Author's Notes: This chapter will be a tad short since it involves part of the heist. The rest of Sesshomaru's team will appear next chapter.
"Why am I being dragged!?"
Meioshi wasn't at all happy with being strapped to Ah-Un's back and carted away to... was that her funeral home? On the deck, no less? Sesshomaru released the doctor from his Moko Moko and dumped her onto the deck's floor. He huffed with displeasure and sat quietly across from her. Ignoring her protests, he opened the map of the Yama Oroshi's territory and simply said, "We're leaving after this march, witch."
"Like hell I will!"
"Did you forget that we had an agreement?" Sesshomaru reminded her, silencing her protests. "You've been avoiding your duties to find the Meido Stone in favor of all this charity work. Your service to the House of Inu is sub-par at best regarding the punishment that you agreed to. Unless you've found information about the Meido Stone, this will compensate for your obvious incompetencies."
"If you knew anything else about the damn stone, finding clues would be easier to do! The only thing I managed to learn was that it was capable of resurrection. Lord Aka said it was possible to find its opposite if I located the sunstone since your Meido Stone might have been created using moonstone. While I did find the opposite, it didn't send off a beacon like I thought," Meioshi argued. "It just helped reunite Sozosora's fallen holy warriors and recreate the Taiyoko-sen Coin. Acting as one of the missing pieces sapped me dry if you hadn't noticed. The Himawari Jewel that Hasumi is wearing now is the sunstone that Lord Aka told me about."
"Sanraku said you opened a portal to an in-between world. Why?" Sesshomaru questioned.
"Lord Jaken's Nintojo sent us to this wasteland you were looking for after we separated," Meioshi explained. "Sensei said the Nintojo kept leading you to different spots because of some pygmy curse. The curse was actually part of a puzzle you had to solve in order to open the gates to the wasteland. You should be able to access it at will now."
"You were in this wasteland then?" Sesshomaru asked, opening his eyes to lock them with the doctor's.
"No, I missed you so much that I wanted to impress you with a gift," Meioshi replied. "The wasteland was an excellent choice of market for doggie toys."
Click, click! POUND! Ah-Un slammed their claw onto Meioshi's body to pin her down onto the deck while Sesshomaru glared at her menacingly. He narrowed his eyes at her before saying in an almost seductive tone, "Your lord is very impressed with your findings, servant. A fine gift indeed. So fine, in fact, that he has decided to treat you with something quite worth your while."
"I'm so not feeding your... horse!" Meioshi said through gritted teeth as she struggled to move from under Ah-Un's claw. They were hurt that she would stop feeding them, shedding tears at the notion. "Arrogant dick!"
Sesshomaru crept over Meioshi's face until he was close enough to stop her from struggling to watch him and said with a more obvious salacious purr in his voice, "Such a vulgar mouth. I think it needs to be put to better use..."
"Ah, we also taught Kirameku Ha about rule number thirty-four. All talents are good talents unless they displease Lord Sesshomaru!"
Meioshi was fuming at her predicament. Furrowing her brow at Jaken's incessant talking, she tried everything in her power to think happy thoughts. Surely, this new mission wouldn't take but a few hours. She at least wanted to back in time for the youkai march. The big bake-off started at around lunchtime! Maybe those samurai were onto something. Everyone seemed to like kidnapping her in the middle of breakfast while reading her morning news. Nothing exciting occurred other than portraits of the big parade this year. The turnout was definitely beautiful this time, even the after parties were lovely. Though she did very little for the after party, she was surprised to see the emperor and the First General visit her home for a little while. She even sat with Lord Aka for some hours until it was time to sleep. Once she woke, she was pleasantly surprised by Yatsumi and Yamashi coming to retrieve Homugi for the baking competition. Homugi was surprised herself! Escorting her to the youkai district, Meioshi and Liuxian's family all went to see the decorations being put for this year's march. It was gorgeous and kind of resembled Meioshi's decorum! Homugi received many compliments on her dance and blushed from them. She agreed to return after breakfast to learn more about the march since she was a new rogue.
Walking back home, Meioshi prepared breakfast cookies and fruit salads for whoever was visiting and dining with her. The village usually stopped working for this week-long festival. It was a holiday that celebrated everyone in all walks of life. A labor-free week that gave everyone a chance to simply take a break and view everyone's work or blessings. The news would be all highlights about the year's festivities, so she didn't expect much other than portraits and local awards for best dressed or best culinary dishes. Even chefs only worked half the week to spend time with family. Enjoying the peace as she drank her breakfast tea, Meioshi was simply lounging as everyone played or engaged in conversation. She was still in her pajamas for heaven's sake! The next thing she knew she was in the air with a gag in her mouth. She looked up to see Sesshomaru carrying her away!
That's how she wound up in this mess. Strapped to the dragon's back with the Moko Moko around her person, hair in a messy braid, and her pajamas a bit messy. At least her slippers were still intact... for now. She didn't bother looking at her captors or the dragon. Ah-Un tried to nuzzle her for comfort, but she would have none of it. She simply fumed in silence as they passed by trees and other foliage or natural landscape. She definitely wasn't happy or in the mood for giving away snacks. Darn...
"Are you even listening, witch?" Jaken questioned.
"I heard you," Meioshi replied blankly.
"Good. Now, as I was saying," Jaken started, continuing his lecture about the rules.
Meioshi tried everything in her power not to scream, but it was getting harder and harder to do so.
"Witch," Sesshomaru called, stopping his walk for now.
"What?" Meioshi replied with a snippy tone.
"Interesting..." a familiar voice said. It was Tadamasa, pallbearer of the arctic.