Ch. 10

me: I'm going to start answering reviewers questions!

DarklessVasion: Midori isn't necessarily 'perky' but more... hidden, like Sango was. She uses humor and sarcasm to keep people from getting close to her, and she tries to make herself look tougher than she actually is, much like the 'other' Sango. XD She isn't going to let herself think about anything like that, lest she look weak to the others. The thing that I was going for is the fact that, while Kagome is Kikyo's reincarnation, the two are polar opposites. Granted, Kagome didn't have Kikyo's memories... but such is the beauty of fanfiction, ne?

Boom CANADA: Okay, okay, the chapter's up!

Captured Moon: guys in fruity purple dresses... Great mental pictures!

Inu-Babe666: Thanks!

Inu Faceness: No, his hand isn't really forced down... more like he's being pulled to the floor, but Ryu had a reflex to slam his hand down on the bed before his face hit the floor. It's basically a condensed version of osuwari... XDDD

Danno123: Of course!

"InuYasha? I'm sorry, Fujishima-san, but that is quite absurd..." Hikaru said softly, brushing his blue-black hair off his face. "InuYasha is a legendary demon who resided in the feudal era of Japan. At least, according to my book."

"Half demon..." Ryu said, arching an eyebrow. Midori snorted. Hikaru shrugged and returned to his book.

"So... you are InuYasha.... really?" Kagome asked quietly. Ryu cocked his head.

"I dunno... maybe?"

"Make that; yes, definitely." Countered Midori. "The whole 'sit' thing was just way too obvious." Kagome sat down heavily on her bed, resting her head in her arms. Midori was at her side in an instant. "Kagome-chan... is something wrong?"

"I could handle you, Sango... but to have InuYasha here... it's just not... right?" Kagome questioned, resting her head against a pillow. Ryu smirked.

"Is it too much for you to comprehend?"

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"And if I am?"

"Well... then..." Kagome's face flamed. "Just shut up, Ryu!"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh..." Ryu sat back down onto his bed and moved his backpack up to his lap. After five minutes of awkward silence, he made a strange noise. "Hikaru-kun..."

"Yes?" Hikaru glanced up from his book.

"Uh... n-nothing..." Ryu cast a meaningful look at Kagome and Midori. "Look, I have to go help the kitchen get ready for breakfast tomorrow... do you guys want to come?"

"Why would we want to-"

"Sure, we'll come..." Midori interrupted Kagome with a quick wave of her hand. "C'mon Kagome-chan, let's go."

"But.. I don't..."

"Come ON!" Midori grabbed Kagome by the collar of her shirt and jerked her into the hall, Ryu following close behind. "I think Ryu has got some stuff to tell us."

"Well then..." Kagome said softly. "Go right ahead." The three began their trek to the kitchen.

"I'm not gonna waste my time telling you about all the memories I remembered..." Ryu said, a slight blush creeping onto his face. Midori grinned slyly.

"But what I will tell you," Ryu continued. "Is that I think I know who Miroku is..."

Midori's grin slid right off. "Houshi-sama?? Are you serious??" Kagome saw her friend turn white.

"Let's put it this way..." Ryu stopped short and pointed back to their room. "Room seventeen, right? Kagome was in room seventeen, Sango was in room seventeen and so was I. There's one more person in room seventeen... is there any reason we should believe he's not Miroku?"

"Ugh!!" Midori took a step back. "That nerd couldn't be Miroku if he tried!"

Kagome laughed in spite of herself. "Ah, come on Midori-chan..."

"Seriously though... I could see Ryu being InuYasha, but there is no way that bookworm could ever be Miroku..."

"Heh..." Ryu opened his mouth to say more, but a dark figure emerged from room twelve and stopped the three in their tracks.

"What are you three doing at this time of night?" Nayamo asked, his eyes aflame. "You should be in your rooms! I told Katsuya to lock the doors, dammit!!"

"Well... I...." Ryu stuttered. Kagome took one look at his face and realized the statement about having to help in the kitchens was a lie.

"Go back into your rooms, and stay there this time! For God's sake, do you want to end up in therapy??"

"Nayamo-san... what's wrong?" Katsuya emerged from the room next door, a confused look on her face.

"What's wrong is the fact that I told you to lock room seventeen, and you didn't! Tell me, Katsuya, why is it that every other room is locked?! Are you really that stupid??"

"No..." Katsuya cast a furtive glance at Kagome, who stepped back in surprise.

"Then why the hell didn't you?! Goddammit Katsuya, if you weren't my daughter, I would murder you! Keep acting like this and I just might! Didn't that shock therapy session I gave you last week do anything for your tiny little brain?" Nayamo cursed under his breath.

"You gave Katsuya-san shock therapy?" Midori asked, repulsed. "Your own daughter?"

"Blood means nothing. I don't give a damn as long as she keeps this place running!"

"Nayamo-san... I'll put these patients back in their rooms right away... please don't trouble yourself..." A sickly sweet grin spread over Katsuya's face, and she grabbed Ryu by the arm. "Get your ass moving!"

"I'm goin', I'm goin'..." Ryu muttered, jerking his arm away. The four walked back to room seventeen in defeated silence. When they reached the room, Katsuya opened the door and roughly pushed Midori and Ryu in, much to their distaste. She shut the door and looked at Kagome.

"So, you're Kagome-san?" She said quietly. Kagome nodded.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because..." Katsuya pushed her bangs out of her face. "Ah, I don't know. But I'm guessing..."

"Guessing what?"

"Nayamo's practically a mastermind at this sort of thing. He's had a lot of glitches in his electroshock therapies... but he never got fully shocked, just tiny sparks. But it was enough..." Katsuya said meaningfully.

"Enough for what??" Kagome could hear Ryu and Midori yelling at each other inside the room.

"Enough to make him remember... small things..." She narrowed her eyes. "Come now, you aren't that stupid, are you? You, Midori, Ryu and Hikaru, all in the same room? Any fool could see..."

"See what?"

Katsuya sighed. "You don't get it... I don't want to say this plainly for you... it could wind me up in a lot of trouble...let's put it this way, Kagome-chan... who do you know who would be out to get you?"

"No one... I'm not in a gang or anything, if that's what you're playing at..."

"Of course not, you moron! Think... feudalism?"

"What the hell!" Kagome shrieked loudly. Ryu and Midori stopped their arguing at the sound of her voice.

"Ah... seems I've hit the jackpot..." Katsuya smirked. "I'm not on your side. Don't even think about it. I support Nayamo-san all the way. Well... most of the way...maybe, half the way... one fourth of the way... heh. Anyways, it's something to think about, hm? There's myself, who has been in shock therapy once, there's Alisa, who has never been in at all, and there's Nayamo, with minor glitches. Three people. Come now, you aren't truly that stupid?"

"Katsuya... why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'd like to see this place shut down." Katsuya's eyes filled with sadness. "Did you know that we live here? Me, Nayamo and Alisa? I'm only a few years older than you and I live in an mental house. Can you imagine how that feels? Most kids wake up to the sound of an alarm clock? I wake up to the sound of screaming. Oh yes, that's the first thing I want to hear in the morning."

Kagome shut her eyes tightly and dropped to her knees. Katsuya observed her with mild concern. "What's wrong now?"

"I can't handle all this! You were all dead! I can't handle this!! You're telling me Naraku is out there, somewhere, and-"

"Have you not been listening to me at all?!" Katsuya's voice teemed with rage. "Naraku isn't 'out there' he's here! In here!! Naraku is Nayamo, you little dumbass! Get your act together! Do I have to spell all this out for you? Did you not notice Alisa's hair color? Hello, it's white! Is that familiar to you, hm?? White hair! Lives in here with her sister? If I knew you were this stupid, I wouldn't have spent all my past life trying to come up with plans to kill you!" Katsuya fell silent after her outburst, and Ryu could be heard yelling at Hikaru, who was, surprisingly, yelling back.

"That's a nice thought." Kagome said dryly. She picked herself up from the floor and shakily rested her hand on the knob.

"Well, good night!" Katsuya said sarcastically. "Turn over a new leaf and think about this, 'kay?"

"... all right..."

Katsuya turned to go down the hall, her long braid swishing as she walked. Kagome began to turn the door handle, then as a last resort, turned and yelled one name down the hall.

"Kagura?"

Katsuya whirled around in fear. When she realized it was Kagome calling her name, she relaxed, shrugged, and went on her way, a smile playing faintly on her lips. Kagome smiled as well and turned the knob. As she did so, a crash and a sound much like an electric shortage sounded out. Midori's screams followed it. Kagome's eyes widened. She had never heard Midori scream this much, so loudly. Midori's voice came again, a slightly hysterical note to it.

"Oh my God! Ryu, you jackass! You killed Hikaru!!!"