Disclaimer: Characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm not an expert on Shinto belief nor do I wish to offend anyone. If you see an error please let me know and I shall correct it right away. Remember, this is only a story.
Rin had slept the whole day through right into the next morning. She woke up feeling very sluggish indeed. Then she looked around and remembered where she was ... then Kaede entered the hut.
Kaede: Good Morning Rin. Did you rest well? … - Rin did not reply – well...get yourself prepared and come and eat something ...
Rin: Kaede-Sama? … thank you ... - she said quietly. She felt guilty about the way she had spoken to her the last time. Rin got ready and sat down to eat. She didn't manage to take a bite. Kaede was curious to know about what had happened but decided to let Rin tell her in her own time if she so decided.
She spent the next few days deep in thought saying next to nothing to anyone and performing her usual daily chores as she used to before. She was trying her best to forget the whole incident and decide what she was going to from now on. But it seemed impossible.
One evening, after a day's work, she was tidying up inside the hut she spoted her chest of belongings. It had been neatly put away among other items that once belonged to Kikyo. Rin felt touched that Kaede had put her things beside her beloved sister's.
She pulled it out and opened it. It was full of her beautiful Kimonos given to her by Sesshōmaru over the years.
As she took them out and felt the soft fabric a tiny pouch fell to the floor. Her heart thumped as she looked at the velvet object recalling what laid within...
She picked it up and poured the content into her hand. It was a fang. A fang that belonged to the Taiyokai... her memories brought her back a few years to when she got it.
Sesshōmaru's fang had broken off one day when he saved her, yet again, from impending death. She had savoured it as a memento of her Lord, much to his indifference regarding the fang itself. She remembered his amazement of her wanting to keep a useless thing like that. It made her chuckle just thinking about it. His face looked so funny to her at the time.
It must have been around that time she started looking at him differently. But her happy memory was short lived, although she tried hard, Rin couldn't help it as tears were starting to form in the corners of her still painful eyes …
But then, all of a sudden, a surge of anger and hatred started to grow within her, as if a lightning bolt shot through her body. She threw everything back into the chest and picking it up she got up like a shot and ran outside.
She flew past Kaede who noticed what she was carrying but before she could say anything Rin was already quite far away.
She ran as fast as she could hopping the tears would stop. She kept running until she could run no longer and fell onto the grass exhausted. She lay on her back looking up at the cloudy sky through the trees. The leaves were now practically all red and brown and the birds were leaving for warmer lands. The colours of the sunset added to this golden scenario a beautiful warm glow.
She lay there for a while alone with her thoughts.
«this is no good Rin» she thought to herself. Then an idea started to form in her mind fulled by Sesshōmaru's words that were bouncing back and forth within her.
«weak mortal? I'll show him who is weak! how dare he say that? How dare he treat me like that?»
and with that she got up and began to gather wood to build a fire. Her hands shook with anger and her breathing was heavy. She waited until the sun had set and the flames were tall. The fire burned intensely now, but the fire of hatred in her heart was burning stronger.
She walked up to the chest and opened it again. She pulled out all the garments and one by one cast them on the bonfire angrily. She screamed her pain and hate with very piece she threw in, it was actually helping to ease her sorrow … until she came to the last item … it was the fang ...
She clutched it it her hand trembling and raised her arm, she was about the throw it in, but she couldn't bring herself to do it...she opened her hand and stared at the white sharp object ...
She then grasped it firmly in her fist and closed her eyes.
Kaede had come to find her and was now standing behind her.
Kaede: Rin... what are you doing? - she asked approaching the girl. Rin opened her eyes and turned to face her.
Rin: Kaede-Sama? - she replied whipping her eyes. She then looked at her with determination and bowed low in front of the old woman.
Rin: Kaede-Sama! Teach me the ways of the Miko! - she requested. Kaede was surprised by this sudden turn of events.
Kaede: Why do you want to become a Miko? - she asked astonished – the village already has Kagome who will be taking my place once I'm no longer able to continue my duties...
Rin: I can't go on like this ... I want my life to have a purpose again ...now that my dream was taken from me...
Rin: I want to help others avoid the same pain I'm suffering now!
Kaede: Are you talking about Sesshōmaru...? - she asked apprehensively. Rin's eyes widened stalling her words. Then she dropped her gaze and said quietly -
Rin: I don't care about him anymore... He tossed me aside like a worthless rag...
Kaede:... hum...I wonder if that is really what he intended child … - she took a deep breath – things are not always what they seem ... Sesshōmaru's intentions are not always clear... and a Miko's resolve must be pure and free from vengeance...I don't know if you can let go of that hurt inside you...
The old woman's words resonated with her. She was yearning for vengeance, but she didn't want Kaede to know about that.
Rin: I don't want to take your place or Kagome-Sama's, I just want to help you while she is not here...when the time comes I will leave and travel the lands protecting all from evil!
Kaede: That is...? Aruki Miko..hun..? - she said closing her eyes.
Rin: I need to move on from this dark place, but for that I must start somewhere... - she then knelt and bowed low with her head touching the ground – Please, Kaede-Sama teach me!
The old woman sighed again and then nodded in acceptance and said – Well you are right saying you need to move on...maybe that will help you...?
Kaede: When you are finished here come meet me by the shrine - she said making her way back to the village.
After putting out the fire and clearing all the ash, she walked to the shrine where Kaede stood with her hands in prayer position. Rin approached her silently and offered prayer too. After a moment Kaede began to speak.
Kaede: Everything around you contains a Kami...in other words spiritual essence...
Rin: Spiritual essence..? - she asked confused. The old women sighed...
Kaede: Yes Rin, the kami reside in everything...Have you ever heard the Tenchi kaibyaku stories?
Rin: What..? ...erm I think my mother may have told me them when I was a small child...
Kaede: They are stories about about Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto recorded in the old texts. These texts are the basis of Shinto belief... - Rin listened eagarly to the old woman as a new chapter in her life began...
