Disclaimer: I don't Inu-Yasha, or Mara Daughter of the Nile... man, life is cruel...

A/N: Howdy folks! I know that it's been forever since I last updated, but there was school, and friends, and......um......a............I was busy for cryin' out loud! Stop pressuring me!...now that I got that off my chest (guilty conscience talking) 00 on with the show!

Quiet Before the Storm

The slave was waiting just inside the door for him when Inu-Yasha walked in. "This way, Master Inu-Yasha," he said meekly and led him down the hallway. "You know, you don't have to call me master, Mio." The slave smiled shyly. "I know, Master, but it's always polite to say it." Inu-Yasha smiled, but it disappeared when he got to the end of thee hallway. "Don't worry, Master," Mio whispered. "He always says yes in the end." With that he opened the door and ushered Inu-Yasha in before leaving and closing the door behind him.

Inu-Yasha tried to act calm, as if he visited this man all the time just to say 'hi'. The man in question was studying him closely, while petting a huge fat cow that was lying next to him.

"Did anyone see you?" the old man asked. Inu- Yasha was to reply indignantly, but the old man stopped him and laughed. "Yes, yes. I know you would never let anyone catch you. And your disguise is perfect. One would never guess that the previous King's son was under that."

Out of habit, Inu-Yasha's eyes quickly scanned the area to see if anyone was around. The older man saw the inspection and frowned. "What, you think someone's overhearing us, boy?" he asked sternly. Inu-Yasha sighed and prepared himself for a lecture. "I'll have you know, young man, that I pride myself on having the only house in the neighborhood that is sound-proof, fire-proof, breech-proof...If I were you, I would be thankful that I was in such a house and asking treasonous favors, ain't that right, Moo-moo?" He looked at his cow, who nodded and glared at Inu-Yasha. "I agree wholeheartedly, Master," Moo-Moo said. Inu-Yasha glared right back then went back to the man.

"Let's cut the crap, old man. Are you gonna help me or not?" he asked sharply. The old man shook his head sadly. "Inu-Yasha, when will you learn that the key to getting people to help you has nothing to do with yelling at and/or insulting them? And I do have a name, you know." Moo-moo shook his head also. "Still rude as ever," it commented. Inu-Yasha glared at it again before continuing. "Okay, let's try again. Master Totosai, have you thought on my request to help overthrow Queen Kikyo?"

Totosai nodded and sighed. Suddenly he looked weary and old, s if he was bearing a great weight on his shoulders. Although he was 62, no one would have guessed from the way that he acted. Now, though, the wrinkles could be seen on his face, and the grey hair stood out more than the black.

"Inu-Yasha, I'm old and tired. I have fought many battles for this country, led many wars, and for what? Nothing changes afterwards. The kings and queens are still what they used to be: selfish and greedy. How do I know that what you're asking will be better for this land? How do you know that your king will be different from the others?"

Inu-Yasha fiddled with his fingers under the gaze of the old man. "I just have a feeling deep inside me that Sesshomaru will be exactly what this country needs. I don't know how I know, I just... do."

Totosai sighed. "Inu-Yasha, let me tell you something. Even if I didn't have this resentment towards this country's monarchs, I'm still not as young as I used to be. I need my cow just to carry me around! Even to go up the stairs! 'Ain't that right, Moo-Moo?"

Moo-Moo nodded grumpily and muttered, "Yeah, and you're not getting any lighter, gramps. Been eatin' too many pastries, hmmm?"

Totosai scowled at the cow lying at his feet. "Well, you're no cream puff yourself, dearie!"

The cow gasped indignantly. "Well excuse me for living! I'm a cow for cryin' out loud! I'm supposed to be large! But you're not the one having to lift someone up all day!"

"Oh, don't try to ease your way out of this one! I see you sneaking pastries too, and don't think it doesn't show!"

"I'm not fat: I'm just big-boned! I inherited it from my mother's side of the family!" Moo-Moo said, and turned its head daintily.

Totosai snorted. "Yeah, I'll believe that one when you go on the Atkins' Diet!" he said dryly.

"What?! How dare you, sir? What are you trying to say? Okay, so I'm a little large for my age group! So sue me! No one said that eating and enjoying your food was a crime! A body can't even sample anything around here without being called obese!"

Inu-Yasha tried not to chuckle as he watched the two bicker, and coughed to get their attention, which was only received for a second.

"So did you were going to say that you would help me, Totosai?"

"What? You're the one who started it by saying – sure, okay Inu-Yasha – saying that I was the one who was eating too much, and now you get insulted when I merely turned the tables on you! 'don't dish it if you can't take it' is what you always tell me, so take your own advice this time!"

They both were red in the face now from shouting at each other.

"How could you use my own advice against me?! I thought I could trust you! I thought you were my friend!" Moo-Moo was about to cry.

"What does trust have to do with it?! I'm still your friend, I'm just tellin' it to ya like it is..."

Their voices faded away as Inu-Yasha walked further down the hallway, pausing to give the thumbs-up sign to Mio who grinned in response, before walking out of the door and into the street.

Things were going along rather well, if he did say so himself.

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A/N: Well, another chapter has come and gone, and I hope that you guys enjoyed it. I tried really hard to finish this. You all should be proud of me, since I am writing this when I should very well be working on this humongous English paper. See? That shows how much I care about you guys! So I will try to update soon, but since I have a huge work load in school, don't expect any promises except that I will do my best! Bai!