RECAP
This is the story of Higurashi Kagome.
Kagome was not as ordinary as she seemed to be.
She was as normal as a girl born into a long lineage of priests could be, at least.
People had always told her that she would be someone great, someone special, someone extraordinary...
But she decided that was something—a life, that she did not want for herself.
No. She never wanted that.
She never wanted to hear that.
...but that was then.
Suddenly, Kagome's life and opinions were changing without notice.
After moving to a small home in inner Tokyo, she met two boys who turned out to be just as strange as she was.
Kagome's first friend was Oyamada Manta: a human boy of small stature but with a big heart who carried around an even bigger encyclopedia.
Her second friend was Asakura Yoh: a seemingly standoffish boy who turned out to be a shaman with a strong sense of duty.
With the mysterious Yoh and the quirky Manta at her side, Kagome was finally able to acknowledge and talk about the supernatural and paranormal without fear of judgment or humiliation.
After meeting her new friends, the priestess began her strange yet ordinary life—an ordinary life where the paranormal and extraordinary would suddenly happen and shake things up. She found that she was living the best of both worlds.
Weeks flew by, and almost every day was a new adventure—an adventure where Yoh and Manta taught her new things about herself.
Recently, Kagome discovered that she admired the boy who was dedicated to his profession.
And she decided that she wanted to be like him, the person who she secretly admired.
This was the beginning of Kagome's new life—a life full of wonder and smiles.
Finally, Kagome had friends that were just as weird as she was… (If not weirder…)
It did not occur to her that for once in her life, she actually belonged.
Higurashi Shrine And The Lonely Soul
(Part I)
"… Yoh-kun," Manta stated dryly as his eye twitched. After wandering around a surprisingly lush, green arena for an hour, the boys finally reached a break in nature and found cement and pavement. "I think we're lost."
The brown-haired teen scowled while raising an eyebrow, "Think so?" He then brought the map closer to his face to re-examine it. Honestly, it was rather cute with its colored paths and landmarks. There were even hand-written notes about specific turns and points in the journey. "I guess it isn't wise to use a map Kagome-chan hand drew…" he mused while rubbing his chin.
Manta sweatdropped and mumbled sarcastically, "I could have told you that." He then looked up at Yoh and said, "Here, let me take a look at it."
The taller teen nodded and passed the colorful sheet of paper to Manta. The blond hummed to himself thoughtfully as he examined the map. It was cute, but crude. He took notice of the stick figures and lovingly scribbled notes littering the edges. He then looked around for any signs of the landmarks. Yoh watched curiously as Manta nodded and whispered a few "uh-huh"s as he looked at the map from three different angles.
The bookworm then crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it over his shoulder into a nearby waste bin, prompting Yoh to break into applause.
"It's useless," Manta stated, annoyed. He looked up at his friend and told him, "Call Kagome-chan on her cell and ask her for better directions."
Yoh groaned and Amidamaru appeared to silently chuckle at his partner's expense. "Can't you do it?" Yoh moaned back. "Haaa..." he sighed, his shoulders slumping.
Manta shook his head from side to side fiercely while raising his hands, as to say 'no', "That means I'd have to use my cell phone…"
The samurai spirit looked between their young faces and stated, "I don't see what the problem is. I think the cellular phone is a very convenient device."
Manta shot Amidamaru a skeptical look, "Would you use something like this?" The blond pulled a small, pink cellphone from his pocket. The phone was decorated with white kitten stickers and its matching kitten charm dangled as he held it up.
"Or this?" Yoh added with a glum tone and bowed head. He pulled a pastel blue cell from his jean pocket. It was adorned with pink bunny stickers and a matching keychain. "Just look at it, Amidamaru," he choked back a sob as he displayed his phone.
The ghost raised his hands and smiled nervously as he floated backward, away from the boys who were closing in with their phones held out towards him. "Do you think—" Manta began asking.
"Two boys carrying these around—" Yoh continued.
"Is really that convenient?" Manta and Yoh finished in unison.
Amidamaru's smile twitched a bit as he asked, "Could you not have declined Kagome-sama's gift then?" The samurai then sweatdropped when the boys proclaimed that there was no way that they could shoot their friend down when she looked so happy!
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"We should have known better than to wait for Kagome-chan to show up…" Manta moaned when his stomach growled for the fifteenth time within the past half-hour. "She's so late. Probably got lost again…" He mumbled into the tabletop.
The two teens were sitting on opposite ends of a booth at WacDonald's. Their heads and arms laying flat against the cool surface of the table…
They were starving.
"Yeah, but she said she would treat us to lunch…" Yoh grumbled miserably.
"I guess she really wanted to treat us after getting more money from her mom" Manta surmised. He lifted his head and banged it against the table in frustration. "But still—!" Before he could complain some more about his hunger, his vision went dark when two soft hands covered his eyes.
A familiar, feminine voice giggled from behind him and asked, "Guess who~?"
Manta blushed and pulled the hands away from his eyes so he could glare at Kagome, who responded with a widening smile. Yoh sighed then smiled too, "Speak of the devil."
"Where have you been?!" Manta barked at the girl. "Did you get lost again?"
"Eh heh," Kagome laughed nervously and scratched her reddened cheek. "Actually, there's a logical explanation for me being late today. Here, I'll show you." Yoh and Manta sweatdropped when she magically pulled a sketchpad full of slightly crude, colorful drawings.
"At 10 A.M., I headed out of the house so I could make it here at 12..." Kagome told them, holding up the sketchpad. The first page had a colorful picture of chibi-Kagome walking down the street away from her house. Kagome flipped to the next page and continued her story, "I was halfway there when suddenly Godzilla emerged from the subway, tearing up the streets as he went on a rampage." This picture had chibi-Kagome and a crowd of other chibis panicking as Godzilla blew fire on a skyscraper.
"That's when I knew what I had to do…" Kagome explained gravely, before flipping to the next page. Chibi-Kagome had a serious expression on her face. "There, in front of a hundred people, I transformed into Sailor Mo—!"
"Why were you really late?" Manta asked in a deadpanned voice.
"...I went shopping," Kagome admitted while averting her eyes and poking her fingers together.
"Well, that makes sense~" Yoh beamed before suddenly collapsing to the table. His head made a dangerously loud thud.
"Ah! Yoh-kun!" Kagome and Manta shrieked in unison.
With X's for eyes, the shaman mumbled in a faint voice, "So weak… Please feed me…"
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Kagome walked toward their booth with a tray full of greasy, fried food. Tears of joy streamed down Yoh's face as his salvation arrived. Manta shook his head when the shaman clapped as Kagome placed the tray down as carefully as she could. "Here you go, guys," Kagome beamed while taking a spot next to Manta. "I bought extra to apologize for making you wait."
"You're an angel, Kagome-chan," Yoh said before reciting a quick prayer in thanks. He then looked at the spread before him and did not know where to start. There were nine cheeseburgers, three medium sodas, three medium fries, three shakes, and one strawberry sundae with nuts.
"Yeah, thanks. I thought I was a goner for a minute," Manta added, nodding as Kagome began unwrapping her burger. "I'm surprised that you made it all the way from the counter by yourself," He began his lunch by plucking a single salted French fry from one of three boxes and nibbling on it.
"What are you trying to say?!" Kagome asked with a pinched smile and twitching eyebrow.
Manta smirked teasingly and replied, "Nothing, nothing. You're just a little clumsy sometimes."
"Hmph!" Kagome huffed. "I am not! I'm as elegant as a priestess and shaman should be!"
Yoh licked his fingers after he finished his burger. He smiled and said, as if remembering something, "Speaking of shamans…" He whispered as he reached into his pocket and pulled something out, he sat it on the table. It was small, black, and—.
"Isn't that a mortuary tablet?!" Manta and Kagome asked, gasping in disbelief.
"Those are meant to honor your ancestors' resting grounds!" Manta shouted as his jaw dropped.
Kagome laughed and imitated Manta by plucking a fry from one of the boxes and placing it between her lips. "I see that Yoh-kun is begging to be cursed."
Yoh laughed it off and told them, "It's okay, as long as it's him." Manta paled when Amidamaru suddenly appeared from within the tablet. His eyes were closed and his hands were held up in a prayer position, "Eat with us, Amidamaru," the shaman told his partner.
"Thank you very much, Yoh-dono, and Kagome-sama," he said respectfully, before opening his eyes.
"Ami… damaru…" Manta twitched with a face as white as a sheet.
"Ah, Amidamaru-sama," Kagome began with a cheerful smile. "How are you?" she asked.
"I'm doing just fine, Kagome-sama," he replied, looking at the girl. "At this size, I can get around easily, and the tablet is very convenient."
Kagome laughed and nodded, "I'm so jealous that you two get along so well~ I hope that I can find a sweetheart like Amidamaru-sama."
"Mmhm," Yoh nodded and smiled. "We're not just partners. We're friends, so we like being around each other."
"See?" The ghost and the boy sang in unison, scooting closer to each other and beaming.
The priestess cupped her hands together and batted her eyelashes at the samurai, "Amidamaru-sama, forget about Yoh-kun~! You'd have a lot more fun with me!"
Yoh's body twitched. Kagome snickered at the shaman's reaction as he shot her an incredulous glare, "No way! Find your own buddy, you thief! Amidamaru, would never—!" He then looked at his blushing, bashful-looking partner who fiddled with his fingers, and deadpanned, "What's with that reaction?"
"We should probably drink the shakes before they melt," Manta suggested.
Yoh looked at Amidamaru and placed a shake in front of the samurai spirit. "Here, you can have mine," the shaman grinned.
"Oh yeah," Manta prompted a new topic. "I see you have a shopping bag from the mall, what did you buy?" with his eyes on the paper bag resting at Kagome's side.
"Aha, right," the girl chuckled. "I bought gifts to celebrate our friendship~," she told them. Before either of the two boys could peek at what was inside the bag, Kagome grabbed it and placed it in her lap.
"I hope it wasn't something too expensive," Yoh stated. He was not one who desired expensive, materialistic things. It would be a pity if Kagome bought something that cost a lot of money for him, and he ended up with no use for it. "I'd rather have another one of your obento~"
'Yoh-kun, you really do have a one-track mind…' Manta sweatdropped.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Yoh-kun," Kagome responded with a light wave of her hand. "I got these for a bargain—. No, you might as well have called it a steal!" She then pulled out three very girly cell phones and exclaimed excitedly, "Ta-Dah!" All three came in one plastic sealing and in bold red letters it read: TRIPLE FRIENDSHIP PACK!
"See?" she chirped. "There's one for all three of us! Aren't they the cutest phones you've ever seen?"
"Y-yeah…" Yoh pinched a smile. "They're pretty cute…but uh…" His brown eyes looked over to Manta for help.
The blond gladly spoke up. He crossed his arms and told her firmly, "There's no way I would ever use something like that in my entire life!"
Kagome blinked twice, slowly, as the information processed in her brain… Slowly the smile on her face faded away until her lips formed a pencil straight line. Her blue-gray eyes were now slanted. "So what you're telling me is that you refuse to accept my present?" she asked in a flat tone.
"E-Eh…" Manta instinctively shrunk away from the girl. "Well, that is—."
"You're taking it," The priestess stated. "One way, or another."
"But!" Manta tried protesting. His eyes fell on Yoh for help, but the shaman was quick to avert his eyes and whistle innocently. "Do something, Yoh-kun!"
"It can't be all that bad, can it?" Kagome asked with a slight tilt of her head. "I mean, I thought it would be nice to have them," she explained slowly. "This way, we can always communicate, even when we're far apart. Ya know?"
"I guess there's no helping it," Yoh sighed and smiled. "Right, Manta?"
Manta looked away from his friends to hide a blush and the small pout on his face. "A-as long as no one else sees me using it," he grumbled.
Kagome's face lit up as she practically ripped open the sealing that most people would need scissors to open. She looked at all three of the friendship cell phones and quickly decided which one would go to whom.
"Okay," she began. "I get this one," the girl announced as she set aside the white phone with brown puppies and a matching charm.
Manta's blood ran cold… He was hoping to get the white one.
"Yoh-kun," she said before handing him the pastel blue phone, "you get this one."
Lastly, Kagome placed the peach-pink phone in front of Manta and told him with a smile, "And this one is yours."
Manta's eyebrow twitched as he asked, "Why do I get the cutesiest one?"
The priestess chuckled and stated simply, "I just think it suits you the most."
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Amidamaru slowly inched away from his partner and his friend while remembering their meeting with the young priestess the day before. "… Well," a cold bead of sweat ran down the side of the spirit's face. He wore a nervous smile while staring at the two boys. "You're right," he bowed his head in defeat. He gave up. He would never use such a thing in public…
"Anyway," Manta said, looking up at Yoh. "Hurry up and call her, it's really hot out here!"
Yoh slumped his shoulders and moaned, "But you have her on speed dial."
"Fine," the blond teen sighed. There was no arguing with Yoh. The heat was exhausting and pushing him to his limits. He wanted to hurry and make it to the shrine so he could relax. With the push of only two buttons, his cell phone called Kagome's. It rang several times until Kagome answered.
"Hello?" She asked.
Manta smiled and replied, "Hi Kagome-chan, it's me, Manta."
"Oh, hi," Kagome said as cheerfully as usual.
"Well, Yoh and I are—" Manta tried to explain their situation but Kagome interrupted him.
"Wait, wait, wait. Before you say anything, I have to tell you—"
"Eh?" Manta froze as she finished her sentence.
"I have missed your call. This is Kagome, leave me a message." Kagome's voice chirped.
Yoh stared at Manta with a curious look. "What's up, Manta?"
The short boy was stuck in stunned mode… And so was his face.
"What did she say?" Yoh pressed. "Manta? You in there?" The brunette asked while waving his hand over his friend's face.
"Damn it," Manta growled before hitting the two buttons again. After a few rings, Kagome answered.
"H-Hello," her voice was shaky, unlike her voicemails. Manta sighed with relief; he got through to the live Kagome this time.
"Hey, it's me," Manta replied. While he was relieved to hear her voice, he was also a bit unsettled by how off she sounded. For a moment, he wondered if he called at a bad time.
"Oh…" Kagome said, not surprised. She did not sound as bubbly as usual. There was a soft, almost sleepiness to her voice. "Manta… kun…" she whispered. Manta blinked, but said nothing. "I can feel you…" she told him. "You and Yoh-kun are close… Look for a huge set of stairs." With that said, the call ended abruptly.
"Is there something wrong, Manta-dono?" Amidamaru asked.
Manta placed his phone into his pants pocket and scowled as he tried to swallow down his concern. "She told me to look for a large staircase, but that's all," he informed them.
"Hmmm," Amidamaru hummed. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms as if he was going to ponder or meditate. "That is pretty vague." Manta nodded a couple of times, agreeing with the samurai spirit.
"Not really," Yoh stated casually while pointing in front of them. "We're standing right in front of a large staircase."
"What?!" Manta asked with disbelief. All he saw was more forest and greenery in front of them… and all around them for that matter. "What are you talking about, Yoh-kun?"
Amidamaru looked in the direction that Yoh was pointed and squinted a bit… After a blink, he finally saw it. "I see! How very clever." He marveled at something that Manta could not see.
"I'm definitely missing something," Manta stated to himself.
Yoh turned Manta in the proper direction and told him, "Manta, I know you'll be able to see it. They're about ten meters away. Look past the forest… Look beyond what you see."
Manta sweatdropped at Yoh's instructions and mumbled, "Just because you're a shaman, doesn't mean you have to speak in metaphors."
"It is not a metaphor," Amidamaru told him. Manta sighed and frowned, he began concentrating. He squinted a bit for a moment… There was something weird but he still could not see anything…
"Wait!" The image of the forest disappeared in a flash and was replaced with a stone staircase overseen by a traditional red Torii gate. "Whoa," Manta fell back on his butt in surprise. They were really there! "They just appeared out of nowhere!" He exclaimed, mouth dropped in wonder.
"They didn't appear out of nowhere," Yoh explained while raising a finger. "The stairs were here all along, the image of the forest past this point is just a mere illusion."
"Wow," Manta said. "Who knew that a slacker like you would know so much?"
Yoh blushed a bit and scratched his cheek, replying sheepishly, "well, thanks I guess."
"That wasn't a compliment."
Yoh and his partner laughed a bit at this. "Alright, shall we go then?" the shaman asked. Manta and Amidamaru nodded in response. Thus, they began their ascension towards Higurashi shrine.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Both Yoh and Manta were panting heavily when they finally reached the apex of the stairs. Yoh stooped over with his hands planted on his knees as sweat dripped down his face. Manta did not double over, but he placed his hand to his heaving chest. Amidamaru was floating beside them. He noted the state of exhaustion that his partner was in and suggested, "Perhaps these stairs could serve as a training tool for you, Yoh-kun."
"Don't even joke about that…!" Yoh retorted as he tried soothing his raging lungs.
"You're a spirit, so of course, it was no problem for you," Manta added in. His throat was dry and burning for a cool drink. Just breathing the hot air made it even drier.
Before anyone could plan their next action, the sound of a footfall snapping a twig caught their attention. They looked up to spot a woman in their mid-thirties approaching them.
They could only gape at the uncanny resemblance that the beauty had to Kagome. Her skin was a bit fairer, her dark hair was worn short, and her eyes were brown. But the similarities in their facial features were striking! It was undeniable that this woman was Kagome's mother.
"Why, hello there," she greeted them warmly. She was wearing a white apron over her brown dress and matching white slippers. "You two must be Asakura Yoh-kun," she said while looking at the brunette. She then regarded the blond and added, ", and Oyamada Manta-kun." She stifled a chuckle at the teen's surprised expressions. "I'm Kagome's mother. She talks about you a lot."
"I see," Manta stated before bowing respectfully. "It's a pleasure to be your daughter's friend."
Yoh imitated Manta's polite gesture and added, "Thank you for having us, Higurashi-san."
Higurashi-san returned the bow and said, "And thank you for taking such good care of my Kagome." She then smiled, "It sure is hot today. And I'm sure those stairs must have been exhausting in this heat. Help yourselves to this cold barley tea~" Yoh smiled gratefully and took the glasses. He passed one to Manta and immediately gulped his drink down. "Please follow me. Kagome is with her cousins and grandmother right now. I'll take you to her."
As they trekked across the courtyard, Manta took the time to drink in both his tea and shrine grounds. It was as spacious as most shrines. To the left was a residential house. Off to the right was a great tree. And further down to the right were two smaller structures. Finally, straight down the middle path was the temple.
As they walked down the middle path, Yoh, Manta, and Amidamaru discovered that Kagome's mother was just as warm and talkative as her daughter was. The apple truly did not fall far from the tree with this pair. "The moment I saw you, I knew exactly who you were," the woman explained. "Kagome calls me every day to tell me about everything you do together. She talks for an hour nonstop, all about you." The warm-hearted woman laughed lightly.
She continued talking as she led them around towards the back of the temple. "The first day she became friends with you, she said… 'Mom! Guess what? I made two friends already! They're weird, but they're still cool. Manta-kun is super smart, a bit of scaredy-cat, and he has the weirdest sandy brown hair! He kind of has a short temper, but it's endearing in a way. And it turns out that Yoh-kun is a shaman! I don't get how someone so lazy can be so strong. You should have seen how he and Amidamaru-sama defeated Ryu, a gangster!"
Manta was impressed by the woman's power of recollection. He was sure that she quoted the exact words from her daughter's mouth. "I'm glad you three became friends with my Kagome," Higurashi-san admitted. "She tried hiding it, but she used to be so depressed…"
With that, they arrived at the back of the temple, where they spotted Kagome and her aforementioned relatives.
Instead of her school uniform or her everyday clothing, Kagome was dressed in traditional priestess garb. Her small frame was wrapped in a pure white haori and long, red hakamas, with white split-socks with sandals on her feet. Her long, black hair was left loose around her shoulders and down her back.
Yoh's breath audibly hitched.
Manta blinked and looked up at his friend, who seemed more taken aback than he should have been. "What's up, Yoh-kun?" He asked. "She did say that she was a priestess…"
The shaman then blushed and scratched his cheek a bit, "Ah, it's nothing. I just got a strange feeling." Without another word, he looked back at Kagome. The young priestess was sitting cross-legged on the ground with her hands up in a spiritual sign. Her eyes were closed, and her usually smiling face was as serene as a lone stream.
Kagome's cousins and grandmother were also dressed in priestess clothing. While the old woman's clothing was identical to Kagome's, the young girls' were more unique.
One girl had straight, dark hair, and her outfit was complete with blue hakamas. The other girl had short, auburn hair and dark red hakamas. As if sensing their presence, the three other priestesses looked over at the newcomers.
"G-Good day. We're here to see Kagome-chan," Manta greeted with a nervous smile. Something about the two girls' pointed stares made him uncomfortable. He got the feeling that they were interrupting an important exercise. Hearing Manta's voice, Kagome's closed eyelids began to twitch.
The dark-haired girl suddenly spoke while gesturing towards Kagome's friends, "Do not worry, Kaede-baasan! We'll take care of these intruders!" The other girl nodded in agreement, and the two soon began moving in perfect unison. They stepped forward and turned their attention to Yoh and the others.
Higurashi-san smiled behind her hand and whispered, "Oh, dear. These two girls are getting riled up again..." She bowed to her guests, "You all have fun. I'm going to get some more tea." After bidding them farewell, the matriarch left the youngsters to their own devices. Kaede was there to look out for them after all.
The in-synch priestesses summoned staffs to their hands while striking dramatic poses, lifting one leg and extending one arm out. "I am Higurashi Momiji!" the red-haired girl announced.
"And I am Higurashi Botan!" the dark-haired girl added. They held up their staves in defensive positions and chorused in unison, "We will not allow you to distract Higurashi Kagome from her training!"
Manta instinctively stepped back with one foot and trembled a bit, "We're not intruders, we're friends!"
Yoh stepped forward and explained calmly, "We're not here to cause trouble. Kagome-chan invited us over today to tour the shrine."
Amidamaru floated beside Yoh and added, "Yoh-dono is telling the truth, so lower your weapons."
The two priestesses looked at each other after glancing at the spirit. They nodded at each other, knowing the others' thoughts. Botan glared at Amidamaru and stated, "As priestesses, we will not allow a spirit to freely roam the Earth!"
Momiji's right hand then began to glow a pale purple color. "Prepare to be put to eternal rest!" She shouted before charging at Amidamaru. Yoh and Amidamaru stood as still as statues as the priestess charged them with her glowing staff.
"Haaaaaaa!" she shouted, leaping in the air. "Begone from this world!" She swung her staff down over her head as she neared the shaman and spirit.
"WHAT?!" Momiji and Botan shrieked simultaneously.
Yoh had stepped in front of Amidamaru and caught Momiji's staff between his hands. Momiji grunted and pushed down with all of her might. After a few moments of struggling with the boy, the glow on her staff faded away. The disgruntled priestess huffed and jumped back, her sandals skidding across the ground. "What's up with that, Momiji?!" Botan screamed incredulously.
"As we said, we're friends of Kagome-chan," Yoh told them. "We're not intruders. And Amidamaru here," the boy jabbed his thumb behind him at his partner, "is my partner, not a restless spirit."
Botan ran up to Momiji's side and lifted her staff defensively. Momiji looked at Yoh's face and stated, "It seems like this boy is not an ordinary human. He's a shaman." She lowered her head so that her bangs hid the blush that spread from one cheek to another. "A pretty powerful one, for someone his age…" she whispered.
Manta nodded and said, "That's right. Yoh's a shaman, and I'm Manta, a human. Didn't Kagome-chan tell you we were coming today?"
Kagome's eyelids fluttered even more as her ears took in the sounds of voices around her. "Sha…man…" she whispered slowly. Her once clear mind was now processing the senses that she had suppressed. "Yoh…kun…" she said. "And…Manta-kun…" she added.
Kaede's eyes narrowed as Kagome's blue eyes slowly opened. The girl groaned as she blinked a few times to clear the fog away from her vision.
"You see!" Momiji yelled, pointing at Yoh, Manta, and Amidamaru, "This is all your fault!"
"That's right!" Botan added. "Kagome has, once again, failed at creating a basic barrier!"
"Wait a minute!" Kagome interjected as she realized what was happening. She stood up and looked from her friends to her cousins then back to her friends. "Obaa-san!" she cried out. "When did they get here?!" she asked. "You promised to let me give them a tour of the shrine when they arrived! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Kaede closed her eyes calmly and answered, "You were so close to creating a barrier that I did not want to disturb you. I could feel your energy solidifying around you."
Kagome paused at the response. She then sighed a bit, "Okay, I get it. But still…"
Momiji and Botan turned to Kagome angrily and yelled at her in unison, "Obaa-san wouldn't be so worried about your training if you weren't such a failure!"
Kagome visibly flinched before she stomped over to her cousins, giving the two girls a glare that made the boys shudder, "Who. Asked. YOU?!"
Amidamaru chuckled nervously and said, "I see that bad tempers run in the family."
"More like big mouths run in the family," Manta deadpanned as he watched the cousins argue.
"And they're supposed to be shrine maidens," Yoh sweatdropped but smiled nonetheless. "They're the most interesting ones I've ever seen."
Momiji blushed at Yoh's words. She then placed her hands on her hips and smiled proudly, "I see that Yoh-sama has good taste."
Botan flipped her hair and smiled cutely, "Momiji, as a priestess, you should be more humble. A great shaman like him deserves only the best…" Momiji's and Kagome's eyes twitched at her next statement. "And in this case, that would be me~"
It was Momiji's turn to glare at Botan. "And what makes you think that you're the best, sister?" She asked with a forced smile.
"Wweeellll~" Botan almost sang the word. "For one, priestesses are supposed to be young, beautiful maidens. Kagome is a month and two days older than us, and you're the older twin by four minutes. Second, I'm much more advanced than you two are in almost everything…"
With a sigh, Kagome tuned out Botan's list and Momiji's flustered rebuttal. She walked towards her friends. "Sorry guys…" she smiled sheepishly. "I was in the middle of some priestess training. I'm supposed to be visiting but I got dragged into training with them, somehow."
Yoh waved his hand and replied, "It's fine, Kagome-chan. It turns out that your family is really interesting."
Manta nodded and added, "Besides, no one got hurt. And I never got to see a real, live priestess before. I've only seen pictures in the books I've read about them."
Kagome placed her hands on her hips and glared down at Manta. "What do you mean you've never seen a real, live priestess before? How long have we been friends?"
Realizing his mistake, Manta raised his hands defensively and backtracked, "My bad, Kagome-chan! I didn't mean it that way! I mean, it's easier to picture you as a priestess when you wear that outfit!"
"You look especially lovely in your priestess garbs, Kagome-sama." Amidamaru nodded with a genuine smile on his face. "Right, Yoh-dono?" He looked at his partner, whose's cheeks darkened a bit before he nodded.
Kagome smiled and nodded back, "Thanks a lot~" She then pointed beyond the shrine and stated, "The storage house is over there, but let's start the tour from the beginning~" The girl then took hold of her friends' hands and led them away from her sighing grandmother and bickering cousins.
"And don't let Momiji and Botan bother you," Kagome told them. "They're twin sisters, and they're only priestesses in training, like me. They trained a lot more than me though." She admitted the last part with an embarrassed smile.
"They're kind of weird…" Manta admitted. "One minute they're so in sync that they can read each other's thoughts, and the next they're arguing over nothing."
"Eh heh," Kagome scratched her cheek. "Yeah, they get along perfectly most of the time…until a cute boy comes along, then they bicker over who's the better twin."
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
The day had flown by as Kagome showed her friends around the entire Higurashi property. She walked them around the interior of her house. She explained the legend of the Goshinboku. She retold them the tales of her family history and how the shrine was founded. She even took them to see the old, dry well, where she had to drag out a spaced-out Yoh who was probably overloaded with information.
Kagome lit a few candles after she unlocked the door to the dark storage house. Manta, Amidamaru, and Yoh followed behind her and entered dusty space.
There were shelves with hundreds of scrolls, antiques, and ancient weapons on both sides of the room. "This room holds all the things past down from generation to generation in my family…" Kagome explained. "I'm sure there are plenty of scrolls about shamans in here, Manta-kun, so feel free to look around." She then placed each candle inside of the old, rusty lanterns hanging in each corner of the room.
The group then went about examining the items that caught their eyes. Yoh and Amidamaru admired the weapons that were placed in cases on the top shelves. Meanwhile, Kagome helped Manta by handing him the scrolls that were too high for him to reach. She then opened a random scroll and began reading the words in faded ink…
The girl could not place her finger on it, but something about this particular parchment called to her. Perhaps, it was the intricate painting of a beautiful, silver-haired man dressed in elegant yet armored clothing that caught her eye…?
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
I, Higurashi Ran, will record the story of the Great Dog Demon Sesshomaru and my younger sister Higurashi Rin so that our fleeting lives are not lost in this world's memories.
We were only children when we were orphaned with no other living relatives. I was thirteen years old and Rin was nine years old when a horde of demons raided our village and attacked our shrine. Our father was the only priest. He bravely fought the demons for as long as he could. Our mother, however, was an ordinary human with no spiritual power to ward off the demons' attacks, she was killed mercilessly.
Alone, and unwanted by the villagers that survived the attacks, we took off into the darkness the next night. We traveled long and far until we could not walk another step… We were weary, exhausted, starving, and heartbroken… "I am sorry, little sister," I told Rin after we both collapsed to the forest floor. "I am your older sister, yet I cannot take care of you. I can not go on from this point…"
Rin, who had lost voice from the horrific events of the demon raid, only shook her head, crying… Her silent tears broke my heart even more… I knew that she did not blame me for her starvation and evitable death. And still, I felt responsible. We lay next to each other, and I grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
"Let us meet again in the next life…" I told her. She nodded wordlessly and closed her eyes… I'm sure that her heart had stopped. I could no longer hear her shallow breathing.
However, I did not die. I just lied there for days, next to the corpse of my younger sister, our hands still entwined. I wanted nothing more than to pass and see her smiling face once again.
Just as I felt myself slipping away, a sudden flash of warm, white light washed over us. It was a miracle. I felt energized. I sat up and saw Rin opening her eyes. And there he was, a beautiful demon with long silver and gold eyes who had revived us with his sword. I came to know this sword as Tenseiga.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Kagome quietly read the scroll from start to finish. She found the tale to be captivating. In a twist of fate, Sesshomaru had revived the Higurashi sisters to test out the abilities of his sword. Both Ran and Rin became his devoted servants. But Ran was sure that the demon lord favored her younger sister.
One day, a group of demon bandits launched a surprise attack on Sesshomaru during Rin's eleventh birthday celebration. Just after Sesshomaru had presented Tenseiga to Rin as a gift, it was stolen from her hands. She was cut down. Sesshomaru quickly dispatched the murderers and recovered the sword.
It was mysterious. Rin's spirit would not return to her body, no matter how many times Tenseiga was used. Although a funeral was held for her safe departure to the next world, Ran and Sesshomaru sensed that Rin's spirit was still wandering the world of the living. Sesshomaru took Tenseiga and set out on a journey to recover Rin's lost soul. But he never returned…
'Hmmm…that's stange...' Kagome thought to herself as she stared down at the illustration of the demon lord. 'Sesshomaru...I feel like I've seen him somewhere before. But where…?'
"Kagome-chan!" Manta yelled suddenly, which startled the girl to squeak and jump.
"W-What is it?" She asked in a shaky voice as she placed a hand over her racing heart.
Yoh laughed lightly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It got dark a while ago. Manta thought we should wrap things up in here."
Kagome's surprised expression fell into a disappointed one, "Whaaaaat? Is it really that late?"
Manta nodded, his arms were full of old, dusty scrolls. "Yeah, I think it's about seven o'clock. You talked the whole day away."
Kagome blushed hearing this, "I don't remember doing that..." She then chuckled a bit and replied, "Alright, alright. I'll let you go. Sorry, I probably got the whole 'talk people's ears off' thing from my grandpa."
Yoh yawned loudly and stretched as they left the storage house, "I almost don't wanna go home. I'm beat."
An imaginary light bulb lit above Kagome's head. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "I've got an idea! How about you guys spend the night over here?"
"I don't know…" Manta raised a finger to his chin. "I'd have to make quite a few phone calls."
"Well," Yoh grinned while locking his fingers behind his head. "I vote for staying!"
"You're just too lazy to go back home, Yoh-kun," Kagome laughed.
Manta shrugged while joining the girl in laughter, "I'm surprised that he made it this far."
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"Wow!" Momiji and Botan squealed in unison. "A sleepover! It sounds fun!" Kagome sweatdropped at her cousins' excitement and sudden change in character. She could not blame them though. No matter how they argued, she found it endearing how serious they were about their duties and training, yet how young and immature they were at heart.
"I know!" Souta, Kagome's seven-year-old little brother chimed in. "Yoh-niisan is so cool! I never met a shaman before! And did you see his ghost, Amidamaru?! He looks so strong!" Kagome giggled at Souta's words. "And Manta-niisan is smart too! He promised to help me with my homework!"
"Wait a minute…" Kagome paused before leaning down towards her brother. "I'm here, why didn't you just ask me?!" She asked with a huff.
"Heh heh," Souta laughed nervously. "Where are they anyway?" He asked as his eyes darted left and right. He, Kagome, Momiji, and Botan were sitting in Kagome's room. Souta was sitting cross-legged on the cream-colored carpeted floor, Kagome was sitting in her rolling chair in front of her study desk, and the twins conquered her twin-sized bed.
"Taking a bath and changing into nightclothes," Kagome replied. "You know how mom is when we have company. She wants everyone washed up and changed before dinner."
"Auntie sure does have some strange ways," Botan said nonchalantly.
Kagome's eye twitched and replied bluntly, "You're one to talk. Your mom doesn't allow anyone to eat breakfast until we run five laps around your shrine."
"I still don't know why, either," Momiji said, leaning back against the wall lazily.
"Thanks to Kagome, I don't have to worry about training to be a priest!" Souta cheered.
Kagome reached for a pillow but before her hand found one, the door to her room opened, and in stepped, Yoh, Manta, and Amidamaru. For a moment, the girls and Souta only gawked. Manta was wearing Souta's old green and white striped pajamas. Yoh wore a plain white tank top and a pair of black jogging pants.
"Uh, we're done…" Manta told them nervously. Why did he not like the looks he and Yoh were receiving?
"Wow, Yoh-kun!" Kagome suddenly exclaimed as her hands found her cheeks. "I knew those pants were a bit too big for me, but I didn't think that they'd fit you so perfectly!" She stood up and walked toward her friends to get a better look, but was run over by her two cousins.
Momiji blushed while staring at Yoh with starry eyes, "Yoh-sama! Even though you're wearing that silly Kagome-chan's clothing, you still look great as ever!"
Botan had scooped Manta in her arms and was rubbing her cheek against his. "You're so adorable, Manta-sama! Your pathetically inadequate height never ceases to amaze me!"
"Uh," Yoh blushed, scratching the back of his head and smiling. "Thanks, Momiji."
"Will you put me down?" Manta asked with an annoyed tone. "I'm not an infant!" The priestess continued to swing Manta around, laughing merrily, in an odd state of bliss. "Botan! Let go of me!"
Botan suddenly dropped Manta onto the floor. "Hey!" He exclaimed. "What the hell is your pro—?!" He paused when he saw Botan and Momiji step back in unison. They joined their hands together and squealed in unison. Their faces sported identical blushes and starry eyes.
"He called me by my first name!" the twins shrieked in harmony.
Amidamaru decided to discreetly stand by Kagome so the twins would not start marveling over him. He watched quietly as Momiji and Botan began chatting with his partner and Manta about just about everything! He then peered at Kagome from the corner of his eye. She was sitting on the floor, watching her friends and cousins interact with narrowed eyes and air-filled cheeks.
"Kagome-sama," Amidamaru broached. His voice quickly snapped her eyes to meet his, he asked, "Is something bothering you?"
Kagome gave the samurai a forced smile and shook her head from side to side. "No, I'm fine…" She then looked back at the scene playing before her. "It's…nice… To see my cousins and friends get along so well."
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Tonight's dinner turned out to be oden, which Higurashi-san happily announced to be Kagome's favorite.
"So if you two are priestesses in training," Manta began saying between bites. "That means that you live at a shrine too."
"That is correct, you are smart," Botan cooed at Manta from across the table.
"So, why are you here, if you don't mind me asking?" the short boy asked curiously.
Momiji replied with a smile, "That's easy. We prefer training with Kaede-baasan. Unlike Kagome, we've been training for years. We were born twins, without any other siblings, you see." She picked up a fishcake and waved it in tune with her words, "It's natural that we're more experienced than Kagome. She started her training pretty late compared to us. Kaede-baasan didn't think Kagome would need training…" She paused and her eyes darkened noticeably. "Until it happened."
Botan, who was sitting next to her twin, glared at Momiji and nudged her in the side. "Alright, that's enough. You can't just go and tell total strangers about our family business!"
Momiji's face flushed and she mumbled, "Total strangers, huh? Just a while ago, you were so gaga over Manta-sama."
Yoh looked at Kagome from across the table, noticing that she was silent. "Kagome-chan…" he said, just loud enough for her to hear. She looked up from her lap and at Yoh. He offered her a smile once their eyes met, "Your mom said oden is your favorite, but you haven't eaten a bite. Are you okay?"
Kagome looked around the dining room from person to person until her gaze settled on Yoh again. She nodded wordlessly then stood up, politely excusing herself from the table. She moved towards the kitchen to refrigerate her dinner. "I'm not hungry," she mumbled to herself.
"Yoh-kun," Manta said. "Is it just me, or is Kagome-chan acting a bit strangely?"
"Yeah. Stranger than normal."
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"I see!" Momiji and Botan said in unison. "You were changing the living room into our sleepover room while everyone ate! You're pretty thoughtful, Kagome!"
Kagome nodded and beamed proudly at her handiwork. She knew her room would have been too small to hold all five of the teenagers and Souta, so she decided to borrow the living room for the night.
The long couch would serve as a bed for two people, one laying on each side. One person could sleep on the loveseat. She also created a few pallets with sheets, blankets, and pillows from her and Souta's room. She also found some extra pillows and blankets and put them on the couch and loveseat. "I did a pretty good job," Kagome sighed happily before patting herself on the back.
"Yeah, looks cozy," Yoh praised the girl with a gentle pat on her head.
Manta nodded and added, "No one could have done better!"
"Awww," Kagome blushed a bit. "I was only kidding. It's not that great, but thanks, guys~"
Momiji and Botan glared at the trio of friends. Were they imagining the bright, sparkling background as the boys showered their cousin with attention?
Meanwhile, Amidamaru watched the scene with an approving smile. 'That's right. Compliments are a good way to cheer anyone up!'
"Well, anyway," Kagome said. "I'm tired from all of the training and touring today."
Yoh and Manta stretched and yawned out their agreement.
"Wait, WHAT?!" Momiji, Botan, and Souta asked outrageously. "Who actually sleeps at a sleepover?!"