Chapter 13: Maelstrom in the Clouds
"Where do you think they are?" Kongomi called over from the back of Jiro. "The city is huge – we won't have time to search all of it!"
Rin closed her eyes and tried to ignore the biting wind that threatened to pluck her from Ah-Un's shoulders. Her vision had been brief and bleary, but she had seen the princess and imp. They had been trussed and tossed on the ground in the middle of an open area littered with broken stones.
"Somewhere big? Maybe a courtyard?" She concentrated. "There might have been a pattern on the floor – a serpent wrapped around a diamond?"
"It's not a serpent – it's a wingless dragon," Kongomi snapped. "I know where they are."
Evening was coming fast, with the light fading even faster. Storm clouds were moving in, blocking any light that might have come from the moon or stars. Perfect for infiltration, but terrible for night flying. Rin was worried that would get caught out in the middle of a giant rainstorm.
"How much farther until we reach the city?" She almost shouted over the noise of the pending weather.
The princess chose not to answer and Rin resisted the urge to scold her. Rebuking her would only serve to break down their weak bond and they needed all the teamwork they could get. This was especially true if she wanted to rescue Jaken and make it out with her own life intact: the princess would prioritize Harika's safety over everything else – even if that meant trading lives to ensure her little sister lived.
Granted, she held no great love for the little demon, but he had protected her during her childhood and somewhere in her heart, she could not forsake him.
Lost in her contemplations, she was brought back to the present by the spattering of raindrops against her face. In fairly short order, the small specks of water transformed into a driving force, making it impossible to see more than feet ahead. It wasn't quite cold enough to be ice, but each drop felt like a frozen needle jabbing her skin.
"Kongomi!" Rin yelled. She cursed internally, having lost sight of her partner. No doubt this had been Kongomi's design all along, but the arrival of the storm wasn't helping matters.
Her low hair bun emitted a distinct chirping. An all-to-familiar scaly black blob crawled out from under her hair, clinging on for dear life, tail twitching.
Rin couldn't resist smiling. "Thank you, Kuro." She reached up to rub a finger against what could be its forehead.
Their moment was interrupted as Ah-Un bucked, buffeted by the severity of the weather, nearly throwing Rin off into the darkness. She clung onto the harness and looked at the dragon. This wouldn't do: they needed to land as soon as possible, regardless of whether they had reached the city or not.
She guided them down, touching base in a forest and taking shelter under a rocky outcrop. Soaked and shivering, Rin attempted to gain her bearings. The last time she entered the city, it had been shrouded in a cloud – no doubt conjured by sorcerers in the city or the dragon that had been entombed beneath the foundation of the castle. There was no magical cloud now, but without an understanding for the lay of the land, Rin was at a loss.
Lightning cracked across the sky, briefly illuminating the surrounding landscape. In that flash of light, something caught her eye – a door hidden amongst a pile of rocks.
"Stay here!" She commanded Ah-Un; hopefully the tree would provide sufficient coverage since it was highly unlikely that her friend would be able to squeeze through the entryway.
Using her arm as a shield against the icy rain, she dashed through the clearing to reach the rocks. Blinking the water from her eyes, she ran her hand against the smooth surface. Carved into the face of the door was the same dragon entwined with a diamond from her vision. What did that design mean?
Placing both hands against the door, she began to push, but fell forward when there was practically no resistance at all. Catching herself, she found herself looking into stairway that descended into an even deeper blackness. A breathless voice rasped out a question.
"…The human girl?"
She squinted into the shadows and barely made out the form.
"Daichi-ji-san?"
The old hostler lowered the blunt length of wood he had raised in attack. "You survived." He was covered with dirt and dust from head to toe. Blood from a wound on his forehead had cut a track through the grime down his face. He looked worse for wear, but none of his injuries seemed to be combat-inflicted.
She nodded. "Kongomi and I were able to escape. We took refuge at Sesshoumaru-sama's mother's castle-"
"The princess is alive?" Daichi dropped to his knees in relief. "I thought the entire royal family was dead."
"Harika-chan survived as well. Kongomi and I are here to rescue her."
Now the old man struggled to stand. "The princesses are here? In the city?" Rin stopped him with a push that was gentle, but firm.
"Stay here." When the protestations came, Rin brushed them aside with a shake of her head. Loyal retainer he may be, this old grandpa was not fit for any sort of fighting at the moment. "I am meeting with Kongomi and we will rescue our friends." In an attempt to distract him, she pointed back out into the forest. "Ah-Un is out there. Will you make sure he is okay while I am gone?"
Try as he might, he could not resist a request to aid a dragon in distress. Some habits were just too hard to break. As he turned to leave, he grabbed Rin's arm with a spindly hand.
"You must save the princesses they are our only hope if we are to survive as a people."
Rin nodded. "I will do what I can, Daichi-ji-san." Then she proceeded through the doorway and into the deep, deep shadows.
Blinking, she hoped that her eyes would adjust, but there was no source of light to be found. She reached out to run her hand along the cold stone. The going would be slow and careful – if she tripped and fell here, there was no telling how far she might tumble.
She smiled in spite of her nervousness. Imagine: after all of this, she fell and broke her neck in some ruined stairwell.
At first, the howling wind echoed around her, but as she continued her descent, all sound slowly faded away. Down, down, down she continued, the darkness pressing against her. The air was getting colder and chilled her to the bone. Shivering, she tried to keep herself cheerful by thinking of warm, inviting sorts of things. The warm curry that Kagome made back in the village. Wearing her thick, winter's coat in front of a fire. Embracing…
She shook her head. The love sickness was starting to impact her ability to stay focused. Once the rescue mission was safely over, she would need to dedicate a serious effort in forgetting her affections for Sesshoumaru.
Then the stair case ended. In the pitch black, there was no telling where she now found herself. She was reluctant to abandon her position. What if she was unable to find her way back to the staircase?
As she pondered her next step, a faint glow started radiating only a few feet away. The light was icy blue and felt alien to Rin. Still, any light source was better than none.
She stumbled forward, her steps as unsteady of a newborn creature, trying to navigate in the dim space. A short minute passed and then she was upon the mysterious source of light.
Looking down, she was surprised to see such a small thing. It was shaped like a diamond – a fragment of metal or another material that could refract. Hesitantly, she reached out with hand, but in that moment, she quickly snatched her arm back. The trinket, whatever it was, had repulsed her.
Quickly, she tore a bit of her clothing to form a makeshift rag, with which she was able to pick up the object with ease. Having heard the tales of Sesshoumaru's and Inuyasha's swords, it came as no surprise that there were other objects in this world that could not bear the touch of a human. It reminded her of the shards that her friends had spent a year collecting, but it also brought to mind the coat of arms that Kongomi had mentioned earlier. Sharp, with brilliantly cut edges, but also so flat that it could have been the scale of a mighty beast.
Without much time to reflect, she held the fragment in the cloth in front of her, illuminating the path before her. The room was devoid of any sort of decoration except for the small stone pedestal from where she had retrieved the artifact. Tentatively, she started to explore a little more: maybe there were markings on the wall? A map of the city or castle perhaps?
Quietly, she crept around the room – the tap of her footsteps echoing loudly. For one reason or another, she felt it would be wrong to generate more noise than she already was.
Carefully, softly, she continued her investigation, but came up with nothing. Letting go of the faintest of sighs, she moved to the exit a few feet away.
But a grotesque face loomed out of the darkness.
"Hello there, girlie."
Rin gasped and jumped back, dropping the fragment. She fumbled for her belt where her knives would usually sit, but she cursed as she remembered having left most of her equipment in Ah-Un's pack.
Meanwhile, the younger of the dragon demon brothers, sauntered forward, his silver eyes emitting silver in the dark. He walked over to the treasure and picked it up with his bare hands. Rin turned to keep him in her limited sights.
"Thank you, brat, for finding this for us. We were having a devil of a time getting its location out of the princesses." She noticed the plural princesses; either another royal sibling had survived and the demons were terrible at determining sexes, or Kongomi had gotten herself captured. The monster dug into his robe and pulled out another glowing shard. "Pian, you were right - she led us right to it."
A tiny voice came out of what Rin was quickly identifying as a dragon scale. "Excellent. Bring her here."
"I will not go with you," she snapped defiantly. Going with the younger brother now meant that all hopes of the rescue attempt would be dashed. She needed to get away – now.
"But my dear, that isn't up to you," the tiny voice from the scale taunted.
Her vision went black.
Pian lowered his hand containing a glowing dragon scale and he turned to Kongomi, who was bound and kneeling next to her sister.
"So you see, my little princess, your compliance was not required." He glided over to the group of captives. "I always get what I want."
She spat on his face.
Without warning, he bore down on her, gripping her chin between his fingers, pressing so tightly that his silver nails drew blood from her cheeks. His countenance remained smooth and serene, but there was an underlying rage that floated just beneath the surface.
"Mind your manners, whelp. Do not forget your current station." He flicked his wrist, releasing her. Harika murmured her concern for her sister's wellbeing, but Kongomi was unperturbed.
"The same should be said about you – pretentious rebel." She threw out the word casually. "You might have the map, but a pretender to the throne will never have Ryudo."
Pian laughed. "You think that we want your precious little kingdom? Hardly." He pushed back his hood, letting the rain fall on his metallic skin. "No, no, little princess. What we want is not a kingdom or riches.
"We want to raise this land and watch it burn. We want all of you to pay for the wrongs against our family."
"What wrongs? Your ancestors tried to overthrow us – your relatives could not have possibly thought that such a thing would come without consequence?" Kongomi snapped back. "You will be punished just like your forefathers. Sesshoumaru-sama will make certain of it."
"Ah, yes, dear Sesshoumaru." He crooned. "Once we have destroyed the land that cast us out and brought down the peace-mongering pacifists that dared opposed us, then we will have our vengeance on that dog pack that ruined us."
He turned to face his younger brother, who was escorting a dazed Rin into the open courtyard.
"And now that we have the map to where all your precious war dragons are hidden, we have the power to make it happen." He reached out a hand to accept the bright blue shard. "It really is beautiful, isn't it? To think someone would have left such a gift behind, stored in a dead dragon's scale."
"You let him capture you?" Kongomi called out to Rin. "Pathetic."
"You forget that we captured you too," the younger brother smiled. "Pathetic."
"Well at least my face wasn't melted off," she scoffed in return.
The demon leapt towards her, but his brother restrained him. "Calm yourself, Kan. She will not be our problem for much longer."
"And why's that?" The princess looked at Rin, who was now slumped on the ground, her eyes wide and unblinking. "And what did you do to her?"
Pian twirled the scale between his fingers. "Nothing I haven't done before. A little of this and a little of that. You need not concern yourself." He paused and focused on the huddled group. "Especially since you are not long for this world."
Kongomi noticed Harika and the little imp servant whimpering as she looked intently around the area. Trying to plan an escape while appearing to be largely ignorant was no small feat.
"You're just going to kill us, is that it?" Kongomi continued her subtle search for escape, careful not to let her sideways glances give away her intentions.
"Oh no, little princess. Your blood is much too valuable for that. I believe I told you before, we need your blood to awaken the dragons from their slumber."
Kan gave his brother a little push. "Why are you telling them everything? What if they use that against us?"
"What does it matter when they will be dead soon enough?"
"I wouldn't be sure about that."
A new voice rang out in the area. Atop a crimson red dragon, was the golden form of Yoihito, captain of the guard and protector of the royal family of Ryudo.
"Ah, welcome. I remember you." Pian let a crooked smile sneak onto his face. "You fought so valiantly to try to save your king. But it was all for naught in the end."
Kan also smiled widely. "Why don't you come play with us?"
Then the white, ghostly form of Sesshoumaru swept forward from behind the dragon's leathery wings. "I accept your challenge."
In one smooth motion, he unsheathed Bakusaiga and the blade seemed to throb with a pulsing energy. The brothers regarded the sword with a careful interest; the weapon did not seem to possess any special power during the demons' last fight with its owner, but this time there was a presence that made the both of them somewhat wary.
Sesshoumaru noted their hesitation with a flare of pride – they should tremor in front of him. He was one of the most powerful demons in the Eastern, Western, and Southern lands combined. The last time they crossed swords, he had unintentionally lowered his guard. This time, they would get no such kindness.
Bakusaiga was clenched in his right hand, all of his bones having healed earlier in the day. Back to full strength, there would be no stopping him. Energy blasts would be out of the question, but in the seven or so years since his arm had regenerated, along with the sword, he had mastered control over the decomposition technique. It would be child's play to destroy both brothers without harming the hostages.
"Sesshoumaru-sama! You have come to rescue us!" The all too familiar screeching of a certain servant made its way into his ears. "Quick! Use Bakusaiga to disintegrate them!"
One of these days he would shove that useless little piece of demon flesh into a sack with a pile of stones and drop him into the ornamental carp pond in his mother's castle.
The elder brother's filled with glee, even if the expression didn't extend to the rest of his face. "Your sword has some special powers?" he asked rhetorically.
"Absolutely! Just you wait and see! My master will eliminate you!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Sesshoumaru could also see the princess and her guard looking at Jaken in disbelief as well. One of these days…one of these days…
Stripped of any element of surprise, he raised his sword's edge, preparing to swing and unleash an attack on the brothers.
"I don't think so-" the younger brother rushed forward, but his advance was halted by his brother's outstretched hand.
"Patience, Kan. I have another idea." He raised a tiny blue flame to his lips and whispered some sort of command. "We have a perfect counter to our little lord Sesshoumaru."
The darkness blocking Rin's vision started to fade, revealing that she was lying down on a pile of wet stones. She tried to blink her eyes to clear away onslaught of rain droplets, but for some reason she couldn't move an inch. Then she became aware that something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
Every muscle screamed as she felt herself get up and pick up an object in her right hand. She was no expert, but from the heft and weight, it was probably a sword of some kind.
Her entire body protested as she slowly turned around. No words could escape her lips. Her eyes would not blink away the water running into her eyes and mouth. Even her breath and heart beats felt distant.
All of the sounds were buffered and dull in her ears, as though she were underwater. She was vaguely aware of Pian's cruel and snide tone, but the meaning of his words were lost on her.
Then she was slowly turning and came to a halt in front of Sesshoumaru. As her arms unwillingly raised her weapon, she let out an internal scream. One that she could only hear.
Sesshoumaru watched with a mixture of anger and horror as Rin rose from the ground and clutched a cutlass, discarded from the tragedy that had befallen the city.
"Rin." He called out to her. No doubt this spell could be broken like the others. "Come to your senses."
If she heard his words, she showed no signs of stopped as she raised the sword and approached him with a sluggish walk.
"Rin." He raised his voice, the tiniest bit of urgency betrayed in his tone. His command had never failed to reach her before.
"You see, Sesshoumaru, your power amounts to nothing when I hold all the cards," said the older brother smugly.
His patience was at its end and this would end now. He dashed to the side, easily evading Rin's awkward shuffle.
"Oh, I hardly think so." The demon made a quick gesture and Rin suddenly swung with full force into Sesshoumaru's side.
Years of experience allowed Sesshoumaru to dodge the attack, but he could almost see the trail Rin sliced through the rain. Without a moment's pause, she pulled back her blade and swung again. Sesshoumaru met her attack with his own and a great clang ran out as the metal edges clashed.
She began an endless tirade of hacks and slashes; nothing with any certain amount of finesse, but there was a degree of power that was unexpected.
Has she always been this strong? Or is this the influence of the mind control?
His questions went unanswered as his full concentration was pulled back into the fight. She would certainly die if he were to use any of his usual movements. A brief lapse in focus would spell her end. The practice fight they had had only that morning felt like a distant memory.
A sheen started to appear on her face – whether the spell was drawing directly from her life energy or whether this was the result of forced motions, there was no way to tell. Regardless, he needed to bring this fight to an abrupt conclusion.
With every ounce of attention, he began a rapid counter attack, whipping the blade around. Each slice was precisely calculated in speed and force so that Rin could parry, but not retaliate. Faster and faster Bakusaiga whirled and twirled, casting off water droplets.
He was so enraptured, he failed to notice the older brother assessing the situation and raising the shard to his lips.
Landing a series of quick strikes, Sesshoumaru prepared to make the final charge. He raised the sword and brought it down hard, expecting some resistance from Rin before it shattered.
But instead, Rin flung her arm out to the side, casting away her means of protection, and took the full force of the blow on across her chest.
Sesshoumaru's blood ran cold. He watched, as if in slow motion, as the light came back into her eyes and she crumpled to the ground, her blood rapidly draining and blending with the pools of rainwater.
This could not be happening.
Something rattled as it hit the ground. It took a second for him to realize that it was Bakusaiga.
Distanced from his body, he felt himself run forward and clutch her body to his own. Brown eyes, blank and unseeing, were set into a deathly pale visage. A surge of adrenaline and panic rushed through his system, although his expression was rigid as stone.
A feather light touch tugged at his wrist's hem and Sesshoumaru blinked before attempting to fling away the useless distraction. No one would take Rin from him again. There was a fierce chattering and a dark shadow scrambled down his arm, back onto Rin's chest. It squawked angrily, clearly aggravated as it tried to wriggle closer to the wound. Despite having no leeway, the small creature wormed its way to Rin's cut and huddled, trembling.
Pale yellow sparks of light drifted from the tiny youkai and seeped into the deep slice that started at her collarbone and trailed across her chest, down to her waist. The entire injury developed the faintest of glows and Sesshoumaru recognized the act as healing.
Was another miracle possible? He locked his gaze down at Rin. Seconds passed. She was not breathing. It seemed like minutes. His ears strained to pick up the faint thud of a heartbeat, but no sound could be heard.
Suddenly she gasped and started coughing. Her eyes scrunched against the rain as the rest of her body started to wake up.
"Hurry!" The timid little rosy-haired girl near Jaken called out, terrified, but clearly worried about Rin. "The kageko can't do a lot of healing. You need to push down on the wound! Otherwise she'll bleed out!"
Gently he laid Rin on the ground and immediately placed both of his hands on her chest, trying to put pressure on as much surface area as possible.
The ground began to shake. Nearby pebbles pattered and pieces of the remaining structures started to tumble. Out of the darkness came a giant pair of yellow eyes. Rain splashed against large metallic scales that were pitch black in the night.
In the face of the giant creature that had crushed his body only a day ago, Sesshoumaru started thinking with cold brilliance. There was only one course of action to take.
"Bakusaiga!"
As if by magic, the guard leapt off his dragon and rolled to the ground, his own wounds bleeding through his bandages. Staggering to his feet, he reached for the fallen sword and slid it across the stones.
With every ounce of confidence that Rin would survive for a few short moments, Sesshoumaru lifted one of his hands and picked up his blade. Despite the protests from the young demon girl, he released a giant attack against the large beast. Once the attack pierced the hide of the dragon, it would succumb to the disease that was Bakusaiga's decomposition. Pieces of the body would fall from the ground as the dragon's life came to a messy end.
None of that happened.
The elder brother laughed. "Where is this precious disintegration that we were promised?"
Overhead, the dragon roared, baring impossibly large fangs. There was a final option. If Bakusaiga was not enough to inflect even the tiniest amount of damage, then all that was left was tooth and nail.
Sesshoumaru evaluated the situation. Without pressure applied to the wound, Rin's blood was flowing out much too fast. Judging from the shrieks coming from the little black creature, he would need to return his hand to cover the cut if there was even a hope of her surviving. Retreat was out of the question. He could completely let go – become a daiyoukai – but as he watched her straining to keep the faintest flame of life burning, he knew he could not. He might be able to win, but then again, he might not. And he would regret it for the rest of his life.
There was nothing that he could do. No attack. No plan. No more steps.
This was somewhat of a shocking revelation for the lord. Having spent his entire life completely assured of his own capabilities and power, absolutely certain that he was in control of his destiny, the feeling of helplessness and the growing lack of hope was alien.
He dropped his sword for the second time that day and continued to apply pressured to Rin's chest.
He looked down at Rin and was surprised to see her eyes clear. Through labored breathing and between pained grimaces, she gave him a weak, apologetic smile.
What does one say at a time like this?
A flash of white cut across his vision.
Streaking towards the dragon was a pale demon with snow white hair, pulled severely into a bun. At this speed, it was impossible to determine gender, but the new arriver unsheathed a curved and wicked blade that was bathed in a sparkling red light.
The fighter unleashed an immense crimson beam, which cut through the giant dragon as if it no more substance than a soggy piece of paper. Then another pair of slashes crisscrossed to bisect through head and down the length of the body.
Sesshoumaru was arrested by the sight of the mysterious demon who was dismantling their foe in fairly short order. Steel flashing in every which direction, so fast that the glints from the blade looked like lightning. A surge of jealousy rippled through his veins.
With one last strike, everything settled and the only sound was the gentle shush of rain. The dragon was slain.
The princess let out a cry, wrapped in the arms of her guard. "Harika! They've taken Harika!"
The younger princess, along with both brothers, had disappeared in the chaos.
"You useless fools," said a biting voice that drew Sesshoumaru's interest. The fighter was stalking back exuding irritation. "You let them get away."
As the stranger approached, he was surprised to find she (for it appeared to be female) possessed the same amber eyes that all inuyoukai were born with. Combined with her white hair and pale countenance, there was no doubt that she was family. Although probably a distant relative.
"I never suspected that my own nephew would be so weak that he could not take down a simple dragon demon!"
Or maybe a closer relative than he thought. He met the gaze of his 'aunt', but offered no words – she seemed like the type of person that would scold and rebuke even if there was nothing wrong in the world. He turned his gaze back to Rin who was barely holding on to her own life.
"Th-th-thank you, Inukojo-sama! We are most humbled by your gracious presence and are eternally grateful for assistance from the ruler of the Northern Lands!"
That little twerp could also be counted on to employ groveling in any situation.
"I should say so," was the snarky reply.
She walked over to Sesshoumaru. "Well, nephew, what have you to say for yourself? Clutching onto some little human trash and waiting to be crushed – what a miserable existence. This must be the influence of your father, he always did love his humans, didn't he?"
Sesshoumaru blatantly ignored her. The only way he would pay her heed was if there was something she could to help save Rin. Everything else was noise.
"And now you're pretending that you didn't hear me? Some manners you have!"
Still her taunts elicited no response.
There was an angry huff as the aunt pushed Sesshoumaru out of the way. "Oh, for the love of-!" She brought out her sword, glittering again with the red light.
Now Sesshoumaru turned on her, eyes red, pupils small and dark. The lady shrugged off the aggression. "Move out of the way – unless you want this piece of garbage to die."
Quickly – much too quickly, she shoved Sesshoumaru away like he was no more than a young pup. She drew her sword, which quickly took on its vibrantly crimson hue.
Then she laid the sword against the wound.
Rin's entire body tensed, but she had lost too much blood to even muster the energy to scream. Even from a few meters away, her pain was obvious.
Furious, Sesshoumaru leapt back up and dug his own claws into the shoulder of his so-called aunt, drawing blood. She responded with a pair of red eyes of her own. "Fool! I am cauterizing the wound – or did you change your mind after all?"
He refused to extract his claws, but a few seconds later, the female demon withdrew the sword and swung at him. He easily dodged the blade and then looked down at Rin.
Where a giant gouge had been only minutes before, there was now a ragged scar, raw and jagged around the edges. It was a gruesome sight to behold.
Sesshoumaru could feel his rage building, but then he heard the soft thud of Rin's heartbeat. The rhythm was becoming stronger, more regular. He calmed, seeing the little healer continuing to pour golden light into the wound, which was drastically improving by the second.
He in no uncertain terms agreed with her methods, but he was satisfied that this was the best possible outcome, with regards to Rin's life.
"What was that?" He flicked his gaze at the sword.
"That is Ryuushin, the dragon slayer." She was not taken aback and continued without missing a beat. "And I am its wielder, Lord Inukojo of the Northern Lands, sister to Inukimi." She waved the sword before gracefully sliding it back into its sheath. "Is that explanation enough for you?"
But he had already moved on. The black youkai chirped as the golden light around the wound faded. From her breath and heartbeat, it sounded like Rin had settled into a deep sleep. She was not out of the woods just yet, but she would survive until they returned.
Carefully, he scooped the young woman into both of his arms. He threw a sideways glance at the princess who was in shock. He tossed an order to the guard: "Collect her and let us return to the castle."
"Sesshoumaru – where do you think you are going? Those two annoyances are still out there – with a map and a royal blood supply, I might add!"
Without a single ounce of patience to spare, even for a 'close' relative, Sesshoumaru turned to give her a stony glare. "We are returning to the castle. I suggest that you do the same, although if you feel so inclined as to chase after those 'annoyances' instantly, I will not prevent you from doing so."
That was the last said on the matter as everyone left for the long flight back to Inukimi's castle.
The weight of sleep gradually lifted from Rin; slowly releasing her from empty dreams that were filled with nothing but darkness.
She blinked, but everything around her was blurry. A dark smudge here, a bright streak there. Her memories caught up with her: the dragon! That fight! The slash coming down – she couldn't stop it!
Sitting upright, she crashed into a solid form and was forced back into her bedding.
"Rin."
In one word, she was lulled into tranquility. She rubbed her eyes and her vision began to reveal the true nature of the fuzzy world.
"Sesshoumaru-sama? What happened?" She turned her head towards the primly seated demon lord, who removed his hand from her shoulder. "Where are we?"
"We have returned to the castle. You and the guard sustained injuries that were in need of immediate care."
Her chest felt it was on fire, with a thousand sharp needle pricks running diagonally from shoulder to hip. Looking down, she saw a thick swath of bandages. That last hit that she took must have really done a number on her, as Kagome liked to say.
Sesshoumaru had paused, as if contemplating what to say next, but decided to continue anyway. "The two demons escaped with an artifact that will tell them the locations of all the dragons. We have reason to believe that it will also allow them to control multiple beasts concurrently."
Her heart sank. That was terrible news – not only had she put herself in danger, but her little escapade had increased the power of their enemies.
"And Harika? The younger princess?" she whispered.
"The princess was not recovered."
The worst possible scenario: there was nothing that could stop Pian and Kan from summoning an army of terrifying monsters. Not to mention that at any moment, she could also turn into a mindless slave, bending to the will of Pian.
If she remained here, she would only continue to endanger everyone else.
Leaving was the rational decision.
"Sesshoumaru-sama," she said with a ragged breath. It was so hard to keep her emotions in check! "As soon as I am well, I will return to the village." Then she squeezed her eyes shut, since there was no other way to prevent tears from spilling out.
This was how it ended. Months of trying to show him that she could handle the pressure, the dangers, destroyed in one fell swoop.
Silence fell.
And then…
"Why?"
She had no choice but to open her eyes and regard the man she loved in confusion. What did he mean 'why?' Was she not a nuisance that caused more headache than help? Was she not a threat to his safety?
"Why are you returning to the village?" He repeated his query a bit slower, as if she was having trouble understanding the question.
Words tumbled out of her mouth as she explained her reasons behind her decision.
"And?" was the great reply.
Mouth agape, she struggled to come up with anything else. Luckily, Sesshoumaru seemed to have something else to say.
"You are suffering under the misapprehension that I am only recently inconvenienced by your antics. That was a given, from the start. The disastrous rescue attempt has little effect on my opinion of you. Whether you cause trouble here or there matters little to me."
How was she supposed to interpret such a response? Rin's mind reeled as she tried to come to terms with what was being said.
There was a murmur at the door – Sesshoumaru was being called away.
"If leaving is your decision, I will not stop you."
With that, he was gone.
Rin's comment had surprised him: given her carefree attitude, he had never taken her for the self-sacrificing or tragic type. But, perhaps she was overwhelmed from the day's events and a good night's rest would restore her mental strength.
Yet, after all this, she decided to leave, he would not stop her.
What right did he have? His failings as a warrior had nearly killed her. It would have, had that girl with the magical powers been there.
That thought alone made his fingertips feel like ice.
True, she had been rash to head out on her own, but she had sense and vitality enough to survive in a time of such violence and turmoil – even if only just. Next time, she would know better and that was the important thing.
If there was a next time.
With these melancholy thoughts in mind, he entered his mother's receiving room, where she entertained guests when she was feeling too lazy to use the royal hall.
"Ah, my dear son, Sesshoumaru. Do come in." Inukimi's melodic voice taunted him from behind a screen hung from the ceiling.
"Mother, what is this about?"
The lady-mother of the Western Lands collapsed her fan with a rolling snap. "Does a mother need an excuse to hold an audience with her own son?" In no rush at all, the draped screen was lifted to reveal Inukimi, leaning against an armrest on the floor. She wafted her fan in a mindless patterns and then, in a gross mockery of motherly tenderness, she pouted, "Mother is so sad because you do not wish to visit with her." She wiped non-existent tears delicately from her face.
Her son was not the least bit moved by her performance. "I will ask you only once more - why did you summon me?"
She dropped all pretense. "I can see you will offer me no entertainment this time around, so I suppose I cut to the point directly." She splayed her fingers in front her, as if to examine her perfectly manicured nails.
"Jaken has told me that you failed to eliminate those pests."
Sesshoumaru frowned. "What business is it of yours? You have never cared about what happens outside of your own castle."
Her golden gaze grew hard and cold. "Those pests can summon dragons that cannot be defeated by your power. They also have the means to locate each and every one of those ancient war dragons. Never mind the battle, they have already won the war. They will drive you into a corner and you will lose."
"You are on dangerous ground, Mother."
"No. It is you who is on dangerous ground," the she shot back, her words like icy barbs. "Fools they may be, they currently possess great power, almost as great as their forefather, Tomohisa, had many years ago. Your father was not able to defeat that demon on his own. Neither will you be able to defeat his sons." She calmly moved forward, the silks of her numerous kimono layers rustling. "But that need not be the outcome."
Fighting to contain an enormous amount of irritation, his deadpan expression did not shift in slightest. "What are you scheming?"
"Scheming? I am merely offering you a solution. What mother wouldn't help her own son?" She tapped his arm lightly with her closed fan.
"I thought you were going to get to the point."
Her humor instantly died and she sighed. "I do wish that you would play along – it would make the conversation much more intriguing."
"Mother."
"You have met your aunt and seen her skills in action, yes?" She gave him a second to recall the earlier encounter. "She has ways to slay the dragons and bring this threat to heel."
"You would have me beg for help?" His lack of expression belied the rage that was building. "I am not so weak."
His mother passed him an incredulous look. "I thought you were intelligent Sesshoumaru. Your Bakusaiga cannot pierce dragon scale, but my sister, with Ryuushin in hand can do so readily. Can you truly dismiss her talents so easily?"
"No one grants their favor without a promise of something in return. Since I have no significant material wealth, the only thing I can offer is the Western Lands. I am not willing to compromise my father's legacy."
"Hm? Your father's legacy? Do not forget that it was my father, a proud demon from the northern clan, who defeated the dragons and presented the Western Lands and me your father on a silver platter. Your father merely stood on the sidelines. Those sorry excuses for swords that he left you and the half-breed were much more of a legacy than those so-called lands."
As quick as lightning, Sesshoumaru whipped out Bakusaiga. The blade glinted in the sunlight as he raised the tip towards his mother. "Do not insult his memory."
Inukimi scoffed at this. "Really, Sesshoumaru. I am merely stating fact. We both know that your father's bloodline has no talent for dragon handling." She ignored the blade pointed at her throat. "When pressed to fight a dragon on his own, he could hardly fend off the beast, and those wounds were the end of him. And that pathetic creature was some weak descendant of the old dragons. I am not speculating: you will meet the same fate if you do not seek assistance."
"And I tell you, I will not relinquish the lands that he entrusted to me." Sesshoumaru bared his fangs.
"Come, this is unsightly behavior. You are the rightful leader of the southern Inu clan. Do not disappointment me with your childish antics." She gave him a pointed look before unfolding her fan.
"There is something that you can offer that will pacify my sister's need for collateral."
Calming slightly, Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword, but did not lower his guard. His mother was a conniving women and every word had the potential to drip poison. "And that is?"
"Rather than concede the lands that you appear to hold so dear, why not marry advantageously and produce an heir? Many rulers are satisfied knowing that their descendants will possess the power than they themselves cannot. My sister has a daughter that she would gladly see wed to you. It would be a matter of course for her to assist a future son-in-law with protecting the lands that her grandchildren will someday rule."
Sesshoumaru was silent. A tiny smug smile graced Inukimi's lips.
"You summoned them here."
"Of course – as soon as I sensed those boys arrive on our shores, I sent for my sister and her forces immediately. After all, what could you possibly hope to accomplish?"
"Do not tell me you have qualms about entering a loveless engagement - unless of course this is about your human. Do not worry, you can keep your little human pet. She will be gone in several decades. Perhaps she will pass on before this dragon conflict is resolved; for as you know, youkai matters may not be settled for an age."
In her element, Inukimi face radiated with triumph, preparing for the final blow. "You need not worry about your fiancée's feelings on these matters: I have already consulted her and received confirmation that young Tsukiakari does not mind an occasional fling."
At this Sesshoumaru raised his head sharply. "You hold no sway over my business and I will not be manipulated by your irritating feminine plotting. I will resolve this matter without assistance from you and certainly without releasing anything in my possession."
He stormed out of the room.
A few seconds later, Inukojo came out from around another screen. "You see? I did not think he would be one to agree to such a plot."
"Onee-sama, this is only the beginning." Inukimi gestured for the armored ruler to have a seat next to her. "He will be made to see the error of his ways. The dragon pair will be defeated and Tsukiakari will be married to my son."
"Why are you so intent on this?" Inukojo asked the hard question. "I refuse to believe that you feel guilty because our father chose to give Inutaisho and the Western Lands to you, rather than me."
"Amusement. I do not get more delight out of anything other than teasing my dear Sesshoumaru." She flicked her fan with a ruthless snap. "We were never that close anyway."
Sesshoumaru strode down the corridors, not even caring to conceal how aggravated he was. His mother had a talent for getting on his bad side, but she had never goaded quite that hard before and it had struck a nerve. Several nerves, in fact.
He found himself treading back to Rin's room and before he knew what he was doing, he was inside the room and sitting across from her futon.
Rin remained on her bedding, but she quietly turned her head. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" Her voice was filled with confusion, but also with concern. "Is everything alright?"
Somehow her question prompted thousands of answers, and yet not a single thing could he reply. Insecurities bubbled to the surface, but he would hold them in check.
"Do you believe I can defeat these foes?" The words were past his lips, he could never take them back. His eyes widened in shock – what a display of weakness!
There was no reply.
There would not be one. Not after today, when she had been nearly cut in two because of his inability to gauge and react to such an enemy.
"Do you think you can?" Rin's quiet question broke the silence.
He slowly met her gaze as she sat up cautiously, her futon cover falling away to reveal a swath of bandages, protecting the last stages of healing.
Letting his body guide his actions, he moved closer to her and then delicately reached out, slowly, carefully. He cupped her chin, his calloused hand against the youthful smoothness of her skin. For the first time, he looked at her, really looked at her.
He was uncertain. And he hated it.
He was not certain that he could defeat the demons that haunted them without the help of his relatives.
He was not certain that he could keep her safe from the terrors that trapped her within her own mind and forced her to another's will.
He was not certain that his powers would be enough, for now, forever.
But as he looked into her eyes, he saw hope, and optimism. What had started as a childlike faith had matured into a deep sense of trust. Even with all the peril and dangers that awaited, she still believed.
Just maybe, if she was here, he could. Perhaps, if she was by his side, he could be certain again.
After an eternity, he finally found his voice.
"The dragons will be defeated." He felt himself frown. "It will not be simple and it may be dangerous." The frown eased as determination filled him.
He could hear the thud of her heart its paced quickened. He could see her embarrassed flush across her cheeks. Although he would never show it, he was mortified himself, for being so open, but these were the words that needed to be said. She needed to be here.
"I will overcome this, without letting go of anything."
Now her pulse was fluttering rapidly like the wings of a small bird and he saw her swallow nervously. She stammered slightly, "O-of course. The Western Lands are in jeopardy – you would not want to lose them."
His breath caught. Is she testing me? Well, two can play this game. Keeping his smirk absent from his face, he slid his hand from her chin along her jaw until his pal was flush on her face. He brought up his thumb to caress her cheek. "The Western Lands are not the only things I stand to lose."
Those words came out with less resistance than he expected. There was nothing left to lose.
"You once stated that you were prepared to dedicate your life to mine. Are you still so committed?"
Blinking, she was clearly struggling to keep up with the chain of events. "What?"
"This life is dangerous and I cannot guarantee your safety. But I will not abandon you and I will not let the dragons win. This I can solemnly avow. Can you commit yourself?"
Reflected in her eyes was his own face, stern and stone. It was an expression that was steadfast, without a trace of the anxiety that swirled internally.
To his complete and utter relief, she nodded numbly. "Yes. I always have and I always will be."
"Then you will stay?"
"I will."