Chapter 105: Jaken Falls Ill
As Inuyasha and company continue their hunt towards the northeast to find the half-demon whose veins run strong of evil, we now catch up with one of the other groups in Edo on similar route, they being Sesshomaru, Jaken, Rin and A-Un.
Currently, they are making their way through a heavy-greened forest, the dog demon leading the way, while the vassal imp pulled along the reins of the two-headed dragon demon, whom the young human girl was riding upon...
Suddenly, a small rumble passes through Rin's stomach, sending the wordless message to find food.
She turns to look towards Sesshomaru and asks,
"Lord Sesshomaru, I am starting to get really hungry. May I please go and look for something to eat?"
He does not answer, but Jaken does:
"Quiet. A forest like this one will have nothing for you to eat. You'll just have to wait."
"Yes, but-"
"I don't wanna hear any 'buts' out of you! Now be quiet and-Huh?!"
The imp cuts himself off mid-sentence when he sees that Rin had jumped off of A-Un, and was starting to make her own way through the oaks and thick bushes, letting her hunger doing the decision-making and not her common sense.
"I'll be very quick!"
"Doh, silly girl...You come back here right now, Rin!"
"Jaken."
He stops waving his fists furiously and turns to look at his lord in disbelief, who merely says to him,
"Let her be."
Guh, I don't believe it!
...And Jaken wouldn't be the only one thinking such a remark: Moving along to a path cut through an expanse of vibrant green grass with pockets of wildflowers decorating it here and there, Coraline would be calling her boyfriend out on his own decision-making skills.
"I don't believe it! Really, Inuyasha? You had to eat all of that bag?"
"Get off my back, would ya?"
Letting out a frustrated sigh, the redhead, wearing her long hair in a braid today, as well as donning a grey tank-top, acid-wash blue jeans with a rip in her left knee, and her black combat boots, holds up a small plastic bag with shiny stars plastered around its surface that was previously tied close with a white ribbon.
"Just great. And that was the last bag of assorted sweets too..."
By this point, the group had paused in their movement as Inuyasha steps in front of Coraline to argue casually,
"So what? It was just a few bags."
She glares mildly at him and replies,
"The 'what', as you so eloquently put it, is that I was saving that last bag for Jinenji. And since when are you so into sugar?"
The dog demon stubbornly retorts with his arms folded,
"It's not my fault! I took one piece and I couldn't stop."
Coraline mutters to herself with a head shake,
"Honestly, I expect this kind of behaviour from Shippo...Just don't blame me if you get a sugar crash later. Anyway, what am I going to offer to Jinenji now?"
Miroku then cuts into the conversation with the question,
"Uum...who's this Jinenji person?"
The redheaded swordswoman looks at him a little perplexed at his lack of knowledge:
"You don't remember? When Kilala got infected from Naraku's miasma, it was Jinenji who crafted the antidote with the special herbs from his garden."
Sango's memory was better at recalling the incident than the monk's:
"Ooh, I remember that!"
Kilala, who was in the slayer's arms in her dormant form, mews in recognition of the day too. Freeman and Besa, who today wore coordinating outfits of light blue t-shirts, black jeans and gray hightops, form expressions of confusion.
"Uh, do you remember sis talkin' about a Jinenji?"
"No, I think that might be one story she hasn't conveyed yet..."
Coraline then says,
"Since his village is on route, I thought maybe we could drop by and see how he and his mother are doing. (Sideglances) Though somebody scarfed down the sweet bag I was going to give him..."
Inuyasha growls a little at her before exclaiming exasperatingly,
"Quit goin' on about that!" Shippo then asks curiously,
"Say, isn't Jinenji a half-demon as well?"
Coraline replies with a smile,
"Yes, but he has a gentle soul and is kindhearted to those who deserve his generosity. (Sad frown) Although the people of the village couldn't see past his appearance and used to terrorize him..."
Freeman replies,
"Aw, that sucks...Wait, 'used to'?"
"(Slight smirk) Well, let's just say thanks to an attack from some rather unpleasant creatures, Jinenji showed that he can be tough when he has to be. Hopefully, it also taught the villagers to be more mindful of their opinions to who the enemy really is."
"Gotcha..."
Besa hms, then reaches to grab a small container out of his bag:
"Well, if you still want to gift him with something, how about some exotic fruit, heh, well, exotic to this era at least."
"Huh?"
Coraline takes the container from her brother's hand, and opens the lid to see several pieces of Dragon Fruit, Kiwi, Grapefruit, and Honeydew Melon.
"Oh! This is perfect, Besa; thank you!"
"Glad I can help."
Miroku then says,
"And given that there is an antidote to such poison, we really should stop by to get some for safe-keeping."
Sango adds with a grateful smile,
"I want to thank him for saving Kilala too."
Said twin-tailed cat demon mews as Freeman gives her a scratch on the head before saying to everyone,
"Sounds like we've got a plan of action, then. Let's go!"
As they all began moving in said village's direction, Coraline pats Inuyasha's arm with her hand and tells him with a straight face,
"Feel free to choose what you wanna do, but the rest of us are heading this way."
She then pecks him on the cheek and rushes to catch up, leaving the dog demon to stare at her back with a tiny flush of pink creeping on his cheeks that was camouflaged by a scowl while he mulled in his mind,
Crafty little woman...
Cutting back to the deeper woods, we find Rin stopping between some close-rooted oaks, before spotting some wild mushrooms growing at the foot of one around the corner.
"Oh!"
She rushes over to kneel before the welcoming sight of the fungi, smiling widely as she notes,
"These are edible!"
...Suddenly, the soil behind the young girl shifts, and Sesshomaru and Jaken's ears would pick up on the shrill scream of Rin just a few seconds after! The dog demon wastes no time in running to see what the trouble was, finding the girl being snatched into the bony, green-skinned hand of a demon!
One swipe from Tokijin is all it takes before the demon arm is sliced off, the action forcing the hand to release Rin. Sesshomaru lands on the ground smoothly, while the young girl flies downward on her back, a bush breaking her fall.
"Aaah!"
Jaken arrives and compliments on his lord's skill:
"You are excellently brilliant, Lord Sesshomaru!"
Rin pops up from the collection of green to follow with her own praise, the smile on her face indicating she was fine.
"So dashing, Lord Sesshomaru!"
But his focus would be on the severed demon arm...which to his surprise, would suddenly transform into a drone of the poisonous insects known as the Saimyōshō!
Jaken gasps, also recognizing the mutant wasps:
"The Saimyōshō! Naraku's poison insects!"
The dog demon rises to his feet while ordering his more vulnerable human ward,
"Stand back, out of the way. That Naraku: He left behind some annoying vermin."
The wasps then morph back into the green-skinned hand, and Sesshomaru says to the imp,
"Jaken. There should be a hive located nearby."
"Yes! I'll go look for it!"
As the imp took off to find the source of this insect horde, the demon hand tries to attack Sesshomaru, who uses Tokijin to block its pointed nails. He then hops backwards and springs forward off a tree trunk, just as the demon hand tries to swipe at him but only succeeded in chopping the oak in two, and the dog demon would whirl around to cut the arm down its middle into two!
...However, given that its made from many bodies of Saimyōshō, the attack only forced the horde to revert back to their real guise, before flying off in another direction. The dog demon instantly knew which way the insects were heading:
"Jaken."
Meanwhile, said imp was searching in another section of the forest for the wasp nest, with Rin following to assist...It would be her who spots it:
"Look, Master Jaken: That's it, the hive!"
And up high a particularly tall oak trunk, was the Saimyōshō nest, its make being a combination of mud and wax like other non-demonic species, shaped to look like a bushel of gourds with holes for the wasps to crawl in and out of.
Jaken releases a few jumbled sounds of nerves, before spotting the horde of poison insects approaching Rin from behind!
"Rin, get down now!"
"Alright!"
She squats down behind the cover of a thick bush, while the imp readies to attack the swarm.
"Feel the wrath of the Staff of Two Heads!"
The old man head of the staff spits out a torrent of fire, burning a good number of the wasps, but there were still many to come...Jaken rushes closer to where Rin was squatting and keeps up the pressure:
"Persistent little pests!"
(Fwoom)
"Rin, keep your head down!"
She peers up at him in surprise, while he thinks to himself a bit nervously,
I must protect Rin, otherwise who knows what Lord Sesshomaru will say!
The little human girl was touched by his actions:
Master Jaken...
Suddenly, more of the Saimyōshō buzz out of the hive, intent on avenging their torched comrades and killing Jaken! But he wasn't gonna go down without a fight:
"What? Still here?"
As he began waving his staff wildly at the wasps, Sesshomaru finally locates the imp and Rin.
"Jaken."
The dog demon readies his sword, Tokijin, the emanating glow of power making Jaken sweat nervously, before he immediately ducks down with Rin out of the line of the sword's fire, its Aura crashing through the air like a tidal wave and evaporating the remaining Saimyōshō and their hive!
(Spark, crack, creeeeeea-Crash...)
It was also powerful enough to split the tree holding the hive in half before its top tipped over and crashed onto the forest floor...A moment later, Jaken and Rin rise to their feet with matching sighs of relief, before calling to the dog demon respectively,
"You saved me, Lord Sesshomaru!"
"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru!"
...Unfortunately, about half a dozen of the Saimyōshō somehow survived, and fly behind Jaken before biting his arm and/or stabbing their stingers into the appendage's flesh!
"Gaaaaah!"
"Master Jaken!"
Having done what they wanted to, the wasps began flying away, with Sesshomaru watching them go.
"...They should lead me to him."
He decides to tail them and see if they would lead back to their master, much to Rin's protest.
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
But he was already gone...Focusing back on Jaken, he suddenly rips off the sleeve of his right arm where he was attacked, and we see two angry-red stingers slowly sinking into his flesh. With a wince in his voice, the imp says to the young human,
"R-Rin, take the stingers out!"
She takes his arm into her own hand and tries, apprehensive though she was, but wasn't able to get them quick enough, and they bury so deeply into his skin that not even a competent pair of tweezers could tug them out...
"D-Did you get them out?"
"I'm sorry. I couldn't get them..."
Jaken immediately broke into a panicked sweat, and lets out a squawk before running forward a few feet and spinning in a circle before shouting,
"No! The toxic poison has entered my body!" He bangs his head on a tree trunk and adds despairingly,
"If I don't do something, I may die!"
Rin immediately felt the rush of guilt flood her body:
"I'm sorry. It's my fault...You saved me..."
The imp rushed to deny such a claim:
"Don't be so foolish! I'm not going to sacrifice my life for you! I die for Lord Sesshomaru!"
The imp then felt his nerves seize, and fell backwards with a strangled gasp, prompting Rin to rush to his aid, not wanting to believe there wasn't any other options left to avoid Jaken's end.
"Master Jaken! Isn't there some way to get rid of the poison?"
"It's much too late for me now...I have been happy touring the land with my lord and mentor, Master Sesshomaru. Even if my life should come to a tragic end here, I can die in peace."
Tears began to form in the corners of Rin's sweet brown eyes:
"(Sniff) Master Jaken..."
He too was feeling the weight of sentimentality:
"Tell Lord Sesshomaru this: I will be praying for his well-being and success from my resting place in the Netherworld. Tell him for me..."
He shuts his eyes and makes blubbering sounds, which just fueled more motivation in Rin to try and save him, falling to her knees for emphasis in how choked up she was at the idea of the imp leaving this world.
"Master Jaken, please! (Shakes head) Don't talk like this! I don't wanna see you die!"
He snaps his eyes open, and raises his head to stare at the young girl in shock and awe...
"Please, please, tell me what to do! I'll do whatever you ask!"
"...You, you will?"
Rin pauses in her sobbing, and meets Jaken eye-to-eye as he says,
"There is one small glimmer of hope..."
After helping him to sit up against the tree trunk, the imp weakly gives the young human the following instructions that may very well save his life.
"Listen well, Rin: To the East of here is an herb farm known as Jinenji's Garden. Go there, and get the Berries of the Thousand-Year Flower."
"The Berries of the Thousand-Year Flower?"
We see that the poison was already beginning early-stage effects, the imp's skin breaking into a new sweat, his voice weakening and sounding like someone who's coming down from two back-to-back marathons.
"That's, correct. Rin, if you truly want to save me, you must hurry...before the sun sets. I must swallow the Berries of the Thousand-Year Flower, or else the toxins will spread throughout my body, and I will be doomed..."
Nodding firmly, Rin moves to stand up and go find A-Un while replying,
"Don't worry, Master Jaken. I will return before the sun sets...I promise."
Soon, she was flying on the two-headed dragon demon across a lava-hardened field outside the forest, her expression set in a hard determination.
...Master Jaken, don't die!
Rin tugs the reins and calls,
"A-Un, go faster!"
The two-headed dragon demon growls in recognition, and ups their speed...
Small Time Skip, Coraline's POV
After about a half hour, we reach the fielded area off the side of the path Inuyasha and I took to find Jinenji's place and discovered the unfortunate fix that he and his mother were in before we came and helped clear the tensed air that fogged the minds of the village's people...
"Hm...Are you quite sure this is the right way, Coraline?"
I look to Miroku and reply with a shrug,
"Should be. I think that tree we stopped at should be nearby..."
I pivot my head back to my boyfriend:
"Just to double-check, we went down this path, right?"
He just sticks his nose into the air away from my direction and asks sarcastically,
"Oh, now all of a sudden, my opinion is important?"
Hoh boy, bein' spiteful again, are we? I thought we were past moments like this...
"Don't tell me you're still harpin' about my words from earlier...Haaah, look, I'm sorry for going on about it like a petty bitch, but I still wish to stop by and see Jinenji. I would think that by now out of the two of us, you'd handle these spats we have more maturely."
He gapes a little at me for my crudeness in the second sentence, but then growls slightly and starts to ask,
"You tryin' to say I'm no-"
But then he cuts himself off, when his nose picks up on something in the air:
"(Sniff, sniff) I know that smell..."
He sniffs around more, and I ask him,
"What's wrong?"
"That's definitely them: Naraku's poisonous insects!"
My eyes bulge in surprise and edge:
The Saimyōshō?!
...It was then my ears picked up on the sound of weak buzzing, and we all turn around to see two of the said wasps flying in our direction!
It is them!...But wait: I haven't sensed any shards or Auras that mimic Naraku's.
...So then what are they doing here?
Inuyasha didn't seem to care much about the oddness that was the insect's presence:
"Kuh, I couldn't ask for better luck: This place could use some pest control."
He then unsheathes his Tessaiga, ready to take them out, but Miroku prevents him from doing so.
"Inuyasha, wait a minute."
"Huh?"
"Coraline, are you sensing any Shikon-no-Tama shards nearby?"
I shake my head and reply dully,
"Not even remotely close. I also can't sense any Auras like Naraku's incarnations, so we can rule that possibility out."
"And no demon puppets either?" Freeman remarks,
"If there was, it would've attacked us by now. Naraku's a schemer, but not always that patient with quick-fights like those creepy root puppets."
Miroku nods, and we watch the wasps continue to pass us overhead as he ponders,
"Then perhaps the poisonous insects, are returning to Naraku."
Besa hms,
"That makes more sense: He hasn't made any moves as of yet since he vanished, so he must still be recovering from the battle at his castle against Inuyasha and Sesshomaru."
Sango wonders,
"If we follow them instead of killing them..."
Inuyasha finishes her thought while putting his sword away, a smirk on his face:
"We'll find Naraku. Let's get goin'!"
Guess Jinenji will have to wait another time. Oh well...
But we only got to follow them to more than halfway across the field, before the wasps began dropping from the sky like mosquitoes after being sprayed by insect killer!
"Look, they're falling!"
"What?"
We reach their fallen forms, and I notice that they were missing their stingers:
Aaah, that explains why their flight pattern looked a little sluggish...
"Are they dead?"
I kneel by Shippo as he was looking at one of the Saimyōshō and reply matter-of-factually,
"Looks to be. They might be demons, but it seems they're not too different from regular bees and wasps in terms of living. Once they lose their stingers, they can't go much further before they die."
Inuyasha nudges the other one with his foot before he asks aloud,
"I don't get it. What's going on?"
My brothers get a closer look and make their own assumptions:
"Well, if they managed to fly this far, then they must've stung someone recently..."
"Questions are, who was the unlucky soul, and why are they comin' out in the open now?"
Before we could all come up with more guesses, a giant ball of light suddenly shoots out from the side of the forest surrounding this field, and floats fast between us before stopping a couple feet away, re-materializing as Sesshomaru!
Uh! What's he doing here?! Unless...was he following these wasps?
Inuyasha exclaims his half-brother's name, tensing up a little on the defense, as the full dog demon asks,
"What happened to the Saimyōshō? Did you kill them?"
"Saimyōshō? You mean these poison insects?"
"You're so short-sighted."
"What?!"
Sesshomaru then confirms my suspicions:
"I was following them to Naraku, but now I have nothing to lead me."
"Lemme make one thing clear: I didn't kill those bugs!"
Unfortunately, Sesshomaru does not believe Inuyasha, to which I blame their rocky relationship on.
"You have an excuse for everything. It does get so tiresome."
"Kah! I don't have to make excuses for you; I'm tellin' the truth!"
I cut in with my own words:
"These Saimyōshō don't have their stingers, so they barely had any life when they flew here! They dropped dead on their own accord after a small distance more!"
Inuyasha then pulls out his Tessaiga and says to me,
"Stay out of this, Coraline: He's so stubborn, he never understands!"
...Gee, so it's a family trait, then?
I dare not make that comment aloud, for I knew there would be aggressive protest on both sides...Sesshomaru then says to his half-brother,
"Inuyasha, I'm not feeling particularly magnanimous today. I won't go easy on you like I have in the past."
"Aw, cut the crap, and don't come cryin' to me afterward!"
And with that, they began another one of their stupid, completely unnecessary swordsmanship contests, Tessaiga versus Tokijin...
I groan loudly and facepalm before shouting,
"If either of you wants to talk about what a load of crap is, I'm starin' at it right now! Kindly remember who the real enemy is, please!"
Shippo informs me,
"You're wasting your breath."
"I know I am, but it doesn't make my words any less correct..."
"Those two are constantly at odds with eachother..." Sango agrees with Miroku:
"I'll second that."
Meanwhile, my brothers shrug and comment,
"Meh, as long as they don't chop off eachother's heads, I say let 'em blow off some brother-grudge steam."
"As for us, maybe we should back up a couple yards to the safety of the treeline until they're done? If it gets too crazy, that's when we'll interfere."
I reluctantly agree to that plan, as do the others, and we all speed-walk to the nearest oak, just as Sesshomaru brings Tokijin down in a jump-swing against Inuyasha, who blocks with Tessaiga before shoving the other off. I shake my head while muttering to myself in exasperation,
"I'd actually take the futile exercises between my boyfriend and Kōga over this..."
At the same time, Rin's POV
After a while of traveling East, A-Un and I reach the village where this Jinenji was suppose to live. I have them land at the bottom of a slope, and make my way up while calling over my shoulder,
"A-Un, you wait there until I get back!"
I bound down a path through the village, and eventually found a wide field of herbs, which I instantly concluded to be the farm I was looking for.
"I can't believe it: An herbal garden, and this is the plant I need!"
I just hope Jinenji is here...
Wandering over to the hut sitting in the middle of the big garden, I peer passed the door flap, and found someone sorting some herbs, but I don't think it was him...
"Uum, excuse me?"
"Hrm? Who're you?"
I make a noise of surprise from this older woman's appearance:
A witch!
...Or, maybe someone who's been in the sun too long?
"What do you want?"
Her gruff address did not hinder my goals, and I bravely ask,
"I'm really sorry, to intrude, but I need to see Jinenji..."
"No can do: Jinenji isn't seeing anyone today. Go on home."
My eyes wander to something large hidden underneath a blanket, which I quickly figured out must've been who I was looking for...
"You're here, aren't you, Jinenji? Please hear me out: I need to you to give me some Berries of the Thousand-Year Flowers...My friend has been poisoned, and he might die any minute!"
A soft but deep male voice replies from in the blanket,
"That's a terrible shame...Nonetheless, I don't have any Berries of the Thousand-Year Flowers here. Go home."
Why does he not show himself? Is he shy?
"Jinenji, what's the matter with you? Why don't you come out from under the covers and talk to me?"
The old woman explains for him:
"You're just a little girl, so you wouldn't understand. Jinenji, is a half-demon."
"Half-demon?"
Like, Lord Sesshomaru's half-brother, Inuyasha?
"From time to time, his demon appearance changes and he takes on a human form. He's such a coward: He doesn't want anyone to see his human self."
Oh. How sad...In that case.
I move inside and ask,
"Then tell me how I can find the berries, Jinenji. I'll go get them myself!"
"These berries are used as an antidote for demons. Are you trying to save a demon, little girl?"
I nod at the old woman, and then she asks me a most peculiar question:
"Do you mean you are smitten with this demon?"
Huh? Smitten?
"Smitten? What does that mean?"
"Never mind, dear. You're so young, you couldn't possibly know about it. I was like you once, young and innocent..."
But the redness on her cheeks spoke more to me than she knew, and I snap her out of such strange thoughts.
"Never mind that! I have to try and save Master Jaken!"
"...Mother."
The old woman and I turn to see Jinenji's eyes shining at us from under the blanket:
"This girl resembles Coraline."
...Coraline?
Hmm...I think Master Jaken mentioned her name once: A strange woman with red hair, who doesn't dress as though she's from these lands...
Ah! That's right: I sort-a met her when I woke up after Kohaku tried to attack me...
"Coraline? (Smile) Ah yes, that young girl..."
Jinenji's Mother turns to my direction again, and must've saw something in my face that matched, Coraline, whoever she is...
"You're right."
He then tells me where the berry flower is located:
"The flower grows in the ravine of the mountain out back. But there are lots of beasts and demons in the area. A human, would never make it back, alive. When it's dark, I'll return to normal. Why don't you wait until then?"
...I might not have anyone to return to if I wait that long.
Scary as his words sound...I must get those berries at any cost!
I rush over and kneel in front of Jinenji to plead,
"It'll be too late! Tell me what kind of flower it is; I'll go get it myself!"
"...You are so similar to Coraline."
Please, Master Jaken...hang on with all of your might!
No POV
While Rin inquired Jinenji about what sort of flowering plant she'll need to keep her eyes out for, back in the forest, Jaken was struggling to hold onto life, the poison taking a further toll on his strength. He barely manages to pull himself up to look over a fallen log, thinking aloud about the two people who might miss him should his life be forfeit.
"R-Rin...Lord...Lord, Sesshomaru..."
The imp breaks into a sob, burying his face into one arm as he weakly cries out,
"Nooo, I don't want to die alone...!"
...Shifting to a less depressing atmosphere, we head back to the open field nearing the village where Jinenji's Herb Garden grows, as the sword-fight between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru continued on, neither side showing any signs of fatigue or wanting to call it quits.
But while half of our group was watching the scene on the sidelines with undivided attention, the three teens from the modern era have settled into a mixed mood of disinterest and slight annoyance to this ongoing ego clash, and were now only half-invested in the action, while also focused on playing with a deck of cards to pass the time...
"Hm...I got fifteen."
"Eighteen."
"Twenty-One; I win."
Coraline and Besa groan lightly from their loss, while Freeman smiles smugly at his victory. The three then glance over at the hotheaded dog demons who were still going at it sword-versus-sword.
"...Sheesh. We've already played thirty rounds of Blackjack. How much longer can this go on?"
"Well, they each have demon blood runnin' through their veins, so who knows..."
"Meh, I think we're actually gettin' close to one of them disarming the other. Once that happens, that's when we make our move."
As those three agreed to a future course of action, we zoom in overhead in the skies, as Rin and A-Un make headway in the direction of a wide mountain range coming up in the distance.
"A-Un, there's the ravine! That must be the place!"
At the same time, Inuyasha decides to kick his attacks up a level:
"Time for my Wind Scar!"
(SLASH)
...But unlike what happened last time this three-clawed bolt of energy was thrust at Sesshomaru, the full-blood dog demon was able to stave off the Tessaiga's power by using the demonic aura of Tokijin to cut it down the middle, both energies cancelling eachother out!
"What?!"
(CLANG...TOK)
Following that move, Sesshomaru uses his demon speed to zoom in close to Inuyasha's front, before disarming the latter of his sword, it spiraling several yards to land blade-first in the ground before shifting back into its dormant form!
Tessaiga's wielder would crash down to the dirt and grass in a cloud of dust merely a second afterward, only to have the tip of Tokijin pointed at his throat by their wielder, whom by this point, was finished using any 'formalities'.
"I win this time. Are you prepared to die, Inuyasha?"
"Kuh, I don't care about my life...Kill me and get it over with!"
"Indeed."
"Hey! He might not care about his own life, but I do!"
"I second that!" "Third!"
The two dog demons turn to their right (left for Inuyasha) and see Coraline and the twins fast-approaching, stopping just a few feet away from their proximity, before Besa discloses the information Sesshomaru was seeking.
"If you're that hell-bent in finding Naraku like we are, then head for the Ox-Tiger, or Northeast."
Coraline adds,
"A deity we helped spoke of sensing the bastard's Aura heading that way."
"Besa, Coraline, shut up!"
Freeman glares at Inuyasha and retorts,
"Dude, you're the one who needs to shut your trap before this fight goes on 'til Christmas. (Glances at Sesshomaru) By the way, you could've just asked one of us instead of immediately provoking a sword-clash with your half-brother. It would've saved us all a headache..."
Sesshomaru narrows his eyes slightly at the dark-complexioned boy for the lecture, before replying neutrally,
"In the direction of the Ox-Tiger?...That's all I need to know, thank you."
He pulls back Tokijin from Inuyasha's neck, and turns to head out from the area:
"You were fortunate this time, Inuyasha."
As said dog demon sits up, he calls to the retreating back,
"Wait, Sesshomaru! Why are you after Naraku?"
He does not make any signs of stopping, and simply replies with a growling undertone,
"...I have a score to settle."
Rin's POV
I finally reach the mountain ravine, but I would soon find out just how many demons would call it home...I'm now being backed towards a rock wall, whimpering as several beasts slowly inch closer to me.
Oooh, there's alot more demons here than I thought there'd be...!
Just as I flinch back from a charging fly demon, a bolt of blue light comes shooting down to destroy them all, leaving behind a burn mark in the ground for my eyes to see when I uncover them...I turn to smile gratefully at the one responsible:
"Thank you, A-Un!"
Thank goodness they're with me...(Deep breath) Okay, focus.
I continue on my way through the ravine, holding out a drawing of the flower I needed that was given to me by Jinenji.
Berries of the Thousand-Year Flower...Where are they?
Just as I take a few more steps, my eyes finally spot a purple flowering plant that was shaped exactly like the drawing, growing on a high ledge!
"There it is! That has to be it!"
But my smile would shift into a scared frown, as I felt the ground under one of my feet begin to sink! I scramble forward in time before I could fall, just as several more demons spring out from the hole!
Oh no, not again!
I let out a scream, and A-Un comes rushing in to kill the demons. I felt bad that they had to do the heavy work, but knew this might be my only opportunity to get the plant...
"Sorry, A-Un! Keep them at bay! I'm going to get the berries!"
So with that, I rushed over to the face of the cliff and began to climb, ignoring the sounds of the demons who wanted to make a meal out of me, leaving them to my two-headed friend...
I get about halfway there just as evening was coming, but slipped on a loose rock and almost fell down!
"Aaah!"
Luckily, I grabbed onto a sturdier part of the wall in time...Even so, my being was cloaked with fear.
I'm scared...Lord Sesshomaru...
I continue on with climbing, thinking about the lives I've already lost in my short years:
My mother, father, and older brother...they're all dead. I don't want anyone else to die.
I don't want to see anyone else die!
Come close to sunset, I reach a narrow ledge that was close enough to the flower that I only had to climb a little bit more before I could reach my hand out to the flower. I do so, as I think of the one who so desperately needs this plant:
Master Jaken...please don't die. I don't want anyone else to die!
I had to stand on the tips of my toes...but I finally snared it!
Yes!
...But my excitement would be short-lived, when the ledge I stood on gave out!
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"
In a fit of panic, I cried out for the one person who could save me:
"LORD SESSHOMARUUUUU!"
...And the last thing I remember, was a large orb of light barreling towards me from midair, before I passed out, keeping a firm hold on the berry plant.
I don't...I won't...I can't, let anyone else...die.
Jaken's POV
It's now approaching sunset, and much to my misfortune, Rin has not returned with the berries I need to dispel the poison of those damned insects...
My body reaches a new level of heat, sweat seeping out of my skin, and my nerves jolt with more pain than before.
"Agh! Rgh, the poison, is spreading...!"
I look up with weary eyes to the blazing sky:
The sun is setting on me...
"Rin, didn't make it back in time with the antidote..."
That foolhardy girl must've perished trying to find it...So, we might be seeing eachother in the afterlife, eh?
"Ugh, my vision is becoming blurry...Uh?"
My eyes then catch the sight of a familiar figure standing near in front of me:
...Am I seeing things?
I rub them to be sure, and was surprised to see my lord!
"It's you! Lord Sesshomaru...!"
He then tosses me the fabled berries I need to rid myself of the cold hands of death.
"Haaah, the antidote!"
I eat them up with no hesitation...but couldn't help but wonder:
Wait...does this mean...
I glance over to see A-Un, who was carrying a rather disheveled and worn-down Rin...I almost miss the words she mumbled in her sleep:
"Master Jaken...don't die on me..."
Rin...
Hm, to think, my life was saved by my lord...and a young human...
What are the odds?
Small Time Skip, No POV
It wouldn't be until nightfall that Inuyasha and the others reached the village that held Jinenji's Herb Garden, and they would soon hear of the news regarding Rin and her quest for the Berries of the Thousand-Year Flower...
"Really? A young lass came here?" Jinenji's Mother nods to Coraline:
"That's right. I've been worried if she managed to get the Berries of the Thousand-Year Flower she needed..."
Jinenji didn't seem to be as concerned:
"Something tells me she did okay. She reminded me so much of Coraline here."
Inuyasha glances at said redhead and asks a bit perplexed,
"She was like Coraline?"
Jinenji nods while looking at the small container of fruit he was presented with a moment ago.
"She was. And I'm quite certain she was stronger than even I am. Like Coraline, she warmed my heart: She was like the child of the sun. She has a very kind heart, that much I'm sure of."
Coraline blushed slightly and replied with a smile,
"You're the one with the big heart, Jinenji, but I'm, flattered that you believe so for not just myself, but for the lass in question..."
I wonder...could she have been the same little girl who travels with Sesshomaru?
"Lemme correct you on somethin', Jinenji, 'cause I think you got somethin' all wrong."
Jinenji and Coraline both tilt their heads in confusion, before Inuyasha says,
"Coraline's heart is not as big as one may think it is."
"(Slight glare) Is that so? Well then, in that case..."
The dog demon flinches on the defense from the tone the redhead was using...before:
"Sit, Boy."
(Gleam...Wham)
The subjugation beads are activated, and Inuyasha face-plants into the dirt...
"Ggh...What'd I tell ya, Jinenji? Would a kindhearted person do that?"
"No, but if you really wanna see how small my heart can appear, keep talkin'. (Irritated smirk) I dare you."
The dog demon catches the hint of a taunt hiding in Coraline's threat, and growls a little at her in his own irritation, while Shippo, Miroku and Sango comment with matching deadpanned expressions,
"He's so stupid..."
"I'll say..."
"Yeah..."
Freeman and Besa just shrug with a 'meh', before moving to pull Inuyasha to his feet by his arms while whispering,
"Look on the bright side, dude: At least she's not mean enough to 'Sit' you to the center of the earth."
"Yeah, that would be overkill..."
...Meanwhile, on a knoll just outside the forest where Sesshomaru's group was previously, Rin was slowly rousing from sleep after her grueling journey to find the poison cure for Jaken.
"Mm...mm..."
"Oh, you're awake."
"Hm?"
She looks over to her right, and sees the imp standing near her laying form:
"Master Jaken...you're all better now. (Sits up) Either that, or maybe I died when I fell off the cliff..."
Jaken quickly dismisses her more perilous guess:
"You silly fool. Lord Sesshomaru brought you back. You didn't die."
"Do you mean, he saved me?"
"That's right, and you better stop causing him so much trouble, young lady."
"...I know...I'm sorry."
Rin's body fills with overwhelming relief in seeing her efforts weren't in vain, and launches herself at Jaken to hug him with tear-filled eyes!
"Master Jaken, I'm glad you're well again! I was so worried about you!"
"Stop, Rin! Get away; shoo!"
"I won't!"
As that reunion went on, Sesshomaru was standing nearby a tree, his gaze fixated on the star-filled skies in thought over his major objective, and the new tip he received.
...To the Northeast, is he?
He comes out of his thoughts to the tune of his name and title being chimed by the human girl and imp, and he glances down at them before saying,
"...We're going."
They hurry to follow with no hesitation, each having a cheery laugh under their breath, the imp commenting aloud happily,
"We're all together again, my lord! Isn't it wonderful?"
And the small mismatched group is on their way through the countryside again, their path lit by the many gleaming lights of the stars above...