A/N: Hello everyone! This epic adventure will be a canon paring story, with a focus on my favorite pairing Sesshoumaru/Rin. I do not think it will be a romantic pairing in this story, but the rating will be kept a little higher due to epic violence, and the language of our red-robed friend : D enjoy!
Four Years after the defeat of Naraku….
Soft heather gray clouds twisted themselves slowly across the undecided skies as the afternoon drew inexorably towards the fall of evening. It was the earliest days of summer, and certainly a time when the clouds should be thin, wispy white across an endless expanse of cerulean sky. And yet for the last week and a half, both the days and the nights had been smothered by these dim celestial curtains. An unnerving, unnatural darkness that brought nothing else with it except a rolling mist at dawn and dusk. No sunlight, no moonlight, nor the faintest glimmer of a star. Even for the tiny village of Kaede nestled at the base of a deep and wild forest, there was no reprieve to be had.
Though not quite thick enough for rain and yet not thin enough to allow more than the occasional ray of sunlight to briefly shine down, the watery gray light that rippled down onto a small forest clearing was complimented by a sweet and gentle breeze that blew warmly from the west. No more than the width of twenty to thirty trees wide, the clearing was hardly noticeable to any whom might be passing by; a mere breath of air within the forest before the trees plunged into thick and unyielding forests all around. However this particular clearing was well known to the inhabitants of a growing village just south of the deep forest, and as evidence to such there sat at the edges of the clearing the figures of two small women whom seemed to be engaged in a serious manner.
"Come on Rin, I just know you can do it. ' Obsequious'" prompted the gentle voice of the older girl.
Pursing her lips with a slight push forward, the rounded edge of her pick tongue peeked through in a familiar gesture of frustrated concentration. Rin did not much care for these "spelling tests" that Kagome issued at the end of every week, nor did she ever rid herself of the flutter of anxiety that came when it was time for them to commence. But this week her nervousness was perhaps justified as she was failing horribly on just the first word alone. " 'Obsequious'," Rin began in a quavering voice. " O-B-S….I?" The frown that spread across Kagome's face halted her attempt quickly, and flooded the girl with dismay.
Rin turned her face away from the young Miko's gaze and sharply bit her lip against the rising frustration. Just on the edge of eleven, her long hair glinted with just a hint of darkest crimson in the dull light as it tumbled carelessly down her shoulders to tickle the small of her back. Her limbs and torso were losing their childish roundness in the slow progression of time, just now beginning to acquire a more adult definition. And although she was still small, (her height somehow refusing to keep up with the rest of her maturation) her fingers had gracefully willowed out into long, fragile forms that were currently twisting uncomfortably in her lap. How could she be expected to focus on a spelling test today, when her mind a hazy turmoil of other worries? "Lady Kagome, can we finish now?" She asked hopefully, turning her dark amber eyes back towards the young woman sitting patiently in front of her.
" Rin….." Kagome questioned, answering her with the uncertainty that was in her own smoldering chocolate eyes. " These spelling tests are important, you know that. Education will make you into a lady rather than a peasant." Tossing the high ponytail that held her silken, ebony hair, Kagome reached a hand out from underneath her voluminous white sleeve to reassure the girl sitting in front of her. It was difficult to contain her mental sigh of dismay at Rin's innocent expression, and what turmoil she knew lay behind it. It was this very mental conflict that had slowly yet consumingly distracted the young girl from all of her usual pursuits and duties over the last two weeks. " You're right Lady Kagome, I know." Rin conceded slowly.
' Maybe I should just let her go..… Maybe try to get her mind off of this whole situation?' Kagome pondered, still searching the lasting expression on Rin's face. 'This depression is just completely opposite to her normal personality, she must be really hurt over this whole thing……trying to get her to focus on spelling might be like trying to get Inuyasha to read a book.' This caused a quick flick of Kagome's eyes upward in comical annoyance.
In a fluid, swift motion, Kagome bounced onto her feet as her flowing miko robes undulated loosely back over her slim figure. Rin looked even more hopeful as Kagome's expression instantly brightened despite the heavy shadow of concern in her eyes. " C'mon Rin, we can continue your spelling test later. How about we go and see how Inuyasha and Shippo are doing instead?" After a moment of shock ( because despite her best efforts, Rin had never been able to get out of a spelling test in years previous,) a smile instantly brightened the young girls' features. "Okay!" She trilled, jumping to her feet to fall into step beside the young miko as they wended their way back into the deep forest.
" I can hear them over this way, practicing just outside of the village. I wonder who's winning?" Kagome asked with a mischievous smile. Rin gave a small giggle in response, " Lady Kaede doesn't like it when they do that; She says Inuyahsa breaks things too much!" Kagome laughed easily in response, turning to shift her sacred bow onto it's familiar spot across her back. "Yeah, now if we could only get him to listen to her!"
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After a few moments the thunderous sounds of the battle became clearer, as well as the shouts of Inuyasha that rang unceremoniously through the forest. " Goddamn it Shippo, if you fucking do that again I'm gonna- uwah?! Ack!!!" POOF! SHHKK…….THUD! "SHIPPO!!!!"
Quickening her steps to find out the outcome of the practice battle, Rin padded gently across the forest floor in her unshod feet; leaving Kagome behind, while at the same time failing to notice the faint frown that had spread over the woman's lips. With Rin running ahead, it was all too easy to see what the source of the young girls' mental anguish was; it was written all over her.
Sesshoumaru.
Kagome heaved another heavy internal sigh, this time not bothering to hide the roll of her eyes. The great Daiyoukai of the west had not come to see Rin in quite some time, despite his clockwork appearances up to this point. How long had it been? Two months? Three? 'Long enough to turn this little girl's world upside down, that for sure!' She concluded with annoyance. Even after the four years that she had lived in a human village, Rin's life was still all about Sesshomaru. She was constantly dressed in the kimonos that he would bring her, today in a thin silk robe of deep burning orange swirls cut across by drifting white lotus petals. The color of the fabric perfectly complimented Rins' eyes, (though Kagome didn't dare believe for one second that the great demon lord had actually considered that when selecting it.) and around her waist hung the last gift that he had given her before this long absence; A silk sash of the darkest, lustful red that hung in three loose rotations about her lower stomach before being tied in a loose knot at her hip, the excess echoing her slightest motions as delicate trails of gossamer silk.
From the way she did her hair, to every lesson she had learned over the past few years, everything was done with Sesshoumaru in mind. He was written all over her. 'He's like the sun in her world,' Kagome thought sadly, 'and now that he's stop coming, it must be like permanent night for her. Like losing her parents all over again…..' Kagome felt another stab of annoyance at the dog demon's behavior. Sesshomaru was far from her favorite person, that was for sure. But Kagome had thought that he cared for the little girl. Why else would he have protected her? Revived her with Tenseiga? Allowed her to travel with him? Defended her from Naraku in their final fight? And after all that, what- he could just up and abandon her to live in this world alone!? Her annoyance ramped up, as well a protectiveness over Rin that washed over her entire frame.
" Damn that sesshoumaru…" Kagome growled low, " Where the in the world have you gone!?"
However her thoughts were violently interrupted as she cleared the thinning edge of the forest and the village came into view. Kagome blanched back, feeling her eyes widen in disbelief and her mouth twitch upward in a smile. Obviously Shippo's practice battle with Inuyasha was not at all going well for the enraged hanyou.
About forty yards away, the trees on the edge of the forest and the ground in front of them were connected with heavy swags of sticky spider webs, their thick tendrils glinting malevolently in the watery light. Hanging high from a tall tree was the now de-transformed Tetsusaiga, swinging harmlessly in the warm breeze; while another ten yards away its owner hung from the webbed trees with about as much grace as narcoleptic with two left feet.
The red-robed hanyou Inuyasha ( well, at least, the robes should 've been red) was hopelessly twisted in the sticky spider webs despite his amazingly violent attempts to extract himself. Underneath a thick sheet of dripping black ink, a steady stream of obscenities was issuing between gleaming white fangs. " Why I outta fucking tear your little bastard head right fucking off…" while in mid air above him, a huge cartoonish pink octopus rolled with booming, childish laughter.
" SHIPPO! WHEN I GET OUTTA HERE I'M GONNA-"
Swiveling his bulbous eyes downwards, the transformed kitsune allowed a huge grin to spread across his face before spewing another tidal wave of steaming black ink onto Inuyasha, ( which effectively ended his stream of growled threats) then promptly falling into another fit of echoing laughter. Kagome strolled past a convulsingly laughing Rin with a smile of both pride and amusement blossoming across her face. " Wow Shippo," she laughed up to him "you've gotten so much better!" An echoing POOF and an explosion of yellow smoke signaled Shippo's de-transformation, tumbling through the air in a lithe twist and landing on the ground with deft paws. "Kagome!" he cried, bounding forward and up into her arms " Do you like the new trick? I got the spider web idea from our battles with Naraku!" Despite his quickly stretching height, Shippo clung onto Kagome's midriff in a tight embrace while prattling on about his new tricks against Inuyasha.
Tossing her ponytail lightly, Kagome looked from the shining enthusiasm in Shippo's eyes, to the griping complaints of the pissed off hanyou, and finally coming to rest on the now silent Rin. She heaved another deep sigh and hitched Shippo onto her hip, walking towards Inuyasha. Obviously there would be no further time to ponder the whereabouts of the wayward Daiyoukai today……
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It wasn't until the last glowing embers of the fire flickered into darkness that the heavy breathing of Lady Kaede deepened into the evenness of sleep, and a sigh of relief issued forth from Rin's lips. Sitting up as smoothly as she could manage, Rin ran her thin fingers through her hair in restless frustration. She liked nighttime the best lately, since she did not have pretend to be her usual self. Then again, the ringing silence of the night served as a reminder to whom she was missing, since sleep was not something that came easily to her anymore. Not even bothering to change out of the rough white cotton robe that she slept in, Rin followed her restlessness out of the hanging door covering and into the wild, windy night.
Once outside her feet automatically carried her onto the familiar dirt path between the usually luminescent rice paddies. The cold water slapped relentlessly against dug out earth edges, obeying the turbulent wind that was ringing with the chorus of the swaying forest. But she did not hear it, did not see it. None of this was taken in by her aching amber orbs, which were instead making their usual search across the skies. To the North, the South, to the East and the West she searched; her heart minutely hoping for the appearance of a luminous figure surging through the sky toward the village. "Lord Sesshoumaru…" Rin whispered sadly. Continuing her walk through the night, Rin's mind lapsed back into the anxieties that had been plaguing her.
Every two weeks for the last four years, the great dog demon had come to the village to see her. Every two weeks, like clockwork. But then just over two months ago, when the fourteen days of waiting had passed since his last visit and Rin waited with breathless anticipation for the return of her lord- he had not come. She waited outside Kaede's hut all day, and all night; Her mind brimming with all of the new things she had wanted to tell him, ignoring hunger, thirst, and fatigue. But as dawn shattered the night sky to signal the beginning of the next day, she had felt a wave of an unfamiliar emotion pour over her being.
Disappointment. Disappointment in her guardian. He had not come…… and that was over two months ago.
Over 63 days of waiting, and still Lord Sesshoumaru had not come back for her. Rin smiled in defeat; she even dearly missed the bossy, complaining Master Jaken at this point. As time had worn steadily on, (every day spent in waiting for his return,) Rin had begun to question everything she had ever assumed to be natural and right in her world; not at all a practice she was familiar with. She had never been one to look to far down below the surface of any issue- intonation was simply not in her nature. 'I used one of my spelling words,' Rin thought with a sudden flash of happiness, 'Tomorrow I must tell Lady Kagome!' Fading just as quickly as it had come, the feeling drained from her mind. This was not the kind of happiness that she truly wanted, and she knew that.
'Well…' the voice in her head began reasonably, 'Lord Sesshoumaru never once said when he was going to return.'
Rin bit her lip at the truth of the statement. " That didn't matter" she whispered resolutely, " He would always come every two weeks anyway. Always."
'But remember what Lady Kaede told you,' The voice persisted, 'Lord Sesshoumaru is the Ruler of the Western lands. There are many more important places that require his attentions other than here with your selfish demands.'
Closing her eyes against the now chilly winds, Rin heard the deeply uncomfortable weight of the word echo inside of her head. Selfish. "Am I being selfish?"
As her feet carried her along the wending pathways of the village, Rin dropped her gaze from the skies and stared numbly at the ground. Nothing around her penetrated the vast internal solar system that she was now drowning in. Every day since the afternoon when she had awoken in the middle of the road tucked into his arm, she had wanted nothing more than to live her life in the service of her lord. It didn't matter anymore what she was learning or where her life was going….. Without her guardian holding up her universe, the planets were falling out of orbit in cataclysmic failure. The stars were falling into darkness, the gravitational pull no longer guiding her.
It had been so long since she had felt this way that she no longer knew how to properly experience the feelings. Not since the death of her family, when she had crawled out from under the ruined wagon as a solitary bloodstained survivor had she felt this way. In this world, she felt that she was alone again. Truly, horrifyingly, and inescapably alone.
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A/N: Good afternoon everyone! A rather angsty first chapter to set the scene, and with the next update there will be some Inuyasha/Kagome, a touch of Miroku/Sango, and the appearance of the wayward Daiyoukai in question. Please review, and let me know what you think!
-All The Best-
Pua Lahi Lahi