Disclaimer: You can't get in trouble for disclaiming this shortcut way, can you? Ditto
Chapter Seven: Fire!
"Rin," said Kumiko, tugging the teenager's kimono sleeve, "I wanna go in the forest."
"The forest?" said Rin curiously. "What do you plan on doing there?"
Kumi looked at Rin as if she were a dim lantern indeed. "To find nuts for Mama to put in the food, of course!"
"And I wanna cut down some trees, like Dad!" announced Daichi, slashing his knife with such force that he fell down.
Rin laughed and picked him up. "Okay, you guys, I'll ask your parents. Kanna, could you stay out here with them? Don't let them run away."
Kanna blinked her dark eyes slowly. "They won't run away," she said creepily.
Rin held back a giggle at the children's expressions as she went in the house.
"Kagome-chan?" she called.
Inuyasha poked his head out a nearby doorway. "Don't bother her," he advised. "She's in an oswari mood right now."
"I can't blame her for being overwhelmed," said Rin. "Do you know if it's okay for the kids to go into the forest?"
Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't see why it wouldn't be. It's not like anything will attack a quarter-demon without a bunch of second thoughts."
"Thanks, Inuyasha-kun!" said Rin cheerfully. "We'll be back by dinner." She started to go back outside, then paused, remembering something. "Have you seen Lord Sesshomaru?" she said curiously. "He's been fighting with you the past few days, but he's obviously not doing so now."
Inuyasha snorted. "Yesterday he started 'going on walks in the forest.' Probably he's been killing stuff and didn't want you to find out and make him quit."
"Probably," Rin echoed wryly, but she wondered. "Well, see you later…"She went back outside.
"Your dad says you can go into the woods," she announced. "But we have to be back by—"
"YES!" shouted Daichi, and sprinted off. His playmates were hard on his heels.
"Oh boy," muttered Rin, and she and Kanna set off after them.
"Hey, Kanna!"
Both girls turned around. Kohaku and Shippo were approaching at a run.
"Kohaku," said Kanna as they reached them.
"We looked all over for you guys," said Shippo happily, hopping onto Rin's shoulder.
"Hi, Kanna," said Kohaku, smiling. "Hi, Rin."
"Congratulations on the wedding," Rin replied with a smile of her own. To her surprise, her nerves didn't tingle at the sight of Kohaku. She felt relieved more than anything. Finally, I'm over him…
"Thanks," said Kohaku, blushing slightly. "I'm just glad Sango finally agreed with us."
"What are you guys doing out here?" asked Shippo.
"We are babysitting," Kanna said.
"The kids ran into the woods and we were trying to find them," Rin explained.
Kohaku looked at the cloudy sky, which was growing darker by the second. "You may have to bring them back," he remarked. "It looks like it's going to storm."
As he spoke, there was a not-too-distant flash of lightening. The thunder reached them less than a second later.
"Less than a mile away," said Shippo nervously. "I wonder—"
"Wait," said Rin, holding up her hand.
There was a very faint glow on the forested horizon. At first she took it for sunlight, but it was strangely orange. The clouds over the bright patch were even thicker than the rest of the sky. Suspicious, Rin sniffed the air. Her nose was flooded with the usual smells that Sesshomaru had taught her to identify, mingled with the distant scent of rain. But there was also a faint odor mixed with the others…one that brought back memories of the bandits that had murdered her parents, and of the village where she had once died…
"Smoke," she whispered.
Kohaku's eyes widened, then snapped to the edge of the forest. The glow was getting brighter all the time, and now Rin could hear, very faintly, the crackling sound of fire.
"Oh, no," said Kohaku softly. "Not a forest fire. Not now, after the drought. The forest is too dry."
"The fire will be here soon," said Kanna, looking even paler than usual.
"Will it burn the house?" Shippo squeaked.
"I'm sure we'll stop it long before then," Rin assured him shakily. "With everyone here to help—"
But everyone's not here, she remembered suddenly. Inuyasha's words echoed in her brain: Yesterday he started "going on walks in the forest." Probably he's been killing stuff…
Yet Sesshomaru hadn't been in a violent mood lately. Rin had been sure that he wasn't sneaking off to kill anybody. So he really was…
…going on walks in the forest…
…walks in the forest…
…in the forest…
"Lord Sesshomaru's in there!" she shouted.
"He can take care of himself," said Kohaku distractedly. "We have to warn Lord Inuyasha about the fire, now."
"I can't," said Rin firmly. "I have to make sure that Lord Sesshomaru is all right."
"You'll only put yourself in danger," said Kanna blandly.
"I don't care."
"You can't, Rin!" Shippo wailed. "You'll die!"
"I said I don't care!" Rin yelled. "I have to save him!"
"Rin, think," said Kanna, sounding unusually firm. "Sesshomaru can save himself. You will only annoy him by endangering yourself."
Rin groaned loudly in frustration. Why could no one understand? She didn't care if he could take care of himself, she didn't care if she'd annoy him…she absolutely had to make sure he would survive.
"I'm going in," she announced, "and you can't stop me."
She turned to face the forest, and gasped involuntarily. She was faced with a blazing wall, which blasted her face with heat and light. The fire had spread frighteningly fast, and was practically upon them.
"Get back to the house, everybody!" shouted Kohaku over the roar of the flames. "Rin, you have to!"
"I won't!" Rin screamed, and dashed towards the inferno. Kohaku and Kanna lunged forward and grabbed her arms.
"Let me go," Rin snarled, struggling as they tried to pull her away. "I have to do this, I have to!"
"You can't!" cried Shippo.
Rin twisted around and glared in Kohaku's face. It crossed her mind that, a few days ago, she'd have sworn she couldn't be angry with him. But times had changed quickly, and now there were more important things than Kohaku.
"Kohaku," she said desperately, "if that were Kanna in there, would you be running away?"
Kohaku stared at her. "What?"
His grip had loosened. Rin tore away from him and Kanna and shot into the forest.
"Rin, no!" screamed Shippo. He, Kohaku and Kanna ran forward, but a blazing tree toppled over and barred their path.
"Should we go after her?" Kohaku panted.
Suddenly, a shriek of fear split the background roar.
"The children…" whispered Kanna.
Kohaku took a deep breath.
"We have to save them first," he decided. "Rin can take care of herself, reasonably well. Hopefully, by the time we get the kids to safety, she'll still be—"
He swallowed, and didn't finish the sentence. The three young people grimly set off to where the children were.
Well, I hope the chapter title didn't give that one away...