Authoress' Notes: Okay, time to begin this hot mess with this hot mess of a character: Naraku! I reeeeaally wish that this story arc idea didn't pop into my head, but it did, so it's gonna happen~ Here we go, my dears!
Kagome's Homecoming
His Name is Naraku
Kagome decided to just let herself in. Yoh was the type of person who left his door unlocked. She honestly didn't blame him for that, what with the number of different people who came and left the residence on a regular basis. And she was about to be one of them again. Surely enough, she reached for the handle, curled her fingers around the piece of stainless steel, and twisted it until the locking mechanism readily released and allowed her step inside.
[POP!] [POP!]
"WAH!" Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden loud noise in her ears after not even a split second of planting her feet inside. She was so startled that she threw her hands in the air and released her grip on her suitcase, screaming.
"SURPRISE!" Her friends, except for Anna, chorused in unison as they began clapping and greeted her cheerfully, "Welcome home, Kagome/-chan!"
"O-oh..." Kagome blinked and sighed in relief, placing a hand over her poor heart. Her blue eyes scanned the many smiling faces that watched for her reaction. First, there was Manta, who she felt like she had not seen in ages, standing to her right holding an empty party popper. On her other side was HoroHoro, holding another empty party popper and grinning widely. Directly in front of her was Pirika, Yoh, and Ryu, whose arms were thrown in the air as a grand group greeting. Even Anna was there, but she was standing off in the background with her arms folded and a bored expression on her face. And of course, the guardian spirits were floating around near their respective partners, even her own Sesshomaru had made his presence known, although he imitated Anna in not partaking in the merriment. "Thanks, everyone~!" She replied with an appreciative smile.
"Wow," Manta gazed up at her with an amazed expression, "Kagome-chan, you haven't been gone long and you came back like a hundred times prettier!" He complimented her openly.
Kagome beamed down at Manta, feeling rather happy to be complimented so genuinely, "Awww~! You really think so? Thanks so much, Manta-kun~! I've worked really hard to get in shape~!"
Ryu nodded in agreement, as it was also his first time seeing her since she had left, "I agree. You're practically glowing, Kagome-sama~!" He added in with a friendly nod.
"Oh, come on, guys," Kagome pleaded as she waved a hand dismissively and gave them a rather flustered smile. "You're embarrassing me..." She said with a light blush.
Pirika then raised her hand as if volunteering to answer a question in class, "The food that Ryu-san made is gonna get cold at this rate! Let's chow down!"
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
To say that the Asakura dining table was more crowded than the one at the Tao's residence was more than an understatement. The large group of teens sat around the rectangular table much like a family would, with HoroHoro, Pirika, and Anna on one side; Manta, Kagome, and Yoh parallel to them, and finally Ryu was seated at the head of the table, as the eldest member of the group. It almost felt like déjà vu… sitting at such a large table with an impressive spread of delicious food sitting on the table for all to share.
Kagome took in the scene in front of her… the friends, the food, the warmth…
She had experienced this before. She hadn't noticed it then, but… 'I've been surrounded by so many good friends who love and care about me…' She thought to herself as she smiled fondly at the chatting and laughing faces around the table. 'It feels… so good. Thank you, everyone,' she thought as she reached for the tray of yakitori-skewered chicken, only for her hand to bump into Yoh's as he reached for the same one.
"O-oh!" Kagome squeaked, her cheeks becoming enflamed as she quickly retracted her hand. Unfortunately, the situation only became even more awkward because Yoh found himself mirroring her actions with an equally startled expression and similarly red cheeks.
"Eh heh," Yoh chuckled and gave her a sheepish smile before saying in the most gentlemanly manner possible, "After you, my lady~!"
The small comedic gesture earned him a small giggle from his best friend before she played along, closing her eyes and placing a hand to her chest as she replied in a posh voice, "Why thank you, my good sir~!" Kagome grabbed a skewer and took a deliberately dainty bite. "Chef Ryu always creates meals worthy of the gods themselves~!" she praised the flavor.
A light pink blush dusted Yoh's cheeks as he inwardly gushed at the angel that sat next to him, 'C-Cute!' The brunette turned back to the food in front of him and tried to focus on eating. He could not allow himself to get distracted by the girl sitting next to him—!
The blush on his face soon paled as a dark chill ran down his spine due to a certain blonde sitting directly across from his, eyeing him like a hawk. 'Anna will kill me…' He thought fearfully as he mentally sighed.
Still…
He couldn't help but steal glances at the girl sitting beside him from his peripheral. From her round eyes, to her pink lips, to the hair that Sango had put back up into twin chignons… Yoh wanted nothing more than to fawn over how cute Kagome was looking like Manta and Ryu did earlier. He had to bite his lower lip to prevent himself from blurting out how much he wholeheartedly agreed that Kagome returned looking more angelic than ever! But…
Yoh scratched his cheek, hoping that he could swallow the uneasy feeling with each bite from the meal that he took. 'I can't think that way. She's my best friend, and besides… I have Anna!'
Despite how he chastised himself and tried to remind himself of his scruples, Yoh continued to take small glances in Kagome's direction. He just couldn't stop his reflexes. His brown eyes were like moths and Kagome was like an open flame, burning beautiful and bright, drawing his gaze every time he let his guard down.
After a while, Kagome had caught on to the feeling of being watched and looked up at Yoh from the corner of her eyes, blushing when she found that Yoh was looking at her too. 'Oh crap! I-I didn't think he was looking at me!' She thought to herself as she immediately shifted her focus on looking at Pirika, who was sitting directly across from her.
The game of eye-tag between Kagome and Yoh did not go unnoticed by a few members of the party, but no one dared to bring it up. Partly because they were sure that the two were not purposely chasing each other with their eyes, and partly because they did not want to ruin the occasion with an awkward situation. Even Anna herself had noticed how the duo could not keep their eyes off each other, but she opted to stay silent about the matter… for now.
'Yoh… is that the type of girl that you want me to be…?' She thought, her eyes hardening at the sight of Kagome laughing so freely at something that Pirika had said.
Anna knew that she could never be anything like Kagome.
Nor did she want to be anything like her.
The proud Kyoyama was just that: Proud. Despite her childhood loneliness, she still managed to grow up with so much pride and respect for herself. Not even her love for Yoh would make her try to become something, or someone, that she was not.
All she wanted was… for Yoh to love her again.
Kagome bit her lip when she noticed Anna's facial expression darken from her usually stoic face to one more… openly melancholic.
Fortunately, Pirika—who Kagome found to be a ray of sunshine—was a member of the party, and she adored filling dead air with light-hearted chatter. No one seemed to mind that the only thing that she wanted to talk about was Bankotsu, or at least, no one openly protested it or made a move to change the subject. "And then Ban-san said he was sure that we'd see each other again~!" The blunette girl said in a dreamy tone as she cupped her hands together. "I know that he doesn't see me as a woman yet, but still…" She closed her eyes and began to imagine who-knows-what.
"So, this Bankotsu-san that Pirika keeps talking about…" Manta began as he looked up at Kagome from her left side. "He used to be a friend of yours, Kagome-chan?" He asked curiously, hoping that she would expand on the history between them, as she never really opened up about her life before moving to Tokyo.
"Oh, yeah," Kagome nodded, smiling as the happy memories of her and Bankotsu in the past came to her mind. "We used to be really good friends back then. He and his brothers were the new kids at my old school, and I decided to help them out since they were kind of hopeless." She thought about how Bankotsu began meeting her at the school gate and always came to cheer her on at track practice.
Suddenly, another memory played inside of her inner mind theater...
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
It was Valentine's Day: one of the worst days to fall on a school day in Kagome's opinion. Ever since she and her friends turned ten years old, she noticed that every Valentine's Day, the girls in her class would get reduced to puddles of romantic sighing or emotionally disturbed goo. It was kind of annoying to have most of her girlfriends only half-listen to her for an entire day while they tried to get their ever-changing crushes to notice them and accept their gifts. She entered her homeroom class and sighed at the familiar dreamy or anxious expressions on the faces of the girls. It was simply going to be a boring day.
Kagome waved and greeted her friends as she walked by their desks, only for her voice to fall on deaf ears. She sighed again and took her seat. 'Another boring Valentine's Day…' She thought to herself. 'I wonder why falling in love makes you ignore the entire world around you…'
Before she could continue pondering about the effects of lovesickness, the sound of the door opening followed by a chorus of squeals caught Kagome's attention. She looked up and saw Bankotsu enter the room. The two of them made direct eye contact, and the sight of his grin made Kagome smile at the prospect of not spending Valentine's Day completely bored and alone.
But before she could greet him, a crowd of girls swarmed around him, causing the boy to scowl at the interruption.
"Bankotsu-kun, please accept my chocolate!"
"Shichinin-san, I've had a crush on you for the longest time!"
"I worked hard for days to master this recipe! I made this chocolate especially for you! Please accept it!"
The popular boy was attacked with a barrage of pleas for his romantic favor. Still, he was tall enough to see over the many heads of his classmates and was able to see the surprised look on Kagome's face.
"All of you, get out of my way," Bankotsu suddenly commanded, causing the crowd of girls to go silent and blink at him in surprise. He was usually very kind to all the girls, a personality trait that won the hearts of many of them. It was surprising for him to act so cold to them.
He made a point of raising the volume of his voice while making direct eye-contact with Kagome, who was still sitting across the room, "The only girl who I'd accept chocolate from is Higurashi over there!" He announced shamelessly. He sent Kagome the most dashing grin he practiced in the mirror that morning. He specifically wanted to use the grin on her when he met up with her at the school gate. Unfortunately, he had gotten intercepted by a swarm of upperclassmen who offered him their Valentine's gifts.
"…" Kagome blinked when all eyes in the classroom turned to her expectantly. She looked around, confused at the stares that she was receiving.
"What?" She looked at Yuka, who gave her two thumbs-ups. "What?!" She looked at Eri, who gave her a teasing smile. Kagome finally looked at Ayumi, who was silently clapping with happy tears streaming down her face. "What?!" Kagome shouted as she jumped to her feet. "I don't have anything for anyone! So stop looking at me like that!" She glared at Bankotsu. "Everyone's staring at me now! Why would you say something like that, baaaaaaaaka?!"
Bankotsu sighed, but only shrugged and grinned.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Kagome couldn't help but slam her face into the table—barely managing to miss a plateful of food—as the feeling of utter humiliation overcame her at the memory of how stupid and oblivious she was. 'I'm an idiot!' She cried out inside her head as her small hand formed into a fist and banged on the table at the memories. 'He really did like me all of that time! Ban-kun, I'm sorry! I was dumb!'
Meanwhile the rest of the group found themselves sweatdropping as the girl wallowed in self-induced misery over how blind she was.
"Hey, Kagome-chan," Manta suddenly said. "I know that you left to train on your own, but could I get more details about what you did while you were gone? I want to know how you changed so much so quickly!" He then sent a deadpanned look in Yoh's direction, "Maybe it'll motivate Yoh-kun here to train harder."
Yoh stifled laughed and replied in a faux hurt tone, "Ahhhh, Manta—! That's so mean! You're starting to sound like Anna." Within the blink of an eye, said girl flicked a chopstick at Yoh with such force that it landed right between his eyes and sent him crashing to the floor.
"Ah! Yoh!" Kagome gasped and was immediately at his side, her gentle hands pulling him into an upright position. "Are you alright?" She asked with a small frown as she looked him over once for injuries.
Yoh merely rubbed the center of his forehead, where a sizzling, red circle had been engraved from an ordinary chopstick that turned nearly lethal. He laughed it off," Y-Yeah, I deserved that," he replied with a grin.
"...did you?" Kagome could not help but whisper.
Yoh's eyes widened at the question and the sudden sullen expression on Kagome's face. Her voice had a tinge of bitterness in it. Her bottom lip twitched as if she had to force herself not to say something...
She was repressing whatever she was feeling, not expressing what she was thinking.
'Kagome…' He marveled at the emotion that only he could see from their kneeling positions. 'Are you making such a sad face… for my sake?' He wondered to himself. The thought of Kagome feeling so down because she was upset for his sake… it was almost too much. Yoh's smile twitched, and almost wavered, but he kept it going, for her sake. Yoh placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled, "Don't worry about me, Kagome." She seemed to perk up a bit at his reassuring tone. "I'll be alright."
"Ahem," Anna suddenly cleared her throat, but made no move to get up from her seat. "If you two are finished, we're still having dinner," she did not hesitate to break up the scene that was borderline touching.
"Yeah, we don't need a repeat of the closet incident—" HoroHoro then gasped and covered his mouth. His eyes went wide with horror as Kagome, Yoh, and Pirika all shot him angry, incredulous looks.
Anna's eyes narrowed at his statement. "Closet incident?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
Manta, being the observant person that he was, quickly caught onto the panicked looks on his friends' faces and immediately interrupted with a question, "Kagome-chan, you still haven't told me what you did while you were gone! Do tell!" He encouraged her while nervously rubbing his hands together. Kagome and Yoh eagerly took the chance to jump to their feet.
Yoh sat his chair back into an upright position and retook it. "Y-Yeah," he added, the nervousness in his voice betraying the smile on his face. "Tell us!"
"Oh yeah!" Manta suddenly blinked as a thought occurred to him. "We called you quite a few times while you were away, Kagome-chan! But we only ever got voicemail! What happened with that?!"
Kagome shuffled in her seat as if she was embarrassed to answer the question. "Oh... I'm sorry," she began with an apology. "There was no way for me to know that you called. I kind of… lost my phone on my first night alone."
Manta, HoroHoro, and Yoh sweatdropped at her confession.
"Sounds like something Kagome-chan would do…" Manta remarked in a deadpanned voice.
"Yup," HoroHoro readily agreed.
"Wait!" Kagome extended her arm as if trying to stop someone from leaving. "Let me explain! It wasn't an ordinary accident or anything! I was supposed to be catching a fish and—"
"It wasn't an ordinary accident is an understatement," HoroHoro cut in teasingly.
Meanwhile, the other guardian spirits all turned to give Sesshomaru puzzled, questioning looks.
"…" The demonic spirit merely turned away from them without a word.
Normally, they would interpret this action of him being too proud to indulge them. But they had the feeling that he was actually embarrassed, for once.
"I was supposed catch a fish for my dinner, but…"
Kagome coughed; a misshapen air bubble escaped from her mouth as she did so. That was when water rushed into her mouth and she unconsciously inhaled. The foreign invader that filled her lungs stung and her body convulsed slightly from the pain. She could no longer think. Her body fruitlessly clawed from the surface. Eventually her vision faded to black… there was a face hovering above her… 'Who is it…?' For a single moment, her vision cleared after she blinked, and she could make out a face she recognized. 'Yoh…' she thought, but she did not understand.
Kagome finished briefly explaining her near drowning-incident, but not without intentionally glossing over the topic of her savior. She placed her fingers to her lips as flashbacks of those moments of panic and terror came to her mind. She hadn't thought about it in a while, but...
'Back then… that person who saved me from drowning… it must have been—' Yoh blinked when he noticed Kagome's hands clench into fist in her lap. 'That person who gave me mouth-to-mouth to save my life… It was…
...Hao.'
"So anyway, I guess the Taos found me because I woke up under their care," Kagome told them but added with a nervous smile, "But… I realize in hindsight that I think my phone was lost somewhere between me jumping into that river and being found by the—"
Suddenly Manta jumped to his feet and was standing on top of the chair as his hands slammed down on the tabletop, "B-By Taos, you mean those terrifying sibling shamans that tried to KILL US?!" He asked with a shaky voice and trembling body. "How did you get mixed up with them?!"
Kagome sweatdropped while smiling, "Calm down, Manta-kun. The Taos are actually very good friends of mine now~!" She interlocked her fingers, a loving expression appeared on her face as she added, "I love them~!"
HoroHoro then cackled a bit before teasing, "You mean you're in love with that shorty: Ren?"
Within the blink of an eye, both Yoh and Kagome stood up from their seats and slammed their hands down on the table, much like how Manta did a few moments earlier.
"I-I'm/S-she's not in love with him!" They exclaimed in perfect unison before looking at each other, exchanging blushes and sheepish expressions, looking in the opposite directions. They truly did mirror each other's movements a lot.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"Renny?" Jun called out as she pushed open the door leading to what used to be Kagome's room. She was not surprised to find her younger brother sitting on the naked bed that used to belong their beloved house guest. "Oh, Renny," the green-haired Tao sighed, feeling a twang of empathy tugging on her heartstrings as she took in her younger brother's appearance. He still hadn't changed out of the outfit that Kagome soiled with her tears and snot as she blubbered out her goodbyes. She could have sworn that she saw his hand caressing the spot where the missing girl had probably rested her head.
"N-Nee-san!" Ren stammered, stiffening as he was caught red-handed. "It's not what it—!"
Before he could even finish his sentence, Ren found himself pulled into his sister's embrace. "Oh, Renny," she whispered. "You don't have to pretend in front of me. I know how you feel about her."
Ren was (usually) not one to argue with his sister, nor was he one to try to lie to her.
"Nee-san… I…"
"I'm guessing from the atmosphere between you two when we left, you didn't exactly tell her how you feel," Jun surmised as she pulled away from her brother and offered him a small, understanding smile.
Ren blushed and averted his eyes, "Well, I… tried." That got Jun's attention. She smiled and sat down on the bed next to her younger brother, who almost instantly regretted letting her in on the details. Something told him that she would keep pressing the matter after hearing that he came so close.
"So you tried to tell Kagome-chan how you feel," She repeated. "What happened?"
Ren's blush deepened as he scowled at the memory of what had transpired a few hours earlier. "I… asked her how she'd feel if I liked her…" Jun's eyes instantly lit up and sparkled at those words. "…hypothetically." Jun's eyes dulled at that addition.
"Really, Renny," Jun sighed in disappointment. "Why do you send that girl so many mixed signals?" She asked as she gave her younger brother a pout.
Ren crossed his arms and huffed, "She sends me more mixed signals!" He retorted. "She tells me that she loves Asakura Yoh! Then she tells me that she wouldn't mind if I kissed her! She acts like she cares about me, but she also makes fun of me on a daily basis!" He ranted and raved without a hitch. "If those aren't mixed signals then I don't know what is!"
"She's always making fun of you?" Jun blinked at this statement. She knew that her younger brother did not have much experience with love and romance, but she did not realize that he was this level of helpless.
"Y-Yeah… you never noticed?" Ren asked with a huff.
"No, no," Jun replied with a giggle. "I have, I have~!" The elder of the siblings said with a knowing smile. "It's just… from my experience, Renny, the way that Kagome-chan teased you was the way that girls typically tease boys that they like," She pointed out, delighting in how her younger brother's eyes widened at the information.
The words resounded in Ren's head over and over again as he recalled all of the teasing that Kagome began subjecting him to recently… all of those cheeky grins and catty smiles… meant that she liked him?
"Don't you always tease her because you like her? It works the same way." Jun's smile widened when Ren's face suddenly went completely red at the thought and his tongari seemingly stiffened with the thoughts that followed suit. "Renny?" Jun called her younger brother's name. "Hey, Renny?" Jun smiled at his lack of response as he stared at his hands in disbelief. He seemed to be having a bit of trouble digesting the information. 'Hopefully, this is the push that you need.'
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Kagome let out a content sigh as she closed her eyes and settled into her bed. It felt like it had been ages since she had last slept in this room. Despite the fact that it was bare—besides the furniture, curtains, and bed dressings that she had laid out—Kagome still felt like she was right at home. Knowing that Yoh was sleeping just down the hall was made her feel even more at home and more content. In fact, she felt like she was complete, so she didn't understand why it felt like she was missing something. The priestess pulled her blankets up to her nose, only find herself annoyed how her feet felt cold, naked, and vulnerable as a result. 'I wonder what those three are up to right now…'
Kagome smiled a bit at the comforting thoughts of the Taos. She imagined Jun and Sango chatting idly while taking turns styling each other's hair, and Ren training for his next match. 'I wonder if… they miss me…' She suddenly thought as she opened her eyes again and stared at the darkness that obscured her sight of her ceiling. It was such a long day… and yet… Kagome still felt restless somehow.
Her thoughts then drifted to Yoh, 'I really do love him…' she thought to herself. 'When Anna-chan hurt him like that… I know that it's typical of her, but…' she tightened her grip on her blankets. 'It actually made me so angry. I had to hold back because it's probably not my place to criticize her…'
[Yoh gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry. This question is only difficult because there are so many things that I love about you~!"]
Tears welled up from behind Kagome's closed eyelids at the sound of Yoh's voice from earlier playing inside of her head.
["I know that you said that you were okay with it," The brunette began. "...but I… felt like it wasn't something that I wanted to see…"]
The tears slipped beneath her lids and began to trail down her cheeks, but Kagome kept her eyes closed as she silently muffled her cries, as to not disturb anyone else's rest. 'Yoh… there are many things that I love about you too,' She thought, hoping that sending a mental message would be enough to satisfy her.
Love was a strange emotion. On one hand, whenever she saw Yoh's face… his smile… or touched him, she felt so free and ecstatic. Her heart would pound immediately, but it was purely a rush! It was like love was the reason for life! It was definitely something that she could get used to! Kagome's face flushed as she thought about how she caught Yoh staring at her several times during dinner and had to suppress squeal of pure delight! Instead, she settled for rolling around in her bed a bit. But… she stopped rolling as Anna's blank stare popped into her mind. There was one downside to this love…
Before the girl had the chance to truly think about the messy love triangle that she was caught in, she blinked when she heard a small, unfamiliar sound. Kagome stopped all her movements to listen…
[PLINK]
'What the...?' The priestess sat up in her bed when she heard the sound again.
[PLINK]
After hearing the oddity for a third time, it was then that Kagome realized that the sound was coming from her bedroom window, which she found odd since her room was on the second floor of the residence. Without any hesitation or apprehension, the girl swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got to her feet as quietly as possible, as to not disturb their other members of the household. Within a few strides, she was over at her curtains. In a swift, fluid motion, the girl parted her curtains, only jump back a few feet at the sight of a smiling Hao sitting on a tree branch right outside the glass.
The Asakura offered her a smile and raised his hand in a small greeting.
Kagome merely responded by walking back over the window and silently shutting the drapes.
'Nope, not today,' She thought to herself as she spun around to return to bed, only to find that she walked nose-first into Hao's chest. "Owww," she breathed while nursing her nose before looking up to see the Asakura smiling.
"I wanted to be polite and get your permission before entering but it seems you'll have none of that that," Hao explained. Through the dim moonlight, he saw the wary look that Kagome gave him. He didn't blame her, and he figured that he would change that in due time.
Sesshomaru then made his presence known when he noticed the elder Asakura twin reach for Kagome's arm. "You'd be wise not to lay a finger on the girl," the demonic spirit warned the shaman in a cold tone, his golden eyes seeming to glow eerily in the dark.
Hao chuckled as he lowered his hand and placed it at his side while looking from Kagome's wary face to Sesshomaru's stoic one. "Dearest Kagome, I'm only here to warn you about a man who threatened your life," the shaman confessed. "If you're willing to listen, I'd suggest that you put your dog on a leash."
Kagome was quick to shake her head at Sesshomaru, silently signaling him to back down. This was not the time nor place to pick a fight, especially with an obviously powerful shaman like Hao. The priestess then narrowed her eyes at Hao. It somewhat irked her even more when she noticed how he seemed to relish the glare that she gave him. "You have five minutes," She told him sternly as she crossed her arms and took a few steps away from him. "And if you come any closer to me…" she sent her guardian spirit a look from the corner of her eye. "Sesshomaru here will have you for a midnight snack."
Hao couldn't help but chuckle at the threat, his smile not faltering in the slightest, "Fair enough," he conceded before settling leaning his back against her window. "So, you're interested in the information that I have to offer you?"
Kagome scoffed at the question and raised her voice, just a bit, "Get to the point already."
"My, my~" said Hao. "How testy you are," he mused aloud, causing Kagome to growl in annoyance, as it seemed that he was merely there to mock her. Finally, Kagome could feel a shift in the atmosphere. Hao's smile completely disappeared from his face and he told her, "There is a dark entity after your life, Kagome."
Kagome's eyes widened at the information, and she could not help but repeat what she had just heard, "A dark entity…? You mean, an evil spirit?" she asked for clarification.
Hao nodded and added, "Had he been a living creature, I would have already dispatched him for you." The priestess fought the urge to roll her eyes at the way he said it, as if he wanted her to feel grateful or impressed. "However, I didn't realize that he had no physical body until he escaped."
"I see…" Kagome whispered. Knowing that an evil spirit was out for her was indeed unsettling, but she was not afraid. She was sure that it was nothing that her spiritual powers couldn't handle… or at least, that's what she would have normally believed. But… this entity was something serious enough that Asakura Hao came to deliver her a warning, so it could not have been any ordinary evil spirit, she presumed.
"Shaman," Sesshomaru suddenly cut in, his tone sharp with impatience and mistrust. "What benefit do you receive from telling the priestess of this entity?" He asked.
"That's a good question," Kagome piped in as she sent Hao another wary glance. "What do you get from being an informant?"
Hao looked from Sesshomaru to Kagome. He was silent for a moment before he offered her a smile, and replied, "Peace of mind." The way that Kagome's expression softened for a fleeting moment did not go undetected by Hao, for he had been studying her reaction to him since the moment that she opened her curtains.
She may not have realized it herself, but his words moved her, even if only for a brief moment.
It pleased him.
However, the slightly more tender expression was quickly replaced by another suspicious glower from the girl. "Peace of mind, huh?" She did not mask her doubts. "Are you sure that you have no ulterior motive?"
Hao chuckled at the girl's inquisition. He gazed at her calmly as he countered her question with some of his own, "And what if I do? Would it make the information any less valuable to you?
Kagome frowned. He got her there. As long as the information that Hao gave her was true, it did not matter if he had an ulterior motive for telling her. "Fair…" She whispered before looking at the shaman and asking, "We're running low on time. Is there anything else?"
Hao gave her a slow, casual shrug of his shoulder as he tossed in, "He said that his name is Naraku. Ring any bells?" The lack of recognition on her face told Hao the answer to that question before her mouth could. "Alright," he drawled as he stopped leaning against the wall and began walking towards the priestess. "That's all that I have to report, for now," he told her as he closed the distance.
Kagome glared at the shaman and commanded in a steely tone, "Don't come any closer."
"Eh heh," Hao chuckled as he disregarded the warning and continued his short trek across the room. Sesshomaru immediately stepped forward, only to be blocked by a flaming red spirit. "You and your dog were right about one thing, Kagome," the shaman confessed as he stopped right in front of the girl who did not back down from his advances. She stood her ground and glared him down. "I do have an ulterior motive."
"Huh?" Kagome's eyes widened at what happened next.
The long-haired shaman knelt on one knee and smiled up at her from below. "When the time comes and you realize that no one else is able to protect you," he grabbed her right hand and placed a light kiss on top of it. "You will call on me, my Queen," he told her.
Kagome scoffed and snatched her hand away, immediately beginning to rub the kissed spot as if she had been burned, "That's quite enough! You've overstayed your welcome, Hao!"
"Humph," Hao stifled a chuckle but stood to his full height nonetheless. "I'll be watching over you, so you have nothing to fear," he told her as he turned around and walked off into a flash of flames that swallowed him up and disappeared a few seconds later.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes ever so slightly as the fiery spirit that dared to have a stare-down with him also took its leave, disappearing into a roar of flames. He then looked over to his partner and commanded, "Do not trust that child. His eyes betray a wisdom beyond his years, and his plans for you can be nothing short of nefarious."
Kagome then turned to face her spirit, easily making out his spiritual form in the darkness. She gave him a reassuring smile and replied, "You don't worry about me, Sesshomaru~! I know better than to trust a creep like that!"
"Hn."
The demonic spirit said nothing more, but he knew of the girl's big, bleeding heart, and that fact was more than enough to make him doubtful. All he knew was that he had to do anything and everything possible to prevent the same tragedy from repeating itself.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
The very next morning was a particularly bright one. The moment that the sun rose, its golden rays poured through the unclosed blinds of Bankotsu's room and launched a full-frontal assault on the teen's eyes. His eyelids fluttered and stood no chance against the coaxing effects of daylight that brought him out of his sleepy haze. He groaned aloud with a small scowl on his face, but he had no one besides the sun itself to direct it to. Yesterday had been quite the eventful day for the young shaman. He reunited with the girl who he had been yearning for some time; participated in his first shaman fight (and lost); met Kagome's new friends; and even got to ask her out.
Bankotsu scratched an itch on his scalp as he thought about the events that transpired the day before. 'Kagome-chan… seemed very happy, fulfilled even,' he noted as his mind replayed all the smiles and laughs that she graced the world with. 'I'm glad…' Getting to see her again seemed like fate, if not a blessing. Getting to actually see her smile with a light in her eyes again was the most reassuring feeling in the world. Bankotsu could not lie to himself and pretend that he was happy to discover that he now had competition for Kagome's attention, but he was definitely not surprised. That smile and good nature of hers was infectious and had certain addictive qualities.
'I have to win my next two fights or I'll be disqualified,' he thought to himself as he stripped down to nothing but his underwear and began rummaging through his clean clothes hamper. Being in such a bind so early into the tournament was definitely not the best feeling in the world, but Bankotsu would just roll with the punches. The teen simply decided to go about his day, not knowing when the Shaman Fight officials would designate his next fight to be. He lifted up a white, muscle T-shirt to his face and gave it a tentative sniff. 'Good enough,' he thought to himself, feeling satisfied that the faint odors being emitted from the fabric did not make him want to retch. He also grabbed a simple pair of black jeans and the first pair of boxers that he spotted on the way of his room and towards the bathroom.
"Yo, any of you bums up?!" Bankotsu called out to his brothers. His loud inquiry was met with a series of sleepy groans and sounds of bedsprings squeaking as his brothers turned over in their respective beds. "Of course not," he chuckled as he grabbed the handle on the bathroom door and twisted it open. "Guess I'll be making breakfast to—"
Bankotsu's eyes of sapphire widened at the sight that was waiting for him inside of the bathroom. A strange man stood before him, a baboon's pelt hiding the man's physical features. The teen's adrenaline soon kicked in as danger bells resounded in his brain. "BANYRU—!" The teen shouted for his dragonic spirit, only for the command to be cut short by a dark brown tentacle shoving itself inside of Bankotsu's agape mouth. "Mmph! Mmph!" The teenager tried to shout defiantly against the intrusive, violently squirming appendage.
Banryuu roared out in outrage at the treatment of its partner, the immense spiritual energy from the dragon shook the entire apartment building at its base. The quakes were so violent that many of the residents, including the slumbering Shichinin brothers, were sent tumbling out of their beds. The spirit opened its mouth, gathering crackling lightning as it prepared to defend its partner from the assault.
"What the hell?!" Jakotsu screamed as he stumbled out of his room and saw Banryuu in the process of charging up a fierce attack. "Banryuu, you can't do that here! You'll kill everyone!" He breathed a sigh of relief when the crackle and light shining from the spirit's mouth died down.
"Let's go, everyone! Ban must be in trouble!" Jakotsu called out as he ran towards the bathroom. "What the—?!" His mouth dropped. He could not believe his eyes. Almost every surface of the room was covered by dark and questionably dry looking tentacles that originated from the pelt of a baboon. Worst of all, Bankotsu was being forcibly held in the air by four of the tentacles, each one with an iron-clad grip around his wrists and ankles.
A dark voice chuckled sinisterly from beneath the pelt before speaking, "The Shichinintai… very interesting to find that you were reborn into this world as well. However, being a do-gooder just doesn't suit you. Allow me to awaken your true natures. Allow me to release you from the influence of the false god." Before Jakotsu or any of the other brothers had the attempt to question the being or even move a muscle, an unbelievable amount of tentacles burst from beneath the depths of the pelts and took hold of every single brother…
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"BANKOTSU!" Kagome suddenly screamed as she shot up in bed. She panted heavily as her eyes darted across the room. Her body was soaked in sweat from the terror that she felt from her nightmare. She looked down at her person and bit her lips when she saw that she had been sweating so much that her white gown had become see-through in places. Before she had the chance to process what she had just witnessed in the dream, her bedroom door came crashing open to reveal Yoh's panicked face.
"Kagome!" He called over to her as he ran to her bedside. "I heard you scream. Are you alright?" He inquired with nothing but concern in his voice as he gently parted her bangs with a gentle sweep of his thumb. Seeing surprise instead of pain on her face gave him a quick feeling of relief. But still… he was worried.
"I-I'm fine," The priestess replied slowly. She looked down at her lap for a moment before adding, "But… I had a terrible dream. I'm worried about Bankotsu and his brothers," she looked up at Yoh with fearful eyes. "I have to find them!"
Yoh quickly nodded in agreement and replied without a sign of hesitation, "I'll go with you."
Sesshomaru and Amidamaru both appeared simultaneously. The demonic spirit looked at the two of them and spoke, "We will accompany you."
Amidamaru nodded slowly and added in, "Yes. I have a bad feeling about this."
Yoh's facial expression became grave as the reality of the situation began to dawn upon him. He had learned that Sesshomaru was like Anna, not one to interfere unless it was absolutely necessary. Something huge must have been happening with Bankotsu in order to unsettle the demon.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Kagome had gotten refreshed and ready in record timing today. She had no doubt that this day would not end without a battle, so she changed into the fighting qipao that Sango had specially made for her and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. She ran down the flight of stairs and was met with the somber and solemn expressions of the rest of the shamans and spirits in the house. The entire gang was there, including Manta, who had spent the night over after being up late with the homecoming dinner.
Anna then made her way through the crowd and told Kagome, "Before you go, you should see this. I want you prepared for what's to come." Kagome gulped but followed Anna through the crowd and towards the television that sat on the floor. The blonde used the remote to activate the device. The first channel that popped up was that of Tokyo's most popular news station. Kagome's eyes widened and she gasped at the images that the television portrayed.
First, there was aerial footage of Tokyo from a news copter that captured video of buildings with black and ominous smoke escaping through the windows. Other builds were quaking and crumbling at their very foundations. The sound of emergency alarms resounded from the video feed. "Terror and carnage are suddenly being wrecked in downtown Tokyo! Eye-witness reports are that civilians of all ages and sexes are being slaughtered indiscriminately by a band of seven young men!"
The video cut from the aerial view down to street level where the camera panned across from one street where a group of panicked humans was seen fleeing for their lives to an intersection where a large truck was suddenly sliced into metallic ribbons. The organic insides of the passengers of the truck gushed out and stained the remnants of the truck and the street a bright crimson.
"Residents are being asked to take shelter and wait for Special Armed Forces to arrive to neutralize the threat!" The news reporter announced as he came into the shot. "I repeat, all residents are being asked to—grrgl!" The man's eyes widened as he suddenly coughed up blood, only to fall out of the shot a mere three seconds later. Once the man's fallen body was out of frame, the camera picked up a figure walking towards it through the smoke and screams.
"I-it…" Kagome's voice trembled as a tear ran down her face. "I-it can't be…" The figure stepped out of the smoke that obscured its features. Tanned skin. Dark blue eyes. Long, dark hair tied into a straight braid that ended at his calves. "Ban… why?"
"R-Run away!" Came the voice of what could only assumed to be a member of the news crew. Anna pressed the off button before anyone could find out the fate that befell the rest of the news crew, although, they did not need to see it or hear it to guess.
"T-that couldn't have been Ban-san!" Pirika suddenly interjected, her voice wavering with tears. "He's a kind person! He'd never do something like that!" She told them. "It's a lie!"
HoroHoro frowned and placed a hand on his little sister's shoulder, "You're right," he lied to her as to not upset her anymore. "There must be some mistake. Bankotsu isn't that type of person." Pirika nodded and threw herself into her brother's arm. HoroHoro then wrapped his arms around Pirika and allowed her to sob into his chest. He used this an opportunity to send the other members of the party a deep, grave nod of his head.
No matter what they wanted to believe, no one else could deny it.
Bankotsu was a murderer, and he had to be stopped.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"You're doing excellent work, Bankotsu," Naraku praised the young man as he swung his gigantic sword in the direction of a building, the resulting gust of air sliced through the lower level and caused glass to shatter and other objects to be sent flying. Anyone who had been hiding on the first floor of that building was surely severely injured. "This is why I chose you and your brothers. I know how much you enjoy a good slaughter."
Bankotsu smirked as he rested his sword on his shoulder for a moment, "Thanks for knocking sense into me. It feels good to spill some blood after being asleep for so long." He then smiled as Jakotsu and Renkotsu approached him from the east. Jakotsu looks absolutely ecstatic as he held his blade up to the sun to admire all of the blood and gore that was marred its perfect sheen. "Sup, you two?" Bankotsu asked with a grin. "Don't tell me that you've had your fill already?"
"Of course not, Ban!" Jakotsu refuted before a small pout appeared on his face. "There's just so many places for these people to hide!" He whined. "Also, I've killed so many but none of them were any fun! This strange place has absolutely no gorgeous men in sight!" He sighed aloud in disappointment.
"Bankotsu, it would appear that the remaining residents of this large, metallic village have gone into hiding," Renkotsu informed their leader. "With the right materials, I can create a fire so powerful that I can smoke them all out."
Bankotsu smirked at those words and patted Renkotsu's shoulder, "This is why you're the smart one," he told the bandana-wearing teen. "That stuff isn't my style though. You can do as you please in the north, Jakotsu and I here will personally hunt down the cowards and kill them the old-fashioned way."
"Bankotsu…" suddenly came Naraku's voice from behind, as he reminded the blood-thirsty trio of his presence. "Remember that it is I who awakened your true self once again. You may kill till your heart's content, but do not forget what your purpose is."
"Yeah, yeah," Bankotsu narrowed his eyes at the entity's words with his back turned. "We'll have our way, and you'll have yours," he told Naraku. "You'll have your priestess; I'll make sure of it."
"Good, I'll be watching you…" the demonic presence whispered before it disappeared into a swarm of large, multi-colored flying insects. "Do not fail me. Or I will take back what I gave you."
"Tch," scowled Renkotsu as his right hand formed into a shaking, angry fist at his side. "I can't believe that after being asleep for so long, we come back, only to be enslaved to that monster again."
Bankotsu only smirked and replied in a laidback tone, "Don't worry about it. As long as we can have our fun again, everything will work in the end."
"When has it ever worked out for us in the end?" Renkotsu challenged through clenched teeth, but he shut his mouth the moment that he felt the cold, steel of Banyuu against his throat.
"I haven't forgotten your betrayal from our previous life," Bankotsu told him after his laidback expression fell into a darker, more angry one. "You best behave yourself this time around, lest the same fate befalls you."
"R-Right… I understand…" Renkotsu responded as he bowed his head in submission. Bankotsu merely smirked as he removed the blade from his comrade's neck. The pyromaster gave the Jakotsu and Bankotsu a nod to dismiss himself before he headed off to carry out his plan of luring the hiding citizens of Tokyo out of hiding.
"Jakotsu," Bankotsu suddenly said as soon as he was sure that Renkotsu was out of hearing range. "I want you to go with Renkotsu," he commanded.
"What?!" Jakotsu whined with a pout. His eyes teared up at the prospect, "Why me?! He killed me last time we were alive!" the feminine man protested.
"Exactly," Bankotsu replied with a smirk. "If he does or says anything out of line, you have my permission to take his head and put it on a pike." Jakotsu continued pouting and did not look pleased upon hearing this. In his Jakotsu's mind, Renkotsu was not beautiful enough to take pleasure in cutting up. However, the last thing that Jakotsu wanted was to ruin Bankotsu's fun or disobey him so he ran after Renkotsu in a huff.
"Hmph, you only made it harder on yourself by sending your comrade away," a familiar voice suddenly spoke from above. The taunting words only made Bankotsu's confident smirk widen as he looked up to see Tao Ren with Sango and Jun both standing behind him with their arms crossed. All three Tao's were scowling down at him from their spot on top of the remains of a crumbled building.
"Heh," Bankotsu chuckled. "I remember my other self losing to you in a fight yesterday." He held up Banryuu and pointed it at Ren challengingly. "I am Bankotsu of the Shichinintai! I challenge you to a rematch - a battle to the death."
Ren's glower down at Bankotsu did not falter at the challenge. He merely stared down at Bankotsu, his golden eyes scrutinizing the other teen. He appeared to be the exact same person he had fought the morning before. Everything was exactly the same, except for a strange purple star-shaped tattoo in the middle of Bankotsu's forehead… and the dangerous, dark aura that was being emitted from him. It was like his personality completely changed from boisterous but friendly to cocky and homicidal overnight.
"Kagome would be devastated if she found out that I had to kill you," Ren pointed out before he jumped down from the gigantic pile of rubble and landed nearby. "Are you sure that's what you want? To make her cry?" The Tao asked while continuing to stare Bankotsu down.
"Ka-go-me, huh?" Bankotsu laughed aloud at the name, he cackled with one hand on his forehead as he leaned backward, as if Ren had made the most ridiculous joke in the world. "That little priestess that Naraku wants so much? Why would I give a damn about her?" He asked as his laughter died down. Bankotsu wiped a tear away from his eye and added in, "If I had my way, I'd have her on her knees, begging for her life before I lopped that pretty little head off her neck."
"You BASTARD!" Ren's blood immediately boiled at the thought as he called to his spirit. "BASON!" The Chinese warrior spirit merged with his partner faster than he had ever done before. He could sense the urgency that his young master felt. "I don't know what your damn problem is, Bankotsu," Ren seethed as he aimed his kwandao at his opponent. "You'll never get close enough to her to touch a hair on her head." Without taking his eyes off of Bankotsu, Ren shouted at Jun and Sango, "I'll handle this buffoon here! You two go after the other two!"
"Right!" Sango and Jun responded before the young women climbed onto the backs of their respective guardian spirits and dashed after Jakotsu and Renkotsu at top speed.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
"Manta," Anna suddenly spoke up after being quiet for so long after the other shamans left. The smaller blond stiffened at the sound of his name being spoken but he quickly scrambled off of his chair and into the living room where Anna had been sitting in a corner.
"Y-Yes, Anna-san?" Manta asked with a nervous smile. "Can I get you something?" He offered.
"No, we're leaving," She told him as she suddenly stood up and began to slip on her sandals.
"W-what?!" Manta cried out with shaking hands. "D-Did you see the pandemonium that those guys were causing?! Yoh-kun told us to stay here to be safe for a reason!" He explained to the blonde girl who he was beginning to think was going insane.
"Pirika was told the same thing, but it seems that she snuck out right under our noses," Anna told him. "We need to find her before something bad happens to her." She looked down at Manta and said, "The spirits are restless. She is in danger."
Authoress' Notes: Whew! This chapter was a monster to write! It was also stressful in a way, knowing what's to come and working my way to get there _ Soooo, yup. That's it for this chapter. You can look forward to some fights, some tears, etc, etc in the next chapter~
Also, another special thanks for my darling transcending love for sacrificing herself to the gods of spell check and sprinkling her magic "better writing" dust on my works! All hail! Thank you!
P.S: The side story compilation that accompanies this fic is up, so feel free to send in your requests~ Now that Chapter 23 is up, I'll be working on posting at least two more requests~