Disclaimer: I wish that I owned Inuyasha and all the characters in the
show, but I don't...crying in the background. Ah well...I'm glad that the
people that own them share them with us! Enjoy the story!
"Alright, class, take your seats so that I can begin roll call." Waiting until everyone was seated, the teacher began to call out names. He went down the entire list, most of the students becoming bored by the time he was finished.
"Now, let's begin," he said. "We were studying about youkai the last time we were in class. Last week, you were assigned to read the first five chapters in your books. Higarashi-san, please tell us what you learned."
Higarashi Kagome stood, biting her lip in concentration. What was it that she had read? She had at least read the assignment, but it had been by a scientist which made it difficult to understand.
"Um," she stared uncertainly. "Hundreds of years ago there were creatures called youkai that roamed around. They ravaged villages, killed people, and fought with each other. They were rampant throughout all of Japan and the rest of the world, especially during the feudal era. Priestesses and holy men were trained to fight them, but they were really too strong for them. Um..." she trailed off, trying to remember what else it was she had read. "That's it."
The teacher nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. Seeing his sign of approval, she quickly took her seat again. Her friend, Takahashi Mai, looked over at her from the desk next to her and gave a smile and thumbs up. Higarashi smiled back, turning her attention back to the teacher who was now speaking again.
"...and yes, they did attack villages. Many humans lost their lives to these monsters who took little regard for any life but their own. They didn't even respect the lives of the others of their kind. Of course, there were many different species of demon. There were fox demons, thunder demons, snake demons, and on, and on. But, you may ask, where are they now? After the feudal era had come to a close, people decided that they enjoyed the peace they experienced with others and that they wanted peace in every aspect of their lives. So, they banded together and fought against the demons. At the end of the long battles, all the youkai had either been killed or had secluded themselves from the human world. That is why many believe that these stories are only fairy tales: because they are simply not seen anymore. But, they are not just myths. The man that wrote the book you have been reading has a research facility here in Tokyo where he researches youkai - live youkai." Many gasps could be heard from across the room, and a cocky smile crossed the sensai's features. "We will be visiting Dr. Mochizuki's facility after we finish reading his book. So, that said, start reading. I want you all to be finished with it by the end of this week. We will discuss what you have read and then read during class for the rest of the week." With that, Katori-sensai turned and sat down at his desk, motioning for them all to get out their books and begin reading.
Higarashi was shocked. Real, live youkai? They were going to the research lab where they were kept? This was beginning to get scary, but at the same time exciting. She quickly opened her book and began her assignment.
The week passed quickly. Kagome's mother had been surprised at her teacher's choice of destination, but made no move to disable her from going. And so, the day came when Higarashi's honors history class was loaded onto a bus and taken to the laboratory.
Upon reaching their destination, they all filed into the facility to be given a tour. Everything was metal - the walls, the doors, everything. And it was all so clean that it reminded Kagome of a hospital. The men and women running around in lab coats just added to this thought.
Finally, they were taken to Dr. Mochizuki's main lab room. The students and teacher found spots to stand or lean around the room and the scientist cleared his voice to begin his lecture.
"Thank you all for coming," he said. "You teacher has told me that you are all grasping the history of demons quite well. I am impressed that you understood my book, many people don't. You must be wondering why, after all this talk, you have not seen any demons. You have after all toured the entire building, and yet none of you have even caught a glimpse of one. Well, the truth is that they are very dangerous. The entire building had to be carefully constructed so as to withstand their attempts at escape or their attacks. They are wild animals and must be taken seriously. There are, however, a few relatively harmless ones. You will be seeing one of them on your next visit. Right now, though, I would like to discuss with you what we have learned about some of our favorite subjects.
"There are two of them. We are not sure why, but most demons that are brought here do not live more than two or three years. One of these, however, lived for thirty-seven years here before escaping last year while the other has remained with us for ten. They are quite spirited and uneasily tamed. When we ran DNA tests on them, we found that they nearly matched. One of them, however, seems to have some human blood in it. We're not sure what their relationship is because youkai blood differs from our own, but if we were to guess we would say that they are half-brothers or cousins.
"Their ages are unclear, but the full demon is obviously older than the other. They are both extremely dangerous, and the one still with us must be kept sedated and bound at all times, otherwise it could attack us. If they were to be freed onto the streets, they would undoubtedly wreak havoc on the city and Japan in general, which is why a search for the escaped demon has been going on ever since it left."
The man then went on to talk about the different creatures that were studied there at the facility, droning on for about a half-hour. Although it got rather boring at times, Kagome was completely interested. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the first two demons he had talked about. Could they really be that powerful? Would they get to see them? Surely they were more like what demons would have been like back in the Warring States Period. They would be interesting to learn about.
After the doctor finished his lecture, the students were sent back to school, a few groans being heard from those that were not looking forward to their next classes. Their high school was not an easy one, even compared to the tough schools of Tokyo; and these students were at the top of their class.
Throughout the next couple of weeks, Higarashi's class continued their lessons and visits to the lab. They were shown a few of the smaller, less powerful demons. Oo's and ah's abounded when the creatures were brought into the room. They were even allowed to touch them. It was exciting for these students who, until a few weeks ago, never knew that these creatures even existed.
On their fifth or sixth visit, Dr. Mochizuki informed them that he had a surprise in store for them. They left his examination room in which he had held all of his lectures and demonstrations and went down the halls to a secure room. The room was larger than the one they had been in, and chairs were lined up along one side for them to sit in.
They all took their seats, Mai and Kagome sitting next to each other on the front row, as the doctor began talking again.
"Alright, as I said we have a surprise for you today. I know that you have been hoping that the lower-level demons were not the only ones you were going to be able to see. In a few moments, one of the more powerful creatures will be brought in here. Please, do not be alarmed; safety measures have been taken," he said hastily, seeing the suddenly tense expressions on the students' faces. "The youkai has been...disciplined lately, and so will not be at its full strength. Also, it will be bound with chains; and our security guards will be present in the room if anything needs to be done."
Before he had a chance to say anything more, those in the room heard the sounds of the locks at the door clicking and the door itself being opened. A couple of the mentioned guards came in, chains in their hands and seeming to be half dragging something through the door. The students watched in interest as a figure in red was thrown into the room, falling to the floor. Two more guards filed in after it and shut the door securely behind them.
The demon had been muzzled, at least as well as it could be with its human like mouth. Turning its head toward the students, it stopped when it caught sight of the scientist. Its eyes narrowed and it pulled against its chains, a low, deadly growl emanating from deep within its throat.
Kagome gasped when she saw the youkai. It had apparently been "disciplined" nearly to death. Blood dripped from every visible point on its body, and its already red clothes were turned dark with blood. Its breathing was haggard, and it winced with every move; they had obviously broken quite a few bones as well. She struggled to keep her composure and stay in her seat as one of the guards kicked it in its already battered side, quieting its growling.
The scientist looked smugly down at the youkai before continuing with his discussion.
"I'm sure that most of you remember me talking about our two favorite demons. Apparently, since this one is still with us, it is the younger of the two. It is the one that somehow has a small amount of human blood in it and therefore is not quite as dangerous as the other. Now, if any of you have questions, I will answer them."
"Why is it in that condition?" one of the girls asked.
Dr. Mochizuki smirked. "Because it was not obeying. It kept trying to break its door down and to attack the guards. This is the method that we use to keep these creatures under control."
"Are those ears real? Do they really work?" another of the students asked, indicating the conspicuous dog ears on top of the demon's silver head.
"Yes, they are real and they do work quite well. This creature along with the older one have hearing that is many times greater than that of dogs, and their sense of smell is also at an extremely high level."
After saying this, the doctor moved toward the demon, which was backed against the wall, holding its crushed ribs. Stopping directly in front of it, he waiting for it to move its gaze up to look at him.
"Stand, youkai," he commanded, snapping his fingers as if it really were a dog. This earned him another growl from the beast, which in turn earned it a kick across its jaw. It stayed in its position, thrown against the side wall, after this, not even bothering to continue growling.
"Stand it up and bring it over here," Mochizuki ordered the guards as he walked over to stand before the students. The guards complied, a little to willingly. Grabbing it by the arms and pulling it roughly to its feet, they dragged it across the room to were the scientist was standing. He then reach up and yanked its silver hair, forcing the creature to lean down.
"Here, touch them if you want. Go ahead; they're actually quite soft," the man said to the student. The girl looked contemplatingly at the youkai. Its full head of long silver hair was tangled and had blood and dirt mixed in it, but those ears were very tempting. Cautiously she reached out and touched one of its ears.
Smiling, she said, "They are soft." She giggled as she continued to rub the ear, taking the other in her free hand. The scientist motioned for the rest of the students to mess with the demon's ears as well, which they did.
Kagome leaned forward in her seat, under those who had reached from the back rows. Reaching a tentative hand up towards the creature's head, she suddenly stopped. Its eyes were closed tightly, its hands clenched into fists as it endured all the hands on its head. Slowly, it opened its eyes to look directly into hers. They were filled with confusion and pain...so much pain. Their eyes locked for a moment, Kagome feeling as if she could see directly into the creature's soul. But youkai didn't have souls did they? They were just animals with no emotion except the desire to kill, just like the doctor said. The moment was shattered when the scientist spoke again.
"Alright, that should be enough. We don't want him to attack any of you." So saying, he roughly threw the creature back across the room. "Other questions?" he asked, smiling at the students.
"Why do the guards have that sword? It's not to discipline the youkai is it?" a worried Higarashi asked.
"No, it is not for disciplinary purposes. Actually, it is used to control the demon; but we do not use it on it. The creature had the sword with it when we found. We're not sure why. These monsters are not intelligent enough to be able to weld a sword, and the weapon is in terrible condition. However, when we took it away from the demon, it seemed to go mad. Its human blood disappeared and its youkai power came to its peek. We still do not fully understand it, but when the sword is near it the youkai is kept under control."
Here the doctor paused, waiting for another question. When no one spoke up, he spoke again. "Are there any more questions before we move on?"
The students voiced a few more questions, which were answered by the good doctor; then they filed out of the room. Kagome followed the rest of the students out, her mind mulling over what she had seen. A pair of golden eyes watched her as she walked out the door.
AN: So, what do you think? I'm just setting things up here and in the next couple of chapters, so its a little slow at the moment. But its a necessity at the moment ;) Things will get better as I work details out. Anyway, please review! I'll update (as quickly as I can with church...school... projects...you get the idea, right?) for whoever reads!
"Alright, class, take your seats so that I can begin roll call." Waiting until everyone was seated, the teacher began to call out names. He went down the entire list, most of the students becoming bored by the time he was finished.
"Now, let's begin," he said. "We were studying about youkai the last time we were in class. Last week, you were assigned to read the first five chapters in your books. Higarashi-san, please tell us what you learned."
Higarashi Kagome stood, biting her lip in concentration. What was it that she had read? She had at least read the assignment, but it had been by a scientist which made it difficult to understand.
"Um," she stared uncertainly. "Hundreds of years ago there were creatures called youkai that roamed around. They ravaged villages, killed people, and fought with each other. They were rampant throughout all of Japan and the rest of the world, especially during the feudal era. Priestesses and holy men were trained to fight them, but they were really too strong for them. Um..." she trailed off, trying to remember what else it was she had read. "That's it."
The teacher nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. Seeing his sign of approval, she quickly took her seat again. Her friend, Takahashi Mai, looked over at her from the desk next to her and gave a smile and thumbs up. Higarashi smiled back, turning her attention back to the teacher who was now speaking again.
"...and yes, they did attack villages. Many humans lost their lives to these monsters who took little regard for any life but their own. They didn't even respect the lives of the others of their kind. Of course, there were many different species of demon. There were fox demons, thunder demons, snake demons, and on, and on. But, you may ask, where are they now? After the feudal era had come to a close, people decided that they enjoyed the peace they experienced with others and that they wanted peace in every aspect of their lives. So, they banded together and fought against the demons. At the end of the long battles, all the youkai had either been killed or had secluded themselves from the human world. That is why many believe that these stories are only fairy tales: because they are simply not seen anymore. But, they are not just myths. The man that wrote the book you have been reading has a research facility here in Tokyo where he researches youkai - live youkai." Many gasps could be heard from across the room, and a cocky smile crossed the sensai's features. "We will be visiting Dr. Mochizuki's facility after we finish reading his book. So, that said, start reading. I want you all to be finished with it by the end of this week. We will discuss what you have read and then read during class for the rest of the week." With that, Katori-sensai turned and sat down at his desk, motioning for them all to get out their books and begin reading.
Higarashi was shocked. Real, live youkai? They were going to the research lab where they were kept? This was beginning to get scary, but at the same time exciting. She quickly opened her book and began her assignment.
The week passed quickly. Kagome's mother had been surprised at her teacher's choice of destination, but made no move to disable her from going. And so, the day came when Higarashi's honors history class was loaded onto a bus and taken to the laboratory.
Upon reaching their destination, they all filed into the facility to be given a tour. Everything was metal - the walls, the doors, everything. And it was all so clean that it reminded Kagome of a hospital. The men and women running around in lab coats just added to this thought.
Finally, they were taken to Dr. Mochizuki's main lab room. The students and teacher found spots to stand or lean around the room and the scientist cleared his voice to begin his lecture.
"Thank you all for coming," he said. "You teacher has told me that you are all grasping the history of demons quite well. I am impressed that you understood my book, many people don't. You must be wondering why, after all this talk, you have not seen any demons. You have after all toured the entire building, and yet none of you have even caught a glimpse of one. Well, the truth is that they are very dangerous. The entire building had to be carefully constructed so as to withstand their attempts at escape or their attacks. They are wild animals and must be taken seriously. There are, however, a few relatively harmless ones. You will be seeing one of them on your next visit. Right now, though, I would like to discuss with you what we have learned about some of our favorite subjects.
"There are two of them. We are not sure why, but most demons that are brought here do not live more than two or three years. One of these, however, lived for thirty-seven years here before escaping last year while the other has remained with us for ten. They are quite spirited and uneasily tamed. When we ran DNA tests on them, we found that they nearly matched. One of them, however, seems to have some human blood in it. We're not sure what their relationship is because youkai blood differs from our own, but if we were to guess we would say that they are half-brothers or cousins.
"Their ages are unclear, but the full demon is obviously older than the other. They are both extremely dangerous, and the one still with us must be kept sedated and bound at all times, otherwise it could attack us. If they were to be freed onto the streets, they would undoubtedly wreak havoc on the city and Japan in general, which is why a search for the escaped demon has been going on ever since it left."
The man then went on to talk about the different creatures that were studied there at the facility, droning on for about a half-hour. Although it got rather boring at times, Kagome was completely interested. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the first two demons he had talked about. Could they really be that powerful? Would they get to see them? Surely they were more like what demons would have been like back in the Warring States Period. They would be interesting to learn about.
After the doctor finished his lecture, the students were sent back to school, a few groans being heard from those that were not looking forward to their next classes. Their high school was not an easy one, even compared to the tough schools of Tokyo; and these students were at the top of their class.
Throughout the next couple of weeks, Higarashi's class continued their lessons and visits to the lab. They were shown a few of the smaller, less powerful demons. Oo's and ah's abounded when the creatures were brought into the room. They were even allowed to touch them. It was exciting for these students who, until a few weeks ago, never knew that these creatures even existed.
On their fifth or sixth visit, Dr. Mochizuki informed them that he had a surprise in store for them. They left his examination room in which he had held all of his lectures and demonstrations and went down the halls to a secure room. The room was larger than the one they had been in, and chairs were lined up along one side for them to sit in.
They all took their seats, Mai and Kagome sitting next to each other on the front row, as the doctor began talking again.
"Alright, as I said we have a surprise for you today. I know that you have been hoping that the lower-level demons were not the only ones you were going to be able to see. In a few moments, one of the more powerful creatures will be brought in here. Please, do not be alarmed; safety measures have been taken," he said hastily, seeing the suddenly tense expressions on the students' faces. "The youkai has been...disciplined lately, and so will not be at its full strength. Also, it will be bound with chains; and our security guards will be present in the room if anything needs to be done."
Before he had a chance to say anything more, those in the room heard the sounds of the locks at the door clicking and the door itself being opened. A couple of the mentioned guards came in, chains in their hands and seeming to be half dragging something through the door. The students watched in interest as a figure in red was thrown into the room, falling to the floor. Two more guards filed in after it and shut the door securely behind them.
The demon had been muzzled, at least as well as it could be with its human like mouth. Turning its head toward the students, it stopped when it caught sight of the scientist. Its eyes narrowed and it pulled against its chains, a low, deadly growl emanating from deep within its throat.
Kagome gasped when she saw the youkai. It had apparently been "disciplined" nearly to death. Blood dripped from every visible point on its body, and its already red clothes were turned dark with blood. Its breathing was haggard, and it winced with every move; they had obviously broken quite a few bones as well. She struggled to keep her composure and stay in her seat as one of the guards kicked it in its already battered side, quieting its growling.
The scientist looked smugly down at the youkai before continuing with his discussion.
"I'm sure that most of you remember me talking about our two favorite demons. Apparently, since this one is still with us, it is the younger of the two. It is the one that somehow has a small amount of human blood in it and therefore is not quite as dangerous as the other. Now, if any of you have questions, I will answer them."
"Why is it in that condition?" one of the girls asked.
Dr. Mochizuki smirked. "Because it was not obeying. It kept trying to break its door down and to attack the guards. This is the method that we use to keep these creatures under control."
"Are those ears real? Do they really work?" another of the students asked, indicating the conspicuous dog ears on top of the demon's silver head.
"Yes, they are real and they do work quite well. This creature along with the older one have hearing that is many times greater than that of dogs, and their sense of smell is also at an extremely high level."
After saying this, the doctor moved toward the demon, which was backed against the wall, holding its crushed ribs. Stopping directly in front of it, he waiting for it to move its gaze up to look at him.
"Stand, youkai," he commanded, snapping his fingers as if it really were a dog. This earned him another growl from the beast, which in turn earned it a kick across its jaw. It stayed in its position, thrown against the side wall, after this, not even bothering to continue growling.
"Stand it up and bring it over here," Mochizuki ordered the guards as he walked over to stand before the students. The guards complied, a little to willingly. Grabbing it by the arms and pulling it roughly to its feet, they dragged it across the room to were the scientist was standing. He then reach up and yanked its silver hair, forcing the creature to lean down.
"Here, touch them if you want. Go ahead; they're actually quite soft," the man said to the student. The girl looked contemplatingly at the youkai. Its full head of long silver hair was tangled and had blood and dirt mixed in it, but those ears were very tempting. Cautiously she reached out and touched one of its ears.
Smiling, she said, "They are soft." She giggled as she continued to rub the ear, taking the other in her free hand. The scientist motioned for the rest of the students to mess with the demon's ears as well, which they did.
Kagome leaned forward in her seat, under those who had reached from the back rows. Reaching a tentative hand up towards the creature's head, she suddenly stopped. Its eyes were closed tightly, its hands clenched into fists as it endured all the hands on its head. Slowly, it opened its eyes to look directly into hers. They were filled with confusion and pain...so much pain. Their eyes locked for a moment, Kagome feeling as if she could see directly into the creature's soul. But youkai didn't have souls did they? They were just animals with no emotion except the desire to kill, just like the doctor said. The moment was shattered when the scientist spoke again.
"Alright, that should be enough. We don't want him to attack any of you." So saying, he roughly threw the creature back across the room. "Other questions?" he asked, smiling at the students.
"Why do the guards have that sword? It's not to discipline the youkai is it?" a worried Higarashi asked.
"No, it is not for disciplinary purposes. Actually, it is used to control the demon; but we do not use it on it. The creature had the sword with it when we found. We're not sure why. These monsters are not intelligent enough to be able to weld a sword, and the weapon is in terrible condition. However, when we took it away from the demon, it seemed to go mad. Its human blood disappeared and its youkai power came to its peek. We still do not fully understand it, but when the sword is near it the youkai is kept under control."
Here the doctor paused, waiting for another question. When no one spoke up, he spoke again. "Are there any more questions before we move on?"
The students voiced a few more questions, which were answered by the good doctor; then they filed out of the room. Kagome followed the rest of the students out, her mind mulling over what she had seen. A pair of golden eyes watched her as she walked out the door.
AN: So, what do you think? I'm just setting things up here and in the next couple of chapters, so its a little slow at the moment. But its a necessity at the moment ;) Things will get better as I work details out. Anyway, please review! I'll update (as quickly as I can with church...school... projects...you get the idea, right?) for whoever reads!