Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or anything affiliated with it. The rights to it belong solely to their respective owners.


Hey, I'm back! Sorry it took me so long to update; the end of the semester is here so my classes are really laying the work on me think. But I'm here now, and ready to reply!

Kihala Sisters: Thank you; I'm glad to hear that you do.

Elfen Child: They have a tendency to do that, don't they? And when Shippo does appear, I have a little plot twist up my sleeve.

PrincessAnime08: More on the Phoenix Tribe won't appear in this chapter, but it will come in the ones ahead.

Leafygreen16: I have a habit of making stories like that. And here's more awesomeness to enjoy!

EgyLynx: I didn't hurry, and now the next chapter has come.

Akita91: Ever so slowly, the gang is assembling. And although that mask will be broken somewhat, it's not like he's going to openly admit. (He didn't even actually say that about Rin)

Jj: Hi to you too.

And to Keep Calm and Be Ninja: Sorry to say that there will be no Yume/Inuyasha pairing, but the occurrences of the first few chapters will cause them to be close friends throughout the story.

And with that, we have Chapter 11!

Ch.11 The Toad Who Would Be Prince

When Inuyasha, Kagome, Nobunaga and I jumped over the castle wall we landed right in front of a fire, guards around it. "Crap!" I yelled, but even though I shouted the guards didn't move. They were… sleeping. I blinked and poked one in the side of the head. He kept snoring, and even when it clipped him on the side of the temple he didn't wake. "Such much for tight security," Inuyasha remarked. "Be careful, Master Inuyasha. Their sleep is hypnotic, not natural. It might even be castle-wide," Myoga warned him. Nobunaga took that as a sign to search as loudly as possible, because he ran inside, and within seconds was slamming down open. "Princess! Princess Tsuyu! It is I, Nobunaga, come to save you!" he called.

"Should we be letting him make so much noise?" Kagome asked. "Why not? They're all asleep, aren't they? Besides, the sooner we find the demon, the sooner we find the Jewel," Inuyasha reasoned, smiling at the thought. I was as well; from what I remembered this weak demon was actually going to be a pain in the neck. We followed Nobunaga, and he opened another door calling "Princess! Are you alright?" He saw a female figure lying on the ground and lifted up, but his expression turned to shock when he saw that it was an old woman. "Oh, Princess! What has happened to you?" he asked, holding the woman close. While Nobunaga was crying his eyes out, I looked to the other end of the room to see another woman laying there.

"Um, Nobunaga? Are you sure this isn't the princess?" I asked. He looked over and gasping, not even noticing the elderly woman dropping to the floor as he rushed over. "Princess! Please, wake up!" he implored, placing a hand on her shoulder. Myoga jumped up and said "Did you say Princess? I know a way to wake her up!" He jumped down and landed on her cheek, sucking blood out of it. Almost instantly she slapped her cheek, moaning and opening her eyes while Myoga floated down to the ground. "Princess," Nobunaga said in relief. Princess Tsuyu blinked and sat up, looking at him confusedly. "Nobunaga? Why are you here?" she asked. "You… remember me?" he asked in surprise and, if I'm not mistaken, hope.

"How could I forget you? You were ever so kind to me when we were childhood friends," the Princess said, smiling. Nobunaga blushed crimson. "I… I didn't think you would forget a lowly vassal such as me," he admitted. "I always remembered how you'd slip and fall in horse manure, and it always made me laugh," Princess Tsuyu said, giggling at the memory. Nobunaga's monkey fell off of his head, while its owner sighed disappointedly. "Hey Yume, you don't think Nobunaga's in love with the princess, do you?" Kagome whispered in my ear. "It looks to be that way," I said, sighing. Unrequited love was one of the strongest, and usually most painful, forms of love there was. The moment I thought that my mind drifted to Sesshomaru, but I pushed the thought aside.

Now was not the time to be thinking of him. Of his long, silvery hair, that handsome face, and golden eyes… I caught myself and shook my head vigorously. Now was not the time, I repeated. I managed to refocus on the conversation quickly enough to hear the Princess say "My Lord has been acting strangely. It began shortly after I came here to be his bride. He fell into a pond in the garden and ran a terrible fever. After that, he completely changed. Almost as if he were an entire other person." She looked up at Nobunaga. "Nobunaga, what am I to do?" she asked. "There's no other choice; you must return to Kai! Even your father far away heard of the lord's derangement. It was his order to I come for you," Nobunaga told her.

"My father ordered you to come?" the Princess asked. "Even if he had not given me the order, I would still have found some way to reach you," he declared. "Nobunaga…" Princess Tsuyu said. "Yes, Princess?" he said. "Nobunaga… there's a monkey on your head," the Princess said, pointing at said monkey who was spinning a bowl. "Yes, Princess," he said, mock-tears rolling down his face. I giggled at the scene, but that instantly faded when I heard footsteps in the hallway. All of the castle was asleep with the exception of the demon, so if someone was awake, then... "Inuyasha!" I said, and he nodded. "Yeah, I heard it," he said, and Kagome and the two of us stepped into the hall. A rather short, portly figure in the robes of nobility stood before us, its face wrapped in bandages.

"I thought I heard something!" he said in a rather high-pitched, nasal nose. "You heard right. Now show us your true form!" I said, eying the demonic black aura around him. "Not a chance!" he said, and a long tongue darted out at me. I stepped to side and dodged, while Inuyasha jumped forward and slashed with his claws. He only cut the bandages, but the lord fell back onto the ground, his face revealed. "It's a toad!" Kagome exclaimed, while Princess Tsuyu gasped. "My lord?!" she asked, before fainting. "Princess!" Nobunaga said, catching her. "Inuyasha! He has a Sacred Jewel shard; I can see it!" Kagome exclaimed. "Master Inuyasha, be careful. He's the Ninety-Ninth Toad of the Ninety-Ninth Generation. He's stronger than he looks," Myoga warned.

"Then one good punch ought to make it a hundred!" he replied. "Time to fork over the Jewel!" I said, and I ran at the demon with my claws extended. But when the both of us came near he opened his mouth, and a blast of purple gas billowed out. Inuyasha shouted and fell to the ground, clutching his throat, while I held my breath and slashed him across the chest. He fell back with the front of his robe torn, and I spread my arms. "Try this!" I said, and I channeled my power through me, exerting my will. A gale of wind spread outwards from my position, clearing the toxic fumes in less than a few seconds. "What?!" the toad exclaimed, while I smiled. Then he glared at me, and before I could react the toad tackled me football-style and shoved me to the side.

He moved towards Nobunaga, who unsheathed his sword. "Stay back, you monster!" he warned. "You think you can stop me, human scum?" the toad asked. "No, but I can!" Inuyasha said, rising up and attacking. But the toad turned around and darted his tongue out again, piercing him in the shoulder before turning to do the same to Nobunaga. "Inuyasha! Nobunaga!" Kagome called. The toad demon grabbed the Princess and hefted her over his shoulder, before ramming into the side wall and going through, running across the rooftop. "Princess!" Nobunaga said, struggling to get up. "Nobunaga, don;t strain yourself. You're wounded," she told him. I nodded in agreement, wincing as I felt my still-healing ribs.

"It doesn't matter what happens to me. Just save the Princess!" Nobunaga told her. "I know it. You do love her, don't you?" Kagome asked, smiling. "How could you guess?" he asked. "Uh, you mean it was a secret?" she replied. Inuyasha glared at the hole the toad had made. "That bastard! He won't get away!" he said. Suddenly Princess Tsuyu's screams pierced the air, and I wasted no time. "I'm going ahead! Inuyasha, come on!" I said, jumping out of the hole and dashing in the direction of the screams. "Got it!" Inuyasha said, and he followed me while Kagome called "Wait up!" The screams abruptly cut off, and just as I followed the trail of the toad's aura to his location. "Found you!" Inuyasha said.

I gasped; the Princess was frozen inside of an egg-like sac, looking at us in a silent plea for help. "Heh heh... You're too late," the toad said in satisfaction. "What are these things?" Kagome asked. "So the rumors were true. Sealed in like toadspawn. The souls of young woman are kept until they are ripe, then eaten," Myoga explained. "You mean, he intends to eat Princess Tsuyu! Not while I'm alive!" Nobunaga yelled, taking out his sword and barreling ahead. The toad let out another blast of toxic fumes, and Inuyasha pushed him out the way. "Stay back!" he called, while the toad let out more poison fog. I thought of throwing another fireball but decided not; the flames could ignite the fumes and burn everyone except for Inuyasha and me.

"Die!" Inuyasha called, and he leaped threw the smog while drawing Tetsuaiga. He slashed and cut the toad across the shoulder, causing it to fall back. "He hit the toad!" Kagome cheered, and Myoga added "And he was able to do it with Tetsuaiga too!" "The Princess is human, after all," I reminded him. "I'll use the Tetsuaiga and cut out the Jewel myself!" Inuyasha declared holding the sword with both hands. The toad touched his shoulder and panted at the sight of blood. "I can't die!" he said, before stretching his hand to the egg sacs. "Come to me! Souls, souls! I need souls!" he called. The sacs glowed, and the souls of several woman drifted out of them, flying into his mouth. He swallowed them, and the cut disappeared. "I live again," he announced.

"His wound's gone!" Kagome said, while I grunted and prepare to attack. He saw me and smugly said "Just keep attacking. And every time you do, I'll just eat another soul!" I stopped and glared angrily at the demon, before we all heard the sound of something being cut and turned to see Nobunaga freeing Princess Tsuyu from the egg. "Princess!" he said, but then the toad stepped in front of him. "Get away from my Princess!" he demanded. "Shut up!" Inuyasha said, and he hit the demon on the head with Tetsuaiga. "You've got nothing to say," he added. The toad fell onto his backside and I smirked, before his aura faded and he opened his eyes. "Princess? Princess Tsuyu? What's going... Tell me this isn't my doing," he said, and his voice was that of a human.

"That voice! It's the one of my kind lord husband!" the Princess said. "I knew it! So the real lord is still inside!" Kagome said. I rolled my eyes and said "Oh, great." "It's like a nightmare but I can;t wake up. Somewhere, deep down, I knew what was happening the power to stop myself," the lord said, before looking at me and Inuyasha. "Please! Kill me now!" he pleaded. "Huh?" I asked, and finished "Or I'll end up devouring Princess Tsuyu!" "You're finally making sense! Do you want it in the gut, or do I take the head?" Inuyasha asked, hefting his sword and smirking. I did as well, and now that the fumes had cleared I conjured a small needle of flame at each of my fingertips. "As you wish," I said. "Wait a minute, Inuyasha? What about the lord?" Nobunaga asked.

"Are you for real? It's the lord that's asking me to slay him! This is no time to get all mushy," Inuyasha said sternly. "We can't now. The demon said it himself, if we hurt him he'll just take another soul," I said. "Stop this! Sheathe your sword, Inuyasha!" Nobunaga called, and he ran in front of us with his arms outstretched. "Why you-! Move it, little man, or I'll kill you too!" Inuyasha demanded. "Please don't kill me!" Nobunaga requested, and I replied "Then move it!" "I can't! I cannot allow you to kill this creature while the lord's heart still beats! Besides, even if the lord wasn't in there, I can't approve of your taking life!" Nobunaga said. "Nobunaga..." Kagome said, smiling.

"I realize that it's crazy to feel like this in our world today... But I can't help it! I just can't!" he declared. Inuyasha looked at him for a moment, before sheathing his sword and sitting down against the wall. "Alright, I won't. You guys can settle this," he said, closing his eyes. I grimaced and stepped aside. "This is your choice, not mine," I stated. "Inuyasha, Yume..." Kagome said, smiling. I was prepared to let it go there, but then suddenly the lord began laughing, and his previous voice said "Thank you for sparing me." He shot his tongue out and it pierced Nobunaga in the chest, causing him to scream in pain. "Nobunaga!" the princess called, while Kagome said "The lord! He changed back!" "Should we help?" I asked, crossing my arms and looking at Inuyasha.

He shrugged. "I will. But only if I get to kill him," he replied. The toad smiled and began walking forward, saying "Princess..." "Kagome, don't worry about me. Take the princess and get out of here!" Nobunaga said, his eyes shut in pain. "Okay!" Kagome said, taking Princess Tsuyu by the hand and running out of the room. I picked at a speck of dirt underneath one of my claws, before looking impassively at Nobunaga. "Well? Do you want us to kill him now?" I asked. "No. No killing!" he told me, even though the front of his shirt was becoming wet. I sighed; the guy was going to sacrifice himself so a lord-possessing demon could live. "Not on my watch," I said, and I pushed onto his back while kneeling next to him.

"Wait!" I heard the toad call, while I focused on Nobunaga. "What are you doing?" Inuyasha asked. "Something I've only heard of in theory," I said, and I placed both of my hands over his wound. Closing my eyes, I created the best mental picture I could of the wound healing, and then I poured my strength into my hands. They pulsed with a soft, light-green glow, and Nobunaga shouted in pain and surprise as his body began going into overdrive. His heart rate rose, sweat broke out over his brow, and his breathing rate nearly doubled. And the wound began to heal. I grimaced; the use of my energy-manipulating power was already taking its toll. Creating a wind that got rid of the toxic fumes was easy compared to this.

Nobunaga's eyes rolled into his head and he began spasming, energy running through his nerve system. The hole closed up completely and he went still, while I fell back and wiped a hand across my forehead. Inuyasha stared at me in shock, unable to believe what he had just seen. I was too, to be honest. According to Myoga, only a select few of the Phoenix Demon tribe had to power and skill to heal others. The act itself drained both the healer and the one being healed. Something I was now learning first-hand. Then suddenly we heard a shout and Inuyasha darted his head, looking out of the room. "Kagome!" he said, and he ran out. Despite my exhaustion, I managed to lift up Nobunaga and heft hm over one shoulder, following.

I made it just in time to see Kagome called "Sit, boy!" Inuyasha was slammed into the ground, and Kagome fired a can of hairspray and a torch at the toad. The improvised flamethrower bathed the demon in flames, and suddenly it left the lord's began and began flying away. "It worked! Inuyasha, get the Shard!" Kagome called. He jumped up from the ground and held Tetsuaiga overhead. "You don't have to tell me twice!" he said, and slashed downwards. He cut the demon straight in half, and the two pieces faded away to reveal the Jewel Shard. I caught it, and Inuyasha smirked as he sheathed his sword. Nobunaga smiled and said "Inuyasha!" He looked in time to see Nobunaga grasp his hand and shake it vigorously.

"Thanks to you the demon is gone, and with the lord still alive! I knew you could do it!" he said, before turning away. "Actually, I..." Inuyasha began, but then Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just let him believe it," she told him, and I nodded. "Nobunaga..." the Princess said, standing with her expression full of happiness. "P-Princess Tsuyu," he said nervously. "Nobunaga!" she called, and ran forward. "Princess Tsuyu!" he said in joy, holding out his arms. But then she went right past him and hugged the lord. "My dear husband is saved!" the Princess said. Nobunaga face-dropped onto the floor, and I covered my hand to prevent myself from laughing. The face of the real lord was now revealed, that of a a tiny nose, mouth, and two eyes so small they were almost dots.

"My lord, it is as if you never changed at all!" Princess Tsuyu said happily. "Princess, forgive me for all that has happened," the lord asked. As a reply she hugged him tighter, indicating that everything was alright. "He seems like a nice guy," Kagome commented, and Nobunaga's leg twitched. The following morning we were back at the tree by the pond where we had first met Nobunaga. "Come on, Nobunaga! Cheer up! The lord and the Princess were saved!" Kagome encouraged him. But he just continued to sit and stare at the fields, enveloped in his sadness and thoughts. "What an idiot! He went out of his way to save the life of his only romantic rival!"

Inuyasha said. I was content to agree, but the thought of Sesshomaru and how much of a chance I had with him held my tongue. To my surprise though, Nobunaga chuckled and looked up at the sky. "That's me. Amari Nobunaga, world's biggest idiot and fool," he declared. "You are an idiot. But you also did good, so there's no use beating yourself up over it. There are plenty of people who'll do that for you," Inuyasha said to him. There was silence for a moment, until Nobunaga stood and smiled. "You know, that does make me fell better! Thanks Inuyasha, Yume, Kagome. I'm off!" he said, and began walking forward. I saw the direction he was going and said "Um, I wouldn't go that way if I were-" Too late. Nobunaga slipped off of the edge of the hill and landed in a heap below. "-You," I finished. "Yep, he's an idiot alright," Kagome concluded.


The toad demon has been destroyed! Three cheers for our heroes, and soon to come one young fox demon shall join them!

Please review! If you flame me Liam Neeson will look for you, he will find you, and he will kill you. (I'm just kidding... or am I?)