Tsunagari
Chapter Four: Where I Belong
Hello there, everyone! Wow, this chapter came out a lot sooner than I expected! This is one of those babies that pours out of me in one day. I'm strangely proud of posts like that.
Anyway, once again, I apologize for the talkiness of last chapter, but I'm not one of those writers who knows how to ease her audience into a complicated story (like Takahashi-sensei), so I just kind of dumped it on you all at once. I tried to use this chapter to familiarize you with the terms for the different Kon, simply because I think they sound a lot better in Japanese (and are much more fun to write in).
Well, I think that's it for now. Enjoy this update…
...AND DON'T FORGET THAT THE GLOSSARY AT THE BOTTOM IS YOUR FRIEND!
Japanese Word of the Day: kawatta- different.
Disclaimer: No. Can't think of anything more creative at the moment; this chapter kind of drained me.
-- -- --
"Kagome…Kagome, you'd better wake up!"
"Mm? W'time izit?" she slurred out, trying to rub some life into her eyes with her hand. "Ow!"
The flash of pain woke Kagome unexpectedly. "What the—oh." She let her right hand fall back onto her cot, the silver armband that had grated against her cheekbone landing against the metal frame with a loud clack.
Was she disappointed that yesterday's very strange events had not been a dream after all? Or was she glad that perhaps she still had some sort of chance at this school?
"Come on, Sleeping Beauty, it's almost seven! Time for breakfast!" Rin popped into her field of vision, that odd pigtail of hers still bobbing precariously on her head as she warned, "You don't want to be late on your first day, do you?"
"Ugh." Kagome clapped her hands over her face and slowly dragged them down toward her chin, hoping to wipe the sleepiness out of her thoughts. No such luck. With a sigh, she forced herself to sit up, absentmindedly threading her fingers through the bird's nest on her head. "Is breakfast required?" she questioned, swinging her legs over the side of the cot.
"Hm. Good question, actually." Rin turned toward Kanna, who was pulling on a pair of white sandals. "Say, Kanna, do you know if we have to show up for breakfast?"
There was something graceful in the way Kanna moved, yet at the same time incredibly energetic, even when doing something as mundane as putting on shoes. She shrugged in that elegant but strangely vigorous way of hers and answered, "Beats me, Rin. Better not risk it, though." She grinned sunnily at still-groggy Kagome.
Her only response was to stick out her tongue at the unfairly awake Kanna and slowly get to her feet. Thankfully, she had already picked out her clothes for the day last night, saving her the trouble of trying to think this early in the morning. With the expertise of a veteran of many sleepovers, she wrestled a bra on while still safe under her oversized T-shirt, then proceeded to change into a comfortable pair of jeans and a green tank top.
"Hey, you almost pass for awake now, Kagome." Ayame stepped in front of her, hands on her hips and a grin on her face. "Looks like you aren't much of a morning person, eh?"
"What gives you that idea?" Kagome muttered, reaching out for her own black flipflops.
"Wrong foot, sunshine," the demon corrected with a laugh, pointing at the left shoe that Kagome was trying to jam onto her right foot.
With a resigned sigh, she corrected her mistake and miraculously managed to put the other shoe on the proper foot (never mind that there was only one bare foot left). "Hairbrush…" She felt slightly more alert as she opened the cover of the suitcase and found her brush sitting on top of her clothes. Taking it, she ran it unmercifully through the tangled mass of bluish black on her head, until it fell down to her shoulder blades in tidy, meek waves.
The moment Kagome dropped the brush onto her bed, much more awake thanks to the pain of pulling out so many knots, Ayame quickly grabbed her wrist and tugged. "Come on, let's go!"
She lurched when Ayame's demonic strength caught her off guard, but Kagome managed to right herself and blurt out, "But what about Kagura and Sango?"
"Oh, those two? Don't worry about them." The redhead's mouth twisted wryly. "Kagura got up the minute one of the teachers came to wake us—it was some other teacher, I think the math teacher or something—and just got dressed and took off. The only word she said to any of us was a really reluctant 'Good morning' to Kanna." She shook her head. "I don't understand that girl."
"Me either," Rin sighed, trotting up on Kagome's other side. "It's like she doesn't give a rat's about anything or anyone except for herself. But not in an arrogant way."
Kanna came up beside Rin, with whom she had become fast friends. "You're right. She's really independent…aloof, you know? I think it's that she doesn't think that she's better than anyone else, just that she doesn't bother with them and they shouldn't bother with her." She sighed. "I kind of wish I could be that confident."
"Speaking of confident"—Ayame said softly, releasing Kagome and moving back to her cot—"how about that Sango? She only woke up a short time before you, Kagome, and she also barely said a word to us."
"But she was different from Kagura," Rin said with a frown, smoothing her orange T-shirt. "It's easy to see that Kagura's all independent and cool shit like that"—Kagome blinked, the sound of a curse from innocent-seeming Rin like a nasty static shock—"but Sango was acting really different from her."
"She's shy," Kanna sighed. "I can see it. She's really shy and has almost no confidence in herself. That's why she barely said anything at all at dinner last night."
Ayame, who had been fixing her two high pigtails, added, "But did you notice? There's something else, too. She's withdrawn and shy, but just…something about her is kind of shut off. Did you girls get that vibe?"
Kagome cast Ayame a sharp look, but the demon was looking at Kanna and Rin, who were nodding in agreement. 'Shut off'…? "Girls," she said, suddenly very uncomfortable discussing Sango's peculiarities, "shouldn't we be sprinting for the dining room about now?"
All four of them exchanged quick, panicked glances before leaping for the door.
-- -- --
Kaede clapped her hands once, and Kagome forced herself not to flinch as the doors at the back of the room slammed shut of their own accord. A few others, however, jumped and twisted to find the source of the loud boom, but Kaede quickly recalled their attention to the front.
"Today, we will be sorting you according to your type of Kon," she announced. "Remember, the Kon are those who can use elemental powers. Including all thirteen of you."
Behind her, Kikyo and Totosai—Kikyo is earth and Totosai is fire, Kagome reminded herself—exchanged a strange glance. Were the two teachers worried? If so, why?
"Look, if you will, at the four stations we have assembled at the front of the room. Here, we have the method for finding the Hogosha, the protectors, the Kon of fire." She walked over to the leftmost side of the room and toward a brass bowl on an ornate black stand. "Totosai, if you please?"
The man nodded and stepped forward. He took in a deep breath and blew toward the bowl. Several girls shrieked and more than one of the boys swore vigorously when the empty bowl seem to burst into flame. Kagome was no exception. She leaned back, slightly embarrassed at the loud squeak she had emitted, but captivated by the bowl on the stand. For it seemed that the fire wasn't consuming the bowl, but rather crackling meekly inside, even though she was positive the bowl had been empty of anything that could nourish a flame.
"You will all attempt to touch the inside of the bowl," Kaede said calmly. "The Hogosha will succeed; the others will not. Next, we have the testing device for our Tetsujin, the Sages, the ones who control air." She moved closer to the center of the room to a different bowl, this one simple white ceramic and filled with ashes. "You will blow on the ashes, and only the Tetsujin will make the ash react."
"Water. We find the Ataenushi, the Givers, here." She moved toward the right and flicked the edge of what looked like a baking pan with a shallow layer of water coating the bottom. "The water is shallow and still enough for you to see your reflection." She smiled. "Most of you."
Kaede held up a rock that rested casually upon a stool at the far right of the room."And finally, the test for the Seizonsha, or the Survivors. You will all touch this rock, but it will only react to those of you who control earth. Simple enough?"
A mumble of assent went throughout the room, and she smiled. "All right then. Everyone line up over here, please." She pointed back toward the flaming bowl.
Everyone quickly rose and began to chatter noisily. Kagome, having lost Ayame to Rin and Kanna's excited conversation, moved forward on her own, walking down the middle aisle and staring nervously at the four stations. Which one am I? she wondered.
"Ha! You think you're going to be chosen at all?"
She looked up, terrified that she had spoken out loud, before she realized that the speaker had been talking to someone else.
A frown settled on her face. Wait, that's the asshole from yesterday!
Yesterday's handsome jerkface, silver hair, baseball cap, and all, was standing over the scrawny, orange-haired boy she had noticed, and was laughing derisively. "A runt like you? You don't have the spine to be chosen at all! Even you know that! I bet that's why you were talking about someone being excluded this year!"
"Was not!" the runt snapped back, his bright green eyes flashing up into his tormentor's golden ones. "I'm telling you, we're one too many this year, and someone here doesn't belong! Something is wrong!"
"That's just your excuse for when you wash out!" the silver-haired one barked laughingly.
"Excuse me." At some point and without her knowledge, Kagome realized, her own feet had taken her down to this confrontation. Now, she stood with her hands on her hips, scowling at the taller of the pair.
"Eh? What do you want?" he barked at her, the mocking glint in his eyes assuring Kagome that he remembered her from yesterday.
She crossed her arms and glowered at him. "Do you mind leaving him alone? Does it matter if what he's saying is real or an excuse? Does that give you any excuse to tease him like this either way?"
"Hey! I'm serious!" the small boy said angrily, shifting his glare to his defender. "And I can take care of myself, thanks!"
"Don't worry, I can see that," Kagome said kindly. "But it's him"—she heard her voice harden again—"who I'm doing this for. In a manner of speaking."
"What, are you going to go all Mom-ish on me and tell me how teasing others only hurts me?" the bully said disbelievingly. "Don't make me laugh, stupid bitch."
"No, I'm going to go all me-ish on you and tell you that acting like the asshole you are is the best way for you to really piss me off! And don't call me a bitch! I do have a name, you know."
He snorted. "You think I care if some stupid human girl blows her stack at me?"
Kagome's mouth twisted as she remembered one particular day when she had reduced one of her more imperious cousins into a quivering, apologetic heap. "Given the right circumstances, you will care when I'm done with you."
"Wow, bloodcurdling. Watch me tremble in fear." With a snort of disgust, he shoved past both the scrawny boy and Kagome, leveling a glare at the latter. "You're wasting your breath, bitch," he warned. "I don't give a damn about you."
"I have a name: Kagome! Note the three syllables, unlike the monosyllabic 'bitch'. Shoot, I forgot, maybe I should first teach your pathetic little brain to count, first!" she snarled at him, wondering why exactly she was getting so fired up at him. She had known and tolerated assholes much more antagonistic than this guy…hadn't she?
He smirked sarcastically at her. "Charmed. I'm Inuyasha. Pleased to make your acquaintance, my fair lady." With that, he turned and joined the line forming in front of the bowl of fire.
"Why that—"
"Hey, Kagome." A tap on her shoulder forced her to turn around and meet the bright green eyes of the boy she had been defending. "The name's Shippo, Shippo Kaji. Thanks."
She was surprised to see that he was actually shorter than her, and suddenly found herself fighting the urge to sweep him into a hug. Sure, maybe he was a fellow senior…but with that height, that skinniness, that childish face, he looked like a sixth grader. He's almost like a puppy! she gushed mentally. Noting his pointed demon ears, she ruefully added, Maybe not almost.
"No problem," she returned with a broad grin, unable to hold onto her bad mood at the sight of such a cute face. "Sorry if I embarrassed you, but I hate jerks like him."
He laughed and began to move toward the line as well, and she trailed after him, noticing too late that she was last in line. "'Jerk'? Come on, Kagome, you're a senior! Surely you can think of a word more refined than jerk!"
"Fine. How about…" She thought for a moment, playfully tapping her chin. "A pompous, immature, hot-tempered thug?"
Shippo smiled. "Much better. Even if it was more than one word."
Laughing, they turned their attention to the front of the line. The boy who was probably Sango's brother was approaching the fire. A guy with long, black hair, Miroku, and Ayame had already been rejected, unable to force themselves closer to the fire's heat. Now, they all waited expectantly for the boy's tentative approach to end with a grimace of pain as he pulled away from the scorching flames.
But something different was happening. His forehead wrinkled with confusion as he slowly reached…reached…reached…touched the flames! "My god!" Kagome gasped, expecting him to shriek with pain any second. And yet he didn't. Instead, he continued to move his hand and, with a surprised expression, tapped the bottom of the bowl with his fingernail, producing a soft clang. The flames welled up around his arm, licking hungrily at his skin, yet he seemed to feel nothing.
"Congratulations!" cried shriveled-up old Totosai, coming up and giving the boy a clap on the back. He stumbled, not having expected the gesture, and almost fell into the bowl, but caught himself in time. He self-consciously withdrew his hand, examining his unharmed skin and sleeve. Totosai drew him to the left, across from the rejects. "And your name is…?"
"Kohaku. Kohaku Ashita," the boy answered softly, now prodding his palm. He looked up suddenly and grinned encouragingly at Sango, who watching him with her hands pressed anxiously to her mouth. "I felt nothing! Nothing at all! How did you do that?" he asked excitedly, turning toward his fellow Hogosha.
The old man chuckled. "We used Air's power of Perception to recognize the Kon of fire, and then my control over fire to simply withhold its heat and burning power when a Hogosha reached in. Simple enough. Ah, and see? Your armband has changed as well!"
Everyone in the room peered at Kohaku's wrist. The band had indeed changed. The strip of diamond, crystal, whatever it had been, was gone, and had been replaced by a strip of what looked astonishingly like ruby. "The color of fire," Shippo murmured, touching his still-white stripe.
Kagome shook her head as the next person stepped forward. This one, Kagura, failed, but after her came Hojo, who turned out to be a Hogosha as well. Koga, who came right after him, didn't pass, and neither did most of those behind him. It wasn't until Inuyasha managed to touch the base of the bowl that the third Hogosha was found. Rin and Kanna were in front of Shippo, all three of whom failed.
Now, Kagome moved nervously toward the bowl, aware that every eye in the room was trained upon her. Slowly, trying to ignore Inuyasha's sneering face, she reached forward. All right, Kagome, let's do this! Now just reach…more…more…ah, no…no, too hot. With a sigh, she dropped her hand. "Guess it's just you three guys," she said good-naturedly, offering Kohaku, Hojo, and even Inuyasha a congratulatory grin.
"Okay!" Kaede clapped her hands for attention and began ushering the rejects toward the second station. "Now, its the Tetsujin's turn to be singled out. Remember, all you have to do is blow on the ashes."
"You know…" said a soft voice in Kagome's ear.
She gasped and whipped around, then scowled up at Inuyasha. "What do you want?"
He grinned. "I just had a thought. Maybe the runt's right. Maybe someone will be shut out today." He leaned down toward her (he was a full head taller than Kagome) and murmured, "Specifically, maybe you will be shut out today."
She snorted, ignoring the sudden nervous fluttering in her stomach and the way the fire's heat on her back suddenly seemed ominous and forbidding, and gave his forehead a firm poke. "Think what you like."
Her finger hit the brim of his baseball cap as he pulled away. "I will. And watch me; I'll be right." He reached up to poke her back with a particularly long-nailed finger, the red striped wristband glinting.
Seeing the attack, Kagome instinctively leaned away. But he made contact anyway, and his strength caught her off guard. She stumbled back slightly, unable to recover her balance. Her arms windmilled slightly as she wobbled, and her right hand suddenly shot back, trying to find something to brace itself on.
"No, shit, you stupid idiot, don't—" Inuyasha said suddenly, reaching out to catch her arm. But it was too late. The fire's heat was suddenly much stronger, suddenly unbearably intense as her right hand plunged right into the middle of the bowl, right into the middle of the fire that she wasn't immune to—
"Kagome!"
"OW!" She was only vaguely aware that a clawed hand had grabbed her arm and pulled her upright; all she knew was that her hand was suddenly out of the fire, and, shit, did it hurt like fucking hell or what—
"What happened?" The tall, cold-looking teacher, Sesshomaru, suddenly appeared at her side, drawing the entire class's attention.
"Well—it was her own fault—I just poked her—she stumbled—she's the clumsy one—" Inuyasha sputtered, dropping Kagome's arm and suddenly looking very guilty.
"I see. And you were foolish enough to do so right in front of a blazing fire, knowing that your strength is superior to hers? Inuyasha, you may have permanently injured—"
"No…I'm all right."
His eyes, golden like Inuyasha's but much more serene and reserved, flicked back to Kagome. "What did you say, Miss Higurashi?"
"I'm…I'm all right. It's not burned…it doesn't even hurt anymore," Kagome said disbelievingly. She slowly rotated her arm, staring down at her skin. It should have been red at the very least, perhaps charred, perhaps bleeding, perhaps not even there anymore—Ew, new line of thought, please—but it wasn't. She had the same tan, the same little smiley face Rin had drawn on the back of her hand, the same barely visible hairs on her arm. She smiled up at the teacher, then shrank away as he coolly raised an eyebrow at her. "Look, sir," she protested, holding out her hand, even rotating her arm to show him both sides.
For some reason, his gaze seemed to intensify for an instant, and some strange emotion flickered across his face. But before Kagome could be sure if that flash had even been real, he turned away. "Very well, then. See one of the teachers if it bothers you later. Inuyasha, do not act so thoughtlessly in the future. And the rest of you, get testing."
Kagome turned to her accidental attacker and blinked. If looks could kill, she thought nervously, that Sesshomaru would a smoking pile of ashes by now. What on earth had Inuyasha staring so venomously at their teacher's back?
Suddenly, as if he'd sensed Kagome's scrutiny, his golden eyes flicked back to her, and he blushed. "Look, um—"
"It's fine," she said softly, pushing away her dislike at the sight of his clearly shamed face. "I know you didn't mean to."
"Well, of course not," he said sharply, turning away. "I mean, it's not my fault you're clumsy—"
"Maybe it's not fine," Kagome amended, gritting her teeth and brushing furiously past Inuyasha. "Jerk."
"Bitch."
"Sh!" Shippo flapped a hand at them both as he strained to watch the next test. Kaede stood next to the bowl, her hand full of ashes. The guy with long, black hair was first to blow on the small pile of ashes she poured into his hand, but nothing happened. Next came Miroku, who regarded the handful a little suspiciously before shrugging and puffing on it. "Wha—"
"And we have our first Tetsujin," Kaede said with a smile, watching as the ash seemed to transform into bright golden sparks that twinkled like stars. They winked out as they fell slowly to the ground, until another sprinkling of ashes decorated the floor. "Congratulations…Miroku Shunkan, right?"
The handsome boy blinked at the ground, then smiled uncertainly at Kaede. "Thank you, Kaede. So…huh?" He suddenly lifted up his arm. "My wristband just warmed up."
Kaede nodded and, with one hand on his shoulder, steered him behind the bowl and out of the others' way. "That's what happens when it changes. It'll heat up slightly, and now, you have a yellow strip instead of white."
"So I do," he murmured, studying the topaz-like stripe on his wristband.
"Next!"
This time, Miroku, Kagura, and Koga stood in front of the rest of the class, armed with their yellow-striped wristbands. Kagome sighed in disappointment as the still unidentified seven students followed Kaede to the pan full of water. She had rather liked the sound of air's third aspect, Perception. Call it narcissism, but she had always believed that she was a pretty insightful person, considering the fact that her soul was on a different wavelength from other peoples' souls (apparently). Oh well. I kind of liked them all. Protection, Perception, Compassion, Perseverance. Let's see what I end up with.
Somehow, Kagome ended up first in line for the water test. Holding her breath, she did as Kaede instructed and looked into the pan of water. Her own eyes, watery and silver like the bottom of the pan, peered back at her.
"What do you see, Kagome?"
"Just my reflection."
"All right. Step aside then, please. It seems that you are not an Ataenushi, either." The woman smiled encouragingly at Kagome, silently reminding her that she still had a place at Shikon. "Next."
Behind Kagome came Sango, who also stared into the water. After a second, she looked up at Kaede with a frown, careful for some reason to avoid Kagome's eyes. "Um…Kaede? Call me crazy, but I can't see my reflection. Just the ceiling."
Sesshomaru stepped up beside Kaede, his regal bearing and relative youth suddenly making her look little more than dried up and old. He looked like royalty. "You are an Ataenushi, then, Miss Ashita. A Giver. Come this way, please."
A little nervously, Sango moved to Sesshomaru's side, looking to Kagome's eyes like a pale, nervous little girl in majestic Sesshomaru's shadow. Soon to join her were Kanna and Ayame, to Sango's apparent relief. Their diamond strips had changed to some deep blue crystal, likely sapphire.
Now, there were only four students left: the black-haired boy, Rin, Shippo, and Kagome. Kaede and Kikyo were walking side by side to the stand with the rock that identified the Kon of earth, talking seriously about something and casting uncertain glances at these last four. "What do you think they're talking about, Shippo?" Kagome muttered.
"Well, look, Kagome." The scrawny boy gestured behind them, and she looked. Hojo, Inuyasha, and Kohaku with red stripes. Miroku, Kagura, and Koga with yellow. And Sango, Kanna, and Ayame with blue.
She turned back to him. "Yeah? Apparently, I'm missing something."
Shippo sighed. "Count them, Kagome. Three Hogosha. Three Tetsujin. Three Ataenushi." He gestured to himself, to her, to Rin, and the last boy. "And four of us. When Kaede came to recruit me, she talked a lot about balance. Somehow, I don't think that this situation is balanced. One of us is an odd one out."
And they're wondering which one of us it is. Kagome took a deep breath and attempted to squish the butterflies in her stomach. It didn't work. "You…you go ahead of me, Shippo."
"Nuh-uh!" he protested, giving her an alarmed look. "You go!"
"Shippo, come on, just—" She grabbed his shoulders and steered him ahead of her. "Please?"
"I—oh, all right, I guess I owe you one for defending me against Inuyasha…" He hesitantly stepped into place behind the boy and Rin.
The boy was the first to touch the reddish brown stone. He held his fingers there for a moment, and suddenly it changed into a hunk of shiny black obsidian. His eyes widened and he jerked his fingers away in surprise, causing the obsidian to turn back into some nondescript red stone. "That was supposed to happen, I assume?" he said softly, suddenly glancing down as his wristband acquired a stripe of emerald green instead of white.
"Naraku Rei, congratulations. You are a Seizonsha, the Kon of earth," Kikyo said softly, giving him and the three behind him a warm smile.
For some reason, Naraku scowled, although Kagome wondered if she had been the only one to notice, for he quickly changed his expression to a polite, slightly bewildered smile.
Next went Rin. True to her nature, she bounced up the stone and firmly placed her fingers on it, and as had happened for Naraku, it changed into obsidian. She gave Kikyo a blinding smile as she moved to Naraku's side.
Shippo wasn't nearly as confident as Rin. He stepped forward slowly, shaking very slightly, and had to take a few deep breaths before reaching for the stone. Kagome frowned when she saw Inuyasha smirk at the small boy, even though Shippo probably hadn't noticed him anyway.
She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding with the rock changed. But the instant he moved away and the obsidian changed back, anxiety suddenly began to squeeze the air out of her lungs. Don't…panic, she ordered herself, stepping forward. Shippo's wrong…he has to be wrong…but it doesn't make sense either, four of us and three of the others? But it can't end like this! I have to stay here! There's something I'm looking for and I have to find it here! I belong here, damn it! I just know that I'm supposed to be here, and this little rock is all that stands in my way, but if I can't pass this…!
She noticed Kikyo giving Kaede a nervous glance, and she almost ran out of the room when a fresh wave of apprehension washed over her. It's over, it's over, it's over! I'm not any of the four Kon and they'll kick me out and I'll be right back at square one—
Someone, possibly Shippo, gasped quietly as Kagome felt her finger touch the stone lightly. But she couldn't look. She was afraid…she felt like she was so close to finally having someone fully understand her, and she could lose it all in just one glimpse…
"Kagome…!" Shippo gasped.
But she had to look.
Steeling herself, she settled her eyes on the rock.
"Kagome…"
Her heart sank.
"I'm sorry."
It was still red.
(end)
-- -- --
Heeheehee…am I mean or what? Bye then, Kagome, and have a nice life!
There was actually more planned to happen in this chapter, but I decided that 1) it was long enough as it was and 2) this part would make a better ending anyway.
Like I said at the beginning, this will be fixed, but in my own, evil little ways.
(shifty eyes)
All right, all right, I'll tell you!
Kagome gets ostracized and thrown out of the school and she gets angry and decides to attack the school and she goes and she meets Inuyasha and Sango and Miroku and Shippo who have for various reasons been ostracized, too, and they all decide to fight together and Inuyasha has a crush on Kikyo so he compromises the situation and Kagome likes him and is all heartbroken and gets angry and finally Inuyasha chooses her and meanwhile in the background Miroku and Sango get together and they finally band up to attack the evil Shikon Academy and Naraku is defending the school and eventually everyone turns against him except for Kagura and Kanna and Kohaku (so many 'K's!) who are bound to him for various blackmail-ful reasons and they fight and they fight and they fight in my as-usual terribly written action scenes and finally Inuyasha and Kagome triumph and they all band up to build a much fairer school and bear many children and live happily ever after!
(deep breath) I'm kind of regretting writing all of that, because…that isn't the real plot! I mean, really, what kind of author gives away her whole plot like that? Certain parts of my fake summary, though, really are in the actual story (and not just the pairings!). We'll see which ones as we continue through Kagome's senior year.
And thus I leave you! Until next time!
Glossary of TermsKon- Japanese word for "soul"; the term for one of those who can use elemental powers; for example, Kikyo is a Kon of earth, meaning she controls earth
Subete- Japanese word for "all" or "everything"; the name of Totosai's Elemental Studies class, where he teaches the students basic grasp of their power; classes are divided by "dorm" (four people per "dorm" with one exception)
Kotoba- Japanese word for "words" or "language"; the name of Kaede's Elemental Studies class, based mainly on lectures; classes are for all thirteen students at once
Mahou- Japanese word for "magic"; the name of Sesshomaru's Elemental Studies class, where students work specifically toward mastering one element; class is divided by Kon, meaning all fire people go to Mahou together, all air people go together, etc.
Tsunagari- Japanese word for "connection" or "link"; the name of Kikyo's Elemental Studies class, where students try to learn how to work together so they can control the intermediate elements; classes are sometimes divided by "dorm", but are sometimes random with one Kon from each of the four main elements
Hogosha- Japanese word for "protector" or "guardian"; the official term for the Kon of fire; Inuyasha, Hojo, Kohaku, Totosai
Tetsujin- Japanese word for "sage" or "wise man"; the official term for the Kon of air; Miroku, Koga, Kagura, Kaede
Ataenushi- Japanese word for "giver"; the official term for the Kon of water; Sango, Ayame, Kanna, Sesshomaru
Seizonsha- Japanese word for "survivor"; the official term for the Kon of earth; Shippo, Rin, Naraku, Kikyo
Main/primary elements- fire, air, water, and earth
Intermediate elements- include lightning, lava, metal, mist, ash, wood, and ice; they are combinations of the four main elements and can only be controlled through teamwork between the Kon of the main elements that are involved in the intermediate
Aspect- a "step" in the process of mastering an element; each main element has three aspects that must be mastered in order; when a new aspect is mastered, the markings on the wristband change; Fire- Heat, Light, Protection; Air- Wind, Breath, Perception; Water- Rain, Sea, Compassion; Earth- Stone, Soil, Perseverance
Experienced- title for those who have mastered all three aspects; their wristband symbol is the complete symbol for their own element
Master- title for those who have internalized the true meaning of the third aspect, which is the most "spiritual"; the wristband changes into a removable silver chain with a single charm representing the Master's element