AN: To my dear readers,
Specially if you're waiting for me to update Broken Pieces, I AM SO SORRY but I've been experiencing a serious writer's block for the past few months(pls don't beat me up Dx). It must be related from stress in Nursing school. I have the outline of the story for Broken Pieces but for some reason I'm having a hard time writing it(lack of inspiration? Story getting too old inside my head?) I've been told to start fresh with a short story to get rid of the block and let my imagination flow without planning the story ahead. So here, I'm going to have a little fun!
In this fic, Sesshomaru never left Rin to live in Inuyasha's village with Kaede. She grew up while travelling Sesshomaru instead.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Price of Immortality
Prologue – Strangers Again
Rin lay near the campfire quietly, watching the embers of the flames die slowly. Jaken was snoring loudly next to the slumbering Ah-un. She, on the other hand, was absent-mindedly playing with the necklace her Lord had given her few years ago. Instead of a pendant, in its place was a small yet intricately adorned vial. It glowed slightly purple and red in the dark. She continued rolling it between her fingers while waiting for sleep to claim her.
"You are still awake."
Rin jumped slightly at the voice. "My Lord, you're back!" She stood up and gave him a slight bow.
Sesshomaru watched her pensively. She grew another inch. His face did not betray his surprise; he remained stoic. Her height almost reached his shoulders, and her slender form is now accompanied with graceful and fluid movements. Gone was the girl who moved clumsily and ran towards him with enthusiasm whenever he returns from his short excursions. There were numerous other small changes in her behaviour which he chose never to mention… like her silence and her sudden lack of interest in fields of flowers which she used to love so much.
He knew that change was to come, but he did not expect it so soon. Everything began on her 16th summer, and still seems to be not over yet. She is changing and growing so quick in his eyes, as all humans do, but he could not get rid of his feelings of apprehension. In his long demon life, he never had to watch someone bud from a small, active brat into…. this woman.
This girl was no longer the Rin he rescued as a child. This woman was a stranger to him.
"I apologize. It's just that I couldn't sleep for some reason." Rin straightened her kimono and stared at her Lord, unaware of his thoughts. He was looking at her… or staring, and it made her nervous. He was always the same; from the moment she met him up to this day… to this moment. Stoic, powerful, perfect and magnificent. But something changed. And she long ago realized that it was her perspective; Seeing her Lord with her unsullied child eyes, and then seeing him now with maturity. When she was a child, she expressed herself so much to her lord to show her unadulterated adoration. She was loud, chatty and carefree. And then… she learned what shame was. She became shy and started to unconsciously pick up a lot of traits from her Lord, such as his silence. She no longer talked to him about things she found interesting because of her fear that it would bore her master.
But HE never talked to her about anything anyway unless it involves asking how she "fared" in his absences. He scarcely talked, and as a result, she only knew things that she experienced with him such as the incident with Naraku years ago. She never knew what he thought of her. Or shared anything special or personal with her. Which made her realize that her Lord, despite knowing that he was brave, fearless and ultimately powerful, remains a stranger to her.
"How was your travel, my lord?" She smiled genuinely.
Sesshomaru blinked. He recognized that smile. He looked away, the evening wind slightly blowing his silver hair to the side. "It was uneventful." He proceeded to walk and sit against a tree.
Rin sat back down near the dying campfire and stoked it with dried pieces of wood. Sparks of embers flew above it, reminding her of fireflies. As she expected he didn't want to talk about where he had been. She remembered badgering him about his disappearances when she was younger, and she bit her lip, feeling embarrassed. She must've annoyed him so bad back then.
Sesshomaru closed his eyes. He subconsciously expected her to keep asking. For her to sit down next to him, pull his sleeves and keep bothering him until he ordered her to behave. He opened his eyes and saw Rin busily trying to rekindle the dying flames and seemed to be unaffected by his lack of answer. He closed his eyes once again.
They were strangers indeed.
~o~O~o~