Woot! I'm back after a long little pause. But I come bearing great news! I'm done with school, and work doesn't start for another month! My playstation is being borrowed by my friend, and I've beaten all the games for my computer, and most of my friends are still in school! I have absolutely NOTHING TO DO BUT WRITE! That means faster updates, and more plot moving along!
Anywho, for a few quick comments, here are one or two: Time's mortal enemy! Hey, hey! I know what you mean about Kohaku. I've been trying to make him in character, but I'm finding it really hard. I can't have him be like his is in the actual anime, because I've had his Memories completely and utterly destroyed, and he's not getting them back to the point where it'll be like it actually happened to him in his mind. Now, in retrospect, I really wish I hadn't done this in my first fic, because I also really like Kohaku in the anime, but I did, so unfortunately I have to work with it.
As far as his maturity, I also agree with you on that point. I want to make him a little mature for his age, but I don't wanna make him too mature. I did in fact make him a little too grown up and a little too cheerful in that chapter. Sigh!
Anywho, thanks for you're thoughts on that. He'll be in the next chapter as well, so I'll try to make his personality more realistic. Thanks a bunch.
Anywho, this ain't my best chapter, I don't' think, but it isn't my worst either. I'm just getting over some finals inspired writer's block, so tell me what ya think
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"They have history do they?" Morgan asked in an impressed tone of voice.
"You could say that." Tiamet said with a frank nod.
The two were standing in the doorway to a small, polished dining room, probably made for servants. Shortly after the little girl had brought them to Sesshoumaru's mansion, he had decided he was hungry. Unfortunately, this Atma and Kiriln had decided to come with him.
The tension in the kitchen was so very thick that if you even tried to cut it with a knife, the knife would get stuck.
Atma was standing against a kitchen counter, her tail lashing casually. He seemed to be inspecting an apple.
Kiriln, on the other hand, was sitting peacefully at the central table, hands clasped neatly in front of her, a small, quirky smile played across her lips.
Tiamet was standing next to Morgan at the doorway, munching happily on a large pear.
"Not to pleasant when they're together." Morgan noted.
Tiamet nodded. Occasionally, her head bounced from one contender to the next. Morgan got the distinct impression that some Olympic level sport was going on, and he was missing it.
Slowly, Atma raised the apple to her mouth, and took a firm bite, her fine jaw chewing meticulously. Her eyes stayed fixed on the blue haired dragon across from her.
Kiriln smiled back, sweetly.
Slowly, the firm sounds of stepping echoing from behind Morgan and Tiamet broke the tension. Morgan turned, and backed narrowly out of the way as Rin dashed into the room, and sprung up on the table.
"I win." She declared happily, holding both arms up in the air.
This action very effectively broke the gaze of the two sparring dragons, and very quickly, they both turned their heads towards the door.
The deliberate, firm steps slowly made their way closer through the hallway, and slowly Sesshoumaru stepped into the light.
Kiriln grinned, and turned to Atma. "He's already up." She commented. "Quite impressive."
Atma's mouth thinned, and she didn't respond. Slowly, she turned to Sesshoumaru and crossed her arms. "I think that you now see how very vital it is that we deal with Menomaru now. Already, his generals made a full attack on you, in your own city."
Sesshoumaru nodded slowly, brushing past Tiamet and Morgan, and sat down at the table, in between Kiriln and Atma. "Rin." He said deliberately. "Get down."
"Yes my lord." The little girl said smartly, and scrabbled swiftly off of the table, landing beside Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru made a quick motion to the two behind him, and Tiamet nodded. She quickly moved to take a seat, and Morgan, sensing the sudden seriousness of the situation, followed suit, and sat next to her. The tai-youkai took a deep breath, clearing his head, and began to speak in a slow, paced tone. "I was over-emotional in out previous meeting." He admitted, getting a satisfied grin from Atma. "However, the current Tactics are unacceptable." Atma's grin vanished. Sesshoumaru glanced over to the Pirate and the Sea Dragon. "Who are these two?" He demanded.
Morgan smiled a seaman's grin. "Captain Morgan, Pirate extraordinaire." His smile widened. "I have no idea what's going on, but I have the distinct feeling that things will be unpleasant for me if I decline any of your whims."
"And I would be Kiriln." Said the blue haired woman. "I'm a rebel dragon."
"I see." Sesshoumaru said smoothly. "And are you aware of the given situation?"
"I am indeed." Kiriln beamed back at him.
"However, she is not to take part in them." Atma interrupted, giving the blue haired dragon a death glare. "She detached herself from the dragon race, and is therefore not a part of its affairs."
Kiriln raised one blue eyebrow, and one side of her mouth turned up in a smirk. "Are you so formal, Milady?" She asked. "Well, then, mayhap I am not welcome."
Sesshoumaru raised a hand, signaling for them to stay. "You have a vessel?" He asked Morgan.
Morgan nodded. "I've got a ship." He affirmed.
Sesshoumaru nodded. "Then you will stay." He said firmly, not even bother to notice Atma's displeased expression. "If necessary, you will help with defending the coastline."
Atma's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms, clearly displeased.
"Now," Sesshoumaru said. "What is the current situation?"
Atma nodded curtly to Tiamet, and the little red haired dragon stood up proudly.
"Alright." She said, putting on an outrageous military accent. "For those of you not briefed with the current military circumstances, allow me to review!" She glared at the pirate captain, who had to good grace to look ashamed. "Our enemy is the Chinese youkai known as Menomaru."
Morgan nodded. "Menomaru. Got it."
"He has a large cult following in China, which we need to keep from getting to Japan at all costs." She raised an eyebrow at Kiriln and Morgan. "That means sea combat people."
"So, I've just been drafted, have I?" Morgan asked. "How do you know you can trust me?"
"Because you cannot afford not to be trusted." Sesshoumaru said simply. The threat was evident in his voice.
Morgan raised an eyebrow, and nodded. "Good enough." He admitted.
"Can I continue?" Tiamet asked, blinked primly. "Yes, well, in addition to having an army in china at his disposal, Menomaru also has a great deal of youkai sealed in Japan as well, near his base of operations. However, the only allies he has at the moment are these two generals Oni and Shin."
Morgan blinked. "Didn't they just get toasted?" he asked.
Tiamet smiled, holding a finger up. "Unfortunately, they're immortal. As soon as they are killed, they get revived almost immediately."
Morgan nodded. "Well, that's useful." He noted.
"As of now, Menomaru is limited to thee tactics. He can gather power by stealing the souls of the living for one."
"How very… satanic." Morgan observed.
"We already know that he is doing this slowly. In addition, the youkai from China will be making their way here. This needs to be stopped."
"And the last tactic?" Kiriln asked.
"Well, you see, Menomaru is a very odd youkai. His entire family has a special… ability in which the younger member of the family inherits the power of the older. Like father to son. However, before he can do this, he needs to break the seal on his father's remains."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Morgan interrupted. "Who's this guy's father, and why is he sealed."
Tiamet sighed, and rubbed the back of her head. "Okay, history lesson. Long story short: Menomaru's dad, Hyoga, invaded almost one hundred and twenty five years earlier. Sesshoumaru's father, InuTaisho, fended off the attack, and killed Hyoga. Then, to keep Menomaru from getting to his father's power, InuTaisho sealed Hyoga's remains, and a large part of his army as well. Now, Menomaru is going to try to undo the seal to try to get that sealed army, as well as get his father's power."
Morgan nodded. "That's… very weird." He remarked. "So, how does he undo this seal?"
"He needs an enchanted sword known as the Tetsusaiga to break the seal."
"And where would he get this Tetsusaiga?"
Tiamet smiled. "Well, that's something we don't have to worry about." She said. "Tetsusaiga is in a very safe place."
Atma drew a quick breath. "No, it's not." She said.
"It's not?" Tiamet asked, suddenly confused.
Atma shook her head. "InuYasha has the Tetsusaiga." She said. "Something weird with time travel, apparently."
"InuYasha has the Tetsusaiga?" Tiamet gasped. "I thought Vadise had the Tetsusaiga!"
"Who's Vadise?" Morgan asked, blinking. "And who's InuYasha?"
Tiamet, however, seemed not to hear the pirate at all. "How the hell could this happen?" She demanded, glaring at Atma. "This is not good! This changes everything!"
Atma snorted. "Tell me about it." She muttered.
Sesshoumaru nodded slowly, and leaned down to Rin. He whispered something into her ear, and she nodded. Like a flash, the little girl disappeared down the hall. The blue haired dragon on the other end of the table was the only one who noticed this. Her lips perked ever so slightly in that sly smile she had.
"Then what are our options?" The tai-youkai asked, resuming back into the conversation.
Both the dragons sighed, and sat back down into their seats. "Well…" Tiamet began. "We should get someone to find InuYasha, and get the Tetsusaiga."
"Who's InuYasha?" Morgan demanded again.
"An acquaintance." Atma said irritably, dismissing the pirate. "We will also need some to stay and hold of the forces from China."
"How large will this army be?" Sesshoumaru asked, speaking calmly.
"Titanic." Tiamet said miserably. "I went to China a few years ago, and Menomaru has some sort of cult following there."
"Then we will need larger forces as well." Sesshoumaru said sagely. "There is no fully trained army at Shinjuku."
Atma sighed, rubbing her temples. "Well then raise one." She said. "Go get youkai from the mainland, or something."
Sesshoumaru nodded, and tapped one claw on the table. "Then what of this?" He proposed. "I am familiar with InuYasha, and have bested him several times before. I will go to Japan, find InuYasha, and bring the Tetsusaiga back here. An army will be trained here, while others go out to recruit. Syldra can rally some sea youkai together, and hold off the forces from China. As such, we will have a military in reserve in case they get past our defenses, or if the youkai sealed here are also revived."
Tiamet blinked, and nodded. "Well, that's some fast thinking for ya." She admitted. "I can't see anything wrong with it."
"Umm…" Morgan voiced. "How, exactly, do I figure into all of this?"
"Assume your vessel is good enough, you will be taking me to Japan." Sesshoumaru said simply.
Kiriln nodded approvingly at him. "A sound strategy." She said. "I have to say that I wasn't too fond of Hyoga, so I guess I'll help you out with his stupid son. What do you want me doing?"
"In all likely-hood, we will need support for those guarding the sea." He said. "Do you handle water well?"
Kiriln almost laughed. "I… don't mind water, no." She said, here eyes narrowing in amusement.
"Good." Sesshoumaru said dismissively.
There was a heavy thud, and all eyes turned towards Atma. Her fist had pounded down on the table, and one look at her angry face told everyone that she didn't care for the plan… at all. "I believe you are leaving out important details." She hissed.
"Such as?" Sesshoumaru asked, unperturbed.
Silently, the gazes at the table shifted back and forth from the youkai to the dragon.
"Ryuukotsutsei." Atma rumbled. "He was Hyoga's true power base, so obviously Menomaru is going to go after a way to unseal him."
Sesshoumaru leveled his gaze with her, and the slightest smile crossed across his lips. "Well, then." He dismissed the complaint. "I will leave that to you to take care of."
Stop.
Everything in the room just stopped.
Tiamet was frozen in place, simply staring at him, her jaw hanging open, her eyes widened in horror.
Kiriln had her eyes closed, her smile widening.
Morgan looked very nervous.
Atma's dark, cloudy eyes were widened, and her face caught up in a sheet of fury.
Time always slows down just before disaster strikes. And then it flashes like lightning past.
Kiriln started laughing, clutching at her sides. Tiamet finished dropping her jaw, and jumped away from the furious dragon next to her. Morgan, having a keen sense of the impending doom, hid behind his chair.
With a sudden, feral growl, Atma rose from her seat, and clenched her right fist at her side. The table crumbled. The chairs crumbled. And the stone underneath her feet chattered.
"How dare you?" Atma stormed, her hair whipping up around her head, her lips curling up in a snarl.
"You forget your place, Lord Sesshoumaru." She raged. "You are a mere youkai. You have no business commanding me."
Sesshoumaru's chair, however, didn't crumble. He merely sat, staring evenly at the dragon. "I am a tai youkai." He corrected. "And my business is what I will it to be."
"You're business is what I will it to be!" Atma hissed. "Are you completely blind? That's why we allowed you youkai to live here on our island!" She leaned down so that her face was just a few inches from his. "You are just a subtle way for us to control youkai. So was you're father. So was your grandfather!" She whirled away from him. "You will run this war how I want it to be run." Malice dripped from her voice.
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, and his smiled be came even more subtle. "I believe Rin has already informed you on the status of the dragon race." He stated, opening his amber eyes, and leveling them at her. Atma suddenly found herself having trouble meeting his stern, strong, confident gaze. It was like staring against the sun. "You're dragon race is a pathetic, crumbling hierarchy consisting of you, and two others who's loyalty is fading."
This time is was Atma's jaw that dropped. Her eyes widened, her eyebrows arching up in shock. Slowly her shocked face twisted into a snarl of rage, and her fists formed into claws at her side. Lightning flowed up and down her arms, up her flared wings, and crackled between her claws. The shadows of the room slowly began to twist, and contort, wreathing around her, and masking her in night. The barest outline of her face could be seen through the darkness, her pearly white fangs glistening through her snarling lips. "How dare you?" She shrieked, her voice no longer showing any resemblance to being human. It flashed off of the walls, and echoed through the room like the voice of an angry deity.
"Shinjuku is no longer a city ruled by the dragons." The tai youkai stated, still sitting peacefully in his chair. "This place is mine, and I will defend it how I see fit, and with whom I see fit." He slowly rose out of his seat, and began towards the door. "Shinjuku was your city. Now, it is mine." And with that, he disappeared out of the door.
Atma was left, shuddering with rage in the room, splinters of shattered stone and wood all around her.
Very slowly, and with a great deal of cursing in several different languages, Morgan extracted himself from a corner of the room, feeling a cut on his brow where a chip of stone had struck him. He was glad he wore such thick clothes.
Tiamet was leaning against the wall, staring at Atma with a look mixing fear and amazement.
Kiriln was still smiling softly, sitting in her chair. She chuckled softly, and shook her head. "Well, well, Atma." She said standing up. "His father might have raised him, but he certainly takes after his mother." She fixed her a very pointed stare, and strode out of the room.
Morgan took the hint, and very quickly followed her. But not before slipping a few gold plated forks lying stray around the room into his vest.
Finally, Tiamet unpinned herself from the wall, and took a step towards Atma, not sure what the Ancient Wyrm would do.
Slowly, Atma unclenched her fists, letting an almost defeated breath emerge from her lips. She sat down, the shards of stone and wood molding into a smooth chair underneath her. Her shoulders slumped beneath her armor, and she leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees.
Tiamet very slowly, began inching out of the room, and, as she disappeared into the hall, she could have sworn she saw a tear run down Atma's nose.