A/N: And now, without further ado, I give what you all have been waiting for...
The next chapter.
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When Kagome Higurashi came to, she was lying on a sterile white bed in a medical ward. It honestly scared the crap out of her, because the last time she'd been in a hospital type setting had been...
'Shortly after Sesshomaru brought me back,' the priestess thought, gulping audibly and holding back the urge to cry. She hadn't done that since shortly before she'd lost her family. And she wouldn't do it until she finished what she'd started.
"Oh, good. You're awake!" A voice brought her out of her musings and she turned her head to the speaker. A man with long blonde hair smiled kindly down at her and pushed her sweaty bangs back. It was at that moment that she felt like she hadn't had a bath in a while. Not to mention the vaguely disgusting smell coming off of her.
"I... Where am I?" Kagome asked, shifting and trying to sit up. Her right shoulder immediately exploded in pain, and the dark-haired girl whimpered pathetically and flopped back onto the bed.
"You shouldn't do that. You were pretty badly injured," the blonde man sighed, turning away and picking up several rolls of bandages. He came back and sat down on the edge of the bed, "You're very lucky to be alive, young lady. Whoever attacked you cut you pretty deeply." Kagome nodded, the events of the other night slowly filtering into her head. How could she have been so careless?
"Yeah. I... I guess I am," she replied, coughing delicately and trying to get some liquid into her throat. A glass of water appeared in her line of vision and she hastily took it.
"Drink slowly." The girl nodded, and though she wanted to gulp the entire thing down as quickly as possible, she took small sips until she was satisfied. When the man set the glass aside and fixed her with a stare, she knew she wouldn't be able to lie her way out of her injuries.
"So... Are you willing to tell me how you ended up in such bad shape?" he asked, tugging loosely on his long blonde ponytail.
"I... Who are you... exactly?"
"My name is Kaien Cross. You're at Cross Academy. My adopted daughter and son, Yuuki and Zero, found you unconscious and bleeding sluggishly from that," he pointed at her shoulder, "in an alleyway in town. They were a little worried, and brought you to me to get patched up."
"I... see," Kagome muttered, thinking of how to best come up with an easy, but honest, way to answer him, "Well... thank you, Chairman Cross, for helping me when I needed it. You see... I'm a priestess. I was sent to that town to investigate some strange disappearances. I was attacked, and then I woke up here!"
"I... attacked? By what? Surely none of the Night Class?"
"Umm... No, I don't think so."
"... Tell me something, young priestess. Are you familiar with supernatural creatures." She nodded haltingly, waiting for the kicker, "Then you've heard of vampires?" Again, she nodded, this time a little more enthusiastically, "Were you attacked by one?"
"... No. I wasn't." Kaien swallowed. So, there were other things, besides vampires, that he needed to worry about now in town?
"Then... What?"
"I... It was a demon. A shadow demon," she finally replied, wincing inwardly and waiting for him to laugh at her.
"... So they do exist," the blonde man hissed softly, rising from the bed and pacing rapidly, "Is this demon still out there?"
"No sir. I purified it after it got the drop on me. Shadow demons are hard to pinpoint until they actually come out of the shadows. Then, as long as you have a good feel of their aura, you can tell right when they're about to attack and get them before they get you. It's the reason why they prefer to snatch small children at night sometimes. The children don't have the same senses as adults, and they're more likely to get caught." Taking a deep breath, she continued when he nodded, "So, I was a little preoccupied with my thoughts, and this one thought it would be cute to sneak up on me and eliminate me because I'm a natural enemy to demons in general." She was not going to tell this stranger that her attacker had been more interested in getting rid of her for the sole purpose of possessing the Sacred Jewel that thrummed under her ribcage near her heart.
After her painful encounter with Rido Kuran, the jewel had been activated again, vigilantly keeping it's guardian from dying several times, even though Sesshomaru's taiyoukai blood could do the trick just as well.
"That's good then. Do we need to worry about any others?"
"... I don't think so. I mean, there will always be more, but I'm pretty sure that it was the only one in the area," at the unsure look on his face she added, "Your students are safe here, Chairman. I can feel that the wards you've place in the school are very strong. Only an idiot would waltz in here to try and hurt your students."
"Well, I'd like you to stay here until you completely recover, Miss..."
"Kagome. My name is Kagome Higurashi," the priestess supplied, bowing her head slightly in respect, "And I don't want to be a burden so... As soon as I'm better, I'll get out of your hair."
"Take as much time as you need, Kagome. You're safe and sound here," Kaien smiled, smoothing down her dark hair before rising to leave her in peace, "My kids will probably want to see you. They were very worried about you." With a wave, he disappeared out of the ward, leaving Kagome in an amused state to herself.
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Kagome got quite the surprise when Ichijou and Shiki both came to visit her in the hospital ward. When asked about it, they had replied that the Chairman had informed the Night Class about a visitor staying for a little while in the ward.
"You guys are so sweet!" the priestess muttered, smiling genuinely when Ichijou ruffled her hair playfully, "But how did you know it was me?"
"We spent several hours with you, Kagome," Ichijou replied, smirking inwardly when she flushed in embarrassment. "Now, tell us how exactly you ended up in here?"
"And injured, no less," Shiki added quietly, staring at the white bandage peeking out from Kagome's loose shirt. Ichijou nodded gravely and sat down on the bed. The priestess glanced from one vampire to the other cautiously. Now that she knew what to look for, it was very obvious that the two of them were of the undead.
"Well... For starters, I know you guys aren't human." The two gorgeous males blinked slowly, both rather surprised at her reaction.
"If... you think that, then what are we?" Shiki asked bluntly, getting straight to the point. She looked him right in the eye and said without hesitation, "Vampires." He flinched just slightly, but she caught it because she'd been watching him so carefully.
"That... doesn't answer the question as to why you are here," Ichijou responded delicately, carefully watching the priestess for her reactions. His eyes widened suddenly when a thought hit him. "You weren't attacked by a vampire, were you?" Oh, he would kill the idiot that dared to go after such a sweet girl!
She shook her head rapidly, fidgeting when he pinned her with a glance. "I... no. I wasn't attacked... by a vampire."
"Then something else," Shiki quickly caught on to her meaning, itching to find out who had hurt the nice human girl. She nodded slowly this time and bit her lip, watching them through wide blue eyes that seemed... afraid?
"Kagome," Ichijou sighed, backing his aura down when the priestess looked near tears, "You can tell us."
"You don't trust us?" Shiki asked, smirking just slightly when the human girl flushed in embarrassment.
"It's not that! I trust you guys!" Kagome protested vehemently. It surprised the two boys, because no one had put their trust in them so soon after meeting them. "I'm just... I don't really know how to explain... Not without sounding like I'm crazy, at least."
"Umm... We're vampires, Kagome," Ichijou deadpanned, giving her a blank stare. She blushed and muttered under her breath about "boys" in general, before clearing her throat.
"Well... I'm... a priestess, and I was investigating something in the town when a demon snuck up on me and attacked me," Kagome explained, shortening her story to the bare minimum. She just didn't want to get into her past right now. Maybe... someday, she'd tell them. "I got rid of it, but he got me first. I guess afterwards I passed out from blood loss. The next thing I knew, I woke up here with Chairman Cross checking my temperature." She shrugged, which agitated her wound just slightly, and gave the two boys a small smile. "I'm okay now. I just need to rest and recover."
"A priestess? A real priestess?" Shiki asked, genuine curiosity lighting his blue eyes.
Kagome snorted, "It's not like I'm a fake priestess!" She blinked then, the color draining from her face. "Why... do I feel like I've heard that before?"
The two boys exchanged glances, then nodded minutely.
"Kagome," Ichijou started, turning the girl's attention to him, "We... think someone might have messed with your memories." At the blank look, he began to elaborate. "See, the name you called me was one of my ancestors. Ironically, I take after his looks very much, and we think that, maybe you're remembering a past life... or something."
"I... That would make a lot of sense," Kagome mumbled, absently plucking at a loose thread in her blanket.
"If you want, we could help you trigger that, so it won't bother you anymore," he continued quickly, crossing his fingers and hoping for the best. If Kagome had met his ancestor in a past life, and she remembered it, there could be a moutain full of information that he could gleen off of this.
"When... When did your ancestor live, Takuma?" she asked, blinking innocently up at him. Something deep and primal stirred inside him when her blue eyes settled on him, and he swept it away impatiently to analyze later when he had the chance. He knew he liked her, even if he'd only known her for a short time, but there were a few more important things to deal with at the moment.
"About 500 years ago." Her face suddenly lost all of its' color again, alarming both vampires with how quickly her attitude changed.
"I... I think that would be a... great idea," she whispered, biting her lip in agitation and fidgeting slightly. Ichijou sighed and relaxed his unconsciously stiff body.
"Great. I'll get you some books that you can look at." They talked for several more hours, waiting until the sun was just starting to peek over the horizen before leaving the tired human girl to get some much needed sleep.
"Ichijou," Shiki sighed, running a hand through his bright hair and wincing when the first rays of the day shot over the horizen.
"Hmm?"
"She almost needs a guard dog." Ichijou blinked at that idea, then smiled good-naturedly at his fellow Night Class student.
"Yes. She does. Trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes," Ichijou replied, clenching his hands when his instincts surged again. Over the course of the night, he'd quietly went over the feelings that had started surfacing around the priestess. He'd come to an interesting realization too. He didn't just like her; he wanted her for himself. Inwardly, he sighed. He really needed some more time to get a grip on his emotions before he did something stupid.
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Over the next several days, Kagome had gotten many visits from Yuuki and Zero. When she'd found out that they were the ones' that had rescued her, the priestess had welcomed the younger kids with wide open arms and a happy heart. She'd become very attached to Yuuki. The Day Class girl was so sweet, and always thought of everyone else before herself. It reminded the dark haired girl a little of herself. The innocence was something that she wanted the other girl to keep with her, no matter what. Speaking of Yuuki...
She knocked quietly on the door before entering.
"Hello? Are you awake, Kagome?" Yuuki asked, peeking her head in and seeing the older girl was watching her curiously.
"Hi, Yuuki! How are you today?"
"I'm... Well..." the brunette sighed, closing the door and walking over to the priestess's bed to take a seat.
"What's wrong? Is someone bothering you? Are you getting enough sleep? Is the Night Class being stupid again?" Kagome immediately fired off several questions, startling the younger girl into laughing sheepishly. It hadn't taken long to get the brunette to talk about the Night Class. And the effect they apparently had on the Day Class. Not to mention all the hard work Yuuki and Zero were supposed to do in order to keep the Night Class's secret from becoming common knowledge.
"No no! There's nothing... wrong," Yuuki soothed the agitated older girl, smiling a bit sadly and glancing down at her hands. Her thumbs were currently playing war with each other, and she stuffed them between her knees to keep from twiddling them. Her foot started jiggling and she made a conscious effort to hold still for a little more than two seconds. Kagome watched the poor girl anxiously try to get her nerves under control and took pity on the brunette.
"Is it something you want to talk about?" The younger girl nodded quietly and locked gazes with her. Kagome relaxed and sat back, smiling encouragingly. "Well, I'm all ears, Yuuki. Let it rip."
"I... I'm scared," Yuuki took a deep breath and finally started, "I'm... in love with two different boys, and I'm scared. I don't know what to do! I can't tell the Chair- I mean, my father, because he wouldn't understand! And I don't really have very many girl friend's I can talk to. Yori isn't interested in stuff like that! I... I don't know what... to do." She proceeded to explain all the feelings for the two boys she had, trying to figure out which one she loved more and how she was supposed to deal with it. The priestess sat quietly and listened to the younger girl's troubles. She'd quickly figured out that one of the boys was Zero, but the other, Kaname, she knew next to nothing about. Apparently, he'd saved Yuuki from a bad vampire when she was a child. It also seemed that this Kaname was a vampire himself.
'Why does that name sound so familiar to me?' Kagome thought, letting the prefect's voice fill her head as she wracked her brain for her answer. A flash of a dark-haired man with even darker eyes floated across her mind followed almost immediately by a twinge of pain. What... was that?
'That was... weird.' It took her a moment to realize that the younger girl was done talking and was waiting for her to answer. The former time traveler pulled herself out of her own thoughts to try and help Yuuki with her love problems. It was a little ironic, really, seeing as her own love life was absolutely non-existent. Sesshomaru and Shippo both had practically guaranteed it. If someone was wanting to try for her hand, they'd have to go through almost literal hell to win her "family" over.
When the priestess didn't respond after a few minutes, Yuuki averted her eyes shamefully, not wanting her new friend to judge her too harshly. Kagome laid a hand on the younger girl's arm and tapped it lightly. It got the Prefect's attention.
"... Love is hard, isn't it?" the priestess asked, grinning tightly in self-mockery, "It makes you want to do stupid things; to change who you are to be someone your not. It even comes in so many different forms that's it's hard to tell what kind of love it is."
Yuuki nodded, eyes wide in understanding. She knew the feeling. After all, she loved both Zero and Kaname.
"But, how do you know it's the right kind?" she asked, leaning towards the dark-haired girl in earnest.
"You don't. But the best thing you can do, is follow your heart," Kagome sighed, shaking her head and looking out at the night sky. The stars twinkled brightly, and she wondered if her loved ones were watching over her now?
"That's... kinda lame, Kagome," the Prefect giggled, smiling happily. Kagome turned to watch the younger girl laugh and had to laugh herself.
"I know. It's so stupid. 'Follow your heart'?" They had a good laugh about it. Then, the priestess stopped abruptly, staring at the brunette sharply, "But that's the best way to describe it. Follow who you want to truly be with. Don't let hero-worship get in the way."
Yuuki stopped, and thought for a few moments. "Do you... think I love Kaname because he saved me?"
"There's a good chance, Yuuki." The brunette looked anguished, not sure how to determine her feelings, "But let me tell you this. You need to choose. And soon. Otherwise, all three of you are going to hurt in the end."
"... I... I need to think about it," the younger girl decided, standing up and adjusting the prietess's blankets around her comfortably, "I want to be sure that I'll make the right choice." Smiling gently, she turned and walked out of the infirmary.
She had a lot to go over in her mind tonight.
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Shortly after the Prefect left, Kagome met Hanabusa Aidou. He was an interesting person, to say the least. Especially when he tried to take a nip out of her. She'd solved that problem really quick by holding a loaded gun to his forehead. Gulping in shock, the vampire had backed off and explained that he'd merely followed the scent of old blood and found her.
Once he pulled himself out of his haze, though, the priestess found him to be a surprisingly likable person, despite his arrogant attitude, and considering he was a vampire and all. He spent most of the night talking animatedly to her, making her laugh in a way she hadn't been able to in a long time. In a way, it had reminded her a little of the camaraderie she'd had with Miroku. Though thinking of the monk caused a pang in her heart, she pushed it aside to focus on Aidou. He seemed only too happy for the attention. She later thanked him and asked him to visit again when he had the chance. The blonde vampire easily agreed.
"You are the most interesting human I've ever had the chance to really talk to in a long time, Kagome," Aidou said, patting her head like a child and knowing it irked her just enough to swat at him. Leveling a glare at him, the dark haired girl huffed and crossed her arms in a pout.
"I appreciate your company, but I'm not a little kid, you know," she countered, pretending to be mad at the blonde. He wasn't fooled in the least. He could tell that this girl had suffered more than even most vampires. It was a little sad, because she was so different. But then, Kagome had also proved to be an individual with a strong spirit. He was sure, that if he'd been in her shoes, he would have let the light inside collapse long ago.
"Well, I gotta get back. I'm sure Cross and Kiryuu are going to wonder where I am and all," Aidou sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. Standing, he leaned down until he was nose-to-nose with the young priestess, "But I'll be back, my dear. You're a strange girl, after all. I like puzzles." Kagome flushed, a little wary of this gorgeous being's closness, then breathed a sigh of relief when he straightened up and turned away. Sure, she knew vampires existed, but that didn't mean she wanted to get on the business end of those sharp fangs of theirs; and she was pretty sure Aidou was just wild enough to try and sneak a bite, if he had the chance.
"Thank you, Hanabusa, for keeping me company for a little while," she replied, smiling smally when he glanced back at her. Grinning sharply, he waved lazily and headed out of the ward. Kagome was definitely an interesting human. One that he wouldn't mind keeping a close eye on either.
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A few days later, the books arrived. After the interesting conversation she'd had with Ichijou and Shiki, the blonde vampire had offered to let her look through several books about his ancestors to see if they dredged up anything, as far as her lost memories went. She was only too happy to agree. Now, though, with so many to go through, she was wondering if she'd made a bit of a mistake.
Kagome sighed quietly and closed the book she was reading. This one didn't really have what she was looking for either. It only talked a little about the ancestors of the Ichijou family. There was nothing in here to tip her off as to why she knew about Takeru. Reaching across the table, she flipped open the next one and stared at it.
It looked like a journal.
Huffing in annoyance, she browsed several pages before noticing something. The dates were from very far back. Even farther then 500 years! Excitedly, she flipped to the pages that were from the Feudal Era. Maybe Takeru had met Inuyasha at some point? Their little band had become quite infamous throughout Japan after a while.
One entry caught her eye and she dragged the text closer to her.
1505 April
The Master and I met an interesting human today. She was unafraid of us, even kind. As unusual as that was, it was the sheer bright power coming off of her that really caught my attention. There was something very... different about her. Not only was she unafraid of us, she seemed almost fascinated with the thought of vampires being real. She had a kindness about her that seemed completely genuine; she didn't judge us in any way. Merely wished to know our true selves. It was... strange, but nice.
The Master seems to have grown quite attached to her. He sat for hours and merely watched her sleep as night fell around us. I hope that this will not deter our war, as this girl could become a victim if he continues to dote on her.
Kagome furrowed her brows and had to wonder why Takeru seemed so wary about this human girl. More than anything, she felt she was on the verge of something huge. Skimming down, she looked for names, and nearly dropped the book in shock at what she found.
We later found out from a hanyou that she was a priestess. It explained a lot. The light that would glimmer just under the surface of her skin. The way she practically reeked of bright power. It could also explain her lack of fear in general of us. After all, holy beings can purify us as well.
"Come on, Takeru. Give me a name for this girl!"
We planned to erase her memories when her entourage was later attacked by a group of rogue former humans. We were sure that it was her association with us, but later, once the Master had wiped her memories and laid himself to rest in grief, I did a little more research of the girl. What I found out startled me greatly. It also explained several other unknown things about her.
She was the guardian of a sacred artifact known as the Shikon no Tama.
It was all the proof her mind apparently needed. Images, sounds, and sights whirled through her head. She remembered Takeru now. She'd definitely met him in her travels to the past. She'd even come to associate him as a friend. She could literally see him, standing next to her and laughing genially at something silly she'd said to him. The other vampire, the Master one, she could easily recall. But still, there wasn't a name that she could place for him. Bookmarking her spot and skimming through several pages, she finally found a name for the unknown vampire.
Kaname. An image of a young boy presented itself, overlapping the one of the older vampire. They looked... the same. But who was the boy? Was he a reincarnation? But no! Vampires weren't reborn; simply because they were able to live such long lives. Then who-
'What if it's still him, just... younger?' Now she was confused. How was that possible? Were vampires able to regress their ages? If so, why would someone like him do such a thing? Now, though her memories had returned, she had even more questions.
Yet, she still felt like there was a gap somewhere. Shrugging, she turned back to where she'd left off in Takeru's journal.
Because of such infomation, I refuse to give her name. I do not wish for her, or the jewel, to fall into greedy hands. Neither in this lifeime or any other, in her case. If I wish to do something right, I intend to protect this secret until my dying breath. One kindness deserves another. I will not risk such a pure girl being tainted by our race.
Kagome took several deep breaths and closed the book. The blonde vampire... was a good person. It didn't matter that he had to take blood in order to survive. She had all the information she needed. Now, it was time to put a plan into action.
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Ichijou flinched when his cell phone buzzed, alerting him to a text message. He'd have to read it later, though. After he was finished talking with his Grandfather.
"Is there... something you'd like to say, Takuma?" Asato Ichio was nothing, if not perceptive. He knew his grandson was not pleased with the task he was being given. Where he should have been proud to guard the true head of the Kuran family, instead, he was shying away like a stubborn child. But after outlining the severe punishments he would receive if he chose not to take up his intended position, the younger Ichijou was reluctantly agreeing to watch over Rido Kuran as he inhabited his son's body.
"Not at all, Grandfather," Ichijou replied easily, sending the older blonde a razor smile that wasn't at all the genial grin he normally wore, "However, if we're finished, I have some things I'd like to take care of before I return to school."
Ichio nodded, waving the boy away elegantly and leaning back in his stately chair. Come hell or high water, he would make the younger vampire understand his true place.
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Once he was safely locked in his room, Ichijou flipped open his phone and scrolled through the texts he'd received during the meeting. There was one from Rima, questioning if he'd seen Shiki recently. It made the blonde sick to know that Shiki was being used so badly in his father's petty revenge game. If only to help the other younger vampire regain control of his body, he'd keep an eye on Rido. He was sure, though, that even with the two boys combined, there was no way they'd be able to match a Pureblood as dark and powerful as Shiki's father.
The name on the next message made him blink then smile genuinely. Kagome had tried to contact him. He'd fallen hard and fast for the priestess with the kind smile. A relationship with her was something he really wanted to work on with her soon. Pushing the button, he opened the message... then barely caught the cellular device as he dropped it in shock.
I found Takeru. I know why I know him. I want to tell you everything.
Kagome
Ichijou swallowed thickly, somehow honored that the human girl was willing to share with him what exactly was going on. He quickly pushed several buttons and sent her a message back.
I'll contact you as soon as I can. Right now isn't a good time. Can you tell me anything now?
Ichijou
He got an almost immediate reply.
I can't tell you over the phone. It's way too important. And it's not something I can just say over the phone. I need to tell you in person because I need you to understand that I'm being completely honest. I'm scared, Takuma. Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it in the air.
Kagome
Well. Shit.
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She finally chose to accept the invitation to stay at Cross Academy for a little while, if only to try to see if she could comunicate a little better with Ichijou. The blonde vampire seemed to be avoiding her, and, after a couple of weeks to brood, she was furious about it. Donning the Day Class uniform Chairman Cross had given her, she marched out of her room and headed down to the Moon Dorm's entrance. Yuuki had ben thrilled that she'd chosen to stay, and Zero was being protective as always. Apparently, saving him had garnered her a new bodyguard. Kagome sighed, smiling wistfully at the thought of the silver-haired human.
'He's really very sweet... once you get past that icy exterior,' the priestess thought, absently kicking a rock and watching it skid across the path before stopping. Smirking, she picked it up and looked it over vaguely. She then threw it over her shoulder in an uncaring fashion, shrugging her shoulders and resuming her walk. It was still a little early for the other students to be let out of their classes, so the entrance to the walkway was deserted.
'Just the way I wanted it.' Glancing around and flaring out her aura to truly make sure there was no one there, she bent her knees and leapt to the top of the wall easily. Sometimes, it paid off to have that little bit of demonic blood in her. Smiling in victory, she scanned the area and stared for a moment. The Moon Dorm in the distance looked like a castle against the afternoon sun, and it took her breath away at the lovely sight. Shaking herself out of her stupor, she dropped back down and started down the path towards her destination. She had at least a half-mile trek to go before she got there.
When the human girl finally made it to the front door, she gulped and looked up to the top of the building. Up close, the dorm was much larger than she'd ever anticipated. Getting herself under control, though, she knocked timidly and was rewarded with the door opening a moment later. A vampire with bright orange hair answered, a bored look on his face. It quickly morphed into surprise when he took note of her uniform.
"A Day Class student?" he asked, surprise coloring his voice. She nodded and put on a bright smile.
"Hi there! I was sent by Chairman Cross to check about some things with the Vice President of the Night Class!" she lied quickly, but convincingly. It was one thing that both Shippo and Sesshomaru had worked hard to get her to accomplish without messing up. She hated doing it, but it was a little neccessary at this point. "Do you mind if I could come in for a moment? I won't be long, I promise!"
"... Sure. Come on in," the brightly colored vampire finally sighed, running a hand through his deliberately messy hair and opening the door so she could slip in. Thanking him shyly, she made her way in and froze. It looked as though the whole Night Class was waiting in this room. Counting the time in her head, she realized that they were probably about to go to class, and could have hit herself for her carelessness. Every eye was on her. She hated being the center of attention. It made her feel extremely awkward.
'Please, someone. Anyone, do something before I pass out from the nerves!'
"Kagome!" Aidou called out cheerfully, waving at the human girl and sauntering over, "Did you come to visit me?" The priestess had to grin at that. Even though the blonde vampire was somewhat reckless, and definitely dramatic, he was an interesting guy to have around. He sure knew how to lighten up a situation.
"Sorry, Hanabusa. I'm not making a social call," she replied, smiling with forced happiness before she found who she was looking for. Pinning the vampire with a hefty glare, she was rewarded with a squeak from her prey as she strode towards him.
"Takuma Ichijou! I've been trying to get a hold of you for weeks now!" Kagome hissed, putting her face right in the blonde's and snarling at him. He had the decency to look incredibly intimidated.
"I-I-I'm sorry! I've been so busy that I-!"
"That you can't even return my calls?" Nodding meekly, she let all the fight drain out of her and she slumped over in defeat.
"I was worried, you idiot," she murmured, shuffling her feet in remorse for getting so upset with him.
"I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't mean to worry you," Ichijou replied, awkwardly patting her dark head. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that Rido, in Shiki's body, shifted towards them in slight confusion.
"I have something important to tell you," the girl countered, looking up at him again with large blue eyes. He stiffened, then sighed.
"I can't right now. We're getting ready to go to class and-!" He was interrupted when she glared at him, yanking him down to her level by his tie.
"Well, too bad! I'm not waiting again!" Kagome huffed angrily at him and took his arm. She then proceeded to bodily drag him to the nearest empty room. Ichijou glanced back at Rido in alarm, whom was now watching the human girl with a vague interest, before letting the smaller girl manhandle him into the room.
Not even two minutes later, Kaname Kuran swept down the stairs, glancing around and nodding for them to begin their journey to classes. Everyone quietly obeyed him. Being the last one to leave, his sharp hearing picked up a soft female voice and Ichijou's distinct replies.
"Just... wait here until everyone is gone. Then go back, and don't you dare get involved with this!" the blonde answered angrily, starting to open the door.
"I can't!" was the sharp feminine reply. Kaname stopped for a moment, listening carefully. He felt like he should know that voice. "He ruined my life and killed my family! Now he's controlling his own son! I refuse to just let things stand as they are, Takuma!"
"I know I probably can't stop you," the blonde sighed, stepping back and letting the door closed, "But just... be careful. Rido Kuran is not the only Pureblood running around here." Without waiting for a reply, he left the room, closing the door quickly and leaning against it. Sighing loudly, the Vice-President straightened up... and immediately noticed he wasn't alone.
"Kaname."
"Ichijou."
"I... I'm coming," he replied, cowed slightly by the curious glint in the Pureblood's dark eyes. He swept past the quiet Kuran and out the front door. Glancing one last time back at the closed door, and wondering again why he felt he should know that girl's voice, he shook his head and left silently.
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She sighed quietly, waiting until the last of the vampires' auras had faded away before leaving the room. Glancing around, she was momentarily stunned by the extravegance that the Night Class seemed to live in. Obviously, Chairman Cross had a little more money than he was willing to let on. Spinning in a circle slowly, Kagome checked her surroundings again before deciding to do a little snooping. After all, if what Ichijou said was true, then Shiki was in grave danger right now.
'How could a father want to willingly possess their child? Rido Kuran, you are despicable!' the priestess thought angrily. She'd do whatever it took to save Shiki. In fact...
'I think I have some books back at my hotel room that are geared specifically towards possession. I wonder if I could draw from that.' If that didn't work, there were always the sutras Miroku had taught her how to make. Sure, they drove off evil spirits, so there was a good possibility that it would have the same effect.
"First, though, evidence. Then, extermination," Kagome hissed, grinning sharply and swirling up the opulent staircase. Her family wouldn't have much longer to wait. She was close. Not wanting to go through every room in the dorm, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the darkest aura she could find. She manages to pinpoint two, and decided to investigate both. Following the first, the remnants led her to a door at the far end of the hall, and she swallowed delicately before pushing it open.
The room was dimly lit, the moon filtering through the partailly opened curtains. Running her hand over the material, she was surprised at the heavy velvet texture, and knew they would easily keep the sunlight out if one desired it so. Turning away from the window, and the lovely view it had to offer, she let her blue eyes roam over the rest of the room. Something metal glinted in the weak light and caught her eye, and she walked over to the small table. A sharp knife was embedded in a chess board, the black king crumbled around the point. Swallowing, she glanced over the rest of the pieces and took note of the ones that were grouped together. The white king and queen stood proudly off to the side, surrounded by their court; except for one bishop. It seemed to be cornered just as closely to the king as the queen. How... odd. The black pieces lay scattered, as though defeated.
"Looks like someone likes chess," Kagome mumbled, picking up the white king and turning the heavy piece over in her hands. It seemed to be made of a type of marble, and look quite expensive. Setting it back down, she perused the rest of the room, coming to the closest door. So far, there had been nothing to hep her in identifying whose room this was. And her gut told her that Rido was not the type of vampire to like or even be remotely interested in chess. This had to be someone else's room.
"But whose?" the priestess asked out loud, knowing that no one would respond. Opening the closest door, she took careful note of the clean white Night Class uniforms and the other expensive clothes. Fingering a long-sleeved dark shirt, she whistled at the fine silk and turned to the uniforms. Holding out an arm sleeve, she shook her head at the measurements.
"Definitely not Shiki's. Who do you belong to, I wonder?" The clothes didn't answer, and she finally sighed, closing the closet and turning away. Something dark and forboding suddenly zipped across her aura, and she stiffened in shock.
'How is that possible! I purified that son of a bitch!' It was either that, or the shadow demon she'd fought off a few weeks ago had a brother that wanted revenge. 'Right then, deal with the threat, then find out about Rido. If that thing gets a hold of one of the Day Class students, there'll be hell to pay.'
Swallowing the urge to just hide and let somone else deal with it for once, Kagome squared her shoulders and headed over to the window. Opening it just enough to slip out, she closed it back and turned to face the surrounding forest. Flaring out her senses, she swallowed delicately when she came across a definitely malevolant aura. Taking a deep breath, the priestess plowed right into the shadows, defenses high and ki crackling in her fingertips.
'Let's see the bastard try and catch me off guard this time,' Kagome snarled inwardly, beginning a hellish game of cat-and-mouse.
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Kaname snapped his head to the window when the sharp rise in the darkness caught him off guard. Something dangerous had entered the school grounds. Rising silently to his feet, the entire Night Class rose as one with him and watched their leader intently. Every soul in the room could sense the threat waiting outside; now they waited to see what their Pureblood master would do. When he addressed them, though, it was with a calm many of them took for face value.
"There's no need to be alarmed. We will simply deal with the threat that has chosen to fall into our jurisdiction." Turning away, he swept out of the room elegantly, expecting the others to fall in line and follow. Every eye in the class room bled red at that, except for the vampire that had taken over Shiki's body. He sat back, and would let his "nephew" handle the situation. Glancing at the Ichijou heir, he was amused to see the blonde boy fighting the need to get up and follow the others. Honestly, the young noble took his job quite seriously.
"Aren't you going to follow them?"
"... No. My needs here are greater than helping Kaname. He knows what he's doing," Ichijou hissed, flashing a crimson glare at the indolent air around Rido Kuran. Rido simply laughed quietly, not noticing when Rima Touya's red eyes flashed in his direction in calculation before she swept elegantly out the door.
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The shadows creeped unusually before lashing out at her, and Kagome swiftly backed away. Gritting her teeth, she let loose a blast of purification into the shadows and was met with nothing.
'Damn it! He's already moved again!' Her cat-and-mouse game had taken a turn for the worse. She'd been hoping to have the demon on the run the moment she stepped into the darkness, fingers glowing and eyes shining in the dim moonlight. Sadly, she'd realized a little too late that it was the other way around. She'd become the mouse and he, the cat.
'This is why I hate dealing with shadow demons. They're cowards-' she dodged the swipe that came from her behind. Leaping away, she carefully follow the menacing chuckle that filled the air and tried to pinpoint the source. There! To her left! She sparked her powers again and blasted, once again missing. She let out a string of curses that would have mede Inuyasha proud.
'Okay. Time for a new strategy.'
"It's useless, priestess. Once you made your way into the shadows, you stepped into my domain," the demon ground out, unaware of Kagome's sudden shift into a new strategy.
"Well, I guess since it's so useless, you should take what you can, right?" she taunted, smirking when the shadows around her shivered violently with anger, "But, I won't make it easy! So catch me if you can, you pea-brained bastard!" With that, the priestess whipped off and plunged deeper into the woods. If she followed her senses corectly, there was a lake nearby, which would mean the dim light of the moon would be magnified around the water source. She weaved in and out of the trees expertly, putting on just enough speed to keep herself out of the shadows' reaches.
The demon shrieked in fury as he missed yet another chance to catch her when she darted through the shade. "I will have my vengance against you, priestess! You killed my brother! And I will take that precious Jewel from your cold dead fingers!" Kagome ducked her head when a branch above her snapped, and she glared at nothing in particular.
"Of course. It's always the stupid jewel!" she grumbled, twitching just to her left when a darker shadow barely missed ripping through her side. The stumble made her run into a branch, scraping her cheek. She brushed it away carelessly, disregarding the sting of the cut and the tiny trickle of blood that moved down her cheek.
Bursting through the trees, she skidded to a stop at the lake's edge and turned back to face the shadowed forest. The woods almost seemed to reach out for her, wanting to pull her back into the darkness. She instinctively responded by splashing into the water, letting the cold chill bite into her ankles and soaking her shoes. The moonlight wavered in the reflection of the water, shifting and making her dark hair glint an almost blue in the soft lighting.
"Now you play unfairly, priestess!" the shadows hissed in displeasure. Kagome snorted and kept her eyes on the trees, frantically searching out the demon hiding there. She was concentrating so much on the darkness there, sure that the beast would attack head-on, that she failed to see the approaching threat to her back. The moment the shadow demon solidified and attacked, though, the priestess immediately pinpointed the rush from behind and jerked away. Had she been a second later, she would have lost her head. Cursing, she whipped around and prepared to incinerate her opponent. Hearing her name being called, she twitched and spun, splashing deeper into the lake. The water now came up to her knees.
Kagome was suddenly surounded by a wall of ice that flashed out to strike at her opponent sharply. It caught the demon and quickly began to freeze the shadow into an icy prison. In the same shocked moment of watching this, she was snatched and pulled away, carried out of the lake by a familiar blonde vampire.
"Kagome! Are you okay?" Aidou asked, setting her down and checking her over for injuries. Other than a shallow cut along her cheek, she seemed to be unharmed. "Akatsuki! Get a light over here!" The orange haired vampire approached them, lighting a ball of fire in his hand and moving it over Kagome. The action cause the little clearing to be lit up enough for her to definitely distinguish the fact that she was surrounded by probably the entire Night Class. She filed the information away, but for now was frozen in trepidition, because the moment AIdou had unwittingly saved her, one of the other vampires in the group had let his eyes flash to a dark red. He was angry; not to mention familiar to her.
'Who... is he? Why is he familiar.' It hit her in the next instant. This vampire looked just like the Kaname she'd known back in the past! It had to be him; everything was the exact same! Even his rippling dark aura was familiar to her! Several images clicked and locked into place, and she finally settled on the fact that the boy that she hadn't been able to figure out from her childhood was the same Kaname from the distant past. She shoved Aidou away suddenly, backing up several paces and glancing around. She'd just remembered something very important, something about the vampire that had saved her back then. He was incredibly protective, and she didn't want the blonde to be incapacitated because of his touchy-feely attitude.
"It's okay, you know," the blonde responded to the vaguely panicked expression on the pretty human's face, "I got rid of it." Pointing to the frozen shadow demon, the priestess's attention was shifted just slightly, and then she noticed an odd flicker that the flames in Kain's hand were making.
"Don't-!" She shoved the brightly colored vampire away suddenly, and received a hole in her stomach for her effort. The shadowed hand that had been reaching out to the flame specialist had whipped around and plunged sharp claws into her. Choking, she immediately spit out blood from her mouth. There had been two of them the whole time, and she hadn't even noticed! This bastard had punctured a hole in one of her lungs!
"You-!" Kagome coughed, reaching out to shaking fingers instinctively to Kaname. The demon appeared fully formed and grinned darkly at her. Distantly, she heard Aidou shouting her name and saw the other vampires start and move in to deal with the threat. She couldn't let them near her! Not when she could hurt them so easily!
"S-Stay-!" she tried to tell them, but they weren't listening! Only Kaname had stopped, watching her very carefully as she attempted to convey her panicky emotions to him, red eyes screaming in fury to eviscerate her enemy; to destroy the one that had hurt her.
"Now, my revenge is complete. It's pointless to struggle, priestess. Just give me the jewel," the demon chuckled darkly, lifting his other hand to trace the collar of her t-shirt. Kagome grit her teeth and set her hand against his face in retaliation.
Energy crackled in the air, and the Kuran suddenly called a halt, instructing everyone to back away quickly.
"Yeah... Well, laugh this up, you bastard!" Her fingers glowed, sparking with purification, and the demon shrieked as he tried to rip himself away from her. He was far too close though, and would easily be caught in the blast. So, absently praying that the vampires would get the hell out of the way, she let loose on the urge to purify and engulfed herself in a pink light. Every vampire hissed in displeasure at the bright display and backed away in shock, the sheer power making the hairs on their arms stand up in caution.
When the light faded, Kagome stumbled to stay upright, clutching her stomach in agony and coughing up more blood weakly. Now, with her powers shrinking back into dormancy from dealing with the immediate threat, she was helpless. And bleeding. And surrounded by vampires.
'I am so screwed,' she thought, panting for air and wincing from the pain. Kaname chose that moment to approach, the red in his eyes quickly melting away in concern. His little priestess was hurt and she needed serious medical attention. He was not going to lose her after only just finding her! Sure, he was beyond confused about how she was even alive, but he would resolve those issues later.
"You need to go to the hospital. With a wound like that, you're sure to attract much more attention," he surmised, watching as she warily eyed him, then relaxed and gave him a weak smile.
"I always seem to get the short end of the stick, huh?" the priestess muttered, flushing at the darkly amused look he sent her, "I... don't really understand what's going on, but there's a lot of questions I've got for you to answer." The Kuran muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "not the only one", but she was past being able to underdstand much anymore. Things were starting to get fuzzy. She felt her knees give out and she crumbled to the ground, her body no longer able to support her. Vaguely, she heard the Pureblood hiss a warning to the other vampires and strode to her in haste.
He was almost to the little human when bright blue flames suddenly surrounded the priestess, cutting her off from the rest of the world. The former ancestor snarled loudly, anger making his eyes glow a much darker red than normal again.
"Sorry bloodsuckers! But this priestess is mine," a jovial voice proclaimed, stepping out of the fire and carrying a smirk over the students. Several growls filled the air, the most threatening one coming from the leader of the group. His eyes narrowed sharply on the Kuran and the smirk dropped from his face.
"You, Kuran, are lucky I don't rip you apart right now," he hissed, green eyes bleeding red in agitation and his bushy tail bristling in anger.
"And you, fox, have no idea what you are up against!" Kaname hissed, working the air around them to try and douse out the pillar of blue fire surrounding his priestess. Said fox grinned arrogantly again and walked away, long red hair whipping in the harsh hot wind.
"Too bad for you, that you'll never get her!" he called, walking right through the flames and picking up the almost unconscious Kagome. Manuvering her carefully, he took to the skies, not bothering to look back as his Fox Fire dissipated.
Kagome rolled her head to the side, her dazed blue eyes never leaving Kaname's angry red ones as she was taken farther away from someone she just remembered she cared deeply about. Pain overwhelmed her, and she finally slipped blissfully into unconsciousness.
'Kaname.'
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A/N: And this is the part where I break up this chapter. I want to thank everyone for their patience and I hope this helps a little.
Revision (April 22 2011)