InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Gods and Monsters ❯ Chapter 11: From the Mouths of... ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer in Part One

Much thanks to Merith (best beta ever) and to Everstar (best sounding board ever)

Chapter 11: From the Mouths of...

In the weeks that followed their return, Teles found it fairly easy to settle into a routine. It was strange to be suddenly thrust into a place where other people resided, and Teles was more than a little unnerved at the constant presence of a human child, but she slowly grew acclimated to her surroundings.

Sesshoumaru was away for a good part of the day, tending to the responsibilities of his lands. This left Teles alone with Jaken and Rin, but most often it left her alone with Rin.

That Sesshoumaru was fond of the child was clearly obvious. After time, Teles also began to see the child's charm. They were both quite curious of each other at the beginning, but while Teles satisfied her curiosity by watching the child from afar, Rin seemed determined to satisfy her curiosity by following the goddess.

Thankfully, this was only when Sesshoumaru was not around. When he was, Rin tagged after him adoringly.

During the day, Teles usually spent a great deal of time wandering Sesshoumaru's realm, Rin close behind. The goddess' presence in the area had an influence on the land; the rivers and streams were cleaner and colder than they had been before. She couldn't help but notice the way the surrounding villages seemed to thrive a bit more.

No, there were no Sirens in these lands, but perhaps her presence could aid others. She had spent too much time alone lately.

During one of her wanderings, Teles found herself alongside the main river, walking slowly, letting her neck and shoulders soak up the late summer's waning sun. As had become the norm, Rin trotted beside Teles, her short, quick strides keeping time with Teles' longer, slower ones. Stopping suddenly, she lowered herself onto the thick, soft grass. As Teles suspected, Rin followed suit.

The two often sat in silence that was occasionally punctuated by Rin's questions. She had, during the course of Teles' stay, asked whether she was a youkai or not (not), what it meant to be a goddess (like being a youkai, only more so), whether Rin could be a goddess when she got older (no), and whether Teles liked Jaken very little or not at all (very little, frequently spilling over into not at all).

Teles, initially apprehensive of the child's questions, had grown to enjoy Rin's inquisitive nature.

"Teles-sama, what's a mate?"

Teles froze, suddenly not liking that self-same inquisitive nature. "I'm sorry, Rin... what did you say?"

Rin was quiet for a moment, running her fingers through the sweet-smelling grass. "What... what is a mate?"

"Ah." That's what I was afraid you'd said. Teles took a deep breath. "A mate, Rin, is..." Gods, do I even understand what it is? She cleared her throat. "A mate is... well, it happens when two creatures are... drawn to each other, for whatever reason. When they decide to remain together, they are mated." The goddess was thoughtful for a moment, trying to remember how Sesshoumaru had explained it, then decided that his explanation was not entirely appropriate for the young girl. "Then again, I don't think an actual decision necessarily comes into the equation... but I'm probably confusing you."

Rin looked up at her, two dark eyebrows coming together. "Drawn to each other?"

"Yes. When they want to be near each other, and it's ... a very strong want."

Nodding suddenly, Rin exclaimed, "Ohhhh! I wanted to be near Sesshoumaru-sama when I saw him the first time, because I thought he was the most beautifullest thing I ever saw. And he let me stay!" She grinned at Teles and busied herself with plucking some of the flowers surrounding them.

The goddess paused, suddenly unsure of and uncomfortable with the way the conversation was turning. "Well... that's not... it's not exactly the same thing, Rin," she explained, turning faintly pink.

But Rin was not listening. She had gathered a handful of flowers, and not a small amount of grass, into a little bouquet. "And Jaken always comes back too...."

"No, Rin... Sesshoumaru-sama lets you stay because..." Teles stopped. Because why? She could tell that Sesshoumaru cared deeply for the girl, even if he hadn't said as much. Damn you Sesshoumaru, I'm going to kill you for leaving me to explain this. "Well, because he is fond of you. And... and because I believe it is because he is concerned for your safety."

Rin paused in her flower picking to frown. "But I do want to be with him very much."

"And he wants to be with you very much too. But it's a different kind of want," Teles replied, feeling suddenly like she was trying to find her way down a darkened hall, searching for a door.

Rin was quiet for a long time, staring at the flowers she held, trying to understand what Teles-sama was telling her. "Different?"

Something in the child's tone stung the goddess and she swore silently at the youkai once more. "Well, yes. A little different. I, for instance, have grown quite fond of you." She smiled at Rin. "But that does not necessarily mean that we are mated."

The child nodded slowly, her expression still confused, and slowly growing disappointed.

Teles saw the change in the girl and swore silently again. "Your Sesshoumaru-sama is quite fond of you, but... you are too young to be mated to anyone just yet."

Two huge dark eyes pinned the goddess in their gaze. "Are you more special than me?"

Shaking her head, Teles smiled reassuringly. "No, Rin. Just older."

"Okay," the child said doubtfully.

Teles watched Rin for a moment and noticed that she was no longer picking flowers zealously. She sat, staring at the blooms in her hand. "You sound as if you do not believe me, Rin."

"I want to still be special." Her words were spoken softly, and that seemed to sting Teles even more deeply.

Teles made a move to touch the child on top of the head, but stopped, pulling her hand back, suddenly even more unsure than she had been before. "What would make you think you weren't?"

Rin's attention was still on the flowers, as if she was drawing on them for strength to speak. "Well... you get to spend lots of time with Sesshoumaru-sama and he likes you best and I'm little."

Sighing deeply, Teles imagined a thousand and one slow, painful deaths that she would relish inflicting on the youkai. She thought idly of Prometheus, chained to a great rock, while huge birds of prey circled and plucked out his liver. Yes. Yes, I believe that will do nicely. She reached out and touched Rin gently on top of the head. "I sincerely doubt that Sesshoumaru-sama likes me best. You have been special to him for far longer than I have."

Rin considered this for a moment. "I like you, Teles-sama, and I'm glad Sesshoumaru-sama brought you home. You're more fun than Jaken."

Relief flooded Teles' veins. The crisis was averted, and she had somehow managed to avoid hurting the child's feelings. She inhaled deeply. "And I... I quite like you as well." Glancing over at the toad youkai who was, at present, sunning himself on a rock, she lowered her voice conspiratorially. "And I don't believe it takes very much to be more fun than Jaken." She thought for a moment, her eyes lighting with mischief. "Would you like to see a trick?

Rin's eyes lit up suddenly. "Uh-huh!"

Glancing again at Jaken, Teles turned her attention to the water for a moment. She moved her hand slightly, watching Rin out of the corner of her eye. The child watched entranced as a little fountain of water bubbled up in the middle of the stream. It began to arc slowly, gathering over the dozing youkai. Teles gave a flick of her wrist and the collected water fell, dousing Jaken. Immediately, the toad had leapt to his feet, sputtering and waving his arms wildly.

Teles was trying to suppress her laughter when suddenly Rin's small arms were around her, hugging her tightly. "You do the neatest things."

Surprised by the hug, Teles blinked, suddenly apprehensive before patting the child on the back. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Are you sure I can't do stuff like that?"

"I'm sorry, Rin. You cannot. I was... born this way."

This seemed to be explanation enough for Rin, who already knew, despite many attempts, that she could not transform herself into a giant dog. "Okay. I'm gonna go wading."

Teles nodded, slowing the current. "Be careful." She turned her attention to the toad youkai, who was still muttering angrily, trying to dry his robes. She sighed. That little imp... he can't just leave us alone, can he? No, of course not. He's got to follow us. Honestly, I should think that Sesshoumaru trusts me enough not to lose or break a human child. I can't say the same for that reptile.

The sight of Rin trying to imitate a water goddess, attempting to make the water obey her will, interrupted Teles' reveries. She sighed, trying not to grin. "Rin, Sesshoumaru-sama has already requested once that we not drown Jaken."

Rin pouted. "Awww."

She cleared her throat. "And I have a feeling that he will not be entirely amused that Jaken was the recipient of an unwelcome bath..."

Rin looked up at Teles-sama, who was still watching her from the bank. "Are you gonna be in trouble too?" she asked, suddenly worried.

The goddess nodded and answered solemnly, "It is entirely possible." She rendered the water around Rin as still as glass before making it jump and dance in ripples around the girl, who squealed in delight, clapping her hands. The water stilled again and Rin looked up at Teles, tiny hands on her nonexistent hips.

"Well, Sesshoumaru-sama can't be mad at you. I won't let him."

Teles smiled at the girl's words as well as her actions. She had never tried to do these sorts of things for sheer amusement, but the child seemed to be delighted at the way she could make the water do any number of entertaining things. "Is that so?" she answered. "Well, you know how he is when he sets his mind on something."

Rin watched in amazement as a series of small, waist-high fountains formed a circle around her. "We could tell him I made you do it."

Smiling ruefully, Teles shook her head. "Ah, I would not permit you to lie for me, little one."

"If he gets mad at you, will you have to go away?"

The goddess chuckled, making small streams of water jump over Rin's head. "He has been mad at me in the past, and when I tried to go away, he was quite cross about it. So, no."

"You mean when he brought you here in the first place 'cause he lost you? Okay," Rin replied, jumping up to try and catch the streams of water.

Lifting her other hand slightly, Teles willed mist to rise from the water. "Besides, sometimes it's quite entertaining to vex him." Suddenly realizing what she was saying, the goddess cleared her throat and quickly added, "I don't recommend it, of course..." She did not want to inadvertently encourage the child to do something she might regret. Teles had no doubts that Sesshoumaru would never harm Rin, but that didn't mean she wanted to get the child in trouble.

Rin waved her arms, watching as the mist parted before melding back together again. "Yeah, he did get mad one time when I washed the fluffy all by myself."

"The... fluffy?" Teles repeated, frowning. No. No, surely she doesn't mean his... Oh no.

Rin nodded, her attention still on the water and mist swirling around her. "He was taking a nap so I borrowed it and went to play with it except it got a little dirty and so I decided to wash it and then it got even more dirty and then he was mad."

Teles blinked. She could see it all so clearly - Sesshoumaru must have been positively furious. She closed her eyes, trying very hard not to laugh. She clamped a hand over her mouth, but her shoulders were shaking with laughter. The mist had dissipated and the water was no longer jumping over Rin's head. Instead, it was rippling wildly, in time with the goddess' smothered chuckles.

Rin peered up at Teles. "Are you okay?"

Teles, who had managed to compose herself, cleared her throat and nodded quietly. She couldn't get the image out of her head, but she calmed herself with a deep inhale.

"He won't let me play with his hair anymore, either," Rin said, her attention going back to the water that had once again started to move magically around her.

Not sure if she really wanted to hear the story, Teles asked, "And why is that?" She beckoned to Rin, patting the ground in a silent invitation to sit.

Rin waded through the water and trudged up the bank. "I was putting pretty flowers in it except there was this one flower that I guess he doesn't like because it made him sneeze and sneeze, and then he said, 'Rin, please do not put flowers in my hair anymore.'" She plopped down next to Teles.

The goddess bit her lip. "Well that was hardly your fault, I think."

"But I couldn't get the flowers to stick together so I used pine pitch, so he couldn't get the flowers out." Rin paused, remembering the incident. "But he looked really pretty," she added, as if that had been an acceptable consolation.

"Oh... dear." Teles found herself unable to keep the laughter at bay. When she had first called Sesshoumaru 'amusing,' she'd had no idea how very right she had been. Still chuckling, Teles pulled the combs out of her hair, letting it fall loose around her shoulders. She moved behind Rin and gathered the girl's glossy hair in her hands, gently putting it up with the combs. "There" she said, moving beside the girl. "You may not be a goddess, but I believe no one will be able to tell the difference right away." She watched as Rin's eyes grew huge in sheer delight. Lowering her voice to a whisper, Teles said, "Just don't try and drown anyone, agreed?"

Rin also lowered her voice to a whisper. "Not even Jaken, right?"

"Not even when he deserves it."

Rin sighed. "Oh-kay."

Teles then took the gold clasp from her dress, tying the material in a knot to secure it. She placed the brooch on the shoulder of Rin's dress, noting the child's smile at being given something so delicate and shiny.

"Really?" A wide grin nearly split the girl's features. Her fingers came up to rest on the clasp, tracing the metal with her fingertips. She looked at it. It was round, and a strange stone was situated in the middle of it. The stone was mostly white with shimmering trails of pink and blue running throughout. The metal around the stone was engraved with tiny pictures. Rin squinted at it and saw that a ring of tiny, delicate fish was etched into the metal.

Teles nodded solemnly. "Really." She noticed Rin's attention focused on the stone. "It's called an opal," she supplied. "It brings hope and happiness to the wearer." The goddess looked at Rin contemplatively. "You know, I believe Sesshoumaru-sama himself will not be able to tell the difference between us."

Dark eyes sparkling happily, Rin leaned over. "Let's make him guess."

Grinning, the goddess ran her fingers through Rin's bangs. "Oh, you wouldn't want to embarrass him, would you? If he couldn't guess?" The child's smile was unwavering and somewhat infectious. "Perhaps we should check and see if he has returned yet."

"Yes!"

Teles stood, primly brushing the grass from her sheath. "Jaken, we are returning to the den. Follow if you wish." She began walking back to the den; her hands were clasped loosely behind her back, her strides long and slow.

Rin jumped up and immediately began running through the grass but caught herself and watched Teles out of the corner of her eye, trying to match Teles-sama's walk. She was able to imitate it, more or less, but Rin's legs weren't as long as hers.

Meanwhile, at the den, Sesshoumaru wondered at the emptiness, vaguely hoping that Jaken hadn't been drowned. He turned to go out searching for them, suddenly stopping short. Teles and Rin were standing at the mouth of the den. The goddess' hair was loose, caught in the gentle breeze and her dress appeared to be knotted in place. By her side was Rin, looking for all the world like a miniature version of the goddess.

He blinked once. There is a reasonable explanation for this. I only have to wait for it.

Rin tugged gently on Teles' hem and whispered, "You were right."

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Right?"

The young girl stood up a little straighter. "One of us is Teles and one of us is Rin. I wanted to make you guess, but she said you might get it wrong."

Teles cleared her throat and schooled her features into a bland expression. "We wanted to see if you would be able to tell the difference between us."

What manner of game is this? "I... see." No, I really don't. Sesshoumaru glanced at Teles, who appeared to be sending him a very pointed, very meaningful glare. When he looked down at Rin he saw that she had glanced at Teles before sending him a comical facsimile of the same expression. Mentally throwing his hands up, Sesshoumaru said, "Well, I must admit, the resemblance is... startling."

His reward was a huge, gap-toothed grin.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flicked quickly to Teles before settling again on Rin. "But..." he said, sniffing the air faintly. "No amount of trickery can change your scent, Rin," he stated, his lips curling in a sly smile.

Delighted, Rin giggled. "You guessed, you guessed! I knew you'd guess right, even though she said you'd get it wrong." She ran over and threw her arms around the demon's leg, squeezing with all of her might. "I like Teles-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama. She's the best thing you ever brought home. She says she's your mate and that means she wants to be with you very much and I thought that meant maybe I got to be your mate too but she says I'm too little. But she says that you still want me here anyway, right?"

The youkai cleared his throat. "Yes, well..." He glanced over at Teles, who was watching the scene, clearly amused. "Perhaps you should return her things to her."

"Oh, okay." Rin plopped down at his feet and managed to unfasten the brooch, but was having significant difficulty with the combs. Teles lowered herself down until she was level with the child, placing a hand over the smaller hands, which had been struggling with the golden combs.

"Rin, I think it would be perfectly appropriate for you to continue using my things," she said, guiding Rin's hands down away from her hair. "When you are ready to have them taken out, let me know."

Rin nodded. "Okay."

A wicked grin curled at the goddess' lips. "Perhaps you can fool Jaken into thinking that those things have given you my powers."

As Rin's eyes lit up, Sesshoumaru turned his attention to Teles. "Do you never cease to trouble him?"

"No, I do not," she replied, glancing up at him. "I think my combs and clasp are perfectly acceptable playthings for her. And much nicer than that staff of Jaken's anyway." Teles stood again, watching as Rin sat quietly, tracing her fingers over the clasp. She's probably trying to figure out ways to make that little toad think she can control the waters.

Sesshoumaru watched Rin for a moment before looking back at Teles, shaking his head. "I cannot say I approve of your taunting my vassal."

"I cannot say I approve of your vassal, so we are even." She stood and moved closer to Sesshoumaru, running a hand through his hair, surreptitiously searching for remnants of pine pitch.

Closing his eyes and relaxing into the ministrations, Sesshoumaru cleared his throat suddenly, coming back to himself. "I am glad you seem to have enjoyed yourself today, Rin."

The child nodded vigorously. "I had the best time I've had in a long time."

"Oh?" he replied, a little surprised.

"I didn't have to play with Jaken at all."

Smothering a smile, Sesshoumaru glanced back at Teles. "Yes, well I'm sure it was quite uneventful for Jaken as well. Where is he?"

Shrugging, Rin turned her attention back to the clasp. "I don't know."

Teles waved her hand dismissively. "He knew we were leaving. I told him to follow if he wanted. He clearly did not want to follow."

"Maybe he thought he'd get wet again," Rin supplied.

Sesshoumaru's attention went to the child sitting contentedly by him. "Rin?"

Two dark eyes looked up at him. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Why might Jaken be worried that he would get wet again?"

"Because..." Almost immediately, Rin's eyes got big. "Because I was playing in the water and I splashed him really hard and Teles told me not to but sometimes I don't do everything I'm told, you know? So he didn't want to follow me especially 'cause I've got her stuff now and maybe I can do water tricks." Her eyes flickered over to Teles for a bare moment before looking back at Sesshoumaru, who was clearly not happy at this news.

As the youkai was about to say something, about to remind his charge about the many, many times he had already told her not to do exactly what it appeared she had done, Teles touched his arm lightly. When he glanced at her, she was sending him a very meaningful look and shook her head briefly.

Sesshoumaru looked back at Rin, who was watching him worriedly. He considered this for a moment. "In the future I would appreciate it if you would listen more closely to Teles-sama."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama. I'm sorry."

"Very well. Rin, would you please excuse us? I have a few matters I need to speak with Teles about."

After Rin had trotted back into the den, Sesshoumaru regarded Teles for a long moment. Since they had returned from the islands, his time had been monopolized by other pursuits. It was a pleasure to have a moment such as this to speak with her alone. "It pleases me to see that you appear to have... bonded."

Teles strolled beyond the mouth of the den, inhaling the clean scent of grass. "She does seem to enjoy asking questions. I merely answer them."

Following her, Sesshoumaru murmured, "Yes. She did say something about that, did she not?" There was a small surge of satisfaction when he saw that the goddess had turned a faint shade of pink.

"Until today, her questions were quite easy to answer. Today I was left trying to explain what it means to be a mate." Teles shook her head. "At first it felt as if I could not say anything right."

"Yes, I am familiar with that sensation," he replied wryly.

"I had to explain to her that just because she wants to be around you always, that does not necessarily make her your mate, which then led to her asking if I was more special than she was. I wanted to cause you great pain for putting me in that position. The child clearly adores you. For her to think that I'm more important to you than she is... I could not bear to see that in her eyes."

Nodding, Sesshoumaru's mind returned to the child. It had been unnerving to him at first - her emotions were bright and vibrant. She wore an expression much like others might dress in finery. "She is very... sensitive."

"Indeed. And from what she has told me, 'Sesshoumaru-sama,' she is very mischievous as well."

The youkai pursed his lips, arching an eyebrow. "I do not wish to hear the tales she must have told you."

Sighing, Teles approached the demon lord. "Sesshoumaru, Rin will eventually age, like all humans do. Before much longer, she will have stopped vexing you in this way, and I wager that you will miss it."

He appeared to think about her words for several minutes. After a while he replied, "Yes, but I will still have you to vex me, so I doubt that I will miss it very much."