Disclaimer: I've said it before, I don't own any of the Inu Yasha
characters. But I down own Yuugao, so shut up.
Stretching lithely, Yuugao managed to wake up. Looking around, she found Sessho-maru had left, but Rin still remained. Patting the sleeping girl's head, Yuugao smiled. Sessho-maru was certainly an odd creature. Meeting her to kill her, and then welcoming her as an immediate friend. She started for a moment when she heard something in the nearby bushes.
Sessho-maru crept out of the shrubbery, holding in hand a catch of fish. He leapt into the clearing, standing over where he had built a fire. He also carried a package, wrapped in brown paper, which he set down by Rin's resting form. Noticing that Yuugao was awake, he nodded at Rin as a request to wake her.
Crawling over to the little girl, Yuugao gently shook her.
"Rin?" Rin's left eye opened. "Rin, dear, it's time to wake up." Rin's right eye opened halfway. Yuugao smiled, realizing it wouldn't be easy to get her up. She reached into the folds of her shirt and pulled out a rose.
"Rin, would you like to see the_" Yuugao cut herself off as Rin was already up and holding the rose. She breathed a sigh of wonder at the rose she held in her hands. Yuugao smiled and touched the rose lightly.
"This is called a Fyoro Rose," Yuugao said, explaining, "It's an eternal good luck charm to anyone who picks it." Rin's eyes widened at the thought of having eternal luck, and she beamed. Still staring at the flower, she admired the shimmering blue-silver hue of it.
"Rin wants rose!" she squealed, waving the rose in the air. Yuugao gently plucked it from her hand and stowed it back in her shirt.
"The rose only brings luck to the one who picks it, remember?" Rin bowed her head, but suddenly brought it back up again.
"Rin wants to go pick roses!" she announced happily, bouncing on her heels. Yuugao smiled and turned her head as Sessho-maru brought the ready cooked fish over, handing some to each of them. Picking at the fish with her bare claws, Yuugao looked up at Sessho-maru. He was busy throwing dirt on the fire.
"Don't you want any?" Yuugao questioned, stuffing a bit of meat in her mouth. Sessho-maru simply shook his head in reply. The female youkai nodded as if understanding, and looked over at Rin. She was having a hard time eating her fish, since it was hot and she had no claws.
Picking a twig up off the ground, Yuugao shaved off the outer bark with her claws. Rinsing it in the nearby brook, she carved it until it resembled a crude fork with two prongs. She handed it to Rin, who gasped in appreciation and fell upon the food ravenously. Stuffing the rest of the fish in her mouth, Yuugao swallowed it down.
"Ready for a quest?" she whispered, sidling over to where Sessho-maru sat on the ground watching them eat. He stared at her blankly, obviously wanting an explanation. Yuugao cleared her throat nervously. (AN: Hey, she is in the presence of mister demon lord, ya know.)
"Rin wants a Fyoro Rose," she explained, pulling her own blossom out of her shirt again. Sessho-maru looked at it for a moment, interested by the strange color.
"Where do these roses grow?" he said quietly, face still solemn. Yuugao beamed and pointed east.
"Just off your domain to the east," Yuugao said confidently, prideful that she actually knew something of importance. When she turned back to Sessho- maru, he had disappeared. Swiveling around, she found him crouched in front of Rin who was still gnawing on her breakfast.
Sessho-maru and Rin exchanged a few words, inaudible even to Yuugao's sharp ears. Sessho-maru stood up and nodded, picking up what few things they had. Suddenly, something stumbled into their campsite and collapsed.
"You're late, JAKEN," Sessho-maru rumbled, his eyes begin to turn slightly red. Jaken propped himself up on the Staff of Heads and moaned.
"T'was a lond run, my lord," he gasped, panting heavily. "Clever lad that I am, ran all the way to get here faster." He suddenly shrunk back as Sessho- maru stepped closer to him, furious.
"How many times must I tell you to NOT LOSE RIN?" he roared, picking Jaken up by his hat. (AN: I hear that's what it is ^^*) Jaken trembled visibly and shook the Staff at Rin, who sat by innocently.
"Lass galloped off without me, and I was attacked!" he squeaked, pointing to wounds on his arms. Sessho-maru glowered.
"I inflicted those," he said pointedly. Jaken grimaced, knowing there was no way out of this one.
"My lord Sessho-maru-" Sessho-maru cut him off, shaking him roughly.
"There is no excuse! This is the final time!" he bellowed. Raising Jaken over his head, he whirled him around many times. Suddenly he let go, sending Jaken flying out of sight. Dusting off his hands, he returned to packing.
Rin walked calmly over to Yuugao, who sat shivering under the tree they slept against.
"What is wrong?" she cooed, jumping on Yuugao's lap. Yuugao stroked her hair with a shaky hand, hugging her close.
{And to think_ that could have happened to me_} The thought made Yuugao shiver again. But she put on a cheerful smile, and beamed at Rin, who grinned right back at her. She jumped off Yuugao's lap and ran over to Sessho-maru, running into him full tilt and hugging his leg.
"Rin loves Sessho-maru Sama!" she squealed, squeezing his leg. The inu- youkai looked down at her and smiled, patting her head. Yuugao was suddenly struck by a wave of emotion.
{He's beautiful when he smiles_} she thought to herself. Suddenly realizing what she had just thought, she blushed profusely. Standing up, she followed Rin and Sessho-maru, who were already leaving to go find the rose.
She quickly caught up, jogging along with them to match Sessho-maru's quick pace. Rin yawned and sat down in the middle of the path, halting further progress. Completely ignoring the fact that she almost got stepped on, she lay down and closed her eyes.
Sessho-maru quickly picked her up, shaking her slightly. Rin opened her eyes groggily and looked straight into Sessho-maru's.
"Are you sleepy, Rin?" Rin was nodding off even before he finished the question. Sessho-maru hoisted her onto his shoulders, where she placed her head on her arms on his head (AN: phew! so many limbs!) and promptly fell asleep. Yuugao smiled at his tenderness.
{So gentle, yet so fierce_} Yuugao was suddenly aware that Sessho-maru was staring at her. She blushed and looked away.
"I want to know what's under that headband." Sessho-maru said pointedly, causing Yuugao to put her hand to her head on reflex. She glowered and removed her hand.
"It's none of your business," she said, distempered. She fell back a step as she found Sessho-maru towering over her.
"I'm sure there's something there." Yuugao threw her hands protectively in front of her face as Sessho-maru reached out with one hand. Her forearms began to glow with a faint red light, forcing Sessho-maru back. He tried one last time, but as he reached out, his hand suddenly caught on fire. Pulling it back, the youkai watched the blaze on his hand slowly burn out. He turned his head carefully to look at Yuugao, who was panting.
"I'm sorry_ but never do that again," she threatened, lowering her arms. Sessho-maru nodded cautiously, taking care not to wake Rin.
Stretching lithely, Yuugao managed to wake up. Looking around, she found Sessho-maru had left, but Rin still remained. Patting the sleeping girl's head, Yuugao smiled. Sessho-maru was certainly an odd creature. Meeting her to kill her, and then welcoming her as an immediate friend. She started for a moment when she heard something in the nearby bushes.
Sessho-maru crept out of the shrubbery, holding in hand a catch of fish. He leapt into the clearing, standing over where he had built a fire. He also carried a package, wrapped in brown paper, which he set down by Rin's resting form. Noticing that Yuugao was awake, he nodded at Rin as a request to wake her.
Crawling over to the little girl, Yuugao gently shook her.
"Rin?" Rin's left eye opened. "Rin, dear, it's time to wake up." Rin's right eye opened halfway. Yuugao smiled, realizing it wouldn't be easy to get her up. She reached into the folds of her shirt and pulled out a rose.
"Rin, would you like to see the_" Yuugao cut herself off as Rin was already up and holding the rose. She breathed a sigh of wonder at the rose she held in her hands. Yuugao smiled and touched the rose lightly.
"This is called a Fyoro Rose," Yuugao said, explaining, "It's an eternal good luck charm to anyone who picks it." Rin's eyes widened at the thought of having eternal luck, and she beamed. Still staring at the flower, she admired the shimmering blue-silver hue of it.
"Rin wants rose!" she squealed, waving the rose in the air. Yuugao gently plucked it from her hand and stowed it back in her shirt.
"The rose only brings luck to the one who picks it, remember?" Rin bowed her head, but suddenly brought it back up again.
"Rin wants to go pick roses!" she announced happily, bouncing on her heels. Yuugao smiled and turned her head as Sessho-maru brought the ready cooked fish over, handing some to each of them. Picking at the fish with her bare claws, Yuugao looked up at Sessho-maru. He was busy throwing dirt on the fire.
"Don't you want any?" Yuugao questioned, stuffing a bit of meat in her mouth. Sessho-maru simply shook his head in reply. The female youkai nodded as if understanding, and looked over at Rin. She was having a hard time eating her fish, since it was hot and she had no claws.
Picking a twig up off the ground, Yuugao shaved off the outer bark with her claws. Rinsing it in the nearby brook, she carved it until it resembled a crude fork with two prongs. She handed it to Rin, who gasped in appreciation and fell upon the food ravenously. Stuffing the rest of the fish in her mouth, Yuugao swallowed it down.
"Ready for a quest?" she whispered, sidling over to where Sessho-maru sat on the ground watching them eat. He stared at her blankly, obviously wanting an explanation. Yuugao cleared her throat nervously. (AN: Hey, she is in the presence of mister demon lord, ya know.)
"Rin wants a Fyoro Rose," she explained, pulling her own blossom out of her shirt again. Sessho-maru looked at it for a moment, interested by the strange color.
"Where do these roses grow?" he said quietly, face still solemn. Yuugao beamed and pointed east.
"Just off your domain to the east," Yuugao said confidently, prideful that she actually knew something of importance. When she turned back to Sessho- maru, he had disappeared. Swiveling around, she found him crouched in front of Rin who was still gnawing on her breakfast.
Sessho-maru and Rin exchanged a few words, inaudible even to Yuugao's sharp ears. Sessho-maru stood up and nodded, picking up what few things they had. Suddenly, something stumbled into their campsite and collapsed.
"You're late, JAKEN," Sessho-maru rumbled, his eyes begin to turn slightly red. Jaken propped himself up on the Staff of Heads and moaned.
"T'was a lond run, my lord," he gasped, panting heavily. "Clever lad that I am, ran all the way to get here faster." He suddenly shrunk back as Sessho- maru stepped closer to him, furious.
"How many times must I tell you to NOT LOSE RIN?" he roared, picking Jaken up by his hat. (AN: I hear that's what it is ^^*) Jaken trembled visibly and shook the Staff at Rin, who sat by innocently.
"Lass galloped off without me, and I was attacked!" he squeaked, pointing to wounds on his arms. Sessho-maru glowered.
"I inflicted those," he said pointedly. Jaken grimaced, knowing there was no way out of this one.
"My lord Sessho-maru-" Sessho-maru cut him off, shaking him roughly.
"There is no excuse! This is the final time!" he bellowed. Raising Jaken over his head, he whirled him around many times. Suddenly he let go, sending Jaken flying out of sight. Dusting off his hands, he returned to packing.
Rin walked calmly over to Yuugao, who sat shivering under the tree they slept against.
"What is wrong?" she cooed, jumping on Yuugao's lap. Yuugao stroked her hair with a shaky hand, hugging her close.
{And to think_ that could have happened to me_} The thought made Yuugao shiver again. But she put on a cheerful smile, and beamed at Rin, who grinned right back at her. She jumped off Yuugao's lap and ran over to Sessho-maru, running into him full tilt and hugging his leg.
"Rin loves Sessho-maru Sama!" she squealed, squeezing his leg. The inu- youkai looked down at her and smiled, patting her head. Yuugao was suddenly struck by a wave of emotion.
{He's beautiful when he smiles_} she thought to herself. Suddenly realizing what she had just thought, she blushed profusely. Standing up, she followed Rin and Sessho-maru, who were already leaving to go find the rose.
She quickly caught up, jogging along with them to match Sessho-maru's quick pace. Rin yawned and sat down in the middle of the path, halting further progress. Completely ignoring the fact that she almost got stepped on, she lay down and closed her eyes.
Sessho-maru quickly picked her up, shaking her slightly. Rin opened her eyes groggily and looked straight into Sessho-maru's.
"Are you sleepy, Rin?" Rin was nodding off even before he finished the question. Sessho-maru hoisted her onto his shoulders, where she placed her head on her arms on his head (AN: phew! so many limbs!) and promptly fell asleep. Yuugao smiled at his tenderness.
{So gentle, yet so fierce_} Yuugao was suddenly aware that Sessho-maru was staring at her. She blushed and looked away.
"I want to know what's under that headband." Sessho-maru said pointedly, causing Yuugao to put her hand to her head on reflex. She glowered and removed her hand.
"It's none of your business," she said, distempered. She fell back a step as she found Sessho-maru towering over her.
"I'm sure there's something there." Yuugao threw her hands protectively in front of her face as Sessho-maru reached out with one hand. Her forearms began to glow with a faint red light, forcing Sessho-maru back. He tried one last time, but as he reached out, his hand suddenly caught on fire. Pulling it back, the youkai watched the blaze on his hand slowly burn out. He turned his head carefully to look at Yuugao, who was panting.
"I'm sorry_ but never do that again," she threatened, lowering her arms. Sessho-maru nodded cautiously, taking care not to wake Rin.