Notes: Weeeell...I meant to update sooner than this but I've been so busy ;w ; Sorry, my lovelies. I hope that this chapter was worth waiting for! Also, do note that this chapter goes back and forth between distant past, recent past, and present. I felt like writing it this way so try to follow along~ I labeled each time change to help you guys distinguish the difference. Happy reading!
Mud Soaked Mukotsu
and
The Secrets of the Higurashi Family
[In the Recent Past]
Anna Kyoyama was a lot of of things: calculating, quick-tempered, resourceful, the list went on and on. She was indeed a lot of things, but a fool was not one of them. Ever since she had entered the hospital to reunite with her betrothed who was sent there by Tao Ren, she had sensed a strange aura that did not seem to be of this world. It was unlike anything that she had ever felt before, or heard of before from her mentors. Although her face did not betray the edge that the aura put her on, she could still easily tell that the aura was not human. Imagine her surprise when she found out that the aura was emanating from a girl her own age who appeared human enough: Kagome Higurashi. She was definitely one of the prettier girls that Anna had ever seen. That fact, coupled with her strange aura and how she seemed so close to Yoh did not sit well with Anna.
Anna was not the jealous-type, nor did she distrust her fiance. While she was not a fan of how Yoh became close to a pretty girl, she was also not concerned of Kagome becoming a romantic rival of any sorts. That was just the way things were; that was just the way that Anna was. Although their marriage was arranged since early childhood, the two shared a bond unlike many other arranged couples. They were kindred spirits. Neither of them particularly enjoyed war or fighting. Both of them loved nature and being at peace. Best of all, Kagome could never severe the deep bond between them. Although Yoh was usually all laughs and smiles in front of his friends, Anna doubted that even Kagome knew the side of Yoh that she did.
Although he was kind and compassionate, Yoh did not particularly like human beings: ordinary ones anyway. It was not his fault. Everyone ends up as a product of their childhood environment. And as a young child, Yoh was ostracized by ordinary humans for being a shaman. When people found out that he was born into a shamanic family and would follow down the path of his ancestors, they treated him poorly. Adults whispered or yelled obscenities and prejudices. Children followed their parents' lead and excluded him from playtime, and denied him any friendship. Sometimes the fearful, ignorant people even resorted to violence against him...an innocent child.
Anna remembered seeing the loneliness in his eyes when they first met. She remembered Yoh looking at her in wonder when she did not give him a dirty look. She placed a small hand on his cheek. And he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, as if it had been a long time since someone outside of his family had treated him with such tenderness. Even though it was their first meeting, Anna knew that their marriage was not just arranged by their families, but by the heavens themselves. Both of them were lonely because of ordinary humans. But they did not need anything but their families and each other anymore. They shared the bond of loneliness and isolation. It was a bond that Kagome Higurashi could never come to comprehend.
Although she was not jealous or worried about Kagome as competition for Yoh's affections, Anna was concerned about something else. Or rather, she was suspicious. From what she had gathered about the girl, she was supposedly a descendant of a long line of priests and priestesses. Yet somehow, she had the ability to become a shaman. Although both occupations dealt with the supernatural and paranormal, the two were not the same in any way. Priests were supposedly the messengers of the gods; cleansed the world of evil; and liberated lost souls. Shamans simply were not the same. They had no ties to the gods; they served as links between the physical world and spiritual world; and of course, they harnessed the power of spirits instead of sending them on their way. Perhaps, they were different sides of the same coin. Either way, it was unheard of for a priest to become a shaman, or vice versa. They required different skill sets and inert power. And yet, Kagome Higurashi was capable of becoming both. She was an abnormality among abnormalities.
It took a while for Anna to truly trust the girl in her and her fiance's home. But she admitted (only to herself) that Kagome was the type of person who just grew on anyone. Anna was willing to overlook and ignore the red flags that surrounded Kagome. That was- until she had found out a bit about the girl's past from eavesdropping on a discussion between Yoh and Manta about Kagome while she was gone for shaman training. The short boy patted his mopey friend on the arm soothingly and offered a comforting smile, "Yoh-kun, you can't keep being so glum about this. Kagome-chan probably has it the hardest out of all of us."
Manta's proclamation caught Yoh's attention and his pouty expression was replaced with one that was a bit taken aback. "...ah... how so?" He asked curiously as he lavished his face and neck with a small breeze from a hand-held paper fan to alleviate the some of the brutal heat from the summer sun.
"Well..." Manta looked down at his lap, where his small hands formed fists. "It's just... This is her second time moving away from family and friends in less than a year. It must be so hard on her... She must be lonely right now. She's probably missing us more than we miss her."
"Ah... I agree..." Yoh replied solemnly. The two of them stared out at the hazy atmosphere from the sweltering summer heat in silence for a few moments. The young shaman continued fanning himself as he suddenly stated, "It would be nice to have a surprise, welcome-back present for her."
Manta's eyes lit up as he jumped to his feet excitely, "Yeah! That's a great idea, Yoh-kun~!" His eyes nearly danced in excitement at the idea, "What do you have in mind?!" he asked with great enthusiasm.
Yoh hummed quietly before replying, "I'd like to reunite her with her estranged father and sister."
"Eh?" Manta blinked. He was not expecting something so grandiose from Yoh, who usually half-assed his way through life, even his own training. "Is that even possible?"
Yoh sighed aloud as he visibly deflated, "I wouldn't even know where to star-" He then looked over his shoulder at his betrothed, who lounged in front of the television not far away. "Hey, Anna! Would y-?!"
"Don't even think about it," She replied bluntly without looking away from the screen.
Waterfalls streamed down Yoh's cheeks and he cried out, "But whhhhhhhy?"
"You're asking me to waste my energy to ask spirits if they know the location of Kagome's relatives," She replied. "What do I look like? A spirit detective?" Although she refused to help Yoh and Manta with their plan, her curiosity about the Higurashi family was piqued by their conversation. Thus, she began to her own private investigation about the priest family on days that Yoh was busy with her instructed training regimen.
Anna began her search at the library, where she searched through directories, local encyclopedias, and periodicals about everything from the foundation of the Higurashi shrine, exorcisms, and any missing person's reports. Strangely enough, even after spending hours searching the darkest sides of the Internet on the free computer, Anna found no cases of missing person's in any newspapers or anywhere at all. Although Manta and Yoh claimed that Kagome's father and sister went missing, there was no news coverage on it. She did admit that the big city did not care as much about priests as the village where she came from so no one may have run a report on them. There was also the possibility that the two did not go missing like she originally thought. 'Perhaps, they left on their own accord,' Anna deduced.
Sure. It was not her business, but if Kagome was going to return to her home and be on her Yoh's mind so much then Anna had to be sure that she was not a threat to their very lives. Anna chose one of the cooler days of summer to venture out to Higurashi shrine. She wanted an easy life and going out during the dead heat of summer was definitely not a part of an easy life. On this particular day, Anna replaced her usual sleeveless black dress with a cooler-look: a sleeveless, white sundress and a shady, beige sunhat, complete with her usual pair of sandals. Her hair was pulled a small, low ponytail. She was thankful for the shade that nearby trees provided for her as she ascended the traditional, long staircase that lead up to the shrine.
'Higurashi Kagome...I will find out what you are.'
[In the Present]
Kagome was beyond anxious. There were so many thoughts and abstract fears running through her head that it was difficult to keep focus on what was bothering her the most. Was it the idea of fighting her old senpai? Was it the fact that she was about to participate in her first real fight as a shaman? Was it the idea of possibly bumping into Bankotsu because she was going to fight his older brother? Or was it because she changing her clothes in public? Kagome fumbled to not trip over her own feet as she nervously pulled her jumper dress over her head. The only thing that was preserving her modesty was the black tarp that Sango and Pirika held around her to form a makeshift changing room.
Tears formed in Pirika's eyes as she cried out with aching arms, "Ah man! How long is this going to take?! My arms are starting to hurt!" Unlike the other teenagers in their small ragtag group, the blue-haired girl was the only one who had no physical strength training. She had taken a quick liking to Kagome and Sango so she hated to complain but- her poor spaghetti noodle arms could not take much more of holding up the heavy cloth material to provide cover for Kagome! She needed relief soon or it felt like her arms would fall off!
"Sorry, Pirika-chan!" Kagome called from the other side of the tarp. "I'm almost finished!" She announced as she pulled her head through her qipao and proceeded to pull her pants up.
"Where do you even store all of these supplies, Sango-chan?" Pirika asked while sweatdropping at how Sango seemingly pulled a battle outfit for Kagome out of nowhere. Then when Kagome asked how she would change her clothes outside, Sango then pulled a thick, huge tarp out of no where and explained that she could change behind it.
Sango merely chuckled mysteriously and replied cryptically, "Ohhhhh, places, place~"
Pirika did not press the question, she was too relieved to drop the tarp to the ground when Kagome announced that she was finished changing. The Ainu girl's eyes began to sparkle at the sight of her freshly changed friend. Kagome looked amazing in Chinese-style clothing! Her battle outfit was a replica of Sango's with a few differences. It too composed of a black sleeveless, calf-length qipao with long slits along the sides and matching pants and slippers. The main difference between their outfits was that the collar and hems were trimmed with sky blue instead of peach pink for Kagome's battle suit. "Oh my gosh!" Pirika cupped her hands together before beckoning her brother, who was sentenced to sitting alone behind a nearby tree, over to them. "Matching outfits! That's soooooooo cute!"
Sango then smiled as she expertly parted Kagome's long hair and began to style it into the high twin chignon style that she knew the younger girl liked so much. Kagome blushed a bit at the sudden, unexpected treatment, "Thanks, Sango-chan~" She smiled at the soothing feeling of having her hair handled by a confident yet gentle touch, "This is the best surprise ever~."
The Tao smiled, feeling happy and relieved that Kagome appreciated her surprise gift, "Yeah, I made you one too. I just didn't know when would be a good time to give it to you." She gave Kagome a quick tap on the head and said, "Done." referring to her hair style. Sango was expecting Kagome to be happy but she did not expect Kagome to glomp her,
"Thanks so much! Now we look like sisters!"
HoroHoro looked between the two girls and mentally compared them. Sango was taller, more muscular, with straight dark brown hair with an elegant widow's peak while Kagome was shorter, more on the lean side, and bluish-black wavy hair. While Sango's eyes were almost violet in color, Kagome's were a deep blue. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, his expression becoming sullen. "Yeah..." He stated, "I don't see the resemblance- ACK!"
Within the blink of an eye, the blue-haired shaman was sprawled out on the ground with a large steaming bump on his head and Sango stood over him with an annoyed expression and steaming fist. Pirika frowned down at her brother and chastised him, "Onii-chan, that was rude! You can't ruin a beautiful moment like that!"
"Come on, girls," Sango said hotly while glowering down at HoroHoro like he was a lowly cockroach. "Kagome's match is in 10 minutes. Let's leave him."
"Eh?" Kagome asked as she watched Sango and Pirika walk away from HoroHoro who was still sprawled out on the ground like a squashed insect. "We can't just leave him like this!"
Pirika latched herself to Sango's arm and called from over her shoulder, "Onii-chan is a strong shaman! I'm sure that he'll be fine!"
Sango then looked her over own shoulder and added, "No man can be any more annoying that him!"
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Sango's eye twitched as she stared at Kagome's opponent in disbelief, "I stand corrected," she stated in a deadpanned tone as she watched Kagome's body visibly shivered in disgust when Mukotsu wrapped his arm around her body, pulled her close to his side, and rubbed his cheek against hers fondly.
"Kagome-chan! How fortuitous for me to have you as an opponent~!" He cooed with bright pink cheeks and the widest, creepiest smile that anyone had ever seen on his toad-like face. "I used to have the biggest crush on you, but I never confessed since my little brother called dibs~"
Kagome growled as she pulled away from the older teen- who looked more like a young adult, maybe he was in his twenties, for the umpteenth time. "Look!" She yelled while jumping away and placing her hands on her hips, "I don't even know you that well! How could you ever like me like that?!"
"Gah!" She screamed as Mukotsu leap for her and attached himself to her foot, kissing it repeatedly. "Let go! This is so creepy and embarrassing!" She cried out as she tried to shake him off of her leg and he defiantly stayed attached.
"I've liked you for a long time, Kagome-chan! You were pretty but you weren't stuck up like those other girls! You were so nice to me!" He exclaimed while continuing to cling to her legs and grovel at her feet. "You and me- we're the same, you know!"
Pirika looked up at Sango with a worried expression from the sidelines, "Should we help her?"
Sango shook her head, "No, I'm sure she'll be fine. Besides, her match starts in less than two minutes. If our interference ran into the match time, she would automatically be disqualified."
[In the Distant Past]
Yuka Kasanagi.
That was the name of Mukotsu Shichinin's secret crush. She was a first year at Seijo Middle School, and he was a third year. It was not uncommon for third years to like first years and vice versa, and that was why Mukotsu did not feel ashamed or hopeless in love. He knew that she probably did not think of him as anything other than an upperclassman but that did not stop him from feeling what he felt for her. For him, their very first encounter was magical.
That day started off like any other: ordinarily. He was walking to school with his six brothers. They were talking about the typical things that guys did. Class. Food. Video games. Sports. Girls. Then they got onto the topic of their looks. Mukotsu was not blind, so he was not a fan of talking about their looks. Mukotsu had always known that he ended up on the shallow end of the gene pool when it came to physical attractiveness. Even compared to his ghastly-looking younger brothers Ginkotsu and Kyokotsu, Mukotsu was the least attractive out of them all.
Being seven brothers who all attended the same school, they were renown and stuck out like sore thumbs, especially since they always ate lunch together and stuck together during recess and any time out of the classroom. Most people who saw them believed that they were simply a large group of friends and did not believe that they were blood-related from their differences in looks. But it made sense. There was too much differences in their phenotypes to appear like blood-brothers- which they were...sort of.
They never told anyone at their school, but their schoolmates probably knew anyway: they were only half brothers. Their father was either a man afraid of commitment, or he just never found the right woman for him because he went through women faster than he changed his underwear. Whenever he found out that he impregnated a woman, even if he did not love her, he volunteered to take care of the offspring alone, as a single father. Their circumstances were probably viewed as rare or unlikely, but that was how it happened. Seven half brothers with the same father but different mothers. Needless to say, the brothers grew up without a motherly influence or a woman's touch in their usually loud, rowdy, and messy home.
But that was besides the point. Mukotsu wished that he could trade mothers with one of the four good-looking brothers. Somehow, he ended up being the oldest but the shortest, widest, and stubbiest. He had been told by a few girls who rejected him that his head was as wide as a watermelon and they'd rather smash it open like one than have his ugly face near them. Sometimes, he was told that he looked like a frog-man. Mukotsu grew to love and hate girls at the same time! His instincts and hormones told him that he loved how different their bodies were from his, but his heart and mind told him that they all were cruel, shallow creatures who only wanted guys like his brother Bankotsu!
That was...until he fell for Yuka.
Renkotsu narrowed his eyes as he continued to argue his point, "I'm not being a douche. I'm just saying that not everyone has it as easy as you, Ban." He gave Mukotsu's head a rough pat to emphasize his point. "Take poor Mu here for example. You two are polar opposites. There's no way that he'd pull the same chicks that you do."
Mukotsu kept a stiff upper lip and did not bother replying. Instead, he lowered his head, just in case he had a hurt or humiliated expression on his face. He did not want his brothers to know just how self conscious he was about his looks, though they probably already knew to some degree.
Bankotsu, who was extremely popular despite being a first-year student, gave his older but shorter brother a pat on the head like Renkotsu. The difference was that Bankotsu's pat was gentle yet firm, almost reassuring in a way. "Heh, you're too jaded, Ren," the tanned skin brother replied. "It doesn't matter if Mu doesn't look like a model. It just means that the girl who falls for him really likes the true him!"
Suikotsu smiled softly and nodded in agreement from the back of the group, "Yes. And that's what matters most, having a girl who likes the you on the inside."
Jakotsu, their most beautiful brother, blanched at the thought, "Gross! Girls are absolutely disgusting!"
Renkotsu rolled his eyes and shot back sharply, "This comes from the guy who dresses like one."
Jakotsu batted long, curly eyelashes and struck a cute pose while stating dramatically, "Well, I can't help it if girl clothing is cuter than boy's! I just wear what looks best on me~!" He used a hand to give his green sailor skirt a slight flutter to emphasize his cuteness. "Tadaaaaah~"
The brothers were just entering the entrance gates when their conversation came to an abrupt halt at loud whispers from a group of eavesdropping girls. The seven of them stood there for a moment, each of them feeling a different emotion as they tuned in on today's gossip. They knew that nothing good would come from listening in, but their curiosity always got the better of them.
"Oh, look. It's the Shichinintai," Came the first whisper, the one tone seemed innocent enough.
"You know. Three of them actually pretty hot. If only they'd ditch the other losers, I'd go for them!"
"Three? Why only three?"
"Obviously I mean Ban, Sui, and Ren. The others are complete freaks. How are they even related?"
"I don't know...Jakotsu is pretty good-looking too. Too bad he thinks he's a girl."
Sure, they could have easily intimidated the girls, but their father taught them to never raise a hand to a girl. They took their pent-up aggression out against any unfortunate guy who happened to look at them funny. That was when a group of first-year girls walked up to them. Bankotsu and Jakotsu recognized them as their classmates: Yuka Kasanagi, Ayumi Kotobuki, Eri Fukudome, and Kagome Higurashi. The brothers were surprised that they were suddenly approached by the group. They were not necessarily on bad terms with them, but they did not speak to them outside of the classroom. The only interactions between the two groups were solely between Bankotsu and Kagome, when the former student decided to tease or cop a feel from the latter. These interactions usually ended with Bankotsu dodging slaps, punches, or flying school supplies from an angry Kagome.
Yuka had slightly pink cheeks and a soft expression as she fidgeted, "Um...Hey, you guys..." she greeted the brothers nervously. Their collective gazes only succeeded in making her feel even more nervous than before! She looked back at her three friends standing behind her. Eri used her hands to urge her to continue; Ayumi waved with a smile; and Kagome threw her a victory-sign. 'Right... my friends are backing me up on this... I can do this!' Yuka told herself mentally.
Jakotsu, who did not hide his dislike for girls, sneered at her and asked cattily, "Jeez, how annoying, are you? What is it? We're busy, you know!"
The short-haired girl nearly jumped out of her skin before she turned her gaze to Mukotsu, "I just wanted to say...ignore what those mean girls say. It doesn't matter what you look like or what you wear. Someone surely likes who you are inside..." She shut her eyes before running towards her classroom, "That's all I wanted to say!" Yuka's three friends called after her and followed her lead.
The encounter was short, but it was all that Mukotsu needed.
For the first time, a girl looked him in the eye and did not look angry or disgusted by him. She even gave him words of encouragement. Yuka Kasanagi was an angel...that was what Mukotsu believed. Bankotsu then congratulated him on snagging a girl and slapped him on the back.
Renkotsu and Suikotsu remained quiet on the matter as they separated to go to their respective classrooms. They had an odd feeling about the encounter. After all...they noticed that Yuka's eyes were set on Jakotsu until she freaked out and settled on looking in Mukotsu's direction.
[In the Recent Past]
The atmosphere around Higurashi shrine was as expected: serene and pure. It was completely relaxing, so much so that some part of Anna felt like she could live there forever. But now was not the time for getting lost in peaceful bliss. The Higurashi family had to be hiding something to have such a strange daughter. As expected of a modern shrine as well, the grounds were nearly empty. Modern humans had little interest in shrines unless it was time to have festivals and on holidays. Anna was grateful that no one seemed to be around. She could conduct her investigation in privacy.
Being an itako had its perks. She could sense lingering spirits, even if they did not want to be found. And to Anna's surprise and secret terror, she could sense two undeparted spirits who seemed to call out to her. The blonde girl's eyes were immediately drawn to a tree that distinguished itself from the rest in the shrine's courtyard. It was a tree of great age and stature. It exuded an aura of wisdom and purity. It was as if the tree was the spirit of the Higurashi shrine itself. She decided that the tree would be a great location to speak with the spirits who desperately wanted to be heard. She removed her bead necklace and began the ritual to summon the spirits to her.
Within a matter of moments, two orbs of light began to descend from the sky. The orbs twirled around each other, as if dancing with one another. Once the orbs were at eye height with Anna, they began to change shape and took on human form. Anna's eyes widened at what she saw...
One was a tall male who appeared to be in his mid-late twenties, the other was a small child who appeared to be a younger version of Kagome. Anna was not fooled though. This small child's blue eyes were full of wisdom beyond her years. There was not a sign of the youth and innocence that Kagome's eyes shone with. This child looked at Anna as if she were an adult looking at a child. Something was off about her.
"And you are...?" Anna got to the point.
"Higurashi Hiroshi," the man introduced with a gentle smile and small nod of his head.
"Higurashi Kikyo," the little girl stated curtly but politely nonetheless.
"For what reason did you two call out to me?" Anna continued. She was not one for beating around the bush, especially in a possibly dire situation. A small bead of sweat ran down her forehead, and it was not from the summer heat. She was anxious to get the bottom of the mystery surrounding Kagome Higurashi.
"Kyoyama Anna," Kikyo began, startling the young medium with knowledge that no human spirit should have. "The choice is yours. But I implore you to heed my warning. Beware the creature known as Higurashi Kagome."
"Creature?" Anna's eyes narrowed at the spirit. "Are you not Kagome's long lost relatives?"
"We are," Kikyo responded quickly but continued, "Regardless, being involved in the life of Higurashi Kagome is a double-edged sword. Her presence is both a blessing, and a curse."
Anna remained quiet, trying to be respectful to the dead, especially ones that were reaching out to her, not for her help...but to help her instead. It took a long time but Kikyo managed to paint a picture of the situation that they were in inside of Anna's head... So many emotions coursed through her small body and thoughts through her head as she listened to the words of the child.
Anger.
"...Kagome is innocent and guilty at the same time..."
Confusion.
"...do not tell her until the time comes..."
Despair.
"...she has a good heart, but a terrible power..."
Guilt.
"...be kind to her. She deserves it."
[In the Present]
Kagome took a breath to calm her nerves. Even after she finally managed to get Mukotsu off of her legs, he stared her down with a crazed, love-struck expression. No, she was not disgusted with his physical appearance. But rather, she was creeped out with how he was proclaiming and acting on his feelings for her. It was just...excessive.
"Still yourself, Kagome," Sesshomaru commanded as he appeared next to her.
She nodded, her expression becoming more calm and focused.
"Kagome-chan, my dear~" Mukotsu cooed as he touched his pink cheeks tenderly like a delicate maiden in love. "I would like you to meet my guardian spirit: Kaeru." On cue, a small, bright green frog spirit crawled itself from beneath Mukotsu's shirt and sat on his shoulder like a loyal pet bird.
Pirika cringed at the sight, "Ewww...that's so weird... The frog guy has a frog spirit?!"
"Birds of a feather flock together, they say," HoroHoro added in his two cents.
"Ready when you are, my love~" Mukotsu announced.
"Fine. Let's make this quick," Kagome said to her partner, "I want to see Ren's match," she explained.
"Ren...?" Mukotsu blinked before his expression turned sour, "Who is this Ren person?"
Kagome huffed and crossed her arms, "Honestly, it's none of your business- but if you must know, Ren is a complete jerk who couldn't even bother to come and se- OUCH!" Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a familiar, strong hand grab hold of her left cheek and pinch on it for a split second. She blinked as her hand shot up to nurse her red, hot cheek.
Ren glared at her before crossing his arms and sticking his nose in the air, "Serves you right for bad mouthing me behind my back, jerk."
Sango, Pirika, and HoroHoro sweatdropped at the awkward, left-out expression on Mukotsu's face as Ren's sudden appearance interrupted the match before it could even begin.
"Well, it's not like you said that you'd show up!" Kagome shot back as she pinched Ren's cheek in retaliation. "How was I supposed to know?!" She asked him angrily.
This earned her other cheek a pinch from Ren who glared at her, "As if I'd miss your match, baka."
HoroHoro blinked at the interaction between the two before he pointed at Ren with a clueless expression, "Uh...Who's the shorty?"
Sango stifled a laugh. She caught herself with a hand placed to her lips before she replied, "That young man is Tao Ren. He is the heir to the Tao Clan, and my younger cousin. Our family has been hosting Kagome during her training."
"Cousins?" HoroHoro looked between Sango and the stuck-up looking shorty several times before scratching his head wildly in frustration, "I still don't see any resemblance!"
"Quiet, Onii-chan!" Pirika admonished from her spot on the other side of Sango. Somehow, the young Tao ended up nestled between the pair of lively siblings. To the Tao girl, it was not a bad thing. It felt nice to make new friends actually.
Mukotsu's face suddenly began crestfallen as his entire posture became hunched over and deflated, "I see..." He began slowly, his tone was clearly hurt and sad, "Of course you'd have a boyfriend by now..."
His statement resulted in a sudden silence between the bickering duo.
Kagome blinked in confusion before looking at Ren, who instantly huffed and turned his face to glare at the sky and hide his reddened cheeks. She then looked back at Mukotsu, at Ren, and finally back to Mukotsu. "Boyfriend?" She asked with another blink. "You mean Ren?"
"Of course. You two make a cute couple," Mukotsu replied in a half-hearted, happy tone.
Steam blew out of Kagome's ears as her face became the color of a ripe tomato. She threw her hands up defensively and waved them about animatedly, "Woah, woah, woah! Let's get something straight! He's not my boyfriend!" She protested in a flustered manner. Her volume then lowered to almost a whisper, "I mean...he's a boy...and my friend, but..."
Suddenly, Kagome wished that she would just die on the spot! How could anyone mistake Ren for being her boyfriend?! And worse of all, she was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself alive! She stole a peek at Ren from the corner of her eye. She thought that he would still be looking at the sky like he usually did he when he was huffy, but she was surprised and embarrassed to find that he was stealing a glance at her from his peripheral as well. Kagome blushed and used a hand to shoo Ren away, "A-anyway, we need to get started so you get out of here!" Even though he did not want to admit it, he was grateful to escape from the scene. He was just as flustered as Kagome from Mukotsu's assumption.
"I take heed of thee – Crescent!" Kagome summoned her choice of weapon: a majestic, golden bow whose shape and appearance name did not betray its form, for it was nearly the shape of a brilliant crescent moon. "Sesshomaru- into the Crescent!" She commanded of her spirit, who silently complied and turned into a blue light that entered and encased her weapon.
Mukotsu was quick to react and imitate his opponent's actions, "Kaeru – Into the Cauldron!"
And the match began...
[In the Distant Past]
"It's been two months and you still haven't spoken to Jakotsu since that one time?" Eri asked with wide eyes. "And even then...you chickened out and spoke to his ugly brother instead," she added.
Ayumi twirled a piece of her wavy hair around her finger, feeling guilty about her friends' tendency to be shallow and act like "mean girls", "Guys...it's not very nice to call people bad names."
Yuka scoffed a bit while rolling her eyes, "Oh come on, Ayu-chan. Ugly is not a bad name. It's just what he is," she stated in a nonchalant tone.
Kagome frowned and rebutted, "I agree with Ayu-chan here. He's never done anything wrong to you so what's the point in saying hurtful things? Besides, he seems like a nice guy."
Eri's expression turned to a thoughtful and slightly guilty one, "well...you do have a point there...but...he is pretty creepy, right?" She looked at her three friends for confirmation.
Yuka readily nodded in agreement and piped in, "He so is! He's been greeting me and smiling at me every morning and during break periods! Like- we're friends or something!"
"How is that a bad thing?" Ayumi asked innocently while tilting her head to the side.
"Well, for one thing, you might end up being cursed if you make him angry," Eri pointed out.
This time it was Kagome's turn to blink, "How do you figure that?"
"I heard that the Shichinin family used to be a family of shamans," Yuka replied.
"That's the same thing as a witch doctor, right?" Eri asked with a worried look on her face.
"Not at all," Kagome stated informatively with her pointer finger in the air. "Shamans are-"
"Who cares what the difference is?!" Yuka asked with a fearful look on her face. She began to hold herself as if she felt extreme anxiety, "What do you guys think I should do about him?"
"Um...if you're worried, you could just talk to him and ask him why he's so friendly," Ayumi offered.
"Screw that!" Eri interjected with balled up fists. "You have to be tough with creepy guys like him! You have to tell him to back off and that you're not interested in him or else he'll eventually turn into a creepy stalker or something!"
"You're right!" Yuka stated while standing up in her seat passionately. She stole a glance at her crush, Jakotsu and added, "For the sake of my future relationship with Jak, I have to be strong! I won't give up on him, not now, not ever!"
From that day forward, the group of four slowly but surely began to dissolve. It began with Yuka crossing her arms, giving Mukotsu a nasty glare, and the silent treatment when he happily greeted her. Then, the silent treatment became Yuka and Eri purposely saying cruel things about Mukotsu aloud whenever he was within earshot. That was when the quarter broke into two duos. Kagome and Ayumi did not support their ex-friends' behaviors so without warning, they stopped speaking with them. It felt like they had done all that they could. They could not control their friends, but they could at least control themselves.
One day, Kagome decided to try something new: support from another source. When the lunch bell rang, she placed her bento box on top of her desk and smiled at Ayumi, "I'll be right back, okay?"
Ayumi smiled back and nodded, "Sure, I'll wait for you."
Kagome gave her only friend a small "thanks" before turning around and looking at the two Shichinin brothers in her class: Bankotsu, a popular boy who sometimes teased and sexually harassed her, and Jakotsu, a pretty crossdresser who Yuka had a huge crush on since the entrance ceremony. She was not sure if they were aware that their older brother was being bullied by two of their classmates, but... She still felt like she had to do something. She just could not bear to see the pained look on Mukotsu's face again! She knew that they would heading off to eat lunch with their brothers so she had to act fast.
Beneath her calm face, Kagome was actually nervous to approach them, but this was just something that she had to do! "Hey, Ban, Jak!" She called out to them.
The two brothers stopped at the door, she caught them just before they left the classroom. They turned around and looked at her. Jakotsu had a look of annoyance and disgust on his face while Bankotsu's face went from surprised to pleased. "Yoooo, Higurashi!" He gave her a cheeky grin as he waited for her to get closer, much to Jakotsu's dismay. "So you've finally fallen for me, huh?" He asked while wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
Kagome sighed and gave him a sharp look, "Bankotsu, this is serious. I need you guys to listen..."
[In the Present]
"Wow..." HoroHoro breathed out with wide eyes. "Is that really Kagome-chan out there?" He asked as if he could not believe his eyes. They were three minutes into the match and Kagome seemed to have a huge advantage over Mukotsu already. The older shaman had been forced to flee numerous blue arrows made of Sesshomaru's and Kagome's combined energy. She fired them relentlessly back to back. Although she had yet to land a blow, one could easily tell that her aim was precise, as the arrows landed and caused small craters where Mukotsu once stood. The only thing that kept her arrows from hitting were Mukotsu's oddly swift dodges. He surprisingly nimble on his feet for someone who such short, stubby legs. "She's...amazing..." He added. His open admiration of the girl earned him annoyed glares from Sango and Ren.
"Don't even think about it," Ren warned him boldly. His arms crossed over his chest, "She's off limits."
Ren's statement made him the recipient of collective stares from the other spectators. Then HoroHoro's face turned into a huge grin, Sango's had a knowing smile, and Pirika just looked completely lost.
"Ohhhhhhhh...I geeeeet it~" HoroHoro replied. "This chibi here has the hots for Kagome-chan!" He announced while pointing a finger at her and laughing aloud. "But you're not even tall enough to ride-!"
"Shut your damn mouth, you moron!" Ren growled before nearly pouncing on top of HoroHoro, beginning a scuffle between them as the match went on without a hitch.
"You two need to cool it!" Sango raised her voice with a firm, scolding tone. She lifted each boy by the back of their shirts, one in each hand. "We're here to support Kagome-chan! Not fight each other!" Both boys immediately deflated, feeling humiliated that they were easily subdued by the beautiful young woman.
Pirika, who never took her eyes off the fight gasped and pointed at the scene playing out before them, "Guys, Kagome-chan might be in trouble!" Her statement drew their attention back to the match.
Mukotsu cackled as he saw that Kagome was panting lightly. "As I expected, you expended a huge amount of energy, just trying to hit me with those arrows of yours."
Kagome tried to laugh it off, "Are you kidding me?" She asked, "I'm just getting started," she said as she raised the Crescent once again. "My next one won't miss, I promise you that!"
"As much as I'd like to be hit by your arrows of love, my dear," He replied as he lifted his obtuse, dark purple pot up and pulled the lid off the top, "But it's time for me to go on the offensive!"
Sesshomaru warned Kagome from within her weapon, "A strange aura. Stay sharp." His partner nodded in return and unconsciously took a step back.
"Here it is! My special technique! Kaeru POISON!" He announced as a purple gas that seemed to have a subtle glowing aura to it welled from deep within the pot. It moved as a swift but steady stream that pooled together in one spot like a swarm of insects. "I'd hate to use this on you but I have to become Shaman King, you see," He told her.
"What is that?!" Pirika asked fearfully from the sidelines as she watched the fighting area become filled with the purple gas. It was like a thin layer of fog because although it was visible, they could still see Kagome, who placed her hand over mouth as she dropped to her knees and choked on the contamination in the air.
"It's a poisonous gas," Ren stated straightforwardly.
"Ehhhhhhhhh?!" The Ainu siblings cried out with dropped jaws and wide eyes.
"How is that even fair?!" Pirika cried out as she shook her brother's shoulders frantically. "We have to help! This guy needs to be disqualified! There's no way that's legal-!"
"Silence, you noisy fools," Ren commanded them sternly. "I'm trying to watch the match."
"Dude!" HoroHoro stood up, "If you really like her, how can you be so calm in this situation?!"
"That's because I know that Kagome will not lose to such cheap tactics," The Tao heir replied coolly.
Sango smiled softly and quietly at her younger cousin. Despite the fact that he and Kagome sometimes butted heads over the silliest of the things, that did not change the fact that they truly cared about each other. A sort of bond formed between them in the time that Kagome had stayed at their residence as their guest. 'I've never heard Ren speak so highly of another person before...especially someone who isn't a Tao,' Sango thought to herself. 'Kagome-chan...I wonder if you'll truly join our family someday.'
[In the Distant Past]
Kagome had a bad feeling about that day. At first, she wanted to believe that it was because although the forecast predicted sunshine, the sky was dim and the sun overshadowed by dark, saturated clouds. But then, when she noticed that Yuka and Eri did not show up to class during their last period, she knew that something troublesome was afoot. "Aww, cheer up, Kago-chan~" Ayumi said as she patted her on the shoulder. "I'm sure that you did the right thing by telling Ban and Jak about the bullying!" She reassured her. It was the day after Kagome had approached the two Shichinin that were in their class about the situation surrounding Yuka, Eri, and Mukotsu. Initially, she felt like she had done the right thing because Bankotsu smiled down at her and thanked her with a kiss on her cheek (much to her dismay). But then, something felt off when she saw how Jakotsu remained scarily quiet for once, and resorted to grinding his thumb nail between his teeth with a strange look on his face.
Suddenly, as they were leaving their classroom for the day, a roar of students startled them. Like clockwork, a hoard of students began to race down the halls like there was a fire. Ayumi, being a bit timid, latched onto Kagome and Kagome in return wrapped her arms around her friend. "What's going on?" The wavy haired girl asked frightfully, worrying that there was danger that they should be fleeing from.
"I'm not sure, but let's get out of here," Kagome replied. Just as they were going to head for the nearest exit, a classmate stopped by them as she running by.
"Girls, you want to get to the courtyard NOW! Your old friends are beating up that upperclassman!"
"What?!" Kagome shouted as she felt her go cold inside. "Stay here," She told Ayumi as she made a mad dash through the crowd of students. She hated to be rude but it was important! She pushed and dodged her way through the crowd that congested the usually ample space of the halls and stairwells. 'Yuka...Eri... Please don't do this!' She thought to herself, she silently prayed that her words reached her old friends' hearts. She exited out of the nearest door and was greeted with a violent storm. The boom of thunder did not reach her ears as her frantic thoughts were too loud inside of her head. The flashes of lightning did not daunt her. Her friends' names were her inner mantras as she ran through the storm that raged around her.
Kagome could not even feel the wind pushing against her or the cool water that pelted her skin relentlessly. She sensed a dark aura and she needed to get there in time! 'Yuka-chan...what's happened to you?!' She thought to herself. The aura was dark and malicious, and something that never walked the physical world as a human being. This meant that Yuka was...!
She arrived at the courtyard, not caring that she splashed her uniform with muddy water as she ran towards the large crowd. "Yuka! Yuka!" She called as she pushed her way through the vast sea of bodies that circled around the scene that played out before them. Once she finally made it to the front of the crowd, Kagome gasped and threw a hand over a mouth in shock at what she saw.
Mukotsu was covered in dirty water, mud, and sticks, pebbles, all sorts of debris that was trapped within the clumpy, sticky mixture of soil and rainwater. He held his right arm with his left hand. A blood stain on his forearm slowly spread further and further while a small river dripped down onto the ground. "You-!" Yuka looked down at Mukotsu with pure rage and disgust twisting her usually pretty face. "You DISGUSTING FROG!" She seethed as her hand holding a bloody, rusty box cutter shook and shuttered at her side. "You just HAD to go and tell Jak on me! Do you have any clue...WHAT HE SAID TO ME?!" She shouted as she raised a leg and kicked him over. "For every minute that my heart hurt last night, I'll cut you good!" She told him as she pushed the sliding button on her cutter upward, causing the blade to extend to its fullest length with an appropriately eerie clicking sound.
"Yuka- STOP IT!" Kagome screamed out as she ran up to Yuka and violently shoved her to the ground. "What do you think you're doing?! This isn't you!" The priestess could see it. A demonic spirit that took the form of a shadowy silhouette. It was attached to Yuka's back like a parasite. Its arms were like tendrils and they caressed every inch of the young girl's body. Each moment that the spirit remained attached to Yuka, the more violent she would become.
"Higurashi Kagome..." Yuka whispered as she chuckled darkly. "So you're finally speaking to me again. But it's too late," she stated in a scarily calm tone. She picked herself off of the ground and grinned from ear to ear. "This frog bastard here deserves punishment for causing me so much pain. Jakotsu told me that he hated petty bitches like me..." She held her face as she chuckled again. Kagome's eyes widened as she watched the spirit melt into Yuka's body. "Can you believe that? Because I couldn't." It happened.
Yuka was possessed.
"Leave him alone, Yuka," Kagome commanded in a soft tone as she slowly inched towards Yuka with her hands up in a defensive position. "He's not the one who told on you..." She admitted as she cautiously eyed the box cutter in Yuka's hands. "I did...so if you have any anger, it lies with me."
"You did?" Yuka asked as she tilted her hand to the side. "Of course, it was you...you were always such a do-gooder," She stated as she twirled the blade around in her hand with deadly expertise. "Then again, I guess it runs in the family."
"That's right," Kagome replied as she stood, not even a centimeter away from Yuka. They were nearly eye to eye as they stared each other down. "I'm a priestess so it's my duty to end suffering..." She whispered. For a moment, time felt like it ceased to flow. Suddenly, she was more than aware of her surroundings: the storm, the stares and encouraging yells of her fellow schoolmates, and mud soaked Mukotsu bleeding onto the ground. His blood was being carried away by the rain that rushed towards the nearest sewer drain. She had been told that ordinary humans might be afraid and confused if she showed them her true power, but... This was an emergency. It was not something that could wait or be ignored any longer. 'I have to act!' She thought with determination as she placed a glowing blue hand on Yuka's forehead. "Yuka-chan, I'll set you free now!" She told her as she closed her eyes.
It was as if she went on a journey into Yuka's soul. Kagome could see images of Yuka sobbing her eyes out in her bedroom, holding her favorite stuffed bear to her chest for dear life. Kagome spread out her arms like wings as she flew through the innermost corners of Yuka's heart and mind. There was so much that she had to get past to find the real Yuka who was lost in her own emotions that were clouded by the demonic influence. There were so many memories that played back to back. Kagome could see the image of Yuka when she first fell for Jakotsu at the entrance ceremony. It was a bright, sunny day and cherry blossoms were dancing in a soft whirlwind of pinkness. Jakotsu caught Yuka as she tripped and stumbled next to them. He grumbled about girls being too damn clumsy. Then, there was the image of one of the times that their old quartet pushed their desks together at lunchtime to eat together.
Finally, she found her. Yuka was floating in an empty space full of nothing but darkness. She sat there, crying softly as she hugged her knees to her chest. "J-Jakotsu...why...?" She cried out. She shook her head and continued to cry out, "It's not fair! It's not fair! God, please... Why did I fall for such a jerk?!"
"Yuka," Kagome called out to her calmly.
Yuka raised her head, revealing blood-shot eyes that tears readily steamed from. "Kagome-chan...what do you want?" She asked, "You don't care about me anymore."
"That isn't true!" Kagome protested as a balled up hand was placed over her chest. "I never stopped caring about you... that's why I had to leave you. I couldn't let you think that what you've been doing is alright!"
Yuka sniffed and hiccuped as sobs rocked her small frame, "B-But...I needed you, all of this time! I've been so angry and lonely inside!" She looked to her left, and Kagome turned her head to see what she was looking at.
A scene was playing before her: it was from the day that Yuka ended up chickening out and speaking to Mukotsu. It turned out that Yuka decided to work up the nerve to approach Jakotsu again after school, alone. It was then that he told her point-blank that he had a crush on their classmate who was affectionately named "Hojou-kun". Moreover, he was not bisexual and had no interests in girls whatsoever.
"I was just so angry and hurt that I...began to take it out on Mukotsu..." Yuka whispered. "And everytime he greeted me, all I could think was 'why isn't this kindness and attention coming from Jakotsu?' And instead of getting over it...I became more and more angry and resentful. I wanted someone to hurt just as badly as I was," Yuka explained in a weak voice. She could feel herself slipping away to an unknown place, it was like she becoming lost inside of her own mind.
Kagome's eyes softened at Yuka's revelation and walked through the dark abyss that was Yuka's mind. "It's okay..." She patted her friend on the head soothingly. "It's not your fault. A demon was feeding on your despair and corrupted your feelings of love into hatred. But I'm here now," she reassured her.
"A demon?" Yuka asked, her eyes wavering with unshed tears that were threatening to fall once again. "But...what can you do?"
Kagome smiled and extended her hand to Yuka, "I can set you free. I'll drive the demon away. All you need to do is wish for it." Caring blue-gray eyes met frightened chocolate ones. "Are you ready?"
Yuka gave Kagome a watery smile as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yes, I'm ready," She replied as she reached up with a shaky, weak hand. Once their hands met, Yuka gasped as the darkness inside of her was vanquished within the blink of an eye. They were now in a pure, white space. It was quiet, but it was beautiful and peaceful... For the first time in a long time, Yuka felt like herself.
[In the Present]
"P-Poisonous gas, huh?" Kagome whispered to herself as her lung burned and screamed for clean air. "Kaeru is a demonic frog spirit, isn't he?" She asked her partner. She did not need an answer to her question so Sesshomaru did not give one. Instead, he answered her question with one of his own.
"What's the plan?" He asked from within the confines of the Crescent. During his lifetime, he preferred a sword, claws, or MokoMoko as a weapon. But he as the partner of a shaman, he had to adjust to whatever she was accustomed to. It sat with him well enough. During his life as a demon lord, he had mastered an assortment of weapons in order to be a versatile warrior, and one with formidable knowledge of how every weapon that could be used against him worked.
"Just follow my lead~" Kagome smiled despite the pain that she was in. "Luckily, I'm a priestess, and I've got you~" she stated in an almost sickening sweet manner in Sesshomaru's opinion.
Mukotsu smiled, he was immune to the various poison powers that his demon frog spirit granted him. As much as he hated to see Kagome suffer, especially at his own hands, he could not let anyone stand in the way of him becoming Shaman King! "Kagome-chan, do us both a favor and just give up~ I'd rather you lose one match than be seriously injured!"
"Heh..." Kagome chuckled to herself as she got to her feet, causing Mukotsu's eyes to widen. "What's with you guys and trying to make me drop out of the tournament? I refuse to go down like that!" She announced, causing Ren to inwardly wince.
"I-Impossible! No human should be able to stay conscious from my poison- let alone stand up!"
"I guess you've forgotten something special about me..." Kagome stated as she waved out an arm and shouted, "Disperse!" With a quick burst of her holy energy, she cleansed the air and all who inhaled it of the poisonous gas. "You're using demonic energy, and I'm a priestess. I can't lose to that."
A look of disbelief appeared on Mukotsu's face, but it was quickly replaced by determination, "That's a nice trick but let's see you do it when I hit you with my paralysis poison!" He announced as his pot weapon began to glow with a dark purple aura once again.
"No, you don't!" Kagome shouted as she quickly raised the Crescent and aimed it at Mukotsu. "How about a taste of your own medicine?" She asked before firing off a barrage of green, glowing arrows. "Poison Claws!"
The Shichinin's bulbous eyes widened as the arrows flew at him an incredible speed that was even faster than the ones from before. He grabbed his pot and side stepped them. "Ah! You missed again, sweetheart!" He taunted her, despite the fact that he broke out in a nervous sweat.
"Did I?" Kagome asked with a cheeky grin that was reminiscent of Bankotsu as she dismissed the Crescent and it dispersed into tiny blue orbs that faded into the air. She placed her hands on her hips, "I told you that I wouldn't miss my new arrow."
Mukotsu blinked, "But they didn't even hit m- AHHHHH! Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!" He screamed as a burning sensation suddenly crept up his leg. The shaman looked down at his old, gray jeans and noticed that they were disintegrating with a green smoke. "Y-Your poison is so strong that hitting my clothes is enough for it to affect my skin?!"
Kagome nodded and clapped her hands together in a pleading way, "I don't want you to get seriously get hurt so could you just give up? If you do, I'll neutralize the poison right away. Otherwise...it'll melt your skin right to the bone and neither of us want that, do we?"
"Y-You...for a priestess to harness such powerful demonic energy..." Mukotsu said slowly, his voice full of fear and disbelief. "What are you really?" He asked.
"The winner of this match?" Kagome asked back with an encouraging smile, "Come on~ It's okay to lose one match, you know~ You only need to win two out of three to make it past the preliminaries."
"Damn it..." Mukotsu narrowed his eyes and bit down on his thick lips. "And this was my first match too..." He whispered to himself. This was not how he expected the match to turn out. He actually planned to make Kagome give up using poison. And then, this crazy girl was able to turn the tides and make him give up instead. "Fine... I...give up."
From the sidelines, Pirika's and HoroHoro's eyes lit up with excitement as they cheered. "She did it!" The girl cheered with throwing her arms into the air. She was so proud of her new friend! Who knew that such a powerful priestess/shaman existed?!
Ren grunted and rolled his eyes, "I already said that she'd win."
HoroHoro grinned and patted Ren's shoulder in a chummy manner, "Yeah, yeah!" He said in a teasing dismissive tone. "We get it! You have faith because you love her!"
"Hm? Ren loves who now?" Kagome asked with curious eyes as she appeared right next to him.
"Ohhh~ You don't know?" HoroHoro asked as he sent Ren a sly smirk that made the Tao stiffen. "This chibi here," he stated while jabbing his thumb in Ren's direction. "As the major hots for-"
"I'll kill you," Ren seethed beneath his breath as he grabbed HoroHoro by the long collar of his thick jacket and lifted him into the air. He brought the blue-haired shaman's face close to his own to keep their conversation between them. "If you ever tell Kagome that I-!" Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a familiar skin texture take a rough hold of his ear.
Kagome pulled him away from HoroHoro and shot him a glare, "Why are you roughing up my friend, Ren?! Can you go ten minutes without starting a fight?!"
Ren growled and glared back, "you're one to talk...!" He huffed and looked away from her.
Sango sighed and tried to diffuse the situation, "Now, now...let's just focus on the positive and be glad that Kagome won her first match."
"Is there really anything to celebrate about that?" Ren asked in a grumpy tone.
Kagome's cheeks became flushed with anger as her temper flared up again, "What's that supposed to mean, huh?!" She asked him as glared at him and unconsciously pouted.
"Oh," HoroHoro stated casually. "He was just bragging to everyone about how it was obvious that you'd win so that's probably it."
Ren's cheeks instantly became inflamed and he reached for his kwandao but he was stopped when suddenly he heard Kagome's cry of "Aww, thank you~!" and felt a small weight on his back as she glomped him from behind. "That means so much to me~" She added with a smile.
Meanwhile Sango, HoroHoro, and Pirika watched the two with amused and catty smiles. How could they not silently cheer for a future relationship between the duo when Ren was so obviously smitten with Kagome? Because the small priestess was holding the Tao from behind, she was blissfully unaware at how his entire face was cherry red from her display of affection.
Mukotsu, on the other hand, watched the scene with a heavy heart...but unlike Yuka, although he was hurt, he was happy for his love. It was not just that Kagome had someone who truly seemed to love her, but she was finally surrounded by friends who she could genuinely relate to. He had been feeling guilty ever since the day that she had come to his rescue...
[In the Distant Past]
From the physical world's view, Kagome had placed a mysteriously glowing hand on Yuka's forehead and she suddenly collapsed, falling into unconsciousness. Kagome caught her friend and smiled, feeling satisfied that she had done her priestly duties, despite not completing her training. It would have been a more difficult job if Yuka's heart was truly evil and she had resisted being cleansed. Kagome looked up at the crowd and noted the collective looks of confusion, awe, fear, and disgust. She ignored the whispered when she spotted Eri's face in the crowd. "Eri-chan, take Yuka-chan! My work isn't finished here!"
Eri, who appeared confounded, nodded wordlessly. She was speechless at what she just witnessed. She complied and took hold of Yuka's heavy unconscious body. She sat in the mud and laid her friend's head on her lap. She watched Kagome in wonder, wanting to ask what she did to Yuka but she was at a loss for words. Especially as she watched her former friend bend over and emit a blue light from her hands on Mukotsu's arm. The sound of rain and thunder muted Kagome's whispers to Mukotsu. But judging by the way that the trail of blood from his arm ceased to flow, Eri knew that Kagome had performed another miracle.
Finally, the quiet spectators broke out into gossip right in front of the topic of their discussion.
"Did you guys see that?"
"That girl! What's her name?! What year is she?!"
"Higurashi Kagome, she's a first-year! She's in my neighboring class! She's super popular with the boys!"
"I can see why! She's obviously a witch! She must use love potions on them to get attention!"
"Come to think of it...I am oddly attracted to her. Maybe she put a spell on me?"
"Of course, she did! I even heard that Shichinin Bankotsu likes her!"
"That explains everything! She's a witch!"
"Witchcraft really exists after all?"
"It does! She deserves to be burned!"
"Or lynched!"
"Burn the witch! Burn the witch! Burn the witch!"
"Burn the witch!" The crowd, except for Eri and Mukotsu chanted over and over again until some teachers finally arrived at the scene. They were forced to leave and the parties involved were taken to the faculty office for questioning- except for Yuka, who was taken to the nurse's office for observation.
From that day forward, Mukotsu noticed that Kagome walked to school and through the halls all alone. He performed his own investigation as to why suddenly she had zero friends. Yuka and Eri informed him that it felt awkward to suddenly go back to being friends with her after she broke things off with them. Meanwhile, Ayumi told him that Kagome told her to not associate with her to avoid being isolated from the rest of the school. Further investigation, revealed that Kagome was a victim of having "Burn the witch" spray-painted onto her locker, having her shoes mysteriously stolen, and being ignored by her classmates...all except for Bankotsu, who tried to befriend her but his attempts were for naught.
"Hey, Kagome-! I can call you that right?" The tanned skinned boy asked as he leaned against her desk after the lunch bell rang. "How 'bout you and me go eat lunch together today? I'll even treat you to a dessert~" He offered with a grin.
Kagome smiled appreciatively but shook her head, "No thanks, Ban-kun... I don't want to cause you and your brothers any more trouble than I already have..."
Bankotsu's grin quickly dissolved into a serious, pursed lips, "well...If you ever want some company, come look me up, 'kay?"
[In the Present]
Kagome eventually transferred from their school and apparently moved somewhere else without a word to anyone, not even her old friends. Mukotsu regretted that he never worked up the nerve to thank her for coming to his aid and for defending him all of that time... He had been consumed with guilt that she was ostracized by her fellow schoolmates for using her powers to save him of all people. But now, he finally had found peace and he was going to work towards letting go of his feelings for her. He smiled as he grabbed his pot and called over to her, "Hey, Kagome-chan!"
She looked over at him and tilted her head to the side rather cutely.
"I get the feeling that we'll be seeing each other again soon," He told her with a smile. "Until then, take care~" He waved as he walked away with his pot in his arms.
"Soon, huh?" She said aloud, "I wonder how soon is soon."
"Well," Ren replied while scratching his head, "My first opponent seems to be related to him."
"Eh?" Kagome blinked, a nervous smile breaking out onto her face.
"Shichinin...Bankotsu," Ren stated straightforwardly.
Kagome nearly fell over! This was a lot sooner than she wanted to see the Shichinin brothers again!
Notes: Welp, that's all for now! I think that this was a good place to stop! This chapter is dedicated to all of my loyal reviewers! The tidbits about Kagome's past are a homage to YukiYuu48, who wanted to see more of Kagome's past before moving to Tokyo~ I will do my best to satisfy the requests of my reviewers, as long as their requests fit within the parameters that I'm willing to write for each chapter and story development! So my dearest reviewers, if you have requests of what you'd like to see in future chapters, feel free to ask me and I'll try to fit them into the next installment, or where ever they fit appropriately~ Anyway, let me know what you think!
Ciao for now!