Changing Seas

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys. I had a super busy past couple of weeks. Sorry it took so long to update. I had actually meant to update as a surprise, a few days ago, but I lost the floppy I use to update, and just recently found it. I do hope you all review. I'd like some input for this one. Some suggestion as to what you think should happen. I might add in a little something, if it fits the plot. Well hope you enjoy this next chapter. Thanks again. EK!

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.

Previously

A dark haired man sat behind his sycamore desk laughing. He'd successfully gotten in and out of the ball unnoticed. Killing Owasi was difficult. The man deserved credit, he fought well. Rin had been more difficult to get near though. She was just as beautiful as he'd heard, even more so. Sesshomaru had been a fool to leave her to her own devices, even for just a short time. Everything was turning out as planned. Once InuYasha arrived things would take motion. Laughing again to himself he went to bed.

Chapter Ten

Rin awoke in his cabin on the Deadly Sea. It had been a week since the ball. Sesshomaru had promised Rin they'd stay docked until he found the man responsible for her fathers death. His crew had already searched the city over at least, ten times. Sesshomaru slipped in just before dawn and slept in his desk chair. Rin was shaken every time she tried to sleep. Sesshomaru easily decided to fix the problem, Sesshomaru had her things brought into his cabin. Sometimes Rin would lay awake in bed, thinking of how much he was doing for her. She'd come to the astute conclusion she loved him. His scent lingered in the air when she awoke in the morning, and soothed her to sleep at night.

Crawling out of bed she saw, to her pleasant surprise, he'd slept in this morning. She'd on many occasions tried to get him to sleep in the bed, but he said, which she found ironic of a pirate king, it was not proper. The sun streamed in through the window and landed on the desk and glinted off it, hitting the shimmering waves of silver hair. Walking soundlessly, Rin found herself standing beside the chair, she was still very tired, but decided, if he wasn't gonna sleep in his bed, she was going to join him, in his chair. Slipping into his arms, Rin clasped her hands in her lap and leaned back on his shoulder, once again, finding peace.

Sesshomaru felt her slid into his lap and position herself, for sleep. He didn't move, not even to stop her. Her breath was warm and yet chilling across his neck. She nodded off fairly quickly, and he finally decided to move. He guided his arms around her waist and held her to him, breathed in her scent, and put his head on hers. For the first time in a week he slept, a real, peaceful, deep sleep. His dreams were always of his angel, she was the most important thing to him. He still refused to admit he was in love, but he knew he couldn't deny a deep connection between them.

His crew had worked hard under his instruction this past week, trying to find the murderer. Today was an important and grave day. Captain Owasi's funeral. Generally he'd be wrapped in his ships flag and had weights tied to him, being thrown over board at sea, but his crew had been killed. They'd been given proper burials in a less popular cemetery. Rin had decided that, even though Sesshomaru offered his flag and ship to toss the man over board, that her father was to be buried. They'd made arrangements, upon finding the body, a bloodied mass of mutilated man, for him to be buried at the islands most honored cemetery. Rin had put in the request and once the mayor got wind of it, it was granted immediately.

Rin had confirmed the body was her fathers, when she had seen it. She'd hadn't cried, as many of the crew thought the young woman would, but instead, she stood brave and gave a firm nod of recognition. Sesshomaru had picked out a plot and Rin had chosen her fathers final resting coffin. She'd been guided back to the ship and spend the remainder of her time, either in his cabin, or on deck.


A few hours later, Rin awoke, yet again, in the large bed and found a black dress at the bottom of her bed. Remembering that the funeral was today, she put on the highly decorative gown. It had many layers of muslin and petticoats, a final layer of black satin, with lacey sleeves and low cut in the front. She wore black slippers on her feet and a large onyx jeweled comb in her hair. She'd dress up for her fathers send off to the next world.

When a knock at the door announced Sesshomaru, she looked up to find him in somber black dressage. He bowed his head and offered his arm. They descended the ship and as they walked, every crew member went down on their knees in a swift bow, acknowledging the sadness of the day. The clouds above were black and foreboding. People on the street stopped to watch the couple making their way toward a high hill, where open gates accepted them.

Most of the service went by in a blur, until Rin was asked to speak. She managed to pry herself from Sesshomaru's grip and stand before her fathers coffin. The gleaming polished wood seemed to reflect every sad feeling in Rin's tiny body. She opened her mouth and no words would come at first then she spoke with a stronger voice than she actually felt she possessed.

"My father was a great man. He was the only parent I had left. He raised me, taught me, protected me, and showed me love. He had many flaws and...And he..." her breath caught and she couldn't speak for a moment, she willed back the tears that she wished not to spread, and in that moment the sky opened up and poured them for her. She looked beseechingly to the heavens and felt the droplets hit her face. Finding an odd momentary comfort she continued. " My father, Captain Owasi, may have held me close and squeezed me too tight at times, but it was to protect me and feel the love he felt he never would get again from anyone. I don't remember my mother, God rest her soul but, my father will always be with me in my heart, my mind, and soul." Rin stepped down and stood again by Sesshomaru, looking up at the others around her. The mayor and his wife showed up and the innkeeper and his wife, who smiled sadly at her, but the big surprise when she looked to her left was finding Kagome there, her and InuYasha stood soundly. Kagome was crying, for even though she didn't know Captain Owasi, she felt Rin's pain, and suddenly it was okay to cry.

They lowered the coffin and at that moment, Rin broke. She fell to the ground, sliding from Sesshomaru's grip and landed in the mud, splattering her gown and her exposed chest. She lost all sense of self and pounded the ground, as if damning it, for taking the last parent she had. She'd never hear his voice again, never see him smile, never ask him things about their voyages, and never have contact with him in anyway. Her chest heaved and she cried pounding the earth, Rin let out a scream of hurt, it was too painful, too much, she had to get it out. The people around her stared down at her sadly, but she didn't care. Sesshomaru had stooped down and tried to scoop her up, but she shoved his hands away and pulled her arms around herself. She'd been to young to feel the pain of her mothers loss, but she remembered everything her and her father did together. No matter how many times she had been upset with him, he'd always been their. Now he wasn't and she felt betrayed in someway. It made no sense, but she felt like he'd taken something with him when he died.

Sesshomaru made another valiant attempt to get her to rise, now that she'd stopped pounding the ground and crying out. When it was apparent she planned to stay there he joined her on the ground and held her, absorbed her tears in his shoulder, cared not the mud that smeared on his clothes, he held her and watched others throw handfuls of dirt mixed with a little mud onto the grave. InuYasha and Kagome left because InuYasha feared for the baby and Kagome's health. Kagome whispered she'd visit her though, before being dragged off. The priest, who had performed the ceremony had waited until finally, Rin and Sesshomaru rose to their feet. Sesshomaru tossed in a handful of what was now mud, and waited as Rin said her goodbyes. She blew her fathers grave a kiss, and then picked up a huge mound of mud, threw it into the grave and the mud splattered the coffin and walls of dirt. The priest gave the okay to the grave digger, to fill in the plot, and with a "God bless you, child", he walked toward the church, at the end of the hill.

Rin was completely soaked and muddy when they reached the ship and Sesshomaru had to carry her, do to her total loss of strength. It had been a hard day. Sesshomaru had expected Rin to break down long before the funeral and several times during her speech, but she'd been strong and held out until the end. He'd been thoroughly surprised to see his brother and his sister-in-law, but he was glad they'd come. The crew had watched avidly as Sesshomaru walked across the deck, soaked and muddy, carrying a soaked and even muddier Rin. Ordering a bath, Sesshomaru went to his room.

He changed in a joined room and waited for a bath to be sent to him as well as to the room next door, for Rin. The hip baths were brought up and left steaming in the cabins. Sesshomaru cleaned quickly and waited, fully dressed, down in the kitchen, for Rin.


Rin heard a knock at the door and then a young man backed in, with a small smile to Rin, he backed in the rest of the way, allowing several other pirates to bring her a hip bath. They left immediately and Rin stripped down. She felt the warm water hit her like fire. She'd been freezing, and silently sobbing the whole time since she'd come down from her hysterical high. Some scented soaps were on the cabin floor, reaching over, Rin retrieved a lavender soap and scrubbed down. She sat still in the water, after cleaning herself from head to toe. She couldn't believe she broke the way she did, but she couldn't say she didn't expect to cry. Rin remembered the last time she saw her father alive and then the words that stripped that image away, "Yes Rin, you dear dear father is dead." She hadn't believed it, until they found the body. Suddenly Rin conjured the image of the man in her mind and she turned cold, with fury. She had a hatred for that man, one that ran so deep, not even hell could reach it. She had nightmares because of that man, she'd been stripped of her remaining parent because of that man, and she'd be damned if she was going to lose her life over that man. Realizing the water was now freezing cold Rin got up and dressed. She decided it was time for dinner. Not that she'd be able to eat much, if at all.


Sesshomaru had set up a small dinner, just for the two of them. Candles were lit around the room, two seats on opposite ends of the table and a full plate of food and goblet of wine was placed in front of said seats. He had a feeling that Rin wasn't going to eat, but he'd have to get her too. The crew had been good enough to stay clear and work hard. It had torn at his heart when Rin collapsed to the cold hard muddy ground, she'd been so strong, but he knew it wouldn't last. He could still smell the salt of her tears, see the streams of liquid flowing down her face.

Knock. A timid knock brought Sesshomaru out of his reverie. He got up and walked to the door, letting her in. He pulled out her chair and poured her some wine. Taking his seat, Sesshomaru watched her as he ate in silence. Rin's face was pale and calm in the candle light. Her lips were pouted, brows slightly lowered and hands folded in her lap.

"Rin eat something." She snapped her eyes to his face and with a sign of recognition , picked up her fork. She played with her vegetables and picked at her turkey. "Rin." She stuck her fork forcefully into the turkey and stuffed the piece into her mouth, anger at the tone he took. 'I am not a child, only dad could-', she broke off the thought and stuffed another piece of turkey in her mouth.

The door suddenly broke open and a missive began to speak. "What is it Jenki?" Sesshomaru had his eyes trained on the young pale haired, blue eyed fox youkai. The boy opened his mouth.

"We've found out who it was that Rin encountered. We think, it was Naraku."The second the name was out the man collapsed a blood stain now plainly obvious. Sesshomaru's face hardened at the name, but Rin's shout for help, caused him to take action. He scooped up the man and told Rin to stay put.

Sesshomaru raced into the crew's bunkers. The ones whose eyes were closed snapped open. Sesshomaru ordered a older crew member to get Haroku, the ships healer. Placing Jenki on a cot to the left, he ripped off a piece of fabric from his clothes and applied it to the wound. Motioning to the few remaining pirates, they came forward and took up his station.

After swiftly departing from the room, Sesshomaru hastened to his cabin, grabbed his sword, and headed back to Rin. Upon securing his sword, Sesshomaru reentered the cabin. A bewildered look had come across Rin's face, not giving a second thought Sesshomaru looked pointedly to a near by pirate, giving strict instructions to have Rin locked in his cabin, only he was to open it, or it was the young man's life.

Rin watched helplessly from the sidelines and realizing Sesshomaru wasn't planning on speaking to her she opened her mouth to protest. He, with a sharp glance at the pirate, a softer one at Rin, left the room, before she could utter a syllable. The next moment Rin was being hauled off to the captain's cabin and locked in securely. Her opposing argument dying on her lips as she heard the tell-tale plunk on the lock, sliding into place. Sighing she took a seat on the bed and waited.

A/N: Well there you go. I know this one seemed kinda rushed in the end, but my time is limited and I had to get to work. Please R&R. Until next time.....Egyptian Kiss!