InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Youkai Forest ❯ 3 ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 3

Sesshomaru gazed at Rin's new features with a mixture of amazement and confusion. "How is this possible?" Sesshomaru mumbled, leaning forward to get a better look at her face and hair. Rin's hair had grown to her waist and her cute side ponytail now hung at the same length. Her face, now sported four pink stripes, much like his own, but strangely enough, her eyes remained a rich golden honey brown. "Rin," Sesshomaru grasped a lock of her white hair and brought it forward where she could see it and continued, "The reason you are feeling funny is because you are no longer human."

Rin's eyes widened at the sight of her newly colored locks, she chirped excitedly, "Rin has white hair now! It's pretty!.... Like Sesshomaru-sama's hair!" she clapped her hands, unable to contain her joy. But then she cocked her head, nibbling on her lower lip with small fangs and asked, "If Rin is not human anymore, than what is Rin now?"

"You are now an Inu-Youkai...like me," Sesshomaru replied as he lifted one of her small hands to inspect her claws. They were small and somewhat soft, but over time they would harden and become deadly weapons like his own claws. Sesshomaru thought, "This Sesshomaru is somewhat relieved that Rin is now a youkai. White Inu females are very rare, so she is a good potential mate for me......I wonder what other Inu traits she has?" Lifting his hand again, Sesshomaru nudged Rin's shoulder in a silent request for her to turn around. Rin complied without complaint while staring at her small claw tipped hands.

"Hmmm," Sesshomaru murmured as he gazed at the tip of a small white tail that was just poking from underneath her kimono."I see we will have to remedy that with a trip to the seamstress," he said to himself, leaning back against a tree trunk. "Rin, you may turn around," Sesshomaru informed his ward, watching her carefully as she continued to inspect herself.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama, "Rin replied, glancing over her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something white and fluffy at the edge of her sight."What is that? Rin can't see it very well, so Rin must catch it!" the little youkai pup thought, whirling around several times and reaching for it with both hands, but for some odd reason, she could not seem to catch it.

Sesshomaru chuckled quietly, a small smile graced his lips as he watched Rin chase her tail before she lost her balance and tumbled to the ground, panting from the effort. "This Sesshomaru remembers doing that when I was a young pup," the youkai lord murmured, greatly amused. But then, memories long forgotten surfaced, he shuddered in anticipated horror as one particular memory surfaced, "This Sesshomaru also remembers being very clumsy and getting into all sorts of trouble without even trying." Focusing his attention towards his ward he commanded, "Rin, do not chase your tail."

"Rin has a tail?" she asked, rolling to her knees, Rin glanced behind herself in great interest. Spotting the small fluffy tail, she grasped it in her hands and giggled happily. "So pretty.....like Sesshomaru-sama's tail" Rin glanced towards his tail and then back at her own before pouting, "Rin's tail is so small."

Sighing quietly, Sesshomaru decided to answer her just to make her stop pouting, "Rin, your tail is small because you are a pup. It will grow as you grow up."

"Oooh. Rin understands. Can Rin go play now?" she asked while silently fidgeting on the ground in front of him.

"Hn," Sesshomaru nodded his approval and then watched as Rin ran into a field of flowers; eyes keeping watch for any danger to his ward.

Rin trotted into the waist high grass and giggled in delight at the multitude of new smells that assailed her sensitive nose. A flash of blue caught her eyes and before she could register that it was a butterfly, her new instincts kicked in. She crouched down and started to stalk it. When she came within several yards of it, her excitement overwhelmed her instincts and she pounced. Unfortunately for Rin, she miss-calculated the distance and ended up startling it. The butterfly moved off to alight on another flower. Catching her lower lip caught between her fangs, Rin continued her game with more stealth. After many times of near successes, she began growling while her eyes flashed red.

"Rin, you should try to catch it by approaching from behind," Sesshomaru advised, giving her tips on how to hunt. He immediately noted the change of her eye color and murmured, "I will have to make sure Jaken does not anger Rin or this Sesshomaru will have to use Tensaiga to revive him."

A shadow passed overhead causing his attention to waver for a moment. Glancing upwards, he dismissed it as a cloud passing by, but then he heard the rustling of bushes off in the distance. Sniffing the air he detected the scent of a snake youkai and growled. Sesshomaru's instincts insisted on chasing away a potential threat to the pup.

Standing, Sesshomaru turned to face the threat before glancing over his shoulder towards his ward. Rin was currently stalking a squirrel and he knew that she would never catch it, but it would keep her occupied while he dealt with the bothersome youkai. "This Sesshomaru should have enough time to get rid of the intruder," he growled. Glancing at his injured shoulder, he tested it. "Good. It's now fully healed," he ripped off the bandages before melting into the shadows of the forest.

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The scent of swamp water and marsh grasses floated though the air and tickled the nose of the small hunter. Rin froze in mid pounce, "It smells like Jaken's back." A new expression appeared on the little girls face, and disturbingly, it matched that of her guardian when a particularly evil thought crossed his mind. "Rin knows what to do," she murmured, she crouched down and melted into the tall grasses of the field to circle around her new prey.

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As the snake youkai caught the scent of an Inuyoukai pup on the breeze his stomach made its demands known; it had been over a year since its last meal and this one would be perfectly defenseless. "Mmmm, thissss ssshould be an easssy meal," it muttered, before it started to creep closer towards the clearing. Suddenly, a voice growled warningly, "Leave and I will spare your worthless life."

The snake youkai hissed. He could not see or scent its origin. Determinedly the snake persisted, "Why ssshould I lisssssten to you? I have bussssnisss with a potential meal. You ssssshould let me passsss."

"Would this meal be in the clearing up ahead?" the voice asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Yessssss. A mossst delectable Inu-pup. Now out of my way before its guardian returnssssss." The snake moved closer, but froze at the sight of a male Inuyoukai stepping into the light.

Growling viciously, Seesshomaru cracked his joints in his remaining hand and snarled, "I don't think you will have to worry about your next meal because you will not live long enough to catch it. This Sesshomaru will see to that. Now die!" Before Sesshomaru had finished speaking, he spread his claws and attacked. Using his great speed, he shredded the snake youkai into a million pieces before it even knew what happened.

Satisfied, Sesshomaru flicked the blood from his claws, he growled while glaring at the bloody remains. Turning, Sesshomaru headed for the clearing where he had left Rin. Parting some branches, he exited the forest and glanced towards the field and smirked at the scene met his gaze, "This should be interesting."

Sesshomaru watched as Rin hid herself in the tall grass. He nodded in approval as she kept silent and circled around the toad youkai while making sure to keep down wind from her prey. "Good. This Sesshomaru approves of her methods. Obviously Rin has learned from watching me, so training her will not be too difficult," he thought.

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Jaken walked towards the tree where he last left his master, glancing up he noticed that his master and Rin were gone, "Ahhhh! Master, why did you leave your faithful servant?" He waved his staff around and started running in frantic circles and wailed, "I've served you faithfully for over a century and now you have abandoned me...." he froze as he suddenly heard a rustling noise over to the right, whirling around he could find nothing there. "Huh?...what was that?" Gulping in nervousness, Jaken surveyed the area while bracing his staff of heads in front of him, "Who's there! You better come out or you'll be sorry!" The only answer the toad received were the chirping of the birds as the wind blew through the waist tall grass. "Must be my immagina.....ahhhhhhh!"

Suddenly, something growled from behind him. Before the little toad could turn around, he was tumbling end over end to land on his stomach with a heavy weight pinning him in place. Glancing over his shoulder, Jaken could see two red eyes and a pair of fangs bearing down on him. "Help! My Lord! Save this lowly Jaken!" the toad youkai screeched.

"That is enough, Rin." Sesshomaru said as he stepped fully into the field. Noticing that the growling continued, Sesshomaru wrapped his tail around the little pup's waist and brought her to eye level. "I said enough!" Sesshomaru growled as he flicked the end of her nose. Rin yipped in surprise while the slight stinging sensation caused her instincts to kick in so she hung submissively in her lords grasp and sniffled, "Rin is sorry, Sesshomaru-sama. Rin does not know why she did that or why she got mad," the little girl whispered.

Lowering Rin to the ground, Sesshomaru wrapped his tail on his shoulder while nodding, "This Sesshomaru knows why and that is why I will teach you how to control yourself. Now go play." Turning, he faced the toad demon, but heard Rin's reply as she scampered off, "Yes, Sessomaru-sama."

As Jaken took in the girls new appearance he squawked, "What! Who! How can Rin be a demon???!!!"

"Jaken?" The Inuyoukai Lord growled coldly.

"Yes, my Lord?" Jaken gulped and then decided that it would be a good idea to be silent.

Sesshomaru stared towards the distant horizon in contemplation and muttered, "This Sesshomaru wonders that himself, but I think it might have been that tree...." Shaking himself from his thoughts he glared at the toad and replied, "Jaken, do not make Rin angry. She has not been taught how to control her instincts or her youkai."

"Forgive this lowly Jaken, but may I ask, why?" the toad inquired, bowing. Glancing upward from his position he could just make out his masters visage. Sesshomaru smiled. Gulping, he thought, "Oh, no! Lord Sesshomaru actually smiled! That's not good!" Jaken began trembling in fear.

"I will allow her to use you as her chew toy if she looses control," Sesshomaru replied and then started walking into the forest. The western lord gave a sharp commanding bark directed towards his ward, before he melted into the forest.

Rin's head snapped up at the sound, she noticed her lord was leaving and yipped, "Rin is coming Sesshomaru-sama! Wait for Rin!" trotting after her lord and melting into the trees; leaving the still stunned toad youkai behind.

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