Shaman King

by The Amazing Sakumachan

For Higurashi Kagome, moving to Tokyo was supposed to be a fresh start. But little did she know that she was walking a similar path that was walked before. A fateful encounter. A promise that transcends time and space. A gift that keeps giving. What path lends a Happy Ending? [SPOILER-IFIC]

32. Approaching Crossroads

Authoress' Notes: Oh, jeez. It's been so long since I've updated this fic. Oof. My life got hit hard by the you-know-what virus here in the U.S. .tragedies. But, I've finally gotten around to updating this fic. I hope that you're all doing well out there!

Oh, and in case anyone out there likes song-fics, I wrote a certain scene in this chapter to this song on repeat: Akie秋绘 →「 Shinpakusuu 0822 」. You can copy-paste the title into google and find the youtube video by NBelieve Music with English subtitles in Closed Captions. The applicable scene starts with "The sounds of Yoh's and Manta's amused laughter coaxed her into joining them." I like to imagine this song playing in the background of this scene~

That aside, enjoy the chapter! It's a bit longer than normal because I ended up writing things that weren't planned~

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Approaching Crossroads

Teardrops in My Dreams

One day, she woke up with the inkling that something had changed. She had the feeling that she met someone.

But, she could not remember who it was, if it was even true. Was it true though? Did someone come to meet her?

Did it even matter? That person didn't save her from this place. There was still nothing but the darkness, the walls, the pain, the fear, and the despair.

All she had to look forward to was waking up screaming without knowing why.

She was a mystery to herself, and it sent her spiraling further into the void.

Another day, she woke up with the same inkling that someone came to see her.

What did they say to her? What did she say to them? Did she greet them properly?

Would that person return?

Who was this person who called out to her?

Who was this person who came to such a terrible place just to see her?

Who was this person who left this faint impression on her heart?

Who was this person who was more steady than her ephemeral memories?

She wanted to remember. She wanted to cling to the existence that was not herself.

No. She didn't know herself. But could she go on and stay strong if she knew someone else?

Everything was painful.

Not knowing herself was painful.

Not knowing her past was painful.

Not knowing where she was was painful.

The only thing that was not painful was,

The voice that called out to her.

["How about you come out of there and we talk, yeah?"]

She gasped.

It happened: a beautiful, miraculous moment.

A flood of golden light enveloped her from above.

The light banished the darkness, illuminating her prison.

Her eyes lit up as they took in the splendor of warmth.

There he was: the person who left that imprint on her heart.

His eyes and smile were so warm and inviting.

His outstretched hand was large and sun-kissed.

It was the hand of someone from another world:

The world outside her prison,

The world that she wanted to see.

["What do ya say? Wanna talk?"]

Of course, she wanted to talk.

Of course, she wanted to take his hand.

Of course, she wanted an escape from this certain cycle of uncertainty.

That was the day that she met the shaman: Asakura Yoh.

That was the day that she learned that she was dead.

The prospect never occurred to her before.

And yet, it did not shock her.

It was as if part of her had known all along.

Meeting Yoh did not stop her nightmares.

She still woke up screaming, reaching, crying, and clawing.

But meeting Yoh did give her something: a friend.

Someone to talk to.

Something to look forward to.

A connection to the world of the living:

The world that kept moving after she died.

It was a cruel reality, but one that she readily accepted.

Yes, she was dead.

Yes, she had no memories of who she was.

She lost her life and her identity.

But after meeting Yoh, she gained something else.

Hope.

He promised to continue seeing her.

He promised to restore her memories.

He promised to help her escape her fate.

And, he promised to be her friend.

And so he did.

He continued seeing her, mainly just talking and keeping her company.

But just talking was more than enough to make her smile.

The pain seemed to melt away when she was with Yoh.

He was a bit of goofball and a weirdo.

But he had a good heart, and he was dedicated.

Her honest heart never wanted him to leave.

But she knew that asking him to stay with her was stupid.

He was alive and still living.

Yoh was not stuck in place like she was.

It was for that reason that she had to stop herself from grabbing onto his shirt.

She knew that one day he could leave and never return.

But, she was able to stop herself from making such a ridiculous request.

She could stop herself just short of reaching for him.

It was not only because she realized how selfish it was.

She was able to give him a proper "Come again anytime"

Because she believed that he would return.

She believed that he was truly her friend.

Between reoccurring, foggy night terrors

And brief encounters with Yoh,

Time was immeasurable.

It came and went with gentleness and with cruelty.

Time had no regard for her existence.

She wondered how much time truly elapsed between his visits.

It felt like she waited for him to return for so long.

It felt like she was sleeping for so long.

And every time he woke her up, it was a blessing.

It was a treat to see something so familiar.

And when he returned, he was the same as usual.

He carried on about the same things as before.

But, all good things must come to an end.

Just as she got used to his presence.

He suddenly stopped showing up.

She would wake up, and he would not be there.

She woke up again, and he was not there.

There was no greeting.

There was no hand pulling her out of the darkness.

There was no easygoing smile.

There was no connection to the world outside.

Suddenly, she was left with nothing but herself again.

She was left with someone who she did not know again.

She woke up, and he was not there.

Her tears were endless.

Her cries were an unstoppable force.

She sat there in the darkness of the well-house.

Her arms holding herself for comfort as she wept.

Did she lose her only friend?

Did she do something wrong?

Did he get hurt and couldn't come to see her anymore?

Was there anything that she could do to see him?

No...

There was nothing that she could do.

All she could do was fall into herself once again.

"Hey, I'm back!"

She could almost hear his voice again.

The sound made her choke on a wail.

She could only wish that he was really there.

But after so long…

She was surely hallucinating, right?

"It's me, Yoh. I'm back...Kagome."

Her heart skipped a beat.

Her eyes widened.

Her mouth fell open.

Years and years worth of memories came flooding back all at once.

It was almost overwhelming.

She saw glimpses of her father.

She saw her mother's shaking shoulders at his funeral.

She saw her baby brother's chubby face for the first time.

She saw herself playing around on the shrine grounds.

She saw the "Kagome, Kagome" game.

She saw growing up on Higurashi shrine.

She saw going to school.

It took a while for it all to sink in.

But it finally did sink in.

And she couldn't be happier.

Kagome grabbed Yoh's hand and bounced in excitement.

"Higurashi Kagome is my name!" She told him.

Finally, she regained a piece of herself.

Kagome sighed to herself. Her head lowered a bit as her shoulders slumped. She sat on the lip of the dried well. She had awakened from her sleep a while ago. Ribbons of fading sunlight peeped through the cracks of the doors. Her sense of time was askew, that much she knew. So she could only guess that she only recently met Yoh's friends and his wife Anna.

'Why doesn't anything work out lately?' She wondered quietly, her legs idly kicking as she awaited her recurring visitor. 'Is it my fault? Was I always this reactive? This emotional?' It was not like she wanted Yoh as her only friend. She closed her eyes and replayed the recent events in her mind.

Despite her initial reaction, she truly was delighted when Yoh asked if she wanted to meet his friends. When they actually showed up, she was a bit anxious but also intrigued. She looked forward to learning about the type of company that he kept.

Meeting so many new people at once was more exciting than overwhelming. They all seemed pleased to meet her. Even though she died years ago, they did not look at her with fear nor disgusting. She was not strange to them. They were just as inviting as Yoh was. Kagome did not remember ever meeting people so receptive to the supernatural or paranormal when she was alive. In fact, she herself did not pay her superstitious grandfather much mind back when she was alive.

'I wonder if he's coming today…' The priestess could not help that thought from crossing her mind. She could not help the loneliness that followed it. The last thing that she remembered was Anna trying to send her to heaven. With a power that Kagome did not know she had, she was able to neutralize the itako's spell. 'Oh, great...I hope they're not hurt…' She groaned at the thought of how she banished the Asakura couple from the shrine. She placed a hand to her forehead and shook her head. 'No, they're fine. Don't think like that, Kagome.'

'Kagome…' The spirit moved the raised hand from her head and held it out in front of her face. She examined her open palm before slowly rotating her hand. 'That power...Where did it come from? What does it truly mean to be Higurashi Kagome…?' She asked herself while raising her arms and taking in the flowing sleeves of her haori. Nothing in her recovered memories told her that she officially became a shrine maiden.

And yet, here she was: wearing the outfit and possessing mysterious powers.

While caught up in her own thoughts, the spirit did not respond to the call of Yoh as he entered the well-house. Even the chuckles and soft clacks of his sandals against the stairs did not snap Kagome from her stupor. She only became aware of his presence when a foreign object obstructed her vision.

Blue-gray eyes blinked.

It was the feathery, golden head of a blade of wheat.

The priestess' downturned lips fell open into a small circle as she lifted her head to meet Yoh's eyes. Instead of his brown orbs, she found his face pulled into a closed-eyed grin. "Uh," Kagome began, feeling lost and confused. The shaman was holding the wheat blade in front of her face, but she had no clue why. She looked down at the golden tip then back up at Yoh. "What's this for?" She asked curiously.

She felt silly asking, but she could not rule out the possibility that he brought it for a shamanist ritual or something similar.

"Oh," He finally opened his eyes as his mouth relaxed into a smaller smile. "I just had to bring it along." The brunette stated while gently giving the blade a wiggle in front of the priestess' face. If Kagome had a physical body, the soft brush against the tip of her nose would have made her sneeze. "Because you remind me of a cat~" he admitted with a carefree grin.

Kagome's eye twitched.

Like a streak of lightning, her small hand rose to grab at the plant. But the shaman anticipated her reaction and quickly retracted his hand. The priestess then jumped to her feet in another attempt to snatch the makeshift cat toy. She grunted and glared up at the shaman as he easily kept it out of her reach, chuckling all the way, despite her cries of "What do you mean by that?!", "Give me that!", "Cut it out, jerk!"

After several moments of teasing the flustered priestess, Yoh finally relinquished the wheat to the huffy priestess. For a second, her face wore a triumphant expression until she realized that she had no use for it either. The Asakura grinned when she turned a murderous glare at him. "You're the one who proved my point," He told her while ruffling her hair, "Just like a kitty cat."

Kagome huffed and took a step away from him. She crossed her arms over her chest before turning her back to him. "Hmph, did you come here just to make fun of me?" She asked him, her voice flustered and mildly annoyed.

"I don't think it's a bad thing," Yoh told her while taking a seat on the lip of the well. "You really ticked Anna off yesterday, you know. She was fuming all the way home," he stated in a nonchalant manner.

The priestess was not swayed, she kept her back to the shaman.

"I told her not to be discouraged because you're as capricious as a cat," Yoh explained as he recounted the events of the previous day. "You can go from playful to hissy in two seconds flat."

Kagome turned her head to glare at Yoh. "How is that not a bad thing?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow and skeptical frown.

"Well, I don't mind it," The shaman replied with an easygoing smile and light shrug of his shoulders. "It's never boring with you." Yoh could not stop his smile when Kagome's glare faltered. "And besides, being like a cat means that you're always cute."

The priestess' cheeks turned pink.

But the embarrassment did not stop her from turning and roughly poking him in the chest. "You can't sweet-talk your way out of this, Asakura Yoh!"

They bantered and laughed for a while afterward. When Yoh was around, Kagome was able to forget that she was lonely. She only remembered that he had a purpose when he brought up how he wanted to bring his friends back soon. "You'll even get to meet Ren tomorrow, hope you're ready for that," Yoh's grin was sheepish as he scratched his cheek. The shaman stood up and stretched with a long groan.

"Ren, huh?" Kagome mused, her face was curious as she raised a finger and looked up at the ceiling, trying to imagine why Yoh would say such a thing about a friend. 'Hmmm…Well, he's a friend of Yoh's so he can't be bad.' She then smiled, "Well, I'm convinced no one can be as abrasive as your wi—" the priestess' eyes widened in horror and she raised a hand to her mouth. 'Good going, Kagome! You just said something uncouth about your only friend's wife!'

You blinked, a mildly surprised expression on his face as he stared at the priestess. She looked more shocked and mortified about the statement than he was. Kagome removed her hand and opened her mouth to speak, but was immediately silenced by a large hand on her head. "Don't worry, I'm not angry," he reassured her. "Looks like you need some time to come around too."

Despite the shaman's smile, the priestess still deflated a bit. She cupped her hands in her lap and stared down at them. "Thanks for being so patient and understanding…" Her voice was smaller than usual. "But still...she's your wife, so…" Her eyes then looked at the ground next to her feet. "I'm sorry."

Her shame was enough to tame her wildfire, allowing Yoh to grin and ruffle her hair, an act that she usually met with annoyed protests.

The light of day faded away. Kagome knew what this meant. It was time for Yoh to leave, and for her to sleep soon. "Jeez, it's gotten so late," The shaman groaned. "Hope I don't fall asleep on the bus and miss my stop," despite his whining, he chuckled at the thought.

Kagome then rose. She cupped her hands behind her back. "Is it really that late?" She tilted her head a bit.

Yoh nodded and sighed softly, "Hope this doesn't throw off my sleep schedule. I still have to come back tomorrow." He did not expect the priestess to adopt a sly smile. He certainly did not expect her to close the distance between them. She leaned in close and rested her forehead against his chest. "K-Kagome…?" He blinked, his lips pursing as his brain tried to figure out what was happening.

"You just can't get enough, can you?" Her tone was teasing and almost sultry. "I wouldn't mind if you spent the night with me~!" How 'bout it?"

Yoh was speechless when Kagome raised her eyes to meet his. For a moment, they were so big and innocent, a complete contrast to the half-smile on her lips. "N-no way!" He finally spurted out as he grabbed her shoulders and opened space between them. "I can't—!"

His heart clenched when he felt Kagome's shoulders trembling within his hands.

The last thing he wanted to do was break her heart, but—.

"Eh?" The Asakura's eyes blinked and his mouth dropped. He just noticed the priestess' puffy cheeks and soft snorts. "T-That's not funny!" He exclaimed while giving the young woman a gentle shake.

"S-Sorry," She laughed. "I wanted to tease you a bit for making fun of me earlier~"

"That was cruel," Yoh deadpanned. He then grinned before adding, "just like a cat."

Kagome rolled her eyes and hid a smile behind her hand, "You sure do reach for low hanging fruit, Yoh." The man's eyes creased as he closed them to give her another grin. Just as she was going to give him one of her own, the priestess gasped softly.

She blinked, unable to believe her eyes.

Yoh's usual expression was replaced with a grim one. His eyes were not as soft and gentle as usual. He looked troubled, as if he wanted to tell her something important but couldn't. Her eyes honed in on how his pencil straight lips opened and began mouthing words to her.

But no sound left his mouth.

'Yoh…What's wrong…?' She wondered. 'I can't hear you...'

A sharpness stabbed her chest at the sight of Yoh turning away from her. The inside of the well-house became an empty black backdrop. 'Yoh, where are you going? What do you want to tell me…?' Why aren't you saying "see you tomorrow"?

Her own voice was lost in her throat as she called out to Yoh's back that faded into the darkness. 'Yoh…! Don't go!' Despite the quiet darkness around her, she reached forward and continued yelling out to the man. 'You'll come again, won't you? Yoh? Yoh?! YOOOOOOHHH!'

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

It was approaching midnight, and the day after Yoh's loss against Faust. Despite Manta almost losing his life, the world kept moving forward and life continued on. A large portion of the day was spent in a private wing of an esteemed hospital, courtesy of the Tao's. After they learned everything that occurred during Yoh's fight, Jun insisted that the two of them get checked out to make sure that they fully recovered. To no one's surprise, Kagome's healing completely erased any signs of trauma on their bodies.

With their bodies healed, there were only a few more things that needed mending—.

With the others unwinding in their rooms already, Yoh was left alone in the living room with Kagome, who nodded off at the kotatsu a couple of hours ago. She drifted off quietly with her head cradled in her folded arms.

Anna was the first to head to her room. Ryu followed her lead a while later. Once Pirika began nodding off, HoroHoro carried his sister upstairs to Kagome's room before turning in as well. Manta and Yoh stayed out longer to chat and watch over Kagome while she slept. Just fifteen minutes ago, Manta excused himself to freshen up before bed. Yoh had done so before him, as if they were taking shifts on Kagome-duty.

So there he was. Sitting next to Kagome with his propped-up elbow cupping his cheek as he watched her and listened to shallow breathing. Her sleeping face was so peaceful and angelic that it brought a smile to his face. He almost reached out to brush her bangs away for a better look. But a chill ran up his spine as he spotted Sesshomaru leering at him from the far corner. Amidamaru sat near the demon lord and gave his partner an uneasy grin.

It was late November, and they met in early May. Before he knew it, his time in Tokyo flew by in the blink of an eye.

So much had happened since they first met: fighting Ryu, befriending Amidamaru, putting spirits to rest and rescuing humans, meeting the Higurashi family—. Yoh absently wondered where and when he fell in love with Kagome. Was it when she volunteered to take his place during the restaurant fire? Or was it on one of many nights that they spent basking beneath the stars? Was it when they napped together beneath a shady tree to keep cool?

Taking his visions and dreams of an older Kagome into account…

There was also the possibility that his feelings for her were—.

A whimper from the girl next to him brought Yoh from his thoughts. "Kagome…?" He asked tentatively. Her lack of verbal response and how her eyes remained closed confirmed that she was still sleeping. But her once peaceful expression contorted into something more perturbed. Her eyelids fluttered as her lips twitched.

"Kagome…?" He moved his propped hand and gently placed it on her shoulder. It looked as if she was having a bad dream. He gave her a small shake to ease her away from the dream. But she did not rouse. Instead, enough moisture gathered beneath her eyelids to stream down her cheeks.

Tears.

Kagome whimpered again.

Yoh's breath hitched in his throat with her whisper of, "...Yoh…"

"Kagome…" He whispered her name back. The Asakura was torn. Yoh did not know what Kagome was dreaming of. But if he was in it and she was still crying, then… It was like he failed at protecting her. He failed at making her feel happy.

"Kagome…" Without thinking, he found himself kneeling behind the girl. After a soft sob accompanying his whispered name. Yoh leaned forward. His arms wrapped around the girl's frame. With his lips next to her ear, he whispered to her, "Kagome, I'm here."

A silence fell on the house.

Even the priestess' soft whimpers and sobs quieted down at that moment.

With his chest pressed against her back, and his arms around her body, Yoh closed his eyes.

He felt at peace. It felt like he was fulfilling a desire that he had always wanted to. But...it wasn't embracing her that made him feel that way. It was the thought of comforting Kagome through her pain that made him feel this contentment.

But what did that mean…?

Before the Asakura could further contemplate his feelings, the silence was interrupted by the sound of Manta's voice as he turned the corner and stood at the doorway. "Yoh-kun, it's getting lat—Eh!" The blond boy stiffened at the sight of the Asakura embracing the sleeping Kagome from behind...and looking rather pleased about it too.

Yoh twitched, his spiky hair stiffening and standing at attention. Blood rushed to Yoh's cheeks as he instantly raised his hands. "Manta, it's not what it looks like!" He protested, his face panicked.

Amidamaru quickly flew over to Manta. The samurai held up his finger and added in the same panicked tone, "T-that's right! Yoh-dono definitely wasn't looking at Kagome-sama with bedroom eyes!"

Yoh blushed and scowled, "A-Amidamaru, you make me sound even more suspicious!" The samurai whimpered and began shyly pushing his fingers together as he faded away.

Manta's shocked expression then fell into an exasperated smile. He quietly strolled into the room with a sigh on his smiling face, "You don't have to explain that to me, Yoh-kun." Despite the reassurance, the Asakura still scooted away from the girl and resumed his position from before. Manta sat to Yoh's right, leaving the shaman between his two friends. "Honestly, I had a feeling that you two had a special connection a long time ago," the blond suddenly confessed.

You did not seem fazed by the straightforward statement or the nonchalant tone that accompanied it. Instead, he chuckled and replied, "It's a bit embarrassing when you put it like that." He smiled and added, "Embarrassing that you realized it before I did."

Manta shook his head and responded as he stared at his reflection in the table, "More like, I'd have to be blind not to see it…" He then raised his head and meet Yoh's eyes. "So, what are you going to do about Anna?"

It was rare to see Yoh's serious face outside of a shaman fight, but there it was. "Well, a couple of days ago...I told her how I felt," He replied.

The blond winced. He then raised a shaky hand to his mouth, nervously biting his nails as he imagined that conversation. "H-How did she take it?" Manta immediately regretted asking. He spotted how Yoh's eyes narrowed and how his lips strained to turn upward.

"She—"

The sound of Kagome's sleepy groan hushed the response. Not a moment later, the priestess lifted her head and slowly scanned the room with her half-lidded eyes. When her eyes landed on Yoh and Manta, she asked them, "Where'd everyone go?"

Manta's smile was amused as he answered, "It's almost midnight so they all retired for the night. You looked so peaceful sleeping there that we didn't want to disturb you."

Yoh then grinned at the girl. "You slept so well that—" He raised a finger and poked the lower right corner of her mouth. "You drooled all over the kotatsu."

Kagome's cheeks became inflamed as she reeled back, frantically wiping at her mouth with her hand. "I did not, you jerk!" She shrieked, scowling and glaring at the brunette. As she shot to her feet, she did not notice how Yoh's surprised face became colored a light shade of pink. "I'm going to take a shower!" She announced before marching away in a huff.

The moment that she turned the corner and was out of their sight, the girl pressed her back against the wall. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing her heart. Her hands raised to her cheeks to feel the depths of heat that Yoh's touch put there. 'Get it together, Kagome…' She scolded her, feeling humiliated that such a simple tease made her heart skip a beat. 'Get it together!' She repeated before making her way to the stairs to freshen up before bed.

Meanwhile, Manta was sweat dropping at the exchange. He stared at the doorway where Kagome disappeared from a moment ago. "Yoh-kun, I know that we're all close but you shouldn't say things like that to girls," he lightly chastised. His brown eyes returned to Yoh.

Manta then blinked when he saw how amused and fond the smile on Yoh's face was. "That's the first time that she called me a jerk…" The shaman pointed out. His tone was dreamy, as if it was an achievement.

The blond teen next to him blanched and shrunk away," Yoh-kun...don't tell me you're into that sort of thing...?"

Yoh merely grinned shamelessly while scratching the back of his head.

Good or bad, a first was a first.

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

Kagome stood beneath the steaming downpour. She took a step back and held out cupped hands, collecting the droplets until they formed a puddle. The girl then closed her eyes and splashed her face. In the heated embrace of the steam, she sighed softly. 'I feel like...I had a strange dream…' She thought to herself. 'Or something…'

It was frustrating. Part of her was sure that she remembered something important while she was sleeping. But now that she was awake, she had little to no recollection of what that important thing was. All she could remember was the rollercoaster of emotions that she felt: despair, confusion, despair, confusion, worry, confusion, happiness, embarrassment, happiness, mortification...once again, despair. And finally...she felt calm again, like she was comforted and cared for.

Maybe the dream was nothing but a dream so forgetting it was unimportant. But even if that was the case...

Kagome smiled as she reached for her scented soap.

It was nice to know that there was someone out there who could make her feel so safe and reassured, even if that person was made up by her own mind.

The next fifteen minutes that she spent in the shower was purely to feel the heat that contrasted the chilly November air. But finally, the girl gently patted herself down with a fluffy towel and slipped a lavender kimono and slippers. She quietly padded down the hall until she arrived at her room door. With a careful twist of the handle, Kagome cracked the door and peered into the darkness. She could make out the shape of Pirika sleeping soundly in her bed. With a smile, Kagome closed the door and continued walking.

She followed two familiar auras down the stairs and through the house until she arrived at the back porch. It was there that she found Yoh and Manta sitting out in the night air. The priestess lightly knocked on the wall, earning their attention. "Mind if I join you?" She asked politely, despite knowing their answer.

"Of course not," Manta smiled while patting the empty spot to his left. "There's plenty of room."

Kagome nodded and proceeded to occupy that spot, allowing her legs to hang over the ledge. "Oh, thanks~" she nodded to Manta as he handed her a cup of steaming tea. She looked from the tray placed between Manta and Yoh up to the faces of her friends. "Three cups…" She noted before chuckling. "I guess you were expecting me, huh?"

"Wouldn't be the same without you," Yoh nodded before sipping his own tea.

"Yeah," Manta agreed with his own nod as he raised his cup. He then aimed a wide smirk at the brunette to his right. "Yoh-kun would be lost and hopeless without you."

Said shaman almost choked on his tea, sending his friends into a light fit of laughter. Their giggles and chuckles earned them a half-hearted glare from the brunette, "Hey, not cool! I could have died!"

Kagome and Manta exchanged mischievous grins. "Oh?" The blond smirked at the brunette.

"Well," Kagome continued while lightly clapping her hands together. "If you die, then I can add you to my spirit allies~" she chimed in a light-hearted tone that made Yoh's face pale and shoulders slump.

"Kagome's...ally…?" Yoh mused to himself. "You get into so much trouble that I feel like that would be hell."

Before Kagome could come up with a rebuttal, Sesshomaru made his presence known. "You have no idea," the demon lord's disembodied voice commented dryly.

"Gee, thanks," The priestess replied in a deadpanned voice. The sounds of Yoh's and Manta's amused laughter coaxed her into joining them. She then smiled at her friends' faces and began to speak, "You know, I wish moments like this could go on forever…" Her eyes lifted to the starry sky and added, "I wish I could be with you two forever. I've never spoken about it since I came to Tokyo, but…I hadn't been happy for a long time...that was, until I met you guys."

Yoh and Manta listened to her words intently. Despite being friends for half a year, none of them ever talked about their troubled pasts. And if Kagome finally felt ready to share it with them, then they would gladly listen to her story.

"Mm…" The Asakura hummed softly as he too looked up at the stars. Even though his eyes were on the celestial beauties above, he could only see memories of the day that they became friends. He saw Manta's panicked, shocked face as he was dragged away from school. He saw the empty look in Kagome's eyes when she thought that she was forgotten…

From the moment that he saw that look in her eyes, Yoh knew that he could never leave her alone...that she was someone just like him and Anna.

"My powers…" Kagome continued speaking, her voice growing softer as she approached the subject. "They caused me a lot of trouble. A friend of mine became possessed by a demonic spirit and attacked Ban-kun's brother, Mu-senpai. The attack happened right after school so there were plenty of witnesses…" She smiled and chuckled as she recalled exactly how she felt on that day: the sense of duty that drove Yoh above and behind when it came to being a shaman. "But still, I knew what I had to do. I used my powers to exorcise the demon."

Manta tried not to frown, but he could sense the lack of brightness in Kagome's voice as she spoke on the topic. "I'm guessing that the witnesses didn't take it well…" he surmised.

Yoh scowled and stayed quiet. He knew firsthand how humans could be about things that they did not understand, or people who they feared.

"That's one way of putting it," The priestess replied. "More specifically, rumors that I was a witch or a monster spread like wildfire. It didn't take long for them to begin bullying me. Two of my friends even distanced themselves from me to avoid it. I don't blame them. I pushed away my remaining ones because I thought that it was a burden that I had to shoulder alone…" Kagome could not say that she excused what her classmates did to her back then, but at this moment, she was pleasantly surprised. She could think and talk freely about those dark times without wanting to cry or hide.

The priestess smiled when Manta's hand rested on top of hers. His face was bittersweet. He was smiling, trying to support her, but it looked like he wanted to cry for her sake.

"But," Yoh cut in. "You're not alone anymore, right?" He asked with a soft, solemn face.

Kagome nodded to her friends, "I'm not. And recently I learned that I never truly was…" Her free hand made its way to her chest, covering her heart. "My family...all of that time, they were worried about me. And Ban-kun too—he was always there, trying to cheer me up and cheer me on." Her smile became sheepish as she chuckled lightly. "That's why I feel embarrassed that I wasted so much time pitying myself when you had it so much worse for so much longer, Yoh."

Yoh's eyes widened slightly at the statement. "That Anna…" He grumbled before shaking his head and sighing into a smile. "You don't have to disregard the pain that you felt because of me, Kagome. What I went through doesn't make your pain void or insignificant."

The priestess did not know it until now, but she needed those words: the validation of her experience. Kagome's expression softened as she nodded for him to continue speaking.

"I was always an outcast of the kids my age. Their parents taught them the hate that they had for people like us. The humans—" Yoh caught the guilty-look on Manta's face right before the blond lowered his head. "Those humans," The Asakura corrected himself. "They called me a demon child, threatened me..." The Asakura's face hardened at the memories. "Their acts of hatred...it was organized. So I didn't have friends besides spirits for a long time. It's not that having spirit friends is a bad thing. But, I...even I wanted to belong somewhere."

"Your first friend," Kagome spoke up while catching Yoh's eye. "It was Anna-chan, wasn't it?"

Yoh nodded as an emotion that Kagome could not place flickered in his eyes.

That was right. Anna was his first friend. She was a first for him. And that meant, she would always be special.

"And me…?" Manta suddenly whispered, his bangs still hanging over his eyes.

Yoh slid the tray of tea away to place himself closer to his friends. He grinned while giving Manta a chummy pat on the shoulder. "You're my first human friend, Manta!" The blond slowly lifted his head at this statement. "But you know, being human doesn't make you any less important to me. Befriending you taught me that not all humans are bad."

Yoh and Manta exchanged smiles.

Kagome then chimed in, "He's right, Manta-kun. You're very important to both of us." Once Manta's eyes were on her, she added, "In fact, you're the one who brought all three of us. If it weren't for you, I probably would have never met Yoh. I came to Tokyo wanting to avoid things like this, so…" She smiled as Manta's lower lip began to quiver. His eyes twinkled with tears beneath the starlight. "Thank you," the girl concluded.

The priestess closed her eyes and for a brief moment, she felt like she owed so much more to Manta and Yoh. The feeling that Manta was the key to something beautiful intensified. And the feeling that Yoh was someone who had been looking out for her resounded in her heart. It was enough to bring tears to her eyes. There were tears, but she was happy.

"If you wanted to avoid being outed again, why did you go out of your way to help me?" Manta questioned the girl. In his eyes, Kagome was still a mystery sometimes. She went through so much, but she was ready to fall back into that darkness for the sake of a stranger back then.

"That's easy," Kagome answered in an airy voice. "When our classmates made fun of you for your story, you looked so dejected and frustrated. So, I saw myself in you. And I felt compelled to help you out."

Manta looked satisfied with that answer. It made sense. Kagome was the type of person who did not want to see others suffer, human or not. The Oyamada finally retracted his hand from Kagome's. He cupped his hands together in his lap and looked down at them. Hearing about his friends' pasts made him feel so much closer to them, so much closer to understanding them.

And...he wanted them to feel the same way about him. So he spoke, "Me too." He started out sounding unsure, almost shaky. As if he was afraid that no one was interested in listening. But he suppressed that fear and continued, "Before I met you two, I didn't have any true friends...even though I'm a human, I never felt like I could connect with anyone. But that's not because people abused me like you two. It's…" Manta's eyes hardened as he glared at his hands.

"It's because of my own weakness. I was raised to be nothing but a successful businessman. My father...all he cared about was making sure I was elite. A cultured person worthy enough to inherit the Oyamada name, so I…"

Images of his life flashed before his eyes. How many times had he done nothing but study for hours on end? How many times had he turned down invitations to befriend other children in favor of studying? How many times did he walk home alone? And how many times had he returned to an empty dinner table? He could not quantify the missed opportunities to enjoy life and what it meant to be alive.

"I...stopped trying. I walked the path that my father laid out for me without question. But it meant sacrificing my own happiness," Manta told them. He finally told them. Baring your heart on your sleeve: it was a mysterious feeling. It started out as a whim, but it ended up feeling fulfilling. Finally, he could laugh at himself for how foolish he used to be. The teen lifted his head and looked up at the twinkling sky. "That was until I met you two, of course. You two weirdos who accepted someone as bland as me. You two weirdos that showed me alternative lives and paths that I didn't know existed."

Kagome smiled playfully and hooked her finger on the inside of Manta's mouth. She pulled her hand back, stretching out his cheek, "After all that you heard, you dare call us weirdos? That's some mouth you have, Manta-kun."

Yoh chuckled when Kagome released Manta's face and the blond raised his hand to rub the spot. "It's because we're his friends that he can say things like that, right?" Kagome and Manta both grinned and nodded in agreement. The two then looked at each other in unison. Yoh blinked when they shared mischievous grins. "You know, you look like devils when you do that…" the Asakura smiled nervously.

"Get him!" The priestess cried out. She and Manta lunged at Yoh, taking him by surprise and tackling him to the floor. The brunette's protest of them cheating was drowned out by the sound of their laughter.

Kagome had learned so much recently.

She, Yoh, and Manta were brought together by loneliness. And she was sure that no matter, they'd always be friends. Because, each of them knew a flavor of isolation. And knowing loneliness, it made you kinder, right? It made you want to protect and cherish the people you loved, right?

'Truly...I wish...that moments like these could go on forever and ever.'

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

Sunrise came too fast. Manta wanted to berate himself for allowing them to stay up and fool around until an ungodly hour. But he had too much fun to regret it. He groggily dragged himself out of his warm futon, tripping over a loud, snoring HoroHoro along the way. He was not surprised to cross paths with a bright-eyed Kagome in the hallway. The girl seemed to have a knack for rising early after returning from training with the Tao's.

Her school uniform was already on, her hair in place, and skin glowing. The girl gave Manta a quick wave, "Morning, Manta-kun~ Did you sleep well?"

Manta scratched his head and tried to smile as brilliantly as she did, "As well as you can in four hours." He could tell that she was amused from how her smile widened. But instead of teasing him, the priestess spoke.

"Ryu-san said that breakfast will be ready soon so can you wake up Yoh and HoroHoro-kun for me?" She asked before pointing down at Anna's room. "I'm going to check on Anna-chan."

As expected, getting Yoh out of bed was especially taxing.

Between HoroHoro's constant jokes and Anna's angry outbursts, it was a typical loud morning. Breakfast was relatively uneventful otherwise… Aside from a quick spat between HoroHoro and Ryu about who Sango would be coming to see that evening. Pirika immediately ended it with a simple, "If Sango-neesan comes to see anyone, it would be Kagome-neechan."

The boys were instantly defeated by the painful truth.

Anna did not hesitate to delegate chores to Ryu and the Usui siblings while they were gone. Kagome almost felt bad for how much work was piled onto the boys specifically, but no one dared to speak up against the itako, not about chores anyway.

The walk to school was peaceful. The laidback world of humans did not reflect the horrors that they faced during the Shaman Fights. But it was a nice change of pace for all of them.

Kagome and Anna lead the march to Shinra Academy, walking about three meters in front of Manta and Yoh. The girls were quietly conversating between themselves. Well, from behind them, it appeared that Kagome was doing most of the talking with Anna listening and giving occasional responses. Despite the conversation being somewhat one-sided, the smile at Kagome's lips and calmness on Anna's face was reassuring.

Anna was highly aware of how the boys behind them were watching their movements and trying to read the atmosphere between them. Guilt and worry were radiating off Yoh like microwaves, despite his seemingly laidback expression and posture. The priestess walking beside her was too engrossed in her light-hearted small-talk to notice how Anna peered at Yoh from her peripheral. "I hope that it's okay that the Tao's are coming by again today. I know that having so many people can get a bit noisy," Kagome said.

"It's fine. I'm used to it by now," Anna replied, her voice dismissive and nonchalant. Just as Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, the itako hummed to herself before suddenly speaking in a louder voice, "What's that, Kagome? You can't wait to see Ren again?"

Manta sweatdropped as Yoh bristled, his eyebrow twitching at Anna's jab at him.

Kagome sweatdropped as well, "Eh—I didn't say anything like that." She then smiled while clutching her bag with both hands. "But, you're not wrong~"

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

Yoh could not wait for their first lecture to begin. He wanted to take a nap so badly, but he feared that Anna would notice immediately if her attention wasn't on the teacher. Finally, Furukawa-sensei entered the classroom, albeit five minutes late.

Instead of grabbing his usual clipboard to take attendance, he placed his hands on his desk and announced, "I know that it's late into the school year, but we have two new transfer students starting today."

"Again?!" One student questioned with a skeptical look. "It's like we're in a manga."

"I guess this is the part where we're supposed to hope that it's a gorgeous guy~" One girl giggled.

Another girl next to her waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, come on. Things like that don't happen in real life."

Meanwhile, Yoh was busy trying to fight sleep. His eyelids were heavy as his head struggled to stay upright. Anna, who sat to Yoh's right, stared ahead with disinterest, her hand cradling her head. Manta blinked, feeling a sense of dejavu after befriending the first set of transfer students earlier in the year. Kagome merely looked on as she gathered her supplies for today's lessons.

The middle-aged man then looked towards the door and called out. "Come in and introduce yourselves!" Not a moment later, the sound of the sliding door resounded, followed by footfalls that Kagome immediately recognized. One set of footsteps was bold and confident. The other footfalls were light and prancy. 'No way…' She, Manta, Yoh thought in unison.

But in they marched together: a tall young man with long, raven hair pulled back into a braid and sapphire eyes and a shorter one with perfect makeup and a high ponytail that bounced as he skipped his way to the front of the class.

The taller of the two shoved his hands in his pockets and adopted a laidback pose as he spoke, "Nice to meet ya. I'm Shichinin Bankotsu." His signature smirk was followed by a chorus of coos and squeals from a number of the girls.

"And I'm Shichinin Jakotsu~" The latter chimed while winking and blowing a kiss at the class. "And yes, boys. I am single~" He then blanched when a group of girls squealed at his introduction. "Oh, yuck! I wasn't talking to you icky things!"

Furukawa-sensei cleared his throat, "Right. Anything else you want to add?"

Bankotsu nodded before easily spotting Kagome at the back of the classroom. His smirk widened as he pointed at her, "Try not to fall for me because I already have my sights set on Higurashi Kagome."

Kagome's cheeks burned brightly as she tried to sink into her chair and make herself smaller. Now that she finally knew how Bankotsu felt about her, she also understood the dark, angry glares that she was receiving from the other girls.

"Alright, there's some empty desks near—" Furukawa-sensei began to point towards a pair of desks in the front row but the new students ignored him and walked towards the back.

Bankotsu stopped in front of a boy who sat to Kagome's right. "Hey, buddy. You don't mind changing seats with me, do you?" He asked while placing his large hand on the desk.

The seated teen, being on the timid side, stiffened when he noticed the obvious size difference between them. It was not only that—but Bankotsu was taller and more built than all of the other boys in class. Those facts, on top of his resolve, was more than enough for the shy boy to shake his head and begin collecting his belongings.

Jakotsu tried to use the same tactic on the girl who sat to the right of Bankotsu. But instead of acting intimidated, the girl beamed brightly before moving to the front of the class. The gesture made him want to gag.

As Kagome expected, it did not take long for Bankotsu to begin passing her notes. Despite her desire to focus on today's lessons, she found the nostalgia that having Bankotsu distracting her was comforting.

She pursed her lips to hold a flurry of giggles. She looked down at Bankotsu's chibi doodle of himself standing triumphantly over Yoh, Ren, and Manta while she was cuddled up at his side, looking completely smitten. The 'X's for their eyes and their tongues sticking out almost made the girl burst into laughter.

The priestess then took her pen and wrote, "You're as confident as ever, huh?" She passed it to Bankotsu when Furukawa's back was turned. Bankotsu's scribbling resulted in the paper ending back on Kagome's desk rather quickly.

But before she could read it, Furukawa seemingly teleported across the classroom and stood at her desk. Kagome's eyes widened in horror as her hands dove for the paper, but it was too late. "Let's see what's more interesting than my lesson," the man said aloud in an annoyed tone. "I'd be even more confident if you'd just say yes," he read, eliciting a few chuckles from Bankotsu while Kagome's face went beet red.

Even Manta turned around to gawk at them. Kagome dared to steal a glance at Yoh, and was relieved to find that he was already fast asleep. "Don't force me to separate you two on the first day," the teacher warned while making his way back to the front of the class. The teacher was sure to whack Yoh on the head with a ruler along the way.

Lessons came and went. Before they knew it, the lunch bell rang and a hoard of students fled towards the cafeteria. "Ban-kun, if I had known that you were coming, I would have made an obento for you and Jakkun too," Kagome stated as she grabbed the lunches that she packed early that morning.

Bankotsu grinned while holding up his own boxes, "Don't worry about it. I made lunches today."

"Oh, good~" Kagome smiled as Yoh, Anna, and Manta approached them. "It's cold but I packed some hot tea if you guys still want to eat outside."

Yoh sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping, "I could use some fresh air. Today's been so exhausting."

A vein appeared on Anna's forehead as she asked sharply, "Slacking off in training and school, what's so exhausting about that, Yoh?"

"We can talk outside! Let's go eat!" Jakotsu whined with a pout. "I'm starving here!"

"Because you decided to skip breakfast for your new diet," Bankotsu replied nonchalantly. Jakotsu pouted and whined that his brother would say something like that out loud. But he wouldn't be his Ban if he didn't.

They enjoyed their lunches in the courtyard, just as the trio used to do when it was only the three of them. They sat in a circle on a thick blanket that Kagome kept in her locker in preparation for an outdoor lunch. As the priestess poured tea for Manta, she asked, "So Ban-kun, how did you end up going to school here? I mean, I never told you which school I transferred to."

Anna added in, "And from what I gather about you, you live alone with your six brothers." Her gaze was sharp as she questioned, "How did you come up with the money to fund such a school? And how is it that no one recognizes your faces?"

Jakotsu's glare was heated as his voice lowered darkly, "What's that tone? Are you implying that we got the money illegally? That we're bribing people?!"

"If there's nothing to hide then there's no need for you to be upset," Anna answered back easily.

Yoh raised his hands, smiling nervously, "Now, now, you two. We're all friends here."

Jakotsu turned his glare to the Asakura, his eyes narrowing at the brunette, "And just who do you think you are?" He hummed while leaning closer to Yoh's face, squinting and looking thoughtful as he looked him up and down. Yoh tried to shrink away, but suddenly, Jakotsu wrapped his arms around the shaman's neck.

Manta's cheeks flushed as Jakotsu landed on top of Yoh, who fell unceremoniously on his back.

"W-Wait a sec—!" Yoh protested while flailing beneath the Shichinin. A bead of sweat ran down his head when Jakotsu began rubbing their cheeks together affectionately.

"Oh, you~ You're too cute! I couldn't possibly be mad at you~!" Jakotsu cooed.

Yoh wailed and looked to Kagome for help. The priestess' huffed, a pout on her lips as she crossed her arms and looked away. "Wah! Wait, this isn't my fault!" His eyes then met Anna's. The itako merely watched while placing a piece of omelet into her mouth. Bankotsu watched the scene with obvious amusement.

After Jakotsu finally released his hold on Yoh, everyone righted themselves and went back to eating as Bankotsu began to speak. "Ladies," his voice was unusually serious, "The answer to both of your questions is that I have an angel looking after me."

Kagome and Manta almost fell over at the vague answer.

Bankotsu could see the dissatisfaction on the itako's face, but she did not press the issue so it didn't matter. 'Besides…' He thought while shoving some rice into his mouth. 'How can I give answers when I don't have the full story myself?'

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

It began after he and his brothers laid waste to Tokyo. It was strange. But ever since then, Bankotsu instinctively knew how to find his way back to the plane where the older Kagome resided. It was always easier to wander in that realm when he was sleeping, but he did manage to do it when he was awake a few times.

Kagome did not seem surprised or impressed when he arrived. She merely informed him that, "This is no place for the living." When he asked if it was something similar to hell or limbo, she shook her head and answered, "No. This place is a haven that I created for myself, and for my other half when she needs to rest."

Other than her first statement, the older Kagome made no moves to force him to leave like before. She merely gestured for him to sit on the chair of vines and flowers across from her. "You have questions," She pointed out. "You always do."

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow. 'Always?' "Well, you're right about that," He told her while attempting to make himself comfortable. "Are you going to answer them?"

"Perhaps, in time," Was her response as she lazily laid across her couch and looked up at the sky. She did not seem surprised when Bankotsu got up and ended up standing at her side. She did not squirm or look the least bit uncomfortable when he stared down at her with his intense stare. His eyes narrowed as he examined her.

This Kagome stared back up at him with those blue-gray eyes that he loved. But this Kagome's eyes only matched his Kagome's eyes in color alone. Unlike his Kagome's soulful eyes, this Kagome reflected nothing but a knowing calmness. It was almost unnerving how she showed no other emotion and her demeanor was fixed in such a way. His Kagome's greatness strength and weakness alike was her reactiveness.

Personality-wise, this Kagome was anything but reactive. She was breathtaking to behold. Her hair was darker than midnight and as long as the finest of wedding veils. Her figure was the picture of perfection with dips and curves in places that he adored. She truly did look the part of a goddess, and yet—Bankotsu found himself unconvinced that she was one.

After conceding that he would not learn anything from her today, Bankotsu's face relaxed into a half-smile. "Aw, come on~ You can tell me~" He grinned while poking the woman's shoulder. She did not respond. She closed her eyes and seemingly fell into a slumber. "Oh, come on," he groaned. "Beings like you don't need sleep, right?"

Kagome did not answer.

So, he left that plane.

But he returned the next day.

The goddess was unsurprised and did not seem to react to his intrusion. She was lounging on her couch again.

"We've met before, right?" Bankotsu asked as he approached her. "You're the one who brought me back to life back then."

"Correct, that was me," Kagome replied easily. "I was summoned by your desire to see Kagome again. And then, I granted you the wish for another life."

"The power to bring the dead back to life...how did you—Kagome, acquire it?" The Shichinin asked. Kagome looked up at him and shook her head.

The woman rose from her couch and began walking away, towards the open, green fields. "Follow me." Bankotsu eagerly obliged her whim and trailed behind her, slowing his footsteps to match her leisurely ones.

Soon, small orbs of light began to ascend from the grass up to the clear, blue sky. They were the size of marbles and floated at the speed of falling leaves. "What's...going on…?" He asked with wide eyes as he watched the spectacle. He lifted a hand to poke an orb with his finger. He quietly marveled at how it was mysteriously cool and moist to the touch.

"I am recreating a memory," Kagome responded as she slowly raised her arms. She then cupped her hands around one of the hundreds of light orbs surrounding them. She held it within her hands, like a child who just caught a firefly. "Tell me something, Shichinin Bankotsu…" She said while turning around to face him. She opened her hands and released the orb.

Bankotsu opened his own hands, allowing the orb to hover in front of him. He blinked when the orb suddenly popped, dispersing into scattered smaller orbs. The tiny lights then rejoined and took the form of a flower. Its stem was long and green, its leaves narrow. At the apex of the stem was a funnel-shaped flower that had white petals that curved at their ends.

"Do you know the name of this flower?" Kagome asked as the hundreds of other orbs began popping around them, soon becoming hundreds of the funnel-shaped flowers.

Bankotsu gaped at the array of the color that they came in. Their delicate fragrance was unfamiliar, but pleasant. "I…" He wanted to wrack his brain for a clue, but he knew that it would be futile. He was never a flower-aficionado. "I don't know," He shrugged with a shameless smile. "What does a flower have to do with anything anyway?"

Kagome shook her head before showing him her back again. "This flower—back then, Kagome gave one to him. I believe that single gesture triggered the sequence of events that resulted in my creation."

Just as quickly as they appeared, the flowers then exploded into thousands of orbs of light that faded into nothingness. Bankotsu scratched his head, unsure of what to make of what was happening or what the woman was telling him. "Okay, you've gotta be more specific with your answers. I won't understand if you stay vague or cryptic. Do you want me to know, or not?"

To his surprise, Kagome's shoulders began trembling as she laughed softly. Bankotsu found himself speechless at the simple sound resounding in his ears. She then looked at him from over her shoulder, a soft smile on her face. "You never change, do you?" She asked.

"If I did, I wouldn't be able to make you laugh," Bankotsu grinned while shrugging again.

Without warning, Kagome turned heel and closed the distance between them. She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Shichinin Bankotsu, your Kagome will need you to stay true to yourself, and trust her with all your being." Bankotsu's eyes widened as the woman spoke to him. "She will have to make many, difficult decisions. She will be torn. When those times come, will you be able to stand on her side?"

Bankotsu forced his mouth into a weak smirk. "Of course, I will. She is my Kagome after all."

"Even if she does not choose you?" Kagome added as her expression returned to its normal neutral one. No doubt she caught how his smirk wavered. "Even if her heart belongs to another, can you continue supporting her?"

"That's a cruel question to ask a guy, ya know," Bankotsu told her. His hands trembled as they rose to remove her smaller ones from his shoulders. "Are you asking because you know that she won't ever choose me…?" He asked back. He was sure that his voice was not as boisterous as it normally was. And he was grateful that this being was the only one who saw him in this state.

Kagome shook her head once again and responded, "I am asking because I want to confirm that Shichinin Bankotsu stays Shichinin Bankotsu no matter how many times..." the latter part of her confession shocked him to his core.

Bankotsu's eyes widened at the statement. 'No matter how many times...'

The being's face was neutral and tone cool as she tilted her head, "Your answer?"

"Hmph, don't underestimate me," Bankotsu replied while lifting his nose. "I'm devoted to Kagome. Even if she doesn't choose me, I'll always be there for her." With his hands on his hips and he added, "But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on her yet."

Kagome closed her eyes, a subtle smile on her face. "A splendid answer."

Bankotsu kept returning as often as he could. He mainly wanted answers to his questions. But part of him also enjoyed the game of getting rises out of the entity. Her usual demeanor was calm. Her emotional responses were rare, but they did exist. If she deviated from her neutral expression, it would usually be to chuckle at his antics. But he delighted in the one time that he got her to sigh at him. It took a lot of poking and repeating the same question over and over again.

It was the fifth day of his second week visiting the Kagome-plane, as he dubbed it. This time, Kagome had a delicate, porcelain tea set spread out on a wooden table. "I've been expecting you, Bankotsu," She said as he approached her. "Join me."

"Wow, all this for me?" The teen asked in a teasingly voice as he took his seat across the table from the young woman. "Did ya miss me or somethin'?"

Disappointingly but unsurprisingly, Kagome did not react to his teasing. She quietly poured a light-brown liquid that he guessed to be tea into his cup. The woman then proceeded to spread herself across her couch, leaning back and cupping her hands across her belly. "What would you like to know?"

"Hmph," Bankotsu chuckled. "Even if I ask you a question, your answer depends on if you think I'm ready to hear it, right?" He asked. He then gestured towards the young woman, "You might as well just tell me what you think I'm ready to know."

"In that case, I most likely will tell you nothing," She replied in her usual solemn voice.

"Oh, wow," the teen grinned. "That's harsh. Well then, how about I make some simple requests?" Bankotsu's grin faded when the entity only stared at him silently. 'Looks like, nothing that I say or do surprises her after all.' "You're the goddess of this world, right? I'm sure you can do me a few favors." He then took hold of his tea and raised the cup's rim to his lips. He took a small sip as Kagome watched him in silence.

"E-Eh?!" Bankotsu's eyes widened as he lowered the cup to examine its contents. "What is this?!" He expected a heated sensation accompanying an earthy taste. Instead, he tasted no flavor. And even the tiny sip that he took made his body pulse in response.

"Furyoku," Kagome answered. "It was one of his gifts to her—the original Higurashi Kagome."

Bankotsu shook his head, "Really? Furyoku? Well, he was quite the charmer then." He then tilted his head back and downed the cup. He placed it down on the table and asked, "Why does it look like tea though?" he quirked an eyebrow skeptically.

"I thought it would be a more pleasant visual for you," Kagome replied. "Was I wrong?"

"Another kiss would have been better," He proposed while raising a finger. "Anyway, about my requests—I want a better life for me and my brothers. You'll help me out, won't you?"

"You never change, do you?" She asked before giving him a small smile that made him grin from ear to ear. "Very well."

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

Bankotsu watched Kagome as she patted Anna's shoulder as the itako reached for her shoe to make it into a weapon against Jakotsu, who she found incredibly annoying. He would never say it aloud but it truly was wonderful to see her look so happy again. His eyes then looked her up and down, a motion that didn't go unnoticed by Yoh and Manta, who threw him deadpanned, suspicious looks. 'Damn, she makes everything look good. Hm...and if she grows up to look like the other Kagome…'

"E-eh… Bankotsu-kun…" Manta's smile twitched as he tried to stay collected.

'The other Kagome told me that if I wanted a chance, I need to not underestimate my biggest rival… Hm… I wonder who she was referring to…' His sapphire eyes landed on Yoh. 'Definitely can't underestimate that one because he's not the underdog in this race. If it's not him, then…'

Manta stiffened when Bankotsu made direct eye contact with him. He could not help but feel like he was scrutinized by his sharp gaze. "Bankotsu-kun?"

'It can't be…' Bankotsu thought while staring down at the blond.

Manta wanted to shrink away as Bankotsu silently stared him down. He looked to the other teens for help, only to find Kagome and Yoh trying to mediate a spat between Anna and Jakotsu—one that ended with Jakotsu blowing a raspberry at the girl, only to take a flying chopstick to the forehead. He was knocked on his back on impact.

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

Kagome found that the school day passed quickly with Bankotsu around. There was never a dull moment when he sat next to her. As she packed her bag to leave, she noticed how her notebook had more doodles and scribbles than summaries of today's lessons. 'Oh great...Ban-kun might be a bigger distraction that I thought…' She thought to herself before sighing. 'I guess it's fine. I'm sure Manta-kun took enough notes that I can copy.'

"So, where do you live now?" The girl asked as Bankotsu stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Around~" He gave her a half-smile. "I'll take you there sometime." He then pointed at Anna, who was standing at her desk and packing her bag. "She's the one in charge, right?"

Kagome blinked then chuckled nervously, "Well, I guess you could say that."

"Gotcha," Bankotsu nodded. Before Kagome could ask what he was up to, the Shichinin was at Anna's side. He easily towered about the petite blonde.

"Don't bother me. I've had enough of you for today," Anna stated nonchalantly.

"Your name is Kyoyama Anna, right?" Bankotsu asked. "Can I call you Anya?"

The itako was quick to reply, "No."

"How about Mana? Or AnAn?" Bankotsu grinned cheekily.

"If you must address me, then Anna-sama will do," She replied as she finished gathering her belongings. The itako glared at Yoh as he yawned aloud, having just woken up with the dismissal bell.

"AnAn, it is~!" Bankotsu cheered, his grin wide and triumphant. He followed close behind the girl as she literally dragged Yoh out of the classroom by his collar. He did not seem bothered by Yoh's protests and wails against the treatment. "So anyway, AnAn~ I was thinking that I could come over for dinner today! I want to catch up with my Kagome after all~"

His voice faded away as they left Jakotsu, Manta, and Kagome in the classroom. Kagome and Manta gave each other deadpanned, tired looks. Jakotsu, however, stomped his foot and chased after his brother. "Baaaaaan, wait for meeeeee!" Kagome and Manta sprinted behind him as they quietly watched the exchange between Anna and Bankotsu.

"AnAn, why are you ignoring me? I promised to bring a gift of gratitude! Don't you like gifts, AnAn?"

"Y-You can't bribe Anna with ordinary gifts…" Yoh mumbled with a nervous smile.

Kagome and Manta stiffened when Anna abruptly paused, almost snarling at Bankotsu. "Don't call me AnAn!" She shouted while throwing a fist at Bankotsu. She scoffed and narrowed her eyes when he caught her fist in his hand.

"Anna-chan, hold on! No fighting, okay?!" Kagome protested as she ran up to them. "What's going on? Is Ban-kun annoying you that much?" She asked as a smirking Bankotsu released an agitated Anna's hand.

"I was just asking if I could come over for dinner," Bankotsu explained when Kagome turned a disapproving glare at him. "I don't know what the big deal is."

"The problem is your smell," Anna hissed. "You don't smell like this world, and yet you don't smell like the spiritual world either." It was even more suspicious that Bankotsu kept a poker face through her accusations. "You smell like Yoh did after he returned from...that place." She narrowed her eyes when Bankotsu shrugged her off. 'This guy...he knows what's going on.'

"So, I have something that you want after all," Bankotsu smiled down at the girl. "Cooperate with me and I'll give you what you want."

Anna huffed, her shoulders relaxing a bit. Still, she crossed her arms, releasing Yoh in the process. "Fine. You've got yourself a deal," She replied.

Kagome frowned as she grabbed onto Bankotsu's sleeve, "Hold on. Don't act like the rest of us aren't here! What are you two talking about?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He almost sang as he held the door open and allowed Kagome and Anna to exit the building. Bankotsu withheld his snickering as he allowed the door to slam shut in Yoh and Manta's face.

"Oooooooh, that brother of mine!" Jakotsu cried with teary eyes. "He keeps leaving me behind!"

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

The dining table at the Asakura residence was full to the brim as a group of teenagers awaited their dinner. Anna was never one to turn down a free, delicious meal, but she was more than aggravated by the number of extra guests that came with it. It was annoying. She arrived in Tokyo almost half a year ago. And before her arrival, she imagined that she would only be sharing lodging with her fiance.

Imagine her surprise when she discovered that he finally made friends other than herself. Sure, it was her decision to take Kagome in, but she never intended for Manta to come as a package deal. Before she knew it, Ryu and the Usui siblings made their way into her space as well. Then, as fate would have it, Kagome ended up being a lot more trouble than she expected. The priestess was a magnet that seemed to draw people to her. The once enemy Tao's were now frequent visitors to their abode.

And as far as Anna was concerned, the only good that came of their presence was the free lavish gifts that came along with them. It was usually in the form of expensive cuts of meat being expertly prepared by Sango, who was always assisted by Ryu.

[Ding! Dong!]

"I'll get it~" Kagome announced as she rose to her feet.

Anna noticed how Yoh's eyes were not the only pair that followed the girl as she left the room. If she took Ren's obvious affection for Kagome into account, there were actually two good things that came from the Tao family's visits.

"Man, I'm starving!" HoroHoro exclaimed while leaning away from the table. "Maybe San-tan needs my help after all," he mused aloud as he looked up at the ceiling.

"If you were in there, Sango would be stuck cooking and babysitting all night," Ren stated.

HoroHoro's calm expression instantly twitched into an outraged one as he jumped to his feet. A hand slammed down on the table as he glared at the Tao heir, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"He's right, Onii-chan," Pirika agreed with a stern glare. "Last time you tried to help, you ended up fighting Ryu-san the whole time an—" the younger Usui's voice hitched in her throat at the sound of the conversation in the next room.

"Ban-kun, you made it~" Kagome's voice beamed, causing Yoh, Ren, Pirika, and Jun to all stiffen. A moment later, Yoh and Jun's faces formed calm smiles as Ren's expression went sour. HoroHoro scowled when he noticed how his sister's surprised expression melted into a timid one as she shuffled nervously in her seat.

"Kagome!" Bankotsu's overly excited greeting was followed by a startled Kagome squeak as he probably pulled her into a hug. "I've missed you so much!"

Jun smiled as she silently grabbed the back of Ren's shirt and pulled him back into his seat.

"We just saw each other at school earlier," the priestess laughed lightly.

"Kagome, my dear~" Bankotsu's voice lowered into a pitch that made Pirika blush a pretty pink. "There's never enough time together when it comes to me and you," he told her, unknowingly earning an uncomfortable cheek scratch from Yoh and a blanch from Ren.

"Oh, wow," HoroHoro mumbled as he heard Kagome invite him to join them for dinner. "That guy is smooth," he noted before looking across the table at Yoh and Ren. "And by comparison, those two…"

A moment later, Kagome and Bankotsu entered the room. "Everyone, looks like we have another guest for dinner tonight," Kagome told them as she smiled up at Bankotsu. "In case you don't remember, this is my old friend Shichinin Bankotsu."

Bankotsu grinned while giving them a double-fingered salute. His hand then landed on Kagome's shoulder as a smirk played across his face. "Shichinin Bankotsu, but you all can call me 'Ban'. Any friend of Kagome is a friend of mine," he announced before taking in all of the faces at the table.

"You know, Bankotsu-kun," Manta began slowly. "I thought that it was strange earlier, but, when you walked in together, you definitely look like siblings. Or at least, cousins."

Bankotsu almost fell over at the comment. He quickly recovered and pulled Kagome close to his side while pointing at Manta, "Look here! Kagome is the girl that I'm going to marry! Don't mistake us for relatives!"

Kagome frowned when Pirika's face fell into pursed lips. The priestess then removed the hand from her shoulder before raising an eyebrow at Bankotsu, "When did I agree to something like that?"

Bankotsu was not daunted. He flashed her a smile with a radiance that Pirika found blinding. "I haven't asked you yet, but—"

It was then that Jun giggled gently behind her hand. "Oh, Ban-kun~ How you amuse me," she sang in an airy tone, drawing attention to herself. Bankotsu was quick to catch onto the small smirk that she played as a dainty smile. "You can't possibly think that you have a chance with Kagome-chan~"

Ren began to pale when he saw how his sister sent a reassuring smile to Pirika.

"After all…" Time seemed to slow down as the elder Tao's voice became haughty. Ren's eyes grew wide as he realized the words that were leaving Jun's mouth. "Kagome-chan has already agreed to wed my Renny in the future~"

Yoh and Bankotsu appeared stunned as imaginary lightning struck behind them from the revelation.

Kagome sweatdropped at their reactions. 'Well, you say it out loud, it's kind of embarrassing...'

Yoh slumped back into his seat. His face was emotionless as his skin became ghostly pale. It looked like he died on the spot.

Meanwhile, Bankotsu dramatically sunk to his hands and knees. "It can't be…" his voice was in disbelief as he aimed a shocked expression at Ren, who tried to hide his embarrassment behind a facepalm as he muttered something inaudible to his sister. "That chibi...no way…" he grumbled. He then looked to Kagome for confirmation, "Kagome, there's no way that it's true...right…?"

"Well," Kagome tucked some hair behind her ear as she spoke in a slightly embarrassed tone. With pale pink cheeks, she said, "It wasn't a bad offer, so—" the priestess' explanation was cut off by Bankotsu, who got off the floor to place his hands on her shoulders and shake them gently.

"Kagome, you don't get it, do you?" He asked before throwing a suspicious look at Ren, who returned it with a raised eyebrow. "Now that you agreed to marry him, he probably thinks dirty things about you every day."

Ren's face slammed into the table surface, causing HoroHoro to burst into a fit of laughter that not even Pirika's glare could control. As much as Jun wanted to defend her brother from his romantic rival, she was too amused by Bankotsu's bluntness to step in.

Manta and Yoh shrunk away from the Tao as they whispered to each other behind cupped hands as they too sent suspicious, judging looks at Ren. Ren then lifted his head and glared at them, despite his burning red cheeks. "Oh, shut up! You're the last one who can talk!" He glared directly at Yoh, who was quick to blush.

"What did I do?!" The brunette yelled back across the table.

Meanwhile, Kagome pinched a smile and sweatdropped as Bankotsu continued warning her of the mistake she was making. "You're a beautiful girl, Kagome! Sooner or later, he'll make a move on you! He'll want to do this and that, and the next thing you know, you'll be a mothe—" The Shichinin blinked when Ren suddenly grabbed him by the base of his braid and pulled his head back.

The Tao managed to keep a cool expression as he asked pointedly, "Aren't you embarrassed to spout nonsense like that?"

Bankotsu smirked at the question. With his new revelation, he righted himself and turned to face Ren. This was not the response that he expected from someone who was supposedly betrothed to his Kagome. 'Interesting.' The Shichinin then shrugged while grinning widely, "What nonsense? It's the truth, isn't it? If you're going to marry Kagome, then you must want to father her children, right?"

As expected, Ren's entire face went bright red at the prospect. He opened his mouth to speak but found that his brain ceased all logical functions. The only thing that his mind could picture was—.

"That's enough out of you!" Kagome shrieked while throwing a hand over Bankotsu's mouth. The girl shot him a warning glare when she saw how his eyes danced with mirth. She then gave Ren an apologetic smile, "Ignore him, Ren. Ban-kun has always liked embarrassing everyone. It just means that he wants to be friends."

Ren scowled and looked away to hide his warm cheeks, "Tch. With friends like him…"

"Settle down now," Sango suddenly spoke up as she and Ryu began carrying in pots and trays of dishes. "Dinner is ready so you all need to sit down."

HoroHoro immediately perked up at the sound of his crush's voice. His eyes sparkled as he eagerly got out of his seat. "San-tan, let me help you with that!" He grinned while reaching for the heavy pot in her hands.

"Eh…" Sango sweatdropped as she sensed the death rays being emitted from Ryu. "Than-" She stopped short of the gratitude to sigh to herself.

"I can help too, Sango-chan," Kagome added as she headed for the kitchen.

"Wait, Kagome!" Bankotsu called after her. "Let me carry those instead!" Just as he was going to chase after the priestess, he was halted by a strong grip on the back of his collar. He aimed a twitching, impatient smirk at the Tao behind him. "Don't get in my way because you're jealous, Renny."

"There they go again…" Jun stated when her brother answered Bankotsu's remark with a sharp jab that made the taller teen twitch. "Those boys never learn, do they?" She sighed softly before smiling.

"Ban-san still loves Kagome-neechan, huh…?" Pirika whispered before she bowed her head with a frustrated groan. 'You'd think he'd just give up already…' She then lifted her head. She watched how Yoh met Kagome at the doorway between the kitchen and dining room. She could not hear the words passed between them over the bickering between Bankotsu and Ren, and her own brother and Ryu. But she noticed how their eyes softened as Kagome passed the tray of food of Yoh.

The pair practically glowed when they smiled at each other.

'Kagome-neechan sure is popular, isn't she…?' Pirika thought, her lips forming a small pout as her eyes went back to Bankotsu. The raven-haired boy and his Tao rival both looked shocked then sour when they finally noticed that Yoh beat them to the punch and the recipient of Kagome's beaming face. 'But, I guess that isn't really a good thing, is it?'

Thanks to the combined cooking prowess of Sango and Ryu, and the money that Jun was always willing to throw at social gatherings, there was more than enough food to go around. The dinner table was just as livid with chatter and banter as expected. Everything from the Shaman Fights to romantic squabbles was discussed. Yoh, Manta, and Kagome often found themselves playing mediators. They had their hands full between Bankotsu purposely getting under Ren's skin, only for the latter to throw silent glares at the table at him...that was until he struck a nerve and caused the Tao to shout instead.

Then there was HoroHoro and Ryu arguing over who Sango liked more. Neither seemed bothered when Sango continued to point out that both of them were annoying and immature. Manta almost pitied Yoh as sometimes he was dragged into arguments by Bankotsu, who always spoke his mind.

"Yo!" Bankotsu leaned away from his chair to catch Yoh in a headlock that made the Asakura gasp for air. "It's only natural to think dirty thoughts about the girl you like. You agree, don't you?" He asked with a toothy grin. Without waiting for an answer, he threw a teasing look at an annoyed-looking Ren, "The little man over there is acting holier-than-thou so I need you to help me bring him down to earth."

The Shichinin did not notice how Yoh's tanned face paled then turned blue as he frantically slapped his hand against Bankotsu's forearm in surrender. "Ban-san, you're going to kill him!"

Meanwhile, Jun engaged the girls at the table with her preferred topic of conversation: plans for the future. "I was thinking that we could throw a Christmas party at our apartment next month," The green-haired teen said, looking to the other girls for their thoughts."I've never had a party with friends before so I look forward to spending it here in Japan."

"That's a great idea, Jun-neesan~" Kagome nodded her approval. "We could even have a Secret Santa gift exchange~!"

"Secret Santa?" Pirika blinked, "What's that mean?"

"It's when you give a gift to one person anonymously," Anna suddenly explained, surprising the others that she chose to participate in the conversation.

Sango hummed while closing her eyes to mull over the idea, "I suppose that one gift is the most economical approach to Christmas."

Jun smiled warmly as she spoke, "I'm truly grateful that I came here. I've always wanted a younger sister..." She looked around at the faces at the table. "And now that I'm here, I feel like I've gained so many. It's a dream come true~"

'That explains why she likes doting on us so much,' Kagome thought to herself as she placed a piece of sauteed beef into her mouth.

"It would be perfect if Sango and Anna-chan would call me Onee-san too~" Jun said dreamily while tenderly touching her cheek. The cooing expression on her face was wiped away by the duo's simultaneous,

"Not happening."

"Oh come now, it can't be that bad, can it?" Jun asked with a small chuckle at Anna's distasteful look and Sango's uncomfortable one.

"It's not that I don't respect you, Jun," Sango clarify as a light blush graced her cheeks. "But something like that is way too embarrassing for me..."

It was then that HoroHoro looked thoughtful, "I don't know...Since I have a little sister, being called Onii-chan does nothing for me." He then looked at Sango and explained, "I'd prefer that you called me 'Papa'~" His eyes bulged as he dodged a chopstick thrown across the table at him.

Ryu hummed to himself, holding his chin while nodding in agreement, "I hate to admit it but if Sango-chama called me that, I'd be in heaven."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about," Bankotsu said while elbowing Ren in the ribs, earning a red-cheeked glare from the Tao. The raven-haired teen then whispered, "If Kagome called you 'Papa', you'd be ready to pop, wouldn't you?" Ren threw him a disgusted look that made him snicker to himself.

Meanwhile, Manta looked at Yoh, "Those guys are impossible. They can't ever get their minds out of the gutter, can they?"

Yoh swallowed some food before smiling, "I don't know...I can see their point."

Manta bristled.

It was another noisy, hectic dinner.

But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, right?

---

Authoress' Notes: Well, I did it. I finally updated. My Google documents notes on this fanfic planned a different timeline of events here, but I caught up in other things so those things will have to wait until the next chapter.

The main event that was supposed to be in this chapter was the Kagome versus Miroku fight. But I think an unwind chapter is fine between fight chapters, right? Anyway, the next update should definitely have Kagome vs. Miroku and more Hao-sama~ But before that, I'll probably continue revamping more of the older chapters!

P.S: Is anyone else excited for 2021 Shaman King anime reboot…? Oh my god… I never thought that I'd see the day! My Vegas Pro is ready to make AMVs with the reboot footage, huhuhu~