AN: Thank you once again to those of you who gave that lonely review button some attention. Glon Morski, I'm glad you're enjoying my work so far and I would like to see some more reviews myself, I always like to know what people think. On that note, please feel free to ask the questions you've got, I love to know where my readers think the story will go :) Well, without further ado, please enjoy chapter four :D
Warning: This story is an AU and the characters may be a bit OOC at times.
Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. All I own is the plot.
"All right, this way miss," Manten said, leading Kagome up into the ship. "Guest quarters are in the lower levels. We're pretty stocked this trip so the four of you will just have to deal with staying on level four." He chuckled. "Of course, I suppose you can come topside whenever you feel like it. Can't guarantee your safety though." His laugh boomed across the ship, causing some sailors to look up.
Kagome paid no attention and tried to block out the catcalls that came her way from many of the men on board. She took her time memorizing the layout of the deck and the levels of the ship as she was lead to her "home". After all her years in the gang she had learned to quickly read and map the layout of any building in her head, making sure to mark and note any available exit, or a good place to make an exit if one could not be found.
"Here we are," Manten's voice broke into her thoughts suddenly. "Through that door is the main room, in case ya'll feel friendly towards each other, and that door'll get you to your bed. We leave in no less than half an hour. Any questions?"
Kagome shook her head, shoved her way past the large man, and turned the knob to open the door to the supposed common room. Perhaps I'll finally find out who it is I'll be spending the next two months or so with, she thought.
Kagome opened the door just in time to hear a loud slap resound off the metal walls of the ship. "You're an absolute pervert!" she heard a female voice scream. "I don't know why I even put up with you! What was I even thinking when I agreed to be your partner? And you! You're the whole reason we're out here! If you hadn't run off for Lord knows what reason, we wouldn't have had to come out here to drag your sorry ass back! So don't you sit there and smirk at me!"
"But Sango, my love!" a male voice protested. "We had a grand time of it, and you know that somewhere deep down you do love me too."
Kagome opened the door just in time to see a girl with long dark hair slap a boy sitting to her right. The boy's hair was a dark black and pulled into a small ponytail at the base of his skull. Both looked only a year older than herself at most. She couldn't see the other person the girl had addressed but decided to make her presence known. "Well, seems like my life's going to be a bit more entertaining for the next couple months."
The two people arguing whipped their heads around to see the newcomer leaning against the doorframe, arms over her chest, and a slight smirk on her face. The girl looked confused to see another person down here and Kagome didn't even want to think about the look the boy was giving her.
"So you made it here alive all on your own I see," a familiar voice came from her right. Kagome looked over to see who it was, both hoping and dreading that she already knew. Sure enough, Inuyasha was seated at a table, legs up on the tabletop and reclining in his chair with his arms behind his head. "I confess, I really didn't think you would." He had an odd combination of a smile and a smirk on his face, almost as if he couldn't decide whether to be glad to see her again, or ignore that happiness that came from just seeing her face and hoped it went away.
The feeling is mutual, Kagome thought. I don't know why I'm so glad to see you again, but it kind of freaks me out. She had spent the last four years trying not to get too close to anyone and the fact that she seemed drawn to this boy after just meeting him worried her. She was not going to be betrayed again. Better just to ignore this feeling then. "Well, look who's here. Looks like that cocky attitude of yours about getting away didn't pay off so well. From what I heard, these two were able to catch you just fine."
The smile/smirk dropped from Inuyasha's face to be replaced with a scowl. "Keh," he replied. "These two are different. I got away from the other guys just fine."
The other two people in the room watched the verbal sparing match with interest. Whoever this girl was, Inuyasha was either very fond of her or she was stronger than him because no one, not even them, got away with staying on his irritated side for long. "Well," the girl began. "As entertaining as it is to watch you two bicker, we still don't know who you are, even if Inuyasha does."
Kagome turned to face the other two. "Right, sorry. My name's Kagome and that's about all you need to know about me. Everything else isn't really all that important."
Inuyasha snorted from behind her and the other boy raised an eyebrow. "You're quite abrupt. May we ask why you're headed to such a dangerous place as the Borderlands?"
Kagome rolled her eyes; she was really getting tired of that question. "Personal business. That's all you need to know. I'm perfectly able to take care of myself, despite what everyone else seems to think."
Inuyasha snorted again. "Yeah, sure you can. That's why I had to get you out of that motel before you managed to screw up and get yourself caught."
Well, that was certainly an interesting bit of information for the other two people in the room. Inuyasha never stuck his neck out for strangers unless he was specifically ordered to help. Who exactly was this girl to him? And why did she feel different than most normal girls would?
Kagome opened her mouth to retort when the other girl beat her to it. "Okay, so there's some things you want to keep quiet, we get that so we won't pry. I'm Sango," the girl smiled. "I can see you and Inuyasha have already met and don't seem to like each other much. I feel I should let you know I'm nothing at all like him and, as we're the only girls on this ship, maybe we could be friends?" She held out her hand to shake.
Kagome regarded her for a moment. If they were headed to the Borderlands as well it might be a good idea to get as much information from them as she could. If she could arrive even slightly more prepared than she might be better off. Plus, she figured, we are the only girls on this hunk of floating metal. It might be a good idea to stick together. She eyed the two once more, opening up her senses and noticing for the first time that the other two were Walkers, and from the looks of their auras they were fairly powerful, even with the attempt at masking their powers. Yeah, Kagome thought, it definitely won't hurt to be on friendly terms with these people. She smiled brightly at Sango and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you Sango."
Sango felt a jolt, almost like a static shock, when Kagome grabbed her hand. Was Kagome possibly more than just a normal girl after all? Was she one of them? Deciding it best to not comment she smiled in return and nodded her head towards the other boy. "That's Miroku. I'll warn you now not to let him too close to you, he's an incurable pervert."
"Sango, my love!" Miroku protested. "You wound me, you know I only have eyes for you!"
Sango rolled her eyes. "Me and any other pretty girl that walks past your field of vision."
"That's not true!" Miroku protested. "I have not said anything to this extremely fine and gorgeous lady standing here before me," he gestured towards Kagome. "Though she seems more an angel than a mere mortal," he said with a second look at the girl.
"Don't you dare try anything on her, Miroku," Inuyasha growled warningly. Only after he said those words did he realize that his friends could possibly pick up on the troubling emotions he felt and he knew that no end of teasing would come from them if he did. Plus, when he risked a quick glance at Kagome she seemed to be confused but a small glint of understanding was in her eyes. "She's more trouble than she's worth," he added quickly, before anyone could really catch on to his true motives, even himself. "I wouldn't want you bogged down with extra baggage." That did the trick; he realized when he saw anger cover over every other emotion in Kagome's face. Sango and Miroku exchanged a quick glace and Inuyasha realized that they weren't entirely convinced of his reasons, but they weren't yet sure of what exactly was going on with him either. I'll have to keep a close watch on what I say and how I behave around Kagome, at least until I can find a way to get these weird feelings to go away.
Kagome glared at Inuyasha. How can he be such a jerk? That night we met he didn't act like this at all. He was even fairly nice!, she thought. "Are you bi-polar or something?" she asked aloud. "Your mood swings are giving my whiplash."
"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha scowled. "I don't have mood swings."
"Ah, so you're an idiot then. Okay, now I understand at least," Kagome responded. "I'll make sure to use small words when I speak to you from now on."
"What?" Inuyasha growled again. He leapt to his feet with an odd ease and grace that surprised Kagome, though she refused to let her surprise show on her face. "What did you call me?"
Both Sango and Miroku sighed. Here we go, they thought. He's finally lost his temper. The captains won't be too happy if he starts a fight and breaks something and we haven't even left port yet either.
For her part, Kagome seemed oblivious to Inuyasha's anger, or it was so inconsequential that she didn't care to react to it. "I'm sorry, are you partially deaf too? I'm afraid I don't know sign language," she shrugged. "And I don't speak idiot either, if that's the problem."
Inuyasha was torn between being impressed that this girl would stand her ground against him, or annoyed and angry that she had no problems with insulting him. He opted to growl at her once more, hoping that would finally scare her off.
Kagome rolled her eyes, not at all impressed with the threatening air Inuyasha tried to draw around himself. If anything, his strange demon-but-human aura worried her more than his growling, and even that didn't bother her much. Intrigue her, yes, but not worry her. "You can glare at me all you like, but I really could care less." She smirked at him. "It takes something special to intimidate me and I have yet to meet an idiot that could pull it off."
"Idiot? Me? I'm not the one going to the Borderlands like it's some vacation," Inuyasha retorted. "If you're trying to prove something to your friends or you're trying to get back at your parents than you're probably the biggest idiot here. And with Miroku in the room, that's saying something. Why don't you get off this boat and run along back home to your mommy and daddy." He didn't know why, or even what he had said, but something had struck a nerve within Kagome and suddenly Inuyasha was acutely aware of a pain deep within her that she had been trying to cover up and ignore for a while. If pressed, he wouldn't be able to say how he knew, as the girl's face was a mask of pure anger, but that didn't change the fact that he could almost feel that deep pain coming from Kagome's soul in his own. It was almost enough to make him forget that he had decided to ignore the weird pull he felt towards the girl. He just barely stopped himself from crossing the room and pulling her to him; holding her until that pain was gone.
"Whatever," she hissed at him. "You don't know anything about me or my life so just keep your mouth shut!" Without a backwards glance she stomped through the door and into the small cabin she had been given for her journey across the sea.
Inuyasha looked after her for a while, fighting the urge to go after her, when he heard Sango and Miroku sigh. He glanced towards them long enough to see them both shaking their heads at him.
It wasn't long after her argument with Inuyasha that Kagome felt the ship pull away from the harbor. Resolving not to leave her cabin for the rest of the day, she stretched out across her small bed and closed her eyes. As had been happening lately, memories of her recent betrayal by those she had thought were her friends taunted her. Suddenly, she was reminded sharply of the night five years ago; the day she ran from the life she thought she'd always have and ended up on the streets. No!, she yelled at herself. I promised myself I'd leave that in my past. With a growl of her own that would rival one of Inuyasha's, she jumped up from the bed and ripped open her door. She may have been discouraged by Manten to go on any of the other levels, but that didn't mean she couldn't look around level four.
Kagome had been wandering around for about ten minutes when she heard hushed voices just around the corner. "Inuyasha!" a male voice hissed. That must be Miroku, Kagome thought, straining to hear the conversation better. "Kaede's beyond pissed this time! I don't understand why you can't just do what you're told. Is it really so hard to stay at Shikon and complete your missions? I mean you've already gone through at least ten partners and most gave up because you're too stubborn and hard-headed."
"Shut it monk," Inuyasha growled back. "You may be a friend, but that doesn't mean I won't hit you."
"Then should I get Sango to warn you? You wouldn't hit a girl," Miroku asked, his tone seemed close to teasing.
"A girl? No, but we both know Sango's no girl," Inuyasha snorted. "In fact, I'm willing to bet she'd be harder to land a hit on then you." There was a slight pause. "And I know she'd recover faster."
Miroku sighed. "All right, fine. This isn't really getting us anywhere. I just wanted to warn you though that Kaede's seriously considering the beads this time. Really," Miroku added. "She's fed up and if it takes the beads to calm you down, or at least get you to do your job, she'll do it."
Inuyasha gulped. "Okay, I get it. I'll be on my best behavior when we get there."
Miroku sighed again. "That'll be the day. By the way, I've been meaning to ask. Just what's going on with you and that Kagome girl? Both Sango and I have noticed you behave differently around her. She goes toe-to-toe with you and you almost don't seem to mind."
"Nothing's going on. You two are probably just seeing things," Inuyasha hastily replied.
"We can't both be imagining something's going on and you can't fool us either. We've known you for eight years so trust me when I say I know you act differently towards her," Miroku said, refusing to give up on the conversation.
"Just drop it monk," Inuyasha replied, a note of warning in his voice. "It's none of your business."
"Ah ha!" Miroku cried. "So there is something going on. What, a girl finally catch your eye? Or is she somehow stronger than you and you're too afraid to stand up to her?"
"Seriously, Miroku, drop it," Inuyasha hissed. "I'm fully prepared to knock you flat and then go tell Sango you've been flirting with other girls again."
Miroku gulped. "All right, fine, I'll let it go," he said reluctantly. "At least for now."
"Keh," Inuyasha said before he could be heard walking away, Miroku close behind.
What was all that about?, Kagome wondered. Shikon? Missions? Beads? And that last bit about me being special to Inuyasha? She groaned. What the hell have I gotten myself into?