DISCLAIMER: I do not have any affiliation with the InuYasha manga, nor do I have any claim to the characters I borrowed for my story.
Also, the sites I used to read the manga have taken it down on orders from Viz Media. I have read the entire series, but I am not perfect. If I make any mistakes concerning plot, characters, etc., please tell me NICELY. In my experience, most authors do not appreciate being yelled at by overzealous fans.
Now that my little warning is over, please read and review/comment. Criticism is appreciated, as are complements. :D
*NOTE: This version of the first chapter has a few important changes. If you have already read the first version, it may or may not be helpful to read this version as well. If you are just starting to follow the story, keep reading and ignore this message.
Prologue
A tall, imposing man walked in front of her, obstructing her vision. She had to run to keep up, but didn't complain. She had the horrible feeling that if she did, he might not let her stay with him.
Her eyelids twitched. Something that was still capable of awareness in her sleep-muddled mind told her to calm down. It had not begun- not yet, at least.
His long white hair, pointed ears, and claw-tipped fingers did not frighten her; she had seen her fair share of demons in the five years she had been alive. Or was it ten years? Time no longer made sense to her.
Her brow furrowed. The nightmare was coming. She could feel its presence in the deeper recesses of her mind- a place she never visited voluntarily.
The demon was lost in the angry horde of humans that now surrounded her. Their pitchforks and shovels were no longer tools of trade, but weapons of pain and torment. Suddenly ,the Inu no Taisho reappeared. His sword flashed as he unsheathed it, driving the humans back into their village. A large hand enveloped hers, and a rare, sympathetic smile flashed across his face.
She sat up. A shaking hand reached for the dagger at her waist. Gripping the handle, she allowed herself to calm down. The eyes in her head looked at her with concern- one a startling blue, the other deep purple. Go away, she thought.. I don't need you. Ignoring the displeasure that emanated from the phantom presence, the young woman crawled deeper into the tiny cave.
Chapter One- Second Meeting
Sesshomaru
The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and Sesshomaru was irritated. Not only because it was a beautiful day, but also because of the incessant chattering of two of the creatures that followed him.
"Lord Sesshomaru, please wait for a few minutes while I go find some food!"
"You ignorant child! You can't expect my lord to cater to your every whim and fancy! If you must find food now, ask Ah-Un to wait with you. That's why the foolish creature travels with us, I suppose." Jaken's voice was full of contempt for Rin and the strange demon that had recently begun to follow her.
Sesshomaru had paused at the sound of Rin's voice. He carefully kept his face blank as he hit Jaken. After all, it made more sense to punish Jaken than to lose his temper with Rin. "Ouch…forgive me, my lord." whimpered the little green demon. He rubbed his head, muttering curses at his misfortune. "My lord is so kind as to put up with my insignificant self, not to mention the stupid human child. Why, if I were a powerful demon such as he, do you think I would allow such nonsense? No, I would not. Ah, such is the world, I suppose…"
Sesshomaru turned to Rin, who looked somewhat embarrassed. "We are nearing a village that I am well acquainted with; you can ask the human residents for some food. They are in my dominion, so they have no choice but to obey me." He turned and kept walking.
"OK, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin replied. A cheerful smile spread across her face as she followed the yokai lord towards the western realms that he claimed as his birthright. Jaken trudged behind them, nursing his swollen head and grumbling about the lack of pride in young demons.
It was late afternoon when they finally neared the village. As he caught a whiff of the unbearable scent of humans, Sesshomaru felt disgusted. I hate having to encounter these stupid creatures he thought, but they can be of use from time to time. Maybe I can leave Rin here for a few days, while I search for Naraku. It certainly would not hinder my progress if I could leave Jaken behind, too.
Suddenly, a strong human scent permeated the air around him. Sesshomaru swiftly sidestepped as a dagger buried itself in the soil where his foot had been just moments before. Automatically, he searched for Rin and Jaken. Unbidden relief flooded his mind as he spotted them hiding behind Ah-Un. "Stay there, Rin!" he called out, more urgently than he had originally intended.
"A demon protecting a human child? Now that is something you don't see every day."
The voice was female, and filled with unmistakable derision. Sesshomaru turned towards the girl sitting in the large maple tree next to the road. She was young, and uncommonly pretty -by human standards, anyway. Her blue eyes were cold.
"Get out of my way unless you want to die, human." snarled Sesshomaru. His hand drifted towards Tokijin.
The girl smiled, and jumped down from the tree.. "If it's a fight you want, then I'm more than willing. However, I am not the average demon slayer; I've been trained by demons, and am a tough opponent even for someone with your power." Her steady hand strayed towards the sword at her waist.
Sesshomaru was impressed at her reaction, but didn't dare show his emotions. She is either very brave, or very foolish. He studied her face, searching for any hint of her motives. Surprisingly, her expression was blank. The only indication of her harmful intent was her stance- and the fury that emanated from her eyes. The yokai lord had never seen such killing intent in a human, and grudgingly admitted that this might be more of a hindrance than he had previously thought.
~*~*~
Rin
Rin peered out from behind Ah-Un. She wasn't really scared- she just didn't want to get in Lord Sesshomaru's way. Besides, Jaken would have made her obey his master's orders anyway.
Something was bothering her, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Then, she saw Lord Sesshomaru's attacker's face. A flood of memories penetrated her brain- memories of a time that would have been utterly miserable, were it not for the one person Rin loved as much as she did Lord Sesshomaru. "Aneue!" she exclaimed with delight, as she ran towards the person in the tree.
~*~*~
Sesshomaru
Sesshomaru watched in disbelief as Rin hugged the astonished human, who quickly returned the gesture. What the hell…Rin knows this human?
"Rin! You can speak!" exclaimed the young woman, evidently delighted.
The child grinned and nodded. "When Lord Sesshomaru saved me, I began to speak again." She turned to Sesshomaru, who immediately began to look disinterested. "My lord, this is Yuuki-sama."
"Stupid! Don't address him so casually." admonished Jaken, who had unfortunately found his voice.
Sesshomaru doubted that the woman recognized his name, seeing as she was too young to have been alive when he had last visited the village. Then, he heard her gasp. Perhaps she does know who I am. Could she be a child of one of the humans I dealt with the last time I was here? Or is she a visitor who heard my name from the villagers?
"You are the Inu no Taisho's son."
It was a statement, not a question. The surprised yokai lord opened his mouth to answer, but changed his words as he saw the woman move to shield Rin. "The child is traveling with me, as she was alone when I found her. The village she comes from was destroyed by wolf demons. I have protected her ever since." He winced at the petulant tone of his voice as he made clear his feelings toward Rin. What am I, her father? Really, I should not have to reveal such things to a stupid human. Even if she is Rin's friend.
The woman laughed. "Really? You weren't so fond of humans when we last met. In fact, your father mentioned that you hated them."
"When we last met? I do not remember meeting you, nor do I understand how you could have met my father. He has been dead for two hundred years, and you cannot be more than eighteen or nineteen years old." He paused, and unsheathed Tokijin. "Also, if you continue to stand in front of the child, I will have no choice but to kill you. Move."
The woman drew her sword. Sesshomaru realized with a start that he knew the weapon. "Where did you get your sword? It belonged to a powerful demon that was an acquaintance of my father. That demon gave the sword to my father upon his death for safe-keeping."
"I have no desire to explain the history of my weapon to you." she replied. It was a mind-numbingly irritating answer. I warned her thought Sesshomaru, as he moved in to strike.
~*~*~
Rin
Rin was sad. Her aneue and Lord Sesshomaru were angry with each other. She was wondering whether or not to interrupt them when she saw the yokai lord move towards Yuuki-sama. Without a second thought, she threw herself in front of the woman she called 'sister'. There was a blinding flash of light, and then a horrible pain in her head.
~*~*~
Sesshomaru
Sesshomaru glanced at Rin, who was lying unconscious at the base of the maple tree. Stupid child…I told her to stay out of the way. As he reached for her, he heard footsteps behind him. Spinning around, he found himself facing the human woman. A long, jagged cut stretched across her face, but as he looked at her, it began to disappear. Surprised, he stepped back. There is a faint demonic aura coming from this human. Has she been possessed by a minor demon? Or is it something else…
The woman stared at Sesshomaru intently. For some reason, it made him uncomfortable. He dismissed his unease as disgust at her blatant lack of respect for him, and became even more certain of his dislike for the woman when she smiled at him and sheathed her sword.
"You purposely made a shallow cut. Perhaps you have changed, after all." Her eyes were not friendly, but they had lost the rage that had filled them moments before.
"I did not kill you, simply because Rin did not want me too. I suppose I am also grateful that you pushed her out of the way so that she would not suffer any injury from my sword." said Sesshomaru, as he sheathed Tokijin.
They both turned to look at the unconscious child half buried in the autumn leaf litter. Then, he felt the woman's eyes rest upon him again. "When Rin lost her family to robbers, I took her in, even though I wasn't much more than a child myself. The villagers…." She paused for a moment, a strange expression flitting across her face. "The villagers treated her badly because her family was quite poor. When I adopted her as my sister, however, they left her alone."
His eyes met hers, and Sesshomaru found himself drowning in pools of sorrow. For some reason, this human fears her own kind he thought. And yet she loves Rin. What a strange person. He turned away from her gaze, and began walking down the road to the village. After a few steps, he stopped. Without looking at Yuuki- human, he corrected himself- he said, "Bring the child with you to the village. I do not wish to explain myself to the humans there, nor do I desire to nurse Rin back to health. Take care of her until she is well again, and then leave us. She will be safe with me."
He heard the girl mutter under her breath, "Yes, your majesty. Damn, he doesn't hesitate to give orders to anyone, does he?"
A reedy voice piped up. "You should be happy to serve my lord! It is such a privilege, such an- ouch! How dare you hit me, the honorable Jaken?!"
Sesshomaru could not help but feel amused.
NOTE: This chapter will be the shortest one in the story. It is just an introduction; if you want to read more, please review/comment! Thank you: D