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]

40. Kakurenbo — You Found Me

Authoress' Notes: I'm not gonna lie, YashaHime totally screwed the headcanon that I built around this fanfic over a decade ago. So I'm just gonna casually pretend that it doesn't exist. You feel me? Also for the sake of anyone confused with continuity, this will pick up from the dream in chapter 31.

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Kakurenbo — You Found Me

Innumerable moons rose and waned since Kagome welcomed her life in the Feudal Era. The seasons melted into each other as they could, and as they should. She had long taken on the duties of the high priestess of Kaede's village. She met and fulfilled that role with pride and gaiety. There was a certain charm to living an ever-hectic life. It was unlike the superficial sophistication of modern life in a major metropolitan area like Tokyo. Not a day went by where Kagome was not needed, nor was there a day where she didn't make an apparent impact on someone else's life.

It was a chaotic, unpredictable life.

It was a life where she learned to live off the land, how to cultivate it for everyone's livelihood.

It was a life where her hands were always busy and her feet always moving forward.

From learning to become the next high-priestess, to teaching the village children to read and write, Kagome was always on her toes…

And she loved every moment of it.

Like countless other adults, she certainly was not living out the life that she expected, but this life was more than enough to enrich her very being. The Higurashi Kagome from her early years would never have imagined her taking on such a specialized leadership role. But this was a place where she was not just another face in the crowd. This was a place where she was appreciated and beloved because her efforts truly made an impact on people's lives. Not only was she able to hold her head up with pride, but she was able to do it with her dear husband and precious friends at her side. She was not born into this time period, but after earning her place, she finally felt like she belonged.

The priestess smiled as her skillful fingers plucked an herb from just the right spot, successfully harvesting the part that she needed and allowing new growth for the future. Yes, almost every day was filled to the brim with an unimaginable happiness. The main reason for her blissful life stood nearby.

Inuyasha did not miss how the concentrated expression on his young wife's face melded into a buttery smile. She sat on her in-step in the middle of a grassy clearing in the forest. Her trained eyes identified the types of herbs that she needed and her hands handled the rest. The shallow wicker basket by her side slowly but surely was filling with the medicinal plants. "Huh?" He breathed, causing her to lift her head to meet his eyes.

The hanyou leaned back against one of the many nearby trees. "What's with that dopey grin on your face?" Inuyasha asked as his eyebrow rose to emphasize his curiosity. His long, crimson sleeves folded over each other and across his chest as he waited. Inuyasha was almost always by her side ever since she returned years ago—as if he were afraid that she would disappear again if he let her out of his sight.

The couple usually filled their hours of work with a comfortable rotation of peaceful silence and light-hearted banter. As Kagome gathered herbs to treat a cold that was going around amongst the village children, this rotation was full of silence as she was both reflective on the past and focused on her task.

Kagome chuckled softly. The sound alone was enough to make Inuyasha's demeanor falter into a smile of his own. "It's nothing," she first answered as she turned to pluck another herb. "I was just thinking about how happy I am to be here, with you," she answered, both honestly and straightforwardly.

Inuyasha's cheeks reddened for a moment as he was silenced by her declaration.

It was not that he was surprised that his wife felt that way. She had agreed to marry him after all. Additionally, Kagome was an affectionate lover who constantly reminded him that she was grateful that they could be together.

It was just that, to Inuyasha, the feeling of being wanted and loved never grew old.

Inuyasha himself was still not the best when it came to words.

But he always did his best to show his feelings through his actions.

And luckily for him, Kagome knew him better than anyone and she understood that fact.

Still...

Inuyasha's voice was tender when he finally broke the silence—a sign that a particularly heavy topic was weighing on his mind. "Hey, Kagome…?"

The priestess couldn't help the unseen smile that spread across her face. In the past, she rarely had the chance to glimpse at his softer side. But even now, a time in their lives when he was open enough to show her more often, moments like these were precious to her. "What's up, Inuyasha?" Her inquiry was both curious and inviting.

Kagome's eyes did not leave her work, but she could easily picture the way his triangular ears flattened back against his head: a body language sign of anxiousness. "I was just thinking…" Slitted, golden orbs landed on her back as he asked, "if there's anything else that I can do to make your life better? I mean—are you truly happy, with me?"

Sometimes Inuyasha was like that. He'd mull over ghosts of the past and look to Kagome for comfort and affirmation. And Kagome was no stranger to feeling insecure and unsure of oneself, so she happily reminded him that he was her beloved and why it had to be him, every time. "Of course I'm happy with you, Inuyasha," Kagome readily replied as if it were as obvious as the color of the sky. She briefly paused in her task to look over her shoulder at her husband. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Just the sight of Kagome's smile cleared the shadows overcasting Inuyasha's heart. His cheeks reddened as he suddenly looked flustered, as if he felt foolish for even asking. "Well, uh!" He turned his head away. "I was just wondering if there's anything that I can do for you. I owe the life that I live now to you, so I want to make sure that you get everything that you deserve, and more."

Kagome's heart melted at the sentiment. "Well…" Her voice and gaze softened as she answered her husband, "There is one thing that I want…"

Inuyasha's jaw fell open in shock and his shoulders went slack. He was quick to regain his composure, but not without a rapid series of blinks in Kagome's direction.

"What's with that reaction?" She blinked back, thoroughly confused. "It's not like I'm going to ask for a bunch of gold and lavish clothing." Her hands met her hips as she stated matter-of-factly, "This is the part where you ask me what I want."

Inuyasha looked at his wife incredulously as he deadpanned, "Fine, fine. What do you want?"

Once again, his wife's answer took him aback.

"I want a baby."

The declaration slackened Inuyasha's face into one of surprise. He blinked as he breathed her name, "Kagome…" The priestess's calm demeanor finally caved and reflected a maidenly shyness.

"What's with that reaction, Inuyasha? It's not like we haven't made love before."

After regaining his posture, Inuyasha scratched a flushed cheek with the tip of his claw, "I know that. I just didn't know things like that were on your mind so it caught me off guard."

Kagome stifled another chuckle at her husband's expense. "I know that it's sudden, but you asked me out of the blue so I'm just putting it out there." She then turned back to her tasks as she continued speaking, "Yeah...I want to be a mother. My life is already wonderful as it is, but I would be a lot happier if we had a child."

Inuyasha never brought up the topic of having a child either. But that didn't mean that he never thought about it, or pictured himself fathering Kagome's children. A clawed finger lightly scratched a reddened cheek again. But his embarrassment did not stem from a lack of physical intimacy with his wife, no—like many other couples, they consummated their marriage on the night of their wedding, and then some.

Four years had blown by in a flash. And in all of that time, Inuyasha lived happily with Kagome. But it was even before their marriage that he accepted his fate as a half-demon. He was not sure when, but somewhere along the line after meeting Kagome, he had forsaken—no, forgotten, the aspiration of becoming a full demon. He supposed that after being surrounded by loved ones who cared for who he was, no matter what he was, such things became trivial.

Kagome and their friends gave Inuyasha so much joy and comfort that they became the most precious things in his entire life. So it was embarrassing for him to finally realize what the longing stares that his wife aimed at Sango and Miroku's children meant. He used to think that the weak smiles that she sometimes wore after successful deliveries were odd, but could not make sense of them. Now, Inuyasha felt like a jackass, and like a failure, for not taking the initiative to ask her about the curiosities that puzzled him.

Even in adulthood, Kagome was awfully cute with colored cheeks. Her eyes nervously broke the lock with his as she opted to look down at her basket of herbs. "That is...if you're ready too," She added, strained and reluctant.

Here she was now: finally opening up about her secret wish that had been on her mind for some time. And at the same time, Inuyasha could tell that she was still trying to be considerate of his feelings and wishes. Kagome expressed a heart-felt desire, but she was willing to wait until he was ready.

And it was at that moment that Inuyasha realized that he was ready to take the next step, with Kagome as his partner for the rest of his days. After all that Kagome had done for him, all of the suffering and love that accompanied being by his side: this was the least he could do to give her a happy ending. "That, uh, would make me happy too…" He agreed with a tinge of pink in his cheeks, his golden eyes lit up along with Kagome's blue ones.

And so, the young couple came together in union. Love and a shared objective spurred their countless amorous trysts. Moments of intimacy were both planned according to their schedules and occurred in the heat of many moments. From uniting in the privacy of their hut to losing themselves under the shade of the forest, Inuyasha and Kagome did it all. Admittedly, the eager priestess initiated the vast majority of their spontaneous sessions.

Despite the refinement and elegant aura that Kagome inevitably gained from her training under Kaede, she still glowed with a youthful glee at the prospect of being a mother. The excitement put a pep in her step when she was off-duty. After the first few months went by, that excitement intensified into anticipation. The anticipation had the priestess looking forward to her menstrual cycle, or rather—the lack thereof.

But alas, the lunar cycle continued its replications. And along with them, came Kagome's blood and her budding dejection. After the eleventh month of no signs of success, she became increasingly worried that something was amiss: an unfortunate biological mishap. Sometimes she confided with Sango, wondering if the fault lied in her own body. With her face in her hands, she would ask her best friend if it was because her body was unable to take Inuyasha's seed.

Inuyasha hid his despair from his wife, just as she tried to hide hers from him. After countless attempts, his nose continued to detect the distinct scent of Kagome's monthly cycle.

After sixteen months of fruitless efforts, even the prideful Inuyuasha consulted with Miroku on their dilemma. It was then that the monk suggested that it was Inuyasha who was sterile because he was a hybrid. The unintentionally stinging comment earned him an elbow jab from his wife as she and Kagome walked in on the conversation. Luckily, Kagome lagged behind Sango and had not heard the more than plausible hypothesis.

It was the nineteenth month that it finally happened—a sign that Kagome was with child. Nervous and excited, the priestess did her best to keep the small development to herself initially. But as a woman who had undergone many pregnancies and one who knew her best friend like the back of her hand, Sango immediately recognized the signs and asked Kagome about it during a trip to a hot spring. With flushed cheeks and a shy but proud smile, Kagome nodded and confessed that she believed that she was carrying what she thought to be a miracle child.

It took Kagome a short while to tell Inuyasha of the news. Due to tirelessly dreaming up cute, surprise scenarios on how to tell her husband the news, she had forgotten one important detail: his nose. Inuyasha was not surprised when she told him of her mounting suspicion. A good-natured smirk from the half-demon had Kagome pouting at his unwavering composure and lack of shock. Nonetheless, the priestess was embraced and kissed tenderly.

Inuyasha became increasingly protective as the weeks went by. He had already nearly been attached to Kagome's hip before, but now, he truly became like a puppy. If it were not for Sango's interference, he would have taken over as Kagome's bathing partner. He almost protested that he should be the one to look out for Kagome while she bathed. But Miroku and Sango's amused chuckles and Kagome's vexed huff and hands on her hips told him that he should relent, a little. The sight of Inuyasha's ears flattening against his head made Kagome release her breath and smile.

She pecked his lips. "Inuyasha, it's just a bath. I'm a high priestess, remember? I'm sure I can handle it," a hint of playfulness laced with her soothing tone. Kagome then looked over to Sango and added, "And besides, Sango-chan will be with me. If I need anything, she'll take care of me~"

Week five, the happy couple began discussing possible names for each sex. "How about we name our baby after your parents?" Kagome suggested once. Inuyasha appreciated the sentiment, but wanted to give their child a fresh identity of their own. "How about we combine our names? ...Kaya? Ime?"

Inuyasha almost burst into laughter. "Ime…? You tryna make the kid get teased?"

Kagome pouted a bit, "I think a name like that can hold a lot of meaning!"

Week eight, of course, Kagome was still not showing. She had not expected to do so early on but she strangely looked forward to sporting her pregnant belly. Her morning sickness was becoming increasingly sparse, but still liked to surprise her at times. Kaede and Sango advised her that she could stay active at this stage, but to do so with caution. So when a messenger from a neighboring village arrived, asking for aid in subduing a family of rogue demons that roosted just outside their borders, Inuyasha would hear nothing of Kagome tagging along.

"Sango, take care of Kagome for me," the half-demon requested of his friend before he and Miroku mounted Kirara and departed on their quest.

Kagome did not put up the fuss that she usually did when Inuyasha treated her delicately. Instead, she opted for continuing her priestess work and awaiting his return. Kaede's village was small, and although they got by in comfort, they were not exactly prosperous so they did not receive many visitors. A messenger from another village was rare enough. But for another village to request aid during these warring times of suspicion and conspiracies, it was nearly unheard of. No-name villages were more likely to beseech feudal and warlords for assistance, but never a potential rival village.

That was why Kagome took the request as a good omen: a sign that life would only get better. If humans were learning to forsake pride and trust each other even in times of uncertainty, then surely, she made the correct decision in staying here. Surely, she could watch history as it happened; she would become history as it happened.

It was late afternoon when Kagome returned from gathering medicinal herbs with Shippo. The priestess spent a short time chatting with Sango and lending her a hand with her children before she fancied some fresh air. Sango, who took her duty to protect a bit too seriously in Kagome's opinion, was quick to reach for her baby carrier. But Kagome pointed out that she finally tired the twin outs and that their nap shouldn't be disturbed. The brunette immediately looked reluctant, her face laden with concern.

"Sango-chan, you've become such a worrywart~" Kagome teased with a light chuckle. "I'm not a child, I'm your best friend, silly~" she reminded the woman.

That reassurance was not enough to put Sango at ease. "I know that, Kagome-chan," She replied "I just want you to be careful. You're responsible for two lives now," her eyes briefly glanced down at the priestess's belly.

"I'll be fine," Kagome responded as she stood up. "I'll just take a short walk around the forest, okay?" She smiled from the doorway. The young woman lingered at the privacy flap for a moment, waiting for her best friend's face to relax.

Sango stared at Kagome for a moment. She then sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Fine," The brunette relented. "Just be careful, alright?" Sango received another smile and a slight nod before the priestess headed out. The retired demon slayer then went about milling her domestic duties. She counted out five minutes in increments of seconds before looking towards the fox demon, who was nestled between her napping daughters. "Shippo-chan…" her voice was low enough to not disturb her children, but not nearly low enough to be undetected by the demon's ears.

"Oh…" His green eyes were half-lidded as he pulled himself into an upright position. His tiny legs folded as he looked over to Sango, who was tending to tonight's dinner. "What is it, Sango?" He asked in a hazy voice.

"Sorry to disturb you," Sango smiled apologetically. She then looked down at the simmering broth in her pot. "Kagome-chan decided to go on a walk, and I feel uneasy for some reason." Her eyes found Shippo's as she requested, "Do you think you could keep an eye on her for me?"

The prospect of being a guardian energized Shippo. He hopped up to his feet, puffed out his chest, and thumped it with his fist. "Leave it to me, Sango! I'll protect Kagome with my life!" He declared valiantly before rushing out of the door, tracing the priestess's scent easily. "I'll be back soon!" His voice called from outside. Sango sighed and shook her head when she saw that her girls and their younger brother were stirring from the noise.

Meanwhile, between her internalized optimism and the anticipation for her first child, Kagome's mood skyrocketed. Not even the clouds, dark and heavy with oversaturation, could damper her elated spirits. Normally, she would immediately seek shelter from the weather, but today was different. The priestess pressed on, using the canopy of trees as living, green umbrellas. The air was moist and cool as the steady downpour reduced the surrounding temperature. But the crisp atmosphere only made her walk that much more refreshing.

Kagome strolled leisurely through the familiar greenery. A content smile played at her lips as she mused over memories of her adventures. She walked and walked, not minding that her damp socks were chilling her toes. As she neared the parting in the trees, the weather conditions that were muted and obscured by the forest became visible and audible. "Oh, wow," She marveled at how the raging downpour reduced visibility to nearly zero. The clearing where the Bone Eater's Well rested was lost in a relentless white flood from above. "It's really coming down…"

Kagome easily resisted the innate desire to trudge through the drenched grass to dance in the rain. Had she not been carrying her beloved, miracle baby, she would have indulged herself and taken the plunge. Instead, she opted for resting on the large, tendril-like roots of a tree nestled just at the threshold between wet and dry. She bent her knees and rested her cheeks in her hands as she watched and listened to the rain. Her mind immediately returned to the light in her life: her future family.

'Inuyasha wasn't a fan of the name I thought of it…and he hasn't thought of any himself either,' her thought with a small pout. 'Ime is a no-go, but…' Kagome extended an arm and reached past the leafy barrier. She allowed her hand to be pelted and soaked. 'Maybe… Ame-chan if it's a girl…' She curled her fingers before she retracted the hand. She sloshed the water in her palm around before looking to the clearing to her right. She squinted when beams of brilliant, golden light suddenly sliced through the overcast. 'And if it's a boy…'

After flicking the water away from her hand, the priestess climbed off the gigantic roots. She stepped into the clearing. Kagome reached towards the sky and smiled softly, 'Taiyo-kun, maybe…?' With a bud of hope in her chest, she continued towards the well. Once she reached the nostalgic hole, she took a moment to peer down inside, her hands resting on the wooden lips.

The bottom was sopping and covered in puddles. The vines that she once used to climb out were dripping with sparkling droplets. After her final leap of faith to return to this era, the magic within the well was never restored. What was once a portal that transcended time was now an ordinary dried hole in the ground.

'Mom, Grandpa, Souta… I'm happy here,' Kagome thought, hoping that her feelings would once again transcend time and reach her family. 'I hope you're all alive and well too.' Thoughts of her family warmed her soul as she imagined what they would say if they could see her now.

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

Kagome, being an esteemed priestess with commendable spiritual power, always had her guard up when she was venturing out alone. However, after being around her friends for so many years, there were several auras that could fly under her radar from pure familiarity and trust. Shippo, ever the mischievous child, knew this fact. He easily caught up to Kagome earlier and felt a rush of playfulness when she didn't immediately sense his presence amongst the foliage.

As the priestess stood up from her seat of tree roots, the child stealthily circled around the clearing. As she was walking towards the well, he was dashing through the underbrush and looping around until he was on the other end of the clearing, on the opposite side of the well. Shippo then got his stomach and army-crawled towards Kagome as she became lost in thought. He almost snickered as he lied in the well's shadow, just on the other side from Kagome, just out of her line of sight.

A wide, fanged grin spread as Shippo's cheeks.

Without warning, the fox sprung into action.

Within a puff of smoke, he transformed into a hideous spider the size of a small dog.

The priestess's eyes widened as she beheld the beast before her.

That was when it happened—the fateful incident that would forever haunt Shippo's soul.

Startled and caught off guard, the priestess was thrown off balance. Her palms slipped and slid across the damp wood. Shippo was horrified as he watched the moment that Kagome fell forward. Time slowed down as she descended. He saw how her eyes flashed with recognition of his fluffy tail: the tale-tell sign of his mischief.

And just like that, she plunged to the bottom. The gray stone walls blurred in her peripherals. The vines were strips of fuzzy green that ripped through the ashen walls. The crystal-clear water below reflected her stunned face. Her own eyes widened as her reflection grew closer and closer.

And that was how Higurashi Kagome's life came to an end.

Not screaming in terror from a horrid demon mauling her.

Not from her taking her last breath as an old woman in the arms of her beloved.

But with a crunch muted by a splash.

The shimmering water that once reflected the brilliant sky above rippled with disturbance. A murky cloud of crimson plumed and rolled within its shallow depths.

An instinctual dread flooded Kagome's mind as she was shown a montage of her life. Her body knew that it was dying. 'I...Inuyasha… The baby…' Neurons fired, cells scrambled to repair the damage, she convulsed as her body tried to hold on. 'I'm sorry… But I'm just…' Her vision became hazy and eyelids became indescribably heavy.

'...so tired.'

Higurashi Kagome's spirit was released from its fleshy casing.

Shippo's guilt-ridden face went unseen and his weeps and screams fell on deaf ears. She was unable to see how the juvenile demon scrambled backs towards the village hastily. She was unable to hear how he howled for help until his throat was raw. She didn't know how many times his paws slipped and fell face-first into the mud. She would never see how Sango's heart dropped when Shippo came skidding into her hut. She wasn't there to console Sango, who bawled uncontrollably into Miroku's robes. She would have no knowledge of how the village hosted a small hoard of visitors for her funeral service. From Nazuna to Jinenji, many souls who Kagome touched arrived to pay their respects.

She couldn't be there to place her on Inuyasha's shoulder when he impaled Shippo with his murderous glare. Nor was she able to witness how the hanyou lowered the fist that he raised against the child. She wouldn't feel the pride in watching her husband kneel in front of the trembling fox, then pull his tiny face into his red haori. Kagome wouldn't know how Shippo's heart clenched so hard that he couldn't stop himself from wailing like a hungry newborn. Neither would she hear how Inuyasha's breath quivered as he silently wept.

Even as Miroku and Kaede performed a ceremony to grant her spirit safe passage to the afterlife, Kagome was unable to hear her loved ones' prayers and farewells. Just as the priestess was ignorant of the void that she left behind her, her loved ones were unaware of her spirit's rare circumstance. Kagome's soul was an exception amongst exceptions. Unlike the ruling majority of spirits, Kagome did not become bound to her place of death, nor did she transcend to the afterlife.

Instead, the mystifying magic of the Bone Eater's Well was roused by the sample of her blood. Kagome's soul was absorbed by the portal that transcended time and space. And for over five hundred years, her spirit laid dormant. Like a chick in an egg, or a caterpillar in its cocoon, the essence of Higurashi Kagome was suspended in the untouchable passage of time. It was there that her spirit, in its latent state, continuously ingested the mysterious energy and magic surrounding it. She was like a seed, unaffected by the time as she absorbed the rich nutrients around her.

The soul of Higurashi Kagome slept.

And consumed.

And slept.

And consumed.

Until she roused from a nostalgic sound—voices chanting something familiar.

["Kagome Kagome, The bird in the cage" ]

Only the gods knew if it was pure happenstance or fate—a group of children looking for a place to play decided to choose Higurashi Shrine. Kagome's mother, with no small children remaining, welcomed the children and watched the evocative scene with a lonely smile. Her thoughts naturally went straight to her daughter.

[ "When, oh when will it come out, In the night of dawn" ]

From just across the shrine grounds, there was an explosion of spiritual energy as Kagome's eyes opened for the first time in centuries. Not a moment later, her mother's smile widened subtly. 'Oh, Kagome… It's like you're still here.' She attributed the familiar presence to the nostalgic song.

[ "The crane and turtle slipped" ]

Kagome awoke to darkness and cold. "Where…" She blinked, but the darkness remained, "...am I…?" She could feel her fingers violently shaking. But she was unsure if it was from fear or the cold.

She was so cold.

So cold.

[ "Who is behind you now?" ]

The priestess tried rubbing her arms.

But to no avail.

It was still so cold.

She wrapped her arms around herself. She then sat down and curled into a ball. Her spiritual body acted on intuition. She wanted to be warm. She was so cold and she wanted to be warm. She sat there for an immeasurable amount of time. Her mind was only plagued with confusion of where she was, and who she was.

But those questions were silenced when it suddenly hit—a deluge of impetuous emotions. It was like being kicked in the stomach. The lingering feelings of a forgotten past were a tsunami. They crashed through her, consumed her, and savagely dragged her along. Pure agony and remorse drowned her in a sea of darkness. Her head was held underwater. Fragmented memories were the arms that forced her to stay submerged.

Her heart and mind alike were racing and pounding.

It felt like the world was closing in on her.

All Kagome could do was claw at her roots and howl.

And thus began the haunting of Higurashi Shrine. Every day, Kagome's mind would be plagued and consumed by memories of her death. Like maggots on necrotic flesh, fear ate away at her psyche. The only part of herself more fractured than her memories was her heart. And like clockwork, every evening, she would awaken from that nightmare. Her spirit manifested in the very place that she died centuries ago.

And she screamed, and screamed, and screamed.

And she wailed, and wailed, and wailed.

Just before sunset, the time of her death, was her only window of release. It was the only time where her conscience was conscious and she could express her feelings. Those emotions became a shockwave of spiritual energy that pulsed throughout Higurashi Shrine.

The very first pulse was the weakest by far: the Higurashi family all paused in their activities, feeling slight nausea. But over time, manageable nausea became accompanied by headaches. Those soon intensified into dizzy spells and migraines. Ordinary household items then began to move. Coasters would get knocked off tables, framed pictures would fall from walls, and more. And as Kagome's confusion and despair mounted, her haunting terrorized her family more and more. Electronic objects would turn themselves off or on, or lose power entirely. Tables would flip over during supper.

The head priest quickly concluded that they were being haunted by an angry spirit or a demon. One day, hours before the haunting began, he went to the shrine storage house and unearthed a box that he sparingly used. It was covered with dust and cobwebs, but he still smirked as he wiped it clean with his sleeve. He unlatched the clasp and lifted the top half, unveiling the object inside. It was a wooden rod with streams of white paper fastened to its top—it was his haraigushi, his purification wand. That evening, he prepared to face the angry spirit with a Shinto exorcism.

The priest enlisted his grandson, who gulped and trembled at the prospect of confronting a poltergeist, to chant with him and sprinkle salt as he waved his wand about. His daughter-in-law remained inside the home, watching them stand in the courtyard through a window. She held her cheek as she looked out with concern. It was not that Higurashi-san did not believe in spirits or demons, of course. It was just that time and time again, her father-in-law proved that he did not possess the strong spiritual power that the ancient Higurashi's and her very own daughter did.

Finally, the sun was beginning to set, and the paranormal activity began. The priest flinched and recoiled from the pulse of energy. Souta dropped his bucket of salt and held his grandfather steady. The priest assured his grandson that he could continue before cursing the spiteful creature who plagued his family, unaware that his granddaughter was trapped and sobbing in the dark. Her cries sent more shockwaves through the area. Her mother had to scramble to catch Kagome's graduation photo. Meanwhile, the priest shouted his incantation and waved his haraigushi.

[ "Someone, anyone…! I don't want to be alone in the dark! I don't want to be alone..!" ]

Kagome's soul pulsated. Her pain was carried by an inexplicably powerful wind. Those feelings resonated and bounced off the walls of the well, like an echo of the past. They rippled through the area, the pure intensity of raw emotion knocked off electricity and the residents off their feet.

The next day, they enlisted paranormal investigators to survey the property. But everyone from the camera crew to the claimed spiritual medium fled in terror within five minutes of the haunting. The phenomenon at the shrine caught the attention of the public after the investigators posted a blog warning people not to visit the shrine if they wanted to stay safe. And the shrine, which was normally only busy during holidays, was flooded with notoriety.

Between the countless priests, exorcists, and monks who tried to cleanse the shrine of Kagome's spirit, the skeptics who came to disprove the claims, the curious and mischievous humans who visited for thrills, the investigative journalists looking for a quick story, the detectives who still suspected foul play regarding her daughter, and more paranormal research teams, Higurashi-san quickly became worn out. There were far too many faces, even more names, and too many unanswered questions weighing on her mind. Soon, the normally supportive and complacent Higurashi-san asserted herself. She swayed the priest into closing the shrine and moving far away.

This led to Asakura Yoh's predicament decades later. Kagome, angered that Anna tried to send her to heaven without her consent, teleported the Asakura couple off of the shrine grounds. "Guess she really doesn't want to leave," the brunette remarked as he scratched his head. He looked down at his wife and noted the mild look of agitation on her face. Even if she wouldn't admit it, it was apparent that Anna wanted her deed to be successful—to be the one who set Higurashi Kagome free. 'And, she's never encountered a spirit powerful enough to nullify her powers,' he added inwardly.

"Tsk," the itako huffed through her teeth. "Looks like we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."

Despite Anna's blusters that she wouldn't spend any more of her vacation on work, she still accompanied Yoh to the meeting that he called at Manta's condo the next day. After the couple was buzzed up and granted entry, they arrived at the front door of Manta's unit. They were led by Pirika, who was practically glowing with excitement. "Ah," Yoh smiled approvingly at the many large cardboard boxes that littered the floor. "Is this everything?" He asked as he and Anna made their way from the door towards the living room.

HoroHoro, Ren, Ryu, and Manta were gathered on an onyx, leather furniture set that surrounded an oval-shaped coffee table. Steaming mugs of coffee and a platter of manju sat at the center. Pirika nodded and answered, "It is~ Manta-san is so diligent and was able to find everything we needed right away~!" She then took a spot next to her brother on the main couch while Yoh and Anna settled on the empty loveseat. The itako immediately picked up the mug set out for her and brought it to her lips.

"So, we're all agreed to meet up at Higurashi Shrine at seven tomorrow morning?" Yoh asked.

The shaman received many nods. Manta smiled widely and teased, "I'm surprised that you of all people who suggest getting up so early~"

"Tch," Ren folded his arms and leaned back into the couch. "I, for one, am not fond of losing sleep or more hours that I could be using on work."

HoroHoro grinned from ear to ear while nudging Ren with his elbow, an action that made the man scowl, "So you say, but I bet you're still showin' up, aren't ya?" His grin only widened when the Tao scoffed at his next statement, "I saw how you were ogling her picture earlier~."

"Me? Ogle some dead child?" Ren grimaced at the very prospect. "You must be stupid."

The Ainu leaned closer to the Tao and whispered, "You don't have to put up a front, buddy." His eyes narrowed, resembling a mischievous cat as he whispered, "She's totally your type, isn't she~?"

Unamused, Ren caught HoroHoro in a chokehold. He looked at Yoh while ignoring HoroHoro's grunts and pats of submission against his forearm. "What makes you so sure that this plan will work?"

"Eheh," Yoh gave a simple, honest smile as he answered, "Actually, I'm not sure if it will or not." The confession made all side conversations cease and all heads turned towards him. "There's no exact science when it comes to these things, you know," he disclaimed. "Spirits—they're still people, so they're all different. What may work for one, may not work for another."

Manta, Pirika, and Ryu nodded silently. HoroHoro smirked, feeling particularly confident as he confirmed, "When it comes to Yoh, things just seem to work out somehow. I'm in!" He placed his hand in the center of the table.

Ryu, spurred by HoroHoro's faith in their friend, placed his hand on top of HoroHoro's hand, "If it's important to Yoh, it's important to me. You can count me in!"

Manta wore a nostalgic smile as he placed his hand on top of Ryu's, "I've come a long way ever since I met you, Yoh. Not even failure scares me anymore."

"Yoh-san, Kagome-san looked so happy to meet new people," Pirika whispered as her hand moved towards the pile on the table. "I want to see her smile again, I'm in it for the long haul."

Yoh's face reflected the appreciation and gratitude that he felt towards his friends. "Thank you, everyone…" He placed his hand on top of the pile then looked towards his wife with expecting eyes. Anna huffed and avoided his gaze. The brunette then looked across at Ren, who initially moved to mimic Anna's actions. But HoroHoro quickly used his free hand to slap Ren's on top of Yoh's. "Let's do our best tomorrow, everyone!" With a cheer and battle cry, the hands were thrown in the air.

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

Kagome gasped as her eyes shot open. Her fingers were trembling. She had no clue how many times she woke up feeling dread. She was dead, and yet, every time that she woke up, she felt like she was about to die all over again. Part of her soul remembered something horrific, it was the part of her that made her body shake. It was the part of her that made her chest clench and tighten. Even after Yoh made his mark on her soul, Kagome was still haunted by herself. Her torment was seemingly endless, but she still had something to look forward to—her new friend. Yoh's very existence is the only thing that prevented her from thinking that she was in hell.

Having company recently was a distraction from her confusion. But there was something more than that. Yoh was special, though Kagome was unsure if it was because he was a shaman or because he was Yoh. There was just something so warm and inviting about his presence. The moment that the priestess became aware of him, she wanted more. She wanted to see him again, and again, again. Kagome longed to dive into him, to discover his hidden treasures and claim them for herself. Part of her could sense that he was a warming place. And after being trapped in the cold for so long, she was starving for heat.

'Yoh…' Once again, it felt like ages since she had seen him. But Kagome already deduced that she couldn't trust her sense of time. 'I wonder if he's coming to see me after what I did…' She lamented the thought. In hindsight, part of her felt guilty for throwing him and his wife out. 'But still… I don't want to move on until I figure out who I am.'

Before the priestess had the chance to further dwell on those thoughts, she heard a familiar knock from above. Her eyes lit up with recognition. Without delay, she flew up and out of the well. She landed in front of the doors. At first, her hands rose and moved with purpose and anticipation. But they paused and rested on the wooden handles.

The memory of the dilapidated state of her home froze her body with rooting hesitation. She was unsure if she would be able to handle seeing the shrine like that again. Her memories were already fragmented. Seeing the only place that she recognized in disrepair was earth-shattering. And without much knowledge or memories to rely on, part of Kagome doubted that the home that she remembered ever truly existed.

Before she realized it, Kagome was staring down at her hands. They were quivering again. She bit her lip and glared down at her hands. Was this truly the person that she was? Or did death and uncertainty change her? Was she always so afraid…?

"Kagome~" Yoh's voice gently greeted her from the other side of the door. "You've been cooped in there for long enough. It's time to greet the world~" He paused for a moment, but the priestess could hear the rainbows in his voice.

'Maybe I was a coward before I died…' The priestess thought as her face hardened with resolve. 'I don't know who I was before, but—.' She pushed the doors open, allowing the burning oranges and yellows of sunset to rush inside. The spirit thought that she would be prepared for what awaited her beyond those doors if she toughened her heart and swallowed her anxiety.

But she was wrong.

Something moved in her chest.

Yoh stood a mere sixty centimeters away, just outside of the well-house doors. His long, wavy hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. He wore basic clothing with a few tatters and fresh, indistinguishable stains across his outfits and face. Behind him, Anna and his friends were semi-lined up about two meters away. Their clothes, faces, and limbs were also covered in a variety of curiously colored and textured stains. But it wasn't the visitors or their disheveled appearances that blew the priestess away.

It was the shrine. The last time that she had laid her eyes on her home, it was a shabby image of decay. Last time, she was stunned, disheartened by her home being in ruins. She had to brace herself just so she could greet her friend properly. But the spirit couldn't steel herself enough to prevent her loured lips from parting. Her apprehensive eyes doubled in size.

The cracks in structures were repaired with a special compound. Holes in the ground were filled in and smoothed over, the fresh mixture's color was distinct from the old. The excessive cobwebs and dust that aged the shrine by decades were cleared away. Grime and other questionable substances and stains were scrubbed clean. The torii gates, though far across the property, stood tall and distinguished with their fresh coat of red paint. Even the Higurashi main house was given a roof spot treatment and fresh paint to its exterior walls.

The repair of Higurashi Shrine was clearly done by amateurs as the aesthetics were unrefined in every way. But still, the entire property was immaculate, completely transformed from its previous dreadful condition.

Kagome was overcome with a new wave of emotions as the people gathered behind Yoh began to speak to her. Pirika was the first to greet her. She took a step forward and beamed, "Kagome-san, you should come out and tour the new shrine with us~"

Manta nodded as he wiped some sweat from his brow. "Yeah, everyone here worked hard to fix it up just for you."

Ryu ran a comb through his tussled pompadour and expertly styled it to perfection. His face sparkled as he placed a hand over his heart, "Kagome-sama, please allow me to escort you around Higurashi Shrine~"

Even Anna, who was leaning against a birdhouse, had her long, golden locks pulled back into a ponytail. She met Kagome's gaze and tilted her chin up.

Ren scowled as he tried dusting off his designer pants. He looked annoyed when HoroHoro wrapped his arm around his neck. The Ainu cheesed at Kagome and added, "You didn't get to meet this one last time. This grumpy old guy is Tao Ren. Don't let the glare scare you! He's all bark!"

Kagome couldn't help but chuckle at how Ren proved HoroHoro's point by glaring from his peripheral and rebutting in a low, mildly gruff tone. "It's nice to meet you, Ren-san~" She greeted from behind the hand that tried to hide her amused smile. The Tao returned the greeting with a curt nod and a low grunt of acknowledgment. The priestess ignored HoroHoro's teasing utterances and Ren's rebuttals that he wasn't a lolicon.

Yoh then extended his hand to the priestess, his eyes closing as he grinned, "Are you ready?"

Kagome looked from the dirty, calloused hand to the expectant faces in front of her. Her parted lips curled around her front rows of teeth, an unconscious attempt at containing her emotions. But she tried as she might, her efforts were for naught. Her eyes misted over.

Yoh visibly stiffened when the priestess choked up. "Eh!" His jaw dropped and skin paled as he heard his friends' voices.

"Awwwww," Pirika cooed sympathetically. "Yoh-san made her cry!"

"See? Look! Yoh screwed up so you have a chance with her!" HoroHoro encouraged the Tao.

Ren placed a hand to his forehead and sighed, "Unlike you idiots, I'm not into children."

"Yoh really doesn't know how to treat women," Anna remarked nonchalantly.

The shaman bristled then grumbled with a sigh, "Guys, you're ruining my reliable-guy image…" His deadpanned expression returned to normal when he felt warmth overtake his hand. He opened his eyes and found the teary-eyed priestess with one foot outside of the well-house and one hand inside of his.

"I'm…" Tears were forced from her eyes as she smiled from ear to ear. "...ready now."

Yoh nodded to her and gently led her out into the open. "Welcome home, Kagome~" He whispered to the spirit as they were rushed by the excitable Usui siblings, Manta, and Ryu. Anna and Ren were slower to join the group as they huddled around the priestess, who did her best to respond to each statement and inquiry that was thrown her way.

"Kagome-san, you can just call me Pirika-chan or Pirika, okay? I want us to be good friends!"

The priestess nodded and beamed at the prospect, "And you can just call me Kagome, Pirika-chan~"

"Kagome-sama, will you allow me to give you a private tour of the shrine?!" Ryu beseeched.

The spirit sweatdropped and answered politely, "Errr… I don't think I actually need one."

"Kagome-san, how old were you when you died?" HoroHoro asked nonchalantly. He quickly disclaimed, "Asking for a friend."

Ren grimaced as the priestess blushed and scratched her cheeks, "I don't exactly remember…"

"Tch," Ren shook his head. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his phone. He brought the device to his mouth and instructed, "Call Express Private Limousine." The action unknowingly caught Kagome's attention.

The priestess looked the Tao up and down. He was just as messy as the others. But what made him stand out was the attire that he worked in. Without thinking, she caught his eyes and asked, "Do you always wear such fancy clothes to dirty jobs?"

The others snickered when Ren's cheeks reddened at the question. His phone screen nearly cracked as he roared at the priestess, "It's the only clothes that I packed!"

Kagome initially flinched, but immediately bounced back with a glare and balled up fists, "I was just asking, you don't have to yell about it, jerk!"

'Jerk?!' Ren's hair stiffened and prickled like cactus needles. HoroHoro, Manta, Ryu, and Pirika shrunk away as his eyes became shaded by his bangs. Yoh's smile twitched as his hands rose shakily. The brunette looked between the silently seething Tao and the huffy priestess. Literal sparks flew between the two as they respectively glared down and up at each other. "You need a lesson in gratitude, brat," Ren's voice became lower than usual.

For a split second, Kagome gaped incredulously at Ren. Her cheeks reddened as she crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the arm. "I'm sure a snobby guy like you has enough people kissing his butt. Hmph."

'Snobby?!' HoroHoro and Ryu instantly jumped and restrained Ren as he reached to grab Kagome. "Let me go! Someone ought to teach this brat some manners!" Meanwhile, the spirit turned her back to the Tao and huffed. "She's too ill-mannered for a priestess!"

After recovering from the initial shock of the seemingly mild-mannered priestess butting heads with Ren, Pirika joined Yoh on Team Damage Control. She grabbed Kagome's hand, forcing her arms to unfold, and practically dragged her away from the well-house. "Let's leave these men behind, Kagome-chan~" She beckoned to Anna to join them as they walked by the itako. "Let's have an exclusive ladies' tour!"

Manta sweatdropped as he watched Yoh and HoroHoro's attempts at calming Ren's temper. "I don't blame Ren on this one, I didn't expect Kagome-san to be so irritable.

Meanwhile, Pirika and Kagome walked side by side as Anna remained a few paces behind them. Kagome was listening contently as Pirika happily chatted her head off, explaining every single detail that she could to the priestess. "Fixing up the shrine for you was our friend Lyserg's idea~ It's a shame that he couldn't make it, I'm sure you two would get along!" The woman made wild arm gestures as she spoke. "Oh! It was Manta-san that told Yoh-san about your case. And, and, Ren-san is the one who funded the supplies to fix the place up~"

"Oh, he did, did he…?" Kagome blinked and internalized the information.

As the trio walked the shrine grounds at a leisurely pace, the shades of violet and pink spilled into the orange cascade in the sky. Along the way, Anna was certain to speak up every now and then to casually point out her polished handiwork, throwing an expectant look Kagome's way every time. After her third expression of gratitude and praise for the itako's efforts, Kagome began sweatdropping and wondering if Anna was compliment-starved or if she secretly liked the attention.

Before they knew it, the sun dipped below the horizon. The sky above became carpeted by a deep blue ocean speckled with twinkling stars. A brilliant, yellow glow from across the grounds caught the women's attention. "What's that…?" Kagome wondered aloud, too distracted by the distant light to notice Pirika's knowing smile.

Anna was the first to make her way towards the glow. "Are you two just going to stand there?"

A few minutes later, Kagome discovered that the glow emanated from a sizable bonfire. Yoh sat cross-legged near the blaze. Next to him sat HoroHoro and Ren. Meanwhile, Ryu was rotating skewered sweet potatoes near the fire. Manta was feeding sacrificial sticks to the flame. And next to him was—.

"M-Mama…?" Kagome stared at her mother with the wonder-filled eyes of a found lost child.

All eyes went to Higurashi-san, but the woman did not look up from her trance. Her gaze remained fixed on the crackling flames. She was seated in a comfortable lounge chair and remained in her cozy position. It was after a few moments of silence that Kagome raised her voice.

"Mama!" The priestess cried out as she floated towards her mother. She knelt beside her chair. Kagome rested her forehead on her mother's lap, an action that made the woman's brows furrow, "Mama, I've missed you, so much."

"It's been so long since I've seen this place…" Higurashi-san suddenly whispered. "If only I could be here with my Kagome…" The woman unknowingly shifted her hand and fazed through her daughter's head.

"Mama…" Kagome placed her hand on top of her mother's and responded, "I'm here." The spirit silently resigned to the fact that her mother was unable to see or hear her. She closed her eyes and did her best to bask in her mother's presence. The priestess only opened her eyes because of the crunch of Anna's sandals stepping on a pebble.

"Higurashi-san," The blonde sauntered towards the older woman. "Your daughter passed away a long time ago..." The itako noted how Higurashi-san was unmoved by the information. "But her spirit is here right now. Do you wish to speak with her one last time?"

Kagome and her mother simultaneously lifted their heads, completely taken in by the itako's inquiry. There was a clear glimmer of hope shining through the mother's eyes. "...there's...nothing else that I want more in this world," Higurashi-san answered breathlessly.

"I see," Anna bowed her head slightly, her eyes closing as she briefly mulled over the answer. She then looked over her shoulder to her husband, "She's already here so there's no need for me. You know what to do."

Yoh nodded as he got to his feet. Higurashi-san was puzzled as the shaman looked in her direction, but not directly at her. "Kagome," her mother's eyes widened. "Do you trust me?"

The spirit nodded and slowly stood from her kneeling position. "With everything that I am."

"Good," Yoh smiled. "Then follow my lead. Kagome!" The shaman extended his arm towards the spirit. His palm was flat and fingers spread out, "Hitodama Mode!" Kagome's humanoid form morphed into a beam of blue light. Her essence collected into a ball hovering in front of Yoh's hand.

Kagome's ghost ball face looked horrified at her new form, "What the heck did you to me, Yoh?!"

Pirika suddenly chastised from the other side of the fire, "You need to be more considerate of women, Yoh-san!"

Yoh's face deadpanned again as he grumbled, "I just can't win with these two, can I?" He then grinned as he pushed Kagome's orb into his chest, "Hyoigattai!"

Even Higurashi-san was stunned at the sight of the pale blue aura that encased Yoh's body.

Yoh stared down at his hands in disbelief as he spoke to Kagome in a breathless voice, "Oh, wow…" Kagome, who was in equal shock to feel the sensations of a physical body, flexed his fingers tentatively. "Kagome… I knew you were strong. But your spiritual power is unbelievable!"

From within Yoh, Kagome blushed and fidgeted, 'Thanks, I guess.' She then looked at her mother, 'More importantly… May I?' The shaman allowed the spirit to take the reins. Kagome closed the short distance between her and her mother.

Kagome longed to lay her head in her mother's lap and feel her warmth again. She wanted to smell her soothing scent again. But she was unsure if she would be recognizable in Yoh's body and didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable, so she suppressed those desires. Instead, she stood before her mother and smiled down at her, "Mama…"

Despite her daughter's fears, Higurashi-san instantly recognized Kagome's smile. She could have sworn that she saw the image of her daughter reflected in Yoh's brown pools. The woman shakily got to her feet. "Kagome…" She raised her hand and placed it on Yoh's cheek. Kagome's eyes closed as she melted into her mother's touch, "My sweet, little girl…"

"Mama, I've missed you," Kagome's emotions made Yoh's voice softer, more tender.

"Oh, Kagome," Higurashi-san wrapped her arms around Yoh's frame and squeezed him as tightly as she could. "Not a single day went by without my thoughts going to you," she responded in a hushed tone. For a moment, the woman remained motionless, she relished the opportunity to speak with her daughter again. The body that she embraced was more masculine than his baggy clothes led her to believe: firm and well-built. It was unlike the petite, small frame that Kagome used to have. Despite that, this was her Kagome. "Did you live a good life with Inuyasha?"

Those words, that question, that name barbed her daughter.

'K-Kagome?!' Yoh inwardly winced and grunted as his heart constricted and squeezed in his chest.

"Inu…" Kagome whispered with Yoh's mouth. Her mother pulled back and gave her daughter concerned, inquisitive eyes. "...yasha…" The shaman stared at the darkness vacantly as tears raced down his cheeks.

From the sidelines, the others observed the exchange between Higurashi-san and Kagome. There was a silent agreement that Higurashi-san was not involved in a cover-up of Kagome's death. But they were left with more questions. Strained ears picked up on a new name to add to the equation: Inuyasha.

Yoh was standing there motionless, stunned. The only movement was those silent tears. He stood there, arms dangling at his sides. 'Kagome, are you alright?!' The weight building up in his chest was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"...Kagome…are you alright…?" Higurashi-san whispered as her eyes softened.

It was then that Kagome wiped her tears away with Yoh's forearm. She sniffled a bit before smiling down at her mother. "I'm okay, Mama. I just got emotional thinking about Inuyasha," she answered. "He…" She paused briefly, she forced her lower lip from trembling, "gave me the happiest life I could ever hope for."

The Higurashi matriarch looked relieved. Her eyes were shining, more vivid than when they first met her in Hokkaido. Manta smiled in contentment, feeling satisfied and fulfilled that he had a part in bringing a family together. Pirika, Ryu, and HoroHoro watched the scene with globby, tear-filled eyes. Meanwhile, Anna looked on with calculating, eagle eyes as she continued to fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle. If anyone were to glance at Ren, his emotions or thoughts would be inscrutable through his calm exterior.

"I know that you can't hear or see me," Kagome smiled softly as she suggested, "But now, I can go home with you and look after you~" She was surprised when her mother's first reaction was a stifled chuckle.

Higurashi-san took Yoh's hand and shook her head from side to side. "Kagome, I won't be around forever." It was true. Her mother had aged considerably since she'd last laid eyes on her. But, she was still her mother. "Don't linger in this world when you could find happiness elsewhere." Her voice was soothing and gentle as she poured her heart out, "You've lived your life. I'll always love you, and I'll always miss you. But it's time for you to move on."

"Mama…" Kagome looked disheartened, disappointed in that answer. But when her mother asked if she could do her that one last favor, she nodded obediently. She squeezed her mother's hands. "Mama, thank you for coming all this way… I hope that I'll be born as your daughter again." She released her hold to lift Yoh's hand in a wave. "Goodbye."

Kagome and Yoh released their unity.

And the spirit promptly fell asleep, disappearing within a burst of golden orbs.

Ren's private services escorted Higurashi-san back to her home in Hokkaido.

With his determination freshly renewed, Manta gave Higurashi-san a follow-up phone call the proceeding afternoon. Without a chance to speak to Kagome again, he was antsy to have his new questions answered. He wanted to confirm that Inuyasha was the middle school boyfriend that Kagome eloped with. Additionally, he wanted more details on the character: his surname, what high school he attended, his age, his personality, and more.

After Higurashi-san's phone rang six times, Manta became nervous that she wouldn't pick up. But to his relief, the phone was answered on the seventh ring. The relief was short-lived, however. A neighbor of Higurashi-san answered the phone and informed him that she passed away in her sleep early that morning. Naturally, Manta passed the news to his friends when they met up for lunch that day.

"...I can't say that I'm surprised…" Yoh admitted, his expression gentle and calm as he stared down at his cup of tea. "Whether she knew it or not, seeing Kagome again might have been her last wish."

Pirika swallowed a mouthful of vanilla ice cream from her sundae. "Yoh-san, do you think Kagome-chan was able to move on after saying goodbye to her mom?" She placed another spoonful into her mouth.

"Hmmm," Yoh hummed thought. His eyebrows furrowed before he answered honestly, "I can only hope so. But there's no telling until we get there."

Ren's brow raised at the statement. "We…?" he questioned.

HoroHoro was quick to prop his elbows on the cafe table and lean towards Ren. "Don't act like that~ We all saw how you two hit it off yesterday~"

The Tao rubbed his temples, "What makes you think I'm interested in that brat?"

The blunette gladly answered, counting on his fingers, "Well, for one thing, she's super cute! Two, she's a total baaaaaabe! Three, she'll be perfect practice for you to get back out there!" Ren scoffed and told him that he was a dumbass.

The group lingered a few minutes after Manta took care of the check. But suddenly, everyone in the cafe paused at a growing whirring sound. Eyes turned towards the glass doors, where the clothing and hair of passersby could be seen flapping and twirling; their hands were covering their ears as they looked to the sky. "That sounds like a helicopter!" Manta shouted over the blades' roaring rotations.

Eyes turned to the shameless, apathetic Tao as he stood up. "I refuse to ascend those stairs again," was his simple response as he made his way towards the door.

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

Before the copter could even land, they received their answer: Higurashi Kagome indeed did not move on. As they slowly descended, they spotted the doors to the well-house swing outwards. The spirit emerged from within the structure and looked up. Naturally, she was shocked at the sight of the aircraft. A few minutes later, her friends were climbing out and gathered in the shrine courtyard. Anna was the last to exit the aerial vehicle, assisted by her gentleman of a husband.

When Yoh turned to greet Kagome, he stiffened at the sight of the dark glare aimed at him. "E-Eheh," a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. "How'd you sleep?"

Kagome's brow twitched as her frown deepened. Within the blink of an eye, the spirit was hovering in front of the shaman. "I'd love to say that it was nice but I was so rudely awakened by a helicopter!" She gestured towards the craft, where the pilot was kicking back for a nap, "Who the heck rides a helicopter to a shrine?!"

Immediately, the Asakura's arm rose as he pointed directly at Ren, "I-it was his idea!"

Pirika facepalmed, 'So much for taking one for the team, Yoh-san!' Just as she predicted and feared, Kagome disappeared then reappeared in front of Ren.

The priestess placed her hands on her hips, "Ren, do you have no manners or what?"

The Tao was quick to quip, "That's funny coming from the brat who bites the hand that feeds her."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kagome's cheeks reddened. "You've been in a bad mood since we first met!"

"Oh, boy…" Pirika whispered as she watched the two bicker. She looked to her older brother, sweatdropping, "Onii-chan, those two are like oil and water."

"Or an old married couple," HoroHoro smirked, rubbing his chin.

Manta nodded, "Yeah, but it's not like it would work out between them."

"I don't mind if she doesn't have a body!" Ryu declared shamelessly. "I'm in love~!"

A few choice words later and the group ended up following Kagome as she freely floated around the property, a sight that did Yoh's heart good. She halted her stroll in front of a grand tree. "You know, last night, when I cried…" She lifted her arm and placed a hand on the tree's trunk. "I remembered...everything." Her hand ran across the aging bark. "Since you've done so much to help, I want to tell you my story."

Even with her back facing them, Yoh could hear a melancholic smile.

"My name is Higurashi Kagome…" The priestess spun around. Her expression was sullen and her fingers loosely interlocked in a triangle shape, "I lived a pretty normal life until my fifteenth birthday." The spirit spent a considerable amount of time recalling her adventures in Feudal Japan. Every living soul around her was captivated by her tale.

This Kagome—the one who retold her stories, was more alive than anyone had ever seen. She used animated hand and arm gestures to emphasize points and demonstrate relative sizes of objects and people. Her face routinely cycled through an array of emotions.

"And that's when I met you, Yoh…" Kagome finished with a soft smile. "Nice to meet you." As if they finished watching a performance, Pirika and Yoh applauded the spirit, an action that made her blush and stifle a chuckle. HoroHoro and Ryu and Manta exchanged looks but immediately joined in. Anna stared on, her arms only rising to fold over each other.

The priestess was genuinely taken aback when Ren's hands slowly rose. His claps were slow and deliberate, but powerful. Kagome caught his eyes and nodded her head. Ren stiffened. His applause was delayed by the need to raise one of his arms to his face to cover an uncontrollable blush. He peeked at HoroHoro's smirking face from his peripheral and mentally dared him to say a word.

Pirika was the first to approach Kagome. The woman threw her arms around her friend's neck, "Kagome-chan, you finally regained your memories~ That's wonderful!"

The spirit's subtle actions did not go undetected. It was fleeting, but Kagome wore the ghost of a smile as her eyes glanced at Yoh. As if sensing her eyes on him, his eyes left Anna's and found Kagome's. The priestess blushed softly and averted her gaze when he smiled and waved at her.

"Hey, Kagome~" Yoh greeted as he made his way towards the great tree. "Now that you've regained your memories, I think you're one step closer to passing on." Kagome nodded numbly, twiddling her fingers as the man stood before her. "To celebrate, you should let me take you out—"

"Hm?" Pirika blinked when she felt Kagome's energy burn intensely. A light bulb turned on in her head at the sight of the pinkening to the priestess' cheeks.

"—to anything place you'd like~" The shaman smiled as he reached into his pocket and revealed a mortuary tablet. The sight of the tablet made Kagome bristle; her full name was even traditionally inscribed on it. "Think of it as a send-off party—."

Kagome's expression was deadpanned, "Yoh, won't you be cursed for carrying that around?"

Yoh chuckled and waved his hand dismissively, "It'll be fine~ Besides, I wouldn't mind if it was you cursing me."

The priestess sighed and shook her head. She looked at Pirika and asked flatly, "Pirika-chan, why is this man so impossible?"

Pirika released her hold on Kagome to shrug her shoulders, "Don't know. This is just how Yoh-san has always been. He rarely worries about consequences."

Yoh blushed while rubbing the back of his neck, "Aw, shucks. It's embarrassing if you praise me like that…"

Kagome twitched, "Those weren't compliments, dummy!"

Manta chuckled as he, HoroHoro, and Ryu joined the small gathering near the Goshinboku. "It's true though. Yoh has been like this for as long as I can remember."

Yoh raised the mortuary tablet once more and asked, "Well, shall we get going? Just tell me where you'd like to go and I'll take you there."

HoroHoro grinned as he addressed Kagome, "And don't hold back either!" He gave her a thumbs up and grin, "We'll go to the ends of the earth for you!"

As Kagome opened her mouth to speak, Ryu parted the small crowd and stepped forward. He got down on one knee and took one of Kagome's hands, "And I, Umemiya Ryunosuke, will follow you anywhere and everywh—Ack!" His declaration of adoration was cut short by an annoyed Pirika dragging him to his feet by his ear.

Kagome chuckled and shook her head at the man's antics. He reminded her so much of Miroku being dragged away by Sango. But the priestess secretly gave props to Ryu. Despite his theatrics, he was certainly more of a gentleman and had yet to molest any of the beautiful women here. The spirit admitted in a laid-back tone, "Actually, I can't say that there's any particular place that I want to go." But before any of her friends could deflate, she raised her pointer finger and added, "But, it's been a long time since I've participated in Hanami~"

Pirika's eyes glowed as she cupped her hands together, "That's perfect~ Let's have a picnic while viewing the cherry blossoms!"

Manta, the walking encyclopedia, spoke up, "It's April so we won't be able to find any blossoming trees anywhere near." He tapped his chin as he proposed, "If we want to plan a trip soon, our best bet is Hirosaki."

Yoh instinctively turned his head. He smiled reassuringly when he found Anna's conflicted eyes. "I'll be right back, guys~" He butted in the chat before slinking away from the group and towards his wife. He could tell that something was bothering her from her withdrawn body language and that uncomfortable look in her eyes. Despite his slow pace and laid-back attitude, Yoh was not oblivious, especially not after knowing someone for the majority of his life.

Yoh gave Ren a subtle nod of appreciation when he took the cue to give the couple some space. The Tao had been content with leaning against a bird box and exchanging mails with his clients and business partners. He was standing over five meters away from the itako. But the last thing that he wanted was to be in earshot of the Asakura couple's private conversation so he opted for leaving his spot of solitude to join the others in their vibrant conversation.

"So," Yoh lazily settled on sitting on the ground. "What's on your mind?" He asked of his wife.

Anna followed his example and nestled close to him, their arms and thighs touching. "About Kagome." Yoh hummed, indicating that he foresaw the topic. "Despite how powerful she is, that priestess is still but an earth-bound spirit," her voice was low, deliberate, warning. "Until she frees herself of her inhibitions, she'll remain trapped here forever, or at least until this place is destroyed."

"I won't let that happen," Yoh responded calmly, "I'm going to save Kagome."

"Yoh," Anna brought her knees to her chest. "I know how you are. You feel responsible for that woman." She closed her eyes for a moment as she admitted in a rare moment of vulnerability, "I just don't want to see you get hurt. Higurashi Kagome—you can't save her."

"Well, you're right about one thing, Anna," Yoh readily responded. "You do know me." He took his wife's hand and squeezed it, "So you know that I can't just give up on her. Whether or not I can save Kagome… I won't truly know until I try." Anna breathed a relenting sigh. Yoh smiled and patted her hand in thanks. "And even if I fail, we're not alone in this. We can save Kagome, together."

After Ren and Manta collaborated on arrangements for their trip to Hirosaki, the group gathered around Ren's private copter. Yoh held up the mortuary tablet and looked at Kagome, "Okay. Let's go."

"Easy for you to say," Kagome countered, looking uncomfortable and uncertain. "Just because I'm dead, doesn't mean I know how to use that thing."

Yoh blinked, looking surprised at the news, "Huh…" He scratched his head, "Eheh, I guess Amidamaru made it look easy back then."

HoroHoro stepped, grinning confidently, "I got this!" He used his hands to gesture at Kagome, "Kagome-chan, you—" his arms raised above his head. His hands briefly met in prayer position before his arms arced out, as if he was tracing the shape of a rainbow. "Become all glowy and energy-like," he explained then gestured towards the tablet. "Into that."

Pirika and Manta anime fell as Kagome sweatdropped, "Eh, HoroHoro-kun—that doesn't help."

Anna crossed her arms as she butted her way to the spotlight. She raised a questioning eyebrow, "Kagome, you're a Shinto priestess, are you not?" She then stated, "It's been a long time but surely you remember the power of prayer."

'Well, it's not like this is something that a priestess would normally pray for…' Kagome sweatdropped again. Nonetheless, she nodded while cupping her hands and closing her eyes, "I'll give it a try." A few moments later, the priestess was wrapped in a soft white light. The light engulfed her being, obscuring her features. The light then condensed into a trail that seeped into the tablet.

"She did it!" Pirika, Manta, Ryu, and HoroHoro chorused before cheering and clapping.

"Alright, let's get going~" Yoh smiled while tucking the tablet away. Without further delay, the group filed into the helicopter and began their ascent. The craft filled with light chatter as they watched the roofs of the shrine grow smaller. Yoh was beaming as he spoke about plans to visit Hirosaki with his friends. Despite not knowing exactly how to save Kagome yet, this definitely felt like a small victory and a step in the right direction.

Yoh's victorious smile suddenly became an afflicted groan. He hissed through his teeth at an intense burning sensation on his thigh. Manta instantly noticed the change, "Yoh, what's wrong?"

"It's Kagome…!" The shaman responded through seething inhales. He reached into his pocket and winced upon touching the tablet. He pulled the placard from his pocket. "Hoo hoo ee haa haa hot!" He fumbled with keeping his grip on the tablet that was bright orange and emitting an incredible amount of heat.

"What's going on?!" Pirika shrieked. "What's happening to Kagome-chan?!"

Over the commotion, no one could hear Anna's mutter of, "I knew it."

Kagome emerged from the tablet, looking just as startled as everyone else. "Yoh, I'm—" She looked as if she was going to reach out, but the moment was short-lived. The spirit suddenly disappeared in a burst of light.

"Kagome!/Kagome-chan!" many voices resounded her name, but with no answer from the spirit.

Yoh, who was seated behind the pilot, leaned forward and urged, "Can you take us back?!"

Ten minutes later, they found Kagome, sitting in front of the well-house. Her hands were cupped in her lap and her head hung low. She only raised her head when they came within earshot. Her smile was pinched onto a dejected face. "Sorry, guys… It looks like I'm stuck here."

"Can't say I'm surprised," Anna remarked as she stared down at the priestess.

Kagome's interlocked fingers tightened as she whispered, "I'm sorry…"

The next few days were spent divided between vacationing and enjoying time in Tokyo, and discussing plans to help Kagome move on. Naturally, Ren and Manta canceled the arrangements that they made for the group's stay in Hirosaki. And every evening, Yoh devotedly returned to Higurashi Shrine to keep Kagome company during her previous haunting hours. They were increasingly becoming more like her sleep schedule.

Every evening, Yoh would visit and coax the priestess from the well-house where she always spawned. They would make light-hearted conversation as the shaman would lead her towards the stairs. It started as a quick experiment. Yoh asked Kagome to try descending the stairs. And as they both expected, her foot was repelled by an invisible force. The priestess lifted her hand and extended her pointer.

She poked at the invisible barrier. "Huh…" Kagome blinked in awe. There was a force as solid and firm as a heavy door, and yet, there was nothing to behold. 'So this is it...the sum of my existence…'

Yoh scowled as he drank in Kagome's face. She was not in despair, nor did she angrily curse her fate. To him, it was much worse. She seemed curious at best, and content at the very least. The priestess had resigned to being bound to the shrine indefinitely. And as long as she didn't resist this fate, she wouldn't be able to move on. That much he knew for sure.

There had to be an answer.

There had to be something that Kagome wanted to do.

There had to be something that Kagome wanted to see.

There had to be something that Kagome wanted to possess.

There needed to be something that would inspire Kagome to want more.

Kagome blinked and looked suspicious when she noticed Yoh openly gawking at her. "Uhhhh, why are you looking at me like that…?" She asked skittishly.

Yoh looked her up and down, rubbing his chin, looking thoughtfully, "Mmm… Are you sure there's nothing that I can do for you, Kagome?"

The priestess's eyes flickered before melting as her hand found its way to her belly. "...I'm sure."

More time passed. Yoh continued visiting Kagome. He alternated between work: figuring out how to free Kagome of her inhibitions, and keeping her entertained with the company. The shaman wracked his brain for ideas. He tried everything from offering up her favorite foods, adopting a cat that resembled her description of Buyo, and bringing her younger brother to her for a visit. She gladly watched Yoh enjoy a bowl of oden, dango, and taiyaki. She cooed at the Buyo look-alike, cuddled him, and affectionately named him "Buyo the Second", nicknamed "Second". And of course, she happily played catch up with Souta with Yoh's shamanistic help.

But also, none of those methods bore any fruit. Even when Yoh held her hand, Kagome could not cross the barrier that was exclusive to her existence. A few times, he was accompanied by their friends. But over time, as the days went on, everyone returned to their lives. It started with Ren, who had to ignore the Usui's whines for him to stay longer; the businessman had work to catch up on, documents to read, and approve or disapprove of. Next, it was Ryu, who was called to take on a summer job. Eventually, more and more faces began disappearing from their group meetings.

Even Anna stopped showing up, leaving Yoh to his own devices as she took on other cases. The case that Yoh once thought would take two weeks at the most now had him returning again, and again, and again. April came and went in the blink of an eye. Hanami season ended even in Hirosaki, marking Kagome's desire to view the cherry blossoms as a pipe dream.

One evening she awoke and routinely floated out of the well. "Eh…?" She blinked as she landed on the well's wooden mouth. Glimpses of light radiated and spilled through the cracks above and below the doors. Kagome wasn't sure what to expect, but she pushed forward nonetheless. She pushed the doors open and gasped.

Her eyes reflected hundreds of brilliant bulbs that lit up the shrine grounds. Lines of decorative lights were strung up throughout the property. Some hung overhead as many others wrapped around and clung to many structures and objects. "Illumination…" Kagome whispered as she stepped out into the open. She looked around, expecting to find her friends awaiting her. But not a single soul was in sight. "That's weird…" The entire shrine was covered with lights that she only expected around Christmas time.

'It's already so dark out here…' Kagome noted. 'I must have slept in…' And she absently wondered if it was a sign that she was becoming freer, or if it was because she was becoming more in tune with Yoh's wakeup calls.

The priestess continued floating around at a leisurely pace, slowly making her way towards the entrance. She paused to smile appreciatively up at the Goshinboku, even its sky-reaching branches were adorned by twists of shimmering lights. Kagome pressed on. She turned the corner from around the storage house, giving her a clear view of the shrine entrance. Just as she hoped, and just as she expected, her friends came into her field of vision.

Kagome nearly slapped her hand over her mouth. With her lips quivering, she couldn't trust herself with words. Her eyebrows threatened to furrow as she was overwhelmed with the scene before her. "You guys…" Her pitch was higher, watery. "Are too much…" She whispered as they waved her over.

They had done it again.

It wasn't that Kagome was expecting Yoh to be alone this time.

From the moment that she took in the spectacular display, she knew that he had help.

It just felt like ages since she had last seen them.

Moreover, she wasn't expecting them to plant a juvenile, cherry-blossom tree near the far east end of the shrine. The tree was obviously young, standing just shy of five meters tall. But it was still in bloom, its peachy petals danced and were taken away by a breeze. Her friends were sitting on top of decorative blankets, just beneath the swaying branches. Everyone from Yoh to Ren was there. There were even two new faces that she hadn't seen before awaiting her: one with gentle green eyes and with warm skin and a cheesy grin.

The man held a microphone to his lips and gestured towards the spirit, "And here she is! The woman of the hour! Higurashi Kagooooommmmee!"

Kagome blinked and blushed at the introduction. But when many of her visitors rose and gave her a standing ovation, she settled for playing along with a coy smile and friendly wave. "Good evening, everyone~" She greeted as she floated towards them.

Before the priestess could ask what was going on, the man with the microphone wrapped his arm around her shoulder in a chummy manner. "Hey, hey, Kagome, a chirp, please!" He requested before holding the microphone to her mouth.

"A...chirp…?" Kagome gave him a bemused look.

"Oh, boy…" HoroHoro deadpanned as he watched Chocolove make merry with Kagome.

"Yeah, a chirp from the Chirp Princess!" Chocolove grinned, urging the priestess to follow him up. He patted her shoulder and shook his head at her confusion. "You're both a cicada, and a bird according to the game! You've got to be the mistress of chirping!" His grin widened.

Kagome's face fell into her hands, feeling secondhand embarrassment for Chocolove. Meanwhile, Ren was quick to swoop in and catch him in a headlock. "All these years and your jokes are still as stale as old crackers," The Tao criticized with a twitching eye.

"B-But!" Chocolove protested as Pirika attempted to recover from her fit of laughter. "She thinks I'm funny!" He then looked at the priestess, who was exchanging pleasantries with Lyserg. "Besides," he pulled away from Ren and declared, "The only thing that matters is if she gets a laugh out of it!"

Ren almost rolled his eyes, as he turned to Kagome, "Does it look like she's—?" As if fate loved proving him wrong, the priestess was beaming and giggling as she chatted with Lyserg.

"See?" Chocolove smiled widely while patting Ren's shoulder. "It's been so long and you still haven't learned to loosen up and take it easy." He joined the Tao in watching Kagome as Pirika led her to the center of one of the blankets. The blunette was excited to pull a series of snacks out of the picnic basket she packed. Kagome marveled over the array of goodies and pointed towards a packet of anpan, asking Pirika to try it and describe the flavor to her. "If you become truer to yourself and learn to not be afraid of making a fool of yourself, then maybe you'd have a shot. ACK!"

Chocolove nursed the lump that swelled up on the top of his head. Ren lowered the bandaged hand that he used to chop Chocolove and grumbled, "I see you've been talking with the moron."

Meanwhile, Kagome continued tasting snacks vicariously through the people around her. She requested Anna to sample a can of Royal Milk Tea from Hong Kong. She showed Yoh no mercy when she asked him to taste a spicy pea snack. Even when he begged her to choose Ren, a lover of spicy food, she smiled so sweetly and insisted, "But I asked you~" Upon placing the snack on his tongue, Yoh's tanned cheeks went completely red as he doubled over and gagged. Ren, HoroHoro, and Manta snickered as Anna silently passed her husband the rest of her milk tea.

The party brought the shrine to life with their merriment. They ate, joked, sang, chatted, and played games beneath the sole cherry blossom tree. Without warning, the sound of laughter was interrupted by the mizzling of spring rain. Kagome stared out at the misty downpour. The colors of Higurashi Shrine, the falling petals, and her friends blurred as she was brought back to that fateful day over five hundred years ago.

Thoughts that were of no use to her ran through her head. If she had lived, would her baby have been born a boy? A girl? Would Inuyasha have approved of the names that she thought of that day? 'Ame and Taiyo, huh…?' She smiled and shook her head. She told herself that a name thought up on a whim was no good.

Suddenly, Pirika's voice brought her back to reality, "This tree is surprisingly good shade~"

Kagome nodded, despite her silent wish that she could feel the rain on her skin. She didn't remember what it felt like. She could only remember the emotions associated with the sensation. Sometimes, there was gloom; other times, there was beauty and serenity. "...a cherry blossom umbrella…"

"Eh?" Pirika blinked when Kagome turned away from the downpour and looked to Yoh.

The priestess smiled and clapped her hands together, putting on an air that Ren determined to be only a little cute. "It's no rush or anything, but… I'd like a cherry blossom umbrella."

It was an unspoken agreement that the rendezvous at Higurashi Shrine turned from a bon voyage party to another reunion. Even after Yoh arrived at the top of the grand staircase in the first week of June, he didn't regret taking on Kagome's case. Being in Tokyo was nostalgic and a much-needed change of pace. Additionally, he got to spend so many warm days distracting Manta from work, lounging with Anna, and hanging around Kagome. At that time, he was living the good life.

Meanwhile, Kagome enjoyed her waking hours, which became increasingly varied as Yoh began showing up at random times throughout the day. Sometimes, Manta even stopped by to visit her during his lunch breaks or days off. It was only when Manta first showed up with Second that Kagome discovered that Yoh shamelessly tasked him with taking care of the cat because his apartment didn't allow pets. At the time, the priestess apologized for the trouble but Manta assured her that he actually enjoyed Second's company.

Anna only showed up by herself on one occasion. It was not exactly a pleasant chat either. The itako seemingly snuck out in the middle of the night for a hushed visit with the priestess. "Kagome, I'm coming in," Anna's soft voice still reached Kagome in her dreams.

Kagome slowly ascended and looked pleasantly surprised to see Anna there. The priestess took a seat on the lip of the well. "Anna-chan, it's good to see you~" She smiled cordially. She waited a moment for the itako to return the sentiment, but was only met by a silent, stoic face. The spirit's smile faltered a bit, "Or not…? Erm…" She patted the spot next to her, "Care to join me?"

"I'll pass. This won't take long," Anna answered without moving away from the doorway that she left open. Behind her, the darkness of the sleeping shrine awaited. "It's about Yoh."

Kagome raised a hand to her mouth as her brows furrowed with concern, "Is it he alright?!"

"Yoh is fine. He's sleeping like a baby," Anna replied. She flipped some hair over her shoulder before continuing, "Yoh feels obligated to you because he views you as a friend in need. But frankly, I've had enough of you both dancing around the truth."

The priestess soured at the irritability in Anna's voice. "And what would that be?" A tinge of challenging aggravation raised in Kagome's own tone.

"As you are now, you're more dead than you've ever been," The itako stated bluntly. "You can be a spirit but still live in this world. There are spirits that have a purpose, spirits that work towards an end." Anna's eyes were jars of frozen honey as she stared down at the priestess from beneath her nose. "A spirit like you, who just sits and waits for someone to fulfill her, is as good as dead."

Anna's eyes narrowed as her voice lowered, "And the only thing the dead can do is curse the living."

Kagome met Anna's words with a glare, indicating that the itako struck a nerve, "I think you've overstayed your welcome."

"Hmph," The itako closed her eyes and smirked. "Duly noted," she turned her back to the priestess. "I'll go now. I'll be angry if I get tossed out again." Without turning around, Anna closed the sliding doors behind her.

Kagome didn't want to worry Yoh so she never told him about that late-night encounter with Anna. But the itako's words did weigh on her mind in her solitary moments. She meditated on the concept of being dead but still living. It wasn't that she didn't want to be useful… And it wasn't that there was nothing that she wanted to do, but…

It was on a rainy afternoon that Kagome made her decision.

Yoh knocked and announced his presence, as if she wasn't familiar with his aura by now. When Kagome met him at the well, she was surprised at the object in his hands. It was covered in remnants of the spraying shower outside. "Eheh," He blushed and scratched his cheek. "Sorry, I ended up using it on the way here."

Kagome shook her head, "No, I'm glad that it was useful to you~ I actually forgot that I asked for one." She examined the umbrella in Yoh's hands. The protective arc was clear but adorned in lovely cherry blossom patterns. "It's pretty," she told him.

"I actually kinda forgot that you asked for one too," The shaman confessed, but not without a bit of embarrassment. "But I saw it in a convenient store on my way here and thought of you~" He beamed.

The priestess blushed prettily at those words. For a moment, she stared down at her feet. She didn't want Yoh to see her internal conflict. She told herself that she would rip the bandaid off, just get it over it. But now that the time had come, Kagome found it more terrifying what she had imagined. "Hey, Yoh… Can I tell you something…?"

Yoh blinked at the sudden fragility in Kagome's voice, but he nodded, "Always." He had no clue how powerful that one word was.

"I can't say that this is true for all spirits, but for me, time is molasses," Kagome began slowly. Her voice was calmer, more sure of herself. She looked down at the short staircase that led from the well up towards the door. "It's like I live a hundred years every single day," she told him as she placed one foot on the first step. "I think, maybe, that's why spirits find it so difficult to let go...of places…" She ascended another step. "Of objects…" And another step. "Of people."

Kagome stopped at the second to last step to briefly look down at Yoh. She smiled softly and explained, "Over time, we become content and set in our ways. Even though we're dead, we're still creatures of habit." She turned back to the door and ascended the final step. "That's why, I need you to do me a favor…"

Yoh smiled widely. It was rare for Kagome to ask something of him. The only true requests that she made were for the umbrella and for him to consume that firecracker of a snack. "Sure," he readily agreed. "Just tell me what you need," he told her.

He was expecting another endearingly simple request.

But he was wrong.

Kagome's request made his heart drop and smile fade. "...stop coming here. Leave me alone."

A fleeting scowl turned into a shocked, panicked expression as he pointed at himself, "Eh?! Why?! Are you mad at me?!"

The priestess shook her head with a negative hum, "Mm mm." She was unable to face him as she spoke. She knew that if she saw him now, her resolve would crumble. But still, Kagome had to clarify, "No, quite the opposite. I thought about it a lot…" It was true. She did think about it a lot. "And I'm sure it would be for the best if you stayed away and forgot about me."

"Heeeeeh, that's not possible," Yoh remarked nonchalantly. "I'm completely invested in you."

"You know, I figured it out a while ago—the reason why I can't move on to the afterlife...the reason why I can't leave this place…" Kagome confessed with a secret guilt-ridden expression.

As she expected, Yoh's voice became ecstatic, "That's great news! Let's—!"

"...Yoh," it was unbearable, but Kagome wanted to face it head-on. She turned around. With a watery smile, the spirit fessed up, "I love you."

---

Authoress' Notes: That's all for now! Additionally, I've revamped chapter ten and added an extra scene to chapter forty~ Thanks for bearing with me as I try to make this fanfic as wonderful as I can!