okay. my very first sessh/rin fanfic. i've wanted to write a story like this for 5 years, but i could never get a good idea. i had a dream sorta like this, and now i have this. well, i'm sure its probably not any good, but please read it anyway. oh, and in case you were wondering, i dont own inuyasha or any of the characters or anything (except the ones i came up with of course! hehe. .) ok ok. here it is!
Chapter 1: Visions and Dreams
'I still remember…that day…the first time that I saw you. There was something about you…something that…drew me to you. I knew…immediately…what you were. Knew…by the strange markings on your face…by the way your eyes glowed bright red. I was…afraid. So very afraid. And yet…something inside me told me…not to run away. So…I didn't. Even…when you growled at me, and…I wanted to run away so badly. Even then…I didn't. I thought…you needed me. That…at last…someone needed me. But I was foolish. So foolish. As if you, a great demon lord, could ever need me, a lowly human. I realize that now, eight years later. For you said so yourself—You do not need me.'
In a dark room, lit only by the light coming in from the doorway, a tall man sat in a chair made of bone and cushioned with a strange dark blue cloth in front of a large glowing mirror. He was tall and elegant, his dress and pose suggesting nobility, his long blue-black hair tied in a low ponytail, his deep blue eyes gleaming with amusement at the young woman shown in the mirror. "Ah, but my dear Rin," he said, stroking the figure of the girl with his long clawed finger, "I think you are wrong."
A woman with long, silvery pink hair and pink eyes entered the room. She wore a short kimono the same color of her hair that only came half-way down her thighs, with the upper torso tied open wide enough so that much of her breasts were exposed. She leaned against the doorway in a seductive manner. "Reading people's minds isn't nice, Akuhei-sama," she teased.
Akuhei turned from the mirror to face her. "Takako, come here," he ordered.
Takako knelt on the floor before him and bowed. "Yes, my lord?" she asked.
Akuhei turned back to the mirror. "I must admit," he said, "that the mirror you got from that seer has been quite useful." He glanced at the head of a pale-skinned, white-haired young girl hanging on the wall, her black eyes lifeless and staring. "Much more useful than the mirror of that Kanna girl." He smirked and looked back at the mirror. "With this mirror, not only can I see whomever I wish, but I can listen to their thoughts."
Takako stood up and came up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sliding her hands down his shirt. "I wish only to please you, my lord," she whispered in his ear.
Akuhei picked up a goblet filled with yellowish liquid off of a table in front of the chair and took a sip of it, his eyes on the girl in the mirror. "Yes, I believe we will be able to make much use of this girl," he said to himself. "Takako," he said, pulling her off of him and sitting in the chair. "I have a job for you." Takako watched as Akuhei took another sip from the goblet, and waited for him to continue. Akuhei watched Rin over the rim of the goblet for a moment, then set the goblet on the table and turned to Takako. "Tonight we are going to pay a visit to certain human girl," he said, smiling slyly.
Rin stared at the leaf strewn forest floor, so deep in thought that she did not realize that she had stopped walking. Sesshoumaru stopped a few feet in front of her. "Rin. What is wrong?" he asked without turning around.
Rin snapped out of her thoughts with a gasp. "Uh! Rin is sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama!" she exclaimed, bowing hurriedly. "Nothing is wrong, Rin is fine! She just got lost in her thoughts!" Rin quickly plastered a fake smile on her face.
Sesshoumaru looked at her doubtfully out of the corner of his eye. "Fine then," he said at last, walking on. "Hurry up."
"Yes," Rin replied, quickening her pace to catch up with him.
"That's right, Rin! Don't be so spaced out all the time! You're such an inconvenience to Sesshoumaru-sama!" scolded Jaken, the toad demon who always traveled with Sesshoumaru. Rin didn't reply, and she looked away to hide the sorrow that crossed her face. When Rin didn't say anything, Jaken continued, "You could at least try to—"
"Enough, Jaken," Sesshoumaru said sharply, cutting off the little imp.
"Yes, m'lord," Jaken said, bowing humbly.
Rin let out a sigh. 'I lied, Sesshoumaru-sama,' she thought to herself. 'Everything is not okay.'
a few days earlier
"Rin! Must I tell you again! You are not to go in there!" Jaken cried.
"Don't worry, Jaken-sama!" Rin reassured him, smiling at the little green imp who was dancing franticly around her. "It'll be fine! If Sesshoumaru-sama didn't want Rin to join the dinner with his guests, why would he have given her such a fine new kimono?" she pointed out, indicating to the light blue silk kimono embroidered with tiny yellow flowers and delicate green leaves she was wearing. Feeling her point proven, Rin continued on her way.
"Rin! Sesshoumaru-sama always gives you new kimonos!" Jaken called after her. Rin ignored him, giggling at his futile attempts to stop her, and ran off before he could catch up with her again.
As she reached the great doors that led into the dining hall, Rin stopped for a moment to make sure she looked presentable, after all she didn't want to embarrass Sesshoumaru. When she was sure her kimono was straight and her hair was as tamed as possible, she approached the doors, but stopped outside of them. One of the doors had been left open a crack, and she could barely see and hear those inside. Peeking in, Rin saw that instead of a large number of guests as she had expected, she saw that there was only one old demon. Sesshoumaru and the old demon were discussing someone, and after listening for a moment, Rin realized it must be her.
"You cannot keep that girl around here any longer!" the old demon was saying.
"She does no harm," Sesshoumaru said calmly, focusing more on his rice than the demon he was speaking with.
"She is doing plenty of harm!" the demon exclaimed. "I refuse to have a human staying under this roof!"
"Need I remind you," Sesshoumaru replied, his voice rising ever so slightly, "that I am the lord of this castle, and I am the one who decides who will stay here."
"Fine! But what of this girl! Why do you insist on keeping her?" the demon demanded.
"She has nowhere else to go, and she needs a place to stay." Sesshoumaru explained.
"I am beginning to think that it is you who needs her." the old demon said.
"I assure you, that I have no need for a worthless human," Sesshoumaru said, looking at him sharply, "and you may find that I have no need for you as well, Toshikasa, if this continues."
"I apologize, my lord," the demon said meekly, and began eating.
Rin, however, did not hear this last part, for she had already run off, tears pouring down her face. "Now do you see, Rin?" Jaken began, until he noticed that she was sobbing. "Rin, what's wrong?" he asked, but Rin had already run into her room and shut the door.
the present
Sesshoumaru glanced at the sky, which was turning an orangeish-pink from the setting sun. "We will stay here for the night," he said, stopping. "There is a river nearby," he told Rin. "You may go wash up."
"Yes, my lord," Rin said, bowing and heading in the direction Sesshoumaru had pointed in while Jaken went to find food.
Sesshoumaru watched as Rin walked slowly towards the river, her feet dragging, her face void of its usual cheerfulness. For the past several days, Rin had not been herself. Rin had always been happy and carefree, constantly laughing and running around gathering flowers, but lately all her joy had left her. Now she would sit quietly by herself, staring at the ground, and Sesshoumaru would often hear her sobbing softly to herself. Something had obviously happened to make her so sad, though Sesshoumaru had no idea what it could be. He would never admit it, but it made Sesshoumaru's heart ache terribly to see Rin so unhappy.
After a while, Jaken returned trying his best to hold on to two slippery, and still very much alive, fish he had caught. Rin returned soon after, her waist-length black hair still damp from washing. She solemnly set to work helping Jaken build a fire and cook the fish.
Rin took her fish half-heartedly and sat down by the fire. She nibbled at the fish, salmon, which was normally her favorite, but this time it just didn't seem as appetizing. She forgot about the fish, and soon found herself gazing into the fire. The flames popped and crackled warmly, but to Rin they seemed to be laughing at her, mocking the useless human wretch. 'You're such an inconvenience!' 'I have no need for a worthless human.' The words of Jaken and Sesshoumaru swarmed around in Rin's mind. She squeezed here eyes shut tight, trying to block out their voices, but they continued all the louder, the mocking laughter of the fire with them.
"Rin, you should eat," Sesshoumaru's voice broke through the terror.
Rin looked up at Sesshoumaru, who was standing on the side of the fire. His face was hidden in the shadows cast by the fire, but she could feel his eyes on her, watching her. She looked away. "Rin isn't hungry, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said softly. She shifted uncomfortably under Sesshoumaru's gaze. "Rin is tired," she said, lying down and wrapping herself in her blanket. After a moment, Sesshoumaru walked away, and Rin buried her head under the blanket and went to sleep.
"Rin…" a voice whispered her name. "Rin…wake up."
Rin sat up groggily and opened her eyes. Her eyes went wide and she looked around in shock. A bright light shone everywhere, but it was as though she were looking through a thick fog, making it hard to see. She could barely make out a streak of pale blue sky, and, looking down, bright green grass. She ran her hand over the grass, and it was perfectly soft and springy.
"Rin," the voice came again from behind her.
Rin turned around. Behind her stood the figure of a man. He seemed to eminate his own light, making him even brighter than his surroundings, and hiding his features. Rin put her hand up to shield her eyes. "Who are you?" she asked.
"A friend," the man answered simply. He walked to the side a little and looked up at the sky. He turned to face her again. "I have been watching you for a while," he said, "and I have noticed that you seem very sorrowful lately."
"Oh," Rin said, looking down. "Yes, I suppose."
"Will you tell me," the man asked, "what it is that has made you so sad?" Rin looked at him and opened her mouth as if to speak, then hesitated and shut it again. "It's all right, Rin. You can trust me," the man reassured her. Rin looked at him once more, then, nodding, told him of everything since she had first met Sesshoumaru.
"I see," the man said. He looked at her sympathetically, then knelt down and, running his fingers through her hair, whispered, "Perhaps it is time you left this Sesshoumaru of yours and returned to your own kind."
Rin looked at him, horrified. "What?" she gasped. "N-no!"
"I know it is hard, Rin," the man continued gently, "but it is what's best. If you stay with him, he will only hurt you more." He looked at Rin intently. "You know I am right." Rin looked up at him, then, slowly, she nodded, tears streaming down her face. The man stood up. "I must go now, but please, think about what I said."
Sesshoumaru stood away from the fire, watching the moon. The wind blew, bringing on it the scent of salt. Sesshoumaru looked with concern at Rin, and walked over to her. She was still sound asleep, her head cradled on her arm, her dark hair framing her lovely face, but a spot on her blanket was damp, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Kneeling down, he wiped away the tear, gently, so as not to wake her. 'What are you thinking, Sesshoumaru?' he scolded himself jerking his hand away. 'I am starting to become just like my foolish brother and father.'
the end of ch. 1! please tell me what you thought!