Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Lady Death. I do own this story. Some of you familar with Lady Death story might notice some continuity discrepancies in timeline and/or some objects. Some things were changed in order for this story to come into being. Enjoy!

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Chapter 4.

A Trinket

Lady Death was in complete bliss. The stream was just the right temperature and depth. She had completely blocked her senses to such simple things during her time in Hell. As she relaxed her mind, so did her body. She didn't know how much she ached from hundreds of years of battle with hardly a rest in between. She was, at first, just wading in up to her knees. The water glowed with her energies, like a treasure hoard of aquamarine. It danced below the surface while the light from the setting sun glittered like gold on the top. She found a shallow pool in the center of the stream. Not wanting to be caught off guard while underwater, she quickly glanced back to the shoreline, stretching out her senses. She felt Apocalypse's power as a low hum--it's own pitch. When it was drawn, it amplified to match her own. Being forged from Chaos matter, it was the harborer of the Life of Creation. Apocalypse was a sword alive itself. It was bound to her as she to it. Their power was one.

But something else was there as well, not easily noticed because it was small. She quickly but silently lowered herself into the water, masking her energy as she slowly swam back to the shore. What is that? She thought, keeping her eyes on the shore and to where her sword was, already forming a defense plan. The blades of grass moved in a specific pattern, telling her it was a serpent. A rather big serpent. Coming straight for the shore, towards her. It was between her and Apocalypse. Hmm, she thought, I would have much rather dispatch this minor threat with you, my Chaos-born friend, but it is no effort to send this threat to my realm either. She waited just a little while longer to see how big her "foe" was, almost face to face with it now. Careful… quiet, the voice of Cremator whispered in her head, memories of a lesson on the art of surprise.

It was no ordinary serpent. It was a snakeyoukai, a lot larger than she's seen normally in the woods as a child. She held her breath, only her head above the water to shield the rest of her from its senses. She brought her feet underneath her and centered, ready to spring on her opponent. The movement stopped—it had sensed her! She could feel its muscles gathering for a strike, her senses locked on nothing but it. Slowly now… that's it.

The snakeyoukai reared, fangs bearing poison, eyes glowing red. It was twice her height. Lady Death shot straight up, grabbing the snakeyoukai at its throat. Poison gas breathed from its mouth, but not enough. She had grabbed it in time. Lady Death smiled at her opponent now that she had it right where she wanted. The snakeyoukai hissed and thrashed its body at her, but not before it felt her touch. The Touch of Death. Instantly its skin began to bubble and dissolve, like something that had touched acid. Lady Death's hand was radiating her blue-white energy, her offside hand at the ready, though she would not need to use it. The snakeyoukai's skeleton showed, and then quickly shattered into dust.

"I don't think so." A satisfied smile across her face.

Something fell to the ground beside her foot. She looked down at the glittering object. Hmm, squatting low to pick it up and observe. It was about two inches long, not very wide, curved on one side, and jagged on the other. Like it had been broken off from something. It was like rose quartz, except that it didn't glitter at all. It glowed. A small hum was radiating from it as well, a hum that was like a calling, like it was missing from something greater. As if answering her, the object pulsed in her hand, glowing brightly. Visions came to her then, visions of a warrior maiden, similar to her, battling a demon, like she did in Hell. Is there a connection between this warrior maiden and me? Another vision, but that of another maiden, dressed strangely. Glimpses of a shrine, a Holy temple. The woods now, filled with evil. Evil seeking something—what? Around the neck of the maiden—a huge glowing orb. Like what she had. Is this what it used to be? They flashed quickly now in her mind. A being in red? Long white hair—what was that on top of his head? Are those ears? The maiden and the red—boy? Yes, he's male. They became friends, fighting together, protecting the orb from evil. A quieter scene now, the maiden telling the Red Boy something. He seems happy, like he's in love. They share a kiss. A brilliant flash now, then… what? The maiden's been slain! The Red Boy killed her? Took the orb? Her last dying breath—3 arrows pin him to a tree, where he sleeps. She is burned in death with the orb. But it "survived"? It came into another maiden's being—one with an ancient power. This one found the Red Boy and released him. The orb was stolen then by a bird. This maiden shot it down with her arrows, but shattered the orb. Thousands of small pieces. Some she and the Red Boy were able to find, some still lost. I see myself in the stream, ready to strike at something. The snake! The visions ended with Lady Death looking at the trinket in her hand once again.

It was a pretty thing, whatever it was. Maybe she could have Cremator make a necklace out of it or perhaps fuse it into Apocalypse… when she returned. If she returned home.