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]

57. Bubbles and Dreams

Authoress Notes: Happy Holidays, everyone! Here is my final update for 2022!

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Bubbles and Dreams

Are Messengers of Love

She was enjoying another Saturday afternoon with her best friends in the comfort of her living room. She and her friends made a cozy group of three. Her parents departed on a date, trusting the trio to behave responsibly in their absence. And her parents weren't fools to have confidence in them. The trio spent the afternoon doing ordinary, teen activities like lounging around the living room while gossiping and painting their nails. Their family-sized television was left on as white noise as the girls had been engrossed in their conversation for hours.

Suddenly, the familiar voice of one of her favorite TV personalities spoke and cut through her friends' chatter, "—agome."

The girl's heart skipped a beat before she shifted and turned to face the television properly. Likewise, her two friends mirrored her actions, indicating that their attention was also grabbed.

Suddenly, the camera panned from the comely, well-dressed woman to a girl their age. There she was. Familiar blue-gray eyes. Ebony locks flowing freely to her lower back. And a lavish form of shinto priestess clothing complete with red ribbons at the ends of her sleeves and a golden tiara on top of her head.

"No way! It really is her!" Yuka jumped to feet. She gripped her nail polish bottle firmly, " I can't believe it! I thought I was hearing things!"

Eri's hand rose near her mouth as she spoke, "Me too. I legit thought I was hallucinating but it really is Kagome-chan." Her head turned to Ayumi, whose eyes were large and lips ajar. "Hey, turn it up."

"R-Right...!" Ayumi's voice was breathy as she grabbed the remote and held the appropriate button until the broadcast's audio was well above average.

The camera panned out to show the woman and Kagome sitting in plush chairs a few meters apart. "Thank you so much for joining me today," the woman smiled warmly with a slight bow of her head. "I'm sure that you must be busy with all of your work, Higurashi-sama."

Kagome blushed lightly as she smiled sheepishly, "There's no need for formalities, Fuji-san. I've always been a fan of yours."

This time it was Fuji's turn to blush. The woman lightly fanned herself, "To be admired by such an esteemed individual is truly an honor." After Kagome chuckled, the woman straightened herself, "Now then, I first want to introduce you to our audience. People of Tokyo, if you don't already know, this young lady is Higurashi Kagome-sama. She's currently the youngest priestess to achieve high priestess status."

"That we know of anyway," Kagome added with a charming smile.

"So modest," Fuji sighed dreamily. "Moving forward, I've asked my viewers to mail letters with questions they'd like to ask you so I want to spend some time running through a few with you. Is that okay?"

"From the way it sounds..." Yuka and Eri were now crowding around the screen, obscuring Ayumi's view as she remained on the couch. "Kagome-chan has become a local celebrity," Yuka looked at Eri.

Eri matched Yuka's speculative look, "And for being a priestess no less. That's impressive."

"Not just that," Yuka added, her brows slanting as she raised her pointer, "Kagome-chan never really liked talking about that sort of stuff. Everyone knew she was from a shrine but she always changed the subject if you for details, remember?"

Eri concurred with a nod, "Yeah, I do. When we first met, I was kinda curious because I had never met a priestess before but she said something about how it wasn't a big part of her life because she sucked at it."

As the pair turned their attention back to the television, they didn't notice how Ayumi's head dipped. Her fingers were clutching her skirt, trembling.

"The first letter is from Shinomiya Rei," Fuji announced as she opened a pastel green envelope and retrieved the paper inside. "It reads, Dear Kagome-chama..." Fuji giggled when Kagome's expression faltered. "At first, I had no interest in you or your shrine. But I got to see you when my family forced me to see your kagura dance." Kagome shifted in her chair and clutched a lock of her hair as the woman read, "The moment that I saw you come out, your beauty took my breath away."

Yuka and Eri bristled before their expressions deadpanned. "Yup, that sounds about right..." Eri commented as the woman continued reading the love letter.

"Kagome-chan was always popular like that," Yuka added before shaking her head. "Remember how many guys struck out because she didn't realize they were asking her out?"

Eri nodded," How could I not? I feel especially bad for Bankotsu-kun."

Yuka's hands became fist as she nodded twice, "Right?! Now that boy was committed!"

"He really was," Eri readily agreed. "They would have been such a cute couple if Kagome-chan wasn't so oblivious. She even thought his gropes were just him trying to annoy her."

"I wonder if he transferred out to follow her where ever she went..." Yuka wondered aloud. She then turned, "What do you think, Ayu—? Eh? Where'd she go?" She blinked when she found the couch vacant.

Eri blinked then suggested casually, "Probably the toilet with all the soda we've been drinking."

It was a sound theory, but Eri was incorrect. Unbeknownst to her friends, Ayumi was unable to bear the program and their conversation so she silently excused herself outside for some fresh air. Initially, she intended to take a quick breather on her front porch but a vibrant flash of red caught her attention.

Ayumi blinked.

A crimson Japanese maple leaf was being carried on the wind as it swayed past her.

'Huh...? There are no trees like that around here...' Ayumi thought as her eyes followed the burning hue as it soared away from her house. Normally, she wouldn't give something so trivial more than a passing glance, but—. After seeing Kagome for the first time in so long, it felt like destiny—like someone was calling for her.

Absently, her foot moved on its own.

[Step]

'...' Ayumi was captivated by the call on the wind.

[Step, Step]

Her feet tracked the leaf away from her porch and off her family's property until she ended up on the public sidewalk. The leaf twirled with whimsy, as if clapping at her decision. Bewildered at the peculiarity, she blinked.

[Gasp]

The leaf was replaced by a teenage boy who she had never seen before.

He was one of the most beautiful boys that she'd ever seen.

Mirroring the leaf, his long, earth-colored locks swayed in the breeze.

His brown eyes, although youthful in appearance, reflected a mind that aged far beyond his years.

He wore the most peculiar clothing: a long, high-collared cloak, crimson pants that blossomed at the end of the legs, and blocky sandals. This young man seemed like an otaku who took his cosplay a bit too seriously. 'Chuunibyou...?' Ayumi wondered to herself. Despite that thought, Ayumi felt that the clothing suited him.

"...you seem lost," His boyish voice brought Ayumi from her stupor. "Perturbed even. Is there something that's bothering you?"

Ayumi couldn't suppress her gasp as she brought a curled hand near her mouth in a worried pose, "I-I am... But..." Her brows furrowed, "How did you know that...?"

The beautiful boy chuckled, "Who knows? Perhaps it's because I'm a mind reader...?" Ayumi's eyes further widened. "Or maybe it's because you wear your emotions on your face."

The girl's eyes lit up with realization before she breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh... Of course, that makes a lot more sense," she gave an embarrassed smile. "If you don't mind me asking, did you just move in around here? I've never seen you before."

"Oh, no. I'm just passing through," The boy returned Ayumi's smile with a cordial one that further put her at ease.

"I see," Ayumi readily accepted that answer. "Well, it's nice to meet you, regardless," she gave him an informal but polite bow.

"Likewise," he gave her a nod of approval. "So, if you don't mind me asking, what's gotten you so down? That distressed look in your eyes doesn't seem to suit you."

"Oh..." Ayumi shuffled her feet. "If you don't mind hearing me out, I'd appreciate an ear..." She told him with a slight bow of her head. "Because my friends...I'm not sure if they share my feelings so I don't know if I can talk to them about it."

The girl was grateful that the stranger merely nodded to her again, "Of course. I'm all ears."

"Thank you..." Ayumi looked left and right, noting the moderate amount of pedestrians and vehicles traversing her block and the opposite one. "Do you mind if we..." She shyly gestured towards the front of her house. "Move to a place more private? I don't want the neighbors to overhear."

"I think the true question is if you're alright with a boy you don't know being alone with you," the stranger countered, somewhat questioning and somewhat teasing.

Ayumi blushed, unsure if he was reminding her that she was breaking a staple safety rule, or if he was alluding to something else. Surely a beautiful boy her own age couldn't be a predator, right...? Her eyes took in his appearance again, only to be treated to another cordial smile.

"Rest assured that I'm only joking with you," He told her as he took the initiative and headed for her front porch. "I merely wanted to remind you how dangerous it can be nowadays." Ayumi nodded numbly before trailing behind him until they stood on her stoop. The boy casually leaned against her front door, arms folded while Ayumi settled into a demure pose with her hands clapsed in front of her.

"You see... A while ago... I think it's been about two years now...um... I had a very good friend." Her fingers fidgeted and fiddled with each other. "She was the best friend anyone could ask for. She was beautiful, friendly, got good grades, and was great at sports. And even with all of those traits, she didn't realize that she was like an idol. So many people admired her, including myself."

"Had, huh?" The boy queried softly by her side. "And what happened to this good friend of yours?"

Ayumi breathed her next word, "Well..." Reluctance pursed her lips into silence. "I'm not proud of this, but..." Her shame was nearly palpable. "When she needed me the most, I abandoned her." As she recounted the events that permanently severed her ties to Kagome, Ayumi became more and more lost in her memories, almost completely forgetting about the stranger next to her.

"I had always known that she was cut from a different cloth," Ayumi admitted, remembering how perfect Kagome seemed. She, Yuka, and Eri used to agree that she was far out of their league. While they were ordinary girls, Kagome always stood out without even trying. "But I never would have imagined that she was so..."

Ayumi's mind struggled to find the most accurate word as she remembered that stormy afternoon that changed their lives forever. That day, Kagome's body glowed with a brilliant light that casted the darkness away. At the time, Ayumi was shocked but mystified. She remembered thinking that Kagome looked like an angel or a goddess.

And Ayumi was horrified when their schoolmates didn't see what she saw. They didn't interpret that light as a sign of goodness. They saw a lesser being—something detestable.

"It sounds unbelievable, but...my friend..." She whimpered, her fingers making anxious motion, "...she...had special abilities," Ayumi whispered. "In hindsight, I realized that it was something that she hid from everyone for a long time. She was trying so hard to live like an ordinary human. And now, I understand why..."

Her arms were rigid at her sides as her fingers clenched and dug into her palms. "So many people saw her powers and ended up hating her, even though she used them for good."

Ayumi could feel her voice wavering as she remembered discovering the spiteful graffiti and defamation scribbled across Kagome's desk. "The people who used to admire her and adore her suddenly turned on her. They said and did such horrible things..."

Ayumi saw it all. The nails left in Kagome's shoes. How her obento would wind up missing everyday. How girls would pour and hurl trash into Kagome's stall when she was caught in the restroom.

And worst of all, Ayumi vividly saw the collective carnage of Kagome's mind. She remembered how her once proud shoulders lowered more and more everyday. She remembered how her eyes became duller and duller. Such abuse would take its toll on anyone...even someone with special powers.

"And I did nothing about it," Ayumi confessed. "At first, I offered to stay with her. I offered to keep being her friend when almost no one would. But she pushed me away and decided to brave it all alone..." She explained, her voice becoming lower and lower.

Even now, Ayumi vividly remembered that day. Even now, Ayumi could hear Kagome's voice. And even now, Ayumi could feel the emotions that she felt that day. "I'm not proud of it, but... I was relieved."

Her heart lurched.

It was the first time that Ayumi acknowledged the truth, even to herself.

Months after Kagome suddenly transferred out of their school, Ayumi was approached by Yuka and Eri. They reignited their friendship after the hot topic of the school faded away in the student body's memories.

Back then, Yuka and Eri admitted that they felt guilty for how they behaved during Kagome's torment. They confided with her that they wanted to stand up for Kagome and tell the others to accept Kagome, because no matter what, Kagome was Kagome. But they were too afraid to challenge the masses. They felt powerless. They were chained by the weight of their fear—fear that if they spoke out, they too would be subject to the same torture.

Yuka and Eri openly confessed that self-preservation won over their love for Kagome.

They were ashamed of themselves, but at the same time, they praised Ayumi for trying to be a good friend. They commended her for at least trying to be loyal—to stay by Kagome's side. The pedestal that they placed her on sunk Ayumi further into guilt.

Ayumi couldn't bring herself to tell them, or even herself, that when Kagome told her, "It's better if you stay away from me. If you don't, they might do the same to you..." Ayumi latched onto those words. She chose to ignore Kagome's obviously weak smile. She chose to pretend that she didn't notice how her eyes cried out in pain—how blatant it was that Kagome was trying to be strong.

Despite Ayumi's inital offer, Ayumi honestly didn't want to share in Kagome's pain.

So she readily accepted Kagome's refusal and she stayed away, becoming a silent observer as her friend broke more and more.

"I knew. I saw it for myself," Ayumi confessed. "There was someone who was stronger than me. Despite what she said, there was someone who loved her so much." She saw it all. She was a witness to his devotion. "There was someone who didn't give up on her, no matter how ugly things got." She remembered when Bankotsu discovered obscenities that he couldn't scrub off Kagome's desk. Ayumi actually watched when some students carved their hatred into her desk with knives.

Bankotsu was so angry on Kagome's behalf.

But he channeled his anger into devotion for her.

He simply switched their desks and covered his own with his jacket to hide the etchings.

"There was someone who never gave up on her," Ayumi's voice wavered. "And as much as I wish that person was me...it wasn't." She didn't know when it happened but suddenly she found her hands clutching at her chest. "So that's what's eating me. When my friend needed me, I shut her out completely. And now..." She whispered. "She's gone and moved on. She'll never know how I feel. And this guilt will be carried with me for the rest of my life..."

"...hmph," the stranger huffed through his nostrils, a smile playing on his lips. "I suppose it will...if you stay as complacent as you are," he told her. Ayumi didn't notice how his voice became darker, "Are you truly satisfied with things staying as they are?"

"Of course not..." Ayumi readily rebuked. "If I could, I'd..." She blinked and looked to her side. The spot where the stranger stood was suddenly completely empty. All that remained was a fluttering red maple leaf. Soundlessly, it landed at her feet. She bent over and plucked it from the ground. "That boy... Was he an angel...?" She whispered.

Who else would disappear as soon as he appeared...?

She looked towards the sky. "I'm not satisfied..." She whispered to him. "I can't be...not like this..."

Suddenly, her front door opened behind her as Yuka and Eri stepped out, "Wait! This is where you've been all this time?!"

"Ayumi-chan, we were worried about you," Eri told her while placing her hands on her hips. "Come inside. Let's finish your nails."

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

"I understand that you need to befriend powerful spirits for your profession," Manta prefaced as he walked next to Yoh. His blond brows then furrowed as he bristled, "But why Amidamaru of all spirits?! He's a vicious, blood-thirsty murderer, you know!"

Yoh chuckled as the pair continued their trek to school, "Oh, Manta. You can't believe everything you hear in legends or read in books."

"This is no laughing matter!" Manta chastised him. "What if he possesses your body to commit more mass murders?!" The shorter teen's motions were animated with his rising panic.

"I doubt that'll happen," Yoh reassured as he placed a hand to his chest. "When we became one, I could feel it my heart. Amidamaru's soul...it feels warm..."

Suddenly, Manta's eyes widened as he was halted in his tracks.

Yoh blinked, immediately noticing how his friend was a few paces behind him. "Hm?" The brunette paused and half turned to look at the schoolboy. "What's up, Manta?"

The intense expression that Manta wore was replaced with utter shock as he raised a silent but shaky finger. "Y-Yoh-kun...!" O-o-over there!" Manta pointed at an angle.

Yoh blinked then unhurriedly returned to a forward-facing stance to follow the angle of Manta's directions. "Ah!" The shaman's eyes widened as they immediately spotted the spectacle. Just across the street, there was a girl around their age nearing a corner that would put her on the path that he and Manta were currently traveling.

It wasn't even the girl's striking beauty that captivated Yoh's attention.

Rather, it was the red-haired, inhuman spirit that accompanied her.

The girl and the spirit were too far away for their words to be audible but Yoh could tell that the two were having a conversation of sorts, which meant—.

"Do you know what this means, Manta?!" Yoh turned back to his friend, catching Manta off guard with his beaming face and starry eyes.

"Eh...that you have competition for spirits in this ar—?" Manta deadpanned and shrunk away as the Asakura cut in.

"No way!" Yoh was grinning from ear to ear. "It means we've got a new friend! Let's go say "hi"!" Before Manta could protest or resist, his hand was accosted by Yoh. Before he knew it, Manta's legs were dangling in the wind as Yoh charged down the street towards the girl as she neared the corner.

When he was sure they were within earshot, Yoh cupped his free hand near his mouth and called over to the girl as she arrived at the corner, "Yoooo, Shaman-san!" A red-light and stream of motor traffic prevented him and Manta from crossing the street to greet her properly so he opted for yelling for her attention. It was a tactic that embarrassed Manta to no end as people gave disapproving or bemused stares.

Yoh and Manta only had fleeting glimpses of the girl between the passing and overlapping blurs of vehicles. In their first glimpse, the girl showed that she indeed heard Yoh by pausing and looking shocked. Their second glimpse gave an image of the girl looking disgruntled with reddened cheeks, and Manta couldn't help but empathize with her sentiments. By their third glimpse, the girl was showing her back, which was swiftly growing smaller and smaller as more seconds passed.

"Ah!" Yoh jaw dropped at the sight of her fleeing, "Shaman-san, wait!" He called after her but his voice likely fell on deaf ears because of the speed of her rapid retreat. By the time that the traffic light turned green, the girl was long gone, leaving Yoh both puzzled and disappointed. He looked down at Manta, almost pouting as he heaved a heavy sigh, "Aw, man. She's fast. Why did she run away like that?" The brunette then pointed towards himself with a curved finger, "Do I have something on my face?"

Manta sweat dropped as he responded, "More like, she's probably trying to keep her abilities under the radar and you threw her under the bus."

Yoh lightly pounded a fist into an open palm, "Ah, that makes sense!" He then scratched the back of his head, "I got so excited that I forgot where I was..."

"Luckily for you, that girl was wearing Shinra's middle school uniform so you might be able to find her aroun—" Once again Manta was unable to complete his sentence as he shrunk away from his sparkly eyed friend.

"Right! I'll just corner her at school!" Yoh nodded to himself while pumping his fists.

The blond teen further shrunk away, "C-corner...? Yoh-kun, t-that sounds a bit sketchy..."

Sure enough, Yoh was not one for appearances. As soon as the pair arrived on campus, the shaman began scoping out every inch of the area that he could think of: the court yard, the hall ways, the classrooms, anywhere and everywhere that he could squeeze in before classes, he did.

By the time they arrived in their classroom, Yoh's defeated head face-planted into his desk. "Mantaaaaa..." his muffled voice whined. "I searched everywhere possible and couldn't find her. I wonder if that girl was a spirit too..."

"Don't be ridiculous, a spirit wouldn't have to run away like that," Manta told him. He then patted his friend's shoulder, "Besides, you literally can't check every place in school..."

Yoh's head then shot up as he had an epiphany. "That's right!" He gasped, "The girl's bathroom!

Manta flinched and gave his classmates a twitching, timid smile as they gave the pair strange looks.

"Alright, class. Take your seats!" The instructor commanded as he sauntered into the room. He placed his teacher's edition textbook on his desk before announcing, "We have a new student starting today so let's take a few minutes to make her feel welcome." He then looked towards the doorway, "Come in and introduce yourself."

"Yes, Sensei," a feminine responded customarily. Not a moment later, a chorus of awed breaths resounded in the room as a girl stepped inside. Not just Yoh and Manta's, but the entire classroom's interests were piqued as she turned to face the class. The girl double clutched her bag as she bowed at the waist, "My name is Higurashi Kagome. I'm new to the city but I hope we all get along~."

The girl was beaming when she returned to full height. But the moment that Kagome spotted Yoh's toothy grin and subtly waving hand, she instinctively took a step back, unpleasantly surprised to see him.

"Higurashi-san , is something wrong...?" The teacher's inquiry brought the girl out of her thoughts and exaggerated, "I want to flee" stance.

Kagome quickly regained her composure, smiling perfectly while shaking her head negatively, "N-Not at all!" Her higher octave didn't go unnoticed by Manta. "I was just...surprised. Tokyo classrooms are much larger than what I'm used to."

"Un," the teacher seemed to buy the explanation before looking across the classroom. "How strange, we were used to have another desk and chair delivered in time for your arrival..." he noted after realizing there was no unoccupied space for Kagome. He rubbed his chin for a moment before muttering, "Looks like someone will have to escort you to the storage room to fetch your seat." The man then looked out towards his class, not noticing the glint in many of his male students' eyes. "How about...?"

Yoh calmly half-raised his arm into a L-shape as he spoke up with a smile, "I'll be happy to help, Sensei."

Manta paled as his friend seemed blissfully unaware of the death glares he received.

"Asakura-kun, huh...?" The teacher was visibly surprised by Yoh's sudden proactiveness. This student was one that many teachers collectively surmised to be unmotivated. "Sure thing. Please assist Higurashi-san," he instructed, "And don't dawdle."

Kagome returned Yoh's amicable smile as the pair departed from the classroom. The girl bowed to their teacher before sliding the door closed. The moment that her back was to the door, her smile dropped as her shoulders slumped. "This has to be some cruel joke," She sighed.

"I want to call it a happy coincidence," Yoh responded as the two walked the desolate hallways. He linked his fingers behind his head and grinned wide, "It's rare to find someone my age in the same profession, after all."

It was then that the red-haired spirit from earlier appeared from within a plume of smoke. "See, Kagome?! There's no need to worry! This guy seems nice enough!" the spirit stated while landing on Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome looked towards the demon spirit and responded, "It's not about him being nice, Shippo-chan. I just plan to have a normal life here." While chatting with the spirit, she didn't notice the way her declaration made Yoh's smile collapse.

His eyebrows angled as he scowled thoughtfully.

"More importantly," Kagome halted in her stride. "Do you even know where the storage room is...?" She questioned, almost deadpanned.

"Oh. We can just figure it out together!" Yoh shamelessly gave her a thumbs-up then panicked when the girl turned heel with a prompt, 'Goodbye.'

From then on, Manta spent a lot of his time tailing behind Yoh during his multiple attempts at befriending Kagome. Manta realized how Yoh couldn't let this opportunity slip away easily. But after a week of the girl shirking his attempts by avoiding his presence or making up excuses to cut conversations short, he had to wonder why his friend was investing so much time and energy into someone who was clearly uninterested in being his friend.

"Darn," Yoh was rubbing his chin. Just a moment ago, he had raised his hand to flag the girl down as she and a group of classmates were departing for the day. But after catching his eye, she quickly averted her gaze. "I don't have a lot of experience with girls. Maybe I should try another approach."

"I thought you came to Tokyo to make spiritual allies like Amidamaru." Manta closed the textbook that he was reading as he was waiting for Kagome by the school entrance. "Why are you trying so hard for someone who doesn't want to be your friend? Just because she's a shaman too, doesn't mean you have to force yourself."

It was then that Yoh's distraught face melted into a far-look as he responded, "Actually..." His voice was uncharacteristically somber, "She's the one forcing herself."

"Eh?" Manta looked up at his friend. He didn't recognize the expression on Yoh's face. It was one that didn't suit the normally lax teen.

The next day, it was during class that Kagome slipped up-and let part of her true self show. Their Japanese history teacher casually asked the class if anyone knew anything about the history of shintoism. She didn't seem to expect anyone to raise their hand but Kagome seemed to surprise even herself when her arm raised. The girl blushed a bit, looking like she wanted to kick herself when she was asked to stand and speak.

But it was too late to turn back, "Well..." she began almost skittishly. Her overview of shintoism began with its origins then continued with how it evolved overtime—a recounting that took largely ten minutes. As more and more seconds elapsed, the girl's tension blossomed into a brilliant confidence. Her posture relaxed as the words flowed seamlessly.

By the time that Kagome finished her overview, even the teacher herself seemed entranced by the girl's charismatic delivery. "Well..." instructor's brows rose. "I wasn't expecting such a thorough answer but that was very impressive, Higurashi-san."

"I know, right?!" A male student chimed from across the room. "Higurashi-san, you were amazing!"

From his position a few rows behind her, Yoh saw the way Kagome's eyes lit up at the flood of compliments that she received. He couldn't help but crack a smile as her lips went from ajar in surprise to a blooming smile. That was until a girl made a point of speaking over the other students.

"I don't see what the big deal is," The girl scoffed aloud while crossing her arms. "Higurashi-san is a religious freak, so what?"

Yoh spied the way Kagome's eyes widened, as her face portrayed a sinking feeling.

Her fingers curled inward and her fists began to tremble.

Yoh knew exactly where this was going.

"Don't mind, Kagome," Yoh found himself calling from behind her. The girl twisted around as all eyes went to him. Without a care in the world, Yoh grinned as he declared, "I really like people like you."

The statement made the teacher throw her hand over her mouth as her classroom erupted into chaos. The coos from girls and outraged bellows from boys resounded. A shocked Manta was amongst the ones who released an, "Ehhhhhhhhhh?!"

Meanwhile, Kagome blushed deeply as her lips twitched in a losing battle against a rush of feelings. She didn't know if she would scream from embarrassment, burst into tears, or smil—.

Yoh looked shocked when Kagome promptly grabbed her bag and raced out of the classroom. Her ears were deaf to the teacher's voice, which was drowned out by the cries of the shocked class. Even Yoh's call and his footsteps that trailed behind hers went unnoticed until they were well into the hallway.

"Kagome, wait!" Yoh called again, ignoring the teacher who reprimanded them for running in the hall. "I didn't mean to embarrass you! Please don't hate me!"

Those words stopped the girl in her tracks and gave him the opportunity to catch up to her.

When Yoh was right behind Kagome, he lifted a hand to place it on her shoulder but paused when she was suddenly spoke, "Asakura-kun, look—." Yoh took a step back after she turned to face him completely. She was wearing a timid smile, "I've never disliked you. Honestly..." she gave an embarrassed chuckle, "I like people like you too."

Kagome gave Yoh an small but appreciative smile.

'S-she stole that line from me!' Yoh inwardly screamed as his cheeks burned and his heart sped up. 'So why was it so effective?!' His flustered inner ramblings was cut short when Kagome's eyes suddenly held liquid glimmer.

"I just..." She whispered weakly before confessing, "I just don't want to be hated again!" Her outburst forced the moisture from her eyes and sent glistening globs to the floor. Kagome clutched her bag as her head bowed, obscuring her eyes.

The taken aback expression on Yoh's face then melted into a warm smile. "Then, it's about time that you made some true friends..." He told her while placing a hand on her head, an action that made Kagome raise her eyes to meet his.

Hopeful blue met welcoming brown.

"...are you ready?" Yoh queried with a gentle smile.

...Kagome's eyes opened groggily. 'I feel like I had a nice dream...' She thought absently as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. 'But I can't remember any of it... that's a little annoying.'

She was staring up at her Funbari bedroom ceiling. The high priestess had finally returned to the residence that she shared with Yoh, Anna, and Ryu for the first time in several weeks. It felt like ages since she had gotten to enjoy Ryu's cooking. It also felt like forever since she had gotten to spend time with the original crew who started the shenanigans that was her life.

There was something special about sitting around the table with a cheery Yoh, curious Manta, diligent Ryu, and sharp-tongued Anna.

"I hope you haven't been slacking off while I've been busy with work and research, Yoh," Kagome had teased from behind her rice bowl.

Yoh offered a guilty grin, "Well, as much as I wanted to—."

"Of course I don't let Yoh have his way. Someone has to make sure he's prepared for phase two," Anna was quick to cut in, reminding everyone who the boss was.

"Indeed," Ryu concurred. "Anna-dono's training regimen from hell has been relentless for Yoh-dono."

"I'm sure it'll pay off during the Shaman Fights, Yoh-kun," Manta offered while patting the brunette's shoulder.

Even Anna's blunt nature had a nostalgic feeling to it.

If only days like these could last...

Was what Kagome found herself thinking last night. But now, she had no time for such daydreams. The reality was that she had only eight months to find a solution to her current dilemma. She did her best to stay in contact with her family and friends so that no one would worry about her, but she couldn't neglect her mission.

While the end-game was rescuing Hao and putting an end to the cycle that was her first sixteen years of life, right now, Kagome's goal before phase two was very specific.

And it called for a lot of travel, a lot of research, a lot of focus, and a lot of—.

Kagome greeted the warm morning air with a smile. 'Another beautiful day...' She inwardly noted. She lifted her arm to shield her eyes from the sun's brilliance. The flowing white sleeves of her priestess garb slid down her forearm. 'Maybe I should ask Yohmei-sama if he has any leads for me.'

"Kagome," Yoh's voice made Kagome swing around, giving her a sense of dejavu. He was smiling in the foyer. "I understand how you feel. But if you don't take it easy every now and then, you'll just end up burning out."

"And if I take things at your pace, I'll never get anything done," Kagome countered with a teasing smile that made Yoh pout.

"Haven't I proven how reliable I am by now?" Yoh queried with an easygoing smile.

Kagome then chuckled behind her hand, "Have you~?"

Yoh's shoulders slumped dramatically, "Kagome, you've just caused irreparable damage."

"Sorry, sorry," She waved her hand dismissively. "I'll make it up to you when I get back tonight. How do homemade cinnamon rolls sound?"

Yoh immediately perked up at the prospect of his favorite snack. "You're on," He grinned. "With that special icing too, right?"

Kagome nodded before giggling, "Yeah, yeah. I know how you like it~."

The shaman then waved as he saw her off. His smile faded the smaller and smaller her back became. Once the priestess was out of sight, Amidamaru appeared beside his partner. "Yoh-dono...it's unlike you to bottle up your feelings like this," He stated. "After all that's happened, there should be no harm in—.

"Amidamaru...thank you," Yoh suddenly cut in without meeting the samurai's eyes. "It's not that I'm trying to hide anything. It's just that... There never feels like a good time. And..." he finally faced his partner with pink eyes and a sheepish grin. The shaman ran a hand through his hair and confessed, "Somehow, it's kinda embarrassing."

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

The sports festival was Ren's opportunity to truly impress Kagome. He had transferred into Shinra Academy's high school division just to get closer to the priestess, only to be thwarted time and time again by fate itself. It was if the world wanted him to fight tooth and nail for Kagome's attention, putting him through trial after trial.

Firstly, he was placed in an entirely different class from her, Yoh, Manta, Anna, HoroHoro, and Bankotsu.

Secondly, he had limited opportunities to see or interact with her during school at all. The only time they had together was lunch. However, even then, Ren had the pleasure of sharing Kagome's presence with the others—especially the insufferable buffoon Bankotsu.

Despite the fact that Bankotsu had stopped pursuing Kagome romantically two years ago, he still made a point of acting as an obstacle to her would-be suitors. Bankotsu was not above pulling the priestess close to his chest, resting his chin on her head, and declaring that there was no one who he approved of for her yet.

Last but not least, Ren was forced to compete against Kagome's classroom during the sports festival. Normally the Tao would welcome rivalry and competition as it was a thrill to push himself and his friends to the limit. Who didn't enjoy challenging their friends for bragging rights?

When Ren initially heard that his class was competing with Kagome's, he was thrilled because it was easy fodder to taunt the priestess into bickering—an easy way to keep her attention on him.

But now...

The events of the sports festival panned out in a way that foiled that plan.

He wasn't directly competing with the priestess in any event.

Ren stole a peek at Kagome as she led her class' squad during the cheer-leading battle. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail and accessorized with a bright, yellow bow. Her class' female cheer-leading uniform was a a colorful, classic tank-top and pleated skirt ensemble. But the way Kagome's body filled out her clothing was more than enough to make Ren's blood pump and eyes stray.

'D-Damn it! Focus!' Ren scolded himself, his arms crossed as he tore his eyes away from the priestess and at his class' cheer squad. It was painfully difficult to keep his eyes off Kagome, however. Everything from her bright smile, teasing skirt, and glistening forehead was calling to him.

The crowds roared and cheered as both cheer squads cleared the way to rest after finishing their battle of pompoms, coordinated acrobatics, and dances. Of course, it didn't take long for his friends to find him amongst his classmates.

Yoh was glowing as he wore a dreamy expression, "Ahhh~..." he sighed sweetly, enamored, "If Kagome wore that outfit during the shamans fights, there's no way that I'd lose..."

Manta deadpanned at his friend, "You might wanna wake up from that dream."

"No worries, Manta," Bankotsu grinned as he bent over and wrapped his arm around Ren's neck. "I saw that way Renny here was drooling over Kagome, so Yoh's definitely not alone."

Ren instinctively wiped at the corner of his mouth and bristled when he found his hand dry. The Tao's face was inflamed as he shouted obscenities at the cackling Bankotsu.

Later that day, Ren discovered that he was going head-to-head against Yoh in the scavenger hunt relay. The scion tightened his class' crimson headband around his head before he exchanged friendly smirks with Yoh.

"Five...four...three...two...one..."

[BANG!]

The pop of the start gun fired, prompting the competitors to dash towards the stand that held the items for them to hunt for. Ren and Yoh didn't notice how the humans literally choked on their dust as they raced each other. In the short distance, they could make out four figures sitting at the stand. The stand was a rectangular table beneath a tarp that acted as UV protection.

A half minute later, the duo arrived at the check point simultaneously.

"N-Nee-san?!" Ren stammered when he arrived in front of Jun who was smiling gently. "What are you doin—?"

"There's no time for that, Renny. This is a race after all," Jun told him while gesturing for the box placed in front of her. "Reach inside and find out what you're hunting for. Once you bring it here, you tag the next person on your team."

Ren nodded and reached into the box in perfect unison with Yoh at his team's attendee spot. The teens each pulled out a folded slip of paper and made quick work of unfolding it. Unbeknownst to each other, both's eyes wide then lit up in recognition. Yoh and Ren looked at each other before breaking out into mad dashes into the either side of the crowd, searching for the sole answers to their objectives.

The scavenger hunt relay was a much anticipated event so the surrounding crowds were bustling and thick. It took a few minutes of fumbling and scanning the oountless heads of students, teachers, and visitors alike, but he finally found the face he was looking for.

Kagome's frame was hidden amongst the ocean of bodies gathered around. Yoh knew that after changing from her cheerleader uniform to her gym uniform, Kagome wouldn't have been able to secure a front row spot to watch his event.

She looked surprised to see him, "Yoh, shouldn't you be—?"

Yoh immediately took her hand, "I am! It's you who I need for this!"

Kagome blinked but didn't resist her friend's excited pulling as he led her through the crowds. "Okay, but are you sure? What did you paper say?"

"I'm positive!" Yoh assured her, picking up his power walk into a sprint after the pair emerged from the crowd and back onto the race track. "Hurry! We gotta beat Ren!"

Meanwhile, Ren emerged empty-handed from the other side of the crowd. When he spotted Yoh leading Kagome towards the stand, the Tao bristled. Once again, he was sure that fate was not on his side. His fist crushed the paper in his hand as his eyes scanned the crowd for an alternative.

It didn't take long for his eyes to settle on a group of girls, who instantly noticed his gaze. Ren paid no mind to their flushing faces as he jogged over to them. "Hey," He looked down at a blushing girl with blonde highlights. "Could I borrow your bracelet?"

The Tao was surprised who the girl readily relinquished her trinket and offered it to him. Ren gave her a swift nod with his gratitude, "Thank you." He then made a mad dash back towards the table, only to find that Yoh had made it to the checkpoint and got his find approved. The Asakura wore an exhausted expression as Kagome literally grabbed him by the arm towards the next person in their class' line up: Bankotsu.

Even through the roar of the crowd and trampling feet across the race ground, Ren's ears easily caught onto Kagome's voice as he approached the pair.

"Yoh, you're hopeless," Kagome sighed. "How did you manage to use up all of your energy before tagging out?"

Yoh replied in a pitiful, exhausted voice, "It's because I gave it my all just trying to find you."

"What did your paper even tell you to find?" Kagome queried while keeping her eyes ahead. She smiled and offered Ren a wave as he rushed past them towards his checkpoint.

As he went by, the Tao heard Yoh chuckle and answer without missing a beat, "I was lucky. All mine said was "The cutest"."

Ren didn't need to be near the pair to know that Kagome was likely blushing. His eyes narrowed as his hand crumpled the paper in his hand. Only he and Jun would know that his paper told him to find something "precious".

'Mm.' Ren awakened well before dawn. Even in the darkness, his eyes instantly recognized the ceiling of his bedroom at Tao manor. 'Another strange dream...' He sat up in bed and lingered in his upright position. For these past few months, he habitually had odd dreams of seemingly random scenarios. Ren was aware that one's prefontal lobe was less active while dreaming so he knew that the peculiar nature of the dreams could be explained that way.

However, not even science could explain why the nature of his dreams drastically shifted lately. Previously, if Ren dreamed, they would alternate between haunting terrors of his past atrocities, or visualizations of his hearts' desires—the former making him wake drenched in sweat and latter...

Now his dreams of late felt more realistic than any had before. There was also an air of nostalgia and dejavu about them—like the events had truly transpired.

It was beyond bizarre.

It felt like he was living his life—yet someone else's at the same time.

Ren suppressed a sigh before forcing himself out of bed.

There was no time to waste.

He had another day scheduled to the brim: training, breakfast with potential allies, lunch with a foreign politician, dinner with his extended family, and more training.

The Tao spared his cell phone a side glance as he passed his bedside nightstand.

Ever since January, Ren's opportunities to speak with Kagome had become more and more sparse. And while Ren was a romantic at heart, he was also a realist. He was more than aware that as much as he wanted to, he couldn't spend every waking moment with her.

But still, he couldn't help but feel slighted by fate that his family, who seemed to support Kagome as his chosen bride, seemed more keen to form economic and political alliances.

Between training for phase two and meetings with potential allies and partners, Ren's windows of opportunities to return to Tokyo were few and far in between. The only thing that kept Ren's mind grounded in sanity was how he got to exchange texts with Kagome every night. As much as he preferred to see her face in person or hear her voice through the receiver, even the slightest bit of contact with her recharged his depleted battery.

Ren's eyes lingered on his phone, wondering what messages awaited him from her... They narrowed. He knew that if he checked his phone now, he wouldn't be able to resist responding immediately if she messaged him back.

It wasn't a bad thing... but with so little time to prepare for phase two, Ren needed to ensure that he was in top form to become Shaman King. He had to. Even though she didn't accept his proposition, Ren still held fast to his vow to her.

Ren would become Shaman King, and make her dreams come true.

It was the least he could for her, his future Shaman Queen, the person who wanted to dedicate his life to.

[ 'I have to win because I'm the one who is going to protect her dream.' ]

Every now and then, Yoh's words came back to Ren. Despite their rocky beginning and their romantic rivalry, Ren understood how Yoh felt. And no matter what happened, they would always be friends. But that didn't stop his words from fueling the fire in Ren's heart.

For the sake of that ambition, Ren had to have discipline.

He had to swallow his desires and resist temptation, for now.

There was one thing that Ren had been meaning to ask Kagome for a while now, but...

It could wait a while longer.

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

"How strange..." Kanna remarked as she and her comrades peeked at their leader's face from across the camp grounds. They had recently returned to the Tokyo area after spending a few months overseas. Their leader seemed to grow more and more distant, mentally. "Hao-sama looks unusually serious right now." His expression was uncharacteristically pensive.

"Hmph," Matilda's fingers locked behind her head. "He's probably thinking about that girl again."

"Yes..." Marion concurred softly. "The high priestess, Higurashi Kagome."

"How annoying," Kanna sneered at the mention of Kagome's name. "Hao-sama doesn't need any other girls when he has us. She can't be very loyal since she hasn't even joined us yet." Her eyes then narrowed as her sixth sense blared an alarm in her head. She swiftly turned around and delivered a stinging slap to Miroku's approaching hand. "And you. I don't even know why Hao-sama tolerates such a filthy man."

Miroku blinked, feigning innocence as he nursed his pulsing, red hand, "Kanna-chan, you wound me. I was merely trying to prevent a pesky mosquito from sucking on your precious life's blood."

"I'm pretty sure she'd rather get malaria than you accept your help, monk," Matilda chimed with a teasing, catty smile. Her eyes then returned to Hao, who was leaning against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared towards the sky. "Why not make yourself useful and spill the tea about this priestess Hao-sama adores?"

"To serve our esteemed Hao-sama, you three must be sharp young women," Miroku's preface made Kanna stiffened; she mentally prepared for the worst. "So surely you must know how valuable information is."

Kanna and Matilda exchanged silent glances. Before either could speak up, Marion responded, "...name your price."

"Oh, dear," Miroku blinked. "It seems I vastly underestimated the power of your desperation." Although delivered casually, the remark got under Kanna's skin. "Luckily for you three, I'm a reasonable, fair man."

"This feels like a terrible idea..." Matilda muttered while raising her hand to her forehead.

Kanna did not disagree but she ignored her trepidation, "Tell us what you want already."

"From you Kanna-chan," Miroku clarified but bluntly answering, "One night—. OOF!"

Within an instant, the monk was eating the forest floor with Kanna's foot grinding in the back of his head. Her cheeks were aflame as she shouted, "How about I let you keep your life?!"

"Mmrph Mmph," Miroku's voice was muffled by the press of the ground, but he raised his thumb into an upright position.

Meanwhile, Opacho was resting against the same trunk as Hao. "Hao-sama," the girl looked up at him curiously, prompting the teen to look down at her. "You're thinking about Kagome-sama again. When will we see her?"

Hao stifled a chuckle before he squatted down to meet the girl at eye level. He placed a hand on top of her head, "Soon enough. Kagome-sama has just been very busy with her work so there's no way she'd come out to play."

Opacho blinked, silent for a moment. Her expression soon brightened as she suggested, "Then, why don't you help her out, Hao-sama?!" Her smile was wide as she explained, "If Kagome-sama finishes early then we can see her sooner~!"

Hao's smile was warm as he rubbed Opacho's head, "That's a fine idea."

Opacho truly was an innocent, pure person. It was why Hao adored her so. The last thing that he'd do was dampen her hopes by telling her that Kagome's work was only a fraction of the reason why he hadn't seen her sooner.

The other reason was because Hao opted to observe the way she and her other wanna-be suitors interacted. It was somewhat scoping out the progress of his competition. 'Those children...' He thought with an inward smirk. They had been warned by the Patch that the short year break was their time to tie up loose ends. Still, both Yoh and Ren had wasted months of their opportunities with their childish antics.

Hao could sense Yoh's feelings from across the seas themselves. His other half spent so much time wanting and repressing—anguishing over how his progress stagnated. Yoh was aching over how Kagome would not advance their relationship just yet. Her answer to his feelings was what fueled his ever-growing feeling of longing—his desire to express how he felt. Hao could feel it—the how many times Yoh felt love-struck but suppressed his impulses to give his feelings shape and form. Putting ink to paper alleviated some of his frustrations but still, Yoh regretted every time that he balled his letters and disposed of them.

Yoh's heart was like a can of soda that endured violent shaking.

It was quite cute.

Meanwhile, Ren fared no better. Hao had been aware of the Tao heir's current uphill battle. It had been one that he had been struggling with for months. While Hao had no special connection to Ren the way he did with Yoh, simply having eyes and ears everywhere more than sufficed to keep tabs on his progress with Kagome. Between shamanistic and diplomatic training, Ren had been pulled in all directions. Despite this, he had more than his fair share of opportunities to make progress with Kagome. But Ren was paralyzed by his fear of rejection—moreover, his feelings of inferiority to Yoh.

'To be young and naive...' Hao mused with a smile. 'It really is quite cute.'

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

"Kagome," Shippo's brows were furrowed with worry as he perched on the priestess' shoulder. The girl had recently paused her steps to take in the architecture of the building that she arrived in front of. Part of her was admiring the intricacy of the ancient structure while the other part of her was mentally cross-referencing the building's shapes, colors, and landmarks between what she heard about it. "Are you sure you wanna spend another day in some old, dusty library?" He questioned. "You took time off your priestess work and you're not even spending it training or having fun."

"There's only eight months until phase two starts, Shippo-chan," Kagome answered. "As much as I want to kick back and relax, I just don't have enough time for that."

Before the girl could continue forward, her primary spirit appeared at her other side. "The fox is more keen than he appears, Priestess," Sesshomaru told her. "You will exhaust your mental reserves if you continue at your current rate."

Kagome's dire expression instantly became a smile that borderlined appreciative and teasing," Oh? Is that concern that I heard in your voice, Sesshomaru?" Her eyes twinkled with mirth when they spotted the subtle uptick of his eyebrows.

"It is a warning," The demon reiterated. "The fate of this world rests in your mental fortitude."

"I know..." the priestess' smile softened as memories of her previous mind break played in her mind. "Don't worry. No matter what happens in this world, I will not succumb..."

Kagome's convictions urged her forward. She was greeted by a pair of monks who had been anticipating her arrival. After exchanging pleasantries and formalities with them, the men led her into their monastery. She passed numerous rooms, halls, courtyards, meditation chambers, and gardens along the way. The space was vast and Kagome marveled at the splendor in silence, as she promised the monks she would. Eventually, they arrived at a pair of grand, stone doors that led her down a dark, winding stairwell that was faintly illuminated by wall sconces.

At the bottom of the seemingly endless stairs was a passage that led to another pair of doors. This entrance appeared more worn than any other in the monastery. Beyond those doors lied their safeguarded archive. It was where Kagome spent the majority of the rest of her day. Between skimming the countless book spines and skimming the weathered pages, the hours flew by in seconds. And before she knew it, the monks who guided her down came to retrieve her.

Kagome sighed inwardly as she ascended the staircase. She wished she could have stayed longer, maybe even overnight or for a couple of days. But she knew that she was privileged enough to be granted entry as a young woman. It was only because of her status as a high priestess of the imperial family that she had access to restricted areas and documents like this. 'Still... I haven't found any useful information since I started my search...' She thought as she was led back to the entrance. 'It would be great if someone out there knew of a way to save Kanna... If I knew how, I'd do anything.'

Night had fallen hours ago, casting shadows and silence across the area. Kagome and the monks exchanged bows before the wooden gates closed before her. The priestess stared down the lengthy staircase that was carved into the mountain that homed the monastery. The waning moonlight offered sparse illumination, leaving the stairs to appear like they were beckoning her to an abyss.

Shippo appeared perched on her shoulder like he did earlier, "What's wrong, Kagome? It's late. You should get going." Kagome could also sense Sesshomaru was nearby, but she knew that he was privy to her trepidation. And he wasn't the type to comfort or coddle her...

She looked back at the stairway.

The way that the stone stairs gradually faded into darkness was eerie and made Kagome hesitate. Sure, she was a powerful priestess. But she was still herself...

Back in her first life, she was never fond of being alone in the dark.

But after the years that she spent trapped in endless cycle in the well...

This type of darkness was the type that she feared most.

This darkness was obscurity and uncertainty given shape.

"My, my~. Is my little canary still afraid of the dark?" A familiar voice suddenly queried from behind.

Kagome gasped and immediately whipped around.

Shippo's chest puffed out as he hopped off Kagome's shoulder and floated midair. He dared to float forward a few centimeters to point at the newcomer, "Asakura Hao! What are you doing here?!"

Hao looked amused at the fox spirit's brazen outburst. "Come now. Child or not, you of all people, should know the answer to that."

"If you're here to bother Kagome, then I'll—!" Shippo paused briefly as his eyes darted left and right. "—let Sesshomaru teach you a lesson!" He concluded proudly, making Kagome twitch in the background.

'S-Shippo-chan, can you even make good on that threat?' Kagome sweatdropped.

"That's quite the sentiment," Hao acknowledged in a tone that made Shippo tremble with outrage. The shaman took a few steps closer to the demon child. "A spirit who needs to borrow another's power to fight his battles is good for nothing, right?" He smirked.

"Why, you!" Shippo bristled before lurching forward, hurling a blue-flaming fist towards Hao.

"Hmph," a gentle flick of Hao's backhand sent the fox tumbling through the air, screaming along the way.

"Excuse me!" this time it was Kagome's turn to step up and face Hao as he clapped his hands, as if dusting off his gloves. "Refrain from treating my partner like he's a pest!"

Hao wore a shameless smirk as he shrugged, "I was merely rising to his challenge. It would be disrespectful to blatantly ignore him."

Kagome opened her arms and caught Shippo as he came hurling back like a fallen star. "Oof!" Shippo's eyes were swirly as his agape mouth muttered incoherent ramblings.

"You see?" Hao smiled innocently. "Your partner is fine. He may be small but he's quite resilient."

Kagome hugged the swirly-eyed Shippo to her chest while giving Hao a wary look, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Ah, you wound me..." Hao feigned offense. "It's been so long since you've seen my face and yet, your reception is still so cold."

"Actually, I see the version of your face that I like a lot of better pretty often," Kagome corrected nonchalantly as she rubbed the back of Shippo's head.

Hao gave an exaggerated sigh before giving her a defeated smile, "I'm afraid you've caused irreparable damage."

Kagome bristled and blushed, 'T-They really are twins...'

"No matter, I'll forgive you, since I have such a big heart," Hao told her. He chuckled when the priestess gave him a deadpanned look. "What's with that expression? You think so yourself." Kagome's face returned to normal as he smiled softly, "That someone like me, is worth saving."

A silence fell between the two.

Despite how much Kagome didn't want to play into Hao's hand, it was irrefutable truth... She did believe that she could, would, and should save Hao.

"Enough of that," Hao's hand rose in an offering position to Kagome. "Here. I've come to escort you home."

Kagome's hand rose, but she paused and blinked, 'I'm sure that his reishi doesn't work with me...' She told herself as she placed her hand inside of his. 'And yet...somehow, he seems to know when I...'

Lost in her thought, she didn't notice when it happened, but she suddenly found herself standing on top of the Spirit of Fire's palm as he took to the skies. "Eep!" Startled from the sudden rush of wind, Kagome lost her footing. Her arm instinctively released Shippo as her body threatened to fall backward, then forward as it tried to regain balance. "Erm," She squeaked after Hao opted to pull her towards his chest to steady her.

The priestess smacked into Hao but his stance didn't waver. Instead, he chuckled when he noticed how cute she was like this. Kagome's cheek was against his collarbone as her hand steadied herself against his chest. Her eyes remained shut for a moment as she braced herself. Once she realized that she was in no danger of falling, her eyes slowly opened before she lifted her head and met his waiting gaze.

Kagome stared blankly.

Hao stared back, his smile unchanging.

Kagome continued to stare, but as seconds ticked by, her brain began to process the situation she was in.

Her mouth fell open, lips trembling as her face went beet red.

She released her hold on Hao and wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "Don't think that you can just put the moves on me or something," She muttered, averting her gaze.

"Hmm?" Hao's hum was beyond entertained. "I can assure you that I was merely securing you, my little canary." He delighted in the way her ear reddened as he added, "But I'd be more than happy to show you true romance if that's what you—."

"It isn't!" Kagome dared to turn a blushing glare at the shaman. "I'm too busy for something like that!"

"Oh, yes..." Hao rubbed his chin. "I've noticed. You've become so absorbed in your work that you've been neglecting your desires." It was increasingly difficult to take Kagome seriously when she became more and more visibly flustered. "Yoh and Ren...I feel so bad for them," he stated with a shrug that said otherwise.

"This has..." Kagome's face earned some relief from the heat, but she still glared at her feet, almost pouting. "...nothing to do with them." The slight chill on the wind was a welcome relief to blood burning beneath her skin. She knew that Hao knew that she knew that she was lying.

"Oh, but it does," Hao countered casually. "You have so little time before phase two, and yet, you're using none of them to indulge." His smile twitched, echoing a smirk. "Why not take a break and go on a few dates?"

Kagome was quick to return to glaring up at Hao's face, "Easy for you to say!" Her hands were balls in front of her. "All of this has been so hard! I don't know what I should do and I feel terrible!"

"You're just too kind," Hao looked as if he wanted to chuckle, but instead he pointed out, "The Asakura family, the Tao family, the Higurashi family, Yoh, and Ren alike...all of them have agreed to a peaceful, dual courtship."

'W-Wait! I know that Ran-sama and Keiko-sama convinced my mom a while back, but...' Kagome's eyes widened as her lips formed a tight line. 'When did Yoh and Ren agree to that?! Neither one of them have brought it up...!' A wave of heat returned to her face, 'Unless, they were waiting to be considerate of me...? Are they waiting for my answer...?'

"My, my," Hao sighed. "Just look at you. Even knowing that you have everyone's permission, you look so conflicted," the shaman told her.

"Because...!" Kagome whispered harshly, embarrassed. "Even if they both agreed to that... I don't know if it's truly okay to do that..."

Kagome stole Hao's gaze as her eyes reflected stormy waters.

"I'm going to become Shaman Queen two years from now," She told him. "So getting closer to either of them..." her eyes became hooded. "It would be a terrible mistake, because I'd end up having to leave them forever. I'd hurt them."

Kagome was oblivious to how she was giving Hao just what he wanted, what he needed. Her immunity to his reishi was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, Kagome's presence alone brought peaceful silence, unlike anyone else's. And on the other hand, he couldn't always tell what was in her heart.

In this case, Hao discovered that his intuition was correct.

Her words gave him confirmation.

"So you think it's better to waste the little time that you have left?" Hao questioned before pressing her ub his usual calm tone, "Aren't you just making excuses? Work. Your mission. You're just avoiding it because you're guilty." Kagome's hands clenched. "You're afraid because you want to have a single answer, but you don't have one."

"Oh, what do you know?" She huffed and looked away again, signaling that he was pressing the right button.

"'Yoh, I want to be with you,'" Hao continued, "or 'Ren, you're the one who I love.' You feel like you're the worst because you can't tell either those words." He remembered it...the first Kagome who he met was a spirit. That Kagome told him everything about herself, about the harrowing relationship that she had with her ex-husband.

Surely this Kagome felt trapped. Surely this Kagome felt the way he did back then. Wanting both without wanting to hurt either... But just like him, eventually, she'd end up hurting both with indecision.

"You can deny it all that you want. It makes no difference to me if you make my romantic rivals happy..." Without warning, Hao was in Kagome's space. His hand cupped her cheek and guided her face to meet his eyes. "What matters to me is that you're pushing yourself to do what you perceive to be morally ethical."

Kagome's eyes were wide as her ears absorbed the sound of Hao's voice. It was lower than normal. Softer than usual, more tender. "Between your vow to save me and your fixation on rescuing that child, where's the time to treat yourself?" His thumb glided across her skin, tickling her nerves with a butterfly like touch. "If I'm being honest, you not living your life for my sake doesn't sit well with me. And you know..."

Kagome's cheeks burned when his eyes became hooded and he leaned closer. "Some of the best mistakes are made when you're having fun..." She then blinked when the shaman suddenly chuckled and pulled away.

"You should have seen your face," Hao wore a gleeful smile. "I bet you thought I was going to kiss you." Kagome blushed and bristled; she couldn't deny that. He then smirked and peered at the priestess from the corner of his eye, "Would have you have liked that~?"

"As if! Get over yourself!" Kagome was quick to retort, further agitated at how Hao seemed to enjoy being yelled at. "Who would want to be kissed by you of all people?!"

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

"Waaah..." Yoh's cheeks were pink as his eyes shimmered with wonder. He was lounging in the living room, a manga sprawled out in front of him on the kotatsu. Gathered around the table was Manta, who had a textbook open in front of him, and Ryu, who was content to watch the television. "I wonder if that really works..." He muttered, just audible enough for Manta and Ryu to take note of his curiosity.

"If what works, Yoh-kun?" Manta looked up from his text to Yoh's face. "What are you reading?"

"Eh heh..." Yoh scratched his flushed cheek as lifted the paperback up to reveal the front and back cover to his friends. The manga depicted an adolescent blushing boy holding a shy-looking girl in his arms. The pair were drawn in a cutesy, colorful art style. The title was written in rainbow kanji "His and Her Glittering Days". "It's a manga that Pirika lent me."

"Ohhhh... A shoujo manga," Ryu leaned back and rubbed his chin. "I didn't know Yoh-dono was into that genre."

"Well, I wasn't before..." Yoh admitted while rubbing the back of his head. "But a while ago, Pirika told me to read these as reference material. She told me that she didn't want me to lose without putting up a fight."

"Eh..." Manta froze before muttering with a bowed head, "She's as much of a meddler as Jun-san." He then straightened his posture and moved closer to Yoh as the shaman splayed the book back onto the table-top for his friends to see. "So what were you wonder about?"

Yoh pointed at the shaded imagery. It depicted the lead couple wearing yukatas and holding bubble wands. "Here," he dragged his finger from that panel to one of the boy whispering something unspecified into the hole of his wand before blowing a bubble to the next panel. The following panels depicted the bubble floating towards the girl before popping near her ear. In that panel, a thought bubble read 'Suzu-chan, I'm in love with you.' The girl's eyes then widened as she blushed.

"D-Do you think bubbles can really carry messages like that?" Yoh asked a bit bashfully.

Ryu blushed as he muttered, "H-How can Yoh-dono be so strong but so innocent and cute...?"

Manta then waved his hand, shaking his head with an apologetic smile, "Yoh-kun, you shouldn't believe everything that you see in manga. There's no way something like that would work."

"You never know, Manta," Yoh grinned away his embarrassment. "Miracles happen more often than you think.

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

The Spirit of Fire landed at the familiar courtyard of Higurashi shrine. Kagome blinked as she and Hao were lowered to the ground. "Eh?" She blinked at Hao before telling him, "I wanted to go back to Yoh's place. There's no way you didn't know where I've been staying."

Hao smiled and simply told her, "I brought you exactly where you need to be."

Kagome scoffed, "And who are you to tell me where I need to be, huh?" She huffed at his knowing smile, unable to keep up her act. The girl sighed before giving Hao a demure smile, "Okay, you got me. This is only a minor inconvenience," she admitted while twirling a lock of her hair. "Hao..."

In her state of sheepishness, Kagome didn't notice the subtle widening of Hao's eyes when she suddenly beamed at him, "I'm glad that you came. Thank you."

"Of course," Hao returned her smile with one of his own. With that, the Spirit of Fire began raising his hand. The last thing that Hao was expecting was for Kagome to take a step forward and reach up to him, looking up at him with the cutest expression. She looked so desperate for him.

"Wait!" Kagome called, halting the spirit's motion and leaving herself looking up at Hao. He was now standing several meters in the air. "One more thing before you go!"

Hao closed his eyes and sighed, willingly losing against her, "As you wish." He was lowered a couple meters so they could speak without issue. "What else can I do for you tonight? Do you need me to hold you until you fall asleep?"

Kagome deadpanned, "I will hurt you." She raised a fist that was so tiny that Hao found it more kissable than threatening. "Anyway," her voice returned to normal. "I was wondering if you're free next week."

Hao raised a hand to lips, failing to hide a wide, teasing smile, "Ohoho. And why do you want to know?"

"Don't get the wrong idea!" Kagome blushed and scowled. "I'm not trying to ask you out or anything." Hao didn't look disappointed or surprised, even when she lowered her face to hide her bashful expression. "I just...wanted to request your help."

"Ohhhh?" Hao smiled before cupping his hand near his mouth, "A little louder for us at the top."

"Don't tease me," Kagome lifted her head and huffed. "You know more about things like this than anyone that I know," she told him, knowing that a small acknowledgment would go a long way with Hao. "So I was hoping that you'd help me find a way to rescue Kanna from inside of the Tenseiga."

The priestess was hands were in a triangle-like shape with her finger pads touching their matching fingers. She was posed in a coy stance. Her eyes shimmered up at him through her long, curled eyelashes. Her lips were on the pouty side with a sense of bashfulness.

Hao would be lying to himself if he tried to deny how effective Kagome's approach was. She was banking that a combination of his affection, attraction, and ego being stroked would seduce him into aiding her in her cause.

And frankly, Kagome hit the nail on the head.

"Honestly, in all of my years, I haven't come across a case quite like this one," Hao admitted with a shrug that made Kagome's face fall. "But," he smiled when the priestess immediately perked up. "When it's for the sake of my little canary, nothing can stop me."

Kagome nodded and broke into another appreciative smile, "Thank you." She was almost glowing as she stated, "I knew I could count on you."

Hao nodded as the image of Kagome's smile became smaller and smaller as he ascended.

Hao would be lying if he told himself that Kagome didn't make his chest feel warm.

'I just hope...that someday, you'll believe in me too, Hao.'

An hour later, Kagome was stepping into the hot bath that her mother had ran for her as she ate dinner. The girl detected the scent of the lavender aromatherapy bath oil that her mother added to her bath water. She sighed, content and welcoming the heat the rush to her muscles. 'What a day...' She thought. She looked at her cellphone that was propped on the stand that stood on her bath tray.

She wiped some moisture from her finger onto her dry bangs before gliding it across her phone screen. Within seconds, Kagome's phone was on speaker mode and calling the one that she previously bought for Yoh. It took many rings but the shaman answered sounding surprised and worried.

"Kagome, what's up?" Yoh queried. "It's so late. Are you just finishing up at the monastery?"

"Mm mm," Kagome shook her head negatively, "N-No. It's not that. I actually got a ride and ended up back at the shrine."

"Heeeehhhh?" Yoh sounded like he was disappointed. "But what about the cinnamon rolls that you promised me?"

"Sorry, sorry," the girl offered. "I didn't forget, I promise. I'll make them as soon as I get there tomorrow. Can you survive the night?"

"Not without yo—." Yoh choked, obviously blushing, "Not without the rolls that you promised!"

Kagome's blush was soft as she stifled a chuckle, "Even if you were here, there's nothing I could do. I'm taking a bath right now."

'I'll come over right away!' Yoh choked at the little devil on his shoulder, and Kagome giggled.

"How about I come over first thing in the morning?" She asked, not knowing how the teen on the other end was clutching and shaking the chibi!devil Yoh that whispered in his ear.

"N-No..." Yoh managed to choke out. "It's okay. I'll come to you."

"Eh?" Kagome blinked. "Are you sure? I don't mind making the trip. I have plenty of money."

"I'm sure," He asserted gently. "It's been a while since I've seen the fam," he told her, unintentionally making Kagome melt. "Besides, with how popular you've become, I bet Grandpa could use some help around the shrine."

"Well, I've heard things have cooled off with the lack of upcoming shinto holidays and festivals," Kagome informed him while closing her eyes and smiling. "We still get plenty of visitors, just not hoards of them like before."

"Still, I want to help you," Yoh responded earnestly. "Besides, you've been doing so much running away these past few months, it would be awful of me to make you travel just to make snacks for me."

"Alright, if you insist," the priestess conceded. "Be here as early as possible. You can help me with some shrine duties."

A few minutes later, their call ended and Kagome sunk further into her bath for a while. A half hour later, she was bidding her mother 'goodnight' and flopping into her bed. "Ah... What a day..." She sighed, after loosening her muscles and collapsing into the fluffy comfort, Kagome was painfully aware of how heavy her body felt. 'Who knew that reading could be so tiring...?' She wondered as she snuggled into her blankets. 'How does Manta-kun do it?'

Before the girl could slip into sleep, a familiar chime resounded from her phone. It snapped her body into a state of alertness as she immediately grabbed her phone from her nightstand. She was on her stomach as she double-handed gripped her device in front of her.

There was a red notification symbol next to her private thread with Ren.

The priestess could feel her lips spreading as she opened the thread and read Ren's latest message.

"Hey, you awake?"

Kagome immediately responded with, "Yup. I just got in bed. What's up, Renny?"

"I just wanted to check with you," He replied. "How was your day?"

The girl's cheeks warmed when she flashed back to the image of the adult Ren who once hosted her vacation all those years and worlds ago. 'It has to be illegal to be this sweet...' She thought as she texted him, "It was okay. I spent most of the day doing more research but didn't find anything useful yet. How about you? I hope your day was better than mine."

"Tch." Kagome chuckled, able to picture Ren making that sound. "Same as before. Training and Tao heir duties. It's growing tiresome," he told her in an immediate follow-up message.

"Aw, I'd keep you company if I could," She responded, sending her smiling chibi avatar. Kagome's true smile was wiped from her face as Ren's next message made her heart skip a beat.

"You should."

The buffering ellipses made her heart move out of rhythm. The seconds of texting built an uncontrollable anticipating in her belly.

"Tomorrow, I'd like to talk to you. I'm going to video call you tomorrow night," His next message stated.

Kagome was on top of responding, "We're both up right now. Let's do it right now."

Ellipses...

Pause.

Ellipses...

'Hm...?' Kagome blinked. 'Is Ren okay? Is he writing me a whole letter?'

Ellipses.

Kagome also face palmed when his message finally came in—as one sentence.

"I'm not ready right now..."

'O...kaaay...' Kagome sweat dropped. 'Either he's super busy, or he's super embarrassed about it.'

['Yoh, and Ren alike...all of them have agreed to a peaceful, dual courtship.']

"No way..." Kagome's jaw dropped as she blushed down to her roots. 'Is Ren going to...is he going to officially ask me...?' Her phone plopped to her pillow as she reached up to grasp at her scrambling skull.

It was both an exhilarating and alarming prospect.

Was the time for her to decide finally coming...? Kagome reclaimed her phone and texted back, "If you say so. I look forward to it."

It wasn't a lie.

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

Yoh arrived earlier than Kagome anticipated. Based on his leisure-days sleep schedule, she figured that he'd arrive at the shrine around eleven in the morning. But to her surprise, the teen was at her front door at seven sharp, just as she ran over the list of chores that her grandparents compiled for her the previous night. "Mornin'," Yoh grinned with a casual wave. "Ready to work."

"Never thought I'd heard those words from you of all people," Kagome teased as she stepped aside and gestured for Yoh to enter.

"That's a low blow," Yoh feigned injury. "Especially after I came all this way to be with you."

"Oh..." Kagome blushed, stunned into silence.

"Oh," Yoh blushed upon realizing what he said. He looked away, scratching his cheek, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to make it weird."

"It's not weird," Kagome correctly him promptly. "It's just... A little embarrassing, you know?" She offered him a sweet, reassuring smile.

"Y-Yeah..." He agreed. "I'll be more careful about that sort of thing."

She couldn't help but melt internally as Yoh gently took and perused the list of chores. 'They really have been holding back for my sake...' She thought back to how she was in her relationship with Inuyasha. 'They're already doing better than I did back then. Yoh and Ren are doing their best to not push me too hard...despite how they feel.'

"Well," Yoh gave her a determined grin while rolling up his short sleeve, revealing his toned bicep. "Let's get started."

"Ah, ah," Kagome wagged her finger, making Yoh's spirited expression fall into confusion. "If you're going to do shrine duties, then you'll have to dress the part." She reached behind her and pulled a bundle of clothing from seemingly nowhere.

Yoh blinked when she pressed the bundle to his chest until he grasped it.

"Don't just stand there," The girl told him before half-circling him to give his back a light shove. "Get changed. We've got work to do!"

Kagome waited for Yoh just outside of the Higurashi main house. She turned around to greet him when she heard the front door opening, "You're ready? Ah." Her eyes lit up, pleased by the visage that was Yoh dressed in shinto priest clothing that matched her own. Similar to Kagome, he allowed his hair to flow freely. The shaman stepped into the morning light before tentatively tugging on his red hakama and inspecting the flow of his haori sleeves.

"Yoh, you look so good in that," Kagome open marveled while clapping her hands together.

The shaman blushed while pushing his fingers together shyly, but not without a pleased smile, "You think so...?"

"Mm hm!" Kagome nodded as she walked closer to the shaman who reveled in her praise. "I think it suits you. I bet the local girls would go wild over love charms made by a Higurashi Yoh-sama." She raised a finger and leaned closer, "How bout it?"

Yoh chuckled at the prospect, "When you put it like that, how could I refuse?"

With that banter, the pair got to work on typical shrine maintenance and business chores and duties. From sweeping and scrubbing the stairs to crafting and blessing good luck and love charms, they tackled them all from early morning until well past noon. As the day progressed, the shrine began seeing moderate foot traffic, mostly seniors looking to purchase Kagome's "Miracle Pain Relieving Potion", which was actually orange juice blessed with healing powers. There were a few young women and men who readily purchased good luck charms for their studies and love charms for relationships.

Kagome stretched after she and Yoh leaned their brooms next to the well house. "Yoh, you've definitely earned all the snacks that you want after today," The priestess told him as they made their way across the shrine grounds towards the main house. Along the way, they spotted a young woman who held a toddler's tiny hand inside of hers. The presumed mother and child were both looking around the shrine, as if searching for something.

"You can go ahead and relax inside," Kagome told Yoh before jogging towards the visitors. "I'll take care of them!"

As the priestess approached, both the woman and the child's eyes illuminated as they smiled brilliantly at her. "Good morning," Kagome greeted them with a formal bow. "Welcome to Higurashi shrine. Can I help you with something?"

"Higurashi-sama," the woman smiled warmly. "You don't know us but your miracle potion soothed my little Kimi-chan's discomfort during her flu," The mother informed her.

Kimi beamed at Kagome and suddenly blurted, "Thanck chu!"

'Cuuuuuutttee!' Kagome's inner voice squealed, but she had to maintain her composure. The girl opted to smiling back at the small girl, "You're very welcome, Kimi-chan."

"I came to thank you for using your powers for good," The woman smiled before bowing her head respectfully. "So thank you, Higurashi-sama."

"You don't need to thank me, really..." Kagome blushed and waved her hands in front of her. "I'm just happy to help."

"So modest," The woman smiled before looking at her daughter. "Also, Kimi-chan brought you a present."

Kimi then reached held up and revealed the object that her tiny hand struggled to keep hold of: a pastel pink bottle of recreational soapy water.

"Awww," Kagome happily accepted the gift. "Thank you so much, Kimi-chan. I'll treasure this."

A while later, Yoh and Kagome were sitting on the bench in front of the Goshinboku. They had recently finished the lunch that Higurashi-san prepared for them. Now they were merely outside enjoying the warm air and each other's company.

Yoh watched as Kagome lifted her yellow bubble wand to her lips and blew through it: sending a parade of small bubbles into the air. At first, he was more than happy to admire the iridescent orbs sheen in the sunlight before popping like voiceless fireworks. But after her third wand dip into the solution, Yoh's eyes were suddenly drawn to the way Kagome's lips contorted into a cute "o" shape.

He blushed and tore his eyes away, 'D-Don't be a perv! Don't make this weird!'

Kagome's voice wrenched him away from his inner turmoil. "Here, wanna try it for a bit?" Suddenly, the priestess was smiling cutely while extending the plastic wand to Yoh. He nodded and hummed his acceptance, unable to trust his own mouth.

'Depite all the chores...' Kagome smiled as she leaned back and closed her eyes. The sacred tree's lush foliage provided soothing reprieve from the sun. 'It's been such a nice day. Thank you, Yoh...'

Meanwhile, as Yoh was dipping the wand into the bottle that separated their legs, he couldn't help but think back to the manga he recently read. 'As much as I hate physical labor, Kagome was still able to make today a great day...' Yoh thought as he stole a glance at the priestess' peaceful face. Her expression was so serene as she basked in the moment.

The gaps between branches casted shining, leaf-shaped tattoos on Kagome's skin. Yoh felt his heart ache just looking at Kagome's face. She truly was his angel.

The shaman slightly turned so that his upper torso was aimed at Kagome. He brought the wand to his lips and whispered into it before sending a stream of rainbow stained orbs towards the priestess. Yoh chuckled when Kagome's eyes snapped open from the tickle of bubbles popping against her cheek.

The priestess giggled after the shaman offered her a guilty grin, "What's with you, huh?"

"Nothing much," Yoh told her, his grin toothy and wide. "I just felt like it."

"Oh yeah?" She quirked a brow before leaning over and hooking her thumbs just inside the corner of Yoh's mouth. She stretched his lips with an mischief smile, "Well, maybe I just feel like picking on you."

For a moment, Yoh glowed in the moment, allowing Kagome to amuse herself in his faux dismay. Then his eyes became alert as he spotted something across the way from over Kagome's shoulder. Unable to form coherent words, he lifted a finger and pointed behind the girl.

"Heh?" Kagome blinked and released her hold on Yoh. She then twisted around to find out what caught Yoh's attention.

Her breath hitched.

Looking as lost as unaccompanied tourists were three teenage girls. Yoh expected Kagome to eagerly attend to the visitors as she did through out the day. But this time, the girl seemed stunned, frozen in time. "Kagome...?" Yoh placed a hand on her shoulder, bringing his friend back to the moment.

"Yoh...it's them..." Kagome's voice was breathy with shock. "...from my old school."

Yoh didn't need her to expand. "I see..." His soft smile was unseen as her eyes were glued to the trio of girls who took in the shrine with awe and trepidation alike. "You should go. I'll take care of the rest."

Kagome nodded silently, her tongue as heavy as a brick in her mouth. Her throat constricted and burning. Yoh watched as she picked herself off the bench and jogged across the way towards the three girls.

As Kagome approached, the girls noticed the scratching steps of Kagome's sandals across the cement.

Time seemed to slow for both parties as Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri beheld what became of Kagome. Unlike her appearance on TV, Kagome was in the standard shinto priestess wear, but it still felt surreal to see her dressing the part in person. Despite her open acceptance of her family's profession on TV, most of their experience with Kagome was an ordinary school girl.

Despite everything that happened and everything that they saw, it was only now sinking in that Kagome was someone who lived in another world than they did. It was a world and life that she tried to hide to be accepted by the masses.

On Kagome's end, time seemed to drag like molasses. The last thing that she expected was for the girls before her to walk back into her life. In the midst of accepting who and what she truly was, Kagome didn't fathom the possibility of reuniting with them. Uncertain of what to say after all of this time, she brought a curled hand to her chest. "Welcome to Higurashi Shrine," She broached with her usual courtesy to visitors.

"Kagome-chan..." Yuka was the first to speak up, the most outgoing of the three. "It's us."

"I know," Kagome offered a pinched smile, both embarrassed and nervous. "I just...don't know what to say. I'm in shock."

"I get it," Eri was the next to speak. "I know that it's sudden since we've never visited, but—." She then looked over her shoulder at Ayumi, who was making herself smaller behind her two friends. "Ayumi-chan had the great idea to see you."

Eri then stepped to her left while Yuka stepped to her right to reveal Ayumi in her entirety. She was the one who pushed to come see Kagome in person. Ayumi had always been the one with the most mild, unassertive personality. But after they found her outside that day, she pressed them to join her in visiting Kagome.

"Yuka-chan...Eri-chan..." Ayumi's voice was weak, "I...I want to see Kagome-chan. And I want you both to come with me."

"Why so suddenly?" Eri questioned, her face distorted with apprehension. "Because of today's episode...?"

"I-It's not just that..." Ayumi hands were timidly balled near her chest. "We owe it to her. It's long overdue."

"I understand how you feel..." Yuka admitted. "I've wanted to see her again for a long time. I just...didn't have the courage to face her."

Even against her friends' anxiety-fueled dissent, Ayumi pushed and pushed until she convinced Yuka and Eri to accompany her. And not for her own sak—-but for themselves and Kagome.

That was what led them to where they were standing now.

Ayumi was what led them to this moment.

Ayumi stepped forward, closer to Kagome until they were but a handful of strides apart. She clutched her skirt as she spoke, "I know that I don't have a right to make requests of you, but...please hear me out."

Kagome nodded slowly, swallowing an invisible lump in her throat.

"I want to come clean in front of all of you..." Ayumi prefaced, her voice was delicate but firm with her conviction. "Back then, I did something awful to you and pretended that I didn't."

Kagome, Yuka, and Eri all listened intently as Ayumi's spoke. "When you told me not to associate with you, I was so, so happy..." She confessed. Her eyes didn't want to hold Kagome's wide ones, but Ayumi forced herself to watch the way Kagome's eyes processed the information. "I saw all of the awful things that happened to you, and while I felt sorry for you... I was more afraid of it happening to me too than anything else."

Eri felt Yuka's fingers intertwine with her own as Ayumi echoed a truth that resounded in their own memory. They knew exactly how Ayumi felt back then.

"And it got so bad that you, the strong and beautiful Kagome-chan who I admired, was driven away..." Ayumi could no longer clearly see Kagome's face through the blur of her tears. "It's okay if you resent me. And it's okay if you never forgive me..." The searing moisture that obscured her vision was dragged by gravity. "But from the bottom of my heart, Kagome-chan..."

Kagome's heart was jerked when Ayumi collapsed to her hands and knees.

Her head was bowed as she openly wailed out. "I-I'm so...so sorry...!" Between sobs, Ayumi hiccuped and gasped for air.

The spectators watched as Kagome stepped forward and kneeled before Ayumi. Kagome cupped Ayumi's cheeks, they were drenched and hot to the touch. The feel of Kagome's palms gently lifting her head lulled the weeping into shaky whimpers. The moment that their eyes met again, Ayumi couldn't stop more tears from gathering. "K-Kagome-chan..." Her shoulders were wracked with tremors.

"Ssh, Ayumi-chan..." Kagome graced her with a soothing smile, her head tilting slightly. "Thank you for telling me..." The other girls were taken aback by her soft chuckle. "Honestly, I already knew. Even back then, I knew that no one in their right mind would want to go through that hell," she explained.

As Kagome spoke and held her cheeks so tenderly, Ayumi's whimpers were hushed. Her brown eyes glinted. "I didn't expect or want you to throw yourself into the fire with me, silly," the priestess' smile widened but remained gentle. "So lay your torment to rest... I forgive you..." She then lifted her eyes from Ayumi up to Eri and Yuka. "That goes for all of you."

When Yuka's and Eri's eyes also began shimmering like Ayumi's, Kagome smiled, "You two are so quiet. That's unlike you." Her hands moved from Ayumi's cheeks to her hands as she pulled the girl to her feet. Once Ayumi and Kagome were upright, Yuka and Eri launched forward and threw their arms around them, pulling them into a group hug.

Amist the joyful sobs that even Kagome shared in, Yuka spoke up, "I know that it's late, and it's okay if you don't want to but...Kagome-chan...could we be friends again?"

Kagome released a watery laugh as she smiled fondly at her memories of her friends, "You three are so silly." Her smile softened, "We never stopped being friends."

"And Kagome-chan," Eri spoke up amongst the huddle. "I'm sorry for all of my mistakes. And I'm sorry for hurting you."

"It's okay," She reassured them from within their arms. "It's okay to make mistakes. I understand and accept you and all of your fumbles, because you're my friends."

'Hao, I get it now...' Kagome thought. 'Yoh and Ren are my dear friends. Even if we end up hurting each other along the way, we'll always share that special bond.'

She was still afraid.

But, Kagome was ready to face those fears.

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

The quartet ended up lounging around Kagome's bedroom, chatting like old times. "I know you're some super girl now but still," Eri's voice marveled. "Going on TV like that seems so unlike the Kagome that I know."

Kagome chuckled nervous, "Yeeeeah... I didn't really want to but the station promised to donate what they'd pay me to an orphanage, so—."

"Ack!" Yuka grimaced. "There it is. There's the goody-goody Kagome-chan we know and love."

"Good-goody?" Kagome almost snorted before waving her hand. "There's no way anyone could pass up that offer."

'Thank goodness...' Ayumi smiled sweetly at the scene playing around her. 'It really is the same old Kagome-chan.'

And suddenly, in their old fashion, Yuka and Eri leaned in close to Kagome, crowding and trapping her. "More importantly," Yuka's face became impassioned as she switched topics. "You declined all of those love letters because you're supposedly spoken for."

Kagome bristled and blushed when even Ayumi scooted closer to their huddle on the floor. "Yeah, tell us about your boyfriend, Kagome-chan!" Ayumi urged her friend. She cupped her hands together, her eyes becoming starry. "Is it Bankotsu-kun?! Did you two finally end up together?"

"Tch, no way," Eri cut in skeptically before Kagome could answer. "I know how dedicated he was but if they became a couple then there's no way that he wouldn't be here right now." She raised a finger and deduced, "I bet he recently gave up on her."

The priestess paled, both amazed and horrified of Eri's accuracy.

"Eri-chan is right," Yuka agreed while gripping her chin, her brows slanted. "Since Kagome-chan is like a Tokyo celebrity now, I bet her boyfriend is just as glamorous. He's good-looking, passionate, and a prince!"

'Based on experience alone, Ren is the closest person I have to a boyfriend...' Kagome's mental gear grinded. 'They're a bit off the mark but it's pretty close.'

Cool.

Was it because she was anticipating their call? Suddenly, the image of Ren's readily wrapping his cloak around her came to mind.

Good-looking.

His eyes. His face. The physique that he worked hard on everyday.

Passionate.

The time when he sat her down and promised to become Shaman King to make her dream come true...

Ren wasn't actually royalty but—.

'He's still my prince.' Kagome's hands rose to her cheeks, cupping them as she internally screamed, 'Wait! What am I thinking?!'

"Eh..." Yuka and Eri shared deadpanned expressions as Ayumi waved her hand in front of Kagome's face. "There's definitely someone on her mind right now," Yuka noted, Eri nodded.

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

"I'm sorry, Yoh," Kagome bowed her head behind her clapped hands. "I lost track of time today. I didn't mean to use to you and not reward you."

Yoh broke out into a grin, "Don't be ridiculous." A patted her shoulder, "Just being here with you and the fam has been reward enough."

"Oh, good," Kagome raised her head and stated nonchalantly, "Guess that means I'm off the hook for those cinnamon rolls."

"Eh?" Yoh jaw slacked while he raised his hands, "Now let's not go that far!"

Kagome wore a tiny, overtly innocent smile as she twisted her bedroom knob and slipped inside. "Tooooo late, Yoh. The offer is now null and void~" Her smile widened, becoming almost impish. "I'm beat so goodnight~."

"Night, Kagome," Yoh waved as the priestess slowly shut her door. "Sweet dreams."

For a moment, the two of them lingered on opposite sides of the door. Kagome's back was pressed against her side as Yoh rested his forehead and hand against his. Both could just tell that the other remained.

'Yoh... Thank you,' Kagome closed her eyes and smiled. 'I don't cry anymore, so you don't have to worry about me.'

As if sensing her thoughts, Yoh smiled and nodded from the other side before heading towards Sota's room, where the boy was waiting to challenge him to video games.

Satisfied, Kagome headed for her bed. She plopped onto her blankets like the night before and sighed into their warm comfort. 'It doesn't feel real...' She thought of the memory of her old friends being in her bedroom for the first time. 'But it feels so nice...'

Again, before she could drift away, the familiar chime of her phone resounded. Kagome's eyes snapped open as she grabbed her phone from her nightstand and immediately went to opening her thread with Ren.

"Hey, are you awake?" He queried in a text.

Kagome shook her head and promptly told him, "Of course! I've been looking forward to hearing your voice." But she immediately backtrack and revised it to say, "Of course! I've been looking forward to your call."

Ellipses.

Kagome scowled.

Ellipses.

Not this again.

Ellipses.

Was he trying to drive her mad?

Ellipses.

'I swear, if this next text is only one sentence, I'm gonna—.'

"Ready?"

Kagome anime fell.

'Are you serious?' She internally groaned but replied, "Yup. Let's do it!" Her chibi avatar clenching a fist, reflecting how stoked she truly was.

Within seconds, their video chat app notified her that Ren was indeed video calling her. Kagome sat in bed and quickly went to straighten her bangs. After a quick preening, Kagome accepted the call with a tap of her finger.

The notification was replaced the slightly shaky image of Ren. Kagome had to keep a straight face when she immediately noticed that his hair was a bit damp and his shoulders were bare.

"Renny!" Kagome smiled, delighting in how the Tao's cheeks immediately burned from the nickname. It was a great distraction from the way Ren's appearance made her heart sway just a bit. "Long time no see."

"Yeah, it's been a while," Ren blushed as his eyes shifted between the camera lens and the side. His blush deepened and he scowled, clearly embarrassed by something. "Look... I'm just going to be straight with you."

Kagome nodded to urge him to continue, "Sure, I don't mind. What's on your mind?"

"There's this gala that my family will be hosting in October..." Ren was unable to continue looking at Kagome's face on his phone screen.

"You and the others are obviously invited to attend," Ren told her, finally regaining his cool as his eyes returned to take in Kagome's glittering eyes.

"A gala?!" The girl seemed enthused. "With glamorous dresses and fancy food, right?"

"Tch," Ren's voice swelled with pride. "Do you expect any less from the Tao family?"

"Not at all," Kagome chuckled. "Thanks for inviting us. It's pretty far off but I'm already excited to go."

The priestess blinked when Ren shifted and shuffled. The camera steadiness visibly faltered. He was fidgeting.

"There's more..." His fingers absently pinched and rolled the tip of his longest bang between themselves. "As the heir, I'm expected to bring to a plus one..." His cheeks burned intensely. "So..."

Likewise, Kagome knew where this line of thought was leading and it set her own face aflame. 'I thought he was finally going to tell me about the courtship but—.'' She fought the trembling of her lower lip as her heart accelerated. 'This is all he wants. Tsundere's are illegally cute.'

In the midst of Kagome's fighting the side of herself that was inwardly gushing over how shy Ren was, the Tao was still trying to get to the point of his call. "I know that it's sudden. And don't feel obligated because we're friends or anything, but..."

Ren sneered, as if he was mentally cursing himself.

"I'd like you to..." His voice became a weak mumble as he fluster-glared off-screen. "...go with me."

[ 'Some of the best mistakes are made when you're having fun...' ]

Kagome felt her heart exploding, like fireworks went off in her chest.

"Sure," Kagome agreed, surprising Ren with how she was beaming so brilliantly. "I'd love to go with you."

Before she could bask in the moment, the phone screen suddenly blurred with rapid motion. A second later, Kagome bristled when Jun's face appeared on screen. "Great! I knew you'd agree!" The older teen stated. "We'll have to fly you over a while. You'll have to learn to ballroom dance~!"

'This...' Kagome sweat dropped when Ren and Sango's voices could be heard off-screen.

"N-Nee-san, you're intruding!"

"Jun, we were only supposed to be moral support, not dominating the chat."

'This won't end up a mistake, will it?' Kagome sweatdropped but smiled.

There wasn't much time till phase two.

With Hao looking out for her from afar, maybe she could spare some time to indulge, just a little.

---

Authoress' Notes: I didn't make it in time to post this on Christmas but oh well! I enjoyed writing a chapter with some healing vibes! Depending on how much content I put in the upcoming installments, they will be a few more chapters of pre-phase two fluff. For fans of Tao family shenanigans and Ren x Kagome, the next chapter will be a delight. Look forward to it! But no worries, Hao x Kagome and Yoh x Kagome fans, you too will be satisfied with pre-phase two chapters. I will cleanse you from the darkness of the previous arcs.