Disclaimer: Greetings, it is I, ShadowS! The campaign to take control of the Inuyasha characters is going swimmingly! And I mean that literally, as my last approach to Sesshoumaru was thwarted when he threw me over a nearby waterfall. Honestly, he's so dramatic sometimes, pesky thing. Just because I want to make him my eternal love-slave, that's no reason to get all fussy...
Rin blinked in the bright sunlight, raising a hand to shade her eyes. She was leaning back against a tree, Arata curled up in her arms purring contentedly. Above her, the sky was a bright cerulean blue, unmarred by even a hint of clouds. In the distance tiny figures battled fiercely, and Rin couldn't help but laugh when an outraged squeal floated past her ears on the wind as Miyako pinned her brother on the ground and he took exception to it.
Rin stood and Arata sleepily slithered his way up her arm to drape himself around her neck as she walked towards her wrestling offspring. Seeing her approach, Katsurou wrenched himself free of his sister's clutches and raced towards her, throwing himself at her legs. Rin took the impact without flinching, his head only reaching her hip as he turned and glared at his sister, outraged. Her heart was filled to bursting with love as she ran her fingers through his silky white hair, soothing him even as she smiled down at her little girl, who if not quite smiling, still managed to look smug as she walked over to her mother as well. As she gazed down into their upturned faces, Rin knew she was dreaming but she didn't care. They were here. She knelt and held them to her, both snuggling up to her as they had not done in years. She breathed in deeply, reveling in the little child scent of them.
Not far away, the bushes rustled and Sesshoumaru stepped into the meadow. The bright sunlight flashed off his armor as he glided forward lithely, his strength and power evident in every graceful move he made. Rins eyes ran lovingly over his face and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly in that special smile that he only ever gave her. Her heart melted at the love she saw there, his normally hard eyes warm and glowing. Seeing him, Katsurou pulled away from Rin and charged forward, Sesshoumaru's soft expression stretching into a full smile as he scooped his son up and tossed him high into the air, causing Katsurou to shriek with joy. Rin laughed out loud as well as Sesshoumaru waited till the last possible second to catch the child, none of them doubting for a second that he would. Shaking his head at the rambunctious child in his arms Sesshoumaru walked the rest of the way to his family, his hand reaching instinctively for the tiny one that Miyako offered him, her greeting softer but no less happy.
Rin never took her eyes from her beautiful husband, and her heart beat faster as Sesshoumaru leaned in to kiss her. Rin closed her eyes and wished never to leave as she tilted her chin up to receive his kiss, his lips a hairsbreadth from hers. Suddenly his head snapped up and he looked over his shoulder, hair catching and flowing in a sudden wind. Rin opened her eyes to see that dark clouds had rolled in, leeching the color from everything and turning the world dark. Katsurou clung to his father's neck and Miyako pressed her face into Rin's thigh, seeking comfort. Rin turned to follow Sesshoumaru's gaze when he suddenly caught his breath. In his arms, Katsurou was fading away. The boy cried piteously as Sesshoumaru tried to grip him tighter, his claws passing right through the child as he became more ethereal with each passing second. A wail at her side snapped Rin's attention to Miyako and she saw that the little girl, too, was fading away. Miyako looked up at her mother, great tears gathering in eyes that were begging for help, but growing more and more transparent. Fear choked Rin as she fought to hold on to her daughter, but her efforts were in vain and soon her fingers felt nothing except the bitingly cold wind that was surging through the meadow. She looked desperately up at Sesshoumaru only to see him looking at his hands in horror, the limbs that held such strength vanishing before their eyes. He reached for Rin and she flung herself at him, terrified, but there was nothing there, and she fell to her knees as rain began to fall in torrents. She screamed for her children, for her mate, knowing that she would never see them again.
Rin opened here eyes to find herself lying on her back, tears streaming from her eyes to fall and wet the silky black hair at her temples. She gazed up at the star-studded night sky, the light from the campfire someone had built when the group stopped for the night a soft glow behind her. Reality settled in, but she found that it did not lessen the anguish and she rolled to her side, curling up in as tight a ball as she could. She buried her head in her arms as she lay there, fighting desperately against the feeling that she was being ripped apart. Her children were lost. Were they afraid? Were they hurt? Unable to remain still any longer, Rin pushed herself silently to her feet and padded off into the darkness.
Back at the campfire, Sesshoumaru and Daiki watched silently as she disappeared into the night. Both could smell the salty tang of her tears, and both could see her agony in every line of her body, but she walked away with her head high, not trying to wipe the tears away.
Daiki gazed into the darkness where Rin had vanished.
"She suffers greatly at the loss of her children," he observed quietly. Sesshoumaru did not deign to reply, his own gaze riveted on the shadows that had swallowed his mate.
"She is a good woman, your mate," continued Daiki. "A good mother."
Sesshoumaru stood without a sound and followed Rin into the darkness, unable to bear the thought of her torturing herself alone. He had gone some distance when at last his sensitive ears picked up a tiny, strangled noise that led him to the edge of a pool.
Rin knelt with her face buried in her hands, smothering the sounds of her sobs. Sesshoumaru's heart nearly shattered at the sight, for she wept with the brokenness of a woman who was utterly destroyed. She rocked slightly back and forth as great sobs ripped from her very soul, smothered by her hands before they left her lips.
Unmindful of the mud and dirt, Sesshoumaru sat next to her and drew her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her and guiding her face to his neck. He held her tightly, surrounding her as she cried as she had never cried in her life. He nuzzled her gently, rubbing his face against her hair as he drew her closer still, as if he could take her into himself and somehow heal her broken heart. He pet her, stroking her soothingly, begging her without words to hold on, to feel him and to know he was there.
Rin clung to him, all of her anger at him gone under the weight of her despair. Slowly, her tears slowed and she lay bonelessly against Sesshoumaru, utterly drained. He pulled back enough to look at her, hands sliding up to cradle her cheeks, thumbs gliding across her cheeks to gently wipe her tears away. She lifted her gaze to his and the pain she saw reflected there nearly undid her once more. She slid her hands around the back of his neck and brushed her cheek against his, both of them broken, both trying to comfort the other anyway.
She settled down in his lap and they held each other, her head against his chest and his nose buried in her hair. Rin blinked, listening to the strong, steady sound of his heart. Her eyes burned from her tears and she was weary through to her bones. Sesshoumaru's heart pulsed beneath her cheek and she found herself breathing in time with it, focusing on the gentle thunder, slipping into a near trance at the hypnotic sound.
She had no idea how long she sat like that, thinking of nothing but the steady pulse beneath her. Eventually her fingers began to tingle, and with a small frown Rin wriggled them. Her own heart was beating strangely hard, the sound seeming to echo in her ears. She could feel the blood coursing through her veins, and suddenly Rin felt overheated. She took a deep breath, concentrating on the sensation, wondering now if this was the feeling of whatever power was manifesting inside of her. She tried not to fight the strange sensation, sinking into it instead. Her eyes slid closed and she breathed deeply, allowing herself to be pulled along by whatever power was coursing through her veins.
Sesshoumaru's heartbeat thundered inside her, echoing in her ears, in her blood. Her body felt light, and with a deep breath Rin let go of everything and a chill passed through her, as if a shadow had passed over her. With a start, she opened her eyes to see the world around her completely changed.
Though she knew that it was the middle of the night, the forest around her was lit in an eerie twilight. She could see in the strange half-light, but the colors around her were muted, and the quiet sounds of the night echoed oddly in her ears. She turned to look up at Sesshoumaru and was surprised to see that he seemed asleep, the bright white of his kimono muted in peculiar dusk. She reached up to gently touch his face and was shocked when her hand passed right through his flesh. Rin felt a rush of nausea as the memory of her nightmare crashed around her, but she clamped down on her momentary panic. He wasn't disappearing, neither was she, this was not her dream.
Carefully, she slipped away from him, and though he never once moved she had no trouble rising to her feet. Looking down she was stunned to see her body still curled against her husband, as if she too were sleeping. Crouching, she poked her own ankle and felt a gentle pull as if her body would suck her back in, which Rin found oddly comforting.
Standing again, she looked at the forest around her. The light seemed to come from everywhere, causing a disconcerting lack of shadows. Here and there, bright flashes of color flashed through the air or skulked behind trees, and Rin realized she was looking at forest dwellers that she never would have noticed normally. About fifty yards away a young doe had nestled down into a patch of tall grass to await the dawn. Birds fluffed their feathers in sleep as they huddled together on the branches of the trees. Frowning, Rin drifted closer to a branch, peering at one bird in particular. As she concentrated, the sleeping bird's form wavered, and as if something slid into place behind her eyes Rin could suddenly see another shape superimposed on the bird. Her eyes widened as she realized she was seeing the true form of a little demon, too small to protect itself, camouflaging itself and hiding in plain sight with the birds.
Rin stumbled back, confused and overwhelmed. She blinked her eyes and turned to look back at Sesshoumaru. The demon lord held her tight as he slept restlessly a slight frown on his face. Rin narrowed her eyes and focused, and as it had a moment ago her vision shifted slightly until she could see beyond his flesh.
Deep inside, his beast raised his head, searching for the presence that it could feel but couldn't see. His ears were pricked forward and he drew a breath, Sesshoumaru's sleeping form drawing the breath in with him, searching the air. The beast twitched his tail in greeting, though he could not see her, he recognized her, and Rin raised a ghostly hand to her mouth as she took in the poor creature's appearance.
Sesshoumaru's beast was ragged, his usually glossy white fur gathered in clumps. His bright gold eyes were dull and weary, his ears and tail low. Rin couldn't understand how his massive form could be contained in Sesshoumaru's body, but her concern outweighed by far outweighed her confusion, for the beast was gaunt, his flesh hanging from his body in places.
As she watched, the creature paced back and forth, trapped in Sesshoumaru's body. He snarled in frustration and finally lay down, seemingly exhausted. An instant later he was back on his feet, unable to stop, unable to rest, to worried and afraid.
Rin had known that the worry was wearing on Sesshoumaru, but true to form he never complained, never shared the extent of his fear. Rin could now see how it was destroying him, tearing his spirit apart just as it was her. Instinctively she reached out to the beast, opening herself up to it and the beast pricked its ears as she whispered soothingly to it. She spoke gently to the creature, urging it to rest, and wearily it curled up and lay its enormous head on its paws. At last it closed its eyes, and finally the frown smoothed from Sesshoumaru's forehead as he and his beast slipped into a true sleep, likely the first he had gotten since the children disappeared.
Rin took a steadying breath as she pulled back from her sleeping husband and a sudden force drew her attention. It was cold and foreboding as it drew nearer, and through the trees where every other living creature flickered with light, this presence seemed darkness manifested as it glided towards her. Though ominous, for reasons unknown Rin did not feel as if the presence was malevolent, and so simply positioned herself between Sesshoumaru's sleeping form, still holding her corporeal body. Rin was unsure if there was anything she could do should her instinct turn out to be incorrect, but she knew she would do anything to protect her husband. Her eyes fixed on the presence as it drew ever nearer.
With the barest brush against a low plant, Arata slipped into the clearing. His midnight fur seemed to swallow the eerie light of this strange world, reflecting nothing back. His tails whipped hypnotically behind him as he stalked forward and his acid green eyes glowed with power, the pupils narrowed to the barest of slits. He stopped and settled into a crouch, wrapping his tails around his feet as he observed her.
Rin stared right back. His form was the same as always, but he seemed bigger, wilder. His power, vast and terrible, flickered just beneath the surface. A slight movement at his side caught her attention, and her eyes widened as she noticed that unlike everything else in this world, including her, Arata cast a shadow. She watched in fascination as the shadow writhed, growing and stretching, changing shapes, a reflection of the cats untamed nature and power. It was like a wild animal pacing in a cage, attached as it was to Arata's physical form.
Rin felt a little cold. It was so easy to forget when Arata was draped around her neck or curled in her lap that he was a bakeneko, a creature of life and death. This was the creature that had raised an army of the dead to fight on that fateful night so many years ago, forcing unnatural life into bodies so ravaged and broken that many fought in pieces.
And he had done it for her. As quickly as it had come, her apprehension faded. For some reason this powerful creature had decided that he belonged with her. She loved him as part of her family, and dark and strange as he was, the cat was utterly devoted to her as well.
Sensing that she had overcome her shock, Arata ambled forward and bumped his head against her shin, sliding his side along her leg in a familiar caress. The shadow, wild and strange, also curled around her adoringly, and Rin felt goose bumps rise along her ethereal flesh at the strange sensation.
"Welcome to the spirit world, mistress," Arata murmured in his cold, silky voice.
A/N: Interesting, berry interesting. Poor Sesshy-baby is wearing himself down :( Something is going to have to give soon!
Srsly though, I am sooooooo sorry I've been taking so long between publications! You guys are the best for hanging with me, and I appreciate you more than I can say. As always, my love for you burns with the intensity of a thousand suns and whatnot :D R&R so I can figure out what I'm doing lol.
Love, ShadowS