InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pirates of the Sengoku Jidai ❯ The Ceremony ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter Nine

EXT. HMS KIRARA-MAIN DECK-NIGHT

((The Kirara floats just off Isla de Muerta. Miroku stares absent-mindedly at the island for a moment before turning back to the crew.))

Miroku: Mr. Ikkitousen and I are to go ashore. Make ready an extra berth for our return. Keep your weather-eyes open…I don't want Naraku sneaking up on us if he catches on.

Hiten: And if the worst should happen, what then?

((Miroku's hesitation is noticeably brief-too brief, perhaps.))

Miroku: Keep to the Code.

INT. ISLA DE MUERTA-CAVES-NIGHT

((Inuyasha and Miroku row through an indoor lagoon. The silence stretches on for eternity before Inuyasha speaks.))

Inuyasha: What code is Hiten to keep to if the worst should happen?

Miroku: The Pirate's Code. Anyone who falls behind, stays behind.

Inuyasha: No heroes amongst thieves?

((Miroku rolls his eyes.))

Miroku: That sanctimonious attitude is going to come back to bite you, hanyou. For someone with such a bleak outlook on pirates, you're well on you're way to becoming one.

Inuyasha: How's that?

Miroku: You broke a man out of jail, stole a ship of the Imperial Navy, sailed with a buccaneer crew from Tortuga…

((There is a brief pause as they pass a submerged skeleton, covered from head to toe in gold doubloons and golden ornamentation.))

Miroku: …and you're completely obsessed with treasure.

Inuyasha: I think you're getting the two of us mixed up on that last one. I'm not obsessed with treasure by any means.

Miroku: Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.

((He grins lecherously. Inuyasha crosses his arms obstinately.))

Inuyasha: Well, I could certainly say the same for you.

Miroku: Really?

Inuyasha: Don't think I haven't seen the way you look at that Sango woman.

Miroku: That's the way I look at all woman, mate.

Inuyasha: But she's the only one you `deserve' to get slapped by.

Miroku: Well…uh…er…that is to say…

((Miroku is saved by the rowboat running aground.))

INT. ISLA DE MUERTA-MAIN CAVERN-NIGHT

((The main cavern is covered in treasure, gathered over Kami-only-knows how many years of marauding. In the center, away from all other treasure, is a massive stone chest. Contained within: 199 pieces of Aztec gold. A hole in the roof of the cavern allows a shaft of moonlight to spill onto it. Naraku and crew enter, dragging Kagome with them. Naraku leers at Kagome as they approach the chest.))

Naraku: Know the first thing I'm going to do after the curse is lifted?

((He flashes his rotten teeth at her.))

Naraku: Eat a whole bushel of apples.

((Hojou and Kikyo, meanwhile, make straight for the piles of treasure, sifting through them excitedly.))

Kikyo: Ten years of hoarding swag, and we finally get to spend it!

Hojou: `Course, you'll have to be a bit more careful. Y'know, don't die so much?

Kikyo: I do not die a lot!

((Kikyo lunges for him, slips on a doubloon, breaks her neck. Hojou helps her to her feet.))

Kikyo: Anyway, you can buy a false eye that fits, and is actually made of glass.

Hojou: This one does splinter something awful.

((He pushes it about in his eye socket with his thumb.))

Kikyo: Quit rubbing it!
((They overturn a chest, pouring out its contests-an assortment of dresses and parasols.))

Kikyo: Where in the seven hells did these come from?

Hojou: Remember, we were raiding the port with that nice dress shop, and you said that just because you're an undead skeleton doesn't mean you can't look good?

Kikyo: I refuse to answer on the grounds that I may incriminate myself.

((Passing, Boatswain Rouyakan groans.))

Rouyakan: I'm surrounded by lunatics.

((Taking offence, Kikyo tries to stab him. Rouyakan catches her sword, and smashes her head off with one blow from his massive paws. As Hojou helps Kikyo reattach the lost appendage, Naraku, holding a wicked-looking stone knife, beckons for their attention.))
Naraku: Behold! We stand before the accursed treasure of Cortez, the source of all our sorrow, all our woe! Punished, we have been, but disproportionate to our crime!

((An approving cry lifts up from the crew. Kikyo fumbles with her head as it accidentally bites her, but manages to reattach it.))

Naraku: Won by blood, it demands blood in return!

((Agreeing, a chant of `Blood' arises from the pirate ranks-quiet at first, but increasing in volume and intensity as Naraku continues his speech. Inuyasha and Miroku observe from a ledge above.))

Miroku: Rule number 213: Only the heroes are allowed to make impassioned speeches to rally the troops. If a villain does it, the heroes get more time to stop his evil plots.

((He glances sidelong at Inuyasha.))

Miroku: Now listen, hanyou; I can take care of this. If you'll just wait up here and avoid doing anything characteristically stupid, you'll be reunited with your bonny lass faster than you can say `Perverted houshi.'

Inuyasha: Perverted houshi.

Miroku: It's an expression, baka! Look, have I ever given you any reason not to trust me?

Inuyasha: Have you ever given me a reason to trust you?

Miroku: Quit evading the question! Just stay here, will you?

((He turns around, but is struck in the back of the head by an oar, rendering him unconscious.))

Inuyasha: Sorry, `mate.' But I don't want to be your leverage.

((Meanwhile, Naraku's speech has reached the climax. The pirates are screaming `Blood!' at the top of their undead lungs.))

Naraku: Begun by blood!

Pirates: BLOOD!

Naraku: By blood…UNDONE!

((He grabs Kagome around the waist, lifts the knife. Kagome closes her eyes. Naraku grins…and slices a neat line across her palm.))

Kagome: (incredulous) That's it?

((Naraku leers at her.))

Naraku: Waste not. Kuukuukuu!

((Laughing, he shoves the medallion into her hand, crunching it [her hand] into a fist to ensure the medallion gets nice and bloody…and then it is dropped into the chest. The ring of Aztec gold against Aztec gold rings ominously through the caves. A silence.))

Kagura: Did it work?

Kikyo: I don't feel different.

Hojou: How do we tell?

((Calmly and deliberately, Naraku produces a gun and blasts him through the heart. Hojou bounces right back up.))

Musou: You're not dead.

Hojou: That's odd.

(Beat.)

Hojou: Hey! He shot me!

Kagura: It didn't work! The curse is still upon us!

((Naraku whips around, grabbing Kagome by the shoulders.))

Naraku: Maid! Your father! What was his name?

((Kagome smirks. Naraku starts to shake her.))

Naraku: HIS NAME!

Kagome: He died before I was born.

Naraku: You're not…NO! Where is the child! Where is the child of Bootstrap Inu-taisho, the child that sailed from the Japanese mainland eight years ago? The child who owns that medallion? Whose blood we need?

((He lifts her into the air, shaking her back and forth.))
Naraku: WHERE IS HE?

((Disgusted, he tosses her into a mountain of coins, and turns on Hojou and Kikyo.))

Naraku: You imbeciles brought us the wrong person!

Hojou: She was the right age! She had the medallion! She said her name was Ikkitousen!

((Kikyo covers his mouth.))

Kikyo: We don't have anything to explain! You're the one who shot Hojou!

Kagura: And the one who brought us here for nothing!

((The pirates begin to draw swords and pistols, mutiny on their rotting minds. Kagome's eyes flutter open, and she sees Inuyasha holding out an oar for her to grab onto.))

Kagome: (whisper) Just a second.

((She grabs the medallion from the chest, and then is lifted up to the ledge. Meanwhile, Naraku is desperately trying to deal with an angry crew.))

Kikyo: Every decision you've made has led us from bad to worse!

Musou: It was you who initiated the mutiny against Miroku!

Kagura: It was under your command we took the gold and spent it!

Hojou: Not to mention you shot me!

Kikyo: We've said that already.

Hojou: Oh.

((The pirates circle Naraku, weapons drawn.))

Naraku: What good will those do you, cretins? Not one of us can die!

((A murmur to the effect of `Oh yeah' runs through the mob.))

Naraku: If anyone dare challenge me, go ahead…but it won't get us anywhere. We can't finish the fight, and we'd just be wasting time. Thanks to that girl, we have the last piece, and it'll only take so long for us to track down Bootstrap's real child.

((For emphasis, he looks towards Kagome, only to realize she's not there. Checking the chest, he realizes she took the medallion with her.))

Naraku: Scalawags! Look what your bickering has cost us! After them, or you'll be spending the rest of eternity in Davy Jones' locker!

Kikyo: To the boats!

INT. ISLA DE MUERTA-LAGOON-NIGHT

((Someone has snapped all the oars in half, and sunk a few to boot. Kikyo trips, falls into the water and drowns.))

Hojou: Sabotage!

Kikyo: No duh.

((They see a shadow moving away through another tunnel.))

Musou: That way!

((He runs off in the completely wrong direction. Kagura grabs him by the scruff of the neck and drags him after her.))
INT. ISLA DE MUERTA-CAVES-NIGHT

((Miroku dashes through the caves…and comes to a screeching halt as he reaches a dead end.))

Miroku: Well, that's bloody inconvenient.

((He turns around, finds himself face to face with Naraku's crew.))

Miroku: Well, that's bloody inconvenient.

((Kikyo raises her gun.))

Kikyo: Did I get the chance to tell you how much I hated you before we marooned you last time?

((Miroku ignores her, he sputters, trying to come up with a word.))

Miroku: Parsley…parli-li…partner…par-something…par-par-par& #8230;

Hojou: Parley?

Miroku: Yes, that's it exactly! Parley!

Kikyo: Parley? PARLEY! Damn to the depths whatever man came up with parley!

Miroku: That would be the French.

((Beat.))

Miroku: They make excellent mustard, you know.

((Rolling her eyes, Kikyo beckons him to follow her.))

EXT. HMS KIRARA-MAIN DECK-DAY

((Inuyasha and Kagome haul themselves over the railing. Hiten reaches down a hand to help them up.))

Hiten: Good to see the both of you in one piece.

Kagome: Mr. Hiten?

Hiten: The same.

Kagome: How'd you get mixed up with this lot?

((Thunder rumbles; Hiten's glare would disintegrate a lesser person on the spot. Kagome raises her hands, retracting the question.))

Hiten: Where's Miroku?

((Inuyasha glances back at Isla de Muerta, back to Hiten.))

Inuyasha: He fell behind.

((Hiten nods, and the order is given to raise anchor.))