Homecoming

Slayer Village

CHAPTER 3 - Slayer Village

Sango stood in the kitchen with Rin preparing lunch. She heard soft foot falls coming from the entrance. "Rin, can you check the rice?" Grabbing a small tray of fruit, she went into the living room.

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"Is that you Shippo? We just made lunch." A familiar womanly voice called from the living room. Her long brown hair was braided over her shoulder. Her kimono was a beautiful light pink with small white flowers and a blue obi. The small children gathered at the table eating the small cuts of fruit for their afternoon snack. The woman smoothed out her kimono and looked over at her guests.

"Sango! Look who I found in the well!" Shippo grabbed her shoulders placing her in front of him. "Kagome is back!"

The older woman froze.

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Sango looked over at the fox. He had brought a girl with him. Except she had strange clothes....

She could barely recognize the woman in front of her. Her hair was much longer and her face slimmer from the loss of her baby face. Her dear friend that had disappeared from this world now suddenly stood before her.

The woman in front of her and smiled shyly. "Sango..."

Sango ran past her children who stared at their mother as she rushed around the katsu and pulled her into her embrace. "Kagome-chan! I have missed you so much!"

Kagome smiled and returned the tight embrace. "I missed you too! And you have children!" She said as she peeked over the woman's shoulder at the three kids eyeing the scene before them.

Sango pulled away and smiled. "Yes. Sayuri is my first born." She motioned to the girl in the purple kimono and long brown hair. "Ume was minutes after." The other daughter in light green reached for a slice of mandarin in the center of the table. Her long hair tied into two braids. The boy sat watching his sisters eat, grabbed the table cloth and pulled the snacks toward him.

Rin ran out and grinned. "Kagome-San! You're back!" The ten year old girl was now a young woman. Her long hair tied into a low ponytail.

Sayuri panicked as the fruit reached the edge of the table. "No Kazuki!" Rin rushed around and gently released his fingers from the cloth. She picked up a mandarin slice and put it in his hand that had once held the cloth and gently started nibbling it.

Sango sighed. "Kazuki is every bit a trouble maker as his father."

"Who me?" Miroku had walked in. He was in the traditional black slayer attire with violet accents. Through the thin black material. She could see the sculpted lines of his muscles. As he patted his son on the head and glanced at his wife, his gaze met hers.

"Miroku, Kagome is back!" Sango exclaimed happily.

The monk stood there in shock then grinned. "Kagome!" He walked over and embraced her. "We have missed you."

Kagome pulled away and looked up at him. "I've missed you too! You're a slayer!"

"Well," He shrugged. "Ever since the battle with Naraku, the village was a mess. We thought it best to teach others to protect themselves against youkai as well. Especially our children. Kohaku has been making weapons with Toutousai. Once a slayer comes of age, we hold a ceremony and the parent bestows the weapon to their child." Miroku said as he watched his heir interact with his sisters.

"That must be exciting for you. To pass down such an honor to your children." Kagome said she watched Miroku. Such pride he had for his children.

Miroku grinned. "Kohaku is more excited then I am. He has come by bringing new ideas on what kind of weapon Kazuki should have but we are unsure what his fighting style will entail since we discovered his holy abilities. Our girls never showed signs of holy power though they are very talented in hand to hand combat like their mother. Kohaku said he already has an idea of the kind of weapons they will bare when they come of age."

"Shippo mentioned that Kazuki will be quite powerful." She thought for moment as she focused on the boy. "I...I could train him." Suddenly she blushed from embarrassment. "Ah! Only if you want me too. I had to practice on my own since I no longer had Kaede to teach me. Though he is not a miko, I'm sure I can help him with the basics."

Miroku stared at her at her as she rambled. "Sango and I would love that." Miroku glanced at his wife who nodded ecstatically.

A bell rang breaking the small silence. Heads turned towards the open doorway to the watchtower. The bell rang again. "What is that?" Kagome asked. Shippo darted out the door. Sayuri ran to her father passing him his staff. Miroku patted his daughter on the head before following the fox, staff in hand.

"There's a youkai." Sango said as she undid her kimono revealing her slayer uniform. Rin took the pink kimono from Sango, folding it in her arms. Sango tied up her hair and grabbed her weapon by the door. "Rin. Girls. Watch over Kazuki." With that, Sango ran out toward the fight.

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"Let's close up the house and go to the basement." Rin ordered as she picked up Kazuki. Sayuri closed the front door and the windows with Ume before following Rin.

"This way Kagome." Rin directed as she lead the girls downstairs.

"She left." Ume explained as she walked passed Rin.

Rin stopped on the stairs glancing back to the floor above. "She left?"

Sayuri tugged Rin's Obi. "Should we go get her?"

Rin shook her head. "No. Our job is to protect Kazuki. Mama and Papa won't be pleased if we fail in our task."

"What if she gets hurt?" Ume squeaked from the bottom of the stairs.

"She has beaten a big bad demon before...she can do it again." Somehow she felt she was trying to relieve her worry more so than theirs.