After Belonging by Kaguya's Chaos

Prologue

Hey guys!!! For those of you who do not know, this is the sequel to Somewhere I Belong!! Gah!! I'm so excited to be writing this!! This is my first time writing a sequel, and frankly, I sort of think of this as just a continuation of the first story. Like the next chapter or something!! ::sigh:: I hope you're all as excited as I am!! I also hope I don't disappoint anyone.....

Inuyasha: You're already disappointing me, KC!! You talk too much!!

KC: Oh..... YOUR back.....

Kagome: Uhm.....KC?

KC: Yes?

Kagome: This is just the prologue thing of the sequel, yes?

KC: Yes.

Kagome: Oh. Okay.

KC: Yes, anywho, I've got reviewers to type up, don't I? Yes, from the last chapter of Somewhere I Belong!! Well I would like to give a very special thank you to:

Diamond, salor demoness dog, akuma_river, AngelMiko69, Mistress Koishii, Devin, Natsumi, demoness of cosmos, demongirl660, zeddy 200, MysticInuLuver, killerkitty1106, Little Karma, lyn, WOLF_BITE, raine, MythraPenDragon, navi24, DarkFaerie13, sweet_sandy, Sesshoumaru's Mate (He loves me the most!!), sweets427, kagome-princess, Kelli, faelaine, bratt, Kitsune Kit, Keiko89, beautiful_destruction, K, and Saria4!!

Thank you all!!!!!

Akito: Hey, mom? Am I in this?

Kagome: Unfortunately. Anyway!! On with the fic!!

After Belonging: Prologue

By Kaguya's Chaos

Jaken sat in confusion as the miko and her companions left. It made no sense. One minute they were discussing the disappearance of Sesshoumaru-sama, and then they were all....gone. 'Why do I care anyway? I am just abused for my loyalty. No one cares for this lowly servant.' Jaken thought in a wave of self pity. Slowly the toad like youkai stood and sighed to himself. 'I guess it is up to this Jaken to save Sesshoumaru-sama.'

'Why must you save someone that will return your loyalty with torture?' A soft voice asked coaxingly in the toads head. Jaken turned his large bulbous eyes to stare into the forest. His forehead broke out into a slight sweat as fear crowded his mind. His already wrinkled head recieved more wrinkles as he wildly searched for the source of the voice.

"Who....who's out there?!" He squeaked out trying to sound intimidating. He gripped his staff with sweating palms and swallowed thickly. The voice chuckled in his head and almost tenderly answered. (Eeeyuk! This is starting to make me sick!!) 'Do not be afraid. I am here to help you.' Jaken blinked at this announcement. Confusion filled his yellow eyes. His beak-like mouth dropped open in a slightly stupid look.

"Y-you'll help me find Sesshoumaru-sama?" He asked incredulously as he slowly relaxed, only to tense up again at the voices answer.

'Why should we look for Sesshoumaru.....sama? hasn't he done you enough harm?'

"What do you mean!! Sesshoumaru-sama is the most-"

'Calm yourself, Jaken. Think about this a while. What has the Lord done for you to gain this respect? He has taken his frustrations out on you time and time again. He has done you more harm then good. Just look at what you have become....' The voice trailed off as Jaken thought about this. As he stood there in silence, anger came to him quickly. He stood up straighter and an air of stubborness surrounded him. "You are trying to make this Jaken become unloyal to Sesshoumaru-sama!!" He accused with a huff and thumped his staff for affect. "Your tricks will not work!! This Jaken will never betray his Sesshoumaru-sama!!"

The voice chuckled once again and answered in a placating tone. 'Jaken. Why would I use tricks upon one such as yourself? I respect you far too much for such devious acts. I merely point out the obvious and the question as to what the Lord has done to recieve such loyalty.' The voice continued, disarming Jaken as he spoke. (NO, JAKEN!! DON'T FALL FOR IT!!!) 'Surely the Lord has committed a great service to you?' Jaken stiffened as he tried to remember why Sesshoumaru had his unfailing loyalty. Because it had been commanded of him so long ago. He had gotten so used to following Sesshoumaru, that it was all he really knew.

'Well, that's not exactly fair, is it?' The voice said as Jaken voiced these thoughts aloud. The tone of glee completely escaped the toad as Jaken stayed deep within his own thoughts. 'You have served him for so long, and how does he repay you? By making you the caretaker of a HUMAN child.' This nailed the lid on the coffin as an emotion Jaken had never felt for Sesshoumaru rise within him. Hate.

Jaken's eyes narrowed as he realized that for all these years, an intense hate had built up inside of him. A strong hate for Sesshoumaru-sama of the Western Lands. Jaken sat down and placed the staff on the ground beside him. 'Yes, Jaken. Think of how he treated you. How he down-played your strength. Gave you a role of babysitter. Of a human, no less.' Jaken let out a feeble growl and asked a question that caused immeasurable pleasure in the person behind the voice.

"What do I do now?"

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KC: Intermission!! I have to tell ya'll something!! I do not know if Ryukoussei has a son, if his name is spelled right, or anything like that!! So I will be my usual creative self and make stuff up!! If it irratates you please email me and I will fix it ASAP!!

Inuyasha: Everyone is going to email you to correct you on your horrible spelling!

KC: Yes, I know. They already do....

Kagome: It's ok!! You'll get better! ::mutters:: I hope.

KC: ::stares at Kagome, suspiciously:: Right....On with the fic!!

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A shadowy figure grinned in the dark as they peered at the hunched figure of a toad through a mirror of sorts. (What is with the spying mirrors!? First Naraku, then this guy!) Reddish-purple eyes gleamed with secretive laughter. 'Eating out of the palm of my hand. So to speak.' he thought with humor as he allowed the image to slowly fade. He had told the toad, Jaken, to help him escape his prison. To set him free.

Sinister laughter filled the endless darkness. A flicker of light lit the face of it's holder. Deep shadows spoke of evil intent. Blood red tendrils framed a normally handsome face. A ruby strip decorated each cheek and danced upon high cheek-bones. Another deep throated laugh came from the youkai. He played with the yellow-green flame, tossing it from one hand to another. His eyes stared at the flame without really seeing it. Thoughts filled his mind.

With a sniff of disdain and a shake of his head, the youkai turned to the blank, glassy surface of the mirror before him. The flame disappeared and his clawed hand waved at the mirror. The image of a shackled Inu-youkai and hanyou played out before him. They appeared to be arguing with each other. 'What idiots. They defeated father? How disgraceful. Then again, father was rather weak.' A sneer crossed the youkai's face as he tried to read the taiyoukai's lips. After ten minutes of watching this, he grew bored.

He flicked his wrist again at the mirror and a new image appeared. A raven haired youkai sat beside a river, gazing into it's surface with a look of horror, wonderment and curiousity. He leaned even closer to the mirror as he realized who this raven haired beauty was. 'My, my. The Inu brothers wench has become a youkai. A rather fetching one at that.' He licked his lips as he bid the mirror to take a closer look. 'Yes....rather....breath-taking....'

With a smirk firmly on his face, Ryunosuke began his planning.

::::::::::::::::::::With Jaken::::::::::::::::::::

The scent of a kind of wild flower wafting passed a tired Jaken. 'So, I have to find the boulder on the outside of the Northern- no wait....' Jaken sat down in frustration. This was harder then he originally thought. Already he had forgotten what the voice had said. 'Humph! Doesn't even give me a name! Just, "the voice"!' The wind softly blew through the trees and bounced off of Jaken's bald head. The sun had risen a short while ago and the heat was rising. Jaken huffed with impatience. He turned around as if to yell at something, or rather someone, but remembered he was alone at the last moment.

His eyes clouded over with a brief flash of memory before it quickly left him. 'What am I doing?' He thought to himself. He hissed in irritation as he again tried to remember who the silver-haired inu-youkai, and the disgusting black-haired human were. For hours now, he felt like he had forgotten something important, but it didn't matter. The scent of the wild flower got stronger and Jaken slowly sat back, enjoying the fragrance.

'Hmm. This scent has been plaguing me since midnight....I wonder what it could-' Jaken sat up straight as panic gripped him. He knew what this scent was!! The Forget Me flower!! Jaken jumped to his feet and looked around wildly. 'How do I get away?!' he kept chanting to himself before finally picking a direction and ran that way. He was stopped short by a tree standing in his way. Jaken quickly scrambled to his feet and again searched around wildly. He felt his heart beat increase and his breathing quicken.

Panic set in as questions filled his mind. 'Who am I? Where am I? What was I doing? Why am I so scared? Why am I holding a staff? What year is it? What day is it?' His rants went on until a calm and cool voice entered his head. 'Relax, Jaken. You are almost there. Just a bit farther and your memories will be restored.' Jaken blinked a few times and relaxed a bit. 'There we go. Now, head towards the large tree in the distance.' Jaken looked to his left and the voice called to him again. 'Yes, now head that way. You see the large tree? That's it, just a litle more....'

Jaken found himself stumbling along to the tree and as he reached it, his mind became unclouded and his memories returned little by little. 'That's right! I'm on a mission!! Sesshoumaru-sama has made a mistake in abandoning this Jaken! It shall not be forgotten or forgiven!!' Jaken reached the tree and awaited further instruction from his new master.

::::::::::::::::::::::::In the dark::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Ryunosuke chuckled at the stupid toad. He had to admit, Jaken did make it to the tree, the source of his imprisonment without dieing. But now the toad faced another task. Releasing him. A frown etched his face as he lifted a hand to the bark that made up his prison. It stung his hand and opened old scars. For years Ryunosuke had tried to escape, but hadn't been able to fool anyone strong enough or stupid enough to free him. It was too his surprise when his answer came from his enemies retainer. 'How....ironic.'

Ryunosuke smirked as he proceded to instruct Jaken on the process to open the tree. He watched as Jaken nodded his head after a while and set to work. An evil laugh filled the enclosed space as Ryu (as I will now call him) felt his time in the tree draw to a close. His smirk widened when the spell was complete and the tree opened wide to allow him to leave.

For the first time in over 53 years, Ryu stepped out into the sunlight. To say he was a magnificient sight didn't do him justice. Black hair streaked in red fell about his shoulders, giving him a tousled look. Bangs fell into his eyes adding mystery and intrigue to his personna. The smirk on his face would leave any girl a melting puddle on the floor. His broad shoulders and muscular figure would catch the eye of any female of any age. A black kimono draped over his tall frame. No patterns, no ohter colors, nothing else adorned him and it didn't look drab at all.

Ryu looked down at the awestruck Jaken and grinned. "Well, I can't have an ugly toad like you following me around." Ryu said simply as he raised a slightly glowing claw. Jaken's eyes widened in horror and he crouched down, anticipating the pain he would recieve. Ryu shook his head at the toad and tsked. With a quick swipe of the claws, Jaken lay on the floor of the forest, knocked out. "Can't have you causing a rucus when you do change." Ryu said to himself as he stretched his muscles.

He jumped up into a tree next to his own and raced to the top. He stared in appreciation at the blue sky and took a deep breath. Scents he hadn't smelt in years assailed his senses and piquing his curiousity. He stayed up in the trees for an hour before coming back down. Jaken had already started to change form. His skin became lighter and he grew a thatch of dark green hair on his head. His legs became longer, as did his torso, stopping when he looked to be about 5'4". Ryu sighed at the slow process. 'Soon, this idiot will be completely changed and the real fun can begin.'

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KC: I know what ya'll are thinking!! This is a slow begining, but it'll all fit in!! I promise!! Please don't hate the story yet!!

Kagome: Uh, KC? Calm down, ok?

KC: I can't!! I'm really insecure with this sequel!! If you screw up the sequel, you screw up the original story too!! ::sigh:: Sorry. School and work have been dragging me down. But who isn't frazzled right?

Akito: So.... I am in here?

Akida: Yeah, me too?

KC: Yes, yes!! You'll be in the next chapter. Along with most of everyone else. The next chapter will pick up from where Somewhere I Belong left off. Please! For the sake of my sanity! Review! If only to tell me you hate it!! (even though it's only a prologue and a little premature) I still want to know!!

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