Chapter 1 – She Was His World
"FLY FASTER AH-UN! FASTER!" yelled a very distraught Rin as she looked over her shoulder. She was currently in the middle of being chased down by three eagle demons. Ah-Un grunted in response as he zoomed in and out of the clouds like a jet. He suddenly made a dive towards the forest that was below them, gaining more speed as he steadily distanced himself away from the eagle demons that were still tailing them. Rin squint her eyes; the wind stinging them slightly at the speed they were dropping. "Oh, Lord Sesshoumaru where are you! I should've never tried going after giant eggs for food...I also should've never gone off so far away from camp either! It's already so late!" she thought as she held the two giant eggs that had been tied together in a large lilac-coloured blanket close to her chest. One of the many gifts she had received from her Lord when she had stayed at the village to learn various skills from Kaede.
Rin gasped, hearing the cry of the eagles as they got closer. One dove directly at her, attempting to knock her off of Ah-Un. "AH-UN!" she screamed as she pulled on the dragon's reigns to keep herself from falling. Ah-Un roared as one of its heads let an electric beam out of its mouth, successfully burning a large hole through the wings of one of the eagle demons. The eagle demon let out a painful shriek, spiralling towards the forest below; the breaking of bones heard as it crashed into the giant willow trees. Rin gulped as she looked down beneath them, the eagle demon that had fallen looked to be the size of an ant with how high up they were. "LORD SESSHOUMARU!" she screamed, fear over-taking her.
Jaken paced back and forth, sweating as his mind churned with worry and fear. Worrying about what was taking Rin so long, and fear of what Sesshoumaru would do to him if something bad had happened to her. He bit his thumb as he shivered slightly; remembering what happened the last time Sesshoumaru was angry.
It happened a few weeks after Rin began travelling with them again. Sesshoumaru had decided to leave one night to visit an old friend that lived close by, because he had some things he wanted to ask him regarding Tenseiga. Jaken had been told to watch over Rin while he was away. Rin had already gone off on her own in search of food as usual, so Jaken just had to wait for Rin to come back. He had waited for a long time but she never came back. Irritated, he set out to look for her, simply thinking that she must have been dilly-dallying and taking her time as she sometimes tended to do. When he realized that he couldn't find her, panic took him over and he ran back to camp to find Sesshoumaru standing there, appearing to have been impatient.
Jaken shuddered remembering the conversation that followed.
"MY LORD! RIN HAS DISAPPEARED!" exclaimed Jaken as he approached Sesshoumaru cautiously.
Sesshoumaru's blank stare turned into one of annoyance and displeasure. His eyes became slightly thinner, which signified his displeasure of the situation at hand.
"I tried to find her My Lord! Honestly I did! But she is nowhere to be found! OH WHAT DO WE DO! I can't imagine what might have happened...WHAT IF SHE'S BEEN KIDNAPPED! Or worse...what if...WHAT IF SHE'S DEAD!" squealed Jaken as he began to run around in circles only to be stepped on by Sesshoumaru, whose foot was now holding him down firmly on the tattered grass.
"Jaken. It's unnecessary for me to explain what will happen to you if she is dead. Retainer or not." Replied Sesshoumaru in a calm voice that was in contrast to his eyes that had began to flicker between their normal colour and a blood-red.
"B-b-but *MMPPHH* Lord Sesshou*OOMPH*maru! I've already *MMFF* died once remember? And *OOMPH* y-y-you've already u-used *MMPH* Tenseiga on me!" mumbled Jaken as he continued to be held down on the ground by Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru simply ignored him and left the pitiful toad-like demon in the dirt as he went to search for Rin. When he had found her she had been safe and was sleeping under a magnolia tree, which meant that Jaken's life had been spared.
Jaken shuddered again remembering the murderous glare his Lord had given him that night. "NO NO NO! DARN THAT CHILD! SHE'S GOING TO COST ME MY LIFE!" he screamed in his head as he began to run around in circles. "I WILL FIND YOU RIN! You won't endanger my life this time!" declared Jaken as he raised his fist in the air and jumped, barely making it 7 inches off the ground. He had suddenly become determined, and with his new-found determination began walking away from camp...only he was not moving from the spot he was standing. "What! What is this! WHO DARES TO-" he yelled angrily, wondering who had dared tried to stop him, only to look over his shoulder to see that Sesshoumaru had hold of him by the collar of his kimono. "M-M-M-MY LORD! YOU'RE BACK!" Jaken screamed, feeling his heart pound vigorously in his chest. He was sure Sesshoumaru could hear it, as well as sensing how unusually tense he was. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at the imp's behaviour, but his expression remained stoic and emotionless.
"Jaken." Said Sesshoumaru as he stared down at the flustered, trembling imp.
"MY LORD!" replied Jaken as he tried to calm down a bit.
"Where is Rin?" he asked, studying the imp's face closely.
"OH RIN! Rin? Oh she's just, she's just...OH I DON'T KNOW MY LORD! PLEASE FORGIVE ME LORD SESSHOUMARU! I was just about to go look for her! I SWEAR! DON'T KILL ME!" he pleaded as he clasped his hands together, his eyes beginning to fill with tears.
"Jaken, you-" Sesshoumaru stopped suddenly as he heard a scream coming from far off in the distance.
"NO! GET AWAY! I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU!" screamed Rin as she held the eggs close to her chest with one hand and held onto Ah-Un with the other. "Give me back my EGGS!" roared the eagle demon as it pulled onto the sleeve of Rin's kimono. Rin struggled frantically against being pulled off of Ah-Un and to her death by the eagle demon. "LET GO!...UGH...NO!...AH-UN!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she plummeted towards the vast fields below them. The other eagle had knocked her off from the opposite side, while the first eagle pulled her off of Ah-Un by her arm. "AHHHHHHH!" she continued to scream as she fell, trying to figure a way out of her situation. "What to do...what to do..." she thought as she watched the plains get bigger. Suddenly, a large shadow appeared over her and she was carried up higher into the air by one of the eagles. It's talons digging into her skin. "AGGGHHHHH!" she screamed out in pain "RELEASE ME!" she struggled against it but stopped, as it only caused the eagle to dig it's talons into her flesh harder. It's iron grip caused blood to come from where it was gripping her shoulders. "AAGGGGGGGGHHHH!" Rin screamed again, this time causing a large pink light to come out of her body, in turn burning the eagle demon. The eagle demon shrieked in pain and immediately released the girl.
"Will I die for real this time?..." she thought as she fell to her death, her vision becoming blurred "Lord Sesshoumaru..." as if he had heard her thoughts, he appeared flying down next to her, and grabbed onto her before she hit the ground. "Rin." said Sesshoumaru as he landed softly on the ground. Ah-Un roared and landed next to him. "Ah-Un. Watch Rin." He said as he took flight into the sky to kill the demons that had done this to her. The eagles saw him and flew towards him in a rage. Sesshoumaru evaded them effortlessly, disappearing and reappearing in different places in the air. He was just toying with them. He then pulled out Bakusaiga and slashed at both eagles, landing on the ground on one knee in a graceful motion. Standing up, he sheathed his sword and made his way over to Rin as the eagles disintegrated into dust, their cries of death echoing throughout the darkness of the night.
He kneeled down next to Rin, and held her in his arms, cupping her face. A grunt escaped him as he visibly frowned at the blood-stains on her kimono.
"Lord Sesshoumaru..." she said as she reached her hand up to touch his face and smiled "You saved me."
"Rin." He replied as he stood up with her and began making his way back to camp. Ah-Un followed after him.
"Ugh...my shoulders...it hurts...Lord Sesshoumaru...it hurts..."
"Do not speak Rin. Rest." He said as he looked down at her, displeasure evident in his eyes. He was not displeased with her, but with himself for not getting to her faster.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to die." she said as she rubbed her thumb across his cheek. She knew how much he worried about her deep down inside, and that he would self-loath when she would get hurt, even though he never said so out loud. But she knew. She could see it in the way he looked at her. She had known ever since the day he brought her back from hell.
Sesshoumaru looked down at her and is face calmed before going back to his normal stoic expression.
"Good heaven's child. Ye really need to be more careful." said Kaede, shaking her head as she wrapped the last few bandages around Rin's chest and back. Kaede then turned her head towards Sesshoumaru who was leaning against the door post of the small hut. "Sesshoumaru, how could ye let her end up this way? Ye are her guardian are ye not?"
"Lady Kaede! Don't speak to M'Lord that way please. He saved me as always, it was my fault, I ventured off too far and decided to steal some eggs for dinner..."
"Yes ye said that, but what kind of eggs were these if you got wounds like this?"
"Demon eggs. Eagle demons to be exact..." replied Rin as she twirled her fingers together.
"Ye what! Are you crazy child?" exclaimed Kaede as her eyes widened with shock.
"I know...I'm so sorry for all of this." she said as she turned to Sesshoumaru and bowed her head in shame "I'm always making you worry about me, and you always have to save me somehow."
"Don't say unnecessary things Rin." replied Sesshoumaru as he closed his eyes.
"He is right Rin. Telling him not to protect and save ye is an insult to his pride. If ye are going to be talking like that, then ye might have well have just stayed here."
"Do not be foolish old woman. Even if Rin had decided not to come back with me, she would still be under my protection." He said as he left the hut.
"I'm sorry Kaede. You know how he is." Said Rin as she watched Sesshoumaru walk to a nearby tree and sit down under it.
"I know dear. It's fine. At least he is not as vulgar as Inuyasha." Replied Kaede as both her and Rin giggled a bit "Well ye best be going. Don't want to keep him waiting. We all know how both he and Inuyasha are when kept waiting too long."
"Patience is a virtue." Said Rin as she hugged Kaede and left the hut "Goodbye!" She walked outside of the hut and made her way over to Sesshoumaru who was watching the stars. She sat down next to him and looked up at him. He looked so calm and relaxed, and like he was thinking about millions of things. "Lord Sesshoumaru" she said as she tilted her head to the side. She turned so that she was facing him. Without looking at her he replied "I will send Jaken to get you a new kimono made."
"Oh! Ye-yea..." she said as she looked down at her blood stained kimono. She then noticed that Sesshoumaru's kimono was also stained with her blood as well. "Lord Sesshoumaru! Your kimono..."
"Pay no attention to it Rin."
"But it's stained with my blood and I-" she stopped when she noticed that he was now looking at her. "OK...I'm sorry."
"Does it still hurt?"
"Just a little, it's a bit hard to move my arms but I'm OK! No worries M'Lord!" she said, smiling at him brightly. He looked at her and took in her essence. She had grown so much. Long delicate arms and beautiful slim legs that curved to form her hips, that then moved in creating a tiny waist and out again in a larger curve, curves showing that she had grown into a woman. Eyes as large as saucers; those shiny orbs would watch him and captivate him. Beautiful pools of chocolate brown that faded into a honey-golden colour, as if the sun itself had been placed inside her eyes. Naturally pink cheeks and lips, slightly tanned skin from playing in the flower fields during her childhood days. Thick long curly hair, as dark as ebony, that reached her hips. Her voice was soft and sultry and when she laughed it seemed as if she had the ability to bring happiness back to this cold dark world. She also had a wonderful natural scent of flowers and of the forest. Everything about her was natural and pure.
Humans always grew so much faster than demons. Mortals, they were so frail. He reached out to her and cupped her cheek where a scar was. She sighed and leaned into his touch. He couldn't understand how she changed him, or when it happened, but he had learned, over the many years of being with and watching over her, what it meant to have something important to protect, and what happiness was. She always made him so calm; he could never get angry at her.
Rin clasped her hand over Sesshoumaru's own and closed her eyes. He noticed but made no move to remove his hand. He had become very close to Rin throughout the years, things that he would've done before he had met her, would not be like him now. If a human had dared to touch him before it would've meant death or getting their appendage ripped or burned off. But here he was now, staring at this young woman whom he cherished with all his heart, cupping her cheek, and she was holding his hand and smiling peacefully.
Jaken had realized the change in him ever since they had met Rin, and he found it odd but he certainly was not one to complain. His lord's threats towards him became worse if regarding Rin but otherwise he had become...not necessarily nicer, but he did not always go through with what he said anymore when he became angry with him.
Jaken watched Rin and his Lord from atop a hill nearby while he sat in the grass next to Ah-Un. He shook his head at his Lord. His Lord was such a strange man. He didn't understand what made Rin different from other humans, that made his Lord love her so much, but even he knew Rin was different somehow. It just couldn't be explained. She was special.
Sesshoumaru stood suddenly, picking up Rin in the process which surprised her because she made a tiny squeak sound. He was heading towards the hill that Jaken and Ah-Un were.
"Lord Sesshoumaru! I'm OK, I can walk just fine." she said as she winced slightly from a jolt of pain that went through her chest.
"You would exert yourself unnecessarily Rin."
"Yes M'Lord." She said as she snuggled herself into his mokomoko. She sighed at how soft it was and let out a yawn.
"Sleep." He said, more of as an order and not a request.
"Ahh *yawns* OK...you won't be gone when I wake up right?" she asked as she looked up at him pleading with her eyes. She knew her Lord would leave early in the mornings before she woke up, he liked his alone time sometimes.
"Sleep Rin." He replied as he took flight. Jaken rode after him on Ah-Un. Jaken knew better than to disturb his Lord while he spent quality time with Rin.
"Not until *yawn* you promise me. Promise me." She said as she held onto his kimono and snuggled into his chest and mokomoko some more, getting comfy. He looked down at her, the wind blowing her hair over her face, her sweet innocent face. He could deny her nothing.
"You have my word. Now sleep Rin."
"Thank you. *yawn* Goodnight Lord Sesshoumaru." She replied as she yawned once more and fell asleep. She had always fallen asleep easily if he was holding her; it had been the same way ever since she was a child. This woman amazed him how she had him wrapped around her finger. He was a slave to her, her every request, every whim, he would do anything to make her happy. Her happiness meant his happiness. She was his world.