This is my first fan fiction. Not really, but I have to wonder how much
people judge stories just by hearing those six words. I admit, I do it a
bit. That's really sad, you know? Some people are really nice and try it
all, and I admire those people. Okay, enough of my moral ramble.
This is the promised story at the end of Chance at Life, THE MIKO'S MAN.
Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN. Goodness, could I have honestly written such a good idea? Bah! (Authoress starts laughing really really hard.)
Before this starts, I'm going to make a few notes about word usage in this story:
Mistress: Not what it means today. Same as Master, only female.
Man: A male servant. Usually, personal servant. Not the same usage Kouga uses with "woman."
That's all for now. Ask for any that you are confused about.
A note on the setting: this is in modern Japan, but has a smaller population and more forests, open places. Sort of like a forest-filled modern Japan.
TTFN! (Ta ta for now!)
The Miko's Man
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He was running. He was always running. Running in real life, running in his dreams. Running from his black past, running from his horrible present, running from the inevitable future. Running from his father, running from his friends, running from the inevitable master. But at the moment, he was running from The Hunters. It was The Hunters that made life a living horror for all those of youkai blood. Before The Hunters, youkai dominated, making slaves of humans, but the slaves rose up, subdued them and made the youkai slaves. Every youkai remembered their former glory and passed it down for centuries. For some, they learned to forgive and loved their masters. For others, they learned to hate and secretly planned their freedom. For the few that remained free, they ran, as he did.
"Inuyasha no baka! Get your attention over here!"
Inuyasha stopped thinking and stared at his brother. Sesshoumaru waved at him and Inuyasha sped up, hoping to lose the slower Hunters while he still had the strength to. "Oh, Hunters!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Bakas! You couldn't catch up with me even if I stood still!" He laughed as several Hunters returned the insults with their own and emphasized his point by standing stock still for several seconds before his brother yelled at him.
"You baka inu! Get over here now!" Sesshoumaru roared, beckoning him. Inuyasha laughed and hurried to catch up with his brother. "I don't care how much you dislike them, you will not get them madder than they are!" Inuyasha blew off his brother's warning and ran.
Running. Always running. His feet pounded the forest floor and tried to force his legs to move faster. His antics had tired him and several Hunters were getting too close. An arrow whistled by his head and he ducked and nearly ran into Sesshoumaru.
"What the- Sess?" Inuyasha stopped and stared in horror at the smooth rock face before them. There was no way he could jump that, and there was absolutely nothing to hold onto the whole distance. "Sesshoumaru! You told me that you knew all of this area!" Inuyasha screamed accusingly as the Hunters closed in on them. Sesshoumaru glared at his brother.
"Did you not hear me telling you a mile back that I did not go further than that?" Sesshoumaru shouted back. Inuyasha was about to retort when a voice interrupted him.
"Don't move, youkai. You'll not be hurt, much," a Hunter's gruff voice said. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru spun to find themselves totally surrounded by the Hunters. "Come easily and you might be sold to good masters."
Inuyasha shook his head desperately. He would not be sold to be a slave. He would never suffer than indignation! "Iie! I will not be a slave!" he screamed, dashing at the Hunters. The Hunter he was attacking threw up a quick shield and Inuyasha was thrown backward.
"Are you sure we want this one?" a Hunter asked, disdain in his voice. "He's not even a Pure. He's a Hanyou."
Inuyasha snarled. "He's strong enough. Maybe not an elegant guard, but he'd make a good guard. Now, the other one, he'd be a good one."
Inuyasha was tired. He was tired of running; he was tired of fighting; he was tired of being compared to his brother like a piece of meat. He was not a thing without feelings that could just be captured and sold like an animal.
With a cry of anger, indignation, hatred, and desperation, he threw himself through the shield that the Hunter had set up and raced into the woods, leaving a half dozen Hunters in total shock as Sesshoumaru yelled about being a coward.
Sure he was a coward, but he was a free coward that did not have to serve any pathetic humans. With a sigh of relief, Inuyasha slowed and let his breath catch up with him. There were several cries and Inuyasha knew that he was still Hunted. He trotted on, keeping his movements silent.
Suddenly, he stumbled into a clearing and he stopped, holding his body still as he found himself looking at the smooth back of a young woman. She was seated peacefully in the middle of the clearing facing away from him. A long, thick ponytail hung down her back, caressing the ground with several black strands. There was a huge weapon shaped faintly as a boomerang before her, and she was seated as if meditating. He slowly crept backward, hoping to not hit a stroke of bad luck.
"Hello, Hanyou," the girl said suddenly and Inuyasha froze. "Hai, I knew you were there the whole time." Inuyasha glared at her back and turned to run. He heard her move swiftly and he turned back to face her, only to find the wooden surface of her boomerang in his face.
When he woke up, Sesshoumaru was sitting in the same cage he was. A tall, thin man was questioning him and another was finishing the strengthening of the cage. Inuyasha sat up and earned himself a glare from his brother. "You abandoned me," Sesshoumaru snarled at him. Inuyasha shrugged, not in the mood to argue with him. He had a monster headache and he was captured. No one had ever restrained him before; not his father, not his mother, not anyone.
He hated it. He hated being held, uncertain of his future. He hated it with all his heart, and he was going to get free. See anyone try to stop him!
"Name," the man asked, turning to him. Inuyasha snarled and the man bopped him over the head with his clipboard. "Name or I will do more than that."
Inuyasha snarled out his name. "Human comparison age?"
"Seventeen," Inuyasha snapped. The man smiled and nodded.
"The perfect age. Wonderful."
Inuyasha grudgingly answered the rest of the man's questions, all the while summing up the man's intelligence. Yet he had a feeling that the man was doing the same for him. Finally, the man stopped asking questions and looked the both of them in the eye. "Well, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, welcome to the slave trade."
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Two years later. . .
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A teenage girl slowly sat up in her bed, stretching luxuriously. For a moment, she stared dazedly out the window before a bright smile stretched across her face. "Today is the day!" she screamed, jumping to her feet. She danced around her room for a minute before she dashed out the room through the door across the hall.
She took the fastest shower in her life and was across the hallway again in less than fifteen minutes. She dressed quickly and ran down the stairs, nearly tripping over the remaining paper and balloons from her birthday party the day before. Two hands caught her quickly and reset her on her feet.
"Oh, thanks Kouga!" the girl cried, still dancing happily. The wolf youkai smiled and shook his head.
"Excited are we, Kagome-sama?" Kouga asked. Kagome smiled up at him, her brown eyes dancing.
"Excited? Excited is too calm of a word. Ecstatic maybe," Kagome replied, flipping some dark hair over her shoulder. The youkai smiled larger and trotted around her to get to the stairs.
"Is your mother awake yet?" he asked politely.
"If she wasn't before Kagome-sama woke up, she sure is now!" a feminine voice called from the door behind the stairs. A small, thin face peered around the door, smiling as her body followed, holding a basket of clothing.
Kagome stuck her tongue out at the nezumi youkai and trotted to the eating room, passing the kitchen as she did. "Good Morning, Naraku," she called to the family cook, waving lightly but not smiling. Naraku, though her father's servant for years, terrified her. There was something in his eyes that simply made her skin crawl.
"And a lovely morning it is, Kagome-sama," Naraku droned, his entire mind focused on his work. "How would the Young Mistress like her eggs this morning?"
Kagome smiled slightly. "Uh, the usual. Scrambled."
Naraku only nodded. "Bacon is what I'm preparing. Will it please you?"
"Hai. Thanks!" Kagome danced out of the main entrance and nearly ran straight into a strong and yet delicate female hanyou carrying a basket filled with plants. "Oh, sorry Sayuri! How are you this morning?"
"The little Mistress is up early. Anxious?"
Kagome blushed at the blue-eyed neko youkai and nodded. "This will be my first servant. And my choice! Entirely my choice!"
The youkai grinned. "Servant? Who ever gets you will be very lucky."
Kagome tilted her head questioningly. "Why?"
The hanyou looked back, sadness glinting in her eyes. "Few humans consider us servants. Servants are still people. Slaves, on the other hand, are pieces of property." The young miko saddened instantly. She remembered what her mother had saved Sayuri from: beatings, starving, and other horrible things. Kagome nodded at Sayuri and danced around a few more times.
"So, has Father passed by already?"
"Hai, along with Raidon. I swear, if that kitsune doesn't stop talking, we will never get to sleep at night," Sayuri snapped. "I can hear him through the bathroom, talking up a storm with Kouga. Naraku, luckily, has yet to start a fight with either of them."
"Mainly because the last time he got in a fight with Raidon he was smacked good," Kagome said, giggling lightly. "And Keiki? She cannot get to sleep either?"
"Goodness, no! She sleeps like a log and falls asleep faster than Kouga on the job," Sayuri answered, chuckling under her breath as she shifted her load of pulled weeds. The Higurashi gardener nodded her farewell and continued around the house to the dumpster.
Kagome took in a deep breath of the morning air and then danced back into the house. Her little brother was seated in the dining room now, and her grandfather was raging to Naraku.
"Good morning Kagome." Kagome nodded at her mother as her mother walked gracefully down the stairs, her bodyguard, Kouga, walking behind her. "Are you ready? Well, eat fast and we might get there before the rush!"
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The slave yards were on the outskirts of Tokyo. It was a grimy little place on the outside, falling apart and dying supposedly. On the inside, it was bright and clean, quite a shocking difference from the outside. Kagome nearly slipped on the floor because of the fresh washing, but Kouga caught her as he always did.
There were full-grown kitsunes and other canine youkai to the left, small youkai to the right, and straight ahead were others. Canine and small youkai were the favorites of human customers.
Kagome thought seriously before she trotted off to the canine youkai. It was the best choice at the moment. Besides, Raidon could use a companion. Kouga growled lightly but dutifully followed his mistresses.
In the canine section, all was crazy. Kitsunes were being sold right and left, and wolves were commonly taken. In the back was the inu section.
And there, in the very front of the inu section, was the most beautiful inu specimen. He was tall and elegant, if a little feminine, but still handsome. His hair was long, silver, and loose, well cared for and held a grace about him that made her stare. His eyes were gold and piercing.
"Um, sir," Kagome called, going to the nearest salesperson there. "Excuse me, but can you tell me about that inu there?"
The slavetrader grinned widely. "Aah, the miko likes him? I would expect so. His name is Sesshoumaru, quite a specimen. His heritage is of the great Western Lord of so many tales. Human comparison age is about nineteen, nearly twenty. I would recommend him for you, young miko."
Kagome blushed at the slavetrader's forward looks and looked back at the inu. "I think I'd like him. How much does he cost?"
The slavetrader was about to answer when a scream stopped him.
"But, MOMMY! I want one just like him!" a little girl was screaming, pointing to a cage in the corner. Kagome grimaced. She hated the idea of the poor youkai in cages, but usually only the dangerous ones were in cages.
"Rin, dear, please," her mother was saying. "Can't you see it's a hanyou? We would never get one of their kind, and he's dangerous! Let's go look at the others."
Kagome nearly felt her heart break. All of the customers in that region started to filter away from the hanyou's cage, muttering under their breath. "How cruel!" she cried. She turned to the slavetrader she had caught. "Tell me about him."
"He is a dangerous one. Was returned after his last master was found unconscious. The name is Inuyasha. A good warrior: you see the blade he has? No one has ever been able to take it from him. The human comparison age is seventeen he says. Even so, he's not at the top of my recommendation list. But if he's not sold today, he's going to be destroyed, unfortunately." Kagome's heart broke again.
Kagome heard the sound of a cage opening and she turned to see that the first inu she was looking at was being sold. The slavetrader made a soft groan. "I'll go tell them he's been sold, miko-sama."
"No, thank you," Kagome said, her eyes on the little girl that had made such a ruckus about the hanyou. She was seated on Sesshoumaru's shoulder, placing the restraining necklace about his neck. The girl gleefully cried out a word and the youkai prince fell to his seat with a disgruntled groan, but did not do anything but watch as the little girl danced around his knees, bubbling laughter coming from her mouth. "I think she'll miss not having him."
The slavetrader shrugged and then trotted off as another person called out for help. Kagome sighed as the jubilant family led their new slave out the door, the tall, elegant youkai only glancing over his shoulder.
Kagome nearly gasped to see that his eyes locked on hers before he turned away and was swept out the door.
Her mother was conversing with several customers on the other side of the canine section. Kouga, the ever-faithful servant, was standing beside her; his eyes were focused on a rather cute female wolf youkai. Kagome chuckled and then turned to the dark corner that many people were still avoiding.
A few steps took her to it and she looked in only to find a rather rugged Sesshoumaru staring back at her. She "eep"ed and jumped back. "Sesshoumaru?" she gasped.
"What do you want of him?" the hanyou snapped, his voice cold. He was seated in a fetal position, his back to the wall behind his cage.
"Nothing. You just look exactly like him."
"I would expect so. I am his half-brother, after all," the hanyou muttered.
"What's your name?" Kagome asked.
The hanyou snorted and looked away from her. "Why bother talking to the dirty hanyou when you can always ask those slavers?"
Kagome sighed exasperatedly. "Because I want to hear it from you, not from a slaver." The hanyou looked at her as if she had just spoken the strangest thing he had ever heard.
"In-Inuyasha," he said, his voice low. Kagome smiled at him encouragingly.
"Good. Now, I'm Kagome. It's a pleasure to meet you, Inuyasha."
"It's not a pleasure to meet a miko," Inuyasha snapped and he turned his head to the side. Kagome huffed in annoyance.
"From the way you're acting, you don't seem to realize that you are going to be destroyed if you are not sold today."
"I don't care. Does it look like I care?" Inuyasha murmured, his face still to the side. Kagome tilted her head. The repetitiveness made her believe it was exactly opposite of what he said.
After watching him for a few moments, she turned to look for her mother. Inuyasha had such piercing amber eyes. In fact, the more she thought of them, she realized his eyes were nothing like Sesshoumaru's. Sesshoumaru had been colder, emotionless. He did not care about what was going to happen. Inuyasha did. He had pride; he had pain and pride, and he was not going to lose either of them.
Besides, his inu ears were so kawaii!
"Hello Kagome, dear, how has it gone?"
Kagome jumped. Her mother was right beside her! "Oh, Mother! I was looking for you!" Kagome said, nodding at Kouga slightly. "I think I found someone I'd like."
Kouga shifted uncomfortably, but Kagome ignored him. He always hated other canines, except for Raidon and wolves. Why, she would never know. "So, Kagome-chan, which is it?"
"He's over here," she said. Her mother cringed away when she saw Inuyasha.
"A hanyou? Kagome, dear, you are a miko! You would not dare! A miko should have a pure youkai. A hanyou? Please, a dirty beast like that?"
Kagome nearly felt her entire heart rip out of her throat. How could her mother be so cruel? He was still a person, and could hear her every word. "M-M-Mother!" she cried. She could also hear a low growl start behind her. Her mother rolled her eyes.
"Oh, Kagome! Your soft heart! All right, I'm sorry. If you really want to take it with us, fine. Your first bodyguard, a hanyou!" her mother said, her voice softer. Kagome frowned but her mother was already gone.
Within minutes, her mother was back with a slavetrader, his smile wide. "Good thing you bought him, ma'am. He's been needing to go," the slavetrader said. He opened the door of the cage and suddenly, Kagome felt herself thrown forward as the hanyou threw himself into her.
Pandemonium broke loose as Inuyasha tried to attack her mother. Seconds later, it was all under control. Kouga rubbed his throbbing knuckles as Inuyasha struggled to get up. He had just thrown Inuyasha backward with a strong uppercut to his jaw. The slavetrader jumped forward, the subduing necklace in his hands.
"Who's will he be?" the slavetrader asked breathlessly, slipping the necklace over Inuyasha's head. Kagome's mother nodded at Kagome. "Please, miko-sama, say it quickly," the slavetrader pleaded as Inuyasha got to his feet.
'He attacked my mother,' Kagome thought angrily. Kouga had "down", Raidon had "off", Naraku had "back", Sayuri had "out", and Keiki the nezumi had "get".
"Please, miko-sama!" the slavetrader pleaded as Inuyasha started to charge her mother again. He was angry, she could tell. Her mother had insulted him, and he was trying to get back at her.
"SIT!" she screamed. Inuyasha fell to the ground with a resounding slap. "You will not attack my mother!" The hanyou peeled himself off the ground and growled at her.
"I will not take commands from some pathetic human!" Inuyasha shouted back. He started to approach her, and Kagome glanced at Kouga, expecting him to help again, but she remembered as he lifted an eyebrow as if amused. She was the master now, and he had to be taught a lesson.
"Sit! Yes you will, Inuyasha, and even if it means bashing your brains out, you will obey me," Kagome said loudly before squatting to look him in the eye. "If you're good, I won't restrain you too much." Restrain. What a funny word for throwing disrespecting youkai to the walls, the floor, out the door, or anything else you command them.
Inuyasha snarled at her, and got to his feet, but made no move to attack anyone else. "So, Dog face, finally decide to listen?" Kouga goaded.
Kagome turned a face of pure fury to him and Kouga stepped back. "Mother, Kouga is purposely provoking my servant. Please restrain him."
"Kagome is right, Kouga," her mother said, giving Kouga a reproving glare. "Down." Kouga was thrown to the ground, stretched out as if reclining peacefully. Several bystanders started to chuckle and Kouga bowed to apologize to Kagome and then to Inuyasha when he was able to get up.
Inuyasha had a large smirk on his face that was quickly turned to Kagome. He hated being a slave, but if she would defend him, he could stand it. But he still hated it, and hated her.
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Little glossary:
Youkai: demon.
"_____" no baka: "____", you idiot!
Inu: dog
Nezumi: Rat or mouse
Hanyou: half-breed
-sama: Term of honor, Lord, Lady, for me, Master
Neko: Cat
Kitsune: Fox
Miko: Priestess
-chan: Term of endearment, between lovers, friends, and for me, (though I'm not sure it's correct) between close family.
Kawaii: I'm sort of at a loss for this one. I think it means "cute" or "cool", but I really honestly have no idea.
Iie: No
Hai: Yes
If I made any mistakes in the Japanese usage of the words, or I made a mistake with the glossary, please, tell me, correct me. I don't wish to make a mistake that could mislead people.
I would like to ask for a few words, most of all the Japanese term for wolf. Does anyone know it? And does anyone know what kind of youkai Naraku is? I place him as a dark youkai, but I'm not so sure what he is.
***If you read my notes, please put the word "shark" somewhere in your review, just so I can gauge the amount of people who read the notes. Thanks!*** (What? I don't know why it's shark. It just is.)
Teaser for next chapter! Name: Are You Worth It?
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Kagome had introduced them as Miroku and Sango. Each had their own servants with them; both were small youkai that did not really communicate easily. Sango had a small neko that she called Kirara. Miroku had a hawk- like youkai that sat on his shoulder and called out at anything that passed by. Several times Miroku restrained the bird, ending up with a mass of feathers stuck to the ceiling. Inuyasha dimly wondered what would happen if he restrained the bird outside, but he stopped thinking when the bird of his imagination started to explode.
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Namarie!
Thank you. Please review.
~ Kay Kylo
This is the promised story at the end of Chance at Life, THE MIKO'S MAN.
Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN. Goodness, could I have honestly written such a good idea? Bah! (Authoress starts laughing really really hard.)
Before this starts, I'm going to make a few notes about word usage in this story:
Mistress: Not what it means today. Same as Master, only female.
Man: A male servant. Usually, personal servant. Not the same usage Kouga uses with "woman."
That's all for now. Ask for any that you are confused about.
A note on the setting: this is in modern Japan, but has a smaller population and more forests, open places. Sort of like a forest-filled modern Japan.
TTFN! (Ta ta for now!)
The Miko's Man
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He was running. He was always running. Running in real life, running in his dreams. Running from his black past, running from his horrible present, running from the inevitable future. Running from his father, running from his friends, running from the inevitable master. But at the moment, he was running from The Hunters. It was The Hunters that made life a living horror for all those of youkai blood. Before The Hunters, youkai dominated, making slaves of humans, but the slaves rose up, subdued them and made the youkai slaves. Every youkai remembered their former glory and passed it down for centuries. For some, they learned to forgive and loved their masters. For others, they learned to hate and secretly planned their freedom. For the few that remained free, they ran, as he did.
"Inuyasha no baka! Get your attention over here!"
Inuyasha stopped thinking and stared at his brother. Sesshoumaru waved at him and Inuyasha sped up, hoping to lose the slower Hunters while he still had the strength to. "Oh, Hunters!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Bakas! You couldn't catch up with me even if I stood still!" He laughed as several Hunters returned the insults with their own and emphasized his point by standing stock still for several seconds before his brother yelled at him.
"You baka inu! Get over here now!" Sesshoumaru roared, beckoning him. Inuyasha laughed and hurried to catch up with his brother. "I don't care how much you dislike them, you will not get them madder than they are!" Inuyasha blew off his brother's warning and ran.
Running. Always running. His feet pounded the forest floor and tried to force his legs to move faster. His antics had tired him and several Hunters were getting too close. An arrow whistled by his head and he ducked and nearly ran into Sesshoumaru.
"What the- Sess?" Inuyasha stopped and stared in horror at the smooth rock face before them. There was no way he could jump that, and there was absolutely nothing to hold onto the whole distance. "Sesshoumaru! You told me that you knew all of this area!" Inuyasha screamed accusingly as the Hunters closed in on them. Sesshoumaru glared at his brother.
"Did you not hear me telling you a mile back that I did not go further than that?" Sesshoumaru shouted back. Inuyasha was about to retort when a voice interrupted him.
"Don't move, youkai. You'll not be hurt, much," a Hunter's gruff voice said. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru spun to find themselves totally surrounded by the Hunters. "Come easily and you might be sold to good masters."
Inuyasha shook his head desperately. He would not be sold to be a slave. He would never suffer than indignation! "Iie! I will not be a slave!" he screamed, dashing at the Hunters. The Hunter he was attacking threw up a quick shield and Inuyasha was thrown backward.
"Are you sure we want this one?" a Hunter asked, disdain in his voice. "He's not even a Pure. He's a Hanyou."
Inuyasha snarled. "He's strong enough. Maybe not an elegant guard, but he'd make a good guard. Now, the other one, he'd be a good one."
Inuyasha was tired. He was tired of running; he was tired of fighting; he was tired of being compared to his brother like a piece of meat. He was not a thing without feelings that could just be captured and sold like an animal.
With a cry of anger, indignation, hatred, and desperation, he threw himself through the shield that the Hunter had set up and raced into the woods, leaving a half dozen Hunters in total shock as Sesshoumaru yelled about being a coward.
Sure he was a coward, but he was a free coward that did not have to serve any pathetic humans. With a sigh of relief, Inuyasha slowed and let his breath catch up with him. There were several cries and Inuyasha knew that he was still Hunted. He trotted on, keeping his movements silent.
Suddenly, he stumbled into a clearing and he stopped, holding his body still as he found himself looking at the smooth back of a young woman. She was seated peacefully in the middle of the clearing facing away from him. A long, thick ponytail hung down her back, caressing the ground with several black strands. There was a huge weapon shaped faintly as a boomerang before her, and she was seated as if meditating. He slowly crept backward, hoping to not hit a stroke of bad luck.
"Hello, Hanyou," the girl said suddenly and Inuyasha froze. "Hai, I knew you were there the whole time." Inuyasha glared at her back and turned to run. He heard her move swiftly and he turned back to face her, only to find the wooden surface of her boomerang in his face.
When he woke up, Sesshoumaru was sitting in the same cage he was. A tall, thin man was questioning him and another was finishing the strengthening of the cage. Inuyasha sat up and earned himself a glare from his brother. "You abandoned me," Sesshoumaru snarled at him. Inuyasha shrugged, not in the mood to argue with him. He had a monster headache and he was captured. No one had ever restrained him before; not his father, not his mother, not anyone.
He hated it. He hated being held, uncertain of his future. He hated it with all his heart, and he was going to get free. See anyone try to stop him!
"Name," the man asked, turning to him. Inuyasha snarled and the man bopped him over the head with his clipboard. "Name or I will do more than that."
Inuyasha snarled out his name. "Human comparison age?"
"Seventeen," Inuyasha snapped. The man smiled and nodded.
"The perfect age. Wonderful."
Inuyasha grudgingly answered the rest of the man's questions, all the while summing up the man's intelligence. Yet he had a feeling that the man was doing the same for him. Finally, the man stopped asking questions and looked the both of them in the eye. "Well, Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, welcome to the slave trade."
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Two years later. . .
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A teenage girl slowly sat up in her bed, stretching luxuriously. For a moment, she stared dazedly out the window before a bright smile stretched across her face. "Today is the day!" she screamed, jumping to her feet. She danced around her room for a minute before she dashed out the room through the door across the hall.
She took the fastest shower in her life and was across the hallway again in less than fifteen minutes. She dressed quickly and ran down the stairs, nearly tripping over the remaining paper and balloons from her birthday party the day before. Two hands caught her quickly and reset her on her feet.
"Oh, thanks Kouga!" the girl cried, still dancing happily. The wolf youkai smiled and shook his head.
"Excited are we, Kagome-sama?" Kouga asked. Kagome smiled up at him, her brown eyes dancing.
"Excited? Excited is too calm of a word. Ecstatic maybe," Kagome replied, flipping some dark hair over her shoulder. The youkai smiled larger and trotted around her to get to the stairs.
"Is your mother awake yet?" he asked politely.
"If she wasn't before Kagome-sama woke up, she sure is now!" a feminine voice called from the door behind the stairs. A small, thin face peered around the door, smiling as her body followed, holding a basket of clothing.
Kagome stuck her tongue out at the nezumi youkai and trotted to the eating room, passing the kitchen as she did. "Good Morning, Naraku," she called to the family cook, waving lightly but not smiling. Naraku, though her father's servant for years, terrified her. There was something in his eyes that simply made her skin crawl.
"And a lovely morning it is, Kagome-sama," Naraku droned, his entire mind focused on his work. "How would the Young Mistress like her eggs this morning?"
Kagome smiled slightly. "Uh, the usual. Scrambled."
Naraku only nodded. "Bacon is what I'm preparing. Will it please you?"
"Hai. Thanks!" Kagome danced out of the main entrance and nearly ran straight into a strong and yet delicate female hanyou carrying a basket filled with plants. "Oh, sorry Sayuri! How are you this morning?"
"The little Mistress is up early. Anxious?"
Kagome blushed at the blue-eyed neko youkai and nodded. "This will be my first servant. And my choice! Entirely my choice!"
The youkai grinned. "Servant? Who ever gets you will be very lucky."
Kagome tilted her head questioningly. "Why?"
The hanyou looked back, sadness glinting in her eyes. "Few humans consider us servants. Servants are still people. Slaves, on the other hand, are pieces of property." The young miko saddened instantly. She remembered what her mother had saved Sayuri from: beatings, starving, and other horrible things. Kagome nodded at Sayuri and danced around a few more times.
"So, has Father passed by already?"
"Hai, along with Raidon. I swear, if that kitsune doesn't stop talking, we will never get to sleep at night," Sayuri snapped. "I can hear him through the bathroom, talking up a storm with Kouga. Naraku, luckily, has yet to start a fight with either of them."
"Mainly because the last time he got in a fight with Raidon he was smacked good," Kagome said, giggling lightly. "And Keiki? She cannot get to sleep either?"
"Goodness, no! She sleeps like a log and falls asleep faster than Kouga on the job," Sayuri answered, chuckling under her breath as she shifted her load of pulled weeds. The Higurashi gardener nodded her farewell and continued around the house to the dumpster.
Kagome took in a deep breath of the morning air and then danced back into the house. Her little brother was seated in the dining room now, and her grandfather was raging to Naraku.
"Good morning Kagome." Kagome nodded at her mother as her mother walked gracefully down the stairs, her bodyguard, Kouga, walking behind her. "Are you ready? Well, eat fast and we might get there before the rush!"
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The slave yards were on the outskirts of Tokyo. It was a grimy little place on the outside, falling apart and dying supposedly. On the inside, it was bright and clean, quite a shocking difference from the outside. Kagome nearly slipped on the floor because of the fresh washing, but Kouga caught her as he always did.
There were full-grown kitsunes and other canine youkai to the left, small youkai to the right, and straight ahead were others. Canine and small youkai were the favorites of human customers.
Kagome thought seriously before she trotted off to the canine youkai. It was the best choice at the moment. Besides, Raidon could use a companion. Kouga growled lightly but dutifully followed his mistresses.
In the canine section, all was crazy. Kitsunes were being sold right and left, and wolves were commonly taken. In the back was the inu section.
And there, in the very front of the inu section, was the most beautiful inu specimen. He was tall and elegant, if a little feminine, but still handsome. His hair was long, silver, and loose, well cared for and held a grace about him that made her stare. His eyes were gold and piercing.
"Um, sir," Kagome called, going to the nearest salesperson there. "Excuse me, but can you tell me about that inu there?"
The slavetrader grinned widely. "Aah, the miko likes him? I would expect so. His name is Sesshoumaru, quite a specimen. His heritage is of the great Western Lord of so many tales. Human comparison age is about nineteen, nearly twenty. I would recommend him for you, young miko."
Kagome blushed at the slavetrader's forward looks and looked back at the inu. "I think I'd like him. How much does he cost?"
The slavetrader was about to answer when a scream stopped him.
"But, MOMMY! I want one just like him!" a little girl was screaming, pointing to a cage in the corner. Kagome grimaced. She hated the idea of the poor youkai in cages, but usually only the dangerous ones were in cages.
"Rin, dear, please," her mother was saying. "Can't you see it's a hanyou? We would never get one of their kind, and he's dangerous! Let's go look at the others."
Kagome nearly felt her heart break. All of the customers in that region started to filter away from the hanyou's cage, muttering under their breath. "How cruel!" she cried. She turned to the slavetrader she had caught. "Tell me about him."
"He is a dangerous one. Was returned after his last master was found unconscious. The name is Inuyasha. A good warrior: you see the blade he has? No one has ever been able to take it from him. The human comparison age is seventeen he says. Even so, he's not at the top of my recommendation list. But if he's not sold today, he's going to be destroyed, unfortunately." Kagome's heart broke again.
Kagome heard the sound of a cage opening and she turned to see that the first inu she was looking at was being sold. The slavetrader made a soft groan. "I'll go tell them he's been sold, miko-sama."
"No, thank you," Kagome said, her eyes on the little girl that had made such a ruckus about the hanyou. She was seated on Sesshoumaru's shoulder, placing the restraining necklace about his neck. The girl gleefully cried out a word and the youkai prince fell to his seat with a disgruntled groan, but did not do anything but watch as the little girl danced around his knees, bubbling laughter coming from her mouth. "I think she'll miss not having him."
The slavetrader shrugged and then trotted off as another person called out for help. Kagome sighed as the jubilant family led their new slave out the door, the tall, elegant youkai only glancing over his shoulder.
Kagome nearly gasped to see that his eyes locked on hers before he turned away and was swept out the door.
Her mother was conversing with several customers on the other side of the canine section. Kouga, the ever-faithful servant, was standing beside her; his eyes were focused on a rather cute female wolf youkai. Kagome chuckled and then turned to the dark corner that many people were still avoiding.
A few steps took her to it and she looked in only to find a rather rugged Sesshoumaru staring back at her. She "eep"ed and jumped back. "Sesshoumaru?" she gasped.
"What do you want of him?" the hanyou snapped, his voice cold. He was seated in a fetal position, his back to the wall behind his cage.
"Nothing. You just look exactly like him."
"I would expect so. I am his half-brother, after all," the hanyou muttered.
"What's your name?" Kagome asked.
The hanyou snorted and looked away from her. "Why bother talking to the dirty hanyou when you can always ask those slavers?"
Kagome sighed exasperatedly. "Because I want to hear it from you, not from a slaver." The hanyou looked at her as if she had just spoken the strangest thing he had ever heard.
"In-Inuyasha," he said, his voice low. Kagome smiled at him encouragingly.
"Good. Now, I'm Kagome. It's a pleasure to meet you, Inuyasha."
"It's not a pleasure to meet a miko," Inuyasha snapped and he turned his head to the side. Kagome huffed in annoyance.
"From the way you're acting, you don't seem to realize that you are going to be destroyed if you are not sold today."
"I don't care. Does it look like I care?" Inuyasha murmured, his face still to the side. Kagome tilted her head. The repetitiveness made her believe it was exactly opposite of what he said.
After watching him for a few moments, she turned to look for her mother. Inuyasha had such piercing amber eyes. In fact, the more she thought of them, she realized his eyes were nothing like Sesshoumaru's. Sesshoumaru had been colder, emotionless. He did not care about what was going to happen. Inuyasha did. He had pride; he had pain and pride, and he was not going to lose either of them.
Besides, his inu ears were so kawaii!
"Hello Kagome, dear, how has it gone?"
Kagome jumped. Her mother was right beside her! "Oh, Mother! I was looking for you!" Kagome said, nodding at Kouga slightly. "I think I found someone I'd like."
Kouga shifted uncomfortably, but Kagome ignored him. He always hated other canines, except for Raidon and wolves. Why, she would never know. "So, Kagome-chan, which is it?"
"He's over here," she said. Her mother cringed away when she saw Inuyasha.
"A hanyou? Kagome, dear, you are a miko! You would not dare! A miko should have a pure youkai. A hanyou? Please, a dirty beast like that?"
Kagome nearly felt her entire heart rip out of her throat. How could her mother be so cruel? He was still a person, and could hear her every word. "M-M-Mother!" she cried. She could also hear a low growl start behind her. Her mother rolled her eyes.
"Oh, Kagome! Your soft heart! All right, I'm sorry. If you really want to take it with us, fine. Your first bodyguard, a hanyou!" her mother said, her voice softer. Kagome frowned but her mother was already gone.
Within minutes, her mother was back with a slavetrader, his smile wide. "Good thing you bought him, ma'am. He's been needing to go," the slavetrader said. He opened the door of the cage and suddenly, Kagome felt herself thrown forward as the hanyou threw himself into her.
Pandemonium broke loose as Inuyasha tried to attack her mother. Seconds later, it was all under control. Kouga rubbed his throbbing knuckles as Inuyasha struggled to get up. He had just thrown Inuyasha backward with a strong uppercut to his jaw. The slavetrader jumped forward, the subduing necklace in his hands.
"Who's will he be?" the slavetrader asked breathlessly, slipping the necklace over Inuyasha's head. Kagome's mother nodded at Kagome. "Please, miko-sama, say it quickly," the slavetrader pleaded as Inuyasha got to his feet.
'He attacked my mother,' Kagome thought angrily. Kouga had "down", Raidon had "off", Naraku had "back", Sayuri had "out", and Keiki the nezumi had "get".
"Please, miko-sama!" the slavetrader pleaded as Inuyasha started to charge her mother again. He was angry, she could tell. Her mother had insulted him, and he was trying to get back at her.
"SIT!" she screamed. Inuyasha fell to the ground with a resounding slap. "You will not attack my mother!" The hanyou peeled himself off the ground and growled at her.
"I will not take commands from some pathetic human!" Inuyasha shouted back. He started to approach her, and Kagome glanced at Kouga, expecting him to help again, but she remembered as he lifted an eyebrow as if amused. She was the master now, and he had to be taught a lesson.
"Sit! Yes you will, Inuyasha, and even if it means bashing your brains out, you will obey me," Kagome said loudly before squatting to look him in the eye. "If you're good, I won't restrain you too much." Restrain. What a funny word for throwing disrespecting youkai to the walls, the floor, out the door, or anything else you command them.
Inuyasha snarled at her, and got to his feet, but made no move to attack anyone else. "So, Dog face, finally decide to listen?" Kouga goaded.
Kagome turned a face of pure fury to him and Kouga stepped back. "Mother, Kouga is purposely provoking my servant. Please restrain him."
"Kagome is right, Kouga," her mother said, giving Kouga a reproving glare. "Down." Kouga was thrown to the ground, stretched out as if reclining peacefully. Several bystanders started to chuckle and Kouga bowed to apologize to Kagome and then to Inuyasha when he was able to get up.
Inuyasha had a large smirk on his face that was quickly turned to Kagome. He hated being a slave, but if she would defend him, he could stand it. But he still hated it, and hated her.
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Little glossary:
Youkai: demon.
"_____" no baka: "____", you idiot!
Inu: dog
Nezumi: Rat or mouse
Hanyou: half-breed
-sama: Term of honor, Lord, Lady, for me, Master
Neko: Cat
Kitsune: Fox
Miko: Priestess
-chan: Term of endearment, between lovers, friends, and for me, (though I'm not sure it's correct) between close family.
Kawaii: I'm sort of at a loss for this one. I think it means "cute" or "cool", but I really honestly have no idea.
Iie: No
Hai: Yes
If I made any mistakes in the Japanese usage of the words, or I made a mistake with the glossary, please, tell me, correct me. I don't wish to make a mistake that could mislead people.
I would like to ask for a few words, most of all the Japanese term for wolf. Does anyone know it? And does anyone know what kind of youkai Naraku is? I place him as a dark youkai, but I'm not so sure what he is.
***If you read my notes, please put the word "shark" somewhere in your review, just so I can gauge the amount of people who read the notes. Thanks!*** (What? I don't know why it's shark. It just is.)
Teaser for next chapter! Name: Are You Worth It?
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Kagome had introduced them as Miroku and Sango. Each had their own servants with them; both were small youkai that did not really communicate easily. Sango had a small neko that she called Kirara. Miroku had a hawk- like youkai that sat on his shoulder and called out at anything that passed by. Several times Miroku restrained the bird, ending up with a mass of feathers stuck to the ceiling. Inuyasha dimly wondered what would happen if he restrained the bird outside, but he stopped thinking when the bird of his imagination started to explode.
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Namarie!
Thank you. Please review.
~ Kay Kylo