AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, I was driving to my friend's house yesterday, brainstorming at red lights and wondering if I would continue this story – then that's when a really truly awesome idea hit me. So I decided I would continue! If I have it planned right in my head this story will be only 10 chapters. I hope you enjoy and please remember to leave me feedback in the review section – it makes my day and lets me know someone is reading! Anyways – Enjoy.
xxx.
"It's true, Master Totosai. Though, I know not why, the Great Dog Demon's eldest son approaches."
"Hmm…That Sesshomaru," Totosai mumbled, looking away from the flea demon on his left shoulder. "Always so angry, I'll never know how he's his father's son."
"But Master Totosai," Myoga hopped to the opposite shoulder to regain Totosai's attention and saw a look he knew all too well, the look of fear on the sword smith's face, "He and Master Inuyasha have a…well, you could call it a loose contract of understanding between the two…then again, perhaps we should run." Beads of sweet began to form on the flea demon's brow as his eyes flickered around, paranoid he might've missed Sesshomaru's approach.
"Well, it's been a while," The grizzled voice of Totosai broke the flea demon's paranoid ruminations. "Perhaps Sesshomaru has finally found some common sense…" Totosai gripped his hammer staff and began to meander across the desolate terrain of his home, walking past Mo-Mo the bull who was laying down snoozing quietly by the entrance to his home.
"Then again he did send half of my last home into the underworld with that terrible Meido attack… last time I saw him," he began to scratch his head absent mindedly. "I really do regret telling him about that."
"Master Totosai," Myoga slipped his flea hands into his sleeves and narrowed his eyes. "What shall you do?"
"What? Oh me? Well, prepare Mo-Mo I suppose…uhhh…I bet that Sesshomaru has no better sense than he did ten years ago."
"His pact with Master Inuyasha is certainly tenuous to say the least..." Myoga mutter as Totosai grabbed a small cloth and tied it to the end of his hammer staff, placing his few valuables inside, and then making his way back over to Mo-Mo.
After a few moments of prodding the sleeping demon bull Mo-Mo finally stood up so Totosai could sit astride her, Myoga was now sitting on Totosai's shoulder in quiet contemplation till another question hit him, "Master Totosai?"
"Yes, Myoga?"
"What will you do when Sesshomaru catches up to you?"
"Hmm…Well knowing Sesshomaru, with that great temper of his that could rival even Inuyasha and his Father's combined…"
"Yes?"
"He'll probably try to kill me again."
"What will you do?"
Totosai sat quietly as the wind whipped his haggard face as Mo-Mo glided lazily through the air in silence until Totosai finally spoke, "I wonder what Inuyasha is up to these days…"
Myoga's composure darkened and sweat began to bead down his forehead again; Sesshomaru would undoubtedly be in an ill mood when he did find them and if Inuyasha was anywhere near by …Myoga felt a familiar dread at the thought of the Lord of the Western Land's poison claws.
Whatever truce had been formed between the two brothers would surely be broken and Myoga then began to wonder if a trip to south would be appropriate for a while.
xxx.
They thought they had killed her, over a decade ago the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo and her half-demon companion had defeated her. But she was not dead.
Tsubaki, much like Naraku had been known to do, could regenerate if even the smallest fraction of her body had survived a fatal attack and luckily for her she had been defeated in Inuyasha and Kagome's early days, when they both had been struggling to refine and hone their abilities. Inuyasha's backlash wave had yet to be fully refined and as such she was not fully disintegrated.
It had taken her years but finally she had regained her full body and powers, if not her ability to create an illusion of youth.
Now haggard like the sword smith Totosai, Tsubaki was unable to do much, but she had enough power left to perform a curse.
In the shadows she had watched, planning on just the right curse to use on the Half-Breed and his priestess reincarnated whore, thought Tsubaki as she added ingredients over a fire into a boiling pot.
But in her studious obsession with Inuyasha and Kagome, Tsubaki discovered much about their companions and allies. Over the past ten years, since the fall of Naraku, many things had changed in the small village on the outskirts of the Forest of Inuyasha. The reincarnation, Kagome had settled down with the half-breed and was living in a small hut with him in the village. They had no children and often left the village for months at a time, traveling with the Monk, Demon Slayer, and young Fox Demon to rid villages of demons.
For the most part her time spent observing had been quite tiresome, if only because she found their lives a monotonous routine of boring. None were prone to evil tendencies and all had true and loyal hearts. And as such, none of them were ever alone long enough for Tsubaki to do anything without being caught. Furthermore, many of them were completely capable of handling a fight on their own…and together…
Tsubaki shuddered at the thought, she was not the powerful priestess she had once been and as such in the hands of the half-breed's group she would undoubtedly die.
She began pouring the viscous purple liquid from the pot over the fire into a metal pan to her right, letting the concoction harden so she would be able to grind it into a powder.
A cruel grin began to curl the wrinkles of Tsubaki's cantankerous face as she placed the pot down and threw sand into the fire putting it out. Looking up at the sky she noticed the moon was gone and the dawn light began to slowly brighten the sky, she rose and patted the sand and dirt off her black kimono and shuffled to a small bag that was across the fire.
Taking out a small pouch, knife and bowl she made her way back over to the pan and sat back down, successfully dirtying her kimono once more. Though she did not care, fueled only by her desire for revenge and because she knew she did not have the power for vengeance and beauty – she chose vengeance.
She took the harden liquid and placed it into the bowl and began to grind it into a fine purple powder.
Though, over the last few years she had begun to notice, in her observations of the Half-Breed's village a returning visitor. Though his visits were often short and sporadic but he was always accompanied by a human girl – who was now a human woman and yet still she traveled with the feared Youkai Lord of the West…
…On one particular afternoon, in the previous spring Tsubaki sat shrouded in the shade of a tree on the west end of the village, a personal barrier hiding her scent, aura, and physical self from the villagers.
As usual, the appearance of the Demon Lord was unexpected but his strong aura singled his presence long before he was even seen. Tsubaki waited in her barrier staring pointedly at the edge of the forest about twenty feet from where she sat.
Suddenly, a young woman burst through the shrubbery laughing and jumping around, she was a slender young woman in a purple kimono with long black hair that flowed in waves down her back. Tsubaki's eyes narrowed as she finally saw the Dog Demon emerge from the forest after the young woman.
"Rin," he stated simply, she stopped twirling around and stopped with a huge smile on her face, "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?"
He began to walk up to her, though his eyes were not on her, he continued to walk as if he was going to pass by without a response. She looked up at him as he passed and finally he said, "You dropped this."
Looking down the girl grabbed something Tsubaki could not see, but after the Demon Lord continued his walk into the village her eyes fell on the girl's hands.
She held a small yellow daisy as she skipped away following her Lord.
"Thank you Lord Sesshomaru!"…
…Tsubaki smiled to herself once more at the thought of the memory as she poured the now fine purple powder into the small leather pouch, tightening the draw strings as she slipped it into the sleeve of her kimono.
"Soon…Soon Inuyasha you shall be dead..." She muttered as she grabbed her small bag and walked back into the forest. She had a bit of a walk ahead of her but she would be there before midday and long before her intended's arrival.
xxx.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken yelled roughly as he wobbled pathetically up the mountain behind his Lord, who seemed to not hear the imp's pleas. "Are we almost there?"
"Master Jaken!" Rin said from Ah-Un's back. "Don't complain we will be there soon!"
"Impudent girl! You sit atop that beast in luxury! I have had to walk up this infernal mountain for the better half of the morning!"
"Master Jaken! Why did you not say something?" Rin immediately jumped off Ah-Un's back and came up to Jaken who was a mere foot in front of the slow dragon, having over exerted himself an hour before. "Would you like to get on Ah-Un?" She asked as she leaned down trying to look at his face as he grudgingly continued his walk behind his lord with poorly veiled exhaustion.
"Stupid Human!" he yelled, "Do I look like I need charity from the likes of you! I am a demon, you'd do well to remember that!" But Jaken was now kneeling down using the Staff of Two Heads to keep him up right, wheezing and panting uncontrollably. Rin squatted down beside him and looked him over, her lithe hands draped over her knees as her brow inclined in worry.
"Master Jaken you look tired will you please let me help you get on Ah-Un?"
At this his eyes seemed, if possible, to bulge from his head as he looked at her, rage entered his features and it seemed as if pure contentment was his source of power as he finally stood up again. Rin merely looked up at him from her squatted position.
"You stupid wenc-" Jaken suddenly fell flat on his back as a perfectly aimed rock smacked into his fore-head from the direction of his Lord.
"Rin," She turned to Sesshomaru who had stopped walking, he looked over his shoulder at her and Jaken. He was now very far in front of them, "Do not fall behind." And with that he continued walking, Rin nodded her head and smiled, easily picking up Jaken and placing him on Ah-Un's back. Soon she was not too far behind Sesshomaru, pulling Ah-Un's reins while Jaken slept on the dragon's back.
By midday Sesshomaru had reached the top of Totosai's mountain, Steam rose from the lifeless ground. Straight ahead was the skeleton of a massive beast long dead, Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes wondering how it had been replaced, he had destroyed that cavern Totosai called a home years ago with his Meido.
"Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken walked up beside him glancing around ardently looking for Totosai. "That damn Sword Smith! How dare he hide from the Great Lord Sesshomaru! Come out fool! Or face the wrath of the Staff of Two Heads!" Jaken yelled, to no one.
Sesshomaru let his eyes scan the area slowly and picking up no signs of life he turned back around and began to make his way back down the mountain.
"Lord Sesshomaru! Where are you going?" Jaken questioned as he followed, but continued to look back in case Totosai suddenly appeared.
"Totosai is not here, Jaken."
Rin having heard this turned Ah-Un back around and followed her Lord while humming to herself, Jaken followed a sudden feeling of dread over taking him.
Lord Sesshomaru will certainly be in a foul mood now! That stupid sword smith has signed his own death warrant!
Jaken grumbled to himself as he followed back down the mountain.
xxx.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, so this chapter just set a lot of stuff up and I am SO sorry for the lack of Sesshomaru! But I promise it will all be worth it for the next chapter! Please remember to review!