InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Minoue ❯ If Anything Can Go Wrong… ( Chapter 22 )

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. Any original characters do belong to me.

 

AN: Thank you very much to inufan625 for acting as my beta once again. An additional thank you goes to Knittingknots for her help as well. I greatly appreciate the time they've taken to help make me a better writer and this a better story.

 

Thank you very much for the reviews. I read each and every one of them, and greatly appreciate those of you that took the time to leave one. You will find responses for your recent reviews in my LiveJournal at doggieearlover.livejournal.com/191413.html .

 

 

 

Minoue

 

Chapter 22: If Anything Can Go Wrong…

 

On their way towards the Chinese delegation, Kagome had quietly suggested that Sesshomaru not mention right away that his brother understood their language. She said that if they really wanted to find out what the interpreter was up to, they needed to let him carry on. That way, InuYasha could hear exactly what he was saying and help determine what kind and how much damage had been done. It might be some minor slip-ups, or it could be out and out, deliberate mistranslations. However, they wouldn't know if no one but the Chinese had heard what he said.

 

They were currently standing in front of a large glass case which contained tablewares, wine jars, and large vases in the center of the wing, and Sesshomaru was speaking, “These pieces were selected for their high quality and outstanding representation of the porcelain in this exhibit. The museum wanted to showcase them to demonstrate the superior workmanship of the Chinese potters that threw them. We are indeed honored that such valuable and exceptional pieces of art were loaned to the National Art Center for this exhibition.” He bowed to the Chinese representatives when he finished speaking.

 

However, what came out of the translator's mouth was very different, “We were very disappointed at the workmanship of the pottery that was sent for this most honored exhibition. These pieces were selected because they were large and would fill the case, though there is nothing superior about them. Like the whore that is here with the half-breed, they are pretty and to be passed around, but nothing special. The National Art Center was disappointed that pieces that look like forgeries from an inferior potter were sent. If they were smashed into a thousand pieces, it would be no great loss.”

 

Kagome could feel InuYasha's anger before she heard him growl. He stepped forward and bowed before he began speaking in fluent Mandarin, “I do not know what dialect this translator is speaking to you in, but what he said are not the words my brother spoke. I am using Mandarin because that is the most common of the Chinese languages, but I know Xiang as well. Which do you prefer? I do not wish for there to be any further misunderstandings as to what is said.”

 

The translator had stepped back, stunned. He had started with little alterations of what was said, but as the evening passed by and it was clear that none of the Japanese representatives of the museum understood a word he was saying, he became more and more bold. It hadn't even occurred to him that a half-breed with dog ears could possibly understand him, much less speak the language. He thought that the director had brought him and the girl back with him as an oddity to distract them and nothing more. Now, he was silently backing away, trying to make his escape while the bizarre silver-haired hanyou spoke to their Chinese guests with obvious ease. Instead, he found himself with a security guard on either side of him. “Come with us,” one whispered in his ear as they each grasped an arm. He paled as they marched him away to be dealt with later.

 

~ ^~^ ~

 

“Sangoooo!” Miroku bellowed as he raced up the escalators. Taking the moving steps as fast as he could, he jumped off at the third floor to race around to the next one that would carry him up to the fourth. He was panting when he leapt off at the top floor and then came to a stop, looking frantically around for some sign of her. All he saw was one of the guests staring down the corridor.

 

“Sir! Sir, did you see a girl in a black and white gown? I'm sure I heard her up here,” Miroku asked anxiously.

 

“That freak!? She's hideous! Have you seen the scar-”

 

The man was cut off when Miroku struck out with the heel of his hand and caught him in the nose. “You! You're the one that was after her! What did you do to her? Where did she go?”

 

However, Miroku's punch managed to knock the inebriated man out cold. He fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, blood pouring from his nose.

 

Resisting the urge to kick him, Miroku took off down the hall in the direction the man had been staring. That was the only indication of the possible direction that Sango had fled.

 

~ ^~^ ~

 

Sango ran as quickly as she could, clutching her torn gown to her breast, as she fled towards the elevators. Punching the button, she couldn't help but to continue to pound on it as she said, “Hurry, hurry, hurry,” to herself.

 

With a “ding” the elevator arrived, and the doors opened. After making certain it was empty, she got on and punched the number for the first floor, quickly pressing the “Close Doors” button. “I can't let him see me like this,” she whispered as the elevator started down towards the bottom floor. Fortunately, it didn't stop on either of the floors on the way down, but when the doors opened on the first floor, there were a dozen people milling around at the end of the corridor. `Now what?' she thought as she hit the “Close Doors” button again. Not wanting to run into Miroku on the fourth floor or the people at the bistro area on the second, she pushed the third floor button.

 

The doors once again opened, this time to reveal a blessedly empty hall. Sango dashed through the doors and looked frantically from side to side as she ran down the corridor. Noticing a sign for the staff lounge and then the ladies' room, she ducked inside and locked the door.

 

She was panting as she finally came to a halt. “I've got to get a hold of myself,” she said out loud as she sat down on the sofa in the lounge. Setting her purse and shoes down, she closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing.

 

Once Sango had finally stopped panting and felt that she had her panic somewhat under control, she slowly stood and approached the full length mirror. She gasped when she realized the damage he had done. Her dress had been torn apart at the right shoulder. While she had been clutching the front to her breast, the back fell away, revealing her scar except for what was covered by her strapless bra. At first, she stood and stared at herself in shock. How had what had started out as such a lovely evening gone so horribly wrong? She felt numb and had no idea what to do. She wouldn't be able to get out of the building without a lot of people seeing her and asking questions. And if she did, how would she get home? Eventually, the reality of the situation started to close in on her like a heavy fog. That man's words began to reverberate in her mind - freak, monster… Feeling as though she were drowning, she couldn't breathe. Having no idea of what she should do or where she should go, she broke down and began to sob.

 

~ ^~^ ~

 

“This is all my fault; I never should have left her,” Miroku chastised himself as he ran down the corridor towards the elevators. Fairly certain that was the way she had escaped, he pushed the call button and paced back and forth in front of the doors while he waited. When the doors finally opened, he got on and then stared at the buttons for the different floors. Where would she have gone? Deciding the only thing he could do would be to start at the lowest level and work his way up, he hit the one for the first floor.

 

He stepped off the elevator, intending to ask if anyone had seen the beautiful girl in the black and white gown, when he realized that description fit about a fourth of the women at the event. Somewhat panicked, he began to walk through the guests that were unhurriedly strolling through the gallery. He couldn't find any sign of Sango anywhere. As almost an afterthought, he went outside to look for their car and driver in the waiting line of limousines. Finally spotting their driver talking to some of the others as they smoked cigarettes and waited on their charges, he ran to him and said, “You haven't seen Sango, have you? The girl that was with us in the black and white dress?”

 

The driver shook his head, and Miroku added, “If you see her, tell her to wait with the car. I'm trying to find her.”

 

Before he had a chance to respond, Miroku had taken off again, returning to the gallery.

 

 

InuYasha was busy trying to reverse the damage the interpreter had managed to do. One of the very first things he had done was to set the record straight that Kagome was his fiancée and not some whore as the man had told them. He then proceeded to translate what Sesshomaru had said word for word and received a much better reaction than their initial one. It was then that the head of the delegation asked if they could go back through the exhibit, so that Sesshomaru could repeat what he had said, and InuYasha could translate. InuYasha relayed the request to his brother, who bowed and answered, “Of course.”

 

It was fortunate that they were finishing up when they heard a commotion, and one of Sesshomaru's staff came and apologized but said that his presence was required. InuYasha relayed what was needed between the two parties before he and Sesshomaru bowed to them and excused themselves.

 

“I believe this may concern you as well, InuYasha,” Sesshomaru said as he indicated for the hanyou to follow him.

 

They went through doors to a section that was closed to the public to find a very agitated Miroku pacing back and forth, while another guest that was sitting held a cloth over his nose with his head tilted back.

 

Miroku rushed forward as soon as he saw the brothers. “InuYasha, you have to help me! Something has happened to Sango, and I can't find her!”

 

The other man looked up when he heard the outburst. “I'm telling you, that man did this to me! He hit me for no reason, and I think he broke my nose!”

 

Sesshomaru took one sniff in his direction. “Just how much have you had to drink tonight, Sir?”

 

“What does that have to do with anything? I'm telling you, he hit me!”

 

“Only because he did something to Sango! I didn't think I hit him that hard. I was trying to find out what happened to her, but then he called her a freak because of-” Miroku stopped himself and looked at the floor. “I'm sorry. I lost my temper. It shouldn't have happened.”

 

“Did someone call for a physician?” a new voice asked from behind them.

 

“Yes, I did,” one of the security personnel answered. “He claims his nose has been broken and vision impaired. Would you check him out, please?”

 

“But Sango,” Miroku whispered.

 

Sesshomaru and InuYasha, as well as the youkai security present, could tell that he was extremely agitated with worry. “Why don't you tell us what happened while the doctor examines him?” Sesshomaru suggested.

 

Miroku hurriedly ran through the events of the evening ending with, “I haven't been able to find her, and I've searched all over. I even went out to make certain that she hadn't returned to the car, but the driver had not seen her. I know that was her I heard cry out - we've got to find her.”

 

They were interrupted by, “Sir, the only thing that is really wrong with you is that you are completely intoxicated. Some blood vessels have been ruptured, but nothing else is broken and your nose is fine. Your vision is impaired due to the amount of alcohol you have consumed tonight. To be honest, I'm surprised you felt anything at all. The only cure you need is to go home and sleep it off.” The doctor was putting his stethoscope and tiny flashlight away.

 

“Thank you, Doctor,” Sesshomaru said before he turned to the still complaining man. “We will arrange to have you driven home. If you have a car, give the keys to Hayashi, and he'll make certain both you and your car make it safely home.”

 

“I should sue-” the drunk started.

 

“I think not since you got drunk and fell, hurting yourself. You were not on the guest list and therefore trespassing. You have received medical attention and will be escorted safely to your residence. When we find the young lady in question, we had better not find that any harm came to her at your hand,” Sesshomaru stated. “Get him out of here,” he ordered before he turned to Miroku and InuYasha. “Now, let us find our missing guest.”

 

“I'd better find Kagome. If anything is wrong, she'll be a big help with Sango,” InuYasha suggested. Kagome had gone to join her family when he was needed longer with the Chinese.

 

“I ran into her with her mother earlier and told her I was looking for Sango. I think she went to check the ladies' toilets since I couldn't go in there,” Miroku informed him.

 

“I'll track her down and see what she's learned,” InuYasha said.

 

“Can I come with you?” Miroku asked, knowing that InuYasha's nose would help find them faster than he could on his own.

 

However, before they had a chance to clear the room, another person entered and bowed to Sesshomaru. “They think we've found her, sir. The guard on the third floor radioed to say that he believes that she is in the ladies' staff lounge, and there is another young woman in red trying to talk to her through the door.”

 

“That sounds like Kagome!” Miroku exclaimed. “That must be Sango in the staff lounge.”

 

 

“Sango, would you please let me in? I only want to help you,” Kagome said through the door. “I know you're in there. Please, we're worried sick. Miroku has been looking everywhere for you.”

 

“Won't you just go away? I was going to stay here until everyone left and then get a security guard to let me out…” Sango's voice trailed away. That was the only plan she had finally come up with. She would stay until all of the guests were gone and then come out since there was twenty-four hour security there. She had pulled her comb out of her hair and let it fall, hoping it would help hide the scar on her back. It did to some degree, but it was still painfully obvious.

 

“Sango, what's wrong? Please let me come in. We'll sort it out together. Will you let me be your friend?” Kagome asked. “Whatever it is, I won't think any less of you.”

 

Sango sighed and turned towards the door. This was a hell of a way to test their fairly new friendship, but if Kagome truly was her friend, then she shouldn't be put off by her scar. Slowly, she went to the door and then turned the deadbolt. With a click the door was unlocked.

 

 

Kagome slowly pulled the door open to see her friend, her dress in ruins. “Oh, Sango, what happened to you? Who did this?”

 

“Some drunk man. I didn't want to talk to him, but when I tried to leave, he grabbed my dress by the collar and yanked me back. He pulled it completely apart,” Sango said.

 

“I'm so sorry. He didn't…” Kagome couldn't ask what she was really afraid of - if he'd done something to really harm her.

 

“No, he didn't touch me other than that. When he saw-” She abruptly stopped.

 

“What, Sango? What is it?”

 

Sango didn't answer at first. Instead, she turned her back to Kagome and lifted her hair. “When he saw this,” she whispered, “he called me freak and a monster.”

 

“Just because you have a scar? What a friggin' idiot,” Kagome stated. “There's nothing wrong with you, Sango. Did you think I - we - wouldn't be your friend because of that?”

 

Sango slowly turned around to face her. “You don't think it's… horrible?”

 

“Sango, the only thing I think is horrible is the fact that something like this happened to you - not just whatever happened that caused it, but that someone would treat you that way because of it. It doesn't change how I feel about you,” Kagome responded.

 

They were interrupted by a knock at the door and the sound of InuYasha's voice. “Kagome, Sango, is everything all right in there?”

 

“Just a minute, InuYasha,” Kagome called. “We need to make you presentable enough to get you out of here,” she commented as she started digging in her clutch bag and pulled out a safety pin. “There - my mom says I'm always prepared for just about anything. I had a couple of these in case I needed to pin my dress to my bra to hold it up. Fortunately, it's stayed up on its own.”

 

Kagome used the pin along with the second one to hook the dress together at the shoulder. “Hold on just a minute.” She went to the door and opened it, slipping outside to find several others than just InuYasha there. “Miroku, give me your jacket, will you? Her dress was torn and she needs something to wear over it,” Kagome said softly.

 

“Was she harmed in any way? We need to know since we know who the man is that attacked her,” Sesshomaru asked.

 

Kagome shook her head. “He tried to stop her from leaving him when she wasn't interested in his attentions, but she says he didn't touch her other than when he ripped her dress. She's just really embarrassed and upset. I'd like to be able to get her home without too much fanfare.”

 

“Understood,” Sesshomaru stated as Miroku handed her his jacket. “I'll have your car waiting to take you back as soon as you reach the front door. No, instead, take the elevator all the way down to P1. He'll pick you up in the underground garage so you don't have to go through the other guests to leave.”

 

“Thank you very much,” Kagome answered. “Oh, no - InuYasha, would you go find my mother downstairs? I promised I would tell her when we left, but I don't want to leave Sango. She'll understand. Can you do that and meet us in the parking garage?”

 

The hanyou nodded and hurried off to find Mama Higurashi.

 

“And I don't want to appear rude, because I'm very grateful, but could the rest of you please go? Sango is embarrassed enough and I think the fewer people who see her, the better.”

 

Miroku sadly turned away, and Kagome reached to touch his arm. “Not you - you have to come with us. And Sesshomaru-sama should probably stay with us, just in case, but do the rest of you mind?”

 

The others nodded and silently walked away.

 

“All right, let me see if I can coax her out of there, and we can leave.” Kagome opened the door and slipped back inside.

 

“Here, I have this for you,” she said as she placed Miroku's jacket over her shoulders. Kagome looked down and noticed Sango's stocking feet and empty hands. “Where are your purse and your shoes?”

 

“Over there, on the sofa.” Sango pointed towards them, and Kagome went and picked them up.

 

“Do you want to put your shoes on? You don't have to. We're going straight down to the parking garage, so we won't see anyone else on the way out.”

 

Sango shook her head and reached for them. Kagome kept them, however. “It's okay; I'll carry them for you. Are you ready?”

 

Sango took a deep breath and nodded before she followed Kagome through the door.

 

“Sango, are you all right?” Miroku asked. “I've been so worried. I never should have left you - this was completely my fault.”

 

“No, it wasn't your fault. I'm okay,” Sango said very softly as she hobbled on her sore feet beside him while they followed Sesshomaru towards the elevator.

 

“Sango, are you sure…” Kagome said as she noticed her uneven steps and the pain on her face.

 

“Here,” Miroku said as he surprised her by picking her up. “Let's just get you home.”

 

Then Sango surprised herself by wrapping her arms around his neck. “Thanks,” she whispered.

 

“Never a problem for you, my lovely Sango,” Miroku responded.

 

Together, they took the elevator down to the waiting car below.

 

 

To be continued…

 

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

 

InuYasha Fanfiction Guild News

Well, the first round of nominations are over at the InuYasha Fanfiction Guild. They began January 6th, and concluded January 16th. The seconding round will begin Thursday, January 31st and end at midnight on Saturday, February 9th. To be eligible this quarter, a fic must have been either newly posted or updated with a new chapter between October 1st and December 31st. The exceptions were the Hidden Treasure category as well as the new Best Completed Serial category.

For those that are interested, if you are not a member you can still currently join. The membership is NOT open year-round, and will close at midnight ET on January 23rd and not reopen again until everything is over with sometime in March. If you would like to be a part of the process of seconding, or voting on your favorite fics, now is the time. If you would like to join, you will find the information at iyfanguild yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iyfanguild/. For additional information, check out the InuYasha Fan Guild home page at http://inuyashafanguild.com/. If you do join, just be sure to read the rules before you leap into the fray.

Thanks so much to Mage Delbene, Lady Griddlebone, roxotaku , malitiadixie , quirkyslayer, inuhanyounikkie, audacious_pen, MA and jrmaxwell for the nominations (or even the attempt) received during the first round!! I have to admit, I was stunned! I hope I didn't overlook anyone, because I do appreciate that you thought enough of my fics to nominate them.

 

Minoue for Best AU/AR, Best Drama, Best Serial, Best Inu/Kag Romance, Best Mir/San Romance and Best Lemon

Angels Aren't Always Heaven Sent for Best Canon, Best Oneshot, Best Inu/Kag Romance and Best Drama

Santa Surprise for Best Mir/San Romance, Best AU/AR, Best Lemon and Best Vignette

The Edge of Winter for Best Canon and Best Oneshot

Like Ice for Best Vignette, Best Canon and Best Mir/San Romance

Live and Let Die for Best Completed Serial

 

Good luck to everyone this quarter!