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?

63. The Courting Gift

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 Sixty Three

The Courting Gift

Naraku glared at the unannounced voice watching with dark black eyes as Kaede slowly stepped out of the shadows her own dark pupil staring at the young man with glittering mirth. "You." He growled as he looked at her but she merely smiled the wrinkles around her lips and eyes creasing into valleys that irritated him.

"You questioned how? I think the how," She began the wrinkles tightening even more as her lips formed the soft 'ow' sound that she held as if mocking him. "Is quiet easy to see," She tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes. "Mr. Morgan."

The young weasel demon had to resist the urge to flinch at Kaede's irksome pronunciation of his name. "Miss Cummings—." He grunted as that annoyance flew full onto his face, his every feature taunt with distaste.

"How good of you to remember me." Kaede cut him off before he could say anything else and smiled as she turned towards the scene at hand. Just in front of them Kagura and Hiten stood side by side both staring at the transparent wraith like form of the long dead Captain of the ghost ship. She narrowed her eye at the sight watching Kagura unblinking. "Why doesn't she see it?" She wondered silently as she took a step past Naraku who was fuming at her side. "Kagura, open your eyes!"

Naraku scowled at the old woman his face drawn in perfect revulsion as he stared at her while she took a step in front of him. Growling, he stepped forward as well reaching for her and grabbing her arm to yank her back. The old woman didn't even flinch at the action her one good eye trained on the girl before her unwavering. "Old hag," Naraku hissed and spun her around by her elbow growling as he did so. "Look at me!"

Kaede obeyed slowly turning herself to look at the man with a controlled almost blank expression on her face. "Yes, Mr. Morgan."

"What do you want?" He asked as his hand dug into her elbow but luckily his claws were short for a demon and didn't prick her skin. "Why are you on deck?" He yanked her closer to himself practically breathing onto the skin of her cheek. "One would think a frail old woman would hide in this instance."

Kaede drew her lips into a thin line, looking at the man before her with that vacant expression still in place. "Have you thought of what I said?" She whispered her voice so even that Naraku had to grit his teeth against the absurdity of the act.

"How fucking dare she?" He thought as he dug his short fingernails into her skin as hard as he could. Satisfaction raced into his mind as the telltale scent of blood assaulted his nose but it instantly left when he realized the old woman hadn't even flinched. Growling low in his throat, Naraku shoved her arm away from himself harshly, glaring at Kaede with eyes that would have made a normal person coward.

"I thought so." The old woman smirked but it didn't reach her eye as she turned around and looked back at Kagura and Hiten. The deck had now exploded with a multitude of the dead. The demons all around them screamed and whined as they were struck down by ghostly hands. She flinched as she saw Kagura take a slash from a rapier to her upper arm before sending her fan flying once more causing the assailant to fly away off the deck as well, blood splattering from her arm with every movement. "Damn." The old woman whispered taking a step forward only to stop as something snagged the material of her dress.

"No way, fucking hag." Naraku's voice dripped with venom and hate. "You're not going anywhere, I'm sick of you—everything about you—," He gripped her dress tighter the material ripping underneath his touch. "I'd love to see you die but if you're going to it'll be by my hand and my hand alone."

"Naraku." The hand grasped her even tighter as Kaede said his real name for the first time. "Your ship is about to be destroyed—the woman you put your faith in is too young to really understand the gift of those eyes—," Kaede paused for a second as she absently reached up and touched the place where a patch covered her own eye. "If you stop me, you will lose everything."

"Why should I believe you?" Somewhere in the harness of his words, a certain youthful tone emerged in his voice to Kaede but perhaps she was just imagining things.

"Why not?" She fired back and took a step away. His hand tugged on her but eventually relented much to her own surprise. Eyes opened wide with suspicion she turned towards Naraku glancing at the boy out of the corner of her good eye. He was no longer looking at her, appearing to completely ignore her in favor of watching something else very intently. Narrowing her eye she turned and followed his line of vision in time to see the Ghost Captain looking right at them an almost translucent smirk lacing its washed out face.

"Enough!" The Captain yelled his voice ringing so loud and authoritative in the dark night that every man currently fighting regardless of side froze and listened. "This is interesting." The man spoke softly and took a step forward towards Naraku. "What's a boy doing on man's ship?"

Naraku growled, the sound actually making even the phantom crew shudder but not the Captain. Slowly, the weasel demon took a step forward his eyes flashing dangerously as he clutched his hands into a tight fist. "I've had enough of this." He spoke low almost in the back of his throat as he turned his head from side to side popping it with each step forward he took. "Get off my ship." He commanded, a dark unexplainable aura seeming to seep from every pore on his body as he opened and closed his hands. "While you still can." Anger, darkness, sounds no man can describe dripped from his tongue, the resonance making countless men step back even farther including Hiten and Kagura.

"That look-i, Naraku's eye's," Kagura whispered as she held her fan tightly in one hand. Blood slowly dripped from a gash on her upper arm down to her fingers and the fabric of the once white weapon. "They were the same-e as before." She spoke, her voice trembling as she did, her hands shaking as she clutched her weapon tighter. She could still see him sitting in his cabin across from her blackness washing over him like a rapid plague.

"Before when?" Hiten muttered from her left as he felt a cold sweat move down his back. Kagura never got a chance to reply however, before the ghost Captain approached Naraku.

His strides were long and almost mocking as he held up a hand towards the young demon, a silent and unknown signal. "Your ship, is it?" The Captain laughed merrily his features seeming to become more solidified the longer he spoke. "What other lies do you mean to tell me boy?"

Standing directly behind Naraku, Kaede felt a shudder go down her back as she took a step away from Naraku watching as the blackness seemed to change into an even darker purple smog as it swirled around the boy. An unnatural wind picked up around them, unsettling in its intensity as the crew of both ships held their breath symbolically and for real. They moved backwards slowly, pressing their backs into the rails so hard that they should have broken under the weight. Together, they huddled with foe and friend alike the small hairs on their legs and arms standing on end as demon instincts dead and alive nipped at the back of the necks.

"I tell no lies." Naraku informed the other Captain as he took a step forward, the air around him condensing and becoming darker with each step—an almost sickening plum color. Slowly, one boot landed, the boards squeaking as his foot made contact, the air seeming to rush in time with his footsteps becoming a tornado of deep purple mist.

Standing across from Kaede, Kagura reached for Hiten grabbing him and pulling him close as her eyes stayed firmly planted on Naraku. "This is-u bad-do—," She whispered as her body began to quiver against her very will. "Hiten-sama, feel it?"

"Yeah." Hiten nodded his head and stepped back pulling her with him as the wind around them began to get colder and colder, a deathly chill in the air. "What the fuck?" He whispered as he watched Naraku take a step forward that purple mist seeming to come off of him in waves. "What is that?"

Kagura blinked she knew she had seen it before, in Naraku's cabin only a short time before. This deadly mist, she knew it just as well as she didn't understand it. Her ruby eyes glistened and she felt a familiar pounding start in the back of her eyes, settling in her optic nerve. "The shard." She whispered as her eyes moved from Naraku to the Captain of the other ship watching as his chest seemed to glow, a glow she knew and understood. "The ghost-o shard?"

"Kagura—.

The wind demon flinched as her name seemed to come out of nowhere. Looking around expectantly, her eyes widened as she noticed Kaede looking directly at her, one good eyed narrowed dangerously. "Kaede-sama." She whispered the word so low that Hiten didn't hear it or acknowledge it as he stared at Naraku whose whole body was now encompassed by the purple vapor.

"What's he doing?" Hiten mumbled as he watched Naraku raise his hand slowly pointing it directly at the ghost before him.

"Get off my ship." Naraku spoke quietly as the mist seemed to spin around his arm, looping and swirling and collecting in the palm of his hand.

Unaware of anything that was going on around her Kagura stared at Kaede who was staring straight back at her, tense and focused: determined. "How?" She thought as she looked at the other woman somehow knowing Kaede would hear even though she had not spoken out loud.

"Do you see it?" Kaede asked as her old body ached with the strange supernatural wind that was building around them. "Do you see it now?"

"Ghost-o has a shard." Kagura nodded her head quickly, flinching as the wind began to pick up encompassing them and blinding them with its force. Grunting, she brought an arm up to shield her face, the torn sleeve of her kimono covering her eyes just enough that she was able to peak from underneath it and look at Kaede. "I saw it earlier demo," She winced at the sheer amount of apology that seemed to come across in her voice. "With everything—."

"That's quite alright." Kaede cut her off before she could become too long winded. "We have bigger things to worry about." She told the wind demon as her eye darted away from Kagura just in time to see Naraku narrow his own eyes to slits. "Oh no—."

"Did you hear me?" The weasel whispered his voice thick with promise.

"I'm sorry," The Captain whispered back the air growing tense to the point of noxiousness. "Dead ears don't hear well, you know?" The specter took a step forward bringing his sword up to his face as if preparing to attack.

"Fuck you!" Naraku screamed yanking his hand back to his ear before shoving it forward. The deathly fumes that had collected around his hand spewed forth towards the ghost in a horrifying wave of toxic gas.

"Shit." Hiten cursed as he watched the strange mist collected in Naraku's hand suddenly burst forward right at the ghostly Captain. "Everyman in the sails!" He yelled as loud as he could, hoping his crew would be able to scramble out of the way in time. Reaching for Kagura, he yanked her off her feet and jumped backwards just in time to get out of the way of the encroaching poison. "What the fuck was that?" He wondered as he jumped upwards into the mast.

"Kaede-sama!" Kagura's sudden scream nearly caused him to miss his landing on the nearest boom.

"Miss Cummings?" Hiten repeated the name in his mind as he felt Kagura try to yank herself out of his grip.

"Hiten-sama," She cried and pushed at his chest with surprising strength, nearly knocking him off balance. "I have to help-pu Kaede-sama, let-to go!"

Hiten merely growled his response of no while his eyes darted this way and that to see if he could catch a glimpse of the old woman's frail form. Sure enough, he saw her standing some feet behind Naraku her small arms covering her face as she was blown backwards towards the door of Naraku's cabin. "Shit!" He hissed and closed his eyes for just a moment. "Damn it, damn it, damn it." Without a second thought, he gripped Kagura tighter and pushed off the boom with all his might, throwing himself forward over the deck, over the miasma that Naraku had released and towards the old woman.

"Hiten-sama."

He managed to hear Kagura whisper but didn't dare respond as he touched down on the deck behind Naraku and darted forward. He grabbed the old woman before she could even speak a word and putting all his weight in his toes shoot upwards once more without hesitation. Kagura in one hand and Kaede in another, he hit the staircase leading up to the helm's deck on light feet before shoving off one last time, landing by the safety of the wheel. Panting, he loosened his grip on both women waiting only until they were steady on their feet before he whipped his head back around.

The thunder demon's eyes widened in shock as he took in the completely dark purple mist that encompassed his ship. "Wh—n—no." He managed to speak the word softly as his heart pounded in his chest, everything was covered in that thick toxin, everything. He could hear the hissing of the wood, the groans of dying breaths, the squeaks of the ships rats as their lungs disintegrated in their chest. "Fuck me." He whispered before raising his eyes upwards towards the mast he had just abandoned. A wave of relief entered his chest as he was greeted with the sight of a multitude of his men wrapped up among the sails looking terrified. "Thank god."

Behind him, Kaede began to cough her lungs burning as she tried to breath. "This poison." She thought to herself as she raised her head and looked at the part of the ship down below her that was encompassed in it. "It will kill us all if it spreads."

"Kaede-sama." Kagura whispered causing Kaede to jump slightly. "Daijobou desu ka?" The wind demon whispered hastily as she reached forward and grabbed for Kaede's shoulder's pulling the old woman towards her in panic.

"I'm fine." Kaede managed to breath out as she reached an old wrinkled hand up to touch Kagura's hand reassuringly, not even the least bit aware that she had just replied to a language she was not supposed to know. "Kagura." She blindly grabbed for the wind demon's face, pulling the younger woman down to look at her choosing to speak out loud as to conserve energy. "We must remove that shard." She told the wind demon as Hiten turned to look at her abruptly.

"What?" He tried to question but Kaede shook her head quickly dismissing him.

"Remove it Kagura," Kaede spoke as the mist below them started to rise slowly as if more of it was being released. "Only then will it stop, otherwise Naraku—," She turned and looked at the mass of vapors swirling below them, slowly threatening to come towards them. "This poison will kill everyone and everything, even the wood of this ship." She turned back towards Kagura holding the wind demon's face between two old hands. "He'll stop, once the ghost is gone he'll stop but to do that we must get the shard."

Kagura blinked once, then twice before her face settled into a serious frown. "Shard?" She repeated and then turned back towards the haze that same slight pain in the back of her eyes telling her exactly where that shard was. "I will."

"Kagura!" Hiten growled in surprise grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards himself. "You can't get near that shit, you'll die."

Kagura winced as his hand gripped her where her arm had been slashed but didn't hesitate to respond to his words. "Hiten-sama." She lifted her head sending the thunder demon a smile of complete and utter determination. "I'm a wind demon and vapor-u only wind." She reminded gently. "Don't worry-y." She commanded with a flash of a smirk before her ruby eyes narrowed watching as that glistening sparkle of the Shikon formed in the front of her mind. "Yosh." Kagura whispered as she pushed herself away from Hiten and lunged forward into the unknown.

-break-

Inuyasha slowly walked onto the deck of the Shikuro his ears twitching with the sounds of the dark world around him. He could hear the distant call of a seagull from somewhere in the blackness and the rustling of the sails up above his head as they caught the wind. Slowly, he looked up at them his sharp eyes catching the shape of them billowing out with the supple night's breeze.

"Moving?" He grunted as he looked up at them only vaguely remembering that he had told Myoga to sail through the night so they could put as much distance between them and the navy vessel as possible. It was not something he normally would have done so soon after a raid but his dip in the ocean earlier had caused a bit of time delay. Shaking his head, the dog Captain lowered his gaze towards the deck his eyes roaming over every little detail slowly.

He could make out a few men who had decided to sleep on the quarterdeck tonight, probably enjoying the cool night's breeze of autumn. They were nestled wherever they could find space in coiled ropes or on blankets they had brought from their bunks. Totosai was amongst them laying inside one of the larger coils of rope his wrinkled old face pulled into a content expression as he snored softly into the night. Inuyasha couldn't help but smile at the sound; it was one he had known since childhood.

"Totosai's always been with me." He thought to himself as he studied the contour of the lines in Totosai's old face imagining them as they had been four-hundred years before. "They weren't as distinct then—only four years by our standards and he's aged so much." He looked at the old man feeling somewhat nostalgic but soon snorted. "His personality hasn't changed at all though." He felt a slight prickle of fondness welling in his heart that soon lead to a small upturn of his lips. "He was just as crazy then."

With that smile still gracing his lips the Captain shook his head and let out a well hidden sigh that barely made a noise amongst the quiet snores and distant seagulls. It truly was a beautiful night and here he was on this deck alone. Slowly, the Captain made his way over to the edge of the deck leaning his elbows against the railing as he looked out over the deep.

"Kagome." He thought only vaguely as his mind turned with so many things that he could hardly keep up. "My demon—transforming, she stopped it but—god damn it!" He growled and barely managed to stop himself from kicking the railing in frustration. Perturbed, he put his head in his hands as he leaned against the railing with his elbows. Atop his head one of his ears suddenly flicked as a deep bass voice sounded softly in the quiet, so low that if he had been a human he would not have heard it at all.

"Kokiriko no take wa shichisun-gobuja—."

Inuyasha blinked slightly as he lifted his head to look around himself, the familiar words making his heart clench. "Kokiriko Bushi." Something whispered to him in the back of his mind as he pushed himself away from the railing and turned towards the stairs leading to the helm's deck.

"Nagai wa sodeno kanakai ja—."

The melody went on slowly as he took a tentative step towards the staircase his ears telling him that the sound was coming from above. The sound of his feet touching the creaking wood actually caused him to wince as it disturbed the beauty of the bass. Attempting to move as quietly as possible he mounted the first stair pausing only briefly as the chorus began.

"Mado no sansa wa dederekoden—."

Inuyasha bit his lip the words loud in his head. It was a chorus he knew all too well. One that had often been sung to him as a child after his mother had died and he had been alone or what seemed like alone. Gingerly, he took another step the stair creaking ever so slightly but the melody never being disturbed even as he came close enough to be scented easily by an old nose.

"Hare no sa sa mo dederekoden—."

He crept up the last step, his eyes landing on the tiny man who stood before the large wheel. Two sets of arms held onto four different handholds steering as the old man watched the dark ahead, talented demon eyes able to see any unknown dangers covered by the dark. His old mouth formed slow words that seemed to drip from an idol tongue.

"Mukai no yama o mazuko to sureba—." He drew out the note slowly as his eyes shifted towards the boy who was still standing on the very last stair step appearing frozen. "Ninawa ga kirete kajukaren." He smiled slightly and took one of the four hands from the wheel to motion towards Inuyasha.

The Captain blinked but didn't ignore the silent command; the youth still very much ingrained in him making him obey. He stepped up that final stair and walked towards Myoga softly singing in tandem with the man: the folk song's final words falling from his mouth as well. "Mado no sansa wa dederekoden." His soft baritone sounded almost strange to his ears—when was the last time he had sung in Nihongo? "Hare no sa sa mo dederekoden-n-n-n." They both drew out the final note until both baritone and bass seemed to dissolve on the breeze becoming nothing more than a distant unheard echo.

"Myoga izu," The old man said after several quiet seconds. "Surprise-u Inuyasha-sama wa remember song-i."

"How could I forget that—," Inuyasha stopped before he could finish his sentence, the memories of that song somewhat haunting. "I've heard it way too many times before."

Standing in front of him, Myoga frowned slightly his old face contorting into a look of true sadness. "Hai, Inuyasha-sama."

The younger man cleared his throat at the sound of his name and shook his head as he straightened. With a deep breath all melancholy seemed to leave him as he turned towards Myoga with the air of a much older man floating about his broad shoulders. "Where are we headed?" He asked in a stern and commanding voice that had come not with age but with life.

"Just-o," Myoga waved one hands towards the expansion of water before them. "To open as planned." He nodded his head smartly before narrowing his eyes as if stuck in an afterthought. "Open mi—ano—water." He smiled proudly to himself for having pronounced the word so expertly.

Inuyasha couldn't help but smile at the proud look that crossed Myoga's face. "He put so much effort into learning English." He thought as he allowed himself to actually sink to the ground beside Myoga his body feeling suddenly heavy. "It's almost impressive considering he didn't start until he was over three—four thousand years old." He quirked a brow as he tried to remember Myoga's age but came up short. "Whatever." He shrugged before leaning back on his hands and looking up at the sky. "Good." He said almost absently as he allowed himself to study the vast constellations lazily.

"It-su Myoga happiness to do so Inuyasha-sama." Myoga replied with a slight bow of his head, his eyes closed and a genuinely happy smile on his lips.

Inuyasha returned the smile only slightly for the briefest of moments before it dissipated as if by no will of his own. His gold eyes blinked once while he watched the tiny man steer the large vessel with very capable hands. "Myoga's always been there—just like Totosai." The thought fluttered about his head. "That means—he was there too, wasn't he?" He wondered as he watched the small hands move the wheel around turning them. "Myoga—did he see what Okaa-san did?" Subconsciously, he reached for the jewel that should have been around his neck and sighed when his hands came back empty. "Myoga-jii-jii, I—." He hesitated for only a moment looking down at the floor at Myoga's feet in thought. "I need to talk to you." He raised his eyes. "I have a question."

Myoga's hands didn't falter on the wheel but his dark eyes did dart towards Inuyasha in almost an act of worry. "Myoga do best-u answer."

"When I was little," Inuyasha began slowly as he pushed his hands from the ground and crossed his feet, placing one hand on each knee. "Did my—," He cleared his throat and dug his right set of claws into his pants leg. "Did my demon ever go out of control?" He finished hastily barely turning an eye upwards to look at Myoga.

The old man didn't speak right away but did turn his eyes downwards to Inuyasha for several seconds before looking back at the sea. The old flea inhaled deeply and reached one of his four hands up to rub his strangely shaped nose. "Ano—Inuyasha-sama," He whispered before sighing and letting the hand fall back on the wheel. "Zis izu hard-o question." He nodded his head as if confirming his own words before looking down at Inuyasha once again. "Myoga not-to know what say-y."

"Please," Inuyasha spoke the word softly as his left hand came to clutch his pants just as tight as his right. "Myoga did it?"

"Hai." Myoga nodded his head slowly looking to be slightly uncomfortable as he brought his eyes away from Inuyasha to stare straight ahead.

"Was it bad?" Inuyasha pressed as the memories of the incident haunted the back of his brain. He glanced at Myoga, watching as the man shifted uncomfortably. "It must have been." He told himself as he took in the tense shoulders of his retainer. "When I lost control," He asked slowly his expression as taunt as Myoga's shoulders. "How bad was it?"

"Inuyasha-sama," Myoga's eyes jumped this way and that as he thought of the best way to answer his charges question. "Ano—any Oni can lose control-u." He settled on before rubbing the back of his head with his one free hand. "Myoga and Totosai-kun when chibi lose control-u also." He brought the hand away from his head and waved it in a tight circle as if the hand was speaking for him. "It-su somethin' all Oni do."

"I know—," Inuyasha growled slightly not really happy with the answer. "All demons can lose control of themselves, everyone knows that." He whipped his head from staring at the ground to nearly glaring at Myoga. "But was it different with me," He bit his lip and closed his eyes collecting himself before he opened them once again—pleading. "Was it different because I was—," He hesitated and gulped. "Different?"

Myoga cleared his throat and licked his lips slightly as he looked into those pleading golden eyes. He had never been able to resist them, they were after all Inuyasha's father's eyes, his lord and dear friend. "Inuyasha-sama," His voice sounded almost apologetic as he began to speak again. "Okaa-sama blood-o was—ano—bad-do for Inuyasha-sama." He looked away from the younger demon unable to look into those eyes much longer. "It made-o harder for Inuyasha-sama to control-u Oni."

"So—," Inuyasha deduced as he too looked away from Myoga and out across the deck, looking for any demon that might be awake and possibly listening. He saw not one who appeared awake. "I lost control easier than a normal demon?"

"Yes," Myoga spoke surprising Inuyasha with his use of the English word. "Inuyasha-sama lost-o control buery easy when pup-pu."

Inuyasha took a deep breath as he tried to process that information his mind running a league a minute as it tried to keep up. "What—," He shook his head as his voice got stuck in his throat. "What did they do?" He forced out and turned his sharp and narrowed golden eyes back onto Myoga. "What did they do when I lost it?"

Myoga shifted now highly uncomfortable. "Inuyasha-sama—." His voice came out as almost chastising as if he was dealing with a very small pup.

"Myoga," Inuyasha growled back his voice sounding just the same: hard and chastising. "Please—," He bit the word and flinched when Myoga turned away presenting the back of his head to Inuyasha. It was a sign that all dog demon's understood: this conversation is over, leave. "But I can't leave." Inuyasha bit his lip hard and stood to his feet. "I can't leave now—you know something Myoga, you have to tell me." He thought as he reached his hand forward and placed it on the tiny shoulder. "Onegai," He spoke the word with his whole heart in his voice. "Myoga-jii-san, onegai."

Myoga tensed at the words and at the proper address. It was not typical that his lord's son spoke to him with such respect. He never had actually, this was the first time he had ever heard the boy call him jii-san, ever. Slowly, Myoga turned around and looked first at the hand on his shoulder and then up the arm to the face that was behind the action. His old eyes landed on the man before him who was looking at him with both desperation and sadness. "Inuyasha-sama ni nō to iu koto wa dekimasen." He thought only briefly before reaching up his hand and patting Inuyasha's own lightly. "Okaa-sama—," He started without preamble as he turned back to their current heading focusing on it as he spoke. "Buery wise, Okaa-sama cast-o magic-hi spell over pendent that was on neck-u." He motioned absently with his hand towards Inuyasha's neck.

Inuyasha dropped his hand from Myoga's shoulders at the word and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "It was the shard." He spoke mainly to himself even as Myoga nodded.

"Hai," Myoga cleared his throat and let his eye jump from the helm to Inuyasha quickly as he clutched his hands tighter on the wheel. "Although," He started to add as his heart beat increased. "Okaa-sama not know of-fu Shikon; not then." He cleared his throat slightly and waited.

"I see," Inuyasha said not noticing the strange shifting Myoga was doing beside him or the accelerated heartbeat pounding in the man's chest. "So she cast the spell on the shard and then," He raised his eyes to look at Myoga for confirmation. "Gave it to me?"

"Okaa-sama not have-e to give Shikon, Inuyasha-sama." Myoga quickly entered the new topic looking somewhat relieved. "Lady-y wore Shikon and kept-o Inuyasha-sama close-u."

Inuyasha clicked his tongue at the words. "But why didn't she give it to me back then?"

"When pup-pu lose control-u it-su for protection, Inuyasha-sama." Myoga began to explain slowly looking for the right words. "Oni have ability when young-u so if separate from Okaa-sama pup-pu can protect-o pup-pu. Otou-sama," Myoga pointed at Inuyasha to indicate he was speaking of his father. "Did-do not want-o yuu to be in danger-u," He shook his finger sharply. "Should yuu be separate from Okaa-sama."

"So if I wandered off," Inuyasha summarized quickly. "I would still be able to be transformed if I was attacked."

"Hai." Myoga smiled happily glad he had been understood so easily. The smile on his face soon faded however, and he became serious. "Demo, yuu never transformed-u again." He nodded his head slowly and subconsciously brought two of his hands together while the others stayed on the wheel. "Okaa-sama kept-o Inuyasha-sama always buery close."

Inuyasha nodded his head firmly and thought briefly that he should ask about the incident with Sesshoumaru so long ago. In the end however, it seemed better to let that one particular memory fade. "So when she died—," He continued on with the conversation. "She had to give it to me?"

"Um," Myoga nodded his head thoughtfully. "Okaa-sama wanted-o Inuyasha-sama to have-e Shikon both for control-u," He held up one finger as he undid his crossed arms. "And for memory-y." He held up another finger before tapping both on his head.

"Interesting." Inuyasha whispered more out of knowing he needed to say something than actually wanting to say anything. "So that's why she gave it to me when she died—I had always thought there was more to the jewel than she let on." The dog demon sunk back down to the ground unconsciously as his thoughts took over all of his faculties. "But—still—wouldn't it have kept me from transforming all those other times if the spell was still on the jewel?" He narrowed his eyes as the thought completely sunk in. "It should have. I never should've transformed again as long as that jewel was on my neck." Slowly he looked back up at Myoga his brow furrowed with confusion. "Was the spell less powerful when she wasn't wearing it?"

Myoga sighed deeply. The creases around his old eyes grew bolder as he furrowed his brows and narrowed his eyelids in thought. "Okaa-sama spell strange-e." He spoke thoughtfully as he continued to narrow his eyes in thought. "Constantly Okaa-sama fed it-u with power."

Suddenly, as if by no will but their own, Inuyasha's eyebrows shut up into his hair line as something Myoga had said finally fell into place. "Her power—," He thought as his mind flashed to an old memory of his mother at the archery field and an arrow that glowed in the same fashion as Kagome's now. "Mother's power—her power—she was a miko." His mouth went almost slack as he looked up at the older man completely baffled. "Myoga—?"

"Inuyasha-sama." The old man cut him off his voice sounding almost gentle. "Okaa-sama just-o not want-i anyone to know."

Inuyasha felt his hands tremble ever so slightly as he tried to wrap his mind around what was happening. "I never knew—how did I miss it?" He brought a hand up to bury in his hair, his fingers trembling as they gripped the silver strands. "Why?" He coughed slightly as the word caught in his throat. "Why didn't I know?

"Because—," The old man's voice became deep and sad as he spoke, his eyes distant and strained. "In Nihon it-su consider buery bad-do for a human to carry Oni pup-pu demo," He paused for a second and turned towards Inuyasha with almost apologetic eyes. "Far worse though, if-fu miko-sama carry Oni pup-pu." Something in the old demon's eyes seemed to flicker then and Inuyasha automatically bowed his head understanding what Myoga was recalling. "Inuyasha-sama has seen first-to hand what-i people do when human and oni have-e pup-pu."

"Yeah." Inuyasha nodded sadly as old images from long ago filled his mind—things he had forced himself to forget; things he would always remember. Carefully, he sank back down to the ground a little prick of pain building in his heart. "She never told me—even after we left, she never told me."

Myoga cleared his throat suddenly as if the old man was trying to push both his thoughts and Inuyasha's thoughts away in the same breath. "Okaa-sama spell was-u all time flowing from her to jewel-u." He began as if the middle part of the conversation had not even taken place. "Okaa-sama tell Myoga: If-fu stop power flow-o then spell weaken," He nodded sharply and turned towards Inuyasha with tightly pursed lips. "Demo," He held up a tiny finger. "Okaa-sama not sure how much time-e it-su take."

Inuyasha, grateful for the distraction, straightened his legs in front of himself comfortably. "So the spell weakened over time."

"Hai hai!" Myoga smiled glad that Inuyasha had easily dropped the earlier and far more uncomfortable subject. "—without Okaa-sama power spell start-o fade," He continued his explanation as he drug his eyes back to the sea, narrowing them into the dark before turning their heading slightly off to starboard. "When spell fade-e, Inuyasha-sama oni inside start come out-to."

Inuyasha inhaled sharply at the words as everything started to make a lot more sense than it had only a few hours before with Miroku. "So that's why," He gulped slightly before he was able to continue. "I was able to transform after her death."

"Myoga think-u so." The old demon grunted as he tapped a few of his many fingers against the wooden handle of the wheel. "Now jewel-u gone—," He pursed his lips slightly at his own words, "Or—now jewel-u not—a—ano." He fumbled for the word desperately. "Betsu?"

"Separate." Inuyasha supplied and translated all at the same time while trying not to sound annoyed.

"Yes! Arigato," Myoga smiled brightly before continuing. "Spell is gone completely now jewel-u separate not." He nodded briskly to himself before looking down at Inuyasha. "Oni inside is-u free to come—go much more-e."

Inuyasha sucked on his tongue for a second in thought , his fangs pricking it causing his mouth to fill with the distinctive taste of copper. He winced at the flavor for only a second before licking his lips. He felt his tongue heal almost an instance later; flesh and muscle knitting together in such a way that he could feel it happen inside his very mouth. "These fangs." He wondered as he ran his tongue along one of his sharp canines. "Are they dangerous?" His eyes widened as he realized he had spoken out loud. Clearing his throat, he shook his head and quickly tried to correct what he had wanted to say. "I mean—am I, is the demon—is it dangerous?"

"Iya." Myoga answered without hesitation causing Inuyasha pause.

"Myoga-jii-san?" He whispered softly surprised by the quick 'no' he had been given.

"Inuyasha-sama the Oni in us, in all Oni is-u always present." The old man quickly started to explain not looking down at the childish face of his young lord as he spoke. "Myoga hear oni now in back of mind-o." He closed his eyes as if listening to the demon presence in the back of his head. "Oni speaks quietly always quietly." He whispered as a slight smile formed on his face that Inuyasha just couldn't explain. "Quietly Oni speaks mo," He grinned even further as if not for Inuyasha but some unseen force somewhere else. "Listen still to me Oni does." His eyes snapped open at his words and he turned so he was finally looking at Inuyasha straight on: calm and collected. "Myoga had-do learn to make Oni listen. Had to tell Oni to leave Myoga in control-u—trust Myoga. All Oni do." He smiled kind and reassuring. "Inuyasha-sama never had-do before." The smile turned into a frown, a soft sad frown. "Tell me today-y—Oni listen?"

Inuyasha blinked as if he had not been expecting to be addressed. "Yes but only after—."

"Kagome-sama." Myoga filled in with a slight chuckle, the crease marks around his old eyes becoming more and more distinct with each little sound. "Yes," He smiled and gave Inuyasha a meaningful sideways glance. "All Oni inside listen to mate-u."

Inuyasha had the decency to blush but didn't deny Myoga's words. He knew first hand that the demon inside of himself considered Kagome to be its mate already. It didn't care about formalities such as courting, marriage, or even mating. Kagome was simply its mate; nothing more and truly nothing less. "I guess." He grumbled in way of agreement still not really able to bring himself to just speak bluntly on the subject.

Myoga laughed lightly to himself before gently touching Inuyasha's shoulder in an almost fatherly gesture. "Kagome-sama—calms Oni inside." He spoke firmly yet with an edge of compassion in his voice that Inuyasha didn't miss. "Help-pu what jewel-u no longer do."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and turned his head to the side looking at Myoga confused. "But—."

The older man shook his head cutting off Inuyasha's words silently as he dropped his hand from Inuyasha's shoulder. For a moment, he didn't speak only put his previously occupied hand back on the wheel and continued to steer but, finally, with a soft smile he opened his mouth once more. "Kagome-sama," He spoke her name slowly as if the very name of the girl was as mortal as her person. "Already show Inuyasha-sama how control-u oni inside," He nodded his confirmation to himself before pointing at his own chest. "Same Myoga," He waved down below absently. "Totosai-kun," He licked his lips and inhaled sharply. "Even Onee-sama, Otou-sama."

Inuyasha didn't say a word at the mention of people who had once belonged in his life. He simply looked down at the old wood of the deck staring at the sections Totosai had recently built; they looked like tan scars among the much older dark wood.

"Trust Kagome-sama, Inuyasha-sama." Myoga continued once he was sure the pup would not rebuttal. "Trust Kagome-sama calm Oni and learn how speak-u with Oni."

Inuyasha's ears drooped ever so slightly on his head and he brought a hand up to rub at his eyes his mind racing with thoughts and confusions. "But Myoga-jii-jii—," He began slowly as he raised his head to look at the old man before him. "I already talk with him—I hear him now in the back of my head." Inuyasha shook his head as if to solidify his point. "I keep telling him to shut up and he laughs, all the time." He growled as the laughter in the back of his head he usually ignored became impossibly irksome. "Even when I worse the jewel I heard him—."

Myoga's laughter succeeded in successfully cutting off Inuyasha's words before the younger man could finish his sentence "Myoga know," He said his expression kind and almost thoughtful behind his teasing smile. "Know Inuyasha-sama hear, speak-u—it not hear or speak-u that Myoga mean."

"What—," Inuyasha closed his eyes and brought a hand to his head unable to understand what the hell Myoga was talking about.

"Inuyasha-sama." Myoga's face calmed becoming less teasing and more serious as his old eyes wrinkled and his small mouth made a stark thin line. "Oni is-u animal-san inside all us," He motioned to Inuyasha slowly with one hand and then back to himself before extending it to the whole of the deck. "Animal-san separate us from human. Without animal-san part-o yuu—Inuyasha-sama would-o be no more than human, Myoga, Totosai-kun, all Oni no more than human."

Inuyasha blinked and looked up at Myoga in surprise having never heard anyone make this suggestion in his life. "Myoga—?"

"Think-i of it Inuyasha-sama." The old man whispered as he motioned towards Inuyasha with one hand to take the wheel. The dog demon immediately responded, standing back up to his feet and grabbing for the solid wood of the Shikuro's helm. "Oni so similar to human what-o difference," Myoga continued and took a step back as he handed the wheel successfully off to Inuyasha all four of his hands motioning towards his own body. "Inuyasha-sama see?"

Inuyasha gripped at the wheel tightly and frowned as he glanced down at his hands taking in his claws. He blinked and looked towards Myoga noting the four arms and twenty fingers: something no human would ever have. "Our looks." He told the older man as the wheel groaned underneath his fingers while he turned it slightly to larboard accidently. Automatically, he turned his eyes back to the front of the ship and hurriedly corrected the positioning with a well trained hand.

"Um—," Myoga nodded his head ignoring the Captain's mistake as he took a step away putting two of his four arms behind his back. Stepping towards the very front railing of the helm's deck, he looked out across the deck at the many different men sleeping below. "Oni inside," He whispered without looking at Inuyasha, knowing the dog ears on his head would easily hear. "Spirit-o of animal-san who Oni once was—who we-u come from." He turned and looked directly at Inuyasha, his old eyes burning with information. "Animal-san look on oni face," He motioned to his face showing off his sharp eyes and strange nose before he stepped back forward the hands that had been behind his back now in front. "Mo—also," Myoga learned forward and touched a gentle hand to the space over Inuyasha's heart through the spokes of the wheel. "Inside. Animal-san wild inside so Oni must-o tame-e animal-san." He pointed one finger sharply at Inuyasha. "Not just make-e listen but control-u."

"Tame him." Inuyasha whispered as he stared at the old flea not sure what to make of his words.

"Hai, Inuyasha-sama must-o tame-e animal-san," He tapped Inuyasha's chest once before removing his hand from the spokes and smiling as a father did to a son. "Tame-e Oni inside, Inuyasha-sama must-o." He nodded his head smartly before yawning and turning away without another word.

Inuyasha didn't even frown at the rather blunt exit. He had long grown accustomed to Myoga's habit of simply walking away when he deemed a conversation was really done. Holding onto the wheel he breathed in deeply and closed his eyes trying to understand Myoga's words. "Tame the demon inside." He repeated as he clutched tightly to the wheel. "I have to make it listen, to make it—obey." He opened his eyes and blinked several times as the sensation of someone laughing at him filled his head. "Fuck me." He grumbled and banged his head on the wheel, finally not resisting the urge any longer. "Okaa-san." He whispered as he rested his forehead against the hard wood. "Why'd you have to put the spell on a fucking shikon shard?" His words were harsh but his voice was oddly gentle. "You could have used a pebble or something—anything." He sighed and looked up at the darken sky a small sad smile on his face. "Okaa-san."

-break-

Holding her breath, Kagura entered the cloud of toxins sailing downwards from the helm's deck to the quarterdeck. Landing on silent feet, she closed her eyes her ears twitching on the side of her head listening for any noise that might sound around her. Off to her right, she heard the sound of grunting, yelling but couldn't make out the who or why behind the noises. Off to her left, she heard a feral growl but didn't have time to think about the noise to hard because of an already mounting burning sensation in her lungs.

"I need-do breath." She thought keeping her eyes closed tightly for fear of the purple mist damaging the sensitive instruments of the shinigami. Knowing that inhaling the purple mist would be lethal she brought her hands up around her face manipulating the air around her with her fingers until it was clear and the purple had vanished. "Not too much-ie." She reminded herself as she breathed in the clean air. "The mist-o make-u good cover." She nodded and dared to open her eyes knowing that the purple mist was no longer a risk.

Blinking slowly, she shuddered, the fact she could only see four inches in front of her gnawing at her psyche. Carefully, she took a step forward her ears continuing to twitch as a loud voice entered her sensitive lobes.

"Is that the best you can do boy!?"

Kagura froze, her eyes widening as she looked around through the darkness trying to pinpoint from which direction the voice had come.

"We're dead—," The voice seemed to echo all around her in a way that should have been impossible in such an opened space. "All you've succeeded in doing is killing your own crew." The words echoed as if she was in a canyon.

"Damn it." She growled in the back of her throat softly so as not to be heard.

"See the shard."

Kagura's eyes grew twice their normal size as the words entered her mind. "Kaede-sama?" She questioned for only a second as she resisted the urge to look around for the woman.

"You need to use your eyes Kagura—you took the Death Spirit's eyes, now use them!"

"How is Kaede-sama doing that-to?" Kagura thought with a rather large gulp. In all her years she had never once felt someone invade her mind this deeply. It was unnerving, unreal.

"That's not important, Kagura." Kaede's voice was stern and just a little bit panicked. "Hurry or we'll all die!"

The wind demon winced as Kaede actually yelled at her, she had never thought the old woman capable of yelling. "Alright." She chose to agree knowing Kaede was right and that for the sake of all those around her now was not the time to question but to obey. Clearing her throat out of habit, the wind demon closed her eyes and controlled her breathing waiting for the familiar sensation to begin hounding her brain. Within seconds the pounding in her head started, the throbbing starting on the left side of her head, signaling her. With the upmost of care, she turned her head and opened her eyes only to have the unmistakable glittering of a shard enter her vision. "There!" She thought and rushed forward.

Dropping her right hand, that had been keeping the barrier around her face, she reached for the fan that resided in her left hand. Taking a deep breath of fresh air before the mist encompassed her once again, Kagura closed her eyes as she ran and crossed her arms over her neck as if she was hugging herself. In her mind's eye, the shard continued to glow just in front of her, getting closer and closer with each passing second.

"Almost there." She told herself as her lungs began to burn begging for her to open her mouth, to inhale and fill them. "Just-o a little longer." She coached herself as she felt the shard begin to turn towards her, or more accurately the demon holding it turn towards her. "Jump!" Jumping straight up into the air, Kagura snapped the fan opened beside her ear and tucked her legs expertly underneath her so as to fly higher. "Now!" She commanded herself and threw her hands opened causing a rushing burst of wind to sweep over the whole of the deck in front of her. Smirking, her eyes snapped opened revealing high walls of miasma on either side of a perfectly cleared path leading right towards the ghost Captain.

"Got yuu!" She yelled just as the Captain adjusted his eyes to look right at her.

"Mierda!" The ghostly figure barely managed to say before Kagura's fan blew directly in his face sending him flying backwards into the rail. The sword that had been posed in his hand clattered to the ground with the force of the hit, sliding along the deck with a screeching hiss.

The wind demon breathed in deeply as she landed right in front of him, her weapon of choice already pulled back behind her head prepared to attack once more. Before she could however, the Captain stood moving faster than she could even see and punched her straight in the face hard. Only years upon years of experience allowed her to shake the attack off enough to knee the man hard in the stomach milliseconds later. "Yes!" She prepared to reach forward to grab the glistening shard in his stomach only to freeze as she watched him raise his eyes to look at her, a smirk on his pale lips.

"Nice try." He spoke evenly as he grabbed for the fabric of the front of her kimono. "But I'd figured by now you'd have learned—," He hissed as he brought her forward his nose nearly touching her own as his muscles tensed preparing for something. "We can't be hurt!"

"No—." Kagura barely had time to think before she felt herself being lifted off her feet and thrown. She winced as her body hit the wood of the deck so hard that she actually bounced twice before coming to a stop against a nearby barrel. "Kuso." She thought as she laid, her back throbbing as something wet trickled down her shoulder blades to the wooden deck.

"Get her, kill her!" The Captain's voice echoed all around her as he jumped backwards trying to cover the spot on his chest where the Shikon shard glowed as if he knew that she had been trying to take it.

Kagura gasped as his crew immediately began to swarm rushing towards her at all angles. Translucent hands reached for her, grabbing at what was left of her kimono, ripping at the delicate fabric. "Kuso." She repeated the dirty word, gritting her teeth as she fought to raise her hand above her head, knowing that it would only take one swing of her fan to free herself from all of them.

"Good luck wind demon." The Captain laughed as he watched her. "You'll never break free of them."

Kagura narrowed her eyes at the man, watching as the purple mist began to settle back around her. Without her hands free, or at the very least her fingers, she wasn't able to keep the passageway she had created opened any longer. "Kuso," She thought as she tried to break one hand free, "Just-o one—just-o one finger." She silently begged but found these ghost were holding even them. Gulping, she watched in horror as the purple mist began to swallow her up once more, the Captain just outside the death trap smirking as he watched it surround her. "No!" She screamed in her mind desperately looking around for anything that might help her. "Naraku—," Her eyes widened as the name entered her mind like a forelorn hope. "Damn it, where are yuu?" Her eyes darted around watching the purple mist edging closer to her. "Come on, Naraku, why aren't yuu here when I need-o yuu?"

"Good luck little girl." The Captain spoke from outside the closing mist drawing Kagura's eyes back to him as the last of the fresh air was slowly taken over by the purple death. "You can only hold your breath for so long."

Hissing in one last breath of clean air, the wind demon closed her eyes protecting them as best she could against the poison as everything went black. "My hands," She told herself as her heart raced against her chest. "I must-o get them free—it's my only chance." She realized as she gave up on Naraku ever being helpful in any at the phantom hands with all her strength Kagura forced herself not to pant as all of the oxygen in her blood was quickly depleted. "Kuso—," Kagura thought to herself as her mind raced from possibility to possibility. "Ghost-o too strong!" A slight dizziness met her words and Kagura had to resist the urge to open her eyes in panic.

"Air."

She heard a small voice in the back of her head whisper, she knew that voice, that demonic voice. "I know." She answered it feeling for all pretenses hopeless as the strength in her muscles began to fade. The lack of oxygen and the already slight poisoning from the little bits of miasma that were trickling in her nose were starting to get to her and destroy her senses. "Oni—?" The word ran in circles behind her eyelids. "Wait—that's it!" She forced herself to keep her eyes closed even as her whole body went rigid with the knowledge of how she was going to survive. "Oni-sama I need yuu." Kagura spoke to herself as she pulled for that demon within her, begged for it. "Onegai, Oni-sama," She thought as her blood began to actually pump faster in her veins. "Onegai—please, lend me yuur strength-u."

"Of course."

Uncaring of the powerful toxin that threatened her, Kagura's eyes snapped opened as a flooding of unimaginable power entered her veins all at once. "Yosh!" She screamed into the air as she dropped her fan no longer needing it to harness the brunt of her power.

All around her the wind swirled in a dangerous dance that sent not only the miasma flying away from her body but all of the ghost that had been holding her as well. Instantly, the blackness that had encompassed the ship dissipated, the unnatural winds flying off the wind demon so strong that not even an ounce was left.

"That's it!" She cheered internally as she rushed forward once more knowing that she only had one chance to make this work.

Standing before her dazed and completely confused, the ghost Captain who had recovered his sword raised it above his head preparing to slice Kagura as she approached. But, with the added advantage of her demon blood flowing unhindered through her veins, the Captain didn't stand a chance. Before he could even think to bring his sword down on top of her, Kagura's hand had already firmly planted itself in his chest.

"Harrummph." The Captain coughed loudly as his body began to shake. "You fucking bitch." He whispered as he looked down at the hand in his chest the sword falling from his fingers and clattering once more onto the deck.

"Good luck-u little man." Kagura whispered mockingly as she raised her ruby eyes upwards to look at the already dying ghost. "I think yuu can only live so long without-o this." She hissed right she ripped her hand out of his chest the shikon shard held tight in her grip.

"Fuck you." The Captain spoke slowly right before falling backwards from the force of the extraction. Instantly, the ghostly figures that surrounded the ship disappeared, puffs of smoke that became nothing but clear air within a matter of seconds, fading as if they had been a bad dream.

Breathing hard Kagura straightened back up her feet shaking because of the slight toxin she had inhaled. "Nothing Oni can't handle." She told herself as she brought the hand still clutching the shikon shard up to her chest closing her eyes. Breathing deeply for several seconds she smiled, opening her eyes once more to stare at the place the Captain had once stood. "Have fun in hell-u."

"Kagura!"

Turning hastily, the young wind demon couldn't help but grin as she saw Hiten jump from the helm's deck to the quarterdeck his eyes focused completely on her. "Hiten-sama." She whispered as he came to a stop in front of her, his black eyes looking her over instantly.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he eyed the cut on her upper arm and the bruises on her wrist and fingers.

"Um." She nodded reassuringly as she eyed the mast above her absently. It looked like most of the crewmen were still hanging in the upper mast just as Hiten had commanded them. "Good." She told herself before a strange pounding sensation hit the back of her head. With a groan she brought her free hand up and gripped her forehead as the pain shot all the way to the tip of her skull before simply vanishing.

"Kagura-hime," Hiten whispered worriedly as he reached for her hand pulling it away from her head so he could look at her more easily. "What hurts?"

Kagura didn't answer however, as she turned away from Hiten to look behind her with a gasp. Standing in the same place he had been before the miasma was released was Naraku. His dark eyes were staring unfocused at the ground of the quarterdeck looking at a gapping whole where the miasma had eaten through the wood. "Naraku hasn't moved-o." The wind demon thought to herself as she narrowed her eyes confused. "Naraku released-o the poison and then just-o stood there?" She shook her head completely baffled as the pounding in the back of her skull intensified. "Why?" She wondered and unconsciously took a step forward. "Naraku." Kagura whispered the name softly not expecting the man to respond to it in the least.

But just as the last syllable left her lips, Naraku's head snapped upwards as if he had been awakened from some dream and the pounding in Kagura's head vanished.

Slowly, the young weasel demon turned to look at her, his dark eyes finding her so easily that it seemed almost unnatural. "Miss Kagura." He said her name his face contorted and confused for all of a second before it twisted into a taunting smile. "I see you have done your job well." He waved indicating her hand where the jewel shard rested. "Bring it to me." He commanded softly while lifting his hand and motioning her towards himself.

Unable to resist, Kagura stepped away from an equally stunned Hiten and with cracking knees made her way across the deck towards the weasel demon. Behind her she heard Hiten take a step forward as well as if he was prepared to attack if need be. Up on the helm's deck, movement from Kaede caught her attention as well and she frowned as she watched the old woman out of the corner of her eye shake her head worriedly.

"Kaede-sama?" She called out in her mind half expecting a rely but none came to her. "Her words—were they-y really in my head-o?" She wondered but before she could think too hard on the subject, she found herself standing right before Naraku.

"Give me the shard." The boy said without preamble his hand outstretched towards her and waiting.

Knowing better than to show hesitation, Kagura nodded and handed the shard off into his awaiting hand. The small object shimmered a strange pinkish, purplish white as it touched his skin before settling on a faint lavender. She furrowed her eyebrows at the strange color but before she could think to question it Naraku grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. The wind demon gasped at the contact and her eyes widened as she suddenly found herself nose to nose with Naraku Morgan.

The boy reached forward and cupped Kagura's cheek as he held the Shikon shard in his pasty white hands. "My decision to keep you was a good one I see Miss Kagura." Naraku whispered with a smirk, looking for all pretences as if nothing had just happened.

The wind demon froze at the demeanor, not moving as his sweaty palm rested against her smooth skin. There was something about that expression, something about his look that she couldn't even comprehend. "Naraku look like he not-to care—like nothing-u happened, why, how?" She blinked, ignoring the slight pounding that returned to her head because of the changing shikon shard in Naraku's hand.

"Rest," The youth said suddenly and dropped his hand from her cheek. "You deserve it." He spoke in a eerie and sickeningly sweet voice that didn't suit him in the least. "Sweet girl should rest." He finished and turned around, throwing the little shard into the air. It shimmered as it twisted and turned above his outstretched palm, the lavender color fluctuating between pink and a slight off white before he caught it once again. "Everyone, anchor down for the night." He called over his shoulder completely indifferent before he entered his cabin without another word.

Kagura gulped as she watched the departing back, her cheek feeling chilled where Naraku had touched her. Carefully, she reached a hand up allowing one lone finger to touch the spot where that grimy hand had rested. Flinching instantly at the contact, she pulled her fingers away and shudder. "Dirty." She managed to think as she brought her hands around herself and slowly began to lower her body down to the ground. "I feel-u so dirty."

Behind her, Hiten took a rushed step forward as he watched her slump to the ground. "Kagura!" He yelled out harshly as he just managed to catch her before her knees smashed into the decaying wood that cracked under her weight. "Shit." He cursed as he saw the magnitude of the hole and pulled them both back and away from it towards the staircase where Kaede was already slowly descending. "Kagura?" He questioned as he knelt down to the ground with the wind demon held tight against his chest. "Kagura-hime?" He tried again, quieter this time as he shook her lightly, his eyes staring at her pale face.

"She's deathly pale." Kaede whispered as she came to stand beside them, her old eye looking down at the shell-shocked Kagura.

"Kaede-sama." The wind demon whispered upon hearing the old voice. Her lips trembled as she looked up her ruby eyes wide and fearful. "Naraku—it-su." Her voice was so soft that Hiten and Kaede nearly missed her words. "It's," She corrected the sound with a shake of her head. "It's so—strange." She whispered and reached for Hiten pulling herself up to her feet. "It's all so strange." She repeated slowly as her body trembled, Hiten holding her up with an expert arm around her waist. "I feel-u—sick—dirty." She whispered as she looked straight at Kaede. "Why?"

Kaede crossed her arms behind her back and looked at Kagura sadly, her lips in a thin line. "Because of him." The old woman answered honestly as she turned her old eyes towards the Cabin door through which Naraku had disappeared. "Do you see now what I meant—the power we can't possible fight?"

Slowly, Kagura turned her head and looked at the woman seeing her for what felt like the very first time. "Yes." She agreed instantly not hesitating as the effects of the poison she had inhaled and had rubbed against her skin began to worsen.

"He's just one man." Hiten spoke up as he held her, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach telling him that his words were ignorant at best.

"No." Kaede whispered darkly. "He is by far more than just one man Mr. Hiten." She took a step forward away from them, her eye focused and tensed.

Kagura narrowed her own eyes at the sight, something in her heart pulling and tugging as she watched the old woman. "Something-u." She told herself as she stared intensely at Kaede. "There's something-u strange here." It was hitting her now, how strange the entire situation had been not just Naraku. "How did Kaede-sama see?" She thought as she stared at the old woman openly. "How did Kaede-sama know the ghost-o had a shard?" Kagura felt something knowledgeable pricking in the back of her mind as if she should know and yet couldn't.

"We best get her to bed." Kaede spoke up suddenly, turning around to look at Kagura only to hesitate when she saw those ruby eyes staring so intensely that the wind demon should have been able to see Kaede's very soul.

"Kaede-sama—." Kagura started to speak but was interrupted by an oblivious Hiten.

"No arguing." He commanded her as he pulled her off her feet and into his arms, his expression stern as he glared at her. "You're going to lay down and like it."

Kagura opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she noticed a very foreign sight brimming in Hiten's dark eyes. "Fear." She blinked slowly, the emotion so abnormal to her that it stopped all further protest.

"Good." He nodded approvingly at her silence and turned back to Kaede. "Come on old woman." His voice was harsh but Kaede didn't seem to mind. "I'll put her down below with you—I know Naraku won't leave me alone for long."

Kaede nodded her head in understanding.

"Jonathan!" Hiten yelled without another thought his voice echoing through the whole of the ship.

"Aye sir!" A voice returned his call, sounding raspy and tired.

"Anchor the ship down." Hiten yelled his orders to the man as he pulled Kagura a little tighter to himself. Being overly cautious of the woman, he turned to look over his shoulder at his crew who were just now daring to come down from the riggings. "And bunk down—everyone."

Not one man even thought to disagree with such a brilliant command.

-break-

Inuyasha turned the wheel slowly to his vessel as he watched the sun begin to rise over the Atlantic, a cold breeze washing over his face. "Its gonna be gettin' real cold real soon." He thought to himself as he shivered ever so slightly. "We should head back to the Caribbean—stay there for the winter where its warm." He smiled at the thought.

Even though he had been born in a country that was known for its cold winters, he was not really one to enjoy the cold for long periods of time if he could help it. Although, a dip in a hot spring in freezing temperatures was a very fun experience. Inuyasha smiled as he thought of visiting one of his favorite hot springs unfortunately if was literally over half way around the world.

"Damn." He released a long sigh and brought a hand up to rub at his face. "What I wouldn't give to just go take a long dip." He looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "How 'bout a foot." He silently negotiated with some unknown force. "I'd give my foot—no hands though, I draw the line at hands." He nodded his head thoughtfully before snorting at his own strange thoughts. "It's been a very odd day."

Looking out around him at the pre-dawn word, Inuyasha squinted trying to make out any land masses in the distance. Ears twitching on the top of his head, he nodded satisfied when he heard no lapping against land and saw no dark outlines on the lightening water. Satisfied it was safe to tie down the wheel and lay down for a little while, he reached for the rope before the wheel and lazily draped it over one of the wheels handles. Popping his neck, he sank to the ground and laid back just before the steering column putting his hands behind his head as a makeshift pillow.

"I'll just doze for a little bit." He mumbled to himself as he closed his eyes against the slight light and inhaled deeply. Instantly, his nose twitched in response to the inhale the scent of smoke tickling his senses ever so slightly. Lethargically, he opened his eyes and pushed himself onto his elbows to look around. "What?" He wondered and sniffed deliberately this time, the slight smell of flowers and salt catching him almost off guard just before the staircase squeaked.

Shooting up into a standing position Inuyasha watched the staircase intently not bothering to sniff any longer as a mass of black hair met his vision followed by a set of shoulders and much to his surprise a candle.

"That was the smell." He only vaguely registered as he looked at the girl in true surprised. "Kagome." He practically breathed her name instead of speaking as he watched her freeze at the sight of him.

"Inuyasha." She whispered back, holding the candle in surprisingly steady hands. "I—um," She fidgeted slightly. She looked not surprised by his presence but nervous from it as she shifted her gaze away from him to the candle. "I thought you might be up here."

"Kagome." He repeated her name softly unable to think of anything else to say. His fingers twitched awkwardly at his side as he watched her blush unable to even raise her eyes towards him. "She can't look at me." A soft insecure voice in his head muttered. "Why can't she look at me!" The voice grew louder and he tore his gaze away from her. He knew why she couldn't look at him—god only knows what Sango had talked to her about and scared her over. "Damn it Sango."

"I—well—," Kagome began when he didn't speak right away, a strange nervousness eating away at her stomach. "Is he mad?" She wondered and ventured a glance at his face only to find him looking away from her. "He can't look at me?" A soft insecure voice in her head muttered. "Why can't he look at me?" Her whole face flamed as reason after reason entered her head, some appropriate but most not. "Come on Kagome," She told herself as she inhaled deeply while she wrung her hands in front of her. "Just ask him, just do what Sango said and ask him!" She closed her eyes tightly and opened her mouth to speak. "I—." She tried to form the word but it got caught in her throat. "Come on, you can do it—just say it." She told herself firmly. "I was—wond—I was—." Her hands began to shake the candle flickering. "I couldn't sleep anymore!" She finally blurted out snapping her eyes opened in surprise as she realized what she had just said.

Inuyasha blinked rapidly at her words and raised his head to look at her shocked expression. "Oh—okay." He spoke carefully not sure what was going on in her mind at all.

"Oh god." Kagome thought as she tried to figure out what the hell was wrong with her in that very moment. "That was not what I can here to say—god—what do I do?"

Inuyasha fidgeted awkwardly as he watched Kagome his own mind racing as he watched her. "She came out here looking for me." He instantly deduced as he watched her mannerism. "Otherwise she probably would have run off the second she saw me—well maybe." Bringing a hand up to rub at the back of his neck he opened his mouth as if to say something before snapping it closed. "What should I say?" He wondered as he looked at her. "I—," She raised her head to look at him as the single syllable left his lips; his heart began to beat just a little faster. "Um," He cleared his throat, the flickering of the candle in the slight breeze catching his eye. "Where'd you get the candle?"

"Oh—," She jumped slightly and looked at the small light. "It's Sango's or Miroku's or theirs I guess—I hope that's okay, I didn't ask." Kagome kept on speaking rapidly finding that now that she had a safe subject she had forgotten how to stop. "Candle's are bad on ship's right?" She kept going not even bothering to take a breath as she continued. "I didn't even think of that." She winced and finally opened her eyes as she raised a hand to grab for a shirt nervously.

"Well—." Inuyasha tried to open his mouth to stop her tirade but found himself shut down before he could.

"I guess it wasn't too smart to come out here with all the men around either," She chuckled almost nervously to herself as she looked down at her vacant hand that was slowly twisting into the fabric of her shirt unconsciously. "I didn't exactly know where you were but I—I figured they'd leave me alone anyway," Her eyes darted this way and that as she studied her hand as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "And it's just not far that I have to be the one locked up—I should get to go anywhere I want, right?" She wrinkled her nose and snapped her lips closed as she realized how far away her mouth had gotten from her.

Nervously, she raised her eyes upwards to look at the man before her. His mouth was hanging opened as he looked at her completely shocked but somehow amused.

"I'm so sorry—." She started to say but stopped when he suddenly smiled.

"Don't be." He resisted the urge to chuckle as he looked at her clearly panicked expression. "About anything—I mean candle's are fine if your sober and you can go anywhere you want Kagome." He told her his voice starting to sound a little unsure as if he didn't know if he was supposed to be replying to her earlier gibberish. "You know the men won't touch what's mi—." He flinched as he realized what he had just implied.

Kagome flinched as well as she reached a hand up and touched the mark, the mark that made them stay away. "I guess that's true." She whispered softly feeling so awkward at the moment that she almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. "Um," She tried to speak but had no idea what to say again, or do, or even think. "Well—we're moving," She motioned towards the sails and the wheel absently. "Huh?" She blushed brightly as her words sank in. "Stupid!" She practically cried out in her head as she debated the floors ability to actually swallow her whole.

"Yeah." Inuyasha nodded his head as he put his hand back on the wheel looking as if he had forgotten about it until she said something. "We're gonna sell the wares."

"Oh, yeah." Kagome nodded and finally took a step forward away from the staircase but not towards him. Instead, she carefully made her way towards the railing on his right side, leaning against it a safe distance away. Bringing the candle up to her face, she blew it out knowing she no longer needed it and frowned as she watched the smoke raise from the extinguished wick. "We're headed to—Delaware, right?"

"That's the plan." Inuyasha confirmed as he watched her lean against the railing out of the corner of his eye.

Carefully, she slid down the rail crossing her legs trying to force herself to relax as she set the candle down beside her absently. "I've never been," She commented offhandedly as she played with the hem of her jacket. "To Delaware."

"I have," Inuyasha spoke honestly as he pulled his eyes away from her to look ahead. "But it's been about seventy years—," He shrugged slightly as he tried to focus on anything, everything but her. "Probably changed a bit."

"I suppose—," Kagome agreed as she carefully looked at him through her now shorter bangs. "Sango said to just ask but I—I can't just ask him if he—no—maybe signs, I should look for signs." She told herself and shifted uncomfortably. "But—I don't know what the hell I'm looking for." She held back a frustrated groan and brought her knees out of her cross legged position to bring them up to her chest with a sigh. "All things change," She mumbled but she wasn't sure if she was talking about Delaware or something else. "That's what things tend to do."

"That's true." The dog demon cleared his throat feeling so stupid at the moment that he seriously contemplated jumping overboard. Tapping his fingers on the wheel's hard wood he allowed his eyes to dart around trying to think of anything he could possibly say to her. "I hope—," He began abruptly. "That this one bookstore is still there."

"A bookstore?" Kagome raised her head, the bookworm inside of herself awakening almost instantly.

"Um," He smiled at her encouraged by that little sparkle in her grey eyes. "It's a really good one—I mean it's not really actually a book store," He laughed a little nervously. "Its run by this peddler—at least it was back in the thirties—," He finished slowly looking a little less confident for all of a second before he continued gruffly. "But he did sell a lot of books. All kinds."

"Wow." Kagome smiled not noticing the shakiness in his voice as he spoke to her; his own nerves just as frayed as her own. "A place like Delaware is bound to have a massive bookstore compared to Port Royal."

"I never went to a bookstore in Port Royal." Inuyasha told her feeling a lot more comfortable now that Kagome's mind was completely distracted by books. "But that one in Delaware always had amazing books." He smiled fondly as he thought back on the few times he had gone into that store. Some of his rarest books had come out of New England, which was surprising considering the amount of time he had spent in England searching for rare books over the new world."You'd think Merry Old England would be far superior but that just ain't true—true treasures always come from the oddest places." He smirked at the thought and glanced at Kagome out of the corner of his eye. "I got a copy of the Iliad there," He told her watching as her eyes lite up and the place where black met white sparkled just a little brighter. "After searching for damn near fifteen years—I found the Iliad in Delaware."

"The Iliad!" Kagome's head snapped around to look at him, the sparkle in her eyes becoming a full on glow. "I've always wanted to read the Iliad," She gushed bringing her hands together in front of her clasped tightly. "But I'm not too good with Greek." She sighed slightly as reality seemed to come crashing down around her.

"Chapman has a translation out." Inuyasha offered instantly not liking that disappointed look on her face. "I mean he did two-hundred years ago at least."

"I have heard of it," Kagome nodded her head but still appeared solemn as she spoke. "I've never seen it for sale though." She shrugged her shoulders a little bit and laughed. "Too bad—I would have loved to have read it."

Inuyasha frowned as he watched the sadness sweep over her, his heart aching in his chest. "I hate it when she looks like this." He told himself as he leaned against the wheel. The rope groaned ever so slightly as he knocked them off course but he ignored it in favor of studying her. "Maybe we can find a copy for you—of Chapman." He offered hoping that she would perk up at the offer.

"It's just not the same." Kagome shook her head slowly her face becoming thoughtful. "You know," She spoke suddenly, a sad little smile on her gentle features. "When I was little my grandfather used to say—Kagome," She started changing her voice to that of an old raspy Frenchman. "A book iz only truly read in the language of itz author, otherwize you are simply reading another man'z opinion."

"He wasn't a fan of translation?" Inuyasha laughed slightly as he spoke his golden eyes trained on her now, unable to look away.

"Not at all." Kagome agreed with a slight laugh of her own as she rested her chin on her upturned knees. Carefully, she wrapped her arms around her legs looking at Inuyasha with all awkwardness fading from her features. "I bet you've never had that problem."

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "Not really."

"So you read Greek?" Kagome inferred as she looked away from him for a moment to the lightening dawn sky. "Pretty." She thought as the colors washed over the horizon, deep reds and oranges mingling with daytime blue.

Inuyasha watched her face for a moment, taking in the way she started to chew on her bottom lip as she watched the natural painting being created right before her eyes. "Pretty." He thought before finally answering her. "I do."

"Hm?" Kagome hummed ever so faintly as she brought her eyes away from the dawning world to look at Inuyasha. "Where did you learn?" She questioned without thought or worry, somehow she already knew he wouldn't deny her the answer. "Is that a sign?" She only vaguely wondered. "His always answering me—never denying me."

Sure enough, without even an ounce of thought, Inuyasha answered her. "I lived there for a little bit." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye watching her and waiting to see how she would react.

Kagome pursed her lips at his answer and leaned back on the railing even more. "You lived in Greece," She let her hands unravel from her legs and brought one up to tap her chin slightly. Distantly, she recalled the Captain mentioning something about Greece to her long ago. "Something about a monastery—." She blinked several times as the memory came washing over her full force.

"Once, while we were on land, my mate and I," he pointed back at Miroku. "Climbed all the way to a monastery that's perched on top a giant ledge in Greece." He moved his head in a horizontal motion over the floor, showing her with his fingers the shape of the cliff before opening them wide and sprawling his fingers as if to mimic his own words. "The sight was absolutely the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life."

Smiling brightly as the memory faded Kagome looked up at the Captain and grinned. "That story you told me, about you and Miroku climbing the ledge of some cliff there." She waited a second until she was sure his attention was focused on her. "Did that happen while you lived there?"

Inuyasha quickly shook his head as his own memories on the subject of that story and that time so long ago threatened to overtake the current conversation. "No," He said quickly and perhaps a bit too harshly. "I mean, no—," He said much nicer this time as he rubbed his head apologetically. "That was—I lived there before I found Miroku." He took a deep breath and looked over at her slowly. "Before I was a pirate."

Kagome's eyes widened as the information sunk in. "You lived in Greece," She carefully repeated almost to herself. "Before you were a pirate?" Curiosity peeked the girl reached a hand up and moved her bangs away from her forehead, looking at him expectantly.

"Um hm." Inuyasha nodded his head as he looked at her a small voice in the back of his warning him about the way his tongue was waging but another voice encouraging him. It was like it knew—knew that this was Kagome and Kagome deserved to know everything. "Before I was a pirate," He spoke evenly as he pulled himself off the wheel of the ship and slid down to the ground. "I lived in a lot of places."

"Really?" Kagome spoke softly, leaning ever so slightly forward clearly interested.

"Italy, Greece, France, England," Inuyasha slowly named as he tapped his fingers against the wooden deck absently. "Scotland for a little while only ten years or so," He tilted his head back in thought. "I spent some time in Russia but—," He frowned darkly as he pushed the memory of the bar fight and his demon transformation out of his mind. "I kind of had to leave in a hurry."

"Why?"

Inuyasha flinched at her curiosity but fought the urge to tell her to leave it alone. "This is Kagome." He told himself before he could shut down the conversation as he normally would have with anybody else. "Kagome deserves to know—she needs to." Taking a deep breath but not looking at her, he explained as briefly as possible. "I picked a fight with the wrong guy—," He resisted the urge to groan as he realized the way that made him look. "I'm pretty sure if I went back they wouldn't let me in." He finished lamely feeling lower than dirt. "My god what is she going to think of me?"

Much to his surprise however, no harsh words left the girls mouth only a little giggle, almost a laugh. "Must have been some fight."

Turning towards her surprised Inuyasha could only nod, his mouth hanging opened in surprise at her quick dismissal. "She doesn't care?" He questioned but was unable to think anymore on the subject as she began to question him again.

"Where else have you lived?" She tilted her head to the side, resting her cheek back on her knee in happiness. "This has to mean something, right? He doesn't even hesitate—he just answers—that's a sign, right?"

"Um—well," Inuyasha struggled for a second to think of anything to say. "Where else have I lived?" He questioned out loud causing another slight chuckle to enter the air. Glaring at her playfully, he tilted his head back in thought. "Let's see—I've lived in Deutschland, Zhōngguó—."

"What?" Kagome interrupted as she looked at the Captain completely unsure if he had said a country or sneezed.

"Zhōngguó." Inuyasha repeated automatically before he noticed the look of utter confusion on her face. "Oh—that's right you call it something else," He clicked his tongue as he tried to think of the English word for the country. "It's a—um—China." He nodded his head sharply as the name almost jumped into his head. "I lived in China."

"China," Kagome repeated the name of the exotic land slowly. "Wow, you've lived everywhere." She shook her head in complete disbelief her expression one of admiration.

Inuyasha cleared his throat loudly and shrugged his shoulders with a sigh. "I guess." He concluded modestly as he focused once more on the now bright sea around them. "It must be a little after five in the morning." He thought to himself as he looked around them trying to guess where about they were on the coast. "No use," He told himself before he could put too much thought into their location. "I'd need my charts to even take an educated guess up here."

"Say, Inuyasha?" Kagome spoke up suddenly, drawing his attention back towards the girl sitting on the ground only a few feet away from him. "I wonder." She thought to herself as she looked into his waiting eyes. "Would he—would he tell me more if I asked?" A part of her said not to push it, not to back the man into a corner but another part of her knew that he would—she only had to ask. Slowly, she raised her head chewing on her bottom lip as she shifted ever so uncomfortably on the ground. "I've been wondering—." She licked her lips, the slow movement of her tongue darting in and out of her mouth catching Inuyasha completely off guard.

"Shit." He thought as that pink tongue moistened her lips right before his eyes. Turning his head to the side, he watched as she sucked her lip into her mouth suddenly, pausing her sentence for whatever reason. "Does she even realize? Oh fuck." His thought stopped mid process as the sun suddenly seemed to awaken completely, the rays of light hitting Kagome at all the right angles. The little bits of her hair that weren't black but brown shinned against the dawn light and he felt his heart pound in his chest; the sound clogging his very ears. "Damn." He grabbed at the wood of the deck his sharp claws digging into the wood easily as the demon inside of him practically tried to claw to the surface.

"Where," Her lips moved as she spoke but for the life of him he couldn't hear her. "Did you grow up?"

Inuyasha froze at the question, his eyes still on her lips as it entered his ears. "P-pardon?" He ventured to say but quickly coughed instead when he noticed the husky quality of his own voice. Luckily, Kagome either didn't hear it or didn't realize what it meant.

"I—I was wondering," She looked away from him, her face flushing as she gathered the courage to speak again. "Where did you grow up, where were you born?"

Inuyasha felt his hands shake just a little at her question; a metaphorical bucket of freezing Arctic water falling on his head as it processed in his brain. It seemed so simple and yet it was insanely hard to answer. Where had he grown up, where had he been born? He knew, he knew easily and yet he felt as if it was a secret, something that no one should ever know and he didn't even know why. "Okaa-san." Her name hovered in his mind and his heart clutched tightly in his chest. It seems impossible, in fact it was, but he felt as if saying something, admitting something would be a disservice to her name, would shame her memory somehow. Perhaps it was irrational but he couldn't help but feel it was so. "I can't remember the name." He spoke, his lips moving as if out of his own control.

"Oh." Kagome whispered back and looked down at her knees. "He's lying." She knew without having to reason. She knew simply by the pause, by the way he couldn't look at her but instead stared at the floor.

Inuyasha bit his lip as he watched her feeling like an absolute ass. "Come on," He told himself firmly. "This is Kagome for fuck sake, she, damn." He brought a quick hand up to rub at his eyes for a moment. "Would it really hurt?" He ran his hand down his face slowly, taking in the sight of her down turned eyes and suddenly solemn expression. "That just doesn't suit her." He dropped his hand to his side and took a deep breath. "But," He started slowly not waiting for her head to rise before he continued. "I remember it was always green." His voice was booming in the quiet. "It was never hot but also never really cold—at least I don't think so."

Kagome raised her head as his voice trailed off and looked at him in surprise. "What does that mean?" She questioned as she looked at him peak out at her from underneath silver bangs. His large gold eyes were tense, serious, and dangerous. They were begging her to accept what he had said, to realize something she didn't know. Carefully, she opened her mouth to speak her heart pounding in her chest. "He—he's lying but—he has a reason." She realized before she could open her mouth. "You have a reason."

Inuyasha blinked as he watched Kagome's eyes go from confused to soft and gentle. Her lips upturned in a sweet smile that showed her teeth and then—she spoke.

"I grew up in England—," She told him that smile still on her face. "And for a little while in France." She shrugged her shoulders and carefully put her hands beside her to grab the long since extinguished candle before she pushed herself back onto her feet. "Then I guess Port Royal but I wasn't too small of a child by then." She finished as she slipped the bit of candle into her pants pocket for safe keeping.

Inuyasha smiled ever so slightly, his grip loosening on the wooden deck, the floorboards squeaking as his claws released. "She understands. She doesn't even know and she understands."

"But I guess you already knew that, huh?" Kagome told him playfully as she walked the short distance to where he was sitting. Down below, the sound of people stirring greeted both his demonic ears and her own, causing her to pause but only for a second before she offered him her hand.

Inuyasha frowned at the offering, giving her an odd look with a raised eyebrow.

"Take it—," She shook her hand in front of his face. "It won't make you less of a man I promise."

"As long as you're sure." Inuyasha laughed openly at her words and much to even Kagome's surprise took her hand and pulled himself to his feet with her help, even though he didn't need it. "Thank you." He whispered as he stood next to her, his hand still encompassed by her own.

"For what?" She questioned instantly as heat flushed over her whole body and her palms became slightly sweaty in his grip.

Inuyasha frowned at her words, an internal debate beginning in his mind as he felt the clamminess of her skin against his own. He loved it—loved the way it felt—loved the nervousness that entered her scent mixed with unmistaken anticipation. "I should wait, right?" He told himself as he unconsciously allowed his fingers to intertwine with her own. "I should do this properly—get a gift—announce it—I should but—I feel it in my stomach, it should be now, it feels right now."

"Trust yer gut boy."

He smiled as he heard the familiar words echo in his head. "Trust my gut, huh, Captain?"

"Inuyasha?" She whispered and he raised his eyes to look into her own.

"My gut knows, it knows better than I ever could." He smiled love prickling, burning in his chest as he looked at her charming face highlighted by a mysterious twinkle that had always seemed to rest in her eyes. "That twinkle is downright dangerous." He grinned knowing it was true. That twinkle was the source of her scent of anticipation; the part of her that had smelled so intoxicating only hours before; the part of her that he could never resist for long; it was the part of Kagome, that made her Kagome. "Mate." He heard the demon in the back of his head whisper. "Mate." He couldn't help but agreed with a soft smile highlighting every angle of his face.

Kagome gasped at the change in his demeanor, at that new look on his face right before her. She had never once seen him look quite like this before: his eyes soft, a melted honey, and his lips upturned in that boyish way he only seemed to have with her yet different than she had ever seen them. "What's that look?" She inhaled sharply as his fingers started to massage her knuckles absently causing her heart to race. "This feeling, I know this feeling."

He watched as her eyes widened, watched as her breath caught between soft red lips. "Kagome." Her name echoed in his mind, reverberating off of every mental wall. "It's time, I know it is, its time. My gut wouldn't lie." He grinned and pulled that sweet, sweaty, clammy perfect hand upwards towards his face. "Do you remember when we first met?" He asked her not looking at her eyes any longer but instead at that faultless hand.

Kagome trembled against her very will as her heart started to race in her chest. "Yes." She whispered as she saw his eyes bright and gold in the back of her mind. She would never forget such eyes, never in her life. It was impossible to forget those burning suns that had stared at her, saw through her, knew her without ever having spoken to her.

"Do you remember what you said to me—," He pressed further, his voice quiet as the men below them started to talk, little whispers about food, breakfast, and the possibilities of obtaining some grog. "What you told me about the sea, about wanting to see it?" He whispered against the back of her hand, his breath hot against her cool skin.

"I—I—I'm sorry, I don't—when?" Kagome stuttered as her heart beat faster and faster in her chest, disbelief running wild in her head as she tried to wrap her mind around what was happening.

Inuyasha could only smile as the scent of that nervousness wafted to his nose mixed with salt and Irish lilies. "I'll never forget it—," He told her as he brought his free hand upwards to touch her cheek. "Your words, you said," He paused for just a second and closed his eyes, pressing his nose into the back of her hand and inhaling, while the finger tips of his other hand fiddled with a free strand of hair that fell below her ear. "The courting gift," He realized as his fingers mused against both her skin and silky locks. "The courting gift for you isn't jewels or even books, is it Kagome?" He opened his eyes and looked into her patient face. "It's the world." He blinked slightly and licked his lips slowly his voice coming across raspy when he finally spoke. "You said, you wanted to go, you would want to travel even if you died or got sick or your teeth rotted." He laughed lightly and Kagome flushed as his breath warmed her skin. "You told me you would be happy even if you lost an arm, a leg, or—anything—," He licked his lips a slight nervousness building in his stomach, founded anticipation. "You said you would have been happy to live your life on the sea, to know her, all about her—something about secrets, your eyes glowed when you said secrets."

Kagome stopped breathing as she tried desperately to figure out where this was going. She wanted to know why he was still holding her hand, why his other hand was resting on her cheek, she wanted to know—she had to know, "Is this a sign—is this what I'm supposed to see, what Sango meant?"

"I—." He started to continue only to pause as he looked at her once more. Slowly, his hand dropped from her cheek and his eyes glazed over with pure admiration. The light was catching her hair again making it look not black but a deep dark golden brown mixed with reds and blonds that glistened in the sunlight. She was exotic and beautiful, her eyes dazzlingly as grey reflected blue light from the ocean down below. "This is it." He told himself and took a deep breath knowing that having seen such a sight he could never turn back. "Kagome Dresmont," He spoke her name slowly. "Let me make that dream a reality."

Kagome felt tears well in her eyes, felt her heart stop dead in her chest. "Is he—?"

"Let that be my courting gift to you." He smiled, his heart stopping dead in his chest just before he finally bent his head and kissed her bare hand.

End of Chapter

Please Review

Edited for Accents 6/6/2013

Bonus Point:

Who wrote The Illiad? (Hint: He's not yellow.)

Last Chapter's Bonus Point:

The answer is Jaken, he is Sesshoumaru's loyal retainer. Rin on the other hand would be considered Sesshoumaru's Ward. Congrats to the winners!

Surfy, Black Firegraon Drake, KittyIchigo1, couriosity, Glon Morski, Onemorething, HentaiLemon, Litle C, LadyDogDemon, Leo-mae, AKEMI SHIKON, Menarie, TheRealInuyasha, I love snowy owls, Sharp 8394, bookworm4ever81, 14 inu-kag

Translation Notes:

Daijobou desu ka? – Are you okay?

Betsu - Separate

Inuyasha-sama ni nō to iu koto wa dekimasen: Inuyasha I cannot say no to you.

Mierda – Shit in Spanish

Kuso – Shit in Japanese

Yosh – Alright, let's go etc.

Zhōngguó – China in Mandarin

Notes:

Kokiriko Bushi – Is arguably one of the oldest Japanese Folk Songs. I won't include a translation for space reasons but if you're interested just pop the name into google and some youtube videos will come up and probably a translation or two. There are a couple.

Next Chapter:

N/A

See you then!

UNEDITED

POSTED 10/29/2012