Blanket Disclaimer: The writer does not own any characters created by Rumiko Takahashi but like everyone else wishes she did. All original characters or concepts are the author's Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).
Chapter Nineteen:
Hiten and Naraku
Hiten sat alone in an unnamed tavern within the heart of the Port of Spain. Before him was his liquor, a dark whiskey that he normally liked because of the way it burnt down his throat when he swallowed. At the moment, however, it stayed before him untouched and still full to the brim of the glass. He fingered it debating taking a sip but as he raised it from the table revealing the dark water mark that was left on the gloomy wood he lost what little will he had to even lift it to his lips, to even taste its stinging contents. He just couldn't, not now with the way his heart was clenching in his chest, not now with the way he felt a lump forming within his throat preventing any liquid from entering his stomach.
"Manten." He said softly as he touched his hair, moving the strands out of the way of his eyes, revealing dark circles and murky pupils. "My dear baby brother." His lips barely moved, sounding out the words with an almost watery quality to his speech.
Hiten buried his head in his hands, pulling at his hair, imagining his balding brother. With Manten's death, Hiten was officially the last of the great Thunder tribe of the lower South America's. It was a thought he could barely stomach. He gritted his teeth, images of his handsome father and his ugly mother flashing before his eyes, before he was met with the ghostly impression of his brother, looking at him with those oval shaped eyes that were completely maternal.
"Brother." He choked out as he tore some of his hair from his head in an effort to keep calm. "Fuck! Why? Why?"
Hiten buried his head in his hands as he relived the past twenty-four hours in a rush of painful memories. He remembered the long wait, his inpatients finally causing him to return to the Port of Spain, ready to reprimand his brother and Shippo. But, that had all changed when he arrived on the docks, where the people were still talking off the strange incident from that afternoon.
He had listened as young and old demons alike recounted the bright light that had shined all the way up to the sky, the Captain of the Shikuro jumping into the water of the harbor like a man possessed and then, fifteen minutes later, returning with the woman Miss Dresmont and no sign of the pirate Manten. They even pointed to the very boat in which they had returned, still bobbing in its dock. Hiten had recognized that boat, he had known that it was in fact the Thunders shore vessel, his vessel, the very one his brother had used. Slowly, he had ventured towards that boat and looked inside its haul for any traces or signs of his brother.
In the end what Hiten had found had been worse than any evidence he could have seen. It was a sign, a trace that no human would ever recognize for what it was and that only demons' with powerful noses would have known to be demonic remains. In the haul of that ship he had smelt the scent of his brother accompanied by the scent of death, and then he had found a cremated pile of soot—a cremated pile was all that was left of his dear baby brother.
Hiten gulped and laid his head on the table as images of that pile of soot came to his mind. It was the only part of him that had survived and although he wasn't sure what had killed the younger demon, what had caused his disintegration, he knew one thing—Captain Inuyasha was responsible, one hundred percent responsible for his brother's death.
The thought made Hiten grit his teeth not only because that meant that Captain Inuyasha had killed Manten but also because he knew, if Captain Inuyasha was the one to kill Manten, then Captain Inuyasha was also the one who knew were his greatest secret laid.
"The jewels." Hiten hissed out under his breath as he slammed his hand into the table, anger building in him so strong that he was sure his body was actually producing flames.
Around him several people backed away and changed seats provoked by their fear. They knew who that demon was sitting by himself in the darkest corner of the tavern. The people knew that he would sooner kill a man than learn his name or story, they knew that he would sooner sell a virgin into the carving business than even rape her (it was the fate he had almost lead Kagome into, a fate worse than rape and death). All the people of the tavern knew to leave the great thunder brother alone for their own safety.
Unaware of the wide radius that now encircled his small table, Hiten continued to stare into his glass of whiskey, the images of his brother's face dancing in the murky alcohol, images of the precious man and the precious contents of his forehead. "Manten." He whispered again as he stared at the unmoving reddish brown liquid. "Shikon, the Shikon jewels." He clutched a fist tightly above the table, his anger welling deep within him. "Captain Inuyasha, why did you do it?" He asked his drink, the image of his departed brother's face haunting him. "Why did you kill my brother and steal my jewel!"
Grabbing the glass he threw it back quickly, taking all of the whiskey into his mouth in one great gulp. It burned down his throat the way he liked it, making him round his lips, puffing out the hot air of his burning mouth before making a bracing noise as his lips puckered. He slammed the shot to the table, the thick glass cracking at the edges from the impact.
"Another!" He yelled across the tavern, knowing he would be served promptly. He smirked when he heard the tavern's owner yell at one of the barmaid's, ordering her to come and serve him. The girl refused, her voice shaking as she spoke in perfect English. Hiten smirked, he loved the British influence that popped up in the oddest of places.
"Please," She begged. "Please don't make me. That's Captain Hiten." Her voice was a whisper but he could still hear her, his senses had never dulled like the typical demon living in the modern era.
"I know," The barkeep hissed at her in a hushed voice. "And if we don't serve him up right he'll kill us all."
"And if I don't serve him up right he'll kill me!" She whispered back, her voice shrill with her own fear.
Hiten huffed in the background, turning so he could take in the girl's face. She wasn't ugly, but she wasn't pretty either, just an average bitch in a tavern's uniform, short skirt, tight top to make her breast look bigger. It was disgusting. "Just get me my fucking whiskey, you insufferable cow!" He shouted across the tavern's length.
The girl squeaked like a mouse, her skin going a pasty white when she realized she had just been given an order by the get Pirate Captain Hiten himself. Her hands shook as she absentmindedly took the whiskey from her boss and started towards him. The whole of the tavern watched on silently as the girl held the glass, amazed that her tremendous shaking was not causing it to spill out on the ground. After what must have seemed like an eternity to the young girl, she reached the table and placed the fresh glass on it, taking the old glass into her still shaking hand.
"See," Hiten said as he leaned back in his chair, "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
The girl shook her head no, her eyes downcast as she tried desperately not to make eye contact with Captain Hiten.
"Good," He mumbled before throwing the shot back and slamming the glass back down once again. "Then get me another."
The girl looked about ready to faint but was stopped when a man who had been sitting at the main bar stood up and turned to face them. He was diffidently a demon who didn't belong in this part of town. His clothes were too nice, his hair was too well done beneath his hat (at least it was not a wig), and his face was too clean shaven.
It was obvious to everyone in the tavern that he was of the higher class of demons, the class that ran the world, unlike the ones that were in this bar now. These demons were classified as demon trash, the lower level, the level that was no better than human scum. The demons here were the ones who had either been thrown out of the upper class demon world or had outright refused to bend to the will of the changing times, opting instead to remain loyal only to themselves and not to a demon king.
The bar patrons looked on in absolute rapture as the well-to-do looking man took a step towards the infamous pirate, his hands tight at his side, his eyes looking forward completely unafraid. "You really like messing with innocent people don't you?" His stern voice cut into the air as he finally came to stand next to Hiten. "Mr. Hiten or should I say, Captain Hiten of the Thunder?"
Hiten raised an eyebrow, taking in the man's appearance, sniffing the air bluntly. "Who're you, weasel?"
The man smirked, as if knowing what he was about to say would be an utter shock to the whole of the room. "Henry Morgan, the Governor of Port Royal."
The whole of the tavern seemed to collectively gasp, some of the patrons automatically getting up and leaving hurriedly without a second thought as the dangerous name hung in the air. If it affected Hiten, however, he didn't show any outward signs. "What'd you want?" Hiten grunted out before the man could take even one more step.
Morgan smiled as he took off his hat and watched the man with the dark hair and the tight braid in front of him his eyes determined. "You're wanted throughout the Caribbean for piracy, Captain Hiten, a pathetic occupation for a demon of your class."
Hiten turned around, his eyes filled with burning hatred and blazing fury as he took in the appearance of the weasel demon once again, looking for anything that told him about the man's position in society. He smirked at the sight, knowing already that this was a demon who believed in propriety and etiquette, and proper social convention—something that demons like Hiten mocked and laughed at. Still smirking he turned back to his drink, already knowing without a doubt that this man before him was a tool of society, not a true member of the highest demon social classes.
"You better leave, Mr. Socialite." He said arrogantly as he glared at the barmaid, motioning for another drink. The girl scurried away to fulfill the silent request. "This place kills men like you."
"I highly doubt—," Henry Morgan began but was quickly cut off by a sharper tongue.
"See that's the problem with the new age fucking demon's of society, you think your laws and your order can tame the beast inside of us." The waitress handed Hiten his glass. The demon took it growling at her, causing her to run quickly back to the safety of the bar. "But you're forgetting that once upon a time your laws and your 'order' were no more powerful than the fleas on my back. And in a place like this," Hiten looked around reiterating his point with a clawed finger. "That's still true. You have no power here. Your laws, your society, and your order it's useless."
Henry Morgan cleared his throat as he took in the sight of the pirate before him. Hiten was right, Morgan's laws did not reach this place that was filled to capacity with men who had effectively turned their backs on new demon social convictions. They were the small percentage of the population of demons that had not become sophisticated and instead still wanted to live in the old ways.
They wanted to stay in the time before laws and order, a time when every demon acted for himself and his clan, his race, his people but times had changed and the demons had become the ruling class, above everyone, even their own kind. Still, despite all of this, there were demons out there who continued to believe in the old ways. And those demons were not rich, they weren't Kings or Queens or Emperors or even government officials, some were stand owners in market places, some were black smiths or farmers, some were merchants of the sea, some were servants, and even more unbelievable some were pirates. But no matter where they lived or what their occupation was, one thing was certain, all of them were traitors.
He felt bile rise in his throat, an absolute and complete hatred for this man in front of him forming in his stomach. Hiten was one of those men—those traitors—but Henry Morgan knew he needed his help if he was going to achieve his own goals in life. "I heard you had a run in with a fellow pirate recently," Morgan stated underhandedly as the little barmaid set a new drink down in front of Hiten. The man took a gulp of it leaving half the shot still in the glass and motioned for the weasel to continue. "I heard it was with Captain Inuyasha of the ship the Shikuro. I'm looking for him."
The glass in Hiten's hand shattered from the force he had been holding it with, blood and whiskey dripping down the fragments from where the broken blades cut into his flesh. With a growl he turned and looked at Henry Morgan with loathing in his eyes. "What do you want with that mutt?"
Morgan smiled. "I want to kill him and obtain something I lost."
"Something you lost?" Hiten inquired with a look of pure wickedness in his dark eyes.
"Yes," Mr. Morgan said with a sly smile. "A woman, my son's fiancé."
Hiten smirked as the image of the young girl, Kagome Dresmont, came into his mind. "Let me guess," He said with laughter entering his speech, "Black hair, kind of odd grey eyes, short little petite thing, that yer girl?"
"Yes." Morgan leaned closer to the pirate, attempting to not wrinkle his nose at the stench of liquor, blood, and filth. "And if you help me find her, I might be willing to let you go, all charges cleared," He wiped his hands visually symbolizing exactly what he meant. "The navy will never touch you again."
Hiten huffed and looked down at his hand, pulling glass shards out of the flesh. "You think I'd want that?" He said bluntly as he flicked one of the shards away, it clanged upon the ground, an eerie echo in the taverns' abnormal silence. "No pirate would care, all the fun goes away when yer not being chased."
Morgan bit his lip and his eyes flashed with anger. He was about to yell but stopped when the bloodied hand was suddenly in his face halting him from any further speech.
"But, I think a deal can be arranged," He moved the hand away, looking directly into Morgan's eyes. "Something I want for something you want." Hiten's eyes glistened.
"A deal?" Morgan questioned as he leaned closer to the man in question, his eyes filled to the brim with curiosity. "What kind of deal?"
"I want his head." Hiten looked up at him with hate filled eyes. "I want the head of Captain Inuyasha." Those blazing eyes flickered in the vague light of the dingy tavern as the people around them whispered in earnest over what they had just witnessed.
Morgan smirked, this would be a fine deal, a false deal. After all, Henry Morgan would be the only man to take the head of the great Pirate Captain even if it was the last thing he ever did. With a slight snicker he reached out his hand for the younger demon pirate to take. "We have a deal."
"Excellent." Hiten said with a smirk as he took the proper demon's hand watching in delight when Mr. Morgan grimaced as he came into contact with the bloodied glass filled appendage.
-break-
Kagome stepped back inside the Captain's cabin, closing the old wooden door behind her softly as not to wake Sango. With the door shut, she leaned against it allowing herself to slowly slid down the sturdy entrance as her mind flashed back to her first ever violin lesson with the Captain. She could still feel his hands as he adjusted her stance, she could still feel the way he had reached for her hand drawing it across the string for the first time. Kagome nearly melted as she remembered the sensation of his warm fingers against the back of her shaking hands. She reached the ground, her back supported only by the wooden door, her mind foggy as the strange encounter replayed over and over again in her mind.
"Who knew the Captain, was a man like that?" She thought as she looked at her hand where he had touched it, the same hand he had taught to play an entire scale on the violin, pressing down on each string to change its pitch before the opposite hand plucked it to make its sound. She clutched the hand tightly in excitement and smiled happily into the dark, her thoughts turning away from the beautiful instrument and to its equally captivating instructor. Blushing she wrapped her arms around her upturned knees and laid her head on top of them. "Wow." She whispered into the dark her eyes taking in the darkened cabin, the Captain's cabin, her new home.
For the first time since she had arrived on this pirate ship she felt—happy—happy that she had seen what she had hoped was there all along, the side of the Captain that was the man from Port Royal or better yet, the side of the Captain that was real and not an act—it was the side of him that she had seen in the back alleyway in the Port of Spain for only a moment, the shy boy with the beautiful smile filled with secret and mysterious things that she wanted more than anything to know. She wanted to know everything about him, all the things he had to show that he never let anyone see. And he had already shared with her some of those things.
He had shared with her his age, something that he admitted not even his closest friend and family member, Miroku, had known. He had shared with her his fears in a way, telling her why he had never told a soul about his age and then—to top all of this—he had let her see him play the violin.
And she had loved it, she had loved every second of watching him as he played, with such care and beauty, the sound of the instrument haunting her even now as she thought of his fingers and his bow producing the beautiful sad melody, followed by the enchanting, poignant sound of his voice. A shiver went down Kagome's spine as she thought of that exhilarating baritone. That man had not been the pirate Captain Inuyasha, the murderer and the rapist of the bedtime stories, no, that man had been something else entirely. He had been an emotional man playing from a heart filled with secrets buried down deeper than the deepest fathom of the sea.
"My mother."
The sound of his voice filled her ears as she remembered the biggest secret he had told her. Her eyes snapped opened and she looked down at her hands, her whole body seeming to become overcome with an innate pity.
"My mother taught me and she gave me this violin."
She saw him, the way he had looked at the instrument as he spoke, staring at it as if it was really his mother and not just a gift bequeath by her. She saw the love in his eyes and the sadness. "His mother?" Kagome let the words echo around her in the dark. "I wonder what kind of woman his mother was?"
It seemed so odd to think about, the Captain having a mother, a mother who would have learned to played the violin. Even noblewomen were not allowed to learn string instruments, at least not very often and especially not a violin. They learned to play the piano (the instrument Kagome had been allowed to learn incidentally), they learned to play the harpsichord if a piano was not available, and if they were lucky perhaps the flute or clarinet but never a string instrument like the violin. A violin was seen as a more graceful instrument, as an instrument that should be played only professionally in the greatest of symphonies, not in the hands of an insignificant girl.
"So," Kagome concluded easily, "If the Captain's mother taught him to play the violin then she had be allowed to learn but—who would have allowed her to learn?" She frowned knowing that Inuyasha's mother couldn't have been taught randomly on some dingy street corner by questionable entertainers. "Violin teachers are hard to come by and not many people know how to play them well unless they live well." She licked her lips. "Whoever his mother was or still is, one thing's certain," She looked up at the darkened ceiling. "She was a woman of influence, perhaps not a true woman of society but diffidently a woman of at least some ranking." She pursed her lips as she brought her chin back down to rest on her upturned knees. "She probably was a demon." She thought out loud as she remembered the Captain's heritage. He was a demon after all, so it was safe to assume that his mother had been a demon as well. "A demon, regardless of station or sex would be allowed to learn the violin."
And that would also explain the Captain's strange nature (or as it was his strange intellectual mindset, something very odd for a pirate) and it would explain the fact that he knew many things about propriety and social class. It explained how he learned to dance, why he knew so many languages, and the fact that he was well educated in matters of history, math, and other subjects—subjects Kagome wasn't even well educated in.
The frown on Kagome's face doubled as the thought clouded her mind. "If his mother was a noble demon woman and she educated him well—then why is he," She looked upwards at the ceiling once more confused. "Why is he here?" She said out loud into the silent room before sighing heavily. "What am I thinking, I don't know enough him to assume anything about his upbringing." She chastised herself as she shook her head firmly, the action causing the gemstone around her neck to bob and draw her attention downwards. "His gem?" She whispered as she reached her hand towards the small gem her mind once again going back to another question that had plagued her. "Why am I wearing his gem?"
A stir in the bed across from her made her drop the jewel in shock forgetting about it as she squinted just enough to make out in the vague morning light a figure sitting up, rubbing their eyes. "Sango?" She questioned into the darkness waiting for a reply.
"Kagome?" Came the sleepy reply followed by a slight more awake one. "Why are you on the floor?" And then an astonished completely awake and aware reply rang out in the cabin, "Kagome you're awake!"
Before Kagome could react to the statement Sango was out of bed and in front of her, kneeling down to place a caring hand on the young girl's cheek. Kagome almost blushed and pulled away at the intimate contact before Sango gave her a look that said don't-you-dare. "Sorry." She mumbled but the other woman didn't even respond to her apology too wrapped up in her own thoughts to even hear it.
"Stupid." Sango told herself as she put both hands against Kagome's cheeks checking for heat. "How could I fall asleep like that?" She growled under her breath as she looked the still blushing girl in the eye checking for any haziness around her pupils. "The Captain is really gonna have my hid if he gets wind of this." She grunted as she gently felt the underside of Kagome's chin checking for any swelling along the glands that rested there. "Everything feels okay." She pursed her lips as she turned Kagome's head from side to side the girl barely protesting as she gave her face a thorough once over. "How do you feel?"
"I feel fine," Kagome offered her voice low as she watched Sango sit back away from her slightly, her expression doubtful. "Honestly Sango."
The older woman shook her head from side to side her eyes shimmering in the predawn light. "I'm so glad you're alright." She whispered her voice a little choppy as she spoke. "We were all so worried."
"Sango?" Kagome whispered as she heard the telltale signs of the other woman's tears. "Hey, it's okay." Slowly she reached forward pulling Sango towards her in a life affirming embrace. "I'm okay," She assured as she felt her own tears begin to form in her eyes touched by this older woman's swell of emotion. "I feel great actually, very well rested."
"You were asleep a long time." Sango told her with a shaky breath as the two women continued to embrace holding on to each other as if they couldn't let go for fear of falling.
"The Captain said it wasn't all that long." Kagome gave her rebuttal without thinking.
Immediately Sango pulled her to arms length and stared into the young girls face. "You've seen the Captain already?"
"Yeah." Kagome blushed feeling oddly claustrophobic as Sango held her against the door, there was no escape. "When I woke up," She explained knowing that Sango was not going to let her go until she did. "I went out on deck and he was at the helm," She felt the older girl's fingers dig into her skin. "We just talked."
"You talked?" Sango prodded carefully as she eyed the younger girl taking in her shifty eyes and flushed cheeks. "Yeah that's the look of a girl whose done a whole lotta talking." She thought sarcastically as she gave Kagome a skeptical eye.
"Yeah, um—" The younger girl laughed nervously as the Captain's words repeated in her head: "No telling Sango or Miroku." She gulped, not wanting to lie but also knowing she couldn't betray the Captain's trust. "He told me what happened and then we chatted about this and that," She shrugged against Sango's death grip. "And then I came back in here to get some more rest." Kagome looked down at her lap feeling ashamed of herself for her lie a cold sweat breaking out over skin at the thought. "I feel so horrible but I can't tell her the truth," She pleaded with her conscious. "I made a promise." She looked up at the older woman and smiled, her eyes lighting with fake enthusiasm. "That's all that happened." Her voice trailed off and she fidgeted under the scrutiny of Sango's gaze.
"Yeah right." The older girl thought as she let go of Kagome's arms and dropped her hands into her lap. "Okay then." She said after only a few chance seconds, her voice telling Kagome easily that Sango was not convinced.
Kagome sighed in relief as her mind returned to its previous captivator, images of the Captain playing in her head—his words—his mother—his gemstone. Glancing at Sango she gathered up her courage to speak. "Sango," She said way more loudly than was appropriate startling the other girl into looking at her. Apologetically Kagome bit her lip before speaking again in a much softer voice. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure," The other woman nodded as she looked at Kagome, watching as the determination turned to a slight frown of worry on Kagome's normally childish, cheerful face. "Why do I feel uncomfortable?" She asked herself as she looked at Kagome's schooled features finding them oddly unnerving at the moment mainly because of the current conversational topic.
"What do you know about the Captain?" The young girl asked as she looked away from Sango, her eyes looking over the older woman's right shoulder, gazing at an imaginary sight somewhere behind her. "I mean, about his life before you got here?"
Sango drew her own mouth into a frown, unsure of how to answer Kagome's question. "What do I really know about him?" She asked herself as she allowed her hands to go slack in her lap. "He was friends with Calico Jack and Charles Vane." She offered timidly somehow knowing that Kagome was not looking for that kind of information. "I know he found Miroku in London, he was eight and the Captain—was old."
Kagome chuckled lightly at the statement but she had already kind of known about Miroku's past or at the very least she had known that the Captain had taken him in as a boy.
Sango gave her a slight smile giggling along with her for only a moment before she schooled her features once again and continued. "I know that he taught Miroku everything he knows, Latin, French, math, proper dining manners," She bit her lip ever so slightly. "But that's about it I have no idea where he learned it from," She looked up at Kagome apologetically. "Or even where he came from or what his life was like before Miroku met him." Sango scratched the back of her head, "I don't really know much about him Kagome." She concluded feeling strange for saying it. "For one of my closest friends I know almost nothing about him."
"You don't?" Kagome said disappointed as her shoulders slumped. "What about Miroku?" Kagome's eyes lit up. "He's known him for ten years right?"
Sango nodded her head firmly, "It will be over eleven in a few months."
"Miroku's known him for a long time and they are really close maybe—." Kagome bit the inside of her cheek in thought. "Has Miroku met any of his family?"
Sango gave Kagome a cryptic look and then shook her head with a heavy sigh. "Miroku's pretty sure he doesn't have any family." She supplied as she set back on her knees in thought. "The Captain's never mentioned any family to me either."
"He hasn't ever talked about them, his mother or father, a sibling perhaps?" Kagome inquired as she leaned forward towards Sango the small gem around her neck dangling and catching Sango's eye.
"The Captain's gem—." The older woman recognized, she knew that it had been around Kagome's neck the past couple of days but she hadn't really questioned it knowing that the Captain wouldn't say a word even if she asked. "I know Miroku said it was on her when the Captain saved her from Manten but that doesn't explain why it is." She frowned slightly licking her lips. "I don't think I've ever seen the man with it off."
"Sango?" Kagome's voice broke the other girl out of her thoughts. "Has he ever mentioned them?"
"No." Sango told her without having to think on the question any further as she watched Kagome sink back in thought.
"Am I the only person he's ever told?" The younger girl contemplated a feeling coming into her heart that she couldn't even begin to identify. "Miroku has to at least now that the Captain plays the violin." She reasoned as she remembered the conversation that had just taken place not an hour before. "He told me himself that he taught Miroku and that Miroku wasn't very musically inclined." She felt her lips tug at the thought. "So why would the Captain not tell his closest friend—his son at that that his mother taught him?" Kagome narrowed her eyes as the thought plagued her. "And then on top of everything he tells me like it was nothing. Maybe it was all for immediate gratification like we talked about but still?" She sighed, "It can't be just that," She told herself. "The Captain's not the kind of person who just shares something willy-nilly." Taking a huge breath Kagome looked at Sango drawing a conclusion that worried her. "So the Captain's never told anyone anything about himself?"
"Nope and I doubt he ever will, the Captain's not one to talk of personal stuff." Sango gave her a critical look at those words. "What's bringing all this on Kagome?"
Kagome blushed in the predawn light that was now coming through the windows that lined the back of the cabin. "I'm just curious." She said in a high pitched voice that clearly contradicted her words.
"Bull shit." Apparently Sango noticed.
Kagome flinched at the harsh words and looked at Sango with a guilty face.
"What happened between you," Sango glared at Kagome darkly telling the girl with the harsh look to be honest. "And the Captain, Kagome?"
"Nothing really." Kagome said with an unconvincing smile. "We just talked, you know, he didn't do anything to me, nothing at all, he was pretty nice to me actually."
"He better not have been too nice." Sango said with a dark look on her face as she watched Kagome. "Understand what I mean?"
Kagome blinked a few times in confusion as Sango looked at her intensely. She really didn't understand, after all, she would think Sango would want the Captain to be nice to her, it would be horrible if the Captain continued to be mean and aloft. Then again, maybe Sango was referring to something else, something that matched her dark face. Kagome blushed at the thought and worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "What are you talking about Sango?" She pretended to be innocent.
The woman got a dark look on her face as she leaned towards Kagome putting her lips near the young girl's ear to speck. Kagome was severely unprepared for what Sango was about to say and imply.
-break-
Outside, the sun was beginning to rise over the Caribbean slow and steady moving up over the shinning ocean waters. A flock of seagulls flew down close to the ship, landing on the helms deck, surrounding the Captain who was still where Kagome had left him some time ago, their first lesson completed for the night. Inuyasha looked at the birds with mild curiosity, a part of him wanted to shoo them away, knowing they would mess about the deck, leaving a disgusting cleanup process in their wake. Another part of him, however, wanted to leave them alone missing the company that Miss Dresmont had provided.
The man yawned and leaned against the rail of the ship watching the birds as they chatted back and forth. He remembered a friend of his who was a bird demon, an eagle if he remembered right, that man could understand the birds and often used it to his advantage on the sea, asking the seagulls for advice when the situations became too sticky for him to handle. Inuyasha smirked at the thought, it would come in handy to be able to talk to a bird and ask it for advice on the weather, the tides, and on the location of nearby ports and ships.
"Sometimes being a dog demon is useless." He told himself as he turned his ears towards the beautiful silence of the early morning on the sea, a delight to the young demon's ears. "This is the best time of day." He told the seagulls around him as they rested on their perch, his ship's railing. "It's just so peaceful, nice and quiet."
A nearby bird squawked in response.
"Fuck off." Inuyasha told it as he looked out at the horizon, taking in the sight of the sun coming up above the ocean, a giant yellow, reddish ball of flame that turned the bluish water of the sea an enchanting gold as it rose above the horizon. Closing his eyes, Inuyasha allowed himself to enjoy the first signs of warmth returning to the cool night air, it was invigorating to feel as it touched his skin.
He opened his eyes, looking down to take in the sight of the still water, clearly visible in the dawn time light. It was already reflecting the clouds above it, a looking glass in the middle of an ancient sea. He smiled as he caught sight of his reflection fifty feet or so below him, his sharp eyes able to see a shimmer of red and silver easily.
A rustling sound caught his attention then and he glanced down and to the left in time to see the curtain from his cabin ruffle in the slight breeze. He grinned as he thought of Miss Dresmont, how quickly she had learned her first scale. She had been so excited when she finished, proud of her self and happy, the smile on her face dazzling as she told him all about what he had already witnessed.
With that thought his mind turned to other things she had said, about not being allowed to learn music, that she had been forbidden. It seemed ridiculous to him, absolutely stupid to stop someone who seemed to love music so much from learning anything about it. Inuyasha sighed and looked at the clouds above him, taking in the puffy white shapes. It was a horrible travesty to not let a person like Miss Dresmont play the violin just because she happened to be a woman. After all, if a person had an ear for music, it didn't matter if they were male or female, they should be allowed to play. And Kagome Dresmont had a true ear for music, he could tell already.
Leaning back, looking away from the red curtain he smirked as he imagined teaching her more. Once she mastered plucking all the major scales then they would move onto the bow and he would begin to teach her how to move it over the strings creating beautiful melodies, "Holding a bow can be tricky," He told himself, the smirk growing dirty on his face. "I'll probably have to adjust her hands for her again."
Inuyasha turned bright red as his own thoughts sunk in and he berated himself silently, wanting desperately to bang his head on the wooden deck but knowing it wasn't a good idea. Allowing himself to drop to the ground he sat, his legs crossed and his vision obstructed from the sea. In a huff he laid back on the deck stretching to his whole length, looking at the sky that was turning from a star ridden black to a cloud ridden blue. He would have to keep his eye out for storms in the next few days, it was the season for it as it were.
Closing his eyes, he decided it was time to get a little shut eye, the helm would be okay for a while, he had tied the steering wheel in place so they would stay straight and he knew they were in a region with no sand bars or islands, just opened ocean. With that thought in mind he began to drift off, lulled by the hum of waves and the soft chirps of the now resting seagulls. "So peaceful." He whispered just as he was about to officially drip off into a light sleep.
The nap was short lived, however, when a soul shattering shriek of utter embarrassment filled the dawn air and scared all the birds around him. In their panic state they took off, leaving all manners of feathers and shit in their wake, most of it on Inuyasha himself who set bolt upright, covering his head, protecting himself from their webbed feet and sharp peaks.
"What the fuck was that!" He shouted as soon as it was safe, his ears perked on his head, they recognized the origins of that scream, they knew the person pretty well. Moving as fast as he could, he jumped from the helm deck to the main deck, landing just as he had over a month ago, although this time he was not ripping a mast from the deck, he was investigating a sound that tore at his heart.
He could only imagine what had happened. Had one of his mean turned against him, deciding to take Miss Dresmont as their own? Had she gotten hurt on a sword or a gun he had left in his cabin, had she fallen or been tripped, was she being assaulted? His heart hammered in his chest as every worst case scenario played in his head, projecting into his vision, like a horrible play that ended in a heart wrenching tragedy.
Hurriedly, he made his way towards his Cabin door just in time to see a barely dressed Miroku coming out of his own. "Captain!" The man acknowledged as he finished fashioning his pants. "What was that scream?"
"Miss Dresmont." The Captain barely had time to say as he reached the door of his cabin, his hands taking the handle into such a tight grip that it actually snapped as he bullied the door opened to run in. Before he could come to Kagome's rescue, however, he tripped over two very embarrassed figures sitting on the floor in front of the doorway. Startled he quickly turned his body, losing his footing and falling flat on his face beside them in an effort not to fall on top of them in a pile.
Miroku ran up behind the Captain, taking in the scene in the doorway of the Captain's cabin. There on the ground to the left were both Miss Dresmont and Sango. Sango's eyes were focused on the Captain, who laid to their right his face planted into the carpet that covered the wooden floor, his whole body covered in what appeared to be bird feathers. Miss Dresmont, meanwhile, wasn't focusing on anything, her face turned away from all of them, her hands clutching at her pants legs, her body hunched over and shaking slightly. Miroku scratched the back of his head at the sight, unsure of what to make of the woman since he couldn't see her expression.
With a shake of the head he looked back at the Captain who still hadn't moved and winced. "That wasn't graceful at all, Captain." Miroku said bluntly as he watched the Captain silently seethe from his spot on the floor.
"What's going on?" Sango questioned as she pulled her eyes away from the Captain's prone form to look at Miroku. The man was barely dressed with only his pants barely resting on his hips. She gazed at the firm abs of his stomach and the firm pecks on his chest, her mind going a little blank at the sight of her half naked husband.
"We heard a scream and came running." Miroku told her, unaware that she was ogling him. "What the hell happened?"
"That's what I'd like to know." Inuyasha grumbled and both Sango and Miroku turned to him in time to see him sitting up, his face red from where the carpet had slid down it, burning his skin and his body diffidently covered in bird feathers and—for lack of a better term—bird shit.
"It was nothing." Sango said calmly as she tried desperately not to laugh. "Kagome just got a little surprised is all and embarrassed."
"She would have to be pretty fucking embarrassed to make that noise!" The Captain yelled as feathers went everywhere from the movement of his hands. He huffed as his initial fear made way for unnerving anger and embarrassment at his own folly but before he could carry on yelling at them both a small yell of a different kind alerted all of them to the door, including the red faced Miss Dresmont.
"Miss Kagome!" The small voice yelled out as its owner launched itself into the surprised arms of one Kagome Dresmont.
"Shippo?" The young girl questioned as she held the boy in her arms her earlier embarrassment seemingly forgotten.
"I heard'd yer scream so I came ta protect ya," The boy looked at her, his eyes lighting on her confused face, the look must have triggered something in his delicate mind because he started to cry. "I know I—hab no right to pro—t-t-ect ya but I wanna." He told her firmly. "I 'idn't mean fur nothin' to hap—pen ta ya Miss Kagom-e-e and I'm sorry and—ta make up fur—wh-at I 'id I'm gonna protect ya, forever!"
"Oh Shippo." Kagome said patting the little boy's back. "Don't cry."
The boy continued to cry harder burying his small head into her chest. "I'm so sorry!" He repeated thinking he was still in trouble. "I was just fol-l-in' orders and I got scar-red and I'm sorry and I 'idn't mean it and—and—nd." The little voice fell into a fit of hiccups.
"It's alright." Kagome said as she pulled the little figure into a tight hug, burying her own face in the soft mass of red hair. "I understand little Shippo and I forgive you, really I do."
The boy pulled away from Kagome, looking her in the eyes, his own green ones round with tears. "Just like tat?"
"Just like that." Kagome smiled with a nod, her special closed eyed smile with the sweet upturn of her lips that only Kagome could manage to place on her face.
From his spot a few feet away Inuyasha watched that smile form on her lips, his heart panged with jealousy for a moment, wishing he was the receiver of that beautiful expression and not that little brat Shippo. Snorting he stood up and began to walk towards the door.
"Um—Captain?" Shippo called from Miss Dresmont's arms.
"What?" Inuyasha ground out as he looked back at the small child, the fires of hell in his eyes.
"Um—nothing." Shippo barely got out as his whole body shook with utter terror.
Inuyasha growled and stomped a few feet in Kagome and the child's direction. "If you got something to say you better just bloody say it because that's what everyone else on this shit filled ship," The irony of the statement was not lost on Inuyasha, "Would do. So go on, say it!"
"Well," Shippo began still slightly afraid. "Why 'ur ya covered in feat'ers?"
Inuyasha looked at the child, then at Miss Dresmont who appeared to be holding in laughter and then at Sango and Miroku who mirrored her expression. He closed his eyes and without a word reached to grab Miroku by the arm. "Come on pup."
"What about Shippo's question?" Miroku reminded with a hearty laugh as he snatched his arm away from the Captain.
Inuyasha turned towards him, his eyes making everyone in the room feel downright small. It was a look that clearly stated that everyone should just shut the hell up. Miroku shuddered at the look but smiled widely anyway as he walked towards the door, pushing it opened, the handle falling out onto the ground at his feet.
"You're gonna fix that door handle later." Inuyasha told him with a smirk evident on his face as he exited the room leaving two amused women and a hiding fox in his wake.
"Why should I fix it, you broke it!" Miroku threw back as he too left the room, looking back at the girls with a look on his face that clearly said everything was fine. Sango waved in his direction and blew him a kiss.
Miroku growled in return and winked at her before making a vulgar gesture with his hips that made Kagome nearly screech all over again. With that Miroku bent picking up the handle of the door before closing it behind him. Even with the door closed, however, they heard the argument go on.
"What about all these feather's, whose gonna clean them up?"
"You because I'm the Captain and I say so." They heard the Captain's voice boom as it headed towards Miroku and Sango's Cabin.
"That's shit and you know it." Miroku responded, the pun making both Kagome and Sango snicker as the young Shippo looked on confused.
"Why don't you just get someone else to do it then, you're the first mate they have to listen to you."
The sound of a door opening could be heard and then Miroku's panic. "Hey, that's my room, don't go in there like that!"
"It's my ship it's my room."
"Hey, hey, think of Sango!" Miroku's voice finally went silent as they heard the sound of the door to Miroku's and Sango's room closing harshly.
Sango looked at Kagome, who in turned looked at Sango both women staring at the other, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.
"What's so 'unny?" Shippo asked confused from his spot on Kagome's laugh. Neither girl responded as they both clutched their stomachs. "Adults is weird." Shippo concluded as the two girls continued to laugh for several minutes.
Finally they both calmed down, their mirth only shown in occasional relapses of giggles until it finally died when Sango gave Kagome a look that clearly said the other woman was not off the hook. "So, how nice was he?" Sango questioned her eyes narrowed, making room for no arguments. "As nice as I mentioned?"
Kagome blushed, sweat trickling down the side of her face as she resisted the urge to scream once again, the images Sango had created in her head downright indecent. "Well—,"
"What 'ur ya 'alking 'bout?" Shippo voiced from his spot on Kagome's lap.
Kagome beamed at the child, holding him up next to her face with a look that clearly said she had victory in her reach. "We can't talk about this around Shippo, that would just be inappropriate."
Sango sighed and drew her arms around her chest, giving Kagome another look that told the girl she was off the hook—at least for now.
-break-
Hiten stepped aboard the ship the Hopewell, Henry Morgan's personal vessel. It was a rather large ship, or at least it was a decent size compared to most small Navy vessels. He glanced around at the men, taking in the well decorated officers in stride as he followed Mr. Morgan nonchalantly.
"This is my vessel Mr. Hiten." He addressed plainly as he walked towards the Stateroom or Captain's cabin that was located under the helm deck. Opening the door politely, he allowed Hiten to step inside.
The demon took in the room, noting that it was almost too lavishly decorated. The curtains were a cream color and the rugs were a burgundy that matched them in an odd way. The desk was sitting directly in front of the windows for optimum light and was made from the finest oak that could be found in London, at least Hiten guessed from its smell. He had once smuggled a very high quality wood that smelled similar to the finished wood of Henry Morgan's desk and it had been a fine oak from London.
On the desk was an antique spyglass, made from bronze it looked like and beside it was a globe, diffidently made from ivory and all manners of rare gems such as pearl and emerald to mark the countries and continents. Many papers were scattered too on that desk, some charts and others reports. Hiten smirked at the sight, wondering what kind of important documents a man like Henry Morgan would keep on his desk, as he was directed towards a sitting chair.
"Please wait here a moment." Mr. Morgan asked as he bowed politely. "I shall get my associate Mr. Dresmont and then return."
"But of course." Hiten replied as he leaned back in the well cushioned chair, planning to slip a couple of valuables into his pockets while the man was gone.
The sound of the door closing made him smile and he stood from his seat, walking to the front of the desk where he carefully began to rummage in the drawers. He sifted through papers and junk, family letters and some other trash before he came across a verily nice snuff box in the very bottom. Pulling it out he studied it momentarily before starting to slip it into his shirt pocket.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mr. Hiten."
Hiten froze, snuff box still in hand, before he turned to look behind him. Standing beside the window (Hiten had no clue how the child had gotten there) was a boy of no more than thirteen perhaps fourteen. The child had greasy unkempt hair, black as a moonless night, tied back at the nap of his neck, his eyes were piercing almost malicious as they stared into Hiten making the older demon feel distinctly uncomfortable. "And who might you be, boy?"
"Why, don't you see the family resemblance?" Naraku questioned as he took a step closer to Hiten, reaching his hand out towards him. The pirate placed the snuff box in the boy's outstretched hand and watched as the child studied it absently.
"I'm afraid not." He told the boy, his eyes trained on the way the boy turned the snuff box over and over in his hand.
"Unobservant I see." The young Naraku popped his neck. "My name is Naraku Morgan," He informed as he held the snuff box up to Hiten's face. "I'm the owner of this snuff box's son."
Hiten felt a lump form in his throat there was something desperately wrong with this boy, dreadfully wrong, "Well, I'm here to help your father then." He told Naraku, attempting to keep his cool as every instinct in his body pushed against his logic, telling him to run when he knew that would be certain death.
"I see," The young boy said as he slipped the snuff box in his pocket. "How interesting." Naraku's sounded anything but interested as he motioned for Hiten to sit down in the chair he had been in a second ago. "But that I already knew."
Hiten moved around the desk sitting in the chair he had been motioned too, his eyes watching Naraku carefully as the young man took his father's seat across from Hiten on the other side of the desk. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end when the boy looked at him directly, his tongue licking his lips with a bone chilling slowness.
"So," He started, "If you're so interested in helping father, then why steal something from him?"
Hiten tried to keep himself from fidgeting but legitimately found it hard. "You know—how it is." He laughed slightly.
"Do tell, how is it?" Naraku smiled revealing white sharp teeth.
"I just—," Hiten started, "Was trying to gain some—early—," he struggled for a word.
"Profits?" Naraku supplied as he leaned back in his father's chair and crossed his legs.
"Yes." Hiten quickly agreed his demonic fight or flight response settling easily with a want to flee.
An odd look crossed the boy's face, it was a look that was so filled with absolute malevolence that Hiten thought he might be physically burned from the gaze. "From this moment on, if you want profits, you'll stick with me."
Hiten didn't know what to say, so he simply remained silent, his eyes watching Naraku Morgan with uncertainty and fear.
"I know you are here for father," Naraku started again, his voice dripping with disdain. "To help us catch that Inuyasha bastard and that stupid bitch Kagome," He told Hiten who shifted in his chair, attempting to get comfortable—it was a pointless in devour. "But there is something I'm far more interested in than those two idiots and if you help me," Naraku leaned towards him. "I will make it worth your while."
Hiten watched Naraku surprised, wondering why the child would say something so horrible about the woman he was supposed to marry and what he could possibly be after that wasn't here, what could be so valuable to this boy. "Don't you want your fiancé back?" He asked out of pure curiosity.
Naraku practically gagged at Hiten's words and bashed his fist on the desk, causing the antique spy glass to fall over and roll across the table. "Who would want that old wench?" He asked as he reached his hand out just in time to catch the spyglass before it fell to the floor.
"Than what is it that you are so interested in?" Hiten dared to ask as he watched the young Naraku turn in the chair, facing the opened window, bringing the spy glass to his eye in order to look out at the vast sea.
Slowly the boy brought the spyglass away from his eye, fingering it lightly before he turned back around, facing Hiten. He smiled, a disgusting sight that made Hiten tremble with unknown instinctual fear. This wasn't an ordinary boy, this was something worse, something scary, something that all of Hiten's demonic instincts knew should be highly feared, this was not just some weasel demon's son—but what was he?
"The jewels," Naraku said bringing Hiten out of his thoughts the thunder demon feeling true terror for the first time in his life. "The ones imbedded in your forehead," One of Naraku's ghostly white hands pointed towards Hiten's glistening head the four shards reflecting the light. "I want to know exactly what they are and how I can obtain them."
End of Chapter
Please Review
Edited for Content 7/31/2012
Bonus Point:
Name the episode in which Inuyasha accidently sees Kagome naked, resulting in an earth shattering, ear piercing scream.
Last Chapter's Bonus Point:
I know this was a little harder, most of you who got it did some research ^^ Still, the last string of the violin is G! Congrats to those who got it right:
Xvelvettt, SilverMoonLit, Roor, inu-luva123, Amaranth, TheBookAddict, AnInquisitiveRedHead, Regina lunaris, Warm-Amber92, InuKag4eva, Purple Dragon Ranger, Jaunty Maestro, youkaineko on MM. Honorable mention to LittleMargarita and AnimeRomanceFreak1990
Note:
The Hopewell is the actual name of one of Henry Morgan's personal ships.
Harpsichord – a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed and is a precursor of the piano.
Stateroom – on navy vessels this would be the Captain's quarters or a place where all the affairs of the ship were attended too.
Next Chapter:
Pronunciation
See you then!
UNEDITED
POSTED 4/13/2011