Bodies were being stabbed by tendrils of hair from the dark sky above. It was a massacre! Salt acid was entering the wounds of many and devouring the insides of the citizens. Not even bone was left remained. The people didn't know where to turn. Many ran inside to barricade the doors and windows to stop the acidic air from entering their homes, but it was no use against it. The rooftops were meant to guard against the weather of the world, not a monster sent out to destroy them. The foul stench of burning and imminent death flooded the noses of the two inu men. Kudai and Akabeko demons were at war with each other until Sesshomaru and Reijiro took notice to the assailant hovering over the once beautiful village. Feeling the stinging sensation of acid on their skin, they quickly scanned the area for weak points on the beast. There had to be some way to at least distract it. Spotting eight solid tendrils, Sesshomaru dove onto one of them and revealed Bakusaiga in order to cut it as an experiment. The acid surrounding the tendril seemed to respond to him and formed a ball of energy that instead hovered just above the ground. Reijiro followed suit and released heightened levels of yoki energy from his kabutowari to take out one of the other tendrils. A similar response occurred and less acid was released into the air; in fact, the air near the energy balls was clean.
"This has to be a trap," Reijiro theorized, narrowing his eyes at the Akashita demon above them. "If all of the tendrils are destroyed, that creature could release hell or summon Azumamaro. Then what? There has to be a way to get the people out of here."
Sesshomaru scanned the area briefly to find a safe route somewhere. The beautiful pastures of the holy land were riddled with carcasses and decay. There wasn't a home in sight that wasn't destroyed or not being devoured. The nearest safe point that he could think of was where they were camping at the gazebo. The western lord furrowed his brow with some annoyance. He should have retrieved Jaken sooner. Nintojo would have been able to find a route! Damned witch! They would have to retreat in order to find a pathway out unless... no, wait... High Priest Shishido... he had a classroom for students along the so-called Mitsuba Trail. If he remembered correctly, there was a sacred pathway that led to a canal the people used for water or training. It was closest to the gazebo.
"Reijiro!" Sesshomaru called, unleashing some yoki energy. He then ordered, "Lead the holy men to the rotting brushes just beyond the mound. You should smell a faint hint of mitsuba along the ground. This vermin is mine to deal with."
"By your command!" Reijiro replied, rushing to the wounded guardian spirits.
The mound was almost built like a pyramid cut in half and was surrounded by mostly dirt and a sprinkle of edible grass. Along the base was some foliage that varied in height from tall, bald trees to smaller shrubs. On that mound, however, was the birthplace of the Shimabukuro Law for all youkai who wish to become guardian spirits. Although Sesshomaru had completed a majority of the training with his father before adolescence, he dismissed the beliefs surrounding the law once he came of age. He had no desire to be a guardian spirit like most youkai warriors. That was where he and Toga differed the most. Perhaps... when this was over... he could ask if his grandfather was known for being a guardian spirit. As fearsome as he was, he was quite gentle with things he recognized as being smaller or weaker than him. It's very much possible that he was in his youth... Sesshomaru just had a hard time envisioning it due to the grumpiness that must have come with age. Focusing his attention on the demon overhead, he flew over to the next tendril and hacked away at it...
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SLICE! Dodge. Block. Meioshi was starting to run out of breath against this persistent beast. It's to be expected she supposed. She wasn't sure what was worse: the fact that she was fighting this monster for another demon's amusement or the fact that she didn't have time to understand what was really going on. She should have just left the beach in the beginning.
She couldn't sense anyone's energy in this strange place. Behind her was simply an island with what appeared to be some kind of banshee standing ominously overhead. She wasn't screeching like a typical banshee, but she was singing. A soft wind was carrying the song and tune away. Low thunder that sounded like growls soon followed and sharp bursts of light came after that. It seemed out of order for Meioshi. Usually, lightning came before the thunder, yet, in this place, it was the opposite. A storm before the calm? Odd. The doctor had landed along the coastline of this strange world. It seemed to be a pebble beach at first. Rocks of varying smoothness and color were littered all about. When she went to stand up, she felt warm water clinging to her legs. Reaching out to touch the water experimentally, she shot her hand back and crawled backwards cautiously. It felt like saliva! This place was alive and breathing! Checking for signs of a mouth, Meioshi found nothing until the banshee came face to face with her. The doctor couldn't see her face since black hair completely covered everything except the mouth, but she could see that she wore an entrancing pink, red, and white kimono. The banshee took an odd form, but she had the body of a young girl and the presence of a dark witch. Neither woman moved for a while until the banshee spoke.
"Pretty, pretty girl, how lost is she? O, young pretty, a grave shall I find for ye?"
"Who are you?" Meioshi asked gently, squinting an eye at the banshee.
"Umebayashi be I," the banshee replied, grinning toothily and widely. "The hag of Nintojo personified. From me, much fortune and despair can I find. Purposed with showing the wielder the path, I be the controller of the beast and the mistress of the great divide."
"Right then," Meioshi replied, slowly rising to a stand. "Pleasure to meet you, Lady Umebayashi. I suppose there is a reason why I'm here instead of with my friends, is there not? Mind telling me what's going on?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Umebayashi quickly said, toothy grin remaining in place. "This will not do! Only a path can I show you."
"Hmm..." Meioshi hummed with some thought. It wasn't long before a smirk decorated her rosy lips and she said, "You're the one who answers to Jaken when he needs to find something. So that's how it works. Unfortunately, Lord Jaken is not with me to access your powers, my lady."
"There is no need for that silly imp, pretty pretty," the banshee said lowly, tilting her head down to show emphasis. "I am the one who brought ye to this beach. It is here the young master questioned the power ye doth seek. Thine place here is neither good nor grim. Storm bringer be ye, O, pretty pretty!"
"The power I seek?" Meioshi questioned, eyes narrowing with some worry. "What of it?"
"The young master hath battled a man who knew ye. Quite powerful, that man! Is the power ye seek meant to slay the blue angel we saw?" the banshee asked, earning a shocked expression from the doctor. "Oh? What's this, pretty pretty? Ye fear what the young master hath seen?"
"The man you're talking about is not my enemy," Meioshi replied, looking down at the ground. "He's just a messenger, but... he is my burden to bear." She picked her head up and continued with a fiery anger in her eyes, "You stay out of this!"
"My, my, pretty pretty! Thy storm is strong!" Umebayashi declared, laughing. "Why not let the young master lend his might to ye?"
SNATCH! Uncharacteristically, and perhaps unexpectedly, Umebayashi was hoisted into the air with Meioshi gripping at her throat. The rage the doctor produced... did something to both the hag and her surroundings. Meioshi's eyes were no longer simply a vibrant hazel. They had returned to the hellfire orange. Her hair was changing from the soft, dark locks to saber-like ends with bright red tips resembling fresh blood dripping down the length. Her rosy lips were turning to a dark plum color. A singular bolt of lightning licked the beach shore and went straight through Meioshi, adding to her power and rage. Shadow, flame, and sulfur surrounded her body, and she gave a look to Umebayashi that struck fear into the pathfinder... and the beach shore. There was no tide or black water where Meioshi stood, but the water... became clear and the murky sludge that was there was being shoved away like the doctor was purifying her surroundings! In response, a harpoon shot through the air and dug into the sand and rocks for anchorage. Only Umebayashi turned to see that the warship was close enough to see its full size, and that soldiers - representative of many things potentially - were hustling about to apprehend the doctor. Amidst the hectic response, however, the treasure ship was also coming closer. Meioshi wasn't paying attention to ships coming for her, but the hag did. Just as she said before, Meioshi was an odd one. Though the conflicts to come and the battles to fight were many, good fortune would not be far and, judging from the cheers and lights from the treasure ship, it would come as long as the angry woman continued to be a beacon of purity and hope for others. Zipping across the water, as faint as a butterfly's wings flapping, was heard. The hag gasped for air, hearing her brother's call, and let out a mighty shriek that sent both ships back and panicked voices echoed in the distance.
From the sludge came a larger shadow than anyone could have imagined. Something emerged from the dark waters before a bright green appendage lifted into the sky and came crashing down to split the waters. Meioshi turned then, believing it to be Sesshomaru, but instead was met with a towering beast that had only half of a body. The upper torso of the creature was present and heavily armored, but the actual limbs were made of bright green light and poison. The shape of the creature resembled a canine, but... not quite fully. It had tentacles for limbs, or at least what would have been limbs. The head was a canine skull with four eyes and only four teeth, but there was no flesh anywhere. All was light and poison! The clouds were turning into a funnel as the beast bellowed. Meioshi dropped the hag like she was no more than a dirty cloth before turning to the scene before her. The clouds then moved to hover over the beast's joints to form the fur and ears, but the creature was complete in its transformation it seemed.
"Lord Sesshomaru! Please help me!" a female voice called.
Meioshi turned back to the hag to see her change into four different young women. Each one differing in age, race, and fashion style. They must have all been women that he knew, so this world or place is the darker side of him. The doctor thought, 'That's Sesshomaru? What form... is this? His real one?'
"This is what I can control, pretty pretty," Umebayashi said, using Kagura's image to speak. "This Sesshomaru has yet to master his true form or his true power. It is my duty to ensure he achieves such mastery once he completes his training. The young master may have attained his father's final form, but it is not his final form. His power is great! Do not be so foolish and deny such a grand opportunity to have this power at thy command."
Meioshi said nothing more to the hag and turned to Sesshomaru's supposed skeleton form. She walked forward quietly until she was close enough to feel the poison around him burning her skin to an uncomfortable level. They locked eyes with each other for a moment until she smirked. Sesshomaru tilted his head in response, albeit slowly, and waited. Meioshi then said, "You're skinnier than I thought in that form. You need to stop starving yourself. You'll ruin your pretty skin."
"What do you think you're doing?" Umebayashi questioned, running to shore edge.
"Just having a conversation with my rival. It's our thing, apparently," Meioshi replied, chuckling a bit before placing a hand on her hip and waving her free hand to speak more languidly. "Don't interrupt. It's rude."
"Ridiculous! This form is to be feared!" the hag argued.
"My fears belong to the underworld, not you or him," Meioshi replied coolly. "He's not even skin or bones! Look at this foolishness! I should give you a steak and crackers!" This comment only made Sesshomaru tilt his head more and growl as though he were saying 'eh?' The doctor continued to lecture him, however, "It's no wonder you're able to fly so delicately. I've no time for you, Lord Sesshomaru, if it even is you. I've a puzzle to solve by tomorrow or else I'm screwed. Now, what are you so confused about that I have to be stuck here with you and a noisy old bat arguing nonsense at a fork in the road instead of helping my friends?"
Sesshomaru shifted his glowing eyes from her to the hag before huffing and letting out a bark loud enough to make the earth quake. Umebayashi interpreted the response, "My lord didn't like what you said. This is completely ridiculous! Why are we discussing anything that's not path-related?"
"Hush, woman!" Meioshi replied, turning slightly to the hag before looking at Sesshomaru again. "What are you talking about 'what I said'? We've been separated up until recently. We hardly spoke a word."
He growled then huffed, releasing slimy acid from his nostril holes. Umebayashi then interrupted, "My lord is not clear on your rivalry. You said you mean nothing to him, but, in the same breath, you said he knows your changes in behavior better than a stranger or friend. If you mean nothing, why would he know when something is wrong with you?"
Meioshi produced an interesting face that angered Sesshomaru and made him roar, but the doctor just laughed at him. He was about to bite at her until she said, "I forget sometimes that there is a sweetheart under all that huff and puff. You've almost always known when something is wrong, Lord Sesshomaru. That's why I wind up thanking you so much. When I performed my punishment, you debated against it and smelled my injury. You even lectured me a bit! When I was stressed out at the okiya village, you were at my side just speaking to me. When I was being hunted by ogres, you came in right when I was being stalked by a high-ranked one. When I was fighting against one of my main enemies, you came in to help without me even knowing that you came. You even interfered when those idiot samurai tried to punish me! Of course, you'd know when something's wrong, Lord Sesshomaru. You always have, even before you made me serve Lord Jaken. You always call me witch or doctor, so I just assumed that meant I was no more than that to you. I have no reason to claim any other title beyond that or believe I am more than a stranger. I know very little about you. You, at least, know that I was in the army once. Most people don't know that, and I'd rather no one know at all."
Sesshomaru was quiet, but Umebayashi translated the silence as a singular question, "Why?"
"There was nothing glorious about my time there," Meioshi answered, looking to her side remorsefully. She shook her head then said, "To eliminate this confusion that's so much more important than the safety of a little girl, apparently, how about I complete your challenge? It's our thing, after all. If I can beat you in this form, I'll give Jaken a bath while naked as punishment for crossing you. If you win, I'll throw you a small party with actual food because you are entirely too lithe for that to be healthy. Agreed?"
"That's a stupid bet!" Umebayashi replied. It wasn't an interpretation.
"You're the one who's confused, not me!" Meioshi argued. "It's your challenge anyway. Think of something!"
And that's how this mess all started. Neither Sesshomaru nor Umebayashi said more about the challenge. He had simply decided on something... and then he attacked... violently.
"Kya!" Meioshi exclaimed, blocking a claw swipe with her Baohu qi Voluptatis...