Disclaimer- Read first chapter, 'cuz I'm too lazy to do it again.
Between Demons and Mathematics
A joint fanfic by Shampoo and Meztli
Chapter two.
Sesshomaru was frustrated. He had always despised humans for being incompetent, disgusting beings, and they were proving him right again. He could not fathom how exactly they had managed to survive this long, being as inadequate as they were. They were not meant for anything other than to serve Youkai, that much was obvious. Sans Rin, of course, but she was being raised by him, so she did not compare.
He had been traveling for weeks now, and he was nearly at his wits end. He had put up with being around these lowly creatures in an effort to find Rin a suitable tutor, but so far without results. At the beginning he had searched among the nobility, hoping to find the best of these humans, but it was in vain.
All teachers he had found had been terrified of him to the point where they were unable to do more than wail and beg for their lives. That had been enough to make Sesshomaru wish he could rip their throats out in an effort to shut them up, but he had held himself back for Rin's sake. The child did not need to see such blood-shed. He had found it much more effective to quietly watch them without their knowledge. After all, they would be no good if they were too terrified of him to teach Rin, and this allowed him to see their true ways of teaching. He had found them to be incredibly inept, most being the human counterparts to his Youkai teachers. They were stiff and difficult with the children. They were overly strict, to the point where the children were treated as inferiors who were expected to follow their every command quietly. They did not allow the child to ask any sort of question, and when they did they ridiculed and laughed at him. Sesshomaru knew that curiosity was an important part of learning, and these "teachers" seemed only too eager to kill that curiosity.
He would never allow any of them to teach Rin.
So he had then turned to normal villagers, and they had been nearly as bad. They did not seem to be as intimidating towards the children as the nobles, most treating the children with slightly more respect than the nobles, but he found them to be, in their majority, under qualified for the position. They were incredibly ignorant. Those select few that were wiser than the rest were so old that Sesshomaru doubted they would last Rin two weeks.
This was pointless.
Sesshomaru decided to go back to his domain and make a small detour to his uncle's palace. He would have to seek some guidance. He nearly growled in frustration. He, Sesshomaru, should not have to ask anyone anything. It was beneath him.
He was about to return to where he had left Jaken watching Rin, when his sensible nose picked up a soft and gentle, yet persistent scent. It was slightly familiar, but he could not put a face to it. Quietly he walked towards the scent. As he got nearer he could also make out another scent, this one of a young Youkai. Sesshomaru frowned, a Youkai would know he was there. But Sesshomaru was a skilled hunter. As he walked, his footsteps light and soundless, he allowed his scent and aura to mingle with the forest.
As he neared the scent became much more powerful, nearly overriding that of the young Youkai. It flowed around him, teasing him with it's familiarity, yet not dispelling it's identity. He suddenly came to a small clearing. He stood behind some trees and bushes, where he would be able to see but not be seen, and took in his surroundings.
There. A human girl. Her back was turned to him, her face hidden against the trunk of a tree. She was counting, although what she was counting Sesshomaru did not know. Suddenly she stopped counting.
"Ready or not, here I come!" Said the girl and she turned.
Sesshomaru stared at her face, his eyes widening for a second. His brother's wench? She was the owner of the scent? Come to think about it, he had smelled it before (which was why it seemed so familiar) but it was usually overshadowed by a strong scent of fright or anger. That was why he hadn't noticed it before.
He was ready turn and go back to Rin and Jaken when he noticed a small, strangely shaped bush with a tail in the middle of the clearing. A Kitsune. In his discovery he had forgotten about the Youkai scent. He suddenly understood what the girl was doing. It was some sort of ridiculous human game that Rin had tried to play with Jaken once, without success. The girl was supposed to be looking for the Kitsune, but yet she did not seem to find him.
Sesshomaru looked on with distaste. That girl was blind, or stupid, or both. The Kitsune was not doing a very successful job of hiding.
"Shippo-chan! Where are you?" She called out as she glance out of the corner of her eye towards the Kitsune and smile, and then pretend to be looking elsewhere.
She did see him, but she was pretending not to. The Youkai Lord was briefly confused with her attitude. What was she doing?
The Youkai child could no longer hold his plant like form and with a small pop he reverted to his original form. The girl, Sesshomaru noted, acted as though she was surprised.
"Shippo-chan! You startled me! Your shape shifting is improving tremendously." She said as she kneeled to take him into her arms. The child seemed to puff up with pride and smiled happily.
'So.. she was only pretending for the Kitsune.' He was oddly surprised that a human would do such things for a Youkai.
"Can we play again Kagome?" Asked the kit.
The girl smiled at the little Youkai in her arms and answered him. "Sorry Shippo, but I've got to study now." She walked towards a tree where he could see a strange bag of sorts and sat down on the grass, putting the Kitsune on the floor and rummaging trough the bag. She took out several books and laid them down on the side, picking up the one on top and opening it.
"Kagome, can I have some candy?" Said the boy.
Kagome smiled and rummaged through the bag until she found what she was looking for. She held them out towards the Kitsune. "Do you want chocolate or a lollipop?"
"Both!" Said the young demon as he tried to grab them, but the girl held them out of his reach as she shook her head. "No Shippo, remember what happened the last time you had too much candy. Do you want your stomach to hurt again?" Asked the human.
The child seemed to deflate a little. "No.... Can I have the lollipop then?"
Kagome held the "lollipop" to him and the boy took off some sort of wrapper and placed the strange candy on his mouth. Sesshomaru noted the lollipop was a stick with a round ball on top. He wondered for a second where this girl was from, but then dismissed the thought as unimportant.
The girl went back to her book and they were quiet for a moment. A small moment, for the Demon child was restless and began to read the cover of the book. "M..ma..the...mat..tics"
He said thriumpantly.
"Very good Shippo." Said Kagome with a smile and then continued reading.
"Is that what you were teaching me the other day? About how if I have five chocolates and eat two, I have three left?" Asked the Kitsune.
The girl put down the book and turned to her companion. "Well, you are a very smart boy, Shippo. You are learning much quicker than I am." She smiled at the proud Youkai before continuing. "Yes, it is like that, but much more complicated."
"Will you teach me?" Asked the Kitsune.
"If you want, but you will have to learn many more things before you can do this, Shippo." She warned." Are you sure you want to learn all of this?"
The boy smiled up at her. "I'm sure."
"Okay, if you are sure. Here," She said as she handed him a piece of paper and some sort of stick.. "Do as many of these as you can. I'll help you with the ones you don't understand when your finished."
She smiled at the child, who seemed concentrated of the sheet before him, and then opened the book at her side and began reading.
Sesshomaru turned and walked back the way he had come from, deep in thought. That human wench... She was studied, it seemed, and very good with children. That she was raising a demon was a wonder in itself. He had never heard of such a thing. Most humans disliked Youkai, and the feeling was reciprocated, but she had managed to win the child's heart, and it seemed like she was a successful parent. The Kitsune had not only taken to her as a child to a mother, but he appeared to sincerely care for her, and not only out of respect. Few Youkai children ever did that, even with their natural parents. Youkai were simply not as elaborately affectionate as humans were. How she had gotten to the child was a deed worthy of merit. And yet, she was also a effective tutor. She did not scream, but rather she estimulated him to the point where he was the one who wanted to learn. Perhaps......
Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks and looked of into the distance where he knew his brother's wench was. Perhaps she could teach Rin.
~0~
Hey, it's me again. Yes, it is I, the almighty Meztli-sama!!!! Bwahahaha..... *keeps on caclking insanely until she begins coughing violently* *clears throat and looks at readers* What?! I told u I was insane, don't look at me like that!
Anyhow, I also wrote the second chapter, but do not worry, Shampoo-chan will come in a shining armor to save u from my crazed mind soon. Next chapter soon. Sooo....review. I mean it. I couldn't find a pack of rabid wolves, so a flock of wild, psychotic turkeys will have to do.
Ciao,
Meztli
Between Demons and Mathematics
A joint fanfic by Shampoo and Meztli
Chapter two.
Sesshomaru was frustrated. He had always despised humans for being incompetent, disgusting beings, and they were proving him right again. He could not fathom how exactly they had managed to survive this long, being as inadequate as they were. They were not meant for anything other than to serve Youkai, that much was obvious. Sans Rin, of course, but she was being raised by him, so she did not compare.
He had been traveling for weeks now, and he was nearly at his wits end. He had put up with being around these lowly creatures in an effort to find Rin a suitable tutor, but so far without results. At the beginning he had searched among the nobility, hoping to find the best of these humans, but it was in vain.
All teachers he had found had been terrified of him to the point where they were unable to do more than wail and beg for their lives. That had been enough to make Sesshomaru wish he could rip their throats out in an effort to shut them up, but he had held himself back for Rin's sake. The child did not need to see such blood-shed. He had found it much more effective to quietly watch them without their knowledge. After all, they would be no good if they were too terrified of him to teach Rin, and this allowed him to see their true ways of teaching. He had found them to be incredibly inept, most being the human counterparts to his Youkai teachers. They were stiff and difficult with the children. They were overly strict, to the point where the children were treated as inferiors who were expected to follow their every command quietly. They did not allow the child to ask any sort of question, and when they did they ridiculed and laughed at him. Sesshomaru knew that curiosity was an important part of learning, and these "teachers" seemed only too eager to kill that curiosity.
He would never allow any of them to teach Rin.
So he had then turned to normal villagers, and they had been nearly as bad. They did not seem to be as intimidating towards the children as the nobles, most treating the children with slightly more respect than the nobles, but he found them to be, in their majority, under qualified for the position. They were incredibly ignorant. Those select few that were wiser than the rest were so old that Sesshomaru doubted they would last Rin two weeks.
This was pointless.
Sesshomaru decided to go back to his domain and make a small detour to his uncle's palace. He would have to seek some guidance. He nearly growled in frustration. He, Sesshomaru, should not have to ask anyone anything. It was beneath him.
He was about to return to where he had left Jaken watching Rin, when his sensible nose picked up a soft and gentle, yet persistent scent. It was slightly familiar, but he could not put a face to it. Quietly he walked towards the scent. As he got nearer he could also make out another scent, this one of a young Youkai. Sesshomaru frowned, a Youkai would know he was there. But Sesshomaru was a skilled hunter. As he walked, his footsteps light and soundless, he allowed his scent and aura to mingle with the forest.
As he neared the scent became much more powerful, nearly overriding that of the young Youkai. It flowed around him, teasing him with it's familiarity, yet not dispelling it's identity. He suddenly came to a small clearing. He stood behind some trees and bushes, where he would be able to see but not be seen, and took in his surroundings.
There. A human girl. Her back was turned to him, her face hidden against the trunk of a tree. She was counting, although what she was counting Sesshomaru did not know. Suddenly she stopped counting.
"Ready or not, here I come!" Said the girl and she turned.
Sesshomaru stared at her face, his eyes widening for a second. His brother's wench? She was the owner of the scent? Come to think about it, he had smelled it before (which was why it seemed so familiar) but it was usually overshadowed by a strong scent of fright or anger. That was why he hadn't noticed it before.
He was ready turn and go back to Rin and Jaken when he noticed a small, strangely shaped bush with a tail in the middle of the clearing. A Kitsune. In his discovery he had forgotten about the Youkai scent. He suddenly understood what the girl was doing. It was some sort of ridiculous human game that Rin had tried to play with Jaken once, without success. The girl was supposed to be looking for the Kitsune, but yet she did not seem to find him.
Sesshomaru looked on with distaste. That girl was blind, or stupid, or both. The Kitsune was not doing a very successful job of hiding.
"Shippo-chan! Where are you?" She called out as she glance out of the corner of her eye towards the Kitsune and smile, and then pretend to be looking elsewhere.
She did see him, but she was pretending not to. The Youkai Lord was briefly confused with her attitude. What was she doing?
The Youkai child could no longer hold his plant like form and with a small pop he reverted to his original form. The girl, Sesshomaru noted, acted as though she was surprised.
"Shippo-chan! You startled me! Your shape shifting is improving tremendously." She said as she kneeled to take him into her arms. The child seemed to puff up with pride and smiled happily.
'So.. she was only pretending for the Kitsune.' He was oddly surprised that a human would do such things for a Youkai.
"Can we play again Kagome?" Asked the kit.
The girl smiled at the little Youkai in her arms and answered him. "Sorry Shippo, but I've got to study now." She walked towards a tree where he could see a strange bag of sorts and sat down on the grass, putting the Kitsune on the floor and rummaging trough the bag. She took out several books and laid them down on the side, picking up the one on top and opening it.
"Kagome, can I have some candy?" Said the boy.
Kagome smiled and rummaged through the bag until she found what she was looking for. She held them out towards the Kitsune. "Do you want chocolate or a lollipop?"
"Both!" Said the young demon as he tried to grab them, but the girl held them out of his reach as she shook her head. "No Shippo, remember what happened the last time you had too much candy. Do you want your stomach to hurt again?" Asked the human.
The child seemed to deflate a little. "No.... Can I have the lollipop then?"
Kagome held the "lollipop" to him and the boy took off some sort of wrapper and placed the strange candy on his mouth. Sesshomaru noted the lollipop was a stick with a round ball on top. He wondered for a second where this girl was from, but then dismissed the thought as unimportant.
The girl went back to her book and they were quiet for a moment. A small moment, for the Demon child was restless and began to read the cover of the book. "M..ma..the...mat..tics"
He said thriumpantly.
"Very good Shippo." Said Kagome with a smile and then continued reading.
"Is that what you were teaching me the other day? About how if I have five chocolates and eat two, I have three left?" Asked the Kitsune.
The girl put down the book and turned to her companion. "Well, you are a very smart boy, Shippo. You are learning much quicker than I am." She smiled at the proud Youkai before continuing. "Yes, it is like that, but much more complicated."
"Will you teach me?" Asked the Kitsune.
"If you want, but you will have to learn many more things before you can do this, Shippo." She warned." Are you sure you want to learn all of this?"
The boy smiled up at her. "I'm sure."
"Okay, if you are sure. Here," She said as she handed him a piece of paper and some sort of stick.. "Do as many of these as you can. I'll help you with the ones you don't understand when your finished."
She smiled at the child, who seemed concentrated of the sheet before him, and then opened the book at her side and began reading.
Sesshomaru turned and walked back the way he had come from, deep in thought. That human wench... She was studied, it seemed, and very good with children. That she was raising a demon was a wonder in itself. He had never heard of such a thing. Most humans disliked Youkai, and the feeling was reciprocated, but she had managed to win the child's heart, and it seemed like she was a successful parent. The Kitsune had not only taken to her as a child to a mother, but he appeared to sincerely care for her, and not only out of respect. Few Youkai children ever did that, even with their natural parents. Youkai were simply not as elaborately affectionate as humans were. How she had gotten to the child was a deed worthy of merit. And yet, she was also a effective tutor. She did not scream, but rather she estimulated him to the point where he was the one who wanted to learn. Perhaps......
Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks and looked of into the distance where he knew his brother's wench was. Perhaps she could teach Rin.
~0~
Hey, it's me again. Yes, it is I, the almighty Meztli-sama!!!! Bwahahaha..... *keeps on caclking insanely until she begins coughing violently* *clears throat and looks at readers* What?! I told u I was insane, don't look at me like that!
Anyhow, I also wrote the second chapter, but do not worry, Shampoo-chan will come in a shining armor to save u from my crazed mind soon. Next chapter soon. Sooo....review. I mean it. I couldn't find a pack of rabid wolves, so a flock of wild, psychotic turkeys will have to do.
Ciao,
Meztli