marsmargari: HASUMI MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS! I don't care how!

Me: 0_o

Hasumi: XD Gee Willackers! I only got like... three sentences of dialogue in. I feel so special!

Me: Actually, you are quite special, my girl. ;-D I just don't know why we're choosing violence today. 0_o

Hasumi: Cuz I'm so cute? XD

Me: I ain't gon hold you. The frills are just precious. But, I will not allow violence upon the masses until this project is over. Much more satisfying. Plus, you are literally the only person who consistently reviews this series, marsmargari. I lost starrat about 60 chapters ago, and that guest reviewer ain't been back since Chapter 1. We can't be losin' you that fast! 0_o

Hasumi: How come no one else reviews?

Me: I just assumed my writing is either trash, boring, or intimidating. Could be all three. Could be a different reason, too. Whichever it is, your guess is as good as mine.

Green Pheasant: -_- Let me get this straight. They have folks out there reading about Inuyasha going to a local Taco Bell where he literally eats his own poop because it tastes like the taco he just ordered and ate, but the same folks reading that won't even give us a sliver of a chance? Forget the review part. Just a glance at the first chapter.

Hasumi: X( EW!

Jaken: 0_o They made that filthy halfling do what!?

Me: ... ... yeah. Yeah, I got nothin'.

Jaken: B-but Lord Sesshomaru and I have an entire adventure together with that witch! And we ate dinner with his mother! Which was fantastic, by the way. Her cooking was quite delicious. But! But! What even is the definition of a reading audience?

Green Pheasant: Not the people that read about us, obviously, imp-key. Should I even mention the story about your Lord Sesshomaru pleasing Inuyasha while he's "in heat"? It's quite a popular read, apparently.

Jaken: La-la-la-la! *covering his ears* I'm not listening to this!

Green Pheasant: -_- You do that. So, yes, marsmargari. Don't off yourself just yet. Hasumi enjoys your admiration and appreciates the love. ;-D Right, little miko?

Hasumi: Hai! XD

Me: To my other readers, reviewing this story is entirely optional. There's no pressure to do so. I'll personally request feedback on certain episodes or chapters if I need/would like an opinion on them. Yes, the stories mentioned above by our beloved pheasant are actually posted works on this site. No, I didn't scour the internet for them on purpose. They were recently published and popped up on the first page as a recently updated/published work. I no longer understand this fandom anymore, but... *holds arms up in surrender and just shakes head* what can you do? Regardless of the content, I still have to respect the author.

Jaken: How's about we burn 'em alive?

Me: The end! The end! Wait until the end! 0_o

Hasumi puffed her cheeks with displeasure and shifted into an offensive pose with her hand stretched out. The reiki energy at the tip of her pole grew in size while the Shinto papers returned to their home and spun about the orange orb. Within a moment, the papers became a white sunflower spinning around the orb and Hasumi charged at Meioshi to attack. Typically, the doctor would never approve of fighting a child, but she knew the surname of this little miko and Hasumi was a tougher opponent than she looked. Staying on defense, Meioshi simply entertained the little girl through blocking and kick sweeps to either disarm or stun her. She'd rather tire her out than actually harm her. Hasumi was out for blood, however, and was striking hard in order to land a devastating hit on the doctor.

"Spinning Blossom Cleaver!" Hasumi called out.

Meioshi was quiet as she watched the Shinto papers spin about rapidly. The amount of power Hasumi was producing in this attack was impressive and shook the earth below! This particular move seemed to be a hyper reiki one. Increasing her speed, Hasumi charged at Meioshi and slammed the flower head into the ground like she was chopping wood with an axe. The doctor managed to dodge this attack and smirked at the crater the girl had formed. Any unassuming victim would have been brutally crushed by that attack. Forming hand signs, Meioshi inhaled sharply before punching the ground to reverse the motion of Hasumi's spinning flowerhead. This made the girl's eyes widen again before she leapt backwards in a flip and stomped angrily at the woman.

"Alright, that's it! You're not embarrassing me, weirdo!" Hasumi argued, putting up two fingers against her nose and concentrating her reiki energy into a different attack. Meioshi watched as Hasumi gathered her energy and took notice to the Shinto papers dispersing from the pole tip and fluttering in the air. They reformed into smaller flowers and surrounded Meioshi like they were trapped in a dome. Bits of hyper reiki energy were dancing in the centers of the paper flowers. Before long, the flowers stopped fluttering about and were still. Hasumi then called out in a low tone, "Divine Omni Bloom Flash..."

With that, she dashed at Meioshi with enough speed to land the first hit on the doctor but was surprised when Meioshi simply took the rest of the blows without protest or going into her defensive mode. Even going so far as to let the critical finisher land was a shock. This alarmed everyone, even Hasumi.

"Doctor!" Homugi called out, rushing to her feet.

"Hey, weirdo, you're supposed to defend yourself against special attacks! The hell's wrong with you?" Hasumi questioned before she gasped. Meioshi may have slammed into the ground from the attack, but she stood back up and went on the defense. Her smile never disappeared from her face, and she even had the audacity to wink at Homugi to reassure her that everything was okay. Hasumi was fully displeased with this and said, "You're not getting your demon girl back! She's coming with me! Stop being weird and fight me like a girl!"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you want me to take Homugi back from you," Meioshi responded, tilting her head slightly. "Why did you bother catching her if you didn't really want to?"

"I do want Homugi! That's her name, right?" Hasumi argued, stomping her foot. "She's a rare and pretty demon type!"

Meioshi hummed with a new feeling of pettiness rising from her diaphragm. She then said, "Oh, so you capture all rare and pretty demons then? I might have an offer you can't refuse then, little miko."

"I'm not a 'little' miko! I'm the sunflower miko! Sunflower!" Hasumi argued, stomping again. "That's my whole thing!"

"Ah, I beg your pardon then, Lady Fukuyama. I overstepped my boundaries," Meioshi said, placing a hand on her chest and bowing politely at the girl. "If you're interested in Homugi, you might also be privy to her male counterpart. His name is Sesshomaru. He also has an imp demon with him, and a twin-headed dragon to transport goods to different villages. Would you be interested in those demons?"

"R-really?" Hasumi questioned with stars in her eyes. "All of those rare types?"

"Hey, wait a minute, doc! I'm not some good or service to trade away!" Homugi argued.

"Ah, you're right. I've no idea what Lady Fukuyama intends to do with you, but she can point us in the right direction towards the holy city. The Fukuyama clan are the protectors of the royal throne within Sozosora, after all," Meioshi informed, making Hasumi gasp and slightly cower.

"How'd you... know that?" Hasumi asked, sounding much smaller than before.

"Minor details, milady," Meioshi answered, waving her hand. "Minor, minor."

"That's so not minor," Yuko remarked.

"Of course, it is!" Meioshi responded. "If the Fukuyama clan need rare demon types for something, it has to be for a major reason. Plus, I think Homugi being Lady Fukuyama's bodyguard for a little while will be an excellent change of pace."

"Whaddaya mean bodyguard? I'm not protecting my captor!" Homugi argued, blushing with fury. "She's a bratty, little thing!"

"Homugi," Meioshi called with a serious tone in her voice that surprised the blue merle beauty. "If you truly want to be free from your past, this girl is a crucial part of your training. Take this time to be honest with yourself and how you felt when you met a girl just like her with a different name."

Homugi gasped lightly before she looked at Hasumi. It took her a moment, but the frilly bow shifted to the side and became a horn. Her hair color changed from light brown to black. Her eyes lost blue coloring on the lids and went from light brown to deep brown. Even the length of the hair changed from a shorter cut to a length that reached the middle of her back. Yellow, frilly, accented priestess robes became a kimono. Homugi stopped seeing Hasumi and was met face-to-face with... Rin. The bitterness that washed over Homugi's soul made her narrow her eyes and stiffen at the vision of her past. In the time she had spent with Meioshi and Yuko, she hadn't realized just how quickly her smiles and laughter could change to an emotionless statue. She didn't want to be emotionless anymore. She wanted to smile again. She wanted to laugh again. She wanted to be around people who loved her again.

"Okay..." Homugi responded finally, making Hasumi blink strangely at her. Tears were forming in the inu's eyes before she repeated herself. "Okay..."

Meioshi nodded before smiling and walked up to Hasumi. She knelt down with a long exhale of breath and said, "You're really good at fighting, Lady Fukuyama! Who taught you those moves?"

"My family," Hasumi answered, a bit more serious and quieter than before. "Are you... a priestess?"

"Oh, heavens, no! I'm a doctor," Meioshi replied, lightly laughing. "That wagon over there by Yuko has food, medicine, and some tools on it for when I travel to help others."

"You have a pure heart," Hasumi said with that same solemn expression in her face and tone. "How'd you know I was following you before Homugi did? She's a demon, right? She should've sensed me."

"You've been in my gardens, milady," Meioshi answered, nodding in response. "I know the smell of this particular herb that I grow near my clinics or pilgrimage sites. It's the same one I use to hide my scent so other demons can't easily find me. Works well against tough demons like my Homugi over there. She has a few flowers to pick on this trip herself. You should see the lavender she was able to collect not long ago! They were beautiful!"

"You're stronger than you let on, aren't you?" Hasumi asked, looking down at her feet. "You wouldn't hit me, even though you knew I had a lot of power. You just stayed on the defense. Why didn't you fight back?"

"I don't hurt others unless I've no choice," Meioshi answered seriously. "I will hit someone if I feel they deserve it or if that's all they seem to understand, but I try to evaluate the situation very carefully. Killing is a bit different."

This caught Hasumi's attention and made her look at the doctor. She then asked, "You've killed before?"

"I'm not proud of every kill I've made, but I have done it before. When you're a doctor, you bury and burn your fair share of people. The hardest ones to watch die have always been young babes or children for me, but it's hard watching anyone die when it's not their time. Or... at the very least, when you don't think it was their time to leave," Meioshi answered honestly and remorsefully. "But I've also killed those who deserved it, especially if they've broken the law or caused the suffering of too many people. There are very few times when I've been personally asked to honor soldiers with death."

"How can you stand to kill? Is it just because you're a doctor?" Hasumi asked, looking down again.

"I became a doctor to end long-term suffering," Meioshi replied, hearing Yuko walk over to them. "My oath was a promise to the people. When I joined the army to serve soldiers, the oath became a promise to the public. The question is simple to answer for me. What will it take to end the suffering of others? A new medicine, a new surgery, a place to eat, a place to sleep? Sometimes, the question becomes: what will it take to end my suffering? Would I need a place to heal? If death seems to be the only way to end suffering, I'll consider it seriously. Sometimes, it takes seeing how much suffering is actually happening in front of you or around you before you stand up and say enough. Do you want to end the suffering around you? The day you can answer that question is the day you will be able to truly evaluate what's best for you."

A promise... to everyone... Hasumi thought to herself. What will it take to stop this pain?

"For now," Meioshi said, placing a hand on Hasumi's shoulder. She smiled at the girl and said, "Let's have lunch together. Your food's getting cold. Might have ants going to it."

"I hate ants!" Hasumi suddenly yelped, blushing with anger at the notion. "I'll squish all of 'em!"

"Hey, doc, tell me more about this Lord Sesshomaru," Hasumi said, hopping on one foot backwards. "Are he and Homugi really the same demon type?"

"Mm-hm," Meioshi said, nodding and smiling. "He's a bit of a stubborn old fellow, but I owe him for helping me save Yuko and the others. Plus, he's how me and Homugi met. She's a great friend to have."

"You are really pretty, Miss Homugi," Hasumi complimented, looking at the quiet inu. "Where'd you get those spots in your hair? They just grew in like that?"

"I was born with them, actually," Homugi replied softly. She was slowly returning to her sweet personality, but it definitely took some work to even warm up to Hasumi. She was different. She had a naturally fearless personality that she could support, and she was a bit more like Kyoko as opposed to Rin. She then wondered if Hasumi would stick around to meet Kyoko. They both would make interesting rivals if not friends. Homugi then looked down at the miko and said, "Same with my eyes. The noblemen of my kind typically have the yellowy color to their eyes. It's been said the eyes of gold are symbols of heaven's blessings. The further down you are in the caste system, the less you see the yellow. You're more likely to see colors of the sky like my blue one or red or brown."

"Wow! So you're really rare even among your kind!" Hasumi cheered with stars in her eyes and a light blush across her nose. She slapped her cheeks with glee before saying, "Can I keep you forever, Miss Homugi? You have the cutest features!"

Homugi blushed at this before arguing, "I'm not a pet! You can't cage me!"

"She means as a friend, Homugi," Meioshi said gently.

"And you are a cutie, Homugi!" Yuko complimented, laughing as she runs ahead of the group. Homugi waited for a moment before chasing after Yuko. It wasn't long before the doctor watched Hasumi chase after Homugi herself in idle play. Yuko turned around and waved at Meioshi before saying, "C'mon, sensei! You let the kid beat you up so bad you can't pull that wagon?"

"That's not fair! You know tag is one of my favorite games!" Meioshi complained, laughing.

"Really? Mine too!" Hasumi said, forming a heart around her head with her arms.

"Then, c'mon, slow poke!" Yuko said, hopping away. "Hey, I see the fields you were talking about!"

"Coming!" Meioshi said, picking up her pace to see the holy city.

In the distance behind the girls was an icy presence creeping up to them. It wasn't an aggressive enemy, but it was predatory and slow. It seemed to have its sights... set on Homugi...

"Beautiful..."

Author's Footnotes: Hello all! I'm going to try to finish up this story arc as best I can so you can have more Sesshomaru in your life by the projected date. XD However, I wanted to provide some information on the battle system I'm using in this story just so we're on the same page. Rumiko Takahashi already provided a loose battle system for us based on reiki (which is funny to me because spirit turtles are also known as reiki. Do we just not like turtles, Taka? XD) and yoki energy. I say the system is loose because there aren't any rules or consequences for the amount of energy a character dispenses in an attack. The weapons and/or items more or less hold all the power. A character is only exhausted physically in prolonged battle, not from overuse of energy. I didn't change the energy that a character uses, but I did provide consequences and tiers for each energy type to make it more structured.

The tiers of energy are as follows from lowest to highest: sub - regular - hyper - kami

This goes for yoki, reiki, and (Meioshi's fusion energy) mianyi. As an example, Sesshomaru would be in between hyper-yoki and kami-yoki tiers because of his blue dragon ability (forgot the name of it) and the Bakusaiga's supposed indestructible nature, so sub-reiki to regular reiki attacks obviously wouldn't harm him in any way. Only someone capable of hyper to kami-level attacks would be able to damage him, right? Right. ;-D Take Inuyasha, for example. Although Inuyasha is a fierce fighter, I think he's only capable of regular to low-level hyper-yoki attacks on his own. His Iron Reaper Soul Stealer attack is the best example of this. His Adamant Barrage attack with the Tessaiga is, to me, a true hyper-yoki move, but it's not a move he can just do. He needs the sword to do it much like his Wind Scar attack. Both moves push him to hyper-yoki tier, so he's capable of hurting Sesshomaru as a result of Tessaiga's hyper-yoki strength but not on his own strength.

Now, let me explain Meioshi's system of mianyi because it's visibly different. Mianyi literally means "immunity". Hell travelers, as the name implies, are humans capable of entering the Netherworld without dying or with little to no effects from hell's demons or atmosphere. Unmei's letter partially explains that he went into the Netherworld to save his friend from Shanwang and was able to return unscathed because of the green pheasant's armor. The armor was a physical manifestation of mianyi. Over time, that changed and so did the green pheasant's size and role within Meioshi's family. Unmei and Saikaku recalled seeing the green pheasant as large as a boat, but Meioshi and Sesshomaru have only ever seen him as a smaller bird. His size correlates to how much armor he needs to provide for a new hell traveler. Unmei needed a lot of armor during his time, but Meioshi doesn't need that much at all. Meioshi had to change and advance her family's battle system because of her enemies within the Satsujin. Even though she's immune to the Netherworld's effects, she obtained a beastly form while trapped in hell and became severely weakened by reiki energy upon her return to the living world. Just an arrowhead of Kagome's would've been able to kill her had she remained in that form. She trained herself to redevelop mianyi into a fusion of energy, so she's now immune to both the Netherworld's effects and heaven's effects and Meioshi's attacks are a combination of reiki and yoki.

I hope that makes sense. So now when you see terms like hyper-yoki energy or hyper-reiki energy, you at least know where on the power scale that is. There are in-between levels of power on the tier system, but I don't have names for those yet. I'm steadily working on it, so that one character doesn't feel straight busted versus another character.