Disclaimer: I'm out of original disclaimers. See Chapter 1.

AN: 'Ryu' means dragon in japanese. Therefore, a ryu in the story is a dragon. Sorry if there was any confusion. Oh yeah, and updates might be a little slow from now on since I recently started a new job. We'll have to see.

Thirteen Dragons

"Waiiiit!"

Inuyasha turned around at the familiar voice, hand unconciously going to Tetsusaiga's hilt. He smelled the blasted tree dragon, but couldn't see her yet. Then he caught a hint of movement, and his eyes locked on it. He relaxed somewhat. It was no ryu, just a human.

The girl ran up to the adventuring party and bent over, panting from the exertion. When she straightened, Inuyasha facevaulted. It was the damn dragon! Only she wasn't a dragon she was a human, and about Kagome's age, too. She was about the same height too, with rich green hair and intense blue eyes that were currently closed and her mouth perked up in a sheepish grin. She waved. Her hair was loose, coming to about mid-back, except for a small topnot wrapped around a piece of a deer antler. She wore a light green robe that was breezy and allowed freedom of movement.

"*huff, puff, puff* Konnichiwa, minna! Ehh... Sorry to stop you, but uh... could you take you take me with you?" she asked.

"What-? Why?" Sango wondered at about the same time Shippo asked, "I thought you were tied to the forest or something." And Inuyasha also put his two cents in then... "No way!!"

"Inuyasha!"

"No! She's not coming!" Inuyasha declared, then turned away from Kagome with arms crossed. Which was the wrong move.

"Osuwari!"

SMACK!!

"Itai."

Kagome nodded in satisfaction at the twitching hanyo on the ground and turned back to the now-human ryu. "Now Ivy-chan, could you explain this? I thought you said last night that you were bound to this forest and couldn't leave..."

"Well, yes..." the dragon began, "but something's com up. I've been givan a kind of leave of absense. In fact, I have to leave." She glanced behind her nervously. "And I need to leave as soon as possible."

Inuyasha, meanwhile, had struggled to a sitting posistion. "Feh. So? Leave. Why does it have to be with us?" He sniffed as Kagome shot him another dangerous look, and braced for a 'sit', but none came. He glared at pretty much everything while Kagome spoke with the girl.

Ivy just ignored him. The cuteness of his puppy-ears was pretty much nullified by his nasty attitude. "I could use an escort. Some protection, if only others for camoflouge. Otherwise I'm pretty much a sitting for for him." Inuyasha's ears perked forward. But then Miroku was right beside the girl, one of her delicate hands in his, looking very solemn.

"My lady Ivy, I will gladly allow you to accompany us and I shall protect you to the best of my humble ability if you will but grant me one thing. Bear my child."

"HENTAI!!!" Sango and Ivy struck at the same time and a strong dragon-made- beautiful-maiden fist and a massive boomerang struck him on his perverted head. Twin lumps rose as he lay in a pathetic heap at their feet. Shippo looked down at him from his perch on Kagome's shoulder and 'tsk tsk'ed.

"Miroku will never learn."

***

The crystal's light flickered. The warrior in black glowered at it, but it did not make it glow any brighter. He turned it this way and that, but it seemed to glow dimly in every direction. He snarled and struck out with his blade before a hummingbird could beat a wing. A tree as ancient as the dragon race now possessed a long, deep wound in it's trunk, which began to weep a green sap. The warrior only spared the crying tree a withering glance before tucking the crystal away. It was of no use in this blasted forest. Two dragons down, and the powers of Fog and Dark were his. He smirked.

All it took was time. And eventually even a dragon ran out of time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

AN: I know it's short, but I just don't have the energy to write more right now. Long day at work. Maybe lotsa nice reviews will help me recover ^_^. I'm gonna go pass out now...