Chapter 5
"He looks quite content." Miroku nudged the flea with a finger. It had been three hours since he had fainted. Now he was snoring, rosy cheeked, and drooling. They had at first all thought that he was feigning sleep, but after fifteen minutes of Inu Yasha shouting they decided it was genuine. Miroku got second watch duty. Despite having delegated people watching Myoga, so that when he finally woke up he wouldn't run away again, everyone stayed at the house. Inu Yasha was lounging across the floor, in everyone's way, but he seemed content to snooze. Kagome had taken the time to unpack a few of the things she had promised for Sango and Shippou. Shippou of course was headfirst in the bag, mouth already full of his promised candy. Kagome was explaining to Sango what a loofah was when Miroku called out,
"Hey, he's waking up!" Kagome and Sango hurried back into the room. Inu Yasha merely grunted and stayed sprawled out on the floor. Myoga looked half-asleep still, but a crooked half smile was on his lips. He looked drunk.
"Myoga, are you all right?" Kagome asked, peering at his face. Myoga hiccupped. He nodded his head slowly before he even spoke,
"Ah, yes, all is well. I merely forgot the potency of the Veiled's blood. I really do appreciate fine blood. Yours never use to taste quite so good Kagome." Recalling Myoga's slight fear and apprehension about talking about the day courts before, she thought maybe it was good he had drank some of her blood. It seemed to calm him down, made him seem kind of tipsy, maybe like a true drunk he'd forget his inhibitions a bit and talk about what he knew.
"What's the veiled? My bloods like the veiled—what?"
"The Veiled are the Courts-The Courts-it's all the same. "
"Ah. I see." She didn't understand at all.
"I believe Myoga means that The Veiled are what those who dwell in the courts are called, is that correct Myoga?" Miroku interrupted.
"Right you are Miroku, right you are." Myoga nodded slowly again.
"So..what exactly is the Day Courts?"
"I don't know too much about the Courts…not much is known to those outside of them…they are a secretive and mysterious race. Beautiful and terrifying." Myoga shuddered. "I only have heard of the Day Courts, my only experience lies with the Night Courts." Everyone looked thoroughly confused at this point. Kagome rubbed her forehead.
"Uh, the Night Courts?" Myoga began to tremble, as if some memory had come back to him.
"They are cold and beautiful…and so frightening. I wish I had never met her."
"Myoga, you're safe here. What do you mean 'her'? Please, I know you're scared but it's important." Another shudder ran through Myoga's small body before he spoke.
"The Great Dog Demon, rest his soul, married one of the princesses of the night court. She was cruel, and cold as ice." Inu Yasha finally sat up,
"My father never had a third wife!"
"True, he did not. My Lord's first wife was the princess I speak of." There was a brief silence.
"But Sesshoumaru's a full demon. That's impossible." Inu Yasha retorted.
"I don't know how, or what magics The Veiled of the Night Courts use, but Sesshoumaru is also of the Night Court, despite being fully demon. Perhaps the Courts are made up of some demons. I do not know."
"How do you know Sesshoumaru's a part of those Courts?" Inu Yasha demanded. Figured, Kagome thought, Inu Yasha would get stuck on the part that involved Sesshoumaru. Myoga glared at Inu Yasha.
"You'd have to be blind not to see it! Sesshoumaru wears his birthright on his forehead!"
"The crescent moon?" Miroku asked.
"Yes. The crescent moon is the sign on the Night Courts and the mark of Sesshoumaru's royalty." Everyone jumped when Inu Yasha punched the floor, shaking the table and breaking the Tatami mat. Sango didn't even say anything, Inu Yasha's expression was so fierce.
"You telling me that bastard is fucking royalty?" Kagome felt her heart ache, she knew immediately that Inu Yasha's question ran so much deeper than that, she could see the pain behind the anger on his face. Before anyone could say anything Inu Yasha stood and left the room. Myoga stared after Inu Yasha and shook his head sadly,
"It is nothing to be proud of, to claim blood from that Court. Even without the crescent moon, Sesshoumaru's taste for the cruel would identify his heritage."
"Are they a particularly cruel race?" Myoga hesitated a moment,
"I don't know the full story, but when my Lord Toga returned one winter he found his wife dead, and the rest of his house slaughtered. It seems that she took her own life after killing the household."
"What? That's horrible! Why would someone do such a thing?" Kagome gasped. Myoga shook his head sadly,
"I do not know what drove her. But I have had no dealings with the Courts before or after her and I have no wish to." Realizing what he said he looked up at Kagome, "of course, Kagome you're different. You didn't even know you had of their blood in you. You said your father was of the Day Courts anyways. Must be a whole different breed, for I've never seen cruelty in you like I've seen in Sesshoumaru or in his mother." Part of Kagome pitied Sesshoumaru, what a horrific way to loose one's mother. She felt a small sliver of fear as well. After the battle with Naraku when Sesshoumaru had formed an unofficial and somewhat uneasy alliance with them against Naraku, she had formed a respect and tentative trust in him. It was scary to think of his mother and how she had just snapped, who could tell if Sesshoumaru wouldn't turn on them?
Right as she was visualizing Sesshoumaru turning bloodthirsty and killing them all she realized what the next step in finding her father was going to be. She closed her eyes on a groan. She was going to have to go and talk to this cold, potentially bloodthirsty, Night Court prince. She dropped her head into her hands, what in the world would make Sesshoumaru want to do anything to help her? She peeked up at Myoga expectantly,
"Myoga you wouldn't know what a Dream Weaver is, would you? Apparently that's what my father was. Or is."
"Never heard of it." Kagome did groan now. Looks like Sesshoumaru was her next best bet at finding any information about her father. She thought about mentioning her dreams, but if Inu Yasha was in ear-shot, given his current state, she didn't think he'd like to hear about her dreaming about his hated brother. She'd see if the dreams came back tonight. Then she'd talk to Kaede and Miroku privately. Thinking of Inu Yasha she sighed. He'd hate that they were going to even ask Sesshoumaru for help. Kagome stood up and gave a small bow to Myoga,
"Thank you, Myoga for talking about this. I had better find Inu Yasha now." Sango sent Kagome a knowing look, which Kagome ignored. She was sure Inu Yasha would've calmed down by now. She left the house in search of him. She had walked past several houses before she spotted a patch of red in the branches of a tree.
"Hey." Inu Yasha glanced down at her,
"Hey."
"You mind if I come up?"
"Don't care. Do what you want." Was his muttered response. Kagome jumped to reach one of the thicker branches, she found a foothold for her left foot, but her right foot wouldn't quite reach…after a minute of flinging her leg and failing to catch on the next branch Kagome blew her hair out of her face and growled,
"A little help here!" Inu Yasha snorted and in a few swift moves Kagome was sitting below him on the tree and he was back in his spot leaning against the branches. "Thanks." A moment passed in companionable silence. She could tell he was still brooding. "You all right Inu Yasha?"
"Feh! OF course!" Kagome smiled to herself.
"You know. I think it kind of sucks that Sesshoumaru is a full demon, inherited all your father's land and name, and to top it off is royalty too. Not fair!" Inu Yasha glanced at Kagome suspiciously.
"Are you making fun of me?" He bit out. She made an innocent face,
"What? Why would you say that?" Inu Yasha crossed his arms.
"You are. I know you are. Well whatever. Make fun of me. It's NOT fair. That bastard doesn't deserve half of what he's got."
"Maybe not. But I've never seen him look happy. Would you rather have all that and be as miserable as him?" Inu Yasha seemed to ponder that for a minute then snorted.
"He does seem miserable all the time. IF anything we should pity HIM." Kagome bit back her laughter. Inu Yasha was so easy to read, and to bring around sometimes, yet she decided she'd still be better off telling him about asking Sesshoumaru for help tomorrow.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
AN: What is this! Two chapters in a row after months and months of nothing? Yes, yes indeed. My gift to you. I can't believe I started this story almost a year ago, let it almost wither and die and am only now coming back to it. Sesshy I'm so sorry! And no, this is not a romance between inuyasha and kagome. Just I fin that it's important to remember that she DOES love him and that they ARE really good friends. Must be established.