Sapphire (): Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. I think cliff-hangers are fun. They make you come back to finish. Hehehe (evil ploy for more reviews.)
Yuen (): Glad you like my fic. The million dollar question "So what is Sesshoumaru going to do?" Read and find out.
ShadowSpinner: I'm so glad you have been following my fic. You are one of my first reviewers, hope you like the next chappy.
miko demon hunter: It's nice to see you are excited about my story. Yup, Rin has really grown up. But how will that affect Sesshoumaru?
Growth In-Between Times
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?"
Ch. 4: Nightmare
Sesshoumaru stared at the woman before him. She smelled like Rin, she looked a little like Rin. But she had aged! No longer a little girl of six or seven, but a grown up woman.
"Sesshoumaru-sama" the young woman cried, running to him. "I have it for you, the other orb. Now you can use it." She was next to him, panting, holding the orb outstretched to him.
Sesshoumaru stared at her. Slowly he reached his hand out and took the orb from her. He stared at her features, trying to recognize the old Rin that he knew with the new Rin he saw before him. He looked down at the orb. "There where two of them?" he asked. "Yes" Rin said nodding her head. "The old Miko lied to us, that is why I have been able to come back to you. The lie weakened her."
Sesshoumaru looked at her "You have changed as well." Rin nodded, looking down at her feet. "Yes, time was different within the barrier. Eleven years went by for me."
"Rin, is it really you?" Jaken asked timidly at her feet. Rin knelt down, her face level with his. "Yes it is really me, Jaken." "Oh Rin" he started sobbing hysterically. " I thought you were dead. I really missed you."
"Jaken" Rin gave him a big hug. "You don't know how good it is to give someone a hug. It has been so long. I'm sorry you missed me, but for you it hasn't been that long." "Three days" he sobbed.
"Three days, that's it? See, it hasn't been long at all. I have missed you for much longer." The dragon-beast came up to Rin and nuzzled her as well.
Sesshoumaru watched the two detachedly. It disturbed him to see Rin grown up. He realized that there was much concerning her that he did not know of. That there was something about her that was different. She was no longer a child that he could feel protective over. He observed the way her white dress clung to her when she stood up. No, she was definitely no longer a child.
He turned around. "Jaken" he said "let's go" without turning to face her he said "Rin, I have no use for servants who disobey my orders. Go find a village to live in."
He started walking off. "Sesshoumaru-sama" Rin cried. She felt as if her heart would break. "Master" cried Jaken "You are going to leave Rin? I thought you were worried about her."
"Jaken" Sesshoumaru spun around. He fixed an icy glare on the toad demon. "You can leave my services as well and go with Rin. But never question my orders." "Yes master" Jaken was obviously torn between the two, but he ran to his master's side. Slowly they began to walk away, Jaken leading the dragon-beast.
"Wait" Rin cried. They did not stop walking. She started to follow them, keeping her distance, but never quite losing sight of them. This continued for a couple of hours, slowly the distance between them lessened, until Rin was walking directly behind the dragon-beast. Sesshoumaru stopped. "I thought I told you to go away."
"I can't" Rin said, her voice breaking "I have no where else to go." Sesshoumaru turned around and faced her. He watched dispassionately as the tears started streaming down her face. "I said that I have no use for servants who disobey me."
Rin fell down on her knees before him. "Please forgive me, I will never do it again." The tears trickled noiselessly down her face. " I can't go anywhere else. There is no one else who has ever cared for me except you. My life belongs to you; it has been yours ever since you resurrected me. If you want me to stop following you, you will have to kill me, because I will never be able to leave you." Rin bowed her head.
Sesshoumaru looked down at the sobbing girl before him. Something in his heart stirred. Was it pity? This woman had given so much for him to have the orbs. What had her eleven years had been like? There was something about her that bespoke of hardship. That she had learned to endure a lot. Did he owe Rin something? No. He had given her back her life. He could never owe her, a human, anything. He would let her do what she wanted. It did not matter to him.
Sesshoumaru turned around and started walking away. Rin got up and started to follow him as she had many countless times before.
They had stopped for the night. Jaken and Rin were already asleep. Sesshoumaru watched as the firelight played with Rin's sleeping features. She still looked small and vulnerable, almost childlike. Maybe she hasn't changed too much. A cool breeze passed over Rin's body. The warmth of the fire chased away by the coolness of the breeze seemed to trigger something within Rin. She started murmuring to herself quietly. Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows as he realized she was calling out his name. She started to sweat. "No" she whispered. Her body started to spasm, she was twitching and writhing as if she was in agony. "Sesshoumaru-sama, where are you? Please save me. Please." She pleaded loudly.
Sesshoumaru got up thoroughly alarmed. What exactly had happened to Rin? She had called out his name and he hadn't been able to help her. Damn that Miko and whatever she had done to his Rin.
He knelt down beside her. He didn't know what to do. Rin had suffered so much, and was still suffering because of him. It was evident by the way her body was writhing and twitching that she had undergone considerable agony. She was calling out his name in the most desperate of tones. Slowly he reached out and touched her arm "Rin, wake up, it is just a dream. Your not letting me get any sleep." "Sesshoumaru-sama" She let out a piercing wail. She sat up abruptly and caught hold of his kimono. Sesshoumaru could tell that Rin wasn't fully awake yet by the way her eyes were unfocused. "Please tell me that everything will be ok. Sesshoumaru-sama, hold me, please hold me." She threw herself into his arms and started sobbing hysterically. "Please don't go away, please don't be a dream."
Sesshomaru was shocked. Never in his life had anyone ever thrown themselves on him like this. Needed him like this. He was last person anyone went to for comfort. He felt that he should become angry. Throw Rin away from him and calmly tell her to behave herself. But her sobbing form against him, her head lying on his chest, begged to be comforted. He was at loss about what to do.
He looked around the campfire for Jaken. The toad demon was still snoring softly. Lucky for him Jaken could sleep through anything. He returned his attention to Rin. Slowly he brought his arms around her convulsing figure. "Rin, it will be ok" He whispered. Rin's sobs slowly quieted. She pushed herself slowly away from him and looked into his face. "Sesshoumaru-sama? You are not a dream? You don't know how long I have wanted you to hold me." Then all of a sudden a horrified expression took over her features. She sprang away from his arms and started wiping his kimono. She started talking rapidly "You are all wet, my tears have soaked you kimono. I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me. I was having a nightmare, I wasn't fully awake. I promise never to do this again. What must you think of me?" "Rin" he said, silencing her. She looked up at him fearfully. Sesshoumaru's eyes softened "It's ok" He softly patted her head. "Go to sleep." He stood up and went back to his resting place near the tree.
Rin slowly curled herself near the fire. She hoped that the flames hid the furious blush that was overspreading her features. She felt her heart pounding and wondered if Sesshoumaru could her it as well. Demons did have remarkably fine hearing.
She couldn't believe it. He had held her. All that time she had spent in her living nightmare, those terrible rooms, she had wished for him to hold her. He was the one person in the world her mind had sought comfort in. And just a few minutes ago, her wished had turned into a reality. He had held her, let her lay her head on his chest, let her sob on his kimono. She wrapped her arms across her chest and hugged herself tightly. Her Sesshoumaru-sama did care about her. Why was her heart beating so fast?
She wanted him to hold her in his arms forever.
Sesshoumaru looked up into the boughs of the tree. The last thing he should look at right now was Rin. What had come over him? Holding her in his arms had made him feel different, warm and protective. The feel of her clutching at him through his kimono wetted by her tears had made him want to crush her to him. At that instant he had wanted to soothe her fears and promise that she would never be hurt again, that he would always be there for her.
Sesshoumaru scowled at the memory. Those feelings were gone now. That human scent which should have repulsed him had actually excited him. What was this weakness in him that occurred where Rin was concerned? He would have to find it and eradicate it.
He looked over to Rin's sleeping form. Her chest moved up and down ever so slightly with every intake and exhale of breath. His eyes softened again. Whatever it was, it wasn't her fault. The only thing she ever wanted to do was help him. It seemed like she had gone through a living hell for him. He would have to question her later about what exactly had happened. Once she had healed a bit more.
He would stay away from her until then. He should put some distance between them. What had just happened should never happen again. He will never become close to a human, never. He would not make the same mistakes his father had made.
"Sesshoumaru-sama" Sesshoumaru looked over at Rin, she was sleeping peacefully, with a smile on her face. She was having a sweet dream.
Well that was a cute little chapter. I don't know if I actually like it though. As I said before, it writes itself.
I have been spoiling you people with all these quick updates and long chapters. I started this only four days ago. I think I'm going to take a small breather for a day or two so I can sort out the ideas I have spinning around in my head. (Note the absence of a cliff-hanger.) But I will definitely update sometime next week. Heck, I'll probably start writing again on Monday.
But please review, whenever I read a review I run back to the computer again and start typing, reviews really spur me on to write.