Ah - Sesshoumaru's arm grew back when we were all not looking. How? Well, if InuYasha's eye grew back in a matter of minutes, I'm sure Sesshoumaru's arm could in months.
I do not own InuYasha (Even when he is not in this fic) or Lord of the Rings! I do not own anyone in this story! Got that? NOTHING! -sobs-
I know lots of it is different from the books and movie, but hey, I was writing from memory so don't expect me to get every last detail right.
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It was a calming day in the forest, yet something was obviously wrong. At first one would not notice anything different - but a silent nagging feeling was all around you, swirling and moving in an invisible current. After all - there was no noise - no birds or animals, no insects, no humans. Even the wind seemed to be silent, sluggishly creeping across the sky - if it were moving at all. A sudden crack of a dry twig broke the silence as a human girl, no older then twelve, skipped merrily between the tree trunks. It was a dangerous place for a human, especially a lone girl who had no weapons on her at all. She seemed happy though, and had a good reason for it, as well as the carefree behaviour.
"Where are we going now, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She asked, looking back. A few seconds later another figure entered the scene. A dog youkai - one of the most powerful types of demon, and he was the most powerful of the dog youkai. Maybe of all the demons. The man, Sesshoumaru, had long, silver white hair that flowed past his waist, elegant and royal looking clothes and spiky bone armour that looked more like decoration then a defence. He had pointed ears and chilling, blank, golden eyes, which radiated power and absolute authority. Two maroon stripes showed plainly on each cheek and wrist, and a navy blue crescent moon on his forehead. His face showed no emotion, and neither did his slightly narrowed eyes. Two swords were hung at his black belt; although one looked so thin it might just break in two it was used. The girl had a simple orange and white kimono on, but although it was definatly not cheap looking it was not nearly as fancy what as the man wore. She stood around waist height, and had a bouncy expression to match her movement.
As he did not reply to the girls first question, she asked him another. "Where is Jaken-sama?" She asked with her usual happy and carefree tone. He ignored her once again, and carried on walking. Eventually he answered "Hunting, with Au-Un." His voice was deep and smooth, and showed even less emotion then his face did, if that were even possible.
Suddenly he stopped, but his movements were so flowing that it seemed
to anyone watching that he had planned about stopping there for the
last few hours, and had practiced it for days. This was one of the
advantages of having lived for many, many centuries, although he was
still young compared to how old he could live. "Rin." He called out to
the girl in front of him, and she came back, surprised by her
companion's sudden start of what could turn into a conversation.
Strange." Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She answered, stopping beside him.
"Go Back." The demon said slowly, eyes fixed on the surrounding
foliage. He knew that something was different about this place, but
passed it off for nothing. Now, he was not quite sure, and that irked
him to no end.
There seemed to be a wave of nothingness flowing towards where they had been heading. It was as if a cold breeze was pushing him forwards, except there was no scent, no sounds, no movement on the wind, as there always was. Yet the wave was not physical, as it was going straight through everything. Rin, who did not have the senses of a youkai, felt nothing. She looked doubtfully up at the demon lord, wondering what was wrong. She stepped back, before turning and running frantically up the path she had trod out on the damp grass a few minutes ago. If something was important enough for Sesshoumaru to worry about, it must be very important indeed. The girl stopped however, and waited for her friend, protector and master.
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened considerably, as the wave of nothingness grew to a storm, pushing him ever closer to the last place he wanted to be at this precise moment. His arm reached automatically to one of his swords, Tokijin, before drawing it and pointing it directly in front of him. He then did the worst thing he could possibly do to the offending problem. Slashing at the air in front of him, the cause of the swirling masses, a huge hole pouring black light opened in front of him, sucking him in. The youkai hissed in fear - no, surprise, before he was pulled in and disappeared completely. Rin stood watching with a look of extreme terror, before running forward and into the hole where her beloved lord had been sucked unwillingly in. Darkness surrounded her, and she passed out in fear and shock.
When Sesshoumaru woke, he was lying on his back on the rough ground, and his head looking over his right shoulder. He felt, for the lack of better words - really, really pissed off. It was not a feeling he was used to, waking up, as he rarely slept and could not even remember the last time he fell unconscious, and he had a long memory indeed. Growling slightly he pulled himself up into sitting, and looked around him. The black hole that he had fell through was no where to be seen, and the refreshing breeze brought the scents of human, animals and many other creatures that Sesshoumaru had never encountered before. It was more youkai-like then a human, yet it reminded him more of blossoms or the earth, then a demon. It was not unpleasant, but then Sesshoumaru caught the scent of someone he knew, and hoped for once in his life that he was wrong. Rin. She was alive, a few scrapes, he concluded from her scent. Yet in this unknown land, how long would it stay like that for?
'But', he reminded himself 'She would be safer with me, even here, then alone back there.' Getting slowly up Sesshoumaru looked in shock at the setting sun, which he could have sworn was just rising when he last looked. And even it looked different - it was larger, a slightly different colour, the heat radiating off it was different in a subtle way. Resuming his typical uncaring face, Sesshoumaru got up, and began running faster and faster until he was no more then a blur of red and white shooting towards the girl's faint but unmistakable scent.
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When Rin woke it was almost dark, and the sun's fading rays reached out over the horizon, dying the sky a crimson red. 'Like blood' Rin thought, shivering slightly. Sitting up she winched as her aching body protested, but there was more important matters on hand, like finding Sesshoumaru, for instance. Looking around she found herself in a beautiful white stone room, with the walls and ceiling carved in the shape of vines twisting themselves around each other in an eternal embrace. Rin was sitting on a huge bed, with silken sheets and a soft blanket. It was by far the most beautiful and richest looking room Rin had ever been in, no, even seen. Getting up she dressed herself in her washed and dried kimono that was lying neatly folded by the bed and went to the white wooden door. Nervously she pushed at it, but found that it would not budge. Panicking, Rin began pulling at the door, trying desperately to slide it into the very solid wall that it was joined to. Suddenly, it opened by swinging forward and knocking Rin to the floor. A very surprised man - not, youkai, betrayed by his pointed ears and beauty beyond mortal men, looked at her, before putting up both his hands to show he was not a threat.
"Calm down." He said in the common tongue, and Rin obeyed, sitting on the floor with wide eyes. The man looked very much like Sesshomaru, except for a lighter build and shorter blond hair. He also, of course, did not have Sesshomaru's markings, claws, amber eyes or uncaring face, but he did have the pointed ears. Dressed in a dark green robe, he looked no older then twenty-five.
Rin's first reaction was to ask about the youkai lord. "Where is Sesshoumaru-sama?" She said immediately. The man gave her a puzzled glance, before turning around and beginning to walk out the door, waiting for Rin to do the same.
"I don't know who 'Seeshu…mura-sama' is, "he said, adding the honorific like part of the name," but Lord Elrond is requesting your presence. If anyone could answer your questions, it will be him." He said, and Rin nodded happily. She followed the man, and eventually found herself in this Lord Elrond's court. The youkai bowed, before leaving behind the very puzzled girl and the elf lord.
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Sesshoumaru was not pleased. He had reached a city, full of the creatures he had smelt before, and was waiting for some clue to where Rin was. It was plain she was somewhere inside, but it was a big place, and even Sesshoumaru would not risk running into an unknown city, full of unknown people who were possible much better fighters then the average human or youkai. It was the uncertainty that was driving Sesshomaru mad, and the not knowing what to do, which he loathed more so then anything else. He lingered around the edges for a minute or two, before heading into the strange tree covered city, carved elegantly from white stones.
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Rin turned to see another man sitting on a strange throne of sorts to
one side of the court. He had long, black hair and grey eyes full of
wisdom. When he finally spoke his words were slow, but deliberate and
calm. "Welcome. May I ask your name?" He said, and Rin answered
straight away." in, Lord Elrond. Where is Sesshoumaru-sama?" She said,
quickly and merrily, not bothered in the least to be in the company of
these youkai. Shaking his head slightly, Elrond answered her question,
"I do not know anyone named Sesshoumaru-sama. Is he human?" Rin looked
aghast at his question, and answered in her naiveté the worst answer
possible answer.
"Lord Sesshomaru-sama is not human! Sesshoumaru-sama is youkai - a
demon." She said, not knowing just how stupid her words were.
"Sesshoumaru-sama is the lord of the western lands." The girl added
quite happily, digging herself deeper and deeper. Elrond was staring at
her unbelievingly. For once he was lost for words. He asked, but not
before another man, this time human, came running forward towards Rin.
"Who is he? Where do you come from?" He asked, a little more violently then he expected.
"Aragorn! What are you doing here?" Elrond said loudly, getting up. He
was startled to see that the girl - Rin - flinched away from a member
of her own kind, yet not him, or any other elves. But before the man
could answer, a guilty expression on his face, shouts were heard from
outside, and the door to the court was flung open. "Sesshoumaru-sama!"
Squealed Rin, in what could be likened to a child lost in a crowd and
just seeing her parents, and ran towards him hugging on to his legs in
a death grip. Sesshoumaru was effectively immobilised, as he could not
move with Rin clinging on to him like that. He looked briefly down at
her to see if she was ok, before coldly looking back up the elf lord
and the human, with a glare that could freeze fire. Aragorn swore later
that the air temperature had dropped a good few degrees, and even he
was secretly glad that he was not alone with the youkai. Around six
other elves ran into the room, each holding a bow and a quiver full of
arrows. They pointed the arrows at the demon lord, moving with inhuman
speed.
If Sesshoumaru were worried, which he could not be, he would have been worrying about Rin. Not knowing that the elves would much prefer to let the youkai go then to shoot the girl, his first thought was that while he could easily dodge the arrows, Rin was a sitting target. Glaring at the offending elves, he said to the girl, "Get back." Rin looked questionably up at him, before obeying his command and stepping back to the sidelines of the court. An elf immediately ran up to her, asking if she was ok, and earning only a growl from her lord.
"What do you want, demon?" Aragorn repeated, glaring at Sesshomaru, who
was standing unconcerned with around six arrows pointed directly
towards him. Any other man would have had some reaction, or at least
reached over and get his sword, but the demon simply stood there.
Finally he spoke, and broke the silence.
"You were clever in looking after Rin for me," Aragorn, Elrond and the
other elves stared in shock. "But if you choose to fight…" The youkai
lord continued, taking one step towards the man, then running forward
until he was only a blur, and appeared again at the tip of Aragorn's
blade a millisecond later. "You would only choose death." The dog demon
then touched the sword tip with his claws, and it melted away, a
mixture of lime green poison and liquid iron. (no, this is not
Anduril). Aragorn let go of the sword, and it clanged to the floor. The
silence that followed it was as quiet as if no one was there at all.
Aragorn stepped back, aghast, and an immediate uproar sounded. At that exact moment, the archers released their arrows, faster then the human eye could follow. Sesshoumaru twisted around, equally fast, and with a flick of his wrist a green whip glowing with light shot out of his fingers and lazily cut four of the arrows in two and messily cutting the other two into splinters. Once again all of the middle earth people were frozen with shock, and Sesshoumaru leisurely wondered over to Rin, who greeted him with a bow and a smile.
"Let's go, Rin." He said, and gently grabbing hold of the girl he jumped up and out of the building, into the sky. When he reached the top of the jump, Sesshoumaru formed a cloud underneath him and set Rin down on that. She sat down smiling, and peered over the edge. There was silence, except the whistling of the wind as it blew threw the top most parts of the buildings below.
They flew for a good few hours, and the moon was just setting. " Elrond-sama was really nice to me." Rin commented as they descended at the bottom of a large hill. She jumped of the cloud, glad to be on the ground again. It was not that she did not like riding on her lord's cloud, but it was kind of strange standing on something that was not quite solid. As usual Sesshoumaru did not reply to her statement, but he turned it over in his mind. He did not really have a reason to attack the creatures, seeing as they did not mistreat her, but then he didn't attack them when he could of, so no harm done. Not that he would have cared if it were. Stepping up to a cave nearby he said "You should stay here the night. Do not wonder off." Rin nodded wordlessly and run up to the cave obediently, sitting down and began starting a fire with some dry twigs and a match that girl, Kagome, had given her once. Soon a tiny fire was going, and Rin pulled out a few mushrooms from nearby. Looking up she noticed that Sesshomaru was already gone.
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Back in Elrond's court, Aragorn, the elven lords and some other people
were holding a council. Aragorn had described the encounter with the
dog demon to everyone who was not there, and was now discussing what to
do about it, although he left out the part about him being, 'Lord of
the Western lands'.
"We should send out some warriors to kill it! We can't just let
something as powerful as that to wonder around unchecked." Someone, a
dwarf, typically said. He was around waist height, having messy red
hair, a much stronger build and a huge battle-axe, strapped to his side.
"Maybe we should just leave him." an elf replied, eyes glinting angrily
at the dwarf referring to the demon as an 'it'. "If no one has noticed,
we were the one's attacking him. He did not harm anyone, and could of
easily done so. He was just getting back the human girl – Rin." The elf
with blond hair said heatedly, glaring at the dwarf. Many of the elves,
men and a few dwarves agreed to that, and so they eventually decided
just to leave him well alone. Soon after, Aragorn took his leave, and
dressing in travelling clothes and donning a new sword he set off to
Bree where he could hopefully find the ring bearer and his companions.
Sighing, the future king of Gondor left his childhood home and once
again set out into the wild.