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?

68. They Meet Again

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 Eight

They Meet Again

The sound of the first cannon exploding caused every demon to wince and snarl slightly in anticipation of the impending fight; the sound of the wood of the Thunder's hull splintering however, made them practically howl with their own fear.

"Damn it!" Hiten screamed as he held onto the wheel of the Thunder as hard as he could, the shock wave of the cannons hitting his vessel making the helm pull hard to starboard. "Kagura you could have mentioned they were that close!" He managed to yell even as the wind demon crossed the helm away from him towards the frail old Kaede, grabbing for her before she could fall.

"I did-do!" She screamed back as she grabbed the old woman and held her tightly to her side, her ruby eyes looking out at the place the Shikon shards shinned. "I not-to know they were going-o fire."

Holding onto Kagura, for support she actually didn't need, Kaede smirked slightly. "I would have thought that was obvious." She said just to herself as she shook her head at the sea naive child. Kagura was no doubt an excellent fighter: brave, brazen, and cunning but she really knew nothing about battles on the sea.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Hiten snarled as he held the helm as steady as possible, down below he heard the cries of his masters as they yelled commands back and forth. Inhaling sharply, he drug his eyes over the deck, briefly focusing on each of the three masters to confirm they were alive before turning his attention to the visible damage: none of which he could see. "Shit, it must be all down lower where I can't see." He licked his lips as his stomach fell into the bottom of his feet. "What's the damage!" He yelled down towards the masters waiting for the status report to fly upwards towards his ears.

"No water sir!" Came an instant reply as one of his master carpenters ran up the staircase that went to the lower levels of the ship. "But that's just luck!" He continued on as he ran along the deck and away from them to check the forward sections of the hull.

"The larboard side's weak," Another yelled as he held tightly onto the side of the vessel while looking down over the side. "We gotta do somethin' 'uick to 'inforce 'er, sir!"

"Fuck," Hiten yelled loudly his grip on the wheel tightening substantially as his eyes darted around towards Kagura. "Can you see them?"

"Just the shard-o." Kagura responded automatically already half guessing what Hiten was getting at.

"Damn it!" The thunder demon cursed as he tore his eyes away from her to the place the Shikuro had to be. "We can't just fire if we don't know we're gonna hit." He allowed the words to echo loudly and angrily in his head. "We'll run out of cannonballs if we do that." Angry at himself, the demon Captain bit down on his lip, blood automatically pooling around his sharp fangs as he desperately tried to think of what to do. "Come on, come on, think, think—." His eyes ran over the deck watching as the men scrambled to reinforce already vulnerable parts of the hull. "Jonathan!" He suddenly screamed realizing that him standing at the helm trying to think of a way out of their current situation would really do nothing for it. Captain Hiten needed to just jump into the fray.

"Aye sir!" The man himself appeared seemingly out of nowhere, his large wings opened and ready for an airstrike at any time.

"Take the helm." Hiten commanded without a second thought, motioning for the bird demon to grab at the old wood. "Hold us steady."

"Aye," The man nodded quickly and rushed passed Kagura and Kaede, not giving either woman a second glance.

Holding onto Kagura's arm for mock support, Kaede narrowed her eye at the eagle demon watching him with clarity that could see souls. "So young." She managed to think just as Jonathan grabbed onto the wheel, Hiten immediately disengaging for his place at the helm and dashing away. "Yet trustworthy." The old woman nodded absently to herself with an added grunt of approval.

Beside her, Kagura flinched at the strange sound of Kaede's grunt, misinterpreting it for pain. "Kaede-sama," She managed to ask even as her attention was greatly pulled back by screams from down below that sounded almost as if they were coming not from the Thunder but from the invisible Shikuro. "Are yuu okay-y?"

"Of course." Kaede responded nonchalantly as she looked out across the Shikuro, a vessel only she could see. The bright golden eyes of Captain Inuyasha immediately caught her attention and she smiled at the ripe brash look on his well proportioned face. "He never changes." She told herself as she glanced over the Thunder watching as Naraku, having just reemerged from his cabin, moved into sight on the quarterdeck.

For a moment he stood simply in the middle of the chaotic mess that was the Thunder's men, an expression on his face of plain and unguarded rage but before long the look faded into something even worse: boredom masking stark curiosity. For all of a second, an uneasy feeling took control of Kaede's heart and she licked her lips slowly. There was something highly unordinary about that look on Naraku's face. It was almost as if the look had been placed there just to make those who acknowledged it uncomfortable.

"But that's unlikely." Kaede told herself even as her eyes stayed on the strange man boy, studying him as he turned his attention towards the well hidden Shikuro, looking at it as if he too could see it. "He knows Kagome's on that ship." She thought, her eyes wandering towards the Shikuro as if to look for the woman behind her thoughts. "He will stop at nothing to get to her." The old woman closed her eyes before she could find the young girl however, a part of her truly believing the child would not be on deck. Instead, she turned her attention back towards Naraku Morgan, who was now moving, the crew of the Thunder seeming to part around him in terror. "How will this end?" She asked herself suddenly, the words catching Kagura completely off guard.

"Kaede-sama?" Kagura felt the name slip from her lips as she tried to wrap her mind around the elderly woman's words.

Kaede simply shook her head in response however, and sighed heavily before running her one exposed eye over the Shikuro once more out of curiosity. Whatever she had expected to see though did not meet her eye, instead, the object of her mental affections reflected into her head. "She's on deck?" Kaede felt her mouth go dry as she looked at the young miko standing on the Shikuro's helm's deck, a place Kaede had not actually expected to see her, at least not this soon. "I thought Inuyasha would still be guarding her like a hawk with young." She narrowed her eyes, the Shinigami eye carefully hidden behind the patch able to make out far more details of the girl than her old human eye ever could. "A bow." She realized suddenly as she saw the red object mounted across the girl's shoulders. "I see—." She pursed her lips, her own anxieties doubling in her stomach as she realized how precious little time they would have to achieve the desired outcome of their plan. "Be ready Kagura."

Standing at the helm, Jonathan glanced at the two women out of the corner of his eye watching them with skepticism as they spoke. "'Eady fer what?" He thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Ready?" Kagura whispered as she noticed the prying and narrowed expression build on Jonathan's face. Lowering her head and her voice, the wind demon pressed herself a little closer to the older woman so she would still be easily heard. "Yuu mean, Inuyasha-sama?"

The old woman nodded her head sharply as she continued to stare at Kagome, a slightly sickening feeling mounting in her gut. "Yes, when the time comes," Kaede cleared her throat slightly, before turning her attention away from Kagome and back towards Inuyasha himself. "You must hurry." She barely managed to whisper the last part as she watched the young man holding tightly onto a rope that hung down from the mast of his ship. "Or we'll have a real problem on our hands."

-break-

Holding on tightly to the side of the ship Inuyasha laughed loudly as he watched the looks of complete disbelief cross the faces of the men of the Shikuro. "They have no idea." He grinned to himself, his heart skipping a beat almost as he realized this was Kagome's doing. "Damn fine girl." He muttered as he held onto the rope supporting him even tighter. The sound of the cannons being hastily reloaded down below rang in his ears and he quickly braced himself as the fastest group of men completely reloaded their cannon and fired for a second time.

The Shikuro shook with the force of the cannon's pull, the whole of the ship seeming to rock from the strength of the large gun. Within seconds, the next fastest group also unleashed their own cannon blast followed almost instantly by the third and forth groups. The sound of multiple cannons firing, along with the wood of the Thunder bursting from the contact, rang uncomfortably loud in the dog Captain's ears. Gritting his teeth, he turned his attention to the very tip of his ship waiting patiently as the two boats grew closer and closer together. They only needed a few more precious yards before the Shikuro would be in the perfect position to board the Thunder easily.

Behind him, his men held firm as they waited for the next command, their bodies anxiously pacing over just bare inches of deck as they swayed. Miroku standing next to Inuyasha felt his foot shake restlessly as he too waited for the fateful command, the scream that would bring all chaos to true reality. Glancing at his father out of the corner of his eye, the younger man licked his lips. "Come on." He grumbled just under his breath but still loud enough for Inuyasha to hear.

"Be patient." The dog demon replied, his voice low and harsh as he narrowed his eyes searching the ship in front of him hastily. "Where are you Hiten?" He asked himself as his eyes over the ship, looking at the frightened crew as they ran about trying to patch holes, while other cannons they could not see fired all around them. "Morons should use their nose and ears." He snorted as he continued to let his eyes room over the ship but among the hectic movements of a panicked crew he found he could see nothing. "Damn it!"

"Captain?" Miroku tensed expecting something to befall them that instant.

"Nothing." Inuyasha exhaled sharply as he tightened his grip on the rope holding him up and growled deep down in his throat. "I should have looked for him before we fired the cannons." He shrugged his shoulders as the Thunder's side come closer and closer to them, no more than two or three yards separating the two ships from each other now. "We have no choice," His heart rate picked up in his chest as the Shikuro edged closer and closer to the Thunder under the careful guidance of the talented Sango and her assistant Kagome. "We have to attack now before they realize we're close enough to hit even without aim." It would, after all, only take a matter of minutes once they boarded the Thunder before hew crew figured out the ships were close enough together to fire without any aim. "Well, here goes nothing." Inuyasha whispered as he pulled himself to his full height looking at the chaotic ship in front of him. "Ready!"

The crew of the Shikuro erupted into a giant roar as they raised every weapon they had available to them above their heads. The sound of the battle cry, obviously one of the few things Kagome's barrier could not disguise, flying across the small space between the two vessels. The loud collective battle cry caused the men of the Thunder to come to screeching halts, the united crew all turning their heads, as if they were one man, towards the sound with wide unprepared eyes.

"Attack!"

The sound of Inuyasha's voice echoed for miles over the great Atlantic ocean. The following sound of his men responding to him echoed all the way to the continent and back. Instantly, a swarm of over a hundred crewman flooded all around Inuyasha, like a giant tidal wave of blatant anger and pent up frustration. Even though it had been only a few weeks since the last time they boarded another vessel, for most of them, it felt like months. After all, there was nothing better for a man of the sea than charging a ship and throwing oneself into an unpredictable fray.

Within seconds, sword met flesh instead of sword, the men of the Thunder in too much of a stupor to be prepared for the torrent of crewmen mobbing the ship. The sound of flesh being cut, of men crying out in pain, and blood splattering onto the ground filled the air noisily. It was only a matter of scant moments however, before the first clank of a sword meeting a sword replaced the sounds of sliced skin and gurgled anguish. As if recovering from a daydream, the crew of the Thunder awoke once more, their initial daze replaced by brilliant skill. Like a morbid symphony, the sounds of swords clashing and scraping against one another rang out into the air, the occasional added painful cry of sword succeeding to hit flesh once more sounding as a cymbal in the bloody master piece.

Still standing in the same place, Inuyasha growled lightly to himself as he watched his men fight against the steadily strengthening crew of the Shikuro. "Let them handle that." He told himself as he watched Miroku too join in on the initial charge, the boy's sword drawn and already planted in some unknown poor fool's neck. Briefly, Inuyasha felt the distinct sensation of fatherly pride run through his body before the task at hand flashed right before his eyes. "Hiten!" The word slipped from his mouth, and he narrowed his eyes dangerously.

There was only one task he had assigned for himself on this particular occasion, the most important factor in that assignment being Captain Hiten of the Thunder.

"I have to get to Hiten." Inuyasha told himself as he felt his muscles tense, his hand reaching for his sword as he looked out across the deck. Gold eyes searched out Hiten, following him as the man moved as if he too was on some unknown mission. Instantly, Inuyasha narrowed his eyes from the thought realizing that in all likelihood Hiten's mission would not be that dissimilar from his own. "The only difference is the reason." Inuyasha licked his lips and bent his knees as if preparing for the inevitable. "For him its revenge, for me it's to—." He felt a growl build up in his throat as he thrust his legs back out straight causing his whole body to launch skillfully into the air; heart focused on one goal and on goal only. "Protect Kagome."

-break-

Sango and Kagome held onto the wheel and watched the devastation from the safety of their higher perch. Since the barrier surrounding the ship had truly hidden the ship completely from view, none of Hiten's men had managed to find their way onto the Shikuro, leaving Kagome safe on deck for now. That is to say, Kagome was safe in every physical aspect of the word; her mind however, was far from protected.

The sight of blood running from unsuspecting men's necks, stomachs, hearts, limps, and eyes filled her vision. The bile and partially digested food from a man's guts spilling out onto the Thunder's deck surrounded by that shinny glistening blood haunted her very eyes. She had never seen anything like it. Even during the raid a month before blood had not splattered quite like this. The men of the navy had fought with some kind of standing moral code and the men of the Shikuro had responded in kind, fighting them with their same moral code but the men of the Thunder fought under a different code all together. They fought to not only maim or incapacitate but to kill. Their swords aimed for death blows, but not just the instantaneous ones, they aimed for the most excruciating. They ripped, they tore, they maimed, they disemboweled.

Kagome felt her grip on the Shikuro's helm go lax as she watched a sword go right threw another man's throat until it stuck threw and out. In all honesty, she had no idea if the man was of the Shikuro or the Thunder, all she knew was that he opened his mouth and blood poured out, dribbling down the sides of his mouth before pooling at his chin. She watched as the dying man brought his hands towards the tip of the sword, grabbing for it his fingers barely scraping against the metal before they fell limp at his sides.

"A—," The sound barely left her throat as Kagome finally forced her eyes to shut only to snap them back opened when the sight appeared on the back of her eyelids.

"Kagome?" Sango spoke from beside her as she watched the color drain completely from the other girl's face until she was as white as the sails above their heads.

Kagome's head whipped around towards the older girl in response, her grey eyes panicked and wide as she stared into the calm countenance of Sango. "I—," She tried to speak even as the sound of flesh being ripped apart filled her ears. "Oh god!" She cried out falling straight down to her knees and covering her ears as a blood curdling scream rang out between the two ships.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled in response, wanting desperately to reach for the girl and drag her back to her feet but unable to. There was no way she could let go of the helm at the moment, not with the Shikuro's cannons still firing. After all, she was the only thing holding the ship on course, without her the ship would swing out dangerously wide. "Come on Kagome," She coached instead, using her foot to carefully, albeit firmly, nudge at the younger girl. "You gotta get up!"

The young girl's eyes snapped open in response and she tilted her chin back up towards Sango hastily. Her eyes were still wide and frightened as she looked up at the other girl but somewhere deep inside of them, her earlier confidence still shown. Or perhaps, it wasn't confidence as much as it was deep longing to be brave, to be like the girl in front of her. "It's horrible." She managed to tell Sango even as she still held her hands over her ears trying to block out the occasional scream and even rarer plea for mercy.

"I know." Sango sympathized completely but still held her face firm. "She can't take much more of this." The older woman told herself as her mind raced quickly. Before she could think for too long however, the sound of something bursting like a bubble rang out just above their heads.

"What?" Both girl's said at the same time as they turned their attention straight upwards just in time to see the barrier break apart into a million shimmering pieces.

"No!" Kagome cried out, somehow jumping up to her feet in shock as she watched the only useful thing she could have done fall into the breeze like ancient dust.

"Damn it!" Sango agreed as the roar of the Thunder's crew hit their ears. It was as if the men of the Thunder had been given some great treasure, and in fact, they had: they had been given an equal battle ground. "This isn't good!" Sango gritted her teeth and held fast onto the wheel as the first cannon strike from the Thunder rang out into the air. The ship instantly rocked, the cannonball luckily hitting a spot on the hull where Totosai had been careful to reinforce especially for the occasion.

Coming back to her senses, Kagome lunged her hands forwards for the helm once more helping Sango to keep the ship as steady as possible as it rode out the force of the blast. "What are we gonna do?" The young miko felt the words fall off her tongue even as she grunted with exertion.

Beside her, Sango groaned in much the same way as her arms strained against another amazingly well timed cannon strike. "What are we gonna do?" She asked just herself, not wanting her own self doubt to hinder any optimism Kagome might have been feeling. "This really isn't good, if they can see the ship—," She glanced at Kagome out of the corner of her eye. "Then they can board." Her stomach sank all the way to her knees as she realized the dangerous extent of her own thoughts. "And they'll be looking for her first." Knowing exactly what the first priority was Sango nudged Kagome harder than she should have with her shoulder pushing the young girl away from the wheel purposefully.

Face scrunched up with both confusion and hurt, Kagome looked at the older girl expectantly. "Sango what are yo—."

"Listen to me Kagome." Sango cut off the girl not giving her even a second to wage an argument. "Go to the Captain's quarters and lock the door." She commanded without bothering to even give Kagome a look. "If I looked at her—those eyes—I wouldn't be able to win this argument against those eyes."

"But why?" Kagome started to argue her unseen expression filled with mild anger and frustration.

Sango gritted her teeth and growled slightly as she kept her eyes deliberately off of the other girl. "Hiten is somewhere around here," She stressed each word with a pointed worried snarl. "And we don't—," She closed her eyes for all of a second before snapping them back opened and turning towards Kagome. "We just don't know what he'll do to you."

Kagome frowned darkly as she took in the information knowing it to be true. "But I—." She started to say only to receive the most terrifying look Sango had ever given her.

"Kagome," Sango cleared her throat loudly as she glanced down at the deck of the Shikuro. Some of the fighting had already shifted between the two ships. It wouldn't be long before the deck became too dangerous for Kagome to even touch let alone cross over. "Remember Manten what he did, what he wanted to do?" Sango didn't bother waiting for any form of an answer. "If that's what they do for fun," She bit out the words glaring at Kagome, conveying exactly what she meant with her eyes. "Then imagine what his brother will want to do to you for revenge."

Kagome felt a lump form in her throat as Sango turned her eyes back towards the younger girl fixating her with one deadly and truthful glare. "I understand." She spoke without further question, her mind not even able to fathom what horrible things Sango was suggestion.

"Good." Sango nodded her head hastily before daring to take one hand off the wheel so as to shove Kagome towards the stairs. "Now, move quick!"

"Right!" Without looking back, Kagome turned and ran towards the staircase her blood pumping so loud in her veins that she could hear it rushing threw her ears. Her feet hit the steps with what was becoming practiced ease. Taking each step two at a time, it wasn't long before her boots made contact with the hard wood of the quarterdeck. Reaching for the banister, she managed to turn herself without breaking her momentum, propelling her body in a circle until she was facing the corridor that lead to her own safety.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw two men fighting, one she recognized as a member of the Shikuro's crew. For only a second, she found herself fascinated by the clashing of their swords and the distinct sound of scrapping metal. The sight of blood splattering as the unknown man made contact with the crewman's hand immediately brought her back to reality, however. Forcing herself to turn away she ran towards the entrance to the back hallway, her heart racing the closer and closer she found herself to safety.

But as she rounded the corner all the wind was knocked from her chest, not from a punch, a kick, a strike, knife or sword but from a sight. "Naraku?"

-break-

Unaware of the events transpiring on his own ship, Inuyasha continued forward looking for Hiten who had disappeared from sight only seconds ago. Moving quickly, he held his sword tip aimed and ready to strike the next unfortunate soul to come into his path. He inhaled sharply as his sword slid through a man's fat, the feel of blood hitting his face and sweat sliding down his temple telling him he had hit his target perfectly. Yanking the sword backwards, the sound of gurgling lungs in his ears, he swung around positioning the sword at another man's throat slicing through the esophagus with little to no trouble at all. Vaguely, in the back of his mind, he felt the prickle of error as if what he was doing at this very moment was somehow wrong.

It was a thought that Inuyasha would not have long to ponder however, as he turned around again sword posed and ready for another deadly strike. The strike never came, instead the sound of his sword hissing fell into his ears, the glint of another blade meeting his own surprising him wholeheartedly. Caught off guard, the dog demon jumped backwards only a few feet sword still drawn and at the ready as he prepared to face this opponent down properly. After all, it wasn't everyday that a person managed to block one of his attracts without losing an arm or a leg.

Dragging his eyes up to his opponents face, Inuyasha felt his mouth open only slightly in surprise as his eyes came in contact with the one person he had been looking for all along. "Captain Hiten." He spoke the name with cool venom in his voice as he straightened his back and stared at the would be avenger. "Well, you didn't take long to find again." He thought absently as he gripped his sword just a little tighter between clawed hands.

"Captain Inuyasha." Hiten spoke evenly as he too clutched his weapon tightly between his hands.

Inuyasha eyed the weapon narrowly and with great suspicion. "That's no sword." He told himself as he took in the strangely shaped object. "It's almost like a trident, a half formed one anyway, maybe it's some kind of spear?" He licked his lips slowly as the strange spear shaped half trident began to crackle with demon energy. The feel of that energy infiltrating the air made the hairs on the back of Inuyasha's neck stand on end. "Whatever it is," He told himself as he brought his eyes upwards to focus on the man behind the weapon. "It can channel his energy and that makes it far more dangerous than a sword."

"I've been waiting for this." Hiten spoke after a moment of waiting for Inuyasha to actually acknowledge him, a moment that never happened.

"Really?" Inuyasha whispered back as he held his sword out in front of him. The men all around them continued to fight as they had before, both crews ignoring the impending showdown between the two Captains. It was not for lack of interest however, but more because they simply were not stupid men. They knew that not all of these men were what could be called honorable, like the navy crew had been the month before, and that it only took one moment of distraction to end up dead.

"Yes," Hiten took a step forward, his weapon firmly held between two clawed hands. "I've been waiting for the moment I watch you die!" He screamed the last part, rage and hatred building in him as he jumped into the air, weapon held high above his head ready to strike straight downwards.

Inuyasha tensed his body in anticipation pushing all his weight into his toes as he raised his own sword above his head prepared to parry the incoming strike. The two weapons clashed with a loud clap of what could only be described as thunder, the energy of the elemental demon rushing throughout his weapon, encompassing it with rolling waves of pure electricity. Inuyasha growled as the sparks of lightening lapped against his wrist and jacket sleeves causing both to smoke as they were singed. Lowering his weight by bending his knees the dog demon snarled before pushing himself upwards. The two swords hissed and sparked against one another as the elemental demon was thrown up into the air.

Hiten recovered within seconds, flipping himself over just once to regain his composure before dropping towards the ground. The second his boots made contact with the wooden deck, he shot forward, Inuyasha already waiting for him still in the same spot.

Sword clutched tightly in his hands, the dog demon waited patiently as Hiten flew towards him, the trident held out to his right side prepared to strike. "Die!" The elemental demon screamed as he brought his sword right towards Inuyasha's exposed head at speeds no human would ever even be able to see.

Instantly, the dog demon ducked below the sailing blade, the tips of his hair becoming singed by the electrical current of the weapon. Snarling from the smell of burnt hair, Inuyasha stuck his foot out and caught the back of Hiten's ankle. The other demon gasped in sheer surprise as he felt the foot make contact with the back of his heel causing his whole leg to fall out from underneath him. In slow motion, the demon fell, his face a mask of disbelief as he moved backwards towards the ground.

Inuyasha moved along with him, pushing himself back into a standing position so he towered above the other demon for a split second. The two made eye contact just in time for Hiten to watch Inuyasha's sword as it came down right towards Hiten's exposed gut. Throwing a hand behind himself, the elemental demon just managed to touch the ground with it, using the added leverage to twist his body to the side. The sword barely caught his arm, the sensation of skin being sliced opened making him hiss with pain.

Not surprised by the sudden and skillful evasion of his weapon, Inuyasha dropped his own sword filled hand to the ground to find his balance before sending not his sword but his free fist right towards Hiten's now exposed side. The dog demon snickered when the thunder demon's eyes nearly popped out of his head as the force of the punch rocked him to his very core.

-break-

Standing side by side, Kaede and Kagura watched the impending fight on the Thunder's helm's deck with no small amount of awe and anger. "Hiten-sama, nani o?" Kagura growled to herself as she took a step away from Kaede just as another cannonball from the Shikuro rocked the whole of the Thunder. Instantly, she returned to the old woman's side grabbing for her to steady her.

Irritated, Kaede pushed at the girl's hands as she looked out across the frenzied mess that comprised the two vessels. There were men everywhere, there was blood everywhere, guts, death, bodies. "This isn't good." She told herself as she forced the Shimigami eye to do what she could not. The strange cool blue eye came to life underneath her patch, looking over the two ships with speed that no human or even demon eye would have ever been capable. "Where is Naraku?" She asked herself knowing that the Shimigami eye would take it as a challenge.

Sure enough within seconds she found herself staring at the staircase of the Shikuro, the eye rapidly forcing her to look towards a strange alcove as if it was trying to tell her something. After only a few rapid milliseconds, the eye seemed to adjust and with amazing power focused in on a sight that gave Kaede chills.

"There's no time." She told herself as she deliberately maintained her air of calm. "It's now or never Kagura." She spoke, turning her human eye towards the girl deliberately. "You must stop that fight and complete your mission."

Staring at Kaede completely baffled, Kagura started to open her mouth to protest but stopped when a strange hot feeling entered her mind. It was a feeling she had known for quite some time: the feeling of a Shinigami being present but unseen. Turning towards the death scenes below, she realized it made sense, after all with so much death around it was only naturally the Shinigami's would come to do their jobs. Perhaps, even Kaede's and her own Shinigami were down there invisible amongst the chaos.

Turning back towards Kaede to mention the strange sensation Kagura felt her eyes open wide when she was met with nothing. "Kaede-sama?" She questioned turning her head this way and that looking for the old woman.

"The old 'un gone." Jonathan spoke from behind her causing Kagura to turn around hastily.

"She left?" The wind demon bit her lip hard as the realization hit her squarely in the gut.

The barely older demon nodded his head distinctly while watching the expressions play out on Kagura's face. "She 'id."

"Soka." Kagura mumbled towards the man but didn't acknowledge him any further. Instantly, her eyes landed back on the spot where Inuyasha and Hiten were fighting just in time to see the devastating punch to Hiten's exposed side. "Kuso!" She yelled out and without another word jumped towards the rail and into the fight.

-break-

Hiten felt the blood and bile make its way up his throat and into his mouth but he forced it to stay down. Swallowing hard, so as not to give the dog demon the satisfaction of seeing the well placed punch's damage, he glared at the other demon intensely.

"Do you still think I'll be the one to die today?" Inuyasha panted as he spoke, pushing himself up into a standing position as he watched the thunder demon force the bile in his throat back down.

The older demon turned hate filled eyes towards Inuyasha in response and pushed himself back up to a stand as well. "Yes." He growled low in his throat. "Of course." He continued as he wiped some spit from the corner of his mouth. "After what you did, you deserve to die." He spat to his side as he finished his words, images of a small brother no bigger than five dancing in the back of his head. "My brother didn't deserve to die!"

"But he did," Inuyasha fired back as he watched the anger and angst form on Hiten's face. "He tried to rape and kill my mate!"

Hiten tried to open his mouth but his voice box failed him. "Mate?" He felt the thought bubble up in his psyche only to be quickly pushed down by his own anguish.

"How could you blame me for killing him," Inuyasha let the words pour from his mouth, hoping the lie would stick and that Hiten would never know Kagome had been the one to actually deliver the fatal blow. "When he tried to kill my defenseless mate?"

Hiten's brain scrambled, trying to think of the right words that would defend both his brother and his own need for revenge. "He killed my brother." He told himself as he growled low in the back of his throat. "For that alone, he deserves to die." He gritted his teeth even as a thought plagued the back of his mind. "He was protecting his mate," An image of Kagura seemed to float unhindered into his mind: her ruby eyes, her devious smile, those sexy lips, and curvy hips. "Would you have not done the same?" The voice floated around him like a bad dream but he pushed it down and looked Inuyasha directly in the eyes. "He was only doing his job, can you blame him for that?" Hiten felt the bile in his throat again, something in the back of his mind telling him: yes, he can. "It was his job!" He screamed again anyway, ignoring the unnatural guilt forming in his gut.

"And protecting her," Inuyasha screamed back as his own anger filled him to his very core. "Is mine!" The dog demon jumped forward, sword drawn and ready before the sentence had even fully left his mouth.

Prepared for the strike, Hiten raised his own trident like weapon, positioning it so it would hopefully skewer the dog demon before he could even land a single hit with his blade.

"Tomeru!" Kagura screamed, the sound of her voice catching both men off guard as she suddenly seemed to materialize between them both.

"Nihon-go?" Inuyasha barely managed to register the use of his native language as he looked at the wind demon who had thrown herself between the two men.

"Nani o shiteru no?" The girl continued to shout in a language Hiten could not possibly hope to understand.

"Kagura-hime?" Hiten whispered confused for just a second before he growled at the girl grabbing for her shoulder to shove her out of the way. "Get out of my way!" He commanded but the wind demon didn't budge only continuing to glare at the other elemental demon.

"No." The wind demon spoke low, flames practically flowing from her eyes to Hiten's.

"Kagura!" Hiten snarled and glared at the girl with just the same amount of intensity. "You don't understand." He bit out as he took a step forward meaning to grab for Kagura and shove her out of the way again but the girl held firm.

"Whatever this is-su," She motioned between the two demons with one small white and calloused hand. "Does not-to matter." She snarled at him, the sheer anger in her voice catching Hiten off guard. "There is something-u bigger happening." She growled as she took a step towards the other elemental demon bringing her hands upwards to grasp at his shoulder's deliberately. "We don't have much-i time to do this. Yuu," She shook him once as if to shake her point into his very head. "Need-u prepare yuur men, remember the plan."

"But?"

"Listen!" She practically begged pulling the man as close to her as possible so she could speak at just a whisper. "If-fu yuu don't do your part-to," She spoke hurriedly but softly, her voice coming off as both stern and almost apologetic. "Then yuur men might-to be stuck on this boat, left for only Kami-sama," She rolled her eyes upwards for a moment as if searching for the idea itself. "Know-u what fate, understand?"

"Woman." Hiten growled threateningly his own need for dominance out weighing any logic she really had to offer him.

"Man." Kagura fired back the strength of their two characters flaring as they stared at one another.

"Fine," Hiten whispered harshly something inside of him, perhaps a reasonable doubt about the whole situation to begin with, making him back down without more of a fight. "You win for now." He told her as he brought a hand up to her waist squeezing it just a little tighter than necessary before pushing himself forcefully away from her.

Kagura watched him leave with her eyes still unbelievably firm before she sighed heavily. "Stubborn." She mumbled to herself as she turned around towards Inuyasha, a strange calm smile coming over her every feature as she looked at the dog demon for the first time in over four hundred years. "Konnichiwa," Her eyes grew downright affectionate as she studied the now adult face. "Inuyasha-sama."

-break-

"It's been a while Kagome." The weasel demon whispered as he took a step towards Kagome.

"Why—," Kagome took a step away from the demon before her, her back pressing against the wooden wall of the small hallway. "Why are you with the Thunder?"

"Oh," Naraku chuckled chillingly as he watched the girl behind hooded eyes and thick eyelashes. "Much has happened," He told her, his expression turning into a sadistic smile as he watched the young girl grow distinctly uncomfortable. "Since we last saw each other."

"But—."

"I suppose," Naraku cut her off as he pushed away from his spot on the wall absently and made a show of popping his head from side the side. "As my once fiancé you deserve some explanation."

Kagome didn't say a word in response as she kept a careful eye on the man. Something seemed different, much different, than the last time she had seen him. Back then, on Port Royal, he had been a small insignificant child, quiet, unassuming, and just a little strange as the gossips of their social scene had deemed; but now, he seemed a totally different: dangerous, foreboding, and highly unnerving to her person. "What happened to you?" She wanted to ask but refrained as the weasel demon looked straight into her face and smiled the most vicious smile she had ever seen.

"Well, after your," He brought his hand in front of him and waved it slowly up and down as if in thought. "Liberation, shall we call it?" He snickered the sound hanging in the air like a bad odor. "My father and myself decided it was only fitting to follow you." Carefully, he brought a hand to his chin tapping it slowly, mockingly. "Hm, and someone else—," He made a show of tilting his head to the side and looking at the ceiling as if in thought. "But who would have a vested interest in you," He snapped his eyes back downwards to look at her as an eerie laugh started to rumble in his throat. "Besides me of course?"

Kagome felt her heart tighten in her chest, her hands which rested against her sides immediately clutching into tight fist. "What are you getting at?" She demanded and took a step towards the boy her eyes stern as her mind told her the obvious answer. "Do you mean, my father?" She felt her whole body stiffen as the words fell from her lips, the sickening feeling she had experienced after her strange dream about him weeks before building in her stomach. "This feeling." She acknowledged as she felt tears prick at her eyes for an unknown reason. "I know this feeling—."

"Was that it?" Naraku frowned mockingly before his sharp eyes narrowed considerably and focused in on Kagome, looking at her as if he was trying to make her burst into flames. "That old fool got what he deserved."

"What?" All the color drained from Kagome's face at his words, the instinct she had felt for quite some time finally starting to make sense. "What did you do?" She felt her fingers tremble, the sensation going all the way up her arms as she looked at that contemptuous face. The tears that had been building against her lashes threatened to fall from the fierceness of her shaking but she refused to let them fall in front of a man like this. "What happened?"

"He always held you back." Naraku evaded the question swiftly looking away from the ashen face of his ex-fiancé. "Daddy wanted so much to have a perfect little girl and you wanted so much," He licked his lips slowly as if exasperated. "To be a perfect little failure."

"Naraku!" Kagome cried out and took a step towards him, the unnerving feeling of her heart breaking in her chest causing her stomach to twist and knot.

"Such a disappointment." Naraku only continued on enjoying every second of this moment. "No fear." He told himself as he smiled brightly on the inside. All the fear he had concerning this small girl disappearing, becoming non-existent as if should have been in the first place. "Just imagine," He continued on throwing a sideways glance towards Kagome, enjoying the whiteness of her skin and the tears which were starting to lose the battle not to be cried. "The regret he must have felt."

"No." Kagome shook her head slowly back and forth the sinking feeling in her chest doubling as she realized exactly what the feeling from weeks before had meant. "No—it can't be."

"Don't worry dear." Naraku whispered as he approached her finally, stepping towards the girl as she slowly lost the will to stand. "I know what it is to lose a father."

Kagome blinked several times, raising her head to look at Naraku in surprise. Part of her wished his voice sounded more sincere, part of her believed it did, but a larger part of her knew it wasn't and feared the words about to be spoken by his mouth.

"After all," He continued on as he reached forward and carefully placed a hand upon her shoulder squeezing it ever so slightly. Kagome didn't even flinch from the action her body in such a state of shock that she couldn't bring herself to respond. "I killed my father." He told her honestly before sinking his claws into the fabric of her jacket, yanking her forward and back onto her feet.

Kagome gasped at the sensation, her whole body flying off balance as he yanked her towards himself positioning her so that he could place his lips against the hollow of her ear. "St—." She started to say only to freeze when he opened his mouth, his words a stark whisper to what he had said just seconds before.

"Just like I killed," He told her, his breath hot against her earlobe. "Yours."

Kagome felt the bile rise in her stomach, felt the acidic taste in her mouth as her heart cried out with undeniable belief. It was as if it had already known, as if she had already known. She felt her teeth clinch, felt the heat of his breath on her ear, felt the anger, felt the self hated, felt it all boil in her chest. "You," She barely managed to whisper as the tears began to flow openly outlining tiny rivers on her face. "You," She repeated between clinched teeth as she fought the urge to be sick to her stomach. "Monster!" She screamed the air around her instantly charging with an energy Naraku had not expected.

"Ah!" The demon yelled as he felt his skin practically catch on fire with the pulsing heat that suddenly emitted from her body. "What the fuck?" He screamed as he shoved her backwards as hard as he could sending her straight into the wall with such force that the young girl's head actually snapped backwards before she crumbled to the ground in a heap.

Naraku scrambled backwards away from her body, the sensation of his skin boiling and his chest flaring with a sudden sharp feeling of pain terrifying him. "My chest." He thought as he reached for the spot right over his heart grabbing at his shirt as hard as he could. "I'm too young for a heart attack." His mind raced trying to put a name to the sensation he was feeling but coming up empty. "How?" He breathed the word out as he looked at the girl on the ground as she moaned and tried to sit up.

Kagome reached a hand up to touch her head, throbbing already having set in where her skull had made contact with the hard wood of the wall. Blinking she tried to see the world in front of her but her vision was far too blurred to even focus. "What happened?" She tried to think as her mind grew fuzzy, her own memories of only moments before hazy and hard to access. Moving her hand against her forehead in an attempt to help her mind focus once more, she winced, the feeling of hot sticky blood meeting her surprised fingers.

Pressed up against the wall across from her Naraku stared, terrified as his chest continued to burn and prickle with pain. "Kill." His head snapped upwards as a voice popped inside his head. "Kill." Naraku inhaled sharply as he recognized the sound, it was a voice he had heard before many times but never so clearly. "Who are you?" He asked into the open air not even acknowledging when Kagome managed to focus on him giving him a strange look of confusion.

"Naraku?" She whispered into the blurry world, her stunned mind trying to process what it had just heard.

"Kill." The voice repeated in Naraku's head without answer. Terrified, the demon took another step away from Kagome looking down at the girl with uncertainty. That is, not uncertainty about killing her, he had thought to kill all along but with uncertainty as to why. Why did he want to kill her? What was the point? "Kill!" The voice snarled so loud inside the weasel demon's head that he hissed in shock and grabbed for his temple.

Blinking, her vision finally clearing Kagome focused in on the man in front of her watching horrified as he screamed and clutched at his skull.

"Stop!" He yelled at the top of his lungs at some unknown force before throwing himself against the opposite wall as hard as he could cracking the wood with the force. "Stop, stop, stop!" He continued to scream as he held his head and slid down the wall landing in a fetal position.

"What?" Kagome whispered completely confused, her mind jumbled with so much information, none of it seeming to connect, that she actually felt physically sick.

"Obey and kill!" The voice seemed to dig into Naraku's very soul, burrowing inside of him until the demon's mind simply went completely blank.

Kagome watched as Naraku's body grew still, the thrashing and banging against the wall stopping as he straightened slowly. The sounds of his bones popping from head to toe made her grimace as she watched his back grow taller and taller until he was standing upright. Carefully, he reached up and put one hand on either side of his head before methodically preceding to pop his head to the right with a sickening crunching sound. Kagome watched horrified as his neck twisted to an inhuman, indemon angle before he swiftly changed directions popping his neck now to the left, the same sound echoing throughout the hall.

As if in slow motion, he then dropped his hands to his sides, straightening out his jacket as they moved further and further down. The sound of the fabric smoothing, swishing, and crinkling made Kagome feel utterly nervous. It was all too mountain to be ordinary. Carefully, she reached behind her placing her hand on the wall to steady herself as she pushed herself back to her feet. Her head immediately protested the movement and she hissed as she sank back down to her knees her vision blurring once more. Slowly, she brought her hand back up to her head as she clinched her teeth together the cooper taste of blood entering her mouth as she the wound on her head continued to bleed. "Come on Kagome." She tried to coach herself as she lifted her head to look at him once more her vision blurring once again. "You have to focus, this isn't good."

It was at that moment that Naraku turned around, his dark eyes so black that not even a pupil shown in them. Kagome felt her hand on her head start to shake as he approached her leisurely, one foot slowly stepping in front of the other. The unnerving lack of expression on his face made her instinctively scoot backwards, her back coming in contact with the wall instantly.

Surprised, she turned her head slightly too look at the solid wooden planks and gulped. "What do I do?" She asked herself as her head throbbed, the blood steadily pouring out onto her face from some unknown wound. Instinctively, she pushed herself backwards once more, her shoulder blades digging into the wood along with something else. "The bow!" She realized instantly her hand immediately flying up to grab at the object strung around her person.

Naraku smirked at the attempt and reached for his side where a sword rested against his hip. "Do you think that bow will save you?" He spoke evenly as he pulled the sword from its sheath the sound of metal scrapping against wood ringing in the air. "You don't even have any arrows!" He pointed out just as he raised the sword high above his head glaring down at her with all the hatred he had for her in his body.

"Enough!" Kagome yelled grabbing the bow with one hand, yanking it upwards and off her body as quickly as she could while unleashing all of the energy trapped in the well in her stomach at once.

The tip of the bow just managed to come into contact with Naraku's fingers as he thrust the sword downwards towards her head. A burst of barely controlled energy sparked in the air for just a second moving from Kagome's hand to the bow, to Naraku like a flash of lightening.

"Ah!" Naraku screamed as his flesh sparked before exploding into pain as if it had been caught on fire.

"Ah!" Kagome screamed as well as the spot on her head where she had made contact with the wall erupted into a multitude of various painful sensations.

Suddenly, the point of contact between the two enemies flared the air around them seeming to catch on fire as well before exploding silently like a cannon backfiring with no sound.

-break-

Kagura looked at the man in front of her with no small amount of awe. "Inuyasha-sama look-u only a little like his father." She surmounted as she studied the now thinned features. As a child he had been a tiny pudgy thing with a round face and more Asian looking eyes and features. Now as an adult, he had become tall and thin, his face chiseled and more western with higher cheekbones and less rounded features. His eyes were even less slanted now than they had been as a child and more opened like his mother's. "Inuyasha-sama almost not-to the same person." She thought to herself only absently as she offered him a gentle smile.

Inuyasha stared at the women in front of him with odd disbelief crossing his face. There was something about her that seemed all too familiar. Maybe it was the way she had her hair pilled on her head secured by an old comb, or maybe it was the use of a language he had never heard anyone other than Myoga, Totosai, and himself use on this side of the Atlantic; whatever it was, one thing was for sure, this woman was familiar to him in a fuzzy childhood memory kind of way. "I know you," He found himself saying even though he couldn't remember even thinking the words. "Why do I know you?"

"Forget-to that," Kagura spoke firmly as she shook herself out of her own revere. Now was not the time to simply stare at the child who had obviously become a man. "Listen to me now—," She began as she took a few deliberate steps towards Inuyasha changing her expression from sweet and gentle, to focused and business like. "Sesshoumaru-sama needs yuu."

"What?" Inuyasha blinked rapidly completely baffled by the words that had just come from this female demon's mouth.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagura started to repeat as she looked around them for anyone who was untrustworthy and might report back to Naraku that such a conversation had taken place. Luckily for her, there really was no one on the Thunder like that. "Sent-to me." She continued on looking back at him for confirmation that he remembered the name. The instant anger that welled up in his eyes told her just that. "Inuyasha-sama remembers."

"What the hell does that bastard want from me?" He snarled loudly as his anger for the man, for the very name made him see blinding red and not just the red of Kagura's eyes. "Last time I checked he hated me."

Kagura flinched ever so slightly at the words but allowed them to be easily ignored. "Sesshoumaru-sama needs Inuyasha-sama to come-u back home." She stressed each name the best she could, giving the boy a stern almost motherly glare as if to tell him not to argue.

If Inuyasha was intimidated by such a glare however, it didn't show even one little bit. "No fucking way." He snapped, holding onto the sword in his hand a little tighter as he sent the known yet unknown wind demon an equally forceful glare of his own.

"Inuyasha-sama," Kagura interrupted before he could say much more, grabbing for the man's arm and yanking him forward to catch him off balance. "Listen!" She yelled anger starting to well up in her, an old protective instinct for the demon lord washing over her person. "I know what-to Inuyasha-sama must-to be thinking demo," She looked straight into the startled gold eyes, swiftly ignoring the fact that those eyes reminded her of the pup from so long ago. "Not-to everything is as it appears."

The dog demon's eyes widened at her words, the sound of them, that is the sheer sincerity of them catching him off guard.

"You must-to go," Kagura said now much softer than before, her eyes imploring and filled with meaning. "Go Inuyasha-sama, learn the truth."

"The truth?" Inuyasha repeated now completely thrown off by whatever was going on. "What the hell are you talking about?" He asked even as the ship rocked with another cannon blast, the sound of the splintering wood and people screaming not hindering their conversation in the least.

"Sesshoumaru-sama will know it, will tell you it." Kagura gulped as she felt the boat rock dangerously, the sound of one of the master carpenter's screaming from somewhere to her left hit her ears but she ignored the distressed sound purposely. "Truth about-to Shikon about-to," She paused for only a second as she prepared to say her next words. "Inuyasha-sama's Chichiue."

"Otou-sa—." His words were instantly cut off as a loud explosion sounded from the Thunder, a cannon from the Shikuro finally hitting a deadly and endangering target.

"Kuso!" Kagura growled, there was still so much left she had to say but she knew at this rate both ships were likely to simply destroy each other before she could even finish her sentence. "Quickly." She told herself before snapping her eyes back to Inuyasha who was distracted by his own ship at the moment and the cries of his own men as they continued to fight for the Thunder their earlier advantage making the takeover of the ship a lot easier than it should have been. "Inuyasha-sama!" She commanded grabbing for his arm once more and yanking him towards her like he was a little pup.

"Hey!" The Captain started to complain as he ripped his arm away only to come face to face with two bright ruby eyes. They both stared at him hard commanding him to listen in a way he had not experienced since before his mother died.

"Listen Inuyasha-sama." Her voice came out soft but also harsh as she stared into his gold eyes trying to convey the importance of what she was about to say through just her posture alone. "Sesshoumaru-sama has much truth-u for yuu," She licked her lips slowly as if taking a moment to debate about what she said next. "Not just about-to Chichi," She took a breath and bit her lip before adding. "Mo," The Japanese word slipped out, the sound of her soft 'but also' making Inuyasha narrow his eyes. "About-to Haha."

The dog demon's eyes opened wide as he stared at Kagura in complete surprise. "Okaa-san?" The name slipped from his mouth just as the ship suddenly took a direct hit from a cannonball, the whole of the Thunder tilting dangerously as it absorbed the blast.

"Kuso!" Kagura cursed loudly as she grabbed for Inuyasha's jacket, using his much steadier body to catch herself before she fell.

Instinctively, Inuyasha grabbed for her arm, steadying her as he turned his head quickly towards the direction of the hit. "Shit!" He cursed as well as he pushed away from her, even the distraction of hearing a demon from his homeland mention his mother not interfering with his own worries about his ship.

Realizing his distraction, Kagura grabbed for his jacket sleeve yanking him back towards her harshly. "Inuyasha-sama!" Her voice was raw the sound making Inuyasha actually turn his attention fully back to the woman grabbing at his arm. "Yuu must-to go back to Nippon," She continued, speaking quickly so he couldn't interrupt her. "Sesshoumaru-sama will tell yuu everything-u."

Inuyasha's mouth actually fell opened at the suggestion the word for his home stumbling from his mouth. "Nippon?" He shook his head quickly his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I won't go back there."

"Yuu have no choice." Kagura told him without thought her arm dropping from his sleeve as she started to back away. "If-fu Inuyasha-sama want-to know why Haha had the Shikon-no-Tama," She spoke the words even though she knew the dangers of them. She had not come here to mention such a thing to the boy before her, that was supposed to be left to her boss but now it seemed they were the only words Inuyasha might actually hear. "Then Inuyasha-sama must-to go."

-break-

Kaede walked along the Shikuro slowly, none of the chaos of the fight seeming to touch her as she made her way towards the back cabins. The Shinigami eye worked overtime behind the patch, watching every possible movement made by members of either crew so as to direct Kaede towards the safest possible route to her destination. As if her steps had been preordained, she found herself standing in the doorway to the back hallway, the sight that greeted her one she had actually already seen.

Laying in two separate crumbled heaps were the bodies of both Kagome Dresmont and Naraku Morgan. The edges of both their clothes had become singed from the blast of Kagome's power, the uncontrolled burst having been so powerful that it had knocked out not only its intended target but its creator as well from the explosive backlash.

Carefully, she stepped over the body of Naraku moving to stand next to the small crumbled heap that was Kagome. "Poor girl," She whispered as she watched the blood slowly trickle from a cut in the side of the miko's head. "Nothing major at least." She assured herself before reaching down and placing her hand against Kagome's head. "But I still wouldn't want him to worry."

She smiled only slightly to herself as she allowed a very small amount of energy to slip from her body into Kagome's own. Instantly, the blood that had pooled from her head stopped, the flesh itself stitching back together with practiced ease until the wound no longer existed. Straightening up, Kaede sighed heavily her old body aching even though it had only been hunched over for a few seconds.

"For all the good this eye does," She grumbled as she rubbed at the sore spots that ran along her spin. "It can't get rid of my own back pain." She snorted at her own words even as the sound of heavy footsteps echoed just behind her.

"Kaede?" The voice of Hiten filled the small space and the old woman turned giving the young demon an almost mischievous smile.

"What are you doing here," She allowed her eyebrows to raise in mock accusation. "Mr. Hiten?"

"I smelt the bastard," Hiten nodded his head towards Naraku laying on the ground only to freeze when his eyes took a closer look at the boy beside him. "That's no boy." He felt the words dance in his head as he recognized the delicate face even through the now drying blood. "That's the girl—the one that Hiten and I—." The thoughts stopped in his head as something far more important about the girl's clothing caught his eye.

All around the corners of the girls collar, as well as Naraku's sleeves as well, were strange burnt marks from some unknown blast. And laying on the floor all around both of them, outlining them in an eerie deadly way were small piles of ash from where the garments had been completely disintegrated. Intrigued, Hiten slowly lowered himself to the ground, reaching out for one of the small piles of ash that rested right underneath Naraku's head. The substance coated his fingertips instantly. It almost felt unreal in a strange familiar way. Bringing it up to his face, he smelt the strange material, the smell of burnt flesh instantly bringing him back to that time over six months before when he had smelt his brother's own remains.

The thunder demon's hand fell limply at his side as he stared at the girl, the truth he had been slowly slipping towards finally coming to fruition in his mind. "It was her." He whispered out loud as he stared at the girl his mind racing with the information Kaede had given them only hours before about the girl Kagome and her miko powers.

"I have heard the story of your brother from your crew." Kaede spoke, for once not having to read the boy's mind to really know what he was thinking about. "Manten was no more than ash?"

"He was." Hiten stared at the girl totally unsure of what was even going through his own mind.

"Such a sad fate to have felt," Kaede gently told him, as she watched Hiten's emotions play across his face. "He already knows the truth." She nodded her head once just to herself. "At this point, I can only carefully direct him to a bigger one." Sighing to herself, the old woman blinked slowly, her eyes focused on Hiten's rapidly growing confused expression. "I've never heard of a demon that could do such a thing, at least not a dog demon."

"I know." Hiten bit his lip as he stared at the crumpled girl for the first time in his life completely unsure of what to even think let alone feel. "But how can such a tiny girl—."

"Do something like this?" Kaede pointed towards Naraku who laid singed but alive upon the ground.

"She turned Hiten to ash." His words were a statement not a question.

"And if she did, what would you do about it?" Kaede asked softly her voice calm and collected as she watched the thunder demon tighten his hands into fist at his sides. "Would you kill her?" Kaede watched as his body tensed even further, his shoulder blades practically shaking. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," She pressed on as all of his muscles coiled tighter and tighter. "A life for a life?"

Hiten gulped, in the past he never would have hesitated to kill someone, especially a girl such as this one. She was young, a virgin, highly profitable in his trade and yet something held him back that he couldn't quite explain. "He was going to rape her." The Captain's voice rang out in his head, loud and annoying. "How can you blame her for that?" Hiten shook his head hard back and forth, his eyes amazingly staying fixed on Kagome as he did so. "She killed my brother." He spoke the words as if they were the answer to Kaede's question even though that was impossible.

"A brother who was going to kill her." Kaede snorted softly as she looked towards the ground with her own exposed eye. "Funny how that works." She looked at Hiten already knowing his own thoughts. Staying quiet for just a second, she listened in as he tried to process her words, as he grew annoyed with how much they sounded like Inuyasha's own. "Great minds think alike." She chuckled just to herself before blocking out Hiten's thoughts just long enough to speak of her own. "Manten wished to rape her," She spoke honestly as she looked down at the small girl with piety. "To kill her, so she responded in the only way she knew how." Kaede shrugged and glanced back at Hiten. "She let her energy protect her at the cost of his life."

"She killed him." Hiten reworded, his voice coming out as almost a plea, as if he needed her to agree with him.

"She did," Kaede agreed softly giving Hiten the most apologetic look she could muster for his lose. "But she did so in order to save her own life. And therefore, how can you blame her?"

Hiten felt the world stop at Kaede's words, Inuyasha's own words finally sinking in to the rational side of his brain. He couldn't blame this girl, she had only done what she had to in order to survive, that was the way of the world. If Inuyasha had killed his brother simply for the sake of a fight between just the two of them, it would have been a different story all together. Inuyasha would not have killed Manten for the protection of his mate but in cold blood and there inlaid a big difference between the original scenario and this one. This girl, had no other option. She was on a small boat, with a man who Hiten knew liked to rape and murder girls, and she had reacted in order to save herself. But still—, "His life was important."

"And so is hers." Kaede spoke softly, her heart aching for the boy as he stared down at the girl.

"That doesn't make it right." Hiten tried to fight the conclusion as hard as he could but it was impossible, it couldn't be fought any longer.

Kaede felt the ebb of Hiten's original opinion finally begin. "He's starting to understand." She told herself as she closed her human eye and pursed her lips. "That doesn't make killing her right."

"But—." Hiten gritted his teeth still not willing to let this completely go. "He was my brother," He bit the words out as that small child appeared in his head, tiny and ugly yet his baby brother. "I have to avenge that, regardless, it is my duty."

"Two wrongs do not make a right Hiten." Kaede told him, her voice coming across as wise, stern, and compassionate all at the same time. "Hate only begets hate and violence will only beget more violence."

Hiten's head finally snapped away from Kagome at the advent of those words, his expression one of both frustration and anger. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"She killed Manten, so you kill her, and in response Inuyasha comes for you." Kaede shrugged her shoulders as she watched Hiten's eyes go from furious to just downright confused. "Whether you kill him or he kills you, undoubtedly someone will want to take revenge and whoever looses that fight will have someone who wishes to avenge them as well. It's a pattern." Kaede chuckled slightly as she watched the look of realization start to form on Hiten's face. "One that never ends." She smiled at the boy slightly watching him closely both with eyes and in his own mind. "What a pathetic life those men from generation to generation will live." She continued on, her words becoming more and more clear to Hiten with each passing moment. "A life filled with nothing but vengeance and hate."

"Kaede?" The demon tried to say but his words became tripped up in his throat leaving him unable to agree or disagree.

"Besides that—," The old woman continued on as if he had not tried to speak in the first place. "What honor is there enacting revenge on this little," She turned her eyes towards the tiny crumpled form of Kagome. "Pathetically scared girl?"

Hiten frowned at Kaede's words finding himself unable to even argue with her anymore. There was really no way he could at this point. Glancing at Kagome he felt a weight mount in his chest one of guilt not for her but for a brother who might never know vengeance. "I could still—Inuyasha is responsible for her, if I killed him, would that avenge you, little brother?" The demon closed his eyes already knowing the act would not be the same. "I can't—I don't know what—what should I do?"

On the ground Naraku groaned and started to move ever so slightly catching both conscious individuals in the hall off guard. "He's waking up." Kaede stated the obvious as she took a step towards the groaning man. "We should collect him and go." She continued quickly as she turned her eyes back outside looking to see what they would be walking into.

Hiten cleared his throat but the action did nothing for his mind. "I can't decide now, I guess for today, you both like—Kagome, Captain Inuyasha." Shaking his head, the thunder demon inhaled sharply pushing all other thoughts than their current plan out of his mind. Fully focused once more, he turned away from the small girl to the old woman fixating his gaze on her with a firm look. "Do you think Kagura's almost done?" He asked, refusing to put any of his attention back on Kagome his mind not even able to comprehend his own conscious at the moment.

"Probably." Kaede nodded, even though she knew the wind demon was pretty much done. "We don't have much time—," She turned back to Hiten and motioned with her head towards the old man. "Grab him."

"Um." Hiten agreed and bent down to pick up the still pretty much unconscious man. The slight weight of Naraku was surprising to Hiten as he swung the man over his shoulder with not so much as a grunt. "I never thought he would actually be as light as he looks." The demon acknowledged silently as he looked at the teenagers greasy hair. "I guess evil doesn't actually weigh anything."

Kaede had to force herself not to laugh as the demon's thoughts entered her head. Motioning with one hand for Hiten to follow, she stepped outside the small space and into the bright sunlight of an approaching mid morning. "Give the command Mr. Hiten." She ordered even as her human eye winced from the light invading its iris and pupil.

Unable to react, Hiten merely tightened his grip on Naraku before simply obeying the old woman's command. "All men," He yelled the sound of his booming voice actually echoing loudly above the dull roar of the current war. "Retreat!"

-break-

Kagura frowned darkly as she heard Hiten's command to his men, the men of the Thunder actually pausing in disbelief as they heard the scream reverberate all around them. Frowning darkly, Kagura turned back to the still stunned Inuyasha and pursed her lips. "There no more time." She told him even as he stared at her his mouth agape carefully, she reached into the opening slight of her clothes, producing a small little satin object that she held tightly for some seconds between hesitant fingers. "Take this-u." She nodded her head firmly as she spoke, throwing the pouch in Inuyasha's direction catching the dog demon off guard.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha growled as he recoiled from Kagura in surprise just barely managing to catch the small pouch. "What is this?" He asked as he looked at the little satin purse his eyes staring at it with both suspicion and bewilderment.

Kagura only shook her head at the dog demon as she watched the men of the Thunder start to sluggishly retreat. "Sesshoumaru-sama will tell-u all later-u." She told him bluntly as she looked around the Shikuro, most of the Shikuro's men had long since boarded the other vessel making her task insanely dangerous. "Now, Inuyasha-sama must-to get his men back on Shikuro." She told him still ignoring his preoccupation with the tiny purse.

"But?" He tried to question as he held the object up to her shaking it slightly as if to reiterate an unknown point.

"No!" Kagura growled with frustration as his words and whirled around glaring at him harshly. "If-fu Inuyasha-sama not-to listen now," She pushed the hand he held in her face out of her way, staring him straight in the eyes. "Then his men will be lost-to."

"Lost?" Inuyasha felt a headache starting to build behind his eyes unable to keep up with whatever was going on right now.

"I am a wind demon." She reached for her waist producing a fan that Inuyasha only vaguely recognized.

"What are you planning to do?" He tried to question watching Kagura closely as she looked up at the sky.

For several seconds, the wind demon said nothing as the energy she could harness from the air began to build around her. Second by second, the wind built and built as the wind enchantress placed all her concentration on her environment pulling all the air around her into a tight whirling tunnel of wind. "I will use-u wind," She spoke calmly, looking towards Inuyasha one last time. "To separate ships." She narrowed her eyes in order to convey what that statement actually meant. "I will do so, whether-u men on right ship-pu or not." And with that she the wind around her sped up moving at so fast a speed that Inuyasha actually had to shield his eyes.

"Shit!" He cursed just as she launched herself upwards into the sky. He clutched the small pouch in his tightly as his mind scrambled to comprehend exactly what was happening. "She's—the ships?" He blinked slowly as he looked away from Kagura to the Thunder where a vast majority of his men still rested. "No." His eyes widened and his jaw dropped open as her words finally came completely home, running towards the edge of the Shikuro he threw himself against the rail yelling without a second thought. "All men, retreat!" His voiced rang out between the ships, the men closest to him turning to look at him with reasonable shock. "Retreat!" He screamed again fear mounting in his heart as he watched the slight hesitation from man to man as they fought their way backwards towards the Shikuro, obeying the command begrudgingly.

With panic actually thumping in his heart, the skilled Captain shoved the pouch into the inner pocket of his jacket absently. Without a second though, Inuyasha threw his gaze towards the Thunder watching as the command began to spread from man to man, confusion sounding in every voice that gave it.

"Just do what I said!" He wanted to scream but held back the order as his mind raced the image of his own son suddenly popping into it. "Miroku!" He yelled out loud, his bright gold eyes automatically running over the decks of both the Shikuro and the Thunder trying desperately to find his second in command.

"Here Captain!"

"Thank god." Inuyasha thought as he turned quickly, just in time to see Miroku running towards him bloody sword in hand.

"What the hell's going on?" Miroku asked without preamble as he ran towards the older man's side. "Why are we retreating?"

"We need to get the hell outta here." Inuyasha pointed quickly up towards the sky. "She's about to blow the two ships apart."

"What?" Miroku raised his head upwards watching the wind demon above them completely baffled.

"No time." Inuyasha cut him off before the younger man could even think to say anything further. "We have to get everyone back onto the Shikuro now!"

Miroku watched the face of the Captain, the unhidden panic something he could honestly say he had never really seen. "Got it!" He agreed, simply because he knew just from the look in those alarmed golden eyes that whatever was about to happen would not be pretty in the least.

-break-

High up above Inuyasha, Miroku, and the Shikuro, Kagura inhaled deeply, the wind rushing around her a beautiful sound to her ears. The sensation of it melted her very soul and she couldn't help but take just a moment to look out into the opened world that was the sky. The crystal clear blue of the heavens with its occasional white fluffy clouds, contrasted heavily with the much darker blue of the Atlantic ocean creating a beautiful portrait that only Kagura could really appreciate fully.

"With these eyes," She whispered to herself as she watched a distant fish burst from the water flinging itself in the air before throwing itself back down. "I can see far better-u than any demon or human alive-e." She smiled slightly at the thought, the wind rushing around her holding her in the air moving faster and faster as it supported her body weight. Normally, the feather would have been a far better option than simply allowing the wind to hold her up but for right now she knew this was simply the easiest method, after all the feather was not in too good of condition from her original arrival on the Thunder. "I need-do get a new one."

The thought stopped dead in Kagura's mind, the eerie realization that it might not be possible in her ever growing short lifetime to do so making her heart clench tightly in her chest. Shaking her head harshly to force the thought out of her mind, Kagura turned her attention away from the sea to the hectic mess down below. Men from both the Thunder and the Shikuro were attempting (in the broadest sense of the word) to return to their original ships as was commanded of them but neither group really understood the impending danger hovering just above their heads.

"Hayaku." Kagura gritted her teeth as she encouraged them to hurry in her native tongue. "Hayaku." She stressed again as she clutched the fan tightly between her fingers bringing it up and back behind her shoulder as she prepared to unleash its true potential on the unsuspecting Shikuro.

For a brief moment, she allowed her eyes to drift to the Captain of the Shikuro, watching as the dog demon yelled orders, screaming at his men to listen and obey. His silver hair reflected in the sun catching Kagura's eyes as well as her own memories. She could just see the much smoother, silkier hair of the older brother reflecting in surprisingly the same exact way. She could see his more delicate face, his smaller chin, and his less expressive eyes. She could just see him as he had been a mere year before and it made her heart start to ache in her chest. That is, it didn't ache for him but for the thought of what he was about to inadvertently do to her.

"This is it-to." She told herself as she held the fan up by her ear a slight wave of fear running from her head to her toes. "After this—," She closed her eyes for just a second before opening them once more, focusing on the ship she had called home for a few months now. She could just see Hiten acting in much the same manner as his counterpart on the Shikuro: yelling commands, screaming at the top of his lungs to be obeyed. Fondness welled in her heart from the sight, fondness she wished didn't exist. "What-to will happen to me?" She asked herself as she bit her lip. "And Hiten-sama?"

The thought of such a thing left a bad taste in her mouth and she instantly shook her head hard to ignore it. This was not the time for such things, perhaps there would never be a time for such things. Either way, Kagura knew she had already waited too long. Blinking slowly, Kagura watched as the last of both groups of crewman managed to finally be convinced to truly retreat. Her expression vacant, the wind demon crossed her arms over her chest and with one loud scream threw them forward and opened with all her might.

Instantly, a burst of wind on par with the strongest hurricane ever to be sailed in hit the Shikuro's sails at full power, throwing it backwards with such force that every crewman regardless of heritage instantly fell to the ground. Not yet finished, Kagura pulled her fan back behind her shoulder, coiling it around her body tightly as she kept her eye on the Shikuro's sails. "Sensu no kaze wa," She spoke clearly, the words of old slipping from her mouth with skills beyond her years. "Shikuro wa," She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes. "Tobu yō!"

Kagura's eyes snapped opened as the final command left her lips. She narrowed her dark ruby eyes, causing them to glimmer in the sunlight like two flaming gemstones before she spun all the way around in one wide and long arch. The fan posed just by her ear flutter for only a moment in the breeze before she swung it forward a gigantic torrent of wind immediately being let loose as if from out of nothing. The wind from Kagura's fans was caught in the sails of the Shikuro instantly, driving the vessel forward and away from the Thunder as if by no will of its own.

Without a second thought, Kagura turned away from the quickly retreating vessel, contorting her body into a tight coil once more as she stared not at the Shikuro but now at the Thunder. " Sensu no kaze ga," She started just as she had the first time, her eyes focused wholly on the demon vessel before her as she inhaled sharply. "Sandā wa tobu yō!"

Once more the wind demon spun around, the tightly coiled fan spinning with her until she flicked out her wrist sending another surge of wind down at the Thunder. Instantly, the sails of the Thunder bulged with the influx of air, catching all of it in their curved grip. Satisfied, Kagura sighed heavily allowing the air around her to begin to ebb as she looked between the two rapidly moving vessels. In a matter of moments, the Shikuro had covered at least two leagues and was no more than a speak on the horizon. The Thunder, in half the time had covered at least a league as well and was quickly leaving her sight.

"I think-u I put too much force-e in that." She told herself absently as she shook her head and closed her lips tightly. "Wind-o should last-to at least a day-y." She calculated in her head absently as she turned her attention to the Shikuro which could no longer even be seen by her eyes. "Shikuro wa," She gulped as a lump formed in her throat. "Inuyasha-sama wa," She closed her eyes the image of the man and not the pup filling her head. "Will be a thousand-u leagues away by morning." Her eyes opened sadly as a slight worry began to form in her stomach that she couldn't ignore. "Where-u will I be?"

She frowned darkly, shaking the thoughts from her head before turning back towards the place the Thunder had disappeared. Smirking ever so slightly as the image of that ship's dark haired Captain filled her brain, she reached for the comb in her hair pulling out the damaged feather that was hidden there. For all of a second, she ran the feather through her fingers staring at its damaged plumage absently.

"Where else would I go?" She asked herself even though the answer was obvious. There really was only one place left that the wind demon ever wanted to go again or that is one face the wind demon really wished to see again.

Smiling sadly, she threw the feather forward watching as it expanded into something at least a hundred times its normal size. It was a sight she had seen perhaps over a million times and yet something about it in this very moment seemed amazing to her. Everything, from the sun in the sky, to the blue of the sea and the wind all around her, seemed amazing in that moment yet limited. It seemed to Kagura that time had finally caught up with her, an action she had been trying to prevent since the advent of obtaining the eyes that currently rested in her head.

"I never-u thought-o this day would come." She bit her lip even as she used the air around herself to propel the feather forward unconsciously. It didn't take long for the Thunder to come back into sight once more but as she stared at the white sails still filled with air she couldn't help but feel apprehension well within her gut at the familiar sight. "My mission—." She tried to think but the daring and forbidding words would not come.

Kagura's mission was finally done.

End of Chapter

Please Review

Edited for Accents 6/6/2013.

A/N: So what the hell is actually going on now lol? Anyway, it seems that Kagura and Kaede's plans are going very well and that Kagura's mission has finally been completed. But what does that mean for the wind enchantress? After all, the Shinigami and her have a deal...a deadly deal. There really is no telling what will happen next! Hope you enjoyed the Chapter.

Bonus Point:

In the anime Naraku has a strange scar on his back, what is the shape of that scar?

Last Chapter's Bonus Point:

There are many words for father in Japanese. Chichiue (Father = very polite), Otou-sama (Dad = very polite but uncommon modernly), Otou-san (Dad = respectful and most common modernly), Tou-san (Daddy = Generally used by little kids), and Oyaji (My Old Man/Pops = Rude and usually used by angry teenagers). The word Chichi is only used when referring to a father in conversation: it is like saying "My father." In other words, you wouldn't say "Konnichiwa Chichi" but instead "Konnichiwa Chichiue" because you are directly addressing him. To use Chichi in a sentence (Unless we're talking DBZ) you would have to say "Sore wa watashi no Chichi desu" or "That is my father." Congrats to the winners!

uTsUKUsHiI kUro NeKo, 14 inu-kag, KittyIchigo1, kan78, Leomae, XxxXAiydan's MommieXxxX, Sharp 8394, L.C., Glon Morski, Word Doc, Saria Forest14, KaUiA

Notes:

Sensu no kaze ga, Shikuro wa tobu yō: Wind of the Fan, make the Shikuro fly.

Sensu no kaze ga, Sandā wa tobu yō: Wind of the Fan, make the Thunder fly.

Next Chapter:

My Mother

See you then!

UNEDITTED

POSTED 2/18/2013