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?

73. Izayoi

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 Seventy Three

Izayoi

"Higher Dadaí!" The girl yelled at the top of her lungs as Eoin swung her around by her arms.

"Paedar catch the pup!" He called towards his older brother as he sent the girl flying, her laughter flowing throughout the clearing loudly.

The older demon turned with bored lips but playful eyes as he extended his arms out and caught the girl easily, swinging her around once before coming to a stop with her cradled against his chest. "Silly child." He mumbled as she laughed, her still tiny fingers grasping at his jacket.

"Seanathair." She laughed into his shirt the Irish word for Grandfather causing him to smile ever so slightly, affection for this tiny person welling in his heart. "Throw me back!" She demanded now in English, switching between the two languages easily as she had been taught. "Come on, Seanathair!" Forcefully, she pulled away from the man, her large brown eyes looking up at him in a way a human never should have. No fear for the wolf holding her tight, when all other's of her kind would have run scared at the sight of him; it was a miracle of sorts.

"I think not." He told her sharply watching amused as she frowned, her face scrunched up in a pout. "Dadaí needs a break but Seanathair Aengus doesn't!" His words came out in a rush as he suddenly swung the girl around, letting go of her so she flew in the air towards the waiting Aengus.

"Oh no!" The man yelled feigning worry as he looked this way and that. "I won't catch her!"

"No!" She screamed even as she laughed loudly, the birds in the area all squawking in true fear of her loud voice as they flew from their perches. "Save me, save me!"

"I got 'er!" Aengus yelled out his voice filled with fake panic as he opened his arms in the shape of a cradle. Waiting only a few seconds, the slight weight of the little girl fell into them and he gasped lowering himself down so as to catch her weight smoothly.

"Seanathair." She giggled loudly as her hands came up around his neck holding onto him for dear life. "No more." She shook her head back and forth as her breath came out in gasps of laughter and just a little fear.

"Was that scary?" Aengus asked as he hugged the little girl, burying his nose into her hair to sniff her over instinctively. Smelling nothing out of the ordinary in her scent he gave her forehead a little lick causing the girl to scrunch up her face and shake her head before nuzzling his chin, a habit not fitting of a human but common to her childhood amongst wolves. Aengus growled playfully at the gesture as he walked towards his adoptive son. "I believe this belongs to you." He mumbled as he pried the girl away from him before plopping her in her father's arms.

"Dadaí." She smiled brightly as she threw her arms around her father's neck holding him tightly as he too gave her a sniff and a slight lick on the side of her head. "Did you see?"

"I sure did," Eoin told her as they started down the path once more, this time at a slow walk. "I was terrified." He shivered as if to reiterate his point, the little girl giggling from the movement.

"I weren't." She told him, as she tugged on the collar of his shirt.

"Wasn't." Paedar gently corrected as he reached over and ruffled the girl's messy black hair. It fell well below her shoulders now, nearly hitting her lower back in length. "We should cut it." He commented evenly as he messed with some of the little strands. "Don't you think, Eion?"

The father of the girl blinked only slightly as he looked at the long tangled mess before glancing at his daughter. "Do you like it long?"

"What long?" The girl blinked at him curiously and tilted her head to the side.

"Your hair silly," Aengus mumbled with a shake of his head, causing the girl to turn and look at him.

"My hair?" She asked for clarification, her other grandfather nodding slowly to give it to her. "I haven't 'hought of it." She pursed her lips slowly in thought and reached a hand up to touch the tangled mop on her head. "Okay." She told the three men with a slight shrug not really caring either way but agreeing with them out of habit.

"Then its settled." Paedar nodded sharply as he walked alongside Eoin's right shoulder, sending a glance towards Aengus who walked along the boys left. "We'll cut it, I guess claws will be okay?"

"Isn't that a bit primitive?" Eoin interjected as he held the girl a little tighter and gave his brother a slight glare.

"If you haven't noticed," Paedar told him with a chuckle as he watched his brother hold onto the little whelp protectively. "We're living a bit primitive," He paused for just a second before shrugging his shoulders with a bright smile. "Comparatively speaking, of course."

"Compared to the demons up in the hills you mean?" Aengus quirked an eyebrow even as he yawned and took a seat on a nearby rock.

"Did you think I was comparing myself to humans?" The oldest of the group frowned darkly as he spoke, the humor leaving his face for only a second.

The sound of the little girl in Eoin's arms suddenly gasping drew the three men's focus back on her immediately. The tiny expression that met them was completely terrified, large brown eyes wide with such fright that it made all three wolves instantly go up in arms. Desperately, Paedar searched the wooded area to their right and the fields to their left, his nose twitching as he tried to smell anything out of the ordinary on the breeze.

"I don't smell anything." Aengus spoke quietly as he stood from the rock and made his way over towards the young Eoin, presenting his body as a shield for the youth and his precious charge.

"Can ya feel anything?" Eoin asked as he put all his weight in his toes, ducking his body down, prepared to spring at any moment in order to protect the toddler.

"I don't feel nothing." Aengus shook his head and turned just his eyes towards Izayoi, studying the expression on the girls face. She looked white as a sheet, terrified, and oddly older than he had ever seen her. Slowly, the girl blinked, her eyes opening once more with such calmness overcoming them that Aengus actually turned his entire head intrigued. "Izayoi?" He whispered the girl's name, the sound of his voice drawing Eoin and Paedar towards him.

"Something's coming." The young girl suddenly spoke turning to look at her grandfather with chillingly focused and calm eyes. "I can feel it."

Watching Izayoi's strikingly calm face, Paedar made a hasty decision. "Get to the trees." He commanded his pack, the people in question instantly springing into motion.

The sound of the leaves under their feet and the grass as it parted to make way for them filled the air loudly. Every instinct in the three men screamed at the loud noise, telling them to stop, take their time and fight for their ground however, the little bundle made them dart on to the protection of the trees. A human pup was fragile, far more fragile than a wolf pup, and they were not about to risk her safety if it meant merely following primitive instincts. They broke into the forest within seconds, ducking down into the trees, camouflaging themselves amongst the brown greenery as best they could.

"It's here." Izayoi's whisper caused all three men to duck down even further, looking below the shrubs instead of above them.

Out in the distance, almost out of their sight completely, a black speck formed on the horizon. "I see it." Aengus frowned as he pushed himself down a little lower. "How did I not sense it?" He turned his eyes towards the unnaturally quiet child. "I always sense danger coming—maybe it's not dangerous, could that be why?" He turned his eyes back towards the animal, watching as it crossed into the field they had just been in moments before.

Hidden in the shrubs beside Aengus, Eoin watched as the small dog ran through the grass, his silver eyes scrutinizing every movement with complete and utter focus. On the whole, it looked no different than a typical mutt that was common to Ireland, however, they usually could only be found in the vicinities of a village. "We're nowhere near a village." He thought as he shifted Izayoi's weight, keeping her in a tight hold so he could easily spring away at any time should he need too.

Licking his lips, Paedar too kept his eye on the dog but his was a far more knowledgeable eye than either Aengus' or Eoin's. "A Cúnna Dorchadas." He spoke as quietly as he could, watching as the beast continued on having not heard a word.

Eoin turned towards his brother surprised by the words and narrowed his eyes. "What's that?"

"A type of shape shifting demon native to Ireland." Paedar informed quietly as he pushed himself a little closer to his pack so as to talk quieter. "They're normally not too dangerous unless you provoke them."

Aengus sighed at the man's words, understanding why he had not felt danger in the least. "He probably has no bad intentions." He told himself even as a gnawing feeling still settled in his gut. Turning just his eyes towards Eoin, he looked at the little girl nestled tightly in his hold. "How did she know it was coming, though—and why did she look so scared?" He wondered silently to himself as he turned his attention back towards the beast that was now just making its way south of their current position, towards another forest edge.

"The puppy," Izayoi spoke suddenly, the sound of her little voice startling all three men. "It's glowing."

"What?" Eoin narrowed his eyes and turned back towards the Cúnna Dorchadas watching it silently. "I don't see a glow, dear one." He told her with a shake of his head determining that she was simply being imaginative and not serious.

"He glow'd, I saw the glow." Izayoi put her fist in her mouth, chewing on it as she had as a small whelp. "It 'care'ed me." She added, her words now catching her guardians completely off guard.

"What kind of glow was it Izayoi?" Paedar pressed, turning his head away from the Cúnna Dorchadas so he could study his granddaughter.

"It's whole head," The little girl answered as she pulled her fist from her mouth to talk. "It got'd all bright."

Aengus gulped from the little girls words and turned back to Paedar worriedly. "Do Cúnna Dorchadas normally glow like that?" He asked and Paedar merely shrugged as if he did not know before turning back to the clearing.

"It's gone." He spoke hastily and pushed himself more upright. "Shit," He bit his lip quickly, eyes scanning the horizon fast. "I took my eyes off it for just a second and its gone."

"It probably just went into those woods." Eoin soothed as he held Izayoi a little tighter and licked his lips nervously. Even Eoin knew that there was only a slim chance his words were the truth.

'Not pack—danger.'

The blood ran cold in all three wolves veins as the growling sound of a demon speaking in canine tongue entered their ears. The three wolf demon's jumped back to their feet in terror as the commanding growl filled the air. Immediately Eoin jumped as far away from the creature as possible landing in the field with Izayoi pressed against his chest. Paedar and Aengus jumped back as well but nowhere near as far, creating a barrier between the demon creature and the two pack pups, as they were.

What had once looked like simply a normal dog had now turned into a monstrous giant. It stood nearly to the top of the tree branches its eyes bright red and its mouth opened, revealing countless razor sharp fangs dripping with its own saliva. Raising up its head, it growled menacingly, the wolf demons once again able to understand the language of their kind. 'Smell danger here,' It growled low in its throat as it took a step forward its large paws shaking the earth beneath its feet. 'Get out!' It snarled, spit flinging off its teeth as it did, the sound so loud that Izayoi began to cry as she held on desperately to her father.

Terrified for his child, Eoin took a step back, holding her to him as tightly as he could. Instinct told him that his brother and Aengus needed him, that he was old enough to help them fight and that it was his responsibility to stay. His heart however, told him to run and never look back. Digging his heels into the dirt his instincts and his heart pushing him in two different directions; Eoin began to panic. "What do I do?" He asked himself as he shifted his weight into the balls of his feet, resisting the urge to jump. "I can't leave them—Paedar, Aengus—I can't just leave them to face this alone." He whined in the back of his throat, the sound actually reaching his brother's tense ears.

"What the hell are you still doing here!" His brother yelled, the sound of his voice causing the giant creature in front of them to snarl and lift itself off its front paws to its hind legs. "Run, Eoin, now!"

Not able to disobey a command from his alpha, Eoin turned and ran, his legs moving faster than any human could ever hope to move. In his arms Izayoi cried, her tears actually soaking through his shirt to his skin. Behind him, he heard the battle cry of his brother and Aengus, followed by the loud snarl of the Cúnna Dorchadas as if began to charge. Eoin nearly lost his footing as the beast ran sending tremors through the earth from its immense weight. "Keep running," He told himself even as self-hatred began to form in his chest. "Just keep running at least to the trees."

Behind him, Paedar found himself running as well, dodging the immense paws of the giant beast. "I don't understand," He yelled towards Aengus as one of the paws came crashing down to his left. Expertly he jumped and dodged it sailing through the air for a second, silver eyes trained on the giant raging beast. "Cúnna Dorchadas' are never like this!" He gasped as the creature moved faster than seemed possible for something its size and snapped at him. Twisting in mid air, he managed to push himself until he could land on the creatures muzzle, narrowly escaping its large fangs. Putting all his weight into his toes, he then shoved off the beast's snot. Propelling himself into the air and out of the immediate reach of the giant razor sharp teeth, he narrowed his eyes. "This doesn't make any sense?" He thought, his mind moving at a surprisingly calm rate.

"What the hell is wrong with this thing?!" Aengus yelled as the dog snarled at them loudly, taking one of its giant paws and sweeping it right towards him. The wolf demon, who had never really been one to fight, saw the paw coming right for him and prepared to take the hit when he should have fled. He realized his mistake too late however, and before he could even hope to dodge the paw he felt it connect with his whole body.

"Aengus!" Paedar screamed the name, terror mounting in his every nerve as he watched the man he cared for most fly through the air.

'Lesser male die.' The dog howled as it watched Aengus' body hit the ground with a loud crash before continuing to slide across the dirt, digging up grass and flowers as he did.

Eoin, having made it to the trees on the other side of the clearing, a relatively safe distance from the fight, felt his heart plummet in his chest as he watched Aengus finally come to a halt. "No!" He screamed as Izayoi continued to cry in his arms. "No—no—no." He babbled unable to say anything else as tears formed in his eyes. "Come on Aengus," He pleaded even though the small man had yet to move. "Get up—you have to get up."

Eoin and Paedar both were far too occupied with the sight of Aengus' lifeless body, to bother noticing when the bright red eyes of the Cúnna Dorchadas turned towards the safe trees that housed Eoin and Izayoi. It's daringly narrowed red eyes watched as Eoin took a step forward out of the safety of the brush, the babe clutched tightly to himself crying loudly. 'Kill—danger—kill.' The dog let the whine leave its throat loudly, the sound bringing the grieving Paedar back to reality.

The oldest of their small pack turned his grief stricken eyes towards the Cúnna Dorchadas, expecting it to be facing him and prepared to strike another death blow. The large dog creature much to Paedar's horror was not facing him however, but had set its sight on his baby brother and his grandchild. "No." The word slipped from his mouth sounding wholly unreal to him. "Your fights with me!" He screamed as he pushed himself off of the ground straight towards the beast.

Claws extended he slashed at the beast's back, cutting into its fur and deep inside its skin causing blood to splatter across his face. The Cúnna Dorchadas roared from the pain and with a snarl turned back towards Paedar slashing out with its claws violently. Paedar dodged the attack by the skin of his teeth, despite being blinded by the creatures blood, and twisted his body allowing the giant clawed paw to move just underneath him.

Watching from his safe spot in the trees, Eoin felt his heart pound harshly against his rib cage. "I have to help—I can't just sit here watching." The weight of Izayoi in his arms made his heart ache in his chest. "Damn it." He mumbled as he pulled his daughter tighter against him. The feel of her little hands digging into his skin, seeking comfort, made his decision even harder. "I'm sorry Izayoi." He whispered before pulling the girl away from him harshly and depositing her on the ground.

"Dadaí!" The girl screamed and cried reaching her arms out to grab for him in fear.

"Izayoi." Eoin started to comfort her but the sound of his brother's sudden scream made his heart harden for just that one moment. "Stay here!" He commanded as he pushed her away treating her as any wolf demon would treat a pup in a situation such as this.

"No." She cried and reached for him but Eoin ignored the plaintiff action with a firm command.

"Obey." He growled the command darkly causing the girls eyes to open wide and watery. Unlike a normal human child she understood the severity of the command completely. Still hiccupping she nodded her head and grabbed for a nearby tree, hugging it to herself for comfort. "Good girl." Eoin nodded towards her before turning his attention back towards the fight at hand just in time to see his brother finally fail to dodge an oncoming attack. "Shit!" He cursed and jumped into action, running back across the field as if he was not a wolf but a bird preparing to take flight.

Paedar's body flew through the air but unlike Aengus, years of training to be a knight kicked in just in time to save him from a similar fate. Opening his eyes painfully, he stared at the sky just long enough to deduce that he was indeed flying facing upwards before he flipped his body in midair. Pushing his weight down to his feet, he dug the balls of his bare feet into the forest floor, the claws on each one of his toes digging into the dirt slowly stopping his momentum. He didn't miss the sound of a few of his ribs snapping from the impact alone and he gasped from the pain that shot throughout his body.

"Damn it." He thought as he tried to inhale but found his breathing already drastically compromised. "That's not good." He told himself as he tried to stand only to find the pain in his side momentarily paralyzing. "I need at least a minute or so before they heal enough to move." He realized, fear coursing through his body. "That's time I don't have!" With that thought circling in his mind, he snapped his head up to look back at his opponent only to find the Cúnna Dorchadas was staring down not him but Eoin. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" He tried to scream even as his ribs ached from the attempt.

The youngest of the wolf demons ignored the struggled sound as he stood in front of the large creature his eyes focused intently on the demon dog before him. "Focus." He told himself even as his palms grew sweaty and his hair began to stand on end. "Just stand yer ground, Eoin, stand yer ground."

The roar of the Cúnna Dorchadas filled the air causing the very leaves on the trees to shake with unrealized fear. 'Move!' It took a step forward towards Eoin who spread his feet a little wider in response keeping his footing firm.

'No!' He growled back in a language the demon undoubtedly understood.

'Die!' The demon quickly amended, its eyes flashing even darker red in the afternoon light. Leaping forward it raised one of its front paws preparing to hit Eoin square in the face.

Clumsy from never having fought before, Eoin barely found time to dodge the demon's paw. Pushing his feet off the ground he sailed through the air relieved that he had managed to dodge at least one ferocious paw. Unfortunately, it was at that moment that youth and lack of experience got the best of him.

"Eoin!"

He heard his brother scream just in time to turn and see the demon's other paw swinging right towards him. "Sh—," He nearly cursed right as the paw managed to hit the side of his leg, sending him spinning like a top into the ground. Luckily, the second attack was nowhere near as powerful as the first because the demon had not been patient enough to wait until it had firm footing to hit. Still, the splitting of pain in Eoin's leg was enough to make the boy think twice about standing up. "Come on," He tried to motivate himself. "Stand up—you can't stop now—how pathetic is that?"

'Danger—.'

The demon word hung in the air, surrounding Eoin and Paedar as they both tried to move. Raising their heads they watched in complete horror as the demon began to move away from them, its eyes focused on something else it found far more threatening.

'Pup.'

Eoin felt his heart stop in his chest as he watched the dog move with strides large enough to cover the entirety of the field with only a few steps. "No!" He yelled at himself, forcing himself back to his feet with strength and persistence he didn't know he had. Shoving himself forward he ran towards the beast without hesitation, extending his claws to rip into the demon's back. The feel of flesh being sliced through and of fur and skin underneath his nails assaulted his senses. "Got him." He thought, his weight beginning to drift back down to the ground, only to find the demon was still moving as if nothing had happened at all.

'Kill.'

"Izayoi!" Eoin screamed the world seeming to go still as the little girl, his five year old little girl looked out from her spot by the tree. "Run!" He yelled, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he saw her entire life pass before his eyes. Shoving himself forward, he tried desperately to reach her. Out of the corner of his eye he could just see his brother doing the same, the same look of complete desperation, fear, pain, and horror crossing his every feature.

The sound of the Cúnna Dorchadas yelping hit Eoin's ears drawing him back to his daughter and away from his brother. The demon dog had stopped moving, its body instead floundering backwards as the girl raised her hand, her eyes closed tightly and her cheeks stained with tears.

'Danger!' It bellowed the word just as a blinding white light surrounded both the child and the demon.

"What's happening?" Eoin screamed as he found himself being pushed away by the sheer intensity of the light in front of his eyes.

"I don't know." Paedar yelled back as he shielded his eyes from the light, turning away from it as it grew brighter and brighter filling the whole of the clearing with its intensity.

"Paedar?"

The faint sound of Aengus's voice forced Paedar to open his eyes just long enough to see the other man finally sitting up on the ground very much alive. "Don't move." He yelled even as relief filled every single part of his body.

Then as suddenly as the light had sparked into life, it disappeared. Blinking from the pain of the brightness, three sets of demon eyes turned back towards the spot where Izayoi had stood only moments before. Amazed by what they saw, those three pairs of eyes were quickly joined by three opened mouths.

"I'm sorry puppy." Izayoi spoke as she approached a much smaller version of their earlier attacker. One of her hands reached up for the dogs little ears rubbing them gently. The dog barked slightly in return, whining in the back of its throat little sounds for sorry and thanks. Izayoi continued to pet it for a second, scratching behind its ears before she suddenly stood. The Cúnna Dorchadas whined in response but Izayoi merely shook her head before offering it a little wave. "Bye bye." She told it and the dog seemed to completely understand, turning heel and running away from her quickly.

Coming out of his shock, Eoin ran towards his daughter passing the dog as it ran in the opposite direction without a single care. "Izayoi!" He called, his voice coming across as taunt and panicked as he grabbed for the girl, pulling her towards him and holding her tight against his chest. Instinctively, he sniffed her over, his nose brushing against her hair, ears, and cheeks causing her to giggle. "She's okay." He told himself as her normal unharmed scent washed over him. "Thank god." He sighed into the side of her cheek as his heart rate began to return to normal.

"Is she okay?" Aengus asked as he finally pushed himself into a sitting position, his face already badly bruised from where the Cúnna Dorchadas had hit him.

"Yes, she smells fine." Eoin answered with a little grateful nod of his head. "And you?"

"I'll live." He answered even as Paedar approached him and knelt down at his side.

The slightly older wolf demon shook his head slowly as he ran a hand over Aengus' bruised face gingerly. "You say that but—," He paused as he watched Aengus wince when his fingertips pressed into the bruised flesh a little too hard. "That's gonna hurt for a while." His voice was tight as he spoke but his expression was filled only with worry and concern.

Aengus sent him a reassuring smile and with a rather large grunt, used Paedar's shoulder to bring himself back to his feet. At first, his legs shook and his head spun from a combination of the loss of adrenaline and standing too soon. With a hiss he closed his eyes, using Paedar to steady himself for a moment.

"Aengus?" Paedar asked softly as he watched the man try to gain his composure. In response, Aengus merely held up one finger as if to request just a second more of peace before he answered any questions.

Sure enough, just a second later he opened his eyes blinking several times. "I'm okay." He told them as he removed his hand from Paedar's shoulder and looked towards Eoin, his eyes landing on the little girl wrapped up in Eoin's arms. Instantly, his eyes narrowed and he took a tentative step forward towards the girl. "What's that you've got there?" He asked causing the other two men to look at her expectantly.

Raising her eyes towards her family, Izayoi held up her palm for the three wolf demons to see. There sitting in the middle of her pudgy fingers was a tiny jewel, glowing a faint whitish pink color. "The glow." She said as she fingered the little piece of jewelry. "This is what glowed." She held up the small gemstone, the three demons watching her with horror surfacing in their matching silver eyes.

"Is that?" Eoin asked as he looked at the little gem. He had heard the tale of it back in his mother's nursery when he had still been living in the safety of his father's domain of England. This was the first time he had ever seen one in person, however.

"It is." Paedar replied unsteadily as he watched the gem sparkle. "Father said only—only the gifted can find them."

"You mean—?" Aengus whispered as he held onto Paedar, still slightly to unsteady on his feet to stand alone. "She's a priestess." He didn't need to wait for Paedar to confirm his words, he knew them to be true.

"Shit." Paedar cursed, the word completely foreign to his tongue outside of the heat of battle. Priestesses were not something to be trifled with and they were certainly not something that demons put up with for long. "The dog probably wanted to attack her because he knew—I don't know how but he knew." He frowned darkly as he held onto Aengus both to support the man and to support himself. "If any demon finds out about this—."

"No!" Eoin growled low in his throat at the very suggestion as he pulled the girl a little tighter into his arms. "We can't let that happen."

"You're right." Paedar nodded his head sharply, Eoin's eyes going wide with fear. "There's only one solution." He continued as he watched his granddaughter.

"You wouldn't." Eoin protested as he held the child a little tighter to himself.

Paedar sent him a gentle smile. "No—I wouldn't." He confirmed as he took a step forward, supporting Aengus carefully. "It means we need to settle down."

"Huh?" Both Aengus and Eoin looked at him in complete shock.

"Demons are dangerous to this child." He spoke firmly as he reached Eoin and Izayoi. "To keep her safe we should stop wandering and settle down where she'll be safe." He finished as he lowered Aengus down to the ground once more beside Eoin.

"But—," Eoin eyes shown with unshed tears as the very thought of what his brother meant surfaced in his head. "She'll only be safe amongst her own kind."

"Then maybe we should live with her kind." Paedar shrugged as he spoke, as if the suggestion was obvious.

"But—." Aengus tried to argue as he looked at the little girl his own heart breaking as he thought about what Paedar was saying. "Can we do that?"

"I hear Dublin's become quite the big community." Paedar spoke in way of answer, a slight smile on his face as he sat down beside Aengus and groaned from the pain in his ribs. "And they're close to the sea so they're used to seeing demons—," His eyes turned towards Izayoi and her tightly closed fist that contained a piece of the gem of legend. "We'll be able to protect her there—keep her hidden, safe and happy."

-Ten Years Later-

Izayoi stood at the bar of The Three Scalawags Tavern, resting her elbow against the counter and her cheek against the hand connected to the elbow. Mellow brown eyes, the same color as a chestnut stared out one of the white trimmed windows watching as rain pelted against the expensive glass her father and grandfather's had somehow manage to recently purchase. Heavy hearted she sighed and closed her eyes: images of green fields, Irish lilies, forest edges, and wild flowers haunting her vision. She smiled faintly at the sight, her toes tapping with anticipation against the floor, as if the sight in her head was reality and she could actually move within it.

Inhaling deeply as if to smell the flowers, trees and grass her eyes snapped opened bringing her back into reality. "Damn." She whispered into the thick musty air of the tavern, the doors and windows closed so no rain water would come in. "What a boring day." She thought as she reached into her shirt producing a small gemstone on a pretty gold chain. Absently, she fingered the object with one hand while holding up her head with the other. "Why did I have to stay at the bar today?" She grumbled internally as she glanced at the two occupants of the tavern her exasperation growing from the sight. "That's just wrong." She growled to herself, unwittingly speaking in a language neither man could have possibly understood. Even after ten years of living in Dublin, she still preferred to speak English as her father had originally taught her, despite being fluent in Gaelic as well.

The sound of the door opening made her perk up instantly, pulling her chin off the counter in order to straighten up. The sight that greeted her caught her completely off guard. A man just a bit taller than herself stood in the doorway, his silver hair dampened from the rain and his gold eyes looking tired from an extensive journey.

"Demon." She whispered softly to herself as the two occupants of the bar grew unnaturally still. Demon's were not a normal sight in Dublin these days, not with the constant wars between the British royal demons and the humans of Ireland. "Why would a demon be here?" She asked out loud not expecting her words to cause the man's ears to twitch and his eyes to snap in her direction. "Oops." She squeaked as the demon laid eyes on her. It was not that she was scared of demons, her own father was a demon however, that same father had always told her to never trust another demon as long as she was alive. "I don't really understand why; but I'm not about to question it."

His eyes stared at her as he held onto the door handle not letting it go as he watched her. "Sugoi." He whispered out the word, the strange language catching her off guard.

"Can I," She spoke in English, hoping his own word had been merely London slang she had never heard. "Help you?" She hesitated not sure if he would understand her.

The man blinked as if coming out of a stupor and shook his head hastily. "Um—," He brought his hand up to his face and coughed into it slightly as he cleared his throat. "Hello."

"So it was English." Izayoi thought with relief as she offered him a tight smile. "Hello." She replied evenly and bit her lip causing it to turn red. "You're not from around here are you? You're British, right?" She eyed him somewhat accusingly as the two men sitting a little ways away stood from their chairs. Eyes flashing towards them, she merely had to lift her hand for the two men to sit back down once more before turning back to the stranger.

"No." He answered her promptly when he noticed her eyes back on himself. "I just—I know English." He stammered as he spoke, actually finding himself unable to think straight with all her attention on himself. "My first language's actually—well—different, really different."

"Is that so?" Izayoi let the tension in her shoulder ebb, relaxing somewhat, "Good—he's not some bastard from across the pond." Mellowing tremendously, she sent him an almost devilish smirk as she leaned forward on the bar with one elbow. "So how'd you come to speak English so finely?"

"A trader I met," The man offered as he watched her bright lips as if hypnotized. "He taught me—been almost twenty years now."

"Well," She smiled slyly and pushed herself away from the bar with grace unfitting of a human. "Did the trader teach you how to order a drink?"

"Yes," He smiled at the girl feeling downright struck by her carefree nature. All the women he had ever known were small and timid, dainty things meant to please and impress, not think and diffidently not taunt. "Do you have any ale?"

Izayoi smiled feigning that she was impressed before smirking teasingly. "What kind?"

The man blinked quickly from her words. "I—um—," He stuttered feeling an absolute idiot for having done so. "I rule an entire empire for crying out loud!" He yelled at himself even as her pretty smile made his palms sweat. "I don't really know."

She tilted her head back and promptly laughed at him as he struggled. "Don't worry so much, we've only one." She waved at him mockingly and turned around towards a large wooden keg already opened. Grabbing a glass off the back shelf she dipped it into the keg easily before swinging herself back around and slamming it on the table. "Best in Dublin—my father makes it himself." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, the sight making the man across from her smile, the amused look on his face making her blush.

"So," He spoke carefully as he reached up and touched the edge of the glass with the tip of his finger where some of the suds from the beer had run over. "How much I owe you?" He asked as he reached into his pocket with his other hand, the sound of coins moving against his fingers loud.

The girl hesitated for a moment, her brown eyes seeming to twinkle as she looked at him. "It's on the house," She began to say before raising a hand to stop him from thanking her prematurely. "If you'll answer me one question."

He dropped his hand down to the bar table once more, tilting his head to the side. "Hm?"

Leaning forward, Izayoi licked her lips slowly, preparing herself for what she was about to say. "Why's your neck glowing?"

"Huh?" He blinked in surprise, his free hand immediately going to the spot around his neck where he kept a small glass container tucked underneath his clothes. "How did you?"

"I recognized the glow, seen it once or twice before." She leaned on her elbow at the bar once again.

The man's eyes grew wide as he watched her, his mind processing quickly what she had just said. "You can see them." He whispered but it was a statement not a question.

Before Izayoi could respond to the strange words, the sound of her own father behind her made both her and the man jump.

"Izayoi?"

She turned quickly away from him looking pretty much scared half to death. "Dadaí." She whispered out the word, bringing her hand up to her chest to still her rapidly beating heart.

Watching the exchange, the man tilted his head to the side as he heard the strange name. "People have such weird names in the west." He thought to himself even as the blazing eyes of whom he assumed was the owner of the tavern (or at least her boss) met his own.

Eoin didn't look at his daughter, his eyes focused solely on the demon standing at the bar. "Is he bothering you?" He asked, his voice tight as he made eye contact with the other man.

"No not at all." Izayoi smiled at her father good naturedly but Eoin didn't seem to care much for the words.

Narrowing his eyes and deliberately sniffing the air, Eoin sent the man a horrible taunt and menacing frown. "What's your name boy?"

The man standing on the other side of the counter straighten, squaring off his shoulders tightly. "Inutaisho." He answered, while narrowing his own eyes not liking the look on the other demons face at all.

"And what," Eoin continued on as he sent the boy what could only be constituted as a death glare. "Is your business with Izayoi?"

"Excuse me for being blunt," Inutaisho smirked as he talked, his own arrogance from being the emperor of a whole country causing him to speak without thinking. "But why would a demon," He motioned towards Eoin, truly confused as to why a demon would defend a barmaid so deliberately. "Care about a little minx barmaid?" He flicked his wrist towards Izayoi watching as her own eyes turned almost black with anger. "Shit." He cursed as he realized the repercussions of his words. Before he could open his mouth to either apologize or try to otherwise make light of what he had just said however, a hand firmly connected with his face.

"How dare you!" Izayoi screamed her whole face red with rage as she literally punched her insulter with a firm right hook. "I'm not just some little minx," She practically spat the words into his face. "Barmaid—you—you," She closed her eyes as if trying to come up with an appropriate insult. "You arrogant, pompous, twat."

Inutaisho would forever remember that being the day his face was pummeled by a not so little and extremely feisty barmaid.

-break-

"Ah, the look on his face when Izayoi punched him." Eoin mumbled nostalgically as he leaned back in his chair with a laugh. "Best day of my life as a father."

Sitting to his right Aengus shook his head and laughed with him. "I wish I would have been there."

"I can't believe," Inuyasha spoke, his mouth wide opened as he listened to the story of his father and mother; a story he had never heard. "My mother punched him—she punched him." The dog demon shook his head slowly back and forth as he tried to comprehend what he had just heard.

Across the table Sango nodded her head in agreement with Inuyasha. "Any woman, living in those times," She spoke amazed and envious of the woman she had never known; her grandmother-in-law. "She must have had—," She paused for a second in thought. "I don't even know what she must have had to've done such a thing."

"It was the way she was raised." Kagome spoke up next to Sango as she smiled slightly. "Wasn't it?" She turned towards the other three demons at the table all of them focusing on her as she spoke. "You raised her to be strong."

"I guess we did." Paedar spoke up for the first time, his face a simple sweet expression of approval for Kagome's words. "I will admit, in many aspects we failed to raise her properly—for a woman." He snorted even as Eoin opened his mouth to protest. "However," He cut off his brother with a flick of his wrist. "As a person, we couldn't have raised her more right."

"If it was up to me," Sango crossed her arms over her chest at his words. "All women would have guts like that." She blinked at her own words, a spark forming in her eyes. "That's the word—," She snapped her fingers and pointed towards Kagome. "She had guts."

"One day every woman will have guts like that." Inuyasha smiled at Sango as he agreed with one curt nod before turning back to his grandfather and great-grandfathers. "So," He licked his lips, hesitating to speak for only a moment. "My father—seems like he was looking for the jewels, right?"

"He was." Eoin nodded slightly before going ahead and finishing Inuyasha's thought. "And your mother was the only priestess he had ever met," He inhaled slowly looking down at the table as if debating with himself. "Who could see the jewels without aid."

Kagome blinked slightly as she listened to Eoin's words. Even as she had been listening to the story she had thought the ability astounding. "I can't even do that." She told to herself, a feeling of inferiority settling in her stomach. "To be able to see them with nothing and at such a young age." She bit her lip nervously, her fingers twitching as they rested on her lap. "That seems so—impossible."

"Inutaisho went on to tell us that he had made it his life's purpose to collect the jewels." Paedar took over the conversation as he leaned forward and rested both his elbows on the table. "At first we thought his intentions were poor but as it turned out," He tapped his chin with his hand as he spoke: a nervous habit. "Your father was collecting them to destroy them." His eyes turned sad for a moment as he looked at the grains of wood on the table. "Since Izayoi could see them so easily, he wanted her to complete the task with him."

"And after that first impression you just let her go with him?" Miroku's eyes went wide in disbelief, which was matched by the other humans and half demon at the table.

"At first we didn't." Aengus spoke this time as he picked up his cup of 'tea' sipping at it slowly. "Took the boy nearly two years to even convince us to let Izayoi go with him." He snorted loudly as he sat the cup back down. "And the only reason we really allowed it was because of Myoga, his retainer." He smiled at the mention of the name, a fond look growing on his face. "Good man," He added softly, before shaking his head and starting up firm again. "Promised to take good care of her."

"Besides even that," Eoin took over as he fingered his half empty mug of ale slowly. "She wanted to go."

"Spoiled pup she was." Paedar spoke up with a tight voice his hands now resting flat against the wooden surface. "We could never say no to her. She begged and pleaded," He tapped his claws against the surface of the table deliberately rough. "And we—we gave in." Stilling his hands, the demon brought them away from the table and up to his neck rubbing it as if to relieve stress. "It was only supposed to be a year." He laughed but the sound wasn't mirthful in the least. "But a year turned into two and two to four and four to eight—I can't even remember how many times we thought of dropping everything and going after 'em."

"And then one day," Aengus took over this time causing everyone at the table to snap their heads around towards him. "Out of nowhere she showed up on our doorstep," His lips were taunt as he spoke causing his words to come out so quietly that they were barely heard. "Myoga and Totosai in tow and you," He looked towards Inuyasha his expression going from tight to fond. "A little pup of six in her arms."

Eoin smiled the same fond smile as Aengus as well before looking out across the table. "She told us that they had married and had you."

"I don't think in that order." Paedar growled slightly from Eoin's side with a prompt snort and eye roll.

Shaking his head, Eoin ignored his brother as he looked back at the three humans and his grandson. "She also said that something had gone wrong where they were living."

Inuyasha nodded his head and leaned back in his seat his gold eyes looking intently at the wood of the table. "Sesshoumaru," He began to speak adding in his part of the conversation. "Wanted to overthrow Otou-san, um, that is," He cleared his throat and reached a hand up to the back of his head rubbing at his neck. "Father's—kingdom."

Sitting across from him, Kagome as well as Sango and Miroku sat on the edge of their seats. An air of disbelief hovered just above their heads as they watched Inuyasha pause to compose his words. It didn't seem possible but in that very moment they all knew something important was about to be said. That is, something even more important than simply the identity of the man who had forged the compass. It seemed that a whole world of information was about to be released to them, information they could only have hoped to learn at any other time before.

Licking his lips, Miroku sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "So you hate Sesshoumaru for overthrowing the kingdom." He thought his ears twitching so anxiously that he did not even realize the significance of what had just echoed in his mind.

Luckily, Sango had:

"Wait a second," The girl sitting next to his right shoulder interrupted the conversation as she narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "Kingdom?" She repeated the word slowly, the sound of it on her lips projecting into Kagome and Miroku's ears. The two other humans turned towards Sango watching her as they registered slowly what was being said. "We're missing a very key feature of that sentence." Sango went on to say as she focused on the Captain, watching as the man ducked his head slightly as if he had not wanted to draw such attention to himself. "Your father had a Kingdom?"

"A—um," Inuyasha refused to look at them as he carefully worded his next sentence. "I'll explain later I promise."

"No," Kagome stopped him from his excuse, her word coming across so bluntly that it made Inuyasha raise his head in surprise. The two made eye contact and for several seconds the table grew quiet while Kagome and Inuyasha stared at each other. "Explain now." She demanded and much to everyone's surprise after several seconds of continuing to stare at Kagome, Inuyasha sighed heavily and actually did just as she asked.

"My father was," He looked directly at her his expression neither apologetic or worried, simply focused on her. "Tenshi of Nihon." At the sight of Kagome's scrunched up face Inuyasha quickly moved to correct himself. "Emperor—," He told them waiting until understanding dawned on her face before continuing. "He was the emperor of Nihon, the place I was born."

"You're royalty—an heir to a throne?" Kagome asked, her heart actually sinking to the bottom of her stomach as fear gripped her from head to toe. Royals were not allowed to marry commoners, in any country that had to be true. And that meant, her relationship with him was nothing more than a fraud, something for him to do until the princess came along and heirs were made.

"I'm not an heir." Inuyasha told her bluntly, allowing only a small sigh of relief to escape her before he continued. "I'm probably not even in the line, if the current ruler has his way."

"I think I need to lie down." Kagome thought as her mind grew dizzy, her head actually spinning to the point that she too closed her eyes.

"Sesshoumaru, you remember the man who commissioned the compass, it said he was the current ruler—Inu-no-Taisho." He cleared his throat and closed his eyes not wanting to finish his sentence but knowing he had to. "He's the man who wanted my father's throne," Inuyasha pushed himself, forcing himself to speak despite how uncomfortable he was with the entirety of the situation. "The man who contacted me through Kagura—my um," He paused as the direction of his words made all three humans instantly tense. "My half brother by my father."

"What the hell?" The words fell from Miroku's mouth before he could even try to stop them. "You're fucking royalty and your brother's on the fucking throne." Miroku slammed his hands on the table as the pain grew throughout him. "I know nothing—I know absolutely nothing about you." He growled low in his throat as he looked at his father. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I didn't think it was important." Inuyasha argued as he pushed himself up, standing from the table anxiously. "I'm just an illegitimate to the throne, I hold no standing." He babbled as he began to pace the floor not liking one bit that Miroku was now looking at him with different eyes, weary eyes. "My parents were married but—my mother was human. The demons there didn't want a half breed bastard on a throne." He told them as he stopped moving and brought his hands up to cover his face for a moment. "I'm nothing to that country—I don't even exist to them." He snapped out the words, his voice loud in the small kitchen. "Shit, Sesshoumaru probably had my name erased from all record, that damn bastard always cursed the day I was born." The anger in his voice was loud in the room and obvious, but the pain underneath it was evident to only those who knew him well. "So forgive me if I didn't want to tell you about the brother who sees me as nothing more than an illegitimate half breed—," He growled in frustration before throwing his hands in the air. "Fuck!"

The room grew silent as the truth finally came out, the only sound Inuyasha's own panting as he accepted his own reality. All three of his grandfather's watched silently as the pain hit the boy's eyes, those three who knew him so well seeing it as surprisingly plain and opened. They, better than the humans present, understood the turmoil of the half demon as well as the misunderstanding and neglect they typically experienced. It was no easy life. It was a life of hatred, of violence, and pain. Inuyasha's life had been no exception to that rule. The young man had known the pain first hand as a child and probably most unfortunately, it had been at the hand of his own brother. Such hatred produced not only emotional turmoil and distrust but, more importantly, it produced the need for secrets. Secrets about blood, history, family, and one's very life. Secrets that were meant to protect, but often, seemed to kill.

Finally catching his breath, Inuyasha looked down at the floor, hating himself for his own outburst. "Damn it." He screamed internally, not even believing what had just happened, had indeed happened. "What the hell is wrong with me?" He wondered as he raised his eyes to look at the stunned humans sitting across from where he stood. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why he had never just told them, especially Miroku. "It just never came up." He reasoned but knew that not to be a total truth. It had come up once or twice in questions Miroku asked sometimes when he was a boy. "I just never wanted to answer. I didn't want him to know." He lowered his head, the thoughts painful in his mind. "I just—," He tried to say but his words failed him.

Across from him, Kagome watched Inuyasha struggle to speak, her stormy eyes lurking with both sympathy and understanding. "Inuyasha." She thought as she looked at him watching as his shoulders slouched ever so slightly in such a way no one really should have noticed. "Your whole life is one giant secret isn't it? Your hiding yourself from the world because you don't want to give the world a chance to know you—to criticize you for being you." She felt her fingers grip the hem of her skirt, tugging and pulling at the edge. "We have a lot more in common—than I ever thought." The realization was a gentle one that made her heart grow just a little fonder for him.

Having watched the whole scene without saying a word, Eoin raised his hand towards his grandchild as if to comfort him. Before Eoin could even touch Inuyasha's shoulder however, the gentle sound of Kagome Dresmont's voice filled the air.

"You didn't want," She spoke softly causing Inuyasha to raise his head to look at her with wide pained eyes. "Us to think of you any differently, did you?" She perceived easily as she looked down at her own hands, watching her thumbs twiddle together so she wouldn't have to see Inuyasha's face. "You thought—if we knew you were royalty we would treat you differently. Just like if we knew you were a half demon we might treat you differently—like Sessh—." She paused unable to pronounce the man's name easily. "Your brother did." She said instead, and finally raised her head to look at him, her grey eyes so filled with knowledge beyond her years that it was almost startling. "You wanted us to see you and only you. Not a half breed or a prince but—just Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked into Kagome's eyes in complete amazement, a small pain that had always been in his heart ebbing just a little bit. "How does she know—how does she always know?" He asked himself as her words washed over him, explaining away his own deceit almost too easily. "I just—I wanted to be me, not the man Sesshoumaru thought I would become or some asshole royal bastard. Just me."

"Inuyasha was raised by Izayoi," Paedar spoke finding the pause in the conversation to appropriate. "Who was raised by us: societies rejects." He motioned towards the other two men at the table who nodded in agreement. "He may have royal blood within him but he was never meant to be royalty." He smiled as he spoke, watching as his great-great-grandson, Miroku, turned his head towards him.

"It's just not part of who he is." Miroku spoke even though he was still pretty hurt by the entirety of the situation. It seemed that in the past four hours he had found out more about his father than he had in the past eleven years.

"No its not." Eoin agreed with a smile as he finally reached out and touched Inuyasha's arm, moving the boy back towards him. "He's too much like his mother, a free spirit who couldn't stand to be tied down." He pulled on Inuyasha's sleeve until the man was finally seated once more.

"I can understand that." Sango nodded her own heart tightening in her chest as she realized how truly little she knew about the man before her. "How much more is there about him we don't know?" She asked herself the potential behind the answer actually worrying her.

Paedar, realizing that it was time to quickly change the conversation back to its original purpose, cleared his throat. "I remember your mother saying something about Sesshoumaru trying to overthrow your father."

"He did more than try," Inuyasha sighed heavily as memories began to surface just in the back of his mind. They were memories of blood and blood shed, memories of screams and fire, memories of being scared as he held onto his mother's kimono. "He took over the country and in the aftermath my father died. Mother managed to somehow make it back here, I really don't remember much about it."

Wanting to push passed another touchy subject, Eoin cleared his throat and continued on with the story. "Once she was here, she talked with us, told us they had settled down once you were born and stopped searching. She planned to return to us when you were older but that changed when your father died." He licked his lips slowly as he relived that time from so long ago. "She wanted you to eventually go with her to finish your father's work, unfortunately, she died before you were old enough." He told Inuyasha making sure to word his sentences carefully so as not to cause upset. "With her passing, Myoga and Totosai informed us that your father wished you never to be told of the jewel if Izayoi was not alive to help you find it."

Inuyasha's eyes went wide as he listened to the man's words. "He didn't want me to finish his own life's work?"

"He didn't want you to waste your life. Your father knew it would be far too difficult to find them without her—someone who could see them without aid." Eoin quickly explained to him before he could misconstrue the idea as an insult. "Myoga and Totosai honored his wish when she passed and pledged to never tell you. We," He looked towards the other demons deliberately. "Decided to only tell you if you asked but judging by your presence," He clicked his tongue as he spoke. "I guess they broke their pledge."

"They didn't." Inuyasha informed with a shake of his head, the look on his grandfather's face forcing him to offer explanation. He glanced at Kagome out of the corner of his eye, watching her intently. "I've been putting it all together for months now, since I met Kagome."

"Huh?"

"Kagome's a priestess, just like mother." Inuyasha told them, the matching looks of amazement on their faces catching him only slightly off guard. Part of him had honestly thought that, as experienced as they were, they could tell. "Um—Kagome can see the jewels with the aid of a special compass given to her by a friend of mine, Kaede." He explained as his grandfather's nodded slowly, all three of them seeming caught completely off guard. "Kaede sent us to find the jewels, said it was something fate wanted us to do. It wasn't till I ran into Sesshoumaru's messenger that I realized how right she was."

"I guess fates stronger than even our will to protect you." Aengus shook his head with wide eyes as his mind rapidly processed what had to happen next. "Your mother believed even on her death bed that you would complete her task one day. She told us that Sesshoumaru would be the one you needed to talk to when you first started the journey." He raised his head and looked at the horrified expression that crossed Inuyasha's face. "Izayoi said he was the only one who knew all the secrets of the jewel." He motioned towards his companions. "Secrets that neither us three nor Myoga and Totosai would know."

Inuyasha growled lightly in the back of his throat, the thought of going anywhere near Sesshoumaru was nearly maddening and yet, "It has to be the truth," He licked his lips slightly as his eyes subconsciously wandered towards Kagome. "After all, he commissioned the compass and he couldn't have done that without a proper understanding of the Shikon no Tama." He gritted his teeth, hating the idea with all his heart but knowing it was at this point his best option. Everyone was telling him to return to Nihon, that the answers laid there. "And if they do, I have no choice but to go there." Raising his head to look at the others in the room, he drew his lips into a thin line. "I guess we need to go to Nihon then."

Nodding in approval, Paedar pulled his hands from the table and grabbed for his mug. "You'll need funding to get there."

"No problem—," Inuyasha snorted even as he tried to do a mental tally of how much money he would need to even start such a journey. "It won't be easy—I'll have to raid at least four or five navy ships, then find a place to sell the merchandise—they'll be a pretty dangerous task this close to the crown." He thought as he licked his lips wearily. "And then there's the crew—how many of them will stay if we're going to the far east? Half—maybe?" He frowned slightly and shook his head, it would be hard but he knew he could make it happen. "I can make it work," He told his grandfather's firmly as he focused his attention on Paedar and Aengus specifically. The demon within him knew the importance of hierarchy and Paedar was at the very top of that hierarchy with Aengus as his second. "I'll just rai—."

"Raid?" Paedar stile the word right out of Inuyasha's mouth before he could even form it. "What an idea," He continued on as he watched Inuyasha with already disapproving eyes. "Raid a navy ship right next to its home port. That's suicide."

"You know better Inuyasha," Aengus agreed more bluntly, while bringing a hand up to rub at his temple. "Raiding in these waters is a death sentence."

"I've done it before." Inuyasha argued back even though he knew exactly where the argument was headed. "And it's not like I have a choice." He posed the idea, trying not to be insulting but wanting the three men to understand the necessity of his actions. "You're not exactly rich," He cleared his throat slightly glancing at Miroku, Sango and Kagome, sending them a look that said not to say a word or even attempt to interfere. "I have to get money somehow."

"There is another way," Paedar told him as he crossed his arms over his chest tightly and stared at the boy. "To get the money legitimately."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as if he somehow already knew what the suggestion was going to be. "How?"

"Kouga."

The name hung in the air for what seemed like hours before Inuyasha's whole face seemed to go red with rage. "No fucking way," He hissed the words as he stared at Paedar as if the man had grown a second head. "No fucking way am I asking that rat faced bastard."

"Who's Kouga?" Sango mumbled towards Miroku who turned towards her and glared.

"How the hell should I know?" He replied bitterly as he watched the eldest man, Paedar begin to stand from his position at the head of the table, his eyes already blazing. "This ain't good."

"Well—," Quickly jumping in before Paedar could jump across the table, Aengus held up his hand. "Why not?" He asked, his voice coming across as if he too had already known what Inuyasha was going to say anyway.

Chin nearly dropping to the table, Inuyasha growled in exasperation. "He hates me."

"Oh stop exaggerating." Aengus snorted as he managed to push Paedar back into his seat without incident. "He's my nephew, that's your cousin once removed or something," He told Inuyasha firmly while he sent Paedar a look that suggested the other man let him handle this particular argument. "He couldn't hate you."

"He drugged me," Inuyasha told his great-grandfather dryly ignoring Paedar's irritated look even as the veins on his forehead began to protrude. "And tried to sell me to the slave trade when I stayed with him."

"He was playing." Aengus waved off the accusation as he looked towards Eoin, pleading for help. The younger man shook his head quickly no, a sign that made the three humans in the room begin to actually worry. After all, if Eoin (a full-fledged wolf demon) wouldn't dare interfere, then something bad really was about to happen.

"I woke up right when the negotiations were taking place." Inuyasha growled deep in his throat as he remembered the incident as if it had been only yesterday.

"He taught you Italian." Aengus shook his finger at Inuyasha as if disappointed the demon had forgotten such a good deed. "Introduced you to that famous human painter, Leonardo da Vinci."

"He tried to sell me to him too." The dog demon replied as if he was talking to an idiot.

Sighing, Aengus sent a full on glare towards Eoin even as Paedar began to tap his hand in impatience against the table. "A little help?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Eoin inhaled sharply while sending his older brother a cautious look. "You should thank Kouga, he had your best interest at heart." He leaned back in his chair trying to appear smug even when his body posture said he was more tense than confident. "He wanted to make you a respectable painter."

Inuyasha's eye actually started to twitch as he turned away from Aengus to glare at Eoin. "He was selling me to be one of Leonardo's cadavers." He told the older man while Kagome visibly blanched at the very idea of someone's own 'cousin' selling them to be used in medical experiments.

"A childish prank." Eoin argued even though his face had long ago contorted into a barely concealed grin.

"Childish? He was over four hundred years old at the time." Inuyasha growled and crossed his arms over his chest as well, the habit mirroring its source in the three other men sitting with the same crossed arms.

"He's a ruler with a lot of money." Aengus growled with firm conviction, his silver eyes gleaming in a way that everyone in the room understood: there was no further room for arguments. "He will fund the trip, you're his family."

Rolling his eyes, ignoring the stern look, Inuyasha leaned back in his chair and huffed. "He'll laugh in my face is what he'll do."

Having grown tired of the entirety of the conversation Paedar finally snapped. "Enough!" Paedar slammed his hand on the table catching everyone including Inuyasha by surprise. "You listen and you listen well pup," The man said as he stood to his full height which had to be way closer to six five than Inuyasha's mere six foot. "This isn't just about you anymore." He pointed directly at Inuyasha with one clawed hand before turning that hand towards Sango, Miroku, and Kagome. "You have responsibilities—a family."

"You think I don't know that?" Inuyasha yelled back as he stood from the table as well, years of being a Captain on a ship making him forget that he was not the Captain of this pack.

The room went silent from the exchange, Eoin and Aengus suddenly becoming very serious as they watched the young boy and the Alpha of the group stare each other down. Sharp silver eyes stared at bright gold ones, boring into them as if trying to burrow into Inuyasha's soul. Kagome, Miroku, and Sango all felt the urge to disappear from the intensity of Paedar's gaze as the man seemed to grow taller with each passing second. Inuyasha's hands began to shake as he started to lose his nerve, the gaze and the slight growl that was now accompanying it telling him he was pushing into dangerous territory.

'Obey.' Paedar let the sound float into the air knowing that Inuyasha would understand. 'Obey now, pup.'

Inuyasha gritted his teeth at the deliberate use of the word 'pup' and for a moment contemplated how bad of a beating he would receive for outright defying the older man. Luckily, the demon inside of him that listened to instincts, knew better than to continue resisting and made him quickly flashed his throat as a sign of submission. Immediately, the tension in the room eased and grunting slightly Inuyasha lowered himself back down into his chair.

"Listen, and listen well." Paedar's eyes blazed as he stared at Inuyasha, still refusing to sit. "I gave you permission to travel this world as long as you were safe about it," He spoke firmly as he watched his grandson. "Myoga and Totosai insured that safety." His voice was firm and full of solid conviction that brokered no argument. "When you decided to become a pirate I let you because they guaranteed your safety as long as you stayed in the Caribbean, far away from the crown. You were safe there but here—," He shook his head firmly as if disappointed. "You know better. It's dangerous for pirates here, deathly dangerous."

Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head. He hated being talked to as if he was nothing more than an ignorant child. "Come on, I think by now I'm ol—."

"What, you're old enough to make you own decisions?" Paedar filled in the blanks, his voice not mocking but diffidently scorn filled. "You're right, you are old enough," He agreed but his voice sounded anything but agreeing as he brought one clawed hand up to point at Inuyasha. "But right now you sure as hell aren't acting like it."

Inuyasha's head snapped up in surprise at the words.

"An adult thinks of his family's safety first. He thinks of his son and daughter-in law," He pointed at Miroku and Sango without taking his eyes off of Inuyasha once. "And especially," His hand waved towards Kagome bluntly. "His mate!" The word hung in the air for only a few seconds but its impact was powerful. "He uses their faces and their voices as his moral conscience."

"I do think of them." Inuyasha protested but didn't dare to rise again, knowing that there was a good chance he might suffer for the action.

"Really?" Paedar's eyes blazed for a moment as he stared at his grandson. "Then think about their necks in nooses."

"That will never happen!" Inuyasha snarled and dug his claws into the table using them to keep himself seated. "I'll protect them with my life." The wood in the old table began to split, the sight of it and the anger running off of Inuyasha making the three humans in the room shrink against the wall in pure fear. "I've done it before and I'll do it again."

"That might be so," Paedar paused for just a second, inhaling sharply. "But right now you have a safer option, one that requires no protection," He growled low in his throat when Inuyasha opened his mouth to attempt a protest. "You know Kouga would never actually harm anyone with malice—he may mess with you, play pranks but he would never hurt pack." He whipped his hand around to point at Inuyasha's face, his own eyes beginning to flash red with his internal demon's rage. "You know that and yet you still let your pride get in the way of taking that option, like any ignorant child would." The hand pointing at Inuyasha slammed onto the table, the sound echoing around them. "To believe, you actually have the nerve to tell me you're thinking of them first."

The sound of Inuyasha breathing in deep huffs was the young demon's only response to Paedar's final words.

"Got nothing to say?" Paedar spoke evenly as he watched Inuyasha, his eyes twinging with just the slightest shade of red. "Fine." He inhaled deeply knowing his demon blood was actually getting the better of him as he pushed himself away from the table. "I've had enough, I'm going to bed." He turned away from them without another word, heading for one of the doors.

"Paedar?" Aengus called out just as the door was ripped open nearly off its hinges. "Shit." The man growled as he headed after Paedar without a word, his hand barely managing to grab the door before it slammed and shattered. "Broke the hinges—," He realized as he caught it, the door actually hanging slightly to one side. "Eoin—." He started to say as he turned towards the younger man, his eyes landing on him for just a second before glancing towards Inuyasha.

The dog demon didn't look at him as he stared at the table, his eyes studying each grain of wood as if it was the most amazing thing on earth.

"Think about what he said." Aengus spoke so softly that only Inuyasha and Eoin really heard the final parting words. "Excuse me." He said to the others and went out the door, forcing it to click into place despite the hinges protesting loudly from the action.

The kitchen went quiet as he left, the only sounds the panting of breath and the forced stillness of awkward humans. Inuyasha's eyes were frozen on the table, wide and dilated to the brim of his irises it seemed. His claws stuck in the table still, little bits of blood starting to seep out from under his nails where splinters had pricked the flesh. Beside him, Eoin reached out a slow hand, touching the back of Inuyasha's knuckles the man coaxed his grandson into releasing his grip. The old wood moaned under the attempt and Inuyasha let out the quietest of hisses from the pain of splinters ripping from his flesh.

"He worries about you, we all do." Eoin finally spoke into the quiet, his voice seeming to be reassuring but coming across at the same time as pained. "You know how packs are, the pups are always the main priority." He offered as he started to examine Inuyasha's now free hand in much the same way Inuyasha always examined their own wounds.

Inuyasha huffed as if finally coming back to himself. "So get another pup."

"That's part of the problem." Eoin admitted as he looked Inuyasha's hand over only setting it down once he was satisfied that the damage was superficial. "You came here today with a pup of your own."

Bringing his own hand towards his face Inuyasha looked over at Miroku unconsciously watching his child. "So what?"

"Paedar is the alpha of this pack, Inuyasha. Regardless of your fatherhood, it is still his job to protect any new pups." Eoin sighed as he spoke, his voice almost sounding more exasperated than anything else. "Even if they are all grown up and mated." He added somewhat good naturedly while sending Miroku an affectionate smile.

Miroku couldn't help but return the smile even though he didn't dare say anything to the man. Even with human instincts he knew that his opinion would not go over well in a situation such as this. "To them—I must be nothing more than the baby."

Turning away from Miroku and back towards his grandson, Eoin sighed tiredly. "Paedar gave you an option that insured his new charge's safety," He explained to Inuyasha while giving the man a truly stern look. "And you, well, you spat on it."

"You don't understand, Kouga is not an option." Inuyasha fired back but the sight of Eoin's amazingly calm face made the fire in his eyes diminish greatly.

"Is he not an option because you know he will say no," Eoin spoke calmly and it was that calmness that made him by far more scary than Paedar had been only moments before. "Or because your pride won't allow you to even ask?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue but something in Eoin's words stopped all further argument he could think of.

"If it means protecting your pack from a horrible death," The older demon continued on softly. "Then regardless of your own pride you should at least try." Eoin reached up and much to everyone's surprise rubbed one of Inuyasha's ears. The sea Captain immediately flinched away from the touch and sent a glare in Eoin's direction, which the man merely responded to with a smile. "That's why he called you a child today Inuyasha because only a child makes decisions based on pride." He held up his hand stopping Inuyasha before the man could protest his words. "An adult, on the other hand, follows their conscience, their gut till the end."

Everyone in the room watched in complete surprise as Eoin's words seemed to really sink into Inuyasha's head. The dog demon's mouth went limp and his eyes went wide with some inner realization that none of the other people in the room were privy too.

"Tell me Inuyasha," Eoin continued as he watched the look cross Inuyasha's face. "What's your gut telling you?"

Inuyasha closed his mouth at the question and readjusted his look to one of firm annoyance. "That Kouga's an asshole." He offered tightly before elaborating just a little further. "And that at the very least," He sighed and brought a hand up to his face, rubbing at his eyes as if they were tired. "I can kick his ass and steal his shit when I see him."

Eoin smiled, reached up, and ruffled Inuyasha's hair causing the boy to growl lightly in the back of his throat. "Hit him in the face for me." He spoke bluntly as he pulled his hand away but not without flicking an ear first.

Shaking his head from the abuse to his ear, Inuyasha gave his grandfather an odd look. "Really?"

"Yeah," Eoin shrugged as he leaned back in his chair comfortably. "That boy's an ass."

Inuyasha snorted in agreement before abruptly standing from his chair and heading towards the door.

"Where ya going?" Eoin called after him making Inuyasha stop just long enough to give a vague answer.

"Nowhere." He threw the words over his shoulder as he turned away grabbing for the handle and carefully opening the door so it wouldn't fall off the hinges. "I'll fix the door in the morning." He offered without looking back at them as he finally made his own exist.

Eoin didn't say anything as he watched his grandson walk out of the room, appearing calmer but not completely relaxed. "Damn pup." He sighed heavily, bringing a hand up to the bridge of his nose to rub. "He's just like his mother." Dropping his hand to his side, the youngest of the three scalawags looked towards the three humans with tired eyes. "Sorry about that." He offered sheepishly as he sat back down at the table. "Inuyasha's always been head strong and defiant, which is hard in a demon family. This happens every time he comes to visit in some way, shape or form." He chuckled slightly before becoming more serious. "Although this is one of the worst fights they've had in a while."

"So they always butt heads like that?" Sango, being only slightly braver than Kagome and Miroku at the moment, clarified up as she watched the man across from them nod somewhat.

"Sure do." His voice was tired as he spoke, coming across as more forced than natural. "Paedar's a nice guy, a great leader. He can be pretty patient but Inuyasha—well the boy always had a natural gift for driving the man to the brink of insanity." He tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling, his eyes becoming distant as he seemed to relive another life. "Inuyasha's been rebellious since the first day we met him. He always wanted to be top dog, pardon the pun." He offered even as the three humans laughed. "He was a pup born to defy his alpha. Just like his mother," He smiled softly as he pictured the sweet girl in the back of his mind. "Both of 'em, they just wanted to do what they wanted to do and there was no one who could ever really stop them."

"That sounds like Inuyasha." Kagome whispered into the room even as she tried to disappear into her chair, not wanting to be seen.

"Yeah," Eoin agreed with a slight chuckle. "That's why we wrote that song you know—the one he played with us." He tilted his chin back down and looked directly at Kagome despite her disappearing attempt. "The Boy and the Sea, that's what we called it. It's a bit exaggerated but—perfectly true." He smiled but the look came across as strained. "I remember the day he first left—he was only fifteen. Literally fifteen years—he didn't even wait until his first hundred had passed."

Kagome blinked slightly at the words, Inuyasha's lesson from so long ago about demon aging coming back to her. "So around three hundred and ninety years ago." She spoke out loud, her words catching the other occupants of the room off guard. "He left right when his aging slowed."

Turning towards her eyes narrowed Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you're not telling us Kagome?" He asked as his mind continued to run in circles in an attempt to disgust everything he had learned about his father in these few short hours.

"Oh," Kagome blushed bright red and ducked her head just slightly in embarrassment. "It's nothing—nothing at all." She babbled but the sound made every word even less convincing.

"He told you, didn't he?" Eoin surmised as he watched the blushing girl with interest.

Kagome's head snapped up from his words and her mouth dropped opened. For a moment, she attempted to think of any one word of protest however, at the sight of Eoin's mellow silver eyes she found she could not lie. "He did, he told me how old he was and how demons age—we had just met and I was curious."

Beside her Sango grabbed for her arm, turning her towards herself hastily. "He told you and you didn't tell us?"

"He made me promise not to!" Kagome spoke quickly her voice coming across as just a bit panicked. "He said if people knew he wouldn't be taken seriously anymore and that they might not let him be Captain either."

"He is pretty young." Eoin agreed, cutting off any further scrutiny Sango and Miroku might inflicted on the girl. "Eighteen, by your human understanding of age."

"What?" Miroku tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow confused.

"Demons age differently than humans, yes?" He paused just long enough for the three to nod. "For demons in the canine families—wolves, dogs, foxes, those types—we typically age like humans for the first fifteen years of life, we get out of the vulnerable stages quickly that way." He looked at each of them slowly, checking for confirmation. "After that we age approximately one physical year every hundred years, more or less."

"Wow." Sango whispered amazed as Eoin explained, her eyes bugging out in interest.

"I know, fascinating isn't it?" He smirked from her expression before continuing on. "Not all demons are like that though, I know bird demons who are lucky to live only a few years and some elementals who make it barely a normal human life span." He clicked his tongue slightly before continuing. "It really just depends on the type of demon."

"Still," Miroku bit his lip slightly and tapped his fingers to the table nervously. "He's so young."

"Younger than you, you mean?" Eoin clarified while laughing ever so slightly. "Not really. It's just physical, mentally he's much older." As if just now realizing he still had a drink in front of him Eoin reached for it taking a long swig of ale. "Doesn't mean he's not a rash pup by nature though." He added as he lowered his mug back to the table, sitting it down with a slight clink of the glass. "It seems like only yesterday," Eoin spoke, his voice filling with nostalgia as he looked at his glass. "That he was this little pup sitting on my knee asking for another bedtime story."

The image that popped up in Sango's head made her laugh instantly before turning towards Kagome. "Can you see it?" She asked the other girl who was already giggling fondly.

"And now he's a man." Eoin added not really seeming to listen to them anymore as his voice grew fond as he spoke. "I don't know when it happened. China, Italy, France, Russia maybe." He flicked his hand each time he spoke a countries name as if to acknowledge its existence in the room. "But it happened—he became a man, with a pup and daughter-in-law and," He raised his eyes and looked straight at Kagome who blushed under the intensity of his gaze. "A mate."

Kagome's eyes went huge at the word, still not used to hearing such an intimate title placed upon herself.

"You're changing him you know." It was a pure statement that made Kagome shiver. "When he was little, he used to look out at the world, his eyes sparking with some utter fascination. We couldn't hold him back from it. He wanted to know everything, speak every language, learn every custom, read every book on every subject ever conceived." He smiled at her, watching her grey eyes fill with confusion for a second. "When he looks at you, I see that same spark, that same longing and fascination." His voice was gentle in her ears, the sound of it causing her racing heart to ease. "It's like you're the world now and he doesn't need to explore the real one any longer."

The words hung in the air for several minutes, Kagome's whole face going bright red as she allowed them to sink into her head. "I'm the world?" She thought, the meaning of those words hitting her solidly in the stomach. "I'm the world—I'm his world." Her heart skipped a beat in her chest that caused her to sit back a little farther in her chair, her hands worrying together as her mind raced with thoughts.

Watching her, Eoin realized instantly that he had said too much to the girl too soon. "Poor dear can't even begin to understand how dog demon's work—what it's like to have someone's complete devotion on you and you alone." He licked his lips slightly. "Izayoi only understood because of us." Feeling inconsiderate the wolf demon cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, um, it's getting pretty late." He spoke gruffly as he stood from his chair and motioned towards the humans with one hand. "We don't have any room in the inn but the spare bedroom's empty."

Eyes on Kagome still, watching her as she stared at the table blankly, Miroku nodded. "Sango and I can take the spare." He offered even as he looked at the girl hoping she would speak at any moment. "I just want to know what she's thinking." He ground his teeth together in worry. "What could she be thinking?"

"That's fine." Eoin nodded in agreement as he moved towards the door, motioning for the worried Sango and Miroku. "I'll take you there now, Kagome?" He called to her, the girl's head snapping up right at the sound of her name. "I'll be back in a minute, I'm not too sure where to put you."

"Oh." Kagome nodded her head as she barely registered what he was saying. "Thank you."

"Of course." He nodded with a slight smile as he opened the broken door carefully. "Let's go, it's just down the hall." He motioned with his head towards the hesitating Sango and Miroku. "It's okay." He whispered to the two as they gave him a worried glance. "She needs time to think anyway."

Pursing her lips, Sango looked towards the girl who had gone into a daze once more, eyes glazed over with some unknown emotion. "But—?"

Eoin raised up one clawed hand to touch Sango's shoulder gingerly. "Let her be." He whispered to Sango while giving her shoulder a firm squeeze. "She really does need time to process, and so do you."

Sango lifted her head towards the man in understanding and nodded. "Okay." She turned towards Miroku, grabbing for her husband's hand gingerly and pulling him along through the door even as he reluctantly protested.

"I'll be back." Eoin called towards Kagome as he closed the door firmly leaving Kagome alone in the small kitchen with only her own thoughts.

"I'm Inuyasha's world." The thought ran throughout her desperately, her mind trying to absorb its significance. "To be his entire world in such a short amount of time, is it even possible?" She shook her head slowly back and forth. "We've only been courting for two months—it's not proper to feel like this after only two months!" Her mind screamed the words as she squirmed in her chair.

A logical part of her told her that it was really much longer than just two months. They had been attracted to each other since the very first moment they saw each other eight months before. Really they had been mesmerized by each other, hypnotized even. The way he had looked at her, his eyes blazing with emotions she hadn't yet understood; the way she had felt about him, her heart aching with feelings that both consumed and confused. And it had only budded from there (excluding the harshness of the marking ceremony).

He had started giving her gifts both physical and mental within a month of that initial encounter. He had given her shoes, a bed, a violin, he had sung for her, played for her, and taught her to play the violin. All those things he had done for her before they were even officially courting. Not to mention, he had talked to her. He had told her secrets (although they seemed minor compared to the ones she now knew he had been keeping) he had included her in his hopes, in his dreams, in his customs, and life. He had listened to her. Her thoughts, her feelings, her ideas, her wants, her needs; he had listened to them all, replied to them, embraced them and accepted them. And this, all before their courting.

That whole time, every single moment of those eight months, they had been courting. She had just never realized it and neither had he. It felt like, because of that, the very rules of their courtship had been changed.

"It's like—we don't need the year like other courtships do—we already know each other." She told herself as she bit the inside of her cheek, chewing on it thoughtfully. "We've already gotten inside each other's heads." Her thoughts trailed off as a memory from their first ever excursion as a courting pair taunted her brain.

"This is about you and me, not the world, society, or propriety " He reached for her placing his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "It's about us mat—um—doing whatever," He gulped visibly, her eyes tracking the motion of his Adams apple unconsciously. "When we're ready for it," He dropped his voice low, the sound of the change in pitch making her shiver. "And whether that's years, months, weeks—who cares, as long as we're happy," He brought his other hand up slowly to her other shoulder, the feel of his hands reassuring her of his truthfulness. "Both of us."

"That idea just keeps making more and more sense," She realized as the memory faded away from her, going back into her subconscious. The sound of the door opening actually drew her away from her thoughts. Raising her head, she expected to see Eoin entering the room, ready to take her to where ever she was going to sleep for the night. The man who greeted her however, wasn't Eoin at all but instead a face she recognized instantly.

Bright gold eyes met her own grey ones, the two staring at each other openly. For several seconds, Inuyasha watched her, his eyes seeming to prod as best they could into her own. Then, clearing his throat and shifting awkwardly he spoke. "Um—I ran into Seanathair in the hall." His voice was soft almost, to ears trained as well as her own at least, ashamed. "He said he didn't have a room for you." He continued as he stepped into the room, closing the door carefully behind him.

Kagome pursed her lips as the strange word filled her brain. "Grandfather." Her head translated and the man's real name followed. "Eoin, yes." She nodded slightly and shifted in her seat feeling ever so slightly nervous. "He said the inn's full and Miroku and Sango took his only spare room." She licked her lips as Inuyasha crossed the room slowly, coming to stand in front of his earlier vacated seat. "So there's nowhere for me."

"Sounds about right." Inuyasha nodded his head as he pulled out the chair and took a seat. "Well, we can share," He told her as he looked up at her through the hood of his bangs, his gold eyes appearing weary. "If that's okay?"

In the back of Kagome's mind, she knew it wasn't. His old room probably only had one bed and they weren't married, merely courting. It was bad enough that they shared a room (with Shippo typically) with beds a measly five feet apart from one another. To openly share a room, to share the same bed, without Shippo however, was by far pushing Kagome's preconceived notions of propriety. And yet, "Eight months." Kagome heard the phrase pop into her head, the words themselves seeming to echo all around her.

Images danced in the back of her mind. Portraits of a young man, his silver hair and golden eyes tantalizing in imaginary sunlight, with a wicked grin and a convicting smirk. He looked dangerous, downright feral and yet that smirk turned soft, those eyes turned sweat and the portrait became charming, shy, and youthful. She could see him leaning in the dirt, writing numbers with a stick. She could see him tilling a field with his shirt off in the hot sun. She could see him laying on a bed of panther pelts, exhausted but thrilled she was okay. She could see him playing his violin. See him dancing. See him spinning her around. See him glaring. She could see him in a million different places with a million different expressions on his handsome face.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha said her name quietly, unsure of himself because of how long she had been silent.

The grey eyed girl turned to look at him as he said her name. Her eyes landed on his features and she could see the tiredness in his eyes, not from the day but from his own embarrassment. "It hurt you didn't it?" She thought to herself as she watched his golden orbs narrow slightly as if he was reading her mind. "Keeping these secrets to yourself—it hurt but you felt you had to do it." She knew her words were true, she could see it in his eyes, in the lines above his eyebrows where stressed had caused his skin to crease. "You didn't see any other way to keep yourself safe." She smiled to herself, the fact that she knew she was right making her smile. "Inuyasha." She stated as her heart jolted in her chest. "I really know you, don't I?"

"What?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as she spoke and shifted nervously the chair squeaking from the action. "Whatcha mean?"

"I know you." She repeated even as he continued looking at her like she was crazy. "It's only been eight months but I know you."

Inuyasha shook his head, his brain illogically warping her words, thinking she was angry like Miroku was. "I'm sorry." He apologized gruffly, reaching a hand up and yanking at his bangs roughly. "I just—fuck I hate talking about myself."

"I know." Kagome smiled gently as she watched him drag his fingers through his hair. "You don't have to talk for me to know you."

Inuyasha raised his head up slowly to look at her, eyebrows furrowed with a lack of comprehension. "Okay—?" He drew out the word slowly.

Ignoring him, Kagome simply sent him a soft smile before standing from her seat. Walking around the table, her fingers dragging against the old wood gingerly, she stopped at his side. Pulling her hand away from the table's surface, she allowed her fingers to brush against the back of his knuckles. The roughness of his skin from years upon years of hard work, sent a shiver throughout her spin. "Do I dare?" She asked herself as she looked down at him, watching his eyes as they stared up at her with both apprehension and wonder. "Could I be that bold?" The question flitted in her mind even as she brought her hand away from his knuckles, following the route of his arm.

The fabric of his jacket was soft underneath her caress, the sound of the velvet being scraped at loud in both their ears. She paused for just a moment when her finger met his shoulder. Her daring beginning to waver as she looked at his reddening skin. He was sending her a look just now she had never before seen on his face. His cheeks were flushed and his mouth was open and just a little trickle of sweat was beginning to form along his brow. He looked almost wild, his pupils dilating and his chest heaving.

"I did that." She acknowledged far easier than she should have as she brought her hand off his shoulder and moved it to the side of his chin. "Somehow I knew I would." And she did, she knew, she knew him, she knew how he would react. Unable to resist, Kagome brushed her fingers along his chin until they touched the space just underneath his lips. "I know I can—that I should. It won't hurt."

Inuyasha's heart raced in his chest, sweat beginning to trickle down the side of his face but not from heat. He felt her finger tips brush against what little chin hair he had, felt her sweet soft skin as it teased his flesh. He watched as her eyes closed, as she lowered herself down towards him. He felt his heart stop dead in his chest, his eyes widen to the point of impossibility, and then, her supple pink lips against his own. He held back his own gasp as his eyes instantly shut and his body sank into the thrill of such a sensation. "Not once—never—she's never initiated a kiss with me."

Kagome felt her stomach lurch into her throat and her heart pound harshly against her ribcage. "What am I thinking?" She asked herself, the feeling of him pushing his lips against her own the only thing stopping her from pulling herself away. The heat from his skin radiating onto her own made her warm sweetly as they continued to press their lips softly together. "So warm." She thought as she allowed the feel of his lips massaging into her own to consume her. It was only the sound of a shirt ruffling and then the feel of his hands settling on her waist that made her jump and momentarily break contact with him.

"It's okay." He reassured as he turned himself in his chair, spreading his legs out so she would fit neatly between them. Pulling her closer and angling her head back down, he pressed their lips together once more.

Hands coming up to grasp his shoulders, Kagome felt her knees buckle as his fingers wrapped around her, pulling her down. Her knees bent from his persistence and she found herself level with him as they kissed. His lips parted as she had grown used to and his tongue snaked out to lick against her bottom lip. No longer really surprised by the intrusion, Kagome gave in to his request and opened her mouth to his own. Instantly, his tongue invaded, tasting her tirelessly while she held onto him for dear life.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, his fingers tightened on the fabric of her shirt for just a second, before he pulled away from her breathlessly. "Dear lord." He moaned, his breath coming out in large pants as he allowed her to straighten back up slightly before leaning forward resting his head against her stomach.

Fingers digging into his shoulder's Kagome looked down at the top of his head in shock, her whole face flushing as she watched the tip of his ears flicker just below her breast. "I—," She started to say but stopped herself before she could allow the words of discomfort to leave her lips. For once in her life, she felt it unnecessary to listen to the tiny voice of propriety in her head. After all, the feel of his cheek against her stomach (even if it was through the fabric of her shirt) was something far to enjoyable for her to consciously deny herself.

"Kagome." He said her name with such deliberate slowness that Kagome actually felt herself flinch. Sensually, his hands moved from her hips to wrap around her waist, pulling her just a little closer to himself. "She's so warm." He thought as he buried his nose into the fabric of her shirt, inhaling deeply, the scent of lust and spice and headiness and Kagome comforting him and arousing him all at the same time. "I don't ever want to move."

The sound of the door abruptly opening made Inuyasha's eyes spring open instantly and his hands release Kagome as if she was on fire. Wide eyed and panicked, Kagome jumped away from him as well, and unaware of her close proximity to the oven, nearly sent herself straight into the opened furnace. Reacting quickly, Inuyasha grabbed for her before she could fall back onto the still dangerously lit fire. Holding onto her tightly, he sighed in relief looking down at her even as he felt her fingers dig into his shoulders tighter, her arms winding around his neck.

Breath hitching in his throat, he watched as her closed eyes slowly opened to look back up at him. "Thank you." She mouthed without even a sound actually leaving her throat.

He felt her fingers brush against the edge of his hair, the feel making his stomach knot tightly.

"Sorry to interrupt." Eoin finally spoke, breaking up the scene instantly.

Kagome squeaked loudly at the words and practically shoved Inuyasha away from her as Eoin laughed loudly. Growling low in his throat, Inuyasha turned around to stare at his grandfather who was looking at him with one eyebrow mockingly raised.

"Might I suggest you move this to a bedroom?" Eoin smirked smugly as he gave his grandson the most suggestive look he could managed with Kagome in the room.

"Jerk," Inuyasha growled low in his throat and raised a hand up to rub at the back of his neck. "She's not that kind of girl."

Eoin's smirk lessoned until it was simply a ginger smile. "I know."

"Let's go to bed Kagome." Inuyasha suggested roughly as he glared at his grandfather dryly telling the man to leave her alone with simply the viciousness of his gaze.

Wanting desperately to be out of the room and away from her humiliation, Kagome agreed with a quick shake of her head and started hastily for the door, Inuyasha not too far behind. Before she could cross the threshold however, Eoin raised a hand stopping her from continuing on. "Exc—," She tried to walk around the man but Eoin shook his head defiantly.

"I forgot my manners earlier." He told her as he looked behind Inuyasha, sending the man a friendly smile that told him no harm was about to be done. Reassured Inuyasha was appeased, he turned back towards the young girl bringing a hand down to touch her shoulder carefully. Gently, he delivered a little squeeze, the fabric of her shirt wrinkling underneath his fingers. "Welcome to our family," He told her as he pulled his hand away and gave her a little bow. "We're happy to have you, Kagome Dresmont."

All of Kagome's earlier embarrassment faded at the obvious inclusion. "Thank you," She replied even as little tears of acceptance began to spring to her eyes. "Mr. Eoin."

"Please," He glanced at Inuyasha for a moment before turning back to Kagome his expression almost abnormally fond. "Call me Seanathair."

End of Chapter

Please Review

A/N: This chapter was so hard to write. There was a delicate balance I was dealing with that made Inuyasha's character and his grandfather's so damn frustrating to work with. This is how a director must feel when working with Lindsey Lohan...anyway...I hope you enjoyed the chapter! We are officially going to start heading towards Japan but we have to make a few stops first. Of course the best of which will be...cousin Kouga!

Bonus Point:

Inuyasha's sword has a very interesting fail safe, so that not every demon (Sesshoumaru) can use. It will not work unless the person wielding it wants to protect what?

Last Chapter's Bonus Point:

Kouga is a wolf demon! Congrats to the winners!

Menarie, Kandy2431, 14 inu-kag, AiydanWarrior, NurNur, Kan78, IkutoTsukiypmi'sGirl, TaoGrace, Aozora12, walomadolo, TheRealInuyasha, KyaraMarri, AKEMI SHIKON, Cagome, SweetHunniiBunnii

Notes:

Tenshi (天子) – The name given to the emperor of Japan in the early 7th century. It means "Son of Heaven."

Inu-no-Taisho – the name given by Takahashi-sama (the creator of Inuyasha) to Inuyasha's father. It literally means "Dog General." Some fans take this to be a title and not a name, which is possible however, I'll be using Inutaisho (Technically does not mean the same thing because without the 'no' meaning dies) as Inuyasha's father's name.

Cúnna Dorchadas – In Irish folklore Cúnna Dorchadas' are solitary, ghost-like apparitions that haunt lonely places, ruins, and churches. They tend to be black creatures, usually dog-like, and are shape shifters. Their appearance is typically seen as an omen for disaster and they have been known to attack when provoked. They can also be seen as protective spirits, however, which will defend buildings, sacred locations, and lonely travelers from other supernatural threats.

Next Chapter:

Family

See you then!

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