Disclaimer: Bite me! I told you I don't fucking own Inu Yasha. I don't
own the rights to Smash Bros. Melee either.
*peers around the corner* Okay, the coast is clear. *runs in and throws the chapter down* Oh god!! Here come the keyboards!! *Flees the room, dodging keyboards*
Chapter 4: Sango's Story
The ride to Inu Yasha's house consisted of thirty minutes of awkward silence. Kagome busied her mind by counting the number of stitches on the front of her skirt. She could feel Inu Yasha glance over at her once in a while. It made her a little uncomfortable. When they arrived, she briefly took stock of the house. Like Kouji's it was a decent size, with a sizable front yard. She glanced part of the backyard around the house, and noticed the moonlight shining off of something, probably a pond or pool. The tip of her tail twitched with curiosity, but she forced it to still when she noticed her new master staring at her.
"There's a koi pond back there," He waved casually in the direction of the yard. "I didn't really want it, but Sango said it would add character to the yard." He undid the lock on the front door and stepped inside.
"Tadaima!" He called flatly into the house. (Ya'll should know that my Japanese spelling sux big time. Hama can speak, but she can't spell -_-;)
"Welcome home Milord." A girl in her very early twenties, with dark brown/black hair greeted them at the door. She bowed politely to them.
Inu Yasha crossed his arms and lowered his eyebrows, looking exceedingly annoyed. "Sango...how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"
Sango kept her formal look, but an evil glint shone in her eye. "Of course, Oh Great Taiyokai of all the lands, Inu Yasha-sama."
An angry vein popped on the hanyou's forehead. "Sango..." He growled. "Hai, Inu Yasha-sama?" She pretended to look innocent. "I fucking hate it when you act as my inferior! So knock it the fuck off!" He erupted.
Sango just giggled quietly. "Hai hai! I know, I'm just playing." She fanned her hand at him. "Areh?" She peered around the fuming Inu Yasha. "Who? Oh I get it." She grinned and elbowed him in the side. "So, you finally found a girlfriend, ne?"
Inu Yasha's anger evaporated into a sad expression. "No, actually."
"Hm?" Sango looked a little confused at the sudden change of heart. She looked at the girl again. Her eyes were glued to the ground, and Sango realized that she hadn't reacted to any of the antics that she and Inu Yasha had been committing.
"She's my...Kouji gave her to me as a present." Kagome's ears twitched.
Sango's eyes widened. She addressed the girl. "You're a slave?" Kagome didn't react. "But...she's a hanyou. I thought that was illegal!"
"I thought so too. But everything here is perfectly legal." He waved the manila envelope in front of her face. "No forgery at all. It's legit."
It was Sango's turn to look sad. "Sou na..." She turned suddenly to Kagome, who nearly jumped backwards in surprise. Sango grabbed her hands. "You don't have to be a slave anymore. Inu Yasha-sama is a good master; he'll take good care of you. Ne, Inu Yasha-sama?" She turned to confirm with the inu hanyou, but he was nowhere to be found. They caught site of his form retreating up the stairs.
"I'm tired after that party. I'll leave everything to you, Sango." He mumbled at them before disappearing into his bedroom. Sango sweat-dropped. *Will he ever change?*
"Ano...?" Kagome's voice was small and meek. She could get into serious trouble for speaking without permission.
"Eh? Nani?" Sango turned to the raven-haired girl. A loud growl from Kagome's stomach answered for her. Her cheeks flushed pink slightly. Sango giggled and pulled her in the direction of the kitchen. She pushed Kagome onto one of the stools at the island before rummaging around in the refrigerator.
"Hmm...I think we have some leftover rice. Oh, and the stir-fry from last night...unless Inu Yasha-sama ate it all. Ah! Here it is!" She climbed out of the fridge with two large Tupperware containers. She quickly served some into a bowl and set it to warm in the microwave. She leaned against the island casually. "So, what's your name?"
Kagome stared at the marble countertop. "Kagome, Milady."
"Uh uh," Sango corrected her. "You don't need to call me Milady. I'm a slave too you know."
"Eh?!" Kagome stared at the other girl in shock. "But, the way you acted with-"
"I told you. Inu Yasha-sama is a good master. The first day he brought me here he said 'I'm not going to treat you like a slave, so there's no need to act like one.'" She imitated his annoyed tone almost perfectly, a sign she saw him annoyed fairly frequently. "It was true, what he said. After the first few months, I didn't even feel like a slave anymore. I think if it were up to him, he wouldn't own slaves."
Kagome's attitude changed almost instantly. Back in the store, when the shopkeeper wasn't around, the slaves could all relax and act normally around each other. Learning that Sango was also a slave, her trained behavior shut down immediately. "If he doesn't want to own slaves, then why does he have you?"
"Hum...its kind of a long story." The microwave beeped, and Sango retrieved the steaming bowl. She paused for a moment to think, slowly picking through a drawer of utensils. Kagome's stomach growled once more, causing Sango to giggle. "Sorry, got lost in my thoughts." She promptly gave the hanyou the bowl and a spoon.
Kagome forced herself to eat slowly, despite the fact that she was starving. "Well, it's not like I have anything better to do, so spill." She said between bites.
Sango grabbed a juice box of green tea out of the fridge before sitting across from the other girl. "I guess you could say that, like you, I was forced onto Inu Yasha-sama."
**Flashback**
The crowd was thick, almost as thick as the stink of the marketplace itself. Two figures wove through the mass of bodies, struggling to discover the path of least resistance to the auction stand.
"Oi, Miroku." A very annoyed Inu Yasha called to the man in front of him. The volume of the crowd drowned out his voice, and he had to try again. "Miroku!"
Miroku finally heard, coming to a halt and stopping so Inu Yasha could catch up. His dark brown bangs danced about his forehead, casting playful shadows across his equally brown eyes. The majority of his locks were tied back into a tiny rattail at the nape of his neck. "Ah, nani?"
"You're leaving me behind. I didn't even want to be here, remember?" The hanyou crossed his arms in annoyance. "All these stinking humans." He wrinkled his nose to emphasize the ambiguity in his statement.
"Hai hai. I know you don't like these kinds of places. But I really need help with the house, and a slave is the only thing I can afford."
"But you passed all the shops already. Where the fuck are you taking us?"
Miroku turned, pointing sadly. His finger led to a shabby looking stage. A ragged, hand painted sign above it said 'Auction'. They made their way to the stage and managed to wrestle a spot near the front. He sighed heavily when they finally stopped moving. "I don't have enough money to buy a brand new slave, freshly trained. So I have to settle for runoff."
Inu Yasha glared at him and growled. "Runoff?"
"You know what I mean. I don't like slavery as much as you do, but I can't afford to hire someone to help. And none of the roommates I've interviewed fit what I want."
"Sou? Let me guess, all the girls found out you're a pervert, and you don't want to live with another guy?"
"Ping Pong!" Miroku smiled, making his face look charmingly boyish. (AN: 'ping pong!' its like saying 'bingo!' Sumomo uses it in Chobits a lot.)
"Baka." Inu Yasha looked like he had more to say, but a loud buzzer sounded, announcing the start of the auction.
The procession that followed was enough to crack even the hardest hearts of stone. One by one, a slave was dragged out from the back room, shackled and decrepit. Many looked much too skinny; some were missing limbs or had disfiguring scars. All were trained a little too well, or not enough. More than an hour had passed, and Miroku had not made an attempt to purchase any of them. He looked about to give up, and put his hand on Inu Yasha's shoulder, who understood and made to stand.
"Hanashite!" Their attention refocused on the stage. Another slave was being presented for auction. It was a young boy, maybe eleven or twelve. He, too, was skinny, ragged, and dirty. But unlike the others, he was putting up a hell of a fight. "Aneue!" He called backwards, to backstage. "Help me! Aneue!" (AN: I'm fairly certain that 'hanashite' means 'let go of me' or something like that. And then 'aneue' is the OLD way of saying 'sister.' If I'm wrong, you can bitch me out in a review) His cries for help were met with a brutal blow to the head. He didn't lose consciousness, but was silent from then on. Both young men focused intently on the stage. This boy was probably the youngest slave they had ever seen up for sale.
"A young one, this. He's strong, good teeth, good health. Needs a little more training." The auctioneer explained to the audience. "Let's start the bidding at five hundred."
"Five hundred!" A voice rang out of the crowd.
"Six hundred!" Another called.
Miroku turned to the voice he recognized. "Isn't that-" he pointed to the man who had called out. "That's Daren Baditz, isn't it?"
"The kiddy-porn guy?" Inu Yasha turned to where Miroku was looking. Sure enough, the sicko manager of a child pornography ring was standing in the crowd. He looked excited, like a child that just found a hundred dollar bill in the garbage.
"Seven hundred!" Another offer.
Daren immediately responded. "Nine hundred!"
Anger darkened Miroku's normally gentile face. "There is no way I'm going to let a poor kid get sold to that asshole. A thousand!"
He and Daren held a short glaring contest. No new offers were made by anyone else. The auctioneer raised his mallet.
"Going once!"
"Eleven hundred!" The pedophile snickered at Miroku.
"Fifteen hundred!" He retaliated.
"Miroku, what are you doing!?" Inu Yasha hissed. "You're gonna blow all your savings!"
"Shut up." He growled, not tearing his eyes away from the test of wills that was still going on.
"Seventeen hundred!" Daren's face started to crack. As much as he wanted the boy, he seemed unwilling to go much higher.
"Two thousand." Miroku growled.
"Going once!" He called, looking at Daren to see if he would make a counter offer. "Going twice." The crowd around the auction stand was eerily quiet. "Sold! To the gentleman standing next to the dog."
"Fuck you!" Inu Yasha yelled at him.
Miroku grinned at the defeated pedophile, who just turned and stormed out of the crowd. The handlers leashed the boy and led him to where the two young men stood. Miroku paid them and took the boy's leash. He knelt down. "Hi, my name is Miroku. What's yours?"
The boy glared at the ground, tears threatening to pour from his cheeks at any moment. "K-Kohaku Milord."
"Kohaku, you can just call me Miroku."
"Fuck you." The boy mumbled to the ground.
Both Miroku and Inu Yasha looked shocked. "You probably shouldn't talk like that. If we weren't nicer people, you'd be dead by now."
Inu Yasha warned. Kohaku seemed unable to hold back his tears. "I'd rather be dead than never see her again." He sobbed.
"Who?" They asked simultaneously.
Kohaku rubbed at his eyes with one hand, and pointed to the stage with the other. Sure enough, there was a girl being led onto the stage. She looked about nineteen or so, with long black hair and defiant brown eyes. She stayed silent, but glared into the crowd boldly, as if daring anyone to try and buy her.
"Aneue..." Kohaku whispered, gazing longingly at the stage.
Miroku was suddenly breathless. If good intentions were money, he could afford to feed the world, but such was not true. He was broke now, and even though he wanted to help by buying his new slave's sister, he was flat broke. *Too bad I didn't wait one more, what a dish. * He shook his head. *And let Kohaku become some pervert's plaything? You ass! * He mentally berated himself. "I wish I could afford to buy her for you Kohaku, but I don't have any money left."
The boy sobbed a little harder as despair took him over. Miroku hugged him comfortingly. He looked up at Inu Yasha, who looked bored and focused at the same time.
"We'll start the bidding at seven hundred." The auctioneer offered the crowd.
"Seven hundred!" Someone called out.
The bidding continued for a few more seconds. Inu Yasha looked as if he was fighting an internal battle with himself. He hated slavery with a passion, and no matter how badly he would have loved to rescue every pathetic slave out there, buying them would only support the industry further. Not buying slaves would help to put the whole thing under. But this case was different, it hit a little closer to home. He sighed.
"Inu Yasha?" Miroku gave him a puzzled expression.
"Two thousand, two hundred!" Someone topped the bidding.
"Going once." Silence. "Going twice!" The auctioneer raised his hammer.
"You owe me monk." He said flatly. "Five thousand!"
All eyes turned to the inu hanyou. No one dared counter his offer. It was the kind of price tag one would see in a store for an already well-trained slave. The auctioneer took stock of the crowds' reaction, coming to the conclusion that this would be the final offer on this particular slave.
"Sold." He said, sounding a little surprise. "To the dog in the front."
"Fuck you!" Inu Yasha was just about ready to jump up and tear the guy a new one. When the guards brought the girl with black hair down, he practically threw the money at them.
She immediately dropped to the ground and clutched her brother. "Kohaku." She whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I won't forget you, okay? I'll find you again some day."
"Keh!" Inu Yasha crossed his arms. "What are you babbling about?"
She looked up at her new master in confusion. She jumped to her feet and bowed obediently. "Forgive my insolence Milord!"
"Oh knock it off! I'm not going to treat you like a slave, so there's no need to act like one. Besides I'll probably end up signing you over to Miroku, since I have no need for a slave. You'll see your brother all the time."
Her jaw dropped and her eyes darted between the two men. "Is this a test, Milord?"
"A test? What? No!" Inu Yasha snapped at her.
"Inu Yasha, calm down." Miroku placed his hand on his companion's shoulder. "Thank you." He whispered only loud enough for the hanyou to hear. "I think we should get these two out of here and take some time to explain things to them, ne?"
"Keh!" Inu Yasha folded his arms and strolled away.
Miroku shook his head, grinning slightly. "Oh, right." He addressed the girl. "What's your name?"
"Sango, Milord." She bowed politely.
"Miroku, my name is Miroku. You can call me Houshi if you want too, though I don't practice much anymore."
"Hai, Houshi-sama." Sango took her brothers hand.
Miroku just sighed and rolled his eyes before leading the two slaves away.
~~~A few days later~~~
"Miroku's on his way over with Kohaku now to sign the transfer papers." Inu Yasha hung up the phone while speaking to the girl.
"Thank you Milord. Would you like some tea while we wait?"
He just groaned. "No, I don't want any tea. And I thought I told you to stop calling me that. My name is Inu Yasha.
"Forgive me Inu Yasha-sama."
He crossed his arms and flopped onto the couch. Sango was really grating on his nerves. He hated being treated like some kind of god. He hated other people doing things for him, he was independent, and could do things himself. *She'll be gone soon, and I can go back to living the way I want.* He rubbed at his temples. *These past few days have really drained me.*
During the few days it took him to draw up the ownership papers Sango had acted like a typical slave, waiting on him hand and foot, bringing him food, cleaning the house, even when her told her not to. It was the kind of stuff that Inu Yasha wanted to do himself. *I don't need anyone to take care of me.*
The doorbell rang and he stood to answer it. As soon has he opened the door, an excited young boy charged inside, tackling his sister. The ignorance of his youth quickly shattered any training he had received prior to Miroku buying him. He acted just like a normal twelve year old boy who was happy to see his sister. Sango was not so quick to forget, and she fought an internal battle; whether to join in her brothers good spirits or obey her training and await permission to rejoice.
"Aneue! I missed you so much! Miroku-sama is really nice, he gave me real food and a bed." The boy chattered on excitedly.
Sango looked to the two masters still standing in the door. They showed no hint of reprimanding either for acting this way. So she allowed herself to join her brothers enthusiasm. "Is that so?" She smiled at her brother.
Miroku and Inu Yasha stepped into the dining room to take care of the paperwork. Miroku wore a grin on his face; one that Inu Yasha knew all to well.
"What are you grinning for, monk?"
"Oh, nothing really. Just having a beautiful lady living in my house makes me happy." His smile was tainted slightly with hidden perversion.
The hanyou gave him a skeptical look. "Should I be worrying? You're not going to do anything to her." It was more of a statement than a question. Miroku was his best friend, but Inu Yasha knew all to well how the houshi's lust for the ladies got the better of him sometimes. Most of the time, he never got further than a grope, but who could know what would happen, especially with Sango 'belonging' to him.
Miroku held up his hands in submission. "I wouldn't dream of laying a finger on her without permission."
"Why do I not believe you?" the inu crossed his arms.
"Come on Inu Yasha, have some faith in me. I am a monk after all."
He just snorted. "You certainly don't act like it." He sighed in defeat. "Okay, sign here and here." He handed Miroku a pen.
When all the paperwork and legal mumbo-jumbo was sorted through, the two men returned to the living room where Sango and Kohaku were talking. Their conversation ceased when the monk and hanyou entered.
Miroku looked all too pleased. He wore a big, stupid grin. Sango returned the smile. Kohaku talked about the monk as if he were a saint, so she felt confident that she and her brother would be treated well.
"Well everything's all taken care of." Inu Yasha stated plainly.
Miroku stepped closer to the dark haired girl. "It fills me with great joy to welcome you into my home."
Sango blushed slightly. *He's talking to me like I'm a goddess.* She opened her mouth to thank him, for taking care of her brother, for keeping them together, for the happy life that she was certain was waiting for her. She didn't get to express these thanks. Instead, she squeaked as Miroku's hand caressed her bottom. She was shocked, no one had ever groped her before. Her anger flared, but her slave training prevented her from retaliating.
Inu Yasha reacted for her. He drove his elbow into the monk's thick skull. "Baka!" He snapped. "I knew I couldn't trust you!"
Miroku crouched down, nursing the large bump that was growing on his head. The hanyou came to a decision, but he wouldn't act on it without the girl's consent. He grabbed Sango's wrist and dragger her into the kitchen.
"Look, I don't want a slave, and I know you really want to stay with your brother. But I know Miroku and I can't fully guarantee he's not going to try and take advantage of you. So here's my offer. You stay here, and I'll make it possible for you to go and see Kohaku whenever you want."
Sango just looked bewildered. "But, if that's the case, is Kohaku safe with him?" "Well, except for his womanizing, Miroku is a good guy. He doesn't touch children, if that's what you're thinking."
She crossed her arms and thought for a moment. She wanted to be with her brother. But Inu Yasha was right, the monk did seem to have a perverted streak. And though she was perfectly capable of protecting herself, her training dulled her sense of self defense. She looked at the hanyou. *He's a nice guy.* She was sure he would treat her like a person, not a slave, and she trusted his promise to let her see her brother whenever she wanted.
She slowly nodded her head. "Okay. I'll stay here." Her face flashed uncertainty for a moment. "Will I really be able to see him whenever I want?"
He looked annoyed. "I said you could, didn't I?" He started to leave the room, but turned to her once more. "And one more thing. If he EVER gropes you again without you're permission, don't hesitate to punish him. If you don't, I will."
She stared at him blankly for a moment. He had just ordered her to defend herself against another master's advances. *No no, he said not to think of them as my superiors.* She smiled. Things were going to be okay.
He sighed, slightly annoyed with her hesitation, and pushed her back into the living room. Miroku was flopped on the couch, tentatively touching his bump. Kohaku brightened when he saw his sister return. She sat down next to him and pulled him close. Inu Yasha disappeared into the dining room, returning shortly afterwards with the papers that he and Miroku had just signed. He promptly locked them away in a nearby desk. Miroku looked puzzled and nervous.
"Inu Yasha? What are you doing?" He sat up.
"Sango and I have decided to let her stay here until you've learned to tame your inner hentai."
Both Kohaku and Miroku looked horrified. The young boy turned to his sister, his face looked as if he had been betrayed. It pained her to see her brothers face like that. "Aneue?" His fist curled around her sleeve.
"Daijobu Kohaku-chan. Inu Yasha-sama is going to make arrangements so we can see each other whenever we want, okay? I'm not going to leave you." She hugged him.
Kohaku looked relieved. He would still be able to see his sister, maybe not live with her, but it was better than the fate that could have awaited them. Miroku looked angry and disappointed at the same time.
"No fair, Inu. You promised." He pouted.
"Hey, I shelled out the money for her. I did you enough favors this week. Besides, it wasn't just my decision, she chose too."
"Busu..." The monk crossed his arms and sighed heavily. "I suppose this'll work out okay too."
"Miroku-sama?" Kohaku's voice was bright.
"Yeah?"
"Can I spend the day with Aneue?" He looked hopeful.
"Of course you can. Its okay, isn't it Inu Yasha?" He asked his friend.
"Keh. So long as you don't get on my nerves."
"Wai! Arigato!" the young boy latched onto the hanyou with a
thankful hug.
"Arigato gosai mas Inu Yasha-sama!"
His ears flattened. "Alright! Just stop touching me!"
Kohaku released him and ran over to his sister. "Let's go!" He dragged her off to some unannounced location.
Miroku smiled after the siblings. "You really are a good person Inu Yasha."
"Keh, whatever."
**End Flashback**
"Godammit!" Inu Yasha's loud cursing resounded from upstairs.
Kagome ducked and her ears flattened. She could hear him as loud as if he were right in the room. Sango laughed.
"Probably playing video games again." She sucked the last few drops of green tea out of the box.
Kagome's ears flicked back into a relaxed position. She shifted in her chair a little. "Do you still get to see Kohaku?"
"Oh yeah!" Sango tossed the box into the garbage. "In fact, he's coming over tomorrow. So you'll get to meet Houshi-sama too. Watch yourself, his hands still wander." She yawned and stretched. "Wow, it's later than I thought." She said, glancing at the clock. "I think I'm gonna hit the hay."
Kagome checked the time as well. It was already midnight, but she was anything but tired. She'd spent the entire day catnapping and waiting, so sleep was something she could not even dream of trying to capture now. "Um, I'm not tired at all. Do you think it'll be okay if I look around a little?"
"Sure thing. Let me just show you where you can sleep and all that, okay?" She glanced at the small yellow pack. "Not much for clothes, ne?"
The neko shook her head. "Only one or two outfits and some underwear."
"That's okay. You can wear some of mine until we can take you shopping. Come upstairs." She put Kagome's empty dishes in the sink before leading her up the carpeted stairs.
At the top of the stairs they turned right. Kagome could hear more cursing emanating from one of the rooms down the opposite end of the hall. "Inu Yasha-sama's room is down there. And the study that he never uses." They continued down the hall. "Here's the bathroom. Kind of a library slash sitting room here." They came to the end of the hall. She pointed to the room on the left. "That's me." She turned to the room across from it. "This was a guest room, but I guess now it's you."
Kagome looked at her new room. It was plain, very plain. Basic pine furniture on one wall. A closet tucked in the corner and a simple pine, double bed. There was a fairly large window that overlooked the neighborhood. It was boring, but anything was better than the dank hole she was used to sleeping in.
She peered into Sango's room. It had much more character to it. The walls were painted a bold, but sensible maroon, this added with warm lighting gave the room a very friendly feel. Her darkly stained furniture was adorned with figures and elegant statues. There was a TV and beanbag chair in one corner, along with a mess of DVDs. She, too had a double bed, the blanket on top looked furry, with a stalking panther pictured on it. Something was curled up near the head of the bed, it looked like a cat. Upon hearing the girls, it stood and stretched. It trotted over to Sango and rubbed against her legs, purring loudly.
"Is that your cat?" Kagome asked, kneeling down.
"Yeah, well no. She actually belongs to Inu Yasha-sama, but she likes me a lot better than him. Her name's Kirara."
Kirara chirped at Kagome as she sniffed the girls' outstretched hand. Deciding she liked the hanyou, she purred louder and rubbed against her hand. Kagome smiled. She scratched the cat behind the ears and under the chin, earning her louder purring.
"Here, you can wear these to sleep." Sago handed her a few folded items of clothing.
Kagome took them. "Thank you."
"No problem." She yawned again. "Not to be rude, but I'm really tired. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"
Kagome stood and backed out of Sango's doorway. "Okay. Good night." She went into her own room and closed the door to change and unpack. The dress was nice, but not very comfortable. The pajamas would be much more so. *Maybe I'll go watch the koi. * She thought to herself as she slipped out of the small garment and into the pj's. The top was a simple white t- shirt with a cartoon cat on the front. The pants were black flannel with gray paw prints patterned over them. *Oh very clever. * She thought sarcastically, and giggled. She had to use her claws to undo a few stitches along the seam in the back in order to get her tail to fit comfortably through the pants. *I'll just sew that up before I give them back. * She tossed what few clothes she had into her bureau before leaving to explore the house a little.
She stopped when she reached the stairs. Her sensitive ears picked up the sound of button mashing and video game BGM's. *I wonder what he's playing. * Her tail twitched as curiosity ran rampant in her mind. *No, don't go. You could get into trouble for interrupting him. Just go look at the koi like you planned to do. * She placed her hand on the railing.
"Yatta!" Kagome stopped at the sound of the excited voice. "Finally! That character was way too hard to beat!" Her new master seemed to be very happy with whatever he was doing.
Curiosity got the better of Kagome. Her body turned rigid as she went into stalking mode. *I'll just sneak up and see what he's doing. That's all. I can't get in trouble if he doesn't see me, right? * She crept silently down the hall, toward the source of the video game BGM. Her feline stealth made her journey silent. When she reached the room, she peered carefully around the doorframe.
It was definately a guy's room. The large bed was in shambles, and laundry was tossed about every nook and cranny. There was a good size TV tucked into an entertainment center. Game systems and video games lay strewn about the floor in front of it. Inu Yasha was lazing in one of those wicker bowl chairs, intent on his video game.
"What's your problem?" He said without tearing his eyes from the game.
It was then that she noticed one of his ears was swiveled toward her. *Damn! I guess he heard me. * She stepped into the doorframe and bowed obediently. "Forgive me Mi-" She stopped herself when he glared at her. "Inu Yasha-sama. I was curious as to what you were doing."
"Keh." He snorted, turning back to the game. "You don't have to get all bent out of shape."
She stayed where she was, waiting to be dismissed. It was several minutes before he said anything to her again. She shifted her weight.
"Are you just gonna stand there?" He grumbled to her.
"You have not dismissed me Inu Yasha-sama."
The inu growled, pausing his game before turning to look at her again. "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Sango. I don't think of you as a slave, so don't bother acting like one. As far as I'm concerned, you're a free person just like me. Just let go of whatever training you've had."
She blinked at him a few times, and then looked to the floor. "It's harder to let go than it seems."
Inu Yasha stared at the cat, and she stared at the floor. An awkward silence stretched between them; it seemed to last forever. Kagome's feet were beginning to ache a little from standing in one place for so long. Her tail flirted unconsciously, signaling her discomfort. Inu Yasha smiled. That one movement meant that she was trying to let it go, even if it didn't seem so on the outside.
He cleared his throat. "Um...so. Do you wanna play?"
She looked up at him. "What?"
He looked annoyed again. "Do you want to play a video game with me?" He held up his controller to emphasize his point.
*Is he serious? * She studied him for a moment. "Sure." She stayed where she was though, looking at him expectantly.
"Just come sit down! Do I have to give you permission to do that too?"
She jumped a little, and sat down next to the chair. "Hasn't this guy ever heard of patience?" She mumbled to herself.
Inu Yasha heard her comment, despite her attempt to be quiet. "This game is called Smash Brothers Melee." He handed her a controller, smirking. "You pick a character and fight other characters." He continued explaining the game.
They played for several hours. At first, Inu Yasha creamed poor Kagome, despite giving himself a handicap. She placed fourth in most of the games. Quickly, though, she climbed to third, and then to second. It wasn't long before Inu Yasha was holding the lead with only a few points.
As 3 AM rolled around, Kagome beat him for the first time. "Yes!" She shouted, jumping to her feet. "I won! I placed first!" She pointed at him. "Ha! How does it feel to finally be beaten?"
He looked very annoyed, yet very pleased at the same time. It was all he could do to keep from bursting into laughter. Yes, she had beaten him; and yes, she was rubbing it in his face. But that's what he wanted. It meant she was acting like a free person again.
Kagome's cheeks burned bright red when she realized that she had just acted so foolish in front of her master. She dropped to her knees and hung her head. "Please forgive me!"
Inu Yasha nearly fell out of his chair. "What are you talking about? That's how I've been trying to get you act all night!"
She seemed not to hear him. She was paralyzed by her own fear. "I'm sorry for acting up the way I did. I should be punished."
*What happened? She was so relaxed not more than a minute ago. * He sighed in annoyance. "I'm not going to punish you. You haven't done anything wrong." She had no reaction to his words. Her ears were flat against her skull and her dark hair hung lazily about her shoulders, hiding her face from view. He stared at her for a few seconds, and suddenly realized that she was still wearing the collar that Kouji had put on her. He growled lightly and reached for the lock on the back.
Kagome crunched her eyes shut upon hearing the growl. *Here it comes. * She prepared herself for the beating that was sure to come. She flinched under his gentle touch. She heard a ripping sound, and her eyes flew open when she felt the collar slipping away from her neck.
Inu Yasha tossed the offensive item across the room and into the trash. "There! Now do you think you can act a little more normally?"
She stared at him as she gently caressed her neck. *He really just did that. * She didn't know how to react. *This can't be happening, it's too good to be true. Have I really found freedom in this strange arrangement? *
She stood and bowed her head. It was all a little too much to handle at the moment. Kagome felt as if she might cry, and she didn't want to do that in front of him. "Please excuse me." She bowed to him and hurried out of the room.
Inu Yasha jumped out of the chair. "Kagome? What's wrong?" He rushed to the door, but she had already locked herself in her room. He scratched his head. *Girls are weird.* He decided it would be better not to pursue the matter further that night. There was always tomorrow.
Kagome dove onto her bed, unable to hold back her tears any longer. They weren't tears of sadness or joy, they represented confusion and frustration. She wanted so desperately to act normal, to be Kagome and not the tamed house pet she had become.
But she was afraid. Even with all the reassurance that everyone offered her, she was scared out of her wits. She hated being scared, especially when there was no need to. It was all that damned Kouji's fault. If only she had been a little stronger, a little more clever. She could have escaped and never had to deal with this.
*It's not fair. * She thought. *--Not, it's not fair. But that's the way it is. --* The contradictory little voice in her head said. *--So cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it! --* Her own harshness surprised her, and only made her cry harder. It wasn't long before she was exhausted. She burrowed under the covers.
"Just go to sleep. Things will seem better when you wake up." She purred to herself. It wasn't long before sleep claimed her, and allowed her to escape into her perfect dream world.
End Chapter 4
Well THAT took forever. Sorry ppl. I wrote most of this chapter a while ago, and then I got a little distracted by all the shit going down over here. I'm not gonna bore you with my scars, just know that I've been too busy/scatty to write. *shrug* It's here now ain't it? I've been in a fowl mood, so any comments about how long it took me to get this chapter up are going to be met with fire. Please review. *waves* Later.
*peers around the corner* Okay, the coast is clear. *runs in and throws the chapter down* Oh god!! Here come the keyboards!! *Flees the room, dodging keyboards*
Chapter 4: Sango's Story
The ride to Inu Yasha's house consisted of thirty minutes of awkward silence. Kagome busied her mind by counting the number of stitches on the front of her skirt. She could feel Inu Yasha glance over at her once in a while. It made her a little uncomfortable. When they arrived, she briefly took stock of the house. Like Kouji's it was a decent size, with a sizable front yard. She glanced part of the backyard around the house, and noticed the moonlight shining off of something, probably a pond or pool. The tip of her tail twitched with curiosity, but she forced it to still when she noticed her new master staring at her.
"There's a koi pond back there," He waved casually in the direction of the yard. "I didn't really want it, but Sango said it would add character to the yard." He undid the lock on the front door and stepped inside.
"Tadaima!" He called flatly into the house. (Ya'll should know that my Japanese spelling sux big time. Hama can speak, but she can't spell -_-;)
"Welcome home Milord." A girl in her very early twenties, with dark brown/black hair greeted them at the door. She bowed politely to them.
Inu Yasha crossed his arms and lowered his eyebrows, looking exceedingly annoyed. "Sango...how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"
Sango kept her formal look, but an evil glint shone in her eye. "Of course, Oh Great Taiyokai of all the lands, Inu Yasha-sama."
An angry vein popped on the hanyou's forehead. "Sango..." He growled. "Hai, Inu Yasha-sama?" She pretended to look innocent. "I fucking hate it when you act as my inferior! So knock it the fuck off!" He erupted.
Sango just giggled quietly. "Hai hai! I know, I'm just playing." She fanned her hand at him. "Areh?" She peered around the fuming Inu Yasha. "Who? Oh I get it." She grinned and elbowed him in the side. "So, you finally found a girlfriend, ne?"
Inu Yasha's anger evaporated into a sad expression. "No, actually."
"Hm?" Sango looked a little confused at the sudden change of heart. She looked at the girl again. Her eyes were glued to the ground, and Sango realized that she hadn't reacted to any of the antics that she and Inu Yasha had been committing.
"She's my...Kouji gave her to me as a present." Kagome's ears twitched.
Sango's eyes widened. She addressed the girl. "You're a slave?" Kagome didn't react. "But...she's a hanyou. I thought that was illegal!"
"I thought so too. But everything here is perfectly legal." He waved the manila envelope in front of her face. "No forgery at all. It's legit."
It was Sango's turn to look sad. "Sou na..." She turned suddenly to Kagome, who nearly jumped backwards in surprise. Sango grabbed her hands. "You don't have to be a slave anymore. Inu Yasha-sama is a good master; he'll take good care of you. Ne, Inu Yasha-sama?" She turned to confirm with the inu hanyou, but he was nowhere to be found. They caught site of his form retreating up the stairs.
"I'm tired after that party. I'll leave everything to you, Sango." He mumbled at them before disappearing into his bedroom. Sango sweat-dropped. *Will he ever change?*
"Ano...?" Kagome's voice was small and meek. She could get into serious trouble for speaking without permission.
"Eh? Nani?" Sango turned to the raven-haired girl. A loud growl from Kagome's stomach answered for her. Her cheeks flushed pink slightly. Sango giggled and pulled her in the direction of the kitchen. She pushed Kagome onto one of the stools at the island before rummaging around in the refrigerator.
"Hmm...I think we have some leftover rice. Oh, and the stir-fry from last night...unless Inu Yasha-sama ate it all. Ah! Here it is!" She climbed out of the fridge with two large Tupperware containers. She quickly served some into a bowl and set it to warm in the microwave. She leaned against the island casually. "So, what's your name?"
Kagome stared at the marble countertop. "Kagome, Milady."
"Uh uh," Sango corrected her. "You don't need to call me Milady. I'm a slave too you know."
"Eh?!" Kagome stared at the other girl in shock. "But, the way you acted with-"
"I told you. Inu Yasha-sama is a good master. The first day he brought me here he said 'I'm not going to treat you like a slave, so there's no need to act like one.'" She imitated his annoyed tone almost perfectly, a sign she saw him annoyed fairly frequently. "It was true, what he said. After the first few months, I didn't even feel like a slave anymore. I think if it were up to him, he wouldn't own slaves."
Kagome's attitude changed almost instantly. Back in the store, when the shopkeeper wasn't around, the slaves could all relax and act normally around each other. Learning that Sango was also a slave, her trained behavior shut down immediately. "If he doesn't want to own slaves, then why does he have you?"
"Hum...its kind of a long story." The microwave beeped, and Sango retrieved the steaming bowl. She paused for a moment to think, slowly picking through a drawer of utensils. Kagome's stomach growled once more, causing Sango to giggle. "Sorry, got lost in my thoughts." She promptly gave the hanyou the bowl and a spoon.
Kagome forced herself to eat slowly, despite the fact that she was starving. "Well, it's not like I have anything better to do, so spill." She said between bites.
Sango grabbed a juice box of green tea out of the fridge before sitting across from the other girl. "I guess you could say that, like you, I was forced onto Inu Yasha-sama."
**Flashback**
The crowd was thick, almost as thick as the stink of the marketplace itself. Two figures wove through the mass of bodies, struggling to discover the path of least resistance to the auction stand.
"Oi, Miroku." A very annoyed Inu Yasha called to the man in front of him. The volume of the crowd drowned out his voice, and he had to try again. "Miroku!"
Miroku finally heard, coming to a halt and stopping so Inu Yasha could catch up. His dark brown bangs danced about his forehead, casting playful shadows across his equally brown eyes. The majority of his locks were tied back into a tiny rattail at the nape of his neck. "Ah, nani?"
"You're leaving me behind. I didn't even want to be here, remember?" The hanyou crossed his arms in annoyance. "All these stinking humans." He wrinkled his nose to emphasize the ambiguity in his statement.
"Hai hai. I know you don't like these kinds of places. But I really need help with the house, and a slave is the only thing I can afford."
"But you passed all the shops already. Where the fuck are you taking us?"
Miroku turned, pointing sadly. His finger led to a shabby looking stage. A ragged, hand painted sign above it said 'Auction'. They made their way to the stage and managed to wrestle a spot near the front. He sighed heavily when they finally stopped moving. "I don't have enough money to buy a brand new slave, freshly trained. So I have to settle for runoff."
Inu Yasha glared at him and growled. "Runoff?"
"You know what I mean. I don't like slavery as much as you do, but I can't afford to hire someone to help. And none of the roommates I've interviewed fit what I want."
"Sou? Let me guess, all the girls found out you're a pervert, and you don't want to live with another guy?"
"Ping Pong!" Miroku smiled, making his face look charmingly boyish. (AN: 'ping pong!' its like saying 'bingo!' Sumomo uses it in Chobits a lot.)
"Baka." Inu Yasha looked like he had more to say, but a loud buzzer sounded, announcing the start of the auction.
The procession that followed was enough to crack even the hardest hearts of stone. One by one, a slave was dragged out from the back room, shackled and decrepit. Many looked much too skinny; some were missing limbs or had disfiguring scars. All were trained a little too well, or not enough. More than an hour had passed, and Miroku had not made an attempt to purchase any of them. He looked about to give up, and put his hand on Inu Yasha's shoulder, who understood and made to stand.
"Hanashite!" Their attention refocused on the stage. Another slave was being presented for auction. It was a young boy, maybe eleven or twelve. He, too, was skinny, ragged, and dirty. But unlike the others, he was putting up a hell of a fight. "Aneue!" He called backwards, to backstage. "Help me! Aneue!" (AN: I'm fairly certain that 'hanashite' means 'let go of me' or something like that. And then 'aneue' is the OLD way of saying 'sister.' If I'm wrong, you can bitch me out in a review) His cries for help were met with a brutal blow to the head. He didn't lose consciousness, but was silent from then on. Both young men focused intently on the stage. This boy was probably the youngest slave they had ever seen up for sale.
"A young one, this. He's strong, good teeth, good health. Needs a little more training." The auctioneer explained to the audience. "Let's start the bidding at five hundred."
"Five hundred!" A voice rang out of the crowd.
"Six hundred!" Another called.
Miroku turned to the voice he recognized. "Isn't that-" he pointed to the man who had called out. "That's Daren Baditz, isn't it?"
"The kiddy-porn guy?" Inu Yasha turned to where Miroku was looking. Sure enough, the sicko manager of a child pornography ring was standing in the crowd. He looked excited, like a child that just found a hundred dollar bill in the garbage.
"Seven hundred!" Another offer.
Daren immediately responded. "Nine hundred!"
Anger darkened Miroku's normally gentile face. "There is no way I'm going to let a poor kid get sold to that asshole. A thousand!"
He and Daren held a short glaring contest. No new offers were made by anyone else. The auctioneer raised his mallet.
"Going once!"
"Eleven hundred!" The pedophile snickered at Miroku.
"Fifteen hundred!" He retaliated.
"Miroku, what are you doing!?" Inu Yasha hissed. "You're gonna blow all your savings!"
"Shut up." He growled, not tearing his eyes away from the test of wills that was still going on.
"Seventeen hundred!" Daren's face started to crack. As much as he wanted the boy, he seemed unwilling to go much higher.
"Two thousand." Miroku growled.
"Going once!" He called, looking at Daren to see if he would make a counter offer. "Going twice." The crowd around the auction stand was eerily quiet. "Sold! To the gentleman standing next to the dog."
"Fuck you!" Inu Yasha yelled at him.
Miroku grinned at the defeated pedophile, who just turned and stormed out of the crowd. The handlers leashed the boy and led him to where the two young men stood. Miroku paid them and took the boy's leash. He knelt down. "Hi, my name is Miroku. What's yours?"
The boy glared at the ground, tears threatening to pour from his cheeks at any moment. "K-Kohaku Milord."
"Kohaku, you can just call me Miroku."
"Fuck you." The boy mumbled to the ground.
Both Miroku and Inu Yasha looked shocked. "You probably shouldn't talk like that. If we weren't nicer people, you'd be dead by now."
Inu Yasha warned. Kohaku seemed unable to hold back his tears. "I'd rather be dead than never see her again." He sobbed.
"Who?" They asked simultaneously.
Kohaku rubbed at his eyes with one hand, and pointed to the stage with the other. Sure enough, there was a girl being led onto the stage. She looked about nineteen or so, with long black hair and defiant brown eyes. She stayed silent, but glared into the crowd boldly, as if daring anyone to try and buy her.
"Aneue..." Kohaku whispered, gazing longingly at the stage.
Miroku was suddenly breathless. If good intentions were money, he could afford to feed the world, but such was not true. He was broke now, and even though he wanted to help by buying his new slave's sister, he was flat broke. *Too bad I didn't wait one more, what a dish. * He shook his head. *And let Kohaku become some pervert's plaything? You ass! * He mentally berated himself. "I wish I could afford to buy her for you Kohaku, but I don't have any money left."
The boy sobbed a little harder as despair took him over. Miroku hugged him comfortingly. He looked up at Inu Yasha, who looked bored and focused at the same time.
"We'll start the bidding at seven hundred." The auctioneer offered the crowd.
"Seven hundred!" Someone called out.
The bidding continued for a few more seconds. Inu Yasha looked as if he was fighting an internal battle with himself. He hated slavery with a passion, and no matter how badly he would have loved to rescue every pathetic slave out there, buying them would only support the industry further. Not buying slaves would help to put the whole thing under. But this case was different, it hit a little closer to home. He sighed.
"Inu Yasha?" Miroku gave him a puzzled expression.
"Two thousand, two hundred!" Someone topped the bidding.
"Going once." Silence. "Going twice!" The auctioneer raised his hammer.
"You owe me monk." He said flatly. "Five thousand!"
All eyes turned to the inu hanyou. No one dared counter his offer. It was the kind of price tag one would see in a store for an already well-trained slave. The auctioneer took stock of the crowds' reaction, coming to the conclusion that this would be the final offer on this particular slave.
"Sold." He said, sounding a little surprise. "To the dog in the front."
"Fuck you!" Inu Yasha was just about ready to jump up and tear the guy a new one. When the guards brought the girl with black hair down, he practically threw the money at them.
She immediately dropped to the ground and clutched her brother. "Kohaku." She whispered, tears streaming down her face. "I won't forget you, okay? I'll find you again some day."
"Keh!" Inu Yasha crossed his arms. "What are you babbling about?"
She looked up at her new master in confusion. She jumped to her feet and bowed obediently. "Forgive my insolence Milord!"
"Oh knock it off! I'm not going to treat you like a slave, so there's no need to act like one. Besides I'll probably end up signing you over to Miroku, since I have no need for a slave. You'll see your brother all the time."
Her jaw dropped and her eyes darted between the two men. "Is this a test, Milord?"
"A test? What? No!" Inu Yasha snapped at her.
"Inu Yasha, calm down." Miroku placed his hand on his companion's shoulder. "Thank you." He whispered only loud enough for the hanyou to hear. "I think we should get these two out of here and take some time to explain things to them, ne?"
"Keh!" Inu Yasha folded his arms and strolled away.
Miroku shook his head, grinning slightly. "Oh, right." He addressed the girl. "What's your name?"
"Sango, Milord." She bowed politely.
"Miroku, my name is Miroku. You can call me Houshi if you want too, though I don't practice much anymore."
"Hai, Houshi-sama." Sango took her brothers hand.
Miroku just sighed and rolled his eyes before leading the two slaves away.
~~~A few days later~~~
"Miroku's on his way over with Kohaku now to sign the transfer papers." Inu Yasha hung up the phone while speaking to the girl.
"Thank you Milord. Would you like some tea while we wait?"
He just groaned. "No, I don't want any tea. And I thought I told you to stop calling me that. My name is Inu Yasha.
"Forgive me Inu Yasha-sama."
He crossed his arms and flopped onto the couch. Sango was really grating on his nerves. He hated being treated like some kind of god. He hated other people doing things for him, he was independent, and could do things himself. *She'll be gone soon, and I can go back to living the way I want.* He rubbed at his temples. *These past few days have really drained me.*
During the few days it took him to draw up the ownership papers Sango had acted like a typical slave, waiting on him hand and foot, bringing him food, cleaning the house, even when her told her not to. It was the kind of stuff that Inu Yasha wanted to do himself. *I don't need anyone to take care of me.*
The doorbell rang and he stood to answer it. As soon has he opened the door, an excited young boy charged inside, tackling his sister. The ignorance of his youth quickly shattered any training he had received prior to Miroku buying him. He acted just like a normal twelve year old boy who was happy to see his sister. Sango was not so quick to forget, and she fought an internal battle; whether to join in her brothers good spirits or obey her training and await permission to rejoice.
"Aneue! I missed you so much! Miroku-sama is really nice, he gave me real food and a bed." The boy chattered on excitedly.
Sango looked to the two masters still standing in the door. They showed no hint of reprimanding either for acting this way. So she allowed herself to join her brothers enthusiasm. "Is that so?" She smiled at her brother.
Miroku and Inu Yasha stepped into the dining room to take care of the paperwork. Miroku wore a grin on his face; one that Inu Yasha knew all to well.
"What are you grinning for, monk?"
"Oh, nothing really. Just having a beautiful lady living in my house makes me happy." His smile was tainted slightly with hidden perversion.
The hanyou gave him a skeptical look. "Should I be worrying? You're not going to do anything to her." It was more of a statement than a question. Miroku was his best friend, but Inu Yasha knew all to well how the houshi's lust for the ladies got the better of him sometimes. Most of the time, he never got further than a grope, but who could know what would happen, especially with Sango 'belonging' to him.
Miroku held up his hands in submission. "I wouldn't dream of laying a finger on her without permission."
"Why do I not believe you?" the inu crossed his arms.
"Come on Inu Yasha, have some faith in me. I am a monk after all."
He just snorted. "You certainly don't act like it." He sighed in defeat. "Okay, sign here and here." He handed Miroku a pen.
When all the paperwork and legal mumbo-jumbo was sorted through, the two men returned to the living room where Sango and Kohaku were talking. Their conversation ceased when the monk and hanyou entered.
Miroku looked all too pleased. He wore a big, stupid grin. Sango returned the smile. Kohaku talked about the monk as if he were a saint, so she felt confident that she and her brother would be treated well.
"Well everything's all taken care of." Inu Yasha stated plainly.
Miroku stepped closer to the dark haired girl. "It fills me with great joy to welcome you into my home."
Sango blushed slightly. *He's talking to me like I'm a goddess.* She opened her mouth to thank him, for taking care of her brother, for keeping them together, for the happy life that she was certain was waiting for her. She didn't get to express these thanks. Instead, she squeaked as Miroku's hand caressed her bottom. She was shocked, no one had ever groped her before. Her anger flared, but her slave training prevented her from retaliating.
Inu Yasha reacted for her. He drove his elbow into the monk's thick skull. "Baka!" He snapped. "I knew I couldn't trust you!"
Miroku crouched down, nursing the large bump that was growing on his head. The hanyou came to a decision, but he wouldn't act on it without the girl's consent. He grabbed Sango's wrist and dragger her into the kitchen.
"Look, I don't want a slave, and I know you really want to stay with your brother. But I know Miroku and I can't fully guarantee he's not going to try and take advantage of you. So here's my offer. You stay here, and I'll make it possible for you to go and see Kohaku whenever you want."
Sango just looked bewildered. "But, if that's the case, is Kohaku safe with him?" "Well, except for his womanizing, Miroku is a good guy. He doesn't touch children, if that's what you're thinking."
She crossed her arms and thought for a moment. She wanted to be with her brother. But Inu Yasha was right, the monk did seem to have a perverted streak. And though she was perfectly capable of protecting herself, her training dulled her sense of self defense. She looked at the hanyou. *He's a nice guy.* She was sure he would treat her like a person, not a slave, and she trusted his promise to let her see her brother whenever she wanted.
She slowly nodded her head. "Okay. I'll stay here." Her face flashed uncertainty for a moment. "Will I really be able to see him whenever I want?"
He looked annoyed. "I said you could, didn't I?" He started to leave the room, but turned to her once more. "And one more thing. If he EVER gropes you again without you're permission, don't hesitate to punish him. If you don't, I will."
She stared at him blankly for a moment. He had just ordered her to defend herself against another master's advances. *No no, he said not to think of them as my superiors.* She smiled. Things were going to be okay.
He sighed, slightly annoyed with her hesitation, and pushed her back into the living room. Miroku was flopped on the couch, tentatively touching his bump. Kohaku brightened when he saw his sister return. She sat down next to him and pulled him close. Inu Yasha disappeared into the dining room, returning shortly afterwards with the papers that he and Miroku had just signed. He promptly locked them away in a nearby desk. Miroku looked puzzled and nervous.
"Inu Yasha? What are you doing?" He sat up.
"Sango and I have decided to let her stay here until you've learned to tame your inner hentai."
Both Kohaku and Miroku looked horrified. The young boy turned to his sister, his face looked as if he had been betrayed. It pained her to see her brothers face like that. "Aneue?" His fist curled around her sleeve.
"Daijobu Kohaku-chan. Inu Yasha-sama is going to make arrangements so we can see each other whenever we want, okay? I'm not going to leave you." She hugged him.
Kohaku looked relieved. He would still be able to see his sister, maybe not live with her, but it was better than the fate that could have awaited them. Miroku looked angry and disappointed at the same time.
"No fair, Inu. You promised." He pouted.
"Hey, I shelled out the money for her. I did you enough favors this week. Besides, it wasn't just my decision, she chose too."
"Busu..." The monk crossed his arms and sighed heavily. "I suppose this'll work out okay too."
"Miroku-sama?" Kohaku's voice was bright.
"Yeah?"
"Can I spend the day with Aneue?" He looked hopeful.
"Of course you can. Its okay, isn't it Inu Yasha?" He asked his friend.
"Keh. So long as you don't get on my nerves."
"Wai! Arigato!" the young boy latched onto the hanyou with a
thankful hug.
"Arigato gosai mas Inu Yasha-sama!"
His ears flattened. "Alright! Just stop touching me!"
Kohaku released him and ran over to his sister. "Let's go!" He dragged her off to some unannounced location.
Miroku smiled after the siblings. "You really are a good person Inu Yasha."
"Keh, whatever."
**End Flashback**
"Godammit!" Inu Yasha's loud cursing resounded from upstairs.
Kagome ducked and her ears flattened. She could hear him as loud as if he were right in the room. Sango laughed.
"Probably playing video games again." She sucked the last few drops of green tea out of the box.
Kagome's ears flicked back into a relaxed position. She shifted in her chair a little. "Do you still get to see Kohaku?"
"Oh yeah!" Sango tossed the box into the garbage. "In fact, he's coming over tomorrow. So you'll get to meet Houshi-sama too. Watch yourself, his hands still wander." She yawned and stretched. "Wow, it's later than I thought." She said, glancing at the clock. "I think I'm gonna hit the hay."
Kagome checked the time as well. It was already midnight, but she was anything but tired. She'd spent the entire day catnapping and waiting, so sleep was something she could not even dream of trying to capture now. "Um, I'm not tired at all. Do you think it'll be okay if I look around a little?"
"Sure thing. Let me just show you where you can sleep and all that, okay?" She glanced at the small yellow pack. "Not much for clothes, ne?"
The neko shook her head. "Only one or two outfits and some underwear."
"That's okay. You can wear some of mine until we can take you shopping. Come upstairs." She put Kagome's empty dishes in the sink before leading her up the carpeted stairs.
At the top of the stairs they turned right. Kagome could hear more cursing emanating from one of the rooms down the opposite end of the hall. "Inu Yasha-sama's room is down there. And the study that he never uses." They continued down the hall. "Here's the bathroom. Kind of a library slash sitting room here." They came to the end of the hall. She pointed to the room on the left. "That's me." She turned to the room across from it. "This was a guest room, but I guess now it's you."
Kagome looked at her new room. It was plain, very plain. Basic pine furniture on one wall. A closet tucked in the corner and a simple pine, double bed. There was a fairly large window that overlooked the neighborhood. It was boring, but anything was better than the dank hole she was used to sleeping in.
She peered into Sango's room. It had much more character to it. The walls were painted a bold, but sensible maroon, this added with warm lighting gave the room a very friendly feel. Her darkly stained furniture was adorned with figures and elegant statues. There was a TV and beanbag chair in one corner, along with a mess of DVDs. She, too had a double bed, the blanket on top looked furry, with a stalking panther pictured on it. Something was curled up near the head of the bed, it looked like a cat. Upon hearing the girls, it stood and stretched. It trotted over to Sango and rubbed against her legs, purring loudly.
"Is that your cat?" Kagome asked, kneeling down.
"Yeah, well no. She actually belongs to Inu Yasha-sama, but she likes me a lot better than him. Her name's Kirara."
Kirara chirped at Kagome as she sniffed the girls' outstretched hand. Deciding she liked the hanyou, she purred louder and rubbed against her hand. Kagome smiled. She scratched the cat behind the ears and under the chin, earning her louder purring.
"Here, you can wear these to sleep." Sago handed her a few folded items of clothing.
Kagome took them. "Thank you."
"No problem." She yawned again. "Not to be rude, but I'm really tired. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"
Kagome stood and backed out of Sango's doorway. "Okay. Good night." She went into her own room and closed the door to change and unpack. The dress was nice, but not very comfortable. The pajamas would be much more so. *Maybe I'll go watch the koi. * She thought to herself as she slipped out of the small garment and into the pj's. The top was a simple white t- shirt with a cartoon cat on the front. The pants were black flannel with gray paw prints patterned over them. *Oh very clever. * She thought sarcastically, and giggled. She had to use her claws to undo a few stitches along the seam in the back in order to get her tail to fit comfortably through the pants. *I'll just sew that up before I give them back. * She tossed what few clothes she had into her bureau before leaving to explore the house a little.
She stopped when she reached the stairs. Her sensitive ears picked up the sound of button mashing and video game BGM's. *I wonder what he's playing. * Her tail twitched as curiosity ran rampant in her mind. *No, don't go. You could get into trouble for interrupting him. Just go look at the koi like you planned to do. * She placed her hand on the railing.
"Yatta!" Kagome stopped at the sound of the excited voice. "Finally! That character was way too hard to beat!" Her new master seemed to be very happy with whatever he was doing.
Curiosity got the better of Kagome. Her body turned rigid as she went into stalking mode. *I'll just sneak up and see what he's doing. That's all. I can't get in trouble if he doesn't see me, right? * She crept silently down the hall, toward the source of the video game BGM. Her feline stealth made her journey silent. When she reached the room, she peered carefully around the doorframe.
It was definately a guy's room. The large bed was in shambles, and laundry was tossed about every nook and cranny. There was a good size TV tucked into an entertainment center. Game systems and video games lay strewn about the floor in front of it. Inu Yasha was lazing in one of those wicker bowl chairs, intent on his video game.
"What's your problem?" He said without tearing his eyes from the game.
It was then that she noticed one of his ears was swiveled toward her. *Damn! I guess he heard me. * She stepped into the doorframe and bowed obediently. "Forgive me Mi-" She stopped herself when he glared at her. "Inu Yasha-sama. I was curious as to what you were doing."
"Keh." He snorted, turning back to the game. "You don't have to get all bent out of shape."
She stayed where she was, waiting to be dismissed. It was several minutes before he said anything to her again. She shifted her weight.
"Are you just gonna stand there?" He grumbled to her.
"You have not dismissed me Inu Yasha-sama."
The inu growled, pausing his game before turning to look at her again. "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Sango. I don't think of you as a slave, so don't bother acting like one. As far as I'm concerned, you're a free person just like me. Just let go of whatever training you've had."
She blinked at him a few times, and then looked to the floor. "It's harder to let go than it seems."
Inu Yasha stared at the cat, and she stared at the floor. An awkward silence stretched between them; it seemed to last forever. Kagome's feet were beginning to ache a little from standing in one place for so long. Her tail flirted unconsciously, signaling her discomfort. Inu Yasha smiled. That one movement meant that she was trying to let it go, even if it didn't seem so on the outside.
He cleared his throat. "Um...so. Do you wanna play?"
She looked up at him. "What?"
He looked annoyed again. "Do you want to play a video game with me?" He held up his controller to emphasize his point.
*Is he serious? * She studied him for a moment. "Sure." She stayed where she was though, looking at him expectantly.
"Just come sit down! Do I have to give you permission to do that too?"
She jumped a little, and sat down next to the chair. "Hasn't this guy ever heard of patience?" She mumbled to herself.
Inu Yasha heard her comment, despite her attempt to be quiet. "This game is called Smash Brothers Melee." He handed her a controller, smirking. "You pick a character and fight other characters." He continued explaining the game.
They played for several hours. At first, Inu Yasha creamed poor Kagome, despite giving himself a handicap. She placed fourth in most of the games. Quickly, though, she climbed to third, and then to second. It wasn't long before Inu Yasha was holding the lead with only a few points.
As 3 AM rolled around, Kagome beat him for the first time. "Yes!" She shouted, jumping to her feet. "I won! I placed first!" She pointed at him. "Ha! How does it feel to finally be beaten?"
He looked very annoyed, yet very pleased at the same time. It was all he could do to keep from bursting into laughter. Yes, she had beaten him; and yes, she was rubbing it in his face. But that's what he wanted. It meant she was acting like a free person again.
Kagome's cheeks burned bright red when she realized that she had just acted so foolish in front of her master. She dropped to her knees and hung her head. "Please forgive me!"
Inu Yasha nearly fell out of his chair. "What are you talking about? That's how I've been trying to get you act all night!"
She seemed not to hear him. She was paralyzed by her own fear. "I'm sorry for acting up the way I did. I should be punished."
*What happened? She was so relaxed not more than a minute ago. * He sighed in annoyance. "I'm not going to punish you. You haven't done anything wrong." She had no reaction to his words. Her ears were flat against her skull and her dark hair hung lazily about her shoulders, hiding her face from view. He stared at her for a few seconds, and suddenly realized that she was still wearing the collar that Kouji had put on her. He growled lightly and reached for the lock on the back.
Kagome crunched her eyes shut upon hearing the growl. *Here it comes. * She prepared herself for the beating that was sure to come. She flinched under his gentle touch. She heard a ripping sound, and her eyes flew open when she felt the collar slipping away from her neck.
Inu Yasha tossed the offensive item across the room and into the trash. "There! Now do you think you can act a little more normally?"
She stared at him as she gently caressed her neck. *He really just did that. * She didn't know how to react. *This can't be happening, it's too good to be true. Have I really found freedom in this strange arrangement? *
She stood and bowed her head. It was all a little too much to handle at the moment. Kagome felt as if she might cry, and she didn't want to do that in front of him. "Please excuse me." She bowed to him and hurried out of the room.
Inu Yasha jumped out of the chair. "Kagome? What's wrong?" He rushed to the door, but she had already locked herself in her room. He scratched his head. *Girls are weird.* He decided it would be better not to pursue the matter further that night. There was always tomorrow.
Kagome dove onto her bed, unable to hold back her tears any longer. They weren't tears of sadness or joy, they represented confusion and frustration. She wanted so desperately to act normal, to be Kagome and not the tamed house pet she had become.
But she was afraid. Even with all the reassurance that everyone offered her, she was scared out of her wits. She hated being scared, especially when there was no need to. It was all that damned Kouji's fault. If only she had been a little stronger, a little more clever. She could have escaped and never had to deal with this.
*It's not fair. * She thought. *--Not, it's not fair. But that's the way it is. --* The contradictory little voice in her head said. *--So cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it! --* Her own harshness surprised her, and only made her cry harder. It wasn't long before she was exhausted. She burrowed under the covers.
"Just go to sleep. Things will seem better when you wake up." She purred to herself. It wasn't long before sleep claimed her, and allowed her to escape into her perfect dream world.
End Chapter 4
Well THAT took forever. Sorry ppl. I wrote most of this chapter a while ago, and then I got a little distracted by all the shit going down over here. I'm not gonna bore you with my scars, just know that I've been too busy/scatty to write. *shrug* It's here now ain't it? I've been in a fowl mood, so any comments about how long it took me to get this chapter up are going to be met with fire. Please review. *waves* Later.