InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Sesshomaru's Ponderings ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Rin sat staring into the beautiful blue, red and yellows flames of the fire that Jaken built for her. Sesshomaru observed her from the opposite side of the campfire, amazed at how much she loved a roaring fire and how long she could sit and stare at one, never once seeming bored. He cocked his head slightly to the left; he had been trying to see how long she could actually look into the fire without blinking. To do this you, yourself, cannot blink or you would miss the one second when they themselves could blink; therefore, defeating the purpose of seeing how long another person can go without blinking. It's a hard thing to do but Sesshomaru could go an hour without blinking, and if necessary much longer than that and surely Rin could not go longer than him.

"Why are you staring so intently into the fire?" Jaken asked he felt uncomfortable watching his master watch Rin stare into the fire, like she did every night they were able to build a fire for her.

"I'm talking to the fire." She whispered, never looking away.

"You're what?" Jaken asked, surprised by her answer, but Rin just continued to stare into the fire.

"What is the fire saying to you?" Sesshomaru asked, intrigued. If there was one thing he liked the most about Rin it was her ability to never cease to amaze him.

"The fire doesn't talk." Rin laughed, as if what he said was silly. "It's fire, but it shows Rin things, people, birds, horses, fireflies, and if I ask it something it will show me a picture. Rin does not always understand what the picture means in answer to Rin's question but Rin tries." She had such a serious expression on her face that even Jaken found it impossible to laugh at her for any foolishness. She sounded as if she had the powers of a sorceress.

"Who are the people that you see?" Sesshomaru asked softly.

"Rin's mother, father, and brother. It was Rin's father who told her about talking to the fire." For the first time in almost a half hour did Rin blink and look up at Sesshomaru, her sweet smile plastered on her face.

"What did your father tell you?" Sesshomaru questioned further.

"That if you look into a roaring fire long enough it would show you things, and answer all the questions that can never be answered by another person on this earth." It didn't seem possible but Rin's smile got even larger as she let out a giggle. "It was so amazing because he was staring into the fire and telling Rin all the things he could see, things Rin didn't know were he described them. He told Rin he saw things that would come to pass far into the future but that I was too young to begin to understand, so he wouldn't tell me about it but it made me want to do it too, so badly that I almost burned our home down once while staring into the fire."

"What happened?" Sesshomaru said, picturing Rin starting a fire that she couldn't control. The image almost made him smile till he heard Rin's answer.

"He spanked Rin. Hard. And told Rin that I was not to play with fire and if I wanted to learn its secrets that Rin would have to do it when and only when he built one himself." Rin said with a small frown on her face, as if she were remembering the spanking she got from her father.

As for Sesshomaru he felt anger towards her father. How dare he lay a hand on Rin. Granted, what she did had been wrong and deserved a form of punishment as well as a good talking to, but to actually put your hands on her in anger? Never. That was never acceptable. Nothing she did ever deserved her being hit. Her father should not have intrigues her so much without telling her that she could not start a fire on her own. And why was it that she was able to start a fire that could nearly destroy their home without someone seeing her start the fire in the first place? It sounded to Sesshomaru that she was not being watched properly and therefore her innocence was allowed to draw her into folly. They should have been thankful that she was not harmed, as he would have been, instead of spanking her.

"It wasn't long after that we were attacked by bandits and everyone was killed. Since then I haven't been by a proper fire till Rin found Sesshomaru." Her bright smile returning and pointed directly at him.

You did find me didn't you or, Sesshomaru thought, looking down at Tensegia, was I brought to you to be found? It had not been his choice to end up in that clearing. In fact, the first thing he remembered after Inuyasha's attack was hearing the rustle of leaves and branches as Rin approached him for the first time. He had no idea were he was. Nothing looked or smelled familiar to him. Tensegia had made the choice. Was it possible that the sword he always said was useless was in fact due his gratitude? He had never considered anything beyond the fact that Tensegia wanted him to save her. Allowed, actually, for the damn thing would only revive when it chose too he simply could not kill with it. Not to say that if he struck you down it wouldn't hurt but it wouldn't kill you. If anyone ever doubted it he could simply test it again on Jaken.

"Oh!" Said Rin, looking at the fire with excitement in her eyes.

"What?" Jaken and Sesshomaru said simultaneously, both startled out of their thoughts.

"Rin was just thinking: I wonder what Sesshomaru-sama is thinking as he looks down at his Tensegia? And I think it showed me." Rin was speaking in a whisper but you could see by her increased breathing that whatever it was she saw amazed her.

"Why would you want to know what I was thinking?" Sesshomaru asked, not liking the idea of what she might have seen if the fire had in fact showed her anything resembling the truth. It felt as if it would give her a sort of power over him if she could simply stare into a good fire long enough and it answer things for her, including going into other people's thoughts.

"Rin did not think she would actually know but when Rin saw you looking at Tensegia with a thoughtful look in your eyes the question just floated through Rin's head." She said looking at him with a look seemed to say `Rin was not trying to get inside your thoughts'.

"What did the fire show you?" Jaken asked with great curiosity.

"Jaken!" Sesshomaru said very sternly.

"H h hai?" Jaken said, he had forgotten his place.

"Go anywhere." Sesshomaru responded coldly.

"Hai." And Jaken scrambled to get to his feet and as far away as possible before his master decided simply knock him out instead.

"What did the fire show you?" Sesshomaru asked quietly but with great interest in his voice, as soon as Jaken was out of hearing distance. He would have to remember to knock him in the head with a big rock after Rin went to sleep. Insolent, presumptuous little toad to think that simply because Rin might have seen something that is personal about him he could actually ask her what she saw? Never again would he consider such foolishness.

"Rin saw a flash of bright light, different from the bright light the fire is giving off. Rin then saw Sesshomaru-sama being held up by the bright light, though it did not look like Sesshomaru-sama liked it and then Tensegia came to life and engulfed Sesshomaru-sama with a black light. There was nothing but the flames for a few moments and then Rin saw something that looked familiar, a tree. It was the tree that Rin found you lying underneath. Rin saw bright red and then suddenly Sesshomaru-sama was staring at Rin. Rin realized Sesshomaru-sama might be thinking about Rin." Rin had a very thoughtful look on her face as she told Sesshomaru what she saw as if she were telling him about how she picked flowers in the field and that she was now going to make a flower crown out of them.

"It would seem that your father is correct in that a roaring fire can answer your questions." Sesshomaru said after a few minutes, she had actually seen what he had been thinking about?!?

"Really?" Rin said with excitement.

"Yes."

"Rin has never seen anything till she became a part of Sesshomaru-sama's life. And only when Sesshomaru-sama is here with Rin. Rin feels completely safe when Sesshomaru-sama is around and father did also say that the mind must be completely relaxed." Rin again was looking into the gorgeous flames of the fire that now seemed to be burning a shade of purple.

Sesshomaru also found himself staring, enchanted by it's beauty, into the fire thinking over what Rin was saying. Could it really be that she not only didn't fear him but that she was so comfortable in his presence it allowed her to see truth and answers to questions that other person could answer like her father said? Could this feeling he was feeling at the thought be flattery? He knew of no one but his father to be completely comfortable and unafraid when around him. His father died over a hundred years ago. To Sesshomaru it seemed as if only a moment had passed when Rin told him she was completely comfortable in his presence and the next she was asleep peacefully on her side of the campfire. Completely comfortable indeed, Sesshomaru thought as he stood up and came around to pick her up and move her to sleep with Au Un as she usually did. He took the few steps needed to reach the two-headed beast and gently laid her down. He kneeled beside her for a moment, admiring her peaceful face as she slept. He moved a strand of hair that had fallen onto her face and was tickling her nose before straightening and taking his leave of the campsite and leaving Rin in Au Un's competent care.

Jaken paced back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth as he had for the past few hours. He had a dreadful feeling grasping his heart as each moment passed. He had a pretty strong feeling that tonight was going to end badly for him.

"Jaken." Came the deadly voice of his Sesshomaru-sama.

"EEEEHHHH!" He shouted as Sesshomaru appeared before him the same time the rock he threw before he speed up on him after saying his name hit him square in the head.

Sesshomaru didn't allow him a chance to even hit the ground before he was beating him in the head causing, with great satisfaction on his part, many bumps started to grow on his ugly green head.

"After over a hundred years of service it is amazing that you still haven't learned that I will inform you of my thoughts and plans only when I see fit to tell you." Sesshomaru said before kicking him into a nearby tree, knocking him into unconsciousness. Sesshomaru slowly walked over to make sure that he was indeed out for the night, kicked him one more time to make sure, and then turned to take his nightly walk.

Author's note: the idea around this fan fic came from a conversation that I had with my cousin when I went on vacation to see my family. We had a nice fire going and he had me all entangled in the idea of asking a roaring fire questions and it would show you pictures and you would have to interpret them and what they mean to you if it wasn't clear. It was really nice, hope you enjoyed my chapter. Was also just expecting to do a one shot and I have not clue as to where this fic could go so am open for ideas lol. Thanks for all the nice reviews that have been submitted. The put big smiles on my face, especially if they are nice lol. But please be honest.