Life before Death

Chapter One

The Western Lands, so beautiful, graceful, majestic, mysterious. Everything Rin liked, and the only thing she could do was look out her window and see it. She could never walk over there or even live there, her parents would not allow it. In fact, she was even forbidden to step foot there. They said it was too dangerous, she always wondered what the danger was, how could there possibly be danger over there, it was so... peaceful and perfect. She was sure there was no one ruthless over there, no one cloud be ruthless, well at least, not to her.

She sighed. How could her parents do this to her? It was wrong! She could go on any lands she wanted no one could stop her, but she had to respect her parents, it was like breaking the law in the year of 1505. Children must obey and respect their parents to the fullest of their ability.

The July sun splashed onto the Western Lands like tidal wave, making it look even more beautiful and inviting. More tempting, too perfect, she needed to get over there.

"Little Rinny can't go over to the Western Lands."

Rin whirled around to see her 10-year-old brother, sticking out his tongue and rotating his thumb left to right inside his ears, his fingers beside his head like antlers.

She rolled her eyes, "Must you be so immature."

He removed his thumbs from his ear and sucked his tongue back in. "Look who's talking, Miss. I-Sit-by-the-Window-All-Day-Looking-At-the-Western-Lands."

"Wishing to be in a different location isn't immature," she replied, sounding as mature and knowledgeable as a 7-year-old can, "in fact, adults not kids think about moving."

"Maybe you should start thinking of moving that lazyass of yours and doing some work instead of fantasizing about whatever boy lies over that hill," he retorted, pointing at the Western Lands through the window.

Her mouth grew slack for a moment and it felt like her brains rolled out of it, but she quickly gathered her mouth and brains back. "I just so happen to do work, you just are off with some girls so you don't notice," she could see the guilt in his eyes, "I should tell mom about he word you just chose to use, but I am no immature tattle-tale like you, so I won't."

He folded his arms and left, he was caught, and it was evident she knew blackmail.

Rin turned back to the window and looked at the perfect lands. 'I will get there, today.'

She ran out of her little hut. She knew her parents were out in there back field, taking car of the gardens.

Once she got there she saw her mom pulling weeds and her father planting new seeds. She knew her mother would be easier to get a yes out of, so she ran to her.

"Mom," she said while pulling on the sleeve of her mother's purple kimono.

"Yes, dear?"

"Can I go to the Western Lands?"

Her mother quickly stood and looked down at her adorable daughter seriously. Her blonde hair blew in the wind and her blue eyes were nailed to her daughter's brown ones. "I'm sorry, Rin, but you know we have a rule against going there."

Rin looked to the ground. This sucked! She rose her brown eyes back to her mother's. "But, mom, please. Could I just go about 5 feet on there and sit just for 15 minutes? It's my dream!"

Her mother sighed, she was clearly having a hard time saying no to her daughter, but she had to, "I'm sorry, Rin, but no. Unless you can't get a yes from your father it's a no."

Great! Now all plans were foiled, like her father would ever say yes! He was the one who enforced the rule in the first place and he was really strict about it.

"But Daddy will say no! I know he will!" she replied, a little tear began to brim her brown eyes.

"Honey, please don't do this to me, guilt trips are wrong, making me feel guilty to get a yes is completely unacceptable. I am going to have to once again say no and tell you to go back to your room."

Rin's shoulders slumped and she slowly walked back to their little hut. This wasn't fair.

Once she entered her room, her little brother was once again there, standing by the window, looking straight at his sister with a cocky grin. "Didn't let you did they?"

Rin didn't bother to look at him.

"Well of course they didn't! They don't want that bastard of a demon lord hurting their precious little daughter."

Rin suddenly looked to him. "Sesshoumaru?"

Her brother walked closer to her. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru, the ruler of the lands, I hear he is a real hardass and will anyone who gets him mad. He is ruthless."

Rin shook her head. "There is no such thing as ruthless, I know so, and this Sesshoumaru guy does not exist."

Her brother suddenly put on a worried face and put his finger over his puckered up lips in a hushing gesture. "Keep it down on the insults, especially the questioning of his existence, he might here you. He has super-hearing, you know."

"Whatever," Rin walked over to her window and looked at the Western Lands once again.

"He exists, you know it," and he was gone and quick as he came.

Rin looked around her room to make sure he was gone then looked back out her window. 'I gotta go!'

Outside her room her brother clasped his hands together and laughed sadistically. "That'll make her want to go, and make me look good when I save her."