InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Wedding of a Miko ❯ Breaking Tradition ( Chapter 1 )

Author's Note: I understand that I have not updated my story in a while but I will very, very soon. In the mean time, enjoy reading this new story that I have written up for you. Please don't email me saying that I suck for not updating and that if I have enough time to write this then I have enough time to update TBG, FA, or DFR because you have no idea what my situation is. I got one particular email saying that I am selfish, stupid, and a whole lot of other stuff. I sent *mmph* a taste of my attitude, to see if he/she liked it.

That fact is I don't have to write these for you. I can keep them to myself for that matter and not even post them on FF.net or on mediaminer.org. I don't get paid to write stories, I do it because I love writing and reading. And it's great that you all like reading and reviewing and stuff, but don't try to hassle anyone into updating faster, because if I get another email saying that I am wasting their time, I won't write anymore stories. With that said, enjoy.

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The Wedding of a Miko

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Chapter One: Breaking Tradition

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"Kagome…"

"Yes grandpa." She replied, in a disinterested tone.

"You are twenty-four years old." Her grandfather said.

"I know my own age…" Kagome saw where this was going. It happened more frequently as she got older.

"Well, when are you going to get married?" He grandfather looked up at her with an exasperated look on his face. Kagome nearly choked on her food. If anything she was more tired of him asking her those questions that he was.

"Grandpa we go through this everyday. Give it a rest!" Kagome wanted to yell but her mother's looks were enough to calm her.

"Now father, Kagome, calm down. Let's all get back to eating, okay?"

"Yeah. We all know that no man would be crazy enough to marry Kagome." Said her brother very smugly across the table. In turn, he got smacked with a big piece of steak.

"Shut-Up runt." Kagome began to eat again as if nothing happened.

As a matter of fact, this wasn't such an unusual occurrence in the family. You see Kagome's grandfather was a traditional one. He believed that all the women in his family should train their miko powers and become strong. He also wanted them to marry a strong priest to protect them. Kagome was no exception. This made it a little weirder for her when she was a child.

"Now Kagome, which one do you use to ward off demons?" Her grandpa waited for her to answer the question.

"Ummm… the one with all the squigglies?" A six year old Kagome answered uncertainly.

"You call our family's traditions `squigglies'?" He was obviously appalled.

"Yes. They have little squiggly lines. See?" She picked it up and accidentally let it go while showing it to her grandfather, making it fly to his face.

"Noo!" He yelled but the charm when straight to his face and knocked him flat on the floor.

"Oops." She muttered while walked up to her grandfather. He quickly rose and gave Kagome a stern look.

"Get inside." Was all he said and she ran back to her house.

Of course it didn't help that her older sister Kikyo got more attention. She was always the better miko. She knew all the spells, rituals, what herbs to use to heal people, and she was the best at the bow. Something Kagome wasn't so great at.

"Ready, shoot!" Shouted grandpa. Both girls let their arrows go, but only one of them hit the bull's-eye.

"Splendid Kikyo, it shows how much you have practiced." Her grandfather showered her with compliments while she basked in the glory of her perfect shot.

"Thank you grandpa, but don't you think you should help Kagome? I mean she didn't exactly make the shot now did she?" Kikyo turned to Kagome with a look of conceit on her face. A now twelve year old Kagome stuck her tongue out at her `perfect sister'.

"That is true Kagome. You missed." Her grandfather shook his head in disappointment looking at her shot.

"It was only by two inches!" Kagome protested in her defense.

"Those two inches could have cost you your life. You should take lessons from Kikyo." He suggested.

"Yeah. I know how to actually hit the bull's-eye." She commented.

"Shut up, show off." Kagome snapped at her sister. Between Kikyo and her grandfather she felt left out all the time.

Then came the big day when Kikyo found a nice Shinto priest to marry. It was the highlight of the Higurashi family, and the burden of Kagome. Not that she wasn't happy that Kikyo got married, she was ecstatic that the girl was going to live somewhere else, but now she had to get married soon. Her wedding was very traditional, kimonos and all. Her grandfather couldn't have been happier. Now it was Kagome's turn.

~*~

"So he popped the question again huh?" Sango asked. She knew all about Kagome's grandfather being crazy about traditions and whatnot. She was her best friend since they were little, so of course she knew Kagome inside out. They even had the same job working in a department store at the mall.

"When doesn't he? I'm only twenty-four, what does he want?" Kagome wanted nothing more than to have her grandfather leave her alone for once. "He's too damn traditional all the time." Kagome went back to folding the shirts.

"Well, he is kind of right about one thing." Sango put the pair of pants down on the counter, and gave Kagome a sly look. "You need a boyfriend."

It's true. Kagome hasn't had a boyfriend since she was a high school senior. Maybe she was afraid that the guy would cheat on her like her ex did. However, she would never admit that to Sango.

"Look who's talking, Miss I'm in denial." Kagome put down the tank top she just folded to look Sango in the eye.

"What are you talking about?" Sango looked at the pair of jeans in the corner that need to be folded. She tried to act as oblivious as possible.

"Oh you know what I'm talking about. Miroku comes in here at least once a week." She started, "You know he's not coming in here for the jeans." Miroku Ito was regular at the store that Sango and Kagome worked at. At first he would only come in around once a month. Lately, he's been swinging by more often then usual, mainly because of Sango. The funny thing is, she acts like she doesn't want him, but Kagome knew when Sango liked someone. Just then, Miroku walked right into the store.

"There's your boy." Kagome left Sango by herself on purpose. See, Sango was never the one to keep her cool once someone put thoughts into her head. By now she was probably blushing like a maniac.

"Wait, Kagome…"Sango stopped speaking when she noticed a pair of navy eyes looking at her. She quickly went back to folding the jeans. She heard footsteps, but before she could move, he was in front of her. Kagome was watching the whole thing.

"Excuse me, Miss, but can you help find a pair jeans?" Miroku asked Sango. She looked up at him and blushed a million shades of red before looking down and answering him.

"Um… you seem to know how to pick out your own clothes when you come in here." She folded that same pair of jeans for the sixth time now.

`No, no, no Sango. That's not how you flirt!' Thought Kagome.

"Yes, but lately I noticed that my style is lacking a woman's touch." Right then, he brought her hand up to his chest. Sango just stood there staring at him, ready to fall on the floor. `What is he doing?' She thought to herself while he continued to hold her hand there in place.

"See, this shirt really isn't my taste at all, maybe you could help me take it off, and find something nicer." Miroku took her hand of his chest but he still held on to hit and though it would fly away if he didn't.

`Oh my God! This is great! Go for it Sango.' Kagome silently cheered on her friend while she watched from the cashier. She was crouched at the bottom, so no one saw her, until the long line of costumers got to big to handle.

"The service in here is terrible! I'm never buying here again!" Shouted one random customer.

"Where's the manager? I want to speak to the manager!"

"Hey look. The cashier was hiding here all along." All of the angry shoppers spotted Kagome on the floor. She looked up at them with an annoyed look.

"SHHHHH." She held her index finger up to her mouth and looked back at the almost couple in front of her.

"I suppose I-I could help y-you-" She was cut off by his finger.

"I mean in private." Miroku whispered that last part into her ear, which half made her melt into her arms. Then what he said registered into her mind and she took a step back.

"What kind of a girl do you think I am?" Sango asked with a look of disgust plastered on her face. One moment she was enjoying this handsome man's attention, the next she wanted to run.

"I didn't mean it like that." Miroku put both his hands in front of him as if to show that he was innocent. It didn't help.

"Sure. Get out." Sango said without so much as a glance.

"But I-" He tried to say something else but he was interrupted by Sango.

"I said get out!" She shot him and angry glare and walked to the room which read employees only.

"Oh come on! This blows." Kagome threw her hands up in the air and stood up. She patted down her clothes and was taken aback when she saw the costumers glaring at her.

"What?" Was her oh-so-intelligent question.

~*~

"Kagome, what happened?!" Kagome's mother quickly rushed to her daughter as soon as she walked through the door. Apparently the shoppers didn't like the way Kagome was paying more attention to her friend's drama rather than their needs. You all know what kinds of things happened next.

"Well, I-"Kagome began, but was quickly cut off by someone. That someone was Kikyo.

"Kagome! It's been so long!" Kikyo gave her a strong hug and quickly let go to size her up.

"You certainly have grown. How have you been?" She asked, but before she could answer, two kids came running from the kitchen. One a boy who was about five years old, and a girl who was about three.

"Auntie Kagome!" They screamed and ran right into her. The brats are in.

"Why hello Shintaro, Akiko. How are you?" Kagome hugged them back.

"Mommy said that you were really, really bad at the bow and arrow thingy and that you were really d-*mmph*" Kikyo covered her sons mouth up while she carried him on to her lap.

"I can see that your fine." Kagome sat down on the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. "I see that you've told them stories Kikyo."

"Oh don't be such a stick in the mud Kag. I mean you were bad." Soon, Kikyo had, Souta, her mother, and grandpa laughing. Even her kids were laughing.

"It's true Kagome dear. Don't be a sour grape." Her mother picked up her grandchild in to her lap and started to play with the little girls soft, ebony locks.

"Grandma, will Akiko be preestees too?" The little girl tried to ask.

"Oh isn't that adorable. Of course honey." Kagome's mother tapped Akiko's nose and the little girl giggled.

"Well, if she's going to train you might as well start now, right?" Grandpa said.

"She's to young. That's what happened to me remember?" Kagome looked around the room when everyone started to laugh at her again.

"What?" She started to get annoyed now. Why were they always laughing at her?

"Nonsense Kagome. You were just not that good." Her grandfather said that and the laughter doubled. Then a single tear escaped Kagome's eye.

"You know what? I am sick of all of you trashing me all the time. So what if I'm not a perfect priestess. So what if I can't shoot an arrow straight, or if I don't know that difference between poison ivy and mint. So what if I'm not married, and so what if I have no life! I'm sorry if I am not `traditional enough' for you grandpa." Kagome ran upstairs to her room and cried out the rest of her tears.

~*~

That night her mother walked into her room to console her. At first, she got the silent treatment from Kagome, but then she welcomed her into her world of insecurity.

"Kagome what's the matter?" Her mother said while patting her head.

"I feel like I'm a failure to you guys or something. I do try hard to please you and it never works." Kagome fought the urge to start crying again.

"You are not a failure to us Kagome. We just have high expectations for you." He mother continued to pat and scratch her head, trying her best to calm her down.

"But why me?" Kagome asked, her voice starting to waver from the unshed tears.

"Soon you'll see how special you really are." Her mother winked at her and left the room leaving Kagome to wonder what she had meant by that comment.

~*~

At work the next day, Sango told Kagome all of the details about her little encounter. It looked like today was going to be another day for the shoppers to complain.

"He did what?" Kagome asked, dropping the shirt that she folded a total of ten times while talking to Sango.

"He practically invited me over for sex." Sango was on her fifth shirt and she would sometime fold some more aggressively than others. "What kind of a guy does that?"

Kagome was stumped. Miroku didn't look like the type of guy hat would do things like that. But looks can be deceiving. "Well, maybe that was his way of asking you out on a date."

"Then he should of just asked for a date, not sex." Sango put the pair of slacks in the right cubby and went to the shirts. Looking at the shirts, she thought about when he put her hand on his chest. It felt so toned and muscular. She kind of wanted to take him up on his offer.

"What are you thinking about?" Kagome asked with a smug glint in her eye.

"His chest." Sango sighed, blushing almost as soon as she said it.

"So she has a weak spot." Kagome said.

"Shut up. I just like his chest not him." She went back to fantasizing not noticing that the cause of that fantasy has just walked into the store. Kagome took that time to hide inside the fitting room this time.

"Excuse me." Miroku tapped Sango lightly on her shoulder and smirk when he saw her blushing. Before she could say anything he pulled out from behind him a bouquet of lilies and tulips. Sango was speechless.

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday so I brought you those flowers." Miroku waited for her to say something, but no words were coming out.

"I'm sure you've gotten lots of flowers before, so this shouldn't shock you." Miroku still didn't get an answer from her. Sango dropped the flowers and started to cough very loudly. Soon Kagome ran out of the fitting room and went to her friend.

"You dummy, she's allergic to pollen!" Kagome picked up the flowers and gave them back to Miroku. "Go home and think of one thing that won't go wrong, and then come back here, okay?" Miroku simply nodded and walked out of the store, while the pollen stated to take it's effect on Sango. It didn't take long for her to get puffy eyed and sneezy.

"Dat duhmmath aaachooooo!" Sango sneezed all over Kagome, which earned her a glare form the aforementioned. "Yeah whatever you said."

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Okay there it is….. I'll go prepare my ammo now.