Authoress' Notes: Welp, here's the second supplemental chapter!
Countdown till the Preliminaries
Closer and Closer
Kagome's body had already grown accustomed to her new sleeping schedule. Her eyes opened and she immediately sat up. "You're awake," Sesshomaru stated. Although his tone sounded as cool as usual, the priestess smiled as she caught a note of surprise in his voice. Her clock read 3:29 A.M. It was only a minute earlier, but she felt a sense of pride about waking up before her alarm went off.
"Yup! I'm still a beginner so I need all the practice I can get, right?" The girl asked with a smile as she walked over to her dresser. Her spirit did not reply as he watched her pull out a grey tank-top and black jogging pants. "I want to get started right away. We still have to practice Oversoul with the Crescent," she pointed out as she reached for the hem of her nightgown. She then paused and looked back up at the spirit, who was quietly watching her with an impassive expression. "Aren't...you going to leave?" She asked him.
"Why would I do that?" The demon lord asked while raising an eyebrow.
The blood rushed to Kagome's cheeks as she glared at her spirit, scowling that she even had to explain it, "Well, because I'm about to change."
"It's nothing I haven't seen before," He told her. "I've been watching over you for a long time."
Kagome's entire face lit up at the realization. "You mean you've seen me change before?!" She asked while crossing her arms over her chest protectively.
"Now is not the time to fuss over trivial matters," The spirit snapped. "Prepare yourself."
"You could at least pretend to care," The priestess grumbled as she turned her back to reserve the modesty that she imagined that she had left.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"Alright, let's do this," Kagome told her partner as she entered the spacious training area. In the far right corner were four state-of-the-art treadmills complete with drink holders, heart monitors, towel racks, and an assortment of settings. Several meters away was the strength-training area with a rack of dumbbells, a bench press, and other machines. "Oh, wow. Tao-kun is still here," she noted when her eyes fell on Ren, who was sitting on a bench and training with bicep curls.
"Good morning, Tao-kun~" She greeted him as she casually strolled over. "I'm surprised to see you. Have you been training since last night?" She asked as the boy lifted his head to meet her eyes.
"Of course, I have," He replied bluntly. "What's it to you?" His eyes narrowed with his inquiry.
"Jeez, you don't have to be testy," Kagome scoffed before placing her hands on her hips. "I was thinking that you're already pretty strong and you're always training—so maybe, you should relax for once and take a break."
"Tch," the boy looked away while curling his arm up. "A weakling like you should worry about yourself. If you stay at your current pace, you'll surely die."
The priestess huffed, "Say what you want, but I'll prove you wrong!"
"Riiiiight," The Tao deadpanned, his sarcasm annoying Kagome even more. "That'll be the day."
"Priestess," Sesshomaru called from behind her. "Let us go."
"Hmph," Kagome scowled before placing the water bottle that she brought for herself next to Ren. "You're a jerk, but you have a point. Don't worry, I'm not going to die."
Ren twitched as he pointed a heated glare at the girl, "Who said I was worried?!"
With nothing but light laughter on her lips, the girl then turned heel and jogged over to her spirit. "Okay, should we practice OverSoul first?" She asked as her blue eyes met Sesshomaru's golden ones.
"Hn," the demon lord nodded. "We've already established that my demonic powers are too much for an ordinary weapon to contain," he reminded the girl while running a hand through his tresses.
"Right!" Kagome nodded as she held out her hand. In a sudden burst of golden light, the Crescent bow appeared and dropped into her hand. She stared down at the weapon as Anna's voice replayed in her.
"Ultimately, you want to become stronger so you can be a great shaman. But until then, you'll be relying solely on Sesshomaru's—No, on Yoh's strength."
"Once the Shaman Fights begin, I can only rely on my own strength, right?" She asked rhetorically. 'Furyoku...I have to focus...breathe…' The girl thought while closing her eyes and positioning her body into an aiming position. Kagome grunted and shifted, feeling a sudden discomfort as she waited for her energy to come forth.
It was not that she had not used her Furyoku before. Sango herself had taught her the concept and showed her to use it, but… Something was off. Kagome's eyes snapped open. She turned a glare to Ren, who was openly watching her with a stoic expression as he chugged the water that she had given him. "Why are you watching me, ya creep?!" The priestess shouted. "It's distracting!"
Without batting an eyelash at the girl's outburst, Ren twisted the cap back onto the water bottle and retorted coolly, "Your future sure looks bleak." He then stood up and placed his dumbbells in their proper places on the rack. The Tao ignored the annoyed glare that Kagome shot him as he walked past her and towards the door.
"Ah, Ren-sama," Sango blinked as they passed each other in the doorway. She bowed deeply and greeted, "A good morning to you. I hope you are doing well."
"Hmph," the younger Tao scowled and avoided eye contact as he walked away.
Kagome growled and scrambled towards the door. She looked down the hallway and shouted at the scion's back, "Hey, you! You could at least have the decency to greet her back!" Panic set in as Sango straightened herself and went to cover the priestess' mouth. With a speed that the Tao did not expect from the younger girl, Kagome peeled her hand away and continued her chastising, "What makes you think that you can treat her like that?!"
"K-Kagome-san, it's okay—!"
Suddenly, Ren turned around to completely face them. "I'm the heir of the Tao family," his eyes narrowed as his voice grew colder, sharper. "And Sango is a member of the lowly branch family. She knows her place."
Sango was quick enough to restrain Kagome from stomping over to Ren, but the girl still struggled against her grip. "That doesn't matter!" The priestess shot back. "Sango-chan works harder than anyone else around here! She deserves some respect!"
"And what are you supposed to be?" Ren scoffed while folding his arms. "Some sort of knight in shining armor?" He gave the seething girl a skeptical look.
"If you're so sure of yourself, then fight me!" Kagome suddenly shouted. "Prove that you're so much better than us!" She added as her hands turned into white-knuckled fists.
"Tch, I've got nothing to prove to a weakling like you," was his cool response. With that said, he began heading back to his room. He had been training since the night before. And even if he would not admit it out loud, even he needed rest.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Sango sighed softly as she and Kagome began stretching to relax their muscles and cool the priestess' flared temper. "Kagome-san, you really scared me," the Tao admitted.
Kagome's face was still scowling and glaring off into space as she bent down to touch her toes. "Don't worry, Sango-chan," the priestess responded in a forced cheerful tone. "I promise that I wasn't going to hurt him too much."
The older teen then sweatdropped, 'I-I wasn't really worried about that…'
"Sango-chan," Kagome suddenly said in a serious tone. "I need to get stronger so I can best Tao Ren," she looked over at the surprised Tao. "Will you help me?"
Sango sighed again and smiled, "That's a tall order to fill, but I'll do my best."
Thus, Kagome and Sango spent the next three hours training.
"First, we'll work on your Furyoku control," Sango stated to the girl who was sitting on her instep like a student. "I'll teach you the way that I was taught when I was a child…" Kagome nodded and watched as the Tao walked over to the rack of weapons and unsheathed a katana. "Your reserve of Furyoku is limited so you'll have to learn to control it properly to efficiently use it in battle."
"Yes, ma'am," Kagome replied solemnly as Sango stood before her.
"Stand," Sango commanded. The girl eagerly complied. "Hold out your hand." Kagome looked mildly confused but did so without question. "The most efficient way to manage your Furyoku is to imagine a dam. But instead of letting all of that energy loose at once, simply poke a small hole. Only allow a steady stream of Furyoku that you need."
"Normally, I'd start you off with an easier task…" Sango explained as she folded Kagome's pinky finger down. "But since you have such a huge obstacle to overcome in so little time…" The Tao folded her ring finger down. "I have no choice but to give you a crash course. Finally, she folded down Kagome's middle finger so that only her pointer finger was extended.
Kagome gulped when Sango casually raised her arms and held the tip of the blade over her extended finger. "I want you to use your Furyoku to keep this sword from falling," The Tao instructed the younger girl, who suddenly went pale. "You need to focus your energy into the tip of your finger and hold it there for an hour. If you don't, well…" Sango offered the girl an apologetic smile before releasing her grip on the sword.
Kagome shrieked in horror and instinctively shut her eyes.
A few uneventful seconds went by and the girl dared to peek open an eye. She gasped when she saw a crackling blue light surrounding her fingertip. "I-I did it!" She marveled as she looked up at the sword that was suspended mid-air by the force of her Furyoku.
Sango smiled and clapped her hands together, "That's perfect." She nodded her approval before adding, "Now all you have to do is maintain that position for the next hour."
"Wait—! A whole hour?!" Kagome's eyes widened.
That one hour of Furyoku management training dragged by like molasses. Every lingering moment felt like minutes. And every grueling minute felt like hours.
But Kagome made it through the training. She collapsed to her knees, sweat pouring down her forehead as she felt fatigue creeping up on her.
"Alright, let's get started on the next part of your training," Sango stated as she reached down for Kagome's hand. The panting priestess nodded and accepted the help to her feet. "It seems that you either have an enormous amount of Furyoku, or you're naturally gifted at management," the older shaman noted. "So, we'll go ahead and practice some techniques you can use with your OverSoul."
"The type of attacks that you can perform with your OverSoul is dependent on both yourself, and your spirit's abilities," Sango informed her. Kagome nodded while looking up at the demon lord.
"Sorry about forgetting about you earlier," The priestess clapped her hands into prayer position and bowed her head.
"Save your apologies for yourself, fore it is your life that will be on the line,"
"Right, so," Kagome raised a finger. "I already know that when we're merged, my strength and speed are greatly increased. But can you think of anything we can use with the Crescent?"
Sango watched the demon lord hold up his right hand and mutter something to the priestess, whose eyes lit up before she smiled and nodded. "Poison? You think we can pull that off?" She heard Kagome ask.
After the priestess and demon lord practiced some skills that they could use in battle, Sango decided that it would be best to rest Kagome's Furyoku and unwind with an hour of ordinary, physical exercise. She was impressed that the girl was able to push herself to keep going throughout the entire duration. From the round, squishiness of her upper arms and legs, Sango could tell that the girl did not regularly train like she and her cousin did. 'What is it that keeps her going…?'
"Kagome-san, it's about time that I get started on breakfast so I must take my leave for now," Sango informed her before cupping her hands in front of her and bowing politely.
Kagome paused in her crunches and smiled, "It's alright. You've helped me a lot already. I'll just keep rotating all of the things that you taught me." The girl then added, "By the way, you don't have to be so formal with me. I'm younger than you, after all. Kagome-chan is fine~"
"Alright then, Kagome-chan," Sango conceded. "I'll be able to resume helping you once my chores are finished. Maybe we should spar to put what you've learned today into action."
Kagome nodded and resumed the physical exercise regimen that Sango had put together for her. Sure, she was a beginner. But she knew one thing for sure: she had to work especially hard to achieve both her immediate and long-term goal: best Tao Ren in a duel, and become Shaman King.
Meanwhile Sesshomaru watched his partner train her body silently. He did not show it, but anyone who got under Kagome's skin left a particularly bad taste in his mouth. But there was still a silver lining in the predicament that she had landed herself in. The priestess' bleeding heart was burning with a passion that he had never seen in her before...
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
The atmosphere at the breakfast table was thick and heavy with the tension between Kagome and Ren. The two spoke even less and made even less eye contact than before. Jun could only shoot concerned and confused looks between the two of them. She also tried to engage them in conversation together by suggesting that they train together for the Shaman Fights.
But Ren was quick to cut that idea down with a cold rebuttal. It was then that Kagome gathered her meal and excused herself from the table, in search of Sango's company. Unbeknownst to the girl, the youngest Tao ended up on the receiving end of his disappointed sister's questioning and chastising.
It was Sunday, only the beginning of the most stressful week that Jun had in a long time. It seemed that something caused her brother and their guest to regress in their relationship. Sure, the two did not get along like peaches and cream before. But she could tell that the situation between them had become even worse. Kagome, who usually found something to smile or laugh about, was nothing but huffs and glowers at Ren from across the table. And Ren continued to respond with complete indifference.
Meanwhile, how well Kagome and Ren got along made no difference to Sango. Jun had confided with her that she found a lovely future bride for Ren quite a while ago. It was weeks before Sango had even met Kagome that she learned of a girl that gave Jun "a mysterious, good feeling". After finally meeting the girl, she could not help but agree that Kagome was a lovely person. If Sango had her way, Kagome would be on her way as soon as her training finished and she would not get involved with the Tao family…
And yet, here the spitfire of a priestess was...eating breakfast with a lowly branch family member like herself again. It was Thursday, and the fifth day in a row that Kagome opted to eat her meals on the floor in Sango's room.
"I can't thank you enough for all that you're doing for me, Sango-chan," Kagome smiled as she finished her breakfast. "I promise, I'm going to teach that guy a lesson that he'll never forget." 'Oh…' the priestess thought as a thick stack of books tucked in the corner of the room caught her eye. 'I see. So that's how it is…'
"Hey, Sango-chan, about dinner tonight—"
"Oh, do you have a specific request?" Sango asked as she began gathering their empty dishes. Despite the small smile on her lips, Kagome could hear the slight edge in her voice.
"How about we have something from your culture this time?" The younger shaman suggested. "I've been your guest for a while but I think I've only had Japanese and American food. How about something authentically Chinese?"
The Tao breathed an almost inaudible sigh of relief as she stood up. "That sounds reasonable," she replied, her smile becoming more genuine. "But I'll have to go shopping for the ingredients."
"Okay~ I'll go with you!" Kagome beamed while lightly clapping her hands together.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"Sango-chan," Kagome suddenly asked, looking up at the older girl. "Do you ever get tired of doing all of the work? I mean, you clean, cook, and do all of the shopping."
"Well, sure. Doing all of the housework on top of training can be tiring, but don't get the wrong idea," Sango said with a calm smile. "I enjoy going out to grocery shop every other day. It can be a lot of work, but it's a breath of fresh air compared to my life back in China."
"Oh, I see," Kagome responded. "So, where are we headed for the groceries? Is there a specific supermarket that you like here?" The younger girl asked as they arrived at a crosswalk.
"Sort of," Sango chuckled. There was something special about Kagome that made it easy to talk to her. The words kept flowing like water off a duck's back. "You see, supermarkets are convenient, but I prefer the Chinese-style fresh-food market."
"Oh, wow," the priestess blinked. "I've lived in Tokyo for a while now and I had no clue there was something like that. So, what's the appeal of it? Does it remind you of China?"
The Tao nodded and added, "Yes, there's that. But also, I prefer the fresh market because the fish there are still alive. That means that they're guaranteed to be fresh. I feel more comfortable with food that I can see and handpick myself~" Sango could not stop her chuckle at the younger girl's reaction.
"The fish are still alive?!" Kagome's jaw dropped a bit. "That's pretty cool! I can't wait!" The priestess balled up her fists. "Hm?" She paused when she noticed Sango abruptly stopped in her stride. The Tao was quiet as she gazed longingly at a small, empty playground to their right. 'I guess, Sango-chan's never been to a place like this, huh?' The girl then smiled and placed her hand on Sango's shoulder, bringing her back to reality.
"Oh, sorry," The Tao apologized with a pinched smile. "I got lost in thought, I guess."
Kagome shook her head and raised a finger towards the playground, "Wanna check it out?"
A pink blush stained the brunette's cheek as she averted her eyes, "N-No! I couldn't possibly—. T-That place is reserved for small children." Despite her words, Sango's eyes were wavering and her lips pursed as she tried to stop herself from scowling at her own lie.
'That's so cute!' The priestess thought of the Tao's shyness. "Nonsense!" Kagome interjected as she grabbed Sango's hand and proceeded to drag her into the playground. "It's public property so anyone can be here!"
Sango scowled and blushed, raising her free hand to her chest, "It's still early so no one is around… But if someone were to see us here…"
"What do you want to try first?" Kagome asked, ignoring the Tao's anxious thoughts. She then pointed at the large slide that spiraled round and round from its top to its bottom. "How about that one? I bet that'll be fun~"
"Kagome-san, I'm pretty much an adult. I shouldn't… It would be disgraceful…" Sango stated while shaking her head, trying to rid herself of the thoughts of trying something so childish. The days of her youth where she could have enjoyed such things were long past.
"It looked like you really want to try it though," Kagome stated in a calm voice. "It's just me and you here," the girl tilted her head a bit and asked, "Which is worse? Trying it out and feeling a little embarrassed? Or never knowing what it's like at all?"
Sango stared at the priestess for a moment.
Honestly, she had a point…
The Tao then smiled and sighed, "I suppose that I could give it a try, just this once." Sango then glared playfully at Kagome while placing her hands on her hips, "But if you tell a single soul—!"
Kagome smiled teasingly and asked, "Not even Bailong-niisan?"
"Especially Bailong-niisan," Sango chuckled as she went to climb up the metallic ladder that led to the slide's platform. She stood on top of the platform for a moment and breathed in the cool breeze that caressed her hair. Violet eyes connected with blue ones as the teens smiled at each other. "Well, here I go," The Tao announced as she sat down on the lip of the slide.
"You can do it, Sango-chan!" Kagome called up to her friend, smiling supportively.
With a nod to the younger girl, Sango used her elbows to push herself forward. Her stomach was doing flips as she began to slide down. The friction against her bottom and back of her legs were foreign but not unpleasant. Her lips twitched before widening as the world began going back by in a blur—until she suddenly stopped sliding after the first spiral.
Sango waited...but nothing happened.
She just sat there.
The Tao's brow twitched as the Higurashi's face became frozen into a big smile with empty eyes…
After all of that encouragement and pep talk...this was awkward.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
The duo ended up settling down on a pair of swings after Kagome kept encouraging a gloomy Sango to keep trying the different amenities. After a quick demonstration of how to use them, Sango took a quick liking to the swaying seat.
"So what kind of ingredients are we going to pick up today?" Kagome asked as the girls passed each other. Their swings were inverse motions with Kagome swinging forward as Sango swung back, and vice versa.
"Well, you wanted to eat something authentic from our homeland so we're going to make a few staple Guizhou province dishes," the Tao explained with a smile. "Guizhou cuisine is all about spicy and sour flavors so we'll need a variety of ingredients~"
"Guizhou, China, huh?" The priestess hummed before admitting with an embarrassed smile that she did not care to hide. "Honestly, I don't know much about that province. Could you tell me about it?"
"Well, for starters, Guizhou is in the southwestern part of China," Sango began, her grip on the swing's chainlinks unconsciously tightened. "It's landlocked and mountainous so we don't have fancy oceans. Our summers are always hot and humid, and winters are pretty cold… Hm…" The Tao contemplated what to say. She then sighed and offered an apologetic smile that Kagome could not see, "Sorry, I only have textbook facts. Back at home, I hardly left the estate so there's not much that I've seen or experienced with my own eyes."
Kagome gasped softly and dug her heels into the ground to stop her momentum. Sango immediately mimicked the younger girl. The priestess offered her a sympathetic look and asked, "Does that mean that you hardly went outside back in China?"
Despite the smile that remained on Sango's face, her eyes reflected a clandestined melancholy. The Tao nodded, "Yes. I feel grateful that Jun-sama requested that I accompanied her to Tokyo." She then looked up at the clear sky above. With an arm extended towards the blue expanse and a wistful smile, Sango admitted, "This is the first time that I've soaked up so much sun, and seen so many unfamiliar faces." 'And the first time that someone's smiled at me in so long…'
Suddenly, a black-tailed seagull flapped its wings and flew over them. They turned their heads and watched the bird as it soared towards the sky. "If only…" Kagome heard Sango whisper. "I could be that free…"
"Where would you go?" The priestess suddenly asked. Sango looked mildly surprised that the girl had heard her quiet wish. Oceanic eyes met amethyst. "If you could go anywhere that you wanted," the girl repeated before she began kicking her legs forward to restart their swinging session. "Where would you go?"
A few moments of silence passed between the two young women as Kagome enjoyed her time soaring through the air and Sango watched her. 'Just like that bird…' Sango thought as her eyes stayed glued to the girl who soared away from her, and then came back again, over and over again.
"...Huangguoshu Waterfall," the Tao finally replied. "It's one of the largest waterfalls in China. I've read about it in textbooks, but someday, I'd like to see the real thing with my own eyes."
Kagome beamed at the answer. She was grateful that Sango had an answer at all. As the priestess swung by the shaman, she chirped, "And you will!" She could not see the surprised look on the other girl's face as she came swinging by again, "We'll see it together!"
"You…" Sango asked slowly, her voice in disbelief. "You want to do something like that, with me?" Surely, the girl beside her was just a creature of impulse? There was no way that she wanted to travel so far just to fulfill someone else's dream? Just to fulfill her dream?
The younger girl nodded and responded "Of course, I do~ I want to be there to see the look on your face when you see it! I really like you, Sango-chan." The Tao's heart skipped a beat at those words. But it was not just the words, it was her voice itself. It seemed so sincere and genuine. "I don't want our friendship to end, no matter what happens."
"But, why?" Sango whispered. "Why do you want to be friends with someone like me? I've never done anything for you. Ah, Kagome-chan?!" The older teen hopped off of the swing when the priestess suddenly jumped out of her seat once she reached the maximum height. The girl soared through the air for a few seconds before gravity brought her crashing to the ground.
"Okay, not one of my brightest ideas," Kagome groaned as she sat up.
"Are you alright?!" Sango asked, her eyebrows furrowed with worry as she grabbed the younger girl's hand. "Are you hurt anywhere?" She asked again as her eyes did not spot anything aside from shallow scrapes.
"I'm just fine~" Kagome nodded. She then poked Sango between her widow's peak and stated simply, "And that's why I want to be friends with someone like you." The Tao's words were caught in her throat as she was taken aback by the younger girl once again. With a small smile playing on her lips, she then asked, "You care about me enough to worry about me. Isn't that reason enough?"
Sango blinked before sighing in relief. She smiled down at the priestess and poked her in the forehead, "I suppose if that's simple then we've been friends for a while now~" Kagome returned the smile and nodded 'mmhm~'
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Sango could not contain her smile at the sight of Kagome's sparkling eyes as they walked through the open market. "You act like you've never seen so much food in the same place before," the Tao remarked teasingly as the priestess's head looked left and right at either side of the long strip of vendors. To the left were the stalls and tables of produce sellers who sold fruit, vegetables, and spices of an assortment of hues from yellow squash to large purple onions and deep crimson chili peppers. To the right were the meat vendors with everything from fresh chicken to ox bones.
"It's not that!" Kagome explained as she walked up to one of the many fish tables. Many tables were aligned with rectangular, water-filled basins full of live fish. "I've just never shopped for food in such an open space before," she then turned to Sango while her hands cupped behind her back. "It's almost like shopping in a whole new world~"
"It is, isn't it?" Sango agreed easily. When she first found this market weeks ago, she had felt the exact same way. In fact, everything felt like a new world ever since she boarded the private plane that she and Jun took away from China. She could not judge the young girl for the excitement that she felt. 'Ah? Is she in trouble?' The Tao wondered when she saw Kagome sweatdrop and nervously wave her hands at the vendor who approached her.
"What's up, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked as she took a spot beside the girl.
"Well…" Kagome smiled sheepishly. "I was looking at the live fish on sale here." Her blue eyes glanced at the puzzled old man behind the table. "Seller-san came over to speak to me, but I don't understand him…"
"Oh, right," The Tao chuckled and patted the younger girl's head. "Some of the older people here don't speak a lot of Japanese. Don't worry. I'll handle this." Kagome nodded and felt amazed when she realized that the Tao's were not only bilingual, but they were fluent in both Mandarin and Japanese. "Sorry about that, sir. This young lady here only speaks Japanese. It's her first time in a market like this one so she was very excited to browse your selections," Sango spoke to the man in an amicable tone.
"Not a problem. I was just asking her if she saw something she liked," The vendor explained while offering Kagome a warm smile that she gladly returned. The priestess had no clue what the two were saying, but she was sure that the man was a kind person.
"We're going to make sour fish soup tonight so we'll take a cod," Sango replied before bending over to look into the small tank of fish. She spotted one that seemed large enough to make generous portions and nodded to herself. With a smile, the Tao picked up the net sitting next to the tank and handed it to Kagome. "We're going to take that one," she informed the girl while pointing to her desired cod.
"Oh," the priestess blinked. "I didn't know that we get to catch them ourselves." Without hesitation, Kagome stepped forward and lowered the net into the water. With the water weighing her arm down, the girl drug the net towards the cod—only for it to effortlessly dodge its capture. The girl twitched then narrowed her eyes. "Why, you little," she scowled and went in for another swipe at the defiant fish. The cod evaded the net again. "What the?!"
The vendor then turned curious eyes to an amused-looking Sango, "Are you going to help her?"
Sango shook her head and took a step back for a better look, "Nah. I think I'll enjoy the show."
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"Sango-chan, you looked a little too happy to watch me struggle," Kagome shot the Tao a suspicious look as she gripped the plastic bag full of water and part of their dinner.
"Whatever do you mean?" The brunette asked in a faux innocent tone. "Hmm…" She looked up at the position of the sun in the sky. "I think we should pick up the pace or we might be in trouble when we get back. I still need to get back in time to do my chores."
Kagome smiled apologetically, "Yeah, sorry. I guess I ended up slowing you down instead of helping you out." She had forgotten the time crunch that they were on. For a moment, the priestess stared at Sango's well-sculpted arms with awe. It was still amazing how Sango got so much housework done, and still had time to train.
"Don't worry about it," Sango shook her head. "If you hadn't come along, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed myself so much." She then handed the younger girl a piece of paper and stated, "Here. It'll probably go faster if we split up. You focus on the produce and I'll handle the meat and spices." The Tao then fished into her pocket and pulled out her wallet. "This should cover it," she said while handing Kagome a thick stack of money.
Kagome's hands trembled as she spread the yen notes and saw that she was holding a stack of ten-thousand yen notes. Before she had the chance to ask Sango why she had given her so much money, the Tao turned heel and power-walked away. She thought back to how Ren had paid for taiyaki with the same note. 'Is it normal for them to carry around so much money?' She thought sweat dropping.
"Oh well," Kagome muttered as she held the shopping list up to her face. 'Oh right. She wrote the ingredients in hanzi,' The girl noted. 'But it's so similar to kanji that I can read a lot of it.' The girl nodded and felt reassured as she walked to the left side of the market. "Okay, so we need shallots...chili peppers...tomatoes…" She whispered. She looked up at the table of produce in front of her and noticed many of the vegetables that she needed.
"Good morning, Miss," A young girl, who appeared to be around Kagome's age, greeted from behind the table. The girl had shoulder-length black hair pulled back into a low-hanging ponytail and burnt honey-colored eyes. "Are you interested in my family's fine vegetables? We grew them ourselves!" She gave a proud smile as she rubbed her hands together.
"Oh, I am," Kagome nodded. "I'm impressed that your family grew such a variety of vegetables!"
The girl placed her hands on her hips and smiled wider, "Well, farming is the only thing that grandfather knew how to do when he came here from China. So naturally, he passed such a useful skill down to his children~"
"Ah, I see," Kagome smiled. "That is a pretty useful skill. You can provide for yourself and make money~" The girl then grabbed a plastic bag and began filling it with the ingredients on the list that she recognized.
"Yup~" The girl nodded before gesturing to herself. "I'm Liu Nazuna. How about you?"
"Higurashi Kagome," the priestess beamed. "It's a pleasure to meet you~" She replied before raising the bag up to test its weight. "Oh hey, Nazuna-chan, can I ask you something?"
"Of course~" Nazuna replied. "We hardly get people our age shopping around here so feel free to talk to me as much as you'd like~" the girl offered.
Kagome gave the young vendor an apologetic smile, "Sorry, but I'm supposed to hurry home so I can't chat for long…" She then held up her shopping list and pointed to a couple of words. "I don't know what these things are. Can you help me out?"
"This one is Huáishān. It's a Chinese yam, but we don't sell them here," Nazuna told her. She then pointed to the next word and explained, "and this one says Fúlíng, it's a Poria mushroom. We don't sell that one either." Her eyes scanned down the entire list and smiled while crossing her arms, "But shopping here will save you a lot of trips. We have most of the veggies that you're looking for~" She informed the smiling customer.
After a few minutes of Kagome grabbing and weight the ingredients, all while chatting with the friendly vendor, she was finally finished gathering everything that Nazuna's shop had to offer.
"That'll be two-thousand yen, please~" Nazuna stated after she calculated Kagome's total.
"Uh…" Kagome smiled sheepishly as she held up a ten-thousand yen note and passed it to the other girl. "This is all that I have…"
"Eh?" The vendor blinked before breaking out into a fit of giggles. "What's with this? Does your rich fiancé not know that smaller yen notes exist?"
This time it was the priestess' turn to laugh. "Oh, it's not like that. I came here with a friend of mine and this is all that she gave me." She then paused and asked, "Why'd you think I have a fiancé?"
Nazuna broke into a grin as she began to make change for Kagome's money, "Ah, well. It might sound silly, but since you're so pretty and new to Chinese, I assumed that you were in a newly arranged marriage with a Chinese family."
"I see," Kagome smiled as she accepted the change. "Well, you're half right. I am new to this culture and language." She then thought of Ren's haughty face glaring at her. "But, I'm sure that I'll never marry into the family that's hosting me… Oh, before I go! Can you pronounce the name of the yam again?"
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"You did a really good job," Sango told Kagome as they approached the Tao complex. "I'm glad that I suggested we split up. It saved me a lot of time."
"I have Nazuna-chan to thank for that," Kagome replied. "She sold a lot of the ingredients that we needed. And she taught me how to say Huáishān~" she smiled at the recent memory. She hoped that she would get to see Nazuna again.
"Oh," Sango's eyes widened a bit. "So she did~ You pronounced that very well."
"Mmhm~" Kagome nodded as they entered the premises. "Say, Sango-chan," the girl began. "Talking to Nazuna-chan got me thinking… You're from a Chinese family, but your name is Japanese, right? Are you half and half?" She inquired.
Sango smiled at the girl's curiosity, "I am. My mother was Chinese, and the younger sister of Jun-sama's mother." Kagome listened quietly as the Tao spoke. In the meantime, the two girls found the kitchen and began putting away the ingredients for dinner. "My father is Japanese. But I have the Tao surname because anyone who marries a Tao, marries into the family, regardless of their sex." Sango began sorting the vegetables, "I can't say that I know why I was named 'Sango' though."
"Sango means coral so it makes sense to me," Kagome stated. "They probably knew how strong and beautiful you'd grow up to be." Sango blushed from that statement, but she did not argue. Even if she wanted to deny the compliment, the Tao was sure that the priestess would just insist that she was right.
"So, if I may ask," The older girl began as the duo finished putting away the food. "What made you want to try Chinese food all of a sudden?"
"Oh," Kagome gave a sheepish smile. "I noticed all of those Japanese and American cookbooks in your room." Sango stiffened as the blush ran to her cheeks. "I realized that you've been working hard to make me feel at home here. But you don't have to try so hard for me."
Sango raised her hand and replied with pink cheeks and an embarrassed voice, "D-Don't get the wrong idea. I bought those books because it was Jun-sama who wanted to make you feel welcome."
"I guess I'll have to thank her too, somehow," Kagome whispered while looking up for a moment. "I'll figure that out later. Anyway, even if it wasn't your idea, you're the one who did all of that for me." The priestess interlocked her fingers as she looked into Sango's eyes. "...I'm grateful…"
In that moment, Sango felt it...
...the mysterious, good feeling that Jun spoke of.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Kagome found herself walking towards the training room with a smile on her face. There was something about Sango's company that put her in a good mood. They had not known each other for long, but it felt so good to see her smile and laugh freely.
The priestess entered the space that she now spent much of her time and instantly felt irked by the sight of Ren jogging on one of the treadmills in the corner. She could tell from his lack of sweat and panting that he had just begun his training. She closed the door and whispered, "Sesshomaru…"
The demon lord appeared at her side, "Ah. So you think you are ready?"
The priestess nodded then looked up at him, "What do you think? Do you think we can win?"
"I do not fight losing battles," Was Sesshomaru's simple reply.
"Understood," Kagome replied as they calmly approached the Tao scion. "Tao Ren."
"Higurashi," He regarded her with a quirked eyebrow, obviously just as annoyed by her presence as she was by his. "Make it quick. I'm busy." Ren's golden eyes narrowed even more when the girl held her hand out in front of her, summoning her mysterious bow.
"Fight me," She told him in an uncharacteristically solemn tone. "If I win, you have to grant me one request, no matter what it is," She added.
The Tao continued his jog effortlessly as he inquired, "And when I win?"
"If you win," Kagome responded quickly. "I'll do the same. I'll grant you any request."
Ren almost rolled his eyes at the proposition, "What could someone like you possibly offer me?"
"Well, since you hate me so much, you can tell me to leave," Kagome stated. "I'd just explain our deal to Jun-san. I'm sure she'd understand," she explained while making light hand gestures to emphasize her words.
If there was one thing that Ren knew about Kagome, it was that she was stubborn to a fault. Thus, there was no way that she would let him train in peace if he did not indulge her foolish whims.
"...fine," he relented while pressing the stop button on his machine. "Don't blame me if you get hurt." With that said, Ren walked over to the rack of weapons and picked up a spare kwandao. It did not look as refined and polished as his usual one, but Kagome was sure that wouldn't put the Tao at a disadvantage. "So, what are the rules of this duel?" He asked in a bored tone as he leaned the pole of his weapon over his shoulder.
"Errr…" The priestess scratched her cheek. "Rules?" 'Guess I should have thought about that.'
Ren shot the priestess an incredulous look, "Are you serious?"
"The first to land a blow on the other wins," Sesshomaru suddenly stated. "I'm sure my priestess would feel guilty if she killed you."
"Tch, so you taught your dog to be a comedian," Ren glared at the priestess. "Bason!" The Chinese warrior grunted in response as he appeared behind his master, his armor-covered arms crossed and eyes glowing red.
"Sesshomaru!" Kagome called to her spirit. "Into, the Crescent!"
"Into the Kwandao!"
Kagome took a deep breath to steady herself. She watched Ren's movements. He began a slow, step-by-step, stride to his right. She mimicked his actions and took slow steps to her right. The priestess noted how the shaman was sizing her up as they slowly circled around the center of the room. 'It'll be alright. Just remember what Sango-chan taught you.'
"You'll be at a severe disadvantage while fighting Ren-sama. He's been trained to be a killing machine since he was a small child."
Suddenly, Ren stopped in his stride, causing the priestess to hastily pause, her right foot landing in an awkward, unstable position. 'Dammit!' She cursed inwardly when the Tao was upon her like lightning. In seconds, he gripped his weapon and aimed its blade straight ahead as he charged her.
"Normally, an archer would have a range advantage against Ren's weapon. But you'll be in an enclosed space. It's important that you don't let him come within striking distance."
Kagome ducked beneath the thrust and leg-swept at Ren's ankle as he rushed by. "Nice try," he hissed. The priestess grunted when he seemingly predicted her movements and jumped over her kick. In a swift motion, the Tao turned and overhead slashed towards the girl on the floor.
She rolled to the left as the curved blade blasted through the wooden floor.
"A typical disadvantage of the kwandao is its weight. But Ren-sama is strong enough to wield it as if it's half the weight. If you come within striking distance, do everything that you can to get out."
True to Sango's word, Ren lifted the blade from the hole in the floor and slashed down at her again. Kagome's eyes widened as her body instinctively rolled to the right, narrowly avoiding the blade once again. 'He's fast! I can't win like this!'
"Crescent - Whip Mode!"
At a demonic speed, the bow melted into a whip of light within the girl's hands. From her floored position, Kagome lashed the whip at Ren's face. He responded by catching the whip with the pole of his kwandao. The ends of the whip curled and gripped the pole like a constricting snake.
"Let me guess," Ren smirked down at the girl as he felt the strength of her tug. "You think that you can use this whip to disarm me, then go in for an attack?" He asked while allowing the girl to tighten her grip and lean backward to increase the tension, much like a fisher fighting to reel in its prey. "Foolish."
The Tao demonstrated his strength by reeling by his arm and swinging his weapon at arc-like motion, sending the girl and her whip flying across the room. She was much more nimble than he previously thought as she landed on her feet, skidding back a few more meters. Kagome raised her head and gave a half-smile, "Thanks for the lift. I couldn't do it without you~"
"Tch," Ren narrowed his eyes. "So you wanted a way to gain some distance between us?" He asked. "A risky gamble," he remarked while holding his kwandao at his side.
"No risk, no reward~" The priestess replied with a shrug. She then returned the Crescent back into its bow form and took on an offensive stance. A second later, a blue arrow appeared in the hand that she drew back.
"Hmph." The Tao double-gripped his weapon with his hands spaced apart. He then began spinning the kwandao in front of him. "Let's see what you've got."
"The kwandao excels at defense as much as offense. If you see Ren-sama spinning his weapon around, it's not just a fancy trick. It's a technique that can deflect most attacks. His defense is solid so you'll need to catch him by surprise to defeat him."
'Might as well test the waters,' Kagome told herself as she shot an arrow at Ren. The arrow of light met the golden glow of the spinning kwandao. Just as Sango had warned, the arrow bounced off the pole then fizzled away. 'Well, that didn't work…'
'Priestess,' Sesshomaru called from within the bow. 'Such weak attacks will not work on him.'
'I know! It was a practice shot!' Kagome scowled from the sound of her partner's voice. Although cool as usual, she could hear the admonishment in it. She then willed forth another arrow.
"Is that all you got?" Ren asked with an unimpressed face as he continued spinning his kwandao. He continued spinning his weapon defensively, even as the blue arrow racing toward him split off into five arrows. It was a neat trick, but it was still no match for his defenses. By spinning the pole faster, he was able to deflect all of the arrows. Seeing the girl drawing her hand back again, Ren narrowed his eyes, "Let's finish this."
Without wasting any time, Ren charged Kagome as she released another arrow. He easily deflected it and slashed at the arm that was gripping the bow.
'Those reflexes.' He noted in the split second that it took for the girl to swerve her body out of the way. The priestess spun on her heel while drawing back an arrow. But, he refused to give her the slightest edge again.
With a single bound, Ren was within Kagome's space. At that moment, they both knew that there was no dodging.
Time seemed to slow down as the girl's eyes widened with the horrific realization, 'I've...I've lost…'
Still, her fingers released the arrow.
"See?" The Tao asked as the girl fell to her butt. "You're dead," he told her as she raised a hand to her stomach, where the blade of kwandao ripped through the fabric of her tank top, revealing unmarred skin. Just as he turned his back to leave her there, he heard her heated call.
"Well, so are you!"
Ren then looked down and saw his own shirt torn open from his collarbone to his right armpit. He was quiet as he replayed the last seconds of their duel in his head. That's right… In his haste, he had ignored that last arrow that she fired at him. Technically, he won because his kwandao made contact first, but…
Still...
The Tao turned an annoyed look at Kagome as she got to her feet. "Tch, that wouldn't kill me," he retorted before walking to the weapon rack and placing the kwandao where it belonged. He was expecting to hear the priestess to yell out some sort of rebuttal. When he heard nothing but the girl's footfalls growing further away. He turned around and raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing?"
Kagome's hand stopped just short of the door. She faced him, looking confused as he quickly closed the distance between them, almost stomping his way over. The priestess cupped her hands behind her back and offered the Tao a smile—an obviously forced, dejected one. "Well, I lost fair and square, so I'll go now."
"When did I say that I wanted you to leave?"
The priestess gaped at the Tao for a moment. She soon recovered and asked, "Back when we agreed to the duel, you—!"
"I agreed to the duel," Ren cut in calmly. "But I never said that I wanted you to leave."
"Well, you still won," Kagome stated. "What do you want me to do?"
Ren suddenly felt the urge to hide his face. So he turned his back to the priestess before he replied, "Just get stronger." Her confused sound from behind him urged him to repeat himself, "I said, get stronger!" He paused for a moment then added, "It would be a pity if you were picked off early in the Shaman Fights. Follow my lead and you'll be fine." For some reason, his cheeks felt warm. 'What the hell am I saying anyway?! Damn it. This must be Nee-san's doing!'
"You mean, you want to help me get stronger?" The priestess asked, her voice full of the same disbelief that Ren felt at his own words. Without waiting for an answer, Kagome walked over to the Tao so she could face him again. Ren twitched when the girl beamed at him, "Thanks, Tao-kun~ What should I do first?"
'Get it together.' The shaman told himself as he huffed and glared the girl down, taking in her appearance. "For starters…" He said while running a hand through Kagome's long, dark tresses. Ren forced a stoic face to hide his surprise of how easily the silky strands fell through his fingers. "Your hair is way too long for fighting. You need to cut it short."
Kagome was quick to protest, "No way! My hair is my treasure! I couldn't possibly part with it!" She saw the annoyed, incredulous look that Ren gave her so she quickly gathered her hair and held it up into the shape of a high ponytail. "Wouldn't a hairstyle like this work for fighting?"
"It's better than having it loose, but it could still whip in your face or get grabbed by an enemy."
"Cutting my hair is out of the question," Kagome huffed. "Besides, Sango-chan is a fighter and her hair is even longer than mine!" She pointed out.
"Sango is smart." Kagome almost gasped at Ren's statement. Did he even realize what he just said? "She knows how to secure her hair properly."
The priestess was almost pouting as she stubbornly replied, "Well, I'll have Sango-chan teach me how to do that too."
"Fine," the Tao scoffed while crossing his arms. "You're also grossly lacking close-quarter combat skills. I can tell that you're a beginner because you don't fight with your strengths…"
He went on and on. "You're small so you'll have an inherent disadvantage, but you can work around that."
"Are you speaking from experience?" The priestess snickered from behind her hand.
"S-Shut up, you idiot! My body is well-toned!"
Jun smiled as she spied on the duo through a crack in the doorway. It seemed like her brother was going to be thorough in explaining what the priestess lacked… But she was fine with that. It was an improvement from the silent glares and occasional snarky comments made at each other all week.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Kagome's eyes bulged at the sight of Sango holding up a cleaver. In one swift motion, she beheaded the cod. The Tao did not bat an eyelash as the fish's body continued to wriggle and writhe without its head. Sango then turned to see the priestess' sickened expression and chuckled.
The younger girl felt cold inside.
There was something especially sinister-looking about a beautiful girl giggling with blood-splatter on her face and a cleaver in her hand…
"Kagome-chan, the sour fish soup is a complicated recipe so you can handle this dish," Sango told the girl. She reached into the pocket of her pink apron and handed the girl a slip of paper. "Here, I wrote the recipe for you in Japanese. That dish is typically an appetizer or snack, but you still have to take care when preparing it."
Kagome nodded and rolled up her sleeve, giving Sango a determined smile, "Leave it to me~"
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"There we go." Kagome smiled at her handiwork as she pulled a fifth chair up to the dining table. "Dinner will be out in just a moment~" the girl told the Tao siblings and Bailong in a cheerful tone. Before she could escape back into the kitchen, she was stopped by Ren's cool inquiry.
"What's with the extra chair?"
With a sigh, she turned around and stated, "I think it would be more fun if Sango-chan ate with us. The best part about cooking for people is seeing how much they enjoy your food, you know~" The girl raised a finger and asked, "After all the work she does around here, doesn't she deserve to enjoy her meal with everyone else and know that her efforts are appreciated?" Jun's eyes lit up as she silently agreed with the idea.
Ren's first reaction was to shoot the idea down. A branch member eating at the same table as a main family member, let alone the heir—it simply wasn't done. He opened his mouth to reply, but he found himself speechless when he spotted Sango peeking at them from a crack in the kitchen door.
Her usual content facial expression was softer, more vulnerable than he had ever seen. Her lips were pursed as her eyes wavered with a storm of emotions that he had never seen on her face before: anxiety, fear, dejection… Ren probably would have been able to pretend that he did not see her face if it were not for that last emotion. The emotion that Kagome brought with her the moment that she stepped foot into their lives: hope.
What type of future leader would he be if he dashed someone's hope over something so trivial...?
It seemed trivial, but, somehow, it seemed so important to them both...
For the third time that day, he found himself relenting with a grumble of, "Fine…" His golden eyes darted away before Sango could notice that he noticed her spying. Ren was forced to glare down at the dinnerware in front of him to avoid the shocked expressions of everyone in the room.
Kagome was the first to recover. "Glad you see it my way~" she almost sang in bliss before she retreated back into the kitchen to silently celebrate with a shocked Sango.
The surrealism of the situation that she was in did not fade, even after Kagome offered her the seat right next to her. Her cousins even waited for her to be seated before beginning to feast on their meal.
It was a simple but comforting spread: sour fish soup, Huaxi beef rice noodles, and siwawa and stir-fried bacon Houttuynia. Sango could see the surprise on her cousins' faces as the meal was placed in the center of the table. They were just as shocked to see familiar food as Sango was when Kagome requested it.
After a quick prayer and thanks for the meal, they began to partake in the dinner. The nostalgic flavors and aromas were enough to calm Sango's nerves as she ate. For several minutes, there was no conversation, just the sounds of delighted squeals, munching on the crispy vegetable appetizer, and slurping of broth. Sango was unsure if that was a good or bad sign, but she decided that since she was already there, she would just take things as they came.
Suddenly Jun broke the silence with an amused giggle as she watched her brother. She then turned her eyes to Sango and mused, "You've done a splendid job with the beef rice noodles. Renny here can't seem to get enough."
Ren felt his cheeks burning at the embarrassing nickname and the remark. But with his mouth full of his third helping of the noodles, he was in no position to deny the validity of the statement. "Hmph," was his reply as he continued slurping the dish.
Sango placed down her chopsticks to reply politely, "I appreciate the compliment, Jun-sama. But Kagome-chan actually made that dish all on her own."
The scion bristled. He could feel his older sister's eyes fixed on him. He could just imagine her smiling secretively behind her hand… He could hear her voice inside his head. "Oho, Renny~ See? You love her cooking! It must be a sign from the heavens!" Ren opted to glaring down at the damned, delicious broth that bewitched him into going back for more.
Back in reality, Jun simply smiled and replied, "I see. Well, you both did a wonderful job with this dinner~ It really reminds me of home~" She was not surprised when only Kagome returned the smile and friendly words… Sango chose to nod politely and continue her meal in silence.
No…
Jun was not surprised…
But she was disappointed.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Sango silently ran her fingers across the assortment of weapons in the training room. She heard Kagome collapse to her knees once again, gasping for air. "H-Hold on. C-can we take a small breather?" she asked of the Tao heir, who was still slicing the air with his kwandao. "My arms feel as heavy as bricks."
"Get up," Ren commanded. "You need to strengthen your arms so you can use weapons other than that bow of yours," he stated straightforwardly. "Unless, you're choosing to die."
"Of course not!" Kagome's voice retorted before Sango's ears picked up on the girl heavily getting to her feet. "I'm not going to die, I already told you that!"
"Actions speak louder than words."
No matter what she did...
No matter what anyone did…
Nothing could calm the heat bubbling beneath Sango's skin. She caressed a sheathed dagger. Her slow, tender touch created the illusion of a complacent, content young woman…
The sight of Kagome and Ren together…
The sound of his sickening voice intermingling with Kagome's warm one…
It reminded Sango of the disgust that she felt for him—for the entire Tao family.
Kagome's sweet, innocent face, ignorant of the atrocities that they committed, reminded Sango of a face that she had not seen in years...a face that she wanted to see, but never could. That time of year was coming up again too…
It was perfect.
Sango pulled the blade away from its sheath and stared down at her reflection. She was repulsed by the look on her own face. 'I know what I have to do…'
Authoress' Notes: This should be the last supplemental chapter that I'm inserting into this story. My next order of action is working on the continuation of the story while continuing to revamp the older chapters~ Anyways, I hope that you all enjoyed reading this chapter.