Disclaimer: neither anime is mine, sue me if you like, but I have no money
Bunny: thanks for the review! I did a bit of tweaking on the first chapter and hopefully it's a lot clearer now. and nope, its not planet ladder =)
Kagome pushed the door open and gasped as a rush of hot air hit her. She steadied herself and stepped in. "Myouga?" She called.
She passed through a narrow hall and found herself in a large room. On one side was what looked like a giant furnace, periodically belching flames out of a grate. On the other side was row after row of drawers, all the way to the top of the 40-foot ceiling. Kagome nearly gagged, the smell of hundreds of herbs mixed with the smell of smoke and coal.
Sitting on a platform across the room she could see what looked like a giant flea. He was crouched on 2 legs while his other 4 worked a few levers and sorted herbs. Dozens of things that looked like large bees flew out of holes in the wall carrying large lumps of coal and dropping them into the furnace, then flying back for more. Kagome stepped further into the room.
"Excuse me? Are you Myouga?" she asked. The large flea turned his head to her and glared. "What do you want?" he said, sounding annoyed. *gotta be brave* Kagome reminded herself. "Yasha sent me, I want to work here." she said boldly. The flea turned back to his work, "Nope, sorry I have all the help I need."
*No! I can't give up, I have to save Souta and mama* Kagome took a few more steps towards him. "Please! I'll do anything! Just let me work here!" she pleaded. The flea ignored her. Suddenly one of the bee-like- things dropped its coal onto another one, which fell to the ground with the coal on top of it. "Oh no!" Kagome gasped and ran over. She picked up the coal and the bee thing flew back into a hole, buzzing angrily. Kagome stood up holding the coal. *This is heavy! Maybe it isn't coal after all* She looked around, "What do I do with it?"
Myouga looked over at her, "Finish what you start." He said gruffly. Kagome moved slowly over to the furnace that the bees were throwing the coal into. *Its so hot!* she thought as she neared. Standing near the edge she threw the coal in as far as she could, then raced back to a cooler distance, ending up standing by Myouga's platform.
Suddenly the bees all started dropping their coal and then went to buzz at her. "What are they doing?!" Kagome cried, batting them away. Myouga glared at her. "The saimyoushou will work until they think someone else will do it for them. I said I didn't have anymore jobs, I didn't mean take theirs!" Kagome smacked another one away. "I didn't mean to!" she cried. *Saimyoushou? What a weird name, can't he just call them giant bees?*
"Dinner time" came a voice. "Kagome looked away from the saimyoushou to see a panel in the wall slide open. A girl about her age, 16, came out. She had long black hair pulled into a high ponytail and a long green skirt, and a pink and white kimono style shirt. "Ah Sango" Myouga said. The girl, Sango, walked over to Myouga and gave him a bowl of food. Then she started throwing small bits of something to the saimyoushou, who all flew away from Kagome to catch the food. Suddenly Sango turned and saw Kagome standing by Myouga.
"A human!" she cried. "They're going crazy upstairs looking for you! What is she doing here?!" Myouga took a bite of his food. "She's my granddaughter, she's looking for work but I have all the help I need. Take her to Kikkyo and get her a job." Kagome looked at him in surprise, and he winked at her before returning to his food. Sango raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Whatever you say Myouga. Come with me."
She headed back to the door she had come out of. Seeing that the girl was barefoot, Kagome pulled off her shoes and socks, and dropped them by the door, then followed the girl through. She paused at the doorway and turned. "Thank you Myouga-sama" she said bowing. He waved one of his 4 hands at her "Good luck" he muttered. Then Kagome turned and ran through the door after Sango.
She followed Sango down a long hall with a wooden elevator at the end. The two got on and Sango pulled a lever, the elevator began to rise up incredibly fast. Kagome leaned over the side and looked down. *I can't see any pulleys, how does it work?* she wondered. "Want to lose your head?" Sango asked. Kagome quickly pulled her head back in. "Kikkyo lives all the way at the top." Sango said. Kagome shifted her weight, watching the floors fly past.
"I know this is a bathhouse, but this place is huge! Don't you get lost?" She said. Sango laughed. "It's simple really. 25 stories, the lower 5 are underground. That's where we live. And the lowest one is the furnace, where Myouga was. The rest are the bath levels and the very, very top one, is Kikkyo's." Kagome nodded, trying to memorize it. She nearly fell when the elevator came to a sudden stop. The door slid open and a white baboon stood in front of it. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise.
"I want to go up." The baboon said. "I'm sorry sir," Sango replied. "This is as high as this lift goes, you'll have to use another one." Having said that, she motioned for Kagome to follow and started off. They crossed a bridge, looking over the edge, Kagome could see several baths a few stories below it, many of them were occupied. Looking behind her, she could see the baboon was following them. To her surprise she realized that it was actually someone wearing a baboon skin. "Sango, that guy is following us." She said nervously. Sango glanced back, "Don't stare." she said and kept walking.
Trying not to stare, Kagome looked around the room instead. She realized she could see every floor. The middle of the building was hollow, with long walkway's around all 4 sides on each floor. Here and there were bridges that crossed over and stairs from one floor to the other. Looking down she could see the baths on the ground floor. Reaching the other side, they stopped in front of another elevator and the baboon skin guy stopped behind them.
The door of the elevator opened and a large guy that looked like a frog, with a couple hairs on top of his head stepped out. He had a large fox pelt wrapped around his waist. "Right this way please!" he said to a group of gods behind him. As soon as they were all out of the elevator Sango shoved Kagome in and the baboon guy walked in behind her. The strange guy with a fox pelt skirt turned to Sango. "Do I smell a human?" he asked her.
"Are you saying I smell like a human Manten?" She said in annoyance. The baboon guy stepped in front of Kagome, blocking her from the view of anyone outside of the elevator, just as Manten looked inside suspiciously. He glared at Sango. "I smell something odd." He said. Sango glared right back. "If you're going up sir, pull down on the lever." she called into the elevator. Kagome slide her hand forward and yanked down on the lever.
Sango pulled a round ball out of her pocket and held it out to Manten. "Maybe it's this you smell." Manten took a sniff. "Augh! What the hell is that?" he cried. Sango smirked, "It's for when customers with sensitive noses get out of hand." (a/n anyone remember the stuff she used on inuyasha when they first fought) Manten snorted, gave Sango a dirty look and rushed off after his customers. Sango looked at the elevator in concern. * I hope she makes it ok.* she thought.
The baboon guy pulled the lever back down and the elevator stopped "Thank you!" Kagome called after him, as he left. He bowed and she bowed back. Taking a deep breath Kagome grabbed the lever and pulled it down once again. The elevator shot up and stopped on its own this time. She stepped out into a long hallway, with large doors at the far end. Kagome carefully made her way down the hall and raised her hand to knock at the doors. They flew open before her hand touched them.
Kagome stepped in and found herself in what looked like an office. There was a fireplace to her left. A little white-haired girl sat in front of it, making faces in a mirror. Curled up between the fireplace and the girl was the giant white cat Kagome had seen. It raised its head to growl when she came in. To Kagome's right was a curtain leading into another room. Straight on was a desk in front of a large window. Sitting at the desk, amid a stack of papers was a girl with long black hair. *That's the one that was riding the cat. She must be Kikkyo.* Kagome thought. She cleared her throat. "Um, are you Kikkyo?"
Kikkyo looked up and glared. "What do you want?" she asked coldly.
Bunny: thanks for the review! I did a bit of tweaking on the first chapter and hopefully it's a lot clearer now. and nope, its not planet ladder =)
Kagome pushed the door open and gasped as a rush of hot air hit her. She steadied herself and stepped in. "Myouga?" She called.
She passed through a narrow hall and found herself in a large room. On one side was what looked like a giant furnace, periodically belching flames out of a grate. On the other side was row after row of drawers, all the way to the top of the 40-foot ceiling. Kagome nearly gagged, the smell of hundreds of herbs mixed with the smell of smoke and coal.
Sitting on a platform across the room she could see what looked like a giant flea. He was crouched on 2 legs while his other 4 worked a few levers and sorted herbs. Dozens of things that looked like large bees flew out of holes in the wall carrying large lumps of coal and dropping them into the furnace, then flying back for more. Kagome stepped further into the room.
"Excuse me? Are you Myouga?" she asked. The large flea turned his head to her and glared. "What do you want?" he said, sounding annoyed. *gotta be brave* Kagome reminded herself. "Yasha sent me, I want to work here." she said boldly. The flea turned back to his work, "Nope, sorry I have all the help I need."
*No! I can't give up, I have to save Souta and mama* Kagome took a few more steps towards him. "Please! I'll do anything! Just let me work here!" she pleaded. The flea ignored her. Suddenly one of the bee-like- things dropped its coal onto another one, which fell to the ground with the coal on top of it. "Oh no!" Kagome gasped and ran over. She picked up the coal and the bee thing flew back into a hole, buzzing angrily. Kagome stood up holding the coal. *This is heavy! Maybe it isn't coal after all* She looked around, "What do I do with it?"
Myouga looked over at her, "Finish what you start." He said gruffly. Kagome moved slowly over to the furnace that the bees were throwing the coal into. *Its so hot!* she thought as she neared. Standing near the edge she threw the coal in as far as she could, then raced back to a cooler distance, ending up standing by Myouga's platform.
Suddenly the bees all started dropping their coal and then went to buzz at her. "What are they doing?!" Kagome cried, batting them away. Myouga glared at her. "The saimyoushou will work until they think someone else will do it for them. I said I didn't have anymore jobs, I didn't mean take theirs!" Kagome smacked another one away. "I didn't mean to!" she cried. *Saimyoushou? What a weird name, can't he just call them giant bees?*
"Dinner time" came a voice. "Kagome looked away from the saimyoushou to see a panel in the wall slide open. A girl about her age, 16, came out. She had long black hair pulled into a high ponytail and a long green skirt, and a pink and white kimono style shirt. "Ah Sango" Myouga said. The girl, Sango, walked over to Myouga and gave him a bowl of food. Then she started throwing small bits of something to the saimyoushou, who all flew away from Kagome to catch the food. Suddenly Sango turned and saw Kagome standing by Myouga.
"A human!" she cried. "They're going crazy upstairs looking for you! What is she doing here?!" Myouga took a bite of his food. "She's my granddaughter, she's looking for work but I have all the help I need. Take her to Kikkyo and get her a job." Kagome looked at him in surprise, and he winked at her before returning to his food. Sango raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Whatever you say Myouga. Come with me."
She headed back to the door she had come out of. Seeing that the girl was barefoot, Kagome pulled off her shoes and socks, and dropped them by the door, then followed the girl through. She paused at the doorway and turned. "Thank you Myouga-sama" she said bowing. He waved one of his 4 hands at her "Good luck" he muttered. Then Kagome turned and ran through the door after Sango.
She followed Sango down a long hall with a wooden elevator at the end. The two got on and Sango pulled a lever, the elevator began to rise up incredibly fast. Kagome leaned over the side and looked down. *I can't see any pulleys, how does it work?* she wondered. "Want to lose your head?" Sango asked. Kagome quickly pulled her head back in. "Kikkyo lives all the way at the top." Sango said. Kagome shifted her weight, watching the floors fly past.
"I know this is a bathhouse, but this place is huge! Don't you get lost?" She said. Sango laughed. "It's simple really. 25 stories, the lower 5 are underground. That's where we live. And the lowest one is the furnace, where Myouga was. The rest are the bath levels and the very, very top one, is Kikkyo's." Kagome nodded, trying to memorize it. She nearly fell when the elevator came to a sudden stop. The door slid open and a white baboon stood in front of it. Kagome's eyes widened in surprise.
"I want to go up." The baboon said. "I'm sorry sir," Sango replied. "This is as high as this lift goes, you'll have to use another one." Having said that, she motioned for Kagome to follow and started off. They crossed a bridge, looking over the edge, Kagome could see several baths a few stories below it, many of them were occupied. Looking behind her, she could see the baboon was following them. To her surprise she realized that it was actually someone wearing a baboon skin. "Sango, that guy is following us." She said nervously. Sango glanced back, "Don't stare." she said and kept walking.
Trying not to stare, Kagome looked around the room instead. She realized she could see every floor. The middle of the building was hollow, with long walkway's around all 4 sides on each floor. Here and there were bridges that crossed over and stairs from one floor to the other. Looking down she could see the baths on the ground floor. Reaching the other side, they stopped in front of another elevator and the baboon skin guy stopped behind them.
The door of the elevator opened and a large guy that looked like a frog, with a couple hairs on top of his head stepped out. He had a large fox pelt wrapped around his waist. "Right this way please!" he said to a group of gods behind him. As soon as they were all out of the elevator Sango shoved Kagome in and the baboon guy walked in behind her. The strange guy with a fox pelt skirt turned to Sango. "Do I smell a human?" he asked her.
"Are you saying I smell like a human Manten?" She said in annoyance. The baboon guy stepped in front of Kagome, blocking her from the view of anyone outside of the elevator, just as Manten looked inside suspiciously. He glared at Sango. "I smell something odd." He said. Sango glared right back. "If you're going up sir, pull down on the lever." she called into the elevator. Kagome slide her hand forward and yanked down on the lever.
Sango pulled a round ball out of her pocket and held it out to Manten. "Maybe it's this you smell." Manten took a sniff. "Augh! What the hell is that?" he cried. Sango smirked, "It's for when customers with sensitive noses get out of hand." (a/n anyone remember the stuff she used on inuyasha when they first fought) Manten snorted, gave Sango a dirty look and rushed off after his customers. Sango looked at the elevator in concern. * I hope she makes it ok.* she thought.
The baboon guy pulled the lever back down and the elevator stopped "Thank you!" Kagome called after him, as he left. He bowed and she bowed back. Taking a deep breath Kagome grabbed the lever and pulled it down once again. The elevator shot up and stopped on its own this time. She stepped out into a long hallway, with large doors at the far end. Kagome carefully made her way down the hall and raised her hand to knock at the doors. They flew open before her hand touched them.
Kagome stepped in and found herself in what looked like an office. There was a fireplace to her left. A little white-haired girl sat in front of it, making faces in a mirror. Curled up between the fireplace and the girl was the giant white cat Kagome had seen. It raised its head to growl when she came in. To Kagome's right was a curtain leading into another room. Straight on was a desk in front of a large window. Sitting at the desk, amid a stack of papers was a girl with long black hair. *That's the one that was riding the cat. She must be Kikkyo.* Kagome thought. She cleared her throat. "Um, are you Kikkyo?"
Kikkyo looked up and glared. "What do you want?" she asked coldly.
