Author's Notes: Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday. I'm sorry for not getting this chapter out last week, but family stuff came up on Christmas. As for this chapter, I had planned to make it longer, but then you guys would have to wait longer as well. So here it is! I hope you enjoy this New Year's Eve present from me to you!
Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me.
Title: Fragile Heart
Chapter 12: Developments
It was dark. There was nothing to be seen, nothing to be touched. She wasn't even sure if there was any air, or if she was even breathing. There was nothing, except an empty, dark void.
Then, candles appeared out of nowhere, bringing what seemed to be spacious room into shadowy light. She immediately noticed two figures in the center of the room, one more visible to her than the other. The figure was shrouded in light; the other, its polar opposite, was beside it. She could make nothing out of the two figures in front of her. If she gazed into the light, it blinded her. If she gazed into the dark, she might as well have been thrown into the bitter winter cold, for it would most likely be much warmer.
Suddenly, there was a quick rhythmic beating sound.
Where is it coming from?
She looked down.
I can see my body again!
She put a hand to her chest.
…Is it… my heart…?
When she looked up, she heard other beats – the beating of rain as it fell from the sky to earth below. Her own two feet was also quickly beating against the earth.
I am running.
From what?
She looked back, only to see the white figure behind her.
It's so fast… so close now… Must go faster…
Before she knew it, her feet no longer contacted the ground beneath, and she started falling…
Falling…
Falling…
She screamed.
"SESSHOUMARU!!!"
Even before his name left her mouth, Rin found herself in the arms of the man beside her, sobbing into the front of his shirt. Faintly, she heard the sound of started voices in the background but even more noticeable was the sound of a calm deep voice and a steady beating heart.
"Is something the matter?"
"Is she alright?"
"Would she like something to drink to calm her nerves?"
Sesshoumaru didn't even spare them a glance, as he answered evenly, "She will be fine; it was merely a dream." He noticed that Rin was holding onto his shirt in a near death grip… and she was slowly beginning to shake. "Leave us."
At the cold command, the attendants wisely left to attend to other matters, giving the pair some much needed privacy. Sesshoumaru simply held Rin, offering a silent companionship rather than to whisper sentimental nothings to her, for they would all be lies, and Sesshoumaru would never lie, at least not to Rin. She was clearly upset about something, and there was no way for him to fix it if he didn't even know what it was that was bothering her. It must have something to do with her dream earlier…
He's so warm… Rin thought. She was snuggled quite comfortably in the circle of Sesshoumaru's arms, and Rin had no intention of leaving it anytime soon. She was so frightened… She was still frightened by the events that occurred in her dream. She didn't want to think about it anymore, but while she was falling down that endless chasm, she had felt her heart breaking into a thousand pieces. The bitter taste of betrayal was also there; it was so strong, she could still taste the aftereffects even when she awoke from the dream. Ugh! I just don't want to think about it anymore! It's so comfortable here… I just want to have a dreamless sleep… Slowly, her eyes began to close once again…
When Sesshoumaru felt Rin's trembling begin to lessen, and as her eyes started to close, he softly called, "Rin…?" She blinked a few times before her tired eyes stared into his. "Tell me about your dream."
At this, Rin was completely awake and wary, turning her head to the side and avoiding his eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."
Gently, only using enough necessary force, Sesshoumaru lifted her chin so that their eyes met once again. "It was not my intention to force you into telling me, Rin."
Rin's eyes drifted downwards toward his chest. Then, in a small voice, she said, "I know." Feeling somewhat ashamed and in a voice no louder than a whisper, she added, "I'm sorry."
"Do you still have that necklace I gave you?"
Startled by the question, which was seemingly raised out of the blue, she nodded. "It's in my luggage."
"Wear it at all times. It will protect in places where I cannot come to your aid."
Rin was more confused than ever. How can a necklace protect me? "Are you feeling alright, Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked, while she raised the palm of her hand to place it underneath his bangs and on top of his forehead. Is he coming down with something?
Tenderly, he took hold of her arm and removed her hand from his face. Sesshoumaru quietly smiled down at her. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"
Rin blinked a few times, before smiling along with him. "Yes, I feel much better now…" Rin blushed as she continued. "How can I not be, when I know that you're right here beside me…"
One of the stewardesses returned to see the… cute couple together, smiling at each other for no apparent reason. They seemed to make each other very happy, and for as long as she had been in Sesshoumaru's service, she couldn't recall a time when he was seen smiling. Her first reaction when she saw him had shaken her to the core. He was an imposing figure, tall, and cold, but as beautiful as the untouched winter snow when the early morning sun hits the glistening sea of diamonds. She would have come after him herself were she not happily married with two kids of her own. Because it was so rare to see him so happy, she really didn't want to break up their little moment together, but she must, by announcing, "The plane is beginning to land."
The black stretch limousine they were in was fairly spacey and comfortable. Along with the standard things cars were expected to have, such as air-conditioning, Rin was surprised to see a small TV, a mini-fridge, and a telephone, among other things. The limousine was already waiting for them after Sesshoumaru and Rin had left the airport… holding hands together.
Rin blushed beside Sesshoumaru. It just seemed so natural at the moment. Besides, I did want things to go slower between us, and holding hands is the first step. When they got inside the limousine, Sesshoumaru still didn't let go of her hand yet. Not that she minded…
After admiring the busy streets of Hong Kong for a while, Rin couldn't help but ask, "Sesshoumaru, where exactly are we going?"
"We are going to Wu-sama's mansion."
"Who is Wu-sama?"
"He is the head of Kum Kei Corporation."
"Why are we going to his place?"
"He can brief us in on the situation."
Rin knew that there was something more to this Wu-sama than what Sesshoumaru was letting on. She could tell simply by looking at him and knowing that his short, direct answers were simply said to satisfy her curiosity and shut her up. While Rin was frustrated with him, she knew that it would only be fair not to ask him anything he was unprepared to reveal… like he had done for her. But more importantly…
"Sesshoumaru…" Rin said in a tone that conveyed her understanding of his situation. She placed her other hand, the one he was not holding, on top of his. He turned to look at her. "I could never force you to do anything that would make you unhappy, or ask you to tell me something that would make you feel uncomfortable. But more importantly, I know that you treasure your privacy greatly, and I don't want to intrude and become a nuisance. If you feel that we have not reached past that stage yet in our relationship, then it is fine with me to just let the matter drop."
Sesshoumaru turned to look outside at the window, but he didn't notice the beautiful scene before him. "…Wu-sama… was an old friend of my father."
"Your father?" Rin was surprised. Although she hadn't been with Sesshoumaru for a long time, no one really knows much about his family. For him to actually mention something about them was really… something. "Where is your father now?"
"He died a long time ago."
"Oh… I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry about. Like I said, he died a long time ago."
But that doesn't take away the pain he left behind for you… does it…? Rin knew this was a sensitive subject for him, but she was both sad and… happy to bring it up. She was happy that he was willing to share something so personal to him with her. I hope, Sesshoumaru, that I can meet your living relatives soon… and I hope that they will like me. I want to make you smile more, make you happier, and… love you to my fullest extent. I am happy that we're getting closer now…
"We're here."
The mansion was still miles away from what seemed to be the driveway, but what was actually a courtyard. In the middle was a large, beautiful fountain that reminded Rin of the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Rome. The impressive sculptures of the four river gods was made to represent the four continents of the globe, as they were thought of back then. Instead of four gods, however, this fountain had four different colored dragons. Each had water sprouting from their mouths, and in the middle was a very impressive yellow dragon, which, Rin was sure, was made out of pure gold.
Dragons in China were honored creatures and have had a long history in the country. The kings and emperors of old even had dragons stitched onto their court robes to signify their status as rulers of their country. The Kum Kei Corps, Rin believed, had used a picture of a dragon to represent their company as its logo, much like the Inu of the West Corps had used a white dog.
After the ten minute drive through the courtyard, they finally arrived at the mansion. If Rin had thought their courtyard was impressive, the mansion was simply beyond compare. From what Rin could make out there were probably five floors, and the architecture of the house had a combined Eastern and Western flavor to it. Two tall columns adorned the front entrance to the mansion, and parts of the columns and the mansion itself were covered in vines and flowers from the nearby garden. It was simply beautiful.
"Sesshoumaru-sama! I'm pleased to see you again so soon."
An old man started to approach Sesshomaru and Rin from the entrance. He proceeded to walk with his cane between the two long rows of servants lined beside the entrance. This, Rin presumed, must be their host, Wu-sama.
Sesshoumaru shook the proffered hand. "It's good to see you again as well."
"I imagine your trip here was a pleasant one." When Sesshoumaru nodded in the affirmative, Wu-sama cast his old, knowing eyes onto Rin, who stiffened instantly. Rin felt Wu-sama scrutinize her from the top of her head to tips of her toes, but his scrutiny only lasted for about a minute, and before she knew it, he was smiling at her genially. "Ah! What a beauty you have here Sesshoumaru! I have no doubt that she is the reason for your most pleasant journey here. Isn't that right, young lady?"
Rin could now feel a blush run as deep as the hair roots from her head. She might be running a fever, if her face got any hotter. Not wanting to seem rude by ignoring Wu-sama's question despite her embarrassment, Rin answered, "I'm sure Sesshoumaru-sama's trip would have been equally as pleasant had I not been there."
"Ah! A very modest one, you have there Sesshoumaru! Although modesty is a virtue, young lady, it should not be used as a scapegoat to lie to an old man." When Rin tried to defend herself, Wu-sama simply held out a hand. "However, I think I can find it in this old heart of mine to forgive you, if you will bless me with your name and a handshake."
Rin laughed, finding Wu-sama's humorous nature contagious and shaking his hand. "My name is Rin Higurashi."
"Rin Higurashi, you say…" It wasn't a question, but Wu-sama's eyes had gleamed with an unnamed emotion that was gone in a flash. "Just where are my manners?! Come inside! You must be tired. Come, the both of you!"
A lot of people asked me, I think… if we're going to see the little boy from the last chapter again… Well, to be honest, I don't know. I certainly don't have anything planned yet, but you never know; it could happen.
In other news, I've decided to make it one of my New Year's Resolution to update every Friday, but no guarantees! I've never really made a New Year's Resolution before, so I have no idea how this is going to turn out, besides I do have school to consider.
Speaking about school, I'm afraid I won't be able to update from mid-May to mid-June, because I will be away to London. I'm doing a Study Abroad course there, and I'll be gone for about a month. It should be fun, I hope.
I'm also planning on revising some of my chapters. It's nothing big, just some grammar problems. I was rereading my stories yesterday, and I couldn't believe how awful some of it was. (sigh) Oh well.
The next chapter should come out next week, so by that time I could probably start answering review questions and recommend some great stories to read. Until then!
