Author's Note: It's official, I give up trying to post on a schedule anymore. It's just too hard for me, because I have a very busy life you know, so it's hard to find time to work on this story, especially with the holidays. But, I'll try to post chapters as soon as I can.
Rated: T
Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and my OC belongs to me.
Nobody Wants to be Lonely
Chapter 7
"Wow, the palace is just so…huge!" Rika said, amazed.
Rin had just finished showing Rika around the palace.
"Yes, it is." Rin agreed. "Sometimes Rin even gets lost walking down these hallways, but Lord Sesshoumaru always finds Rin."
"Rin, is there a…garden?"
"Actually…there is! Rin doesn't know why, Rin hasn't shown you that before! Come on!"
Rika asked Rin that, because she knew Kagome would like it. The short time Kagome and Rika spent together, Kagome talked about how much she enjoyed nature. That's one of the reasons why she came back to the Feudal Era frequently. (Besides the fact that she felt obligated to look for the Jewel Shards.)
Rika gasped at how beautiful the garden looked. More flowers than she could possibly count, some flowers she had never seen before. Yes, Rika would absolutely show this to Kagome, once she got better.
Rika's stomach started growling. She realized she hadn't had anything to eat, since she and Kagome left Inuyasha and the others, and she was starving! Rika spotted an apple tree in the middle of the garden. 'Maybe I'll be able to pick one, just one.' Rika thought.
"Rin, do you think it will be okay if I picked an apple from that tree?" Rika asked, pointing in that direction.
As if on cue, Rika's stomach started growling again.
Rin easily noticed this and said, "Of course! Rika's a guest, she can pick as many apples as she would like!"
"Thank you!"
Rika raced to the tree, and stopped, she looked up, and saw that the nearest branch was too high for her to reach. She never exactly tried climbing a tree before…and she wasn't going to start now.
Rin soon came over, and Rika explained her dilemma to the younger girl.
"Hmmm," Rin tapped her chin in thought. "Wait, Rin has an idea!"
Rin disappeared, but soon reappeared with Ah-Un, the two-headed dragon.
"Rika, this is Ah-Un." Rin introduced. "Ah-Un, this is Rika. Rika needs help getting a few apples from that branch, is it okay if she stands on you, so she can reach?"
Ah-Un grunted, then they nodded their heads.
"Okay Rika, go ahead and climb up." Rin said.
Rika climbed onto Ah-Un's back, and very carefully stood up, keeping her hands out so it would be easier to balance. She stood on her tippy-toes, and reached for the one of the apples…success! She held a bright, shiny red apple in her palm, inspecting it to make sure there were no brown spots. When she found that the apple was clean, she said, "Rin can you hold any apples I get, for me please?"
"Sure!" Rin answered
"Here, catch!" Rika tossed the apple to Rin, who easily caught it.
Rika continued picking a few more apples, inspecting them for brown spots, and then tossing them to Rin. As soon as her hand touched the last apple, she was going to pick she heard a high, and very annoying voice. "What do you think you're doing?!"
The voice surprised Rika, causing her to lose her balance, and fall off of Ah-Un. "Ow," Rika said, rubbing the spot where she landed on. (Which happened to be her rear end.)
She turned to find what appeared to be an angry looking, bug-eyed toad demon.
"You're an ugly thing, aren't you?" Rika blurted out.
The toad demon looked shocked at the sudden insult, then he went back to being angry again.
"What-I-HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME! First you steal apples from Lord Sesshoumaru's garden, then you call his most loyal and trustworthy servant ugly! I shall have you beheaded for this!"
"Calm down, Master Jaken." Rin said. "Rin told her it was okay to take a few apples."
"Rin, you stupid child! Mind your own business!"
"Hey!" Rika immediately got up on her feet. "Don't talk to her like that!"
"And what do you think a worthless, thieving hanyou like you, is going to do about it?" Jaken challenged. "Do you honestly think you can defeat me?"
"Actually yes, I do."
Rika quickly took Jaken's Staff of Two Heads, which he was currently holding, and bonked him on the head with the bottom end of the staff.
"Oh, the pain!" Jaken said dramatically.
"Get over it, you big baby." Rika snapped. "I didn't hit you that hard."
Rika dropped the staff onto Jaken, which knocked him to the ground.
"Why you little-"
"Run Rin!" Rika commanded, as she herself started to take off running, Rin quickly followed after her, carrying the apples.
"Come back here!" Jaken commanded.
The two girls ignored him and kept on running. They ran far enough, so Jaken wouldn't be able to catch them. He gave up and decided to retrieve his staff.
After Rika was sure they lost Jaken, she stopped and sat down on the grass. Rin followed her example. They ate the freshly picked apples, leaving a couple for Kagome. After they finished eating, they laid down on the grass, and watched the clouds as they slowly floated along in the sky.
Rika felt a sense of peace and serenity, which she hadn't felt in a long time, simply from cloud-watching. Rika realized this was a great opportunity, to ask Rin a certain question.
"Rin," Rika said. "Have you ever heard Sesshoumaru…mention Kagome before?"
"Hmm?" Rin said. "Oh…come to think of it, that day where Rin and Rika first met, Rin did hear something about Kagome."
"What did he say?"
"Rin thinks he said something about why she should stop pursuing Inuyasha when he obviously doesn't return her feelings."
"Okay…"
'Not much to go on.' Rika thought.
"He did say something else," Rin continued "Quietly, but Rin was able to hear what Lord Sesshoumaru said, which was, "But that will all change soon.""
"How interesting." Rika said. "Rin, I want to tell you something."
"Yes?"
"I coming up with a plan to bring Sesshoumaru and Kagome together, because I want to repay her for saving my life, and I'll need your help. Do you think you'd be up for it?"
"Rin would love to help Rika! Rin has always thought Lord Sesshoumaru needed someone he really cares about, and Kagome would be perfect!"
"That's what I thought too."
The Two girls headed back inside the palace, Rin offered to play with Rika in her room, but Rika said she wanted to visit Kagome again, and that she'll come play with her later. Rin nodded and went to her room, while Rika headed to Kagome's, with the two apples she had saved.
Rika walked into Kagome's room, and was surprised to find Kagome sitting straight up. Didn't she say it would take her a couple more days? Oh, well, Rika decided not to ask. She went over to the miko, and crouched next to her. Kagome smiled at the young girl, and said, "Did you have fun exploring the palace?"
"Yes, it's so large! And did you know that Sesshoumaru had a graden?"
"No I didn't."
"Once you get better, I'll show it to you."
"I would like that."
"I also got these apples from the garden, don't worry, Rin said it was okay if I picked a few. I even saved these for you, if you want them."
"Of course, I would love to have them, that's very kind of you Rika."
Rika looked down at the ground shyly, and handed the apples to Kagome, which she happily ate.
"Kagome, when you get better, are we going to still get Shippou?"
"Yes, I have to get my son back."
"But Kagome, wouldn't it be dangerous? Once Inuyasha finds out that Kikyo is dead…again. Who do you think he'll blame? And what if he tries to kill you too? Also, for all we know, Sango and Miroku could've left Inuyasha, and took Shippou with them."
"You have a point there, but still, we have to make sure. Besides, it's not like we'll be going alone."
"What do you mean?"
"Sesshoumaru offered to come with us. He said he would make sure that Inuyasha won't try to hurt us."
"Sesshoumaru really…offered to come?"
"Mm hm, he really did."
"Okay well, Rin wanted me to come play with her, so I'll go now."
Kagome nodded.
As Rika was walking to Rin's room, she remembered that something was different about Kagome's scent. Unlike the other humans that Rika encountered, Kagome's scent was wonderful. She smelled like jasmine, but her scent this time was different, it wasn't bad, just different. Rika could also sense how faint it was, but it was still there.
"Strange," Rika said. "Why do I feel like I know what that scent is?"
That's when realization hit her.
"Wait a minute…I do know that scent. It's the scent of someone who has been marked, as a demon's intended mate!"
Author's Note: Review please! Oh, and Merry Christmas everybody!
Review Responses
SymmetricalGirl8DeathTheKid: Well, I'm trying to keep him in character as much as possible. *bows* and thank you very much!
Dorkfish97: Thank you, I will do my best.
mikansakuraangel: :D
iloveyou99: I'm glad you liked it. I'll try to update as soon as I can, which will be hard, since I have a very busy life.
ookami kattana: I didn't really think of that chapter as a cliffhanger…but oh well, still glad that you like it
