With Or Without You
A/n: I know, over two weeks w/ no update! I'm so, so sorry! I've been quite busy with the stupidest flippin' class ever...chemistry. I hate science and I hate math, so if ya'll ever wish to know what causes my lack of updating...there it is. Those two classes. Not to mention that it is also Homecoming, so I've been quite busy with that as well. Well, enough with the excuses, on to the story!
Oh, one more thing...I love polite criticism and I love, adore, worship, ya'lls reviews. As of late, I've been recieving a few separate reviews on the names I've chosen for my other characters, Adzumi, Kisho, Saeko, etc. I'll be the first to tell you guys that I am no Japanese buff. I know about .26 percent of the language. I'm sorry if I've "offended" or irritated anyone with whatever mistakes I may have made with the names of these characters. One reviewer informed me that Adzumi is no where near being a Japanese name, and if so...then I guess she's just not Japanese or something, lol. Sorry guys! Also, I promise I'll answer ya'lls reviews in the next chapter...I really need to. :(
Chapter Ten
Turning Point
>
Two Weeks Until The Wedding
>
She stared blankly at herself in the reflection of the mirror in Lady Adzumi's room. Her dark eyes looked hallow upon her white face from lack of sleep. Her pale face hinted that she was not eating well. Dark circles loomed underneath her eyes and just as the daughters came in to see her, she let out a large, cat-like yawn.
It was not an image Rin liked to see, but she supposed that maybe, her physical appearance had finally caught up to what a brutal torment her heart and soul were undergoing.
She had slept so poorly lately, ever since the dream of Sesshomaru. She did not have any others as vivid as that, but, they were of him or of Roiyaru. Either way, the dreams always seemed to confuse her and wake her in the earliest hours of the morning, making it near impossible to fall back asleep.
"Oh my," gasped Ami, staring brightly.
"I'm so jealous," whispered Namiko to Saeko.
Lady Adzumi stood behind all four of them. Her face just as gaunt as Rin's, smiled dimly. "You look stunning, Rin."
The two seamstresses stood together, looking quite smug.
"I can't believe you finished it so soon," Rin said finally, looking down upon the fine, delicate gown.
The women grinned. "We were just so excited that we went to work immediately...besides, we were invited to your wedding and who would want to miss this wedding? Nothing big ever happens around here, like this!"
Rin grinned, glancing back to herself.
Her long brown hair hung low around her shoulders.
The fatter, stumpier of the two women stepped forward. She scooped up Rin's mane in one big swoop and began to pin it hastily into a bun.
"Of course this will be up, you know. Don't want to look like some riffraff at your own wedding do you?" she cackled.
Rin looked bitterly at herself. This was just the beginning. Soon make-up would follow, the polite manners, obedient attitude and so on. Her only wish would be to serve Roiyaru.
These past two weeks had been nothing but a blur, a dream that continued on and on. She was in a fog that would not lift.
The days had simply flown by and though she had tried her damndest to keep herself busy, it did not matter, for at night, she could think freely without any distraction. It was then that she constantly thought of him.
Lady Adzumi glanced to her daughter's face and finally noticed the sorrow behind her dark eyes. "Girls, may I have a moment alone with the bride to be?" she asked gently.
Though her tone was soft, her dark eyes were stone cold.
The six women grumpily left the room, muttering to one another quickly.
Rin watched the gaggle of geese exit before she stepped down from the wooden pedestal. She stared at the floor, not looking to her mother. She knew her heart would betray her and tears would fall once again.
Instead, she resolved to studying the hem of her kimono with shaky hands.
Lady Adzumi crossed the room and began to circle her daughter, her eyes grazing leisurely over the pure white material. She began to hum, gently, a soft tune unknown to Rin.
"Lady Ai and Umi did a very nice job. I'm impressed. Perhaps I will have them do each of the girls' when they marry," she commented airily. Rin nodded, now watching the older woman in the mirror's reflection.
Lady Adzumi looked up suddenly, catching Rin's gaze head on in the mirror's reflection.
"I see you too, have been restless lately?"
She gestured to the dark circles underneath her eyes that were only a shade lighter than Rin's.
"Is it from anticipation...or dread?" she asked, playing gently with Rin's hair.
The young girl felt the moment of truth upon her and she wanted nothing, but to scream out the entire story. She wanted to tell her mother that she had been in love for quite some time, just with the wrong man. 'If you can even say I ever loved him,' she quipped quickly.
Instead, she shrugged casually.
"A little of both, I suppose," she whispered, her voice stronger than she'd have guessed it to be.
"Mother! Lady Umi and Ai want their money now!" came Saeko's brash voice.
Lady Adzumi let out a gentle sigh and embraced her daughter quickly.
"I felt the same way, Rin. One outweighing the other to be honest," she replied, walking towards the door.
Rin frowned. "Which one outweighed the other?"
Lady Adzumi stared a moment before she replied, "Dread."
Rin was taken back a bit by the comment, but before she could push the matter further, the two plump women burst inside with four equally round teenagers behind her. "Now, now Lady Rin. We must get you out of this before anything happens to it!" laughed the one called Umi.
>
Night had fallen upon him once again.
Only the light glow from the fire allowed anyone to know of his presence. Feet away, Jaken was humming softly, cooking something that smelled awful.
Sesshomaru's golden eyes swivelled about the crisp scenery. He was in his home once more. It had taken quite some time, but he had finally tracked down the bastards desecrating his land. They were just a few miles away and when day broke, he would attack.
And still, they were the least of his worries at the moment.
"M'lord, I suppose we were planning on seeing Rin for her wedding were we?"
Jaken had made the comment hours ago and yet it had stuck with him the entire time.
Two weeks.
Just two weeks and she would be too far from his grasp.
'Why do I care? She's obviously in love with that pathetic excuse for a man...besides, if I truly wanted her, I could easily take her.'
And yet he knew damn well that he would never wish to take her without her wanting him to.
For the past two weeks he had one thing plaguing his mind, the search of these humans. And now that he had found them, knew that they were weak and could be easily taken down, he had nothing else to focus his thoughts upon besides her.
He had grown tired of thinking of the many ways to attack his sibling days ago. He was a simple being to say the least. For him to figure out Inuyasha and his ways of thinking took him only a matter of minutes...except for the issue of his love for mortals...
Who was he kidding? Thoughts of Rin were swirling just as madly in him as thoughts of Kagome were within Inuyasha.
She was the only thing he had yet to figure out. She was a disease, a virus, spreading through his limbs and contaminating everything he knew.
Two nights ago, after Jaken had spoke of Rin once again, he had awoke in the night.
His clothes were clinging to him and his heart was racing. He rarely dreamed and even more rarely did he dream of women.
But he had dreamt of her, so very vividly. Her dark eyes looming against that creamy, skin as her pink lips spread with whispers for him. He could still feel her nails dragging against his skin, clinging to him tightly as she-
"M'lord, are you sure you're not hungry?" croaked Jaken, stirring some vile concoction. Sesshomaru simply cut his eyes away, turning towards the bright fires of the men down in the valley below with a sigh.
With the thought of dreams and marriage, it had also occurred to Sesshomaru that after she said yes, Rin would belong to that man. She would be his and that bothered him more than anything. While gone, he had always known that Rin was free, belonging to no one because she had specifically promised him that she would remain in the village until he returned for her.
Now though...she would break that promise. She would leave with some man.
And with this man, she would do what most mates do.
Sesshomaru felt a growl tickling within his chest, his stomach clenching involuntarily as he glared off into space.
Without a word, he rose up and headed out into the woods.
Jaken's beady eyes followed him without a word. It was not a surprise when his lord would just leave. Jaken knew that the threat was still here, so his master would not be leaving him so soon to go wandering. No, he had many things on his mind. Jaken was far too old and wise (Yes, I said wise) not to notice that something was bothering Lord Sesshomaru.
Usually his lord was apt about getting to his destination in quick time. He would stop only if someone were on the verge of life or death. Lately though, he was stopping to sit and think. Either that or he would wander off for hours at a time.
Normally Sesshomaru was the type to stare off into space, deep in thought. Yet now he frowned and scowled, often growling without his knowledge. Jaken found it both amusing and disturbing.
What was happening to his lord and master? It couldn't have been Rin...for they had not seen her in nearly two weeks...
'What did she say to upset you so, m'lord?' thought Jaken angrily, his beady eyes staring at the spot Lord Sesshomaru had disappeared into.
Jaken tried his hardest not to pry too much into Sesshomaru's mind for it was quite a task to take on, especially someone unknown to the pains and aches of love.
"Jaken," came a growl.
He turned to find his master had returned, still looking just as irritable as before.
"Get some rest for tomorrow," Sesshomaru ordered sternly.
Jaken flinched slightly as his master's tone, but kept quiet. He watched him move gracefully across the fire's light. His sliver mane caught the light and a golden shimmer flew across it.
Jaken had always thought of how beautiful his master was. It was an innocent, admiring notice...nothing that a lover would think. He just simply believed that his master was, by far, the most powerful, mystical looking youkai he had ever encountered.
And he was so very glad to have encountered him...
>
Late, late into the night it was.
The dewy atmosphere swept around her with the night's chilling breeze. She shuddered slightly, closing her eyes as the air stung the freshest tears falling slowly down her soft cheeks.
Her dark lashes blinked back the warm tears, trying her hardest to remain quiet.
She sniffled ever so quietly, delicately wiping her nose on the back of her hand. Behind her the soft snores could be heard, and for once, she was grateful for the nasal noises.
She tried to recall the many events that had passed through the week, but they seemed so insignificant compared to those days weeks ago when he had visited her.
So few words had been spoken. There had been a wall between that had once been nonexistant. As a child she was innocent, easy to communicate with. She was young so she could be excused for her actions. Now though, she was a woman and it seemed that both she and Lord Sesshomaru had put a bubble around her that kept them seperated.
Tension was floating between them.
What kind of tension? Good or bad?
She knew not the answer.
Clutched tightly in her other hand and draped across her lap, was the pure, white kimono that in just fourteen days, she would dress in. She would walk to Roiyaru, eyes downcast in both shame and fear. In fourteen days, she would be Lord Roiyaru's wife, not Rin.
She let out a tiny whimper as her knuckles grew white from gripping to the silky material. Her whole frame shook as she used every ounce of energy to keep herself quiet.
For nearly two weeks she had refrained from crying. She would keep herself busy and would try and keep someone up late, late into the night so that when she would go to bed, she would be far too exhausted to worry about crying.
Last night though, she had gotten a full night's rest. She had awaken late in the morning with the news of her just arrived wedding gown.
It had been, like stated before, the wake up call that this was it. These were the last days of her freedom. Though it sounded so very dramatic, it were what she felt.
"Sesshomaru," she whimpered gently.
It didn't help that she had dreamt of him just a few days prior. A dream that had him being ripped from her tight grasp. Who was pulling who, she had no idea. All she knew was that she had lost him.
"Rin?"
She jerked, looking over her shoulder as Saeko sat up, frowning.
"What're crying about?" she snapped.
Rin eyed her carefully, knowing full well that her face was tear stained and her eyes blood shot.
"I...I...was-"
"You were thinking of that youkai again weren't you?" Saeko interrupted quietly.
Rin frowned slightly. "No."
Saeko snorted somewhat, rising to sit fully upright. "Liar. I heard you say his name...what's with you? You're getting married in a few days! Stop blubbering and go to sleep."
Rin opened her mouth to protest but as Saeko began to lay back down, she looked over her round shoulder and muttered, "You should be grateful for what you've been given, including Roiyaru."
"I am grateful!" Rin snapped back, a little louder than she had anticipated.
Ami rose up slowly, rubbing her puffy eyes. "What's goin' on?" she asked groggily, glancing from Saeko to Rin. Saeko just shrugged and began to settle back under her covers.
Rin glared a moment longer at Saeko before she turned to Ami with a slight smile, knowing that the younger girl was far too sleepy to notice her teary face.
"Nothing Ami, just go back to sleep."
Rin cast one more glance towards Saeko, who she could have sworn was smiling, before she rose up silently to put away the near priceless gown.
All of the female family members had been on high strings. With Rin's wedding, Kisho's absence and Namiko and Saeko's jealousy, it was growing quite tenaciously uneasy in the mansion. Saeko had always held a bit of resentment towards Rin, but now she was just looking for reasons to hate her.
Rin could careless, as long as Saeko did not act upon her vile nature.
Rin turned towards a small table near the window. Upon it lay a letter from Lord Kisho. He had wished for the family's health and continued to promise that he would be home in time for Rin's wedding. Rin held her doubts, but decided that she would keep her hope alive that he would be home in time.
She was far more concerned with the presence of Lord Sesshomaru.
He was returningto theWestern Lands last she'd seen of him and she knew how territorial he was of anything. To be upon his father's land was probably the worst of the worst things to be touched by mortal hands.
Little did she know that she were the worst of the worsts to be touched in Sesshomaru's eyes.
>
Sesshomaru gripped Toukijin tightly, unknowingly reassuring himself that the sword remained faithfully at his side. His eyes narrowed decisively, a smirk spreading across his thin lips.
Down in the nearest valley below him trudged on the small army that had claimed to have concurred his land. They were small in numbers...barely fifty men, and that was giving them probably more than there were.
Though some of the men were of impressive size, they looked tired and weak.
He could hear them singing songs in triumphant, laughing about their leader and the easy way they had found this bountiful land.
"Pathetic mortals, they believe that they've won."
Jaken turned to his master as he spoke.
And then, before he knew it, his master was heading stealthily down the mountain's side.
>
Lord Kisho's piercing black eyes stared darkly about him. It was an ominous day and he could feel trouble about him. Dark clouds loomed over head and though it were a nice, July day, a cold bitterness filtered within him.
The men could feel it as well, for they were solemn and as silent as ever, except for the drunken fools near the back who were singing his praise.
They had covered so much of these beautiful lands that they should have been rejoicing...yet the disturbing aura around them made it rather hard to celebrate without the aide of alcohol.
"Perhaps we've gone too far?" he questioned quietly to one of his men. The man simply shrugged hopelessly.
Kisho had hoped this would be a fine present for Roiyaru's father. Rin was a high dollar girl. Far more beautiful than most in the land, she was expensive and yet, Kisho wanted to offer even more to Roiyaru's father.
He was growing tired though and with Rin's wedding fast approaching, he felt that he may miss it.
At that thought, the look of disappointment in her big brown eyes, he felt his heart tightened in his chest and bit his lower lip. Though not his by blood, Rin was known to behis favorite daughter and though he would never admit it, she was. Beautiful, smart, quiet and gentle, she was everything he had always wanted in a daughter. She was so very similar to Lady Adzumi. His other daughters were rather brash and outgoing.
Saeko being the worst.
"My lord! Someone approaches!" came a call.
It was then that that sense of dread hit harder than ever.
Kisho looked to find a tall figure walking proudly towards them. A mane of silver followed him, his golden eyes easily found Kisho's and held them. Kisho felt himself shaking with fear. The youkai's strut was steady and confident, his eyes never leaving Kisho's.
"Before I kill you mortal, I must ask why you're here," the handsome youkai snarled, stopping only a few feet away from the small army of maybe fifty men.
Kisho sat up straighter upon his horse.
"I am Lord Kisho, who are you demon?" he called back, trying to make himself sound as vicious as the being before him. He was intimidating to most men, but not in anyway to Sesshomaru.
Sesshomaru cocked an ebony brow high in question. 'If he wishes to act powerful before his men, the he can for awhile.'
"I am Lord Sesshomaru of these lands you have been so carelessly trampling upon."
Kisho felt the color fall from his face. He had heard that name...it was the name of the man Rin had lived with years ago...
No!
No! It couldn't be!
He appeared to be cold, ruthless and vicious. How could he have taken care of such a sweet girl as Rin? It was impossible!
The Sesshomaru Rin had spoken of was brave, articulate, proud and protective. Surely this was a mistake.
"I apologize to you Lord Sesshomaru, but where were you when we entered your lands? For we have been her for nearly three or four weeks," he stated smartly, pushing Rin from his thoughts.
Sesshomaru grit his teeth.
"What does it matter where I was? The point is that you are on my land and I intend on removing you."
Kisho stared a moment into Sesshomaru's eyes.
This man had a been heard of long before Rin had appeared.
He was the son of a mighty youkai who had died years ago. Kisho's father and grandfather had also heard of this family of youkai, and they were most certainly, a force to be feared.
Still...could this be the youkai Rin spoke so fondly of?
Lady Adzumi had sent him a letter, mentioning the arrival of a youkai in their village...was this him?
"Have you nothing to say, human?" snapped the youkai.
Kisho frowned, choosing his words carefully, before he shook his head. "I have nothing to say to you, youkai."
Sesshomaru grinned deviously, lunging quickly towards the over confident man.
He leapt high into the air as the men around Kisho gasped. In one quick swoop, the front line of nearly twenty five men were down. Sesshomaru heard not a sound but the beating of his heart. His veins were pulsing with adrenaline and a new found excitement. He loved this!
And then, so unexpectedly, Rin's voice rang in his mind.
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
He flinched slightly, resulting in nearly being stabbed by four men.
Kisho frowned, choosing his words carefully, before he shook his head. "I have nothing to say to you, youkai."
Sesshomaru grinned deviously, lunging quickly towards the over confident man.
He leapt high into the air as the men around Kisho gasped. In one quick swoop, the front line of nearly twenty five men were down. Sesshomaru heard not a sound but the beating of his heart. His veins were pulsing with adrenaline and a new found excitement. He loved this!
And then, so unexpectedly, Rin's voice rang in his mind.
"Lord Sesshomaru!"
He flinched slightly, resulting in nearly being stabbed by four men.
With a resilient growl, he then piveted on the heel of his foot, and turned to rip and slash at a smaller group of men charging towards him. A malicious grin spread across his lips as he set his eyes upon his true intended target...Kisho.
>
"...I wonder what he'll say once he hears..."
Rin glared at Saeko and Namiko from across the room. They were whispering loudly, snickering behind their chubby hands and eyeing Rin with resentment. She wanted nothing more than to hurl her cup of tea at him and scream, "Shut up!"
But alas, Rin was not that kind of girl.
Instead she simply peered at the two of them, remaining quiet. She knew that Saeko had always held so sort of anger towards her, but Rin never knew that she would act this way. Rin was fully aware that each of her siblings were quite taken with Lord Roiyaru, but still...
Rin let out a small sigh, sipping at her tea. The warm liquid slid smoothly down her throat as she frowned. What were they scheming?
>
There they stood.
Facing one another as men lay about them, groaning and moaning. Few were dead, but very, very badly injured. The sickening scent of blood filled his nostrils, making his stomach churn, but at the same time, making his heart race.
Blood spattered his face and ever so slowly, he wiped it away with his sleeve. Blood dripped from his fingertips and malice shimmered within his amber eyes. He stared coldly from behind silver bangs; his face calm and complacent.
Fear would strike the heart of anyone at his appearance.
Lord Kisho felt shivers running up and down his spine, his black eyes staring fearfully at the being before him.
He knew not what to say.
Should he beg for his life or simply die honorably?
He could hear the voices of his family, smell the delicate perfume of his wife. He could see their happy faces beaming as he rode back home, Rin standing beautifully in her wedding gown, awaiting his consent.
He couldn't die.
He refused to.
"So, do you still refuse to leave my land?" said the youkai.
Kisho stared at him, the thought of dying a whimpering, begging coward etching its way into his mind.
"Lord Sesshomaru, I must tell you that I do not wish to die," he replied calmly.
Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow in defiance. "Is that so?"
Kisho nodded before he drew his sword. Taking a deep breath, saying a few words of love for his wife, he charged.
Sesshomaru's eyes ignited and he felt a laugh tickling his throat.
He simply turned away and the pathetic human fell forward.
>
Rin walked down the main road of their village.
She continously recieved kind words of congratulations and compliments as she strode slowly about. Tokiko followed behind her as always, simply standing in her mistress's shadow.
Rin stared hopelessly at the village's entrance, imagining that Sesshomaru would walk through just as calm and confidently as he had that one day. He would walk to her, pull her into his arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay.
'Fool, do you honestly believe that he would do such a thing...to anyone?' she snipped silently.
Rin sighed gently, keeping her face as cool and collected as possible so that the rumors did not grow anymore than they already had. She glanced over her shoulder, grinning to Tokiko who returned the soft smile, before she continued on with her walk.
>
Kisho pushed himself off of the dirt and took a deep breath. No matter how many times he charged the youkai, he easily dodged the attack. He was just simply toying with him until he gave up.
'I will not give up,' he thought bravely.
He rose up on shaky legs, his aging body putting up a fight just to remain in an upright position. His eyes found Sesshomaru's, who were sparkling with mirth. He let out a cry and charged once more.
And once more, Sesshomaru dodged him.
Kisho fell face first onto the earth and rose up on his knees and elbows, breathing heavily.
Nearing his mid-fifties, the old man was doing quite well compared to Sesshomaru's standards. He would give the human credit, he did have a fire in him.
"I can't die," Kisho whispered, gasping for air.
He then felt the cool, freezingtip of a sword against his chin, lifting his head upwards.
"I think you can, human."
The cold, vile voice of his murderer made him grow sick.
He stared into Sesshomaru's eyes, praying to find a glimmer of hope or mercy...but he found none.
And then, like a bolt of lighting, it hit him.
'Rin! She knows this man!'
Sesshomaru pulled back, ready to make one final swing with Toukijin. His knuckles cracked as he reared back...and then her name fell from the man's lips.
"Rin!"
Sesshomaru stopped in mid swing.
His eyes widened considerably, staring harder than ever at the man before him.
"What did you just say?"
The old man gasped, pushing off of the muddy earth below him. "Rin...please...spare me for the sake of my daughter, Rin!"
>
A/n: Wll here it is guys. I hope you like it! I can't say when the next update will be, but I'm praying that it isn't as long as a wait as this one. I'm really, really sorry guys! Time just flew by! Oh and on a side note, I was just wondering if any of ya'll read Harry Potter? I just finished the 6th book and omg, I cried and cried when I read it! I couldn't believe it! Lol, okay, enough of that, review like ya'll always do! See ya!