To those I couldn't reply to:
ashley: Wow, thanks so much for the awesome review. Sorry I might have given you nightmares, but that was the effect I was trying to make. Thanks for the compliment and I'm glad you like it so much!
Jamie: Well, I guess I won't really have to worry about my review count anymore. lol. I'm sorry this chapter didn't come out as fast as I hoped. With graduation just around the corner, things have been very busy. Nevertheless, the next one will be faster. I hope. Thanks for the review.
MagnoliaKaki: Thank you very much for adding this story to your story alert list. I'm glad you like it so far.
Through Blood and Tears
Chapter 19: White Rose for Death
Wind danced across the cemetery, carrying flower petals in an ethereal dance. It swept across the grass and chilled the hearts of many. The breeze gently touched those who were in mourning as they each began to part their ways. A girl dressed in black stared down at the coffins, which were draped with an array of flowers. A red cloth was set upon the cherry oak wood as well as a picture of the person held within. They were the people she knew and loved. Their chests would never rise and their hearts would never beat again. She wiped away another tear as it slowly slid down her face. "And I promised myself I wasn't going to cry ... " she whispered, a sad smile touching her lips at the thought.
Her shoulders shook as she let out a heavy sigh, her throat thick with tears. She held out four white roses in her hands, one for each of her fallen classmates. Another soft breeze settled over the graves, lightly touching the ebony-haired beauty. Her brown eyes welled up with more tears as the memories of the last week invaded her thoughts.
After a moment, she was able to gather up her emotions and began to complete the deed. Taking a few steps forward, she set a rose upon the first coffin. Ginta's smiling face met her gaze, his eyes filled with joy. She hadn't even known him that well but she could remember his constant laughter and stupid jokes. Hakkaku had managed to get into the picture, slinging his arm around Ginta's shoulder in a brotherly fashion.
Wiping a tear from her chestnut eyes, she moved to the left towards the second coffin. The same sorrow erupted into her features as she faintly recalled the boy in the picture tutoring her over summer break. She had never been good at math, but he had done away with the unnecessary mumbo-jumbo and made things seem crystal clear. He didn't deserve to die. He wasn't even supposed to be in detention that day. "Goodbye, Hojo," the beauty said softly, gazing into the young man's shining eyes. She remembered how smart and handsome he had been, all the girls pining for his affection. A white rose was gently laid on his coffin as well.
The woman shifted her gaze over, coming to the third coffin. Even though she hadn't particularly liked the girl, she still felt a strong pain in her chest. A few more tears made their way down her cheeks as she laid a white rose next to Kagura's picture. Although a scowl adorned her lips, her crimson eyes flashed with the spirit of happiness. She had given her life in order to protect those who were her friends. The woman recalled the wind sorceress's constant foul mood, but behind it, she always detected that the source behind her evil ways was loneliness.
Her auburn eyes closed in remembrance as tears fell heavily from her crescent moon eyelashes. She took small, hesitant steps towards the fourth and final coffin, a single rose held in her hand. She allowed a moment to pass as thoughts of this last person filled her mind. Even though this brown-eyed girl could remember the hate that many felt towards this person, she also recalled the kindness she had seen. When all odds were against them, this one person was able to save another's life. She bit her lower lip to hold back her cries of anguish as she laid the final rose to rest.
The dark-haired girl stood up as she continued to mourn the death of her classmates. Muffled sobs erupted from her hands as they hid her face from view. Suddenly, a shadow cast over her small frame and she slowly turned around. Her eyes were met with the silver-haired man that was her heart's desire. "Come," he said, his voice softer then it had previously been.
The woman nodded in reply before she spoke. "Of course, Sesshomaru, let's go." He turned around and began to walk away. She caught up with him and slipped her hand in his, noticing how he did not pull out of her grasp. Rin took one last look over her shoulder at the last coffin, seeing Kikyo's beauty radiate from her picture, before she turned around and headed towards the stretch limo awaiting them.
Ayame watched her wolf-demon companion with a smile. Although her face showed signs of worry and her red hair had lost its usual bounce, her smile was genuine. Kouga had woken up a few hours earlier after days of fading between consciousness and she was happy to see he had an appetite.
"I never knew Ramen could be so good," he mumbled between mouth-fulls, all signs of injuries gone. "The half-breed did something right for once." He stuffed another fork-full of noodles into his mouth, noting how the red-headed girl continued to stare at him. He swallowed. "What you starin' at?"
The female wolf-demon giggled, her laugh light and serene. "Oh nothing," she replied with a sigh. "I'm just glad to see you're okay. You gave us quit a scare." Her emerald eyes sparkled as she laid a hand upon his arm.
All joking tone faded from Kouga's voice as he placed the half-empty bowl of Ramen on the side of his bed. He turned his icy blue eyes to her, taking her hands in his. "I'm fine," he assured, shifting his gaze to the sling around her arm. "How are you?"
She smiled and waved the comment aside. "I'm fine. Just a scrape."
He turned away from her, unable to look into the eyes of someone he cared for. Guilt was present in his heart for allowing Ayame to get hurt. "I'm sorry," he said quietly after a few moments of silence.
"It's not your fault," she replied, her voice soft and urgent. "You did what you could. Besides, you took most of the pain."
Kouga grinned slightly and glanced at her. "How's everyone else?"
Ayame's expression lost all eminence of happiness and she bit her lip to hold back her tears. "Well, um, Sango and Miroku are fine, along with Rin and Sesshomaru. They all escaped with a few bumps and bruises."
"What about Hakkaku?" He needed to know that his friend was alright. He felt responsible for Ginta's death and didn't think he could take on more guilt.
She tightened her hold on his hand. "He ... well, last time we heard, he had slipped into a coma."
Kouga visibly stiffened, his jaw clenched tightly. The news hit him hard. After all they did to help the young wolf demon, he ended up in a coma anyways. "So, there isn't any hope, is there?" he asked quietly, keeping his eyes locked with hers.
"The doctors say that his vital signs are normal. They believe he has a very high chance of living. But he needs someone to talk to him, a close friend perhaps?" She smiled at him, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
Her companion's cocky grin returned. "Well, I guess I should go see him." He dropped her hands and moved to get out of bed when another thought crossed his mind. He whiped his head towards her, his eyes locked firmly with hers. "What about Kagome?"
She turned away from him and bit her lower lip. Luckily, she was saved from answering him as the door opened and an old woman with an eye patch walked in. She noticed Kouga's position, appearing as if he was going to take his leave. "Don't think ye can go walking around without getting my consent, boy," she spoke in a stern, yet kind manner.
Kouga didn't speak, rather his attention was focused solely on Ayame. "Tell me, what happened to Kagome," he demanded in a pleading tone.
The red-headed wolf demon shook her head. "I should let Dr. Kaede check you over." She rose to leave and walked to the door. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut and closing the door behind her.
"How long has he been like that?" Sango whispered to the man next to her, resting her head against his shoulder.
Miroku sighed. "Yash hasn't moved since he got here. Won't eat or sleep." The pair glanced over at their half-demon friend. He was in a plastic waiting chair in the next room with his eyes focused solely on the glass window before him. His foot tapped impatiently and his eyes were red from lack of sleep. They searched back and forth across the white walls of the hospital, unable to stay still for even a moment.
He hadn't left since the night he arrived. While the rest of the able victims attended the funeral earlier that day, Inuyasha had chosen to stay in the ICU, silently watching Kagome through the glass window. The soft beeps of the machines were his only companions as his ears flickered back and forth with irritation. After all, it had been three days since the night that claimed four people's lives and the count wasn't over yet.
The elevator doors slid open to reveal Rin and Sesshomaru as they stepped into the room, immediately taking notice of Sango and Miroku's worn faces, still dressed in their dreary funeral attire. Miroku flashed a sad smile as his classmates stepped over to where they sat. "How is she?" Rin asked, referring to Kagome's still form through the sealed door.
Sango shook her head. "Well, the doctors have stabilized her, but they're not sure what course her condition will take. She hasn't regained consciousness yet."
"I see," the young woman sighed dejectedly, her eyes losing hope and swinging towards the doors. "What about everyone else?"
"Ayame is with Kouga now," Miroku stated, placing his head against the wall behind him and closing his eyes. "We haven't heard anything on Hakkaku's condition or Kagome's family."
Rin nodded slowly and glanced at the man in the next room. "He blames himself, doesn't he?" she asked, not really expecting an answer. "Inuyasha thinks its his fault that Kagome got hurt."
The pair nodded solemnly. Sesshomaru merely grunted on the subject before taking a seat, watching Rin as she followed his lead, and the four classmates sat in silence. They were waiting for news from the doctors. But for now, no news was good news ... right?
Inuyasha ignored his friend's conversation, only concentrating on Kagome's heartbeat. He was over ridden with guilt, to say the least. The one woman he cared for had been killed, shot before his very eyes. After he blacked out, he remembered bits and pieces from the ride in the ambulance, shouts from the medics, and finally the pain as he recovered from surgery. Everything else was just a blur. He glanced down at his torso, noting the bandages wrapped underneath his tank top. The doctors said he was lucky. If it hadn't been for his demon blood, he would have been killed.
He wiped a hand down the front of his face to clear away the drowsiness. The effects of the pills he had to take did not help any, as they left him unfocused and tired. His friends, however, were probably in worse pain than he was. Although Kouga and Ayame were demons as well, their injuries weren't the easiest to heal. But Sango and Miroku were only human. Just a few broken ribs hurt like hell and took a while to heal.
The half-demon's eyes clouded over as he placed his head in his hands. He remembered clearly the events of Saturday night until the point where he blacked out. Miroku filled him in after that point, saying he had to go through excessive surgery and the police had the two suspects in custody. Since it was a priority case, they had their court date set for next month.
"I'm scared," he heard Sango whisper just beyond the ICU doors. "I can't lose her."
Miroku solemnly took her hand. "Everything is going to be alright, dear. Just have faith. She's a fighter."
She sighed and leaned against his shoulder. "I hope you're right ... "
Inuyasha growled low in his chest and clenched his fists. What if she didn't make it? How would he be able to live with himself? With a huff of breath, he hung his head and pressed his arms against his thighs. After he had awoken from the surgery, he was immediately interrogated. The officer's name was Hinten and he was in charge with handling the questioning. The half-demon had snapped and yelled, begging to see Kagome, but restraints pinned him to the bed.
He then learned of Hojo, Ginta, and Kagura's deaths. The rest of them had been emitted to the hospital, a few only held overnight for observation. Some, on the other hand, weren't so fortunate. The remaining victims had been emitted to the emergency room. Kikyo, however, was pronounced dead a few hours after her arrival. When he had learned this bit of information, a dull ache was left in his chest. Sure, she may have been quite a nuisance since their break-up, but he had loved her once. And his feelings for her never completely died.
When he was told of his classmate's fates, he refused to say anything else and was soon left alone to grieve. A swirl of emotions flowed through his body: guilt, pain, love, hurt, anger. How could he live with this?
"Inuyasha?" He snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of his name and glanced over to see Sango sitting beside him. He hadn't even heard her enter the room. "Are you alright? You've been growling for the past few minutes."
"Keh," he grunted, standing up. "I can't stand this anymore!" he yelled, his brows furrowed in annoyance and his eyes flashing red. "I want to know what the hell is going on with Kagome. They haven't told us anything and its been three fucking days!"
"Inuyasha," Miroku spoke calmly from where he stood near the door. "Do not let your anger delude rational thoughts. I'm sure Kaogme is fine, that is why they have yet to tell us anything."
"Why the fuck couldn't they tell us that then?" he demanded, glaring at his best friend.
The dark-haired man walked over and placed a comforting hand on the half-demon's shoulder. "You must understand, they have much to deal with. Kagome is not their only concern at the moment. I'm sure they will let us know something as soon as they can. You need to have patience."
Inuyasha growled low in his throat as he pushed Miroku's hand away. "I'm not waiting around for another damn minute," he finally replied. He turned around to storm through the hospital and find someone who knew something, but was stopped when the ICU doors opened.
A man in a white coat came out, instantly recognized to be a doctor. "Ahem," he stated, clearing his throat. "May I please speak with the visitors that were involved with the school incident?"
"What is going on with Kagome?" Inuyasha immediately yelled, grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt.
"Inuyasha," Sango warned, standing up to come beside her angered friend. "We are all worried about her. Now calm down so he can tell us what we would like to know."
Hesitating, the half-demon released his grip on the man, but his anger did not waver. "Please excuse my friend," Miroku apologized to the frightened doctor. "We are all very worried about our classmates. Shall we go somewhere more private to speak about this?"
The doctor cleared his throat again, ignoring the bead of sweat that slipped down his temple. "V-very well then," he stuttered, glancing down at the clipboard in his hand. Sango motioned for Rin and Sesshomaru to come over to hear what the doctor had to say.
"Is Hakkaku and Kagome okay?" Rin asked as she came up beside her classmates. Sango grasped her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
The man in the white lab coat eyed them a moment before gesturing down the hallway. "If you will, please follow me. I shall bring you to a woman who will answer all of your questions." The group did as they were told, concern plaguing their every thoughts.
A/N: I am very, very sorry for the long delay. I must warn you that graduation is just around the corner and college is coming up in the fall, so things have been busy around here. It leaves little time for writing. But I hope to finish this story up very soon. It only has about two or three chapters left so it should be done by the end of May. If you have any questions pertaining to this story (besides Naraku's relationship with the Higurashi family), this is the last time to ask. All will be answered in the last few chapters. Promise! Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.