Disclaimer: I got the third Inuyasha movie! Swords of an Honorable Ruler! What the heck! That sounds nothing like The World Conquering Sword! Bah! Oh yeah, I don't own Inuyasha.
Well guys, I typed out another one just for you in one night. ;) And you better appreciate it, cuz it's now 4:36! I'm tired, so here's the chapter! And I'm sure some of you will recognise Muso. I edited him a bit to make him a bit more gory (cuz gory is good!), and hopefully it works well in the story. Enjoy!
Cold Kikyo: Thank you again! Keep reading!
darkangelprincess24: This soon enough for ya babe:)
Raithya: You sure do guess a lot! Muso was an incarnation of Naraku in the show, but I've edited him to fit my own purposes. Naraku's all about death, but who does he want to kill? Who knows! (Not me, at least not yet. :grins:)
april: Thankie muchly for the review!
fullmetal-inugrl8484:Awww, shucks, thankie! And have fun at school!
YuniX-2: You know, that's probably the best compliment I've ever gotten. I'm glad I could help. :)
silver dargon knight: Consider it updated.
Hector Rivas: Thankie kindly, sir! I hope you continue to read!
Chapter Fourteen – Strength in Numbers
The rest of the day had passed easily for Kagome, as most of the teachers allowed her to sit and do nothing. All but Kagura and Sesshoumaru expressed their happiness that she was alive and well. Kagura seemed a little anxious about something, and kept the rest of the class learning a quick tango. Sesshoumaru just didn't appear to care, though Rin did give Kagome a bright smile, which she gladly returned before going back to taking notes.
But the 'happy' times were soon over, and Kagome felt her stomach clenching as they descended the main staircase towards the dining hall. Dinner was generally the only time during the day that any of the students saw the Headmaster, as none of them had yet to do anything terrible enough to warrant being sent to his office.
Inuyasha glanced down at the frail girl shivering at his side and tensed his grip on her arm. She glanced up at him with a nervous smile.
"Hey, don't worry, alright? Me and the others are right here for you." He lightly nudged her head with his own, giving her a smile of his own. And it was the truth. Apart from Kouga, who was blissfully unaware on Kagome's other arm, Cali and Kallos were right ahead of them, and the sound of Ezekiel's briefcase rolling along told them that he and Ryfen were following after them. Kagome smiled and squeezed both boys' hands as they reached the threshold of the dining hall.
"Thanks guys, I'm feeling better already." She whispered as they moved to take their seats.
Dinner passed in relative silence. A few of the rowdier students had tried to make light-hearted conversation, but the stoic glances from their fellows shut them up. Kagome had been studiously avoiding the Headmaster's gaze, and had taken instead to sneaking small glances down the table at her sister.
Kikyo sat silently, taking small, almost timid bites of her dinner. She often glanced up to the teacher's table, and her gaze ranged from afraid to hurt, from anger to something even more dangerous. Kagome shivered and kept her attention on her own plate after that, afraid of that look of grim acceptance and determination in her sister's eyes. She gave another shiver, stopping only when Inuyasha rested a hand on her leg and leaned over to her.
"What's wrong, Kagome?" he whispered.
"It's Kikyo…dear god, I've never been so afraid of my own sister!" she breathed back, her eyes remaining frozen on her plate. "She…she looks like she could kill!" Her heart was thudding painfully against her chest, and her breath was coming in pants. One glance back down the table was all it took. Kikyo was staring at her, her eyes colder and more emotionless than even Sesshoumaru's. The happy-go-lucky twin of her youth was gone, and Kagome was completely terrified.
Without warning, Kagome jumped up and ran from the hall. Many jumped up to follow, but a loud thump from the teacher's table stopped them in their tracks. All eyes turned to the Headmaster, who had stood and apparently slammed his fists into the table.
"Stay in your seats, all of you." His voice was deathly calm, contrasting heavily with the vivid look in his beady red eyes. "It is too late to stop Miss Kagome from her disrespectful display, but I will not sit here while the rest of my students follow suit!" He slammed his fist into the table again, the vibrations rocking the hall. "Believe me, she will be punished for this little act."
Panicked glances were shot between the members of the little conspiracy, but none of them seemed able to stand and leave, no matter how much they wanted. The whole hall was still and silent as the Headmaster sat again and resumed his dinner. Most of the students followed suit, but the conspiracy found their appetites quite diminished.
Kagome really had no clue where she was running, only that she had to get away from those lifeless eyes that currently occupied her sister's face. Her legs were screaming at her to stop as fled along the empty corridors of the school, but she only pushed them harder. She ran a hand across her face, wiping away the tears that were threatening to spill out, and nearly ran into a door. She skidded to a halt, panting slightly as she tried the door, gasping at the burst of cold air that assaulted her. Well, so much for the warm spell… Bundling herself as best she could, she trudged out into the melting snow, heading for the relative safety and warmth of the dojo.
Once inside the dojo, she slid the door shut behind her and fumbled for the light switch. The hall was blissfully empty, and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. This was one of the few places that she felt completely safe, as Kenshin, Vash, and Spike were almost always there. But now, as she wandered over to the bleachers, she realized that without the calming presence of the teachers, the dojo was very empty.
She spent another minute or two on the bleacher before she jumped up and ran to the weapon room. The feeling of being helpless had become unbearable, and she was certain she felt another presence in the building, but couldn't place who it was, or what their intentions were. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a moment, eyes ranging over the array of weapons that lined the walls. She briefly considered grabbing Cali's scimitars, but she really had no training with them, and they were rather heavy. With a soft sigh, she picked up her bow and grabbed a quiver of arrows, reveling in the feel of the soft wood on her fingers.
Soft footfalls sounded outside the door, and Kagome spun, notching an arrow and pulling back the string to her cheek. The feet paused, and soft, raspy breathing sounded through the air. She backed up against the wall, arms beginning to shake from the strain of holding the string. The door began to slide open, the wood scratching softly against the frame. The light hit the figure across from her, and she nearly dropped her bow, stifling a scream.
The man across from her had no face, only a empty, bloody hole where his mouth should have been, that was currently giving her a twisted grin.
"Kagome…." The hole moved as a mouth would, her name coming out a distorted whisper. "Kagome…you must die…"
The pain was filling her chest again, constricting around her lungs. Her arms began tingling with the familiar numbness, and her fingers released the arrow, but it fell far from its target, clattering uselessly to the ground. The bow fell from her hands as she sank backwards, landing hard on the ground and skittering backwards as best she could. The creature was advancing on her slowly, its mouth gaping and seeming to suck the warmth from the air. Kagome had backed herself into a corner, and was silently begging her arms to work again. But the numbness was working its way through her body swiftly. She simply closed her eyes and waited for the voices and the all consuming blackness.
But this time was different. She opened her eyes again to find the creature standing over her, that same wicked grin on his face. But her gaze traveled beyond him to the cloaked figure who was chanting quietly by the doorway. A soft pink light surrounded the figure, a light that was so familiar, and somehow so painful in its familiarity. But the creature's hands closed over her shoulders at that moment, and she was lifted painfully to dangle, her face inches from her attacker's.
"Kagome…give me your face…"
With one last burst of energy, Kagome screamed.
"IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!" Came an answering bellow. The creature gave a blood-curdling cry and dropped her to face his attacker. Kagome turned her gaze to see Inuyasha, Cali, and Kouga all down in battle stances, with Ezekiel and Ryfen behind them, both leveling their weapons at the creature. The robed figure was nowhere to be seen.
Inuyasha and Kouga dashed again at the creature as a shot rang out from Ezekiel's rifle, followed quickly by the thump of an arrow from Ryfen's crossbow. Cali skirted around the battle and dropped into a crouch beside Kagome.
"Hey girly, sorry we didn't make it here sooner." She tried to smile, but her eyes held a good measure of fear and pain. "Kallos stayed behind to hopefully distract Naraku." She easily lifted the motionless girl and set her back in the corner with her bow and arrows. "Stay put, and stay alive. Help when you can." With that, she grabbed her scimitars and rushed to join the fray.
Kagome simply sat and watched in wonder as her friends fought for her. Inuyasha had finally drawn his sword, and Kouga had found some time to strap on a set of metal claws. The blades were ripping through the creature, but every wound seemed to close itself up again within seconds. She struggled to move her body, to help her friends, and was glad to find that the numbness was slowly fading from her. But how long did she have to wait?
The fight continued on for a few more minutes before the creature became fed up with the cramped spaces and shoved his way out into the open fighting area. The others followed, leaving Kagome alone in the weapon room.
She cringed at every yell, at every shot, at every blade hitting flesh as she fought to control her aching limbs. She had finally managed to crawl a couple of feet when she was suddenly hoisted up by her arm. She glanced over to her side and instantly relaxed, finding Spike wrapping an arm around her back and supporting her against him. He noticed the look and gave her a wry grin.
"Well, good to see you haven't died on us again. Come on, we're missing all the action." With that, he half-supported, half-carried her into the main hall, where her eyes widened at the scene before her.
Vash and Kenshin had taken over the fight, allowing their students a much needed break. Gone were both teachers' normal happy-go-lucky attitudes, replaced stony faces and quick moves. Kenshin was fairly bouncing from one side to the other, his oddly crafted blade slashing and cutting everything he could. Vash was aiming mostly for the upper torso and head region, but seemed to be avoiding any life-threatening areas. Kagome came back to herself as Spike gave her a little shake.
"Hey, Kagome, you think you can stand on your own? I need to get in there and help them." He leaned down to allow her to try her own feet, which she was thankful to find would support her weight. He shot her another grin and ran forward just as the students rejoined the battle, leaving Kagome standing alone with her bow in hand.
This isn't working… She thought to herself after a good ten minutes. They're not getting anywhere with this thing! I have to help…but how?
Her mind was plunged into a memory of, of all people, Lady Kaede. She had been teaching them of the powers of the sacred arrow that mikos of the past had used when battling demons. 'They put a bit of themselves into the arrow, granting it the power of purification.' She had told them, though her eyes had strayed to Kagome.
She was telling me…but why me? I'm no miko, no great priestess. How could I do such a thing?
Her thoughts were cut short as Inuyasha went flying from an attack by the creature. Her pain was fast turning into anger, and she drew an arrow and notched it, pulling it back to her cheek. Please work, you must work!
A strange sort of calm flooded through her, and it carried with it an enormous amount of power. She felt strong, which was something she wasn't used to.
Trust in me…trust in me and save your friends… Kagome gasped at the quiet voice in her mind, but she nodded to herself. The power rushed through her.
"Everyone! Attack it together, then get back!" A voice with much more authority than her own rang through her lips, and the others heeded without question. One right after the other, they shot and cut into the creature, until it was falling apart at the seams.
Now, Kagome!
"GO!" The others jumped back as she released the arrow, watching in awe as it became engulfed in a pale purple light. It hit the creature in the center of its gaping mouth, and the light began diffusing through the creature. With a final gurgling cry, it disappeared in a flash of light, leaving only a small pile of dust.
Kagome felt herself falling again, but this time she was caught by Inuyasha. As he laid her down, she smiled up at him. "We did it, didn't we?"
Inuyasha smiled faintly and nodded. "Yeah, Kagome, we did do it."
Kagome smiled once more before darkness closed in. But this time, only one soft, female voice spoke to her. The same voice that had urged her on before.
Well done, Kagome. Well done.