Title: Through the Eyes of a Child
Author: MageofDarkness
Rating: G (Damn, I can't believe I'm writing something suitable for all audiences. (cough))
Author's Notes: Just an idea I came up with after watching the last neko-youkai episode, specifically watching Rin sing her cute song. I just love Rin, she's so cute! Err, but I bet you all know I love Rin. (cough) Anyway, I like this piece... WAFFy, but I think I did an okay job of keeping everyone IC. I might add more to this, like when Rin's older... But I dunno. Make Mage a happy psycho and review please!
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"He's no man, he's a demon!"
"I heard he eats little children!"
"He's vicious and cruel! Why do we not attack?"
"He'd kill us all without a second thought, you fool!"
"That's Sesshoumaru, a nasty, ugly demon that hides within a human-like shell!"
Nine-year old Rin heard all the whispers the villagers exchanged, and she was sure her Lord heard also. Why did he allow them to speak such lies about him? Why would they say such things in the first place?
Her brown eyes were troubled, and she didn't smile. She walked quietly behind her Lord Sesshoumaru, her wonderful, merciful Lord Sesshoumaru, as they and Sesshoumaru's retainer, Jaken-sama, passed through this small farming village. Rin didn't know where they were going, or why they couldn't go around the village, but she didn't ask. She would follow her Lord anywhere he chose to go.
Watching her Lord, she pondered quietly to herself as she listened to the cruel, whispered words of the villagers. He simply walked ahead, tall, regal and proud, his long silver hair swaying gently as he walked. His chiseled features were stoic, as always, and his golden eyes betrayed no emotion. No anger, no hatred, no denial, no sadness. Nothing, as was his way.
Rin bit her bottom lip as she blocked out the sounds, the words she did not wish to hear. Her Lord was not like that, not at all! She moved closer to Jaken-sama, who led Ah-Un, betraying her nervousness. The little green imp that was her caretaker gave her a hard look as he glanced at her.
"Jaken-sama?" She whispered to him.
"We shall talk later, Rin." The imp knew she was pondering something, judging by the look in her brown eyes.
Rin nodded her understanding. "Hai, Jaken-sama."
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Later, Rin sat on the grass in the forest clearing where her Lord had decided they would set up camp, leaning slightly against a sleeping AhUn. Sesshoumaru-sama was gone now though, had left without a word. But the young girl knew he'd be back, he always came back to her.
Jaken emerged from the trees, carrying an armload of firewood. The imp dumped the thick branches and bits of wood in front of Rin, who quietly, routinely, made a circle of stones and arranged the wood inside. Her caretaker withdrew some flint and tender from his robes and started a fire.
"Now, Rin, what did you want to talk to this Jaken-sama about?" He asked, glancing at the young human girl with bulbous yellow eyes.
"Ano, Jaken-sama... Why were the villagers so hostile towards our Lord?" Rin spoke, her voice soft. She really was troubled, Jaken noticed. Normally Rin was a bit loud, but not annoyingly so.
"The villagers are hostile because they fear Sesshoumaru-sama, and rightly so! I feel our great Lord would be insulted if they were not afraid." The imp said proudly, puffing out his little chest. "Humans are far below demons, child, and should know their place."
Rin nodded, finding the answer understandable. She knew humans were indeed underneath demons, having been taken care of by two youkai for nearly three years of her life already. "But why do they speak such lies about Sesshoumaru-sama?" She asked, tapping her rounded chin, her eyes thoughtful. "And why does Sesshoumaru-sama not deny their lies?"
"What lies do you speak of child?" Jaken glanced at her. He would have raised a brow, if he had eyebrows.
"The villagers said Sesshoumaru-sama was a cruel, ugly demon who would not hesitate to strike them down," Rin said to him, her voice rising a bit. "Such statements must be lies! Sesshoumaru-sama is none of that! ...Well he is a demon, but you know what Rin means, ne Jaken-sama?"
"Oh, that. Girl, those aren't all lies." The toad shook his head at his Lord's ward's naïveté. She understood nothing...
"What? But Sesshoumaru-sama has been nothing but kind to Rin..." The girl gazed at Jaken, her face filled with confusion and hurt. Could her perceptions of the great Youkai Lord be incorrect?
"Rin, Rin, Rin..." The imp sighed. "Do you know nothing, you foolish girl? Our Lord is a great and terrible demon, the Lord of the Western Lands. I have seen him slaughter a mortal for no better reason than the man was in his way. Our Lord is a youkai first and foremost, and youkai kill humans. It's our way of life."
"He was merciful to me..." Rin said, frowning slightly, trying her best to understand. "Why would he be so cruel to other humans, when he's been nothing but kind to Rin?"
"Sesshoumaru-sama despises humans, with you being the exception. I do not know why he acts differently towards you; this Jaken does not always understand our Lord's motives."
Rin seemed satisfied that her Lord did not hate her as he hated all other mortals, at least. She wasn't fond of her own kind either, since it was humans that brought her pain and fright, not demons. "Why does he hate humans though?"
"Ah, now that this Jaken-sama can tell you, Rin." Jaken sat down by the fire, poking it with a stick. "Sesshoumaru's father Inutaishou was a great demon, the greatest of the Four Youkai Lords. Inutaishou's first wife, Sesshoumaru-sama's mother Meiran, was a beautiful inuyoukai Lady and ruled her husband's lands while he was on patrol, which was quite often.
"One day when our Lord was but a child, Meiran was murdered by a dragon youkai. Inutaishou caught word, and gave her a proper funeral, but he did not seem very sad to see his wife's fate. But this was only the beginning, child." Jaken's eyes closed and he seemed almost sad.
Rin leaned forward, eyes wide. "Go on Jaken-sama! What happens next? You still haven't explained why our Lord hates humans."
"Be patient Rin!" Jaken snapped. "I'm getting to that. Not long after Meiran's death, Inutaishou took up with a human Princess named Izayoi. The Great Demon-Dog had fallen deeply in love with her, and Sesshoumaru hated his father for betraying both him, and his late mother. Inutaishou and Izayoi had a son named Inuyasha, and the Taiyoukai lavished the hanyou with attention and pride and affection. Sesshoumaru was nearly forgotten, up until the point where Inutaishou berated him for not protecting his step-mother and half-brother."
"Why would Inutaishou do such a thing?!" Rin interrupted, looking quite upset. "Oh, poor Sesshoumaru-sama..."
Jaken sighed. "I don't know why, child. But ever since the day Izayoi became his father's mate, Sesshoumaru has hated humans, and his late father, with a passion, and one cannot blame him. One can't blame him for hating Inuyasha either, for it was HE who cut off our Lord's other arm."
"I see now... Everyone's been so cruel to our Lord, even his own brother; it's no wonder he's been cruel also. Maybe Sesshoumaru-sama does not know how to be kind..." The girl said softly, more to herself than her impish companion.
Jaken just poked at the crackling flames with a stick of firewood, the flickering light reflected in his bug-like yellow eyes.
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Sesshoumaru had heard everything. Every word of it.
He hadn't intended to be gone long. The youkai had been just yards away from the clearing when Jaken's voice had carried to his sensitive ears. He inwardly winced at the painful memories the story had drudged up; memories of his father disappointment in him, of his mother's bloody body, of his hated step-mother Izayoi, of his bastard half-brother's birth, of his half-brother cutting off his arm. The taiyoukai put on his stoic face, and strode into the clearing several minutes after silence had befallen the camp.
He wanted no one to see his pain.
Especially Rin.
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"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin greeted him with a sunny smile. Sesshoumaru simply nodded to her, which was more than he usually did. The girl beamed, thrilled that he had acknowledged her.
"Have you eaten, Rin?" He asked, his deep voice without hate or malice, or annoyance or conviction. The voice he only used for her.
"Ano... No, Rin hasn't eaten."
Golden eyes closed slowly, then opened again. "Come, Rin. Jaken, stay with the pack beast." Sesshoumaru turned and strode from the clearing once again, the white of his hair and clothing almost glowing in the twilight.
"Hai!" Rin got up from her warm spot against AhUn and ran after him, her bare feet snapping twigs and crunching dead leaves.
As they walked, Rin thought about what Jaken had told her. Everyone had been cruel to her Lord... But she wouldn't be.
'Rin will be very kind to Sesshoumaru-sama, to make up for all the cruelty he's endured...' She jogged to walk by her Lord's side, and boldly reaching up, she took his large, clawed hand in her own small one, and smiled up at him.
He didn't turn his head to look back at her, nor did he smile. Sesshoumaru simply closed his eyes and gave her hand a light, reassuring squeeze, and that was enough for Rin.
The Taiyoukai was comforted that day by the fact that he wasn't a monster to the one person that mattered.
In her eyes, he wasn't a fearsome Lord.
In her eyes, he wasn't a frightening youkai.
In her eyes, he wasn't cruel, or cold, or bloodthirsty.
Through the eyes of a child, he was simply Sesshoumaru, nothing more, nothing less.