*Disclaimer - Only in my dreams do I own Inuyasha and it's characters. In reality, they belong to Takahashi Rumiko*
Sequel to "Theft Through Seduction"
"You may deny your fate, but you cannot escape your destiny."
For Rin: Chapter 3 - As You Were
Sunrise was nearly on the horizon when Sesshoumaru finally arrived at the castle gates. They were just as he remembered. Large and sturdy trees rose high into the sky and surrounded the castle as part of the gate. Tall wooden planks were wedged between them to provide for an even more indestructible force. And as there had once been, guards would now be placed in many of the trees, watching and waiting for any intruder who might dare come too close.
His keen senses told him where each guard was even before they made a sign to signal his arrival. They would recognize their Lord, even if it had been many years since they last saw him. When the gates swung open, Sesshoumaru stepped off the cloud, leaving Rin to look like a sleeping angel. She had regained consciousness, with a small bruise on her temple, only to wear herself out through excitement of traveling on a cloud. He was not at all shocked that the girl had fallen asleep at his feet. So instead of picking her up again, he left her to sleep as the cloud followed behind him.
Sesshoumaru was greeted by Jaken and Hanabi, who quickly escorted their master to his quarters. Hanabi was the newest leader of the coyote tribe that had diligently served Sesshoumaru's family for many years. Each servant, each guard, each advisor was a member of the tribe. They had, essentially, been raised to serve the Lord of the Western Lands. It was Hanabi's responsibility to see that such events occurred.
"Lord Sesshoumaru, it is an honor to see you again. We have been prepared for your arrival since the day you departed and as such, there was not much for us to do. Tomorrow morning I will meet with you to discuss details of your lands and how you would like the household to be run if it is different from your father's way."
"I trust, Hanabi, that every detail was taken care of, for that is why my father appointed you as the next leader. The castle will be run according to tradition with very slight changes."
Hanabi slid the doors open to his master's quarters, bowing as he stepped through it. Nothing had changed there either. The open square was lush with flowers that sparkled in the moonlight. A bench sat next to the small pond, looking very lonely under the dark sky. Two rooms were on each side of the square, close to the entrance and far from the castle Lord's doors out of privacy and respect. Though Sesshoumaru had never stepped foot in what had been his father's room, he knew that it would encompass the entire remaining space.
Sesshoumaru followed Hanabi to the end of the left side of the hall and waited for him to open the doors. The room had been his as a pup and the only visible difference was the bedding. His had been red and black, but the large futon was now covered with blue and orange. The small sitting area with the sturdy wooden table still sat at the end of the room. There was a torch in each corner and one above the bed, each providing suitable lighting for the room.
On cue, the cloud fluttered down and hovered inches above the futon. As it disappeared, Rin slipped gently through it and curled up undisturbed into a sleeping ball.
"See that she is given more blankets." Satisfied, Sesshoumaru left the room. "The first of these changes deals with the child. Obviously you can tell she is in heat. However, she knows nothing of being a lady. I leave it to you to find someone I can trust to teach her what that means. I want that done first in the morning. The second is Jaken. We will discuss his role tomorrow morning."
"Um, excuse me Sesshoumaru-sama..." Jaken looked questioningly up at Sesshoumaru when he mentioned his name. "Where will Jaken sleep?"
"Hanabi will show you." With this said, Sesshoumaru turned, dismissing his servants, and retired to his room.
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"Lord Sesshoumaru, I am Nagasi, Hanabi's youngest sister. Is this the young child you wish me to educate?"
Rin looked up in curiosity at the coyote youkai while she spoke to Sesshoumaru. She looked as human as he, but her nose was longer and her pointed ears were much closer to the top of her head. Her hair was a short golden brown and her eyes were a brighter version of the same color. Her white obi tied a simple red kimono printed with white flowers that Rin immediately liked.
"Rin. This Sesshoumaru wants you to go with Nagasi and do as she says."
Rin turned her attention to Sesshoumaru and sent him a dazzling smile. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Eager to please him, Rin skipped behind Nagasi, preparing to give her all of her attention. So she resisted, for now, stoping and staring at some interesting area of the castle where Sesshoumaru had been raised. Surely she would have time for that later. But restrained excitement all but poured from her smile as she entered a small room after Nagasi. Copying the youkai, Rin sat at the table and focused as best she could.
"How old are you Rin?"
"Fifteen."
"Fifteen years old and already suitable to have pups. Well, be that as it may, it is time you learn how to care for yourself. As a young woman you must behave as such. The time for fun and games is over."
Rin frowned a bit at the revelation. No more riding Ah-Un or playing in the flowers. It would be hard, but for Sesshoumaru, she would do it. "Rin understands!"
"You are supposed to say 'I understand', not 'Rin understands'."
"Rin is confused now."
"You mean to say 'I am confused now'. You cannot refer to yourself with your own name, you are no longer a child."
Rin blinked in confusion. What was wrong with the way Rin talked? And what did it have to do with being a child? Maybe this would be harder than she thought.
Nagasi rose from the table with a sigh and called for a servant. "Bring me and the child some tea, this is going to take some time."
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Rin sat on a bench in the main garden, her legs crossed neatly at her ankles. She practiced her long dormant reading skills with a scroll she had been given permission to read. There were hundreds of scrolls with the history of Sesshoumaru's family. Records of alliances with other youkai lords, beginnings and endings of wars, births and deaths of loved ones. She found enjoyment in learning about Sesshoumaru's family but was disappointed when she found little entries regarding Sesshoumaru.
At fifteen, Rin realized sehe wasn't entirely doing what was expected of a lady. Certainly spending an entire day reading was a waste of time. But she was not obligated to cook and clean as the women in Nagasi's family were. She was eager to help Sesshoumaru in anyway she could, but there was just nothing for her to do. So she read, visited Ah-Un, and walked around the large castle grounds in an effort not to feel useless and lazy.
Though she loved living in the beautiful castle, Rin desperately missed living in the wild. She felt confined within these walls, unable to do the things she had done when she was a child. She could be out riding Ah-Un or spinning halos of flowers. In those times, when Sesshoumaru asked her to behave, he meant that she should not wander off without Ah-Un close by. Now when she behaved, it meant that she was to act polite and look pretty.
Frustration drove Rin's wild spirit as she rose to her feet. She had to do something that was more like Rin and less like what everyone else wanted her to be. She looked around the garden, found inspiration. It would be just like old times. Smiling, she went back to the castle to replace the scroll so she could enjoy an early dinner.
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Sesshoumaru walked down the hall to Rin's room. The child had spent only a few moments in her room after dinner. He assumed that she had gone to read in the garden as she often did, but he had seen no sign of her there. And as sunset was nearing, she had yet to return to her room. She was nowhere in the castle, that was a fact, so Sesshoumaru decided to take a walk around the castle grounds. Something he had not done in a long time.
He had planned to do so when he returned as a demon lord should inspect his territory and personal territory as well. But nothing had changed since he was last there. The castle was nestled in a valley with mountains behind it, a river to its left, and a hot spring to its right. It was the perfect location for any demon lord. He rarely used anything the castle surroundings had to offer so he left their matinience to the servants.
Rin however, had taken to the surroundings almost immediately. Nature grew in its full glory everywhere he looked. It was almost like a combination of everywhere they had traveled so Sesshoumaru was not at all surprised that the girl was happy with the area. But he was surprised that she did not appear to enjoy it as she had when she was younger. Instead of picking flowers or chasing butterflies, she would stand stiffly and watch them as if an invisible rope had bound her in that position.
The behavior was nothing like Rin's usual personality and this Sesshoumaru was displeased.
Perhaps it was his fault for he had wanted her to behave in a way that a lady of a castle should. But being Rin, the girl had obeyed every word Nagasi told her with a seriousness he recognized she had when she began to ride Ah-Un. But she lacked the laughter and smiles that he had grown used to. It was as if Sesshoumaru had dimmed the fire that was her life. He wondered now, as he continued to search for her, if he could have both a behaved Rin as well as the Rin he had allowed to follow him.
And when he saw her, sitting amongst the flowers near the river, he knew that he must have both.
Her hair was done up in many braids, flowers weaved into each one. She hummed a tune she made up as she picked flowers, inhaling each one. And then she sat near the waters edge and freed each flower of its stem. She set them afloat in the water, smiled as they made her reflection ripple. She watched herself as she slowly unbraided her hair and shook it loose of the flowers. Then she gathered the wavy locks on her right shoulder, turned her head and inhaled.
"Rin."
She recognized the voice immediately and looked up to find him watching her. She rose to her feet quickly and bowed.
"Sesshoumaru-sama! I am sorry for playing in the flowers even though I know that is not what a lady is supposed to do. I just missed....I will never do it again. Onegai, forgive me." She kept her head down, waiting for him to reveal how disappointed he was.
He walked to her, touched a strand of her hair. "Is this how you have always made your hair smell like flowers?"
"H-hai."
"If you miss playing in the flowers so much, then this Sesshoumaru will allow you to do so. And I will also allow you to ride Ah-Un. But you must promise me that you will still behave like a lady, especially when I have guests."
Rin quickly looked up, a bright smile he had not seen for some time plastered on her face. "I promise! Arigatou, Sesshoumaru-sama!"
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Sesshoumaru stood on the roof of his room, gazing out over his land. A light breeze played through his hair, forcing him to tuck it behind his ear. High above him, a crescent moon identical to the one of his forehead hung in the sky. Stars sparkled around it like an infinite amount of Rin's smiles beaming at him. How happy she had been when he gave her permission to be herself. How foolish he was in thinking he wanted her to act like him.
It did not fit her. Rin was meant for smiles and laughter not for the strict life he grew up with. Her personality was acceptable the way it was and anyone who said different would have to live with an opinion that did not matter. Already she had picked flowers and placed them around her door and in her room. He felt a strange comfort knowing Rin was truly happy.
"What a comforting companion she is. Aren't you glad you found her? Sesshoumaru..."
The wind seemed to whisper to him as it picked up. He felt it move around him as if he were caught in a small funnel. And as it brushed over his cheek, he felt a soft petal, smelled its sweet scent. It fluttered away, multiplied, filling the space before him. Suddenly a memory came to him of the same occurrence and he knew immediately what the petals would reveal.
A woman stood before him dressed in a white kimono with generous amounts of fabric. Small orange flowers decorated it, an orange obi kept it closed. Smiling orange eyes stared at him with small curved lips. Long silky black hair tumbled down nearly to her feet. She bowed before him with grace and respect. Sesshoumaru said nothing.
"I'm sure you have not forgotten what I represent so I shall not bring up the past. I am Inoue, Flower Goddess of Healing, though my sisters believe I am better at being curious than at healing."
"What do you want? You should already know I want nothing to do with this woman your sisters tried to push on me."
Inoue blinked in confusion, then smiled at her sisters mischievousness. "I do not believe they ever told you it was going to be a woman, only that it was going to be a female human. If I recall correctly, Lord Sesshoumaru, you are currently the guardian of a human female."
Sesshoumaru recalled that day, admitted that they made no reference to the daughter being a child or adult. "Rin found me, I did not find her as your sister said I would."
"You found her dead and instead of leaving her in that state, you brought her back to life. Do not deny your fate Sesshoumaru."
Sesshoumaru barely controlled his anger. "No one tricks this Sesshoumaru."
"No one tricked you. Your heart was compelled by the child's act of kindness toward such a fearsome creature. You cannot escape your destiny, but you do not have to believe that part of your fate has been fulfilled, only time will allow you to do so. My sisters and I were glad to see that you brought her here. Tonight however, I was moved by what you did for her. Not even you have the will to confine such a wonderful spirit that she has. For that, I will do something for you."
Inoue raised a closed fist to her mouth, opened it and blew its contents toward Sesshoumaru. They flew out, circled around him twice then shot up his left sleeve, tickled the remaining part of his arm. Then in its place he felt a sharp pain, as if what was left of his arm was being ripped off. He grabbed his shoulder with his hand as if the numb the pain, grateful that his act seemed to work. He looked down, his eyes turning blood red and both his clawed hands twitching with anger from being harmed.
"Rin will be as she was and so shall you."
Sesshoumaru quickly looked up, his eyes returning to normal as Inoue's words reached him, as he realized both of his hands were twitching. He brought them to his face, wondered if his left hand was some sort of illusion. But as he moved his left arm he could not deny how real it felt. Questions filled his head, were about to escape past his lips when he realized that Inoue was gone.
Flower Goddess of Healing...her sisters were wrong. She was far better at healing.
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So much for Rin behaving and Sesshoumaru missing an arm! Soon you'll know why both are very important to this story! I got a feeling this fic will be short, but trust me, it will be just as fulfilling as a long fic would be. I'll still try to make sure it isn't too short. Sorry for the late update, I took a short vacation. I'm working on chapter 4 right now so I'll try to have that up asap. I really appreciate the reviews.
-~Rabid Anime Gurl