Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Sesshomaru x Rin. Sesshomaru x Kagome. Inuyasha x Kagome. No lemons. This story is experimental and weird.
The Tale of Three Souls
(by Inudaughter)
The strange truth which everyone failed to realize, even the futuristic priestess Kagome, was that Kikyo's soul had not been reborn just once. The soul that the demon witch Uruswuaii had stolen and placed inside a vessel of clay had been asleep since Kikyo's death certainly. But it had already been wrenched free of the underworld five hundred years before the day Kagome fell into the well, almost exactly seven years ago before Inuyasha's own awakening. What nobody knew or realized was this: Uruwaii's first attempt to revive Kikyo had been a failure. Why? It was because Kikyo already walked the world. She was part of the soul of a seven year old child.
Remika was born as a village girl, free from all the miko duties that had so wearied Kikyo during her living years. From the very beginning, Remika was an innocent, with no more duties than to cling to her mother's ankles. From the day of her birth, Remika was loved, cherished, and protected. Her six brothers all adored her and her mother favored her as her only daughter. Her father, too, treated Remika as one would treat a precious flower. In the ideal for which everyone dreams, there was no shred of doubt in the little girl's mind that she was loved.
The little girl Remika had other gifts as well. Her health and frame were sound; her face was exceedingly lovely, promising to all that in time she would flourish into an extravagant beauty. The seven-year old's voice was soft and melodic. Yet, it was lively and full of hopefulness. Most compelling of all, Remika was blameless with no sense of cruelty or guile. Loving to strangers and kinsmen alike, Remika was a perfect saint. It was as if Remika were a gift of the gods to the world, a reward for her family and village's faithfulness. Surrounded by the praises of well-wishers and the adorations of family, Remika's life knew nothing but joy. One single night changed everything.
Isolation came quickly. A gang of bandits raided Remika's home. Under a scarlet moon, they murdered her mother after brutally mistreatmenting her. They slew everyone of Remika's brothers whom came to save her and Remika's father too, fell over tiny frame in one last effort to protect her. Remika was left alone. Most of all, she was left broken.
From that day forward, Remika was no longer a child of sunshine and flowers. She was a child of unfelled tears, a ragged urchin, a cursed brat whom never spoke. That she alone had survived her family's destruction was not a cause of gladness to the other villagers. To them it was a curse, for their village now hosted one more orphan. A speechless, inhuman child whom would never fit in. So it was that Remika dwelt alone in a decrepit hut unwanted by other humans. Tormented by her fears of bandits by night and harassed by village children by day, she lived fitfully- until that fateful day when the wolf demon came.
Remika came across the wolf demon so suddenly. He startled her at first, being half-hidden, half illumed in the deep shadows of her drafty hut as he was. For one single, panicked moment Remika imagined him to be a bandit laying in wait for her, but then the obvious slurping of her precious well-drawn water convinced her otherwise. Slightly consoled, Remika still shivered for the wolf demon was terrifying. He smelt pungently of soiled fur and dried sweat. His eyes were shifty, narrow, and cunning. His claws were alarmingly sharp and his teeth stuck out so far they reached past his lips to flash menacingly, more so as he spoke. But as the demon raised his voice in a gruff, wearied tone it became clear to Remika that the he did not intend to kill her after all. Her fears of him evaporated.
But there was no time for the child to relax, for within the very next moment another wolf demon arrived just as the other one fled. Surrounded by howling wolves and appearing out of a whirl-wind, an attractive young man with sky blue eyes, a headband, and a katana paused. He chased down the ragged wolf demon with whom Remika had spoken. There, before her eyes, her visitor was slain. For Remika, it was like the night of the bandits all over again.
But it did not stop there. A pack of hungry wolves descended upon Remika's fellow villagers. Dozens of horrified screams rent the air. Terrified, Remika fled from the panic. She ran toward the only being in existence whom she could dare to hope would be her savior- the magnificent being she knew now lay wounded out in the woods.
The white-haired demon had been kind to her. Unlike all her fellow villagers, he had thought to ask about her welfare. He had not demanded that she speak. For this, the small girl had rewarded him with a smile. With it, she had also given him her trust.
So it was that Remika ran, trying to reach the white-haired demon she esteemed so greatly. Sorrowfully, the child never made it. Halfway down the trail through the woods, Remika was caught by the wolves. Mournful of the call to passage, Kikyo's soul prepared to go to the afterlife again.
But then, a most extraordinary thing happened. A pulse of radiant light summoned she who was previously known as Remika. She felt the cold ebb away and, slowly, the little girl opened her eyes. She stared up into orbs of amber, and from that day on her savior called her Rin- Rin, meaning companion. Significantly, unlike her predecessor Kikyo, Rin fell in love with demons. She came to trust her Master Sesshomaru and fellow servant Jakin with all her soul. Moreover, Sesshomaru, with his shrewd abilities and keen sense of supernatural powers was able to detect something amiss about Rin that all others failed to see, even Kikyo herself. The dog demon lord, unlike all others, could scent the similarities between her soul and those of two mikos. Unlike all others, Sesshomaru could sense within Kagome the representation of the souls of three.
So it was that one night, as the campfire burned low and flickering, a ghost of a shadow stood hovering beyond the edge of Kagome's campsite. For a long while, her familiar spectator remained shrouded in the stagnant black that stood like a wall between them. Time passed and ultimately the demon glided over to where the now spitting flames could illume him with a dull orange. Sesshomaru and the miko regarded one another.
"Sesshomaru," Kagome nodded as a polite show of reverence. "Are you looking for Inuyasha?" She expected, without hesitancy, a bland reply.
"No. Miko, tell Inuyasha nothing. I merely came to see you."
"Me? Why?" Kagome blinked.
"To merely check on something."
"Okay."
The conservation dropped then, as it became clear that Sesshomaru did not intend to add anything. But neither did he leave and it began to make Kagome edgy. She was about to speak again herself to break the silence when Sesshomaru spoke. He used his most daunting tone, bringing prickles to the back of her neck.
"Miko. You will tell me. What do you know about the reincarnation of the soul? Is it possible for one to remember previous lives?" Kagome pursed her lips as she considered the question.
"I suppose it is possible," was her carefully constructed answer. "But I am supposed to be a reincarnation of Kikyo and I don't remember anything from her life. So I suppose it would be a very rare thing."
"I see," remarked Sesshomaru. Kagome fidgeted nervously under his intense gaze but she did not baulk from his presence. Instead, she raised her chin proudly.
"If that is all, Sesshomaru, I think it's best if you get going now. Inuyasha will be back from hunting any moment now and he'll start a fight with you if he finds you here." Despite her show of bravery, Kagome desperately wished that Sango and Miroku had not gone to visit the slayer's village, or that Shippo at stayed near the campsite at the very least.
"Indeed," said Sesshomaru dryly without making any indication of preparing to leave. Kagome could only stare back at him, exasperated.
"Miko."
"Yes?"
"You are familiar with the two swords of my father, the Tenseiga and the Tetsusiaga?"
"Yes."
"Then you should know that the Tenseiga is a sword of healing capable of bringing spirits back from the dead. Perhaps if you hold it, then you will be able to recall something of your previous lives. If I am not mistaken, Miko, then you have had many."
"I guess."
Kagome remained seated where she was as Sesshomaru slowly approached her. Carefully, he lowered the fabled Tenseiga onto her lap. Both miko and youkai stared at the blade, both rigid with their anticipations. After a moment of hesitation, Kagome enfolded the hilt of the sword in her fingers, yet instead of recalling memories, her consciousness slipped away. Nearly thirty lives including Kikyo's unwound from her body so that one only remained in the forefront- the one with whom the Tensaiga had bonded most- the life that had belonged to Remika.
"Rin," Sesshomaru called out triumphantly, the familiar presence of a soul flooding his heart, their heartbeats in time with one another as they had been since the moment he had revived her. "Are you awake?"
"Yes, my lord." The woman in Kagome's body answered. Confidently, she rose to her toes and wound her arms around the demon lord's neck. The gesture startled him.
"Lord Sesshomaru, I thought I would never see you again since my passing. I am so happy to see you again my love."
"Rin," Sesshomaru said without a telling passion. "Tell me, what is the meaning of this? What causes you to greet me with such familiarity?" The woman only smiled at him and leaned back to gaze upon his blank face.
"You will find out eventually, dearest. What matters now is that I treasure this last moment with you before my spirit sleeps. Please be with me one last time, Lord Sesshomaru."
A delicate hand rose to the demon lord's cheek yet instead of repulsing it, Sesshomaru stood helpfully immobile. He even lowered his lips to hers as the woman rose on tiptoes to press her lips lightly against his in a gentle caress, turning it into hunger. The demon lord felt his jaw loosen as he let in the tongue of the one woman he longed to make his someday, the living promise that haunted his dreams, the innocent being ringed in daisies and sunshine whose soul beat in time with his own… He was lost in a euphoric dream… but then an angry shout rent the air.
"Sesshomaru, you bastard, what are you doing!"
The demon lord turned to see a fuming Inuyasha. Simultaneously, his hand closed upon the hilt of the Tenseiga, breaking its enchantment on the miko. Kagome fell forward instantly, and Inuyasha darted in quickly to catch her. Both brothers stared angrily at one another.
"Sesshomaru, you bastard," Inuyasha reiterated before a wavering hand stopped him. Kagome sat up to look speculatively around the clearing.
"Inuyasha. Sesshomaru. What happened? The last thing I remember was a weird light."
"Yeah, hell, he probably put you under some kind of weird spell, Kagome," Inuyasha growled out. Kagome merely rested against him. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at his brother.
"I'll tell you this, bastard, if you value your life you'll stay away from Kagome. I'll kill you if you do anything to harm her." Sesshomaru's unprecedented reply sharply drew their attention.
"The same to you, Inuyasha."
"What?!"
"If you allow any harm to befall the miko, I will be sure that you die, half-breed, for that girl is the love of both you and myself."
"What!?" Inuyasha shouted somewhat enraged and largely confused. But the demon lord declined to answer. Instead he merely floated off to leave the hanyou stewing. He drifted up into the air to fly toward the place where he had hidden his most precious flower, knowing confidently now that when she bloomed it would be only for him. An expression of peace filled Sesshomaru's face.
Hidden in a small cave warmed by a fire and abundant blankets, a seven year of child sat waiting for her master to return. She was not alone. No, she had her fellow servant Jakin to keep her company as well as her friend the dragon Ah-Un. Humming happily, Rin waited joyously for the moment when her revered master would come home. In the meantime, she had a feast of roasted fish, also a bounty of stolen rice and vegetables, to fill her belly and to make her strong. Even for Rin, the seven-year old child was in an unusually blissful mood. She broke out into giggles when a gust of wind buffeted about the cavern's leather door covering, signifying Sesshomaru's return. She threw herself immediately by his ankles, gazing up at him adoringly as one might a god. Sesshomaru merely looked down at her, his face as near impassive as ever. But this time, a shadow of care teased across his eyebrows only to slip back into secrecy. The youkai lord bent down, and in a gesture shocking to Jakin, picked up the young child and held her against his furry boa.
"Rin," Sesshomaru stated in a suggestion of boredom. "Did your hunting go well today?"
"Yes very well, Sesshomaru," Rin said proudly. "But Jakin-sama says that for a growing girl I don't know how to hunt very well. Master Jakin says he will teach me how to set traps tomorrow."
"Indeed." Seshomaru raised his eyes to his immediately abashed servant.
"Forgive me, Lord Seshomaru-sama, I did not mean to infer…" Sesshomaru waited for Jakin's obnoxious stuttering to cease before continuing with his own thoughts.
"Rin," said Sesshomaru whom had long since set the little girl down. "Perhaps it would be best if I taught you." Both Rin and Jakin were astounded.
"Really, Lord Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin squealed. "That would be so great Lord Sesshomaru!"
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jakin echoed as if convinced that his master had lost his senses. Sesshomaru ignored him.
It would only be a stop-gap measure, to ensure that Rin had enough food to survive the winter when fish and vegetables were scarce and game the only reliable source of protein. He would have to have Jakin take her on another rice-stealing foray tomorrow as well, Sesshomaru thought measuredly. It would just have to do until the day that Rin could stop being his companion and he could start treating her as his mate. On that day, he would simply provide all her food for her. With one last look at the promise-filled child that lay on a pile of otter pelts in the corner, Sesshomaru almost smiled. After all, without a doubt in his mind, he knew that Rin was the woman he was waiting for.