Hello! Chapter two is now up! But first I shall torture you by making you read the review responses from a whole 3 people!

:Review Responses:

don'tbreakme: Sorry, but I have a lot of stuff to do! Waiting a week isn't that bad, anyway... 'is about to kill someone who hasn't updated in two days' Er... Heh heh... NEXT!
Kagamoesiun: Arigatou, and I have updated now! Good stories, btw!
Pegasus Rider: Arigatou! I hope you like this chapter!

:End Review Responses:

Now to read my disclaimer, preformed as always by ------

Akana: ME! And LEIKO!
Leiko: ... Still too hyper.
Akana: UH-HUH! ESPECIALLY SINCE -----
Leiko: 'clamps her hand over her mouth' Don't tell who's in it!
Akana: 'pulls her hand away and crosses her arms grumpily' Fine. I won't. Meany!

:Disclaimer:

Akana: Roses are red, Violets are blue, I don't own Inuyasha, and don't say I do!
Leiko: Oh, very clever. Ripping off the oldest poem in the world, I see?
Akana: ... Fine, you try one!
Leiko: Alright, then. Violets are red, Roses are blue, In only and upside-down world, own Inuyasha I do!
Akana: ... Hey, that was pretty good! You're a great poet!

Leaves of many different colors on the trees along Kagome's path had yet to fall. They were not as willing as some to give in to winter quite yet. Strong, tall, majestic, these trees which bore the leaves struggled to hold on. They loved their dear leaves. They wished they could hold them forever, even through the bitter winter, but they knew that was impossible. Mother Nature was coaxing them to give up their leaves and except the reality of winter. A few of her sons had already reluctantly relinquished theirs. She reminded her other, more stubborn sons of this, but still they refused. One son even said that he was still using them for something. Mother Nature knew and allowed him to hold most of his while she pried a few of her other sons' leaves from their tight grasps. She beamed at the son with the purpose, making others jealous. She told them that they, too, would be on her good side if they'd only give up their leaves. Oh, how stubborn trees could be!

The one with the purpose shook his leaves in others' faces, laughing at them. Mother Nature scolded him and sent the wind away so that he had no excuse for such behavior. She told him that she would reveal his purpose if he did not behave. So, he stopped teasing his siblings, though he wished to dearly.

High in this tree, a figure silently watched Kagome Higurashi. He stood atop the firm, sturdy branch filled with the leaves that hid him from view. This tree enjoyed having a purpose such as hiding the lord; he was allowed to keep his leaves! For now, at least, but once the Lord of the Western Lands left, his leaves would be pried from him just as they had been from his brothers.

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes pierced through the darkness of night as he watched Kagome. This girl, he thought, travels with that hanyou. He cares very deeply for this mortal. But why? She is only a human. Perhaps father's blood runs a bit too thickly in his veins. He almost sneered as he thought of this, but he didn't. He'd learned very well to control and hide his emotions and he wasn't going to break that control now. He had other matters to deal with first, anyway. I can use her. He felt that kidnapping and holding for ransom was a bit beneath him, but he realized that it must be done to obtain his father's sword.

He had a flashback, remembering what Totousai had told him the day before...

Sesshoumaru, in all his glory, leapt lightly from Ah-Un's back high in the air and landed with elegance and grace next to a giant skull that was Totousai's home. He walked in calmly, relieved that the pest who called itself Jaken wasn't with him. He'd be nagging him about pointless stuff, such as, "Why does he live in a place like this? It's filthy!" or "My Lord, do you wish for me to bring him out here for you?"

He calmly, solemnly walked into the mouth of the skull. "Totousai!" he called, his voice ringing out throughout the "cave". "I know you are here."

"Uh...N-No one's home!" an old man's voice called from the back of the cave. "J-Just us mice!"

"Do you take me for a fool?" Sesshoumaru asked, walking towards the back. A bit of poison dripped from his claws and onto the floor, showing that he meant business. "Or do you just want me to rip out your lungs?"

Finally, grudgingly, the old man made his appearance. "What is it?" he asked. "What do you want of an old man like me?"

"You know a way for me to get Tetsusaiga," he responded. "Tell me how now."

"What do you want that sword for?" Totousai asked, beating around the bush and stalling for time enough to plan an escape. "You already have a perfectly usable sword! In fact, you have two of 'em!"

"One that can not cut," Sesshoumaru reminded calmly, though this old man was getting on his nerves, "and one that overheats easily in a battle."

"I see," he said. "But... That can't be helped. I suppose you'll just have to get some other person to make another sword for you."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed and he raised his right hand, poison seeping from the claws to the floor. "Tell me," he growled, "or would you rather that I transform and create a dead body for demons to feast upon?"

"How would you get the sword if you did that?"

"I wouldn't need one if I knew that the maker of it was dead."

"..." He hated dealing with Sesshoumaru, especially when threats were involved. He was so calmed and unfazed and always had a comeback for everything. "Alright, alright!" he said hurriedly when the lord took a menacing step towards him. "I'll tell you how to get Tetsusaiga!"

Sesshoumaru lowered his hand, the green glow disappearing. He looked at Totousai, who'd just cleared his throat and closed his eyes—story telling mode. He waited patiently for an answer that would satisfy him. With Totousai, it sometimes took time to—

Snoring was heard coming from the geezer. Sesshoumaru nearly decked him over the head, but checked himself just in time. Rage would not help at all. He needed to remember that patience was a virtue. In a loud voice, he said the old man's name. Still, he would not wake. Even louder now, he repeated his name. Louder. Shouting, now.

"What?" Totousai asked, finally awakening and cleaning out his ear with his pinky. "You don't have to shout, you know!"

"Tell me how to obtain the Tetsusaiga," Sesshoumaru growled out.

"Why, you just take it, of course!" Totousai replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He stared at Sesshoumaru unbelievingly. "I didn't think you were as dumb as that!"

Sesshoumaru clenched and unclenched his fist by his side. He was determined not to strike until he got an actual answer. "There is a barrier," he said. "I cannot take it without being repelled by it."

"Oh, now that does seem to be a problem," he said, looking up thoughtfully. "Well, is there anything else I should know about this sword? Maybe if you tell me some things I'll be able to help you."

"It's your sword," Sesshoumaru countered. Stay calm, his mind told him. Patience will actually get you somewhere with this man. "The Tetsusaiga is a sword you forged from my father's fang."

"Oh, so it is," Totousai said as if he were just remembering that fact. He scratched his head. "Well, I don't know what to tell you! I can't seem to recall any way to—"

In less than a moment, Totousai found Toukijin at his throat. "Tell me, old man," Sesshoumaru commanded in the most lord-like voice he could muster. It wasn't very hard for him to seem foreboding, dangerous, proper, commanding, and majestic all at once. "That wasn't a threat earlier—it was a promise."

"Alright already!" Totousai was currently resisting the urge to yoink the sword from its master's hands and fix it up... Oh, so many flaws that could be corrected so easily! Kaijinbo had certainly been an inexperienced sword-maker. "But could you get that sword away from me, first?"

"No," he answered flatly. "Not until you tell me how to obtain Tetsusaiga."

It was obvious to Totousai that he must stop stalling if he valued his life. He sighed resignedly. "Fine," he said. "All you have to do is..."

"Get Inuyasha to trade it for something willingly," Sesshoumaru repeated the words aloud. The wench, Kagome, was long gone already and there was no chance of Sesshoumaru being overheard by anyone. He decided. He'd kidnap and use the girl for ransom; Inuyasha couldn't say no to that. With his resolve in mind, he leapt from the tree and landed on the ground. He began walking back to the camp where the annoying imp and Rin were sleeping.

The tree gave a heavy sigh as the wind passed. Mother Nature was ready to take his leaves, just like his brothers'. Slowly, one by one, they were gently pried from his fingers. His brothers around him laughed as he had done earlier, shaking the few leaves they'd managed to keep. He simply gave them an icy cold glare -- Well, as much of an icy cold glare as a tree can give.

Next update will be on Thursday or Friday. Review please!