InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Shards Of Hope ❯ Engaging ( Chapter 18 )

Disclaimer: Since I obviously don't own the copyright to Teen Titans or Inuyasha, I'm taking advantage of the Fair Use Clause of the Copyright laws to write a story with them in it. Who knew the government would protect the little guys? Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

 

Author's Note: Full Author's Note at bottom. Oh, and a reminder since it's been a while: Japanese is regular text, English is in Italics.

 

Chapter 17: Engaging

 

“Who are you?

Slade turned his head to find a man wrapped in the skin of an albino baboon at the very edge of the tree line. “Naraku. I've been waiting.”

There was a pause, the demon contemplating the words before replying. “You have me at a disadvantage… you know my name, but I am unfamiliar with you.”

“You may call me Slade.”

“An odd name.”

“I find it suiting.”

The wind whistled as it swept across the field between them.

“You have something that belongs to me.”

“So terse? And I thought we were having a wonderful repartee.”

Naraku remained silent and Slade's eye narrowed, “She's still alive.” The silence returned between them, but Slade shifted himself away from the well, deftly pulling a single pink shard of stone from his pocket. “Of course you mean the sacred Jewel Shard.”

Slade tossed it into the air, and Naraku caught it, inspecting it before returning it beneath the baboon skin. “Why did you wish to speak with me?”

Slade leaned back against the well, “I believe we have something in common.”

“And what that might be?”

Slade leaned back against the well, barring his arms across his chest “We both want you to have the Shikon Jewel.”

 

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Starfire floated back to the table, holding a tray and placing plates in front of Kagome and her family, “I have brought you breakfast, it is a most wonderful meal!” She smiled widely as she placed a bowl in front of Grandpa and then the final bowl in front of herself.

“What is this?” Kagome looked at her grandfather to find him pointing at the oatmeal that sat in front of him.

“It is a meal of oats!” Starfire replied cheerily, “And it is most good.”

Grandfather stared at it for a moment and then looked back to Starfire, “This isn't breakfast.”

Kagome sighed, “Grandpa…”

Starfire blinked in confusion, “It is not? What is breakfast then?”

Grandfather began counting off on his fingers, “Steamed rice, Miso soup, Natto, that is breakfast, we have eaten it for generations…”

Kagome's head fell into her hands as her grandfather gathered the strength for a lengthy description of traditional Japanese breakfast. “What are Miso soup and Natto?” She looked up to find Starfire sitting next to her grandfather, watching him genuinely intrigued.

Her grandfather blinked, staring at her for a moment, “You don't know what Miso soup is?” She shook her head, “And… Natto?” She shook her head again and he nearly fell out of his seat.

“Please, tell me more about this Miso soup and Natto… I have not heard of them before.” Starfire said, leaning forward to look at him.

Kagome looked at her with barely veiled horror, she was actually bringing on the lecture she had just stopped. Her grandfather looked as stunned as she looked scared, unsure how to respond as, for the first time, someone greeted his information. Finally he gathered his senses, “Yes, of course. The history of Miso soup as a traditional Japanese breakfast spans back many generations…”

Kagome turned away from them, automatically tuning out Grandpa's lecture, only to find the unappetizing bowl of oatmeal in front of her. Despite the history lesson, Grandpa was right: this wasn't breakfast. She let out a small sigh and pushed it away. This wasn't going to be a good morning; she had blown up on Inuyasha, Miroku, AND Sango. Why hadn't they just told her last night?

“Kagome?”

Her reverie shattered Kagome regained her senses and looked up to find Inuyasha next to her, flanked by Raven and Robin. She blinked, “Inuyasha? What are you doing here?”

Inuyasha folded his arms into his sleeves, “These two said they wanted me to go with them somewhere.”

Kagome looked at Robin and Raven in confusion, “Where?”

“The Japanese government has requested us to escort him out of the embassy.” Robin answered.

“Why do they…” Kagome's voice trailed off as it dawned on her, they weren't asking her to go, they wanted Inuyasha. At that moment Kagome's eyes went wide, and a cold shiver wend down her spine, `Oh no! The news! The government must have found out… and… what are they going to do with him?'

Inuyasha frowned, tipping his head to the side, “Kagome? What's wrong?”

“I…” Kagome faltered, trying to think of what to say. Nothing was coming, she didn't know what the government would do with him, he wasn't even human! How could she explain this? And if he left she might not be able to find him again and… if… if he left… she grabbed Inuyasha's arm, “I don't want you to leave.”

Robin's eyes widened in shock, “What?”

Inuyasha looked back at him with a smile, “She said she doesn't want me to leave. She doesn't trust you. No surprise there.”

Raven placed herself between them and looked at Kagome, “He can't stay here.”

“Of course I can stay here.” Inuyasha growled, “Kagome…” Raven gave him a harsh glare and he quieted down giving her a wary look.

“But…” Kagome swallowed the growing knot in her throat to no effect, “why can't he stay? I don't want him to go.”

Raven's returned her attention to Kagome, “He's not a US citizen, he was only permitted to come here because of an official request to the Japanese government, we have no right to hold him here.”

“But he wants to stay!”

Raven took in a breath as she looked around, finding more and more of the room staring at her and Kagome. “The US government wants us to give him to the Japanese government, he cannot stay.”

“But that's not fair!” Kagome shouted, jumping to her feet and pointing at Raven accusingly, “You said he would be safe here!”

Suddenly the entire room was staring, all conversations had stopped, and all eyes were on them. Raven's eyes scanned the room silently for a moment, “We did.” Raven's eyes met Kagome's, “That hasn't changed. The location has.”

Kagome faltered, “So, you promise he'll be safe?”

Inuyasha raised a fist shaking it in the air, “What do you mean promise I'll be safe? I can take care of myself you know.”

Raven ignored him, “I'll be going with him.”

Robin winced slightly, “Raven, you can't just go with him without asking…”

“Robin, they don't know his circumstances. If something happens to him, it might affect this world in ways we can't even imagine.”

Robin frowned, looking at Inuyasha, she was right, but what if the Japanese didn't approve? Another fiasco and then this girl would never trust them again, “So, what are we going to do?”

“The only thing we can do is explain what is going on to the Japanese government and hope that nothing happens.”

Robin nodded, “I'll talk to our liaison and explain the situation. But we can't be sure that they'll believe… I'm not sure I still understand it.”

Raven paused, looking to Kagome, “Kagome understands the situation better than us. It might be best to take her with you.”

Robin nodded, but frowned again, looking to Inuyasha for a moment before looking back to Raven, “What are we going about him? The Japanese are going to want him back immediately. We have to make sure nothing happens to him.”

“I'll go with Inuyasha to make sure nothing happens to him.” Raven said calmly.

Robin frowned, “What are you going to do if they say you can't come?”

Raven's voice remained calm, “I'll go anyway, I'll phase through the ground beneath his transportation if necessary.”

Kagome frowned, watching them in silence. She couldn't make out what they were saying, she had never been good with foreign languages, and she hadn't even been able to study it on any real basis since she had gone to the feudal era. “I don't understand what they're saying…”

“It's some stupid speak.” Inuyasha said with a confident huff.

Starfire floated behind him, “It is called English…”

Inuyasha jumped, whirling and pointing at her, “Stop doing that!”

Starfire blushed, scratching the back of her head, “I am most sorry, but I can understand what they are saying. Raven will be going with you… but they are not sure they will allow her to go? I do not understand why they would not want her to go.”

Kagome's blinked at Starfire, “What are they saying?”

“They want you go with Robin to speak to the Government of Japan…” Starfire paused, staring at them quizzically, “And Raven is to go with your friend Inuyasha.”

“I'm right here you know.” Inuyasha mumbled huffily, but Starfire was frowning in confusion.

“They might not let her come? Change history? I do not understand…” She murmured, floating towards her friends.

Robin's frown widened, “That is risky Raven, if the Japanese find you they might not trust us.”

“What choice do we have? If something happens to him, it could change history.”

“What could change history?” Robin and Raven turned to find Starfire standing next to them, blinking.

There was a pause as they looked at her in surprise, Robin finally regained his senses, “Star, if something happens to him, it could change history. He's not from this time.”

She looked at Robin in confusion, “What would happen to him?”

Robin sighed, “We don't know. The Japanese government asked for him to be returned. But after what happened yesterday they probably want to know exactly how he has that power.”

Starfire frowned, “But how are they going to find out?”

“We don't know.” Raven answered bluntly, looking to Inuyasha.

Starfire seemed to shrink in place; sinking to the ground, “They are going to experiment on him?” Her voice trembled slightly at the end, and she looked at them pleadingly.

Robin merely stared at her in shock, and Raven looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

Starfire bowed her head, her hands balling into tight fists as she moved between them and Inuyasha, “No. They will not.”

 

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long, for a while, I simply lacked the motivation and inspiration to work on this. My life has been... busy and interesting. I can no longer edit for anyone besides the people who I already edit for. Oh, update schedule is changing, I'm hoping for once every two weeks, and it's a schedule I hope to stick to. Sorry for the lack of comments/updates.