Youkai Academy

Chapter 22

As Kagome walked into the club, she felt the gaze of the twins before they fell upon her, arms immediately around her shoulders and waist, sandwiching her between them. She stiffened; it had been a long time since the twins had hung off her. Hikaru was the first to speak up, "So you live at a shrine?" Kaoru quickly followed, "And there's going to be a festival?" They both finished in unison, "When were you going to invite us?"

Mitskuni tugged at Kagome's jacket sleeve, tears welling up in his honey-colored eyes, "Were you not going to invite us?" His voice quivered with emotion. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, knowing she shouldn't be swayed so easily.

This festival was more than an excuse to play around a shrine; it was important that everything went well.

Suddenly, Tamaki let out a loud sob, causing everyone to turn towards him, and it was disgusting. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, and snot dripped from his nose. He was leaning into Kyoya, switching between blowing his nose and rubbing his face into Kyoya's jacket. And poor Kyoya looked so uncomfortable, a mix of wanting to kill Tamaki and desire to throw up playing out in his face. "Why weren't we invited?" he cried out, "I thought we were closer than this. Why doesn't Kagome like me?"

Throwing her head back, Kagome let out a deep sigh of defeat, "Fine, everyone is invited."

The twins cheered excitedly and danced around her, holding hands, "We'll bring our mother's latest collection of kimonos for everyone to choose from!"

Kagome interrupted their celebration, "No, I've already made plans with Haruhi and my mom. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior, understood?" The twins, Mitsukuni and Takashi, saluted her in response. Tamaki fidgeted nervously as he approached Kagome, "What's the festival called?"

A bang sounded in her chest. "The Shikon No Tama Festival."

~o.O~O.o~

At her family shrine, a three-day festival was held in honor of the creator, protector, and destroyer of the Shikon no Tama. As a child, Kagome did not pay much attention to the festivities, instead enjoying the opportunity to dress up in pretty kimonos and indulge in sweets. However, her perspective changed drastically after the Jewel usurped her life. While every other person there had only heard tales of the great and sacred pink Jewel that granted immense power to a demon or a wish to humans, for Kagome, it was not just a tale but a harsh reality she had to face every day since her 15th birthday.

That reality was equally fascinating and terrifying, as the Jewel was ripped out of her side, and she had spent eight years traveling through time and across Japan putting that Jewel back together, all while battling horrible evils.

As she looked around, observing others holding replicas of the Shikon no Tama with either wonder or disinterest, Kagome could feel the cold and hard texture of the real thing in her hand. The festival was a time to celebrate their victory, but it was a false victory, and it was her fault, her wish that tainted the past.

Kagome wiped at her eyes; she would not cry during the festival; there was a lot to do.

The celebration would continue in three phases, honoring the creator, protector, and destroyer, each being revered throughout one of the three days. Today was the day of the creator: a day to honor Midoriko and her sacrifice.

"Kagome!~"

Suddenly, Kagome heard someone calling her name and turned to see Mitsukuni bounding up the steps, his eyes wide in awe at the sight of her. He exclaimed, "Oh wow! You look beautiful!" She smiled in response, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Her mother had done her hair, putting it in a half-up, half-down style with thick braids adorned with white flowers. Her kimono was a pale yellow, featuring pale pink, orange, and lavender roses with green leaves, while the obi was a mix of pink and blue with small red and gold details. It was the older of her kimonos, whereas she would wear the one she had purchased with Haruhi tomorrow, the day of the protector, before donning her traditional miko attire on the final day, the day of the destroyer.