Edited: 15 April 2016
The Duel Champion's Daughter
Disclaimer: I do NOT own either Inuyasha or Yu-Gi-Oh GX
AN: Okay I know that the story does not exactly follow the time line of the original anime, but this is my story so I can change it if I want. Now if you do not like what I have done and have certainly not read my summary of the story, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STILL READING IT?
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Foreign Language"
Two weeks have passed since Kagome had her title match duel with former Duel Queen Vivian Wong, and a lot had happened since then.
Looking around her room, Kagome couldn't help but sigh as nostalgia hit her. Although it wasn't barren like the time she had moved out of Issei's junior high dormitory the other year, the belongings she would be leaving behind made her all the more depressed. They were precious mementos and knickknacks she had collected over the seven years she, her mother, and Souta had moved in with their maternal family.
Aside from those trinkets and keepsakes, she would also be leaving behind her clothes minus the ones that she was making for her course work.
The last time she had been in Domino City, her father had notified her that she needn't bother packing anything outside of her training clothes and gear, electronics, and Duel Monster cards.
She scoffed at that memory, but shrugged it off. The notice had made her suspicious, but if her father wanted to surprise her with something, she might as well let him. She was going along with one plan already, even if she saw no point in leaving for a school she didn't want to attend in the first place.
The raven glanced about her room before her gaze settled on the periwinkle colored walls. Her nose wrinkled as she was reminded of when she and Souta had moved in with their grandfather, and of the disgusting shade of pink that had formerly adorned her bedroom walls.
Flashback
Higurashi Shrine, Tokyo, Japan 7 Years Prior
"Mama?" an eight-year-old Kagome called out loudly from her place near the Goshinboku, one of the most sacred and spiritually powerful objects on the shrine. The little girl twirled around in her sunset orange summer dress as she waited for her mother to answer her. Unlike the other times she had visited, there was no one for the Kaiba heiress to play with as her Higurashi cousins were all away at school for the day.
"Yes, Akemi?" answered Fumiko as she and Souta, who at that time was four years old, climbed the final step and entered the shrine grounds.
"Why are we at Obaa-chan's shrine?" Kagome asked as she turned to face her mother. Though her grandmother had passed away not too long ago, the Higurashi Shrine or Higurashi-jingu would always belong to her grandmother and maternal family. It would never belong to someone without Higurashi blood like her grandfather.
"Yeah!" Souta piped in from his place next to his mother. "Why are we at Obaa-chan's?" His question coming out in a mix of French and Cantonese, a byproduct of his life abroad.
"Ano... well," started Fumiko nervously as she tried to answer her children. "We'll be staying with Jii-chan until Papa comes home."
"But Papa always comes home," Kagome complained as she ran over to her mother.
"Yeah," Souta agreed.
"Well... does Papa always stay at home with us?" the children's mother asked in Japanese despite the two's repeated mixing of their native and learned languages.
The two siblings shared a look and took some time to think before they simultaneously answered, "Non."
"Well that's why we're staying here until he does," Fumiko stated with finality.
"But where's Edo? He's not staying with Papa by himself is he?" the heiress asked, feeling jealous that her best friend might be spending time with her father when she couldn't.
"Iie, Edo-chan's returning to America with Pegasus-san," the mother of two replied, already sensing the jealousy her daughter may be feeling towards the little boy, whom she had grown to see as another son. "Now come along. We have to see Jii-chan," she said as she ushered the two children pass the shrine buildings and towards the main residence of the Higurashi clan in Metropolitan Tokyo.
"Yes, Mama," the siblings chimed together before racing off to the modernized but still traditional Japanese styled manor that was erected at the back center of the shrine property.
Once the trio neared the house, the children spotted their grandfather waiting for them at the entrance. Immediately the two siblings raced over towards their grandfather, all the while crying out, "Jii-chan!" at the top of their lungs.
When the pair reached their grandfather, Kagome and Souta were careful as they hugged him in getting. Their grandparent was old, and their mother was the youngest of his three children with a ten year age gap between her and his two sons. With that age, it was a wonder how the siblings' Chinese great-grandmother was still alive and well.
"Okaeri nasai," their grandfather greeted good naturedly as he stumbled from the impact. "I have something for the both of you to keep the nasty, evil yokai away," the old man said as he reached into his priest robes.
"But I like yokai," Kagome complained, shoving away the mummified mystery item her grandfather tried to give her. "Aniki and Kimie-okaa-sama are daiyokai!"
"Yokai are cool!" Souta added in Manadrin.
Fumiko giggled at the interaction between her father and children before she gently scolded them, "Takahiro (貴浩), you have to speak Japanese when you're with Jii-chan. Akemi, you both can't keep mixing your languages together when speaking with others. They're not always going to be able to understand you."
"Yes, Mama," the two children answered finally speaking in just one language.
"It's fine, Fumiko," the adopted Higurashi waved off. "Let them talk in whatever language they want. Constantly switching between languages is good for their brains."
"Otou-san!"
"We did the same thing with you and your brothers. At these two little ones' ages, it's critical for them to learn and know as many languages as they can. In the long run, their minds are going to be able to process and learn new information better and faster."
Fumiko couldn't help but sigh at that answer, but her father was correct about that. The old man had been a psychology professor prior to marrying Higurashi Chie/Zhihui and being adopted into the Higurashi family. It was rather ironic that he had been growing senile over the last several years.
"Even though that's true, they need to learn that not everyone they talk to will be able to understand them if they keeping switching between languages mid-sentence. And if you want them to be smarter, please talk to and treat them like everyone else. You know baby talk only slows down a child's brain development."
"It's okay if they're exposed to it every once in a while," the old man brushed off in a weak attempt to defend himself.
"Otou-san," Fumiko glared. She loved her father, but she didn't want her children to grow up dumb either, not that she really had to worry about that.
"Maa maa," the children's grandfather laughed nervously. "Why don't I show these two their rooms? Satoshi-kun, Shin-kun, and Kikyo-chan worked really hard in getting them ready for you."
Throughout the interaction between the two adults, Souta and Kagome couldn't help but observe and study their relative's body language and voice tone, the latter did so more closely than the former. Despite their young age, the two company heirs were being trained by their Uncle Fuminori and Aunt Miyako to recognize other people's intentions in order to avoid kidnappings and other more dangerous matters.
Unlike her younger brother, Kagome had a greater understanding of their surroundings and the situation at hand. Recognizing the tone and tactic her grandfather used as one her godfather and Uncle Mokuba often used, the almost nine-year-old couldn't help but declare, "Jii-chan's trying to escape!"
The grey-haired Higurashi froze at his granddaughter's accusation, and didn't move until his daughter spoke.
"It's alright, Akemi," Fumiko sighed, softly petting the little girl's hair. "Jii-chan isn't trying to do anything bad. Let's go see your new rooms, ne? I bet they'll be better than the old guest rooms you're both accustomed to staying in."
"Okay!" the little girl chirped, eager to see her and Souta's new bedrooms. She happily skipped into the house after her brother and grandfather, barely remembering to change her kitten wedge sandals for indoor slippers in her rush to see the rooms.
Though the guest rooms were always clean and ready for guests, they were too traditionally Japanese and unmodern for Kagome's taste. The washitsu rooms made her feel as if she was staying at an old country inn instead of with her family especially since each guest room can easily accommodate twenty people with decent space between beddings. Plus, she just could not get use to sleeping on the first floor. The first floor was generally the easiest place for burglars and psychos to break into; and her room at her other homes had always been on the second floor or higher.
Grandpa Higurashi, despite his old age, moved fast and nimbly, and quickly led his daughter and grandchildren upstairs and down the necessary hallways to reach the third floor. In their trek, the group passed by paintings, portraits, and photographs that depicted the Higurashi clan's history and the history of the residing families. The group also passed by Fumiko and her two older brothers', Fuminori and Fumihiro, rooms, which with the dojo, meditation room, and the large bath made up the entire second floor.
As they ascended the next floor the Kaiba siblings couldn't help but notice that their grandparents' home was different from the last time they had come for a visit. Aside from the furniture and wall decoration, everything looked and felt strange. Unlike before, everything now looked exactly the same.
Looking over his shoulders, Grandpa Higurashi did all he could to suppress his amusement at his grandchildren's confused expression. However, the reason that caused the children's confusion promptly killed his amusement.
Because of the Kagome's kidnapping and multiple kidnapping attempts that followed, Fuminori and Fumihiro had discussed security plans when they heard their little sister was moving back into their childhood home. In an effort to keep the six children safe, all six were given their own bedroom on the third floor, and their rooms were arranged so that the four older children occupied the four corner bedrooms with Souta and Kaede's rooms between theirs. The policeman had even been able to arrange it so that the danger prone Kaiba heiress had been placed between his two sons, Shin and Satoshi, to ensure that she wouldn't be kidnapped again.
Not only that, but the third and second floors had been remodeled to give the children more security. All the interior doors minus the ones for the dojo, meditation room, and the guest rooms were replaced with doors that looked completely identical to one another. Though the windows retained their original appearance, they had also been replaced and their glass had been switched out for one-way mirrors to prevent outsiders from peering in. Hiding places and secret passages had also been added throughout the house as well as some protective traps.
Once at the end of the first hall, the quartet stopped at a western style door way. Like all the others doors on the third and second floors, it was made of dark cherry wood. Grandpa Higurashi said as he unlocked and the pushed it open, "This is Souta-kun's room."
As soon as that sentence had left their grandfather's mouth, Souta charged into the room so that he could explore it himself. His form appearing like a blur to his older relatives.
With her little brother already inside, Kagome decided to peek into see how the four-year-old's new room looked like. Inside, the room's walls were painted a light pear green with white floor trimmings and the hallway flooring extended into the room. Though she would have to admit the furniture was a bit too big for her baby brother; she supposed the kiddo could grow into them. At least the seats were adjustable, and set to a child's height.
"Pretty," Kagome whispered as she gazed about Souta's room. It was definitely smaller than any bedroom she and Souta have ever stayed in at their other family estates. But it had a homey feeling to it unlike when they had first moved to Paris. The overall design was also very nicely coordinated considering that it was her older cousins who decorated it.
"It's not pretty!" Souta objected as he ran around his new room. "It's awesome!" He punctuated his sentence by jumping onto his new bed. Though his rooms at his family's other properties were much larger than this, he enjoyed the simplicity of the place.
"Well shall we head off to find your room Akemi dear?" asked Fumiko as she called for her daughter.
"Un," the little girl agreed, and with that the remainder of the group walked further down hall before turning and walking to the end. They passed one door before stopping at the next one.
"And this is your room, Kagome-chan," her grandfather said as he unlocked the door. Before he could open the door for his granddaughter, his daughter stopped him.
"Otou-san, why don't we let her explore her new room on her own?" Fumiko suggested, knowing that despite her age, her daughter enjoyed her privacy and taking her time to learn about her new environments.
Leading her father to the third floor's family room, the Higurashi mother called over her shoulder, "Come find us with Takahiro when you're done exploring, Akemi. We'll be waiting on this floor's family room."
"Yes, Mama," the little girl answered as she watched the older Higurashi's leave. She waited until they had turned into another hallway before she turned back to her new bedroom.
Taking a deep breath, the Kaiba heiress prepared herself for her new living environment.
Stepping inside, the very first thing Kagome noticed was the blaring pink that had adorned the walls of her bedroom. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the color; she never understood why adults felt the need to assign the color to girls.
Getting over her revulsion, she was quick to notice that the room was designed in much the same way as her brother's. Aside from the disturbing shade of pink there weren't many differences. It was mostly the same style as Souta's room as well, but whereas his furniture was a warm brown, hers were snow white. There was also a built in window bench much like the one she had seen at her cousin Gaspard's room back in France.
However, there was one major difference between the two rooms. Her room had one door more than his.
Curiosity getting better of her, the little girl walked over and pushed it open. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the door led to a changing room. Spotting the glass door, she guessed that this was technically an en suite. Sliding it open, she found the expected bathing facility with a large bath tub and a separate shower area. As expected of a Japanese home, the toilet and sink were nowhere in sight and were likely to be situated at another part of the floor far from the bedrooms.
She was definitely going to enjoying taking bubbles baths in the Jacuzzi style bath tub Kagome thought as she re-entered the changing room.
Although she loved the bathroom, what really caught her attention were the two doors; one on the wall opposite to and another on the wall adjacent to the one that led to her room. She knew where the door on the adjacent wall led to, but the one opposite of hers left her perplexed.
Heading over to it, Kagome attempted to pull the door open. A frown quickly made its way onto her face when the door wouldn't budge no matter how much she turned the knob or pulled at it.
Shaking her head, the raven made a mental note to ask her cousin Kai or Uncle Toshi for lock picking lessons the next time she saw them. She didn't like not knowing things, and the mystery behind the other bathroom door was going to keep bugging her until she discovered its secrets.
Stepping out and away from her new bathroom, Kagome took to exploring the rest of her new room. She tested each piece of furniture, and particularly enjoyed bouncing on her new bed. She squealed in delight as she jumped from her bed to the cream colored cushions of the window bench.
Finishing her inspection, Kagome headed over towards Souta's room to pick the little boy up. When they were together, the older Kaiba did her best to lead the way through the unfamiliar layout of the remodeled third floor. It took the pair about five minutes of walking and attempting to open doors before they finally found the floor's family room.
"Mama, Jii-chan!" the siblings called out upon spotting their relatives.
Rushing over to where their mother and grandfather were seated by the room's chabudai table, the two children immediately began babbling to their mother about their rooms. They chattered rapidly about what they liked about their new rooms, and what they would like to add or change about them.
Cutting her children off mid-sentence and gathering the two in her arms, Fumiko asked, "So what do you guys think about living here?"
The reaction was instantaneous, immediately Souta yelled out with a happy grin, "I love it!"
"Me too," Kagome giggled.
Happy that her children had no problems with their new home, Fumiko let a smile breakout onto her face and said, "Good."
End Flashback
Snapping out of her thoughts, Kagome shook her head to push away the memory before making another round of her room. Nearly all her luggage had already been packed into the family car, and all she needed to do left was lock up.
Having checked almost everywhere else and locked her windows, she walked over to the floor-to-ceiling length mirror that was built into the wall. It had the same width as any door in the Higurashi house and was framed in elegantly carved, silver-plated wood.
Placing her hand at an invisible seam, Kagome pulled at the mirror's inner frame. As if it was a door, the mirror's frame easily gave way at the force applied to it and separated from its outer frame. When the mirror's four-inch thick frame fully opened, it revealed a hidden room with an attached secret passage.
The room was one of the many hiding places that had been added to the house during its remodeling. Upon finding it, the Kaiba heiress had almost immediately turned it into a walk-in storage and vault for all her valuables. She had added the mirror to her room to hide the passage way. Being a girl, no outsider would question why she would have or need such a large mirror.
If anyone decided to break the mirror, all they would find would be an acrylic painting she had done of the flying sky lanterns (天燈) of China's Lantern Festival. She had attached the painting to the back of the mirror to ensure that the hiding place would stay hidden.
Stepping into the hidden room, the raven quickly headed over the jewelry armoire that she kept with her other valuables such as her series of inventions, original designs, and group costumes. She pulled one particular drawer open and checked the jewels within its hold. After checking on those particular gems, she proceeded to take inventory on the rest of the jewelry pieces and gadgets she had collected and invented over the years.
When she was sure everything was in its proper place, Kagome placed a hand against the wall nearest to her. As she did so an invisible security panel scanned her handprint; the house's security system was regularly updated with new features often added to the third floor.
Once verification was complete and a series of items selected, walls of metal descended from the ceiling. The area around the raven's jewelry armoire and workshop station were now completely sealed off.
With her valuables secured, the heiress selected another series of items on the security panel before walking out of the room. As soon as she stepped back into her bedroom, a metal vault door slammed shut over the secret entrance.
Closing back up the frame, Kagome could not help but smile as she caught a glance of her room in the mirror's reflection. Turning away from the secret doorway, the game company heiress kept her gaze fixed on her carefully painted and decorated ceiling.
The ceiling was painted like a dark night sky with a hovering moon covered in layers of blue and silver cosmic clouds. In some areas the clouds were painted to look like a phoenix and a dragon, representing a portion of Kagome's mixed heritage. LED lights, ranging in shades of blue to white, were installed into the ceiling to imitate twinkling stars.
Flicking on the lights, the teen smiled as the lights began to glow, interchangeably dimming and brightening in different parts of the ceiling. The clouds that were painted like the two mystical beasts even had lights glowing that made her feel as if the paintings were alive.
As she stared above her she remembered when some of her closest friends had come over and helped her paint the current version of her ceiling.
Quickly shaking off the nostalgic memory, the raven went back to checking her belongings. She was under a time limit; she didn't have time to get lost in her thoughts again.
Hurriedly but meticulously, Kagome went around her room one last time.
Deeming everything to be where they should be or needed to be, she clipped her Duel Disk to her backpack, and hurried downstairs with her bag slung over her shoulder.
"Akemi, are you ready to go?" Fumiko greeted upon seeing her daughter.
"Yes, Mama," Kagome sighed, still reluctant to follow through with her parents' plan.
"Are you sure?" the Kaiba matriarch pressed. "It's a long drive to Domino City's harbor, and we don't have time to double back if you forget anything. Nor do I have enough power to create a portal to do so," she stated warningly.
"I'm sure, Mama. Can we please go now?" the blue-eyed girl begged. "I really don't want my friends to come looking for me when they figure out I'm not coming to practice today."
Though Issei Institute's school administration were aware of her attending Duel Academy for the next year (she had to fill out paperwork to take part of Issei's exchange program), her friends were still didn't know she was leaving. Even with her interview on the game channel two weeks ago, her friends were still unware; mainly because they didn't follow Duel Monsters like she did, and she didn't have the courage to tell them that she wouldn't be finishing her last year of high school with them.
Sensing her daughter's emotions, Fumiko quickly ushered Kagome out the door. "Alright, dear. Takahiro and Jii-chan are already waiting for us in the car," she said as she locked the door behind her.
"Aneki, you sure you have everything?" Souta asked once his mother and sister had boarded the family's pear white SUV.
"Yes, Xiangtai," Kagome sighed back in Cantonese. As the Higurashi-Kaiba children started conversing with each other they reverted back to their old habit of constantly mixing and interchanging their languages. "I have everything I need for Duel Academy; my electronics, Duel Disk, Duel Monsters cards and decks, training gear, and etcetera. Father told me not pack anything else," she grouched in a mix of French and German, obviously still upset about her situation.
"Eh? Doesn't that just mean Dad's giving you a really big present or something? It wouldn't be the first time he and Uncle Mokuba did this to make up for something they did or didn't do," the elementary schooler drawled in a combination of Mandarin and English.
Like his sister, Souta was clearly upset with his parents but more so with their father. He hated the arrangement they had put his big sister in, and hated even more that it took her away from him. He had only just gotten her back from Issei's policy of mandatory dorming for junior high aged students, and now he was going to lose her for another year. He didn't want to be separated from his sister so soon especially not when she would be leaving again for university next year.
"That's what I thought," the older Kaiba sibling quipped. "I don't mind the presents and everything, but I wish they would realize already that material items isn't going to make it up to us."
"It'd be nice if they actually came to spend time with us instead of the other way around. Not that I mind seeing Yugi-oji-sama and the others, but it sucks having to go to Domino City all the time."
"Like that'll every happen," Kagome scoffed at her brother's wistfulness. When it came to their father, the Ace Princess was much more jaded and critical than Souta ever could be. After all their father had broken many more promises to her than he had with him. "By the way, are you ditching your club practice? The autumn soccer tournament is right around the corner," she questioned, changing the topic to a lighter one.
"Don't worry, Aneki. Hidaka-kantoku gave the club a day off to rest," Souta waved off. "He said that even though the preliminaries are next week, we need to relax once in a while so we don't get burnt out."
With the topic off their father and Kagome's impending departure, the siblings chatted almost cheerfully together, catching each other up on what they've missed out and sharing anecdotes about their friends. With how chaotic the last month had been for the older Kaiba and her busy schedule, they had barely had the time to see each other at home or school.
Hearing her children's conversation, Fumiko's lips pressed together in a flat line. She knew neither of her kids liked the arrangement she had made with their father, but it was one of her last hopes.
With all the hatred she had for Duel Monsters bottled in her heart, Kagome had placed a lock on her spiritual abilities, stunting her growth and inhibiting her control.
The Kaiba matriarch knew it was harmful even dangerous for a person with average power levels to block their own abilities, subconsciously or not. The effects of doing something like that were detrimental to an individual. The loss of control and the dammed up reiryoku were a deadly force to be reckoned with, even more so for a person born with immense reiryoku as opposed to someone with an average amount. Luckily for most, this problem is usually caught and remedied in less than a year. However, some did go unremedied.
Fumiko couldn't even imagine what was happening to her daughter or what would happen to her. No one before Kagome had ever gone uncured for so long. It was unheard of for someone to go untreated for more than a year much less for five.
The event planner could only bite her lip as her expression turned pensive. She didn't know how much longer Kagome had before she broke; and having lost her daughter once before, she didn't want to lose her again, and maybe permanently this time. Her only hopes were that the people at Duel Academy would be able to help Kagome rid herself of her hatred for the ancient, but popular card game.
Looking in her rear view mirror, the Kaiba matriarch felt a wistful smile make its way onto her face. The sight of her two children chatting so animatedly together about events they've each missed out on warmed her heart, temporarily melting away her fear and worry. Even her father added his own two scents when the pair mentioned their grandfather's other grandchildren.
It was moments like these that she desperately wished her husband was here with them rather than away on some business trip or to another Duel Monsters tournament. The matchmaker's expression quickly turned sour at that thought.
Didn't Seto realize how much of his children's lives he's missed out on or how much the two missed their father? Their children were desperate for their father's attention? Kagome, especially, had developed multiple bad habits just so she could try to see him or get him to come see her.
Furious tears beaded at the corners of her grey eyes as Fumiko thought about her husband.
Didn't their family mean anything to him? Didn't she mean anything to him?
If Seto really loved and cared about them like he claims, why did he keep leaving them? Every time he left them was a stab to her soul, and she didn't think she could stand being in a marriage like this for much longer.
"—ma? Mama?"
"Huh? What is it, you two?" the matriarch answered, discretely wiping away her tears so that her children wouldn't see her cry.
"Are you okay, Mama?" Kagome asked in concern, having recognized her mother's expression from seeing it so often growing up. "You didn't look like yourself."
"It's nothing, Akemi. Now, what were you saying again?" Fumiko smiled, pushing her dark thoughts away for the time being. Now wasn't the time for that. These were going to be the last few hours she get to spend with her daughter until she came home next month.
"If you say so…" the blue-eyed girl mumbled, not believing a single one of her mother's word. "I wanted to know what you thought about Kai-nii's last show."
"Oh, Teruo-chan, Toshima-nii's son," the grey-eyed woman recognized. "I think he did rather well. That magic trick of his was pretty spectacular. I doubt even Toshima-nii could make a better trick."
"Right?" Souta agreed excitedly. "It was like he just teleported to the top of the skyscraper, and he didn't even use a portal to do it. It's been weeks and I still can't figure out his trick."
"That just shows you still have much to learn, Souta-kun," Grandpa Higurashi chuckled cheerfully.
"Eh?" the youngest Higurashi whined.
The rest of the drive to Domino City went along the same lines; the family of four conversing with each other amicably as they savored their last few hours together.
It took more than three hours of driving before the small family finely arrived in Domino City and at the city's sole harbor.
Getting out of the SUV, Kagome couldn't help but feel a bit bitter at seeing the hundreds of Duel Academy students with their friends and family. Every one of them looked so happy to go to the card game specialty school, and their family seemed so proud that their children had even gotten accepted.
She didn't the begrudge the families for being happy; despite being Duel Monster obsessed Duel Academy did have a good academic track record, but she didn't get it. Why would anyone choose to go to a school specializing in producing card game players? It made no sense to her. It was just a card game, after all. A person didn't need to go to a school to become a professional in it. She didn't, and neither did her friends and cousins.
Looking around the pier, the duelist suddenly froze when she spotted the group waiting by the ramp for Duel Academy's yacht. The uniform each person in the group was clad was a dead giveaway of which school they were from.
Sensing her presence, the large group of Issei Institute students moved as one as they turned away from the ship and made their way to the fifteen-year-old.
As if they could sense the difference in their levels, the sea of Duel Academy students and their families parted for the Issei students. They didn't know what was going on, but they didn't want to get involved in whatever it was. However, that didn't stop the nearby families from watching.
"H-how? What are you guys doing here?" the professional duelist exclaimed once her friends were within a normal human's hearing range.
"Your mom and Souta told us," Teijin Shippo, a fox yokai, announced with a smirk on his handsome face. "And we thought it'd be a nice to see you off since someone didn't bother to tell us that they were leaving."
"You didn't think we were going to let you leave without saying goodbye, did you?" Yoro Kouga, a wolf youkai, spoke up for the group. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief as he kept one arm wrapped around Kousai Ayame, his girlfriend and fiancé.
Kagome didn't answer, only shrinking into herself under her friends' accusing eyes.
"Don't be like that, Gome-chan," Kyokan Sango, one of Kagome's best friends, sighed as she broke away from the group. Hugging the younger girl, the brunette attempted to comfort the raven a little. "We're not mad, but we are upset that you didn't think to tell us that you were joining the exchange program again."
The duelist kept her mouth shut, unable to and unwilling to give a response.
Knowing of their friend's confidence issue, the rest of the girls followed the yokai taijiya's lead. Breaking away from the group, they quickly surrounded the girl in a group hug in an attempt to calm down the youngest high school third-year.
Unfortunately, the force and weight of the girls' group hug wasn't evenly distributed. As a result the cluster of high school girls were sent tumbling to ground with Kagome at the very bottom of the pile.
Kagome was left more than a little dazed from the crash. She wasn't aware of when everyone scrambled off of her; she was more focused on her aching head and temporarily blurred vision.
When her sight cleared, the miko didn't know what to do or say. How was she supposed to respond to friends? She had never liked farewells, and had never been good at them with people she deeply cared about.
With her mind in a jumbled mess, the Kaiba heiress was effectively startled out of her thoughts upon seeing a pale arm with a familiar set of magenta-colored stripes. "Aniki?" she muttered softly, peering up at the impassive face of her godbrother and technically ex-boyfriend.
Sesshomaru didn't wait for any further response before taking his godsister's hand and pulling her up on to her feet and into his arms.
The raven stiffened at the contact. Her hands instinctively grasped the fabric of her godbrother's shirt in an attempt to stay balanced. Unable to meet her brother's eyes, she kept her gaze stubbornly turned to the floor, not even lifting her head when yokai called her by name.
Holding his little sister closer, the Student Council President mentally sighed at her behavior.
Knowing there wasn't much he could do, the dog yokai proceeded to let a low growl resonate through his body. His chest rumble with vibrations as he growled soothingly to his godsister; an action he and his mother always preformed to calm the miko after nightmares and anxiety attacks. And like every other time since they had first met as infant and toddler, Kagome began relax as her hands loosened from his shirt and her knuckles began to regain their color.
It didn't take long before the blue-eyed girl had pressed her face into her older brother's chest and was clinging to him for dear life. Her body trembled as silent tears wracked her body and faint whimpers tore from her throat. Her pent up feelings on her school exchange finally bursting.
The silver-haired male said nothing as he continued to calm and comfort his godsibling, gently combing his fingers through her raven locks as he held her close.
Around them the Duel Academy students couldn't help but gawk at the pair. And from an Issei outsider's point-of-view, the godsiblings, for all intents and purposes, did look like a very handsome couple having an affection-filled moment to themselves.
Whispers broke out amongst the Duel Academy students as they continued to ogle the complimentary couple. Gossip about the silver and raven godsiblings would soon be one of the hottest topics at the card game school.
As that happened the rest of the Issei students took the chance to help the Higurashi's unload Kagome's luggage from the car. Those who didn't have a bag to grab strategically formed a ring around the two godsiblings, blocking the majority of the gawking outsiders' view. Even though they were in a public place, Kagome's friends wanted to at least give the teenagers the sense of privacy that they cherished do much.
"Imouto?" Sesshomaru spoke once his litter mate calmed down and her whimpers had ceased.
"I'm okay," the Kaiba heiress mumbled against her godbrother's chest, just loud enough for only the daiyokai to hear. A moment later, she spoke again. "I'm sorry, Aniki."
The daiyokai sighed at the apology, halting in his petting. "There is no reason for you to be sorry, Kagome. It is only natural to seek comfort when you're distressed."
"But I'm always bothering you, and clinging on to you," the raven murmured unhappily. "It's why everyone thinks we're dating each other."
"Let them think what they will, Imouto. It matters not as long as we know the truth," the killing perfection stated as he used one hand to lift his sister's chin so that they had eye contact with each other. "And I do not mind that you seek me out for comfort. It relieves me as your brother that you can find solace with me when you are upset and in need."
'But doesn't that just mean I'm weak?' Kagome thought, staying silent as her gaze fell.
"Don't look away from me, Kagome," Sesshomaru snapped, jerking his litter mate's chin higher. "You are not weak; you never have been. You are one of the strongest at our school. Do not be ashamed to have a weakness," he growled as gold orbs bore into blue. "If it is so shameful to be weak, grow stronger to compensate for it. Grow so that you may stand on your own two feet again."
Not receiving an immediate response, he pressed her for answer. "Promise me, Imouto, that you will grow while you are away. Promise that you will stay healthy and safe even though you are not by my side."
Looking at her godbrother's somber expression, Kagome hesitated to answer. Though she wanted to do what he asked her to, she wasn't sure she could do. "… I promise, Aniki," she finally agreed.
"Good," the Student Council President nodded. "Now go talk to your other friends. There is not much time before you have to board," he continued while effortlessly turning the younger third-year around to face the other Issei students.
And with a little more encouragement and a push in the back, Kagome was apologizing to her friends and giving her goodbyes. She every one of her friends and family, promising that she would be back in a month for the All-Japan Gymnastics Team Finals.
It was when she was hugging her best girlfriend that the signal for Duel Academy's ship sounded.
Still hugging Kagome, Sango leaned into the younger girl's ear whispered. "Check your trunk when you settle in, alright. We stashed somethings in there for you."
"Sango-chan," the raven smiled softly.
"You better get going, Gome. They're not going to wait for you," the brunette urged with a sad smile.
With one last smile to her friends and family, Kagome boarded her ship to head off to her new school all the while wiping away the oncoming tears from face. Now that she had the support of friends, Kagome felt that she was ready for what was to come this year, and just hoped she would be able to find herself the perfect husband this year.
AN: The chapter's finally re-written now! And before anyone asks why Grandpa Higurashi isn't calling his grandchildren by their middle names like Fumiko is doing, it's because he's not of Higurashi blood. Even though he's their grandfather, he is ultimately still an outsider to the Higurashi clan and the whole supernatural business. Only those of Higurashi blood may refer to each other by their middle names, or the Higurashi's significant other.
Souta's full name in English is Xiangtai (想太) Takahiro (貴浩) Ace Higurashi-Kaiba. His Japanese name is Higurashi-Kaiba T. Souta. Kagome's is Guomei (果美) Akemi (明美) Noémie Higurashi-Kaiba and Higurashi-Kaiba A. Kagome.
I am honestly very surprised by how much of Mama Higurashi's POV I put in this chapter. I really did not expect it to explode like that. And I fixed a minor plot hole!
AN-2: No, there is no mistake to Souta calling Kagome Aneki. It is an actual word, and is one of the variations that can be used to call someone big sister. Other variations are Ane, Aneue, Onee, Nee, and they can be used with the suffixes -san or -chan. However, Ane-san is generally only used by the yakuza or gangs.