Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
A/N: I'm sorry that last chapter was so ridiculously late. I didn't realize it had taken so long. But I love you guys for being patient; can't forget some new reviewers, either. But I'm at my friend's house right now, while she's in school (I got to skip today. Awesome, right?) and tomorrow we're going to spend the whole day getting ready for the wedding. Not very exciting, but I'm gonna go with it, cause I've known her family ever since I can remember. Then again, I promise that I'll keep up with the chapters. No more eleven day waits - I swear it.
Chapter 21 - Showdown
Mr. Koushi had apparently seen Tai and Rizu standing in the doorway, but he didn't do anything about it. He obviously knew they were waiting for someone; and, being the youngest teacher in the building, didn't send them away. He just waved to them and shot a face-splitting grin, and then turned to the class. Kagome and Sango, however, were still frozen in place.
"What the hell are they doing here?" Sango hissed, though a trace of a smirk was playing at her lips. She reached her hands above her head to stretch, and then brought them to her sides so she could pull her white shirt back down. "I knew we were going to see them today, and even get some practicing in, but I didn't think they would actually come here," she muttered, and then turned her back on them. "Jerks. That's what they are. Probably came here so they could try and watch us make fools of ourselves."
Kagome laughed lightly and closed her eyes briefly, inhaling slowly so her breathing could return to normal. "That won't happen, Sango, because we won't let it. Yes, they're jerks, but we can get them back later. We should hurry up unless we want Koushi over there to go crazy. He's the only decent teacher we got." Before she ran over there, however, she made sure to flip Tai and Rizu the finger. They deserved it, after all.
Mr. Koushi shot the group a grin. "Alright, now that we're all settled, we're going to play some volleyball..."
Miroku tapped his pencil on his desk repeatedly, entertaining himself by seeing how long he could hold his breath. So far, it had been a minute and twenty-three seconds.
Inuyasha was sitting next to him, his hands interlaced behind his head and his feet kicked up on the desk. Myouga didn't even spare them a glance; he seemed to be avoiding their eyes, actually, and that was just fine with the two of them. Miroku had apparently released his breath after another minute when his face began to turn as purple as his eyes, and was instead throwing his pencil in the air and catching it with his mouth. Until Inuyasha snatched it mid-air and broke it in half, throwing the two snapped pieces in the nearest trash can. "Oi, Miroku, cut it out. Find some other way to keep yourself busy, 'cause this is getting annoying."
Miroku gave a small huff, just as Myouga announced the class dismissed. He gathered his stack of books and notebooks alike, standing up in one fluid motion. "Maybe you should get your ass moving, Inuyasha, or we're gonna be later for our next class." He smirked snidely, and started towards the room's only exit, his books tucked under one arm. "Get over your pride and get moving. Kagome'll be in gym by now, anyway, so it's not like you'll get to see her before Calligraphy, anyway," he stated knowingly, chuckling light-heartedly when his white haired friend began to growl, ears twitching uncontrollably. "Come on, man, I was just kidding. But you still have to get up."
Inuyasha did get up, a minute or so later, still grumbling a few incoherent words under his breath. So what if he was a little worried? Kagome made it clear that she wanted her problems to stay her problems, and she didn't want his help. That was that; it was simple, really - he left her the hell alone and she could carry on. The only problem was that he couldn't leave her alone.
He grunted as he left the classroom, only to bump into Miroku who hadn't moved from the doorway. By the time Inuyasha managed to catch what he was staring at, Miroku had started off towards the crowd, a lecherous grin plastered to his face. There was a group of girls, and a few boys, crowding the hallway and engaging in a vivacious conversation.
Inuyasha pushed through the entranced group and jabbed a girl in the shoulder, who whirled on him instantly. When she saw who he was, however, she recoiled slightly, and began twirling a lock of brown hair around her finger. "Can I help you, Inuyasha?" she asked shyly, shuffling her feet. Apparently, she knew his name. It was all he could do to keep himself from rolling his eyes.
"Yeah. You can tell me what's going on around here," Inuyasha retorted sharply, his ears twitching but not able to pick apart the bits of conversation that floated around him. There were too many words being said, and the volume of voices ranged considerably.
The shy girl suddenly smiled widely, her eyes widening to saucers. "Didn't you hear? Two boys came to this school, and they look an awfully lot alike the guys in Faded Light! We were trying to decide if it was them or not - they were cute, anyhow." Satisfied that she had said enough, she turned and began another animated discussion with someone else whom Inuyasha didn't care to intrude on.
'Tai and Rizu, maybe? Or is it a coincidence?' Inuyasha turned the possibilities over in his head as he attempted to find Miroku, who had seemed to somehow melt into the crowd. It didn't take much longer to find him surrounded by a cluster of girls, from which Inuyasha yanked him away. "Keep your priorities straight, Miroku," he chastised sharply, eyes darting around the halls. He lowered his voice so no one else would be able to hear. "I think Tai and Rizu are here somewhere, but why the hell would they come to the school?"
Miroku shrugged helplessly and began to stroke his chin thoughtfully. "Well, maybe they were impatient to see Kagome and Sango. It's hard to say, Inuyasha; there's an infinite number of possibilities, and we won't know anything until we find them and ask exactly what they're doing here. We have Study Hall next period, so I think it's safe to say we can afford to skip next class."
Inuyasha didn't reply right away but instead offered a small 'keh.' He wordlessly changed his direction and began walking towards the gymnasium, where Kagome and Sango were sure to be.
'Ace: a ball served so well that the opposing team is unable to return it.'
Thus was the thought that was racing through Kagome's mind as she dove down on her knees to return the volleyball. Her forearms were struck momentarily with a sharp sting, but it disappeared seconds afterwards, leaving red splotches on her fair skin. The girls had been divided into two teams and were playing against each other in competition.
"ACE!" her team shouted in unison as Sango delivered another one of her perfected jump serves. A chorus of cheers rang up on their side of the net, followed by high fives and shouts of challenge to the other team. Sango was one of the star players, even if it was only in gym class; she had refused ever since she was younger to be in volleyball. Instead, she had - and still was - devoting her time to her singing career.
Kagome smiled as well, although a slightly less bit enthusiastic. She couldn't get that clown out of her head - it seemed forever ago that she had supposedly fell asleep in the elevator with Inuyasha and dreamt of the clown. He had said, somewhere along the way, that he was helping her by saying the word 'ace.' More likely than not, he had meant it in a figurative sense; it was hard for Kagome to concentrate when Tai and Rizu were doing nothing but watching from the metal doorframe.
The ball was rolled back to Sango, and upon catching it, she blew out her breath in a whistle. The ball was thrown in the air, and she jumped, using the palm of her right hand to smack the ball, sending it flying over the net. A girl from the other side hit it, and as did two others, effectively returning the ball over the net. They volleyed for a few minutes before Sango's side finally scored with a spike. The score was in their favor, 20-16.
Sango glanced back towards Rizu, who was inspecting his fingers, and Tai, who was sitting on the ground and watching the game. She smiled briefly and turned back, preparing to serve the ball, allowing herself to get lost in the game. It was done without complication; once she felt herself immersed in the action, it was hard to reemerge from her concentration.
In a matter of ten minutes, Sango's side had won, the final score 25-23, just barely scraping by. Mr. Koushi excused them from class after praising them for a well-played game. Kagome and Sango were the last to leave; they wanted to stay behind so no one would be able to overhear their conversation with Tai and Rizu.
It took Kagome a moment to realize that they were accompanied, further down the hall, by Inuyasha and Miroku. She rolled her eyes and nudged Sango, coughing lightly at the same time to catch the attention of the small group.
Sango blinked, processing the presence of the two new arrivals and then rolling her eyes sarcastically. "I would ask what you, Miroku and Inuyasha, are doing here, but I'm not sure I really want to know. I'm more interested in what Tai and Rizu have to say." She glared pointedly at Miroku, who was currently staring at her legs, and slapped him straight across the face when she was close enough. "Pervert."
This was enough to get Tai and Rizu to burst into mirthful laughter, who only received sharp smacks upside the head from Kagome. "Children, can we learn to act more like gentlemen and knock off the ogling? It's pretty irritating," she chided snidely, effectively managing to shut all four of them up. She nodded approvingly and made herself comfortable against the wall, Sango sitting next to her and opposite of Miroku.
"What are you doing here?" Miroku asked suddenly, his eyes spiked with curiosity. "I'll just warn you that if we don't move soon, we're going to run into a whole mess of students; all of them wondering who you are and why you're here."
Rizu shrugged carelessly, his eyes sparking with a fiery glow. Kagome could have smacked him again - he actually thought the situation was funny. "Let 'em come," he replied nonchalantly, swinging one hand precariously in the air. "It's not like they can prove anything. We...we came to visit our cousins, or something like that. We can make something up. Come on Kags, San; don't kick us out now. That volleyball game you played was rather entertaining."
Kagome scowled as Inuyasha began to howl in laughter, a foreign noise she was almost afraid to hear. 'I didn't know he could laugh,' she mused, and then snorted loudly. Her mind paused almost instantaneously, and she mentally backtracked to when they were playing the game.
'Ace: a ball served so well that the opposing team is unable to return it.'
'If we could surprise Naraku, and don't allow any chance for him to make a comeback...we could beat him at his own game.'
Her face literally lit up as she jumped to her feet, pulling Sango up with her, who only glowered at her sourly. "Tai, Rizu; I'm going to kick your assess out of here whether you like it or not. Meet us at Sango's house after school. Inuyasha and Miroku, we have to go to Calligraphy, but we're going to take a cab home afterwards. I got a plan."
If not for Miroku constantly poking him with the tip of his pencil, Inuyasha would have dozed off in Calligraphy. Kagome and Sango had chosen to sit at the table in front of them; they refused to turn around, however, as if they were denying their presence even existed.
Tai and Rizu had left somewhat unwillingly, until Kagome had literally kicked Tai's backside out the door, Sango taking hold of Rizu's shoulders and shoving him to the ground. Miroku had thought it all hilarious; the two boys on the pavement refused to think of it in the same way.
Surprisingly, Miroku and the two girls were actually paying attention; Inuyasha was a different story altogether. He was a bit hurt when Sango didn't turn once to chat animatedly with him, even when the teacher allowed them a few minutes when his back was turned. He sighed, waiting idly by as the teacher turned to face the rows of tables once again.
"You're written kanji assignments are due on Monday. Class dismissed," he excused with a careless wave of his hand towards the door.
Kagome stood up gratefully, rolling her neck in circles as her and Sango left the room. The bell rang moments later, the shrill noise leaving a ring in Kagome's ears. "Let's go," she urged, and made a mad dash for her locker, Sango a few steps ahead of her. Inuyasha and Miroku were headed in the different direction, albeit at a slower pace. It was hard enough as is to get through the bustle of after school crowds.
They met in front of the school long minutes later, Inuyasha hefting his backpack over his shoulder. Kagome had refused to tell anyone of the so-called 'plan' she had thought up out of nowhere, and he was feeling slightly doubtful. She was currently rubbing her hands together and blowing on them, a futile attempt to stay at least somewhat warm in the snowy weather. She was wearing only a form-fitting forest green sweater, after all, and black pants.
She glanced at each of them in turn; a somewhat soft, and worry-driven gaze, making Inuyasha's insides squelch. She wasn't supposed to be like this...What happened to the hardness that she had always glared at him with, or her refusals to even talk to them?
What had happened to change her so utterly much?
Moments later, and her gaze was transformed to that of a mask of ennui. "We're taking a cab to Sango's house," Kagome started to explain, pulling a small wad of bills out of one of the pockets in her backpack. "I'm paying - I always keep this on me, just in case. Lucky, huh?" She gave them a small, fairly heartfelt smile and began her descent down the steps. "You guys coming or not?"
Inuyasha frowned when Miroku swung an arm around Sango's waist. She didn't seem to mind, actually; he wouldn't be too terribly surprised if - more likely, when - they announced themselves as a couple. Kagome seemed to find this hilarious, but if she was at this moment, Inuyasha couldn't tell, because she was already standing on the sidewalk in front of the school, waving one of her arms in the air. He shoved his hands in his pockets and muttered a 'keh' before lengthening his strides to catch up.
By the time he was standing next to the 'entourage,' a yellow cab had been hailed. Kagome slid into the front leather seat, whereas the other three took their places in the back. The whole inside of the vehicle was tan, and when a few of the bills were slipped to the driver, he stepped on the acceleration. He was quick, that's for sure...
Sango stared out the window, propping one elbow on her knee. Miroku was shuffling through his backpack, and Inuyasha seemed to mange to lose himself in space. Kagome was explaining the directions to their houses, and as they turned a corner, Sango managed to smack her head into the window. "Stupid driver," she muttered, low enough so that he wasn't able to hear.
It started to snow as they drove along one of the busiest streets in Tokyo, their luck seeming to have run out when they got stuck in the traffic. Sango watched as snowflakes drifted to the ground, effectively layering the grass in a white, glistening sheet. 'Short amount of time for daylight...nights are extended...it'll be getting dark in a couple hours,' she mused, more out of boredom and anxiety than anyone else. 'Light. Dark. Opposites. Everything has an opposite to balance it out, even if we don't realize it at first.'
It didn't take long for them to get to her neighborhood from there; as soon as the driver pulled in front of Sango's house, the four of them jumped out instantly, Kagome muttering a quick thanks before slamming the door shut. She rolled her shoulders to try and lessen the tension she was feeling; but no matter how bad it got, she knew that she had the band with her, add Miroku and, dare she say it...Inuyasha. The person she thought that she would have always hated. 'How ironic.'
Sango jogged to the front door and swung it open, only to see Kohaku sitting on the couch in the living room with Tai and Rizu accompanying him. She rolled her eyes and flopped herself down next to them, interlacing her hands on her lap. "So, is this how you've kept busy while we were at school? Playing video games?"
Rizumu slapped a playful hand across her knee. "'Course. What else were we supposed to do? Your mom's gone, dad's in his office, and Kohaku here got home before you did. This is his first turn." He grinned superiorly, hardly even bothering to conceal his laugh when Kagome shook her head sadly and sat down on the floor in front of the TV.
"Playtime's over. We got stuff to talk about. Kohaku, is there anything else you could go for the time being?" Kagome asked sweetly. He nodded without complaint and shut off the gaming system and television before heading towards the kitchen. When he was out of earshot, her expression turned serious. "Once we start, there's no half-assing your way out. Alright? Good. I don't think anyone's heard about my clown-dream except for Inuyasha...am I right?" She glanced around at them, just as Miroku and Inuyasha sat on the floor a few feet away from her. Inuyasha received the longest and most pointed gaze, until he realized what she was talking about.
'Kagome? KAGOME! Are you awake yet?!'
Said-girl's eyes snapped open - she was sitting on the floor of the elevator, Inuyasha kneeling in front of her, looking about ready to slap her across the face. Kagome began making a noise, much resembling a growl, and blinked a few times. There was no blackness...no white platform...and best of all, no clown. She could feel a cool bead of sweat running down her face - the elevator now felt hot and stuffy and incredibly too small. There were people standing outside the door - obviously impatient but not daring enough to do anything about it, unless they wanted their heads ripped off and placed on a platter.
Inuyasha nodded, intent on her downcast face, and for the first time that he could remember, felt that they shared a sort of connection. "You mean when you fell asleep in the elevator? How can I forget?" he commented sneeringly, but didn't get the rise out of her he had hoped. She merely nodded. 'Feh.'
Kagome repositioned herself on the carpet and released her held breath, daring a darting glance towards Sango momentarily. She felt lost, freezing to death in an ocean of icy blackness, and all she was given was a small amount of hot water. Waves of intermittent fear, waves of tension, waves of pessimism that crashed upon her and denied any chance of leaving pushed her head under the water and into the murky depths.
So she was going to drown...
Until she saw a light cutting through the darkness, and she swam towards it, using everything that she had. Her head broke through the surface, and yet her legs no longer felt numb, the sweet, sweet air returning to her lungs in fresh bursts.
"Kagome?"
She heard her voice being called, and fell back upon reality's cool, hard ground, hurting her backside along the way. "Right," she said to no one, "we need to play the offence here; surprise Naraku, and don't give him a chance to defend himself or strike back. We just need an effective and fool-proof plan. It's Thursday - we have about two days until we're supposed to meet Naraku again. Our scheme needs to be executed before then."
Sango smirked softly and leaned backwards, intertwining her fingers behind her back. The old Kagome was back - not the one who collapsed in school, or cried when she thought she had been defeated. This Kagome took control over the situation and used it to their advantage, and fought with such intensity that the opposing force didn't stand a minute chance. She felt a rush of satisfaction, convincing herself that things were going to return to normal, whether Naraku liked it or not. She glanced at Miroku and had no doubt that he felt the same.
Well, maybe everything wouldn't be the same.
Miroku knew that this was the old Kagome Sango was so used to. But they wouldn't go back to their old ways; Inuyasha and him would still know their secret, and Tai and Rizu would still be around. Kagome and Sango wouldn't be loners in school anymore. They could be a couple, if Sango wanted, and everyone in the school would know it. The old magazine pictures would be a thing of the past, forgotten, and Faded Light's secret could be kept a secret; Naraku would go down, and he wouldn't be running things anymore.
Tai and Rizu waited patiently as Kagome filled them in on what had happened last time between them and Naraku last time. She had, conveniently, carried the contract with her, and showed it to them somewhat hesitantly. "Apparently, he decided to take on a different approach," she explained hastily, pulling herself to her feet and pacing the floor. "And it's not an empty threat, either. I know that for sure. All we need to do now is come up with a plan; it has to be something unpredictable, and unanimous between us. No one else can know about this, and that goes for everyone; not one other person is allowed to hear about anything we're talking about right now. Agreed?"
There was a collective nod, and Kagome sat back down again. Sango decided to play her part. "What we need," she started slowly, working out the knots in her head, "is a diversion. Someone to distract him while the others are working. We'll probably need more than one; Naraku isn't stupid, and we can't let him get to anyone else. But it can't be someone from the band, because he's going to be expecting us to meet him as a group. It needs to be either Inuyasha or Miroku."
The two of them exchanged brief glances. "I'll do it," Miroku offered almost instantly, turning over the prospect in his head. "Inuyasha might be of more use if he's not busy doing something else. It only makes sense that I should be the one to confront Naraku as a distraction."
Sango nodded her head slowly. He was being modest, and not only that, but willing. For that she was grateful. "Good...Now let's get some practicing in before supper, and then we can plan more after that." She smiled happily, for once in a good while, and stood up while stretching her legs. "Kagome, you'll have to run home and grab your guitar. Tai, Rizu, your stuff is upstairs. Grab my guitar while you're at it, will ya?"
Miroku laughed as they began to trek upstairs. "Once again, my dear Sango, you never fail to amuse me," he commented, bringing himself to his feet and hugging her at the same time. She pushed him away.
"I try," she retorted, and then started towards the kitchen.
A/N: Another chapter down...I'm glad, too. School is going to bring me to the end of my rope. I'm sure to go insane in a few weeks. But don't worry about me; just worry your little head over about pushing that purplish button and review!
