Sarawareta
By Andrea Hill
A Ranma � & Inu-Yasha Crossover
Takahashi Rumiko-sama made them! I'm just borrowing!
The title is the Japanese word for "Kidnapped". If I think of
something more appropriate to the story, I'll re-name, but
otherwise it's fine as it stands.
SPOILER ALERT: This fanfiction is based in the year 1997. It
assumes that all characters in Ranma � are about 3 years older
than they left at the end of the series. Ranma and Akane are about
20, Nabiki's 21, Kasumi's 23, etc. Kagome is about 15, and who
knows how old Inu-Yasha is? This author assumes that you've
read and know about the first twelve graphic novels of Inu-Yasha,
and everything in Ranma beginning to end.
Rating: PG15 for some bad language and sexual references.
Nothing worse than in the shows.
Please send your comments and criticisms to:
email_andreas_art@yahoo.com
Chapter One
It was nearing nightfall, the ember-like crimson eye of the sun
glowering through wisps of cloud as it settled heavily into the
western horizon. It bathed the forest in an angry miasma of blood-
red glare and deep shadows. The day had been hot, and Inu-Yasha
was glad to see the brighter stars showing their faces. Kagome
would be arriving any minute now, and he was anxious to see her.
"Just leave me alone for a week, ok?" Her parting words to him
seven days ago came to the fore of his mind. "I have some end-of-
term exams to take, and then I want to visit my cousins. One of
them is sick, and we haven't seen each other in over a year. After
that I can stay for a whole month, ok?"
She'd taken all of her belongings - the bike, the seemingly
bottomless backpack, her weird clothes � and hopped through the
well. With the other companions there, cheerily waving her off,
Inu-Yasha had made a point of being his usual gruff self. What he
didn't want anyone to know � especially Kagome � was how very
wrong it felt to see her leave.
He'd been sleeping next to the well ever since.
The earth swallowed the sun, and the sky became a deep sapphire
studded with diamond stars. The Red Bird of the South, the only
constellation Inu-Yasha could really point out, arced it's way
across the dome of heaven, growing brighter as he watched. He
dropped to the earth and glared at the well, arms crossed and foot
tapping impatiently.
When all hint of blue was gone from the sky Inu-Yasha could
stand it no more. He placed one hand on the edge and was just
shifting his weight to jump over when Shippo landed on his head.
"Is Kagome back yet?" He yipped cheerfully.
Inu-Yasha snatched the kitsune off and held him between thumb
and forefinger with disgust. "Do you see her, brat? I was just
going in to get her."
"Can I come?"
"NO!" He cocked his arm and let the cub fly. "I'll be right back
with her. Stay here!" He jumped through the well.
Shippo rubbed the rapidly growing bump on his head. "Jerk!"
-----
The air in modern Japan smelled infinitely different, especially to
one with a nose as keen as Inu-Yasha's. For one thing, it was
dirtier. Kagome had once explained to him that it was the
"exhaust" from "automobiles" and that the current government was
trying to find a way to reduce the "smog". There were also new
food smells, and new animal smells, and excepting trees, there was
generally more of the smells he knew.
Especially people. Underlying everything was the scent of
hundreds upon hundreds of people, wafting through the air like
layers of silk. Once he'd asked her how many people there were in
this "Tokyo City" she lived in.
"Oh, I guess about twenty-five million," she'd shrugged.
He'd scoffed. "Twenty-five million? Do you even have any idea
how many a million is?"
And she'd given him a look that was so scathing if she had been a
demon he surely would have feared for his safety. "I probably
know better than YOU do," she'd replied contemptuously. "I live
there, remember?"
After landing on Kagome's side of the well, he took a moment to
adjust and look around. He could not see her in the shrine, nor
hear her familiar tread heading toward him. He leapt out of the
well and stalked out of the shrine. Half-way across the Higurashi's
yard the kitchen door slammed open, and a woman ran out. Inu-
Yasha's heart thumped in anticipation.
Kagome.
But as she neared him he saw that it wasn't her at all, but her
mother. Her face was alight with fear and the scent of it poured
from her in waves. His stomach clenched.
Inu-Yasha crossed the remaining space between them in a single
bound and grasped her shoulders tightly. "Is Kagome alright?
What's happened?!"
Mrs. Higurashi made weak fists of his coat. "Oh, Inu-Yasha-kun!
She's disappeared! My baby's gone! Gone!" And she collapsed
against his chest, sobbing.
-----
"It's true." Kagome's grandfather nodded. He looked as if he had
aged a decade in the few weeks since Inu-Yasha had last neen
him. The wrinkles in his face were deeper, the bags under his eyes
darker, his color pallid. "We got a call from my nephew yesterday.
Kagome and her cousin Kasumi have disappeared. Soun and his
son-in-law scoured the neighborhood, asked everyone they knew,
but no-one has seen or heard from either girl in over thirty hours."
His chin trembled, and the withered hands in his lap were pressed
hard into his thighs. "We wanted to tell you, but none of us can go
through the well."
Inu-Yasha was pacing around the room like a caged wolf, his
amber eyes flashing ominously. "Damn it! So much wasted time!
I should have checked on her!" He spun around and pointed to
Mrs. Higurashi. "Where is this cousin's house? Which way? If I
can pick up her scent I can find her!"
"I'll call a cab," she told him. "And I'll tell Soun to expect you."
Sota bit on his lower lip, obviously trying not to cry. "Will you
really find her?" He asked in a trembling voice.
Inu-Yasha looked at the small boy who found him "cool". He
looked like his sister. Inu-Yasha squared his shoulders and
nodded. "I'll bring her back safe. I promised her I would protect
her, and I won't let her down."
Sota burst into tears.
-----
"You ok back there, buddy?" The cab driver peered at him
through the little mirror that any woman in the village would have
given her first-born girl to have, and raised his eyebrows. "You act
like you ain't never been in a car before."
"I usually walk, or fly," he managed to gasp. He'd been loaded
into the cab wearing a hat, the better to hide his canine ears. It was
uncomfortable. He couldn't wait to take it off.
The driver grunted. "Well, whatever, we're here."
Inu-Yasha was able to pry his claws from the soft seat and fling the
door open. The ride through the city had been one of the most
terrifying experiences of his life. To be taken at such speeds under
the power of a machine! And he'd seen the city, the crowds of
people, groups of them in other "cars", giant buildings that towered
higher than any tree, and now he believed Kagome's statement of
"about twenty-five million" people. As he exited the cab he took
stock of his destination.
It was a large house surrounded by a gated fence, and a sign that
read "Tendo Dojo" adorned the left post. The cab driver honked
the horn, and a moment later a rather tall human man with long
black hair and a full mustache emerged. He bent over to speak
with the driver, and gave him some paper. Then he stood to look
at Inu-Yasha.
For a long moment they took stock of each other. Then the man
bowed. "I am Tendo Soun, and this is my house. You are
welcome here."
Akwardly, Inu-Yasha bowed back. "Yeah. Tell me what you
know about Kagome."
Soun nodded and managed to lead Inu-Yasha into the house before
collapsing just inside the door and weeping piteously. "Wah! My
beautiful daughter Kasumi is gone!"
Rather taken aback by the man's grief, the half demon glanced
around the main room for a clue as to what to do. Two human
girls were hurrying toward him, one with short brown hair and the
other with short black hair. They each knelt beside the man and
made comforting noises.
The black-haired one looked up, and her face was fierce. "Are you
Kagome's friend? Auntie told us to expect you."
Inu-Yasha nodded. "What can you tell me about where she's
gone?"
"Not much." The half-demon turned to see a young man walk into
the room. He was about twenty years of age, with long black hair
bound in a braid and serious blue eyes. "I'm Saotome Ranma.
You've already met Soun, the one in the shorts is Nabiki, and the
other girl is my wife Akane. Kasumi is the oldest sister. She and
Kagome were home together when they disappeared. We think
they were kidnapped."
"Have you called the� police?"
Ranma nodded grimly. "They can't do anything. They're idiots.
They told us that if they haven't been found in the last twenty-four
hours the odds of us finding them at all are next to none." He
punched a fist into his hand. "But we won't give up until they're
back home."
For a long moment Inu-Yasha looked at the boy. There was
something about him that was disturbing, an aura of power not
unlike that which emanated from Kagome, or Miroku. And yet, he
held himself like a warrior. "You some kind of priest, or
something?"
Ranma blinked. "Uh, no� Why would you think that?"
"Your power, idiot. It practically lights up the room. She's got it
too," he answered, jerking his thumb at Akane. "Just not so
strong."
Ranma smirked. "I'm a martial artist. You must be able to sense
my ki. That's pretty good, not a lot of people are able to do that."
"I'm not exactly a person."
There was a pregnant pause, and even Soun stopped crying.
"Yes," the older man choked out. "My cousin told me that you
were different, but she didn't say why."
Inu-Yasha tore off the hat, nearly sighing in relief as his ears
sprang up again into their natural position. There was a collective
gasp. "I'm half-demon. Thus the name."
Akane had moved herself to stand before her sister and father, and
Ranma had also shifted his weight into a battle-ready stance.
"What the hell?" The older boy asked incredulously.
Inu-Yasha raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, right. Ki or no, if I'd
wanted to attack you, you'd be dead by now, human. Relax, I'm
only here to find and free Kagome."
"And Kasumi." Nabiki told him.
"Sure. Kasumi, too. Look, I'm gonna start looking for them.
Don't get in my way." He was in a foul mood, and didn't feel like
dealing with all of their questions. Brushing past Ranma, he
sniffed his way deeper into the house. Once in the kitchen he
dropped to all fours and put his nose to the ground.
Kagome had been here. Her scent lingered on the tiles, leaving a
trail that he could practically see, crisscrossing the room. Here it
was in a chair, especially strong. "She sat here," he said. He
quickly quartered the rest of the room. "There's one scent
especially dominant in this room, and it doesn't belong to any of
you. Is that Kasumi?"
"Yes," Soun nodded. "She was the best cook. Oh, her pork buns!
Her teriyaki sauce! Her misu soup!" Tears were streaming down
his face again. "KASUMI! WAHH!"
The half-demon glared at the older man, and there after ignored
him. The trails led him up the stairs, into bedrooms, and
downstairs, into the furo, the living room, the porch, across the
garden� And then he smelled something that made his blood
freeze.
"SesshoMaru!" He whispered.
Ranma and Akane heard him. "Who's that?" They asked
simultaneously.
Inu-Yasha's claws dug into the soft earth of the garden. A growl
was building deep in his chest. The others watched in
astonishment and a little fear as the hair on his head seemed to
stand stiffer, like hackles being raised. Suddenly he raised his
head and roared. The terrible sound echoed from the surrounding
houses, and crawled down their spines. Ranma dropped into a
defensive stance again and placed himself between the half-demon
and his family. Then Inu-Yasha lept over the wall in hot pursuit,
and they could do nothing but gape.
After an instant Ranma grabbed Akane's hand and leapt over the
wall after the half-demon. "Wait! What's going on?! Who's this
SesshoMaru?"
Inu-Yasha was on all fours again, sniffing the ground by the street
frantically, his head whipping back and forth. Desperate sounds,
like whines, were eking from his throat. "Lost it. Can't pick it up
again. Damn cars! Shit! They were put into a car. SHIT! I can't
even tell which way they went!" He was trembling.
Ranma grabbed the younger boy by his juban and hauled him up to
eye-level. "WHO IS SESSHOMARU?!" He roared.
Frantically worried about Kagome, upset at the scent of his half-
brother, and not a little disoriented by the sights, sounds, and
smells of Tokyo City, Inu-Yasha snapped. He drove his claws
with inhuman speed toward the older boy in front of him, fully
intending to give him cuts that wouldn't soon be forgotten.
He found himself lying on his face with a knee grinding into the
back of his neck. Ranma was leaning close to him, speaking in a
low voice. "Now listen here, dog-boy. I can tell that you're
worried about Kagome. That's good, because we're worried about
her and Kasumi, too. You've got to realize that we're all on the
same side, here. We - don't � have � time to fight amongst
ourselves! You tell us what you know, we'll do the same, and then
we'll get those girls back! Save all this anger for SesshoMaru,
dammit!"
Inu-Yasha was stunned. He'd attacked the older boy � the human
boy � with demon speed and strength, but here he was,
immobilized! He had gravely underestimated this Ranma. He
grunted. "You're right. Let me up."
For a second Ranma didn't move. "Yeah, ok." The pressure
eased, and Ranma danced away.
Inu-Yasha stood, rubbing the back of his neck ruefully. "Where'd
you learn to do that, anyway? I've never met a human who could
even approach my speed."
"Trade secret."
Gold eyes met stormy blue, and after a long moment, Inu-Yasha
lifted his chin. "You don't happen to be carrying any Shikon
shards, do you?"
Ranma looked genuinely confused. "Shikon? Er, no, I've just got
my one, original, soul. What do you mean?"
"Magic talismans? Amulets? Charmed clothes, perhaps?"
"No! Nothing like that."
"There's got to be something."
Ranma got a little upset. "Look, I'm this good because I've been
training since before I could walk, ok? If you doubt me we can
have a match sometime. After we find the girls."
Inu-Yasha slowly nodded. "Sure. I'll take you on any time."
Akane chose this moment to step between them. She glared first at
Ranma, who subsided, and then at Inu-Yasha. "Not that all of this
testosterone-induced posturing isn't fascinating, but can you two
idiots stop for a minute? Inu-Yasha! Tell me who this
SesshoMaru is, and why he's taken my sister and cousin!"
-----
"�So just recently he's begun to show a weird interest in Kagome.
It's even creepier than Kouga's interest, because my jerk brother's
hated humans for so long." They were all gathered around the low
table in the living room, Soun on one end, Ranma and Akane
sitting together, Nabiki opposite her father, and Inu-Yasha facing
the married couple.
"What about that little girl, Rin?" Nabiki was showing herself to
have a keen mind. "He's been caring for her, right? Could he
have changed his character away from the evil that you've so
vividly portrayed?"
Inu-Yasha shook his head. "That little girl saved his life. He only
brought her back to life to test out the Tensaiga, anyway, and now
he's keeping her as a pet. As long as she's amusing, she's safe."
There was a long silence while everyone absorbed this. Ranma's
gaze rested on the sword at Inu-Yasha's hip. "Things are different,
now." Ranma said. "Demons just don't run around the place
killing people. In fact most of the world doesn't even believe in
demons any more. How can it be that Sesshomaru's goals of
ruling Japan with these two swords can still live in the face of
that?" He rubbed his knuckles thoughtfully. "No, I don't think he
wants to use the girls as leverage. No one has gotten a ransom
note, or anything. No phone calls." He glanced at his wife, and
then set his jaw. "Could he want them for some other reason?"
"I don't know!" The half-demon's fist slammed into the table.
"Dammit! I'm probably dead by now, anyway, so it can't be as
revenge against me." His eyes flicked from side to side as if
reading something written on the table. "Maybe� maybe he just
wants revenge against Kagome. Maybe she did something to him
that really ticked him off, and he found out that she's from this era,
and all these centuries he's been biding his time, planning." The
fist on the table clenched harder. Beads of blood ran from it and
hit the table wetly. "Oh, gods!"
Nabiki was looking at him, her eyes wide and her face pale. She
was shaking her head from side to side in abrupt, jerking
movements like a robot. "No, no, no," she whispered.
Soun was nearly comatose with weeping.
"Inu-Yasha," Akane's voice was solemn to match her face. "Is it
possible that your brother still lives in the same castle as before?
Maybe we could find him and my sister and cousin there. Do you
know where that is?"
Hope grew within the younger boy. "Yeah, it may be possible! I
haven't been to the castle since I was little, but I know vaguely
where it is. Can it have survived all this time?"
Nabiki leaned forward, her white face anxious. "A map. Hold on,
let me get a map!" She leapt up from her place at the table and ran
up stairs. A moment later she dashed down again cradling what
looked to Inu-Yasha like a flat gray box. She lay in gently on the
table and rushed to affix the box's tail into a hole in the wall. She
then opened the lid and tilted the thing so that the half-demon
could see inside.
Inu-Yasha gaped. "It's like a� living tapestry." He marveled at
the images produced before him.
"It's called a lap-top," Nabiki explained. "With this I can pull up
all the information we could ever want, on any subject you can
think of. Every library is available to me through this machine."
"This is a machine?" Inu-Yasha gasped. "But this has got to be
magic!"
Nabiki smiled, her terror making it grim. "If it makes you feel
better, think of it that way. But that's not the point. Here, help me
out." She moved over the buttons and the touch-pad and brought
up a map of Japan. "Here's Japan." She pointed to a black dot.
"Tokyo city."
"I can read!" He snapped. He turned back to the screen to glare at
it. "At least the shapes of the islands haven't changed." He tapped
a clawed finger to the screen gently. "My brother's territory is
here, this area. It's in a valley. I remember that the complex was
very large. There were lots of buildings, bridges over streams,
gardens, all that stuff."
Nabiki took over again. "Well this is mostly farming country.
There are a few valleys, here, and here" she pointed to the areas
"that are chock-full of mansions and restored palaces for the mega-
rich."
"That sounds right. My brother is nothing if not snobby."
"So which one is it?" She zoomed in on the area.
Inu-Yasha peered at the screen intently for a minute, and then
sighed. "I don't know. I haven't been there since I was a very
small child."
"But there must be dozens of estates there!" Akane's voice was
panicked. "We can't just go knocking on every door!"
Nabiki shook her head. "We may not have to."
---------------------------------
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