A/N. Sorry for the wait. You wouldn't believe all the stress I've put over this chapter. I couldn't word it right. But now me = satisfied. Also, disregard last chapter's preview. I had to word around it. When I have time [time, ha] I'll go back and fix that. Hope you can forgive me. Please? Whatever the answer, let's go to our reviewers, our 5 reviewers [hehe, I'm a dork]:

Hanyougal34: Sorry about the late update. But I'm uber glad you liked last chapter. Um, so here's six?

sashlea: Kouga doesn't have yellow eyes? O.o I've been away from TV to long. But thank you for reviewing. I'll add that to my list of things I need to fix. I'm glad you liked the intro I did. You forgot that Kagome still has to meet Inuyasha, the basic theme of this chapter…

Hellkeeper: I know! I love pirates too. It kinda sad that the rush of Inuyasha pirate fanfics has decreased since the release of Pirates of the Caribbean, but at least there are some out there remaining. Pairings are normal, Kag/Inu, Mir/San, maybe some Kog/Am if I can fit it in, and then I'll pair up some of my OC's. I'm not sure yet, but I'm really thinking Uedo/Sayuir.

yugi-star: Sorry for the stop, but here's the next chapter! It's cool, hopefully….

Koji-sama: Hooray! Somebody else out there loves it too. Another to my list! And you used inventive, which is a nicely rounded word. It's funny; I haven't really even gotten into the main plot yet. But I'm glad you liked it. So on to next chapter!

Disclaimer: Argh, me swash buckle ye from they bloody head to they bloody feet, ye who think me could own the greatness of Inuyasha. [woo, that was a lot of old talk]

Deep Blue

By Pale Moonlight

Chapter 6: Meet

Too quickly to release what was happening, Kagome found herself being dragged across the deck over to a pair of wooden planks, shaking slightly in the wind. She barely felt able to breathe, it felt as the whole world was staring at her, though she was some cattle to be put in a line. Soft mummers overtook the ship, words like female, captain, kill, and rum surfacing ever few seconds. One pirate even seemed so bold as too take a step forward, only to be held back by the man from before, with the scars. He stared her down with his cold bluish black eyes, and Kagome felt as though her life depended on keeping eye contact. With a pull at the rope she was moving again, and the man appeared to lose all interest in her. Oh my God, she thought, I am going to die.

The Tainted Shikon, how could she ever be so stupid? Sayuir at once understood, just upon seeing the black sails. The noise of battle should have told her, the men shouting like devils, eager for death. Why couldn't she see? And now, now, she off to meet the captain, rumored to be the most bloodthirsty.

He was supposed to be able to kill a man with his eyes alone, he'd killed a tribe of wolf demons once because they stolen a barrel of whiskey, and of course, he was most famous for stealing the infamous Shikon no Tama, with his wish that would destroy the whole free world when he made it. The captain, it froze her marrow just thinking of it.

Looking up, Kagome found she was at the edge of the deck, where an annoyed Miroku was trying to persuade Sango over the planks. They could stand there forever, Sango only feared one thing and they had come across it. Water, Sango would die before crossing that board. Her eyes were wide and looking only towards the ocean, it's waves lapping against the ship. A lump was growing in her throat; her mouth was a thin line, her eyes ever so shiny… It was impossible. Sango would never walk across that swaying piece of wood, it had been hard enough to get her on the boat in the first place.

"Fine." said the pirate after a while, cutting her off the main rope with a flick of his sword. "Stand here now, if you'd like. You're going to have to get off this ship eventually though. Cat," he called the one man with scars over, "take her too Uedo. See if she can help him patch his girl up. From what I hear she's in bad condition."

The man gave a slight nod and pulled Sango off to some unknown place. Great, she was alone now.

"If you're afraid of water, I swear to God I will stab my heart now."

Kagome shook her head, and stepped up onto the place after him. The thing wobbled dangerously under her weight, but it was worn with time and apparently reliable. If these men who lived, breathed, and were the sea could trust this wooden excuse for a toothpick, she might as well too. Miroku lifted her down off the plank, and Kagome found herself in enemy territory.

It was odd. The boat was plain, simple, almost crudely made one could say. The deck seemed normal other than the occasional-blacked spot or pile of gunpowder from the canyons. Things were normal behind Kagome, no one had stopped their task of stacking the coveted items of the ship, and no one seemed to care that there, on a their famous pirate ship, there was a female. A well respected member of the society female.

Kagome knew pirates were far too over-romanticized, but it was eerie. This ship seemed as though it could fit into any port in the world without a second glance if they would lose the seemingly endless line of cannons and black flag. It was baffling, but she wasn't allowed a second thought to think it about it for the sharp tug that came at the rope. Crossing the plain deck, she found herself passing through a pair of dark doors leading down, down, into a never-ending staircase.

The stillness was complete, the darkness appearing to swallow all objects around Kagome. She steadied herself on the way down, feeling the slick wooden wall slide underneath her fingers. Every now and then she came upon deep imprints in the wood, and only once Miroku stopped at the bottom to get out a key was she able to figure out what they were. Nail marks, she thought, running her fingers along the scares made by youkai of greater power than her who'd gone struggling into this darkness. Yet she walked freely down those stairs. She must be mad. Miroku's words flashed in her mind. It's likely you'll die. Though she'd been thinking of this almost non-stop, it finally sunk in. Many had died here. Her blood would not matter.

Miroku seemed to notice her anxiety, and told her not to worry about the claw marks. His pace was slowly set, and when Miroku finally fished out the correct key and opened the door, the hallway hidden behind the door seemed to be ordinary again, like the deck and ship. It was lit by lanterns every few feet and no longer as dark and dreary as the staircase, but it still held the same presence. The air was soaked with the scent of rum. Kagome's steps were no longer so steady, her trembling getting in the way of her process of movement. She prayed fiercer than she'd ever before, but it felt as though she was alone deep below the pirate's deck. At long last Miroku stopped in front of one door.

It was taller than the rest of the doors in the hallway, right at the very end, barely three feet from the dead end wall. It was a deep blue color and highly polished, standing out in this dingy space. Miroku knocked once, to be met by a "come in". The voice seemed young, and Kagome felt her heartbeat grow normal. That changed with the look Miroku cast her, one of anguish and sadness, though he was walking her to her slaughter.

"Be careful dear maiden," he whispered before opening the door and shoving her in by the ass.

………………………………………………….

Inuyasha stared at the formula left on the parchment by Miroku. Before him lay a map of the surrounding area and different pins, one black, one red, and the other a golden color stuck on specific places in the sea. Okay, if we have a week lead on Hojo, minus Wednesday and Tuesday, wait, and half of Monday too. So if by the winds Hojo can go x miles per hour, and we're going a normal y per hour, his sails are 10% bigger than ours so that should go into account, and the winds were better for him too so…

Slamming down the red pin, Inuyasha grumbled at his own lack of understanding. Cursing the evil god of math, he couldn't believe he'd yet again been left with Eiji's work He was going to kill that man as soon as he got over his "plague", "flu", and "dying wife with child". Great, he'd now have to wait for Miroku to figure this out. Inuyasha traced their raiding line with one of his claws, going over the names of the towns again with his mournful amber eyes. The crew had to be getting rowdy soon, their last attack had been weeks ago, and this would not satisfy their lust for blood for very long. He'd hoped this would get out some aggression, but the lobsters barely gave any form of a fight. We're about 45 miles out to sea if Miroku's assumptions are accurate. So the nearest town is…

A small clunk echoed above him on the deck. Forgetting his vile math troubles, he stood out and sniffed the air. Miroku had re-entered the ship with a female, human, probably about 16ish, smelling of the blood from the ship. Damnit, it would take forever to wash out the scent of blood without someone else bringing it over. A gag crept up in his throat. Ignoring it, Inuyasha prepared for this encounter with whoever Miroku was to bring over. He hoped she wasn't the usually high-class cream puff as he expected. Inuyasha had grown tired of the weak, sniffling females. He could use someone challenging.

The footfall gradually reached the stone steps, echoing loudly overhead. They stopped at the bottom, and after an eternity caused probably by Miroku's delayed reactions to keys, they were in the hallway. Footsteps were almost at this door, and Inuyasha quickly stood up and pulled out a chair for her to sit in. A soft knock came at the door and with his best this-better-be-good-I'm-trying-to-do-something-Miroku voice, said, "Come in."

Miroku gave one last muffled word of advice before pushing the door open and shoving the girl in. By the blush upon her checks he guessed Miroku had shoved the wrong body part. Her bright brown eyes took in the simply light decor, the old maps of foreign places, the raggedy old flag, Inuyasha's first sword framed and hanging up on the wall, and the one flickering lamp on his now littered with pens and fruitless attempts at math papers desk. Her gaze finally rested on him, and her face washed over with surprise. Inuyasha could hear her thoughts, That's the Captain? He's a bloody hanyou. Yet her face lacked the usually twitch of disgust, she merely stood there staring at him. The air grew thicker as the seconds passed by.

"If ye don't feel like taking permanent root to me floor you can sit there in that chair." The girl flustered for a minute, before turning back and looking at the chair, yet again not moving. Inuyasha suppressed a growl. If she kept this up, he'd have to get out the rope. Just as he prepared to stand, she gingerly lowered herself in the plush chair.

"There, we pirates ain't all just lawless thieves. We may keep something of value now and then, aye?"

The girl said nothing, just nodding her head. Inuyasha was gradually boring of her. "Ye any idea of why Miroku brought you to me?"

She seemed to consider it before answering; "He found me hiding out and brought me here to testify or something. I don't think there were manly left to talk to you too."

"Don't doubt it. I'm surprised you were even left. So who you be wretch?"

The girl seemed taken back by the casually insult. Inuyasha could think of plenty of worse things to call her, he didn't see the problem. With a little bit of anger she said, "Kagome, my name is not wretch or wrench or bitch or anything else you would like to call me, Captain."

Inuyasha stifled a laugh. That was pretty much a first, a rich upper girl that wouldn't turn to instant putty in his hands. "So do we have a last name, Kagome, or shall we take the risk that you are the only Kagome in the free world and should be called by as such?"

With a bit of a pout, she spit out, "Higurashi."

"Oh, so you're the daughter of that one coward we killed this morning?"

"You take that back!" she exclaimed, rising to her feet. For once Inuyasha had no response, surprised by the sudden outburst from such a frail seeming flower. Seeing as he had no answer, she went on saying, "You know nothing of my father, you murder! He was a good and honorable man, who died fighting for who he loved. What do you know of him? You know nothing of anything outside your blood and ship!"

"I would not be making remarks like that, Higurashi," Inuyasha said, all but yelling and kicking back his chair, "unless you fail to remember who is in charge of this ship and who holds the life of you and your honorable father's boat!"

She started fiercely into his eyes before sinking back down into the chair. For a split second she seemed to remember whom she was talking to and where she was, but it was forgotten by her anger. "So what do you want with me? Why haven't I been killed?"

"You will do well just answering questions," replied Inuyasha, lifting his chair back up and trying to keep calm but failing, "as of this one. Who else is alive on that boat? I'd be amazed if you were the only one capable of surviving on that boat."

"Inuyasha," came a voice after a knock on the door, breaking the tension and interrupting the question, "you're needed badly on the other boat." Miroku gradually stepped in, looking for a second at Kagome then returning his gaze to Inuyasha. "It's important."

"I think what I'm doing now is pretty damn important," he spat, aggravation lacing his words.

"This is more. There's talk of a mutiny."

The words took him away from his tiny, paper littered quarters. "Let's go," Inuyasha heard himself say as he headed to the doors.

"What of the girl, Inuyasha?"

With the tiny bit of malice his brain spared him, he smirked and said, "Chain her."

………………………………………………….

"Sorry for the roughness, Inu's orders. He's not bad for a pirate, if ye don't feel like yelling your pretty little head of at him." Out of the corner of her eye she saw him crack a smile, but ignored it furiously. Sighing a bit, he tightened the last chain and clicked the pad to lock.

"Now be good lass. If you are, I might be able to bring you back something nice." Kagome mumbled under her breath about how anything nice could survive here, but Miroku had long ago rushed out of the door after the captain. She tried moving, but the chains were just tight enough to keep her locked in one place on the padded chair. Refusing to cry, she searched the room for something interesting to look at. I just yelled at a pirate, she thought, me who can't stand being yelled at by daddy. I yelled at him, and he didn't even jump and slit my throat or something piratey like that, he who kills men with his amber eyes. If she survives, I'll have to tell Sango.

Muwhaha! Another chapter complete. It's rather short compared to my usual, but I wanted to do two kinda short chapters rather than one really long. Finally getting to the main plot, so hurrah! Sorry again for taking forever, I didn't know how to word what I wanted to say. My first copy sucked so badly I considered taking the story off till I could re-think it. But I didn't, yet again I have completed another chapter. Till next, no preview today, thank you my readers for trusting my work enough to spend time on it, and reviewers who make my world go round.

Your Faithful Authoress,

Pale Moonlight