-

ChosenMibhar: Under popular demand, Sesshomaru takes the center stage this chapter.

-

Chapter 12: Follow me my death cheating priestess

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

The smells of decay and filth went up Sesshomaru's nose with each breath he took. He couldn't comprehend how the dark miko, Taji, put up with it. Taji was a dog hanyou who was a distant kin to him.

Her mother was an Inu-youkai of the northern clan. On a trip south, she became infatuated with a mortal man who was a prince. The rest was history. The mother was killed shortly after the prince's father discovered their union, but Taji was already born. Her and her father had fled her grandfather's persecution by coming to live in a swamp with a witch. Even after old age claimed Taji's father, the witch took Taji under her wings and passed on everything she knew before she died as well.

Several weeks earlier Sesshomaru had gone to her in order to decipher Yuriko's spell and now he was back to ask another favor of her. He entered the moldy home. Taji was sitting at a table swamping with scrolls, books and parchments. She wore a simple sleeveless tan kimono with brown hakama pants. Her hair was dark brown and her eyes were silvery. She had gold colored dog ears on the top her head and her hair style was similar to Rin's but had several ponytails sticking out oddly from different angles.

Her ears twitched and she looked up. When Taji saw Sesshomaru she cringed back and screamed. "Oh Kami not again—is there anyone else you can threaten into your service!?" she wailed. "Leave me be milord! I just want to live in peace in me swamp!"

"If you do not assist him; this Sesshomaru will personally see to you resting in peace" he threatened. "However if you cooperate I will pay for your services" he reached into his armor and pulled out a money pouch and tossed it to Taji.

"Forgive me milord but I live in a swamp. I have no need of—Hell yeah!" Taji exclaimed as she looked into the bag. "Kami, what are you, the emperor of Japan?! But still this is very generous of you but money is not everything—"

Sesshomaru simply tossed Taji another pouch. The hanyou looked inside the second money bag and looked back up at Sesshomaru with a huge smile. "Oh since you put it that way!" Taji said, her whole attitude changing at once. "What can I do for you this time Sesshomaru-sama?"

"The miko is carrying my pup that is doomed because of to die because I refuse to love her" he stated.

"Oh no, the same problem…Kami have mercy!" Taji sighed. "Isn't it easier just to love her Sesshomaru-sama?" she asked but then flinched at the look Sesshomaru was giving her. "I-It w-w-was only a s-suggestion…"

"I need you to break the curse that ties the child's life" Sesshomaru said callously.

Taji's dog ears twitched in surprise. Despite Sesshomaru's uncaring front she could feel silent urgency behind his request. "Wow, you are willing to let another hanyou be born into your family tree?" she asked in awe.

Now Sesshomaru was getting exasperated. "Can you break the curse or not?" he demanded.

"Maybe—"

"That's not an answer"

"Curses are nasty business" Taji tried to explain. "I can weaken its affects or maybe counter it but destroying curses are nearly impossible. Only you can break the curse that binds your child's life"

Sesshomaru released a soft frustrated sigh; this was not exactly what he wanted to hear. "Then what do you propose to counter the curse?" he asked.

"Well" Taji began. "Like instead of the child dying in childbirth, I could counter it to make the mother die instead of the baby…but I doubt you would want to be a single parent…"

He resisted the urge to sigh aloud again. "Our second option then: weakening the curse"

"Well like instead of the child dying I could just make it come close to death but don't kill it—" The look Sesshomaru gave her a look that made her stop in mid-sentence. "All these methods are unacceptable" he stated as she glared at her. He was debating if he should get a refund.

Taji felt her knees buckle. "Then there's—I regret to say for my sake—nothing I can do…" she trailed off thinking for any last minute solution. As her eyes wandered the room they rested on Sesshomaru's waist where his swords, Bakusaiga and Tensaiga hung proudly: a glimmer of hope yet. "What about your Tenseiga, Sesshomaru-sama?" Taji asked hopefully. "Can it not restore the dead to life?"

Sesshomaru rested his clawed hand on Tenseiga's hilt. "You are correct… but can the curse kept this Sesshomaru from reviving the child?"

"It shouldn't" Taji said. "The curse is just for the child to die at birth" The dark miko then smirked. "After that we've lost directions…so it may indeed work. But just in case—do you want a plan B?"

Sesshomaru nodded. "Try to find the best solution: either to counter the curse or to weaken it. You have three moons and then I will return to obtain your findings"

Taji bowed to Sesshomaru's retrieving back. "I'll see what I can do, Sesshomaru-sama…" she said. She breathed a sigh of relief when Sesshomaru was at least a mile away from her hut. Maybe this transaction wouldn't be so bad…if that nymph Yuriko didn't interfere with her again.

-

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

A hooded man in a robe stepped out into the open plains. It was a leveled forest a few miles away from the village of the old priestess Kaede. He lowered his hood to reveal azure eyes and short white hair that was pulled back in a short ponytail by two hawk feathers.

'Okay this is where she died' he thought to himself. He began to chant under his breath. The earth shook and cracked open. A giant cauldron squeezed through the opening and settled on the crust of the earth. "The cauldron of rebirth" he said. He soared to the top of the cauldron. Out of his robes he pulled out a small plugged vase.

He pulled the cork out and poured the liquid in. "Blood from a living relative" he said. He then reached into his robes and pulled out a single strand of black hair. "Hair of the reincarnation" he said as he dropped it inside as well.

Then he added. "The ashes of Pangu" and the last item, " And water from the fountain of life equals…" he said as he poured the water into the cauldron. Then the water in the pot began to boil. Steam then rose from the top as the cauldron cracked. It released its fluid's onto the ground. A woman got flushed out along with the liquids.

She gasped and sat up coughing; clearing her lungs of fluids.

"...one revived miko" he said contentedly.

-

----------------------------------------------------------

-

The woman looked up threw messy bangs. A man was glazing down at her with a mischievous grin on his face. Looking down she realized her body was exposed. She placed her arm across her chest in an attempt to shield her nakedness. "W-Who are you?" she asked with a heated glare.

"I am Hayato, the bird master"

"I should purify you" the woman responded angrily. "Once a person is dead, let them stay dead!"

Hayato smirked. "You're a feisty one" he noted. "I like that—we shall get along fine then"

The woman reached forth to purify him but he caught her hand just in time and disabled her powers. He chuckled. "Now, now honey cakes; it has been a really long week for me and you're just making it longer—"

"I believe you know my name…" the woman stated. "Otherwise you wouldn't have wasted your time"

"Of course Lady Kikyo" Hayato spat as he pushed her back. "Your defiance grows tiresome. Perhaps you do not comprehend the gift I have given you, here" he tossed a knife at her. Kikyo caught it. "Good reflexes" he commented. "Now cut yourself with that blade"

Kikyo narrowed her auburn eyes. "I am no fool" she stated.

"You're right, your not" Hayato agreed before he shouted, "But you're one heck of a stubborn bitch! Look, when you were in a body of ashes and graveyard soil you couldn't breathe, you couldn't feel nor could you eat! Talk about good as dead! So test this new flesh! Discover what it's like to live!" he encouraged with a smile.

Kikyo looked down at her hand. Almost hesitantly she cut a small portion at the bottom of her palm. She winched and blinked in surprise. It was throbbing with pain as red blood oozed out of the cut.

"I-I f-feel pain…" Kikyo whispered. "And I bleed…" she trailed off amazed. The night's cold air ruffled her hair. She leaned back her head and let the wind blow against her hot skin. "I can feel the wind"

The smell of peach blossoms filled the air. She opened her mouth and its sweet aromas fell on her tongue. "I can—"

"Taste" Hayato finished for her. "Yes. As I said earlier you are now truly among the living" He then reached inside his robes and pulled out a folded pale green kimono gown. "Here, put this on" He turned his back with the garments hanging over his shoulder.

When she didn't reach for them he said, "Don't flatter yourself: I won't peak—you're not the most attractive woman I've have ever seen. Talk about hard as a rock and cold as icicles: you make the Snow Queen look toasty—Ow!"

Kikyo practically declawed him when she snatched the clothes out of his hand. A minute later when Kikyo announced she was dressed. Hayato turned around and looked upon Kikyo. He eyed her lustfully. "Hmmm, I change my mind" he purred. "That gown has done wonders for you Lady Kikyo—"

"Enough" she stated coldly. "What do you want with me? I have a feeling you don't do charity…"

Hayato chuckled. "All in good time, now if you please; follow me my death cheating priestess" he singed as he began to walk away from the savannah. Kikyo reluctantly followed as the fog enclosed in around them.

-

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

-

-

-TBC

-

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

ChosenMibhar: Ah, maybe you guys can see a connection to chapter 4 in this chapter. Pay attention to my chapters! They build up on each other—or at least that's what I try to do…

Hopefully I can get chapter 13 up this week too but if I can't; I can't. Good news: at exactly 2:00 p.m. this Friday; I'll be officially nineteen, oh yah! XD

By the way:

Hayato means 'falcon person' in Japanese.

Bakusaiga—(In the current manga) is the sword that Sesshomaru formed from his own demonic power.

Pangu—is the cosmic giant of the Chinese mythology. Legend says that when he died the world and everything in it was formed from his body. So that's where I got the ashes of Pangu from.

-