Glossary:

urusai - noisy/annoying (implied "shut up)

nanda - what? (not polite way of saying it that is)

Inu no Taisho - General of the Dogs (please, this is not his surname)

oni - monster

Meidou Zangetsuha - the newest attack that Takahashi-sensei has bestowed on Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga in the manga recently. Please refer to the manga for more explanation to this attack. I have altered just a little. :)

naruhodo - i see

hanasu - speak

shouki - miasma

-neesan - elder sister

yakusoku - promise

He felt something nudging at his feet, and his black eyebrows creased a little. Sesshoumaru hated it when Rin tried to wake him up, even though she had only done it once and it was to ask for permission to scout for food.

"Go away."

Toutousai's eyes bulged out further; the taiyoukai was that commanding in his dreams too? He was tempted to smash his hammer on his black boots but decided that was not the safest manner to approach him. Sesshoumaru was afterall the eldest born of Inu no Taisho, not to mention that he was ialmost/i as powerful as his predecessor. Besides, he did want his head to stay on his shoulders and the Prince of Western Lands was one who would honour his words. And threats, the old youkai grudgingly reminded himself.

The irritating nudge came again, and it was more insistent this time round. Sesshoumaru wanted to scold Rin, but he seldom did that and he had no idea why he always talked to her as if she was a sensible and matured human. Perhaps he had always considered her too weak and too human, and therefore did not think it appropriate or useful to instruct her in the way inu-youkai did to their offspring.

Nevertheless, his jaws were scraping against each other and his nostrils flared. He seldom slept, and when he did, it was neither peaceful nor dreamless. He could not remember his dreams, but they were often filled with empty voices and whispers calling out for him, as if they were trying to wrap their vengeful souls around his very name and choke it to death. So now that he was having a dreamless sleep, he did not want to get out of it, although he could feel the uncomfortable wetness in his clothing and he dreamily wondered to himself why.

"Rin."

Jaken lowered his head and eyes at the tone of frustration in his voice. He knew what was going on in his youkai lord's mind and must have thought that his 'Rin' would stop her meddlesome antics.

"Oi," Toutousai slung his long hammer over his shoulder and fixed a curious stare at the kappa-youkai standing beside him, although all he could see was his small brown hat. "'Rin'?"

Jaken nodded his head tiredly, "He must have thought you were his human ward."

Toutousai scratched his fuzzy chin and looked up to the skies that were partly clouded by dripping leaves and branches, "You mean the small little girl that travels with you guys?"

Jaken nodded again; he did not know what to say when his youkai lord woke up. Would he slice him apart with Toukijin again? For his inability to protect Rin? He was glad beyond description to find the taiyoukai safe and sound, but yet at the same time feared for his life and the punishments that might come. Sesshoumaru-sama was not exactly a lord who tolerated mistakes or repeated offenses.

"Where is she then?" Toutousai was lost, to why Sesshoumaru had called out for her and why Jaken was so depressed about it.
Jaken was mildly irritated at the old geezer for his lack of analytical skills and swung his dull, green head up, "Rin has been captured by Naraku that monster baka!"

"Ah..." The sword-maker nodded his head and continued, "But that is none of my business. You wake him up."

The pissed-off expression was momentarily thrown off the kappa-youkai's face, "Me? No you do it!"

Toutousai folded his arms and shifted to a more comfortable position on his three-eyed bull, "No."

Jaken stomped Nintoujou onto the muddy ground; he would really get himself killed if he woke up Sesshoumaru-sama, not to mention that he probably would be in a very bad mood after losing to his hanyou brother and with the numerous small wounds and bruises on his body."I can wait. It's you who want to wake him up."

"No, you do it. Unless you don't want Sesshoumaru to get back his Tenseiga."

"You! I can spew fire on your ass!" Jaken waved Nintoujou threateningly at the old geezer's face.

Toutousai frowned and glared at the miniscule youkai, "Don't forget what I make for a living!" His bull mooed.

Jaken swallowed at his puffed-up cheeks but returned with his best glare, although he knew that Toutousai's mouth could probably spew out more fire than his staff. "YOU! I won't do it!"

"Urusai."

The deadpan, cold voice reached their ears and both froze in their positions.

They then slowly turned their heated faces away from each other to the taiyoukai who was still resting under the tree with his eyes shut.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"Sesshoumaru!"

He cracked open one eye and looked drowsily at the intruders. He would have to wake up, good things were not meant to stay long.

Jaken silently gulped at his death-stare, whereas the words died in Toutousai's throat when he saw the taiyoukai's frown.
Sesshoumaru shut his eyelid and heaved a muted sigh. He could no longer escape reality, or drown himself in his wretched thoughts and past. His present had caught up with him, and there was future to be tackled with. Oh how he wished he could die this very moment! But he could never let his vassals know, for that would be a sign of weakness and defeat, and he did not want others to see him that way at all. He had promised to himself that he would one day die with his pride, honour and dignity intact.
He then thought to himself how weak and useless he had become recently. Was it because of his love for Kagome? Or his compassion for Rin?

Chichi-ue would turn in his grave if he knew of the cowardice that plagued my soul, he mused to himself and without opening his eyes, he spoke.

"Nanda?"

Toutousai was the first to respond, since he brought good news. "Tenseiga is re-forged and ready."

The taiyoukai opened his eyes and saw the glistening green fruit lying at his side, reminding him of the nightmare that he had two nights ago. It irked him to no end that something as insignificant and inanimate as that would mock at him, and he was Sesshoumaru! The future Lord to the Western Lands, the strongest taiyoukai in the whole of Japan, the eldest born of the legendary Inu no Taisho!

Faster than their eyes could register, the pretty unripe fruit was melted with his youki whip and reduced to a sizzling pool of stained white and frothy green. Toutousai and Jaken dropped their jaws at that senseless display of temper and wondered whether Sesshoumaru had woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Did his pelt tickled his nose then? Jaken wondered to himself while the taiyoukai stood up in one graceful swish of his damp hakamas and took over the new fang.

"Hmmm," he narrowed his eyes at the clean katana as cubes of light bounced off the glistening, perfectly straight metal.

Toutousai noticed the broken Toukijin and cleared his throat, "Toukijin broke eh?"

Jaken let out a muffled gasp; he did not even notice the evil blade lying beside his youkai lord. Was Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu that powerful! The kappa-youkai stared incredulously at the lifeless, broken Toukijin.

Sesshoumaru did not reply and narrowed his eyes further instead; Tenseiga was telling him things, things that were only meant for the ears of its rightful master, in a unique, strange way that only Sesshoumaru would understand.

"Sesshoumaru-"

Before Toutousai could continue, the taiyoukai spun around and whittled down the trees that were within one mile radius from him with his youki whip. Jaken tightened his grip over Nintoujou and readied himself for battle as a giant mountain oni clumsily lumbered out from the fallen trees. "Sesshoumaru-sama is injured badly from the fight with that hanyou brat! He might not be able to-"


WHOOSH!


Toutousai's goldfish-like eyes bulged to the maximum while Jaken cocked his head to one side, his thoughts lost with that wind-like whisper. There was a soft blue light from Tenseiga and then the sudden appearance of a bright, blinding disc, which hovered in the skies behind the oni's body. Before Jaken could raise any further questions, the oni's body was cleanly sliced into half at its chest by an unseen force which fell apart loudly onto the soft, rain-soaked ground. The disc then opened up, the way a sleeping eye did, and Jaken shivered a little at the freezing, eerie air that seeped out from the black vacuum.

"I didn't think that you would be able to even open the portal at first try..." Toutousai mumbled to himself while Jaken swiftly turned his pounding head to the old geezer, "Eh?"

Sesshoumaru did not bother to face the sword-maker behind him and turned Tenseiga around in his right hand, inwardly admiring at the power it had unleashed. But what exactly was that?

"Toutousai."

The sword-maker jumped at his name and mentally cursed the taiyoukai for being able to instill so much fear with his voice.

"Tenseiga as you have known, is not a common sword and is able to resurrect. Just now what you have performed is an incomplete Meidou Zangetsuha."

Jaken tried to mouth the long name, "Mei..dou.. Zangetsu.. ha..."

Toutousai nodded his head and his eyebrow twitched at the arrogant taiyoukai's rudeness, whose back was still facing him. He's the same as Inuyasha...

"A complete and perfect Meidou Zangetsuha opens up the portal to Hell and sends the victim's soul and body to it. It will be a full round circle, unlike the arc that was in the sky just now. And because the Meidou Zangetsuha was incomplete, the oni's body is still here. However, I am impressed that you have grasped the catch of it and-"

"Hmm, naruhodo," Sesshoumaru smirked to himself and continued to gaze lovingly at his inherited fang. He still did not understand why his father had given him Tenseiga but now that it has hidden powers other than just resurrection, the knowledge of it seemed to somewhat restore his pride and that pleased him greatly. He would no longer lose to that hanyou brat since Tenseiga was now a real weapon, and perhaps even more powerful than Tessaiga in its own right since it could be used in both offensive and defensive ways.

Toutousai clicked his tongue at being rudely interrupted and ignored, while Jaken trembled a little at the newly forged Tenseiga. Would he be the first guinea pig, after he had broke the news to him? His youkai lord was more powerful than before and he was sure that it would not be long before the taiyoukai mastered Meidou Zangetsuha perfectly. He had heard from Myouga that Sesshoumaru was a genius and fast-learner when he was young, although his heart was not in accordance with what his father had hoped for. Jaken was torn in between his two different wishes when Sesshoumaru called for him again.

"Jaken."

The kappa-youkai immediately straightened up with a grave look on his face, "Hai Sesshoumaru-sama!"

"Bring Ah-Un, we will look for Rin," Sesshoumaru sheathed Tenseiga back into its saya and walked straight ahead.

Jaken was stunned for a moment; his youkai lord had not reprimanded him nor took his head. Toutousai flared his nostrils at his thankless departure and left on his three-eyed bull without another word. "Ingrates!"

"Jaken"Jaken was shaken out from his stupor as a stone hit squarely on his forehead; but he did not dare to show the skull-smattering pain on his face and quickly got to his feet. "Ha.. Hai Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Sesshoumaru paused for a while as he heard his retainer yelling orders at the draconic beast, and looked up to the translucent, white skies. There was not even a single cloud nor birds that might obscure his view, and he felt his heart as still and clear as the heavens above. He knew what he had to do, and what he could not do. He knew where his priorities laid, and where her priorities were.

He lowered his head and resumed on his way, with a wild gleam in his eye as he thought of his human ward under ithat/i hanyou-bastard's captive. And her, too. Although their boundaries would not touch each other's again, he knew that he would eventually cross her paths one day, and she his. During the short period of time that he had to himself after the fight, Sesshoumaru came to the wonderful realization that the world worked in ways that oppose him. Therefore he shall embrace it whole-heartedly, since he had already lost control over his inner 'world' a long time ago when Kagome stepped into his life.


"I will come for you soon, wait for me."

"Inuyasha?" Sango crouched on Kirara and jerked her head to one side.

The red-clad hanyou had skidded to an abrupt halt and was sniffing at the air, hungrily yet cautiously at the same time.

"Is it Naraku's scent?" Miroku steadied himself on Kirara while Shippou looked hopefully at their leader.

Inuyasha scrunched his nose and narrowed his golden eyes; he recognized this scent and turned his face to the far right. The rest of his group followed his action and soon, a familiar figure in white walked out of the dense woods, followed by a small greenish-brown blob and a two-headed dragon-like youkai.

Miroku, Sango and Shippou tensed. Now was a very, very bad moment for the two inu-brothers to bump into each other. The monk silently lamented to the Heavens for their lack of luck; the taijiya thanked God that Sesshoumaru was not dead since she suspected that Kagome might be upset if he did; while the kitsune put a paw to his slightly feverish head and thought a real headache was coming on.

Inuyasha merely stood his ground and balled his fists. He knew that his youkai-brother could smell him but yet he continued to walk on as if nothing had happened. He was not surprised that the bastard was not dead and thought for a while on what he should do. Inuyasha knew that Tenseiga would protect Sesshoumaru from him and he would probably still walk on the face of earth even when he himself was buried six foot under ground.

He would not challenge him to a battle again, since that would be a stupid thing to do now. But he had to be sure, and state his grounds too. And with that thought in his mind, Inuyasha ran to Sesshoumaru, to no one's surprise. Still, his feudal companions had to follow and while Shippou muttered something intelligible to himself, Sango frowned.

Miroku was the only one who said anything, since he would have to be the emotional and mental support until Kagome was back, provided that she was still alive and in one piece.

"Inuyasha! Don't be reckless!"

The hanyou ignored the monk and stretched out his arms as he blocked his half-brother's way.

Sesshoumaru let out a much-controlled breath through his nostrils; if it was not for Kagome, he would have broke his ribcage, grabbed for the hanyou's heart and pushed his claws into it, relishing and delighting in each and every action with utmost, twisted joy.

But because she dwelled in his heart, he knew that temperance was needed and he did not want to break her heart, no matter what. He halted to a smooth stop, to which Jaken and Ah-Un followed obediently and fixed his gaze on the stormy-blue mountains far behind the hanyou's head.

Inuyasha let his arms hang by his side and looked down, not knowing what to say for a moment now that Sesshoumaru was silent and... peaceful. He was so used to provoking his brother, and being egged on by him, that the silence between them now was awkward and odd, like a heavy stage curtain that separated their worlds from each other.

The rest of them waited with heavy abated breath, not daring to move although every strand of muscle were tensed up and ready for battle if anything, anything flew or flashed by. The tension in the air was akin to the calm before a raging storm, as if the barometric pressure had fallen beyond comfort and was squeezing the air out from their lungs too.

Sesshoumaru waited until a particular, shapeless cloud made its way pass a mountain peak and proceeded on his way as if nothing had happened, even though he could almost hear the curdling noises that his blood made and smell the scent of Inuyasha's blood on his claws.

Inuyasha looked up, feeling a bit lost and called out.

"Sesshoumaru."

The taiyoukai stopped his feet and shut his eyelids, trying to dispel the twitch that seemed to be around everywhere; in his fingers, behind his eyes, at the back of his mind and in the middle of his throat. He knew that Inuyasha would stop him, and he had hoped that he would not.

Now he wished that the control he had learnt and internalized for so many centuries would not fail him.

Inuyasha allowed his eyes to drop to Sesshoumaru's feet, suddenly feeling like a small boy before his elder brother. He was angry, frustrated, lost and helpless. And it was all over a woman. He frowned and struggled to get the jumbled-up words out of his mouth.

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and wished that the mountains before him would explode, since that might offer some form of relief for the frustration, irritation, disgust and hatred that was building inside his chest.

"Hanasu."

Inuyasha fumbled, "I.. I..." Great, now he felt as if he had done something wrong and had to admit his heinous crimes to his brother.

The taiyoukai had never been made to wait before and he promised to himself that such a thing would never happen again. Sesshoumaru took in a deep gulp of air and exhaled slowly, although none behind him could see that he was on the verge of killing the hanyou. The barometric pressure dropped further.

"You were never that hesitant before with your filthy mouth, hanyou."

That was it. Inuyasha snapped and jumped to Sesshoumaru's front. They were only a metre apart and both brothers thought that if they raised their swords, it would stab right through each other's hearts.

"Kagome is mine," Inuyasha raised his head and looked straight into the very same golden irises.

The rest hiccuped, and Jaken took an additional step back warily.

Sesshoumaru stared back at his half-brother's eyes for a long while but his lips did not even move a fraction. Then he walked away and Inuyasha's eyes widened; what was that supposed to mean? Did he understood, or did he not? Or nothing went into his canine skull at all?

Inuyasha instantly unsheathed Tessaiga and Sesshoumaru spun around at the sound of it, with Tenseiga expertly held in his right hand at the angle that would make a neat, clean, and lethal slash across his brother's throat.

Ah-Un grunted, Kirara growled, Miroku gasped, Sango let out a small scream, Shippou jumped while Jaken sweated.

Inuyasha lowered his eyes at the blade of Tenseiga, which was only but a few inches away from his neck and blocked by the bigger, curved blade of Tessaiga. He twisted Tessaiga's hilt and Tenseiga was immediately swung at the other side of his neck, dangerously resting at his collarbone. The hanyou instantly made a grab for Tenseiga with bare hands to which Sesshoumaru swiftly drew it back, not wanting the hanyou's hands to dirty its blade.

"Sesshoumaru! What is the meaning of this! Tenseiga cannot kill!" Inuyasha barked as both hands tightened their grip over Tessaiga's hilt.

The taiyoukai smirked and narrowed his eyes as he lifted the slim katana up into the sky, "We shall see hanyou."

Inuyasha could not understand what he was saying and reverted back to his topic, "Did you hear me! Kagome is mine alone, I will save her!"

Sesshoumaru's gaze froze on the shining blade and his irises narrowed to slits. He wanted to say that Kagome was never his, that her heart belonged to him and him only, and that he had never, ever considered Inuyasha as a threat or love rival before. But the promises he made to himself came back to his mind as the sunlight bounced from the clean, sharp blade into his eyes. Sesshoumaru lowered his inherited fang and with one liquid, well-practised move, slid Tenseiga back into its saya.

"Rin is my only purpose," he then walked away while Ah-Un and Jaken quickly scrambled after their master.

The tension vanished, the barometric pressure rose back to normal levels and air returned to their deprived lungs. Miroku hopped down from Kirara and walked up to his hanyou friend.

"Inuyasha, let's rest for tonight."

The hanyou stared into the ground as Tessaiga transformed back to its battered shape, not knowing what to say for a long while until Miroku placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Kagome-sama will be fine."

The hanyou shrugged off his hands and for once did not swear at his friends.

"Aa."

"Rin? Rin?" Kagome shook her face lightly and frowned. The girl had been slipping in and out of consciousness too often and Kagome was worried that if this continued on, Rin would not survive. They needed food, water and fresh air. She herself was hungry and tired beyond description but she knew that she would be alright, since she had often go without food and sleep in her pursuit after the Shikon no Tama with Inuyasha and her feudal friends.

Or at least, that was what she thought so.

Kagome tried to summon her ki to her hands, but she could not feel the energy flowing in her veins nor see the faint pink light that it normally produced. She swore softly to herself and tried again; the warmth came to her cold, pale hands but before she could catch a better glimpse of Rin's face, it went out.

"Naraku you bastard!" Kagome screamed into the dark space above her head, knowing that Rin would not wake up at that. The shouki in the room was not strong, but it was siphoning her miko aura and energy away, bit by bit. It was a slow but sure death, as the shouki continued to worm its way into her body, while hopelessness dug into her soul, eating her inside out. Perhaps Inuyasha would not come for her; she had afterall betrayed him. Perhaps Sesshoumaru would not be able to find her, since she did not even know whether he was alive or not, if Rin was captured and taken away from him. Kagome could not even estimate the period that they had been locked up in this prison, since she could see no sun nor moon.

She felt as if the flame of her life would be extinguished soon.

A loud, creaking noise shook her out from her dreadful thoughts and before she knew it, bright blinding light flooded the enclosed space that held her and Rin captive. For a moment, Kagome thought that he had come for her and tried to open her eyes as warmth gushed in like a sweet summer breeze.

There was silence for a long while and as her irises finally adjusted to the amount of sunlight, Kagome noticed that there was a person standing at what seemed like a door-frame, far away from her. She then realized that they were indeed in a rectangular-shaped room, and the space in front of her seemed to stretch on forever.

"Sesshoumaru? Inuyasha?" Her own voice quivered.

The dark figure flap-closed his paper fan and laughed, "They have not found their way here yet."

Kagome's heart plummeted at his voice, she knew that it was Byakuya.

The illusionist youkai conjured up a wooden tray of food which dropped with a loud rattle in front of Kagome and the unconscious Rin.

"I can't have you die yet you know, until they come."

"They will come for us!" Kagome retorted fiercely.

"Ho? We shall see. This will also be your New Year dinner, by the way." Byakuya ended his sentence with a laugh and slammed the door shut.

The warmth and sunlight that the females so desperately needed was instantly cut off and Kagome wanted to cry. But she was too tired and weak to even cry, and knew that they needed food before the shouki did un-repairable things to their bodies. She tried to wake Rin up by slapping her face, "Rin.. Rin..."

The little one shifted in her lap, although she could not open her eyes, "Huh...?"

Kagome tried to reach for the food with her trembling hands and after some struggle, finally managed to scoop what seemed like rice into her dirty hands and placed it near Rin's mouth.

"Eat, Rin eat. You need the energy."

The little one opened her mouth and tried to chew on the hard rice; it seemed half-cooked. Kagome scooped some into her mouth and although the rice was not much, she felt a little stronger and felt for the tray again. There was a small oblong object that she recognized it to be her own water-bottle.

"Bastard," she cursed again and tried to lift Rin. After so many days without food, Her own arms were shaking under Rin's weight and she feared for a moment that she might not even be able to move her. But Kagome finally got her to sit up and managed to get some of the much-needed cool water into her dry mouth; although Rin sucked so hard on the mouth of the waterbottle until she almost choked. Kagome had to pull the bottle away before she drank everything and left nothing for her. When all the rations had been exhausted, Kagome laid Rin down onto her numbed, seemingly dead legs and rubbed the girl's arms, trying to warm her up a bit.

"-neesan..."

"Hmm?" Kagome turned her face away and coughed. The cold seemed to have seep into her chest, and she felt hungrier and thirstier than ever too.

"Just now... there was light... Rin felt warm..."

Kagome nodded her head and leaned her forehead against the little one's, "Sleep Rin."

"Sesshou... maru-sama... Rin dreamt of him..."

Kagome really wanted to cry; for all they knew, it could be their last meal before they die. And it was New Year already. She missed her friends and family terribly, and the ache in her chest tickled her throat. She turned her face away and coughed harder.

"Sesshoumaru-sama will definitely come and save us, yakusoku," Kagome took in a deep breath and choked a little on the shouki-tainted air. She could not see her face, but Kagome guessed that Rin smiled, whose head sank further into her lap and indicated that she had passed out again.

The dying miko leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, for only then she would be able to see Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. The world within her eyes was still bright; she could still smell the scent of sunlight and feel the coolness of breeze in her mind. She could hear Sesshoumaru's snort and Inuyasha's yell, Sango's slap and Miroku's sigh.

Somehow, her memories of them had given her a silent strength which had helped her to last till now. She would be able to continuously draw what hope she could from their presence in her heart, until her mind failed or betrayed her. Kagome worried for the sanity of her soul, and it was a fear that reached deep into the farthest, darkest regions of her heart.

What if they would not come? Would she really die alone like this?

The promises that he and him once gave her rang in her ears and Kagome smiled at their frowning faces. Her world was getting darker and the familiar white and red figures were fading away fast.

"Yakusoku, Rin..." Her breath evened out and she too slipped into the Land of Dreams.

Jaken stood quietly by the fire that he had built, while the draconic beast lazed at the far back, with Ah or Un occasionally lifting their heads and looking around. It seemed to the kappa-youkai that it was not only the beast that missed Rin.

Sesshoumaru had been experimenting with the reforged Tenseiga the whole day as they walked on almost silently and aimlessly. He had not dared to ask his youkai lord where they were heading and assumed that they were on the trail of Naraku's scent. What disturbed him was the peacefulness that they had somewhat enjoyed, as if Rin had not been kidnapped and nothing major had ever happened. And the wild gleam in his eyes everytime Jaken managed to catch a sight of his lord's face made his skin crawl.

The fact that he was unhurried, not angry and relaxed, worried Jaken deeply. He feared for his youkai lord's sanity, and wondered whether Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu had hurt his brain as well. Coupled that with the weird questions that Sesshoumaru had thrown him there and then, Jaken was troubled. Very troubled.

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru drew a few arcs in the sky and paused to hear the ringing of the blade.

The kappa-youkai straightened up and replied carefully, "Hai Sesshoumaru-sama!"

The taiyoukai turned over the slim blade and closed his eyes, wondering how he was going to tap into the unknown resource of knowledge that Tenseiga held. "What flowers did Rin like to pick?"

Jaken's bulbous yellow eyes widened for a moment at his master's sturdy, lean back; that was another weird question.

"Ano... I think Rin like all sorts of flowers."

A stone met his head, and Jaken's world spun for a good while.

Sesshoumaru lifted the fang near his ears; Rin surely has a preference.

Jaken got up to his feet and rubbed the sore spot while he thought hard. "Ano... I think she likes daisy more." Since they are everywhere...

The taiyoukai pursed his lips and gazed at the metal, "Daisy."

Jaken nodded his head, "That seems to be the answer to this Jaken. But she honestly picks all kind of flowers that come her way..."

Another stone greeted his forehead. Jaken feared for his physical safety sometimes.

Rin likes daisies, Sesshoumaru swung Tenseiga in the air again, marvelling at the weight and the balance that it held on its own. It was truly a perfect katana, a precious heirloom that he had failed to see for its value before. So how do I use you?

"Gomen nasai Sesshoumaru-sama! Jaken really thinks that Rin love daisies! She is always telling me how much she wants to give you even though I tell her not to!"

The taiyoukai paused in his move and a soft glaze fell over his eyes. She wanted to give me daisies, he talked to the fang again.

Ah... Tenseiga let out a sigh in his ears.

"What was her favourite colour?"

Jaken covered his head with his webbed hands, "White and red?"

The corners of his mouth curled up, and the shadows of the night swayed with his smile. "Why?"

Jaken mumbled something; and he sent another stone that almost took out the air from his small lungs. Jaken swiftly sat up and massaged his bruised chest, "Rin.. once asked me if there were any red daises and I said no. She then concentrated on plucking the white daises because she said that you are composed of white and red..."

Tenseiga sang to the joy in his heart, and Sesshoumaru's smile widened.

Yes, perhaps I might be able to open the portal next time.

Lo and behold, here is Chapter 2! (I really need to stop being so silly)

I love Sesshoumaru's new attack. Isn't it so cool? When Takahashi-sensei invented Meidou Zangetsuha, I knew that my love for Tenseiga was not in vain. :) And oh, I kind of like the last part. I really wanted to touch on the relationship between Sesshoumaru and Rin, from his POV. Inuyasha will play a bigger role in "Cranes" with Sesshoumaru and Kagome, simply because I love him in a brotherly way. And much love to Parsnip for looking through this (she has a way of sorting out the kinks in my mind). This chapter is for all of you who adore Tenseiga!

To all my reviewers for "The Unexpected Twist of Fate" & "Ten Thousand Cranes" (you know who you are!), Im so happy and glad that you guys bothered to review! Im not a person good with words (they make me look hypocritical me thinks) so thank you!

Pseudomonas