Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or Inu-Yasha.  Give credit where it’s due, people: 
to the genius of Rumiko Takahashi.

Sesshoumaru’s Imouto-chan, part 5

*Inu-Yasha sits soaked in the Tendo Koi pond, her hair drifting around her as she 
makes an effort to hide all youkai parts.  Ranma-chan stands a little guiltily by the 
pond, as Ukyou, Shampoo, Akane, and Kagome all stare on*


Ranma: Hey, don’t blame Inu-Yasha!  He-she’s not done anything wrong!


Shampoo:  *glares at the white-haired girl*  (If she in way, I kill her.)

Ukyou:  (The girl looks terrified.  I bet I could just scare her off with a few 
spatulas...)

Akane:  (Who is that?  She looks so familiar... but if Ranma’s been flirting 
with her, he’ll wish he’d never been born!)

Kagome: *quietly* Inu-Yasha...  *Akane looks at her, startled that she’s 
calling this stranger by her youkai friend’s name.  Kagome, completely 
oblivious to the skills of the angry female martial artists, walks 
unafraid through them all to stop by the koi pond.  She kneels down, 
getting her skirt hem soaked, and reaches a hand out*  Inu-Yasha, 
you’re all wet.

Shampoo:  *Within a second, she’s drawn one of her bonbori and holds it 
threateningly centimeters away from Kagome, wary of this new girl 
who acts nicely to her new (supposed) rival*  Who you?

Inu-Yasha: *Seeing Kagome in danger, she throws off all restraint.  Inu-
Yasha springs from the water, her ears suddenly flat with fighting 
instinct rather than hiding, her fangs and claws bared defensively.  
Shampoo doesn’t even have time to blink before all the weapon she 
holds is a shredded metal stick, cut neatly off at the end of the handle.  
She is also flat on the ground, with five sharp claws at her throat and a 
pair of yellow eyes blazing into her own* Don’t. Threaten. Kagome.  
*Shampoo only stares upward, startled by the supposedly harmless 
girl gone oni.  Before she can protest her treatment, though, Inu-
Yasha has stood up and is walking over to Kagome - now some twenty 
feet away - to make sure she is all right.*

Ukyou:  *her eyes wide*  Whoa.  *Now, no longer in immediate attack 
mode, Inu-Yasha’s ears stick alertly up, giving everyone in the area a 
good look at just who really graces the yard.  Inu-Yasha, still dripping, 
her clothes now too-large, helps Kagome up, checking for herself to 
make sure she is still safe (despite Kagome’s protests).  Ranma, on 
the other hand, breathes a mental sigh of relief, seeing most of the 
danger pass*

Shampoo: *sitting up*  She... an oni...

Ranma: *piping up for a familiar argument* No way!  Inu-Yasha is 
~youkai~.

Shampoo:  *looks at Ranma suspiciously*  Iie... Great-grandmother say, 
there no more youkai anymore.  Not for 200 years.

Kagome: *to Inu-Yasha, who’s taken her face in hand and is turning it right 
and left to make sure there’s no bruises or anything*  Stop that!  I’m 
fine!!! *She knocks Inu-Yasha’s hands away.  Satisfied that Kagome is 
all right, Inu-Yasha lets her be and turns around to face everyone, 
standing defensively in front of the other girl, letting all her youkai 
features stand evident*  Oi, Inu-Yasha, who’s that?  *points at 
Ranma*

Inu-Yasha: *over her shoulder*  Ranma.

Kagome: T-That’s Ranma?  B-but...

Inu-Yasha: *smirks, though Kagome can’t see her*  He’s got the same 
problem I do. 

Kagome: *gapes a little* Honto ni?  B-but how?

Nabiki: *emerges from the house, toting a kettle of hot water*  Ranma, 
¥10,000?

Ranma: *glares at Nabiki* Go away.

Nabiki: *pretending to be wounded*  Just for that, ¥20,000.

Kasumi:  *Walks out* Oh, my.  *Negligently grabs the kettle of water from 
Nabiki (who looks very disappointed) and hands it to Ranma*  Thank 
you, Nabiki.  Here you go, Ranma.  *She pours a little out, and then 
he sets the kettle casually down a rock near Inu-Yasha, giving his new 
friend a chance to decide if he wants to share his secret or not.  Inu-
Yasha grabs the kettle and reverts to normal.* Oh, my.  Inu-Yasha-san?  
*He just nods imperiously.  Shampoo’s and Ukyou’s jaws, on the 
other hand, drop.  A few flies fly in before they recover enough to 
close their mouths.  Shampoo suddenly looks very nervous*

Shampoo: *to Inu-Yasha*  You boy or girl?

Inu-Yasha: *giving her a dangerous look* I’m a guy. *she quails, and 
jumps over the fence, running towards the Nekohanten as quickly as 
she can.  Ukyou, on the other hand, has decided that Inu-Yasha must 
be all right, since no one’s looking scared or screaming or anything.  
She puts her mini-spatulas up and bows apologetically to Inu-Yasha*

Ukyou:  Please excuse my behavior.  I didn’t know that you were a friend of 
Ranma’s.  *Inu-Yasha, recalling that she was one of the last to appear 
on the scene, nods but remains alert, though no longer hostile.  He 
even takes a step or two away from Kagome, giving her room to 
breathe.  Nabiki merely takes it all in, enjoying the yen signs flashing 
through her mind.  Kagome suddenly realizes something, and turns to 
Akane.*

Kagome: Akane-chan, did Ranma already have Ramen ready, or was that 
just... plain water? *points to the kettle*

Akane: Ne?  Why would he use Ramen?  It’s just hot water.

Kagome: *delighted*  Inu-Yasha, did you hear that?  You don’t have to 
dump Ramen on yourself anymore!

Inu-Yasha: *Sweatdrops*  Hai... (Did she have to say that?)

Ranma: Nani?  ~Why~ would you do that?

Kagome:  *smiles cheerfully* Oh, we only discovered that Inu-Yasha could 
change back when she spilled some hot Ramen on her lap.  Er, his lap.  
(This is confusing...)  And it didn’t work in the morning when the soup 
was cool.  So, naturally, we assumed-

Inu-Yasha:  They get the idea!

Nabiki: *looks innocent*  No, no, go on!  I’m interested!  *Inu-Yasha glares 
at her.*

Kasumi:  Well, why don’t we go inside?  It looks like it might rain- *finds 
herself talking to empty air as everyone disappears inside* ...later.  
*goes inside*

*on the other side of town, Shampoo shamefacedly enters the Cat Café, and 
calls into the back*

Shampoo: (Thank goodness it closed today...) Great-Grandmother!  *She 
sits down at a table and waits for her elder to come hopping in on her 
pogo-stick cane.  When Cologne enters, she stands up, her hair over 
her eyes as she struggles with a desperate hope*

Cologne: *senses Shampoo’s turmoil, says warily*  [What is it, child?]

Shampoo:  Great-grandmother... *takes a deep breath*  [I have lost to 
another.]

Cologne: [What?  Well, then, did you give the kiss of death, or was it a 
man?]

Shampoo:  *looks up, a little hope in her eyes*  He say, he say he not 
human, he youkai!

Cologne: *looks startled* [What?  Th-that can’t be!  There have been no 
true youkai for 200 years!] *instantly calms down* [That’s right.  He 
must have been lying, Shampoo.  You know that.]

Shampoo: *looks rebuked, but tries to stand up for herself* [He had ears, 
Great-Grandmother, like a dog’s, on top of his head!  And fangs, and 
cat eyes, and claws!]  *Cologne takes this in silence for a minute, 
thinking*

Cologne:  (So... that would explain that aura I sensed earlier, and again 
today... But still, I can’t believe that there would still be a youkai after 
all this time and no one knew about it!  Perhaps he was an oni...) 
[Come, child, I will have to see this man for myself.  But, Shampoo, if 
he is human and defeats Ranma, you must still give him the kiss of 
marriage.  If he is youkai, and he passes certain... standards set by 
our ancestors, then you must also take him as husband - assuming he 
will, naturally, defeat your previous engagement.  If he is neither, 
then he must be sealed.]  *Shampoo, the light in her eyes dimming at 
this announcement, nods and follows her great-grandmother out the door.*

Shampoo: ([I hope he is human, and weak!  I don’t care if I’ve only known 
Ranma for a little while, I ~do~ love him!  He’s the only one that ever 
cared...])  *Remembers a childhood full of training, the only friendship 
or love she ever received coming from her father, whom she practically 
never saw, and Mousse, whose only interest in her was possessive.  
Only Ranma had ever talked to her like she was more than another 
soldier to order around, or a choice of meat; only Ranma had ever 
talked to her like a ~real~ person.*  (I... I want Ranma, not other 
man!  Ranma... not like any other man...)  *A tear warms her eye, but 
she holds it back, refusing to let her heart be broken before all hope is 
gone.*

*back at the Tendo place*

Kagome:  *admiring the Christmas tree*  Where’d you find this one?  It’s just the right 
size for the room...

Akane:  *grins at the other girl*  Ranma and his father found it while they were 
training.

Ukyou:  *snorts*  More like, they crashed into it and knocked it over, then decided to 
keep it to hide the evidence. 

Kagome: *raising an eyebrow* Oh?

Ukyou:  *smirks*  After all, it wouldn’t do to let everyone know they were in-

Ranma:  *Suddenly behind Ukyou, putting his hand over her mouth*  Eh-heh... Stop 
joking around, Ucchan!

Ukyou:  *Still smirking, mumbles from behind Ranma’s hand*  Of course, Ran-chan.  By 
the way, I’ve been short on waitresses recently...

Ranma:  No- no way!  Tomorrow’s Christmas, and all!

Ukyou:  ...but I can always collect those bills for okonomiyaki that are hanging around 
later.

Ranma: *breathes a sigh of relief*

Inu-Yasha: *His ears secured beneath a bandana once again* O-oko-?

Ukyou:  *looks startled* You’ve never had okonomiyaki before? *Inu-Yasha shakes his 
head*  Well, I’ll just have to fix that!  Kasumi, mind if I make dinner for everyone 
tonight?

Kasumi:  *smiling pleasantly*  Of course not, although Akane was planning on helping 
me cook tonight...

Ukyou: *with a slightly pained expression at the thought* Gomen nasai, Akane, but it 
simply goes against my nature to not remedy this situation...

Akane: *smiling just as pleasantly as Kasumi had* Oh, that’s no problem, Ukyou!  I’ll 
just help Kasumi the day after tomorrow!  *Ranma’s look of relief turns to one of 
resignation in the background*

Inu-Yasha & Kagome:  *Have no idea of what’s going on* Eh? *exchange confused 
glances*

Kasumi:  *taking Ukyou’s former place as the other girl heads off to her restaurant to 
gather supplies for later*  So, Inu-Yasha-san, is there anything you usually do to 
celebrate Christmas?

Inu-Yasha:  *looks down a little, embarrassed* Ano... I’ve never really celebrated it 
before... *looks up*  What ~is~ Christmas about, anyway?

Nabiki:  Hm.  That’s right, if you are from the warring states period, you probably never 
heard of Christmas, did you?  *Inu-Yasha shakes his head, and Kasumi, Akane, 
and Kagome fill Inu-Yasha in on the story of the birth of Christ and therefore 
salvation of man* But nowadays, almost everyone celebrates Christmas, no 
matter what they believe... you know, the “peace and love and goodwill towards 
men” ideal and such.  Appeals to everyone.  *Nabiki winks* That, and the 
presents.

Inu-Yasha: Presents?

Nabiki: *nods imperiously*  Yes.  Presents.  It’s a custom to exchange gifts with those 
you care about, to show that you care about them. *Inu-Yasha appears to 
ponder this*

Ranma:  Of course, some presents are better than others...

Akane: And some last longer...

Kagome: And some mean more.  *smiles, taking care not to eye Inu-Yasha’s jacket, 
wrapped and under the tree*

Inu-Yasha:  *digesting this information*  Nnnn...  (I-I haven’t gotten Kagome 
anything...)

Kagome:  *Guessing what he’s thinking, murmurs under her breath just loud enough 
for him to hear*  I’ve already got everything I need; don’t bother with a gift.  
*Inu-Yasha’s bandana flutters a little*

Nabiki:  (I wish I had a picture of that... Well, I’ll get one soon.  Wonder if he’s as 
camera shy as a girl as Ranma?  I bet Kuno’d like him, too...)

Soun:  Well, Genma, why don’t we leave all these young people to themselves, and go 
play some Go?

Genma:  Certainly, Soun!  Now that we have two young couples, us old men ought to 
make ourselves scarce and let the romance bloom!  *Inu-Yasha and Kagome 
blush and mutter denials as Ranma and Akane yell at their respective fathers; 
however, the two have already left the room*

Nabiki:  *Brings out a long thin box*  Well, since we’re all in the game-playing mood, 
how about a game of monopoly?

Akane:  Nabiki, you always win that!

Nabiki:  *smiles sweetly*  Now, now, Akane, I’ll go easy this time.  After all, I’m sure 
not everyone here has played before.  *casts a pointed look at Inu-Yasha*

Ranma:  Ah, why not?  ‘S not like we’ll really lose money or anything.  *And so they 
play.  Surprisingly, Inu-Yasha quickly catches on and actually begins to win.  
Kagome is the first to fall to the Inu-Yasha-Nabiki-Ranma monopolies, Kasumi 
second, and Akane hangs on for a fourth place finish.  The three remaining 
“millionaires” vie for the win.  Ranma, despite his martial arts attitude brought to 
the game, falls to Inu-Yasha’s Atlantic Avenue hotel.  Suddenly finding herself 
playing in earnest, Nabiki mortgages Baltic and Mediterranean for hotels on 
Boardwalk and Park Place.  Inu-Yasha rolls the dice, his small piece starting on 
Pennsylvania and-*

*Lands on Baltic with a nine.  Nabiki’s jaw sets into a grim line, and she glares at her 
piece sitting innocuously on Water Works, then she rolls the dice.  One lands with 
a one face up, and the other totters out of her hand, spinning - with a seemingly 
loud tap, it lands five up.  Nabiki surrenders the last of her money to Inu-Yasha, 
visiting the very same Pennsylvania he had just left.  Inu-Yasha gives her a rakish 
grin, excited*

Nabiki:  *startled at his joyful look*  (He- he’s really handsome!)  *Brings herself back 
to reality, and affects a scowl*  Hmph.  Beginner’s luck.

Ukyou:  *Choosing that particular moment to come in, she sees a sulking Nabiki sitting 
across the table from a very cocky looking Inu-Yasha, with Ranma, Akane, 
Kagome, and Kasumi all sitting comfortably back and watching*  Whoa.  Did 
someone ~other~ than Nabiki just win a game involving money?

Kagome:  *looking up at the other girl, grinning*  Inu-Yasha.  

Kasumi:  *smiling nicely*  He played very well.  Are you sure this was your first time, 
Inu-Yasha?

Inu-Yasha:  Of course.  *shrugs*  It wasn’t that hard, though.  Just a bit of addition 
and subtraction.

Nabiki:  So you’re good with numbers, ne?

Inu-Yasha:  *Shrugs again*  Well, of course my Mother taught me figuring.  It was a 
while ago, but I still use it.  *proudly*  Mother was no peasant, after all.

Ranma:  *seeing Nabiki’s interest, he suddenly changes the subject*  So, Kagome, 
what’s school like where you live?

Kagome: *winces a little* Well, with going to the past and all... I don’t see nearly 
enough of it.  *Inu-Yasha looks down a little, trying not to look guilty*  But it’s 
pretty normal.  Kids.  Teachers.  The basics.

Ranma: *Dryly*  Sounds like heaven, doesn’t it, Akane?

Akane:  *laughs*  That’s for sure!  *She fills Kagome in a little about her school and its 
bizarre happenings and staff.  Kagome laughs along with her at the funny parts, 
and expresses appropriate indignation at other times.  Ukyou slips off to prepare 
the meal, and reappears with the Japanese pizzas for everyone.  Ranma’s has a 
little heart, which, for the sake of the company, Akane pretends to not notice. 
The night settles, Ukyou goes home, and everyone else goes to bed, with the 
promise of a Christmas party the next afternoon.*

*Back at the Nekohanten, Cologne talks with her young descendant, having spent the 
afternoon gaining information on a boy intent on his game*

Cologne:  That boy was certainly no oni.  I can only assume he is, at least partially, 
youkai... 

Shampoo: *looks worried*  But you say, he must pass certain test, right?  

Cologne: *Looking at the girl*  Do not let your feelings get in the way of your duty, 
Great-granddaughter.  

Shampoo:  *ducks her head* Yes, great-grandmother.

Cologne:  Physically, he appears to be prime husband material.  Yet even I know that 
not all youkai were good; most legends hail them as murders and the worst of 
evils.  Very few know the true nature of most of them, as they were at the very 
end; even fewer know how the end came to be.

Shampoo: *enrapt*  How ~did~ the youkai disappear?

Cologne:  *shakes her head* Later, child, later.  Besides, even ~I~ am not certain my 
story is correct...  There is so much left out.  For now, get some rest.  The Cat 
Café opens on time as usual tomorrow.  Holiday business is always the best.

------

*The next morning*

*Inu-Yasha yawns lazily as the sun curiously peeks over the horizon, wondering what 
its rays will reveal today.  The sun has to wait a few minutes, though, to see one 
of Nerima’s newest wonders, as Inu-Yasha leaves the bedroom, sweeps through 
an empty living room and kitchen, and shakes his hair out of his eyes in the 
dining room before emerging into the rather brisk morning air of the backyard.  
Knowing that no one else will be up for another couple of hours (if they are 
anything like Kagome), he stretches thoroughly, first bending in half so that his 
interlaced fingers touch the ground, his head practically between his knees, then 
leaning over backwards to form a bridge, and finally slowly rising from this 
position to stand on his hands, carefully keeping his balance.  Once his feet are 
high in the air, he bends his arms and leaps up, flipping to land on his feet.  He is 
surprised to hear clapping coming from above him.  He looks up to see Nabiki 
leaning out her window, camera on the sill as she applauds him, a smirk on her 
face.  He scowls a little at her, but otherwise ignores her intrusion into his 
concentration; he elects to instead have company this particular morning, and so 
leaps into a tree by her window.  She recovers quickly from her surprise*

Nabiki:  Not bad.  Do you always do that at dawn?

Inu-Yasha: I didn’t do it yesterday, did I?  *shrugs*  I usually have something to do in 
the mornings.  It’s boring here.

Nabiki:  We didn’t force you to come, you know.  You could have just stayed in your 
own time and had plenty to do.

Inu-Yasha:  *says nothing in reply*

Nabiki:  *not intimidated*  I don’t suppose you’d like to go downstairs?  Akane may be 
used to talking to strange men from her bedroom window, but the rest of us 
typically do that sort of thing on the ground floor.

Inu-Yasha:  *shrugs*  Then go downstairs.

Nabiki:  All right.  *firmly closes the shutters, startling Inu-Yasha a little, but he jumps 
down and goes inside, wishing Kagome would hurry and wake up.  He sits by the 
table, arms folded, and waits for the only other animate person in the house to 
come down.  Finally, Nabiki appears, her short hair less tousled, her pajamas 
traded for jeans and a shirt.  She also sits down at the table*  So.  You always 
get up so early?

Inu-Yasha:  *shrugs*  Dawn’s not ~that~ early.

Nabiki:  That’s true.  Akane gets up before that on schooldays to go running.  And the 
others will probably be up soon today.

Inu-Yasha: Oh?

Nabiki:  Well, Kasumi’ll make breakfast, which everyone will gulp down, then we can go 
and open our presents.  Afterwards, we’ll clean up; this evening we’re having a 
party.  *grins* I suggest you keep that bandana of yours on a short leash.

Inu-Yasha:  *reaches up, remembering that he’s not yet wearing his tortuous topper*  Yeah.

*The two pause as they hear feet tapping above them.  A few minutes later, Kasumi 
appears, says a cheerful good morning, and heads straight for the kitchen.  
Slowly, everyone else in the house wakes up and file downstairs, some more 
awake than others.  Kagome silently takes a seat beside Inu-Yasha, still slightly 
sleepy.  Akane sits down beside her, and Ranma seats himself at the opposite end 
of the table on the opposite side from Akane.  Genma makes himself comfortable 
beside Ranma, and Soun takes his place at the head of the table, Akane’s side.  
The other end of the table remains empty for Kasumi.  She brings in hot french 
toast, sausages, eggs, and fruit, then everyone begins to eat the western style 
meal.  Inu-Yasha finds it a novel experience - especially the syrup.*

Kagome: *giggling*  Inu-Yasha, you might want to wipe your nose... 

Inu-Yasha:  Eh?  *Crosses his eyes to see what the problem might be, to everyone’s 
delight.  Nabiki snaps a photo, to his chagrin, and promises to give the picture to 
Inu-Yasha later, if he won’t destroy her camera.  Kagome has to prod him to get 
him to accept the deal, but he does.  Meanwhile, she also keeps herself busy 
wiping the syrup off his nose with a damp, but not wet, napkin.*

Akane:  *Watching her cousin as the other girl delicately rubs the tip of Inu-Yasha‘s 
nose, her hand bare centimeters from those fangs, her face easily within the half-
youkai’s reach*  (Wow... that must take courage...  Or a lot of trust.)  *She 
watches in fascination as Inu-Yasha stops Kagome’s ministrations with hand, 
embarrassed, wrapping those clawed fingers oh-so-gently around her wrist and 
pushing away.  Kagome merely laughs.*

Kasumi:  *picking up the remains of breakfast*  The sooner everything gets cleaned up, 
the sooner we can open presents!

Nabiki: Well, for everyone else’s sake, I guess I’ll help this time.  *Grabs a few dishes as 
Akane rolls her eyes and does likewise.  Kagome grabs her own dishes, and, 
seeing everybody else picking up, Inu-Yasha does the same.  He follows Kagome 
into the kitchen with his cargo, and places it in the sink with her.  Soon Kasumi is 
washing and Akane drying, while Nabiki puts up the finished clean dishes.  
Kagome takes Inu-Yasha back to the kitchen to wait with Tendo-san and 
Saotome-san.  When the three sisters finish, the whole company retires to the 
seldom-used living room (for some reason, most of the living occurs in the dining 
room, around the table...), where the tree awaits in a corner.*

Kasumi:  *Pulls out a Santa hat*  Who’d like to give out the presents this year?  How 
about you, Akane-chan?  *Akane accepts the hat with a grin, little jingling fluffball 
at the tip flopping over her left ear.*

Akane: *Standing a few feet away from the tree, she surveys it with mock perplexity*  
Now, then, where to start?  *She walks back and forth a few times in a semi-
circle before Nabiki pipes up*

Nabiki:  C’mon, Akane!  Don’t take all morning!  *Akane laughs, and plunges her hands 
under the tree, withdrawing them with a plainly wrapped package.  She offers it 
to Ranma, who sits in the semi-circle around the tree*

Akane: *blushing a little*  Hey Ranma, why don’t you open mine, first?  *He accepts it*

Ranma: *also blushing a little* Um, okay...  *He unwraps it to reveal a pair of leather 
arm guards, likes his own, and a hand-knitted scarf.  From prior experience, he 
refrains from commenting on the knitting job.*  Um, thanks.

Akane: *smiles* I’m glad you like it! (I knew it was a good idea to get something 
bought, too, this year...)

Nabiki: Well, come on, on with the process!  *grins at her little sister in an 
uncharacteristic way*

Akane: *grinning back* Right.  *Grabs a present*  This one’s for Dad... *Soon, 
presents are handed out left and right.  Nabiki gets some cash, a few CDs, and a 
new record book for finances.  Akane gets a couple of plush stuffed animals, a 
promise from Ranma to go shopping with her for the three weeks after 
Christmas, and a debt release from Nabiki, plus a few odds and ends.  Kasumi 
gets a new pot, apron, and some other cookware, plus a couple of books on 
medicine (from Dr. Tofu).  Genma receives pens and plywood signs, and a new 
umbrella, and Soun gets a couple of boxes of tissues, a new gi, and other stuff.  
Ranma gets mostly training materials.  Kagome, opening presents brought from 
home as well as recently received, gets some cat toys to spoil Buyo more with, 
some cookies from Kasumi, a plushie from Akane, an envelope with an “open in 
private” sign from Nabiki (containing negatives of pictures Kagome wouldn’t want 
anyone to see), three new school uniforms from her mother (with a note 
mentioning how quickly her uniforms seem to get ruined), many get-well gifts 
from her friends (most notably a health headband from Hojo), an old legendary 
mystical item from her grandfather (which later ends up by “random chance” in 
the belly of a poor stray dog), and a new bookbag from her father.  Inu-Yasha 
watches as she opens her presents with a strange look on his face.  Kagome tries 
to read it as she pretends not to notice, but can’t understand it.  Inu-Yasha, for 
his part, has gotten a token gift from each of the sisters and Ranma, but his pile 
is notably smaller than everyone else’s.* 

Kagome: *as the pile under the tree dwindles, and the pile at her feet gets bigger* 
(Poor Inu-Yasha... he doesn’t really have many friends...  I wonder if anyone had 
ever given him a gift before he met Kikyou, besides his mother?  I know he had a 
hard childhood...)  *Inu-Yasha glances at her, and sees pity in her eyes again.  
He scowls fiercely at her, but refrains from making a comment.  Kagome, 
remembering Inu-Yasha hates it when she looks at him like that, stops watching 
him.*

Akane:  Okay, last one!  *She ducks far under the tree, and finally re-emerges with one 
last gift in her arms*  Oh, this one’s for Inu-Yasha!  From Kagome.  *She hands 
the large-ish box to a surprised Inu-Yasha, who glances questioningly at Kagome.  
She motions for him to open it.  He does so, taking care not to overly maul the 
box with his claws, instead taking care to open the paper unripped.  He opens a 
box to reveal a nice leather jacket, the same one he had liked the day Kagome 
took him shopping.  He holds it up, admiring it.*

Inu-Yasha:  Kagome,...  *doesn’t meet her eyes, blushing* Arigato.  (I really wish I had 
something to give back to her...  But I don’t have anything.  Not here, anyway.  
Maybe when we go back through the well, I’ll get her a nice gift...)

Kagome: *also blushing, smiles a little* You’re welcome.

*Everyone lends a hand in cleaning up.  Afterwards, an air of laziness settles over them, 
and so the youngsters (from the eyes of Soun and Genma) seem to simply 
evaporate.  The sun, though, finds them basking in its rays on the roof, joking 
quietly amongst themselves.   Inu-Yasha wears his new jacket, bandana securely 
over his ears and sunglasses hiding his eyes.*

Kagome:  *grinning to herself* (I wonder how many people will wonder about this 
rebel-boy?  He certainly is the type, although they have no idea just how “bad” 
he can really be... or how sweet he really is.)  

Inu-Yasha:  *looks at Kagome, finds her smirking a little, her face turned upward to the 
sun; its rays dance along her nose, forehead, cheekbones, lips, lashes and 
highlight every little nuance.  He finds himself lost in a strange feeling, that very 
same one he felt first for a woman now dead...  And yet the feeling is every bit as 
sweet as it was then, even if his first love now wandered, dead yet undead, 
through a Japan of 400 years ago.  Kagome senses his gaze, and turns her head 
questioningly.  He looks away, pretending to have just been gazing idly about.*  
(I wonder... Kikyou died, in part, because of me.  Could I find that same 
happiness in Kagome?  Or... will the same things only happen to her?)  *The very 
thought turns away the sun and lets the chill of the day bite through his new 
jacket.  But then the spell is broken, as Akane sits up and addresses everyone.*

Akane:  Why don’t we have another go at Monopoly?  I’m sure Nabiki would love a 
rematch, Inu-Yasha.  *He nods, the light warming him again, and smiles.  And so 
everyone makes that trek back downstairs, into the house, and a mass search 
entails for the Monopoly board.  Noon finds them trading money for plastic 
houses and hotels, joyfully wearing away the day, refusing to let anything break 
their day of peace.*