Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Inuyasha.
Hello! So how many ppl were actually expecting Rin to die? Don't freak out though! Everything will work out eventually. Hmmm……Anyway, again thanks to everyone who reviewed! Thank U! Thank U! I tried to make this one not as depressing, but you can't expect ppl to be happy after something like that. So on with the show! (or story in this case) (Does anyone find it strange that I have pairs of sentences that rhyme? I didn't notice until I read over the chaps again.) And to Centauri Cruxis Angel: - Don't think I'm trying to torture you with cliff-hangers! They just ended up that way…
Heofon: Thanks for another long review! They are always helpful and make me think. I think one reason it didn't seem like a tragedy (in the 1st chap) was because it just focused on the action and Sess wasn't too worried. I think that he was pretty confident that he could fix whatever happened. You must admit he thinks highly of himself.
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Everyone stood in silence as they watched Sesshoumaru walk away. No one knew what to say. With a pale face and sad eyes, Miroku began a prayer. Though said in a whisper, it was deafening. Beside him, Sango's eyes continued to stare at the death site. They were unfocused: as if she was seeing something else there. Kagome's vision, on the other hand, was blurry due to the tears streaming down her face. She held Shippo who was deathly still and yet trembling in her arms. Kirara untransformed and stood beside Sango.
Then there was Inuyasha. He stared blankly at where his brother had been. He had known Sesshoumaru for a long time, and he had never seen him like that. When those red eyes had turned to him, he had to admit that he had been at least a little freaked out. It wasn't the fact that his brother had looked crazy and about to attack him that was scary (though he wouldn't have wanted to fight him in that state). It had been the completely dead look in his eyes. In the past, Sesshoumaru never really had any expression on his face, but he at least had something there. Every time they met, it had the same basic uninterested foundation with a varying look on top. Whether it was the 'You annoy me, now die' look, the ' I'm better than you' look, or just a plain bored look, it was always something. Inuyasha still believed his brother to be a cold bastard, but he didn't think he deserved that and the little girl definitely did not deserve what she got. Inuyasha came out of his daze when he felt an itch on his neck.
"Oy! Myoga! What the hell are you doing here?" said Inuyasha as he slapped his neck.
"Ah. Master Inuyasha. Your blood is as delicious as ever, but I see that I have come during a most unfortunate circumstance."
"You're damn right you stupid flea," muttered the hanyou.
Miroku had just finished his prayer. 'May her soul rest in peace' He then looked sadly at the others. "I, uh, guess we should be leaving then?"
"Keh," replied Inuyasha. "Who wants to hang around here all day?"
With that said, everyone quietly made their way out of the forest and reached a dirt trail. Each step echoed in the silence. The bright, cheerful day mocked the Inu-group in their dreary walk. Sango stared straight ahead. She seemed to be troubled by something. She felt uncomfortable about breaking the stillness, but she had a question that wouldn't leave her mind.
"Um, Myoga?……Do you have any idea why Sesshoumaru wasn't able to use his sword?"
Everyone, brought out of their thoughts, listened intently.
"Hmmmm…. Interesting question. Now let me think… I've chatted with Toutosai before and I know that the Tenseiga works by killing the messengers that carry the soul to the afterlife. A person would have to have at least some feelings to use it though."
"Keh. Sesshoumaru's a heartless bastard," said Inuyasha- though half-heartedly.
"Inuyasha! How can you say that!" shouted Kagome. She was still having a hard time stopping her tears.
"Well, we know that he can use it," interrupted Sango, getting the conversation back on track. "Remember Kanta and his father? He didn't give an impression that he even wanted to save him, yet Tenseiga worked. And Sesshoumaru looked as if he would have used the sword on Rin if he could."
"That's true… What are the limits of Tenseiga?" asked Miroku.
Myoga held his chin. " Well…..There seems to be a limited time period that it can be used. The soul must be nearby for the sword to put it back in and it must be used before the messengers take the soul away. I would also think that the body can't be too badly damaged. Tenseiga can heal grievous wounds, but I don't think it can put flesh back on bones- like if someone had completely burned in a fire."
"So, Rin's body was too damaged?" asked Miroku.
"That, or her soul wasn't there."
Everyone went into a thoughtful silence. No one felt like saying anything, and that was okay. There was nothing to say. The group continued to walk in a gloomy haze. Kagome still had tears that would occasionally roll down her cheeks- she tried to be inconspicuous about it. Sango stared blankly at the forest- lost in thought, and Miroku would repeatedly glance at his hand. Inuyasha was growing irritated. He couldn't take the suffocating silence- especially a silence that was from time to time broken by Kagome's sniffles.
"Oy wench! Stop crying already!" grunted Inuyasha. He hated when girls cried: particularly girls named Kagome.
Kagome wiped her eyes again. "I am not crying!"
"Keh! Then what do you call it?"
"I am not crying! I just can't stop my eyes from watering!"
She sniffled.
"Sounds like crying to me."
"Ugh! Do you expect me to smile at a time like this baka!" shouted Kagome.
"Keh! Stop worrying. Sesshoumaru will be fine. He's a heartless bastard remember? You're the one with the problem."
Kagome couldn't believe what he just said. "SIT!" A large whump! could be heard. She wasn't the one with the problem: he was! "How can you say that! Maybe he is heartless, but he is your brother! And are you forgetting about Rin!"
Inuyasha silently twitched on the ground. He sometimes couldn't help the things that came out of his mouth. He couldn't tell the others that he actually was worried. Worried and slightly afraid that that could have been any one of his friends (especially Kagome) in Rin's position. Naraku wanted them all dead.
Miroku slowly sidled up beside Sango. He started speaking in a calm, soothing voice, "Ahhhh….Kagome is right Inuyasha. This is a trying time for everyone. And, as a monk, it is my duty to comfort those in grief." His hand inched its way to a certain behind and, once reaching its goal, moved in a firm, smooth circular motion. "Yes," he said as he nodded his head, "It is a burden that I am most willing to bear."
"Houshiiii-samaaaa…,"said a low irritated voice before a loud smack was heard. Yet, Sango had a slight grin on her face. It was a silly thing, but everyone smiled lightly- glad of the small break from the tension and sadness that hung in the air. The moment didn't last long though. The group was once again encased in a depressive fog: where conversation died quickly and silence reigned. It was only a matter of time before each person became lost again in his or her own thoughts.
The rest of the day passed by uneventfully. There were no more signs of Naraku, and so the group eventually came to rest at a clearing that thankfully had a nice little hot spring. It was after everyone ate that Sango and Kagome gathered their bathing supplies. After telling Miroku that he better not spy on them, the girls made their way toward the spring. They were gently blanketed by warm mist as they unclothed themselves and settled into the calming water.
Kagome quietly stared out into the surrounding forest. She was trying hard to relax, but was finding it difficult to do so. She couldn't help but think of Rin. Of the few times that she had seen her, Rin had seemed like a sweet little girl. The vision of her broken body flashed in Kagome's mind. No one deserved to die like that. 'Yes, Rin especially did not deserve that' she thought as a tear slowly rolled down her cheek. She had seen a lot of death during her time in Feudal Japan, but they were either people she did not know personally or demons trying to attack their group. Actually, the only thing barely coming close to this was probably Kagura's death. Though she had mainly been their enemy, Kagome sympathized for her desire to become free and found that, in the end, she hadn't been that bad of a person after all. However, the scene between Rin and Sesshoumaru had been horrible and Kagome knew that it would forever be imprinted on her mind.
"It…It's terrible, isn't it?" said a soft voice to Kagome's left.
"Huh?" Kagome replied, breaking away from her thoughts. It seemed that she wasn't the only one that was thinking along these lines.
"What happened to Rin….and Sesshoumaru."
"Oh….yeah."
There was a pause as both seemed to gather their thoughts. "I don't think I've ever seen Sesshoumaru like that. Not that it was very noticeable, but I think he was in a lot of pain." Sango stopped and watched the steam casually rise from the water's surface before continuing. "I could barely stand to watch. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't look away."
"I know what you mean. I felt like I was intruding on his privacy or something," answered Kagome. She remembered how she couldn't move or look away. "He was scary too, wasn't he? I felt as if he would jump and claw me if I made a sound!"
"Yeah." Sango's gaze then focused on the forest. Almost a minute had passed before she answered again. "I couldn't help but be reminded of Kohaku," she said.
Kagome, not expecting that comment, looked at her friend sadly. "Sango…"
Dark eyes continued to look at the forest. "If Kohaku died…." Sango paused.
"Sango! You know we'll make sure that Kohaku is saved!"
"Yeah, I know. But…Sesshoumaru is a powerful demon and has a life-giving sword. If he couldn't save Rin from Naraku's plan…"
"Hey! Everything will work out alright. You have good friends to depend on!"
Sango gave Kagome a smile. "Thanks. I know you guys will always be there for me." She then looked slightly worried. "But who's going to be there for Sesshoumaru? I mean, there is that toad Jaken…"
Both girls suddenly smirked at the thought of Jaken trying to comfort Sesshoumaru. "Hmmm. I don't think he would last long if he tried that," giggled Kagome softly. She tried to picture Jaken hugging and giving Sesshoumaru a pat on the back, but was finding it difficult. It would go against the natural balance of the universe- it just would not happen.
"I don't think Inuyasha would be much help either," replied Sango thoughtfully. "Those brothers sure make things difficult."
Both girls sighed.
Even though Sesshoumaru had tried to kill her many times, constantly fought and said he would kill Inuyasha, and did who knows what else, Kagome felt really bad for him. 'He isn't as cold-hearted as he was before' she thought; though, she wasn't sure what he would be like now after Rin's death. 'I wonder how badly this will affect him?' She sighed again.
"It's too bad that there's nothing we can do," said Kagome.
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Yeah! Another chapter done! Is it just me or does anyone find it incredible that Shippo is a pretty well-adjusted kid? I mean, he sees a lot of death everyday. I guess he just got used to it. And poor Inuyasha. I don't think he has had much practice interacting with ppl growing up. But it's fun to write them fighting. Anyway, lots of dialogue in this chap and I meant to put Sess in, but it didn't work out that way. Will be in next chap! So PLEASE review! Comments or suggestions welcome!
