Kijustsu no Senyo


Author's Note- Two people reviewed this time! A great big thanks to Dragon Man 180 and LiL:.CaT:.AnImE! Come on people! This used to be a popular story!
The next day travel was resumed as usual. Rin chattered on Ah-Un with Jaken walking next to her. Lausanne rode her horse next to them. Sesshoumaru took his usual spot in the front of the group.
"When are you going to make Tachi and Rin clothes from the cloth you bought?" Rin questioned.
"Soon." Lausanne replied. She looked down at the pup who she held in her arms. Tachi gurgled in responce, reaching his arms up to her. Smiling, she let him grip on of her fingers. He kicked a little bit, undoing his blanket. Patiently, Lausanne retied it. "Infact, I will start on Tachi's tonight." she finished.
"Then you'll make Rin's new kimono?"
"Of course. Perhaps you can help me with it."
Rin frowned. "Rin can't sew." She informed Lausanne.
"Well then it is a perfect oppertunity to learn!" Lausanne announced happily, "I will teach you!"
"Will you really?"
"Yes! It will be so much fun!"
Rin gave the elf a giant grin. "Thank you so much Lausanne-san!" she said happily.
"You are welcome." Lausanne replied, smiling back.

True to her word, Lausanne began Tachi's clothing as soon as they stopped for the night and made a campfire to roast a few mushrooms Rin had found. Watching Tachi who was toddling around in front of her, she began to cut out a basic pattern for a small pair of pants. "Will you tell me a story?" Rin asked.
"What do you want to hear about?" Lausanne asked, eyeing the pieces of fabric she had cut out.
"What were your parents like?"
Lausanne swallowed. The question was something she had hoped Rin wouldn't bring up for at least a few more days. It was too soon after the aniversary of their deaths. But she couldn't tell the child that she didn't want to talk about it either.
"They were... very nice people." she began, "My mother was a very powerful elf, a decendant of elf royalty in fact. She was beautiful. Her hair was bright red and her eyes were the same color as mine. My mother was tall for an elf, a bit taller than me. She taught me some of the magic that I know... She would have taught me all of it, but she died before she could do so. She was good to me. Always understanding and patient. My father was very handsome. His hair was black. It was pretty long actually. He wore it in a pony tail. He had blue eyes. My father taught me how to hunt. He made my bow too."
"Your parents are dead?" Rin prompted.
Lausanne nodded.
"Don't worry." the little girl said smiling gently, "Rin's parents are dead too. Rin's brother and them were killed by bandits. How did your parents die?"
"They were killed by a horde of demons." Lausanne said softly, "I know it has been a long time since they died, but it is still very sad for me." A single tear dripped down onto the cloth on her lap. Wiping her eyes, Lausanne continued her sewing.

An hour later Lausanne held up a small completed pair of small blue pants. Looking to her side she smiled. Tachi was curled up in a little ball, lying on some of her dress's fabric. She didn't want to wake him up, but she had no choice. "Come on sweet." Lausanne said quietly, putting the pants on her lap and picking the pup up. "Time to try on your new pants!" Tachi gurgled and grinned in responce.
Lausanne slipped the pants onto him and sighed happily. "A perfect fit." she declared.
"Are you going to make Rin's new kimono now?" Rin asked walking over to the elf.
She looked up at the little girl and shook her head. "Not tonight." she replied, "First I have to make a shirt for Tachi to wear with his new pants. Tomorrow I will make your kimono and I will show you how to make it so you can make your own next time. But should you be in bed now? It is awfully late."
Rin sighed. "Rin should be in bed." she admitted, "But does Rin have to?"
"Yes, Rin has to." Lausanne told her, "Good night Rin."
"Good night Lausanne-san."
Lausanne watched as Rin walked over to a patch of soft grass underneith a nearby tree and lay down. She placed Tachi back where he had been and placed his blanket over time. "You have got to go to bed too." she said to him.
With both children in bed, Lausanne pulled some more fabric out of her bag. This wasn't cloth she had bought yesterday. This was special. The most expensive demonic cloth in existance. Lausanne had noted that the fabric seller hadn't had it in stock. White spider silk cloth. She ran her hand over the fabric smiling. It was twice as soft as any type of regular silk and twice as durable at the same time. It didn't matter what Tachi got into. This fabric, along with the blue fabric his pants were made out of, would never rip.
"You treat them as your children." Sesshoumaru commented.
Lausanne looked up. Sesshoumaru was sitting underneath a tree, half in the shadows. "I suppose I do." the elf replied, "But by taking Tachi in, I made him my child."
"But you did not take Rin in. You owe her nothing."
She turned back to her sewing. "I think I do." she said, "Rin said herself that her parents are dead. I think that all children deserve a mother."
"Are you saying that you are Rin's mother?"
"I am not Rin's mother. You adopted her, not me. But I can still be a motherly figure for her."
"This is true." Sesshoumaru agreed, nodding, "But you do not have to teach her how to sew."
"Yes I do. Such skills are needed by all women."
"She will live her life with me. I will provide her with the clothes she needs."
Lausanne looked up from the fabric she had begun to cut and to Sesshoumaru. "Do you not see it?" she asked, "Rin is a very strong girl. Now, and I bet even when you first found her, she did not need you except for companionship and a bit of protection time to time. In a few years she might find a human boy and want to stop traveling with you to stay with him. If she does not know how to sew, she would be in big trouble then."
"She will not leave me."
"How do you know? Rin is human. You are a demon. You do not know how humans, especially human girls, think."
Sesshoumaru was beginning to get upset now. "And you do!" he demanded.
Lausanne nodded. "Yes, in fact I do. Unlike demons, elves have the same sentiment and feelings as humans do. Therefore I know better than you how a human girl can react to a human boy she likes. One day Rin will leave you. Even if you do not like the idea, it is quite true."
The taiyoukai stood up, outraged. "You dare talk to me like that!" he exclaimed.
"Yes." she replied, "And I am not finished. I bet you think that no one in your group should not be able to defend themselves. You know how to fight with a sword. As do I. Jaken has his staff. That leaves Rin. You will teach her how to use a sword, will you not?"
Sesshoumaru growled. "Up." he ordered.
"Why?"
"I do not believe you when you say you can use a sword." he answered, "I think the one at your hip is only there for decoration. We will spar. Now."
Lausanne looked back down at her sewing. "I do not spar." she said, "Fighting for no reason is against my principals."
"You will spar with me." Sesshoumaru repeated slowly and deadly.
"I cannot." the elf answered, "There would be no one to watch the children. I will not leave Tachi alone."
The tai youkai picked up a rock and threw it at Jaken who was peacefully sleeping by the fire. At impact, the imp jumped up, wide awake.
"Lausanne and I are leaving." Sesshoumaru told him, "You will watch Rin and Tachisaru and make sure nothing happens to them. Do I make myself clear?"
Jaken nodded. "Very Milord!" he replied.
Sesshoumaru smirked and turned back to Lausanne. "Now they will not be alone." he told her, "You are out of excuses elf, come with me."
Lausanne sighed. "You win Sesshoumaru." she answered, "I will spar with you." She put her sewing back in her bag and carefully placed Tachi next to Rin. From there Lausanne walked over to Sesshoumaru. Nodding, he walked into the woods, already knowing where the perfect sparing area was.
A few minutes later they arrived. "Draw your sword." Sesshoumaru instructed, drawing Tokijin. Lausanne drew hers. "We begin now."
"Not quite." she said quickly, "There must be basic rules.
"Fine. You do not use your magic."
"Only if you do not use the magic in your sword." Lausanne countered, "Do not tell me your sword is not magical. It is."
"I will not use Tokijin's powers." Sesshoumaru agreed, "Now we begin."

That was the last word exchanged by the two. The spar went on for hours, neither opponent touching the other. Sesshoumaru was surprised by Lausanne's strength and swordsmanship. Lausanne wasn't surprised by his.As the first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon, Lausanne slowed to a hault, just barely blocking Sesshoumaru's attack. "Sesshoumaru!" she gasped, "Let us stop! We have been at this for hours!"
"Not until one of us wins." he replied simply.
Frowning, Lausanne pushed her sword away, sending Sesshoumaru flying gracefully back. She took the time to close her eyes for a minute. Maybe it would be best to let him win. No! This sparing match would go till one of them won or they both agreed to stop. It would be fair.
"She said stop you idiot!"
Lausanne's eyes snapped open. There, standing in front of her was Raoul, sword drawn, ready to attack Sesshoumaru.
"So I did not kill you." Sesshoumaru said, looking over the fox demon.
"You could never kill me!" he yelled, "I don't know why you're attacking Lausanne, but you're going to stop now!"
Sesshoumaru growled a warning, but Raoul didn't take it. He lunged at the taiyoukai. There was a clang of metal against metal and the two demon's swords were locked.
"Please stop!" Lausanne exclaimed, "Do not fight!"
"Stay out of this Lausanne." Raoul said through clenched teeth, "You don't have to worry. I'll protect you from this bastard."
Just as he finished saying this, Raoul was thrown back. The fox demon slid across the ground and hit his head on a tree painfully. Sesshoumaru walked towards him, a blue aura appearing around Tokijin. "You have tested my patients past forgiveness." he told Raoul. "For that I will kill you."
Sesshoumaru stopped a foot away from the fox. He raised Tokijin for the final strike. He began to bring it down, speed increasing as the blade came closer to it's target.
"NO!"
The taiyoukai's eyes widened. Lausanne stood right between him and his prey. One thought ran through his head. He must stop the Tokijin's path. Sesshoumaru shut his eyes, concentrating on only stopping Tokijin.
He wasn't the only one with their eyes shut. Lausanne had closed hers too. She knew she was in the path of Tokijin. She knew the sword was leathal, but her friend was in danger. Cold metalic pain cut into her shoulder. Everything went violent blue behind Lausanne's eyelids and then slowly turned to black as she collapsed.


Kagome: No! Not a cliff hanger!

Clear Waters: Yep. A cliffy! And a great big one at that!

Inuyasha: I hate you.

Clear Waters: That's nice. Read and Review everyone! And I mean REVIEW!