Chapter 8: Emergency on Board

Hey everyone! Just realized that I definitely put the wrong name for the last chapter. On the top, it says its called boat problems, but I changed where I took that chapter and let it be more of a chance to develop Kagome and her priestess abilities. So I'll probably change that later.

Anyways, I hope you guys have enjoyed this so far. I have written so much in a while so bear with me if my creative writing skills aren't up to par. I hope to gradually get back in that zone, but I will keep updating regularly (hopefully minimum 2 chapters a week.)

The sun could not have taken its place as queen of the sky at a better time. I woke up feeling motivated. I wanted to fight. Or rather, learn how to fight. There was a passion between a warrior and their weapon that a viewer could sense. Almost like if the warrior's aura or essence extended into their weapon, like they were one. I guess I think that it's kind of cool to have that sort of passion in a skill like that.

I sat up and the hanyou was already standing outside with his hands on his hips, just soaking in the sun. Was he in deep thought? Maybe he was thinking about the Goshinboku... his crew. It's been a few days. He seems to have hope that his best mates are fine. But he still must be concerned.

"Ah, what a nice and sunny day." Miroku remarked, taking a spot beside me, "Inuyasha mentioned that we will be spending a bit of time here today. I see you wanna learn how to fight."

I guess I woke up a bit later than everyone. They must have been up long enough to talk for a bit.

"Yeah. Last night was pretty scary." I sighed, "And we're gonna be strolling in demon territory for who knows how long! I guess I just want to have some sort of skill."

"Well, princess, learning from the captain can't do any harm." He smiled at me, "I think I'll spend some time gathering some food back in the forest. Maybe even do some meditation. Can't let a day like this go to waste!"

He wandered off. He doesn't really have any special interest in the mission itself, so I guess taking some time off is nice for him. Inuyasha can be a bit exhausting. He gets so determined that it's all he cares about. Don't even bother suggesting that we stop for a few minutes because he'll have a fit! I'm actually really surprised that he's taking the time to train me at all.

"Well, wench, are ya just gonna stand there?" He scoffed, "You wanted me to train you, didn't you?" Was he just waiting for me that whole time? Jeez, he's such an odd guy.

I took a look at the weapons that were hung up on the walls inside of the house we stayed in. There were so many, I had no idea what I wanted to use! There was a battle axe, katana, longsword, mace, and two kodachis! I didn't know much about how to use weapons, but I do know that we have a plethora of them. Most of the men in the kingdom use longswords or katana.

"Wench, what do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha called at me, "You ain't using a sword right now."

I raised an eyebrow. Are we just gonna play pretend?

"What am I going to use then?" I responded, confused.

He sighed, "You gotta work on your skills. And the safest way to start is by using something ya can't hurt yourself with. I don't feel like dealing with a bleeding princess."

I guess that makes sense. I'm happy I don't have to face off with Inuyasha and his huge sword. I've never seen anything like it. It must be some powerful, enchanted sword, given how it grows in size when Inuyasha takes it out.

"Well hurry up, stupid girl! Get out here so we can start!" He demanded. I didn't quite like how snippy he was being with me. I'm a princess, so I never really experienced someone who was openly okay with having an attitude with me. But I'm not so stupid, and I know that training is going to take a lot of patience. If I just argue with him every time he calls me names, I'll never learn how to fight!

I got out there and we started with some brief excerises to help me with my reflexes. I wasn't terrible, but Inuyasha was so fast that he said if I was against a demon who was trying to kill me, I'd already be dead. Well, I guess I can't be too surprised.

For a while, he would randomly move his hands in general random directions and I would have to quickly move to block where his fake attacks would have hit me. Of course, he never actually laid a hand on me. A punch from him would surely break some bones. I just had to react fast enough and accurate enough in order to not be fake killed. But he moved so quickly, it almost felt unreal. Focusing on his movements made me feeling like I was in slow motion. His arms seemed to teleported left and right, up and down. I couldn't believe how exhausted and dizzy I would get just by watching him. Still, I wanna learn how to fight, right? So I can't just give up when it gets tough. If I had to stay out here for days trying to keep up with him just to be good, I'd do it. I hope I don't have to, but I would.

"Alright, Kagome." He said, "How're ya feeling?"

I sighed. We definitely had been going through this exercise for quite some time with very few breaks. He's the real deal, and he's not going easy on me at all. He was just amazingly quick! On the bright side, this has to be doing wonders for my endurance.

"I feel...dead..." I mumbled, being completely honest, "But I don't want to stop. I won't stop."

On one hand, I don't think I've every been this exhausted. My bones felt as if they were slowly transforming into rubber. On the other hand, this would all pay off. I've been so sheltered as a princess. I've never looked a demon in the eyes before all of this. And Mistress Centipede's eyes showcased her malicious intent pretty well. I never want to feel to helpless to someone like that.

"Keh, take a small break. I"m gonna go find some good branches for us to use in the place of real swords." He smirked, "Let's see if you can even wield that."

I sighed. Of course I can wield a stick! Not as well as him I presume but still. He's so condescending. Granted, he's worked his butt off to become as good as he is. I guess he deserves to be this cocky.

Miroku had been in the hut for a while. I assumed he'd been meditating. Or something like that. Shippo had been there with him. He had watched us train for a bit, but understandably got bored. I wandered inside to take a seat while the captain went off to find us some suitable sticks. I couldn't imagine it taking him that long though.

"How is your training, Miss Kagome?" Miroku was sitting with his legs crossed, with only one eye open to look at me. He definitely had been meditating.

"No idea." I laughed, "We spend hours working on my reflexes. So I don't know if that just means I had such bad reflexes or what."

The warrior monk chuckled as well. I was happy to be able to joke around with someone here.

"The captain is giving you a crash course. Working on reflexes, endurance and precision takes much longer than a few hours." He said, "But given your lack of previous training, I would not be surprised if your reflexes were terrible."

I looked back at the wall of weapons, wondering which one I'd pick to take with us. A battle ax may be too much for me. It was so big and it looked much heavier than the rest. I'd definitely need two hands just to lift it back behind my shoulders before swinging it forward for an attack. I'd probably just hurt myself using it.

A katana would be cool. They were so sleek and light, while also being a great weapon that could be very useful. It was a very straight forward and respected weapon. The slight curve of the long blade made it unique. What I was really interested in, though, were the kodachis.

Kodachis were small, short swords. But they were light and seemed easier to wield than the longer swords. And, given that there were two, perhaps I could learn to wield both of them. Yes, my weapon could be dual-kodachis. These light swords don't need both hands, and, with two of them, I could slice through opponents at double the speed!

I imagined myself with them in hand, fighting against a formidable opponent with grace and agility. With two kodachis in my hands, my every move was swift and quick and my opponent was chopped into bits right before my eyes. Yeah, I could see it now. Princess Kagome, a fearsome warrior.

I heard a loud thud coming from outside. Inuyasha must be back. I'm not sure why he didn't just call my name, but I decided to grab the two kodachis and go. Even if I wasn't going to use them right away, I wanted his opinion on my choice. I'm sure he personally prefers the big swords, but maybe he'd agree that, at least for me, these small ones would be great!

I casually ambled out into the warm outside. I was tired but, while holding my (hopefully) future weapons, I felt ready to continue my training. However, the pirate captain was not in sight. Was this another part of my training? Did I have to find him?

I took a look around, seeing nothing but rubble, dust and earth surrounding the area. However, as the wind blew from behind me, there was a scent that was reminiscent of freshly cut grass. Or falling leaves. Although the forest wasn't too far away, this smell was unusual. I hadn't smelled anything similar since I went to the funeral of my late grandmother...

"Chrysanthemums..." I inhaled the peppery, earthy scent. This flowers were known to have a unique scent quite distinguishable from normal, common flowers like sunflowers or roses.

Why would Inuyasha bring flowers back? Especially flowers that are used to honor the dead... Is he doing some odd ceremony for the late Mistress Centipede? Or is he actually compassionate towards the late demon slayers who once lived here? I couldn't see the latter being the case.

I decided to walk around, squinting my eyes trying to find where that hanyou could possibly be. I didn't want the sun to set before I got to complete another training exercise. Unless, of course, this was an exercise. I wandered around for a quite a bit while on my quest to find him before getting impatient. I checked houses, looked up to see on the roofs, and practically investigated every nook and cranny around! All there was left was one corner of this ghost town... where the graves were.

I really didn't think that he'd be the guy to pay his respects to people he never knew. But hey, I guess it'd be a nice gesture. Especially since those other flowers that were placed in respect were dying.

"Inuyasha, you're really quite the surprising pirate!" I exclaimed, turning the corner of one of the destroyed homes and coming upon the burial grounds, "I never thought you'd do something like-"

I was so sure I'd see him there. I didn't even bother to look before I completely announced my presence to...to... who is this woman?

There she was but only 15 feet away. She had large brown eyes that were as deep as the midnight sky. Her skin had light tan while the tone of it was only enhanced by the pink eyeshadow she wore. Her long brown locks were tied up into a single ponytail and her bangs bounced lightly on her forehead as the wind whisked through them.

And she just stared at me as her shadow covers the raised grave like a blanket. I made note of her black, skin tight jumpsuit with pink armor plates. In one hands were the flowers, but in her other hand was an otsuchi. Otsuchis were large war hammers. But I've only seen huge, muscly men carry them around as weapons. They could smash your skull into bits! But this woman was slim. She looked strong, but she wasn't bulky.

Is she the...survivor?

"W-Who are you..." She mumbled, "You don't look like a demon."

Her eyes moved towards the two swords in my hands and an eyebrow raised, "A thief?" Oh no...maybe I taking the weapons of dead people wasn't the best idea.

"Uhh...no you've got it all wrong..." I quickly defended, dropping the weapons from my hands, "I'm not a thief! I just-"

"You mentioned a pirate... is there one around?" She ran close to me. She must have not heard me when I said Inuyasha's name specifcally. Maybe that's a good thing. I hadn't been yelling loud enough. But she did hear the word pirate.

Before I could confirm or deny anything, she grabbed my arms and began running with me out of the village. In the opposite direction of the forest. Is she insane? Demon tribes were in that direction. And, if she's the survivor coming to pay respects, there's no way she herself is a demon.

"Let go of me!" I shouted, but her grip was way too tight for me to break out of it. And if I didn't keep my legs moving, my body would just end up dragging through the dirt!

She stopped running just as the village was out of sight.

"Listen, girl. I don't know who you are. Or why you're in my village, but there's a demon that frequently lurks through there." The woman said, still keeping a tight grip on my wrist so I couldn't run, "Those kodachis alone will not protect you from her."

It seemed as though this demon slayer survivor was trying to protect me from Mistress Centipede. She has no idea that she's dead. The flowers on the graves were dying, so she probably comes back every once in a while to replace them, but doesn't stay super close to the village. That's why she hadn't heard or seen the battle.

"My name is Kagome. I'm a traveler looking for Limestone Cave. My friends and I just stopped in this village to rest before heading out into demon territory." I began to explain, "If you're talking about Mistress Centipede, she already tried to kill us. But we defeated her."

The woman was taken back. Her eyes widened into glowing stars, while her previously shut lips fell open. "Did you just say you and your friends defeated her?"

I nodded my head. She looked down at the ground for a second, seemingly trying to process what I had just told her.

"What kind of warriors are you..." She asked. It didn't seem as though she was directly asking me, though. It seemed as though she was just thinking out loud. Her eyes were still lowered and she didn't bother glancing back up at me.

"...Well... I'm not really a good fighter. But my friends are! One is a pirate captain. The other is a warrior monk." I began, thinking back to my traveling companions, "I also travel with a little fox demon. He's just a child, though, so it's mostly the other two that did all the fighting."

I noticed her expression change from awe to just plain old confusion. She looked up at me with one eyebrow raised, "You're traveling with a pirate captain...and your name is Kagome... wait, you must be the princess!"

She had caught on pretty fast. I wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing or not. Or how someone so secluded from the human villages could have heard of my disappearance. But it was too late to go back on my story. So I nodded uncomfortably and hoped she wouldn't try to turn me in for cash.

"The demons...they're looking for you..." She mumbled, "You're the princess of the demonless kingdom! The spell cast in Midoriko is toxic to demons... You're part of the most hated royal bloodline ever!"

...Uh oh. I never thought of it like that. The demons on the ship didn't mean to mind me... Then again, most of them did ignore me. Am I really hated that much?

"I-I don't really have plans to challenge or reveal myself to any demons..." I responded, feeling a bit uneasy. My shoulders tensed up. It's bad enough that this place is crawling with demons. I don't even want to imagine what I might have to deal with. Could it be worse than the centipede demon?

The woman's face softened as she witnessed my fear and anxiousness, "My name is Sango. I'm a demon slayer and a damn good one at that. If I may ask, why are you traveling with a pirate. Did he not kidnap you?"

I quickly shook my head and explained the situation to her. I told her about Ayame, how I asked to be taken out to sea, and how Inuyasha saved my life. I couldn't help but still feel regret, though. If I had known that I'd end up wanted in a place like this, I probably wouldn't have gone with Inuyasha.

No... I definitely still would have. As long as I thought Ayame was in danger, I would have done anything to see her.

"So...the big bad Captain Inuyasha slain my family's sworn enemy..." She looked back into town, "I owe him a thanks..." I opted not to tell her how Mistress Centipede was really killed. I might be a priestess, but I'm pretty useless without a bit of luck. Besides, Inuyasha did do most of the work along with Miroku.

Still, Sango seemed to be nice enough. And I guess I should just be happy that she wasn't some senseless murderer. She told me I could take the kodachis and that she would take me back to the village to express her gratitude. I wondered where she would go and if she would leave this place.

We began walking back. It was a nice stroll. And interacting with a human girl who wasn't Ayame was refreshing. She seemed so understanding, sweet, and humble. But I didn't want to probe her with questions about her life and past. We had just met and all.

"Kagome!" A deep and ferocious voice bellowed from behind us, and, before we could turn around, a man appeared in front of us, almost as if he ran faster than the speed of light, blocking the pathway back into town.

"K-Kouga?!" I shrieked. Wow that demon is fast. Sango reached over to grip her hammer, noticing that he wasn't human.

Kouga ignored her though, seemingly uninterested in who she was or even how I was doing.

"Is the Captain here? He must be." The wolf demon asked, "There's no way he'd just leave you. And I know he's not dead."

I pointed forward, towards the village, but before I could even say anything else, he ran off.

"That demon... you know him?" Sango asked. She let go of her Otsuchi, noticing his non-violent intentions.

"That is Ayame's beloved... Or so he says." I wasn't sure if I really wanted to believe that Ayame was some wolf demon engaged to him, but there was little I could about it since she wanted to stay with him. The woman nodded in understanding, recalling what I told her about my friend.

Sango still accompanied me back to the village, but when we got there, I saw Inuyasha and Kouga in deep conversation. I decided to approach them anyways, but heard something about betrayal on board. Was someone taking advantage of Inuyasha's absence? I guess its a little odd that the captain had little interest in finding the ship after we crashed, but he was still continuing the mission! He trusted his crew to be fine on their own.

As I got closer to them, they stopped talking and Kouga just looked down.

Inuyasha faced me, ignoring Sango's presence, "Listen, Kagome, we gotta get back to the Goshinboku tonight. I'll train ya some other time."

I didn't know what to think. His brows were almost furrowed together as he just stared at me, inhaling deeply and exhaling quietly. His lips were formed into a slight frown and it seemed as though he was waiting for something. I nodded slowly, letting him know that I understood him and wouldn't protest.

Sango stood uncomfortably, noticing how she was the outcast here. The captain briefly looked over at her, but his shoulders dropped with the weight of the situation just sitting on top of him. We all just were stopped in time for a moment while Inuyasha collected himself.

"So, I take it you're the survivor?" He didn't bother looking at her.

Sango, shocked that he addressed her, stood straight and then went into a bow, "I-I just wanted to thank you for killing Mistress Centipede... My family can rest in peace now..."

"Keh... It was nothing..." He mumbled, "Ya don't gotta show so much gratitude or anything."

Sango raised her head back up and stayed quiet.

Miroku ambled into the scene holding what appeared to be his sacred sword but without the glow, "I guess its spiritual powers couldn't survive within that wretched demon."

Everyone looked over at him as he discovered that we had company. Shippo was trailing behind him but jumped on his shoulder when he saw Kouga and Sango staring.

Inuyasha introduced Kouga and Sango and told him that we'd be heading over to the Goshinboku. They agreed to join us, despite the change in plans.

As we got ready to head out, Sango began going off in the opposite direction. I waved but Miroku ran to her and they began talking for a bit. I wondered if he was going to propose his baby deal to her, but she didn't seem offended at anything he was saying.

I watched them for a bit. Every so often, Miroku would raise his hands to the top of his head and scratch the way people do when they're thinking. However, Sango would often just shrug and look down, seemingly shy like a small child being greeted by a strange adult. Talking to this many people all at once must be a bit hard on her. Her social skills were probably as rusted as an old longsword, and all the words she could use to reply must just dangle in her head like jibberish.

I felt a hand gently fall onto my shoulder while I was looking back at both of them. I turned to see Inuyasha motioning me to keep going, the way a parent would motion their young to follow them.

"He'll catch up..." He said, and before I knew it, he grabbed my wrist and swung me onto his back as if I was as light as a feather. Shippo hopped on as well and we took off with Kouga practically flying next to us.

I wondered if Miroku was asking her about her life. Maybe he asked where she was going. If she even has a place to go. Without her family, she must essentially live like a ghost, forever stuck in her past. I don't think I could ever live so alone...

I shook my head. It was none of my business anyways. I wish her luck on her journey, but there is so much more that I need to focus on.

The ship was on a shoreline. There wasn't much of a beach here, as the forest extended further to the sea, leaving little room for the sand. A few crew members were huddled together, almost like they were gossiping. None had noticed our arrival onto the scene.

The Goshinboku barely looked scratched, almost like it was immune to the dangers at sea. Did the storm have any effect on it? I imagined at the very least rivers were made of the hallways and equipment was swallowed by the ocean. Still, this is one hell of a ship to have made it out looking visibly untouched.

Shippo and I got off of Inuyasha, whose face was layered with a shadow of seriousness I had only seen on the night Jakotsu died. One of the pirates standing on the sand looked over and realized we were here. Or rather, that the captain was here. His faced paled like that of a vampire, while all the bones in his body seemed to become like stone. If I didn't know any better, it was if seeing the captain had shocked him into death.

The others huddled with him looked over, and two quickly ran up the ramp that led to the ship. The remaining two just fell into a bow.

Inuyasha began strutting over to them, and the rest of us quickly followed. What was going on? Why did they look so shocked to see us? They didn't look angry at all. Nor did they even look happy.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Inuyasha asked, putting on hand on his sword.

The two men were breathing hard like the captain was pulling the air from their throats.

"Captain, we-we are just shocked to see you..." One said, "We were told you were dead!"

Dead?

"Keh, you bunch of pathetic bastards think some rain could kill me?" The hanyou barked, clearly agitated.

One quickly shook his head, "No, sir. I didn't think you died at first! But then... one of them...said they saw your dead body."

Inuyasha looked taken back. Could they have been mistaken?

"Who the hell said that...?"

"...Hakodoshi..." One murmured, "People started thinking you were. We all wanted to stop at this near island to try to find you and the other missing crew. He's been so set on leaving already, though... Then he said he saw you floating away..."

Is that what's been causing all of this commotion?

Kouga crossed his arms, "When the rumors started floating around, I knew I had to find you. This crew can't stay put for a goddamn second without its captain."

I looked over at Shippo, who seemed to be at a loss for the situation. I was as well. Why would someone lie like that just to rattle everyone up?

Inuyasha shoved the two men out of the way like they were nothing but mere objects. I felt quite bad for them, but I wanted to stay right next the captain when we boarded. If there was ruckus up there, I didn't want to end up without his protection.

As we walking up the ramp that connected the ground up all the way to the deck, I could hear yelling.

"If that captain is really here, why hadn't he come looking for us? It's been days." A voice was echoing, while a few yeahs followed.

Is this the betrayal that I heard them talking about? Were people planning on taking over the ship and convincing the crew to go along with it? I had a bad feeling about this.

Before we got on the deck, the voice continued to rally the crew, "He cared more about that damn demon hating princess than he did any of us!"

From the lips of the captain, I could hear growls. But he managed not to run on the ship and act rationally.

We marched onto the deck, attracting the eyes of every crew member in sight. Some looked a bit frightened, while others immediately seemed angry. Their eyes were glazed with this hint of rage annoyance. Did this Hakudoshi manage to rile everyone up this much? There's no way everyone here wanted to follow his lead... Right?

Bankotsu shoved his way through the crowd and faced the captain. "It's good to see you back, Captain."

"Heh, doesn't seem like everyone feels that way." Inuyasha commented, nodding back at his mate.

My eyes searched past the crowds and caught a glimpse of a white haired child, standing on top of some boxes. Was he the one rallying the crowds? An almost unnoticeable smirk rested on his face as he watched us closely. He looked just like a kid, though! No more than 12 years old! There's no way anyone would listen to him, right?

His purple gaze did not falter, even as Bankotsu stepped to the side and allowed Inuyasha and to step forward.

"So, ya wanna doubt my authority?" Inuyasha shouted, "Keh, bunch of pathetic, pieces of shit..."

"Maybe I was wrong about seeing you dead," The child spoke, seemingly unafraid of the hanyou, "But you would have been better off that way, anyways."

Inuyasha pulled out his demonic sword, flashing his fangs at Hakudoshi, who remained still. The other crew mates immediately backed away, not wanting to get caught in the cross fire. Still a few remained close to the small pirate. Those must the ones who have already made their choice about whose side they're on.

"What's your game plan, runt..." The hanyou growled, "Think you can lead this ship better than me? This is my ship. And ain't no one more fit to be captain."

One of the men who had remained by the child's side approached us, "You ran off with that little princess...didn't you? Admit it, damn half-breed."

I guess I'm causing more trouble on this ship than I ever wanted to. Do they really think Inuyasha would chose me over this ship and the mission they're all on?

"Keh, keep talking Byakuya and I'll rip that tongue out of your mouth." Captain Inuyasha kept his fighting stance, almost eager to destroy the traitors, "I was looking for the jewel. For all of us. You damn bastards. And now, I gotta waste my time making sure my crew doesn't fucking steal my ship!"

"Oh please..." Hakudoshi smirked, "You can't expect us all to believe that... To prove your loyalty...Kill the girl."

What? They want me dead? Inuyasha wouldn't do that, though...

A few of the men began to nod and shout.

"Kill the girl!"

"We don't need her!"

"She's nothing but some replaceable bitch!"

"Prove your loyalty!"

Replaceable? Inuyasha said he needed me to get the jewel, but if you put it that way, I'm not the only person in the world who could do it. If he kills me, he could just force some other priestess into getting it. There's gotta be thousands of priestesses out there. Does he even have a choice? Am I worth it?

The captain looked back at me, but didn't say anything. Time slowed as I tried to figure out what he was trying to tell me with his amber eyes. But they seemed empty. I noticed his grip on the sword get so tight that his hands began to shake. Hakudoshi kept that grin on his face and just stared directly into the depths of my soul. This glare felt like pins poking at my skin. I was defenseless again!

"This princess has proved her loyalty to me." Inuyasha announced, still glancing over at me, "I will not defile that to please some treacherous child and the stupid idiots that follow him. No... I've got nothing to prove to the likes of you."

Quickly, Inuyasha motioned Bankotsu to come closer and whispered something in his ear. Before I had a chance to even lift a finger, Bankotsu picked me up, along with Shippo, and carried us away from the crowd and towards the Captain's Cabin. I saw the man called Byakuya motion the others with Hakudoshi to attack. Many men stayed on the sidelines, while Kouga launched himself in the air with the intention of going after the child. I saw nothing after that, though. And worried for what was to come.

As we entered the Inuyasha's room, Bankotsu informed us that he would stay to protect us. We had to stay inside, though. And we had to remain ready. I sat down on the captain's bed, at a complete loss.

"Inuyasha's sword...what is it?" I asked, remembering its size in comparison to the small sheath it rested in.

Bankotsu smiled sympathetically at me, "That's the tessaiga...made from his father's fang. That thing has more raw strength in it than any other weapon I've ever seen."

Shippo was shaking in my lap. He must be so shocked and scared.

"Did you hear him, Shippo? Inuyasha has the strongest weapon of all! Everything will be fine!" I tried my best to comfort him, but I was still a bit uneasy myself. Even if Inuyasha wins now, it doesn't mean that everything will go back to normal. I might be more trouble than I'm worth to him.

"Go to sleep." Bankotsu began looking for something in Inuyasha's desk, "Both of you. It'll be better that way." Sleep? How can I possibly sleep in a time like this? And what was he looking for?

I stayed quiet and both Shippo and I just watched him. He pulled out a small, lavender bottle from one of the drawers. Without saying anything, he strolled over to us, took a deep breath and opened the bottle. Purple gas flowed out from it like enchanted smoke from a blazing fire. What was he doing? Was he a traitor as well?

My head began to feel floaty, as if it were detached my neck. My bones began giving up on me and I fell backwards, laying on bed.

"Go to sleep. Captain's orders. Trust me, you'll be fine." The tanned warrior plugged up the bottle and placed it onto Inuyasha's desk. I tried to process what was going on further, but my eyes began to close and thoughts became whispers that I even I couldn't understand. And just like that, I was out.

While surrounded by a dark void, I began feeling a stinging pain. The blackness around me seemed distort itself a bit, but I couldn't make out what was happening.

First, color began appearing from nothing, like paint being thrown at a blank canvass. Red. Silver. Orange. Amber?

Second, I began hearing sound. But it all sounded muffled and distant as if my ears were being covered. I couldn't make out words, just noises. Was someone there?

And then, as if all at once, both my sight and hearing quickly began perfecting themselves. Blurry sounds and images were suddenly clear and I soon realized that I was still in Inuyasha's bed. However, it was not just Bankotsu in the room, now. Inuyasha and Kouga were here as well! The half-demon stood over me, watching me regain consciousness.

"Everyone, out." He said, and the two men left. I noted that Shippo was already gone, leaving me alone in the bed. What happened? Why did Bankotsu put me to sleep?

Inuyasha knelt beside the bed, "Kagome, everything is okay. No one is going to hurt you. The gas you inhaled earlier is a special potion meant to have the body temporarily mimic the effects of death. Your heart appeared to be stopped. And did not appear to breathe. I had Bankotsu do what he did in case someone got in the room. They would think you were already dead and that Bankotsu betrayed me as well."

He wanted to ensure my safety? He's so full of surprises...

"I-I won't let anything happen to you... I promise..." He continued, "You'll sleep in this room. I ordered men to go out and search for the cave. So, for now, while we're here, I'll have escorts follow you. Hakudoshi and Byakuya managed to escape, but their lackeys are dead. So, you should be fine. No one on this ship will question me again."

"I-Inuyasha..." I choked out, "...Thank you..." Once again, this seemingly arrogant jerk turned into the hero.

"Keh, don't worry about it." He said, standing up. I sat up as well, feeling well rested. I'm glad he was okay and that the threat was gone. But I couldn't figure out why he put so much effort into ensuring my safety. It can't all have to do with me getting the jewel for him... Can it?

"You know, I'm not some spoiled princess..." I said, "I won't be a damsel. I don't want to be a burden. There's a lot of things I can do. I can cook, play the piano, clean, or anything like that."

"I'm not letting ya work like a slave on this ship..." He mumbled, "I know you ain't some ditsy little princess. You don't gotta prove that or make anything up to me."

I just needed to have a better reason for being here. I guess maybe if I felt like I was any more beneficial to the captain, maybe I wouldn't feel so out of place. I need more purpose.

"Kagome..." He continued, "You came all the way here to save a friend. Even though I told ya she ain't need saving, you did it anyways. You've already shown the kinda person you are."

D-Does he really admire that I came here for Ayame?

"I've worked with the worst of the worst. Crooks, sick killers, people who lie and betray their friends for a damn dime." He sighed, "Still got people like that on this very ship. Not all of us are like that, but some of em are. And I know the difference between someone authentic and someone ya can't trust for nothing. You're the former."

"I-I don't know what to say..." I whispered. I really had no words. He might not regularly express how he really feels about people, but when he does, it just feels so unreal. I guess I forgot this side of him existed. I kind of like it.

For a moment, we just stared at each other. He hovered over me like some sort of angel, while I just looked up and into his amber eyes. They were like a sweet horizon, now. The kind people stay up to see while the sun disappears under the sea.

"Tonight, I want you to stay in here with me. I'd just feel better if you did..." He whispered. I couldn't tell if he meant that he wouldn't have to worry about me getting attacked or if he just would actually appreciate my company. If he's feeling anywhere near the same way I'm feeling, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter...

"I'll stay here... I want to... as well..." I replied, unsure of where I got the courage to say something like that to a man like him. But as I said it, it was almost like he had never expected me to say something like it. Like he couldn't imagine me wanting to stay with him. He nodded and sat next to me, so that our thighs were touching. I had never just casually sat so close to a man before.

He stared down at his lap for a moment before looking up at me with a slight smirk on his face.

"So, princess, tell me..." He began, "What it's like to live in a castle."

Alright so I think I packed a lot in here...

Just to recap: Inuyasha began training Kagome, they were interrupted when Kagome met Sango, and then Kouga came and Inuyasha had to stop Hakudoshi from taking control of his ship and crew.

I really wanted to lengthen the time period between Kagome and Inuyasha developing this friendship and sparking a more romantic relationship. And, while they aren't together, I just really felt as though it's kind of hard not to develop romantic feelings for someone who continuously saves your life. It's really just psychology. It's easier to see someone in a romantic light when they appear as a hero. And they've both saved each other. But don't worry, it's not going to be lovey-dovey from now on. There is still a lot of character development that needs to take place.

Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! PM me if there's any grammatical issues, I read through it pretty quickly before going to class. Fav, follow and review!