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?

114. Their Power

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 Thirteen

Their Power

The Thunder rocked violently back and forth, moved by the driving force of the chaotic sea. Standing on the helm's deck, completely unaffected by the constantly up and down and side to side motion of the ship, Naraku stared at the hazy outline of the Shikuro, and its companion vessel in the distance. His dark eyes narrowed, focusing on the image as if he could see through it and into the murky bows hidden deep within the vessel. Despite his efforts, however, the action was impossible, and with a snort, he turned his eyes briefly away from the ship. They flickered upwards towards the lightning his very presence created. The sky was streaked with the constant flashes, and, proud, he smiled.

"Even nature bows to me." He clicked his tongue and turned his attention back to the men who remained on the Thunder, prepared to guard him should anyone come. And Naraku knew, they would come. "The fight should be moving soon." He spoke but whether or not he was addressing the men with him on the helm's deck was hard to tell. "Kagome Dresmont won't stay away for long." He licked his lips and without realizing it, raised a hand towards his chest. He felt a slight twinge run through his heart, the sensation making his eyes narrow. "What was that?"

His blackened fingertips lightly ran along the fabric of shirt, right above his heart, before dropping quickly down to his side. An eerie emotion raced through him, and he bit his lip awkwardly before raising up his eyes to look out across the great expanse of sea. His heart clenched and tugged in his chest, and he snarled as the feeling of something being ripped from him made him seen black.

"Hiten!" He hissed the name just under his breath as his connection to the thunder demon grew weaker and weaker, before fading into nothingness. Panic erupted inside of him instantly, and with desperate conviction, he swept his gaze across the vessels in the distance. "Who?" His mind raced, trying to figure out exactly what had happened even though he was already well aware. "Who?" His teeth cracked as he held his jaw so tightly shut that they caved under the pressure. "Who the hell broke the link!?" He screamed, his voice echoing all around him. Men whom he had forced to stay behind didn't even flinch as the noise ricocheted off the mast.

As if responding to his violent temper, something in the distance suddenly moved, catching his eyes. He stared, panting as the object seemed to jump into the air, dancing on it like Kagura. But he knew that was not the wind enchantress; she would have been white against the blackened backdrop. Perplexed, he narrowed his vision, forcing himself to stare at the quickly moving object as it soared into the sky. Quite unexpectedly, he felt his heart tighten in his chest once more; the space the Shikon jewel occupied bit at him painfully. Wincing, he brought a hand up to cover the dull ache, already knowing exactly what it meant.

"She's coming." He inhaled deeply through his nose as a mixture of anxiety and anticipation jumped up his throat. "It's time." The smile formed slowly across his face as he straightened his body, dropping his hand away from the pain in his chest. "I must greet her properly." He glanced at the men nearest to himself, and then towards the ground, imagining the Captain's Quarters underneath his feet. "Maybe I should pour wine?" He couldn't contain his snicker as he looked back towards the strange flying object again.

It was a little closer this time, and a little bit easier to see. And because of that, Naraku was able to see something that actually worried him. A splash of red; the twinge of light reflecting off a blade. Naraku's eyes widened as he realized that this would not be a romantic meeting of ex-lovers but instead a crowd. His eyes darkened; the mirth that had once been on his face fell. He raised his upper lip, pulling it back like a growling wolf. He felt his heart rip a little in his chest, and without saying a word, he made his way across the helm's deck towards the staircase. His feet barely touched each step as he descended; a singular purpose ran through his mind with each subtle motion of his feet. He hit the quarter deck of the ship and growling low in his throat, turned his back on Inuyasha and Kagome. Facing the cabin door, which had once belonged to Hiten, he paused. His heart jumped in his chest, and he inhaled sharply as he brought his hand up to cover the nervous jewel. A burst of electricity sparked in his palm as it came to lay on top of his heart, but he didn't feel a thing.

"You can both come," Naraku thought to himself as the crackling energy fought to be free. "But only one of you will make it through this door." The smirk formed on his face again as he stared at the door to Hiten's cabin. He brought his hand away from his chest, holding onto the spark that the jewel had created for him. Effortlessly, he raised his hands above his head and the barely contained lightning in his hand ignited before bursting forth into the black, bleak sky.

-break-

Kagome held tightly onto Inuyasha's shoulders with her free hand as the wind rushed through her hair. Tangled ends of the curly tresses slapped against her wind reddened cheeks, but she barely noticed. In the distance, a streak of lightning surfed across the blackened clouds, illuminating them with its deadly, eerie glow. She inhaled sharply, a strange tingling running down her arm that she couldn't quite explain. She tightened her grip on the bow and, squinting, looked over her shoulder. The sail of the Shikuro caught her attention, followed by the ship they had just left. Men were still swarming the decks of both vessels; their bodies encasing the warriors who fought them. She watched as a horde of Naraku's men were thrown backwards, the shinning silver of dog demon hair telling her it was Sesshoumaru who had pushed them back.

Gritting her teeth, she whipped her head around to Inuyasha and spoke hasty into his already titled ear. "I feel bad leaving them like that."

"If we kill Naraku," He replied without looking back at her. He knew if he turned for even one second, he would want to aid them as well. "It won't matter." He felt Kagome's fingers dig into his shoulder, but even the feeling of her grip did nothing to change the direction of his eyes. "If he goes—they'll follow."

Kagome bit her lip in disagreement but didn't say a word further as she turned her attention to the ship in the distance. "Focus." She told herself and gripped the bow just a little tighter. But it seemed impossible to focus in those moments. Her heart hammered in her chest, picking up speed the closer they grew to Naraku's ship.

Trying to distract herself, she glanced down at Inuyasha's sword, watching as the rain hit the blade. It was like a little river; a trickle of water was flowing down the grove in the sword. Knowledge came to the forefront of her mind that she couldn't recall ever knowing before this moment. "A blood grove." She identified the part of the sword designed to collect and direct blood away from the sharp part of the blade. The water collected in that blood grove; a stark contrast from the blood that should have been there. She watched as it ran the length of the blade before descending upon the sharpened tip where it gathered as if waiting for something imminent.

Dip—

She inhaled sharply as the omen ran through her body. "Death," She closed her eyes against the thought before shaking her head quickly to be rid of them. "I can't think like that." She told herself, but her own words felt nothing more than false in her head. Without realizing it, her grip tightened on Inuyasha's shoulder distracting her husband enough that he dared to glance at her.

Starburst eyes stared at her anxious face. He watched her crinkled brow grow more and more lines from worry. He wanted to see her eyes, to know the true depth of her worry, but squeezed shut as they were, he could not see a thing. "Kagome?" He mumbled her name, wanting her to open them.

Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of his voice. For a moment, the rain obstructed her vision, keeping her from seeing him. The blurs focused within seconds, however, and she frowned darkly. "I don't like it."

"We can't." He reiterated just as a crack of thunder made both of them jump and turn hastily back towards the Thunder in the distance. The remnants of the lighting strike illuminated their faces as they stared down at the quickly approaching vessel. With a bright flash, another one followed, and shortly after it, a giant crack of thunder. The menacing rumble went straight through them, and much to their further shock, Kilala stopped dead in the air.

The neko-mata snarled loudly and turned so quickly that both Inuyasha and Kagome nearly lost their balance. "Kilala!" Kagome gasped as she held on fast to her husband; the sudden change in motion, combined with early pregnancy, had made her unbelievably dizzy.

The cat demon, unhindered by her mistress, growled low in her throat.

"Damn cat," Inuyasha, ironically, hissed as he glanced behind himself at Kagome who was holding her head. "Are you okay?"

"Dandy." Kagome grunted as the wave of dizziness finally left her. "Why did she stop like that?" She grumbled and lowered her hand from her head.

"Hell if I know." Inuyasha snorted as he craned his neck backwards to look at her, his expression worried as he studied her. "Are you sure you're fine?" He reached with his right hand over his left shoulder, his body twisting at an impossible angle. "You don't look fine."

"But I am." Kagome rubbed her temple one more time before forcing herself to drop her hand away from her eyes. "See." She blinked up at him and smiled half-heartedly, even as her head spun a little. "Fine."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her appearing not convinced in the least. "Sure." He shook his head and turned away from her to look back towards Naraku's current position. Giant lightning strikes cascaded down from the darkened clouds, hitting the ocean in bright burst of flickering light, followed shortly thereafter by booming thunder. "What the hell is going on over there?" He wondered out loud, but his words didn't reach Kagome at all.

Sitting behind him on the thunder demon, Kagome blinked once more. She felt a strange urge run down her spine compelling her to turn to her left, even as Inuyasha looked right. Not understanding completely why, she turned her head in the direction her body was willing her to shift and promptly froze. Her mouth dropped opened as she took in a sight she had not expected to see at all. "Inu—." She couldn't get out his full name, but it didn't matter. A single chime of her voice would have been more than enough to turn him.

"Huh?" Inuyasha turned his head away from the sight of countless lightning strikes and just like his wife, froze, "No," was all he managed to say.

Every man who had been swarming the Shikuro and the Nippon vessel were now abandoning their post. Like a million rats evacuating a sinking vessel, they fell off the sides in hordes. Their bodies plummeted into the turbulent water below them. Briefly, they disappeared underneath the massive waves only to resurrect themselves from the false grave, soaking wet and yet unaffected. Just as before, they stood on the waves as they crashed upwards and rocketed downwards. Yet, they remained oddly stable as they waited for the rest of their brothers, fully prepared to move at any moment. Finally, after waiting for enough of their own kind to collect around the vessels, they began to move like a school of fish, heading straight towards the flabbergasted Kagome and Inuyasha. They were a massive army of sea-walking, brainwashed monsters, running along the waves, all headed back towards Naraku on the Thunder, as if the lightning strikes had commanded them to do so.

Kagome felt her head move back and forth, but for the life of her, she couldn't explain why. "They're coming towards us." She spoke so quickly that Inuyasha didn't really understand her words, but he didn't need to understand them; the tone of her voice spoke volumes.

"Shit." He cursed and snapped his neck around to look briefly at the Thunder before whipping it back towards Naraku's men. "Damn it!"

"Why—," Kagome grabbed his shoulder firmly once more as the rain began to come down harder. The closer the men grew to them, the harder it rained. "Why are they coming back?"

Inuyasha glanced at her briefly, turned back to look at the Thunder once more, cursed silently under his breath, and then looked towards the men who were rapidly approaching. "He's calling them," He told her with brutal honesty. "He's gotta know we're coming."

Kagome's eyes widened in realization, and she gasped slightly as the horrible feeling of Naraku's plan ate at her stomach. "He's bringing them back to protect himself?"

"Exactly." The word wasn't a curse, but Inuyasha said it as if it was.

Panic welled up in Kagome's mind and she quickly looked down at the hastily approaching men. "What do we do?" She shook his shoulder a bit as she spoke, her eyes flickering between him and the men on the waves. "If they cover him, I won't be able to get a good shot in with the bow!"

The dog demon Captain clicked his tongue as his brain quickly began plotting, ideas forming in his head faster than he could even process them. "We need to get closer," He told her hastily as his hand on the sword twitched anxiously. "Once we're close enough—then—damn—we'll figure it out then." He looked out towards the Thunder. From this distance and with his limited information, he simply couldn't formulate a plan. "As it stands now, I got no idea what to do."

Kagome bit the inside of her cheek at the uncertainty of his plan, but she couldn't think of anything remotely better. The fact was, without any knowledge of what waited for them on the Thunder, there was not much they could deliberately plan beforehand. "Sounds like our best option."

Inuyasha licked his lips and looked down. The men were already underneath them. "Damn they're fast," He spoke even as he moved himself, grabbing for Kilala's mane so as to tug on it. The neko-mata, who had stayed frozen long enough for her mistress to understand her own concern, growled but obeyed. Within seconds her body turned in mid-air and started towards the ship again, moving faster than she had before. "Could you hit a few from here—while we're going?" Inuyasha called over his shoulder as he lowered his center of gravity, hoping to create less wind resistance, so the neko-mata would fly faster.

"I can," Kagome followed suit, lowering her body down so Kilala could fly faster. Despite the noble effort of both her and her husband, however, it didn't seem to make a difference. "But—they might drown here—there's no ship."

"Alright." Inuyasha drew out the word even as he realized the men below them were already over taking them; they were far faster than even Kilala in their present state. "Get the ones still close to Shikuro and the other ship." He called back to her. "They'll pull them out of the water."

"Right!" Kagome agreed and with no fear whatsoever in her body, used the hand on Inuyasha's shoulder to push herself to her feet. Both Inuyasha and Kilala nearly roared in protest, but before they could even say a word, Kagome smirked. "Don't you trust me?" She asked even as she turned around, her feet pivoting against Kilala's fur as she reached deep inside herself for energy. Within seconds, she pulled it from her stomach and threw it into her feet. The energy locked onto Kilala's body like an anchor, and perfectly steady, Kagome brought the bow up to her face.

"I'd say don't fall, but I doubt you will." Inuyasha called over his shoulder even as his stomach twisted with paranoia.

"Keep your eyes on Naraku," Kagome commanded him even as an arrow formed in her fingers and a smirk formed on her face. "I'll take care of this."

"Not a doubt in my mind."

Kagome snorted as her eyes landed on a target (better yet a group of targets) some thousand feet away. "Liar." She muttered; the sound of her voice playful, and the confidence underneath it extraordinary. She pulled her hand back on the string she had created from pure energy, and with a deep breath, she let go. The arrow flew through the arrow, but Kagome didn't watch it fly. Instead, she pulled her hand back again, the arrow forming as she moved.

-break-

The Shikuro shook as the wind picked up around the vessel, ripping at the already tattered and blackened sails. Men ran left and right attempting to gain control of the ship even as they stole glances at the sea, watching as Naraku's possessed men took to the waves once more. For the life of them, they couldn't understand why the men had suddenly retreated, but they were not going to question the move; they had far more to worry about. The sound of tearing fabric and cracking boards alerted them to a more disconcerting problem. After all, if the ship was torn apart by the storm, they would all drown. And that was far more important than the danger that was receding.

Still, even as the men ran around the deck, shouting at each other to grab a rope or catch a sail, Paedar was looking outwards at the sea. He could feel in his stomach an odd shifting that made him surprisingly nauseous, but he knew it had nothing to do with the way the ship was lurching from side to side before plummeting downwards. "Why are they pulling back?" He gritted his teeth, ignoring the disgusting feeling of rain matting his hair to his face. He nearly snarled as the alarming sensation in his gut made his whole body feel heavy. "This isn't good." He muttered under his breath before swinging himself around to look up at the helm. "What are they doing?" He found himself yelling, his voice harsh above the roaring storm as he looked out across the ocean.

"Retreating!" Eion responded within seconds from his position next to Sango at the helm. Together, the two were holding onto the shaking wheel, keeping it in place as the sea and wind all around them yanked and pulled at the Shikuro.

Paedar resisted the urge to curse at his younger brother as he held onto the railing. "I know that!" He screamed over the sound of the wind and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Why?"

It wasn't Eion who replied to the question, instead Aengus (at that very moment) landed beside him, having dropped down from the top mast where he had been conducting minor repairs to the fire damaged sails. The slightly younger man was drenched from head to toe and looked as if he had fallen over board, but Paedar knew he had not. The rain was all it took to make one look as if they had been momentarily swallowed by the waves. "Look up." The man spoke hastily as he brought up his hand pointing into the darkness. "It's 'ur pups; it is."

Paedar followed the clawed finger that seemed to be pointing at absolutely nothing. The rain blurred his vision and pushed his matted bangs into his eyes. Growling slightly to himself, he used the back of his hand to push his bangs out of his way before creating a visor with his fingers, so he could look passed the rain. Way in the distance, so far away that human eyes would not have been able to see it without a spyglass, was a speck of white hung against the clouds. "That's—?" He lowered his hand as his voice trailed off.

"Kilala." Aengus finished for him as he reached out and grabbed Paedar's elbow, turning the man towards them. "They're going after 'em."

"Naraku." Paedar supplied the name as he dropped his chin downwards in thought. "The men are going on back to ta ship." Simultaneously, the two men turned and looked at one another. Both of them were silent, communicating only with their eyes for several seconds. "Naraku's going to use them."

"A living shield." Aengus confirmed, and before he could say a single word more, Paedar turned and shouted up at Eion and Sango again.

"Set course to the Thunder!" His voice carried above the den of the storm and met not even one argument or bit of resistance in return.

-break-

Sesshoumaru lowered his sword as the last of the men left the vessel, disappearing over the side before reappearing amongst the ever rising waves. One of his eyebrows raised ever so slightly in confusion, but he didn't voice his concern as he dragged his eyes upwards across the sky looking for Kagome and his brother. He caught sight of them easily with his demonic vision and narrowed his eyes. They were hovering strangely high up in the air, but he couldn't see them well enough to discern as to why. The sight of his son appearing beside him made him drop his gaze momentarily in favor of studying his son's tired face.

The young boy was in pretty good shape considering he had just completed his first big battle. He had a slight gash above his left eyebrow, and his chin was scrapped as if he had fallen to the ground, but his demon blood would take care of both easily given enough time. His clothes were in remarkably good shape, a few cuts here and there but nothing all too horrible. A small pang of pride lit up in his stomach, but the demon forced it down deliberately. There would be time for pride later, for now there was a mission. "Takeshi."

The boy didn't even flinch at the sound of his name as he looked out across the water; his expression was completely baffled as he watched the seemingly dead men flee from sight in the rain. "Why are they leaving?" He looked over at his father and blinked making himself appear far younger than even he actually was. "Chichiue?"

"Strategy." Sesshoumaru spoke cryptically as he followed Takeshi's line of sight until he could see the backs of the retreating men. Carefully, and with all the dignity that always seemed to follow his movements, he tilted his chin up again. He could still see Inuyasha and Kagome sitting stagnate on Kilala. It didn't take him but five seconds to realize, this time, that they were watching as well.

"Chichiue?" Takeshi tried again as he stared at his father's unmoving form slightly annoyed. "What's going on?"

Sesshoumaru didn't bother replying to his son as he dropped his chin back down and turned on his heel. Within seconds, he crossed the short distance between Takeshi and himself and grabbed his son by the back of his collar as he bent his knees prepared to jump. Takeshi made a horrific choking noise as his father pushed off the ground and went into the air, but the dog demon lord didn't bother to stop (he knew he wasn't hurting the boy anyway). Effortlessly, he landed on the helm's deck of the small vessel and, rather unceremoniously, dropped his son to the ground.

"You didn't have to drop me!" Takeshi whined as he sat up and rubbed his back absently where it had hit the hard wood of the deck. "Could have just told me to jump too." He added, even though he knew it was worthless to mention.

With barely a flicker of recognition towards his son, Sesshoumaru turned towards the reason for their sudden move. Standing at the helm looking relatively confused, Miroku gapped at his technical uncle but didn't say a word. Glad for the lack of interruption, Sessouhmaru tilted his chin towards the sea. "He's calling them back."

Miroku wanted to say something exceedingly crude in response to Sesshoumaru's obvious observation but he resisted. "So, what do we do?"

"Change course." Sesshoumaru told him bluntly. "And head towards the Thunder."

"Didn't need you to know that." Miroku grumbled internally but, once more, thought better not to say the words out loud. Instead, he merely changed their heading by rotating the wheel hand over hand.

"Why is he calling them back?" Takeshi asked as he finally picked himself up off the ground; the incident with his father seemed forgotten.

Sesshoumaeu glanced at his pup and responded with not an answer but a question. "When the enemy invades your country, where do you send your men?"

Takeshi furrowed his eyebrows momentarily as he dissected his father's words. "It depends." He crossed his arms over his chest in thought; Miroku didn't miss the similarity to his own father in the gesture. "If my battle is easily won, I send them to the source of the invasion."

"And if it is not?" Sesshoumaru pressed his son and, surprisingly, looked towards Miroku, but the younger man could not quite discern why.

"I pull my men back to the capital until I am strong enough to wage my battle." Takeshi blinked suddenly as he finally caught on to his father's implication. "He thinks he's weak." He quickly turned to his father looking for clarification. "Naraku feels threatened by Ojii-san and Obaa-san."

"Exactly." Sesshoumaru confirmed, his eyes still focused on the slightly unnerved Miroku, but that soon changed.

The sound of feet hitting the short staircase leading to the helm's deck surprised them. Collectively, they turned towards the sound in time to see Kagura's shoulders appear and hear he chastise an unknown figure behind her. "Go to bed!" She demanded and the voice of Hiten filled the air.

"I go where you go," Hiten spoke only loud enough for the demons to hear. "Deal with it."

Kagura huffed but otherwise did not reply as she came to stand on the helm's deck. "Why change course?" She asked hastily even as her mismatched eyes scanned the area behind them.

"Naraku's pulling his men back." Miroku told her as he quickly looked Hiten over. The man was looking better, but his momentary possession had left an obvious mark on his body. He still was not standing up entirely straight, and his eyes looked very tired with dark circles under them.

"Why?" Kagura questioned, her attention turning almost awkwardly to

Takeshi, unsurprisingly, looked between his father and Kagura with much interest. Neither adult seemed to notice the teenager's curiosity, however.

"Fear." Sesshoumaru answered her bluntly before breaking eye contact quickly. A strange flash had consumed the air, bright and white with a slight pink trail.

"Lightning?" Takeshi whispered, but all the adults around him knew the truth of that silent streak.

"Kagome." Miroku was the one to point out the obvious truth, and, sure enough, when they followed the trail of the strike, Kagome stood at its end; her bow was already pulled back to her face once more.

Kagura's eyes widened as she took in the sight. Amazingly, she was the first to realize exactly what Kagome was up to. Without saying a word, she pulled her feather from her hair and flung it onto the deck. It enlarged instantly, and the wind demon jumped gracefully onto the visually delicate petals that easily supported her weight.

"Kagura!" Four male voices called her name but she only responded to one.

"If Kagura don't get them," She looked towards her mate with a devious smirk. "Then who will?"

"They're my crew." Hiten responded immediately as he too jumped onto the feather, landing on it before she could respond. "And you're my mate." He grabbed onto her waist, wrapping himself around her so she couldn't shake him off. "And neither of you can get rid of me."

She rolled her eyes but didn't fight him as she summoned her powers and pushed them into the air. Left standing on the deck Sesshoumaru, Takeshi, and Miroku watched as the two demons disappeared into the distance without so much at a backwards glance.

"Well" Miroku spoke into the silent. "I guess we follow." He turned and looked at Sesshoumaru only to find, much to his own shock, the strangest look he had ever seen on the man's face.

His eyes, which were normally hard and unnaturally focused, were soft. The gold of them seemed more pale than normal as if it had lightened to reflect a portion of himself that was generally well contained. And, even odder still, his lips were curled upwards on both sides; a true smile was on his face. Blinking with complete bafflement, Miroku managed a sideways glance at Takeshi only to find the boy just as perplexed.

"Um—," He cleared his throat not knowing what else to do; the sound seemed to do its job, however, when Sesshoumaru straightened and the smile collapsed. "Tame the rigging!" He yelled at the men below even as he turned the helm hand over hand redirecting them completely.

-break-

Kilala flew with ease towards the Thunder; the wind and the rain not bothering her the way they bothered the delicate sails of a ship. Still, despite her easy movements, dread was building in Kagome and Inuyasha both. Even though Kilala was an incredibly fast moving Neko-mata, Naraku's enchanted men were faster. They practically glided on the waves, slipping up and down them at a speed that seemed impossible.

Staring down her arm ignoring this dangerous fact, Kagome inhaled as she took in her target, a group of men not too far from the side of the Shikuro. Perfectly balanced and tall, Kagome exhaled at the same time she allowed the arrow to fly from her grip. It sang as it pulled away from her, moving faster than the men below but not by much. She didn't bother to track the arrow as another one formed in her hand. Her eyes scanned for an obvious target, but the men were getting farther and farther away from the vessels now. "If I hit them this far—they'll probably die." She lowered her bow but didn't let the arrow dissolve just yet.

"They reached the deck of the Thunder." Inuyasha observed from in front of her and she paused.

"So soon?" She bit her lip but didn't look behind herself as she caught sight of a few possible targets that were just a few hundred feet away from the Nippon ship. She raised the bow back up and inhaled once more patiently as she took aim. Her exhale came quickly and the arrow flew away from her body. Once more, she didn't bother to watch it but not because she wanted to find another target. Instead, she dropped the bow completely and twisted her neck to look at the threat behind them. "Dear lord." She whispered as she turned completely, dropping her hands to Inuyasha's shoulders.

"Exactly." Her husband agreed as they both took in the sight.

Every man, with the exception of those Kagome had taken control of, were swarming the decks of the Thunder. They were grabbing for ropes, pulling themselves up the wooden sides, jumping out of the water, and seeming to fly as they all took up residence on the deck of the tall ship.

"There still has to be—," Kagome paused as she tried to accurately assess the amount of men on the deck. "Seventy—eighty men?"

"They're nothing." Inuyasha quickly reminded her as he scanned the deck looking for their real target desperately. "Find Naraku—see if you can hit him now!"

"Where could he be?" Kagome wondered out loud, but found her question answered within moments.

Inuyasha didn't respond as the cat demon began her descent, carefully weaving her way downwards. Attempting to contain an anxious curse, he quickly grabbed Kilala's fur, encouraging her to stop and hover above the sails of the Thunder. "He's not on deck."

"But—," The feeling of dread that was slowly consuming her, doubled in her stomach. "If he's not on deck then—."

Inuyasha quickly ran his eyes over every man that had come aboard the ship, studying their movements carefully. They were all lining up in front of a small cabin door located just under the helm's deck. Row after row of men were guarding the door, surrounding it as their blank eyes looked out at nothing. "He's gotta be in a cabin, shit!" Inuyasha didn't bother to contain the curse as he scanned the deck carefully one last time.

"I can't hit him behind a wall." Kagome spoke hastily, realizing that their plan was going to have to be altered. "We need to get passed them—get inside."

"I know!" Inuyasha threw back at her, his voice actually shaking a little bit as he realized what that meant. "She's going to have to go on deck—she's going to go on deck—," He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as his stomach knotted. "Damn it—damn it—damn it!" He ripped his eyes back opened and swallowed the curses before they could leave his throat. "Okay—new plan."

"All ears."

"I'm going down first." He spoke with blunt order in his tone as he purposely kept his eyes from his wife, not wanting her to defy his words. "And I'm taking out as many as I can—," He side glanced towards her face, and much to his surprise, he noticed that she didn't look defiant at all. "I'll carve a path to Naraku." He turned a little more, daring to look her in the eye. "The second you see that door—you follow." He turned back to the ship briefly watching as more and more men polled in front of the door. "I'll be right behind you."

Kagome looked towards the door as well. She couldn't believe how many men were standing there, and it seemed like all of them were patiently waiting for their arrival. "Okay." She managed to say confidently as she pushed herself up a little straighter,

"Hit some while you're up here." He licked his lips hesitantly, glanced at her, and then quickly looked away so as to take in the men down below again. "Help me clear."

"I was planning on it." She tried to sound cheeky, but she found her heart wasn't really into the snaky gesture.

In response, Inuyasha tried to smile and laugh slightly, but he found his heart wasn't in the mood either. "The second you see—."

"The door," Kagome cut him off smiling at him tightly as he repeated the earlier direction. "Take it."

"Yeah." He looked like he wanted to add something to the end of his sentence, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Instead, he twisted his body around and very briefly rested his forehead against her own. "Be careful."

She closed her eyes and carefully butted heads with him before pulling away. "Sounds like that should be my line." She told him, the confident snarkiness in her voice false, but he didn't seem to realize.

"Both—," he told her as he pushed himself up on Kilala, standing on her back just as Kagome had. Briefly, his eyes swept over the distance towards their ships. He frowned only briefly as he caught sight of Kagura's feather as she swooped down into the sea to collect the men Kagome had purified. "Kagura's on her feather." He said absently, but Kagome didn't turn around to look.

"Good." She mumbled only briefly as she nodded towards the deck below. "Let's get this over with."

He looked down at her, nodded once, and without another word jumped off Kilala's back like a diver into the sea. His body fell downwards head first; the sword held tightly in his hands dangled behind him. He caught the rigging with the blade of the sword as he fell, ripping them as he plummeted downwards. Moments before he would have crashed into the ballast of a mast, he flipped his body around, landing on his feet. Knees bending, he pushed himself off the ballast, flipping in midair as he fell another ten feet towards the next one. Once more, he gracefully twisted his body around and managed to land feet first before he bent his knees and pushed off again. This time, however, he didn't shift his body weight end over end in the air. Instead, he forced himself to fall head downwards the way he had started initially.

Golden, starburst eyes focused on the men below him; the swarm he was about to enter. It seemed like there were millions of them as his eyes swept over the multitude of heads lining the deck. "Just," He coached himself as his arrival on the ground became more and more imminent. "Swing." He flipped himself feet downwards not seconds later; his feet hitting the deck right in the middle of the blank eyed demons.

As if awakened from a dream, they simultaneously turned on him like hornets from an upturned nest. With the sword held tightly in his hands, Inuyasha pulled his energy upwards into the blade and swung. It burst forth from the dangerous edge, hot and white, flooding the deck with bright energy that hit two demons directly in the stomach. He didn't bother to watch their mouths foam as he pressed on knowing he had to take them out as quickly as possible. He brought the blade up to his head before ripping it downwards in an arching motion. Three more men collapsed on the surface of the deck; their bodies convulsed as Inuyasha felt hands on his back. Controlled fingers from what felt like twenty hands, barely managed to grip the fabric of his hamaka before he turned on his heel. The sword followed him turning sideways as it went. It cut through the air as the glow took it over once more, prepared to rupture. A bright, swinging flash hit the men that were grabbing him right in their sides. The energy tore through their bodies, but by the magic of the sword alone, their flesh remained unharmed. Still, the sheer force of the blow threw them backwards away from Inuyasha. They crashed into a group of ten approaching bodies; the lot of them fell to the ground in a heap, one on top of the other.

Not having enough time to think, let alone watch them struggle to stand, Inuyasha whipped his body around. Men were rushing at him from every angle: left and right, front and behind. Not deterred in the least, he proceeded straight in front of him towards the men who blocked the door leading to Naraku. Unwelcomed hands grabbed onto his shoulders before he could raise the sword above his head. He tightened his grip on the sword, preparing to turn and attack the phantom hands, but the tearing and piercing stab of a knife against his side made him freeze. He gasped against the cold metal but didn't say another word as he raised his elbow to hit the man directly in the face. Blood splattered everywhere as he sent the man flopping backwards with a shattered nose. His side stung; the wound was shallow, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Still the distraction had been just enough to turn his mind away from another man who was dangerously close to his person.

He just managed to look up and see the man's dead eyes inches from his own, when an arrow literally grazed his cheek. He watched as it hit the oncoming assailant dead in the chest sending him falling backwards. "Thanks!" He yelled as his mind refocused. He didn't know where she was, but he knew she had his back.

Arrows joined the fray now as well, and as he exerted his energy with scary accuracy, her arrows followed. Men fell around him in waves; five or ten losing the fight as Kagome's far more powerful energy found them. Thankful for the help, Inuyasha moved even faster knowing that she was there, and that she needed him as much as he needed her. Sword against his hip, he spun on the spot before throwing the blade upwards. Energy swept outwards hitting three or four men who crumbled in a heap of foaming mouths and painful screams as Inuyasha turned towards the next batch. Little by little, man by man, arrow by arrow, strike by strike, Naraku's men fell until only a few dozen remained, all swarming Inuyasha who wasn't even close to the door any longer.

Positioned up ten or fifteen feet above the helm (the only place she had found where she had a good shot) Kagome's eyes widened; she knew this was her greatest and, perhaps only, chance, "Now!" She screamed internally as she flung herself off the safety of Kilala's back.

Her hair caught in the wind as she fell, yanking almost painfully. Kagome hit the deck of the thunder hard enough that she was sure she had rocked the ship and not the waves below. Not wasting any time, she darted along the short helm deck. Behind her, she heard Kilala's dull protest, but she didn't have time to comfort the Neko-Mata. Running at a speed that would have impressed the average demon, she hit the stairs; taking them so quickly, she nearly tripped. Her hand reached out, grabbing the bottom of the banister, so she could swing herself around to face the door without stopping. Her feet nearly slid out from under her, but her grip on the solid wood kept her upright as the door, at last, came into her sights.

A scream over her shoulder alerted her to Inuyasha, but she didn't look at him even as his voice echoed above the sounds of anguish and thunder.

"Hurry!" He yelled anyway, and without a single moment's hesitation, Kagome darted forward.

She pushed herself, jumping over the body of a fallen men who was not quite dead and seeming happy to find himself finally alive. She stopped dead in her tracks as one man appeared out of nowhere and raised his hand towards her face. Her arms didn't hesitate as they lifted up. Energy formed in the palm of her hand, and before the lifeless eyes could even wince, she sent a wave of energy into his stomach. Instantly, recognition built on his face as he inhaled air as if he had never breathed in his life and fell backwards. Not bothering to check on the man, she jumped over his fallen body just in time to see an arm swinging for her face. She ducked by instinct and instinct alone, energy forming in her free hand as she raised up and caught him right on the face. She felt his lips as they opened in a silent scream, the grossness of the sensation making her push him away. He fell sideways from the force of her disgusted motion; his body hit the two other men, taking them down with his dead weight.

"Get to the door—," Inuyasha's voice filled her as did the sound of a swinging sword cutting through rain. "I've got them!"

She continued on knowing he was right behind her protecting her as he always had. She skidded to a halt in front of the door, not registering that the twenty feet it had taken to get there felt more like a league. The door handle seemed to reach out of the door beckoning her to grab it, and knowing she couldn't hesitate, she reached for it's cool surface. She felt as if she had touched ice as her hand came in contact with the handle, but it did not deter her in the least. She pushed the handle down, her heart jumped into her throat, and the hot air from the room made her skin raise with bumps as she took in its unrelenting darkness.

Gulping down fear, the knowledge that Inuyasha would be right behind her fueling her motions, she rushed into the room, moving so quickly through the door that she didn't have time to stop it as it flew shut behind her.

She froze as the sound of the door slamming and the lock magically clicking into place made her heart stop. She didn't have time to turn in panic, however. The sound of nothingness made her immobilized, unable to move from her routed spot. She couldn't hear anything, the screams from outside, the wind screeching, the lightning crackling, everything was perfectly silent. A dead chill ran down her spine as one sound finally entered her awareness: breathing. She could hear breathing, soft and slow, deliberate and peculiar.

"Welcome."

The deep, menacing voice filled her with dread as her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness of the room.

"I've been waiting."

She wanted to tell him how cliché he sounded in that moment, but a lump in her throat stopped her. "Naraku."

"Yes—," He stepped out of the shadow, into the light of a flickering candle. "That is my name and you—." He hesitated, taking a moment to look her over. She watched as his eyes dipped down her body, studying every little curve and detailed in a way that made her skin crawl. "Are Kagome—Dresmont."

"O'lionsigh." She corrected without thinking, her voice cracking just a bit.

"O'lionsigh?" He tilted his head to the side and smirked at her. "Isn't that—your dear Captain's name?"

"And mine." She tried to keep her voice steady; it seemed far easier to do so than she thought it would be.

"Marriage?" He took another step forward; the darkness of his eyes making her wince. "How funny—but you see—I thought," He crept towards her, moving so smoothly that he seemed to glide and not walk. "You were supposed to marry me."

Kagome narrowed her eyes as she looked the figure before her up and down. He certainly looked like the Naraku of her childhood. He was tall and lanky still; his arms too long to fit his body. His hair was the same greasy shade of black, curly and kinky. His skin was the same odd tan, and his expression was as vacant as ever. Still, despite all of this, Kagome felt a nagging voice in the back of her head whispering a delicate truth. "This isn't Naraku Morgan." She thought just to herself, even though she knew it was true.

"Oh dear one," He clicked his tongue; the sound was desperately loud in the unnatural silence. "I must say," He took a tiny step closer to her, and the flickering candle mimicked her nervousness by dancing angrily behind them. "I feel jealous."

"You're—," She stopped herself as she looked into those deadened eyes. "You're not really Naraku."

"You called me Naraku." He flickered his wrist towards the door revealing blackened claws. "When you entered."

"I was wrong." Kagome quickly covered up her earlier mistake, forcing herself to stand a little taller as she did so.

"At least you can admit it." He spoke flatly and opened up his eyes to her. Dark, black orbs examined her; the pupils were lost to the unrelenting gloom of the irises themselves.

Kagome stared into those dark eyes wondering for a moment if they really had looked innocent like she thought they had. "This ends here and now."

"I agree." Naraku took another step forward as lightning exploded across the window behind his head. Oddly, the sound of thunder never followed, confirming that this room, in this moment, was cut off from the outside world. "I've been meaning to get rid of you Mrs. O'lionsigh for—years."

Without her consent, Kagome took a step back.

"Are you scared?" He opened his lips, and his eyes sparked with an ironic sort of mirth.

"Not for a second." Kagome thought to herself before grimacing with the knowledge that she should have said the words out loud.

Naraku smirked anyway, as if he had heard her thoughts and found them delightfully amusing. "You look terrified."

"You wish!" Kagome spoke with all the confidence in her body as she raised up her weapon. The string of the bow formed within seconds; an arrow followed only seconds later.

Seeming to materialize more than actually move, Naraku suddenly was standing directly in front of her. Kagome felt her heart jump into her throat as he grabbed for the bow before she could even jump from the sight of him. She felt it as he ripped it from her hands, the wood cracking underneath the force of his grip. She could smell the stench of his breath, coated with red wine and something far worse, and she could feel the gross press of his body heat against her. But she couldn't look down as the loud sickening, horrible sound of wood shattering filled the near silent air. She actually felt his lips form a deadly smirk as he stepped away from her holding the bow out just in front of him. He had crushed it easily in his grip.

Her mouth fell opened as she watched him nonchalantly throw the bow out to their side. It fell haphazardly to the floor, two halves laying in a nonexistent grave. She stared at the remnants of her bow lying in pieces on the floor. Her knees buckled, and her heart stopped beating from its place in her throat. She fell to the ground, her hands reaching for the weapon desperately even though she knew her actions were meaningless. Before she could even lay a hand on the remnants, however, the demon who had destroyed her only hope of surviving made his move. She felt the hands grabbed for the material at her throat, and her eyes widened as she realized her grave mistake.

Naraku yanked her to her feet, slamming her body against the door as he held her by the throat. "Now," He pressed down on her windpipe; his body moving closer and closer to her as he added more pressure. "What are you going to do?" He whispered as she opened her mouth in a silent scream. "Without that bow—," He laughed slightly, the pressure on her throat intensifying, making her head spin from the lack of oxygen. "If you purify me, you'll die—that's how you witches work, isn't it?" He spat in her face as he screamed the last words down at her prone form. "Death—Mrs. O'lionsigh," He practically spat the name as he said it. "—you can't escape that fate."

Kagome felt the words as if they were a blow to her face. She tried to inhale, but Naraku's hand on her throat kept her from taking even the tiniest breath. She forced one eye to open, but the sight of Naraku's face made her close it once again. Deep in the back of her mind, she realized, she didn't want his face to be the last thing she saw while alive. White spots began to fill her blackened vision; a strange euphoria haunted her brain. It was bizarre, but she began to see things against the back of her eyelids that she couldn't quite explain.

She saw the blood grove on Inuyasha's sword, the man in the painting climbing the mountain, Sango covered in blood as she held her newborn children, Izayoi's depressed smile as she showed her how to kill, the top of Inuyasha's head as he bowed at their wedding, Kohaku as he poisoned Sango's rapist, Kouga's lips forming the word meticcio for the first time, her mother's eyes filled with tears as she said her last goodbye, Aengus as he called towards her you're stronger than you think, Naraku as he revealed her father's death, Adahay as she removed his hate, Jineji as he collected herbs for people who would sooner kill him, Kaede with her wise and dishonest eyes, Manten as he disintegrated underneath her hand, Inuyasha as he marked her for a life she would never want to leave, and then—

Her reflection in a mirror.

Long hair, well passed her shoulders greeted her vision. It was curly as it cascaded down her back. She stared at it, a haunting silence filling her ears. She watched as her hands moved without her consent. She watched as they took hold of her father's razor, bringing it up towards her face. She watched as her free hand grasped a bundle of soft curls. She watched as the mirror-self made eye contact with the watching-self; her hand still poised and ready to cut those locks.

"This moment." She stared at herself, trapped in that precious second of time. "This started it—the path that brought me here." She realized as time floated around her, mocking her as it paused, giving her just a moment to truly see her life. "Everything I've done—every action—brought me here." She looked into her own gray eyes no longer realizing that this was nothing more than an oxygen deprived fantasy. "I was always going towards this moment." She closed her eyes against the sight of her hands hovering over her hair, preparing to chop it off. "Fate—." The word tasted like a lie, but she allowed it to touch her tongue anyway. "Fate brought me here." She didn't realize she had spoken out loud until she heard Naraku's voice.

"Fate?"

She felt the hands around her neck loosen, and she managed to open her eyes but only for a second. She saw the faint outline of something tangible, and then it fell away. Within seconds, she found herself back in her oxygen deprived fantasy, but she was no longer alone. She froze as she made eye contact with someone also gazing in the mirror, standing just behind her. Black braids framed her face, and silver strands curled around her ears as her grey eyes looked back into their mirror image.

"You were always coming here, Okaa-san." She spoke so gently and regretfully that Kagome actually heard the tears in her eyes. "Fate knew—it knew you could see."

Kagome watched as the image in the mirror flashed, a little boy taking center stage. His hair was curly like hers and dark; his eyes sparkled with youth and innocence that soon decayed into a bleakness that had never touched her own life. "Naraku." The name sounded distant, as if it should have faded from memory a long, long time ago, but alas, it never had.

"Fate knew you could see people." Her daughter whispered, and the sound tickled her ear as the image replaced Naraku in the mirror. "And—."

"It knew I would fight for them." She whispered and something deep inside of her began to cry. "It knew—better than anyone." She sniffled and for a briefest of moments, she hated the life she had lived. For the briefest of moments, she thought about how unfair it all was. "Fate gave me everything and then—."

She didn't bother to finish he thought. Instead, she shut it completely out of her mind and focused on her daughter's eyes. They were so strong, brilliant, and brave. They were everything she wanted to be and more. They were the eyes of a woman who had known discrimination and fought against it tooth and nail. They were the eyes of a woman who had known hardship but had also had help getting through it. But most of all, they were the eyes of a woman who was loved and knew it.

"You would have been an amazing daughter." She thought knowing that the face watching her would hear.

"You were an amazing mother." The girl's voice was sharp and crisp, a dangerous smirk on her ironically pink lips.

Kagome smiled; she opened her eyes to reality. Naraku was staring at her livid, but underneath the anger, Kagome could see fear, and even deeper still, she saw the boy who produced it. She felt her mouth open and words form that meant more than anything else in the world. "I see you."

"What the fuck are you talking about!?" Naraku screamed, the sound of his anger nothing compared to the vision Kagome could see.

"Oh Naraku," She inhaled, air flowing into her lungs from his momentarily loosened grip. Her vision cleared, and the power in her stomach twisted and turned waiting to be released. Her hair began to dance about her head, and a soft, white glow crowned her. His hand abandoned her neck as panic filled his dark eyes, changing the evil within them to something pathetic. "I see you—so clearly."

"If you do it," He snarled even as he scrambled backwards away from her, self-preservation moving him. "If you purify me—!"

She closed her eyes as her heart was filled by a love she couldn't comprehend. "Fate chose you," Her daughter's voice filled her, and she knew exactly what she had to do. "Because it knew you could see." The girl's eyes flashed brilliant grey. "And do what was right."

"Then—!" Naraku started to scream, but Kagome's voice stopped the sound from ever leaving his mouth.

"I die!" The words ripped from her throat as she threw all her energy into her hands, forcing every ounce of it to the surface of her body. In one swift motion, she lurched upwards and each digit connected with Naraku's chest sending a wave of pure energy into his entire body.

Twin screams erupted from their throats as Kagome pushed her energy into his body, and Naraku fought against it. His hands jumped up to grab her wrist, and she cried out in pain as his nails dug into the delicate flesh that rested there. Still, no amount of pain would stop her from completing what fate had intended for her to do all along. Stubbornly, she pushed herself forward harder; the energy in her hands amplified, and she snapped her mouth closed. The room filled with the light that flew from her palm's into Naraku's body, but she somehow knew this wasn't enough.

"I can't just hit the surface." She told herself as she squeezed her eyes shut against the ripping pain of his claws as they tried to dislodge her. "Deeper!" She forced herself to push harder, not even noticing as Naraku's body was pushed backwards.

The half demon couldn't stop himself as the sheer force of Kagome's power drove him farther and farther backwards. They seemed to dance around the room as Kagome tried with all her might to throw enough energy into him to reach even the Shikon jewel deep inside. Luckily for her, the room was small. She could tell the instance Naraku's back hit the wall of the room. Snapping her eyes opened, she registered the horrified look on his face just long enough to feel a wave a sympathy before she pushed her hands and energy forward even harder.

Much to her amazement, she felt her hands begin to sink. A cold, wet sensation overran her hands and Naraku howled in horrible pain now kicking and clawing like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Undeterred, Kagome allowed the swirling mass to burn inside her and gritted her teeth. Somehow, she could sense what she needed to do, and how far she needed to go. She pushed further reaching for whatever it was that was calling her. Her hand pressed forth and went deep into his body as his claws dug into her flesh, trying to pry her hand out of his skin.

"Stop—stop!" He wailed, each passing second making his voice more pathetic and child-like.

"No!" Kagome yelled back, and with all her might she pushed herself the final inch towards the place where Naraku's heart should have been. In place of it, she felt the strange smoothness of a jewel. Clamping her hand around the smooth edge, she squeezed somehow knowing exactly what she had to do.

"Stop!" Naraku's howl of pain sounded like nothing more than a toddler as Kagome shoved the absolute last of her energy into the jewel. His claws shredded the flesh of her wrist, but she didn't flinch for even a second. The blood on her wrist flew backwards as her power ate the jewel inside him. She felt the first crack, the fragment sinking into her flesh like a fang.

"Just—a little," She felt her limbs growing heavy; the power in her stomach turning to nothing. Her vision blurred. "More!" She pushed the thought downwards until it became part of her soul, and in one last ditch effort, she screamed and snapped her hand shut as tight as she could.

Naraku's claws instantly retracted from her skin and her eyes opened just enough to see his opened mouth scream. His wide black eyes were filled with horror, but his lips looked different. If she hadn't known any better, she could have sworn he was smiling. She didn't have even a moment to contemplate his expression, however. Screwing up her face from the pain and effort it took, she ripped her hand from his flesh. Blood splattered against her face as she pulled the ash, what was left of the real Naraku, straight out of his body.

Immediately, her weight plunged to the ground, and she landed in a heap at Naraku's feet. Desperately, she clutched at the strange, ashy warmth that rested in her hand even as her body nearly convulsed with an exhaustion she didn't know she could feel. With ragged breaths, she pulled her trembling fist into her chest and drug her eyes upwards. Instantly, her vision was filled with the ghost like outline of Naraku in the darkness hovering in the air above her, a dangling corpse. His mouth was hanging opened, a crocked, frozen smile on his pasty lips. His blank, black eyes stared outwards frozen. Despite her horror at the sight, she found she didn't have the will power to move.

Her hand shook protecting the tiny sacredness within it as a crack appeared on the glassy surface of his eye. Energy pushed through the jagged surface, shinning outwards with bright iridescence in the darkened room. Another crack broke from the intensity of the light, and then another. One after the other, a thousand tiny cracks formed all around Naraku's eyes. Light shone out through the tiny fractures, and despite the heavy feeling of her shoulders and neck, she could tell what that light was, "My energy." She barely had time to think before Naraku's entire body shattered as her own light detonated inside of him.

The explosion threw her backwards and shattered her eardrums. She felt the wall (or maybe it was the door) as she was thrown through it. Instantly pain overtook her whole world, and the exhaustion she had felt melted away, replaced by unbearable agony as she hit the splintering wooden planks of the Thunder's deck debris hitting her head and back and legs as she slid.

"Just," She told herself even as blackness began to overtake her vision as she skidded across the wet wood. "Hold," She clutched the warmth in her hand tighter. "On."

-break-

Inuyasha froze as he brought his sword up to hit another man across the chest because the man he had been fighting had abruptly stopped moving. The dog demon stared at the outstretched hands of the man. Even though they were reaching for him, they appeared limp and indifferent. Confused, Inuyasha took a slight step backwards and watched with horror as the man's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his jaw dropped opened with unspeakable pain. A true scream erupted from another man's throat to his right, and he jumped as he snapped his body around to look at the source of the sound. The same face greeted his gaze and then another just like it. Turning on his heel, he gaped at the silent screams and the real ones; the twitching hands; the glazed eyes; the blood shot ones. He lowered his sword in absolute astonishment as every man that had been attacking him dropped to the ground. The once desperate circle of brainwashed fools was disintegrating right before him.

"What happened?" He barely had time to whisper as he stared at the crumbled bodies, before the whole world exploded behind him.

The sound hit him so hard that he wasn't sure at first if he had been thrown off his feet from the force of blast, or if he had fainted from the caliber of the noise it had produced. The only reason, truthfully, he knew he had been knocked from his feet, came from the sudden weightless sensation that took over his body. He could feel his hair whip around his head but not from wind; he could see the mast of the Thunder and then the ground over and over as if he were flipping in the air; and he could feel the jerking of his stomach as he was thrown end over end. He hit the ground hard, his sword flying from his hands as he skidded across the deck. He didn't stop until his body hit the railing of the Thunder's deck. He heard something in his back crack from the force (it might have been the wood truthfully), but he ignored the sound as one thought captured every bit of his attention.

Kagome—

Forcing his body into motion, he grabbed for the wooden deck and dug his claws into the wood. With one eye opened and the other closed in pain, he used the friction they created to push himself desperately to his feet. He tried to open his mouth, wanting to yell her name but no sounds escaped him as his vision went completely black. He staggered backwards and tried to inhale, a sharp pain rocketed down his back, but he blocked it out using that one singular thought to do so.

Kagome—

He forced both eyes to open and panted as his chest ached. "Ka—," Pain exploded within him as he tried to take expelling air and turn it into her name. He breathed in deeply, forcing as much oxygen into his lungs as possible. "Kagome!" He mumbled and even such a small sound hurt deeply. "I have to find her!"

Panting and terrified, he looked around himself frantically, searching for her in the wreckage. Boards, nails, men, papers, maps, weapons, and a million other things littered the deck of the ship making it nearly impossible to see anything. Not daring to wait a second, he dashed forward; his body screaming in pain as he followed the one sense he had that never failed. Salt nearly clouded his ability to smell her, but not for long. The scent of lilies filled the air, and he moved without having to think towards the source of that smell. Briefly, he caught a glimpse of Zentai out of his peripheral vision, but he didn't bother to stop for the sword as the scent grew stronger, and his heart pounded harder.

A leg sticking out from underneath what looked like the remains of a door, caught his attention. He fell in front of it, crashing to his knees before his hands took over for his nose, clawing at the splintered wooden fragments. The outline of Kagome's shoulder, and the horrendous scent of her blood immediately greeted his effort. "Shit!" He cursed loudly as he moved the board that had landed on her head away from her body. Somewhere behind him, he heard a man groan and mumble out words of confusion, but he ignored them as his whole world began to fall apart. "Please be okay—she has to be okay." He yanked her out from under the remaining fragments of boards, pulling her into the safety of his arms.

Her face was ashy white, and a wound along her hair line was bubbling with hot, red blood that flowed down her face. Small cuts littered her skin; the coppery smell making him nauseous. Frozen with terror, he didn't know whether to shake her or simply make a run for it. Luckily for both of them, the ship made the decision for him. Quite suddenly, the whole of the Thunder yowled underneath his body. A loud cracking nose split the air, and Inuyasha nearly hyperventilated as he realizes exactly what the sound meant.

He inhaled swiftly; his head snapped upwards as he looked towards the exact spot where the Captain's cabin had once stood. In its place was nothing; that entire end of the ship was simply gone, destroyed by the immensity of Kagome's power. "Fu—." His mouth didn't have time to form the words before the Thunder, that had been slowly filling with water down below, lurched downwards a fraction.

Inuyasha felt his body begin to slide as the bow of the ship behind him started to lift ever so slightly into the air; a gradual rise upwards. The helm, or really what had been the helm, followed it by dipping downwards into the sea. Not bothering to question the how behind the suddenly half destroyed ship, Inuyasha scrambled to his feet, clutching Kagome's body tightly to his chest despite the stabbing pain that was now forming in his lower back. He heard men screaming all around him, and vaguely, he caught sight of them as they ran towards the rails, jumping into the sea below so as to make a break for it.

"I can't just jump with her like this." The words haunted his brain as he twisted his body trying desperately to make a decision.

The ship chose that moment to drive another five feet into the ocean, throwing him nearly off balance as he tried frantically to keep her safe. Falling sideways from the hasty movements of the sinking ship, Inuyasha growled with pain as something in his body seemed to tear or snap even further. He didn't know what he had done when he had slammed into the railing, but he had a fairly good idea that it was nothing good. He tried to take another breath, only to gasp and wheeze from the action.

"Shit," He thought as his brain worked in overdrive to figure out what to do. "My lungs." He shook his head, fighting off the fear that his own thoughts brought him, and not knowing what else to do, forced his feet to move.

He ran for the railing, each step like a knife in his side where a collapsed lung caused by a series of broken ribs assaulted him. Only the weight of Kagome's body in his arms kept him moving forward as the vessel began to tilt more noticeably. Men ran all about him still, some of them just barely coming back to their senses still laid upon the ground; their bodies slowly moving along the now slanted deck. Part of him thought to stop, to slap them in the face and give them a shot at survival, but he knew he didn't have the option. This was him and Kagome, their unborn child, and nothing more.

He reached the railing and grabbed it in a firm hold as he managed to (quite literally) throw Kagome over his shoulder, so she only required one hand to hold onto. He looked over the railing as her head dangled against his back, one of her fist, tightly clutched, brushed the back of his thigh, but it meant nothing to him in that moment. "If I jump—we'd get dragged under when she went—hell!" He screamed internally as he turned to look at the vessel, watching as the helm grew lower and lower. "There are not any more options!" He felt his body tilt dangerously; his balance was becoming harder and harder to maintain. He wrapped his arm around Kagome's limp body even more tightly as his heart nearly beat out of his chest petrified. Desperately, he looped his hand around the railing as his feet began to slip out from underneath him. "What do I do?" He felt his balance slip farther and farther away as the ship floundered dangerously. "Shit!" He cursed and closed his eyes as the boat rose a little bit higher; his feet were beginning to dangle, the angle too steep to stand for much longer. "I've got no choice!"

His eyes snapped open, and he turned to jump but froze when a sight he had not expected greeted his vision.

"Stupid cat!" He yelled as Kilala flew down towards him, coming from nowhere it seemed. "Where the hell have you been?!"

Kilala roared, but, in his current state of distress, Inuyasha didn't notice that the sound was strange in her large mouth. Not waiting for her to get closer, Inuyasha leapt from the deck of the Shikuro to the giant neko-mata just as the Thunder abruptly pitched upwards becoming vertical in the air. The half demon landed on the back of the great beast by some saving grace he would never comprehend. Urgently, he shifted Kagome's body, so that she was cradled in front of him as Kilala took off, leaving the Thunder behind them. He could hear men screaming as the Thunder, completely filled with water, began its slow descent into the sea, but he didn't care. He couldn't bring himself to as long as Kagome's unconscious form was motionless. He glanced down at her for only a moment, just enough to see her pale cheeks and watch her nearly white lips inhale.

"Damn!" He cursed and desperately looked away from her, trying to find the Shikuro and safety. The edge of the Shikuro came into view, and a wave of relief warmed him to his core. "Thank God." He muttered under his breath even as his eyes saw something downright impossible. He could see the neko-mata's large head, plain as day in front of his face because he had to look over it to see the Shikuro. But, as he looked, the head flickered like a candle. The color of her fur dissipated, growing almost transparent before it became solid once more. "What the hell?" He barely had time to think before she completely disappeared, and a terrifying feeling overwhelmed his whole body: weightlessness. "Shi-t-t!"

The curse barely left his mouth before he fell, Kilala suddenly gone as if she had never existed. Wind rushed passed his ears, and he clamped his arms around Kagome desperately. Panic overtook every fiber of his being, but he didn't dare let it take over his mind. Hastily, he turned in mid-air and looked down at the world he was crashing into. Sango's terrified eyes greeted him, staring at him hopelessly. He could see his name on her lips even as he turned himself so that Kagome's body was not facing the hard wood of the Shikuro's deck.

He closed his eyes and tensed his body. "Only fifty feet." He thought with surprising calm. "I'll live—."

He hit the deck hard, all the air rushing from his lungs as the rest of his ribs shattered in his chest. His only source of luck was that his back didn't go with them. The wooden blanks cracked from the force of his body breaking clean in two. He would have fallen through the hole his impact created had Totosai not made a subfloor underneath the Shikuro's first deck. As it were, he slipped into a carter of splintered wood instead, Kagome's body flying out of his grip because he simply couldn't hold on anymore.

"Kagome!" He couldn't bring himself to think of anything else even as the pain erupted all over his body.

He could hear Sango screaming for help among the chaos that marked every sound on the ship, but he didn't pay attention as opened his eyes. He could see the sky above his head, little stars were coming out, as he pushed himself onto his stomach with what he suspected was a broken arm. He inhaled and pain erupted throughout his chest, hot and fiery. Despite this, his will to go to his mate made him press forward. On his hands and knees, he dug himself out of what should have been his own grave and forced himself to look for her. Within seconds, Kagome's form came into view. Pulling himself across the deck with just one forearm, he made his way towards her as fear gripped every part of him.

"Ka—." His voice was hoarse and pathetic, but he didn't care. "Go—?" He choked on the words when he finally reached her, the sight of her eyes opened wide horrifying him for a moment. He had seen one too many people who had died with their eyes opened. But, the sound of her inhaling stopped his panic. "Kagome?" He managed to say her whole name as he forced himself onto his knees.

"Inuyasha!" His name sounded out from somewhere behind him, but he ignored it.

"Pup!" He heard Paedar's shocked voice, but he ignored it too.

"Kagome?" He said again, barely registering when Sango landed on her knees beside him.

"Oh my dear sweet lord," The woman said, wringing her hands together because she didn't know what else to do. "Your arm—," She froze as she stared at the limp that was so obviously broken it made her sick to her stomach. "And," Her eyes shifted to Kagome who was lying flat on her back, eyes wide opened and mouth snapped shut. "Kagome!" Her hands flew up to her mouth, and she found herself rooted to the spot unable to move from the combination of every horror.

"Call the other ship!" The order flew from Paedar's mouth, and the sound of people running to do his bidding echoed all around them.

Still ignoring both of them, Inuyasha leaned forward and caught Kagome's chin directing her gently to look at him. She blinked when his face interrupted her view of nothingness, and he smiled thankful her eyes could even blink. "You—oh—yo—," Pain stabbed at his lungs but he was too happy to care. "You're alive." He smiled even wider, and even that hurt his face. But, even as Inuyasha smiled, Kagome frowned. Startled by her change expression, Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and repeated her name. "Kagome?" He watched her, but her eyes weren't looking at him any longer; they seemed to have gone unfocused. "Can you—Kagome—can you hear me?"

She didn't reply, but her eyes did flicker with some sort of recognition. She blinked several times again and looked down her body as if searching for something. Her lips parted trying to form a word, but it never came. Instead she winced as if in pain and lifted her right hand up so she could see it.

Inuyasha and Sango followed her movements as people began to appear all around them. All three scalliwags surrounded them, each man more worried than the other two. Sesshoumaru and Takeshi had appeared out of thin air, having jumped the distance between Shikuro and the other vessel effortlessly. Even Miroku came to stand in the crowded circle, having brought the second vessel up at Shikuro's side before jumping the short distance between the two ships so he could see his father.

Every set of eyes watched as Kagome lifted her closed fist higher and higher; her eyes studying it carefully. Her breath came in shallow pants as she stared at her fingers. Without saying a word, she seemed to decide something and with a groan pushed herself upwards with her free hand. Immediately, Inuyasha reached for her not knowing whether to push her back down or help her up. In the end, he did neither. A flash of light repelled his hands before he could even touch her. Shocked Inuyasha's jaw dropped opened, but he couldn't think of anything to say. All he could do was watch as Kagome panted from the effort it took to even place her free hand palm down on the ground.

She inhaled sharply, and her eyes squeezed shut as she pushed herself upwards off the ground. She stumbled to her feet, one eye closed and one eye opened as if to contain her pain. The clutched hand came to her chest, and she inhaled unsteadily as if asking for strength. She stepped away from their circle, and hastily Eion tried to grab for her as Inuyasha had, but the light appeared once more. He hissed as it burned his probing hands and stumbled backwards in shock.

"She—," He looked down at his palms expecting them to be bright red and angry, but they looked as if nothing had happened at all. Mouth wide opened, he looked towards his grandson on the floor, half expecting the younger man to have an explanation, but Inuyasha looked just as perplexed.

"Wha—," He tried to speak but was cut off by a horrific cough that made his body double over in pain. Instantly, he felt someone's hand on his back and gasped as even more pain erupted within him. "Don't!" He managed to say as he forced his eyes opened to find his horrified son looking at him.

"You need to lie down." Miroku was saying, but Inuyasha shook his head adamantly and turned his focus back towards Kagome once more.

She was walking away from all of them, stumbling and regaining her balance as if she were drunk. One foot stepped in front of the other, nearly tripping her as her knees shook and buckled, but she caught herself every time as she walked towards the middle of the ship. After only ten scant footsteps, she paused. Her shoulders shook. Her knees knocked. She looked up.

"Kagome?" Sango took a step towards her, but she froze as the girl closed her eyes against a soft breeze that seemed to form out of nowhere.

Every person watched as that supernatural wind teased Kagome's short hair. She looked absolutely angelic with her chin leaned back, her hair dancing ethereally, and the moon's soft light highlighting the strong cheekbones that graced her face. Slowly, her eyes opened once more and as they fluttered her shoulders relaxed, and a smile finally appeared on her face. She breathed in and out as she raised her free hand up above her head. Her fingers opened and without a single second of hesitation, energy flooded the air that should have been completely depleted. It flew all around her like a translucent current meant not to conceal but to protect.

Inuyasha realized a second too late what she had done. "A barrier!" He yelled, the sudden intrusion of his voice making everyone jump. With only a slight struggle, he pushed himself to his feet, his shoulders lopsided as he tried to stand up straight. "Kagome? Kagome?" He tried again as he gripped his side painfully and walked towards her. "What are you doing?" He wheezed as he limped around the barrier, trying to catch her eye, but she didn't look towards him for even a second.

Instead, she dropped her chin to her chest and looked at the hand against her heart.

"Kagome—my girl?" Aengus tried this time, but the woman didn't look at him either.

"What's in her hand?" Eion asked the ill-fated question that no one else seemed to be able to form.

Kagome stared at her hand as every set of eyes did the same. Her fingers were trembling as they fought to stay closed, protecting something with a more tangible barrier than the one she had placed around herself. She smiled at the sight and closed her eyes. For several seconds, she didn't move as she gathered the will power to do something that she didn't have enough strength to do. Finally, she opened her lips and took one, deep breath before she pulled her hand away from her chest. It was steady as she opened her eyes once more. They stared at her outstretched arm, and she smiled as she opened her hand.

Light, faint light, glowed against the tips of her fingers. A tiny flame, danced against her ashen skin. The crew of the Shikuro, the family that had formed upon her decks, stared as the little flame tumbled against her wrist and jumped from finger to finger. Kagome smiled, and her face was consumed with the glow of the tiny force within her hand. "Naraku." She whispered and everyone stared at her as if she were insane. "I see you."

The little flame froze at her words, and turned a soft rosy red like a blush before it darted from her hand. It jumped into the air and circled her forehead like a crown. She smiled and laughed, the sound egging it on. It brushed her cheeks, and hopped from shoulder to shoulder as she followed it with her grey eyes. But, all fun and games must come to an end. Playfully, it slid from her shoulder and jumped in front of her body. It hovered there in the middle of the air flickering from soft pink to mellow yellow and even sad, sky blue.

"I see you." Kagome repeated as she stared at the little wisp of light, and in response, it darkened.

Blue turned to navy, and navy turned to something so much darker, before it was consumed by deep dark black. Kinky, black tendrils of light rounded and changed, becoming a little lighter as they solidified and morphed into a light and rosy chocolate cream. It took the onlookers only a moment to realize what they were witnessing. Their jaws dropped as the tendrils of light became curly, black hair, and the creamy hues turned to skin with a mouth and dark yet sweet eyes.

"Kagome." The little mouth formed the words as a tiny and naked body followed, like a cherub painted on the Sistine Chapel's ceiling. "You saw me."

Kagome's expression shattered into a near sob as she stared at the tiny soul in front of her. He looked so ethereal, translucent against the calming night sky that comprised the backdrop of their final battle. "I—." She started to say but her words were cut off by a new voice, even Kagome hadn't expected.

"Naraku?"

The child turned towards the voice; his large eyes went wide with excitement adults often wish they still could know. "Mama!" He screamed, and his wispy body moved towards the edge of the Shikuro, running towards something that was not quite there yet. His arms reached for nothingness and were caught by something real.

Dark skin on gentle hands, pulled Naraku into the air. The boy squealed with laughter as the hands held him under his arms and swung him around. Arms formed as the sound of a woman's beautiful laughter echoed all around them. The arms turned into shoulders, that turned into a neck, that turned into a strong chin and beautiful cheekbones that framed plump lips and wide hazel eyes. She was laughing widely, and her curly hair (just like Naraku's own) was dancing as if she stood not in a winter breeze, but instead amongst a summer wind.

And Kagome stared at her amazed. She knew, without having to use a single power in her body who this woman was. She was a face in a dream that Kagome would never forget. "Helen." She whispered the name and every person watching tried to comprehend what exactly they were witnessing.

"Is that?" Takeshi tried to form words as he stared at the ghostly images.

"Naraku." His father supplied but even his voice sounded unsure. "And—."

"His mother." Kagome filled in, the intrusion of her voice in their brief conversation, the first sign that she was even aware of them.

"Naraku." Helen spoke the name, and it sounded like a song as she pulled the child to her breast and squeezed him tight. "I's f'ond you, I did."

"Mama." He whispered against her, his tiny eyes closing as he listened to the sound of her heart. "Kagome saw me." He whispered against her flesh, and the woman instantly looked up away from him, acknowledging his words by looking at the very person he had referenced.

Her dark hazel eyes, tinted ever so with green, looked into Kagome's grey ones. The two women stared at one another, something passing between them that only they would ever know. Helen smiled, revealing less than perfect teeth on a more than perfect smile. "Ya saw 'em?"

"I did." Kagome whispered and nodded her confirmation as she stared at mother and child.

The beautiful woman frowned for a moment as her eyes swept up and down Kagome's body, and then, she turned her attention elsewhere. Much to the shock of every witness, she looked at the crew of the Shikuro. One by one, she studied each and every person. Her eyes were penetrating and everyone knew that when she looked at you, she actually did see all the way down to your soul. "'hank ya." She said the words to all of them, and the smile on her face broadened momentarily. "'hank ya—," She repeated and her eyes darted ever so quickly towards Inuyasha before breaking away to study the group as a whole. "Fer helping 'er do wats right."

No one could find the words to reply to her, even to just say you're welcome, but the woman didn't wait for a reply anyway. She turned, and by the time her eyes landed on Kagome again, the smile had deserted her. Her body grew more translucent as she held onto her child and stared at the woman who had saved his very soul. Her faint lips opened, and she tried to say something more, but the words didn't come. The sound of her voice had faded well before her body. Still, no one needed to hear the words to know she had said I'm sorry.

In return Kagome shook her head as if to ward off the woman's feelings and smiled. "Don't be." Her voice was so soft and so gentle, it should have brought tears to their eyes. "I just—," She hesitated, closed her eyes, laughed slightly (awkwardly) and opened them again. "It was right." She spoke firmly, but Naraku and his mother were already gone. Her chin wobbled at their absence, and she shook her head as tears fell from her grey orbs. "It was right." She repeated and there was confidence there and something else. "It was right." She whispered one more time and tilted her head back to look up at the night. "Stars?" Her eyes searched the sky above her as if searching for the reason for life. "A true Captain can navigate wit—'em." Her voice wobbled just a little, and she dropped her chin down to her chest. For several minutes, she said nothing, only stared at the deck of the Shikuro a few feet in front of her. She laughed and shook her head as her tears collected on her chin. "You," she lifted her head and turned it to the side. It dropped neatly on her shoulder as she looked straight into Inuyasha's starburst eyes. "Made me a Captain."

Inuyasha took a step forward, even though he knew the barrier was there, he couldn't stop the urge to be right next to her.

"I—did I—," She paused as she stared at him, one hand reaching towards him even though they both knew the barrier was still very much there. "Ever say thank you?" Her face scrunched up with the thought, and her hand dropped down to her side. "Thank you." Her voice cracked, and she looked at him with glassy eyes. "Thank you—Inu—," The word stopped abruptly; the sudden lack of sound was haunting. Her eyes unfocused, no longer able to look at anything. She stared into nothingness, and her hand raised ever so slightly again. The fingertips opened as if reaching for something. "Ya—sha." A smile formed on her lips as she whispered his name one last time, but it was hard to tell whether she was calling him or not. Either way, the smile dropped only seconds later, her hand dropped back to her side, her knees gave out, and she crumbled, swinging backwards as the barrier she had created dissolved into a shimmering mass of transcendental light.

Inuyasha didn't have time to even scream her name before his feet moved. He caught her only a millisecond before her body smashed into the ground and immediately collapsed unable to support their combined weight. Desperately, he pulled her into his arms, not knowing what to say, or what to do as he stared at her body. Something inside of him was breaking without having to know why it had to break. Her head flopped to the side as he pulled her to his chest, and he grabbed her cheek to turn her face towards her own without thinking. Her face came into view, and his despairing eyes stared at the white skin that greeted him.

"No." He whispered the word and shook his head from side to side as he looked at her mouth. He expected to see her inhale at any moment, but no air moved between those pasty, dry lips. "No." He repeated as his heart began to beat a little faster, horror taking hold of him as he began to hyperventilate. "No." He said a little louder as he inhaled sharply wanting to smell her scent regardless of the pain in his side. "Lilies," He named the flower, and it made sense to anyone who was not human. "Li-li—lies," His voice cracked, and he opened his mouth not knowing what he was trying to say. "N-o." He chocked as he took in the smell of death. "No!" He screamed his voice making everyone around him jump in complete panic.

"Oh my god." Sango whispered from somewhere behind him as she began to catch on.

"That smell—?" Takeshi turned to his father wide eyed having never smelt death before, and found that Sesshoumaru actually looked completely shocked, his mouth hanging opened in disbelief. "Is that—?" He waited for his father to answer, but the tall, regal dog demon didn't look like he could even move.

Instead, Aengus stepped forward, his eyes already filling to the brim with tears as a single word left his mouth. "Death." He whispered, and Inuyasha screamed.

"No!" The sound was a loud, piercing echo that made his chest fill to the brim with fire, but that pain couldn't have stopped the agony that was mounting in his heart. "No—no—no," Inuyasha repeated over and over again as he threw his head against her chest trying to hear her heart. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought, he just needed to hear her heart. If he could just hear her heart, then everything would be okay.

But fate was against him.

No sound came from Kagome's chest, and his panic turned into complete and utter shock. "Not beati—beatin—beat." His words sounded almost deranged as he pulled his head away from her body and frantically looked around himself. He only vaguely recognized the faces of his grandfathers, his brother, his nephew, and his son and daughter as they stared at him with wide opened mouths. "Beat!" He shrieked wanting them to understand what he couldn't say. "Beat—ma-k-ke it!" He inhaled a sob and shook Kagome's body as tears began to blur his vision. "Make it beat!"

"Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru stepped forward, but his brother didn't bother to listen.

Frantic, Inuyasha laid Kagome flat on her back, his memory launching to the time so long ago now when Jinenji told him to do the same thing. Desperately, he formed his hands into the strange ball shape motion he remember making and placed it on her chest, pumping to simulate the beating of a heart.

"What is he doing!?" Paedar stepped forward completely baffled by his grandson's behavior.

"Trying to save her!" Sango cried frantically as she dropped to her knees, her own memories of Inuyasha's stories fueling her words. "Please," She felt her heart shatter as she watched the dog demon press down on Kagome's chest. "Save her!"

Inuyasha dipped his head downwards breathing into Kagome's mouth as Jineji had shown him that first desperate time. He came back up seconds later, his hands balled into a fist as he tried to force her heart to beat. He dropped his head and breathed, came up and compressed, dropped his head and breathed, came up and compressed. Over and over, minute after minute, his breaths turning to tears, and his compressions turning to nothing but shaking hands.

"Beat!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he punched the deck of the Shikuro, shattering the first layer of wood. "Beat!" He sobbed as the cries came in full force, the sight shocking and horrendous all at once to everyone around him. Great, gut wrenching sobs rocked his whole body as everyone looked on. "No!" He howled as he reached for her, stopped and slammed his fist into his head, yanking at his hair. "No—no." He inhaled and the scent of death made him let go of the silver looks, so as to grab her and pull her to him instead.

"Inuyasha." Paedar reached for him not knowing what else to do but stopped as Inuyasha looked up at him a completely broken man.

"Me!" His lips curled back, and his eyes closed in horrific pain, the tears running from them all the way to his chin where they collected. "It was-s-s," He sputtered, his breath coming in gasping pants created by a pain that made his broken arm look like nothing, and his shattered ribs look like a scratch. "Me!" His eyes snapped opened red and blood shot. "Ple—ase." He pulled her to him, rocking back and forth as his crew, his friends, his family watched him clutch the dead body of Kagome O'lionsigh, not knowing what to do or what to say. "Do-n-n't—lea—ve me."

Sango's sobs filled the air as Inuyasha words echoed all around them, completely broken and destroyed. Miroku dropped down next to her, his own barely contained moans just as loud as her own. "This can't-t-t—this can't happen!" She cried as he fell into her arms, the two clutching each other as they broke just as Inuyasha was.

Holding Sango, Miroku managed to contain his anguish enough to look at his father. "Otou-san." He said the name, but Inuyasha didn't appear to be coherent.

He was clutching her body, rocking as he cried into her hair, whispering words they could barely understand. "Do," His face was hidden in the side of her neck, but they could hear him. "Som—ethi—ng."

"Ototou." Sesshoumaru tried, his voice breaking just slightly as he spoke, the careful mask falling so far off his face that the real Sesshoumaru was completely at the surface. "You have to—," He closed his eyes to compose himself and straighten, but the action was lost on Inuyasha. "Let her," He spoke as calmly as possible as he stepped towards his brother; his own heart was breaking in his chest. "Just—," Tears appeared in even the great demon lord's eyes. "Let her down."

"No!" Inuyasha snarled as his eyes ripped open to look right at Sesshoumaru. "Do some—thi-ng!" His voice was louder than thunder and more threatening than lightning as he stared at all of them accusingly. "We ha-ve to do something."

"There's nothing," Eion looked at him, his heart breaking as he saw Inuyasha's soul, crushed on his face. "We can do."

"Pup," Aengus spoke next, the look on his face something next to shame and heartbreak. "We can't—she's—she's gone." He spoke bluntly, and he hated himself for it.

"There has-s-s no," He scrunched up his face and sobbed as his whole world crashed around him. "There—she—no-o." Tears and snot and pain flowed down his face as a power began to surge within him that he had no idea existed. "There—has to be!" He finally got the word out; the ship groaned underneath him as the swirling energy inside his body began to take shape. "Just—do something!" The howled and the sound shattered the world around them as Inuyasha's whole body suddenly seemed to catch on fire. The energy that had collected in his stomach igniting before expanding outwards from every single inch of skin that covered him.

"Get back!" Sesshoumaru grabbed Takeshi as the energy exploded outwards, hitting the wood of the Shikuro underneath Inuyasha.

"Do something!" Inuyasha shrieked again as the energy caught the air around him on fire.

It exploded outwards, a giant fireball of uncontrollable anguish and love. It circled Inuyasha's body gathering strength as everyone scrambled away from the still screaming half demon. Within seconds, his body disappeared as the blinding light grew stronger and stronger, encasing him in his own power, bright, hot, and white. His scream continuing to create a disembodied echo was the only evidence that he still existed in the middle of the dangerous leaping, flames. The energy crackled and sparked suddenly, the mini-explosions turning into booming thunder that blocked out the reverberating sound of Inuyasha's scream. With one last echoing eruption, the white, flickering blaze burst. Energy was thrown upwards into the mast and downwards into the thick wood of the deck.

A giant, sickening crack followed the blast and those watching froze as cracks began to splinter outwards from the place where Inuyasha, still hidden by the essence of his own power, clutched his wife. Hundreds, thousands of jagged lines ripped through the deck of the greatest pirate ship to ever sail the Caribbean. They raced outwards, growing larger as they hit the railing of the ship causing it to lurch and pitch back and forth. Men ran from the gigantic cracks as they split open wider and wider, creating gaping holes in the deck that soon fractured like ice on a partially frozen lake. Millions of fissures ran along the wood, mutilating the floor as Inuyasha's power grew even brighter. His scream caught their attention once more, the distant echo of Kagome's name, as one last burst of energy shot forth into the world.

Immediately, the deck of the Shikuro shattered, pieces of wood flying as the mast lost all of their stability. Riggings fell down all around them, collapsing in on themselves as the sails burst into flames from the intensity of Inuyasha's light. Men screamed as pieces of flaming mast fell to the ground, falling into holes big enough to swallow a full grown man with room on either side.

"Abandon ship!"

Someone managed to yell as the Shikuro split straight down its middle every crack combining as the ship was ripped in two by Inuyasha's anguish; his scream echoing all around them even as it was sucked into the sea taking Inuyasha and Kagome with it.

-break-

Inuyasha's eyes opened slowly, unsure, and confused. His ears twitched as they tried to pick up a sound, any sound, but nothing came to them. It was just—silent. He blinked trying to see what was around him, but all he saw was white. Confused and not believing his senses, the demon turned to look around; the odd sensation of floating just as strange as his sudden lack of pain. Dazed, he tried to process what was happening, his mind turning over everything that had occurred over the past few minutes. Nothing quite made sense to him, however. He could see flashes of Kagome's face, pale and sickly looking, but he couldn't grasp any memory that explained why she had looked that way. He could hear Miroku and Sango sobbing, and he could recall the strange smell of salt that came from tears, but he had no idea why anyone was crying.

Utterly confused, he looked out at the eerie whiteness all around him and managed to speak. "Where am I?" He asked the nothingness as his brain spun in his head.

"Welcome."

The sound echoed behind him, and he inhaled sharply with panic only to go stiff as a board as the scent he inhaled filled him. It was soft like a river, clean and crisp as it runs through a forest. It reminded him of his youth, running through Ireland with the smell of soil and damp rocks as his guide. And underneath it, another scent brought every horror he had forgotten back into his brain. He saw Kagome, he saw her pale lips, he saw her limp body, and he saw her ashy skin.

He felt a sob come up into his throat, blocking his breath. Hastily, he forced it down, wanting to smell that underlying scent again. Eyes squeezing shut, he inhaled as deeply as he possibly could, the smell of lilies filling his heart with a warmth he had never known.

This scent was a river of lilies.

He opened his eyes, and her face filled his vision. Two black forelocks framed her strong face, and her curly silver hair behind danced in much the same way her mother's hair always seemed to. "My—," He felt a lump form in his throat that he knew was every emotion he had ever felt in his life as her grey eyes seemed to smirk back at him. "Pup." He whispered in shock, and nearly broke when she smiled; her eyes closing like her mother as she titled her head to the side.

"My," Her mother's lips formed the words that he had thought he would never hear. "Otou-san."

End of Chapter

Please Review

A/N: One—ish more chapters people and everything will be completed! I hope you liked this chapter and that I caught you completely by surprise. Honestly, the amount of time that went into preparing this twist actually hurts my head, and yet, its not done yet. We still got one more (I hope) bombshell coming. Thanks for reading, and please leave some feedback about your thoughts.

Thanks for your reviews:

Princess-j3ss, myliklkai, VEENA4, AiydanWarrior, InbredSuzy, Guest, InuRiotGrrl, Glon Morski, wolf-cry77, Lilith-the-fallen, MissKitty35, AmericanOtakuMom, kan78

Next Chapter

The World of White

See you then!

UNEDITED

POSTED

12/12/2015