A/N- Thanks to my muse Forgotten Angel. Thanks to Sehwa and In True Meanings who reviewed Chapter Five. Since, before Chapter five I didn't update for a while here's chapter six really quick.:)
Chapter six
Tears filled her eyes, obscuring her vision. She crashed into several servants on her lonely run and dimly heard whatever the servant happen to be holding clatter to the floor. Several people yelled after her but she paid them no heed, she just kept running. Finally she made it back to her room after running down the long twists and turns that lead to her rooms. Not many as she wasn't stationed that far away from Sesshomaru-Sama's rooms. She burst through the wooden door, shoving it so hard the coarse grains scratched her hands but the pain she felt was beyond this petty pain. It was emotional pain.
She collapsed on her bed, unwilling to cry but, as the tears spilled, she realized she had not the strength to hold them back. Why did it hurt so much? She silently asked herself this question as the tears slid down her face. She subconsciously answered her own question. 'Because you love him. And because things will now be as they are supposed to. He's the Lord of the manor and you are a servant. He could never mate a servant. These ranks will divide you two forever and it is breaking your heart'. The sheer fact that this was true caused a fresh wave of tears to come down her face.
"Fluffy is Sesshomaru-Sama…" she tried the words out on her tongue and found that the title didn't fit the one she loved. From all reports she had heard of Sesshomaru-Sama, he was refusing to even entertain the thoughts of taking a mate from the demon clans in the lands because he had lost the one he truly loved 17 years ago. And yet, here, earlier in the night, her Fluffy had professed love for her. No, now the social lines were firmly drawn. Even if he did love her not only was she human she was a servant. Being together was impossible. So convinced was she of this fact, and so depressing did she find it that she cried herself to sleep.
Across the manor lands the Taiyoukai stopped cursing his stupidity in not going after her right away and sped off towards where the scent of tears, Roses and Sakura blossoms were emanating from. He stood at her window, just on the sill. Reaching out, Sesshomaru pushed the window inward, wincing as it creaked slightly, (because of his sensitive hearing and the risk of waking her up) and looked in at the picture illuminated by the moonlight.
She looked, from his perspective, like a porcelain doll. She was lying on the bed, face half buried in the pillow but the china white skin of her face was still visible, stained with red marks from her tears. He couldn't see the eyes he loved, eyes that were an entrancing chocolate and were enough to make him melt every time he looked into them. Her ebony black hair was fanned out on her back, some falling in her face. He smiled as he looked at her. "My Riki." The silver haired youkai murmured. "I shall summon you tomorrow to speak with you. I hope you will be able to believe me when I will tell you that even though, yes I am the Lord of the manor and yes, you are a servant…I will still love you no matter what." A motion caught his eye as he turned to go back to his rooms, she flipped onto her side, pillow still cushioned beneath her head.
What he didn't see was her crack her eyes. She had heard every word, had woken up at the creak of the window. She smiled a truly brilliant smile before sleep claimed her.
In the Castle of the Heavens the Highest One rubbed his hands together and smiled. He waved a hand in the air as he-partially- revoked the magic holding Riki's old memories in place and nodded at the sprite who sped down and entered Riki's dream.
A light voice pervaded her dream that involved her, Fluffy, Fluffy's rose garden, a band, and dancing. "Riki…Riki" the voice called out to her twice. The young girl looked around as her love, the flowers and the band vanished like a wisp of smoke. She didn't see the person speaking as the scenery of the dream faded to a round room. One side of the room was a massive black reflective surface, like a mirror or a flat pond. Riki spoke aloud "Where am I?". A light giggle was her response. "In your own head silly. This is the place where you can watch memories from when you were younger. Or memories from past existences." A small sprite appeared in front of her. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to see?" Riki thought about this for a minute before saying "Yes sprite-sama. I'd like to see all the memories I have of my mother."
As the memories of Riki's newly deceased mother flashed across the screen at light speed the friendly sprite listened to a voice that Riki couldn't hear. "Yes…reel her in, gain her trust…then punish her by breaking her beyond what she can take." Hissed the voice of the Highest One.
The sprite spoke up as the last of the memories streamed across the screen. "Riki…I can go back further…to past lives you might've had." Riki bit her lip. 'Should I?' she thought. "O.K, do it." She said determined. The glass sped back to 18 years prior. She watched as a young girl danced with Fluffy at a ball. When she saw the face of the girl she gasped. The young girl dancing with the demon Lord looked exactly like her. She watched in horror as Fluffy leaned over and kissed the young girl so alike to her. "This is Rin." Said the sprite. "She is you…or rather you are her."
The next scene that played through her head was a horribly familiar one. A low level Chameleon demon slashed at her, giving her a fatal wound. Watching as Fluffy killed the being and then dying in his arms. Riki clamped her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to see this any more. She still heard the voice of the sprite however, despite her efforts. She heard the sprite as it whispered "You're nothing but a replacement. Nothing but his replacement girl. He doesn't love you for yourself, rather he looks straight through you to her." "NO!" Riki screamed. "He loves me because I am me!" the voice sneered inside her head "Not exactly. He loves you because you were her…If you don't believe the memories you've seen for yourself find the grave. Find the grave of Rin, The Intended Mate of the Lord of the West." 'No…I'm more than that to him, I'm not just a replacement…Fluffy this isn't true is it? Please no…let it not be true…'
"NO!" Screamed Riki as she jolted awake. Riki jolted awake for the second time in that one night. In an instant a shadow fell across her face as Sesshomaru appeared before her. "What is it Riki?" he said in an urgent voice, worried. He reached out an arm to comfort her but she recoiled. She then looked up at him and said "Who is Rin?"
He himself recoiled as he realized she must've had a dream about her prior life and that was why she had screamed. Something had tortured her and scared her. "Rin…" he started. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell her this but he didn't want to lie to her. "Rin was my ward turned love. She was killed about 18 years ago by a demon." Riki turned her face away from him and said in a soft voice that his sensitive ears picked up nonetheless. "I see…the sprite was right." "What sprite?" he wondered out loud. She faced him with fire in her eyes.
"The sprite that told me the truth about this whole situation." Her voice was no longer soft, instead it was hard and cold. "And I will tell you this right now Lord Sesshomaru" he flinched as she used the honorific "I will not be a replacement for a little dead girl." Her voice softened and she looked at him with hurt in her eyes. "But that's the only way you'll ever love me. I see that now." "Riki that's not true.." he reached for her but she knocked his hand away furiously and ran from the room, desperate to get away from him.
She raced to a part of the gardens where servants were prohibited to go…and she had a good idea why now. She shoved the gate open and ran down the stone path, and around a corner only to be confronted by a huge tombstone. She bent over, resting her hands on her legs as she panted, trying to get her breath back. She looked at the tombstone, surrounded by roses, and read the inscription on it. All the energy drained out of her as she read the inscription and the last bit of hope that this was all some cosmic joke or a dream vanished as she reached out to trace the letters etched in the cold marble.
Here lies Lady Rin, The intended mate of the Lord of the West.
May she rest in peace.
She collapsed to her knees as she moaned "Why did it have to be me?" She looked at the white marble and saw a shadow reflected in the light of the full moon. She whirled around thoughts of hurt gone, replaced by thoughts of anger. Her hands were clenched so hard into fists that her nails made little half moon cuts into her palms. She welcomed the pain as she glared coldly at the Demon Lord.
"Riki…I…You're not, never were a…" "I don't want to hear it!" she snarled in his face. "There's no way you can tell me that and be telling me the truth at the same time and I hate being lied to." She pivoted on her heel, turned her back on Sesshomaru as she walked off. "Riki…you forget who you deal with…I will find you." "Forget it. If you come after me I'll find a Miko to get rid of you. And you'll need a new servant because I quit." With his demon speed he caught up with her and reached out a hand for hers. When she felt his skin on hers she yanked her hand back and smacked his away. "I REFUSE TO BE A REPLACEMENT SESSHOMARU!" she screamed at him, hurting his ears.
She turned away from him, tears filling her eyes as she raced away into the night leaving Sesshomaru with nothing but the scent of her tears.
A/N-There! I managed to update before I left on a holiday! I'll try and update when I get back but I'll have to type the chapter up first. It's all written but I need to get my lazy butt to the computer and type. When I get back I might start up a forum to discuss this story and other random things. Tell me what you think of this idea when you R&R.