Author's Corner

Hey what do you know, I wrote a chapter 3 and it was easy, didn't have to think much at all. But since my mind is usually out of control when writing this story, I cannot and will not accept any responsibility for the new but familiar character that I added into the story. Who knows what he might do? I certainly don't, do you? Heh heh. Not having a plot can be so much fun……………

The Chill Fury

Chapter 3

A lone figure, with long silvery tresses swaying gently behind his tall figure, strolled through the beautiful woods that were part of one of his estates. Through the years, this one demon, had always opted to wear his traditional clothes and armor, and refused to be swayed by the times, and also never hide his demon markings so that he might be able to fit in better with society. He was meant to stand out, and he considered the magenta stripes that flashed across his face, arms and legs, and the crescent moon that adorned his temple, to be a symbol of honor and respect, to his father whom he inherited them from, and their heritage; sure enough, the legendary Inutaisho had changed with the times, hiding his markings when in public, shielding the powerful golden color of his eyes, and dying his hair black instead of letting his own silver locks outshine all those around him. Turning to look up at the sun that tried to rival his own golden orbs in color, Sesshoumaru realized that his father had indeed changed, perhaps even more than he was willing to admit; being around humans, having married one, and then having bread a hanyou son…

Sure enough, Sesshoumaru always accepted the half breed as his own brother, but what angered him the most was the fact that Inuyasha always tried his best to let his human side guide him rather than his more powerful demon side. 'Fool.', Sesshoumaru thought with annoyance as he continued his daily, morning stroll. Sesshoumaru could not understand why he was thinking about his father and brother with no particular cause or reason to do so, but for some unexplainable motive he was constantly reminded of how weak they might have become. He shrugged it off as the affects of the battle he had had yesterday; where a demon as old as his father and almost as powerful had fallen so easily at his hands. Sesshoumaru had actually wondered whether his father had become as weak as that demon over centuries of not battling, but shrugged it off as nonsense. His father was after all Inutaisho, the great Dog Demon of the West, a legend, surely a mere thing as time could not affect him as such.

Sesshoumaru's musings continued as he made his way across a delicately carved stone bridge that ran across a small stream, heading deeper into the woods, where he always felt the most at home and a sense of belonging. True, Sesshoumaru was a figure that praised the past and its times, but he was as always shrewd, and with technology moving forward at an unbelievable pace, his immortality would surely have been wasted if he had not accepted its spoils. His estate, was the picture of modern technology, the art and science of robotics had sparked a special interest in the Inu-Youkai, and as a result he had built companies and institutes whose sole purpose was to take modern robotics into the next generation. But as always Sesshoumaru had been early to understand that success in modern times and the future could only be achieved if one diversified oneself….and one's businesses. Sesshoumaru and his companies were a major part of the world's development and production in electronic items, all the way from manufacturing the parts to putting them together, in everything ranging from the simple cell phone to the supercomputers used in high ranking businesses and even the military. If there was anything that caught Sesshoumaru's fancy, then it came in the form of fast cars……very, very, fast cars. Other than that Sesshoumaru handled his businesses, protected his families' lands from those who tried to claim it, and tried to go to as few board meetings as possible.

Sesshoumaru's thoughts then turned to Inuyasha and his new wife. 'Fine pair they are.' Sesshoumaru smirked. 'Wait, what is her name,..it is K something, …Kumiko, …kamoke…, something 'g-o-m-e', ahhh.. yes, Kagome. She deserves someone as immature and childish as my brother. Wonder how their children will turn out? Father may laugh now but when Inuyasha's pups start tearing the place apart, that's when he would realize that he should have put a leash on Inuyasha a long time ago. Father is far too lenient with him. But that Kagome has certainly impressed father and Izayoi. I still do not understand how she convinced me, of all people, to take them to that damn carnival. Hm! She is the one who got Rin all tweaked about American carnivals, as if they are that different from our own. Kagome is a lot like Rin. Perhaps that is what persuaded me to go along with it. But that girl certainly hides her fear of me very well, only she hangs on to me far too much. I suppose it is her way of trying to get over her fear of me… Hh! As if I will let that happen. It is a shame that Rin had to like her, of all people. I wonder how Rin is doing.'

Sesshoumaru's face returned to his normal stoic look from the previous irritated one, as thoughts of Rin easily squirmed their way to the surface. Sesshoumaru still could not understand why he kept her around and had become so very protective of her. It was now completely pure instinct to protect the little human child from anyone and anything. Sesshoumaru glanced at the Tenseiga that was secured safely to his body with his yellow and purple obi, wondering why the damn thing had to have a mind of its own. His father had always refused to answer questions about Tenseiga, and had always cut short the attempted conversation with the words, "The Sword has accepted you as its' master, and all the answers to the questions you have, you must find out on your own, with the sword as a guide. When the time is right, you will find all the answers you seek…"

Sesshoumaru imagined rubbing his temple, for it was not something that he would be seen doing in reality, when his thoughts turned to Rin's expense account. 'That girl wants every soft toy, there is to buy.' Sesshoumaru remarked, mentally shaking his head. 'Her latest craze is, what are those things called,.. Pokemon soft toys. Hh! Weird little things they are.'

As Sesshoumaru neared a field of flowers, he stopped to wonder whether he had remembered to tell his gardeners to plant fresh daisies in Rin's garden. The girl, as much as she loved flowers, was not very good at taking care of them. Since Rin had got upset the first time her flowers had died, Sesshoumaru secretly had them replanted every few months or so. But still the thing that kept coming back to his mind was how much money he spent on Rin. She already had rooms full of toys and dolls and playhouses, but she always found something new to buy whenever she went out. Sesshoumaru tried his best to get angry at how she spends his money, but he simply could not. It confused him to no end as to how Rin had become such an integral part of his life. She had absolutely no fear of asking him for things, and when he refused sometimes, she only smiled and instead asked for something else! She feared absolutely nothing when she was with him, and Sesshoumaru had to wonder whether that was a good thing. But Rin, having luxury beyond compare, never faltered from being the little innocent girl he had saved from the burning factory. Rin was made to work there, when her parents died in a car crash and left her an orphan. Yes, Sesshoumaru secretly marveled at the fact that Rin was the only human who did not let the ways of the world change who she was inside or govern her actions. Sesshoumaru almost, almost… smiled when he thought of how Rin had convinced him to take her to different countries, during her school holidays.

Sesshoumaru realized that when ever he looked into those big, bright, brown eyes of hers, he could not refuse anything she wanted; even his mighty demon blood seemed to be quelled by the silent innocence that burst out from her being. To think that a human child, of all things in this world, could have such an unshakable, unquestionable hold on him, him who was now one of the most, if not the most powerful demon, in all of Japan, was simply unbelievable but true in every essence of the word.

Sesshoumaru was shook out of his thoughts when he felt Tenseiga rattle in its' sheath. Sesshoumaru wondered what that was all about when it stopped at his touch. He waited for several minutes but the sword remained dormant. Sesshoumaru knew that the sword had acknowledged something, but he wasn't sure what, finally on deciding that it was his thoughts that the sword was reacting to, he continued forward.

Sesshoumaru was nearing a patch of open land when his senses alerted him of an approaching sound of light footsteps, far and few in-between, and coming his way at a speed that could be possessed by only one of the demons in the immediate city. Sesshoumaru waited silently as the familiar aura neared him, his ear's picked up the sound of a sword being (clicked) out of its sheath and his nose picked up the demons scent.

The sound of the footsteps changed suddenly, and then soon after, a figure clothed in a white and purple kimono flew out of the top of a tree, his sword glinting in the sun as he raised it for an attack. Sesshoumaru simultaneously leapt forward and turned his body around in mid air, blocking the offender's sword in front of his chest with Tenseiga.

"You have become slow." Sesshoumaru remarked casually, slicing his blade forward and pushing back his assailant.

"Over confidence has always been a weakness for you." the offender countered, landing softly a good distance away, his long braided hair following suit and his giant sword looking menacing compared to the thin Tenseiga.

"This Sesshoumaru does not have weaknesses." he pointed out unwaveringly, before cruising forward and making a sideways slash at his opponent.

The two blades strained against each other after meeting again, their demon powers held at bay and their masters locked in a battle of who could keep their eyes open the longest without blinking.

"Words from a demon who has a sword that cannot kill." the opponent countered again, straining hard against the strength of the demon that showed no trace of emotion, except for maybe a slight smirk.

"That was in the past." Sesshoumaru pointed out stoically, and then Tenseiga glowed with blue energy, repelling the other demon blade.

The assailants eyes grew slightly wide as he watched the supposedly harmless blade, glow with an energy that didn't mean life, but meant the opposite.

"When did this happen?" he asked in irritation, as he yet again leapt back, and now allowed his own sword to release its demon power in a purple glow that ran along the edges.

"After Rin was saved from your friends." Sesshoumaru answered nonchalantly.

At the mention of his friends the assailant dashed forward, his blade lighting the air around it in a purple mist, and made a deft swing in a downwards arc. His blade was again met with that of Tenseiga, and the blue and purple powers of the sword crashed into each other, creating the sound of a small depth charge exploding and a strong gust of wind crashing out in all directions.

"Have I hit a nerve?" Sesshoumaru questioned with dangerous amusement sparkling in his eyes.

His only reply was another powerful swing of the offending blade, which he again blocked with precision maneuvering. Sesshoumaru then pushed forward hard, but his opponent leapt over him and brought down his sword in a deadly downward spiral. Sesshoumaru smirked, and with a burst of speed that could only be seen as a blur, he sidestepped and swung Tenseiga out in an arc in the same motion. The giant sword was ripped out if its' masters hands after which it sliced through the air and embedded itself into a tree a good distance away.

"You're not going to kill me are you?" his now defenseless assailant asked in an even tone.

"Hmmm…" Sesshoumaru mused, the tip of his sword pinching the unarmed demon just below his Adams apple.

The defeated demon wearily glanced at the expressionless face of the more powerful demon. He sighed in relief as Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword, but before he could register surprise he was dealt a powerful blow that sent him sailing through the air, till a tree stopped him still and then broke into two behind him as he fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"I guess I deserved that." he said, lifting himself off the ground and standing up elegantly.

"Indeed." Sesshoumaru agreed.

"So what happened to Tenseiga?" he asked, walking over to pull his sword out from the tree.

"Totosai re-forged it." Sesshoumaru answered, looking up at the skies that looked more pleasant to the eye than the demon who held his giant sword over his shoulders.

"How come?" he questioned.

"Why have you come here Bankotsu? You know very well that I prefer to take my morning walks alone."

"What! I can't come and see my closest friend when I want to?" Bankotsu challenged.

Sesshoumaru didn't bother answering that, after all it was not like the spoiled, arrogant demon who was among the very few he called 'ally'; which was the closest thing that Sesshoumaru would come to call a friend, would actually listen.

Bankotsu

Bankotsu and Sesshoumaru had become allies (friends), when they were young, and had maintained it all through these years, even though sometimes Sesshoumaru wishes that he never met the fellow. Bankotsu was among the very few who he spared time to answer their mostly inconvenient questions. But their friendship was put to the test when Bankotsu befriended two demons who ended up trying to take Rin away from Sesshoumaru. But Sesshoumaru and Bankotsu put their trust in each other and managed to get Rin back, although it was Sesshoumaru who did most of the fighting before he fittingly ended the two pitiful demons' lives. Today was the first day that Bankotsu visited Sesshoumaru after that incident.

Back to the forest…

"You didn't have to mention those two you know." Bankotsu remarked after several minutes of silence.

"They were your friends." Sesshoumaru sated dryly.

"'Were', being the operative word." Bankotsu pointed out. "But hey, where's Rin? I couldn't find her."

"She's staying with father for a while." Sesshoumaru answered, looking down at the ground.

"You miss the little one, don't you?" Bankotsu challenged in question.

"Nonsense." Sesshoumaru said in an irritated tone.

"What ever you say." Bankotsu said sitting down comfortably on the grassy ground.

Sesshoumaru smirked, and then hoped that the demon would keep quiet. But who was he kidding?

"So Sesshoumaru what happened to that company of yours that those humans tried to buy out from you?" Bankotsu asked, shattering the momentary silence.

Sesshoumaru winced inwardly.

"The company was of no use to me, but those humans came on too strong for my liking, so I said no."

"You mean too strong for your pride." Bankotsu stated. That earned him a cold glare from his closest friend, but no violence ensued.

"I learnt that their chairman was a human woman." Sesshoumaru continued.

"A woman?" Bankotsu repeated questioningly in shocked amusement.

"Hmm... Apparently she is doing well in the business world."

"Is she as good as you in business?"

That earned Bankotsu another firm glare, but again no violence ensued and no bones were broken.

"The so called business world is beneath me." Sesshoumaru said as if stating an obvious fact. "But I hear that she is strong competition, even wiped out several of my old business associates. I wouldn't be surprised if I hear from her companies again."

"She has a lot of companies?"

"A lot, according to the file my staff produced." Sesshoumaru commented monotonously. "But her line of business is nowhere near mine. I just happened to own a company that specializes in developing new material for clothing. Apparently she is a big part of the clothing industry in European countries."

Bankotsu watched in shocked silence as his friend continued, and wondered in silent shock whether the demon actually seemed to be interested in the human woman's business achievements.

This time it was his very unusual silence and gaping mouth that earned him a glare of daggers.

"You sound as if you are impressed by this human woman."

"Nonsense." was his only response.

The two friends spent the rest of the day, talking and catching up till early after noon. Bankotsu spent a good part of the afternoon trying unsuccessfully to get Sesshoumaru to play the new PlayStation 3, but Sesshoumaru shrugged it off as childish and a complete waste of his time. Sesshoumaru and Bankotsu were then involved in a car crash, when Bankotsu tried back a car out of Sesshoumaru's garage with the doors still closed. Violence ensued that time, but Bankotsu managed to get out of being melted by poison when he vowed not to drive without getting his license first. Yes, it was true, Bankotsu didn't know how to drive, he had always traveled on one of his demon horses or on foot.

Violence ensued once again when Bankotsu spilled wine on Sesshoumaru's expensive carpet in his personal den. It was during this battle of epic proportions with the weaker demon thinking of good hiding places in the giant estate and the stronger one mentally throwing bottles of expensive wine at him, that they were both drawn out of their private musings, by Tenseiga's rattling.

Both stood in silence, as Tenseiga rattled, then pulsed twice and then died out. Sesshoumaru placed his left hand on its hilt but like before the sword didn't react any further. Now Sesshoumaru was more than curious, he was plain frustrated. The blade was acting very strange, and the two pulses were much much stronger compared to the one of that morning. Sesshoumaru looked out the giant glass window at the late afternoon skies, and for a brief moment thought he heard his name being called. But by who or what, he didn't know.

Just then one of Sesshoumaru's informants burst into his private den. Sesshoumaru had almost sliced his head off for interrupting, but the message he got made him do otherwise.

The things that happened...

A chill air blew across the great estate…

The sun became obscured by some irregular misplaced clouds…

A powerful demon aura flared up, as the great beast within it roared…

Servants and the other demons, shrunk back in fear…

Golden eyes flashed a burning crimson red…

The Tenseiga pulsed to life in a blue fury…

The message ; ""Rin had been kidnapped""

Next chapter: Find out what he does and how they react. A thunder storm's heading toward the Inutaisho manor and its occupants have no idea. What will a certain miko do? Oooh it's going to pour…. Well I hope it pours, though I really have no idea what that is supposed to mean. But don't give it to much thought, I know I won't….. heh ehe ehehh heh hehe hah hahha heh. And another he he… yep that should do it.