Sorry this has taken so long to do! Please forgive me!
Review Corner
pclark: thanks for the review! I'm glad I've kept the story interesting =)
Rickashay: Glad you liked the Akihito and Inukimi scene =) it kind of randomly came to me lol. Thanks for your review!
Lala: sorry about the super long wait! Hope this makes up for it though, thanks for the review!
Ladyrouge214:haha well she'll seem a bit different in this chapter, but hey, you have to get some of your personality from your parents, which is why I made her the way I did =) thanks for the review!
Elainehac123: loved your review! Lol I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. =)
seshomaru94: Yup, it's very exciting! =) Thanks for the review!
CutieSOS: Aww...I like cats...lol. I just used them since they seemed like they were long standing rivals of Sesshomaru's family (based on the series). Also, Shippo was going to ask Rin if she wanted to travel with him. He basically wanted her all to himself before Sesshomaru decided to come back =) thanks for the review!
Manni19: Glad you liked the review, though I am a little nervous for you to read this chapter since Rin kind of relapses into her old character from the show...I hope you still like it though! Thanks for the review!
Sesshrin devoter: I always love reading your reviews because you give me very good constructive criticism. My idea with Kagome was a very rare idea, but I wondered why it wouldn't happen since her body subconciously purifies demonic aura (ie the jewel shards) so I wondered if her body would treat the baby like a threat, and thus purify it. Also, Kagome seemed rather happy at the end of the actual series to leave her future life behind for Inuyasha, so I assumed she would be happy in my story as well. Also, Rin has become rebellious mainly because of being left by Sesshomaru was a harsh blow to her self-esteem since she didn't know why, so she holds resentment towards that. Teenagers (me included) also tend to dwell on what is plaguing us at the moment, rather than be grateful for what we have and who has provided us to that. Hope this clears up a few things! Thanks again for the review!
Tattianygatinha: Yeah, I agree with you. This story has gone on for a while, but I think because initially I had no plot with it. I had no thoughts on where it was going, or how I was planning on getting them back together, so a lot of the beginning chapters are fillers. I am hoping to really speed things up though, not that Inukimi is in the picture. Thanks for your review!
ashleyjaneli: thanks so much for your review! I always love hearing that people like my story ideas =)
Phyrestorm:thanks so much for your enthusiastic review! And I'm glad that I can make Inukimi into the female dog that she is =). Hope you like this chapter too!
(Divider)
"Rin, what is she doing here?" Inuyasha asked, openly growling at the demoness. Inukimi merely gave him a smug smile in return before lifting her nose up to the sky in dismissal. Inuyasha's golden gaze darkened as he took a step towards her, one fang hooked over his lower lip.
"Why you – !" Inuyasha snarled, but was interrupted by Kagome who placed a gentle hand on his chest.
"Inuyasha, please," Kagome murmured with a glare, "Lady Inukimi, what an honor it is to see you again. May I ask why you have come?" she rephrased kindly to make up for Inuyasha's blunder. Inukimi gave Kagome a similar look before her golden eyes traveled over to Rin.
"My actions are my own to consider, and none of your business," she informed the priestess, but kept her gaze locked on Rin. Kagome followed her gaze before her dark brown eyes widened slightly.
"You're here for Rin?" she asked, before she let out a pained breath and fell weakly against Inuyasha's chest. Inukimi let out a short, humorless laugh before she covered her painted lips with a dainty hand.
"You're such a fool," she chided, "for what human woman would be able to stand after giving birth?" she added before glancing at the quarter demon in the woman's arms. She did not say anything to the child, but Rin thought she saw something close to admiration shine in the demoness' eyes as she stared at the gurgling baby. A baby who seemed entirely too comfortable in her presence, and had a strong likeness to her former mate. But it was only for a moment, for in the next her eyes had hardened and Rin was convinced that she had imagined the look entirely.
"You'd be surprised by what I can do," Kagome managed to say in between heavy breathes, "we humans have become far stronger than the humans you knew,"
"You speak like you have the right to," Inukimi observed coldly before she glanced back at Rin, "you must have taught this one to behave as she does. She was such an obedient child when I first met her,"
"Obedience that got me nothing in return," Rin stated, speaking outright for the first time since reaching the square. Inukimi's eyebrows rose at that before she suddenly broke out into a fit of giggles. The group of humans that had been rounded up stared at the demoness in both confusion and fear before a cluster of whispers echoed throughout the square. They had never heard a full demon as strong and intimidating as Inukimi burst out into laughter before.
"Nothing, you say? Do you believe that if you acted the way you do now, that Sesshomaru would have protected you as he had? He would've struck you down right after resurrecting you!" she exclaimed between giggles. She found it funny enough that tears were starting to form at the sides of her beautiful eyes.
Rin, Kagome, and Inuyasha could do nothing but stare at her. Neither knew what to do or say to the oddly behaved demon. Normally demons were rather reserved like Sesshomaru, or highly abrasive and loud like the demons who had attacked the village. Having Inukimi jump from stereotype to stereotype had them all clueless as to what the demon's true personality was. Rin wondered then what it would be like to hear Sesshomaru laugh like his mother did, but instantly squashed the fantasy and was angry that she had even thought about it. Inutashio merely gurgled in Kagome's arms, but Rin saw his mouth move like he was trying to smile, and maybe join Inukimi in her fit of laughter. Eventually her giggles died down to shallow breathes before she was able to compose herself, and then suddenly glared at Rin.
"Come on, human. We're wasting time here," she told her in a scold, and Rin felt even more confused at her action.
"But I – " she began before another voice interrupted her.
"Where did you come from?" Shippo asked suddenly as the fox demon appeared from behind the crowd of humans. Rin felt her heartbeat quicken at the sight of him, and couldn't help the gasp that left her lips when she sensed the aura filtering around his body. Had she not seen him standing only a few feet away from her, she would've confused his aura with Sesshomaru's. He glanced at her for a moment, as if sensing her surprise, before he sent her a small smile. A challenging growl sounded near Rin, and she glanced at Inukimi to see her lips curled around her teeth in warning. Shippo's orange hair stood up on end when his green eyes locked onto Inukimi's, and Rin saw his stance tighten. Inukimi's eyes crawled over the demon's face before she suddenly clapped her hands on her cheeks with a shriek.
"A fox demon! I haven't seen one of you in over a century!" she exclaimed, and Rin nearly fell over at Inukimi's jump from one mood to the next. Just how bipolar could she be? Shippo gave her a similar expression, and his stance loosened in surprise. When her light golden eyes began to shine in pleasure, Shippo's hair stood up on end for a completely different reason and he looked ready to bolt out of the square.
"I – I didn't think fox demons were that rare," he informed her before giving her a frightened look when she whirled around to look back at Rin.
"We leave now, human. Before you can create any more distractions. You must know that a promise to a demoness is an unbreakable one," Inukimi told her with a dark stare as Rin felt her face fall. She had forgotten her promise thanks to Inukimi's random actions, and felt her heart beat quicken at the thought of leaving.
"Yes. I did make a promise to you, and I will keep my word," Rin replied with a heavy heart, and saw realization shine in Kagome's eyes.
"You promised to leave with Inukimi if she saved us? Rin! You can't just promise your life away like that! We could have fought off those cat demons on our own!" Kagome cried out sporadically, and Rin was surprised at the emotion that rang in Kagome's voice. Though she had spent only a few fleeting moments with her as a child and a few more as an adolescent, she had never thought she'd mean so much to the priestess she barely knew.
"Leave it alone, priestess," Inukimi chided, "Rin has already given me her word, and there is nothing that you can say that will change it. At least Sesshomaru taught you that much," she added with a dark look Rin's way.
"Rin – !" Shippo exclaimed as he glanced between the two women, "you can't simply leave!...Fight me for her!" Shippo suddenly proclaimed as Inukimi's eyes seemed to brighten in interest, but she merely waved him off.
"While your loyalty is admirable, I will not waste any more time in this village. I have other matters I need to tend to beside the human," she added before she made her way over to her. Rin stood apprehensively next to the demoness, but Inukimi did not reach out to her. Instead she turned towards the crowd still hovering in the square.
"I will be back to check for more cats, but don't think my actions have any meaning past my own interests," Inukimi chided, and the humans nodded in unison at her. Inuyasha and Kagome remained mute, but Rin saw the looks of sadness that shined in the couple's eyes.
Rin also noted that Shippo looked ready to run after her, but stopped when Kagome called out for him to stay. He sent Rin a helpless look, and she could tell that he desperately wanted to fight for her. His desire to keep her at the village was flattering, and Rin sent him a genuine smile just as a ball of light encompassed both her and Inukimi.
(Divider)
"Lady Inukimi went where?" Jaken cried out in agitation as Akihito let out a crackle.
"You heard me, she went after Rin!"
"But, she wanted to remain at the village! How will she convince Rin to return?" Jaken asked before he lowered his voice, "and how will Lord Sesshomaru react when he finds out?"
"Lady Inukimi has her ways, and I'm quite sure how Lord Sesshomaru will act," Akihito told him before giving the toad demon a smirk, "but I'd much rather leave you in suspense than give in and tell you,"
"Why would you torture poor Jaken so?" Jaken exclaimed, "If Lord Sesshomaru should be displeased, then what will happen to me? He will surely take out his frustrations on me!"
"You do not need to fear, Jaken. Rin will right things as she always has," Akihito replied, and watched as Jaken moved his mouth wordlessly at him.
"Just because Rin may have calmed Lord Sesshomaru's spirits in the past, does not mean that I will go without being beaten unprovoked!" Jaken stated before he hung his head, "and I was so happy when I hadn't seen my lord leave his quarters since his return..."
"What did you say, Jaken?" Sesshomaru asked as the dog demon gracefully passed the two men, his eyes remaining distant and unreadable. Jaken nearly choked on his own tongue as he sputtered apologies to his demon lord. Akihito merely surveyed the dog demon over his golden cane. It always baffled him how alike mother and son were, and he wondered if they could see the resemblance. He only smiled at the thought before his head shot up when he saw Sesshomaru begin walking towards the front door.
"Where are you going, Lord Sesshomaru?" he asked rather hastily as Sesshomaru paused in the doorway before he gave his mother's servant a sideways glance.
"That is none of your concern," Sesshomaru replied and Akihito let out a curt laugh before nodding.
"Much like your mother would have said. Now, do you have a different response you would like to tell me?" Akihito asked, and enjoyed the slightly agitated look he received from Sesshomaru. The dog demon wasn't one to readily show emotions, especially to a "lowly servant" as himself, so Akihito took pride when he got a glimpse into Sesshomaru's inner workings.
"You should be proud that you're useful to us, or you wouldn't still be alive," Sesshomaru threatened, a threat that Akihito easily laughed off.
"You test me so readily Lord Sesshomaru! Is something amiss, or wrong in your life-seeking journey of fulfillment?" he asked impishly(in a tone that even Jaken was envious of). Sesshomaru simply chose not to answer him, but turned his head around and proceeded to walk out of the fortress. Jaken stared after him before squawking in fear.
"L – Lord Sesshomaru! Please wait for me!" his faithful servant cried out in dismay.
"Hold on, Jaken," Akihito ordered as Jaken puffed out his chest before pointing a green finger in his direction.
"It's your fault that Lord Sesshomaru is leaving! If you just kept your mouth shut he might have waited for me!"
"Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't have waited for you. You don't have the choice in his ways, you never had the choice..." he stated solemnly before his blue eyes fell to the elegantly rugged floor. Jaken's angry expression faltered slightly as he noted the pain in the man's eyes, but remained mute as Akihito traveled deeper and deeper into his thoughts.
(Divider)
Rin felt her knees buckle under her once they were on land again that she nearly face planted on the concrete entrance. She would have too, if Inukimi's white aura bubble hadn't righted her wobbling stance.
"You act like you've never traveled in this way before," Inukimi noted as she looked Rin up and down. Rin held her head in her hands as she shut her eyes tightly. It helped slow the spinning in her head, if only a little.
"I was never standing whenever Sesshomaru and I traveled like that. He always carried me," Rin replied as Inukimi's eyes brightened in interest.
"Carried you, did he? My son has become the most peculiar demon since you're existence jolted his solitary life," Inukimi observed curiously before she began walking ahead of her, "hurry now, or you'll be left behind!" she added with a wide smile as Rin held in her need to flinch at the woman's sudden happy tone.
Rin followed after the demoness apprehensively until she entered the castle. Twin red doors greeted her at the top as two demon servants with crescent moon markings on their foreheads opened the doors. Inukimi didn't spare them a glance, but Rin muttered a soft "thank you" to the guards as they each turned and gave her surprised stares. Whether the stares were because she thanked them or because she was human, Rin wasn't sure.
The sight that came into her line of sight next was both unbelievable and awe inspiring. The walls and floor were decorated in the finest silks and threads Rin had ever seen. The entrance alone looked better than any Rin could have imagined or dreamed of. The hallway was decorated in a mixture of blue and golds that reminded Rin of the sash tied around Sesshomaru's waist that held his two swords at his side. The silks looked so fine that Rin was afraid to even brush aside one, in case it unraveled in her human fingers.
The riches before her also brought back memories of her modest upbringing, and how she had been taught to never wish for such things. For they would be out of reach for a common peasant girl. She remembered how her brothers' eyes would shine at the fine uniforms that the rich demons would wear that passed by their village. That was when her father began giving them the social class talk. The thought made her think more of her father, and how he had told her never to wish too high. Because if she did, she would surely be disappointed. He had told her that she would marry a peasant boy one day, and have a family much like her parents. Hoping for better was a waste of time.
She wondered what her life would have been like if they had survived with her. Would she have ever met Sesshomaru? Would she be happy and carefree like her mother had been? But I was carefree and happy...with Sesshomaru, Rin thought as she remembered how safe and protected she had felt in the demon's presence as a child.
So, why did he leave me without so much as an explanation? She thought as her eyes lowered to the ground and she felt the pain in her chest return. It was dulled and hardly as painful as it had been the first day Rin had been left with Kaede, but it still hurt nonetheless.
"What are you thinking about, human?" Inukimi asked, and sounded genuinely curious. Rin blinked out of her thoughts to glance over at Inukimi.
"Nothing," she replied and Inukimi gave her a smirk.
"As you should be. Humans are not meant to think as demons do," she answered and Rin merely looked at the ground. She did not linger on Inukimi's condescending words, but felt herself escaping into her thoughts once more.
I'm such a fool, she thought, instead of finding out why Sesshomaru left me with Kaede, I started a fight about it with him instead. She felt so childish that she wondered if she would always seem that way to Sesshomaru. Did he give up on her because she truly hadn't changed from the child she had been? Sure, she had gained a new power, and grown physically, but mentally? Could she still have a lot of growing up to do?
Maybe it was right for her to return to him, to finally find out what her heart had ached for so long to know.
"Lady Inukimi, what a pleasure it is to see you again," an old man greeted, and Rin was momentarily taken aback by his appearance. For a man that looked well into his eighties, he was surprisingly handsome. The aging process had been kind to him. He stood tall and proud with his white hair brushed over his eyebrows, and matching colored eyebrows that hovered atop bright blue eyes. Rin had never seen eyes so blue.
"So, you've decided to drink the elixir, Akihito," Inukimi replied with a pleased smile, and Rin was surprised to hear the demoness speak the man's name. Based on his appearance, he was human. Rin thought Inukimi hated humans, based on the treatment she had received from her.
"Yes, my lady, and it has given me newfound strength," he told her with a broad, white toothed grin, "now, if only it would reverse my wrinkles as well. I do pity the fact that you must look upon such an old face every day," he added.
"Your appearance does not bother me, so long as you can remain useful to me," Inukimi told him, and Rin felt her curiosity about the two dim then. Of course Inukimi wouldn't hold a special place in her heart for the man, she was merely using him for her own personal gain. Rin couldn't help making the parallel between those two and the relationship Sesshomaru and Jaken had. Akihito sent her a knowing smile before his eyes traveled over to Rin.
"Ah, so I finally get to meet the beautiful maiden that has plagued Lord Sesshomaru's every thought!" Akihito exclaimed as Rin felt a blush burn its way to her cheeks, "you truly are beautiful, my dear. I wish I could be sixty years younger, for I would have been irresistible to such a breathtaking woman as yourself!" he flirted as Rin felt a warm smile spread across her face. Though such attention would have made her feel awkward, something about the man's voice made his flirting sound utterly harmless.
"Akihito, stop your incessant flirting," Inukimi scolded, "the girl does not need to hear such things, or she'll think as you do,"
"Meaning?" Akihito baited her.
"She'll think much too highly of herself,"
"Much like I did, when you first met me in my most charming form? You must admit that I was hard to resist, even for you," Akihito asked, and Rin glanced between the couple before a light suddenly went off in her head. The using of the name, the banter back and forth; it all made some sort of sense. Could there have been some sort of love affair between the two? Had it not just been Inutashio who had found someone else?
Inukimi merely let out a laugh, bringing her arm up to daintily cover her mouth.
"You still think much too highly of yourself Akihito," she noted as the man let out a chuckle to join in with the demoness. Rin suddenly felt out of place when she noted that the two were sharing a moment; a moment that looked like it had been shared numerous times before between the couple. When the laughter had died down, and the odd softness gone from Inukimi's eyes, Akihito turned towards Rin.
"You must be incredibly shaken after being taken from your home so suddenly," Akihito observed as Rin turned her head towards the door.
"Yes, and I wish I could have stayed, but I made a promise to Lady Inukimi," Rin replied and Akihito laughed.
"Yes, I know you have, and it is very wise of you to abide by that promise,"
"You know – but how?" Rin couldn't help but ask.
"I'm a fortune teller, my dear," he replied with a smile, "I have already seen what will happen in the future, and I saw you make your promise to Lady Inukimi even before you were born into this world,"he added, and his smile widened when Rin stated at him in blatant shock.
"Akihito, show Rin to a spare room," Inukimi suddenly ordered, her formal tone back in place. Rin watched as Akihito's expression turned more serious as well as he gave her a curt nod. Though Inukimi's sudden change seemed rather cold, Rin noted that Akihito didn't even seem affected. Instead, he gave her a warm smile as he gestured Rin to follow him.
"I'll show you to your new room so that you may freshen up and relax for the night," he informed her as Rin walked at his side, but cast the demoness a quick backward glance. Inukimi stood poised and comfortable in the massive hallway, and was staring up at a painting of a moonlight night. She seemed to have blocked out Rin's presence altogether. Rin wondered then why Inukimi seemed so trusting of her. Couldn't Rin simply run away while Inukimi wasn't watching? Were promises to demons like written contracts?
Then why...why did Sesshomaru so easily break the promise he made to me? Rin thought sadly as she turned away from the demoness and followed Akihito down the the rest of the wide hallway.
(Divider)
Ok, so I know it's been so long since I've updated, and I'm truly sorry! But I promise that I'll try my best to bring this story back around as best I can. Hope to hear your feedback soon! =)