Okay, before I begin, I'll respond to two reviews.
Time's Mortal Enemy: Hey, hey! It's my favorite reviewer. Don't worry about taking so long. I actually only got this chapter up a few days ago, because of really hard schedules and so forth. Anywho, yes! There will be much more romance between InuYasha and Kagome than there was in 'Two Weeks.' Hehe, and yes, last chapter was very fun to write.
Shadow of Reality: Well, I'm sorry you're so disappointed. I've really been trying hard to work on doing the characterization well. Unfortunately for your sake, I rather like where I'm going with this. In addition, I'm well aware of everything that happened in Two Weeks, and rest assured: Kagome and InuYasha did not have any type of romantic relationship by the end. If they had, I would have to where left to go for this fic. I'm well aware of how this is going to go, and I'm fairly sure you'll be pleased with how it turns out. But, whatever.
And a quick apology! Last chapter, the format was really messed up, and there were one or two really stupid typos. I thikn there are still some bugs with the system, cause I can't get this to look right either. Oh, well. Please, jsut bear with me.
Anywho, now we head back to the wonderful world of Sesshoumaru and Rin. Yay!
P.S. I once again refer to Sesshoumaru's fluffy as his boa. That is what it is by my book. If you don't like it, deal with it. Don't whine to me. I've had at least a gazillion reviews saying, "Hey! Sesshoumaru's fluffy is his tail, stupid."
Granted, these people also think I'm a girl, still. Sigh Anywho, on with the fic.
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"Hey, Atma." Kiriln said with a toothy smirk. Her massive coils surged around in the water, and caused miniature tidal waves to rush through the water. "Long time no see, eh?"
Atma crossed her arms over her black breastplate. "I hoped it would be longer." She said curtly. "What are you doing here?"
Kiriln shrugged. "Interesting things are happening here." She said. "It sounds like it could be fun."
Atma scowled, and lifted one hand in front of her face. "You rebelled against the dragon race, Kiriln." She said softly. Lightning crackled up and down her hand, and across the tips of her claws.
"Yes." Kiriln remarked. "Yes I did. You should try it some day. It's very fun."
Atma growled; a low feral sound that promised bloodshed. "Why did you come back?" She demanded. "Is it to help to free Ryuukotsutsei? Was that the reason?"
"That freak?" Kiriln laughed. "I think not." Her eyes closed. "I came simply... to observe."
Atma took a few slow, deliberate steps towards the serpent. "I really don't think that answers good enough." She hissed dangerously.
Kiriln didn't blink. "Really?" She asked slowly bringing more of her coils out of the churning water, and onto the pier. "What would you say if I didn't care?"
Nothing was said. Atma help up a clawed hand, and clenched it together, her face captured in a cruel grin. The pier around her suddenly shattered, sending shards of alabaster flying into the air. Her long red hair flew upwards with the force, and her feet slowly lifted off the ground. Still, Kiriln didn't flinch.
She slowly lowered herself back down into the water, the shards of stone bouncing off of her scales. She shook her head. "Still just using blasts to silence those you don't like, hmm?" She sighed. "I suppose that you didn't learn much while I was gone."
One side of Atma's mouth lifted in a sneer. "What are you talking about?" She demanded. Her draconic tail lashed in the air, and long black wings unfurled from underneath her royal, purple cloak.
"You're relying on instinct." Kiriln said patiently. "You think that because your instinct says you are the ancient wyrm, then instinct is infallible. Instinct won't let you go wrong." She snorted. "You don't understand anything."
Atma snarled, and clenched her hands at her sides. A bolt of lightning launched out of the clear sky, and slammed down into the water near one of Kiriln's coils.
"You think instinct is infallible." Kiriln hissed. "That it would never lead you astray." She snorted. "Too late. It already has."
Atma scowled, and crossed her arms. "I wouldn't be so bold, if I were you."
Kiriln smiled. "Your not my ruler." She said.
Atma's frown deepened, and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then what do you live by?"
Kiriln simply looked back. "You have no ruler either. What do you live by?"
Whatever was to happen next was lost. It was at this point that captain Morgan on the Banana Trading Co. No. 7 appeared once again on the pier. He had Sesshoumaru's spiked shoulder guard clasped in his arms.
Three pairs of eyes whirled to face him. He blinked. "Ummm..." He said slowly. "I guess you three are having' a little party here..." He began to inch towards the shattered pier, and towards his vessel. "I'll just be going now. You have fun." He began inching a little fast.
Tiamet (Who had retreated to the base of the pier when the lightning started to fly) blinked at the piece of armor in his hand. "Is that Sesshoumaru's shoulder guard?" She asked; her expression unbelieving.
Morgan held up the thing in his hand. "This?" He asked. "Oh, well..." he stuttered. "You see, there was this guy with silver hair, an' he was chasin' me. Tall fellow, looked very regal." He held up a finger. "But you see, then these other two girls dropped down outta nowhere, and the three of 'em start fighting." A few more steps towards the ship. "So they're goin' at it. So then I figure that I'd better get out a there before I get caught up in the mix. But before I can make a break for it." He was almost there... "The blue haired woman throws a snake at the silver haired man. The snake bites him, and then he keels over."
Tiamet's expression wilted. "Sesshoumaru keeled over?" She demanded. "I can't remember the last time Sesshoumaru keeled over."
Morgan snapped, as he reached his boat. "Right! Sesshoumaru! That was his name. Well, anyway, he didn't seem to be usin' this anymore, so I figured I wouldn't waste it." He finished, hefting the shoulder guard. "Well, my business is done, so I guess I'll be going." He turned around to get into his Ship. Only to discover his Ship was no longer there.
Where his ship had been, was a hole. A large hole. Water was pouring into it, yet it gave no signs of filling up. There were sounds of growling, and clawing emanating from the hole. Above the hole was floating the one member of the group that Morgan had yet to recognize. She looked considerably more like a demon than anyone else Morgan had seen to date.
She had long, flowing crimson hair that turned black at the tips. It was currently flying up around her head, and weaving together, blown by unseen breezes. She wore a black breastplate, and black thigh guards. Underneath the plate she wore a Midnight blue one piece that covered the rest of her skin, save her hands and head. Heavy black boots adorned her feet, and a long, billowing royal purple cloak tumbled don her back. From underneath the cloak were two, sweeping, black, scaled, draconic wings, arching and spread behind her. A long, scaled tail lashed the air, and her arms were crossed in front of her chest. Her sharp, pretty features were caught up in a look of sheer displeasure. The sun was beginning to set behind her, her face in an ominous shadow.
Morgan looked down into the pit, regarding it carefully. "A very nice hole." He complimented."
No response from the woman.
"I'd suspect that it leads to a realm of ultimate pain, yes?" Morgan continued, rubbing his beard.
A brief, curt nod.
"And chances are I'm going to end up there unless I do exactly what you want, correct?"
Another nod.
"Hmmm." Morgan mused, weighing his options. "How unpleasant is ultimate pain." He asked.
"Very." Tiamet supplied form behind him.
Morgan nodded. "And... how unpleasant is what will happen to me if I stay here."
"Who were Lord Sesshoumaru's attackers?" The woman in front of him.
"Two Chinese looking girls." Morgan said quickly. "One with blue hair, one with purple. Can I leave now?"
"Shit." The woman swore. "Oni and Shin. Didn't think they'd get this far, this fast." She took a step forward in midair, and suddenly disappeared. Morgan blinked, and whirled around. The woman was now behind him, walking away, down the street he had come from. "Tiamet." She commanded smartly as she crossed the red dragon. "Come."
Tiamet grinned, and shrugged. "Well," She said sadly. "Back to work."
Morgan blinked, and turned around. The hole was gone, and the Banana was right where it had been. "That was an illusion, wasn't it." He muttered.
Kiriln nodded her large head. "Yes. But don't feel bad. Had you tried to call her bluff, she might have turned it real on you."
Morgan shuddered. "A friend of yours?" He asked.
"Sort of." Kiriln said with a shake of her head. "Her name's Atma, and she's the ruler of the dragons here in Japan."
Morgan stroked his beard. "I see." He said. "Why exactly to the dragons here look like humans?"
"Because it's more efficient." Kiriln said. "Besides, Dragons aren't at all like you Europeans think about them. We come in all different shapes and sizes, and those become moot as soon as we learn how to change them."
"Change them?" Morgan asked, staring out to sea.
"Change them." Said Kiriln, walking past him on two very human looking feet.
Morgan blinked, and opened his mouth in shock. It was definitely Kiriln. Her voice was the same. But Morgan quickly decided that he liked this form better.
The first thing he noticed (and the first thing he noticed about many women) was that she had curves. Very nice curves, in fact. A trim waist, not-too-wide hips, and a full bust. Morgan always appreciated a well-drawn figure. Then there were her clothes. Morgan wished there were less of them, but he couldn't' complain all in all. She was dressed all in white, with yellow, black and red trim. She wore an intricate garment that seemed to be made from hundreds of layers of silk, tailored to her exact measurements. The thing wasn't tight, but it was distinctly made to show off. A white sash was tied around her waist, synching in the garment. She wasn't particularly tall, but wasn't short either. Her face had soft features, save a sharp, small nose. Long, azure hair fell down her back, tied up in three thick braids. Two smaller braids fell down either side of her face, framing it. Her feet were bare, and her fingers and toes had no claws. Her skin had an almost pale blue tone to it, while her lips were a darker shade of blue. Her eyes were much like Tiamet's. No white, or dark. But instead of crimson, Kiriln's eyes matched the shade of her hair. A fair, shiny azure.
She turned around, and held out her arms. "You see?" She asked casually. "Normally dragons choose two forms that they particularly like. Changing forms does take work, because you have to know exactly how the body works to do it. So we only have two or three, so we can be more familiar with the bodies, and be able to switch them at a moments notice."
Morgan absorbed all this information steadily, and then asked the only intelligent question a pirate could ask given the situation. He held up a finger at her, "How did you manage to get clothes on when you just transformed?"
Kiriln stared at him, and crossed her arms. "Why are you thinking about me without clothes on?" She countered.
"Pirate." Morgan pointed out.
Kiriln sighed. "Fun." She said sarcastically. This was going to be a long adventure. "Come on." She said, following the path taken by Atma and Tiamet. "I haven't seen Sesshoumaru in a while."
Morgan looked down at the shoulder guard in his hands. "Will you protect me if he wakes up?" He asked plaintively.
Kiriln smiled flirtatiously. "Maybe." She said, walking down the street.
Morgan sighed. "So, why is this city consisting mainly of monsters." He asked, falling in beside the dragon. "Are they dragons too?"
Kiriln shook her head. "No. They're called youkai. Dragons are much more rare."
"How come they don't exist everywhere else in the world."
"They do. However not in such mass amounts. For some odd reason, there are much more youkai in Asia."
Morgan nodded. "So, why is this city here?" He asked.
Kiriln smiled. "Well, it all started out when a tai-youkai, that is a noble youkai, like Sesshoumaru, tried to set up an establishment here, on this island." She smiled, and held up one perfect finger. "In fact, it was Sesshoumaru' great grandfather. This was more than five hundred years ago, mind you. Well this Tai-Youkai, InuTeisu, was extremely arrogant. So he went up to the current residents of the islands, which were the dragons, and demanded that they let him set up a city."
Morgan winced. He had only been around Tiamet and Atma for a few minutes, but he could tell they weren't the type to make demands of.
"The dragons were naturally, not too pleased with him. But they did as he said, and helped make this city. InuTeisu was very pleased, and named it Shinjuku. However, he didn't really get to enjoy it much longer, because the dragons weren't very happy with him."
"And what happened to him?" Morgan asked, liking where this was going.
"They obliterated him." Kiriln said matter of fatly. "With much blood spray involved, if memory serves."
Morgan shuddered. "Did Atma pull out her little hole of pain?" He asked.
Kiriln giggled. "Actually, Atma wasn't around at that point. She's fairly young, compared to the rest of us."
Morgan blinked. "But..." He said. "She's your ruler."
Kiriln smiled. "Yes well, how we decide on rulers is a story for another time." She said, then pressed on with her story. "After we obliterated InuTeisu, we decided to let his son keep the city. His son, InuShinku, was a slightly more responsible ruler. And so it went, from InuShinku, to his son InuTaisho."
Morgan raised an eyebrow. "I think I'm seeing a trend here." He remarked. "Why doesn't Sesshoumaru have an 'inu?'"
Kiriln chuckled. "Well, Sesshoumaru isn't actually a Tai-Youkai." She said. "But that's confidential information."
Morgan blinked. "He doesn't want anybody knowing?"
"We don't want him to know. He's something more than just a Tai- Youkai. Has to do with who his mother was."
"And who was that?"
One of Kiriln's fingers wagged in front of his face. "You aren't allowed to know that." She said.
Morgan sighed. "Fine." He said, then held up the shoulder guard. "You feel like running. I want to get this back on his lordship before he wakes up if it's all the same to you."
Kiriln laughed, and took off down the street, running.
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Sesshoumaru-Sama was late. Rin paced back and forth. He had said that he was only going to speak with Atma-Sama, and then be right back. But he had been gone for many hours now. Rin stood in the giant entry hall of the lord of Shinjuku's palatial manor. His lunch was going to get cold!
She sighed, and strode up to the heavy, wooden doors of the manor. IF he didn't want to come back home, Rin would have to just go out and fetch him. She pushed open the doors, and headed out past the long courtyards into the city.
From the moment she hit the streets, she could see that something was wrong. Aaron must have gone on a rampage again, because the streets were deserted. Uncle Aaron was amusing, but he really did get a little excessive occasionally. She sighed, and headed of through the streets, checking all the back allies she knew of (and that was a lot). Finally, she found one where there were a few stray youkai holed up.
"Hey, you." She said, leaning up against the corner of the ally.
The youkai looked out at her, their fine clothing torn from running. "Is it over?" One of them asked.
Rin shrugged, pulling at her hank of hair held up by the band. "I don't see Aaron anywhere." She said. "But what about you. Have you seen Sesshoumaru-Sama?"
The youkai looked aghast at her. "He was fighting with two weird Chinese looking youkai, down towards the central square." One of them said. He said it with an air of cautious pride. Rin knew that normally, they wouldn't even talk to a human. But they had learned long ago that Rin was to command a certain amount of respect...
Rin nodded politely. "Thank you!" She said, and with a flash was gone.
She quickly darted through back allies, dark passages, and other various catacombs of the city. She was fairly sure that not even Sesshoumaru-Sama knew all the routes she did.
It wasn't long before she reached the street. She darted out of one of the allies, her Kimono hitched up slightly to make it easier to run. "Sesshoumaru-Sama?" She called out into the street.
It wasn't until she was almost upon the scene that she was the bodies. There were three of them. The closes one, lying slumped against the side of a building, had long purple hair. Her face was scarred ever so slightly, and she wasn't breathing. The second one had blue hair. Her neck was at an odd angle with her body, and a broken spear was lying next to her. And the third body was...
"Sesshoumaru-Sama!" Rin practically screamed. Like a flash, she was at his side. He was lying on his back, half cushioned by his boa. He looked very much like the first time she had seen him. Only now his eyes were closed, and breath was barely coming through his mouth. His skin looked paler than normal, and his hands were clammy. "Sesshoumaru-Sama?" She asked, leaning over him. No answer. She scowled, and put her ear to his chest.
Well, his heart was still going strong at least. Naturally, he would go and get himself injured like this. Rin quickly began to check over his clothes. There were a few rips, put no actual punctures. A little blood, but it didn't look like his. She inspected his clawed hand, and her eyes narrowed. There were two little holes, just above his wrist. A bite of some sort.
She was pulled out of her reverie by a groan from behind her. She whirled around, and blinked in shock. The purple haired girl was breathing again. Slowly, she leaned forward from the wall, and stumbled to her feet. The scars that had marred her face before were gone. Slowly she looked up through stray locks of hair. Her eyes were glowing inhumanely. Rin backed up, eyes wide with fear. This was definitely not a good situation.
The glowing eyes slowly fixed on her, and the woman snarled. She clenched her hand in front of her, and a short, slender, Chinese blade appeared in it with a flash. "I'll take the fang…" She hissed, taking a step towards Rin and Sesshoumaru.
Rin gasped in fear, and stumbled back again, tripping over Sesshoumaru's boa. This woman was going to kill her. Rin really didn't want to die…
"Move girl." The woman said slowly, taking another step.
Rin's eyes widened. The woman wasn't trying to kill her. She was trying to kill Sesshoumaru. Rin's eyes narrowed. Well, this changed things a bit. Thinking quickly, Rin looked around. Sesshoumaru had told her that he always kept his boa weighted, because it made for an unexpected weapon. The woman was ever drawing closer. She scrambled to the side, heading for the end of the boa.
The woman took another step.
Rin frantically searched the end of the boa. Finally, her hands felt something hard and sturdy through the fluffy material. She scowled, and quickly pulled whatever it was out.
The woman pulled up her blade, and brought it down on Sesshoumaru. But before it ever hit, a fifteen pound chunk of raw iron smashed into the side of her head with a sickening smack. The woman didn't even have time to be surprised. The momentum from the rock transported into her head, and she fell five feet from where she had been standing before. Blood oozed from the crater in her head onto the white tile.
Rin quickly scrambled to where the iron chunk had fallen, and hefted it again, feeling its solid weight in her hands. She stood in front of Sesshoumaru breathing hard, watching the woman suspiciously. Her lower lips was trembling in and out.
A sickening crack once again echoes through the street, and with a little shriek, Rin turned to face the source. The other woman, the one with blue hair, was now rising to her feet. Rin grimaced determinedly, and spread her sandaled feet, clutching the block close.
The blue haired woman rose to her feet, emitting a low, feral growl. Her eyes were glowing crimson.
Rin backed up a step, her heels touching Sesshoumaru's side. Her eyes narrowed in grim determination.
The woman lunged forward, letting out a high, unearthly battle cry.
Rin screamed back at her, and let fly with the rock.
The rock flew strait and true. Right into the woman's hand. Her fingers wrapped around the rock, and stopped it in mid-flight. She, however, kept coming, raising the rock high above her head, to smash it down.
Rin let out another scream, before a black shape superimposed itself in her vision, and a crack ran through the air.
Rin blinked at the black shape in front of her, and slowly it moved aside. It was that Dragon woman, Atma. Her gaze traveled from the dragon, arms crossed, and a self satisfied smirk on her face, to the thing on the wall of a nearby building. By it's blue armor, and vaguely human shape, she could tell that it used to be the woman. But it looked distinctly not-womanish anymore. More like a… thingy. Which was in a fire. For a very long time. Like several years.
She sighed, and looked around. Atma was standing near Sesshoumaru, looking down at him thoughtfully. Heading down the street was Tiamet. She was whistling a little tune, and walking very slowly. And just behind her were two strangers. One was dressed all in leather, had a funny hat on, and a big white feather down one side of his face. The other was a beautiful woman dressed all in white silks, with long, blue hair the color of the clear, shallow sea.
Then her gaze shifted to Sesshoumaru-Sama. He needed help, fast. "You!" she instructed very suddenly, pointing at Atma.
The dragon looked up at him, and raised an eyebrow.
"Carry him, and follow me." She instructed primly.
Atma blinked, then raised one side of her upper lip contemptuously. "Listen girl." She hissed, and held out her hand. In it was the iron rock. She dropped it heavily in front of Rin. "You may have been able to take out Shin," she said, pointing at the purple haired woman lying on the ground. "But don't think that gives you the right to order me around."
Rin didn't even blink. She reached down, and picked up the stone. "I said, carry him, and follow me." Once again, she pointed to Sesshoumaru.
Atma's eyes widened. "Do you know who I am?" She demanded, getting a bit angry. Behind her, the rest of the group had arrived, and was watching with interest.
"You're the leader of a pitiful crumbling race that consists of you and two others." Rin informed her plainly. This dragon was refusing to help Sesshoumaru-Sama, and that made the girl extremely angry.
Atma reacted as if struck. Her right arm clenched, and miniature little lightning bolts ran down it. "How dare you?" She demanded, her voice echoing inhumanely. She leaned down to stare Rin in the face. Her hair whipped up by unseen zephyrs, and her lips curled up in a feral snarl.
Rin's eyes level flatly. "Pick up Sesshoumaru." She said slowly. "He needs help."
"And if I don't?" Atma asked.
Fifteen pounds of iron very suddenly slammed into the side of the ancient wyrm's head. Atma was suddenly flung to the side, hitting the street prostrate, next to Shin. Rin hefted the rock, and pointed at the man with the feather in his hair. "You." She said, and pointed to Sesshoumaru. "Carry him, and follow me."
The man nodded, and said in a rough, leathery voice: "Yes ma'am." Quickly he dashed over, and hoisted Sesshoumaru over one shoulder. "You can call me Morgan." He added quietly to her. "It's polite ta call me by me name."
Rin gave no indication of being polite. "You." She said, pointing at Tiamet. "Get rid of these bodies."
Tiamet, however, was struggling not to laugh. She was looking at the sputtering Atma on the ground. The ancient wyrm was struggling desperately to regain her composure. She had blood on her lips, and on her nose, and looked absolutely outraged. "Can I get rid of that one too?" She stuttered, holding her sides with one hand and pointing to Atma with the other.
"If you want." Rin said, giving no sign of sarcasm. With that, she led the pirate off down the street. The odd, blue haired woman smiled lightly at the sputtering Atma, and then turned to leave.
Tiamet crossed her arms. "You know she's right." She commented.
"Shut up." Atma hissed.
"There are only three of us left. Not much of a clan."
"Maybe if they would stop running off on us, there would be more." Atma hissed, getting to her feet. Already the blood was gone from her face, and she was popping her nose back into order. "A pretty good blow." She admitted.
"I'll say." Tiamet nodded. "She sure did catch you by surprise."
Atma almost grinned, watching the little girl disappear into an ally. "She's a smart girl." She mused. "Did you know that she's been spying on the last three meetings that we had with lord Sesshoumaru?"
Tiamet blinked. "How does that one work?" She asked. "I thought we made that room almost completely private."
Atma nodded. "We did." She said. "There was only one secret listening spot. She managed to find it."
Tiamet shook her head. "Her name's Rin, right?"
"I can see why Sesshoumaru keeps her around." Atma said with a nod.
"You know." The red haired dragon said, inspecting Shin's body on the ground. "She reminds me a lot of InuYasha's mother."
Atma smiled wryly, and nodded. "Yes." She said.
"Will burning do any good?" She asked, regarding the bodies. "Don't these girls come back no matter what you do."
Atma shrugged, and pointed two fingers at the figure on the wall of a building that was Oni. It burst into flames. "If you completely destroy their bodies. Menomaru has to work his butt off to remake them, and the start back where he is." She said. "Might as well."
Tiamet grinned. "Great." She said, and the body of Shin burst into brilliant red flames. "I like burning stuff."
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Deep the ancient forest, someone sat on the edge of the shaft of a gigantic tree. He was sitting in shadows, obscuring all his features except for the edges to his pale clothing, and greenish hair.
A slight growl emanated from his chest, and he snapped his fingers.
All around the shaft of the mighty tree, there were moths. The swarmed the air in clouds so thick they looked like fog. With a flick of his mind, the figure chose two. With a sudden flash, the two moths disappeared, and in their place were two amazons, one with blue hair, and the other with purple.
"Welcome back." The figure said in an ominous, bass voice. He was speaking in Chinese.
Oni and Shin fell to their knees in a kneel before the figure.
"You did well." Said the figure, striding back and forth within the shadows.
Shin's eyes opened slightly. "We failed to get the fang, Master." She said.
"Yes, however, you did fight Sesshoumaru."
"I fail to see the victory in this, Menomaru-Sama." Shin said.
The figure paced back. "He is stronger than he was before." He mused. "And he has the dragon's backing him as well."
"But he has the fang, Menomaru-Sama." Oni interjected, speaking perfect Chinese. "How are we to get the fang when he is so skilled?"
"He has a fang." Menomaru stressed, pacing back again. "The one we want, however, belongs to Taisho's hanyou son."
Shin's lips curled up in a sneer. "The hanyou?" She asked. "Why would the lord Taisho entrust his fang of destruction to a hanyou?"
"Taisho was a human lover." The Chinese lord said. "So is this hanyou, this InuYasha. Even now, he looks for his human friends."
"Then what shall we do now, Menomaru-Sama?" Oni asked.
"We will merely wait." He said. "The dragons know we are here, so we will wait for the opportune moment to strike."
Shin and Oni grinned. "Hai." They whispered in unison.