Chapter One:

The Demon Tree and the Transient Well

Sesshomaru walked through the darkened woods with his usual grace with Jaken and Rin close behind him. Bokusenou had summoned him for some urgent message. The old demon tree had called quite frantically. It was unlike Sesshomaru to answer to another's bidding like a lap dog, however important it was. Oddly, Sesshomaru felt obligated to answer his call.

"Milord!" Jaken cried with his shrill tone, "Have we almost reached the ancient demon tree?"

"Yes, Jaken. Now be silent," Sesshomaru spoke softly yet firm.

Ahead of them stood the ancient Bokusenou, a demon tree of unknown strength and wisdom. "Lord Sesshomaru," his voice boomed through the boughs of the forest about them, "I am relieved to see that you have heeded my call. It was of the utmost importance that you come as soon as possible."

"Why have you summoned me?" Sesshomaru asked, getting directly to the heart of the matter.

"It is written, my lord, that your destiny will be forever changed by something in the coming future. Something that you will have never anticipated."

"What would that be?" he said with mock patience.

"A mortal maiden," Bokusenou's voice seemed to bounce off every leaf in the vicinity.

"A mortal girl? Please, Bokusenou, do not make me laugh."

"Do not mock me, Lord Sesshomaru. I speak the truth. Your destiny will be forever changed by a single mortal maiden."

Jaken interrupts with a voice that could curl steel, "But milord! What of young Rin?"

"Indeed. Bokusenou, I have taken in a mortal girl as a vassal after being left an orphan. How do you know it is not her?" Sesshomaru deducted.

"This child is not the maiden of whom I speak. Lord Sesshomaru, you are to find the Transient Well," the demon tree commanded.

"Transient Well?"

"Yes. The Transient Well. It is a well that appears whenever it is needed, and will take you where you need to be. If you find the well, you will find your destiny."

And the demon tree remained silent.

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Weeks had passed since they had spoken with Bokusenou of the Transient Well and Sesshomaru's destiny that was helplessly bound to it. Jaken began to complain ruthlessly, "The arrogance of that demon sapling! Ordering my Lord about as if he were a whelp! For weeks not a single sign of that wretched well!"

"Master Jaken," Rin chimed, "I believe you are irritating Lord Sesshomaru."

"If anything is irritating Lord Sesshomaru it is the lack of information that haughty tree fed him! If only he had given us something more to go on we'd . . ."

Jaken's ranting had been cut short by the sole of Sesshomaru's boot colliding with his face, "Jaken, unless you would like to see the pits of Hell first hand, I would hold my tongue."

Rin giggled as Jaken groveled to his lord and master.

A gust of wind blew by, sending the strands of Sesshomaru's hair flying in their grasp. And suddenly, Sesshomaru's eyebrows and ears perked up. "It is near."

He wandered to a patch of shrubbery near by. Pushing some of the foliage aside, there lay an old, battered looking well.

"At last," Sesshomaru mused, "But where is the girl?"

"I don't see anyone, my lord," Rin stated.

Sesshomaru scanned the horizon in all directions, sniffing the wind gently to search for any hidden scents. The only things he could smell were Rin, Jaken, the trees, grass, forest animals, and decaying wood from the decrepit looking well.

"What are we going to do, my Lord?" Rin asked innocently.

Sesshomaru thought There is no one for miles. Could it be that Bokusenou has sent me to search for nothing? He looked at the well critically. And Sesshomaru remembered something the tree had said: "It is a well that appears whenever it is needed, and will take you where you need to be. . ."

Or could it be that this well is akin to the Bone-Eater's Well that transports my filthy brother and his wench between our world and hers?

"Jaken," said Sesshomaru.

"Aye, milord?"

"Stay near here, and guard Rin. I have work to attend to."

And without a another word he jumped into the well.

Light and dark and stars spun around him like a vortex. An unseen wind sent his garments and hair flowing all about him as his momentum built steadily. His amber eyes grew wide with wonder and alert. Before he could scream, he was shot out the other end as if from a cannon. There was a blast of color before the world went black for Lord Sesshomaru.