A/N: First off, a shout-out to SessRinLover for posting the first review for this story, and also to singson182 for being the first follower/favouriter of this story! Also, thank you to sorrellkaren for commenting and for following!
So glad to have support this early on, it gets me pumped and excited to write more!
Ahem, with that being said, here is Chapter 2!
Chapter 2 - A Difficult Decision
Matsume had left after making her offer, leaving Rin to ponder what the implications of accepting might be.
And her first instinct was to accept, for what Matsume spoke of was practically the answer to all her prayers and wishes. To train, to learn anything new was to strengthen herself, and surely if she was more skilled in healing, such that she could heal wounds instantly as Matsume had, then surely she would be of more use to everyone, not needing to rely on them all the time. Rin knew that she didn't have it in her to be violent—so then, why not heal to the best of her ability, and especially if that ability was within her all along?
It was almost too good to be true, she reflected as she re-entered Kaede's hut. Besides which, one thing was clear: if she accepted, then she would have to leave the village and all her friends.
And...Lord Sesshomaru. It had been nearly a year since he had last visited, being so busy off building his empire in the west, that Rin had thought more than once that he must have forgotten about her.
It's just as Master Jaken once said to me, Rin thought. That once Lord Sesshomaru got started building his empire, that was all that mattered: and that by the time he was finished, she herself would be loooooong gone.
But not if I learn how to heal myself, as Matsume said, Rin couldn't help but think. Ultimately, it came back to that over and over again: Matsume's offer was too good to refuse, and Rin herself had no intention of doing so.
Her only reluctance, she realized, was in not wanting to upset or disappoint anyone. Kagome, Sango, Kaede, and even Inuyasha and Miroku—they had all been so good to her, so caring. Would it be an abandonment on her part if she left them now?
Don't be foolish, Rin, she admonished herself. They don't need you here. Both Kaede and Kagome are better healers than you've ever been—so far. But if you train with Matsume, then...
It wasn't really a question anymore, was it?
Rin was going to accept her offer, and leave with the soothsayer the next morning.
When Kaede came in that night, Rin told her. The old priestess was naturally taken aback, but moreso, she was worried. After all, though she had grown old, her memory had not faded with age, and she could not recall ever hearing Kikyo ever speak of someone called Matsume. But then, Kikyo had been a woman of many secrets and few words, even to her own sister.
Still, even if Matsume was who she said she was and even though it was plain on Rin's face that she wanted to go, Kaede wasn't about to allow such a thing without being sure first. She would have to meet Matsume and question her, and only then would she make her decision about allowing Rin to go. As soon as Rin noticed the old priestess's reluctance though, it was clear that the younger woman didn't consider it entirely Kaede's decision.
"Kaede," Rin began, "I want you to know that I appreciate everything that you've done for me—truly, I do. But that's just it: I want to be of help to everyone as well, and I can only do that if I get stronger."
"Rin," Kaede cut in. "Not everyone is strong in the same way. There are those who do better at fighting—like Inuyasha and Miroku—and others who are needed at home to heal, and to bring comfort in times of hardship. Ye have a soft and gentle touch, Rin, that many are lacking in this day and age. Never think of yeself, of ye gift, as being less than what it is."
Rin didn't waste time trying to deny that she did think of herself as being less, because she knew that Kaede would never agree with her. Instead, she said, "I have to try, Kaede. This may be my only chance, the only thing that I can do. Please, I can't—"
"What of Sesshomaru then, child?" Kaede asked, sensing that Rin wasn't going to listen to reason. If not, then out of concern the old priestess had no choice but to bring up what she knew was Rin's weak point.
Rin tensed. "Lord...Sesshomaru?"
Kaede nodded. "Think ye he would want ye to go off like that, all alone in the world?" Kaede shook her head. "Ye are still so young, especially to a demon such as him. And as he entrusted ye to my care, I feel it my duty to tell him."
Though the mention of Sesshomaru did give Rin pause—more than Kaede could ever guess at—in the end it still wasn't enough to deter her.
It was partly because of Lord Sesshomaru that Rin was doing this, after all: she wanted to stay with him forever and ever, and how could she do that if she was constantly this weak, constantly in danger?
Even Lord Sesshomaru couldn't save her again, if anything should happen.
It stood in Rin's own power to ensure that nothing did.
"When he next comes to the village...whenever that may you, you of course will have to tell him," Rin said, not voicing that she wasn't sure even if Lord Sesshomaru would come back—she was hardly important enough to merit a visit anymore, after all. Was it...could it be that even Lord Sesshomaru had decided that she was no longer worth his while?
Rin was doing this to prove herself to him as well as to everyone else. Contrary to what Kaede had expected, bringing up Sesshomaru had done just the opposite, encouraging Rin even more to go now.
"I am old enough to decide for myself now, Kaede," Rin announced calmly. "If Lord Sesshomaru asks, of course you'll tell him. But neither you, nor he, nor anyone else can stop me from doing what I think is right. Forgive me if that is not what you expect of me, but I promise to make it up to you someday, prove that I'm worth everything you've given me."
"Rin..." Kaede murmured, not knowing quite what else to say. She could see that there was no deterring the young woman, and this only served to increase her worry.
Somehow, if she couldn't stop Rin, she would have to get word to Sesshomaru—and pray that he could.
The next morning, Rin woke up before Kaede in order to prepare for her journey. She packed only a simple white kimono for a change of clothes to take along with her though, choosing to leave behind the many lavish and elaborate kimonos that Lord Sesshomaru had brought for her over the years. Even the ones he had brought on his last visit over a year ago still fit her though, as somewhere along the way she had stopped growing, simply maturing into the woman she was now.
Rin wasn't sure what else she might need, whether it be prayer beads or a possible weapon to protect herself—though she shied away from taking the latter—and so it was with a light pack that she stepped out to greet the morning.
Miroku and Inuyasha were still away from the village, but Kagome, Sango, and all of Sango's children were there to see her off.
Or, as Rin quickly determined when Kaede came out next, they were all there to try and stop her.
Spotting Matsume approaching along the path, Rin turned to face all of them. "Please forgive me if I'm upsetting any of you by doing this," she said with a bow. "But please...believe that in my heart I am doing the right thing."
"No one doubting you, Rin," Sango assured her.
Kagome, meanwhile, looked at Matsume as she approaching, trying to determine if there was anything off or evil about the old woman. She definitely looked uncanny enough, that was for sure, and yet Kagome saw at a glance that she was just a simple human, nothing duplicitous about her.
Could she really have known Kikyo though? Kagome wondered, wanting to question her story first.
"Are ye Matsume, who sought out Rin yesterday and made her an offer to come train with ye?" Kaede asked.
Matsume nodded. "I am indeed, and I gather from her appearance that Rin has decided to accept my offer. I am very glad, Rin."
"Hold on," Kagome said, stepping forward. "We are Rin's guardians, and we're not letting her go anywhere until we know more about this. Just who are you, and is the story you told Rin yesterday true? The one about you knowing Kikyo?"
Matsume's eyes widened. "I see now, you are the reincarnation of Kikyo that I've heard tell of—my, but you do resemble her! Is it true that you brought the Shikon Jewel to this world, and then were able to destroy it?"
Kagome furrowed her brow. "I am, but that doesn't answer my question. Who are you and how is it that you want Rin to come and train with you? Why did you appear to her now, and just what is it you want?"
"I only want to bring out Rin's full potential, something that has been stifled by having so many hovering over her as you are doing now," Matsume replied.
Kagome, Kaede, and Sango were all taken aback.
"We...haven't been like that," Sango said. "Rin has always been free to choose to do whatever she wishes, and—"
"Has she?" Matsume challenged, turning to face Rin. "Judging from her expression, I'd say that even now, she is torn between her loyalties to you and doing what she wants to—what she knows will be best for her and developing her abilities. For years, she has lived with you in this village, and yet what has become of her? From all I've seen, she's merely been a second-rate healer under your tutelage, always being limited and always afraid to step out of line. None of you have any real claim over her, though you may well pretend to. If she wants to leave now, will you stop her, I wonder?"
"Matsume, if that is your name, ye speak words meant to influence!" Kaede snapped, stepping forward. "How can we trust Rin to your care when we do not know anything about you? We care deeply for Rin, all of us, and that is why we do not see her harmed!"
"Ah, better a bird in a cage than to be able to fly free, is that is?" Matsume smiled serenely. Taking out a piece of paper, she showed them a symbol of a temple—the same temple where Kikyo had trained as a priestess. "Will this speak as to my identity?"
"That proves nothing," Kagome said. "The dark priestess Tsubaki also studied at the same shrine as Kikyo, and yet that didn't stop her from trying to kill us all."
Matsume sighed heavily. "Ah, Tsubaki—a priestess with potential if ever there was one, and yet she let herself be corrupted by earthly desires. As you can see though, I myself have only ever used my powers to heal—whether it be myself or others. Did Rin not tell you how I healed her injured foot the other day, such that she felt no pain afterwards and did not need any more of your medicines?"
"We know not what ye did, and that alone is not proof of what ye intend to do," Kaede countered.
"Enough of this," Matsume said, cutting off any further retorts. "I will be heading off now, and it is Rin's decision whether she will follow. The shrine where I go to train Rin and many others in the art of healing is far from here, and I cannot delay.
"Rin, will you join me now and become the most you can be, or will you remain here and live your life as you have been living it so far?"
Rin, who had been silent throughout the entire exchange between her friends and Matsume, felt as though her heart was being split in two ways. On the one hand, there were her friends and her life in the village—a life that she loved, though she was never fully comfortable living around humans and perhaps never would be.
And then, on the other hand, there was Matsume's offer, and the chance to finally make something of herself and rid herself of uncertainty, of discontent.
So, though it hurt her to do so, she turned away from the pleading eyes of Kaede, Kagome, and Sango. "Forgive me, all of you," she whispered, and then went to Matsume's side.
"Wait, Rin!" Kagome called, not willing to give up so easily.
There was little choice but to let Rin go though. For, in the next moment, though no one had seen quite how she'd done it, Matsume generated a thick wall of smoke, and she and Rin seemed to then vanish into thin air.
When the smoke cleared, there wasn't a trace of them left. Even Inuyasha, when he returned to the village with Miroku later that night, couldn't pick up any trace of Rin's scent from where she had left.
It didn't take long for everyone to figure out that, whoever Matsume claimed to be, that wasn't who she was.
Which meant that...Rin could very well be in danger.
And they had no way to reach her.
A/N: Dun dun dun! Cliff(ish)hanger right at the second chapter, but that's what the joy of fanfictions contains nine times out of ten!
Please do review to let me know what you think of the story, and also follow and favourite if you'd like! We'll be bringing Sesshomaru into the story soon as well, not to worry!