InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lost World ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

<b><i>Lost World</b></i>

 

By: OtakuSailorV

 

<i>Chapter Five - Youkai</i>

 

A green, toad-like man was running toward them, his buggy yellow eyes wide with a feverish kind of light gleaming in them. His hands were thin, and as green as his bulbous head, and had three sharp, dangerous looking claws on each of the tiny fingers. His feet were uncovered and webbed, platting loudly against the floor in his rush.

 

This `Jaken' was rather stocky and his attire was dull and lacking of the vibrancy that was present in Sesshoumaru's kimonos. Of course, that was to be expected since Jaken appeared to be a servant of some sort.

 

He spluttered uncontrollably as he came to a halt in front of Sesshoumaru and Rin. In between gasps for breath, he tried to say something, but he never got more than half a word into it before having to catch his breath again.

 

Rin watched him, a growing happiness welling up inside of her until she felt as if her chest might explode with the emotion. The toad wasn't exactly cute, and the weird, two heads entwined into a staff in his hands didn't look inviting, but it was still the prospect of meeting such a tiny little demon.

 

It was a demon! A youkai! A <b><i>real</b></i>one. A real, live youkai. What she had always dreamed of seeing was running right towards her. And though it was not the most splendid of youkai, to her it was like viewing Heaven from a distance. This was her dream. Her childhood fantasies come to life! One cannot explain the measure of bliss that welled up inside of her. She felt like laughing and talking and a number of other things all at once. None of which was fitting for a girl her age to do though. So she tried to contain herself, which only proved to make the feeling grow more and more troublesome.

 

Jaken hurriedly motion to Sesshoumaru, trying to pantomime his message since it didn't appear that he was going to catch his breath anytime soon. He must have run a good distance.

 

He stopped short as his bulbous yellow eyes fixed on Rin's smiling face. She looked very amused and he could see her aura shining brightly with happiness and pure glee all around her. It vibrated and hummed nicely, making a very inviting and sugary melody as she continued to stare at him with bright, shiny eyes. She blinked innocently at him when he looked her way, and the aura trilled with a loving note and carried on louder than before.

 

He sniffed the air thoughtfully and was startled at his findings. “A-a human?! Lord Sesshoumaru, don't tell me the rumor of the human girl in the forest was true!!” He cried, having regained his breath when he had stared at Rin.

 

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in a warning. Jaken immediately shut his tiny green beak and tried to regain his lost dignity in front of his master. His eyes wandered back to Rin thoughtfully from under a lowered brow to find that she was still looking at him in that bright, happy way. Her aura pulsed brightly again when their eyes met and he stepped back, unsure of how to react to this.

 

“Uh. . .Sesshoumaru-sama, forgive me for my rudeness, but is it truly safe to keep the human out in the open like this?” He asked in a timid tone, looking at Sesshoumaru as if he were afraid.

 

Rin's good humor only faltered by a smidgen, though she looked at the taller silver-haired male curiously, as if worried about this herself.

 

Sesshoumaru gave Jaken another sharp look and started to walk down the long hall that Jaken had come from. “Follow me.” He ordered dully. Rin and Jaken exchanged a look before starting off down the hall after him hurriedly. Rin glanced down at the youkai that was walking so close to her heels and almost squealed with happiness. She looked away when Jaken sent a sharp look around after feeling her eyes on him.

 

<i>`Weird human.'</i> He thought, disgruntled.

 

Rin continued to step lightly, one could almost see a pleased little anime-like music note float from her every now and then.

 

After a time of following him, Rin decided to speak. “Where are we going?” She inquired in a happy tone.

 

Jaken shot her a reproachful and somewhat shocked look. She suspected she was supposed to be more solemn around the `Young Lord,' but it was rather hard to do when she was in such high spirits. She couldn't see the harm of asking him either.

 

He turned just slightly so that a single golden orb fastened onto her as they continued down the hallway. “To my father.” He informed her, turning back.

 

Rin blinked. His. . .father? Did he mean `Inutaishou?'

 

Jaken spluttered suddenly and his already large eyes grew even larger. Rin was momentarily frightened that they might just roll off his head, but had to force herself to think logically in such a situation, this was not some sort of deranged comedy she was in, this was reality. Despite all contradicting thoughts and scientific proof, she was sure that the place she was in was not her world at all, or anywhere <i>near</i> her world.

 

She grew suddenly nervous and her hands fidgeted with each other in her lap. She wasn't good with strangers. She felt fine around these two for some odd reason, though there had been initial discomfort with Sesshoumaru, she now knew him as a familiar face and trusted him in a childish manner. But the fact that she was heading for someone of more importance and possibly of even worse humor than Jaken or even more stoic than Sesshoumaru (though she didn't know how that could be possible) made her feel out of place suddenly.

 

She had felt displaced the entire time, like she was being pulled too thin, stressed, overworked, unnaturally tired. But she had put it behind her, tried to ignore it somewhat. And it had worked, especially since she had been in such high spirits. She now felt it weight down on her again as anxiety released it from it's inner cage.

 

Rin felt drawn; her head spun and her bones felt weak, something in her mind knew what was going on and was yelling it at her, but she never caught the words. Urgently she wracked her brain, but that only proved to make her feel worse. Her equilibrium felt as if it might be thrown off as a sudden fit of lightheaded dizziness hit her. <i>`Oh no, not gonna. . .oh. . .dizzy. . .'</i> Incoherent half-mumbles idly moved through her mind, far louder than the racing thoughts that were in the background at all times.

 

Her stomach twisted and her throat knotted, her tongue felt dry and thick in her mouth. Jaken gave her an odd look as he felt her demeanor give a sudden and rapid change from bright and happy to extremely bothered and jittery.

 

His yellow eyes widened when he saw that her face had paled, and her large, bright, shiny eyes had dulled so that they did not even glimmer faintly with their old light any longer. Her palms looked clammy and she pulled at her fingers roughly. Her eyes darted strangely about, as if she were worried or frantically searching for escape. The human briefly reminded him of a cornered animal in that instant, but the moment was lost when Sesshoumaru picked up on her change and halted, turning slowly to investigate.

 

Rin's pale complexion seemed to brighten a fraction when she found that he was staring at her. Her empty eyes, drowned in the whirling sickness warring inside of her, turned upward. She appeared embarrassed and quickly tried to regain her composure.

 

Her head was still aching and she felt the draw still, as if something were trying to suck her back, and something else was trying to hold her firmly in place. She teetered uneasily for a moment, but it might have just been the way her eyes were slanting the ground that she thought this had happened.

 

Jaken looked at her uneasily. There were tales of how humans brought horrible diseases. Despite those being just old superstitions that some youkai believed he was still wary.

Sesshoumaru's careful golden eyes looked her over thoughtfully and his lips seemed to twitch into a frown momentarily. “You are ill.” He stated.

 

Rin shook her head, then, checking herself, she nodded. Seeing that the contradictory motions made no sense and were confusing all those present, she decided to speak despite the fact that opening her mouth made her stomach turn queasily.

 

“I'm fine. . .” She assured him. “I just got dizzy for a minute.”

 

“You should be out if you aren't feeling well.” Sesshoumaru said blandly. He turned to his bug-eyed servant. “Take Rin back to her room, and make sure that she rests.” He ordered.

 

Rin made a face; she hated it when people put things off because of her. She wanted to meet the person who was in charge here too; maybe they could help her get back. “I'm fine.” She insisted stubbornly, but the other two were ignoring her completely.

 

Jaken bowed. “Yes, M'Lord.” Then, turning toward Rin: “Come along human.”

 

Sesshoumaru continued on down the hallway. For a moment, Rin stood solidly in her place, determined not to let herself be forcibly taken along anywhere.

 

Jaken tapped his foot impatiently. Sighing to herself, Rin looked down at him somberly before following him dutifully back to the room she had woken up in.

 

Rin felt downcast, tagging along after the youkai that barely came up to her kneecap.

 

When they arrived at the room, Rin reached out and opened up the screen so that Jaken would not have to strain himself too hard. The little guy already looked like he was ticked beyond his limits.

 

Jaken stomped in, arms crossed, the staff with two heads tucked securely in the crook of one arm. Grumbling, he crossed to a corner of the room and sat down. Rin walked to the futon somberly and sat down, watching him like a chastised child from her seat.

 

Her eyes peeked up from under her lowered brow, her bangs obscuring her vision a little. She felt slightly silly, seeing as she was taller. But it wasn't like she had any authority here. She was sure just one squawk from the little green toad and she would be caught before she went three paces if she tried to escape anyway. Not that she wanted to. There was too much for her to still find out for her to consider escaping yet.

 

The little toad demon noticed her considering him intently and sent her a nasty glare. “What are you staring at, human? Get some rest.” He ordered her angrily. Rin guessed that he was ticked about having to stay and watch her.

 

<i>`He must think it's a horrible punishment or something.'</i> Rin thought to herself a little stiffly. “I'm not tired.” She informed him simply.

 

“Well then pretend to be asleep.” He snapped.

 

Rin made a face at him, but complied in laying her head on the futon pillow. Her eyes still watch him in contemplation though, her brows coming together in thought. Jaken's own eyes fixed onto hers, and soon they were engaged in a staring contest.

 

The toad's eyebrows twitched irritably, but Rin's never wavered. She seemed lost in her own contemplation, not entirely watching him or even paying attention to the rest of the world around her.

 

After a time, she finally broke the silence. Her voice made Jaken jump back into reality, for he too had been lost in his own intense thoughts for a moment.

 

“Jaken-san, where am I?” Rin questioned thoughtfully, propping herself up on one elbow.

 

Jaken sighed to himself, frowning at her. He turned his head to one side; his arms were still folded together. “Humans are so foolish.” He mumbled to himself. “They don't know anything.”

 

Rin narrowed her eyes dully. “Won't you answer my question?” She asked.

 

Jaken gave her an unsure look for a moment before rolling his large yellow eyes and sighing again. “You are in the Western Realm, which is under the protection of my Lord Inutaishou.”

 

“The `Western Realm?'” Rin echoed thoughtfully, rolling onto her back and pressing one finger to her lips.

 

The little demon was temporarily relieved, thinking she would go to sleep now that her slight curiosity was satisfied, but he was quite mistaken. Rin only turned back over at a brief pause and continued with her interrogation.

 

“Does that mean there are other `Realms' as well, Jaken-san? Like, for instance, an Eastern Realm? And if there is, who rules it? Is Inutaishou-sama on good terms with them?”

 

It was like a gushing stream had just been unlocked, and all her worries and cares for appearing annoying or strange were dashed aside in her need for information. Her mind was racing with questions and they fell from her lips as fast as they popped up in her head. Jaken sat, dumbfounded, his mouth agape in shock at the numerous amount of questions and how furtively she continued on. Like a runaway train with no brakes.

 

When she stopped, apparently waiting for answers, her large brown eyes shining like an innocent child's, he huffed at her, glaring. She seemed to fall back into her old, closed-off self at the sight of him angry, but it didn't last very long.

 

“There are no other `Realms,' Inutaishou-sama rules over the only one in existence. There are sections of the Realm though, and smaller rulers under Lord Inutaishou. None match his prowess and- Hey! Are you even listening?!”

 

Rin had rolled over so her back faced him about half way through his speech. The poor youkai servant hadn't even noticed he was so engrossed in his own little world.

 

The girl now lay on her left side, watching the opposite wall seriously. Peeved, Jaken commenced in grumbling to himself about how disrespectful humans were.

 

<i>`So. . .I'm in some sort of `Realm,' huh?'</i> Rin thought to herself, wracking her brain about how this could have happened.

 

She glanced back over her shoulder temporarily to find that Jaken was still muttering to himself under his breath angrily. “Uhm. . .Jaken-san?” She asked slowly, hoping he wouldn't be too angry with her for not listening to his entire explanation on how mighty and strong this `Inutaishou' was.

 

“What is it now, human?” He grouched.

 

“My name is `Rin Higurashi,' <i>not</i> `human,' Jaken-san.” She informed him. “And I was just going to ask. . .what is. . .Sesshoumaru-sama like?”

 

The question had been on her mind since she had first seen him in the forest. Her face flushed pink and she turned her eyes toward the ceiling. She hoped that Jaken hadn't noticed she would have been terribly embarrassed if he knew she had flushed at the memory of the stoic Lord.

 

It was a good thing Jaken wasn't amazingly perceptive, and did not barely even notice the flush. If he did he thought nothing of it. He actually seemed quite proud to tell her everything he knew about the young Lord, at least, all the things he was allowed to say. Since it had not been confirmed if she were an enemy yet or not, he found it important to speak on Lord Sesshoumaru's strength repeatedly, just for emphasis.

 

“Why, my Lord Sesshoumaru is a very powerful and courageous prince. He does not even have to use a sword at times to fight. He is the crown prince, the elder of the two sons of Inutaishou, and will someday take his father's place as Ruler of the Western Lands. As one might think, he has quite the image to keep up, though M'Lord Sesshoumaru. . .” Jaken continued to prattle on, this time taking no notice that Rin had zoned out again.

 

She had listened to a good deal of it intently, her whole being absorbed, but soon, as it was with all things, she fell into her own deep inner musings. She shifted uneasily once, starring at her shoes with furrowed brows. <i>`Sesshoumaru. . .'</i>

 

* * *

 

When Jaken had stopped his long description of Sesshoumaru, he found that Rin had fallen into a fitful slumber in which she was often turning and twisting. Her forehead was damp with perspiration and every now and again she uttered a little whispered moan of discomfort. Her brows were furrowed against a pain he was sure was resonating in her forehead. One or twice she mumbled something in her sleep, but it was incoherent.

 

Jaken became troubled. Was the human really sick? Sesshoumaru had mentioned her falling ill in the forest where he had found her before she had been brought to the castle. And before in the hallway, she had reeled as if she might suddenly pass out again. He knew humans were weak, but this just seemed unstable.

 

His mouth opened and closed uselessly a few times as he glanced around, as if searching for another person within the room. He sighed at length in frustration, unsure of what to do now. He looked at Rin thoughtfully before getting up off his rump at least and waddling over tot he side of her futon. Grasping the thin blanket in his hands he pulled it up over her shoulders and went swiftly to the door.

 

Looking back, he considered her for a moment more before leaving in search of help.

 

* * *

 

Rin squirmed in her sleep uneasily, as if she were trying to get comfortable. But she couldn't, her head was pounding and she drifted between wakefulness and her dream world for what seemed like hours.

 

It was the same symptoms as before, aching stomach and head, feverish delusions, and a dull sense as if she were in two places at once, and yet not entirely anywhere at all. It was quite confusing and when she tried to trace the feelings and find their root, the throbbing in her head grew more intense, forcing her search to halt and retreat.

 

Gloom surrounded her, and in it she could distinguish only a few things. One was that there was someone in the room with her. What room, she could no longer remember, for it felt as if she were floating on some chummy, churning ocean that swayed in a discomforting way.

 

Suddenly, when she felt whoever was with her leave, she felt something else press in, something dark that whispered and hissed in her ear. She recognized the voice, but she couldn't remember from where. It was seductive though, entertaining, trying to win her trust. Some part of her did trust it too, but there was a larger part that struggled, as if it remembered something. This struggle frightened her and she fled from the dark presence as best she could in her sleep.

 

But it pursued her, constantly telling her sweet things, things she wanted to hear, but that she knew was not true. It claimed to help, in a way, for it spoke no words. And it seemed to know a way to get her away, to get her home.

 

When some part of her had become overjoyed at this thought, it had latched on with a vice like grip and had not let go. She had hesitated though, as if there were a reason she would not go back. A curious question came from the dark voice and for the briefest moment a flash of Sesshoumaru's face showed in her mind, accompanied by a sketch of him still lying, neglected on her desk at home.

 

The voice had acted in alarm and she felt herself cowering as it grew in the back of her mind, enraged.

 

Something touched her arm, her <i>real</i> arm, and Rin jolted awake, taking in deep gasps of breath. She felt cold sweat all over her body and her eyes were wide and wild. Frantically she looked around, pulling her arms tightly against the rest of her body. Her legs did the same in an attempt to protect herself from something. Her mind was still burning from the contact with the menace from before.

 

She calmed when she saw that several women were watching her just as fearfully as she was watching them. “Oh, I'm-I'm sorry.” She stammered, letting herself relax from her tight, in-drawn position.

 

One of the three that were sitting near her smiled softly. Her teeth were sharp and pointed, pure white, like ivory. Rin tried not to stare. Was this another youkai?

 

“What happened?” She inquired, hoping to get her mind off of youkai for a moment.

 

“You were quite sick, ningen-san.” The woman that had smiled at her now informed her in a soft, delicate tone. “We have tried to treat you, but none of our remedies seem to work. The fever you had has broken though, mysteriously, but you should still rest to prevent a relapse.”

 

Her advice was cool, but not in the same smooth way as Sesshoumaru's was. No, this woman still had emotion behind her words.

 

“Sick. . .” Rin mumbled to herself, ignoring the constant comments of `human' that were coming up to focus on something more pressing. “Have I been out long?”

 

It took the women a moment to comprehend her slang and strange dialect. They had never heard someone slur their words so much, not even the young men of the court, who were always trying to show off with foul language and poor use of their language. Still, this was much different. . .

 

“No, you have been asleep only a few hours. Quite miraculous that you should recover so soon from what seemed so serious.”

 

“Serious?” Rin was worried suddenly that she might have caught something like the Flu in a time where there was no medicine for it or something worse. What if she got pneumonia? Surely they wouldn't know how to treat that? She knew people still died from it in her time, but it was rare compared to when her grandfather had been her age. And even rarer when compared to times before <i>that</i>. She couldn't imagine what might happen if she was in a place that's technology was on par with, say- the Sengoku Jidaii.

 

The women nodded in unison, all of them looked as if something disturbed them. “When even the medicines we have do not even scratch the surface, it would be wise to consider your former illness lethal.”

 

The word echoed hollowly in her mind. `Lethal.' As in, it might kill her. As in, she might not see her family ever again. As in, she might not even do <i>anything</i> again.

 

The thought of ceasing to exist, of going to somewhere she had no idea about frightened her, and she sat in stony silence for some time. She had just danced with death and she had not known. . .Or had she?

 

She had been in pain, but she was sure those that were dying felt far worse than she did. This confused her; she wasn't sure what to make of the situation with her limited knowledge of diseases. From her experience with it, she had no idea what to call it. Maybe one of those twenty-four hour viruses? No, that couldn't be right. . .

 

“If ningen-san is feeling well, she should like to know that Inutaishou-dono is awaiting her recovery to speak with her.”

 

Rin started, blinking at them in shock. Inutaishou? Just as the name started to reverberate in her head, she heard a loud, commanding voice from outside the doors. “Well, stand aside then, stand aside. I'll go right on in. No, don't you follow me, I think I'll be quite all right.”

 

It sounded hearty and it pleased her to hear such a nice voice. It made her feel at home, made her feel welcome. It was like she had just heard one of her uncles bellowing for her instead of what she knew must be Inutaishou. For a moment she was at peace, not frightened at all, but the anxiety soon set in again as the women scurried away, and the doors to her compartment slid back swiftly.

 

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