Crossover Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Journey to the City of Endless Night ❯ Chapter Fifty Two ( Chapter 52 )

Chapter Fifty-Two

As Rin hung up her brown hood by the door, a gift from Polgara that morning, Sesshomaru lit an oil lamp that sat on the nightstand. Its soft light illuminated the well-furnished room, casting it into shadows. A rich blue rug covered the floor and cream curtains outlined the windows. Multi-colored pillows lay strewn over the large bed. Rin stretched as she crossed the room and she climbed onto the bed before burrowing into the pillows. Her face peeked out from behind a green pillow, a large smile crossing her face. She ducked behind it again, giggling. “Sesshomaru-sama can't find Rin now!”

A small smile played across Sesshomaru's lips and he shook his head. After the mud-fight the night before, Rin had relaxed considerably around him. He hung his much larger gray hood next to Rin's before glancing towards the bed. Sesshomaru chuckled softly as Rin peeked at him from around her shield. She giggled and hid behind it again as he crept up onto the bed. Sesshomaru pulled the large pillow away from her. “Do not be so certain. This Sesshomaru cannot be fooled by something as simple as a pillow. You will have to do much better than that to evade me, Rin.”

Rin giggled, smiling wide. She picked up another pillow, using it to ward the Demon Lord away. As Sesshomaru neared, Rin tossed her weapon, hitting him on the shoulder. She squealed, hiding under the pillows. “Sesshomaru-sama can't catch me.”

Sesshomaru pulled pillows away from Rin. As he picked one up, a small mischievous smile crossed his lips. “Do you dare raise that against me as a weapon, Rin?”

She threw another pillow, hitting him in the chest. Rin squirmed away, eluding him. “You can't catch me!” She giggled, picking up another pillow, preparing to throw it.

Sesshomaru picked up some of the pillows and tossed them over his shoulder to land on the floor. He reached out, deliberately missing her. She laughed and threw another pillow at him, hitting him on the shoulder. Sesshomaru looked down at the pillow Rin had thrown. He picked it up and hurled it back at her, hitting Rin on the shoulder. “Do not issue challenges you are unable to meet.”

Rin giggled and twisted away from him, kicking. Pillows flew into the air and Sesshomaru brushed them away. “You can't get me, Sesshomaru-sama!” She tossed another one at him, missing.

Sesshomaru swiped at her again, missing her on purpose. He growled softly, smirking at the laughing girl. “You can't elude this Sesshomaru forever, Rin.”

Rin ducked behind another pillow. She peeked around it, scrambling backwards. “Rin can! Just watch!”

Sesshomaru pursued her, pulling at the pillow Rin held. He tossed it over his shoulder to land on the floor. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes in triumph, grasping her wrist. He said, “This Sesshomaru has caught Rin, after all.”

Rin squirmed in his grip. She hit him on the shoulder with another pillow. Rin let go of it to throw her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly and nuzzled her nose under his chin. Sesshomaru eased onto the bed, pulling Rin to his chest. She settled into his lap, resting her head onto his shoulder. She whispered, “I like this a lot better than a tent, Sesshomaru-sama.”

Sesshomaru's arm rested around her waist. He lifted his hand and his fingers threaded through her dark hair. He rubbed her back, smoothing out the soft fabric of her brown dress. Rin sighed in contentment and Sesshomaru allowed a small smile to cross his lips. He let his eyes fall closed, breathing in Rin's floral scent. The soft silence enveloped the pair and Sesshomaru answered Rin's sigh with one of his own. It felt good to just sit with his Rin again, relaxing in her presence. After struggling to reassure Rin that he was not displeased with her for anything that had happened in the past couple days, Sesshomaru relished in this moment.

Rin shifted on his chest, nuzzling her nose under his chin again. She stretched before wrapping her arms around his neck. Her head rested on his shoulder. Rin giggled quietly. “You're a much better pillow, Sesshomaru-sama.”

Sesshomaru laughed softly. He opened his eyes, looking into her warm brown ones. Sesshomaru lifted her arm off of his shoulder, interlacing his fingers with hers. “This Sesshomaru is pleased you find him so.”

Rin smiled wide before kissing his forehead and brushing her nose against his. She returned her head to his shoulder and shivered, snuggling closer to him. “Rin's cold, Sesshomaru-sama.”

Sesshomaru let go of her hand and pulled his fur around her. It enveloped her and Rin burrowed further into his chest. He let his arm fall back around her waist, holding her protectively. The cough from the night before had faded, although Sesshomaru felt a thread of worry curl in his stomach. Her tiny frame molded to his large one and she sighed, easing her arms around his shoulders. He nuzzled her hair with his nose, relieved that he couldn't smell any illness in her scent. Hopefully the tonic that Polgara had given Rin would prevent the girl from falling ill.

A soft knock at the door announced the wolf-woman's presence. Sesshomaru looked towards it, glowering at the interruption. He sat up, still holding Rin close. He let go and Rin eased out of his lap, sliding to the floor. Sesshomaru crossed the room and opened the door. Poledra stood on the other side, her gold eyes searching Sesshomaru's. She smiled. “Is Rin ready for her lesson?”

Sesshomaru nodded. He rejoined Rin taking a firm grip of her hand. “Yes. This Sesshomaru is curious as to what you intend to teach Rin tonight.”

“One would like to have Rin repeat the things from her first lesson before teaching her a new skill,” Poledra replied.

“Understandable.” Sesshomaru looked down at Rin. Her shoulders were tense and she bit her lip. The Demon Lord squeezed her hand in reassurance. He could smell the anxiety flare in her scent.

“Rin, are you ready to begin?” Poledra pulled the chair away from the small writing desk, sitting down on it.

Rin looked up towards Sesshomaru for reassurance. He nodded his approval and the little girl said, “Yes, Poledra-sama. I'm ready.”

“Good.” Poledra smiled. “Then let's begin.”

Rin sat back down onto the bed and Sesshomaru joined her. He took her hand into his, gently squeezing it to encourage her. Rin bit her lip, looking towards the floor. She asked, “What would you like me to do first, Poledra-sama?”

The wolf-woman said, “First I'd like for you to translocate something. You'll do this a bit differently than you did the first time.” She picked up the inkwell off of the desk. “Watch carefully, Rin. I want you to see the differences between what I asked you to do last time and what I'm asking you to do this time.”

Rin nodded. “Okay.” Her dark hair shrouded her face away from Sesshomaru's vision.

Poledra held the inkwell in her palm. She closed her eyes in concentration a moment. “Move.” Instead of shifting the object a few inches or feet, this time the wolf-woman chose to have it disappear from her palm only to reappear on the floor in the center of the room. The action disturbed the Demon Lord. The power this strange woman held unnerved him more than he was willing to admit. She smiled. “Did you see the difference, Rin?”

Rin nodded. “Yes.” She looked from the inkwell to Sesshomaru.

Poledra said, “What I want you to do, Rin, is to take that inkwell from the floor and translocate it to your hand. Can you do that for me? It'll help get us warmed up.”

Rin frowned. She said, “Yes, Poledra-sama.”

Sesshomaru watched Rin as she began to concentrate. Her eyes fell closed and her brow furrowed. Rin's shoulders became tense and she squeezed his hand forcefully. She lifted her other hand to rest palm side up on her knee. Between clenched teeth, Rin said, “Lift.” Sesshomaru blinked in surprise as the inkwell disappeared from the floor only to reappear in Rin's hand. She held it up, a tired smile on her lips. “How was that, Poledra-sama?”

“Good. Now put it back. I'm going to have you do something else with it.” Poledra smiled in satisfaction.

Sesshomaru pursed his lips as he watched Rin begin to concentrate again. Her expression became strained and she squeezed his hand tightly. Rin said, “Reverse.” The inkwell disappeared from her hand, reappearing on the floor as if it had been there all along. “Now what, Poledra-sama?”

“Now I'm going to teach you how to release your Will slowly. What I want you to do is to lift the inkwell and have it rest in your palm again. Watch carefully how I do it this time.” Poledra held one hand out, palm side up. The wolf-woman's gold eyes stared intently at it. She said, “Float.” The inkwell rose off the floor, hovering in the air as it moved across the room towards Poledra. It landed in her palm and the wolf-woman held it. “Did you see how I did it this time?”

Rin glanced up towards Sesshomaru, her brown eyes locking onto his gold. She smiled at him before gently squeezing his hand. Rin looked towards Poledra and nodded. “Yes. I understand, Poledra-sama.”

“Good.” The wolf-woman put the inkwell back onto the floor. “Now try to do the same thing. It's okay if you don't get it the first time. It's a lot harder to hold something aloft like that.”

Rin squeezed Sesshomaru's hand again. Her nose scrunched and she clenched her teeth as she focused. The air around her seemed to crackle the longer she stared intently at the inkwell centered on the floor. Her shoulders tensed as she lifted her hand, palm side up. “Rise.”

Slowly the inkwell began to rise off of the floor, wavering as it floated towards Rin. She tensed further as she concentrated on the task that the wolf-woman had set out for her and let go of Sesshomaru's hand to clutch her amulet. Rin outstretched her palm as the inkwell approached, letting it settle into it. Once she held it, Rin relaxed against Sesshomaru's shoulder. She smiled wanly. “How was that, Poledra-sama?”

“You learn quickly. One is pleased with this.” Poledra smiled. “Your progress means you will be able to learn more difficult things much sooner than expected.” The tawny-haired woman's gold eyes locked onto Sesshomaru's, satisfaction gleaming within them. “Next, I would like for you to learn a new skill. I know you can use your energy so let's move on, alright?”

“Yes, Poledra-sama.” Rin sat back up, grasping Sesshomaru's hand again. Her eyes fell shut and she sighed. “I'm ready, Poledra-sama.”

Sesshomaru looked from Rin towards the wolf-woman. He asked, “What exactly will you instruct Rin to do now?”

“It's something a little more complicated than translocation,” Poledra began. “This skill has come in handy for us over the years. This time, I'm going to ask Rin to shrink the inkwell. She'll also learn to do the same thing to herself.”

Sesshomaru frowned. He looked down at Rin's already petite frame before pulling her close to his chest. He narrowed his eyes at the wolf-woman, growling. The idea that Rin would alter herself in any way disturbed him. “No. Rin will not learn to do that to herself. I will not allow it.” He bared his fangs as he wrapped his arm around Rin tightly.

Rin reached her hand up to touch Sesshomaru's cheek. She brushed her finger tips against one of his stripes before moving to place a finger to his lips. Rin shook her head, her brown eyes connecting with his gold. A gentle smile crossed her lips and she nodded. “It's okay, Sesshomaru-sama.”

Sesshomaru hugged her protectively against his chest. He threaded his fingers through her soft hair. Glancing over her head, Sesshomaru glared at the wolf-woman. Rin was already tiny. Why would she ever need to make herself even smaller? His eyes locked with Poledra's gold and he flashed his fangs again at her. In a low voice, Sesshomaru said, “This Sesshomaru has already said no. Rin shall not learn this skill. It is not necessary. I forbid it.”

Poledra arched an eyebrow. “I can understand your reservations as her pack-leader. However, it is an important skill that will help her with her control and help her master much more difficult ones in the future. She will have to learn it sometime if she is to master her Will.”

“Do not make this Sesshomaru repeat himself.” He pulled Rin even closer, drawing his fur around her tiny body, hiding her from the wolf-woman's vision. Sesshomaru snarled at Poledra. “No. I refuse. She will not learn how to do this. I cannot see any benefits for Rin in learning this skill. Why would she need it?”

Poledra sighed. Her gold eyes bore into his own. “It has come in handy several times in the past, when one wants to overhear a conversation or be unnoticed by people. In certain situations, Rin may be able to hide while in plain sight, something she might need until she is older and more capable of protecting herself.”

Sesshomaru bristled at the idea that he might not be able to protect Rin effectively. He glared at the wolf-woman, his eyes narrowed. He growled, baring his fangs. Sesshomaru said through clenched teeth, “This Sesshomaru has no problem ensuring Rin's safety.”

“One never said you did. However, if she should ever be alone and need to protect herself from those who wish her harm she should have something to fall back on,” Poledra replied, never wavering under Sesshomaru's scrutiny. The wolf-woman's resilience and fearlessness puzzled the Demon Lord. “I truly do understand your reservations as her pack-leader. However, the fact remains that it is a skill that can lead to others, such as the ability to expand.”

Sesshomaru frowned. He nuzzled his nose into Rin's hair, his eyes falling closed. He felt Rin's small arms encircle him as she hugged him tight. Sesshomaru inhaled deeply, drinking in Rin's calming floral scent. He opened his eyes, glaring at the wolf-woman before he turned his back to her, holding Rin to his chest. “No. I will not let her learn this. This Sesshomaru is capable of protecting Rin. She has no need nor will never need to know this skill.”

Rin pulled away from him to look into his eyes. She reached up, placing her finger again to his lips. She shook her head. “It's okay.” She placed her palm onto his cheek and kissed the other. She whispered into his ear, “Rin is scared, too, Sesshomaru-sama. But Rin knows she needs to learn how to use her Will otherwise she might hurt herself.” She looked down, her hair hiding her face from him. “Please, don't be angry, Sesshomaru-sama.”

Sesshomaru's shoulders slumped as he noticed that her petite frame was tense. He lifted his hand to smooth a strand of hair behind her ear. He took her hand back into his, squeezing it. Sesshomaru breathed into her ear, “This Sesshomaru is not angry with you, Rin.” He pulled her against his shoulder, holding her close.

Rin lifted her head and smiled wanly, hugging him. “I know, Sesshomaru-sama. Rin believes you.”

Sesshomaru whispered in defeat, “Proceed with the lesson.”

Rin eased out of his lap to sit facing the wolf-woman again. She glanced towards Sesshomaru before placing her hand into his palm. She smiled wide at him and Sesshomaru closed his hand over hers, noticing how his large hand engulfed her delicate one. When would she ever need to be any smaller than she already was? She looked at their hands a moment, then lifted her head to look at Poledra. “I'm ready, Poledra-sama.”

Poledra nodded. “Rin, I want you to pay close attention. Watch the inkwell.” The wolf-woman's eyes focused on it intently. Her expression became strained and she whispered, “Small.” The inkwell began to contract and little by little it shrank upon itself until it seemed to disappear. Where the inkwell had been now sat a tiny version of it, no larger than a pebble. Poledra asked,“Did you see what I did there, Rin? I didn't alter the inkwell in any way, except for its size. Everything that makes it up is still intact. It is no different, it is only smaller.”

Rin nodded. “I understand, Poledra-sama.”

“Good.” Poledra smiled. She spoke another word and the inkwell returned to its normal size. “Now I want you to try. Practice releasing your Will slowly. That way if you make a mistake you can correct it quickly.”

Rin looked up towards Sesshomaru. She smiled gently, squeezing his hand. Rin turned her attention again towards the inkwell. Her eyes became distant and she frowned in intense concentration. She breathed a single word, one that Sesshomaru had almost missed, even with his sensitive hearing, “Tiny.”

At Rin's whispered command, the inkwell started to shrink before Sesshomaru's amazed eyes. He looked from the inkwell to Rin's face. Her eyes were narrowed and she clenched her teeth. As the inkwell continued to reduce, Rin squeezed his hand tight. Once it was completed, she slumped against Sesshomaru's shoulder, panting slightly. “Was that good enough, Poledra-sama?”

“Perfect.” The wolf-woman smiled. “I'll let you recover a moment and then I am going to have you reverse it. After that we'll try it on you. Don't worry, I'll be there and if anything should go wrong I'll help you out.”

Rin nodded and rubbed an eye. “Okay.” She burrowed her face into Sesshomaru's shoulder, relaxing a moment. The little girl sighed softly. Rin sat back up and glanced towards the miniature inkwell. Her eyes grew distant again and she tensed next to Sesshomaru. Rin lifted her free hand to her amulet and whispered, “Go back.”

Slowly the inkwell appeared to swell in size. Rin gripped her amulet, her eyes focused completely on the growing object in the center of the floor. As it resumed its normal size, the inkwell looked no different than it had before Rin had changed it. Sesshomaru stared in awe before looking towards Rin. A small smile crossed her lips and she whispered, “Look what Rin can do, Sesshomaru-sama.”

Poledra nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent, Rin. You have also become much quieter when you release your Will.”

Rin blushed, hiding her face again into Sesshomaru's shoulder. Sesshomaru pulled her close, rubbing her back. He looked towards Poledra, his eyes narrowed and his fangs bared in warning. Sesshomaru may have given into the wolf-woman's demand, but he still wanted her to know that he did not like it.

“Thank-you, Poledra-sama.” Rin sat up. “I'm ready.”

“Okay. Why don't you pull some pillows into a pile to sit on the first.” Poledra waved her hand and spoke a single word, the inkwell returning to the writing desk as if it had been there all along.

Rin slid off of the bed and piled a few pillows in the center of the floor. She sat down cross legged on them. Rin glanced towards Sesshomaru, flashing him a nervous smile. “This okay, Poledra-sama?”

“Yes, dear. What you're going to do now is exactly what you did to the inkwell. The only difference is you'll turn that focus on yourself instead.” The wolf-woman smiled. “If anything should go wrong, I'll be right there to help. You have nothing to worry about.”

Rin clasped her hands in her lap. She bit her lip. “Okay, Poledra-sama.”

“You can begin anytime.”

Rin nodded. Her eyes fell closed and she clutched her amulet in her hands. Her brow crinkled and a frown of concentration crossed her lips. The little girl bowed her head, holding her amulet to her lips. The knuckles of her hands became white with the pressure. Rin said under her breath, “Be small.”

At first it seemed as if Rin's words had no effect. She looked as she always had. Sesshomaru blinked as she slowly began to reduce in size, shrinking into the red and yellow pillows underneath her. He gasped audibly as the already tiny girl seemed to disappear before him. Sesshomaru leaned forward, his eyes searching for Rin amongst the brightly colored pillows. He jumped when he heard a tiny voice. “Sesshomaru-sama, Rin is down here!”

A soft laugh escaped Poledra. She shook her head. “Very good, Rin. You have learned well.” A flicker of amusement filled her gold eyes. “You released your Will just right.”

Sesshomaru looked down towards the source of the voice. He knelt down onto a blue pillow, hunching over. The Demon Lord's eyes went wide as he saw the tiny Rin sitting atop a red pillow. She waved at him and a small laugh reached Sesshomaru's ears. He asked, his voice wavering, “Rin? How?”

Rin nodded. “Yes, it's me, Sesshomaru-sama.” She pushed herself up to stand, tilting her head up to look at him. “Rin's okay. You don't have to worry!”

Sesshomaru held himself up with his hand as he leaned closer to look at Rin. His brow furrowed and he sniffed. Her scent remained the same. Sesshomaru gasped, his body becoming rigid as Rin ran straight towards his hand. He turned it over as he tried to sit back so not to fall forward onto her. He felt a slight tickle brush his palm and he lifted it to look at the miniature Rin resting there. He asked again, “How?”

Rin placed a hand over her mouth, hiding her giggle. She approached the edge of his palm, leaning forward. “You're silly, Sesshomaru-sama.” The little girl appeared to be as tall as his smallest finger. The Demon Lord felt the lightest of touches, like a soft gust of air, against his cheek as Rin kissed it.

Sesshomaru pulled away, looking down into his palm. He blinked, shaking his head. “This Sesshomaru doesn't know what to say. How is it possible?”

Poledra smiled. “Rin, dear, you've had your fun. It's time to go back to normal. You can't stay like that forever.”

Rin's little face scrunched into a pout. She crossed her arms. “Okay, Poledra-sama.” She looked up into Sesshomaru's face, craning her neck. “Can you put Rin back onto the pillows, please, Sesshomaru-sama?”

Sesshomaru slowly leaned forward, making sure to keep his hand steady. He lowered it to a yellow pillow and Rin jumped off. She waved up at him, smiling. The Demon Lord sat back so not to hurt her unintentionally. “You are certain she'll be able to go back? She'll be able to return to her original size?”

Poledra nodded. “Yes. Rin can return to her normal size.”

He looked down at the pillow he had deposited Rin. She sat cross legged, her miniature hands on her amulet. Rin murmured, “Grow.” The little girl seemed to expand, engulfing the pillow she sat on. Sesshomaru stared as her miniature body grew. When she returned to her normal size, Rin lifted her head and smiled wide at him. She stood and ran to Sesshomaru, throwing her arms around him. Rin rested her head onto his shoulder. “I did it, Sesshomaru-sama.”

Sesshomaru's eyes went wide. He eased his arm around her small body before pulling Rin to his chest. He hugged her fiercely, afraid to let go. Sesshomaru nuzzled her hair before kissing her cheek. He whispered into her ear, “This Sesshomaru knows you did.”

Poledra stood. “Rin, dear, I think that is quite enough for one day. You're progressing well. The Master will be pleased by this.” Her gold eyes locked with Sesshomaru's and she nodded before exiting into the hall.

Once they were alone, Sesshomaru sat back down onto the bed. He frowned before looking at Rin. He asked, “How? How did you do that?”

Rin joined him. She wrapped her arms around his torso. “Rin just imagined herself being very small. When I could see it in my mind, I spoke the word.” The little girl pulled away, looking down. A worried frown crossed her lips. “You're not angry, are you?”

“No, Rin. I'm not angry. This Sesshomaru only wishes to understand.” He pushed her hair behind an ear, tucking it away from her eyes. He asked, “What does it feel like?”

Rin bit her lip in thought. “It feels like my body is folding in on itself. Everything got bigger around me and it felt as if I had melted.”

Sesshomaru pursed his lips. “It does not hurt, does it?”

“No, it doesn't hurt.” Rin smiled. “It just feels funny.”

Sesshomaru hugged her. “Good.” He looked about the room at all the scattered pillows. “Let us return the pillows to where they belong and prepare to go downstairs for dinner. You should eat.”

“Okay.” Rin sat up and let go of him.

Sesshomaru stood, crossing to a blue pillow cast into a corner. He bent down and just as he was about to pick it up, the pillow disappeared. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the very same pillow in Rin's hands. She winked at him and set it onto the bed. He narrowed his eyes at her in mock ire. Sesshomaru crossed to another pillow and again just as he reached down to pick it up, it disappeared.

Rin giggled, clutching the purple pillow. She smiled at him, setting it down next to the other one. She pointed at a red pillow. “Rise.” It lifted into the air and floated across the room. Rin pulled it out of the air, setting it with the others. “This is fun, Sesshomaru-sama.”

Sesshomaru shook his head, laughing softly. He grabbed a pillow from the floor before Rin could do anything and tossed it at the bed. It hit Rin on the leg and landed on the floor. “Are you mocking this Sesshomaru, Rin?” Sesshomaru picked up another pillow, holding it in his hand.

“Rin would never do that to her Sesshomaru-sama.” Rin smiled wide and winked. She whispered a word and the pillow disappeared from Sesshomaru's hand to appear in hers. “Rin's just practicing.”

Sesshomaru returned to the bed. He hugged Rin close, ruffling her hair. He pulled his fur around her, securing Rin to his chest. No matter what the wolf-woman said, Sesshomaru knew he could keep Rin safe; he would protect her from any threat. Sesshomaru chuckled softly into her ear and kissed her cheek. “I believe you were doing much more than practicing, Rin. You cannot fool this Sesshomaru so easily.”

“Here, Sesshomaru-sama.” Rin lifted the blue pillow up, offering it to him. “You can have your pillow back.”

Sesshomaru accepted the pillow and tossed it behind him to land with the others. He shook his head and whispered, “What will this Sesshomaru do with you, Rin?”