Author's Note: Sorry this story takes forever to be updated. Evil work, and school. For Babbitt and Ellen. More to come. RR
Chapter Six: Violet
The Shadow assumed the form of something vaguely human when it approached Rin. It made itself small, and compact, and walked slowly, measured like Rin's own reflection. It stood beside her as she sat on the bench and appeared to watch her for a time before going through the motions of sitting and pushing it's pseudo knees against its pseudo chest. Rin looked down at the shadow-form and watched it for a moment, before mimicking its movements and pushing her knees against her chest. It looked up at her and glimmered. Rin imagined it smiled at her.
"Human child, why do you cry?" The Shadow asked after a spell of silence between them.
Rin frowned, and raised her chin haughtily, even though she felt none of the assurance she displayed. "I'm waiting for Lord Sesshoumaru."
"Hmm," The Shadow nodded. "He has told you to wait for his return?"
"No. But he always has. Lord Sesshoumaru will go when there are dangerous things ahead, and make it safe for me. Then he comes back for me."
"Always?"
"Always."
"You've been waiting for a long time. Did he tell you he would be long?"
"…No."
"Then he sent Jaken for you?"
"No."
"Does he often leave without speaking to you, human child?"
"Never."
"Ah," The Shadow said lightly. "But he leaves Ah-Un to keep you company. A fine creature, this dragon I hear. Human child, may I see your mount?"
Rin frowned and pushed her knees tighter against her chest. "Ah-Un isn't here. Lord Sesshoumaru needed him."
"Ah." The Shadow replied, then lower in tone, in an almost sad aside. "Aha, I see."
"He'll come for me!"
"So certain are you?" The Shadow mourned, quietly. He reached out and gingerly, quietly ran his fingers through her hair. Rin shivered but did not recoil. "Has he blinded you so?" Rin looked over, but remained silent. The Shadow inclined his head as it curled closer. Gingerly, so not to disturb her, it reached out its tendrils and placed them each lightly above her shoulders. Had he been given human form, it would have appeared to embrace her. "You need not suffer such neglect, child of Man. You have a life and destiny of your own, you know. As grand as some Youkai's Lord, why do you not take it? Why do you linger in the shadow of one who cannot be yours?"
"He is mine!" Rin shouted, more pained then defiant. "Lord Sesshoumaru will come for me."
"You said that once before, haven't you child of Man?" The Shadow returned. "To the Creature Zen. Do you recall him?'
Rin leaned up and kissed Zen then. It was a weak kiss, a first kiss. A kiss meant as a last, parting gift to one who had come so briefly into a life and had taken so much of it with him. She had given kisses before; to a family she barely remembered, and to flower petals that she pretended were Sesshoumaru's cheek. Those were all chaste, and fleeting but nevertheless meaningful. This was a different sort of kiss, one that marked a passing and a death: not Sesshoumaru's but Rin's.
Zen pulled away, and rested his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. Content to be safe in her arms. He paid no attention to Rin's hand between them, as it pushed Tenseiga from its hilt. He barely flinched as she shifted, attempting to lift the sword in such a way that would not cause him to stir.
He did jerk, however, when he felt the blade brush his chest.
It was not a deep cut. Had he been any other demon, or it any other sword, it quite possibly would have only made him bleed. But as it was, the blade was Tenseiga, a healing sword, and he was a demon created from death. That made the cut deadly.
He tumbled back from Rin, gasping in pain and staring up at her, shocked.
And then he felt nothing at all.
Rin paled then, she clutched her stomach desperately and almost doubled over. The image of her first friend came bursting into her mind. His soft, young face smiling at her carefully and mindfully. He was always so quiet and mindful concerning his Rin. He was as loving as a father, as sweet and true as any friend. She had loved Zen.
She had. She loved him.
Then she killed him because he was hurting Sesshoumaru. She had killed for her lord.
Sesshoumaru…
Rin tried not to moan, as she cried. She wanted desperately to see her Lord again. To see his cold unwavering gaze rested once more on her. To hear his majestic voice once more address her. She wanted to rebuke herself. He had left before, had been gone for a great time but had always returned. She could not understand why this felt so final. She wanted her Lord.
"He's left you." The Shadow cooed, softly as it enfolding dark whisper shadow-arms around her meek frame. It all but smiled, as Kannon appeared to watch. The God frowned and moved to intervene but then recoiled as if bound by some magic prouder and greater then his own.
"He left me." Rin repeated, numbly.
"He will not come for you."
"He will not return to me."
"It's better to give up. Surrender to me, child of man. Allow yourself to despair and fade. Curse him and die." The Shadow told her sharply but not unkindly. "Surrender and be given in death the power he would deny you in life."
Kannon raged in his place. He was pale, shivering but angry. This was still his domain after all, and he would lose no human soul to such a demon. He slid his eyes close, bracing himself. This would hurt like hell.
The Shadow felt the God move, and flinched. He pressed closer to Rin's ear. "Tell me to take you away from this, child. Tell me you despair and all that was denied is yours. Revenge…make him suffer as you have suffered."
"Call to him." Kannon whispered.
Rin looked up suddenly, pulling away from the Shadow and frowning. She seemed to have heard something on the wind she could not quite remember. The Shadow loosened his grip.
Kannon fell to his knees in the garden, eyes still closed. His voice came hissed through his teeth. The domain itself crackled and sizzled, darkening and turning cold. It was as if the creation was decaying as the Creator suffered and waned. Rin clutched her robes closer to herself as she stood on the bench. The wind that arose snapped and slapped at her. But still she stared into the distance, eyes glimmering with the smallest hint of what the Shadow could not touch of Kannon's domain. Hope.
Kannon's voice was barely above a whisper when it spoke. The Shadow released Rin as it saw the god weakened and quickly began to swirl around Compassion himself. The Shadow reached out with one thick shadow arm swiped at the God. Kannon jerked and almost screamed but chose instead to keep his gaze leveled solely on the human who stared into the horizon ignorant of the damage she would cause. If it chose to, at this moment, Kannon could have killed her. It was a little thing, after all.
And so many would die because of her…
So many would lose so much…
But, Kannon was Compassion, and not Justice. He was slave to his nature and Rin demanded him. She called. Kannon would answer.
No one escaped destiny in the end. Not even Gods.
So with pain, and regret, the God of Compassion- the embodiment of mercy and all that was good in the worlds forced himself to his knees once more and told Rin all that he could to make it better…
Knowing full well it would destroy them all.
"Call to him, child of man. Call to your Sesshoumaru."
"Lord Sesshoumaru!"
Sesshoumaru dropped Jomei and swung about, pulling Tokijin and staring into the cool, pristine mountain range; searching. His whole body was posed for war, strength rushing through his blood like poison, demanding action. All his senses stood on edge, and even Tenseiga purred angrily in its sheath. Sesshoumaru was not one to bait and wait for provocation. While not the bellicose demi-god his father had been, Sesshoumaru could not truly be labeled a pacifist. He was more willing to seek war should he be bored, or the profit was right. Still, he disliked the idea of going to war without knowing why. He liked even less the idea of throwing himself into battle for any reason other then one of his own choosing.
Which is why he could not understand why now did he stand demanding battle and redress when none had harmed him.
Because she had called…
And he would answer.
It was the way of things. Sesshoumaru frowned against the impulse, the command but did not wholly reject it. Something inside of him, the most basic parts of what he was demanded he goes to her: this shadow child of memory, this whisper of a dream. For him, for this one moment, she was his whole world.
She was his world.
Sesshoumaru looked back at Jomei, lips parting slightly in disbelief and ignorance. The boy was nothing more a bleeding pulp of muscle and bone now Sesshoumaru had spared his life but not his body. Jomei stared up at him with his perfectly shaped face, and glared darkly into Sesshoumaru, pass him with those eyes.
He realized then he had not touched those eyes. He could not even had he wanted to, he could not tear away from the face of the memory, no injure the beauty of the dream. It was seared into his heart.
She called, she was crying.
What was he still doing there?
He stepped over Jomei as he sheathed Tokijin and searched the horizon for the direction she had called to him from. She had called. He would answer.
"Tama, bring this human and attend." He whispered, walking towards the voice. "I am called…"