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?

113. The Missing Piece

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 Twelve

The Missing Piece

"Steady!" Inuyasha commanded as he held onto Zentai tightly.

His sharp golden eyes were looking out across the ocean waiting patiently for the first wave of men to officially hit them. From his position on the helm's desk he had enough of an advantage to see them approach easily. They were growing closer and closer, their bodies seeming to glide on top of the water as a normal person might skid across ice. He licked his lips and narrowed his eyes, his ears flickering towards the uneasy men around him. He could hear their trembling hands, and the sound of their breath as it hitched in their throats. Deep inside himself, anxiety weighed, but he ignored it perfectly. Years of countless fights, near death experiences, and unnerving battles on both water and land, made his hands steady and his breath controlled.

"I've done this a million times," He told himself as his eyes watched a wave swell up out of the ocean with what looked to be twenty or thirty men on top of it. "This one is no different." He closed his eyes for just a moment and smiled at his own lie. He snorted, eyes opening instantly, and frowned deeply as he caught the tail edge of something speeding away from the crowd of men, up high above his head. "Kagura?" He whispered, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that the shadow had not been cast by Kagura's feather.

Before he had any time to ponder the strange event, a scream from one of his men brought him back to the present. "They're on the sides!"

Without a moment's hesitation, he bent his knees and launched himself upwards into the air at least twenty feet. His eyes quickly scanned the railings of the ship where he easily saw a hand gripping onto the wood, so as to pull itself up and over. "The first ones mine!" He yelled from his position in the air even as he flipped his body forward once to change his momentum, so he would quickly fall downwards.

His bare feet hit the deck hard, and he bent his knees to push himself forward. He threw his whole body forward towards Naraku's first wave of men, his heart pounding. Not even a moment of doubt raced through him as he allowed his energy to openly flow throughout his body. It tingled as it ran from his stomach upwards into his arms, but he ignored it. With his sword trailing behind him, white, hot energy began to swirl around the extended blade. His hands twitched as his eyes saw caught sight of two men pulling themselves up and over the railing.

"Let's hope this works." He barely had time to think as he prepared to purify the two men.

Spinning around to increase his own momentum, he threw as much energy from the blade as he could muster. It shot outwards, blinding the crew all around him but not harming them in the least. With a loud, hissing scream it hit its first two victims, paralyzing them with the sudden swell of realization. They crumbled over the railing, their bodies convulsing as they hit the deck. Foam immediately formed in their mouth as their bodies violently pulsed from Inuyasha's hit.

"Shit." Inuyasha's heart stopped in his chest as he watched the men flop like fish. "It didn't work." He nearly succumbed to a moment of panic before the two men suddenly stopped, their wide eyes filled abruptly with life. On their knees they gasped, the vacant expression filling with a million emotions that were all surmounted by awareness.

"Where." One of the men started to speak, but he was stopped by Miroku suddenly landing on his knees in front of him. The man talked to the two horrified and lost men quietly, reassuring them that they were alive and safe.

"Oh my lord, it works." Inuyasha lowered his sword for a second before sealing off his face to his own amazement. "It works." He nearly swallowed his tongue in amazement. "This will work." If he would have been any other man, he would have sobbed with relief. As it were, he gritted his teeth and watched as Miroku grabbed for the two men frantically.

"To the helm," The pup was saying as he drug the men to their feet and away from the railing where more hands were now visible. "It's safe."

Clutching the sword tightly, Inuyasha didn't wait a second longer. "Attack at will!" He yelled to his crew as he prepared to purify the next man he could reach.

He heard his men howl in response, their words or agreements lost in the wind, rain, and thunder. Ignoring everything accept his mission, he darted forward bringing Zentai up above his head before yanking it downwards. A streak of energy shot out from the blade, sailing across the deck straight towards the first man who had dared to show his face on the ship. It hit the man square in the chest the same convulsions taking over his body before he even hit the ground. Knowing that he would live, Inuyasha twisted his body around towards the next man. The blade was already prepared as he drew it across his body in a wide sweeping motion. The energy yowled as it swept across the deck once more, hitting a target a few hundred feet away.

"Takeshi," Sesshoumaru screamed for his son unexpectedly. "Haiku!"

Inuyasha glanced in Sesshoumaru's direction just in time to see another one of Naraku's men pull himself over the side of the ship. He stared as the man's haunting empty face seemed to glow with a purple haze. He couldn't exactly pinpoint why the purple energy made him uneasy, but he knew the feeling was purposeful. "They all look—dead." He acknowledged as he turned prepared to purify this man as well. Before he could position himself correctly, however, Sesshoumaru threw his foot into the man's chest, thrusting him backwards and over the side of the vessel. "Hey!" Inuyasha yelled over the roar of men who were now doing the same as Sesshoumaru, holding the men off until their Captain could reach them. "I was coming for him."

"He'll be back!" Sesshoumaru fired in his general direction as he whipped his body around towards his son. "Takeshi—migi!"

The boy jumped into action turning to his right just as his father had ordered. An expressionless man was raising a hand up above his head prepared to strike the boy down, but years of training proved highly effective for the young demon. Takeshi lifted a hand up above his head, catching the downward swing of his opponent's arm. Immediately he punched the man's opened stomach, doubling him over before he grabbed the back of his jacket and swung him around. The man's feet dragged against the wood of the deck as Takeshi lifted him up in the air and hurled him back over the side.

Not a sound left the man's throat as he disappeared over the edge of the ship.

"That one will come back too," Takeshi turned quickly, a giant smile on his face from his own pride. "Ojii-san!"

"Takeshi!" Sesshoumaru both chastised and warned as a man appeared next to his son.

Takeshi jumped back into action quickly, ducking as the man aimed a knife right at the back of his head.

Slightly annoyed by the rash youth, Inuyasha could only shake his head. "Well—he's probably right, anyway." He acknowledged as a tidal wave of water crashed unexpectantly onto the deck of the ship. It hit him right in the side, catching him completely off guard as his feet nearly came out from underneath him. "Damn it." He cursed as he regained his balance only to nearly jump out of his skin as a sickeningly loud crack hit his ears. It exploded all around him, so loud that even Naraku's expressionless men seemed fazed by the sound for all of a second. "What the hell was that?" The half demon thought as his eyes instantly searched the ship.

"Shikuro!"

A man yelled to his left, and he felt his heart stop dead in his chest. The sea jostled the ship, throwing him upwards before he could look out across the turbulent ocean to see the object of his thoughts. With a frantic clawed hand, he reached out for the railing of the vessel. His nails dug into the wood just as another wave flew over the side of the ship. It smashed into his body, but he ignored it even as his hair stuck to his wet skin. Frantic eyes searched the ship around him, and he gulped down air to calm his hastily beating heart. In the distance, he could see the flicker of flame, but the constantly jostling of the sea made it impossible for him to focus on where the sight originated. He gripped his sword tighter as his heart began to thump with ridiculous power in his chest.

"Damn it!" He yelled, snapping his eyes shut so as to clear them. Even without his eyes, however, he already knew. "It hit the Shikuro."

"Captain" Miroku yelled and Inuyasha tilted his chin upwards to briefly glance at his son. "Purify 'em—there's too many!"

He heard Miroku's words and truly acknowledged them. The ship was filling with Naraku's men. For every one that was thrown overboard another appeared, and for every one that was knocked unconscious another took his place. A rip formed in his heart as he tried to think of where to look and what to do. The decision was made for him, however, for in that moment a strike of lightning illuminated the sky. With reflexes as fast as the bolt itself, he yanked his vision back towards the Shikuro using the temporary brightness to see what was once hidden.

His pupils immediately dilated as he finally caught a glimpse of exactly where the lightning had hit earlier. Much to his horror, the crow's nest where Kagome had been was engulfed in flames, and she was nowhere to be seen. His claws sunk into the railing, and the sound of splintering actually reached his ears as he felt his soul crack.

He didn't have time to scream or curse though. Unexpectantly, the outline of a person sailing through the sky caught his attention and stopped the words from leaving his mouth. "Kagura?" The thought absently startled his brain, before he felt a lump of hatred form in his throat. "No—."

Another bolt of lightning made the storm turn into daylight once more, and his jaw tightened with complete malice as he saw the outline of the thunder demon Captain Hiten, coming towards him from the Shikuro. He was positioned almost on what appeared to be a cloud; his feet were propelled by what looked like lightning sparking from his heels. In his hands, a trident like weapon, that Inuyasha knew from experience channeled his power, glowed. Inuyasha ripped his claws out of the wood grasping the sword with both hands as he snarled at the approaching man.

"Lightning," His heart burned and tightened in his chest, threatening to break on him. "You—you." He gritted his teeth to the point they should have cracked under the pressure. "Bastard!"

He screamed as Hiten's body descended towards the Shikuro, the sound of Inuyasha's curse not even registering on Hiten's face as he landed right in front of Inuyasha.

"You hit the Shikuto!" Inuyasha yelled, not noticing that Sesshoumaru was yelling at his son to block, or that Miroku was trying desperately to keep the crewmen from killing the innocent walking dead. All he could see was Hiten in front of him with his vacant eyes and wide stance. "You hit Kagome!" The dog demon accused and stated all at once, but Hiten didn't flinch.

Instead, the demon lifted his weapon and widened his feet as he pointed the slender sickle straight at Inuyasha's heart.

Inuyasha didn't notice the blindness in Hiten's expression, however, he only felt the malice in his own heart. "I'll fucking kill you!" He screamed, but no one seemed to hear him as they continued to battle the men who were swarming the ship.

Hiten didn't say a word in response as Inuyasha charged him. All the thunder did was pull his blade back fully prepared to fight. If only Inuyasha could have heard Hiten's inner voice, he would have realized that the thunder demon did not want to kill him at all—.

-break-

Kagome stared into the girl's grey eyes, not seeing her hands as they lowered or hearing the violin as it squeaked in protest. She could only stare, taking in the face that was such a beautiful mixture of Inuyasha and herself that it took her breath away. "She's perfect." Tears slowly gathered in her eyes and her fingers twitched at her sides wanting something, but she couldn't tell what it was they wanted. She had never thought of having a daughter, not even once, and now that she saw her she couldn't think of anything else. "My daughter—my daughter." She opened her mouth wanting to say something, but the words died in her throat as those grey eyes blinked thoughtfully. "My grey-eyed daughter."

"Watashi." The girl spoke and her voice was so gentle (far gentler than Kagome thought her voice should be) that it made a lump form in Kagome's throat. "No Haha." The girl's lip twitched with the sweet words. "My mother." A smile showed up on the left corner of her mouth as she repeated the words in English while her eyes sparkled, but the look soon faded. "You—heard me." She smiled brightly for just a moment before her expression fell into a strain. "I can't believe you jumped—sugio."

The words erupted within Kagome finally breaking her out of whatever stupor had assaulted her. "You—told me to jump?"

"I did." The girl nodded her head, and the necklace filled with coins jingled.

The mother furrowed her brow in confusion and shifted her hands; gingerly, she touched her stomach. "How?" Her voice was a squeak of suspicious surprise.

"It's complicated." The girl shrugged and released a long, suffering sigh mixed with a laugh. Her lips drew into a thin line and for all purpose and pretense she looked and sounded exactly like her father.

Kagome had to stop herself from laughing as her mind was flooded with images of Inuyasha frowning in the same way as he said the same exact thing. "Just like her father." The contained laughter soon turned into a hiccup though, and she had to shake her head to stop herself from being consumed by a more dangerous emotion. "If you're here—does that mean we live?" She managed to force the words out as she blinked to regain her sight through her wet eyes.

The girl stared at her in response before pulling her eyes away from Kagome to look at the violin still in her grip. She bit her lip as she brought a finger towards one of the strings plucking it awkwardly before she cleared her throat. "I am," She inhaled deeply and brought her eyes back up towards Kagome with complete confidence brimming within them. "Only the impression of what may be, could be," She paused and the confidence wavered only briefly as she shook her head. "But not what must be."

Silence drifted in the space between them and Kagome swallowed a lump that had formed unhindered in her throat. "How then," She closed her eyes trying to keep calm even as her heart twisted and her stomach turned into knots. "Are—why are you," She opened her eyes and forced herself to look braver and more self-assured than she felt. "Here?"

"Okaa-san." The girl smiled gently, sweetly. "I'm here because you need to hear me." She clicked her tongue; the sound was almost suspicious. "And deep down," She closed her eyes and sighed, her whole body relaxing as if this part of their conversation had lifted some tremendous weight from her shoulders. "You know what I have to say."

Momentarily distracted by her daughter's strange answer, Kagome shook her head. "I don't understand."

The girl chuckled, and her bright eyes flashed with a strange mirth. "Yes you do." She seemed to taunt, and a smirk formed on her face that Kagome recognized even quicker than her frown. "You've been feeling it all day—like you're missing something, right?"

A bit distracted by the sweet childish smirk, Kagome shook her head and tried to focus on her daughter's words. "Missing something?" She nodded her head at the girl as the anxious feeling that had overwhelmed her for some time took hold of her stomach. Slowly, she pulled her hands away from her abdomen, where they had rested comfortably for several minutes now, and she looked down at her roughened palms and calloused fingers. The energy within her stomach was dormant, but she didn't need it to think of the strangeness that had bothered her. "My energy—I feel," She finally lifted up her face to look at the girl, and in those grey eyes she saw something that absolutely shocked her. A look of contemplation was on that face that Kagome had only ever seen once, so long ago now that it was nothing more than a fuzzy memory. "That's exactly how I looked, when I cut my hair on Port Royal."

Intensely focused eyes that seemed to debate within themselves, stared at Kagome. It was almost as if she was asking herself a question that Kagome wasn't privy to. "What," The girl stared, a storm brewing in her visage that reflected her mother's own. "Do you feel?"

"Just—just that—," Kagome was compelled to answer, unable to deny such a look. "I'm missing something—something important."

"Energy." The girl raised up her empty hands, not bothering to watch as Kagome gasped with surprise from the sight, unsure as to where the violin had gone. The girl's fingers flickered suddenly with her own power (an inherited trait) her face highlighted brightly by the immensity of it. "Hate." The tips of her fingers flashed bright red and sizzled. "Violence." She stretched out both hands as the red became purple, crackling with effortless intensity.

Swiftly, she turned her hands until they faced each other creating a space for a swirling mass of angry, violet energy. It hissed in the space between her fingers and then yowled as she suddenly released it throwing it above both their heads. It sailed through the air sounding violent and angry, before it exploded, bursting into flames high above them in the darkness. The purple essence of the energy fell downwards in a thousand tiny pieces all of which moaned in pain. Both women watched as it swept downwards, flickering, crackling, breaking.

"And." The girl's voice made Kagome's head snap towards the sound. "Love."

The older miko's wide eyes fell to her daughter watching as the girl's fingers began to shimmer again. A light pink that made no noise entered the world. The color shifted to white, becoming lighter and lighter as it began to glow brightly. Silver hair, curly and kinky, danced. It intermixed with the girl's dark forelocks as the energy played in her hair. Gingerly, the girl moved her fingers allowing the energy to sway back and forth as one hand followed the other like dancing partners. Her hands circled each other, and she hummed softly as the energy turned a soft pink; the brightness of it lessoning only momentarily. Within seconds, the strength of the energy came back full force. Pink turned to white, and white consumed the world around them. The intensity of it became too much, and Kagome had to turn away, blinded by the enormous energy. The miko panted as she brought her hands up towards her face to block out the light; but, before even one hand could reach her façade, the light faded.

"Hate, Violence, Love—emotions." Her daughter spoke, pausing just long enough for her mother's eyes to open and turn towards her. "Hate, violence, love," She repeated her empty hands turned upwards for Kagome to see. "They're all emotions." She whispered the words like a sage at the top of a mountain. "That control energy." Her fingertips flickered with a sudden onset of her power.

Kagome shook her head, as the energy began to cast shadows across the girl's tan skin. Sizzling red to crackling purple to pure, soft white—light and dark strands of hair intermingling behind the blazing, changing colors as the girl manipulated her power.

"Hate begets hate," She looked up and her grey eyes were dark as they stared at her mother. "Violence begets violence." Her eyes grew darker with her words, her face becoming dangerous in a way that made Kagome actually nervous. Before the older woman could take a step back in fear however, the girl's face lightened considerably. The energy in her palms flickered and faded becoming white once more. "And love," She whispered, her voice a breath of near silence. "Begets love."

"Why are you telling me this?" Kagome whispered into the darkness and the light.

"Because that feeling—the missing—," Her hands went completely blank as she dropped the energy without a second thought. "You know what it is." She smiled and the expression looked mocking. "But you are so blinded by love that you cannot see it."

"What!?" Kagome took a step back at the accusation, even though it had been relatively gentle by nature. "I'm not blind." The words felt hot in her mouth, and like a lie.

The girl didn't seem to agree, if her thin pressed lips were any indication. "Otou-san cannot defeat the Shikon jewel." She spoke bluntly and without any signs of remorse. "And he cannot purify Naraku."

"Of course he can." The wife and mother immediately defended, taking a step forward and stomping her foot. "He combined his blood and—."

The girl's face instantly turned dark, and she stomped a foot almost like a toddler. "Combined what was already whole!"

"Huh?"

"You mean," Her expression was fixated, strong, and her eyes were challenging. "He combined what was already combined." She didn't bother to stop and wait for Kagome to reply as she continued. "You've learned nothing from that experience." She nearly spat, a fiery look mounting in her eyes as a temper she had inherited from her father erupted. "Otou-san is not a half-demon or a half-human. He is himself." Her words came out so quickly that Kagome nearly couldn't hear them. "All creatures are nothing but themselves—creatures with energy in their bodies and emotions in their souls." She threw up her hands as if exasperated. "Otou-san is no different, so he never combined anything—it was already combined; Baa-san manipulated it so it wasn't combined with the jewel." Her hands fell down as she sighed heavily and added under her breath: "Why does nobody understand that?"

"Because it's confusing?" Kagome spoke without really thinking, her mind still attempting to make sense of the conversation.

The girl looked up at Kagome as if just now realizing she had yelled. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she quickly looked away before continuing. "I—have a bit of—an impatience issue."

"I can tell." Kagome felt the corner of her mouth twitch as the contrite look that Inuyasha always bore when he felt guilty, coated her face. "But—I understand." She couldn't stop herself from smiling at the girl, watching as her very human ears actually seemed to twitch to take in the sound of her mother's voice. "Still—why is it important?" She whispered and the girl lifted her head, bright stormy eyes almost looking at Kagome with pity.

"Being a demon doesn't mean destructive energy, and being a human doesn't mean purifying energy." She spoke calmly but firmly, her earlier embarrassment gone. "If that were true—then you wouldn't be able to kill, because you are only human." She watched her mother's shocked face with interest but didn't comment on the look. "Energy is energy, Okaa-san—whether human or demon, energy is the same." She paused to take a breath and it felt like an eternity before she spoke again. "Where we get it does not matter." Her voice almost sounded apologetic as she pointed out the truth. "Whether it is a spirit inside of us or one in another world, the spirit is still there accomplishing the same goal; a goal that is determined not by your blood, but by the state of your heart."

And suddenly, Kagome felt as if a bucket of water had been dumped on her head. A moment of ice-cold realization worked its way into her body. She knew exactly what she had missed all this time. The nagging feeling hadn't been because of her self-doubt, it had been because deep down she knew there was a flaw with their plan. A flaw she didn't want to exist but knew did.

"If you wish deep down to kill." The girl took a step forward in the darkness; her body light within it. "You will kill." It was blunt and honest and true. "If you wish deep down to purify, you will purify." She stepped closer and closer to her mother, her hands stretching out as if to touch her. "Hate begets hate, always." Her finger tips reached towards Kagome until she was but a breath away. "Violence begets violence, always." The tips of her shorter than normal claw brushed Kagome's sleeve. "Love begets love, always." She looked at her mother, desperately hoping she understood. "And energy will listen to its wielder, always."

"Inuyasha?" And in that moment, Kagome finally understood. Their energy was the same. Regardless of blood, they had energy inside of them. Saving Naraku was not a matter of human purification energy over that of violent demon energy; it was a matter of the heart. "I knew." Her mind wandered to the feelings she had had ever since she had seen Kaede's letter and been told her fate. "If my energy was simply that of purification and demons were the opposite, then I should have killed the demons I purified." The tears that had filled her eyes earlier from the sight of her daughter stung as they dropped down her face now. "It was the state of my heart that killed Manten and the mongooses and it was the state of my heart that healed Kagura and Adahay."

"Although I'm glad my parents love each other, it's not a good thing in this moment." The younger woman's fingers gripped Kagome's arm drawing the woman out of her state of shock. "You're blinded, Okaa-san, by love—absolutely blinded." She held up her other hand before Kagome could say a word. "And don't get me wrong, I love Otou-san dearly but he—Okaa-san, deep within him," She looked down at her mother who just now realized her daughter was taller than her. "Does he harbor hate for Naraku?" She spoke from a whole head above Kagome. "Does it blind him?"

"Yes." She responded without thinking, snapping her mouth shut only seconds later as she absorbed her words.

"Then when Otou-san attacks—regardless of his blood: demon or human," She paused on the word, and dropped her hand down off of her mother's arm. "Well," There was a moment's hesitation in her speech but only a moment. "Energy always obeys the wielder's deepest wish—that is law."

"No!" Kagome backed away, the love in her heart not allowing her to listen to her daughter's truest words. "He would! I know he would—he can empathize. With Sango, me, Miroku, Shippo—he empathized with us all!"

"Okaa-san!" The girl snapped again, the inherited temper flaring brightly. "He can empathize with them, but—think," She reached out and grabbed Kagome by the arms, yanking her almost off her feet. "Sango a raped, broken woman; Miroku a starving, filthy boy; Shippo a misled, abused child; and you a depressed, lonely girl." Tears formed in her eyes that Kagome would never really understand. "Any one can empathize with such anguish, but Naraku—you're probably the only person in existence who could possibly empathize with him!" She shook Kagome almost violently at those words like she was trying to convince herself that what she was doing was right. "You are an empath, you can understand Naraku in a way Otou-san never will." The tears in her eyes shimmered like dangerous, diamonds. "That is why fate chose you."

Kagome's mouth snapped opened at the mention of the word, and she finally reached up, grabbing at the arms that threatened her, halting them. "Fate?"

"It chose you to do what no else in the world can do!" The tears fell down her face, and she sobbed like a broken girl. "It knew you could do what must be done."

Kagome could only stare as the girl's eyes overflowed with tears and feel as those shortened claws dug into her arms.

"Saving Naraku and purifying him is not only the morally correct thing to do," The girl looked down and her face disappeared beneath a curtain of silver intermixed with strikingly dark braids. "It is the only way to destroy the Shikon jewel within him."

"What?" Kagome's heart sunk in her chest as she heard her daughter's words.

"If Otou-san attacks Naraku with all that uncontrolled hate in his heart," She whispered and the sound of her voice floated up from her bowed head. "Then the jewel will absorb that hate adding to its own." Her fingers tightened on Kagome's arms and she shook just a little.

"It is hate—so it will—," Kagome stared at that downy head understanding completely what her daughter was trying to say. "Hate begets hate, right. So, if he attacks with hate in his heart, he'll make the Shikon jewel more powerful."

"Yes." The girl still refused to look at her but her fingers did loosen for some unknown reason. "The only way to stop such an evil is with love." Something close to a sob escaped her throat as if she knew the horrible undertone of her words as well as their beauty. "Love begets love Okaa-san, and the Shikon jewel can only be destroyed with love."

"But—." Kagome looked down at her daughter's head, half expecting to see her father's ears even though she knew the girl possessed her mother's human ones. "Even if saving him destroys the jewel, how can I?" She felt the girl's hands go slack on her arms; and, in return, finally reached out for her daughter. "You!" She released a harsh whisper as she encircled the girl, pulling her into a tight hug. Her cheek pressed against the child's downy head, and she pulled her close. At any other time, she would have thought about how soft her hair was or about how small the girl felt in her grip even if she was tall but now she couldn't; there wasn't time. "My baby." She thought as the warmth of her child in her arms made a small part of her die just a little. "She can't be more than fifteen." She told herself as she fought back the urge to cry at the realization of what this conversation meant. "If I fight," She whispered into the side of the girl's head. "You—what could happen to—?"

The girl stopped her words by throwing her arms around Kagome's waist, wrapping them tightly around the woman. Her nose buried itself in the side of Kagome's neck, and like a little child she inhaled her mother's scent. "A true empath can see the right path deep within their hearts." She spoke against her mother's skin, and the words sounded like the hardest thing she had ever tried to say. "They are unbiased, their eyes unclouded by hate, by anger, by hubris, by even love." Tears slipped down from her lashes, and Kagome felt them, wet against her neck. "When everyone else in the world sees black and white, an empath sees grey." The girl suddenly pulled away, and her shinning eyes glimmered with courage beyond her years. "Tell me Okaa-san," She stared unflinching. "What do you see?"

And Kagome could, she could see everything so clearly it burned.

"You were chosen," The girl's grip lessened, and she pulled away the tears drying as she spoke words she knew she must. "Because you are the only one who is remotely capable of seeing that difficult truth."

Kagome started to open her mouth to argue the girl's point, but a slight shake of that silvery mass of curls made her stop.

"A wise man once said," She looked down at the ground and a smile she couldn't hide jumped onto her face. "What is meant to be will be," She sniffled and laughed as she finished the saying. "You cannot expect anything else out of life." She closed her eyes but still turned her face towards her mother, her father's charming smile overwhelming.

There was no arguing with that smile, and Kagome knew it. She could let Naraku die at the hands of Inuyasha, but in the end that wasn't right. "Who—," Her voice sounded small in that darkness. "Who said that?" Kagome waited for her daughter to reply but the girl didn't. Instead, she gave Kagome a lopsided smile that made her heart stop dead in her chest. "You take after your father," She resisted the urge to laugh. "Don't you?"

"I'd like to think," The girl offered as she backed away from her mother a bit and straightened. "I'm a pretty good mix."

Kagome stared at the girl who had nearly been crying a moment ago and found herself amazed. Her daughter was tall, lean, and strikingly beautiful. Yet, as she studied the girl's outfit, she could tell that her daughter was also dangerous. The coins around her neck were from at least fifty different countries, she had a gun very inconspicuously hidden in her belt, a knife thrust in one boot, and confidence that danced from her toes to her eyes. She stood with her chest out and a deadly smirk on her face. "She's everything I always wanted to be."

"Okaa-san." The girl's smirk grew playful, and her eyes sparkled with mirth. "You're the reason I am me."

Kagome blinked in surprise, but the look didn't last long as she found the ability to laugh. "Like mother like daughter." She thought knowing her daughter would hear. "I love you."

"I love you, too." The girl spoke firmly, her expression taunt but also full of love. "I'm proud you're my Okaa-san."

"I—."

The girl shook her head, the two long, black braids brushing her cheeks. "Go," She commanded and she sounded just like her father—dangerous, deadly, and completely self-assured. "And do what's right."

-break-

Kagome's eyes snapped opened, darkness overwhelming her once more, but this darkness had texture. The slight oddity of water caught her attention, and momentarily confused she opened her mouth. A rush of water greeted her, and she gagged as it tried to flood her lungs. In a moment of desperation, she threw a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from taking in further water and forced herself to look up. Way above her head, a good hundred feet, she could see the rough shimmer of a fire; the sight jogging her memory instantly. She could see Hiten as he attacked the crow's nest, she could feel the air as she plummeted away from the sight, and she heard the water as it rushed passed her ears, while she sank downwards.

"The ocean." She realized, ripping her hand from her mouth just in time to nearly inhale water once more, but luckily she stopped herself in time to only produce bubbles of air that rushed upwards towards that shimmering light. "Swim up!" Without another thought, Kagome drove her hands upwards and grasped at the water desperately, clawing against it as she kicked with all her might. Her eyes never left the image of the fire above her, using it as a guide towards the air. The image grew larger and clearer the closer she came to the surface; and, within seconds, she felt the eerie sensation of her face breaking through the water.

Instantly, she opened her mouth, a rush of vital oxygen nearly crushing her lungs, before she disintegrated into coughing. Her arms worked vigorously to keep her afloat, splashing back and forth as she panted and gasped, trying to catch her breath. Blinking back the water that hindered her vision, she looked all around herself trying to figure out her next move. The sight of her bow, floating along the surface, by luck and luck alone, prompted her to move for the first time. Fingers groped and reached for the object, the feel of the smooth wood hitting her palm calming her exponentially. Now down one arm, she continued to tread water as waves around her began to build dangerously. The rain had reached them now; Naraku's storm a full on gale above her head.

"Damn it." She thought; her mind raced as she tried to discern her next best action.

"Kagome!"

The scream caught her only momentarily off guard as she looked up towards the Shikuro. The sound of men screaming, commands being thrown back and forth, and the desperate shrill cry of Sango greeted her ears.

"The rope!" The older woman was yelling, and Kagome furrowed her eyebrows trying to catch up to what Sango was saying.

"Rope?" She whispered just as realization dawned on her. Quickly, she looked to her left and saw nothing, before she turned her head swiftly to the right in time to see the end of a rope just out of reach. "Rope!" She gasped and once more clawed at the water with only one hand, propelling herself towards the safety that rope provided.

"Grab it!" Paedar yelled this time, his voice sounding frantic and horrified. "We'll pull ya up."

Kagome grabbed for the rope, yanking it close to her body. Hastily, she wrapped it around her hand and down lower around her leg, so she could hold on with only half her normal grip. "Pull!" She yelled up towards them once she was secure, and within seconds she felt her body lift upwards as they dragged her out of the sea. Water fell away from her, and a cold breeze hit her drenched skin telling her for the first time since she had come back to reality how cold the water of the ocean really was.

"Watch the sides!"

She twisted her body at the command, and threw her feet towards the side of the ship just before she rammed into it. Above her, Paedar continued to pull as she assisted by walking herself up the side, her one hand holding the wet rope desperately. Her palms burned from the effort to support her own weight, but not once did she slip, her stubbornness not allowing her to fail. After what felt like a short eternity, she saw the silver eyes of Aengus and Eion, both men waiting anxiously to grab her. Their hands reached out over the railing, but she knew better than to reach for them with her bow hand. Instead she waited for her body to be close enough for Aengus and Eion to grab her. Foot by foot her patience paid off. Before she knew it, she felt hands on her clothes, then underneath her arms. Two strong sets of hands lifted her up over the railing, but no amount of grace would allow her to truly ease back onto the ship. Instead her body crumbled in a heap against Eion's strong chest, the cold caused by her wet clothes and the bruising of her flesh weakening her. Her teeth chattered as she finally opened her eyes just in time to see the mist of her breath.

"Cold." She registered as her back began to ache where she had fallen into the ocean, and her lips trembled. "Really cold."

"We have to get you warmed up." Sango spoke so quickly that Kagome nearly didn't hear her. She did feel the woman's hands as they rubbed her arms, though.

Kagome looked up at her, the feel of her plastered hair against her skin making her more aware of her plight. "I fell overboard." Her mind felt weary as the thought entered and left her. "Not important." She closed her eyes trying to force herself to think in her hypothermic state. "That's not important."

"Damn it." Paedar cursed as he dropped the rope and fell down in front of his granddaughter. In an instant he was sniffing her over, checking her as Inuyasha had a hundred times before. "You need ta take 'er to the cabin."

"I'm missing something." Kagome opened her mouth knowing she needed to tell him no. "What am I missing?"

"Get her out of those wet clothes quick." Eion added to Paedar's sentence, his hands rubbing Kagome's arms trying to get her blood to circulate again.

"Wait." Kagome voice sounded raspy as she tried to halt Sango with her hand. "Something's wrong." She felt Sango take hold of her hand, rubbing it between two of her own. The sensation of sudden warmth made Kagome shake once, nearly violently as another warmth overtook her mind. "Hug." Her mouth dropped opened as a flash of silver and black overtook her. "Hug—daughter."

"She's hallucinating." Sango whispered worriedly as she removed her jacket, draping it over Kagome's shoulders.

The weight of the jacket became the weight of the world as Kagome's mind finally caught up. "Daughter—Naraku—fight—me." Her eyes went wide, and she began to push away from Sango knowing exactly what needed to happen. "Inuyasha—I need to get to Inuyasha." The thought took over as her words failed.

"He's fine." Sango told her, but she knew without having to use her senses that it was a lie.

"The mast is about to catch the sails!" A voice chimed in from a distance of only a few yards, and Kagome's eyes followed the words.

She looked up at the mast, watching as the fire began to dip lower and lower. She was mesmerized by the sight; her heart beat a bit quicker in her chest. "Stop the burning." She told herself, her body aching to move, but Sango's arms not letting her. "Sango, let me—."

"Get the damn fire out!" Paedar interrupted her, his anger apparent in his voice as he looked up at the blaze that was now dangerously close to a sail. "Men! Water!"

"I can do it." Kagome rasped out, but Sango beside her quickly pulled her into a hug.

"You're frozen." The older woman told her, as she pulled her to her feet while slipping a hand under her arm to support her.

"I'm not some invalid!" The thought screamed at her, the cold of her clothes, and the demands all around her becoming unimportant as that thought consumed her. "I'm stronger than you think—," She felt a tingling in her stomach, the twisting and turning of energy. "I'm braver than you feel—," Her arms tensed as the words echoed dangerously in her head. "And I have more power—."

"Kagome, you've to go inside." Paedar chastised as he looked at his granddaughter's blue lips and bright red cheeks. "You're freezing. Sango—." He reached for Kagome, one strong hand gripping her by the forearm pulling her sideways towards the stairs.

"Than you could ever imagine." That final thought crushed any control Kagome had left over her temper. "Enough!" Her voice shattered the air around her as she slapped Paedar's hands away from her much to his shock and amazement.

"Kagome?" Sango reached out, but her fingers stopped their extension as Kagome pulled the bow still in her grip to her chest and closed her eyes tightly.

Breath coming in large pants, Kagome forced herself to calm. The energy in her stomach swirled in response, and she tightened her grip on the bow. "Calm your mind." She told herself, repeating words Izayoi had said to her a million times in the years they had trained. "Calm it and then release." Her eyes snapped opened as she released the power contained in her stomach, allowing it to fly into her hands and the bow by extension. The air around her immediately turned into a rush of steam as she sent her energy into her skin, into her hair, and finally into her clothes, drying them instantly.

"Well," Aengus spoke at a mere whisper as he stared at his daughter-in-law. "Tat's a good trick, then."

"Lot better than just changing clothes." Eion replied absently even as he saw Kagome's eyes flash with a fire he didn't recall ever seeing in her.

Kagome ignored the looked of her in-laws and Sango, as she forced her feet to move towards the middle of the deck underneath the burning crow's nest. Her hand with the bow lifted without even a trace of hesitation, and she took a deep breath as she raised her head up to study her next mission. The sails had just caught and the men trying to put out the flames were pathetic at best. The buckets in their hands were virtually useless against the dramatic intensity of the flames that had been created by the magic of the thunder demon.

"Compared to me." Kagome thought as she isolated the energy in her stomach once more, building it before she channeled it. "Those flames are nothing." She gritted her teeth as she allowed her energy to flow unhindered in her body.

The energy burned beautifully as it followed the course of her veins, bursting up and outwards through the palm of her hand into the bow itself. The energy shot straight up and swarmed the fire. A giant swirling vortex of flame and wind combined above her head completely controlled by her hand. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as she continued to pour energy into the fire, eating it with the dexterity of her power. The flames hissed and yelped as they were consumed by pure whiteness, leaving blackened and charred wood exposed to the rain. As soon as she was sure the energy had consumed even the tiniest spark of flame left, she smirked satisfied.

"Well—one thing down." She inhaled once only to exhale deeply. "Now—to fight." She lowered her chin looking away from the smoldering wood and out across the stunned crew. A hundred eyes, all belonging to people she knew, were staring right at her with a perfect combination of horror and amazement. "Alright," She yelled as she threw the bow downwards, her power fading momentarily into nothing. "Listen up!" The entire crew flinched as her voice filled the air, commanding and confident. "My name is Kagome O'lionsigh." She drug her eyes across the masses making sure every man felt the storm within them on his skin. "You know me as your Captain's wife." She didn't bother to pause as she brought her bow up in front of herself, placing her back to the helm and her eyes on the crew. "But as of right now," She allowed her words to echo in their ears as thunder boomed in the background and lightning lit up her face. "Know me as your Captain!"

The crew could only stare at her as if she were insane, no one knowing quite what to say to the woman's bizarre words. A female Captain above all things was unheard of, not trusted, and unknown. Kagome looked out at all of them, not bothering to look at Aengus, Eion, or Paedar. She knew that men such as that could never follow a lesser female, but in that moment she didn't care.

"I'll make them follow me." She told herself even as a lump of doubt formed in her throat that she quickly gulped down. Briefly, her eyes turned towards Sango to see the girl's expression. It was just as stunned as everyone else, but there was something else within it that was promising.

"Why?" A brave man suddenly stepped forward out of the mass of crew. "Why should we follow you?" He pointed a clawed hand towards Kagome revealing demon blood.

Knowing she couldn't dare hesitate, Kagome turned her eyes towards him without preamble. They seemed to glow as she stared at him so deeply that every other member of the crew was sure she was looking straight into his soul. "Because," She took a step forward, and even though her words were quiet, everyone heard them. "I am stronger than you think." She took another step, and the weight of it made the deck moan. "I am braver than you feel." She took another step, and this time the man stepped back, as her body began to glow with a power none of them could fight. "And I have more power in my pinky," She lifted her hand and her pinky glowed with all the power in her body blinding the man before her. "Than every member of this crew combined!"

The man stepped back hastily in fear, falling over his own two feet, as her power flared as bright as the sun. He landed with a loud thud that didn't hinder Kagome in the least. With deadly stealth, she continued walking towards him until she was towering over his prone body.

"And if you don't follow me," She spoke slowly and clearly, her words more honest than threatening. "Then you will die." She twisted her neck around, finally looking away from the cowering man if only to look at the hundreds of others. "So make your choice." Her eyes flashed with the words, daring anyone to go against her by the sight of them alone. "Fight with me and live," She whipped her head around and looked straight down her nose at the man who trembled before her. "Or get the hell off my ship!" The words hung in the air dangerously, but the man before her didn't even attempt to open his mouth to reply. "Well?" Kagome looked away from him, posing the question to the masses. "What will it be?"

Before the words even fully left her mouth, Sango took the first step forward. The older woman's heart pounded in her chest as she approached the miko with little to no indecision in her foot falls. Her hands dropped to her waist where a sword rested against her hip, and with strong, confident fingers, she grasped it in her hand. "Fight!" She screamed into the wind, the rain, and Kagome's power, as she held the blade up in front of her ready to kill in the name of Captian Kagome O'lionsigh. "Fight to live!" She ripped her eyes away from Kagome just long enough to see her in-laws and repeat her words. "Fight to live!"

The three scaliwags stared at her, all of them mesmerized by the impossibility of what was happening. Eion was the first to awaken from what he thought was a dream. His bright silver eyes flashed with pride and confidence as he stepped forward, ripping the sword from his belt. "Fight to live!" He screamed the words as he turned towards Kagome and sent her a wicked smirk that Inuyasha had dutifully inherited and passed down to his own child.

"Fight ta live!" Aengus's voice rang out next, his own sword thrown into the air.

"Fight to live!" Two crewmen added their swords and guns ripped free of their sheaths.

"Fight to live!" Five more crewman added, the man on the ground coming to his feet to shout with them.

"Fight to live!" Ten more with weapons drawn.

"Fight to live!" Every single crewman allowed their voices to carry over the whole of the Shikuro.

"Fight to live!" Kagome screamed above them all, throwing her bow in the air just as Inuyasha had thrown his own sword above his head. The scream echoed around her and without waiting even a moment she began to throw orders out above the den. "Sango on the helm."

"Aye!" Sango responded and for just a moment, the two women made eye contact, expressing emotions that neither had time to contemplate. "Captain!"

"Master's to your post!" Kagome commanded next listening only briefly as the men called her Captain just as Sango had. "Aengus, Eion," She pointed towards the two men who easily awaited her orders, prepared to obey. "Oversee!"

"Aye," They yelled in unison, only stopping briefly to glance at each other before yelling the title as well. "Captain!"

"Paedar." She turned to look at the alpha, just now realizing that he had not responded to her call to arms in anyway. He was standing there with his hands at his sides, watching her with disconcerting silver eyes. She gulped at the sight, some of her confidence wavering, but she knew she couldn't show weakness. With a strong stride and a focused mind, she stepped towards him, her chin raised, but her heart lodged in her throat. "Will he obey?" She asked herself as a hole formed in her stomach, eating at her frantically. She remembered how Paedar made even Inuyasha submit to him, why would she be any different? "Will he challenge me like an alpha should?"

Paedar, for his part, looked straight at her, those eyes unnerving as they studied her. A small smile crept into them within moments, for Paedar had seen in her something he thought he had lost forever. "Izayoi." He closed his eyes and the smile spread to his face. In his mind's eye he saw Izayoi, his daring granddaughter with her beautiful power and her striking intensity. He could see her as she stepped onto Inutaisho's boat, leaving him, and he could see her stepping off of it, returning with a child of her own resting his wee head on her shoulder. Whether it was to leave or to return, she had been confident as she moved, just as Kagome was now.

He opened his eyes back up and sent Kagome his best smirk. "I fight to live," He told her watching as she narrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Captain."

Kagome felt a wave of emotion hit her as he obeyed, but she couldn't allow herself to show emotion to her crew. "Thank you." She whispered anyway knowing his demon ears would hear her.

He only nodded in response and awaited her command.

"Cover me." She spoke firmly as she looked out across the sea for the first time. "I'm going out there." Her voice left no room for Paedar to rebuttal as she made out the distant clashes of thunder verses sword. "So have the ship follow me with the rowers, as quick as they can" She ripped her eyes away and looked straight at the man. "Collect the men I purify and make sure no one kills the ones I can't reach yet."

"Aye, Captain." He smiled at her and the look wasn't strained much to her surprise. "You do know that ornery mate of yours is going to kill me for this."

"Not on my watch." Kagome sent him a smirk that rivaled Inuyasha's own before she turned her back on Paedar.

"How are you going to get out th—?" Paedar's question died in his throat as he watched his granddaughter start to glow.

Once more, Kagome reached inside of herself pulling on a power source that normally stayed in another world. Yet, right now, she needed it in reality. Taking a deep, controlled breath Kagome dipped her mind into her stomach where the white mass of energy began to rumble fully prepared for what Kagome wanted from it. Her heel twitched and her toes dug into her boots. The bow in her hand grew hot as if it were about to burn her, but she ignored the sensation in favor of focusing on a much stronger one.

"Run."

Her eyes snapped opened, and her left foot pushed up followed by her right as it fell. Step after step her boots hit the planks of the Shikuro's deck, pounding against the wood as her arms rotated back and forth. She heard Paedar's anxious cry as she neared the end of the quarterdeck. In the corner of her eyes she saw men's mouths drop open, some of them even reaching for her as she reached the absolute finish. The railing of the Shikuro, which lead only to a drop off on the other side, greeted the palm of her hand as she hurtled straight over it. Wind rushed passed her face just as it had when she jumped from the crow's nest, but this time water didn't await her.

Kilala's roar filled the air more deafening than the thunder all around her as she fell perfectly onto the creature's back. Without a moment's hesitation, she locked her ankles against Kilala's sides and mentally compelled the extension of herself to dip down low where Naraku's controlled army was running against the waves. She thrust her bow into her left hand, creating the sting with just the power of her mind. Her right hand pulled back on an arrow that formed from nothing. The wind yanked at her hair, the rain poured against her body, and she let the first arrow fly.

It screeched through the air, a promise to all those who saw its power.

-break-

Inuyasha's sword swung in a wide arch right towards Hiten's face, but the thunder demon didn't even blink as he brought up his own spear to block the attack. Sparks flew around the two men as their blades battled for dominance over the other. The tiny flashes sizzled as the wind yanked at them, pulling violently, but the rain extinguished their deadly potential before they could fall to the deck. Inuyasha gritted his teeth as those tiny embers floated passed his peripheral vision, his muscles straining under the pressure created by Hiten's own forceful push downwards. The blank, black eyes bore into him on the other side of their clashing blades, and he felt a disconcerting pull in his stomach.

"Something's wrong with him."

A tiny voice whispered in the back of his mind, but he ignored it. The anger building in his heart combined with the hatred for this man that had already been there, acted as a raging, ear-splitting scream that blocked out the sound of his own logic.

Suddenly Hiten threw all his weight into Inuyasha's weapon, nearly knocking the younger of the two demons off balance. Inuyasha snarled, fully prepared to throw his weight forward as well but paused as Hiten used the leverage created by his shifted weight to push himself backwards and into the air. The sound of metal ripping away from metal echoed as the thunder demon flipped backwards once before landing several feet away from Inuyasha. Instantly Hiten's knees bent building up tension in his legs, before he pushed off the ground hastily. His body was propelled forward in a deadly straight line, his weapon trailing behind him treacherously. Inuyasha slid one foot behind himself for stability as he prepared for the man to crash into him. He narrowed his eyes as Hiten's strikingly mellow face approached him, and, tightening his grip on Zentai, Inuyasha shifted his weight backwards into the balls of his feet. He didn't even take a breath as he shoved his body forward, launching himself at the hastily approaching Hiten. His sword trailed behind his head, the blade glowing with the power of his own lethal energy.

Within seconds, the two men clashed once more. Both of them brought their blades in front of their faces at the same time. Zentai hit the metal of the Thunder weapon, sending sparks flying in all directions. Unlike the previous sparks, however, the one's Zentai sent into the air now glowed with Inuyasha's energy. The dark red of his anger was reflected in those tiny particles, and Zentai echoed their brilliance as it flared, begging to extinguish Hiten from existence.

"Perfect!" Inuyasha thought as he watched the bright red energy dance against his sword. Digging his heels into the ground, he used the leverage of both his blade and his firmly planted feet to launch himself backwards. He didn't even move three feet away from Hiten before he dropped the balls of his feet to the ground again, creating just enough traction to spring forward once more.

He screamed as he pulled Zentai back behind his head fully prepared to launch his attack at Hiten's face. Before he brought the death blow down on Hiten's head, however, he froze almost against his will. Hiten wasn't moving towards him as he should have been, and his weapon was positioned neutrally in front of him. The eyes that had once been blank looked wider than they had before, as if they had been caught off guard. Emotion crept into those eyes, and understanding came through Hiten's stern exterior briefly. It was like a flicker of awareness that Inuyasha's couldn't ignore. Disturbed by the sudden shift in demeanor, Inuyasha stopped his body from propelling forward but didn't bring his weapon downwards. He pointed the sword at Hiten as he watched him, amazed and confused as to why the man was no longer attacking or, for that matter, even moving.

"Hiten!" Inuyasha snarled as he watched the man stand in the pouring rain; Hiten's expression remained both oddly impartial and somehow aware at the same time. "Why did you stop?" The Captain yelled, his mixed matched eyes flashing with anger at the seemingly unaffected man across from him. "Can you hear me?"

Hiten didn't move as Inuyasha screamed at him, but for the first time his eyes seemed to flash with some succinct trace of emotion, as if he wanted to answer. If Inuyasha had not been a demon, he would have missed the slight raise of Hiten's eyebrows accompanied by the ever so subtle dilation of his pupils. Further still, he would have missed the way the hair on Hiten's neck suddenly stood on end, and how his breathing altered. Suddenly, Hiten's whole body tensed. Every muscle under his taunt skin danced, and his jaw tightened horribly. The blank eyes filled with something and shifted upwards with a will of their own.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as those pupils flickered again tensely trying to see something that Hiten should not have been aware of. "It's like he's fighting—with himself."

"Hiten-sama!" Kagura's voice split the air, and before Inuyasha actually knew what was happening, he heard the wind demon's feet as they hit the deck hard.

He whipped his head around towards the noise, barely having time to see her reach out and grab her untransformed feather before it flew away. "Kagura!" Inuyasha screamed knowing exactly how this moment in time would end.

Sure enough as Kagura rounded towards Hiten, the thunder demon's moment of recognition passed. Hiten's face went completely blank once more, and his grip on his weapon tightened. Without once changing the stoic expression on his face, he raised up the spear fully prepared to sink it into Kagura's heart. The weapon thrust forward towards the wind demon who, without even the slightest bit of effort, threw her body upwards and away from the sharp tip. Hovering above the Shikuro, Hiten just below her, Kagura flipped her feet up and over her head in a mid air back flip. The momentum of the move threw her away from Hiten, even as the man realigned the spear so as to strike her again.

"Hiten-sama!" Kagura begged as she ducked down just in time to avoid Hiten's next strike to her head. "Onegai—it Kagura!" She tried desperately, but her words didn't seem to affect Hiten in the least.

The man only raised his weapon upwards again, jabbing it towards her legs so fast that the blade became a blur. Kagura jumped gracefully above the spear aided by her balance and the power of the wind. Casually, she managed to land on the tip of Hiten's weapon posed above him. "Please!" She switched to English, her voice sounding so desperate that it would have broken Hiten's heart had he not been under Naraku's control. "Hiten-sama—see Kagura!" She begged as she balanced on the tip of the weapon, but Hiten didn't seem the least bit phased by her actions at all.

As it were, Hiten didn't even raise his eyes up to look at her as he threw all his power into his spear, thrusting it upwards so as to fling Kagura off of it. Sure enough, the wind demon lost her balance because of her current distress and was thrown upwards as Hiten intended. She cursed as her body twisted around in the air, and in an effort to keep herself from falling, she threw her hands out to her sides catching the wind with just the wideness of her sleeves. Her clothes flew around her body as she hovered in the air. Her beautiful white eye and the deep blue Shinigami one stared down the bridge of her nose at Hiten as he turned away from her. She blinked with surprise as he placed his back towards her and instead looked at Inuyasha once more.

"Hiten!" She screamed as she watched him raise his weapon towards Inuyasha threateningly. "He ignores me—?" Her heart tightened in her chest as she realized he must have enough control to force himself not to fight her. "Hiten-sama—," She shook her head unable to control the tears that threatened her. "This is love?" She felt a part of her break as she allowed the wind around her to lesson. "How sick."

Down below Kagura's hovering body, Hiten finally made a noise. It started as what might be confused with a whimper and steadily turned into a full-fledged snarl. His eyes flashed with anger, and his heart tore in his chest as he left the sight of Kagura far behind. There was no way he could beat Naraku's power, so he would do what he was forced to do, and he would never look back behind him.

Inuyasha stared at Hiten, the sound of Kagura's near hysterical scream as she watched her mate charge him, unforgettable. He tightened his grip on his sword, doubt circling his brain. For one brief moment, he had seen Hiten. "He turned away." He acknowledged even as the thunder demon charged, his eyes filled with emotions now—self-hatred, anger, love. "He spared Kagura—but," Inuyasha felt a darkness seep into his mind, a thought he couldn't ignore. "He didn't spare Kagome!"

That dark thought made his mouth open and release an awful yowl. He raised Zentai up by his face, and the red energy whipped across the blade, fully prepared to unleash all of his fury.

-break-

High above them and completely unseen, Kagome dropped her bow down as she reached the second ship. A trail of gasping men as who were nearly consumed by waves laid behind her, but she didn't turn to look. She knew that the Shikuro was close behind, and that Paedar would find each and every man to pull out of the sea alive.

In the distance thunder rumbled and rain flew downwards thickly. It would only be moments before that rained reached them coating them with blinding water. Even though she could see perfectly fine, however, she couldn't help but feel as if she were blind as she looked at the ship below her. Her jaw dropped as she took in Inuyasha's dark red energy as it flowed through Zentai, and Kagura's slowly crumbling form as the woman resigned herself to becoming a widow. Kagome's heart stopped in her chest when she heard Inuyasha yowl; the meaning behind the sound so distinctly connected to her that pain shot through her body.

"I have to—," She didn't even finish her thought as she mentally urged Kagura downwards. The neko-mata instantly plummeted towards the deck of the ship. Kagome pushed herself up on the demon's back preparing to jump as she gave hasty last minute instructions. "Kilala, help Paedar with the men!" She hissed even though the neko-mata didn't need to hear a single word to know her mistress' bidding. Without waiting for the cat demon to reply, or to even grow closer to the ship, Kagome threw her body away from the safety of her spirit demon.

The giant demon roared anyway as she obeyed, not even bothering to wait for Kagome's boots to hit the deck, before she turned and launched herself from the men sinking into the sea. The Miko fell the scant ten feet that had remained between her and the deck. She landed on the ground with a soft bend in her knee that prevented her legs from turning into jelly. Her eyes were fixed on her target, and her feet were fully prepared to take her towards her mate.

"Takeshi!"

The sound of Sesshoumaru's voice prevented her from taking another step, and she paused just long enough to turn and see the two demons. Father and son as well as Miroku were nearly overrun by Naraku's men. All they could do it seemed was beat the men back with their fist and the blunt end of the swords. Using her energy to sense their level of distress, Kagome gritted her teeth as she realized they were so overwhelmed that none of them had even fully realized the extent of the fight them between Inuyasha, Hiten, and (now) Kagura.

"How could they with their hands full like that?" She thought in passing as she brought her bow up towards her face forming the string and the arrow as she inhaled deeply. "Fly." She whispered and exhaled at the same time as she let go of the string and watched her arrow fly. It sailed through the air, whipping passed Sesshoumaru's head before it barely missed Takeshi's right arm, and finally nearly grazed Miroku's side as it flew towards its target.

Not bothering to pause to see if she had awakened the men from their nightmares, Kagome turned her back on the three men knowing she had nothing to worry about, as she rushed towards the ensuing fight. She heard the yelp of Takeshi as her foot hit the ground with her first running step, followed by a gasp of surprise from Sesshoumaru's mouth as her foot hit the ground with her second, and finally the near screech of horror from Miroku as her first foot fell again. An explosion of energy rocked the ship not a moment later, but she didn't bother to so much as glance behind herself as she shifted her attention fully towards Inuyasha and Hiten.

The two demons were stuck in a firm clash. Both Inuyasha's sword and Hiten's spear sparked as the two battled for dominance. The muscles in their arms strained with the effort it took to even hold their current positions. A growl ripped from Inuyasha's throat, and he pressed downwards on Hiten's blade; his slight height advantage gave him leverage as his growl turned into a full on snarl. Hiten stared up at him through the twisting metal that separated their faces, and his eyes flickered becoming aware just long enough for Kagome to see the pain that rested in them. Against her will, her feet came to a crashing halt as Hiten's eyes filled with a combination of regret and futility. A spasm of emotion flew from his body and hit her square in the chest. She gasped as the suicidal thoughts flooded her brain, weighing her down with their burden.

"No!" She tried to scream even as another wave of thoughts, this time from Kagura, made her head spin.

"Don't leave me!"

The wind demon's words echoed in her mind as Hiten's muscles simultaneously relaxed giving into everything and nothing all at once. Kagome watched in horror as the thunder demon fell backwards, his head rushing downwards as Inuyasha's blade lurched forward from the sudden dead air. Seeing his opening, Inuyasha screamed as Naraku's supernatural rain finally hit the deck of the ship. It coated his hands as he allowed Zentai to rush towards Hiten's awaiting face, and it matted his hair as his red, flaming energy surrounded the fatal blade.

Kagome's mind rushed, inundated by what she had to do. There was no way to save Hiten; the moment was moving way to fast to think of saving anyone. She felt her knees begin to give, and her hands go lax on the bow, at a loss. "I'm too la—."

"Make him empathize!"

Kagome's head jerked up as her daughter's voice somehow filled her. The entire world slowed to a crawl, and her mind sparked with sudden realization. "Make him empathize, but he hates Hiten?" The words raced in her mind, dancing before her eyes in a confused pattern. "How do I correct hate?" She dragged her eyes away from Inuyasha and Hiten in time to see Kagura's broken face. "Love—." Her heart nearly shot into her throat, as she finally realized what Inuyasha needed to see. "Love corrects hate!" Knowing that words would never reached his ears in time, Kagome allowed her scream to explode from her mind instead of her throat. "Look at Kagura!" She squeezed her eyes shut hoping her thoughts would reach him before he completed the sword's swopping arch.

Inuyasha's downward arching grip stopped as he heard his wife's voice screaming in his mind. "Kagome—?" He whispered just as he felt her suddenly all around him. He gasped as she flooded him, her embrace, her scent, her smile, her laugh, all of her was suddenly with him. Compelled by the beautiful chime of his wife's voice, he couldn't stop himself from turning his head to look for her, and when he did, he finally saw Kagura.

The strong wind demon, formidable, snarky, and downright dangerous was on her knees in tears. The sight made his stomach knot with horror as he watched Kagura's usually cocky face disintegrate into absolute anguish. The sword in his hands trembled slightly as her eyes opened. The rain combined with her tears as she opened them creating a waterfall of emotions in her blue, white eyes. As she finally took in Inuyasha's frozen form, both eyes flickered with comprehension. Her chest heaved, her mouth dropped, and within seconds she was on her feet.

"It's not his fault." The wind enchantress yelled over the sound of rain, thunder, and the pounding in Inuyasha's ears. "Onegai!" She pleaded with him, and he felt the sword in his hands begin to go lax. "This Naraku—not Hiten-sama!"

"It's not his fault." Inuyasha heard a voice in his head whisper the phrase, and he knew it was his own. "He's being controlled." The dog demon turned back towards his victim, and didn't even gasp as he saw the twinges of emotion in Hiten's face. "How did I miss it?" He thought as he looked into those pleading eyes, begging for death and freedom. "None of this is his fault." Inuyasha blinked as the strange illumination of understanding overwhelmed him. "None of it is his fault," He felt his hands on Zentai tighten once more, and he watched as Hiten's face seemed to relax as if he was happy to accept the impending death. "This is Naraku!" He gritted his teeth as he allowed that thought to take over his whole psyche. Rapidly, Inuyasha reached deep within himself, calling upon the energy that would change Hiten's fate.

The sword glowed with the white, hot energy, and Inuyasha screamed as he swung the blade in a wide arch above his head before he shifted his weight yanking it towards Hiten's prone form. The energy cascaded downwards hitting the thunder demon perfectly across the chest. In a millisecond of time, black eyes filled with a storm of emotion that Naraku had managed to lock deep within Hiten's head. The thunder demon gasped, the air of life hitting his lungs harshly. His mouth frothed, and he dropped the spear. It clattered against the deck as he fell forward, convulsing just as the other men had when Inuyasha purified them.

The dog demon stepped back instantly as Hiten's body jerked once, then twice, before going perfectly still. From seemingly out of nowhere, Kagura flew passed him grabbing for Hiten's still body with trembling hands. "Hiten-sama!" She whispered over and over again as she pulled him to her body, cradling him like a small child. "Daijobu!" The sound was harsh, but her sentiment was sweet, even though it was debatable whether he knew what she meant or not. "Onegai?" She pleaded and nearly wailed with relief when his eyes opened slightly, completely exhausted.

"Ka," The first syllable of her name slipped from his barely parted lips, before his eyes closed once more. Rain splattered against his oddly pale skin, and he inhaled once sharply, before forcing his eyes opened again. It took all the effort in his body to keep them open, and it took even more effort to make himself smile; yet, he did. "Hime?" He whispered, and the sound was single handedly the most beautiful thing Kagura had ever heard.

Her face cracked into a gorgeous smile that soon turned into a sob of relief. "Yes," She managed to force the word from her mouth, as she brought one of her hands up to his face. "Baka," Her fingers shook slightly as she gently smoothed his hair. "Kagura—yes—Kagura-hime."

The tiny smile on Hiten's face grew, and he laughed slightly. "My hime."

Kagura nodded and shook her head slightly. "Yes—." She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "A Hime only for you."

Hiten smirked and chuckled, before his eyes fell shut with exhaustion. "Tha—go," He mumbled; the sound was hard to understand, but Kagura knew exactly what he was trying to say.

"Yes," She nodded her head and lowered her forehead down to rest against Hiten's own. "Arigato Kami-sama." She whispered for him and raised her head up to look at Inuyasha who was staring down at them with something akin to shock on his face. "Arigato." She spoke again not noticing that Inuyasha's expression was that of amazement. "Inuyasha-sama." She finished as she cradled Hiten's head against her breast, wanting him to be comfortable and protected.

"You're welcome." The dog demon replied, but the sound was already lost on Kagura who had looked back down at her mate once more.

Standing off to the side, Kagome couldn't help but smile, as she watched the small reunion. "You did it." Kagome whispered perfectly amazed, as she shook her head in disbelief. "You did it, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha's ear turned even before his neck could twist around to see her. "Kag—." His eyes landed on her, growing to the point of nearly breaking as he took her in. "Kagome." His brain barely acknowledged, and he nearly dropped his sword. His feet twisted around, and he started moving without even realizing he had wanted to move.

Kagome felt a smile split across her face as she watched him run towards her. Her bow hand slipped downwards, and (before she could stop herself) she darted forward as well, running towards him across the deck. Even if it had only been fifteen, twenty minutes, it felt like an eternity since they had seen each other. They collided on the deck, arms encircling the other with their weapons hanging at their sides. Lips pressed together intensely, as the love for the other person tightened so painfully that they couldn't think of words to say, only actions to commit.

"What," Inuyasha pulled back once barely getting out the word before he kissed her again. "Are you," He dropped his head and pressed his lips against her own one last time before he finished the question. "Doing here?"

Pulling away from him before he could kiss her once more, Kagome smiled apologetically. "I have to be here." She told him bluntly, the apology in her voice not for what she must do but for how he must feel.

"What?" The dog demon narrowed his eyes and shook his head at her confused. "We agreed that you—."

"Listen to me Inuyasha." She cut him off before he could finish, her voice just as firm as it had been moments before on the Shikuro. "I love you dearly, and it blinded me to the truth." She shook her head back and forth; the action stopped the words of protest on his tongue. "I'm the only one who can defeat Naraku."

"I have the energy to purify just like you do." He fired back as he pulled away from Kagome slightly. He didn't allow his the one arm wrapped around her to relax its grip, but he made sure to keep her at an arm's length showing his displeasure at her words.

"I know you have that energy, I do," Kagome cleared her throat slightly and sent him a wary smile. "But—you also have the choice on whether to use it." She made sure to look him in the eye, so he could see her certainty. "Just now—with Hiten, you would have chosen not to," She clutched her bow tightly as if to gain the confidence to finish her thought. "If I didn't force you to see Kagura—you would have killed Hiten."

He opened his mouth to protest but stopped himself. Deep down he knew that what Kagome was saying was the truth. He had wanted to kill Hiten, and if he had not seen Kagura, he would have.

"You can feel pity for people when they show that they deserve it." She went on making sure to be both logical and blunt all at the same time. "And with that pity you can use your energy to save them." She felt his fingers tighten on her back, even though he had leaned away from her, he still needed to feel connected. "But I'm not like that, I don't need to see a reason to emphasize with someone." She looked up into those complicated eyes as they seemed to force themselves to look at her in return. "I can feel it so deeply that I can become them." She tightened her grip on his body with her free hand, fisting her fingers in the fabric of his shirt so as to drill in her point. "You can't see Naraku, Inuyasha, but I can and because of that—it has to be me who goes against him." She looked up into his face then, and their obvious height difference made her wavier for only the briefest of seconds. "I am the only one who can save him."

"Then maybe he shouldn't be saved!" Inuyasha growled, his eyes flashing with a hint of the demon inside of him that wasn't actually there.

"Even if we could—that's not right, and you know it." She looked up at him watching as he winced, knowing she spoke the truth. "But—if we don't help Naraku—," She pressed further finally telling him the true extent of fate's power. "The Shikon jewel will gain more power."

He stared at her for several seconds, watching her as her eyes flashed with such confidence that he couldn't deny that her words weren't true. "How the hell did she find that out?" He bit the inside of his cheek before allowing himself to really think his thought through. "Why am I surprised she did?" He closed his eyes and shook his head as he tried to understand her. "What do you mean?" The words tasted bitter in his mouth.

"Don't ask me how I know." Kagome bit her lip as she tried to find a way to explain her conundrum quickly. "But, if you hit Naraku with the intension of killing him, you will feed the jewel," She cleared her throat, and the sound made Inuyasha's eyes open. "And it will become impossible to stop."

"But—?" Inuyasha looked down between them; his eyes falling on her stomach.

Kagome pulled him towards her, until his face was only inches away from her own. "I have to do this Inuyasha."

"Why?" He felt his stomach knot and twist, but he tried to joke. "Why can't we just be selfish and let him destroy the world?"

Kagome didn't crack even the slightest inkling of a smile as she looked up into his face. "Why can't you just trust me?" She spoke honestly and bluntly, her voice so calm and so sure that he found he couldn't use his own. "Would I put our child in danger if I thought there was another way?" She kept her voice calm, even though she wanted to yell those words in his face in that moment. "Tell me I would, and I will go back to the Shikuro this very minute."

He didn't say a word in response, because he knew there was nothing he could say. Kagome would never have put her child in danger, if there was another way. As it were, it seemed that fate had backed them into a metaphorical corner. Without Kagome Naraku would remain as he was, and the world would remain in imperative danger no matter what they did. "Damn." He cursed internally and tightened his grip on her back wanting to pull her as close to himself as possible but not having the nerve to do so. "This isn't right—none of this should have ever happened!"

Kagome bit her lip as she watched his emotions cross his face and felt them dance across his mind. "I know you don't like this."

"That's an understatement." He managed to mutter, before he pursed his lips and looked away from her. His eyes briefly shifted towards the commotion of Miroku helping Kagura with Hiten and then to Sesshoumaru and Takeshi who were picking up men Kagoma had purified. "It's like we're an island," He thought to himself as he overheard Miroku telling Kagura that Hiten could rest in one of the cabins. "And this conversation is a sacred ruin."

"Inuyasha," Kagome's gentle pronunciation of his name brought his eyes back towards her face, and he gulped. "I'm not just your wife or," She inhaled sharply as the words tied her tongue, but she recovered within seconds. "Or the mother of your child."

He looked at her as she spoke, hearing her words so deeply that he lost himself in them.

"I'm," She couldn't help her voice from floundering a little, but the confidence within them was not lost on her husband. "Your equal." She stared right thru him as the dangerous reality left her mouth. "So start treating me like one and trust me—really trust me." Her bright gray eyes shone with her own pride, dancing with the utter belief in herself she felt.

Inuyasha felt his stomach knot even tighter from the thought, but he knew she was right. Kagome O'lionsigh was not just his wife, and he could not control her. "Regardless." He closed his eyes and collected himself for a moment. "Why would I want to?" He ignored his preconceived notions and fought the urge to once more tell his mate what to do, how to think, and act. Instead, he let himself give in to what he knew was right. "Together." He cleared his throat once, before repeating the word. "Together."

She smiled up at him and in a swift moment of affection, pushed herself to her tiptoes and kissed his chin. She felt the instant spark of pleasure he got from the action, and she giggled as she pulled away in time to see his dangerously narrowed eyes. "Don't give me that look." She smirked and the expression turned into a true smile as his own lips twitched, unable to hide his amusement.

"Like you could stop me." He told her haughtily even as she felt him pull her towards his chest. His one free hand wrapped around her in one last hug before he finally let the arm fall away. "What's the plan?" He asked bluntly as he turned to look out across the sea towards the Thunder in the distance.

"You might not like it." She commented offhandedly as she too turned to look out at the vessel. Her free hand reached for his own, catching it with her probing fingertips.

"Why not?" He laced his fingers around her own absent mindedly.

"Because—." She squeezed his hand tightly in an effort to reassure him. "There's only one way to really get to Naraku." She looked sideways, so as to see him as he raised a disgruntled eyebrow.

"Don't tell me—." He started to say but was cut off by a loud roar from up above them.

Both Kagome and Inuyasha looked up in time to see Kilala flying towards her mistress fully prepared to do her bidding. "We need to fly," Kagome whispered to him her eyes firmly planted on Kilala as the neko-mata circled them once before dropping out of the sky. "And Kilala's the best flier I know." The Miko couldn't help but laugh as she let go of her husband's hand and stepped towards the wet neko-mata. "Besides Kagura that is."

"Not the damn cat." Inuyasha groaned and sent the cat a death glare as he followed his wife towards the creature. "You're got to be kidding me."

"I don't kid when it comes to Kilala." Kagome through over her shoulder as she petted the wet fire of the cat demon much to Inuyasha's disgust. "I'll at least let you ride in front."

"Maybe I should ride sidesaddle." Inuyasha fired back sarcastically but approached the cat and his wife anyway; his body language saying one thing and his words saying another. "Then I'd be more lady like." He smirked at her as he jumped up onto the neko-mata who didn't even glance back at him as Kagome scratched under her chin.

"Make sure to watch your skirt," She joked as she moved around the cat and towards the hand he offered her without prompting. "Wouldn't want you to—." She gripped his fingers and allowed him to pull her up and behind himself on the neko-mata. "Show too much leg."

"Of course not." He nodded his head and chuckled slightly as he held his sword out to the side of the cat demon. Behind him, Kagome put one of her hands onto his shoulder, using the leverage to place her feet on either side of his hips. "Are you ready?" He asked her as she pressed herself slightly into his back for balance and held the bow to her side as well.

"Is anybody," Kagome whispered against his hair as the rain drenched them without either carrying. "Ever truly ready for anything?"

Inuyasha inhaled the scent of salt, wet cat, and lilies. It was the oddest combination he could ever recall smelling, and yet it was the most beautiful thing he had ever smelled. "Am I ready for this?" He wondered as he inhaled a little deeper, wanting to smell a little bit more and get just a little closer to the sent underneath the salt and the lilies. It was there, just barely there, but he couldn't deny it. He blinked, only rain washing from his eyes. "Doesn't matter if we're ready or not." He told her over his shoulder, the confidence in his voice nothing compared to the truth of how unconfident he actually felt. "What's meant to be will be, right?" He responded and Kagome felt her heart tighten horribly in her chest. "What else can ya expect out of life?"

She inhaled sharply, not sure what to say as her daughter's words echoed in her head. She had known deep down that Inuyasha had been the original author of those words, but to hear them now, it made her feel absolutely horrified. There was some significance in those words, in this moment, that she couldn't yet glimpse, and that terrified her. "Yes." She replied and she wished her voice didn't sound so unsure. "You can't expect anything else."

The words left her body just as Kilala left the ground. The air rushed passed her ears, and the rain splattered against her skin. There was nothing she could do any longer, what was meant to be would be, and she could expect nothing else out of her life.

End of Chapter

Please Review

A/N: And there is another chapter, another section closer to the end. I can't honestly believe how close I am to finishing this. It seems like forever and a day since I started. In fact, I was just starting my first master's degree when the first chapter of Shikuro came out and now I'm on my second…bizarre. Absolutely bizarre. I hope everyone liked the chapter and that you're ready for the next!

Thanks for all your reviews!

Vita Rubella, VEENA4, HopelessRomantic183, AiydanWarrior, HO0t HO0t, Akantia, kan78, Glon Morski, Lilith-the-fallen, InuRiotGirl

Next Chapter:

Reversal

See you then!

UNEDITED

POSTED

10/12/2015