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?

88. Let it Burn

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 Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).

Chapter Eighty-Seven

Let it Burn

Sango didn't know what to do, for what was probably the millionth time in her life, she felt completely at a loss as she looked down at the dilapidated body. Never in her life had she seen someone this close to death because of something other than a fatal wound. It was eerie and disheartening and, even more so than anything, surreal. "This can't be happening." She told herself even as the reality of the situation stared back at her with barely opened eyes. "You can't be here, you can't have—no." The tears flooded her eyes as the sorrow drowned her heart. "No."

Behind her, the word for sister still ringing in his ears, Inuyasha's mouth dropped opened with disbelief. "Impossible." He found himself saying as he took a step forward his whole body seeming to protest the small movement.

"What?" Miroku's head snapped around to look at him but before he could get an answer Sango's cry filled the room.

"You idiot." The words were harsh but they were clearly hiding much more turbulent emotions. "You—you—idiota!" She switched to Italian as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Perché dovresti farlo?" She asked him, the urge to actually shake the boy overwhelming but easily resisted.

"Mi dispiace." The boy managed to whisper somehow, the sound of his apology making Inuyasha's stomach actually knot. It had been soft and heartfelt; the kind of apology a younger sibling made to an older one when they knew they were not at fault but wanted to please the older sibling anyway.

Sango began to cry, to truly cry in that moment. Great sobs left her mouth as she pulled the boy to her chest, cradling his head against her soft breasts as she wept for him. Anger welled up in her heart: anger at herself for allowing this to happen (even if she hadn't been there to stop it), anger at Costa for ever setting the events in motion that lead to this moment, and anger at the prison, at the warden, at demonity for allowing such a travesty to happen to such a gentle boy.

Memories mixed with the anger rushed throughout her head until she was dizzy from the thoughts. She remembered how jealous her older brother's hand been when Kohaku had declared she was the most exceptional sibling and not they. She remembered how he used to trail at her skirts, trying to jump on the hem. She remembered how much trouble she had gotten in, for giving him the idea, when one of her most expensive skirts had ripped. She remembered his sweet smile, she remembered the sound of his heartfelt baby laugh, and she remembered the day she taught him how to sing her favorite nursery rhyme, about a little butterfly. She remembered all of this and so much more.

Standing behind her, watching her cry and rock the pathetic body, Miroku and Inuyasha exchanged a confused look. Miroku opened his mouth to question the moment but couldn't find his voice as he glanced back at his wife, watching as she cried over a man he did not know. A million strange thoughts he couldn't control were culminating in his head, making him dizzy as he looked at his father in disbelief.

Looking back at his son, Inuyasha thought to scent the air and smell the boy so he could tell if he was in fact related to Sango but earlier experience made him change his mind. Instead, he managed to do what Miroku at the moment could not. Turning towards Sango he took another step forward, not bothering to reach for her just in case she lashed out protectively. "Sango." He called instead in an attempt to pull her from her current state. "Sango?"

The woman inhaled a shuddering breath as the voice finally connected with her mind. Blinking, she managed to pull away from her brother, her watery eyes looking behind herself and towards Inuyasha.

The dog demon waited for her to speak and acknowledge him but she didn't, she merely stared with glassy eyes. The look made him feel uncomfortable for all of a second but he quickly pushed the feelings aside, there were more important things than comfort right now. "Who is he?" He just managed to ask, as he watched Sango cradled the barely conscious man, even though he already knew the answer.

She didn't reply for a moment as if she were afraid to say the words out loud. "He's," Her tongue seemed to twist in her mouth preventing her from speaking for a moment. "My brother." The words fell to the ground, or better yet shattered, as Sango pulled the body closer to herself and cried. "My baby brother."

The room went still. Even the darkness in Kagome knew not to respond to such great pain. All of them instead watched as Sango wept into the side of the man's head, disbelief building within them. It seemed impossible, the moment they were living in right now, and yet it was there in front of them being acted out like some Greek tragedy.

Miroku finally forced himself to take a step forward beside his father, his eyes searching the top of Sango's head as if for answers. "Your brother?" Her husband finally managed to speak as he looked down at his wife. "You mean—Kohaku?" He whispered the name he had once heard his wife mention in brief passing. The name of her younger brother by four years, the child she had practically raised and the surprise addition to her family of five boys and one little girl.

Sango couldn't even respond with more than a nod of her head as she gently ran her fingers through his brittle hair. "Why?" Sango whispered into the darkened room and it was hard to tell whether she was speaking to the barely conscious man or the people behind her. "Why do this?"

There was a faint chuckle that seemed to jump up from the boy's throat in response. His brown eyes barely opened, taking in the tips of Sango's brown hair as it fell out of her bun and over her shoulder. "Because-a you're." He mumbled in English, the sound of the language almost making Sango jump. "My sorella." His voice drifted between English and Italian, seeming to ebb and flow from one language to another. "E—Moi love per you—." His voice faulted as a great cough wracked his already failing body. The sound of his wheeze, the damage done to his lungs from being in a damp place like this, evident with each shaking breath he took.

"Don't speak." Sango soothed as he continued to cough and wheeze. "Non parlano." She repeated the same words in Italian, trying desperately to sooth the small boy—or truthfully, the malnourished man. She knew, as she looked at him, that he was actually not the tiny eleven year old he had been five years before, he was sixteen. He was a man, trapped in an ill feed body.

"Non." He pushed himself away from her, breathing heavily, his chest heaving.

Behind them Inuyasha pinned his ears back from the sound. "His lungs are full of fluid." He realized as he listened, knowing the sound of someone dying of consumption.

"Non." The boy repeated again, his bony fingers reached up and grasped Sango's shirt, pulling on it without meaning to. "Ti amo." He whispered the heartfelt words as he pulled his hand up away from Sango's blouse and touched her cheek. "Tale un bel sogno."

Sango's eyes narrowed at the strange words and she blinked rapidly. "Kohaku?" She whispered the name as she tried to figure out what he was saying.

Inuyasha narrowed his brows at the strange words as well. "Such a pretty dream?" He whispered the words out loud, drawing Sango's attention backwards. For a moment his eyes seemed just as confused as Sango's before suddenly realization seemed to jump into his body. "He's hallucinating." The dog demon supplied as his gold eyes glinted in the bare light. "He thinks you're a dream."

Beside him Miroku tightened his hand into a fist as he looked at the small man on the verge of death. "We have to get him out of here." He spoke so quickly that the words didn't even seem to be real when they hit the air.

"Miroku?" Sango raised her head, her watery eyes looking at her husband in disbelief.

"Now." Miroku repeated, the finality in his voice so strong that Sango was at a loss of how to respond to it.

There was absolutely no time to argue.

Inuyasha quickly stepped forward without a word, his hand outstretched towards Sango, ready and prepared all at once. "I'll carry him." He told her bluntly and for a moment it looked as if Sango was going to protest violently. The flash of protective anger in her eyes didn't last long however and she nodded loosening her grip on the wheezing boy.

Miroku stepped out of the cell quickly, pointing the torch down the corridor so he could see the staircase they had come down earlier. "We have a little more than two hours," He counted the time off in his head as he eyed the door at the top of the stairs. "Before they come looking for us." He turned back to look inside the cell, his eyes lighting on Kagome only briefly as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest. It was a strange sight, the almost bored quality of her posture and it made Miroku actually wince a bit but there was no time to think anything else of the look, not now.

"This might be the easiest escape we've ever made." Inuyasha commented dryly as he gently took the boy from Sango, holding him with the upmost of care as the girl watched him, biting her lip with worry. "He's so light." Inuyasha thought as the full weight of the boy hit his arms. It felt more like he was holding Miroku, when the boy had been eight, than it felt like he was holding a full grown man. "How did he even kill Costa?" He let the strange thought wash over him an odd suspicion welling up within him as he pulled the shaking boy closer, realizing how cold he was by the frigid quality of his skin.

Unaware of his father's thoughts, Miroku leaned out the cell once more, sharp eyes looking for anything potentially dangerous and handy. "Yeah," He agreed with the man as he pulled his head back in. "I think—we might be able to just walk out of here."

Inuyasha's head snapped upwards at the words and he shook his head quickly. "No—not with that snake."

"Huh?"

"That snake—," Inuyasha nearly growled as he said the word, hatred for the creature bubbling up from his vocal cords. "He'll know if we walk out the front door."

"How?" Sango asked worriedly, her brown eyes looking towards both men for an answer but they didn't give it.

"He's a snake." Kagome spoke for the first time since they had entered the cell, causing all three of her companions to actually flinch. "They sense vibrations in the ground." She rolled her eyes as if she couldn't believe that Sango and Miroku had not been aware of such a thing. "And that heavy door—opening," She turned and looked down at Sango, the girl's eyes widening with complete surprise from the look. "Would be like a scream right in his face. He'd find us in seconds." She suddenly smiled though, the sight cunning for lack of any other word. "Of course, that would give us a reason to fight him—you know."

The room was silent in the moment's following her words, none of the adults actually knowing what to say in response. Luckily, the groan and cough of Kohaku interrupted the horrific feeling left behind by Kagome's words.

"Kohaku?" Sango whispered frightened as the coughing grew louder and the boy's small body spasmed in Inuyasha's grip.

For his part, the dog demon kept a firm yet gentle grip on the boy being wholly careful not to hurt his fragile body as he cough. "This isn't good." The dog demon pushed his ears to his skull underneath his hat as he looked at the frightened Sango.

"What's wrong with him?" She looked up at the Captain desperately as she ran a hand along her brother's neck, trying to sooth him as the cough began to subside.

Inuyasha frowned in response, the speckle marks of blood on Sango's blouse and his own hands telling him already what was wrong. "We just need to get him out of here." He told her quickly, not ready to admit the truth to the girl, at least not so soon after such a discovery.

Sango nodded, allowing herself to be convinced even though she didn't believe the words in the least. Turning towards the door and her husband, she hastily made her exit from the cell Inuyasha and Kagome following silently behind.

"So what should we do?" Miroku spoke up suddenly as they stood in the opened, Kohaku's breathing almost louder than the dripping water around them.

"Find another way out." Kagome supplied with a sarcastic twinge to her voice as she looked down the hall away from them, towards a frighteningly consuming darkness.

Miroku nearly growled at the girl but stopped himself before he could. "But how?

"I can think of one way." Inuyasha sighed to himself as the prospect of what he was about to do made him sick.

"What?"

"Scent out the fresh air." He actually blanched as he said it, the very idea of scenting anything in this place already making him feel sick.

"You can't be serious." Miroku whispered but it was already too late to stop the dog demon.

Closing his eyes, mentally preparing himself for the horrors that he was about to inflict upon himself, Inuyasha inhaled once deeply. Immediately, the overwhelming urge to simply gage and vomit swelled up in his throat but he pushed the sensation away forcing himself above all else to have focus and control. The putrid scent of the vile place seeped into his every sense, so strongly, that he was pretty sure he could even hear the smell or, at the very least, see it after not too long. Still, underneath that scent, far below it, traces of something better floated into the air, something sweet and refreshing and wholeheartedly welcomed.

Eyes snapping opened, Inuyasha's head turned towards the far off fragrance, all too happy to realize that it was not coming from behind them (where they had entered the prison) but instead, it was coming in front of them. "There's another exist." He realized, his eyes shining with tears, not of relief, but of sickness.

"You're gonna be sick," Sango said as she glanced from the Captain to the small body of her bother which he was holding. "Aren't you?"

"Not yet." Inuyasha managed to say even as the lump in his throat seemed to take over his ability to speak. "Maybe later." He attempted to joke but the sound of his voice was far too strangled to actually come across as funny. "Either way, we gotta move—and we gotta move now." He said to them as he pulled Kohaku closer to himself, allowing his body heat to seep into the frozen boy the best he could.

"Then let's go." Kagome spoke as she began to walk without waiting to see if they would follow.

Without even side glancing, Sango hurried after Kagome, her feet already moving fast enough to jog. Sending Miroku a worried glance Inuyasha pulled Kohaku even closer as the boy began to shiver: a bad sign.

Miroku bit his lip in response as he studied the man who was actually his brother-in-law but instead of commenting on his condition, he couldn't help but take a moment to focus on Kagome's. "She's getting worse."

"I know." Inuyasha replied with a shake of his head before he took off after the two women, moving towards the fresh air that laid somewhere beyond.

-break-

Kagura sat in the desk chair in Hiten's room, her blue and white eyes staring blankly at the bed sheets that covered Hiten's still form. It had been only a few hours since the incident in which Kaede had been lost but it felt like days to the wind demon. Her pale eyes watered as she stared at the bed sheets not knowing what else to do but sit in silence. Before her, Hiten mumbled in his sleep, the sound laced only with the traces of pain now. From what Kagura could tell, Hiten had a mild (at least by demon standards) concussion and would probably not be ready to open his eyes for at least another two or three hours. The thought worried her but only slightly, she knew he would awake eventually, the scent of life that clung easily to his skin told her so.

But the scent of his life, however hopeful and reassuring it was, brought to her the heavily contrasted memory of the scent of Kaede's death. "Kaede-sama." She whispered as the images of the old woman's death filled her mind. She could see the great Phoenix demon looming over the tiny woman, his eyes cold as he prepared to rip her life out of her very chest. Kagura shook her head hastily and pushed the memory out of her mind.

It wouldn't do to dwell on such calloused memories.

The wind demon sighed heavily and pushed herself to her feet unable to sit any longer. Her one blue Shinigami eye turned towards the opened window where the white curtains slowly moved with the wind. Her original light blue grey eye turned towards the sight as well, watching as the curtains billowed before sinking back against the window frame once more. There was something about the rhythmic sight that Kagura didn't understand at first; a connection her brain was making that she wasn't quite aware of. Perhaps it was the whiteness of the curtains, reminding Kagura of Kaede's hair or maybe it was the way they billowed with air reminding her of the old woman's dress, whatever it was it made both her eyes suddenly widened.

As if it was right in front of her even now, she saw Kaede's final moments just as clearly as if she had been reliving the horrific experience. The bright ruby eyes that had once been her own turned, looking at her with all the love a mother has when they look at their child. "Give the letter," The words seemed to jump into her ears, a loud booming noise that rocked her to her very core. "To the woman Inuyasha loves."

Kagura didn't remember turning away from the window, she didn't remember rushing past the bed or even opening the door. Later she would not be able to recall the sound of the man she ran into yelling at her or the fact that it had happened. She would not even recall the feel of the ladder against her fingertips as she rushed down it into the belly of the ship. All she would remember was the pounding of her heart as it hammered against her chest and the image of Kaede as she looked at her as if seeing through her into another time and place.

The cabin door swung opened with such force that it actually jumped off its hinges but Kagura ignored the loud sound as she panted. Both of her eyes focused on the table against the closed window, staring at the small white object that rested there. Her hands began to shake in disbelief and she had to close her eyes for a moment to collect herself. Her whole body began to tremble and an unexplainable sensation made its home in her gut. It was as if in that moment everything was suddenly real.

"Kaede-sama." She felt the name fall from her lips like a raindrop into a proverbial pond. "Wa shinde iru." The words floated away from her, final and almost debilitating. Stilling her shaking body, Kagura lifted her chin and forced her eyes opened once more. Her breath came in great gulps as she took an unsteady step forward, her light eyes never leaving the small letter.

It took only seconds to cross the tiny room, the presence of Kaede's scent comforting and heartbreaking all at once. Her feet padded against the wood, the soft sound ringing in her ears and before she knew it she was standing in front of the desk looking down at the handmade envelope with eyes that could just barely read the English.

"Kagome O'Lionsigh." She read the name out loud as her eyebrows scrunched up with confusion. She had heard both those names before but never in conjunction with one another.

Confused, the wind demon reached forward once more, her fingertips just managing to touch the letter's edge moving it slightly to the side. As it shifted on the table, her Shinigami eye watched critically, picking up the strange surface underneath. Where brown should have been, the color of the tired table, was stark white. She jerked backwards for a moment, her fingertips recoiling as she stared at the unknown object resting underneath the letter.

Blinking carefully, she held her breath, shaky fingers moving forward once more as her heart beat quickly in her chest. She brushed her fingers over the soft envelope with Kagome O'Lionsigh on its front and watched as the paper slipped aside revealing another letter under it; and this one said: "Kagura."

Not in English—no—in Nihon-go.

-break-

The torch hissed as Miroku held it, the light flickering violently as it was nearly put out countless times from their hasty movements. They had been hastily moving through the prison for a little over twenty minutes, only stopping a few times for Inuyasha to scent the air once more, much to his and their horror. They had already been done at least five or six hallways and a half a dozen stairs connecting them. Each and every hallway was filled with moaning men and women, their voices strained as they too coughed in the exact same manner as Kohaku. It was disheartening and frightening all at once, making them long for escape even more so.

The sound of dripping water and the feel of it on their shoulder's made them shudder as they neared another door leading to some unknown passage. Inuyasha's feet slowed down as he approached, he knew that the scent of fresh air was coming from the other side of that door. He could feel it. Motioning with his head towards Miroku, he waited for the boy to step up beside him before he spoke. "This way—it was to be."

"You sure?" Miroku whispered back as the torch flickered, the light dimming as it began to burn out from the constantly dripping water.

"Yeah." Inuyasha nodded firmly as he glanced over to his left, towards the nearest cell. He could hear the disillusioned cries of some poor soul on the other side, although the sound was far too quiet for his human companions. "Lucky." The thought ran through his head only once before he pushed it away. "See if it's locked." He told his son even though none of the other doors had been locked so far.

Miroku only nodded in response as he reached for the door handle, the wet brass cold against his bare fingers. Within seconds, the groan of the door barely opening hit their ears and they all flinched from the beautifully horrific sound. "At least their consistent here," The younger man mumbled, while he glanced down the dark passageway, which had just been exposed to them. "Not one locked door."

"Thank goodness for consistency." Inuyasha replied evenly while his ears twisting on his head in an attempt to pick up the sound of moans or cries from cell inhabitants beyond but, surprisingly, he heard none. "Strange." He licked his lips as he looked into the darkness. "There's no cells."

"What?" Sango whispered back from behind them as she tried to look over the Captain's shoulders.

"A good sign." Was all Inuyasha said as he stepped forward into the next hallway, the three humans following close behind. His golden eyes surveying the long hallway before them as their steps echoed off the slick walls. Carefully, he scented the air, the sickening feeling not overwhelming him as it had before; his nostrils seemingly becoming immune to the smell, if that was at all possible. "I've probably permanently damaged them." He grumbled to himself as he inhaled deeper, the fresh scent was closer now but he still couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was. It almost felt like they were right on top of it somehow. "It's close." He told the others as he continued forward slowly, looking for any sign of traps.

Carefully, they all scanned the area around them, the lack of light making it hard on the humans in the group. Miroku held his torch a little higher in the air to illuminate the passageway more effectively even as the water hit the flame making it fizzle. Slowly, the progressed forward, the light of the torch showing them nothing but stone after stone, which seemed to go on forever. The minutes ticked by inside them, each person waiting for some great exit to appear but it never came.

Stopping quickly, Inuyasha's eyes widened as they came in contact with the end of the passage. He scented the air desperately, trying to figure out if he had made some mistake but the smell of fresh air overwhelmed him, telling him it was real. However, the sight in front of him was an utter contradiction.

Surprised by his father's sudden halt, Miroku narrowed his eyes. "Why did you—?" The words froze on his lips as he looked beyond his father towards the same sight that had stopped him dead in his tracks. There, where the next door should have been, was nothing but a stone wall glossy with water and even little vines. "It's a dead end!" Miroku growled behind him as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light. He dropped the torch down to his side immediately, frustration seeping into his every pour. "A bloody dead end!"

"No!" Sango exclaimed as she pushed herself up to Miroku's side looking past him at the horrible sight. "It's can't be." She gritted her teeth, her eyes jumping towards her extremely ill brother. "We have to get out of here, now!"

"Damn it!" Inuyasha cursed, the sound echoing around the walls as he too began to panic. "It should be here," He told himself as he looked down at the small body, watching and listening as his breathing became shallower. "I can smell it," He lifted his eyes up quickly, scanning the wall with complete confusion marking his vision. "We're practically overwhelmed by it."

"We can't turn back!" Sango began to speak, her voice tight and panicked and obviously verging on hysterical. "We have to get out now—we have to—we can't afford—."

"Maybe," Kagome interjected, her voice almost mocking as she interrupted Sango. Everyone turned around and looked at her from the sound, watching as the girl actually rolled her eyes as she uncrossed her arms from her chest. "You're thinking about this wrong." She spoke as if she were talking to a group of small children. Inside of her, the real Kagome screamed and clawed at the blackened walls around her, pushing at them violently but it made little difference.

Surprised by Kagome's calloused words, Sango took a step back, her already fragile state making her mind barely process what Kagome had just said. "What—?" Her eyes began to narrow as realization seemed to seep into her every pore. "Something's wrong," She whispered softly as she looked at Kagome for what felt like the first time in several days. There was something different about her but she couldn't tell what. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Kagome responded evenly as she looked at the full grown woman as if she were nothing more than an insect under her feet. "I just think you need to use your head." She heard the girl within her scream at the words, a sudden surge of power actually making her lose her composure for a second. Gritting her teeth, the creature reached upwards for the jewel, grabbing it between her fingers easily. "Stand down—damn it." She growled and sent a burst of power from the jewel directly into Kagome's body. The shock of power was enough to stop the good within her from doing any real damage and she smiled.

Sango opened her mouth complete confusion jumping up within her throat but before she could release even one word of worry Kagome took a step forward bluntly ignoring her. Sango watched her with curiosity and bewilderment both making themselves known in her stomach. Perplexed, she turned towards Inuyasha and Miroku who both refused to make eye contact with her, the sight disheartening. "What am I missing?" She wondered but the sound of her brother taking a sudden strangled breath made her curiosity fade as worry overcame it.

The slightly younger girl, ignoring Sango expertly, looked over the stone wall before her, her expression calculated. Her eyes traced the stone all the way to the floor slowly as if looking for something. "You have to think outside the box." She spoke matter-of-factly as she glanced over at Sango briefly before turning her attention towards Inuyasha and Miroku.

"What are you talking about Kagome?" Inuyasha muttered as he adjusted his grip on Kohaku the boy shaking against his fingers. "His body's freezing." He thought as he did his best to pull Kohaku closer to himself to warm him further. He had already taken off his coat and wrapped the boy up in it some time ago. Even now it rested around the boys boney shoulder's, at least four sizes too big but still not nearly enough to keep such a frozen body warm. "We need sun—sun will do it."

Kagome rolled her eyes and looked around the room a bit more, her blackened irises reflecting the torch light as she gazed at the room. "I already told you." She heaved a heavy sigh and clicked her tongue as if ashamed. "Don't look for the ordinary."

"I get it." The sound of Miroku's voice made Sango and Inuyasha both snap their heads in his direction. The man wasn't looking at them however, but instead Kagome. "You've got a point."

"At least somebody's listening." Kagome quipped as she crossed her arms over her chest once more and looked towards Inuyasha. "We shouldn't look for a normal door." She elaborated on her earlier sentiment firmly as she sent the man a glare.

Realization dawning on him, Inuyasha suddenly understood exactly what Kagome, or at least the person talking to them, meant. "You're right." His eyes quickly moved away from Kagome and towards the room around them. "They wouldn't want an obvious door down here," His sensitive eyes roamed over the walls looking for something that the rest of the humans with him probably couldn't see. "It would be hidden, carefully."

Confused by the sudden shift in the conversation, Sango tilted her head to the side. "What?"

"They wouldn't want anyone to know—," Miroku spoke hastily as he too looked but not with his eyes. Not caring what he encountered, the man ran his fingers against the moist stones, the feel of the moss that grew on them surprisingly soft. "About another exit." He continued to explain as he dropped down to his knees, checking for any cracks between the wall and the floor, which might indicate a door. "People might try to use it for escape."

"Exactly," Inuyasha agreed with his son as he held Kohaku tightly against himself. "Now it's just a matter of finding it." He scented the air, the smell of freshness nearly overwhelming the other, less pleasurable, scents around him. "Spread out—we gotta look at every inch of this place!" He commanded quickly, not bothering to check that Sango and Miroku or even Kagome had begun to search, he knew they would and that Kagome already was.

Golden eyes surveyed every inch of the walls, taking in every stone and every drop of water that he could see. He would not miss anything, not if it meant saving the dying boy in his arms. And by that, he meant saving him from dying in a hell such as this.

"He deserves to at least see the sun before he dies." Inuyasha gulped, hating himself a bit for not having told Sango how bad Kohaku actually was already. "But there's nothing I can do—worry her now—it'd be senseless." He tried to convince himself but it was hard for him to swallow let alone think. "I can wait—at least until we reach Shikuro."

"And you walk passed it again."

Inuyasha's head snapped up as the quiet sound of Kagome's voice suddenly entered his ears. Turning towards her, he waited for a second as his eyes adjusted to the sight of her. She was looking back at him, staring at him with her dark unnatural eyes. The darkness of her irises actually sent a shiver down the dog-demon's spine as his ears swiveled in her direction under his hat waiting for her to speak again.

"I thought your eyes were sharper than that," Kagome continued on, sounding almost bored as Inuyasha blinked at her trying to see her, really see her. "Or, at the very least, your nose."

"Good god she just gets worse and worse." Inuyasha thought to himself as he straightened his mind racing. "I have to—I can't just," He tiled his head back and blocked out the thoughts, "Later." He told himself and forced his eyes back on her, hating the fact that she looked like herself. "You know where it is?" He asked, doing his best to ignore the strangeness of her words and actions currently. "I can't do anything about it now." He told himself but the words felt hallow in both his mind and his heart. In fact, they made him hate himself a little.

"Well," She looked down at the ground suddenly, her dark eyes focused on something he had not yet seen. "It is obvious."

Inuyasha snapped his head away from Kagome and towards the floor she was looking at. Instantly, he saw exactly what she saw, instead of a puddle of water like they had seen everywhere else in the prison, the water was draining mysteriously. His ears twisted forward and the far off sound of water hitting the ground as it fell made his heart leap up into his throat. "Miroku!" He called towards his son quickly who really was only about ten feet away. "It's a hatch!"

"What?" Miroku hurried over, Sango following closely behind him, her breath coming out in pants.

"There!" Inuyasha nodded towards the ground both Sango and Miroku instantly seeing the strange disappearing water.

"It's a hatch?" She whispered quickly as she practically threw herself on the ground before even Miroku could. Her fingers pressed against the floor half expecting to feel stone underneath their tips but instead, she felt something far different, "Metal." The sound of her voice was a combination of disbelief and hope. "It's metal." She looked up quickly at Miroku her whole face contorted into a look of astonishment. "Miroku it's metal—."

"Bloody hell." Miroku barely whispered before she grabbed him, yanking him down onto the floor beside her. His pants legs instantly began to absorb the water below him as his fingers went to work on every seam of the hatch with his one free hand. His other hand held the torch still, the flame just barely alive now. The hatch moaned as it finally opened, Miroku grunting as he pulled the solid metal sheet upwards. Instantly, a rush of fresh air flew into their faces followed by the vaguest recognition of daylight. "What the hell?" Miroku whispered as he looked down the strange tunnel.

It was no more than ten feet long and at a strange angle, almost like a laundry chute that ran from the master's room to the servant hall. Beyond it, the light of day illuminated traces of grass and dirt and some tiny wild flowers. There was no telling what the strange little tunnel was for, all they could know was that it was their answer to freedom.

"Thank god!" Sango cried out as she looked down the chute towards the world outside. "We can get out—one at a time—but we'll be free." She practically teared up as she turned towards Inuyasha and touched her brother's cheek. "You'll be free Kohaku—free."

The boy didn't respond and Inuyasha didn't blame him. His breathing was becoming more and more shallow, it would only be a matter of an hour or so before he died. "God damn—after everything Sango's been through too." He closed his eyes for a second to collect himself before opening them once again. The chute came into the scope of his vision within seconds and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Unlike the people around him, in that moment he knew exactly what the chute was for without the shadow of a doubt crossing his mind. He pulled Kohaku a little closer to himself, subconsciously wanting to protect the boy from the reality before him. "At least," He looked down at the pale face, a slight trace of red highlighting the bridge of his nose, a fever. "You won't actually be dead when you go down," He looked back at the strange slide like structure. "The body chute."

Kohaku shuddered suddenly in his arms, a horrible cough racking his body that made Inuyasha wince.

"Kohaku?" Sango whispered hastily as she moved towards Inuyasha and the boy, her scent bombarding the dog demon's senses for a moment.

"Sweet." The dog demon thought only absently as he felt blood splatter against his cheek.

"That's—." Sango started to say, the distress in her voice disturbing.

"Let's go." Inuyasha quickly stopped her, not wanting her to know yet about the true horrific amount of blood Kohaku had coughed up. "We need to get him outside."

Sango looked up at him unconvinced, her brown eyes questioning him in ways he never wanted to answer. Biting his lip, he looked back at her, trying to tell her with just his eyes that it would be okay, even though he knew it would not. Her eyelashes fluttered suddenly, the tears no longer coming as she subconsciously acknowledged exactly what Inuyasha was trying to say. "Okay." Her voice was barely a whisper as she turned to her husband. "Who goes first?"

"I will." Miroku volunteered as he shifted on the ground, repositioning himself so that his legs dangled over the side of chute.

He took a deep breath as he looked down it, wondering absently what it would be like to move down the contraption. Gulping he pushed himself over the side. The rush of wind hitting his face made Miroku gasp as his body went hurtling down the slick surface of the metal chute. It was surreal, the quickness of the movement and the sting of fresh air that filled the entirety of his lungs beginning to replace the disgusting air of the prison. But, just as quickly as the sensation began, it ended his body thrown out of the tunnel and onto the hard winter ground of the outside world. Instantly, the feel of sun on his damp and freezing skin made him sigh in relief and as he tilted his head back to take in the warmth.

"Amazing." He whispered as the sensation of heat, something that he had forgotten in such a short amount of time, made him smile. His smile vanished however, the instant he opened his eyes to the site before him. The sound of someone else sliding down the chute didn't even register in his ears as his heart was consumed with the horrific sight.

"It's so warm." Sango said behind him, her feet scraping the ground as she allowed herself a moment to soak in the pleasure.

"Sango." Miroku whispered as he just managed to turn towards her, his whole face drawn in a tight and revolted line. "Look."

Back inside the prison, Inuyasha licked his lips already mentally preparing for what he knew laid outside. Turning towards Kagome he motioned towards her with just his chin, his hands far too occupied to do anything but hold Kohaku. "Ladies first." Inuyasha motioned towards her and she sent him a coy smile.

"Why thank you." Kagome's voice was brisk as she quickly jumped into the chute, not an ounce of fear in the entirety of her body.

Not surprised Inuyasha watched her go, his body beginning to ache from the cold and from holding Kohaku's weight. His stomach turned as the still blatant smell of excrement and rotten food and torture wafted to his nose. "Good lord," He whispered into the darkness as he took his last looks at the hell around him. "How could anyone build this place and sleep at night?" He asked himself, the sound of his voice echoing off the walls around him. Kohaku took a deep and raspy breath at that moment and the dog demon winced as the boy gurgled. "It's not fair." He felt his hands clutch the boy even tighter. "You, your sister," He spoke to the unconscious boy as his mind tormented him with thoughts of his current reality. "Kagome." The name tore into his heart as he spoke it. "Everything—I can't even—." His voice trailed off and he closed his eyes trying to collect himself.

"Otou-san!"

The sound of Miroku's voice made his eyes snap back open and he inhaled sharply. He could tell just by the sound of his voice that Miroku was worried about something but not entirely panicked meaning there was no danger, at least. "What now?" He asked the cold prison air as he looked down at the chute seeing it exactly as it was intended to be seen. "What hell's out there?" He laughed bitterly as he shifted Kohaku's slight weight until the boy was angled well enough to go down the chute with him.

Within seconds, the rush of air stung at Inuyasha's face just as it had Miroku's only a few minutes before. Kohaku grumbled something from the sensation and for a moment Inuyasha thought the boy might wake but he never did, merely dropped his head to his chest instead and drifted back into unconsciousness. The ride was over within seconds and Inuyasha thanked anyone who would listen for it having gone so smooth. The light stung his eyes as he emerged from the chute into the free air and he winced for just a moment. His pupils constricted quickly against the sight and he frowned as they burned. Blinking a few times as he adjusted Kohaku's body once more, the shocking world before him came into focus as well as the smell of burnt wood and fat.

"Shit—." He barely managed to whisper as his suspicions about this place were completely confirmed. Resting before them was a giant hole dug at least twenty feet deep and more than ten feet across. The earth around it was completely charred to cinders and no plant life grew anywhere within it. "They're burning the bodies." He managed to say as he caught a glimpse of clothing hanging from root at the side of the pit.

"No," Sango whispered as her whole body shook, her mind already processing the horror before her. Slowly, her head turned towards Inuyasha, her eyes not looking at him but instead at the boy in his arms. There was blood on his face, now that she saw him in the bright light of day, and dirt and grime and all sorts of atrocious things. He was pale also, looking more like a ghost than a person and his barely covered body was shriveled, almost a skeleton with flesh on top. "A day—maybe even an hour," She said the words but felt as if it wasn't her own voice which had spoken them. "And he—he would be here without me, wouldn't he?" She looked up at Inuyasha knowing he knew the answer but the dog demon didn't dare to clarify her thought.

"I don't know." Inuyasha's voice was strained as he pulled Kohaku closer, realizing something that the other's had not acknowledged yet. "It's not important anyway." He quickly added as he looked out at the vast expanse of land around them, his sharp eyes already able to see the Shikuro in the distance. "We just—need to get him to the ship." He added as he did his best to ignore the pit before them, his mind actually unable to even fathom it at the moment.

-break-

Her hands shook, her breath hitched, and Kagura felt for all of a second as if she was going to fall flat to the floor. "Nihon-go." She whispered the word as she stared at the characters, which made up her name カグラ.

They looked so foreign and out of place before her, almost to the point that she felt slightly uncomfortable. It had been so long since she saw another's handwriting making up those all too familiar letters of her childhood. Barely able to contain the squeak of emotion that left her lips, Kagura reached forward and allowed just the tip of her pointer finger to brush against the crisp edge of the hiragana character for 'ka.' She traced it the Shinigami eye dancing in her head as it looked down at the familiar pattern having seen it in another person's head not too long ago.

And with the gift Kaede had given her, Kagura knew exactly who had written it. "Kaede-sama." She whispered and the name felt somehow anti-climatic to her. Somehow, she already knew that Kaede had the gift for language, it was a bi-product of being a Shinigami it seemed; and luckily, a gift she would never have to face.

Gulping, Kagura forced herself to maintain her composure as she reached for the letter while biting the inside of her cheek. It was cool in her hands, soft and foreboding all at once. And it was heavy and light all at the same time, as if it had been written with weighted ink and better yet, a weighted hand.

Another deep and ragged breath left her as she turned the letter over, looking at the back where the seal should have been but in its place she found only a parted opening. It was almost as if Kaede had left it unsealed, knowing she would find it first before anyone else could even think to look for the unknown object. The sound of the paper rattling as she opened it overwhelmed her fragile mind and for an instance she thought it was almost Kaede's voice and not the remnants of her long ago written thoughts.

Kanji jumped into her eyes the second the letter was cracked open and words flew at her that she hadn't seen used in months. Her heart stopped in her chest and she began to read:

"Dear Kagura"

She smiled at the strange western introduction written in perfect Nihon-go.

"As I sit here, waiting for an end that is bound to come, I find myself somehow contemplative. I guess, as many facing death often do, I have found myself reviewing my life. It amazes me how the smallest, most insignificant moments of our existence can shape such a large portion of our time here on this earth. Despite your youth, I'm sure you at this moment, understand exactly what I mean.

As I think of these insignificant events right now, I cannot help but feel somehow—I do not even know if such a word exist in this language—but I feel cheapened, yes, I believe that is the closest word I could ever use to describe it. It seems that my existence was merely a bit part in a much greater play. A catalyst if you will, which set everything in motion.

It was I who gave the Shikon shard to Inuyasha after my sister cursed it. It was I who fell in love with the idea of him and decided to find him on the sea. It was I who heard of Shinigami eyes and found a mambo who possessed them in order to accomplish this goal. It was I who learned from her what the Shikon jewel really is. And it was I, who traveled across the entirety of the world in order to meet everyone else in this drama who could stop its horrors.

You do not yet know the horrors of this jewel, the damage it does to the innocence that touch it. It is the greatest hell the earth will ever know and it must be destroyed. However, there is only one who can destroy it, Kagura, and I have traveled to the edge of the world in order to ensure that she can do it. It is imperative that you find a way to give her the letter that rested above this one. She must know the truth, the same truth that with your new eyes you will finally be able to see. Look deep within him, Kagura, and know that truth.

And with that, I say goodbye my sweetest child, I wish you and Hiten every happiness.

Every single one.

Sincerely,

Kaede Cummings"

Kagura lowered the letter down away from her eyes as she was overwhelmed not with emotion but a sudden frightening understanding. She looked up above her head, her neck tilting slowly as if it was afraid to see the truth it already knew existed. The Shinigami eye danced as it looked through the floorboards between this floor and the one above straight into Naraku's room, her new eyes seeing what Kaede had always saw.

-break-

Sango held onto her baby brother tightly as the Shikuro rocked in the harbor. She was finally within the safety of the cabin she shared with her husband. It felt almost unnatural to be sitting in the cabin, the stink of the prison still clinging to her skin and coating her brother on the bed with her. "I doubt it will ever go away completely." She thought to herself as she rocked the unconscious boy.

Outside, one of the crewmen yelled, calling out to the others in what seemed like a distant and far away voice despite its loudness. It was as if everything but Kohaku was far away and always would be. She pulled her brother a little bit closer and he mumbled something in his sleep.

"Don't worry." She whispered to him, pressing her cheek against his brittle and putrid smelling hair without a single care. "We'll be gone soon. You'll be safe—I promise." Her lip trembled a bit as if she knew the potential in her words, the potential that they would be proven false. "He might not even make it out to sea." She shook her head of the horrible thought and forced herself to shove it down, deep down into another part of her unconscious that could deal with it. "You'll never have to see this wicked place again." She whispered as he seemed to sigh and push himself closer to her for warmth. "We're gonna get the hell out of this god forsaken place."

She wasn't sure why her words made her think of the guard/prisoner they had encountered in the prison but they had. The image of the guard, his frail body hauling the chains at his feet just because he had fathered a half demon child, entered her mind. She couldn't help the well of sympathy that rushed within her, followed by the distant sounds of men moaning and women groaning from their cells. Her head turned without her direction and suddenly she was looking out the window of the cabin, staring into trees that hid a dark and turbulent secret.

"Those poor people." She whispered, knowing that they were suffering a fate far worse than death and when they did die, they would never be mourned but instead burned like a plague victim and not a person.

She bit her lower lip and turned back towards her emaciated brother just as he began to cough. The motion looked painful, beyond really, and continued for some time. Carefully, Sango sat the boy upright and leaned him forward to add in expelling whatever it was his body wanted out. The sound of wet gurgling filled the air before a great clot of blood jumped from his lungs, to his throat, and out his mouth. Sango winced at the sight knowing already what it meant.

"He's going to die." Her subconscious told her but she refused to believe it, even as the blood stained the bed sheets, seeping across the white until they were bright red instead.

The door to the cabin squeaked suddenly and her head whipped around as her whole body tensed abruptly. Standing in the doorway, looking none to surprised, was her husband. "Sango." He whispered her name, pity lining his voice, a sound she had not heard since she had first come aboard the Shikuro and had told him and Inuyasha her story.

Against her will, her lip quivered as she looked at him and a wash of tears formed in her eyes that she refused to cry. "He's—he's—doing better." She lied and they both knew it was a lie.

"Yeah?" Miroku's voice can across as an inquiry but his eyes seemed far too focused to be questioning. Stepping forward into the room more fully, she noticed for the first time that there were people behind Miroku, more accurately Inuyasha and Kagome.

Stepping up beside his son, the dog demon looked at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. "We're gonna leave soon—." He paused for just a second as if he wanted to add something but in the end simply shook his head. "We need to—go somewhere with a doctor." He offered as he eyed the boy, noticing the blood on the sheets and knowing exactly what it was from already. "And—you can't stay in the room with him, at least not all the time."

"What!?" Sango practically growled, her eyes narrowing into slits as she stared at Inuyasha. "What the hell?"

"Sango," Inuyasha stepped forward passed Miroku and held up a knowing hand. "He has consumption."

Sango's lip quivered but her eyes stayed firm; this was information she had already unconsciously known.

"You know how contagious it is to humans." He paused for a second as he heard Kagome snort behind him, the sound making his skin crawl. "Just letting him on the ship is dangerous but being around him—you know how it spreads." He tried to sound logical, but what logic is there to give anyone holding their dying brother. "It could—it could kill every human on board if we're not careful."

Sango knew his words were true, she knew the diagnosis was true: the coughing up of blood and the sound of gurgling when he breathed was proof enough. Still, as she looked down into the dying boys face, she felt her heart tighten and guilt jump within her. "I can't—." Her voice broke as she stared at Kohaku's face, the dribble of blood on his chin seeming so out of place. "He did this—he suff-ffered," The tears washed across her eyes blurring the image. Closing them tightly she sniffled and inhaled and sobbed all at once. "He did this for me!" She pulled her head upwards and opened her watery eyes looking straight at Inuyasha. "He's going to die for me—for me—for a girl like me!" She almost screamed the words as if her sadness had now been consumed by anger.

Miroku stepped forward them, his fear of the illness his brother-in-law had the only thing stopping him for rushing to her side. "Sango—there's nothing we can do." He offered gently, logically. "He made his choice five years ago and we—you didn't know." He looked down at his wife gently, his own eyes beginning to water, her pain becoming his own. "If we had known we could have done something but—it's too late."

"It's my job to protect him!" Sango reasoned as the rattle of Kohaku's lungs when he took a surprisingly deep breath made everyone, even Kagome, wince.

"Sango," Kagome suddenly stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Inuyasha. The group turned to her, the two men surprised and worried that she had spoken and Sango unaware of the dangerous quality of her voice right then. "There's nothing to do." She spoke so flatly, the emotions in her voice as dull as her black eyes, luckily though grief made people blind. "He's going to die—you can hear it with every breath he takes and you can see it on the bed sheets." She pointed towards the clot of blood.

Sango felt her heart stop dead in her chest. Somehow, Kagome's word above everyone else's hit home. Maybe it was because of how honest (or better yet blunt) they had sounded. Or better yet, maybe it was because Sango somehow trusted Kagome's opinion a little bit more than Miroku and Inuyasha for whatever reasons. Regardless, in that moment Sango felt something within her begin to break.

"And Sango," Kagome continued on not caring how her words affected the woman. "It maybe your fault but there's nothing you can do—so why bother worrying?"

Inuyasha and Miroku both felt sick at the words, their eyes both staring at Kagome with unnerved astonishment. They were not the only ones.

Deep inside Kagome's body a voice screamed, the sound nearly tearing at her fragile control on the girl. She gritted her teeth and her hand rose quickly, but not obviously, towards the jewel around her neck. She clutched it tightly; the sting of hot energy from within it seeping into her own body was reassuring. "You will not beat me." She growled the words even as the Kagome within her screamed so loudly it made her head ache with the sound. "Shut up!"

"Make me!" Kagome yelled back as she pushed at the walls of her own mind, forcing herself to summon power deep within herself even as the pain became unbearable. "I won't let you do this—not to Sango—never!"

"Fine—you leave me no choice then." The creature in control of Kagome's body narrowed her eyes and twisted her hand as it clung to the jewel. Instantly, a wave of unbelievable power was released within her very soul, hitting Kagome with such force that the girl was unable to respond to it at all before her body clasped into unconsciousness. On the outside, Kagome's body panted, the power it had just used controlling the jewel exhausting her. "That will keep you down—it has to."

Across from her, unaware of the battle that was currently taking place, Sango stared at her brother's face. "It's not fair." She finally said after what felt like an atrocious amount of minutes. "It's not fair at all."

"It's not." Kagome agreed as she felt the true Kagome within her begin to disappear finally as if she had lost consciousness. "But life's not fair, is it?"

Sango nodded her head in sad agreement as she brushed at Kohaku's hair, some of the strands snapping as she did so. "Even his hair's dying." She realized as she pulled her hand away and tried not to cry once more. She shook her head pathetically and brought the hand not supporting the man up to wipe at her face. "I just—there has to be something I can do?"

"Maybe there is—," Kagome began slowly as a vicious smirk lined her features. "But you'd have to think outside the box." She whispered the words carefully as she began to approach Sango, the woman on the bed looking up at her as if she was seeing her only possible salvation. Kagome stopped only a few precious feet away from the older girl, her dark eyes swirling with the potential of something dangerous. "You can't save him but—you could at least make yourself feel better."

Sango looked up at the girl, her mind actually becoming fuzzy as her ears took in the information. It sounded distant as if she was hearing something that was being said from across the room. "Feel better?" She whispered as she cradled his head, her lip quivering with her own depression.

Eyebrows knitting at the dangerous words, Inuyasha took a step forward and placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder breaking the eye contact between the two women. Kagome's shoulder's went stiff from the contact but she didn't brush the man away. Instead, she looked at him over her shoulder, a slight glare mixed with something far more dangerous meeting Inuyasha's narrowed gaze "What are you getting at—," Inuyasha finally hesitated slightly as he looked down at her, his throat tightening before he finished. "Kagome?" The name felt wrong as it left his lips and for a moment he wished he had a different name for the woman in front of him. "It's feels wrong—to call her Kagome—she's not—she's just not."

"Revenge." She spoke the word, the sound of it thick in the cool air of the room.

Something in Inuyasha snapped from her words, something he could not exactly explain. His grip on her shoulder tightened and he knew at any other time she would have winced and cried out in pain. Instead, this Kagome only smirked and finally shrugged her shoulder disengaging his hand from her body.

"Think about it," She spoke bluntly and turned away from him, instead addressing Sango once more. "Your revenge is really everyone's revenge." She explained quietly, Sango's head raising to look at her and take in her every word. "You'll be saving all those people—helping them."

Behind her Inuyasha gulped, he couldn't disagree with her. He knew what she was saying was true, however, it wasn't Kagome. "She would never—never want revenge." His heart hammered in his chest and he felt a lump form in his throat. For the first time in his life, he felt as if something was actually wrong with him, his heart was aching in his chest and his eyes were stinging. "What happened to my Kagome?"

"The destruction of that vile place." Kagome began to speak again the venomous words without any venom in her actual voice. "We should burn it to the ground, just like they burned the dead." Her words seemed to consume the room, taking up every little bit of space within it. "Teach him a lesson," She continued on, focusing every single syllable of her words towards Sango, wanting her to hear it all. "Show them what it feels like on the other side."

Inuyasha felt his heart tighten and then a distinctive tearing sensation that he could not and never would be able to explain. His left hand rose to his chest, grasping at his still bloodied shirt, he hadn't yet bothered to change. Suddenly, he found it difficult to breathe.

"Burn it to the ground?" Sango repeated the words, her mind warping with them, delighting in them and what they meant.

"Yes." The girl nodded her eyes sparkling with something terrifying. "All the way—until nothing is left but ashes."

Inuyasha stopped breathing as he looked at her no longer seeing even a trace of the person he once knew.

-break-

Inuyasha sat in his cabin, in his desk chair, Miroku beside him. The boy was saying something about a battle strategy or a plan of attack but the Captain was barely listening. His gold eyes watched Miroku's every move without really seeing and the lump that had been forming in his throat grew with each passing moment. The pain in his chest was beginning to consume him, becoming worse and worse as he tried to fight for breath.

"Is this a heart attack?" He wondered as he stared at a piece of parchment Miroku was sketching the prison on. "No—I'm way too young." He closed his eyes as he focused on his breathing for the briefest of moments. "I've never felt this way in my life." He told himself as the pain grew more and more intense. "What the hell is wrong with me?" His eyes snapped opened from the combination of his thought and Miroku's hand suddenly touching his shoulder.

"Otou-san?"

He inhaled sharply, the air barely making its way past the lump as he looked at his son. "Yeah—um," He glanced down at the drawing Miroku had been working on, the image of the hell house filling his vision. "Any ideas?"

Miroku narrowed his eyes, worried about his father's strange behavior. He started to open his mouth to question but Inuyasha quickly shook his head.

"Just," The older man paused for just a second before heaving a sigh. "We need to think—we don't have enough time to worry about anything now except this." He pointed at the parchment, ignoring the pain in his chest even as it became almost unbearable. "For Sango—we have to focus."

Miroku couldn't dare argue with the logic but the worry still remained inside him as he looked down at the paper. He knew as well as Inuyasha did that it took time to plan a battle strategy and that was time they did not have. Within the next hour the prison warden would find out that they had helped a prisoner escape and any good warden would not let something like that go. If they wanted this to work they would have to focus and think and hope that they would be able to even create a half assed battle plan. "Any ideas?"

"Well," Inuyasha silently thanked his son for letting his strange behavior rest for now. "We have to get the people out first." He rubbed his forehead miserably as he looked down at the prison. "We can't burn them alive."

Miroku nodded and leaned back in his chair as he looked down at the drawing as well. "How many are there?"

"There's no telling," Inuyasha whispered feeling desperately hopeless. Normally things such as battle plans and attacks were no big deal to him but right now, in that moment in time, he couldn't think, let alone breathe. His whole body was filling with pain, not physical though, he knew it wasn't physical. "You saw how big that place is."

"Damn it." Miroku groused and took a deep breath as he brought his hand up to his face, rubbing at his eyes. "We don't have man power for this—at all."

"Yeah." Inuyasha grunted in response as he crossed his arms over his chest and blinked. "We'd need an army to get in." He commented dryly as he discreetly pushed his hands against his chest to alleviate some of the pain.

Something in Inuyasha's sentence made Miroku sit up a little straighter. "And an armada to get them out." He said the words slowly as if they were dangerous and needed great care to be spoken.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at the suggestion his mind instantly following Miroku's thought process. "You're not thinking—?"

"You're not the only one who can have stupid ideas." Miroku sent his father an unreasonable smile.

"No," Inuyasha shook his head quickly the pain actually lessoning but only because irritation had taken its place. "No—No—No—No—No." He spoke each one with more malice than the last. "Never, I will not."

"What are our options?" Miroku fired back as he looked at his father with narrowed eyes. "Huh?" He pushed a little bit further as Inuyasha lifted his eyes up to return Miroku's narrowed expression with a furious one of his own. "What other choice is there?" He paused for a second waiting for Inuyasha to voice another possible plan but, just as he silently predicted, nothing ever came. "You know we can't do this alone."

Inuyasha growled loudly and leaned his head forward on the desk while barely mumbling out a single word. "But—."

"He owes us a favor." Miroku interrupted as he looked at the top of his father's head not bothering to wait for him to raise it.

"I talked with him," Inuyasha spoke, his voice muffled because of the way he was slouching with his forehead on the desk. "He owes us nothing."

"No." Miroku's voice was firm, telling Inuyasha that Miroku knew something he didn't know. "He owes us everything. And he knows it."

-breaks-

Kouga looked out across the Mediterranean Sea, his bright blue eyes able to see over the vast distance to the Shikuro that rested over a league away. He had no idea why be he couldn't get his mind off that ship, off the man who ran it, and, especially (perhaps more importantly) off his son.

Part of him wanted to kill that boy but for whatever reason he found himself unable. He wanted to believe it was because they were, in a sense, related but he knew that wasn't true. He didn't care in the least for Inuyasha's blood in connection with his own. So what was it? What had stopped him from lashing out and simply killing the human boy for his insolence?

Kouga snorted loudly and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked out across the vast expanse of ocean. He already knew exactly what it was that had stopped him. It really had nothing to do with the boy himself but instead only his words.

"I guess that makes you even worse than him."

Kouga growled low in his throat, ready to lash out at any moment and rip something in two but he stopped himself as he dissected Miroku's words. Could he really be worse than a rapist just because he chose the demon over a pathetic human? Humans were vermin, no better than dirt underneath his feet, so why bother saving them. If they committed a crime against their better, a demon, then didn't they deserve whatever hell they were forced to live through? Demons were more important, they would always be more important.

"Nessun essere umano," He grumbled the words as he crossed his arms over his chest, denouncing the importance of humans almost violently. "E degna di essere salvata." He finished as he looked out towards the Shikuro, 'no human is worth saving' he had said and already his heart had contradicted him. "Ho davvero credo che?" He wondered to himself, asking himself if he really in fact believed his own words.

Part of him thought, just in that moment, that he didn't believe them and that they had actually been thrust upon him. Memories floated in his head of a time when he had been but a teenage boy and not aware of humans in the world. He had been ignorant of their kind until, he had met one. A sweet little girl with the gentlest heart he had ever known.

Kouga growled as he jumped on his opponent, biting at the other teenage boy's ears with sharp teeth without breaking the skin. The other boy laughed loudly and pushed at him, forcing Kouga off. "Arrestare!" He commanded the other boy to stop as he bared his teeth at Kouga with no malice in the actual look.

Kouga chuckled in response and prepared to jump on the other teenager once more but the sound of his father's voice booming over the garden stopped him flat in his tracks. "Kouga!"

"Padre?" Kouga called back in complete surprise from the interruption. His father wasn't supposed to even be in the castle today but rather far away on some sort of trip. In fact, he was supposed to have left some time earlier in the morning, which to Kouga's knowledge he had.

"Come at once!" The man spoke in English, something else that worried Kouga tremendously. The only time his father spoke to him in English was when his father was talking to some foreign diplomat, the kind of diplomat that generally started trouble.

The fifteen year old quickly pushed himself up to his feet and waved at his tussling partner who knew better than to say a word during such circumstances. The sight of the pretty flowers was lost on Kouga as he made his way quickly down the worn dirt path. Vaguely, he was reminded that his mother was thinking of putting some sort of walkway down made of stone. Why he was reminded of such a thing, he had no idea.

Within moments, he emerged from the small dirt path onto a much larger one made of stone, the kind of stone his mother wanted. His short hair blew about his shoulders as the wind was finally able to touch him, playing with the ends. His blue eyes quickly scanned the larger path but he saw no one moving about, another strange sign.

"Kouga!"

He nearly jumped as his father's voice filled the air, making him snap his head around. "Padre." He acknowledged as a gigantic man looked down at him from a nearby staircase leading up towards the main house. The same bright blue eyes, although much older and decorated with scars over one of the lids, stared down at him angrily. Kouga gulped. "Mi dispiace." He apologized quickly and bowed his head, knowing better than to make eye contact.

His father grumbled something incoherent under his breath before speaking once more. "Come ora, yes—speak-a Inglese now." He commanded fiercely as he turned and motioned Kouga towards the steps. Even though his own English was not that good, he expected his son as a future ruler to be well diverse in as many languages as possible.

"Um," Kouga struggled for only a second to remember the correct English word. "Yes, Papa." He nodded and followed his father without another word up the steps. What was waiting for them at the top was a man he had never seen in his life. He looked quite young, no older than Kouga really and on either side of him were two other men who looked, for lack of better word, ancient—or perhaps his father's age.

"Brothers." His father addressed the two men surprising Kouga instantly, "I presente moi son."

The men smiled in a gentle way Kouga had never seen in his life and the boy didn't know what to do in response to the look, so he simply bowed his head in return. "Hello." He spoke the word crisply hoping it was the correct one.

"Hello there." One of the men said and took a step forward to place a hand on top of Kouga's head. The boy winced for a second in response before raising his eyes to look up into the kind gentle eyes. "I'm yer Uncle, Aengus." He addressed easily before point behind him towards the man on his life. "This is my friend, Paeder." He motioned absently towards the man who bowed his head slightly.

Beside him, Kouga's father snorted loudly, the sound not amused but rather angered.

Aengus for his part ignored his brothers sound and looked instead towards the next man. "And his brother." He motioned towards the man who looked to be just a bit older than himself. "He's just a few centuries years older than you."

Kouga nodded his head and sent them a smile before his eyes caught sight of something hiding behind Eion's leg. The wisp of black hair like his own and the hint of dark brown eyes as a tiny face looked out from behind the leg. "Um—," He tried to think of the words, his English not yet that good. "Dietro." He pointed and winced when he realized he had only spoken in Italian. "Um—be—a—hinda."

"Behind?" Aengus offered and smiled at the boy amused. "Still working on English, huh?" He winked at the boy and his brother growled from the kind treatment towards his son. Aengus lifted his head and looked at his brother carefully, sending the slightly older littermate a firm glare. "It takes practice," He spoke to Kouga without looking at him. "But before you know it—you don't have an accent at all."

"You say-a dat like-h it'sa buono."He hissed the words but Aengus just simply ignored them, not bothering with them in the least.

Turning back to Kouga, he smiled gently at his nephew and pointed behind Eoin. "You noticed her?"The man smiled brightly as if the world were hiding behind that pants leg. "Izayoi." He lifted his head towards the small child and waved a hand. "Come out now."

The little girl emerged from behind the pants leg slowly, the three men staring at her sweetly. Kouga blinked in surprise from the sight, his nose twitching as it searched for the telltale scent of wolf but it never caught any.

Behind him, his father glared down at the child with true hate burning in his eyes. "Umana." He spat the word, the sound stinging Kouga's ears as he turned and looked at his father wondering what the definition of such a word could be.

Aengus lifted his head and growled low in his throat. "Yes, human." He said with gritted teeth as he shifted slightly as if prepared to strike. "And my Granddaughter."

Kouga forced himself out of the memory before he could even begin to recall the horrible fight that had ensued. His father's brother (Inuyasha's grandfather) and his father had fought like wild dog's, screaming at each other about human blood and the fact it was the devil. She had been such a small girl, her big wide brown eyes filled with tears, unable to understand how the fight had started over her. In truth, Kouga had found out later that the fight had not just been over her but a series of other things, for instance his uncle's 'friend' Paedar."

Still, from that moment on, Kouga had known what a human was and he had learned that they were insignificant compared to demons but why? Why were they insignificant? It was only in that moment that Kouga realized he had never been told. It had been a blanket statement that he was to trust, just as he was to trust his father, a violent ill-tempered man who had died at the age of barely 1300 years old due to his own inability to control his rage.

Kouga growled low in his throat as he imagined his father's face filled with hate for a creature so small and helpless. "Perche Padre?" He whispered into the air, wondering out loud about his father's own prejudice, a prejudice he had never questions until now.

Suddenly, against his will, he saw Kagome and Sango, two human women who both amazed him for different reasons. The human girl Kagome was strong and fierce and powerful and the human girl Sango despite everything that had ever happened to her was not a timid mouse but a ferocious lioness. They were just as fierce as any demon woman and, although they could never be as strong as them, they had potential. So what made them different than a demon other than the blood than ran through their veins, what made them less and made him and all demons subsequently more?

Kouga shook his head, his own thoughts starting to overwhelm him. He had never had thoughts like these in his life and he had never questioned his father in his life either. He had learned well from the man about battle and the importance of education, he had learned other things as well about temperament and the dangers of losing it. He had learned to be calm and to think with a cool head, at least most of the time (that was probably the main reason Inuyasha and his son weren't dead.) He had learned so much from the man, he had never questioned him, but now as he stood on the lead ship of his Armada he found himself questioning the man.

"Perche?" He whispered the word for 'why' once more under his breath as he studied the Shikuro with his sharp eyes. "Perche Padre—." This time it wasn't a question or at least it no longer felt like one.

Closing his eyes Kouga sighed as the image of Inuyasha's mother as a tiny girl filled him. Her only crime back then had been her human blood but that was enough to make his father absolutely hate her. Suddenly, Kouga felt his head spin as he felt his whole world shift upside down in the most violent of ways.

"Lei ha fatto altro che nascere." The words seemed to echo in his mind making him even more dizzy as their truthfulness struck him to his very core: She had done nothing but be born. "Dannazione." He cursed and forced the thought out of his mind but now Miroku's words took their place.

"I guess that makes you even worse than him."

Kouga had to resist the urge to spit.

-break-

Kagome slowly drifted back into consciousness. Her mind fuzzy and her head splitting with pain as she tried to force her eyes opened. All around her a strange distant sound, undistinguishable from any other sound in her current state, filled her ears and she scrunched up her face in confusion without even opening her eyes. She moaned as her headache grew stronger, pounding against her skull, and the sound echoed in response making her eyes snap open in surprise. Quickly, she pushed herself upwards, the darkness all around her unsurprising.

She blinked into the darkness as her trepidation began to ebb slightly as she looked into the familiar background. "I'm still here." She whispered into the dark and she honestly had no idea what she had expected to see instead of this particular black backdrop. Bringing a hand up to her face she rubbed her eyes and inhaled sharply with frustration. "Damn it!" She finally screamed and the sound echoed all around her so loudly that her ears stung for a moment.

Taking in a shaky breath Kagome forced herself to calm down but it was hard. She felt in that moment like a complete and utter failure. She just couldn't understand why she had been unable to stop the darkness within her and regain control of her body. It couldn't be that hard, it just couldn't be!

"Why can't I get free?" She whispered, not caring if the creature in possession of her body heard her words or not. "What am I missing?" She looked around the small space, her grey eyes searching the darkness helplessly. "If it's just a darker part of me," She whispered into the surprisingly thick air as she looked down at her hands staring into her opened palms that channeled her power. "I should be able to free myself without a single problem." She clutched her hands into fist as she stared down at them, the power of her spiritual energy sparking at her fingertips. "So why can't I?"

She lifted her head up and looked into the darkness as if it bore some answer but all she really saw was black. The girl sighed and wrapped her arms around her middle as she floated amongst the darkness, her mind drifting in the same way her body was. A million thoughts seemed to dance within her brain, jumping from topic to topic with and without her permission. Suddenly, the image of the man she had seen no more than an hour ago jumped into her head. She blinked, half expecting him to pop up in front of her, but she saw nothing. The girl shook her head and brought a hand to her face carefully.

"You seem to think I'm strong enough!" She suddenly yelled into the all consuming darkness around herself. "So why am I still here?" The frustration took hold of her, running from the tips of her fingers to her shaking hands. "Arg!" The sound echoed loudly and she exhaled unable to stop herself as the anger ebbed. "Who are you anyway?" She didn't bother to think the words, knowing that speaking into the darkness at the moment was the same as thinking. "I know I've seen you—over and over again," She bit her lip as wisps of memories assaulted her brain. "With Onaconah and on the Shikuro and—."

A distant memory began to circle about her head, a time before Onaconah, a time when she had almost died. The world seemed to form before her eyes but was really only in her mind: a place of beautiful whiteness, where she had no body and he had not had one either. In was such a stark contrast between where she was now that she nearly felt tears form against her lashes. Not tears of pain or sorrow but tears of immense and uncountable joy.

"The world of white." Her heart stopped in her chest as the words echoed all around her, the beauty of that world seeming to become part of her. "He was there—floating," She spoke low, her voice almost disconnected from herself. "A soul—in death." The word caught her off guard and she flinched before blinking rapidly. Surprised, she looked around herself in near confusion as she realized what she had just said. "He's dead—a ghost?"

It was a question that was far too complex to answer in her current state and she laughed. The sound was not humorous, however, but more or less strained as she allowed it to flow from her.

"How ridiculous." She told herself and shrugged as she looked around the barren blackness pushing the thoughts as far away from herself as they would go. Instead, she refocused herself, looking out at the landscape she could not see with contemplative eyes. "I'm stronger than I think," She whispered his words knowing already that they were true. "I'm braver than I feel." She bit her lip carefully to the point she almost drew blood. "And I'm far more powerful than I could ever imagine—not powerful enough though." She snorted softly and twisted her body around as if she could actually tell she was turning.

It was in that moment, that Kagome's eyes reflected the brief flash of an orb of light. Instantly, she knew there was something not right about this orb of light as it flickered and quickly disappeared as if it was a small child that had been caught spying on an adult conversation. A shudder ran all the way down her spine to her tailbone and she knew, without a doubt, that it had been watching her. Her whole body seemed to go rigid, some ancient six sense telling her without a doubt what it was.

"The Shikon Jewel." The sound of its name echoed once into the dark before seamlessly being consumed by it.

End of Chapter

Please Review

A/N: Well, we're getting closer to understanding what is actually happening to Kagome and Kagome breaking free. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and will be pleased with where the story is progressing to now!

Bonus Point:

When Inuyasha and Kagome first met Kouga, the wolf demon mistook Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship. He assumes they are actually…what?

Last Chapter's Bonus Point:

Kohaku kills all the people in his clan, his father, (who were on the extermination mission) and nearly killed Sango, while under Naraku's control. Congrats to the winners:

Walomadolo, Leomae, Whiteknight, anime4eva222, cristine44, Asian Delicacy, jessiedancer, kittyzwuvme1234, Glon Morski, Cagome, AiydemWarrior, slowdancer261,DemonChild94, AKEMI SHIKON, Laird, Catalina Luna Moon

Notes:

During this time period cremation was not popular in Western cultures. This is mainly because only diseased bodies (plague victims) were burned. It was considered actually disrespectful to a body that was not a plague victim to be burned. Therefore, by burning the bodies at the prison, the warden is practically spitting on their memory. Since Inuyasha was primarily raised in the Western side of the world, this is his viewpoint too.

Next Chapter:

Ashes to Ashes

See you then!

UNEDITED

POSTED

11/11/2013

Sometimes strength Kagome, has nothing to do with our ability to kill but instead our ability to think and see.