Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I give all my thanks to Rumiko Takahashi for bringing that extraordinary story to life! You rock!
A/N: I promised a quick update, didn't I? ;). Here you go!
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CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO: READING COMPREHENSION
"H-who are you?"
Rin's voice was shaky, and she hated it; the trembling, the quaking. But what else could she do? What else could she do but stand there with shaking hands, slowly backing away, knowing that they could easily catch her if she tried to run?
It occurred to Rin, in her panic, that the two male demons were oddly familiar.
"We don't really need to answer that, sweetie," the shorter said lazily. "We just want to know who you are—and if you're who we think you are, and need you to be."
Rin gulped. The taller demon looked her in the eye, and when warm brown clashed with frozen ice, Rin stiffened.
"You're Rin Higurashi," he said, smirking.
A statement, Rin thought. He knows who I am.
Her eyes narrowing, Rin couldn't help but ask herself, If they're so sure, then why are they asking?
And why do they need me?
At that last thought, her blood turned to ice.
What to do… what could she do? She could deny it, a voice told her. She could tell them she was not Rin, she could tell them she had never heard of a Rin, she could tell them to leave her alone and mind their own business. She could deny everything.
But Rin doubted whether they would believe a shivering squeak.
"Leave me alone," she muttered.
"Can't do that," the shorter one said. Smirking, he continued, "We need some help from you. You know your sister? Kagome? She's been giving us some trouble, and lately we've heard that that half breed boyfriend of hers got her a ward. Which means we can't touch her. So, we were thinking—"
"Idiot," the taller said carelessly. "Why the hell does she need to know all this?"
"Well, why not?" the shorter scoffed. "We're taking the little bitch with us, and she might as well know why."
Rolling his eyes, the taller demon said, "Whatever. If you want it that way."
Rin had a feeling that it was how the shorter wanted it; that the demon wanted to frighten her, that he wanted her to scream, to know what was coming, to draw it out. That he wanted to feel her sweat and writhe.
She was in trouble. She'd really done it now.
With a racing heart and short breaths, Rin did the only thing she could think of: turn around and sprint away as fast as she could, whipping her cell phone out, finger en route to the number pad.
"I don't think so, bitch."
A fist pushed her backwards, hard, and Rin screamed.
Her screeching rang in the deserted streets, it contorted the air so that it was bent and warped. She could see the jagged waves of sound hanging in front of her, enveloping her, filling her vision with warped waves and lines… filling her head with screaming, so that her own shouts were thrust back at her, so that she screamed louder, and writhed with pain—
"You see what we can do?"
In that moment, when the shorter demon spoke, the pain stopped. All Rin could hear was the ringing, the remnants of that bloodcurdling, agonizing scream.
It rang in her ears, a dull echo.
"What I can do," the taller demon reminded him with a cool smile. "But say whatever you want, Gatenmaru. We have what we need, and I could not care less."
Gatenmaru.
Rin recognized the name, and it was the shock of recognition which made her blurt, "YOU'RE Gatenmaru and Menomaru! W-what do you want with my sister?"
Only after she had said the words did she realize how badly she had put her foot in her mouth.
Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
"That doesn't matter," Gatenmaru growled. "Now come on, bitch. We may not be able to harm your sister, but I'm sure she'll come to us rather than see you be harmed."
"No—no—get away—GET AWAY FROM—"
"Leave her. Now."
The voice, so cool and so deadly and so calm and so furious, froze Rin, Gatenmaru, and Menomaru in their places. But then, while Gatenmaru and Menomaru stiffened, Rin had an entirely different reaction.
She almost melted.
Sinking to her knees, Rin trembled, splaying her hands out before her to keep her steady, for she feared that if she moved them, she might fall and never get up. The world spun about her, spun into place rather than out of it. And suddenly the empty, foreign streets was a sunny suburb, and the shadows were just shadows, and the trees were green and the sky was blue and the sun was bright….
Where am I? Rin thought. Am I… wait….
She was in Tokyo. Several blocks away from her house, just around the corner from the school.
What happened?
Then Rin saw the man standing in front of her.
Sesshomaru, she thought through a haze of nauseous dizziness. I don't know how you found me, but… here you are.
And there he was, standing in front of her, being a barrier between she and her attackers—cutting them off entirely with just his back.
He didn't spare them a glance as he looked down at Rin.
"Stand up. You're all right," he said.
That's it? That's it?
Rin sighed a little, standing up, berating herself for sighing at all. What did I expect? A hug? She thought, saddened at the wistful sound of her thoughts. Looking up at Sesshomaru, she saw that though he did not extend a hand to help her, his eyes were on her face… his piercing golden eyes, like rivers of icy amber.
Like a golden blizzard, Rin thought dazedly, staring into his eyes. Cold and beautiful… amazing….
Straightening her clothes, Rin smiled ruefully and thought, Wish I had eyes like that.
Sesshomaru looked her over once, nodded, and then turned and began to walk past her, saying a simple, "Come."
"Wait," Gatenmaru said.
"Don't speak to me, or to her," Sesshomaru said coolly. "If you ever do so again, this Sesshomaru will kill you. And if you ever so much as lay a finger on Rin… you will wish you had never been brought into the pitiful excuses for existences which you call your lives."
Rin shivered at the threat, but couldn't help but think, It's for me.
It was for her.
"What's she to you?" Menomaru asked almost curiously. "Don't tell me the great Sesshomaru has found a human mate."
Gatenmaru laughed derisively at that. "Ha! Inuyasha AND Sesshomaru? Must run in the family, huh? Fucking morons." Glancing at Rin, he added, "I guess she's pretty, but I wouldn't think your type would go for a weakling like her. I would've pinned you for a more… feisty girl."
Rin wasn't sure what did it for her. Perhaps it was the confusion she felt at being called Sesshomaru's mate? Perhaps it was the mess of embarrassment and happiness and chagrin and disbelief which enveloped her, consuming her thoughts? Or maybe it was the insult to Sesshomaru, or to herself. It could have been any of those which was the last straw for Rin, and she didn't care which one it was.
Either way, she balled her hands into fists, stepped away from Sesshomaru, and spoke.
"Shut up!" she said sharply. I wish my voice wasn't so high, she thought, trying not to panic. It's so hard to be harsh when you've got a voice like a chipmunk! "I-I'm not his mate. I'm his friend. Leave him alone! Y-you're the morons. And…" Rin took a deep breath, asked herself whether she was really going to say the next part, and then decided to say it.
"I'm not a weakling," she growled.
Beside her, she could have sworn she saw Sesshomaru's lips quirk.
Gatenmaru and Menomaru might have laughed. In fact, she thought they would, so she was surprised when their faces remained blank. Probably because Sesshomaru's here, she thought. They fear him, despite what they say.
But even so, Rin couldn't help but feel proud.
"Leave her alone," Sesshomaru said coolly. "Your business with Kagome Higurashi is none of mine, but do not harm Rin, or you will pay the consequences."
Gatenmaru quirked an eyebrow. "What? You're just gonna kill us? We're students, remember?"
Maybe Rin was the only one who felt the tangible change in the atmosphere then. Maybe she was the only one who sensed something ancient, something powerful being invoked into their presence. Maybe she felt it, and none of them did. But she was overwhelmed by its power when Sesshomaru spoke.
"You may have been tamed by time and forgotten our ways," he said softly, "But do not presume to think, for a moment, that you or I are a normal high school student. Laws and rules there might be, but ancient codes precede them always."
Rin stared at him in utter astonishment, so enraptured that she almost did not notice Gatenmaru and Menomaru slipping into the distance.
"Rin. They're gone."
Then Rin blinked and remembered where she was.
"What happened?" she stuttered. "I was—I was—I was in the streets! They were empty! It was dim, and I was lost, and then they appeared, and—"
"An illusion," Sesshomaru said simply. "You were here all along. They simply made you see the empty streets, made you think that you were all alone with them."
Rin stared at him for a moment before turning her gaze to the passersby, who were walking down the street with ease, with smiles, with laughter. In fact, it was all too casual… much too casual….
"If I was the only one who saw the illusion," Rin said slowly, "How come nobody came to help me? I… well… except you."
The last words were soft, causing a faint blush to arise on her cheeks. Sesshomaru cast a glance toward her, eyes almost appearing to soften, if a golden blizzard could do such a thing.
"They could not see you," he said slowly, as if measuring himself, reigning himself in. "They were made not to see you. I saw you because I am a powerful demon."
"So their illusions don't work on powerful demons?" Rin asked, confused.
Sesshomaru shook his head slightly. "I'll explain the rest soon… but could we go to my apartment? My car is nearby."
Rin nodded, quirking her head, almost asking why, but thinking better of it. Sesshomaru set off at a brisk pace, Rin almost jogging to keep up, face set into a frown.
Why does he want to leave so badly? She thought. Why…
Suddenly her face fell, stomach churning with deep, wretched chagrin.
He's ashamed, she thought, certain that this was the truth. He doesn't want to be seen with me.
This thought made Rin cast her eyes downward, her feet dragging slightly as she followed him into his nondescript, average car. It was a car which would not draw attention to itself, but a nice car all the same.
Like him, Rin thought glumly. Unreadable. Impossible to interpret.
Stepping on the pedal, beginning to drive away, Sesshomaru cast a long glance toward her. He stared for a long time, for so long that Rin wondered whether he realized he was staring at all. She shifted a little, wondering what to do; ask him what he was looking at? Ignore it?
In the end, he made it easy.
"Why are you upset?" Sesshomaru asked, brow creasing just the smallest amount.
Rin stared at him, for a moment too surprised to answer.
Shaking his head, Sesshomaru looked away. "I don't need to know," he said, almost more to himself than to her. "But you still want to know about the two demons, right?"
Rin nodded excitedly, chagrin gone. He cares, she thought. Ashamed or not, he cares. I don't blame him for being embarrassed. I can't blame him for that… but….
But he cares. Despite that, he cares about me.
Grinning despite herself, Rin said with energy, "Yes! I want to know everything! Why do they want Kagome, anyway? Kagome mentioned them once—she told me something about them. She didn't tell me much about the illusions, though. I wasn't prepared for that. But—but what do they want with my sister? Kagome, she—"
Suddenly, like a blow to the stomach, Rin recalled several other of Sesshomaru's words.
"Why did you say that?"
The wretchedness, the betrayal in her voice surprised even Rin, and it certainly surprised Sesshomaru. He turned to her, raising an eyebrow, raising an eyebrow which should have made anyone quail… but not Rin. Rin didn't back down. Rin stared right back at him, eyebrows knotted, pouting belligerently.
"Well?" she demanded.
Sesshomaru looked away from her, eyes cold. "This Sesshomaru does not know of what you speak."
"My sister," Rin said quietly, all the anger gone, leaving only sadness. "Why did you say that you didn't care what happens to Kagome?"
All was quiet. For a moment, neither spoke; Rin refused to speak, promising herself that she would not say another word until Sesshomaru explained himself. He must have an explanation, she thought, frowning. He's not like they said. He's… he's kind. I know he is. Deep down, beneath the mask, Sesshomaru is a good person.
Otherwise, why would he have saved me?
Sadness fading, Rin thought, almost confused, Doesn't he realize that if someone hurts Kagome, they hurt me, too?
But it seemed Rin would have to wait a little longer, and her promise was put to the test, because for the next several minutes, Sesshomaru was silent. All Rin heard was the whoosh of wind and skid of tires on the road.
When it became almost unendurable, Sesshomaru spoke.
"It is not right for ancient demons to interfere in the business of humans," Sesshomaru said tonelessly.
"I'm human," Rin said softly. "Why do you protect me, then?"
Apparently Sesshomaru had no answer for that.
"Sesshomaru!" she said almost pleadingly. "Please! You have to help my sister. What's wrong with protecting humans? It's not right to sit back and watch people suffer!" Breathing hard, Rin said something she was certain she would regret. "Inuyasha protects Kagome. He's a demon. Why not you?"
Sesshomaru hissed, eyes flashing, and for a moment, Rin felt what she knew others felt. She felt the fear, she felt the awe, she felt the strength radiating off of him. And for that second, she was genuinely afraid.
Sesshomaru caught her eye, and suddenly he froze. Suddenly, for a millionth of a split second, Rin could have sworn that he looked… almost….
No, Rin thought. He doesn't look… why would he look…?
Sad.
No.
Sesshomaru took a deep breath, tearing his eyes off of her, and said with abated fury, "Do not compare this Sesshomaru to that half breed. He is a disgrace to our father and our family. He is a perfect example of what demons aspire not to be. If he would respect the code, he might find that he would garner more respect for himself, instead of hatred and disdain, as he has earned."
His words left them both in a paralyzed silence. Rin repeated that short speech in her head, over and over again, over and over, over and over, thinking that she might be able to finding something in it… something other than disgust. But no matter how hard she searched, the words were still as cold as they had been the first time, when they had chilled her veins and frosted her heart.
I don't understand, Rin thought, frowning. Her fingers clenched, fists forming on her lap, as she thought angrily, I don't understand him!
Rin's eyes widened, for she realized that that was true.
I really don't understand him, she thought sadly, looking at her mournful face in the car mirror. For all my attempts, for all my efforts, no matter how hard I try to reach out to him… I just can't get through to him. He's unreadable.
Not daring to look at Sesshomaru, Rin kept her eyes on her face. On the wide cheekbones, the fluffy bangs, the big eyes, the slightly raised eyebrows which she knotted into a frown… her face. The face she had been born with, the face she understood better than any other.
Or maybe that's not true, Rin thought, frowning.
She thought of Kagome, she thought of Inuyasha, she thought of her mother, she thought of her deceased father, she thought of her brother and Miroku and Sango and Ayumi and Eri and Hojo. She thought of everyone she had ever known, and realized that all these faces were so familiar that sometimes, she thought she knew them better than her own face.
I understand people, Rin thought. It's just the way I am. I know people, I get people. It only takes a few minutes for me to understand my friends and family, to understand the people around me. And I know them so well that the only person who will ever confuse me, sometimes, is… me.
Except for now.
Rin looked back to Sesshomaru, and realized that he was the only other person in the world who she did not understand. And maybe that could have made her feel lonely. Maybe that could have made her feel sad or angry. But instead, it slipped a smile onto her face.
I don't understand myself, she thought, And I don't understand him. It's us. Us two are the only ones I haven't really figured out.
At this thought, she smiled wider, and when Sesshomaru turned to glance at her, she did not blush. Just smiled.
Lips twitching, Sesshomaru turned back to the road without a word.
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A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry if I disappointed any of you. I think some of you were hoping for a big fight scene, but I wasn't ready for that in this point in the story. This was more to introduce the concept that Rin, too, may now be a target. I think a big fight scene might have derailed the storyline a little bit. Anyway, I hope this was okay, and if you're disappointed, again, I'm sorry! DX
Thanks to iheartinuyasha, k and ai, HelloGoodbye, BGuate224, Roses Kiss, MegamanSora, purduepup, beautiful-surreal, Daichilover, Tomatosoup inc., Bunnyz, bear lover, ILoveInuyasha4Eva, warriormaiden60, bloodshadows, and anonymous () for reviewing! :D
PS for purduepup: you forgot to log in on your review so I couldn't reply, and you also neglected to leave a name on the anonymous review, but you have a very… ah… UNIQUE reviewing style, so don't worry, I know it was you ;D.
Next chapter in a few days! Also, I'm going on vacation soon, so I MAY be posting multiple chapters on my next update. However, after the multiple-chapter update, I won't update for about two weeks :(. BUT YAY! MULTIPLE CHAPTERS! (How many depends on how many reviews I get ;D)
So, REVIEW! :D
