Chapter Twenty-Five

Another short chapter, I know, sorry! But I do have some interesting information for you all:

A reader of mine: SaitoshiTaishou had offered the main OC from her own Inuyasha fanfiction as another OC in my story here. Now, before you all jump to conclusions: 1. No, the stories aren't entirely separate. 2. No they aren't the same story from two different points of view, or any such idea like that.

No this is a mere... Brushing of different tales, written by two completely different authors who happen to be obsessed by the same anime. Nothing weird about that, I don't think so, then again 'What is normal for the spider, is chaos for the fly' so...

Anyway, the basic idea is, while I'm using her OC in my story here, she'll begin mentions of her character running into various people from my story. EX: Kagome mentions at one point meeting up with her OC before they find Sonya. Later on down the road, she meets Sonya and mentions it in her own story ect ect.

It's a promotion for the both of us, me promoting her and her story, and her doing the same for me. So please, when you get the time, go take a peek at what she has so far, she's really very good, I've already read the prologue for the story with the OC I'm using in here and I think it's a really good plot. So far it's just the prologue though, you can be sure I'll be keeping an eye out.

Anyway, other than that there is another thing: She did help me write some of this chapter. The parts where her character comes into play: Saitoshi. Admittedly I did edit her writing to match with my own flow so it would go into the part she wrote seamlessly, but it was just adjustments, none of what she did write was changed other than wording. Giving credit where it's due, SaitoshiTaishou, you rock!

Anyway, I think that's about all I have to say other than chapters might take a little bit longer to post because of both of us writing (Only when her character comes into play, not all of them, so you can breathe now.) And I only have so many hours on the computer before going back into real life. Anyway, I will update as quickly as I can like usual, but if it's taking me longer than normal to update, just assume it's one I'm writing with SaitoshiTaishou considering there will be back and forth writing on it.

I think that's it for now, so get to reading!

-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters

-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot

~TL S0nya

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The very next morning found Niki's door being knocked on rather loudly -rudely- and a loud voice accompanying it by demanding she meet it's owner within a few minutes or he would go in a drag her out himself.

Apparently Touga took training even more seriously than her teacher did.

Sitting up with a growl, Niki tossed a scowl at the door fully knowing he was still standing there waiting to listen for her to get out of bed and start moving around. "There is no use delaying, I will return." Touga rumbled, his voice laced with laughter that only made her scowl deeper. "Shut up, dog."

"You have been forewarned." With that final statement, Touga walked away, strolling through the hallways and out to the yard in the front. Looking around, he noticed several bystanders that he suspected were there every day for her training. Brushing it off, he simply reached back and tied his hair up carefully, capturing the loose strands deftly and knotting the leather he used securely.

Shooting a glance over his shoulder at the door, his eyebrow rose when Niki still didn't show. He was already planning on dragging her out, but he didn't expect to actually do it.

Not that he would complain, however several guards were standing around and who knows what she slept in considering the clothing she wore normally. For all he knew, she didn't sleep in anything...

That thought alone had him shifting slightly in an effort to stave off the sudden rush of heat towards his rather... Sensitive parts below. No, he would give her a few more moments then he would rush into her room.

The sound of the shiro door sliding open made Touga glance over once more to see a grouchy Niki leaning against the edge and sending a sour look at him. Raising an eyebrow, he simply watched as she slowly made her way over to him yawning all the way.

"I can't believe you woke me before the sun was even up." She grumbled up at him, one hand still rubbing at her eyes while the other attempted to straighten her mass of hair. "I didn't have to get up this early with my teacher, yet here you are cracking the whip like a damn slave driver."

Clearing his throat, Touga stopped her rambling so she would pay attention and made his way over to a rack of practice swords. Choosing two of them, he tested their weight before tossing one over to Niki, who miraculously managed to catch it, after fumbling anyway.

"Huh?"

Moving to stand across from her, Touga shifted his hand on the grip slightly and held the sword out so she could see. Catching on to what he was doing, Niki quickly copied his hands and frowned slightly, eyes darting between their two grips. "It still doesn't look right."

Bringing his own gaze down, he studied her grip for a moment then reached out, moving one of her fingers just a few millimeters upwards and nodded. Curious that she even noticed the slight change in their grips, but he easily brushed it off and resumed his previous stance. "Follow my lead."

Nodding, Niki's eyes zeroed in on the sword in his hands, completely focused on what he was doing with a look of intense concentration.

For the next couple of hours, Touga showed her stances with the sword and made her repeat them until they were drilled into her mind. The only reason he could come up with her sudden ability to pay attention would be they had finally moved onto something she was truly interested in. She even seemed a bit upset when he announced they had done enough for the day.

Meanwhile, a beautiful demoness emerged from a forest and begins walking to the center of the clearing. Her ice blue hair swaying in the wind as she strode. Scanning the area with her matching colored eyes in search of the one who had summoned her. The letter stated that he had some information of importance to her and all he wanted was to help her on her conquest. Her target had died quite a few years prior, when she had found out that HE had died long ago. Folding her arms in front of her white, flowing kimono with blue flowers dotted along the edge. One would say that it was worn simply to match with her dark blue eye shadow-like markings.

Saitoshi huffed in irritation, fed up with waiting as long as she already had. "This Information better be good because if it isn't and he made me come all the way out here for nothing, I will kill him. I do not like to be toyed with." She growled under her breath, eyes narrowed as they scanned the area.

Suddenly she sensed a human approaching in her direction, with a smile, she turned, waiting for the human to get closer. Once they got close enough she studied his face with idle curiosity that was quickly brushed off."You had better be this Aoi, or else I will have to kill you. I'm not in a great mood right now."

Sweat starting to form on his brow, he quickly took a look at the demoness, knowing that she is more frightening than Touga had been, licking his lips, he attempted to straighten his spine and faced her head-on. "Yes, I heard tale you may find some of my information interesting to you on a... Personal level." He stated in a calm voice, forcing himself not to show as much fear as he felt. No matter how many years he had dealt with demons in the past, he still had a very primal respect for them, that respect being fear for his life.

And while he was frightened to find himself dead, he couldn't help but notice her beauty was something he had rarely seen before. However, in his jaded gaze, she couldn't measure to the woman he had already set his sights on.

Staring at him coldly, she stayed silent long enough to prolong his suffering then answered with a sharp bite of agitation in her tone. "As it was you being late, that caused this irritation, I really do not think anything you can say will impress me. My conquest was over long ago, nothing you can say will matter."

"But that is where I believe you are wrong." He paused and watch her eyebrow raise with a sense of glee mixed with pride. "You see, My Lady, Inu No Taisho is very much alive." With a smile on his face, he relaxed subtly, still on guard, but more at ease knowing he had her attention. "It would seem a two-tailed wolf demon brought him back from the very dead herself."

She glared at him for coming up with this ridiculous story, her previous surprise crashing down on her from just the small amount of hope she held. "There is no way to bring back the dead. Specially when the said person had been gone for a long time, their spirit would never linger for that many years." Pausing, she tapped a clawed finger to her chin thoughtfully, gaze roaming around the area while she pondered the information.

"Though, I have heard in the past about the legend of the two tailed wolf's abilities but they have been dead a long time, hunted down to the last of their species." She pushed her thoughts back and turned her gaze back onto Aoi, sharper than ever. "The two-tails have been extinct for quite some time now. Do not toy with me." She looked at him with the intent to kill, knuckles already lightly cracking with the thought of his blood spilling.

More sweat appeared on his brow as he realized she might actually kill him if he didn't get her to believe his story, quickly. "Believe me, I know where he resides at this very moment. If you would trust me and follow to where he is, you will see for yourself." He prayed silently to the kami for her to give him at least that small amount of trust. If what he had planned worked out, then he would be free of that demon, as well as have Niki to himself, no matter how angry she might be with him.

Saitoshi sighed, deciding that if somehow a two-tailed wolf had survived and that two-tail had actually brought him back then what hurt would it be for her to follow the lowly human to said location. 'Wait nobody does this much work for free. What is he working for?' She smiles at the human knowing it would probably make him squirm. "What would you be getting out of this, human?"

He started to relax a little, realizing she was interested, interest would keep him alive. "He claimed something of mine that I desire to have returned to me." Sending her a sudden gaze full of inspiration. "I will offer you my estates, the title of headman as well as more than enough wealth to carry you far into your years. Only if the human woman called Niki is returned to me safely." Laying out his last offer in the open, he smiled darkly, a small glint of malicious intent in his eyes at the thought of having that woman in his arms.

Tapping a claw against her chin once more, she studied Aoi in a new light, sullenly admiring his ability to negotiate. "Alright, let's go. If I find out that you have toyed with me, I shall kill you without hesitation. Are we clear, human?" Saitoshi watched as he shifted uncomfortably at the mention of his possible death and jerked his head in a quick nod. Seeing this, her smile twisted into a smirk easily.

"Very well." With the conversation now being over, he turned and began to walk back in the direction of his estate. "This way, it will take near three days to arrive."

As she began to follow him on silent feet, she allowed her thoughts to wander once more. Soon she shall kill him.

Soon she will make him suffer.

Soon she will be finally satisfied.

Breaking through the trees bordering the opposite end of the village where his estate sat, he motioned silently for her to join him and nodded his head at the miko making her early morning rounds. "That is the miko of the village. Before I had been... Forced away, she had agreed to a deal between the two of us. But knowing the demon..." He trailed off, teeth gritting tightly at the mere mention of the damn creature before continuing. "He may have drawn her to his side and cause. Be prepared for her to protect him."

Turning to look at Saitoshi, he eyed her frame, judging her strength before giving up and turning back to face the village once more. It was simply impossible to judge a demon's strength by mere sight alone like you could with humans. Even the females of their kind were strong enough to rip a man's head clean from his shoulders with a mere flick of their wrists.

"For now, I would like to suggest to study the village as well as the estate, there is no telling how many are loyal to him right now. And remember our deal." He added quickly, worrying about the woman's blood lust for her father and wondering if his Niki would be caught in the upcoming blood bath as well.

She turned to looked at him curiously. "Don't you worry about that. I will keep to our deal as promised." Turning a way and slowly stepping back she quietly growled under her voice. 'How dare he assume I would forget. He better remember about my patience as well and not give me a reason to kill him.' She stepped further back and into the shadows for she had sensed some humans coming closer.

Straightening up, he backed away from the line and faded himself into the shadows as two soldiers marched by, their voices easily drifting over to both hidden in the bushes. "The Lady seems to be intent on drawing blood today from what I had seen." One of the taller men chuckled, remembering something as he clapped the smaller one on the shoulder. "Nearly nicked the headman's face in some wild attempt with that sword."

Hearing this, Aoi furrowed his brows as the two men walked farther away. 'Lady? They must mean Niki. But why would she weild a sword? Much less against the very demon she seemed to care about... Unless they were battling for her freedom.' But no, that wouldn't make any sense either, from the way the man was speaking it was a regular occurrence. But why would she even feel the need to take up any weapon?

Scowling darkly, he fisted his hands tightly against his sides. "I will take my leave for now, remember my warning to wait and watch. He seems to be intensely aware of anything around himself and Niki." With that said, Aoi turned and vanished into the trees, leaving the female alone once more.

She watched as he walked away, leaving her there and clenched her teeth roughly, showing her fangs at his back. 'How dare he tell me what to do. If he didn't bite his tongue soon, I will do it for him.' Turning around, she left the area quickly before she was noticed, intent on doing as the insufferable male suggested, for now she would watch, later, she could engage.

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