punkish furball – Hello, all! XD
Words to Ponder:
As you may or may not now, I had a poll posted in my profile regarding the revision process of my earlier works. There is now a run-off poll between the choices voted into the top three. If you haven't voted already, please do so. I'd appreciate it! XD
Also, my fellow Yu-Gi-Oh! and InuYasha crossover lovers, I'd like to say that "Soul Ties" by moi-moi819 is a good read if you're looking for some Kagome/Atem action. Reading it got me fired up to finished this update, and it gets the furball stamp of approval (as if that means anything in the real world…).
Thank you for reviewing: TsukiyoTenshi, inuluvskags, DragonFire Princess, WraithReaper, Bishonen'sFoxyMiko, Mistra Rose, ChikaneUchiha666, kakashixangela, Cosmic-lover, foxgodess07, MyLovelyRabbit, Scrawny Scrivener, Merble, Xireana Zetsubou, RoxasIsReal13, Sin of the Fallen, Bumblebeecamaro38, CroOkedTwiSted, Unnamed Wanderer, Star Shatterer, FanFic Fan, and moi-moi819! ^.^
Thanks to everyone who alerted and favorite-d this story. But my reviewers, you guys are special. Each update is dedicated especially to you! XD
Chapter 12
"Morning, Yugi-kun!" Anzu cheerfully greeted her friend as he approached his seat. Jonouchi and Honda each stood beside hers as they waiting for their teacher to arrive and greeted him as well.
"Good morning, everyone," Yugi replied in a more subdued tone as he took his seat behind Anzu.
Anzu sighed and her lips stretched into a lopsided grin. "I see Kagome-chan has run off on another expedition, right?"
"Yeah, she left this weekend. How did you know already?" Yugi asked; he hadn't seen anyone else since Kagome left or had any opportunity to tell them about it. He yelped when Jonouchi reached out and pinched his left cheek.
"It's this sad look on your cute little face," he explained with a grin, giving Yugi's skin a slight tug before he let go, "You get like this whenever she's gone."
"Am I that obvious?" Yugi asked as he rubbed his sore cheek.
"Like an open book!" Jonouchi exclaimed.
Honda scoffed. "As if you've ever opened a book."
"Well, in addition to that," Anzu added, "Kagome-chan sent me a text the day before she left." She smiled softly as she looked at Yugi. "She told me you went to see her off. Do you know how long she'll be gone this time?"
Yugi shrugged his shoulders. "Kagome-chan didn't say. I suppose she'll be gone as long as last time. It might be longer if she finds something of interest while she's gone."
Anzu pursed her lips together in thought. "It's nearly winter break; if that's the case, Kagome-chan might end up coming back just before the holiday." She suddenly clapped her hands together, wearing a big grin. "We should have a party when she gets back!"
"A party?" Jonouchi repeated in confusion, "What for?"
"Since Kagome-chan's been missing in action for a while, we'll set aside some time just for us to be together during the holidays. It'll be a Christmas party!" Anzu explained happily, "It'll be so much fun! We could even do Secret Santa!"
"I guess so," Honda answered with a shrug, "Where would we have it?"
"You think Nodoka-san would let us have it at the shrine?" Anzu suggested, "There will be more than enough room for all of us, and I bet the shrine grounds are so pretty when it snows!"
"I don't think she'd mind as long as we ask her beforehand. I'll call the shrine in the next few days," Yugi responded. The more Anzu spoke, the more he liked this idea. A party would be the perfect opportunity for Kagome to unwind and relax after she returned from the Feudal Era.
'Especially if she, InuYasha-san, and the others don't find any jewel shards or information about their new enemy,' Yugi thought, 'It'll lift her spirits.' It wasn't that Yugi doubted the abilities of Kagome and her friends; he believed wholeheartedly in them and their ability to succeed in their epic quest. However, he knew it would take more than a few encounters in the past for them to be victorious.
Yugi smiled softly to himself. 'Kagome-chan will do it. I know she will.'
"Great!" Anzu cried excitedly. She grabbed one of her notebooks from her bag and ripped out a sheet of paper from it. She then divided the sheet into seven smaller strips.
"What are you doing?" Honda asked her.
"Making the names to draw for Secret Santa," Anzu answered matter-of-factly. She fished out a pen from her bag and began scribbling a name on each strip of paper.
"So soon?" Yugi asked.
"Yeah," Jonouchi added, "We just thought of it, and Kagome's not even here."
"The sooner we pull the names, the more time we'll have to find good gifts!" Anzu explained, "Once we all pull one, Kagome-chan can have the name that's left over as long as it's not hers."
"So whose names are you writing?" Jonouchi asked, peering over Anzu's shoulder.
"All of ours, Kagome-chan's, Otogi-kun's, and Ryo-kun's," Anzu responded, "I'm not sure if Otogi-kun is here today, but I did see Ryo-kun earlier this morning. Everyone should get their name today excluding Kagome-chan."
"I'll give it to her," Yugi suggested.
Jonouchi smirked as he pulled Yugi into a headlock. "You should be the one to do it. After all, you two do live together!"
"Not so loud!" Yugi hissed as he tried to pull away, "I don't want anyone to hear." Other than his friends and the school's faculty, no one knew he and Kagome lived together at the Kame Game shop.
"Come on," Honda countered with a grin, "It's not like anyone cares."
"Tell that to Kagome-chan's fan club," Yugi retorted, struggling to get away from Jonouchi's grip, "I'll never hear the end of it if they find out she lives at the game shop, and they'll only show up to bother her. I don't wanna put Kagome-chan through that."
"I'm surprised you kept it from them this long," Honda said with a chuckle.
"They really are a persistent bunch." Jonouchi released Yugi and put his hand to his forehead in a mock salute. "'Our duty is to serve and protect Domino High School's idol, the talented and beautiful Kagome-sama!'" He lowered his hand and crossed his arm over his chest. "He lowWhat a load of crap!"
"I thought you'd be a member of the club for sure," Honda commented with a sly grin, "According to them, only club members are worthy enough to be Kagome's boyfriend."
Jonouchi scowled. "A real man wouldn't go around claiming a girl by saying shit like that. He'd tell her up front that he's interested." His frown morphed into a smile. "I can't wait to see Kagome's face when she finds out. I bet she'll give them an earful. Don't you think, Yugi?"
"Yeah," Yugi answered with a brief nod. For what Kagome told him, she had a bit of trouble with persistent suitors that couldn't take a hint. He could only imagine how she'd react if she got a confession from all of her fan club members on a daily basis. He almost felt sorry for them.
"If you really believe all that," Honda began in a singsong voice, "Why don't you take your own advice?"
"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer," Jonouchi retorted with a snort.
Anzu rolled her eyes as she finished writing down everyone's names. When she was done, she folded the strips of paper into small, equally sized squares. She put them away when the teacher entered the classroom and called the class to order. After the students were dismissed for their lunch period, Anzu pulled out the names again. Her three male friends dutifully appeared by her desk.
"What are we gonna put 'em in?" Honda asked.
"We can use this," Anzu answered as she emptied out her school bag and dropped the names inside.
"One of you guys get Otogi-kun and Ryo-kun," she instructed, "Then we can start." Jonouchi left the classroom to retrieve Otogi and Honda walked to the opposite end of the classroom to get Ryo.
"Hi," Ryo stated when he and Honda reached Anzu's desk. Jonouchi and Otogi arrived right after them.
"Hey, guys," Otogi greeted them, "What's up?"
"We're planning a Christmas party for the winter holidays and are pulling names for Secret Santa," Anzu answered, giving her bag a shake so the names would be jumbled together.
"It's a bit early for something like that, don't you think?" Ryo commented. He looked at Otogi from the corner of his eye.
"Hello," he said, turning to face the emerald eyed teen, "I don't believe we've met."
"The name's Otogi," Otogi replied with a grin, "I guess I'm the most recent member added to the gang."
"I'm Ryo. Nice to meet you," Ryo stated with a smile and a polite bow.
"Now that we're all introduced," Anzu began as she held the bag out to Otogi, "pull a name!"
"Okay." Otogi reached into the bag and pulled out one of the folded paper squares. "So do I tell you guys who I got?"
Anzu rolled her eyes. "It's called 'Secret Santa' for a reason. The only reason you should tell us who you drew if you pulled your name. You can't buy your own gift, and you also can't get any help picking out a gift; you have to do it yourself."
"Fine," Otogi answered with a shrug of his shoulders and pocketed the scrap of paper after reading the name. Ryo went next, then Honda, and Jonouchi. As Jonouchi read the name he pulled, his jaw dropped and the expression on his face comically soured.
"What's the matter?" Yugi asked.
"Nothing!" Jonouchi shouted and hid the slip behind his back, "This person's just gonna be a bit of a challenge to get a gift for."
"A challenge, eh?" Honda questioned with a sly grin, "In that case, just get me money or a gift card. ¥40,000 will do me just fine."
"Very funny," Jonouchi replied with a slight roll of his eyes.
Yugi took his turn and pulled one of the names from Anzu's bag. "Looks like I pulled my own name."
"Put it back and draw another one," Anzu instructed. Before Yugi could do as he was told, Jonouchi grabbed him around the wrist.
"No!" he insisted as he pulled Yugi's hand away, "Trade with me!" Jonouchi slipped Yugi's piece of paper from his hand before he tossed his diminutive friend the name he pulled.
"Jonouchi-kun, that's not fair," Anzu scolded, "You only did that so you could ditch that other name, and now Yugi-kun knows you have his."
"It's okay," Jonouchi assured her, "It's not like I know what gift I'm getting him."
Yugi grinned and quickly put the name in his pocket. "It's alright, Anzu-chan. I don't mind."
Anzu rolled her eyes. "I suppose it's fine if no one else has a problem with it."
Seeing as no one had any objections, Anzu pulled one of the remaining names from the bag. Yugi took the left over name to give to Kagome when she returned to Domino City. When Anzu wasn't looking, Yugi peeked at the small paper slip; Kagome was left with Jonouchi's name. After each teen received their piece of paper, they all left for the day.
As Yugi walked home, the pharaoh appeared at his side. Yugi quickly filled the spirit in on the details of their holiday plans.
"So whose name do you have?" he asked curiously.
"Oh yeah," Yugi replied absently, "I didn't look after Jonouchi-kun gave me the name he drew." Yugi pulled the name from his pocket and read it silently to himself. Soon after, he blushed bright red from the base of his neck to the tips of his ears.
"Who is it?" the spirit asked, chuckling at Yugi's reaction. If he had to guess, he'd say that it was either Kagome or Anzu. Having to buy a gift for either girl would cause such a response in his host.
"It's Kagome-chan," Yugi answered softly, his blush slowly subsiding.
The spirit smirked. "I suppose she would be a difficult person to buy a gift for. I understand why Jonouchi was so eager to trade with you."
Yugi nodded. He had no clue where to begin looking for a gift for Kagome. She was unique and very different from most people he knew, even their own friends. Yugi knew right away that he wanted it to be special; the usual gifts advertised for girls her age would never be enough for her. He wanted to give her something that spoke of their budding friendship and how much she meant to him.
"Let's start looking, partner," the pharaoh suggested. He sensed Yugi's thoughts and shared his sentiments. This was an opportunity to show the young miko how they both regarded her, and he was never one to waste opportunities like this one.
"Really?" Yugi questioned.
"We might as well get an early start," he replied, "As difficult as Kagome is in person, this task will be just as daunting to deal with as she is."
Yugi laughed and changed course, heading for the shopping district. Together, he and the spirit would find a gift Kagome would always remember.
-O0o0O-
'Just a little bit more,' Kagome thought, huffing loudly as she tried to maintain her concentration. Her muscles were taut and tight and her brow was dripping in sweat as she stood in her meditative stance. If one slight twitch messed up her form, it would all be over, and her efforts so far would be for nothing.
"Miroku-san," Kagome groaned pitifully, trying to remain as still as possible, "I'm reaching my limit here!"
"Try to hold on a little longer," Miroku instructed her firmly, circling the priestess as he observed her form, "Focus your energy, and maintain your stance. You're almost there."
Kagome grunted and kept her composure for a few more minutes before she collapsed on her back, landing on the lush green grass beneath her. She closed her eyes and greedily sucked air into her aching lungs. She moaned when she heard Miroku chuckling above her.
"I'm sorry," Kagome said, weakly cracking open one of her eyelids.
"No need to apologize," Miroku assured her, kneeling down by Kagome's side, "You did very well, much better than I expected considering the amount of practice we've had."
"Really?" Kagome asked excitedly.
Miroku nodded. "You must have great motivation to achieve this amount of progress in only a few days."
Kagome opened both her eyes, grinning from ear to ear. "I do."
Miroku stood and held his hand out to Kagome. "At any rate, I believe your efforts have earned you a nice, long bath tonight. InuYasha was considerate enough to stop for camp near a hot spring."
"Alright!" Kagome exclaimed as she shot to her feet, "Thank you, InuYasha!"
Despite her aching muscles, Kagome skipped back to the campsite to grab her bathing supplies before heading for the hot spring. Miroku chuckled as he watched the young woman leave to claim her justly earned prize.
"Our lesson is over," Miroku abruptly shouted into the trees, "You can come out now, my friend."
Just as Miroku expected, InuYasha appeared at his side from the dense expanse of trees. He stood next to the monk with his arms tucked in the sleeves of his haori.
"So you knew I was watching," InuYasha stated gruffly, trying to appear uninterested. Miroku quickly saw through his attempted rouse.
"Of course," Miroku answered, "Meditation in all its forms, including the one Kagome was performing, induces a state of hyper awareness as the meditator pulls his internal energies to the surface. Under such a state, one can easily detect any and all other energy signatures within a certain radius determined by their individual spiritual strength." He thoughtfully tapped his chin. "Incidentally, Kagome-sama's is quite large."
InuYasha nodded; he couldn't tell one form of mediation from any other but could feel Kagome's purity saturating all it touched as she practiced. He snorted to himself. Knowing her, she probably didn't realize what she was capable of.
"Of course," Miroku added, "considering the fact that you didn't attempt to conceal your aura which, by this point, is unmistakable to Kagome-sama and I, the increased awareness is simply a moot point."
InuYasha snorted. "If her awareness is so increased, why does Kagome feel so weak right now? What kind of mediation does that?" As far as he knew, meditation was a rejuvenation exercise and not one that exhausted energy.
"The purpose of the particular meditation Kagome-sama has been practicing differs from more traditional methods," Miroku explained, "Instead of only concentrating on her energy, Kagome-sama is directing it at a single, fixed point for a specific period of time which results in an expenditure of her power."
"And that would all mean?" InuYasha asked pointedly.
"Simply that, in that instance, the practice of meditation becomes less of an energy recovery exercise and more of an energy intensive one," Miroku stated, "Right now, her energy has been depleted to the level you sense now, but, the more Kagome-sama practices, the less it will affect her and the shorter her recovery period will be. Within a few weeks, I believe it will shorten considerably."
"Good," InuYasha commented, "I don't need another reason to look after her. She gets in enough trouble as it is."
Miroku chuckled. "She will be fine. I'm sure Sango-san accompanied Kagome-sama for her bath, and she's more than enough protection for the both of them should an attack occur."
Both men quickly turned their heads when they heard a scream in the distance.
"It's Kagome!" InuYasha shouted before taking off in a blur of red and white.
Miroku let out a tired sigh. "It seems I spoke too soon. No matter what the circumstances are, trouble always has a way of finding Kagome-sama."
-O0o0O-
Kagome sighed happily as she sank into the waters of the hot spring. Sango was sharpening her Hiraikotsu and Shippo and Kirara were lightly snoozing by the camp fire, so Kagome had to visit the spring on her own. She shrugged it off, grabbed her bag, and headed for the natural spring, grabbing her bow and arrows just in case.
"This is exactly what I needed!" Kagome exclaimed. She had been working hard and deserved this break. The only drawback from all her practice was the recovery period she endured after her meditation ended. She didn't like feeling so weak afterwards, but the end result was completely worth it. The chance to see Yugi's and the spirit's soul rooms, that was the goal she sought and would gladly work for.
Kagome grinned widely. "They'll never see it coming! I can't wait to see the looks on their faces!"
After a few more minutes of soaking, Kagome grabbed a washcloth and her favorite scented body wash from the bank surrounding the spring. Just before she could begin bathing, she heard the crack of a snapping branch in the surrounding flora. She stilled; she hadn't sensed an opponent stalking her. Her powers were still in their weakened state so whatever lurking in the underbrush could be any number of humans or demons whose energy she could not detect.
'If it's an enemy,' Kagome thought, 'neither possibility is exactly good.' Slowly, she reached for her towel and stood from the spring, covering herself. Acting as calmly as she could, she began reaching for her bow.
"Halt, woman!" a warped voice shouted from the trees, "Surrender and relinquish the Shikon shards to us!"
'Defiantly a demon,' Kagome thought. She quickly reached for her bow and notched an arrow. Without warning, she fired in the direction she heard the demonic voice. Though her energy was still weak, the target screamed in agony when her arrow made contact.
Kagome nearly cheered. "Looks like I killed it. Thank goodness it was just a weakling!"
Before Kagome could get dressed, a swarm of slimy, wormlike creatures materialized from the bushes forming a black, amorphous blob of wriggling flesh. The same voice she heard shouted again from the quivering mass.
"Kill her!"
Kagome cringed as the blob slithered toward her and loaded another arrow. "Why are the weak ones always the grossest?" She fired again destroying a large portion of the swarm with her weakened energy, but their number was still considerably large.
'They may be weak, but demons attacking in large numbers have the advantage against a single opponent especially someone without energy to fight, spiritual or otherwise,' Kagome thought with a grimace, 'If I continue like this, I'll eventually lose what little power I have left. Normal arrows won't work against them.'
"The women is weakening! Merge together and attack!" The remaining swarm pooled their bodies together and became a mid-sized humanoid creature. It stretched its arms to her with a killing intent. Kagome quickly dodged and managed to hold onto her towel.
"Nice technique," Kagome begrudgingly commented, standing up from the ground, "They're a lot stronger this way." Even so, this new form also possessed a blatant weakness; she only needed enough power to channel in one arrow to destroy them all. Kagome tried to bring forth what remained of her energy and found herself at her limits. She was tapped out and vulnerable to attack.
The composite creature reeled back its limbs again, preparing for attack. "Now we have you!'
Kagome held up her arms in a weak attempt to block the assault and screamed.
"Sankon Tosso!" InuYasha shouted, raising his claws and rendering the composite demon to shreds. In a desperate move, one of its arms flew in the Kagome's direction as the rest of its body was destroyed. She tried to back away with her arms still raised in defense, but it was too late. The end of the limb attached to her right arm, expanding around her pale limb and creating blistering ooze.
"Shit!" she cursed as the liquefied creature ate away at her skin. InuYasha immediately turned to her, assessing the threat.
"Easy!" he urged her as he grabbed the demonic limb around the middle, squeezing tightly. Under the pressure InuYasha created, the appendage fell apart into its original form of wormlike creatures and died on impact with the ground.
Once the creature was gone, InuYasha worriedly examined the wound encompassing Kagome's forearm. It was angry red and smoking as whatever liquid the demon expelled continued to burn her skin. Kagome quickly reached for her bag and pulled out one of her bottles of drinking water. She unscrewed the cap and poured the purified water over her wound to soothe the sting. Once it was emptied, she grabbed another and did the same thing with it, clearing the corrosive fluid from her wound. InuYasha stepped away and let Kagome work; she had enough experience to know what she was doing.
"I heard screaming! Is everyone alright?" Sango shouted as she burst onto the scene. Miroku was at her side along with Kirara in her transformed state with Shippo riding on her back.
Sango skidded to a stop and threw a worried glance in Kagome's direction. "What happened?"
InuYasha angrily snarled at the slayer. "Where the hell were you? You were supposed to go with her!"
"InuYasha," Kagome spoke up before Sango could reply to InuYasha's rude remark, "Please don't start a fight. If anything, it's my fault this happened. I knew I was weak, and I shouldn't have come out here alone. Even after it came, I didn't call for help right away because I thought I could handle it." With the constant stinging sensation in her arm, she wasn't in the mood to hear an argument.
Sango then disregarded InuYasha and walked to Kagome, looking at her injury. Kagome cringed as the slayer gently grabbed her arm, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Shippo jumped off Kirara's back and trotted to the two females, standing at their side.
"How badly does it hurt?" Shippo asked her softly.
"It could be worse," Kagome answered through grit teeth.
"There isn't any major discoloration," Sango stated as she turned Kagome's arm over, careful not to hurt her, "It looks like the combination of a minor burn and a bite wound. Are you feeling disoriented at all?"
Kagome shook her head. "No, so I'm guessing I wasn't poisoned. It was probably some kind of acid that caused the burns."
Sango nodded and finished her assessment, gently letting go of Kagome's arm. "Luckily, you weren't in contact with it long enough to cause any serious damage. As far as I can tell, the acid only ate through your skin."
Miroku stepped forward and gave the wound a look as well. "It's not an extremely serious injury, but it'll take longer to heal properly without your energy at its normal level."
Kagome took a deep breath. "In that case, I need to get this cleaned up and go home until it heals."
"Again?" InuYasha protested, "What the hell for?"
"Look at this!" Kagome shouted and held up her injured arm, "I can't regenerate several layers skin on the spot in my condition. I need antibiotics and disinfectants if I want this to heal properly. And, believe me, I do."
"Fine," InuYasha relented, "but no more of this meditation shit. I don't care what the fuck it's for. We can't afford for you to get injured by such a weakling again."
Kagome obediently nodded. She didn't want a repeat performance of this either, and she could easily practice her meditation at home where there were no threats to her safety.
"That would be my fault," Miroku quipped, "I knew the consequences yet I pushed Kagome-sama too fast too soon."
"How long will she be like this?" InuYasha grunted.
"Using what little energy she maintained so soon after meditating certainly didn't help Kagome-sama's recovery," Miroku explained, "Normally, I'd expected her to be perfectly fine in the morning. This episode set recovery back about two or three days at the most. Until then, she's a liability." He held his hands up defensively when Kagome glared in his direction. "Nothing against you, Kagome-sama, but the facts are the facts."
"We're not far from Edo," Sango surmised, "We can leave in the morning and arrive Kaede's village in no time at all."
"Sorry about the set back," Kagome amended sheepishly.
"It's not your fault!" Shippo asserted.
"He's right," Sango added, "And it's not like we have any solid leads to follow. You're hardly setting us back at all. We can use this time to regroup before the weather changes slow down our travels."
"Indeed," Miroku concurred, "It's nearly winter."
Kagome nodded and turned to Miroku and InuYasha. "Now if you two would kindly leave me alone so I can finish my bath and get this wound cleaned up, I'd appreciate it."
"Don't worry," Sango said when InuYasha looked like he was about to make a fuss, "I'll be with her, and I'll have everything under control."
"Me too!" Shippo cried and Kirara mewed in agreement.
InuYasha rolled his eyes before grabbing onto Miroku's collar and dragging him away from the clearing. He and the monk needed to have a little heart to heart about all this.
-O0o0O-
The group awoke the next morning, packed up their campsite, and headed for Kaede's village. InuYasha was still reluctant to let Kagome go home, but, when her weakened state showed no signs of improvement, he decided it was for the best.
"It's starting to get cold," Kagome commented as InuYasha walked her to the well, "I should bring get some supplies while I'm away so we can be prepared for the winter."
InuYasha snorted. "That'll just be another reason we can't find that guy."
Kagome grimaced; she knew exactly who InuYasha was referring to. The maker of the miasma used to attack and kill the wolf demon tribe hasn't been sighed thus far, and it was very unsettling to say the least. Normally, their enemy would make a move and attack either directly or indirectly.
"I know how you feel," Kagome replied, "This guy is nothing like Naraku, toying with us at every turn and stringing us along. He sure is taking his sweet time."
"It could have been him last night," InuYasha scolded her roughly, "Then your dumb ass would have been killed."
Kagome sighed. "Trust me; it won't happen again."
"Better not," InuYasha grunted.
Kagome pursed her lips together as the well came into view. "It feels like we're at a stalemate. He made the first move, and then we countered by destroying all his poison. Now, we're running in circles trying to find him while waiting to see who'll crack first."
"When he tries something, we'll need to be ready," the hanyou declared firmly.
"Ready or not," Kagome mentioned with a grin, "we always seem to come out on top."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes but couldn't help but agree as he and Kagome stopped in front of the well.
"Make sure you bring plenty of supplies for the winter," InuYasha instructed, "If it snows, we won't be able to travel long distances like we usually do. We'll have to stick close to the village and be prepared for an attack; we'll make that bastard come to us when he finally decides to show his sorry ass."
"So we'll have a home field advantage," Kagome concluded, "It's a clever battle move, but I'd rather not be mooned by the enemy." She giggled at her pun, but InuYasha was not impressed by her joke.
"Whatever." InuYasha watched as Kagome sat on the edge of well with her legs hanging over the edge and her bag slung over her shoulders.
"Any last words before I go?" Kagome asked.
"That Yugi boy," InuYasha stated without hesitation, "Be careful around him."
Kagome snorted. "I have nothing to worry about from Yugi-kun. I trust him, so you should too."
"Do what you want then," he replied flippantly. He had a feeling Kagome wouldn't listen to him, but he'd keep watching out for her regardless. Something about that kid was off, and he was going to find out what.
"I'm serious!" Kagome stressed, "Yugi-kun is my friend, a very close friend. He has his own special path in life like I do, but that's no reason you shouldn't trust him. You might see him again, so try to get along."
"If you say so."
Kagome grinned before bidding InuYasha goodbye and slipping into the well. When she landed in her time, she began climbing up the ladder. She had a little difficulty due to her arm injury but managed to heave herself up and over the edge without irritating her wound. Once she touched down on the other side, Kagome readjusted her uniform blazer just in case her bandages were showing. She normally wouldn't wear the pink jacket, but she didn't want to openly display her injury. As much as she didn't like it, she'd have to wear it to school for the next few days. Hopefully, no one would make a big deal about her wardrobe change and suspect it was due to the imminent cold weather.
Kagome walked out of the well house and into her home, calling out to her family after slipping off her shoes.
"Hello?" she cried out but received no answer. She took a glance at a nearby clock; it read 11:45 AM.
"Let's see," Kagome thought aloud, "Sota's at school, and Kaa-san and Jii-san must be out running errands."
With nothing better to do, Kagome went upstairs to her room and retrieved her cellphone from the charger after placing her bag on the floor. As she expected, there were several missed calls cataloged on the small device. She plopped down on her bed as she scrolled through the list of numbers. Anzu's, Jonouchi's, Honda's, and Otogi's were listed, but there were also four other unknown numbers. Three of them had to belong to Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi. The other unknown number was more of a mystery. It couldn't be anyone from the museum; Kagome gave the officials the numbers to the shrine and the game shop so her mother or Sugoroku could handle them directly if need be.
"It must be Hojo-kun's," Kagome mumbled with a frown, realizing her friends probably gave him her number. She sighed and rolled over on her stomach; she'd deal with that later. Kagome flipped open her phone and began to dial. It was lunch period at school, so hopefully she'd receive an answer.
The phone rang a few times before someone answered on the other end. "Hello?"
Kagome grinned before replying. "Hi, Yugi-kun."
"Kagome-chan," he responded happily, "How are you? When did you get back?"
"I'm fine," Kagome answered, "I just got back home a little while ago."
Before Yugi could speak again, Kagome heard a commotion over the phone. Then she perceived Jonouchi's voice in her ear.
"Hey, Kagome!" he greeted her, "Where ya been? Don't you know it's rude to ignore your friends when they call you?"
"Sorry," Kagome replied, "I had bad reception so I didn't get anyone's calls."
"Well," Jonouchi began, "are you headed to class or do we get another surprise when we drop by Yugi's place?"
"No and no," Kagome answered with a giggle, "Now could you give the phone back to Yugi-kun, please?"
"Just wait a minute." Kagome heard Jonouchi pass the phone, but it wasn't Yugi's voice she heard on the other end.
"Kagome-sama!" Honda exclaimed.
"'-sama'?" Kagome repeated in confusion, "Since when you call me that?"
"That's your official tittle according to your newly established fan club," Honda informed her.
"They really made me a fan club?" Kagome asked in disbelief, "You can't be serious?"
"I most certainly am," he replied cheekily, "They meet in your classroom after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays."
"Oh my goodness," Kagome said with a sigh; she could practically hear Honda grinning over the phone. Once again, there was another tussle accompanied with several pained yelps over the receiver before hearing a different voice on the line.
"Hey, Kagome-chan," Anzu stated, "I got the phone back from those knuckleheads."
"Thanks, Anzu-chan," Kagome replied, "Now can you please give the phone back to Yugi-kun?"
"Sure thing."
The next voice Kagome heard was Yugi's. "It's me again, Kagome-chan. Now what did you want to tell me?"
"I wanted to tell you that I'm staying home for the night, and I'll meet you at school tomorrow," Kagome answered.
"Really? You came back pretty early this time," he mentioned curiously, "Did something bad happen while you were gone?"
"No," Kagome quickly retorted, not wanting Yugi to worry about her arm, "I'm just taking a little breather for the time being and came back to restock some supplies."
"Alright. We'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Yugi-kun."
"Bye, Kagome-chan."
-O0o0O-
Yugi idly twirled his pencil around his fingers as he glanced away from his textbook and notes on top of his desk. School was long over, and he wasn't in the mood to do his homework now that he was at home. From the corner of his eye, Yugi spotted his cellphone resting next to his textbook. He picked it up and scrolled through his contact list, immediately finding Kagome's number. He thoughtfully pursed his lips together as he looked at her it; she didn't say much about her trip to the Feudal Era on the phone earlier not that she could freely speak about something like that with the others around to snag his phone away.
"I wonder if she can talk right now," Yugi thought aloud, "I better not call just in case she's busy. Maybe just a text will do." He quickly typed his message and sent it.
Hey, K-chan! ^.^ What's up?
Yugi didn't have to wait long for a response to appear on his phone's screen.
Nothing much, Yu-chan! XD I'm kinda bored though. How bout you?
Yugi grinned as he typed his reply, his homework resting on his desktop forgotten. Well, I'm not doing my homework. I'm totally bored too.
Eww, that's no fun. :P So did anything interesting happen while I was away?
Oh! Anzu-chan came up w/ an idea for a Xmas Party for the holidays. We're doing a Secret Santa too.
Awesome! I'm already there! Yugi chuckled; he could vividly see Kagome's excited reaction in his head with her signature smile stretching across her face. He couldn't wait to see her in person in the morning.
'It's weird not having her down the hallway,' he absently thought to himself and considered what happened in class just the day before, 'I guess it really is obvious how much I miss her.'
Great! We're pulled the names today. You ended up with Jonouchi-kun's.
Really? Hmm…What would he want?
… Lewd videos?
Yugi!
Lol, just kidding! Besides, Anzu-chan said no helping. You're on your own.
Fine, don't help me. I see how it is!
Yugi laughed before taking a glance at his clock; it was nearly midnight.
It's getting pretty late. We should head to bed.
Okay. Night, Yugi-kun. See you tomorrow! ~.^
Night, Kagome-chan! ^.^
Yugi grinned as he put his cellphone aside and closed his school books. He stood and stretched before getting ready to turn in for the night.
-O0o0O-
Kagome panted as she sprinted up the stairs of Domino High's main building to her classroom. The subway ride from Tokyo to Domino City was way more crowded than she expected, so she was running late for class.
'I'm almost there!' Kagome burst into the classroom, feeling extremely relieved when she didn't see her teacher present. She straightened her posture, caught her breath, and took her assigned seat behind Otogi.
"Hey, Kagome-chan," Otogi stated, turning around in his seat to greet her, "Long time no see."
"Hey, Otogi-kun," Kagome replied.
"Why do you look so winded?" he asked, noting her flustered appearance.
"I took the train from Tokyo this morning," she answered, "I got off a little later than I expected so I ran to make it to school on time."
Otogi whistled, sounding impressed with her feat. "That was some run. If you're tired from you little workout, I won't snitch if you try to sneak in a few winks during class today."
Kagome giggled when Otogi playfully winked. "Thanks."
Within minutes, their instructor arrived in the classroom and quickly commenced teaching. Everything ran smoothly until it was time for gym. When Otogi and Kagome stood up from their seats, they were confronted with a group of three boys that sat in the back of their class. With stark white bands tied around their heads, they bowed deeply in front of the duo.
"Kagome-sama," the boy in front began, "please allow us to escort you to gym class!"
Kagome blinked owlishly, not expecting the strange request. "Umm…why?"
"You are our school's idol, and it is our duty to protect you!" the male student answered as he stood to his full height. His two companions did the same and vigorously nodded in agreement.
"That's okay," Kagome placated them while fighting the urge to roll her eyes. It seemed that Honda wasn't lying about her fan club's formation. "I'll be fine, so you don't have to protect me."
Instead of being deterred by her obvious refusal, the fan boys looked at Kagome with nothing short of awe. "You're so independent, Kagome-sama!"
"Absolutely amazing!"
"Oh good grief!" Kagome groaned underneath her breath and walked out of the classroom with Otogi laughing as he followed behind her.
"Shut up!" she hissed, and his laughter dulled down to a few snickers.
When the two reached their destination, their P.E. instructor was already addressing the class. "Alright, class, because of the cold weather, we'll be playing volleyball inside today. Boys, you take the right side of the gym. Girls, you're on the left."
Kagome left Otogi and joined the other girls in their designated changing area. She changed into her gym clothes, a long sleeved shirt to hide her bandages and the shorts issued to all the other girls, in an isolated corner to avoid having her injury seen. Once she was done, she joined a team of six on an unoccupied court and began to play. She didn't push herself to play the game, and her movements were noticeably restrained.
"Hustle, Higurashi!" her teacher instructed, blowing his whistle to catch her attention.
Kagome nodded and increased her efforts despite the stinging sensation in her right arm. After a particularly strong spike from her opponent, she dove for the ball. It ended up striking her wound with a surprising amount of force. It wasn't long before red colored the sleeve of her shirt. Her teammates immediately stopped the game and helped her stand, cringing at the blood slowly dripping onto the floor.
"Coach!" one girl shouted, "Higurashi-san's bleeding!" The coach quickly ran to Kagome and inspected the blood on her sleeve before instructing her to pull it up to her elbows. One the other side of the room where the boys played there were several pained and frantic shouts from Kagome's fan club members at the sight of her blood.
"Kagome-sama!" her fan boys cried in desperation.
Ignoring the other students, the teacher worriedly eyed Kagome's bandaged injury. "You better go see the nurse; I don't think the first aid kit can cover this." He gave Kagome's arm a tentative pat before turning to the rest of the class. "I need a volunteer to escort, Higurashi to the nurse's office.
"I'll take her," Otogi announced, stepping in front of all the other boys who clamored for their coach's attention.
"Alright, Otogi," the coach replied and returned to instructing the rest of the class. Otogi placed his hand on Kagome's back and ushered her out of the gym. Kagome could tell by the pensive and worried look on his face that he wanted answers.
"You don't have to bring me to the nurse," Kagome suggested as they walked down the hallway, "I'll be fine on my own."
"You can't be serious, Kagome-chan. Your arm is bleeding," Otogi stressed, looking at her incredulously, "What happened to you?"
Kagome tried to smile and gave a small shrug. "I had a little accident on the job. It's really no big deal."
Otogi shook his head and didn't ask anymore questions, continuing to lead Kagome to the nurse's office. They walked inside and quickly took a seat; no one else was inside so the nurse could attend to Kagome without any distractions.
"Alright, Higurashi-chan," she began kindly, "I'm going to unwrap your bandages. Tell me if it starts to hurt."
Kagome nodded and glanced at Otogi from the corner of her eye. He remained firmly planted in his seat with no apparent intentions of moving. Kagome quietly gulped as the nurse began removing the bandages from her wound.
'It's not that bad, right?' she thought, 'It looked better this morning than it did yesterday!'
"Oh dear!" the nurse exclaimed when she saw the burn mark on Kagome's flesh. Otogi's emerald eyes widened considerably before he looked pointedly at Kagome, silently demanding an explanation.
"It looks worse than it actually is," Kagome assured them.
After a few minutes of observing the injury, the nurse nodded. "I have to agree. I wasn't expecting this, but it looks well taken care of so far. There isn't much I can do for you now, but it should heal in the next few days. I'll clean you up and change your bandages. You should see a physician if you haven't already." She moved away from the two students to retrieve her medical supplies. "You've lost a lot of blood, so I want you to rest here for at least an hour or two. No arguments."
Kagome nodded. "Yes, sensei."
The nurse returned to her seat in front of Kagome and began cleaning away the dried blood. Without looking up, she addressed Otogi. "You can go back class. Higurashi-chan will be fine, and you can come back to check on her later."
Otogi nodded and reluctantly left Kagome alone. On the way back to the gym, Otogi passed by the classroom of his other friends. Without hesitation, he stepped inside. The teacher stopped in the middle of her lecture and looked at him in surprise.
"Can I help you?" she asked him.
"I need to see a few students in your class please," Otogi said, "It's urgent."
Though irritated at having her class interrupted, the instructor nodded. As soon as she did, Yugi, Anzu, Jonouchi, Honda, and Ryo stood to join Otogi, who moved to the hallway. The teacher watched them from her spot in front of the classroom, making sure they weren't purposely wasting her time.
"Hey, Otogi," Jonouchi greeted him cheerfully.
"So what are you up to?" Anzu asked, "Why'd we have to leave class?"
"I had to take Kagome-chan to the nurse's office," Otogi answered. As he expected, his friends' faces simultaneously fell.
"Is she alright?" Yugi asked in concern, "What happened to her?"
"According to the nurse, she's fine," Otogi replied, but he didn't sound too convinced, "She got hit with a ball during gym class. It hit an injury she got while she was away at work and started bleeding."
"She's bleeding?" Ryo repeated softly.
"Are you sure she's okay?" Anzu asserted.
"Like I said, the nurse said she is," Otogi reiterated, "She's gonna clean her up, and make her rest a bit."
"Sensei!" Yugi exclaimed, turning to his teacher, "Can I go visit Kagome-chan? We live together so—"
"It's okay," she answered, already aware of the living situation Kagome had with the Muto family, "Go see her now, but come right back. The rest of you," she pointed her attention to the remainder of her students and Otogi, "return to class."
Yugi nodded and quickly left the others behind. His heart raced and his mind was buzzing with thousands of possibilities, each one increasingly terrible.
'Please be alright,' he thought as he rushed to the nurse's office. When he reached it, Yugi threw open the door, startling the nurse inside.
"I'm sorry," Yugi amended, "I came to see Kagome-chan."
"Oh," the nurse replied and gestured to one of the beds with the curtains draw in a corner of the room, "Higurashi-chan should be resting right now." The nurse stood and walked to the door.
"I'm stepping out for a while, so don't disturb her if she's asleep," the nurse told Yugi.
"Yes, ma'am" Yugi answered. When the young woman was gone, Yugi approached the bed and pulled back the curtain. Kagome was lying on her back with her arms folded behind her head and her eyes closed. Yugi could easily make out the thick, white bandages tied around her right forearm. She opened her eyes when she heard the movement of the curtain.
"Yugi-kun!" Kagome exclaimed as she sat up causing the thin sheet covering her to pool around her waist, "What are you doing here?"
"Otogi-kun told all of us what happened, and I came to see you," Yugi answered, "Kagome-chan, how did this happen to you?"
Kagome shrugged. "I just got a little careless and had an accident while I was away." She shied away from the pained look in Yugi's eyes as he stood with his fist clenched at his sides. She couldn't understand why he'd look at her that way.
"Yugi-kun?" Kagome questioned.
"It's more than just a little accident," Yugi asserted in a firm voice, "You wouldn't be here if it wasn't serious. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you? How could I tell you?" Kagome repeated in confusion, "This is my first time seeing you since I got back."
Yugi shook his head and raised his voice. "You had opportunities to tell me. I even asked you if anything went wrong while you were gone! You didn't tell me anything." Kagome nearly flinched when Yugi stepped closer, amethyst eyes blazing. "I asked, and you lied to me!"
-O0o0O-
Jonouchi hummed to himself as he walked down the hallway. After one quick excuse to use the restroom, he left his class on the way to the nurse's office to check on Kagome. In addition to being worried about her, he was also concerned about Yugi. The frantic way he left the class to check on Kagome's wellbeing unnerved him, and he hoped he was okay too.
Jonouchi made it just outside the door when he heard Yugi shout. "I asked, and you lied to me!"
'Huh?' Jonouchi thought. He rarely heard his best friend raise his voice like that. 'He must be talking to Kagome.' He snuck into the room and sat on of the beds, hiding behind the curtains to listen in on the conversation.
"What are you talking about?" Kagome asked softly, trying to defuse the situation. Like Jonouchi, it seemed she was at a loss dealing with their mutual friend in his incensed state.
"I asked you on the phone yesterday!" Yugi shouted, "You didn't have to give me any details, but you could have at least told me you were hurt."
"Well, I'm sorry!" Kagome responded, her voice growing in volume, "I didn't want you to worry about it."
"So you weren't going to tell me at all?" Yugi countered, "Is that it?"
"Honestly, I didn't plan on it," Kagome stated in a small whisper.
"You know that I worry about you. Why would you do something like that?" Yugi yelled, "Did you think I wasn't going to find out? Do you think I'm stupid?"
"No!" Kagome shouted, "Whether I told you or not, these things happen! What do you want me to do? Just give up? Stop fighting? That's not an option for me, Yugi!" She shot out of the bed and stood toe to toe with Yugi, angrily looking down at him due to his short statue. He was not intimidated by the height difference and looked up at her just as fiercely.
'Fighting? Is Kagome in a gang or something?' Jonouchi thought in surprise, 'Whatever she's gotten herself into, Yugi must be the only one that knows about it.'
"All I want is for you trust me!" Yugi cried; his voice was a chilling mixture of anger and desperation.
"You have a funny way of showing it!" Kagome angrily countered. She huffed and pushed Yugi away, storming toward the exit. Jonouchi lied on the bed as flat as he could to prevent his shadow from appearing on the curtain, not that Kagome and Yugi were paying much attention to anything but each other.
"Where are you going?" Yugi asked her, a bit of concern seeping into his voice.
"Why do you care?" Kagome hissed over her shoulder and exited the room, slamming the door behind her.
Yugi groaned and shouted at the closed door. "Fine, go ahead and be difficult! See if I care!"
After a few minutes of waiting, Jonouchi peeked from behind the curtain. He saw Yugi slumped on top of Kagome's bed with his head buried in his hands. Jonouchi couldn't help but feel relived that Yugi calmed down; he'd never seen his friend react that way before with anyone. Even when he was angered, his ire was calm and controlled due in part by the ancient spirit that resided in his body. The level of passion Yugi displayed was reserved only for duels or in defense of his friends but never against them.
'I guess this means there must be something else going on between them,' Jonouchi deduced, 'I wonder what.' He fell back down when Yugi finally stood and stepped out of the room, most likely heading back to class. Jonouchi felt conflicted; his best friend was distraught, but he was heading back to class where they couldn't talk about what happened.
"But Kagome…" Jonouchi stood and waked to the hallway, looking in the direction of this classroom. There was no guarantee she'd return to her class in the state she was. After a few minutes of thought, Jonouchi ran down the hall in the opposite direction he looked in, hoping to find her.
-O0o0O-
Kagome ran upstairs to the roof of the school and closed the door behind her once she reached the top. After leaving the nurse's office, she ran in a random direction, trying to get as far away from Yugi as she could. When she slowed down and felt her anger fade, Kagome quickly decided she didn't want to be around anyone else either. The roof was the closest place she could think of to be alone.
Kagome found a spot against the fence guarding the edge of the school building and sank to the ground. After the adrenaline from her shouting match with Yugi faded, Kagome came crashing down from her emotional high and felt completely awful and drained.
'What a mess,' she thought miserably. Kagome didn't mean to say such horrible things to Yugi, but, like her arguments with InuYasha, she couldn't stop herself before it went too far. However, this altercation felt different. She never saw Yugi react so angrily before; it was almost frightening how quickly his demeanor changed.
'He must have been so worried about me,' Kagome reasoned. She had to admit; she would have reacted the same way if she found out someone she cared about was injured, serious or otherwise, and he wanted to hide it from her.
Kagome grimaced at the bandages around her arms. 'It really is my fault.'
"Dammit!" Kagome slammed her fist in the ground in frustration. Immediately after that, she squealed and cradled her fist to her chest.
"That hurt!" she whined.
"I'll say. That was pretty dumb of you." Kagome looked up and saw Jonouchi standing over her wearing a silly grin.
"Jonouchi-kun," Kagome addressed him, "what are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious? I came to see you," he answered and took a seat next to her.
"So I heard what happened between you and Yugi," Jonouchi stated without any preamble.
"You did?" Kagome replied and hung her head in shame.
"Don't worry about it too much," Jonouchi mentioned, "I bet Yugi feels the same way about it. I'll have to see about him later."
"You mean you didn't talk to him?" Kagome asked, looking at the blonde in surprise.
"He was headed for class and I knew we couldn't talk there," Jonouchi said with a shrug, "Anzu and Honda will take care of him. I was worried about you too."
"You were?"
"Of course!" Jonouchi cried indignantly, "I still am."
Kagome slumped further against the fence. "I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted is for you to worry about me."
"It's alright," Jonouchi assured her with a smile, "I'm not gonna ask any questions; I know you're going through some heavy stuff right now. I did too." He took a deep breath before continuing. "My mom left my dad a few years back and took my little sister with her. After that, I got mixed up with some pretty bad guys. Honda, Yugi, and Anzu are the ones that got me of that especially Yugi. They care for me, and we all care for you."
Jonouchi placed a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder. "Like I said, you don't have to tell us anything, but know that you can. You can always trust your friends."
"Jonouchi-kun," Kagome whispered softly. Without warning, she threw her arms around Jonouchi's neck and held him tightly, sobbing into his uniform jacket.
"What?" Jonouchi exclaimed in surprise. He definitely was not expecting this reaction from Kagome; he was supposed to make her feel better not worse!
"Why are you crying?" he asked her in a panic, "Stop it, Kagome!"
Kagome pulled away and began to laugh, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she amended, "I didn't mean to start crying, but I just couldn't help myself."
Jonouchi took a deep breath and relaxed. "It's alright. Just give me a warning next time before you decide to turn on the waterworks."
"I will," Kagome replied and immediately sobered, "Jonouchi-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"There is something going on with me," Kagome admitted, "Something very unusual, and that is why I got the injury on my arm. I can't tell you all the details now, but soon I will! You and everyone else will know everything! I trust you."
"I'm glad to hear that," Jonouchi replied and playfully ruffled Kagome's hair.
Kagome grinned in return before rising to her feet. "We should probably get going. We can't stay up here all day."
Jonouchi sighed before he also stood up. "I guess you're right."
Kagome squeaked when Jonouchi suddenly scooped her up and began walking toward the roof's exit, humming a cheerful tune.
"What are you doing?" Kagome asked him.
"Taking you home," Jonouchi answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Home?" Kagome repeated, "but I just—"
"You got hurt in P.E. and I, being the amazing guy that I am, am going to escort you home," Jonouchi began, cutting her off, "It's the only logical thing to do."
"Yeah right," Kagome commented dryly, "You just wanna ditch class, and I'm your excuse to."
"That is an unintended perk," Jonouchi countered with a sly grin.
"You could at least let me walk," Kagome stated glumly and wriggled in his grip, "I hurt my arm not my legs."
Jonouchi shook his head. "Another unintended perk. You really are cute; any guy would want to hold onto you like this!" He playfully nuzzled her hair with his chin. "I hope we run into your fan club before we leave. They'll be so jealous!"
"You're terrible!" Kagome scolded, but she grinned and relaxed in Jonouchi's tender hold. All the while, her thoughts were on Yugi, and she was determined to apologize and gain his forgiveness.
-O0o0O-
punkish furball – Well, it was going to happen sooner or later; relationships can't be all fluff. This chapter was also very light on the pharaoh. The next chapter will be loaded with reconciliation and his sexiness! XD
L83R, DUD35! ^.^
(revised 07.28.2012)