I Do Not Own InuYasha


Aienkien

合縁奇縁

A couple strangely but happily united;

Uncanny relationship formed by a quirk of Fate;

The mysteries of attraction and relationships or bonds between people


II: 10


Year 1308...

Somewhere in Kyoto, Japan...

Rin ran through the forest, trusting her feet and her memory to get her to where she needed to go, but not slowing, even as she saw a streak of silver in her peripheral, it was Sesshōmaru. Rin just knew that it was Sesshōmaru! It was always Sesshōmaru.

Dropping to her knees she slid through the mud down a hill, holding Bakusaiga and the kaiken before she rolled to her feet again, stumbling a few steps. Rin gasped slightly as her foot caught a root and she staggered a few steps when a set of arms caught her. There was barely a chance to yelp before she found herself against a familiar chest and in a tree.

"Rin," her lord's voice was level and he stared down at her with those unreadable gold eyes which bore intensely into her very soul. She smiled a bit nervously as she stared back at him, he seemed to be assessing her carefully.

"I did answer the question," she pointed out. "So, what are you doing here?"

"This is my territory," he pointed out blandly.

"Right," she sighed. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she squirmed to pull herself up to be a bit more comfortable in her lord's grasp. He surprisingly let her though he didn't let her go.

Now was when she picked out all the differences between this Sesshōmaru and her Sesshōmaru. He was still Sesshōmaru, but his long silver hair was down, wet from the rain, his mokomoko wasn't as big, though it was still as soft, his armor had a more Western style to it still, which made it bulky and heavy, his silks were white and a deep blue with a bird pattern rather than flowers again. And he did not have any weapon, which she found odd, but then again, her lord was very proficient at unarmed combat. His vast array of skills and abilities made him most formidable without a weapon, and with one he was the ultimate warrior.

"Where were you going?"

"Honekui no Ido, near Edo," she replied. "I was going to see if there was a way I could go back," she said.

"Back?" he lifted a brow.

"Yes, back," she replied. "I do not think I am supposed to be here," she shrugged.

"You are not going back," he warned firmly.

"I have a mission to save my lord! I must!" she protested, Sesshōmaru's eyes narrowed.

"If it would please you, you can escort me there, but I must go to the well, it will aid me," she promised.

"No," he shook his head.

"But!"

"You have infuriated my father, we should hide you in human territory and rethink how to get you to Honekui no Ido," he replied sagely.

"You'll help me!?" she blinked dumbly.

"Rin," he said softly. There was a look in her lord's eyes she had never seen before, and an emotion that she wasn't familiar with flowing through their link right now. She was stunned, she had always thought she had known her lord best, but this was something she couldn't identify, which had her sighing.

"But I was so close!" she huffed.

He had a bemused expression, the corners of his mouth turned up a little. She smiled broadly as she held onto him.

"Very well, but if you are still here, I am returning you to humans," he decided.

"Yes, my lord," she promised. Sesshōmaru moved swiftly, Rin had long since been accustomed to travelling with her lord at his neck breaking speeds was still marveling at how gracefully he navigated the trees. She could barely see them, but he never faltered. It annoyed her and it amazed her in equal measure. Rin had in her years of travel met many formidable humans, one had moved swiftly but not as swiftly as her lord could now.

Suddenly they were standing on the lip of the well, which had her looking down at the black hole below her. Her lord's grip on her tightened, his claws tearing the silks she was dressed in.

"Thank you," she said.

He arched a brow at her then they were flying through the air again, she gasped as they landed just inside of the compound, on the engawa around the area she had been staying.

"Stay," he said setting her down, his claws traced her jaw.

"Sesshōmaru!" she hissed as he leaned over her, his lips were curved ever so slightly. "I have to…"

"Stay," he repeated.

Suddenly there was a rattling of the fusuma behind her, she turned, her lord's claws slipped from her jaw and chin.

"Who's…" Izayoi walked in. "Oh, it's you," she smiled.

Rin turned back to see that Sesshōmaru was gone and growled lowly. When she got her hands on that inu daiyōkai she was going to grab that pointy ear and scream in it as loud and as long as she could! And when she ran out of air, she'd start all over!

"Apparently," she said smiling tightly at Izayoi who walked forward; more like glided. The woman was geisha or something, she had to be, Izayoi had this way to command grace and elegance and poise; it wasn't fair. Rin looked at her muddy and bloody clothing then at Izayoi.

"I see you ran into trouble"

"I don't think any of it, or very much of it is mine," she admitted looking at the silks. She'd have to clean Bakusaiga, and the kaiken. Rin was pretty sure none of the blood was hers, and if it had been, she doubted Sesshōmaru would have brought her back.

"Do you just create trouble?" Izayoi sighed looking at the muddied clothing.

"I do not believe so, but my lord thinks I'm a kitsune in disguise, the monk thinks I just am unlucky," she shrugged.

"Let us get you cleaned up, you will be my attendant, Takemaru should be returning soon," Izayoi said.

Rin flinched internally. "I do still have the mission for my lord," she said levelly.

"Which you may do, but after Takemaru leaves, he's here until the wedding ceremony, then he will be going to visit the Emperor," Izayoi said.

"The Emperor?"

"Yes, after Takemaru is gone you may be free to go about your business as you please, but I would like to learn from you," Izayoi said as they walked into the halls of the compound. Rin was a little confused as to what exactly Izayoi was after from her, claiming her as a guest instead of a prisoner, but she wasn't about to argue.

"And what am I teaching?" she asked the older woman.

"You called me an ignorant child," Izayoi scorned.

"I…"

"I believe you are correct on that assessment," Izayoi said stopping Rin from back tracking which had Rin blinking in shock. "I do not know much about the world outside of Setsuna, I have never traveled far or alone, I heal the injured and ill, but I do not know the people I aid. And perhaps a different view will bring an end to this terrible conflict my people and the yōkai seem to find themselves embroiled it. I do not like war, Rin, I would like to end this before it gets my love killed," she said.

"I… I am not certain as to what I could teach you, my lady," Rin admitted.

"You wear a sword, and carry a dagger, and yet you were competent and confident in the healer's ward; are you a warrior or healer?" Izayoi asked her.

Rin frowned at that as she thought her answer over carefully. "I am my lord's Rin," she said honestly. "I am whatever I need to be, a healer to some, a killer to others, a protector, a friend, a defender, a voice. I am many things, my lady, for no one is truly one thing only, I have found the way of the sword to be enlightening and the art of healing fulfilling, which is two things I want in my life. I also could not be a geisha, I have no musical talent according to my lord," she snickered.

"I see," Izayoi nodded.

"I am whatever I need to be to stay of use and to stay with my lord."

"Why? Why serve a…"

"My lord is kind to me; he is ruthless to his enemies but what warrior is not?"

Izayoi was silent as they walked, and Rin found herself in the bathhouse again. Once alone she slowly peeled off her clothes and washed the mud away as swiftly as possible, drying her hair and looking around she stood as she collected her weapons and walked with the filthy clothes to go wash them. She wondered how she was supposed to talk to Magatsuhi if she could not even get to the well, her lord clearly wasn't going to aid her. Rin knew him well enough to know that if he had put her here once he'd do it again until she stopped trying. Not that that ever actually worked, it'd just force her to change tactics.


Sesshōmaru paused when he reached the clearing where he scented his father, and frowned seeing him so weak. Then again, Rin was an unusual human who had no fear of daiyōkai. Walking into the clearing he kept his hands in his sleeves so he did not give into temptation and kill his sire. Tōga saw him and his eyes narrowed on him.

"Father," he acknowledged with a slight tilt of his head for his alpha.

"Sesshōmaru," Tōga huffed as he pulled himself to his feet. Sesshōmaru assessed his father carefully, he had known that Rin could and would inflict damage, but to actually see it; he was once again impressed by his mate.

"Leave Rin alone," he ordered before he turned to leave.

"She's nothing, a mere insect!" Tōga sneered. Sesshōmaru reacted faster than his father anticipated and had the Inu no Tashio pinned to a tree, his claws on his sire's throat and his other claws poised to shred his father.

"Rin is mine," he snarled lowly. "An attack on her is an attack on me, father, you harm her I will unleash tenfold of whatever you do to my mate, and unlike before I do have the strength and endurance to take you. Leave Rin alone," he growled.

"You will see," Tōga said as he dropped his father again. "She's just another human, and like all humans, she will betray you Sesshōmaru," he said softly.

"Perhaps, but she hasn't yet."

"She will."

"If she should ever betray me I will handle the problem, not you," he sneered. For he sincerely doubted Rin would ever harm or betray him, she was much to dedicated for a human to contemplate lowering herself to their level. He had long since noticed that, especially in his puphood when she could have and should have sold him out, but like any True Mate she had kept her loyalty to him and watched his flank. Rin was a better mate than any of the inuyōkai bitches his father had paraded around before him.

"You will not have the strength to take me, pup," Tōga said.

"Then I will seek out the power and obliterate all who challenge me," he shrugged slightly. "Harm Rin and you will be the first to learn what I can do, father."

"You are a mere pup, boy, you will see there is much to learn."

"Hai, there is much to learn. You would do well to pay attention father or you will miss the lesson," he snapped before walking for his mother's shiro. He didn't miss his father's bewildered expression as he walked away. He had never understood his sire's hatred of humans, and he had never cared to, he had learned from Rin that strength was a matter of character, it was convictions, it was not strength of power. Rin was power, he had seen that, she was fearless, brave, she was unyielding, her human body might be frail but the spirit within was unbreakable.

And if his father persisted on being in the way then Sesshōmaru would remove that obstacle.


Year 1581...

Edo, Japan...

Kagome had decided to walk, she was furious, she was restless, and she wanted to 'SIT' InuYasha to New York or Quebec, she was so mad. If she could have 'SIT' Sesshōmaru to the Americas she would have.

InuYasha materialized at her side as she rubbed her aching back. It hadn't relented for the last week. Rin had said something about making a salve for her, and Kagome had thought to talk to Sango about this ache in her back; but her friend was busy wrangling her brood of children.

"Kagome," he started.

"He shouldn't have marked her!" Kagome snapped.

"And what should he have done?" InuYasha snapped. "Dropped her off at a human village, again? To be slaughtered by Kōga and his packmates, again, for their entertainment, again? Or should she have been left to fend for herself, again, and die of starvation? Kagome, he didn't steal anything from Rin, Rin is free to walk away any time she pleases."

"Oh really!?"

"Yes!" he snapped.

"And how would you know this!" she seethed.

"Because… Because I asked," he admitted, and that had her stopping, her hands resting on the swell of her stomach as she stared at her husband and mate. "I… After we defeated Naraku, and defeated Magatsuhi, and you were in your era, I… I couldn't reach you, it was driving me insane. I should have marked you, I kept thinking that over and over, I should have marked you, there were a thousand times I would've but I always listened to my human side and didn't, and you hated me for enot deciding between you and Kikyō and you both had the same soul but it wasn't the same, and I couldn't think.

"I couldn't function after you were gone, and Sesshōmaru had just left Rin in Edo, with Kaede. I don't know who's idea it was that Rin stay with is, I never asked to be honest. Rin asked why I was so sad all the time, that I should be fighting and happy, she was just so innocent and pure. I snapped at her, and this was when she was first staying in the village, Sesshōmaru was always near by if she wanted him, and she got real quiet. It was so meek, so weak and dead, after I had snapped at her, it was like I had stolen a light from her, and I watched her run to Sesshōmaru who had materialized from fuck knows where, and she said no one liked her. I didn't even have a chance to rebuff that before Sesshōmaru said very softly.

"'No one hates you Rin, his bond is incomplete and his bonded is missing,' and he said it very levelly. Rin asked, and he explained, and she asked about her mark, and he explained it all very patiently, you would have had to have heard him to understand it, but when she asked why you weren't there I just about lost it. He just knelt to her level and said that being marked, or unmarked didn't make mates stay together, it was a choice. She asked if she had a choice and he said yes, it was just that simple to him. Rin has a choice in this Kagome, if Rin were to ever walk away he'd let her," InuYasha said.

Kagome sighed as she deflated a little at that, rubbing her heavy belly.

"She's just, she's so sweet and kind and I don't want her taken advantage of, she's just…" she trailed off.

"Rin is pure," he filled in. "You're not wrong, she makes people want to protect her, but Kagome, I've seen Rin with a sword, a naginata, a bow and arrows, and kaiken. As much as you see this helpless little girl, know she is a warrior who can kick some serious ass. She's a very capable warrior, Kagome."

"She's barely sixteen, and I just… she deserves someone who will love her, someone who would cherish her and give her the normalcy Sesshōmaru deprives her of," Kagome said.

"Rin can make her own decisions," he said.

"She just…" Kagome whined lowly as a rippling pain squeazed her back, and rippled up from beneath her belly and over the pups within her. Oh Kami! InuYasha caught her, and she gripped his arms hard as she tried not to cry out at this pain. The pain subsided slowly, and she felt like she was leaking as she looked in InuYasha's eyes then.

"Oh kami," she muttered.

"Kagome, that's not pee," he warned her lowly.

"Lets… let's walk," she said carefully. InuYasha moved to hold her side, his arm looping around her back as his claws rested against her belly, his other hand was gripping hers tightly.

"I just… Rin is like my baby sister, she's so sweet and naïve and Sesshōmaru's a bastard," she stated.

"I know he's a bastard," InuYasha said. "But Rin wouldn't stay as devoted to him if he was a complete abusive asshole. She's a smart girl, Kagome, and we shouldn't worry about her right now," InuYasha said softly.

"I am though! When is she InuYasha! When!? Why would she fall down the well, no one else could pass!" Kagome whimpered.

"I could only pass cause of an incomplete bond," he muttered.

"That's my point! When is she!" Kagome wanted to scream and cry but she walked with InuYasha taking measured steps. She didn't want to do the entire labor and birth without InuYasha so the longer no one else knew about her being in labor the longer she could fret over her baby sister and not dwell on her impending closed up, stifling birth with Kaede and Sango there.

"Whenever she is, Kagome, she can take care of herself."

"I'm still pissed Sesshōmaru marked her."

"Don't be, he removed all his choices to what she wants the moment he did that," he sighed.

Kagome frowned, that was just a sad thought.