Notes: Annnnnd here is the second part of this chapter! Happy reading, I hope~!
Bankotsu and the Kiss of Life!
A Battle for her Hand?!
[Part Two]
The group of spectators gasped collectively at the sheer massive size of Banyruu, Bankotsu's primary spirit. Banryuu's intimidating presence was akin to that of a traditional western dragon with green, scaly hide that differentiated in color between a beige underbelly, velvety wings that spanned as far as their eyes could see, and fierce red, glowing eyes. "T-that spirit is enormous!" Shippo marveled and quivered in fear, his bushy tail with hairs on end as he latched himself to Pirika, who held him in her arms.
"Shippo-chan, where did you just come from?" Pirika asked curiously, despite her face also portraying fear from the appearance of a dragon, a mythical creature that even she did not know walked the Earth.
"T-That isn't important right now!" Shippo protested while balling up his fist passionately. "We have to focus on this match! The first match will set the tone of the other two, ya know!"
Sango nodded in agreement," Shippo-chan is right." She mentally noted, 'I'll find out for myself later.'
HoroHoro then blinked as something clicked in his mind when his eyes wandered to Kagome who had unusually flushed cheeks, "By the way...what did that guy say to you?"
That was when she blinked, snapping from her own thoughts and gave an embarrassed smile, "Oh, it's no big deal. It's just..."
Meanwhile Ren held his kwandao that was bathed in the golden glow of Bason's power in one hand. He glared Bankotsu down with a spiteful scowl on his face. Likewise, Bankotsu stared Ren down, except he appeared rather calm with his typical smirk on his face. Bankotsu's giant sword was glowing red from being imbued with the power of his dragonic spirit. Although the match had officially begun and the opponents were already using their Oversoul, neither had yet to make a move against the other. For a few moments, both were content to watch the other's movements for a hint on how they would engage.
'This little guy sure has a huge temper... He's not suited to my Kagome,' Bankotsu thought as his smirk widened a bit at the thought of who was the better match for her.
'This big moron is cocky because he has a big sword and dragon... He's not good enough for her,' Ren thought as his eyes narrowed and scowl deepened. His grip on his weapon tightened as he finally decided to move in for an attack.
'I can't lose!' Both thought as they charged at each other in perfect unison.
'That giant sword will be his undoing,' Ren thought as he double-hand thrusted his kwandao forward.
Bankotsu gripped the hilt of his giant sword with both hands as he swung it at Ren with an ease and speed that caught Ren off guard. The width of Bankotsu's sword met the sharp tip of Ren's kwandao head-on, resulting in a direct clash of powers between shamans and spirits. Banryuu's raging red energy easily met the match of Bason's golden energy. "Hmph," Bankotsu huffed out a pleased sound at the sight of their clash of wills. Ren grunted in frustration at direction confrontation. The Tao was displeased that he and Bankotsu's power appeared evenly matched. "You cannot overpower me," Bankotsu informed him calmly. "How about you give up now? I promise to take it easy on you if you do," He offered, knowing that it would rile Ren up even more.
"Tch. I'll show you the power of heir of the Tao family!" Ren shouted in response as he commanded to his spirit, "Bason, increase the power to 30%!" The Chinese grunted in compliance as he drastically increased the power that he put into the spiritual clash with Banryuu.
"Oh?" Bankotsu blinked without flinching or staggering from the increase in power being forced againsted his blade. "You just increased to 30% power?" He asked casually. "You really insult me," He added while shrugging his shoulders.
"Something's not right..." Kagome announced with a worried expression as she placed a fist to her chest. "You guys notice it too, right?" She asked while looking at her friends.
Sango nodded wordlessly as she too sent a worried look in her cousin's direction.
HoroHoro and Pirika both blinked, unsure of what the Sango, Shippo, and Kagome were so worried about. "Onii-chan, what's going on?" Pirika whispered aloud to her older brother to avoid the embarrassment of not grasping the situation.
"I have no clue but we should probably look worried to pretend that we're following this," HoroHoro whispered aloud back while giving his sister a grin and confident thumbs-up at his plan that he thought was fool-prove.
Kagome and Shippo gave the siblings deadpanned looks as Sango sighed before she gently placed a hand on her forehead and shook her head.
The whispering to each other plan would have worked...
if it were not for the fact that the siblings were not standing side by side.
The Usui siblings stood on opposite ends of the group with HoroHoro being at the far-left with Sango directly to his right, Kagome to Sango's right, and Pirika to Kagome's right with Shippo in her arms.
"Look..." Sango began to explain as she gestured her head in the direction of the opponents who were still in the a clash of power with Bankotsu holding his sword in its place as Ren urged his energy to push against his opponent more and more. "Ren increased the amount of energy he's using to 30%, right?" HoroHoro nodded and gave a small 'uh huh'. "Bankotsu wasn't fazed by the power increase at all. He didn't even respond by increasing his own power. Meaning..."
"Either Bankotsu started the match at 30% power or higher, or..." Kagome added.
"Bankotsu's power at 30% or lower is much greater than Ren's..." Sango concluded.
"No way..." HoroHoro mumbled as he finally grasped the situation. "I mean- that shorty is putting out some major power! He's got to be using butt ton of Furyoku right now!"
"Kagome-chan..." Sango looked at her friend who was still watching Ren with a worried expression. "You and Bankotsu were friends before...and you didn't sense this power of his?"
"I'm sure that..." Kagome whispered. "Bankotsu wasn't this powerful before. I don't remember him being any stronger than any ordinary human."
'Where did this power come from?' Kagome wondered to herself as she continued to watch the match unfold in front of her. She unconsciously cupped her hands together as her eyes were stuck on Ren's angry, slightly struggled, expression. 'Ren, please... You have to win this.'
Back at the battlefield that was about fifteen meters away, Ren growled beneath his breath in frustration when he inwardly noted that Bankotsu did not even budge at his power increase. His golden eyes narrowed even more when Bankotsu's sapphire eyes made direct contact with his. "You must be thinking to yourself... 'How could he be so strong?!'" Bankotsu stated confidently. Ren grunted but refused to admit that his opponent had seemingly read his mind. "How about I tell you the secret to my power?" he asked with a smirk as he leaned in closer to Ren.
"Listen up, little man..." Bankotsu whispered as his eyes unknowingly darted away from Ren's face and looked past him over to Kagome. Ren used his peripheral vision to follow his opponent's line of sight. "I was kissed by an angel."
For a split second, Ren's eyes widened as the image of Kagome leaning up to place a loving kiss on Bankotsu's lips flashed in his mind. That mental image immediately went up in flames as the Tao's blood came to a boil and his face flushed in pure anger.
"LIAR!" Ren shouted as he suddenly ended the deadlock of spiritual energy clash and opened a rapid barrage of kwandao thrusts at Bankotsu. The blue-eyed teen merely closed his eyes and continued to smirk as he easily sidestepped and dodged each attack. "You bastard! Don't try to make a mockery of me!" he commanded as he continued to his onslaught of fruitless attacks that Bankotsu evaded with little to no effort at all.
'Master Ren,' Bason stated in a calm voice from inside of Ren's head. 'You mustn't allow your anger to cloud your judgement and guide your way,' He told his young partner. Being one with Ren meant that he could feel every emotion that he felt, and see every thought that ran through his mind. He could easily see that Ren's body was acting mechanically on pure rage and adrenaline alone. The only image in Ren's mind was that of Kagome giving him a bittersweet smile as she waved goodbye from a repulsively comfortable spot in Bankotsu's arms.
"Alright. Enough games," Bankotsu proclaimed as he dodged another attack from Ren. With speed and grace that no one could believe, the blue-eyed teen spun on the ball of one feet and twirled himself, giant blade and all, behind Ren. "Flaming Blade!" He called out as he slashed Banryuu's red-hot energy across the Tao's back. Ren instinctively hissed at the searing heat that scorched through his clothing in a matter of seconds. But just as one retracts a hand away from a hot flame as a reflex, Ren quickly lurched himself forward, jumping and landing ceremoniously a few meters away from Bankotsu and the true power behind the attack.
"Alright, chibi! That's how you do it!" HoroHoro cheered with balled up fists.
"That Bankotsu guy is fast but it's amazing that Tao got away unscathed from such a close range attack," Pirika added in amazement.
Kagome and Sango did not look as thrilled as the Usui siblings however. Kagome added in her piece in a soft voice, "Well, it is good that Ren didn't take the full force of the attack but..."
"He didn't get away completely as you think..." Sango finished Kagome's thought.
"It would be unfair if I were the only fighting at my lowest level of energy so I'll take a page from your book," Bankotsu announced as he aimed the tip of his sword towards the sky. "Banryuu...Hyoi 30%!" He commanded on his spirit, who growled out his compliance as the extensive blade of Bankotsu's sword became engulfed in a bright red flames.
'Master Ren,' Bason spoke to his partner inwardly. 'This does not bode well. The massive energy from that dragon spirit exudes pure destruction and terror. We must not allow ourselves to be hit with a direct attack.'
Ren remained tight-lipped as he mentally responded, 'You don't think I know that?!'
"You shall be a witness to our might!" Bankotsu declared as he willed more and more energy to gather into his sword. He momentarily looked over to Kagome and told her, "Protect yourself." The priestess gasped as Bankotsu pointed his sword at Ren and shouted, "Burst Flare!"
In that instant, Kagome quickly stood in front of her friends as she willed a pale blue barrier to form around herself and the other spectators. Mukotsu, who stood on the other side of the clearing, also found himself encased in what appeared to be a bubble of pure spiritual energy. HoroHoro, Pirika, Shippo, and Mukotsu found themselves breathing sighs of relief at the sight of Bankotsu's flames crashing into the barrier and instantly dissipating as if the barrier were a fire extinguisher.
Meanwhile Ren found himself in the midst of endless bolts of dragon's fire raining down on him. When he dodged to the left, he found his right arm being singed from the other side. A dodge to the right meant feeling the burning sensation on his left thigh. The barrage of fire bolts was swift and relentless. If Ren were any less skilled or fast in his own right, he surely would have been screaming in agony from having his body set ablaze. After evading the umpteenth fire bolt, Ren growled and shouted as he glared at Bankotsu, "I've had about enough of this!"
"Oh? But I think everyone enjoyed you dancing around like the fool you are," He teased with a grin. "Alright. How about we just end this boring charade? You and me. Full power. We'll see who is truly worthy of being at her side." The spectators exchanged fearful expressions when Ren readily nodded at Bankotsu's proposal.
"Bason, Hyoi 100%!" Ren commanded as his kwandao was engulfed in the molten gold energy of Bason's strength.
"Banyuu, Hyoi 100%!" Bankotsu instructed, his smirk never leaving his face as the flame from his sword grew even brighter and hotter than before.
The spectators awed at how the bravado display of opposing energies lit up the dark morning sky as if day was beginning to break out. "To think that chibi is capable of such power..." HoroHoro marveled as he squinted to shield his eyes.
"Yes... Ren truly is a prodigy..." Sango agreed. "However...a frontal test of power against Bankotsu is not one that he can win..."
"What are you saying?!" Pirika shouted. "He's your cousin! You're supposed to believe in him!"
Shippo shook his fist defiantly at Sango and chimed in, "That's right! You have to believe!"
Kagome then lowered her barrier as she saw an end to Bankotsu's barrage of random fire strikes. "I'm sorry, everyone," She whispered. "Sango-chan does have a point... Ban-kun has a much deeper pool of Furyoku than Ren does."
"Kagome, you're not supposed to say thing like that! That chibi believed in you!" HoroHoro protested.
The priestess then shot HoroHoro a wistful smile, "I'm not saying that he can't win. I'm just acknowledging that Bankotsu's power is-." Her statement was cut short when the opponent shouted out indistinct sounds as they shot out the full force of their power at each other. Ren and Bason's gold energy clashed with Bankotsu's and Banryuu's fiery red. "A shaman fight can end simply by one opponent losing their Oversoul or running out of Furyoku...since Bankotsu has more in reserve than Ren..."
"I get it now..." HoroHoro whispered as his eyes widened. "Even if their power is evenly matched right now, if Bankotsu has more reserves then he'll outlast the chibi."
'Master Ren... We cannot win this way. Your Furyoku is reaching its limits...' Bason told Ren.
'Grrr... I know that. But I can't stand down here. Not now,' Ren responded stubbornly as he insisted on blasting more and more energy at Bankotsu, despite being able to feel himself running lower and lower.
'What a fool,' Bankotsu mused inside of his head as he increased the amount of energy that he was blasting at Ren, just to show him the difference between their strength. 'This match...'
HoroHoro, Pirika, and Shippo gasped collectively as they watched Ren's energy that was blasting from his weapon wane and waver before becoming against the pressure of Bankotsu's red energy. In a matter of seconds, the red energy began to push the increasingly smaller yellow energy further and further back.
'...is over...'
Ren mentally cursed himself as he felt Bankotsu's unwavering energy oppress his dwindling one. For a moment, he looked at Kagome's face from the corner of his eye. Her hands were cupped and she was looking at him with sincere and pure worry. 'I let her down...' He wasted no time as he turned back to the battle in front of him and finally accepted that he had reached his limits.
He did not see how Kagome's body began to faintly glow with a blue energy or how she shut her eyes, frustrated tears being squeezed out as she shouted, "PLEASE REN, DON'T GIVE UUUUUUUUUUUPPPPP!"
Ren blinked.
The spectators gasped.
And far off in the distance, the spectating priest who was designated to oversee the match gasped and his eyes widened in disbelief, "That's...impossible..." He told himself that, but he knew that his eyes and other senses could not be lying to him.
Elsewhere Hao who was watching battle, or more accurately, he was watching Kagome, from nearby merely smiled in amusement at the spectacle. "So...this is the power of her first awakening... How marvelous."
"What?!" Bankotsu seethed in anger at the sight of Ren's dwindling energy suddenly increasing in force by at least two-fold. For a moment, his blue eyes darted over to Kagome, who was glowing as she cupped her hands and continued to pray with her eyes shut. 'So...' Bankotsu thought in the few seconds that it took for Ren's energy to push his back. 'Kagome...this is your will...'
Mukotsu gasped as he watched a combination of Ren's energy and his younger brother's energy shoot straight at Bankotsu and hit him with a high impact. "Ban!" He screamed out at the sound of Bankotsu's quick but distinct wail of pain but he dropped to the ground like a swatted fly.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
She was destined to ultimately become Asakura Anna. That was what had she believed for years now. It was what was ordered of her since she was a young child. Although she did not show it, Anna was more than content with the arrangement. In fact, she welcomed it and embraced it with all of her body and soul. She met Yoh when they were much younger. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he was the same as she was: lost, cold, and lonely. They were children starving for love and acceptance from the world. But in this new world where ordinary humans were oblivious to or skeptical of the supernatural, people like them were left alone. She took solace in knowing that she was not the only one. She took a silent pleasure in knowing that there was someone who would walk down the path of life with her, forever and ever, until their deaths.
But now...
Anna narrowed her eyes as Yoh hastily got dressed in the quiet, cool hours of the early morning. "She'll be return soon. You don't have to go," The blond girl pointed out in her usual straightforward, cool tone. 'You idiot...' She thought as she felt her temper rising as her hands clenched and unclenched into fists. Her fiance seemed to be too fixated on honing in onto the tremendous levels of spiritual energy that suddenly flared up. The Higurashi family were the only known clan of priests and priestesses in the Tokyo area. So that surge of spiritual energy had to have been none other than Kagome.
"I know..." Yoh replied in a soft but serious voice that took Anna aback. The Asakura could not see how Anna's dark chocolate eyes widened at the pure emotion in his voice. It was unlike anything that she had ever heard from him before.
For the first time in a long time, Anna got a good look at what was inside of Yoh's heart. His heart was knot of tangled strings of determination, guilt, regret, excitement, and worst of all...
...longing.
She was not blind, nor was she stupid.
From the first day that she had reunited with him in the hospital, Anna knew the truth... She simply ignored it because she was sure that nothing would arise from mere attraction.
And yet...
Yoh's mind was focused on Kagome.
The brunette gave her his usual toothy grin with his eyes shut, "But it's been so long. I've gotta see her now~" He insisted. He then turned around completely to place a hand on her shoulder, "I'll be back soon, okay?"
For once, Anna was at a loss for words.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Ren panted softly as he felt what he could only describe as a burst of adrenaline leave his body. He stared down at his hand as he noticed a soft blue aura dissipated from his very body, like water would as it became steam. "What...was that?" He wondered beneath his breath. He looked over at Bankotsu, who was knocked prone and laying dreadfully still.
"Ban! Ban! Baaaaaan, are you alright?!" Came the panicked voice of Mukotsu as he ran across the forest floor towards his unexpectedly defeated younger brother
Ren winced when he then heard Kagome's concern call of "Ban-kun!" as she ran past him over to the side of his fallen opponent. Kagome frowned as she dropped to her knees next to Bankotsu, who was knocked completely unconscious from the blow. 'He's still breathing...' She noted, feeling a small relief at the rise and fall of his chest.
Mukotsu shot Kagome two large, tear-filled eyes and a trembling mouth, "Y-you have to save him!"
"Don't worry..." Kagome smiled as she placed two fingers on Bankotsu's forehead. "I'll take good care of him..." She told him as she closed her eyes and focused her energy onto Bankotsu's wounds. "Oh, light," She whispered. "Restore him to completion... Heal."
Ren frowned at the sight, though he was not surprised. He stuck his weapon into the ground and crossed his arms as he and the others made their way over to Kagome and the two brothers.
Within moments Bankotsu's eye lids fluttered a few times before he opened them. He grunted a bit as he moved to sit up, only for Kagome's small hand to gently push against his chest. She frowned down at him and told him, "Ban-kun, hold on! You have to take it easy!"
Bankotsu merely took her hand within his and smiled as he sat up anyway. Kagome blushed when he brought her hand to his lips and planted a kiss on her knuckles.
Sango and HoroHoro simultaneously grabbed each of Ren's arms and held him back as he looked as he was about to lunge at the couple. "Hey! Let g-!" The Tao glared at his cousin, who in return offered him a smile that took him aback.
"Just let them be..." She whispered before turning back to watch Kagome and Bankotsu, who were both still on the ground with Mukotsu squatting next to them.
"You're worried about me, huh?" Bankotsu asked with a pleased grin.
Kagome blushed as she quickly retracted her and held it within her other one. "Of course I am!" She shot back with a huff, trying to hide her embarrassment behind a glare. "You're my friend after all!"
"Ahem!" Ren cut it, causing everyone to turn their attentions to him. "The match is over. We can go now," He stated impatiently, obviously tired of seeing the two of them together. Bankotsu stood up and Kagome followed suit; he was more than pleased to see Ren obviously jealous over how friendly Kagome was to him.
"What do you mean 'we'?" Bankotsu asked with a grin as he placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder and gently pulled her into his side. "Kagome and I have a lot to catch up on. I'm going to treat her to an early breakfast," He replied before flashing her a grin. "How does that sound?" He asked her.
Kagome then smiled and nodded, "Sounds good~ I am pretty hungry now that I think about it!"
Pirika's jaw dropped as she held Shippo in one arm as she pointed an accusing finger at Kagome with her free arm, "K-Kagome-chan! You can't just agree to go out with him right in front of Tao Ren here!"
Kagome then blinked from her spot beside Bankotsu, "Why not? It's just breakfast..."
Pirika then huffed and blurted out, "Because Tao Ren obviously likes-!"
Sango covered Pirika's mouth and finished, "-breakfast too! We should all eat together~!"
Kagome then looked at Ren, whose face was beet red as he face palmed over and over again while HoroHoro just gave him a huge knowing grin. She smiled at Ren, "That's a good idea~ We can eat to celebrate Ren's first win~!" She proposed, much to Bankotsu's dismay. It was like an unintentional jab at his loss. She looked up at Bankotsu and asked with a rather cute smile, "Is that okay with you~?"
Bankotsu uncharacteristically blushed a bit before scratching the back of his head, "Well...I'd rather not share a meal with a rival, but if it'll make you happy..." For once, he did not smirk, but genuinely smiled. Just as it seemed that everything and everyone was finally calming down, a new voice that no one expected spoke up from behind them.
"Mind if I join you guys?" A familiar, young male asked in a rather friendly one.
Sango, Mukotsu, and Bankotsu looked puzzled at the voice that they did not recognize.
The other teenagers, however, recognized the voice. It was a voice that surprised but delighted the Usui siblings. It was a voice that Ren only was not only expecting to hear so soon, but nor did he want to hear so soon. And finally, it was a voice that caused Kagome's blue eyes to widen and her cherry blossom colored lips to part in shock.
[Badump!]
"Ah!" HoroHoro grinned as sent Yoh a quick wave with his pointer and middle fingers held together. "Yoh, didn't know we'd run into ya here!" He greeted the person who and his sister were currently boarding with for their stay in Tokyo.
[Badump!]
"How did you find us anyway?! Do you know this Tao guy too?" Pirika asked curiously as she and her brother casually walked over to the brunette.
[Badump!]
"So you're Asakura Yoh. I've heard a lot about you from Kagome-chan," Sango greeted with a bow as she caught up to the siblings.
[Badump!]
Yoh smiled and gave quick, rather polite responses to the three who greeted him. He even gave Shippo a grin and a pat on the head that made the fox demon blink at the unexpected friendliness. Despite how friendly and open he made himself appear on the outside to everyone, Ren and Bankotsu saw through him immediately. Even though he gave smiles, words to everyone, his body language read determined and focused, even a bit desperate, to reach the only reason why he came here so early in the morning... It was to see the girl who was standing still at Bankotsu's side.
Bankotsu did not know who this Yoh character was but he could tell that he was bad news... It was like he could actually feel the sparks between him and Kagome. He saw how Ren tensed up, letting Bankotsu know that Yoh was a bigger rival for Kagome's affections than he was.
Meanwhile Ren unconsciously sucked his teeth at Kagome's reaction to Yoh's sudden appearance. It was the type of reaction that did not surprise him at all. It was very Kagome-like. Ren had watched her face since the moment that Yoh first spoke. Her facial expression went from one of shock and disbelief before melting into a softer, more loving expression with her cheeks brushed with soft pink, her lips ajar, and her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Kagome~" Yoh greeted her with his usual friendly tone and smile. Kagome wanted to smile back as she used to do oh so naturally, but instead, she felt like her voice was caught in her throat. "Long time no see, huh?" He asked.
It was odd but for the first time, Kagome was actually nervous to be around her best friend. A thousand thoughts ran through her head. She had been looking forward to reuniting with him for quite a while but now that it was happening, it was too sudden and almost overwhelming. She did not know what to say, what to do, or how to react! And to make matters even worse, her face felt hot and heart wouldn't stop pounding in her chest!
Without giving it any thought, instead of greeting him back like a normal person would, she squeaked like a startled prey animal and ducked behind Bankotsu to hide her beyond embarrassingly flustered state. 'Oh God...' She thought to herself. 'What am I doing?!' She asked, realizing that she was acting like a complete weirdo.
"Ehhhhh?!" Yoh asked with wide eyes. He then pointed a finger at Bankotsu, with the intention of pointing to Kagome and asked Ren in a surprised tone, "that gorgeous girl just now..." he blinked at Ren before looking back at Kagome through Bankotsu, "was Kagome, right?"
Ren then rolled his eyes at Yoh's stupidity, "Who else would it be, moron?"
Bankotsu grinned as he fought the urge to burst into a fit of laughter, 'Oh man...This shorty here can't even hide his jealousy!' Despite not liking another rival coming along for what he intended to be a date with Kagome, he did enjoy a good show and a laugh. "Hey now, Kagome," He playfully admonished her as he turned, picked her up from beneath her armpits, and placed her down in front of him. "Don't be rude. You should speak when you're spoken to~"
"R-Right...!" Kagome squeaked out. Her face on face as her knees trembled a bit. "Yoh...!" Her heart soared at the sound of her voice saying his name without an honorific. Now that she realized that she was in love with him...everything had a new meaning. It was like everything in her world had changed! "It's been a long time!" She replied a pitch higher than her normal one. "It's a pleasure to see you again!" She continued with an overly polite bow that made everyone except Yoh sweatdrop. Yoh just looked terribly confused for a moment.
'What am I doooooooooooooooiiinnnnnnnnng?!' She screamed inwardly as she stayed bent at the waist. She kept her blue eyes shut tight. Her long dark hair fell over her shoulder and her bangs shielded her face, something that she was now grateful for. She was far too embarrassed to look Yoh in the face at the moment.
'Kagome... What the hell are you doing, you idiot?' Ren thought, he was agitated that Yoh's presence turned Kagome into a bubbling, socially awkward idiot.
'Kagome-chan...What in the world are you doing?' Sango thought with a pitiful smile. She herself had never been in love so she was not sure if it was normal to be so nervous that you lost your ability to act normally.
Kagome's cheeks reddened even more, feeling too embarrassed to end her bow.
Yoh just stared down at Kagome for a moment that felt like an eternity to her. She was suffering from so many things at once: a mysteriously dry throat; a racing heart; the inability to be herself; and being frozen in her bow...
...that was until she heard his laugh and felt a soft hand, stroking the top of her head. "Kagome, you're too cute!" He surmised, causing her to finally lift her head up and look at him. "Aha! You finally looked me in the eye~!" He proclaimed in an accomplished tone accompanied by a triumphant expression.
Suddenly, Kagome released a breath that she was unaware that she had been holding. Finally, she felt like her heart was calming down, and furthermore, it felt like she was going to melt. Her heart felt so warm and fuzzy. She smiled softly and nodded, "You got me~"
Shippo wished that he had no clue what was going between the teenage shamans, but...
"Waaaaaaaaaah!" Shippo screamed before he face planted into a hard cement ground...not that he could feel the pain that he would have if he had a body. He quickly jumped to his feet and pointed at Hao while openly glaring at him, "Hey! What's the big idea?! You summoned me while I was supposed to be watching Kagome's match!"
"Ah," Hao chuckled a bit. "My apologies. But I needed to speak you with." He replied with a smile and a polite tone that gave Shippo the chills. "Besides..." He gestured to the holographic image of Kagome's battle that he conjured with his shamanic magic. "You can watch her match from here."
"Huh?" Shippo blinked before looking around and finally noticing that they were somewhere in a forested area in Tokyo, some place familiar. "Where is this place anyway?" He asked curiously.
"No need to sweat the small details," Hao replied dismissively, but his smile never fading. "In exchange for the power that I granted you, I'd like for you to do a favor for me."
Shippo, being as honest as any child would be, openly asked with an annoyed and obviously exasperated tone, "Uggggh! Do I haaaave toooooo?"
"By doing me this favor, you would be helping me help your beloved Kagome," Hao added. The shaman mentally chuckled at how Shippo's entire face lit up at the prospect of helping Kagome through him by extension. "You'll have to be brave and believe in me if you wish for Kagome's happy ending though. Do you think that you're brave enough?"
Shippo's small hands clenched into fists and he nodded enthusiastically, "Of course I am!"
"Alright," Hao smiled in response. "Then listen to what I say, and remember that my orders are..."
"Come on, come on!" Shippo suddenly interjected, purposely ruining the tender moment between the duo. "I thought we were going to have breakfast, guys!" He whined with a big pout.
Pirika nodded in agreement and added in, "Yeah, I'm pretty hungry myself~ Let's go!"
Yoh then raised his hand as if he was volunteering for something, "I passed a really great place on my way here. We should check it out! It's open early and the prices are pretty cheap!"
Kagome smiled and gave Bankotsu a chummy pat on the shoulder," Cheap is good since Ban-kun volunteered to treat everyone~!"
Bankotsu openly blanched at the thought, "No wait! I volunteered to treat you!"
"Tch," Ren cut in before smirking over at Bankotsu, "Don't sweat it, Kagome. I can afford to foot the bill." His sharp, golden eyes sent a challenging and haughty look at the pair of blue eyes that glared at him in return.
Yoh merely clapped his hands together, "Well if it's free then I'm going to order lots and lots!" He announced happily before he reached over and grabbed Kagome's hand, earning a blush and smile that he did not see, "Come on, Kagome~ We have so much catching up to do!"
The glaring contest between Ren and Bankotsu ended with the two of them growling with flames in their eyes at the sight of Kagome more than happily walking away, hand-in-hand with Yoh as they began to chat. All they could hear were snippets of the couple's conversation as they and the other members of the large group walked ahead of them.
"By the way, what did you do with your hair?" Yoh's voice asked curiously. "It's pretty cute~" He shamelessly complimented her in a way that Ren wished that he had the tact or guts to.
"O-Oh? You think so~? My friend Sango-chan styled it for me~!"
'This Asakura Yoh...will be a formidable foe,' Bankotsu found himself thinking.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
The great place that Yoh had spotted on his way to meet up with Kagome turned out to be a quiet 24-hour ramen shop that conveniently had no other patrons. They immediately seated themselves and sat the table in the middle of the room, despite having the option to sit closest to the door. Meanwhile, the spirits all decided to leave the teens to be teens and congregrate at another table, unseen by the ordinary human restaurant workers. On one side of the table sat Kagome on the far left end, followed by Yoh, then Sango. On the other side of the sat, Ren sat directly across from Kagome, followed by Pirika, then HoroHoro who was directly across from Sango. Finally, Bankotsu decided to sit at the head of the table on the side that was adjacent to Kagome and Mukotsu sat on the opposite end of the short side of the table from his brother.
Several conversations quickly began, and died just as quickly, as the teenagers struggled to engage each other with questions and stories about themselves. The wait for their bowls of ramen did not feel long as they were deeply invested in chatting with each other, all except for Ren, who remained quiet besides when people decided to engage him personally.
"Ahhhh, so you're Kagome's friends from her old school~" Yoh concluded after Bankotsu introduced himself and Mukotsu to him.
They were many friendly conversations involving introductions like that one.
But there were also many embarrassing ones...
"I could tell that Kagome-chan really missed you. You're all that she would talk about night and day," Sango told Yoh during a chat about Kagome's stay with the Tao family, which caused Kagome to nearly fly out of her seat with a red face to tell Sango to not spill anymore beans. HoroHoro was amazed at how cute Sango looked when she slyly smiled behind her hand when no one was looking. He then grinned and decided to follow her lead.
"That's nothing!" HoroHoro said with a cheeky grin. "Yoh here missed Kagome-chan so much that he would write her name in dusty surfaces or in his food with this brooding, mopey fa-!"
This time it was Yoh who shot out of his seat, his hands slamming onto the table with his cheeks uncharacterstically beet red and he protested, "Heeeeey! Don't make up stories like that!" He definitely would not admit in front of everyone here that the "stories" were true.
Ren quietly observed Yoh's body language when it came to talk to Kagome or topics involving her... It was clear to him that the feelings that Kagome thought to be unrequited were actually very much reciprocated. But he also remembered the conversation that he had with Kagome a while back...
"If he did like you back...what would you do?"
"Nothing. If he did like me back, there's nothing we could do about it... He's already engaged to someone else."
"Uwaaaaah~!" Pirika and Kagome squealed in unison at the sight of their steaming hot bowls of ramen that were sat in front of them. The aroma from each bowl was heavenly! The teens gave a quick, silent prayer in unison before breaking their chopsticks apart and digging into their respective bowls.
"Mmmm!" Yoh verbally expressed his pleasure with the flavors that filled his mouth. He loudly slurped some noodles into his mouth, following by his favorite part of a bowl of ramen: the naruto fish-cake.
"Wow, Yoh~" Kagome marveled at his custom-ordered bowl. "I wish that I ordered extra naruto! They look so delicious~!" She pointed out with a look of longing at his bowl that had a plentiful amount of the white, star-shaped fishcake with colorful swirl that Kagome found adorable. "Mine only ha- Mmph!" As the girl opened her mouth to continue speaking, Yoh smiled and placed the tips of his chopsticks into her mouth, along with one of the fishcakes that she was practically drooling over. The brunette's smile widened at the sight of Kagome's cheeks flushing and eyes shining in delight.
"I know, right?" He agreed while retracting his chopsticks. "The naruto here are especially tasty too! Want another?" He asked when he noticed Kagome swallow the one that he had just deposited into her mouth. When the girl nodded with an enthused 'mhm~!' He gladly grabbed another fishcake with his chopsticks and raised it to her lips, that she willingly parted for him.
The pair were so caught up in their warm, sparkly world that they were completely unaware that the other members of the table were watching them. Pirika watched the scene with sparkly eyes over the openly romantic gesture. Sango smiled softly, feeling happy to see Kagome so overjoyed. HoroHoro was in silent tears in jealousy that Yoh got to feed the girl of his dreams while Sango did not even seem to have him on her radar! Mukotsu frowned but remained silent, he had known that he stood no chance against the other contenders for her heart. He knew that when it came to Kagome, it was not about his looks so he was content with the way things turned out. Bankotsu certainly did not enjoy watching the scene; he was mildly annoyed, but his confidence in himself did not feel the seering hot jealousy that Ren was practically seething with.
"Thanks so much~ Here, what would you like from my bowl?" Kagome offered in exchange.
"Hmm..." Yoh hummed as he looked over at the contents of Kagome's ramen. "I'm craving protein after my first fight so I'll have a piece of your beef," He explained.
Kagome nodded as she grabbed a piece of her tender, savory beef with her chopsticks and moved to offer it to Yoh, just as he had done for her. "Here, say 'ahhh~'!" She instructed him.
"Ahhhh~"
[CHOMP!]
"Ehhhhh?!" Yoh's jaw dropped when he was suddenly denied the pleasure of eating the succulent beef from Kagome's bowl. "Hey, Tao Ren!" He shouted as he jumped to his feet to stand face-to-face with the Ren who intercepted the beef from Yoh's mouth and was glaring at him as he defiantly chewed the piece of beef. "Kagome was giving that to me!"
"Hmph," Ren smirked after swallowing the piece. "Oops," He replied in an obviously fake apologetic tone. "I don't know what came over me. I'm suddenly craving protein too." He huffed as he shot Yoh a sharp look and tried to mentally tell him with his eyes alone, 'I know your game, Asakura. As if I'll let you steal indirect kisses from her right in front of my face!'
"Eh..." Kagome sweat dropped, unsure why it felt like sparks were suddenly flying between the two of them, "Ren, you ordered the exact same thing. You didn't really need to eat mine," She pointed out.
Yoh, who definitely did not miss the sharp and accusatory looks that Ren shot his way, grinned and added, "That's okay, Kagome~ I'll just steal one from his bowl!"
"The hell you will!" Ren protested and grabbed the Asakura's arm as he reached across the table with his chopsticks in hand. "Hands off, Asakura!"
Sango sighed for the millionth time that night and remained quiet as she chose to let the teens to sort this conflict out for themselves so that she could enjoy her meal in as much peace as possible.
Kagome laughed at Yoh's and Ren's antics as she slurped a bit of noodles into her mouth. "Ren, you're so stingy~" She teased while sending a smile in the Tao's direction, causing him to visibly stiffen, blush, and look away.
The rest of the meal was spent in a rollercoast with swings of peace and swings of chaos. Certain ones would never admit it, but all of them had a pretty good time and found that it was an amazing way to end the first night of shaman fights in Tokyo. Pirika yawned softly as they exited the shop after spending a couple of hours chatting and order more and more food there. Day was beginning to break and they had spent all night fighting, walking, and spectating fights.
All in all, they were all exhausted.
"Guess it's time to head home and hit the hay, huh?" HoroHoro asked with a tired smile.
"Ren, the complex isn't too far from here," Kagome pointed out. "These guys have quite a way to go to get back to Yoh's place. Do you mind if they sleep with us?" She requested innocently.
"Tch," was his first response as he crossed his arms. "Just how much space do you think we have in that one apartment?" He asked sharply.
"Plenty enough for a sleepover~" Kagome replied cheerfully. "I know that there's not a lot of beds but there's plenty of floor space," She pointed out as she imagined the inside of the apartment. "And if push comes to shove, you and I can just sleep together again."
Her last statement resulted in a drawn out, "Ehhhhhhhhhhhh?!" From Pirika, HoroHoro, Shippo, Mukotsu, and Yoh.
Meanwhile Ren's eyes widened and he blushed furiously.
"Eh-" Kagome scratched her cheek with an embarrassed look. "I just realized how that sounded..." She whispered to herself. She then turned to look at Yoh, only to see him looking utterly crushed as he sat on the ground, hugging his knees to his chest with a depressed aura. "Y-Yoh! It's not like that, I swear!" She told him while flailing her arms about.
Notes: It looks like these past seven chapters featuring the Tao family has shift some Yoh x Kagome lovers to the Ren x Kagome ship! I'm not sure if I'm sad or proud of that! Now it's time to see if I can successfully tear you guys between two ships. If I can't write this love triangle, then this fic is dooooooooooooooomed! Just kidding~ The next chapter will be a mixture of seriousness, a bit of fun, a bit romance, and more hints at Kagome's secret. Anyway, read and review!