Chapter Nine: Journey To One's Past
I still don't understand what's gotten into Rin. She is not the one to try and strike me with her fist or raise her voice my way. Why does she think it's a different century? Why does she call herself by a different name? Did she forget who she really is?
"What do you mean we're in the fifteen-hundreds? That can't be true! I'll prove that you are lying!" I am not lying!
Good, now I'll finally know where Rin's been this whole time. She walked through the path away from the small beach. I joined her, "lead the way."
Rin didn't say anything else, and led us up the hill, towards where the large open fields were located. So, has she been living in a village far down the road from here? "My home is past these trees," she explained. Home? Did someone build their home on my land without permission?
When we broke through the trees I heard Rin gasp, "what? This can't be! Where is my home?"
"This is the field you said your home was?"
"Not was, is! I must be dreaming." She fell to her knees, covered her ears, and she began to rock back and forth, "this is not happening, and I am just dreaming. You are not real. This is just some Ozunomahōtsukai type dream."
What is she talking about? The sun was setting, and another round of storms was heading our way. "As you can see there have never been any homes here. Now if you don't want to be caught in this coming storm, Rin. I suggest we head back now." I wondered if she still has her fear of storms.
Rin remained where she was on her knees, but hid her face away. "You're lying, this is all a dream of mine. I'll wake up back in the well. There is no storm coming."
How do I prove that Rin is not dreaming? I looked down to see her hair was pulled back and then it caught my eyes. The teeth marks on her neck! "If it were a dream, then would you care to explain how I know how you acquired the teeth marks on your neck?"
She rose to her feet fast, spun around to face me. She had the look of fear in her eyes. "What?" Her hand reached behind her neck, feeling the fang indents. "How is it you know I was attacked by dogs?"
Dogs? I raised an eyebrow her way, "dogs is what they told you?"
"The… doctors said… it was a... dog attack," her words stuttered. So, she doesn't remember Koga's wolves?
I got up close to Rin, lifted her chin without her permission, and told her, "It was a wolf attack, Rin. At eight-years-old, you were an orphan child. with no family. You lived in squalor all alone. One day a wolf demon and his pack attacked and slaughtered everyone in your old village, including you."
Her deep brown eyes still had the look of confusion still. "How is it that you know that? If I was killed, then explain how I am alive? " She quickly asked. "This is a dream; it has to be."
"Because I found you dead and I brought you back to life with my sword, tenseiga," I explained. I stepped back and pulled the blade that my father handed down to me after he died.
After a few seconds, she shook her head back and forth. "No, that's impossible. Bringing someone back to life with a sword isn't possible. You are lying and this is a dream!" What's it going to take for Rin to believe that she is not dreaming?
Thunder rolled far west of us. I knew it would strike within our distance. The rain started out slow and so did the wind. The storm that was coming was going to be strong. "Rin, if you don't want to be caught in this pending storm, I suggest you come back to the castle now."
Rin's head was down, her hands hid her face as she said, "call me Hana! There's no storm coming. It's just a dream, it's just a…" Thunder crashed twenty feet behind her. I noticed she jumped in fear and turned to face the field. "This… that… was real!"
Of course, it was real. The thunder demon pack who lives to the east of here, are probably having a field day. They tend to fly all over and release their powers for fun during thunderstorms. I looked back at Rin who still had her back to me. "Rin, if you don't want to be struck by lightning and suffer your third death, then I suggest we head back now!"
"Why do you keep saying that I died?" She turned around and faced me fully. Her eyes were heavy with anger, "I have never died! I've only ever fainted and that's rare." More lightning struck the same place again and caused Rin to jump again.
I got by her side, wrapped my arms around her waist, and flashed towards my home. It was a matter of seconds when we were back in the same room, where I had planned to have our meal together. "Are you going to eat?"
I could see that Rin's eyes were on the table before her. "I guess." She then maneuvered forward and sat on her knees. I joined by sitting on the opposite end from her.
As I watched her eat her food elegantly, I was thinking of ways to prove she is Rin. Maybe bringing her back to the village she was originally from would help? The same village where she found me injured deep in the woods. Before I took a bite of food myself, I informed her, "Rin, tomorrow we'll head out to the village you grew up in."
"Hana!" She reminded me. I'll keep calling her Rin. "What are you talking about? I'm not from any village. I have lived in the city of Tokyo since I was adopted."
Such an odd name. "Tokyo? I have never heard of such a village name. Tomorrow I'm going to prove who you are, Rin. Maybe something will jog your memory and you will come to your senses."
"If your theory is wrong and nothing jogs my memory, are you going to let me return home?" No, I will not.
"Your home is not where you said it was. So, the answer is no! You will not leave the castle without me with you. You are allowed to walk inside the castle grounds if you please." It was her favorite thing to do here. There were days I found her asleep under a shaded tree. There were times I left her to sleep outside, but some days I had to carry her inside from incoming storms.
"This is ridiculous. I still say that I'm dreaming, and I'll wake up back in that well or my home," she kept her eyes on her food, instead of looking my way.
Tomorrow you'll find out that I'm telling the truth, Rin.
Itsuki and I have been awake all night and unable to sleep since our daughter Hana disappeared. Police dogs found and tracked her scent coming back from the castle and followed it to the well. They also believed that the serial Shikon Park killer or another perpetrator had taken her. We were informed that the owner of the temple had seen Hana earlier that day. They found out he talked to her for a few minutes, before she bolted to get away from the impending storm. The owner even gave permission for the police to check his side of his home for any traces of Hana inside, but they were unsuccessful.
Itsuki came inside our room and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "Mika, try and get some sleep. I'll wake you if we get any updates," Itsuki tried to reassure me and push me towards our bed.
I Just shook my head back and forth and tears came streaming down my cheeks. "Itsuki, I can't sleep. Our baby is out there, hurt, scared, and afraid." The worst image scared me the most, "my love, what if the killer is keeping Hana alive and using her for her body…" My tears came out more as my knees buckled under and I fell to the floor.
Itsuki got down onto his knees and wrapped his arms around my shoulders again, "Mika, I know. That scares me too. If and when Hana returns home to us, we'll get her the best treatments she will need. I hope the search dogs can track her scent much deeper in the forest tomorrow."
"Me too, Itsuki. Kiyoshi he's so worried for her. I can hear in his voice how much he loves Hana," I hid my face into Itsuki's neck. "I wish we could go out and find her ourselves."
"I know, we just have to trust that the police can find her. If I could go out and search right now for Hana I would. If she was able to get away, she's probably hiding within some bushes. I hope that's the case and they find her tomorrow."
I rose to my feet and maneuvered over towards the bed, "I hope you're right, Itsuki. My baby, where are you?"
Kiyoshi sat around a campfire on a campground at a cabin he had rented, with his old soccer buddies from high school. Instead of feeling depressed and heartbroken, he instead was laughing and not caring that Hana had disappeared. Though he still wished he had killed her that day. The black blade rested back in his car, inside the glove department, buried under his black gloves, and mask.
Him and his soccer buddies were drinking all sorts of alcohol, including beer, around a campfire as he told his friends, "I am glad the bet you all had me take Hana out is finally over."
"You're not worried about her disappearance? I thought it was Kiki that set it all up?" His best friend Inji asked and took a sip of his liquor.
"When I'm around her parents I will be. Hana was a very careless person and always had her head in the clouds. It's no wonder she got caught by some random person," Kiyoshi lied and tossed his empty beer bottle into the fire and watched as it exploded. "Kiki did in fact set me up with Hana, but in the end, I'm fucking Kiki instead. Hand me another beer!"
Another soccer player, Ken, chucked another beer at him as he said, "Hana was a ditzy girl I have to agree. Always has her head in the clouds and drawing that stupid person with a crescent moon on his forehead. What did she call him? And really? Hana still has no idea?"
"Who gives a shit and no she doesn't. Say, let's call the girls from the other night up and get them to join us for a little fun tonight," Kiyoshi pulled out his phone, with his thumb on his contact list.
"Yeah! Let's make this a good old fashion party for all of us being single. Well mostly single since you're seeing Kiki," they all clank their beer bottles together for the enjoyment of being single.
I got another hot bath later that night. It felt comforting, but awkward taking one in a stranger's home. This man, Lord Sesshomaru, claims that this place has been my home since I was a child. That is totally impossible. I have never lived in a castle before in my life. I may have stayed in a few for a vacation for mother daughter weekends, but that's it.
Then there's this girl named Rin who they keep calling me. I have never been called Rin at all. Not unless, before I was found by my adopted parents, that was my original name, but it's hard to tell what my actual name could have been. I've always been Hana and that shall remain my name till the day that I die.
I rested my head back against the rocky headrest of the tub. I closed my eyes and cleared my mind. I still think that this is all a dream. I'll eventually wake up back in the real world, alive, and return home to my loved ones. The one I wanted to see the most were my parents. I still want mom to run her fingers through my hair and sing me to sleep like she did after the first few months I was with them. Though I was a teenager at that time.
I must have really dozed off when I heard the sliding door open and turned to see the women from earlier. I don't remember her name. "Miss Rin, I have a fresh clean yukata for you to sleep in and I packed a few items for your journey tomorrow," she informed me.
I wasn't looking forward to this at all. I still don't see how going to a village he said I once lived in will trigger my memories. I have never lived in a village at all. I can't wait to prove that he is wrong and that I am right. Maybe I'll finally wake up from this damn nightmare. So, I'm just going to play along as I told her, "Alright, and it's Hana."
I was informed she was a wolf demon. I bet that lord is a cosplayer too, but what about that tall beast with the talking toad? It had to be an animatronic that was being tested for some type of purpose. Maybe an upcoming action movie? She let out a huff after I reminded her what my name was, "are you ready to get out?"
"I guess," I stood and climbed out of the tub. I can't believe I'm standing naked in front of a stranger. This person has to be in their mid to late twenties. And I'm just twenty-one. To keep the conversation going, "do I need to be up at a certain time tomorrow?"
"I'll wake you an hour or two before the sun rises. Can I get you anything? Tea perhaps?"
"No." The faster I go to sleep; the faster tomorrow will come, and I'll prove my theory is correct. For now, I'll get myself some rest.
This afternoon didn't go as I thought it would. Rin still doesn't know who she really is and is not acting herself. Is it possible she is being controlled by an unknown demon for which her memories have been erased? This was almost like that time with Kohaku. He too was controlled and had his memories erased being under Naraku's grasp. He knew his name, but not of his past that was caused by Naraku himself. If that is the case, I'll do whatever I can to help her remember the memories she's lost over the years. Tomorrow when we head to her old village, I'll ask her, and do what I can to help her.
I left the doors to my studies open and looked out to the garden. It was one of the largest here within my home. Several ponds, plenty of flower beds, different trees, and the small spring next to a tall magnolia tree.
I could hear Nagisa coming towards me with the sake I asked for. I also asked her to give me an update on Rin once she is settled into her room again. While we are gone, her room will be tended to for more deep cleaning, updated furniture, and soon proper kimonos to be made. She'll need normal everyday wear to evening wear for special occasions I will throw in the near future.
Nagisa swiftly walked in with the tray that held my drink. She knelt before me and placed the cup down, "she's resting, Lord Sesshomaru. Will there be anything else I can do for you?"
"Tell me, do you think it's possible for Rin to have her memories taken by a demon?"
"That I cannot say. From the way Rin speaks, she could have time traveled to the future My Lord. The words she speaks of phones, whatever those are ,and other stuff. My Lord, is it possible that instead of her memories being taken she may just have a slight case of memory loss?" Time travel? Memory loss?
"Explain!" I demanded, taking my glass of sake, and sipping the drink.
"Well, Rin disappeared through the well five years ago by the white might. It's just a thought, but what if she hit her head when she fell that day? Plus, the shock from that light could have caused the memory loss. We noticed she has this little, tiny object connected to her belly button. But we were too afraid to remove it just in case a curse would be placed upon your home." I'll ask her about it myself. "I also noticed she has this marking on her foot of the same flower you have on your haori, and your crescent moon."
The way Nagisa speaks could have a point. Rin was in odd clothing that a woman wouldn't wear during this time and even that pink bag she had on her back. "I see your point. But what do you mean marking? And what tiny object on her belly button?"
"Inked marking, Lord Sesshomaru. Like someone took their time placing it upon her skin. The little object that's clipped to her… I am not sure what exactly it is, but I was afraid to remove it. We don't know if that may play a curse upon your home if we were to remove it. We don't know if that's controlling her either." I see her point.
"Don't worry about it for now. Just make sure that everything is ready to go for tomorrow, and then you may retire for the evening."
Nagisa bowed, "yes, Lord Sesshomaru." Then she got to her feet and left swiftly out the doors.
Tomorrow, Rin, I will make you remember who you are. If all else fails, and a curse was surely placed upon you, I will find someone or some way to have it removed. I won't do that unless necessary.
I tossed and turned in my sleep. The same girl I've dreamt of many times was no longer the smiling child she once was. She was sad, dirty, and bruised all over. She was no longer wearing the checkered print kimono, but instead a torn red kimono that was too small for her. Her long dark hair was unkempt and tangled with knots. The child looked hungry, cold, weak, and very tired. The home that I see her living in was nothing but a shack, connected to a small cliff, alongside a small riverbed, and the roof was nothing but a shredded tarp. Why is no one taking care of her? Where were her parents? Did they die? Was she an orphan?
The girl sat by the river late at night, tears left her eyes, and fell into her lap. She had no one to love her, keep warm, or give comfort. Her little hand relaxed against her stomach, showing that she hasn't eaten in a while. Why doesn't she go get herself some food? I know I am dreaming, but why am I dreaming of this?
A splash of water caught the girl's attention from within the river. She looked up to see a few fish jump out to catch their dinner of flies. She licked her lips, wanting to eat the fish so badly. The child looked around to make sure she wasn't being watched, and slowly made her way into the river. Is there a reason she was checking her surroundings?
The girl made it to a certain point within the river and slowly started to shift her hands in the water, back and forth. An odd way to catch a fish.
The child's eyes lit up and a slight smile when she pulled out a small fish. She licked her lips when a bright light shined on her. Her eyes went from joyfulness to fear. "Rin, you dirty thieving thief!" An angry male voice called to her. Why is she being called a thief? Is she not allowed to eat the fish?
The fish that was once in her hands, fell back into the water, and her tears came down again. The man that yelled at her, grabbed her by the wrist, dragged her back onto dry land, and threw her to the ground. The girl looked up for a quick second seeing a heavy barefoot coming towards her small body. Just as she shielded her face, I heard a voice calling for me to wake up.
"Miss Rin, you need to wake up. Your Lord wishes to leave within an hour." It was at a moment like this that I wished my phone was with me, so I knew the time. "I have some tea for you and a kimono laid out for you to wear. Will there be anything else I can get for you?" This person is too cheery for early morning hours.
"No and I would like to get dressed in private," I said as I rose up in a sitting position. Oh, how badly I wanted to go back to sleep. Though usually when I have odd dreams, I'll wake up and draw what I dreamt. I won't at this time.
"If that is what you wish," she left me to be alone. Finally, privacy.
The futon I slept on was actually quite comfortable. I usually can't sleep that great on these, but I did. I still prefer my bed, being all curled up in my fluffy coral blanket. I got out of this bed and got myself ready. "I'm going to prove that my theory is right," I told myself that over and over. "Hopefully when I do, I will wake up!"
The kimono that was left for me to wear was actually quite pretty. It was my favorite color coral. The obi was gold and wide. The pattern along the kimono had different varieties of flowers in light shades of whites, silvers, and pinks.
I changed out of this night's yukata and dressed in the proper layers to wear this elegant kimono. Why am I acting so calm to wear this? I'm used to wearing twenty-first century clothing. I still believe that I am in that century and I'm just dreaming to be in the fifteen hundreds.
Though I know this is just a dream, I'm taking my pink bag with me. I wanted to sketch my dream once we hit the road. I was all ready to go and led out front where he was waiting and... the beast from earlier! The moss-colored beast had two heads, connected to two separate necks like a giraffe. It has to be animatronic right? Its golden eyes kept me from moving forward. Why am I not waking up? Please wake up!
I wasn't paying much mind to the man before me and the green imp from earlier. "Rin! What's wrong with you? Stop acting like you don't know A-Un."
That beast has a name?
"A-Un come play with me, Haha." The same girl from my dreams called for the same dragon to join her for a run. Why does this keep happening? I wanted to move, but my feet wouldn't let me. I stayed grounded where I was frozen.
"Rin, stop dawdling and let's go!"
"Jaken!" My eyes stayed on the dragon as the man, Lord Sesshomaru, came up before me. "Rin?"
"A-Un, wait here," the same girl Rin called to the dragon. I was seeing the girl climb up a cliff to reach for whatever she was looking for. "My mother, father, and brothers are all dead," she thought. Why am I seeing this?
I didn't even feel my chin being lifted when I heard his voice again, "Rin?"
I shook my head and passed it off as a headache, "it's nothing." I feel like I could be in a deep coma and that's why I am not waking up. "Let's go so I can prove your theory is wrong."
I sat in the kitchen, holding a cup of tea, between both my hands, at five in the morning. Hana was still missing, and fear struck me believing that the worst had come for our only daughter, but I held up hope that she would be found alive soon. I pushed my cup aside, losing my appetite for the liquid. I couldn't hold back my tears again and allowed them to fall. "My baby, where are you?"
Itsuki and I both took several weeks off work for vacation. Our minds were so scattered with Hana missing. The fear of the Shikon Park killer taking her was something we never thought would happen. We thought our cabin was in a safe environment, away from any crime in the city, but we were wrong.
I knew in a few hours, when the sun rose, police and their K-9's would set out and hope to find Hana alive. I knew most cases with the killer they've been hunting for months on end, the outcome is not great. All cases resulted in death after the female victims were raped and stabbed. I hoped that Hana would be the first survivor.
Itsuki came down a short while later to find me in the living room, looking through our latest family albums. It was our recent family vacation to Paris. We surprised Hana for passing her French class and a sixteenth birthday gift. "Mika?" He called softly to me.
"Hana had an amazing time when we visited Paris. She had hoped we could go back again soon," I traced our latest family photo in front of the Eiffel Tower. I closed the album, placed it down on the coffee table, and shielded my red puffy eyes. "Why Hana? Why did the killer choose to come to this area?"
Itsuki joined me on the couch, pulled me close, and kissed the top of her head. "I wished I knew. I pray they find her today, alive."
"Me to Itsuki. If they do find her alive and when she fully recovers, I'm taking her to Paris again."
Itsuki didn't say anything and just held me close to him. We both remained sitting here in silence and prayed that our daughter Hana will return to us soon.
What I would give to have mom's home cooking right now. I still feel tired and can't believe I'm riding a double headed animatronic. At least I think it is. I can feel the beast breathing under me and its body heat. What does this thing run on?
I started to sketch when the sun hit the sky. I decided to draw the scene of the girl, Rin, by the river, looking at her reflection in the ripples of water. Her eyes are what really got to me. They told a sad story behind them. I just wished I knew what that story may be.
As I sat on the dragon's back, the man, Lord Sesshomaru, left on foot and tagging behind was the little green imp. I'm not sure how far this village is, but I'm glad this dream isn't having me walk.
More time had passed when I finished sketching the girl's face reflection in the river. I got every detail I remembered from the scratches to her bruises. Her one eye was closed, swollen shut. I believe she had been abused by someone, possibly that man from my dream last night. I wasn't really paying attention when I heard the man, Lord Sesshomaru, calling me by the wrong name again, "Rin?"
"I told you it's Hana." I refused to look his way. I continued to keep my eyes on my sketch.
"Rin! How dare you speak that way towards Lord Sesshomaru!" I turned my head to the green imp behind me. He was waving that stupid stick of his back and forth. What I would give to chuck something at him.
"Jaken!" I could see him eyeing the imp heavily. "Rin! It doesn't matter what you call yourself, I will prove you are her." His golden eyes were on me. They told a story that he will prove his theory is right. I will prove that I am right.
"Whatever, I'm still going to prove that you are wrong. Now where is this village you speak of?"
The Lord's golden eyes were heavy still as he stretched an arm out, pointing towards a brush of trees. "Through there. Jaken! You shall remain here with A-Un."
He offered to help me down, but I refused. I put my sketchpad away and jumped down myself. "Lead."
He didn't say anything and led me up the path, through the trees, to an empty village? It was quiet and no sound could be heard. "I thought you said this was once my village. Where is everyone?"
"They're all dead," he explained. "Now look around and see if anything looks familiar." He held a long arm out for me to move forward ahead of him.
I walked ahead as I told him, "I still think that this is a dream."
"We'll see who's right here shortly," he stayed a few feet behind me.
"Whatever." As I looked around nothing caught my attention. Mostly to my right all I saw was abandoned and demolished huts. Same in front of me. To my left I could see a river flowing downstream. It almost looked like the one from my dreams. I got closer so I could have a better look and I noticed a hut sat close to a cliff. Is this the same one from my dreams? The same hut the girl Rin lives in.
I decided that I wanted to investigate and jumped down the small cliff. I got to my feet and faced an old shack instead. It was an exact replica from my dream last night. The roof was close to caving in, but I wanted to investigate inside of it.
I could feel his eyes on my back, and I didn't care to look up at him. Inside the shack was barely much to see. A few pots remained in the corners, a thin piece of fabric laid on the dirt floor and not much else. I felt a tear leave my eye and I don't know why. Why do I feel like I have a connection to this shack?
I felt like I had a headache coming along. "It has to be the dirt in here getting to me." Wanting to get out of here, I turned around to see someone was with me. A child no more than eight had her back to me. I could see her trembling with fear with whatever was outside the shack. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude in your home." I thought this village was abandoned.
She didn't hear me. What is going on? How did I not hear her enter? "Hello, can you hear me?" Nothing. Whatever was outside was scaring her. Must be that damn Lord. "Don't worry about that man outside." She still is ignoring me. I decided I was going to give him a piece of my mind. I stormed around the girl and yelled, "I thought you said this village was…"
Outside I saw the most frightening thing ever. Another man was surrounded by massive wolves. A dead man rested at his feet. His nails gripped the ground and left claw marks within the dirt. I looked back at the tall man with his back to me. Dark red blood soaked his fingers. He pointed towards the village, and it looked like he ordered the wolves to enjoy themselves. What are they after?
Fog grew around me and it felt thick and heavy. My headache grew heavier, and I fell to my knees, holding my head with both hands. It was getting harder to breathe from here. The man and the wolves before me vanished before my eyes. I looked up and the girl next to me suddenly noticed she wasn't alone anymore. She came and stood before and lowered herself down to her knees. This… this girl was Rin! Her face was the same from my dreams. All bruised and scratched. I reached a hand to her face and asked, "who did this to you?"
She smiled slightly, placed her little hand along mine. I could feel the warmth from her little hand. "Men, men did this to us."
"Us? What do you mean, us? Where are we?" The fog still surrounded us. It was so thick you couldn't cut it with a knife.
"You are me at this age, Rin. We are regaining what has been lost these past five years. Plus, years before we ever met Lord Sesshomaru," her little voice spoke.
"What? No! That can't be. My name is Hana. I am dreaming of this, and I'll wake up in the well here soon." This must be the end of my dream and I'll wake up back in my home world. I will finally be able to return to my family and fiancé.
The girl Rin just smiled and shook her head no. "I'll show you."
The atmosphere started to feel light, and the scenery started to change. We were no longer in the village from before.
A cool breeze blew across a small village. Families were returning home from working in the fields after a hard day's work. At the very last house lived a family of five, my family. My mother worked on the house by doing the laundry, tidying up, and cooking. While my father and older twin brothers worked outside the village. They hunted for the meat of weak demons. Then there was me, five-year-old Rin, who was very adventurous, and liked to wander off every so often, to be in my own little world.
Why is she showing me this? Why did she show me addressing this family as mine?
"We were happy during that time and loved each other very much. Mother and father, we were their little princess."
Her face turned to sorrow when I had to ask, "what happened?" Something painful hit me in my chest. Why do I feel like I know what she's going to show me?
"Rin, please go wash up for dinner. Your father and brothers have already done so," my mother called out my way as I was walking by our home.
"Okay, mother," I replied back, skipping behind our home, where the river was located.
I made my way to the small river and washed my hands for a few minutes. I started to smell the sign of smoke nearby. As I turned around, all I could see was fire shooting up from the roofs of the villagers' homes. Fear was running through me. I ran as fast as I could to my home. But I stopped in my tracks and saw three men I didn't know walk out with my family. I hid behind a tree and watched as each man was killing my brothers and father first and leaving my mother last. They sent a blade through her several times and left her to die a slow and painful death. Trying not to scream, I watched as the three men got on their horses and left with stolen goods. Not waiting another second, I ran to my mother's side to see that she was still alive, but was losing her battle.
My tears came out of nowhere. Am I waking up or am I regaining what has been lost these past five years?
"Mother, momma, don't leave me," I cried. I soaked the kimono on her shoulder. I could feel myself trembling where I sat. I could feel her little hand patting my shoulder.
Mother placed her hand on my small cheeks and whispered softly to me, "Rin, sweetie. You need to get out of here and run to the nearest village. Don't let those men see you or they will kill you as well. Run and don't look back. Always remember me, your father, and brothers. I love you my little Rin," she cried. I watched her eyes close and take her last breath.
Doing as she told me, I kissed her goodbye along her forehead. "I'll never forget you," I cried. Those were the last words I said that day.
I'm starting to remember. I could feel more tears release. I closed my eyes and had to ask, "where did we end up?" I knew the answer already, but I wanted to hear it again.
I made it to the nearest village that knew my family's village. It seems that they already heard about the massacre that took place. But they didn't want to take responsibility for an orphan child. That's when I realized I was on my own. I wandered around the village till I found an abandoned shack. It wasn't the best, but it would become my home for the next three years.
The younger me wiped my tears away, kissed my forehead, wrapped her arms around my shoulders, and reminded me, "it was three years later when we met and cared for Lord Sesshomaru just outside the village, out of everyone's views."
I couldn't help but smile for a short second only for another vision to be shown to me. I knew what was about to occur and it wasn't one I wanted to remember.
A silent eight-year-old girl named Rin had just returned home to the village. She helped bring food and water to an injured demon. She found him a few days ago in the forest. As Rin made it back to her little shaft of a home, is when she noticed a strange unknown man inside.
The man turned around and noticed the young child. "This is your home?" he asked, eating her food that she saved for not just herself for later that night, but the mysterious demon too. The very silent Rin just nodded her head.
Just then screaming could be heard coming from the villagers. The man that was in the shack went running out to see wolves attacking all the villagers. Rin ran out as well and was beyond scared that she took off into the forest. She soon was being chased by the wolves. She started heading to the injured youkai for protection. As she was nearing the area where the demon was resting, she tripped over a root that stuck out of the ground. She turned around and was attacked by several men eating wolves. Soon her world went dark and silent.
The atmosphere was changing again. My head was feeling heavy again. "It's time to wake up, Rin. It's time for you to remember who you are. It's going to be hard, but you are strong and will pull through this in a few days." Her eyes looked above my head as she smiled at whoever was behind us.
Next thing she remembered was waking up in the arms of the same demon that she met and saved a few days ago. He was her guardian, he was her protector, he was…
…I felt a clawed hand rub against my forehead and my cheek. "Rin?" The voice behind the demon holding me was bringing back a lot of memories of my past. I opened up my eyes to the man who's been my protector since we found each other. His golden eyes were the same shade of honey that I remembered. They were warm with a bit of concern. How could I forget those eyes? How could I forget Lord Sesshomaru? How could I forget who I truly was? I am Rin! I was always Rin, never Hana!
My tears streamed down my cheek, and I could feel myself passing out again. I needed him to hear my voice before that happened. I cupped my hand over his and whispered, "Lord Sesshomaru, I'm..." Everything faded to darkness.
Ozunomahōtsukai-Wizard of Oz