He had fled the scene, yes, but he was keeping a close eye from a very safe distance. Up in the trees, he observed the fight between the demonic half-brothers, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Myoga always tried to stay around close enough when they fought so unnecessarily to make sure both of them were alright. Soon enough, though, the clash ended due to the intrusion of a pesky boar demon answering to the call of the jewel shards hanging around Kagome's neck.
Myoga knew they would make short work of it and returned to take his place among Inuyasha's travel party. Though miniscule in size and older in age, his speed was nothing less than impressive and he quickly found a spot on Shippo's right shoulder.
"Oh, hey, Myoga, we thought you got scared and ran off again." The flea demon cleared his throat and took a seat on the kit.
"I merely went for a run. It's important to stay fit in my old age." The kitsune rolled his eyes at the bluff before returning his attention to the slaughtering of the boar demon. As Myoga assumed, Sesshomaru ended the life of the foul creature no sooner than it had staggered into their presence, not without Inuyasha whining.
"I see right through you, Sesshomaru!" The hanyou complained. "You glory hound, you just wanted to show off!" Sesshomaru sheathed his sword wordlessly, refusing to respond to his younger brother's idiocy. Inuyasha's words had intrigued Myoga, however, and the flea took them into consideration.
What is Lord Inuyasha talking about? Lord Sesshomaru hasn't felt the need to show off his skills since their father ruled the West. He thought; only to entertain the idea that he had been reading too far into their banter shortly after. It was Kagome's cheery suggestion to settle down and head back to the village that snapped Myoga out of his thoughts.
The miko smiled brightly, and the flea demon looked back to the silver haired half-demon he faithfully served. What he saw was nothing new, simply a lovesick puppy too stubborn to make a move on the woman he couldn't get out of his mind. Inuyasha's gaze was set on the smiling girl, and in his amber eyes was a look that could only be described as pure longing.
"So, what do you say?" Looking down for a moment, the half-demon found he was unable to say no to her this time.
"Yeah, alright, might as well." Tetsusaiga was sheathed and Inuyasha tucked his hands away in his sleeves. The young priestess was very pleased with her friend's willingness to hear her out and take her advice and they soon headed out.
Kagome, however, looked over her shoulder to call out to Inuyasha's older brother. "Sesshomaru, will you be joining us?" Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks and his ear twitched. He didn't want to believe that Kagome would actually invite that pompous dog to come along, but then again, it wouldn't be Kagome if she didn't.
Myoga watched Sesshomaru stand in place staring at the dark-haired miko. He, too, had a most curious look in his eyes. It wasn't as blatant as Inuyasha's, Sesshomaru knew better and had attempted to shield it. However, the trick would not work on the flea; he'd been around dog demons far too long to be fooled by their efforts in masking their emotions. No, the eyes of InuTaisho's eldest son were hinting at respect, adoration, and interest. If he wasn't mistaken, Myoga also detected yearning. All of which centered on the same girl Inuyasha had his eyes on.
Everyone waited to see if the white-haired daiyoukai would come with them, and most of the group had no complaints when he did. After all, Sesshomaru was typically quiet unless provoked and, aside from Inuyasha, no one felt the need to provoke him.
As the group proceeded to the village, Myoga noticed Inuyasha, Kagome, and Sesshomaru at the front. The blue-eyed miko was in between the two supernatural half-brothers and, by the looks of it, she was quite content there. Where most people would cower in the presence of two regal demons, even if one of them possessed only half the power, Kagome found safety in their company. Myoga pondered the possibilities of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha both having strong feelings of affection for the seemingly-oblivious girl.
Could it be they have both fallen for Lady Kagome? Why, no, that's absurd!
Not long after he tried to brush it off, he saw Inuyasha touch Kagome's shoulder and heard Sesshomaru growl as if to warn his half-brother to keep his hands to himself. A drop of sweat rolled down Myoga's forehead while he watched the two bicker. By bicker, it's implied that Inuyasha was the one to shout and whine while Sesshomaru ignored him, inching closer to Kagome as they walked.
Or… maybe not that absurd, when on earth did this happen?! The little flea dared not voice what troubled him to the kit for fear of Sesshomaru's sensitive hearing and Inuyasha's unparalleled temper. No matter, he could wait until they got to the village to discuss the topic with the monk, demon slayer, and fox. He wanted to be absolutely sure he was not jumping to conclusions and that the others had noticed the inu brothers' strange and possessive behavior over the teenage miko as well.
Until they arrived at Kaede's hut, the microscopic demon kept a close eye on the siblings and time-traveler. Inuyasha, he knew, admired Kagome to the point where it made his eyes sparkle and he was stealing glances at her whenever she wasn't looking. The problem with the hanyou was his reluctance to let go of the past and move on from a relationship that was literally dead in more ways than one. Kikyo was constantly butting into whatever romance started to sprout between Kagome and Inuyasha before it could flourish into something serious. Sesshomaru was the real puzzle.
The ruthless demon lord with an untarnished pedigree made it known far and wide that he detested all humans, and then he took the young girl Rin under his wing. And here he was travelling with his despised younger brother trying to get as close to the prodigy priestess as he possibly could. Myoga recalled on several recent occasions that Sesshomaru had threatened Koga when the wolf referred to Kagome as "his woman". The pureblooded inu and the wolf never faced any quarrels in the past, but as of late all issues they had with one another centered on the girl, one's verbal claim on her, and the other's non-verbal claim on her. Inuyasha hadn't been bright enough to understand why exactly his brother attacked Koga, assuming that he only saw the brute as a nuisance since they never exchanged words during fights. Brutish as he was, Koga was far cleverer than he let off. He knew damn well why Sesshomaru suddenly desired to fight him.
Could it be that a mortal priestess was the core of the demons' reasons to brawl? Or even, possibly, their sole reason to brawl? Not to mention, Sesshomaru had also been stealing glances at Kagome just as much as his brother. If Inuyasha were to catch him staring so keenly, Myoga didn't even want to think about what would happen.
Troublesome girl, absolutely troublesome, but does she know?
He thought not, since she seemed to act no differently than she ever had. Jubilant and optimistic as she always was, Kagome showed no signs that indicated she was aware of a triad of demons fighting over her. Fortunately, Koga only came around once in a while, revenge for his fallen brethren at the top of his priority list. That left Inuyasha and Sesshomaru to battle. Now that Myoga thought of it, their group had also been running into Sesshomaru's too often for it to be coincidental.
He must be following us closely to arrange regular encounters.
Some time passed before the group made it to the village. Kagome decided to head back home for a few hours to restock on some supplies. Needless to say, the golden-eyed brothers weren't far behind her. Inuyasha said he would guard the well until she returned, and Sesshomaru claimed he was going to check on his own travel party. In all probability, he was hiding in the woods watching over the well, too, masking his scent to outwit the half-breed and avoid conflict.
With the three of them gone, Myoga took the chance to strike up the conversation he so desperately wanted to have with the remaining members of the gang.
"I must ask, have any of you noticed Lord Sesshomaru and Inuyasha acting strangely?" His question instantly had an answer.
"Definitely," Responded the brunette demon slayer. "We run into Sesshomaru a few times a week now. Before, it was just a couple times a month at most."
Miroku chipped in. "It appears that they've grown more vicious in their battles as well. These days, it's like they're really fighting for something rather than fighting just for the sake of it. Whenever Kagome asks them to stop, they listen. She hardly ever uses the subjugation beads anymore; Inuyasha willingly obeys her but only around his brother."
"Which is pretty often," Sango mumbled.
The adolescent fox added to the topic. "What I don't understand is why Sesshomaru listens to her, too."
"He has grown… docile around her." The purple-clad monk mused.
Sango's brow furrowed and her lips formed the slightest frown; she looked to the spiritual pervert. "You don't suppose…?"
Shaking his head, Miroku gave out a forced laugh. "No, my dear Sango, that's preposterous." He paused. "Isn't it?"
"Dog demons work in strange ways," Myoga began, sitting cross-legged with his hands tucked away in his sleeves. "Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father wasn't overly fond of humans in his younger days, but, as you all know, things changed once he met Inuyasha's mother. It is possible Sesshomaru may have found himself in a similar position. He may have tried to kill her in the past, but it's clear he has since moved forward from that."
The three friends hung onto every word that left the flea's mouth. Shippo couldn't help but wonder, "What makes him attracted to Kagome, though? He's never shown interest in her before."
Myoga closed his eyes lightly in thought. "Lady Kagome, though not of royal blood, isn't weak by any means. She's proved her worth time and time again with her increasing powers, ability to control them, and her unwavering loyalty. These are all desirable traits in a pack mate for any species of demon, but especially for dog demons. She's not unattractive either. But on top of that, two other males want her, strong males. Sesshomaru could easily see this as a competition. That's why we've been seeing less of Koga and more of Lord Sesshomaru."
They were starting to piece everything together, it was all making sense. "Inuyasha wouldn't back down from a fight, especially when it's involving his brother. Koga knows he can't take on Sesshomaru even with the jewel shards."
"Precisely," Myoga nodded. "But I don't think I have to tell you all that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru both falling for Kagome could be disastrous. Imagine the consequences if either one of them lost against the other."
Pursing her lips, Sango added her two cents. "I don't think I like this. You're talking like Kagome is some kind of trophy. Is that all they see her as?"
His eyes widened at her inquiry. "No, no! Of course not, I assure you, it's quite common amongst dog demons to fight for a mate. It's not about seeing which is able to win her; it's about seeing which is better suited to be her protector. Dog demons only mate once, you realize, and they mate for life. That goes for half-demons just the same."
Silence fell over the four companions. Shippo was vaguely aware of demonic mating rituals, but what little knowledge he did possess was exclusively fox concentrated. Sango still felt a bit uneasy about the whole thing. She knew Inuyasha was crushing on Kagome for a long time now, but she knew he wouldn't be good for her if he continued his association with Kikyo. The demon slayer had mixed feelings concerning the hanyou's older brother. He wasn't safe, not by a longshot, but he kept Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un well-fed and protected at all times. Miroku found himself at a loss for what to say or even think. As for Myoga, he was just hoping someone would call him crazy and they could all move on with their lives.
"Myoga," The monk called. "What makes you so sure it's Kagome Inuyasha and Lord Sesshomaru fight over?"
The flea looked up at the cursed young man before explaining himself. "I've seen the way they look at her. Both had strong, sincere, and, dare I say it, loving expressions."
"Then it's simple," Miroku flashed a dashing smile. "We just have to see which of them sparks the same look in Kagome's eyes."
Of course, why hadn't he thought of that? Lecherous as he was, Miroku continually demonstrated just how full of wisdom he truly was. They waited patiently until Kagome returned with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru on either side of her as she strolled ahead with her bike. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Myoga welcomed them, and then all paid attention to see how Kagome acted around each inu.
Surprisingly, she paid either one no mind. For the rest of the day, the only time any of them saw a twinkle in Kagome's deep blue eyes had been when Sango suggested they visit the hot springs. With Shippo scurrying close behind them, the two women left the men behind, leaving Miroku in an awkward situation. It wasn't long before Inuyasha clawed his way under Sesshomaru's skin in the absence of the miko, and they were preparing to draw their swords. The flea demon was nowhere in sight and the monk had to take action.
Thinking on his feet, Miroku intervened by stepping in the middle of them. "Gentlemen, please, why must you fight?"
"Can it, Miroku, I got a score to settle with this bastard." The half-demon in red bit out crudely.
"If you don't mind my asking, Inuyasha, what game are you playing?" The hanyou's eyes, previously narrowed and focused on his imperial opponent, blinked and expanded.
"Huh? There's no game." The monk turned his gaze to the sky in the distance.
"Then what's the score all about?" He faced the demon lord next. "Do you know, Lord Sesshomaru?"
The pureblood scowled. "Hn, I owe you no explanation for my actions. You should learn your place, monk, and know better than to question me."
Miroku nodded and closed his eyes. "I meant no disrespect, Lord Sesshomaru. We've been discussing why it is you two cause such a commotion so often for some time now." He fibbed. "And it was just today we reached a conclusion." Inuyasha's twitching ear did not go unnoticed.
"What… what kind of conclusion?"
Innocence was displayed across his face but his words were blunt and knowing, much like that of a parent asking a child if they had eaten a cookie before dinner and knew for a fact they did. "That you two are desperately in love with Lady Kagome."
Inuyasha stuttered nervously in an effort to deny it, and Sesshomaru stood motionless glaring at Miroku. Where fury was deliberately seen in his golden gaze, there was another emotion neither monk nor half-demon were able to spot: fear.