Author's Rant
Lady A: Sorry for the wait, but the transitions on this one gave me some serious issues. Now I am proud to present Chapter 25: Marked by Heaven! Last time: Artimes and company began their trek back to Tinzo's village and on the way, our Celestial Miko begins to master elements left, right, and center. However, Artimes is progressing too quickly and Sakura is very worried. Time to find out why.
Hiei: Stop talking, woman, and get to the chapter.
Lady A: I would if a certain little hybrid didn't constantly interrupt.
Hiei: If I didn't, you would become distracted.
Lady A: *huffs* You are the distraction.
Kurama: While those two are arguing, please enjoy Chapter 25 of Destiny of a Dream.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything else I make references to.
Chapter Twenty Five: Marked by Heaven
Sesshoumaru quickly returned to Tinzo's village. He landed in the inner courtyard of the castle with a flurry of dust as the young lord and the boy, Taiki, walked outside.
"Where is she?" The taiyoukai asked.
Taiki spoke up quickly, weary of the Western Lord's disgruntled appearance.
"Her ladyship has left the village. She received a vision of someone in danger and left to save them." The boy answered.
Sesshoumaru growled inwardly. He should have factored in his miko's gift of sight into his calculations. Originally, he had hoped that she would not set out on her own, given that she was not very knowledgeable of the area and didn't know the terrain very well. She was, however, very stubborn and extremely determined. She would not risk the life of an innocent simply because she didn't where she was going or what she would encounter along the way. He had to find her, but he had no idea where to begin looking.
"She left this letter for you, just in case you returned before she did." Taiki continued holding out said letter.
The demon lord took the letter and quickly read through its contents. He smiled slightly. His miko had left him a detailed report of her vision, including definable terrain markers, and a set of instructions to find her if she had not returned to the village by the time he arrived.
Moreover, the person that required saving to begin with was a soul reader. If that person made contact with his miko's soul then it would explain the sudden disconnection. Judging from the date on the letter, she had left some time ago and that only served to worry him further.
"Thank you, Taiki." Sesshoumaru stated turning to leave.
He left the castle in search of her, knowing he needed to find her quickly. He had already spent far too much time away from her side and without the rose, his entire body was screaming to be in her presence.
Artimes and the others were camped out near a small lake. Sakura and Jaken were bickering as usual. Those two only seemed truly happy when trying to make the other miserable or pissed off. The red head, herself, was standing by the lake, her eyes concentrating on the water's rippling surface.
She rubbed the center of her chest in a vain attempt to soothe the indescribable heat that was building up inside of her. This strange heat had appeared around the time she had left the Crystal Sanctuary and hadn't really noticed it until she was in contact with the soul reader. During the course of the last few days, the heat had been intensifying and was becoming extremely uncomfortable.
Trying to deal with it was taking all her strength and power of will. She wondered if it was a side effect of the accelerated merger or the physical manifestation of the merger itself. If it were either, wouldn't Sakura have said something by now?
Artimes shook her head slightly. No, Sakura wouldn't mention it for fear of making it worse. Perhaps that was the reason for their sessions. The only logical reason she could come up with was that the heat was caused by the merging process and her sessions with the soul reader were a means to distract her from that pain. Sakura must have been sent to shield or block the heat, but what happens when the miko's techniques are no longer effective?
The crimson haired woman turned around and walked briskly back to camp. Her attention focused solely on the ebony haired miko.
"Sakura, we need to talk." Artimes stated her tone leaving no room for argument.
"Alright." The miko replied rising to her feet.
The pair walked into the forest a ways and out of Jaken's hearing range.
"I know the truth." Artimes informed.
"I knew it would not be long before you worked it out on your own." Sakura admitted.
"Your…skills will not be enough, will they?" Artimes asked.
The miko lowered her eyes to the ground.
"I am simply a woman and as such, there are some things I cannot do." She answered quietly.
"Alright, so we will need assistance of the male variety to complete the merger." Artimes concluded.
"Yes." The miko replied.
"No problem. Sesshoumaru will be returning to the village soon and he'll get the letter I left for him. He'll find us." Artimes stated confidently.
"It will have to be soon. The merger will be complete in a few days. We will need his help for the final stage." Sakura informed.
Artimes smiled brightly at the ebony haired miko.
"Don't worry so much, Sakura. I have faith in him. He will come." She replied.
Sesshoumaru was running at top speed towards the location his miko had described in her letter. He could not risk using his energy orb because the countryside would fly by too quickly and he could miss the location he was looking for. He was becoming increasingly worried about the strange heat that had made itself known not too long ago. It was steadily increasing and he wondered if it had some connection to his miko. Did the uncomfortable heat mean that he was somehow reconnecting to his miko or was the heat overriding the soul reader's abilities?
His head snapped up as an unusual scent reached his nose. It was the scent of cinnamon and charcoal; a very odd mix yet perfectly blended. Though he could detect this scent, it was also accompanied by the strong scent of blood and lots of it. Unknowingly, his feet altered course slightly, following the scent back to its original source.
Within moments, he came across a small clearing filled with bodies. Judging by their apparel, they were bandits, quite possibly the remnants of the small army that had attacked Tinzo's village, or what was left of them. Small movements to his left made him divert his attention away from the rotting corpses.
His eyes came to rest on a young boy with spiky black hair. He was attempting to get up, but his injuries were severe and life threatening. The boy was close to death and yet something inside him was telling him to save the child. The child was demon, a hybrid judging by the scents. He walked over to the boy and knelt down next to him.
"What is your name?" Sesshoumaru asked.
The boy's garnet eyes looked up at him in confusion, almost as though he did not expect to be spoken to.
"Hiei." He answered coughing up blood as his body collapsed back onto the ground.
"You are mortally wounded." The demon lord said stating the obvious.
The boy let out a raspy bark of laughter before descending into another coughing spell.
"What do you care? I am a forbidden child, cursed to be hunted down like an animal. Death would be considered mercy by someone like you." Hiei stated fighting to breathe.
'Just because someone is different, doesn't make them forbidden. To me, there is no such thing as a cursed child because who am I to judge? I'm just as different as they are if not more so. If I ever came across one of these so called cursed children then I would befriend them, take care of them, and give them of a home with me. No one should be left all alone, Sesshoumaru, believing that they are unwanted and unloved. You of all people should understand what that feels like. We know loneliness and because of that knowledge, it makes us kind.' His miko's voice drifted through his mind.
Artimes had stated her feelings quite strongly in regards to those who were different, particularly hanyous and imikos. She had spoken the truth when she had said that he knew what it was like to be unwanted and unloved. It was how he felt when his father fell in love with a mortal woman and he felt like he was nothing more than a pawn in a game of political chess. The only kindness he had known came from her and Rin. Perhaps he, too, could be kind.
Tenseiga pulsed at his side, responding to his feelings. Sesshoumaru realized that he wanted to save this child, to be the man that his miko believed him to be. He looked down at boy and without any shadow of doubt in his mind, he knew what he needed to do.
"If I save your life, will you live with honor and respect?" The taiyoukai asked.
Hiei stared at him, surprise on his face and shock in his eyes.
"Yes, I vow to live with honor and respect." He answered as the light began to fade from his eyes.
Sesshoumaru stood and drew Tenseiga from its sheath.
"This is the Sword of Heaven, Tenseiga, and it can restore life to those who have recently perished, but it can only do so once. Do you understand?" The demon lord asked.
The boy nodded weakly as he breathed his last breath. Within moments, the servants of the underworld appeared, seeking to claim the boy's soul. Sesshoumaru would not allow them to claim their prize and quickly sliced through them. Once its task was complete, he returned Tenseiga to its sheath.
Mere seconds later, Hiei gasped for air, his injuries completely healed. He slowly rose to his feet and took in the stated of his body. He then looked up at the inu taiyoukai that had saved his life, a puzzled expression on his face.
"Why do this for me?" The boy asked.
"The woman I cherish holds no malice or contempt towards imikos and seeks to protect those who are unique from the simple minded fools who want to destroy them. It is she that you should thank for your life." The Western Lord informed turning to leave.
"And the name of this woman?" Hiei asked.
"Artimes." Sesshoumaru answered, "Remember your vow, Hiei."
With that, the Lord of the West resumed his search for the Celestial Miko, but not before hearing the boy's final words.
"I will live with honor for her, for Artimes." The boy's quiet voice whispered.
Sesshoumaru thought of bringing the imiko with him, knowing that his miko would give the child a home, but he also knew that since the child was a demon, it would best to leave him to his own devices and let him discover the path he was meant to walk. Perhaps fate would allow the two to cross paths in the future.
Artimes was once again by the lake, her eyes tired and hazy. She was exhausted, but her body refused to sleep. The heat was becoming too much for her and she could barely stand, but she was not going to allow it stop her from ding what needed to be done. The sun was beginning to set and she knew that she needed to go back and start dinner, but she couldn't bring herself to move. If she budged even an inch, she would collapse for certain.
The young miko was vaguely aware that something was approaching their campsite very quickly. It didn't feel hostile, but her senses were distorted and could be giving her false readings. Even her soul whisper had stopped working, so she had no idea what could be coming. It was only when she caught a brief flash of silver and white that she realized just how frazzled her senses were.
Before her mind could comprehend what she was seeing, it was in front of her. The presence was one she knew. It was her Sesshoumaru. She looked up to see his face, the world beginning to spin from the simple motion, but she saw the relief flooding into his eyes. She smiled softly at her mate to be and allowed the darkness to claim her, knowing she was perfectly safe.
Sesshoumaru caught her before fell to the ground and lifted her into his arms. He did not know what had caused her to collapse, but he was just relieved to see her alive. Once that emotion began to settle, he quickly became aware of another's scent. It was all over his miko and was deeply saturated into her very skin.
He bit back a growl as he continued to analyze the scent. Upon further inspection, the scent was female, but to be so deeply intermingled with the Celestial Miko's meant that said female had been extremely intimate with the red head and quite recently too.
His attention shifted from the sleeping beauty in his arms to the trees that bordered the small lake. An ebony haired woman walked out of the shadows and if her clothes were any indication, she was a miko. The woman bowed respectfully to him, but all he wanted was to find out why she had been so close to his future mate.
"You must be Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands. Artimes has spoken often about you. I am Sakura, a soul reader." She introduced standing upright.
"Explain why your scent is so deeply mingled with my miko's." He ordered coldly, his eyes like ice.
"A necessary evil, I'm afraid. I was sent by the Celestial being known as Keroberos to help Artimes complete the merger. My gift requires intimate physical contact to be properly utilized and Artimes gave her consent. I do, however, apologize for this breech in conduct, but time was of the essence and it still is." She answered.
So his miko was alright with how the merger was to be completed and he could not contest it because she had consented to it.
"Explain." He stated curtly.
The miko's eyes lowered to the ground and an almost helpless expression appeared on her face.
"Artimes is going through a hyper accelerated merger. The speed of this merger is causing extensive pain in the form of heat. My gift allows me, in a sense, to distract her from that pain by shielding her conscious mind, but my skills alone will not be enough to protect her during the final stage and if I don't the pain will rip apart soul in the most painful way possible. To stop this from happening, I need your help." Sakura answered.
To save his miko, he would do whatever was necessary to help her, even if that meant working with a miko he did not know or trust.
"You have my cooperation, Miko." He replied.
"Then let us begin." The miko agreed.
The pair roused the exhausted Celestial Miko and started their work.
The next morning, the group had begun their journey towards Tinzo's village anew. Artimes was in a constant state of extreme fatigue and they had to stop many times for her to rest. Their efforts to complete the merger the previous night had fallen a bit short.
With the presence of the demon lord, Artimes had been more comfortable and far more receptive to Sakura's powers and advances, but the ebony haired miko had miscalculated the intensity of the pain that the red head had been enduring. Sakura had to step in quickly to absorb a large amount of heat into her own soul and not only was she substantially weakened, but her powers had been pushed to the brink and were now inactive.
When the taiyoukai learned that the soul reader had reached her limit and was no longer able to assist with the merger, the two began discussing alternatives. Thus far, they had come up with absolutely nothing. Sesshoumaru broke down internally and did something he thought he would never do…pray. He prayed to any and every kami and deity that might be listening to give his miko the strength she would need to endure the final stage and complete the merger.
The small group was currently travelling through a large field when Artimes's legs gave out. Sesshoumaru was by her side instantly and knelt next to her. He took in her current appearance: her face was ashen, there were dark circles under her eyes, her skin held a slight shine from yet another cold sweat, her breathing was ragged and heavy, and her eyes were a shade lighter than royal blue. All in all, she looked like a complete mess.
"You require rest, Artimes." Sakura stated kneeling next to the red head as well.
The Celestial Miko shook her head stubbornly.
"No, we keep going. We'll reach the village by nightfall and I'll rest there." She replied struggling to a standing position.
"Please, my lady. I beg you to reconsider." Jaken pleaded.
The demon lord felt the air begin to heat up around them as her anger grew. He knew that he needed to diffuse the situation immediately before the red head turned into a living flame. He rose to his feet and began to walk in the direction of the village.
"Come, Jaken." He ordered glancing back at his miko.
She smiled softly at the Western Lord, her eyes expressing her gratitude.
"Aye, milord." The imp replied as he and the hesitant soul reader followed after the taiyoukai.
Artimes was about to follow after her companions when her senses went berserk. She jumped backwards just as an energy blast collided with the spot where she once stood. Sesshoumaru raced to her side to help her land easier. They were suddenly surrounded by demons and the inu did his best to keep them at bay.
Artimes drew Taizunga from its sheath, swaying slightly from the amount of effort it took to do such a simple action. Once she regained her balance, she jumped into the fight. Pushing her exhaustion away, she jumped from one demon to the next, killing them as she went.
During the course of the battle, Artimes jumped from the back of a demon to avoid an attack and she heard Sakura scream. She quickly located the ebony haired miko. She was clutching her left upper arm which was bleeding quite badly. Jaken was doing his best to keep the demons away from the injured priestess.
Without thinking of the consequences for such an action, Artimes threw Taizunga towards them, the blade embedding in the ground. The sword pulsed as its barrier formed, shielding the miko and little demon from further injury. Unfortunately, this meant that the Celestial Miko was now without a weapon and was completely defenseless.
Artimes cried out as strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her higher into the sky. She knew instantly that it was not Sesshoumaru that was holding her. For starters, the barrier that was currently around them was her biggest clue. The taiyoukai couldn't create barriers of this nature. Secondly, her captor reeked of blood and sweat. It took a lot of effort to keep herself from gagging from the stench.
"Bakusaiga!" Sesshoumaru yelled unleashing his sword's ultimate attack, obliterating the remaining demons.
His eyes narrowed at the loathsome creature that had the nerve to hold his miko hostage. The demon hovered within a barrier and had a pike on his back. He had tanned skin, grey eyes, and dark brown hair. His armor was that of a reclusive lightning tribe that lived on the Southern border of the Western Lands.
"So you must be the great Lord Sesshoumaru of the West. It certainly is an honor to meet the son of that human loving Inu no Taisho." The demon stated smirking.
"Release her and I will grant you a swift death." The demon lord ordered barely holding back a growl.
The demon frowned.
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, now does it? You're not exactly in a position to be barking orders, puppy, and how rude of you to not ask my name, shame on you." The demon replied.
"Let me go, you pompous, good for nothing, arrogant piece of shit!" Artimes snapped her eyes flashing in anger.
Sesshoumaru couldn't help the swell up pride he felt while watching her display of defiance.
"My, my, such a filthy mouth. Let me clean it out for you." The demon countered shifting his attention to her.
He squeezed her waist tightly which caused her to gasp in pain. Seizing the moment, the demon covered her mouth with his, shoving his tongue in her mouth. The taiyoukai gripped his sword tighter as he tried to keep his inner beast under control.
'Kill him.' His beast ordered its thoughts of the murderous variety.
Even if he could break through the barrier, the risk of harming his miko was too great. She was too weak in her current condition to put up much in the way resistance and it was making his blood boil. He was breaking his promise again and yet there was nothing he could do.
The demon finally stopped taking advantage of her mouth so she could breathe.
"The name's Toshiro of the Southern Lightning tribe and it really is a shame that you haven't marked this bitch as your own." Toshiro commented.
He was going to continue, but Artimes snapped her head back and hit him square in the nose.
"Call me bitch again and I will show you no mercy." The red head bit out.
"Stupid little bitch. So damn feisty, but don't worry, I'll soon fix that." He stated jerking her head to the side and lowering his fangs towards the junction between her neck and shoulder.
"NO!" Yue shouted his eyes wide with horror.
"What is it? What's wrong?!" Kero asked while rushing to his side.
"He's going to mark." Yue exclaimed showing more emotion than he has in centuries.
"If she is marked now while being so close to completing the merger, her soul will shatter from the strain." The winged cat stated.
"I must save her!" Yue replied as the crest on his forehead began to glow.
"No, Yue! If you give her your mark before the blessing of the moon then it will bind her to the heavens for the rest of her life! She will be bound forever, unable to attain true happiness unless the heavens wish it. Are you really going to do that without her consent?!" Kero countered trying to get his friend to think.
Yue's energy was going crazy while his revealed the level of conflict he was feeling.
"I can't let her be destroyed, Kero. I love her." Yue answered quietly.
"If you love her then ask her. Let her be the one to determine her own fate." The guardian beast replied his tone pleading.
The moment Toshiro's fangs pierced her skin, it felt like her entire body was burning from the inside out. The burning was even hotter and more painful than the heat from the merger. The pain increased to such heights that it blinded her vision making everything go stark white.
'Artimes!' A voice called out in her mind.
The voice was deep, sensual even, and seemed so very familiar. It cut through the pain and gave her something to focus on.
'Wh-who's there?' She asked her mind barely clinging to conscious thought.
'You know who I am. You have for some time.' The voice answered.
'Yue.' She replied her inner voice barely above a whisper.
'Yes. Do you know what's happening to you?' He asked.
'The demon…he bit me. It feels like I'm on fire. Please help me, Yue, what do I do?' She pleaded.
'The demon is attempting to forcibly mate you. The fire is his demonic energy trying to force you into submission.' Yue explained.
'No, he's not the right one. How can I stop him?' She asked.
'You can't, but I can.' Yue answered.
'Then why haven't you?' Artimes spat angrily.
'There are consequences for going against the heavens' design. If I save you now, you will bear my mark on your skin, but in doing so, you will never bear the mark of another.' He explained.
'I won't be able to mate Sesshoumaru.' She concluded.
'I'm sorry, but it is much more than that. Receiving my mark before you are ready will bind you to the will of the heavens. Your life will no longer be your own. If the heavens command it then you must obey. Do you understand?' He asked.
'What's the alternative?' She countered.
'The demon's mark will shatter your soul. Everything that makes you who you are will die.' He answered.
So her only options were the death of her soul or to be the heavens' bitch? That was one hell of a choice. Wait…choice. That was it. Her life was her own and even if she was tied to the heavens, she could still find happiness. The kamis gave humanity the freedom of choice and have no control over the human heart. It was all about free will.
This wasn't a choice between death and servitude. This was a choice about her destiny; would she run from her destiny and allow herself to be destroyed or would she embrace her destiny and become what the heavens want her to be. She certainly hoped she could convince Sesshoumaru about this, but she would worry about that later.
'Do it.' She stated.
'Are you certain? There is no going back once it has begun.' Yue warned.
This would be the one and only time she would ever be submissive. She certainly hoped fate and destiny were happy.
'I submit myself to the will of the heavens and accept your mark, Yue.' She answered her tone final.
'As you wish, but I warn you now, this is going to hurt.' He replied, 'Forgive me.'
'Always and thank you for letting me decide.' She said softly.
Sesshoumaru watch in horror as his miko was marked by another. He knew there was no way to undo a mating mark. Not even death would remove it. He had lost her forever because he was too weak to protect her. His inner beast howled in rage and despair.
"What's that light?" Jaken asked.
The little imp's voice and tone were enough to temporarily pull the taiyoukai away from his inner turmoil. His eyes widened as he saw a soft silver light emitting from Artimes's forehead. The light became brighter as she screamed agony. Her screams rose in volume and pitch and his heart screamed along with her like it was being ripped apart.
Toshiro raised his head and gasped. His mating mark was glowing an angry red and was sizzling. The mark then vanished entirely and she still continued to scream. Her eyes were rapidly shifting colors from sapphire to royal blue to midnight to royal blue, only to repeat the cycle again and again. The silver light on her forehead faded leaving a silver crescent moon, lying on its back, in its place. With one final scream, Artimes's eyes locked to royal blue and stayed there.
Her eyes began to glow with power and the wind flowed around her. Within seconds, the lightning demon was blasted away from her as the air continued to swirl around her. A small tornado formed around her as her energy settled down. Once completely free from her captor and his barrier, the wind died down leaving the young woman floating midair. She turned and faced the bewildered Toshiro.
"You're a Celestial Miko, but that can't be! Dacharon destroyed every last member of the Order! You can't exist!" Toshiro exclaimed putting some distance between them.
Her eyes narrowed at the new information that the lightning demon had so ignorantly provided.
"I am the champion of the heavens and you will pay for your transgressions." She replied her voice vibrating with power and authority.
"Y-you can't br-break through my b-barrier." Toshiro stuttered his entire body quaking in fear.
The level of power Artimes was giving off would scare even the most battle hardened demons completely shitless. She smirked as she held out her right hand towards Sakura and Jaken. Taizunga left the ground, its barrier disappearing, and flew into her hand.
"Care to wager on that?" She asked her tone sadistic and slightly cruel.
She flew at the terrified lightning demon and slashed through his barrier like it didn't even exist. It shattered, leaving him wide open to attack.
"You were saying?" She commented before she started beating the crap out of him.
For the next twenty minutes she pummeled him to within an inch of his sanity, all while never letting him touch the ground or drawing his pike. She soon grew bored and hit him so hard that he went careening into the ground with such speed that his impact created a small crater. She landed in front of him and yanked him up by his hair so she could see into his eyes.
"Tell me what you know of Dacharon." She commanded.
"He's said to be a being of great power. Something to do with darkness…like he controls it somehow." The demon stated.
"The Order?" She prompted.
"Rumor has it that Dacharon feared the Celestial Order. It had to do with a prophecy he was told." The demon continued.
"What prophecy?" she asked.
"I don't know…" He started but ended up screaming as Artimes cut off his left arm at the shoulder.
"Try again." She stated softly.
"Alright! It was something about how a human with Celestial powers would bring about his death! That's the reason why he hunted down the Order, killing every last member and destroying their souls so that they could never be reincarnated!" The demon confessed.
So Dacharon was afraid of her kind because of some stupid prophecy? The only reason why her soul survived was because a vast majority of it was sealed inside the Shikon no Tama at the time of the slaughter and the other fragment had already been reincarnated in the future. She was no relatively certain that the Shadow and this Dacharon were one in the same.
She dropped the pathetic excuse of a demon like a sack of potatoes. She turned around and began walking away.
"I've told you all I know, so please spare my life. You believe in mercy, don't you?" He pleaded practically groveling.
She turned back and saw the wretched sight he presented. He was sickening and was without honor or dignity. She raised her left hand, palm forward, towards the lightning demon.
"No." She answered simply as a sphere of silver energy appeared in front of her palm.
She released her energy and blasted the demon into nothingness. All that was left was a scorch mark on the ground. She sheathed Taizunga as she casually walked over to Jaken and Sakura. She then knelt down in front of the injured priestess, who was staring at her in awe. She raised her hands as they glowed with her power. Within moments, the wound on Sakura's arm was completely healed.
"Jaken." She stated standing up.
"Y-yes, my lady?" Jaken asked unnerved by the amount of power emanating from his lady.
It was a miracle who could speak at all.
"Are you injured?" She asked her tone soft and kind.
"No, my lady. I am unharmed." He answered.
She nodded in response and walked over to Sesshoumaru. Noting his rigidity, she lowered the amount of power to a more tolerable level and he visibly relaxed.
"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru, but I cannot be your mate." She stated.
Pain, hurt, and not so healthy dose of despair flickered in his golden orbs.
"the demon forced my hand and I am now bound to the heavens forever. I am their warrior, their champion, their judge and I am no longer able to bear the mating mark of another on my skin. Please forgive me for not giving you a choice in this matter, but this is my destiny…" She continued.
Artimes was going to say more, to help Sesshoumaru understand that she wasn't giving up on their relationship, but it seemed her body had other more pressing matters to attend to. Her eyes stopped glowing as the darkness chased away the words she was going to say.
Author's Rant
Lady A: Ah, a brand new fresh chapter for readers old and new has now been completed. Chapter 26: Piercing Shadows will be coming soon and will hopefully be out before the end of next week.
Hiei: So is Dacharon, the Shadow?
Kurama: I believe that is a fair assumption at this point.
Lady A: *sighs* You'll simply have to wait to find out. All will be revealed in due time.
Hiei: How mystical. *rolls his eyes*
Lady A: *glares at Hiei*
Kurama: Come now, there is no reason for such hostility. After all, a new chapter is coming soon and perhaps we will get more information then, hm?
Hiei and Lady A: Hn.
Miroku: While they are bickering, please leave a review. Lady A certainly does enjoy them and she will respond to each one as they are received so please don't hesitate to leave a comment or any suggestions you may have. *whispers* You never know what will spark her imagination into a frenzy.