InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Matters the Most ❯ Much More Interesting ( Chapter 41 )

A/N: Hm. I think my mind went a little insane when I wrote this chapter.

Oh well, it’ll give us a bit more insight (maybe) into one of my OC. Or, if not more insight, then at least a little more background... ^_^

-AnimeRainChildOfLove - Lol, yeah, I was considering extending their time together, maybe having Inu talk to his father a bit about mating or the pregnancy, but in the end, to me anyway, it seemed like fewer words were best. As to what you’re saying about having trouble trying to say what you’re saying, I agree-- it can be quite difficult to try and get across what you’re trying to say. It’s like some sort of unwritten rule of the subconscious-- like that one where, the less you need to concentrate on something, the more you want to. ^_^

-Crazy-Inuyasha-Girl - Arigato, as always it’s nice to hear that you’re enjoying it! ^_^

-Lokelani04 - Lol, yeesh, I wrote a cute story... Never thought that would happen. ^_^ -- Anyway, thanks for the help with Kouga... Then again, it still leave the same sort of indeciscion as before... So, as with all their names, I guess I’ll just go with whatever’s the most comfortable at the moment I’m writing the name. ^_^

-Swanson23 - Glad you’re liking it! ^_^ People have been saying stuff like that alot lately... “you’ve got an excellent writing style...” Quite personally, I gotta wonder what other crap they’re reading that’d give them that idea, but it’s still nice to hear it. ^_^ -- As to helping you, if you mean like beta-ing, then I have to say no. Quite honestly, I’d make a crappy beta. I don’t even do it with my own stories, I don’t think I have the attention span to manage with other peoples. Plus, I don’t exactly have a lot of time to be a beta at the moment. However, if there’s anything else you need, questions you want to ask or something, I’d be glad to try and answer them... ^_^

-Snowfall - Yep, Inu gets grumpy. Maybe, in a few chapters if I’m feeling up to it, I’ll make him go completely pregnancy-psychotic. ^_^ -- Yep, Inu was thinking about things, and Sess really should have known better than to interrupt him. ^_^ -- Being carried by Sess? Embarrassing? Well, maybe to Inuyasha, but quite personally I don’t think it would be so bad! ^_^

And, as I stated on my other fics, because of a major lapse in intelligence on my part, I haven’t been thinking to check my junk email. Because of that, people not on my safe list have been sending me emails/reviews and stuff, and they have been sent to my junk email. Since I don’t usually look in there, I have been missing people’s reviews. So if you sent me an email I didn’t respond to, that’s like the reason why. However, I am not going to start checking it along with all my other emails, so hopefully I won’t miss anymore...

Alright, that it?

Do I have anything else to say?

No, I don’t think so... Don’t worry, by the end of the chapter, there’s a very good chance I’ll have thought of something else... ^_^   ~*~   Much More Interesting

A loud roar of anger and surprise echoed around the castles hollowed halls, giving Rin pause as the noise was quite quickly accompanied by several loud and unintelligible curses.

She frowned and quickly beginning to head in the direction of the curses-- her curiousity refusing to let her do anything but-- and wasn’t entirely surprised when she ended up outside of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru’s room.

Almost immediately she headed toward the door to find out what was wrong, but, before she could get there, something furry flung itself hard at her chest, causing her to stumble back and very nearly loose he balance.

Her eyes widened and she blinked down at the young kitsune kit cowering in her arms, then looked up as Takehiko came storming out of the room with a look of anger, exhaustion and exasperation upon her ancient features.

The kit quickly buried itself tighter in her embrace as Takehiko’s eyes searched for and sought the creature as she came to stop a few feet before them, glaring savagely at the quivering bundle in the ningen’s arms.

‘And stay out!’ She shouted at the kit, wielding and waving a large chopstick around as though it were a weapon of some kind and glaring at the child. ‘I’ve had enough of your tricks for one day, Shippo, but pulling such things on Inuyasha in his current condition will not be tolerated! You’re very lucky that neither of them caught you or you might not have lived to pull anymore!’

Rin blinked in surprise just as Yuko came rushing around the corner, her face flushed red as though she had just run a very long way, and her breathing heavy.

Her eyes took in the sight before her, moving from Takehiko, to Rin, to “Shippo” in turn, before narrowing in as close to anger as Rin had ever seen on the girl’s face.

‘Oh, Shippo, what did you do now?!’ She demanded, her voice loosing it’s usual optimistic cheer and filling with the same sort of exasperation Takehiko’s had held. ‘Don’t tell me you have been mixing up Lady Takehiko’s herbs again, otouto! You promised you would not do that!’

Shippo didn’t answer-- wasn’t given the chance to really, as the next second Takehiko turned her wrath upon Yuko instead, her tone dangerous and her eyes flashing with anger.

‘You had better keep him in line, Yuko! It’s bad enough how stressed Inuyasha is currently, I don’t want anymore risks added because of this daken!’

Shippo stiffened in Rin’s arms and turned to stick his tongue out at the healer as she turned away and stormed back into the room where strange noises had been emanating from ever since the healer had come out, slamming the door viciously behind her.

Rin couldn’t help but grin at the kitsune’s childish behaviour, and it quite obviously caught the child’s attention.

Squirming from her arms, he landed softly on the ground, and quickly turned to offer her a small bow.

‘Hi!’ He said enthusiastically. ‘My name’s Shippo!’

Rin raised an eyebrow. ‘A little late for introductions, isn’t it?’ She thought in bemusement as she offered an amused bow of her own.

‘Konnichiwa, little Lord Shippo. By what honour do you grace me with your presence?’ She asked, keeping her face as straight as she could as the child looked up at her with wide eyes.

From somewhere behind her, Yuko let out a small huff of annoyance. Clearly the kitsune was one of the few people the servant didn’t have much tolerance for.

‘I’m sorry, Lady Rin, but he is hardly a Lord. And it’s not a manner of honour either.’ She said, glaring down at the small figure, who stuck his tongue out once again, this time watching carefully for Rin’s reaction.

And she knew that discouragement was what was really called for here, but she could not bring herself to give it, so, instead, returned the cheeky smile he was offering with one of her own.

Yuko frowned in disapproval at Shippo.

‘I’m sorry, Lady Rin, is he bothering you? I can take him away if he is.’

Shippo tensed slightly, bracing himself to run away at top speed should his “sister” attempt to grab hold of him, and Rin watched him with one eyebrow raised for a moment, before shaking her head.

‘No, that’s quite alright.’ She said. ‘He’s not bothering me at all.’

Yuko hardly seemed convinced of this fact, but a relieved sort of look came over her features nonetheless.

‘I’m so gald!’ She said, some of her usual energetic enthusiasm returning to her voice. ‘He’s just a young kit, but he has to stay here with me, and, with all the adult business and things to be taken care of around the castle, there’s really no place or time for him, so he has to keep himself busy, and, of course, that usually ends in an awful lot of trouble--’

Rin, recognising that the girl was about to go into her rant-mode, quickly moved to cut her off.

‘Earlier you called him “otouto.”’ She said in a slightly raised voice to be heard over Yuko, and causing the girl to instantly fall silent. ‘Is he really your brother?’

Yuko’s eyes widened slightly and she shook her head vigorously.

‘Oh no! We’re not really related! Well, not that closely anyway.’ She said. ‘His father is the great grandchild of my great ojii-san’s brother.’

Rin blinked at the girl, and muddled about with this in her mind for a few moments, trying to connect the short but complicated branch of family that Yuko had just spoken to her of.

Eventually, however, after simply running around in circles in her mind and nearly giving herself a headache, she had to give up. And, as with every family connection she was not certain of, concluded that Yuko and Shippo were cousins of some kind.

Pushing that away for the moment, she focused on the other piece of information the girl had just unwittingly revealed to her.

‘So... that would make you a fox-demon then.’ She said slowly, feeling a slight pressure on her shoulder as Shippo leapt up to rest there, scoffing slightly in her ear.

‘Oh, she’s not really a demon.’ The child said in a fairly knowledgeable tone. If it was possible to sound knowledgeable while mocking someone, that is. ‘She’s just got some demonic blood in her.’

Yuko narrowed her eyes, but the worlds that came out of her mouth after Shippo’s rather rude and uncalled for comment were not what Rin was expecting at all.

‘Shippo! You shouldn’t contradict your betters!’ She snapped, making Rin’s eyes widen. It seemed the girl cared not at all about being called less than a demon, or being taunted about it. Perhaps she was used to it, or maybe she just really didn’t care... it was all but impossible to tell, and she gave up once again the moment Yuko turned strangely apologetic eyes toward her. ‘He is right though, I’m afraid. I have verily little demonic blood in me.’ She said, conveniently forgetting her “no-contradiction” rule. Not that Rin gave a damn, but...

Rin gave a small inclination of her head toward the servant. ‘Hai, Inuyasha has told me much about you.’

Yuko stared at her a moment, before her eyes became comically wide in shock, and then a faint blush crossed her pale face. ‘I am honoured he would speak to other’s about me like that!’ She said, a tint of awe in her voice, before she suddenly jolted, as though remembering something.

‘Oh, kamisama forgive me, I completely forgot why I was here!’ She said in a rather upset tone, before offering Rin a quick and deep bow.

‘I’m very sorry Lady Rin, but I must go and attend to the princes. Come along Shippo, you need to get back downstairs before you cause more damage!’ She said, gesturing toward the child to follow her.

Shippo frowned and tightened his grip on Rin’s kimono shoulder, his tiny claws digging in and making her wince slightly before coming to a conclusion.

‘Why doesn’t he stay with me, Yuko?’ She asked, giving the servant pause and causing both kitsune’s emerald eyes to widen slightly.

‘That’s very nice of you, Lady Rin! That would certainly make things a little easier for me!’ The servant said enthusiastically, before seeming to hesitate slightly, a small frown of worry gracing her features. ‘I don’t want him to be a bother to you though.’

‘HEY!’ Shippo said indignantly, but they both ignored him.

‘I can assure you that he will be anything but.’ Rin said. ‘I have met a few youkai in my life, but rarely have I come across a kitsune. Perhaps he can teach me a trick or two of his.’ She said, giving Shippo a pointed and inquiring look. The child grinned widely at her, unveiling a pair of sharp, glinting canines from beneath his lips.

‘Sure-- I can show you all my tricks!’ He said, eagerly, before his face darkened slightly. ‘But you might not be able to do them, since you’re a human...’ He trailed off thoughtfully and then glanced up at Yuko.

The girl had an eyebrow raised at the kitsune, but she gave no real response or form of reprimand to the kit other than a small shrug, before smiling at Rin, bowing, and then scurrying off again, a broad grin crossing her face.

Rin stared after her until she disappeared from sight behind the same door Takehiko had, and then turned her attention back to the kitsune upon her shoulder.

‘So’ she said, eyeing the child in amusement ‘What exactly did you do to make Inuyasha yell like that?’

Shippo suddenly looked anxious again, eyeing her nervously, but failing to meet her eyes, and she smiled softly, before leaning in toward him, her face and voice becoming veiled behind masks of seriousness as she whispered as though they were two conspirators discussing top-secret information. ‘Don’t worry, Shippo, I won’t tell anyone.’

Shippo stared at her warily a moment, clearly trying to determine if she was lying or not, before ducking his head, a mischievious smile sliding across his face, and Rin could already feel an answering one of her own forming to answer his.

This should prove to be much more interesting than anything she could have originally thought of or had planned on doing.

Much more interesting indeed. ~*~  

Glossary

Kitsune - Fox

Ningen - Human

Otouto - Little Brother (Aniki is Big Brother)

Daken - Mongrel, Cur

Konnichiwa - Hello

Ojii-San - Grandfather

Hai - Yes

Kamisama - God

Youkai - Demon ~*~  

A/N: Woosh!

Well how is that for a bit of a twist?

I don’t know why, but I decided that Shippo needed to be in here, and this seemed like a good place to put him, so why not? And don’t worry-- I’ll explain more fully what cheeky little Shippo did to Inuyasha in one of the future chapters... ^_^

Names!

Guess what!

I don’t think I’m going to be needing help anymore on the names!

I’ve narrowed it down and picked out my favs from the list that was left, and have settled on my (insert number here) fav(s) for the pup(s)! ^_^

I’m not gonna tell you what they are or how many cause that would spoil the surprise, but there you go!

It seems like I’ve made at least some progress with this story, now doesn’t it? ^_^