InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Youkai Forest ❯ 2 ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 2

They had been traveling for over a week, skirting this strange looking forest and so far there was no sign of Shikon shards. Kagome sighed, her feet hurt and her back ached from carrying around her yellow pack. "Inu-Yasha? Can we please stop and make camp? We're all hungry and I'm sure you would enjoy some Ramen."

"But....," Inu-Yasha started to say when he was suddenly interrupted.

Miroku stepped forward, "Yes. I would really like something to eat. Besides we have been traveling since before dawn.

"Yes. I agree with Kagome," Sango interjected.

Sighing, Inu-Yasha knew when he was outnumbered and nodded his head. "All right! We'll camp here for the night, but don't go near that forest with black trees over there!" he said, pointed towards the left.

Shippo leaned forward on Kagome's shoulder and asked, "Why? What's wrong with it?"

"Well, it gives me the creeps and for some reason, my instincts are telling me that it's too dangerous to go in there," the hanyou replied, folding his arms across his chest in an athoritive manor. "Besides....." he started to say when suddenly the wind shifted, bringing with it the scent of blood and his brothers scent. Turning towards the Youkai Forest, he growled,"Sesshomaru!" Inu-Yasha unsheathed Tetsaiga in one smooth motion and waited. He didn't have long to wait before his brother burst into the clearing and to his great surprise, the great lord of the Western lands collapsed, rolled for several meters and landed on his back, all the while shielding something under his tail. Jaken, who had been in his grasp, was flung forward, "Aaaaaaaaa!" and smacked against a tree trunk, knocking him unconscious. From behind Sesshomaru, wildly gyrating movement drew the groups attention. There, at the edge of the Youkai Forest several white roots writhed and squirmed, each was tipped with what looked like a dripping acidic poison. For some odd reason though, the strange roots didn't want to come out into the light, so they stayed in the darkness of the Youkai Forest.

"What the Fuck is that!" Inu-Yasha yelled, pointing towards the Youkai Forest. Kagome and the rest of his companions glanced towards where he was pointing and gasped in surprise.

Miroku watched those strange roots with a mild curiosity mixed with aversion and replied, "I have no idea what those are, but they may be the cause of your brother's current state."

Turning their attention back towards the Western Lord, Kagome asked, "Inu-Yasha...what's wrong with him?"

"I don't know, but his scent is full of poison and blood, but I can't see anything from here." Cautiously, the hanyou moved towards his brother until he could see what was wrong. In Inu-Yasha's experience with his brother, nothing was strong enough to bring down the Lord of the Western Lands and yet, his brother was down and out cold. Stepping nearer, he glanced around the clearing and back towards the Youkai Forest and then back at his brother. That's when he noticed it; Sesshomaru's left shoulder looked to be eaten clear through. His kimono was saturated in blood. Glancing towards his companions, Inu-Yasha licked his lips nervously and replied, "I--I think he was attacked by that thing that came from the Youkai Forest. From the stories that I've heard from my mother, no demon or human ever goes in there and comes out alive."

Sango stepped forward, "Then he's very lucky, Inu-Yasha. If what you're telling us is true, then he should be dead."

"Yeah." Kagome replied, before coming to a decision, "We've got to help him. After all, he is your brother and he's the only family you have left, Inu-Yasha."

"What!" the hanyou started to protest, but was interrupted by a moaning sound that seemed to come from his brothers tail.

"Sessomaru-sama?" the voice was whisper soft. Suddenly, the tail on Sesshomaru's chest shifted to reveal a small hand.

Kagome gasped in surprise before moving closer towards the lord of the Western lands. "Hello. Are you all right?"

"ooohhh," the moan came again before the voice behind it spoke, "Rin is fine, but Rin feels funny." A small head, still covered by Sesshomaru's tail moved upwards and a hand reached towards Sesshomaru's face, patting it gently, the girl named Rin whispered, "Sesshomaru-sama is hurt?" When she received no answer from her lord, Rin cried with heart wrenching sobs, "Sesshomaru-sama must not leave Rin all alone!. Please wake up!" She received only a groan from her lord before all went silent; only his erratic breathing was heard.

Inu-Yahsa's heart melted at the sight, he recognized the girl's scent and her name from when he had rescued her from Naraku. He sighed replied, "Fine. But, hurry before he wakes up."

"Rin?" Kagome called to the little girl to get her attention. When the crying died down to quiet hiccups, Kagome continued, "You need to let us tend to Sesshomaru's wounds. If we're to do that, then you need to come out from under his tail."

Rin wiggled for a few moments, this only caused Sesshomaru to growl and tighten his hold on his charge while still in his unconscious state. "Rin can't. Sesshomaru-sama won't let Rin go," the little girl replied with a giggle.

Inu-Yasha growled in annoyance while deciding to explain a few things to his human companions before they started to make a big stink about this. "Hey! You'll never get him to let her go while he's out cold!"

"Why is that, Inu-Yasha?" Miroku questioned, frowning.

"Yeah! Why won't Sesshomaru let Rin go?" Shippo asked as he scampered off of Kagome's shoulder to try and peer under Sesshomaru's tail. Before he got within two feet of her, Sesshomaru let loose a loud growl, baring his teeth in a threatening manner. Shippo let loose a loud squeal, before dashing back to hide behind Kagome's leg.

Inu-Yasha laughed at the kits reaction towards his brother. "Well, it appears that my brother's instincts are still working even when he's out cold!"

"What do you mean Inu-Yasha?" Sango asked while taking a few steps closer to the Youkai lord. She stared at the way his clawed hand clutched the lump under his tail close to his chest. A thought began to run through her mind, but before she could voice her question, Inu-Yasha interrupted, "Don't you know anything about Dog Demons and their pups, Sango?"

"Well, I did learn about the other kinds of Dog Demons in general, but we were never taught anything about the White Dogs except that they were the rulers of all the other Dog Demons. Why?" Sango asked, puzzled.

"Ah, then you should know that The White Dogs are very protective of any pup in their care. This includes the males as well as the females," piped a voice from Inu-Yasha's shoulder.

"Miyoga!" Inu-Yasha growled in annoyance. The demon flea always picked the worst times to show up. But the minute that danger rolled around, he disappeared like smoke on the wind.

Kagome frowned at the new information and leaned forward, "Why is that, Miyoga?" she asked.

"It's because the White Dogs have a lower birth rate than the other dog demon tribes. In this way, with both the male and females protecting the pups, insures a greater survival rate in the pups that are born to the White Dogs," Miyoga replied, while crossing his six arms in contemplation before he continued, "This also applies in rare cases when a male White Dog adopts a pup even when he does not have a mate. Or is protecting a future mate that is too young to bear pups. You could say that it's instinctive to do so."

"Then how are we supposed to get close enough to him to take care of his wounds?" Kagome inquired with a slight huff.

"You will each have to approach him. If Sesshomaru growls at you, then you must back away quickly or he'll kill you," Miyoga replied in a serious manor. "That means you too, Master Inu-Yasha."

"Hell, No!" Inu-Yasha roared. Turning his back towards his brother, Inu-Yasha continued to rant, "I aint gonna go near him! Not after he tried to kill me several dozen times!"

"Master Inu-Yasha. No matter how many times your brother has tried to kill you, you are still of the White Dog clan and you may be the only one who can go near your brother! If you do not, then the pup," he pointed towards Rin, "might suffer if your brother dies!"

"Keh!" Inu-Yasha grumbled in defeat before turning around again to watch as Sango took a few steps closer to his brother. She didn't get very far before Sesshomaru growled at her. Miroku was next to try and he only managed one step towards his brother before Sesshomaru's responded with a viscous growl, the flexing of his claws on his good hand and the baring of teeth.

"Keh!" Inu-Yasha smirked and taunted the monk, "I could have told you that you wouldn't get another step closer to her before Sesshomaru woulda taken off your head.....what with you being a lecher and all!"

"Inu-Yasha! That wasn't nice!" Kagome scolded. Inwardly however, Kagome admitted to having the same feeling that Sesshomaru could sense Miroku's perverted nature towards anything female.

"Well, it's true!" Inu-Yasha defended himself. "Since the pup is female, Sesshomaru is being more protective of her. Somehow he can sense that Miroku is a lecher and won't let him come any closer than he already is." Inu-Yasha turned and walked towards his brother, "I guess it's my turn. But, I know I won't be allowed to get too close to her...even if I'm family." The group watched as Inu-Yasha managed to get within two feet of his brother before Sesshomaru let loose a series of growls and barks. Inu-Yasha paused, his ears cocked forward as he listened, before he replied in kind, but with a different series of yips, growls and barks. Turning, towards his gaping companions, Inu-Yasha replied, "I told you he wouldn't let me get too close."

"I guess you're right, "Kagome sighed in defeat before turning towards the lord of the Western lands. "What did he say, Inu-Yasha?"

"Basically, he said if I came any closer to what was his, even if I am family, then I'd loose my head," the hanyou replied with a smirk. "I told him that since he's injured, we're here to help. He'll relax enough now to let Kagome get close to him....although, I'm not sure if he'll let you get within an inch of Rin."

"I don't get it." Sango muttered, confused.

Miroku stepped towards Sango while chewing on his lower lip before replying, "I have a feeling that it's Sesshomaru's subconscious mind that is in control at the moment. You know that Youkai instincts can be fierce to those who they don't trust when they're injured."

"Yeah, Miroku's right," Shippo chimed in from behind Kagome's leg.

"Oh well, I guess I'll try not to touch Rin while I'm fixing him up." Mustering her courage, Kagome walked slowly towards the western lord. When she was within a few feet of him, she concentrated on not thinking about the times he had tried to kill her and that he was injured and needed help. Before she knew it, she was kneeling at his side inspecting the wound.

The group let out a collective sigh and relaxed when Sesshomaru didn't attack Kagome. They watched with baited breath as Kagome treated Sesshomaru's shoulder with extreme care while managing to avoid going near Rin for fear of Sesshomaru's reaction. Several hours flew by unnoticed as Kagome treated the Western Lord. Once finished, Kagome backed away and turned around only to find that camp had already been set up. Giving a sigh of relief, she sat herself down while gratefully accepting a cup of Ramen from Sango, and began eating. After finishing her meal, Kagome grabbed a sandwich from her pack and took it over to Rin in the assumption that she was hungry.

"Rin?" Kagome called softly.

"Hmm?" the girl replied curiously.

"I brought you something to eat," Kagome said, extending the sandwich to within easy reach of the girl trapped under Sesshomaru's tail.

"Arigoto Kagome-sama!" Rin chirped, before her hand disappeared under Sesshomaru's tail with its prize.

"Are you going to come out of there anytime soon?" Kagome teased quietly, smiling.

"Rin has tried to move Sesshomaru-sama's tail, but it keeps hiding Rin from sight," the little girl replied with a hint of humor lacing her voice. "Watch," the little girl replied as a small hand tugged at the white fluffy tail, pulling it down until the top of her head became visible, before Sesshomaru voiced his displeasure with a small growl while at the same time pulling his tail back into its previous position, hiding Rin from sight. Rin giggled again as the fur tickled her nose.

Rin's laughter was so infectious, that Kagome let out a few chuckles of her own. "That is the cutest thing I've ever seen. He's so protective of you.....I think he really likes you Rin." Suddenly, Kagome yawned and then chirped, "Well, I've got to go get some sleep. Inu-Yasha will be wanting to leave in the morning since we have a lot of walking to do before we find the next shard. You shouldn't worry too much, Rin. By midmorning, Sesshomaru's healing abilities should have done a good enough job of taking care of his shoulder; I also gave him enough herbs to take the poison out of his system."

"Thank you, Kagome-sama," the little girl replied happily.

"You're welcome, Rin. Well, good night, Rin," Kagome replied as she rose from her crouched position on Sesshomaru's right side. Turning, the Miko made her way back towards her friends while thinking about the past events from a few hours ago. Sighing, Kagome thought," I'd better get to bed. Knowing Inu-Yasha, he'll want to leave at first light." As she passed the tree where Jaken lay, Kagome glanced at the toad with a frown, the toad should have awoken by now. "Maybe he hit his head harder than I thought," she said while mumbling to herself, before continuing towards her sleeping bag. With a quiet word of goodnight to her friends, Kagome picked up a sleeping Shippo and crawled into her bag. Sleep came easily that night and true to her thoughts, Inu-Yasha woke them up at the crack of dawn the next day. The traveling party bid the sleeping Rin a quiet good-bye before disappearing from sight.

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&nb sp;

The first thing that Sesshomaru became aware of was the soothing sound of birds chirping. His thoughts were a bit scrambled due to the pounding headache in his temples. He frowned as he remembered the past few days. "I remember entering the forbidden Youkai Forest and rescuing Rin and then getting severely injured, before running from that thing that was so intent on ending my life." The next thing the Inuyoukai lord became aware of was the throbbing pain in his shoulder. Rotating it a bit to test out how much it had healed, he was a bit surprised to find that it had been bandaged and from the smell emanating from the bandages, it appeared to have a few herbs covering his wound to draw out the poison. Sniffing again, he recognized his brothers scent lingering in the air around him, "Inu-Yasha. But, why am I still alive when my bastard half-breed brother was here? Did he help me?" Sniffing the air again, Sesshomaru recognized Inu-Yasha's woman's scent. "No. It must have been his mate that insisted on healing me." He sighed before continuing his train of thought, "She must have a kind heart, since she adopted that fox kit. For once, this Sesshomaru is thankful of that wench, but I hate being in debt to someone. Next time we meet, I will have to......." he growled quietly to himself,"grrrrr," and continued,"......offer my services or my honor will be tarnished." Suddenly Jaken's annoying screeching penetrated his thoughts to pierce his brain, "My lord Sesshomaru....my lord are you all right? Please wake up so this lowly Jaken is sure that you still live!"

Wincing at the pain and pitch that slammed into his sensitive ears, Sesshomaru reacted with one thought only, and that was to silence the noise that caused his head to pound. Squinting his eyes open a slit, he spotted his retainer standing by his feet; growling, Sesshomaru's leg lashed out in a viscous kick, sending the toad flying into the bushes across the clearing,"Ayeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" the toad screeched before he impacted with a thorn bush; barely seconds later, the toad was running around in circles screeching bloody murder,"My Lord why do you hate your servant so!....pull them out!....pull them out!...pull them out!"

Sesshomaru stared at Jaken with great amusement before his screeching became too much for his headache to handle. Growling low in the back of his throat, Sesshomaru called out sharply, "Jaken!"

The toad youkai froze in place; recognizing his masters tone and replied, "Yes, My Lord?"

"Shut up and go find Rin something to eat, and something cure my splitting headache," Sesshomaru growled, annoyed at the toad. The Taiyokai knew that the errand given to the toad would give him some peace and quiet until Jaken returned.

"Yes, My Lord Sesshomaru. Right away master," Jaken babbled as he backed out of the clearing, bowing and scraping.

Once Jaken disappeared from sight and hearing range, Sesshomaru heaved a sigh of relief before sitting up, but not with some difficulty. The pain in his shoulder throbbed viscously, but he knew that he could ignore it. It would be a few more days before it was completely healed. Turning his head, Sesshomaru lifted the edges of the bandages and inspected the damage. Wincing, at the sight of the large whole, he covered it back up and decided to see how his ward was doing. "Rin? Are you all right?" He received no answer, but persisted, if a bit more loudly, worry lacing his tone of voice, "Rin answer this Sesshomaru," he said as his clawed hand reached underneath his tail and shook the girl gently to awaken her.

"Hmmmm.....Why does Rin have to get up now....was having a good dream," came the mumbled response from the little girl.

Sesshomaru sighed; greatly relieved that his Rin was alive and well and replied, "This Sesshomaru was........ concerned...how do you feel?" he managed to choke out before changing the subject and continuing, "and Jaken will be back with breakfast soon, so it is time for you to get up."

"Umm,....ok, but Rin still feels strange," the little girl replied as she wiggled underneath the concealment of his grip and his tail. "Rin is too hot and wants to come out, but can't....can Sesshomaru-sama let Rin go now?" she asked.

Sesshomaru blinked, slowly; only now realizing that he still had her hidden from sight and that his arm was keeping her securely locked to his chest. He unwrapped his arm from around her waist while at the same time he removed his tail and let it rest against the cool green grass on the forest floor. Rin quickly scrambled up to stand in front of her lord and chirped, "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama....Rin feels better now, but Rin still feels funny."

As the great Lord of the Western lands eyes focused on his ward, all thoughts came to a screeching halt. His once stodic mask cracked as his eyes widened, his jaw hung open in surprise. There standing in front of him was Rin, but she was no longer human. "Rin?" he breathed, completely shocked For there, standing in front of him was a white hared Inu-youaki pup!

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AN: Well? What do you think?

Sorry this took me so long, but I was on a role and the chapter just ballooned out of control. I think that I'll insert some humor into the next few chapters. Gee....I wonder what Jaken's reaction will be?***And what type of trouble do youkai pups get into?**

I want to thank those who've reviewed! Boy! do I love the new feature on Fanfiction.net. Now it's really easy to find Rin/Sesshomaru match ups. It used to take me hours just to find the right one. So, even before fanfiction decided to make the recent changes, I had decided to post a collection of story links on my website. I'm still adding them as I find them because the Internet is a large library and the hunt never ends. I also have a writers challenge for those who are interested in writing Rin/Sesshomaru stories. If you're interested, feel free to check it out.

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

D-Chan