" Conspiracy to the Lord of the West "
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha. All belong to Rumiko Takahashi. .
Do Not Read Unless You Have Read the Prequel To This Story: "The Year of the Eighteen Stars"! IF You Already Have, Then Happy Reading To You. .
. Hi there peoples! I'm back by semi-popular demand. As for all of those people who have supported my writing and given me reviews... I thank you! . I have decided to make a sequel to one of my Sesshomaru and Rin FF's, because people have asked it of me. I had the idea while trying to sleep ad finally it came to me (after reading some more S&R FF's) that I should make a sequel. Then, it hit me! I came up with the ending first; that seems to be a trend with me, and then a beginning, so now it comes to you. YEAH! Enjoy the read. .
PS: If the last name of Takeshi isn't really a name and neither is Mikano (Lord of the Southern Lands) I apologize. I just thought they sounded cool. :P. And the song that Rin sings is called "Ever Free" by Ayumi Hamasaki. She's the best J-pop singer except for Junko Iwao. .
italics thoughts
It had been four months since their child Shihaisha had been born and he was now nine months old. Their son was now trying to walk by himself, but could only, at the moment, so it with assistance. Watching as he would try and make his way to his mother was also a challenge. He would get disgruntled and cry out and then, Sesshomaru would watch as Rin would run up behind him and hold his hands as he walked. She smiled constantly these days and that made her Lord happy as well.
He had rued the day that Rin had suggested that Shihaisha and his lowly half-breed brother Inuyasha and his mate Kagome's child Tomo learn to play with each other and not have a grudge as the their fathers had for them. Luckily for Sesshomaru the only people who agreed to this were, of course, Rin and that wench Kagome. His brother hadn't agreed to it either. That was the only thing they seemed to agree upon.
Kagome had birthed her child a few months before Rin, but they were both still young in nature and age, so apparently they both sought to reach an agreement between the two brothers. I didn't happen. Not yet at least. Rin and Kagome were friend's solely because Kagome was allowed to take care of the birthing process that Rin had gone through. Even thought Inuaysha hadn't agreed to that either. They made to become quick friends and Sesshomaru was at least glade that she had another friend besides Yuko.
Yuko and Takeshi had a child as well. Satoshi they had called it as Sesshomaru thought back. Those days had seemed so full of births, but Shihaisha was the only child who was born during a full moon in the middle of the night. He remembered that day clearly and he always would. That was the day that he finally figured out what he had been missing for all of those years before Rin; he was missing something to protect and care for and now he had it. Even though 'love' as the humans called it, was far from his heart he still cared.
He remembered a lot of old memories as he watched over Rin and their son. They were both bathing in the river that she had frequented before and as usual she had him with her. He keep watch over them from a near by tree that his back was leaning against. She looked wonderful. Her hair was pulled up on the back of her head and a few unruly strands hung down. Her body had gone back to the way it was as soon as she started training again. A reluctant Sesshomaru granted it to her, for he knew she loved to feel needed sometimes. She also wore the necklace he had given her. It was a blood red marble that was hanging on a silver chain with a small ring to hold it onto the rest of the necklace. It was swinging a few inches above the valley of her breasts as she struggled with Shihaisha.
Apparently today he didn't want to take a bath. And he was struggling in her arms as she tried to control his kicking motions. The Lord watched as Rin quickly fixed the situation by dunking his lower half into the water over and over again while speaking what she called 'baby talk', of which he would never understand why she presented this act. But for some reason she had seemed to connect with him and he liked it. He heard his son giggle in pure joy as he calmed down and listened to her talk. From the moment Rin had spoken he remembered her voice. When she would leave the room and was left in his care for a few minutes he would make small noises trying to get her to come back. When she did he would smile and laugh.
Of course Ssesshomaru didn't know how to handle a child this young, but their son also grew accustomed to his low voice and his touch. Sometimes he was awkward with the child, but he knew that Rin understood his position. So, she would correct him, even though he hated it. A few weeks before the baby was born she had gone through this period where nothing was clean enough and everything was 'dangerous' for the baby. He thought it was ridiculous, but to her it mattered. Then, she would go into fits of crying for no apparent reason; this sent his nerves into frenzy as well. Sometimes he just went into his study and calmed himself before he went back out just to have Rin running around cleaning everything again. The maids weren't angry, for most of them had had children and understood her, but they also didn't want her to get into one of those fits of crying. She produced many shifts in mood and it confused him more than ever.
Suddenly he was brought back to the present when he heard the snap of something small and fragile. He watched as the necklace he had given her swirled down into the deep river. Then, for a while he heard her speak coherent wordsfor the first time since she put their son in the water.
" Oh. There goes mommy's necklace. Shihaisha mommy loved that; well I'll have to go get it then. Would you like daddy to hold you? Hm?"
Then he noticed as she looked over at him and smiled. He wanted their bath to finish quickly, but this prolonged it. He didn't like being called daddy, but she never said that when he was in front of any important noblemen or great numbers of his soldiers. She knew better that it just wasn't proper and she acknowledged it. But, she did it when they were alone and that was acceptable enough for him. He watched as she came over to him and he then bent down and picked up his son.
" There, now daddy will hold you while I find that necklace."
Sesshomaru watched as his son kicked and giggled at him. He then proceeded to touch Sesshomaru's face. Rin watched this and smiled.
" He's getting better at this whole father thing. The only reason I know so much is because of some of the children I played with and the women that I just watched be mothers. Sometimes he looks so awkward, but I know he's trying."
At that moment he watched her body go under the water and then looked to his son. He had a big smile on his face and Sesshomaru with his normal stoic one.
" I will never understand why she speaks to you that way. You do just as fine listening to me speak normally. It's probably that mother instinct thing isn't it?"
He looked down at his son as he questioned him. The child just smiled and kicked his feet and drooled. An action like that made the Lord smile as well.
He saw her nude form obscured by the ripples that floated across the water's surface and her form seemed wavy in nature to his eyes, but she swam with grace and she soon was consumed by the darkness and little light further down. She kept herself and Shihaisha a safe distance away from the drastic drops it took when you went further towards the middle of spring where it cascaded into a large river. The last he saw of her were the bubbles of air she left behind. Soon he saw here form blanket the water again.
Then, Rin surfaced as a ring of water spilled around her and lapped up to the rocks around the edges of the spring. She still looked beautiful as she stepped out and walked past him. Her smell of flowers lingered in his nose and it was lovely. She turned around and looked back at him.
" Turn around."
'Why? I've seen and kissed every inch of you Rin and he's seen all of you too."
She looked at him and glanced at their child.
" He's a baby, he doesn't know what all of this is."
She then made a pass with her hands over her body. Sesshomaru lifted one of his eye brows and glared at her.
" Fine."
As soon as she said that she went to ask him to turn around again. She was persistent.
" Please, turn around. I'm not proper."
" Why would I care about what is and isn't proper?"
She made one of her huffy noises she had always done when she was outwitted and angry. He complied with her and turn around so she could get dressed.
" After all of this time, you still dress in modesty."
Rin didn't pay attention to what he had to say she just dressed quickly, for she didn't want wondering eyes. She dressed herself in a pink kimono with gold stars around the bottom and neckline of the material. Even if he didn't know whether or not she liked the color he would buy all kinds of kimono fabrics and ask her which one's she liked. Of course she liked every one of the colors, but she never asked for new things he just gave them to her. Most of the time she declined his offers for things, but he always persuaded her to keep them.
After she finished changing she walked over and he handed Shihaisha over to her and she started her baby prattle again. But, like last time he responded. She looked back at him because she had already begun walking and he hadn't. He just stood their dazed.
He noticed that the light complimented her skin the most. She had a tint of dark pigment from the rays of the sun when they would journey in the heat when she was younger. The moon lit up her cheeks and her eyes.
" Sesshomaru, come on. I have to put him to sleep."
He was jarred out of his thoughts when she spoke softly to him. He was acting like some lovesick boy. He needed to get his thoughts in order and fast. He still stood there. She began to get scared.
" Sesshomaru, is something wrong?"
Rin watched as he immediately snapped back to attention. His behavior had been weird for sometime now and it had started a few days ago. It was like he was searching for something and that their was something wrong. She put it in the back of her mind, but it was still fixed there.
" No, nothing."
She turned around and walked again but he quickly stepped behind her and slid his arm around his waist and as she walked his grip became tighter on her side.
" Sesshomaru, let go your holding on to tight. Is something wrong? Do you sense something?"
He quickly let go of her and reassured her that nothing was wrong. Although his actions proved that there was indeed something she let it go, maybe he was overreacting, but then again he never really did that. In fact he was always calm in most situations, until he transformed… then nothing was spared in his wake.
" All right."
" Let's get inside, it's getting cooler."
That was a lie, but she wouldn't catch him on it and persist that he tell her what was wrong. He had to stop the confusion in his head. He could have sworn he heard someone whisper a few miles away and he or she was hiding for his or her and the smell was masked by that of the forest. It smelled early of the Lord of the Southern Lands, Lord Mikano. Why would he be here and why would he be hiding from sight? Something was up with the man that he had been in war as an ally with only a few months ago. With that scent he caught another. When Rin had come out of the water it was mixed with the smell of him and arousal. He would ask for the Lord of the South's presence tomorrow and question him. He knew he would deny it, but he had to know.
The soldier had come in through the double doors that led to the Lord of the South's palace. His palace was fairly large in it's architecture, but not as grand as that rat bastard's the Lord of the West.
The soldier was fixed on his duty of giving the Lord his news. The news was bad. The Lord that ruled over him was a tyrant. Lord Mikano had a background and a suspicious one at that. His father, Lord of the South Akita was a powerful man, who's son (present Lord of the South) was obsessed with being the Lord of this land for a while and one night his father was 'killed' when a trader was amongst their lands. Of course all of the villagers knew that the young son of Lord Akita was the one who killed him and the only one near his room at the time of the accident.
The now Lord of the South kept everything for himself and his self proclaimed honorable army. The villagers had to fend for themselves, but if anyone was caught trading with the other lands he would have a punishment of death. Now they could travel, just not to the West, for those were the old ways, but most of the same rules applied. Now you could not trade with the west, instead of the other three lands. Fairness was not the Lord's best quality, even though he had none.
The Lord also forced maiden's into his bed. He had raped many, but there was not much that a woman could do about it. He was a disgusting man and he ruled. But he had to put that aside and give his Lord the news.
" My Lord of the South, I have some news to bring you."
The Lord was sitting at his dining table and smiling down at the soldier.
" What news do you have?"
" As you may recall a few days ago (it has taken me a week to get back because we now live so far east now), when we went spying upon the Lord of the West, we were surprised to find that he had a child as well. I think they called the child Shihaisha."
" We only live so far away because we can now live where wen want and I want this land. The Lord of the West has a child. He wants to have an heir just as I do, but as you remember my late wife fell down and met an unfortunate end and gave me no son, so I have been looking for the perfect heir and the perfect woman for this duty. And I have finally found her, although she is taken by another I will have her. You will bring her to me. Arrange your best soldiers and capture her I don't care if you have to beat her, get me the Lady they call Rin."
The former Lady of the South didn't fall down stairs, even though she did fall he had pushed her. Quickly his thoughts returned to the recent matters and he let his Lord's words sink in.
The soldier looked stunned. His Lord of the South wanted Sesshomaru's woman? He thought that his Lord would just wish to spy on her and try to hurt Sesshomaru with useless banter, but not the kidnapping and rape of the Lady of the Western Lands.
" My Lord... I can't..."
" You will and go do it NOW!"
" As you wish."
The soldier walked off with a heavy mind and accepted his Lord's orders. The Lord of the South only wanted to expand his lands, for when he joined Sesshomaru it was only to take the lands that they he conquered. His Lord knew that Sesshomaru didn't want them, so he took advantage and soon came up with a plot to 'banter' the Lord of the West, but now it had turned into another future slaughter and all at the hands of The Lord of the West. The soldier knew that the Lord Sesshomaru was ruthless, but he had no idea how much until that day.
The Lord soon stopped the soldier.
" Wait, kill the whelp that was spawned for her womb. I don't want to have a illegitimate son raised by that bastard. The son would rise against my own and surely prevail. Get rid of it!"
" Yes My Lord."
The soldier finally walked off and knew that if he were caught he would be bestowed death to himself and the men he brought with him. All the rage would be at the hands of The Lord of the West, Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru did not have to wait for long to meet the Lord of the West personally. The Lord had sent a messenger to Sesshomaru saying that he could not attend the meeting that Sesshomaru required of him because he had land issues and needed to discuss them first. Sesshomaru thought this was suspicious and it would be confirmed hours later.
Finally Rin awoke and he soon saw her peeking through the door as he heard it crack.
" Come in."
She slowly crept inside and closed the door behind her. Her watched as she sat at the chair across from his desk. Papers were scattered everywhere, normally her Lord was organized, but not in the study. Papers and scrolls, paintings marked the walls and weapons hung above the fireplace.
She sat there staring at him and he said nothing; just looked down at his papers and read them. She made a concentration braking cough to let him know she was sitting there and he looked up and then back down to the papers. Apparently they were more interesting than she was.
It had been almost a week since he had smelt the scent of The Lord of the South, but his mind wondered back in forth. He was still cautious about Rin. She made another one of her noises and he finally let go of the papers and looked at her straight on into her round chocolate eyes.
She was embarrassed by his actions and challenged his gaze with her own when she stopped blushing.
" Lord Sesshomaru, I have noticed that every time we go outside you have someone follow me?"
" Someone has always followed you, except for you going to take a bath, then I watch over you."
" Well, you seem off beat today is anything wrong?"
" I told you almost a week ago that there was nothing wrong."
" I know… I was just wondering."
" Well you have no reason to, unless you doubt me Rin."
She quickly followed up his intentional question and replied.
" No not insecurity, but when it comes to feelings, yes, yes I do."
" Rin."
She knew that she needed to stop talking before she dug herself a deeper whole, that had started when she questioned him. She felt he needed to be calmed down.
He watched as she leaned over the table when he was about to pick up his papers again and he felt the touch of lips on his cheek.
He looked up at her and she smiled down upon him. Then, she was almost out of the door when she spoke.
" Don't work to hard Sesshomaru."
And then she was gone. The papers then occupied him when a smell caught him off guard. They hadn't been here for days now, why is The Lord of the South's scent here again. It was carried upon the winds of change that affected him when something big was about to happen.
It had been the middle of the day already and Rin was sitting at the table feeding her son and Sesshomaru was sitting next to her reading over documents and papers that contributed to his ally of the South. He never trusted him, but needed another army to fight the war, so Sesshomaru enlisted him to help.
Rin soon saw that Sesshomaru was consumed with the papers in front of him as her attempts at conversation drifted away with his thoughts. She looked down at her son.
" How about we leave the 'important Lord' to his study and we go outside for some fresh air?"
The baby smiled up at her and she took it as a 'yes'. She got up after wiping the baby's mouth clean of drool and walked over to her Lord, of course with Shihaisha in tow.
" Don't work to hard My Sesshomaru, your so needs to see you sometime."
He didn't look up her so she shrugged it off. Whatever it was it must be important, so she left outside. She still needed someone to help her with opening the large door that blocked her path out of the main entrance. She thanked the guard and breathed in the crisp afternoon air.
" It's wonderful out here."
She placed Shihaisha down on the smooth stone pathway that lead it way through the garden she always liked to visit. She then lifted him up to his feet and held his hands.
" We need to show daddy that you can walk. Come on."
She tempted him with her voice and gave him a bright smile as he began to walk with his hands tightly clasped onto her own. He giggled as he walked.
" How can such a happy child come from such a stoic demon?"
She had asked herself that question even though she was far enough away to know that he couldn't hear it. She didn't trust him though he often popped up in the times when she was questioning him. Shihaisha fell forward and Rin quickly caught him.
" Maybe not just yet."
Then at the table he was sitting at he heard her sweet voice come to his ears. She had always had a lovely voice, especially when she was singing to their son, or he was around and she didn't know it. She sang a new song today.
sore wa totemo hareta hi odayake na egao ni
shiori hana o ichirin sotto soeta
utsukushii mono wa toki ni kanashii mono
yagate kuru wakare kangite
kuroi retsu narabezu ni hamidashite kao ageta
itsu ka mita sora o omotte
ikisaki wa dore kurai tooku tooi tokoro na no?
mou nido to wa modorenai hodo tooi tokoro na no?
aitakute aenakute semete tsutaete hoshii
saigo ni kureta namida sono subete wasurenai
It was a bright day on your peaceful face.
I laid a chain of white flowers.
Beautiful things are sometimes sad things.
I sense the farewell that has been long coming.
I break out of the black line and look upwards,
thinking of the sky I once saw.
How far away will you go?
Is it so far away that you can never come back?
I want to see you but I can't; at least you could tell me.
I won't forget any of the final tears you gave me.
Sesshomaru loved her voice even when he was tense and stressed she would sing and it would always calm him. Then, he went back to looking at his papers a few minutes after she stopped.
The baby intently listened as well and he clapped his hands together.
" Apparently you like it. "
" Rin."
She looked up to see her friend Yuko standing in front of her.
" How are you today?"
" Just fine."
" And how is the little one, Satoshi?"
" He is well too. He's with Takeshi. I finally get some time off to speak with you."
Rin looked down at her son and saw that his eyes were closing by the time they finished their conversation. The sky was darkening and Sesshomaru would be getting angry if she didn't come back soon. They had both taken a bath this morning so all that was left was to put him to bed.
" I'm sorry that I can't talk longer, but I think Shihaisha is growing tired and you should get back too, Takeshi will be looking for you."
They both said their good-byes but Rin stopped her friend when she spotted flowers that she wanted to pick and place in their room even though Sesshomaru wouldn't like it.
" Could you take him to Sesshomaru and tell him that I will be back it a minute?"
" Sure."
" Thank you."
Yuko walked off and Rin went into the field and as she watched her son enter the castle he was safe. She bent down to pick a beautiful flower she was grabbed from behind and a knife was put to her throat.
" Scream and I slit your throat."
Rin didn't want her son to live without her and she knew Sesshomaru would come after her. She complied with him and she felt him try to drag her off. She ran and grabbed her small hidden dagger and when she felt him grab her wrist she turned and sliced him across the face, but she only gave him a flesh wound and then he broke her wrist to get the weapon away from her.
She saw him. He was a lizard demon and he had rows of teeth and drool was sliding down his chin. He was blue tinted in scale color and very mush larger than she was. She tried to fight back again, but he knocked her in the head with his large hand and before her world went black she heard another voice say:
" We couldn't get the kid, but this lovely thing will please him just as much. "
Rin was glad that her friend Yuko had come when she did. And then her world faded.
Yuko had given the boy back to Sesshomaru and told him about her leaving to the feild to get flowers. He didn't dismiss her right away but gave the child back to her after she had put him in her father's arms. Then she saw him run.
The scent of The Lord of the South filled the flower field and then he saw it a dagger with blood on the blade; Rin's dagger. He looked at the blood and the scent of a lizard demon lingered on it's edge. And Rin was no where to be found. The only bad thing was that he did not know where the Lord of the South dwelled. Lord Mikano now had many lands and could be anywhere he needed to find her quickly, for lizard demons given their size were fast moving.
When Rin awoke it was pitch black except for a cascade of moonlight that came from high above in the stone walls all around her. She looked around for any way to get out when she remembered what had happened: being captured and having been almost killed with having her throat slit. They had taken her somewhere and this dark place was it.
She couldn't climb anything and her head hurt. She knew that Sesshomaru was looking for her, but would he find her. She had to have been out for a while. She lied down and looked up at the stars in the moonlit sky.
" Where are you Sesshomaru? Our son is okay and for that I am glad, but how is the search for me fairing? Do you even know that I am gone?"
Sesshomaru didn't know who else to give the child to, of course not to one of the village girl's. He had thought about giving him to Yuko, but she already had her own hands full and they weren't fairing so well. So the only potion left was the wench that was mated to his brother Inuyasha. She had an older child and was well protected in her village, as well as her extensive skill in medicine. The Lord of the South was rumored to have invaded Inuyasha Forest, but he didn't conquer it. Only for the sole fact that Inuaysha lived in it and anything could conquer the actual Lord of the Southern Lands, but some of his army was powerful. Rin was with that filthy pig and he wouldn't stand for it, so he headed to the one place he dreaded to go... Inuayasha's Forest.
. So how do you like it so far? I might have another chapter put up if I hop to it. (Possibly next week by the latest.) So press that button at the bottom and review. It's like it had a mind of it's own and it knows you want to. OOOOOH! ..
