Disclaimer: Sadly, I still do not own any of the Inuyasha characters. I do have a master plan to change that, but I will need some chicken wire, seven feet of twine, a cheese grater, three quarts of oil and a rubber chicken. On a side note, anyone willing to help me get these items can have Miroku.
~Chapter Four~
Sesshoumaru stepped into the cover of the trees surounding the village, Kagome's words haunting him despite his efforts to banish them. How long do you intend to leave her here alone?... She wasn't happy because she was in the village... Had he made a terrible mistake leaving Rin here all those years ago? He shut down the guilt rising in his chest and looked at the situation analytically. What kind of life would he have been able to offer a little human girl? More of the same that she had had while she was traveling with him. Traveling with only Jakken and Ah-Un as constant companions while he would periodically take to the skies and leave them. She was constantly in danger, constantly the focus of enemies who attempted to use her to weaken him. No, it was no life for a child, it was a cold and lonely existence.
I would not wish it on anyone, let alone someone as worthy of love as Rin... Strange that both he and Kagome agreed on that sentiment, but could not agree on how it applied to Rin. His way was no life for her as a child, and it was no life for her now. How could he allow her to come with him? His vassals would shun her for her humanity, humans would fear and distrust her for her connection to the demons. She would be utterly alone, and how long could a creature of such love and warmth survive in such a cold dark world? It would be best for her to stay in the human village, to find a human mate and have human children, but Sesshoumaru immediately shoved that thought aside, his lips actually curled in a snarl. He closed his eyes and thought back to the feel of her beautiful body pressed against him, helpless against his strength, completely at his mercy. Heat flashed through his veins and his beast growled inside, demanding that he track her down and take her. She had begged to be able to accompany him when he left, having no idea that he may very well be the most dangerous thing she would encounter. The kindest thing he could do for her would be to leave and never look back, but the thought of never seeing her again caused his chest to ache with a loss that made it difficult to breathe. Finally, he sent a pulse of his power out into the night and stood tall, once again serene. He had made his decision. He never had been good at denying himself.
As his features settled back into their expressionless mask, he concentrated on the sounds of the forest around him, losing himself in the scents of the night. He thought of nothing, his mind becoming still as he allowed himself to be at peace with his decision. As he breathed, he caught a familiar scent and turned, surprised.
"Why have you followed me?"
Ruka tentatively stepped from behind a tree, looking up at him uncertainly. The four year old seemed nervous, not sure of her welcome and ready to flee at any moment. He sighed inwardly and attempted to gentle his tone as he repeated his inquiry.
"Ruka, it is late. Why are you not at home?" he asked quietly.
The little girl blinked up at him, and he once again noticed how very similar to Kagome she looked.
"It's loud there, Oji-san."
Sesshoumaru cocked his head, trying to make sense of her answer. He was not far from the house, he could clearly hear the quiet noises as the household settled down for the night. Even to his sensitive ears, there was no noise that he would consider to be overly loud. He frowned slightly.
"What is loud, Ruka?"
"Rin-chan is sad, Mama is sad," Ruka answered in her high, clear voice. "You are quiet. Can I stay with you?"
His eyes narrowed as he considered her answer. Even from this distance his sensitive ears would have picked up the sounds of crying, he heard nothing. He bit down on his frustration that the child could not explain more clearly, and was surprised when she flinched back and averted her eyes. Realization dawned, and he carefully cleared his thoughts of all feelings, considering the facts coldly and analytically and coming to a solid conclusion.
Ruka was an empath.
At the fight, she had felt his fear and tried to comfort him, and now she was disturbed by the emotions of Rin and Kagome. In a strange way it made sense, Kagome had always been very aware of the feelings of the people around her. It would appear that that power had been amplified when combined with Inuyasha's demonic powers. Sesshoumaru found himself feeling the tiniest fraction of pity for the child. Inuyasha and Kagome were two of the most passionate people he had ever met, every single one of their emotions written on their face for anyone to see. It must be exhausting for the little girl. No wonder she could be found mostly in the company of Kaede, and it was no surprise given the circumstances that she had sought him out. The conclusion fit, but seemed incomplete. Sesshoumaru sent a tendril of power towards the girl, probing deeper. There was more power there, he just could not understand it. As he studied the child, he felt the approach of a demonic aura. He was not concerned, after all he had called it, but Ruka's eyes widened and she began to look around frantically, inching towards him. As a large form crashed through the tops of the trees, Ruka screamed and leapt towards him, grabbing his hand.
Time stopped.
Sesshoumaru looked around, stunned, as the little girl tugged desperately at his fingers. Tree limbs held in unnatural angles and leaves hovered in midair. Sesshoumaru looked slightly upward at the body of Ah-Un, frozen in the act of descending to meet his master. He looked down, carefully neutral at the little girl and forgot himself, his shock spreading across his face. Behind the girl was a portal, and the four year old was doing everything she could to pull him towards it, tears streaming down her face. He refused to move, concentrating on thoughts of safety and comfort. Ruka turned her tear stained face up to him.
"That was very clever, Ruka," he praised gently, mind filled with thoughts of approval. "How did you do it?"
Ruka cast a worried glance at the descending dragon, still clinging to Sesshoumaru's hand. "Something scary was coming, I wanted it to stop. I wanted to go home."
"I see," answered Sesshoumaru, refusing to allow himself to indulge in the shock he was feeling. Power of this magnitude was astounding, especially considering that the child was only a quarter demon. Granted, that quarter belonged to an extremely powerful breed, but this kind of power was unheard of. "Ruka, this is Ah-Un and he is here because I asked him to come. I would never let anything hurt you, and you are perfectly safe with Ah-Un. Would it be alright if he came down?"
Ruka studied his face and Sesshoumaru determinedly held on to the feelings of pleasant inquiry and safety that he was projecting for her. The portal began slowly to shrink, and at last Ruka nodded her head. With a crash, Ah-Un landed on the forest floor next to him, his two heads reaching out to greet Sesshoumaru, none the wiser. When Ah-Un lowered his muzzles towards Ruka, she carefully lifted her hands to pat them, looking at Sesshoumaru for reassurance. Soon, the child was up in the saddle, and exhausted by her ordeal was asleep moments later as the little group headed back towards Inuyasha's house.
Now that the child was asleep, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to fully consider what had just happened. It was true that Ruka was very much like her mother, and it would stand to reason that some of Kagome's abilities would breed true in her children. He filtered through the facts that he knew about Kagome and the strange world she had come from. He knew the miko had strong spiritual powers, but mixed with youkai blood, it was unlikely that the children would inherit anything like that. As he had determined earlier, Kagome was very aware of the feelings of those around her, he believed he was correct in assuming that that had been the root of Ruka's empathy. His eyes narrowed as he recalled that Kagome had come from another world. No, not another world, the future. She would travel through the well there in the village to return to her own time, and at last had returned to this era the same way, choosing to remain here with Inuyasha. Now her daughter was able to affect the flow of time as well, and able to create portals. He assumed that the portal she had opened tonight lead back to the house. Was she able to create portals anywhere? Or just to places that she had been? Or only her home, where she felt safe? Had he been spared the time lock because she had willed it, or had it been because she had been holding his hand? Sesshoumaru would have to consider this further.
When they arrived, Sesshoumaru carefully carried the sleeping child into the house, meeting a surprised Inuyasha and Kagome there. As he slowly transferred the little girl into her fathers arms, he met Kagome's eyes. She blinked in confusion, but touched Inuyasha's arm and lead him quietly back into the children's room while Sesshoumaru settled himself by the fire. The parents returned a moment later and sat down across from him.
"What happened?" Kagome asked, and Sesshoumaru proceeded to tell them what had occurred in the woods. The shocked parents listened without interruption until he had finished, then gazed at each other in wonder.
"I never would have guessed," Kagome murmured, looking dazed. Inuyasha looked equally shaken.
"It makes sense that we never knew, time never stopped for us." He replied. "This is serious, we can't allow anyone to know about her power. Can you imagine the danger she would be in if the wrong person were to find out?" Kagome shuddered, fighting back tears. She closed her eyes for a moment before turning resolutely back to the others.
"Oniisan, Inuyasha, we must never speak of this again. Ruka is too young to understand what is happening, and we MUST keep this a secret."
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I do not agree that we should pretend that nothing happened. This is a formidable power, right now the child is using it on instinct alone. She needs guidance, or else this could become dangerous, for her or for those around her." Inuyasha was nodding his head, and slowly Kagome bowed her head, recognizing the wisdom in his words.
Sesshoumaru's keen ears heard a familiar foot fall from the back of the house and he stood.
"You will see to her training," he said to Inuyasha, and without another word turned and walked out the door. As he silently rounded the corner of the house, he saw Rin and Ah-Un, she was beaming and the dragon seemed overjoyed to see her. With a huge grin, she vaulted into the saddle and the pair took off into the night. Sesshoumaru watched them as they shot away, then leapt into the air to follow.
Rin looked like some wild goddess as she sat astride the dragon, wind whipping her midnight black hair out behind her. The moonlight shimmered on the raven locks, caressing her skin and bathing her in it's silver glow. In all his travels, Sesshoumaru had never seen anything so beautiful as she threw back her head and laughed in pure joy. Catching sight of him, she grinned mischievously and urged Ah-Un to greater speeds. With an answering smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, Sesshoumaru accepted the challenge, increasing his speed effortlessly and sliding in front of the dragon, cutting him off. Instantly, Rin swerved Ah-Un to the right and Sesshoumaru followed before once again dodging in front of Rin and her mount. They chased each other through the sky until finally Sesshoumaru led them into a nearly vertical dive, both of them pulling out at the very last moment to shoot back up into the clouds. As they swooped in to land back near the hut, Sesshoumaru could not tear his eyes away from her. Her hair was windblown and in wild disarray, and her cheeks were flushed from the wind and cold. Her eyes were sparkling with joy, and he reached up to help her dismount. When he wrapped his hands around her waist, she smelled of happiness and adrenaline and the night sky, and Sesshoumaru found himself unable to set her down, instead holding her to him. She did not struggle, simply holding on to his shoulders and looking up into his eyes. They were only inches apart, and her warm breath mingled with his as he dropped his gaze to her full red lips. Her heart pounded in her chest as he looked at her, and she unconsciously found herself leaning into him.
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and set her gently, but firmly away from him. He took a deep breath, though instead of steadying him, it filled him with her scent. He shook his head very slightly to clear it.
"It is good that you are reacquainting yourself with Ah-Un," he said, reluctantly slipping his hands from her waist. "We will leave as soon as you are ready and have said your farewells."
Her smile was blinding, and despite himself he felt an answering glow in his chest. Yes, he looked forward to having this bright girl accompany him again on his travels. She would once again be his companion, he reassured himself.
Nothing more.
A/N: Ah, what a liar face. Rin is adorable, how can he resist? As always, please R&R, comments help the creative process!
