Rin wasn't looking forward to her meeting with the infamous Lady Mother of the West. She wasn't exactly afraid of her, but she knew that Lady Inukimi wouldn't be happy about…whatever it was that just happened. Rin still wasn't sure if she had dreamed it all up or if Sesshomaru had actually kissed her. Repeatedly, Rin reached down to lay her hand on the arm that encircled her waist as she sat on Ah-Un. She wasn't dreaming. He was real and he still hadn't let go. After nearly a week of not smiling, it was still painful to do it, but Rin couldn't stop herself. Her mind kept going over the way he looked at her. It was as if he had found a rare treasure of incredible value and he was incredulous at its existence. He had held her as if he was afraid she would disappear at any moment and the way he had kissed her! She shivered with pleasure from the memory. Rin felt his arm pull her closer in response to her shudder and she was suddenly grateful they were high enough for the air to be chilly. She needed to calm down.
Ah-Un began to descend and The Western Palace came into view through the clouds. Rin had only seen it a handful of times and been inside only once. She was anxious to see the inside more fully.
"My lord!" Jaken screeched from behind them, interrupting her thoughts "Look! The Lady Mother is waiting for us!"
Rin looked down and sure enough, standing in the open courtyard, was the intimidating form of Lady InuKimi. Rin shivered again, but this time with nerves. She didn't remember her first meeting with Lady InuKimi. She had been dead at the time and Lord Sesshomaru had taken her away shortly after her resurrection, but she would never forget her second introduction.
They had flown to the cloud palace at Rin's request a few years after Naraku had been defeated. It was one of the rare trips she got to take with him while living in the village. Three days before she had learned from her Lord that the Lady was responsible for saving her life when he had been unable and Rin felt a strong need to thank her. She had begged her Lord incessantly, finally resorting to the tears she knew he couldn't stand, to get her way. She rarely used them deliberately, but this was important!
She had prepared a gift of her favorite flowers. They were extremely rare and were only growing in her garden because her Lord had gifted her some seeds. Rin loved the delicate smell and because Lady InuKimi was a dog demon, young Rin thought she would like them too. She had asked her Lord about it.
"What do you think" Rin presented the bouquet to him for inspection, but he only gave one of his irritating mouth sounds in reply.
"Hn"
"Lord Sesshomaru, Please!" she had plead, "This is important! I don't want to give her something she already has or would be offended by."
She looked down at her gift, worrying.
"Silence you impudent brat!" Jaken rebuked her, "Why would Milord know or care about what kind of flowers The Lady Mother likes?"
The question didn't make sense to Rin.
"Well she's his mother isn't she?" she asked, "When my mommy was alive I would get flowers for her all the time. She liked them. She said they made the room look brighter."
Jaken opened his beak to yell at her again when a rock collided with his head.
"My mother has no need for flowers," he had informed her indifferently, "If she does I'm certain her attendants procure them for her."
Rin wasn't deterred.
"But does she have any of THESE flowers?" she persisted and felt more than heard his sigh of exasperation.
"We shall find out soon enough" he said and walked towards Ah-Un indicating it was time to leave.
Rin followed and checked herself over before approaching the beast. She had put on the prettiest Kimono Lord Sesshomaru had given her, but it bound her legs so she couldn't move very fast…or get on a Dragon by herself. She was about to ask, but before she could say anything she felt a pair of strong hands lift her up and place her on Ah-Un's back.
"Thank you my Lord!" she smiled wide at him and felt the wind whip through her hair as they lifted.
"Wait for me!" Jaken had begged, but they had already left the Imp behind.
"Don't worry Master Jaken!" Rin had called, "We'll be back soon!"
The trip didn't take long and soon they were walking up the long staircase to the cloud palace. Rin's dress had made it difficult to climb the stairs and she was falling farther and farther behind Lord Sesshomaru. He caught her when her foot slipped and instead of putting her down, had silently carried her the rest of the way up.
Lady InuKimi had met them at the top with the same indifferent expression her son wore until they got to within a few feet of her. The Lady's eyebrow lifted questioningly at the sight of her son carrying the child, but said nothing about it.
"Sesshomaru," she greeted him coldly, "I see you're still travelling with that human."
"Mother," he replied, ignoring her comment and knelt to place Rin on her feet.
The intimidating Inu DaiYokai made Rin was nervous, and she stayed next to her lord completely forgetting that she was the reason they were here.
"To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" The lady asked directly, "have you at last come to tell me you've found my replacement as Lady of the West?'
Rin didn't understand why, but she saw her lord's jaw tighten and his eyes narrow slightly.
"No," he bit out.
The Lady sighed.
"I can't understand why you continually refuse to…"
Rin could feel her Lord's anger and was surprised the Lady wasn't silenced by it. His eyes were already turning red. Rin's mind searched for a way to calm him and she remembered the flowers in her hand. She ran as quickly as her dress allowed directly up to the great Lady and thrust the flowers up to her face.
"These are for you!" Rin said hurriedly interrupting whatever the Lady was about to say. The action shocked the Lady of the West into silence and caused her to take a step back. Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head, but she accepted the bundle.
"Sesshomaru, what is the meaning of this?" Lady Inukimi demanded as Rin bowed low before her.
"Ask her," Lord Sesshomaru answered and Rin could swear she heard amusement in his voice.
Lady InuKimi looked at the little girl before her
"I asked Lord Sesshomaru to bring me," Rin explained, and rose to look the lady in the eye as she continued, "I found out it was you that saved my life and I never gave you my thanks. I wanted you to know that I am humbled and grateful for your gift. Thank you very much for bringing me back from the underworld."
Rin smiled wide and the Lady's eyes got slightly wider as the child's innocent smile made its impact. Rin was used to her Lord's subtle signs of emotion and although the lady did not smile back, Rin could see the same softening of the lady's features that her lord had when he was feeling something nice.
"Think nothing of it," Lady InuKimi replied after a moment of silence.
She looked at her son who was wearing a small smirk on his face and as suddenly as they had softened, her eyes narrowed and she looked from her son, to Rin, then back again in what Rin could only say was a calculating way. Her eyes settled on Rin and her steady gaze was nothing like the one her son gave Rin. It was almost…hostile. Rin backed away from her Lord's mother and bumped into Lord Sesshomaru's leg. She looked up and all fear instantly vanished. He had closed the distance between them and was looking at his mother, no longer amused. Lady InuKimi raised her eyes to her son.
"Am I to understand that you came here, a place you avoid like a human does the plague, for no other reason than to allow this girl to express a feeling of gratitude?" she asked in a quiet voice that challenged him.
Lord Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and he didn't respond. A silent contest of wills clashed in an instant and Rin saw the slightest hint of…no, it couldn't be…was it? Did she see… Embarrassment?
"I see," she said simply and Lady InuKimi's lips pressed together slightly, but though it looked like it, Rin did not sense disapproval from her.
She looked at Rin again, but this time it was puzzlement that clouded her eyes.
Rin saw it the moment it happened. The Lady had made a decision.
"What is your name human?" she demanded
"My name is Rin my Lady," she answered, her confidence returned to her with her Lord.
"Rin. Your behavior today was unacceptable. You will never approach someone of higher rank that way again." She chastised
Rin felt humiliated. She hadn't known! Why hadn't her lord warned her? Tears began to form and the Lady noticed.
"Do not cry little one," she commanded, then more gently, "The fault is not yours for your ignorance. As your guardian, Lord Sesshomaru ought to have instructed you in proper etiquette around your betters. The blame lies squarely with him."
Rin heard a growl emanate from her Lord, and she reached for his hand. Squeezing it she tried to tell him without words that she didn't blame him at all.
"Stop that." Lady InuKimi ordered her son, and to Rin's shock, he did, "You know full well you deserve the reprimand. You had plenty of time to prepare the girl in at least basic forms of address, why didn't you?"
"I didn't see the need," he replied icily and Rin knew then that he was really upset.
"Didn't see the Need?" The Lady Mother of the West sighed, "My son, if you are going to insist on continuing your association with the pup then she must be taught proper forms and manners. I can only image the trouble she will cause if she is left ignorant" She straightened her mokomoko and looked straight at Rin, "You will remain here for one week and I will teach you as much as I can until a tutor can be brought."
Rin looked back at the DaiYokai who had upset her lord and she glared at her. The look was not lost on the Lady, but far from heeding the tiny warning, she only smiled at it.
"I see your human is as protective of you as you seem to be of her." She said, amusement dripping from her tone and Rin felt her lord tighten his grip on her hand.
"Hn"
The lady turned to leave.
"Mother!" Lord Sesshomaru Barked.
His mother paused but didn't turn back.
"If you won't take the time to train her then I will." She turned to look at him, "I'm surprised though Sesshomaru I thought you cared for the girl, at least enough to want her to be educated."
Sesshomaru seemed embarrassed again.
"Either you didn't think of it, or you are careless about her." The Lady continued earning a full growl from her son, "Either way, unless you are planning to simply leave her behind and never see her again, which since you haven't yet I doubt you will, she needs instruction" Lady InuKimi looked down speculatively at Rin, "And besides, I think I would like the chance to get to know your human."
At this, Lord Sesshomaru seemed surprised, but said nothing. Rin squeezed his hand, getting his attention.
"Do I really have to stay?" she asked quietly
Lord Sesshomaru looked down at her thoughtfully for a moment before answering.
"Yes,"
Rin felt tears trying to form, but she wanted to be brave.
"Ok," she sighed, then asked "Will you come get me after?"
"Hn" he said and for the first time Rin wasn't sure if that was a 'Yes' or a 'No'.
Rin could remember being terrified at the time that her lord would simply leave her in the hands of his mother, but she shouldn't have worried. He had left for a day (he had told her later that he went to inform her village friends why she wasn't back and to pick up Jaken) and then returned to stay for the entire week of Rin's etiquette training. She remembered leaving with the promised tutor and heaving a sigh of relief. Her fear of the great Lady had gone, but the DaiYokai still intimidated the hell out of her. She wondered if she would live to see the day when she would be able to look at her without feeling five inches tall. Rin's mind came back to the present as she looked down at the figure of her Lord's Mother, growing bigger as they got closer and her heart began to pick up the pace as her adrenaline kicked in. If there were ever a moment when she couldn't back down in front of that InuYokai, now was it.
Ah-Un slowed his descent and touched down several yards away from her. Rin waited for Sesshomaru to dismount first, but instead of walking straight to his mother, he turned and helped her down. Rin was confused. She didn't need help getting off the dragon. She had done it thousands of times on her own. Then she looked at Lady InuKimi's face and the etiquette lessons the Lady had taught her, kicked in and she understood.
Sesshomaru had deliberately shown her deference over his mother.
He would only do that if…Rin felt shock course through her as her eyes sought confirmation from his. He only stared back for a moment before turning them both toward his mother. Without releasing her hand he brought her to stand before the Lady Mother whose expression told Rin she understood the subtle message and she was not happy about it.
Lord Sesshomaru would only defer to Rin if she outranked his mother.
Rin could only smile at the grim female before her. Even if his mother didn't like it, Rin was suddenly very happy and stood before her predecessor confidently.
He had declared his intent to make her the new Lady of the West.
Ok I know. I haven't posted anything on a couple of days. Life tends to catch up with you when you burrow yourself into a writing hole and mine is no exception. *sighs* oh well. I'll keep posting as fast as life will allow, but please forgive me if sometimes it takes a couple of days! Thanks for reading and as always reviews are appreciated!
Enjoy Memories of Rin!
