Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, Inc., nor any of the other kiddies you'll see in this chapter. I won't tell you who they are now, cuz you'll see 'em soon!
Well folks, I only got on review for the first chapter, but that's okay, since it was so friggin' short. Hopefully this will make up for it a bit. As for what The Academy is...I can't tell you that! It'll ruin the story! Suffice to say that it's a finishing school, and the kids are all around 19 or 20. Kikyo and Kagome are 19 in this story. Worry not, my dears. All will be made clear in due time. winkwink
Chapter Two – Just a Few Familiar Faces
Kagome simply stared at the man before them. He wore dark pants and a deep red shirt, commonplace enough, right? But his hair was what threw her – it was long and wavy, caught up in a simple ponytail high on his head, not quite so normal in this day and time. She fought the urge to reach up and touch it, just to be sure that it was real, but the sheer aura the man gave off kept her hands firmly at her sides.
It took her a moment to realize that her twin had bowed to their new headmaster, and that he was watching her with a look of dull curiosity. She bowed as well, mumbling her apologies, trying to forget that cold smirk right before her head was down.
"Good afternoon, Headmaster Naraku," came Kikyo's strong, clear voice. "I am Kikyo, and this is my sister, Kagome. We are most honored to be here."
Kagome silently thanked her twin, not quite trusting her voice to speak to this strange man yet. She froze as he again laid his hands on their shoulders, and regretting that Kikyo chose that moment to let go of her hand. They both straightened again. Naraku had turned and was speaking to a small boy, about the age of ten. She caught herself staring again, because while the child before them was most definitely male by his stance and voice, he too had long hair, though his fell freely about his shoulders and, wondrously, it was a light purple shade. She managed a faint smile as both the Headmaster and the young boy turned to them, nodding slightly.
"Ah, forgive me for not introducing you sooner. Girls, this is my son, Hakudoushi. Please escort these ladies to their room to prepare." Hakudoushi bowed low to his father and headed off towards a staircase in the corner.
"Come on, ladies, you do need to prepare." The boy said softly, and Kagome felt a shiver run through her body as they moved to follow. His eyes were the same color as his hair, and seemed to be pupil-less.
"Prepare for what, Master Hakudoushi?" Kikyo asked calmly, as Kagome was still too tongue tied to do anything other than look at the walls and floor as they walked.
"For the Opening Ball, of course." He smiled wryly as they stopped at the first door in a long hallway. Shouts and fighting could be heard from behind some of the other doors along the hallway. "Here is your room. You will find that your things have been brought up already. I shall see you both tonight." He bowed, dropped the key to the room in Kikyo's hand, and strode off back the way they had come.
The twins had spent most of the day unpacking and getting their dresses aired out, pausing for a bit only when a maid brought them up a light supper. When eight o'clock rolled around, both girls were putting the finishing touches on their outfits. Kikyo had opted for a tight-fitting red dress, with off-the-shoulder sleeves and a slit up to her mid-thigh on both sides. Her hair was up in a bun held by a pair of bejeweled sticks. Kagome went more traditional, with a medieval-ish princess cut dress in a light blue. Her hair as down and curled, and she had sprinkled glitter in it and across her shoulders, giving her normally pale skin a healthy glow.
The twins stood looking each other over when there was a knock at the door. Hakudoushi's voice called out to them, announcing that the ball would be beginning in a few minutes. The girls called back their affirmation, scrambled for one last look in the mirror, then left their room together, one head held high, the other simply looking at the ground with tired resignation.
The sound of music drew them towards the grand ballroom on the second floor. With a slight nod to each other, they pushed open the double doors and entered.
It was a grand scene, to be sure, though the room seemed a bit smaller than Kagome was expecting for such an event. Two long tables filled with snacks and drinks stood against the left and right walls, and a third table stood on a platform on the back wall. The walls held many portraits and landscapes, and the stained-glass window she had seen on the drive up was sparkling over the far table, lit by the setting sun. The floor was oak and covered in age-old scuffs and small dings, obviously from being danced on for many years. The other students milled around the snack tables, but the far table had caught and held Kagome's attention.
Many adults sat along the table, who Kagome could only guess were the teachers of the school. Headmaster Naraku sat in the very center, with Hakudoushi on his right, both wearing full black tuxedos with blood-red bowties. On Naraku's left was a stately-looking lady wearing a traditional kimono with her hair up in a bun. Kagome was startled to find that the lady had bright red eyes.
On the lady's left was a rather tall man dressed in a simple red jacket. His hands were covered by long brown leather gloves, and a pair of yellow glasses shaded his apparently green eyes. His hair was blond and sticking straight up and back from his face, and Kagome didn't want to think how much hairspray and gel went into keeping his hair up like that.
The blond in red was talking animatedly to what Kagome assumed was a man on his left. She could only assume because the person was dressed in a full suit of armor, heavy and clunky looking. Yet the person still moved with ease, though she noticed after a while that he had no plate before him.
The lady on the end of the table was on the stout side, and had an eye-patch over her right eye. Her hair was graying, and she kept it back in a loose tail down her back. She was dressed in a traditional miko's outfit, and she ate little and spoke less, though she seemed to be listening intently to the conversations around her.
Kagome's attention jumped to the other side of Hakudoushi, having run out of people on the left side of the table. The man on Hakudoushi's right was lean and lanky and dressed in a dark blue suit that looked like it needed a couple of patches here and there. He was poking at his food with a look of mild distaste and confusion on his face, which was framed by a mop of dark green, very fuzzy hair. Kagome fought the urge to snicker as he took a bite and made a face, pushing the plate aside in favor of a glass of wine.
Next to him was a man whose hair was almost as bushy, but much longer and kept back in a tail. It was a soft red color, which complimented his violet eyes. He wore a purple shirt and flowing white pants, and he too was chuckling at the man in blue's reaction to his food. He seemed gentle, but Kagome could see the obvious power the man possessed. She gave a little shiver, then continued on.
The man on his other side was taller and quite muscular, though his left arm seemed a little stiff. He was balding, but still had a shock of black hair on either side of his head and a full beard. He was laughing out loud at the man in blue, and they seemed to be having quite a conversation over the red-head's head. He was dressed rather simply for the occasion, but then he didn't really seem like the type who enjoyed dressing up.
On the right end of the table sat a pair that could only be described as odd, though it was obvious when you looked at them that they were supposed to be together. Next to the balding man sat a young girl, probably no older than Hakudoushi. She had long black hair, partially pulled into a ponytail to the side of her head. She was dressed in an orange patterned kimono, and was watching the students milling around with a dreamy expression on her face, her chin propped up on her hand. Every now and then she'd turn and ask something of the man on her right.
Now he was well worth the look. Long white hair fell down his shoulders and probably all the way down his back. His eyes were a deep gold, but held an icy glare as he stared out across the room. There was a purple crescent in the middle of his forehead, and two purple stripes across each cheek. His suit was white with purple touches here and there, and he had some kind of fur ruff going over his right shoulder. His expression only changed when he turned to the girl; his eyes only then lost their cold glare and warmed ever so slightly.
Kagome shook herself, snapping her mouth shut and making sure she hadn't been drooling. She must have been standing there for a good ten minutes, simply staring. Kikyo had gone on to talk to a little clump of girls next to one of the snack tables, and Kagome lifted the hem of her dress to jog over to her sister, ignoring the snickers and stares of the guys at the other table.
Headmaster Naraku choose that moment to stand and tap a fork against his glass, causing everyone to freeze and look up to the teacher's table. Kagome had to stop practically in mid-stride, not a foot from the protection of the little clump of girls, but she dared not move until the teacher's attentions had been diverted again.
"Welcome students, welcome to the Opening Ball. We are all very glad to have you attending with us this year. Please allow me to introduce your teachers. They must be treated with the utmost respect at all times, and I do certainly hope that no one here would be rude in any way to their elders." A soft ripple of ascent rumbled through the students, and Naraku seemed pleased.
"Alright then, we shall start from the furthest to my left. First we have Madam Kaede. To her right is Master Alphonse. To his right is Master Vash. To his right is Madam Kagura." Here he paused and nodded slightly. "To my right is Master Hakudoushi. To his right is Master Spike, then Master Kenshin, and Master Jet. And of course we have Master Sesshoumaru and his assistant, Mistress Rin."
A ripple of applause ran through the students as the teachers all rose as one and bowed. When they had seated themselves again, Naraku continued.
"Now, classes begin tomorrow. As you leave the ball tonight, you will be given a packet of information and your schedules. Let me remind you that all watches need to be synchronized with the grandfather clock in the main hallway, as that will be the basis for all time schedules while you are here." He paused and raised a hand to the small orchestra in the balcony over the door. "Have fun tonight, children. Let the ball begin."
As Naraku sat down, the band began its first number, an old-time waltz. No one seemed to want to bridge the gap between the two groups, but Kagome was still standing apart from the clump of girls, making her an easy target. She had been distracted by the music from above and didn't notice the footsteps walking up to her. She let out a short yelp and spun as she felt a hand on her shoulder, relaxing visibly when she noticed it was one of the teachers and not some sex-crazed student. Her mind worked frantically for a moment, trying to recall the name of the blond man in the red jacket, then smiled warmly when it hit her.
"Good evening, Master Vash. Can I help you?" She curtsied slightly, keeping her eyes on the handsome man before her.
"I certainly hope so. Might I have this first dance?" He smiled and held out his hand to her. "Everyone else seems much too afraid to do anything."
Kagome chuckled. "Ah, so you noticed." She took his hand and was lead to the center of the floor. "Are you sure the Headmaster won't be upset?" She turned to face him and set her other hand on his shoulder with a bit of stretching. Good grief, he's tall.
Vash grinned. "Nah, I doubt it. Just a little friendly time between teacher and student, eh?" They began dancing, ignoring the whispered comments from students and teachers alike.
She shook her head, giggling. "Just keep your hands where I can see them, buddy, and we'll do just fine." This earned her a loud laugh from Vash as they spun around the dance floor.
They threw witty banter back and forth until the song ended and they bowed and curtsied to each other. All was slient for a moment until Master Alphonse stood and began clapping, producing an oddly hollow sound. The other teachers quickly joined in, followed rather begrudgingly by the students. Kagome looked around and was shocked to find that she and Vash had been the only ones dancing through the entire waltz.
She snapped back into reality as Vash bowed again and kissed her hand. "You are a fine dancer, my lady. I must remember to demand a dance from you every chance I get. Might I have your name?"
Kagome blushed slightly. "Kagome is my name, Master Vash. And you're not a bad dancer yourself. I would be honored to dance with you again." She smiled before turning and practically running back to Kikyo's side, trying like mad to wipe the blush from her cheeks. But she stopped dead when she caught Kikyo's cold gaze.
"Stay away from me, sister. You have just shamed yourself, acting so familiar with one of our teachers!" She was almost visibly shaking with anger as she strode off to the guys' end of the room, grabbing some hapless fool and pulling him back to the dance floor as the music began again.