Chap 3: Stronger Together
Disclaimer:
TDTBR- I don't own anything Inuyasha! So here's the story!
Summary: IK MS Kag and San are the captains of the dreaded fleet of pirate females. As most pirates, these scallywags are infamous for tricking and stealing from everyone- especially men. But when, after captain Kagome goes inside one of their ships disguised and ends up steeling the one that the Captains are actually on leaving them not know who she was, the crew finds they're being trailed by the Redcoats, because the Captains have figured Kagome out, what'll they do?
Adventure/Action/Comedy/Romance
Alternate Universe
Inuyasha jumped up and perched on the railing of the ship frantically looking for a rock half way between the cliff and ship. The cliff was far to tall and far away for him to make it in one leap. At last he spotted a large boulder close enough to the ship as well as the cliff. He leapt, as soon as he hit the boulder he pushed off again and he was soon on top of the cliff standing next to Kagome.
Neither said anything they just stood looking at each other. The silence was thick but comfortable.
Kagome fisted her hands tighter into the skirts of her gown but refrained from biting her lip. She almost wanted to cry, she thought the next time she saw him it would be in an all out brawl. However, here she was right now, just standing there staring at him, neither did anything for the longest time.
Inuyasha was the first to move, though he kept silent. He slowly brought his hand up and cupped her cheek, she leaned into his hand and he smiled, stepping closer. He opened his mouth to say something but she promptly placed a finger to his lips silencing him. Dropping her hand she replaced it quickly with her mouth, in a slow kiss. When she pulled away she wrapped her arms around his waist and stepped closer to him.
"Don't say anything," She whispered, "You'll ruin the moment."
He wrapped his arms around her head and laid his cheek on top of her head. They stayed this way for a while, but it did have to end eventually.
"Inuyasha?" Miroku wasn't loud but even at this distance he was heard by the hanyou
"Kagome?" Sango didn't seem to be to far away either.
Inuyasha pulled back and opened his mouth again but was again stopped by Kagome.
She smiled, "It doesn't matter, I'm glad I got to see you." Her eyes filled with pain and he didn't understand why until she spoke, "I realize that the next time we meet we'll probably be enemies again."
Her statement hurt but before he could say anything she had turned and was gone. He turned around and went back to the ship.
"Kagome?" Sango frowned.
Kagome sighed and stared up at the sky from her perch up above the deck.
"Kagome!" Sango furrowed her brows.
Kagome shifted, leaned against the mast and let her feet hang.
"KAGOME!" Sango yelled.
Kagome's eyes widened as she was thrown from her reverie and she leaned back a little to far and fell from her perch. She quickly did a flip in midair and caught the pole. She hung there for a moment before dropping to the deck, landing softly in front of Sango, "Yes?"
"Are you sure you're alright?" Sango frowned again.
"Yeah, I'm fine," She smiled, "Why?"
"You've been off in your own world all day, and you've been sighing a lot." Sango stated.
"Really?" Kagome cocked her head to the side, and shrugged, "Hm, well I guess it can't really be helped, my mind is in another place."
She stood beside Sango, leaning against the railing and looking out at the sea. "Did I ever tell you about Inuyasha and I? How everything happened? How we ended up away from home?"
Sango shook her head, blinking, "No, why?"
"You know," She ignored the question Sango had asked, "We can never beat each other. We're equals, our swords are the same. Except for one factor of the swords they are no different."
"That factor is?" Sango encouraged her to continue.
"My sword, Torensaiga, is made from my father's fang, Kenji's fang. Inuyasha's sword, Tessaiga, is made for his father's fang, Inutaisho's fang. They can't beat each other, they wield the same powers, and they're much stronger together than apart. They're useless against each other." She stared down at the water, not noticing that the crew was beginning to gather to listen to her talk. She sighed, pausing.
"Go ahead," Sango said.
"Our father's," She smiled, "They were always best friends, always. They were together their whole lives, even when they found mates and had families. I remember we all lived in the same house; it was a huge house, of course. Inuyasha and I were like them; I don't remember a day that I didn't spend with Inuyasha. You know, both of our father's found human wives, but Inuyasha's got an older half brother, he's full youkai. Our mother's were best friends, too."
Inuyasha's brother inherited Tensaiga, sword of heaven, my brother got Sounga, sword of hell. Inuyasha's brother, Sesshoumaru, he disappeared when we were 13 and then we disappeared. Our father's warned us, we weren't to go to far from the island; the current would drag us away. That it did, I almost died, you know. Out on the ocean all you can smell is salt," She sniffed the air, "like now, salt was all I could smell. We never found our way back to the island and we were stuck out on the open sea for 3 weeks. What little supplies we'd had were gone, but then we found land, wonderful land. But it wasn't the island; I haven't seen my home since then. We'd hit mainland, Inuyasha took me to a doctor, I was half dead as it was but, Inuyasha begged him to save me. Together, after I returned to health, we worked off the debt. And then…"
"What?"
"He left me," She cocked her head to the side frowning, "I worked for the man I killed, the man who try to… well that was just before I met you Sango. I still remember, how close I was to death, how it felt to be that close. Death doesn't scare me much anymore, when I was left alone I thought I would die, in such a strange place. But I didn't and I never thought I'd see Inuyasha again; it's been a year. I wonder…will I ever get home?"
"Sure you will," Sango smiled, "I'll help you find the island."
Kagome smiled, "That island, it was so peaceful, happy. Nothing bad ever happened, I find myself forgetting it though. You know, no one knew about the island, but I'm sure they've found it by now, especially with the map gone. I doubt I'll ever find home again." She turned around and blinked. "What are you all doing?"
The crew all jumped to attention and one woman said, "Listening to your story?"
"Get back to work!" She pointed in the opposite direction.
All the women quickly made their way back to where they were supposed to be.
Kagome ruffed the skirts of the dress she wore; she scowled, "Are these all that necessary?"
"Yes, they are," Sango handed her a fancy hat, "We're not just stealing stuff, we're crashing their party!"
Kagome glared at her, putting the hat over her Inu ears, "We have to crash it in disguise?"
"Hey, it's your plan not mine, like I would ever make up a plan this risky anyway. The damn navy is going to be at the ball and we're going! Again, your plan, so deal with it," Sango held her skirts and walked off the ship.
Kagome grumbling, placing the hat on her head, and followed Sango, "Next time you make up the plan!"
Sango chuckled and glanced back at their ship, their flag had been replaced with a flag that told people they weren't pirate's, she didn't even know what flag is was, she really didn't pay attention to which country's flag they put up, they were lying anyway.
Kagome sighed, walking at a quick pace next to Sango, "You told them to be ready to sail out of port as soon as possible, right?"
"Of course I did, Kagome!" Sango said, "Once we finish the minor pillaging at the ball we can scour the town for anything and them leave right away."
"Good," Kagome scowled, "I don't want to be in this dress any longer than I have too." She cast a look at the ships sitting in the harbor. A few navy ships sat among merchant and trading ships.
Kagome turned and looked back at her ship, "Hey!" She barked and motion on the ship stopped at the whole crew turned towards her, "Have fun!" She gestured towards town, "Just don't get caught by them," She looked at the navy ships, "You have ½ an hour! If you're not back on the ship when we get back you'll be left!"
Looking back out at the harbor, she recognized a ship. She paused and stared at the ship, it couldn't be. She'd only caught a brief glance of Inuyasha's new ship at the island, this one couldn't be it, they just looked similar. She wanted to see him so much that she was becoming delusional.
As her crew filtered off the ship, she and Sango turned back in the direction of their destination, the ball.
Inuyasha brushed his hands down the length of the violet frock coat he wore. There was a knock on the door; he didn't even look away from the long mirror in front of him, "Hold on, Miroku!" He pulled the jacket tight over his shoulders once more and, grabbing the large hat on his desk, threw open the door. As he closed the door he placed the hat atop his head. "Do you know how much I hate this?" He gestured to the outfit.
"About as much as I do?" Miroku grinned.
"No," He growled, "More!"
Miroku laughed, "Well, you only have to deal with it for a couple of hours." He ruffled the frills on his poet's shirt.
"A couple of hours is a couple to many," He grumbled.
"Fine, next time you can decide how we get into the party." Miroku turned and walked, dignifiedly of the ship. "Hell, next time we'll just crash the ball and get our selves killed."
Inuyasha snorted, "Whatever," He looked back toward the ship, catching sight of the navy ships as well as an extremely familiar looking ship. He shook off the feeling and turned away, following Miroku away from the docks.
As soon as she entered the ballroom, Kagome was the perfect lady. She was polite, obedient, and cheery. She was not a pirate at the moment and everyone here had no clue that she had ever been a pirate. Sango was with her until a man came to ask her to dance; she gave him the once over and accepted. Kagome figured she'd found something valuable to steal off of him.
A man with long brown hair, tied back, approached her. He was dressed in a deep blue frock coat; she spotted a gold chain hanging out of the pocket on his hip. She knew that at the end of that chain was a nice pocket watch. When he asked her to dance she accepted and took his out stretched hand.
As he led her to the dance floor she asked, "Your name, good sir?"
"You may call me Houjou, madam," He smiled down at her.
"Kumiko, if you will," She gave a false name, and looked at him in surprise.
"May I ask, Miss Kumiko, why you are so surprised at my name?"
"I knew a boy when I was younger, that looked remarkably similar to you. Though, I know you aren't he, for that boy would never leave the town I once lived in. That boy is also much younger than thee." She stated.
"I also know that I am not this boy you speak of, for I would never forget such a face as yours had I seen it before. Because I can not recall your face I know that I am not this boy," He spun her into a waltz as they reached the dance floor. "You don't live around here, do you Miss Kumiko?"
"No, Sir," She said, "I do not, I have come with a friend. We don't plan to stay long but the captain of our ship said we had time to come to the ball."
As the waltz ended they came to a stop, he glanced down at her, "May I ask for another dance?"
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline this time," As she spoke she reached out and using her speed she quickly snatched the watch from his pocket, the move went unnoticed by him and she turned away, glancing over her shoulder she said, "I'm sorry."
She headed over to a secluded corner, where she stowed the watch. When she turned around a flash of silver caught her eye. She gasped and looked around but she saw no silver. She sniffed the air but there were to many people and to many different scents to place just one. She slid along the wall staying in the shadows, looking through the crowds. She pasted a staircase and was about to leave the shadows and give up hope when someone grabbed her and dragged her under the staircase. She yelped but someone's lips muffed the sound, someone was kissing her, she went stiff as a board.
She was about to fight and tear this guy to shreds but she paused. This was familiar, she knew this person; she'd been kissed by this person before. She relaxed, inhaling she took in his scent. She pressed her body to his and kissed back. After several minutes, she reluctantly pulled away from the kiss.
"You scared the shit out of me, Inuyasha," She laid her head against his chest.
"Sorry," He smirked.
"Either way, I've missed you," She whispered.
"I didn't get to talk last time," He said, "I wanted to say that I'm sorry. For everything, everything that I ever did to hurt you."
Kagome blinked, "You don't have to-"
"Just listened," He glared at her, "I'm sorry that I left you a year ago. I'm sorry that I forgot you. I'm sorry that I hit you. I'm not going to ask you to forgive me. I've done to many things to expect that from you, I don't deserve your forgiveness. I'm not going to try to explain myself to you because I can't even explain my actions to myself. All I can say is it happened and I wish it hadn't."
"Are you done?" She stared up at him.
"Yes," He nodded.
"I forgive you," She kissed him on the cheek.
He looked at her in surprise and then confusion, "Why?"
"Because I-"
At that moment, Sango pasted them and whispered, "Kagome?"
Kagome sighed and pecked him on the cheek, "I'll tell you later."
"Right here," She stepped out of the shadows. "What is it?"
"We should leave soon," She murmured, "We're pushing out luck."
"She's right," Inuyasha leaned in between them, as Sango gaped at him he continued. "You've been here just as long as we have so I do say its time we leave."
"There you are," Miroku approached them. "Are we leaving?"
"Yes," Inuyasha watched as Kagome and Sango walked off, "Wait! Avoid that…wall."
"That's where the posters are," Miroku's eyes widened, "Are they…?"
"Yes," He nodded, "We have to go after them."
"Inuyasha what if we get caught," Miroku grabbed his arm, "Better them than us!"
"No, we're going after them," Inuyasha grabbed Miroku and dragged him off.
He caught up to Kagome and stopped her just as they reached the papers posted on the wall, "You shouldn't have come this way."
"Why?"
He pointed up at the posters, "That's why!"
Kagome looked up and saw 'Wanted' signs posted all along the wall. There were 4 that immediately caught her eye for they were large and detailed. All 4 were around the same size, and each displayed a picture of the group standing before them. There was one of her, one of Inuyasha, one of Miroku and one of Sango.
She blinked, "No one will notice us. It's a ball; they'll never look at the posters and then at us. The connection won't be made. Either way we should leave now."
She turned around and almost ran into a woman who had been standing behind her, "Oh I'm sorry."
"No wo…" She trailed off as she stared at Kagome, then she looked behind Kagome. Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha held their breath as the woman looked at each of the four and then at the wall. As she opened her mouth, Kagome and Inuyasha quickly pressed their hands against their hats trying to muffle the high-pitched scream that the woman emitted.
"Time to go!" Kagome pushed through the crowd as the woman broke into hysterics.
"It's them! It's them!" She frantically pointed to the wall and then to the 4 pirates.
Kagome growled, "RUN!"
"How the hell are you going to run in those?" Miroku gestured to the gowns.
"We're not!" Sango said, ripped the skirts off the gown she wore. Then she pointed to the white trousers that had been underneath as well as the boots that had been covered, "We'll run in these, and I even brought my sword."
Kagome did likewise and pulled the skirts away from her, leaving them behind. She wore black breeches instead of white. "Sango! Hop on," She paused briefly as Sango jumped on her back then she broke into a sprint. She looked over her shoulder, "You'd better move! Fast!"
Inuyasha shook his head and grabbed Miroku, and quickly followed Kagome. He went straight to his ship and dumped Miroku on deck, "Time to leave!" He looked back at the town and realized that they wouldn't make it far enough before they reached the docks.
Kagome had done the same as Inuyasha, dropping off Sango and ordering the crew to pull out of port. She immediately turned and went back in the direction she came, but not before going to her quarters to get Torensaiga. She was ready for the fight that was to come. When she spotted Inuyasha she jogged over to him and they waited together for the opposing force to come.
"You stay back!" Inuyasha ordered as some of the faster officers came into sight.
Kagome raised an eyebrow, "I'm beginning to consider you very possibly, clinically insane."
"Three different nations already do," He smirked.
"Funny," She rolled her eyes, "By the way I'm not staying back. I'm fighting. They're only humans."
"No, you're staying back. There are to many of them."
"All the more reason for me to fight!" She barked.
"Just stay back," He said.
She snorted, "Fine." She stood back behind him and stuck her sword into the ground, leaning against the hilt.
Inuyasha easily chopped down the first few men. As soon as the larger group appeared, however, he began to struggle and was soon surrounded. "Damn it!"
"Would you like my help now?"
"NO!" He bellowed. He cursed again as they began overwhelm him, concentrating on taking him down first.
"Now?"
"No," He muttered loud enough for her to hear.
"Now."
He growled and several men pounced toward him as once, "Fine! Help!"
"I thought so," She jumped and pulled him out of the crowd just in time. She landed several hundred yards back into town, and turned to glare at him, "I may be a woman but I don't care if you want to protect me or think that you have to, I can still fight. I am a hanyou, just like you and I can take on many, many humans just like you, and even youkai just like you." She slapped him upside the head.
"Fine, fine, whatever," He sighed.
The short conversation ended as the enemy came closer, "Ready?"
"Ready," He smirked. He lifted the fang before bringing it down in his classic attack, "Kaze No Kizu!"
Kagome repeated the move, which combined they effected whipped out about 90% of the force opposing them. The small remaining group look scared shitless and ready to run but they didn't, they charged.
Inuyasha sighed and quickly placed his sword back in its sheath before lifting if arm and raking it downward through the air yelling "Sankon Tessou!"
That was the last of it, Kagome had to do nothing but re-sheath her sword and turn to Inuyasha, "You know, if we keep meeting like this I'm going to have to stop passing it off as coincidence and call it stalking."
"Are you accusing me of stalking you?" Inuyasha scoffed.
"No, not yet," She chuckled and turned back towards the docks, "If we just run into each other again I will call you a stalker though, but not an unwanted stalker." She flashed him a smirk over her shoulder.
"It's nice to know that I'm not unwelcome."
"Of course you're not unwelcome," She smiled, "You keep me entertained."
He laughed and grabbed her by the wrist, "I suppose I can entertain you some more," He pulled her to him and his lips met hers. "So am I one of those guys who fall into the category of men you don't hate?"
She laughed, "Feel privileged, that list is extremely short right now."
"I think that I could change your mind, I have some gentlemen in my crew," He informed her.
"Some how I doubt that," She pulled away, "and for now we must part."
He frowned, "When will I see you again?"
"Possibly soon, possibly never," She turned and bolted down the docks, not to get away from him but for the reason that she needed a running start to reach her ship in one leap.
Inuyasha watched her for a moment before taking off down another dock to get to his ship.
Miroku glanced at Inuyasha out of the corner of his eye. He did a double take so fast he almost got whiplash, as he registered the expression on Inuyasha's face. He was worse than he had been after he realized it had been Kagome who stole their ship.
"Well," Miroku commented, "Aren't you positively… 'glowy' today."
"Go to hell," Inuyasha murmured.
"I have never ever seen you this sulky," Miroku said.
"I will repeat myself, 'Go to hell!'," He growled.
"Seriously, you look like someone put your puppy in the oven."
"Just drop it," He snarled.
"Sorry, sorry," Miroku held his hands up in defense, "I just didn't think you'd be like this after you saw her and all that shit."
"The thing is I might never see her again," He moped, "I hate leaving her."
"I doubt that you will never see her again. You'll probably see her soon, in fact," Miroku clapped his friend on the back. "Invite me to the wedding, by the way."
"What?" Inuyasha frowned.
"Your wedding. When you marry her, invite me, k?" He smirked.
Inuyasha resisted the urge to throw him over board, "Whatever, go annoy someone else for once."
"But you're my favorite person to annoy," Miroku smiled and ducked the fist that was sloppily thrown in his direction, before quickly retreating to helm.
"Ladies, ladies, ladies," Kagome paced back and forth in front of her crew, hands fisted behind her back, face contorted in anger, "Need I remind you what exactly I expect from you as members of this crew, of my crew, of Sango's crew?"
There was a collective, "No, Captain."
"Then, why are we slacking off here?" She paused in her pacing and looked pointedly down at the ropes piled messily at her feet. "Who did this?"
The women looked back and forth at each other but no one wanted to claim the job.
"These are not supposed to be piled like this, or setting here! Every last one of you knows how to coil ropes and where to put them if they are not being used to tie something up!" She walked further down the ship and stopped again, "Who tied this?"
Again, none of the women claimed the messy work.
"If I didn't know any better, I would think that every last one of you wanted the ship to come crashing down on us, while we're in the middle of the ocean." Kagome glared, resuming her pacing.
Sango stood at helm, shaking her head.
"No more! We are not housewives here! We do not simply mend clothing all day, do laundry, and take care of whiny children! We are pirates! We know how to take care of this ship! We know the seas better than any other women out there!" She stopped, facing all the women, "Why exactly have we been slacking off?"
No one answered.
"No reason?" Kagome feigned surprise, "Come now, there must be some reason. Someone has to has some sort of excuse."
Sango sighed, "You know that none of them will answer Kagome!"
"Still I have to try," Kagome shrugged. "Now, if any of you feel even the slightest need to do this again, promptly go jump over board because if you don't I will inevitably make you shark food if this happens again. So simple solution, this doesn't happen again! Understood? Good! Back to work!"
Kagome grumbled as she stomped off to her quarters and slammed the doors behind her, the door creaked loudly in protest as a reminder of her anger. Her crew scampered around the ship, fixing anything that was wrong and continuing with the work they should've been doing.
Sango sighed again and returned to steering the ship.
Kagome sat at her desk, a map in front of her. Though she wasn't even looking at the map. She was thinking about Inuyasha again. She wanted to see him again, but she probably wouldn't without a reason. So she'd decided to get the only reason she could think of.
She looked back down at the map on the desk. She'd decided to search for the map, the map to her home, to their home. So far she was extremely unsuccessful. Chances were she'd never find it but that didn't stop her from trying. If she found the map she could see Inuyasha again, and how she wanted to see him again.
She sighed and banged her head against the desk a few times; this was getting her nowhere. She should just go see him without a reason. She should go tell him that she loved him. But she was a pirate for god's sake; she couldn't do either of those, not right now at least. She'd find that damned map and she'd see him again.
Inuyasha growled, half ready to shred the map to pieces. He crossed off yet another port and the pinched the bridge of his nose. This was extremely frustrating. How many places would they search before they found it? Would they search forever? Because if they'd had to search for any more than another year he'd be beyond insane. He was already half way there; any more time and he wouldn't make it. It'd kill him.
He needed to find this map, he needed this, it was his life because it was his reason to seek her, to find her. It was a reason to track her ass down and never let her go.
He stomped from the room, glaring at anyone who even looked at him. "Miroku!"
"What?" Miroku turned around and blinked. "What now?"
Inuyasha snarled, "I'm pissed! If we don't find this fucking map I will go mad. Do you hear me? I will go INSANE!"
"I get it," Miroku said. "We'll find the damn map."
"Chances are we never will," Inuyasha slouched over the railing.
"What?"
"It's a damned map," Inuyasha sighed, "The navy has probably already found it and gone and killed my family and demolished the island and the map with it."
"So you give up on her that easily?" Miroku frowned.
"Hell no," He furrowed his brows, "If we don't find this map in half a year I'll go find her with out a reason because I will literally die without her, Miroku. You'll understand once you've fallen in love."
"I'm sure I will," Miroku patted his friends back in sympathy.
"Actually, I hope you never do understand. I hope you'll find it easier than I do," Inuyasha sighed. "Alright, you know where to go. We'll try to find the map at the next port."
The damned map was the key!