Chapter 4

She awoke slowly to Shippou shaking her,

"Kagome! Wake up already! It's past noon!" She groggily cracked her eyes open. Indeed, sunlight was bright and streaming through the window. Past noon? She hadn't slept that late in ages. She yawned. She was STILL tired. Sleep had somehow come to her last night despite her anxiousness, a heavy restful sleep, and without dreams she could recall. That thought helped her shake off the grogginess a bit; she had wanted to talk to everyone about her dreams.

"I'm awake, I'm awake," she slowly sat up, rubbing her head. This had to be some kind of curse. Dreams that induce real grief and nausea followed by a wave of exhaustion were definitely not the norm.

"About time! So lazy!" Inu yasha peeked in through the window, his head upside down, his hair making a silver curtain. Despite her sleepiness Kagome managed to hit Inu yasha square in the face with her plastic clock. Inu Yasha fell from the roof and was about to retaliate when Shippou jumped on Inu Yasha and nipped at him,

"Inu Yasha I think something is wrong with Kagome," this made Inu Yasha pause, his fist poised right over Shippou's head, to look at Kagome. It was kind of weird. Instead of standing and yelling at him for invading her privacy, or sitting him, she was still just sitting on the futon, yawning. Inu Yasha crouched by Kagome's side, flicking her in the forehead,

"Hey! What's the matter with you Kagome?"

"Ouch!" Kagome rubbed her forehead, "what was that for?"

"Aside from throwing a clock at my face-I was waking you up." Kagome got to her feet and stretched,

"Can't a person be tired without getting flicked in the forehead? I'm gonna have a red mark!" She yawned again, then shooed Inu Yasha from the room so she could change. Shippou looked questioningly at her. "I'm fine, really Shippou don't worry. It'll be good when we can all sit and talk with Kaede."

Shippou scratched his head a bit awkwardly,

"um, well about that Kagome..I tried to wake you up earlier, but you were like a log! Kaede had to leave this morning to go to another village."

"What?When?" Kagome asked as she tried to hastily get ready. Her brush kept getting caught in her tangles, she yanked again and it finally brushed through.

"uh. Around eight?"

She slipped on jeans and a flowered blouse, "did she say when she'd be back?" Shippou shook his head.

"No, but Sango and Miroku talked to her this morning when I was trying to wake you up—you were like a log, really Kagome, it was weird-so they might know." Kagome picked up Shippou and kissed his nose,

"thanks Shippou," Shippou scrunched his nose and giggled, "but first I think I should get something to eat. I'm starved!"

Sango and Miroku were both already out working in the village. Shippou said he'd go find them while Kagome ate breakfast-rather, lunch. Sango had left a few covered bowls out. A bowl of rice, soup and a bean and egg mix sitting on the low table by the fire pit. Picking up her chopsticks Kagome devoured the food with relish. When her bowls were empty she realized with a slight surprise that she was still hungry.

Opening the pot from over the fire-pit she scooped out some more rice. It was cold since the fire had been put out hours ago. After her third helping she sat back, and stretched, content for the moment in just feeling full. She sat for a little while longer before she started getting impatient. Why wasn't Shippou back yet?

Even Inu Yasha wasn't around to alleviate her boredom. Slipping on her shoes, she stepped outside. She saw Miroku and Sango just coming over the crest of the hill with Shippou. She waved and started walking towards them, "Good Morning!"

"Good afternoon you mean!" Sango shouted back. Kagome blushed a bit. She had cupped her hands around her mouth to shout back when Inu Yasha charged past her in a flurry of red and white.

"Damn flea! Get back here!" Kagome blinked. Then squinted. Sure enough, Inu yasha was chasing Myoga. Sango and Miroku an Shippou reached Kagome and they all watched Inu Yasha running and yelling after Myoga for a minute with exasperation.

"I say, Myoga's doing a pretty good job avoiding Inu Yasha," Sango remarked absently.

"Inu Yasha seems to have gotten slower since the battle with Naraku." The former monk commented to his wife. That comment made the half demon pause in pursuit of Myoga,

"What was that MONK?"

"I was merely observing you are slower now than then—"

"It's not a life or death battle now! I'm not trying to KILL that little blood-sucker—"

"In the past you would've caught him by now—"

""I'm pretty sure you've lost him now," Shippou stated, "way to go Inu Yasha. Slower and more stupid than before!" Shippou darted into Kagome's arms before Inu Yasha could reach him, successfully avoiding Inu Yasha's fist. Shippou stuck out his tongue. Inu Yasha growled,

"Why I oughtta—you little brat. Kagome you're spoiling him, you know that right? What kind of demon hides behind a human?" Completely ignoring Inu Yasha and the same argument they've had at least a dozen times, Kagome turned to Miroku and Sango.

"So Shippou told me you talked to Kaede this morning?" Kagome asked hopefully. First things first she had to find some solid information about her father so that she had some idea of where to start looking for him. Hopefully Kaede had some advice, or had heard of her father.

"Oh, yeah, we did speak to her," Sango said slowly. Kagome picked up on her tone and her face fell.

"But?...You did tell her everything that I told you guys yesterday, right?"

"Yeah. She had never heard of 'day courts' or 'dream weavers.' I'm sorry Kagome." Kagome forced herself to smile,

"Well we still have a few other people we can ask..speaking of which Myoga would be a really good place to start. Where did he run off to?" Inu Yasha swore.

"Damn it! Now I'm going to have to find him again. Nice going Miroku!"

"Do you think he'll even know anything?" Shippou wanted to know.

"Oh yeah. He knows something. He shot off faster than I've ever seen him when I mentioned 'day courts.' Damned bug! Where are you hiding you coward?" Hope surged in Kagome. Maybe finding her father wasn't going to be such a task after all. Inu Yasha was sniffing at the air, and Shippou and jumped down from Kagome's arms to peer under rocks.

"Wait a second, I have an idea." Pulling the Shinkon No Tama from inside her shirt on the chain she had fastened for it she sat and cradled the jewel. She closed her eyes, and just like at the river, Kagome drew out the energy of the Jewel and spread it over the area. It was easier this time. It didn't feel as though she were struggling under a current of power, but rather that she was directing a calm, steady stream. Everything under the aura of the energy she became aware of.

She felt Inu Yasha's surprise. She started reading more into his emotions but realized that she had become distracted and forced the energy away from him. She did like-wise with Sango and Miroku and Shippou. She could sense some of the villagers. A family of ducks, rabbits. A drop of sweat trickled slowly down Kagome's temple. It was much harder to locate smaller creatures, probably because they had smaller energy levels, or in Myoga's case he was masking his so Inu Yasha wouldn't scent him out.

Kagome paused. She thought she felt a flicker of familiar energy behind her, towards the house. She forced the current of energy behind her to search the house. A small smile appeared on her lips and she opened her eyes. Myoga was in the house, in the main room. Kagome let out a deep breath. That had taken some serious concentration, but it had been exhilarating. She looked up only to find everyone staring at her with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. She blushed under their scrutiny. She had told everyone that her and Kaede had been practicing using the Jewel, but seeing it and hearing about, she supposed, were completely different things.

She couldn't help the warm glow of pride and joy that formed in her and she grinned at everyone.

"Wow. Kagome…" Sango grinned, "this what you and Kaede been working on, huh?" Kagome nodded,

"Yeah, she's been teaching me different ways to control the jewels power—but, hey," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "Inu Yasha," his ears twitched, " Myoga's inside, right here in this first room." Inu Yasha looked surprised for a moment, then recovered and started cracking his knuckles,

"Here I come flea." And after a moment silently approaching the nearest window, Inu Yasha shot through the opening, yelling "found you!" Miroku winced as several sounds of things shattering were heard, and he had to grab Sango's hands to keep her from marching into the house in a fury, and after a moment she crossed her arms angrily, muttering,

" he's going to fix EVERYTHING he breaks. And I swear, if he broke our wedding dishes I'm going to kill him!" Inu Yasha came outside a minute later, his hands cupped together, looking terribly smug.

"I caught the little sucker, no problem. You wanna grill the sucker now, or wait for Kaede?"

"I should grill you! You stupid dog! What did you break in my house?" Miroku didn't even try to restrain his wife, in fact, Miroku had a tender look on his face as Sango hit Inu Yasha over the head with her Hiraikotsu,

"She's so adorable when she's angry." Kagome wasn't sure about that, so said nothing, just eventually got Sango away from Inu Yasha in order to check out the house. Inu Yasha hadn't destroyed the wedding dishes, but they did have to sweep up a few bowls that had shattered. Afterwards everyone took a seat in the main room. Sango slammed down a cup of tea in front of Inu Yasha,

"I don't really want any-" Inu Yasha began, but then shut up under Sango's glare. Kagome couldn't help but laugh and soon Shippou and Miroku had joined her, laughing harder at Inu Yasha's outraged expression. Sango smiled pleasantly at them, and like a perfect hostess demurely placed down everyone else's cups of tea. Taking a seat by Miroku Sango looked over to Kagome and said,

"I don't think we need to wait for Kaede. She said that nothing we were saying sounded familiar…" Kagome nodded in agreement and looked to the little flea caught between Inu Yasha's fingers. Myoga looked completely dejected. Kagome couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"Myoga, if you promise not to run away again, I'm sure Inu Yasha will let you go." The flea sighed.

"I promise. I don't have the energy to run anymore." Inu Yasha obligingly flicked the flea onto the table top.

"Get to talking flea! Whadd'ya know about the day courts?" The flea flinched at the name.

"I-uh, I have heard a few things in passing." Myoga began to nibble at a stray grain of rice he found on the table top. The grain was about the same size as him, and if anything he was simply trying to hide behind it. Kagome glared at Inu Yasha.

"What?" He demanded. She just sighed, he'd never learn.

"Myoga, I'm not sure if Inu Yasha explained any of this—I'm guessing he didn't-but it's really important for me to find as much as possible as I can about the day courts. If you know any thing please tell me." Kagome said this all very softly, and Myoga hesitantly peered around the grain of rice. The flea still looked uncomfortable but he asked,

"Why is it so important? How did you even hear of it?" Kagome met Myoga's eyes,

"Because I just found out that my father is actually from this time-"

"What?How can that be?" Given Myoga's reaction to the mention of the day courts before, Kagome tried to figure out a delicate way to say that her father was apart of the day courts. Whatever that was.

"It seems that…well, the day courts…my father was-"

"Oh Kagome! I'm sorry!" The flea jumped on her face and hugged the tip of her nose. "I don't know how he managed to traverse time to meet your mother, but to have him taken by the day courts! The horror! I cannot begin to understand your grief!" The flea cried with teary eyes. Kagome bit her lip. Delicately pulling Myoga from her nose she held him in her palm.

"I appreciate it Myoga, but you've misunderstood. My father was apart of the day courts." Myoga looked stricken. He pressed his face into her palm and after a moment, bit her, quickly sucked her blood then even before Kagome could shake him off, he fainted.

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AN: I realize this chapter is a lot of build-up, a lot of talking, and no Sesshoumaru. Good things come to those who wait. Or at least it makes for better, more believable fan fiction.