Disclaimer: Little Miss Otaku sat with Naraku, reading her fics all day.
Then along came a lawyer, by the name of Sawyer, and frightened Miss Otaku
away ^_^ But she came back, stuck him with a tack, and wrote this fic
anyway! (I give credit to the poem "Miss Muffet" for this one).
AN: Put a Mother Goose book in front of me, and that's the kind of disclaimers you get ^_^. Anyway, I know there's been a lot of jumping around between characters, but soon they will meet. This chapter gets back to Rin and Sesshoumaru, since we miss them, ne? Also, I know I didn't mention this, but I originally started writing this fic with one goal in mind: To obtain at least 100 reviews. Yeah, I know it sounds egotistical, but they really do inspire me to write. I love all of you who've reviewed ^_^, so don't stop! On another note, I just finished reading volume 9 of the Inu Yasha graphic novels...ooohhh, so good! It gave me inspiration for some good Inu/Kag fluff I can throw into the story later. Now, on to chapter 7!
~~~~~~ - Flashback.
Nogareru~Break Away
By Otaku-Chan ^_~
Chapter Seven~Traveling With Sesshoumaru
Rin yawned loudly as she stretched her arms and legs, greeting the new day with a content smile. She was alive again! And it was all thanks to the mysterious youkai lord, Sesshoumaru, however questionable his motives may have been.
'I should thank him again,' Rin thought to herself as she rose up from the futon she had slept on, carefully fixing it to look as neat as it did when she first arrived. She noticed a clean kimono with orange and yellow checker-like patterns all over. There was a green obi set next to it as well to tie the kimono closed. Removing her clean white sleeping robe, which a servant of Sesshoumaru's had also given to her, she began to change.
Rin felt a strange sense of anticipation. What would she discover about the handsomely dangerous youkai lord on her travels with him? Was he even trustworthy? And more importantly, why did he bring her back to life if she was considered to be a 'worthless mortal' to him? She hoped he wouldn't turn on her when he didn't need her anymore. Perhaps she could even get him to help her with her own mission...Of course, that might take a bit of doing, she thought with a sigh.
Was it fate that she ran into him last night? Someone with the power to revive lost lives? Somehow, she felt like she wanted to get closer to him. To learn more about him. So much more. Perhaps she could learn more about the Inu youkai from him if he would be willing to tell her, which she somehow doubted.
Cautiously, Rin slid open the shoji rice paper door and exited the room. She wanted to explore the place a bit before she set out with the lord of Western Lands. He had warned his people of her presence, so she was safe in case any of the Inu youkai got the idea to harm her in any way. From what she did already see, her curiosity was peaked. She needed to see more. Noticing that nobody was around, she began to move quietly down the spacious hallway. She knew there were many Inu youkai in the estate, but they must have been resigned to their sleeping chambers. Perhaps she would meet one that would answer some of her many questions...
~~~~~~
Rin relayed in her mind everything that had happened since she was led to this place. The moonlight had revealed to her the place where the Inu youkai's most respected lord lived. She could feel that the place had a long history with many happy moments, triumphant moments, and remorseful moments as well.
It had been late that night when she first arrived in her bloody, filthy kimono. Sesshoumaru had revived her, then requested that she accompany him to find Inu Yasha, with a few threats thrown in, but still, it wasn't such a bad deal. It was better than death.
However, the questions still lingered in the back of her mind: If Sesshoumaru was an Inu youkai lord, why would he need her help to locate Inu Yasha? After all, she hadn't the faintest clue as to where the hanyou could possibly be since last she saw him. Couldn't the youkai lord simply use his keen sense of smell to track him down? Furthermore, she wondered what Sesshoumaru's relation was to Inu Yasha. Perhaps Inu Yasha was his cousin? Or a brother? Who could tell? All she knew is that they resembled each other.
Rin decided to push those questionable thoughts to the back of her mind for the time being. After all, who would answer them? Sesshoumaru didn't seem like a very sociable person, so divulging information from him was not her top priority. When she finally entered the estate, her thoughts quickly changed to another subject: How incredible the place was!
She hadn't seen much of his 'youkai palace', but what she did see impressed her. The fact that it was a four story tall pagoda surrounded by smaller complexes was breathtaking enough, but when she got to feast her eyes on the inside, she wondered why even some high ranking human lords didn't live so well. There were many antique treasures adorning the walls, like fans, scrolls, even the finest of hand crafted blades that she had ever seen. There was furniture covered in fine Chinese silk, rugs with beautiful embroidery of dragons and mountains, as well as ming pottery, also from China, which made Rin's breath catch in her throat, especially when she glanced in the direction of one wall that had a large painting on it that really caught her eye.
Deep, rich tones stood out from a washed looking background. A large and fierce Inu youkai raced through the clouds high above a village, as if to claim the whole thing as his own. The painting was surreal, Rin thought as she looked closely at the Inu youkai in it's truest form, a Hennyo form. It was beautiful, and yet frightening, to think that someone like Sesshoumaru could transform into such a ferocious beast.
"That is a portrait of my father, the now deceased Inu Taishou."
Rin was startled by the unsuspected company. She didn't even hear him walk up behind her! This youkai was even stealthier than she was!
"Y-You said this was your father? You must be kidding! Inu Taishou was YOUR father? That's amazing!" Rin stammered. Truly, it was an amazing feeling to be near someone directly related to such a honorable mention as Inu Taishou himself. She had even heard that he once fell in love with a human woman of nobility. Truly, he was a youkai that defied every law of the land in the current era. Was this youkai before her nearly as great and powerful as his father?
"I advise that you rest for the evening. We will be journeying for as long as it takes for me to locate the hanyou, and I do not want to hear prattle about being tired or fatigued from you, human," he said in a cool, yet cold tone.
'What is with this guy? He's even moodier than me at a certain time of the month!' she regarded, obediently starting towards the room he had pointed out to her as hers. The thought of him being 'great' flew out the window, and was replaced with 'rude.'
Once Rin was in the room and closed the door, she found the futon to be quite comfortable, as opposed to her old one back in what once was Kinryoku, Rin softly sighed as her heavy eye lids drooped closed and a serene darkness greeted her.
'Perhaps he isn't so bad...' she thought as sleep took over.
~~~~~~
'Haaah... This place is huge!' Rin thought to herself as she continued to navigate around many corners, through halls and rooms, taking in each sight with curiosity and awe. She had finally ran into a few Inu youkai, some of which seemed to ignore her completely as if she wasn't there. Others glared at her with disgust. Of course, she was only a human, so she expected that they would disapprove of her presence.
Only one didn't ignore her, nor look upon her with contempt, but something else that she couldn't place. He was tall, and wore a deep navy blue kimono, topped off with fierce looking armor, not quite like Sesshoumaru's. His hair was long, but messy and tangled looking. He had four red stripes on his right cheek, looking almost like bloody claw marks. The very sight of him sent shivers down her spine.
The next thing she knew, he was gone. Rin kept observing the others, however, as she kept exploring further, she was soon alone again.
'All of them seem to have golden eyes and silver hair, but the patterns of stripes on their faces are all unique,' Rin thought. It seemed only Sesshoumaru had the purple crescent moon mark. Perhaps that marked him as the lord among the others?
*Click, clack, clank*
Suddenly, Rin stopped dead in her tracks. Something was nearby, and she doubted it was Sesshoumaru, or even another Inu youkai. Slowly turning a corner towards the source of the unusual sound, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a hideous, green, lumpy little creature hobbling towards her with a large staff, adorned with two heads at it's top.
"Eeeeeek!!!"
"Waaaaah!!! What is a female wench like you doing in milord's estate?! He would never stoop so low as his old man and take a human as a concubine!" the toad-like creature sputtered as he accusingly pointed his staff at the newly angered Rin. "I shall do milord the favor of ridding his home of such a pest! The flames from this staff of heads will burn even your bones to ashes! HA!"
Suddenly, flames came shooting out of the open mouth of the old man's head atop the staff. Rin then felt strong arms around her, and to her surprise and relief, Sesshoumaru had saved her...again!
"A-Arigatou!" Rin blushed as the enigmatic youkai put her down safely.
"S-Sesshoumaru-Sama...it can't be true! This mortal really is your bed mate?"
*Whack!* *Smack!* *Crack!*
"Say that again, Jaken, and I'll slice off your head with my poison claw," he threatened, bearing the long, sharp instruments of death to his groveling retainer.
"Gomen nasai, Sesshoumaru-Sama! Forgive me for ever making such a horrid assumption! I'll never do it again, milord!"
"Now, make yourself useful and gather food for our journey."
"H-Hai! Right away milord!!!" the toad youkai stuttered as he scrambled towards the kitchen area.
"The nerve of that creepy little...! Accusing ME of being some sleazy little concubine!" Rin fumed as she watched the pathetic retainer scuttle off, still angry from his last remarks. How could someone as regal as Sesshoumaru stand to have such a lousy servant?
"Only a 'sleazy' youkai would bed a human. Such useless creatures they are..."
"Hey!"
"If you want to eat before we leave, I suggest you follow Jaken to the kitchen. I know that all human weaklings need food to fuel their efforts," he said, looking down upon Rin with disgust among other things.
Rin's view of the youkai dropped a couple of notches more at that last remark. So, he really did despise humans, otherwise, he wouldn't be speaking of them with such contempt. But still, if he hated her, why did he save her just now?
"So, you're calling your father 'sleazy?' Rin angrily asked, but soon she felt sharp claws dangerously close to her throat.
"You best learn to hold your tongue, wench, otherwise I will end up killing you."
Rin felt stab of fear as she gazed into the man's piercing golden eyes. He was serious, and she knew that making a wrong move around him could cost her her life. No, he certainly wasn't like the Inu Taishou she had heard of in stories and legends. He was a cold-hearted beast that hated her simply because she was a human. And apparently, he hated hearing about his father with a human woman.
Releasing her from his grip, Sesshoumaru turned around coldly and started to walk in the direction of his bedchamber. His anger was nearly tangible as Rin watched him leave.
'Why? Why do you hate humans so? If you can't stand us, then you must also hate hanyous...' Rin thought as she slowly walked towards the kitchen. Then she stopped again, another idea working its way into her mind.
"Wait! If he's going to use me to track down Inu Yasha...would he be planning to kill him?" she asked aloud, in a frightening realization.
"Come and eat wench! Else milord decides to eat you!" shouted the raspy voice of Jaken.
Rin didn't feel much of an appetite at that moment. All she knew was that she had to get away from this place. She couldn't trust Sesshoumaru after all. 'I'll never lead him to Inu Yasha if he's going to kill him! What a jerk!'
As she entered the large rustic dining room, she quietly sat, ignoring the glares from the toad youkai, and managed to eat a bit of the steamy soup in front of her.
"Why are you here, wench? Of what purpose does Sesshoumaru-Sama need you?" asked Jaken in an icy voice.
"I do not know. However, even if I did, I will not oblige in answering questions from a rude fellow that doesn't even have the decency of learning a lady's name!" Rin yelled as she stood up quickly, and rushed out of the room, intent on getting as far away from the toad and Sesshoumaru as she could.
'I'm so foolish! How could I have even thought for a minute that Sesshoumaru might have been a decent youkai? Just because he revived me? Revived me to use me?' Rin sunk into her thoughts as despair took hold of her. 'I need to save my village, not play tour guide for him to find the hanyou that I risked her very life to save!'
Close to the exit, Rin ran as fast as she could, not expecting to run into another Inu youkai. She cried out as she nearly fell over from the impact, but a clawed hand grabbed her wrists and held her firmly up.
"My, my...What do we have here? I came to chat about boring old politics with my dear cousin Sesshoumaru, yet I find thee. A beautiful young vixen...I noticed you here earlier. Could it be that he has claimed you? He really is following in his father's footsteps...ha, ha, ha. How ironic," the man chuckled as he pulled Rin closer and seemed to inhale her scent. Trying to push away, Rin had a bad feeling about this man with dulled, yellow eyes and long, scraggly silver hair. He was the one from before!
"Please let me go! I haven't done anything with anyone! Nor do I intend to do anything with you!" Rin shouted as she tried to pry the youkai's sweaty hands off of her wrists. What was with these Inu youkai and 'claiming' women?
"I see no mark on your neck. Heh, heh...Guess that means your up for grabs..." he snarled, licking his lips as he suddenly hoisted Rin up and over his right shoulder with little effort.
"Put me down! Hey!!!" Rin screamed as she punched and kicked with all her might, however, since he was much stronger, her efforts were to no avail. The youkai began to run outside of the mansion-like estate. All Rin could see were the colors of autumn leaves zooming past in a blur as the creature carried her off against her will.
'How can this be happening to me?' Rin sulked as she tried to push her worst fear from her mind, 'I would've been better off dead than dealing with these brutes!'
"You may have Sesshoumaru's scent on you, but since he hasn't marked you, I shall be the one to claim you. I've been a bit...lonely lately, and I wouldn't mind the attentions of a lovely female, human or not. Ha, ha, ha, ha! What luck!" the youkai laughed sadistically as he dropped Rin hard on the ground underneath a large weeping willow tree. "Before I proceed, allow me to introduce myself. I am called Hajime. Now, let's begin, shall we?"
"Don't you dare touch me!" Rin protested as the youkai began to remove his armor and haori. He suddenly grabbed her wrist again and forced his lips upon Rin's in a bruising kiss. Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled under his strong hold.
Then she used the next best tactic she could think of...she bit down hard on his lower lip, so hard she could feel his warm blood ooze into her mouth, a sickening flavor it had...
His head jolted away from hers and he quickly smacked her across her face with one hand, while wiping the blood off with the other.
"Damn bitch! You'll regret that you ever did that! I was going to be gentle with you, but now I just may rip you apart when I'm through with you!" Rin trembled as she saw his eyes turn a frightening red color. He was serious!
"Kyaa!!!" Rin screamed as he dug his claws into her right shoulder, drawing her own blood. With his other hand, he tried to open her kimono, however, Rin sent her leg up just right, and it connected painfully with his groin. She then rolled out from under him and tried to stand up and run.
"N-Not so fast wench!" he growled as he grabbed her ankle and yanked her down again. "I like feisty women, but if they get too feisty...I like the sounds of their screams as I shred them to pieces!!!" he roared as he raised a clawed hand and prepared to deal Rin a final blow.
'Somebody, please help me!'
Suddenly, Hajime's wrist was caught in a strong grip, and as his flesh started melting, he quickly realized that Sesshoumaru had caught him.
"What do you think you're doing, Hajime?" asked the indifferent voice of the youkai lord. "Did I not give word that this woman is not to be harmed, or did you simply not understand?" He squeezed his wrist tighter, causing the youkai to wince in pain as poison seeped further into him.
"G-Gomen nasai, I promise I'll never touch her again! Just let go of my wrist before my hand breaks off!" Hajime howled. Sesshoumaru let him go, but cast a glance that said, 'next time, you die.'
As the Inu ran off with his tail in between his legs, Sesshoumaru then turned to the girl, who was crying while holding her bloody shoulder.
"I'll need to patch up that wound before we leave. Come with me back to my quarters."
Rin wiped her tears and glanced up at the youkai. For a moment he looked concerned. She stood up, trying to ignore the pain, and she followed him. 'He saved me for a third time...I-I don't know what to think of him. He can be so cold, yet he seems concerned for me at the same time. How confusing,' Rin thought as she walked beside him.
Entering his room, Rin noticed that it was just as luxurious as the rest of the building, but it seemed to have a more tranquil atmosphere. Rin watched as he went into a wash room to attain the materials he needed to clean and patch her wound. A minute later he came back out with a small ivory basin filled with water, a cloth, as well as material like a bandage. He motioned for her to sit down on his futon as he prepared to treat her.
"Open your kimono and show me your shoulder," he instructed. Rin blushed a bit as she complied. Sliding the blood-covered material down off of her shoulder, she gasped in pain. Sesshoumaru dipped the cloth into the water, then carefully wrung out the excess. "This may sting a bit, so hold still."
"Hai," she replied weakly. For some reason her heart was beating too quickly. She was worried that he could hear it, for it seemed so loud in her own ears.
Ever so gently, he cleaned the wound. He was surprised that she wasn't crying and carrying on like other human women were known to do when injured. In fact, she wasn't like any human he had ever come across. Her scent, aside from Hajime's which lingered on her, was pleasant, like the scent of cherry blossoms. He could sense that her heart was racing fast, and he knew she was embarrassed. The blush on her cheeks proved it. Her skin was soft, he noted as he began to wrap the bandage over her shoulder and under her arm.
She was careful to keep herself covered from his piercing gaze. Being this close to him made her realize just how handsome he really was. She was almost tempted to trace the stripes on his cheeks with her finger, but she restrained herself as he finally finished treating her wound. "Ano...arigatou gozaimasu."
'What am I thinking? He's not supposed to be this...this...nice.'
"I'll get you another kimono, so wait here until I return," he said coolly as he picked up his things and put them aside. Then he left the room, as well as Rin to her thoughts.
**********
As Sesshoumaru walked towards the seamstresses' room, he smiled slightly as he thought to himself, 'This could work. With this woman around, when I find Inu Yasha, I should be able to use the Tetsusaiga once I take it from him. Humph, leave it to father to put such an enchantment on his most fearsome blade. Only the heart that can protect humans can utilize the sword. If my father's wench, Yukiko, hadn't taken it for Inu Yasha, I wouldn't have to go through all of this trouble. I guess I'm lucky that wench ran into me last night. If I protect her, then I most certainly will wield the Tetsusaiga. There's no other way I can beat those taijiya bastards if I don't obtain that power.'
"Back already, Sesshoumaru-Sama?" cooed a sweet voice of an elderly Inu youkai mistress. Her wrinkled face was kind and wise with her age.
"I need another kimono for the human. She had a little run in with Hajime."
"I see. So is this the girl you plan to use to obtain your father's treasure sword?"
"I believe so. In a way, Hajime just brought the wench a bit closer to me."
The elderly youkai looked pointedly at him for a moment before handing him a new kimono. "Sesshoumaru-Sama, merely protecting a human may not be enough. You need to have love in your heart. Without it, you may never be able to use the true power of the Tetsusaiga. Inu Yasha is also going to prove himself to be quite a challenge."
"How's that? He's just a weak hanyou."
"True, but if he truly is as weak as you say, then how is it that he has survived all these years in this dangerous war-tainted era? Perhaps he has mastered the Tetsusaiga himself," she added as an afterthought.
"I doubt it. He probably only knows how to turn the blade into it's fang form. And I'm sure he hasn't found any human to..." Then Sesshoumaru suddenly recalled something Rin had said the night before she died...
~~~~~~
"You know him? I am the one who got him out of Saizen the night he was captured. The last I saw of him, he was in Kinryoku with my friend, Kagome...."
~~~~~~
"On second thought, I may be wrong. I must leave now. The more time I waste..."
"I understand, Sesshoumaru-Sama. Please, be careful. Oh, and do have some respect for Inu Yasha. Although you may hate him, it is not his fault for being born a hanyou." The youkai lord grimaced at the thought of respecting that worthless half-brother. Many painful events had occurred in his life because of that whelp.
Taking the kimono, Sesshoumaru exited the small weaving room, quickly going back to Rin.
**********
As Sesshoumaru entered his room, Rin glanced up at him expectantly.
"Ano...Sesshoumaru, gomen nasai..."
"What are you apologizing for?" he asked. This human was strange indeed.
"If I hadn't run off like that...none of this would've happened. But, I've decided to go along with you. However, when we find Inu Yasha, I will not take any part in his death if that's what you have planned. As a matter of fact, I may even try to stop you," Rin said, with a small, brave smile.
Sesshoumaru grinned at the woman. She was very perceptive, but she didn't know his real motive. Killing Inu Yasha would be his top priority given the situation, but he needed the Tetsusaiga. True, he hated Inu Yasha for many reasons, but he would never kill him. If he had wanted to, he would've destroyed the pup and his mother long ago, but instead, he just abandoned them to the rest of the world. That was the only bit of respect he would show to his father. Let the human and the hanyou live their miserable existence's together.
"Enough of this prattle. Put this on. I will be waiting outside the door, then when you're finished, we shall leave on A'un."
Rin did as she was told and soon was walking beside Sesshoumaru, wondering what 'A'un' was.
She soon found out as she was led outside, where a large, scaly, two-headed youkai awaited them. Sesshoumaru motioned for her to climb up onto it's back as he seated himself in the front. When the creature lifted up, Sesshoumaru was amused by Rin's sudden surprised gasp.
"I didn't know this thing could fly! This'll be fun," she smiled, noticing the estate growing tiny in the distance below her as the youkai soared ever higher. Rin enjoyed the feeling of the cool wind in her hair, and she giggled when she felt Sesshoumaru's fluffy white tail brush up against her face, tickling her as the winds blew it to and fro.
"What are you laughing at?"
"N-Nothing!"
Sesshoumaru decided to ignore the strange antics of the human behind him. He had a feeling it was going to be a looong trip! 'All for the Tetsusaiga...,' he reminded himself, although for some reason he felt a small pang of guilt. He was using her, but why was that bothering him now? No, he would not go soft like his father. The love of the human race would be the death of all youkai. That was the rule of nature, and one rule that he wasn't willing to break...
To Be Continued...
AN: Sesshy is stubborn, ne? Will his plan to get the Tetsusaiga work? Well, knowing Inu Yasha...Ho, ho, ho...you'll see! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, since I love writing about Sesshy and Rin ^_^ Of course I couldn't resist a fluffy-tail scene, too. Anyway, I hope you liked the fluffiness, and don't forget to help me with my 100 review goal!
Otaku-Chan ^_~
AN: Put a Mother Goose book in front of me, and that's the kind of disclaimers you get ^_^. Anyway, I know there's been a lot of jumping around between characters, but soon they will meet. This chapter gets back to Rin and Sesshoumaru, since we miss them, ne? Also, I know I didn't mention this, but I originally started writing this fic with one goal in mind: To obtain at least 100 reviews. Yeah, I know it sounds egotistical, but they really do inspire me to write. I love all of you who've reviewed ^_^, so don't stop! On another note, I just finished reading volume 9 of the Inu Yasha graphic novels...ooohhh, so good! It gave me inspiration for some good Inu/Kag fluff I can throw into the story later. Now, on to chapter 7!
~~~~~~ - Flashback.
Nogareru~Break Away
By Otaku-Chan ^_~
Chapter Seven~Traveling With Sesshoumaru
Rin yawned loudly as she stretched her arms and legs, greeting the new day with a content smile. She was alive again! And it was all thanks to the mysterious youkai lord, Sesshoumaru, however questionable his motives may have been.
'I should thank him again,' Rin thought to herself as she rose up from the futon she had slept on, carefully fixing it to look as neat as it did when she first arrived. She noticed a clean kimono with orange and yellow checker-like patterns all over. There was a green obi set next to it as well to tie the kimono closed. Removing her clean white sleeping robe, which a servant of Sesshoumaru's had also given to her, she began to change.
Rin felt a strange sense of anticipation. What would she discover about the handsomely dangerous youkai lord on her travels with him? Was he even trustworthy? And more importantly, why did he bring her back to life if she was considered to be a 'worthless mortal' to him? She hoped he wouldn't turn on her when he didn't need her anymore. Perhaps she could even get him to help her with her own mission...Of course, that might take a bit of doing, she thought with a sigh.
Was it fate that she ran into him last night? Someone with the power to revive lost lives? Somehow, she felt like she wanted to get closer to him. To learn more about him. So much more. Perhaps she could learn more about the Inu youkai from him if he would be willing to tell her, which she somehow doubted.
Cautiously, Rin slid open the shoji rice paper door and exited the room. She wanted to explore the place a bit before she set out with the lord of Western Lands. He had warned his people of her presence, so she was safe in case any of the Inu youkai got the idea to harm her in any way. From what she did already see, her curiosity was peaked. She needed to see more. Noticing that nobody was around, she began to move quietly down the spacious hallway. She knew there were many Inu youkai in the estate, but they must have been resigned to their sleeping chambers. Perhaps she would meet one that would answer some of her many questions...
~~~~~~
Rin relayed in her mind everything that had happened since she was led to this place. The moonlight had revealed to her the place where the Inu youkai's most respected lord lived. She could feel that the place had a long history with many happy moments, triumphant moments, and remorseful moments as well.
It had been late that night when she first arrived in her bloody, filthy kimono. Sesshoumaru had revived her, then requested that she accompany him to find Inu Yasha, with a few threats thrown in, but still, it wasn't such a bad deal. It was better than death.
However, the questions still lingered in the back of her mind: If Sesshoumaru was an Inu youkai lord, why would he need her help to locate Inu Yasha? After all, she hadn't the faintest clue as to where the hanyou could possibly be since last she saw him. Couldn't the youkai lord simply use his keen sense of smell to track him down? Furthermore, she wondered what Sesshoumaru's relation was to Inu Yasha. Perhaps Inu Yasha was his cousin? Or a brother? Who could tell? All she knew is that they resembled each other.
Rin decided to push those questionable thoughts to the back of her mind for the time being. After all, who would answer them? Sesshoumaru didn't seem like a very sociable person, so divulging information from him was not her top priority. When she finally entered the estate, her thoughts quickly changed to another subject: How incredible the place was!
She hadn't seen much of his 'youkai palace', but what she did see impressed her. The fact that it was a four story tall pagoda surrounded by smaller complexes was breathtaking enough, but when she got to feast her eyes on the inside, she wondered why even some high ranking human lords didn't live so well. There were many antique treasures adorning the walls, like fans, scrolls, even the finest of hand crafted blades that she had ever seen. There was furniture covered in fine Chinese silk, rugs with beautiful embroidery of dragons and mountains, as well as ming pottery, also from China, which made Rin's breath catch in her throat, especially when she glanced in the direction of one wall that had a large painting on it that really caught her eye.
Deep, rich tones stood out from a washed looking background. A large and fierce Inu youkai raced through the clouds high above a village, as if to claim the whole thing as his own. The painting was surreal, Rin thought as she looked closely at the Inu youkai in it's truest form, a Hennyo form. It was beautiful, and yet frightening, to think that someone like Sesshoumaru could transform into such a ferocious beast.
"That is a portrait of my father, the now deceased Inu Taishou."
Rin was startled by the unsuspected company. She didn't even hear him walk up behind her! This youkai was even stealthier than she was!
"Y-You said this was your father? You must be kidding! Inu Taishou was YOUR father? That's amazing!" Rin stammered. Truly, it was an amazing feeling to be near someone directly related to such a honorable mention as Inu Taishou himself. She had even heard that he once fell in love with a human woman of nobility. Truly, he was a youkai that defied every law of the land in the current era. Was this youkai before her nearly as great and powerful as his father?
"I advise that you rest for the evening. We will be journeying for as long as it takes for me to locate the hanyou, and I do not want to hear prattle about being tired or fatigued from you, human," he said in a cool, yet cold tone.
'What is with this guy? He's even moodier than me at a certain time of the month!' she regarded, obediently starting towards the room he had pointed out to her as hers. The thought of him being 'great' flew out the window, and was replaced with 'rude.'
Once Rin was in the room and closed the door, she found the futon to be quite comfortable, as opposed to her old one back in what once was Kinryoku, Rin softly sighed as her heavy eye lids drooped closed and a serene darkness greeted her.
'Perhaps he isn't so bad...' she thought as sleep took over.
~~~~~~
'Haaah... This place is huge!' Rin thought to herself as she continued to navigate around many corners, through halls and rooms, taking in each sight with curiosity and awe. She had finally ran into a few Inu youkai, some of which seemed to ignore her completely as if she wasn't there. Others glared at her with disgust. Of course, she was only a human, so she expected that they would disapprove of her presence.
Only one didn't ignore her, nor look upon her with contempt, but something else that she couldn't place. He was tall, and wore a deep navy blue kimono, topped off with fierce looking armor, not quite like Sesshoumaru's. His hair was long, but messy and tangled looking. He had four red stripes on his right cheek, looking almost like bloody claw marks. The very sight of him sent shivers down her spine.
The next thing she knew, he was gone. Rin kept observing the others, however, as she kept exploring further, she was soon alone again.
'All of them seem to have golden eyes and silver hair, but the patterns of stripes on their faces are all unique,' Rin thought. It seemed only Sesshoumaru had the purple crescent moon mark. Perhaps that marked him as the lord among the others?
*Click, clack, clank*
Suddenly, Rin stopped dead in her tracks. Something was nearby, and she doubted it was Sesshoumaru, or even another Inu youkai. Slowly turning a corner towards the source of the unusual sound, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a hideous, green, lumpy little creature hobbling towards her with a large staff, adorned with two heads at it's top.
"Eeeeeek!!!"
"Waaaaah!!! What is a female wench like you doing in milord's estate?! He would never stoop so low as his old man and take a human as a concubine!" the toad-like creature sputtered as he accusingly pointed his staff at the newly angered Rin. "I shall do milord the favor of ridding his home of such a pest! The flames from this staff of heads will burn even your bones to ashes! HA!"
Suddenly, flames came shooting out of the open mouth of the old man's head atop the staff. Rin then felt strong arms around her, and to her surprise and relief, Sesshoumaru had saved her...again!
"A-Arigatou!" Rin blushed as the enigmatic youkai put her down safely.
"S-Sesshoumaru-Sama...it can't be true! This mortal really is your bed mate?"
*Whack!* *Smack!* *Crack!*
"Say that again, Jaken, and I'll slice off your head with my poison claw," he threatened, bearing the long, sharp instruments of death to his groveling retainer.
"Gomen nasai, Sesshoumaru-Sama! Forgive me for ever making such a horrid assumption! I'll never do it again, milord!"
"Now, make yourself useful and gather food for our journey."
"H-Hai! Right away milord!!!" the toad youkai stuttered as he scrambled towards the kitchen area.
"The nerve of that creepy little...! Accusing ME of being some sleazy little concubine!" Rin fumed as she watched the pathetic retainer scuttle off, still angry from his last remarks. How could someone as regal as Sesshoumaru stand to have such a lousy servant?
"Only a 'sleazy' youkai would bed a human. Such useless creatures they are..."
"Hey!"
"If you want to eat before we leave, I suggest you follow Jaken to the kitchen. I know that all human weaklings need food to fuel their efforts," he said, looking down upon Rin with disgust among other things.
Rin's view of the youkai dropped a couple of notches more at that last remark. So, he really did despise humans, otherwise, he wouldn't be speaking of them with such contempt. But still, if he hated her, why did he save her just now?
"So, you're calling your father 'sleazy?' Rin angrily asked, but soon she felt sharp claws dangerously close to her throat.
"You best learn to hold your tongue, wench, otherwise I will end up killing you."
Rin felt stab of fear as she gazed into the man's piercing golden eyes. He was serious, and she knew that making a wrong move around him could cost her her life. No, he certainly wasn't like the Inu Taishou she had heard of in stories and legends. He was a cold-hearted beast that hated her simply because she was a human. And apparently, he hated hearing about his father with a human woman.
Releasing her from his grip, Sesshoumaru turned around coldly and started to walk in the direction of his bedchamber. His anger was nearly tangible as Rin watched him leave.
'Why? Why do you hate humans so? If you can't stand us, then you must also hate hanyous...' Rin thought as she slowly walked towards the kitchen. Then she stopped again, another idea working its way into her mind.
"Wait! If he's going to use me to track down Inu Yasha...would he be planning to kill him?" she asked aloud, in a frightening realization.
"Come and eat wench! Else milord decides to eat you!" shouted the raspy voice of Jaken.
Rin didn't feel much of an appetite at that moment. All she knew was that she had to get away from this place. She couldn't trust Sesshoumaru after all. 'I'll never lead him to Inu Yasha if he's going to kill him! What a jerk!'
As she entered the large rustic dining room, she quietly sat, ignoring the glares from the toad youkai, and managed to eat a bit of the steamy soup in front of her.
"Why are you here, wench? Of what purpose does Sesshoumaru-Sama need you?" asked Jaken in an icy voice.
"I do not know. However, even if I did, I will not oblige in answering questions from a rude fellow that doesn't even have the decency of learning a lady's name!" Rin yelled as she stood up quickly, and rushed out of the room, intent on getting as far away from the toad and Sesshoumaru as she could.
'I'm so foolish! How could I have even thought for a minute that Sesshoumaru might have been a decent youkai? Just because he revived me? Revived me to use me?' Rin sunk into her thoughts as despair took hold of her. 'I need to save my village, not play tour guide for him to find the hanyou that I risked her very life to save!'
Close to the exit, Rin ran as fast as she could, not expecting to run into another Inu youkai. She cried out as she nearly fell over from the impact, but a clawed hand grabbed her wrists and held her firmly up.
"My, my...What do we have here? I came to chat about boring old politics with my dear cousin Sesshoumaru, yet I find thee. A beautiful young vixen...I noticed you here earlier. Could it be that he has claimed you? He really is following in his father's footsteps...ha, ha, ha. How ironic," the man chuckled as he pulled Rin closer and seemed to inhale her scent. Trying to push away, Rin had a bad feeling about this man with dulled, yellow eyes and long, scraggly silver hair. He was the one from before!
"Please let me go! I haven't done anything with anyone! Nor do I intend to do anything with you!" Rin shouted as she tried to pry the youkai's sweaty hands off of her wrists. What was with these Inu youkai and 'claiming' women?
"I see no mark on your neck. Heh, heh...Guess that means your up for grabs..." he snarled, licking his lips as he suddenly hoisted Rin up and over his right shoulder with little effort.
"Put me down! Hey!!!" Rin screamed as she punched and kicked with all her might, however, since he was much stronger, her efforts were to no avail. The youkai began to run outside of the mansion-like estate. All Rin could see were the colors of autumn leaves zooming past in a blur as the creature carried her off against her will.
'How can this be happening to me?' Rin sulked as she tried to push her worst fear from her mind, 'I would've been better off dead than dealing with these brutes!'
"You may have Sesshoumaru's scent on you, but since he hasn't marked you, I shall be the one to claim you. I've been a bit...lonely lately, and I wouldn't mind the attentions of a lovely female, human or not. Ha, ha, ha, ha! What luck!" the youkai laughed sadistically as he dropped Rin hard on the ground underneath a large weeping willow tree. "Before I proceed, allow me to introduce myself. I am called Hajime. Now, let's begin, shall we?"
"Don't you dare touch me!" Rin protested as the youkai began to remove his armor and haori. He suddenly grabbed her wrist again and forced his lips upon Rin's in a bruising kiss. Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled under his strong hold.
Then she used the next best tactic she could think of...she bit down hard on his lower lip, so hard she could feel his warm blood ooze into her mouth, a sickening flavor it had...
His head jolted away from hers and he quickly smacked her across her face with one hand, while wiping the blood off with the other.
"Damn bitch! You'll regret that you ever did that! I was going to be gentle with you, but now I just may rip you apart when I'm through with you!" Rin trembled as she saw his eyes turn a frightening red color. He was serious!
"Kyaa!!!" Rin screamed as he dug his claws into her right shoulder, drawing her own blood. With his other hand, he tried to open her kimono, however, Rin sent her leg up just right, and it connected painfully with his groin. She then rolled out from under him and tried to stand up and run.
"N-Not so fast wench!" he growled as he grabbed her ankle and yanked her down again. "I like feisty women, but if they get too feisty...I like the sounds of their screams as I shred them to pieces!!!" he roared as he raised a clawed hand and prepared to deal Rin a final blow.
'Somebody, please help me!'
Suddenly, Hajime's wrist was caught in a strong grip, and as his flesh started melting, he quickly realized that Sesshoumaru had caught him.
"What do you think you're doing, Hajime?" asked the indifferent voice of the youkai lord. "Did I not give word that this woman is not to be harmed, or did you simply not understand?" He squeezed his wrist tighter, causing the youkai to wince in pain as poison seeped further into him.
"G-Gomen nasai, I promise I'll never touch her again! Just let go of my wrist before my hand breaks off!" Hajime howled. Sesshoumaru let him go, but cast a glance that said, 'next time, you die.'
As the Inu ran off with his tail in between his legs, Sesshoumaru then turned to the girl, who was crying while holding her bloody shoulder.
"I'll need to patch up that wound before we leave. Come with me back to my quarters."
Rin wiped her tears and glanced up at the youkai. For a moment he looked concerned. She stood up, trying to ignore the pain, and she followed him. 'He saved me for a third time...I-I don't know what to think of him. He can be so cold, yet he seems concerned for me at the same time. How confusing,' Rin thought as she walked beside him.
Entering his room, Rin noticed that it was just as luxurious as the rest of the building, but it seemed to have a more tranquil atmosphere. Rin watched as he went into a wash room to attain the materials he needed to clean and patch her wound. A minute later he came back out with a small ivory basin filled with water, a cloth, as well as material like a bandage. He motioned for her to sit down on his futon as he prepared to treat her.
"Open your kimono and show me your shoulder," he instructed. Rin blushed a bit as she complied. Sliding the blood-covered material down off of her shoulder, she gasped in pain. Sesshoumaru dipped the cloth into the water, then carefully wrung out the excess. "This may sting a bit, so hold still."
"Hai," she replied weakly. For some reason her heart was beating too quickly. She was worried that he could hear it, for it seemed so loud in her own ears.
Ever so gently, he cleaned the wound. He was surprised that she wasn't crying and carrying on like other human women were known to do when injured. In fact, she wasn't like any human he had ever come across. Her scent, aside from Hajime's which lingered on her, was pleasant, like the scent of cherry blossoms. He could sense that her heart was racing fast, and he knew she was embarrassed. The blush on her cheeks proved it. Her skin was soft, he noted as he began to wrap the bandage over her shoulder and under her arm.
She was careful to keep herself covered from his piercing gaze. Being this close to him made her realize just how handsome he really was. She was almost tempted to trace the stripes on his cheeks with her finger, but she restrained herself as he finally finished treating her wound. "Ano...arigatou gozaimasu."
'What am I thinking? He's not supposed to be this...this...nice.'
"I'll get you another kimono, so wait here until I return," he said coolly as he picked up his things and put them aside. Then he left the room, as well as Rin to her thoughts.
**********
As Sesshoumaru walked towards the seamstresses' room, he smiled slightly as he thought to himself, 'This could work. With this woman around, when I find Inu Yasha, I should be able to use the Tetsusaiga once I take it from him. Humph, leave it to father to put such an enchantment on his most fearsome blade. Only the heart that can protect humans can utilize the sword. If my father's wench, Yukiko, hadn't taken it for Inu Yasha, I wouldn't have to go through all of this trouble. I guess I'm lucky that wench ran into me last night. If I protect her, then I most certainly will wield the Tetsusaiga. There's no other way I can beat those taijiya bastards if I don't obtain that power.'
"Back already, Sesshoumaru-Sama?" cooed a sweet voice of an elderly Inu youkai mistress. Her wrinkled face was kind and wise with her age.
"I need another kimono for the human. She had a little run in with Hajime."
"I see. So is this the girl you plan to use to obtain your father's treasure sword?"
"I believe so. In a way, Hajime just brought the wench a bit closer to me."
The elderly youkai looked pointedly at him for a moment before handing him a new kimono. "Sesshoumaru-Sama, merely protecting a human may not be enough. You need to have love in your heart. Without it, you may never be able to use the true power of the Tetsusaiga. Inu Yasha is also going to prove himself to be quite a challenge."
"How's that? He's just a weak hanyou."
"True, but if he truly is as weak as you say, then how is it that he has survived all these years in this dangerous war-tainted era? Perhaps he has mastered the Tetsusaiga himself," she added as an afterthought.
"I doubt it. He probably only knows how to turn the blade into it's fang form. And I'm sure he hasn't found any human to..." Then Sesshoumaru suddenly recalled something Rin had said the night before she died...
~~~~~~
"You know him? I am the one who got him out of Saizen the night he was captured. The last I saw of him, he was in Kinryoku with my friend, Kagome...."
~~~~~~
"On second thought, I may be wrong. I must leave now. The more time I waste..."
"I understand, Sesshoumaru-Sama. Please, be careful. Oh, and do have some respect for Inu Yasha. Although you may hate him, it is not his fault for being born a hanyou." The youkai lord grimaced at the thought of respecting that worthless half-brother. Many painful events had occurred in his life because of that whelp.
Taking the kimono, Sesshoumaru exited the small weaving room, quickly going back to Rin.
**********
As Sesshoumaru entered his room, Rin glanced up at him expectantly.
"Ano...Sesshoumaru, gomen nasai..."
"What are you apologizing for?" he asked. This human was strange indeed.
"If I hadn't run off like that...none of this would've happened. But, I've decided to go along with you. However, when we find Inu Yasha, I will not take any part in his death if that's what you have planned. As a matter of fact, I may even try to stop you," Rin said, with a small, brave smile.
Sesshoumaru grinned at the woman. She was very perceptive, but she didn't know his real motive. Killing Inu Yasha would be his top priority given the situation, but he needed the Tetsusaiga. True, he hated Inu Yasha for many reasons, but he would never kill him. If he had wanted to, he would've destroyed the pup and his mother long ago, but instead, he just abandoned them to the rest of the world. That was the only bit of respect he would show to his father. Let the human and the hanyou live their miserable existence's together.
"Enough of this prattle. Put this on. I will be waiting outside the door, then when you're finished, we shall leave on A'un."
Rin did as she was told and soon was walking beside Sesshoumaru, wondering what 'A'un' was.
She soon found out as she was led outside, where a large, scaly, two-headed youkai awaited them. Sesshoumaru motioned for her to climb up onto it's back as he seated himself in the front. When the creature lifted up, Sesshoumaru was amused by Rin's sudden surprised gasp.
"I didn't know this thing could fly! This'll be fun," she smiled, noticing the estate growing tiny in the distance below her as the youkai soared ever higher. Rin enjoyed the feeling of the cool wind in her hair, and she giggled when she felt Sesshoumaru's fluffy white tail brush up against her face, tickling her as the winds blew it to and fro.
"What are you laughing at?"
"N-Nothing!"
Sesshoumaru decided to ignore the strange antics of the human behind him. He had a feeling it was going to be a looong trip! 'All for the Tetsusaiga...,' he reminded himself, although for some reason he felt a small pang of guilt. He was using her, but why was that bothering him now? No, he would not go soft like his father. The love of the human race would be the death of all youkai. That was the rule of nature, and one rule that he wasn't willing to break...
To Be Continued...
AN: Sesshy is stubborn, ne? Will his plan to get the Tetsusaiga work? Well, knowing Inu Yasha...Ho, ho, ho...you'll see! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, since I love writing about Sesshy and Rin ^_^ Of course I couldn't resist a fluffy-tail scene, too. Anyway, I hope you liked the fluffiness, and don't forget to help me with my 100 review goal!
Otaku-Chan ^_~