"Lord Sesshomaru! Why have we traveled here?" Jaken asked as he waddled behind his master. Sesshomaru didn't so much as spare him a glance of acknowledgement. Through the think branches and bushes he easily navigated until he stopped before a singular tree.
Upon the trees bark was a face of an elderly man. The face of the tree smiled in recognition of who stood before him. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit...Lord Sesshomaru?" The tree asked with much mirth.
...
"Holy shit! HE'S GOT DOG EARS!" Hailey squealed pointing a finger at Inuyasha. The poor half demon was left distracted by the girls out cry that he lowered his sword. In a blink of an eye Jasmine tackled him down. Jeremy and Eric were quick to follow her lead, which resulted in a dog pile. No pun intended, but very much welcomed.
"He doesn't smell like us." Jeremy sniffed.
"Yyyaaaaaa let go of me!" Inuyasha cried out.
"What's going on here?" Kagome gasped walking out of her hut onto the scene. She looked over to Kaede who stood talking with Gregory, seemingly disinterested with the drama unfolding beside them.
"Ohhhh! They're soft! I dare say softer than yours Hailey." Jasmine teases as she rubbed her fingers over Inuyasha's ears.
"Why does everyone I meet try to touch my ears!" Inuyasha protested as Hailey stomped towards him puffing out her cheeks much like a child about to throw a tantrum would.
"Lies! I condition and specifically treat my fur to be the most luxurious of the packs!" She growled bending down to rub her finger on his ear. Immediately she began rubbing furiously clenching her free fist in the air. "Nooott... Possible!" She howled.
"Ha ha ha! We've got a new beauty queen guys!" Eric exclaimed making Hailey snap her teeth at him.
"WOULD YOU GUYS GET OFF MY MATE!" Kagome yelled having had enough of the scene. The four young weredogs looked over at her in bewilderment. In a minute they had gotten off of Inuyasha with Jeremy and Eric even standing him up. Much to everyone's surprise as the boys dusted off him, Jasmine picked up his sword and placed it into his hands. "Thank you, now who are you guys?" She sighed in relief.
"They be more young yuns from de future where Kia hails from." Kaede spoke in with Gregory giving a single comforting nod.
"More...the well works?" Kagome asked flabbergasted.
"Aye. It seems to be only allowing those to pass from the future back. For why, we can only guess. Fetch water Inuyasha, looks like we shall be having to split the load of guests for the night." Kaede ordered as she walked back to her own hut.
"Why do I have to do it!?" Inuyasha exclaimed going red in the face.
"Inuyasha please...you did have your sword out." Kagome pleaded with him. He looked at her as if he wanted to argue but walked off anyways.
"So... Where are we? Who is this and how did you people know Kia?" Jasmine questioned.
"All will be explained over a cup of tea. I'm sure you all have had quite the shock." Kaede soothed leading the way into her hut.
...
"I am ordained by God! None shall ever be as cleaver as me! Muhahahahaha!" Damien howled excitedly as he ran back to me and Rin after taking a potty break.
"Damien, your going to be rumored as a lunatic if you go around shouting that sort of thing." Rin playfully scolded him.
"Yeah Jackyl...take it down or Hyde will come out." I teased before leaning in. "Where did you go?"
"Let's just say, I am king of the mountain." He said puffing his chest out in pride of what he had done.
"King of the mountain? How so? Lord Sesshomaru owns those mountains." Rin frowned.
"Not literally, it's a figure of speech." He explained to her as I turned my nose up to the air. One sniff of the wind carried his scent mark too me. Slowly the dots connected in my head.
"Noooo..." I exclaimed kicking myself internally.
"What's wrong?" Rin asked snapping her focus to me.
"I...I just realized that the saying means he beat me at a game. Before you ask, it's a weredog game. It's hard to explain unless you are one. All I have to say is I should've thought of it first. You cheeky little bastard!" I quickly covered myself then narrowed my eyes at Damien.
"Ain't I a stinker!" He said with a comical shrug. Rin looked around before leaning in for a sniff.
"You don't smell bad to me."
"Another figure of speech. Don't worry about it. Soon you'll be in on everything we say. Then you get to make other people confused." Damien said with a wicked grin.
"Oh yes! Why I was just about to suggest we take a walk around New York central and have a sitsy for bread crumbs and blood." I said making both teens faces twist in confusion. Damien's didn't last forever though.
"Ah! Right. Then maybe a dance with a dolphin until good ol Orion flashes his belt." He added in.
"Promise a fox trot in uniform mid date and you got yourselves a deal." I said offering him my hand.
"Righty O then!" Damien agreed putting his hand into mind. We shook and then headed towards the garden leading Rin along as she desperately tried to put together what we just said.
"I give up, what did you two agree on?" Rin finally relented.
"Oh! Kia said we should walk around the garden then go eat lunch. Then I said, let's go to the ocean afterwards and stay out until night. In which she responded to as, only if we can hunt in our altered forms for dinner. Then we agreed upon it." Damien explained.
"Oh...well why didn't you guys say so?" She exclaimed.
"Because I love messing with you kid, cause I like you." I said patting her on the head.
"I have noticed." She grumbled lightly batting my hand away from her.
"Welcome to my life Rin." Damien sighed heavily.
"It's not a bad life." She scolded him.
"Yeah, but it has its moments." Damien said with a low sigh.
"Don't make me start singing to you." I warned.
"You sing?" Rin asked eyes glowing with immediate wonderment.
"Everyone can sing Rin." I grumbled. Was I really that tomboyish that the thought of me sing was so outlandish.
"Well...can you sing for me." She asked giving me those big doe eyed puppy look. My gaze shifted to Damien who was giving me the same look. I looked between the two of them frantically then looked around for a possible distraction. Finding nothing in which I could escape with I groaned.
"Fiiinnneeeeee...Damien, pick the damn song." I huffed in defeat.
"Stress out!" He immediately blurted.
"Strike one."
"Aerials!"
"Strike two."
"Make me Bad!"
"Strike... Oh damn. Actually that might be a good one."
"I was joking! Strike three! You pick!" He exclaimed.
"That's not fair!"
"That's what I like!"
"You know what? Fine..." I said then turned to Rin. "Aye! Aye! Aye! I got a condo in Manhattan. Baby girl, what's hatnin'?" I started doing the dance Bruno Mars does in his music video. "You and your ass invited. So gon' and get to clappin', So pop it for a player. Pop, pop it for me. Turn around and drop it for a player. Drop, drop it for me. I'll rent a beach house in Miami. Wake up with no jammies"
"Nope!" Damien chimed in beside me falling into step.
"Lobster tail for dinner. Julio serve that scampi. You got it if you want it. Got, got it if you want it. Said you got it if you want it. Take my wallet if you want it now"
"Jump in the Cadillac, girl, let's put some miles on it. Anything you want, just to put a smile on it. You deserve it baby, you deserve it all. And I'm gonna give it to you." We both sang and danced while Rin watched us in awed fascination.
"Gold jewelry shining so bright. Strawberry champagne on ice. Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like. Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like. Sex by the fire at night. Silk sheets and diamonds all white. Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like. Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like!" I said getting closer to Rin as I sang. Much to my amusement she blushed and tried to hide behind her hands.
"I'm talkin' trips to Puerto Rico. Say the word and we go. You can be my freaka. Girl, I'll be a fleeko, mamacita. I will never make a promise that I can't keep. I promise that your smile ain't gon' never leave. Shopping sprees in Paris. Everything 24 karets. Take a look in that mirror. Now tell me who's the fairest!" We both sang leaning into her on both sides.
"Is it you?" Damien asked pointing at her.
"Is it you?" I repeated.
"Is it me?"
"Is it me?"
"Say it's us"
"Say it's us"
"and I'll agree, baby" Damien sang with a slight blush. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Chiro coming out of the palace. When he saw what we were doing he stopped in his tracks.
"Jump in the Cadillac, girl, let's put some miles on it. Anything you want, just to put a smile on it. You deserve it baby, you deserve it all. And I'm gonna give it to you. Gold jewelry shining so bright. Strawberry champagne on ice. Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like. Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like. Sex by the fire at night. Silk sheets and diamonds all white. Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like. Lucky for you, that's what I like, that's what I like!" I finished the song trying my best not to let the presence of another distract me.
"Well, just as I starting to get bored. You three do something amusing. Should I just tail you for now on then?" Chiro boomed clapping his hands. Damien jumped having not realized he had been standing there or for how long.
"Chiro! How are you doing!" Damien exclaimed.
"I am fairing well young Damien." He said walking towards us.
"Thank you for singing for me." Rin chimed in removing her hands from her flushed face finally.
"No problem..." Damien said with a boyish grin.
"So what are your next plans for the day?" Chiro questioned.
"Well, after we finish a little walk around the garden we plan on getting some lunch. Then a nice walk to the ocean where we will swim about. We'll hunt for dinner, stay out a little longer then come back here." I said.
"Sounds delightful, mind if I tag along. Afraid I haven't much to do. I could return to my hold but I don't wish to be bothered with making another trip back in a few days." Chiro asked.
"Well, I guess that's alright. I mean, it'll be a burden upon us but who are we to deny the great General Chiro after all." I said with an exasperated sigh.
"Who are you to decline indeed. I promise to be as minimal of a burden to you as possible." He played along. I smiled at him truly happy that he wasn't a high and mighty stick in the mud. Especially after me beating his ass down to the ground. He was definitely earning a few brownie points on my end.
"If you say so." Damien shrugged and we all continued on our walk. As we did the three of us, being me Damien and Chiro, noticed one of many of Damien's markings.
"Is it just me, or have you two forgotten the proper place in which to relieve yourselves?" He asked.
"Nope! We can be viewed as dogs at heart. What you are smelling is a simple game." I said unashamedly.
"Yeah, more like a way to get under everyone's skin." Damien snidely added in.
"It is their fault. They started it and claimed that we were foul beasts from the pits of the underworld." I defended.
"So you'll prove them right?"
"Is there a way to prove them wrong?"
"Ah, that their isn't. Though, how will Lord Sesshomaru react when he comes home and finds it smelling heavily like yourselves?" Chiro pointed out.
"I don't really know. I guess that's the real thrill in it. We did the same thing to his young half brother. He never mentioned it but we could tell it really irked him." Damien said with an evil grin.
"What did you two do?" Rin asked.
"A dog thing." Damien danced around her question.
"Tell me!"
"I did."
"Did not! I want an answer, a real one." She demanded.
"Fiinneeee...We've been pissing here and there to mark the area around us. Good news, to their noses it only smells like us. It doesn't hold any real tangible trace of what we are. To each other, now that's different. It's kind of like a secret code only us weredogs can sniff out." Damien relented finally.
"Which can be frustrating if the one smelling it knows what you are. For they won't be able to tell the nature of which you have placed a mark." Chiro filled in.
"How can you smell why a dog has marked something?" Rin frowned in confusion.
"It's just...how it smells. Some say, this is my territory, this is where my mate has gone and they are mine, stay away, I am challenging the alpha and of course I'm not a threat." I listed off some of the more basic of markings.
"Oh...so what did you mark the palace for?" Rin asked.
"I marked for, I'm no threat and warning others to stay away from my family." I said leaving out the fact I had marked as being alpha of the territory just in case there was secretly weredogs around. After all, perhaps our kind were in hiding.
"I marked the same." Damien said. Yet I knew it was a lie and so did Chiro by the way he looked to me.
"Oh...okay then. I still think you shouldn't be marking the place either way. What if someone accidentally sat or stepped in it?" She scolded forcing me to restrain my maniacal laughter on the inside. 'Oh Rin, what if indeed?'
"I think now would be an appropriate time to go have the mid meal." Chiro suggested.
"I think that's a marvelous idea as well." I added and happily followed him back towards the palace leaving the teens to follow along without the ability to argue.
...
"Over the river and through the woods! To Sesshomaru's palace we go!" Jeremy cried happily at the back of the group with Jasmine beside him.
"Not another damn song or I'll turn around!" Inuyasha snapped at the head of the group. There was a moment of silence between the young adults as they continued running through the trees. That is until Hailey chimed in from her seat on Gregory's back.
"Are we there yet?" She complained.
"No." Inuyasha groaned.
"How about now?" Eric added.
"No..." He gritted.
"Are we there yet?" Jasmine giggled.
"Uuuhhhhh! We'll get there when we get there!" Inuyasha exclaimed nearing the end of his rope with the group.
"Have we gotten there yet?" Hailey groaned.
"NOOOO!" He screeched. "Ask me one more time and I swear!" He warned and once again there was silence. Inuyasha waited a few minutes before letting out a huff of relief. He soon found that he was too soon in relaxing for out of no where. The group took turns popping their lips, save for Gregory who was in his beast form. With each timed pop Inuyasha became more and more frustrated. "AAHHHH! WHY CAN'T YOU GUYS STOP IT! NOW I KNOW WHY KIA RAN AWAY TO THE PAST!"
"Hey! That was very mean to say!" Hailey cried out.
"Yeah! Kia loves us and we love Kia!" Shoot off Jeremy.
"Don't forget about sugar cube too!" Jasmine added in happily.
"Yeah! Little squirt was the bomb!" Eric cheered on.
"You're just a grouchy old dog!" Huffed Hailey.
"I'M NOT GROUCHY OR OLD!" Inuyasha defended.
"Older than us, and our parents." Gregory piped in finally.
"I'm a half demon!" He shot.
"I don't see where that excuses you old man." Eric sighed.
"Do I look like an old man to you?"
"He's acting more like a child now." Sighed Jasmine.
"Yeah, definitely immature." Jeremy nodded his head in agreement.
"I'M IMMATURE?" He sputtered.
"And he's yelling now too. What a toddler." Sighed Hailey looking over her painted nails.
"You guys are the immature ones!"
"Denial...he needs a serious intervention." Gregory added.
"You know what? Why don't we play the silent game?" Inuyasha offered.
"Now he's suggesting we play a kids game instead of facing his problems. I really feel for him." Eric sighed sadly.
"I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM! YOU ALL HAVE PROBLEMS!"
"Let's us help you! You can admit your faults to us. We're kindred spirits after all." Jasmine cried out.
"You know what he needs?" Jeremy said as his lips twisted into a wicked grin.
"A GROUP HUG!" They all shouted at the same time before rushing after the poor half demon charged with guiding them to his half brother's palace.
"What? NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!" He cried out running away from the charging group.
...
Sesshomaru walked at his usual pace back from the forrest his father's friend was rooted in. Nothing about him would tell if he felt anything at all. Yet as Jaken walked behind his master like always he could almost feel the inner cogs of his masters mind working at full tilt. For not even the wise old tree could tell the demon lord what he sought out to find.
So, now they headed back to his domain. Having his patrol completed the duo made haste. For his ward and the two curious being awaited him. The two beings that couldn't themselves, quell his curiosity in their kind. For Lord Sesshomaru, his curiosity was a powerful if not dangerous thing to posses.