Shaman King Chapter 22: The Shaman Who Tempted Fate, an Inuyasha + Shaman King Crossover fanfic

Authoress' Notes: Welp... I did it, my dears. I updated three times in a week- well, within a month! Please give me a round of applause for my diligence! Hopefully, you find these chapters satisfactory and enjoyable to read!

The Shaman Who Tempted Fate

and The Impregnable Priestess

[ "Asakura Yoh is Alpha…" ]

Higurashi Kagome's existence was one that had both delighted and agitated Asakura Hao. From the moment that he first laid eyes on her, he could tell that there was no other being like her in this entire world. It was both alarming and exhilarating to find a being whose mind he could not read. He began to watch over that beautiful creature almost as frequently as he watched over his younger brother Yoh, if not more.

He watched her from afar, from the shadows, where he pondered her existence: the gorgeous young girl who continued to unknowingly shatter his expectations time and time again. Because he could never read her mind, nor her moves, she remained an enigma to him. In the beginning, he thought of himself as the puppet master and Kagome as the missing string. It was only when he had caught a glimpse of the terrifying power slumbering within her that he realized that while he truly was the puppet master, she was the one who set the stage.

Hao smiled at her and replied straightforwardly, "I want to know how a being such as you can exist in this world. I've lived many lives, and never before have I encountered an existence quite like yours before."

"You have curiosity, yes?" The shining Kagome asked. Hao did not even nod his head; he just stared this Kagome down to show how serious he truly was. He needed to know what it was about her that drew him to her. "Very well. This will be the first and the last time that you call on me," She told him as she extended her hand towards him.

She looked him in the eye. Translucent blue met solid brown. "…are you ready?" She asked of him.

"Yes."

Hao reached out his hand and grasped hers, not even surprised that their hands connected. "Then I will take you back… to the very beginning," The older Kagome told him as the colors of the room began to swirl and blend together until they formed the deepest of black.

She told him that she would take him back to the very beginning, and she was not exaggerating. However, Hao was shocked to find that the beginning did not begin with him. The very beginning started with him surrounded by cold and darkness. He looked up and saw a light far ahead above him. "Interesting…" He whispered as he watched the events unfold.

His dark eyes glazed over and his posture became slack as he entered a trance-like state, where the entity showed him what he wished to see…

If he were an ordinary human, his journey would have likely shattered his mind and the remnants of his broken soul into the desolate illusion of insanity. Never did he imagine and expect what he saw…

S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.

The tension in the hallway was suffocating, stifling, so overwhelming. This was not the same adrenaline rush that one obtained when watching a shaman fight. The states were not as simple and clear as that. HoroHoro watched, completely shell-shocked, as Yoh glowered at Ren from his spot against the wall that he was just shoved against. He did not need to hear the words that they exchanged in order to understand what was going on. He felt so stupid for giving Ren the dare that he did. He felt like a complete asshole.

"Well, if you'd excuse me," Yoh grumbled out as he tried to push past Ren, but the Tao would not have it. Ren stepped directly into his path and continued glaring him down like he was the scum of the earth.

"I'm not finished with you, Asakura!" Ren insisted. It was not that Ren genuinely believed that something intimate happened between Kagome and Yoh. No. His inner fires were still raging from being denied his chance to—

"I've had enough!" Kagome suddenly shouted as she pushed past Jun and Sango with a physical strength that took them off guard. She stomped over to Ren and Yoh. She first gave Ren an angry shove in the chest that succeeded in creating a small space between the two of them. "Ren, what the hell are you thinking?! Why are you picking a fight with Yoh like that?!" She screamed at nearly the top of her lungs, her hands balled up, and her eyes glaring, yet confused and sad.

"Kagome-chan…" Sango whispered as she began to step forward to diffuse the situation.

"Don't make excuses for him!" Kagome added, as if she knew that Sango was going to try to talk her down. However, the angry priestess would hear nothing of it. She wanted to be heard.

Normally, Ren would feel guilty over upsetting her so much, but today was different. The sight of the face whose smile he secretly swore to protect so angry and defensive against him was too much. Ren glared back at her and shouted just as loudly, "Why me?! Why am I always the bad guy to you?!" He demanded to know as he was suddenly in her face, similar to how he was just aggressively in Yoh's.

Bason then made his presence known as he looked between Kagome and Ren, "M'lady..." he acknowledged her. "And M'Lord, you mustn't—"

"Because you're always picking fights!" Kagome retorted quickly while raising a finger close to Ren's face and glaring at him even harder, completely ignoring the spirit. "Are you not?" She asked. Her blue eyes continued matching the intense glare of Ren's golden eyes.

"Is that how you see it?" Ren mumbled as he finally looked away, his head hanging low enough for his bangs to cast a shadow over his eyes. "Fine…" He replied, his tone as icy and cold.

Seeing the way Ren backed down from Kagome's anger made Yoh feel guilty. 'It's my fault… for being so impulsive…' He thought to himself. A moment later he thought that he could fix the situation. He forced a smile to his face and placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder, only for his eyes to widen when she angry slapped it away.

"And you too, Yoh! You're not completely innocent either! If you hadn't interfered… then…" Kagome did not get into his face like she did Ren, but it still hurt to know that she was angry with him as well. For a moment, she held her head low. "Why did you do it? And in the closet, you…" She asked in a wavering, watery voice as if she was on the verge of tears. "You can't have it both ways…"

Yoh reached for her hand, his eyes showing nothing but regret as he said, "I just didn't—"

"You're engaged, Yoh…" Kagome suddenly said in a low tone before she finally lifted her head to reveal angry, hurt eyes. "Mind your own business. Whoever I decide to kiss has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU—!"

Yoh's eyes widened.

As did Kagome's.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips before she threw her hands over her mouth.

'Why did I… after all that we've been through… after how far we've come…'

Brown eyes shimmered with crystal clear pools. Lips turned completely upside-down. Eyebrows pointed, as he tried to maintain his usual, relaxed self. For the first time, Kagome knew what Yoh looked like when he was so hurt that he was going to cry…

Before she had the chance to say anything, Ren side-stepped her and pushed past the crowd. "Onee-san… Sango… we're leaving," He commanded in a defeated tone that was so unlike him. The two cousins exchanged looks of deep concern but nodded to each other before turning around to follow their clan's heir. Finally, the guardian spirits who had been spectating the entire ordeal appeared.

Bason looked at Kagome's face, at how shocked and lost she looked. The seething rage was completely gone from her aura, but it was too late. The damage had been done. 'No, it can't end like this!' The spirit thought as he turned and called out to Ren, "But M'lord!"

"We're leaving," Ren repeated, and he did not bother to turn back.

Kagome turned around and saw the backs of the Taos becoming smaller.

Tears began to well up in her eyes.

'No…'

Did she just ruin her shot at a second family?

Memories of her times with Taos came flooding to her mind.

First, there was the image of Jun praising her physique as she took her to try on new clothing.

'Onee-san…'

Then, there was the image of Sango teaching Kagome some techniques in physical combat.

'Sango-chan…'

Last but not least, there was Ren… there were so many images of Ren.

Ren trying taiyaki for the first time...

Ren smirking in satisfaction after exciting her wrath by calling her a flat-chest...

Ren staying by her side as she sobbed...

Ren offering his bed to her when she was anxious...

'Ren…'

Her tears made her vision distorted and hot. She blinked those tears away and turned to look at Yoh. "Yoh, I—" She reached for his hand and found that she caught the air. He had pulled away from her. His back was facing her as well. Yoh literally turned his back on her.

"You're right…" He told her in a soft voice. "I butted into your life. I'll be on my way now." With that said and low-hanging head, Yoh walked away too. Kagome's eyes began to water up and her lower lip trembled.

'Turn again…' Kagome thought to him. 'Turn around and look at me. Please notice that I'm sorry…' The overwhelming heavy feeling in her chest muted her voice. Even though her lips parted with the desire to call out to Yoh, all she could muster up was hot, gurgling in her throat.

HoroHoro and Pirika exchanged remorseful looks, both feeling guilty for what had transpired. Pirika's eyes began to glisten with tears and she thought to herself, 'If I hadn't suggested that stupid game... none of this would have happened... my big sisters... they were wrong about me.' The blue-haired girl gave Kagome a watery smile, "I'm sorry…" She offered before taking off in a mad dash away from the remaining group.

"Ah! Pirika!" HoroHoro called after his younger sister before he taking off after her at top speed. As much he wanted to redeem himself by getting the group back together, his little sister came first.

"Damn it…" Bankotsu cursed before he turned to look at Kagome, who was still standing there, looking like a lost child. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his chest. He whispered to her in the softest voice that Kagome had ever come from his mouth, "Don't worry. I can fix this," he reassured her before pulling away and looking down at her. Her blue eyes were watery with unspilt tears. "Just stay right here. I'll bring them all back, okay?"

Kagome looked merely stared up at him, her eyes teary yet blank, as if her mind was somewhere else... somewhere sad and lonely. She absently nodded a slow, dull nod, as if her body was just going through the motions.

Bankotsu's sapphire eyes could not help but narrow, seeing the state of emptiness that she was in. "Mu… stay with her," He told his older brother, causing him to stiffen before responding with a rapid-fire of affirmative nods.

'Kagome... you're the girl who I love. I won't let you slip away from me again. Even if I have to reunite you with those two… I refuse to let you feel abandoned and alone ever again…'

It was Bankotsu's unspoken vow.

With those thoughts in his head, the dark-haired teen first took off in the direction of Yoh...

S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.

The minutes that flew by seemed to drag on like hours.

And frankly, it made Mukotsu feel uneasy and uncomfortable.

He had led Kagome to the inn's lobby, where a few early-risers began to check-out for their stays. The two of them sat right next to each other, and while Mukotsu excruciatingly aware of the whispers and stares that they received for being two teens in a hotel lobby on school morning… Kagome appeared to be completely out of it.

Mukotsu frown, his heart pounding in his chest as his anxiety began to intensify. 'I need some air!' He shouted to himself before he looked at Kagome and told her, "I-I saw some vending machines right down the street! I'll go buy you a juice! You must thirsty after all of that yell—" Mukotsu winced as he stopped himself. 'Mukotsu, you idiot!' He screamed internally as he jumped to his feet and spat out, a nervous wreck, "I-I'll be right back!" He winced again when he saw a spray from his mouth come in direct contact with Kagome's face. She did not reply, her body merely worked on reflexes and her eyes blinked.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!' He berated himself as he made a mad dash out of the double-doors of the inn. He only needed a few minutes to calm his nerves. That's what he had told himself. However, he was unaware that those few minutes would be all that it took to change the fate of the entire world…

S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.

"Well, well, well," a familiar voice suddenly spoke to her in a calm voice. "Look what we have here: the little priestess all on her lonesome," the voice stated in a tone that did not completely separate playfulness with mockery. The presence of the voice's owner was enough to bring Kagome back to reality, snapping her from blank stare and thoughts of ruining her friendships.

"Hao…" She whispered as she looked up and saw the said shaman standing in the inn's lobby, a mere three meters away from where she was sitting. As much as she did not want to be around this guy, she just did not have the energy to tell him off for crossing paths with her again. "What do you want?" She asked, her tone tired with a small hint of agitation. She was unable to meet his gaze from the discomfort that their previous encounter brought her.

"Hm," He chuckled with his eyes closed before replying nonchalantly, "I thought you'd understood from before." Kagome only looked at him when she heard the sound of footfalls slowly drawing closer to her. Within a matter of seconds, she was looking up at his painfully familiar face. She almost felt like he towered above her with the way he was standing and she was sitting in her waiting chair. He offered her a smile and said straightforwardly, "I want you."

Kagome forced a glare to her face and she responded with a frown, "I don't know you! And you don't know me! How could you possibly—?" Her eyes widened at the sight of his right hand rising. 'No… not again! Don't touch me!' She winced and shut her eyes. She expected him to grab her by the chin and try to force a kiss on her like last time…

…but there was nothing. Nothing but the darkness that came with eyes being squeezed shut.

"…"

"…?" Kagome peeked an eye open, slowly, confused, afraid, and unsure of what she'd see.

She was greeted with an unexpected sight.

Hao's open palm in front of her face, in an offering.

"Come with me Kagome," He told her. Kagome looked up at him with wide eyes, wavering with confusion. "Come with me and you'll never be alone again."

"Go…" Kagome whispered back. "With you...? Where…?"

"Everywhere," Hao smiled down at her. "We'll change this world into something more beautiful. Together."

Kagome stared at the hand, at the promise of never being alone again, at the promise of changing the world for the better. Almost everyone had the wish to change the world into something more beautiful, right? Almost everyone wished to make a positive impact on the world, didn't they? 'If I go with Hao… can I live a happier life?'

Despite smiling so warmly on the outside, Hao was smirking deviously on the inside. This was the perfect opportunity to make the priestess that he so longed to have his own…

She was alone, afraid, sad, and oh so vulnerable.

"Okay…" She said with a nod as she placed her hand inside of his, gasping when his hand instantly snapped shut around hers. She was a hungry fly, drawn to the smell of sweet nectar.

And Hao was the Venus flytrap.

S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.

The first night with Kagome joining Hao's forces was the roughest, for she was obviously still nervous and unsure of her decision. She found that she would be sleeping in a camp located not too far outside of Tokyo. It was in a clearing of trees in a forested area that there was a base made up of tarps and make-shift tents. Kagome was surprised to find that Hao had gained so many followers. 'Maybe he's more charismatic than I thought,' She told herself. She followed directly after Hao with her hands nervously cupped together as they walked up to the clearing, where a large bonfire lit up the surrounding area.

"Look! Hao-sama has returned!" A masculine voice pointed out.

"Welcome back, Hao-sama," another masculine voice greeted as a crowd of shamans began to swarm around the two of them.

"Ah. He has recruited another shaman to join the ranks." Kagome heard someone surmised upon seeing her.

Hao stopped walking suddenly, causing Kagome to squeak when she bumped into his back. He chuckled at her antics before he turned and positioned himself at her side. With a crowd of various ages, sexes, and ethnicities looking at them, Hao placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder and spoke a sequence of words that made her eyes widen, "This young lady is Higurashi Kagome. While she too is a shaman like the rest of us, she is special. She will not join our cause as another shaman... but rather..."

Kagome gasped softly.

"…my Shaman Queen."

Kagome's head immediately shot up to throw him an embarrassed look, but she blushed when she was met with a confident smile. "Together, she and I will forge the path to a Shaman Kingdom on Earth."

She did not sleep well that night.

She tossed and turned a lot.

Her head full of questions about the decision that she made, and memories of Yoh. She wondered if Yoh would care if she decided to become someone else's Shaman Queen. 'He couldn't care about that... not after what I told him…' Tears filled her eyes as she heard her own angry voice inside of her head.

["Whoever I decide to kiss has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU—!"]

S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.

Months flew by. Kagome had seen Yoh or any of her other friends in so long. It felt like meeting them was but a distant dream. She had made herself as comfortable as she could amongst Hao's followers, but sometimes, disagreements and doubts took over...

Despite being unable to read her mind, Hao had spent enough time with her that he could predict her movements. Not too long ago, she had gotten into a verbal altercation with some of his other followers and had fled the scene in a huff after giving them a piece of her mind. Night had fallen upon the frozen tundra that they were traversing. The mild warmth that the sun had provided conceded the silent chill of the moon.

It was on the other side of a frost-dusted boulder than he found her sitting in her lonesome with her slender arms hugging her knees to her chest for warmth. Her long, black hair was worn loosely, her blue eyes saddened, her body only protected from the elements by a long-sleeved dark-blue sweater, a short pale-blue skirt, patterned winter leggings, and a pair of fuzzy snow boots. It would have been acceptable cold-weather attire for a different biome, but they were on the move, so they had no time to acquire more clothing.

"Kagome," Hao began as he placed a hand on his hip and smiled, his eyes twinkling with mirth at her ridiculous levels of obstinacy, "Still brooding over earlier? Is it worth freezing to death over?"

Kagome merely huffed and replied in a sharp tone, "You didn't take my side."

"What would it accomplish if I did?" He asked before settling down right beside her. "Besides, I didn't not take your side either," he told her, knowing that she would only become even more annoyed at the technicality.

"Not taking my side is almost like the same thing as agreeing with them!" She retorted with a frown.

Hao chuckled a bit before raising a hand to cup her cheek, "There is no them, Kagome," he told her calmly. "I know this is still all very new to you, but you are going to be my Shaman Queen. And when that happens, they and the remaining shamans on Earth will become your people."

Kagome closed her eyes and leaned into his hand a bit, before she replied, "I know that... but still... they want me to call you Hao-sama like the rest of them," She explained, her eyes remaining closed. "But I can't bring myself to do that. Somehow, that name feels so lonely and cold. I want Hao to just be Hao, to me."

Hao stifled a chuckle. Despite being more mature than when they had first met, Kagome retained her honesty. It was a quality that he found to be sparse in humanity. It was not only his own suffering but also the undeserved suffering of people like her, that fueled the fires of his ambitions.

In a fluid motion, Hao opened his cloak and pulled Kagome inside of it, flush up against his body that she was surprised to be generating so much heat. He placed his chin on top of her head and smiled, knowing that she was blushing from their close proximity. "How about you get some rest?" He asked her. "You can make up with others in the morning."

Kagome was blushing from head to toe, despite knowing that one day, she would marry the young man who was holding her so closely, "You're going… to hold me all night?" she asked in an embarrassed tone.

Hao chuckled once again before placing a kiss on top of her head, "You're going to be my wife someday. You should get used to it."

Kagome pouted a bit, "That may be true, but—"

"It is true," He suddenly told with finality.

"Eh?" She blinked from within his arms.

"There is no 'maybe'. You will be my wife."

"Okay..." She replied in a whisper, trying not to let the uncertainty that she felt inside dip into her voice. She did not want him to be angry. She did not want him to leave her. 'This is… all that I have left…' There was something about the warmth from Hao's bare skin that made Kagome especially drowsy. He placed a hand over her eyes and told her to sleep. She complied and allowed herself to be carried away by the carriage of dreams.

S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.

Hao was more than pleased with the progress he had made. Kagome seemed more and more comfortable at his side. No longer did she shy away from his touches, she gave him small smiles when he addressed her as his Queen. It was nearly perfect. Between tournament phases, she more than willingly traveled the world with him, aiding his cause by using her spiritual powers to cure the sick and heal the wounded.

Kagome smiled and hummed as the faint blue glow to her right hand faded. "There, you should feel all better now~!" She said as she pulled her hand away from the legs of the blue-eyed teen who she had performed a cleansing on. She wiped some sweat away from eyebrow as she sighed, feeling exhausted, but satisfied with her handiwork. "Alright, you're the last one so I should go return to my—" She was cut off when the teenage boy who she just finished curing of mysterious illness grabbed her by the chin and tilted her face at different angles while he inspected her.

"Say," He began with a rather impressed tone. "You have a rather pretty face, you know that?" He asked her before giving her a smirk.

Kagome glared at the young man before delivering a swift slap to his face. "As if!" She shouted before standing up straight and away from the hammock that the blue-eyed, dark-haired teen was resting on. "Don't get ahead of yourself! Only Yoh can—!"

She gasped.

It felt like it had been so long since she had seen his smile.

And yet… there it was.

The image of the tanned, smiling boy who stole her heart...

Kagome lowered her head and sighed as she turned her back on the boy, who merely stared at her with wide eyes, shocked that he was flat-out rejected, being as good-looking as he was. "Koga-kun… this never happened, understand?" She asked before using one hand to part the woven flap that made up the hut's door entrance and left to rejoin Hao outside to continue their work.

Upon their reunion, Kagome offered Hao a smile that he did not buy, but he said nothing of it. She was not fooling him. And he could not fool himself. In order to completely win her over, he had to tie up loose ends…

["Hey, Hao… In the Shaman Kingdom… there will be space for Yoh and all of my friends, right?"]

["There will be space for all shamans there."]

S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.

It was time for Hao's ambitions to finally come into fruition.

He smirked, his brown eyes widening like a maniac as he spread his arms and openly laughed at the feeling of victory that overcame him. He had defeated the Elemental Warriors. He had consumed the one that he wanted. He became the most powerful shaman of all time! It was now time for him to merge with the King of Spirits.

The landscape around him was decimated; stripped bare of all life, and set ablaze from the battle that just ensued. Finally, he turned to offer his Shaman Queen a smile. Now that he permanently disposed of the pests, there would be no one to stand in the way of him acquiring the final piece of the puzzle: Higurashi Kagome.

The golden, hot flames crackled and roared around them; their long hair flapping in the wind. "Now, my Queen..." Hao offered his hand out to her and smiled as he waited for her to take his hand.

The raven-haired girl looked around at the scene.

There was so much death.

There was so much destruction.

Hao made good on his word to lay waste to the wretched worlds of humans.

She slowly reached out her arm... slowly... but surely... her small hand landed inside of his.

He smiled.

At last, he had gotten everything that he wanted.

S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.

…or so that Hao had thought.

He had made many mistakes in his conquest of the world and the heart of Kagome. However, he had been shown the beginning and end of his journey. He would learn from his past mistakes and secure the victory for his cause. This time, for sure, he would succeed.

This day was not playing out exactly as it did in that other world; the world that the divine entity showed him. The two worlds were quite similar, but it was his own interference that changed the flow of time. In that world, Asakura Yoh and Higurashi Kagome confessed their romantic feelings for each other. It was a tragic, teary-eyed confession accompanied by guilt. They embraced under the cloud of darkness and Kagome's lips found their way to Yoh. The two were discovered by their friends in the middle of less than pure actions… and it led to the exact same situation that was playing out now.

Tao Ren aggressively showed Yoh into the wall and possessively laid claim to the priestess… and Yoh escalated the situation by not backing down like he normally would…

Hao smirked at the scene.

It was time.

"I've had enough!" Kagome suddenly shouted as she pushed past Jun and Sango with a physical strength that took them off guard. She stomped over to Ren and Yoh. From afar, Hao watched the satisfyingly familiar scene play out with a wide smirk across his face. He had seen all that he needed to see. He knew how to win Kagome over. The first step was to sever her bond with her friends: most importantly, with his younger brother Yoh.

When this scene played out before, the couple had been genuinely caught in the heat of the moment by their friends. However, in this instance, Hao had to fabricate that scenario due to his own interruption to satiate his own curiosity, but it was an easy task when the two of them were unconscious until the right moment.

'That's right, Kagome…' Hao mentally egged her on as she set her angry eyes upon Ren first. 'Release your anger. Set that fire free.'

"You're both being ridiculous!" Kagome exclaimed before taking hold of Ren's yukata, both of her hands gripping fabric on either side of his neck.

Hao's pupils dilated as he spectated the scene from afar.

Her response to their spat was different from before.

The girl took everyone by surprise when she yanked Ren down towards her and lightly pressed her lips at the corner of his mouth. "Eh!" Golden eyes widened as Ren blushed deeply. His shoulders stiffened and he all could do was force a glare at her and shouted, "What the hell are you doing, baka?!" after she pulled away, looking both pleased with herself and fed up with the entire situation.

"There!" Kagome squeaked in a conclusive tone as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Uwah!" Yoh screamed in protest, then asked in almost a whine, "Kagome! What about me?!"

The blue-eyed girl smiled impishly before sticking the tip of her tongue out at Yoh, "You don't get a kiss because you didn't get the dare!" She told him in a playfully haughty voice.

Yoh and Bankotsu sent death glares in HoroHoro's direction, "Daaaaaaaareeee meeeee!" They demanded with clenched fists and fire in their eyes. HoroHoro paled at the thought of being pummeled for the umpteenth time that day.

"San-chan, save meeeeeeeee!" HoroHoro cried out as he leaped for Sango, whose eyebrow twitched before she wound her arm back and delivered a deadly, bone-crunching blow to his mid-section once he came in range.

"Don't touch me, perv," Sango seethed as she glared down at the HoroHoro-shaped hole in the wooden floor. "Oh," She blinked before placing her hand over her mouth like an innocent maiden. "Maybe I overdid it. I don't want to pay for the damages," She said thoughtfully while placing bringing a concerned hand to her mouth.

"YOU'RE MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE FLOOR THAN ME?!" HoroHoro called up from a dark area that he could only assume to be the basement.

"Of course, the last thing that I want is to be charged for—" Sango's sentence was cut short when she sensed a dark, cold aura closing in on her from behind. She slowly cranked her head over her shoulder to see Jun giving her the calmest, scariest smile imaginable. Although her face was as beautiful and kind as usual, Sango could literally see the dark, angry energy being emitted from her body.

"Oh, Sango, dear~!" Jun cooed at her in an eerie tone. "Who do you think is going to pay for that floor? I don't want to be the one to explain to father why I need more money so suddenly." For the first time in her entire life, Sango knew the fear of sensing your impending doom.

Meanwhile, in the background, Amidamaru and Bason both sighed in relief. The two human spirits then turned to the demonic spirit who had been hiding out down the hall. "I was quite surprised when Sesshomaru-sama told us not to interfere with them today," Amidamaru confessed to Bason, who nodded in agreement.

"I too was unsure of his motivations, but it appears that everything worked out in the end."

Sesshomaru watched his partner laugh and joke with her friends silently from afar, just as he always did. He was completely aware of how far south the situation could have gone, but he made a gamble against the puppetmaster who fueled the fires of today's altercation. The demonic spirit shot a threatening glance through the walls of the hotel, out far beyond the range of ordinary human eyes, to the Asakura in hiding. 'You tempted fate by assuming that things would go your way. However, I can attest that this young girl is far stronger than you know.'

Hearing her crush demanding her brother to dare him to kiss Kagome, Pirika decided to gather up her courage and being as straightforward and cool as her big brother! The blue-haired girl scurried up to Bankotsu with her small hands balled into determined fists. "B-B-Ban-san!" She squeaked. He blinked and raised an eyebrow at her.

"'Sup, Piririn?" He asked casually, turning his attention away from the squabble over Kagome for the time being. 'Oh…' He thought when he noticed her eyes looking both incredibly focused but also hopeful and dreamy. 'Ohhhhhhhh…' He understood the faint pink blush on her face and her nervous body language. 'So she's got a crush on me, eh?' He thought to himself. 'But she's so young… not my type at all,' he concluded before grinning and patting her on the head. 'And besides…' Bankotsu looked over to Kagome, who was too busy laughing with Yoh about something to notice his eyes on her.

"I-I uh… If K-Kagome-nee doesn't want to kiss you, um… I uh…" Pirika's brown eyes continuously alternated between Bankotsu's face and the floor. "Well…!" She squeaked in a higher pitch than before, her face becoming even pinker.

Bankotsu sighed inwardly but smiled down at her nonetheless. He placed a hand on her sympathetically, "You need to work on that." Pirika blinked, unsure of what he meant, but she still felt the warm intent behind his touch. It was still a win-win in her book.

As for everyone else…

Chaos.

There was utter chaos in the inn. There were so many shouting teenagers, so many love-struck teenagers. HoroHoro's hand shakily rose from beneath the dark depths of the basement. "I…" He grunted out, his face covered in dust, "Made it!" He announced as he swung an arm over the edge and hung there. He sent a grin at Sango, who was the first person that he saw upon emerging. "Hey, San-chan," He said. "Think I could get a hand?" He asked. Sango rolled her eyes at the nickname but found herself feeling a little guilty about what she had done, so she huffed, like her younger cousin would, and extended her hand to him. HoroHoro's grin only widened at this as he gladly grabbed her hand.

Sango noticed the confused blink that HoroHoro gave after she pulled him out of the hole singlehandedly. Literally. 'Hmph, he probably thinks that it's unladylike to be so strong,' She thought before huffing, feeling agitated at the thought.

HoroHoro then looked at her with a rather serious expression on his face, "Hey, Sango…"

"What is it?" Sango asked, feeling her agitation grow.

"I thought that a beautiful girl like you would have ultra-soft hands—"

"W-WHAT?!"

"But I guess I misjudged you," HoroHoro added with a hearty laugh as he locked his hands behind his head in a relaxed pose. "You're beautiful, but you're also strong through hard work. That's pretty admirable."

Sango blinked.

"Huh…" She whispered before smiling softly. "I guess I misjudged you too," she replied.

HoroHoro then smirked as he deepened his voice and asked, "You've realized that I'm the man of your dreams?" Sango's smile instantly changed into a deadpanned face with a mouth as straight as a pencil. The Tao casually raised her hand to HoroHoro's chest and pushed him back into the hole. "WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHYYYY!?" Was all that could be heard as HoroHoro plummeted back into the bowels of the inn, his tiny spirit "KoroKoroKoro!"ing as she flew down after him.

Meanwhile, Kagome practically launched herself into Yoh's arms and smiled warmly when she felt him wrap his arms around her frame immediately, "I can't kiss you, but a hug is just as goo… gooo...g-goo..." Yoh blinked and peeled back from Kagome to look down at her face. She was smiling a scary wide nervous smile with her eyes wide and forehead a bit sweaty.

"What's up, Kagome? You don't wanna—EEK!" Yoh's eyes widened like saucers at the familiar sound of furious footfalls.

"'I'll be back soon', you said?" the familiar feminine voice that foretold of impending pain asked in a harsh whisper. "Your fiancée goes to look for you and finds you with another woman in your arms."

Ren's ear practically twitched when he heard the word 'fiancée' leave the blonde's mouth.

Yoh turned around and tried to offer Anna a smile, but it immediately faltered, knowing that she would accept no excuses for his behavior. "A-Anna… well, you see… it's like this…"

Part of Ren wanted to exacerbate the problem of the blonde with the fiery aura by telling her that Yoh had been caught in a raunchy position with the 'other woman' as well, but he had the feeling that ratting out Yoh would also cause more problems for Kagome—and that was simply something that he would not have.

"Nice to see you too, Anna-chan…" Kagome suddenly stated, almost stiffening when the blonde's head snapped to her. "It's been a while, right?" She took a page from Yoh's book and tried to give Anna a smile, but it too cracked under Anna's intense gaze.

"Hn…" Anna's eyes narrowed as she stared Kagome down, taking in her appearance like a hawk: flawless skin, silky tresses in a fashionable hair-style, big blue eyes, small waist with toned muscles, and... Anna's eye twitched at the sight of Kagome's chest…

"WAH!" Yoh wailed when suddenly Anna wrapped her thin arms around his midsection in an iron grip. He blinked and continued to scream when he realized that he was being lifted off the ground and the world was rapidly flipping upside down.

"ACK!" The Asakura went pale after Anna delivered the most professional German duplex anyone had ever seen on him, "Oof…" he mumbled as he felt his spirit leaving its body.

Ren smirked in amusement as Kagome immediately knelt beside him and began slapping his face to rouse him. "Oh, wait!" the priestess shrieked as she spotted a translucent upside-down raindrop form with a squiggly tail begin to hover up and out of Yoh's body. "Nope!Nope!Nope!Nope!" She chanted as she comically placed her hands on Yoh's departing spirit and began shoving it down back into the pale, twitching body on the ground.

"Yes," Anna encouraged while crossing her arms. "Bring him back so I can send him back again."

Ren felt a chill run down his spine from the blonde's cold words, 'Okay, this one right here… is scary.'

S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.

"Should… Opacho go check on Hao-sama?" The young girl with dark skin and large, innocent eyes asked of her companions. She stared up at the concerned faces of Hao's other followers.

With an unconcerned face, a young woman with bold blue hair simply placed a cigarette between her lips, lit it up, and took a deep puff before blowing it out. "I say let him be, little one," she stated. "Hao-sama is merely brooding over his foiled plans. He'll also probably concocting a new plan to acquire his 'Shaman Queen'."

"Frankly, I'm glad that Hao-sama's plans were thwarted," a blond girl with twin-tails said in an almost monotone voice.

"Hmph, you jealous that he has eyes for someone else, Mari?" A girl with spiky, high orange twin-tails asked with a teasing voice and a catty smile.

"I'm sure that you feel the same way, Matilda."

Hao truly was brooding though. He sat on a thick branch of a tree in the base that he set up on the outskirts of Tokyo. His hands sat on a bent knee, cupped together to support his chin as thought about what he had learned today. Although he had learned the secret behind Higurashi Kagome's mysterious power, it turned out that there was still a lot of information that had not been revealed to him. 'That deceptive, fearsome woman…' Hao thought as a scowl formed on his face as his mind replayed the events that the entity had shown him. Obviously, there was still more to the story than she had let on.

Then the image of an older Kagome glaring at him with frightening eyes, full of hatred... an image from the past?

'What did that woman show me exactly?' He wondered. 'I alone have the ability to remember past lives, but why is it that I could not remember the life that she had shown me?' His eyes narrowed as he could not come up with a satisfactory answer. She showed him wondrous images from a time before they had met, and more. And yet… he still could not figure it out. What was he missing? 'She's making a fool out of me,' he thought, before an amused smile crossed his face.

Then there was what she had told him before they went on their journey…

[ "Asakura Yoh is Alpha… and Asakura Yoh is Omega." ]

His younger brother was the beginning.

His younger brother would be the end.

What did it mean?

S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.

After offering many apologies (and compensation money) to the inn's manager, the group decided that it was time to cut their losses and take their leave. Yoh gave Kagome a toothy smile as he waved 'goodbye' to her as Anna literally dragged him on by the hem of his shirt. "See ya later, Kagome! I'll have Ryu prepare a 'welcome home' feast for you!" He called out to her.

HoroHoro and Pirika exchanged looks with each other before turning to the rest of the group. "B-Ban-san, I hope that I'll get to see you again soon!" The blue-haired girl said with an adorable blush and pout.

Bankotsu ruffled her hair and grinned, "I'm sure you will, Piririn," he told her.

HoroHoro raised a hand and waved at Sango, "Same goes for you, San-chan~! I'm sure I'll see ya soon!" He told her quite cheekily.

Sango shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm sure that I'll survive even if you don't."

"So cruel…" HoroHoro sobbed with waterfall tears as Pirika grabbed him by his collar and began dragging him away, similar to how Anna did Yoh a few moments ago. Despite his crush's cold farewell, he still smiled through his tears and waved until the remaining group's figures faded into the distance.

This time, it was Bankotsu's time bid farewell. He walked up to Kagome and took her by surprise when he suddenly pulled her into an embrace. She blushed a bit but returned it nonetheless. "Remember what I told you, okay?" The dark-haired boy whispered to her. "I'm in love with you," he told her, in case she had forgotten. He then added, loud enough for everyone else to hear as he made direct eye-contact with Ren, who glared at his next words, "I want you to consider being my girlfriend. Think about it, okay?"

Kagome's blush deepened at those words as he pulled away to look down at her, feeling rather happy that he elicited that kind of reaction from her. "Ehhh… well, I don't know, Ban-kun…" she replied as she began twiddling her fingers and looking to the side. "I kind of... already like someone," she admitted.

"Heh," Bankotsu chuckled as he turned to his back to her and casually said over his shoulder with a wave, "I know, but if you try going out with someone else, you might be able to fall in love with them instead. Think about it." Just as Kagome began to wave because she thought that he was finished with his goodbyes, he turned to look at Ren.

"Hn?"

"You're a grumpy one, but a good kid," Bankotsu told him with a smile that Ren interpreted as condescending.

"We're the same age, you buffoon!" Ren retorted.

Bankotsu chuckled at Ren's reaction before telling the Tao, "I like you, little man. But I won't go down with a fight," He said before lashing his eyes at Kagome then back to Ren, as if to tell him that he was talking about their romantic rivalry. "Here's a word of advice, nothing will change if you don't make your intentions clear." With that said, Bankotsu raised his fist.

Ren closed his eyes and stifled a laugh, "Yeah, she's kind of dense."

"Hey! Who are you talking about?!" Kagome suddenly shouted with a huff. Ren answered her with a smirk before raising his fist and bumping it against Bankotsu's, who returned the smirk with one of his own. "No, seriously," Kagome said in a deadpanned tone as she looked between the two of them. "You better not be talking about me."

"What? No, never~!" Bankotsu grinned as he turned around once again. "We love you, you know~?" He told her, causing Ren's face to go deep red and for him to begin shoving the much taller boy down the street, yelling at him to, "Go away and never come back!"

Bankotsu only laughed heartily and replied with, "Awww! You know that you'll miss me, Renny~!"

"D-don't call me that, BAKA!"

Mukotsu closely followed the suit after offering Kagome and Jun a shy wave and a smile that both returned kindly.

"Jeez," Ren huffed after he returned from herding Bankotsu down the street. "That guy is so annoying," He mumbled before looking at Kagome and saying, "You have questionable tastes in friends."

Jun giggled at Ren's statement before informing him, "That's a complete disservice to yourself, Renny."

"N-Nee-san!" Ren protested, cheeks inflamed.

"There's no need to be embarrassed about it," Sango stated casually. "It's just us here… Renny."

"Dammit! Not you too, Sango!" Ren shouted while glaring daggers at his cousin, who laughed along with the others at his expense.

Suddenly Ren felt a tug at the hem of his shirt and he looked at Kagome, who was giving him a blatantly devious smile. He sighed aloud, knowing that she was about to tease him about his nickname too. "Yes, yes, what is it?" He asked in an exasperated tone.

Kagome clapped her hands together and surprised him with, "Soooooo… I couldn't help but notice that Ban-kun said that you love me…" She smiled teasingly, causing Ren to twitch. "Do you?" She asked with overly curious tone.

"D-don't kid yourself!" Ren retorted while crossing his arms defiantly. "As if any guy could like you like that!"

Kagome blinked and did not reply for a few moments.

For a moment, Ren thought that he had made a mistake.

But he noticed that she did not look angry or hurt by his denial.

"…Ban-kun does," She pointed out without batting an eyelash.

"He doesn't count!" Ren refuted.

Kagome tilted her head to the side a bit, her lips forming a small, confused frown, "Eh? Why not?" she asked.

'Damn it, that's too cute.' Ren thought on the inside while he rebutted on the outside, "Because he's not a real man!"

"What? He's the manliest guy that I know."

"E-Eh— what makes you think that?!"

"Well, he's tall, head-strong, confident, and... he has... pretty broad shoulders," Kagome explained while imagining Bankotsu. 'Huh... I guess he is pretty good-looking when I really think about it.' "Pretty manly." She stated simply.

Ren twitched especially at the last of her explanation. 'Broad… shoulders…'

Jun smiled at the banter between the two of them. She then pulled out her cellphone and speed-dialed the number of her personal chauffeur. As much she wanted Kagome's time with them to never end, she knew that nothing would last forever. 'Maybe one day…' Jun thought as she watched Kagome laugh after making Ren blush once again. 'She'll feel the same way.'

A few minutes later, the Tao's and Kagome clambered into the limousine that seemed much more spacious without the hoard of other teenagers inside of it. The moment that limo took off towards their apartment complex, Sango plopped her head down onto Kagome's lap, which earned the older girl a smile and a gentle head pat. From the other side of the seat set, Ren could not help but stare at how peaceful his cousin's face looked…

That was… until she peaked an eye open and mouthed some syllables to him.

'You… jea…' He thought as he followed along with the motion of Sango's lips. 'Lous?'

Ren then scowled and discretely flipped her the bird when Kagome turned her head to look out of the window, causing Sango to stifle a bunch of giggles as she pretended to be asleep.

Meanwhile, Kagome sighed inaudibly, feeling tired, despite the fact that they had stayed at the inn to rejuvenate. 'A 'welcome home' party, huh? Sounds really nice.'

'Yoh... Manta-kun... Ryu-san... Anna-chan... I'm coming home, everyone.'

Authoress' Notes: Well, I don't have much to say here besides read and review! Also, I can't guarantee that my inspiration spree will last indefinitely but please continue supporting me through this endeavor with your reviews! Also, also: I don't know if this chapter was too complicated to follow, so just in case anyone is confused, here's an overview: We get a peek at some of the things that the other Kagome showed Hao in a vision. He set up Kagome and Yoh in a provocative position while they were unconscious to instigate a fight amongst a group because that's what he saw in his vision. But boom, Kagome is an OG and blew out her steam in a different way! Reviews are my creative fuel! Replenish me!

Last but not least, a special thank you once again to transcending love! This time for volunteering to become a sacrifice as my new beta reader! ; w ; you are the best!