At A Beginning...

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

Freedom: Ability to Act Freely; a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions…

Chapter 25

273 Years Into the Past...

"She's human," Rin looked up at the announcement to look at a monk. A monk who reminded her of Ungai, the bastard who had tried to take her from her lord as a child. Her eyes narrowed at him. "The weapon she wields though is a yōkai's weapon."

"What of it?" Rin challenged then. True Bakusaiga was her lord's fang and it was a yōkai weapon and for the most part it should be consuming her soul with how much sheer power it held but she was different from most humans. She could wield Bakusaiga, she had been the only one aside from Sesshomaru and Tōtōsai to even be able to hold it; it had nearly killed Jaken the one time he had touched it. Her being able to use it was a flux honestly, and then Sesshomaru had taught her how to use it so she wasn't a threat to herself but rather others. He had made her the best swordswoman of her era, he had made her strive to be the best because he was the best and she was his so she had to be the best she could be.

"If you use that blade it will devour you," the monk informed her.

"Not likely," she retorted. Tōtōsai believed she was somehow linked to the fang; her life her being and her essences was tied to it somehow, though how was beyond her. "Now, may I speak with Naohi or must I destroy you all to accomplish that?"

"Only the pure of soul can be near the jewel," Muhai shouted at her as she pressed Bakusaiga's blade a bit more firmly on the man's neck.

"She is pure of soul, pure as an innocent babe," the monk announced looking confused at this.

"May I speak to Naohi now that your spiritual advisor has announced that I am pure or should I just obliterate you all?" Rin asked coldly.

"Let her in," Muhai shouted at his men.

"Thank you," Rin quickly sheathed her blade before following Muhai into the taijiya village. It was alive, it was odd to her to be here and it be so lively but she guessed that it would've been lively before Naraku destroyed it. She had just never thought about it being alive or a home for anyone because it was just ruins in her time.

"Why do you seek the Shikon no Tama?" Muhai asked her.

"I do not seek the Shikon no Tama, I seek Naohi," Rin clarified. Her interests were not in the jewel but rather in what lay within the jewel. She just desired to save her lord and the only way to learn how to counteract Magatsuhi's poison would be speaking to his counterpart; Naohi. There were no doubts in her heart that Naohi had what she sought.

"Do you not desire the jewel?"

"No," Rin said firmly. The jewel was the cause of so much pain and horrors and lives being destroyed that she did not desire to have such a curse with her. But it was at the same time a necessity to her time. If it wasn't for the Shikon no Tama then Kagome and Inuyasha would never have met, her lord would never have resurected her, and she'd have never been with her lord. The jewel was necessary for her time, but that did not mean she had to like the jewel.

"Then what is it you seek?"

"I seek answers about Magatsuhi," Rin replied.

"You aren't going to unleash Magatsuhi are you!?" Muhai glared at her.

"I am not so foolish, I need answers though and Naohi should have them."

"Answers for what?"

"A cure," Rin murmured.

"Well why ever you need the Shikon no Tama know that if you try to taint it or take it or use it to benefit you we Taijiya will destroy you."

"I'd want nothing less, but I have no use for that accursed jewel." Rin decided long ago, as a child actually she did not need anything to make her better, she was perfect as she was even if her greatest flaw was being human. She would be like her lord, she was perfect as she was and there was nothing needed to make her better.

"You'd expect us to destroy you?"

"I'd expect you to try," Rin clarified. She doubted they could because she was not the easiest human to kill. Sesshomaru had trained her after all and he did not want her to die a third time unless it was her time. She would be a formidable foe for the Taijiya; after all she could best Sango and Kohaku with ease when they attacked her simultaneously. And with Bakusaiga at her side she would not die easily.

"Here is the shrine for the Shikon no Tama," Muhai jestered to the cave. Rin bowed her head slightly to this man before walking in. The man gaped after her, though why she didn't know. Was there some sort of test here? Shrugging off her wonders about Muhai's reaction to her walking into the cave she walked on through the winding tunnel. She came upon a beautiful, sad and magnificant sight of a woman surrounded by yōkai trying to devour her fighting with her swords. There was a hole in the woman's chest where her heart would've been.

So this was Midoriko.

Rin looked at the sad sight before her and was thankful this was not to be her fate and even more grateful Kagome had destroyed the Shikon no Tama and Inuyasha had saved her. No doubt this had been a painful, sad death for a great spiritual leader like Midoriko.

"Midoriko," Rin bowed her head to the woman then walked up to the jewel glittering on a little pedestal.

"I need your help, please lend me your wisedom," Rin murmured softly as she picked up the Shikon no Tama. There was a blinding flash, a searing heat and then something pulled her within the jewel. She'd have screamed but when she looked back she saw she had left her body, her soul was again yanked into the depths of the unknown as she was dragged into the jewel.

"Who are you?"

Rin turned to look at a beautiful floating woman dressed in armor with her swords at her sides. Rin's hand fell to her sword; Bakusaiga had come with her to this cursed place to her relief.

"I feel your hatred for me, why? I do not get many visitors, few with spiritual energy ever get called within my prison but you came and you do not have spiritual energy. So why do you hate me?"

"I do not hate you, I hate your jewel. I came for answers." Rin just stared at the sad soul of a once great woman who had been destroyed because of a man's lust. And she felt nothing at the sight of the woman.

"What answers?"

"I must save my lord from Magatsuhi's poison," Rin said.

"And what is your lord?"

"My lord is Sesshomaru-sama the greatest Inu no Taisho to have ever lived."

"You serve a yōkai!" Midoriko shrieked then lunged at her with her swords drawn, Rin pulled Bakusaiga. There was a thunderous boom within the jewel that had both spirits flying from each other.

What the hell had just happened!?