February 15th, 2006

Konnichi wa, minna-san! Yes, I'm still alive and I hope everyone had a very nice Valentine's Day. Mine could have been a heck of a lot better… considering I got into a car accident the day before yesterday. I'm fine, although my car is not. :sniffles: Shenlong-sama… get better soon!

Wufei – Whoa, whoa, whoa… tell me you did not name your car Shenlong!

:grins: Yes, I did. For good luck. It's appropriate I think, that thing sure as hell takes a hit like Gundanium alloy…:Wufei suffers severe eye-twitching at this: but alas… being that I'm pretty much stuck with my car temporarily out of commission, I decided to give you guys some updates on "What If". I hope you all enjoy!

#13 – Similarities

"He said… that they were the same."

His sword hand twitched slightly.

After staring at the appendage in slight annoyance, the Taiyoukai of the West looked up to find grief-stricken eyes staring back into his own. If the emotions behind them bothered him, he did not let it show. As was his custom, Sesshomaru maintained a cool mask devoid of emotion, his golden eyes revealing nothing.

Realizing he was not likely to get a response from his unusually reticent company, he continued on with his thought. "That human, Setsuna no Takemaru…" There was a pause as one member of his company flinched. "He claimed that that girl-miko and Rin were the same as Izayoi."

There was a long pause as he allowed his company to digest all of this. "You… don't agree?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slightly. "A ridiculous notion."

After all, Takemaru had been a fool. All humans were exceedingly simple to understand, but to compare three human females simply because they shared an affinity for youkai of his kind was like trying to find similarities between the earth, sea, and sky.

"I've heard…" The voice was low and hoarse from lack of use. Sesshomaru found he almost had to strain to hear. "Kagome… and Rin… they're similar." The Taiyoukai did not respond to this. "They give too much of themselves… especially to those who don't deserve it…"

A frown found its way across the usually stony features of the inu-youkai, though it went unnoticed by his distraught company.

"Rin is still young," he found himself saying. How strange. "She has yet to learn better."

However, if that were truly the case what excuse did the miko have? She too was young – ridiculously so by youkai standards. She was always putting the needs of others before her own – putting the lives of others before her own. Giving and giving despite the fact it was always more than any other person would willingly give.

What a foolish, little girl.

His hand twitched again. Very bothersome.

Izayoi had been brave – he would at least credit her that. A human woman born of high class consorting with a youkai, giving birth to a child of taboo regardless of the social stigma she would be sure to endure. However, like many humans she was frail. Despite her strong will, she lacked the strength to endure, to weather to turbulent times she faced once cast out to fend for herself and her hanyou child.

The girl-miko had refused to walk that path. She was stubborn and iron-willed. She confronted youkai after youkai, armed with naught but a bow and quiver of arrows. She had even faced him down, despite the fact that she was woefully untrained.

She had taken a youkai-child regardless of the fact that it was not her own. She cared for that child, provided for that child, remaining unaffected by the harsh stares and words directed upon her. She endured physical attacks on her mind, body, and soul… enduring much more than any other miko could possibly imagine.

Rin was not a miko. She was not a princess, nor was she born of noble class. She was a simple human girl whom had foolishly showed him kindness. She had faced death at the mercy of wolves, and feared them. Yet she encountered numerous youkai and showed no fear to them.

Izayoi had been strong. She was still young, but Rin, too was strong. The girl-miko, Kagome, had been strong as well.

Had been…

How regrettable…

Sesshomaru frowned inwardly at the direction his thoughts were taking. Staring at the prostrate figures before him, he willed his face to maintain its icy façade. It would be unbecoming for him to show any emotion. For a Taiyoukai of his station to do so was completely unacceptable.

Most unacceptable, indeed.

Besides, the hanyou was displaying enough for the two of them.

"Kagome was young, too…" he said quietly. "But she had seen enough to know… people… people just don't act the way she did… They don't give, and give, and give without expecting something back."

Sesshomaru's eyes held no emotion as they regarded him. "You think she didn't expect something in return."

Anger flared briefly in the hanyou's eyes before he looked down again. Regrettable. "I didn't understand…" Expected. "I thought it was too much to ask for… how could it have really been that simple…?"

There was a pause. "Humans are simple creatures."

The hanyou's laugh was unexpected and Sesshomaru had to school his expression not to show his surprise.

"Not really…" Amber eyes lowered to the unmoving girl, hazing over slightly as arms gently gathered her to his chest. The hanyou let out a shaky breath, leaning into the crook of her neck, taking no notice of the moisture leaking from his eyes.

Silence fell between the two of them and Sesshomaru saw no reason to break it. However, as he stared at the girl's body, his mind suddenly thought of Rin. She would be upset when she heard the news. Most likely she would cry.

Undesirable.

"She shouldn't have done it," whispered the hanyou brokenly. "I was supposed to protect her… not the other way around."

"Indeed," Sesshomaru agreed, surprising the both of them as he reached for Tenseiga, drawing the sword from its sheath. The sword had refused to be silent ever since he had stumbled across the pair. He approached them slowly, pausing to hold the pulsing blade over the girl's cold body. He did not bother to meet his brother's face. "Be sure to get it right next time."

With a quick downward slash, the imps preparing her soul for the afterlife vanished, life color returning to her body as she took a shuddering, gasping breath.

For some strange reason, Sesshomaru found himself tense, though he could find no reason for such an action. The girl beneath him coughed and sputtered for a few moments longer before quieting once again. She did not awaken, but she was breathing; for the Taiyoukai, that was more than enough.

The hanyou's eyes met his, staring at him with disbelief among other things showing in his eyes. "I don't understand…"

Sesshomaru was not entirely sure he did either. "As expected…"

"You said…" He paused, his eyes darkening slightly. "That she reminded you of my mother."

The Taiyoukai turned back to him with a glare. Sheathing Tenseiga, he turned away, replying, "It was the human Takemaru who entertained such a belief; this Sesshomaru made no such claim." He paused a moment to let him digest this before walking away, leaving the hanyou and his girl-woman behind. Their human companions would find them soon enough; his task was done.

"If not my mother…" How frustrating. He had not expected any more comments on the matter and continued on as if he had not heard. "Who does she remind you of?"

He had not intended to answer, but the word came forth before he could stop it…

"Mine."

End