Kagome
Lady of the West
By Advi
Chapter 9
Daisan
After hours of flying, Kagome noticed that Sesshoumaru was beginning to descend towards a lush golden and crimson forest. Wow… the seasons are changing quicker here! I can't believe how beautiful this gorgeous autumn forest is. I used to think emerald green forests were beautiful; however, when their leaves change colors, the forest is even more magnificent, mused Kagome, as they entered the tree line of the autumn forest. When they landed on the forest floor, Kagome saw that there was still much green left in the autumn forest.
Rin dismounted Ah-Un, but Kagome remained seated on the dragon steed. She could not tear her gazed away from the golden and red trees. "Kagome-sama," Sesshoumaru called out, finally turning her attention away from the trees.
"Yes?" she replied.
"I wish to leave you and Rin here while Jaken and I go onward to seek the Oni."
"Can't I come as well?" Kagome asked. She truly wished to prove herself to him.
"No, it is far too dangerous," Sesshoumaru replied firmly.
Kagome was hurt. Did he think she would get in his way? But keeping to her promise that she would respect him, Kagome held her head down and answered, "I understand."
Sesshoumaru turned away and called to Jaken. Silently, the Taiyoukai and his servant flew away on a beautiful cloud of youki and disappeared into the forest.
Kagome finally dismounted Ah-Un and stared sadly at the place where she lost sight of Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha used to take everybody into battle… I don't think I got in his way much. In fact on more than one occasion I saved Inuyasha with my hama-no-ya.
Kagome turned around and saw Rin sitting on the ground, looking at the picture of Cinderella in her beautiful ball gown. All of a sudden a little voice in Kagome's head said 'But Rin can't defend herself.'
Stubbornly, Kagome reflected, Shippou is smaller than Rin and he can defend himself rather well in all our battles. I don't see why Sesshoumaru never brings her along in battles. Does he think women are weak? Then the little voice in her head said, 'If Shippou was a human child, would you still take him into battle?'
Kagome gasped.
She would never take a small human child into battle. At that moment, the battles she and Inuyasha had with Naraku, the Shichinitai, and Moryuumaru flashed before Kagome's eyes. If Sesshoumaru had taken Rin into battle with him in some of the worst battles she and Inuyasha had been in, would Rin have managed to escape alive?
Of course, Sesshoumaru had Tenseiga, but would anyone put a child in needless danger just because they could revive them later? Kagome turned away from Rin, ashamed of her thoughts. I am so selfish. I want to go into battle so badly that I would put a child in harms way. Do I really deserve being called mother by that girl if I think in such a way? I should have never taken Shippou into battle with us all those times. Sure he is youkai, but he is still just a child. Kagome then remembered all the times Shippou ran around crying for help in a battle. His toys did save him a couple of times, but he still needed to be saved because he was just a child thrown into a dangerous situation.
Kagome felt ashamed of herself. The reason why Sesshoumaru did not take me along with him is because I am pregnant. What would happen to me if the Oni threw me? I would fall roughly to the ground… such a fall will make me lose the baby. Sesshoumaru is protecting both me and my baby, yet… "I am so selfish," said Kagome, softly under her breath.
"Haha-ue," Rin called out.
Kagome turned, "Yes, my dear Rin?"
Rin held the book up and said, "Do you know how to read these funny words? The pictures look like they tell a story. Rin wants to know what happens in this story."
Kagome saw that Rin was holding up a page with the picture of a girl with long brown hair, kneeling down on the kitchen floor, looking dirty with peapods in her hands. Kagome walked towards Rin and knelt down. She took the book from the little girl, looked at it and smiled. "This is the story of Cinderella."
"Shin-de-la?" said Rin, mispronouncing the name. It made Kagome chuckle.
"Cin-de-re-lla," Kagome corrected her. "I know how to read these funny words, would you like me to read you this story?"
"Yes, please!" Rin answered excitedly. Ah-Un walked towards the pair and lay its self down near them. Kagome sat by a tree while Rin rested on her stomach and propped herself up on elbows, staring in rapt attention at her mother.
Kagome began:
Once upon a time, there was a rich man who lived happily with his wife and daughter. But, one day his wife became ill. Before she died, she said to her daughter, "My dear child, I must leave you now. But when I am up there in heaven, I shall look down upon you. Plant a little tree on my grave. And when you wish for something, shake it and your wish will be granted. And when you are in danger I will send help. Be a good girl always." With those last words, the wife died.
After the tree had leaves for the second time, the man married again. This woman had two daughters of her own who were arrogant and wicked.
They made life very difficult for the little girl. They took away all of her pretty clothes and gave her an old patched up dress. They made fun of her and took her into the kitchen where she had to work hard every day. But at night, when she was tired, there was no bed for her. She had to lie down in the hearth and warm ashes, and because she always looked dirty, the girl was called Cinderella.
"Uwah! How cruel! Why did Cinderella's father allow that?" Rin asked.
Kagome gazed surprised at Rin, it was a question that she herself had never asked. "Um… I guess he was blinded by his love for his new wife that he did not realize the hurt he was causing Cinderella," she answered unsurely. It made Kagome think of Inuyasha, Kikyou, and herself. Shaking herself out of those thoughts, Kagome continued to read.
Now it happened that the king proclaimed a festival that was to last three days. All the beautiful young girls in the land were invited, so that his son, the Prince, could select a bride for himself. When the two stepsisters heard that they too had been invited, they were in high spirits.
"Was not Cinderella invited too?" Rin asked.
Kagome grinned, "Be patient and let me read, and you will find out."
They made Cinderella dress them up in pretty dresses, comb their hair and even place their shoes on their feet. Cinderella had to do all this while wishing in her heart that she could go to the festival too. But her evil stepsisters and stepmother would not allow her to go. Instead her stepmother gave her a bowl of peas and told her to shell them till they return from the festival.
"How cruel!" Rin commented.
"True," Kagome replied.
When Cinderella began her work, two doves flew in from the garden and asked her, "Cinderella, can we help you?" Gladly, Cinderella accepted their help and they shelled all the peas quickly. Remembering what her mother said, Cinderella went to her mother's grave beneath the tree and wished: Shake and quiver little tree, throw down gold and silver to me.
A bird, perched on the tree threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver. She quickly put on the dress and went to the festival.
Her stepsisters and her stepmother did not recognize her. Cinderella was so beautiful they thought she must be a foreign princess. When the prince saw Cinderella, he fell in love with her and danced all night only with her. Shortly before midnight, Cinderella said goodbye to him and went home.
When her bad tempered sisters came home they complained that the prince danced only with a strange Princess.
The next day when her sister went to the festival again, they gave Cinderella more peas to shell. Again the doves came into the kitchen and helped Cinderella to do her work quickly. Once she was done, Cinderella ran to the little tree and shook it. The bird on the tree threw down an even more magnificent dress than the day before.
When she arrived at the festival, she found the Prince waiting for her. He danced again only with her and would not allow others to dance with Cinderella. When it was nearly midnight, Cinderella bade the Prince goodbye and left the ball.
On the third day, Cinderella's stepmother gave her lentils to clean but with the help of the doves, she quickly finished her work. She quickly went to the little tree on her mother's grave and wished: Shake and quiver, little tree. Throw gold and silver down to me.
This time the little bird threw down a dress that was more splendid and magnificent than any than she yet had, and slippers made of pure gold. When Cinderella arrived at the festival everyone there was astounded by her beauty. The Prince approached her and again they danced all night together. When midnight came and Cinderella wanted to leave, she ran away from the Prince who chased after her. However, this time the Prince laid a trap. He had the entire stairway that she would run down smeared in pitch.
"Haha-ue, what is pitch?" Rin asked.
"Er… I think it is something like tar. It is something that's sticky," Kagome answered.
When Cinderella ran down the stairway, her left slipper stuck in the pitch. The Prince picked up her golden slipper and saw how dainty and small it was. "No one shall be my wife except for the one whose foot fits this golden shoe," said the Prince.
The Prince traveled all over his kingdom but the shoe was too small for everyone. Finally, he came to the house of Cinderella's father.
Rin sat up and listened intently to the story. Even Ah-Un's heads rose. It too was listening to the story and was interested to know whether the Prince would find Cinderella.
First the older sister tried it on. Because her heel would not go in, her mother told her to cut a piece of her heel off. She convinced her daughter that she will not go on foot when she is queen. So the elder sister chopped her heel off and forced the foot into the shoe.
"Uh, that stepmother is not only cruel to Cinderella but her own children too!" Rin commented.
When the Prince passed the gate with his new prospective bride, the two doves cried, "Rook di goo, rook di goo! There's blood in the shoe. The shoe is too tight, the bride is not right." The Prince saw the blood run out of the shoe and took the older stepsister home.
Rin smiled. She did not want any of Cinderella's evil stepsisters to be married to the Prince.
Now the second stepsister tried the shoe but her toe was too big to fit into the shoe. Her mother told her to cut off her toe because when she is queen she would not have to go on foot. So the second sister chopped her toe off and forced her foot into the shoe. When the Prince rode off with this bride, again the doves repeated their cries. The Prince saw that the doves were correct and took and second stepsister home.
There the Prince asked the father if he had another daughter and he answered "No. Only a deformed little Cinderella from my first wife, but she cannot possible be your bride."
"Haha-ue, why did the father say no? Did he forget that Cinderella is his daughter?" Rin asked.
"Um…" said Kagome, wreaking her brain for an answer, "I really don't know..."
"Maybe when Sesshoumaru-sama returns, haha-ue could read him the story and he might know the answer!" said Rin.
Kagome gazed at the little girl. If Sesshoumaru can come up with an answer to that question I'll bake him a cake when we go back to my time! "All right, when Sesshoumaru returns, we'll ask him if he knows why Cinderella's father said no."
But the prince insisted on it, and so they had to call Cinderella. She sat down on a stool, pulled her foot out of the heavy wooden shoe, and put it into the slipper, and it fitted her perfectly.
When she stood up the prince looked into her face, and he recognized the beautiful girl who had danced with him. He cried out, "She is my true bride."
The stepmother and the two sisters were horrified and turned pale with anger. The prince, however, took Cinderella onto his horse and rode away with her. As they passed by the little tree on the grave, the two white pigeons cried out: Rook di goo, rook di goo! No blood in the shoe. The shoe's not tight, the bride is right!
The Prince hearing the doves song, happily took Cinderella back home to his castle and introduced her to his father the King. The Prince and Cinderella had the most magnificent wedding and they lived happily ever after.
"The end," said Kagome. "How did you like that story Rin?"
"I liked it very much, haha-ue!" Rin replied happily. "I can't wait till you read it again!" Kagome smiled lovingly at the little girl and handed her the book. Rin took the book and lay down once again on her stomach and continued to look at the beautiful colored pictures in the book.
Yes, it was right that Sesshoumaru did not take us into battle… if he did, I could not have deepened my bond with Rin. That is more important than proving myself in battle. My job is to be her mother, taking my child into battle and putting her in danger is something no mother will do.
- - - O - - -
In a large room, filled with aromatic incense burning, a beautiful lady with long silvery hair gazed into a black orb that showed her the image of Sesshoumaru soaring through the forest. "Hmm… so the wandering lord returns," she commented. Lying on a long chair with many cushions placed on it, she was accompanied by two servants. They looked like two human children, however, their skin was white in color and their eyes were glazed and something seemed missing in their gazes. They were currently fanning this silver-haired beauty.
"I wonder how Sesshoumaru will react to this enemy?" she asked, with a fascinated look on her face. She brushed her silver bangs away, revealing a Prussian blue crescent moon on her forehead.
- - - O - - -
Sesshoumaru flew directly towards the location of the first attack. Within the span of one night, a relatively new human settlement was slaughtered. No one survived, not even the chickens in the coup. Anything that lived in the village was killed, their bodies ripped to shreds. But, strangely, there was hardly any blood on the ground. Though, something that resembled blood mixed with a sticky foul substance was placed over all the trees that surrounded the massacred village.
One did not need to be a youkai to know when you were approaching this village. The stench of rotting carcasses was so overpowering that even a human could smell it faraway. Sesshoumaru's cloud disappeared as he continued on foot to the village, with Jaken following steadfastly behind.
"Even a battlefield does not smell this bad," Jaken commented.
As they approached the edge of the forest, Sesshoumaru quickly came to a tree smeared with the blood-like substance and stared at it. It was human blood mixed with the blood of other creatures, and, with what he guessed to be saliva from the oni. "So, he marked this village as his own?" said Sesshoumaru calmly. He gazed at the village. Though the smell of decomposing corpses was overpowering, there were no lesser youkai about to feast on the dead. Something is not right here. Sesshoumaru turned and looked at the blood-like substance again. It is placed on all the trees that surround the village like a…
"Barrier," said Sesshoumaru, softly.
"A barrier? Where O-Mikoto-sama? This Jaken does not sense one nearby," said Jaken squinting at the village.
Sesshoumaru drew Enshiga out and pointed its tip at the blood-like substance. "Is that so?" All of a sudden, the gooey substance protruded from the tree and tried to strike Enshiga's blade. But, the moment it touched the sword, Sesshoumaru's youki disintegrated it.
Jaken's eyes widened. "Oh, that is the great Sesshoumaru-sama. You always see danger where no one else notices it."
"Jaken, after I destroy the barrier, burn the village."
"Yes, O-Mikoto-sama."
Without warning, Sesshoumaru jumped up. Jaken realized he was in danger and ran into the forest to seek shelter. The Taiyoukai ascended high above the forest and the village. He performed a summersault in the air and started to fall gracefully into the heart of the village. But, without waiting for the barrier to attack him, Sesshoumaru softly uttered, "Kiken no Cho," and swept Enshiga with its tip pointing down and brought it up swiftly towards the height of his shoulder. Then, he arc the sword up and fluidly swept the blade to his other side. As he moved Enshiga, a ribbon of youki shot out like a whip from the tip of the sword's blade and trashed the tree line, snapping the tree's that had the blood-like substance on them in half, as if they were mere twigs.
When Sesshoumaru completed the move, it looked as if he had drawn a large infinity symbol in the air that moved swiftly away from the Taiyoukai and decimated the tree line. In midair he turned and saw some of the remaining blood-like substances shooting from the surviving trees towards him. Again, Sesshoumaru drew another infinity symbol in the air. The powerful ribbon of his youki, slammed into the red tentacles, breaking them like glass and trashed the trees violently.
The sounds of the trees breaking was so thunderous that birds in trees nearby flew up into the sky making a loud racquet.
Effortlessly, Sesshoumaru landed on the roof of a house and gazed down at a village street littered with body parts. The buzzing of flies was loud, for they were the only things the bloody barrier allowed into the village. The rancid stench was overpowering, but, it hardly fazed Sesshoumaru. However, he turned away, his eyes shut, at the sight of maggots squirming over the rotting body parts of his subjects. He leapt away. Such a sight… it reminds me of the time when Naraku was still in power.
He landed gingerly by a fallen tree and sat down. Jaken came to his side. "My lord shall I now burn the village?"
"Leave nothing but ashes," Sesshoumaru instructed.
"As you command, O-Mikoto-sama!" Jaken answered. He made his way to the village with the Nintoujou held high, leaving Sesshoumaru deep in thought. All those body parts… they were ripped violently apart… but… there was no blood spilt… were their bodies torn apart after their blood was taken from them? Sesshoumaru looked up and saw Jaken throwing a torrent of flames into the village. The fire spread quickly. He watched his little servant running about to control the fire so it would not spread to the forest.
"This oni I am after is one that takes its victims blood before tearing their body's apart," said Sesshoumaru to himself. I am glad Kagome did not insist on coming. This village is not a sight I would want her or Rin to witness. Once the flames died, they left the village, Sesshoumaru tracking the Oni by its smell.
Far away, in complete safety, the beautiful silver-haired lady continued to gaze into her black orb, watching Sesshoumaru. "Hmm… what's this? He has Tenseiga. I thought that sword had fused with Tessaiga?" she appeared a little disappointed. "Oh, I was going to enjoy watching him struggle a little with the oni. Now, he has something that will give him certain victory. The goddess of good fortune seems to favor you considerably Sesshoumaru." She continued to watch Sesshoumaru and noticed something about his manner. "He appears different from the last time I saw him. I wonder what occurred to bring about this change."
Knowing where the Oni had headed, Sesshoumaru summoned his cloud. Quickly, the Taiyoukai and his faithful servant flew towards a kitsune colony located beyond the next mountain.
When he finally reached the colony, no one came to greet him. "Why, this is strange, Sesshoumaru-sama… I can smell there are villagers here, but why has no one come to greet us?" asked Jaken, looking about the small Kitsune colony.
The Kitsunes made dens in the ground, so there were many mounds with small wooden doors on it. Soft green grass grew on the mounds making the village appear from a far like a knobby field of grass.
"OOI! SESSHOUMARU O-MIKOTO-SAMA HAS COME! VILLAGE LEADER, COME FORTH!" Jaken cried out.
Silence.
"Wha! How disrespectful!" Jaken exclaimed.
But just then, a door opened on a mound near them. The Taiyoukai and the small frog youkai turned. The door remained opened for a while before a Kitsune popped his head out of the door. He glanced around before slowly emerging from the den. He bowed towards Sesshoumaru and then approached the Taiyoukai slowly. "Begging your forgiveness, O-Mikoto-sama… but, the oni attacked the colony again early in the morning. We are all very afraid."
Sesshoumaru gazed at the Kitsune leader and studied what he had just heard.
"Did you not try to defeat the oni?" Jaken demanded.
The Kitsune leader shut his eyes in pain and glanced away, "The first time the Oni struck, we fought our hardest to defeat it, but… this oni is undefeatable."
"Undefeatable?" Sesshoumaru asked, his eyebrows rose in question.
The kitsune leader bowed his head down. "Yes, O-Mikoto-sama. We tried everything. We burned the oni with Kitsune-bi numerous times, but no matter how badly we burned it, the Oni would recover and be as if it was never burnt in the first place. Swords, spears or halberds do not work on it either. It killed four of my villagers. Biting them with two of its three heads, the third one laughing."
"It has three heads?" Jaken inquired.
"Yes… …" the leader answered, but, right at that moment, they heard a sound that made all three youkai turn their gazes to the forest. It sounded as if something was pushing the trees of the forest apart. The kitsune leader made a sound and quickly ran back into his den and shut the door on the Lord of the Lands.
"Such fear in a youkai," said Jaken, shaking his head.
Sesshoumaru drew Enshiga and held it to his side, whilst gazing unblinkingly at the forest. He could see the trees shaking violently and hear large footsteps coming towards the village. All of a sudden, Tenseiga pulsed at his hip. Sesshoumaru looked down at his father's momento. Tenseiga? You want me to use you?
Sesshoumaru looked up and saw two big hands push two tall trees apart. The Oni then pushed its humongous body through those trees and glared at Sesshoumaru.
"HAAAAAA! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING IN MY VILLAGE?" the oni demanded.
Sesshoumaru had his usual poker-face on as he stared at the monstrous Oni. The oni had one very large head with three faces. One face had a triangle on its forehead, a big nose, thick lips with tusks that protruded from its upper lip and a long tongue that hung down by its chin. The other sets of faces were located on the sides of its head. The face on the left had a set of large fangs that reached down to its chin, while the face on the right had a set of serrated teeth. The oni's hair was purple in color and was secured at the very top of its head by a gold cuff.
It wore a large and chunky collar made out of bronze on its neck. The Oni also wore chest and waist armor. The chest armor was secured by chains while the waist armor by a very large obi.
On the oni's long thick and muscular arms, it wore armlets and many bracelets. Its hands were very large and it had talons instead of nails on its fingers. The oni wore a pair of narrow and short hakama's; however, it had hoofs for feet. It also carried a large trident that had a two pronged fork at the other end.
Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow at the oni. "Your village?"
"GRAAAAA, TIS WAS YOU WHO BURNT MY FIRST VILLAGE!" said the face on the right.
Sesshoumaru broke a grin, but said nothing.
"DARE YOU TAKE WHAT IS MINE? WHO ARE YOU THIEF?" asked the face on the left.
"Sesshoumaru, Mikoto of the Seibu no Kyutei, ruler of the ground you tread your hoofs upon. How dare you call me a thief, thief!"
"SESSHOUMARU!" The three faces roared as one.
"I AM TAIYOUKAI DAISAN! I CHALLENGE YOU FOR YOUR LANDS SESSHOUMARU!"
"Taiyoukai? You?" Sesshoumaru asked coldly.
Without further ado, the face in the middle opened its mouth and blew out a thick and putrid breath of miasma. Sesshoumaru leapt away while Jaken ran as fast as his small feet could take him.
Daisan's right face gave a toothy grin and gazed at Sesshoumaru with murderous intent.
It does not have to turn its head to look. I must remember it has three faces with three sets of eyes! Sesshoumaru reflected. He pointed Enshiga at the oni and shot a ball of youki at Daisan. The bright ball of Sesshoumaru's youki spun at high speed as it flew towards the large oni. Sesshoumaru wanted to test the oni's reflexes so he could plan a way to defeat the gigantic demon.
Daisan spun his trident around so that the two-pronged fork was on the top. It then held the fork up and brought it down forcefully onto Sesshoumaru's ball of youki, cutting through it. There was a massive explosion.
Sesshoumaru's sleeves, hair and tail rose into the air, while debris flew in all directions. Jaken hid behind a mound.
When the debris settled, Jaken took a peek behind the mound and saw a large cloud of smoke where the oni had been standing. "Did Sesshoumaru-sama destroy that Daisan already?" Jaken asked.
Sesshoumaru; however, was staring at the cloud of smoke, stunned. "It broke my ball of youki…" said the Taiyoukai, his voice trailing.
"What?" Jaken replied shocked.
Out of the cloud of smoke, stepped Daisan, the three-faced oni, unscathed. Jaken's mouth dropped. "Impossible!"
Watching the fight through her black orb, the silver-hair lady chuckled. "Ara-ra… Sesshoumaru… your usual tactics will not work on this one." She smiled. "It seems he will not disappoint me by struggling with the wrong sword. I wonder when he will use the correct one?"
Sesshoumaru noticed something about the smell of the oni. This smell… he is from that place? Sesshoumaru took a quick glance at Tenseiga. Only you my dear friend can defeat this oni. But first…
Sesshoumaru pointed Enshiga at the oni and fired another ball of youki at it. "HEHEHEHEHE!" laughed the middle face loudly. Daisan brought the fork down and broke the ball of youki. Another explosion happened, and it was at that precise moment that Sesshoumaru leapt up. The smoke died down and the oni saw that Sesshoumaru was missing. "COWARD, HE FLED!" said Daisan.
A loud zinging sound suddenly came from above.
Something bright and green struck Daisan on its head. The oni roared in pain and swung its trident wildly in the air. Sesshoumaru caught the staff part of the trident in one hand, and like a skilled gymnast, he balanced himself on the staff and then flipped down to the ground, his back towards his enemy.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Sesshoumaru spun on his toes, and in one fluid movement, he raised Enshiga and slashed the oni's arm cleanly off its shoulder. The Taiyoukai then jumped back and leapt away. The large and bulky arm felt to the ground with a loud thud. The oni wailed in pain as black, tar-like blood poured from its shoulder. The moment the tar-like blood fell to the ground, it started to sizzle and bubble, killing all plant-life within a meter of the oni.
"HE- HEHEHEHEHE!" Daisan's center face burst out laughing. Sesshoumaru stared cautiously at the oni. "HEHEHEHEHEHE," Daisan continued to laugh.
"Why is he laughing? His arm was just severed!" said Jaken incredulously.
All of a sudden, Daisan's severed arm stood up and began to walk on its fingers and ran towards Jaken.
"Take this!" Jaken cried, as he pointed the Nintoujou at the severed arm coming towards him. A powerful gush of flames streamed from the staff and engulfed the severed body part. When the flames stopped, all that was left was a charcoal impression of the arm on the ground. "Nothing can survive the flames of Nintoujou!" Jaken proclaimed proudly.
The charcoal impression suddenly twitched.
Jaken blinked, "Eh, did it just move or were my eyes playing tricks on me?" The impression twitched again, and then, stood from the ground.
"What the?" said Jaken, taken aback.
Sesshoumaru watched the scene calculatingly. I cut off its arm yet it laughs… the arm that was severed has a life of its own… truly, beings from that place are formidable… but…
The lady that was watching the fight from her black orb smiled, it was as if she had noticed something that pleased her. "I see, you finally understand, Sesshoumaru. Beings like Daisan, which come from the netherworld make very formidable foes and are almost impossible to defeat. Weapons and powers of this world have no effect on him. Perhaps reiryoku of the highest degree could purify him, but that is a very rare thing… but you possess that other very rare thing which is able defeat him, a sword from his own world."
The charcoal arm shook all the soot of it and appeared pristine, as if it had never been burnt. "It is just as the Kitsune leader had said!" Jaken exclaimed, horrified. The arm continued towards the little imp. "ACK! How is one supposed to defeat an enemy you cannot kill!" Jaken cried, as he fled from the blue arm.
Sesshoumaru turned his gaze away from Jaken and sheathed Enshiga. The oni's three faces grinned maniacally at the Taiyoukai. "TODAY, SESSHOUMARU, YOU DIE!" said all three faces simultaneously. It inhaled deeply and then blew a large cloud of miasma towards Sesshoumaru.
The Taiyoukai did not move. He stood calmly on the spot and allowed the foul miasma to engulf him.
"AH! Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken stopped and shouted. But, he could not stop long. He had to run as the severed arm continued to chase after him.
"HAHAHAHA! I, DAISAN AM THE NEW LORD OF THE WEST! HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!" All of Daisan's three faces laughed boomingly.
"Think again," said Sesshoumaru from within the cloud of miasma. The Taiyoukai leapt from the cloud towards Daisan and drew Tenseiga from its scabbard. With a flash of blue light, Sesshoumaru struck the oni on its right shoulder down to its left waist.
The gallant Taiyoukai landed gingerly in front of Daisan. The oni looked down at the inuyoukai and asked, "WHAT DID YOU DO, EH, LOWLY INU? ALL I…" Daisan's chest armor suddenly broke to two and fell to the ground.
Sesshoumaru grinned.
A white crack of light appeared on Daisan's blue torso. It started from his shoulder and went down to his waist. Suddenly, a large dark void opened behind the oni. Its eyes turned white, while the severed arm that was chasing Jaken stopped and fell motionless to the ground.
The upper half of Daisan's body toppled and was sucked into the dark void, then its lower half. Sesshoumaru turned and softly uttered, "Meidou Zangetsuha," and walked away as the severed arm flew past him and entered the void.
"Jaken, it is time to leave," said Sesshoumaru, as he walked past many mounds which doors opened. The dark void closed and disappeared as the Kitsune villagers came out of their dens and knelt before the Taiyoukai and bowed their heads to the ground. The Kitsune leader came towards Sesshoumaru, and dropped to his knees. "O-Mikoto-sama, we are greatly indebted to you for saving us. How may we ever repay you in thanks?"
Sesshoumaru walked past the Kitsune leader without uttering a word. The leader turned and watched Sesshoumaru striding away with Jaken trailing close behind him. Then, just as Sesshoumaru was about to walk into the forest, he said, "I need no thanks. It is my duty to protect my people." With those parting words, Sesshoumaru disappeared into the forest with his loyal servant.
"What a majestic lord we have," said the Kitsune leader in awe.
- - - O - - -
It did not take long before Sesshoumaru reached the place where he had left Kagome and Rin. It was quiet and peaceful in that part of the forest. The cloud he had been riding, dissipated, as his feet softly stepped on the ground. He gazed at his alpha female, sitting by a tree, asleep. Rin was a slight distance away with Ah-Un, chasing rabbits.
Sesshoumaru approached his consort silently and knelt down by her side. Jaken, meanwhile, walked ahead of his lord towards Rin and the two-headed dragon.
Gently, Sesshoumaru caressed Kagome's cheek with his claws. Her eyes opened and turned towards his touch. "Oh, Sesshoumaru-sama, you've returned… oh, did I fall asleep?" Kagome asked, as she sat up.
"Yes, but my lady should not fret about resting. Life is growing within you," Sesshoumaru answered tenderly as he helped Kagome to her feet.
"How did your battle with the oni go, Sesshoumaru-sama? Did you have any difficulties dealing with it?"
"Indeed, however, with Tenseiga's help I achieved victory."
Kagome gazed down at Tenseiga secured in his obi. "Tenseiga… you know I was surprised when it separated itself from Tessaiga shortly after Naraku's end."
"Yes, Tenseiga surprised this Sesshoumaru also when it returned." It was then that the Taiyoukai saw Kagome smiling tenderly at him, and Sesshoumaru found that he loved the way she smiled at him. Sesshoumaru mused that he could watch her smile all day long. He realized his line of thought and quickly looked away and saw Rin, Ah-Un and Jaken approaching them.
"Welcome back Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin greeted the Taiyoukai chirpily.
Gently, Sesshoumaru said, "Rin, retrieve your book. We are leaving now."
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin replied at once. Kagome, still gazing at Sesshoumaru asked, "Where are we going now, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
The Taiyoukai turned to her and answered, "To my mother's palace. I wish you to meet her."
Kagome gulped. She did not think she would be meeting her mother in-law so soon.
End of Chapter
A chapter that is shorter than previous ones, but one that I loved writing. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed composing it.
My dear readers, I have an important question for all of you out there. Sometime ago, a reader pointed out that I made Kagome and Souta older but failed to make Rin older as well. So my question for you is do you want to see an older Rin in this story rather than the one I have been writing, which is that of a little girl.
I did not realize my mistake because I just love to write Rin as a little girl! Waaaah I am so sorry all of you. So, how many of you out there want to see an older Rin, and who wants me to keep Rin as a little girl?
Author has both hands up on keeping Rin as a small girl.
Sesshoumaru: You can't be counted, that is not fair.
Advi: Awwww… say Sesshoumaru-sama, would you like an older Rin or should I keep her as a young girl?
Sesshoumaru: I do not want her to grow up… keep her as a small girl.
Advi: Well that's one vote so far. How about all of you out there reading this story?