InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shi-Bun-No-Ichi Yasha ❯ Arrival ( Chapter 10 )

Shi-Bun-No-Ichi Yasha

Part 10

After many exhausting hours of travel, two girls, two demons, and a monk finally arrived in Massachusetts of the USA. They disembarked wearily and headed for the luggage pickup. Many people gave the group odd stares, not so much for their appearance as for the baggage they were lugging around: a priest's staff, an enormous boomerang, and a backpack occasionally spilling leaves and acorns due to the antique katana poking out of it.

"What kind of language are these people talking, Kagome?" Inu Yasha eyed the crowded airport suspiciously.

"It's English." Kagome replied. "I've been studying it for a while now, but I don't know if that'll be enough to get us by."

"I'll be glad to help!" came a familiar voice.

Kagome whipped around to come face to face with Chikara, who was smiling pleasantly at them. Inu Yasha eyed the girl, then looked the other way.

"Chikara!" Sango and Kagome cried as they embraced the future girl tightly.

"Hey, I was waiting for you guys!" Chikara grinned. "What kept you?"

"We couldn't help it." Sango laughed. "We came as fast as we could!"

"I know, I know." the girl beamed. "So, do any of you know English?"

"I understand a little bit." said Kagome.

"This language is so strange!" Sango remarked. "So many words with weird sounds to them!"

"They say English is the hardest language to learn." Chikara explained. "But knowing a little can get you a lot. Look up there!"

She pointed to a sign above them that had a whole bunch of things written in different languages. One part was written in Japanese.

"You see?" she continued. "Here in America, they make it easy for anyone to adapt quickly."

"Intriguing." Said Miroku. "But how many people can read it?"

"Everyone learns to read nowadays." Kagome shrugged. "Rich and poor both go to school side by side. Of course, back home, if you're poor, you can't go to college."

"A higher type of school, I'm guessing?" Miroku inquired.

"Yup." Chikara replied. "But in America, they have laws to make it possible for everyone to go to college."

"Whoa!" cried Shippo.

"This world is even stranger than I thought!" Sango blinked.

"Tell me about it!" said Shippo.

Gathering all of their English skills, Chikara and Kagome led the group through customs and out to a taxi.

"Where are we staying?" Kagome blinked.

"Okaa-san made arrangements for us to stay at the Moby Dick Motel." Chikara explained.

"It's a little ways off from where the shard is, but not by much."

"What did you say the name of the… motel… was?" Miroku looked uneasy.

"The Moby Dick Motel." Chikara repeated.

The two demons simply couldn't contain themselves. Shippo went to slap his knee, but accidentally slapped Inu Yasha's cap over his eyes. Still laughing, Inu Yasha bonked Shippo on the head. The fox merely said ouch and continued laughing. Chikara stared at them oddly.

"Was Otou-sama always like this back then?" Chikara whispered to Kagome.

"Nah," Kagome replied. "But let 'em laugh. I don't get to see Inu Yasha laugh very often."

Miroku shook his head. Was the name of the motel THAT funny? He was going to meditate the remainder of the trip, but his curiosity got to him.

"Why would someone give such a name to an inn…er… motel?" the houshi asked.

"I think there was an old book written here in America that had that name." Kagome stared at the ceiling as she recalled her English studies. "Something about a big, mean white whale that bit off someone's leg."

"How awful!" the monk remarked. "Why would anyone want the name of such a demon for an inn?"

Kagome spent the rest of the car ride explaining to Miroku what she knew of how America worked. Meanwhile, each time the white whale's name was mention, Shippo and Inu Yasha would laugh ridiculously.

***********************************************

They checked into the Moby Dick Motel and settled into their room. The boys would take one bed and two of the girls would take the other, meaning that someone would have to sleep on the floor. Chikara chose to take the floor.

"It feels warm as if there was a fire going in here, but there is none." said Miroku.

"The place is heated through vents." Chikara explained. "The fire is elsewhere though."

"Heat without sun or fire." the houshi shook his head. "And I'm guessing cold can be made anywhere as well?"

"Check out the fridge." Kagome grinned, pointing to the small refrigerator in the corner of the room. Miroku timidly tugged at the door and was welcomed by a rush of cold air. He slammed the door and grabbed his staff, ready to exorcise a demon if necessary. Shippo just cocked his head to the side curiously.

"Don't worry, Miroku." Kagome reassured him. "There's no demon in there. It's a machine, like just about everything else nowadays."

"What is this 'cold box' for?" the monk tapped the fridge cautiously.

"For keeping food cold and fresh." Chikara answered.

"Yeah," said Kagome. "Ever wonder how when I first come through the well, we all drink out of metal cans and they're very cold? It's because they've been in one of those things."

"I… uh… I see…" Miroku blinked, but didn't say anymore.

"Enough with the dumb talk!" Inu Yasha sat himself down on the bed. "Where's the Shikon shard we came here for? How are we going to get it?"

"Well, the shard is at the New Bedford Whaling Museum." Chikara explained. "I know it's in a wall painting of Moby Dick-"

Needless to say, the demons started snickering. Not usually one to punish Shippo and Inu Yasha simultaneously, Kagome sat the giggling, squirming fox demon on the hanyou's lap. Nodding to Chikara, they said the magic word simultaneously.

OSUWARI!

*WHAM!!*

Inu Yasha crashed to the floor with Shippo under him. Snickers and giggles quickly turned to groans and curses. Sango and Chikara just snickered under their breath while Miroku sweatdropped. The conversation soon resumed.

"As I was saying," Chikara continued. "the Shikon shard is in a painting at the museum. But I've got a really bad feeling about it. I don't know why. Maybe I got this 'sixth sense' from being shibun youkai or because of Okaa-san's powers."

"And Kagome's sense of doom is rarely off." remarked Inu Yasha, cracking his knuckles to bear his claws. "Hehe, I hope whatever we encounter puts up a good fight!"

"I hope that's not the case." said Chikara. "That room is where kids go to play on a giant model boat. If there's a fight, they could get hurt or worse!"

"Feh!" Inu Yasha spat. "If those brats don't wanna die, they'll move!"

"It's not that easy, Inu Yasha." Kagome stared at him seriously. "Movies and television are so advanced these days that the kids might think it's all just a harmless act and stay to watch. We can't have that if a fight breaks out!"

"Yeah, dog-breath!" Shippo hit Inu Yasha's arm lightly. "What if it was Chikara that was in danger? Would you worry then?"

"How many times do I have to remind you I DIDN'T MATE WITH KAGOME!" Inu Yasha roared.

"SHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Kagome shushed loudly. "The neighbors don't need to hear you!"

"Feh!" Inu Yasha sharply turned away. "What do I care? It's not like they can understand me anyway!"

"But they can hear you and get us all kicked out!" Kagome death-glared.

"And personally," Miroku said, pressing down on one of the beds. "I would much rather sleep indoors rather than outdoors."

"Anyways," Chikara continued. "What I think we should do is-"

"And since WHEN do the travel plans fall to a little shrimp like you?" Inu Yasha glared.

"I'm from the future, Otou-baka!" Chikara made an annoyed face at the dog demon that Kagome recognized from all the times it had been given to her, Inu Yasha's courtesy no less. "I know where we're going, when we're going, and how we're gonna go about getting the shard. Do you wanna argue with me?"

"You're not even old enough to mate, nevermind make decisions for the group!" Inu Yasha barked back. "Now shut up and let the adults handle this!"

"You don't even know enough to plan out tomorrow's schedule!" Chikara growled. "Let me handle it!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

Staring at the arguing pair were four sets of rather bored-looking eyes. They listened to the pointless argument, sighed, and sweatdropped.

"Oi…" uttered Miroku. "Those two are most definitely related."

"I don't care what anyone else thinks." said Kagome. "She is definitely Inu Yasha's kid."

"No kidding." added Sango.

**************************************************

It was getting late. Everyone was about to crawl in bed when Kagome took a whiff of the room. She glared at the boys, then at herself and the girls.

"It's been a really long trip." she said. "I think we should clean up."

"Where's the hot spring around here?" Inu Yasha glanced out the window.

"There are no hot springs in this part of America." said Chikara. "We bathe in the shower."

"Oh jeez," Kagome sweatdropped. "I'm gonna have to teach them how to use the shower and the soaps…"

Miroku and Sango were easy to teach, but the demons, on the other hand, required a bit more patience. The perverted houshi tried several times to sneak in on Sango, but was foiled each time by Kagome and Inu Yasha. After everyone else had taken their showers, it was Inu Yasha and Shippo's turn. Despite the dog demon's protests, Kagome had the two demons go in the shower together because Shippo was too short to reach the knob.

Once that bathroom door shut, utter chaos ensued. Shippo kept complaining that the water was too hot for him while Inu Yasha insisted the temperature was just fine. After shampooing his head, Shippo asked for more so that he could wash his tail too, but by that time, Inu Yasha had used up the rest of the bottle for himself. Another argument ensued and the sound of a stone Jizu was heard hitting the floor of the tub, followed by some very foul language by the afflicted dog demon. The shower finally ended after a brief soap scramble and the sound of water hitting the bathroom walls.

The door finally opened and the two demons walked out, hitting each other with one hand and holding the towels to their waists with the other. Inu Yasha hadn't bothered to put one on his head, so his soaked silvery mane was dripping everywhere. Shippo was so small that he didn't even need a full sized towel; three hand towels did the job perfectly. Aside from the obvious one around his waist, the little fox demon had one towel on his head and another one just for his tail. The two of them were still arguing.

"Why'd you have to soak me after I was already dry?" Shippo complained.

"If you didn't wanna get wet, you should've stepped out of the bathroom like I told you too!" Inu Yasha barked back.

"You didn't even give me a chance to get out!"

"Well, that's your problem!"

"Oh yeah? Kagome's not gonna like what you did in there, dog-breath!"

"It's perfectly natural!"

"For you anyway!"

"You did it too, fox!"

"Yeah? Well at least I did it behind the shower curtain!"

"Feh! Like it matters!"

"It'll matter when Kagome sees and says the magic word!"

"And what would I be saying the 'O' word for?" Kagome finally interrupted.

The two demons stared at her and gulped. Then, they turned to one another and pointed toward the open bathroom door.

Nervously, Kagome made her way over to the bathroom and peeked in. Seeing nothing in the darkness, she entered and turned on the light switch. There was a frightening moment of silence before Kagome screamed bloody murder.

"OSUWARIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! " she shrieked. Out in main room, one unfortunate dog demon hit the floor harder than he had ever had in his life. Kagome stepped out and glared at both demons, fuming mad. Shippo promptly scrambled under the bed.

"What happened?!" Sango stepped forward.

Kagome didn't answer her. Instead, she stepped right up to Inu Yasha, almost threatening to strangle him. "

YOU DOG!" she hollered, shaking her finger at him. "YOU DO NOT SHAKE WATER OFF IN THE HOUSE! BAD DOG! BAD DOG! OSUWARI!!!!!"

*WHAM!*

OSUWARI!

*WHAM!*

After that, Chikara lost count of exactly how many times her young mother slammed her future father into the floor. But Inu Yasha wasn't the only one getting punishment coming to him. Kagome asked Sango to drag Shippo out from under the bed so that he could get what was due to him. The taijiya almost felt bad when she handed the fox boy over to Kagome's wrath. Shippo was let off a little easier though, since all the water he had shaken off had stayed in the tub.Once Inu Yasha could get up, Kagome had them both dry off the bathroom.

Later that night, after all the plans for the following day had been made and the bathroom was somewhat back to normal, everyone said their good nights and went to bed. Inu Yasha couldn't sleep, however. He was too used to sitting up and keeping watch, even if they were perfectly safe in their motel room. He slid to the floor taking his pillow with him. As he lay there on the carpeted floor, the dog demon began absent-mindedly pulling snarls out of his long hair.

Inu Yasha's actions did not go unnoticed. As he fiddled with his hair, he growled softly whenever he had to rip a few strands apart. Quietly, Kagome picked up her brush from the nightstand and got up.

"What do you want, wench?" he glared at her coldly.

"Do you need help with that?" she said, ignoring the biting word.

"No."

"Those are some pretty nasty snarls you got there." she held the brush out to him. "You can use this if you want."

"I don't need your stupid brush!" he growled. "And I don't need you trying to suck up and get on my good side, not after what you did earlier!"

"Well, you should've known better than to do that indoors."

"I'm a dog demon, for crying out loud! What do you expect?"

"You're half dog demon."

"Rub it in, why don't you?"

"What I meant by that is that you're human too. Did you ever do that indoors when you were little?"

"I was only indoors at night. No one in the house wanted me around except my mother."

"So you bathed outdoors?"

"All the time. There were hot springs only a short walk from the house."

"I see."

"What do you mean, 'you see?'"

"Now that I know that, I'm sorry I punished you so badly."

"Yeah, well, sorry isn't gonna take the pain out of my back, wench."

"Maybe not, but this should do the trick." Kagome handed him two aspirin and poured him some water. He took the pills and water in his hands and looked back up at her suspiciously.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It's medicine." she explained. "It'll make you feel better faster. Don't chew them. Just swallow them with the water and you'll be ok."

"You nearly kill me, then hand me something that's supposed to make me feel better?" he glared at her. "How do I know this isn't poison?"

"If I wanted to poison you, Inu Yasha, which I definitely don't, I would've put something in your ramen a long time ago. I thought you trusted me just a little more than that!"

Inu Yasha took the medicine and gulped down the water. He finished by wiping his mouth with his sleeves.

"I don't know anymore." he said. "One minute, you're in the worst of moods, and the next, you're trying to heal me up. I don't get you at all!"

"I lost my temper." Kagome bowed her head. "I shouldn't have been that hard on you and I regret it."

"That's for sure!" Inu Yasha tugged hard at another tangle in his hair and ripped it apart.

"Turn around." said Kagome.

"Why?"

"Just turn around, Inu Yasha."

"What are you trying to pull?"

"Nothing" Kagome kneeled down behind him and slowly ran the comb through his hair. He grabbed her wrist in mid-stroke.

"Stop it." Inu Yasha ordered.

"Why?"

"I told you I don't need it. Go back to bed and leave me alone."

"You're hair's badly tangled. Let me brush it."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"Give me a reason, Inu Yasha."

"I don't want you brushing my hair!" Inu Yasha's grip on her wrist tightened slightly.

"What's so wrong with me brushing your hair?"

"It hurts."

A flashback appeared in Inu Yasha's mind, one he had hoped to permanently forget, but remembered because of Kagome just now.

*******Flashback*******

"Ow! Stop it!" cried five-year-old Inu Yasha.

"Shut up and sit still, you little mongrel!" snapped the court lady brushing his hair.

"Stop brushing so hard!" he wailed. "That hurts! Hahaue never hurts me!"

"I'm not your mother now, am I?" the lady continued to brush roughly. "If it was up to me, you'd be left out in the woods somewhere all alone. Mononoke like you don't even deserve a first breath!"

"Enough!" came a familiar voice. "If you're not going to do it nicely, then go back to the garden where you belong!"

Inu Yasha turned to see his mother coming toward them. Anger was evident in her expression as she snatched the brush from the rude woman.

"It's about time you showed up." the court lady said harshly. "I'm sick of watching your little brat! Real dogs have more manners than that mutt of yours!"

"Shut your mouth, wench!" Inu Yasha smacked the rude woman in the leg, leaving four deep scratches. The woman cried out in pain.

"Inu Yasha!" his mother scolded and pulled him over to her.

"When His Lordship hears of this," the woman limped away. "He'll give that brat the thrashing of its life!"

Little Inu Yasha growled as the woman hobbled away, but made no further insults. After the court lady had gone, Inu Yasha's mother turned him around to face her.

"Where did you hear that word, my son?" she interrogated.

"Sesshou-anchan used to say it all the time when we lived with Otou-sama." he answered plainly.

Sesshoumaru. That older son of the late Demon of the Western Lands knew every foul word in existence and cared not whether he repeated them in front of children or adults. It was no wonder that Inu Yasha had picked at least something up from him.

"Don't say such things anymore, Inu-chan." She said softly, but sternly. "Words can hurt as badly as claws."

******End Flashback******

By the time Inu Yasha had come out of his daydreaming and realized it, Kagome had already been brushing his hair for a while. She wasn't being rough, but it wasn't quite the same as when his mother used to brush it. In fact, Inu Yasha had to admit to himself, she was brushing it better than his mother had. Her strokes were soft and gentle. Inu Yasha had never let anyone touch his hair as a result of his awful childhood memories. But somehow, feeling Kagome slowly running the comb through his hair made him want to change that attitude.

"That's… kinda nice…" he purred.

"See?" Kagome answered softly. "It's not so bad, and I've almost got all of the tangles out."

"Thank you…" Inu Yasha's head bobbed drowsily.

"You're welcome." She whispered as she set down the brush. "I'm going to bed now, Inu Yasha. Good night."

"Goo' nigh'…" Inu Yasha mumbled as he laid down and fell asleep.

~~~~~~

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! I had alot I wanted to put into it! I hope you find it worth the wait!

Note: Hahaue is a term little children use to refer to their mothers. I used it here because I heard it used in the anime.

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