Standard Disclaimer Apply
KevinEC: Thanks for the correction. I didn't know the word was broken down like that. It makes a lot of sense. See, you learn something new every day. Now if I only could convince my mother that fanfiction is productive..mumble..mumble.
Angel: Thanks for your sweet review. Don't worry too much, I'm not evil. I won't tell you what I'm going to do, but don't worry.
Growth In-Between Times
"Oh. How long as it been?" She asked the Miko. " You have been with me eleven years." The Miko replied.
Chapter 3: Revelations
"Feh. Here we are. Doesn't look that impressive. That orb better be inside."
"Stop whining Inuyasha." Kagome said, looking at the half-demon. "We came all this way because you dragged us here. You are the one who is looking for the orb to empower Tessaiga."
"Yah, well, you are the one who is slowing us down. If I had come alone like I wanted to this would have been over and done with days ago. But noooo. First you have to get supplies from home, and then you have to drag that stupid bike. We'd all be piles of skeletons and rotting in our graves if you had your way."
"Inuyasha, be careful, or I'll say it." Kagome said to him threateningly. "Oh, c'mon." Inuyasha said, growing pale. "Can't you take a joke?"
A little fox-demon jumped onto Kagome's shoulder. "You guys arguing again? Don't you ever stop? We are right at the entrance of Kcronos Temple and we'll never get inside because neither of you ever will ever give in in a fight. Why can't you be more mature like those two over there?" Shippo pointed to Miroku and Sango who were investigating the doorway to the temple. The monk called out and waved his staff. "The temple has an unusual aura, but I think it is safe to enter."
Inuyasha and Kagome glared at each other and then walked to the temple entrance. "I'll go first" and with that Inuyasha charged into the temple. It was dark and musty and sent Inuyasha into a coughing fit. "It's so dark" Kagome said behind him. "I can see that." Inuyasha retorted. "Actually, I can't see that." "What's that?" Shippo said, pointing to the pedestal in front of them. " Oh yah, that's the orb. Well I'll go get it." Inuyasha made a dash for the orb. "Wait, don't you think you should check out the surroundings first?" Miroku said warningly. "What?" Inuyasha yelled. But Inuyasha had already started running in one place. "What the fuck kinda barrier is this? It won't let me move forward." He started slashing in the air. "Here let me" Miroku stepped forward. He held his staff towards the barrier and bowed his head. " It seems to me that this barrier doesn't repel motion. It lets you follow through, but does not let you advance. This way force will not work against it."
"We'll see about that." Inuyasha snarled. He unsheathed his Tessaiga and it transformed, glowing red with wind swirling around it. "Kaze no Kizu."
Inuyasha watched in disbelief as his powerful attack fell useless against the barrier. "My Kaze no Kizu didn't work?" He gasped. "Like I said" Miroku answered. "Force won't work against this barrier." "Then what will work?" Sango asked the monk. "I don't know" he replied. "There must be some condition we have to fulfill in order to pierce the barrier."
" In that you are right." A floating voice said from around their heads. The Miko materialized within the barrier. "Indeed there is a condition you must fulfill in order to pierce the barrier and retrieve the orb in front of you. It involves the sacrifice of one of your members." "What" yelled Inuyasha "the hell we will." The Miko continued. "In order to pierce the barrier someone must willingly enter the barrier with the intent of having their soul devoured by me. Before that happens they will have the chance to retrieve the orb and pass it to someone outside of the barrier." She paused. "Now which one will it be?" The Miko grinned wickedly at each one of them. " Perhaps that one" she said pointing to Kagome. " She seems to have a strong soul and a generous nature. I haven't fed off a good soul in a long time. Why don't you come in. Surely the orb is a worthy exchange for your life? Think of how much you will be helping the others."
"Shut up, you old hag." Inuyasha growled stepping in front of Kagome and brandishing the Tessaiga. " To get Kagome you have to come through me first."
"Stop" The yell pierced the air. Another form materialized within the barrier. The group gasped, it was a beautiful young woman with long brown hair and large brown eyes. She wore a long white robe made of some diaphanous material that clung to her figure. Miroku's hands started to twitch and he blushed guiltily as Sango glared at him. Kagome thought that the young girl looked somewhat familiar and tried to get a closer look.
"What is that?" The girl pointed towards the orb. The Miko scowled. " I never gave you permission to follow me. The girl repeated, " What is that? And don't lie to me. We are in a sacred place."
"It is the pair to the orb you sacrificed yourself to retrieve. It complements the other, balancing the flows of power."
"Can one work without the other?" The young girl asked.
"No. One orb cannot function without the other. They are mates and their energies cannot be harnessed without them acting as a pair."
"Then" the young woman said slowly. " I sacrificed myself under false pretenses. You lied to me."
"I never lied to you, you assumed there was only one orb."
" You lied" the young girl said firmly. " The intent is as important as the words. You knew why I sacrificed myself, and it was under false pretenses. You broke the rules."
"What are you going to do about it?" The Miko hissed.
" I am going to seal you away." The young girl said calmly. " You are no longer fit to be Miko."
" You can't, you are just an apprentice. You don't have the strength."
" I am almost finished my training, and by breaking the rules your power had diminished. It has been diminishing ever since you lied. I am now more powerful than you." "No" the Miko hunched over, her face in her hands. She knew the truth of the young girl's words. "You were not supposed to find out. I was just so hungry."
The young woman bent over and touched the Miko on the forehead, freezing her. She then compassionately touched her cheat. " I won't banish you anywhere unpleasant. I will send you to the glen. The birds will keep you company. You won't feel too lonely. I just can't let you hurt anymore people." She stood up and looked at the Miko sadly. " I should hate you. But I only feel pity for you. You went through the same training I did. You were probably like me. But staying here by yourself guarding the orb must have twisted you. Everyone needs someone, they cannot be by themselves." The young girl paused, as if thinking of someone. " Sayonara" She whispered. And the Miko disappeared.
The young girl turned around and picked up the orb. Then she faced the group. "You may leave now. The orb is mine. Oh." She paused. She stepped out of the barrier. " You are Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru-sama's younger brother." " You know Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha snarled " Then there is no way I am letting you have that orb."
"Wait" Kagome placed her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. She slowly approached the young girl. "You are that little girl who follows Sesshoumaru. You are Rin, aren't you? There is something familiar about you." "Yah" Inuyahsa said, sheathing his sword. " I knew your scent was familiar, I just couldn't remember from where."
Rin looked at them. Suddenly confused she pointed to Inuyasha. " I can understand him not looking any older. But you" she looked at Kagome "and them" she looked at Miroku and Sango "you don't look any older from when I last saw you. You are humans, why haven't you aged?" Kagome shook her head. "No Rin, you are the one who has changed. It is as if you have grown over night." Rin clasped her hands fearfully. "What do you mean?" Miroku answered " Inside the barrier must have a different time than we do. Time must go by more rapidly, that, or the two different times might be contained separately, without relation to each other. I think that is why you must have aged so quickly."
It took a moment for the words to register fully in Rin's mind. " That means for Sesshoumaru-sama it hasn't been long at all since I disappeared. I must go to him."
" Not with that orb you don't." Inuyasha butted in. "But you don't understand." Rin turned on him, her eyes wide. " I sacrificed my life for this orb. I have paid eleven years of my life for an orb that can't work by itself. I didn't prove useful to Sesshoumaru-sama after all. I must bring this to him."
Inuyasha was silent. He knew something about losing years of one's life, and of having something owed to you. He had spent fifty years of his own life pierced to a tree by one of Kikiyo's arrows. That was why the Shikon no Tama should belong to him. He stared into Rin's large brown eyes and saw some of the suffering he had endured.
"Alright" he said gruffly "but this is for you, not Sesshoumaru. I know how you feel." "Inuyasha" Kagome looked at him sadly.
"Thank you" Rin smiled. " I have to find him" She ran out of the
temple with the orb clutched to her chest.
"Do you think she will be ok?" Sango asked Miroku "She will be fine." He answered. "She has some strong Miko powers now."
"She is so utterly devoted to Sesshoumaru, I wonder why?"
" I don't know" the monk answered "but such devotion is hard to come by. Ow! I really should keep my hands to myself, shouldn't I?" The monk said rubbing his head. "Yes you should" Sango retorted.
" Really though" Inuyasha said to Kagome. " I wonder what she sees in my brother. There really isn't much to love in him." " It's a good thing you are so different from him then" Kagome said. They both blushed when they realized what she had just said. An awkward moment ensued between them. " Well let's just hope that he takes her back" Shippo chimed in.
Three days. It had been three days since she disappeared. It was unbelievable how used to her he had become. It was almost as if her absence was tangible. It was as if he could point to a spot and say "Rin would be dancing there" or " Rin would be singing a song right about now." He tried to ignore it, tried to hide it. It didn't help that Jaken was sobbing his eyes out, crying "Poor, poor Rin." He would silence him permanently soon if he didn't stop.
Sesshoumaru seethed with anger. When Jaken wasn't sobbing over Rin, he flinched because he could almost see the anger radiating from Sesshoumaru's body. To a casual observer, it would seem that Sesshoumaru was quite calm and contented. No clouds marred his brow. But someone who knew Sesshoumaru would catch the dangerous glint in his eye, the extra stiffness in his spine.
How dare she. He thought. How dare that Miko take something that was his. Rin was his. He had resurrected her. She was under his protection and he had not been able to do anything to save her. It was different from the time Naraku had captured Rin. He had known that Naraku would not have harmed Rin before he would have had time to save her. He had actually cut it quite close, but he was always in control. It had angered him to have Naraku think he could control him by holding Rin hostage; he had proven Naraku wrong.
This was different. He had not been able to control anything. The Miko had taken Rin away without him wanting her to. The Miko had gone directly against his wishes, and he had been powerless to stop her.
"Rin" he muttered, clenching his fists. He had never had someone sacrifice them self for him. He was so powerful, it had never been necessary. He did not know how he felt about it. It made him angrier. He had told her not to go, that the orb was not worth her life. Why had he said that? Why had he counted the life of a human girl more important than the power of the orb. He had not known at the time that the orb did not work. She had sacrificed herself for him and the orb did not even work, how ironic.
Something tugged at his heart. She had been so devoted to him, she gave her life away so he could become stronger, happier. He remembered the time they had first met. She had found him injured in the forest. She had tried to feed him. Even then she had only thought about him. He remembered when he had resurrected her. That brief instant he had held her in his arms, he had felt protective towards her. Her childlike devotion, her generosity, had touched his heart. No one had ever looked at him with such trust. Everyone was afraid of him. Only Rin was unafraid. And she was gone. Why? Why had she cared about him so much?
Jaken stumbled straight into Sesshouamru because Sesshoumaru had abruptly stopped walking. " Thousand pardons" Jaken bowed rapidly on the floor. " Please forgive me for being such a clumsy fool."
"Silence" Sesshoumaru waved his hand. He smelled something. Her scent. It couldn't be. His mind was playing tricks on him. Did he really miss her that much? No he wasn't imagining it. Somehow Rin had escaped. " We are turning back he said."
Something impelled him to return, to go and find Rin. They were getting nearer now. Her scent was getting stronger. Why was he doing this? Simple. She had sacrificed herself for him. Before he figured out what to do with her, he would have to make sure she wasn't eaten by wild beasts.
He entered a clearing. He paused. A slight crease furrowed his brow. "Rin?"
Well another chapter done. I spent more time on the Inu gang than I thought I would, I love them so much. Inuyasha just cracks me up, I swear my most commonly used phrase in the chapter was "Inuyasha snarled".
I tried to get into Sesshoumaru's head in this chapter, its no easy task let me tell you. There aren't that many clues in the series of what he really thinks. I really think that he is a lot more soft-hearted than he seems. First of all he saved Rin, then he saved her before Kohaku killed her, then he did not kill Kohaku, and he and Inuyasha are kinda fighting side by side in a few episodes. Sure he gives his reasons, but I don't think he is that black-hearted.
Well coming up: Their reunion. How will Sesshoumaru react? Will he take Rin back? Or has she grown to mush as a human?
Review please. It inspires me and makes me write faster.