AN: Ahh, don't you just love this section? *sigh* Okay, from the author who brought you 'A Royal Pain' comes a new fic because the evil known as writer's block killed my newly formed muse! *starts sobbing* Now that's pain! Anyway, this story's kind of been in my head for awhile (a long while). It's not a retelling of the Little Mermaid, because I think I have enough royalty, but yes, Kagome and Sango are mermaids. (Stop spoiling your own fic, stupid!) Ahem, anyway. Inu-Yasha doesn't belong to me (though in my head it's a whole different story mwahaha). It belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and everyone else who owns it (duh). This little disclaimer counts for all of the other chapters, if I get to writing them. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this fic, and I'll try not to put evil cliffhangers, but I've been so scarred by them in other fics that this is my revenge. Reviews would be nice! ^_^
Extra AN: *after trying to upload the chapter twenty times* COMPUTER WHY MUST YOU HATE ME?! *sob* although I think I might've pressed the "create story" button one too many times, but…if this story appeared like five times in a row I'm screwed…sorry, just thought I'd share my agony. If you're reading this, then I've won the battle against technology. If the ff.net staff take off this fic because of too many postings…well I've lost. *going nuts*
When The Job Goes Wrong
The sun shone brightly on the little town of Houshi. People dotted the streets, greeting everyone they knew. Great ships and tiny boats lined up at Houshi's dock, and the smell of the sea freshened the town's air.
In Ramen restaurant, a very normal scene was playing out. A handsome silver-haired man was rolling his eyes as he ate while his brown haired companion flirted with the restaurant's new waitress.
Miroku smiled his most charming smile at the new girl, who fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Well, I must say I'm surprised," he said smoothly.
"Surprised? About what?" the girl asked nervously.
"I never expected Ramen's costumes would look good on anybody, but you completely changed my mind." Miroku sounded awed as the girl giggled. "You wear your uniform like it's a masterpiece for a lady."
Beside him, Inu-Yasha coughed, but it sounded more like a gag. He knew that this eat-flirt-run procedure was crucial, as both he and Miroku were poor as dirt, but it didn't stop him from feeling sick. Shaking his head, he tilted his bowl back and tipped everything it contained into his mouth.
Miroku was taking his sweet time. He was staring deeply into the now-infatuated waitress' eyes. "Your eyes are beautiful," he breathed. "They make me feel all…let's just say they enchant me. I just want to—"
"Okay, time to go," Inu-Yasha said, standing abruptly. He looked thoroughly disgusted. Miroku thought it probably wasn't a good time to argue with his friend, even though he hadn't finished eating.
He stood up as well and sent another brilliant smile towards the waitress. "You wouldn't be so kind enough as to pretend we were never here, would you? I mean, you're so gorgeous we're sure to come back—"
Before the waitress could respond, a sour-faced women entered from the kitchen. She caught sight of the two friends, who froze in shock as they looked at her. She broke into screams, waving a ladle in the air. "You two are bankrupting my restaurant! Go, and never come back!"
"Yeah, yeah, she says that all the time," Miroku muttered as both of them sprinted out of the restaurant. "But she loves us too much to actually mean it."
They'd run in a zigzag, just in case the chef send out bloodthirsty assassins like before. Finally Inu-Yasha put a hand on Miroku's shoulder, panting. "Ow, cramp, stop."
Miroku skidded to a halt and raised his eyebrow as his friend clutched his stomach. "It's your fault for inhaling your food," he said knowingly.
Inu-Yasha sniffed. "At least I got something to eat. You were too busy being disgusting you barely even touched your food."
They both sighed dramatically. "And that old hag wouldn't even let me do my 'will you bear my child?' speech," Miroku said mournfully, as if he'd been told his mother had just died.
His friend rolled his eyes. "It's not like you get a positive answer, anyway. That girl could have shoved your head into the shabu-shabu pot like the waitress from before."
Miroku shrugged. "Yes, well…" then he clutched at his chest. With woeful eyes, he sang, "Riffraff, street rat, scoundrel, take that. If only they'd look closer…"
"They'd see a man with the mental capacity of a turnip," Inu-Yasha finished. "Now come on, let's go see if we can find more work."
Miroku sighed as Inu-Yasha continued walking. "Absolutely no sense of drama," he murmured. "Honestly, just because we're poor it doesn't mean we have to be grumpy about it," he yelled after his friend. He got a rude gesture as a response. Since that was perfectly normal, Miroku grinned and ran towards Inu-Yasha, ready to launch an attack from behind.
* * *
Unfortunately, when Miroku jumped on Inu-Yasha, the latter had been inching down a very steep road. That extra weight was enough to send them both tumbling down the road in a flurry of arms and legs, and a few punches when Miroku's face was open. Inu-Yasha was yelling about how he was going to sell Miroku as a slave when they crashed into a wall, a very painful stop to Miroku's very painful journey.
Inu-Yasha got up, a deadly look on his face. He brushed the dirt off his tattered clothing. "I've heard the flesh trade is booming at this time of the year," he said grimly.
Usually Miroku would have replied back, but his eyes were fixed on the wall. A poster was tacked on it, and it had the smiling face of a pretty young girl dressed in noble's clothing drawn on it. The words "Lost at Sea: Will Pay Negotiated Amount Upon Her Return" were bold underneath the picture.
Inu-Yasha was now staring at the poster too. "Miroku…this is a noble child. If we find her, we'll be rich," he said breathlessly.
"Yeah, I was kind of thinking that too," Miroku mused, "But mostly I was thinking if the lady was so grieved about losing her daughter, I could be a shoulder for her to cry on, you know? Then she'd see I'm a handsome, caring man and fall completely head over heels for me then we'd get married and then be richer than if we saved this girl."
Inu-Yasha stared at him, then whacked the side of his head. "Aside from it being a totally moronic idea, you are also the most uncaring person in the world."
"Look who's talking, Mr. I-Don't-Care-If-The-World-Ends-As-Long-As-I-Have-Ramen," Miroku shot back. "We'll see who has the better idea when you're a skeleton in the ocean and I'm so rich I have gold dripping off my fingers."
"Or rather hanged for sexually assaulting a noblewoman," Inu-Yasha countered. "Come on, let's just go over there, negotiate a price, and see if we can't find the girl. Where does it say we have to go?"
Miroku's eyes scanned the bottom of the poster. "Youkai Manor," he read. "That's on the very edge of town, near the road to the city."
"That's not too far. Okay, let's go!" Inu-Yasha said. He and Miroku looked at each other, grinned, and raced for the other side of town.
* * *
"Look at her, she's so beautiful!" Kagome's best friend Sango gushed. "Her hair's so thick and black, and her dress is perfect."
Kagome smiled as stroked the little girl's hair. She'd found her sinking in the water, during a storm that was occurring above the surface. Kagome had saved her by breathing into her lungs, but she was still unconscious. "What I love the most are her legs," Kagome said, just a hint of wistfulness in her voice.
Sango sighed as she touched the human child's feet. "They are adorable. But don't you think her family is looking for her?"
"I'm sure they are, but we can't do anything until she gains consciousness," Kagome replied. "Is the hour up?"
Her friend was holding a golden watch, dropped by humans a long time ago. She looked at it. "Yep, I think it's time."
Kagome put one her hands behind the girl's head, and bent down. Putting her lips over the child's, she breathed air into her lungs that would last for an hour. It was, after all, only with a mermaid's breath that a human could live underwater.
* * *
Inu-Yasha knew that he was standing in front of a lord, and he had to pay his respects. But all he could think of was my neck hurts as he was stuck in an excruciating position on the ground, a half bowing half kneeling position. Miroku was stuck in the same way, and Inu-Yasha could hear him mutter about rather being tortured than having to sit like this.
Finally the lord of the manor stood from his chair. "You may rise," he said in a deep voice. Muscles burning, the two friends picked themselves up from the ground. "You are telling me that you two street rats can find my daughter?"
They both bristled, but Inu-Yasha nodded curtly.
"My Rin was lost two days ago, setting sail to see her grandfather," Lord Sesshoumaru informed them. "A storm had hit the ship, and she fell overboard. This accident is a great tragedy indeed. I am willing to pay whatever price to have my daughter returned alive."
Miroku's eyes were shining as soon as Sesshoumaru said 'whatever price'. "My lord, both me and Inu-Yasha are very experienced sailors. Our fathers were co-captains of their ship Olympia before it disappeared." Inu-Yasha could hear the very slight edge in his voice, the only evidence that said Miroku was still affected by it. Sesshoumaru probably only heard a voice devoid of emotion (except for greed), because he was interested in something else.
"Olympia, you say? I have great knowledge of the ships of Houshi. Olympia was easily one of the finest. 'Pride of Houshi', they called her." Lord Sesshoumaru spoke thoughtfully, but then waved a hand. "Anyway that is not the matter. I have sent fifteen ships out from the entire coast, searching for my daughter. I am hoping that I can enlist the help of people who actually know what they're doing."
Miroku's head bobbed so vigorously Inu-Yasha was half-expecting it to fall off. "You can count on us, sir. We'll bring back your daughter safe and sound, if not a little beat up." Inu-Yasha stomped on Miroku's foot, and he yelped. "I mean she'll be completely intact," he said, then winced at the stupidity of his words.
Inu-Yasha was wondering whether to kick Miroku again when Lord Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow. "I should hope so," he said in a subtle warning tone. "If not…" his hand traveled to his collar, and his finger made a cutting motion over his neck.
The two friends gulped audibly.
"Well. Go to the dock. I have readied another search ship, named Warrior Swift and she will depart in one hour. You will be in charge of the direction she will go. You saw Rin's picture on the poster, I believe, but just to make sure…"
From his shirt the lord took a picture and gave it to Inu-Yasha. "This is my daughter Rin. Return her safe to me." Though Sesshoumaru's face remained blank, his voice betrayed what he really felt. That was probably why when they bowed in farewell, they bowed in earnest.
"D'you really think we're going to find her?" Inu-Yasha asked doubtfully as they walked out of Youkai Manor.
Miroku stopped and stared at Inu-Yasha like he was mad. "Find her? Of course we'll find her, but with that negative attitude things are never going to happen! Besides, I am such a girl magnet she'll probably swim over to us."
"Either that, or the gods will take pity on us for having your ugly face on the ship and send her to us," Inu-Yasha snickered. Both boys were handsome, but it was agreed by all (the girls, and a few guys) in Houshi that Inu-Yasha was the more handsome one. However, because he was so unreachable in the love department, it was agreed that Miroku, with his charm and Cassanova personality, was the more appealing one. Of course, his main flaw was that he asked every girl within five feet of him to bear his child, but that was another story…
When they reached the dock, they immediately found the ship Lord Sesshoumaru was sending out. It loomed over their heads so high that people thought they were playing limbo as they stared at the top of the mast. "It's gorgeous, but it'll never be as grand as Olympia," Miroku said quietly.
Inu-Yasha nodded his agreement. They stared at the Warrior for awhile until a crewmember's head poked out over the side. "Oy! You two comin' aboard or naw? Git up before you breaks yer backs! I ain't getting down to unstick you guys, I ain't!"
There was an audible crack as Inu-Yasha and Miroku snapped into a standing position. Miroku winced at the guy's words. "We might be poor as dirt, but at least we speak the language good," he said, glaring at the man.
"Well," Inu-Yasha corrected, sighing.
"Well what?"
"Nothing." Inu-Yasha headed over to the planks first. Unlike Olympia, who merely had two wooden planks that connected land to the ship (and woe betide anyone who didn't have a good sense of balance), this ship had a wide ramp. Inu-Yasha snickered as he made his way up it. "Hey, Miroku, they must like you here. Now you won't have to swim after the ship like always."
"Shut up, you're the one who kept overturning the planks," Miroku shot back, giving Inu-Yasha a shove as he walked ahead of him.
"Was it my fault if all the lady crabs loved you?" Inu-Yasha shouted indignantly after him.
* * *
Kagome stopped swimming and froze. The water felt different. It was moving in a strange way. "There's going to be a storm above land," she announced, stopping the human girl by grabbing her hand.
Sango stopped too. "But Kagome, Rin…she has to go back."
"If we take her back, the sea will probably swallow her again," Kagome protested. "Don't you feel the currents?"
Her friend paused as she felt the water pass around her body. "You're right. But it could just be the sea. Why don't we break surface and check?"
Rin, the little girl whom Kagome had saved, was looking back and forth at them nervously. "Is everything going to be okay?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Sango smiled comfortingly at Rin. "Of course. We'll get you back to your father soon."
Kagome let go of Rin's hand. "I'm going to the surface to see," she told Sango. "Stay here with Rin." She shot up toward the surface, her strong body propelling her forward.
With a splash she shot into the air. She spat out water and flicked her hair back. Kagome looked around her surroundings. It was just sky and water for miles around, but Kagome felt a little rush. She'd always wanted to go on land, even if she knew that was impossible. Being above the surface was enough, at least for now.
The sky was still bright, although clouds littered the azure. To the humans, it wouldn't look like a storm was coming. Kagome lifted her face to the sun and sniffed the air. The smell of wind and rain and lightning were strong. She could smell the storm coming.
Her suspicions confirmed, she dove underwater again. Swimming furiously, she didn't stop until she saw Sango and the human girl. "I was right," she told them. "A storm's coming. We had better alert the rescuers." Sango nodded. The rescuers were a group who scouted the oceans during storms to see if ships had sunk and soldiers were drowning. They breathed air into those still alive and secretly brought them to shore when the humans weren't looking. Kagome and Sango were part of the rescuers.
Kagome turned to Rin. "We can't return you to your father just yet," she said softly. "But as soon as the storm lets, we'll bring you back. Do you mind staying with us another day?"
Rin paused, then shook her head. "I love being here. It's so much fun," she said cheerfully.
Kagome and Sango laughed. "Well, that's good to know. Come on, let's head back." The three girls turned away from the storm and headed back to the merworld, but not before Kagome cast a nervous glance behind her.
* * *
"Head out to open sea, then turn right the moment Houshi disappears," Inu-Yasha instructed the captain. We should see some cliffs, and between the cliffs there are several little beaches where she may have washed ashore. Have you searched the cliffs before?"
"No, we never knew about the beaches," the captain replied, sounding surprised.
"Well then that's where we'll go." The captain nodded and Inu-Yasha turned back away from him. "Imagine not knowing about the beaches," he grumbled under his breath. "When we buried Miroku in the sand he screamed loud enough to wake the dead."
"Ah, yes, fond memories," his friend said dryly, popping up beside him. "You all led a conspiracy against me, even my own father!"
"Maybe if you hadn't been such a pansy boy…"
"I was not a pansy boy, I was a romantic."
"Potato, potahto." Inu-Yasha grinned at Miroku's affronted look. Actually, Miroku was far from being a pansy boy. He was often the one who shouted "Hey everyone, watch this!" and Inu-Yasha was the one who had to fish him out of trouble (or mortal peril).
While the ship coasted through the waters, Inu-Yasha and Miroku leaned over the side, staring down at the water. For awhile only the wind spoke as it sifted through chocolate and silver hair. Then Miroku broke the silence. "Hey, Inu-Yasha, do you believe in mermaids?"
His friend turned to him, a skeptical look on his face. "Mermaids? You mean like girls with tails?"
"Beautiful girls with tails," Miroku corrected.
Inu-Yasha snorted. "How can girls with tails be beautiful? That's just freaky."
"Aside from trying to convince you otherwise, I think I'll just accept the fact that your mind is too mundane to comprehend what I'm saying and continue," Miroku replied in one breath. "Mermaids are beautiful. I bet they don't have human flaws, like you know, ugliness and old age and stuff. They're immortal creatures, right?"
He got a shrug for a response. "I don't spend time researching on things that don't exist."
"No, you just eat," Miroku agreed affably.
Inu-Yasha was about to snap back, but the wind blew strongly and he stopped. Frowning, he sniffed the air. He looked up at the sky, which was still clear, save a few clouds. "Do you smell that? It's like a storm's coming."
Miroku inhaled deeply. "You're right. It's coming from northeast." As sons of two famous sailors, they noticed things that normal seafarers didn't. "We'd better go warn the captain."
They crossed the deck to the bridge. However, the captain looked at the sky and sneered. "Are you kiddin' me? It's the afternoon, there ain't no storm! Besides, we don't got Lord Sesshoumaru's girl yet! You wanna get yer head chopped?"
"No, but a storm is coming! We're telling the truth!" Inu-Yasha shouted. "We don't know how big it is, but we know there's going to be one."
The captain glared at them. "I kin tell you how big it is! It's gonna be nonexistent!"
As soon as he said those words, a loud rumble of thunder rolled over the ship, rattling the wooden boards.
"Uh huh, and I hate women," Miroku announced.
* * *
With Rin in the care of Kagome's family, she and Sango were able to join the rest of the unit. "We have verified that the storm is coming from northeast," their leader informed them. "Search the nearby area for any ships. Keep a close eye on them until they safely reach shore. If they don't…well, you know the drill."
Kagome and Sango nodded. If the ship didn't make it, they'd try and rescue as many overboard sailors as they could.
The captain closed his eyes, then opened them. "The storm is traveling quickly. We will have to move out now." Again the two girls nodded. The captain raised his arm into the air as a signal, and fifty merpeople swam upward from their underwater home.
"I hope there'll be no shipwrecks," Sango said to Kagome as they made their way to the surface. Because of the merworld's deep location, going there would take a while.
"Yes, well, humans have grown oblivious to the sea's warnings," Kagome replied. "They make bigger ships, thinking they'll be protected." Sango nodded her agreement.
Soon they spied the silvery sheen that meant the surface of the water. They broke through the water and were immediately sloshed about by the violent waves.
Though only half an hour ago Kagome had seen light, now there was none. Rain pelted down, accompanied by flashes of lightning and the warning of thunder. The waves angrily tossed them about like they had no control of their bodies.
Kagome spat out some water and coughed. She grabbed Sango's arm so they wouldn't be separated. "Do you see a ship?" she screamed through the storm.
Sango's head whipped back and forth, her eyes scanning all directions. Then she pointed fiercely at a tall shadow that was being attacked by the ocean. "There's a ship! It seems like it's in trouble!"
"Dive!" Both of them followed Kagome's shout, and they returned to the relative calmness of being underwater.
"We'll swim underwater until we reach the belly of the ship," Kagome decided. "Hopefully the storm will let them pass, and we can return." Kagome didn't want to admit it, but swimming all day had made her tired. She didn't want to lug soldiers all the way to the shore.
Together the two girls waited as the ship swayed in the ocean.
* * *
"Miroku, this is not the time to say 'I told you so!'" Inu-Yasha yelled, gripping a rope tied to the mast to keep himself balanced.
"But it's true," his friend protested loudly over the rain, his brown hair plastered down his face. "Stupid captain of this stupid ship didn't stupidly listen to my stupid warning!" He didn't sound like he knew exactly what he was saying.
Suddenly a huge wave lifted the ship and it tilted violently to one side. Inu-Yasha yelped as his grip on the rope loosened and finally let go. He stumbled over the wet deck and crashed straight into Miroku. They slid in a flurry of panicking crewmembers all over the deck who'd also lost their balance.
The captain had only agreed to turn back once it started to rain. They'd barely turned the Warrior around when the sky had grown black and the waves stared playing catch with them.
Inu-Yasha cried out in pain as he slammed into the side of the ship. Shoulder burning, he staggered up to the furious tossing of the ship. He nearly fell again as Miroku grabbed his shirt and hoisted himself up.
"Head over to the cabins!" Miroku hollered in his ear. Angrily pushing away the curtain of hair that was plastered on his face, Inu-Yasha took a faltering step across the deck. Another wave splashed over the side and water rose to above his ankles.
Miroku stopped and surveyed the condition of the ship. Quietly, so no one could hear him over the roar of the storm, he said quietly, "I think this ship is going to sink."
No sooner had the words come out than a monster wave lifted the Warrior and Inu-Yasha found his head making connection with the floor again. This time, however, he didn't crash into the side. With the water on deck cascading on him, he couldn't swim against it. The ship was tilted so drastically that when Inu-Yasha was supposed to hit the side, he flew over it and into the black ocean.
"Inu-Yasha!" Miroku shouted. Without another word, he dove into the water to search for his friend. Even though he was usually on the receiving end of Inu-Yasha's insults, they'd grown up since childhood.
Though Miroku was a strong swimmer, the ocean was stronger. The waves tossed him around like he was a guppy. Several times he dove, searching for the silvery mass of Inu-Yasha's hair. Several times he came up with no result. Eventually, even his strong limbs failed on him until he could swim no more…
Meanwhile, Inu-Yasha had been knocked out the instant his back hit the water. He sank deeper into the calm water, his limp form caressed by the water. His world was currently blackness, so he did not notice the beautiful girl with black hair gently cradle him against her half –human body. He didn't notice the gentle way the girl drew back his silver hair and placed her soft lips on his, giving him her kiss of life. He was still oblivious when the girl wrapped her arms around him tightly—but not tight enough to hurt him—and drew him deeper into the waters to her world.