The Power of Seven

Chapter Twenty-Two

**** Day Twenty-Four ****

Kagome woke up feeling a soft hand stroking her cheek. Her eyes protested at being opened once more, the lids raw and chaffed from crying. Instinct told her who it was, Sano had come to see her. She was surprised Sango had actually let the man come into the room. Earlier when she'd first woken up, she'd heard Shura turning everyone away. They didn't want her disturbed, allowing her to get some rest.

Her eyes remained closed, not wanting him to know she'd woken up. The touch was comforting, easing some of her pain. Hours of crying had left her feeling groggy and disoriented. Sango's yelling at her didn't help with her headache. The pain was only a slight throbbing sensation, remaining behind the eyes. The only ache that was annoying was the one in her heart. What she wouldn't do to turn back time and do things over. The results wouldn't change much but atleast she'd know that she tried.

Then again hadn't she tried enough when he was with her? There is only so much a person could do to make another happy. Sango told her that she'd done everything within her power to make the hanyou happy. That it was time to get over him, let him go. He'd said his goodbyes that day without speaking a word. She'd never see him again and it was time for her to move on.

A slight smile grazed her face recalling the dream she'd had before waking up. She was wearing her school uniform standing in front of their tree, staring blankly at the spot where she'd first seen him. An elderly voice had come to her, demanding that she snap out of it. It was Gramps, he looked the same as the last day she'd seen him. His words were harsh yet filled with love, telling her to stop acting like a baby there was people depending on her now. There was more at stake than her broken heart. She knew he was right and told him so. He'd placed a hand on her shoulder telling her that she was perfect just as she was, she'd always be his granddaughter. He threatened to come take her place, that he had some new wards he wanted to try out. The image couldn't help but cause a smile to form, he chuckled and told her to cheer up. She was loved by many, she just had to believe in herself.

"Sano can you go get Sango for me please?" Kagome felt him get off the bed, to stick his head out the door and yell for the taijiya. "I could have done that." She frowned, wondering if she was doing the right thing. Something had to be done, she couldn't keep going like this. No matter what she did he wasn't coming back. Maybe it was time she did this, ten years was a long time to hold onto a memory. Did it matter if Hiei or Sano never loved her? She had her friends, her family and they would be enough. They loved her for who she was, not who she never could be. They were counting on her to be strong, they were going through their own problems. By trying to end her life had she done what Inuyasha had always accused her of being. Useless, having to be saved once again; this time from her own stupidity.

No More! So what if she wasn't Kikyou, Mukuro, or even this Sayo, she didn't want to be. Kikyou had been a fool, Sayo was dead and Mukuro was a cold bitch. Let them love those women, the only person that needed to love Kagome was Kagome. The door slid open and Sango walked in worried after being called back in the room by Sano. "I need you to take me somewhere."


Kagome knelt at the base of the Goshinboku, the rosary clasped between her hands. The wind was stirring bringing several scents to her, the crisp afternoon air, the smell of burning wood and mold. This was the first place she stopped upon returning to the shrine. Sano and Sango was standing off in the distance giving her the space she needed. Images flashed through her mind as she gazed up at the small hole still seen in the trunk.

A dull sadness overcame her, now she'd say goodbye. Her hand reached for the arrow placed near her feet. With all her strength she drove it back into the hole. That done she slipped the rosary around the small piece of wood. This was where they'd met for the first time, this was where she'd say her farewell. "Goodbye Inuyasha."

A few tears slipped down her cheeks, she welcomed them. Turning on her heels, Sango met her halfway. "I'm okay, I just need to do one more thing before I go." Time to say goodbye to her past as well, she was no longer a teenage girl. They followed her into the abandoned house, taking a quick look around.

Her room was the sameway she'd left it, not a thing was out of place. Her bed was still rumbled from when she'd hastily made it, rushing to get back to the others. Having overslept, enjoying her bed before going back to sleeping on the hard ground. School clothes were placed on her dresser, waiting for her to return to school. Not like she would have been able to graduate anyways, not with how many days she'd missed.

Not wanting to dwell on it now she looked around until she found her flashlight. Gramps had said something that got her thinking, his wards. His side of the family came from Midoriko, it was through him she was a descendant. He bragged all the time that his wards came from the family, there was a chance he'd been wrong. They didn't work on youkai that's for damn sure. What if they'd been created a long time ago to work on something else? He'd just gotten the information wrong, it was worth a try. They were unlike any ward Miroku had used, that's why she'd always believed they were bogus.

Sango and Sano trailed behind her as she took an axe and started chopping at the wood planks barricading the shed off. Neither of them spoke as she did so, letting her do as she pleased. Her arms began to hurt but she kept going, this was something she needed to do. Finally the door came open, leaving her panting in exhaustion.

She sighed in relief seeing that the weather hadn't destroyed the belongings in the building. Most of what was in there belonged to Gramps, perfect. She asked Sango to hold the flash light up so she could see better. Sano helped her move stuff aside, moving furniture until the boxes were seen. "Clothes, shoes, books, clothes, personal effect, and misc. Grab all the boxes that read misc on them and bring them to the entrance please." All three set to work doing as she asked.

Two hours later she had two boxes full of nothing but Gramps wards. Her mother hadn't been able to throw them away, seeing as the old man had loved them so much. She rummaged through them, they were all the same. He'd always believed that they worked, she smiled remembering the first time he tried to ward Inuyasha. "I got an idea." She turned to look into the tree, "Hiei go back, tell Yomi to assemble some men together. If this works like I think it will, it will help."

"Hows a bunch of paper going to work? I don't think we need more paper to wipe our asses." Sano held up one of the wards, eyeying the strange writing. "Looks like a bunch of scribbling to me, what do these things do?"

"It's a ward, Gramps said they came down from our line of houshi. I'm thinking he was confused, they don't work on youkai or evil spirits so I'm thinking they were made to fight something else." Kagome closed the boxes, leaving a few of them out. "I got a hunch that these were made for what we are up against. When I was dreaming this morning, he made a mention of his wards. I think he was trying to tell me something."

"How are we going to test these things out?" Sango listened to Kagome's plan while Sano protested greatly. Neither listened but climbed back on Kirara, waiting for the aggravated man to join them. "Get on or be left behind." The taijiya thought it was a good plan, she tossed a box to him. She spotted Hiei off in the distance before he became nothing more than a speck then nothing.

Sano was still telling them this wasn't a good idea, he was hoping Kagome wasn't getting her suicidal state. There was nothing else to explain what they were about to do. Heading straight for that damn city just to see if a piece of paper worked. They were going to die just to toss paper at someone. He groaned seeing Gandara in the distance, the other city not far away. "Are we really going to do this?"

"Of course, we can let you off if you're scared. Let's drop the boxes off so we have our hands free just in case." Kagome pointed towards the large crowd standing right outside the city gate. She was surprised Hiei did what she asked without making a fuss about it. Why had he been there anyways? She known he was following them but wasn't going to think on it. Let him do as he pleased, she wouldn't concern herself over it. She was here to help people, her love life or lack of could come later.

Kirara dropped down on the ground near them and growled. Company was already coming out the city, the creatures smelling fresh meat out in the open. Sano climbed off and grabbed the boxes, he walked over to place them at Yomi's feet. Sango felt Kagome poke her in the side, giving her the cue. The neko sprang into the air, leaving the man on the ground.

"Sango, you're being paged." Kagome frowned hearing her name screamed as well by two men. She let her eyes leave those two to look back at Shura, he looked just as pissed. His voice was loud telling Sango to get her ass back down there. "Going to listen to him?"

"Hmph, what was that? Sorry but I don't hear anything, must be going deaf in my old age." Several of the winged humans were coming towards them at a fast speed. "You try it, I'll be ready just incase they don't work." Sango unsheathed her sword, Kirara headed straight for them. Things were about to get messy. "The one to the right, will be here first." Her hands tightened in the neko's fur, this had to work. Having to fight all these things off by hand would be tough.

Kagome took a ward, placing it between her fingers. The closer they got to the creature the ward began to glow. The man got in range showing claws, aiming to take a swipe at them. "This one is for you Gramps." She gave a quick prayer, then tossed the paper. It lodged in the man's skull, then exploded. "Take that!" She'd guessed right after all, they had been made just for these things. She'd have to remember to thank Gramps next time she saw him.

Sano watched the thing's head blow up, the body quickly turned to dust. "How the hell did she do that with a piece of paper?" It was amazing, it had entered the man's head like a sharp blade. He'd never seen anything like it before.

"It's not paper you fool, they're spiritual wards." His eyes narrowed, she better have more of those things. Yomi was giving orders to the men around him, to start placing the wards she'd brought around the city. They were to be placed on every building, get them up as far as they could. Those that could fly were sent to place them on roofs. Hiei kept his eyes on them, watching the taijiya start throwing the wards as well. The creatures were falling, the few left flying around stayed out of range. None of them brave enough to come close. "Seems my mate has found us a new weapon."

Next Chapter: Confrontation between Yusuke and Shishi, Shura does something shocking, and Rin surprises Yomi... click the review button if you want to see more...thanks for reading