KONNICHIWA! Long time no see everyone (yes, contrary to the stories Ms. Vegitadias is not dead yet. Sorry for taking so long to update but it was for a worthy cause. I am now able to attend school full-time in order to become a web designer and I am having a total blast with it. In addition I recently had a change in employment and I'm sorry to say that I didn't progress beyond three pages on this chapter for a long while because I was so busy. Fortunately, I grabbed time a couple of days ago to finish this chapter and as an apology I made it extra-long.
NOTES: I introduce a certain character but you won't see much of her because I won't be featuring her until the prequel/spin-off/whatever-you-call-it to this that deals with the Miyazawa family and how they came to be so screwed up. Please bear with me on this.
This time around, I'll simply list the people who were kind enough to review as well as the usual "special thanks" because, supposedly, is punishing people who respond to their reviewers in their stories. I can't say whether this is true or not but better safe than sorry.
That said, I want to give an extra special thanks to to Rikou Suiyou, my beta, for editing this chapter and for letting me know that it didn't suck as badly as I believed it did.
Another special thanks to Aishiteru Inu who continues to support me and Alien Jin who makes me feel like the most wonderful person in the world even though I don't deserve it.
One more special thanks to evil squeede for sharing the joyous news with me. Hope all goes well. .
For the rest of you guys who've supported me over the last two chapters and threatened me to "update or else":
Lanowen, Iluvenis, hotaru4sesshouamru4ever, Anna's pastime, The EvilAshleyness, arc-an angel, ladyrinremix, mitsuki-san, miyako14, Alien Jin, Forgotten-Heart, Cestunai, SarnaKiro, Doughnuts of Miroku, Arrowfire, LtSonya, Nikkler, vimpire-dogdemongirl89, Mini Nicka, AznAnimeFanXP, miroku's great ancestor (girl), Moonglow gal, Sintar, UnderTheCherryBlossoms, angellaggaine, Danielle, bittanybook, drake220, clamsofmacabre, Ellia Silvermist, Rin/Sess Pairings Rock, inufire, animemistress419, mushineko, Brittney, Mo-chan13, DemonSaya, desi, SesshouMaru-sama's Rin, Deaira, T, Devon Masterson-Bond, InuObsessed o.o, RosieB, Ever Rin, DiRtY pIrAtE HooKeR, sarah, Zanamra, 1-Psycho-Kitty, New Fan, icygirl2, sable-fahndu, Tai-for-you, moonsiren06, Kaze Kami, LukeShaehl, Bily's Shadow, LunasStar, Personification of Fluff, DPM, RaD, foxglove, Sign Aurora Sciliitaigo, blahdiddlyblah, shattered soul, scarimoi, winterslegend, Luna-Divine, Nicole, Yrouna, mushi, imagine-me, Galenchia, reader, Cloud X-soldier, Gunny, FFchick, Xyjah, Ren, katba49, and SungFromARose.
Thread Bound
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Cycle Is Complete
'Tis a dark day indeed, thought the Pompous Peacock as he gazed from the window of his castle. The sky was a mass of boiling clouds, and he was certain that he smelled rain – likely on its way to bathe his lands and drive the rest of the world indoors.
However, what worried him even more was what the rain symbolized. Never did the sky look thus...unless the Hunting Hawk was out and about, searching for prey to carry off.
Always watching.
Always waiting.
Always scheming.
Such was the nature of the great Hunting Hawk, and so it was that they clashed many a time, he, the Beautiful Prince of the Ground, and his nemesis, the Haughty Lord of the Sky. A more ravenous creature he had never known, and so it was that he found himself fearful for his precious Dove.
Was she well?
Was she safe?
Could he protect her?
So many questions went through his gaily colored head, and he frowned, pondering the possibility of the Hawk's presence.
As it was, perhaps he should have worried more. Perhaps he should have watched her a little bit more closely. Perhaps he should have told her the truth. And that "truth" was that he found himself hurting when he thought of being without her. That she brought him to life in a way that could never have been accomplished, not by a thousand doves and never by the Cackling Crow.
A pitiful thing it was, really...truly.
A muffled shriek was all he heard. It was a terrible sound originating from the roof of his castle where his beloved had taken to residing, for she did so enjoy being as close to the glorious sun as possible, and he found it to be yet another one of her endearing traits – not that he'd ever told her, mind you.
So it was then that he rushed himself to find his lady love, short legs pumping as quickly as possible, not even caring when several of his gorgeous tail plumes were caught by a crack in the wall and plucked out to drift to the cold stone floor.
And when it felt as if he would never make it, he burst into the loft and nearly wept at the sight. As he feared, the Hunting Hawk was there, having found the residing place of his most precious treasure, even more so than his own beauty. And as cold, gold flecked eyes with enormous pupils focused on him—a look of pleasure in them at having drawn out their owner's old enemy—he felt a terrible coldness settle over him.
Why was it...
That his beautiful...his bloodied...his beloved—
Why was his darling Dove so still?
Why was it that her tiny beak was moving but he could not hear what it was that she said?
Why did he never tell her why it was that she was allowed to grow so close to him?
His eyes were tired, and so he closed them for the space of a breath...And they opened with a gaze so sharp...and so it was that he began the attack.
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Slowly, so very slowly, Sesshoumaru ended the kiss with his wife and sat back, unconsciously licking his lips in order to savor her warmth…her taste. Her gown was somewhat disheveled and he had made a point to locate the buttons on the back of her "collar" which was pretty much the only thing keeping the garment on her besides the natural curves that genetics had bestowed upon her. His main reason for doing so was in order to minimize any difficulties he might have had once he got her home and into their room.
He was quite certain that there wasn't a woman alive who could tempt him the way she did. It was much the same way when he thought of the way he held back out of respect for her – nothing less than the best for his Rin. His lips tilted up very slightly as he looked at her and he cupped the sides of her face with his large hands, doing nothing really besides looking at her.
Her face mirrored his expression and she reached up to thread slender fingers through his hair before saying out of the blue, "Sesshoumaru, can I brush your hair when we get home?"
A blink was his answer before he removed his hands from her person, furrowed his brow, and asked, "Where did that come from?"
Rin giggled just a bit and said, "I'm sorry, but it just…you know, popped up. I was looking at you and I remembered that one of the first things I wanted to do when we first met was play with your hair, but you got so mad at me when you woke up and then so many thing happened that I just forgot."
"And you chose now to ask me that?" He raised a brow and she laughed again before he remembered that she had teased him about doing that when she did something odd. Only Rin would choose now to bring up such an inane question.
"Well, would you rather I ask you about the letter you received just before we sealed the deal with a kiss?"
"Absolutely not," was his swift reply.
"Was it that bad?"
He stared at her with a stony face and declined to answer.
"May I at least see it?"
Her husband folded his arms and glowered, fortifying his silence…until she bent in close, bracing one hand on the leather seats of the limo, and softly kissed his chin before trailing her lips up to nibble at his lips. He resisted, really he did...until she brought her free hand up and 'oh-so-innocently' undid the first button of his dress shirt. That was what did him in.
He ran a hand through her hair and lightly gripped the tendrils, crushing her lips against his own as his mind teased him with thoughts about what he'd rather be doing with her than going to this asinine party. So caught up in the moment was he, that he didn't notice when her fingers reached into his coat pocket and deftly removed the envelope with the embarrassing message inside of it. The moment it was in her hands, she slipped beneath his arms and out of his grip, a teasing smile on her face as she set about opening the envelope.
Sesshoumaru stared after her, surprised that she would even think of doing such a thing, let alone act on it. The feeling passed quickly enough, though, once she unfolded the letter and began reading it. He stifled the urged to bury his head in his arms as she finished her perusal of its contents and looked at him with a quizzical expression.
"What's so bad about this, Sesshoumaru?" she asked.
He glided a hand through the silver strands that graced his head and looked away from her, annoyed by the faint burning that took up residence in his cheeks as he went over in his head exactly what his step-mother had written.
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Rin stared at him and decided that it was in her best interests not to remind him that she thought he was cute when he blushed. Her husband, she had learned, was incredibly shy when it came to talking about his emotions and even more so when faced with the more positive ones such as happiness, contentment…and motherly love. Looking down at the letter that Izayoi had technically asked him to share with her – which was the only reason why she had tricked it away from him in the first place – she could understand why it embarrassed him so. The amount of love that she had written into her message would have to have been near overwhelming to her stoic husband.
It read:
To my beautiful son, Sesshoumaru,
I am well aware of the fact that you are not the best when it comes to speaking what you feel, nor are you skilled in responding when someone else makes their feelings known to you. Therefore, I am writing this to you and asking that you read it at a point where you will be sure not to forget my words. It has been an intense joy to be your mother – I don't think of myself as a mere step-mother to you – for these past decades. I know that we haven't seen eye to eye on much, but I do know that I never once regretted marrying into your family so long ago. I will never forget the first time I saw you and I knew that you were something special, just as I knew that you would need someone incredible once you grew up. I wished for so long that you would come to me for help with your burdens and, even though it took many years, you have at last, and my heart rejoices to know that I could help you. I will not dredge up the past but I will say this: I love you, Sesshoumaru, and I love Rin as well. I am so happy for the both of you and I wish you the best in the long years ahead. Never forget that I am always here for you…please don't.
With so very much love,
Izayoi Toyotomi
Rin reread through the letter and smiled. She had loved Izayoi before, but now it had increased ten-fold. And she understood, with the same intuition that allowed her to know him as well as she did, that her husband hadn't wanted her to read this letter because he knew she would realize that he had been deeply affected by the sincerity of his step-mother's words. How can I put this to him? she silently mused, grinning when she caught sight of the extra little notes which had no doubt only contributed to Sesshoumaru's embarrassment.
There was a P.S., followed by:
Don't forget to start working on giving me a second grandchild.
As well as a P.S.S. that said:
And Sesshoumaru…, make it hot.
There was a lipstick mark in, what she supposed, was Izayoi's lip-size, and she chuckled, immediately catching on to which kiss she had been referring to.
Looking at her husband she deliberately gave him an evil smile and said, "Well, it was hot. I don't think many women get kissed like that at their weddings."
Her husband actually pouted in his own way and murmured in a rendition of sulky Sesshoumaru, "She is a meddler and I regret the day I ever acquiesced to her wishes."
"But Sessh, how could you possibly complain when you have such a beautiful young wife now?"
He gave her an annoyed look and said archly, "I was getting there; that woman just made it happen sooner."
"Well, while I certainly appreciate the thought that you viewed me as wife material even before your mother came into the picture, I'm glad we got married sooner than later. Just think of it as being a case of 'no time like the present,' alright?" she said, relenting just a bit.
Her spouse brought his eyes down to meet her own and Rin widened her smile as she added in a conniving whisper, "I would do it all over again if I could."
Seeming to turn that over in his head, intense golden eyes softened and shifted to look out of the window. He watched the scenery for a few minutes before replying in an equally hushed tone, "Perhaps I would as well."
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Kohaku had to admit that they couldn't have decorated the room any better if they tried. The room had been transformed from bare and drab to something worth looking at not once, but twice. Of course, it could also be because "The Toad" isn't here right now, he thought with a smile. Jaken had gone home to dress himself up for his precious "Sesshoumaru-Sama" and the workers had breathed a collective sigh of relief as he made his exit, taking away the tense atmosphere that he caused.
He himself was satisfied that they had completed the preparations with so little time left, and he couldn't wait to see how the party would turn out since everyone was invited to attend the party as well. I'd bet anything that they're just going to make us work at the party as well. The young man shrugged and shook his head; there was no use crying about his job since he'd be lying if he said he didn't like the excitement it threw his way sometimes.
I wonder if Rin is really going to be here? He knew that Miroku liked to play jokes and tease but he knew that the man was hardly a liar. A schemer, yes, but he always told the truth. He had yet to figure out what sweet Rin getting married and the mysterious Kage Houshi had to do with anything, but he supposed that all would be revealed in its own time. For now, he looked forward to resting a bit before the long evening commenced.
Stretching, he made his way towards the exit and looked around for any signs of Jaken's return. So preoccupied was he that he completely missed the entrance of a man who was coming through the exit. He certainly took note when he bumped into the man and nearly fell on his face. A potentially nasty fall was avoided, however, when his arm was caught up in a strong grip and he was pulled upright with almost frightening ease. By no means was he a small man and so he immediately turned to see who could possibly have the strength to do what this person just had and nearly took a step back.
The eyes that looked back at him made his insides twist and something akin to fear slid down his spine. For one moment, he knew what it was like to be the fly caught in the spider's web with escape as nothing but a far off dream. And then the moment passed and he saw a man with strangely colored eyes but a pleasant enough smile.
Teeth were revealed as thin lips parted and a voice that was far too deep to have come out that narrow chest asked, "Are you well?"
He nodded and the head that contained those odd, red-hazel eyes tilted to the side and said, almost playfully, "Isn't there something you need to say?"
Kohaku actually had to search his brain before his cheeks colored with embarrassment and he, being the polite young man that he was, said as normally as possible, "Thank you, sir. Please excuse me for my rudeness."
"No harm done," came the cool reply, and Kohaku looked away from him, seeming to appraise the room before them.
Sango's little brother took the moment of distraction to let out the breath he'd been unknowingly holding and looked back at the door the man had come though, frowning when he realized that the man had come in through the back and only employees were allowed to use that door.
Returning his attention to unusual guest, he was about to give the man a reprimand when he heard the door swinging open again and turned to look at the newcomer. He did a double take when he saw the man who entered the room, quickly looking from one to the other and back again. This new man was almost exactly identical to the first one and as he went to stand next to the other, Kohaku found himself feeling sick. The two of them exchanged a look before bringing matching sets of eyes, equally disturbing, to rest on his face. Both were dressed in tuxedoes, marking them as guests, but no amount of fine clothing could have changed the feeling of fear curling icy fingers around his kidneys and refused to let go.
"Your sister cannot help you, Kohaku."
He heard the voice, every shade and nuance, exactly the same as he remembered it, even though he knew that he'd never actually heard it before in his life.
"You belong to me, boy. You'll live for me. You'll die for me."
His eyes misted over and he backed away slowly, his gaze never wavering from the two men, one of which had an amused look on his face, and the other had concern written all over his features. The latter was wrong, oh so wrong. Liar…liar, liar, LIAR! You never cared for me, his mind chanted to him, and he heard the rattle of chains somewhere and felt the way they trapped him, binding him to an existence that shouldn't have been. He looked down and saw blood on his hands, so much blood. Sango's blood… My sister's blood… Sango…
There was a touch on his arm and he blinked, everything wrenching into focus so quickly that he almost lost his lunch. One of them, the second man who looked as if he really cared, was touching him, and he quickly jerked his hand back as if he'd been burned.
"Are you alright?" That was the second time someone had asked him that, and he nodded just because he wanted to be away from the two of them, away from the cruel laughter that danced around in his head.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes", he said sharply, wincing at how childish his voice sounded. I was only a child, the Kohaku who wasn't him whispered. He used me…and he'll use me again to hurt her…Sango. He stepped back again and murmured a quick reminder that they shouldn't be using the employee entrance if they were coming for the party before turning and leaving the room as quickly as humanly possible.
I need to get it together, he reminded himself. His hands were shaking and he quickly shoved them into his pockets. He seriously considered staying home and forgetting the party altogether, but he quickly disregarded the very notion. He had a feeling that he needed to be here, that if he wasn't at the party, something bad would happen, and the childish voice in his head said with quiet conviction, Never again. He will not have his way this time. He straightened himself up with newfound conviction and removed a hand from his pocket to rub his eyes, which were starting to bother him.
It was then that he realized that there were tears on his cheeks.
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Naraku looked after the man and sighed. He hadn't intended to frighten the young one off, but he had, and now he actually felt bad about it. It really wasn't in his nature to regret or care overmuch about the feelings of others, but there had been something about that boy…he couldn't place it but he was certain that he'd met him before. There was a good chance that he had since Onigumo was grinning at the direction he'd gone in and they'd never been far apart. No matter how much I tried to get away. He had the scars to prove it too, the times he'd been "punished" for disobeying his brother, for trying to get away when he hadn't been set free. The day Kagura had been hurt – for failing to both ruin Sesshoumaru and take him for everything he had – was hardly the first time that he'd been in Onigumo's little "Discipline Room," nor would it be the last if the older Miyazawa brother had his way.
"Are you ready?"
He carefully wiped his face clean of all expression and nodded like he was supposed to.
"You have something you want to ask me." It was a statement rather than a question.
I can't hide anything from you, can I? Naraku nodded again and asked, "Did you know that young man?"
He half-way expected his sibling to snap back a mean reply or tell him that it was none of his business, but Onigumo smiled instead and the younger brother suppressed a shudder.
"Perhaps, I have a…memory of sorts that caught my fancy the moments I saw the boy. A rather interesting memory indeed." A look of twisted pleasure – the kind that only appeared when he was hurting someone or something – touched his features. And how Naraku hated the way his own mind and body resonated with that look.
He and his brother, he had discovered over the past few days, were more alike and in synch than he cared to think about. They were two halves of one soul and he wondered if he could bring himself to fight the nature that scratched and clawed its way inside of him, whispering evil things in his mind and telling his to go back to way he was supposed to be.
If "the way he was supposed to be" was what he saw in his dreams – darkness, death, destruction, and the pleasure that each had brought to him in another time and place – then he would kill himself before he succumbed. If only he wouldn't hinder me. He glared at the retreating back of his brother as he moved to mingle with the crowd that was already trickling in through the front doors. He went over what his role was to be tonight and silently prayed to whoever was listening that he would be able to right the wrongs that were to be wrought at this party.
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"It's so beautiful!" Rin exclaimed as soon as they entered the ballroom. She had all but rushed out of the limo the moment they pulled up to the curb, holding back on account of her husband, who was far more accustomed to gatherings such as these. Her excitement had only gotten worse during the seemingly endless elevator ride.
Sesshoumaru watched with a tiny smile playing about his lips as her eyes grew wide and she turned into a child again, looking this way and that as she tried to take everything in. She stepped forward, only to be halted by the grip of his hand on her own. His tiny wife looked back at him with an absolutely petulant look on her face and he toyed with the idea of making her wait to explore and keeping her by his side just to get back at her for her shameless teasing during their ride. Unfortunately, his weakness towards her pouting face won and she was released after being reminded that he at least wanted to eat with her once dinner was served.
It was times like this when he really felt the large age gap between the two of them, but he shrugged the feeling off. She didn't mind and he could care less what the world thought about the two of them. He wasn't sure, though, if he liked the lonely feeling that came over him when her warmth was gone from his immediate presence. They were newly married not even two hours before and he wanted to be with her for a little while longer, to hold her hand for just a few moments more, to kiss her again and again until neither of them could think straight. I'll save that for tonight, he thought, and wished, for the third time since they exited the car, that they could leave early and get down to business.
Speaking of which…he turned his head this way and that, searching for any sign of Jaken. There had been another reason why he had let Rin go and he only hoped that she wouldn't be too angry after he revealed his secret to her. I won't blame her if she doesn't want to speak to me for a year after tonight. He sighed and made his way around the edge of the ballroom after making sure he knew where his wife was. Ignoring the many stares that were directed towards him – envy from the men and adoration from the women – he skirted the crowd, searching for any sign of a short man with no hair and massive eyes.
A soft touch had him whipping his head around to glare a woman who had her black mini-dress cut so low that it was a miracle she hadn't fallen out of it. She was a pretty enough woman, he supposed, with brown eyes that were so dark that they looked black and very straight shoulder length hair. One gloved hand had a firm grasp on a glass of champagne while the other was used to hold his arm. Naturally, touching him was unacceptable and he had only to give her a look to have her quickly take the appendage away, even though she didn't remove herself from his presence.
She smiled and he wondered if she were tipsy when she parted red-painted lips to ask in a surprisingly husky voice, "How are you this evening?"
I wasn't expecting that, he thought before shrugging and turning away. He didn't know the woman and there was little chance that she had approached him with mere conversation in mind, so he simply replied, "I'm looking for my wife."
That should have been enough to let her know that he wasn't interested and he honestly thought that she would take a hint, which was why he turned away. He had just begun to walk away when she stopped him cold in his tracks.
"Sesshoumaru…"
His body stiffened and he slowly brought himself about to face her again, his eyes and face betraying nothing. "Why, pray tell, do you know my name? Who sent you?" His demand came out as a low growl, and his liquid-gold irises solidified into a hard stare.
Her smile turned triumphant, though it was rather shaky, and she answered, "I have a message for you."
He didn't respond to her statement, merely watched her and tried to place her face. Now that he looked at the woman, she was vaguely familiar and he hazarded a glance over in Rin's direction in order satisfy himself that she was otherwise occupied and in no apparent danger…yet.
"So is that your little girlfriend? The one dressed in white?"
Looking back at the woman, he realized that she had followed his gaze and narrowed his eyes even more.
"She is none of your concern."
The woman actually had the audacity to laugh before bringing her dark eyes back to his, a smile that reminded him uncomfortably of his ex-wife on her lips. It took that one similarity for him to remember who she was and he grabbed her arm, practically hauling her through the crowd as he scanned the room for the nearest exit. Before him were glass doors leading out onto the balcony facing west. Good enough, he decided and marched his way out.
There was a couple there already and the man, a skinny individual who looked incompatible with his expensive tuxedo, and the busty, blonde foreigner on his arm shouted a simultaneous "Hey!" when Sesshoumaru and the woman burst onto the scene.
"Go find your own make-out spot," the man said, glaring at Sesshoumaru in annoyance.
The look Sesshoumaru shot him effectively caused him to shut up and slink back into the ballroom with his date in tow, muttering obscenities under his breath and complaining about "pretty boys" who thought the world belonged to them. His date looked back at the tall man with the striking silver and golden eyes and her gaze turned wistful at seeing what she might have brought with her to the party instead of the cowardly man currently holding her hand. Sesshoumaru pretended not to notice and watched them from the corner of his eye, making sure that they were gone before releasing the woman in his grasp and walking over to close the doors.
He took a moment after that to just breathe, closing his eyes and resting his hands against the door as one of the less painful memories of his time with Kagura played through his mind.
"So is this your husband, Kagura? He looks good enough to eat."
Narrow eyes that were as black as a moonless night stared back at him and he tightened a possessive hand on his two-hour-old wife. He had no desire to be separated from the only person he had ever considered to be his equal, not even if it was a friend who had come to give her congratulations.
"Sesshoumaru," Kagura's voice was playful as she ducked beneath his grasp and went over to the other woman, grasping her hands and giving her a peck on the cheek.
"Don't be such a baby, this is my best friend. Her name is…"
"Yura." Sesshoumaru all but spat the name out, turning to face her when he was sure he could look at her without strangling her.
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Rin stared in wonder at the various decorations. It seemed that everywhere she turned was something new. There, on the table, was a gorgeous ice sculpture of a dog with its proud head thrown back in a howl and next to it was a massive creation of fruit that had been arranged to look like flowers. The colors were white and gold and she marveled at the fine tablecloths overlaid with lace and white and gold roses. The lighting was absolutely perfect and the guests were wearing their finest, making her feel as if she'd stepped right into a fairytale. A table had been set aside for the guest of honor and whoever his date was and she couldn't quell the nervous thrill that went through her. Today was the day she would finally see the face of the man she had admired for so long. That was all before I met Sesshoumaru, but still…she let the thought trail off and continued her perusal of her surroundings. It was far too late to think about what she would have loved to happen because she was a married woman and her husband was everything she could have dreamed of.
Rin sighed. If only they could have been one person, she thought as she wandered closer to the table. It was very fine indeed with golden rose petals strewn about a fancy bowl that contained white petals. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the bowl was filled with water and the petals were floating side by side with golden rose shaped candles. It was so beautiful that she found herself aching involuntarily with jealousy at the knowledge that her favorite author would be here with someone else. Stop it, Rin, she chided herself, reaching up to pat her cheeks and recall that it wasn't as bad as all of that. On the wall behind the table, printed large enough for all to see, was a picture – her picture – and she flushed from the sheer joy of seeing it there.
She still recalled how excited she had been when Sesshoumaru asked her to illustrate her idea of love between a feudal lord and his servant, hinting in his own way that she just might see her illustration on a certain book in a few days. Knowing that some people back then had looked down on the practice of educating their servants, she drew a picture of a girl who had learned to read and enjoyed showing it to her lord. For three days straight she had tried to figure out what expression she wanted the lord to have and she was about to give up when she remembered the dreams that had ceased to plague her every night. In the end her models for the picture were the Rin of so long ago and the lord that both loved her and pushed her away.
It had been partly out of curiosity and fun, but imagine her delight when her husband told her that not only had the mysterious Kage Houshi been pleased with her work, he also wanted it to adorn the front cover of his next book. It was like a dream come true and she fully intended to find out what kind of strings her husband had to have pulled to get her work where it was. Yet another reason to love him. She smiled and took a deep breath. Tonight was the night she would meet him; she was sure of it since they had yet to see each other face-to-face despite fact that his art had been made by her. Today was supposed to be his big revealing of himself to a small portion of his fans and fellow authors, and Sesshouamru had assured her that they would meet. Although he gave me a stern reminder that he is my husband, she giggled and smoothed her dress.
"While I'm on the subject of husbands…where is he?" she mused aloud as she scanned the crowd. Rin frowned when she saw him talking to a woman with short, black hair and a dress that was positively scandalous. He looked her way and she watched as a hard look came over his face and he grabbed the woman's arm, leading her away. Her feet had just set her on the path to following him across the room and through the balcony doors when a firm hand stopped her and she whirled around with an angry glare at being impeded from following her husband and the fairly attractive woman he had with him.
"Whoa there, Rin, don't bite my head off when I haven't seen you in so long."
She blinked and quickly swallowed the protest that she had been about to give, her eyes widening instead as she replaced her harsh expression with a softer one. With genuine joy in her voice she exclaimed, "I can't believe you're here Kohaku! We haven't seen each other in ages! How have you been?"
His smile was the epitome of charming and she allowed Sango's younger brother to pull her into a near crushing hug. Her friend had certainly grown into his body, she noted as she found herself pressed against muscles that definitely hadn't been there the last time she saw him. Breaking away, they held each other at arms length and said in unison, "You've grown."
Laughter broke out between the two and she quickly pushed thoughts of Sesshoumaru and the strange woman aside in favor of more positive things. Not everyone can have a friend like Kohaku, she thought fondly, her eyes examining his comforting visage. The young man before her was her senior by two years and so handsome that women seemed to enjoy throwing themselves at him. There had once been a time when she entertained a mild crush on him but it had come and gone so quickly that she tended to think that he hadn't really been anything more to her than a friend. He certainly hadn't expressed an interest in her that way, and so they contented themselves with a relationship that was more filial in nature.
"So, I heard you finally tied the knot today," Kohaku began after they finished checking each other over.
She rolled her eyes and cocked her head, "Let me guess, Miroku told you."
"Nailed it in one, didn't you? I can't decide if I like the man or hate him, but I guess I can put up with him since he does love Sango."
Ah yes, she could easy bring to mind the many shouting matches that her friend and his sister had had over their perverted brother-and-law. It had taken a very long time for Kohaku to come to terms with the fact that, despite evidence pointing otherwise, Miroku was indeed a responsible adult who thought the world of his headstrong sister.
He was saying something and she shook her head to clear it before asking apologetically, "I'm sorry, Kohaku, can you repeat that?"
"Spacing out are we? Post wedding blues," he said, a mock groan of pain coming from his smirking lips when she swatting him none-too-gently.
"I'll have you know, Kohaku Tenkawa, that I'm overjoyed by the fact that I'm married. I have a wonderful husband and I'll finally get to meet Kage Houshi."
"Don't be too sure about that, I'm sure there's going to be a line of people ahead of you once they find out who he is. I'm the editor for his book and all, but I don't recall you telling me that the two of you knew each other."
"That might be so, but I at least want to find out what made him choose my picture to be on the cover. He can't possible deny me that.
"Well no, but…Whoa, wait a sec! You drew this!" He gestured towards the huge blow up of her illustration and she nodded, feeling just a tiny bit defensive.
"Kami, Rin, I knew you were good but this…this is incredible. You just might make some type of debut tonight when people see the two of you together. Way to go!"
"Oh, Kohaku, don't get my hopes up. Besides, I don't like him like that anymore now that I'm married. I'll be happy if I can just shake his hand and let him know how much I admire him."
Kohaku's face fell just a bit, and Rin wondered if she'd said something wrong when he grinned just a bit and hugged her again, "You've grown a lot, Rin. I hope this husband of yours deserves you."
"I'm the one who doesn't deserve him. He's been through so much and triumphed over it all in order to marry me. I…I really love him, Kohaku. No one has ever made me feel this way."
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"Oh my, I can't believe you actually remembered my name. I'm flattered."
There was no indication of the inner turmoil that was bubbling inside on the impassive face Sesshoumaru showed to her. Even his voice was cool as he replied, "Don't be, just saying it gives me a bad taste in my mouth."
"Aw, poor baby, want me to kiss it and make it all better?"
"I'd rather you throw yourself off the edge of this balcony. That would make me feel wonderful."
She froze, her mouth half open, before laughing again and leaning against the edge of the balcony.
"Kami, Kagura was right. That little girl really is changing you. I don't recall you having a sense of humor at all…Then again, I don't recall you ever looking the way you do now."
"I don't recall changing the way I look."
"You wouldn't, would you? That's another thing Kagura told me about you. You aren't very observant and you have this nasty habit of seeing only what you want to see. The way you are now is different, softer I guess you could say."
"Are you calling me weak?"
"No, not at all. I'm saying that you've gotten stronger. When I saw you all those years ago, even with Kagura hanging onto you, I didn't see a person with purpose. What I saw was a man who didn't know how to live and I'd be lying if I said that wasn't why I wanted you so much."
"You saw me as someone to control."
"Perhaps." Her expression turned secretive. "To this day, I still wish that you had taken me up on my invitation after you found out about Kagura's little…indiscretions. I would have made it good for you Sesshy Hon."
He mentally winced at the idiotic nickname that she used to tease him with and wondered why it was that no one seemed to use his full name.
"To reply to that ridiculous statement, I strongly doubt that any good would have come out any relations I might have had with you, Yura. As I recall, you were instrumental in 'informing' me that my wife was cheating, as you were when you quickly offered to take me in your arms to get back at her. You are every bit as conniving as she is. How long did you know about her and her men before you saw fit to tell me?"
"Eight months," she replied coolly, and he felt his distrust for this woman solidifying even further.
"Don't give me that look; you should have noticed it sooner. But the past is the past; you need to get your facts straight. I am not as conniving as Kagura, it is she who takes after me. I helped to craft her into what she is today and I take full responsibility for the things she does."
"Are you making excuses for her?" He would turn around and walk away right now if she were.
However, her response was to shake her head and say, "Not at all. I'm merely telling you about a part of her that she wasn't born with. I don't expect you to attempt to understand why she is the way she is. Suffice it to say that I twisted her more out of necessity than anything else. Let's leave it at that and move on to the reason why I sought you out."
"You said something about a message."
"So I did…well, it's more of a warning really. At this point in time, neither Kagura nor I could care less about you and your affairs, but your former wife has her own sense of justice, and so she bade me to tell you, in her own words, 'Onigumo is coming for you tonight. You'd do well to remember the place where it all began.' That's all she said."
"So she's into giving cryptic messages now? How the mighty have fallen. Tell me, why did she send you in her stead?"
"Because she knows you wouldn't even stop to talk to her at this point."
He had to admit to himself that it was the truth and his keen mind silently turned her words over and over, trying to make sense out of them. Movement out of the corner of his eye brought his gaze back to rest on her and he watched as Yura shoved away from the railing and headed for the doors leading back inside.
"Is that all you had to tell me, then?"
"Yes," came the soft reply, and silence fell again as she opened the doors and disappeared into the building, leaving him to organize his thoughts. He waited a few minutes before following in her tracks and re-entering the hubbub of the crowd. He turned his head this way and that, quickly locating Rin and feeling relief sweep through him when his eyes met her own. That was, until he saw how close she was to the man she was talking to.
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Something that looked a little like pain flashed across the Kohaku's youthful features when he heard Rin's admission but it was gone before she could be sure that it had been there at all, and he shook his head, offering his hand to her with a smile.
"Let me congratulate you and wish you many happy years with your love. I should have been at the wedding."
"Ko-chan…" Rin lapsed into using her pet name for him, and he chided her by tapping her on the nose before grabbing her hand with his own and giving it a warm shake.
"Don't get all weepy on me now, Rin. I only wish I could meet your husband before Kage Houshi gets here, otherwise I'll have to phone you two later to threaten him with a thousand deaths if he makes you unhappy."
Her laughter rang out true and she breathed a sigh of relief when she looked towards the door over her friend's shoulder and Sesshoumaru stepped through, sans a certain black-haired woman. His golden eyes settled on her and the pensive look on his face settled before coming back with a vengeance when he saw her in such close proximity to another male. He immediately headed their way, barely slowed by the press of the crowd.
Uh oh, not good. Rin ran over any number of things to curtail his assured irritation at their nearness to one another and therefore almost missed Kohaku's next words.
"I know; how about I give you a gift for you wedding."
"A gift," Rin replied almost absently as she watched her husband's approach, "that would be wonderful."
"What about this for a gift, since you can't wait to see Kage Houshi, Rin. I'll tell you what his real name is. It's…"
She perked up when it registered what he was saying and three things happened all at once:
Her husband caught up to them and had enough time to say her name in a questioning sort of tone when a shrill voice screamed, "Sesshoumaru-Sama!" from somewhere next to the table that she had been admiring earlier. The sounds of "Fukai Mori" filled their little space and she turned her attention back to Kohaku who pulled his cell phone from his pocket and scowled at his caller I.D.
Turning back to Sesshoumaru, she saw him with a look of long-suffering on his face as he headed towards one of the ugliest men she'd ever seen. A tiny sigh of relief flew from her lips at a disaster avoided and she looked at her friend who stared at Sesshoumaru as well with a thunderstruck expression on his face.
"Is that your husband?" Kohaku asked, his voice wavering. His cell phone was still going off.
"Yes, it is; his name is Sesshoumaru…"
"…Toyotomi," he finished for her and she felt a sliver of fear slide down her spine.
"Why…yes, but how did you know?"
He declined to answer, looking down, instead, at the name displayed on his still ringing cell phone and uttering a long swear that included Miroku's name and questioned his legitimacy. Am I missing something? Rin pondered, and apparently she was because he flipped the top of his cell up and put it to his ear, saying something about her not moving an inch. He also told her, in so many words, that he needed to speak to both her AND her husband when he got back before weaving his way through the crowd and out of the door which led to the hallway.
She stared after him in confusion, mirroring it to Sesshoumaru as well as she tried to figure just what had happened. Has Sesshoumaru been keeping something from me? How does Kohaku know him? These questions buzzed around in her head and she felt a scowl of annoyance settle on her brow; she despised being left out of the loop. Huffing in exasperation, she turned on her heel and headed for the punch bowls on the other side of the room.
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She really does resemble her mother, he thought as he watched her. She was a pretty little thing really. The pictures he had of her did her no justice, and he took a sip of his champagne, savoring the flavor as he motioned with his head for his half-brother to begin implementing his plan. It was truly such a pity that she had to die because he would have loved to bring her under his thumb again, break her down like he had Kagura. Little Rin had gotten away, but he wondered if she or her body would remember the damage he'd done.
Onigumo narrowed his eyes in thought and considered the possibilities before him should he decide to keep her alive. She did beat up Hiten which had amused him enough to entertain the thought of using her with her innocent looks and sharp mind. Really, she had grown into something spectacular and he would have enjoyed having someone like her as his very own plaything if there weren't…extenuating circumstances surrounding the two of them.
Ah well, I can't have everything I guess, he thought as he sat the glass down and waited for Naraku to return with his prey.
He did so enjoy playing games, and this night was to be the finest of them all. Sesshoumaru had escaped his rightful punishment and so it was up to him to see that he brought him to justice his way.
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"Rin?"
Out of all of the people she had known, she certainly didn't expect to see her former employer standing before her with a smile on his face and a hand held out for her to shake. Did he always look this good? shethought as she shook his hand and returned his smile. His long, wavy hair was pulled back, much like Sesshoumaru's was, and his tuxedo was impeccable. He was a very tall man and she wondered why she had never noticed how striking his eyes were…or how much they reminded her disturbingly of Kagura.
As if reading her mind, he said with rare levity in his tone, "Yes Rin, I clean up very nicely indeed."
She shook her head at him and replied, "Don't flatter yourself."
This was how it had always been between the two of them before he fired her as part of Kagura's master scheme to leave her destitute. Kagome didn't understand when Rin explained that she didn't truly hate Naraku. Kagome didn't know that – as cheap and arrogant as he tended to be – he was the only one who had let her work even though she wasn't legally of age. After her mother passed, she hadn't had any way to support herself and so she had begged and begged for a job at various places until he hired her with the words, "You'll get very little out of me besides the tips that people leave for you. But I have someone here who might be able to help you out." That someone turned out to Kagome, who introduced her in turn to Sango and Miroku, sparing her from a miserable life on the streets.
Naraku wasn't the nicest person around, but he had his moments, and Rin owed him a debt; it was good enough for her to trust him in her own way.
"So, what are you doing here?" Naraku asked.
"I'm waiting to talk to my husband."
"Husband?" his brows rose and she grinned.
"Yes, I just got married today."
"Really? Was it to Mr. Toyotomi?"
"How did you…?"
"Gossip Rin, women tend to gossip where I can hear."
"In other words you were eavesdropping."
"Call it what you will, but…I did not come over here to discuss our various scruples. The truth is, I had no idea you were going to be here, but since you are, I was wondering if you would like to meet my brother."
"Brother?" Rin's eyes widened. "You have a brother?"
"A half-brother really, but he saw you here and wanted to meet you when I said that you used to work for me."
"Is that so? He's not trying to hit on me is he?"
"He wouldn't dream of it."
"Then I guess it's alright." Rin cast a glance at Sesshoumaru, making sure that he was still occupied before allowing her former boss to lead her to the other side of the room where the workers were setting up the sound system on a temporary stage so that a speech could be given later on.
They stopped before a man who was casually sipping at the glass in his hand and she stilled immediately.
"I didn't know you had a twin, Naraku!"
"We get that a lot," the new man said with a smile and another sip of his drink, "but where are my manners? How do you do, Miss…?"
"Mrs. Rin," she said, acutely aware of a vague sense of discomfort that seemed to increase the longer she was in his presence. Her skin felt like it was crawling and she absently rubbed her arms to rid herself of the feeling, with little success. He looks so familiar…but where do I remember him from?
She didn't want to be rude and run off but she was psyched out by the way he stared at her, like he was hungry or something. More frightening to her was the feeling that it wasn't the hunger of a man for a woman, rather it was the hunger of a predator for his prey. And who else could the prey possibly be but…?
Rin refused to finish the thought, opting to bow politely, and taken aback when he caught her chin in his grasp and brought her eyes up to meet his own. His red-hazel eyes perused her form and his smile widened just enough for her to catch a glimpse of his canines. They reminded her of fangs. She darted her eyes towards Naraku who hadn't said a single thing and she didn't understand why he was being so quiet in the face of her discomfort.
"You are very trusting aren't you," he said after a while, bringing his face closer to hers.
"I beg your pardon?" she huffed, pulling away and glaring at him; she knew intimidation when she saw it.
"You heard me. I find it amusing that you seem to think that my little brother can help you." The air thickened with a sense of wrongness and she took a step back, her face paling.
"I think it's time for me to go. My husband is no doubt looking for me." So saying, she backed away, looking around for anyone who could possibly help. There really weren't any people now that the setup was complete and the crowd was much thinner this close to the stage.
A hand, his hand, was on her arm, bruising the skin with how tight it held, and his breath was uncomfortably hot in her ear as he murmured softly, "No running, sweet Rin; you'll only force me to hurt you again."
Again? What does he mean by again? Who is he? What is wrong with him? That was something that you just didn't say to a person, especially someone she didn't know. Or have I known him before?
He answered her question for her as he marched her towards the stage area. How had the situation changed so quickly?
"Then again," he continued in a tone as normal as if he were talking about the weather, "I did enjoy playing with you. When you were gone, I never expected to find you again. It would have been wonderful if you could have died then because I wouldn't have had to go through so much extra trouble. By all rights you should have been dead, but," he sighed like a child who hadn't gotten his way, "Naraku stopped me and I couldn't finish you off."
He's insane. "What do you want from me? How do I know you?" she asked, her voice laced with fear as she looked back at Naraku who merely stared after them with and impassive look on his face.
"Think hard Rin, think very hard." His voice alone told her that he was enjoying himself at her expense. Her body was freezing up the more she listened to Naraku's look-alike, and her mind was assaulted with various images.
Pain.
Blood.
Sticky, my face is sticky.
The taste of metal in my mouth.
Hands.
Gentle hands that caressed my throat.
Gentle hands that closed around the slender column.
Gentle hands that tightened more and more, choking me.
A voice in my ear, whispering over and over again, "You shouldn't have been born."
Eyes.
Red-hazel eyes that I don't have.
I am young. Much too young to die.
As if she were someone else, she watched as her former boss, whom she had chosen to trust, gave her a pitying look before showing her his back and melting into the crowd. She knew then that she had been betrayed and in no more time than it took to cross from one side of the room to the other. It was happening fast, far too fast, so much so that she knew she wouldn't be able to break away and run for help. Her throat was choking up with sickening recollection.
"Your name; what is your name?" she husked, and, at first, she thought he hadn't heard her. Her memories were controlling her body, making her weak because that was how it always was between the two of them; he always made sure that she couldn't fight him. Why was that, when she had done her best to get over the things he did?
He spoke, however, and stated in a pleasant tone, "You know who I am. Sesshoumaru knows who I am as well. You know my name and you know our connection. You just don't want to remember." They ascended the stairs to the stage and she saw as a great number of eyes turn their way. Why can't you see that he's hurting me?
Because he knows how to hide it, a voice whispered back to her.
Suddenly she was young again and he was there before her, looking at her with his strange eyes. That was the first time he had hurt her. She had come to his home after her mother died and he was there, leaning over her bed in the middle of the night and asking her sweetly, "Do you want to see your mommy?"
She nodded and just when the pillow covered her face, the light was on and the nice social worker was there. Ms. Hattori had been invited to stay the night and her eyes were wary as he quickly moved the pillow to the side , pretending to fluff it, knowing that she couldn't see what he was about to do from her vantage point.
"What are you doing…?"
"Sending her to sleep…" A permanent sleep.
The light went off again and he followed the woman out, turning to look at her once more.
"Liar," she mumbled, finally aware of the fact that they had stopped. Why couldn't she move when he was around? Why did her body remember the pain?
"Yes, I supposed I am that," his words carried no remorse. He never felt bad for the things he did.
"You are a liar, O…" she began, a name on the tip of her tongue, and he smiled as he slid a hand down to wrap it around her waist.
"You know my name. Say it, Rin. Remember who I am. Remember what I want of you."
"Oni…"
He adjusted the microphone and smiled that liar's smile out at the crowd. They returned it as well.
"Onigu…"
His arm tightened around her middle, but she knew that he made it seem as if the gesture was a loving, protective embrace. She wanted to flee so badly, but she couldn't. Her body was shaking, it remembered him even though her mind did not, and it equated running away with pain.
"Say my name," he commanded once more quietly, and her throat obeyed through the protests of her mind.
"Onigumo."
Onigumo smiled triumphantly and took a sip of the beverage, which had yet to leave his hand. Her captor cleared his throat and began to speak.
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If Sesshoumaru never wanted to see anything ever again, he never wanted to see his wife, pale and shaking, in the grasp of the man he hated most. She looked so much younger than her eighteen years and he wondered why Rin – sure of herself, vocal, strong Rin – wasn't saying anything, wasn't trying to move away.
Something was wrong, his instincts were screaming that at him. He ignored Jaken and moved towards the stage, moving people aside with hardly a thought. Rin, he needed to get to Rin. He needed to rescue Rin like she had rescued him. She was shaking, he was close enough to see that, and her eyes had a faraway look to them.
He mouthed her name and her head jerked up as if he had actually spoken aloud. The look in her eyes as she sought and found his made his cold with dread and hot with anger. How dare that man touch what was his. How dare that man hurt the woman who held his heart in her small hands.
The sound of a voice he hadn't heard in close to ten years broke his concentration and he stared at Onigumo with hatred in his eyes.
"Good evening, guests," the man began, a disarming smile on his face.
He looked directly at Sesshoumaru and his smile turned mocking, "Good evening, Sesshoumaru."
People turned to look at him and he halted his forward progression.
"Is everyone enjoying their evening so far?"
There were giggles and a few choruses of "Yes."
"That's simply wonderful. Good champagne and good friendships, that's what a party is all about. Did you know that reunions are also part of a party?"
There was some head nodding on the audience's part.
"I myself have enjoyed a good number of reunions tonight. I see a man I haven't seen in nearly a decade and this lovely girl next to me. Why, I haven't seen her for about that same length of time, maybe a bit more."
That was news to Sesshoumaru. She knows Onigumo? Why didn't she tell me? There had to be reason for it, but getting her out of the other man's clutches was more important at the moment.
"Now, I'm sure that we all like to know what our acquaintances are like. For example, the man I mention before murdered a certain young woman in high school and he got away with it, which is truly a sad a thing, is it not."
People in the crowd began to look uncertain as he continued.
"However, the past is the past and I want to introduce that man to you. Perhaps you've heard of him. I said it before but I would like to introduce the guest of honor to you again. He goes by a false name because he is, at best, a coward in addition to a murderer, but in order for us to proceed, I will introduce this man. His false name is a certain Kage Houshi but his real name, is Sesshoumaru Toyotomi."
The people who had looked at Sesshoumaru before looked again and began to edge away from him. He started moving forward again with less resistance.
"In addition," Onigumo's voice echoed through the room, "I would like to introduce the girl in my arms. She is Rin Toyotomi, the newest addition to our guest of honor's household. But there's even more to it than that. Before I say anything, though, I want to propose a toast," he raised his glass and ignored everyone but the tall, silver-haired man striding towards him.
A few people raised their own glasses and Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat, knowing that he was going to hate whatever came out of his enemie's mouth next.
However, nothing could have prepared him for the statement that was delivered with the force of a punch to his gut.
"I propose a toast to a night of reunions; to each of you for reuniting, in a sense, with your beloved Kage Houshi; to me and Sesshoumaru for seeing each other again after so long. And, last but never least, to my reunion with Rin Toyotomi my dear, sweet, beloved half-sister."
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Now tell me, how many of you guys saw that coming? Did you feel that I executed it properly? There's only one more chapter and perhaps an epilogue to go. As usual, please read and review and please let me know if I made this too corny or convoluted. Miss Vegitadias is tired now (it's close to midnight and she's been working all day) so nighty-night minna. Feel free to drop me a line sometime, those of you who can obtain my e-mail address.