Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I just wish I did, like so many other fangirls. All I own is Dai'chym. Dai'chym: I hate you. Phoenix-Flame: ^^ I know.

Thirteen Dragons

"Puppy!" the tree/dragon exclaimed, in a rather feminine, almost girl-like voice. "Kawaii!" Inuyasha tried to desperately jump away as the tree/dragon grabbed ahold of him and began to cuddle and pet him like he'd seen Kagome do to Shippo.

"Erk! Ack! He-help!! Kagome!" he cried out, as the tree/dragon squeezed him like a favorite stuffed animal. How did this happen to him?! The stupid kitsune was the one who was squeezed and fawned over, not him! He gasped for breath. "KAGOME!"

The group he had left at the camp fire soon ran up to stand below, looking up at the sinuous brown and green dragon cuddling Inuyasha. "Inuyasha? Are you okay?" Kagome called. However, he was running a little low on air, and was unable to reply. She drew an arrow and nocked it, then drew back and took aim at the dragon's arm.

Miroku put a hand on Kagome's arm. "Wait, my lady. I wouldn't advise making it angry..."

Kagome looked over at him, then slowly lowered her bow. "But what can we do? We can't leave him like that!"

Miroku approached the towering dragon, who had noticed their arrival and was now watching them curiously. Inuyasha was relieved of the death grip and now panted for breath, ears wilting. "Um, please great tree dragon, I apologize for anything stupid our companion has done..."

The dragon looked at the hanyo in her arms. "Eh? Oh, he's yours?" She released the red-clad figure, who dropped to the ground gratefully and scampered behind Kagome, warily eyeing the thing that had once been a tree. The dragon grinned, baring a maw full of pearly fangs, and shrank. She reduced her own size from towering, to merely about twenty feet in length and coiled around the nearest tree trunk to regard them in the sudden large shaft of milky moonlight.

"I am Jssirrlath, which in the dragon's tongue means 'Ivy'. Who are you and why do you pass in my forest?" she inquired, now down to business.

Miroku seemed to deem himself the group's spokesperson, and took and step forward and bowed to the forest dragon, who dipped her head in return. "My lady Dragon, we are honored. But we did not know that this forest was under someone's protection, or we would have gladly asked permission to enter." The dragon flicked an ear back.

"Yes, yes. Enough with formalities. You'll have to excuse me, I am young as we count it, and I would prefer it if you would just get to the point. Why are you here?"

Miroku coughed into his hand, obviously embarrassed. "Well, my lady, we are merely passing through. You see, we are on a quest to find the pieces of the legendary Shikon no Tama to piece it back together." The dragon, Ivy, appeared interested at this, and she perked up. "We sense the presence of two or three shards just beyond your magnificent forest and we are headed there."

"Really? Oh, how very interesting!" she exclaimed. Her tail waggled a bit. "I'm afraid very little of any note happens here." She looked around at the ancient sentinals around her. "The forest was like this when my predecessor died and left this to me five centuries ago. I find it incredibly dull." Her tail and whiskers drooped and she sighed. "But I cannot leave." She looked back at the group, turning her piercing green gaze on them plaintively. "But I will strike a deal with you mortals. I will give you free passage through my forest in exchange for tales of your travels and the outside world."

Kagome replied. "We'd be happy to. My name is Kagome, and this is Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and the scaredy-hanyo behind me is Inuyasha."

"Feh."

***

The great serpent crashed to the ground, leaking irridescent blood from many wounds. Her gray, scaled hide was tattered, and her once-resplendant white mane matted with her blood. She turned her one good, amzingly blue, eye on her opponent. Mist enshrouded the small vale they battled in, but he was not affected, and the mist seemed to shy away from him.

She pushed herself up shakily. "H-how... How could you do this? You are a human!"

He only smiled and swung his sword, the blood easily sliding from the metal. She bared broken fangs and snapped at him. The warrior in black sidestepped and drove his sword point forward, taking her in the throat. The great beast spasmed once and was still. The warrior withdrew his blade.

The Fog Dragon's body dissipated, becoming as mist, and swirled to leave this world for the next. But the dark-armored one held up his hand, and the mist shuddered, and was pulled inward, to him. He smiled as he felt the power flow into him, new abilities begging to be used. All at his disposal. He sheathed his sword and took out a glittering crystal on a chain.

He began his search again.

***

Glowing green eyes watched him start off, attached to a form coiled on a moonbeam. She frowned, and flew off, to warn others.

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