Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of its characters. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Author's Note: Sorry for making the last chapter so short. I'm not the best when it comes to beginnings; plus, I didn't want to make the first chapter too long. Well, here's the second chapter. Enjoy! Oh, please don't forget to review!

The Rat Lord, Nezoku

The weather was perfect. The sun had been out all day, and only a few white, fluffy clouds could be seen. The wind blew the plain's grass so gently. Trees near the elegant open land danced freely to the tune nature had created. Yet, the longing sadness had ruined this almost perfect day.

Since the day he had returned Kagome to her own time, it was as if InuYasha left a piece of his soul there as well. He lay on his back and watched what few clouds that were in the sky pass by slowly. His hands were behind his head, acting as a pillow to help hold him up to watch the scene. It was almost too peaceful. Then again, a great evil had died just a few days ago.

'Kagome,' the girl's name kept appearing in the half-demon's head as each minute went by. Slowly closed his to try and make the pain vanish from his heart but to no avail. It was a pain that wouldn't go away no matter how much he tried to wane it.

The peacefulness started to get the better of him, and InuYasha started to drift into sleep. However, fate had other plans for him. A terrible and thunderous noise could be heard. It was not far off and could be heard easily by any human in his position. To InuYasha, the sound was earsplitting. The noise caused him to quickly stand up and rush into the direction of the awful racket that had disturbed him. His biggest worry was where the noise had come from.

A radiant light pierced the forest of InuYasha as a huge tree had been split in half. A figure, shadowed by the light, stood not far from his doings. A small laugh escaped his lips as the tree dissolved. The light started dim with the tree's disappearance.

When the light finally did die out, the figure stepped forward to reveal himself. The form he took was humanoid. He was tall. Six feet at the least. His long silver hair flowed down his back, stopping above the spot where his legs connected to the rest of his body. His skin was abnormally pale. On his fine face outlined in green were hexagon halves on each cheek. His haori and hakama pants were a charcoal grey. A stone-pattern could be seen at the end of each sleeve as well as on his opening. Each stone was a different shade of green. The boots he wore were thick and light brown. Infact, his whole wardrobe was made of an extremely thick material.

His red eyes searched for his next target. Not far from where the tree used to be, there it was. That old, dried up well. His smirk widened when his eyes found next object that would be destroyed by him. He was about to walk closer to the well but soon stopped by the force of an attack.

"Wind Scar!" InuYasha yelled as he swung his sword to unleash the attack. He had just arrived and was a few feet away from this demon's left side.

The demon easily dodged the attack, quickly moving further to the right then in front of the half demon who had intruded in on his task. His movement was swift. It was almost as if he could teleport.

"Who the hell are you?!" InuYasha asked the mysterious demon as back away some. InuYasha couldn't do a very effective attack at such a close range.

The demon closed his eyes and turned his head downwards to face the ground as he chuckled. "It figures that half-demon scum, such as yourself, would not know of me or my title," he said then his eyes snapped opened to make eye contact with the half demon. "I am Lord Nezoku of the Northern Lands, and you are?" Nezoku asked, cocking his eyebrow in a mocking manner. The whole time he spoke, Nezoku used a calm but taunting tone.

"Your death!" InuYasha replied as swung his sword to unleash his Wind Scar attack again. He wasn't surprised when Nezoku dodged the attack again. InuYasha's intention at this point was to lure the demon away from well so he could use the Cutting Meidō on Nezoku. He would risk destroying the well if he fought here.

Nezoku had swiftly moved to the left of the attack then appeared behind the half-demon. "Where did you get that weapon? If I am not mistaken, it belonged to the past ruler of these lands. How did a half-demon, such as yourself, come about it?" Nezoku asked the enraged half-demon, not expecting him to answer.

"None of your damn business!" InuYasha answered furiously, swinging the Tetsusaiga at the demon again but not initiating an attack from it.

The Northern Lord effortlessly avoided the assault. A smile had graced his lips as the realization hit him. "I understand now. You're the offspring of one of his concubines. It all makes perfect sense now. I must say that you are very lucky to be alive. It was believed that Mikazuki had killed all of the women he had been with. You are a lucky bastard, and I mean that in a literal sense," Nezoku told the half-demon as he started to laugh a bit.

This only angered InuYasha more. He hadn't minded the half-demon comments, but that idiot had brought his mother into the mix. InuYasha clenched his teeth and let out a heated grunt as he prepared himself for another attack.

Nezoku saw this and started to become annoyed. He was getting tired of playing with this nuisance and wanted to achieve what he came here for. He had already wasted too much time playing with this half-demon. Nezoku needed to hurry while the opportunity was still open. There was no telling when Sesshōmaru would return.

"Enough games, scum. I did not come here to fight. Just step aside, and let me finish my job," Nezoku told the half-demon, showing irritancy in his tone.

InuYasha pointed his at Nezoku. He wasn't sure why he was here, but InuYasha knew it wasn't good.

"What do you mean by that?! What exactly is your 'job'?!" InuYasha asked the demon lord in front of him. He still had his Tetsusaiga pointed at Nezoku.

"Oh please, I'm begging on my knees; don't hurt me," Nezoku said sarcastically at the half-demon's threat. He even held his hands up to mock InuYasha more. "I've come here to change not only my future, but the future of every demon. To attain this, that tree I just smashed and that well must be destroyed. The tree is already taken care of. Next is the well. Now if you will get lost, I can save our future," he told InuYasha, motioning for the half-demon to move.

"Over my dead body!" InuYasha yelled as he drew his sword back about to swing it again. Something made him freeze in place. His eyes widened when Kagome's scent caught his attention. He turned his head towards the well, taking his attention away from Nezoku. Kagome was in the well, and at the moment, his main goal would be to get her out of harm's way.

Nezoku took advantage of InuYasha's distraction and attacked him. Nezoku flew at the half-demon, hitting him with a swift blow to the stomach. InuYasha went flying do to the force of the hit then landed many feet away from the well.

"Now that that's taken care of, on to the well," Nezoku told himself then turned his attention to the well. He sped up to where he was only a few feet in front of it before he began to walk at a slower pace.

The well set off a barrier as if to protect the occupants inside. A small pink bubble formed around it to keep the intruder from advancing his plans any further.

This only was only a small annoyance to Nezoku and he began hit and claw at the barrier, trying to weaken it. This was not going to stop him from accomplishing what he came here for.

Nezoku soon found himself on the ground at the hands of the half-demon who had just recovered from the attack Nezoku had thrown him. InuYasha, who hadn't noticed the barrier, was still afraid to use his sword so close to the well. He had instead attacked with his fist. He stood not far from Nezoku, breathing heavily in both fatigue and anger.

"Damnit! I already told you that you're not going to destroy this well so get lost!" InuYasha told him, now mad as ever. His right fist was clenched as he spoke. Tetsusaiga appeared to be sheathed to allow him better movement have the hand attack.

"InuYasha! Help!" a voice from the well spoke. It was Kagome's!

The smell of death and rotting flesh became the only smell that was detectable as Sesshōmaru came closer to the center of the island. The fog hadn't let up any. It only got thicker. Sesshōmaru soon stopped when he came upon the skull of a giant demon. He was only a few feet in front of the demon's skull but waited for his presence to be known. This Death Keeper should know he was here since he knew everything else.

"Hello Sesshōmaru, I've been expecting you," a deep masculine voice spoke from within the skull. A humanoid demon stepped out to reveal himself. His skin was pale grey, the color of a dead man's. His hair was long and black, and his eyes were purely scarlet. He was tall and very thin. He appeared to be starved. However, Sesshōmaru knew better than to assume too much. After all, looks could be deceiving.

"Have you, now? Then I guess an explanation isn't necessary," Sesshōmaru replied in a sarcastic manner but very impassive all the same. "Do you go by Death Bringer, or do you have a more formal title?"

The Death Bringer smirked at the demon lord's cold behavior. He was amused by his mocking approach for help. The death demon placed one hand on his hip and cocked his head to the side.

"Please, call me Muereathashi," Muereathashi introduced himself then bowed in respectfully to his guest. "That name is so degrading. Who ever came up with such a hideous title should be killed. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, he was killed. However, your matters do not involve that story, now do they? Please, follow me and we shall discuss these matters further," Muereathashi told the demon lord then motioned for Sesshōmaru to follow him.

A/N: Not exactly twice as long but almost. Sorry to leave it here at a cliffhanger, but it makes the story more dramatic. Next up is the answer to Kagura's revival. By the way, I know I didn't mention in the actual description the Nezoku was a rat demon. I kind of figured the point was made in the chapter title.