out for? If he’s come up with another offer you can tell him to shove it!” The young woman spoke fiercely, plopping down a blob of batter with force.

“You were not mentioned in the mission parameters.” Kurama replied, “He sent us out here to discover the source behind the large increase in spiritual energy that was occurring.”

“Ah, I see. It appears as if the esteemed Koenma forgot about my powers again.” Kagome spoke knowingly, “He has a habit of doing that whenever it suits his purpose.”

“What do you mean by that?” Yusuke asked suspiciously.

“Just that. He tries to get me to bend to his will by saying that I am incapable of protecting my charge.” She shook her head in annoyance, “When he knows very well that my power ranks in the upper S class. Last time I had to give him a taste before he would leave.”

“You purified Koenma!?” Once again Hiei openly displayed shock, this human woman had done something almost unthinkable. He wished he had been there to see it.

“Just his bottom, and he deserved it!” Kagome sniffed delicately. Yusuke broke out in gales of laughter picturing the diminutive God with a burned bottom.

“Damn! What I wouldn’t give to see that.” His ire forgotten Yusuke took a big slurp of his tea and sat back in his chair.

“Were you born blind, or did something happen?” Kurama asked suddenly, discovering that he was honestly curious about this girl, and wanted to find out as much as possible about her. Kagome was silent for a while as she stood at the grill, then spoke softly yet firmly.

“Shippo could you go feed Buyo and Kirara?” The kit made as if to protest, but at the look on Kagome’s face he nodded and slid out of his chair to do his assigned chore, “And check the Kamidana(3) while you’re at it!” She called out to the young kit’s retreating form. A few seconds passed before she spoke again and her voice held a tinge of sadness, “I lost my sight in battle against a horrible creature, one which had no right to exist. I pushed Shippo out of the way and got hit with burning miasma instead. He doesn’t know what went on, everything was so jumbled up that we couldn’t comprehend what was what. All I remember was seeing my kit in danger so I reacted.”

“You call him yours, yet you are obviously untouched and human as well.” Hiei stated.

“Shippo is as much my son as if I had birthed him myself. I hold him through his nightmares, comfort him when he is sad, scold him when he misbehaves, and love him with everything I have. He is my son, blood has nothing to do with it.” They remained silent as she placed the okonomiyaki on each of their plates.

“You are amazing, to care so much for a demon child.” Kurama spoke softly.

“Demon, human, hanyou what’s the difference?” She shrugged and flipped over the last two cakes, “They are all the same to me, it’s a person’s soul that matters not the blood that flows through their veins.”

‘That is the most incredible thing I have ever heard.’ Yoko spoke up in Kurama’s head, ‘this human female is truly unique.’

‘Where have you been?’ Kurama asked in surprise, he had thought the fox was asleep.

‘I’m not too fond of shrines, they give me goose-bumps.’ Yoko stated, ‘though this one has a much nicer feel to it, more calming than most.’

Kurama remained silent and kept his thoughts to himself as he ate the food in front of him. Yusuke and Kuwabara scarfed down their food as if they hadn’t eaten in months, and let out a contented belch when they were done.

“Man that was the best meal I’ve ever eaten!” Yusuke exclaimed, “I wish Keiko could cook like that.”

“Don’t let her hear you say that Urameshi, or she’ll clock you one.” Kuwabara laughed. Kagome smiled softly as she sat down at the table.

“I’m glad you enjoy my cooking so much, it’s not often I get such heart-felt compliments.” She tilted her head slightly as the sound of soft footsteps came closer. Shippo entered the kitchen, back from his set tasks, and scrambled into his chair eagerly, the smell of okonomiyaki heavy in the air. He sighed happily as he stuffed his mouth with a large piece of the meal in front of him.

“Shippo don’t put so much in your mouth you’ll choke.” Kagome admonished, holding her tea mug in both hands.

“Yeshh mama.” Shippo intoned, his mouth full of food. Kagome sighed in resignation and sat back in her chair. Gently she released her aura and felt out each of the young men in her kitchen. All were powerful, yet all held deep within themselves a pain, which Kagome could sense with startling clarity. The small one was constantly at war with himself, two conflicting elements running through his veins. The loud, rude one was demon but held a great deal of humanity in his aura, and she wondered what his story was. The human was incredibly strong in his spiritual awareness, but not in his fighting aura, this one was a seer not a warrior. The polite one was the strangest of them all, she could clearly sense two souls within his form. One completely kitsune, while the other was only partially fox. The human soul must be slowly turning demon with its constant contact with its counterpart. Kagome felt a slight ripple coming out from the yard and put her mug down quickly.

“Oh dear, it appears as if we have company.”


**********

(1) The sunken area at the entrance of a house where you would remove and leave your shoes. Walking in the genkan with stocking feet is a no-no, as is not removing your shoes in said area before entering the house. Usually there are two sets of doors in the house entrance, one set to the genkan and another to the house proper. When you go to visit someone at there home you would ring the doorbell or knock, then you would enter the genkan when your host or hostess called out (for traditional houses only, most modern houses don’t have the second set of doors and you need to wait for your host to open the door for you) depending on the nature of your visit you would either (A) Be invited inside and guest slippers would be provided for you. (B) Sit on the edge of the genkan and chat with your host/hostess, no need to remove your shoes. Or (C) Stand in the center of the genkan and either drop something off or relay some quick information. There is an art to removing your shoes in the genkan, always make sure you leave your shoes pointing towards the exit. This makes it easier for you to slip them back on when you leave, and also if you do not have them pointing that way then it is the duty of your host to get down and move your shoes into the proper position, and that’s a little rude on your part.


(2) Okonomiyaki is the most delicious food in the world, it is often translated as Japanese Pizza, but that’s just stupid. First you mix up the batter and then you add the finely chopped lettuce. Then you kind of cook it on the grill like a pancake, make sure you flip it at just the right time. But before you flip it you add stuff to the top. Like shrimp, pork, cheese or vegetables. Then when it’s all cooked you smother it in sauce and mayo. If you ever get the chance to go to Japan try and get to an Okonomiyaki place it will be worth it. Damn I just made myself hungry.

(3) Kamidana can be directly translated into Kami shelf. It’s the actual place where the Kami, or its representation, rests. While in Shrines they are usually larger and more elaborate, you can also see then in restaurants, homes and dojos.


Cultural Note #2 Umbrellas (kasa)

This isn’t actually informative, this is just a big cultural difference I’ve noticed between the US and Japan.

In Japan, especially Tokyo, it can get really, really hot in the summer. While you are indoors you can have the benefit of air-conditioning and shelter from the sun, once you’re outdoors all bets are off. The sun glares into your eyes and beats down on your head, and since the majority of the population of Japan has black or dark brown hair it soaks up a lot of heat. Sunglasses aren’t widely worn because there is a slight Yakuza affiliation with sunglasses, plus they’re not very fashionable. To combat this, women (men just suffer to prove their manliness) carry umbrellas everywhere. If you walk down the street on a hot summer day in Japan you will see females of every age carrying umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. The umbrellas themselves are also very different from what is used in America. Sometimes you will see the traditional paper umbrella being used on the street, but most women prefer to use the sturdier nylon style for cover. However, these modern umbrellas can be every bit as beautiful as their traditional counterparts. Shocking colors and patterns, lace and gems, even glitter and sequins decorate these functional accessories. It is not uncommon for a woman to have several different styles and colors of umbrella to match their various outfits.

So you get fashion and shade all from the same object, how can you beat that?

Review Response

Ryukotsusei- I’m not telling, you’ll just have to read and find out

Ox King- Thank you very much, though the humor was with a great deal of help from my language partner.

Swasdiva- Your reviews always make me warm and fuzzy, and you never fail to say what you like about my writing, not just that you like it. I left it full of questions on purpose so that you would be hooked into reading more.

Lady Banshee99- I would never leave Shippo out of this story, he’s going to play a very important role.

Vyncent- If you want the answers you’ll have to read, everything will be made clear in time. I’m glad you broke with tradition and read my story, I promise not to abandon it.

BananaFlavoredEskimo- Thanks a bunch, I hop you liked it.

Diane- I usually just alternate between fics, Kagome’s Paths is next. I hope you like that one as well.

Kougalover123- All will be revealed in time.

Bluemoon_175- Arigato Gozaimasu.

UKK- If you want to get traditional then yes it’s supposed to be boys at 5 and 7, and girls at 3 and 7. However, it’s not uncommon to be taken for all three ages. I was dressed up and taken at all three ages, more luck for me.

Anon- I wasn’t planning on it, I’m not really too familiar with the character of Yomi, besides too many blind people is just weird. (Kagome would kick Yomi’s ass)

Megan Consoer- Here’s a chapter, hope you enjoy.

Kage Otome- Nihonjin desu ka. I remember one of your other reviews where you mentioned your Grandmother, is she Japanese? Thanks for your review.

Frogger666- everyone seems to like the Yusuke bashing, maybe I should throw more in.

Gypsy- *sweat drop* No need to beg, I always update. I just do it in cycles. Try my other stories if you’re really desperate.