Tales from the Club Room

Episode 55: The Battle for Coshocton

Tilden had been driving for the past two hours from Steubenville taking interstate seventy-seven North towards Coshocton County heading towards Columbus. "Personally, Kagura sweetie," Tilden said, "We should have got off at the interstate 70 exit. What's the point of driving towards some piece of crap town?" He said turning down Lady GaGa's "Paparazzi" that was blaring from the radio. Kagura had a recently developed a taste for American music, particularly Lady GaGa and Taylor Swift. "I just wanted to see the beauty of small town life and America itself. How far until we reach Coshocton, I need to use the bathroom?" Tilden looked at his GPS and saw they had .1 miles until they reached the Wal-Mart on Airport Road, then disaster struck. The car stopped, the engine died a quiet death no smoke and no hissing. The radio stopped playing, everything just shut down. "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw!" Tilden said as he looked at the car's gas gauge it was still on three quarters of a tank. Kagura looked at him, "What happened? Is the battery dead?" she asked, Tilden looked at the GPS and saw that in fact they were in Coshocton. "I'm going to take a look under the hood, not like much will be there but something's a matter here." Tilden hopped out as did Kagura, she immediately felt a chill, a sign that a dark presence was around. "Tilden? Deep six the hood, I think there's something terribly wrong here." Tilden looked at her, "Like what, demons? If it is demons then we should call Lance." Kagura looked at him, "No, Something much worse, it's like I'm near the dark realm." She said. Tilden looked at her, "I'm texting Lance right now." As Tilden began to text in the mortal realm Buddy's Ouija board began to send messages to the mid realm.

"Here they come!" Kasukabe shouted, she said got into a stance with Oguie their fists ready for action. A demon burst through the window next to the soda fountain, it had long hair, and used to be a woman. Madarame unsheathed his swords. "Hey, she-bitch," he shouted, "Let's dance!" He said as Kasukabe rammed her fist into a demon's chest and ripped out its heart. Two more demons raced into the store, Madarame waited until the demons surrounded him, then he spun his sword and slashed their heads off, black blood shooting like Old Faithfull. Sassahara and Kousaka were on top of the counter firing bullets into the demons heads, watching them burst like balloons. Tanaka and Ohno had reached into their kits and were barbequing demons with spirit energy. Oguie was Karate chopping the demons helping Kasukabe; the only people that weren't fighting were Lance, Inuyasha and Kouga. They had bigger matters to attend to.

"The message said: there is dark energy here, get here now." Kid-Kun said as he read Tilden's text to Lance, Shinigami-sama looked at his son, "Send them a message. Tell him that Kagura needs to claw the air in order to gain access to where the battle is. It looks as if we got the upper hand, that is if Reaper Lance decides to join the fight." He said. Kid-Kun sent the message out. Tilden's texting ringtone came on and he looked at the screen. "I guess you need to use your nails to get in there, something about a battle too, I can never understand that guy." Tilden said as he watched Kagura rake the air with her nails and the battle came into view. "Aw piss, not another one," Tilden said, "didn't we have this problem months ago?" Kagura stepped through and looked at Lance leaning over Angela as Kouga and Inuyasha chanted over some reapers. "Bro, what the hell is going on here?" Tilden shouted as Madarame eviscerated a demon, its black slimy entrails steaming on the floor. "Don't just stand there baka, help out here!" Madarame said as he sliced a demon in half. Tilden picked up a metal pole that had fallen off the bar and began to swing it around. Kagura raced over to Lance, "Lance-san let me take care of this." She said as Lance brushed away a tear, "Hang on Babe, I'll get him for you!" Lance picked up a sword from Madarame's kit and walked outside, "Hey, where in the fuck do you think you're going?" Tilden shouted, Lance looked at him, "I am going after the one responsible for all this, you and the others handle things here!" he said. "Fighting Naraku yourself, that's suicide Lance!" Kouga said, Lance turned to him, "I have to do it, I have to do it for the people of this town!" He said and walked off, just as Negi shot a beam of energy out of his staff and hit a demon square in the head.

Lance walked towards the court square; his sword at ready, the smell of smoke was in the air. "Naraku, come out, you tongue tied son of a bitch. Come here and fight me!" Lance shouted no response. "Naraku, what's a matter, too busy giving Ryuk a hand job to fight me. You half breed son of a bitch, you've hid behind these demons long enough, why don't you come and see me!" Naraku appeared before Lance; his robe was burnt and fused to his skin. His face was gruesome, black gums showed white teeth, where eyelids should have been there were just white orbs; the nose was just two holes. "So the reaper thinks he can take me down! Let's see what ya got, reaper man! Bring your brass balls and I'll show you what it means to die slowly." Naraku said his voice a gravelly concoction of phlegm and burnt vocal cords. Lance unsheathed his sword as Naraku grabbed his and raced towards Lance. The swords met with a loud "klang" Lance smiled as he forced Naraku 's hand and his sword was at his side, Lance dodged Naraku's next attack, leaping on top of the gazebo and then shooting a wave of spirit energy directly at the demon. "What's a matter baboon boy, can't take the heat?" He said as Naraku clutched his wound. "I will not fail this time." Naraku said as lance jumped off, Naraku slashed at Lace's shoulder, cutting the flesh. Lance screamed in pain as blood trickled out of the wound. Lance grabbed his sword and raced towards Naraku, slashing at his neck, but the demon was too quick for him. While the two men were fighting outside, the three spirits were purging the black blood out of the systems of the reapers as well as the young boy.

Ippo, Jasmine, Melina and Kuzco were purged, they were resting comfortably in a bathroom away from the fighting, The little kid was not infected too severely by the black blood and was the easiest to purge, right now his system was slowing returning to normal, for Angela Ryan, the process was slow. No matter how much they chanted, or prayed, her body would not release the black blood. Kagura closed her eyes and watched as Lance and Naraku fought, it was when Lance was cut that Angela began to respond. Her eyes flew open, "Lance, where's Lance!" she shouted as she began to rise from her position underneath a sign that said "Get well soon" Kagura looked at her, "He's down the street, but I suggest," Angela began to run, "Hey where do you think you're going?" Kagura shouted, "I am going to help my husband and there is nothing you can do to stop me." Angela shouted and raced toward the court square.

Lance kept on slashing and slicing at Naraku but he kept on dodging. Lance was beginning to tire, yet he knew if he tired he would die, and pass over, unlike some of the reapers who come to this realm he was still a mortal. It was then he heard high heels click over on the pavement. "Lance, Lance!" Angela shouted, Lance turned around, "Angela?" he said as he looked at her, Naraku raced towards him. "Lance look out!" she shouted, but Lance reacted too slowly, the sword had pierced his heart. He collapsed to the ground; Angela knelt down and cradled his body in her arms. "Angela, I, I didn't mean to get you into this. I'm sorry." He said in between coughs of blood. Angela placed a finger over his lips to hush him, "It's our job to protect people, no matter what I will always remember all you've done for me. I love you." She smiled; Lance looked at her, "No matter what happens remember me, always." He said and closed his eyes and crossed over. Angela began to scream, her eyes now flowing with tears. She placed her hand on the wound, and looked at Lance; she barely noticed the glowing light that was flowing out of her hands. Warmth filled her entire body as the glow got stronger; she tilted her head back as a breeze blew blowing back her long black hair. Lance's body began to float. Then slowly come back down to the ground. Angela looked at Lance's body, the wounds were gone. "Lance? Lance can you hear me?" Lance's eyes flew open, "It can't be?" Naraku said, "She's a, a healer!" Shinigami-sama said as he looked at his monitor, Lance stood up and grabbed his sword and advanced on Naraku. "Please, couldn't we just talk about this, I mean we are both spirit entities. " Naraku said Lance shook his head, "Oh, we're done talking, baboon boy!" Lance said and grabbed Naraku's head and spun him around. "Ya ever heard of a head on a stick?" Lance said as he rammed his sword into Naraku's spine and severed it, listening to him choke and gasp. "After all, that's what you are now aren't you, a head on a stick?" Lance said as he began to ram his sword repeatedly into Naraku, his black blood staining splattering everywhere. Lance finished him off with a chop to the head. Ryuk raced out and looked at him just as cracks began to form in the sky. His body was dissolving at a rapid rate, "No, No it can't be!" Ryuk said as his body quickly turned to ashes, Lance smiled, "Game over Ryuk you knew you shouldn't have messed with the pure realm." The cracks grew wider and wider as the dark energy dissipated. Coshocton looked different somehow. The buildings were damaged, bodies littered the streets and the only four survivors left were faced with a brave new world.

"So I must ask again, you are renouncing your life as an agent of evil, am I correct? " Shinigami-sama said as he stared at Kikyo. "That is correct Shinigami-sama; I do not wish to live the life I lead before." She said, Shinigami-sama looked at her, "Why?" she looked at him, "I got some sound advice from an old friend." She said, Shinigami-sama looked at her and clasped his hands together, "Then it is settled, your record will be expunged of any misdeeds and you are now a member of the pure realm. But I warn you Lady Kikyo, one slip up and you're back in the dark realm, got it?" He said, she nodded and went to the pond to wait for Inuyasha.

"So what are your plans now that you're the only ones left?" Lance said as he watched the gang gather their things, "I live in Baltic so I am okay; Jody here has got some family in Muskingum County. So we're safe, what about you Charlie?" Lori said, Charlie looked at them, "I'm high tailing my ass to California, it's been Sharon and I's dream to return there so I think I'll just move there. Ole Negi here doesn't have a family to return to so I don't know what he'll be doing." He said, Lance smiled, I think I've got an idea, Angela can we talk in private?" he said.

Monday October 12, 2009.

"Good morning class, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I spent most of it grading your tests, which I might add were good to say the least." Lance said. "Now Just a reminder for those who want an upper level elective in foreign language can sign up now for my class on American Culture and Society. It will be going on winter 2009. I would also like to introduce you to the university's newest teaching assistant, could you come out please." He said, a young boy came out and spoke in perfect Japanese, "Good Morning my name is Negi Springfield." Lance looked at his adopted son and smiled.

"Are you sure you want to do this Yusuke?" Ohno said as her son stood next to the mirror, "Yes mother I am sure. My place is with my father and plus being a baby bites!" He said, Ohno hugged him and smiled. "You're welcome here any time." She said, and brushed away a tear. Kouga's Clawed hand reached out of the mirror and escorted his son into the spirit realm. "Well," Ohno said, "Looks like I need to have one of those yard sale things, if I'm ever going to get rid of this baby stuff."

"That was fantastic Inuyasha!" said Kikyo said as she lay on the bed that Inuyasha shared with Kagome. Inuyasha kissed her and nuzzled her neck, "You want to go again," He said, "Kagome doesn't come home until 2:30 in the morning." Kikyo sighed, "Inuyasha, there's something I need to tell you." Inuyasha looked at her, "What is it?" he asked. "Before you attacked me in the pure realm I learned I was pregnant with your child. When I went to the dark realm I had the baby. She lives somewhere in the mortal realm now, I think." Inuyasha looked at her, "What's our daughter's name?" he said, Kikyo whispered in Inuyasha's ear. "What!" he said

To be continued. . . .