"Yes, I swear, not a day longer!" Kagome said exasperatedly.
Inuyasha nodded, crossing his arms. Kagome took Sango's hand, and they made
the chimerical descent - or rather, ascent, speaking in terms of time
periods - through the bone-eater's well. Sango had refused to believe the
well was entirely safe, and that Kagome's miko qualities were the only
thing that kept the girl from harm on her journeys through the well. Sango
was, therefore, fully dressed in her battle gear, mask and weapons
included. They landed with a slight thump on the other side of the well.
Kagome stood up and dusted away dirt. "I told you there was nothing to
worry about," Kagome said with a half-smile, extending a hand to help Sango
up.
"Suppose so," she said uncertainly, taking Kagome's hand and allowing herself to be pulled to her feet.
Kagome laughed lightly and began climbing the ladder out of the well. Sango, not wanting to be in it any longer than she had to, started climbing when Kagome was only a quarter of the way up the ladder. From above her, she heard mewing. Sango's thoughts first flew to Kirara, but she mentally chided herself - that was impossible. And hadn't Kagome mentioned having a cat?
Sango reached the top of the well and hoisted herself out after Kagome, who was standing next to a boy holding a fat, softly purring neko, and creating a sweet, idyllic picture. Sango smiled sadly. Ah, bittersweet memories. She thought of Kirara perched on Kohaku's knees back in their village days. Kagome was awfully lucky.
Kagome cleared her throat, jolting Sango from her thoughts. "This is my younger brother, Sota. And our cat, Buyo. Sota, this is Sango. She'll be staying with us for a few days."
'Why' was the first word out of Sota's mouth. Kagome exchanged a glance with Sango, a finger to her lips. Sango nodded in recognition. Sango had honestly wanted a well-deserved break from Miroku's antics, but this was not for a small, easily influenced boy to hear.
"Just because. Don't you want her to stay?" Kagome challenged, knowing that her brother valued politeness. The ruse worked well, and Sota stuttered, "No - I-I mean yes, I do want her to stay. I was just wondering."
"Well, don't," said Kagome said sternly. "Come on inside, Sango. Let's properly wash those kimonos you brought.
Sango wondered what Kagome meant by 'properly' washing them, but merely nodded and followed the girl. Sota trotted close behind, Buyo still cradled in his arms.
_________________________________________________
Sota admired the kusarikama at Sango's waist, obviously resisting the urge to reach over and finger it. It was shining in the fluorescent light that came from above their kitchen table. Kagome was still in the washroom, consulting her mother on the fine art of washing clothes. Sango noticed his gaze, and gave a little half-smile. "Do you want to hold it?"
Sota's eyes lit up, and he nodded, unable to speak. Sango pulled it out of her belt slowly, not the quick, guarded way she would in battle. She lightly placed it in Sota's hands, careful that the blade didn't scratch him.
Sango smiled down at the boy. He looked exactly like Kohaku had when he'd gotten his own kusarikama, the powerful scythe on a chain.
Sota traced his fingers along the flat of the blade. "It's beautiful," he breathed, and Sango was immensely glad she'd cleaned all of the old blood off of it. She even felt a little prouder to own it. Sota looked up at her in awe. "Do you really fight with this?"
Sango nodded, suppressing a huge grin and being content with a small smile.
__________________________________________
Sota felt a warm tingling in his fingers. What a nice feeling for this weapon. So new, yet so familiar. It almost seemed to jump out of his hands, screaming to be thrown. Sota didn't want to let the feeling go. He wanted to use it.
"Sango, I know you're Kagome's company, but while you're visiting, when you have free time, like - like now - d'you think you could teach me how to fight with it?" he blurted.
He crossed the fingers of one hand beneath the blade. {Please say yes, please, please say yes.}
"All right, I guess so," said Sango, looking a little sad and misty-eyed. Sota hoped he hadn't hurt Sango's feelings - but how could asking for lessons do that? Perhaps Sango was thinking of something else entirely.
"Promise?" asked Sota, a little warily. "I promise," replied Sango with a little laugh that his question had managed to draw from her.
"Let's go in your backyard. We need an open space," Sango said, standing and walking to the back door, then watching a little nervously as the kusarikama-wielding Sota did the same. Sota realized why as her hand moved nervously below her waist, ready to catch him if he fell. Sango was obviously concerned that he would trip and have the weapon plunge neatly through his stomach.
They walked out into the dewy backyard, Sota grinning like a maniac. This would be great.
Sango set up a pile of firewood from the supply in the Higurashis' storage shed in an almost pyramid-like style on an old tree stump. "All right, Sota. I'll show you how it's done first, and you must pay very close attention." Sota nodded obediently and handed the kusarikama to Sango.
Sango stood, Sota noted, with her left foot in front of her right, and the girl's torso was turned ever-so-slightly sideways. She held the handle of the scythe, letting the chain go to her other hand, then hang to the ground. Sango glanced to be sure Sota was watching her actions, then bent her elbow. She arched her wrist towards her chest, and then in one fluid motion, straightened her arm out to the side, letting the kusarikama go in the middle of the swift act.
The chain ran smoothly through a loose fist, and when the scythe reached the log Sango was aiming for, she grabbed the chain, allowing it to go no further. This was obviously done at the perfect time, because the scythe ricocheted off the log, knocking it off of the woodpile and hitting it hard enough for the blade to come spinning back to Sango, helped by a hard backwards jerk to the chain.
She dropped the chain from that hand and kept it only in the other, and she caught the kusarikama's handle, the force pushing it slightly back over her shoulder.
Sota stared, open-mouthed. Could he ever really do it? Sango turned solemnly to him and held out the kusarikama. Sota took it gently, and Sango moved from her place to let Sota stand in it. He placed his feet as Sango had, and moved his arm into the proper position.
And he saw and felt nothing but pure power, swift silver lightning, as he slung the kusarikama free.
"Suppose so," she said uncertainly, taking Kagome's hand and allowing herself to be pulled to her feet.
Kagome laughed lightly and began climbing the ladder out of the well. Sango, not wanting to be in it any longer than she had to, started climbing when Kagome was only a quarter of the way up the ladder. From above her, she heard mewing. Sango's thoughts first flew to Kirara, but she mentally chided herself - that was impossible. And hadn't Kagome mentioned having a cat?
Sango reached the top of the well and hoisted herself out after Kagome, who was standing next to a boy holding a fat, softly purring neko, and creating a sweet, idyllic picture. Sango smiled sadly. Ah, bittersweet memories. She thought of Kirara perched on Kohaku's knees back in their village days. Kagome was awfully lucky.
Kagome cleared her throat, jolting Sango from her thoughts. "This is my younger brother, Sota. And our cat, Buyo. Sota, this is Sango. She'll be staying with us for a few days."
'Why' was the first word out of Sota's mouth. Kagome exchanged a glance with Sango, a finger to her lips. Sango nodded in recognition. Sango had honestly wanted a well-deserved break from Miroku's antics, but this was not for a small, easily influenced boy to hear.
"Just because. Don't you want her to stay?" Kagome challenged, knowing that her brother valued politeness. The ruse worked well, and Sota stuttered, "No - I-I mean yes, I do want her to stay. I was just wondering."
"Well, don't," said Kagome said sternly. "Come on inside, Sango. Let's properly wash those kimonos you brought.
Sango wondered what Kagome meant by 'properly' washing them, but merely nodded and followed the girl. Sota trotted close behind, Buyo still cradled in his arms.
_________________________________________________
Sota admired the kusarikama at Sango's waist, obviously resisting the urge to reach over and finger it. It was shining in the fluorescent light that came from above their kitchen table. Kagome was still in the washroom, consulting her mother on the fine art of washing clothes. Sango noticed his gaze, and gave a little half-smile. "Do you want to hold it?"
Sota's eyes lit up, and he nodded, unable to speak. Sango pulled it out of her belt slowly, not the quick, guarded way she would in battle. She lightly placed it in Sota's hands, careful that the blade didn't scratch him.
Sango smiled down at the boy. He looked exactly like Kohaku had when he'd gotten his own kusarikama, the powerful scythe on a chain.
Sota traced his fingers along the flat of the blade. "It's beautiful," he breathed, and Sango was immensely glad she'd cleaned all of the old blood off of it. She even felt a little prouder to own it. Sota looked up at her in awe. "Do you really fight with this?"
Sango nodded, suppressing a huge grin and being content with a small smile.
__________________________________________
Sota felt a warm tingling in his fingers. What a nice feeling for this weapon. So new, yet so familiar. It almost seemed to jump out of his hands, screaming to be thrown. Sota didn't want to let the feeling go. He wanted to use it.
"Sango, I know you're Kagome's company, but while you're visiting, when you have free time, like - like now - d'you think you could teach me how to fight with it?" he blurted.
He crossed the fingers of one hand beneath the blade. {Please say yes, please, please say yes.}
"All right, I guess so," said Sango, looking a little sad and misty-eyed. Sota hoped he hadn't hurt Sango's feelings - but how could asking for lessons do that? Perhaps Sango was thinking of something else entirely.
"Promise?" asked Sota, a little warily. "I promise," replied Sango with a little laugh that his question had managed to draw from her.
"Let's go in your backyard. We need an open space," Sango said, standing and walking to the back door, then watching a little nervously as the kusarikama-wielding Sota did the same. Sota realized why as her hand moved nervously below her waist, ready to catch him if he fell. Sango was obviously concerned that he would trip and have the weapon plunge neatly through his stomach.
They walked out into the dewy backyard, Sota grinning like a maniac. This would be great.
Sango set up a pile of firewood from the supply in the Higurashis' storage shed in an almost pyramid-like style on an old tree stump. "All right, Sota. I'll show you how it's done first, and you must pay very close attention." Sota nodded obediently and handed the kusarikama to Sango.
Sango stood, Sota noted, with her left foot in front of her right, and the girl's torso was turned ever-so-slightly sideways. She held the handle of the scythe, letting the chain go to her other hand, then hang to the ground. Sango glanced to be sure Sota was watching her actions, then bent her elbow. She arched her wrist towards her chest, and then in one fluid motion, straightened her arm out to the side, letting the kusarikama go in the middle of the swift act.
The chain ran smoothly through a loose fist, and when the scythe reached the log Sango was aiming for, she grabbed the chain, allowing it to go no further. This was obviously done at the perfect time, because the scythe ricocheted off the log, knocking it off of the woodpile and hitting it hard enough for the blade to come spinning back to Sango, helped by a hard backwards jerk to the chain.
She dropped the chain from that hand and kept it only in the other, and she caught the kusarikama's handle, the force pushing it slightly back over her shoulder.
Sota stared, open-mouthed. Could he ever really do it? Sango turned solemnly to him and held out the kusarikama. Sota took it gently, and Sango moved from her place to let Sota stand in it. He placed his feet as Sango had, and moved his arm into the proper position.
And he saw and felt nothing but pure power, swift silver lightning, as he slung the kusarikama free.