[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter 8 - Three Lost Years Found
Later on that night, Kagome and Nico were sitting in their room, getting ready to
settle down for the night. They had gone out to eat pizza at this new joint. It had arcade
games and karaoke and a dance floor. It was really cool. Everyone had a blast, even
grandpa. When they finally got home, they were all exhausted. Grandpa had gone to bed
immediately and Souta had taken a shower and passed out soon after. Ms. Higurashi had
gone to bed after everyone was upstairs and settled in. She told the girls good night and
went to sleep.
Nico and Kagome changed out of their clothes and into some pajamas. Nico had to
borrow some of Kagome's because her's were still being shipped with the rest of her
clothes. After they had changed, the braided each other's hair, so as to keep it from
tangling.
"Remember when we used to do this when we were little, Kagome?"
"Yes. I'm so glad your going to be living here now."
"Me too. I thought at first you had forgotten me and that I was going to be alone,
but when the agents told me you wanted me to live with you, I thought I was going to
burst."
"You know I would do everything in my power to make sure you're okay."
"I know."
"Nico?"
"Yes, Kagome."
"Do you miss your father?"
"Of course. I miss him a lot."
"It's just that you seem so upbeat."
"Well when the police first showed up at my door and told me the news, I actually
fainted. When I awoke, I cried for hours. I was, for a while, all alone. Everything after
that was a blur. The funeral I don't remember much of. I do remember standing there
alone, looking at my mother and father's graves, when a small lady told me I had to pack
as much as I could, cause I could no longer live in my house. I wanted to die. At least
then I would have been with my parents. But when they told me I was going to live with
my Aunt Higurashi and you in Tokyo, I forgot my sadness and tried to be positive. Yes, I
miss my parents, but I have you guys now and I can be happy again."
Kagome turned and hugged Nico.
"Nico, what happened after I sent that lest letter?"
"A lot. The last letter I got, you asked me to burn your previous letter."
"Yeah, I remember."
"When you sent that, father and I were getting ready to move. I couldn't send you

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a letter until we had moved. But I never got that chance. We had to move because father
could no longer afford to live in that house. We rented and apartment on the outskirts of
my mother's reservation. It was rundown and not exactly the best place to live, but it was
a place to call home. It was so bad though, it didn't even receive mail. We couldn't afford
a post office box and I was told I was not allowed in the post office by the post master, so
I was cut off from you. We also couldn't afford a phone either. We could barley afford
food and clothing. Dad had gotten a job at a local gas station. The pay wasn't that great,
but he managed to make rent every month. School was free because I'm half native
American. I got bussed off to the school on my mother's reservation. It was like being
shipped off to hell every day. The same kids who used to pick on me when I was little
picked on me then. They chased me and beat me and called me all sorts of things. Even
some of the teachers treated me cruelly. But every night, before I went to bed, I called for
you, like I used to when I was little. I hoped you would hear me and come for me. I don't
think I called hard enough, though, because you ever came."
Nico looked down an began to cry. Kagome wrapped her arms around Nico and
hugged her tightly.
"I'm so sorry Nico. I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault. I knew that if you had heard me, you would have come."
Nico smiled at Kagome.
"After we started to get settled in, I began practicing those fighting moves you
showed me. I practiced every day for hours. Plus I got plenty of chances to use them
against the kids that would try to hurt me. Over time, I combined your moves with some
of my own and some I had learned from a rouge native boy. He showed me the fighting
techniques of the Houma warriors. I became quite a good fighter. It was almost like
second nature." Nico looked out Kagome's window. "My father seemed to come alive
one day. I had gotten into a particularly bad fight and came home rather bloodied. My
father tended to my wounds and then when I felt better, he showed me some more moves.
Moves I didn't even know I could do. Like I said, I have become quite a good fighter. For
about a year now, I had become un-defeated at my school. Every person, adult or
someone my own age, who challenged me, I would take down with ease. It even started to
scare me, how dangerous I had become. But my father trained me and helped me control
the new strength I had acquired. We were actually becoming close again. Like how we
were before mom died."
A tear ran down Nico's cheek. Kagome embraced her cousin, comforting her.
"I didn't like to fight, but it was either that or possibly be killed."
"It's okay Nico. You don't have to fight anymore." Kagome looked Nico in the

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eye and then down at her neck.
"Nico, if I may, but where did you get that flame necklace?"
Nico's hand went to her pendant. "Azhe'e, gave it to me before he died. He told
me that it was time to pass on the family line. He also told me that I had a very special
and unique gift. He wanted to tell me everything when I got home that night, but he never
made it home. He was killed that night. My father wore this pendant always. It never left
his neck, and so I will wear it always and never let it leave my own neck."
Kagome just looked at Nico in strange confusion.
"What is it Kagome?"
"Before my father died, he too gave me a flame pendant. Just like yours." Kagome
showed her the black flame. "He also told me that I had a special and unique gift but he
died before he could tell me."
The two girls just looked at each other. They both new in the back of their heads
that their father's deaths were unusual and had something to do with the pendants both
girls now possessed. Also, that whatever gift the girls possessed, their gifts were one in
the same and that soon they would find out what exactly they were.
Kagome stood and head for the bed. Nico followed. They both climbed in and
Kagome pulled the covers up to their necks, tucking Nico in, just like when they were
kids. Kagome hugged Nico and told her good night and both girls fell fast a sleep, the
same dream running through their heads, leaving them in fitful sleeps.

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