InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The 500 Year Engagement ❯ The 500 Year Engagement - A Sunday Outing with the Girls ( Chapter 9 )

The 500-Year Engagement

A Sunday Outing with the Girls

By Majicman55

 

Disclaimer: The characters from “InuYasha” are not mine; they are the intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not benefit financially from these writings. I just like to play with the characters.

 

 

When Kagome went out onto the shrine grounds late Sunday morning, she found Sango sitting underneath Goshinboku, Kirara snoozing comfortably in her lap. “Good morning.”

 

“Oh. Hi, Kagome.”

 

“How are you doing?”

 

“Fine.” Sango glanced towards where Miroku and InuYasha were working. “The boys are making real progress on the hut.”

 

“OWWW!”

 

Kagome watched the monk shake his hand. Apparently Miroku wasn't quite used to a modern hammer yet. “Rin's coming over.”

 

“She is?” Sango smiled. “It will be nice to see her.”

 

“Midori's inside, getting ready.” Kagome pinched the material of Sango's taijiya outfit. “You need more than this to wear, so we're going shopping.”

 

“Shopping? There's a market near here?” The taijiya frowned. “I don't know if I can go with you, Kagome. I can hardly go dressed like this. Besides, even if we found some fabric I liked, I'm not much of a seamstress.”

 

Kagome giggled. “We're not going to an open-air market, Sango. We're going to the mall.”

 

“The…mall?”

 

“Lots of shops…with goods from all over the world!” The miko twirled `round. “The clothes are ready-made and there are so many of each kind that you're practically sure to find the ones you want in your size!” Kagome lowered her voice. “Frankly, it's one of the things I missed most over the years.”

 

“Oi! That and credit cards.”

 

“Credit cards?”

 

“You use them in place of money. A company pays the merchant for you, and then you pay the company later. InuYasha thinks I get carried away with our cards, sometimes.”

 

“Feh. That's `cause I have to pay `em back.”

 

Sango looked down. “I've told you that I don't want to be a burden, Kagome. I'll buy some of these `clothes' you're talking about after Miroku and I start working for the shrine.”

 

“Nonsense,” declared Kagome. She gently shooed Kirara out of Sango's lap and then helped the taijiya to stand up. “InuYasha's teasing. He knows I don't use my cards too much.”

 

“Feh!” groused the hanyou, but he smiled.

 

“Besides, this is a chance to help out my best friend!”

 

Sango looked down again. “I thought Rin was your best friend, now.”

 

InuYasha's thought reached Kagome. “Better be careful. You have two `best friends' now. Sango still hasn't figured out where she stands with you, and Rin's probably wondering the same thing.”

 

“Gotcha. And thanks, InuYasha.”

 

“Keh.”

 

Kagome put a finger under Sango's chin and lifted till their eyes met. “Rin didn't take your place in my heart, Sango. She became my best friend when I needed one…through the years of having babies…and losing sons and daughters…through laughter and through tears…but she didn't replace you.

 

“The real tragedy for me would be to find you, and then to lose you because you had some silly thought that you should bow out and make way for Rin.” Kagome put her hands on Sango's shoulders. “But, thank you.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You have reminded me that I mustn't let Rin feel the same way you just did. She may be wondering if she should back off and recognize that my old best friend is back.” Kagome paused. “I think I need your help, Sango.”

 

“Whatever you need, Kagome. You know I'll always help you.”

 

“Good. I want you to help me make sure Rin doesn't feel left out.”

 

“O-Okay.”

 

Kagome dropped her hands from the taijiya's shoulders. “Now we've got to get going. Time to give these cards a workout!”

 

“Feh!”

 

“But, Kagome…”

 

“Don't worry!” Kagome whispered, “We're rich.”

 

Sango's eyes got large. “Rich?”

 

“Oi! Not as rich as Sesshoumaru, so hold it down!”

 

Kagome grabbed Sango's arm and led her into the house to get changed to go out.

 

The boys watched the girls go inside.

 

“You're rich?” Miroku turned to InuYasha. “I am sensing an ominous presence over this house.”

 

“Nice try, bouzu, but this is your house, it ain't even finished yet…and if you think I'm paying you to exorcise your own home, you're as nuts as I remember.”

 

 

******************

 

 

“And you call this a…car?” The taijiya's nails were digging lunar-shaped divots into the dashboard.

 

“Relax, Sango! I told you about these.”

 

“It's a lot faster than a cart…and there are so many others!”

 

“I'll put on some music,” said Rin. “Maybe it will relax you.”

 

“Music? How could there be music?”

 

Rin punched a couple of buttons on the dashboard and an announcer came on, declaring that they needed to “call in to win.”

 

The taijiya stared at the dashboard.

 

“Relax, Sango. It's a radio. It's like the TV back at Mama's house, only there's no picture.”

 

“Oh.” Sango tried to settle down. “LOOK OUT!”

 

Kagome and Midori were in the back. They had let Sango sit in front with Rin with the idea that it would make her less likely to get car sick.

 

“She's making me nervous, Kagome.” Rin was trying to remain calm, but was losing the battle.

 

The miko sighed. “Sango, the drivers all follow the same rules and know how to stay out of each other's…”

 

<CRASSSH>

 

Everyone looked up ahead to where two drivers had not followed the same rules and were now yelling at each other. Sango was doing her best to sink down into her seat, while praying to the kamis that the same thing wouldn't happen to them.

 

“Look! There's the mall!” Rin swung the car into the parking garage and inched her way through till she found a free spot on the second level, luckily near a catwalk connecting the parking area to the mall. “Everybody out!”

 

 

******************

 

 

“Oh…my.”

 

Sango had been somewhat distracted as the girls walked into the mall through a minor entrance, but when they reached the central concourse, she felt overwhelmed. Sure, Kagome had talked to her about this, and she had thought she was prepared, but hearing about it and seeing it were two different things.

 

This castle was huge, and it was full of giant merchant stalls, which were full of things…most of which she couldn't recognize.

 

“Ka-Kagome?”

 

“Each one is called a `store.' Each merchant does his or her best to attract your eye…so the overall effect can be overwhelming. It helps if you concentrate on one store at a time.”

 

Sango tried to do just that and finally saw something she recognized. “What's that, Kagome?”

 

Kagome smiled. “That's a sporting goods store.” It made sense that her friend would pick that one first…especially with that display of boomerangs in their window.

 

“They're so small.”

 

“But they work like yours. “They're from a country called Australia.”

 

“They must have awfully small youkai.”

 

Kagome laughed. “Actually, I don't know if they have youkai or not. The native people do have stories, though.” The taijiya looked at the store again, and Kagome knew her friend wanted to look at something familiar. “Okay, let's go in.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

 

******************

 

 

Sango held the boomerang, turning it this way and that. It was smaller and lighter than Hiraikotsu, of course, but she almost instinctively knew how to use it. While Kagome was busy looking at something else (the miko had suggested that the taijiya might be more comfortable in athletic shoes), Sango carefully measured the store and let fly.

 

“Hey!”

 

“Hey!”

 

“HEY!”

 

“HEY!”

 

“HEY!”

 

She caught the boomerang.

 

A young man wearing a sweatsuit (something like the clothing Kagome had given her) ran up quickly. “That was amazing!” The young man coughed nervously when he saw an older man, also wearing a sweatsuit (which looked a size too small around the stomach), run in their direction. The young man turned serious. “I'm sorry, miss, but you're not allowed to throw these things in the store.”

 

Kagome, who had “eeped” when she saw the boomerang flying past her and through the store, smiled at the clerk. “We'll take it. In fact, we'd like three, if you have them.”

 

“Are you sure?” asked the suspicious clerk.

 

Kagome dug in her purse for a moment, pulled out a card and held it out for the clerk and the manager to see.

 

“Yes, miss!”

 

All thought of reprimanding the young shoppers, or the young clerk, left the manager's mind.

 

While the clerk got the initial purchase ready, the manager helped Kagome and Sango find proper-fitting shoes for the taijiya.

 

“Are you sure about this, Kagome?” Sango still felt a little guilty for letting her friend buy these things for her. But the shoes were comfortable, and she did like the miniature Hiraikotsu.

 

“My pleasure. Now it's time for some real clothes.”

 

 

******************

 

 

Sango sat on one of the benches in the mall. The first few stores had been dizzying, but she was finally getting the hang of things. At least she didn't look at everything “like a farm girl seeing the big city for the first time” anymore, as Midori put it.

 

The taijiya was surrounded by shopping bags. Midori and Rin held more shopping bags, most of which held clothes for her. She was feeling a little guilty letting Kagome buy all of it. But the miko kept explaining that it was no problem, no problem at all.

 

Apparently, the hanyou had turned into a craftsman who turned out absolutely wonderful historical recreations. Kagome had told her about it over lunch. Experts had trouble telling the difference between actual artifacts and InuYasha's work.

 

Anyone decorating a home (and especially rich people decorating a home) wanted an original InuYasha…or several. If you had a piece with his trademark Chow logo, you really impressed your guests.

 

There were even rumors that certain of the pieces could bring good luck, or even fertility.

 

“That's mother's work,” Midori had said.

 

Rin had looked away, trying not to giggle.

 

Sango looked closely at her friend. “I didn't know you could do that.”

 

The miko blushed slightly. “It was the five hundred years, Sango. I had never been properly trained. I decided it was time to learn what I could do with these spiritual powers.” Kagome sipped at her soda. “First, Kaede taught me. Then there were other mikos. Some things, once I knew enough, I taught myself.”

 

“She has amazing power,” said Midori. “I'm part miko/part youkai, over three hundred years old, and she scares the hell out of me.”

 

“As I should. I'm your mother, you know.” Kagome took another sip and put her cup down. “The funny thing is, Mama scares me…and she doesn't even have powers. I guess it's a mother thing.”

 

“Are you going to unseal your ji-chan?” asked Midori.

 

“Maybe. I don't know. He's kind of old, already. But…I feel guilty that I sealed him in the first place; then forgot and left him that way.”

 

Now it was mid-afternoon, they had shopped till Sango was ready to drop, and it was almost time to go home.

 

Still, Kagome wanted to make one more stop.

 

 

******************

 

 

“What is this place, Kagome?” Sango noticed that both Midori and Rin were standing behind them, both giggling profusely. The taijiya looked closer at the window display. “I can't wear these things!”

 

“It's called Sesshoumaru's Secret, and every girl should have some of the things in here.”

 

“Sesshoumaru's…? You're kidding.”

 

Rin was laughing outright. “That's right. My Fluffy is the Lingerie Lord of Japan”

 

Sango was blushing, definitely blushing. The thought of The Great Lord of the Western Lands being a purveyor of this…clothing…had been outweighed by the embarrassment of imagining herself wearing it. There was more giggling from behind her. She turned quickly. “And I suppose you two wear this!”

 

“You'd better believe it!” said Rin. “After all, Fluffy owns the store!”

 

Midori wasn't saying anything.

 

Rin looked over at Kagome's daughter. “Midori?”

 

“For Kami's sake! I can't talk about this in front of mom!”

 

Now Kagome was laughing. Sango turned to her friend. “Do you wear these things?

 

“Yeah, but they usually don't last too long.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Claws…fangs. You know.”

 

“Oh.” Sango was blushing again.

 

The three girls dragged her into the store, laughing all the while.

 

 

******************

 

 

“Kagome!”

 

The stage whisper had come from the changing room. “What does she want now? I thought we got her over her case of nerves.”

 

“Kagome!”

 

This time the miko answered from right outside the door. “Yes?”

 

The door opened slightly and an arm reached out, grabbing the miko and pulling her inside. “I can't wear this!”

 

“I thought we were past this. Midori and Rin are waiting for you to model for them.” Kagome stopped when she noticed how her friend was getting so upset. “What is it?”

 

Sango whirled about. “This.”

 

Suddenly Kagome understood. Sango still bore the scar of Kohaku's attack…the large scar that disfigured her back. “Hold still a minute.”

 

Sango felt a warm tingling where the scar was. There was a sensation of…flowing. And then it stopped.

 

“Look in the mirror now.”

 

Sango gasped. The scar was gone. “H-How?”

 

“I've been training for five hundred years, Sango. This was simple. Regrowing Sesshoumaru's arm…that was hard.”

 

“You did that?”

 

`Yeah. Took a lot longer, though.” Kagome ran her hand over Sango's back, just to make sure she had everything right. “Mr. High and Mighty wouldn't listen. When I was almost done, he twitched and wound up with an extra finger. Took two days to get it to reabsorb. I almost left it there. InuYasha said I should have.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Said I'd be the only one to give Sesshoumaru the finger and live.”

 

Sango giggled.

 

“Now, are you ready to come out?”

 

 

******************

 

 

The modeling area was, for obvious reasons, sequestered from the rest of the store.

 

Sango modeled the lingerie to often lewd but fun-spirited comments from her friends about what Miroku would do when he saw her in it.

 

It was quite obvious that her athletic life had given her a remarkable body…and now her scars were gone, as if they had never existed.

 

True, Kagome had wondered if she should remove them. After all, they were part of what her friend was. On the other hand, if anyone had seen the scars there would have been awkward questions.

 

“Besides,” thought the miko, “it will give her more confidence with Miroku.” A thought struck Kagome. “Maybe we could have a double wedding. It would be a little early, considering I still want to graduate in front of my family, but…it might get rid of any problems Midori's created. I'll talk with InuYasha about it.” Suddenly Kagome was stirred from her reverie. “Huh?”

 

She looked up to find that Sango had finally gotten into the spirit of things and now the girls were egging each other on to try on ever-more-daring lingerie and model it in ever-more-outrageous ways.

 

Even Kagome joined in.

 

 

******************

 

 

Late that night, in a darkened third-floor walkup, in a seedy part of Tokyo, the man reviewed the latest recordings from the cameras he had planted in the lingerie stores in area malls.

 

Usually, he was forced to wade through footage of women obviously past their primes using lingerie to try to extend the flagging interest of their aging husbands. Occasionally there would be the bright spot of a young woman putting together her trousseau.

 

He allowed the video to play. Suddenly, in the middle of a long pull on a cheap beer, he arched forward. “Jackpot!”

 

Nervously, he began transferring the images to his harddrive.

 

“I'm rich.” He watched more of the video. “I'm SO rich.”

 

 

 

A/N: It's not Monday yet, but it looks like the girls have found new trouble. We find out that InuYasha and Kagome are rich. Fluffy is too, but who'd have thought he'd get rich that way?

 

More confusion to come!

 

As always, please read and review. Thanks! Oh, and again, more reviews = more inspiration for new chapters.