Last note: This whole story is dedicated to my Beta, Celyia. She's
the one who read the first chapter and promptly beat me for more, assuring
me that the story didn't suck, and pointing out inconsitancies I had with
the characters that shouldn't have been in there. I also want to thank
Zanne, who also told me the story didn't suck and supported it from the time
it was simply a seed of an idea that popped into my head two years ago. Let's
just hope I can keep going in the vein that I'm heading. Thanks guys.
^^
Chapter One:
Stirrings of Evil
The distant peal of thunder was a suitable accompaniment to the sound of angrily stomping feet moving through the forest. The stomping was punctuated every other step with a curse of one form or another, and any animals with a single ounce of self preservation in the nearby vicinity had long since fled their shelters for fear of coming under the heated glare of the source of the angry mutterings.
Kagome Higurashi mentally "sat" a certain hanyou with every step she took as she cursed him out loud, "BAKA" being her current favorite word of description. A few birds that hadn't taken flight because fear froze them to their perch wondered how it was the vegetation below them didn't catch fire from the angry heat that rolled off the young woman in waves.
"Inu Yasha no BAKA BAKA BAAAAAKAAAAAAA!!!!!" Kagome suddenly yelled, pausing to turn and toss her complaints back in the direction she had come from. "I was just worried about you! You didn't have to be so insulting over my suggestion that you stay at my house tonight instead of continuing to hunt for Shikon shards!"
Turning once again on her heel, Kagome continued on her way towards the village. If Inu Yasha was going to be such a jerk about the New Moon tonight, then Kagome was going to make him come after her in Kaede's village so that he would at least be somewhere slightly safer than out in the youkai infested forest. Sure, Miroku and Sango were there, as well, but she knew she would sleep easier tonight with Inu Yasha safely ensconced inside.
Personally, Kagome didn't see what was so bad about her suggestion that he return with her to the future. He would be human and she would have been able to show him around the city, maybe even introduce him to the movies. She even had an answer ready in case she ran into one of her friends. Inu Yasha would have been a family friend visiting from out of town. She had been sure that the thought of getting fresh, home made ramen would have enticed him to come with her if nothing else, but nooooo, Inu Yasha nixed that idea in his own "gentle" way. In the process, not only did he anger Kagome, but he also injuring her feelings and made her angry. Glaring at him, Kagome had turned and stalked off, tossing a series of very pissed off sounding "SITS" over her shoulder as Inu Yasha had demanded to know why she was so angry.
Muttering under he breath about insensitive dog demons and how they could be such jackasses, Kagome didn't pay much attention to the shifting light as massive storm clouds began to inch their way across the sky. But a sudden thought caused her to pause in midstep as a shadow seemed to pass over her eyes, dimming their brightness.
"I bet if it had been Kikyou that had suggested Inu Yasha go back with me, he would have done it. Why did it have to turn out like this?" she thought, an image of Inu Yasha and Kikyou holding onto each other rising up out of the depths of her memory. "It's been a month since then, and yet . . . I can't shake the pain of that image and the words that accompanied it from my mind."
She bit the inside of her lip as Inu Yasha's words to Kikyou rang once again in her mind. "But . . . . if you're attacked again just like now . . . . who will protect you?! I'm the only one who can, aren't I?! I can't take it any longer! I couldn't stand it even if . . . that measly Naraku sees you, or hears your voice. To say nothing of how I'd feel if I lost you again!"
Kagome stifled a sob. Even though they had talked about what had happened and Kagome claimed that all she wanted was to be near Inu Yasha, she still felt as if a part of her heart were constantly being torn open to bleed all over again. Every time Inu Yasha looked off in the distance, she knew he was imagining Kikyou in his mind, and there were times when she caught him looking at her with that same far off expression on his face, as if he were remembering days long gone by. And, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew those days were most likely the ones that took place before Naraku was born.
"Oh stop it, Kagome!" she scolded herself as she dashed the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "You made your bed and now it's time to lay in it."
With that back bracing thought, Kagome once again began to make her way towards the village, but a slight sound behind her caused her to pause and look back, wondering if Inu Yasha were already coming after her. Instead of the pissy dog demon, though, she was greeted with a sight that caused her to smile despite her unhappy thoughts. Shippou was walking towards her, a look of utter concentration on his face as he balanced Kagome's oversized camping bag over his head. Kagome was taken aback for a second at the thought of such a young child carrying her monstrous bag, but then she reminded herself that, even though Shippou was a child, he was still a youkai.
"What are you doing, Shippou-chan?" Kagome asked, moving the last few feet to Shippou and taking her bag from him.
"I thought you might want this, and I was getting tired of watching Miroku pound on Inu Yasha with his staff," Shippou replied, hopping up to Kagome's unoccupied shoulder.
"Miroku-sama's doing what?" Kagome asked as she began to walk again, suppressing an evil grin of glee at the mental picture Shippou's next words brought to mind.
"Oh, Miroku was pounding Inu Yasha in the head with his staff while yelling at him that you were just worried about him and that Inu Yasha needed to learn more manners where women were concerned."
Kagome snickered slightly, then noticed the fact that the wind had started to pick up. She glanced up at the sky, only now noticing the dark, steel gray clouds that were beginning to race across the clear cerulean blue as if they were trying to see which one was the faster. Shippou had also noticed the increasing darkness, and worriedly suggested that they hurry and return to the village before the storm broke. Kagome sighed, certain that they wouldn't make it in time. If only she had her bike, but because they hadn't been that far from the village when she had sensed, and Inu Yasha collected, another Shikon Shard, Kagome had elected to leave it behind for once. With a resigned sigh, she quickened her pace and hoped that the forest would soon open up to the irrigation river that ran alongside Kaede's village. If this storm generated a lot of lightning, Kagome knew being under trees was the last place she and Shippou wanted to be.
*******
"Hurry up, girl, we need to return to Sesshoumaru-sama before this storm breaks!" Jaken scolded a little girl of about six as she skipped along the high bank of the river that ran along side a small village just outside of a large forest. Jaken knew that the fastest way to get Rin to move was mentioning Sesshoumaru, and he wasn't about to tell her that the main reason he wanted to be away from this particular forest was because he could smell Sesshoumaru's infernal little brother, Inu Yasha, upon the air. The scent was faint but it was unmistakable, and Jaken knew that it wouldn't go well if he were discovered by the hanyou.
"Jaken-sama," Rin called, skipping faster to catch up with the retainer, "Should Rin have brought some of the melons back for Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"Fool," Jaken sneered at the oblivious little girl, "Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't concern himself with human food."
"Oh yeah, he didn't like it when Rin first found him," Rin mused aloud. For a moment she looked downcast, but then her usual sunny disposition reappeared and she brightened. With a six-year-old's philosophical shrug, Rin dismissed the thought from her mind. With a smile, she skipped ahead of Jaken along the raised area of the river bank, knowing that Jaken was right. They DID need to get to Sesshoumaru before the storm broke.
Kushinadaaaa....…
Rin paused mid-step, frowning slightly as the dark whisper seemed to pass through her very soul. She glanced back at Jaken, her brow furrowed. No, the toad demon couldn't have been the cause of the icy dread that ran down her spine. In her childish innocence, Rin knew that, despite all his muttered threats and the way he sometimes treated her, deep down Jaken didn't wish any harm to come to her. He never came out and said so, but she could tell by the way he watched out for her welfare, even when Sesshoumaru was with them, that the old retainer had come to care for her.
"What are you waiting for, girl?" Jaken demanded, and Rin grinned at him.
"Nothing," she said cheerfully, and began to skip ahead again. A few steps in front of her, the ground suddenly shifted as a large root lifted itself out of the dirt and formed a small hump directly in the path of the little girl's foot. A loud clap of thunder ripped through the sky just as Rin tripped over the upraised root, and the startled motion she made in response to the noise sent her already off balanced body tumbling sidewise down the steep embankment, where she landed with a splash in the river. Jaken blinked. One moment Rin had been in front of him, the next she was sitting in the water wailing about how Sesshoumaru-sama was going to be upset that she had ruined her kimono. Jaken stood at the top of the rise, staring down at her balefully.
"You're not usually this clumsy," he sneered, his worry over the child's welfare eased by her rather loud protesting.
"Rin's NOT clumsy! The ground tripped Rin on PURPOSE!" she yelled, gaining her feet and glaring up at the toad demon.
"The ground does not trip you on purpose," Jaken sneered. "You trip on the ground."
"But it DID!" the little girl insisted, stamping her foot wetly for emphasis.
Jaken was about to reply when his ears caught a strange sound from up river. He glanced up at the sky which was rapidly turning an angry blue black, and watched as the clouds streaked by . . . heading down river. Which meant that it had been raining, and by the looks of things very heavily, further up river. This led to one very important realization. Rin was in danger.
"Rin, get out of the water!" Jaken called, making his way hastily down the bank towards the startled little girl. Rin stared at him, and scrambled to obey, knowing that Jaken only used her name when there was danger nearby. The hunk of earth she had grabbed a hold of in an effort to clamber onto the river bank gave way beneath her, and she fell back into the water.
"RIN!" Jaken yelled, staring up river from where she lay slightly stunned in the shallows near the bank. Rin lifted her head, vaguely aware of the sound of rushing water coming closer. She turned to look in the direction that Jaken was staring, and blanched when she saw the small wall of water that was racing towards. She tried to scramble madly onto the bank, but the water suddenly surged and rose beneath her, swamping her attempts to grab something to save herself, and quickly overwhelmed her. Jaken watched in helpless horror as Rin's dark head vanished beneath the surface of the river as the flash flood waters continued their rampage along the bank, sweeping the frightened little girl with them. Jaken found himself having to scramble back from the crumbling bank as the rushing water seemed to rear up out of its banks and reach for him, coming close to dragging him down into those murky depths alongside Rin.
Regaining his footing, Jaken desperately ran along the bank in an effort to keep up with Rin, but the toad demon quickly tired and had to stop, bending over double and wheezing in an effort to regain his breath. In the process, he lost sight of the small, dark head that the water had claimed. How was he going to tell Sesshoumaru-sama that Rin . . . that Rin . . . .
A shadow suddenly fell over Jaken, and his entire body froze as a familiar aura assaulted his senses. His eyes bulging more than usual with fear, Jaken slowly turned around and faced his lord. Sesshoumaru stood staring down at him, looking as if he had been conjured up from the depths of the retainers fears. He didn't say anything, he never needed to.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken wailed, throwing himself at the youkai lord's feet. "Rin, she! The water . . . " At a loss for words, he gestured downstream. Sesshoumaru turned and gazed downstream. He had been aware of the heavy rainfall further upstream, the sudden influx of water into the creeks and streams that fed the larger river creating a dangerous situation for anyone that got too close. He had known that Rin and Jaken would be heading along this particular bank, and though he'd never admit it, even to himself, he had set out to meet up with them to keep them out of danger. Now Rin had been swept away, and he had been powerless to prevent it. With a growl so soft you would have needed special equipment to hear it, Sesshoumaru walked past Jaken and headed downstream. Jaken scurried after him, not noticing, or for once being too smart to comment on, the fact that his master was moving much faster than his usual casual stroll.
**********
Kagome sneezed, then sniffled, thankful that she and Shippou had finally cleared the cover of the trees. Above, the clouds continued to roll and boil together, now fighting for domination amidst the sounds of thunder as opposed to simply racing the sun. Thankfully, she'd yet to see any lightning accompany the thunder, which eased her mind because now that she and Shippou were out in the open, they were the largest targets for a potential lightning strike.
She sneezed again, and had another reason to be thankful they were out in the open. It meant that Kaede's village wasn't too far now, and Kagome had started to feel a little feverish further back in the forest. She hoped it was just a cold and nothing serious, like the flu, because that could knock her out of commission for at least two days. Maybe more, depending on the severity of the illness, and she just did not want to deal with Inu Yasha's complaints anymore than what she already dealt with on a daily basis. She could just hear him, "Sick? What do you mean, sick, bitch?! Stop acting, we have to gather the shards before Naraku does! So get off your ass and come on!" Kagome rolled her eyes. Inu Yasha certainly did have a way with words, even in her imagination.
"Kagome, are you all right?" Shippou asked, bouncing up onto her shoulder.
"I'm all right, Shippou-chan. Why do you ask?"
"Well, you've been sneezing a lot and your face has gotten a little red," Shippou said, then reached out to gently touch one of her cheeks. "You're hot, Kagome!"
Kagome grimaced and figured that her fever was higher than she thought if her cheeks were hot enough that Shippou was able to pick up on it without doing the standard one hand on the forehead of the sick person, and one hand on their own forehead in order to gauge the difference between their temperatures.
"I guess I'm coming down with a cold, Shippou-chan," Kagome admitted.
"Then we should hurry up and get you back to the village! Kaede-sama can make up a potion for you."
Kagome smiled and picked up her pace a bit, the going much easier now that they had reached the higher bank of the river and were no longer sinking into the softer loam of the forest floor. They were only about two miles from Kaede's village now, the bridge linking one side of the river bank to the other hidden by a bend in the river. If she really strained her eyes, she could catch a glimpse of rooftops between some of the trees that lined the opposite bank.
Shippou suddenly looked over in the river's direction, his eyes narrowed in concentration.
"What is it, Shippou-chan?" Kagome asked.
"It sounds like the river just got faster," Shippou said, sounding confused.
"Doesn't surprise me," Kagome said. "From the direction the clouds are going, I think it's been raining pretty heavily upstream and created a flash flood."
And if that was the case, Kagome was very glad that she and Shippou were higher up on the ground. She didn't want to think about what could happen if either one of them had gotten caught in the rapidly rising water. Flash floods were deadly, sometimes even catching people in their cars and sweeping them off, only to be found days later in strange places.
"Hey, there's someone in the water!" Shippou exclaimed, and Kagome turned in time to see a dark head go under amidst flailing arms and brown churning water. Kagome reacted instantly. She dropped the large bag on the ground and raced towards the bank, pausing only long enough to remove her shoes and socks before she plunged head long into the angry water. She surfaced and looked down stream, where she saw the dark head pop up again and a small, frightened face gulp in air before going under once more. She struck out with strong, sure strokes, going a little to the side of the current. She quickly reached the girl as she bobbed to the surface again, and hooked an arm around her chest, hauling her up against her as she began to swim towards shore. Now she was working against a current that was much more violent than the other time she had plunged into the river to save a child, and she went under herself several times, inhaling and choking on the muddy water. Each time she went under she fought her way back to the surface, knowing that she had to get to the bank or she and the child would die. With that thought, Kagome doubled her efforts, and within a few minutes, though in truth it felt like a few years, she reached the bank and hauled herself and the child out of the water's greedy grasp.
Kagome laid the child on her back, noticing that the little girl's skin tone was the color of chalk, and fought off the urge to panic. She quickly checked for a pulse, found one, and then checked for breathing by leaning her face close the little girl's mouth and nose. No reassuring stream of moist air hit her face, and Kagome fought off a quick hot spurt of pure panic.
"Calm DOWN Kagome!" she ordered herself. "You know what to do!"
With that bracing thought, Kagome tilted the little girl's head back, pinched the tiny nose, and began to administer artificial resuscitation. Come on, she silently urged in-between breathes, Breath! You have to breath! Come on! After a few moments, she was rewarded with a sudden surge of liquid as the little girl began to cough violently. Kagome rolled her to her side, and rubbed her back as the girl expelled the water that had been clogging her lungs and then vomited before dragged in a deep, soggy breath. She simply breathed for a few moments, then slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Kagome, dazed.
"Are you all right?" Kagome asked, watching as the girl's eyes slowly came into focus.
The child nodded, blinking a few times to clear her vision. Kagome smiled in relief, and looked upstream, spotting a familiar large bag making it's way towards her as fast as tiny kitsune feet could carry it. She got to her feet in order to call out to Shippou, and lurched a bit as the world began to spin. As a dark mist began to encroach upon her vision, the last thought Kagome had before collapsing was that she shouldn't have stood up so fast after practically hyperventilating in an effort to get the little girl to breath.
Rin was frightened. She remembered the ground tripping her into the water and being swept away, then it all became a blur of thrashing water and fighting to breath. She had seen the older girl dive into the water and swim towards her, but she couldn't remember anything past the girl's arm enveloping her. All she knew was that her lungs hurt, she was wet, scared, and the young woman that had saved her was now crumpled in a heap upon the ground, her eyes shut. Rin carefully got to her hands and knees and crawled towards the older girl, not really trusting her legs to be able to hold her up if she tried to stand. When she reached her side, she touched the girl's arm, shaking it slightly in an effort to wake her up. There was no response, and Rin was starting to panic when she heard someone come up behind her.
"Kagome!" Shippou cried, dropping the bag and scrambling past Rin to check on Kagome, then sighing with relief when he found her still breathing. He didn't like the fact that he couldn't wake her up, but figured that it would be best to allow her to wake up on her own since she wasn't responding to his tapping her on the face. So he turned his attention to the little girl that had sat back and watched him, her brown eyes curious and a little wary.
"Is that her name?" Rin asked, pointing at Kagome.
"Yeah, her name's Kagome," Shippou said, and added, "And I'm Shippou."
"Rin," the child said, her fascinated eyes staring at Shippou's tail. "How come you have a tail?"
"I'm a kitsune," the fox child said proudly. "All kitsune have tails." He then glanced worriedly up at the sky, noticing that the clouds were even blacker and closer than they had been before. "We gotta wake Kagome up and get to the village before the storm breaks."
"No no no!" Rin exclaimed, "Rin can't go to the village, Rin has to wait here!"
"For your parents?" Shippou asked. "We can ask someone at the village to find them."
"No, Rin has to wait for Sesshoumaru-sama!"
If Shippou had been eating something, he would have choked at that statement. As it was he made a half gurgled strangling sound, and stared at Rin as if she had grown two heads. Sesshoumaru? Inu Yasha's cold hearted older brother, the youkai lord that claimed to hate all humanity?! As Kagome had once asked Inu Yasha, what crack had the little girl smoked? Not that he knew what crack was, and when he had asked Kagome to explain the saying, she had simply said that it was one way they asked another person if they were crazy where she came from.
Before Shippou could do more than gape in amazement, a shadow that had nothing to do with the storm clouds fell over him, and a chill ran down his spine. He didn't have to look to know who stood behind him. Rin gave a cry of joy, scrambled to her feet, lurched and fell to her knees, before gaining her footing and running over to Sesshoumaru. The tall youkai stared down at her impassively, ignoring the sharp sense of relief he felt at finding her unharmed. Wet and soggy maybe, but unharmed non the less. He was not pleased, however, to find her in the company of his little brother's wench and that kitsune brat. From the looks of things, his brother's wench had either gotten caught in some rain, or taken a plunge in the river herself. Whatever the reason, she was as wet as Rin and had passed out for some reason or other that had no bearing on him, so he didn't think about it.
With a nod at Rin, he turned his back on the wench and the cub, and began to walk away. He didn't expect the lack of soft footfalls signaling that Rin wasn't following him, and with a barely noticeable frown of annoyance, he turned once again to the little girl.
"Rin," he said softly, the word ringing with a steel edged command.
"No!" the little girl cried, surprising the youkai. "We can't leave Kagome-neesan like this!"
Sesshoumaru's annoyance flared into slight anger when the little girl returned to the wench's side and once again tried to shake her awake. "Kagome-neesan saved Rin!" the little girl explained, "And now she won't wake up! Something could be wrong!"
Sesshoumaru moved forward and frowned down at the young woman crumpled at his feet. He noted the flushed cheeks and slightly labored breathing, and he picked up on a slight watery sound from her lungs as she drew in air and released it. Not his problem, he thought, and turned once again to leave. He didn't expect the sudden, very loud protestation that arose from his young ward. "NO! RIN WON'T LEAVE KAGOME-NEESAN!"
"Rin-chan!" Shippou cried, shocked out of his fear by Rin's yell. Worry for his new friend had him cautioning, "Don't make him angry, he'll kill you!"
Sesshoumaru's lips twisted in annoyance. Surely the upstart cub didn't think he would hurt Rin. But then, he hadn't given the cub, or anyone else, for that matter, any reason to think otherwise. Which was the way he preferred it, though he didn't want Rin to suddenly become afraid of him because of the kitsune's words.
"Sesshoumaru-sama won't hurt Rin," the little girl said with conviction, then latched onto one of Kagome's arms and once again began to protest leaving her behind. Sesshoumaru fought the urge to press the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, an urge which got stronger when Jaken finally caught up with him. Upon spotting Rin, Inu Yasha's wench, and the kitsune cub, he began to babble about storms, floods, witches and brats. It didn't help that the cub was still trying to convince Rin that it wasn't a good idea to yell at Sesshoumaru, because that was the fastest way to get your throat slashed.
A headache began to throb dully in his left temple, and Sesshoumaru had quickly reached his limit. "Enough," he said, a little louder than his usual tone, but not quite a shout. The effect was still instantaneous, as all three of the conscious shut their mouths and stared up at him. With a sigh, something that he rarely did but that he felt would soon become a habit to him, Sesshoumaru walked towards the unconscious girl. The kitsune growled and made a move as if to protect the young woman from an attack, but Sesshoumaru looked at the cub, letting the child know that he wasn't going to hurt the older girl, but that if he had intended to hurt her, no mere kitsune brat would have stopped him.
Shippou backed off, but he had no intention of being left behind. He watched warily as the youkai lord bent down and carefully maneuvered Kagome into a sitting position against him, worry squirming through his brain as Kagome's head lolled bonelessly onto Sesshoumaru's shoulder, her cheek nestling into the soft fur of his shoulder ornament. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arm around her torso, and used some of his youki to manipulate the dangling part of his shoulder ornament around his waist and up under Kagome's legs. He then rose, cradling Kagome to his chest, the furry decoration acting as the arm he had lost in the battle with Inu Yasha. Kagome's cheek continued to rest on his shoulder, while her legs dangled over the youki enhanced fur, which Sesshoumaru carefully wrapped around her knees in order to keep her from slipping while they traveled. Shippou noticed that the tall youkai was being careful to keep Kagome away from the spikes on his armor, and that observation caused him quite a bit of confusion. Sesshoumaru and gentle just didn't seem to go hand in hand with each other, and yet he was caring for the little girl that was now tugging on Shippou's hand. Jaken was protesting taking Kagome with them, but Sesshoumaru silenced him with a look very similar to the one he had given Shippou.
Rin pulled Shippou with her as she walked up to Sesshoumaru, pausing long enough for Shippou to grab Kagome's bag once again. "She can't leave her bag behind," he explained when Sesshoumaru glanced his way. The youkai lord said nothing, which Shippou took as a sign that meant he was not going to be killed and would be allowed to go with the strange group. He blinked when a soft puffy cloud of youki formed around them all, and they began to rise into the air. Rin giggled and began chattering to him, and deciding that Kagome was in good, albeit unpredictable, hands, Shippou set the bag down and gave his attention to Rin.
Jaken sulked. He had a feeling that taking Inu Yasha's bitch with them was going to bring trouble of some sort. If anything, Inu Yasha was bound to come after them when he discovered the wench missing. Jaken's relatively quiet life had been disrupted once by the arrival of Rin, now it looked like it was going to become utter chaos before things settled down again. He was NOT looking forward to the coming days, and wondered just what his master had been thinking.
Sesshoumaru was currently deep in his own thoughts, most of which were centered on the little girl talking with the kitsune brat, and the young woman that was nestled up against his chest. He couldn't fathom why he had agreed to take the older girl with them. It was bound to be nothing but trouble, yet he couldn't get out of his mind's eye the picture of Rin clutching the girl's arm and yelling about how she had saved her life. Sesshoumaru grudgingly admitted it wouldn't hurt to take the girl with them until she got over whatever ailment kept her silent and still, especially since he had no doubts about the truth of Rin's statement. He had seen the condition both of them had been in, and since it hadn't been raining the only explanation for the soggy state of the young woman's clothing had been a dive into the river. And with the girl came the kitsune cub, but that might not be a bad thing if it kept Rin occupied and out of his way, and from the way the two kids were talking and giggling together, it looked like they were on their way to becoming good friends.
Sesshoumaru easily suppressed a grimace when he felt a slight dampness on his kimono from the dripping girl. If it hadn't been for the fact that Rin had to ride with them on the cloud since they had left the two headed horse dragon behind, he would have gone with his first instinct and left Inu Yasha's wench on the ground and he wouldn't have had to touch her at all. To be honest he was rather surprised that he had taken such care in lifting the young woman and supporting her. That was unlike him, and he pondered the reasoning behind his actions until he came to a conclusion he wasn't happy with. It has to be Rin's fault, he thought to himself, and felt a spurt of alarm, which was, as always, concealed. He decided right then and there that this change in behavior due to the little girl had to stop. Preferably right this minute, with him dropping the young woman in his arms onto the youki cloud they rode on.
There was a slight tug on his kimono, and Sesshoumaru glanced down to find the object of his frustration gazing up at the soggy bundle in his arms with concern written all over her face. Behind her stood the kitsune cub, the determination on his features telling Sesshoumaru that even though the kit knew he was no match for the mighty inu-youkai lord, he would still try to defend Inu Yasha's bitch if Sesshoumaru made a single threatening move. He grit his teeth in frustration. He dismissed the cub from his mind as he posed no threat to he, Sesshoumaru, but Rin . . . A slight frown marred his brow when he realized that he couldn't bring himself to do as his mind was telling him while Rin was present. It wasn't that the thought of the little girl watching as he dropped the soggy mass from his arms to his feet bothered him; rather it was the fact that Rin's protesting such an act would be very uncomfortable for his ears, which would directly result in a larger headache by the time they reached their destination. No, for his literal peace of mind he would be better off getting a little damp around the edges instead of being on the receiving end of one of Rin's ear splitting yells.
Another tug on his hakama, and once again he glanced down at his young ward. When she saw that she had his attention, Rin began to ask questions about the young woman in his arms, and not feeling up to ignoring her Sesshoumaru answered her with short terse replies, Jaken's dark mutterings echoing his own thoughts. This had not been a good idea.
To Be Continued . . .
Glossary:
Baka: Idiot, jerk, imbacile, ect. ^_^
Youkai: Demon
Youki: Demonic energy. For example, Sesshoumaru's whip from the IY anime is created from youki.
These are just rough translations, they're by no means perfect or exact.
Chapter One:
Stirrings of Evil
The distant peal of thunder was a suitable accompaniment to the sound of angrily stomping feet moving through the forest. The stomping was punctuated every other step with a curse of one form or another, and any animals with a single ounce of self preservation in the nearby vicinity had long since fled their shelters for fear of coming under the heated glare of the source of the angry mutterings.
Kagome Higurashi mentally "sat" a certain hanyou with every step she took as she cursed him out loud, "BAKA" being her current favorite word of description. A few birds that hadn't taken flight because fear froze them to their perch wondered how it was the vegetation below them didn't catch fire from the angry heat that rolled off the young woman in waves.
"Inu Yasha no BAKA BAKA BAAAAAKAAAAAAA!!!!!" Kagome suddenly yelled, pausing to turn and toss her complaints back in the direction she had come from. "I was just worried about you! You didn't have to be so insulting over my suggestion that you stay at my house tonight instead of continuing to hunt for Shikon shards!"
Turning once again on her heel, Kagome continued on her way towards the village. If Inu Yasha was going to be such a jerk about the New Moon tonight, then Kagome was going to make him come after her in Kaede's village so that he would at least be somewhere slightly safer than out in the youkai infested forest. Sure, Miroku and Sango were there, as well, but she knew she would sleep easier tonight with Inu Yasha safely ensconced inside.
Personally, Kagome didn't see what was so bad about her suggestion that he return with her to the future. He would be human and she would have been able to show him around the city, maybe even introduce him to the movies. She even had an answer ready in case she ran into one of her friends. Inu Yasha would have been a family friend visiting from out of town. She had been sure that the thought of getting fresh, home made ramen would have enticed him to come with her if nothing else, but nooooo, Inu Yasha nixed that idea in his own "gentle" way. In the process, not only did he anger Kagome, but he also injuring her feelings and made her angry. Glaring at him, Kagome had turned and stalked off, tossing a series of very pissed off sounding "SITS" over her shoulder as Inu Yasha had demanded to know why she was so angry.
Muttering under he breath about insensitive dog demons and how they could be such jackasses, Kagome didn't pay much attention to the shifting light as massive storm clouds began to inch their way across the sky. But a sudden thought caused her to pause in midstep as a shadow seemed to pass over her eyes, dimming their brightness.
"I bet if it had been Kikyou that had suggested Inu Yasha go back with me, he would have done it. Why did it have to turn out like this?" she thought, an image of Inu Yasha and Kikyou holding onto each other rising up out of the depths of her memory. "It's been a month since then, and yet . . . I can't shake the pain of that image and the words that accompanied it from my mind."
She bit the inside of her lip as Inu Yasha's words to Kikyou rang once again in her mind. "But . . . . if you're attacked again just like now . . . . who will protect you?! I'm the only one who can, aren't I?! I can't take it any longer! I couldn't stand it even if . . . that measly Naraku sees you, or hears your voice. To say nothing of how I'd feel if I lost you again!"
Kagome stifled a sob. Even though they had talked about what had happened and Kagome claimed that all she wanted was to be near Inu Yasha, she still felt as if a part of her heart were constantly being torn open to bleed all over again. Every time Inu Yasha looked off in the distance, she knew he was imagining Kikyou in his mind, and there were times when she caught him looking at her with that same far off expression on his face, as if he were remembering days long gone by. And, as much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew those days were most likely the ones that took place before Naraku was born.
"Oh stop it, Kagome!" she scolded herself as she dashed the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "You made your bed and now it's time to lay in it."
With that back bracing thought, Kagome once again began to make her way towards the village, but a slight sound behind her caused her to pause and look back, wondering if Inu Yasha were already coming after her. Instead of the pissy dog demon, though, she was greeted with a sight that caused her to smile despite her unhappy thoughts. Shippou was walking towards her, a look of utter concentration on his face as he balanced Kagome's oversized camping bag over his head. Kagome was taken aback for a second at the thought of such a young child carrying her monstrous bag, but then she reminded herself that, even though Shippou was a child, he was still a youkai.
"What are you doing, Shippou-chan?" Kagome asked, moving the last few feet to Shippou and taking her bag from him.
"I thought you might want this, and I was getting tired of watching Miroku pound on Inu Yasha with his staff," Shippou replied, hopping up to Kagome's unoccupied shoulder.
"Miroku-sama's doing what?" Kagome asked as she began to walk again, suppressing an evil grin of glee at the mental picture Shippou's next words brought to mind.
"Oh, Miroku was pounding Inu Yasha in the head with his staff while yelling at him that you were just worried about him and that Inu Yasha needed to learn more manners where women were concerned."
Kagome snickered slightly, then noticed the fact that the wind had started to pick up. She glanced up at the sky, only now noticing the dark, steel gray clouds that were beginning to race across the clear cerulean blue as if they were trying to see which one was the faster. Shippou had also noticed the increasing darkness, and worriedly suggested that they hurry and return to the village before the storm broke. Kagome sighed, certain that they wouldn't make it in time. If only she had her bike, but because they hadn't been that far from the village when she had sensed, and Inu Yasha collected, another Shikon Shard, Kagome had elected to leave it behind for once. With a resigned sigh, she quickened her pace and hoped that the forest would soon open up to the irrigation river that ran alongside Kaede's village. If this storm generated a lot of lightning, Kagome knew being under trees was the last place she and Shippou wanted to be.
*******
"Hurry up, girl, we need to return to Sesshoumaru-sama before this storm breaks!" Jaken scolded a little girl of about six as she skipped along the high bank of the river that ran along side a small village just outside of a large forest. Jaken knew that the fastest way to get Rin to move was mentioning Sesshoumaru, and he wasn't about to tell her that the main reason he wanted to be away from this particular forest was because he could smell Sesshoumaru's infernal little brother, Inu Yasha, upon the air. The scent was faint but it was unmistakable, and Jaken knew that it wouldn't go well if he were discovered by the hanyou.
"Jaken-sama," Rin called, skipping faster to catch up with the retainer, "Should Rin have brought some of the melons back for Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"Fool," Jaken sneered at the oblivious little girl, "Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't concern himself with human food."
"Oh yeah, he didn't like it when Rin first found him," Rin mused aloud. For a moment she looked downcast, but then her usual sunny disposition reappeared and she brightened. With a six-year-old's philosophical shrug, Rin dismissed the thought from her mind. With a smile, she skipped ahead of Jaken along the raised area of the river bank, knowing that Jaken was right. They DID need to get to Sesshoumaru before the storm broke.
Kushinadaaaa....…
Rin paused mid-step, frowning slightly as the dark whisper seemed to pass through her very soul. She glanced back at Jaken, her brow furrowed. No, the toad demon couldn't have been the cause of the icy dread that ran down her spine. In her childish innocence, Rin knew that, despite all his muttered threats and the way he sometimes treated her, deep down Jaken didn't wish any harm to come to her. He never came out and said so, but she could tell by the way he watched out for her welfare, even when Sesshoumaru was with them, that the old retainer had come to care for her.
"What are you waiting for, girl?" Jaken demanded, and Rin grinned at him.
"Nothing," she said cheerfully, and began to skip ahead again. A few steps in front of her, the ground suddenly shifted as a large root lifted itself out of the dirt and formed a small hump directly in the path of the little girl's foot. A loud clap of thunder ripped through the sky just as Rin tripped over the upraised root, and the startled motion she made in response to the noise sent her already off balanced body tumbling sidewise down the steep embankment, where she landed with a splash in the river. Jaken blinked. One moment Rin had been in front of him, the next she was sitting in the water wailing about how Sesshoumaru-sama was going to be upset that she had ruined her kimono. Jaken stood at the top of the rise, staring down at her balefully.
"You're not usually this clumsy," he sneered, his worry over the child's welfare eased by her rather loud protesting.
"Rin's NOT clumsy! The ground tripped Rin on PURPOSE!" she yelled, gaining her feet and glaring up at the toad demon.
"The ground does not trip you on purpose," Jaken sneered. "You trip on the ground."
"But it DID!" the little girl insisted, stamping her foot wetly for emphasis.
Jaken was about to reply when his ears caught a strange sound from up river. He glanced up at the sky which was rapidly turning an angry blue black, and watched as the clouds streaked by . . . heading down river. Which meant that it had been raining, and by the looks of things very heavily, further up river. This led to one very important realization. Rin was in danger.
"Rin, get out of the water!" Jaken called, making his way hastily down the bank towards the startled little girl. Rin stared at him, and scrambled to obey, knowing that Jaken only used her name when there was danger nearby. The hunk of earth she had grabbed a hold of in an effort to clamber onto the river bank gave way beneath her, and she fell back into the water.
"RIN!" Jaken yelled, staring up river from where she lay slightly stunned in the shallows near the bank. Rin lifted her head, vaguely aware of the sound of rushing water coming closer. She turned to look in the direction that Jaken was staring, and blanched when she saw the small wall of water that was racing towards. She tried to scramble madly onto the bank, but the water suddenly surged and rose beneath her, swamping her attempts to grab something to save herself, and quickly overwhelmed her. Jaken watched in helpless horror as Rin's dark head vanished beneath the surface of the river as the flash flood waters continued their rampage along the bank, sweeping the frightened little girl with them. Jaken found himself having to scramble back from the crumbling bank as the rushing water seemed to rear up out of its banks and reach for him, coming close to dragging him down into those murky depths alongside Rin.
Regaining his footing, Jaken desperately ran along the bank in an effort to keep up with Rin, but the toad demon quickly tired and had to stop, bending over double and wheezing in an effort to regain his breath. In the process, he lost sight of the small, dark head that the water had claimed. How was he going to tell Sesshoumaru-sama that Rin . . . that Rin . . . .
A shadow suddenly fell over Jaken, and his entire body froze as a familiar aura assaulted his senses. His eyes bulging more than usual with fear, Jaken slowly turned around and faced his lord. Sesshoumaru stood staring down at him, looking as if he had been conjured up from the depths of the retainers fears. He didn't say anything, he never needed to.
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken wailed, throwing himself at the youkai lord's feet. "Rin, she! The water . . . " At a loss for words, he gestured downstream. Sesshoumaru turned and gazed downstream. He had been aware of the heavy rainfall further upstream, the sudden influx of water into the creeks and streams that fed the larger river creating a dangerous situation for anyone that got too close. He had known that Rin and Jaken would be heading along this particular bank, and though he'd never admit it, even to himself, he had set out to meet up with them to keep them out of danger. Now Rin had been swept away, and he had been powerless to prevent it. With a growl so soft you would have needed special equipment to hear it, Sesshoumaru walked past Jaken and headed downstream. Jaken scurried after him, not noticing, or for once being too smart to comment on, the fact that his master was moving much faster than his usual casual stroll.
**********
Kagome sneezed, then sniffled, thankful that she and Shippou had finally cleared the cover of the trees. Above, the clouds continued to roll and boil together, now fighting for domination amidst the sounds of thunder as opposed to simply racing the sun. Thankfully, she'd yet to see any lightning accompany the thunder, which eased her mind because now that she and Shippou were out in the open, they were the largest targets for a potential lightning strike.
She sneezed again, and had another reason to be thankful they were out in the open. It meant that Kaede's village wasn't too far now, and Kagome had started to feel a little feverish further back in the forest. She hoped it was just a cold and nothing serious, like the flu, because that could knock her out of commission for at least two days. Maybe more, depending on the severity of the illness, and she just did not want to deal with Inu Yasha's complaints anymore than what she already dealt with on a daily basis. She could just hear him, "Sick? What do you mean, sick, bitch?! Stop acting, we have to gather the shards before Naraku does! So get off your ass and come on!" Kagome rolled her eyes. Inu Yasha certainly did have a way with words, even in her imagination.
"Kagome, are you all right?" Shippou asked, bouncing up onto her shoulder.
"I'm all right, Shippou-chan. Why do you ask?"
"Well, you've been sneezing a lot and your face has gotten a little red," Shippou said, then reached out to gently touch one of her cheeks. "You're hot, Kagome!"
Kagome grimaced and figured that her fever was higher than she thought if her cheeks were hot enough that Shippou was able to pick up on it without doing the standard one hand on the forehead of the sick person, and one hand on their own forehead in order to gauge the difference between their temperatures.
"I guess I'm coming down with a cold, Shippou-chan," Kagome admitted.
"Then we should hurry up and get you back to the village! Kaede-sama can make up a potion for you."
Kagome smiled and picked up her pace a bit, the going much easier now that they had reached the higher bank of the river and were no longer sinking into the softer loam of the forest floor. They were only about two miles from Kaede's village now, the bridge linking one side of the river bank to the other hidden by a bend in the river. If she really strained her eyes, she could catch a glimpse of rooftops between some of the trees that lined the opposite bank.
Shippou suddenly looked over in the river's direction, his eyes narrowed in concentration.
"What is it, Shippou-chan?" Kagome asked.
"It sounds like the river just got faster," Shippou said, sounding confused.
"Doesn't surprise me," Kagome said. "From the direction the clouds are going, I think it's been raining pretty heavily upstream and created a flash flood."
And if that was the case, Kagome was very glad that she and Shippou were higher up on the ground. She didn't want to think about what could happen if either one of them had gotten caught in the rapidly rising water. Flash floods were deadly, sometimes even catching people in their cars and sweeping them off, only to be found days later in strange places.
"Hey, there's someone in the water!" Shippou exclaimed, and Kagome turned in time to see a dark head go under amidst flailing arms and brown churning water. Kagome reacted instantly. She dropped the large bag on the ground and raced towards the bank, pausing only long enough to remove her shoes and socks before she plunged head long into the angry water. She surfaced and looked down stream, where she saw the dark head pop up again and a small, frightened face gulp in air before going under once more. She struck out with strong, sure strokes, going a little to the side of the current. She quickly reached the girl as she bobbed to the surface again, and hooked an arm around her chest, hauling her up against her as she began to swim towards shore. Now she was working against a current that was much more violent than the other time she had plunged into the river to save a child, and she went under herself several times, inhaling and choking on the muddy water. Each time she went under she fought her way back to the surface, knowing that she had to get to the bank or she and the child would die. With that thought, Kagome doubled her efforts, and within a few minutes, though in truth it felt like a few years, she reached the bank and hauled herself and the child out of the water's greedy grasp.
Kagome laid the child on her back, noticing that the little girl's skin tone was the color of chalk, and fought off the urge to panic. She quickly checked for a pulse, found one, and then checked for breathing by leaning her face close the little girl's mouth and nose. No reassuring stream of moist air hit her face, and Kagome fought off a quick hot spurt of pure panic.
"Calm DOWN Kagome!" she ordered herself. "You know what to do!"
With that bracing thought, Kagome tilted the little girl's head back, pinched the tiny nose, and began to administer artificial resuscitation. Come on, she silently urged in-between breathes, Breath! You have to breath! Come on! After a few moments, she was rewarded with a sudden surge of liquid as the little girl began to cough violently. Kagome rolled her to her side, and rubbed her back as the girl expelled the water that had been clogging her lungs and then vomited before dragged in a deep, soggy breath. She simply breathed for a few moments, then slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Kagome, dazed.
"Are you all right?" Kagome asked, watching as the girl's eyes slowly came into focus.
The child nodded, blinking a few times to clear her vision. Kagome smiled in relief, and looked upstream, spotting a familiar large bag making it's way towards her as fast as tiny kitsune feet could carry it. She got to her feet in order to call out to Shippou, and lurched a bit as the world began to spin. As a dark mist began to encroach upon her vision, the last thought Kagome had before collapsing was that she shouldn't have stood up so fast after practically hyperventilating in an effort to get the little girl to breath.
Rin was frightened. She remembered the ground tripping her into the water and being swept away, then it all became a blur of thrashing water and fighting to breath. She had seen the older girl dive into the water and swim towards her, but she couldn't remember anything past the girl's arm enveloping her. All she knew was that her lungs hurt, she was wet, scared, and the young woman that had saved her was now crumpled in a heap upon the ground, her eyes shut. Rin carefully got to her hands and knees and crawled towards the older girl, not really trusting her legs to be able to hold her up if she tried to stand. When she reached her side, she touched the girl's arm, shaking it slightly in an effort to wake her up. There was no response, and Rin was starting to panic when she heard someone come up behind her.
"Kagome!" Shippou cried, dropping the bag and scrambling past Rin to check on Kagome, then sighing with relief when he found her still breathing. He didn't like the fact that he couldn't wake her up, but figured that it would be best to allow her to wake up on her own since she wasn't responding to his tapping her on the face. So he turned his attention to the little girl that had sat back and watched him, her brown eyes curious and a little wary.
"Is that her name?" Rin asked, pointing at Kagome.
"Yeah, her name's Kagome," Shippou said, and added, "And I'm Shippou."
"Rin," the child said, her fascinated eyes staring at Shippou's tail. "How come you have a tail?"
"I'm a kitsune," the fox child said proudly. "All kitsune have tails." He then glanced worriedly up at the sky, noticing that the clouds were even blacker and closer than they had been before. "We gotta wake Kagome up and get to the village before the storm breaks."
"No no no!" Rin exclaimed, "Rin can't go to the village, Rin has to wait here!"
"For your parents?" Shippou asked. "We can ask someone at the village to find them."
"No, Rin has to wait for Sesshoumaru-sama!"
If Shippou had been eating something, he would have choked at that statement. As it was he made a half gurgled strangling sound, and stared at Rin as if she had grown two heads. Sesshoumaru? Inu Yasha's cold hearted older brother, the youkai lord that claimed to hate all humanity?! As Kagome had once asked Inu Yasha, what crack had the little girl smoked? Not that he knew what crack was, and when he had asked Kagome to explain the saying, she had simply said that it was one way they asked another person if they were crazy where she came from.
Before Shippou could do more than gape in amazement, a shadow that had nothing to do with the storm clouds fell over him, and a chill ran down his spine. He didn't have to look to know who stood behind him. Rin gave a cry of joy, scrambled to her feet, lurched and fell to her knees, before gaining her footing and running over to Sesshoumaru. The tall youkai stared down at her impassively, ignoring the sharp sense of relief he felt at finding her unharmed. Wet and soggy maybe, but unharmed non the less. He was not pleased, however, to find her in the company of his little brother's wench and that kitsune brat. From the looks of things, his brother's wench had either gotten caught in some rain, or taken a plunge in the river herself. Whatever the reason, she was as wet as Rin and had passed out for some reason or other that had no bearing on him, so he didn't think about it.
With a nod at Rin, he turned his back on the wench and the cub, and began to walk away. He didn't expect the lack of soft footfalls signaling that Rin wasn't following him, and with a barely noticeable frown of annoyance, he turned once again to the little girl.
"Rin," he said softly, the word ringing with a steel edged command.
"No!" the little girl cried, surprising the youkai. "We can't leave Kagome-neesan like this!"
Sesshoumaru's annoyance flared into slight anger when the little girl returned to the wench's side and once again tried to shake her awake. "Kagome-neesan saved Rin!" the little girl explained, "And now she won't wake up! Something could be wrong!"
Sesshoumaru moved forward and frowned down at the young woman crumpled at his feet. He noted the flushed cheeks and slightly labored breathing, and he picked up on a slight watery sound from her lungs as she drew in air and released it. Not his problem, he thought, and turned once again to leave. He didn't expect the sudden, very loud protestation that arose from his young ward. "NO! RIN WON'T LEAVE KAGOME-NEESAN!"
"Rin-chan!" Shippou cried, shocked out of his fear by Rin's yell. Worry for his new friend had him cautioning, "Don't make him angry, he'll kill you!"
Sesshoumaru's lips twisted in annoyance. Surely the upstart cub didn't think he would hurt Rin. But then, he hadn't given the cub, or anyone else, for that matter, any reason to think otherwise. Which was the way he preferred it, though he didn't want Rin to suddenly become afraid of him because of the kitsune's words.
"Sesshoumaru-sama won't hurt Rin," the little girl said with conviction, then latched onto one of Kagome's arms and once again began to protest leaving her behind. Sesshoumaru fought the urge to press the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, an urge which got stronger when Jaken finally caught up with him. Upon spotting Rin, Inu Yasha's wench, and the kitsune cub, he began to babble about storms, floods, witches and brats. It didn't help that the cub was still trying to convince Rin that it wasn't a good idea to yell at Sesshoumaru, because that was the fastest way to get your throat slashed.
A headache began to throb dully in his left temple, and Sesshoumaru had quickly reached his limit. "Enough," he said, a little louder than his usual tone, but not quite a shout. The effect was still instantaneous, as all three of the conscious shut their mouths and stared up at him. With a sigh, something that he rarely did but that he felt would soon become a habit to him, Sesshoumaru walked towards the unconscious girl. The kitsune growled and made a move as if to protect the young woman from an attack, but Sesshoumaru looked at the cub, letting the child know that he wasn't going to hurt the older girl, but that if he had intended to hurt her, no mere kitsune brat would have stopped him.
Shippou backed off, but he had no intention of being left behind. He watched warily as the youkai lord bent down and carefully maneuvered Kagome into a sitting position against him, worry squirming through his brain as Kagome's head lolled bonelessly onto Sesshoumaru's shoulder, her cheek nestling into the soft fur of his shoulder ornament. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arm around her torso, and used some of his youki to manipulate the dangling part of his shoulder ornament around his waist and up under Kagome's legs. He then rose, cradling Kagome to his chest, the furry decoration acting as the arm he had lost in the battle with Inu Yasha. Kagome's cheek continued to rest on his shoulder, while her legs dangled over the youki enhanced fur, which Sesshoumaru carefully wrapped around her knees in order to keep her from slipping while they traveled. Shippou noticed that the tall youkai was being careful to keep Kagome away from the spikes on his armor, and that observation caused him quite a bit of confusion. Sesshoumaru and gentle just didn't seem to go hand in hand with each other, and yet he was caring for the little girl that was now tugging on Shippou's hand. Jaken was protesting taking Kagome with them, but Sesshoumaru silenced him with a look very similar to the one he had given Shippou.
Rin pulled Shippou with her as she walked up to Sesshoumaru, pausing long enough for Shippou to grab Kagome's bag once again. "She can't leave her bag behind," he explained when Sesshoumaru glanced his way. The youkai lord said nothing, which Shippou took as a sign that meant he was not going to be killed and would be allowed to go with the strange group. He blinked when a soft puffy cloud of youki formed around them all, and they began to rise into the air. Rin giggled and began chattering to him, and deciding that Kagome was in good, albeit unpredictable, hands, Shippou set the bag down and gave his attention to Rin.
Jaken sulked. He had a feeling that taking Inu Yasha's bitch with them was going to bring trouble of some sort. If anything, Inu Yasha was bound to come after them when he discovered the wench missing. Jaken's relatively quiet life had been disrupted once by the arrival of Rin, now it looked like it was going to become utter chaos before things settled down again. He was NOT looking forward to the coming days, and wondered just what his master had been thinking.
Sesshoumaru was currently deep in his own thoughts, most of which were centered on the little girl talking with the kitsune brat, and the young woman that was nestled up against his chest. He couldn't fathom why he had agreed to take the older girl with them. It was bound to be nothing but trouble, yet he couldn't get out of his mind's eye the picture of Rin clutching the girl's arm and yelling about how she had saved her life. Sesshoumaru grudgingly admitted it wouldn't hurt to take the girl with them until she got over whatever ailment kept her silent and still, especially since he had no doubts about the truth of Rin's statement. He had seen the condition both of them had been in, and since it hadn't been raining the only explanation for the soggy state of the young woman's clothing had been a dive into the river. And with the girl came the kitsune cub, but that might not be a bad thing if it kept Rin occupied and out of his way, and from the way the two kids were talking and giggling together, it looked like they were on their way to becoming good friends.
Sesshoumaru easily suppressed a grimace when he felt a slight dampness on his kimono from the dripping girl. If it hadn't been for the fact that Rin had to ride with them on the cloud since they had left the two headed horse dragon behind, he would have gone with his first instinct and left Inu Yasha's wench on the ground and he wouldn't have had to touch her at all. To be honest he was rather surprised that he had taken such care in lifting the young woman and supporting her. That was unlike him, and he pondered the reasoning behind his actions until he came to a conclusion he wasn't happy with. It has to be Rin's fault, he thought to himself, and felt a spurt of alarm, which was, as always, concealed. He decided right then and there that this change in behavior due to the little girl had to stop. Preferably right this minute, with him dropping the young woman in his arms onto the youki cloud they rode on.
There was a slight tug on his kimono, and Sesshoumaru glanced down to find the object of his frustration gazing up at the soggy bundle in his arms with concern written all over her face. Behind her stood the kitsune cub, the determination on his features telling Sesshoumaru that even though the kit knew he was no match for the mighty inu-youkai lord, he would still try to defend Inu Yasha's bitch if Sesshoumaru made a single threatening move. He grit his teeth in frustration. He dismissed the cub from his mind as he posed no threat to he, Sesshoumaru, but Rin . . . A slight frown marred his brow when he realized that he couldn't bring himself to do as his mind was telling him while Rin was present. It wasn't that the thought of the little girl watching as he dropped the soggy mass from his arms to his feet bothered him; rather it was the fact that Rin's protesting such an act would be very uncomfortable for his ears, which would directly result in a larger headache by the time they reached their destination. No, for his literal peace of mind he would be better off getting a little damp around the edges instead of being on the receiving end of one of Rin's ear splitting yells.
Another tug on his hakama, and once again he glanced down at his young ward. When she saw that she had his attention, Rin began to ask questions about the young woman in his arms, and not feeling up to ignoring her Sesshoumaru answered her with short terse replies, Jaken's dark mutterings echoing his own thoughts. This had not been a good idea.
To Be Continued . . .
Glossary:
Baka: Idiot, jerk, imbacile, ect. ^_^
Youkai: Demon
Youki: Demonic energy. For example, Sesshoumaru's whip from the IY anime is created from youki.
These are just rough translations, they're by no means perfect or exact.