Geez! I finally got all the chapters up, revised and revised again, and now I'm done until the next chapter, which should be up pretty quick here...depending on my mood. But it's already half written so it won't take long to finish up. Well...I hope you like what I've done so far!
Chapter 8: I'm Still Here
Inuyasha stepped down the stairs to the galley, where all the crew members were chatting and murmuring amongst each other.
"So…we're all here, then," Inuyasha said casually, standing in front of the crew.
"Excuse me," the crow's nest member squeaked, running past Inuyasha to sit someplace else.
"Fine." Inuyasha smirked, returning to his pep talk. "Now, if you don't mind my getting to the point, guys…"—the demon brought out a clawed hand—"…are you all…COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF HOW UTTERLY STUPID YOU ALL ARE?!"
Inuyasha swiped his claw towards a crew member, narrowly missing his head. The little guy yelped and ducked his head, trembling violently.
"After all the trouble I went through to get us all hired as a high-rankin' crew…you wanna blow everything we've worked for before we can get anywhere?!" Inuyasha snapped. He got in Shan Yu's face, baring his fangs.
"The girl was sniffing about," Shan Yu snarled.
Inuyasha growled in his throat. "You just stick to the plan, you pathetic human." He grinned thoughtfully. "As for the girl…I'll run her so ragged, she won't have time to think."
Shippo laughed as he mopped along side Jaqulin. He had transformed himself into a mop and was helping the girl clean the deck. When Jaqulin stopped, Shippo changed back to a fox child. He hiccupped, releasing a few soap bubbles. Jaqulin grinned, leaning on her mop.
"Well, this has been a fun day, huh?" Jaqulin asked sarcastically, examining her and Shippo's cleaning job. "Making new friends…like that balding freak."
Shippo poofed into a spitting image of Shan Yu. "I'm a balding freak, I'm a balding freak!" he cried, raising his hands in the air.
"Heh. A little uglier."
"MWAHAHA!" Shippo yelled as he made an ugly face.
Jaqulin nodded in approval. "Pretty close," she said.
"Well, look at this," Inuyasha remarked. Jaqulin and Shippo whipped around and saw the half demon climbing the stairs with a huge cooking bowl in his hands. "Up here for an hour and the ship's still in one piece." He dumped the contents over the side of the ship.
"Aww, I wanted that!" Shippo wailed while watching the spoils falling out into space.
"Um, Inuyasha?" Jaqulin started. Inuyasha set the bowl down and looked at her.
"Yeah, kid?" Inuyasha replied.
"I, uh…what you did…thanks." Jaqulin smiled softly.
Inuyasha's ears flattened slightly, looking directly into Jaqulin's eyes. "Didn't your old man teach ya to pick your fights better than that?"
Jaqulin's smile faded immediately and she slowly went back to her cleaning job. Inuyasha studied her.
"Not the teachin' type?"
Jaqulin glanced up, not looking at Inuyasha. "No," she answered. "He was more the taking-off-and-never-coming-back type." She sighed heavily as she leaned on the ship, gazing at the stars.
"Oh." Inuyasha stood beside Jaqulin. "I didn't have a dad either while growin' up, kid. You just gotta get used to it. I turned out all right in the end."
Jaqulin scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah. You're the kid every parent wishes they had." She shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Jaq."
"Hey, no big deal," Jaqulin responded with a simple shrug. "I'm doing just fine."
Inuyasha smiled to himself at this remark. This kid's got guts, he thought. I like that. He glanced over at Jaqulin.
"Is that so?" Inuyasha said thoughtfully, scratching his ear. "Well, since the good ol' captain's put you in my charge…like it or not, Jaq, I'll be pounding a few skills into that thick skull of yours. You know, just to keep you out of trouble and all."
Jaqulin's jaw dropped and pushed away from her leaning position to confront Inuyasha. "What?" she questioned.
"From now on, kid, I'm not lettin' you out of my sight."
"You can't do...!"
"You won't eat, sleep, or even scratch your back without my permission, got that?"
"Don't do me any favors!" Jaqulin spat.
"Oh, you can be sure of that, Jaq," Inuyasha replied. "You can be sure of that." He laughed.
Jaqulin hung on a swinging platform beside the underside of the ship, scraping barnacles that had attached themselves. Inuyasha sat beside her.
"Put some elbow into it!" he shouted.
I am a question to the world
Not an answer to be heard
Or a moment
That's held in your arms
Jaqulin and Aerith watch husband and father leave the house once more. Aerith holds Jaqulin close.
Inuyasha showed Jaqulin how to make a noose from the rope, but Jaqulin didn't really pay attention to him. Inuyasha looked up and found Jaqulin gone. He looked down below and saw the girl walking away with her hands in her pockets. Inuyasha discovered a perfect replica of his own noose and he grinned.
And what do you think you'd ever say?
I won't listen anyway
You don't know me
And I'll never be what you want
Me to be
Jaqulin scrubbed the deck with only a small brush and a bucket of soapy water.
And what do you think you'd understand?
I'm a girl, no, I'm a woman
Inuyasha stepped over to inspect Jaqulin's work. The girl stood to her full height and looked Inuyasha in the eye. Inuyasha took another bucket of water and threw it onto the deck, telling Jaqulin to finish. Jaqulin started scrubbing again.
You can take me and throw me away
And how can you learn what's never shown
Yeah, you stand there on your own
Jaqulin and her father laugh as they run through a field of yellow flowers. Her father snatches her up and sweeps her off her feet, holding the little girl high in the air. Jaqulin squeals with excitement.
They don't know me
'Cause I'm not here
And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Want to hold on and feel I belong
And how can the world want me to change?
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me
'Cause I'm not here
Jaqulin watches other girls put on makeup and pretty clothes, doing their hair as they chatter excitedly to each other. Jaqulin shakes her head and walks away. A single tear falls from her eye.
And you see the things they never see
All you wanted—I could be
Now you know me
And I'm not afraid
Inuyasha and Jaqulin sparred with each other on the ship. Jaqulin performed a back-flip and kicked Inuyasha to the ground. The half demon jumped to his feet, taking the girl's arm and knocking her down.
And I want to tell you who I am
Can you help me be a woman?
They can't break me
As long as I know who I am
And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Want to hold on and feel I belong
And how can the world want me to change?
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me
But I'm still here
Inuyasha and Jaqulin lowered a smaller ship into space. Inuyasha hopped on, saluted Jaqulin, then soared away. The smile on Jaqulin's face faded as she watched him leave.
They can't tell me who to be
'Cause I'm not what they see
And the world is sleepin'
While I keep on dreamin' for me
Jaqulin is sleeping in her bed until she realizes that her father was supposed to be leaving. She looks frantically out her window and sees him walking towards the boat in the dock. The young teen sprints down the stairs, finding her mother sobbing at the table. Jaqulin makes a mad dash for her father just as he steps onto the boat, which takes off right as she reaches it.
And their words are just whispers
And lies that I'll never believe
Inuyasha flew underneath the ship where the docking bay was located and found Jaqulin still standing there. He beckoned to her with a smile. Jaqulin grinned happily and leaped into the ship. Inuyasha explained how to use the ship, the steering and the acceleration. Jaqulin didn't let him finish; she put the ship in high speed and jerked the steering stick forward, shooting herself and Inuyasha into the stars.
And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Want to hold on and feel I belong
And how can the world want me to change?
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me
'Cause I'm still here
Jaqulin steered the smaller boat into a comet, following its course through emptiness. She made it barrel roll as she and Inuyasha clung to the sides.
I'm the one
'Cause I'm still here
Jaqulin smoothly soared out of the comet and glanced back at Inuyasha, who was shaking like a dog to rid himself of the comet dust covering him. Jaqulin laughed.
I'm still here…
Inuyasha lifted his head when he heard Jaqulin laughing. He smirked and eventually broke into a laugh himself. He brushed off the dust in Jaqulin's hair while the girl redirected their boat to the main ship.
I'm still here…
