A/N I am really churning these out, aren't I??!!! This is based of an idea that I read, and I want to try and make it into an Inuyasha situation. So wish me luck!!!
Warning: Some mention of violence and murder.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
The little girl whimpered in fear and once again tugged at the linen bindings at her wrists. The man in the front of the car heard her whimpering and turned around, snarling "Shut up, you little bitch!"
Rin Kyoto whimpered again and huddled back into her seat. Her mouth was stopped with a cloth rag, and her feet were bound in a similar manner. She was naked, and she was terrified.
She had only been out in the garden when she had heard shouting from her house. She was dropped her flowers and ran back in, to find her father standing by the front door. He was shouting at a man dressed in black with a balaclava over his face, who was brandishing a large knife. Her father had shouted for him to go away, but his words had ended in a gurgle when the man in black had shoved the knife into his throat. Her father had fallen to the ground and the black man had stepped over his twitching body. Rin had run into the linen closet and had closed the door, shutting out all sounds of what has going on.
Half an hour later, Rin had opened the door and was immediately sick. The smell of blood was heavy in the air. She had walked past the body of her father and had moved to the kitchen. The bodies of her brother and mother lay sprawled out on the kitchen floor. Her mothers skirts were hitched up to her stomach, and her legs were open. She had been raped. Her bothers head had rolled and was now sitting in the corner, its blank eyes staring at its body.
Rin had felt calm, detached, like she was not really there. She had walked over to the body of her mother and had drawn the blood splattered knife from her body. The body was stuck fast and had come out with a great sucking sound, and blood splattered all over her.
What happened next was a blur. The police had come. She had been rushed of in a midst of swirling blue lights. She had been questioned. She had been studied. She had been fingerprinted.
She had been found guilty.
They had accused her of murdering her family.
The evidence: Her fingerprints had been found on the knife. She was covered in blood. She could not remember where she had been when they had been attacked.
The motive: She was angry at them. She knew what she was going to inherit and she wanted to get rid of them quickly.
The sentence: Life long imprisonment at the most notorious jail in Japan.
They had taken her to a shower room. She had been stripped of all her clothes. She had been made to have a cold shower. She had been taken out, dried roughly and had been taken to a separate room. She had been made to sit on a chair. A man with greasy black hair had taken some needles and had tattooed her with the numbers 3181. She had been tied up and bundled into the car.
And now she being driven off, with all her memories and dreams gone, to the most horrible prison in the land. A place where all children grew up to fear.
Shikon Jail.
……………………………………………………………………
The man stopped the car and she was bundled out. Her feet were untied and she was led up to the front steps. The rain hurtled down and stung her naked body. The man banged on the front door and waited, casting filthy glares at the small girl. Rin whimpered and shrunk back, trying to wake herself up. Trying to get herself out of her horrible dreams.
The sound of shrieking metal made her open her eyes again, and she watched as a short fat grey haired woman stepped out. She glanced at Rin and grunted, and then signed a piece of paper that the man held. The man then sauntered off, and Rin was pulled by her hair in Shikon Jail. Her gag was removed, and she shrank back to the nearest wall.
"Well. What is your name?" asked the woman, staring at Rin with dispassionate eyes.
"R…Rin Kyoto." Rin whispered.
"Hhhnnn." the woman said. She stared at Rin hard, then jerked her head and said "Follow me." Rin stumbled after her. Her feet made loud pattering sounds in the halls, and she swallowed, trying to keep her tears at bay. She followed the woman to a large room with towels hanging off the walls. The woman rummaged in a large plastic tub before pulling out a dingy white dress.
"Here." she said and she flung the dress at Rin. Rin caught it and pulled it on. It was a little too big for her, and so it hung off her shoulders. The sleeves slipped down past her small fingers, and the dress trailed past her knees.
"Come." said the women. Rin followed and they entered a large corridor. As they passed the rooms, the woman explained what was what.
"You have been entered for life imprisonment, so you will stay with that crowd. You will be woken up at 6 am every morning, and are expected at breakfast and 6:15. Work starts at 6:30 and you will work until the whistle sounds at 11. You will have half an hour for break and lunch, then you will work again until 8pm. Tea will be at 8:30 after your shower, and bed time will be at 9. You will not leave your room at night or you will be punished."
Rin nodded and stayed silent, trying to fight the fear building up inside her. She was so scared.
They walked in silence for a while, before they reached a door with the number 3181 on it. The woman opened the door and pushed Rin in, before slamming the door behind her.
"Oi! Who's you?" Rin turned around sharply to find a scrawny girl jumping down from a grungy bunk bed. She looked to be about 15, so much more older than Rins scant 8 years of age. Rin gulped and drew back to the door.
"My…my name is Rin." she whispered.
"Rin! Whatcha' doin' here?" asked the girl, sticking her face into Rins. Rin drew back and stayed silent.
"You won't speak? Neva' mind, you is wiv us now." With that, the girl grabbed Rin by the hair and dragged her to the centre of the room. Rin yelped in fear and was thrown down onto the floor. Rin raised her arms above her head as she saw more girls move closer to her.
Suddenly one of the girls kicked her in the stomach. Rin wheezed but could not regain her breath before a rain of blows fell onto her body.
It was not long before she blacked out.
………………………………………………………….
Rin woke up to the sound of a large bell ringing in her ear. She jerked and then winced as her head banged on the hard stone floor. The sounds of the girls moving around caught her ears and she turned her head to see 7 pairs of feet move to the door. The feet belonging to the big girl took the liberty to kick her viciously in the ribs. Rin groaned and pulled herself up and followed the girls.
They all made their way to the dining hall. It was a grey colour, made of stone. Long iron benches decorated the floor, and there was a small notch in the wall in which food was passed around. Rin shivered and sat down with her group. The girl shoved her, but Rin held her ground and stuck fast to her seat.
There was a sudden clattering, and bowls of cold porridge were passed down. Rin held hers in her hands and picked up her spoon. The sounds of clattering and slurping reached her ears as the rest of the people around her began to eat. Rin dipped her spoon into the porridge and ate, grimacing at the taste.
When she had finished, she passed the bowl along and followed her room mates to a different hall. They were all made to sit down in steel chairs. Rin hugged her arms about herself and shivered. She was so cold.
A large pile of cigarettes was placed in front of her. Rin looked confused over her shoulder and earned a slap in the face by the guardsman.
"Sort them into groups of five! Baka girl!"
Rin nodded and sniffled. Her face really hurt, and so did her ribs. She turned back to the cigarettes.
She was so tired. Her fingers were so cold, she couldn't feel them. The cigarettes slipped from her fingers, and she shivered.
Hours (or years) later the bell rung and she slipped out of her seat. She followed the crowd and took the small roll and the cup of cold soup that was shoved at her. She ate it quickly and went out with to the field that was at the back of the building. The wind whistled through the trees, and Rin shivered as she made her was to a large oak and she sat down.
She had been sitting there for about 5 minutes before she heard a voice call out "Hey! What are you doing under our tree?"
Rin turned and found a boy with long silver hair standing there, a frown in his face. Her was also wearing white, but his uniform consisted of white pants and a shirt. The sleeves had been ripped off, and one of them was wrapped around his head. He had beautiful golden eyes.
Rin got up and dipped her head. She heard another voice call out and the boy turned. Rin looked up again to find a girl about the boys age run up to him. She was dressed similar to Rin. Behind her, another girl and a boy were also following them. The first girl reached the boy and pecked him on the cheek. The boy blushed and turned back to her.
The girl suddenly noticed Rin standing there and exclaimed "Oh! Hello little one!"
Rin mumbled "Hello." and looked back down, twisting the hem of her dress. She listened to the conversation.
"She was sitting under our tree." said the silver haired boy.
"Why does that make a difference?"
"Shippo hangs out with us. Why shouldn't she?" asked the other girl. She seemed to be older.
"Yes, I agree with Sango, Inuyasha. Let her stay." said the other boy. She heard the boy called Inuyasha grunt and the sound of them all sitting down. She felt a hand grasp her arm and she was pulled into the first girls embrace.
"My name is Kagome. The other girls is Sango and the black haired boy is Miroku. And my boyfriend in Inuyasha."
Rin nodded to each of the people. Sango was tall and thing, with long brown hair and soft brown eyes. Miroku was also tall, with longish black hair that was drawn back into a small ponytail. He had violet eyes.
Kagome herself had beautiful grey eyes and long black hair. She was sitting on the lap of Inuyasha, who had his arms around her. Rin swallowed and buried her head into Kagomes chest, trying to get warm.
"Hey! I'm not a radiator you know!" said Kagome, setting Rin back on her lap. She stopped when she felt tears wet the front of her dress. She looked down and found the small girl crying into her dress.
"Hey, hey hey, what's up? Why are you crying?" asked Sango, Rin turned her head and looked at the girl. Her face was puffy with tears, and she shivered.
"I'm…I'm not supposed to be here." whispered Rin. Kagome held her tighter and she cried again. She was so terrified.
"Why not?" asked Inuyasha. Rin looked at him, to find the boy looking at her with eyes filled with sympathy.
"I didn't kill my family. They said I did, but I didn't. I swear!"
"Ok, ok, we believe you. Don't worry." said Miroku, rubbing her back. Rin calmed down and continued to stay with the others whilst they talked about the day. Kagome rubbed circles into Rins back, calming down the small girl.
After a while, the bell sounded and the group trouped back into the prison. Just as Rin was about to pull away, the boy called Inuyasha gripped her by the arm and whispered "Don't let those girls hit you anymore. If they do, come to me."
Rin nodded and made her way back inside, all the while conscious of Inuyashas eyes on the back of her head.
………………………………………………………
The abuse continued, despite what Inuyasha had said. On the other hand, she continued to spend time with her friends, and she met Shippo, a small boy with violently red hair and bright green eyes.
Every night, she would go to her room, and she would be beaten. She would sleep on the floor, and wake up every morning with a crick in her neck.
She was terrified. And now, thanks to her constant coldness, she was starting to get ill. Pneumonia was creeping into her chest, and she was coughing constantly.
One night, she entered her room to find the girls tearing up a blanket. She huddled in the corner, crying and coughing softly, before she was grabbed. A blindfold was put over her eyes and her wrists her bound. She was dragged into the corridor, and words were whispered into her ear fuelling her fear.
A short walk later, she heard the screech of a door, and she was shoved into a room. She heard a "See you later, bitch!" before the door was slammed shut and she was left in darkness.
Rin whimpered and pulled the blindfold off her eyes. Her hands had been loosened and she slowly got to her feet, coughing into her hand. The smell of blood hit her again and she whimpered as images of her parents murder flooded her eyes.
She knew where she was. She was in room 6686.
This room was the most haunted room in the building. It was rumoured that a man had lived there, before he had disappeared, 7 years ago. Rumours were that he had been murdered. The room had been haunted by his ghost, trying to find his murderer, but never being avenged.
She huddled in a corner, trying to stop her coughing. She felt a substance hit her hand, and she whimpered again. The room was so cold, it was dark, it was so murky.
Rin thought she was going to die.
She had never been this ill, and she knew that the coldness was causing her to get worse.
She heard a shuffling noise, and she closed her eyes and prepared for death. A cold hand touched her cheek, and she opened her eyes to look. All she saw where a pair of golden lights in the darkness.
"Inuyasha?" she whispered. She heard a soft breath in the darkness and the hand moved away. She heard the shuffling noise again, and then she was swooped up in a pair of arms and was born away. She squealed and coughed, trying to get away.
"Stay still." croaked a hoarse voice. Rin stopped moving, and she felt the thing that held her sit down. She was placed on a soft surface, and she heard a match strike. A soft light filled the room and she saw for the first time who had carried her.
Silver hair cascaded down from a head that was very sharply profiled. A straight nose sat over thin lips. Two magenta stripes adorned his cheeks, with a cobalt crescent moon on his head. His eyes were like liquid gold.
He was dressed like the other people in the prison, in a grubby white uniform. The sleeves hung down to his wrists, and his trousers were long.
He turned and stared at the small girl, who shrank back on the bedding. She felt as if she was being x-rayed in that gaze. It was that she noticed that the bedding that she sat on wasn't damp, and that it was warm.
"Why are you here?" asked the man softly. Rin gulped and looked down. She didn't know why, but she felt as if she had to answer him.
"I…I was –'' she broke off here to cough into her hand, "I was forced to come into here. Please, don't hurt me!" she begged.
The man did not answer, he only reached forward and put a soft white hand for her forehead. He hissed and pulled away. She was burning up.
"Get under the covers." he ordered her as he stood up. She shuffled around and buried herself under the blankets. Rin sighed as she felt her body slowly start to heat up. A clinking sound reached her ears and she looked up to find the man had a tin mug of something over the candle. The smell of hot chocolate reached her nose and her stomach rumbled.
The man glanced at her and handed her the cup, she took it and sipped the liquid. It tasted like heaven, but there was an underlying taste to it.
"It had nuerofen in it. It will make you get better." explained the man, who has turning away. Rin nodded and continued to sip the drink.
There was companionable silence, punctuated by Rin finishing the drink and setting the cup down. The man picked the cup up and put it into the dark corner. He then returned to the bed and sat down at the foot. He stared at the small girl. She was flushed and her breathing was heavy, but she appeared to be happier. She was warm.
Rin snuggled deeper into the blankets. They were so soft. She felt so sleepy, and the absence of pain that usually helped her along was such a welcome relief. She was just about to fall asleep when she heard the man ask "Who are you?"
Rin roused herself and answered sleepily "I am Rin Kyoto. I am 8 years old."
"Why are you here?"
Rin suddenly tensed and started to shake. "They…they say that I k…k…killed my family."
A hand descended on her head and started to stroke her hair. The voice said "Sleep now."
Rin nodded her head and went to sleep, the hand continuing to stroke her head.
………………………………………...
Rin awoke to the sounds of rain pattering on the windows. She got up and stretched, then she noticed that she was sleeping in the corridor. A soft blanket had been placed over her and her head had been cushioned by a soft pillow.
Rin stood up and noticed that the door of room 6686 was closed. She tried the handle and found it to be locked. She frowned, and then looked at the floor. A note of paper was attached to the blanket. She picked it up and read:
Leave the blanket and cushion on the floor. Go back to your room and do not tell anyone what you have seen.
Come back this evening. The door will be open.
Rin left the note, blanket and pillow on the floor and made her way back to her room, but before she could back to her room, Inuyasha bounded around the corner and saw her.
"Rin! What are you doing here?! You shouldn't be here!" he yelled. Rin shrank away and huddled in the corner. Inuyasha sighed and ran a hand through his hair, avoiding the bandana.
"Listen, just go, ok? Kagome is waiting for you." Rin nodded and ran down the corridor. However, before she turned the corner she looked back and saw Inuyasha standing by the door, saying "What are you doing?"
Rin frowned and shook her head, and then made her way to her workplace.
That night, Rin made her way back to her room, planning on staying there until the others fell asleep, and then going back to the room. As she entered the room, her hair was grabbed and she was dragged into the centre of the cold room.
"So! You survived little bitch. How d'ya do it?" asked Tsubaki, the ringleader of the little band of bullies.
"No! Let me go!" cried Rin, tugging on her hair.
"No, little bitch. You survived. We want you to die!"
"No! NO! Please, leave me alone!"
Tsubaki drew back her hand and slapped Rin full across the face. The girls head jerked back, and she was immediately met by a foot connecting with her nose. She yelled in pain as she felt her nose break.
Another set of feet found themselves with her ribs, and Rin screamed as she felt one of them crack. The abuse continued, and Rin felt herself starting to hover. It was as if she was outside her body, watching what was happening to her. She didn't feel any pain, she was past that now.
Rin fainted.
…………………………………………………
Rin awoke three days later to the snores and sighs of her roommates. She winced as she got up. Her blood had stuck her face to the ground and she was sure that one of her arms was broken. Rin bit back a cry of pain and made her way to the door of the room. She lifted a feeble arm and tried to open the door, but she realized that it was locked. It was always locked when the girls slept.
Rin whimpered and slid down the door. She clutched her right arm, feeling bones move. She couldn't breath through her nose, and so she breathed heavily out of her mouth. She continued to whimper.
She remembered the man that had taken care of her. He had been nice, making her feel better. She could feel pneumonia creeping in her chest, and she knew that if she didn't get help she was going to die.
Rin was just slipping off to sleep when a coldness swept through the room, and she jerked awake. She struggled to see in the darkness, and she saw a pair of golden eyes looking at her. She raised her arms to him and just felt his arms sweep over her before she fainted again.
……………………………………………………..
The figure swept out of the room, holding the small girl to his chest. He glanced again at her face and snarled. Those little baka's! What had they done to her?!
He floated through the corridors, not feeling the wind that whistled through the prison. He walked through the wall into his room and quickly laid the small girl on the bed. She was so deeply unconscious that she did not notice the change in temperature. The man quickly stripped her of her filthy dress and chucked it behind him.
"Wash this, Kagome." he told the girl who was behind him. Kagome nodded and made her way to the small sink in the corner. The man quickly tucked the small girl into his bed and drew the covers up to her small shoulders. A rustle behind him made him turn around. Inuyasha was standing there, holding bandages, tape and scissors. The tall man nodded and stated to work on the girl, drawing down the blanket and taking the damaged right arm.
"What happened to her?" asked Miroku, standing up and coming over to peer over the mans shoulder.
"Those bitches did this to her." answered the man, snarling as he bound the arm. The little girl whimpered, and the man laid a hand on her forehead. The girl stopped whimpering and calmed down. Miroku frowned and held the light up further.
The man finished with the arm, and moved Rin onto her back. But Rin whimpered and curled up. The man laid a soft hand on her side and pressed lightly. Rin emitted a shrill cry and started to cry, tears leaking out from her closed eyelids.
"She had snapped a rib." offered Sango, sitting down on the bed and holding little girls hand. The man nodded and lifted the girl carefully, wrapping bandages around her small torso.
"Is she going to be ok?" sniffled the small boy Shippo. The man nodded and laid the little girl down on her stomach, and started to attend to the cuts on her back. The girl had once again lapsed into unconsciousness, and she started to breathe easily.
The man finished with the girl and laid her back down on the bed, one again covering her up with the warm blanket. He sat back and stared sadly at her small body. She had told him she was only 8 years old, she should not have to go through this. She would be most likely physiologically damaged for the rest of her life.
"Sesshoumaru." said Inuyasha, laying a hand on the demons shoulder. The demon turned and regarded his younger brother through glazed eyes. He was so tired. He was never tired, but it had been 7 years, and time was running out.
"You should all sleep. It is nearly 6." he told the others in the room. They had all finished off the tinned soup that he had stolen for them, and they all looked much better than they normally did. They all nodded and made their way to the blankets that he kept in the corner of the room. They had all been especially aired for their coming.
Miroku and Sango stripped themselves of their clothes and lay down in the blankets, cuddling close. Sesshoumaru knew that when the others were asleep, they would make love. This was the first opportunity in 2 weeks that they had to be this close to each other. Inuyasha and Kagome lay down together, but they were fully clothed. Sesshoumaru knew that they were also lovers, but Inuyasha didn't want Miroku or Sango to know that, as they were both 19 and Kagome was only 15, and therefore technically still underage.
"You should also go to sleep." said Inuyasha, peering blearily at his elder brother. Sesshoumaru nodded and then curled up alongside the girl. He held the small girl to his chest, growling softly. The girl didn't move, but she was warmer.
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of Miroku and Sango pleasuring each other. He knew that his time was drawing to a close, and that if he did not do something soon, he would disappear.
Rin turned around and laid her hand on Sesshoumarus chest. Sesshoumaru stroked her hair, allowing himself to indulge in her scent. He didn't know how, but from the first moment he saw her, he had instantly wanted to keep her. He liked this little girl, because she had not feared him. Somehow, he sensed her trust in him.
Sesshoumaru continued to stroke the little girls head and he too fell asleep.
…………………………………………………
Rin awoke slowly. She was warm, and she did not hurt so much. On the other hand, she really needed to go to the loo, and she needed to blow her nose. She sat up slowly, and saw that she was alone in the room. Sunlight streamed in from the high window and light the bed that she lay upon.
She suddenly noticed that she was naked, and she ducked back under the covers. She felt so good, she hadn't felt this good since she had been taken away from her home and put into this horrible place. She snuggled down and clutched at the fluffy thing that acted as her pillow.
A noise at the door caused her to look up, and she saw Kagome enter the room. The girl flashed Rin a tired smile and she made her way to the small girl.
"Hey! How are you feeling?" asked Kagome, laying a hand on her head. Rin nodded and Kagome produced a handkerchief. Rin nodded her thanks and blew her nose.
"Where is-'' Rin coughed and tried again. "Where is the man who saved me?"
"Oh, you mean Sesshoumaru." Kagome looked at the supplies in the corner and went over. She got out a loaf of bread and broke off a lump for Rin.
"He doesn't really appear in the day. Well," she explained, "he does, but he prefers to keep out of sight. He always appears at night."
"Oh." Rin sighed. She wanted to see the nice man again, and she wanted to thank him for helping her before she went back to the room. At the thought of going back to her room, she dropped the bread and started to shiver.
"Hey. Rin, what's wrong?" asked Kagome, frowning at the smaller girls reaction.
"Do I have to go back to the other room?" whispered Rin, terrified of the answer.
"NO! Oh Kami-sama, not. We will keep you here. Oh Gods, you are never going back." Kagome pulled the small girl into a hug and held her, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.
A sudden breeze filled the room, and both girls turned to see Sesshoumaru standing by the door. His arms were full of food stolen from the kitchens, and he was watching the little display with an unreadable expression on his face. He looked at Rin, assessed how she was, and then looked at Kagome and jerked his head.
"You need to go, Kagome. I heard the bell go 5 minutes ago."
Kagome gasped and ran to the door. She turned and waved at Rin, then bolted out of the door, leaving Rin alone with the man who had saved her.
Sesshoumaru gazed at the small girl sitting on his bed and then moved to his supply corner, dumping the tins of food. He heard the small girl cough, and he went to the sink and took the tin mug and the box of hot chocolate. He mixed the chocolate and emptied a sachet of powdered nuerofen into it. Holding the mug over a candle, he hissed when it burnt his hand, but he handed it to the small girl with a cloth wrapped around the handle.
"Drink it up. It will make you feel better." Rin wrapped her hands around the cup and drank, revelling in the feeling of warmth spreading through her body. She shivered delightedly and sat back into the fur.
Sesshoumaru sat on the end of the bed and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pencil. He started the write on it, pausing every now and again to look at what he had written. Rin finished her hot chocolate and set it down, then moved to his side and looked over his shoulder.
"What are you writing?" she asked. Sesshoumaru glanced at her and moved the paper so she could see. Rin saw numbers and words, but she had forgotten how to read, and she frowned at the words. Sesshoumaru saw her confusion and explained that it was a list that he was recording.
"Why are you making a list?" Rin asked, unconsciously settling down by his side.
"I am recording everything that I have stolen, so that I may return it when I come back."
"Why, where have you gone?" asked Rin, frowning. Sesshoumaru seemed pretty solid to her.
Sesshoumaru chuckled without humour and stowed the paper under his mattress. He turned to the girl and took her right arm gently. He turned it, and Rin hissed as pain shot up her arm. Sesshoumaru frowned and returned the arm to her side, and then slowly turned the girl until her back faced him. He took out a jar of white cream and started to smear it all over the wounds on her back. Rin hissed when the cool air hit her wounds, but she made not protests, and she sat quietly through his administrations.
"You will heal in a few days. I would not worry if I were you." said Sesshoumaru as he continued to cleanse the cuts on her back. Rin nodded and waited until he had finished, and she turned around. She studied his face, looking at his marks with obvious interest.
Sesshoumaru picked up her hand and put it to his face, allowing her to trace the maroon lines and the crescent moon on his face.
"Are you real?" she whispered, never taking her eyes off his golden ones.
"I am as a real as you want me to be." he whispered back. Rin frowned at that comment and took her hands away.
"What are you?" she asked. Sesshoumaru sighed and turned away. He fisted his hands in his hair and bent forwards. He stayed that way for a long time before he sat up and made his way to the door.
"Where are you going?" cried Rin, trying to move forward on the bed. She hissed and cringed when her ribs moved against each other. Sesshoumaru started at her with an unreadable face.
"Stay there and sleep. All will be explained to you at a later date." With that he moved to the door and walked through it. Rin gasped and moved to the door, despite her sore ribs. She touched the door and found it to be solid metal, like the rest of the doors in the prison. She moved back to the bed and lay down, snuggling close to the warm blankets.
She considered the events that had taken place. She had spent no more than two weeks in this horrible place when she had been abused, rescued, nearly killed, rescued again and then told to stay where she was. She had made friends, that was for certain. But it was the mysterious figure of Sesshoumaru that intrigued her. She wondered if he was even alive. He seemed so lonely. His face may have been unreadable, but his eyes weren't, and she the pain and loneliness in them. She wondered what he meant by the face when he said that he was going to 'come back'.
Rin pushed these thoughts from her head and coughed softly. She laid her head on the soft pillow and allowed herself to drift off to the land of dreams.
……………………………………………………..
She awoke to the sound of voices and tin pots clattering together. Her eyes refused to open, and she rubbed them a few times to encourage them. A hand gently drew itself through her hair and she struggled to sit up. The same hand helped her and a cool glass of water was pressed to her lips. She sipped the water and finally managed to get her eyes open.
The room was softly lit with candle light, and she could see that it was in the dead of night through the window. She glanced around the room, and found Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippo all sitting on rugs on the floor. They all appeared to be eating out of tins, and they were all looking at her.
Sesshoumaru released her and sat back, looking at her through narrowed gold eyes. Rin swallowed and averted her gaze, looking at the blanket.
"Hey Rin! You hungry?" asked Inuyasha, pushing a tin of corned beef into her view. Rin took it as well as a fork and ate it, savouring the taste. Eating continued in silence, until they had all finished and the tins had been deposited in the corner. They sat in awkward silence until Rin looked up and said "Please, will someone tell me what is going on?"
The tense air seemed to lessen, and all eyes turned to Sesshoumaru. He shook his head and gestured to Inuyasha, who shrugged and took up the story.
"When me and Sesshoumaru came here, the place was still new, and it had yet to gain its reputation. We were both accused of murdering our parents, but that was stupid, seeing as I was a pup. Sesshoumaru was already fully grown, and so he took care of me.
"When I reached my maturity, a demon called Naraku took charge of the prison. It was then that things started to go wrong. Demons in the prison were called to go to quarries and never came back. Children went to his office and came back shaking. He made the prison what it is today, and from what I have heard he is still in charge."
At this, Sesshoumaru clenched his fists and growled. The others stared at him until he calmed down and waved for Inuyasha to continue.
"People of all sorts started to arrive, from the most horrible crimes like child rape and murder, to things like shoplifting and petty theft.
"Then," Inuyasha gulped and looked at Sesshoumaru, who nodded but kept his eyes downcast, "then Naraku called Sesshoumaru to his office. I don't know what happened, but when Sesshoumaru came out, he had changed. Before, Sesshoumaru usually could take a joke, and he could see the bright side of things. But now, now he had changed, and he was a lot darker.
"We made a plan. He would escape and try to call the fellow youkai clans that are scattered, whilst I would try and raise a rebellion from within the walls. It worked well. People and demons were all poised for rebellion when Sesshoumaru tried to escape.
"You notice how free we are when we have a break?" he asked Rin. Rin nodded and Inuyasha said "That is because they want us to believe the freedom is within our grasp. It is just an illusion. Anyway, on night Sesshoumaru melted the door with his claws and made his way out. I watched from the window. He got to the fence and slipped under. He was running through the woods when I heard shots. I don't know what happened, and neither does Sesshoumaru, but I think that they got him."
There was a terrible silence when Rin heard this, and she looked at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes. He was looking dully at the floor, but his fists were clenched, and he appeared to be furious.
"What happened next was a blur. I remember just existing, but being not really there. My brother was gone, and there was nothing left for me now. I just was there. Then, one day, I saw him, strolling down the corridors. I was so shocked I yelped and ran to him. But he bypassed me and went to our room.
"He told me that he was dead, but that he was not really. I was confused, but I disregarded it. Over the years, people have started to come into his confidence. Shippo was the last."
"Why does he need me?" asked Rin, trying to digest what she had just been told. I was all so confusing.
"I believe," said Sesshoumaru, speaking for the first time, "that I didn't really die. I think that I exist between the two planes, and that I either need to find my body to die fully, or there is a possibility for me to come back to life. That is why we need you." He looked at her.
"We need you to find his body. He can't remember where he was shot down, and none of us can go. But you have been here for such a short time, that we can use you for this mission."
There was a terrible silence, whilst they all stared at Rin. Rin looked at the blanket, cold flooding through her body. She felt used and betrayed. She had thought that they were helping her out of the kindness of their hearts, but now all she saw was a plot to get this…thing… back to life.
"Is that all you want me for?!" Rin asked, bright red patches appearing on her cheeks. The others shifted and looked horrified. "Is that what I am? Just a tool? Just a thing that you would use and then throw away?"
"SILENCE!" roared Sesshoumaru looking up in anger at the small girl sitting on the rug. Rin gulped and looked down. He looked disgusted at her, and she had the grace to not look in his direction. The others jumped and shuffled nervously. None of them, bar Inuyasha, had seen Sesshoumaru look like he did now. His eyes were bleeding red, and his fangs had elongated, so that they peaked out of his mouth and obstructed his speech.
There was a terrible silence, all the while with Sesshoumaru trying to contain his anger. Eventually he had calmed down enough to return to normal, and he turned his eyes upon the young girl. Rin had curled up in the blanket and was crying softly into her hands. Sesshoumaru felt his heart twinge and reached over, pulling her into his lap.
"Don't say such silly things." he whispered into her ear. Rin stopped crying and went ridged. Her breathing became frantic, and her eyes were huge. Sesshoumaru rubbed her back slowly, and she leaned over and was violently sick into the bucket beside the bed.
"Eeeeewwwww!" cried Shippo as they all scrambled back.
"What brought that on?" asked Kagome, lifting a sleeve to her face and edging closer.
"She has been feeling sick for a while. All that was needed was something to push her over the edge." replied Sesshoumaru as he rubbed circles into Rins back. The girl was crying again, tears dripping down her face. Sesshoumaru pulled her back and tucked her up again. H offered her a glass of water and she took it, sipping slowly.
"May we continue?" asked Inuyasha, his ears twitching madly. Rin nodded and settled back, not meeting Sesshoumarus eye.
"If we get Sesshoumaru back, he might be able to remember what happened in Narakus office. If he can remember, then we might have a strong enough case for us to go to the police, and get Naraku out of this place. Then, we might be able to prove what happened to our families."
"Including mine?" Rin asked.
Inuyasha nodded "Including yours."
There was a silence whilst Rin mulled it over, then she heard Sesshoumaru say "Let us all go to bed now." The others nodded and climbed into their respective bed rolls, and Rin curled up into the blankets. She squeaked when she felt Sesshoumaru gather her into his arms and snuggle up beside her. She turned around and looked into his eyes.
"Why me?" she asked softly. Sesshoumaru stroked her hair softly.
"Because I liked you. From the minute I saw you, I knew that I liked you."
"Is that all?" Rin asked, already falling asleep. She didn't hear Sesshoumaru reply, "No. I love you as well."
…………………………………………………
"Three…two…one…GO!"
Rin scrambled through the small hole in the fence and bolted into the wood. She turned her head around briefly and saw that Inuyasha and the others had turned their backs to her. A trail of smoke gave her the indication that they were smoking. Rin ran forward into the darkness of the wood.
Sesshoumaru had had only a vague idea as to where his body was, and so he had told her what he knew and he was relying on her to figure out the rest. She didn't really want to know what she was going to find. Was the body going to be rotting away, or was it going to be intact?
Rin tripped a log and fell, her breath whooshing out of her. She sat up and rubbed her stomach, but not before she smelt the smell of stale blood. She gagged, but knelt down and smelt what direction the blood was coming from. She felt like a dog, but she got a rough idea and she started to run in that general direction.
She entered a clearing and almost cried out in horror at what greeted her eyes. There was the body of Sesshoumaru, lying on his front. The uniform on his back was covered in black blood, and there was old blood clotting in his hair. Unbelievably, the body had not rotted away, and although the flesh was cold, the hair was as silky as the hair she had touched in his room.
Rin slowly approached the body, almost afraid that it was going to jump at her. She looked at the head and let her tears run free. Sesshoumaru's eyes were open and they betrayed a look of shock and horror. His mouth was open and unbelievably, tears tracks still could be seen on his face.
'He wept as he was dying.' thought Rin. She kneeled down and brushed some of the hair out of his face, and she slowly closed his mouth.
She stayed by the body for the rest of the afternoon, weeping at the unkind luck fate head dealt all of them. She wept for Sango and Miroku, and for little Shippo. She wept for Kagome. She wept for Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru.
She wept for herself.
Eventually, she dried her tears and made her way back to the prison. She found the hole in the fence and slithered through. All of the people were inside, so she carefully made her way inside the prison. When she got to the correct floor, and knocked on door 6686 and Inuyasha opened it.
She entered the room and found herself in the middle of a circle. Rin shifted and turned her eyes to Sesshoumaru, who was standing in the corner.
"I found it."
Sesshoumaru turned and put his face into his hand. Kagome and Inuyasha sighed with relief and hugged each other and Sango and Miroku gave a little cheer. Rin ignored them and made her way to Sesshoumaru. She tugged at his top and he looked down. Tears continued to track down his face.
Rin pulled him down and embraced him around the neck. She felt him stiffen and then awkwardly return the embrace.
"Okay, when are we going to get the body?" asked Inuyasha. The others turned to him. He was standing with his back at the door, his arms crossed.
"I suppose," said Kagome slowly, "we could go on Sunday. We need a big enough gap for people not to notice, and Sunday is the most powerful day."
"Sunday it is then." Inuyasha said. The others murmured and then settled down to sleep. Sesshoumaru carried Rin to his bed and lay down, covering them both up. Rin fell asleep in minutes.
She woke up to voices in the dark. She immediately recognized the deep tones of Sesshoumaru and the gravely tones of Inuyasha.
"Will you be strong enough to go?" asked Inuyasha.
"Yes. I can summon the energy for one last trip."
"It had better not be your last. We need you."
"Hmph" Sesshoumaru stroked Rins hair, not noticing that she was awake.
"What will you do with the girl?" asked Inuyasha, noticing this.
"I do not know. I expect that the rest of her family will want her."
Rins heart squeezed at this, and she almost let out a gasp. She kept quiet, and listened to the rest of the conversation.
"Will you not fight to keep her"?
"I will give her the choice."
There was a silence, and she thought Inuyasha had gone to sleep. She was jus about to drift off when she heard Inuyasha ask "Do you want her?"
"Yes." replied Sesshoumaru softly. "Yes, I want her very much."
……………………………………………..
"How far, Rin?" asked Sango as they followed the small girl through the woods.
"Not far." she called back, racing through the trees, remembering the root from when she was last there.
The escape through the fence had been a harrowing thing. They had all gone through in 5 minute intervals, to avoid the scouts patrolling the fence. The only one who had had a lit of trouble was Inuyasha, who had gone last and had caught his ears on the side of the fence.
Sesshoumaru had floated through.
Rin glanced at said demon. The sunlight almost blocked out his figure. He too was running, but his feet made no impact on the earth, and his hair did not stream out behind him. His face was totally impassive, and his eyes fixed on ahead.
They reached the last marker and Rin abruptly turned left. She heard Inuyasha curse as he skidded and then moved in the direction of the clearing. She slowed down and was almost barrelled by Kagome slamming into her back. She turned and glared at the miko, and then slowly entered the clearing.
The body was just as she left it. She heard a sharp intake from Inuyasha, and she heard Miroku whisper "Oh, Kami-sama." But Rin only had eyes for Sesshoumaru. His face was impassive as he stared down at his body, but his hands trembled, and his breath was coming in short, sharp bursts. She touched his hand, and was alarmed when she passed through him.
"What…um," said Kagome, nervously, "what happens now?"
"I think that Sesshoumaru had to stand by his body and touch it. The maybe had could connect with it." said Inuyasha, looking at his brother.
There was stillness, until Sesshoumaru softly made his way over to the body. Rin followed him. Sesshoumaru stood by the feet and stared at the body.
"It ends now." he whispered softly and stood on his feet.
A sudden light exploded into the clearing and everyone cried out. Rin covered her eyes and stepped back from the blast that seemed to come from the ground. She thought she heard a scream from the middle of the blast, but she couldn't be sure.
Suddenly the light went back into itself and faded away. Rin blinked and rubbed her eyes. She looked at the ground and gasped. The body was gone. Tears started to come from her eyes as she thought that Sesshoumaru was gone forever. A hand suddenly passed in front of her face and turned her.
"Do not cry, little one." said Sesshoumaru as he wiped the tears from her face. Rin gasped and launched herself into his arms, crying loudly into his front. She heard Inuyasha and Kagome gasp "Sesshoumaru!" but she ignored it, just spending time with Sesshoumaru.
Rin buried her face into the front of the shirt, taking in Sesshoumaru smell. He smelt of woodland and the sea. He smelt of all of the free things in the world. He smelt fantastic. Suddenly she felt an arm reach under her and she was swooped up into his arms. She heard the others move back to the prison and she felt Sesshoumaru talking to them, but she continued to hold onto him, as she slowly fell asleep.
She awoke in the safety of Sesshoumarus bed. The blanket was drawn up to her shoulders, and her head was encased in the on a pillow. The fur that she normally lay upon was sitting on Sesshoumaru right shoulder, looking for all the world like a giant tail. Sesshoumaru himself was drinking out of a tin cup and was looking out of the window, completely ignoring the others.
"Sesshoumaru?" she asked tentatively. Sesshoumaru turned his head and regarded the small child sitting on the bed.
"Rin. How are you feeling?" he asked her.
"Well, thank you." Rin said nervously. She felt weird around Sesshoumaru now that he was flesh and blood. It was like everything was coming to a crashing ending. She hated this feeling.
Sesshoumaru nodded and gestured to his lap. Confused, Rin only stared at him, so Sesshoumaru picked her up and placed her on his lap. Rin blushed and buried her head into his shirt. He patted her back and then focused on the others, they were all arguing, trying to figure out a plan of action.
"No!" yelled Inuyasha. "We have got to go into his office directly and confront him. We cannot do anything sneaky like that, it is against our code."
"Screw the code!" cried Sango.
"No." Sesshoumaru interjected. The others turned to look at him.
"We cannot dishonour the youkai code. It is against our principles, and if we do, we will stoop as bad as Naraku himself. We must not do that if we are to prove ourselves innocent."
"Yeah, but we must do something, and soon!" countered Sango, angry red patches flaring up on her cheeks.
"I know, Sango. But we are empty, and we have yet to formulate a plan. And now," he said, glancing at the window, "you all have to go to your respective jobs." Grumbling, the others moved to the door and got out.
"Do I have to go too?" asked Rin. Sesshoumaru nodded, his face blank. Rin got off his lap and slowly walked to the door. Just as she was about to leave, she turned and waved sadly at him.
She got to her work station and slid into the chair, ignoring the glares at her from Tsubaki and her gang. She concentrated on sorting the cigarettes, trying to shake off the feeling of eyes boring into the back of her skull.
She was working well when she felt a hand descend onto her shoulder. She jumped and turned. A woman was standing there, her face covered by a large black hat so that Rin could only see her lips. They were twisted into a sardonic smile.
"Naraku wants to see you." she said.
Everyone stopped working and stared at Rin. Rin herself felt numb. She had heard what Inuyasha had said what happens to children when they go to Naraku, and Sesshoumaru had yet to divulge what happened to him. The woman grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room. Rin saw Tsubaki wave with a sneer on her face, and Rins fear increased.
The woman dragged her up a series of long stone steps. Rin bumped along, whimpering with pain and fear. This time, she couldn't have Sesshoumaru, as he was now alive and he couldn't pass through walls. She was truly alone.
The woman flung open a large oak door and threw Rin into the room. Rin cried pout as she hit the floor. The door slammed shut and Rin gat a chance to look around. The room was furnished tastefully, with a large oak bed, and Plasma television and a plush red sofa.
"Ahh, you must be Rin." said a silky voice. Rin stood up and whirled around. A man was standing behind a desk, looking at the girl. He had red eyes and long wavy black hair. His face was handsome, and he looked deceptively peaceful.
But Rin knew better. She had heard the stories, and she knew what was at stake here. She wisely kept her mouth shut. Naraku narrowed his eyes and moved to the girl. He grabbed her chin in his hand and moved it up to his face. Rin winced as his hot breath gushed over her face.
"Well, you are a pretty little girl, aren't you?" he whispered into her ear. Rin shuddered and closed her eyes, trying to turn her head away.
"Do not move!" he growled at her. Rin went ridged and did not move, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. She whimpered and found herself being dragged by the hair to the bed. She was tossed upon it.
"Do you know what I did to Sesshoumaru when he came in here?" he asked her as he slowly started to remove his jacket. Rins eyes widened at the mention of Sesshoumaru.
"Oh yes. I know about him and you. Do you know what I did?" Naraku said as he removed his trousers and unbound his erection. Rin blushed crimson and scooted over to the other side of the bed. She shook her head slowly.
"I raped him. I did that, and I broke the great Inuyoukai. He was nothing when I finished with him." he whispered into her ear. Rins eyes widened and she tried to get off the bed, but Naraku grabbed her arm and flipped her over. His hand wormed up her dress and shoved it over her head as he pinched her small breasts.
"No!" she wept in fear. "No, no please. Leave me alone!"
"No, no, my little one," chuckled Naraku, "we are just getting started."
"Rin continued to struggle as she felt him probe her entrance. Her eyes shot open and she screamed from the bottom of her heart.
"SESSHOUMARU! HELP ME!!"
A crash echoed throughout the room as the door was flung off its hinges. Something in the room exploded, and a slab off wood flew to the bed and smacked Rin in the face. She fell down on the bed, and slowly blacked out.
…………………………………………….
"…Rin? Rin-pup, it's time to wake up. Rin?..."
Rin drifted on a sea of softness, voices like whispers flitting in and out of her ears. She moaned softly and rolled onto her side. A large hand descended onto her hair and started to stroke it. She opened her eyes slowly and found them blinded in whiteness. Rin rubbed them and found herself lying in a soft bed. Sesshoumaru was sitting on it, holding her head in his lap.
She sat up and Sesshoumaru handed her a glass of water. She sipped slowly as she watched Sesshoumaru get up and talk to the doctor at the door. She placed the glass down and looked on as Sesshoumaru finished with the doctor and made his way beck to her bed.
"How are you, Rin?" he asked her. Rin nodded and tried to speak, but all that came out of her throat was a strangled noise. She grimaced in pain and put her hand to her throat.
"You won't be able to speak for a while, Rin. Tha doctors had to work on your throat, and they scratched your voice box. You have to wait for it to heal." he explained to her, seeing her confusion. Rin shrugged and stared down at the blanket, them she looked up. Her eyes asked the question that her voice could not say.
"We all got there in time to stop what Naraku was doing. I blew up the room, but did not kill Naraku. He has been taken away. The prison has been closed, and all of us have been acquitted of our offences."
Rin gasped and lunged forward, hugging Sesshoumaru tightly. She felt Sesshoumaru tense in surprise, then he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. She sobbed into his jacket, glad that everything was over, and she could go back to living a normal life.
"Rin." Sesshoumaru leaned back and surveyed the girl. Rin nodded and looked up at him. "We have asked around and we have found out that you have no family left. I have asked permission and I ask you. Would you like me to adopt you?"
Rins eyes opened wide and she nodded furiously. She hugged Sesshoumaru again, mouthing yes into his clothing.
She thanked Kami-sama for this. Everything was ok now.
…………………………………
4 years later
"Rin! Come downstairs! Inuyasha and the others are here!" called Sesshoumaru from the kitchen. The twelve year old Rin shut down her computer and hurried down the stairs of the house, her socks sliding down the wooden floor. She entered the kitchen and pecked her adopted father on the cheek as she sat at the table and started to read the newspaper.
"How are you this morning?" he asked her. Rin looked up and moved her hand. After all this time, her voice had still not come back. They had sued, and had been awarded millions in yen. This had helped pay towards a new life.
The jingle of the door announced that Inuyasha and Kagome had entered. Rin turned to greet them and smiled again at the growing bump that Kagome was supporting.
"Hey Rin. When are Sango and Miroku coming?" asked Inuyasha as he came in.
"In a hour." replied Sesshoumaru and he stirred the curry.
'Sit down. Make yourselves at home.' Rin signed. They both sat down and waited for the other members of their group to arrive with Shippo. He too had been adopted by them.
One hour later, Miroku and Sango had arrived and the kitchen was filled with the sounds and smells of a good party on the way. Rin smiled and made her way to the living room. She just needed some peace.
She heard footsteps behind her and she turned to find Sesshoumaru had followed her. She smiled and an echoing smile appeared on Sesshoumaru face before it faded into his rather stony expression.
"I have something for you." he said. He reached into his pocket and drew out a small wrapped package. He handed this to her and she took it with a smile. Opening it, she found it to be and small jade bracelet. Each bead was carved with a crescent moon, and the Kanji for daughter.
She gasped when she opened it and looked at Sesshoumaru with wide eyes that said her thanks. Holding out her wrists, she allowed Sesshoumaru to fasten it on it before she leapt into his arms.
"Happy birthday, Daughter." he whispered to her.