I Do Not Own InuYasha


Unmei no Akai Ito

運命の赤い糸

The red string or red string of fate.

...

An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance


I: 2


Year 1565...

Iwate, Japan...

She was born wild, according to her mother. She wasn't very good at staying small and out of the way, she dogged her brothers' and father's heels since the moment she could walk, toddling fearlessly after them.

Fear wasn't something she knew, it wasn't something she understood, it was a concept beyond her.

There was more wonder in the world than there were things to fear. And she had heard her mother curse her, chase after her, and praise her for this wonder. She found everything so fascinating, from the flowers, to the bees, to the birds, to the wind and the rain. She found it all beautiful and all fascinating, it was so precious.

No one could seem to grasp the depth of her wonder or curiosity about everything around her, merely tolerated it with small chuckles and nods of the head. She didn't mind, she didn't mind at all, for her secret dream friend would explain it all one day.

For as long as she could remember, which admittedly wasn't very long, she had this beautiful silver friend in her dreams, his gold eyes were always so cold and solemn when they watched her. He seemed sad. So very sad, and she had this urge to reach out and hug him, that would be frowned upon. Plus, her silver friend had these white silks he always wore, they were so pretty she didn't want to get them dirty; he seemed so pretty she didn't want to ruin it by being sticky. She did want to snuggle into that big fluffy thing he had on his shoulder!


Year 1569...

Iwate, Japan...

Laughter bubbled from her lips as her eldest brother lay in the irrigation, annoyed and looking ready to throw something at her, which had her giggling. He was covered in mud! So filthy. She squealed when he hoisted her up over his shoulder and marched back to the irrigation to dump her into it.

She landed with a loud splash before mama called them both in, only to chase them into a bath, which she did not like at all. Her brother and mama were laughing at her plight.


Year 1570...

Iwate, Japane...

They came in the dead of night, she didn't hear them until her mother had scooped her up, hearing shouts and horses outside with cries of anguish. She found herself shoved one of her mother's travel baskets she had woven and shoved into her sound the corner.

"No matter what, do not make a sound," her mother ordered sternly as a lid was placed over her head and all light was extinguished.

She fidgeted a little when there was a monstrous sound and a thunderous bang. Her mother's pleading startled her.

Mama was forever stern, always tough, and proud, never had she heard her mother sound so fearful. Mama didn't fear anyone or anything, but all she could hear was the fear. There were harsh male voices mockingly filling the air, and then there was a scream.

Terror froze her in place as she heard her mother's pleads and agony, there was clattering and banging about, and she trembled as she curled up tighter into a ball, hesitantly poking a hole through the reeds to see if her mama was alright.

She stared in horror as her mama was laid bare, bloody and exposed as men attacked her. The entire time her mama's eyes were locked on her, pleading her to be silent, to stay small, to stay in her hiding spot. She felt the tears rolling down her cheeks, even as the men slit her mother's throat and tossed a torch into the small hut, they lived in. She scurried through the flames, feeling them lick at her skin as she made it into the air again, people were sobbing and crying as other houses burned, and there was a dawn bleeding the sky red.

She ran for the river as the tears rolled helplessly down her cheeks.

She screamed when she saw her brothers and father bloody in the river.


She lost everything to bandits, to humans, people stole her name from her, her home, her family, her life, she was so tired and alone she lay in the forest, still in the same yukata as she had fled in, stained with her family's blood and singed from the flames.

She soon lost her place in the village, terrified of the men in the village, it drove her to the forest, sneaking into the village at night when she could scrounge the scraps, they left strewn about.

The days were warm, the nights were cold.

Soon she forgot about her voice as she let her world. All she had left was the dreams of her silver friend, his gold eyes staring back at her in silence. His silence though was welcoming, it made her feel safe, and whole, it made her remember laughter and good things in life. But it was still deafening silence, which was ever present in her real life.

Her hair grew matted and tangled, she kept it swept up in a little tuff on the side of her head though, how her mama did it.

The villagers soon feared her, and she fled their presence because they would beat her, and it would hurt. It hurt so bad, not like when she fell down that hill and her leg was a funny angle but hurt like she was pummeled by a horse. She feared them, and they seemed to not like her.

The forest was becoming safer and safer for her, even in the silence of her life she found it comforting.


Two summers passed, her yukata had been traded out for a stolen tattered remains of a kimono from a villager, her knees were scraped, there was a cut on her side that hurt and was hot all the time, it wouldn't heal. She felt tired, and alone, even as she scavenged through the forest for her food. She was so hungry, but nothing was in season that she could safely eat. Soon she would have to pillage the village's gardens for food, and she dreaded going so near those humans. It had hurt the last time she had been caught by one of them. They had given her the funny smelling cut on her side.


Year 1572...

Iwate, Japan...

The days were dying in warmth, the leaves were changing color, she shivered at the prospect of another season coming and going. Soon she would sleep in the ruins, and she would have to steal scraps, so her feet didn't turn blue or crack and bleed. She didn't like this. She didn't like how the nights were colder, or how the days couldn't seem to get warm enough. It wasn't good for her.

Sifting through the forest she hoped to find some berries or fungus she could munch on, not hoping for game as she wasn't a huntress. She was so hungry.

She had not eaten a single thing in many days, and her tummy wouldn't stop growling. She was not ready to go back to the village.

There was this overwhelming silence today, a stillness in the air, a tentative tension that was quiet, timid, and yet very real. She didn't know what was here; but even the birds were silent. Not even the crickets were chirping, which had her wary and alert. She hurt so badly, she hoped it wasn't another hunter here to kill her.

Stumbling through the thicket when she tripped on a root she gasped as she moved through the bush to hear a monstrous growl, and she stared at the fierce blood red eyes as they glared at her.

It was…

He was…

He was real! She wanted to burst into tears and run to him, fling herself into that thick fur and take refuge in the silver man. But his eyes were wrong, his marks too jagged, too wild, and his fangs were sharp and shiny. Something in her made her take a step back, pressing herself against a tree, and he relaxed a little.

His eyes did not change from being red, but his marks smoothed out, and his hair and fur settled a little. It was now that she noticed the blood; he was hurt!

She waited until he was settled again before she scurried off to go get food for her injured silver friend.


It had been three days, and she could not tell if he was breathing or not.

He had not moved, at all, and she was terrified he was dead to leave her all alone in the world. She didn't want him gone; he was her special silver dream friend! She needed him! Which was why today she was going to do a test; it had taken her a while to figure out what she would do but she felt this was a safe test. She had stolen a water bottle and had the river's icy water in it.

Creeping silently as she could towards him, she prepared her check. If he woke, he was good, if not she would figure out how to fix him. He was not leaving her!

Biting her lip, she touched the furry thing with her foot, it was so soft, and warm, she swore it twitched slightly. She shuffled forward a little more, wriggling into place to be near him. Now she noticed that his left sleeve was empty, it was just a sleeve, which she thought was odd. Hefting up her water she lifted and splashed it on his head.

Gold eyes snapped open as they glared balefully at her, she blinked twice; he was alive!

She hadn't thought this through.

The water ran over his hair, flattening his bangs into his face, and his face was etched in stone, but his gold eyes narrowed on her as he lifted a single brow at her.

She smiled nervously as she took several steps back, tossing the water bottle out of her hand and into the bush as she tried to feign innocence; her hands clasped behind her back. He shifted to sit up a bit more, looming over her, and she darted to the bush. Grabbing the food she had scrounged up for him she trotted up to his side and left it there before running into the forest bushes.

He was alive and she had left him food!

Now it was time for her to eat!

Her stomach snarled menacingly at her, and she knew she needed food now.


She and her silver friend fell into a routine of sorts. He would wake when she dropped off the food, she had scavenged for him, and she would periodically check on him throughout her day. He never spoke to her, which she found discouraging, but she didn't want to disturb him if he didn't want to talk. He seemed so cold, distant and hurt, she wanted to hug him, but she didn't, something in her whispered not to yet.

The nights were getting colder, she was sleeping closer and closer to her silver friend, but never in his space where he could see her. She yearned to curl up in that fur and seek his warmth. Instead she took refuge with her tattered blanket and resigned herself to needing to go to her home's remains for winter soon.

It was a particularly cold night when her scavenging hadn't been fruitful though that she had ventured to the fisheries. She could catch a fish or two with her hands, she had done it before.

She hadn't visited her silver friend today in her quest for food for him, but there'd been nothing to find.

This was her best chance; it would keep him here and happy! Mama said the way to a man's heart was through his stomach! She wanted her silver friend happy and to stay, forever and ever!

With this in mind; she decided she'd have to brave the village fishery for some food.

It wasn't hard work, but the fish were slippery, and she was struggling to grasp them, but she would do it, she needed to. The fish were also very slimy which was hard to grab because of it. Still, she persisted, despite the shivers setting in.

Finally her hands grasped a squirming fish! She smiled in triumph as she lifted the fish out of the water, it glistened in the moon; this could feed her for a week! Her stomach growled in agreement then, which was when she shook her head. NO! This was for her silver friend! He was hurt! He needed it more than she did!

"What's that!?" a man's voice shouted, she tensed, then gasped when the men came over the ridge, fear rooted her in her place as she was hoisted out of the water and tossed on the ground, her prize flopping away.


She limped to her silver friend the next day, her body throbbing from the beating they had given her, and one eye swollen shit, she was so cold. She shivered a little as she held a leaf of grains for her silver friend. She just…

She wanted him to stay with her, she didn't want him to go.

She wanted to cry though with her prize; her hard-won prize gone, and her own stomach aching in hunger, she was ridiculously tired too. She just wanted to curl up and die already, but her silver friend needed her! She could not fail him.

Determinedly she limped to him and set the food down at his feet.

"No thanks," he stated in this cold, soft voice. He wasn't looking at her, and her world shattered. She… He… he didn't….

"I told you I don't need anything from you," he said in the same soft tone he always used. She picked up the grains and limped towards him and bowed a little as her mother had taught her before she fell to her knees and offered up the grains to him. His gold eyes glanced over her in a harsh way which had her sighing in defeat.

No one cared, everyone she loved was dead, and she should join them, she was so tired, she had hoped to gain his favor, maybe her silver dream friend was just a dream friend and no one loved her…

"Where did you get those bruises?" he demanded in the same cold, soft tone.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he offered her gently.

She gasped when his gaze was on her, he was seeing her!

Hope sparked as she looked up at him.

His face was not one of disgust like she saw on the villagers when she was near other children or them. He did not smile, or frown, but the look he was giving her.

He was looking AT HER! He was SEEING HER!

No one had seen her in a long time, and she smiled broadly; she loved him and he was so beautiful!

"What are you smiling about? I simply asked a question!" he stated firmly. The tone was cold, almost harsh, but it was still in the same soft volume as he always seemed to use.

She giggled, he cared!

"I don't care, I'm just curious," he snapped, his tone didn't rise though, it didn't have the bite he wanted, and it was so nice. He saw her! She couldn't care about anything else now.

"I do not care," he declared haughtily, but she only chuckled more. He cared!

Maybe he would let her stay with him!

She liked that thought.


She had felt bad about last night, but it had been too cold for her to sleep outside, the frost had come, it was time to seek shelter, so she had slept in the ruins of her home, with a few tattered blankets. The cold was still seeped into her bones, but she felt comfortable about being in the village today, she wouldn't be here long.

Humming to herself this morning, her aching body still skipped. She'd be spending ALL today with her special silver friend! The knowledge alone delighted her beyond comprehension, she hoped to stay with him, maybe he would take her when he was all better, she liked that thought. No more nasty people!

That idea had her turn back for her hut's ruins and she continue to attempt the skipping game her brother had taught her. It took her a little longer to get back to her hut, but she hadn't been gone long, she was startled though when she walked in and there was a very terrifying man sitting there drinking her water!

The man turned to her, looking as terrifying as the bandits who had killed her mother, and she whimpered as she pressed herself to the entry way.

"What girl, does this old hut belong to you?" he asked.

Hesitantly she nodded, her body was trembling in terror, she wanted her silver friend!

There was a ruckus in the village which had her trembling as she watched a strange man appear with a pack of wolves.

He was not human, and the wolves at his side were snarling and snapping, she couldn't hear what he was saying but one thing was very clear to her, it was time for her to run.

But her feet wouldn't move as she watched in horror when he killed the scary man, and then set his wolves upon her village.

RUN! RUN! RUN!

The wolves were unleashed, and all joy evaporated from her demeanor as terror set in and she ran for her life as quickly as her battered body could go. She did not slow down, taking to the forest she ran for her special silver friend! He would save her, he had to save her! Oh Kami!

Something about today shifted for her as she ran, she could almost see him scorning her and turning away, she cried harder, she didn't want to die! She wanted to stay with him forever! She tripped and went crashing into the ground, there was a fierce set of snarls behind her and she turned just in time to gasp as the first set of jaws lunged for her. She cried in terror for the first time as pain laced through her and her blood stained the dirt.

She was going to die here, alone.

She cried even as she struggled, fighting her agony and terror she tried to live.

She felt this horrible need to apologize for not staying with her silver friend as her body grew weaker and numbed and the world faded.

She would die here, nameless and alone.

She wanted to stay.


A man was there holding her gently. He was rather beautiful, like her silver friend, but different, sadder and older, but he still had this kind smile as he looked down on her with the same gold eyes. His silver hair tied in a high tail, and covered in armor and blood with a heavy fur like her silver friend's wrapped around him; and her now. He was very fierce looking, like her silver friend, and yet he was kind as his claws slid through her hair and that soft fur curled around her.

"It is not your time young one, just be patient," he said softly.

She stared at him in awe. Feelings she didn't know but felt vaguely familiar to her flooded her senses, she felt like she was safe with her own papa again, and it had her cuddling the fur around her.

"Save him, Rin, save my son," he murmured.

Rin... that was the name her mama called her, it had been a very long time since anyone had called her a name.