Moonless Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of its characters

Bright light flooded Sahara's vision when she was finally able to open her eyes. She blinked several times to adjust to the rays of sunlight entering the room through the large window she was facing from her position atop the soft material her body rested on. She slowly lifted her head to look around the bright airy room. It was large, probably the biggest room Sahara had ever seen, although, there wasn't much furniture in it. A tall wardrobe rested against the wall farthest from her and a door to her right led to what seemed like a bathroom that had smooth white stone floors. Her eyes traveled down to the very large bed that supported her body as she sat up. It was certainly the biggest bed imaginable. Sahara guessed it could probably fit her entire family with plenty of space in between them. It took up most of the room, which was still very large.

"Who would need a bed so big?" She whispered fingering the white silk blanket beneath her. Her eyes traveled down to her own body and found it bare. The kimono she had worn earlier was gone and she was completely exposed to the cool air.

Startled, she jumped off the bed and wrapped her arms around her in an attempt to cover her breasts from any potential eyes. "What happened? Where am I?" She asked herself scanning the room desperately for something she could wrap herself in. She took a step back to turn back to the bed to grab the blanket she had been laying on when something soft, but thin, brushed against her left shoulder and she let out a noise that sounded like something between a startled scream and a squeal.

Her head turned to see the tip of a wing at about her eye level coming out from somewhere behind her. Now that she had noticed it, she could feel the source at her mid-back and could control the fluttering movement. The feeling was odd. She could feel every muscle in her back, some she didn't even know she had. Sahara was so fascinated by this discovery that she found herself in a daze-like state trying to figure out how to control the movement of her wings. She began to walk around the room and discovered that if she stood up straight with her shoulders back her wings folded back and together. Almost completely out of her way, but it was slightly difficult to sit with them. If only she could figure out how to make them disappear.

At this moment, there was a small knock at the door before it was slowly opened. Horrified, Sahara stumbled backwards on the bed attempting to cover her exposed womanhood and her breasts from her intruder. A young looking demon hurried in after laying dark brown eyes on Sahara. She made her way towards the younger demoness looking her over with an intrigued expression on her slightly amused face. Sahara watched the woman closely as she gracefully came to stand in front of her. She had pale skin and long dark blue hair that flowed out around her. Some small flowery ornaments decorated her hair to frame her face, to show she was of some authority, but she wasn't exactly a noble. Long eye lashes adorned her eyes giving them a darker look while her lips were a deep red color. Long-sleeved robes framed her perfectly body elegantly, identifying every womanly curve such as her wide hips and huge breasts.

The new demon gave Sahara a small smile folding her arms so that her hands were tucked inside her sleeves across her body, "So, you are the last butterfly demon everyone in the palace has been talking about. No wonder Lord Sesshomaru has taken an interest in you." Her tone sent a shiver down Sahara's spine. Something about this woman caused warnings to course through her body.

"Who are you?" Sahara asked tentatively causing the woman to chuckle menacingly.

"You may call me Lady Akime. I am to be watching over you for the length of time Lord Sesshomaru desires you to remain here." Akime turned from Sahara to look inside the wardrobe resting against the wall behind her, but Sahara heard her mumble something that sounded like, "Hopefully it will not be very long", under her breath. Sahara was confused.

"Lord Sesshomaru? As in The demon Lord of the West? What would he want with me?"

Akime turned around pulling out a silk long kimono and laid it out on the bed next to Sahara. She then went back to pull out a pair of beautiful pink sandals to match the Sakura petals that decorated the white kimono. "The lord does as he pleases when he pleases. No questions asked. You might want to remember that when he sees you." She then motioned for the younger girl to stand, which she obeyed still covering her breasts. Akime looked her over one last time before eyeing the wings that were fluttering nervously behind Sahara. "You might want to do something about your wings if I am to bathe you, unless you want them ruined. Doesn't matter either way to me."

Sahara turned her head to lock her blue eyes on the rainbow colored wings behind her. "I'm afraid I don't know how. I just discovered them myself not too long ago."

Akime seemed irritated at this. She rolled her eyes and moved towards the bathroom. "Well you better figure it out. I'm going to get your bath ready. The Lord would like to see you as soon as possible."

Sahara turned back to the girl who had disappeared through the other door. What was she supposed to do now?

Meanwhile...

Touya collapsed in defeat on the hardwood floor next to his half-sister, Akina. He had brought the half-demon, InuYasha, and his friends back to the small hut that was his home. They all looked disappointed and contemplative as Akina began to pass around tea at their table.

"I can't believe it." Touya finally spoke his small cat ears now gone from his head. "I let that bastard get away."

"Don't worry, Touya. We will get Sahara back !" Kagome said reassuringly.

Miroku cleared his throat from across the table eyeing Touya. "Sesshomaru said something about your sister belonging to him. Can you clarify that?"

Touya glanced over at his sister who just stared back at her older brother. Akina sighed down at the table looking into the small clay cup. "Unfortunately, we don't know that story. You see, Touya, Gwen, and I are all related. Touya is half-brother to Gwen and me, but Sahara and Kindra were taken in by our father."

"I see." Miroku scratched his chin absently.

"How did that come to be?" Sango suddenly asked, "I mean it's rare to see butterfly demons. How did Sahara end up here?"

Akina answered politely since Touya seemed distracted by his own thoughts, "Well, you see, our father kind of has a way with women." She twirled a lock of brown hair in-between her fingers, "It's not like he means to. They are just somehow attracted to him, especially demon women."

"Hmm… A way with the ladies without meaning to, you say?" Miroku mused to himself, "I must meet this charming man."

"Miroku!" Sango hit him over the head receiving a muffled "Ouch!" from the young monk.

"As you have probably guessed," Akina went on in her sweet voice ignoring the interruption, "Touya's mother was a cat demon, but she had passed on during child birth. A few years afterwards, Gwen and I were born. Our mother was human and she was the kindest, gentlest person you could possibly imagine. But…" Akina trailed off sadly looking to her brother to finish.

"She was plagued with some rare disease which there was no cure for. Not long after that, Sahara's mother fell in love with father." Touya clutched the cup in his hands. "She was a full butterfly demon and a beautiful one at that. It was understandable that father fell for her so soon. It distracted him from the last two lovers he had lost. However," He paused glancing up to see everyone staring at him waiting for him to continue. Even InuYasha, who sat in the doorway couldn't help but be intrigued, "Sahara's mother felt it was her duty as the last female butterfly demon to bear another. So, she left in search of the demon lord to the North."

"The last male butterfly demon was a lord at the north." Sango whispered. "He died recently, didn't he?"

The siblings shrugged

"So how does that explain Sahara? Shouldn't she be with her parents?" Shippo suddenly jumped on to Kagome's shoulder.

"Now, we don't know much about this part, but what we gather…" Akina looked at her brother.

"That particular lord wasn't the type of man Sahara's mother wanted to be with. So, she left him and returned here." Touya clenched his fists tightly on the low table they sat at. "She returned here with Sahara, but she couldn't…" He trailed off his anger getting the better of him.

"She couldn't what?" Kagome urged on gently.

"Something about Sahara caused Sarylah to remember the lord butterfly demon." A firm male voice answered from somewhere in the back of the hut.

All eyes turned to look behind Akina where an older man, probably in his forties, stood next to a young woman about the same age as Akina and looked very much similar to the older woman. She introduced herself as Gwen. The older man's brown eyes looked over the visitors before coming to rest upon his offspring. "Where is your sister?"

Touya looked away ashamed, "The Lord of the West took her."

The older man shook his head sadly kneeling down between Akina and Gwen who had already seated herself and passed her father a cup of tea.

"So, he has finally come for her?" He took a sip as Touya almost bolted to his feet in shock.

"You knew? Father, how could-"

"Calm yourself, my son, and I will tell you the story just as Sarylah told me." He set the old cup down before giving his guests a warm smile, "First, introduce me to your friends. I am their father, Okumo."