With Or Without You
A/n: Well I knew it was going to take a week, and sure enough...it did. But I was so happy with the support that you guys gave me, you guys are just really great! So I give you all a big hug! Lol.
Karite: Thank you so much for the translation. I'm glad you really like the story and believe me, if I need anything translated again, I'll ask ya! Thanks again :P
Hawk Angel XD: Yes I can join them...eventually. Lol :P
Ryvengoddess: Yes, he is stubborn and it's getting quite hard to keep him this way b/c I too, want him to just knock it off! Lol.
Cassie1: I'm still planning it as to how I'm going to get them back together, which we all know they will. Love your story too dear! Hope you update soon...:P
MZk0rEA: Yes I hate that he left her too...:(
Inuyashaswife15: Yep, school sucks big time, but oh well. Gotta do it I guess, lol.
vimpire-dogdemongirl89: Thanks for understanding bout the whole school thing. Good luck on Tuesday!
drkangel.369: Thanks, I'm glad you really like my story!
Chranze: Yeah, I'm still not sure what Fluffy's gonna do bout the whole wedding thing...I guess we'll both hafta wait n' see huh?
rinsess4ever: Umm, I don't really think it will be too much of a problem. I think it was just of a lil excuse for Sesshy's to hold lil Rin, hee hee.
rosesbleedto: Thanks for another gold star! I'm getting quite a collection:P
Sailor Millenium: Dang, you read my mind! One of the two is almost exactly what I was imagining! Lol, but it could change, you never know. Don't worry, I love suggestions so I won't get mad at you! Keep 'em coming:P
Devon Masterson-Bond: Me too :laughs evilly:
esmeralda: Thanks for the review and thanks for the good luck, I may need it...:P
AznAnimeFanXP: Oh good, I was a lil worried about it, but I think I may like it now.
The Kaizerness: Thanks, see I knew I read somewhere that it was a dog or something. I'm sorry I couldn't update within a week...well more like exactly a week from when I updated last. I hope to have the next chapter out before next Sunday!
Chapter Six
Hopeless
>
The spectacular sunrise ignited the gold of his eyes as he stared ahead. His lips were drawn downward in a frown as he glared at any tree, shrub or animal that may catch his attention. Behind him, the soft pants of Jaken could be heard, but because he was not the most merciful of men, Sesshomaru carried on as he stormed through the forest.
Above him, the sun was beginning to shine brilliantly between the trees as the woods awoke around him. The soft chill of night still lingered in the air, but the dawn's warmth hinted of high temperatures.
His golden gaze remained locked in front of him. He refused to look in any other direction. He did not wish to explain himself to Jaken, though he knew the small toad were curious as to why they had left so abruptly.
Sesshomaru could only think of one thing.
He had to distance himself as quickly as possibly from the Rin.
The soft scent of lavender and honeysuckle were still clinging to his clothing and he wanted to both rip them away from him and cling tightly to the scent.
'A few days and it will wear off,' he thought bitterly.
He heard Jaken stumble behind him on something, but he did not stop. He was far too troubled to worry about him.
Within his body, his heart...his mind, a war was raging. He felt that he were being pulled in a million different directions and it irritated him to no end. He was fed up with this. He never felt this much emotion unless he were in battle, and even then, he could easily conceal it.
And even though he wanted to erase any memory of the past few hours away, something within him continuously went back to them.
He felt his heart beat skip a beat at the thought of how stunning she looked when she cried. Her lips parted, hair astray with her eyes so full of emotion. It captivated him, the way she could show so much emotion just through those brown eyes.
She had been so troubled, so upset when he arrived last night. She had appeared to be the complete opposite compared to when she first saw him. She had been so happy when she had seen him.
Even with a pride and ego as thick as his, Sesshomaru had to admit that she was something amazing. Her spirit was so alive, so new. She was just blossoming into a woman and in a way, Sesshomaru wanted to help guide her.
Were it a parental instinct or something completely different, he didn't know.
He only knew that inside, he wished to see her again.
'I can't. She is just a distraction. Look what happened to Father.'
Mortal women were vile, poisonous beings that brought even the most powerful of men to their knees...but only if you allowed them. Though mortal men were power hungry, Sesshomaru believed it were women who fueled that desire. They stood in the shadows, whispering words of encouragement.
Were his half breed brother's mother's intentions that? Did she seek power as most beautiful women did?
Something told him, even if he didn't like to believe it, that she had not sought such a power.
Sesshomaru glanced to the skies above as the lambent orange hues descended into a bright yellow, melding into the darker blue shades. He felt something within him clinging to the village behind and still, his pride refused to allow himself to consider anything other than leaving.
There was business he needed to "tend" to in the west. He had land that needed constant defending from both humans and meager demons. Though it were rather boring, it did give him something to do, to keep his mind on.
"M'lord, can't we stop? Just for a bit?"
Sesshomaru turned to Jaken and glared. "Wasn't it you that suggested we leave for the Western Lands, Jaken?"
The small toad whimpered. "Yes m'lord."
Sesshomaru turned away from him and headed on.
It was then that Sesshomaru remembered why Rin had been crying so. She had not started crying until she had spoken of her fiancee. She had seemed afraid and hopeful all at once. Were she afraid of him, or of marriage? Were she hopeful of her future life, or hopeful that he would disapprove?
Sesshomaru knew that mortal women loved to be loved and that Rin should have been no exception, so why was she so terribly sad when she had told him.
She wasn't just simply sad. Tears were pouring down her cheeks and even before he had spoken with her in that secret garden, she was crying. Why?
His name had rang off of her lips like a soft chime and it had affected him in ways he'd never experienced. Females, demon and human alike, never spoke of him fondly. They were either screaming or whispering behind their hands about him.
Rin was the first to speak of him in a tone that caught his attention.
His eyes softened considerably and for once, he did not notice. Luckily, neither did the toad at his heels.
The soft scent of lavender and honeysuckle drifted back up to him as he remembered
And then he felt a bitter snare of jealousy course through him. He was not the only one who she spoke to in such a soft, gentle tone. There was another man in her life and this one was to soon be permanent.
He felt his bitterness for humans suddenly increase quite a bit.
He knew what husbands were, he was no fool to human customs.
He felt a sudden rush of heat flow over him as he realized what that pathetic fool would wish of her. She was a beautiful bride. For someone to let her beauty simply rot away, was an idiot.
Jealousy was not an emotion new to Sesshomaru, but this were the first time he were jealous over simply a woman.
'There is no sense in worrying about it now,' snapped his pride.
"I'm surprised Rin isn't married already," commented Jaken as his master began to slow.
Sesshomaru stopped all together and turned to Jaken with a frown. "What makes you say that?" he asked sternly, surprised by how Jaken could speak of what he were thinking.
Jaken shrugged. "Even if she is a pathetic mortal, she was quite attractive m'lord. I just thought at her age, she'd be married already...or even engaged."
Sesshomaru turned away from Jaken and headed on. The small toad thought nothing of it and carried on silently.
"She is engaged."
Jaken stopped in his tracks. "To whom? Is he old? Does he have money, power? Is he trustworthy? He's a human, isn't he" stammered the concerned reptile.
Sesshomaru frowned. "I don't know who he is. If you are so concerned, go find out for yourself."
Jaken flinched. "But m'lord...what if this man is not what she thinks he is? What if he is some middle aged farmer? Aren't you worried?"
Sesshomaru turned suddenly and glared down upon Jaken. "No."
Though his tone were calm and soft, Jaken had heard the bitterness behind it. In just a simple word, Jaken knew that his lord were very concerned. Why else would he have fled the village so quickly? Why else would he be so angry?
Jaken was no fool, though he did act the part rather well. He knew that something had been said or felt between the two and now it was tearing his master apart.
>
Nearly three hours ago, dawn had eased into day and now, afternoon was soon to be about them. Above her the clouds moved slowly by. Time was ticking away just as slowly, the day was descending into just another boring day. She could feel dread within her, for with the afternoon brought an unwanted guest.
It brought her fiancee.
In a few hours, he would arrive. Roiyaru had heard news of the attack and was, as Tokiko put it "most terribly concerned". Rin had simply rolled her eyes.
If he were so concerned, then why wasn't he here now? It was only a few hours walk away. He could have made it in barely two hours on horse back.
Rin let out a small sigh as she sat amongst the flowers of her mother's garden once more, idly tracing the rock's natural designs upon the stone bench. The back of her head still throbbed with a dull throb, but she had always been strong, and could easily ignore it.
The morning routine had started without delay about the mansion. The fields were tended to. The merchants were up and about, selling and trading anything they could. In the halls, the servants were rushing about, waking each and every daughter.
The world around her was carrying on as if last night were nothing. They seemed to see it as if the threat were gone now. Though there were the gossips who would not let it rest that Sesshomaru had only wished to steal Rin away and the spider demon was simply a distraction gone wrong.
Rin had not bothered to defend him.
'Let them think what they want. He's never coming back, so there's no point in clearing his name.'
Around her, the sweet, seducing scents of early summer swarmed about her. Each little breeze was welcome as they gave a nice break to the rising heat. The sun above glared down upon her and though it were extremely hot, it were by far, one of the most beautiful days Rin had seen in quite a while.
It reminded her of years ago, when Lord Sesshomaru would be kind enough to allow her to go gather flowers. She grinned softly at the sweet memories.
She could still feel the warm earth beneath her bare feet as she ran about the gently swaying fields of gold, blue and pink. Her eyes would dance from flower to flower as the aromas nearly knocked her off her feet.
Behind her, Jaken would be muttering angrily under his breath, though she knew he were thankful for the bit of rest. Aun-un would be next to him, sleeping softly.
Sesshomaru would be sitting underneath a tree, sometimes watching her, sometimes staring off into space.
He would rarely speak unless saying something to Jaken to shut him up.
She would then run up with the small load of the prettiest, most precious flowers she'd found and present them as a gift. Every time, Sesshomaru would look from her to the flowers for a moment as he considered whether or not to take them.
Usually he did.
Though there were the few occasions when he was either injured or angry with either Naraku or his brother, and he would ignore her completely. It didn't hurt her feelings though. As a child, she had been able to rebound from every little attack, both verbal and physical.
Now that she were seventeen, something within her seemed so much more sensitive than it had as a child.
She stood up and walked over to pick a flower gently from the several bushes. She brought the fully bloomed flower to her and inhaled its drunkenly sweet smell.
She could feel her eyes stinging as she was bombarded with memories of her and her lord, but she was done crying. He was probably half way to his land by now and she was probably the last thing on his mind.
If he had no remorse in leaving her here to a fate that she clearly did not want, then she would not miss him.
Placing the delicate blossom upon the bench, she headed back inside.
Inside, everyone was buzzing with the news that Roiyaru would soon arrive. Rin did not see what the panic was. Roiyaru had often come and seen her father before they were engaged.
Rin silently slipped into her room and prayed that no one had noticed her. She needed to rest before Roiyaru came or he'd been even more concerned about her tired appearance.
>
A/n: Yes, I'm quite aware that this chapter was pretty short, but the next one is going to be back to its normal length, okay? I hope you guys liked this chapter...just like the last one, I'm still uneasy about this one, so ya'll lemme know whatcha think, okay? Also, the next chapter will be a lil less, um...thinking, lol. Stuff's actually gonna happen in the next one instead of just their thoughts, is what I mean. So until then, see ya :P