Sesshoumaru-Papa

Part Two

The Kaze no Kizu, was it really executed by that foolish hanyou? The same weak hanyou who could not even activate Tetsusaiga's true power until I, Sesshoumaru mentioned it. One could say that I sealed my own fate by referring to the Kaze no Kizu. No matter, there was no way to bring a change to the past, and I was stuck in this fateful present, lying on the ground in the weakest state that I could ever recall being in. When I was lying there, who was to approach me but a young child? I tried to frighten her, but she only stood there, staring at me. I wonder what her intentions were. They were clear soon enough. This little girl brought me food, Human food, and expected me to eat it. To think that she had the nerve to even attempt to advance towards me, much less endeavor to feed me. This Sesshoumaru is quite capable of feeding himself. So I turned her away. Several times I turned her away, but she would only continue to come back, bringing me more of her disgusting Human delicacies.

And then one day I noticed that one of her eyes was severely beaten and there were bruises covering most of her small childish features. I don't know what came over me; perhaps I was delirious from lying in the same location for so long. I asked her what happened to her, I, Sesshoumaru wanted to know how the little girl had gotten her bruises, this little Human girl. She laughed at me. I looked at her. What else could she do? She was a mute after all, but that laugh meant more than she intended. She was trying to tell me something. "So you do care after all!" her one eye said to me. Immediately I denied her silent claims as imprudence. Of course I didn't care. She was just a Human after all.

But this Human, why was she the first thing that I sensed when I reunited with Jaken later that day? I caught onto her scent as quickly as it flowed through the wind. It was her blood mixed with that off wolves. She had been killed. I was not surprised, nor was I concerned. Young ones like her died every day from famine, disease, and invasions of all kinds. I stress once again that I was not concerned, so why did I turn back for her? Foolish Tenseiga, it was your fault. You led me back to her. I could tell that even Jaken believed that I was taking leave of my senses.

When I found her, something in my heart altered, as if this Sesshoumaru even admits to having a heart. She was lying on the ground, her eyes as dim as the woods that evening. I knew that she was dead before I even caught her scent. Jaken asked me if I knew her. How could I say yes? As usual, I ignored the little imp. I could feel Tenseiga communicating with me, "Do something, Sesshoumaru. I saved you, now save her, save this girl who tried so hard to aid you." I couldn't take much more of this. I drew Tenseiga and aimed it towards the young girl. When I did this, something very strange occurred. I could see the beasts from the underworld hovering around her, claiming her as one of their own. Could this Tenseiga, that could not kill, cut those who were already dead? I raised Tenseiga.

"Sesshoumaru-Sama, what are you doing?"

I swung down at the underworld creatures, destroying them all with one sweep of my useless blade. Then I knelt down and took the dead girl in my arm. I felt her heart beat and her breath slowly return to her. This shocked me. So, I had the power to revive the dead, did I? Not exactly a power I would boast, but it was a gift from Father. The young girl opened her eyes and looked up at me. She was completely healed. Not even one scratch rested upon her youthful flesh. Even she was surprised that I came back for her. I set her back on her feet and stood up, walking past Jaken who by now was uttering all sorts of nonsense about me slicing him down with no guarantee of his survival.

"Tenseiga..." I said to the sword, grinning at me through the sheath at my waist. "You have compelled me to save a Human life today."

Now that I think of it, Rin was never a burden. She could get quite annoying at times, but she always did what she was told and addressed me in the correct manner. She was almost like a weaker female version of Jaken, who had been a loyal servant to me for as long as I can remember. Rin never served as much more than someone I could watch over, "baby-sit", as my hanyou brother likes to call it. I don't think I need to answer the fools who ask me, "Why do you travel with a Human girl if you claim to hate all Humans?" It's none of their business anyhow.

I remember walking with her one day and she began to ask me all sorts of questions that made no sense.

"What makes shooting stars?"

"Why is the sky blue?"

"Why don't you and your brother get along?"

Did I answer any of her childish questions? Of course not. I wasn't under any obligation to be her parent, a father that would answer all of his child's insolent questions even if they were just making it up as they went along. No. This Sesshoumaru was not going to be that Human child's father.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin asked one night when I presumed she was sleeping.

I turned to her. "What, Rin?"

The little girl got up and made her way over to the tree I was sitting against, resting my eyes. I felt her sit down beside me.

"Do you think we'll always be together?"

Oh, not this again...

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because...because I don't think I can be alone. I can't be alone anymore, Sesshoumaru-sama..." Her little voice began to tremor.

"What are you getting at?" I opened my eyes and looked at her. Her face was buried into her knees. Was she crying? I sighed. If there was one thing that I hated the most about Humans, it was their bothersome need to express their feelings to the world.

"You, Ah-Un, Jaken-sama, you've all been so good to me, and I don't think I ever want to lose that." She leaned up against me and clutched onto my sleeve.

I didn't bother to push her away, even if she was making me feel uncomfortable. It would only make her persist to cry. I didn't know which was worse anyway.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you think of me?"

"What do you mean?" This entire conversation was beginning to aggravate me.

"Am I your friend? Your companion? Do I get in your way?"

"Rin, stop asking me all of these nonsense questions..."

"But...I..."

"Rin." I maintained a firm voice to let her know that I was seriously becoming tired of her and her silly questions.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop," Rin said, standing up. "But I have one last question to ask you."

I closed my eyes and laid my head back against the tree, allowing her to ask me her "one last question".

"Why did you revive me?"

My eyes opened involuntarily. This was the one question that I feared, the one question that I never expected her to ask me. What could I tell her? Could I decline to answer her question? I could try, but she would only ask more and more questions as if to take place of the one I never answered. I turned to her and gestured for her to sit down. She did so happily.

"Rin, what I am about to tell you, you should never even so much as utter to anyone else," I told her.

"Okay."

"Not even Jaken."

"All right."

I thought for a minute. I could hide forever if I wanted to, but I didn't want to anymore. Rin deserved to know why she was revived if anyone. I could trust her to keep secret what I was about to tell her.

"A long time ago, I was different, not much different, but different enough to make a clear distinction as to the way I am now. As you know, I used to slaughter Humans as if they were cattle, Jaken and I would annihilate entire armies of Humans whenever we believed that they would hinder our passing. I never gave this a second thought...until the day that I was lying in the woods, barely conscious. I was furious, but I was also...frightened. How could I let such a thing happen to me? How could I allow myself to be overcome by the very Kaze no Kizu that I myself had gone to such great lengths to display to my hanyou brother the day I had a grasp on Tetsusaiga? And then strange thoughts began to pour from my mind. Perhaps the next time I would not be so lucky. What would have happened if I would have discarded the Tenseiga for even a moment? Would I be alive today? This useless sword, the one that cannot kill, it saved my life, the very same life that loathed it. Then I met you, a little Human girl that meant no more than vermin in the eyes of I, Sesshoumaru. But were you afraid of me? I would presume not. You kept coming back, attempting to assist me in some sort of way. At first I turned you away, at first I was too blinded by my own troubles to even consider the world around me. But you never gave up, and that, Rin, is the one thing that I admire about you. Don't tell Jaken... You see, I rescued you because, like Tenseiga, you are bound to me, by my will or not. I thought that I would never admit these strange 'feelings' to anyone, but I believe that you understand, don't you, Rin...?" I looked down at Rin who had gone limp on my shoulder. "Rin?"

A small smile cursed my lip. "Hmm...she has fallen asleep."

I took her into my arm and stood up, and then I felt her stir in her sleep. Oh no, don't wake up...

"I love you Sesshoumaru-Papa..." she whispered.

"What?" I couldn't believe she was saying this, in my presence at that. Then I noticed that she was still sleeping. The little creature must have been dreaming about me. Her tiny fingers closed around my sleeve. "Sesshoumaru-Papa..."

"Don't call me that, Rin..." I whispered. I could feel my cheeks become tepid. These affections...I was not used to them. I sat back down and covered her slight body with my downy garment.

"Rin, I believe that you bring out a side of me that I should never allow anyone else to see, but since you're asleep, I suppose my secret's safe. After all, the night sky does not spread hearsay.

All of a sudden, Rin chuckled. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-Papa."

I stared down at the Rin who I believed was asleep and laughed quietly. "All right, Rin, you had me fooled, you win, now please, just go to sleep, and do not call me Sesshoumaru-Papa ever again."

I heard no reply. I felt her small heart beat against my chest. She was asleep again...?

"Fine, Rin. Fool around all you want, I don't care..."

Oh, but you do care, Sesshoumaru-Sama. You shouldn't try to hide it...

.:The End:.