Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Intergalactic Treaty ❯ Race ( Chapter 5 )

~Kurama: She owns neither Inuyasha or YYH!

~Inuyasha: Hey! You're updating again! Does this mean you're actually gone finish this fic?

~Belle: Yes, I'm actually gonna finish this fiction.

~Inuyasha: Good, now pair me up with Kagome soon.

~Belle: Well……I really like Kurama…….so we'll just have to see.

~Inuyasha: WHAT?!?

~Belle: It's not a romance fic, so I don't have to tell you anything!

R&R (Protect me from the angry Inuyasha swinging the big fang around at my head! AHHHH!!!)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The three Earthlings were speaking privately in Miroku's room after an unproductive morning. Kagome had claimed the sole chair of the room while the other two sat upon the bed facing her. The representatives from several other planets arrived that day but still there was no sign of Captain Kaede.

"Did you notice anything odd about all those representative?" Miroku asked the two women.

Sango shook her head while Kagome had a thoughtful expression cross her face.

"Don't they all represent planets that are under the dominion of Naraku?" Kagome asked.

"To the best of my knowledge, that seems to be the situation. I find it a bit odd." Miroku acknowledged.

"This whole thing is odd. Why were we chosen to represent Earth to begin with? Exactly what are we supposed to be discussing at this convention? I have a feeling we're being tricked." Kagome replied.

"Those are my suspicions as well." Miroku confirmed.

"Should we continue to search for Kaede?" Sango asked frustrated.

Kagome rose from the chair she was occupying and shook her head. "I don't think there is much point to it. We'd be better off contacting Earth, but for some reason we were never given any means to communicate which is highly suspicious. I promised to beat Inuyasha in race." Kagome smiled confidently.

"Don't gloat too much over your win. We've got enough problems without a pissed off demon seeking revenge." Miroku warned her as he propped his feet into the vacated chair.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Admiral Shuuichi Minamino returned to Earth a few hours ago. His last mission was more time-consuming than he would have liked. His intention was to return before the graduation of some of his favorite cadets. He wanted to see one in particular, that he had taught to fly personally. He had heard that she scored the top marks in the program.

However, a sour mood replaced his eagerness. For some reason, the three top pilots were all missing along with a large ship. The tracker and communication devices had been disabled. He was confident that the three had not stolen the ship.

"How can you lose the top three pilots?" Shuuichi demanded of the old Captain Kaede while running his fingers through his long red hair. His green eyes held no amusement for the old one-eyed captain.

"We are unsure admiral. They have been missing for several days. We believe they have taken off in the unaccounted for vessel." Kaede answered.

"You are not implying that they stole it are you?" Shuuichi asked with a dangerous tone.

Kaede looked at him sadly. "I know it is not an option that you would like to endorse but it is a very real possibility. Do not let your affections for young Kagome cloud your judgement."

"Fool. My judgement is not clouded. If I had such poor skills in judging character I do not believe I would be the youngest admiral in history, would you? Take me to their fellow classmates. Perhaps one of them has an actual idea of where they might be." Shuuichi answered frustrated and with his voice becoming more cold by the syllable towards the old woman.

"Very well. I believe that Lt. Hojo may know something. He was reported the last to see them the night before their disappearance." Kaede replied.

Shuuichi's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You mean you've had a witness this whole time and have failed to interrogate him?"

"We are not as concerned about the absence of the pilots. It is well known that the three are adventurous and have a certain disregard for rules." Kaede answered simply.

"Fools. How does this planet function while I'm gone? Do you realize what lies within Kagome?" The blank face of the old woman answered his question. "The Shikon no Tama's energy source is found within her body. If someone like, say Naraku of Planet Youkai, were to discover this then destruction unlike anything we have witnessed before will reek havoc in the universe!"

"Oh." Kaede answered.

Admiral Minamino cracked his knuckles in frustration. "Take me to this Hojo. Now."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kikyou could not allow Naraku to possess the Shikno no Tama. She could sense that the secret to its power lay within the Earthling, Kagome. She too once possessed a power similar to what the Shikon contained and could recognize the power in Kagome's aura. If Naraku had Earth's valuable resource then disaster unlike anything before could destroy life everywhere.

Kikyou looked around again to make sure no one was watching her. She finished strapping the explosives to the cruiser that the human was supposed to drive in the race against Inuyasha. It was unfortunate that she would have to kill the girl, but it was better to have one murder verses countless because Naraku would be unstoppable.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Inuyasha was waiting for his challenge with his supposed rival behind the stick. He met Kagome in the halls of the station and offered his hand. She shook it.

"Ready to lose?" Inuyasha asked as he led the way to the docking station where their cruisers were located.

"I don't know. Are you? I don't have to worry about losing. It's not something I do." Kagome replied with equal confidence.

To the surprise of the two there was a crowd surrounding the two cruisers. Must have not been anything important going on for so many to be interested in their little race. Kagome saw Kurama and he flashed her a beautiful smile and wished her good luck. Inuyasha wanted to murder him, but focused on the fact that his brother was also in attendance.

"Hey, Sesshoumaru, why are you here?" Inuyasha inquired as he walked towards his sibling.

Sesshoumaru looked more annoyed than usual. "There is no agenda to this conference. I am beginning to doubt the legitimacy of it. It would appear that everyone is aware of your little race with the Earthling. I encourage you to not disgrace our family with failure." His golden eyes flashed with silent threats for his brother if he should lose.

Inuyasha merely smiled and clapped his hand upon his elder brother's shoulder. "Don't worry Fluffy, I don't do that losing thing."

Kagome walked over towards Miroku and Sango. They were leaning against the cruiser she was going to fly. They had matching worried expressions.

"Everything is wrong. Our ship is gone now." Miroku answered in whispered tones.

"What?" Kagome demanded.

"We were going to try and reactivate the communication device to contact Earth. However, the ship is completely gone. We think that Kaede must have left us." Sango continued.

"How are we supposed to get home?" Kagome demanded in quite tones similar to her two friends.

Miroku shrugged. "I don't think we're supposed to come back. Be careful out there. Should we check your cruiser to make sure it wasn't sabotaged or anything?" He asked seriously.

Kagome laughed at him. "Don't be ridiculous. There are good reasons for all these quandaries. We'll figure it out after the race. Right now I need to teach an old a new lesson."

Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged nods before climbing into their respective cruisers. Sango and Miroku gave Kagome the thumbs up while moving away as she started her engine.

The bay doors opened for the two racers to move out of the galley and into the launching zone. Kagome looked once more over to Inuyasha and he smiled at her again while mouthing `don't cry too much.' Kagome rolled her eyes. She learned how to fly from the best, no way would she let down her mentor, Shuuichi.

Inuyasha was rather surprised with the skills the human obviously possessed. They were traveling at dangerous speeds that few attempted in the cruisers that they flew. The course of the race they mapped out was challenging and included several tight turns around various celestial bodies.

He had just taken the lead, but was confused a little. Kagome had stayed right on his wing for the entire race, but now she seemed to lagging quite a bit. Another minute passed and he could no longer see her. He became worried and turned his cruiser around.

He found her near the last moon they circled. She seemed to be fighting with her controls and was starting to veer dangerously close to the volcanic moon. Inuyasha flipped on the communication channel to address her.

"What's wrong?" He asked concerned.

Kagome looked at him panicked. "It's not responding and I smell smoke. I think it may be sabotaged." She lost her panicked expression and her face became lax. "I guess you won." She looked sadly towards the fiery surface that would await her if she could not pull out of the gravitational draw soon.

"Fool. If your ship isn't working eject! I'll draw you into my tractor beam and haul you safely back to base." Inuyasha told her.

She looked at him sadly. "I've tried. The ejection level will not work."

"What?" Inuyasha demanded. "Are you serious?"

Kagome nodded at him. "Tell my friends that I loved them dearly and wish them well in life."

"Foolish human. Don't give up so easy. I have a plan." Inuyasha pulled his ship right next to hers and hovered beside it. He turned on the tractor beam to lock the ships together. He pulled on his mask and turned on the Oxygen tank and motioned for Kagome to do the same. He reached behind his seat and pulled out a pair of gravity boots for the risk maneuver he was about to attempt.

"After I open my cab I'm going to break open your cab and pull you into mine." He explained before he began his saving attempt. Kagome stared at him incredulously but obeyed his requests.

Inuyasha tried to pull at the cab, but it refused to budge. He concentrated and pulled using his demon strength and it creaked a bit. He decided he would simply have to punch it open and reared back his arm to destroy it. He hoped that he did not rip his suit in the shards, because that could be a real problem.

Lady luck was on his side and spiderweb cracks appeared along the surface before it finally shattered completely. Quickly he grabbed hold of Kagome as the weightlessness of space made its attempt to send her floating into oblivion. He crushed her against his chest as he relied upon his gravity boots to pull the two of them into his cruiser.

He sat her in between his legs as he pulled the cover of his cab back and released the tractor beam upon her cruiser. They flew away from the cursed ship and watched the gravity of the volcanic satellite draw it to it's doom. He began flying back towards to the station and switched on the device to reestablish a breathable atmosphere inside his cab.

"You know, it's a good thing you are so little or else it would have been very uncomfortable fitting two people in a single cab." Inuyasha told the female pilot that was settled between his legs on his seat. His arms caged her against him as he reached for the controls. It was a position that he could grow accustomed to.

Kagome made no comments. She was simply staring at her hands that she had clasped within her lap.

"Hey, it's okay. You're not hurt. You're safe now. I won't let anything happen, okay?" Inuyasha tried to comfort his silent passenger.

"Thank you." Kagome told him finally. "It's just, this means that someone really is trying to kill me."

Inuyasha agreed sadly. "That would seem the case."

"What do you know about this conference? Please tell me? I know that all the representatives are from planets controlled by Naraku. What is the real purpose behind this sham? Our captain has abandoned us, if she was ever our captain that is. It's highly suspicious why the three of us were chosen to represent our world anyway." Kagome began to question her pilot.

Inuyasha would have shifted uncomfortably, but it was impossible to shift in the tight quarters. "I'm not entirely sure what is going on." He answered honestly. "Naraku is not one to trust. I have some friends that are trying to find out what exactly is happening. They warned me to protect you for they feared you were in danger, more so than your companions."

Kagome sighed. "Figures. All I wanted to do was be the best pilot to make him proud and here I am lost in space with no way home and trusting a complete stranger."

Inuyasha didn't want to know who this `him' was, so he didn't ask. "You can trust me at least. I think that Sesshoumaru is as clueless as I am about Naraku's intentions."

"What about Kurama?" Kagome couldn't turn around to face him, so instead she met his reflection's gaze in the window in front.

"I am not sure where his loyalties lie." Inuyasha replied.

"I think he means no harm. He's too nice." Kagome decided.

Inuyasha laughed at her assumption. "Youko Kurama is the biggest seducer in this sector of the galaxy. Do not take to heart anything he may say to you to gain your trust. He has no real emotions and would shatter your very heart as he has done to countless others once he tires of you or gets what he seeks."

Kagome bit her lip and met his golden eyes in the reflection with her sharp gaze. "Maybe there is more to him than you realize?" She rationalized.

"Don't get your hopes up." Inuyasha told her as he began to land the cruiser. He and his passenger exited the ship and he scoured the crowd looking for disappointment or frustration. He mostly saw confusion amongst the crowd. However, one woman looked frustrated before she slipped off into the shadows. A scowl appeared upon his handsome face when he recognized Kikyou.

"What happened?" Miroku, Sango,and Kurama rushed to Kagome's side.

"A bit of trouble with my cruiser." She replied breezily trying to play off the seriousness of her near disaster.

"Why don't you come with me? We'll drink some of that hot tea that you were telling me about. It will help settle your nerves." Youko offered his arm to Kagome. Kagome took it gratefully but motioned for Sango and Miroku to join them.

She looked around for Inuyasha but he was busily whispering to his brother and began to drag him away from the crowds.

Inuyasha decided he needed to find out what Naraku had set them up for. He knew his brother would vow bloody murder if he found out he was being used as a pawn. It was time for Sesshoumaru to talk with Kouga and Shippo.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shuuichi wanted to strangle the boy. Honestly, he kept ranting on and on about the beauties of Kagome, as if Shuuichi didn't know these already.

"Look. I know how great Kagome is. What I asked was if you had any idea of their location." Shuuichi asked using the last of his will power to sound calm.

"Oh. Well she and the other two were down here, partying with the rest us cadets and told us they were shipping out the next morning." Hojo answered wiping the dreamy expression off his face upon the intense look the admiral was casting him.

"Where were they shipping out to?"

Hojo looked thoughtful, trying to process the fuzzy details of that night. "They mentioned representing Earth at some conference. I think they said the location was somewhere near a Planet Youkai. Does that help?" Hojo asked hopefully.

Shuuichi nodded and turned on his heels to begin his plans for a rescue mission. Planet Youkai meant Naraku. Naraku meant trouble.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~Shuuichi: I suppose I shall be coming to the rescue.

~Belle: Great observation!

~Youko: So are Shuuichi and I two separate people in this fiction?

~Belle: Right now you are. I may have you suffer a mortal wound and join with Shuuichi.

~Kagome: That sounds confusing.

~Belle: Yes, it is. (*puts head in heads and groans*)