She cannot be saved?
The demon lord's golden eyes widened as the realization ruthlessly washed over him. For the second time, Rin lay lifeless in his arms.
I cannot save her?
How was this possible? Two sharp fangs pierced Sesshomaru's lower lip as he choked back a wave of devastation. His beloved sword had betrayed him.
Tensaiga...
Such disobedience was unthinkable to one so powerful, yet the truth could not be denied. In the darkness of the Underworld, Rin's light had been extinguished. The answers waited for Sesshomaru just beyond the veil of his Meido - with she who had set him upon this path.
Son, Tensaiga can only call a person back from the dead once.
So, there truly was no way. Rin could never return to his side again. Her smile, her bravery, her infectious optimism - everything that she was would now fade into memory. Once again, Sesshomaru felt the bitter ache of sadness threaten his composure. His porcelain face, however, remained frozen. The display of any perceivably weak emotion would be nothing short of unbecoming to one of his status. It was the violent weeping of his faithful servant that finally broke the silence and softened the heart of their hostess.
This is her last chance. You understand.
With a stern warning, Sesshomaru's mother placed her Meido Stone around the girl's neck. Within a matter of seconds, Rin's life was collected from the Underworld and restored. Mocha danced with gold as her newly opened eyes met Sesshomaru's. Though he internalized it, the demon lord could not deny the intense relief that washed over him. Rin was back. And this time, he vowed, she would not be so easily taken away.
"Lorrrrd Sesshomaruuuuu!" The raspy call of a familiar voice forced the stoic demon away from his memories. Though Sesshomaru's focus had returned to the present, his eyes remained fixed on the source of his nostalgia - a single tree, towering deep within an isolated thicket. Time and time again, instinct had driven him back to this place. The reason, however, remained unspoken. To express such a significant weakness was out of the question for one so proud.
With increased desperation, the voice echoed again in the distance. "Where are you, Master?!" A shallow growl bellowed from the back of Sesshomaru's throat as he pivoted toward the noise. Shortly thereafter, a petite imp made his way into view. "There you are, Sire!" he exclaimed with frenzied footsteps.
"Jaken." Sesshomaru's smooth voice remained characteristically cold and straight-forward. His porcelain face remained emotionless and unapologetic. "Have you done what I asked of you?"
"Y-yes, Mi'lord," the imp replied, holding out a finely wrapped parcel as he bowed his head. Satisfied with Jaken's performance, Sesshomaru returned his attention to the tree, leaving his servant to manage the item. "Hmmm?" Confused, Jaken peered upward and instinctively raised a quizzical brow. As he took in the scene, question after question began to invade the imp's mind – though he permitted none to escape his pointed lips. Over the years, Jaken had remained respectfully (and fearfully) aware of Sesshomaru's might. Curiosity was often met with a swift and painful reminder that explanations were owed to no one. Still, after several moments of silent suffering, the urge proved too strong for the imp to resist. "But, why are you here, Sire?"
Seconds passed into what felt like an eternity of silence before Sesshomaru, without warning, started toward the narrow path leading out of the forest. Ghostly waves of ivory locks danced around his ankles, marching in perfect sync to the demon lord's steps. Clearly, he had no intention of offering a response. Jaken froze, unsure of the possible wrath that he had unleashed. "Uh...hello?"
"Let's go, Jaken," his master sternly commanded. Heeding the domineering demon's response, the imp hastily obeyed.
One last chance – is this truly all that she has left? Tensaiga, I cannot accept this. Twice, I have let her die. Twice, I have failed her. I, Lord Sesshomaru, will never fail Rin again. I will change her fate, no matter the cost. Today, my journey begins.
**OOC: To keep the story as believable as possible, I'm going to stay away from using fan-inspired material in my own story. For example - Sesshomaru's mother was never given a name by Rumiko Takahashi, so she will not be given one here. I know "InuKimi" is a common substitute, but I want my story to flow organically with the official storyline. The same applies to things like the mystery name of Kaede's village, and Rin being more than capable of speaking like an adult (I can't stand it when she's given third-person/childish dialogue!) As the summary says, the whole reason that I started this fanfic was to come up with a better solution for mortality than Sesshomaru acting like a vampire! So, I won't be using anything other than my own material and what was given in the official animal/manga/audio series. I hope you understand! ^w^**
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