Author-chan's notes: HIYA, EVERYBODY!!!! I'm in a good mood, 'cause my friend Bunny-chan sent me an Inu plushy and I just got it in the mail!!! Yippee!!! He is so KAWAII!!!! *hugs Inuyasha plushy* And I absolutely LOVE his ears!!!! *starry eyes* I'm extremely happy, so I'm going to write a chapter! Thanks again Bunny-chan for the Inuyasha plushy!!! *waves*
Disclaimer- *Reader sees Author-chan stuffing her face with cake and ice cream* Hi hon't hown Inu –{*hack!!!* *cough!!!*} Waher!!! Waher!!! Hi'm choking!!!
*Eriol-kun suddenly appears*
Eriol- What Author-chan was trying to say was that she doesn't own Inuyasha. To bad she didn't finish her sentence.
Author-chan- *still choking* {*Cough!!!*} Waher!!!
Eriol- What's that, Author-chan? Water? You need water? Why do you need water? You're only choking. Oh well. If you insist. *hands Author-chan a glass of water*
Author-chan- *gulps water and stops choking* Thanks Eriol-kun!!! *hugs Eriol-kun and doesn't let go*
Eriol- *sweat drops*
Author-chan- *gives Eriol starry eyes* Do you want some cake?
Eriol- Erm, not right now. On with the fic!!!
Overseas
(Chapter Six: But I Don't Want to Get Executed!!!)
"What the hell?!" Inuyasha thought to himself growling slightly, looking at all the humans with bows and arrows, "How did they all sneak up on us without me smelling or hearing them?! How?!!!"
"We of the Water Lily Shrine have discovered a technique that allows us to move through out the land without being noticed. We cannot be seen, smelled, or heard, unless we want to be," Yuri said as if reading Inuyasha's mind, "This technique is very useful, especially when we hunt demons."
"I'll say," Karasu gulped.
"So what are you going to do with us?" Kagome asked.
"Like I said," Yuri replied tonelessly, "You are to be put on trial with the Elders as the judges. If you are found guilty for trespassing on our lands with weapons then you will be executed."
"What?!" Kagome cried.
"You can't do that!" Miroku protested.
"I don't want to get executed!!!" Karasu wailed.
"Baka samurai," Inuyasha grumbled.
"Now come with us to face the Elder's judgment," Yuri commanded.
"What if we refuse?" Tsuru asked.
"Then we will shoot you where you stand," Yuri answered coolly. Karasu gulped.
"Feh!" Inuyasha sneered, moving into a fighting position, "If you think you can shoot me, try it!"
"You idiot!" Kagome hissed, "There are just too many archers! Even you, with your incredible speed, could never dodge all those arrows! And even if you were able to dodge all of the arrows, the rest of us would get hit. So let's just go with them for the time being. I'm sure we can prove that we mean no harm."
"Fine," Inuyasha growled, moving out of his fighting position, "But if we all get executed, I'm blaming you."
"We won't get executed!" Kagome growled back, "Just trust me for once." Inuyasha didn't say anything, but he growled as Yuri and the other priests/priestesses lead them to the Water Lily Shrine.
***
At the Water Lily Shrine
"We're going to die! We're going to die! We're going to die!" Karasu wailed over and over again, as the group walked down the halls of the Water Lily Shrine.
"Shut up!" Inuyasha growled, glaring at Karasu from underneath his straw hat.
"We're still going to die!" Karasu wailed, not paying attention to Inuyasha's glares. Inuyasha, unable to take it anymore, hit Karasu over the head, knocking the samurai unconscious. Then he slung the slumbering samurai over his back, carrying him like a sack of rice.
"Baka samurai," Inuyasha growled under his breath, "Baka, baka, baka samurai!" Then to his surprise, Kagome started to clap.
"It's about time someone shut that guy up," Kagome sighed, "Thank you."
"Whatever, wench," Inuyasha muttered, blushing slightly at the comment.
"We're here," Yuri said, stopping in front of a folding screen/door, "This is the Hall of the Elders. Your trail will be held here." Pushing aside the screen, the miko ushered the group inside. The Hall of the Elders was a very long room that was decorated with a few paper screens, gold incense burners, a few paper lamps, and cushions. On the cushions sat six people, their faces half-hidden by shadows.
"Yuri," the first elder said, "You may leave now. We will talk to the outsiders alone."
"As you wish, honored Elder," Yuri said with a bow. Then, as silent as a cat, she left the room.
"I am Yosei," the first elder declared.
"I am Ryu," the second elder said.
"I am Tsuki," called the voice of the third.
"I am Taiyo," the fourth said.
"I am Kurai," the fifth boomed.
"And I am Hikari," the sixth whispered, "We are the Elders of this shrine." (AN: In case you're wondering, Yosei means Fairy, Ryu means Dragon, Tsuki means Moon, Taiyo means Sun, Kurai means Dark, and Hikari means Light. Also Yosei, Tsuki, and Hikari are women while Ryu, Taiyo, and Kurai are men.)
"Um, nice to meet you," Kagome said with a bow, "My name is Kagome."
"I am Miroku, a servant of Buddha," Miroku said, also bowing.
"My name is Sango, and I am a demon exterminator," Sango bowed.
"Ah!" Ryu cried, "So you are one of the fabled demon exterminators from east. We had heard that the exterminators' village was destroyed by youkai."
"It was," Sango said, "I am the only one from my village that is still alive." (AN: I know her brother is also alive, but I'm not counting him because he did die, even if Naraku reanimated his corpse with a Shikon shard.)
"We are sorry for your loss, exterminator," Tsuki said kindly.
"Thank you for your concern," Sango said, bowing again.
"Now, you," Taiyo pointed to Tsuru, "Introduce yourself."
"My name is Tsuru," he replied, then he pointed to Karasu, who was still unconscious, "This is my traveling partner, Karasu. We are both samurai."
"I hope I am not being rude," Hikari began, "but what happened to your comrade?"
"The baka wouldn't keep quiet, so I shut him up for awhile," Inuyasha snorted, contempt coloring his voice.
"And who might you be?" Tsuki asked, raising an eyebrow.
"None of your business, you old hag!" Inuyasha snarled.
"Inuyasha," Miroku whispered to the glaring dog demon, "Remember, these kind people are the ones who are going to guarantee our freedom. Be polite for once in your life!"
"Feh!" Inuyasha growled to himself, but he did what Miroku suggested –sort of.
"My name's Inuyasha. Happy now, hag?" the half-demon snarled, as he glared at the six shadowy figures. Tsuki glared back at Inuyasha, Hikari and Kurai hid a smile, and the other Elders blinked.
"I'm sorry for Inuyasha's behavior," Kagome sighed, "He can be such a child sometimes."
"Feh!" Inuyasha huffed.
"It's alright, Kagome-san," Kurai chuckled, "It's been a long time since anyone has acted that way to anyone of the Elders. It's quite amusing."
"'Amusing'?" Tsuki transferred her glared to her fellow Elder. "Kurai, you and I must have different definitions of 'amusing'." Kurai laughed again.
"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Tsuki huffed, glaring once more at Kurai.
"You six are charged with trespassing on shrine grounds carrying weapons," Yosei began, "Do you deny it?"
"But we didn't know we were trespassing!" Kagome protested, "We heard people shouting about being chased by demons, so we decided to help them. Those people turned out to be Karasu and Tsuru."
"'Chased by demons'?" Ryu repeated, looking at Tsuru, "Is this true?"
"To be honest, honored Elders," Tsuru said sheepishly, blushing slightly, "They weren't exactly demons."
"Oh?" Taiyo said, raising an eyebrow, "Explain yourself, samurai."
"They were foreigners," Tsuru replied, still blushing, "My master sent Karasu and me to escort them all the way back to their country. We had no idea they lived so far away, so when we found out we ran, afraid that we would never see our homelands again."
"Ah!" Ryu nodded, "So you disobeyed your master."
"But with good cause, Elder!" Tsuru objected.
"Do you mean to say, that we were worked up for nothing?!" Kagome cried, "You went around screaming about being chased by demons, and you were only being chased by foreigners who were also your employers?!"
"Hai," Tsuru mumbled sheepishly.
"YOU BAKA SAUMURAI!!!" Kagome yelled, "DID YOU EVEN STOP TO THINK THAT MAYBE THERE WAS SOMEONE OUT THERE THAT WOULD TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY, AND COME TO YOUR RESCUE?! NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET EXECUTED, AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!"
"She has a point," Miroku mused, "If you hadn't yelled that you were being chased by demons, we wouldn't have tried to find you. And if we hadn't tried to find you, we wouldn't have trespassed onto the Water Lily shrine's grounds. So in a way, you and Karasu killed us."
"Baka samurai!!!" Inuyasha said with a glare that was only half-hidden by his straw hat.
"Look, I'm sorry Karasu and I 'killed' you, but it wasn't our fault that we didn't want to spend the rest of our lives in England!!!" Tsuru protested shrilly.
"Wait a second," Sango said, looking hard at the samurai, "Did you say 'England'?"
"Hai," Tsuru nodded, confused at the question, "That's were the foreigners are from. We were supposed to escort them back there, but then one of the Englishmen showed us a map of how far England was from home."
"We need to go to England," Kagome told Tsuru, "Do you think that maybe you can take us there?"
"I suppose the foreigners won't object to a few more passengers," Tsuru began, "But what's the use? We're all going to die soon."
"Who said you were all going to die soon?" Yosei asked. Everyone jumped. They forgot that the Elders were still there!
"Um, well we figured…" Miroku began.
"You're not going to die!" Kurai laughed.
"We're not?" Miroku asked, stunned.
"Well you won't on one condition," Yosei said. Inuyasha groaned.
"What condition is that?" Sango asked.
"Tell us why you want to go to England," Yosei replied, "We already know why the samurai are going, but what about you? It cannot be mere wanderlust."
"Very true, Elder," Kagome began slowly, "We want to go to England because there is something there that we must get."
"And what is that?" Ryu asked, leaning forward slightly. Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but Inuyasha stopped her.
"Don't tell them anything about the Tama!" Inuyasha whispered into her ear, "Tsuru might hear!"
"And what's wrong about that?" Kagome whispered back.
"Tsuru is Kaede's cousin!" Inuyasha hissed quietly, "If he hears we're after the Tama, how long do you think it will take him to draw the conclusion that I'm the Inuyasha from Kaede's story? Through that story he knows about my heritage! What if he was to blurt out that I was a half-demon in front of these wrinkled up humans? Remember what Miroku said, this stupid shrine doesn't like demons! First they'll kill me, then they'll kill you and the others for being with me! And even if that baka samurai doesn't say who I am, those wrinkled prunes on the cushions might know about the Shikon no Tama, and they might draw up their own conclusions since the Tama is associated with youkai!"
"Oh," Kagome said quietly.
"Is something the matter, Kagome-san?" Ryu asked.
"Um, well, er, it's just that," Kagome sputtered, "We can't exactly tell you what we're looking for."
"Is that so?" Tsuki said mildly, "Very well then, Kagome-san, since you cannot tell us what you seek, you will not leave here."
"WHAT?!" Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, and Tsuru screeched. Karasu mumbled something unintelligible.
"Why don't you just tell them what you're looking for, Kagome-san!" Tsuru hissed.
"It's not that hard, Kagome-sama," Miroku agreed, "Just tell them we're looking for a shard of the Shi –"
"Shut up, monk!" Inuyasha hissed, clamping a hand over Miroku's mouth.
"A shard of something?" Tsuki blinked, "What's so special about a shard?"
"None of your business, crone!" Inuyasha snarled, his hand still over Miroku's mouth. Miroku mumbled something that would have earned him a bump on his head from Inuyasha if he were heard properly.
"Didn't you learn to respect your elders, you foul-mouthed child?!" Tsuki snapped.
"No," Inuyasha smirked. Kagome and Sango rubbed their temples.
"Didn't your parent's teach you anything?" Tsuki asked.
"Shut up about my parents, you wrinkle old prune," Inuyasha growled. The hanyou tossed Miroku aside so he was able to glare at the Elder more easily. (AN: Remember he's still wearing that giant straw hat that overshadows his eyes, so even though he's glaring at Tsuki, Tsuki can only sense the glare, but can't really see Inu-chan's eyes.)
"Inuyasha, please, calm down!" Kagome soothed the seething hanyou.
"Stay out of this Kagome," Inuyasha snarled, "This is between me and the crone!"
"You're overreacting!" Kagome hissed.
"She insulted my parents!" Inuyasha growled back. Kagome paused for a moment. Inuyasha was very sensitive about people harassing him about his ancestry.
"I would feel the same way," Kagome thought to herself, "If everyone made fun of me because I had a human mother and a demon father. It must be like being part of two opposite worlds, but not belonging to either. Being forever stuck in limbo, and never having a place to belong because of something you couldn't help. What a lonely life Inuyasha must have had as a child!" A wave of pity surged through the girl from the future.
"You have spirit, boy," Tsuki told the growling half-demon, "I admire that. It has been a long time since anyone has stood up to me or any of the other Elders. But I just want to know one thing, Inuyasha."
"What?" Inuyasha snapped, still vexed.
"Is this 'shard' the monk mentioned," Tsuki began, "If it is not collected by you or your group, what will happen?" Inuyasha hesitated.
"I think it's alright to tell her what will happen, Inuyasha," Kagome said, "I don't think it will do any harm."
"Alright, wench," Inuyasha growled, glancing at Kagome briefly, "But if we all die because of what you told me to do…"
"We won't die!" Kagome hissed.
"Feh!" Inuyasha huffed, then he turned back to Tsuki and the other Elders, "If we don't get that shard first, then most likely a youkai will get its claws on it. If that happens, the shard can grant that youkai fearsome powers."
"How can you be sure a youkai will try to seek this shard out?" Tsuki asked, "Plus, I doubt that youkai are abundant in this foreign land, England."
"There are probably demons there," Kagome said, "I know that England and nearly all of Europe believed, er, believes that demons often roam their lands. I learned, a long time ago, that most legends are at least partly true. Some legends are even completely true." Several people in the room blinked at her what she said.
"How do you know what the foreigners believe?" Taiyo asked. Kagome blushed.
"Well, um, you see," Kagome began, "My father once went there. He told me a little bit about the English legends when he came back."
"'Came back'?" Tsuru echoed, "Does that mean that someone has actually went to this England place and back alive?"
"Well, yes," Kagome confirmed. "Though of course the trip is shorter because of planes," she thought privately to herself, but she didn't say it out loud.
"That means we can come back too!" Tsuru cheered, "Now I'm not worried about completing my mission!"
"Wait a moment, samurai," Sango said, "We still haven't convinced the Elders that they should let us go."
"But you have," Hikari said, "If you do not go to this foreign land, England, the demons over there will cause trouble. And it is the duty of the Water Lily shrine to make sure that demons will be destroyed. No matter where the demons are. Go with our blessing, children."
"Thank you, honored Elder," Kagome said politely, bowing to the six shadowy figures. The others followed her example, but of course Inuyasha did it reluctantly. The group walked out of the shrine and began their way towards the docks. Halfway there, Karasu awoke.
"Ow…" Karasu murmured, rubbing his still ringing head.
"Good morning, Karasu-san!" Tsuru chirped cheerfully, when he heard his comrade's moans.
"Where am I?" Karasu asked, "Where's the shrine? Where are we going? And why is that stupid slave carrying me like a sack of rice?!" Inuyasha growled then threw Karasu off his back.
"Shut up, you baka samurai, or I'm going to give you such a beating, you won't wake up from until you're as old and as wrinkly as those baka Elders!" Inuyasha snarled, looking down at the samurai that was sprawled on the dirt.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome sighed.
***
Back at the Water Lily shrine in the Hall of the Elders
"You summoned me, honored Elders?" Yuri asked, keeling in front of the Elder's cushions.
"Indeed we did, Yuri-san," Yosei said, "We want you to follow and observe that group of trespassers that you brought to us today. There is something odd about that group, and we want you to watch them. I suggest that you ignore the two samurai; they do not appear to have much importance. But the others, you must watch with the intensity of how a wolf watches its prey. Help them and oppose them whenever you deem it is fit to do so. We are counting on you to do this job well, Yuri."
"I shall not fail you, honored Elders," Yuri replied. Then she stood up and left the room, clutching her bow and arrows.
"Are you sure Yuri can handle the job, Yosei?" Ryu asked.
"I have utmost confidence in Yuri's abilities," Yosei replied smoothly.
"Why do you wish to follow the group from earlier?" Tsuki asked, "They have told us nothing but the truth while they were here; I would have sensed something if they were lying."
"I know that they were truthful," Yosei said, "But I have this odd feeling. They are not what they seem. Do you not deem it odd that Inuyasha wears a hat that covers half his face, and bandages on his hands and arms when none of us could sense that he was wounded? And what of Kagome? The girl has miko powers; and they're stronger than any I have ever seen! Sango, the demon exterminator, she must have odd abilities as well! We all know that the exterminators use youkai parts to make up their weapons and armor. Not many humans can harness the powers of a youkai without getting hurt! Plus she is the only one of her village that survived the attack by the youkai. And the monk, Miroku, he is also strange. I noticed there was an odd aura about his hand, but I wasn't quite sure what it was."
"Now that you mention it," Kurai said, "I noticed that aura as well. In fact, all of our visitors had strange auras except for the two samurai."
"Perhaps you caution isn't as ill-based as we originally believed, Yosei," Hikari whispered, "But still, I don't think that those children are evil."
"It is better that we are safe now rather than sorry later," Taiyo said.
"Agreed," the other Elders said.
Author-chan's notes: I'm so happy! Pretty soon, Inu-chan and Co. will arrive in England! But of course they'll have to meet the Englishmen that are in Japan first…