Disclaimer: (Sesshomaru walks in) "Ss pie, I'm afraid I've got some bad news"
Ss pie: "What is it?"
Sesshomaru: "You have a bad case of writer's block and it's only the 5th chapter."
Ss pie: "Noooooooooooo!...Wait. I knew that…Besides, if I had anything to write I wouldn't have had the time. I was so busy. (sorry guys) I blame education for taking up 95 of my free time… (oh! And thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou for all the reviews!) (drops to the floor and starts hugging her reader's legs) I love you!"
Sesshomaru: "Wait. There's more."
Ss pie: "Uh -oh. Tell me."
Sesshomaru: "You don't own Inuyasha."
Ss pie: "Noooo!"
Sesshomaru: "But I have good news."
Ss pie, wiping off her tears: "Yes Sesshy?"
Sesshomaru: "I've just saved a bunch of money on my dragon insurance by switching to Jaken."
Ss pie: "What the--"
Ah Un: "Beep beep!"
Jaken: "I do NOT look like a Gecco!"
Rin: "'Jaken'. A fifteen minute call could save you 15 percent or more on your dragon insurance."
Ss pie: "That's it. I've just been struck with inspiration!"
Last time on F. E. High:
Kagome and Len are the only new students this year, out of 21. Sure, they made it out alive on their first day of school, Kagome because she only had to duel Kikyo in an arching contest and Len, being against Naraku himself, had been saved by Kagome's sacred arrow. A feat that no one ever saw coming and she herself did not expect. Now that everyone knows her hidden powers, what will happen? Will she be able to control them? Just where is Naraku and what will he do? And can this school get any more ridiculous? Find out!
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Chapter 5: Enter the Band of Seven
Kagome looked into the horizon heroically atop the highest mountain top, the wind playing with her hair as she recalled her life in the school.
Ah, yes. It has been exactly one year since that fateful day. I had defeated Naraku, made a hero of myself, was loved by all and had been declared most popular in the school. My spiritual powers surfaced and was unrivaled by any and all. I am now known as Kagome, the enchanted priestess of the—
Her thoughts were cut off as a string of arrows flew through the air across the room, puncturing wooden targets in the background. The valley scene came out of view and a training room for archers took its place in Kagome's eyes. A young woman looked at her with her arms crossed in front of her chest, instructing her the ways of the weapon she was holding. "Yes, good job. Now hold it up just a bit more to the left…uh-huh…Now, stay focused on the middle ring. Yes, yes, that's it. Now bring your arrow up against your ear and…Now!"
Kagome's arrow shot from her grasp. Fling. It hit a bull's eye target in its very center. She remained in her shooting position just for a few seconds more, trying to saver her victory.After a second or two, she exclaimed, "Yes! I did it!"
"Not bad. Very good," her instructor commented. "This being your second day and already hiding the target, it being all the way about ten feet away from you, I'd say you were born to be a master archer."
Kagome sweat dropped. Surely her victory seemed more of a piece of dung than anything else to her tutor. She sighed. Yes, exactly one year has passed…I wish! A new set of arrows were shot in the background, tens of hundreds of students aiming for their targets. The tiny spears whizzing through the air gave the place its unique sound décor.
Kagome looked around the room. The other girls in her archery class were all professionals; compared to them, she was nothing. Their targets were hundreds of feet away from them and the least they could do was hit the second outer ring of the bull's eyes. Kagome had been practicing her shooting stance all morning along with one of the most experienced students of her arching class, the class's teacher not wanting to teach Kagome herself for that would be wasting her time on a mere rookie.
The new miko had done well working on her stance and, after no less than twenty shots, was able to finally hit the target at the very center. A feat she was proud of, yesterday being the first time she ever held a bow and arrow, after all. Her human student teacher seemed to help her out a lot, but Kagome could notice that after a while her impatience was growing tiresome. She could tell by her voice. It held a strong tone in it, just like Kikyo's whenever it was time to battle. This made Kagome uneasy, since its pitch got deeper every time she would miss a shot or ask too many questions. The tutor's eyes were rather freighting too, growing into a deep, black color whenever she would get frustrated at Kagome's lack of experience.
She thought to herself. Humph…You'll see…some day, I'll be the best archer anyone has ever seen!
Kagome was slowly getting used to her new surroundings. In just one day she had made friends with a perverted monk, a demon slayer, a childish teenager, a few demons including a wolf, a fox, two dogs and had made the fiercest spider hanyou of them all her biggest enemy. Pretty good, huh? She thought again. Not to mention being 'friends' with a principal and a priestess, which she hadn't seen in her arching class as of yet. In fact, she hadn't seen any one of her friends in the whole day. She thought that she'd meet Kikyo again at her archery class, but learned that each student was put in a class full of other students in their own rank in power; meaning Kikyo would be somewhere in an elite group, leaving Kagome with the cheap skates. So far though, she was the only one in the classroom that sucked at what she was supposed to do. She felt embarrassed, but knew it would only take time.
She sighed, missing the familiar faces she'd come to know from the day before. It's lonely not knowing anyone here and the ones I do know are off in their own 'Weapon Training' classes. I wish I could at least see them later on…
"Kagome."
She woke up from her daze and faced her tutor again. "What! Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about--"
"Kagome. Remember the first thing I told you? 'A true warrior never thinks before he acts. He just is'. There for, you still have much to learn. The day you understand this concept is the day you'll be ready to have a true fight."
Kagome was put down again. Surely everyone had seen her loose to Kikyo yesterday, but Kikyo was one of the best students in the school! How could she ever be compared to her? Besides, she did seem to defeat Naraku, another one of the toughest students. But today, just a day after, no one really seemed to care. In fact, they all treaded her like she was just a nobody, like none of that had ever happened.
"Here," her instructor exclaimed. "Take another set of arrows and continue practicing. I need to talk to some one at this moment. You stay here and I'll be right back. Remember, practice makes perfect. And by the way you're 'fighting' we may be able to move your target twenty feet away from you instead of just ten feet next time. Good luck." The young woman headed off somewhere and disappeared into the crowds, hundreds of young females in the middle of their target practices. More arrows were strung to bows and shot.
Kagome figured Miroku would have had a ball in here, seeing there were tons of girls and hardly enough boys in the room. Her teacher told her that archery was more like a female sport, so most of the students (mainly guys) would call it a 'wussy' sport. Kagome would have to become a great fighter if anyone was to cease in calling her a 'girl' at the game. Yes, this school was not only a big magnet for human-type discriminations, but for girl inequity as well. Being a female human was the worst thing that could happen to her there, indeed. She surely had her work cut out for her.
Kagome got into position again, this time her focus more upon her rage. Demons. Hah! Wait till you see what I'm made of! She shot her arrow again and it cut through the air in the same way as it always did, embarrassingly.
Fling. Another bull's eye. Kagome stared at the arrow and sighed. But it was an insignificant triumph, she thought.She would have to be better than that. Much better. Her target was ten feet in front of her, for crying out loud!
The pinned arrow in front of her was almost mocking her. Yesterday she had made a magnificent play. She had shot a perfect arrow at a moving target and had saved a girl from Naraku's attack. But now all of that seemed too remote for her to understand the significance of it.
I'm supposed to be of sacred blood? The phrase were unbelievable. Who would have ever known…? Kaede's words still flew inside her head. Was she really that powerful? If Kikyo was a priestess and had sacred powers like she was told, then did that make herself some sort of priestess after what she was able to do with her arrow? Not only that, but wasn't she supposed to hold incredible power within, just like kikyo?
I hope these guys don't get their hopes up on me. I've never really done anything that great before… She looked puzzled and yet somewhat sad as she brung her eyes to meet her feet.
I wonder what everyone else is doing right now…
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Inuyasha yelled at his half-brother furiously. "Yeah, so what are you looking at!" The daiyoukai just kept ignoring him, tucking his arms inside the sleeves of his white and red haori. He wore black, battle armor over it, a fur pelt hung over his right shoulder.
Inuyasha held up a clenched fist, the red sleeve of his own haori sliding off low. "Don't try that 'silent treatment' with me! I've known you my whole life and I know that you're just trying to piss me off!" Again, no response came from the other inu.
The hanoyu growled. "If you wanna say something say it to my face, you moron!" Sesshomaru wearily blinked, still gazing at nothing in particular, past his annoying brother's frame.
Inuyasha stomped a bare foot on the ground. "That's it! I've had it with you! I know you're thinking up of something whenever you keep quiet like that, so just spit it out already!"
Sesshomaru finally turned to face Inuyasha's glance and met his eyes with his own. "Keep it down, will you?" He paused, blinking. "You're a disgrace." Inuyasha burned red with rage and began cursing him again, jabbering like there was no tomorrow.
Len sighed. He looked like a child whenever he got into one of his fits like that. She had been in her 'Weapon Training' class all morning, section 'Swordsmanship', and had somehow got stuck between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Literally. Inuyasha was to her right and Sesshomaru to her left. Len felt rather uncomfortable being stuck right between the two, the teacher having put her there so that some of their more 'brilliant' swords play could somehow rub off on her. Well, maybe Sesshomaru's brilliant swords play, none of Inuyasha's potty-mouthed and swinging like an idiot swords play, anyways.
The brothers had been fighting all day and she hadn't even been able to let out a single word. In fact, the fight had been one sided all the time, but Len wasn't sure if Inuyasha had the upper hand, always shouting and getting pissed off at Sesshomaru or if Sesshomaru had been the one with the advantage, never having to speak one word to get Inuyasha into his usual fit. Len's sweat drop began running fat. What sibling rivalry!
Unlike the boys she had on her school uniform, since newbies had a month or two to find or buy their true fighting wear. She was sort of surprised when she saw Sesshomaru with his suit and armor though, since she had been told that he rarely put it on.
She'd learned that Sesshomaru was tremendously proud with just about everything and hated wasting his time on anyone who he thought wasn't worthy of his time. That and keeping his honor unscathed, which went right up there with wearing the family's heirloom robes only on occasions that deserved and demanded them. Since he had no opponent at the moment he wore the outfit freely, knowing no weak, unnecessary blood would damage the fine silk; that, and though surely no one was worthy enough to even see him in it, he thought, he still had to remind everyone once in a while who he was: The Great Lord Sesshomaru. It was his trademark wear, after his school uniform.
Between her uncomfortable ness and Inuyasha's bickering, she could only imagine how much Sesshomaru really hated his half-brother. Inuyasha was supposedly a disgrace to his family for reasons unknown to most of the students (other than the fact that he was a hanyou), and the lord held a tight grudge within his heart because of it. That's why Sesshomaru would not waste anymore time than he had to on Inuyasha, just minding him like he was now.
Standing there between the two, Inuyasha always swinging his sword around and throwing spit, while Sesshomaru just stood with his arms crossed in front of him with both eyes closed the whole time, she couldn't figure out just how they could be farther apart. Surely the youkai seemed to never mind everything that Inuyasha said, but Len had the feeling that he was disturbed with the chaotic scene. She knew, though, that Sesshomaru had a great offense against loud-mouths; the most freighting, terrifying, most horrendous weapon of all anyone could use against Inuyasha.
The girl put a finger up wise-like, slowly closing her eyes in contemplation. "Ah, yes. The silent treatment."
Inuyasha kept rambling on at Sesshomaru as an old man suddenly called out to Len from the side. "Hey, you! Over there! Human girl!"
Len thought she had heard her swordsmen teacher call upon her. She looked around for him and spotted him a few feet away. "Who, me?"
"Yeah you, come over here," his withered voice commanded.
Len silently praised her savior for having moved her away from the two rivals. But her dispatch had been bittersweet though, for she had seen Sesshomaru close-up, something she'd wanted to do since the day before. She couldn't of had wished for more, being smacked right down in the middle of the two brothers, two very cute brothers, even though they didn't seem to notice her one bit or at least they seemed they didn't even care she was right there between them.
Thinking back on the lord, she regarded him fondly, always being one to admire a calm, soft character. Not that she had ever seen him when he got mad, but…Still. He was silent and mysterious, just like her. Or better said, more like her real self, hidden underneath the 'wacky' personality that she portrait to try to forget all about--
Len shivered at the thought. No. Not now. I don't want to remember 'it' right now…
No one would ever find out the truth about her and her family, about why she came to this school in the first place. She had wished it would have remained a secret, even to her, but there was no way to make it go away.
That's why she admired Sesshomaru the first time she saw him. If he could remain that calm and secretive about things, not having to show any emotions at all, then so could she. But she did wonder what it was that he had to hide. Everyone had to hide something, to be that quiet. She just hoped it wasn't what she had had to go through…
Len's eyes seemed to have wanted to let down a salty tear, when her teacher's voice came back to her, dragging her away from her thoughts. "I said are you listening!"
"Huh! Uh, yes, yes I am, mister Totosai, sir! Sorry about that. I just…" Len really didn't have an excuse for her side tracking, or didn't want to share it, at least.
"Listen. I want you to go over there," he pointed over to a desolate spot in the training room. "Seeing you can't even hold up your sword, it would be of no use for you to stay next to those two right now," meaning the fighting pair of inus. Len turned to where Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were. Yup. Inuyasha was still his obnoxious self and Sesshomaru remained as silent as ever.
"It's better if you cover the basics first; so maybe after you do that I could-- might put you over there again. For now, just practice holding your sword, alright?" Len nodded and as soon as her teacher left her side, scratching his head while tending to other students who were training she looked down at her sword, the tip resting along the ground as it always had been.
She began pulling it. So heavy. It was true. She was weak. Just like that time a few months ago when…
No. Len shook her head. No time for that now. She would focus on the task at hand. She was told that she had been put into the 'elite' class, Totosai thinking it must have been a mistake of some sort, but left her there nonetheless. Her sword's previous owner had been in this class, so therefore the sword must remain in here, as to not dishonor it. A weird suggestion Len thought, but it didn't matter. At least she knew some of the guys here and she could learn from them. Either way she could never be a part of Kagome's class, something she really wanted to right now, since they had different weapons; therefore, they had been put into different classes. Each 'Weapon Training' class was meant for only one type of weapon and so she was stuck there.
She'd do her best here though, and so, lifting her sword heavily, she was able to bring it up to carry it on her right shoulder, as not to keep dragging it across the floor. It was supposed to be a disgrace to the sword and to her person to do so. She would not have it that way.
Having arrived to her new, designated place, she let down her sword, making it clank as it dropped rashly on the floor when it slipped by mistake. She let out a breath of air. Of course if she didn't practice, it wouldn't seem any 'lighter'! She hoped she could at least practice holding a smaller sword first…
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" She lifted her eyes towards the voice which seemed to belong to a young man that had come up to her. A purple diamond–like mark graced his forehead and long, black hair pulled into a long braid down his back.
Len inwardly squealed. And the cuties just keep on comin'! Of course a lady's mind can't stay out of the gutter, having so much handsome boys in her school…
"Hey; you're new here, aren't you? I can't say I've seen you before."
Len just found strength to nod. "Uh-huh." Such an angelic voice!
"Well, then. It's always nice to meet a feller swordsman! What's your name, little girl?"
Len, forgetting all about her 'how she wasn't a little girl' speech from yesterday, spoke up. "I'm Len. Hi. Nice to meet you." She tilted her head to the side while showing her big smile along with her sweet, closed eyes. After a while they opened to show orbs that glittered and sparkled with amusement.
The young man put both hands on his hips. "Hmm…you know; it's kind of weird seeing a girl in this class." Len's demeanor suddenly just fell like a blob of goo to the floor. She scratched everything she'd just thought about the handsome man before her, her fantasy disappearing like a puff of smoke.
"Huh? Why is that?"
"Because; swords are meant for men, like me." He smiled politely, teeth shining as Len imagined putting another check mark under her 'rude comments made to humans/females so far' list. "Well, not that I really care or not who's in this class, but it's just that girls are usually more into arching or ninja teaching than swordsmanship."
Len imaginably scratched off that last check mark…Maybe this guy wasn't as bad as he had seemed… She took the time to smile friendly. "So, what's your name?"
The boy straitened up. "Oh, right. I hadn't presented myself properly." Pointing his thumb at his chest while smirking, he exclaimed, "My name's Bonkotsu, and I'm the leader of the Band of Seven!" Len looked around curiously as the words seemed to echo off the walls as if he'd used a microphone to say them. Bonkotsu currently held his arms stretched out as if he had just made a really deep, emotional speech and trumpets were playing 'tada!' in the background, confetti falling from the ceiling. Make-believe lighting flashed to his back.
Len stared, blinking innocently as he stayed that way for a long time. Silence.
Bonkotsu put his arms down, realizing he didn't have his 'back up' with him. Sweat dropping he started to scan the room for them. Damn where are those comrades of mine when I need them!
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Scattered among the rest of the swordsmen in the room…
Jakotsu, the one with the deadly snake-like sword that somehow seems to like other guys more than he does girls (wink, wink), was admiring Inuyasha with twinkling eyes…
Mukotsu, the poison master, was about to pour a little 'something' in the teacher's drink...
Renkotsu, the fire and explosion expert was one more step away from completing his small replica of the Eiffel tower, made entirely up of matchsticks…
Ginkotsu, the half-man, half-machine, was squirting oil on his left arm…
Kyokotsu, the massive sized, fearsome looking giant, was picking flowers in a field somewhere…
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Bonkotsu, with a vein popping on his forehead and a disliked look on his face screamed bloody murder. "Ahem! I said…"
All the guys froze, stopped what they were doing and ran towards Bonkotsu in a flash as soon as they had heard his second call before they were killed for slacking off. Now Bonkotsu stood in front of his men, his arms stretched out into position, ready to proclaim once again that…
"…and we're the Band of Seven!" All men were in their own, unique, fighting stance, grinning at Len. The background seemed to have disappeared, magical light swirling brightly behind them, surrounding the guy's bodies with its shine atop the atmospheric fog that played on the floor. Triumphant music played in the background this time.
The girl looked on as they all threw their hands at her again, emphasizing the shining light in her eyes, still grinning like hell. Len only blinked back, robbed of words.
The Band of Seven got into their stances again, more shine outlining their bodies.
And Len just blinked back.
The seven started tipping over, unable to hold on to their super-poses for too long, waiting for applause or something of the sort from the oblivious girl in front of them. A tumbleweed rolls across the floor. Len found the time to sweat drop and every member of the group fell over, their balance giving in. They got back to just standing up before they made any more undignified plays.
Len cheered. "Oh hi. Nice to meet you." The members of the Band of Seven fell down anime style.
Bonkotsu was first to get up from the floor, holding up a fist and showing his canine teeth. "You're kidding me!"
Len tilted her head to the side. "Huh? What's wrong?"
Renkotsu almost choked on his fire breath. "We did all that and all you can say is 'hi'!"
Len blinked and blushed again. "Uh…S-sorry?" All the guys shouted defeated and Mukotsu growled, stepping up to their boss.
"Forget it! I'm out of here!" He signaled behind him with his thumb. "I still need to pick up some herbs from the market to make a potion for tomorrow…"
Ginkotsu agreed. "Yeah, I'll go with you. I need some more oil."
Bonkotsu whined at their retreating forms. "Guys! Come back here! We're not done yet!"
Len looked around, realizing something was just a little out of place, beginning to count just how many of them there was. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven--? "Hey, wait a sec. How come you guys call yourselves the 'Band of Seven' if there are only six of you?"
The Band almost had a heart attack right then and there. Renkotsu spat at her again. "Foolish girl. We're seven not six! That's why we call ourselves the Band of Seven!"
Bonkotsu blinked and took the time to count for himself. "Wait, someone is missing..."
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Back at the nurse's office…
A little girl with pig tails flinched, the object of her pain being her scraped knee. "Uh…uh…ouchies!"
The doctor attending her smiled. "There, there, now. Your wound should feel much better, now that I've bandaged it up for you."
The little girl began blowing on her knee "Thank you, Mr. Suikotsu, sir! I feel much better now!"
Another child next to her threw his hands in the air and equally exclaimed, "Yeah! You're the best!"
Suikotsu closed his eyes and widened his smile. "No problem. It was my pleasure."
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Bonkotsu put a hand to his chin and closed his eyes, wondering where his sixth comrade could be. Renkotsu sneered. "Ha. Knowing Suikotsu his 'goody-two-shoes' personality has taken over."
Jakotsu nodded. "Right... He's probably playing doctor right about now…"
Kyokotsu cursed. "Damn that brother of ours."
Mukotsu looked down at Kyokotsu's hand bluntly. "So you were picking flowers again, I see?"
Kyokotsu hid the flowers behind his back. "Uh…T-they're not for me, you see, they're for my mother…"
Jakotsu interrupted, confused, "But you don't have a mother."
Bonkotsu crossed his arms in front of his chest, annoyed. "Who cares. Just go, already. Our entrance has been ruined enough as it is." The guys complained but as soon as they received a cold glare from him Ginkotsu, Kyokotsu and Mukotsu left with their heads down. Surely it wasn't worth fighting their big brother over such a thing. He'd kick their butts in no time.
Renkotsu pointed a finger to Len. "You, girl. Until next time…" With that he turned around and left back to tend to his matchsticks.
Jakotsu sighed audibly, leaving his arms to dangle at his sides. "Bonkotsu, sometimes I think we're getting a little too soft."
"Yeah," he agreed, "I know what you mean. That's why I accepted a job from you-know-who."
Jakotsu's eyes suddenly lit up and he gasped. "You mean…that guy we met the other day?"
Bonkotsu smirked. "Yup. That's the one!"
Jakotsu clapped his hands together excitedly. "Oh goody! Finally we get to have a little fun! Tell me tell me," he scooted over to Bonkotsu and talked into his ear, Bonkotsu's mouth dropping into a curious expression as he nodded some times. "Is he…cute?"
Bonkotsu took it that he had spoken about the victim. "I don't know, Jakotsu. Honestly, your type doesn't even come near my type."
Jakotsu laughed, swatting a hand in the air. "Right. But still you could fill me in a little?"
"Nope. Sorry. I haven't seen him myself. You'll just have to wait." Jakotsu whined while Len looked on and blinked again, now having caught the leader's attention. He turned to her, somehow having forgotten about her. "Oh. You again."
She quirked a brow. "Huh? I was here the whole time."
"Right, right. Listen," he changed his voice into a playful, menacing one. "Next time you'll see the real Band of Seven, in action! Just you wait!"
The girl nodded as a doubtful reply. "Uh huh…so…what is it you do, again?" Jakotsu and Bonkotsu stared at her speechless. Surely she hadn't heard of them before. What a bummer…
Jakotsu put his sword on his shoulder, smirking. "Girl, you'll learn soon enough!"
Bonkotsu nodded again. "Right. You see, we're mercenaries." He watched as the naive female in front of him looked as if she was caught dead in space. "That means we're hired assassins?"
Her blank expression tried to assure them she understood now. "Right." Bonkotsu and Jakotsu fell over.
"Honestly! This girl has no sense whatsoever of what fear really is!"
Len looked down at Jakotsu who spoke to his leader on the floor. "What? Why should I? I think that's both cool and neat!" The guys stood up and fell over once again.
"Seriously! You should be running away from us by now!" the feminine man cried out.
"Uh… how come? You guys aren't going to do anything to me, right?" The mercenaries sighed. Well, she sort of had a point there…
"Well?" She gave in to a heartfelt smile. "You guys just seem really nice, tee hee."
Jakotsu sighed. There goes our reputation, again. Just then the ribbon that held her hair tied up caught his attention. He pointed to it. "Hey! That looks pretty. Let me see it!" Before Len could react he had already swiped it away, her long, dark locks falling down upon her back.
"Hey!" she fought. Bonkotsu just stood back and watched the show.
Jakotsu felt the ribbon's material in his hand. "Say; this really is nice! It's soft and has the tinge of blue that I always like!"
"Hey! Give that back!" Len tried to snatch her ribbon away but Jakotsu held it up in his hand, high enough over his head so that she can't reach it. She hopped a few times to try and get it, but it was too high. "Hey! Stop it!" She jumped again, her hands wiggling to get her ribbon free from the man' hand.
Jakotsu laughed and said in a sly voice, "You're too small." Len stopped jumping and pouted while glaring at him viciously.
Bonkotsu, not really caring about the situation, noticed her sword on the floor and picked it up. "Hey. Isn't this your sword? You shouldn't be leaving it around like that." He tested it, throwing it up in the air swirling and caught it again with the other hand. Len was amazed; here she was not even being able to hold it up for a second with both hands and Bonkotsu was able to throw up her sword with ease only using one.
Bonkotsu studied the sword on all its sides. "Not a bad sword, I must say-- though my Banryu is still the best, of course!"
Jakotsu inspected it next. "Yeah. Not bad for a rookie…Hey, doesn't that say 'Keiper' or something?" He pointed to the spot where the sword's blade and hilt met. Bonkotsu looked at it and agreed.
Since Len didn't know what they were talking about Bonkotsu showed her. In very little writing the word "Keiper" was jotted down on top of the blade. Even though it looked as if part of the word had been almost scratched off, you could still be able to read it properly. "Oh. 'Keiper' huh? I can't believe I didn't see it there before. I swear I hadn't noticed it when I was studying it at home last night."
Bonkotsu noticed it had been used before a lot. "How was it you got it? Was it passed down from generation to generation or something?"
Len blinked, registering the question. "Uh…no."
Jakotsu asked, "…so you bought it off the market?"
Len shook her head. "…No."
Bonkotsu thought, "Is it borrowed or something?"
Len breathed out a long, "No…"
"Well then tell us how you got it!" Jakotsu was growing tired of the game.
Len opened her mouth wide. "I…uh…Miss Lady Kaede said I could have it." The guys gasped when what she said had sunk in.
"You don't mean she handed it to you by herself?"
Len nodded at Bonkotsu. "Uh huh."
Jakotsu then asked, "…and by 'Kaede' you mean the principal, right?"
Len, feeling interrogated, answered, "Yeah, that's what I said." The guys thought for a moment. Surely Kaede wouldn't just hand a weapon to a student, unless…No. It couldn't be. This girl didn't seem to possess any strange power, the only time that Kaede would meddle in a student's life.
Bonkotsu inquired it to her. "Just how did she give it to you, anyways?"
Len, a little hesitant at first, thought about it. "I uh…" she fidgeted, looking for the right words to use. "The previous owner had died in a fight yesterday at the facility and she said I could have it." The word 'died' had sounded as if she were still uncomfortable with it. After all, receiving a sword the way she did, still having the previous owner's hand and blood on it, was a little too close for comfort. A red inauguration ribbon would have been nice, but decay? She didn't think so. She made sure to leave out everything else.
Jakotsu exhaled loudly. "Oh, well that's a relief."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Bonkotsu shook his head. "Uh…nothing. He meant nothing."
Len held a hand to her mouth and gasped. Did he just say 'he'? Jakotsu's a 'he'?Her mouth barely touched the floor. Boy, there sure are a lot of guys here that look like girls… She shivered. Creepy…
"Well then, we should be going now…"
"You're right Jakotsu, let's go." They started walking away, avoiding any further conversation.
Len yelled back, "Hey! Wait! You still have my stuff!" The guys turned around, noticing that in fact they still had her things in their hands. Len went up to them and aimed for her ribbon first. Jakotsu instinctively held it up where she couldn't reach it, so Len was hopping yet again in order to retrieve it with no such luck.
"Hey!"
Jakotsu smirked. "Hey; you're pretty fun to mess with." She pouted, jumping a few times to grab it.
"Give it back!"
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Kagome found herself sighing miserably. "When will mom ever let me bring lunch from home?" She sat in a lunchroom seat, staring down at her tray of 'food', a pile of gray blob shaking like jell-o. Yesterday's wasn't half-bad, but that was because she was hungry; very hungry (with capital letters). Right now she thought she could pass…One more minute and she wouldn't be surprised if it grew legs and crawled away from her tray. I wonder how these kids can eat this stuff.
She was expecting to have seen one of her friends by now, but hadn't. She thought that by sitting at the same table where she had met Len and Inuyasha yesterday she could meet with them again, but neither were anywhere in sight.A grumble started to form in her stomach, her insides aching as if trying to say "Feed me…" Kagome moaned.
"Ugh…The smell of this stuff just makes me sick…"Just then she lifted her eyes to meet Len walking over to her table carrying her tray on hands, her eyes closed tight and her face in a frustrated look, a vein throbbing on her forehead. Today she seemed to have let her hair down, instead of having yesterday's 'look' with half her hair tide up in a nice ribbon.
The girl came upon Kagome's table and sat down abruptly, not opening her eyes for one second, still carrying that frustrated look on her face. "Uh…Len? Is something the matter?" Len's right eyebrow started twitching, her mouth still in a pout. Huh? I wonder what got into her. She was so annoyingly cheery yesterday.
She jumped as a young man's voice turned full volume behind her, laughing. "Ha! And I bet she still believed in the tooth fairy until she was thirteen!" The braided boy held on to his stomach as he laughed some more.
Another one appeared behind him, out of breath for laughing so much as well. "Yeah! And Santa Clause, come on!"
Len's eyebrow twitched a few times. But he is real… Bonkotsu and Jakotsu had been following her ever since they had gone out of the classroom, still holding on to her belongings. They bugged her nonstop, first for thinking that as a girl she had even dared go into that class, second for being put in the 'elite' class by pure mistake (they couldn't find any other reason for her being there), and third it was just too irresistible not to mess around with her, since she had fallen for every single one of their pranks. Maybe it would have been best to have stayed with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru after all, she reasoned.
Kagome, not knowing what to say, just pointed out the obvious. "Hey, isn't that Len's sword?"
Bonkotsu stopped laughing and noticed that they had company. He then looked at the sword in his hands. "Yeah, right," He handed it to Len. "Here. You can have it now." She lifted one eye to meet her sword, embarrassed she didn't even have the strength to keep it off the ground. It was as if Bonkotsu had read her mind because he had the sense to just lay it on the table. "Hey, don't worry. You'll get it, sooner or later." He then eyed Kagome. "Oh. It's you."
Kagome looked around and finely got he had meant her. "Huh? Me?"
"Yeah. Aren't you the one that shot a sacred arrow at Naraku?"
She nodded. "Yeah. So?" She acted as if it was nothing, but really her inner self (a chibbi Kagome) was jumping up and down inside her mind because someone had finally noticed her.
Bonkotsu said in a serious look and tone, "You know; that was a stupid move you made."
Kagome's inner self stopped jumping and crashed to the floor, sweat dropping. "Why do you say that?"
"Because, not only did you throw a cheap-shot, but you blindly took him on as if he was in your rank. No one dares to take on someone else that isn't in his or her rank. That's just like signing your own death wish. Not to mention trying to confront Naraku the way you did."
Kagome's inner self now dug a whole with a shovel, jumped inside, and buried itself in a grave in front of a tombstone that read 'R.I.P. Here lies Kagome Higurashi. Died at an early age. May peace be brought to her soul'. Little flowers sprouted out of the ground.
Jakotsu mirrored his brother's actions. "That's right. That's probably the dumbest thing anyone has ever done. Didn't anyone warn you?"
Kagome was almost speechless. These guys were putting her into a corner! "Well… I uh…"
"You do know that what you did defeat was just a mere puppet, right?"
Kagome gaped at Bonkotsu. "What! What do you mean?"
"I mean that Naraku uses puppets to fight his fights for him. He rarely fights in person. Who would, anyways, if they had the power to do so? My guess is that now you're the first person on his death list, rookie, so you better watch your back." Kagome's inner self just un-dug herself and re-dug her own grave again. After that, her inner world shattered into a million tiny pieces, each falling on the floor being swept up by the school's janitor.
Len's anger towards the guys had gone away quickly once she started blaming herself for Kagome's luck. After all, if it wasn't for her inability to deal with her own fights, Kagome would have never of had to save her.
Kagome was still in shock. She didn't know what to say to that. Her eyes were blank and she hadn't moved for a while now. Bonkotsu was actually starting to worry, for once about someone not in his group. "Uh, girl? Are you ok?" He waved his open palm in front of her face to see if she'd wake up from la-la land. Nothing. Kagome was still in a blank stare. Len tried her luck with her.
"Ka…gome?" Said girl's eyebrow twitched a little now.
Bonkotsu voiced his worry. "Well, at least we know she's still breathing…"
Jakotsu thought a bit, hand under his chin. He closed in on Kagome, observing her. "You know, Bonkotsu; I've just had another idea on how we can kill our enemies…"
His brother nodded. "Yeah; I get what you mean. Maybe there's a way that we can kill them without having to shed blood…" The brothers stared at each other and after a few seconds both answered, "Na!"
Kagome just keeped her blank stare. Apparently her mind was somewhere else (like about seven feet under ground in a coffin inside her inner world) and was oblivious to any conversation around her. The boys kept looking at her, intrigued by her stillness. Len had nothing to say at the moment either.
"You know I have to admit that I haven't enjoyed myself like this for a while now," Jakotsu marveled.
"Yeah, I know what you mean…"
Suddenly Renkotsu broke the silence, his voice shouting all the way from across the room as he waved his hands at them. "Hey Bonkotsu! Jakotsu! It's time!" The boy's eyes lit. "It's time" was a common phrase to depict that they were about to go off and kill people. Oh the joy!
"Well you heard him, Jakotsu! Let's go!"
"Right!"
"And Renkotsu had better of brought my Banryu with him. Remember? He was supposed to shine it good and well for me after loosing that bet at the club last night. Boy did I make a better blood bath than him or what! "
Len looked at their retreating forms. "Where are you guys going?"
Bonkotsu answered, turning to her. "We're on a mission! When ever you hear the fireworks, you'll know it's us!" And with that they left, running after Renkotsu.
Kagome blinked getting her senses back, forgetting all about her 'Naraku will kill you' threat. "What was all that about, Len?"
The girl just kept staring at the Band of Seven far away. "I don't know. Maybe they're going to kill someone, I think."
Kagome did a double take. "What!"
"Apparently it's not against the rules here in the school."
Kagome's heart sunk. So I can get killed by Naraku…Oh geez…Why did I have to destroy one of his puppet-thingies? She looked at Len who opened up to a smile.
"Kagome, don't look so worried. I'm sure we'll be ok."
It was then that Kagome remembered that it was for Len's sake that she had interfered in Len's fight with Naraku to save her from being sliced into pieces. She hoped it was worth the risk. Wait, what am I thinking! I couldn't have let her die…I'm so stupid sometimes, thinking things like that…
"Uh, Kagome…" Kagome was surely in an intense conversation with herself, shaking her head, making so many expressions. She got out of them quickly.
"I'm fine, Len. Don't worry. Say, how did you meet those guys, anyways?"
"Well, first I was in my weapon class next to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru and…"
Kagome gasped. "You saw them!"
"Uh-huh." She suddenly winked at her. "By the way they're so cute!" Kagome blushed as soon as she pictured Inuyasha in his oh-so-heroic red cloths, not knowing just why…
Len continued. "…Then I met those guys and four more of them. They said they were assassins. But the seventh guy seems to like to play 'doctor' most of the time, though. Weird…"
"So they're killers! In a school! Talk about terrorists or something…"
"Yeah. But they're okay. They're actually pretty nice once you get to know them."
Kagome sweat dropped and laughed nervously at this. "Oh really?"
Len suddenly lifted up a finger in the air excitedly as if she'd discovered a new planet. "Oh! And one more thing." Len showed Kagome the 'Keiper' inscription on her sword. "Cool, huh?
"Yeah, cool. Hey! I wonder if my weapons have inscriptions, too!" Any further conversation was cut off when an explosion caught them by surprise. It came from the direction where Bonkotsu and Jakotsu had headed to earlier. They watched as crackling and rattling sounds went off, an immensely loud boom ending the racket. A cloud of dust lingered in its wake.
A random student took the time to clarify their shock and curiosity, screaming from between the crowd of other curious by-standers in the room. "It's the Band of Seven! Run, run for your lives!" All the students present began running around in a big frenzy screaming their heads of, some holding their arms in the air while running in circles. The girls just sat back and kept watch, not sure what to do.
They looked over to one of the cafeteria's walls. It had been blown up, smoke surrounding the new-made hole, while almost half of the people that had been standing near there were now either covered in blood, or seemingly dead, unmoving.
The Band of Seven laughed menacingly. "Muahaha! Run, you fools! There's no escaping the inevitable! Muahaha!" Kagome and Len sweat dropped, speechless. They could make out a few distinct screams coming from random students running around them.
"Ah! Mommy!"
"I don't want to die!"
"Curse you mercenaries!"
"But I have a wife with kids at home! Please have mercy!" They looked as the last kid's friend stopped and grabbed him on the shoulder, looking at him over and starting conversation.
"No you don't."
"Shut it! They don't know that!"
The kid's friend rolled his eyes. "Loser."
Bonkotsu smiled wickedly. "Ah, yes! My Banryu's all nice and clean, ready to taste some blood!"
Renkotsu demanded, "Hey, save some for us this time, alright?"
"You'll have to keep up with me first!" Bonkotsu charged into action, scaring off anyone in his path just by looking at them and swinging at one or two at the same time, leaving clean cuts through their skin and bones. All students screamed in horror.
Jakotsu smiled, his own sword hung over his shoulder. "Just like the good 'ol days…"
Kyokotsu looked at him. "But we just did this last month."
Jakotsu sighed. "Yeah, but it wasn't as fun as this!" He used his sword's special snake-like technique to wipe out three students at the same time from where he sat. They screamed as they collapsed to the floor, leaking out a pool of blood.
Ginkotsu agreed. "Ah, this is the life…"
Back at the girl's table Len brought up a very good point. "You know, maybe it would be nicer if we ate outside today."
In the background, the Band of Seven laughed with pure joy. "Die! Dieee!"
Another random student screamed for mercy as he was being chased by one of the members. "No! Nooo!" Swish, stab.
Kagome nodded. "Yeah. I think I need some fresh air."
Slash, squish, strike.
The girls strategically passed around the rest of the screaming students and head out the door.
Renkotsu's shouts still resounded. "…And now it's time that I heat things up!" He sucked some liquid out of a unique bottle and turned around to meet a group of frantic students, firing out flames from his mouth at them as they instinctively covered themselves with their arms to avoid the burn.
Catching on fire, the students ran around covered in flames, screaming their heads off.
"Ah! I'm hit! I'm hit!"
"Ah! The horror! Ah!"
The Band of Seven laughed. "Muahaha!"
The school's intercom kicked in just then, static heard over the speakers at first. We need clean up in the lunchroom. I repeat. Will some one go over there, pronto?More static. Over.
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Meanwhile, in a more secluded area of the school…
A woman came up to a door, knocked in code and entered once receiving permission to go inside, turning the knob slowly…
She spoke in a silky yet annoyed tone once inside, door shut behind her. "Naraku. Have you come up with a plan yet? Or have you not come out from this room ever since that girl destroyed your puppet yesterday because you're somehow afraid of her?"
An estranged, husky voice answered her from a dark corner, its owner hidden. "Kagura. So you've come at last. I'd thought you had tried to turn your back on me again."
"I was just wondering if you needed me. Next time, remind me not to come and help out."
The young man behind the voice chuckled. "Kagura. Since when do I need to call on you for you to come to me?" She just stared at his eyes, the only two things now visible, glistening from his dark silhouette in the corner. He continued. "Kanna had come to me as soon as it happened. Where were you?"
"You know I have my own 'things' to tend to, Naraku."
"So you do. But when it comes to family, Kagura…our fathers said that we needed to stick together…"
She harrumphed at him, disgusted, "Naraku, do you still believe in that legend? I thought you were smarter than that."
"What? You mean the 'Shikon no Tama', The legendary 'Jewel of Four Souls'? Oh it's out there alright. It's out there, somewhere... And once I do find it, you'll be begging for my forgiveness of having to put up with your deny."
Kagura turned to leave. "Than call me when you 'do'…I don't have time to spend on little human brats like the one you faced yesterday."
Naraku seemed annoyed now. "You mean that 'Kagome' girl. She's a foolish mortal. Once I deal with the jewel, I'll kill every single human here at the school and then I'll make my way towards the city. Nothing will stop me from changing this world to the way it was, five hundred years ago."
Kagura held open the door, about to go out. "Just make sure that the gossips about how she managed to lower your influence on the students don't go further than they already have…The rumors I hear aren't going well for us, Naraku. People are starting to doubt your strength and your authority." She smirked at a thought. "It would be a shame to rule the world as a has-been."
Naraku snorted back. "Don't worry. I've got just the thing…"
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Ss pie: Yeay! I finally did it! I finished chapter 5! Woohoo! (Pats her back)
Inuyasha: "So we waited a MONTH for you to update and you write this CRAP! This chapter sucks! Len was in most of it and I was supposed to be some sort of a 'pest'. Who CARES about Len. I'M the important one here!"
Ss pie just sweat drops at the 'important one' thing. "Riiight, right."
Inuyasha: "Grrrr. You BETTER write better stuff next time!"
Ss pie: I will I will! I just wanted to introduce the Band of 7 and what better way to do it than with a ditsy- I mean- naïve character like Len? Next up, the Buddy System.
Review! It's just a clickie away! Please!