Fear wafted into his nose. Her fear. He could practically taste the sweat budding down her arms. Sesshomaru watched curiously as Rin tied her hair back and then removed the obi he had given her so many years before. She used it to ensure her hair would remain back. Something happened, it was almost as if he could sense her affect changing. The smell in the air was transforming from trepidation to confidence. He heard his voice, on the day it was given, my strength is your strength. The sword pulsed at her side, but she didn't notice it. He watched as the filthy bear snarled at her. Sesshomaru heard him order her to leave her weapons. She shoved the katana that he had given her into the ground. I will follow. He was angry watching her so foolishly put it aside, did she not understand the gift he had given her?
As Rin walked into the cave with the Bear Yokai, Sesshomaru followed. He stepped out of the crop of pisceas he was hiding behind. He walked quietly towards the entrance to the cave. His feet crunched the leaves, autumn would be coming soon. Her scent was oddly disappearing. He strode faster. Just as his foot tapped the mouth of the cave it was repelled with such force he was nearly thrown backwards. He reached his hand out and touched the barrier. His fingers tingled from the repulsion power. He tried dokkasu, but it didn't move the barrier. He removed Bakusaiga and slashed angrily at the barrier. Fear, this emotion he knew, it was the feeling he had when he searched for her in Naraku's body. He felt it when she was kidnapped by the band of seven, when she ran into the forest to help fend off demons attacking the forest. He knew it well. Rin was walking into a trap. He allowed it knowing that at any point he could remove her from the situation. However, the barrier wouldn't budge and now she was in the cave alone with a Yokai and without the katana he had given her. His fury let loose. He beat at the rocks, at the barrier, at the side of the mountain. Wherever he made a hole, a barrier remained. He yelled in fury at the mountain for not moving, why did I let her go? Why?
A distance away from the mountain, Kagome rode Inuyasha's back through the forest, while Sango and Miroku kept up on horseback. Their brown and black horses were lathered in sweat. The hot summer sun beat down on them creating a sheen of sweat on Kagome's face.
"Inuyasha stop," Kagome got down from his back, her face was pale, "Shikon no Tama? How?" The sensation was tingling the back of spine, the same way the Shikon No Tama did.
"We destroyed it," Inuyasha knelt down, "hurry up, back on."
"It's something, or something close to it, towards the mountain hurry." Kagome urged him as she climbed back onto his back. "Am I heavier than when I was fifteen?"
Inuyasha pinched her backside in response.
"Hey!" She flexed her legs. "Am I heavier?" She whispered in his ear.
"No," he ran his hand up the inside of her thigh, "more beautiful though. Sesshomaru's scent is towards the mountain," Inuyasha pointed to the mountain known as Green and Blue, because of the blue flowers and green grasses the grew around it. "We don't have time to let the horses rest," he leapt higher into the air and drove himself further forward.
"Something more is going on than just a simple kidnapping," Miroku got down from his horse. He removed the saddle and bridle and slapped the horses bottom. "Sango, on my back," he offered.
"I can keep up, I may have had four children but I can still keep up," she raced after them.
"It's a trap," Kagome said worried, "why didn't she ask us for help?"
"Yes, but for who?" Inuyasha replied just as worried, "if anything happens to her he is going to kill us." He raced forward feet pounding against the ground. He followed Kagome's directions, somewhere higher up in the middle of the mountain was something that was similar to the Shikon no Tama. At the base of the mountain Sesshomaru fought mercilessly with a barrier that would not break, he had brought down part of the mountain side but at each point where the cave was exposed the magenta, sinister barrier remained. "Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha called.
The cave was cold and damp. The further she was brought in the harder it was to breathe. Rin was no longer scared, she looked back on her life and she knew that she was strong. Sesshomaru-sama had taught her to trust her instincts, Kaede had taught her wisdom, Inuyasha taught her courage, Sango and Kagome taught her kindness and friendship, and Miroku taught her to laugh. Kohaku was her best friend, she cherished those moments they had spent together, especially in the beginning when those in the village did not show her kindness. They thought she was strange because she had lived with a dai-yokai who came to visit her. Her skin became hot thinking of him. When did this happen? She rebuked herself as she followed the bear up the winding pathway. Her legs were in good shape but after a time they began to burn. "Where are you taking me?"
"To Kohaku of course," it roared as it lumbered up the winding pathway.
Her stomach had a sickening feeling. There was an evil presence here, something stronger than just the bear. It was gathering, the aura made her want to vomit. "You aren't here alone…" She glared at the bear, "you came with someone!"
The bear began laughing hysterically, "of course! Did you think this whole thing was for nothing?" He swung at her with his gigantic paw, she jumped backwards, turned in the air and kicked the bear in the head. The bear rose onto it's back legs. It was double Rin's height. Get it stand, she heard his voice in her head. The bear swung again and she ducked, "you're a feisty thing," it lurched at her again. She flipped backwards away from the attacking bear.
She set her feet firmly against the stone ground and waited for the bear yokai to rush her again. "You will regret this!" She yelled, the bear swiped again this time faster than she could dodge. The claws dug into her left arm, she winced in pain. In that moment she lost control of the battle, the bear swiped her face leaving a gash, it hit her in the stomach where she wore armor, she fell to the ground with blood in her mouth. Where was he? Rin panted on the ground. She rolled out of the way of another blow. She could taste the blood on her tongue. She pushed herself off the ground and leapt into the air again. Her heart began to pound.
"I can smell your fear," the Bear demon kicked her in the stomach, she rolled backwards. "I can taste your pain," he picked her up by the hair exposing her neck, "and soon I will drink your blood! Sesshomaru will not come for you."
Rin, my strength is your strength. She could hear his voice again, as if he was standing next to her. The katana? She wondered. She held her scabbard in her uninjured arm, she used it to hit the bear in the face as hard as she could. The bear roared in pain dropping her on the ground. She landed kneeling down and held it out behind her. My strength is your strength, his voice was in her ears. Rin hold out the scabbard. It was like the scabbard was vibrating in her hand. She stared down the cave, was he coming? Or was it the sword, I can do this, she told herself, I can do this, I'm strong!
Sesshomaru beat at the barrier bellowing as he did. It was as if he would go mad. He didn't even notice Inuyasha behind him with Miroku, Sango and Kagome. He struck the barrier over and over, only to see the magenta reflection barely bend and then throw him backwards. Sesshomaru swiped at it with his claws before yelling in frustration. She will have to fight on her own, Rin, my strength is your strength, use my strength, call the sword, his eyes were glowing red. His mind raced in a whirlwind of emotions, she was no longer the child he found in the forest, wounded and cold with death. She was not the little girl that skipped around his ankles, and he cursed himself for not seeing it before not even a year ago, not even when she was able to defeat an ogre alone. What happened then, had stopped him from seeing her for a year.
The visits were becoming more painful, the fights more often. Rin was growing in size and beauty. She stood as tall as his shoulder and she flushed red when she looked at him. Then her scent started spiking. It was only slightly different than when a demoness was aroused. She's aroused by this Sesshomaru? Rin never said anything about it, Sesshomaru refused to acknowledge what the smell did to him. Then there was the time she had jumped off the roof of Kaede's house in the middle of winter and kissed his lips. She said it was a dare, he didn't entirely believe it. The time they went flying together, his hands sweat and his breath caught, her body was hard, contoured and no longer a child. He had been told many times by Sango, Kagome and Kaede that Rin was old enough to marry. He knew that Kohaku was interested in Rin more than a friend. He spent more time in the village, he had seen the two holding hands, he told himself he accepted their relationship. The blushing and fast heartbeat whenever she saw him continued, he couldn't understand it. Yet, she said nothing to him of it.
The full moon was coming. He was coming for her birthday, sentimental, it was beneath him to do such a thing. the Miko had convinced Rin they should be celebrated. Rin didn't know when hers was, she asked him when they met, and chose the date based off that.
The month before he witnessed her stumbling out to meet him on sore and blistered feet after helping with a birthing. He didn't like that she could barely walk. Or that her hands were coarse, that she was exhausted and stayed to speak with him anyway. He decided to buy her a horse. He came two weeks previously and it ended in a word battle again. She wreaked of demon blood, and he wanted to know why, she refused to tell him, and there were no answers from anyone else. He sent her the sword when she was twelve for protection, to ensure that if she ever did anything so foolish as to run into the forest and run into a Yokai again she wouldn't be helpless.
"Jaken," he called, "take the horse to Kaede's hut, I go ahead." He disappeared into a ball of white light.
He landed in the middle of the forest following Rin's scent. He saw her walking through the forest near the village. She had a three-year-old on her back, Kohaku walked with her. He chose like he often did to not make his presence known. He wanted a chance to see what her life was like when he was not there. Rin was picking at a flower in her hands, behind them followed the hanyou's two other children. So, he had three now. Kohaku also had a baby on his back with three more children trailing him. Rin looked different, she had not gained in height since he last saw her but her muscles were harder, her hair was tied into a tight braid. She had a knife under one of her wrists. Kohaku was dressed as a Taijia, which was no surprise. That was his life. He continued to make a living slaying rogue demons.
"Rin-san," Sota, the one with the moon on his forehead and white hair, took her hand, "I smell something."
"What Sota-chan?" She knelt down and ruffled his silver hair, the child had grown fangs similar to his own.
Sesshomaru smelled the air, Yokai. The ground began to shake and the trees trembled. Rin bent over and took the child that was on her back off, "take Izayoi, quickly, run back to the village." She drew the sword in her hand. This time, Sesshomaru did not rush forward as he had in the past as the large ogre came out of the forest. Kohaku also sent the children running. Sesshomaru moved to block the path the children had fled down, but kept his presence hidden.
"You girl," the ogre called, "you are the one the inu-yokai pays so much attention to! You will taste good in my stomach!" It called as it reached for Rin, she leapt backwards as its' hand crushed into the forest floor. It screamed as the blade made contact.
Rin was laughing, "can I take this one Kohaku?" Sesshomaru was confused, what was she laughing about? He had to get closer to watch. He flew into the bough of a tree, hidden behind some leaves.
"Go ahead," Kohaku backed away, "let me know if you need me."
"I don't understand you ogres, you know if you kill me Sesshomaru-sama will make you," she jumped out of the way of the demon again, "pay," she threw the knife at the demon's neck, "with," she jumped into Kohaku's arms, he used his hands to throw her into the air, she spun around and in one solid motion severed the ogre's head, "with your life." She landed gracefully onto the ground not before she was splattered with the demon's blood exploding from its' neck. She and Kohaku were both soaking, "ewwww! I hate these things, they always do this."
Sesshomaru was lost for words. So, this was why she constantly had the smell of demons on her, foreign fleas that plagued his sensitive nose. He had never seen her so strong or so in control of herself. She was fearless, she didn't blink, or flinch when it came to be taking on something so much larger than herself. She exuded confidence, in the way she stood. Sesshomaru felt himself aroused, the feeling shocked him. Need filled him staring at her, watching her walk to Kohaku on legs that were defined with muscles, with blood from her hunt covering her arms. He licked his lips.
"Good job Rin, if Sesshomaru-sama saw it he would be proud of you." Kohaku beamed at Rin.
Was that what he felt watching her? Pride? She had cut the demon down quickly and protected the small children that were with her. Rin's face immediately fell to the ground, "no he wouldn't, he would just get mad and bark about how his hanyou brother should keep me in the village safe." She wiped her blade with a cloth and sheathed it, "he doesn't see me."
Is this what you think of me Rin? That I don't see you? He clenched his hands, had he not just seen her slay a demon? Did she think so little of him?
Kohaku put a comforting hand on her shoulder, he was tall now, with broad shoulders, no longer a boy now a man. "Does it help that I do?" He said. That hand went from her shoulder to around her waist, with fingers that danced up ribs very close to her breasts.
Fury…Sesshomaru knew this feeling, the one that gave him strength in battle. Kohaku bent over and kissed Rin on the lips and it wasn't a kiss from a brother to a sister, it was a deep kiss, that included a hand running up her chest to cup her chin. Sesshomaru had to stifle a growl in his throat. "Come on," she took Kohaku's hand, "let's check the children and then I need to wash myself in the river, before his royal highness comes. Last time I smelled like demons, I thought he was going to kill everyone in his path."
He followed them as they walked together holding hands. They checked the children and told their mothers what had happened. Rin was happy, she was smiling, she smiled so little around him now, but Kohaku made her smile. They were laughing and joking. They walked together to a lake and she proceeded to remove her clothes. If fury described him before, he was unsure how much more he could take. Kohaku was with his Rin, taking his own clothes off. Is that what Kohaku had been doing with Rin? Had he been sleeping with her, and said nothing to him? How could his nose have missed that? He practically tripped over a log trying to see what they were doing.
Rin went into the lake water first, Kohaku followed after her, completely naked, looking entirely too aroused and excited to be so close to Rin. Is she going to sleep with him? Have they been sleeping together? Is she in heat? His thoughts beat him. Kohaku tickled her sides and dunked her under the water. She fought back, and laughed at him, her eyes were bright. The sun was setting. "He didn't come yet," Rin splashed Kohaku in the face. "Either way I'm sure that I don't wreak of blood anymore. Ah!" Kohaku pulled her under his body.
She beat at his hands, and bobbed back up in the lake water. He pulled her into a tight embrace, their lips met again. Did she just moan!? Sesshomaru felt like he might lose his composure completely. His fingers danced along Bakusaiga's hilt…he could do it, he could kill Kohaku for touching Rin. When they came out of the lake, Sesshomaru could see the hunger on Kohaku's face and elsewhere. He made no attempt to cover his eyes while she put on the inner layer of her short kimono and sat on a large rock. Sesshomaru was shaking. When Kohaku sat next to Rin, and began kissing her passionately again, Sesshomaru stepped out from the bushes.
The moon was full, her body was full in the light, but he couldn't stand the idea of anyone touching Rin. "Rin," he called.
They separated from each other, shocked. Kohaku ran his hand through his hair, "Sesshomaru-sama…" The boy was terrified. He shook as he scooted away from Rin.
"Sesshomaru-sama," Rin made an effort to cover body. She was in a white haori that was wet from her skin. "I…" She crossed her hands over her breasts.
"Kohaku, leave," Sesshomaru commanded.
"Hai," he immediately turned and ran. Sesshomaru was entertained by this, he still held fear over the child.
"Kohaku wait!" Rin almost ran after him, Sesshomaru caught her by the arm and his gaze, the anger inside of him, was it anger? "Let go of me." She attempted yet feebly to remove her arm from his grasp, a human fighting the great Sesshomaru. Tears formed on the edge of her eyes, "you're hurting me," she grasped his hand with her other hand, "why are you always so angry with me? It's like you don't want me around anymore, like you hate me! Let me go," she beat at his hand.
This feeling, what is this feeling. His heart hurt, his chest felt tight, but he felt the nerves in his back coming alive, he was angered, her heart was beating faster, he could see the outline of her breasts through the wet white haori. He stared at her, his eyes trying to understand, she was furious. He was drawn to her, but he didn't understand why.
She beat at him again, "let me go," she tried to rip her arm away, "if you hate me so much why do you keep following me? Why don't you let me go? I'll never ask you to come again, I'll…" He cut her off by using his other hand to pull her face towards his, he grabbed the back of her hair and pulled it back and smelled her neck, her scent called to him, intoxicated him, hypnotized him. It was like he was drugged, she was aroused, he felt his a vortex forming in his heart. He released her hair, his fingers slid behind her neck, he pulled her face closer to his own, and buried her lips in his. She pushed against his chest, her fists beat at his armor. He refused to release her, she tasted like roses that had just met the morning dew. He kissed her deeply until felt the bundle of nerves in his back spread through his stomach. She fought him at first, but then her mouth moved in sync with his, slow at first but then more passionate. He used his other hand to cup her chin and kissed her neck as she ran her hands through his hair.
He followed the curve of her neck kissing it slowly and deeply, feeling her waist with his hands until his hand rested above the split in her haori by her breast. He moved aside the material watching her eyes, her scent was that of panic, but also pleasure. He stared at her bare breast in the moonlight, is this what I was so angry…no jealous, that someone else would have her first. His thumb ran over her nipple, making it harden. His mouth covered the tip of her breast, she moaned. He used his other hand to unclip his armor and threw it aside. He removed his obi and cast aside the two swords he carried, he wanted to feel her against his own skin. He tossed off his haori and his inner layer. Rin's heart was racing.
He pulled her to his bare chest and slowly traced her stomach down to her hips with open mouthed kisses. He pulled one of her legs around his waist and found the warm treasure within. He ran his clawed fingers down her hip, under the material of her kimono, across her buttocks. She moaned again. He ran his fingers along the inside of her thigh until he found her opening. Her eyes shot open as he inserted two fingers inside her, her breathing was labored and the smell of panic increased, he could feel the barrier with his fingers, the mark that no other had been there before him. It invigorated him. Her hand grabbed his wrist, he was hardened by her smell and her touch, "Sesshomaru-sama," she moaned when he stroked the fire that was outside her with his thumb while toying with her inside, "why are your eyes red?"
The words came crashing down on him, it was like waking form a dream. He stumbled away from her shocked, her smell covered him, and his her. He was panting, trying to regain control. He felt his heart in his chest pounding the blood rushing down telling him to finish what he started. Her hand on his bare shoulder made him flinch, "are you even going to say anything to me after that?" She retied her under garment to cover herself.
Sesshomaru couldn't look at her, he was embarrassed, ashamed, and feared that if he did, he would not be able to stop himself again. Jealous, this Sesshomaru was jealous of a human boy. "Rin, leave," he was still panting, he lashed out at the nearest tree hearing her yip in fear. He gripped a nearing rock in his claws holding them for dear life.
"You were jealous, weren't you?" Why did she have to persist? The smell in the air changed, the arousing smell that was there before was replaced with salty tears, he heard her behind him crying. "You won't even look at me?" She was sobbing, "Sesshomaru-sama I lo…"
"No Rin," he barked, he needed her to leave. He was hanging on by a very thin thread, "I can't give you what you want of me." I won't. Oh, but how she called to him, how he wanted her.
"You mean you won't? Because if you had and a child was conceived they would be a filthy hanyou like Inuyasha? Or because I'm still a child that needs rescuing?" He felt the warmth of her hand on his shoulder. He flinched equally aroused by the touch and hurt as if it stung him, "Sesshomaru-sama, if you won't give me this, would you deny every other man too?" She coughed through her cries, "would you ask me to spend the rest of my life alone?"
He hung his head he knew she was right. Rin deserved happiness. She deserved to have a relationship with a man. She deserved to be loved.
"You really aren't going to talk to me, are you?" He heard her walking away, she stopped for a moment, the moon, it's full, if I keep looking at the moon. The fire inside of him did not die down. "I assume you are going to leave now. I'll understand if you don't ever come back Sesshomaru-sama. Thank you, for everything," if she had been sobbing before, he knew there would be a river of tears now and if he tried to comfort them, then he would fall back into her embrace and risk losing himself in a human, risk becoming his father. He tried to ignore her padding feet running off and then the fighting in the distance. Kohaku had seen them together. He yelled at her for allowing Sesshomaru so close to her, when she had denied all his advances.
He kept his feet planted firmly in the soft mud around the lake. He kept breathing, urging his fire to die down. This was Rin, this wasn't a demoness, but his heart ached, his heart had never hurt, or yearned before. He touched his chest with the tips of his two fingers, she couldn't have. This instinct, this need…he knew what was it was then, he wanted to bind himself to her. His eyes shot open again, she's a child. He told himself, how could she bring this need out of me?
Only moments later, he could smell his brother behind him. "Draw your sword Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha yelled at him, "why are you half naked? You reek of Rin, she just ran past me smelling like you." Inuyasha hit him in the arm with the side of Tetsusaiga, "hey your eyes are red…you didn't."
Sesshomaru gathered his strength and fueled his rage into smacking his brother as far away as he could. "Shut-up Inuyasha, it's none of your business."
"Really after all the all times you pummeled me when something happened to her? It's none of my business? If it's my job to protect her, I'll protect her against jerks like you too!" He threw Inuyasha on the floor again before he disappeared.