The Phantom of the Forest
"It's cold." Rin complained, rubbing her arms to keep warm. "Rin is cold."
"What do you expect me to do about it?" Jaken complained. "It's not my fault."
"Rin is COLD!!!" The girl whined, near tears. "Rin wants Sesshoumaru-sama!"
"Well, Sesshoumaru-sama has gone to...to...I don't know where he's gone...but he's not here so be quiet!" Jaken yelled. "Oh Sesshoumaru-sama! Why did you leave me with such an annoying ningen brat!!!"
Well, with Rin's inssesant crying and Jaken's complianing, no one really noticed the figure in the shadows.
"Child."
Rin looked up at Jaken, wiping her tears away. "Did Jaken say something to Rin?"
Jaken stopped midsentence and met her teary eyes. "I thought you said something."
They looked at Ah-un (sp?). He was looking out towards the woods.
Following his gaze they could see nothing but woods.
"Child."
There it was again.
"Child...why do you cry?" The voice questioned.
"Rin want her Sesshoumaru-sama..." She sniffled.
A figure moved in the shadows, behind the trees, between them, in front of them, all around.
"Who... who are you?" Rin stuttered.
"I am a phantom. The Phantom. And this is my forest."
"Will the Phantom hurt Rin?"
"No child..." The figure stepped out into the clearing. "...I will not."
Rin gasped. A woman, her face hidden by a mask and a cloak. Her whole body hidden in black shadow, her clothing the same color as her cloak and mask, a dangerous contrast to her white skin.
But her eyes stood out the most. The only color on her whole body. Blue.
The deepest blue in the world. Jewels would beg to be such a color if only to sell a thousand times better than their others. (Hey I'm tying to be descriptive here.)
She moved forward, her smile melting all fear away.
Accept for Jaken that it. "Hold it!"
She stopped, her smile never fading nor flinching.
"Who are you really?"
"I am the Phantom of the forest." She answered matter-of-factly.
"You are no Phantom. You are a ningen wench." Jaken raised his staff ready for an attack. So don't come near us.
She smiled sweetly. She turned to Ah-Un, who had yet to take his eyes off of her, and patted his head, stroking him gently. "Your friend, this Dragon, one of the mightiest mystical creatures in the known world, does not see me as dangerous." She looked back to Jaken. "Do you?"
Jaken huffed and lowered his staff. "I fear no ningen. Escpecially some wenchi like you."
She just smiled, chuckling silently, still stroking Ah-Un, who purred in her hand (if Dragons can), both his heads nipping at on other in a simple fight for attention.
She turned to Rin, her smile still there, and reached into her cloak.
Rin watched as she pulled out a dark, velvety, red cloak from the depths of her darkness.
"Here child." Her voice sang, handing Rin the velvet cloth. "You are cold. May this warm you."
Rin smiled, taking the package, unfolding it and wrapping herself in it's warmth.
When she looked up for the woman she had moved back towards the woods.
"Is the Phantom leaving already?" Rin asked.
The phantom nodded. "I must leave, child. But you will see me again."
Jaken suddenly gave a squak. "I can't see!!! I CAN'T SEE!!!!!!" He screeched, a shadow hovering around his head.
Rin gasped. "What has Phantom done to Jaken?"
The phantom merely smiled, reaching up to her face amd removing her mask. "It is not yet time for him to see my face."
Her voice became very serious then, her eyes changing with emotion. She moved like a phantom she claimed to be, toward the now stunned child.
"Take my mask, child. May you see the world through my eyes with this. And if you ever need me, just put this on, look to the shadows and call my name."
Ah-Un began to hoop and hollar, making quite a racket. Sesshoumaru was returning.
Phantom then moved back to the woods, running between the trees, turning back only once to look at Rin before dissappearing for good. Her cloak running out behind her like a living shadow.
As if on cue, Sesshoumaru dropped from the sky, Jaken's blindness lifted adn Ah-Un settled down.
"S...Seshouamru-sama! A woman! Here! My Lord!" Jaken squaked.
"What are you babbling about Jaken?" Sesshoumaru turned to his now bowing servant, really wanting to squash him right about now.
"Rin and a woman and...and... the phantom."
At her name, Sesshoumaru turn to his ward and his eyes widened at the site of her in a pool of what her thought was blood.
No.
A cloak.
"Where did you get that Rin?" He commanded more than asked.
"The Phantom of the Forest gave it to Rin."The child smiled, wrapping herself up in the access cloak.
"Do not lie Rin." Sesshoumaru stared hard at his ward.
Rin looked up at her father figure, smiling like the Phantom had, then putting on the mask. "Rin does not lie."
There was no lie in her aura. She was telling the truth.
Seshoumaru sniffed the air without moving. But there was no scent of a stranger here.
He looked at Ah-Un. The dragon was staring out into the woods again, where the Phantom had left.
Then, he dissapeared, or at least seemed to dissapear, running like the wind in the direction the dragon was staring.
The trees blurred together as he ran. But still no scent.
He ran for a few more moments until...
There.
Movement to the right.
No the left.
It was fast, whatever it was.
He followed as best he could but it was too fast for even this Sesshoumaru to track very well.
Then it stopped.
Just stopped.
So did he.
The figure in black stood in the now snow covered ground, dead leaves winding around it in the wind, as if possesed.
Then it turned. It faced him, the dark shadows hiding it's eyes.
A woman. He could tell by the curve in the lips as she smiled at him.
He head moved ever so slowing, her eyes seeming to glow, but remain hidden.
"Why do you follow me?" She asked.
He did not answer. Because he had no answer.
Although his face stayed ever froze, inside he was surprised. How could this being move so fast? How could she posses such hidden power yet appear so weak? Was she ningen? Youkai? He could not tell. She had no scent. Why?
"How can you have no scent?" He found himself asking.
"I have no use for one." She answered. He smile never wavering. "But if you wish me to have one, please tell me."
His eyes narrowed. "You mock this Sesshoumaru?"
"No I do not."
There was no lie.
"Who are you?" He asked. Such infintile questions. Why did he keep asking them then? Curiousity?
"I am the Phantom of the Forest." She stated, her smile widening.
"This Sesshoumaru wishes for a name, Phantom."
"Then you have just answered yourself."
He growled. She was beginning to annoy him. "Do not toy with this Sesshoumaru wench."
"I never 'toy' my lord. I am called Phantom because you have called me such."
"Damn it!" He exclaimed, grabbing her arm and bring her closer to him, ready to strangle her neck.
Her hood fell from her face. Dark tendrils spilling over her shoulders in long waves. Eyes piercing his own, freezing him in place.
They stood like that for a moment.
Then another.
And another.
He then released her, as if afraid to touch her.
"What are you?" He found himself asking.
Her smiled had never wavered, ever steady. She laughed quietly.
She turned and walked to the edge of the trees before turning back to him. "I am what you make me, my lord."
With her words still ringing in his ears she smiled. "Return to your ward, Sesshoumaru-sama. The child will begin to miss you."
And she was gone. Just turned, and walk into the forest, dissapearing.
Her pressance still hung in the air, her face branded in his memory until the next time they'd meet.
And they would meet again.
After all, she was the Phantom of the Forest.