InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Flower Girl ❯ Egotism ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.

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Kagome was annoyed.

So was everyone else.

Well, maybe everyone else except Sesshoumaru.

Because he was why everyone was annoyed.

Earlier in the day, they'd had another one of the seemingly endless, and definitely pointless, battles with yet another puppet of Naraku. It had been a rather fierce fight, as just as they'd cut one down, another would take its place.

Most everyone was sporting injuries, even the overly arrogant daiyoukai, though most were admittedly minor.

The problem came from Sesshoumaru's refusal to accept that anyone else had even participated in the battle - according to him, he was the only one that had mattered.

This didn't, of course, sit well with anyone else - even Rin had tilted her head and stared at her lord as if to say "Oh, really?" - and that was saying a hell of a lot.

Because for Rin to be annoyed with her Lord really said everything that needed saying.

Trust Kagome, however, not to leave it at that.

"Rin," she said, "you remember that little picture book of flowers that I brought you?" She glared at Sesshoumaru, who pointedly ignored the look, and smiled grimly when Rin nodded. "Good, sweetheart. Would you go get it for me?"

The child promptly skipped over to retrieve the picture book, leaving Kagome to stare heatedly at the Lord, and ignore everyone's questioning looks. When the child returned with it, Kagome took it with a smile for the girl, then walked over to her sleeping bag and sat down, dragging her backpack over to her.

Still pointedly ignoring everyone, she pulled out her drawing pad, and a pencil, and began to draw a flower that she'd looked up in the book, and then wrote something in neat kanji off to the side.

When she finished, she grabbed her first aid kit and bandages, handed the picture book back to a curious Rin, and walked over to the stubborn inu.

"Before you bleed all over your clothes, remove your top and let me bandage your wounds."

He started to growl at her, and then Rin walked over and nodded at him, a certain puppy-eyed look settling on her face.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin really hates to see you bleeding - so please?"

He growled again, glaring at Kagome, but obligingly removed his armor, haori, and under-kimono, sitting forward for her to get behind him so she could reach the wound on his back.

Kagome sat down behind him and began cleaning his injury, not saying a word - and when she was done, she bandaged him, then assisted him in replacing his clothing and armor.

What he hadn't noticed, however, was what she'd added to his outfit.

Smack dab in the middle of the back of his armor plate, she'd glued the picture she'd drawn, and as he stood and stared off into the distance, the camp behind him burst out into shocked laughter - Inuyasha's of course, louder than anyone elses.

Eyes narrowed angrily, Sesshoumaru whirled around and glared at Kagome, then looked to Rin.

"Rin, you will tell this Sesshoumaru what is so funny."

Rin walked up to him, totally unafraid, and reached behind him to pull the paper off his back, then handed it to him. With a twitching brow, he took it, scanning it quickly, then balled it up in his fist and stalked over to a certain miko who had her nose in the air.

"Explain!" he snapped.

Kagome huffed up at him, not looking cowed in the slightest, and said, "I thought it was pretty self-explanatory, myself, but since you seem to be missing the point... that flower is called a narcissus. It stands for egotism - something you seem to suffer from even more than Inuyasha - and once upon a time, I didn't even think that was possible!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed to red as Inuyasha yelled, and he let out a thundering growl - until a tiny hand tapped him on his arm, and he looked down at his ward.

"Rin hates to say it, Sesshoumaru-sama, but Kagome-sama's right about this one. You have been being sort of ego-tis-ti-cal today." She broke the word up into its components, obviously having trouble saying it all at once.

His eyes faded back to gold as he stared at the girl for a moment. "Who told you what that word means, Rin?"

"Kagome-sama did. She was telling me this story about a guy that was named Narcissus that had a big ego because he thought he was so perfect that he loved himself more than anyone else ever could." She looked up at him, laughter sparkling in her eyes.

"You'd better be careful, Sesshoumaru-sama, or that guy could be you. And it's always better to let other people love you more than you love yourself. Rin thinks it would be very boring to love only yourself, really."

Everyone stared wide-eyed at him as he blinked at the girl, then slowly walked off - a rather confused expression on his face. Once he was gone, they all switched their stares to her, and she giggled and blushed at the attention.

Kagome just chuckled and shook her head, hugging the tiny child to her.

Rin, you are so amazing - I love you more and more everyday. That look on his face was priceless!

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A/N: And for those that think this is too far out of character for Sesshoumaru, I remind you again - Rin. You know, cute little girl that no one could not fall in love with? What's he gonna do when she says something like that, kill her? Ya, right.

Besides, even Sesshoumaru isn't perfect, you know. Everyone has some faults. Most just don't have Rin around to point them out. And don't worry, the next chapter is tied with this one, finishing it off.

Amber