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?

96. Brothers

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 Ninety-Six

Brothers

Inuyasha stared at Sesshoumaru unable to say a word as the much older dog demon stared back at him. Two sets of bright gold eyes, the exact same color as their father long since dead, couldn't look away from one another. The almost sentimental words of 'Nii-chan' and 'Otouto' hung in the air all around them in an almost suffocating way. It seemed both were dealing with the same emotions but it was impossible to tell. Inuyasha eyes were wide and almost hopeless. The younger dog demon's hands shook slightly, all thoughts of punching his brother the second he saw him evaporated, replaced with strange nostalgia.

"Even if he does hate me, I—." He growled slightly to himself, hating himself for every little thought but he couldn't help it.

The last time he had seen this man, however horrifying it might have been, disappeared, replaced with childhood memories of admiration. He felt three feet tall again, looking up at the strong stony face of one of heroes, next to his father. He couldn't shake that feeling, couldn't force himself to remember the last night he had seen Sesshoumaru. He couldn't remember the bruising on his arm, or his mother's panicked scream. Instead, his mind was filled with the image of his brother's back as he followed him, the hardened eyes not yet scaring him. He remembered the few times Sesshoumaru had spoken to him kindly, almost always because his father and mother were present at the time.

A knot followed by a twist formed in his stomach and he bit the inside of his cheek. "What am I thinking?" He growled internally, his canines digging into the delicate flesh inside his mouth until blood began to pool against his tongue. "He tried to kill me, he tried to kill Okaa-san." The anger within him swelled and his hands shook as nostalgia was replaced by hatred once more.

Across from him Sesshoumaru's eyes ever so slightly narrowed as his nose made just the vaguest twitch as if aware of Inuyasha's emotional shift. He raised his chin ever so slightly his eyes never leaving his younger brother across from him. For a long moment he held Inuyasha's gaze, his naturally narrowed pupils haunting but nowhere near intimidating enough to make Inuyasha even so much as flinch. The older dog demon tilted his head only minuscully to the side, studying his younger brother carefully before he cleared his throat. His head straighten, although it was hard to tell it had even moved, and he shifted his gaze away from his younger brother towards Myoga and Kaito.

He looked down at the two bowing men with neither contempt nor care and spoke firmly, "Kaito." His voice was hard and left room for no arguments or thoughts of even attempting to argue.

"Hai." The man didn't raise his head as he spoke but it was hard to tell if the action was out of fear or simply respect.

"Anata no shigoto ga okonawa remasu." The pure evenness with which Sesshoumaru spoke was haunting, perfect monotone coming from his expressionless lips. "Saru."

"Hai," The man didn't dare to look up as the command came to him, 'your work is done, leave.' "Sesshoumaru-sama." He pulled himself up off the ground but still didn't raise his head. He kept it low and his eyes downcast as he backed away from the small group without turning his back. It was hard to say if this was out of respect or, more likely it seemed, fear.

Sesshoumaru for his part didn't blink or move, simply continued to watch the man back away until he was an appropriate distance to turn and leave hurriedly. The dog demon, although it was near impossible to tell, seemed pleased by the man's quick and respectful departure. Slowly, he turned back towards the other man on the ground, Myoga, and much to Inuyasha and Kagome's surprise spoke to him in perfect English. "You can stand up, Myoga."

The small flea obeyed automatically, pushing himself from the ground while keeping his head properly bowed. "It-to good," He spoke carefully as he began to raise his head much to Inuyasha's amazement. "To see Sesshoumaru-sama." The words were gentle and genuine and made Inuyasha's whole face fall opened with disbelief. "Sesshoumaru-sama have-e grown into fine man."

Kagome blinked in surprise, after everything she had heard she had never once expected Myoga to speak to Sesshoumaru in this way or better yet for Sesshoumaru to actually look somewhat pleased. Although, it was hard to tell that he was pleased, the only reason she knew was the strange feeling that seemed to jump from his skin and onto her.

Suddenly, the dog demon's head snapped towards them, his eyes landing on Kagome with such precision that Kagome actually jumped backwards and reached for the bow that wasn't around her shoulders. "Why'd I leave that on the ship?" She asked herself as her whole face went undeniably hot before cooling at the sight of those bright golden narrowed eyes.

"What the hell are you looking at?" Inuyasha said as he stood in front of her protectively, his eyes glaring at the man. The hatred he had felt for him all his life coming back tenfold at the sight of Sesshoumaru staring at his wife so coldly.

"The real question is, Otouto," Sesshoumaru spoke, his English so impressive that it was almost disarming in and of itself. "What is she seeing?"

Kagome felt her heart drop into her stomach and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Miko desu," The dog demon switched languages and glanced at his brother expecting him to understand. "Ne?"

"Yeah—she's a Miko." Inuyasha responded, his tone curt and his eyes dark with anger. "So what?" He bit out the words as if daring Sesshoumaru to speak further as his back tensed and his shoulder's square showing the older dog demon that he was no longer a small child staring upwards at his brother's back. "I'm taller than you." He thought as he glared at the man becoming irritated by his brother's passive and controlled features. "And," He narrowed his eyes even more, sending all his resentment into Sesshoumaru, hoping the gaze would make the man uncomfortable. "I know I'm stronger too."

Sesshoumaru didn't respond though to Inuyasha's gaze, he didn't speak nor return it. It was almost as if he were either ignoring it or making fun of it. After several seconds, he turned around, his eyes never changing even as he moved: they were calm, controlled, even, and unaffected by Inuyasha's words and glares. "Follow." He told them without so much as a backwards glance as he started off in the opposite direction, his body gliding more than walking.

"Hey!" Inuyasha stepped forward angrily while sending a growl towards his brother. "You can't just cut off conversations Sesshoumaru."

The older dog demon didn't stop until he heard his name. "Sesshoumaru." He said the name slowly as if he had never truly said it before now, as if it sounded different than anything he had ever said. A strange sound left his throat that could have been a laugh and then he started off once more without a single backwards glance. "Follow—Inuyasha."

The half dog demon growled low in his throat as anger came off of him in waves from being dismissed as he was.

Behind him, however, still protected by his much larger body, Kagome stared after the man in complete confusion. She could have sworn, that in that one moment, she had felt a feeling of disappointment come from the older demon. It was almost like, he hated hearing his name out of Inuyasha's mouth. "Which makes sense," Kagome told herself as Inuyasha began to walk begrudgingly, her following close behind. "If he hates Inuyasha—hearing him say his name, would make him angry." She bit her lip with uncertainty. "Still—if he truly hated Inuyasha wouldn't he be angrier when he called him Nii-chan?" Kagome frowned as the thought jumped into her brain, unfortunately, she didn't have any time to give it more consideration, however, as the giant court yard gave way to the most beautiful building she had ever seen.

It wasn't as tall or grand as the multiple storied building they had seen earlier but there was a majesty and uniqueness about it that was all its own. A gorgeous curved roof, each curving edge made with bright red wood, glossy and shinny, covered by a series of wonderfully dark black roofing tiles. Underneath those tiles, protected by the shine of such bright wood and contrasted shingles, were at least fifteen deliciously delicate white squared sliding doors, a dark wood outlining each white panel with such ease and gentleness that it seemed a shame to even think of opening the doors themselves.

Taken with the beauty of it all, Kagome nearly didn't notice the small child following them, his bright eyes focused and determined. All she could focus on were the trees, which touched the edges of roof, their dripping branches laden with evergreen leaves seeming to sooth it as they brushed at the edges of each shingle. Her heart raced as they crossed a little bridge, the cold icy water underneath covering the strangest fish she had ever seen. They were speckled black and gold and orange and swam slowly in the water, almost lethargically as if it were far too cold for them. On top of their extraordinary color, they were huge; even as far down in the deep pond as they were, they still appeared at least a foot long.

"Wow." She thought to herself, her human ears not hearing the sound of the stalking behind them.

Inuyasha's ear flickered as he heard the sound of leaves cracking instinctively, and he reached for his gun, the cold metal brushing against his hands almost darkly. "Who the hell is following us?" He tried not to growl so as not to bring attention to himself. "Stay calm, don't let them know you know." He licked his lips slowly as he kept walking, trying to look nonchalant. He couldn't help his fingers from twitching however, ready to defend himself with tooth, claw and an array of bullets if necessary. Another leaf cracked suddenly on his right and he forced himself not to growl. "It's a fucking ambush!" He cursed as he glared at Sesshoumaru's back hating the man for the ambush he had set up. "I should have known." He held back the growl the best he could but froze when Sesshoumaru suddenly stopped.

Inuyasha as well as Kagome and Myoga all halted immediately, watching as the dog demon lord turned his head slowly and carefully to look just barely over his right shoulder. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, the emotions on his face unnoticeable to all but Kagome.

A cool, strange feeling washed through her body, her back shivering with the pleasure it brought her. "What is this—?" She wondered as she tried to digest and understand what the emotion was. "It's almost sweet—loving?" Her whole face scrunched up with confusion, her eyes springing towards Sesshoumaru's face. His narrowed eyes held a look of irritation and the thin line of his lips seemed to project nothing but indifference, yet, she felt fondness, love, and a strange gentleness seeping off of him. "It doesn't make sense—." She bit her lip as the feeling consumed her but it was broken the second Sesshoumaru spoke.

"Iya." He said, his voice holding that same lack of emotion that his face did.

A groan came from over their shoulder, the same direction Sesshoumaru was looking and all three of them turned immediately. Staring back at them for only a split second was a dark eyed boy with crisp silver hair. His dark eyes looked at them momentarily with wonder before he quickly disappeared behind the trees.

Inuyasha blinked confused, he hadn't seen the boy for more than a few seconds but from what he had seen, he looked no more than ten, maybe twelve and definitely not human. Heavily confused, Inuyasha's neck snapped towards his brother, staring at the man with stern eyes. "What are you plotting?" The words slipped from his mouth quickly his hands still tight and ready to strike.

"Nothing." Sesshoumaru answered and turned to start walking off once more his feet not making a sound on the dirt path as he continue on.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth not appreciating the vague answer in the least. "Sesshoumaru." He spot with irritation, his voice hard and barely controlled. "Who was that boy?"

The dog demon didn't speak as he continued on down the path towards the beautiful house. "It's of no importance." He answered both vaguely and calmly, his feet never pausing in each step. "So," He added, glancing only briefly over his shoulder towards the place the boy had been. "Stop wasting my time." He finished in his monotone voice as he turned back around, the slight insult just loud enough for Inuyasha to hear.

The younger dog demon nearly shook with rage, his hand grasping the gun tightly, just ready to pull it out of its hiding place so he could shoot Sesshoumaru. "He hasn't changed at all." He growled his eyes hardening as images from an excruciating childhood began to flood his every sense.

"Hanyou." The word dripped off a slightly younger Sesshoumaru's tongue as he stared straight at Inuyasha with disdain. "Worthless."

Inuyasha allowed the memory to fuel his resentment, letting it seep deep inside his heart until nothing but hatred seemed to flow from his body.

Beside him Kagome felt the waves of emotion flowing from the dog demon into her own psyche. Although this time, for whatever reason she had not been privy to the actual haunting memories, she knew just by the emotions that it had not been pleasant. "Poor thing." She thought to herself as she turned towards Inuyasha just in time to see the quaking of his shoulders and the deep piercing hatred in his eyes. Quickly she sprang forward, grasping his elbow hastily. "Inuyasha." She spoke with as much control as she could muster. "Who was that?" She tried to distract the man and it seemed to work as he shook his head and grumbled unintelligently.

"I couldn't tell," He finally spoke, his words irritated at best. "We're down wind so I didn't get the scent." He added as he finally allowed his fingers to ease up on the gun, relaxing against it. "Fuck." He cursed and growled at the same time as Kagome's warm fingers rubbed his elbow calmingly. "I don't like this Kagome." He glanced at her ignoring Myoga as the old flea demon looked back at them from his place slightly behind Sesshoumaru's slowly walking form.

"I know—something's not quite as it seems." Kagome said but didn't elaborate on her reasoning as she stared at Sesshoumaru's back. She could feel something strange from the closed off man, which she couldn't explain. It was almost like his face, his body, his voice didn't match the feelings so carefully and completely hidden within him. "Something's really strange." She told herself as she bit her lip awkwardly.

Beside her, Inuyasha nodded, his eyes narrowed darkly. "Yeah." He agreed as his hands formed fist and his eyes stared at Sesshoumaru's back. "What are you planning?"He asked Sesshoumaru, the words just barely entering the air but even if Sesshoumaru had somehow heard him Inuyasha knew he would not receive an answer.

-break-

Kagura held the letter in her hands carefully, her fingers gently washing over it as the moon shown down on the top of her head. The crow's nest seemed to teeter from left to right as the ship was rocked by gentle waves down below. The far off sound of those same waves scrapping against the edge of the boat made her hands curl ever so slightly against the pulpy fabric of the parchment. An innate, although realistic fear, rushed through her and she couldn't help but feel as if she were being watched.

"That's silly." She told herself even as she saw Naraku's face right behind her eyes. "Naraku can't—he won't be awake and up here," She opened her eyes again and looked down through the riggings, the wood and the sails towards the deck. "Naraku could never see us."

A chilling wind, the kind even a wind demon cannot control, rushed past her pulling her from her thoughts and she shivered in response. Within seconds of her slight shudder, however, she felt the kind hands of Hiten reaching up to rub the cold away.

"This is it." She spoke perfectly, as she looked out at the starry sky, watching as the waning moon was covered by a darkened cloud.

"How long will it take for the girl to get it?" Hiten asked slowly as he watched the hidden moon come back out from behind the cloud, brightening everything around them as they whispered.

Kagura frowned and shrugged her shoulders before leaning into him ever so slightly, needing that connection. "Wind is tricky-y," She closed her eyes and frowned at her pronunciation of the word. "There's no telling," She opened her eyes just as the breeze seemed to dance around her as if her element knew how important this moment was to her. "It all deepens on wind and if-fu it will listen."

"You're a wind demon," Hiten frowned as he spoke not believing that an elemental demon would not, at the very least, have control of their own element. "Of course it will listen."

Kagura smiled and seemed to frown all at the same time. "The wind is freedom, Hiten-sama." She looked at him softly, her beautiful sapphire eye shinning in striking contrast to her milky white demonic one. "You cannot control, always, what is free."

Hiten narrowed his eyes but couldn't help but nod in somewhat understanding. Although it had only happened a few times in his life, he could remember having trouble with his own element: lightening. "Sometimes it just slips out of your hand or even shocks you." He thought to himself as the distant call of seagulls reached his ears telling him they were close to some kind of land. "It's unpredictable—I guess the wind must be—untamable then, in a way." He shook the thought right out of his head, now was not really the time to focus on such things. Now was the time to focus only on their task, the task left to them by a dying old woman. "Are you ready?"

The wind enchantress nodded but didn't say a word. The parchment in her hands crumbled slightly as she tightened her grip far too much and she winced. "Calm down." She told herself even as her heart clenched in her chest, the reality of what she was about to do hurting her heart. It was not that she didn't want the letter to arrive in the hands of its intended holder, it was that this letter was a part of Kaede. "Kaede-sama." She whispered the name just under her breath, the ache in her heart for the old woman troublesome.

Carefully, she closed her eyes sealing herself off from the world as she allowed memories of the elderly woman to wash over her. She could just see Kaede when they were in the brig, her one dark eye seeming to smile as she spoke to the young demon. There was such wisdom in those eyes, in her smiles, and in every wrinkle on her aged face. And the way she spoke, so gentle, kind and controlled, even before Naraku, made Kagura envy her.

"Hiten-sama." Kagura spoke the name quietly as she opened her eyes, encountering the patient face of Hiten immediately. "Do you remember—Kaede-sama speaking with Naraku?"

The thunder demon raised an eyebrow as if he couldn't exactly understand what she was suddenly talking about. "Huh?"

"Kaede-sama," Kagura spoke evenly even as her face took on a look of tiredness Hiten couldn't quite ignore. "Never feared Naraku." Strength entered her voice as she spoke and some of the tiredness began to fade much to Hiten's surprise. "Kaede-sama spoke to Naraku as if-fu Naraku was nothing."

Hiten nodded his head in perfect understanding. "She was," He hesitated for only a moment as his own memories of the woman played through his mind. "An amazing old woman." He shook his head slightly as if he wanted to laugh. "I've never met anyone like 'er." The smile began to fade and his face grew tight. "I'm gonna miss her."

"So am I." Kagura agreed her eyes wavering for just a second as the void in her heart ached where Kaede had begun to live. "Demo," The Nihon-go word slipped through her lips as she began to control her features, allowing her memories of the kind woman to ebb away disappearing back into a sacred place inside her mind and heart. "I will make-e Kaede-sama proud." She looked up at the sky, studying all the stars that graced its blackness. "I will not let-to Kaede-sama down!"

Although she spoke in a hushed whispered the words made Hiten-sama fill with fire. "Kagura-hime." He spoke her name his lips curving into a determined smirk. "You already have."

The wind enchantress sent him the same determined smirk in return, both her Shinigami eye and the much more docile eye of the wind demons seeming to sparkle with her resolve. Without saying another word, she turned away from her lover and looked straight ahead, towards the darkened sea. Inhaling sharply, she brought the letter up above her head and tilted her chin back. Her eyes drifted shut and her whole body went limp with instant meditation.

Hiten backed away unprepared for the sudden motion. Or, at least, he moved as far as he could in such a tiny space. "Kagura-hime?" He dared not say the words out loud but he couldn't help but let them enter his head worriedly.

"Watashi no senzo no kaze ga," As she spoke the wind all around the ship suddenly died down. The sails went limp as the air was rushed from them. "Watashi o kiku," She paused for just a second, the wind picking up ever so slightly but instead of coming from the North as it had been, it switched, coming from all directions to aim straight at Kagura. "Kudasai." Her eyes snapped opened and the wind all around them howled as it pulled at her hair and her clothes, making both appear to dance.

The ship groaned underneath them, screaming from the sensation. Men who were sleeping out on deck seemed to jump into wakefulness, their surprised and worried voices carried by what they could already guess was supernatural. The sails moaned from the pulling and yanking of the mast, the wind seeming to howl in a language that no one on board could understand, that is except the wind demon herself.

Kagura's eyes stared at the colors that only she could see; fabulous pinks and blues and purples intertwining just for her to see. Her heart began to race from the sight, a friend she hadn't seen in so long slipping around her body, pushing against her in a cool yet firm huge. "I haven't seen the wind," She told herself as it yanked on her hair, pulling at it with near frustration as it yanked her hair free from her bright ornate pin. "Since I gave the Shinigami my eyes." She felt tears begin to form in her natural eye as her love for her element confiscated her heart. "Ten years—more." She whispered to herself turning towards Hiten who was despartly holding on the railing of the crow's nest. "It-to been so long."

Hiten nodded but couldn't bring himself to say a word for fear of breaking his concentration. Instead, he simply focused on her, watching her with quiet admiration. Her hair danced around her, brushing against her cheeks and eyes as the wind directed it as if air could be alive. Her Shinigami eye seemed to glow as if it wanted nothing more than to take in every moment of such a lovely sight and her wind eye darkened as she gained control. Around them the wind began to die down as the air grew thicker and denser under Kagura's control.

Slowly but surely, it came to a stop almost looking like fog as it consumed them.

"What the—?" Hiten began to protest as the air seemed to consume him, pulling at his ears and clothes.

"Don't be afraid-u Hiten-sama." Kagura comforted easily, her smile beautiful as she too was wrapped in the dense air. "Wind—," She closed her eyes and once more turned her chin upwards to the sky. "Not-to hurt the one's I love."

The words echoed within Hiten's heart as his blood raced through his veins, heating him to his very core. "Love." He thought, images of Kagura's luscious body assaulting his sense only briefly before he was consumed by other images. He could see her proud and determined face as she stood down Naraku. He could see her as he pulled her up on the rail, the smirk on her mouth haunting. He could hear her empowered monologues and shaky cries as she finally allowed him to see the emotions she kept hidden from prying eyes. His chest swelled with his own feeling of love, a feeling he had never once thought he was capable of having for a woman. "I love you, Kagura-hime." He whispered so softly that she couldn't hear him above her own wind.

No longer distracted, Kagura held the letter firmly above her head, eyes closed tight. "Kono tegami o toru to," She spoke each word with utter clarity, making sure the wind knew exactly where it was to go. "Kagome O' Loinsigh yoba reru josei," She paused as if she needed a breath, the wind already pulling at the letter, prepared to yank it from her hands. "Ni sore o motte kuru." She hissed the last of the words, amazement running through her as the wind died down for just a second in a way she had never experienced. "Kazi?" She whispered her fingers shaking in disbelief. "Kazi?"

The feeling of a warm breeze came out of nowhere and she froze, watching as a strange green tint hinted all around it. Her eyebrows furrowed as it brushed her shoulders and her waist before coming up to just barely graze her cheeks and neck and ears. Warmth she couldn't even explain pushed against her very thoughts, a name she had grown to love more than her own life flickering briefly in her brain.

All the worries she felt and all the doubts that might have still consumed her, fell away as the green breeze pulled back and circled up her arm until it encountered her hands and fingers. With a gentleness Kagura had barely known in life, it slipped between the gaps of her fingers and within seconds had the letter in its undistinguishable hands.

Her fingers shook as she watched the green wind swirl around her as if it wanted to say something but had no means of communication. The wind didn't need words; however, the emotions it wanted to display encompassed her very being, covering her in an undeniable thick blanket of love, promise, and apologies. Each became a wave of emotion all its own, pouring into Kagura's very soul so completely that the wind demon felt her throat grow tight with amazement. The strange wind only stayed a few moments more as it began to pull itself away from Kagura, each slow twirl a little slower as it grew farther away from her hand until it finally was still before her rocking back and forth with some eccentric certainly.

The Shinigami eye in her head flashed with realization in that moment and Kagura's breath caught in her throat as she clearly felt some none existent voice say 'Goodbye' before the green light darted away with the speed of a the greatest hurricane.

The wind demon collapsed to the ground as she watched it disappear into the distance, not able to fathom if what had just happened was real or not. Tears sprang from her demonic eye and her heart hammered almost painfully in her chest. Without a moment's hesitation, Hiten dropped to his knees beside her, pulling at her shoulders as if to wake her. "Kagura-hime?" He called her name but it sounded distant and indistinct. "Kagura-hime! What was that?"

The wind demon didn't speak for several seconds, her eyes glazed with her own attempt to process what she had just felt. It seemed impossible, so damn impossible that she couldn't even begin to contemplate how it had happened. Her heart, cooled by the sweet caress of such a gentle wind, was the only thing that made her words possible to say. "It was green." They fell from her lips, light and deep, each one of the three baffling to the none wind demon at her side.

"What?"

"Green." Kagura repeated softly as the love she had felt from the wind confused all her senses.

"What's important about that?" The confused and worried thunder demon frowned darkly as he spoke.

"Wind's never green." Kagura continued on as she stared after the long since gone green wind. "Blue—purple—red—never green." She shook herself as the knowledge of what that breeze actually had been made her start to smile.

"Kagura?" The thunder demon whispered, so confused that he couldn't bring himself to say the normal Nihon-go ending.

The tears on her demonic eye began to overflow as she turned to give Hiten a blurry eyed smile. "Green is the color of-fu soul."

"What?"

"Sou-l-l," She whispered the word desperately, her voice cracking with the emotions flowing through her. "Kaede-sama." The name came out in a chocked semi-gasp that soon turned into a thrilled happiness.

-break-

The room was large, unnecessarily large as they entered through the sliding ornate doors. Outside, Myoga wooden shoes, Sesshoumaru's black silky shoes, and Kagome's boots (even though she had protested faintly when she was made to take them off) rested on the vast porch of what seemed to be a mini-mansion. The oldest of the present dog demons seemed to bow just the tip of his chin as he stepped into the room, his present company following him.

Kagome's eyes went wide as she stood at the entrance to the room, the last to fully enter. It looked like nothing she had ever seen before. The floor was made of strange greenish brown, giant boards; boards the size of a whole person, maybe even two or three. The walls were white and clean, outlined by thick black poles that made them look even cleaner. Unable to fathom what she was experiencing, the young Miko took a step into the room gingerly barely noticing as Inuyasha turned back to look at her. Bare feet met the cold technique of the strange wood and Kagome's nose crinkled in surprise. It was soft, yet hard at the same time, with just the slightest of give as her foot pressed down into them; they felt nothing like she had expected.

"Kagome." Inuyasha whispered the name softly to get her attention.

Blinking out of her stupor, she looked up at her husband with wide eyes that seemed to say, 'I can't believe I'm here.'

He smiled at her faintly and reached out his hand, which she took instantly, holding onto it as if it were a lifeline. Pulling her the rest of the way through the door the dog demon turned towards the only piece of furniture in the room, a small and very short table. "They sit on the floor here." He explained under his breath as Sesshoumaru crossed the floor and just as Inuyasha had said, sat down, legs crossed in front of a large scroll like painting of breathtaking quality.

It was a picture of a woman with bright dark eyes and rich clothes, which were bright red in color of covered in small little white flowers with yellow centers. Her long hair was held with a beautiful cherry blossom covered comb on just one side, the rest of it hanging around her like a sensual black curtain. Kagome stared at the picture for several seconds taking in the detail of her slightly young, almost childlike face. She was gorgeous and innocent looking all at the same time and yet there was a certain power about her. It was almost as if those eyes were hiding things and as they looked at you, they saw all of you.

A shiver ran down her spine as Inuyasha guided her through the room. Myoga was already sitting off to the right hand side of Sesshoumaru, the old flea looking comfortable as he crossed his feet in the same way as the dog demon lord and lowered his head as if he weren't allowed to look up. In this world, in this place, he probably wasn't.

"Sit." Sesshoumaru seemed to command and offer at the same time as he nodded his chin towards the place in front of him but on the other side of the table.

Inuyasha didn't say anything in return but did guide Kagome towards the spot that was indicated gradually. "Sit here—next to me." He whispered to her as they lowered down to the floor, Kagome rather awkwardly.

"Why are there no chairs?" She muttered just loud enough for Inuyasha to hear as she tried to gracefully plop down on the floor. And, having never been the most graceful of people, making a loud noise when her body connected with it.

For his part the dog demon across from them didn't say a word about her clumsiness, however, Kagome couldn't help but notice a strange feeling wash over her that made her self-conscious. It almost felt like Sesshoumaru was thinking she was an ungraceful fool. Blushing slightly she chose to cross her legs like the other people in the room and the feeling of ever so slight embarrassment hit her tenfold. Blinking in surprise she looked towards Inuyasha only to find him fighting back the urge to say something as he stared at his brother. Instantly, her eyes turned towards the older of the two dog demons just in time to see his disapproving stare.

"Even if you dress like a man," He spoke slowly and she felt Inuyasha tense, anger building in his heart. "You're still a woman." He closed his eyes slowly as if his words were law and she should feel humiliated for him saying them.

"Jerk!" She thought and tried her best to keep a steady bored face that matched Sesshoumaru's own but it felt impossible. She opened her mouth fully prepared to say something, although, what it was, she didn't know just yet. Before she could think of any words to speak or scream at the condescending man, however, a wave of emotions coming from Inuyasha made her freeze.

"Kuzo." He spoke in Nihon-go, his anger so great that he couldn't even think to speak in the other language he had known since birth. "Leave my mate alone!" He went on, his whole body tensing and his eyes full of fury. As if they had a will of their own, his legs even uncrossed and he pushed himself upwards his hands clutching as if ready to attack.

Kagome felt panic instantly well in her heart as she noticed the posture she had come to associate with Inuyasha losing his temper. His ears were back and his eyes were narrowed into slits, his hands were tightened into half-fist, half bared claws and a slight growl was already leaving his throat. "He's gonna kill him." She realized just as Inuyasha started to rise to his feet completely, eyes locked on the man who had dared to mortify his mate.

Calmly, Sesshoumaru turned his eyes towards his younger brother. He appeared almost bored as if the whole conversation was useless to him but somewhere in his eyes Kagome could see the slight register of something different. "Aren't you too young to have a mate?" His voice was monotone as if the question held no importance to the demon himself whatsoever but his eyes just barely and practically unnoticeably held something wholly different. He looked almost—curious.

Inuyasha froze, he hadn't expected a response like this out of Sesshoumaru. He had expected a quick reply accusing him and humiliating him for marrying a human to begin with. Instead, he got an almost blunt reply projected that idea that his brother was genuinely curious and mocking all at the same time. "No way." He told himself as he wavered between standing and half kneeling. "That just doesn't make sense." He blinked a few times as the thought ravaged his mind. "He has to be making fun of me—calling me young or a pup or—?" He thought, his mind moving over the possibilities as quickly as it could. "Is he making fun of her?" His eyes narrowed in confusion but Sesshoumaru didn't seem to care as he turned back to Kagome.

"Women do not sit with crossed legs." He informed her expressionlessly as he looked her up and down, his probing, emotionless eyes making Kagome squirm. "They sit on their knees." He finished smoothly as he took in her clothes, the feeling of his disapproval hitting Kagome hard in the gut.

She couldn't explain it but for some reason, in that moment, she felt a strange unbidden urge to please the man before her. "He is technically my brother-in-law." She told herself as she adjusted her position, uncrossing her legs and pushing herself up off the floor with the edge of her palm. "And—I guess it's natural to want him—to like me." Shakily and wincing slightly as her legs ached, she sat on her knees the best she could. "Really though," She licked her lips as those uncaring eyes looked down at her, his gaze glancing just over the bridge of his nose. "I just want those relentless eyes off me."

Beside her Inuyasha sent her an almost disbelieving look and frowned while gritting his teeth, angry that his wife had been treated in such a way. His hands closed tightly and his sharp claws bit into his flesh as he tried to control himself. The gun at his waist seemed to call to him and he had to force himself to ignore the beaconing of the smooth dangerous metal. "As long as Kagome's here—I can't start a fight, even if I think I can take him, I won't endanger her." Taking a deep methodical breath he forced himself to gain back his precious self control but he didn't dare lean away from Sesshoumaru for even a second. "For her, for her, for her." He chanted the words over and over again in his head in an attempt to hold himself steady. "Calm for her, calm for her, calm for her." He repeated almost methodically as he closed his eyes for a moment, inhaled sharply and turned back to his brother. "Kagura came to me." He got straight to the point, hoping the change in subject would spare Kagome any more embarrassment.

"Kagura." Sesshoumaru repeated the word slowly as if he were remembering the woman. "So she found you." For a moment, just the briefest of moments, Sesshoumaru almost looked impressed. "And what did she say?"

"To come to you." Inuyasha informed easily and narrowed his eyes as if to tell his brother he wanted answers and he wanted them now.

"Hm." He allowed the slight sound of exclamation to leave his throat before his eyes gingerly turned towards Myoga who still sat with his head bowed.

"Myoga." The name sounded dry as he said it, indifferent, maybe even a bit bored.

The little flea demon, looking smaller than he ever had before, didn't lift his head but his shoulders tensed, showing that he knew exactly what Sesshoumaru was asking without having to listen to a word. "Hai."

For the briefest of moments, Sesshoumaru seemed to be debating with himself although no expression ever once crossed his face other than boredom. "You never told him?"

"Iya." The flat one word reply seemed to be enough for Sesshoumaru who turned automatically away from the flea and looked right at Inuyasha.

"Do you have the Shikon no Tama with you?" He asked bluntly, the sheer straightforwardness of the question giving Inuyasha pause. "The one Izayoi gave you?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the question not because it was strange to hear his mother's name out of this man's mouth (which it was) but because Sesshoumaru should not have known his mother had given him the Shikon jewel shard. "She gave me that shard years after we left this place." He resisted the urge to lick his lips with his musings. "How would he know—?" Trying to keep his face firm and even, the younger dog demon crossed his arms characteristically over his chest. "I don't have that particular shard any longer," He tried to sound nonchalant, as if it wasn't a big deal but judging by the ever so slight way Sesshoumaru's eyes had narrowed he knew the older demon was not convinced. "Currently, we just have two." He looked towards Kagome who subconsciously had already reached for the jewel fragments around her neck.

"Two?" Although his voice maintained the stark monotone it seemed to always have, there was a hint of disapproval in his eyes. "Chichiue's two?"

The dog demon felt a strange sense of alertness dance throughout his entire body. "Did Otou-sama tell him?" He wondered to himself but didn't dare wait too long to respond to Sesshoumaru, the last thing he needed was a reason to start a fight with the bastard (at least while Kagome was around). "Yes." Inuyasha cleared his throat a bit as he gazed at his brother not allowing himself to show even one sign of weakness on his face. "We acquired some on our own as well." He added, an almost primitive part of himself taking pleasure in telling Sesshoumaru he was just as capable as their father.

Sesshoumaru didn't say anything to the admission but did tilt his head forward as if waiting for the half demon to tell him where those shards had gone.

"She destroyed them." Inuyasha tried to answer plainly but was not quite able to keep the pride out of his voice as he glanced at his still silent wife. Kagome returned the glance with an odd questioning tilt to her head that was adorable to Inuyasha. Not to be distracted by her, however, he turned back towards his brother just in time to see, for the first time since the conversation started, a look of contained yet obvious emotion on the demon lord's face: surprise.

"How?" He asked coldly, his eyes no longer on Inuyasha but staring straight at Kagome.

"I—," Kagome gulped, his gaze seeming to eat into her. "I don't really know." She offered slowly as she tried to maintain eye contact with the suddenly, almost interested, Sesshoumaru. She could feel the slight confusion and genuine curiosity starting to seep off of him. It was an unbelievable and yet undeniable feeling that ate at her nervously.

He looked her up and down slowly, contemplatively, the hardness of his dark pupils making the girl highly uncomfortable.

Beside Kagome, watching Sesshoumaru like a hawk, Inuyasha allowed his body to push forward. He glared at his brother and his fingers twitched as they reached for the gun once more. He could just feel the delicious curve of the cool metal, the feeling making his heart begin to race. "I dare you." He whispered just in the back of his mind, the fingers moving slowly, making no noise whatsoever as they wrapped around the middle of the gun, hesitating only slightly as they grazed the trigger.

Several seconds passed as Sesshoumaru studied Kagome, every detail of her body taken in by his suddenly interested gold eyes. "She's a Miko." He spoke as if he had figured the fact out himself and it had not been told to him earlier.

Kagome gulped slightly and glanced over at her husband unsure if she should speak or him. The Captain gave her a little nod but his eyes stayed fixated on his brother, intensely focused. Sucking in her bottom lip, the girl nodded her own head and carefully turned back towards the still waiting Sesshoumaru. "Yes." The conformation was clipped but seemed to please Sesshoumaru none the less, although it was hard to tell whether he was pleased or not.

"What is your gift?" He followed up immediately after Kagome's conformation.

Without hesitation Kagome lifted her body a little higher, taking some weight off her tingling legs, and responded: "Empathy."

He tilted his head in an almost miniscule gesture to indicate Kagome should continue.

"What does he want me to say?" She asked herself and thought to look to Inuyasha for conformation but hesitated. "I can't show weakness to a man like this." She coached herself even as Sesshoumaru's emotions slipped in and out of her conscious mind, taunting her with his curiosity and strange tension. Making it a point to lift her head a little higher, she inhaled sharply before saying the first thing that came to mind. "Empathy is when I can see people's pain."

"I know quite well how empath's think." He spoke curtly and stared at her, looking down the bridge of his nose. By the look on his face she knew she had not said the correct thing. "Can you see the jewels with your empathy—without aid from another source?" He asked coldly, the look on his face making her shiver and Inuyasha tug on the still concealed gun, just seconds from pulling it free from its hiding place.

"How does he know I saw them—is it that common for Miko's?" She grumbled internally forcing herself to stay calm and not shift awkwardly from the gaze. "No." Kagome spoke softly as her hands moved to rest on her knees, pulling at the fabric hastily. For a moment she could barely focus on Sesshoumaru's words as she felt a strange sensation she couldn't place nearby. It was totally calm and collected, but as soon as she felt it, it disappeared leaving her only momentarily baffled. "What was that?"

"Girl." Sesshoumaru spoke suddenly causing her to jump and Inuyasha to truly growl. The dog demon turned towards his younger brother looking unamused by the sound. "I do not know her name." He spoke in his standard monotone but somehow it still sounded insulting.

"Kagome." The young girl quickly jumped in as she reached over and placed a soft hand on Inuyasha's elbow to comfort him. The touch only lasted a few seconds before she pulled away, Inuyasha still growling but nowhere near as loud. "My name is Kagome." She repeated once more as she turned to look at him, keeping her eyes firm and her thoughts collected.

"Kagome." Sesshoumaru said the name but somehow it sounded disdainful on his lips. "How do you find the jewels?"

"I—." Kagome started to speak but something stopped her. Maybe it was the look in his eyes, or the strange sensation she had felt only moments before but whatever it was she felt herself holding the information back. "Should I tell him?" She wondered to herself as the lord watched her calmly waiting for her answer with a strange patient impatience. She stared at him as she studied his face, wondering why he was so interested in her ability to see the jewel fragments to begin with. "Kagura did say to go to Sesshoumaru for an explanation—so did Myoga—and even Inuyasha's mother before she died, maybe even his father." The girl felt tension begin to build in her neck from her own uncertainty. "What does he know that we don't?"

"Well?" He pressed, his lack of tone making Kagome wince for only a second before her mind was filled with almost instant knowledge.

"I just don't understand." Kagome bit her lip feeling small next to the man who wasn't even as tall as her husband. "Um—."

There just seemed to be something about his presence that made her uncomfortable and on edge. She licked her lips carefully, trying to open her mind and body so that she could feel anything from him. She waited a moment for the sensations to reach her, the gentle heat of another person's emotions touching her skin, or the loud cry of their thoughts rushing into her brain. The sensation and the sounds never came. Kagome felt a well of panic jump into her mind as she tried to comprehend what was happening. It had been so easy lately, she had slipped in and out of thoughts as if she was stepping in and out of a bath tub. Yet now, when she needed the gift most it remained silent, the gift of empathy relaxing and mocking her all at once.

"Really! Out of all times it chooses now?" She grumbled internally, sweat starting to pool on her palms despite the cold. "What do I do?" She asked herself as the dog demon's cold eyes stared right at her. Biting the inside of her cheek, masking the movement the best she could, the young woman allowed idea after idea to jump into her head but none seemed good enough to work on such an expressionless man especially when she couldn't feel what the expression meant. "Do I tell him—do I not?"

A faint grunt from Sesshoumaru brought her out of her thoughts. "I'm growing impatient."

Inuyasha pulled against her hands at the words but she could tell he was maintaining his patience, trusting her whole heartedly.

"Thank you." She thought admiring the man she loved for respecting her and trusting her to say the right thing. "The right thing!" She felt the idea flicker in her brain as if it was suddenly awakened from some place it had long been curled up asleep in. "A question for a question—neither admitting nor keeping." She raised her chin up immediately staring the man down with the most defiant eyes she could muster. "Why do you want to know?" She asked bluntly, not knowing what else to say.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at her words as if he hadn't expected her to be defiant but instead conforming. After a moment, however, his expression returned to normal: a mask of perfect confidence or, better yet, boredom.

Kagome stopped herself from smirking glad her last second thought had at least rattled him a bit, removing the tension she had felt from his stare. Beside her, she felt Inuyasha's emotions throw themselves at her tenfold: anger, pride, annoyance, and love hitting her straight in the chest giving her courage to continue on. New found confidence building within her from the feelings Kagome couldn't help but continue on.

"I'm an empath Sesshoumaru," Her voice was somewhat mocking, a fact that she simply couldn't help. "If I want, I can see the truth in you." It wasn't quite the truth, she knew so much, but a bluff can sometimes be as good as the truth. "So how about you just tell me why you want to know instead?" She tilted her head to the side and smiled at him. "It'd be easier on both of us."

The dog demon looked instantly irritated, his face tightening and his eyes actually narrowing for just a moment before his face returned to its normal stoic expression. He began to open his mouth but Kagome stopped him before he could speak a word.

"Well?" She threw his earlier words back in his face watching as the dog demon narrowed his eyes further, if it were at all possible.

He stayed that way for several seconds not saying a word as he stared at her. It was hard to tell whether he was simply thinking or trying to break her with his intense gaze. Either way Kagome felt a bead of sweat trickle down her cold neck from the intensity of the look. Beside her, she felt Inuyasha shift his weight, preparing himself to spring up in one giant leap to defend her or simply take his brother down before the other man could do the same to them. Off to the right, she watched as Myoga shifted uncomfortably, the old flea having remained silent and motionless until now. Only briefly did she wonder how he had managed to stay so calm and respectful off to the side, placed just out of the way of the line of conversation. It seemed odd but not as odd as Sesshoumaru's eventual response.

"It doesn't matter anyway."

Kagome and Inuyasha both felt their bodies completely deflate from the words, neither one of them quite comprehending what Sesshoumaru had said right away.

"What matters," He began again his whole demeanor so superior that Kagome felt like a child sitting across from him; a child about to be made fun of by their governess for not understanding a simple question. "Is how you, a pathetic—."

The word hung in the air and Kagome felt Inuyasha's control begin to break the emotions puncturing her psyche.

"Peasant—."

She felt Inuyasha begin to pull away and she knew there would be no stopping him once his knees rose up off the ground. Desperately, she held him down but she knew it was hopeless.

"Uneducated Miko, managed to even destroy—."

Kagome's fingers jumped off of Inuyasha's skin as the heat of his rage literally burned her. "Oh no." She barely had time to think as she watched him stand up his eyes burning with every ounce of the emotion that had burned her skin.

"One piece," Sesshoumaru continued on the look on his face seeming to say he knew exactly what was about to happen. "Of the Shikon no Tama."

In an instant, the table separating them from Sesshoumaru nearly slammed into Myoga's face. The old flea just barely had time to dodge the table as it was kicked violently by an extremely pissed off Inuyasha. It slammed into the wall right behind where the old flea had been sitting, leaving a dent in the soft wood before it clattered to the floor. Not caring or, more than likely not noticing, the younger of the two dog demons sprang forward and without a second thought punched his older brother directly in the face.

"How fucking dare you!" He snarled as his older brother took the hit, a fact that would trouble him only later. "That's my wife."

"So?" Sesshoumaru replied with the same nerve racking evenness he had maintained throughout the whole conversation. "What I said was true," He told the enraged half demon as he grabbed for the hand that had punched his face, lifted it up above Inuyasha's head, and returned the hit with one aimed directly at the younger man's gut. "And only true." He added as Inuyasha flew backwards hitting the opposite wall and by some miracle not bursting through it into the next room.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome whispered in a hoarse breath as she started to cross the room moving towards her husband. The dog demon was on his feet again, however, before Kagome had even taken one single step.

"None of that's true!" He screamed, not thinking for even one minute about the fact that the hit to his ribs hadn't cracked nor bruised even one. "She is the most amazing Miko I've ever seen." He took a step forward his hand already darting towards the gun, ripping it free from his side. "How dare you judge her on her human blood, you bastard." He hissed through his clenched teeth as the gun came up in front of his face, his finger's already cocking it, preparing himself to foot the man. Years of childhood pain, old and festering, culminated in his stomach, combining inevitably with his present rag. The combination of which, was more deadly than the most hideous of poisons.

For his part, the older dog demon merely smirked, a true smirk, the most emotion Kagome had seen on his face since they had met the man in the court yard. "I never said a thing about her human heritage."

"It was implied." Inuyasha allowed the words to rip out of his throat as his hands on the gun began to shake. Somewhere inside of him, he heard a small voice crying, begging for him to put the gun down. "Not him—not Nee-chan—no!" Inuyasha gritted his teeth, listening as one of his canines actually cracked. The sound of the crunch in the room echoed loudly making Kagome's heart stop dead in her chest.

"What the hell do I do?" She felt the tears coming, felt the swell of her energy begin to build inside, a reflex caused by her own turbulent emotions.

"Sesshoumaru-sama." The voice came into the room like a soft chime, so feather light that Kagome barely registered the sound of it. "Onegai," The beautiful voice continued to speak, drifting into the room from the other side of the large and strange white doors. "Shi teishi."

"Please—stop."

Inuyasha's whole body shook as he heard the words, the pureness of the soft spoken voice making some of his rage drift away. "Who?" He barely managed to register the thought before movement from Sesshoumaru made him tense once more, the gun pointed once more.

But, the demon lord's movement wasn't the preparations for his own attack. Instead, his body straightened and he leaned away from the taller man without saying a word. He looked out towards the door, his golden eyes actually softening just a fraction as he silently acknowledged the woman on the other side in a gesture that had to be impossible for her to see. Yet, she leaned forward, her silky black outline moving with the grace of a Kio fish in the pond.

To his credit, Inuyasha forced himself to side glance the door catching the delicate outline of a tiny woman kneeling on the other side of the shōji doors. When she had arrived there he had no idea and that unnerved him. His heart pounded in his chest and blood rushed passed his ears making it hard to think.

"Inuyasha-sama." She spoke suddenly in that same cool, calming voice, making the dog demon tense and relax all at once. "Daijōbu?" It was the last thing Inuyasha had thought to hear from the mysterious woman.

He opened his mouth to respond to the gentle inquiry but no words came out. His hands shook on the gun and without realizing it he began to lower it from Sesshoumaru's face.

"Gomen naisai." She continued on as if knowing what Inuyasha's answer was to her gentle inquiry: are you okay? "Sesshoumaru-sama wa," There was a slight laughter in her voice as if she were amused. "Hijō ni imi suru koto ga dekimasu."

His grip on the gun began to grow lax as he took in her words. Her words, although softly spoken as they should be by a woman born in Nippon, held a certain authority that he could not deny. Her voice, her words, were strong and yet undeniably delicate like a cherry blossom in spring as the wind caresses it before it falls. "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru can be very mean." He thought wanting to laugh as he turned towards his older brother watching as a mild expression of annoyance crossed his face but he didn't look angry (if he could look angry that is).

"O-iri kudasai," Sesshoumaru spoke calmly as he took a slight step back away from his younger brother.

Inuyasha and Kagome both watched with great curiosity as the shadow behind the shōji bowed her head and reached gracefully for the wooden door. She did so without standing, a sign Inuyasha knew indicated she was truly trained in the arts of womanhood for this country. The slender fingers of both her hands reached out from wide kimono sleeves as she brushed against the wood of the door. With her head still bowed she pulled the door aside, the sound of it scraping gently against the wood below it, almost deliciously haunting to their ears.

"Shitsurei shimasu." She spoke as she opened the door, the kind words echoing throughout Inuyasha's head.

"It's been so long since I heard those words." Inuyasha couldn't help btu think as he allowed the gun to go limp at his side, only one hand holding onto it halfheartedly. "Excuse my intruding." The gentleness of the English his mother had often said instead of the Nihon-go slipped into his psyche making him feel oddly out of place.

Slowly, methodically, she pulled it aside, revealing one of the most gorgeous faces Kagome had ever recalled seeing. Long black hair, the color of a moonless night with soft sparkles in it like mini stars was draped over her body, falling in tendrils of glossy black over her shoulders. In her hair, holding it out and away from her delicate pale face, was a violet hair comb outlined with what appeared to be real gold. The gold glistened in the daylight that rushed in from behind her flakes of snow contrasting strikingly with the pure sable color of her hair.

Gingerly, she opened her eyes, her body elegantly straightening as her deep chestnut eyes opened. They were the softest color Kagome had ever seen, the gold of the comb in her hair seeming to make them sparkle as if they were flecked with the same striking gold leaf as well. Without a word she placed her finger tips on the floor and grace and dignity that made Kagome feel wholly inadequate lowered herself once more until her upper body was nearly touching the ground before she raised. A beautiful smile spread across her face, her eyes closing with it as her head tilted to the side in an adorable childish way. The fabric of her bright red outer kimono seemed to sigh as she did so, little golden stars that lined the fabric glistening supernaturally in the light as she moved.

"Konnichiwa." She said, a slight giggle coming from her throat before she opened her eyes again. They were sparkling, almost demonically so as she smiled, revealing slightly fanged front teeth much to Inuyasha and Kagome's surprise. For all pretenses the girl looked wholly human except the odd effervescent quality of her hair and eyes.

"Rin." Sesshoumaru spoke the short name with a barely visible smile on his face that only a person who knew him and knew him well was able to actually see.

Kagome being the exception, of course. The young woman blinked as the feeling hit her of love, pure unbidden and untainted love. A shiver ran down her back and her heart fluttered in her chest, a beautiful sensation she felt compelled to never let go of. "This must be—Sesshoumaru's—wife."

Beside her, unaware of such feelings Inuyasha used a very different sense to come to the same conclusion. Instinctively, his nose twitched, inhaling a scent he could recognize in an instance. The melding of two into one, a scent he and Kagome carried, a scent Miroku and Sango carried and so many others he had met. It was not the scent of simply mating but instead something far more powerful, it was the scent of someone mated, someone who had committed themselves permanently to another, and even deeper still, Rin smelled of a different scent; a more powerful one.

Inuyasha felt his jaw practically drop to the ground, all his preconceived notions about Sesshoumaru falling away as he realized the truth behind the situation fully. Shock plastered on his face, he turned his head away from the slight woman and looked his brother in the eye. "She's—," He couldn't get the words out, they were stuck on his tongue and to the roof of his mouth. They were like nails closing up his throat so he couldn't speak. They were far too strange to speak or even think. They threw his whole perspective of the world completely upside down. "You—?" He tried again but failed as his thoughts haunted him completely.

"Hai," Sesshoumaru answered in Nihon-go for the benefit of his wife who did not speak English. "Rin wa hanbun oni dearu."

"Hanbun oni?" Inuyasha knew the word 'hanbun' and he knew what' oni' meant but to hear them together, so gently spoken by his brother seemed implausible.

Behind him, gazing at the woman openly, Kagome blinked the Nihon-go filling her ears until she nearly fell over on her side in shock. She too knew what the words 'hanbun' and 'oni' meant, they were words she had heard Inuyasha say many times when he spoke Nihon-go but she never had heard them actually spoken together. As she did however, they made her heart ache and confusion mount in her head all at once. It seemed impossible, after everything she had heard about Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's relationship it seemed impossible. Kagome gulped, she turned and she looked at Sesshoumaru as well, watching as the man stared at her husband and her husband stared back.

"Hanbun oni," Kagome said the words in Nihon-go in her head, her eyes seeming to shake growing blurry with her own surprise as she finally translated them into English. "Half demon."

-break-

Shippo laid his head on Sango's hard stomach, his straight pointed ears twitching slightly as he listened to the steady heartbeat of the child within. The small child giggled as he felt the baby lightly brush against his face, a foot or hand or back or head, moving within Sango, turning so that it became comfortable. "It moved!"

"It sure did." Sango agreed as she continued to 'read' her book. In truth she was simply staring at the pages, turning them every once in a while so that she wouldn't begin to look or sound suspicious to her husband who sat at his desk writing something in a rapid hand. Cautiously, she lowered the book as she studied him, her eyes taking in the squared shoulders. "What are you doing?"

He didn't pause or look up at her words, instead he simply cleared his throat and offered her a nondescript reply. "Just writing."

Sango frowned at the barely mumbled words and carefully closed her book, a piece of tattered parchment preserving her spot within it. "Writing what?"

"Figures and such," He muttered before inhaling deeply, his eyes scanning the document as he paused. "For our current throve." He motioned slightly with his quill towards the Captain's cabin where most of their treasure was hidden at the moment.

"Oh," Sango acknowledged as she turned to look out the window. "Trying to figure out the shares?"

"Yeah." The man replied as he glanced over his tallies trying to make sure his math was correct.

Truthfully uninterested in Miroku's current work, Sango adjusted herself in the bed, pulling herself up to where she was sitting a little higher and stretched. After several seconds she smiled satisfied and turned towards the window to her right. For the briefest of moment's she studied the thick clouds in the sky, watching as small snowflakes drifted towards the ground and sea. "When," She began softly as the sound of Miroku's quill scratching on the parchment soothed her. "Do you think they'll return?"

"Has ta be soon." Shippo spoke quickly for Miroku as he pushed himself up off the bed and jumped over to the windowsill. "Shouln't it?"

"It's only been an hour, I think." Miroku tilted his chin back in thought his mind struggling to remember the time they had left. "Maybe an hour and about a half." He shrugged and turned to look at them over the back of the chair one of his elbows coming up to balance on it. "I was expecting them to be gone at least two or three." He spoke with optimism but it seemed a cover at the least and not real. "After three—I'll go look for them."

The young fox demon glanced back at Miroku unconvinced. "How?" He asked as he slipped from the window leg and crossed his tiny arms. "There be tons of people out there." He tapped his nose strangely before continuing. "And without a nose-a like dis you won't find 'em."

"True." Miroku agreed and sent the child a raised eyebrow in return. "But there are other ways."

"Suit yourself." The youth returned and hopped back towards Sango and onto the bed. In just moments he was snuggled against her belly once more, this time his back facing the child within and his eyes gazing out the window.

"If I can't find him." Miroku began as the feeling of amusement was replaced by almost parental affection. "I'll come get you to help."

Shippo peeked at him doubtfully but couldn't stop the smirk that jumped onto his lips. "I'll help," He spoke firmly even as the smirk persisted. "But only if I'm not busy."

"Of course." Miroku nodded, attempting to keep a straight face as he watched the child send him a prideful smile.

A slight knock turned the three's attention towards the door as it squeaked opened. "Shippo-chan." Totosai called as he looked into the room, his eyes scanning for the young child.

"Hai." Shippo responded and jumped off the bed without a second thought. "Duty calls." He spoke firmly as he marched across the room towards an amused Totosai. "Unlike some of ya, I'm important." He called over his should, looking downright proud as he marched passed Totosai who was shaking his head back and forth.

The old man raised his eyes to look at the two left in the cabin. For a moment it appeared as if he were about to say something but the look faded as quickly as it had formed and he backed out of the doorway without a word. Seconds later the door closed with a soft, expected click and Miroku and Sango turned to look at each other wearily.

"I—really—wish we could have gone with them." Sango spoke first as an uneasy feeling danced in her stomach. "I feel like—they need us."

"I know." Miroku agreed as he pushed the chair out from under the desk, the legs scrapping the ground as he stood. Within seconds he found himself standing at the back windows of the cabin looking out across the busy port. "I do wonder," He paused only slightly as he watched the strangely dressed people go down their dock to the ship the Shikuro shared it with. "How it's going."

Sango frowned and strained her neck slightly to see what her husband saw. Laying on the bed as she was, though, she could only see the cloudy sky. The snowflakes were falling faster now and thicker from the darkened clouds and she couldn't help the delight that bubbled up in her chest. "I haven't seen snow in years." She told herself as the beauty of the silent snow captivated her momentarily. "I hope it's going well." She whispered as she watched each little flake drift towards the earth, like a tiny cloud. "Do you think Sesshoumaru is as bad as Inuyasha said?"

Miroku's face grew worried at her words as he turned back to look at her his eyes holding his emotions clearly for her to see. "It's a fifty-fifty chance you know."

Sango shook her head at his stark logic. "It's not that black and white Miroku." She told him as she looked over his shoulder at the snowflakes once more. "No matter how badly we wish the world was that simple," She spoke softly and carefully as the baby kicked within her. Her hand came up gingerly in response trying to sooth the child but in vain. "Nothing is ever that black and white."

-break-

"You're a half demon." Inuyasha whispered as he stared at the woman who was essentially his sister-in-law. She smiled in return but by the look in her eyes, he could tell that she was smiling simply because she had spoken not because she had understood the words.

As if to prove Inuyasha's thoughts, Sesshoumaru stepped slightly towards his wife so that Inuyasha could actually see him. "She understands very little English." The dog demon explained as he glanced down at the woman still sitting perfectly still upon the ground, her hands hidden in her large red sleeves. She smiled up at him in much the same way she had smiled at Inuyasha, only her eyes closed and her head tilted to the side with childish sweetness.

"That's convenient." Inuyasha grunted in accusation as he turned away from the charming look not wanting to be distracted by the tiny woman. His eyes found his brother within seconds and narrowed to dangerous, disbelieving slits. "Why are you married to a half breed?" He asked not carrying if the question could be considered insanely rude and inappropriate, even if he was asking it to a close relative; a relative that had nearly killed him in his childhood. "You hate half breeds."

"Isn't it strange—," Sesshoumaru spoke automatically as if he had been thinking about his response to this question for years. "How some things are innately not as they seem."

The younger of the two dog demon scrunched up his face in surprise by the answer. He honestly didn't know what Sesshoumaru meant by it. "Things are not always as they seem?" He repeated in his head, pouring over the meaning of such words. "What the hell does he mean by that?" He asked himself and thought to actually open his mouth and ask but, in the end, he didn't know what to say to his brother's words at all; he wasn't even sure what they meant.

Before he could formulate a response, anyway, Sesshoumaru looked down at his wife and sent her a strange look. The two made eye contact for the briefest of seconds but it was apparent they were silently discussing something with just their eyes. Finally, they disconnected from each other, both looking directly at Inuyasha but only Sesshoumaru speaking.

"My mateship is unimportant," He explained bluntly as he motioned towards his wife who continued to smile, although there was knowledge in that smile now. "She is what she is and that is all." Sesshoumaru finished with an ever so slight nod of his chin.

The younger man opened his mouth in instant protest, "Of course it's important!" He growled, his hands shaking and the gun still at his side clanging from the movement of his fingers. "My whole childh—."

"Inuyasha-sama." Rin gently chimed in as if she knew exactly what the conversation was about.

The dog demon automatically ripped his eyes away from Sesshoumaru to glare down at the small woman. Upon seeing her soft brown eyes, the little golden flecks seeming to sparkle, his expression softened. He had never been one to scream at a woman and never one to be able to resist beautiful eyes. Clearing his throat, he tried to relax his body. His eyes traveled back towards Kagome who was standing just beside him. His wife smiled and nodded her head, motioning for him to listen to the petite woman, after all, it couldn't hurt.

Knowing she only spoke Nihon-go, Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders, turned back towards her, and replied in the language of his father. "Hai?"

"Ano," She looked this way and that as if collecting her thoughts, her beautiful gold speckled brown eyes blinking with every idea until they brightened considerably. "Rin know-u strain—ano—strang—?" She trailed off and looked confused for a moment.

"Strange—." Kagome supplied within seconds and the girl smiled wide her eyes sparkling with a childlike innocence that made Kagome smile as well.

"Strange." She mimicked easily and looked towards Inuyasha once more. "Know-u strange." She said again as she motioned between the group, showing them that she understood the overall awkwardness and peculiarity of their current situation. "Demo," She continued on dropping her hands back into her beautiful kimono, the golden stars flashing before calming once more. "More-e im-a-por-o-tant," She managed to stop herself from adding necessary vowel to the end of the 't' but only by concentrating extraordinarily hard. "Tan tis-u." She smiled brightly as she finished, proud she had said the whole sentence in extremely broken English.

The slightest smile formed on Sesshoumaru's face, a proud expression actually hinting around his docile eyes. "Yes," He nodded towards her and her smile brightened from the attention, the sight making Sesshoumaru's eyes soften ever so slightly more, until he looked almost (but only almost) pleased. "This is strange but there are more important things than this."

She nodded glad he had been able to understand her before she turned back towards Inuyasha and Kagome, watching the dog demon as he stared at her. "Tere iz-u more-e im-a-por-o-tant tings." She finished, the word 'things' ringing in the air with its poor pronunciation seeming to dance loudly on the end of the sentence.

Inuyasha nodded none the less, used to understanding broken English in many languages, and sent her a tight, unsure smile.

Beside him Kagome couldn't help but send the woman a bright smile. There was just something about the small woman, wrapped in waves of bright red fabric that made her heart tighten in her chest. "She's so small." She thought with a smile that only grew brighter from the thought. "What is more important?" She managed to ask, directing her whole attention to the other woman in the room who was still seated partially outside the door. The cold hair seemed to rush past Rin, playing with the end of her beautiful long, thick hair.

The girl nodded that she understood and licked her lips. Without a word she raised a hand towards Sesshoumaru as if telling her husband not to answer for her. "Ano," She started the same way again, the little Nihon-go version of 'um' hanging in the air until the bright smile returned to her face. "You." The word jumped off her tongue definitively as the young woman looked straight at Kagome, her eyes unwavering.

"Huh?" Kagome felt herself take a step backwards as all eyes in the room suddenly turned towards her. "Me?" She looked towards Inuyasha for confirmation but all she found was abject confusion on his face. "Inuyasha?" She thought the name even though she knew it was useless to simply think it. Her eyes swiveled around to Sesshoumaru, barely catching the look of indifference before she found the top of Myoga's head, the little flea refusing to look up but for what reason, she didn't know. Finally her eyes came back to Rin, the small girl already nodding as she sent Kagome a soft, gentle smile.

"You." She repeated again and finally turned towards her husband, motioning for him to continue.

Instantly, Kagome and Inuyasha both turned towards the dog demon lord watching as he shrugged his shoulders by barely moving them. The action almost seemed pointless from its nearly none existent nature.

"Your mate," Sesshoumaru began, speaking as if what he was about to say was the most natural thing in the world. "Can destroy the jewel shards."

"And what's so significant about that?" Inuyasha cut in before Kagome could say even a word, his eyes looking between Kagome, his brother, and his sister in law so quickly they were actually all a blur.

"To my knowledge," He lowered his head slightly his bored eyes taking in his wife for the briefest of moments before looking at his brother again. "She is the only person who has ever been able to do so."

"That's impossible." Kagome chimed in with disbelief as she brought her hands up to wrap around her body, feeling highly uncomfortable. "I can't be the only one, I'm not that special, I'm just Kagome." She told herself as she began to fill claustrophobic in the small room. "What's wrong with me?" She asked herself as she tried to catch her breath a bit. She didn't understand why but she felt dizzy and kind of nauseous suddenly but not from the news she had just received. "Something's wrong."

"But it is possible." Sesshoumaru continued on, not aware of the way Kagome's head was beginning to spin or how her breathing was starting to come in hyperventilating gasp. "No one else has ever destroyed a piece of jewel except you."

The words barely registered in Kagome's mind as she felt her throat begin to tighten and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. "Something's watching." She felt an emotion she couldn't place brush against just the farthest reaches of her mind. Quickly, her head snapped up, looking passed Rin instead of directly at her. In the snow, only a few yards away, the boy she had seen on the ship stood.

Her heart stopped in her chest as she got a good look at his short wavy black and transparent hair. Her whole body began to shake as the child gazed at her, his dark eyes so sad that Kagome felt compelled to cry.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered as he watched her raise her hand strangely, reaching for something that didn't appear to actually exist.

Sesshoumaru quickly glanced towards his wife, looking for her knowledgeable eyes but she too was looking out away from them at something they couldn't see.

Kagome blinked as the snow flowed around the small child, floating through him instead of landing on his shoulders or shirt or head. Her eyes connected with his own and the sad smile grew as he looked away towards the ground where no footprints lead towards his body. For several seconds his small face watched the ground as if contemplating his next move. The young miko felt compelled to move, her feet already sliding against the tatami mat just as the boy looked up once more, his eyes hitting her like a bullet to the heart.

"Don't be afraid."

In a rush, everything her power of empathy gave her began to work again, hitting her as if every thought and every feeling were a brick being thrown at her head. A thousand thoughts and feeling threw themselves at her body: sensations, feelings, and thoughts she couldn't explain seeming to attack her from every angle.

"Ah!" She screamed, her hands jumping to her head as her mind felt as if it were about to explode.

She felt Sesshoumaru's actual surprise and Rin's strange sympathy as the sound of the girl's kimono shifting as she stood reached her dizzy brain. She heard Myoga's worried thoughts thrown at her in rushed Nihon-go which she couldn't bring herself to even try to understand at the moment. Her head pounded even more violently as Inuyasha's panic, trepidation, and utter terror hit her brain tenfold. She stumbled dizzily, barely able to feel the hotness of Inuyasha's clawed hands as a soft child like cry met her brain followed immediately by a long terrible howl of irritation and rage.

"Make it stop!" She heard her own voice but it sounded far away and she could have sworn her lips had not moved to say a word. The floor seemed to come out from under her before she could think for even a second about the strangeness of such a thing.

"Kagome!"

Her name sounded just as distant as Inuyasha screamed it, his hands encompassing her to keep her from falling. The second he touched her, however, it felt as if her skin lit on fire, his every thought and feeling hitting her with even more intensity than it had just seconds before. Desperately, she shoved him away, her knees giving out as gravity shoved her to the floor.

Panicked, Inuyasha fell beside her the sound of him crashing to the floor hurting her brain even more. Within seconds, she felt the clawed nails of his hand just barely touching her covered skin and from it his emotions leaked once more.

Shaking violently she tried to breath, her chest heaving brutally as she tried to breathe. Emotions shoved themselves at her mind relentlessly and she felt the tears that hit her cheeks before she thought to cry. "Stop." She whispered as she let her body fall forward, her hands grasping roughly for her hair yanking on it desperately.

"Iya." The command ripped through the air, Rin's gentle voice so commanding that no one dared to move as she shouted.

Within seconds Kagome heard the loud smack of Rin slapping Inuyasha's hands out of the way; in one great rush she felt the oxygen burn her throat as she gulped down air. Before her relief could cool her though the surprisingly cool touch of the young woman's hands connected with her quivering shoulders. She gasped trying to pull away but for a woman so small she had the strength of a man. Kagome cried, the tears running down her face in white hot streaks as she tried frantically to disconnect herself from the strong hands but no matter how hard she tried Rin simply wouldn't let her.

"Kagome-sama—." Rin shook her slightly, dragging her body up so that she could see her panicked grey eyes. "Kagome-sama!"

The words hit her head and she screamed. "No. No. No." She repeated over and over again as she snapped her eyes shut against the determined gaze. Her skin began to crawl with the emotions in the room and she cried harder, her breath coming in great giant exasperated gasp that sounded painful to the people surrounding her.

"Stop it," Inuyasha snarled through the confusion his anger making Kagome's mind feel as if it was about to explode. "You're hurting her!"

"Kagome-sama!" Rin ignored him, her voice so loud that it didn't seem like her own, even to people who had only known her for some five minutes. The authority in it made Kagome's eyes snap open and suddenly all she could see was the beautiful brown and gold speckled eyes of Rin. They gazed straight into her, a million thoughts and feelings being transferred between them in a matter of seconds.

"It's okay." They seemed to say as Rin's grip began to lesson on Kagome's arms. "Relax—look only at me and nothing else."

The young miko felt her breath instantly calm and the tears instantly stop flowing down her cheeks and chin. Her heart flip flopped and then returned to normal as the dizziness cleared. "Only at you." She repeated out loud, her words catching everyone, even Sesshoumaru by complete surprise.

Rin nodded her head but didn't speak out loud, instead the words seemed to come from her very soul.

"Let everything wash away," The words seemed to brush against Kagome's mind, soothing every ache and burn. "Every thought." Kagome began to feel her eyes lower, her mind so soothed that she couldn't hold them up. "Every feeling." Her heart slowed down and her breathing evened out. "Everything—let it all wash away." And with those words every symptom she had subsided replaced by complete tranquility. She managed to smile as the feeling of peace consumed her, rocking her as if she were a child in need of sleep. "Rest—."

Her eyes began to close, her mind becoming deliciously vacant.

"Rest."

She looked at Rin a smile forming on her relaxed lips. "Rest?" She repeated and Rin sent her a slow controlled nod.

"Rest—Kagome."

The confirmation washed over her just as everything went unfocused and faded into black.

End of Chapter

Please Review

A/N: And so ends another chapter. I hope everyone likes my characterization of the infamous Sesshoumaru-sama and of course his darling wife Rin-sama. Together I think they do make an adorable couple.

P.S. Please ignore any minor spelling and grammar mistakes in this chapter. It has only been read through twice. If you do see a major, detrimental one, please leave me a note in your review.

Bonus Point:

How did Rin and Sesshoumaru initially meet?

Last Chapter's Bonus Point:

As one reviewer said, to be technical Takemaru was the last person to see Inutaisho alive. However, Izayoi was the last person he loved to see him alive, so both could work from different perspectives. Congrats to the winners!

Atem4321, Koshii, Asian Delicacy, SweetHunniiBunnii, HeavenlyEclipse, Menarie, Glon Morski, Aidyan Warrior, HopelessRomantic183, Ikuto Tsukiyomi's Girl!

Next Chapter:

Kyōkan no Miko

See you then!

UNEDITED

POSTED

3/20/2014