Hey guys! Basically this story bounces from Sesshie to Rin then Rin to Sesshie yadda yadda. SO this chapter is about how they got seperated when Rin is 12 years old and how Rin joins the village of assasins or ninjas. I wrote a story like this basically because... THERE ARE NO STORIES OF RIN BEING ANGRY AT SESSHIE AND WANTING TO KILL HIM! haha, dont worry, I doubt she will in the future there is a possible pairing but its when Rin is older (yeuurgh, young Rin?). Btw, bloody Naraku is dead and Sesshie and Rin are ahem (were) roaming the western lands searching for more land to conquer (of coarse Rin doesnt know where Sesshie's going cause he never tells her). Enough babble! Read and REVIEW!
Disclaimer (what's it for anyway?): I don't own the fluff and his kid okay?
"Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
The expanse of the spring sky
As far as I can see
Is it the fog, or else the clouds?
Their smell comes forth.
Now, now,
Let's go look at them!"
A cluster of villages dotted the horizon as an unusual group traveled along the dirt trail which sprouted an unusual amount of hamanasu (Japanese rose) meaning that it was a path less traveled by. Their sweet scent wafted through the air, dancing around the noses of the travelers. Jaken hated it, Rin loved it, Ah-Un seemed calmed by it and Sesshomaru was irked by their innocent presence.
The sky was painted blue with clouds dotting the horizon every now and then and the sun was merely a distant blaring mark. Rin wondered why she liked the season of spring. Sakura were seen every now and then and for an odd reason, the flowers reminded her of her Lord's honey-comb flower print on his kimono. Periodically they passed villages and the smell of smoke and civilization stirred thoughts of food and society in Rin's mind.
Sesshomaru-sama, despite being with him for 4 years now, she never grew tired or bored of his demanding presence. He had these flowing locks of silver hair that floated past his back to his hakama. The hair miraculously never got tangled or messy to Rin's puzzlement. Many who had managed to walk past them alive gaped in awe, perhaps at the boa which hung on his right shoulder or the hilt of two swords which emitted a distinct level of youki, maybe even the strange facial markings and golden eyes which silently stared everything down, reading everyone's thoughts but never revealing anything. Whatever the case, Rin was always mesmerized with him, his behavior and stoic expressions were also intriguing. Somehow, she was not afraid of him like everyone else.
"Sesshomaru-sama?" she inquired, waiting for any sort of reply. Waiting was what Rin did best, waiting for Sesshomaru-sama. He paused in his quick stride and turned his head a fraction towards her direction. Despite its minute angle, Rin could still catch the golden orbs which never ceased to unnerve anyone, human or youkai staring back. Pulling a grin over her face, she happily responded
"May Rin go to the village for a while? I need food… Rin is hungry." Her stomach growled, as if on cue and she quickly glanced back at the toad-like youkai following clumsily behind pulling along the shape of a two-headed dragon. She did not want the toad youkai (Jaken-sama) to start nagging at her for stopping the group again. She patiently waited for a reply again.
She thought she saw Sesshomaru-sama cock his head downwards, yes! Food at last!
Rin bolted down the steep hill, enjoying the wind blowing against her face which radiated in youth and ignorance, yes, ignorance is bliss. She stopped for a while and peered back at her Lord, hoping that he was still watching her speed down the hill. Rin felt reassured when she saw yet again, the silvery hair that cascaded down his head to his hakama and the golden orbs which always mesmerized her. Rin swore anyone could get lost in the depths of his eyes. Ecstasy overcame her again, why she was so happy, Rin did not know but whatever it was, the knowledge that Sesshomaru-sama was always looking after her was a calming thought. She always was at awe with him for his strength and elegance; his queer facial markings also were an interesting aspect of the dai-youkai, he as a whole was a mesmerizing creature of beauty and menace. Rin shivered momentarily as she recounted the times when she had seen Sesshomaru-sama kill his victims mercilessly, never once staining his kimono. He could kill if he wanted to… yet, he had not harmed her. Rin continued running when she heard Jaken shouting in the distance.
The village was crowded, too crowded for Rin's liking. She was so used to being in the company of only two who usually kept silent that all the noise and bustle was giving her an unusual head ache. Rin was sick and tired of eating rabbits and mushrooms for the past few weeks, although she never complained to her Lord (and if she complained to Jaken, his nagging would start), she still had to eat something different once in a while.
Standing in the centre of the village, Rin took in all the sights and sounds of children playing and adults chatting. The smells were assaulting her form all directions, the sweet-scented sakura trees, the tantalizing vapors of food and the musty smell of perspiration. Her hair, raven black when in the shadows and slightly brown under intense sunlight wisped in the breeze as she ran her hand over her stomach. Hungry. I shouldn't take long… Sesshomaru-sama… and Jaken-sama would want me back soon; she mused looking at the sky. It was nearing the mid-afternoon and she hated traveling when the sun was at its highest. I am still hungry.
She did not need money; all she needed were her quick and nimble hands; fast reactions and a speedy get away. With this in mind, she the most crowded stall and the smell of Yakitori filled her nostrils, the smell looming before her and the steam wafting through the air and around the huge crowd surrounding the cart. Beckoning her to take it away. There was a large group of villagers clustering around that stall and it made Rin's task seem easier, the stall vendor would be too preoccupied with his customers that he wouldn't notice small hands creeping around the pots….
"WHACK", Rin flinched as the painful sting of a palm made its mark on her flesh. After years of following Sesshomaru-sama through the wilderness of Japan; encountering endless youkai of sorts, Rin had found it extremely helpful to remain silent if she was suddenly caught. She jerked back her arm through the crowd and found some other hand, one covered in a bandage tightly gripping it. The crowd was unbelievably huge that she could not find its owner. Immediately she panicked but was smart enough not to emit a whimper and attract more attention. Then, a head appeared from the entanglement and she pulled away desperately, still tightly holding the stick of Yakitori. She glanced at the face and frowned, it did not belong to the vendor, but that of a man whose face was half covered with a loose cloth except for his eyes and mouth. He smirked, yes! It was a smirk, and a snigger! Sesshomaru-sama did those all too often and she shrunk away from the arm desperately pulling as well as trying not to make a sound. Strangely, no one had noticed the affair. The face that the arm belonged to drawled
"You should be screaming right now, just like all the other thieves I catch. Why aren't you screaming? …Little one?" the voice sounded interrogative- no; it sounded cunning with an ulterior motive behind the supposed niceness as well as a tinge of deep curiosity. Rin pressed her lips determined to remain silent. The man released his death grip and Rin could feel the blood flowing back.
"Hmm, you are different; you know when to shut up. You don't scream…"
And the hand let go. Rin shuddered and scuttled backwards until she was further away from the man, wait, was he a man? Something was different about him… The clothed face watched her scurry away intensely, narrowed his eyebrows and appeared to be in deep thought… a smirk and a nod, and then it disappeared from the crowd.
Sesshomaru-sama's image entered her panicked mind and the image calmed her considerably. He will always be there for me, she considered and slowed into a brisk walk to savor her yakitori, immediately forgetting the incident between her and the foul creature that grabbed her hand to a point where she thought it would wither off.
"METSUBUSHI!" and a deafening roar ensued. A blinding light ripped its way into Rin's eyes and she was hurtled to the ground by an immense power. Momentarily fazed, Rin attempted to support herself and get up but her legs seemed to be held down by weights because she slammed back to the earth and her vision was blurred to an extent that even her hands were unrecognizable to her. The strong smell of sulphur filled the air and Rin felt helpless, weak, she felt like a real human as Sesshomaru-sama had said. Helpless mortals doomed to die. Rin sincerely felt like she was dying because a ripping sensation overcame her legs and her muscles twitched to an extent beyond pain. She thought she screamed and shrieked but her voice seemed imprisoned in her throat. She could not speak, could not even whimper as tears of inconceivable and unbearable pain created a torrent on her dirtied face.
Rin was still conscious when the same clothed face she had encountered earlier picked her up and brought her away from the wreckage of the village, from shallow waters of trouble, to a sea of unfathomable depths. "Sesshomaru….sama" Rin uttered and too weak and confounded to do anything else, she fell into a dreamless sleep.
Sesshomaru's POV
Rin has left for that human village we passed earlier for food. Useless humans who grow hungry each day; I cannot bear the stench of those foul creatures that live in congealed masses of slime and sweat, of which they call villages. From this distance of approximately 13 miles, I can still smell the odor of which they emit. To make things worse, the presence of this hamanasu are annoying me to no end. I cannot perceive why I think that they pester me so but I will refrain from trampling them only because it will make my presence known to other inferior youkai. Not that Jaken and Ah-Un have cautioned themselves onto not stepping on the flowers…. Rin does not trample on them but plucks them from their earthly home and presents the annoyances to me, expecting thanks… I do not even know why I allow her to pursue me.
I can bear the stench of the humans no longer. I will move towards the more peaceful presence of the forest and instruct Jaken to wait for her. The forest is only a few miles away; the human stench would be overcome by the mist of the woodland. Rin had better return by the time I have thought about matters pertaining to the western lands and why hamanasu bother me so. I detest, loathe and despise admitting this but the girl has softened me. Too much for my liking! Why do I keep her around? I shall sit in the calming presence of the trees to reflect on my cursed life with a more rational mind.
Sparks and showers of intense light… glittering, glowing…. She awoke.
Rin was confused. The only thoughts that lingered in her mind were a loud explosion, and the face of a man…
"Aah, the girl awakes." The abrupt sentence broke the harsh quietness of the remains of the village. There was a low murmur and Rin found that she was surrounded by a band of men, mostly tall men with broad shoulders. Black hakamas clung loosely to their hips and their presence unnerved Rin.
"That's quick… she got knocked out about ten minutes ago…" commented another voice. This voice sounded like the velvet rolling of thunder across a plain, thick and rich. Rin shuddered, Sesshomaru-sama…. Where is he? Why are you men surrounding me? Somehow, her questions could not leave her throat; she was too terrified to make a sound, stunned silence.
Suddenly, a strong and muscular arm, marked with scars from years of battle yanked her to a kneeling position and Rin whimpered. What a funny predicament… I've been through this before. Rin gave a bitter and sarcastic snort not because of the pain in which her skull was undergoing. Wait till Sesshomaru-sama hears about what you rogues have done to me. Rin felt strangely bold and reckless at such an inappropriate moment: must be because I'm about to die soon…
"Sesshomaru-samaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" she gave an impulsive and sudden ear-piercing shriek of her lord's name and the men flinched, some moved back hastily. She knew it would come, a firm and strong hand connected with her fragile cheek and a jagged slap-sound pierced through the silence. Rin did not even cry; she had felt it many times before; even though it had been five years ago.
"Unpleasant child, did we hear you mutter the name of the great western land ruler?" gave a voice filled with incredulousness and a howl of profanity-ridden banter roared around her. Rin had to cover her ears.
"The kid thought she'd scare us eh?" a brawly figure guffawed. His laugh sounded more like a hacking cough and a wheeze. The men shrieked yet again. "Foul drunken rogues"…. Rin scowled at them and spat.
The mirth was short-lived and the men stared at her with curiosity. Their expressions were suddenly unreadable; they reminded her of Sesshomaru-sama.
"Why you punk…I knew you were a typical foul-mouthed street urchin. Who are you to spit at is you-"
"-Enough Endan" the voice of thunder rolled in and cut the words from the man-who-wheezed-instead-of-laugh halfway. Endan backed off to where the rest of the curious band of men where and gave Rin a nasty grin.
"Girl…" The velvet voice continued and it soothed Rin despite her mind raging war against the calm in which the voice brought. Rin saw the aquamarine eyes… she froze; mesmerized by those eyes which had the same sparkling magnificence as the slit-pupils of Sesshomaru.
"…How have you come to possess such unshakable nerves? You do not cry when in pain nor do you spill out pleas. What are you to act so cool under this pressing situation?" he enquired. Rin felt the cool tip of the youkai's blade run lightly across her throat and she instinctively quivered, yet holding on to her hard and defiant expression. "Cool…?" she thought. She was anything but cool. However, Jaken-sama did comment on how she would suddenly look glassy whenever he nagged at her and how annoyed he was by that.
"It's almost like she's lived with some youkai or something… she has damn sharp reflexes I tell you. She nearly escaped my grip earlier on…. I wanted to crush her arm for the fun of it but I only caught her wrist!" came a familiar voice which was followed by a trail of snickers… Rin placed it; it belonged to the man who had "caught" her for stealing yakitori earlier. How much earlier? She did not know. The sky was filled with the swirling black and grey colour of smoke and there was an acrid scent in the air. Rin shifted her weight uneasily and the threatening blade moved along with her.
"You made us use Mitsubishi just for a GIRL!" one of them started in utter disbelief and a quick brawl erupted.
"-Silence!" and the thunder felt like lightning to Rin's ears. "She does have a high level of spiritual abilities for anyone… We could make her a kuro miko… ha-ha, yes! Anyway, she's seen too much and her potential is too good to be thrown away…" a voice, probably Endan's rang out.
"Hmm… you are true for once Endan…" and the youkai with the voice of thunder sighed.
"Yuragu… not another human…" came another voice form the group.
"NO!" Rin shrieked when she finally realised that she was about to be taken away. Possibly further then where Sesshomaru-sama would ever find her.
"NO! I want to be with Sesshomaru-samaaaa!" She yowled the band of men erupted into avid discussions still encircling her.
"Yes, my sweet girl with an impossible imagination. We'd take you with us. Be good to us and we won't harm you ok?" the cloaked man who had gotten Rin into this mess cooed. Rin struggled.
"WHAP-"more stars, colorful dots and the image of Sesshomaru-sama: Rin's mind was effectively black.
-Blackout-
Sesshomaru's POV
I arose from my deep thought when I caught the scent of wood burning. At first my mind tricked me into thinking that it was Jaken lighting a fire but I turned my eyes towards the distance where Rin's village visit had taken place and sighted black ash and smoke rise high into the heavens. I cursed under my breath and got up, thinking constructively. The fool, Jaken had better be looking for Rin as I strained my lax muscles into a swift bolt. With my superior youkai speed, I should get to the fire in less then a heartbeat. My instinct, urged me to run faster and faster and I pushed with all the strength my brawn could assemble. I pushed into the hot afternoon heat to arrive at the entrance- or what was left of an entrance to the village which was savagely wrecked by flames. I had caught the whiff of sulphur and other explosive powders…. Mitsubushi! My mind, as rare as never experienced a momentary halt and I could not bring myself to access the damage created. I was unsure of the cause but it was highly unlikely that anyone could have survived an attack with such a high powered weapon. Nevertheless, I stepped into the fires to look for Rin. Countless emotions surfaced and resurfaced but my years of training taught me to suppress them. Suppressing them is a sign of strength and I had the ultimate strength of control unlike pitiful humans with short lives…
The town had an acrid stench of fumes and detestable vapors. It was hard to admit that even as a superior inu-dai-youkai, this Sesshomaru was oppressed by the smells. My nose refused to work and I grew lightheaded. I swore to myself to sever Jaken's head with Tokijin, resurrect him with Tenseiga and mutilate him again and again until Rin-... Damn these useless emotions.
tears my first published fan fic! Please please please please please review ok? I really need the useful feedback. I don't like flames so nono flames. Thanks! Hope you like!
Pheew, finally the end of chapter one. Ok. Review and tell me what you think ok? No chapter 2 unless there are reviews ok? Review Now! its just a click awaaaay!
Byeee!