Shikuro: A Caribbean Fairy Tale

by Inuma Asahi De

Inuyasha was as bad as pirates came, according to his legend. Kagome was a woman of propriety, destined to marry for her family's honor when all she wanted was to live on the sea. What happens when their eyes meet by chance or perhaps by daring fate?

51. The Cliff and the Pond

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 Fifty-One

The Cliff and the Pond

Inuyasha stayed low to the ground, his instincts causing his belly to practically drag over the soft sandy-dirt of the cliff side that lead to the cove bellow him. His eyes gleamed in the bright moonlight as he glanced over at Onaconah who was just as low to the ground, his own demonic eyes just as focused and intense. Scenting the air, he pulled himself forward, his nose searching desperately for scents he knew better than his own hand. He smelt nothing though, except the soot of fires and the decay of half eaten food and ale.

"Damn it," He thought with a gulp as he crawled, his thoughts now completely on his son and his crew, wanting nothing more than to find them safe and sound. "Please be here Miroku, Sango—please." The thought whispered in the back of his mind as he paused at the motion of Onaconah's hand, a slight anger building in him as he tried to wait patiently for the signal that everything was okay and he could proceed. "I hate not being in charge." He groused to himself as his fingers drilled silently against the ground. "Come on, I know we gotta do this smart but damn."

Onaconah beside him motioned the warriors this way and that, directing them so that they would be on all sides of the small cove that laid bellow. The warriors followed the hand signals expertly, some skidding into the darkened landscape, moving with absolutely silent feet to the opposite side of the cliff face, the only sign of their presence the reflection of their catlike eyes in the moonlight as they waited for the signal to proceed down into the body of the cove—the same signal Inuyasha so desperately wished for now.

Other warrior's were motioned to Onaconah's and Inuyasha's left, making their way silently along a narrow trail that lead down towards the beach that played harbor to the cove. All of them slowly crawling into place, getting closer and closer to the actual camp in the cove shrouded and hidden from their eyes currently by the ledge before them, preparing to form a demon blockade against any Indian Pirates who might chose to attempt an escape in the direction of their ship.

Inuyasha watched as every man fell into position, his own demonic eyes taking them in as they placed themselves all around the cove, a bobcat for every possible corner of escape, the whole of Onaconah's army surrounding the passed out drunks. His ears twitched at the sound of water lapping, both against a shoreline that he could not yet see and at the side of something that sounded surprisingly wooden. "The water's hitting their ship." He nodded to himself at the explanation and closed his eyes, focusing on the sound, trying to distinguish the different ebbs of the water. There were two ebbs, too tides that sounded wooden. "Two ships." He opened his eyes and gulped, knowing what that could mean. "The scout said there were two, but he didn't know my ship—please be my ship."

Suddenly, Onaconah let out a low whistle that sounded surprisingly similar to that of a quails 'hoyee' call. The warriors around them froze from the call, none of them moving, none of them even appearing to breathe. Sitting perfectly still Onaconah raised his hand and released another call, this one a low 'woo' followed by a very sharp 'wai' like sound. Within seconds, the scout from earlier appeared next to him without a sound, the two men made eye contact and the scout nodded in perfect silent understanding before disappearing like black smoke into the night.

Onaconah turned to Inuyasha and nodded his head skillfully, motioning towards the edge of the cliff for Inuyasha to follow. Both curious and impatient Inuyasha crawled forward a little bit farther towards the edge of the cliff, his body as silent as the scout who had just disappeared. Within seconds, Onaconah and himself were looking over the rock ledge into the cove below and not just the surrounding area.

The first thing Inuyasha noticed were huts—permanent huts, "They live here, at least some of the time." He thought as he glanced at the specks of people bellow him who were laying asleep bottles in their hands or women, that is to say not wives but women. The sight made him cringe, an image of Sango forming in his head that he quickly shook off. "I can't think like that." He told himself as he imagined his daughter-in-law and hoped to every god he had ever known that nothing had happened to her.

His eyes glanced over the small 'village' like setting, small fires illuminating just enough of the landscape that his demon eyes were able to take in all the structures easily. Beside him, Onaconah reached his hand out pointing with a clawed hand that Inuyasha followed. Nestled against a far wall was the largest hut of the village and the only one that was in complete and perfect repair. He turned to Onaconah giving him a look that the older man returned with a nod.

"Chief." The old bobcat whispered his voice stiff and tight. "Brother."

Inuyasha frowned darkly and nodded, his face drawn tight at the prospect. "Granddaughter?" He whispered back nudging his chin in the direction of the house.

Onaconah's only reply was a nod before as he tapped his nose and drew his eyes in the direction the scout had left, indicating that he would soon know for sure before he turned his eyes back on the house, glaring at it darkly.

Inuyasha started to turn his head to look as well but the sound of the ocean brought him back to his most important task causing him to turn, changing the direction of his head so quickly that it should have snapped. Looking out across the bay, where only moonlight gave any illumination he noticed the outline of two ships, one in perfect condition and the other in obvious disrepair. His heart clenched in his chest and his breathed hitched in his throat, his mind flashing, speeding away from him before he could force it to stop.

"You've been working hard for me boy." Captain Roberts spoke as he sat on a small stool that had been brought up to the helm's deck for his own laziness. Around them the Fortune, which would one day soon hold another name, moaned; the ship creaking in the nighttime fog as it lazily made its way over the water. The stars hung in the sky surrounded by the milkiness of a galaxy yet unknown and a low hanging moon, a small smile on the dark horizon.

"I try, ser." Inuyasha responded his voice quiet in the night as he turned the wheel in the deadened world, his hands now perfect experts on how to direct the large vessel during the day, the night, in storms, and even ice.

Roberts cleared his throat and leaned back in the chair before reaching into his bright red jacket's pocket, bring a pipe out that seemed customary to his large hands. "How long has it been now?"He whispered as he produced a match out of seemingly thin air and lit the already stuffed pipe, inhaling the tobacco with a heady sigh.

Inuyasha gave the man a side long look before turning his eyes back to the deck. "Since what, Captain?"

"Since you became my apprentice," Roberts inhaled and then exhaled through his nose, allowing the smoke to surround his features. "Shall we say."

"Oh, well," Inuyasha tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling of stars above his head. "At least nine or ten months ser," He shrugged absently, wondering why the Captain would want to ask him such a thing as time. "Not just a year yet."

"That long, eh?" Captain Roberts voice sounded odd to Inuyasha's ears, almost nostalgic. "You learn fast."

Inuyasha pressed his ears backwards ever so slightly. "Thank you."

Roberts chuckled and took another drag on the pipe. "I have often thought of what to do with you," He chewed on the end of the pipe as he spoke. "After all, what use I am once you have learned everything I could teach?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth and thought to speak but, in the end, knew better of it.

"Over the past few months I've given it much thought," Captain Roberts whispered as he lowered the pipe to perched atop his knee, his voice quiet compared to the sound of gentle water lapping about the bow of the ship. "Perhaps I put more thought into it than I should of." He chuckled lightly at his own words and stood from the small stool, moving with one arm behind his back like a proper gentleman, the other still holding the pipe between aging fingers as he reached the wheel of Shikuro and Inuyasha both, raising his pipe hand to motion Inuyasha away from it.

Obediently, Inuyasha moved back and handed the wheel off to the Captain, watching as Roberts caught the wheel before it could even spin with his none occupied hand. Sticking the pipe in his mouth, freeing up both appendages, he tightened his grip and changed the course with a slow deliberate movement, turning them away from their destination of England, to a new heading that appeared more in the range of continental Europe.

"But," Roberts continued where he had left off. "I think I know now, what I should do. I thought of it far too extensively, I should just go with my gut." He smiled sadly, his eyes on the wheel of the ship, staring. "We're going to Africa my boy and when we get there, I'm going to leave this ship." He gently stroked the wheel, love for his vessel in his eyes. "The Good Fortune I've called her." He spoke as all seaman did when they talked of a prized ship, as if it were a lover or a dear, dear friend. "She's served me well and now I think it's time she served another." He turned and gave Inuyasha a look, his bright eyes flashing with both sadness and mirth as he stared at his apprentice.

Inuyasha blinked several times, his mouth opening and closing, his mind racing with confusion as he watched those blue eyes sparkle now with amusement. "Captain?"He whispered, his face completely perplexed.

Roberts took the pipe from his mouth, one hand still on the wheel and openly tilted his head back to laugh. "When we arrive in Africa," He chuckled between words as he lowered his head back down and touched Inuyasha shoulder, pipe in hand, as a father does a son. "And change ships—this ship will be yours to sail and name whatever you want."

"Shikuro." Inuyasha whispered into the night air, the memory leaving him as his heart pounded, the voice of Captain Roberts loud in his head as he studied the badly damaged vessel taking in all the damage with a certain sigh of relief touching his mind. "She's still floating," He thought amazed as he watched the ship bob up and down in the harbor."Shikuro's still floating."

Onaconah turned towards him, his eyes catching sight of what Inuyasha was mumbling about. "Ship?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha squinted his eyes and stared at the ship that was gently bobbing in the make shift harbor, his enhanced demon vision able to see the vessel as distinctly as if it were day—an ability that allowed him to see in great detail something that shouldn't have been.

The mast that had been destroyed was repaired, the deck had been mended in several places and, from what he could determine in the dark, the back of the ship where his cabin was, was in the processes of being rebuilt, scaffolding of sorts hanging off her. "It's only been three—four days—no one could repair a ship this quickly, except—." His eyebrows darted up into his hairline, and his pupils dilated to their full size bringing the ship into an even better view. "Totosai." He gulped, Totosai was the only man in the whole of the world that could fix a ship this fast, he was the only man capable—and he was positive that meant that Totosai was alive. "If he's alive—then maybe the others—."

His thoughts were halted as another low whistle, this one sounding like a small wren, traveled up from the cove bellow. He turned on his stomach, looking back just in time to see Onaconah stand, his red painted body highlighted by the moon and the fires burning below, he raised his hand above his head, holding it there, the rest of his warriors standing from the action automatically, knowing the signal better than their own thoughts. Onaconah's eyes caught sight of Inuyasha and he motioned the other demon to his feet as well with his currently unoccupied arm.

Inuyasha stood without question, mimicking the other warriors around them as he squared his shoulders and gazed at Onaconah who was waiting with his hand still high in the air. The scout appeared instantaneously before Onaconah once more, his body seeming to simply materialize before the chief as if he had not moved but instead shape shifted. For a second the two men conversed low and in Cherokee—even Inuyasha's insanely finely tuned ears unable to pick up what was being said between the two hushed men.

After a moment, the chief, arm still in the air, looked at Inuyasha while nodding his head back towards the scout. "Scout smelt you."

Inuyasha frowned at the comment, leaning in closer to the man. "Smelt me?" He questioned completely confused by the blunt words.

"Down below," Onaconah pointed with his unoccupied hand at a small hut that was off to the side of the others. "In hut there," He said his expression conveying a message that Inuyasha understood better than words. "He smelt you."

"My pup?" Inuyasha spoke softly, his heart hammering in his chest so loud that he was sure the two other men heard it, if they did, however, he knew they wouldn't comment—hell, they would completely understand. "He smelt my pup?"

Onaconah nodded, his expression tight and by the sound of it, his own heart hammering loudly in his own chest. "He smelt Shiori too." His voice was tight, taunt almost and filled with emotion. "We will attack, cause chaos." He spoke evenly. "I find grandpup, you find pup and tribe."

Inuyasha drew his lips into a firm line and nodded his head with one swift stroke. "I will."

Onaconah gave him a dark look and reached out his free hand, allowing Inuyasha to take it in a more western style gesture. The dog demon responded by gripping the man's forearm instead of his hand, Onaconah instinctively gripping Inuyasha's own forearm in a gesture that had belonged to demon society longer than any living demons had been alive. "U-hyu'-s-ti." The old man spoke, his voice filling the air with his own pessimism as he gripped the forearm of his companion tightly.

Inuyasha's eyebrows raised at the gloomy goodbye and he tightened his grip on Onaconah's arm, his expression almost vacant for a second before he gave the older man a brilliant smile, a smile that spoke a million words—words of thanks, of debt, of understanding, and of relief, "Do-nv-da-go-hv-i, Onaconah." He grinned as the elder gave him a strange confused look before he repeated the words in English confirming he knew their distinct meaning. "Until we meet again."

Onaconah smiled, one hand still hovering above his head, while the other held onto Inuyasha's arm as if he needed the reassurance for the first time in his life. He opened his mouth as if about to say something, perhaps a 'thank you' or words of encouragement. Whatever he had wanted to say, however, died on his lips and he dropped his hand from Inuyasha's forearm with one last squeeze. "Learn fast you do, Common Dog." He whispered into the air before taking a deep breath and looking at the youth beside him boldly. "Until we meet again."

"Till then." Inuyasha agreed and bowed his head in the gesture of his father, one last sign of respect before as if by some pre-agreement both men turned away from each other, looking down below them at the village of their common enemy. The sleepy community slept on, unaware of the forty some-odd men that surrounded them, ready to pounce the second their chief lowered his arm.

Inuyasha tensed every muscle in his body, his eyes on the hut that the scout had claimed his scent came from. "He didn't say anything but that." Inuyasha told himself as his blood boiled in his veins. "He didn't say it smelled of death or even injury—he just said it was my scent and there is only one person on earth who would have that scent." He gulped, his bare feet digging into the shifty sandy-dirt that rested on the cliff edge of the cove. "I'm coming Miroku—Sango—Shippo—Totosai—Myoga—everyone—I'm coming."

Beside him, Onaconah took a deep breath, his large eyes slowly gazing out, taking in every man that was perched and waiting. "It's time." He whispered into the air and lowered his arm.

A cry louder than a thousand seagulls filled the air instantly, every red painted Indian jumping from their spot, weapon held high in the air, a shriek coming from their lungs loud enough to wake the dead or at least the drunks. They swarmed like wasp into the cove, some jumping from the cliff side to land down below, others, the ones with bows, hung back arrows fitted and taunt as they aimed and prepared to hit anyone who should try to kill one of the men on the ground.

The demons drunk with ale barely stood in time to be cut down by that first wave of Indians that seemingly came at them from the sky, their blood splattering in red hot waves; their women barely having enough time to scream before the attacker moved to another man, spilling his blood with strikes of both claws and spear as arrows whizzed through the air, loud sounds that made all the demons cringe as it hit their fragile hearing.

Inuyasha winced from the sharp sound of arrows firing but didn't take any time otherwise to be amazed by the skill the Indians had for killing. Instead, not seconds after the blood bath had begun he jumped into the fray, not caring if he was without weapon, not caring for the danger. Like Onaconah, he wasn't interested in the battle, that wasn't his part to play. His job was to find his crew, his son, and his family—the Indians could fight, they could kill, he would only kill what came to stand in his way.

The second his bare feet touched the shifting sandy ground he found himself directly in the path of spewing blood, which only the grace of his own life's blood allowed him dodge. The scent of the hot liquid clogged his nose and he snorted briefly before growling in annoyance as the victim reached for his leg, grabbing and pulling on his pants. He shook the man off in annoyance and without a backwards look pressed forward making his way to the hut filled with his own scent through the chaos around him, dodging still drunken Pirate Indians without so much as a glance as he darted and bobbed and weaved. To his left a gun fired not two feet from his head and he ducked down, his eardrums practically vibrating from the noise as he forced himself to continue forward.

Now was not the time to stop, now was not the time to fight, it wasn't his place right now, he had a far more pressing and important place to be.

Another gun fired, this time so close to his ears that he felt his eardrums actually shake momentarily sending his equilibrium into a wave of fits as he was jolted to the right by his feet missing a vital step. He gritted his teeth, forcing his eyes to stay open as he propelled himself forward, not daring to stop, "Not now—," He told his body as he physically had to resist the urge to turn around and deck the man with the gun that had fired so close to his head. He inhaled sharply, instinctively wanting to memorize the scent so he might return for the man later but abandoned the thought as a familiar scent reached his nose instead, a scent he had known for eleven years.

"Miroku." Inuyasha grunted as he darted towards the door of the cabin. His sharp eyes caught the gleam of weapons as a bobcat guard minding his station with fortitude raised a knife towards Inuyasha's approaching face.

"Stop there!" He yelled in English as he widened his feet into a fighting stance and held the knife in close to his body in a way that suggested he was indeed skilled. But, skill or no skill, it was a hopeless cause.

Without hesitation, Inuyasha lunged forward; the knife wielding man raised his occupied hand, preparing to strike out much like a rattle snake poised to attack; Inuyasha beat him to the punch and grabbed the knife wielding hand at the wrist, draping his other hand over it and bending it backwards into the shape of a crane's head—an unfathomable angle that caused the bones to moan under the pressure before snapping like a twig. The bobcat cried out in excoriating pain that Inuyasha barely registered as the dog demon pulled his hand back passed his head, his knuckles forming into a perfect punch that he sent flying forward to land square in the guard's jaw, flinging the man out of his way with a snarl.

His ears picked up the sound of heavy footfalls behind him and he turned, his eyes just barely registering the gun pointed at his head and the man only some five feet from him before he jumped into the air sending a well placed jump flying side kick square in the nose of the other demon. Instantly, the bobcat pirate's nose broke and blood sprayed onto Inuyasha's naked foot, the sensation of it oddly satisfying to his currently at large demon instincts.

Without another thought, he turned towards the small hut and looking at the brittle makeshift wooden door gritted his teeth and reared his knee back into his chest before thrusting his foot forward. The brittle drift wood that made up the hut's entrance exploded against the force of the assault and literally doubled in on itself, the door cracking in two and flying to the ground in an explosion of splinters. Immediately, the scent of blood filled Inuyasha's nose, accompanied by a scent he knew better than his own, that belonged to the only boy he could ever call son.

"Captain," A young voice yelled, high and cheerful, the face that had once been covered with dirt and soot, now clean, sparkling with innocence and tiny freckles. "Look at it, look!"

"What boy?" Inuyasha asked as he turned away from the wheel of the Shikuro he had been steering to the spot where Miroku stood behind him, his small body on tip toe to see over the rail.

"There's some kind of big," The boy tilted his head to the side and thought as he pointed a finger at the unknown object. "'ish behind the ship."

"You mean fish." Inuyasha offered absently as he tied the wheel down before turning and walking behind the small eight year old, looking over his tiny black head. "Those are dolphins." He supplied as he reached down and picked Miroku up, holding him tightly as he allowed the boy to lean over the top of the rail for a better view.

"Wow," The boy whispered amazed as he watched them jump in the surf that was created by the flow of the water around the front of the ship to the back. "Why do they do that?" He questioned glancing back at Inuyasha with large black eyes that matched his windblown hair.

"Do what?" The Captain questioned back as he glanced over the top of Miroku's head and down, watching the large animals with familiar eyes.

"Well," Miroku tapped his chin with one hand while the other held onto Inuyasha's forearm, steadying his small body as he was held up in the air. "Stay behind the ship in the waves?"

"I don't know." Inuyasha shrugged, and looked down at the curious boy.

He had only had Miroku for six months maybe less but the boy was already unbelievably comfortable around him. He followed him everywhere, always on Inuyasha's heels, asking questions, babbling nonsense about his lessons, or praising things the Captain often did without thought. At first, this odd behavior had annoyed Inuyasha, frustrated him even but it was strange, how easily Inuyasha had come to accept the boy's presence. How easily he fell into the role of fathering the boy.

Inuyasha set the boy back on his feet, a small almost barely noticeable smile on his face, as he reached a clawed hand and set it on Miroku's soft head, rubbing the thick messy black hair with a fatherly hand. "Why do you think they do?"

"Me?" Miroku frowned but knew the question wasn't rhetorical. "I think," Miroku continued to chatter as he followed Inuyasha back to the wheel. "They're playing."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and gave Miroku a lopsided yet amused grin. "Playing?"

"Yeah." Miroku nodded his head vigorously, his small hands coming into the air moving in an incoherent manner to back up his words. "If I was a fish I'd play in the waves."

"Well," Inuyasha found himself knelling down beside the boy, giving him a conspiring look with his bright gold eyes. "You know, I have a friend who can speak to dolphins."

Miroku's small mouth dropped opened and his eyes shown as if Inuyasha had just told him he could be king of the world. "Really!"

Inuyasha nodded and chuckled as he stood back up. "Next time we see him," He offered as he waved his wrist. "How 'bout we ask if he can talk to them?" He grinned as Miroku practically danced in his spot from excitement. "I bet he'll know what they're really up too."

"Can we really?" The boy grinned, his teeth that were missing just a few months ago now replaced with permanent adult ones. "That would be so neat!" He chattered as Inuyasha smiled silently and turned back to the wheel, his hands undoing the tie. "I mean to know what dolphins are saying" Miroku babbled on, a gentle soundtrack that soothed Inuyasha's cold heart. "Is your friend a fish demon?"

"An otter." Inuyasha replied his voice soft and peaceful.

"Miroku." Inuyasha whispered into the dark dwelling as the memory faded and the tender place in his heart for Miroku clutched violently. He took a step forward, his eyes already seeing what he didn't want to see, a sight that would forever be etched in his brain, a nightmare that would live in him for the rest of his life.

-break-

The horse galloped at its full speed, Kagome's hands digging into the long hair of its mane as she watched the world around her without any fear, without any real eyes—her mind too far sealed away to comprehend that she was terrified of the speed at which these demon Mustangs' could move.

The horse jumped over a fallen tree in the forest path, its legs not quite sticking the landing causing it to stumble as its own momentum propelled it forward, making it rear back and neigh loudly. Kagome held on tightly, her whitened eyes narrowed as she pulled at its mane, calming it instantly with a gentle hum in the back of her throat. The horse whined and came to a standstill in the middle of an oblong clearing surrounded by dense trees and shrubs as well as small weed like flowers. Kagome's sightless eyes took in the scenery that normally would have warmed her heart and made her flush with delight, with coldness and calculation.

"It came from here." Her eyes narrowed as she spoke and she frowned. "Is anybody here?" She called out as she looked around, her eyes seeming to gaze outwards as if expecting something to have been before her that wasn't. After a moment, she clicked her tongue leaning back on the horse further, relaxing her posture, sinking downwards as she closed her eyes and took a deep long breath. Carefully, she held her breath in and allowed her lungs to absorb the oxygen completely and wholly before she exhaled, the sound slow and deliberate. "Please," She whispered on that breath, eyes still shut just barely. "Show yourself to me, kind spirit."

"Kee-aaahh!"

Kagome's eyes snapped open, somewhat from surprise and also from anticipation. Her fingers dug into the horse's mane as she straightened her back once again, holding herself steady in a stance that would have made her mother proud. With sightless eyes, she once again looked throughout the clearing, turning her head this way and that, trying to see what had called her, what had spoken.

"Kee-aaahh!"

The call came again, from above and she jerked her head upwards, looking into the trees, her eyes slowly regaining blackened pupils, that could and yet couldn't see. There among the branches, situated just within her line of sight a hawk sat, perched and watching her, one dark beady eye turned in her direction, looking at her, its white breast puffing with each breath it took.

"Did you call me?" She questioned with a voice that held no emotion or evidence of who she was and a look on her sweet angelic face, which didn't match the normal expressive condition of her visage.

The hawk looked away from her, turned its eyes to a different direction off in the distance. For a moment, it simply watched something far away that even with her enchanted eyes she could not see and then, it opened its great wings, widening them to a large span of nearly five feet, the tips of the red brown feathers caressing the edge of the tree as it hopped away from her on its branch, wings spread out.

She tightened her hands on the horse's mane and frowned darkly as she leaned forward on the horse expectantly. "Answer me—where is the spirit that cal—!" Her voice died in her throat and her mouth clamped shut as the hawk turned and gave her a look that pierced her body all the way to her soul.

She felt her heart hammer in her chest as the black beady eyes turned and changed becoming a soft grey mixture before fading completely into white, mimicking her own. It closed it wings, the action so deliberate that she gulped, and continued to stare at her—the white eyes saying more words and conveying more meaning than a thousand elegies. 'You have misspoken,' They told. 'You have misstepped,' They conveyed. 'You must apologize,' They cried. 'Or die,' They added.

Without a second thought, Kagome bowed her head humbly, the eyes of the spirit before her boring a hole into the top of her bowed head. She closed her eyes because of the heat in those eyes, knowing that should she even attempt to gaze upon the mystic creature's face right now, her punishment would be horribly severe. Licking her lips, her fingers digging into the horses mane, she apologized with a swift and sincere, "I'm sorry."

The ruffle of wings alerted her to look up and she frowned as she took in the sight of the great bird once again hovering on the branch above her, wings still tucked to its sides. It tilted its head this way and that, its white glowing eyes looking at her with scrutiny before it seemed to decide something and turned towards the direction the voice had previously beckoned from. "Kee-ahhhh!" It screeched again, the sound filling Kagome's seemingly deafened ears before, just as quickly as the hawk had called, it went silent and turned back to look at her.

She watched the hawk with curiosity, wondering what it was waiting for, only to get her answer as she felt her ears practically twitch on the side of her head, a reply echoing into them from the distance.

"Kee-errr-ahh!"

The hawk chirped in satisfaction before turning back to her and frowning, its eyes seeming to grow even brighter in the darkness as it gave her a look so serious that it might as well have been human. "Come."

Kagome blinked, a semblance of who she was clouding her vision, before disappearing once again, her eyes basking in complete whiteness once more as she nodded her head firmly and dug her fingers in the horse's mane deliberately. "Lead."

The hawk jumped from the branch without another word, its large wings catching its body on a ruffle of air-current, before it beat them forward and disappeared in the distance, nothing more than a red tail flashing before her eyes.

Instantly, she dug her heels into the horse's side and leaned forward as she had seen the Captain do on several occasions. The demon horse took off into the winding forest quickly, its hooves hitting the forest floor loudly, crashing against twigs and leaves that crunched under foot as the horse moved with limited direction from her person, dodging in and out of underbrush as it propelled itself up over high roots and ducked itself down under low hanging branches. Before her, the hawk came back into view, the red tail moving up and down creating sideways angles that changed its direction as it too weaved. The forest before them grew quiet as if the regular animals and demon animals of the night knew better than to disturb whatever journey was coming to fruition before them; while, the forest behind them grew loud with the ruckus of those same animals seemingly discussing what had passed before their eyes.

Another clearing came into view just as the hawk suddenly screeched once more, its loud call burning into her ears as the horse beneath her whined and neighed and beat its hoofs to the ground before rearing back and bucking. She hissed as she tightened her grip and forced herself to relax her heels in order to calm the beast. It grunted in response, its ice blue eyes regaining composure almost instantly as it walked backwards, fixated on something before it skeptically.

Kagome rubbed the side of the horse's neck absently, continuing to sooth it as it fought against her pressing command to move forward. "Hello?" She called, her eyes slowly, slowly turning grey for just a moment before shifting steadily into white. "Is anyone there?" A twig snapped somewhere ahead of her and slightly to her right. The horse neighed, the sound almost that of a growl as it beat one hoof against the ground as a warning. Kagome frowned down at the horse, watching as it turned its head sideways so its large demon eyes could take in whatever was causing it to be defensive.

Following the demon horse's line of sight, Kagome blinked taking in the sight of a set of glowing white eyes that met her own. "Who's there?" She called out as she watched the eyes hover seemingly attached to nothing but the air, from their place hidden in the dark swell of the forest underbrush. "Come out." She beckoned, hoping her voice was not demanding.

The unknown spirit surprisingly complied, the bush's leaves shaking as it pushed itself forward into the clearing. The horse bucked and neighed and whined as the large animal moved through the brush. Kagome tightened her knees in an effort to stay upon the horse's back and panted as she held onto its long mane but it was no use, the closer the unknown animal came towards them, the louder the horse became—the angrier the horse became. Her whitened eyes narrowed as she yanked on the long mane, pulling the horse backwards away from the animal, making it move to the safety of the trees behind them on the edge of the clearing.

She looked back at the unidentified animal as they moved into the safety of the trees once more. Her eyes lighting on the silver, reddish fur that gleamed in the pale moonlight and the white eyes that reflected that light as the animal came to stand before them in the tiny clearing. It was a large demon dog, she realized, as she studied the larger than life creature before her, watching its tall pointed ears as they twitched reminding her absently of someone she had known.

The horse calmed more and more the farther away they were from the creature, and Kagome rubbed at its large neck reassuringly, glad it had decided to calm down, "I guess," She thought as she started to unravel her hands from the horses mane. "Even demon horses fear demon dogs." She nodded her head before decisively she dismounted the horse with a long sweep of her legs over its back, landing with the grace of a true and powerful demon, her feet touching the ground without so much as a sound.

Wrapping her hands back in the horses mane, she pulled the demon animal towards a tree, her eyes watching the large dog as it studied her with interest, its eyes focused and oddly determined, as it seemed to contemplate her. She positioned the horse next to a tree with a small patch of grass, knowing that the large animal would stay there as long as it felt safe and turned, her eyes now studying the large dog in turn.

For a moment, she thought she saw the creature smile at her, as if amused, but as she blinked in confusion her eyes found focus on only a grey muzzle drawn in a tight line. She narrowed her eyes at the creature, taking a slow purposeful step forward as she gauged its reaction—the dog didn't move, only stared. Her white eyes blinked again and she licked her lips, taking another slow step into the clearing. The dog didn't move, only stared.

"Did you," She started to ask as she stepped fully within the clearing, her eyes focused on the creature and her back straight and tall. "Call to me?" She questioned, her voice clear. The dog's ears twitched on its head and it turned away, walking towards the underbrush from whence it came, its tail dragging the ground, pushing at the dirt absently like a broom before disappearing into the underbrush.

Kagome stepped forward in surprise, her eyes searching out the beast as she moved slowly and carefully across the clearing in its direction a large frown plastered on her face. Suddenly, two bright white eyes appeared in the bush, the body hidden once more by the lack of light that drifted through the canopy of trees.

"Come." A voice called to her, deep and commanding, the white hovering eyes in the bush blinking in time with the two syllables of the word. "Come." It repeated once more, slow, calculated, and low before the white eyes closed once again but this time didn't reappear as the rustle of the underbrush signaled the dog's disappearance.

Kagome took a step forward towards the spot the dog had disappeared in. "Hello?" She whispered as she hesitated only a foot or so away from the brush. Her white eyes hovering between pure white and tinted grey. Slowly, she reached a hand forward, brushing her fingers against the warm leaves of the thicket. She took a deep and powerful breath, the grey leaving her eyes completely, replaced by white once more as she stepped forward, the trees seeming to move away from her, letting her press into the place the dog had disappeared into unhindered.

Her moccasin encased feet made little to no noise as they touched down on the forest floor, only every once in a while snapping a twig or crisping up a leaf. Her fingers weaved in and out of the parting bushes, feeling the bark of a tree only intermittedly as she pushed forward. Around her, the world seemed to fall into a blunt hush, the very air seeming to grow silent, not wanting to flitter in and disturb the branches, the leaves, or even her hair and clothes. She froze as a dog called in the distance, a high pitched mournful call. A shudder went down her spin as she felt a million eyes open up in response, all of them watching her, as she stood silent in the middle of them.

She parted her lips as if to respond to them or the call of the dog but closed them once again tightly as she noticed the forest opening up further, the path before her finally having a destination, a slight glow in the distance. Ignoring the eyes that pushed at her and the call that had confused her, she pushed forward through the forest quietly, like a fawn on doe feet, until she found herself at the edge of another clearing, but this one was not empty.

In the middle a small pond with water almost crystal clear stood, the light of the moon shimmering on its surface, the ripples of the pond catching its light before reflecting it back into the clearing. It looked almost like an aurora borealis on the low hanging branches that created a ceiling above her head. She gazed upwards at it, watching as it shifted, the light a dancing pattern, mimicking the ripples off which it reflected against the green canopy.

Kagome felt her heart speed up in her breast, she felt a wave of heat touch her cheeks and she closed her eyes, the image of those beautiful dancing lights playing against the back of her eyelids, warming her to her very core. The sound of a twig snapping caused her eyes to flutter open, her irises slowly against her very will returning to their natural beauty, as a stout pupil took homage in her eyes once more. She blinked, her eyelashes brushing her cheeks as she saw the world once again.

She breathed in a shaky breath, the scene before her painted with endless colors that shimmered and shinned right before her very eyes. "Beautiful." Kagome whispered, once more herself.

"Come."

Kagome gasped at the intrusion of the voice amongst the quiet whipping her head around for its source, only to find herself staring into the beautiful white eyes of the giant demon dog that she only vaguely remembered now. She felt as if she should be afraid of the creator but knew such fear was impossible as it blinked slowly, sluggishly, its muzzle appearing to smile just for her.

"Come." It spoke without moving its lips as its watched her from the other side of the pond, its large eyes fixated and warm. "Come." It repeated and motioned with its muzzle at the water before turning and walking away once more, disappearing into the undergrowth of scrubs and bushes that outlined the clearing.

Surprised at its sudden departure, Kagome blinked and placed a hand on her breast, now coming fully back to herself as she tried to figure out where she was and why she was here. Oddly, she didn't feel afraid, oddly she really didn't even feel confused. Something—something strange felt right and for some reason, one she couldn't explain she knew she had to follow the dog's instructions.

Carefully, and without another thought, she stepped forward towards the pool that was swirling round and round, the water changing from random ripples to one giant current that moved in a swirl the shape of a vortex. The vortex came to fruition in the middle of the small pool of water, turning into a water-tornado that sucked everything down into the bottom of the pond. Carefully, she leaned over the edge staring into the water, coming face to face with her own reflection, on the swirling edge.

She gasped as she took in the sight of her own eyes staring back at her, the colors of black and white swirling just as the water in the pond. "Why?" She wondered out loud as she brought a hand up as if she was going to touch her eye but instead found her fingers on her cheek. "Why?"

"The world is clouded."

Kagome's breath hitched at the unexpected voice and she tumbled backwards, landing on her bottom as she looked around frantically for the voice that had just spoken.

"Your eyes reflect that nature." The voice continued, disembodied but full of meaning.

Pushing herself onto her knees Kagome shook all over, her hands digging into the dirt as she looked around in an attempt to see what she was not allowed to see. "Nature?" She questioned, her voice tight in her throat as her eyes searched, her heart galloping in her chest as sweat formed on her forehead from discontent.

"The nature of the world," The voice responded to her, the sound and the vibration of it oddly comforting and familiar. "The edges of two lines that meet."

Kagome narrowed her eyes, taking in the timbre of the noise trying to place it, as well as understand it. Kagome blinked, the voice drifting into her ears, comfortable and familiar in an odd way: like a memory from a dream. She took a deep breath, her hands slowly unwinding from the dirt. She could feel bits of it pushed up under her nails, the feeling irritating but easy to ignore. "I've heard that voice." She thought as she looked around her, storming black and white complicating her vision. "Who are you?"

"That is not the question you should ask." It spoke gently, a deep quality washing over it.

Kagome wrinkled her nose at the words confused. "Is there a better one?"

"Yes." It replied in a mellow soothing tone.

Kagome bit her lip and frowned but inside her the question formed without any thought, coming from a place she didn't know existed. "The edges—two lines?" She mumbled before looking up without even knowing where to look. "What are the lines?"

"Right and wrong, Kagome." The voice responded kindly, its deep quality comforting every aspect of her troubled mind. "Pure and tainted, white and black mixing and creating grey."

"Do you mean," She wondered out loud, her mind becoming muddled with thoughts of reorganization. "The nature of the world," She shook her head feeling somehow wrong and right at the same time. "Is the combination of what's right and wrong?"

"Yes," The voice responded sounding pleased. "That is the nature of the world," There was a flash as the words trailed off, a white hot flash. "The nature of this pond," Another flash, more concentrated as if a hand had flicked in the ponds direction. "And the nature of your eyes." Another flash, this time right before her face.

Confused Kagome leaned away her voice breaking as she spoke. "They're just eyes." She tried to argue but something inside of her told her it was in vain.

"To any other creature," The voice continued to speak a flash and them a shimmering light forming across from Kagome as it did so. "An eye is just a eye," The shimmering began to take shape, Kagome felt her heart pound. "But for a woman such as yourself," Like a ghost an outline formed, the outline of a person. "An eye is a gateway," She could see its shoulders rolled back and tall. "An eye is an opening into the very soul." The word left the figures mouth and the outline became more solid, the shoulders more distinct fitted upon a thick neck leading to a strong chin and the blank outline of a face. "And your soul, Kagome, is fair too no fault," A hand formed at its side, raising to speak with silence. "It can see both sides, can experience and understand both purity and taint for what they really are."

Kagome felt the air rush out of her lungs, her breath coming in pants as she watched the figure take shape, watched the ghost form, as it wards entered her heart, but didn't make it to her mind. "I don't understand." Her voice sounded broken, confused.

"You do not have to." A hand suddenly appeared on the other side of the strange ghostly outline of the person, waving towards the pond.

Uncertain Kagome looked, her eyes widening as she took in a still life image of Onaconah ripping another Indian's throat from its neck. Bile, hot and thick rose into her throat as her eyes widened.

"Brother kills brother—," The spirit spoke as it knelt down, more of its shape becoming finite as it waved a hand before the pool, erasing the image. "And tribe kills tribe," The image of the face turned and seemed to look at her with no features present to do so. "Hate sparking that bloodshed." It whispered as Kagome watched the outline of a slopping nose come to being as it looked at her. "You have seen this before, have you not Kagome—the hate that the shikon causes."

Kagome's eyes grew huge at the words and she gulped loud as she realized what the man was speaking of. "Jinenji."

"Yes, neighbor kills neighbor this," The outlined hand waved again, the detailed features of sharp deadly claws coming into being as it moved. "Is no different, Onaconah is no different—his eyes are clouded by hate for his brother, with love for his granddaughter."

Kagome took in the words, her heart slowing as she thought of what the man had just said. "It's not different." She repeated as she thought of Onaconah, his story of bloodshed, his brother killing a niece-in-law. "But—that man, he—he's evil."

"Is he? Perhaps." The spirit questioned and then answered. "But, evil only breeds evil—."

"Hate only begets hate." Kagome finished, the words dropping from her lips as she watched the white creature take shape further, the features of its face becoming more distinct as it reached forward and touched the water of the pool, one clawed finger touching the surface before pulling back. Its eyes were obvious now, narrowed and colorless, yet outlined black for her to see. They blinked before turning to look at her, its lips forming a coherent smile.

"Yes," The lips moved as it talked, the voice becoming more distinct and surprisingly more masculine. "Hate only begets hate, violence only begets violence and you Kagome—are the only one who could possibly stop it."

Kagome's mouth hung opened at the words and she shook her head impossibly fast back and forth. "Me?" Her voice was breathy. "How, I can't even channel my powers?" She exclaimed only to have her voice die in her throat when a deep heady chuckle entered the air.

"Women as you are, have existed before time Kagome." The lips were gaining color now, turning a slight gentle but faded pink. "They have fought for what's right—," A clawed hand that seemed to be a gentle peach pointed her towards the water, as if enchanted she felt her head move and watched as an image in the water came to being, a woman she didn't recognize standing strong, a spear in her hands with a golden glow about it that seemed to outshine even her own glossy black hair. "They have fought for what's wrong—," The image of the woman morphed and in its place was her own face, with giant deep black eyes full of sorrow and hatred and straight stiff hair that mirrored an unmovable personality. In white milky hands, she held a small wooden rosary with characters written on each bead that Kagome didn't recognize. "But always they have found a means of doing so."

The woman disappeared and in her place only the rosary remained, the spear the other woman had held also appearing just seconds afterwards—the two images surrounded by separate lights. The rosary's red and the spear's a bright distinct clear gold.

Kagome resisted the urge to reach forward and touch the objects that were so clear in the water that they appeared real. "They fought with these?" She questioned instead, looking up to see that the figure now had dark pupils that centered in its still iris-less eyes.

"Yes," The figured answered as it rouse to its feet, its eyes gleaming for only a second, a faint color appearing in them that Kagome couldn't give a name. "These objects called to them and beckoned until they sought them out." The masculine voice was loud in her ears. "Once in their hands, they gave them powerful, mystical and unstoppable."

Kagome nodded at his words, "Is that what happened earlier," She whispered as she looked down at the pond only to find unsurprised, that the objects had disappeared. "To me?"

"What do you think, Kagome?"

Kagome took a deep breath and looked up at the figure, her eyes studying it, knowing it without ever having seen one single definable feature. "I know you don't I?" She questioned but merely smiled, not needing an answer. "You're the one that told me it would call."

The pinkish lips turned upwards and the unidentifiable eyes closed, sealing away the color she couldn't recognize. "Are you ready?" The voice asked, soft and musical.

Kagome frowned and looked at the pond, a peace was forming in her heart that she had never felt before, it scared her. "Should I be?" She whispered and somehow already knew that she would receive no answer.

Sure enough the clearing grew silent and as she looked up for the figure but it was gone and in its place not even a shadow remained. Carefully, she looked down into the water, knowing that in it she would see what was meant to come to her. The water morphed as it had before, the second her eyes took in its surface, and she watched stunned as a picture formed of a land she didn't quite recognize. Beautiful trees lined with small pink flowers, a miniature bridge standing over a tiny river that housed bright white and orange fish, which swam in slow circles. A house made out of materials she didn't recognize and constructed in a bazaar way she had never seen, stood tall in the background. Slopping roofs with turned up edges, doors that slid instead of opened out or in, and windows with no glass but instead white, coarse paper that held in both heat and cool.

Instinctively, Kagome reached forward into the water, half expecting the image to be real only to have it ripple under her now wet finger tips and subsequently disappear. Surprised, she yanked her wet fingers back, and pulled them to her chest as the water morphed and in the picture's place a small red piece of curved wood formed.

Kagome frowned at the object that seemed at first glance to float above the water's surface, her now once again grey eyes shimmering as the red caught her attention. "It's the same color," She realized. "As Inuyasha's jacket." She bit her lip at the recognition and apprehensively leaned forward, wanting to know what such a mysterious object might be.

Realization dawned on her as she took in the slop of the wood and the notches that ran on both ends, a place for a string that was not currently strung. She had become well acquainted with weapons such as this when she was just a little girl watching hunting parties depart and just recently in the village of Onaconah whose warriors used a weapon distinctly similar. She frowned as she looked at the object, wondering what use it would be to anyone without a quiver of arrows or string with which to mount them. Before she could think of the usability of the bow any further however, the voice called once more.

"Come."

She reached forward for the water, her mind blanking as she pushed her hand into the the pool, feeling no moisture on her skin and seeing no ripples as she pushed her hand through the liquid. Her fingers came in contact with the bow, a bright light suddenly piercing through the subdued clearly for just a brief solitary moment before dissipating as Kagome brought the bow towards her and out of the pond holding it before her.

And just as quickly as she had grabbed the bow, everything disappeared: the pond, the clearing, the brush, everything was gone and she found herself standing in the clearing she had first seen the dog in, the mustang beside her as if she had never left it there to graze.

Her heart knocked against her rib cage and she took deep hasty breathes as shock seemed to explode throughout her whole system, adrenaline picking up in her very veins as she stared at the stingless bow in her hand. "What just happened?" She whispered into the clearing, her mind running through the scenario, flashes of the figure, of the dog, of the hawk, of everything that had lead up to her standing where she was now, invaded her mind.

She sunk to the ground, deep breathes filling her body, racking over her as she felt tears come to her eyes. She blinked them back and bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, the bow in her hand reacting to her pain by glowing a soft and luminous pink. Instantly, her body shuttered, her heart calmed, and the tears in her eyes dried. She took a calm breath, surprise filling her at her ability to instantly calm.

"Ahhhyaaa!"

She jumped startled from the sound of a distant scream. "What the—?" She stood, her legs spreading out in a stance about to run, terrified before the bow glowed again in her hand. She glanced at it, watching the faint pink as it disappeared and then looking back at the direction the scream had come from. A strange feeling rushed about inside her and she frowned as the voice that had called, beckoned her internally. "Come." She heard inside her very soul as the bow glowed against her hand pushing against her fingers with pulsating warmth. "I understand." She spoke, her body feeling warm where the bow was connected to her before she looked up, her swirling eyes a deep beautiful grey. "I understand."

-break-

Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight that greeted him in the center of the room. There, with his head slumped forward and his dark hair caked with red blood, Miroku sat on his knees bathed in light that made its way through a small hole in the top of the hut designed to allow smoke to escape. His hands were tied behind his back to a small wooden stake and his clothes were practically none existence on his lacerated body. Wound upon wound, burn upon burn.

Slowly, Inuyasha stepped forward, his mind actually not believing what he was seeing as he took in his young broken son. "Pup." He whispered into the air and the tied up man groaned and tried to lift his head only for it to fall back down, his chin resting against his chest.

"Captain?"

Inuyasha jumped at the female voice and turned his head to see none other than Sango tied to another stack that was positioned to the side of the hut, keeping her and Miroku far enough apart that they couldn't help one another. Her gentle tanned flesh was marred only slightly by the occasional bruise or cut and her big brown eyes were filled with tears of both happiness and worry. "Sango?" He whispered the word, his heart hammering as he took in the sight of her ripped clothes and her exposed thighs. Instinctively, he smelt the air but Miroku's blood permeated it so intensely that he couldn't make out Sango's scent.

"Oh dear lord." Sango whispered and the tears fell down her cheeks. "You're alive, oh my god, we thought you were dead!" She gushed, the tears falling in streams as she spoke.

For only a second Inuyasha couldn't think to respond as he watched Sango, his whole body taunt with thankfulness to see her alive, conscious, and overall not badly hurt. "Thank you." He thought, although who he was thanking never even occurred to his mind as he took a step towards Sango, his eyes side glancing back to Miroku, leaving him somewhat torn.

"Is Kagome okay?" Sango's voice broke through Inuyasha's thoughts causing the half demon to turn and look at her, blinking as he tried to take in her words.

After a moment, his mind cleared and he found himself actually giving the girl a very small smile. "Yeah." He nodded as he looked over at Miroku again, his mind fighting between his pup and his pup's mate. He closed his eyes, the smile leaving his face as he growled, he knew how he would feel if the situation was reversed and he was incapacitated and Kagome needed help—Sango first. Jumping across the hut in one big motion, he landed in front of Sango. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She spoke evenly, her eyes wandering over to Miroku looking at his hunched body with complete panic. "I'm not sure about him."

"Don't worry," Inuyasha told her truthfully as he raised his claws up and snapped the ropes holding her within seconds. "I don't," He only hesitated a moment as he tried to smell the air again, his mind just registering the scents of pain and worry. "There's no scent of death on him."

Sango rubbed at her wrist for a second and stood, her legs shaky as she attempted to make her way to her husband. A crash came from outside causing her to actually jump and stumble, a reaction from her Inuyasha was not accustomed to seeing.

Responding on pure instinct, Inuyasha quickly reached out and steadied her, his hand landing on her lower back supporting her as she shook for a moment, her large chocolate eyes closing as she took a steadying breath. After a moment, she rolled her shoulders back definitely and moved away from his hand, looking as regal as she ever did. "Okay," She spoke evenly as she gave him a sharp look. "What' going on?"

"Indians, war, I don't know." Inuyasha answered bluntly, his ears twitching on his head alerting him to a sound that Sango couldn't hear with her normal human hearing.

"What?" She just managed, her voice sounding completely mystified as she tried to comprehend what the Captain had just told her. Before she could give it anymore thought, however, Miroku's pain filled voice coursed through the room.

"Tou—."

The sound caused Inuyasha's heart to sink all the way into his stomach, the sad note, the pained voice, every instinct inside of him screamed—screamed for his pup, his hurt pup. He leapt forward, landing before the broken boy, his hands reaching behind Miroku quickly in order to free him. The man slumped forward as soon as his hands were free from the short pole and Inuyasha grunted as he caught the slight weight of his pup on one arm.

"Um—." Miroku groaned as he tried to lift himself up to look at whoever was holding him, one eye just barely managing to open and take in the sight of the red clad arm that was supporting his weight. "Tou." He whispered again, as his mind registered the person behind the cloth.

"Don't talk Miroku," Inuyasha said as he carefully rearranged Miroku to lean against the pole that had held him captive and knelt down next to him, looking at the small pool of blood that was accumulated on the ground, straining the sandy floor of the makeshift abode. "We're gon'na get you out of here."

"Miroku," Sango called as she managed to stumble next to him, reaching her hands out to touch her husband's shoulder with deep seeded worry. "Can you hear me?" Her voice actually broke for a second, the regal countenance she had managed to regain dissipating as she watched the man she loved moan in pain. "Miroku—." Her voice pressed as she grabbed for his chin lifting it so they could see Miroku's face.

The once clean and white skin was stained with blood and dirt, one of the eyes swollen over so much that it couldn't see. His lips were split in several places and his cheeks were covered with a variety of dark black bruises that bubbled from underneath his skin. He opened his good eye and suddenly his split lips made a smile, a happy smile that barely reached his eyes, "Sango." He whispered before he groaned and his head fell back to his chest.

"The Captain's here." She whispered back to him, her voice breaking as she watched him turn his head to look up at Inuyasha.

"What took you so long, Otou-san?" Miroku mumbled drowsily as he looked at Inuyasha with a large smile on his blacken face. "I was begi'ing to 'hink I was gon'na hata find my own way 't." He spoke, his tongue not quite moving fast enough to keep up with his own words, causing him to sound almost drunk.

Inuyasha blinked several times as he watched Sango glare at Miroku or at least try to. The glare never really took over her features however, and instead came off as more a wash of relief that came to cover every corner of her face. Finally she settled on something that was half between a grin and a scowl before she leaned forward and kissed him softly on the cheek, the sound faint in the hut. Inuyasha thought he heard her say something but no words reached his ears as he looked at the man before him and his heart burst with happiness, with relief, with love for his son, and with gratefulness that his son was alive. "Thank god." His mind whispered. "I don't know what I would've done—just—thank god."

"You dolt." Sango's words slowly brought Inuyasha back as he watched the wife worry for the husband. "Why did you take it all?" She questioned in an angry whisper. "Look at you—you can't even stand!" She said, her voice somehow both scolding and happy all at the same time.

"I know." Miroku agreed, his words becoming more coherent the more he spoke. With a deep breath he glanced down at his black and blue, bloody leg, wincing at the sight briefly before attempting to give Sango a lopsided grin with his beaten face. "Someone just didn't get here fast enough." He joked and glanced back at the Captain, a large thrilled smile taking over the bruises and busted lip.

"I know," Inuyasha mumbled guiltily as he reached up and ruffled Miroku's hair, just as he had when Miroku had been a boy, albeit gently so as not to agitate any unseen wounds. "I'm sorry."

Miroku's smile turned into nothing more than a small smirk, that he then turned and redirected towards his wife. "You see that Sango," He tilted his head towards Inuyasha. "The great Captain Inuyasha's sorry," He chuckled lightly. "That's a first."

Sango chuckled slightly but her lip trembled none the less. "Stop wasting your strength." She told him with a voice that spoke with no arguments.

"Yeah, listen to the woman." Inuyasha shot Miroku a well aimed glare that made the man merely shrug his shoulders before promptly hissing in pain. Inuyasha winced at the noise of air yanking through clenched teeth and began to really look Miroku over, putting all other thoughts aside as he took in the various wounds that littered the boy's body. "They're not really deep." He realized first as he visually counted as many of the laceration marks as he could see. "But there's a lot of them."

"They whipped him." Sango offered as she watched him study the wounds. "They were gon'na do it to me but he," She gave Miroku a glare. "Haggled with them."

"Better me," Miroku stated matter of factly. "Than you."

"I thought I told you to be quiet." Sango barked as she crossed her arms over her chest hotly. "I don't need you fainting like a girl.

"I told you I'm—" Miroku started to say while raising a hand up only to once again hiss in pain.

"You don't learn do you?" Inuyasha's calm, almost distant, voice intervened and he brought a hand to Miroku's shoulder grazing his fingers over the only wound on his upper body that looked particularly bad. "That's gon'na take time to heal." He noted before dropping the hand down to Miroku's leg, his hand hesitating as he took in the red and black flesh. "This looks more like a parliamentary torture wound—," He thought with a sick feeling in his stomach. "The kind of wounds a torturer gives you as a warm up before he actually starts breaking toes and cutting off fingers." He shook his head darkly before reaching out and prodding the flesh as gently as he possibly could.

"Ow!" Miroku grunted and hissed at the same time as the fingers of his father came in contact with the tattered flesh.

"Careful," Sango whispered as she pulled the Captain's hand away. "That's where they burned him."

"They," Inuyasha spoke slowly, "Burned," each word punctuated with a little more hate, "Him?" and a little more anger.

"It wasn't pleasant." Miroku noted as he took deep breaths, sucking as much air into his lungs as possible before exhaling slowly and evenly, trying to control the pain in his leg that was manifesting.

"Those sick bastards." Inuyasha whispered his voice low and angry. "What would they have done if I hadn't gotten here today?" He wondered as he silently berated himself. "They would of—they would of taken the fingers and broken the toes—or worse." With a slight rumble in his throat he bent forward and continued his inspection of Miroku, sniffing him for any signs of none visible injuries.

"It only looks bad," Miroku said with a shrug as his father checked him over sniffing him instinctually, a concept that Miroku never understood as a human but was used to nonetheless. "It's not nearly as bad as it looks."

Inuyasha stopped what he was doing and gave Miroku a dry glare. "It looks pretty fucked up to me."

"I second that." Sango spoke with her arms crossed over her chest still and her expression downright terrifying.

"I know," Miroku tried to reach out to Sango but winced as his shoulder throbbed in protest. "But I've got no broken bones which is good." He explained as Inuyasha resumed his inspection, his eyes studying one deep gash that ran the length of Miroku's form arm.

"Why," Inuyasha mumbled as he smelt the blood, trying to determine if there was any notable infection yet. "Why did they do this?"

"They just were trying to get information out of me," Miroku spoke honestly as he leaned his head back against the pole behind him, grunting as his body protested slightly, not appreciating being jarred. "They wanted to know about our ship and where we came from, that kind of shit." He glanced at the Captain who was currently ripping the sleeve of his own white undershirt in order to make a makeshift bandage.

"Information?" Inuyasha mumbled as he used his claws to tear at the clothe.

Miroku watched with interest as the material sprang free from the rest of the Captain's garment before the man sniffed his arm again. "Yeah."

"Did they do this," He motioned with his head towards the particularly nasty wound for emphasis. "To anyone else."

"I honestly don't know." Miroku admitted as he glanced at Sango who only shook her head slowly back and forth apologetically. "They separated us up quick. Me and Sango 'cause we're 'mates' they said got to stay together."

"How nice of 'em." Inuyasha grunted as he wrapped the bandage around the wound carefully, hoping to stop the still mild bleeding.

"Right?" Miroku cleared his throat. "And they took Shippo, said something about him being a child and they could use a child."

Inuyasha looked at Miroku his expression almost vacant. "Did ya get their meaning?"

"Nothing like that." Sango interjected quickly as she laid a hand on the Captain's shoulder reassuringly. "I think," She whispered her scent honest and her words truthful, although her eyes didn't look to convincing. "They don't have many children, at least I," She looked around her, her eyes darting as she tried to remember. "I didn't see many except this one little girl and—."

Inuyasha's ears perked up at the words and for a moment he stopped tying off Miroku's wound. "A little girl?"

"Yeah," Sango nodded swiftly, her expression taunt and worried. "She was a sweet little thing, her eyes lit up real bright when she saw Shippo."

Inuyasha frowned darkly, his hands hanging in midair over Miroku's arm, holding onto the material that he had ripped from his undershirt to make the bandage tightly. "Onaconah's granddaughter?" He thought as he tried to envision the little girl, tried it image her. "I wonder if he found her, yet?" He questioned himself as he glanced down blankly at his own hands, at his own pup. Miroku gave him a questioning look but he only shook his head in response and went back to bandaging the gash.

"But I think," Sango continued oblivious to the Captain's thoughts. "That's why they valued him so, because of her," She frowned and looked at the Captain expectantly. "Maybe she needed a play mate being the only child in the village it seemed."

Inuyasha nodded his head, not sure if he believed that to be true or not. In a village this size there was undoubtedly many children. After all, they had been separated from their sister village for nearly two hundred years, so it was only natural that they had started regaining a like minded population centuries ago. Still, the thought that Shippo was safe, that he wasn't being used as many boys often were among men like this, was reassuring. "Good," He whispered but his voice didn't sound as if he really believed his words. "At least there's a decent chance he's safe then." Inuyasha finished tying the bandage around the seeping wound and went back to his close inspection of Miroku. "Did ya see anyone else, like Myoga?"

"Yeah," Miroku told him this time as he looked down at his bandaged arm inspecting the wrapping idly. "I saw 'em take Myoga and Totosai off the second they found out their post."

"I noticed the ship been repaired a bit," Inuyasha nodded in response as he went to work on the rest of Miroku's leg, ripping off more fabric to use until he could get the boy to a proper healer. "Looks like Totosai's work."

"It would make sense." Miroku confirmed as he hissed in pain, his arm reaching aimlessly for something to grab onto. Sango responded immediately, taking his hand and allowing him to squeeze as Inuyasha began to wrap the burns. "They really liked that ship, they wanted to know all its secrets," He took many deep panting breaths before continuing. "Including her Captain."

Inuyasha's hands stilled for only a minute, anger flashing across his eyes as he breathed deeply in his nose trying to control his boiling blood. "That's why they went to you." He deduced instantly, self hatred filling him.

"Yeah," Miroku agreed casually knowing that the Captain would take the news hard but at the same time knowing he had to tell the man the complete truth. "And they knew—that I was your son."

Inuyasha's hands dropped and his eyes rose up to look at Miroku with dead on fear. "What?"

"They knew it instantly," Sango filled in as Miroku caught his breath, one of her hands clasped tightly in Miroku's own while the other covered it, rubbing it gently as she tried to ease his pain. "They just looked at Miroku, smelled him and knew."

Inuyasha exhaled strongly, his eyes tense as he tried to sort out his own feelings of guilt. "I see," He spoke slowly before returning to bandaging Miroku's leg, his hands moving swiftly but with great care as he tried to distract himself. "They must have picked up my scent in my cabin and known I was Captain."

"That's how?" Sango comments at the information, her knowledge of demon culture not as good as the two men before her. "They smelt it on him and knew?"

"Mm Hum," Inuyasha nodded his eyes focused on the bandage. "Demons have ways of making things known."

"Well," Miroku interrupted the lesson knowing that his father was tensing from the information, blaming himself for the predicament because of it. "However, they found out and as you can tell, they whipped me, burned me, they wanted to know about the ship," He raised his chin to draw attention to his face. "And punched my face a little but that's it," He gave the Captain a reassuring look as if reading the other man's mind. "I mean growing up with you was worse than all this."

Inuyasha finished bandaging the leg and pulled his head back to berate Miroku for his words only to pause as he took in the smile and the mischievous eyes of the little boy he had known. He couldn't be mad at those eyes, never, unable to stop himself he grinned ever so slightly and tilted his head to the side. "I never burned you." He meant the words to be serious but they came out just ever so slightly playful.

"I broke my arm." Miroku fired back, motioning to his right arm that had in fact broken on the Captain's watch when he was a child..

Inuyasha chuckled at the words, the serious air in the room for just a second dissipating. "That was your own fault." He said with deep affection in his voice that Miroku and Sango didn't miss.

"I know," Miroku replied, his face apologetic and full of admiration. "God knows I should have died, but you always stopped me before I did something to get myself killed."

"Yeah." Inuyasha reached out and placed his hand on Miroku's head, ruffling the hair gently like before, trying to show his affection in the only way he really knew how. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked bluntly as he brought his hand away, giving Miroku a look he hadn't used in years, a look that said 'tell me the truth, I won't accept lies.'

"It's bad," Miroku spoke, his expression dark as he glanced at his leg and shoulder. "But—I aaa—," Miroku turned his head upwards and gave his father a strained grin. "I'll heal."

Inuyasha nodded and shook his head backing away to glance around the hut, his eyes, ears and nose all looking for any sign of the others he might be able to find. "You can't stand at all, can you?" He commented as he looked at the badly burned and beaten leg.

"Probably not." Miroku nodded, and experimentally tried to move his leg only to grunt and groan.

"Don't try." Sango chastised gently as she moved closer to Miroku, her calloused hands letting go of his own equally calloused one to touch the exposed flesh of his arm gently. "You'll only make it worse."

"Yeah, yeah," Miroku grumbled as he looked back at the Captain watching as the man moved towards the entrance of the hut looking outwards momentarily before gliding back into the shadows and approaching them once again.

"You go any idea where the rest of the crew is?" He asked, his voice hasty as the sound of fighting outside grew closer to them.

"Most of them were taken off," Miroku spoke bluntly, his now fully conscious mind taking in the signs of a battle going on outside. He turned his head to the side in response to a particularly loud scream that sounded no more than a hundred feet away and frowned before answering the question fully. "They grouped them by station. I think—they wanna integrate 'em."

"Integrate them?" Inuyasha repeated with a growl. It wasn't very common for a pirate to attempt to assimilate a ship's old crew, in fact, the only time they bothered to do it was when they were taking on a new ship that they didn't know how to work. "They must not understand the Shikuro—its design is too convoluted." Inuyasha smirked. "It pays to modify a ship to the extent that no one else has ever seen one like it." Feeling somewhat smug Inuyasha knelt back down beside Miroku, giving him one more once over as he spoke. "Smart—and most of those men would to save their lives."

"Yeah—," Miroku agreed with a shrug that only caused him to wince slightly. "The loyal ones they just beat."

"That doesn't explain Totosai," Inuyasha grumbled as glanced over Miroku's shoulder, noting the odd angle it was facing. "It's dislocated." He realized as he brought a hand up and gently touched it, watching the look of pain that cross Miroku's face. "I can't do this hear, he'll scream so loud that we'll never be able to sneak out of here." Grunting he leaned back away from his pup. "But then again—," He started to speak, picking up where he had left off. "That ships his baby, he couldn't stand to see her hurt."

"Yeah," Miroku agreed, a look a pain haunting his eyes as he tried to smile at the slight joke. The look immediately turned serious however, as another loud cry that Miroku couldn't ignore permeated the air. "Otou-san what's going on—?" He tried to question but was cut off.

"We need to get you to safety." Inuyasha grunted as he stood and walked towards the busted down door of the small hut again, his back to the wall as he glanced outside at the chaos.

Sango gave the Captain a contemplative look before standing, her hands dropping from Miroku's arm as she rose. "You said something about Indians?"

Inuyasha nodded absently. "We met a tribe, me and Kagome." He told them hastily as he gazed out, taking in the sight of blood and vengeance. "They took us in, took care of us and then identified these bastards as once belonging to their own tribe."

"What?"

"I know." Inuyasha nodded his head before turning and giving Miroku a look. "They're out their fighting right now, giving me a chance to get you guys." He told them, omitting the part of Onaconah's granddaughter for now, it was information they didn't need, not yet, not with Miroku hurt as badly as he was.

"A war." Miroku commented darkly as he watched the Captain turn and look outside once more, his face only half lit up by the moon or perhaps fires that still blazed in the large village. For a moment, he admired the man, watching as he looked out his eyes intense and focused and determined, determined to save his crew, to save his son, to save his daughter-in-law, to save everything. "If I could," Miroku's subconscious whispered. "Even be half the man you are one day, I would die a happy man." Miroku smiled at his thoughts, his mind ebbing with a heady sense of sleep creeping up on him. "I'm so tired." He thought as he watched the Captain looking outwards, feeling as if it would be okay to sleep right now as long as his father was there to protect him.

Before Miroku could allow his eyes to droop however, the Captain's expression changed from determined to horrified. His dark eyebrows shooting up into deep silver hair, as his mouth hung opened and his gold eyes widened with a look of shock. He tried to speak but words never left his lips as his hands came to grip the side of the doorframe in utter and complete disbelief.

"Captain?" Sango whispered as she stepped forward away from Miroku, one of her hands outstretched towards the man who had saved her so many years before, only to stop dead in her tracks as the Captain finally managed to articulate one word.

"Kagome."

End of Chapter

Please Review

Congrats to kokoronagomu for being reviewer 1300!

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it and here's a Note on Kagome's Object:

I choose a bow to remain Kagome's object for two reasons. First, because it separates Kikyo and Kagome as individuals further. Kagome fights for beliefs and Kikyo silences them, preferring to maintain social norms as is seen through her treatment of Inuyasha. The other reason is, regardless of the story, the standard weapon of a Miko is a bow in the Shinto Religion, therefore, keeping with historical accuracy I wanted to make the weapon a bow for her, since Kagome is so accepting of other cultures this is plausible. For Kikyo, who is not accepting of diversity it is only natural her weapon would be from her own beliefs.

And a Note on Kagome's Journey:

I thought long and hard about this scene and how I wanted to do it. In the end, I took some inspiration from Native American culture and decided to make Kagome have a true spiritual journey, not just have her stumble on the object or have it be convenient. To me, the Kagome in this fiction is not just a Miko but a spiritual person of great significance. Not a Dali Lama per say but anyway—I hope you liked her spirit journey. Let me know what you think!

Bonus Point:

What is the first demon Kagome kills with her bow?

Last Chapter's Bonus Point:

And the most loved word Inuyasha has ever heard is, SIT or OSWARI! Congrats to the winners:

Cristine44, AwesomeOliver, ebmisfit, Nurnur, kokonagomu, chronos-girl, Kagome39, Shamy009, Summer Jasmine, PrincessRini707, Bouns Point, LittleMargarita, Nina Morenos, HeavenlyEclipse, Otaku-Mae, ravenraymoon, StrikerTheWolf, HentaiLemon, GLon Morski, TheRealInuyasha, awatarneytiri, L.C. rite4fun

Next Chapter:

The Bow

See you then!

UNEDITTED

POSTED 6/2/2012