A/N: Wafluh! Finally! Chapter 2! (dodges tomatoes) I'm so sorry this came soooo late. Quite a lot of things I had to deal with… but I should be back to writing stories. (thumbs up) I had to listen to a bajillion Inuyasha songs so I wouldn't stop writing. xP Hope it came out all right…
Thanks to all who have reviewed! I hope you like this chapter! (smile)
Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns Inuyasha and not me… 'cause I'm not cool like her. (nervous smile)
Enter My World
Chapter II
The Big
Mission
"I
could assist you… for a price."
"L-Lord Sesshomaru! I…I'm not… me anymore…!" Rin complained once again.
Her long arms were still wrapped around my body, squeezing me every time she inhaled. The endless bawling was beginning to give me a headache, not to mention that it was making me irritated. Every time Rin's voice rose, my body always responded with a slight twitch. I had no idea why, but a new sensation seemed to be flowing within myself. It wasn't a bad feeling just something I haven't felt in the longest time.
I managed to brush Rin out of the way with a stroke of my small hand. The girl fell backwards into Jakken, causing her bawling cease. She quickly got to her feet and made her way to the other side of the open area.
There had to be a cure for this dilemma. It was probably common to all humans that roamed the area. The only problem was, what exactly caused it? I recalled yellow pollen-like spores spreading from where Rin was, but that was it. I didn't spot anything suspicious when Jakken and I found her. However…
I turned abruptly, accidently colliding into Jakken's long staff. A growl escaped from my mouth, causing the demon to step away from me. I lifted myself so I could see Rin over Jakken's tall hat. It felt awkward for a moment but I ignored the feeling. I called out to Rin but she didn't respond. I called out once more and again no answer. This was getting ridiculous. My fists clenched tightly to my sides and without realizing it, I yelled with this child-like voice,
"RIIIN!"
There was no response, but everyone's attention was now on me. My cheeks felt hot at that moment. I never intended to yell so abruptly. Never had I done that in the past or in the present. So, why now?
A smile suddenly appeared on Rin's face. She kneeled down in front of me and grinned. "My, Lord Sesshomaru sure is cute when he yells like that. You should do it more often, my lord!" she teased.
"Rin, I'm being serious…" I cleared my throat then continued on. "Rin, did you spot anyone suspicious while you were out here?"
The girl shook her head, brushing her long dark hair into my face. "No, my lord. I didn't see anything. I was looking for something to eat… but I saw a pretty flower here and I-"
A soft gasped escaped from my mouth. I stumbled around Rin and Jakken and searched the ground thoroughly. That's when I noticed that the moon's rays were fixed upon a specific place on the ground. I kneeled down, noticing a small sprout slowly rising from the ground. I looked up, fixing my eyes right into Rin's brown eyes. She blinked then slowly came over and kneeled behind me. I pointed out to her what I discovered.
"What is that, Lord Sesshomaru?"
I wasn't sure myself, but I had a slight idea. "It's a sprout of a Moonflower."
"A Moonflower?" Jakken repeated with an interest in his tone.
I stood up and crossed my arms. "When the moon's rays are fixed upon one specific spot on the earth, it is said a Moonflower begins its life there," but, that still didn't explain the yellow pollen-like spores that came from here. The source of it all had to be something else. There was no other explanation I could ponder over.
"My Lord? Do Moonflowers have blue petals?"
"You silly human," Jakken grunted. "All Moonflowers have white petals. What is going through your head?"
"But, when I saw this flower, it had blue petals. But this one has white petals," she pointed to the ground.
Indeed, it had small white petals surrounding the bulb. Blue petals? Never have I heard of such a thing. The moonlight always gave out a white ray from above. A blue ray of light would be unusual.
Suddenly, there was a loud rustling in the bushes up ahead. I narrowed my eyes and moved in front of Jakken and Rin. My hands were ready to reach for my Tokijin, but I quickly realized I left my weapons behind. I growled loudly then called out my bright yellow whip to my side.
Finally, a hooded figure slowly emerged out from the bush. I couldn't make out what its face appeared to be, but its eyes shown a bright red, the same shade of red like that of men I slaughtered all my life. The cloak the figure was wearing was brilliant in design. It had two different kinds of creatures embroidered all around, creatures I have never seen before. They both looked menacing.
I shook out of my thoughts and concentrated on standing my ground. My whip was still at my side, ready to attack when necessary. The figure had not moved since it emerged, but it continued staring me down. Those eyes grew brightly each time I stared into them. Finally, I cautiously stepped forward, bringing my whip out in front. The cloaked figure ceased to flinch.
"Who are you?" I asked in a surprisingly squeaky voice. My face twitched at that before I continued on. "What do you want from us?"
The figure stared me down once more. Then, with a low devilish voice, responded, "Do you seek a cure for your troubles?"
My eyes narrowed at that. "A cure?"
"Indeed. I could assist you… for a price."
I lowered my right hand. "And what may that be?"
I heard Jakken whimpering behind me. "B-But my lord! We cannot trust that… that thing! What if it's a trap?"
"That's right, my lord!" Rin agreed. "This is a little suspicious."
"…and what may the price be?" I repeated to the figure. There was no other choice. It was either risk it or not risk anything at all. Besides, I had no intention to remain as a child. I had goals to accomplish in this lifetime.
The hooded figure gave out a devilish grin and nodded to himself. "You chose well. I can tell that you are an excellent fighter… full of determination."
Its long arms revealed itself from underneath the cloak, revealing rather long and slender fingers with claw-like nails. With a flick of its fingers, Rin's and my body shone a bright white color. Within a few seconds, the light died down. I was now wearing a smaller version of my clothes while Rin wore a bigger version of hers as well.
"I see that you already know of the blue and white Moonflowers. If they are separated, they spew out powerful spores that cause unknown things to happen to whoever touches it. These are rare plants that must be carefully handled," the figure turned so that its back was facing us. "Your job is to find the blue and white Moonflowers and bring them to me so that I may help you."
"Where are they located?" I immediately asked.
The figure mumbled something that sounded like, 'my' but I couldn't comprehend it. "…creatures guard the flowers because they believe it to be their source of life, hope… protection." the figure paused. "…no one knows their exact location. But, those who have suffered from the plants have turned back to their regular selves somehow. That is all I can say."
Before asking any further questions, the figure vanished within the darkness of the night.
"Well, that was just peculiar," Jakken declared. "It didn't even give us a full explanation. And what was the deal with 'for a price', huh?"
"I don't know, Jakken… but at least it was very helpful to us," Rin responded.
"Tch! Whatever you say, human."
My mind was wandering about. None of what the hooded figure explained to us was understandable. How could finding two flowers help us change back to normal? And the creatures protecting it for their own typical reasons… what purpose did that hold? Was this mysterious figure luring us into something? For whatever the reason, right now, we didn't have a choice. This was the only option for us to take.
I drew out my two swords, Tensaiga and Tokijin. They were indeed the same swords I have been using since I began traveling. So, the figure wasn't after my swords… so what could it be? It must have something to do with the Moonflowers.
"Lord Sesshomaru?"
My head turned so that I was face to face with Rin's. I gasped and backed away.
"What is it?" I answered back. I withdrew my swords back into their sheaths and faced the girl.
The girl reached behind her back and pulled out what appeared to be a dagger. It seemed to be handcrafted and created by a demon's bones. The design seemed to suit her personality, what with it being fancy and all. I blinked then examined the girl's face. She seemed to be unsure about it all.
"W-Why do I have this?" she asked nervously. "T-This isn't mine."
I paused. That was when I recalled what the hooded figure said about 'creatures guarding the flowers'. It was understandable… Rin had to protect herself now that she was practically grown up. And with my current body and strength, I couldn't possibly protect her even if I tried. It was her time to protect herself.
I turned and made my way to her. I carefully took her dagger and spun it around a couple of times. It was surprisingly heavy and very tough to handle, even with Rin's new body. I stepped back and flung it over my shoulder, just missing the top of Jakken's head.
"Rin, I'm going to teach you how to protect yourself."
A/N: End of Chapter two! EEE… it seemed a bit rushed, but I thought it came out well. (ponders) Anyways! AH! They must find a cure! How will they find it? What exactly is the hooded figure? (actually, you're gonna havetah wait way waaay later on for that one…) And… is Rin going to shed blood for the first time? (panic) Find out next chapter! Hope you liked this chapter and please tell me how you thought of it!
