Heiwa final part

"What was her home like? Did she make you get incisions too?" Jaken questioned.

"Her home is one of the most beautiful places I've seen," the mother commented. "Master Bokushi has tried to get me to tell him what I saw, but he would become so abusive that I've always had to tell him otherwise. I don't know why he wants to know where she lives so desperately, but it must not be a good thing. There was no need to continue with his treatments, thankfully. Meioshi have been giving me a sort of tonic. I think it's getting close to lunchtime, however. Now is a good time to visit Aka. Boys, we're going to visit Lord Aka's home. Come."

"Yes, ma'am," Musuko replied, Shotaro following behind him.

The mother, Jaken, Musuko and Shotaro left the house and walked further south in the village. Aka's home was up ahead. It was actually a pretty nice piece of property for a demon farmhand. Lord Aka was a sizable beast, but he was very gentle with the livestock. He didn't have to lift a finger at them at all. He only had to point at a group of sheep to command them to go to another farmhand and shear the sheep of their wool. It was a quiet and probably therapeutic process. The home itself was tall and long due to Aka's size no doubt. Jaken followed Kyoko's mother further along until they crossed a small wooden bridge where koi fish swam in the stream beneath it. One of the koi fish drunk some fresh air then sank back into the clear depths.

Jaken was having a humorous conversation about Sesshomaru's punishments with Kyoko's mother as they walked past a row of homes. There were more demons in this section of the region walking by as if it were normal for humans to be around. Jaken, for the first time in his life, witnessed a rather lovely specimen. She was a voluptuous amphibian the color of the freshwater koi fish, and she wore a befitting opulent blue kimono while carrying a pale blue parasol. One of her friends was giggling as Jaken's mouth sat agape as he continued to observe the group of females. Kyoko's mother smiled at this then spoke.

"That is Madame Ao, the lady lizard. She was a patient of Lady Meioshi years ago as well. It is believed that Madame Ao was the first demon Lady Meioshi treated in her entire career. Madame Ao is always grateful to the doctor. She frequents her house whenever she is free."

"She works in the village, too?" Jaken asked, waving to the demon girls. "As what?"

"She is an entertainer. The favorite, I hear," Kyoko's mother replied. "She performs with the girls at her side."

"Ah," Jaken dragged, blushing from Ao's bow towards him. "Their performances must be intriguing."

"Lady Meioshi had invited me to a performance once. The experience was rather exciting!" she said. "They danced and sang and blew fire from their lips! There was even Madame Ao's bubble show."

"Do the human and demon performers ever collaborate in dance?" Jaken asked.

"Oh, on many occasions!" the mother said, looking Jaken's bulbous eyes. "They learn each other's practices, but I do not believe the human women ever use what they learn from the demon women. It is rather unfortunate, too. I believe they would be much more popular. Ah!" Kyoko's mother gasped. "There's Lord Aka! Lord Aka!"

Jaken glanced over to where the mother was calling and saw a tall, red-skinned demon with ivory tusks protruding from the sides of his nose. He had hind legs and a lion's tail flailing about. His arms were burly and his back strong. White hair descended from his skull and chin; some of the hair coated his forearms. A brown loin cloth made from cowhide was tied about his waist and hung to his ankles. His long, pointed ears twitched at the call of his name. He turned his head to Kyoko's mother and curled his lips into a toothy smile - a very pointy-toothed smile. Kyoko's mother ran towards him, Jaken reluctantly following behind her.

"Young Tsukushi," Aka said, holding out a large red claw. "How are you fairing?"

"Much better now," she declared, smiling brightly and placing her hands on Aka's large fingers. He was aware of his size and dared not clutch or grip the woman in any way. He was well-known for his unbearable strength. "There are not enough words to show you how much gratitude I wish to bestow upon you."

"No thanks is necessary for doing what is right," Aka said, caressing Tsukushi's cheek. "You needed help; I only wanted to find someone who could."

"Oh!" Tsukushi gasped, looking to Jaken with a reassuring smile. "I almost forgot. This fellow wanted to know about Lady Meioshi and her practices. Could you perhaps tell him what you know, Lord Aka?"

"Hm..." Aka hummed, evaluating Jaken. "Someone requested that you come to Heiwa?"

"Aye," Jaken responded.

Aka looked at some villagers engage in conversation before they greeted him with a wave or bow. He bowed in response and asked, "Who sent you here?"

"Lord Sesshomaru, son of the Great Dog Demon General," Jaken replied proudly.

"He is a very powerful warrior I have heard," Aka continued, leaning on his spade. "Fought a heathen by the name of Naraku, saved you and a young human child, and has continued on his quest for glory since then. We know of his travels somewhat. The humans may not. What does this warrior want with the likes of Heiwa?"

"Two nights ago, or rather three days ago, Lord Sesshomaru and I had come across a guardian beast from hell," Jaken informed, remembering the events quite clearly and not realizing that Aka was observing Jaken's eyes as though he were watching his memories play out in sequence. Whether or not this was a power Aka possessed was unknown to Jaken as he continued to speak, "It didn't attack us, but it was searching for something. We only learned later on that it was hunting for Lady Meioshi because she had taken a sword that it was guarding. When a farmhand had requested we stop the creature, the beast could no longer be detected, and we came here to warn Lady Meioshi. Moeru told us that Lady Meioshi does frequent hell, but this is part of her family's heritage. They save lives precious to them from hell's clutches. My lord wants to know more, however. I only request a little more information about the Jigoku name."

Aka hummed with suspicion, wondering if he should speak on this at all, and contemplated on how much he should reveal. He looked into Jaken's eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled as he began plowing his crops once more. "I was once a monstrous soul that preyed on the humans before I was purified. I watched over this village three centuries young, feeding off wavering souls. Meioshi's ancestor, Unmei, was the only human to ever defeat me. His power was great, and Meioshi will be on his level fairly soon if she continues her training in order to save the soul that was lost. Bichisutomu is the ancestor that purified me. I never healed from Unmei's damage for more than a century, but Bichisutomu had great sympathy and nursed me to better health. He taught me a human's peaceful way of life as I recuperated. His death is what first brought me pain in a way I never felt before. His grandson, Arimasa, is the one I watched over closely. We became friends with time. I have been a guardian to the Jigoku family in a way. I assist where I can and stay alert for any new information regarding wars or suspicious movements. This is all I am willing to disclose to you. Just know that the Jigoku family is not evil in any way."

"Are there heirlooms Lady Meioshi could have inherited that could contribute to her powers? Like a shield maybe?" Jaken asked.

"This, I do not know," Aka answered, stopping his task again. "That is a question you'd best save for Lady Meioshi."

"Is there some concern here?" a sweet voice asked.

Aa and Un bellowed sleepily as they followed the woman holding it by the reigns. Kyoko and Yuko were riding the dragon. Jaken turned to see a lovely young woman, looking at each person in the small group with a curious pout. Her hair was tied in a messy bun, but loose strands hung about and framed her round face. Her eyes were a beautiful hazel color, and her skin was somewhat tanned. She had painted lips, though not rouge-colored like the Heiwan dancers. They were a deep rose color. Her baby green kimono was oddly filthy, which contradicted with her fresh face and hands. She also smelled of fish and some other substance Jaken couldn't mark, but it certainly wasn't a pleasurable fragrance to his nose. How she managed to tame the dragon so easily was another story entirely.

"Lady Meioshi!" Tsukushi called, running up to the doctor to hug her.

"Hey, Kyoko's got your dragon, Lord Jaken," Musuko said, running up to meet his friend. "Was he just trailing behind us or something?"

"I let Aa and Un walk about freely for a while," Jaken answered, earning shouts from the boys. "What?"

"You can't let a dragon walk around loose! Is that thing tamed?" the boys shouted in unison.

"Of course, it's tamed!" Jaken shouted.

"Oh, so this is who it belonged to!" Kyoko said, hopping off the dragon.

"Kyoko, what are you doing on a loose dragon? Give Lord Jaken his pet back this instant!" Tsukushi demanded. "A little girl shouldn't be holding something as strong as a dragon, especially one with two heads!"

"Actually, this creature is quite good with children," Meioshi said, looking to the heads.

"Oh! Before I forget, Lady Meioshi said you don't need your medicine anymore! You're all better, mommy!" Kyoko said, smiling brightly.

Tsukushi gasped at her daughter's words then looked to Meioshi for a response. When the doctor smiled and nodded, Tsukushi covered her mouth and teared up with gratitude in her eyes. Jaken looked to the mother and daughter then watched as Aa and Un yawned. The mother produced a warming smile that softened passersby's hearts instantly.

______________________________________________________

"I see," Meioshi said, lifting her head upwards then rolling her neck a little. "So, Yuko is who you met when the guardian rose to the surface."

"Precisely, Lady Meioshi," Jaken responded, bowing his head down as they walked across the bridge.

Jaken was following Meioshi and Yuko back to her estate now that the ladies were done shopping. The children stayed with Tsukushi so they could play at the beach. Lord Aka continued to work in his fields to meet the quota for the village market. Jaken decided to reserve the names of Meioshi's ancestors for Lord Sesshomaru until he returned, but he made sure to keep note of the different ancestors he had learned of today. It was only midday, but Jaken was starting to worry a bit and wondered what his lord might have been able to find. Yuko was curious about this Sesshomaru, however, and wondered about his intentions with her mentor. Why was he trying to find out more about her? Does he think she and the beast have a different kind of relationship? Aa and Un yipped in response to the conversation, wanting to interject in some way, but unable to speak vocally. They made themselves exceptionally useful to the ladies by allowing Meioshi to attach her shopping baskets to their back. Yuko found petting Aa to be therapeutic and wondered if the purring was a sign of enjoyment or content. Meioshi continued the conversation as she led Jaken and the dragon to her home.

"Now, the problem is my understanding of Lord Sesshomaru's intentions with the guardian beast," Meioshi said in her unusual accent. "Yes, I have encountered this creature before. I wasn't aware that it was powerful enough to enter the mortal realm, but the result of my interference with its duties are tangible now and I have a wrong to correct. Why does that pique his interest, though?"

"I believe his interest is more related to your debt to hell than anything," Jaken replied.

"Debt?" Yuko questioned, furrowing her eyebrows. "What debt?"

"You must owe hell something if powerful guardians like that are after you," Jaken replied, looking at the doctor with evident suspicion.

"I owe no one in such a place," Meioshi said, placing a hand on her chest. "I gave nothing that could be taken back, and I made no deals to imply cheating. I'm afraid whoever told you I owe someone led you falsely."

"What of the soul you must save there?" Jaken then asked, narrowing his eyes slightly as a way of cornering the doctor. She didn't falter from the question and remained calm. Her body language gave no signs of flinching or stiffness, even her eyes remained understanding and sweet like honey. He then said, "We have been asking about you for a few days now. Moeru was a great source of information into your history as was Lord Aka. Both mentioned your family having a history of going into hell to save a life."

"This is only partially true," Meioshi said with a smile. She almost seemed delighted that someone knew about her family. She then continued, "Only a few members of my family entered hell's domain. A majority of the others merely exercised purification rituals or healing practices. My family's surname is more like a command, and it originates from elements of the Bushido code. Our following of the shogunate is no more. As for the soul I must save, this information I cannot share with you out of respect."

A brilliant answer, doctor, but it was easy to see that Jaken was not satisfied with that answer. She was hiding the truth in parts. Though she confirmed what was said of her family, she was not admitting that she was going to hell with the intention of saving someone. He would have to keep an eye on her. With this in mind, Jaken nodded to show that he respected the honesty and privacy of the matter and asked no more of the doctor's visits to hell. However, that awkward silence gave Yuko an excuse to ask more about Lord Sesshomaru. He looked single.

"Since you two are respecting each other, might I disrespect the silence by asking something of you, Lord Jaken?"

"Uh, yes?" Jaken responded, not sure what to make of the question or Yuko's plotting face.

"You've served this Lord Sesshomaru for some years, yes? He seemed to be a handsome warrior when we met," Yuko started, lowering her eyelids to form a feline expression.

Meioshi immediately caught on to the tone in her apprentice's voice and chuckled at her. The look in those eyes and the curvature in those lips was the telltale sign of the all-knowing question of one's bachelor(ette) status about to come out. Of course, the conversation was going to lead to this eventually. If Yuko thought Lord Sesshomaru was that kind of handsome, he had to be something else up close. Maybe it was a good thing that she hadn't seen this man yet. Shaking her head, the doctor picked up a small cup of berries to nibble on as they walked home. Aa and Un mewled at the treat and leaned their heads over to the doctor as a way of asking for some. She gingerly popped one in her mouth and let Un get some first before passing the cup to Aa. They quietly shared their snacks as the other two took over the conversation.

Jaken nodded, smiling broadly, and boasted, "Why, Lord Sesshomaru is not just any demon warrior, m'lady. He's a great lord and successor to his father! A perfect ensemble of power and strength worthy of servitude! He's so strong that no purification techniques can greatly affect him. Even if your priests made incisions on his entire body and put garlic in the cuts, his power wouldn't fail in the slightest. He would rather not be bothered by simpletons, but I'd say your doctor there took a liking to him. She blew the lord a kiss."

"What?" Yuko shouted more than questioned.

"I did?" Meioshi asked, raising an eyebrow at the accusation of such an act. "I don't remember doing - "

That's when it clicked in the doctor's mind. That ethereal beauty that flew in the air must have been Lord Sesshomaru. That's the only man she's blown a kiss to as of late since she's been inspecting Heiwa's gates and border for safety. She was only thanking him for any gift of luck he might have possessed, though, and she always blows kisses to people she's a grand distance from. Unfortunately, he wasn't a spirit of good fortune as her luck would have it, so her request for such was wasted on deaf ears. It never crossed her mind that Jaken and the dragon would remember that exchange. She really didn't blow Lord Sesshomaru a kiss as a vie for his affections. She only placed a barrier on him in case he was seeking refuge from the arctic hell hounds. She hoped Lord Sesshomaru didn't take offense to the small gesture being of a higher social class. Yuko was in Meioshi's face with shock evident in her features and an opened mouth. She couldn't believe her friend and mentor would leave out such a thing on her patrol!

"So, you did see the man I met!" Yuko exclaimed, excitement quaking throughout her body. "What did you think of him?"

"He was too high in the air for me to see his face clearly, but he does fly beautifully," Meioshi answered, looking into the clouds. She nodded up to the sky and then said, "He wasn't quite like the clouds up there, but he isn't like the birds either. His strides didn't skip like a butterfly, and he didn't hover like a hummingbird or bee. It was like he was the wind itself. That way of life seems like such a dream. To be the very breath of the earth itself is such a freeing thing. That's more or less what I saw. If he ever retires from battle, he'll be a spectacular soul carrier. Maybe he can show those who leave this earth what he sees up there."

"That sounds like you're fantasizing about him, doctor," Yuko said, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes with a big grin on her face.

Meioshi shook her head, lightly laughed in defeat, and walked past Yuko to say, "That's what you want me to do."

"Oh, c'mon, Meioshi!" Yuko argued, hugging Meioshi's arm. "You spoke with such poetry just now! You have to feel something!"

"What I feel is hunger," Meioshi responded, pointing a finger and waving it.

"You're always hungry!" Yuko argued, stomping her foot and puffing up her cheeks. Yuko turned to Jaken to ask another question and ground out, "Is Lord Sesshomaru a good lover, Lord Jaken?"

"A what?" Jaken questioned, taking a step back and holding up his arm to cover some the burning blush invading his cheeks. "My lord wouldn't appreciate being a topic of this kind of discussion!"

"Oh, that's just perfect!" Yuko remarked, slapping her forehead with her palm. "He's a virgin warrior."

"Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken sobbed, "this human woman denies your significance as a man. I don't know what to do here!"

"No, your lord is the perfect gentleman," Yuko added sarcastically, dragging her hand down her face. "Boring and all."

"C - c - c - can we talk about anything else?" Jaken asked through tears.

"My darlings, I'm nearly three miles ahead of you! Are you joining me for lunch or no?" Meioshi asked, waving at them.

"Yes!" Yuko and Jaken said in unison.

_____________________________________________

"Ha~h," Meioshi sighed, sipping a fresh cup of warm tea.

Jaken was resting on Meioshi's porch leading to the backyard, watching Aa and Un swimming in the pond. Ducks were startled by the dragon's roars as they flapped their wings desperately to escape the beast. Jaken never realized that Aa and Un liked to swim. He was so used to seeing the dragon fly around on their travels that it simply never occurred to him. Jaken helped himself to a cup of tea that Lady Meioshi made specifically for him and poured the steaming liquid into his cup. The teapot was beautifully designed and looked like the ripples of water that formed when raindrops plunked into a larger body of water like puddles were carved into its bodice. He brought the beverage to his lips then went wide-eyed for a moment. He swallowed then looked into the cup, searching for a hidden ingredient.

"Something wrong?" Meioshi asked, looking into Jaken's cup.

"This tea is delicious!"

"Ah," Meioshi said, sighing in relief. "Your tea has a special ingredient: a honey brew. My studies have shown that honey brew actually improves an imp's digestion and eyesight."

"How do you know of this?" Jaken asked, suspicious and curious.

"Kappa and imp demons often visit here to swim in the pond. I studied them for a while because of the frequent visitation. When some sort of sickness broke out among these creatures, I started documenting their behavior and symptoms quite extensively. What actually cures or improves a kappa demon's abilities is something I conduct a bit of trial and error on. Other than the products found in its natural habitat, there's no known substance that remedies an imp's ailments."

Jaken took another sip of his tea and sighed in relief. He said, "I wouldn't mind making you a servant. Such good tea!"

"I serve the public," Meioshi said, smiling at the setting sun's warmth. "But I do enjoy making tea and cooking sometimes."

"I'll bet you do. This fish looks gorgeous!"

Yuko walked outside to serve the day's lunch and was happy to have changed into the doctor's yukata when doing so. She let her hair down and looked out at Aa and Un as they sifted through the water as a way of foraging. Jaken took note to Yuko's beauty and relaxed form. She was truly at peace at the doctor's estate. It seemed to be a normal thing with Meioshi, and Jaken found that he also didn't mind being at her home. Though he didn't want to indulge in his thoughts on the topic of Sesshomaru's personal life, Jaken did wonder a little about it since Yuko asked.

He had met Lord Sesshomaru many years ago, and, though odd at first, Sesshomaru was alone at the time. Both males being demons, their mortality far exceeded any human, so Sesshomaru wandered the earth on his own. Recalling the number of women who have aided Sesshomaru in recent years, Jaken supposed his lord's physical or personal appeal had begun to attract attention. That would mean, however, that Lord Sesshomaru - by definition and according to Yuko's interpretation of virgin and lover - paid no mind to any female's company for perhaps forty or more years including the time Jaken made the decision to serve him. This prompted a key question for Jaken: what had changed within Sesshomaru? Why was there a sort of attraction rising for his lord as opposed to before he met him?

Yuko sipped her tea before letting out a calming sigh as the wind blew. It truly was a beautiful day. Hopefully, everyone was okay at the farm. Yamashi would return home soon. She could probably do the same after the last patient is accounted for and Meioshi felt it safe enough for all of Heiwa. Before she left, however, Yuko was determined to see what Meioshi thought of Sesshomaru. If nothing was there between them, she would ask no more. If something was potentially there... then what? Would Meioshi reconsider a courtship in the future? In truth, Yuko didn't actually care about Sesshomaru in the slightest. She just wanted her mentor to be happy. Her work often kept her busy and Yuko could see that Meioshi did enjoy helping others no matter the obstacle. She supposed she wanted Meioshi to find love again instead of reciting memories of past loves. Meioshi may call herself old from time to time, but she was far from being an old haggard.

In an effort to spark Meioshi's interest one more time, Yuko turned to Jaken to feign loss of memory and asked, "Oh, I almost forgot to ask. When do you suppose your master will arrive to receive you, Lord Jaken?"

"He'll get me when he's ready," Jaken said, turning his chin away from the woman. "Besides, I refuse to think about your questions anymore."

"Oh, my Yuko," Meioshi said, rising to her feet and giggling. She took her plate of food from the serving tray Yuko brought out and walked over to the luncheon area to eat. She expertly started nibbling on the fish and rice and evaluated the taste. The addition of sweet orange sauce was an excellent choice this time. She hummed from the taste and continued to look solely at her food before saying, "All this gossip of a young lord will ruin my mood for the journey I've to prepare for soon."

"This ruins nothing!" Yuko argued, eating a sweet potato slice. It was good. She then said, "This is a scientific matter like all my questions relating to such topics."

"Oh?" Meioshi questioned, looking into Yuko's face as she chewed. She still had her childlike qualities despite her maturity. She raised an eyebrow when Yuko looked into her eyes and blushed. Her apprentice shook her head violently and turned the other way so as not to be found out. The doctor then asked, "How is this meant to be scientific?"

"Scientifically, you stated that every living thing holds some form of appeal whether it be color, sound, scent, texture, or taste," Yuko started, eating some of the rice, "and that this appeal could be in relation to what one chooses to eat, where one chooses to sleep, and who one chooses as a mate. Take something as simple as a flower. While I may not find white flowers appealing, there is a woman who loves the simplicity and antiquity of the color white. It is often a symbol of purity or cleanliness in established societies. Flowers might not make a sound but the bees that pollinate the white flower do. This, in turn, attracts predators to either the flower's nectar or the bee's duty to make honey. Flowers can have soft petals or thick, hard ones. If the state of the flower changes with the addition to heat or a change in the seasons, the flower can be an edible substance that accentuates the flavoring of something else. This is evident of your teas. This one, small flower has so much within it that the woman simply wouldn't begin to think of, but a mate could pick it and gift it to her to gain her affections easily. My observation of this man is similar."

"You wish to offer him to your husband as one would a flower?" Meioshi asked, tilting her head downward and to her side.

"No!" Yuko said with repulsion. Her husband would never! She then clarified, "I wish to know if your teachings are true as it relates to Lord Sesshomaru."

Meioshi made an interesting face at that and remained quiet when Yuko was genuinely thinking of her hypothesis. The doctor was dangerously tempted to screw with her apprentice, but she knew why Yuko was asking personal questions about Sesshomaru. Jaken didn't know anything and was still unappreciative of his lord coming up in this kind of conversation. However, Meioshi was fighting the urge to make a rude joke and Jaken wanted to change the subject.

"What journey were you talking about before, Lady Meioshi?" Jaken asked, turning to Meioshi and not understanding why she had a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Changing the subject will only make me ask more personal questions," Yuko threatened, taking a sip of her tea and giving Jaken a challenging look.

"Please respond, doctor!" Jaken pleaded, desperate to talk about anything else.

"I planned to leave for Mizuonimura soon," Meioshi replied, eating her mixed vegetable medley. The seasoning was a little off with the lack of salt, but it held its texture and was perfectly between soft and crunchy. The doctor then continued, "It's a village surrounded by rivers and lakes. Around this time of year, viral bacteria nest in the most frequented places by humans. Once autumn comes, the village harvests infected water from springs, poisoned fish and shrimp, and sometimes the crops suffer. It's best if I give everyone a good check-up and prolong the nasty effects of these diseases that like to come during the fall season. Summer and spring seasons are perfect times for plagues to completely dictate the poor village. It has happened before, unfortunately. I simply must visit them before autumn arrives; it is nearing the end of the summer."

"What will happen to your home while you are gone?" Jaken asked, placing his teacup down.

"It will remain here, of course," Meioshi answered, raising a delicate eyebrow. "I can't bring my entire estate with me, unfortunately, but the guest wings will be open for visitors and patients. Yuko and Kyoko are also welcome to the clinic to study. It will have its uses."

"And how long will it take you to get to this other village?" Jaken asked, seeing that one of the plates of food is smaller with different sides on it.

He had fish as the main entree and rice as one of the sides, but he didn't have the vegetable medley like the girls did. Instead, he had an assortment of what appeared to be fruits and nuts sprinkled with maybe sugar. Interested in this more earthen-colored side dish, Jaken picked up a fruit and put it in his mouth. Much to his delight, the sugar melted on his tongue softly and, when he put pressure on the fruit to initiate chewing, the fruit simply burst and he merely had to swallow. Jaken groaned a bit before he realized his eyes were watering and he stared to cry.

"Well, it usually - oh my word!" Meioshi tried, seeing Jaken bawling his eyes out. "Lord Jaken, what happened? Are you in pain?"

"It's so good!" Jaken whimpered, realizing that once Sesshomaru comes to get him, he wouldn't be able to eat Meioshi's cooking anymore.

Meioshi released a happy giggle as she flopped on her back and let her guests eat. Yuko always enjoyed Meioshi's cooking and simply laughed along with the doctor at Jaken's reaction. She answered Jaken's question, however, since she had gone with the doctor to the sister town. She said, "Normally, it only takes three days by horse and a week by foot. I think your dragon is hungry, though."

Meioshi took that as her cue to retrieve the dragon's feed she had made and went to stand up until she heard waves violently splashing towards them. It was an odd sound, but, when she turned around, the dragon was barreling towards them like it was running in the water instead of swimming. It was fast! Leaping onto shore and shaking the ground underneath it, it growled at Meioshi like it was trying to speak then kept its heads perked up expectantly. Only Aa looked at Jaken's plate then back to Meioshi. The doctor grinned toothily and slowly before nodding. Aa and Un wanted the fruit and nut mix. Meioshi lifted up a finger to signal for the dragon to stay and walked to the lounge room to retrieve a healthy-sized bowl filled with different foods. When she came to the pond's shoreline to place the bowl on a type of stand, the dragon watched her and waited for her to turn around. She bowed in front of the dragon before stepping aside to let it eat, but she didn't get very far.

"Ack!" Meioshi yelped, alerting Yuko and Jaken's attention.

"Doctor!" Yuko called, getting up to run to her mentor's side only to see there was no need.

Jaken gasped in surprise at the vision he was seeing. Aa and Un took their front claws and pounced hard enough on the ground surrounding the doctor to force her backwards until she landed on her butt. When they were satisfied of the doctor's immobility, they mewled then laid down on her. Un cuddled into her neck for a pet and Aa stretched his neck to the bowl to eat out of it. Meioshi was surprised by the beast's appreciative mewls and growls, even wanting to receive her attention no less.

"Your very welcome, my dears!"

A familiar screech was heard in the distance. The doctor caught the sound and looked to the sky to see her companion hovering above her estate. It was time...