Balm for a Broken Soul

By: Ryu Katanna

Beta:

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: A lot of the dialogue will be familiar as the first several chapters do follow the anime and manga. There are more parts that are original to the story, but I've done this to stay close to the original while also telling Kagome's side of the story. There will be more deviations we get farther in.

(-) = English translation. If there are any mistakes in the translation I blame google…

Episode 9: After School Hexer Part Three

Kagome watched John get into the ambulance behind the paramedics from her place behind the upstairs window. She hadn't been able to do much for Masako. The girl's condition had been stable when Kagome had left her to the paramedics. There were just too many students around for her to do anything more for Masako than basic first aid.

Already, she could hear the whispers traveling the halls. It really didn't surprise her. She remembered how quickly and easily rumors could spread from when she was still in school. The various sicknesses and diseases her grandfather had used as excuses for her absences really hadn't helped. It had made things more difficult for her when she had returned from the other side of the well for the last time.

Once she could see Naru, Monk, Ayako, and Mai coming back into the building, Kagome turned away from the sight at the window. She made her way down the hall with slow but sure strides. Kagome listened to the students whispers as she walked around them. Some of the rumors could be easily ignored. They were petty little things that were obviously just gossip. Yet, Kagome couldn't ignore some of the others. It would seem they were becoming more and more malicious as more things happened and time passed without a real answer.

Soon enough, Kagome had come to stand outside of the biology room. She had read that Kasai spent her time just on the other side of this door in the company of a teacher here. Kagome could make out the faint sounds of the girl's sobbing from inside the room. She stood outside the door for several moments and felt her heart go out to the girl.

She could feel that Mai's intuition was right. Those were not the cries of someone who would intentionally curse death upon someone. They were the cries of a child who didn't understand why the world seemed to have turned against her. Kagome looked at Shippo where he was still wrapped around her as she firmed her resolve to finish this case quickly with the others. No child should have to feel like the world had abandoned them.

Kagome left to return to base as the cries from within the room quieted.

123

"Shouldn't we just go ahead and get this Kasai girl locked down?! Our lives are in danger here!" Kagome entered the room to hear Ayako yelling in front of Naru.

"You can't! This isn't here fault, I swear!" Mai objected as she had been all this time.

"You still believe that crap? Then tell us who is doing it, otherwise, but out!" Ayako turned on Mai to start yelling at her instead.

"Ah! Well, it's... I guess I don't know." Mai's voice softened unsurely as Kagome made her way around them to her seat next to Naru.

"Mai is right. Whoever it is, it isn't the Kasai girl." She said softly as she took her seat.

"So now you're agreeing with her?!" Ayako turned on Kagome in aggravation.

"You've been quiet on this topic the whole case. Why say this now?" Monk asked as he looked at Kagome knowing she always had a reason.

"The child was crying in the biology lab." Kagome answered simply as if that should satisfy them.

"That doesn't mean anything! She puts on a show of tears and suddenly you don't think it's her. All it shows is that she feels guilty." Ayako responded in the same aggressive tone, and like when Inuyasha was being stupid, her tone chaffed at Kagome.

"It wasn't that kind of crying." Kagome replied as she turned away from the woman.

She wouldn't let her provoke the emotions Kagome held on a leash. She needed to keep control. If she didn't then her abilities may fail her when she needed them. The bond that stabilized Naru needed to be maintained. She wouldn't risk leaving him vulnerable.

"What kind of crying was it, Kagome?" Monk asked as he noticed his cousin had chosen to ignore Ayako even as the woman was speaking to her.

"Like a child whose world had abandoned them. To cast a Zuzo takes intent. What I heard was not the cry of someone who is purposely harming those around them." Kagome answered before updating her log and going to join Lin at the monitors as she listened to them.

"Whoever it is, they're warning us." Naru said with a glance in Kagome's direction before looking back toward Monk, Ayako, and Mai.

"What do you mean?" Mai asked with a small smile at Kagome's having defended Kasai.

"We must be getting close to something. The hexer attacked Miss Hara and I to warn us from digging any deeper." Naru replied as he thought over the events of the case.

"That's a hell of a warning. Masako was pushed down the stairs, Naru! This is serious." Ayako replied feeling like Naru wasn't taking this seriously enough.

"Yeah, and not to toot my own horn or anything, but who knows what would have happened to you if I hadn't scared away that spirit earlier." Monk added as he looked at the teen.

"So as long as we get the message, the hexer doesn't really care if one of us is hurt or killed. That tells us a bit more about the kind of person we're dealing with. That makes our resolving this case quickly all the more imperative. The targets were Mr. Yoshino, the unfortunate sophomores who sat at that desk and had accidents one after another, and the entire track team. And let's not forget, the hitogata we found in the desk and in the locker room makes it clear that the culperate was after someone connected to them. I think we're all aware that working on this case poses a risk, and for that reason, we should want to expose the hexer as soon as we possibly can. Lin, Mai, and myself will investigate those connected to the desk and the track team. Monk, you and Miss Matsuzaki will continue to search the school for hitogata." Naru said as he handed out instructions only to look at Ayako as she gave a displeased grunt.

"What, no orders for her?" She said as she looked at Kagome with a scowl.

"Unlike you, I know what I need to be doing." Kagome said as she stood and met Ayako's gaze with a blank stare.

"Kagome will be investigating the students and faculty on her own." Naru replied as he watched to two women.

"Makes sense. Kagome doesn't really play nice with people she dislikes." Monk said with a chuckle as he stood and swung her arm over his cousin's shoulders.

He had an idea of what Naru meant by Kagome investigating on her own. She'd always had an ability to tell what kind of person someone was just by meeting with them. It wasn't until recently that he had heard from Souta that she could see auras. Even Monk knew that a person's aura could tell you a lot about them, but the skill took both strict discipline and a natural affinity to obtain.

That wasn't to mean that Ayako wasn't a good person. Their personalities and values were just very different. Monk knew that Kagome had gone through years of hard discipline and training as a Miko. She held herself to a strict standard, and Ayako had failed to measure up to whatever standard Kagome would expect of another Miko. She was also a private person, and Ayako had already tested her boundaries recently.

"I will return in a while." Kagome told Naru and Lin as she stepped around Monk and made her way out of the room with Shippo still wrapped around her.

She chose to ignore both Monk and Ayako who had followed her outside. As they got to work with searching the grounds, Kagome could feel herself being watched by them as she studied the students and faculty who passed through. One thing that she had found to be similar between them all was the yellow color of fear. It was this that she was looking for as the culprit behind this would not feel they had anything to fear from what was happening at the school.

"Monk, come here." Kagome heard Ayako's whispered call to her cousin and turned to look to see if she had found one of the hitogata.

"What now?" Monk asked as he turned and Kagome followed their line of sight to find they were being watched.

"That long hair... do you think that could have been the Kasai girl spying on us?" Ayako asked as Kagome watched the girl run away.

"Kagome?" Monk asked as he looked over at her to see her watching the girl.

Kagome just shook her head as she turned her attention to a group of teenagers walking by. Shippo preened as her hand absent-mindedly petted along his form. There was something missing from their information because she was now positive Kasai wasn't the one. The girl's aura had been curious, but it was overshadowed by the yellow of fear. Probably even more so than the other students she had seen today.

123

A while later and Kagome turned to see that Mai had joined them outside. Deciding to take a break from watching the students, Kagome walked closer to the small group. She listened as Mai told them all what she had heard. She almost chuckled as Mai told them that Naru had denied being an onmiyoji.

"What did you say?" Ayako asked in disbelief at what she was hearing.

"You're kidding, right?" Monk asked with a glance at Kagome only to find her to show no surprise at all.

"I'm not. We just made some wrong assumptions about Naru, that's all." Mai answered them.

"But come on. Making hitogata, performing purifications, and now this Zuzo thing. Of course, we'd think he was an onmiyoji. Anyone would!" Monk exclaims incredulously as he continued to watch his cousin from the corner of his eye.

"Well, according to Naru, Lin can do it." Mai replied and Monk knew then that Kagome knew much more about those two then any of them did.

"So I ruined a perfectly good manicure for nothing." Ayako whined in aggravation as she looked at her nails that had been soil from digging around for hitogata.

"And I've been putting up with his crap because I thought, oh he's a master, we have to do what master says." Monk added only to look at Kagome when she spoke.

"Just because you made some wrong assumptions doesn't make his knowledge any less accurate." She chided them as her eyes were drawn to the woman who approached them.

"Ms. Ubusuna?" Mai asked as Kagome recognized the name from the record when Naru and Mai had gone to meet with Kasai.

"Yes. I just heard that Masako Hara was injured." Ms. Ubusana spoke softly as Kagome silently studied her aura.

"Yeah. She fell down the stairs." Mai answered to confirm that what the woman had heard was true and Kagome felt something was off.

She recognized this woman's voice. It was the same voice she had heard comforting Chiaki Kasai earlier in the biology lab. That had been a few hours ago. Masako getting hurt was not new now. Not with the way the rumors were spreading in this school. Yet now, she shows up saying that she had just heard?

"Is she all right?" Ms. Ubusana asked with an expression that said she was concerned, but her aura told Kagome she was only curious.

"At the moment it doesn't appear to be life-threatening, but if she'd landed any differently things could have been a lot worse. Maybe you'll see this as an opportunity to wake up and take a good look at this girl you're so interested in defending." Ayako responded as she turned to face the teacher.

"Ayako!" Mai exclaimed in disbelief at the woman's persistence in her accusations against Kasai.

"Oh, I knew it. You've chosen to believe that Kasai is to blame for all this, too. Haven't you?" Ms. Ubusuna asked as she acted like she was troubled by the thought.

The thing was that her acting could not fool Kagome's eyes. This woman was quickly coming to the top of Kagome's list of suspects. Even as Kagome watched on while the conversation continued, the woman acted differently then her aura expressed that she truly felt. There was no fear or concern. Her aura shifted to express the opposite of what someone would normally feel in her situation.

"My goodness. And what's you're name?" Ms. Unbusuna asked Mai and alarm bells rang for Kagome as the girl answered before she could stop her.

"Mai Taniyama." Mai said only to look to her side as Kagome grasped her arm to pull her closer to her and away from the teacher.

"Thank you, Mai. It means a lot, and I know Kasai will be very happy to hear it too." Ms. Ubusana said gently even as her aura flared in slight victory.

"I would really appreciate it if the rest of you would stop accusing that young girl. The poor thing has been through enough as it is. Good day." Ms. Ubusuna continued firmly before turning and striding away.

"How can we stop accusing her? What if something worse happens because we sat back and didn't act in time?" Ayako asked as she glared in the direction the teacher had disappeared.

"Yeah, and it's starting to look like it could be our turn next." Monk said as he looked at Kagome who had still not let go of Mai's arm.

He had noticed his cousin's protective gesture as she had pulled Mai away to put herself between the teacher and teen. It had surprised him but the cold look on Kagome's face had been enough to freeze blood. Mai shifted uncomfortably as she looked at the older woman. Her grip was gentle, but it has been unexpected.

"Kagome?" Mai asked only to have Kagome's intense gaze shift to her before letting her go.

"You are far too trusting, Mai. Learn to be more aware of yourself. Do not give your name so easily." Kagome said before looking at Monk as he spoke.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" He asked as he noticed how stiff her shoulders were.

"That woman speaks two tongues with one mouth. Don't wander far from the others, Mai. I need to speak to Lin and Naru." Kagome replied before turning away quickly to make her way back to their base.

123

It was an hour later and the sun had started to set when Kagome could be found standing in front of the monitors as she waited for Lin and Naru to return. She had been waiting there for them after seeing that they had gone out. Taking the time to clear her mind, she had sorted the scattered papers that had been left on the table. Now she paced idly as she waited. She had just spotted Lin in one of the halls when a large tug pulled at her from the bond.

"Ugh." Kagome fell to her knee as she panted for breath and clutched her chest.

"Shippo. Get Lin! Now!"She gasped to the Shiki who was vibrating anxiously in the air next to her.

That was all it took to send the Shiki bolting out of the room. Panting, she held herself up as she sent energy down the bond from her end. She found it was a very good thing that she had remembered to reaffirm the bond before they had left Naru's hotel room. If they hadn't then the situation could be a lot worse than it was. Kagome sighed with relief when the sounds of running footsteps reached her ears.

"Kě guǒ měi!" Lin's familiar voice was alarmed as it reached her when he entered the room.

(Kagome!)

"Zhèlǐ!" Kagome called from the other side of the partition just as Shippo returned to her.

(Here!)

"Fāshēngle shénme?" Lin asked as he kneeled in front of her to check on her.

(What happened?)

"Zhè shì guānxì. Nǐ bìxū zhǎodào tā. Nàgè fāngxiàng." Kagome gasped as she felt that Naru was still using his PK, but in a much smaller amount.

(It's the bond. You have to find him. That direction.)

"Nǐ quèdìng?" Lin asked as he lifted her enough to set her into a chair.

(You're sure?)

"Shì a. Wǒ huì hěn kuài hǎo de. Zhǎodào tā. Wǒ juédé tā yǒu máfanle." Kagome nodded as she gestured for him to hurry and go as she got some of her breath back.

(Yeah. I'll be fine in a minute. Just find him. I think he's in trouble.)

It didn't take any more prompting before Lin was out the door. Minutes ticked by before slowly, Kagome was able to get her breath back. She could still feel the strain from the sudden pull from the bond, but it wasn't as bad as before. Slowly, Ayako and then Monk returned to the room. Monk took one look at Kagome before he frown and shuffled quickly over to her side.

"Are you all right? You're looking a bit pale." He said as he brushed a long strand of hair back from her face to feel if she had a fever.

"I'm okay, Houshou. Just tired." Kagome replied and gently batted his hand away from her face.

"Alright. Just make sure you go home and rest tonight." Monk huffed lightly at her stubbornness before leaving her alone.

Monk knew that no matter how badly Kagome was feeling that she wouldn't admit to it. He kept an eye on her for another twenty minutes before his attention was pulled to the doorway by the arrival of Naru, Lin, and Mai. What caught all of their attention, even more, were hitogata they carried in their arms that they then piled onto the table. Kagome couldn't believe there were so many as she slowly stood from her chair to look them all over.

"You know, it's actually kind of impressive that there are this many of them. I would never have thought to look in the sewer." Monk said as he looked at the pile Kagome and Naru were sifting through after Mai explained what had happened.

"There's Mai." Naru said as he held one and Kagome put his own and Masako's to the side.

"So Mai's doll, and also ones for Miss. Hara, Mr. Yoshino and myself were found." Naru said as Kagome gave a tired sigh at the thought of sealing them all before they could be disposed of properly.

"Our names weren't there?" Monk asked with some disbelief as Kagome stood to join Lin in front of the monitors as she tried to push off her exhaustion.

"Hmph. Well, I guess that's a relief." Ayako responded as she finished tending to the scraps on Mai's hand.

"I dunno. I kinda feel left out." Monk huffed as he didn't understand why the hexer wouldn't have gone after them all.

"Now we have to burn the hitogata and throw the ashes in the river. Then the power of the enmi will be broken." Naru said as he put down the hitogata he was holding.

"But... do you believe this will stop the hexer?" Ayako asked as she turned to Naru after she had closed the first aid kit.

"We're not even completely sure who it is." Monk crossed his arms as he glanced at Kagome where she stood just on the other side of the partition watching them.

"Know who it's not? It's not Kasai, that's who!" Mai spoke vehemently as Ayako rounded on her.

"Mai, come on, this is really getting old." Ayako said in frustration and Lin looked at Kagome as he felt her stiffen next to him.

"Hey. Naru? What's wrong?" Lin turned to see Monk walk around the table as he spoke to the teen.

"Are you feeling alright, man?" Monk asked as Kagome stumbled to get by Lin when Naru fell as if in slow motion to land unconscious on the floor.

The next thing any of them knew was a flair of pink energy as skin met skin.

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Well that it for this chapter. I've had someone ask if there was a set update schedule. Well there really isn't. I'll post as I have them written. Only reason it's once a week right now is because I got a few done while I didn't have internet access. After those are caught up then it's back to posting as I get them written. Let me know what you thought!

~Ryu