To Be Human (Prelude)
By Melinda-chan
This is my first Inu-Yasha fic so I hope I get everything right. Readers that are more familiar with the anime and manga are welcome to note any mistakes and contact me. I am very excited about this story so without further delay, let the story begin!
Jaken was getting impatient. He was with Rin in the forest alone. He watched for any demons that could be lurking nearby ready to take the young girl. As much as he hated to take care of the mortal, he feared Sesshoumaru even more.
"I need to go really bad", Rin told him.
"Well do it then!" Jaken said not hiding his irritation. "Go to that tree and do your business!" He was getting tired of this.
"You will be nearby?" Rin asked. What choice did Jaken have?
"Of course I will!" Jaken responded. "Now go and do it already! I do not want for Sesshoumaru-sama to be waiting!"
Rin walked away from the small demon. Once she was sure that he was not looking at her, she lifted up her kimono. She knew that Jaken only put up with her due to Sesshoumaru-sama. Still she was happy being with the great dog demon and his lackey. Seeshoumaru-sama had saved her life and let her follow her and protect her from demons, this despite the fact that Sesshoumaru-sama didn't like humans.
What human being after her parents died ever did that to her?
As she relieved herself next to a tree, a dark green snake with yellow stripes was spying on her. He watched without shame as the girl put down her kimono. He made a hissing sound that would not be audible to human ears. He came closer opening his fangs in preparation. The blood of this little girl would make a perfect meal for Himitsu, the snake demon.
It was then that Rin heard something on the ground. She turned around but it was too late to run before the snake bit her on her left hand.
Jaken was startled by a loud scream. What trouble could the human brat got herself into? He ran as fast as possible only to see Rin lying down on the ground. Himitsu was lapping the blood from her hand gleefully.
"A snake-" Jaken did not finish his words before the snake demon, startled by his presence, used his long body to whack his staff out of his hand. Jaken rushed to catch it but the small demon was thrown against a tree and lost consciousness. The snake demon retuned to licking the blood from the girl's hand. It was such a rare treat for him- a child in the forest alone. The poison from his fangs would spread in the body and the child would quickly die. Already the girl's eyes were glazing over.
"Himitsu! Your evil deeds stop now!" a boy's voice made the dark green snake look to the left. He let go of the girl and hissed. He knew from previous encounters who this boy is and what he can do.
"Nobu", the demon hissed. "You think you can interrupt my meal?"
"This is going to be your last meal, evil snake demon!" the boy declared. He held up the sword. The tip was already shaking.
"I am sssooo ssscccared", the snake demon shook his tail mockedly. "Ssspppare me".
"You should be scared", Nobu said, either not noticing the mock or not fazed by it. "Once I unleash the power of my sword, you will be helpless while I cut off your head!"
"Kukukuku", Himitsu chuckled. He then narrowed his yellow eyes. "I like you to try it".
"Then I shall! Holy Sword Shock Wave Attack!" Nobu yelled at the top of his lungs. The tip of his sword crackled with energy. Himitsu was not deterred. As soon as the sword hit the ground, he leaped up body and all.
"You misss!! And now I ssshhhall devour you!" the dark green snake declared, opening his mouth ready to bite. Just then the boy raised his left arm. It was covered with rosary beads and a paper talisman that read "Lightning" in kanji.
The snake demon reacted immediately. He used every ounce of his muscles to turn away from landing on the boy's left arm. He then landed on the ground behind him. The demon saw that the boy had on his back a similar talisman.
"I ssshhhall be back", Himitsu said. Before the boy could turn and face him again, Himitsu had disappeared into the trees.
"He's gone. I almost had him too!" the priest-looking boy exclaimed. Just then he saw a small demon that looked somewhat like a toad lying unconscious next to a tree. He put the sword over the demon's head. "I may not be able to kill Himitsu today but I can still kill this demon". He was about to thrust the sword into the demon when he heard a little moan. He turned around. The sound came from the girl who was jerking on the ground in pain. She was still alive?
"The poison hasn't killed her yet but she needs help fast!" He put his sword back into his sash and picked her up. Her eyes were nearly closed. "The poison should have killed her by now! She is strong! But I must take her home or she'll not survive!" So the boy ran off, hoping that he will have enough time to save her.
It was some time later now since Jaken was knocked out. He regained consciousness and managed to open his eyes. At once he wished that he didn't. For Sesshoumaru was looking right at him with the normal stoic face of his. Jaken, however, knew that he was not pleased.
"Where is Rin?" the dog demon demanded. His voice was emotionless as usual but Jaken had a bad feeling that unless he could come up with a good answer, it would not be wise to be around him.
"Sesshoumaru-sama! It-it wasn't my fault! This snake demon came and-" Jaken was stopped when the dog demon clutched his throat.
"And do you know where this snake demon went?" Sesshoumaru inquired. He then loosed the grip around the small demon's throat.
"I don't know Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken croaked. "The snake demon knocked me out but the girl she is-"
"Not here", Sesshoumaru finished. Jaken looked surprised. He then looked at the spot where he last saw Rin and the snake demon. No one was there.
"But my lord! I saw the girl and the snake demon there!" Jaken protested. He then heard Sesshoumaru sniffing the air. Sesshoumaru dropped the little demon and went down to the tree. Sesshoumaru bent down and sniffed the ground.
"Rin was here by this tree", Sesshoumaru said. "I can smell her blood and urine". He then sniffed again at the ground. "There was another human as well".
"Another human my lord?" Jaken asked, puzzled. "All I saw there beside Rin was the snake demon".
"What did this demon look like?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"It was green with yellow stripes", Jaken told him.
'Himitsu', the dog demon thought. 'This is where you are now'. He then closed his eyes, focusing all his senses to his nose. He then opened his eyes. "I know where Rin and the other human went".
"Oh?" Jaken said. He then saw his staff, the Staff of Skulls, on the ground. He ran to it, retrieved it and went back to his lord. "What are you doing to do now my lord?" Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.
"First of all, I shall find where the human took Rin", Sesshoumaru then smirked. "Then I shall find the snake demon that spilled her blood".
"Of course!" Jaken said. He really wanted to leave Rin with the human but he knew better than to argue with Sesshoumaru-sama. 'One of these days she will be your downfall. You are not meant to have such a measly human at your side. Still I shall serve you loyally until that day comes', Jaken thought.
"Jaken are you coming?" the white dog demon inquired.
"Of course! I was just thinking!" the toad-looking demon replied, feeling a bit embarrassed that he made his lord impatient.
"Thinking about what?" Sesshoumaru asked. This really put Jaken on the spot. He decided to lie.
"I was thinking about the human that took Rin", Jaken told him. "Suppose the person took her to a village, then what? She could be dead too. The venom of a snake demon can be very poisonous my lord".
"If she got to a village she would get help. If not she would die", Sesshoumaru answered. "In that case you will die too". This shook Jaken up. He knew that Sesshoumaru hold him responsible for Rin when he was not there. For his sake he had to hope that the girl didn't die. "But I will kill the snake demon first".
"Should-should we go find it then?" Jaken asked him. Sesshoumaru walked forward without replying. Jaken hustled behind him. "I am coming my lord!"
A minute after they were gone, Himitsu went down a tree. The snake demon knew who Sesshoumaru is so he made certain that he didn't make any noise lest the demon lord heard him. It was apparent to him that Rin was the girl that he tried to kill earlier. He remembered the taste of her blood. He liked it and wanted to have it again. This led him to thinking.
'Thisss child isss important to him, hm? I mussst make her come back to me. Her blood wasss deliciousss and I could ussse her asss bait to defeat the great demon lord. How to do it, though, isss the quessstion. I ssshhhould think about it', Himitsu then went up a tree and stayed there until the next day.
In the meantime the boy, Nobu, had taken her to his home and laid her on a futon. He and his grandmother, a grey-haired lady, were watching over her. The girl now had paper talismans all over her body.
"She is strong but I don't know if the paper talismans will help her", Nobu said to his grandmother. The grey-haired woman looked down at the girl.
"Those paper talismans would keep the demonic venom at bay but only her will to live will save her", the woman told him. Nobu put the prayer beads in his hands into his lap. He looked sadly at the girl. Despite having various o-fudas all over her body, he could see her face still jerking from time to time. The poison was still seeking to regain control.
"I will go to the altar and pray to Buddha. Perhaps he can help her", Nobu uttered. The woman nodded.
"Do as you wish my grandson. There is nothing we can do now until she revives. That is, if she does", his grandmother said.
"She will survive", her grandson said in a determined voice. "I cannot allow that evil snake demon to take another life. I swear in the name of Buddha that no more souls will be going to the other world because of him. She will not die". His grandmother looked at him studying his face. He then pushed open the room separator and left the room. She then went back to watching the girl.
'I cannot blame him' she thought. 'It has been a year since his parents' death and he still feels responsible for what Himitsu did to them. The snake demon does need to be destroyed.' She then kneeled closer to the girl. She opened her left eyelid. Her eye was still glazed. She closed it.
"You're fighting but it is going to be a long battle. I do hope that you will win. My grandson has seen so much destruction and death from the snake demon that I do not know what will happen if you die", the old woman spoke in a low voice. "I shall stay here until Nobu returns. I will make some tea for him as well. I have a feeling that he will not want to leave your side for a long time".
In the meantime, Nobu was praying in front of a grand statue of a sitting Buddha. As he used the prayer beads in his hands as he finished a prayer, he hoped that the girl is one step closer to winning the fight against the poison in her body. He felt that only Buddha and her will to live could help her now.
End of Chapter One
This is my first Inu-Yasha fic so I hope it was good. Will Rin survive the night? If she does, how will she react when she finds out where she is? And what will Himitsu do to taste Rin's blood again? You have to wait until the next chapter. Inu-Yasha was created by Rumiko Takahashi. A big thanks to YTV for (finally!) showing the anime in Canada and for Chris Rijk for his online manga translations. Do not forget to review!