A/N: The title of this chapter is owed to a line of (naturally overdone) poetic diction from one of my favorite Graveyard Poets – though he meant "race" in quite a different sense as I'm using it now, we're both talking about fish (or something like it).

The Finny Race

Sesshomaru hated coming here. Even after nightfall the air was stifling, the heat – especially when dressed in heavy silks, armor, and fur – was beyond bearable. The noxious, sulfuric stench played havoc on his sensitive nose. Everything about this dump made Sesshomaru go from testy to temperamental, and – according to Jaken, anyway – there was a difference. Regrettably, this was once such occasion when he couldn't send the imp in his stead either.

But with the scent of cherry blossoms still fresh in his memory if no longer his nose, Sesshomaru made some effort to be accommodating. "I'll make this easy for you, old man," he growled.

Totosai barely had time to look up when a dark, imposing silhouette filled the mouth of his cave. The eerie green glow of talons illuminated Sesshomaru's face, unruffled and unrepentant as ever. Dropping the knife he was tempering, Totosai backed against the wall of his home. No escape now. By the time he took a deep enough breath for a decent blaze, those claws would already be upon him. I'm a goner!

But when he opened his eyes, the blacksmith noticed his "client" had stuck his hand in one of the stoneware jars at the kiln's side. Sesshomaru's eyes flushed scarlet and when he withdrew his hand it was three shades paler than usual, the magenta whorls in stark contrast against the sickly pallor. The arm went limp at his side. Quickly capping the jar, he picked it up with his good hand and set it before Totosai. "Upgrade that blade," the daiyokai instructed, pointing to a sheathed sword he must have leaned against the wall upon entering.

Totosai took a minute to process the demand. "…Come again?"

A tic jumped in Sesshomaru's jaw. "Refine the—"

"Hey, look a sword!" Hefting it by the hilt, the old demon carefully slid off the scabbard and tested the weight. He rapped a gnarled knuckle against the edge, listening for the light metallic thrum. "Did I make this?"

The sudden charge of yoki that stormed the cavern helped Totosai back on track.

"Right, uh, upgrade it is!" His laughter bordered on frightened hysteria as he reached for the stoneware jar and its venomous deposit. "You got it!"

"Indeed. Otherwise, I will…"

"Lop off my withered head," Totosai drawled routinely.

"We understand each other then." A dangerous smile edged Sesshomaru's mouth.

"That's what you said for the last kid's weapon. Do you know hard it is to –"

"Totosai, if you can craft a boomerang chain-and-sickle in three days, a little honing of an already made blade should be of no challenge. One day."

Brassy whelp, the old blacksmith glowered. But he set to work with little complaint. He had a hunch for whom the commission was. It was unfortunate she had a representative with such poor diplomacy.

oOo

Even though he knew a master swordsmith of Totosai's caliber would have his order sharp and ready in a day's time, Sesshomaru had good reason for telling Rin he would not return until the day after tomorrow.

Rarely does this old codger get anything right the first time 'round.

Sesshomaru returned the following day and, once he had tested the commission, had half a mind to shove the blade down Totosai's gullet.

While the sword appeared fine enough on the exterior, when the daiyokai drew to assess the weapon's meddle himself the blade bucked in his grip. Indiscriminately, it slashed any matter in its path and the acid it unleashed ate away wherever it struck. Though the result may have made sense to Sesshomaru – a blade imbued with the power of pure destruction would only rampage – he could not give it anyone short of his strength. A human was out of the question.

He stepped back into the skeletal cavern. "Correct this."

"Can't correct an improvement," Totosai said with a careless roll of his skinny shoulders.

"This blade is far too dangerous to be wielded by a human."

"You mean that sword isn't for your greedy palm?" The blacksmith blinked. "My, my, now you're getting it! Have to say, the Inu no Taisho would be mightily surprised if –YERK!"

Sesshomaru looked down his nose at the wizened yokai he strangled just inches from his face. Pressing a claw-tipped thumb against wrinkled flesh, the greater demon was careful not to pierce the skin…yet. "Correct this how?" he prompted.

"Ich needs er seal…" Totosai gasped around the stranglehold on his neck.

"Something that will keep the power in check, is that it?"

The old demon's cheeks ballooned out and he gasped for breath. Sesshomaru loosened two fingers.

"Well, Totosai?"

"Yeah, sure…" he wheezed.

Without a second glance in his direction, Sesshomaru dropped the smith to the dirt floor and focused on drawing the incorrigible blade. Wrapping his palm around the sharp edge, Sesshomaru slid his hand down the sword's arc until it dripped crimson. "There. Temper it." In the same breath already the rent tissue of the daiyokai's hand reknit. He set the blade before one of the low work benches as the cavern's "kiln" still blinked spots from his vision. "Tomorrow, old man." Sesshomaru was gone in the next backwash of humid wind.

"It's not the sword's temper I'll watch," Totosai mumbled under his breath as soon as his belligerent customer had left.

I ought to just pack up and let the brat figure it out for himself, Totosai groused as his pet bull nosed in to see what all the commotion was about.

"Moo?" it inquired.

"No, it's nothing." He studied the blood splatters on his bench, quickly darkening and drying. Fire it or flee. His time to make a decision was running out.

The blacksmith's hammer came down with a resonating klang! and a steady stream of flames flew over it. The sword keened sweetly under the repetitive strikes. It didn't have the same ring as the first time when Totosai left it incomplete to evaluate the commissioner's motives. Now it sang with purpose that it had the seal of someone's intent: the power to protect.

oOo

"Been practicing" – as if! Rin staggered under Kichiruka, getting caught in the loose garments that swam over his gangly frame. A full hour passed before the water demon found his footing again.

"Okay, I'm up," he declared at last. Suddenly, Kichiruka's eyes suddenly bulged and his smile warped into a pained grin as Rin heard a popping sound around his knees. "…All in place now," he winced. And chuckled.

If it's so painful, why is he laughing? Then Rin remembered something else Kichiruka had once said. "In such situations, you either laugh or cry."

After walking for a time, he asked, "Is this all we're doing today?"

"I was going to teach you how to run, but…" Rin studied her friend's steps, which were losing just a bit of their watery wobble.

"What's that?"

"What? Running?" She gaped at the alien concept. "You don't know what running is?"

He shook his head, silver spikes swishing.

"It's like…" Rin fished for the right words. "Walking really fast" didn't quite cover it. "Just…watch." Propping Kichiruka up with his staff for support, Rin gave herself some room. "You sort of circle your legs, swing your arms and…uh…" She felt like a drunken ape doing these natural movements in slow-motion, and the demon's widening grin did nothing for her self-esteem.

Exasperated, Rin threw her hands in the air. "Fine, you try!"

Kichiruka stumbled on his first step. But the jerking motion forced him to take another. And a third. His feet moved in easy circuits. Knees bent and muscles contracted. Everything worked. And below, the world whizzed by. Speed. Thrill. Rush.

"Kichiruka!" Rin called. "You're running!"

"Yes! Amazing!" Kichiruka returned over his shoulder. "But…how do I stop?"

"Dig your heels in!" Rin gasped, breath coming in spurts now as she fell behind; the water demon's speed kicked up fast. He might have been at odds with the terrain, but his supernatural stamina and speed more than made up for it. "Try walking again!" Rin shouted. "Slow down! God, just stop freakin' moving!"

Kichiruka chose to follow the last suggestion. Unfortunately, he didn't consider that even though his body would stop moving his momentum wouldn't slow. He tumbled to the ground in a pretzel of limbs and torso.

"Are you okay?"

"Never felt better," he managed, still seeing stars. "Fall down seven times, get up six."

"Get up eight," Rin corrected coupled with an exasperated sigh.

"That too," Kichiruka chortled. Rin could've sworn she heard a snort, then realized a second too late it was her own. The water demon laughed harder.

Finally, she passed a hand over her mouth in a futile attempt to straighten out her jaw and the undignified smile. "Ever wonder why we laugh at nonsense and like it?"

"Hn?" Kichiruka canted his head.

"Why do we appreciate absurdity?" Rin clarified, her composure somewhat regained. "I don't exactly think it benefits us."

The silly sparkle refusing to leave his eyes, Kichiruka impressed her by managing a coherent answer. "I suppose if we couldn't laugh at things that don't make sense we couldn't react to life."

Rin stood still for a minute, arms crossed over her stomach. "I can't tell if that's funny or really scary."

"Laugh or cry, Rin dear."

And Kichiruka's laughter shook the air.

.

A/N: Finally got around to coloring this doodle I made at the start of the story: feral-instinct. deviantart .com/art/Catch-of-the-Day-171583111 (please remove spaces before copying into browser). Thank you for reading!