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?

108. My Father

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 One Hundred and Eight

My Father

Standing just outside Sango and Miroku's room, the shoji doors opened so Sango could sit with one eye on Kagome and the other on her sleeping boys, all three adults watched as Kagome closed her eyes in concentration. The young miko had told them that Kilala was her other half, the part of her that harbored her miko powers and came to her aid when called upon (or became her partner in crime as Miroku had playfully countered). Still, standing on the porch, the cold wind of nightfall hitting their faces, both men couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.

"What will this thing," Miroku mumbled just loud enough for his father to hear him. "Look like?"

Inuyasha glanced at him but didn't say anything for a moment. "Nekomata." He thought the word as Kagome's body started to glow, the energy hitting him and leaving a warm afterglow around him that made him nearly purr (if dogs could purr that is). "I've heard of them—obviously—the word's Nihon-go after all." He rolled his eyes just for his own sake, masking his discomfort as he added: "But, I can honestly say I've never seen one."

Miroku actually started for a second before regaining his composure and turning towards his father curious. "Really?" Miroku waited for his father to nod before he shook his head amazed. "And I thought you knew everything."

"No one can know everything," Inuyasha snorted even though he did feel a bit uneasy realizing he was in the dark on this one. "Nekomata are not part of this world and the world they come from, I've never been to." He covered up his lack of knowledge and shifted awkwardly. He wasn't afraid to admit that he felt uncomfortable with the fact that his reign as the most knowledgeable was coming to an end. "It may be hard to admit—accept even—but," He smiled at that thought oddly, his golden eyes focusing on his mate and the way her own energy made her dark curls dance. "Life would be so boring if she didn't best me—sometimes—just not all the time." He held back his natural chuckle as he studied the way her eyelashes seemed to brush against her cheeks as she closed her eyes in concentration, little ringlets crowning her forehead and her lips drawn in a plump line of thought. "Beautiful." Inuyasha mused as the energy around Kagome seemed to fade for just a moment, the demon within him bristling with anticipation of the power to come. "And potentially deadly," He shivered loving the way his spine tingled with eagerness. "Just the way I like it."

Suddenly, Kagome's glowing body pulsed and her eyes snapped opened, the whole of them glowing brightly once before fading out within seconds. The girl lifted her chin up, looking at something that apparently they could not see yet and her serious face fell replaced by a bright smile. "Kilala!" She said the name excitedly as if greeting an old friend and jumped forward her arms wrapping around the neck of a creature that seemed to appear out of completely thin air.

"She's huge!" Sango's voice came through the shoji doors loud and clear even though she spoke in a whisper so as not to wake her sleeping twins. "And—is she on fire?" The woman added, the sound of her voice making Inuyasha blink and his jaw drop.

First and foremost, to say the animal was huge had been an unsettling understatement. She was a giant with paws the size of Inuyasha's head it seemed and giant fangs as long as his hands jutting out between her stark white muzzle. And secondly, and probably more importantly, to question whether she was on fire or not made Sango seem blind. She was literally on fire; there was absolutely no doubt in Inuyasha's mind about that fact. Those gigantic paws had flames coming out from behind them and the tip of her strange twin tails were burning as well, the flames actually hissing as she swished it back and forth while greeting Kagome.

Deep inside of him, instincts jumped to the surface and the demon within him snarled viciously. "Mate—danger! Protect mate—protect pup!" It screamed and without needing to hear any further information Inuyasha jumped off the porch driven by those instincts before his mind acknowledge anything else about the actual peaceful reunion in front of him. "Get away from it!" He yelled and within seconds had hold of her arm. Kagome didn't even have time to gasp as he yanked her backwards away from the giant flaming cat demon.

"Hey!" His wife protested even as he pulled her so firmly into his side that she couldn't possibly escape (without having to hurt him that is). "Inuyasha," Kagome turned in his grip trying to get a better look at his face as emotions suddenly hit her full force. "His demon's panicking." She realized instantly as his need to protect her from harm and his natural worry hit her psyche. "Inuyasha—Inuyasha," She said his name a few more times but the only indication he heard her was a slight twisting of his ear. "Good enough for me." She muttered and, unable to reach up and touch him because of her pinned arms, addressed him softly. "She's not dangerous."

"I'll be the judge of that." He grunted before snarling at the large cat demon and growling menacingly, the words clear to anyone who could speak in the language of the canine demons. 'This my mate with my pup—you leave, I protect.' He told the cat demon even though, as a cat, she had absolutely no idea what he was saying, still, that didn't seem to bother her.

The cat simply stared back at him and for a moment Inuyasha actually thought he saw a twinge of amusement in her large, unnerving grey eyes. They immediately reminded him of his wife, so much so in fact that it was almost hard to swallow. Then, they blinked and as they reopened he took a step back instinctively, dragging Kagome with him. The amusement had left the cat replaced by a relentless depth that he found somehow foreboding. They actually gave the impression that by just looking into them the cat demon could see everything from what you were thinking to every thought you had ever had in your life. His grip on his wife loosened as he looked into those eyes, feeling as if they were trying to tell him something but he had no idea what.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered against his side, her now free hand (the other still pinned against his body) coming up to touch his cheek. "I promise, she won't hurt me, she is me."

The dog demon didn't say anything for several seconds as his instincts propelled his thoughts. "Protect mate!" The demon in him snarled over and over again and, even if it was taking quite a bit of time for him to master, he ignored it in favor of listening to another part of himself. "Those are Kagome's eyes." His more coherent, human mind thought as Kagome's words finally seemed to fully penetrate his brain. "She's—part of you?" He asked but Kagome knew it was a rhetorical question without having to even sense his emotions.

"Otou-san." Miroku finally broke into their world and Inuyasha nodded his head without looking at Miroku to indicate he had heard. "Didn't you see the eyes?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha loosened his grip a little bit more and narrowed his own eyes just slightly as he continued to stare down the cat. Kilala tilted her head in response and, much to the entertainment of everyone, lifted one of her great paws and, in a very cat like manner, began licking it casually while completely ignoring the dog demon.

Kagome nearly laughed as Inuyasha's grip on her went slack and he finally pried his eyes away from the cat to look down at his wife. She looked back up at him and smiled brightly. "That's Kilala." She offered up even though it was pretty obvious.

Hearing Kagome say her name, the nekomata raised up her head and mewed. The sound was so wholly inappropriate coming from a creature that big that Inuyasha actually allowed his jaw to go slack even as Sango laughed.

"That sound should not have come from something that large." Sango spoke before anyone else could and, for the groups' part, they all merely nodded in agreement (the exception being Kagome who simply smiled wider).

"Isn't she cute?" Kagome asked no one in particular as she managed to step out of Inuyasha's grip, the dog demon letting her go willingly even though his demonic instincts were still screaming at him over the decision.

"She's something but I'm not sure if cute is the right word." Miroku answered as he studied the cat's striking white coat, her black paws and black tipped tail. Kilala turned towards Miroku from the comment and the man could have sworn he saw hurt in her intelligent eyes. "Sorry." He lifted his hands up as if in surrender and the cat almost seemed to smile.

"Miroku." Sango chastised from her place by the doors. "She is cute." The woman felt her heart swell as she said the words. "With her little black paws and—oh! Look at the diamond on her forehead—that's adorable." She turned towards Inuyasha shaking one finger at him with fake admonishment. "I think you might have overreacted Inuyasha."

Immediately, the cat seemed to snicker and Inuyasha growled slightly from the sound, wondering if this cat was the kind that hated dogs. Before he could take that thought any further, however, the cat moved. He froze as she strutted towards him, her sharp irises looking him over but not appearing threatening. He bristled slightly as she came closer, turning off towards his right at the last second. "What is she doing?" He wondered, knowing that if she wanted to attack it was far more likely she would come towards him straight on instead of going towards his side. Then, much to his horror, the cat leaned against him and obviously released a rather large rumble from her chest as she rubbed against his side, her tails straight up in the air the tips flicking back and forth leisurely.

Kagome instantly clapped her hands together relieved that the cat demon appeared unfazed by her dog demon husband. "Cats and dogs do have a tendency not to like each other." She mused trying hard not to laugh as the disgruntled half demon looked towards her almost pleadingly just as Miroku's near hysterical laughter finally hit the air. "She likes you." Kagome told him as she chose to ignore the still laughing Miroku.

"She's rubbing me." Inuyasha grunted as the cat pushed her forehead affectionately against the hanyou's side.

"And it's hilarious!" Miroku continued to laugh, the sound of his wife jumping in making it even more horrifying for the poor dog demon.

Annoyed by his son, the father sent the cruelest death glare he could manage towards the other man but it only seemed to make Miroku laugh even harder. "Oi!" He chose to yell instead. "Stop laughing."

"I—I—," Miroku tried to breathe but it seemed he just couldn't inhale through the force of his own amusement. "I can't!" He finally got out much to Inuyasha's further aggravation.

"I'm just glad she's not—you know," His wife hesitated for just a moment before she chose the best possible wording she could think of. "Put off by the fact that you're—a—dog."

Inuyasha's eyes flashed and he looked up at her with an expression that could have killed but instead just made her smile brilliantly.

"You're going to be best friends." She tried not to smirk but the dry look that crossed her mate's face seemed to say he realized that she was making fun of him as well.

"Will you stop rubbing me you stupid cat?" Inuyasha grunted and looked down (well—slightly down anyway) at the rather large feline. Kilala looked back up at him as well (well—she only had to really glance ever so little to see him eye to eye) and promptly mewed again much to Inuyasha's chagrin. "You're mocking me, aren't you?" He asked and the cat mewed and Miroku laughed harder.

It was Sango, un-expectantly, who decided then to cut into their mirth. "So—she's gonna take you to," The girl watched as everyone turned towards her even Inuyasha who was now trying his best to ignore the affectionate cat. "That other realm?"

The miko turned towards her friend, her expression changing from amused to collected once more. "Yes." As if sensing her mistresses change in mood, Kilala's ears perked up and she finally abandoned rubbing Inuyasha in favor of turning around and heading back to Kagome. For her part, the young priestess raised up her hand in a welcoming gesture. The demon cat saw it for what it was and carefully placed her nose against Kagome's palm, nuzzling her gently. "I think—Inuyasha should be able to go with me if he rides her too." She raised up her eyes but continued petting Kilala. "And once we get there, we can talk to your father."

For a moment, the half demon's eyes seemed to go a bit distant as if he were disappearing within himself. The look soon left him, however, and he refocused with a bit of a huff. "This—this is up there in the top ten craziest things I've ever done." He spoke and it was almost as if he was talking to himself and not his family.

Kagome smiled softly and began rubbing Kilala behind the ear. "What else is on that list?"

"Running with the pulls in Stamford and nearly getting my ass impaled," He held up a finger as he seemed to mentally check off that idea from a list they could not see. "Swimming naked with sharks off the coast of Africa," He shook his head slowly back and forth from the memory before looking at Kagome again, Miroku now merely chuckling in the background. "Which is not a good idea."

"The naked part or the shark part?" Kagome inquired evenly as she petted Kilala's giant head, the cat purring happily.

"Both." He shrugged slightly and tried to look as nonchalant as possible but failed miserably as his eyes twinkled with mirth. "Allowing some strange girl who cut off all her hair to stay on my ship—that was number one for a long time."

For her part, Kagome actually blushed, the redness on her cheeks adorable. "I'll try to top that one later."

"You marrying me topped it." He replied without thought, the words slipping from his tongue before he remembered who exactly was with them.

"Well," Miroku finally calmed completely his laughs replaced by an almost soft smile. "That's just not funny at all."

"Nope," Sango agreed as she watched Inuyasha glare at her even though she could tell he wanted to smile. "Not one little bit."

Inuyasha pulled his eyes away from his daughter-in-law and back on his wife as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And now you're asking me to ride a cat." He motioned towards Kilala with his chin, the giant cat looking at him as if bored before rubbing Kagome once more. "And I can honestly say that's something I have never done."

"I'd be worried if you had." His wife mused as she tilted her head towards the side as if imagining the scenario.

"Kagome," Inuyasha cleared his throat and closed his eyes. "I don't know if you've noticed this or not but well," He motioned towards his ears on top of his head and his clawed hands before snapping his eyes opened and presenting his fangs. "I'm a dog demon."

Kagome nodded her head and faked surprise for a moment. "Really?"

Inuyasha felt his eye twitch but didn't bother to retort to that statement. "You don't see the irony?"

"I do." She nodded and tried to keep her face serious but was failing miserably.

"You're enjoying this." Inuyasha grunted and with a huff turned away from her as she began to giggle.

"I am." She managed to say before the giggle turned into a full out echoing laugh that was just contagious enough to inflict both Sango and Miroku as well.

The dog demon grumbled and then growled at all of them in turn but it only made them laugh harder. Irritated, he turned towards the cat and sent her a death glare but much to his further irritation she appeared to be laughing as well. If cats could laugh that is. "If they could—she would."

Finally, Kagome managed to control the sound bubbling from her throat and shook her head. "I haven't been able to laugh in," She whispered and the sound of her voice made Inuyasha immediately stop growling, his irritation seeping away. "Quite a while."

"Everything's been so tense lately." Sango added to Kagome's thought as she glanced inside the room where her two children were snuggled together underneath a tiny kimono, sleeping.

"And it's gonna get worse before it gets better." Miroku concluded, his words making the clearing go silent as everyone absorbed that thought individually.

Kagome didn't allow the silence to take over the clearing for long, however, and lifting up her chin defiantly she nodded once quick. "It may be hard and there might not be much laughter but we'll get through it." She told everyone, her words a soft reminder that there was a chance that everything would be okay in the end, it just had to be.

"We should go get my father's other sword." Inuyasha told her even as a frown formed on his face from the possible logistics of such a thing.

As if sensing what he was about to say, Kagome interrupted. "I'll carry it—I've already picked it up and it does nothing to me."

He nodded his head to show his understanding only briefly before asking his next question. "Where is it?"

"Back in our room, Sesshoumaru left it as well as Tessaiga." She motioned absently as if to indicate the direction of their room but in all honesty she had no idea where it was. "Do you think we should take it too?"

Inuyasha shrugged before seeming to nod his head with a tired sigh, "Yeah—you never know."

Sango, who had been listening patiently from her position half in the room and half out bit her lip as she watched the two converse. She couldn't help a small feeling of dread that was beginning to bubble up within her. It scared her actually, the way some unknown instinct was making her want to stop them but why, she couldn't place. Either way she glanced at her children behind her, both boys were sleeping peacefully on her futon, covered by a tiny kimono that was heavy and warm. "Will they—will Richard and Taisho know them?" She squashed the thought down as hard as she could and turned hastily away from her boys and back to Inuyasha and Kagome. "Please," She called without bothering to stop herself. "Please stay safe, wherever the hell you're going, just stay safe."

Kagome looked at her best friend and nodded her head once as a sad smile jumped on her features. "We will." She answered for both of them as Inuyasha nodded in agreement behind her before looking over at his son.

"Watch out for Shippo and keep an eye on anything and everything that's happening here." He commanded and Miroku didn't have to say anything to tell his father it would be done, one look into each other's eyes and they both knew Miroku had no intentions of letting him down.

"How long will you be gone?" The man asked glancing towards Kagome knowing she would probably have the better answer.

"It's hard to say." The girl shrugged and looked up towards the dark sky in thought. "Like I told you before, time moves differently there." She studied the emerging stars noting that they simply weren't as bright here as they were in the middle of the ocean at night. "Maybe it's just because it's not quite dark enough yet." She considered but let the thought drop just as she allowed her chin to drop, eyes back on Miroku. "No more than a night for you both I would think."

"We're assuming we get there." Inuyasha commented dryly as he looked over at the big cat skeptically. "Do you think I can make it?" He asked the creature not really knowing if she understood him or not but assuming the intelligent eyes were not just for show. Proving his point the cat nodded in much the same way a humanoid does to show her agreement. "I'm trustin' ya cat." He told her and he could have sworn the animal demon smirked, raising his eyebrow he was about to say something when a scent caught his attention.

The dog demon froze and turned towards their right, his sharp eyes seeing the outline of Sesshoumaru well before the humans around him actually did. He could see his father's sword in Sesshoumaru's hands, the weathered blade of Tessaiga a stark contrast to the regal Sesshoumaru. The tall demon was followed by Rin, the glint of the blade in her hands not lost to the dog demon who gulped as he studied his father's other sword, so unassuming between Rin's delicate fingers and yet, deadly. Behind her Takeshi appeared as well, two little pups (his pup and his brother's) both sleeping against opposite youthful shoulders.

"Your pup fell asleep in my room." Sesshoumaru offered as explanation as he stepped into the clearing with his family in tow, his eyes only briefly turned to Kilala, the slightest look of surprise barely registering on his face before he turned back to his brother. "Kagome's?"

"Yes." Inuyasha answered simply, he had no idea how Sesshoumaru was able to make that connection so quickly but at this point, he simply didn't feel it was necessary to question it any longer. "Just not worth it." He told himself as Takeshi stared at the demonic cat behind him with wide eyes.

"What is that?"

"A nekomata." Sesshoumaru answered his son even as his wife made it to his shoulder looking at the creature with soft eyes.

"They are the connection between a miko and the power within herself." The woman explained easily and for his part, perhaps used to the unordinary family he happened to be born into, Takeshi nodded his understanding.

With his eyes still on the cat demon, watching her with some quaint concern, he moved around his mother and father, towards his uncle and aunt. "Kagome-baa-san." He spoke respectfully as Shippo mumbled something in his sleep and began to drool. "I know he's asleep but—." He offered the child to her, turning his shoulder so Kagome could see the little face. Kagome reached for the boy, plucking him off Takeshi's arm expertly before bringing the child close to her warmth, cuddling him as he continued to sleep like the dead. "They played all day," Takeshi explained quietly but still loud enough that even Miroku and Sango could hear him. "Wore my sister out as much as him." He joked as he motioned with his chin towards Mariko who was slightly snoring as she lay against her brother, warm and protected there.

"It's a blessing in disguise really." Rin commented from behind them almost off handedly before smiling towards Kagome and Inuyasha. "You're going to see Inutaisho, I'm assuming."

Kagome was slightly taken aback by the words and froze before cooling her demeanor entirely. "She either read my mind or she put two and two together. Either way—why should I even bother caring anymore?" She thought not even realizing that her husband had deliberated on the same topic only a few moments before. "We are."

Inuyasha chose that moment to glance at his brother, knowing the man's history now as well as he knew his own. He saw the look of jealousy cross the man's face or at least he thought he did. The truth was it flashed across the bridge of Sesshoumaru's nose so quickly that he could never be one-hundred percent sure what he saw. Still, it was safe to say that the pup that had to kill his own father, buried deep within Sesshoumaru, would have done anything, absolutely anything, to see his father again. "Something's in this world are neither possible nor fair." Inuyasha told himself even as the distinct feeling of inaccuracy bubbled within him.

If Sesshoumaru was aware of Inuyasha's thoughts or the change in his scent, the demon didn't appear to acknowledge it in the least. Instead, he stepped forward motioning towards his wife with one fine eyebrow that only she would recognize as a gesture to come forward. "Take your pup." He commanded Inuyasha who, surprised, looked towards Kagome before glancing back at Sesshoumaru.

"Why?"

"Take him." Sesshoumaru commanded again, not offering any further explanation to his brother as was his habit.

"I'm getting sick of people ordering me around." Annoyed, Inuyasha reached over towards Kagome, grasping Shippo in nimble clawed fingers that extracted the boy quite easily before bringing him gently towards his chest and shoulder. The child mumbled something incomprehensible against Inuyasha's neck and sighed, clearly too exhausted to bother waking even if he was being passed around from person to person. For his part, the normally gruff dog demon smiled ever so slightly and nuzzled the boy's red hair with his nose before looking back up at his brother who had turned away from him and was now watching his own mate carefully.

"They'll need it." He told Rin who moved towards Kagome without response, the sword in her hands extending outwards like an offering to a God.

With Shippo out of her grip, the young Miko would have easily been able to simply take the sword into her hands but Kagome hesitated. Her grey eyes stared at the fang, its lack of sheath making the blade gleam in the moonlight. Deliberately, she raised up one hand and delicately brushed the edge of the blade, her skin scrapping against the sharpness of it. She could hear Inuyasha's intake of breath and then the silence of the clearing as everyone watched her. "Inu-taisho made this." She said as her mind flashed with images of that man, a man she knew as well as his sons. The sword seemed to pulse for a moment as if saying hello and then went silent. Kagome smiled gently and without further hesitation moved her hand towards the hilt of the sword, wrapping her fingers around it, and pulling it away from Rin. "He made it and its time to find out why."

"Yes." Rin agreed as she dropped her hands in front of her, the edge of her beautiful blue kimono brushing her skin. "Everything lies in the answer to that question."

"That's exactly what we thought." Sango answered from the opened shoji and Rin looked over her shoulder with a small smile. Both women nodded at each other and out of politeness Rin motioned behind Sango.

"How are the babies?"

"Loud." The young mother answered simply a mischievous glint in her eyes. "But asleep for now."

"Treasure those times when they come," Rin spoke sagely although there was a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "Because they always end too soon."

"Before you know it they're insubordinate and big." Sesshoumaru actually muttered under his breath, the sound of his son nearly choking causing the barest of amusements to form on his still features.

"That isn't fair, Chichiue!" Takeshi bristled and his sister grumbled in his arms making him freeze, afraid his outburst might have awakened the toddler.

"Neither is life." Sesshoumaru offered the boy, watching as his head snapped up and annoyance flashed across his face. In response, the demon lord merely raised an eyebrow and growled slightly, commanding his pup to be respectful. Takeshi's ears fell against his head from the sound and he grumbled but didn't comment anymore on his father's words; he knew when to behave (most of the time).

"Are you," Miroku finally reentered the conversation having only been listening up until now and digesting everything. "Going to leave now?" He walked towards his father opening his hands for the little kit who didn't appear to be aware of the conversation at all.

Gingerly, Inuyasha handed the child off, ruffling the boy's hair only briefly before he turned towards his brother. "My sword." He lifted up his hand and without a word, Sesshoumaru threw the weapon towards him, the younger demon easily catching it between trained fingers. It felt heavy in his hand but at the same time somehow reassuring. Nodding his head, determined, he flipped the sword in his grip and slipped it into the ties of his hakama at his side, not even bothering to secure it for now. Inhaling deeply, he turned to his wife next not wanting to prolong their goodbyes any further. "Are you ready?"

"Will I ever be?" Kagome thought but didn't dare say those words out loud. Now was a time to display confidence and not anything else. "Yes."

"We wish you luck." Rin spoke for both herself and her husband as she walked towards her son, plucking her own daughter out of his grip. "Please be safe." She finished in nearly a whisper as she joined Sesshoumaru's side, the man blinking deliberately as if to agree with her.

"Don't be gone too long." Miroku joined in and the look of worry on his face could not be kept hidden. "If you can help it."

"We'll try." Inuyasha told him and reached out a hand towards Miroku. The younger man shifted the boy in his arms so he could reach out in return taking his father's hand in a firm grip only to be pulled forward so Inuyasha could hug him whilst being mindful of the kit. "We fight to live—remember that." He whispered in Miroku's ear and he felt his pup nod in return but didn't hear him even drudge up the vaguest murmur of a word himself. He pulled away and looked towards Kagome who had crossed the clearing towards Sango while he was hugging his son.

"We won't be long." Kagome told the other girl as she hugged her good-bye. "It will only be a few hours." She held onto Sango a little longer than necessary, part of her not wanting to let go of that comfort which was the closest thing to a sister she had ever had.

"I realize that." Sango told her as Kagome began pulled away. Not ready to let go of the younger girl yet, Sango grabbed her elbows, holding Kagome in place just a little longer. "But how long will it be for you?"

Kagome didn't answer, only smiled at her dearest friend as she tried to detach herself once more but, in the end, wasn't able to because of the shaking in her hands. "Another five years." She told herself as she looked into Sango's chocolate orbs. "I won't see you for at least another five years," Her eyebrows drew together and she looked down only briefly before forcing her eyes back up, so as not to alert Sango to her current predicament. "With the way time moves there—what will happen with this child?" The fleeting thought drifted to the back of her mind and she knew she would have to acknowledge it, at some point, again. "We'll miss you."

Sango narrowed her eyes, Kagome's lack of answer making that nervous feeling in her gut come back. "Kagome?"

Offering Sango a soft, sad curve of the lips, Kagome finally managed to move away, Sango's hands dropping back to her lap. She turned away before the pain that threatened to make her cry became apparent on her face. Taking a deep breath to control herself she stepped without seeing towards where she felt Inuyasha was standing. "Let's go." She told her husband who had long since let go of Miroku and stood prepared to follow her every direction.

"It's a bit—odd." He thought if only to himself, hoping Kagome wasn't currently reading him but by the look on her face and where her attention seemed to be located it didn't appear as if she was. "Kagome's—in charge of this one, I have to rely on her." He shifted uncomfortably not really liking being out of control. "Nothing I can do about it though—is there?" He sighed and followed Kagome towards Kilala his feet crunching against the crust of snow.

"We'll have to go through Goshinboku, it's the portal into that world." Kagome explained as she climbed onto Kilala, placing the sword across her lap as she settled. "Kilala will take us through—fast."

"Do I have to ride the cat?" Inuyasha grumbled more for show than any real concern of his own.

Kagome cracked a smile but the lack of amusement in it was somehow apparent to everyone. "I would assume so."

"You know what they say about people who assume." Miroku commented, trying to keep the atmosphere from becoming truly dank, but it didn't work.

Sighing heavily, Inuyasha very reluctantly climbed onto the cat as well, positioning himself behind her in a way he didn't find pleasurable at all. "But it has potential." A more perverted part of his brain piped up and, as if in response, smelt the telltale scent of Kagome's appreciation of his closeness. "Maybe, it's not so bad after all." He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her waist careful to avoid the purifying sword. She leaned against him in response and they both knew that his grip was not for his own safety in the least but instead, was a sign of love.

"How amusing."

Inuyasha's ears twitched at the off handed comment, spoken so quietly that only the demons in the clearing had heard. He turned and flashed a dangerous eye towards his brother whose face was stony but framed with pupils that seemed to dance. "Bastard." He grunted before mumbling into Kagome's ear so that only she would hear. "I'm ready when you are."

Kagome nodded and gripped Kilala's hair between her trembling finders. "I hope this works." She told herself and braced her body even though it wasn't really necessary. "Kilala." She spoke the name as if it was a command and, within seconds, they were moving.

Inuyasha held his wife tighter out of amazement as the demon cat ran. Her pace was no greater than his max speed at the moment but somehow he could sense she was holding back, if only for now. His eyes glanced from left, to right, to their front taking in the snowy landscape and the dormant cherry trees they passed. In the distance the tip of Goshinboku's tallest branches seemed to touch the first stars in the sky or perhaps, the stars were born from them. Despite the beauty of it though, everything seemed wholly unremarkable. The cherry trees were brown, the soil spilled with white and the sky cloudless and gilded with stars. Yet, underneath the normalcy of it all Inuyasha could feel a shift, an energy that seemed to just be lying under the surface of a blanket he couldn't see.

Without his even noticing, the demon cat's speed increased, the soft brown wood of the leafless cherry trees taking on a shape he had never seen before. The world began to rush by them blurring and spiraling until the trees, the bushes, the underbrush, and the snow were nothing more than an impression on their senses. Browns blurred into black and black shifted to white, branches turned into arms and arms turned into branches, and stars turned into eyes and those eyes saw all the way into his soul. He inhaled deeply through his nose, searching the road in front of them for the familiar arms of Goshinboku. A shimmer of something, a spiral of white, caught his attention instead and he tensed as he realized they were headed straight for it.

He tried to open his mouth to tell Kagome but her own voice stopped him.

"The Portal." She whispered and her voice came into existence with a shot before ebbing as they headed straight into the white nothingness at a speed not even a pure demon could reach.

He felt his lungs compact as if all the oxygen was being expelled from them and then a rush of blinding light greeted his senses. He winced, squeezing his eyes shut from the sensation but only for a second. Part of him expected when he opened his eyes again to see more whiteness, maybe even eerie unnatural colors, or better yet black, but that was not what welcomed his vision at all. When his eyes fully opened once more, they couldn't even comprehend the world that had suddenly appeared all around them.

For miles there was nothing but fields of wheat and flowers of every color: red, gold, blue, purple, and others he could never have imagined or believed could exist. The golden stalks of the wheat gently danced as the breeze wafted through them playing with their glory and the flowers shook tiny and insignificant by comparison. A bright blue sky, high and filled with the softest clouds he had ever seen greeted them on the horizon, the combination of gold and blue almost regal. Even the warmth that suddenly soaked his skin seemed more majestic than it should as a bright sun beat down against his head and shoulders, warming what had once been rout with winter cold. He tilted his face upwards and closed his eyes as his skin drank and his body relaxed. And, he realized, he could not recall ever feeling as unbelievable soothed as he did right now in that one moment.

Kilala came to a stop without him even realizing as he opened his eyes once more. They found the wheat fields instantly, following that epitome of finery all the way to a distant forest that seemed to spring up into existence from nothing. He felt his mouth dry and he had to blink against the sight and he couldn't for his life explain why. He couldn't stop himself, couldn't help himself, it was simply the most magnificent thing he had ever, and perhaps would ever, see.

Finally, his instincts compelled him to inhale and he did, half expecting the scent of wheat and maybe flowers or pine but froze as a scent he had never expected hit his nose. It was a stream, not a tepid one but a turbulent white water rapid that rushes between tall cedars in the middle of a wet, deep forest. It was a fire, in the middle of winter stationed in the hearth of a distant home, sweet and laced with just a trace of musky spice that made it both warm and comforting all at once. But most of all, it was a memory—a true memory.

He felt a shockwave of emotion hit him and spinning images of a tall man, his face clouded from forgotten memory jumped before his eyes. He blinked, his heartbeat quickened, and the face became more solid as his mind processed all the information his senses were taking in. He could see him, the image becoming clearer by the second and his heart beating faster as well.

Choppy bangs—

Thick eyebrows—

Golden eyes—

Delicate nose—

A small smile—

A fang between the lips—

A name forming on them too—

"Otou-san." He whispered the word, too stunned to do anything else as his grip on Kagome tightened. "I knew but—now that I'm here." The thoughts were replaced by the pup deep within him whining, little words of greeting overtaking it as that scent conjured its elapsed memories.

In front of him, Kagome turned and looked at his shocked face, the feelings of his own disbelief washing against her psyche. Carefully, she reached for his chin not bothering to say a word as she grasped it between her fingers and turned it towards the spot she knew Inutaisho stood. Inuyasha allowed himself to be guided realizing that she was moving him towards that familiar scent; his father's scent.

He inhaled sharply as his eyes took in the first wave of white hakama and haori, followed by armor that Sesshoumaru now wore in life. Almost afraid, he moved his chin on his own now barely registering when Kagome's hand dropped away from it. His eyes moistened without his consent and he gulped without meaning to as a firm chin and distinct cheekbones made way for that delicate nose and haunting golden eyes that must have reflected the surprise in his own.

He slipped from Kilala's back, not even acknowledging picking up his left foot from one side to the other. His bare feet touched the ground, the feel of the sun warmed dirt lost on him as he took his first steps forward. The rustling of fabric from his hakama was unheard as his ears twitched, listening to the breathing of the man in front of him while desperately searching for his heartbeat.

A high ponytail holding silver hair was mused by the wind as the man stepped forward towards Inuyasha as well his lips drawn into that same smile, one fang poking out between his lips. "Inuyasha." Inutaisho whispered and his voice sounded as if it were about to break. "You're a man."

The younger dog demon paused at the words as if just now realizing they were in fact true. "Otou-san." He spoke with the firmest voice he could muster but it still sounded small, like a pup. "It's been a long time." He tried to sound diplomatic, tried to be the man his father seemed to assume he was but he knew he was failing. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Inutaisho's smile widened and without a word he suddenly moved and covered the distance between them so quickly that Inuyasha didn't even have time to fathom it before he was pulled into a tight unrelenting hug. 'My pup.' His father growled low in his throat, speaking in a language that was older than recorded time as he pressed his palm to the back of Inuyasha's head, holding him in place as if he were a child.

Unhindered any longer by whatever had initially held him back, Inuyasha returned with the sound for, 'Alpha-male' just as his hands jumped up to wrap around his father's body. He could feel the silver hair that ran down the man's back in a cascading free fall, the softness of it another memory that was all consuming. The scent of rapids, winter fires, and home overwhelmed him and he pressed his nose into the man's shoulder, not even noticing that he had to lean down to do so. His throat tightened and in that singular moment, he felt every bit the age of eighteen that he actually was and maybe even a little younger. His face twisted as memories of that one horrible night years before made him hold on tighter, afraid to let go, afraid his father might become a whiff of smoke again, ascending into the sky to dissipate.

"Even the greatest of men," Inutaisho whispered as if sensing exactly what his son felt. "Can be overcome," His voice caught and Inuyasha felt his own disbelief swell in his throat as he assessed his father's words. "For the right reasons." He finished, his words dying as he held his child for the first time in nearly four-hundred years.

And, unable to stop himself, Inuyasha nodded his understanding as tears, which hadn't fallen since he was a little pup and he learned his father was dead, fell once more.

-break-

It took several minutes for the reunion to come to a relatively dignified close both father and son having pulled apart and in the fashion of manly men, pretended nothing had ever happened. For Kagome's part, she didn't say a word, only smiled knowingly at the two as she gave Kilala permission to head back towards her kind until she was needed once again. The cat demon disappeared as the small group sat underneath the flowering branches of Goshinboku. The shade of the tree kept them from the beating heat of the sun but, having been in perpetual winter for so long, it almost seemed a shame to lose that wonderful warmth.

The woman leaned against the tree trunk, her being privileged enough to take that position of better leisure, as the two men sat across from her. Inutaisho looked regal as he sat on his knees, legs ever so slightly spread (for obvious reason) and his hands draped purposefully across his thighs. The man was sitting in such a way it was obvious he was a leader and not a puny one like a governor or manager of a company but a true leader who had brought men into battle, killed for his people, and reigned over them as a benevolent king. Next to him, the discrepancy between father and son was so obvious it almost made her laugh. The pirate Captain sat with one knee up and the other leg extended out in front of him, his elbow perched on his raised knee and his chin positioned against the bend of his arm; comfortable—not regal—but comfortable.

Still, looking at them both side by side, Kagome could tell they were related. Because of the fact Inutaisho hadn't aged in centuries (or because he was a demon, who knows really), they could have passed as brothers. "The same eyes, and lips—their lips are remarkably similar, thin and lightly pinked." Kagome mused as she glanced from one man to the other. "Same hair, although Inuyasha's looks coarser compared to Otou-sama." She blinked as she studied their chins and cheekbones noting that, unlike Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha had inherited the man's chin to a certain degree, firm and slightly dimpled, but his cheeks were something else entirely. "It's western; it must be from Izayoi's side, maybe her human father's."

"For the record," Inuyasha spoke up suddenly, the clearing seeming to echo with his voice as he looked at his wife bringing her attention away from their faces and to the words in his mouth. "That never happened."

She blinked trying to figure out what he was talking about but the look on his face filled her in quickly. A slight twinge of red across just the bridge of his nose and the telltale drift of embarrassment on the wind. "Nope." She agreed although she couldn't stop herself from teasing him. "The great pirate captain," She stressed the words watching as his ears twitched in response. "Is incapable of crying."

"Damn right." He snorted just as the wind sent his bangs into his face making his nose twitch and causing him to sneeze.

"It appears someone is talking about the incident already." Inutaisho suddenly spoke his words strange to Kagome's foreign ears. "How true rumors do fly."

"Hey!" Inuyasha frowned at his father but there was a smile in his eyes none-the-less. "I dare any man to talk about me," The dog demon huffed and would have crossed his arms over his chest for sure had he not been positioned so comfortably. "He'll sure be sorry for it."

Looking between the two men completely baffled by what they were talking about, Kagome raised an eyebrow. "How would people know?" She asked and waited as her father-in-law laughed slightly, holding up a hand as if to wave off the incident.

"It's a joke—based on an old superstition." The older of the two men explained quickly, his face kind and reassuring. "When you sneeze it means someone is gossiping about you somewhere."

The western born girl raised an eyebrow but chose not to comment on the quaint, yet odd, superstition. "O-kay."

Inutaisho smiled at her drawn out word but the expression didn't last long as he shifted on his knees. "I guess—it's time to get down to business." He looked at the two people surrounding him, Kagome leaning so casually against the tree and his son draped over his own knee in his own version of heedlessness. "So you know the truth."

"What truth there is to be known." Inuyasha responded back not even needing to think in order to say the words.

"We're actually here because," Kagome chimed in before either man could speak again, wanting to make sure they moved this along quickly. "I don't know where Izayoi is but if we're gonna talk openly she can't be around—besides, who knows what Inuyasha will do when he sees her." She licked her lips and continued briskly even as her eyes shifted from left to right, looking and waiting. "We received some new information on all this and we want answers."

Inutaisho didn't seem to acknowledge her words even to think about them. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and looked to his own left and right as well before realization seemed to dawn on his face. He sighed and in a gesture that Inuyasha must have inherited long ago, crossed his arms over his chest. "Izayoi isn't here."

"Really?" Kagome was actually surprised, she hadn't been sure how she was going to deal with the woman once they arrived but she had been expecting to at least have to deal with her somehow. "Where is she?"

"I truthfully," He paused for just a second, inhaled and sighed. "Don't know."

Inuyasha shifted dropping his knee down and bringing his other leg in until he could cross his feet. For several moments he remained quiet and Kagome allowed this, knowing he was processing his own feelings. Inutaisho, oddly, did the same, his eyes never once looking at his son as he waited patiently for the words which were to come. Neither party had to wait long. "It's," Inuyasha started slowly, almost awkwardly, his voice tight and thick. "Probably better."

"Inuyasha." The father said the name slowly and leaned his chin backwards towards the son as if asking for patients. "Your mother—."

"I know what's going on." Inuyasha interrupted and shot a look towards his father that seemed to say something dangerous. "Kagome told me what Okaa-san has planned."

Inutaisho dropped his chin, turned it towards his son, and stared. They didn't move for a least a full ten seconds, both communicating in a way that was actually lost to even the talents of Kagome. "Son—."

"Father." Inuyasha replied, using the western term, the inclusion of which actually made Inutaisho wince.

The man broke their eye contact and looked towards Kagome. For a moment it seemed almost as if he might ask the miko for help or her opinion but finally he seemed to relent to some force within himself and brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck (another gesture Inuyasha had inherited). "It's very complicated."

"I told my own son the same thing—." Inuyasha almost snapped the words as he scrunched up his face in disgust. "I can't believe I didn't realize how annoying it was."

"But it's the truth," Inutaisho closed his eyes and silently asked for strength. "It is complicated."

"So," Kagome jumped in before the two could continue in their cyclical conversation any farther. "Explain." The word seemed to make both men flinch, its pure simplicity not something that was expected now. Looking up at her, Kagome smiled softly as a few stray rays of the sun hit her face from between Goshinboku's branches, the winds gentle breeze caressing them. "After all, we have all the time in the world here, right?"

"Unfortunately." Inutaisho agreed as the girl's angelic features haunted him. "I just—I hardly can figure where to begin."

"The beginning is always optimal." Inuyasha commented sarcastically and his father growled at him, which made the younger man visibly flinch. "Gomen," He said the word in Nihon-go, as if it was less powerful to apologize in that language over English. "I just—," He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, squeezing them shut as he tried to find something to focus on, something to calm himself with. It came in the form of Kagome's scent reaching him as if by an unseen hand's guidance. It washed over him, lilies, salt, and life. Sighing, he opened his eyes once more and fisted his hands into his red hakama legs tiredly. "I need to know." He spoke without emotion as he turned to look at his father. "I have to protect her—you need to understand that."

"And I do, Inuyasha." Inutaisho responded as his eyes told Inuyasha that he truthfully did understand, perhaps better than anyone ever would. "I really do—I've been in your place before."

"How about this." Kagome interjected as she looked between father and son. "We know pretty much everything—but what we don't know is why this is here." She held up the sword, noting the way the dog demon glanced at it briefly, it was the first time he had paid the sword any attention. He had seen it when she sat and said nothing, not even an offhanded comment had left his lips. Now, however, he looked at it with almost a longing that quickly turned into some unknown trauma.

"Tensaiga." He said the name slowly and held out his hand for Kagome to pass the sword to. The girl complied and within seconds Inutaisho held the sword in his firm grip, not hindered by any reaction from the blade much to Kagome and Inuyasha's unexpected surprise. "I noticed it when you arrived—so, Sesshoumaru has played his part." He sighed heavily and turned the sword over and over in his hands, the lack of sheath not bothering him as he studied the immaculate blade. "Everyone had a part to play and he—he played his better than anyone." The man laughed but there was nothing to the sound except regret. "The things we do for our children are nothing," He brought one hand off the sword and towards his face, covering his obvious shame. "Compared to the things we do to them."

"Everyone has a part in this?" Kagome reiterated and questioned all at once as she watched Inutaisho move his hand off his face and back to the blade. "If everyone has a part—then," She glanced at Inuyasha who was silently watching his father's hands as if wondering why they moved so freely over the katana. "What's ours?"

"Only puppets have parts." Inuyasha grumbled under his breath his displeasure in all of this coming off of him in waves but he was ignored by both his wife and father.

"To defy fate," Inutaisho allowed the sword to fall from his lap, practically yanking it down and planting it firmly before releasing it. "And the fact that you're here now, tells me that will happen."

"So we are puppets then?" Inuyasha spoke up this time before Kagome could, his golden eyes still staring at that sword, focused on it completely. "Little marionettes on little strings, dancing for you both."

"It does seem that way." His father agreed, his voice laced with even more regret than before. "But—either way—I think I can save you both, remove your strings and let you free."

The younger man finally lifted his head and looked at his father distrust in his eyes were trust should have rested. "But Okaa-san?"

The question seemed to deflate Inutaisho a little bit, his shoulders slumping and his eyes dulling, tired. "She didn't agree." He explained evenly and didn't bother to wait for either husband or wife to question him. "Because—she didn't think it was possible to change fate." He held up a hand to stop Kagome from quickly jumping in, defying what he had said, after all, Izayoi was trying to change fate with Kagome, wasn't she? "Izayoi had a plan for you Kagome." He explained evenly as he looked towards his daughter-in-law sadly. "But that's not defying fate, that's placating it." He sighed heavily and in that moment, looked his age. "I want to defy it—outright—shove my existence in this realm in its face and make it go to hell."

Kagome's eyes went wide at the passionate words but she nodded her understanding anyway.

"And I think I know how." He reached down and picked up Tensaiga presenting it to them with one hand on either side of the blade, holding it up and away from him. "With this sword and with you as its owner we can laugh in fate's rotten face." He offered it towards Inuyasha who shook his head quickly 'no.' "It won't purify you, I guarantee it."

"No offense but I don't trust you." Inuyasha spoke hastily, not noticing the hurt that formed on his father's face before it disappeared and the man tried to smile.

"Been burned once before, huh?" He tried to joke and offered the sword up once again. "Trust me—Inuyasha—I won't let my pup be hurt."

It must have been something in his father's words that actually soothed the younger dog demon since, right after, he reached out. His hand shook a little bit and his finger's splayed as if widening them might stop the purification from happening. Inutaisho moved his hand down the handle, so his son could grip the hilt of the sword instead of the dangerous blade. Hesitantly, Inuyasha licked his lips and shivered as the demon within him began to growl, spluttering and angry that he would touch the heinous thing once more. Ignoring the feeling commendably, the dog demon hardened all his features and shot his hand the rest of the way forward. His fingers gripped the sword and—

Nothing happened.

Shocked, Inuyasha stared at the katana in his hands, not noticing that his father had released it completely into his hold. It felt much lighter than Tetsusaiga, he noticed first, and the handle's grip wasn't anywhere near as worn either. He brushed his thumb over the sweeping braided leather of the handle, the roughness interchanging with a sweet smoothness he hadn't noticed the first time he had touched it. "It's immaculate." He told himself amazed that any sword could be this well kept for over four hundred years. It was almost as if it had never been used and in fact, Inuyasha realized, it probably hadn't.

As if with a will of its own, his other hand came up and delicately supported the blade as he allowed his hands to move from the red leather wrap downwards. The tsuba was made of brass it seemed, not entirely uncommon but somehow odd on this blade. The delicate nature of it, the importance he could feel vibrated from its very heart made it feel as if this blade should have been made of something far more precious. Yet, the already oxidized color of the copper was particularly beautiful in its own way and possibly the only part of the sword that looked worn. He frowned as his thumb brushed over that hand guard, feeling something he couldn't really see: an indent or etching made in the soft metal.

Carefully, he drew the sword towards his body, the demon within him calming as it realized it was not going to be sent away again. He blinked and his breath caught as he finally was able to take in what he had felt. Words—. Words inscribed plain as day into the metal of the sword's handle in clean short strokes. He blinked not sure if he was reading it correctly at all but they were there and even with his limited Kanji he knew every single one.

He felt the sword begin to slip from his grip and dropped it to his lap without thought as he raised his head. He looked his father in the eye as if seeing him once more for the first time in four hundred years. He stared at the man and the man stared back as if he already knew.

"How?" Inuyasha whispered and Kagome leaned forward from her position against the tree confused and unable to read him even with her talents.

Inutaisho eyed his son with a strange small smile on his face. "Do you remember," He spoke carefully and his eyes closed, a peaceful expression Inuyasha had never seen before crossing his features. "The last time I ever saw you?"

The younger dog demon nodded, he would never forget. The courtyard, his mother's barely hidden tears, his father bending down and hugging him as if to say good-bye. Inuyasha hadn't realized it was good-bye then, he had thought his father was just going to a meeting and that he was left behind since it was bed time. When he had awoken, however, his father had been dead and he had been in Sesshoumaru's arms terrified.

"I said something to you then," The older man opened his eyes and the anguish that permeated them made Inuyasha almost wince. "Do you remember?"

Inuyasha looked away from those eyes, not wanting his own upset to play across his face so boldly. He stared at the sword, stared at the etch marks knowing he would never have to read them again to know what they said. "You said it—." His hands started to shake and not knowing what to do or where to look, he drug his eyes away from the sword and towards Kagome. "He said it."

"Said what?" Kagome asked gently, the expression on her husband's face someone frightening her. He looked absolutely downtrodden as if his whole world was about to come crashing down on him.

Inuyasha turned the sword in his hands, the leather cool against his troubled fingers and not able to quite say what he had said a thousand times showed her, indicating with his thumb a particular set of Kanji characters: 戦うと生きる.

She stared at them as well, her breath rushing out of her body as she realized exactly what she was seeing. She had heard them so many times before that they should have been almost like a matter of second nature but they weren't, not in this language, and not by this man.

"Tatakau to ikiru." Inutaisho spoke the words for them both and looked straight at his son, wanting the boy to see him.

Inuyasha gulped and raised his head, turning stunned eyes towards his father. "Fight and live." He repeated the words he had morphed over so many years, words he had screamed when the sea had been a raging tempest around him, words he had whispered at night when he was huddled alone in a foreign country no older than fifteen, words he had chanted internally when he had been beaten mercilessly from prejudice, words he had said in prayers to any god that would listen, words he had whispered to his mother's gravestone. They were words he knew better than anyone, his motto, his mantra, his never ending moral, the simple phrase that had kept him alive for centuries: We fight to live.

"You must fight, Inuyasha," His father said now, the same words seeming to be more of an echo of the past and they were, they were words the young demon had forgotten were ever spoken to him either because of times cruel play on his mind or his own desire to forget the worst day of his life. "No one will protect you in this world but yourself, so fight—always fight—and you will live."

The younger demon, not knowing what to do nodded and forced his expression to still. Now was not the time to become a whimpering pup, he had things to do. He firmed his jaw and firmed his eyes and nodded at his father sharply. "I always do."

-break-

They walked through the field slowly, Kagome reaching out a hand to feel the tops of the wheat stalks. She nearly giggled at the strange feeling of them tickling her palms and fingertips but refrained. There was a certain somberness around them that kept her pretty well contained for now. Carefully, she looked up at the two men in front of her watching as they walked side by side in silence. It was strange to see the father and son together mainly because it was such a great impossibility but also because they simply didn't look like father and son. Inutaisho was, first and foremost, shorter than his son, probably about Sesshoumaru's height, which was just abnormal to the girl. And second, they looked to be about the same age, which was even weirder.

"They could all be brothers." She mused to herself even as an unnerving feeling overwhelmed her. "But that's how demons age—all demons—even half demons or," She tried to stop the thought from formulating but it was impossible. "Even quarters." She shook her head, dispelled her thoughts and hurried forward, stepping between the two men without another thought. "How far are we going?"

Inuyasha looked down at his wife who had seemed to materialize out of thin air and shrugged before looking towards his father. "That's a good question."

"Not too far," Inutaisho answered simply as he glanced down at the wheat and then over his shoulder at the still frightfully close tree. "I can only go about twenty yards away from the Goshinboku."

His son narrowed his eyes suspiciously and looked over his shoulder at the tree as well. "Why?"

"When I died I was anchored to the Goshinboku in order to keep me close to the earthly realm." The older demon explained easily as he turned his eyes back forward and continued on. "That way when the time came—I would always be there for Kagome." He looked down at the girl and smiled but the expression wasn't at all too happy. "It was all part of the plan."

"I kind of hate that fucking plan." Inuyasha commented offhandedly as he looked down at Kagome as well, hating the very idea of her being involved in this anymore than necessary. "Especially if it means her and the pup being in danger."

"Watch your mouth!" Inutaisho growled at his son loudly breaking Inuyasha out of his thoughts and making the man jump.

"What?" He turned his head to the side as he looked down at the other man, an eyebrow raising with shock. It had been at least three hundred years since someone had told him to watch his language because of his age (Sango only had because of the little 'un's ages, after all). "I'm a full grown man." He spoke slowly as if mocking his father to some degree, silently calling him daft or better yet deaf. "I can do what I want."

"Not while I'm around." His father snorted and crossed his arms as if to end the argument. "No son of mine will speak like an ill educated brute."

"Excuse me?" Inuyasha started to snap but Kagome quickly held out a hand, placing it firmly against her husband's chest.

"So," She interrupted and pressed a little against Inuyasha, keeping his temper at bay the best she could as she changed the subject. "I still have one more question." She spoke calmly and extended out her aura as well trying to make both men feel that same calmness. Inuyasha growled slightly but the sound was soon contained and the demon backed down.

His father licked his lips as he watched his son calm and for a moment, thought to ignore Kagome in favor of reprimanding the younger demon further but hesitated. Kagome's aura was calming and her intentions were obvious. "Trying to keep peace between an old man and his son." Inutaisho looked up at the son in question who wasn't looking at him but instead out at the fields. "So tall," The thought made something inside of him stir uncomfortably. "He didn't get that from me." He felt his heart quench a little and he dropped his crossed arms tiredly. "When did you grow up?" He spoke out loud, his words reaching Inuyasha's ears making the demons head turn.

"Huh?"

He smiled at the little quip of sound but didn't answer his son as he shook his head once more. "Nothing." He glanced in Inuyasha's direct and for a moment, his face looked very, very old. "Nothing boy—now—," He turned towards Kagome as if trying to distract himself as much as Inuyasha. "A question you said."

"Oh!" Kagome bit her lip as the focus turned back towards her. "Well—um," She hesitated as she tried to think of an actual question. Truth be told, she hadn't had one in mind when she had jumped into the conversation, she was just trying to keep peace. "Still—there is one thing I really want to know." She licked her lips as one question that had persisted since before they even arrived in this realm, popped into her head. "Why didn't—," She felt the words jumble in her mouth as she realized that this question was dangerous in a way. "Why didn't you tell Izayoi? That is, why isn't she in on this?" The name floated out in the air and surprisingly the atmosphere around Inutaisho, at least, didn't change at all. Inuyasha, however, immediately looked away, his eyes narrowing as he studied some unknown object in the distance.

Noticing his son's shift in mood, the father tried to joke slightly with his daughter-in-law. "That's two questions—and I only agreed to one." He shrugged his shoulders jokingly and Kagome huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at him just as playfully.

They both heard Inuyasha snort, and his shoulders relaxed some before he grumbled. "Watch out, it's a pain when she doesn't get her way."

"What are you trying to say?" Kagome sent him a death glare but he only smiled slightly, appreciatively.

"That you're," He winked at her mischievously and it even appeared that his heart was in the banter. "A bossy wife."

"Well," She clicked her tongue and bumped him with her shoulder, jarring him a bit playfully. "Somebody's gotta keep you in line."

Inuyasha finally laughed at that and nodded his head in agreement before looking over at his father as well. His expression changed a bit, but that little formation of curved lips stayed. "I'm—I'm kinda curious too." He licked his lips and without knowing when it had happened, realized they had stopped walking and were simply standing in the middle of a small circle that had been formed from the wheat being trampled by some unknown object.

"Very well," Inutaisho cleared his throat and his good nature seemed to die with the sound. Once more, a heavy sigh ransacked his body and he raised a hand to rub at the bridge of his nose awkwardly. "I didn't tell her because," He covered his eyes and Kagome knew it was because he didn't want to see their reactions. "She firmly believed Inuyasha was incapable."

"What?" Inuyasha felt the hurt well up in his throat long before he understood the words or even noticed his father was speaking once again.

"As you've already noticed, inside you there is both demon and human energy." He motioned towards Inuyasha's body as if he could have pinpointed exactly what he meant. "I believe you have the capacity to harbor both." He tilted his head to the side as if in thought and then clicked his tongue. "With training and with that sword," He pointed at Tensaiga adamantly. "You can match Kagome's power in human energy and use your own demon with the other."

"But that's—."

"That's," Inutaisho took over, his eyes bright as he unleashed the full purpose of his plan. "Telling fate to blow it out his ass."

"Look who's cursing now." Inuyasha commented dryly but he felt a sort of pride form in his heart knowing that his father believed him perfectly capable of shoving fate's face in the dirt.

"I'm Otou-sama, I can do what I want."

"I'm an Otou, too, so I should get to follow the same rules." Inuyasha pointed out and his expression immediately changed as he realized exactly what he had just said.

"You are." Inutaisho spoke softly and he glanced over at Kagome once before smiling in an almost secretive manner. "And you will be again one day." His words filled the small clearing they had walked into as well as Inuyasha and Kagome's hearts. Both husband and wife stared at the elder before them who smiled gently as the wind gripped his wife haori sleeves, musing them almost thoughtfully. "But to make sure that happens—," He opened his hand towards the field, the wind growing stronger as if it knew everything there was to be known. "It's time to train."

-break-

Izayoi ran her hand over the tiny flower in front of her studying the almost blood red quality of its petals. Currently, she was sitting amongst a million flowers just the same as this one but she only had eyes for it. It wasn't that it was unique or that it was a far deeper red than any of the other flowers around her. No, that didn't matter in the least. It was because it was a flower Kagome had touched once, in a time that seemed so far away from now. The young girls' spiritual energy flowed from the very petals of the flower where Kagome had healed it, giving it life. Her energy was deep and warm as it connected with Izayoi's, soothing to the fractured feeling of the older miko's own soul.

She sighed and the sound was delicate, she slumped forward slightly and her poster was familiar. Carefully, she brushed the petals of the little bud, the warmth of a pure heart, warming her down to her bones. She felt Kagome's name form on her lips but she stopped it, it wouldn't do her any good to even whisper it now. What was done was done. She had played her role in all of this flawlessly, so flawlessly that even her own husband was lost to its purpose and now hated her.

She closed her eyes and the first evidence of a crystalline tear made its way onto her cheeks. She didn't bother to brush it away; instead, she let it flow down until it tipped her chin and spilled downwards. It hit the flower she had been admiring and she swallowed hard her lips opening without any sound at first as she felt words older than her bubble up and out her throat.

"Flowers of summer, of winter, and fall," Her voice caught, hiccupped even and she had to hold back tears that threatened to consume her. "Fit in—my—my han—d." She lost the battle and her face contorted with the force of a sob as her fingers clamped down on the flower's stem, yanking it from the earth with force she didn't mean to use.

She gasped as she realized what she had done and a hiccup jumped into her throat once more as she shook her head quickly back and forth cradling the already dying thing. It would stay beautiful for days if put in water but that wasn't the point. Like all things removed from their roots it was dying and would die and there was little to nothing she could do.

She closed her eyes and cradled the flower against the swell of her breast. The tears fell down her pale cheeks and she wheezed, wanting to breathe and not wanting to all at once. "Fit in my—my hands," She sung the words again, forcing herself to finish the song. "Tiny," She opened her eyes suddenly but she didn't see a flower anymore. "And small." Her voice was crisp as she sang the next words, eyes seeing into the distant past. "A field of daisies—lovely, askew." She looked down at his face, seeing him asleep, tucked away in her arms, warm, and safe with little curls of silver hair framing a cubby baby face. "Will lead me back—to you."

The face of the tiny child disappeared with her words and her heart dropped in her chest just as the flower fell from her grip as well.

"Did I do the right thing?" She asked herself as she looked down at the flower that was now sitting in the dirt in front of her knee. "Should I have told him?" She looked up towards the sky, the sound of little spirits fluttering about her suddenly making her pause.

She glanced to her right as a tiny spirit pushed against her shoulder as if seeking to comfort her, as if telling her she had been right and yet, she disagreed. Delicate fingers reached up and pressed against the white flutter. It felt cloud like to her, as if it was more air than anything tangible could ever be. It made no noise as it enjoyed her fingertips for a fleeting moment before it seemed to become distracted by something even Izayoi had no knowledge of and wafted away from her into the distance. For several seconds she followed it until it became so distant that she could no longer make out the appeal of its tiny body.

Once more she closed her eyes and tilted her head back as the momentary distraction vanished. "Inutaisho," His name warmed her very soul as it always had and she opened her eyes against the blinding otherworldly sun in realization. "I should have told you." She spoke to no one as the sun warmed her as much as his name had. "But—," She watched as a cloud went over her head blocking out that blinding gold and sweet heat completely. "I just—I couldn't." She snapped her eyes shut and began to cry.

-break-

Kagome sat in the middle of the field, watching as father and son faced each other neither speaking as Inutaisho held Tetsusaiga in front of him his expression fixated on the end of the blade. The girl tilted her head to the side as she watched the man lick his lips in thought, preparing himself before he delivered the first (of what he said would be many) lesson. Kagome didn't understand the art of the sword, and she wouldn't pretend to, although she couldn't deny that she was interested in it, "Maybe when this is over I can make Inuyasha teach me."

The unassuming thought made her feel suddenly cold and she blinked rapidly before simply turning off her mind completely. It was best not to think, thinking was only dangerous currently and, for the time being, would do her nothing but harm. Shrugging her shoulders slightly she leaned back on her hands as a tiny spirit came down to dance on the ground beside her.

She smiled at the tiny thing as it pushed against her fingers. "What do you want then?" She asked and pushed herself off her hands, presenting her palm to the tiny creature so it might climb on. The spirit obeyed the silent command and Kagome raised her hand up to her face to study it.

It was extra-ordinary anyway it seemed: a generic whiteness that could have formed from the soul of any person or even animal that had lived a good life. She petted it kindly, the snowy cloudlike texture making her smile faintly before the distraction of the great Inutaisho's voice stopped her.

"Are you ready?" He spoke gruffly, his meditation apparently done with as he looked across the small clearing towards Inuyasha

"I was ready twenty minutes ago." The younger man commented sardonically much to his father's annoyance.

"Insolent pup." His father grumbled as he lowered the tip of his sword to the ground briefly and glared at his son. Inuyasha merely sent him a cocky smile that the older man chose to ignore. "When we summon our demon energy to the surface," He began explaining quietly as he relaxed his muscles, his tense shoulders slumping a little, and his face slipping into a neutral expression. "We can channel it through a demonic sword quite easily." His features continued to relax as Tetsusaiga began to glow, filling with the energy of its wielder. "Once this energy is within the sword—we unleash it through powerful burst." He allowed the energy to dissapate much to Inuyasha's disappointment.

"You're not gonna show me?" He crossed his arms over his chest and drew his lips into a thin line.

"No." Inutaisho didn't bother to explain why as he motioned towards the sword at his son's hip. "You—unlike the average demon—can do the same thing with that sword."

Inuyasha glanced down at the unassuming blade that he was somehow able to touch in this realm. He felt a shudder run up and down his spine from the thought of what had happened to him last time and looked up at his father expectantly. "You do realize the last time I even touched this blade it turned me not only into a human but knocked me unconscious for three days."

"Sesshoumaru said it practically blew up in your face." Kagome called from her position on the sidelines, now able to joke about the incident since her husband was physically unharmed.

The half demon sent her a hard glare and growled slightly but Kagome only smiled in return, no scared of him in the least. Inuyasha grumbled something under his breath and shrugged his shoulders grumpily before silently agreeing with Kagome.

Inutaisho watched his son's nod of agreement and tried hard not to laugh. "That won't happen this time." He assured as he allowed Tetsusaiga to untransform and quickly sheathed it at his belt. "The only reason it—well—blew up in your face," He paused as Inuyasha sent him a death glare but didn't bother to stop completely. "Was because your human energy was brought to the surface too quickly and it simply overwhelmed you." He turned towards Kagome in that moment, pointing at her with one clawed finger. "From what I know—that's happened to you several times: power—faint—repeat."

Kagome had the decency to flush and look away as Inuyasha let out an immature snort.

The oldest amongst them shook his head and snickered before continuing. "Just like Kagome has to channel the energy carefully within herself, so do you," He turned back to his son and looked at him pointedly. "Inuyasha." He nodded down at Inuyasha's belt, towards the sword once more. "If you channel it through Tensaiga carefully, the human will behave."

"Are you sure?" Inuyasha asked skeptically, just because he could suddenly touch the sword didn't mean he was going to trust it completely.

"Stop yer belly aching!" Inutaisho grunted out the expression he had probably heard from his Irish in-laws with such a realistic accent that Inuyasha actually looked up expecting to see Paedar. "Are ya a demon or a mouse?"

The words hit home and Inuyasha couldn't stop himself from smiling as images of his grandfather played through his head. "Neither." He answered and lifted up bright eyes towards his father. "I'm a half demon."

Inutaisho's face seemed to still in complete disbelief before he smirked at his son and nodded his head. "Then show me what a half demon can do."

Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow at the old man as if to say, 'Are you kidding me' but didn't add a word to the conversation. Instead, he licked his lips and reached down for the blade against his wait. The hilt was as smooth as it had been only a scant fifteen, maybe twenty minutes before but it still felt foreign. He pulled it from his waist, amazed that the blade didn't cut the fabric of his clothes. Spreading his feet apart, he held the sword before him, the tipped raised in a perfect mid-stance that he had learned long ago in a monastery high up on a mystic mountain in the Himalayas. He evened out his breathing as they had taught him as well and, even though he felt as if it were impossible, waited for his father's next command.

"Close your eyes—still all thought," The man spoke so sagely that no one could have ignored his words. "Focus only on what makes you—the energy that gives you life."

"So I'm meditating." Inuyasha grumbled as the thought of meditation irritated him to no end. "I hate meditating." He inhaled slowly and had to resist the urge to rub the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Having been quiet for the duration of the time, the little white spirit only somewhat distracting her, Kagome caught the slight edge of emotion coming off her husband. Her eyes narrowed from the feel of it and she turned towards him fully. "There's something there." She thought as she kept a close eye on the tenseness that had popped up in Inuyasha's shoulders and the pain that actually flickered across his face. "Something deep—something painful."

As if he already knew exactly what Kagome had recognized, Inutaisho took one step towards his son, forcing the younger man to look him in the eye. "You must face him." He spoke deliberately slow, making sure that Inuyasha heard even the intake of his breath between each word. "By facing him, you will conquer him and gain so much more."

Inuyasha didn't confirm in any way that he had heard his father but he had. "I have to face him." He spoke evenly and glanced over to the worried Kagome. He wanted to tell her in that moment the deeper significance of the conversation but he didn't. "There's always time later—for now." The thought was ominous so he let it slip away becoming a dangerous reminder for later. The breeze around him was warm against his skin and he felt the muscles in his body relax. Slowly, he exhaled, allowing the breath to leave his body as if it were the last breath he would ever take. "Clear your mind of all thought." He told himself, repeating words he had heard the monks say that had trained him once. "Relax every muscle, one by one."

He allowed his fingers to relax first and his toes, allowing the muscles to barely register the effort it took to hold the sword in his hands and connect with the ground under his feet. He let his forearms go next, the sword somehow still held in the air but only by the essence of grip. His elbows followed, his upper arms, his shoulders, the blades on his back, and every muscles that lead down his spine to his thighs, the points about his knees, and still farther his calves. Body completely relaxed, he allowed his neck to go, his lips, his eyes, even his ears, until every muscle in the whole of his body was limp.

"Free your mind."

He heard the words of the monks as if they were still sitting right before him. With his body completely relaxed, detached almost, he allowed his mind to slip away.

"Let everything go—,"

The chant hit his heart, a gentle song sung by deep bass voices.

"Become a stream, trickling through a forest path—turn at the corner, the bend in the trees and—"

He felt his consciousness slip away.

"—Disappear."

Inutaisho watched as his son's body slumped still somehow managing to stand and hold the sword despite the slouching posture. "Amazing." He mumbled and Kagome, stunned from her spot on the ground quickly jumped to her feet.

"Is he okay?" The words rushed out of her. Had she been paying attention she would have noticed easily that the man was perfectly fine but love makes fools of everyone, even the wisest among us. "Please tell me he's okay!"

"He's fine." Inutaisho whispered as he too looked at his son with some worry. "I just can't believe how easily he slipped into complete meditation."

"What?"

"He practiced for years." Inutaisho spoke with knowledge that came from spending a lifetime keeping an eye on his sons. "Long ago—he spent twenty or so years in the Himalayas, meditating."

Realization dawned on Kagome and she nodded her head remembering a late night conversation in which her husband's greater history had been revealed to her. "He told me—he said it was difficult but he never explained why." She looked towards Inuyasha who seemed for all pretenses and purposes boneless.

"The demon." Inutaisho answered so vaguely it was almost irritating. "That's why."

-break-

Inuyasha opened his eyes into darkness and gasped as he looked around himself. "Where am I?" He asked but he already knew the answer. Carefully, he looked to his left and to his right memories of every experience he had ever had meditating coming back to him immediately. "This is why I hate it." He gulped as he stared into the unholy abyss around him. "My—mind," He stumbled over the words as he looked at the never ending blackness of his own psyche. "Is dark—."

The word echoed all around him and he winced as the sound seemed to bring to life some unnatural creature hiding in the void. Standing in the darkness, completely naked against the black backdrop of a troubled life, stood a man who looked just like him; a man he knew all too well. Bright red eyes, accentuated by teal pupils flashed as the demon leapt forward growling at him menacingly. It stood still, staring at him as if he were a piece of meat. Its silver hair, matted and dried with blood, fell over its shoulders, covering just the essence of its nakedness (not that seeing it naked bothered Inuyasha but—it kind of did).

Still growling low in its throat it suddenly bared its fangs, spit dripping down them as it unleashed a purely animalistic sound into the air, a sound even Inuyasha could not make with his half demon vocal cords. It nearly howled from the sight of him and shook its head in disgust before spitting in his direction. "Leave!"

"Great—it still hates me." Inuyasha cleared his throat and took a step forward towards the creature, his clear golden eyes coming in contact with the full blooded demon's red ones. "I'm not gonna leave," He tossed the words carelessly in the direction of the thing. "This is my head."

The demon eyed him knowingly and did its best to smile from between its fangs. "No share—never share." It spoke and the elongated fangs mocked him as it pressed its tongue just between them and snickered. "Half dog."

"I am a part of you, you know." Inuyasha reminded it, hating the way it sneered as if it would rather be dead than part of him. "This is why I hate mediating." He commented as well, not caring if the creature heard. "I hate this part of myself—look at you."

"Me?" The beast took offense as it eyed him pointing with one of its dirty claws. "You!"

"What about me?" Inuyasha responded to the question anger growing in him. "I'm not a blood trusty asshole!" He threw the words at the beast and nearly spit on the ground, wanting to wash himself of the demon in front of him.

"You me." The demon said the words as if to mock Inuyasha's earlier ones. "You me." It said them again, slower, and watched happily as Inuyasha bristled.

"How am I anything like you, idiot?" He shouted back and bared his own fangs but this was the exact response the creature had anticipated.

It smiled, the expression hollow, as if it didn't care what-so-ever about what it was going to do next. It licked its lips, its long tongue actually touching each fang as if to polish them before the kill. The fur around its ears stood straight up and Inuyasha knew it was about to become as ornery and rambunctious as always. He watched, unable to go anywhere, as the creature bent its knees, its eyes narrowing to slits so concentrated that they looked possessed. He felt his own body tense in response, wanting to leap backwards anticipating what was about to come. Before he completely realized what was happening, he watched as the creature sprang out of its crouch, fingers spread wide and claws razor sharp.

His eyes widened and his heart stopped but for whatever reason (and there were many) the only thought that came to his head was: "Oh no—," followed shortly by, "Not again."

The crazed demon crashed into his body, snarling, biting and clawing at Inuyasha's unprotected flesh. Inuyasha threw his hands up to protect his face and did his best to punch the crazed thing in the jaw. His fist connected and a sickening crack filled the air but the pain (if there was any) wasn't registered by the beast at all. It simply snarled once more and dug its claws into Inuyasha's neck. He howled in response even though, deep down, the half demon realized that no physical harm was befalling him but that didn't make the mental pain of it all any less. Desperate to be free, he shot a hand forward towards the claws' in his neck, ripping them out, a splatter of his own blood hitting his face.

The scent of the blood seemed to enrage the demon further and before Inuyasha could even think to stop it, he felt the slash of already bloody claws across his face. He screamed from the explosion of pain, and saw red. He pulled his hand back without thought and sent it straight into the creature's stomach, the sound of the violent hit was music to his ears. It spluttered as the wind was expelled from its diaphragm and for a moment stumbled backwards. Panting, exhausted from the mental strain of literally fighting a part of himself, Inuyasha closed his eyes.

He knew the demon half of himself would not be deterred for long and would most likely come back at him twice as hard. "It's always like this—it never stops, it never grows tired, and I do. How can you beat something that never tires?" He asked himself feeling the exhaustion creeping up his spine. "I've fought this battle a hundred times, in a hundred different meditations—I just—I never outlast him." He felt his shoulders slump and he heard the telltale low growl of the demon recovering. It would only be half a minute or less before it hit him again. He began to prepare himself knowing that no matter what he would fight back, whether he won or not was a totally different story, however.

"The demon life energy in you is strong," His father's voice somehow reached him, from the outside realm. "It claws and bits," He punctuated the word and Inuyasha knew it to be true. "But you are its master—you control it."

Inuyasha's eyes snapped opened as his father's voice hit his brain and he clamped his jaw tightly shut. "I control it." His father's words hit him hard and he blinked rapidly. "Didn't Myoga say the same thing?" He realized as the conversation with Myoga came back to him from months maybe a year before. "I have to control it—don't beat it—control it." He firmed his stance and hardened his muscles. "Damn right!" He yelled into the darkness as he saw the blood red eyes glaring down at him ready to attack again. "Come at me!"

The demon obliged instantly, rushing forward with its claws raised on either side of its head. Its fingers were spread wide ready to strike as it sprang up above Inuyasha in the darkness. The dog demon watched it happening, his mind moving a mile a second trying to determine how one could control it—not beat it but control it. Only seconds before the demon crashed down on top of him, Inuyasha realized exactly how. Relaxing his whole body, until even his bones felt like liquid, he stepped to the right.

The demon hit the floor where Inuyasha had been standing and looked around itself confused. It took only moments for it to see him again and it narrowed its eyes. In a flash, it was on its feet and grabbed hold of Inuyasha's arms, yanking him forward into a vice like grip. The half demon stayed perfectly calm and without a thought twisted his body around and slipped his wrist out of the demon's hold before backing away a few steps, not quite out of reach but close.

The full blooded demon snarled with confusion and sprang after him, this time grabbing for Inuyasha's neck. Reaching through the clawing hands Inuyasha grabbed onto the hair of the creature, yanking them both backwards. He felt his back hit the ground (he was sure it hadn't happened in reality) and flat on his back with the snapping beast above him, he kicked up one foot hitting the demon square in the stomach. Extending his leg out he pushed the demon hard, launching it into the air and over his head. He heard it slam against the ground, followed by a crippled shriek. Flipping onto his stomach, he looked into the darkness and saw the perplexed red eyes of the demon part of himself.

"Fight!" It yelled at him as it pushed itself up off the ground, slowly, in pain. "Fight!" It said again and Inuyasha could see its arms shaking and its elbows bending from strain as if finally managed to push itself to its feet.

"No." Inuyasha replied and stood up, his body calm and collected as he watched the pure animosity build on the creature's face.

It cocked its head to the side and studied him as if just now seeing Inuyasha for the first time. "Why?"

"Because I'm in control here." Inuyasha said the words leisurely and with every confidence. "And I don't have to fight you unless I want to."

It seemed so simple and yet the power behind the words made the demon half of himself take a step back as if unsure of what to do. Inuyasha watched as its face became a mixture of emotions that a mindless thing should not have had and yet it did. It lifted up a hand and rubbed the back of its neck in a gesture that was wholly himself making Inuyasha furrow his eyebrows in bewilderment. They should have nothing in common, raging beast and intelligent man and yet there was the proof. Before the dog could think about it anymore, however, the demon shook its head, turned, and to Inuyasha's never ending amazement disappeared into the darkness of the world that lay beyond.

Inuyasha's jaw almost dropped and he looked around himself as if expecting the demon to come at him from another angle but it didn't. "That was way too easy." He spoke into the darkness only for his father to suddenly fill his head.

"You've been fighting that battle for over a year, since Myoga spoke to you and before—of course it was easy."

Briefly, he wondered if he had spoken out loud in the real world but, he realized, that simply didn't matter, what did matter were his father's words. "I started that battle years ago—on a cliff in the Himalayas, the first time I ever mediated." He remembered that distance past, when monks had been the ones waiting for him to come back—human monks who had no idea how to deal with the demon within him. "I couldn't stop it then—couldn't fight it because I didn't know—it's not meant to be fought." He felt a wave of stupidity hit him and slouched. "Why did it take me so long to realize that?"

He inhaled deeply and released the air in a rushed sigh before rubbing his face tiredly. After some moments of collecting himself, he pulled his hands away only to jump backwards in shock from what he saw.

A door—a white, inordinate, illuminated door was sitting right in front of him. Never, in all his time with the monks or even with his nephew, had he seen anything like this during meditation. It was tantalizing in its simplicity and intoxicating to his curiosity. Unsure, he took a tiny step forward, half expecting the demon to jump out at him but it didn't. Reassured, he pressed forward again and the scrapping of nothingness underneath his feet echoed all around. It took only the slightest of movement to reach the door and before he knew it he was close enough to grab the handle. He gulped, his fingers unsteady as he looked at a small brass instrument, so unassuming in its straightforwardness. All he would have to do was grab it, pull down, and the door would open.

"But what's on the other side?" He asked himself and yet somehow, he already knew.

He reached forward, his fingers touched the cold metal and he pressed down. The door opened with a creak and a click of the metal fittings. Crisp air immediately assaulted him and blinding light, so bright that he had to squeeze his eyes shut against the pain of it. He let go of the handle in his pain and heard the door open wider, moaning as it swung away from his grip.

"What the hell?"He asked as he forced his eyes opened into tiny slits, revealing the singlehandedly most confusing sight he had ever seen.

A small step brought him fully into the small scene, his eyes looking this way and that. There were trees he realized and plants, fauna of all shapes and sizes that seemed to form a circle of protection around something in the center of it all. The warmth of sunlight hit him as he stepped a little farther, trying to see the middle of the clearing. His eyes widened as they suddenly focused, completely flabbergasted by what they could now honestly discern. A mountain of books and charts and inkwells and drawings were scattered around a single figure that had made the middle of them his home.

He was sitting cross legged, a small red book in his lap, and his long black hair hanging loose over one shoulder. He was just as naked as the demon had been, his bare chest rising and falling with little quips of laughter as he read the book. His dark eyes lit up with some greater amusement before turning almost dull as he continued on, his fingers hovering over the page ready to turn it.

His fine jaw tightened and his profile became discernible to the poor man standing just before the doorway. Unable to stop himself, Inuyasha felt the realized words slip from his mouth. "You're my human."

The man jumped a bit startled and turned quickly in Inuyasha's direction, his dark eyes looking at Inuyasha with the same amount of surprise. "Half demon." He whispered and unlike when the full blooded demon had said it, the word sounded gentle. "You've finally come?" He whispered and a smile spread across his face so gentle that it seemed unnatural on Inuyasha's normally animated features. Carefully, he looked away and grabbed a piece of parchment at his feet, tucking it into the book. "I was just rereading," He commented as he closed the book and placed it on top of a nearby pile of ten or so, all red and precariously positioned. "The moment we met Kagome."

"Huh?" Inuyasha didn't understand what the man meant in the least.

The human smiled reassuringly and pointed at the stack of books that he had placed the small red one on. "I keep them all tucked away in a collection." He bent a little and touched the top of the book, petting it almost fondly. "Every moment with her." He closed his eyes as if he were falling in love. "Sometimes I just like to relive them." He looked up at Inuyasha and his kind expression was almost haunting. "Maybe I'm sentimental—but—she's the first thing me and him," He motioned with his chin towards the door that led back into the darkness. "Ever agreed on, you know?"

"I do." Inuyasha replied, his voice gentle as a sudden breeze seemed to fill the air. He heard the distant sound of birds chirping and the clicking of their talons on branches. It seemed odd to him that such a peaceful place could exist inside himself and yet, somehow appropriate for the human side of himself to dwell there.

"But that's not why you're here." He pushed himself up to his feet and dusted himself off as he looked at his half demon counterpart. "You need me to help you protect her." The human half discerned and not waiting for Inuyasha's confirmation continued on. "Then I will be at your disposal."

Inuyasha nearly laughed awkwardly unable to truly comprehend how easy this all seemed to be. "I feel like this is all so—almost," He looked at the human and frowned. "Terribly simple."

"And as if at any minute it will fall apart?" The dark headed man inferred and shrugged his shoulders as if amused. "I know that well—probably because our whole life has been like that." He glanced at another pile of books, these weren't red but instead dark, nearly black but with a hint of blue. "Our father, our mother, our brother—everything seems to go against us in a constant reminder of our failings." He reached towards that heap and brushed his unclawed fingers against the surface of the first book. "I've spent many years locked away within the confines of your mind," He inhaled, closed his eyes, sighed, turned his head, and opened them again, looking right at Inuyasha. "I've spoken rarely and been heard far rarer."

Inuyasha gulped feeling sheepish.

"But now—you must hear me." He stepped out of the circle of books holding up his hand before himself, palms rising to the sky. "I am a part of you—as is the beast on the other side of that door." He motioned towards it with the tips of his fingers. "Together," He brought his hands back towards himself, placing them both on the spot over his heart. "We make you—we are you."

"I know." Inuyasha acknowledged looking down at the ground.

"You claim to," The human sighed heavily as if controlled by some great burden. "But do you really understand what that means?"

Inuyasha lifted his head up and looked at the man, watching as he tilted his head back and studied the sky. "What on earth are you—?"

"When a normal person enters their mind," He spoke calmly as he watched the robin blue of sky become covered by white cloud. "They will see a reflection of themselves—a literal one." He closed the brown irises and tilted his head back down without looking at his master. "So why," The eyes opened quickly, as if snapping back into reality. "Do you not see a reflection but instead two separate entities?"

For a moment, the half demon didn't know how to answer. The question seemed loaded in a way, as if there was more to it than Inuyasha had ever really noticed. "Because," He cleared his throat a bit and patiently studied his other half. "I am two separate things: a demon and a human."

His human counterpart found amusement from his answer. His lips twitched and a soft sound came from his throat that could have been a laugh but both things disappeared before they were fully realized. "No," He corrected and before Inuyasha could ask for explanation, he explained. "You are you."

Inuyasha froze and his breathe hitched in his throat, lodging itself there as if to kill him. He took an involuntary step back and shook his head a little this way and that.

The other man didn't seem to notice and sent him a strange knowing smile that would haunt Inuyasha for centuries. "I find it funny how you think of yourself as two separate creatures when you are not." The smile stayed in place and the meaning behind the words grew. "You are simply yourself as all creatures are."

"I don't understand."

"When one thinks him half, he forgets he is a whole." He motioned towards his world and then back towards the blackness on the other side of the door. "And if we are not wholes then we fight in halves."

"You are really annoying." Inuyasha growled, irritation mounting in him combined with distinct discomfort.

"Then so are you."The human threw back.

Inuyasha wanted to scream at the words but he bit his tongue. "Look at my mind," He threw one hand backwards towards the opened door. "It's separated—a demon space and a human space—they're two different things!"

"Only because you made them that way and allow them to stay that way." The man offered and his eyes sparkled with a knowing glint. "This is your mind—you control it—just as you controlled him," He clicked his tongue for emphasis. "You can control this space—control," He pointed at himself, pointed towards the darkness. "Us."

"I can control you?" Inuyasha whispered as if he had never really thought of anything so obvious before.

"You can do anything you want." The other man said knowingly. "But until you do, we remain divided and weak."

Something in his words caught Inuyasha's attention. He blinked and straighten, the ire within him relinquishing as he began to put it all together. "Divided." His whole demeanor changed as he thought about that word, allowing it to wash over him completely. "Can I combine you?" He looked up at the other man quickly, his heart beginning to beat a bit faster in his chest.

"Combine?" The human shrugged but there was a glimmer in his eye, almost as if he was somehow proud (which would mean he was proud of himself, oddly). "What a novel idea."

"But how?" Inuyasha crossed his arms and bit his inner cheek unsure. "How am I supposed to do something like that?" He uncrossed his hands and brought them up to his face. He rubbed at his tired eyes as he tried to think. "It doesn't seem possible." He finally settled on, pulling his hands off his face harshly and staring at his other half desperately.

"To you maybe, to me it seems likely." The human glanced behind himself, looking at the stack of red books.

"But how?"

He didn't say anything in response to Inuyasha's question for some minutes, his eyes concentrating on his stack of books. "I think you're on the right track there." He spoke suddenly and tilted his head to the side as he continued to study the volumes, his eyes distracted by roman numerals along their sides. "As for how, I have no idea." He spoke offhandedly and turned away from Inuyasha completely, meandering towards those stacks with a careful gaze, as if looking for one book in particular.

Annoyed, Inuyasha threw his hands up in the air. "You're not helping at all!"

The human version of himself lowered down to the ground unperturbed and carefully began dissecting the collection. Carefully, he distributed the books, creating a few smaller piles as he looked for the specific volume he had in mind. Finding it he made a brief 'ah' noise and turned back towards Inuyasha, with a final mournful curve of his lips.

"I am you, Inuyasha." He said it but it still sounded strange for him to call Inuyasha—Inuyasha. It sounded like he was speaking in third person and yet, he wasn't and was all at once. "I only know as much as you know." He held up the book as if it explained everything and truthfully, it did. "Everything I said here, you knew already deep down."

Inuyasha looked down at the small tomb and watched the unclawed fingers as they brought the book to the man's lap. "Why didn't I realize until now?"

"You needed someone to," He leaned back and looked up at the light from the fictional sun. "Bring it into the light, if you will."

Understanding, Inuyasha sighed heavily, "That still doesn't tell me what to do."

The other version of himself flipped threw a few pages but Inuyasha couldn't see the text within. "Think on these things we've discussed—consult with the one we love—she is wise and so is our father. Between you I'm sure some solution will be determined." With that he seemed to settle on the page he wanted in his book and with a smile he turned to look at his counterpart one last time. "Our wedding night," He indicated the page and Inuyasha looked just in time to see a very vivid picture of their joint wife laying sprawled out naked on a soft white bed. "I think I'll reread it—," The human winked. "It's always been my favorite."

-break-

Inuyasha gasped as he was thrown back into reality. The world flipped upside down from the sudden reentry and he fell forward. He couldn't even begin to stop his own forward momentum and within moments he found himself on the ground, his knees crashing into the soil painfully.

"Damn." He managed to say as the sword shot out of his hands hitting the earth with a loud clatter that seemed to echo in the air around him. He lurched forward now that his hands were free and his palms struck the ground. In truth, they were the only reason he didn't hit the soil face first. "And that's why you always meditate sitting down." Some sarcastic part of him, the part he had separated into his human, mumbled and he growled. "Lesson learned—asshole."

The sound of rustling and a tiny worried gasp met his ears next and he raised up just in time to see Kagome rushing for him. She hit the ground in front of him without a thought about her own possible pain and her hands went to his shoulders. They were gentle as they pulled him up, helping him support himself as she looked him over for any signs of wear and tear that hadn't been there before. "Are you okay?"

She spoke so fast he was barely able to register what she had said at all but the words did manage to break through just enough that he nodded. "Yeah—just—." He didn't even finish his sentence, his body feeling suddenly heavy. Without hesitation, he leaned into her seeking out her warmth as his body began to ache a little. "Maybe fighting that jerk did physically hurt me." He thought just to himself as he settled his forehead against her shoulder.

Kagome responded to the feeling and within seconds, her arms wrapped around him, hugging him tightly to her. She felt his scent her, the brush of his nose against her neck causing her to shiver from both pleasure and simple happiness. "You've gotta stop worrying me." She whispered against the side of his head, placing a kiss on the spoke where an ear should have been.

"I could say the same to you." Inuyasha quipped but there was no anger or even mild irritation in his words.

"Did you find him?" Inutaisho stepped up then, knowing his son was okay by scent alone and therefore unaffected by his sudden lunge back into reality.

"Yeah—I found both of them." Inuyasha pushed away from Kagome trying not to flush as he realized the position his father had seen them in. "There's certain things you just don't do in front of your parents." He told himself and shifted awkwardly.

In response, Kagome let her arms fall away from his shoulders but they stayed hovering over his thighs. He wasn't the only one who needed to feel the other at the moment, after all. "What are you talking about?"

"Inuyasha met his demon self and his human self whilst meditating." Inutaisho explained to Kagome evenly before looking back at his son. "I could tell when you encountered your demon." His father spoke thoughtfully as he stepped a little closer to the two on the ground. "You fought him off and then—what happened?"

Inuyasha looked down at his lap where Kagome's fingers were gripping his hakama. "I met—my human." He raised his head up and looked at Kagome, watching as her bright grey eyes stared at him with surprise.

"Your human?" She repeated as if the very prospect was just awkward and, somehow, it was.

"Excellent." Inutaisho licked his lips and nodded his head, his eyes darting back and forth as he collected his thoughts. "Did he show you how to use his energy—your human energy, I mean?"

For several seconds, Inuyasha simply sat not sure what to say. Looking back on it now, his human half hadn't guided him at all towards the understanding of how to access him. "He said he would help—so I bet I can use it if I tried but—that wasn't the point." He leaned a bit farther away from Kagome and opened his mouth to speak but no words came.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called his name softly, trying to awaken him. He looked up in response and blinked back into awareness. "Did he show you?"

"No." The word slipped from his mouth and he heard his father inhale sharply.

"Why not?!"

Inuyasha looked down again, his thoughts turbulent and confusing but not indecipherable. "He told me something." He reached out without even realizing it and grasped Kagome's sleeve, holding onto her subconsciously. "And I think—he was trying to guide me to another conclusion." He looked up at Kagome just as her free arm came up and grasped his hand on her sleeve. "He said, I think of myself as two people and that's," His mouth hung open for a moment in thought. "—that's weak."

"But you are two people." His father fired back, his voice filled with undeniable aggravation since his plan seemed to be going poorly.

"No, I'm not." Inuyasha corrected harshly, and Inutaisho actually stepped away, surprised by his son's adamant tone. "I think of myself that way, you think of me that way, everyone does, the world," His confidence grew the more he spoke and his mind began to brighten with understanding. "But that's not what I actually am." He looked towards Kagome and her grey eyes said she already understood as well. "I'm not a half demon or a half human—." he told her and she smiled, nodding her head as he reached a conclusion she had known all along.

"You're Inuyasha." She finished for him and watched as that dangerous boyish smirk lined the entirety of his face.

End of Chapter

Please Review

A/N: Thank you as always for reading my story. We are very close to the end, my estimate is at five chapters plus an epilogue. Next chapter will be the last of the Inuyasha Powers Up Saga, as I have been calling it in my head (the previous one was the Kagome Powers Up Saga.) After that, we are in the final battle and the question will be answered: Who will win our heroes or fate? It's only a matter of time before we finally know.

I will be sad when it all ends; however, it has been more than a pleasure to write and you will never know how fond I have grown of each and every one of you who have constantly (or as close to constantly as possible) reviewed. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are highly appreciated and will be dearly missed once we reach the end.

Last Bonus Point for the Story:

If you could have any one thing happen in the epilogue, what would it be?

Last Chapter's Bonus Point:

Girl: Jemzet A Heart Broken Angel, AiydenWarrior, 33, Glon Morski, Luchiia, Flaming Cat Demon13 (Wants), shadowdance261, InuRiotGrrl, Evervescent, Veena4, anime4eva222

Boy: Lilith-the-fallen, Flaming Cat Demon13 (Logic)

Either: Atem4321

And now we wait and see who won! I was surprised by how many people wanted a girl.

Next Chapter:

To Weave a Whole

See you then!

UNEDITED

POSTED

2/9/15