Tama no Kakera
folder
InuYasha › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
5
Views:
2,052
Reviews:
11
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
InuYasha › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
5
Views:
2,052
Reviews:
11
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, and the only payment I get out of writing these stories are the cookies and pron my friends throw at me for them
Chapter 2
Rin panted, her feet felt like they were made of lead, and all she wanted was to sit down and have a drink of cool water… But that wasn’t going to happen. For some reason Sesshomaru-sama had decided that they all must be at a certain place at a certain time, instead of just him. While she was happy that the inu-youkai had decided to include her (Jaken didn’t matter) in whatever business was so important, she kind of wished he’d just leave her and go ahead, this walking was killing her! She felt like she had run the length and breadth of Nippon twice over in a day. Jaken had already given up, and was riding AiAun… Rin figured she was probably still walking out of pure spite, just to show the bastardly little kappa that not only was she as tough as a youkai, she was tougher than him! Not much of an accomplishment, but it made her feel better in a petty sort of way.
The current terrain was comprised of fields, long stretches of land with little to no shade, and Rin thought she was going to melt. She trudged on for as long as she could until she just flat out couldn’t take it anymore; the heat making her dizzy, and forget herself. Instead of just getting on AiAun, she called out, “Sesshomaru-sama! Wait up!” To her utter astonishment, the youkai lord slowed his pace, not too much, he was still walking faster than was comfortable to Rin, but she didn’t have to run to keep up. She felt light-headed, and knew she needed to sit, but climbing onto the dragon would require too much effort, and she didn’t want to be left behind, so once more she called, “Sesshomaru-sama…” She saw him turn slightly, but before she could say anything, black spots danced in front of her eyes. “No…” she whimpered softly. She stopped, hoping it would keep her from falling, but it didn’t. The ground met her much quicker than last time, and she was sucked into another dream.
__
Sesshomaru turned slightly to see why Rin would call out his name again. He saw her open her mouth to speak, and saw the sudden look of horror cross her face. The inu-youkai quickly looked around and sniffed the air, but detected nothing that would alarm the girl. Movement caught his eye, and he returned his gave to his ward, just in time to see her hit the ground.
Quicker than an eye blink, the youkai lord was kneeling beside her. He scooped her up in his arm, and studied her face. It was slack, with dark circles under her eyes… In his hurry to reach Inuyasha’s old village, Sesshomaru had not been letting them sleep much. In addition, the girl was very hot, and he could already tell that her water jug was empty. When Jaken approached and began his harp on how worthless humans were, the youkai lord snatched the imp’s canteen. He clicked his tongue, and AiAun walked up to them, and lay down so Rin could be propped against it. The inu-youkai poured a little water on the girl’s face, and then slide the mouth of the canteen between her lips and poured a tiny bit in her mouth, not wanting her to choke. He watched her throat work before making her drink a bit more.
Jaken watched in complete astonishment as the proud lord carefully tended the girl. That Sesshomaru-sama would lower himself was unthinkable! “Please, Sesshomaru-sama, let Jaken take care of Rin-chan so you do not have to dirty your hand,” his eyes widened at the growl he received for his offer. Something wasn’t right… Sesshomaru-sama was protective, yes, but he had never acted like this before. The kappa edged closer to the girl to inspect her condition. His sense of smell, while better than a human’s was far inferior to Sesshomaru-sama’s, so it wasn’t until he was very close that he smelled it. He leapt back and covered his snout with a sleeve, “Sesshomaru-sama!” he cried, “This girl is going into heat!”
The sound of Jaken’s shocked statement penetrated the fog in Sesshomaru’s brain. The imp was right! The girl was just becoming fertile, and that was why he had tended to her himself instead of ordering Jaken to do it, and why he warned the imp away. Her scent had heralded her readiness for and need of a mate, and his instincts had pushed him to fulfill that need. By caring for her himself, and warning Jaken away, he had shown that he was claiming her for this cycle. The inu-youkai mentally growled; his body obeyed him, not the other way around!
That body wasn’t listening very well, however. His claws ached to swipe at Jaken who had ventured closer again. The youkai lord stood quickly, scaring the imp. “Watch AiAun,” he commanded and, ignoring Jaken’s assurances, he used his fur to wrap around Rin, and hold her against him. He waited until she had taken a breath, and then put his hand over her mouth and pinched her nose shut. That done he shifted his form into a ball of light and disappeared from sight in a split second.
Jaken scowled angrily and grabbed AiAun’s reins, “That dumb wench! Why does she get to travel with Sesshomaru-sama when he’s like that? It’s not fair! I’ve served him faithfully for centuries, and never once have I gotten the treatment he gave her today!” the kappa harrumphed and continued walking down the path.
__
In his ball of light form, Sesshomaru traveled much too fast for humans to breathe, so he was forced to stop frequently and let Rin take a few breaths before continuing. Luckily he was able to cover a lot of ground each shift, and he knew he’d arrive at the village shortly. He looked down at Rin’s sleeping face and gently stroked her cheek. For the first time in years, the youkai lord found himself cursing Inuyasha for severing his arm… he wanted nothing more than to hold the girl in his own arms, and never let her go…
Anger at Inuyasha shifted to anger at himself for not controlling his instincts better. The inu-youkai growled in annoyance that the girl’s pheromones affected him this strongly. He shifted again bringing them a single shift away from the village. He was angry at himself for more than just his body’s instincts… He was angry that he had pushed his ward so hard. Once more he had forgotten that she was only human, and had expected her to be able to keep up with him. Because he did not need much food, water, or rest he assumed that she didn’t either. When they first changed direction every rest stop annoyed him, and given how long Rin had been with him, it was no wonder she could read his displeasure… and the girl had always gone out of her way to keep him from being displeased with her.
Sesshomaru growled once more, there was no use in dwelling on his mistake, it was done, and perhaps it was a good thing that she had collapsed. If they had continued with Rin sliding further into her fertility cycle, there was no telling what the youkai lord would have done to her had her scent caught him off guard. His eyes narrowed and he forced himself not to think about it, though his body seemed to enjoy the idea and wanted to dwell on it. Rin would be fine with a day’s rest and some water…
The inu-youkai made the last shift, returning to humanoid form in the middle of Edo. The people stared for a moment, some fell to their knees and cowered, and some ran away, but none of these people concerned him. He watched the person he had come to see slowly walk up to him with the aid of a staff, a little girl trailing after her with her bow and arrows. Time had not been kind to this human overall, but last eight years hadn’t changed her much, other than the addition of the walking stick. Her face was still a mass of wrinkles, and her hair was still white. She had gotten thinner it seemed, shrinking as elderly humans did. By her scent she had perhaps a decade of life left, give or take. A tiny shiver of fear ran through the proud youkai, the miko was only seventy, and she would only live just a short time longer, provided nothing took her life before it ended on its own. Was this what his Rin had to look forward to?! A meager six more decades of life, only two or three of which would be her prime, and the rest would begin this steady decline into death. Though none of his thoughts showed on his face, Sesshomaru was scared. His sweet Rin would die in the blink of a youkai’s eye, and there was nothing he would be able to do about it.
Kaede watched the youkai lord warily. She knew he would not attack unless provoked, but his presence still made her nervous. She bowed her head deeply to him, hoping that would suffice since she wasn’t sure she would be able to get back up if she bowed to him properly, “Midori,” she said to the girl behind her, “Bow to Sesshomaru-sama.” The girl immediately bowed deeply to the inu-youkai, “What can I do for you, my lord?” the old miko asked, eying the young woman wrapped up in the youkai lord’s fur.
Sesshomaru’s voice was as cool as usual, “This Sesshomaru must leave his ward in your care until he returns.”
Kaede frowned, “May I ask why, my lord?” He simply looked at her coldly without answering.
Midori scowled, finding the courage to come out from behind her teacher, “You should answer Kaede no bachan! Haven’t you been taught to respect your elders?!” She paled as the inu-youkai’s cold golden eyes fell on her, and hid behind Kaede’s hakama.
“Midori!” the old miko scolded, “Sesshomaru-sama is ranked much higher than you are, and you should not speak to him thus! Further more, Sesshomaru-sama is by far my elder.”
The girl peeked at the youkai, her eyes wide, and the inu-youkai could almost hear her thinking, “But he doesn’t look older…”
“Forgive her Sesshomaru-sama,” Kaede said softly, “She is young, and meant no harm… Please, follow me.”
The youkai lord inclined his head in acknowledgement, and followed the miko as she led him to her hut. He reluctantly lay Rin down on the futon the old woman indicated, and stood, giving no clue to his watchers that more than anything he wanted to snatch the girl up and take her with him. He turned his back to her and walked out, “Arigato, miko,” he said softly as he passed Kaede. The old woman stared after him in surprise, but he ignored her. He sent a silent prayer to whoever might be watching over the girl, that Rin would be ok without him. He returned to the center of the village and paused, letting the wind play in his hair. He realized to his surprise that his reluctance to leave remained even after he was free of his ward’s scent. He didn’t understand this feeling… it was as though he knew something horrible would happen if he left her here. It was ridiculous and irrational; Rin would be fine in the old miko’s care… but something whispered to him that he shouldn’t leave her; that he should turn around now, grab her and escape. The youkai lord mentally snorted at the silly thought, thoroughly disgusted with himself. He shifted to his ball of light form and zipped out of the clearing.
~~~
Rin awoke from darkness into a scene of what had to be hell. She was tied to a tree and surrounded by youkai and mononoke. The sun shone mockingly through the treetops, and the wind rippled through the leaves the two elements making it an obscenely pretty afternoon. If it weren’t for the fact that the sun dappled the hides of monsters, and the breeze blew their stench at her, it would have been an ideal day.
She watched her captors’ debate some way off, gasping desperately for air. They must have tied her too tightly because she was having trouble breathing. One youkai happened to look at her and saw that she was awake. He quickly brought the fact to the attention of his cohorts, and as one they approached her, the more powerful in the front, and the obviously weaker ones in the back. “Where is it, wench?” the youkai who had noticed she was awake growled.
Rin’s brows drew together, “Where is what?!” she gasped out, and was rewarded with a back hand for her efforts.
“We know you have it wench!” another youkai growled, “We can smell it on you!” The creature leaned closer and licked her cheek, making her jerk away, “We can taste it on you!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Rin insisted, honest in her confusion and ignorance. The youkai obviously didn’t believe her and hit her again, making black lines stream across her vision.
A minor mononoke crept forward, “My lordsss,” he hissed, “I sssaw the girl who held it lassst, ssshe carried it inssside herssself!”
The youkai spokesman nodded, “Very well, we shall rip her open and take it from her.” Dagger-like claws reached for her chest, and their tips punctured her kimono and then her skin. As they sank deeper into her he flesh, Rin screamed…
~~~
“Sesshomaru-sama!” Rin screamed as she sat bolt upright, one hand clutching her chest where it burned and itched, like a tiny fire spirit was trying to scratch its way out. It took her a moment for her to realize that her vision had indeed returned and that it was actually dark. Fear gripped her soul. Sesshomaru had seen her collapse! Her eyes darted around. She was inside an unfamiliar hut, Sesshomaru and Jaken were nowhere to be seen, and the only other inhabitants were an ancient miko and a young girl. Rin’s eyes widened and she crawled backwards towards the wall. Where was Sesshomaru?!
“Peace child,” and age cracked voice said softly, “I am Kaede, the miko of this village, and this,” she gestured to the young girl, “Is my apprentice, Midori,” the girl eyed the young woman with open curiosity, “Sesshomaru-sama brought you to us to care for you while he is away.”
Rin stared at the others wide eyed. Sesshomaru… left her? He left her? He left her?! “Iie!” she screamed and leapt to her feet, running past the miko and her assistant and out the door. “Sesshomaru-sama!” she cried as she raced out of the village, “Sesshomaru-sama! Do not leave Rin behind! Onegai, Sesshomaru-sama! Come back…” she ran into the forest, and some part of her knew he was gone and had been for sometime. She slowed to a walk and then fell to her knees in front of the Goshinboku where Inuyasha had been sealed, “Sesshomaru-sama,” she whispered softly, her vision blurring as tears filled her eyes, “Onegai… don’t leave me…” She buried her face in her hands, and silently prayed that the youkai horde from her dream would appear and slay her, for life without Sesshomaru was not worth living. She curled into a ball amid the roots of the mighty tree and wept. He had seen her collapse, and while she was out Jaken had spilled the beans. After that she guessed Sesshomaru couldn’t wait to be rid of her. Just like her feelings had said, he had abandoned her…
And who could blame him? She wasn’t cute and endearing anymore as she had been as a child. She was grown, and moody, she randomly collapsed, slowing the inu-youkai’s progress. If she were Sesshomaru-sama she wouldn’t want such a nuisance hanging onto her either.
But… She had thought… hoped… prayed… that he had kept her so long because he lo…
She pushed the thought from her mind. No, he didn’t, how could he? She was a weak, pathetic human. She was utterly useless to him and she attracted trouble like a bitch in heat attracted males, as Jaken had always said. How could he, Sesshomaru-sama Lord of the Western Lands, and son of the Inutaisho, love her? It was a stupid thought, and one she never should have dreamed even in her wildest dreams… but telling herself that didn’t make it hurt any less. She let the roots of the Goshinboku cradle her as she cried herself out, her exhaustion, with the shock of being left with strangers combined to suck her down into sleep once more.
__
“Kaede no bachan,” Midori called out, “I found her!” She stared down at the young woman sleeping among the roots of the Goshinboku in confusion. The girl didn’t understand the woman’s devotion to that mean youkai. As she waited for her teacher and the other members of the search party to arrive she saw a soft pink sheen on the woman’s chest. Midori’s eyes widened and she peered closer. The glow was muted by Rin’s kimono so the girl peeked under it and gasped in shock, falling back. There had been something alive in the young woman’s chest! There had been a circular glow over her heart that pulsed, making the light shine brighter before dimming once more.
She waited patiently for Kaede and the others to arrive and bear the woman away. Once she was alone, she walked deeper into the forest until she reached a circular clearing. She walked to the middle of it and breathed, “Kuro?”
A mirror image of Midori melted out of the darkness, “Hai, Annue?” the new girl said softly, her flat black eyes meeting her sister’s green ones.
“Tell his lordship that I have found the one he is looking for…” the girl explained the circumstances to her twin, and then paused as she heard someone from the village call her name, “I must go…” she approached her twin and stroked the other girl’s blank face, “Soon, Annue, we’ll be free of him…” a look of hurt crossed her face at her sister’s lack of reaction, and she turned and ran back to the village.
Kuro faded back into the shadows, traveling the paths of the night and arrived at her master’s castle in minutes. The guards didn’t see the shadowed child even as she walked past them and into the castle’s inner sanctum. She knelt in front rice paper shoji of her lord’s room and waited for him to acknowledge her, watching his silhouette against the thin walls.
“Kuro… what news have you?”
“Midori has found her my lord,” she said quietly, “She is also restless and wishes to break free of you.”
“Hai, I know… has she truly found the girl?” a small note of hope and excitement entered the lord’s voice.
“She believes so, my lord. She said the young woman’s chest pulsed and glowed with a pink light, and she said a silver-haired inu-youkai delivered her to the village.”
The shadowed girl saw her lord’s silhouette nod, “Call them… and Kuro?”
“Hai, my lord?”
“I will not tolerate rebellion. Kurosei, Midori.”
“Hai, my lord.”
Chapter 2
Rin panted, her feet felt like they were made of lead, and all she wanted was to sit down and have a drink of cool water… But that wasn’t going to happen. For some reason Sesshomaru-sama had decided that they all must be at a certain place at a certain time, instead of just him. While she was happy that the inu-youkai had decided to include her (Jaken didn’t matter) in whatever business was so important, she kind of wished he’d just leave her and go ahead, this walking was killing her! She felt like she had run the length and breadth of Nippon twice over in a day. Jaken had already given up, and was riding AiAun… Rin figured she was probably still walking out of pure spite, just to show the bastardly little kappa that not only was she as tough as a youkai, she was tougher than him! Not much of an accomplishment, but it made her feel better in a petty sort of way.
The current terrain was comprised of fields, long stretches of land with little to no shade, and Rin thought she was going to melt. She trudged on for as long as she could until she just flat out couldn’t take it anymore; the heat making her dizzy, and forget herself. Instead of just getting on AiAun, she called out, “Sesshomaru-sama! Wait up!” To her utter astonishment, the youkai lord slowed his pace, not too much, he was still walking faster than was comfortable to Rin, but she didn’t have to run to keep up. She felt light-headed, and knew she needed to sit, but climbing onto the dragon would require too much effort, and she didn’t want to be left behind, so once more she called, “Sesshomaru-sama…” She saw him turn slightly, but before she could say anything, black spots danced in front of her eyes. “No…” she whimpered softly. She stopped, hoping it would keep her from falling, but it didn’t. The ground met her much quicker than last time, and she was sucked into another dream.
__
Sesshomaru turned slightly to see why Rin would call out his name again. He saw her open her mouth to speak, and saw the sudden look of horror cross her face. The inu-youkai quickly looked around and sniffed the air, but detected nothing that would alarm the girl. Movement caught his eye, and he returned his gave to his ward, just in time to see her hit the ground.
Quicker than an eye blink, the youkai lord was kneeling beside her. He scooped her up in his arm, and studied her face. It was slack, with dark circles under her eyes… In his hurry to reach Inuyasha’s old village, Sesshomaru had not been letting them sleep much. In addition, the girl was very hot, and he could already tell that her water jug was empty. When Jaken approached and began his harp on how worthless humans were, the youkai lord snatched the imp’s canteen. He clicked his tongue, and AiAun walked up to them, and lay down so Rin could be propped against it. The inu-youkai poured a little water on the girl’s face, and then slide the mouth of the canteen between her lips and poured a tiny bit in her mouth, not wanting her to choke. He watched her throat work before making her drink a bit more.
Jaken watched in complete astonishment as the proud lord carefully tended the girl. That Sesshomaru-sama would lower himself was unthinkable! “Please, Sesshomaru-sama, let Jaken take care of Rin-chan so you do not have to dirty your hand,” his eyes widened at the growl he received for his offer. Something wasn’t right… Sesshomaru-sama was protective, yes, but he had never acted like this before. The kappa edged closer to the girl to inspect her condition. His sense of smell, while better than a human’s was far inferior to Sesshomaru-sama’s, so it wasn’t until he was very close that he smelled it. He leapt back and covered his snout with a sleeve, “Sesshomaru-sama!” he cried, “This girl is going into heat!”
The sound of Jaken’s shocked statement penetrated the fog in Sesshomaru’s brain. The imp was right! The girl was just becoming fertile, and that was why he had tended to her himself instead of ordering Jaken to do it, and why he warned the imp away. Her scent had heralded her readiness for and need of a mate, and his instincts had pushed him to fulfill that need. By caring for her himself, and warning Jaken away, he had shown that he was claiming her for this cycle. The inu-youkai mentally growled; his body obeyed him, not the other way around!
That body wasn’t listening very well, however. His claws ached to swipe at Jaken who had ventured closer again. The youkai lord stood quickly, scaring the imp. “Watch AiAun,” he commanded and, ignoring Jaken’s assurances, he used his fur to wrap around Rin, and hold her against him. He waited until she had taken a breath, and then put his hand over her mouth and pinched her nose shut. That done he shifted his form into a ball of light and disappeared from sight in a split second.
Jaken scowled angrily and grabbed AiAun’s reins, “That dumb wench! Why does she get to travel with Sesshomaru-sama when he’s like that? It’s not fair! I’ve served him faithfully for centuries, and never once have I gotten the treatment he gave her today!” the kappa harrumphed and continued walking down the path.
__
In his ball of light form, Sesshomaru traveled much too fast for humans to breathe, so he was forced to stop frequently and let Rin take a few breaths before continuing. Luckily he was able to cover a lot of ground each shift, and he knew he’d arrive at the village shortly. He looked down at Rin’s sleeping face and gently stroked her cheek. For the first time in years, the youkai lord found himself cursing Inuyasha for severing his arm… he wanted nothing more than to hold the girl in his own arms, and never let her go…
Anger at Inuyasha shifted to anger at himself for not controlling his instincts better. The inu-youkai growled in annoyance that the girl’s pheromones affected him this strongly. He shifted again bringing them a single shift away from the village. He was angry at himself for more than just his body’s instincts… He was angry that he had pushed his ward so hard. Once more he had forgotten that she was only human, and had expected her to be able to keep up with him. Because he did not need much food, water, or rest he assumed that she didn’t either. When they first changed direction every rest stop annoyed him, and given how long Rin had been with him, it was no wonder she could read his displeasure… and the girl had always gone out of her way to keep him from being displeased with her.
Sesshomaru growled once more, there was no use in dwelling on his mistake, it was done, and perhaps it was a good thing that she had collapsed. If they had continued with Rin sliding further into her fertility cycle, there was no telling what the youkai lord would have done to her had her scent caught him off guard. His eyes narrowed and he forced himself not to think about it, though his body seemed to enjoy the idea and wanted to dwell on it. Rin would be fine with a day’s rest and some water…
The inu-youkai made the last shift, returning to humanoid form in the middle of Edo. The people stared for a moment, some fell to their knees and cowered, and some ran away, but none of these people concerned him. He watched the person he had come to see slowly walk up to him with the aid of a staff, a little girl trailing after her with her bow and arrows. Time had not been kind to this human overall, but last eight years hadn’t changed her much, other than the addition of the walking stick. Her face was still a mass of wrinkles, and her hair was still white. She had gotten thinner it seemed, shrinking as elderly humans did. By her scent she had perhaps a decade of life left, give or take. A tiny shiver of fear ran through the proud youkai, the miko was only seventy, and she would only live just a short time longer, provided nothing took her life before it ended on its own. Was this what his Rin had to look forward to?! A meager six more decades of life, only two or three of which would be her prime, and the rest would begin this steady decline into death. Though none of his thoughts showed on his face, Sesshomaru was scared. His sweet Rin would die in the blink of a youkai’s eye, and there was nothing he would be able to do about it.
Kaede watched the youkai lord warily. She knew he would not attack unless provoked, but his presence still made her nervous. She bowed her head deeply to him, hoping that would suffice since she wasn’t sure she would be able to get back up if she bowed to him properly, “Midori,” she said to the girl behind her, “Bow to Sesshomaru-sama.” The girl immediately bowed deeply to the inu-youkai, “What can I do for you, my lord?” the old miko asked, eying the young woman wrapped up in the youkai lord’s fur.
Sesshomaru’s voice was as cool as usual, “This Sesshomaru must leave his ward in your care until he returns.”
Kaede frowned, “May I ask why, my lord?” He simply looked at her coldly without answering.
Midori scowled, finding the courage to come out from behind her teacher, “You should answer Kaede no bachan! Haven’t you been taught to respect your elders?!” She paled as the inu-youkai’s cold golden eyes fell on her, and hid behind Kaede’s hakama.
“Midori!” the old miko scolded, “Sesshomaru-sama is ranked much higher than you are, and you should not speak to him thus! Further more, Sesshomaru-sama is by far my elder.”
The girl peeked at the youkai, her eyes wide, and the inu-youkai could almost hear her thinking, “But he doesn’t look older…”
“Forgive her Sesshomaru-sama,” Kaede said softly, “She is young, and meant no harm… Please, follow me.”
The youkai lord inclined his head in acknowledgement, and followed the miko as she led him to her hut. He reluctantly lay Rin down on the futon the old woman indicated, and stood, giving no clue to his watchers that more than anything he wanted to snatch the girl up and take her with him. He turned his back to her and walked out, “Arigato, miko,” he said softly as he passed Kaede. The old woman stared after him in surprise, but he ignored her. He sent a silent prayer to whoever might be watching over the girl, that Rin would be ok without him. He returned to the center of the village and paused, letting the wind play in his hair. He realized to his surprise that his reluctance to leave remained even after he was free of his ward’s scent. He didn’t understand this feeling… it was as though he knew something horrible would happen if he left her here. It was ridiculous and irrational; Rin would be fine in the old miko’s care… but something whispered to him that he shouldn’t leave her; that he should turn around now, grab her and escape. The youkai lord mentally snorted at the silly thought, thoroughly disgusted with himself. He shifted to his ball of light form and zipped out of the clearing.
~~~
Rin awoke from darkness into a scene of what had to be hell. She was tied to a tree and surrounded by youkai and mononoke. The sun shone mockingly through the treetops, and the wind rippled through the leaves the two elements making it an obscenely pretty afternoon. If it weren’t for the fact that the sun dappled the hides of monsters, and the breeze blew their stench at her, it would have been an ideal day.
She watched her captors’ debate some way off, gasping desperately for air. They must have tied her too tightly because she was having trouble breathing. One youkai happened to look at her and saw that she was awake. He quickly brought the fact to the attention of his cohorts, and as one they approached her, the more powerful in the front, and the obviously weaker ones in the back. “Where is it, wench?” the youkai who had noticed she was awake growled.
Rin’s brows drew together, “Where is what?!” she gasped out, and was rewarded with a back hand for her efforts.
“We know you have it wench!” another youkai growled, “We can smell it on you!” The creature leaned closer and licked her cheek, making her jerk away, “We can taste it on you!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Rin insisted, honest in her confusion and ignorance. The youkai obviously didn’t believe her and hit her again, making black lines stream across her vision.
A minor mononoke crept forward, “My lordsss,” he hissed, “I sssaw the girl who held it lassst, ssshe carried it inssside herssself!”
The youkai spokesman nodded, “Very well, we shall rip her open and take it from her.” Dagger-like claws reached for her chest, and their tips punctured her kimono and then her skin. As they sank deeper into her he flesh, Rin screamed…
~~~
“Sesshomaru-sama!” Rin screamed as she sat bolt upright, one hand clutching her chest where it burned and itched, like a tiny fire spirit was trying to scratch its way out. It took her a moment for her to realize that her vision had indeed returned and that it was actually dark. Fear gripped her soul. Sesshomaru had seen her collapse! Her eyes darted around. She was inside an unfamiliar hut, Sesshomaru and Jaken were nowhere to be seen, and the only other inhabitants were an ancient miko and a young girl. Rin’s eyes widened and she crawled backwards towards the wall. Where was Sesshomaru?!
“Peace child,” and age cracked voice said softly, “I am Kaede, the miko of this village, and this,” she gestured to the young girl, “Is my apprentice, Midori,” the girl eyed the young woman with open curiosity, “Sesshomaru-sama brought you to us to care for you while he is away.”
Rin stared at the others wide eyed. Sesshomaru… left her? He left her? He left her?! “Iie!” she screamed and leapt to her feet, running past the miko and her assistant and out the door. “Sesshomaru-sama!” she cried as she raced out of the village, “Sesshomaru-sama! Do not leave Rin behind! Onegai, Sesshomaru-sama! Come back…” she ran into the forest, and some part of her knew he was gone and had been for sometime. She slowed to a walk and then fell to her knees in front of the Goshinboku where Inuyasha had been sealed, “Sesshomaru-sama,” she whispered softly, her vision blurring as tears filled her eyes, “Onegai… don’t leave me…” She buried her face in her hands, and silently prayed that the youkai horde from her dream would appear and slay her, for life without Sesshomaru was not worth living. She curled into a ball amid the roots of the mighty tree and wept. He had seen her collapse, and while she was out Jaken had spilled the beans. After that she guessed Sesshomaru couldn’t wait to be rid of her. Just like her feelings had said, he had abandoned her…
And who could blame him? She wasn’t cute and endearing anymore as she had been as a child. She was grown, and moody, she randomly collapsed, slowing the inu-youkai’s progress. If she were Sesshomaru-sama she wouldn’t want such a nuisance hanging onto her either.
But… She had thought… hoped… prayed… that he had kept her so long because he lo…
She pushed the thought from her mind. No, he didn’t, how could he? She was a weak, pathetic human. She was utterly useless to him and she attracted trouble like a bitch in heat attracted males, as Jaken had always said. How could he, Sesshomaru-sama Lord of the Western Lands, and son of the Inutaisho, love her? It was a stupid thought, and one she never should have dreamed even in her wildest dreams… but telling herself that didn’t make it hurt any less. She let the roots of the Goshinboku cradle her as she cried herself out, her exhaustion, with the shock of being left with strangers combined to suck her down into sleep once more.
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“Kaede no bachan,” Midori called out, “I found her!” She stared down at the young woman sleeping among the roots of the Goshinboku in confusion. The girl didn’t understand the woman’s devotion to that mean youkai. As she waited for her teacher and the other members of the search party to arrive she saw a soft pink sheen on the woman’s chest. Midori’s eyes widened and she peered closer. The glow was muted by Rin’s kimono so the girl peeked under it and gasped in shock, falling back. There had been something alive in the young woman’s chest! There had been a circular glow over her heart that pulsed, making the light shine brighter before dimming once more.
She waited patiently for Kaede and the others to arrive and bear the woman away. Once she was alone, she walked deeper into the forest until she reached a circular clearing. She walked to the middle of it and breathed, “Kuro?”
A mirror image of Midori melted out of the darkness, “Hai, Annue?” the new girl said softly, her flat black eyes meeting her sister’s green ones.
“Tell his lordship that I have found the one he is looking for…” the girl explained the circumstances to her twin, and then paused as she heard someone from the village call her name, “I must go…” she approached her twin and stroked the other girl’s blank face, “Soon, Annue, we’ll be free of him…” a look of hurt crossed her face at her sister’s lack of reaction, and she turned and ran back to the village.
Kuro faded back into the shadows, traveling the paths of the night and arrived at her master’s castle in minutes. The guards didn’t see the shadowed child even as she walked past them and into the castle’s inner sanctum. She knelt in front rice paper shoji of her lord’s room and waited for him to acknowledge her, watching his silhouette against the thin walls.
“Kuro… what news have you?”
“Midori has found her my lord,” she said quietly, “She is also restless and wishes to break free of you.”
“Hai, I know… has she truly found the girl?” a small note of hope and excitement entered the lord’s voice.
“She believes so, my lord. She said the young woman’s chest pulsed and glowed with a pink light, and she said a silver-haired inu-youkai delivered her to the village.”
The shadowed girl saw her lord’s silhouette nod, “Call them… and Kuro?”
“Hai, my lord?”
“I will not tolerate rebellion. Kurosei, Midori.”
“Hai, my lord.”