Disclaimer: I owm a moldy sandwich. You can sue me for that, if you like. (seriously. it's disturbing me......XD)Apart from said sandwich I own nothing at all. Yay.
Chapter 17:Visit to the cabin
Jack looked at the cabin they'd been put in. "Maybe they were lying when they said it was the best…" He said absently, thinking back to Barbossa's false claims of 'best room' on board the Black Pearl. Best room his great Uncle. He should have seen right through it. THIS now, was luxury. Real luxury. The room even had curtains!
Kagome looked at him blankly. He made no sense to her mind whatsoever. Or perhaps it was just pirates in general who were crazy. She shook her head, then looked around the room at the furnishings, and the maps on the table. "Is it the captains room?"
"Probably…." Jack drawled.
"You're to stay here for now. Someone will fetch Jack when he's needed." The soldiers who'd pushed them into the room turned, and left rather hastily. The little group of people looked at one another, and then at the room.
"Why are we in this room, and not the dungeons again?" Miroku wondered quietly to Sango. He wasn't sure why they'd not been locked up, considering the greeting they'd gotten.
"Because I need to look at the map, is why" Jack answered, walking over to the cabin.
"Really? I thought…" Kagome said, looking at the compass.
Jack's eyes followed her gaze to his hand, then stopped. "Oh, aye. But it's a more pleasant ride this way, don't you think?" He silently congratulated himself on his quick tongue and bargaining ability. They didn't need to know he didn't need a map, did they?
"Feh. So you lied you mean." Inuyasha leaned back against the wall. "Who cares. We're still going to where the last shard is." 'Geez. This guy's as bad as Miroku.'
"Will is there too. We'll be saving him while we're there." Kagome reminded him. She sat down by Inuyasha, and he sat next to her. "Kinda hard to believe it's almost finished, after all these years." Kagome smiled at Inuyasha. A few years ago, she would never have believed all that had happened…but it had. She and Inuyasha had gone through a lot together…her little moment was interrupted as a belt flew by her nose.
Kagome blinked slowly. Why had a belt just flown past her face? She followed the path it had taken, and her eyes came to rest on Jacks leather covered back.
Jack was digging enthusiastically in the cupboards, muttering under his breath. Miroku and Sango were watching as clothing was tossed every which way, landing in heaps around the room. One landed on Sesshoumaru's foot, where he was standing in front of the window silently.
He kicked the red pair of pants off his boot, and went back to staring at seagulls. He would never understand these humans…
"Aha! Found it! Knew the captain would have a bottle somewhere…." Jack backed out of the cupboards with a large bottle of rum and a smaller one of scotch in hand. "There's never been a captain afloat who's not had at least one bottle of his own. We'll be able to spend the trip in comfort now." He sat back jauntily on his heels, and held up the scotch to look at the label.
Kagome had to smile at that. It figured that he'd be the one to look, and then find, the rum in the cupboard.
Jack started gathering up the clothing strewn around the room, while Inuyasha stared at him in disbelief. He'd felt firsthand what a hangover was like only this morning, as had Jack. Why was the pirate in such a hurry to repeat the experience? He couldn't figure him out. Why drink something that foul, and earn that kind of reward in the morning? "Feh. Idiot."
"What? Don't you want some too?" Jack smirked. He'd forgotten to warn Inuyasha about what a few bottles could do if you weren't used to it. He had been rather looking forwards to seeing the others eye's being opened to the joys of rum, but had somehow forgotten about it till now. Ah well. If he got Inuyasha drunk again, then he'd be able to see…
Inuyasha pushed up his sleeve and punched Jack in the face, pushing him backwards into Miroku. The bottles dropped from his hands, and rolled along the floor. Miroku gasped in horror, and dived on top of the bottle, picking it up carefully. "That's no way to treat the rum." He chided. "If you don't want any, I'll be happy to drink it for you. Rum, Sango?" he started working on the cork, which was somewhat less than co-operative.
Sango looked at Miroku, clearly thinking 'drop dead'. Miroku paused, then shrugged. "Ah well."
He wrenched at the cork, muttering under his breath about the obstinacy of inanimate objects in general.
"What was that for?" Jack asked indignantly from the floor.
"Idiot. Like I'd drink that now." Inuyasha crossed his arms, and walked over to Kagome, leaving Jack in an untidy heap. That little punch had been nowhere near what the pirate deserved, but he had a feeling that if he'd done much more he'd have been 'sat'. Kagome hadn't said anything yet about what he had done. Maybe she'd sensed how mad he was, or just hadn't been paying attention. She was watching Sango glare at Miroku as the monk swore at the bottle.
Eventually, the cork popped out, and flew across the room to land in one of the worst places it could. Sesshoumaru's tail. Sesshoumaru glared at the cork and Miroku, who was going over to where Jack was propped up with the two bottles in his hands, clearly without a clue about what he'd most recently done to offend the youkai.
Great. Now he smelled like he'd been drinking. He couldn't imagine how he'd get the stench out in the middle of the ocean, short of taking a bath in salt water. Which was worse than having rum, in however trace amounts, in his tail.
He flicked the cork out the window, and smoldered in silence. There was no point in fighting - right now. He would give anything to go and kill something right about now….or to go home, without the oh so pleasant company of his brother, his brothers wench, the other two annoying humans or anyone else. Particularly pirates.
Jack and Miroku sat down in the corner with the two bottles, both completely unaware of their near brush with death, while Sango and Kagome retreated to the opposite corner with Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru just stood and watched the seagulls, imagining what it would be like to have feathered punching bags.
As the ship continued towards Isle du Mureta, Sango, Kagome and Inuyasha planned what they would do.
"If we send Jack into the caves to get the pirates, and lure them out, then they'll fight the Dauntless, and the Black Pearl won't be caught or damaged. He'll be able to sail off, and us with him, after we have the shard." Kagome laid out her plan. She'd thought about it a lot, and thought that that was the best way to go. She glanced over at the little party in the corner, and sighed. Jack was lucky she was looking out for his interests, since it was clear he wasn't. he was far too busy getting himself pleasantly drunk on whatever was in the bottles.
"We'll fight them once they get out of the caves though, won't we?" Inuyasha asked. "and….wait. When do you go to get the shard in there?"
Kagome blinked. She had forgotten than, hadn't she? "Well…how about after we're on board the Black Pearl? We'll be able to send out a boat and get it no problem then. I'm sure the crew would try and take the treasure in there with them anyways. We'd have an opportunity to collect the shard then"
"Alright. Fair enough." Sango said thoughtfully. It sounded good to her.
"Feh. I don't see why I can't just go in there and blast them all to pieces." Inuyasha snorted, lounging on the floor of the cabin.
Kagome sighed. "You'll still get to do that. It just works better this way, alright?"
"Feh. Fine." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sat up. He looked over at Miroku and Jack, to see if they'd noticed anything. He didn't think so. Miroku's head was tilted back as he was drinking some of the rum, laughing at some of the stories Jack had told him about Tourtuga. Jack was once again in his normal state of intoxication.
Sesshoumaru just kept watching seagulls. He didn't really care how they planned things, so long as he got ample opportunity to find the pirate who'd set off that canon, and wring his neck. So they were staying here, were they? He'd wait for that rotten corsair to come to him, then spit him on Toukijin.
Or maybe he'd just slice him in half with his whip. No point in sullying Toukijin's blade when he could have the satisfaction of paying back some of what was owed with his own two hands...hand. (Damn Inuyasha once again for taking his left arm!) Sesshoumaru tuned out the seagulls and the conversations behind him as he made plans of his own.
"Ok, so after that, what do we do? We'll have the jewel, but how do we get home?" Sango asked worriedly. Kagome paused. She hadn't actually thought that far ahead, to tell the truth.
"Why don't we try going to Japan? Perhaps we'll be able to find the well there, and make it work?" she suggested tentatively.
Silence fell in their corner as each person thought of possible ways they could return home. It was a problem, the more so since none of them had ever been in this particular situation before.
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"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked quietly. He'd wanted to ask Kagome a few things, ever since the last shard had come within their reach. He was sure now he wouldn't use the jewel to become a full demon. No. Kagome was the guardian, and he'd help her guard it…if she wanted him to. The days of him wanting to be a full demon had gone, as were the ones of him wanting to become a full human with Kikyou.
At that point in time, he'd had very few options. Die, or live as an outcast. Become a full demon, or live with Kikyou as a full human. (He hadn't known he could possibly lose his mind at that point) When she'd died, living with Kikyou had been eliminated, leaving dying with her after she'd been brought back. Not too bad an option, if the only other ones available were to live as an outcast or just plain die.
But now…..Kagome had changed his outlook on life. It wasn't nearly so bleak as to make dying and ending up in hell sound appealing…not that it had ever really been all that enticing in the first place. He had felt he owed it to her, but now that Naraku was dead, and her own death paid for, he thought it would be enough. Kagome accepted him, and had welcomed him into her life. Her family was everything he'd ever imagined a real family would be like….what the few memories of living with his own mother had been like. She liked him for who he was, not despite him being half demon.
Besides…he had been a full, or nearly full demon before, and had lost his mind. What if that happened to him, and he turned into nothing but a killing machine? It was a risk he couldn't take, not when he didn't really want to have the benefits it would bring him anymore. He was defiantly not going to ask Kagome for the Shikon to make such a wish. Besides….it wasn't like the Shikon even belonged to him. It was hers. Or hers as much as it could belong to anyone. Maybe she belonged to it. He'd seen firsthand the control it held over her life.
Kagome liked him for who he was, and what he was. He'd learned to accept it too. So he had thought, that once this was over…he would see if she wanted help guarding it from harm. He wanted her to stay, or at least not go back to her own world and leave him behind permanently. He didn't know that he could take that.
"Yes?" What was Inuyasha thinking about? Usually, she could figure out what he was thinking about. His face reflected everything going on in his head. Except Kikyou. She never knew what he though about her, other than when he was worried.
"I….never mind." There were too many other people around. He couldn't ask her if she was going home to stay in front of all of them. It was too personal. That was something he wasn't too sure about, and he didn't care to have an audience if he was told 'Yes. I'm going home for good and I'm never going to see you again'
But…Kagome wouldn't do that, would she? Inuyasha was fairly sure she wouldn't do that…but….he just didn't want to ask now. He'd do it when they were alone sometime. He sighed, and leaned back against the wooden boards of the cabin. He could get used to sailing. It was rather fun to sit on a ship and feel the waves underneath you, without land, or it's problems, in sight.
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In the brig of the Black Pearl Pintel and Ragetti worked industriously on swabbing the floor. Mr. Cottons parrot screeched at them, flapping its wings and sending waves of air laden with the scent of mop through the hold. "Awwk, shiver me timbers."
"Cotton 'ere says you missed a bit." Gibb's translated cheerfully.
Pintel beaned him with the wet, sticky end of his mob, scowling horrifically.
Will watched as he went back to scrubbing. He wondered where Elisabeth was now, and if she ws doing alright. He'd been an idiot. No doubt she'd starve to death on that island, unless the group of marooned people with her could make it off. He hoped they would be able to, for their sakes. None of them were bad people, just…strange people.
It was too late for him. He'd known that when he made his bargain, but he had at least hoped Elisabeth could be saved. He sighed. He'd have to hope so, have to believe so. What had he ever done to deserve this? What had any of them done, really?
All this because his father had sailed with pirates, so long ago.
He leaned over against the wooden slats in his cell. He'd never known his father, but the two people ankle deep in filth in front of him had. "You knew William Turner ?"
Pintel paused in his work. "Ol' Bootstrap Bill . We knew him." He moved the mop aimlessly. He remembered Bootstrap quite well "Never sat well with Bootstrap what we did to Jack Sparrow , the mutiny and all. He said it wasn't right with the Code. That's why he sent off a piece of the treasure to you as it were. He said we deserved to be cursed… and remain cursed." He'd never understood the mans way of thinking. Yeah, they should have never touched the gold, but no one deserved to be cursed forever.
"Stupid blighter." Ragetti added, picking at his eye distractedly.
"Good man." Gibbs spoke up. Pintel glared, and he fell silent among the crew again.
"Well, as you can imagine that didn't sit too well with the Captain."
"That didn't sit too well with the Captain, at all. Tell him what Barbossa did." Ragetti giggled, leaving the wooden eye alone and leaning on his mop.
"I'm telling the story!" Pintel snarled at him. He lowered his voice, continuing "So…what the Captain did, he strapped a cannon to Bootstraps' bootstraps."
Ragetti giggled slightly. Barbossa always had had a twisted sense of humor… "Bootstraps' bootstraps."
" The last we saw of ol' Bill Turner , he was sinking to the crushing black oblivion of Davy Jones' Locker. 'Course it was only after that we learned we needed his blood to lift the curse." Pintel added thoughtfully.
"That's what you call ironic." Drawled Ragetti
Footsteps echoed through the hold, and Barbossa appeared. Ragetti and Pintel fell silent as Barbossa ran an eye over them and the crew. He seemed satisfied. No one spoke as he threw the keys at Ragetti
"Bring him!"
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Norington sat stiffly in a boat with the rest of the soldiers. "I don't care for the situation. Any attempt to storm the caves could turn to an ambush."
Jack smoldered beside him. He'd not only been interrupted mid party to come out here on this freezing little boat, but he'd had his rum confiscated. "Not if you're the one doing the ambushing. I go in, I convince Barbossa to send his men out with their little boats. You and your mates return to the Dauntless and blast the bejesus outta them with your little cannons, eh?" He put an arm around Norington's neck in a familiar way, slurring "What do you have to lose?"
Norington looked with disgust at the arm, before peeling it off. "Nothing I'd lament being rid of."
Jack looked back at the Dauntless. " Now, to be quite honest with you, there's still a slight risk for those aboard the Dauntless which includes the future Mrs. Commodore."
Norington rolled his eyes. Highly unlikely, that. Elisabeth was in more danger from the rest of this loony's ragtag crew than from the pirates inside the caves. They would have to go through him to get to her. He didn't think they would get terribly far.
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Kagome sat up as the commotion outside caught her attention. It sounded like Elisabeth yelling…
"Can you hear what's going on?" she asked Inuyasha. He strained his ears beneath the bandana, trying to catch the words being said outside.
"It's Elisabeth…they're putting her in here, and we're going to be moved below." Sango peeked in the window opening on the ships deck, careful not to let her face show past the drapes. She wished Kirara was here. It felt strange to be on the eve of a fight and not have her faithful friend with her. Sango's hand tightened on the door-handle. She needed to focus, not be wishing for the impossible.
"That won't work. We need to be able to move around" Miroku spoke up. They'd been left in the room after Jack had been taken along with Norington to shore, but if they were put below, the plan might be jeopardized. It was rather hard to attack pirates effectively from the inside of a ships cell.
"Well…we'll just have to get out of here before they come in then. You've been looking at them all afternoon Sesshoumaru. Are the windows locked?" Kagome asked. If they left by the window and stayed out of site till the battle, it would work out quite nicely. That, or they could hide in the cupboards till the battle started. She didn't think that everyone would fit…or allow themselves to be put in cupboards. She had to let out a laugh as the image of the arrogant Sesshoumaru doubled up inside a tiny cupboard crossed her mind.
Nope, they would have to go for the windows…but it would have been nice to see if he at least fit…Kagome put her hand over her mouth to keep the giggles in, ignoring the odd look Inuyasha gave her.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the windows, then dropped acid onto the latch. "They're not now." He wanted to get out of here. The tiny room was starting to wear extremely thin. It had clearly driven Kagome crazy, from the noises she was making.
Sango climbed out the windows, followed by Miroku. Both inched along the edge of the railing and out of the way of Inuyasha and Kagome. Sesshoumaru looked disdainfully at the ledge, and elected to hover in place.
Kagome nudged the windows shut just as shouting erupted in the room, and soldiers came in.
Everyone listened in silence as more shouting floated from the inside of the cabin.
"They're gone!" "Escaped!" "They've gone to warn the others!" piled out one on top of the other. Kagome had to bit her lip to keep from laughing. Didn't they at least think of the window? There was no place else to hide…and why would they be going to warn Barbossa? He'd marooned them…the British army must have some sort of I.Q. rule. You must be this stupid to enlist…
Eventually, Gillette's voice drifted out over the other shouting "No matter. They're gone. Put Elisabeth in here, would you?"
The scrapping of boot heels along the deck, and the higher pitched voice of Elisabeth wafted out the window to the groups ears.
"No you don't!"
"Sorry, but for your own safety."
"Coward! The commodore ordered – I have to tell him! The pirates! They're cursed! They cannot be killed!"
"Don't worry, miss, he's already informed of that. A little mermaid flopped up on deck and told him the whole story." The sound of a door closing abruptly and the dead –click!- of a deadbolt sounded.
"This is Jack Sparrow 's doing!" Elisabeth grimaced at the locked door. Where had the rest of the rooms occupants gone? She had to get out of here, and rescue Will. Her eyes fell on the corner of a shirt sleeve poking out of the cupboard. Had they hidden there? She didn't think they'd have all fit…Elisabeth yanked open the cupboard, and scowled as wadded up clothing fell out on her lap.
What good were cloths? Nothing…no, wait. If she tied all these together, and 'commandeered' the little boat that was tied behind the Dauntless, she could do something. She could cross to the Black Pearl, and rescue Will herself with the crew of the Interceptor's help. A whole crew could take on the Pirates with more success than she herself, alone, could.
At the least, she was doing something. Elisabeth sat down, and started tearing clothing out of the cupboard. It was a matter of moments to empty the night-stand and then to tie them together. She set herself to denuding the bed in the corner of covering, adding that to the chain of clothing as well.
Elisabeth sat back, looking at her long, lumpy rope creation. Not the best, but it would serve. Now, for the window. She walked over, and jerked open the glass, eyes widening as she put her head out and saw Sango and Miroku.
"You…were out here all along?"
Miroku had jumped when the window opened, but he'd relaxed when he saw it was only Elisabeth. "Yes. We're waiting for Jack to come back with the Pirates…"
"And then I kick pirate ass!" Inuyasha said, smirking. He cracked his knuckles.
"But Norington's soldiers don't know about the curse. Or at least, didn't believe me. I'm out to free the crew of the Interceptor." Elisabeth propped open the window, and threw the rope over the edge after tying it to the bed inside. "Come with me?"
Kagome looked at Inuyasha. Here was a chance to get to the cave, and get the shard. "Why don't we split up? Sango, Miroku, and Sesshoumaru stay here. Inuyasha and I come with you to the cave. Sound fair?"
"Sounds good. Be careful" Sango said.
"Good luck" Miroku added. Sesshoumaru ignored them.
"Not to the cave. To the Pearl to free the crew there. They'll help us defeat the pirates" Elisabeth explained, climbing down towards the boat floating below.
"I don't need them! I'll win anyways!" Inuyasha boasted, following her down. He helped Kagome shimmy down the rope. Both landed in the cutter attached to the Dauntless easily.
Inuyasha crouched down, and cut them free of the rope, then picked up the oars.
"To the Pearl" Elisabeth whispered. Her face hardened as she thought of all the people between her and Will. She'd make it to him in time. He'd saved her, and now she was going to return the favor.
"Feh." Inuyasha pulled back on the oars, but aimed towards the slight shadow of the Pearl. Might as well free the captured crew.
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Well, there be another chapter…..um….how many weeks behind……?(hangs head in shame.) I guess it's the nature of resolutions to be broken. Especially in the face of the impending doom known as pre/during/post exam disorder. Grr. I guess no matter how hard I try I'm never going to be as good with updates as I'd like. You'll have to accept that…..i hope. (ducks behind a brick wall)
Well, Inuyasha certainly was thoughtful this chapter….(checks for fever….) but then again, its something he's probably thinking about a lot more with the jewel so close to done.
CometsChaos: lol. wishes she could fly too gah…..updateing habits are very bad….srry…. .
Naomi-Starcloud: lol. I had that one planned…..hehe. wonders how often she'll get a chance to a)down sess, and b)dump him in the ocean yet again :P
Dog-Ear Fetish: lol. I think it would be extremely ooc for sess to pass up a chance to torment his brother for his own stupidity. I do that to me own little brother all the time…..even though I know I shouldn't. lol
TrisakAminawn: Oh, trust me, that anyone would go over this story and give me a through critique is awesome. You pointed out a few good things to look at, and I know I've noticed a few of those things myself in earlier chapters. (I watched it quite a few times…..but while I know people who can recite an entire season of shows word perfect after seeing them only once, I can't. I use a diolog sometimes. there. Horrible secret out. lol About the 'tail'. I've heard everything from a symbol of rank, to a bad fashion statement. I think it's most likely a symbol of rank of some kind. But it was more entertaining to use it as a tail. No ones sure of what the right answerer is, so its ok to tweak, in my opinion. True. Fanfiction does have to be more, not less plausible. Same with writing. You have to know it in and out, plus background that never makes it to the story. And I do generally try to be plausible. I'll tryharder, after this. hehe. I fail to see why I love writing of his humiliation, but I still write it. A lot. Lol:P I know he'd have been better off alone to heal. However, Kagome had other ideas. Lol.
Hm…..i've been meaning to draw a picture of a 'draconic ban-sidhea' for ages…..i was thinking somewhat along those lines, yes.
TrisakAminawn's younger sister: I'm glad you like it, and you're quite right. If that cannon hadn't happened, they would have gone off on a wild tangent.
Bomhammer: lol. It just seemed the way he'd react….and thanx. I can tell my own writings gotten a little better, and it's nice to see that other people think the same thing. Hopefully, I'll keep getting better. lol
Shadow Fox777: I know….one of me own favourits. But it didn't go….i couldn't think of where to put it....:'(
Soul of Insanity: yes, now I think of it he does. I can't seem to make him be more serious….ah well. Can't write sanely if your not sane I suppose. Lol. I LOVE long reviews. I have no problems with listening to rants/meanders (especially about sess ) And while I can see him sulking because someone sat on him, getting sand in the tail, I can't see him drinking and dancing. Or at least in anything but a parody…..or a picture….hm….
Lost-and-Lonely-Pheonix: yes, she does. ep 135.(can't remember if I said that before…meh) lol. wonders how an unconscious person can ask for an update
There. Thnx to peoples for reviewing, even though with me updating 'habits' I probably don't deserve it. Lol. Thanx for reading.
