Chapter 3
Rin* felt him tip her head up, and she tried to pull away from the iron grip. "Rin*," came the warning voice from the large demon. "Tell me."
A single tear ran down her face, as she looked up in to his eyes. "Sesshoumaru. I… we…we were close." She finally murmured. "We hadn't done anything, and you hadn't marked me, but we were close." She jerked away from him, not able to stand his touch, knowing that the Sesshoumaru that she loved, the one from her time was gone.
Sesshoumaru let his hand fall to his side, as the words sunk in. He was close… to a human… after he was so worried about tainting the blood line, ruining the fact that he was a pure youkai, and how his brother was only a hanyou, he… Lord Sesshoumaru, hater of the lowly humans, was close to a human. His clawed hand clenched, and he could feel his nails dig in to his palm.
Rin* sighed, and took his clenched hand in her own. Gently she pried at his fingers until she could interlace her fingers with his. He looked down at their fingers and then at her sad eyes. "I am sorry," she whispered. "I didn't come back here to hurt you. I came back to save all of us."
All of the sudden her eyes widened, and a choked gasp escaped her lips. Rin* dropped to her knees, clutching her heart, and a small cry came from her lips. She turned pain filled eyes up to the startled demon. "Something's wrong… with Rin! Go!" She ordered, trying to catch her breath. Sesshoumaru only hesitated a split second before running to the gardens, where he knew Rin would be after feeding the large dragon. The Tenseiga at his side pulsed with a fierce energy, and what he saw made him growl in anger. His eyes steadily bled to a scarlet color, and he drew the Toukijin a flash.
A tall man with a wiry build was standing over the small body of Rin. Jaken was lying on the ground dead as well. Rin was still alive, just crying quietly, holding her hands to her right shoulder. Sesshoumaru sniffed and realized that the scent of blood was in the air. His chest rumbled with a growl of pure rage, rage that anyone would even try to harm what was his!!
The angry growl alerted the man who turned to face the angry youkai. Sesshoumaru was surprised to see that the man's eyes glowed a dull blue. A laugh came from the lips of the man, and he drawled. "Sooo. You are the mighty Sesshoumaru. Quite amusing really. I have killed you once, and the little human bitch you keep, but another time should not be hard." Matsuri (or who Sesshoumaru thought to be him) sighed and sheathed his sword. "Pity though, I can't kill all of you now, but I promise I will later, and claim what is mine." He kicked the curled up Rin, and Sesshoumaru snarled. Without warning, Matsuri disappeared. Sesshoumaru cursed under his breath, and sheathed the Toukijin then drew the Tenseiga.
He slashed Rin, and only hesitated a mere second before doing the same to the obnoxious toad. Much as he hated to admit it, he needed the annoying creature. Sesshoumaru knelt beside the human girl, who had tears in her eyes, but was not letting them fall anymore. He gently cupped her face, and asked. "Rin, are you all right?" The little girl nodded furiously, and wiped her cheeks. Sesshoumaru nodded, and then helped her up, acting as if nothing happened. Jaken was grumbling a few moments later, about how unfair it was that he was the one always dying, and how very inconvenient it was. Sesshoumaru glanced back, his eyes emotionless and said nonchalantly. "This Sesshoumaru will remember that next time, and not bring you back, if only to save you the hassle of actually living…"
Jaken froze and then shook his head. "N-No, Lord Sesshoumaru, I am not complaining!" came the hurried reply, and Rin cuddled closer to Sesshoumaru's leg. Sesshoumaru sniffed, and realized he smelled Rin*.
"Come." He ordered, and began to walk toward where the scent was. The older Rin* was leaning against a tree, her eyes closed, shoulders slumped in exhaustion. Rin ran over, and wrapped her small arms around her waist. Rin* held her close, her eyes half closed in exhaustion. Sesshoumaru cleared his throat, and both Rin's looked over at the demon. "Let's head back to the castle." He said. The older woman nodded in agreement.
*That night*
Rin* slipped off the silky kimono, and pulled on a lighter kimono which Jaken had brought earlier. It was a simple white, with long sleeves, and an even longer skirt that touched the ground. She briefly wondered how Sesshoumaru had such a variety of clothes, but then dismissed the thought, since she could find no answer. Rin* slipped out of her room after pulling on a pair of slippers, and her gaze drifted down the halls. She knew the castle by heart, and she set off to find her old room. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a storm not very far away.
After two flights of stairs, she reached the door. Rin* knocked gently, and the door opened, revealing a tired, smiling Rin. "Hello Rin-chan!" The girl chirped, all traces of former sleepiness gone. "Come in!"
"Only for a moment, I just wanted to check in on you." Rin* scooped up the younger her, and twirled a bit. Rin squealed and giggled in glee. The older woman lay her down in bed, and pulled the covers over her head. A muffled "hey" made both giggle. The sheets were pulled back down, and Rin* smoothed back the child's hair. "All right Rin-chan. Time for you to go to sleep now." She smiled.
"But Rin doesn't wanna!" The little girl protested.
"Well, aren't you tired? After picking all of the flowers, and having such an exciting day, I would be tired. Why don't you go to sleep, and tomorrow, we can go out to the gardens. All right?"
A sleepy yawn was her only response before the girl drifted off to sleep. Pulling the covers snug around the sleeping child, she blew out the lamp and Rin walked out the door. She stood still for a moment, trying to decide on whether or not it was best to do what she was thinking. Lightning flashed out side the window, lighting up the night sky. Rin* sighed and padded down the stone halls, her footsteps not making any noise. She reached his room, and smiled when she realized it had not changed from where it would be in the future. She knocked quietly, and waited for a response. Getting none, she decided that he must have been in his study.
The door to the study was open and she peeked in. Sesshoumaru was sitting at a desk, the moon and the frequent flashes of lightning outlining his broad profile. His silver hair glowed and he looked almost surreal. Her light footsteps alerted him and his head turned marginally to acknowledge her presence. "Sesshoumaru- are you all right? I mean with the whole thing…" she left off.
Sesshoumaru stood up, and slowly made his way over to her. The demon towered over her, and surveyed her silently. Rin* suddenly remembered something. "I know how to heal your arm!" she said suddenly. A glimmer of surprise flitted across the handsome face. "Give me the sword." She ordered. A faint flicker of anger went throughout his body, at the thought of a lowly human ordering him around. Then he reminded himself of the fact that it was only Rin*. He drew the blade, and handed it to her.
"You won't be able to use it…" he added smugly.
"Wait." Came her calm response.
She closed her eyes and the blade began to glow a light blue, pulsing with energy. She opened her eyes, and slashed at him. A jolt went though his body, like tingling energy filling him, and then spilling around him like a cup with too much water. A faint golden aura glowed around him, and then it faded, soaking in to him. He stumbled slightly, and Rin* wrapped an arm around his waist. Muscle, skin, and bone began to re-grow, and after a few moments his arm was there. Rin* smiled as he flexed his fingers. He turned stunned eyes to her, and she removed her arm, noticing he could stand on his own.
"How is it that you are able to wield the Tenseiga? I thought…" he trailed off, and then examined his re-grown arm, flexing the muscles, and the fingers, and testing what he could do.
"We did not know I could use the sword until something happened. Apparently the sword reacts to me as it would you." She studied the sword, and then handed it to him hilt first. He slid it in its sheath and then faced her. "Sesshoumaru…" she whispered.
He tipped her head up gently and she looked up, meeting his eyes somewhat cautiously. The golden eyes were emotionless, the complete opposite of hers, which shone with tears. "What are you crying for?" he asked brusquely. Rin* sniffed, and then shook her head.
"Nothing. It is nothing." She assured. He raised his eyebrow, and kept his eyes trained on hers. Slowly his head bent down to hers, and Rin* was barely aware of the lightning and thunder in the background. Soon his lips were a hair from hers….