Resilient Lily

|kanao|

"The only honorable, desirable kind of fear that shouldn't be feared is the fear of harm on a loved one. It's the kind of fear that leads to self-sacrifice and the kind of fear where you would truly jump in front of a bus to save another."

➻

Kanao's life was simple. She got up early enough so that not even the birds would be awake. She would train for two hours before going back to bed to sleep for the hour she had before everyone in the mansion awoke.

Looking back on it, a lot of her time was spent training or spending time with Kagome.

Speaking of Kagome, or what she had insisted Kanao to refer to her as, her "Nee-san," didn't know about Kanao's little secret. Or at least Kanao didn't think that she did -hope, really, that Kagome was oblivious to Kanao's late-night, early morning training. If Kagome did know, then she might tell Kanao to stop so she can get more rest, or worse, tell Shinobu and have Shinobu tell her in which case Kanao would have to listen.

Though it didn't seem likely that Kagome would inform her sensei if she did become aware.

Once the earth was awake, and more importantly, the people of the estate were awake Kanao would get up for real and take a shower, (due to her late night, early morning training sessions being a well-kept secret, she couldn't shower until people were up as to not disturb the sleeping attendants nor raise suspicion,) before meeting up with Kagome in the hallway to walk to the kitchen together.

Kagome, well, Kanao's "Nee-san," (Kanao wasn't sure as to why she insisted on her using such honorifics, but it seemed to make Kagome happy,) always seemed to keep a cheerful smile on her face, even in the morning when Kanao could tell her eyes were still fresh with sleep. She also managed to keep a bubbly, very kind demeanor. Which while others may have found it annoying, Kanao cherished Kagome's smiles and wanted to keep the girl happy.

(Not that Kanao knew, but Kagome felt the same way towards Kanao. To Kagome, her Imouto was someone to be protected and deserved the world).

(Both girls did)

When they got to the kitchen, Kanao would wait patiently for Kagome to cook breakfast for everyone. Aoi used to cook for everyone, but was happy to pass the job onto Kagome. It started with Kagome just cooking for herself and Kanao, but once Kagome realized that it was easier for everyone if she cooked for everyone, that is what she started to do.

Kanao appreciated Kagome's cooking a great deal. Before coming to the mansion, she, well she didn't have someone to cook for her. Her only source of food was the scraps left behind by others whether they were acquired from digging in a garbage can or begging for them.

At the same time, she didn't want to depend on Kagome since the girl would be away out on the field in the future. Which, not that Kanao would admit, she worried about. Anyway, Kanao had learned quite a long time ago that she did not have a knack for cooking. Much like how Kagome was horrendous at baking.

Kanao didn't think that to be mean, it was merely the truth. Kagome was almost band from stepping a foot into the kitchen when she nearly burned it down with her sugar cookies. And Kanao didn't even want to think about the cake debacle.

To put it simply, Kagome tried to bake a cake for Kanao's 13 birthday and accidentally put one cup of salt in the cake instead of one cup of sugar. Kanao made sure to thank her friend for the sentiment, even if she found it peculiar. Kanao found out two things that day.

One, not that Kanao had thought it to be possible, Kagome was even worse at baking than everyone originally thought. What was worse was that Kagome hadn't tasted the cake before serving it to everyone. It looked perfectly fine! Everyone was fooled by the carefully, beautiful frosted outside to know even think that it would be so disgustingly salty.