Rin and Sesshomaru: Love's A Challenge
Disclaimer:I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA! Sadly.
Love's A Challenge
Chapter One: Rin Reborn
I was young when all of this happened. Too young. I was naïve and foolish, but it's nothing that can be changed now; it's something I have to live with. Despite these thoughts, I relive that day every day in my mind, regretting it.
It all began when I was a child and my village was attacked. Trying to escape, I encountered a beautiful demoness. She asked for what my heart desired. My mother and father taught me revenge was never the answer. The idea was worth second-guessing considering my village was being burned alive but they contrinued saying that all of those negative emotions will end up hurting me instead. They were right. Unimaginably so. I gave the demoness the answer I was raised to answer: I don't want revenge. But my heart spoke louder than my words: I wanted revenge. The demoness gave me the power to pursue my heart's hidden desire: retribution for my family, my village. It wasn't long before my body began to change. I remember endless nights while my body morphed into something I wasn't born to withstand. I became like the monster that slaughtered my village.
A Demon.
The attackers of my village were stray bandits, human, but they destroyed everything like the demons in my father's stories. When I realized I wasn't any different, a monster, a demon, a daiyōkai, as many called me, I hated myself. The thought of me being a monster made me refuse to look in the mirror. I not only didn't have the luxury to look in a mirror to begin with, but when I was given a chance during my travels, I refused. Whenever my mother spoke about it, it seemed as if a myth, it wasn't real, that is, until I saw one. I remember it being a dream to see gaze at myself in one of those mirror but that dream shattered. I was driven instead to another dream, an aspiration. I know I have the strength to exact my revenge, in fact, I have more than I need, but even though so much time has passed, I have yet to do anything. If anything, I've tried to isolate myself from civilization, but I've never forgotten what Mama and Papa taught me. I refuse to.
The hard bark of the tree is beginning to dig into my back. I shifted my position slightly and continued to focus on the guest. My guest wasn't particularly worrying, with that small aura, he wasn't a danger. I made no move and tried to look unguarded, that I haven't realized he was there. He made no noise, not even a twig snapped as he got closer. Impressive, but not intimidating. No words were exchanged before he charged. I jumped out of the way to see the demon fist a hole in the ground I was just sitting on. The demon turned to face me again, but he didn't get the chance. He didn't even take a full breath before my claws ripped him in half, from head to toe. My ears were filled with the sound of his flesh ripping, his bones being shattered but also the distant sound of a something running towards me.
I lingered too long.
I retracted my bloodied claws and ambled away. The sound of hundreds filled my ears getting closer… I lingered way too long.
My aura, my demonic power, if you will, attracts demons from hundreds of miles. Few have that affect, and I happen to be one of few. The power the demoness bestowed on me is a curse that calls to anyone in the area. The power inside of me makes anyone hunger for it, a thirst for power no one can overcome, no one can control. I don't blame them but this curse. Of course, this is only one of the two curses I carry. My scent, other than my aura, plays a big part in this, specifically on the second curse. My scent of blood. Which reminds me, I'd better lose their trail before I regret it. I could smell the familiar scent of a spring: its humidity, the promise of a hot spring. The idea of bathing makes me happy. I hate the scent of blood on my hand.
"Lord Sesshomaru! Wait for me!" yelled a little green imp named Jaken. The imp walked faster before tripping and falling once more. He quickly got up and walked faster to catch up with his master. The demon lord continued walking not looking back. There's a daiyōkai up ahead, the demon lord thought and pushed the thought away refusing to waste precious time. They were heading west: Lord Sesshomaru and the company of Jaken and the demon Ah-Un. "M-Milord? Might I ask where we are heading?" Jaken asked.
Silence.
"Jaken," Sesshomaru said.
"Y-Yes, milord," Jaken asked.
"Don't ask useless questions," said Sesshomaru.
"Of course, Milord," Jaken replied. But I still wonder where we are heading, Jaken thought.
My hair dripped against my back, and small beads of water ran down over my body. I reached for my garments on the rock. I tied my yukata in place with the obi, an old, worn out thing I refuse to leave behind. Why? Because it belonged to my father: a great man. Memories flooded my head, but I pushed them back. I swallowed the lump in my throat and continued to put on all of my layers. Still my mind wandered aimlessly and wondered why them? Why that village? I was sheathing my sword against my left hip when my whole body paused for one moment and my mind was attacked with one memory.
"Remember to have a firm grip on the hilt of your sword," my father reminded me for the umpteenth time.
My father has been teaching me swordsmanship, but his is the first time I'm actually practicing with him. I really don't want to fail him.
"Yes, father," I respond. My high-pitched voice reverbed in my memory.
"Very well. I shall charge, and you shall show me what you have practiced so far," my father said. I nodded. I focused on my father's stance, made my own and waited. The sweat on my hands began to accumulate loosening my grip on the sword, but I held on.
After a few seconds, he charged without warning. I panicked and tried to remember the stance father taught me to block. In the nick of time I did the stance and put up my sword.
CLANG!
I heard the two swords clash together. I looked up at my father and at the swords. The two swords were crossed and my father had a smile of pride on his face. I was undoubtedly confused.
"You have done well. You truly are my daughter," my father complimented. He ruffled my hair and put his sword back in his sheath as I followed suit.
I gave a quick bow before saying, "Thank you, Father. I will try even harder." Father nodded.
"Now go get ready for supper," my father said. I nodded and made my way to the hut I knew as home.
I did not notice my father coming in right after me until after I took off my obi did he put a hand on my shoulder. "Before you take off your obi, I would like to teach you how a swordsman ties his obi," my father said.
"Of course, father," I replied. He kneeled down and went step by step on how to tie the obi.
I memorized it and to this day I've tied my obi that way. Especially after my family's death. I felt the emotion welling up in me, but it refused to make itself shown.
I began walking to try to distract myself from these thoughts. I have goals in this life, but I don't have the courage to pursue them. My goals are to eliminate the curses I carry. How they began is a pain to tell and only shows the ignorance of many, but it's a story I had to learn because it's my story, my burden, it's how I came to be.
It all started centuries ago with a beautiful woman, a human woman, and Naraku's, or should I say Onigumu's, ancestors. The woman was working at the inn Onigumu's ancestor was staying in and was overcome with lust. He wished to bed with the woman, but she refused. He didn't like this and somehow placed a curse on her all because she refused to obey an order, to know her place. The curse became known as The Never Ending Battle.
Her name was Saisho.
As the carrier of the curse, Saisho had to withstand its consequences. One consequence was if someone were to lay eyes on her, smell her scent, or even feel her aura, they would be overcome with the sudden urge to fight her. Saisho narrowly escaped each attempt on her life. No matter how hard or how long she tried to hide herself, she was never safe.
Saisho began to look for a power strong enough to protect herself from those trying to harm her and came across an old witch. The witch offered her that power to protect herself, and despite all of the warnings the witch gave, the foolish Saisho agreed without a second thought, no doubt due to her paranoia. The terrible twist was here.
The witch cursed Saisho for her ignorance and selfishness with that power: the power of a demon. The curse of Never Ending Battle was fused with the witch's; Saisho would now no longer be hunted for no reason but now for the purpose of obtaining the power inside of her: the power that grows with every year.
The witch said two last sentences before Saisho would leave with her newfound curse: One, pass the curse on to another ignorant woman and die, or two, kill the man or his descendant who placed the curse this new curse was built upon. In other words, since this new curse was built upon the curse of The Never Ending Battle from Onigumu's ancestor, it would be considered its source, and thus, in order to get rid of these curses, I need to kill where it came from.
This is why Naraku is my target.
The carriers of these curses, or curse, have been through centuries of failed attempts in assassinating the Descendent. This is a never ending cycle, but I will be the one to end it. I will kill Naraku and save the future carriers so no one leads this kind of life.
I was so carried away in my thoughts I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. But no matter how deep I am, this scent always breaks through. His scent.
Naraku.
Without hesitating, I followed it. I ran as fast as my feet allowed me dodging the branches and underbrush. Everything passed me in a blur and I could only see what was in front of me.
Freedom.
Kill Naraku and I'm free. This motivated me to run faster, and soon enough, Naraku's aura was in view. The large cloud of miasma ahead did not threaten me but only fueled my adrenaline.
I ran.
The demon lord looked up towards the sky. His eyes saw miles ahead a familiar miasma.
"Jaken."
"Yes, milord?" the small imp, Jaken, replied.
"Stay here," and without another word, the demon lord, Sesshomaru, disappeared in a white cloud into the sky.
Jaken remained in the same position confused at the events that just happened. What could've made his master leave in such a hurry?
I arrived in an open field with nothing in sight. I inhaled and Naraku's smell invaded my head and seemed to crush my mind. I looked around, and I still found nothing in sight. Typical Naraku: hide from plain view and attack when the prey lets down their guard. I've been through this too many times to know not to do what he expects.
My instincts kicked in suddenly as I jumped into the sky. I seemed to have dodged a tentacle that destroyed the spot where I was previously standing. I barely placed my feet back on the ground before a second tentacle came.
A laugh filled the empty meadow I stood in. "What a strange coincidence, is it not… Rin?" Naraku said. I unsheathed my sword and leveled it in front of me.
"Do you really think me as a fool to not notice your foul aura, Naraku," I said.
"A fool? I think of you as a waste of air," Naraku replied. A growl rumbled in my throat. He just crossed the line.
The me before, as a human, wouldn't have even thought about coming close to Naraku. The me now came here without a second thought. I was known as sweet, little Rin. But the me now… The me now is the Rin Reborn…
Rewritten. I only hope it's better. Thanks for everything!
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