The Life After

6/23/06

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the characters of Inuyasha. I do not own Naraku, Inutaisho, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Jakken, Rin, or Ah-Un. Rumiko Takahashi is the wonderful creator and owner of said characters, manga, and show. I do not make money off of her characters or this story. This Disclaimer applies to this and all following chapters.

Author's Note: This chapter was a joy to write. Rin is so oblivious. Anyone else would have been deeply punished by Sesshoumaru, but OF COURSE he forgives her. *rolls eyes* If you are looking for the "good" chapter in this, it is Chapter 7. (What is the definition of good, anyway? lol) Which will be posted soon. I am nearly done with the story, and I do not like to keep any avid readers waiting, so the chapters should be up in two weeks at the very absolute latest.
********************************************************

Rin had never seen such a big and busy village. There were stalls everywhere full of food and clothes and anything else you could ever hope to buy. There were so many people walking around that Jakken was clinging to the bow of her sash in a desperate attempt not to lose her. “Stay close, Rin. If you get lost, it's my head!” he whined.

“Stop worrying, Master Jakken. I'll be fine,” she was searching the stalls for something special. Finally, she found it. There was a stall filled with beautiful glass vases. She pulled out of Jakken's grasp and raced towards it. She looked at every glass, trying to find the perfect one. Then her eyes lit upon the most intricate one of all. It had orange, yellow, and green colors dancing over it randomly. It was the same colors as the very first kimono Lord Sesshoumaru had ever bought her. She picked it up gently and walked over to the stall owner. It was a very old gentleman who was standing at the counter. “How much for this one?” she whispered, tugging on his sleeve.

He looked down at her, surprised, “That one? Oh, I'm afraid it's quite a lot of money.” Rin sighed; it was the perfect one.

“Nonsense. Nothing is too much money for Lord Sesshoumaru,” Jakken came up behind them and dug a handful of gold coins out of his robes.

The stall owner's jaw dropped, “This human child is under the great demon lord's care?” Many others in the market had gone silent, listening to this amazing news. “I thought he despised humans.”

“Lord Sesshoumaru's business is nothing to you mortals. Though I suggest you and the others mark young Rin as part of his clan. If any harm comes to her, you will all suffer horrible deaths,” Jakken hissed, shoving the gold into the vender's hand.

“Master Jakken! Don't say such horrible things! Lord Sesshoumaru would not kill these people! They are his subjects, and he is a good ruler,” Rin growled at Jakken, “Thank you, very much. My name is Rin,” she turned, smiling at the vase seller.

The humans already knew to stay clear of Lord Sesshoumaru's property, but this girl was so cheerful. Soon she was friends with every vender in the village. Jakken trailing miserably behind her, depositing coins for her purchases.

It was an hour or so before dusk when they returned home. Jakken was dragging bags of items, and Rin was clutching the vase in her hands. “Master Jakken?” she asked, when they reached the front door of the castle, “Can you bring those to my room? I have to do something.”

“Oh, sure, no problem. It's not like these are heavy,” he growled, but did as he was told.

“Thank you, Master Jakken!” she called after him, then raced into Ah-Un's meadow. She placed her precious vase at the dragon's feet and asked him, “Can you watch over this for me?” He lowed in agreement, nodding his heads. She stayed outside until dusk, picking only the biggest and brightest flowers. As the sun set, she wiped sweat from her forehead, sighing. The bunch of flowers she had was perfect. She walked over to Ah-Un. One of his heads was sleeping, but the other was still watching the vase. “Thanks,” she whispered, patting his head that was awake. Then she grabbed the package and raced up the stairs.


“Jakken?” Sesshoumaru hissed at the dinner table.

“Yes, m'lord?” the frogish demon sighed.

“Why hasn't Rin joined us for dinner? She must be starving. You didn't upset her, did you?” he was looking calmly at his ward.

“No, m'lord!” Jakken said quickly, “She asked me to take her bags to her room, and I haven't seen her since.” To his surprise, Sesshoumaru accepted this answer, and they both returned to their meals.


On the second floor of the castle, Rin was attempting to drag all her purchases towards the single room on the third floor. One of the servants noticed her struggle. “May I help you, Lady Rin?” the human woman asked.

“Oh, yes! Thank you!” Rin laughed, gladly handing over some of the bags.

“Where are you taking these?” the woman lifted them easily, quite accustomed to laborious work.

“Upstairs,” Rin said simply, racing back towards her room. She returned moments later with the beautiful vase and her handful of flowers.

“To the Lord's room? Are you sure that is wise?” the woman gasped. No one ever went to Sesshoumaru's room, not even to clean it. They wouldn't dare to leave their human scent in his room. Rin nodded, and the woman answered, “Then I am afraid I must leave these at the top of the stairs. I cannot enter the Lord's bedchambers.”

“That's ok,” Rin shrugged, “I can get them into his room easily enough.”

The stairs that led to the third and final floor were in the exact center of the castle. They led to a small hallway that connected almost immediately with Sesshoumaru's room. There was nothing beside the hallway and room on that floor. The maid deposited the bags at the front of the hall, and quickly dismissed herself from that dangerous floor.

Rin spent the rest of the dinner hours dragging things into her lord's room and arranging them. News quickly spread through the castle, by way of the servants, that the new human child was doing something amazing and surely punishable to the demon lord's room. Sesshoumaru heard the whispers, though none of them were spoken near him, and decided to wait until she was done to return to his room. He was slightly uneasy about what she could possibly be doing.


“There!” Rin said finally, brushing her hands together. She took a deep breath and yelled at the top of her lungs, “LORD SESSHOUMARU!!!”

Instantly he was by her side, “Rin! What is it?! Has someone hurt you?!” he was glaring around the hall as if there had to be an army of demons around.

“No, my lord. I just wanted to show you your room,” she smiled.

He looked at her sideways, “I've seen it many times, Rin.”

“Not like this! Please come see,” she tugged on his hand. He sighed and followed her. Even Sesshoumaru could not suppress his surprise at what he found. She had clearly worked tirelessly at his room. There were beautiful scrolls of trees, flowers, and landscapes embroidered with gold spaced evenly around his room. She had picked out brilliant curtains of silk and satin for his windows. There were jewels and trinkets hung above and below the tapestries. She had remade his bed, since it was still in the mess they had left it in that morning. And on a mahogany carved table she had placed beside his bed stood a magnificent vase filled with brilliant flowers from Ah-Un's meadow. “Do you like it, my lord?” He couldn't find words to answer, so remained silent. “I thought,” she continued when he didn't speak, “that it was sad that you could live here so long and have such an empty room. . . so I bought you all these things to fill it with. Oh! and look!” She dove towards his bed and picked up a stuffed dog toy. It had red eyes and a blue moon on its forehead, “They said this was your true form, and they made toys of it for the children to learn that you are their great and wise leader. I thought your bed was too empty, and that you might get lonely. So I bought it for you.”

“Rin,” he said, before she could continue, “Did you buy anything for yourself, today?”

“Oh, yes! I…,” she gasped, “I guess not. I was so busy designing your room's decorations that I completely forgot. Are you angry, my lord?” she hung her head.

“No. I am not angry, but I wish you to keep that toy. Next time you are frightened at night, you will have me already close by. Now, it is late. Go to the kitchens and have the cooks fix you dinner. Then retire to your room,” still he did not address the subject of his completely transformed room. He bent to light the candles that had always hung on the walls of his room.

Rin bowed gracefully, “Yes, my lord.”

“Rin.” she paused with one hand on his doorway. “Thank you.”

Rin's eyes shone in the candlelight, “Your welcome, Lord Sesshoumaru.”