"Rin? Rin, wake up," a fellow servant called to the sleeping human.
She quickly woke and rubbed the post-tear goop out of her eyes. "What is wrong?"
The maid pulled Rin up with her superior demon strength and threw her daily work yukata at her. "Lady Susumu wishes you to go pick out her kimono as well as Lady Kagura's! You should have been there minutes ago!"
Rin jumped at the realization that she must have slept too long and dressed herself quickly, paying no mind to the maid in the room. Skipping her normal routine, Rin pulled her dark hair into a quick bun and ignored her growling stomach.
She sprinted through the hallways to Lady Susumu's quarters and almost collided with Prince Kouga on the way. Rin fell into a bow immediately and uttered many apologies, making the wolf demon laugh. He assured her that all was well. Thanking him as she rushed on, Rin almost fell when she came around a sharp corner to the front of Susumu's rooms. She had startled the two guards on duty, but once they realized it was only the human maid, they relaxed and let her through without question.
"There you are," Lady Susumu carried a chastising tone, standing before Rin's bowed form. "We have been waiting much too long. Where have you been?"
Rin shrunk down further into the ground and replied, "I woke late, my lady."
A hum came from Susumu, who believed that Rin was telling the honest truth, but felt that something was amiss with the young woman she had seen grow up. "That is unusual for you. You are forgiven- however, do not make it a habit. I need your abilities greatly, as does Lady Kagura."
Rin stood and made her way over to the wardrobe - asking the normal daily questions as she picked out Lady Susumu's attire.
"Would you like a light summer kosode for your underclothes, my lady, for the convenience of your late morning walk? A salmon pink collar?" Rin thought aloud more than asked. It was a rare occasion for Susumu to disagree.
"Of course," the Lady said.
"As for the kimono… The forest grass is flourishing, my lady. A green to match it would be pleasing," Rin pulled out the pure green kimono with half-circles adorning the sleeves with a patterned emerald green on the hem and collar.
"Perfect, as always," Susumu complimented the choices, "And which obi?"
"A darker pink - to match the late-blooming wildflowers, my lady," Rin replied as some of the other maids dressed Susumu. Once she was clothed properly and the waist of the kimono was folded for her smaller height, Rin sidled next to her lady and began to tie the obi.
"A good match to my natural mood," Susumu looked herself over in one of the few mirrors to be had in the Western Lands. "And what should we have for Lady Kagura, Rin?"
Rin wandered over to the open traveling wardrobe and picked out a sea foam green kosode with light circle patterns. She rifled through the kimonos, one-by-one, and finally came across one that was white with a red traditional tie pattern. Rin plucked a simple yellow obi to offset the other colors and was rewarded with indirect praise from Susumu.
"Oh, Lady Kagura! This is most magnificent on you- like it is your destined outfit!" Susumu walked circles around the visiting demoness, making sure everything was perfect.
Kagura smiled at her reflection in the mirror and shot her red eyes to Rin, who stood in the background with her head down. "Your skills have been proven to me, Rin."
With that, Kagura plucked two strands of teal beaded earrings and outfit herself with them. Two maids came behind her and styled her hair in a complex bun and stuck a white feathery ornament in it- which was a beautiful contrast with her pitch black hair.
"Thank you for your maids' services, my lady," Kagura bowed to Susumu as she said, "I must meet with my father this morning. I trust that I'll see you at dinner?"
Susumu replied with an affirmative and bowed back. Once Kagura had left, she turned to Rin and said, "Something must have really upset you, Rin. Usually I do not have to hear the incessant growls of your stomach in the mornings while you dress me."
Rin blushed and found herself staring at her toes for what felt like the millionth time that morning. "It was a nightmare, my lady. And oversleeping from it caused me to skip breakfast."
"Go feed yourself," Susumu waved her elegant claws at her, effectively dismissing Rin.
After a much needed but late breakfast, Rin had nothing to do. It was a rare and glorious occasion for Rin, who was normally flitting about to change her lady and her guests as well as being in charge of cleaning the high-quality kimonos. She had finished her workload the day before and wouldn't have anything more to clean until the next morning.
Freedom, a thing Rin truly cherished, was welcomed with open arms.
Rin amused herself by walking through one of the gardens on the east side of the castle. She took time to admire the slowly wilting summer blooms, making a note in her head to begin shaking out the fall kimonos within the next couple of weeks.
Rin found herself singing yet again, letting the time of the day slip past her as she did so.
"And you sang… Sail to me, sail to me…"
Sesshomaru was hearing the voice again - the assumed voice of Kagura. It was the same song as the other day…
"Let me enfold you."
The song caught Sesshomaru off-guard and made him loose track of time and his duties. Ignoring the papers before him, Sesshomaru leapt out of the only window in the room and walked closer to Kagura's voice.
He was intercepted by Lord Onigumo - who inconveniently stepped right in the dog demon's path.
"You hear Kagura's voice, don't you?" the demon gestured toward the voice coming from around the bend of trees many yards away. "My daughter is practicing for you, my lord! Her shyness makes me ask you not to go any closer!"
Sesshomaru eyed the shorter demon with annoyance while he said with his menacing growl of a voice, "She will sing for me in person… before any ceremony takes place, Onigumo."
Onigumo hid the apprehension in his voice when he replied, "Of course, my lord! She only wishes to perfect her song beforehand!"
Sesshomaru gave one last golden glare to Onigumo before he turned on a heel and made his way back to his study - making a point to kick a rock and noting in his head that he would take this anger out on Jaken later.
"Father," Kagura sarcastically called from a window not too far off from Onigumo. "How could you make such a promise?"
"Shut it, Kagura!" Onigumo snapped, leaping into her room and glaring at the demoness. "You caught all of little Rin's song, right?"
Kagura sighed and sat on a comfy pillow, huffing as her posterior hit the ground. "Of course I did! It's such a silly song. How could a silly song like that possibly convince Sesshomaru that I am his intended? I can't even sing!"
Onigumo smirked at her then. He brushed his wavy black hair over his shoulder and gave Kagura a feral look as he sauntered over to her body. He knelt down before her and whispered against her neck, "You can't sing yet."
Another ordeal called dinner came and passed, leaving a saddened Rin in its wake.
Throughout the traditional early summer dinner, Rin could see the glances Sesshomaru afforded Kagura. His golden eyes rested on her for far too long and traveled in her direction far too often.
When Rin came back to Susumu to dress the ladies before dinner, she found that Kagura's obi had been untied and retied sloppily in a manner that mimicked a man's belt. This suggested almost exactly that she had slept with someone… sometime between breakfast and dinner. The only men she had been with today, Rin surmised, were her father and Sesshomaru.
Once Rin was dismissed, she swiftly walked to the outer gates of the fortress and sat on a patch of grass next to a bush of comforting flowers and continued to sulk. She could not find the serenity within herself to bask in the lingering heat from the day or to watch the sun slowly making its way over the distant ocean.
"Hello there," a smooth, deep voice said from behind Rin.
Startled, Rin jumped and swiftly turned her head to find a large figure wearing white fur and a mask speaking to her. "H-hello?" Rin said uncertainly, unable to keep the fear from her voice.
"My name is Naraku. There is no need to fear me, Rin."
Rin quirked an eyebrow, trying to see the parts of his face that were not covered by his monkey - or maybe it was a baboon- mask. She could see his normal-looking mouth, but through the eye holes she could clearly depict red demon eyes. Instead of scaring Rin, the red eyes put her at ease. Demons in her life had never seriously harmed her- only humans had by killing her mother, father, and brothers.
Before Rin could question Naraku, he continued, "I have seen the turmoil in your heart, Rin. I know your desires, your fears… I wish to help you attain what you find most unattainable."
Rin supplied sheepishly, "Sesshomaru?"
Naraku's visible mouth turned upwards into a leering smile. "Yes, Sesshomaru. He's never given you a second look, correct?"
Rin nodded in response, biting her lower lip.
"What if I could make you a perfect demon, Rin? Don't you think that he would see you then? He could love you like that, couldn't he?"
Rin's eyes began to sparkle with her dreams until Toki's voice sounded in her ears. "Rin! Rin? Who are you with?"
Rin stood to meet Toki, who had easily spotted her in the setting summer sun, and introduced him to Naraku.
Naraku did not like the interruption but figured he would just have to ignore the demon. "Rin, do you want to become a demon?"
Toki cried out an astounded, "What?"
Rin put a hand on Toki's arm to try and calm him and tried to reason with him,"Naraku is offering me a chance to become a demon, Toki. If I'm a demon, maybe Sesshomaru will-"
"Will what? Suddenly leave his intended for a random female he's never met before? Rin, you are fine as a human and you should stay that way!"
Rin gave him a harsh look and said with venom in her voice, "I want this! Even if it is far-fetched, I would have at least a little bit of a chance!"
Toki shook his head and placed his hand on Rin's shoulder, only to have it swatted away by the small girl.
"I've been longing for him for years, Toki! At least let me see if there is any hope so I can lay it to rest…" Rin plead with her whole heart, using her brown eyes to express her emotional state.
Toki, who saw Rin as his sister, sighed and turned to the demon in the baboon mask, "Can she turn back, Naraku?"
"That's part of the deal."
"Deal?" Toki asked. "What do you want in return then? Every deal gives and receives."
"I ask for payment -"
"I don't have any money…" Rin interposed sadly.
Naraku smiled, and gestured to nothing with his hands while he spoke, "I do not ask for money, Rin. I ask for something much more trivial, much simpler."
"Her first born?" Toki asked, with his face and voice flat.
Naraku's fur literally ruffled with an annoyed tic and said with no infliction,"No-"
"Her virginity?" This comment earned Toki a smack from Rin, who was feeling a blush creeping up her neck.
"What do you want in return?" Rin asked, eyeing Toki to make sure he would not cut in.
Naraku's head tilted slightly, giving Rin a better look at his red eyes. He spoke with a smoother voice than ever before, "I want your voice, Rin."
Rin was stricken for a moment, taking in his answer with all seriousness. "My voice? How will I be able to talk… or to sing?"
"You won't be able to, Rin. But, you will be a demon. A pretty, desirable, powerful, perfect demon," Naraku drawled, his voice seeming even smoother than before, almost the material of dreams.
"I'll trade it," Rin answered without much thought, resolution filling every part of her voice.
"Hold on, are there any other parts to this deal?" Toki asked, not quite trusting the baboon-masked demon.
"Of course, I can't just make her a demon and let that be that. It is not how things work. I will take your voice, and turn you into a demoness. You then have three sunrises to get Sesshomaru to fall in love with you." Toki was about to interject, but Naraku waved him off. "If you fail to receive his love, you will turn back into a human and become my own personal slave."
"Rin, you can't! If you fail-"
Toki was abruptly cut off by Rin saying, "If I fail, the only person to care would be you, Toki. I should take this chance afforded to me."
Toki sighed and ruffled her bangs like she was a five year old. "Then I guess all I can do is to try and help you, no matter how much I don't like this."
Rin smiled while she fixed her mussed hair and turned her face back to Naraku. "Do it, then."
Because of the flash of light emitting from a small pink ball in the demon's hand, they did not see the particularly nefarious smirk on the masked demon's face.
A/n: Thanks so much for the kind words on the last chapter! I hope this lives up to your expectations.