It Won't End Happily
Chapter 1: Meeting Lord Sesshomaru
In times of turmoil, the Japanese nation was torn apart during the warring states era. Not only had the majority of humans abandoned their consciences to fight one another without mercy, but there reigned such mythical beasts of terror and mystery that gave little, if any, regard towards human life or goodness. And it was these creatures that were thought to grow stronger as the light of mankind slowly began to extinguish out of bloodshed. Yet, as a result of this darkness, there was born such people that struggled to maintain the light and purity of the human race and remained with the innocent lives to protect them as the beasts preyed on their weaknesses.
And due to this effort by one tragic priestess, Midoriko, a vessel of unyielding power sprang forth that held the destiny of good and evil in its core. The Shikon no Tama, or the Jewel of Four Souls, trapped the fates of many demons and humans, those that wished to rid the world of its power and those that wished to take it for themselves.
The wars grew worse in return.
Villages were ravaged. Lives were lost. And it appeared those humans and these demons could not live as one. For every creature defeated, hundreds of humans were left defenseless and orphaned. But their will was their only weapon. For a human that possesses a strong will may survive beyond all odds and become a part of a greater future if given the opportunity.
And that is the message of our tale. It all began with a simple orphaned girl by the name of Lin who found herself aligned with others, entangled in the fate of the Shikon no Tama. She was one of the unfortunates whose village was destroyed when she was merely sixteen years old. But it wasn't the beasts that had devoured her home. It was the wickedness of humanity that catalyzed the manifestation of darkness in all mankind's hearts. Her family being brutally slaughtered by a hoard of bandits, Lin's mild temper faded and from out her sweet demeanor arose a blackened hate deep within her soul. Her hatred consumed her and she wanted nothing more than revenge. So, as this innocent maiden returned from fetching water that fateful day, her arm was suddenly caught by a man with hair the color of the raven's wing. But with a little luck on her side and a heap of courage, she stole the sword from his side and slew whoever tried to hold her down. She quickly ran away, swearing she would have her vengeance when she was stronger.
She traveled to the farthest regions of Japan, searching for a home and new techniques to vanquish her nemeses but instead fell upon the path of a herd of winged horses. Though not uncommon to find in the forest, she knew them to be dangerous, carnivorous creatures- the beasts' malice had been hammered into her mind since she was little. But as she spotted one lone horse, the runt of the pack, in the middle, she knew that this group intended to kill one of there own. So, for the remainder of her life, young Lin traveled far and wide upon this beast as she had saved its life. Yet, this horse wasn't merely transportation, but became a friend named Serena.
For two years, now eighteen, Lin's heart slowly healed from the encounter with the bandits and she longed no more for revenge, but a place to simply call home. She was tired of scrounging for food day after day and sleeping restlessly alone with no one to talk to. So, on the morning she heard a shrill cry from the trees, she sprang to rescue the human. But not just any human. She was a small child being attacked by a boar demon. With amateur skill, Lin dispatched the demon, but she would have never have guessed that this little girl, Rin, would be the window for the years of torment to come and the knowledge that her past had not been a mere coincidence.
And that is where our story truly begins.
Lin's P.O.V
"Are you okay?" I asked, crouching low to her level.
"Y-yes," she stuttered. "Thank you," she cried, a light reentering her eyes.
"Where do you belong? Where are your parents?" The thought stung a bit at my heart, but I gave a reassuring smile just the same. She smiled in return, clasping my wrist.
"You should meet my Lord!" she said and began tugging impatiently at my arm. I stood up, a few feet taller than her 8 year-old form, and followed reluctantly behind. I didn't have anything better to do and I understood well the gratitude people wished to bestow upon their saviors, no matter how amateur they were. I was cautious, but thought a place to stay for the night would be a change from sleeping on the forest floor.
So it became Rin who introduced me to Lord Sesshomaru. I had no clue what I was getting myself into. At first I thought she was taking me to a nearby village in which I had missed by chance. We tracked through the forest, Rin in front but I figured that we weren't getting anywhere near a village once we hit the river. One glance at the long, fast current rushing from each bank and I knew that she couldn't have possibly crossed it alone.
"RIN!" An ear splitting voice rang across the open end of the trees. I cringed at the thought of others seeing their daughter taking me to see her Lord. It wasn't usually allowed these days and my careless action to believe her was stupid on my behalf. I turned to peer over my shoulder and I couldn't see a soul in sight. No men or boys were there and I was sure it had been a male voice.
Rin had stopped too and she looked innocently behind her, but she seemed to have found who it was that addressed her.
"Master Jaken!" she called with a wave. I looked down and there, coming out of the brush, was a small figure staggering up to us. Short, green and not much to look at, he was scowling with anger at me rather than Rin.
"What is that, Rin?!" he yelled, pointing a long finger at me. "Another bothersome human you place in our care while Lord Sesshomaru is away!"
I was used to being seen as less than note worthy, but this was the first time something so small dared to treat me as the grime under their shoe.
"First, off," I stated leaning over the green imp, "I am now and have always been under my own care! And secondly, I will not stay long. I only accepted this girl's offer to see if she was okay. She's fine now and I will be off!" I spun around to the overgrown trees. "See you around Rin," I said waving back nonchalantly as Rin ran towards me.
"Please stay!"
"Why is this girl so important Rin? She's done nothing for us!" I heard the imp declare.
"I want her to meet Lord Sesshomaru. She must stay!"
"Sesshomaru wouldn't be concerned with this girl's actions no matter what she has done?"
"Yes he would!" Rin yelled and made a desperate attempt at stopping me. "Please"
I looked into her wide eyes and sighed.
"Who is it that you want me to meet again?" I asked, humoring the girl.
"HOW DARE YOU NOT RECOGNIZE THE GREAT LORD SESSHOMARU'S NAME, YOU PATHETIC HUMAN!" Jaken screamed and dodged in front, staff waving about in the air. Rin paced nervously at my legs.
"At least I'm not trying to pretend that I'm all powerful. I get by just as I was created to do so." I spoke so coolly that Jaken missed that the remark was to insult him as well. It was just like a creature under someone else's protection to believe themselves immortal.
"WAIT UNTIL LORD SESSHOMARU HEARS OF YOUR BLATANT DISRESPECT!"
"Whose?" A deeper voice asked over the tiny imps fits of temper. The voice was collected but demanded attention and all became silent.
I took a quick look behind me and found my gaze rising several feet above me. Maybe it is hard to explain what he looked like. There are so many words that could be used and not hold him in the same respect. He was tall, as I had stated earlier, and his hair, straight and down around his calf, was silver with the satin finish of fine silken threads. The light shone over the top of his full bangs giving an aura of light surrounding his outline. The markings across his cheeks accentuated his amber eyes and beneath the hair just hitting the brow was a crescent mark peering through.
"Milord! I had no idea you'd be back at this time." The man I could only assume was Sesshomaru lifted his eyebrow ever so slightly. It seemed so slight that if you had caught him a second after a blink of the eye the gesture would have been completely unseen.
"Identify yourself," he demanded turning his attention to me.
"I would be Lin of the woods," I said with a hint of sarcasm. Sesshomaru still stared dangerously out at me and then I added, "My lord."
"Would you explain as to why you take part in this insignificant human's conversation, Jaken?" I guess my time was up.
"Don't ask me...uh, milord. Twas the girl's invitation that brought her here." Jaken quickly pinned the blame on Rin, who appeared by my side.
"Rin?" Sesshomaru asked impassively.
Rin walk forward confidently, smiling, her cuteness overpowering.
"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru. She saved me from a demon while I searched for food."
Sesshomaru looked thoroughly over me. Eyes were questioning, but only if you looked deep with in his irises. Their shape did not enlarge and his brow did not furrow, but his pupils seemed to widen as he took in my appearance. To see the truth. He then turned his attention to Jaken and though the look was similar, he towered over the imp. Perhaps in fury that Rin had been in danger at all with Jaken present was of interest to him, but he did not divulge us in his thought process any further than I had already deduced.
Sesshomaru turned away, walking up the river bank.
"Do as you wish, Rin," he spoke over his shoulder.
Rin seemed to become elated beyond reason. Her eyes bulged and as her hands clasped together in front of her as if she were giving thanks, she hopped up and down at my side. I, on the other hand, was confused. What had Rin heard that wasn't registering within my own brain? "Do as you wish, Rin." He was giving permission to Rin to do what she wanted with me? It didn't seem to make sense. Wasn't I more independent than her or, if seniority ruled, older? Maybe I shouldn't have questioned it much for there wasn't a lot on my mind or in my future to justify such inquiring. Rin jumped over to Jaken while I was transfixed in my thoughts, staring after the form of Sesshomaru, who was continuing down the bank.
"Did you hear, Master Jaken? Lin can stay with us!" There was silence after Rin's statement and even as she pressed further to get him to respond, I couldn't help but be pulled out of my own daze to wonder of his state. Jaken was just as confused it seemed. His jaw was more open though and if you prefer an exaggeration, it hit the floor. I broke his trance however.
"Should we be following Lord Sesshomaru?" I asked casually, indicating his diminishing form. That seemed to do it. Jaken shook a bit to clear his head and sped up from our group in pursuit of the handsome demon.
"WAIT FOR ME LORD SESSHOMARU!!"
I followed the imp's little form scurry beyond the horizon when Rin touched me on my forearm and we walked together after Jaken. That's when I remembered Serena.
"Rin?!" I said sharply. Her smile seemed to shrink a bit when I stepped back.
"Lord Sesshomaru doesn't like when we keep him waiting."
"I'll be able to find you guys later," I said, a bit nervous about my friend. "Trust me. I just need to get Serena while I'm still here."
"Who's Serena?" Rin asked.
"She's my friend and transportation," I explained.
"Is it like a demon?" she asked a little baffled.
"She is like a demon, but she is her own species. Like demons' have their own species and animals have their own."
"Will you be able to find us?" She looked saddened by my quick movement to depart.
"Serena has a keen sense of direction. Her species can find anyplace you ask them. Well, as long as they trust you."
"Does Serena trust you?" I shouldn't have said that last part.
"Yes, Rin. Now please go catch up to Sesshomaru so you are not left behind." I could barely see his silver hair over the curve of the horizon.
Rin glanced to Sesshomaru and back to me. Then she began walking in their direction, continuously looking back to me as if I were never to return. Serena should be easy to find. I only truly had to call her near enough so that she could actually hear me.
I started back into the woods, feeling my way threw the growing darkness. As soon as I felt I was far enough in the thick I began calling Serena to me.
"Serena!" I cupped my hands around my mouth. "Come here, girl!"
The leaves fluttered in the wind and the strange noises of night were setting on the trees when I saw the wispy tail of my Serena. There was something to be said about my Serena. Though her wings, like a giant bat's, moved with stiff leather-like appearance, they were as soft as silk. She wasn't skeletal in the body at all, but had a well nourished body of a mare with a shining black coat. Her eyes though, that's where she was clearly different. Serena doesn't have eyes. Where her eyes were supposed to be were deep, caved in holes like that of a skeleton. I couldn't be sure as to what had happened, but her species didn't have eyes. Perhaps it was a mutation of some sort that had passed down through the generations. But whatever you called her, Serena was unique and not a demon.
Serena walked cautiously up to me and sniffed the air around her (being sightless and all). I calmly waited for her to identify me when she nuzzled her nose into my neck without a second check.
"Serena?" I asked and her ears perked up to listen. "I need you to find Sesshomaru." I gave her my sleeve to sniff and she filtered through the different scents to find Sesshomaru's. She raised her head contently and I knew that she was ready. She hadn't failed me yet and hopefully wouldn't. Though I couldn't blame her if she did. I quickly climbed onto her back, positioning myself between her shoulder blades and grabbing her mane in both my palms.
"Find Sesshomaru." I said and Serena extended her large wings and shot upwards to the sky.
The fascinating thing about Serena was her wide capacity to learn. She could learn a scent and associate that scent with the name I gave it in no time. Even without the scent present, she'd be able to pick it up from the memory of the time I had given it a name. She put me at ease and sometimes I was afraid that I had depended on her more than I should have. Maybe I wasn't more independent than Rin after all. But I couldn't argue that giving up Serena would be good for either of us. We were friends, after saving her from being slaughtered by her pack, she seemed to trust me ever since.
The night sky had always looked differently from above the trees. Closer, yes, but more in focus. You could capture every twinkle of a star, every passing cloud, and as far as the eye could see, the quilted countryside tucked safely in the darkness. I relaxed my grip on Serena's mane. She was lowering herself and I hadn't expected it to be a long trip after just leaving Sesshomaru and Rin. She found a soft, large meadow to land in and she halted smoothly on the grass. I could see the embers of a fire working in the night and Rin's head popped up from the horizon. She flew past Jaken and hugged my leg.
"Lin you came back!" She cried and then glanced to my left. She hadn't seen the black figure standing in clear sight only disguised by night. Rin tightened her embrace on my leg.
"Lin?! There's something behind you!" she whimpered.
"That's just Serena," I explained and I gestured for Serena to enter into the light of the fire. Serena obeyed and trotted spryly to my left side while Rin back away to the right. "It's okay, Rin. Serena won't hurt you. She prefers the meat of deer and wouldn't hurt a human."
Rin made no attempt at reentering the circle Serena and I shared. "Go out and hunt, Serena." I said sternly and Serena trotted off, fully obediently, just like she always had been.
"It's okay, Rin. You'll get used to her. She's a lot less scary in the daylight. Oh!" I exclaimed looking around the campsite. "Where's Lord Sesshomaru?"
"He left a few minutes before you showed up. He didn't say anything but he normally doesn't."
"Oh, okay," I whispered. I had indeed noticed his reserved nature. "I guess it doesn't matter." I smiled and made my way to the fire where Jaken sat, eyes closed and looking as if he were deep in meditation.
"Master Jaken, look who's here!" Rin squealed. Jaken opened one lazy eye and muttered something as he settled back into his relaxed state. I searched the campsite as thoroughly as Sesshomaru had evaluated me. Rin had a few lizard-like creatures on skewers and was letting them cook by standing inches away from the flame. There were three so I assumed that one was for me, but I kindly declined when Rin offered it to me later. She was so much smaller than I was. She deserved everything she had caught and I was in no starving position. So as night continued, Rin curled up, head in my lap, as I watched the last lick of the flame and the last glow of embers as they died.
I moved Rin upright and placed her on my chest as I lay down in the cushion of grass that surrounded. It was peaceful to look up at the sky one more time. A different perspective, of course, but I felt the small pleasure of being wanted and I didn't think of the terrible times. I didn't think of my luck that one fateful day at my former village or the hardship I had to endure to survive. I was, in fact, the lucky one. But that night, under the blanket of stars, I thought only of the ones I cared for and the ones I owed my gratitude to the most.
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A/N: Welcome to the fanfiction. Remember, fanfics are for fun, so enjoy it for what it is. Not what it isn't.