End of the Line
Disclaimer: This is a purely non-profit story for entertainment purposes only. The characters of Inuyasha belong to their respective owners.
Author's Notes: This was an intriguing idea to me, to be sure. Sesshomaru has no idea how to raise children, so what'll he do when Rin grows up? This isn't meant to be romantic in any way, and I had a difficult time trying to portray what I wanted to without that edge of romance, although with the sense of affection. Granted, this is probably AU (I haven't seen all of Inuyasha yet), but take it as it is. Assuming Sesshomaru hunts Naraku for years and years, this is my take on what could possibly happen.
End of the Line
The night air was stiffly fresh, free of all the irritating scents that were suffused in it during the day; it became much easier to hunt in this enclosed space with no lingering smells to distract him. The grass barely moved with each step he took, and the dense trees of the forest seemed to give way to make him a clear path. There was only quiet stirring here, the creatures of the night emerging to sustain their lives. His keen eyes and acute sense of smell were searching, probing for suitable prey, but so far he had found nothing. Frustrated, he continued walking until he found a sizable stream halving the forest, creating a small clearing where the water ran over stone. He measured this to be the perfect hunting ground; all creatures, no matter big or small, would need to drink.
The air was thicker here, filled with many fragrances. Faintly he smelt humans, but that was to be expected. The wind was blowing up from downstream, where there was undoubtedly a village. Sniffing at the wind, he had just decided on his hiding spot behind a particular tree when a familiar scent struck him full force…
The scent of blood.
Immediately, his instincts kicked into gear, and he bared his fangs as he followed the trail. The smell intensified the further he went, and his primal urge fully overtook him. It was not until he was almost at the source of the blood that Sesshomaru realized he had returned to the clearing where he had left Jaken and Rin… and his aggressiveness turned into panic when he realized why the blood smelled intriguingly familiar.
His eyes quickly scanned the scene: Jaken, sleeping contentedly beside Ah-Un… and Rin, sitting up and hugging her legs to her chest. There was only a sliver of moonlight, but he could see instantly that Rin's face was white. She was shaking from head to toe, and he realized she was crying. Moving closer, the smell of blood overwhelmed his senses. It was without a doubt Rin's, and yet it had a slightly different tinge.
"Rin, what happened?" he asked stoically. Still, the girl shook and wept and refused to look up at him. Patiently, he walked over to her and tried asking her again. "Rin, tell me what happened."
She looked up at him with tear-stained cheeks, and he uncharacteristically held out his hand for her to take. Still she was reluctant.
"I—I'm s-sorry, Lord Sesshomaru," she sobbed. "I—I woke up and… and…" Another wave of tears hit her, and she couldn't speak. Sesshomaru, fearing the worst, grabbed her arm and pulled her up. The large bloodstain over the lower front of her kimono was painfully obvious. As if scandalized, the demon lord let go of her arm so fast that she thought he must hate her.
"I didn't mean to!" she cried, covering her face with her hands (which, Sesshomaru noted, were also covered in blood). "I don't k-know what happened… I woke up a-and there was all this blood…"
She wringed her hands on the kimono, as if that would clean it all away. He had never noticed it until now, but her clothes were getting far too small for her. The kimono that had once gone down to Rin's ankles now hung just above her knees, and it was another problem he knew he had to fix. His head swimming from the sensory overload, Sesshomaru was still composed enough to understand the situation.
"It is your moon blood," he stated flatly, eyeing her with some incorrigible distaste.
"Moon blood?" Rin asked, momentarily forgetting her woe at this new piece of information.
"It signifies that you are now a woman, and ready to bear children."
"You mean… this is normal? It happens to everyone?"
"Yes," Sesshomaru answered, but he grew weary of her questions. He was growing light-headed at being so close to blood and yet not preying upon it. "Follow me."
Not wanting to anger her lord, Rin ceased crying and was quick to obey. He had already taken another form, travelling away from her as a ball of white light. She quickly mounted Ah-Un, who snorted congenially at her, and flew after him.
She found him at a place where the trees parted, and was greeted by the sound of moving water. The river became visible as she neared, dismounting Ah-Un carefully so as not to stain him with blood. Tentatively, she approached her master.
"Lord Sesshomaru…?"
"Cleanse yourself and your clothes here. I will be back shortly."
Without another glance, he left in a swirl of light and she was alone. Ah-Un let out a sort of longing wail, then departed to forage in the surrounding trees. Sighing, she undressed and submerged herself in the river, shivering as the cold water washed against her skin. Goosebumps pricked all along her body as she scrubbed off the blood on her kimono. Once she had done the best she could, she turned her attention to herself.
Although alone, she couldn't help blushing as she saw her own body. Nothing was familiar to her anymore… her chest was developing, her waist starting to curve, and now this… this… moon blood…
She remembered something now that she thought about it… an older girl in the village had been talking about it, once. But she had been much too young to understand what it all meant. Heaving another sigh, she continued to bathe.
-
He had never noticed it happen. To him, she was still the little human child he had fancied to save and had followed him ever since, but now…
Rin wasn't a woman. Women he could easily manage, but the unmistakable signs indicated that she had grown up and he had not noticed. He tried to recall how long it had been since he had first saved her: three, four years? He didn't know, and he didn't care. Time had never mattered to him, but he forgot that to humans it meant the passage of life.
The village came into view, and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes in disgust. Never would he willingly enter a place of human habitation, but the necessity of the situation blocked out his pride. The village was asleep with the sun, not a soul stirring as he passed by. Without ever stopping, he gathered the items that he needed.
'A child, only a child…'He knew that after this, things would have to change.
-
She was sitting on the grass near the riverbank when he returned, fully clothed and shivering.
"Put these on," he stated, not requesting or demanding, "but keep those old clothes." He tossed the bundle of clothes at her, watching as she quickly retrieved them.
"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru." She took the parcel gratefully and started to undress, only to realize that he was still watching her. "Lord Sesshomaru…" she began hesitantly, not daring to request anything of him; yet she also couldn't bear the thought of her lord watching her. Undecided, she remained silent and immobile.
"I said change, Rin," he deadpanned, eyes never leaving her and never moving a muscle.
She faltered at first but acquiesced by obeying, slowly sliding the kimono off her shoulders. The scent of blood was stronger as she moved, and he had to refrain from pouncing on her. She tried to cover herself by holding the fabric over her chest, but it was no use. His claws itched to tear her to pieces, his fangs itched to bite into her flesh…he wanted to devour her whole.
And before he knew it, he had lunged at her and knocked her to the ground, pulling aside the kimono to reveal her naked body. He could see her budding breasts, heaving as Rin panted in shock. She had also started to develop womanly curves, but none of that mattered to him. All he wanted was that blood, and he pushed her legs apart to taste the fluid pooled between them. He lapped at it insistently, wanting and needing more. He wanted to consume her all at once…
"L-lord Sesshomaru…" Rin's voice was tiny and thin.
Regaining his senses, he immediately backed away from her to stand at the edge of the river. His lips were stained with blood. Taken aback by his own actions, he could not say anything as his ward stared at him, eyes wide and filled with an emotion he could not fathom. He turned away from her, angry at her and himself for losing his self-control.
"Get dressed," he ordered, and he heard the rustling of fabric as Rin obeyed. When the rustling ceased, he turned back to face her.
It was the first time in his life he had ever found a human beautiful. It was a strange sensation, but beautiful she was: dressed in powder blue, with her hair wet and eyes pleading. The only thing that ruined the illusion was the minute but recognizable scent of fear.
She had never feared him before.
"Lord Sesshomaru, I… I'm sorry. I'll never have moon blood again, I promise. I'll do anything to make it go away…"
He laughed harshly at her innocence, hating her for her care. "You will have the moon blood every cycle of the moon, and you cannot do anything to stop it."
She looked put out at his words, and somehow that made him feel secure again. Smug. Safe.
"I'm sorry…"
"Further down the river, you will find a village. You may choose to live there, if you wish. But you can no longer follow me."
She looked stunned by what he was saying, as if he had never assaulted her and she had not been afraid. "No! Please don't make me go. I love you, Lord Sesshomaru, I never want to leave!" Tears filled her eyes.
Was this how it always was, he wondered. A pleading human woman, captivated by a male demon… and the demon's inability to resist? Is that how and why half-demons were born? Of love?
"I do not care for love, nor do I know what it is."
"Lord Sesshomaru, please! I want to stay with you!"
"Go. Leave me."
"Lord Sess—"
"Go! Never utter my name again."
And he left in a sphere of light, leaving her alone again by the river. He dared to chance one glance back, and saw her in a heap on the ground, still crying. When he reached his destination, he whistled for Ah-Un and woke Jaken.
"Huh? My lord?" the sleepy servant asked, oblivious of everything. "What's going on? Where's Rin?"
"Rin will no longer be travelling with us. We're leaving." Ah-Un emerged from the shadows, and the statuesque demon departed engulfed by white light.
"Wha—Lord Sesshomaru, wait for me!"
But Sesshomaru never waited, and he never looked back. He would not be so foolish as to fall in love with a human; she feared him, and that was the way it ought to be. They had reached the end of the line. How could a human and a demon ever live together peacefully?
As he was whisked away through the night, surrounded by the waxen radiance, the cold breeze brought a haunting wail echoing his name.
END
AN: The ending's a bit… icky, but this was already longer than I wanted it to be. As always, feedback would be greatly appreciated.