Disclaimer: I don't own these characters… At least, I don't THINK I do… Let me get back to you on that…
"…" – speech
'…' – thoughts
- change in scenery or time
[a fair amount of scene hopping in this chapter]
Previously, on Lock Down:
{Naraku strode to the room only two doors away from hers. He opened it with a slide of a card. With another sinister grin, the man walked into his room.
He would have his fun with her later.}
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New Moon
Feb.27.299 NA
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New Tokyo, Human Division, Sector 118
Kagome had missed school the previous day.
When the androids had checked up on her the morning after the Fire to establish her reason of absence, they had found a teenager who had suffered a near emotional break down. Of course, unable to feel emotions themselves, the androids hadn't known this. She had told them that it was only a minor cold, and that she would be able to return to school the next day. Due to her perfect attendance record, they had dismissed the absence, and allowed her one day's rest before she returned to school.
Today was that day.
It was time to face the music- namely, her friends and classmates.
She didn't know if she was ready to face the questions yet. The images from the battle still haunted her mind- especially that of the boy.
Kagome had no idea why, but the death of 'Kohaku', had been particularly disturbing. Perhaps it was because she could relate to the girl who was grieving over him, since the schoolgirl herself had a little brother. Tears filled her eyes at the thought of never being able to see Souta again, and suddenly, she realised. In the society she lived in, siblings would probably never meet again.
She hadn't had one of 'the dreams' the past two days.
In fact, both nights had been void of any dreams, period.
Kagome didn't know if that were a good thing.
The schoolgirl sighed and checked her clothing, making sure it was clean. The outfit she had worn on 'that day' had been thrown into the trash as soon as she had woken up.
Walking over to the small, hand sized mirror hanging beside the door, the girl checked her reflection.
There were almost noticeable bags under her eyes, which were still slightly red. Her expression was heavy and weary. Her eyes had lost some of its lustre they had held before. She tried pulling a smile, but it looked empty and fake, even to her. Dropping her gaze down, away from her face, Kagome caught sight of the medallion dangling on her delicate neck.
Reaching up, she fingered it almost dreamily. Then, her hand dropped in disgust. This had been that boy's. She almost felt like a thief.
No.
It was worse than being a thief.
She had stolen from the dead.
But even with that thought, she couldn't bring herself to take the pendent off. It was beautiful; a deep green coloured circle with a strange emblem within it. Leaning closer to the mirror, Kagome squinted, trying to make out what the symbol was, but she couldn't see any patterns. Shrugging, the girl leaned back to observe the effect of the entire image.
There seemed to be a sudden glow being emitted by the ornament, but when the teenager blinked, it had gone. She shrugged and brushed it off to the dim lighting in her room. Slightly self-conscious, the seventeen-year-old reached around her neck and undid some of the knots in her silver chain to allow the medallion to fall into her clothes.
Standing in front of the mirror, Kagome practised smiling until she could get it to look half-genuine. Satisfied that her image was no different from any other day, the teenager then stepped out of her room, prepared for the onslaught of questions that were bound to be thrown at her.
Neo Tokyo, Demon Division, Sector 118
Inuyasha glanced at the clock. It read 6:45. Hopping off of his bed, the half-demon stretched, cracking many of his joints in the process. His ears flicked around, catching the morning noises. While he hadn't slept the previous evening, the half-demon had stayed in a trance-like state for the entire night. It was almost like a form of meditation.
Moving around his room, the boy attempted to get his body out of the morning stiffness that came with sitting in one position all night without moving.
Stepping out of his night pants, the hanyou opened his closet with a loud bang as the sliding door collided with the wall. Pulling out a grey outfit, he continued dressing slowly, peeking at the digital clock every now and then. Running into his small personal bathroom, he quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face. He never bothered brushing his hair, since it normally fell into place anyway as the day progressed.
Grabbing his schoolbag, Inuyasha took one last glance at the glowing red numbers. They read 6:55.
Perfect.
Grinning, the teenager cracked his knuckles and tore through the hallway at speeds that were almost unnatural, even compared to demon standards. There were only a precious few types of youkai that could outpace him, most of which belonged to the canine family.
Slamming through a door, he took in a deep breath through his nose, and then resumed sprinting. Chancing a glance at the sky, the boy's speed suddenly slackened as he stared at the sky in disbelief. Quickly taking a glimpse at his watch, Inuyasha cursed at the date.
Damn. He'd forgotten.
It would be the night of the new moon.
New Tokyo, Human Division, Sector 118
"Kagome-chan! What's wrong!"
"Yeah! Why weren't you at school yesterday?"
"Or the day before that?"
Kagome smiled tiredly at Yuki, Eri, and Ayumi, who were clustered around her, clucking like concerned hens. It was lunch hour, and the first half of the school day had passed without many disturbances, except for the occasional questionings from different classmates. However, one the break had arrived, the trio had zoned in on Kagome, concerned about their friend.
"I'm fine. It was just a little cold."
"Have you been getting enough sleep?" questioned Eri, "Look at the bags under your eyes!"
She winced. Guess those bags weren't as unnoticeable as she'd thought…
Yuka butted in, "And you're face is so pale- Hey! Your eyes are red- have you been crying?"
Kagome faked another grin and yawned. "I guess it's just as Eri-chan said- I didn't get enough sleep last night."
"But-"
"Listen, guys," interrupted Ayumi, the quiet one, "Let's just leave Kagome-chan alone. She looks frazzled enough without us fussing over her. Maybe she just needs a… momentary boost."
Kagome smiled thankfully at Ayumi. The other two fell silent for a while before nodding their heads excitedly.
"Tomorrow's a free day, right?" Started Yuka.
Eri beamed almost frighteningly at Kagome, "So let's have some fun tonight!"
The smile had frozen on the girl's face. "Fun?"
Yuka and Eri both had unfaltering grins on their expressions.
"Yeah! We can go out for the night! Just the four of us."
"But I have work-"
"You can afford to miss one night of studying! Come on! It'll be fun!"
"Besides, you have all of Day Seven to catch up on work!"
"Then you can get back to studying at school on Day One!"
The chattering of the two girls filled up the lunch hour conversation as they began to plan for the night. Kagome turned tiredly to her meal of rice and vegetables. Ayumi only clapped a hand to her forehead, sighing in exasperation.
Just then, a voice called over the intercom, "Student 10031, report to the main office. Student 10031, report to the main office."
Kagome blinked owlishly as she suddenly became the centre of attention for everybody in the cafeteria, a piece of brocoli sticking out of her mouth. Everybody was silent. "Huh?" was her intelligent question.
Ayumi nudged her up, "Go on Kagome, I'm sure it can't be anything bad. Maybe they just wanna know why you were absent for the past two days."
The blue-eyed girl swallowed nervously, abruptly not feeling so well. On her way to the office, the girl bit her lip and twisted her hands. What if they had discovered what she had seen? She stopped in front of the metal office door. What if there were red androids in there at this very moment, ready to drag her away to who knew where?
She took in a deep breath and pulled on smile. 'Remember, Kagome, deny everything.' With an absent rub on the medallion at her neck for good measure, she stepped into the office.
Fortunately, she could find nothing out of the ordinary in the main office- just two secretary androids at work, and the door that lead to the principal's workplace. She sat down on one of the hard wooden chairs at the indication of one of the secretaries and waited.
A few minutes passed in silence.
Then the door opened, a man stepping out, "Student 10031, Kagome?"
Kagome stood up. "Yes sir."
He gestured to her with a clipboard. "Come in. I have a matter to discuss with you."
She nodded and followed him, the smile dropping from her face. What had she done to merit a visit to the head's office? Once she had seated herself in front of the desk, she looked nervously at the head. His expression was serious- not a very good indication. They stared at each other in silence, each second causing her nerves to tighten further.
"Kagome-san, you know you are one of our best students- no, the best student in this school." Kagome nodded, unsure where this was headed. "Your academic marks are outstanding. Your athletic percentile is extraordinary, and you put your best effort into every thing."
"Yes, sir?" She waited for the pin to drop.
He nodded and handed her an envelope. "Based on your statistics, the Government has decided to assign you your counterpart earlier than usual." His face broke into a small smile. "Congratulations. And best of luck in your profession assignment at the end of your educational career. You're graduating this year, correct?"
The raven-haired girl was almost numb from shock, and it took a while for the question to register. "Wha- I mean, yes, sir."
He nodded, face serious once more. "That is all. You can examine your selection out of my office. The two of you will meet a few days before graduation to become aquainted. The Government simply wanted to give you a," he paused, "A… sneak peek, as you young people call it. Now go and resume the school day."
"Yes, sir." Kagome began to walk towards the closed door, envelop in hand.
"And student 10031?"
She froze, apprehension causing her to hold her breath.
"You might want to get some more sleep. Those bags under your eyes do not look healthy. You're dismissed."
The girl blew out a sigh of relief and quickly escaped from the office, quickly shutting the door behind her. She was relieved that she really wasn't in trouble, but this was… unexpected. For the Government to have already made their selection in her husband-to-be so soon was quite rare. Kagome stumbled past the secretary androids and out into the hallway. She started towards the cafeteria.
Upon entering the room, there was a lull in the sound, then when everybody had assessed that she was still whole and well, the conversation started up again.
"Kagome-chan!"
Yuka, Ayumi and Eri rushed over to the girl and began to question her.
"So, what happened?"
"You didn't get into trouble did you?"
"You look alright."
"You're not going be transferred, are you?"
"Guys." Ayumi cut into the barrage of questions. "Let's let Kagome-chan answer us?"
They fell silent and turned to the blue-eyed girl.
At this moment, she only just became aware of the event that had happened, and the teenager was able to mumble, "I… was assigned a counterpart…"
Her friends' mouths dropped wide open before Eri all but tore the envelop from her hand. "Is his information in here? Oh. My. God. I can't believe the Government did you this early!" She opened it.
Yuka took a small piece of paper, and the four girls crowded around it.
"Let's see… This says that he's twenty-one years old- oh, you got an older man!" Yuka started the examination.
Eri swiped the paper. "He's a technician, but for what, it doesn't tell us. His eye colour is violet, short black hair, about 6 feet tall… Wow. He sounds pretty cute! And he has pierced ears!"
Ayumi read next, "His permanent number is 10025, and his name's… Mirkou? And that's all that this card tells us."
Kagome took the envelop and found another piece of paper in it. She pulled it out, revealing a photograph.
Once they saw it, Eri and Ayumi sighed dramatically. "Oh wow. You're so lucky, Kagome-chan! I can't believe you got paired up with such a cute guy!"
"Oh, I hope mine will be as hot as he is!"
The raven-haired girl could only stare at the picture in a daze, "Whatever you say, guys.
"Whatever you say."
Neo Tokyo, Demon Division, Sector 118
Inuyasha scowled at the other students, in a surlier mood than usual.
He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about the new moon!
It was the one night he turned human, and it had totally slipped his mind. Glaring at a small rat youkai who had happened to be at his table located at the very back of the cafeteria, he set his lunch tray down with a bang, growling all the while. The small critter squeaked in surprise, and ran away towards the front. The hanyou watched in satisfaction as he scuttled to a more crowded table, casting one frightened glance over his shoulder.
Turning to his meal, the teenager glared at the chicken sandwich wrapped neatly in plastic wrap.
It wasn't that he hated being human. It was just the fact that he was so vulnerable on that night that he despised. That he could be discovered and killed at any time.
Actually, scratch that.
He did hate the human blood in him.
It was the one thing preventing him from being accepted.
If he weren't a dirty hanyou, he would have become one of the most popular students at school. He was smart. He was strong. His father had been a Chief Ambassador. His halfbrother was the current Chief Ambassador. That title alone would have made him one of the most influential people in school, but no. He was scorned.
Because of the tainted blood that ran through Inuyasha's veins.
Sometimes, he wondered whether there was a way he could get rid of his human aspects, and become a full-blooded demon. Granted, it wouldn't necessarily make him popular overnight, but it would get him more respect among the people.
Sighing, the teenager tore through the plastic and commenced eating. Chewing slowly, he glanced upwards at the solid black ceiling. Beyond that barrier, there was no visible moon in the sky. He would turn human that night, just like on every other new moon.
Wasn't there anything he could do tonight?
He hated being trapped indoors, and normally spent as much time as he could outside. Whether it was exploring the city or just sitting in one of the regulated park areas, Inuyasha spent every minute outdoors that he could. Most of that time was now spent trying to figure out the mystery of the barrier.
The boy's expression suddenly turned thoughtful.
The barrier.
It was obviously the barrier that kept the two Divisions apart. It couldn't be the city grounds itself, since Inuyasha had never experienced any ill effects on the night of the new moon. The only thing that prevented one species from meeting the other was that divider that was designed to keep them apart. If one could overcome that divider, then there would be nothing stopping them from exploring…
And to get past the barrier… it wasn't impossible. He was living proof of that fact. But… how could one cross it…?
A slow smirk worked its way onto Inuyasha's face as he finished off his sandwich. Crushing the wrapping into a small ball, he tossed it into a nearby trash can. He walked out of the cafeteria towards his next class as plans started forming in his head.
Maybe the new moon wasn't as bad as he'd thought…
New Tokyo, Human Division, Sector 118
Kagome trudged down the hallway, glad that the school day had finally ended. After the questioning period during lunch, Eri and Yuka had decided that a 'girl's night out' was exactly what Kagome had needed. All through class, they had shot Kagome and Ayumi excited little glances. Kagome herself hadn't gotten into the idea; the events of two day's past still haunting her, and had only smiled half-heartedly.
Ayumi, however, had gotten more into the idea, and agreed with the others that it probably was a good idea for them to go out more often.
Giving explicit instructions for her to be ready by 4:00, the trio had hurried off the Student Settlement as soon as school had ended, leaving Kagome to gather her scattered wits, and also her extra homework. The picture of her assigned counterpart was in its envelop with the information at the bottom of her backpack. She'd deal with him once she met him.
Sighing, the girl slipped her personal identification card through one of the attendance slots and stepped though the doors. Her bag was a little heavier than usual with the extra work she'd have to do. It was amazing how much one could miss in just one short day. Luckily, one Day Seven, there was no school, meaning that she had an entire day to finished the assigned homework.
Starting off towards her Student Settlement, Kagome glanced upwards at the blue sky.
It was so different from that day… just two days ago. Shuddering as the memories of the Fire filled her mind, Kagome stopped and squeezed her eyes shut. Most of the time, whenever she'd had a problem, she'd be able to tell somebody, and sharing the information made it a lot easier to deal with.
But if she were to tell anybody of what she'd witnessed…
It wasn't an option.
Kagome couldn't even tell her closest friends, and that made her feel more alone than ever. Ever since she had met them, they had shared their deepest secrets, but she couldn't tell them of this one for fear of her own life. Grasping the necklace she wore, the girl gathered comfort from the warmth from the medallion. It was a relic from that Fire, and it helped to anchor her to reality, and not to be swept up into her nightmares.
So absorbed in her thoughts was the teenager, that she didn't hear the shouts of her name until they had gotten much closer.
"Kagome-san! Kagome-san!"
The aforementioned girl turned around in surprise, hand dropping down to her side. What greeted her eyes was a running boy with short brown hair, and kind eyes. He was certainly handsome, if not a little… wimpy looking.
"Houjo-kun!"
Yes, indeed, this was the famous Houjo who had harboured a crush on Kagome since the day they had met. He quickly ran up to her, and smiled, running a hand through his hair. It was too bad that his hopes would soon be squashed upon learning that her counterpart was not him…
"Kagome-san! I heard you were sick yesterday, and couldn't attend school," his expression was that of complete and utter concern, "So, I decided to get you something special with some of my student credits!"
With a boyishly happy countenance, he presented a nicely packaged bundle. Kagome gasped and smiled truthfully at the boy. The students were only allowed a few hundred credits for their entire student career entitled for special needs. For Houjo to have spent some of his on her…
If left her feeling more than a little guilty.
"Oh Houjo-kun, thank you but you shouldn't have…"
He grinned, and ran another hand nervously through his hair. "No, it's okay. I… I just hope that it'll help you recover! See ya, Kagome-san!"
With those words, he turned, and ran back the way he had come, leaving the girl with a present in her hands, feeling more than a little dazed.
She waved at the retreating back. "Bye…?"
Looking back at the present, the teenager carefully un-wrapped it, revealing a small set of candles. She brought the labels up to eye level.
"Aroma Therapy?"
She carefully smelled the candles, and a soft smile came to her face. Lavender. He'd remembered. Lavender was her favourite flower, and Houjo had bought her scented candles to help with her 'illness'. While she may not have had any romantic feelings towards him, Kagome certainly counted the boy as one of her good friends.
Now if he would only figure that out…
But she didn't have the heart to burst his bubble just yet. Maybe when he too, was assigned a partner, the blow would fall more softly?
Mindfully placing the gift into her bag, Kagome started off towards home, a new smile on her face.
Suddenly, the planned trip didn't look so bad after all…
New Tokyo, Demon Division, Sector 118
Inuyasha dashed out of school as usual, and headed towards his Student Settlement. However, upon dropping his things off in his room, he didn't take off immediately, like other days. He stayed there, more than a little anxious about what he was going to attempt.
And what exactly was he planning…?
To finally cross the divider.
To explore the Human Division.
How?
By utilising his human phase.
Through his logic reasoning, the only reason why demons were repelled from the barrier was because they had no human blood in them. The opposite was true for the human side. He believed that because he would be completely human, he'd be able to get through whatever device maintained the divider, and would be able to see the Human Division firsthand.
But then again, he'd never been one to take advantage of his brainpower.
Inuyasha had always been more of a… physical person than anything. He never really planned anything, preferring to carry them out, and then move on from there.
Which was why he hadn't thought about how he would return to the Demon Division through the barrier…
He'd cross that when he came to it.
He also didn't think about the clothing issues. Or the identification issues.
In fact, the only thing the hanyou had really thought about was how to cross the border. He'd improvise from there.
Glancing out of the small window, the hanyou watched as the sun slowly began to sink lower into the sky.
Quickly exiting his room, he ran out of the student settlement, intent on reaching the divider before he turned human. It would be less risky if he were already there when the sun set, and didn't have to travel through the streets. This way, it would be harder for the demons to find his human scent. Even if Inuyasha didn't like to hide, he wasn't stupid.
…
Most of the time…
When the boy had finally reached the Division limits, the sun had sunk almost completely below the horizon. Trying to calm his rapidly beating heart, he took in several deep breaths. Glancing west, he watched as the last of the sun's rays disappeared.
And with them, so did his demonic powers.
Eyes closed, Inuyasha winced at the subtle twinges of pain as some of his body features changed. His white dog-ears shrunk, and moulded into smaller, flesh toned ones that moved to the side of his head. His fangs were dulled, and his claws were considerably shorter. If one were to witness the transformation, they would say that it were as if ink had been spilled over the hanyou's head, as his hair turned from silvery-white to ebony black.
Opening his eyes, the hanyou-turned-human knew without needing his small mirror, that the once amber orbs were of a lavender colour.
Whipping his head this way and that, Inuyasha carefully inspected the area for any witnesses of the transformation. Even with his dulled eyesight and hearing, he could tell that nobody had been in the vicinity- he had chosen a more isolated region, after all.
Cracking his knuckles, the boy let out a breath and took a step towards the strip of grass.
Step by step, he advanced the divider until he paused directly behind it.
Bringing up his hand, he barely noted that it was shaking, before slipping it into the air before him.
His body tensed, expecting a reaction. The teenager turned his head away, features scrunched up in anticipation.
Nothing.
Bringing the hand back, he examined it, and found nothing different. Snorting softly at his weakness, he dropped the hand to his side, and rolled his shoulders.
Well, it was now or never.
Taking in another deep breath, he hopped on the balls of his feet.
'That's it. You've got nothing to lose. Go for it.'
Squeezing his eyes shut, Inuyasha took a step into the divider.
In response to:
--Ayu-tateishi:
Yes, there should be Sess/Rin in this story for character development and all that jazz.
At least… that's what's planned…
[So, Inuyasha has finally worked out a way to cross the barrier! (What a smart boy he is!)
Will it work? Only time will tell.
They'll meet soon… I promise! I really do!
And as for the Mir/Kag thing? Have I ever mentioned that this fic's going to be Inu/Kag?
Please don't hurt me. .]