Disclaimer: I walked the streets. I owned my house. I ate food. I drank water. I drove a car. I wrote a story. And yet I don't own Inuyasha. Go figure! Here's some milk and cookies too! This is my first Inuyasha fic so calm down and this is ONE SHOT. The last time I wrote a ONE SHOT people forced me to write a chapter story out of it.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Eternally Forgotten
By
Freaky Krazer
Every living thing will soon die. Even if you have the power to revive the dead, you cannot stop the ravages of time. This is the curse of a demon falling for a human. Like a slight breeze, their memories together will fleet in an instant. Then the human's life will abruptly end. That has always been a rule for demons and humans united.
Rin was no exception. Once upon a time, she was 7. Then a few years later, she was 17. It wasn't long until Sesshoumaru and Rin declared their love for one another, but it wasn't long for time to attack them.
Years went by as Rin aged and Sesshoumaru stayed the same. At one point of the time, a monk had caught glimpse of Rin with Sesshoumaru and when he had finally got a chance to privately talk to her, he had interrogated her, "Young woman, why do you travel with a youkai?"
Rin remembered her conversation with a head monk when she was younger. Demons and humans are different worlds. But no, she won't let this get to her. "Because I want to be with him! I love him!"
The monk countered her with a, "I cannot stop you from your feelings but let me ask you, what will happen once you age and die? Do you think he'll still return your feelings? And once you DO die do you really think he'll remember?"
Rin was appalled by that question. She trusts that Sesshoumaru will remember her. But now that she thinks about it. The day when she asked him, "Sesshoumaru-sama, when Rin ever dies, will you promise not to forget her?"
Sesshoumaru answered coldly, "Don't be foolish."
Back then she took at it as an agreed promise. But now… Now that this cruel monk brought it up. Tears swelled in her eyes. Sesshoumaru-sama won't forget me. He never will! Even if I leave his side one day, we'll always be together!
"YOU'RE A CRUEL MONK!" was all she could say and started to run away towards the opposite direction.
(7 hours later)
Now that very memory haunts her. All her days with Sesshoumaru are taunting her. For once in my life, I'd like to be a child again and follow Sesshoumaru-sama and cry for his help… once more. Once more I'd like to be that little girl who traveled with youkai. All those thoughts, made her cry so sullenly. She was lucky Sesshoumaru left them in camp to scout the areas. She was lucky Jaken was asleep. She was lucky they weren't able to see her like this.
After all those thoughts, a dreadful wish came to her mind, "Maybe, maybe if I was left dead during that day, I wouldn't feel so much pain right now."
Later that night, when Sesshoumaru came back, she was intending to have a discussion with him.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Sesshoumaru turned to her with that impassive look of his.
"When Rin dies, will you promise not to forget me?"
Sesshoumaru widened his eyes and replied turning away from the question, "You asked me that before."
Rin ignored him and repeated the question. Sesshoumaru ignored her in return and they both never discussed this ever again.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Time passed. Time changed. And now Rin was in her death bed, dying of old age. She cursed her mortality for limiting her limits. Oh how she can wish she can see Sesshoumaru once more. How she wished she can be a little girl once more, riding in Ah-Un's back and singing while waiting for Lord Sesshoumaru to come back with Jaken.
However, years before, she had asked them to leave her in a village for she was tired for venturing 6 decades before (Rin is like 90 right now). That little girl who sang in the forest… That little girl who stood by a youkai… is now dying because of her humanity. "Sesshoumaru-sama…" she whispered. For a passing moment, she saw a brief flash back of her sitting on Ah-Un's back while they rested near a base of a mountain, waiting for Sesshoumaru-sama with an impatient Jaken. While he panicked through and through, she hummed a song she composed all about Sesshoumaru-sama coming back for her.
Now all those memories are in vain…
All those days are gone…
The words the monk spoke came back to her…
As if it was inevitable, he was right.
Humans and demons are different worlds.
But a pang inside Rin's old heart told her, "It was worth the while, while it lasted."
Every second went by so quickly as her heart pained and longed to see her beloved lord and master once more. She also wants to see that tiny little toad, Jaken-sama. It would really make her smile and happy if he returned for her once more. If he returns to her once more, her death and life wouldn't be in vain. She would die happily and accept her end with a content mind.
Rin whispered very softly with her old voice, "Sesshoumaru-sama, come back for me."
Suddenly, her vision became a little blurry. Rin couldn't tell whether it was tears or if it has finally come. "Sesshoumaru-sama…" A picture of a little girl with the name of Rin smiled in her thought.
Meanwhile…
Sesshoumaru and Jaken exited a forest as they arrived in the entrance of a small human village. It had became word that the human girl who once ventured by Sesshoumaru is finally dying. This had attracted him to the village he left her. By him was Jaken, being unusually silent. He knows of Rin's condition and felt melancholic by this.
Sesshoumaru entered the village being impassive and quick by his steps. He wants to make sure he is by her side before she dies. But somehow, he can hear a faint whisper from the village, obviously Rin's, calling out, "Sesshoumaru-sama."
Sesshoumaru became uneasy and hurried on, ignoring the humans who are appalled and intrigued by his appearance. He sniffed the air to follow the familiar scent of Rin. He found it. The scent was the same flowery sent that carried on hints of cherry blossoms and wildflowers. But there was something different, her old age clung to it, making her scent seem old and rotting.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken's shaky voice trembled. They both followed what Sesshoumaru assumed to be Rin's scent.
Finally, they made it into a small hut consisting of a straw roof and bamboo wooden walls. And inside was a futon with an old, thin woman breathing desperately for her last few grasps of life.
"Rin." His cold and emotionless voice spoke. She was there dying. Despite her scent and all other proof that it was her, he cannot believe this weak, unhappy, dying, old woman was his cheerful, optimistic, young, and loving Rin. Decades apart could not have done this to her. She cannot laugh anymore and by the looks of it, can't even smile. He observed her further. Her once raven hair is now grey and withering. Her smooth soft skin, looked rough and wrinkled.
Her head turned towards his direction, and with all her strength, she smiled weakly and whispered in relief, "Sesshoumaru-sama."
Even though Tenssaiga wasn't calling for him, he took hold of its hilt, ready to pull it out for an unknown reason. But he was stopped by a frown on delicate Rin's face.
"Don't…" came out so soft. It came to Sesshoumaru, that even if he used Tenssaiga to revive strength into her, she would wither again the next hour or shorter and she would've died.
Her eyes turned to the imp next to Sesshoumaru.
"You came too, Jaken-sama," she spoke painfully.
Jaken was so shocked at what he saw. Rin was old and dying. A flower that sprouted out of the spring ground is now wilted and turning grey. It never occurred to him Rin will die first. Even though he knew she was human, he always thought of her as a young girl forever.
Sesshoumaru looking expressionless (but sad and melancholic in the inside) walked 4 steps closer.
Rin tried to a great extent to smile for her lord. "I knew you would come back for me…" Then she turned her head away and closed her eyes. Sesshoumaru thought she died already but then she spoke with great seriousness, "I'm so happy to see you before I die. I …"
Sesshoumaru knelt beside her and put his hand over hers while Jaken approached with sad steps. His golden eyes studied her weak body.
She then stared one more time in his golden eyes, "I just wanted to see you again and remember… our days together. It would be nice… to get a glimpse of my loved ones before I die."
Sesshoumaru didn't reply. He just let her keep talking.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, once everything ends. Once I die, will you promise not to forget me?" Rin asked once more with tears in her eyes.
A hint of dismay and grimace swept his heart as he held her hand tightly. Seeing his Rin dying, it was too difficult even for him, the Inu-youkai. Sesshoumaru closed his gentle eyes as visions of Rin when she was younger came through once again and opened his eyes. "I promise."
"You too, Jaken-sama?"
Jaken looked like he was about to sob violent tears, "I promise, Rin."
One more time, her lips beamed to a content smile and closed her eyes softly… And with that her hand turned cold and her breathing stopped. Rin started to look pale white.
She's dead.
She's dead. Rin is dead.
Sesshoumaru felt regret that he ever agreed to leave her in this village. How was he persuaded by her? All she did was gaze at him with those cute chocolate brown eyes. And now here she was dead and old.
Behind him, Sesshoumaru could hear Jaken sobbing effortlessly.
After the scene, Sesshoumaru made sure of it that Rin was buried in a hill in the Western Lands that provided scenery for the Palace. And beside the grave was a cherry blossom tree all dedicated to her.
"Once more, I want to see her smiling at me." Sesshoumaru whispered as he stood at her grave with Jaken. Ah-Un stood by his side gaping sadly at its dead companion. The human woman who proved him wrong, the human woman who showed him love, the human woman whom HE had fallen in love with, is now dead and gone. And he swore with all his life that he will NEVER forget her. And if ever he should die, Sesshoumaru will be buried next to her grave.
In the end, time passed, almost 500 years and even Sesshoumaru perished. The castle that once stood in the Western Lands was now an old tourist attraction and lost all of its majesty. The cherry blossom tree still stood bearing pink and white cherry blossoms every year while the memory of a youkai and human's unification stood forgotten in history and ancient scrolls.
"Sesshoumaru-sama and I will be together forever. Forever."
The End
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Disclaimer: cries I really love the Sesshoumaru and Rin paring but as I was reading a SesshoumaruxRin fic, I thought, "What will happen once Rin is OLD?" I decided to write one up. But once I finished it, I started to cry and regret it but then I was like, "You wrote that crap with all your mind and strength, POST IT!" Once I was done typing it, I thought, "What will happen to Inuyasha once it the manga is completed? Are we going to forget it like we forgot about heroes and VIPs from the past?" I just wanted to say, "It was great while it lasted, and I hope everyone won't forget the days they enjoyed when they were still young." After all, who wants to be eternally forgotten?