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It had only been a moment, but Kagome knew she’d seen it. She was playing in the snow, making snow angels, when she saw bright eyes in the window looking at her. So she darted up. And there he was. A boy. He had silver hair and doggie ears. And his eyes were golden and reflected the light.
But she’d never gotten to play with that boy before.
Even though she knew Ms. Izayoi.
Even though her mom and dad knew Ms. Izayoi.
She’d played with one of Ms. Izayoi’s sons, but not the other.
And that made her sad.
Did she really think that it was okay to lock someone in the house for nothing other than because he had demon heritage? Well, she was going to go give Ms. Izayoi a piece of her mind. Mama always taught her to speak up when something was unfair, and she was going to. And Mama always said that Ms. Izayoi was someone she could trust, so it was okay to talk to her.
So Kagome got up and dusted the snow off of her 8-year old knees. She hoped that Ms. Izayoi was home, because thinking of that poor boy hiding in the house, all alone, made her heart hurt.
If no one wanted to play with him because he was part-demon, she would play with him. If people were scared he would hurt them, Kagome would say that she was not afraid. Mama had told her that the way she could make her hands glow pink was reiki. And that she could use it if a mean demon ever tried to hurt her. But Kagome also knew that most demons weren’t mean. Most demons were like her, just trying to live their day-to-day lives. So… why was it that Ms. Izayoi was hiding a demon in her house?
He didn’t look dangerous at all.
He looked sad, and he looked lonely.
But Kagome could help.
She liked everybody, whether they were human, demon, or a little of both.
Maybe Ms. Izayoi didn’t know that. That Kagome would play with anybody. Her little brother after all was always scared. But she wasn’t. She climbed high into apple trees to pick the ripest fruits. And she didn’t run away from the big dogs in the neighbor’s yard. And she was never afraid to check under her bed when she heard a weird noise at night. If Ms. Izayoi knew that, then Kagome could maybe play with both her sons!
Kagome trudged through the snow that came up to her knees, until she was standing face-to-face with the red door of Ms. Izayoi’s house.
Okay, Kagome. You can do this. Children all deserve to play, even if they are a little different, she thought, letting the words echo in her mind and become louder and louder, until they spurred her to action. To knock on the door. To tell Ms. Izayoi what she thought.
“Oh… Kagome! What can I do for you?” Ms. Izayoi was quick to answer the door, a smile appearing on her face.
Kagome always liked the way Ms. Izayoi’s eyes sparkled soulfully when she talked. Kagome liked how long and straight her jet-black hair was, and how her smile was always warm and honest. It was why she had to act! Because Ms. Izayoi needed to understand.
“I saw a demon boy in your window,” Kagome started, though when Ms. Izayoi’s eyes grew wide and her shoulders tensed, Kagome put her little hand on Ms. Izayoi’s arm. “There, there. I am not afraid. You should let him out to play. I promise, I will play with him! And even if Sōta is afraid, I will explain to him that demons are just like us.” Then Kagome’s lips pursed and her eyebrows became stern. “And you should not lock him up! Everyone deserves to come outside and play in the snow!”
Something in Ms. Izayoi’s eyes changed, and the luminous smile relit her face. Kagome was glad, because perhaps this meant that she had gotten her point across.
“Inuyasha? Will you come to the door? You have a visitor…” Ms. Izayoi called, and Inuyasha appeared, his grey-violet eyes peering around Ms. Izayoi’s legs.
“Ms. Izayoi, I know Inuyasha. I would like to see your other son!” Kagome huffed.
Inuyasha was one of her favorite playmates. He liked to make snowmen with her, but he never wanted to throw snowballs. And sometimes, he too climbed to the top of the apple tree with her, and would always throw her the best apples.
Artwork commission by kalcia
“It’s okay, baby, you can take off your lucky charm.” Izayoi patted the top of Inuyasha’s head, and his eyes turned wide.
“Mama! Oh no! I’m so sorry! I… I just could hear her playing and I wanted to… to…” Inuyasha’s voice whimpered and he looked like he was going to cry.
“Kagome? Could you tell Inuyasha what you just told me please?” Ms. Izayoi turned her kind eyes again toward Kagome.
“Oh yes! That I want to see your brother Inuyasha, the one with the cute doggie ears and the golden eyes.” Kagome put her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks. “Because demons should get to come outside and play in the snow too.”
“You—you mean it?” Inuyasha asked, and Kagome watched as he fingered the pretty purple and white beaded bracelet she always saw him wear.
“Yeah! I’m not afraid of demons! Mama always said that they deserve to live their lives just like we do,” Kagome lectured. If she needed to, she could go get her mama and her mama sure would tell them!
“Kagome, I am going to go get your mama on the phone,” Ms. Izayoi said. “Inuyasha. I think you can show Kagome your secret. It’s okay.”
Inuyasha looked timidly one more time over at his mother, then back at Kagome.
“Kagome… do you promise to keep a secret?” Inuyasha still looked scared.
“I do,” Kagome answered, but she realized that might not be enough, so she extended out her hand. “I will even pinky promise.”
Inuyasha’s smile became nearly as big as his mom’s, and he extended his hand out and shook pinkies with Kagome. She sure hoped that it wasn’t a bad idea to pinky promise to keep a secret. What if… what if they were going to make her keep it a secret that Inuyasha had a demon brother who was not allowed outside? She would sure regret her decision then.
“...Yes Rumiko… Kagome saw him.” Kagome overheard Ms. Izayoi on the phone.
Did her mama also know that Inuyasha had a secret brother? Kagome would need to give Mama a talking-to if that was true.
“Since you promised…” Inuyasha brought Kagome’s attention back to him, and he started to tug on the bracelet around his wrist.
As Kagome watched, Inuyasha’s hair drained of its black color and it turned to silver. His eyes began to brighten until they were gold. His fingernails stretched into claws. And finally, the thing Kagome considered the coolest, was that his human ears had traveled up to the top of his head, and they became doggie ears.
Inuyasha had been the person Kagome saw in the window!
“Mom doesn’t like me telling anyone about… my… secret,” Inuyasha said, and his little doggie ears drooped as he said it. “She was worried someone would try to hurt me.”
“So… she makes you hide?” Kagome asked.
The idea that someone would hurt Inuyasha for having cute dog ears and pretty hair and eyes was beyond her.
“Yeah,” Inuyasha said. “But… she said when I get older, I can choose whether I want to wear my lucky charm or not! And when I am in the house, I can take it off!”
Kagome smiled. Ms. Izayoi wasn’t keeping a second son a secret; she was making sure Inuyasha was safe. So, she didn’t need to get a talking-to after all.
“Hey, Inuyasha, do you want to go sledding?” Kagome asked, satisfied that all was okay with the world. “And maybe you and Ms. Izayoi can come over tonight! I can ask Mama to make spaghetti!”
“Y—yeah!” Inuyasha squealed, and scrambled back into the house to dress in his winter clothes.
“Hey Ms. Izayoi!” Kagome called—she needed to close the loop after all, “you and Inuyasha can come over for dinner tonight! And… we’re gonna go sledding.” And when Ms. Izayoi’s face popped back out of the kitchen, Kagome lowered her voice and said, “And don’t worry. Inuyasha’s secret is safe with me.”