Banzai! I'm ba~ack!

Disclaimer: The great Takahashi Rumiko owns Inuyasha, not me. All I have is volumes 11 and 12, the soundtrack CD, and various pictures saved onto my hard drive.







Shikon no Kakera, the Second Search

ch. 2 Bad news



"A~ah, much better!" Inu-yue cracked her knuckles after dissipating the spell in Youkai-yue's room.

Sesshou-yue was stretching on the floor and yawned, showing her fangs. "Jow hei! That's why I never go to those dumb sleep-overs the 'popular' girls have all the time."

Youkai-yue was sprawled on her bed staring at the ceiling. "That's only half the reason why I don't. They're such snobs." She sat up and looked at her two relatives, and friends. "I'd like to just punch their make-up caked faces in! Waht dhut dou sei......." She stuck her stuck her head out the door. "Oi, okaa-san, when are the others going to get here?"

Fahleing was standing on the kitchen counter rummaging for something on top of the fridge. "I just heard somebody knock. Go answer it!" *bang* "Ow! Stupid pot! Koryu, where's the keychain with the restaurant's phone number on it?"

Youkai-yue snickered and went to open the door. It was Shippou, Shiori, Kitsune-yue, Sango, Miroku, and Mori-yue. "Nihao, what took you all so long?"

The three kitsunes let the spell go as soon as they the door shut behind them. Mori-yue muttered something about a 'stinking stupid traffic jam.'

Fahleing came out of the kitchen with the cordless phone in her hand. "Does anyone have the number to a decent take-out restaurant?" She clearly still hadn't found the keychain.

Kagome plopped down on the couch. "We can try to cook something instead.........those restaurants take a while to deliver."

Youkai-yue snickered again. "Okaa-san can't cook, remember, Kagome oba-san? Neither can otou-san."

"Can't you cook, at least just a little?" Sesshou-yue, Kagome, Shiori, and I should be able to make something at least halfway decent." Rin spoke up from her seat on the floor leaning against Sesshoumaru's legs. "Can we borrow your kitchen, Fahleing?"

Fahleing put the phone back and shrugged. "Go ahead, it's Youkai-yue that uses it mostly anyways. Have her show you where everything is."

"Don't let Kitsune-yue near your toaster, she might kill it!" Shippou joked. His daughter glared at him.

"Sei yun tao."

Her mother tweaked her hair before going into the kitchen with Rin, Kagome, Sesshou-yue, and Youkai-yue. "Don't use foul language on your father."

Inuyasha sat cross-legged on the floor. "Oi, Koryu, if you can't cook, what the hell do you eat most of the time?"

"Instant ramen, mostly. Sometimes we order take-out."

Youkai-yue came back out of the kitchen. "Okaa-san, I found the keychain. It was under the fridge."

Her mother looked at her blankly. "Under the fridge? Why were you looking under the fridge?"

"Because she's weird." Inu-yue said, earning a glare from her friend and cousin.

"I was looking for that video Miroku oji-san asked for last time, chuen yun! Oh, and here it is." She handed the somewhat dusty video to Sango, who passed it to Miroku, who stuck it in the VCR.

"Where was it anyways?" Sango was attempting to read the label on the back of the dusty cover.

"Under the microwave."

Everyone sweatdropped. For some reason, things were found in odd places all the time in this apartment...........

Now Miroku was hunting around for the remote. "Mou, could you people keep things where they're supposed to be for once?"

Kitsune-yue realized she was sitting on it. "Oops............here it is. What are we watching?"

Mori-yue was sitting on the arm of the couch right next to her mother. "Who cares? Press 'play' already."

As it came on, Kagome, who came out while the oven was heating up, recognized it. "Hey, I recorded this before when we were in Japan!" She saddened a little. "I wonder how it is back there?"

All the adults sobered. They all wondered, about what they had to leave behind. Inu-yue, Mori-yue, Kitsune-yue, Sesshou-yue, and Youkai-yue knew what they were talking about, but couldn't really relate to it. After all, they lived their whole lives in Hong Kong. They turned their attention to the tv screen.

Kitsune-yue started laughing when she saw the scene where Inuyasha was chasing her father around outside the well house. "Otou-san, you were so short!"

Inuyasha snorted. "He was even shorter before this, he actually grew a little here!"

"Hey!"

Sesshoumaru turned slightly red and looked elsewhere when the screen showed a picture of him sleeping and a giggling teenage Rin carefully tying ribbons into his hair and tail. "You had to tape this?" He grumbled, putting emphasis on the 'had.'

The camera next zoomed in on a very hyper Shiori with her dark red hair covered in powdered sugar. Fahleing, thinking no one was looking, snatched a pink sugar packet off the table and ate its contents. Koryu was fascinated by Rurouni Kenshin on tv, and had his face practically glued to the screen. Sango was drilling Miroku into a hole in the ground with the Hiraikotsu while he pleaded "There was a fly there, I swear! I was just brushing it off for you!" She was yelling "Yeah right, you lecher!" Then the camera was wrestled away from Kagome by the very hyper Shiori, who ran all around the shrine with it, stepping on the trailing end of Sesshoumaru's tail and various other people's feet. Kagome chased after her and ended up tripping over Shippou, who then went flying into Koryu, who got his face smushed into the tv. Inuyasha took the camera from Shiori and started to fiddle with the buttons, making the whole scene zoom in and out and blur. Then the camera shook as Kagome yelled "Osuwari!" and Inuyasha got his face stuck in the ground. Fahleing came out of the kitchen eating blue jello mix saying "Oi, Kagome! How do they make this stuff blue?" Kagome flopped onto the couch muttering something to the effect of "Reminder to self, avoid bring Feudal Era people here without supervision." Then Sesshoumaru ran right by Inuyasha, who still had the camera, with a slightly scared look on his face followed by Rin who had some of Kagome's make-up with her this time. Then the camera blacked out, running out of batteries.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha! *gasp* I'm going to run out of air! Hahahahaha!"Sesshou-yue had come out of the kitchen in time to see that last part. Everyone else was also cracking up.

Koryu winced, trying to hold back a chuckle. "I remember that, Shiori. It wasn't too comfortable."

Rin came out of the kitchen. "Dinner's ready! Oh, and Sesshoumaru, did I actually manage to put the make-up on you or not? I can't remember."

Sesshoumaru shrugged and mumbled something like "Forgot." while sitting down at the table.

Inuyasha smirked. "You succeeded in getting bright blue eyeshadow in his hair." His brother glared at him. "What? It's true."

"Whatever, just pass me that bowl." Fahleing said impatiently.

The dinner conversation continued somewhat like this for a while, then turned to other random things. Afterwards, they stuck everything in the dishwasher and lounged around the couch to talk.

Kitsune-yue leaning against the back of the couch fiddling with a braid. "Hey, Kagome oba-san, you look a bit worried."

Kagome had been thinking about what happened at work. She looked at Inuyasha, who also sobered a bit. "There's now at least one Shikon shard in Hong Kong."

"What?!" Shippou jumped up. "It's not true is it?!" Inuyasha nodded to confirm it. "Demo........how can that be?"

Mori-yue almost fell off the arm of the couch. "The Shikon shards........aren't those.........."

Her mother frowned grimly. "Hai, they're the shards of the Shikon no Tama we were collecting."

"But what does its appearance here mean?" Rin asked. No one had an answer for her.

Fahleing paled. "Oh no............the shards...........they might be the ones Kouga had."

Her daughter looked at her questioningly. "He's the wolf-demon, right?" Fahleing nodded. "Why would the shards be his?"

Fahleing turned to Kagome. "Exactly where did you sense the shards?"

"In an airplane passing over the school..........." She also paled. "You didn't see him at the airport, did you?"

Fahleing nodded.

Inuyasha growled. "What the hell does he want? He can't have Kagome! Never!" He out his arm around her shoulder protectively.

Shiori put her head in her hands. "Oh no............"

Everyone was silent. Fahleing got up slowly and walked into hers and Koryu's bedroom, and came back out holding what looked like a long wrapped stick. "It's time to bring this back out, I guess........." She unwrapped it, revealing a sword with two long tassels in a black scabbard.

".........okaa-san, is that the sword you've told us about.......? The Hanyou no Saiga?" Youkai-yue asked, watching as her mother unsheathed and transformed it, so it became a large fang with gray fur near the hilt. The tassel-ends were hidden in the fur where it ended, and the whole thing seemed to have a pulsing aura of power.

Fahleing ran her fingertips along the flat of the blade almost reverently. "Hai..........made from my father's fang, called the Fang of the Half-Demon because it was made for, and used by, me."

Inuyasha thought of his own blade, the Tetsusaiga, hidden in a closet. 'If it's time for the Hanyou no Saiga to be brought back out, it's also time for the Tetsusaiga........' Kagome, somehow knowing he thought of his own father's fang, squeezed his hand, giving silent support.

Koryu also got up and brought out another sword, this one being just an 'ordinary' demon blade. "It's time to bring out our pasts now. With the return of the Shikon no Tama, who knows what will happen." He wiped a speck of dust off the hilt of his sword, the Hamato.


Outside, a pony-tailed figure watched the vague shapes seen through a window. The scents were unmistakable though............He waited until somebody unlocked the door to the building, then slipped into the elevator. 'I don't think they'll like the news at all...........'


Inside, Inu-yue whipped her head around to stare at the door. "Something's coming..........."

Kagome stared at her daughter, along with Inuyasha. "You can sense Shikon shards?!"

"That's what it........." Inu-yue was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Koryu motioned for everybody to be silent and went to open the door, but his wife tugged on his sleeve. She shook her head and mouthed the word 'spell.' He understood and became human, and when the person knocked a second time, he opened it.

As soon as the door opened, everyone who had a youkai's sense of smell went on guard. This scent was familiar, at least to the former shard-hunters.

"What are you doing here, Kouga?" Koryu growled at him. "To bring us all trouble?"

Kouga's eyes darted around the empty hall. "Let me in, you don't want the whole building to hear this!"

Koryu growled again, blocking his way. "Why should we trust you?"

"I have news from Japan! It's urgent!"

"Let him in, Koryu. I think he's being honest." Kouga was relieved to hear Kagome say that. Then her next words took the relief away. "If he is lying, he's outnumbered with all the youkai in here. You can 'take care' of him." Kagome's voice sounded like she really meant it. Kouga paled, but didn't budge.

Koryu growled again, letting the spell slip away completely, but let him through. "Remember, wolf. If you try anything, we kill you."

Inuyasha felt his blood boil at the sight of Kouga, and drew Kagome closer to him. Various other growls were heard around the room.

The overwhelming, to his nose at least, smell of inu-youkai made Kouga flinch inwardly. 'Kuso, even though most of them are mixed-breeds, they could kill me! There're almost enough of them to make a small pack!'

The silver flecks in Fahleing's golden eyes were almost obliterated by the deep, angry amber color. "Talk." She growled it out like a command, which it was.

"I-its's Naraku, he's taken over all of Japan, not just Sengoku Jidai............demons rule now..........And no one's safe." Kouga paused. As much as he hated to do this, he had to......... "Come back to Japan and stop him, onegai gozaimasu!"

Rin paled further. "Oh no............it really is time to bring out our pasts.........."

Sesshoumaru sensed her fear and pulled her closer to him. "You better not be lying, wolf."

"I'm not, I swear by the Shikon shards I possess!"

"He's not lying. The trouble's very real." Shiori had an almost uncanny way of telling if someone was being truthful or not. "We have to go back." It was clear she was reluctant to do so, to return to the carnage that Naraku left behind. No one really wanted to.

Taking charge of the situation, Koryu stood up. "Then we leave tomorrow." He drew the Hamato and quickly grabbed Kouga by the collar. "If this is a trap, wolf, you will be held personally responsible."

'Kuso, something about all of them has really changed! Even Kagome............' "It's not a trap, I swear!" Koryu dropped him unceremoniously to the ground.

"You will stay here for the night, where we can watch you. Everyone else, start packing, I'll see what I can do about the flights." Fahleing motioned for her daughter to pass her the cordless phone. "I'll call when I have it all set up." Then she muttered under her breath, "Even if I have to pull multiple strings to do this, nothing will get in my...........our way."


Back in her own room, Inu-yue looked around one last time to see if anything else was needed. 'Let's see, okaa-san and otou-san said that there may be fighting, so bring some clothes I can actually move around in...........'

"Inu-yue? Can we come in?" Her mother and father stood in the doorway. Kagome had a bundle of mainly red cloth. Inuyasha had a sword similar to the one his cousin had stuck in his belt, even if it did look a bit odd with his modern shirt and pants.

"What is it?"

Kagome gave the bundle of cloth to her daughter. "Here, in case we have to go to Sengoku Jidai, you won't stand out as much."

Inu-yue unfolded it to reveal what looked like the top to a sailor fuku, except longer with sleeves that were somewhat like those of a kimono. Baggy red pants like the ones her father wore in the video came with it. The outfit was completed by a black sash with a bit of gold string and a what looked like a prayer-bead necklace, like the one her father still had on. "Oh wow..........."

"It's not made from the fur of the fire rat, but it's still better protection than these modern outfits." Inuyasha glanced at the Tetsusaiga. "We'll have to find you a sword or something later. If you're done, get some sleep, we leave at four in the morning."

Inu-yue nodded and carefully folded her new clothes so they would fit in her suitcase. "Arigatou, otou-san, okaa-san. Good night."


Kitsune-yue heard as her father got off the phone with Fahleing. "Otou-san, what time do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning, at four. I'm impressed Fahleing could get us a flight so quickly." Shippou ran his hand through his red hair. "Though I'd prefer it not to be that early..........."

"Fahleing has a very strong will, it takes more than slow airline companies to stop her." Shiori dragged her suitcase and put it next to the front door. "Your job's all taken care of for now?"

"Hai, can you get Kitsune-yue's..........gift?"

Kitsune-yue looked from her father to her mother curiously. "Gift?"

Shiori smiled softly and turned back into the bedroom and brought out a folded bundle of clothes. "Here, Kitsune-yue. For if we go to Sengoku Jidai."

Kitsune-yue looked at the bundle curiously and shook it out. It was a long, deep violet haori with particularly wide slits at the shoulders and a lavender sleeveless Chinese shirt that went under it and had an intricate knot made with gold string over the topmost button. It was held together at the waist by big black bow that tied in front. The baggy gold pants tied at the bottom with more black ribbon right above the ankles of her fox-feet. "A-arigatou! It's........."

Shippou smiled wryly at his daughter. "It's much stronger and easier to fight in than the flimsy materials of this era. Get some sleep, we'll need it."


Mori-yue was leaning back in her desk chair trying to remember if she forgot anything when the phone rang and startled her. She jumped, and the chair fell all the way backwards, with her still in it. A loud 'bang' was heard as her mother picked up the phone. Her father came in to see what happened.

Miroku had to stifle a laugh when he came in. "You ok? Or is lying on the floor like that a new trend?"

"Aaaarrgghh, no! Help me up!" Mori-yue thrashed around a bit, then finally succeeded in getting her feet under her and got up. She glared at her father, who was leaning against the doorway collapsing in nearly silent laughter. "It's not that funny, otou-san!"

"What's not so funny? Miroku, you can get up off the floor now." Sango grabbed her husband by the shirt collar and started to drag him away. "Oh, and we leave at four in the morning. There's something in the closet for you, Mori-yue." She left with Miroku and shut the door lightly behind her.

'The closet?' thought Mori-yue. She opened it to find a long, gold-edged white kimono with slits up the sides up her waist and a low collar. A short, black-edged red sleeveless kimono went over the white one and loose black pants tied with lengths of white ribbon at the bottoms went under the whole thing. The outfit was completed with a gold and off-white sash, a black and white yin-yang pendant, red and white fasteners for the two locks of hair in front of her ears, and a new red ribbon for the rest of her hair. She was speechless. 'Wow...........!'


"Sesshou-yue? We have something for you." Sesshou-yue turned around at her mother's voice.

"What, okaa-san, otou-san?" She yawned, wanting to get some sleep since she would have to be up by four the next morning.

Rin held out a red and white cloth bundle.

Sesshou-yue took it and opened it. It was a red shirt, with a mandarin collar and kimono sleeves, edged in black and printed with magnolias, complete with a gold sash. The somewhat baggy white pants had gold ribbon-ties at the bottom that matched the sash. She looked questioningly at her mother and father.

"So you don't appear as a completely unknown foreigner, if we do have to go back to Sengoku Jidai."

Sesshou-yue nodded, understanding. "It's beautiful, arigatou, okaa-san, otou-san."

"Get some sleep, we all need it." Sesshoumaru gently closed the door behind him as he left his daughter's room with Rin.


Youkai-yue's eyes narrowed to mere slits as the scent of the wolf wafted past her sensitive nose again. She didn't trust that Kouga, no way. Neither did anyone else, it seemed, the danger the Shikon no Tama and it's scattered fragments carried over to those possessing or near them.

"Damn ohkami........." She growled, wrenching open her door to snarl at the 'damn ohkami' in question. "If you don't fucking stop all that pacing and shit, I'll throw you out the damn window! I fucking hate your stupid scent!"

That snapped him out of his somewhat fearful daze. "I hate your scent too! Dog shit! Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

"Bahk tsche! A much better person than you are, wolf shit!" Youkai-yue lunged forwards, about to punch him in the face, when her mother's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist while her father yanked Kouga backwards by his ponytail.

"This is not your house, wolf." Koryu snarled out each word. "Try anything with my daughter, and you die."

Youkai-yue was struggling against her mother, who now had her in a secure hold. "Let me kill him!" She snarled.

"Not where the neighbors can hear, Youkai-yue!" Fahleing growled at her daughter. "We don't need extra trouble. Come on, I have something for you, and your father can easily take care of that wolf." Youkai-yue was dragged into her parents' room.

"What?! She's your daughter?!" Kouga was shocked. One of the higher-ranked inu-youkai had a mixed-breed for a daughter?! "How can that.........mixed-breed be your daughter?!"

Koryu had Kouga dangling by the front of his shirt. "Don't you dare insult my mate or pup." His voice became a very menacing cross between a snarl and a growl that sounded more and more dangerous with every word. "Youkai-yue is Fahleing's and mine pup. Touch either of them, and regardless of anything, you will die." Disgusted, he dropped him. "Make sure you don't forget that, wolf." He stalked off to the bathroom to pack up the toothbrushes.

Meanwhile, Fahleing took a hanger covered with a dry-cleaning bag out of the closet. "Don't try this on now, but it will come in handy if we do go back to Sengoku Jidai."

Youkai-yue carefully pulled off the cover and gasped. There hung a black gi with what looked like pale blue sakura on the collar and sleeve ends. The red sash that went over the white hakama tied at the side and it matched the thinner red ribbon that went around her neck. White strips of cloth went under the gi. She looked up at her mother. "Okaa-san............arigatou........."

"Get some sleep, Youkai-yue. And if that stupid wolf isn't settled down for the night, knock him out." Fahleing grinned savagely at her daughter, who grinned back and nodded.







new words:

jow hei: Cantonese, means 'that's right' or something to that effect

waht dhut dou sei: Cantonese, means 'so disgusting' or 'disgusting to death'

bahk tsche: Cantonese, it's a pretty bad thing to call someone, I'm not sure about the English translation

Reviews are appreciated! Ja!