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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Rumiko Takahashi characters named here, nor do I own Charlie's Angels. I would love to play pirate with Inu-Yasha, though.
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"Ahr! It'll be a hangin' from the mizzenmast for Ranma, it will! And then I'll be takin' the pretty lass here!"
Kagome burst out laughing. Inu-Yasha had answered her knock wearing nothing but an old pair of pants and waving what appeared to be a rusted stick. His hair was caught up in a tie at his neck and crowned with a bandana.
She watched as Inu-Yasha lunged forward at Ranma, who parried his thrust with a golf club. The two appeared equally matched. Ranma kicked his leg out and knocked Inu-Yasha's weapon from his hands. Inu-Yasha grabbed Ranma's leg and yanked it from underneath him, sending Ranma sprawling.
Kagome clapped her hands and cheered. Inu-Yasha flexed the muscles of his bare chest and grabbed her around the waist as he picked up his sword. "A prize!" he shouted. "I've captured a rare find, aye!"
"Where's your eye patch and wooden leg?" Kagome giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck as he carried her over to the couch.
"The eye patch is in the laundry. And the wooden leg is…" he whispered in her ear.
"You are such a pervert!" Kagome slapped his arm playfully before kissing him. "Don't you know pirates aren't allowed to ravish women until after work? And put away that tire iron or whatever it is you're swinging around before someone gets an eye poked out."
"Tire iron?" Inu-Yasha asked indignantly. "I'll have you know, wench, that this is no tire iron! This," he handed the sword to Kagome, "is a katana. Mind you, it's a bit past its prime, but what can you expect from a sword made over 400 years ago?"
"Inu-Yasha, you're playing with an antique?" Kagome gasped. "Are you crazy? What if you broke it or something?" She scrambled to take the weapon from his hands.
"Relax," Inu-Yasha said, holding the sword out of her reach. "It's a rusting hunk of metal. My father was a collector and he never even bothered to lock this one up, so it can't have any real value. Besides, if it was worth anything then Sesshomaru would have taken it." He twirled the blade in his hands absentmindedly. "I always did like this one, though. It's almost like it has a personality. Father called it 'Tetsusaiga'."
"You really do look like a pirate," Kagome said appreciatively as she recalled the way his lithe form moved as he was fighting Ranma. "Or perhaps you resemble some long-lost samurai from another era. I can tell you know how to use that sword, anyway."
"As much as it hurts me to admit this, Sesshomaru's fencing skills are way better than mine. Father taught him everything he knew. Me, I just play at it." Inu-Yasha plopped back down on the couch next to Kagome. "I brought Tetsusaiga over to show to Ranma. He and I were talking about ancient martial arts styles the other day and somehow wound up on the subject of old swords."
"Why didn't your father teach you how to fence as well? And what did you mean when you said if this thing was valuable, then Sesshomaru would have gotten it?" Kagome asked out of curiosity. Inu-Yasha's odd relationship with Sesshomaru intrigued her. Even though the brothers seemed to be getting along, there was still an undercurrent of hostility between them at times.
"My father died before he finished teaching me," Inu-Yasha said shortly. "And his entire estate was willed to Sesshomaru. The only thing I got was this sword, and I didn't even get this until after I'd turned seventeen. My father's old friend, Toto-sai, dropped it off one day, saying I should have it."
Kagome stretched out across his lap and studied his golden eyes. "I'm sorry," she said softly as she toyed with a lock of silver hair that had fallen from the tie. "None of this sounds very fair. I can't believe your father would disinherit you like that." She placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
Inu-Yasha rubbed his head, removing the bandana. "I don't care about the money, I really don't. I have my own business and even though I'm not rich, I'm certainly living comfortably. What made me so mad was the way Sesshomaru sold everything, including the weapons collection, just as soon as he got his hands on it. To see the house and the land and Mother's jewelry all go to the highest bidder so soon after Father's death – it's like Sesshomaru was trying to erase any memory of them I ever had. There was this one painting in particular I really would have liked to keep, just because it was my mother's favorite and it always reminded me of her."
"Oh, Inu-Yasha," Kagome stroked his face, tracing the line of his nose. "I don't know what to say." She caught his hand and cradled it against her head.
"Feh. It's in the past. I've changed and so has Sesshomaru. No point even thinking about it anymore, I guess."
Kagome curled herself into his warm body and hugged him tightly. She felt so safe with him, not just physically, but emotionally safe as well. Somehow it made her happy to know Inu-Yasha could talk to her about something so painful. It meant he trusted her, and nobody had ever trusted her before. Inu-Yasha even knew about the Shikon jewel's disappearance and he still believed in her innocence. He was the only one who believed her, him and Naraku…
She shuddered involuntarily and Inu-Yasha's embrace tightened in response. She was not going to think about that prick right now, she vowed. Kagome had received Naraku's message this morning via Myoga, and she took it as the threat it was intended to be. When this case was finished, she was going to seriously look at a career in ditch-digging. Anything had to be better than working for Naraku.
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"That shit-eating, dirt-crawling, sneaking bastard son of a bitch! He can't get away with this! I'll take a hot spoon and turn him into a eunuch!"
Sesshomaru winced and crossed his legs at Kagura's last threat. Yeesh, this woman was scary when she was angry. She'd been a raging inferno since speaking with Myoga; delivering threats and karate chopping invisible foes. Koga, the coward, had left their rooms immediately in search of fresh air.
"What's a eunuch?" Rin asked innocently, causing Sesshomaru to choke on a piece of toast. He coughed and ignored the question, hoping Rin would let it pass. Yura was laughing at him silently across the room while filing her nails.
"Kagura," Sesshomaru said mildly, hoping to calm the enraged Angel. "We will find a way to deal with Naraku. You forget that I have a lot of – connections." He nodded over at Yura. She pulled her pistol from her jacket and winked.
"But can you keep Kanna from disappearing?" Kagura asked fearfully. "Naraku said he'd put her someplace where no one could ever find her! He can do it; he has legal guardianship of her!"
Sesshomaru stood and brushed a few stray crumbs from his strapless teal blue sundress. "Kagura," he reminded her as he kissed her, "let's concentrate on one thing at a time, okay? We get Vicious Dragon and Lazy Panda; then we worry about Naraku. Meanwhile, you and the other girls need to play along with his little control games."
He grabbed his purse and checked his lipstick in the mirror. "I have to go, we're having a practice for the opening number of the pageant," Sesshomaru told them. "Yura, you have your instructions. Any questions?"
"Just one," Yura said. "What's a eunuch?" She smiled wickedly and stuck her tongue out at him.
*******
"Sango?"
Miroku's hands rested on her shoulders. Damn, she didn't want him to see her crying. Again. She'd cried more in the last week then she had in the last ten years. Sango vainly tried to blink the telltale moisture from her eyes and placed a dazzling fake smile on her face.
Apparently Miroku wasn't fooled. "What is it?" he asked gently. "Sango, tell me what's upset you. Who was that on the phone?"
She gave up. "It was Myoga," she sniffled. "He had a message from Naraku." Sango wanted to say more, but found she couldn't. Her throat seemed to quit working.
"Let me guess," Miroku said slowly. "Naraku's threatening you as usual." He gripped her shoulder comfortingly. "Sango, we'll figure out a way for you and Kohaku to get out from under his thumb, I promise."
Sango looked at him in surprise. How could he have known? She'd never told anyone about Kohaku. The deal she'd made in order to lessen the charges against her and Kohaku were a matter of public record, but she'd never said a word to anyone about Naraku's involvement behind the scenes.
If Naraku ever disclosed the evidence of what really happened, Kohaku would be back behind bars and possibly tried as an adult under an entirely new set of charges. Sango couldn't let that happen. She knew in her heart that Kohaku hadn't been himself that night; he'd been under someone else's control. Naraku was the only one who believed her and he had done everything in his power to get their sentences lightened. Unfortunately, Naraku's help always came with a very steep price tag.
********
"Took you long enough to get down here," Inu-Yasha commented as Sesshomaru and Koga walked into the office. "I still say you should let me call the police," he told Kagome.
"Trust me on this one, Inu-Yasha. Your brother needs to see this," Kagome answered calmly. She closed the blinds to block the afternoon sunlight.
"How much was stolen?" Sesshomaru asked Inu-Yasha as they surveyed the mess in the office. Bookcases and filing cabinets had been upended, and papers were covering the floor. He knelt and inspected the scorch marks along the carpet. Odd, it almost looked as if lightning had struck the floor several times.
"According to Ataru, nothing was taken." Inu-Yasha was scratching his head in confusion. "That's what we can't figure out. Why did this guy try to get in here in the first place?"
"He was obviously looking for something," Koga pointed to the overturned furniture.
"Actually, that happened while he was trying to get away from Lum," Inu-Yasha admitted. "She's a little on the violent side when it comes to protecting her man."
"I called you when I found this by Ataru's desk," Kagome said quietly to Sesshomaru while Koga and Inu-Yasha walked around inspecting the damage. She opened her palm and handed him a small white object. "I've seen these in photographs. Vicious Dragon uses them as a calling card when he's assassinated someone."
Sesshomaru held it up to study it in the light. It was a triangular piece of carved bone, looking almost like a sharp tooth, with the initials 'VD' on it. "I've seen one of these before as well," he told Kagome grimly. "He left one with my father's body."
"No assassination was committed, so he must have dropped it accidentally," Kagome observed. "Unless maybe Ataru was the target?" she pondered.
"I doubt it," Sesshomaru replied. "He's still alive, isn't he?"
Sesshomaru continued his explorations. He entered his Inu-Yasha's office and looked around. Nothing appeared to be out of place, unless you counted the half-eaten sandwich on the desk and the crumpled up soda cans lying on the floor. The sandwich appeared to be several days old, he noted with disgust. If anyone needed a keeper, it was his brother. He observed the empty display rack hanging from the wall behind the desk. "Inu-Yasha, what is this used for?" Sesshomaru called his brother into the room and pointed.
"Oh, that's nothing," Inu-Yasha said. Sesshomaru gave him a questioning look. "It just holds that old katana."
"There's no katana in there," Sesshomaru said.
"That's because I took it with me to the resort," Inu-Yasha explained. "That reminds me, I need to bring it back in here. It's in the trunk of my car." He ran outside to get it.
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes over at Kagome, who was standing in the doorway. "Do I want to know what he was doing with some sword in the trunk of his car?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Long story," Kagome answered. "Let's just say he and Ranma were playing pirate," she said as Inu-Yasha returned with the katana. Sesshomaru automatically reached for it, then halted his movements.
"That's…that's Tetsusaiga," Sesshomaru gasped. "What are you doing with it?" He felt sick as a sudden blind rage surged within him. "What the hell are you doing with Tetsusaiga?" he shouted, slamming his brother against the wall. "Damn you, Inu-Yasha, is nothing sacred to you? I can't believe you desecrated Father's grave!" Sesshomaru punched him in the face, hearing the crunch of bone beneath his fist.
As Sesshomaru pulled his arm back to strike Inu-Yasha again, a sharp pain exploded through his head. Stunned, Sesshomaru staggered backwards. The room flipped sideways and then twirled around him before everything turned black.
*******
A/N: A few of you have told me you aren't familiar with Ranma ½. My best recommendation is to check out a website (furinkan.com is a good one) that discusses the various characters and transformations. Better yet, get the manga and read, you won't regret it. I personally think Ranma is Takahashi's best character work.
Time to re-emphasize a few things:
1. There are absolutely, unequivocally, no original characters in this fiction. Everyone who is named is a real character, even for the cameo roles or names thrown out in passing.
2. Vicious Dragon is not an original character (see above). If you have only been exposed to the Inu-Yasha anime/manga that have been translated into English, you may not recognize the character for who he is.
3. Sesshy and Koga are not gay, that is their cover. However, due to the insane situations I have placed them in, Sesshy and Koga think IY is gay and Ranma is bisexual, and IY and Ranma think Sesshy is gay and Koga is bisexual. To further confuse the issue, Shampoo is crushing on Miroku, Ranma has moved in with IY, and P-chan/Ryoga keeps turning up in other people's showers. For a while, Miroku and Sango thought that she (Sango) and IY had slept together, while IY and Kagome were innocent victims of endless laundry fiascos. Confused? Good, so am I…
Cassidy Jewell: Thanks! Send him over, but make sure he brings his own power tools. Pocky is optional.
Thanks so much to all of you for reading and reviewing! *joins with Sophie-chan in a group hug*
