Lone Scarlet Lily, Hidden in the World of Snow: Waiting for the Spring.

Chapter 14: Lost in the Snow

"It looks like Tōtōsai has run into Inuyasha."

The lord's voice rumbled from in front of me, and I curiously tried to peek over his shoulder to get a closer look at his face as he spoke. It had been a while since he uttered a word, the last being 'Wait here' to the imp (a smart move, indeed) before we took to the sky again. I couldn't complain – a well-placed silence was always something to be appreciated, and it had allowed my mind to wander as I watched the terrain below to change rapidly… But seeing as it was the lord who broke the silence this time, I immediately regained my wandering thoughts and pushed them to finding what the Great Demon had no doubt smelled.

"Hm~?" I chuckled, sensing the energy of the half-demon and his companions, "That was foolish of the old swordsmith, that half-demon can't even protect himself let alone those who share his company–"

The beginnings of a mocking smile faltered, and all evidence of a pointed flash of teeth disappeared in an instant as I sensed a familiar energy. I could see Sesshōmaru shift in the saddle, his head turning over his armless shoulder to glance behind at me, but before I could recover from my temporary lapse of composure the present was far away.

And instead of a hard saddle or a scaled beast, I sat atop the soft fur of the large form of the nekomata I had restored many years ago.

I could feel the heat of the demon imprint itself onto the sides of my legs as I dug them into her flank, steadying myself in a half-standing stance as I shot a crystalline arrow at a large centipede demon currently roiling on the ground below. Kirara growled in what I took as some sort of congratulatory grunt when the arrow found its mark as it splintered into shards and riddled the centipede with gashes. Not that it was hard to hit my mark, even on Kirara's flying body, but I smirked anyway as I drew another cold arrow back and took aim once more as I watched the human priestess dodge around its many legs as if performing some sort of dance with her blade. A second later, the centipede was writhing again as its legs found themselves detached from its body.

"Don't turn it into a pile of rubble, Midoriko!" Another arrow fired, and then I pushed my body flush against Kirara's back as the nekomata dodged under an attack, "You're the one who insisted we bring something back to the smith's this time~!"

"Shut up!" Midoriko rolled under the massive demon as it lifted its heft back onto its feet and off the ground, "That was one time!"

"Inoue?"

Sesshōmaru's voice drew me back into the present, where what held me in the air was not soft and warm, but hard and cold. The new company I kept followed the same trend.

"It seems like Inuyasha has found some new companions." My lips drew into a tight line, and my eyes traced the horizon. Kirara was one of them.

Would she still remember me?

…What did she think of us both leaving her at that village in the end?

What is the story they spoke of when they spoke of Midoriko and her demon companions…?

"You know them."

My eyes swivelled, widening as they moved from the horizon to the man in front of me. An eyebrow found itself in a fine arch as I considered the lord carefully. I had thought that my previous answer was satisfactory for the lord – he would usually drop the conversation and make his own conclusions (which were probably right) from there… Had that not been enough? Surely, he could smell the two new scents mingled in with the group, as I could sense the new energy that came from the same location as the untrained priestess and the half-demon?

…While it would've been posed as more of a question with anyone else, the simple statement suited the lord.

I grinned widely as his golden gaze turned back to take my figure in once more, and while my words were playful, my eyes were challenging, "…No."

Not anymore.

"Hm." His gaze hardened, regaining its burning sharpness that flared beautifully when he was annoyed, and turned his form back to the front as he relinquished the reins, "Will that be a problem?"

My eyes narrowed curiously at the question, staring into the back of the silver-haired demon as my grin turned wicked, thinking of the fate of the Demon Slayers and Kitabayashi, "Never."

It would be lying to say I didn't hope my encounter with Kirara would be different… But it had been a very long time since I was her companion – while challenging her loyalty would certainly be entertaining if she chose me over her new partner… having it be the other way around would turn it into a very dangerous situation for me, specifically. I couldn't even throw the imp in the way…

"Good."

With that, the clearing that contained the energies of Inuyasha and his group came into view, and Sesshōmaru launched himself from the dragon. As he fell to the earth below, I sidled forwards in the saddle and scanned the meadow. The swordsmith and his ox that I saw flying over me was hiding behind Inuyasha's figure along with the unimpressive priestess in the strange garments. The hand-hole monk and the woman that stood behind assumed more of an alert stance, wary, but waiting to attack.

The monk would surely know better this time – hopefully he would believe we still had the demon wasps – but the woman? I looked closer, she had brown eyes and long dark brown hair that was tied loosely with a ribbon. A pink and purple kimono was partially covered by some sort of long green fabric tied roughly in the same area as my hakama… probably the human fashion for this time: which was far more plausible than the garbs the pseudo-priestess wore. Seeing as how Kirara was standing close by to her, growing into her larger form as Sesshōmaru landed and taking up an aggressive stance in front of the human woman, I figured that she was Kirara's new companion.

And Kirara wouldn't choose just anyone to stand by her side, I hope.

"Inuyasha, why are you with Tōtōsai?" Yet again, Sesshōmaru stated a question more like a demand.

"Isn't it obvious? To punish you!" The swordsmith peeked out from behind Inuyasha to speak, glaring towards Sesshy before he ducked behind the half-demon again at the sight of the withering glare I have no doubt the demon lord sent the smith's way.

"I see you are rushing headlong into death, Tōtōsai." Sesshōmaru drew his hand from his sleeve, displaying his claws and murderous intent as he started cracking his knuckles.

Seeing as the lord gave no word on whether he wanted me to stay on the two-headed dragon (which, admittedly, still probably meant he wanted me there), I dropped off the flying demon after whispering my thanks to it.

"Oh, it's her again!"

Glancing over to the pseudo-priestess at the gasp she let out at my descent, I curled my lips into a smile and landed easily on the ground. I caught the glare of the half-demon, the growl caught in the dog's throat not lost on my pointed ears, and then I met the red gaze of Kirara. Said demon lost her growl, head tilting to the side for a moment as she considered me and the way I shook my head imperceptibly. A flash of recognition crossed her face, and she removed her attention from me and angled it towards Sesshōmaru again.

For a moment, my eyes drifted over her form, seeing no visible wounds or signs of aging on the demon before turning my blue gaze to the black diamond pattern on her forehead.

For a moment, I wondered how I never realized that the demon shared a forehead marking with the late priestess.

After that moment had passed, I realized the new companion that had joined Inuyasha was looking back and forth between myself and Kirara with a cross between a confused and curious expression.

"Er… Why don't we discuss your new sword after you beat Inuyasha?!" A nervous laughter followed those words, and I started walking towards Inuyasha's group in a wide arc (giving Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha lots of space for the fight I knew would start soon thanks to those words).

"That's the opposite of what you said earlier!"

"Oh, really…?"

"Tōtōsai…" The threatening tone of Lord Sesshy's words stopped the human girl's bickering with the old demon as Inuyasha instinctively pushed them back, "Do not forget what you just said."

Sesshōmaru then leapt towards Inuyasha, causing all except the dog demon to join me on the sidelines, though I was glad to see that they still kept their distance: we were backing opposites sides in this fight after all.

"You can die for my new sword then, Inuyasha."

"Oh yeah?! We'll see who kills who!"

The sounds of their battle faded to the background, and though I idly watched them clash my ears were directed towards the mostly-human company Inuyasha kept.

"Ah-ha." More specifically, I wanted to hear what the swordsmith thought of this all, "You can tell they're brothers by how short-tempered they both are."

"You're the one who instigated this!"

The bickering was once again broken up by the brothers, as Inuyasha was sent sliding across the ground by Sesshōmaru near the place Inuyasha's group had reformed. Out of panic, not wanting to get into the way of the fight (and at the exasperated shouting of the younger brother), the group moved further away, and subsequently, closer towards me. Kirara, who had still yet to revert to her smaller form, sidled up to my form as the others also gathered around, using the nekomata as a barrier between me and themselves.

There was an inch between us: merely an inch of uncertain space that I was unsure whether to cross or not.

My fingers twitched, yearning to run my fingers through the nekomata's warm fur once again, to feel as if nothing has changed in the years apart. To rid myself of the burden of wondering whether Kirara had waited for us outside that cave, if she worried… If she left before I emerged as the sole survivor because she had gone to hunt or help the village – not because she no longer wished to wait. I clenched my fist, refusing myself the softness of both the nekomata's fur and friendship as I stared blindly out onto the meadow that had been scarred by the brothers' rivalry.

I had changed since that day, the person I was then was only a memory more than three hundred years old: a shadow I preferred to not look back on.

I had done much in our time apart – would Kirara still-?

Kirara pushed her flank up against me, against the back of the hand that was pressed firmly into my side. My shoulders lowered, the breath I had been holding escaped my lungs finally as my fingers followed her back as she straightened her body. Curling my fingers discretely in her pelt, her figure blocking the view of the humans on the other side of her, I felt loud vibrations thrum up the length of my arm as her purring started. It was hard to contain it when she started, but she seemed to be trying to withhold the thunderous sound of it (her large form amplified it) as we both stared out into the broken meadow quietly.

With such a simple action, I felt the sting across my heart fade, and I basked in the relief as Kirara's warmth spread through my body. It wasn't uncomfortable: on the contrary, it felt like I had been missing it for a very long time without realizing it. It felt like I had finally anchored myself back in this world, no longer drifting through time like it had felt since I was forced to lose track of it. No longer drifting through an illusory world, hoping for something real to cling to that wasn't the pain. That wasn't the image of brown eyes watching my own as a coldness spread from my heart and distorted my being in a way I hadn't thought possible…

I had missed this dearly.

"What's the matter, Inuyasha?" The teasing (or rather insulting) lilt of Sesshōmaru's voice brought me back to the present, "Aren't you going to punish your brother, as Tōtōsai requested? If you think that would be possible using the same basic moves as ever..."

He glanced over towards the group, his golden hues flashing over my interaction with Kirara to reach Tōtōsai, "Do you not feel sad for the Tessaiga? The famous sword is no better than a piece of log in his hands. Depending on its user, a sword can live or die."

The old man nodded in agreement, "A wise observation… my opinion precisely."

"Don't agree!" The pseudo-priestess reprimanded him as Inuyasha twitched in anger.

"Bah! The battle is just beginning!"

…And yet he's the only one getting injured. Seems like the fight is as good as over if it's that one-sided, the half-demon is delusional. Sesshōmaru seems to have thought the same thing if the glare he sends towards Inuyasha was anything to go off. If that wasn't enough, the way Sesshōmaru deftly dodged Inuyasha's 'club swing' and caught his wrist with his poisonous claw to swiftly end the fight as his patience dwindled made it clear.

With the amount of strength, the dog demon lord had, not ending the fight with his half-brother was simply him just playing around with his prey: testing to see if he had anything to match against… which he obviously still had no idea about how to use the power of the Tessaiga. Disappointing, but not unexpected: the younger brother hadn't had the pleasure of witnessing Tōga use the blade himself after all.

"Well then, Tōtōsai? Do you still refuse to make a sword for me?"

"No way!"

Tōtōsai's cheeks inflated, and on instinct I jumped back, untangling my fingers from Kirara's fur as I gained distance from the swordsmith as he jumped into the air. Sesshōmaru followed my action a second after, when the old demon had jumped into the air and released a stream of fire towards the Great Demon before angling it towards me, forcing me to leap back again to avoid the line he was drawing between us. While the younger brother was caught by the unexpected blast, looking a little singed by it from what I could see from the swaying flames, the elder landed unscathed beside me.

"So, you absolutely refuse?" Sesshōmaru's voice was quiet; dangerous. Had I not known any better, it wouldn't sound different from his usual commanding tone, but I did know better. He didn't enjoy Tōtōsai's interference, and had he not wanted something from the demon, the lord wouldn't overlook the attack so easily. While I wouldn't be foolish enough to attack Sesshōmaru, this was a clear example of how to dissuade myself should the thought ever cross my mind.

"You've already been given a wonderful sword that has been forged by me, you ungrateful demon!" He squinted his eyes at Sesshōmaru as the flames of his creation died down, "That famous sword at your hip: Tenseiga! Surely you haven't forgotten that blade?! It was also made from your father's fang and is therefore equal to it in power!"

The old demon huffed angrily, before continuing.

"The Tessaiga for the younger brother and the Tenseiga for the older brother – that's what your father decided! And not only did you get the Tenseiga entrusted to your care, but also the Kishikaisei!" He turned his gaze to me, or more specifically, the sword at my hip, "For it would provide a formidable ally should you call on its metal: and it looks like you have!"

"What? The Kishikaisei?!" The newcomer to Inuyasha's group gasped, drawing the attention of her companions to her as her brown eyes traced the sword before clashing with my blue ones.

She was a Demon Slayer, then? Pah, those fools should've known what was good for them and died out when one of their own released me from the sword his own ancestors sealed me in. Seems I didn't take down enough of them to keep them from withstanding the years…

"Tch. This blunt sword is not in any way equal to the Tessaiga, nor is it suitable for me. Since you are implying as much means that you have a bigger death wish than I had thought." The sudden burst of demonic energy coming off of Sesshōmaru spoke volumes to his anger, and Tōtōsai lost his recently recovered spine as soon the energy rolled off of the Great Demon.

"I guess I'll take my leave…!"

Waving the long hammer back and forth, he then jumped into the air as he brought it down.

It easily split the ground, and to my surprise lava poured from the cracks as they spread through the earth towards us. Panic heightened my senses, and as I continued to leap backwards from the spread of the cracking ground (and the lava rising from beneath it), I saw Sesshōmaru from the corner of my eye as he landed in an area I quickly took as being safe from the changing terrain. As the ground continued to crumble beneath my feet with every hop backwards towards Sesshy, the swift splitting of the ground giving me little to no time to gain my bearings. Soon, I was unable to plant myself above enough solid ground to leap again without having lava splash upwards towards me.

As much as the red kimono I wore beneath my hakama could withstand heat – I wasn't sure how it would hold up against lava…

My hand found the hilt of Kishikaisei without thinking, and after hastily filling it with my energy I withdrew it from its scabbard and plunged it into the liquifying ground beneath me. Before a second passed, Frigid Flash engulfed the nearby area in a cold blast of demonic energy, slowing the process of the lava flow… But the heat that rose from the now exposed lava made the effects to be very limited. Withdrawing my sword with a scowl, I was about to leap again as I shielded my face and neck from the heated steam that rose around me with my kimono's sleeve… when something white and furry wrapped around my waist and pulled me from the area easily.

Landing behind the Great Demon, I traced the white fur back towards Sesshōmaru, who had seemingly guided the fur train that was always wrapped around his arm to retrieve me from the meadow-turned-lava-flow. He didn't meet my gaze, sourly focusing his attention on the retreating party containing his half-brother and the swordsmith who refused to grant the lord his services. As I landed on solid ground, this time a patch which wasn't under the threat of turning into lava, I quickly made my way to the middle of this 'island' of rock which sat in a bubbling ocean of steaming-hot lava.

The fur train, which had released me as soon as possible when I was over solid ground, was thrown nonchalantly over the lord's shoulder once more before he turned his gaze upwards.

That alone was enough to signal the two-headed demon to descend and lie down, allowing the lord to climb into the saddle as I followed a moment longer of gazing after Kirara's figure shrinking in the sky. To my surprise, Sesshōmaru didn't guide the dragon after the retreating figures of Inuyasha's group, but instead, turned us around towards the direction we had come from.

While my tongue burned to push a teasing comment through my lips about leaving the imp behind, I decided to hold the thought for when the green-skinned demon had joined us again.

And while part of me questioned why the lord had stooped to help me escape the lava flow, I didn't question what I already knew: I was still useful for the time being.

Staying useful while our goals were aligned would be advantageous, then.


O


Sesshōmaru still preferred walking even after acquiring his two-headed dragon companion. While that hadn't changed due to the demon's arrival, our pace had slowed considerably to allow the dragon to graze every now and then. It was strange, not walking constantly until we reached the destination Sesshōmaru had in mind, but the only downside to a half-hour of rest after a few hours' travel was the imp's attention turning from keeping pace with the lord.

"Pah! What use would a snow-demoness have with brewing tea?"

And when his attention was turned from placing one foot in front of another, the imp seemed to have a gift for becoming even more annoying: a possibility I had never considered before this moment.

"I didn't ask your opinion, imp." I slowed the pour of the steaming liquid after filling the cup below the chip that found its place on the rim of the pottery, "I asked if you wanted tea."

Without waiting for his reply, I filled two more cups: one with only a crack or two in it which wouldn't allow liquid to pass through, and the other which was relatively unscathed except for a scratch or two marring the green colouring of the ceramic cup. Gingerly picking up the steaming cup with the tips of my fingers on the rim, I placed the cracked cup in front of Jaken while I leaned backwards. Twisting my torso, I furthered my reach behind me and placed the unscathed cup next to Sesshōmaru, who had been deep in thought ever since we stopped at the old house in the outskirts of the abandoned building.

At least the dragon arm now attached to his flesh seemed to be agreeing with his demonic energy more than the human one the baboon had given him. Well, with the ease at which he killed the dragon it once belonged to (with his bare hands, even!), it was hard to think that it would be capable of matching Sesshōmaru's unbelievable might for long. Even if it is a dragon's arm: the strongest type of demon… it was no match for a Great Demon.

I shuddered to think of the Great Demon Dragon that had taken down Tōga: Ryūkotsusei. I did not want to face one of those again.

"Lord Sesshy, feel free to help yourself to some tea as well~!"

Straightening my body once more, I took my own cracked cup and wrapped my hands around the pottery without touching it and using my powers to cool the liquid from its steaming state to more of a lukewarm temperature. Satisfied with the cooled tea, I took a sip, still gingerly holding it in my hands so it didn't slip. It was a sweet mixture of herbs: pleasant, but not overpowering. The lukewarm temperature didn't scorch my throat, though it left an unusual warmth spreading through my body. It didn't hurt, but to be cautious I only took small sips before cooling the tea further and letting the cold liquid soothe what the heat had warmed.

"Fool! Milord won't stoop so low as to- AH! HOT HOT HOT!"

"I can't believe it. You're as stupid as you look, imp – which is saying a lot." I took another sip of the tea, mouth curling into a pleased smile as I saw the imp's eyes widen at the sight, "Did you not see it boiling mere moments ago?"

"Wh-What?! But you're drinking it!"

"Oh, so you can see?"

"This is another one of your tricks, isn't it?!"

"Hmm… Is it?"

"Argh!"

I let out a dark chuckle as Jaken, fed up with my antics, stood and left the house, slamming the sliding doors shut behind him. I managed to catch the two-headed dragon's curious gaze as it lifted its heads at the approaching imp before the door blocked my view of them, so I turned my gaze to the interior of the building while I cooled my tea.

It was a nice building: decorative plants that had once been in elegant pottery were now shattered across the floor. The paper walls had been left unkept, and so the thin material had broken ripped and torn across the screens. The tatami flooring still held up, but now blood seeped into the woven fabric as the recently deceased bandits that were strewn around the interior, impaled by ice spikes, and probably stained it beyond any hope. Arrows that dug into the tatami and rice paper screens had been here long before they came (none had a chance to attack before Arctic Assault took care of them)… So, it had already been looted long before now. The bandits had probably come in after seeing us enter hoping to take what we had for themselves…

Unfortunately for them, it didn't seem to go so well.

Fortunately, I managed to obtain a full coin pouch from searching the bodies. And, as I explored the other rooms of the house to collect said coinage from the bandits, I also came across the tea set.

So, all in all, I've been having a very fortunate day.

"Inoue." Sesshōmaru's voice startled me from my thoughts, and as I turned back to look at him I saw that was standing, leaving the teacup untouched.

"Mm?" I took another sip of my tea as I remained seated, waiting to see what he wanted before I stood as well.

"We're leaving."

"Lead the way."

Curious, as it had not been too long since we settled down to let the dragon graze, I drank the rest of my tea as I stood as well. Resting a hand on Kishikaisei's hilt as I placed the empty cup on the ground and grabbed my quiver, I slung it over my shoulder as I followed Sesshōmaru's form out of the house.

To my surprise, we didn't head into the backyard to either alert Jaken or collect both the imp and the dragon to continue our journey again. Instead, we exited to the front of the house without a word to the others in our group. Seeing that Sesshōmaru wasn't offering any hints as to what we were doing, I figured that I might as well get closer to him in case he was going to fly us towards his destination like before…

Stepping closer to him, I felt his demonic energy flare up: but instead of the gentle mist-like portrayal of his energy, it instead enclosed us in a brightly glowing sphere. Before I could collect my thoughts on the matter, his manifested energy shot us away from the ground and through the air. This particular mode of transportation seemed much faster than travelling by the mist… Perhaps he didn't need to trail anything this time?

In moments, we had no doubt travelled across the land faster than I could ever hope to do so myself. And with a loud crack as if lightning had impacted the ground, I was standing stationary on solid ground again – a crater reshaping the ground where we had landed as Sesshōmaru instantly readied his claws for attack.

"Sesshōmaru… Back again, huh?!"

It seems he had taken us back to Inuyasha and his group, and Tōtōsai was still among the group hiding behind the half-demon as Sesshōmaru left the crater and approached. It made sense, now. Jaken and the two-headed dragon would've gotten in the way of what Sesshōmaru and his fight, and I was necessary for keeping the half-priestess and the others from interrupting? The lord could certainly handle the whole group by himself… except for the monk and his hand-hole… Was that the reason he brought me along?

Well, if that's the case, then ensuring that the monk thought we still had the wasps – or acquiring a hostage so that he couldn't angle his ability towards the fight would be useful… But even then, Sesshōmaru will be entangled with Inuyasha, so should the monk wish to suck one in, the other would have no defence as well. Unless he managed to convince Inuyasha to back off – something I highly doubted. Either way, I decided to seep my energy across the ground: setting up my Range for whatever was needed when the situation unfolded.

"Tōtōsai… I'll rip you apart along with Inuyasha and the rest."

"I've had it with all this about Tessaiga: it's about time to settle this once and for all!" Inuyasha drew Tessaiga, transforming the blade as soon as the metal exited the sheathe and readied himself against Sesshōmaru's advance.

"Rest assured." Sesshōmaru revealed the dragon claw, using it to grab onto the Tessaiga as Inuyasha made to swing it at his elder brother, "It all ends today."

With the two of them fighting it out already, I removed Katashi's bow from across my chest, ignoring the twinge of pain that flashed across my chest as I did so. Drawing a regular arrow from the quiver (which I should probably restock soon, now that I take count of how many arrows are left), I notched it to the bowstring and kept an eye on the rest of Inuyasha's group. Now that the half-demon was occupied, Tōtōsai now hid behind the human ranks of the group. All seemed content to sit and watch the fight for now – but they had a habit of interfering with things they shouldn't.

I avoided Kirara's gaze as I looked them over. The half-priestess lacked her own bow: possibly being unable to replace the one I broke when she stood in my way. The monk was clutching his staff, seemingly uninterested in revealing his hand-hole (which was wrapped in several beads to seal it)… Beside him stood the Demon Slayer: a large weapon of sorts strapped to her back as she watched the fight closely. It had a curve in it: too long and awkward to be used as a melee weapon? Perhaps it was thrown… But, based on the stale demonic aura coming from it the weapon was made from demon parts.

"Inuyasha!"

The group made a move to step forward as the half-demon skidded across the ground as a result of a series of blows from Sesshōmaru's dragon claw. Without even thinking, the arrow released from the bowstring and stopped the movement in its tracks as the arrow-tip dug into the ground. As soon as it hit the ground, Arctic Assault unearthed some ice spikes stopping short of their bodies as a further warning.

"Ah-ah-ah~!" I drew back the bowstring again, pointing it at the group as my demonic energy materialized a crystalline arrow to fill the space that had been emptied, "Why don't we all take it easy and enjoy the show… Not like you could do much to change the outcome of this fight either way."

"Hiraikotsu!"

The Demon Slayer stepped forward as the others only managed to gaze wide-eyed at the ice that had formed before them and, pulling the weapon from her back, threw it across the spikes I created. Seeing as I didn't form them to withstand attacks of weapons and merely to pierce human flesh, they broke easily under the weight the weapon whirled around before it returned to the woman. She caught it easily, brown eyes glaring at me as she challenged me and my power defiantly.

"A weapon that returns once thrown?", I only gave her a wicked grin in return, eyes smug as I shrugged my shoulders. "Hmph. It's seems like the only thing that improved in that village is the quality of its weapons – the Slayers are still beneath my notice even after all this time!"

It was true: the weapon itself was of incredible craftsmanship… and while I had to admit that the Demon Slayer seemed to know how to wield it – she was still young. And being young meant it was easy to spark their anger: and the young were easy to fight when anger controlled their movements.

"Demon! You know nothing of my village!"

"Sango, don't-!"

This time the Hiraikotsu came towards me, but it was easy to sidestep it and even easier to avoid it again on the way back since its demonic energy was effortlessly trackable within my Range. But anger had already seeped in, and as she charged at me without her weapon, I shot the arrow towards her. It shattered mid-air, several shards careening towards her as she realized her mistake (probably thinking she could dodge one arrow) and raised her arm in front of her face to defend against the incoming attacks. Her eyes were only off of me for a moment, but at that point she had already stepped far enough into my Misdirection that it didn't matter: an explosion of mist filled the area. My breath clouded the air.

And I had already won.

The Slayer broke through the ice shards, ignoring them as they dug into her flesh and came out crimson, and caught her weapon before leaping towards me with it held across the front of her body. She charged into me, angling the combined weight of her and her weapon downwards as she fell back to the ground. Knocking me off my feet, she repositioned herself on top of Hiraikotsu, trapping me beneath the weapon as she knelt on the bone. Drawing a hidden blade in her kimono's sleeve, she pointed it downwards at me, keeping it at my neck as she glared furiously.

"I would say the opposite, in fact. I know too much about your little village, Demon Slayer." My grin soured, "It's filled with a bunch of old fools who couldn't see past the metal of a needle in a field of hay!"

"Where did you get that sword, demon?!"

"Oh, this thing?" I leaned forwards, into the blade pressed against my skin, "Some said I couldn't escape it: I did. What stronger vengeance could I take on those that sealed me within it than to wield it for my own gains?"

Her eyes widened, the blade trembled in her hands as it drew a bead of red to the surface of my skin, "The demon inside the Kishikaisei… escaped? You're the one who caused nothing but grief for my village in the past? The one we learn about when we start training… so we're never fooled with the trickery used to murder the priestess Midoriko?!"

My eyes narrowed into slits, "The very same, in the flesh."

So that's how they skewed their history with interacting with demons. At least I've become some sort of model for what demons to not interact with: I wouldn't be surprised if such stories were told more often than that of Midoriko's conquests.

I sneered, "But we'll have to swap stories some other time," and as she drew the blade across my throat, that illusion of me faded into the mist, leaving the Demon Slayer alone.

Spikes of ice pierced the ground around her, this time much stronger than the ones before as they pierced the Kishikaisei and latched it to the ground. Larger ice spikes erupted in a circle around her as the mist cleared, revealing her to be trapped in the ice-cage that the spikes had formed. The space between two spikes was far too small for her to slip through, and for added measure I curled icy tendrils around her body, holding her in place as the anger still burned alongside a camouflaged surprise.

"As it seems you Demon Slayers never learn from your mistakes. Don't worry – I'll be sure to set them straight when I get around to paying them a visit."

Drawing back my bow as my true figure appeared outside of the cage, the crystalline arrow was aimed at her heart… when a small voice made me falter.

"You're too late."

"What?"

She stared at me, defiant eyes filling with tears as the situation she was in was revealed to her companions.

"Sango!"

"Oh no!"

"Wait, Miroku, you can't-!"

"What do you mean, 'too late'?" I slowly returned the bowstring to its starting position, letting the crystalline arrow disintegrate between my fingertips, "I have unfinished business there: don't tell me they've managed to ruin themselves before I could?"

Her silence said everything.

"…Naraku killed them all."

"Hmph. A second demon-of-demons should've been nothing to the Demon Slayers if they had continued to advance as they were." I scowled, "I suppose I just have another reason for…"

A strange shift in the half-demon's energy drew my attention away from the Demon Slayer and as a result the words died on my tongue. The two brothers had shifted in their fight, and the human group had shifted because of it. Currently, I was watching them from behind on Sesshōmaru's right: enough so that I could still see Inuyasha around his form as a fair buffer area for their fight was between us. Inuyasha's group had moved to the sidelines on Sesshōmaru's left: probably the reason the monk hadn't used his wind-palm during my fight with the Demon Slayer. From what I could tell the half-demon seemed to have been blinded by Sesshōmaru's poison, and Sesshōmaru was about to finish the fight…

But something about this swirling energy… it was dangerous.

It only took a moment for me to understand why before I was running as fast as I could to Sesshōmaru, but the shout of warning I gave was unintentional, "Lord Sesshōmaru!"

The half-demon was about to use the Wind Scar: and seeing as how that attack tore the ground apart far from the original swing, there was no way I could avoid it. And if I was caught in the Wind Scar, there was no way I would be able to survive… So, there was only one way to make it out of this mess: grab onto the Tenseiga and hope that its power would stop the Wind Scar from decimating me.

But, if that didn't work as I wanted, then I needed to bolster my chances of surviving this strike as much as I could.

With that in mind, I cooled my body's temperature harshly as I directed the energy I had placed in the ground to pool in front of me, staying that way as I dashed ahead. From the corners of my eyes I could see my pale skin turn a ghostly blue, and I felt ice crystals stick to my hair and the garments I wore as I got closer to Sesshōmaru as Inuyasha swung the Tessaiga, cutting through the Wind Scar. I held my breath, my heart's pulse thundering through my head as I forced the energy I had pooled ahead of me to shoot between the brothers as a thick Ice Wall rose. It was easier to do in my true form: Ice-Skin, I called it. Staying at a warmer temperature kept some of my more advanced techniques unavailable, but it also made any sort of fire attacks less deadly (though I still didn't do to well with them) and made it easier to interact with the world instead of freezing anything that came too close.

Even now, I was leaving a trail of snow behind me.

But, now that I had Ice-Skin: my regular techniques required less energy to use and became stronger as a result of letting my body circulate my energy as it wished.

As the Wind Scar cut my Ice Wall to pieces, my left arm wrapped around Sesshōmaru's waist as I tucked my head and neck behind his body to protect them. My other arm wrapped around Sesshōmaru's front as I sent my energy coursing through it to boost my unrestrained healing abilities in the parts that would be struck by the attack. Intense pain wracked through my body as the Wind Scar dug into my flesh, tearing my kimono's arm and causing cold blood to seep through the wound as it was cut, healed, and recut countless times as the swirling demonic energy cyclically whipped around my form.

The pain only doubled as my fingers wrapped around the hilt of the Tenseiga.

White-hot lightning wrapped around my fingertips before coursing up my arm and spreading through my body as the Tenseiga revealed just how much it despised being wielded by the one who wasn't its chosen wielder. My teeth bit down into my arm as my head tucked into the crook of my elbow to stop myself from crying out: to stop myself from releasing my hold on the hilt as I drew the katana in front of both of us. As it crossed over Sesshōmaru's chest, I repositioned myself to hide behind the Great Demon's body fully as the sword pulsed in my hand.

Even as it worked to save us, though, it did not surrender the waves of pain it pounded into my body.

And as the smell of singed flesh and my blood consumed my senses, everything went white.

My body disobeyed me, releasing the hilt of the Tenseiga as well as the demon lord – the thing that had probably protected me from the majority of the attack.

My energy disobeyed me, the blue fading from the skin my clenched jaw drew blood from.

The shrouding energy I used to disguise the jewel shard's presence failed.

And then I was floating in nothing but white.


O


"Oh-ho! So, the rumours were right… Kishikaisei certainly lives up to its name!"

It was bright, and I couldn't yet make sense of the world as my body pieced itself together again. It was a male who had found me: deep voice, albeit cheery.

Demon.

The energy that formed in front of me was strong; powerful. Powerful enough to finally be able to break the seals. Powerful enough to free me… but also powerful enough to end me if I wasn't careful.

A Great Demon.

"Oh? And what do the rumours say?" I grinned, "It must be quite the interesting stories if a Great Demon decided to see for himself."

It had been a while since I had last been out…

How long?

It was cool… with the hints of a warm sunny day trying to break through the clouds… Autumn?

What year?

Did it even matter anymore?

"Oh, a little of this, and a little of that."

"Liar." Fool! Bite your tongue: this is a Great Demon! "A Great Demon has better things to do than track down a sword. You heard of something I can do, and you want me to do it for you. Am I wrong?"

Fool. Now he won't help. And if he won't help, you'll never break this infuriating cycle…

"Ahahaha! Not wrong at all, girl! You're pretty sharp, you know that?" His face fell, growing serious as he turned, staring out to the horizon, "I've been looking to prepare for my death."

What did a Great Demon know of death?

"How moving."

"I heard you were well-versed in charms and spells: the stories call you the Demon Priestess. I've got some work for you if you're willing – not for free, of course. You help me, I'll help you: that sorta thing."

"Tempting." I smiled, stepping up to him as he turned around, "But I think that it can start with you helping me: we both need some sort of assurance that this will be a fruitful endeavor… So, you'll help me undo the seal on my sword's sheathe. Then, I'll help you with your death wish. Then, after that's done, you'll help me break the seal on the sword and we part ways."

I'm sick of this.

"Death wish?"

"Those who plan their death plan to die." I folded my arms across my chest, "Do we have a deal, Great Demon?"

If he refuses, I'll take my leave.

I'm sick of this.

I'm sick of trying to completely escape this fate.

If this negotiation fails, I'll disappear: who cares if that sword remains dangerous to my freedom if no one can find me?

"Well, then!" He chuckles, "Straight to business, huh? Can't say I'm not interested to see how I would be able to help break a seal… You've got yourself a deal, Demon Priestess."

His hand engulfed mine as we shook on it: a strangely human gesture he initiated.

"Call me Tōga."

"…Inoue."


O


A twig cracked.

My eyes flew open, senses searching for what the cause of the sound was as I struggled to figure out why my body didn't move as I wanted it to. Now that my eyes scanned the area, I couldn't tell where I was or how I got there. I was lying on top of a blanket of snow, with the snowflakes that were drifting down slowly adding to the white surface drawing my attention as I noticed how the surrounding trees were covered in a sheet of frost. Sprawling branches that entangled above my head had a coating of ice on them as a slow wind shifted the snow into the air.

…Winter?

A foot pressed into the snow, then another.

It was coming from… there.

A little girl ducked behind a tree trunk, shivering as she peaked from behind it: her fingers curled around the frozen bark as if it would shield her from my gaze. Her brown eyes matched my gaze: curious, surprised… but not fearful. Long black hair drifted in the wind, a part of it trapped in a ponytail sprouting from the top of her hair. She wore a dirty, tattered red kosode* that went just below her knees.

Human.

I turned my gaze away: a human was no concern of mine at the moment as my mind pieced together the series of events that had gotten me here.

My body ached, and while I couldn't feel any remaining open wounds, I had no feeling in my right arm: probably due to Tenseiga's rejection… It wouldn't pass anytime soon: my healing ability couldn't fix it as well as it could the Tessaiga's doing so I'd have to wait it out. My chest hurt a little more than normal: probably just a result of almost dying and using up a lot of my energy to keep myself from losing any limbs or bleeding out…

Which would mean my exhaustion was justified.

I forced my body to sit up, keeping as much weight off of my right arm as pain still coursed through it at the lightest touch. Blinking away the instinctual tears away from the corners of my eyes, I realized the blue-ness of my skin. Sucking in a deep breath at the splitting headache that started as I used what little remained of my energy to warm my body and restart the shielding over the jewel shard that was still on my body…

Did that pseudo-priestess realize I had the shard on me before…?

Before what?

How in the world did I get here?

Was it the Tenseiga saving its master and taking me along for the ride?

Or had Sesshōmaru managed this escape from certain death?

All questions for another time.

Pushing myself onto my feet despite my body's best protests, I wobbled as I tried to gain my balance. Digging Katashi's bow into the ground to act as a stabilizer as my world reoriented itself, I noticed how heavy my breathing was. Taking another look around my surroundings, it was clear to see that I had caused the snow to settle in the mostly-green forest. Sesshōmaru was nearby, but his energy told me he hadn't come out of this unscathed either.

What would be better? Meeting up with him now, or later?

I wasn't in the best state myself, but seeing him while he's more vulnerable than he'd probably like to be seen as isn't the best use of my time…

I'd rest for now and see how things were after I had regained some of my strength: when I could think properly.

Stumbling out of the snowy area of my own make, I sent an uninterested glance towards the human that was still clutching onto the tree as I passed by. She opened her mouth, as if wanting to say something, but the words died on her tongue as I turned my gaze away and kept up my staggering pace until I had moved far enough from the snow. It wouldn't be good if other demons were around here with me in this state…

But Sesshōmaru's Great Demon aura would probably keep them at bay, even if I was only in the outermost part of it. Outermost part of it to those who weren't as attuned to energy as I was, I mean.

Using Katashi's bow as a walking stick as I kept my right arm as still as possible (but then getting shocked by the pain even though I was sure I hadn't moved it), I made my way further through the trees. I stumbled occasionally, but I managed to catch myself from falling (at the price of another blast of pain travelling up my arm). When the world started turning again, I found a tree and slid down its trunk: vaguely noticing that my quiver was missing from my body as my back met no resistance to the motion.

I had everything else… just not the quiver or the arrows it contained.

Well, out of everything, it was the only thing I could lose without being put at a disadvantage, so I'd deal with that later. When the world wasn't spinning, and my head didn't feel like it was splitting in half.

I closed my eyes, focusing on keeping track of any demonic or spiritual energy that could pose a threat as I decided to rest here for the foreseeable future.

A hint of a scowl curled my lips as I realized the human girl had followed me and was hiding behind another tree as she watched me.

"If you're just going to stand there, girl, go do it elsewhere. It'd be far more entertaining, I can assure you."

Another twig snapped, and a sigh pushed through my lips as I opened my eyes again: squinting as the light made my headache worse. The girl had stepped out around the tree, holding what looked like some sort of container for water as she gingerly closed the distance between herself and me. Soon enough, she was beside me, staring with bright brown eyes at my form as I met her with an unenthused stare.

"What do you want, human?"

She shuffled to the left of me, sitting herself down against the tree trunk as well while continuing to look at me with concern. My scowl deepened, but as she wordlessly set the water container in my hand it lessened slightly. With a final glance towards her and then towards the water, I drew my lips into a firm line before drinking from the container.

"Suit yourself. Don't blame me when I eat you."


*Please Note*


*Kosode: a Japanese robe for both men and women that have a looser fit than the kimono and com in varying lengths. They are worn with an obi that is smaller than the one worn with the kimono. Literally means 'small sleeve'.


O


-Disclaimer-

I do not own the InuYasha movies, manga, or anime. The only thing I own are my characters and the fanfic!


O Reviews O


purple-pygmy-puff16: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

ferallahey: Haha! I also think that Nozo handles Jaken pretty well: he's a little annoying imp for a while until Rin softens everyone up! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

roronoacami: hahaha! Sorry, sorry! I know it'd been a while, but thanks for not letting the wait stop you from enjoying it! :)

Yeeeesss he did say her name! I also want to get to Sesshy calling her by her first name, but it doesn't really feel like the time for it yet - it felt weird wherever I put it in... So bear with 'Inoue' a little longer!

Yes. Rin's appearance is in this chapter.

Also a psuedo-reunion with Kirara - don't worry, a reunion that isn't restricted by watching eyes will come soon~

I am having sooooo much fun with the D&D: now that i've gotten most of my life set up right now (hahaha what a good joke, amiright?) I'll be dedicating more time to wriiiiiiiiting~

Hope you had a nice day! ~Ember

;3


O


Woot Woot! Now that Rin's joined the party, we can keep chugging along to breaking down some walls and whatnot!

Anywayyyy...

Next time on the LSL, an Inuyasha fanfic...

Rin, Nozo, and Sesshy.

NOZO GOING ON A LITTLE EXCURSION WITH OUR ADORABLE RAY OF SUNSHINE?

More Jaken and Nozo banter, probably...

The road to Tokijin is paved?

How will Rin's arrival change things between Sesshy and Nozo?!

You'll have to tune in next chapter to maybe find out... :3