It had been a fortnight since the nasty wolf incident, and Rin was
still dumbfounded. What do you get a Youkai who has everything? She first
considered picking him some pretty flowers, but she did that anyway. And
she was pretty sure Youkai didn't like dollies...the male ones anyway. She
had considered sewing him something, but she found this difficult since she
had never learned to sew. In those short two weeks, she had realized she
had no talents. It was rather depressing.
"Pay attention, brat!"
"....huh?" Rin blinked, being jarred out of her reverie.
"Give me a damn answer!"
"an...swer?"
"Hou! Why do I even bother?!"
"Gomen, Jaken-sama-"
"Bah! Silence!" Jaken huffed and stomped off somewhere to gripe to some poor unsuspecting bug or lizard.
'Great.' she thought. 'I'm in a pickle....Traveling with two Youkai who are angry with me. Not very smart, Rin.' Rin rolled to her feet from her roost on the grass and strolled over to the snoozing Ah-Un. She plucked a shiny red apple out of a saddlebag and rolled it between her hands thoughtfully.
"Well...Ah-Un doesn't hate Rin. So only two of Rin's three Youkai are angry with her."
Un lifted his head groggily, smelling a tasty treat. "Arrr?"
Rin smiled at him and tossed the apple, which he caught deftly. "But....is Ah-Un really a Youkai?"
That question had never graced her thoughts before. It was true; Ah-Un reminded her more of a....dragon. But why? She patted Un's cheek, who grunted in thanks before laying back down. Plopping down in front of the beast, she looked him over carefully. Ah-Un -had- to be a Youkai, right? That's all Sesshoumaru-sama associated with....
//Flashback//
"Akaasan, it's scary here!"
"Shush, child. Just stay with me."
The four-year-old Rin consented, not planning to stray in this dark, icky cave.
They kept their quick pace for another five minutes before the narrow path opened out into a grand cavern. Scarlet velvet draped from the high walls, and blazing brass torches were mounted every ten feet. The floor appeared glasslike, but upon further inspection, the child noticed it was very highly polished stone. Still pretty though.
Chinese pillows were scattered abroad, alone with various precious stones and gold. But out of all of these things, the most beautiful thing was the slumbering creature in the center of the room.
Sleek scarlet scales adorned its smooth hide, right up to the tip of its long muzzle. It's lengthy tail was curled around it's short, muscular hindquarters, while it's long, slender neck was curled about it's front legs. A beautiful creature indeed.
"Master."
Rin gasped at the sudden sound of her mother's voice; it had cut through the silence in the cavern like a katana. She turned her confused brown eyes to the beast when it began to make a noise. The sound was cat-like, a purring in the back of it's throat. It opened one blood-coloured eye to analyze the two females before it. It did this in silence for a few moments before raising it's head and speaking in a deep, masculine voice. "What is it, Hinoto, that you disturb my slumber?"
Hinoto bowed deeply, her raven locks gracing the floor. "My apologies, m'lord." she stood and waved a hand in Rin's direction. "This is my daughter. She is to be the next miko, or sacrifice, whichever you see fit."
He nodded slightly and turned his gaze to Rin. Rin gulped.
"Your name?"
"Huh?"
The creature growled low in the back of his throat, narrowing his eyes dangerously. This took away the remnants of the child's teetering courage. She broke out into loud, hiccuping sobs.
"RIN!"
Her mother's reprimanding voice didn't help her at all, if anything, she wailed louder.
"B-but akaasan! Rin is scared! He's growling at Rin!"
"Thank you."
"Huh?" Rin blinked through her tears, confused at the beast's words.
"Thank you."
"For...thank you for what?"
"I asked you your name, child. You just gave it to me. Thank you." He grinned broadly, showing off his rows of sharp, ivory teeth. But this fearful sight seemed to be like happy times compared to the growling for the child. She smiled and wiped her eyes off on her sleeve, then bowed quickly, her bouncy locks flopping over her head. "You're welcome, creature- sama!"
Both of her elders looked at her oddly when she resumed to standing.
"What?"
Hinoto rubbed her left temple, her eyes closed in worked patience. "Rin, Long Huang-di-sama is a dragon."
"THE dragon, Hinoto."
"My deepest apologies, m'lord."
Rin looked thoughtful for a moment, then repeated the funny word.
"Dragon?"
"Yes, dear."
The child soundlessly mouthed the word a few times, then pointed a chubby finger at Long Huang-di.
"Dragon?"
"Yes."
She broke into a wide grin, bouncing on the spot. "Dragon! Dragon dragon! Not Creature-sama, Dragon-sama! Dragon dragon dragon!"
Hinoto covered her face in her hands, half-embarrassed for Rin's behavior, and half afraid her master was going to gobble the child up then and there for her insolence. Instead, he just lowered his head back to the ground and nudged the hyper child with the end of his muzzle.
"Iyaaaaaa! That tickles."
"It does, does it?" He nudged her upwards, like one who tosses a small child into the air playfully. Just...with a muzzle instead of arms. She giggled happily, liking the little game. He finally caught the back of her kimono with his teeth, lowering her gently to the ground. "How many summers are you, child?"
"Rin is four!" she held up four fingers for extra emphasis.
"Ah...I see. I look forward to seeing how you turn out."
"So she is to be a miko, m'lord?" Hinoto asked quietly as the scarlet beast curled back up into his original position.
"Of course. There are uglier children I can eat."
She smiled softly. "Of course, m'lord."
"You are excused."
"Hai." Hinoto took hold of Rin's arm and pulled her back down the path, with Rin's only resistance was her turned and waving wildly at her new friend. "Ja neeeeeeeee, Dragon-sama!"
//End Flashback//
Rin tilted her head to one side, scrutinizing the creature before her. Ah-Un had a long neck and tail, but the legs were wrong. Maybe he -was- a Youkai afterall. Was she -wanting- Ah-Un to be a dragon? Was-
"Rin."
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin turned her head around in his direction.
"You're ba-" Flump. Blink. Rin pulled the cloth off of her head and held it out at arms length for inspection. It had sleeves....
"Iyaaaaa! Sesshoumaru-sama! Arigatou!!" Rin hugged the new garment to her body, giggling happily. The kimono was a deep blue, with, ironically enough at her standpoint, a scarlet dragon design weaving his way from the skirt hem to his head on the shoulder.
Sesshoumaru nodded slightly, strolling towards Ah-Un.
"That wasn't the intent of my visit, however, she said you were due a new one." He barked at Ah-Un to rouse, "If the Weaver wasn't so anal about the appearance of her garments, you would not be holding that in your hands right now."
"....oh...."
"Well? Go change. You're wasting time."
"Hai."
Rin trudged into the woods, gazing at the garment with watered down enthusiasm.
"Sesshoumaru-sama is still angry with Rin....damn it." Rin paused abruptly in her stride, covering her mouth as if she had just uttered the worst word in the world. She took a small, dainty step forehead; surely Sesshoumaru- sama wouldn't have-
"Rin."
She cringed visibly, feeling the ominous presence behind her.
"Um...hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
She looked up into the perturbed face of her master.
"What did I tell you about swearing?"
"Umm...that Rin's not supposed to, and that it's a bad habit to start?"
"So why did you do it?"
"Gomen Sesshoumaru-sama, it slipped, I promise! Jaken-sama swears at me all the time, so it seems like a normal thing!"
He raised one ivory brow. "Jaken?"
"Hai! He scolds Rin when she doesn't pay attention in Jaken-sama's lessons. I don't mean to, he's just really boring sometimes."
Sesshoumaru nodded lightly and turned, walking back to the clearing.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, is Rin in trouble?"
"No. Jaken is."
"'Kay!" She bounded off to change, her good mood picking back up.
**
Rin trudged back into the small clearing. Sesshoumaru was already atop Ah-Un, and Jaken was scrambling up the beast's side(and she noticed he was doing this with difficulty due to a severe black eye and what appeared to be a broken wrist). She jogged over and bowed low, her hair flopping over her head just as it had done when she was little. She spoke quietly, still sensing that Sesshoumaru-sama was a bit miffed with her.
"The kimono fits very well. Please give Weaver-sama my thanks."
With that, she clambered up and sat down behind the Taiyoukai, leaning against his armored back. With that, they set off.
**
About an hour later, Rin couldn't stop yawning. She was getting another "Weak spell" as she called them. She hated it.. Being exhausted over nothing, the constant dull ache in her heart, and -especially- hated it when her heart decided to flare up into that blinding white-hot pain. She hated that because it made Sesshoumaru-sama angry with her.. But what could she do? Her akaasan had warned her. It would hurt and hurt and hurt until she died. She had chose to stay. But now.. maybe..she could stay with Sesshoumaru-sama..but still get her heart "purified". She wondered briefly what her mother meant by "Your heart will guide you to him." How was her heart supposed to give her directions? She squinted her eyes tight, trying to remember her brief life close to the dragon. It was close to mountains, and there was a whole village..but it was a dead village. Only her and her family had lived there. They were traveling in another part of the country when the others were killed. But remembering mountains alone wouldn't help, there were mountain ranges all over Japan! The child shrugged, yawning loudly. She'd think about this later. She curled her knees up under her chin, nuzzling the soft fabric of the new kimono. She gazed at the scarlet scales of dragon under her eyes, speaking softly.
"Looks just like Long Huang-di.."
She felt the figure behind her stiffen momentarily, but it was gone as fast as it came. Perhaps it was her imagination.
**
'Looks just like Long Huang-di' replayed in Sesshoumaru's mind after the child took to slumbering. Well, it confirmed his thoughts of her having actually met the dragon.
//Flashback//
"Spider! This Sesshoumaru wishes to speak with you."
The eight-legged seamstress poked her head out from the back room, blinking in confusion at the sudden intruder in her home.
"Sesshoumaru-sama? What brings you here? Not another tag-a-long I hope- Joking, joking!" she added when she noticed the red tint in his eyes at her last comment. "My goodness! Where did your sleeve go? Give me that, dear, I'll put another one on there for you. Really, I don't know what you do to rip your poor haori to pieces."
Sesshoumaru glanced down at the empty hole in his haori before shrugging it off and handing it to the tutting spider. That hadn't been the intent of his visit, however, it didn't hurt to kill two toads with one stone.
"That wasn't the intent of my visit, woman. I wish to know of someone."
The spider turned from her work with a wide toothy grin.
"Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama! You came to just the right place, you know! Who do you want to know about? I've heard all sorts of things lately! Oh, by the way, the latest on the grapevine in the Inu Youkai world has it, that Fujiko-you know her, your second cousin, I think?-ANYway, I heard she just became mated to a Neko Youkai! Can you -believe- it?! A dog and cat! It's just not -right-!! Oh, and one named Minoru, I don't think you're related to him, he.."
One of Sesshoumaru's elegant eyebrows twitched irritably at the rambling weaver. 'What does this spider think, that we Inu Youkai are a bunch of inbred fools?'
She went on for a few more seconds before he finally stopped her.
"SPIDER!"
"And he-nani?"
"I did not come here to listen to your silly gossip. I wish to know if you've heard of one called Long Huang-di."
The weaver clicked her feet against the floor and mumbled to herself, as if searching folders in her memory.
"Long Huang-di.that's Chinese. "Long" means "Dragon". Huang-di is.."emperor", I believe. Yes, that's correct, Emperor Dragon. The Emperor Dragon.ah, yes! I know of him. The local dragons refer to him as the "Father". All dragons are descended from him. I believe he's living in Japan right now, too. Ah, that's right, in the Southern Lands. He sleeps most of the time, I suppose out of boredom. He used to have a whole legion of Mikos and Bouzus that served him, but I believe they all died out in the last hundred years. Partly due to him taking a sacrificial child from among them every five years. I guess the fool thought humans multiplied like bunnies. I'm not quite sure what he looks like, unfortunately. But I know he is extremely powerful. Looks upon all us Youkai as if we're mere insects. Insects! BUGS!" The weaver threw her two front legs into the air, twittering angrily. "I don't see how one who sleeps so much could have an ounce of power. ANYway, that is all I know. Oh, by the way, how is that little human of yours doing? I suspect she needs a new outfit by now. Human children grow like weeds, you know! How about a kimono this time instead of a yukata? They're just as durable, and any little girl would love to feel like a princess in a genuine kimono. Made better than the human emperor's clothes, I guarantee you! I'll get right to it!" She handed Sesshoumaru back his haori, which appeared good as new, as if it had never been worn before. She had to admit, she had talent..despite her wasted energies in gossip.
//End Flashback//
So that was that. If he was to get rid of this menace, he would have to not only leave his territory unguarded, but he would have to travel in the opposite direction of Naraku.
'Naraku..'
His temper flared at this, his eyes burning crimson. Would he really be willing to leave that scumbag in the hands of the hanyou? To chase after a silly dragon for a -human-?
"Sesshoumaru-sama.."
The crimson drained from the Youkai's eyes as he glanced over his shoulder at the slumbering child. She was frowning about something, mumbling quietly.
"Just a little rest, Sesshoumaru-sama?..Rin'll feel better soon, I promise..onegai.."
She scrunched her face up for a moment, before it fell slack as her dream shifted to another plot. He would go..go for her. Sesshoumaru growled in his throat as he listened to himself. This was nonsense..utter nonsense. But then again..if he had to wake up one more night to her anguished screaming, -he- would certainly go mad. A pup should not suffer that way, and no one has the right to make one.
"..Ah-Un."
The beast stopped and both head swiveled to look at their master. He had never addressed them by Rin's pet name before.
"Fly due south. I have matters to attend to in that direction."
Ah-Un blinked in unison, both clearly confused. North, now south? They took the air immediately, flipping around in the indicated direction.
'Brother..do -not- let that hanyou slip through your unworthy fingers. I won't be there to kill him for you.'
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
YAY!!!!!! I'm sooooooooo sorry I didn't update all summer!!!!!!!! I've had this chapter written since May or earlier, but I just didn't feel like typing it all up. x_x It's a real pain. Thank you to everyone who kept reviewing!!!! I try my best. I wouldn't have typed it up and I hadn't of kept getting random reviews, urging me on. ^^;;; I noticed that some of my terms aren't being very consistent through the chapters, like referring the Sesshoumaru's fluffy thing as a pelt and a tail. I'll pay more attention from now on. Oh, and to one of the reviewers..I highly doubt Inuyasha-gumi will even make an appearance in this fic, so no, no Sesshoumaru and Kagome pairing. Besides, I hate that couple. -_-()
And I apologize, too, for the lack of plot movement in this chapter. I'll try harder next time. Oh yes, I can't forget!!!! Weaver-san the spider belongs to EvilAsianGenius, and you can find her fic "A New Kimono For Rin" alll over the net. So just look for it. ( VERY good!!! Go look! Now! You're done with my fic! So review, and go find hers!
And thank you Penguin for correcting my grammatical and spelling errors. (
~Kibi
"Pay attention, brat!"
"....huh?" Rin blinked, being jarred out of her reverie.
"Give me a damn answer!"
"an...swer?"
"Hou! Why do I even bother?!"
"Gomen, Jaken-sama-"
"Bah! Silence!" Jaken huffed and stomped off somewhere to gripe to some poor unsuspecting bug or lizard.
'Great.' she thought. 'I'm in a pickle....Traveling with two Youkai who are angry with me. Not very smart, Rin.' Rin rolled to her feet from her roost on the grass and strolled over to the snoozing Ah-Un. She plucked a shiny red apple out of a saddlebag and rolled it between her hands thoughtfully.
"Well...Ah-Un doesn't hate Rin. So only two of Rin's three Youkai are angry with her."
Un lifted his head groggily, smelling a tasty treat. "Arrr?"
Rin smiled at him and tossed the apple, which he caught deftly. "But....is Ah-Un really a Youkai?"
That question had never graced her thoughts before. It was true; Ah-Un reminded her more of a....dragon. But why? She patted Un's cheek, who grunted in thanks before laying back down. Plopping down in front of the beast, she looked him over carefully. Ah-Un -had- to be a Youkai, right? That's all Sesshoumaru-sama associated with....
//Flashback//
"Akaasan, it's scary here!"
"Shush, child. Just stay with me."
The four-year-old Rin consented, not planning to stray in this dark, icky cave.
They kept their quick pace for another five minutes before the narrow path opened out into a grand cavern. Scarlet velvet draped from the high walls, and blazing brass torches were mounted every ten feet. The floor appeared glasslike, but upon further inspection, the child noticed it was very highly polished stone. Still pretty though.
Chinese pillows were scattered abroad, alone with various precious stones and gold. But out of all of these things, the most beautiful thing was the slumbering creature in the center of the room.
Sleek scarlet scales adorned its smooth hide, right up to the tip of its long muzzle. It's lengthy tail was curled around it's short, muscular hindquarters, while it's long, slender neck was curled about it's front legs. A beautiful creature indeed.
"Master."
Rin gasped at the sudden sound of her mother's voice; it had cut through the silence in the cavern like a katana. She turned her confused brown eyes to the beast when it began to make a noise. The sound was cat-like, a purring in the back of it's throat. It opened one blood-coloured eye to analyze the two females before it. It did this in silence for a few moments before raising it's head and speaking in a deep, masculine voice. "What is it, Hinoto, that you disturb my slumber?"
Hinoto bowed deeply, her raven locks gracing the floor. "My apologies, m'lord." she stood and waved a hand in Rin's direction. "This is my daughter. She is to be the next miko, or sacrifice, whichever you see fit."
He nodded slightly and turned his gaze to Rin. Rin gulped.
"Your name?"
"Huh?"
The creature growled low in the back of his throat, narrowing his eyes dangerously. This took away the remnants of the child's teetering courage. She broke out into loud, hiccuping sobs.
"RIN!"
Her mother's reprimanding voice didn't help her at all, if anything, she wailed louder.
"B-but akaasan! Rin is scared! He's growling at Rin!"
"Thank you."
"Huh?" Rin blinked through her tears, confused at the beast's words.
"Thank you."
"For...thank you for what?"
"I asked you your name, child. You just gave it to me. Thank you." He grinned broadly, showing off his rows of sharp, ivory teeth. But this fearful sight seemed to be like happy times compared to the growling for the child. She smiled and wiped her eyes off on her sleeve, then bowed quickly, her bouncy locks flopping over her head. "You're welcome, creature- sama!"
Both of her elders looked at her oddly when she resumed to standing.
"What?"
Hinoto rubbed her left temple, her eyes closed in worked patience. "Rin, Long Huang-di-sama is a dragon."
"THE dragon, Hinoto."
"My deepest apologies, m'lord."
Rin looked thoughtful for a moment, then repeated the funny word.
"Dragon?"
"Yes, dear."
The child soundlessly mouthed the word a few times, then pointed a chubby finger at Long Huang-di.
"Dragon?"
"Yes."
She broke into a wide grin, bouncing on the spot. "Dragon! Dragon dragon! Not Creature-sama, Dragon-sama! Dragon dragon dragon!"
Hinoto covered her face in her hands, half-embarrassed for Rin's behavior, and half afraid her master was going to gobble the child up then and there for her insolence. Instead, he just lowered his head back to the ground and nudged the hyper child with the end of his muzzle.
"Iyaaaaaa! That tickles."
"It does, does it?" He nudged her upwards, like one who tosses a small child into the air playfully. Just...with a muzzle instead of arms. She giggled happily, liking the little game. He finally caught the back of her kimono with his teeth, lowering her gently to the ground. "How many summers are you, child?"
"Rin is four!" she held up four fingers for extra emphasis.
"Ah...I see. I look forward to seeing how you turn out."
"So she is to be a miko, m'lord?" Hinoto asked quietly as the scarlet beast curled back up into his original position.
"Of course. There are uglier children I can eat."
She smiled softly. "Of course, m'lord."
"You are excused."
"Hai." Hinoto took hold of Rin's arm and pulled her back down the path, with Rin's only resistance was her turned and waving wildly at her new friend. "Ja neeeeeeeee, Dragon-sama!"
//End Flashback//
Rin tilted her head to one side, scrutinizing the creature before her. Ah-Un had a long neck and tail, but the legs were wrong. Maybe he -was- a Youkai afterall. Was she -wanting- Ah-Un to be a dragon? Was-
"Rin."
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin turned her head around in his direction.
"You're ba-" Flump. Blink. Rin pulled the cloth off of her head and held it out at arms length for inspection. It had sleeves....
"Iyaaaaa! Sesshoumaru-sama! Arigatou!!" Rin hugged the new garment to her body, giggling happily. The kimono was a deep blue, with, ironically enough at her standpoint, a scarlet dragon design weaving his way from the skirt hem to his head on the shoulder.
Sesshoumaru nodded slightly, strolling towards Ah-Un.
"That wasn't the intent of my visit, however, she said you were due a new one." He barked at Ah-Un to rouse, "If the Weaver wasn't so anal about the appearance of her garments, you would not be holding that in your hands right now."
"....oh...."
"Well? Go change. You're wasting time."
"Hai."
Rin trudged into the woods, gazing at the garment with watered down enthusiasm.
"Sesshoumaru-sama is still angry with Rin....damn it." Rin paused abruptly in her stride, covering her mouth as if she had just uttered the worst word in the world. She took a small, dainty step forehead; surely Sesshoumaru- sama wouldn't have-
"Rin."
She cringed visibly, feeling the ominous presence behind her.
"Um...hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
She looked up into the perturbed face of her master.
"What did I tell you about swearing?"
"Umm...that Rin's not supposed to, and that it's a bad habit to start?"
"So why did you do it?"
"Gomen Sesshoumaru-sama, it slipped, I promise! Jaken-sama swears at me all the time, so it seems like a normal thing!"
He raised one ivory brow. "Jaken?"
"Hai! He scolds Rin when she doesn't pay attention in Jaken-sama's lessons. I don't mean to, he's just really boring sometimes."
Sesshoumaru nodded lightly and turned, walking back to the clearing.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, is Rin in trouble?"
"No. Jaken is."
"'Kay!" She bounded off to change, her good mood picking back up.
**
Rin trudged back into the small clearing. Sesshoumaru was already atop Ah-Un, and Jaken was scrambling up the beast's side(and she noticed he was doing this with difficulty due to a severe black eye and what appeared to be a broken wrist). She jogged over and bowed low, her hair flopping over her head just as it had done when she was little. She spoke quietly, still sensing that Sesshoumaru-sama was a bit miffed with her.
"The kimono fits very well. Please give Weaver-sama my thanks."
With that, she clambered up and sat down behind the Taiyoukai, leaning against his armored back. With that, they set off.
**
About an hour later, Rin couldn't stop yawning. She was getting another "Weak spell" as she called them. She hated it.. Being exhausted over nothing, the constant dull ache in her heart, and -especially- hated it when her heart decided to flare up into that blinding white-hot pain. She hated that because it made Sesshoumaru-sama angry with her.. But what could she do? Her akaasan had warned her. It would hurt and hurt and hurt until she died. She had chose to stay. But now.. maybe..she could stay with Sesshoumaru-sama..but still get her heart "purified". She wondered briefly what her mother meant by "Your heart will guide you to him." How was her heart supposed to give her directions? She squinted her eyes tight, trying to remember her brief life close to the dragon. It was close to mountains, and there was a whole village..but it was a dead village. Only her and her family had lived there. They were traveling in another part of the country when the others were killed. But remembering mountains alone wouldn't help, there were mountain ranges all over Japan! The child shrugged, yawning loudly. She'd think about this later. She curled her knees up under her chin, nuzzling the soft fabric of the new kimono. She gazed at the scarlet scales of dragon under her eyes, speaking softly.
"Looks just like Long Huang-di.."
She felt the figure behind her stiffen momentarily, but it was gone as fast as it came. Perhaps it was her imagination.
**
'Looks just like Long Huang-di' replayed in Sesshoumaru's mind after the child took to slumbering. Well, it confirmed his thoughts of her having actually met the dragon.
//Flashback//
"Spider! This Sesshoumaru wishes to speak with you."
The eight-legged seamstress poked her head out from the back room, blinking in confusion at the sudden intruder in her home.
"Sesshoumaru-sama? What brings you here? Not another tag-a-long I hope- Joking, joking!" she added when she noticed the red tint in his eyes at her last comment. "My goodness! Where did your sleeve go? Give me that, dear, I'll put another one on there for you. Really, I don't know what you do to rip your poor haori to pieces."
Sesshoumaru glanced down at the empty hole in his haori before shrugging it off and handing it to the tutting spider. That hadn't been the intent of his visit, however, it didn't hurt to kill two toads with one stone.
"That wasn't the intent of my visit, woman. I wish to know of someone."
The spider turned from her work with a wide toothy grin.
"Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama! You came to just the right place, you know! Who do you want to know about? I've heard all sorts of things lately! Oh, by the way, the latest on the grapevine in the Inu Youkai world has it, that Fujiko-you know her, your second cousin, I think?-ANYway, I heard she just became mated to a Neko Youkai! Can you -believe- it?! A dog and cat! It's just not -right-!! Oh, and one named Minoru, I don't think you're related to him, he.."
One of Sesshoumaru's elegant eyebrows twitched irritably at the rambling weaver. 'What does this spider think, that we Inu Youkai are a bunch of inbred fools?'
She went on for a few more seconds before he finally stopped her.
"SPIDER!"
"And he-nani?"
"I did not come here to listen to your silly gossip. I wish to know if you've heard of one called Long Huang-di."
The weaver clicked her feet against the floor and mumbled to herself, as if searching folders in her memory.
"Long Huang-di.that's Chinese. "Long" means "Dragon". Huang-di is.."emperor", I believe. Yes, that's correct, Emperor Dragon. The Emperor Dragon.ah, yes! I know of him. The local dragons refer to him as the "Father". All dragons are descended from him. I believe he's living in Japan right now, too. Ah, that's right, in the Southern Lands. He sleeps most of the time, I suppose out of boredom. He used to have a whole legion of Mikos and Bouzus that served him, but I believe they all died out in the last hundred years. Partly due to him taking a sacrificial child from among them every five years. I guess the fool thought humans multiplied like bunnies. I'm not quite sure what he looks like, unfortunately. But I know he is extremely powerful. Looks upon all us Youkai as if we're mere insects. Insects! BUGS!" The weaver threw her two front legs into the air, twittering angrily. "I don't see how one who sleeps so much could have an ounce of power. ANYway, that is all I know. Oh, by the way, how is that little human of yours doing? I suspect she needs a new outfit by now. Human children grow like weeds, you know! How about a kimono this time instead of a yukata? They're just as durable, and any little girl would love to feel like a princess in a genuine kimono. Made better than the human emperor's clothes, I guarantee you! I'll get right to it!" She handed Sesshoumaru back his haori, which appeared good as new, as if it had never been worn before. She had to admit, she had talent..despite her wasted energies in gossip.
//End Flashback//
So that was that. If he was to get rid of this menace, he would have to not only leave his territory unguarded, but he would have to travel in the opposite direction of Naraku.
'Naraku..'
His temper flared at this, his eyes burning crimson. Would he really be willing to leave that scumbag in the hands of the hanyou? To chase after a silly dragon for a -human-?
"Sesshoumaru-sama.."
The crimson drained from the Youkai's eyes as he glanced over his shoulder at the slumbering child. She was frowning about something, mumbling quietly.
"Just a little rest, Sesshoumaru-sama?..Rin'll feel better soon, I promise..onegai.."
She scrunched her face up for a moment, before it fell slack as her dream shifted to another plot. He would go..go for her. Sesshoumaru growled in his throat as he listened to himself. This was nonsense..utter nonsense. But then again..if he had to wake up one more night to her anguished screaming, -he- would certainly go mad. A pup should not suffer that way, and no one has the right to make one.
"..Ah-Un."
The beast stopped and both head swiveled to look at their master. He had never addressed them by Rin's pet name before.
"Fly due south. I have matters to attend to in that direction."
Ah-Un blinked in unison, both clearly confused. North, now south? They took the air immediately, flipping around in the indicated direction.
'Brother..do -not- let that hanyou slip through your unworthy fingers. I won't be there to kill him for you.'
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YAY!!!!!! I'm sooooooooo sorry I didn't update all summer!!!!!!!! I've had this chapter written since May or earlier, but I just didn't feel like typing it all up. x_x It's a real pain. Thank you to everyone who kept reviewing!!!! I try my best. I wouldn't have typed it up and I hadn't of kept getting random reviews, urging me on. ^^;;; I noticed that some of my terms aren't being very consistent through the chapters, like referring the Sesshoumaru's fluffy thing as a pelt and a tail. I'll pay more attention from now on. Oh, and to one of the reviewers..I highly doubt Inuyasha-gumi will even make an appearance in this fic, so no, no Sesshoumaru and Kagome pairing. Besides, I hate that couple. -_-()
And I apologize, too, for the lack of plot movement in this chapter. I'll try harder next time. Oh yes, I can't forget!!!! Weaver-san the spider belongs to EvilAsianGenius, and you can find her fic "A New Kimono For Rin" alll over the net. So just look for it. ( VERY good!!! Go look! Now! You're done with my fic! So review, and go find hers!
And thank you Penguin for correcting my grammatical and spelling errors. (
~Kibi