Disclaimer: One day...one day...
Hi folks! Hope that little chapter last time didn't irk you too much. I had to throw some kind of passage of time in there to get over my writer's block. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it. We introduce a new character today! Kallos is here courtesy of Nebacanezzar, and all copyrights of him belong to Nebbers. Be prepared for a bit more angst, but the plot is definately moving now!
Cold Kikyo: You, my dear, are my most faithful supporter.
YuniX-2: Goodness! Three reviews in one night! I'm honored. :) I think the only real reason why Inu and Kouga don't get along is because of Kagome, so there's no reason why they can't be friendly otherwise. And I play the clarinet too. :) I'm an avid gamer, and the FF series are the best. FF9 was my first, but I've played through most of them. Glad to find another gamer! Caligo is my little pet project. She's been building in character and attitude through different RPs, and with the good reviews she's been getting on here, I'd say I was successful. :) Thanks for reviewing!
Duzzie: Thankie kindly, sir or madam! Mysterious was what I was going for. So many questions to answer! Bwahahaha, you'll have to wait:) I hope I'll make it worth your while to read. Thanks again!
darkangelprincess24: I was beginning to wonder where you went! Don't worry about it, babe, I know what you're going through. Thanks for sticking with me!
Chapter Eleven – Behind Closed Doors
December had come in with a bang. A huge ice storm the previous night had rendered the grounds useless for their horseback lesson, so the students effectively had the day off.
"Come on, Inu! I'll be out of your hair and your room for the rest of the year, so why can't you come down and meet my friend?" Caligo was practically begging the hanyou.
Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Keh, what do I care? As if one of you damn furballs wasn't enough, you had to drag another one to the school!" He gave her a scowl from his perch on the twin-sized bed.
The pale neko sighed and shook her head. "And here I thought you'd be glad for more time alone with your little girlfriend." Inuyasha blushed brightly at that, and was secretly thankful that Kagome had gone downstairs earlier with Kouga and Ayame.
But Cali wasn't done yet, and the mischievous little smile spreading across her face was proof. "You like her too, don't you? You know…you two could probably keep this room, but they might need to move the single bed outta here…" Caligo's grin was growing, and so was Inuyasha's blush.
He finally sighed and turned back to the neko. "You're not gonna quit until I go with you, are you?" Cali smiled and shook her head. Inuyasha raised his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright, let's get this over with."
Cali hopped over and gave Inuyasha a quick hug, a habit that said hanyou had fast become tired of. "Thanks babe. I didn't want to resort to using blackmail." She gave him a wink and sauntered out of the room, a still blushing hanyou in her wake.
Once down in the entrance hall – which was, quite frankly, freezing – they found Kagome, Kouga, and Ayame waiting, the former wrapped up in many layers, the latter two looking quite at home in their natural furs.
Kagome was quite impressed with the acceptance the canines had come to show their resident feline. Sure, it took a couple of weeks, and more than a couple of beatings during combat training, but they had finally accepted her as one of their little group.
"So, Cali, when's this friend of yours showing up?" Ayame asked, running her fingers through her hair. Kouga and Inuyasha were eyeing each other over Kagome's head, but she had become used to the act and no longer thought much of it.
Cali grinned and hopped from foot to foot. "Any time now…any time now…"
Moments later, the heavy oak doors of the entrance hall flew open, ushering in a blast of freezing air and a rather bedraggled neko. Kouga and Inuyasha ran forward to get the doors closed, while the girls moved to help the newcomer with his bags.
"Thanks guys, it's pretty nasty out there." Came a muffled voice from the confines of the icy coat. Kagome wondered if it would be able to stand on its own once they got it off him.
Once freed from his burdens and unfolded to his full height, he stretched and gave a huge yawn. Good grief, another tall one… Kagome thought. His dark brown hair was short and damp from the sudden temperature change, and his warm blue eyes seemed to hold the same kind of glint that Kenshin's did. His ears were a bit larger than Cali's, and his tail was a bit shorter, though both were the same color as his hair. He grinned slightly at the going over everyone was giving him, and bowed low.
"Thanks again, everyone. The name's Kallos Yagen." He straightened again to nearly be knocked over by Cali and one of her trademark hugs. They held a whispered, hurried conversation for a moment before separating again, though Kallos did give Cali a peck on the cheek.
After introductions were passed around, the two nekos left to give the Headmaster Kallos's letter of introduction, the rest of the group headed for the ballroom, where many of the other students were practicing their instruments, dancing, or just plain goofing off. Kagome sank into a seat near the stained glass window, Ayame following suit. Kouga and Inuyasha flopped down on the floor.
"Well guys, now that we've met them, what do you think?" Kagome asked, stretching.
"Keh, another damn furball, that's all I can say." Inuyasha growled as he folded his arms. Kagome rolled her eyes, clearly unsurprised at the hanyou's annoyance.
"He seems alright, I guess. Not near so strong as me though." Kouga puffed his chest, and Ayame joined Kagome in her eye roll.
"I think he seems sweet, and good-looking to boot," perked up the she-wolf. "Who cares if he's a cat? Not me." She smiled sweetly at Kouga, who was sputtering something incoherently.
"Well, too bad for you, Ayame. It sure looks like Cali and Kallos are an item." Kagome nodded wisely. "Mom always told me never to meddle in the affairs of cats."
"You are certainly right on both counts there, Kags." Kagome jumped at the voice beside her, and looked up at Cali's trademark toothy grin. "Kallos and I are an 'item', as you put it." Here she turned slightly to address the whole group. "And you should never interfere in the ways of cats." Her normal punky demeanor was gone in an instant, replaced by a hard, cold expression and an irritated twitching of her tail. No one spoke again until Cali had left them again, and even then it took a few moments of glancing around the little circle before the silence was broken.
"Keh, what the hell is her problem!" Inuyasha exploded, jumping to his feet and cracking his knuckles. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted her! Now she's got her little boyfriend here to help her, and-"
Inuyasha's rant was cut short when Kagome lightly kissed his cheek, leaving him – and everyone else – to stare at her dumbfoundedly. She smiled slightly and turned back to the two wolves. "You guys stay here. I'm gonna follow her and see what's up." Both guys opened their mouths to protest, but she lifted a hand to silence them. "No, seriously. Out of all of us, I pose the least threat to her and Kallos. Heck, I'm even weak by human standards! Cali won't do anything to me. She's had plenty of chances to kill me off, trust me." She raised her hand again when the protests started again, quelling them with a glare of her own. "I'll be back, so don't worry."
It took quite a bit of convincing, but in the end, Kagome got her way. She wandered down the hallways, pausing to press her ear up against various doors or to peek around corners. It took her the better part of half an hour before she found where they had gone. She pressed herself up against the wall beside the slightly cracked down and listened.
"Kallos, listen to me, he knows!" Cali hissed, sounding almost frightened. "He knows why I'm here, and I'm pretty sure he'll figure out why you're here too! We have to be careful, damnit!" Someone had begun pacing, and Kagome guessed it was Kallos from the heavier footfalls.
"I know, I know, but damnit Cali, I couldn't leave you here to deal with him on your own! This is one sick bastard we're dealing with, and who the hell knows who he might kill next!"
Kagome forgot to breathe at that point. There was someone, someone here in this school, that had killed…and would probably kill again? No wonder Cali seemed afraid!
"Please," Caligo's voice again, "please, Kallos, this must be a secret! They must not know! I can't stand to loose you too!" Her voice was breaking, and Kagome had to lift a hand to her mouth to hide her own sob of fear. "Not you too, Kallos…he won't take you from me too."
The only sound coming from the room was the muffled sounds of Cali's tears and Kallos shushing her quietly. Kagome wanted to run, to find anyone to hide behind, to just forget what she heard…but fear of detection kept her still and silent against the wall.
"Cali, I want you to hush and pay attention. He will not take me away from you. I won't let him. I won't let this go on, not after so many years. Enough is enough." Kallos's voice took on a harder edge. "No more sacrifices…"
Kagome's eyes flew open. Sacrifice… She shook her head, whimpering faintly. No…no, not again… But despite her inner pleading, the voices started again.
"It's useless to try and get away, my dear."
No…go away…
"You cannot escape."
Get up…get up and run…
"You were given to us."
Given…given away…?
"You were the sacrifice."
No…no…no sacrifices…
"You have nothing to gain by struggling."
Get up…get up…
"No escape, no escape…"
Must escape…must get away…
"Your sister…your sister…your TWIN…"
Kikyo…sister, why…?
"Great things…great things she can do…"
What…what can she do…?
"But you must be gone…you must be gone…"
Why…? Ruuuuuuun…
"YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE!"
Kagome felt herself falling as a scream tore through her lips and the rest of her body clenched up in the familiar, mind numbing pain. She struggled to breathe, strained to move her legs, to run away from this place. She felt her heart stop, her lungs clench. The blackness was closing in, faster than before. With the last of her breath, she screamed Inuyasha's name.
The last thing she saw before the darkness covered her was Kallos bursting through the door, looking startled and angry, and Caligo dropping to her knees at Kagome's side, her eyes still showing the tears that had been streaming down that pale face not a minute before.