Rin sat quietly in the camp and idly drew figures into the dirt with a small stick she had found. It was about mid-day and Sesshomaru, A-Un and Jacken had left with the promise to return by nightfall. This wasn't unusual, many times when she had been young they would go off on their own for a day or longer and return for her when they were done with whatever task they had undergone.
In the past it had never bothered her. She never questioned where they went or what they did before or after their return for her. But this time it was different.
Sesshomaru was avoiding her.
Not that he was being obvious about it. For all she knew she could just be imagining it but she knew in her heart she wasn't wrong or exaggerating.
Sesshomaru was avoiding her and he had been doing so for at least two months.
Rin bit her lower lip and frowned to herself. Perhaps saying he was avoiding her was going too far. He still spoke to her...well more like issued edicts and commands to her. Jacken returned to his normal aloof and superior self with her, as always taking his cues from Sesshomaru. A-Un was really the only one who was still affectionate with her but she couldn't very well talk to him all day.
She shouldn't have been surprised. Everything had gone back to normal. They traveled together, Sesshomaru protected them all and when he had to leave, he took Jacken with him or if he felt there was danger then he would leave Jacken with her. She still maintained the camp and packed it all up when they were ready to move forward.
So why was she so unhappy? This was everything she had wanted and prayed for for years.
She knew exactly why. This life wasn't enough for her. Not anymore.
Maybe at one time it would've been enough. Had she not had a glimpse of what life could be like with Sesshomaru?
After Sesshomaru had saved her from those ruffians and brought her back to life and had decided to return her to Kaede's village she had been devastated. She had wanted to fight him which had been very unlike her. All her life she had been submissive and always obeyed him in whatever he wanted, because she had never wanted to disappoint or anger him. All she had ever wanted was his love and approval.
Rin snorted. Right, the love of a demon. Of course not just any demon but one if not the most powerful yokai in the land. She had been a fool. When Sesshomaru had finally kissed her, Rin couldn't stop the small kernel of hope that had risen inside of her. She had thought he was finally going to admit that she mattered to him. She didn't expect a declaration of love, but she had wanted him to recognize she belonged with only him. Instead he had treated the kiss almost as a goodbye and carted her off to the village anyway.
Her heart had shattered.
Despite that, during their trip back to the village Rin had naively begun to hope again. As depressed as she had become, Sesshomaru had been so affectionate and gentle with her. Her lack of animation had frustrated him in a way she had never seen before and he had gone out of his way to not only care for her but he had treated her as if she had been some fragile flower he had to protect. She had honestly begun to feel that even though he was taking her back to the village, he did at least care about her as a woman...not a child.
And then the fiasco at the village happened. Rin rolled her eyes at Kaede's attempt to marry her off to Ben. Her heart had been in the right place and despite Ben's popularity in the village, Rin knew the marriage never would've worked. Kaede might deny it but Rin had always been fully aware of the sentiments of the other females in the village towards her. She had never said or did one mean thing to any of them, but if anything, her continued kindness appeared to infuriate them more towards her. She wasn't sure if it had been jealousy, envy, fear or perhaps a combination of all three that drove them to hate her as much as they did. In the end it didn't matter. Rin felt she really hadn't lost anything there. Ben, despite claiming to have been in love with her wasn't really anyone significant in her life. True he had always been sweet with her but they rarely if ever spoke. She rarely had spoken or interacted with anyone besides Kaede.
All of them had viewed her as the demon's pet. They had feared her connections to the demon world and assumed she would bring destruction down on their heads despite Kaede's reassurances. She had tried very hard to make Rin a part of the village but it had never truly worked.
Now here Rin sat by herself and wondered again what had become of her life. She had dedicated herself to the service of the yokai that had saved her life as a child. When he had settled her into Kaede's village to give her a chance to integrate herself in the human world she had faithfully awaited his return. When he had finally returned for her only to try and send her back to the village Rin had reluctantly obeyed. But when faced with the knowledge that had she stayed in the village she would marry, Sesshomaru had not only stopped it, but offered to allow her to continue her travels with him, the one thing she had believed she wanted above all others.
Rin had foolishly thought that his display of possessiveness was a good indication of his growing attachment to her. She had hoped that he was just realizing how important she was to him, maybe that he even cared for her...or even loved her.
At the least she had thought he wanted her. She would've settled for at least that. Rin threw the stick into the distance in frustration. Her whole life had revolved around Sesshomaru. Every decision she had ever made was always based on what he would've liked. Now what did she have to show for all her loyalty and love to him? Absolutely nothing. Her life was going nowhere. She had never wanted children or a husband...she always focused on wanting to be by Sesshomaru's side. But now that she had that? He treated her no differently then he treated Jacken or A-Un. True, she belonged to him and as such he protected her. But knowing she held no more importance to him, or more aptly put, held less importance than A-Un, Jacken and even his sword Tenseiga infuriated her.
Her entire world revolved around Sesshomaru and he treated her as nothing more than a possession. When she had been a child she could've sworn he not only cared deeply for her but that she brought him happiness. She had expected the same now. She had expected companionship, friendship...she had even foolishly hoped it would turn into something more. After the kiss and how affectionate he had been with her she truly thought those sentiments she sought were there within him. With a little coaxing on her part they would come forward.
But none of that had come to pass. Instead in the last two months he barely looked at her unless he had to give her some type of instruction or command. All of the gentle touches and fond looks were gone. Rin felt her eyes fill with tears but she stubbornly refused to allow them to fall.
She was done.
She was tired of being a doormat, especially to him. She was tired of waiting and hoping he would realize she was a woman now and no longer a child. She had wanted him to love her as deeply as she loved him but she grimly realized that was beyond stupid. It was slowly dawning on her that Kaede had been right all along and it was past time Rin took a hard look at herself and what she wanted out of her future.
A demon could never love.
Jacken rode atop A-Un's great winged back behind Sesshomaru when a strong blast of lightening from below zinged up towards them. Sesshomaru barely managed to redirect said blast before three more were promptly returned. One strike hit A-Un deep into his left wing and the great beast immediately plummeted to the ground. Sesshomaru leaped from his back and dove headfirst in a straight shot towards their attacker.
Jacken managed to use his staff to form a bubble of wind beneath them that caught A-Un before he slammed into the earth. Once they hit the ground Jacken immediately cauterized A-Un's wound with his staff before he turned towards the battle behind him.
The two moved too quickly for Jacken to keep up with, but a great nine tailed fox battled Sesshomaru viciously. It managed to strike Sesshomaru repeatedly in the chest and raked its claws from his neck down to his lower abdomen. Sesshomaru howled and transformed into his great dog form. He snarled at his attacker and rushed it. He snapped his long jaws at its hind legs before he managed to bite the tails at its base. He savagely jerked his head from side to side and the nine tailed fox hissed and raked its claws down the dogs' side. The dog moved and pinned the fox beneath him and its jaws dove for its neck to finish it off. The giant nine tailed fox quickly transformed back into the form of a young woman who agilely leaped away from his jaws right before she turned and ran to escape.
Sesshomaru changed back into his regular form and shot across the field to slam into the young woman and pushed her beneath him.
To Jacken's shock, he could hear the young woman's laughter.
Sesshomaru growled down at her but moved back cautiously as he released her. She continued to openly laugh even as she held her back thigh that was bleeding profusely. Jacken looked towards his master and saw the deep claw marks that raked his chest and neck. Jacken immediately bounded over to them and quickly patched up his master, trusting he would deal with the woman if she attacked again. Jacken couldn't stand by idly and allow his masters precious blood to flow.
"So, Jacken still follows you like a loyal little pet does he?"
Jacken glanced back at the female briefly before his shocked gaze made his head snap back around to stare at her. "Kitsune!" Jacken said in disgust.
She tilted her head to the side and her flaming red orange hair fell over her shoulder. "I missed you too Jacken."
"What are you doing here and why did you attack me?" Sesshomaru demanded of her.
She smiled flirtatiously before she shrugged. "I needed to get your attention, and I wanted to have a friendly spar to be honest."
"There is nothing friendly about Masters wounds! You could've killed him!" Jacken yelled at the insufferable woman.
She grinned again unrepentant. "Your little pet doesn't seem to have much faith in your abilities Sesshomaru."
Jacken was in her face immediately as he yelled at her. "That is Lord Sesshomaru to the likes of you."
Kitsune stood slowly as she faced Sesshomaru and ignored Jacken. Jacken took in the bands of brown leather that crisscrossed her chest and wrapped around her midsection and upper thighs. She wore a tight black strapless blouse and matching leggings. Her feet were encased in supple brown leather boots and as usual her flaming red orange hair curled over her shoulder.
"Send your pet away Sesshomaru. We need to talk." She said to Sesshomaru seductively.
Jacken rolled his eyes.
"That has yet to be seen. As much as you say we need to discuss, I see no reason for Jacken to leave." Sesshomaru replied.
Kitsune smiled. "Afraid to be alone with me Sesshomaru? Think you'll have a hard time keeping your hands off of me?" When Sesshomaru simply stared at her Kitsune pursed her lips in a little pout. "I promise I won't bite unless you ask me to. Besides I wanted some time alone with you to catch up. You used to love being alone with me Sesshomaru."
Jacken stiffened at her implication. He glanced at his master and frowned at the heated look Sesshomaru gave her. "That was a long time ago Kitsune. I've heard you've moved up in the world. Even having the audacity to attempt to lay claim to my lands."
Kitsune's seductive ploy died under Sesshomaru's statement. "Those are now my lands! I earned them."
Sesshomaru relaxed. "Now that we have that out of the way, why don't you tell me what you're really after Kitsune? If it had been for a quick fuck there are other more pleasurable ways you could've garnered my attention."
Jacken glanced back at his master in surprise at his crude language. These two definitely had a sordid history. He never quite knew how their relationship began but Sesshomaru and Kitsune had been on again off again lovers for centuries. While Sesshomaru's father had still lived, his mother had been fond of Kitsune and made the young yokai believe that a match between her and Sesshomaru would be welcome. Sesshomaru's father however had never liked Kitsune for his eldest son. She was too bloodthirsty and vicious and he feared she would make Sesshomaru even more so.
Sesshomaru at the time had not been interested in any such match. He was still learning skills from his father and was still trying to understand his father's obsession with his human mistress. More so when Inuyasha was born. Sesshomaru viewed his younger half demon brother as more of a curiosity than a rival. Their father knew how ruthless Sesshomaru could be but he was also very aware of his eldest son's curiosity and encouraged it and him to get to know his baby brother and his human mistress he had loved dearly.
Kitsune constantly badgered Sesshomaru to kill Inuyasha and his human mother. She wanted him to take his father's lands and make her his queen. When Sesshomaru ignored her she seduced him in hopes of having more control over him. Unfortunately, Kitsune forgot Sesshomaru was not easily manipulated by anyone. He knew of his father's plans and he especially knew what Kitsune wanted. Sesshomaru simply took what he wanted from both.
When it became obvious Sesshomaru wasn't going to follow her plans, Kitsune had sworn revenge and left. Over the next few centuries whenever the two would meet she would often offer herself to him. Sesshomaru would sometimes take her up on her offer but more often than not he refused her. For the simple reason that she rarely was able to hold his attention for more than a day or two. Kitsune was not used to being dismissed so easily but it became a strange pattern for the two.
"I notice your other pet doesn't seem to be here. Where did you stash your little human female?" Kitsune asked slyly referring to Rin.
Sesshomaru stiffened "Tread carefully Kitsune."
Kitsune laughed. "So the rumors are true. You place high value on the girl. Very interesting."
Sesshomaru took a menacing step forward and Kitsune quickly stepped back and waved him off placatingly. "Don't worry I'm not planning on killing her. At least not yet." She grinned at him before she continued. "I did want to let you know personally I had no choice but to issue a ransom for her head."
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm aware of this."
Kitsune paused in surprise but quickly recovered. "The other yokai will not recognize my claim to the lands to the west without your death. They don't believe I could defeat you."
"They are smarter than you are." Seshomaru replied.
Kitsune bared her teeth at him. "I have changed quite a bit. I'm much stronger now. Don't underestimate me." She warned.
Sesshomaru looked at her confidently. "Do you truly believe that you have grown more powerful and I stayed the same? I have had centuries to master my abilities and gain more. No matter how powerful you believe you have become, do not ever dare to think you could defeat me."
"Despite how much I would like to call you on that, I'm here to offer you a deal."
Sesshomaru blinked at her before he replied. "You have nothing I want."
Kitsune flushed in anger at his statement. "Be that as it may. I'm sure you don't want to constantly look over your shoulder, wondering what demon will be bold enough to snatch your little human away-"
"I can protect what's mine." Sesshomaru interrupted.
"What I'm offering is to remove the bounty I have on her head, if you will accompany me back to rescind your claims to your father's lands."
Sesshomaru considered her offer. "Even if I were to rescind my claim, it wouldn't signify I couldn't still easily take it back from you later."
"One, it wouldn't be that easily I promise you. And two, even if everyone realizes that, if you rescind your offer, I can claim what is rightfully mine and your little pet will be safe."
"Rin is always safe. The only true benefit I see in this offer is to yourself." Sesshomaru stated matter of factly.
"I don't know Sesshomaru. You say you can keep her safe but even now I don't see her with you. Do you really think you can keep stashing her away when you feel the need to go out and play? What about what she wants?" Kitsune asked.
"She has repeatedly stated she wants to stay by my side." Sesshomaru said.
"But she's not be your side now is she? How many times have you left your little human to fend for herself? Not that I'm an expert, but from what I understand humans are very social creatures. I don't see you having long conversations with her. I would think such a solitary life would be unwelcome for her."
Jacken piped up immediately, not at all liking either the direction of the conversation or his masters' apparent focus. "She has had the opportunity to return to a human life and has refused both times. She belongs with us."
"Oh really? Well, since you both feel so passionately about it then I'll leave it be." Kitsune shrugged and with a wink at Sesshomaru she snapped her fingers and disappeared.
Jacken sighed and was about to turn to check on A-Un when Sesshomaru's low voice stalled him. "Is she right?"
Jacken frowned before he asked "Right about what master?"
"Rin. Is it possible she might be lonely despite our company?"
Jacken snorted. "Saying she might be lonely is like saying a cactus hates getting hot. Some things are just what they are and she knew exactly what lay in store for her when she decided to join us in our travels."
Sesshomaru did not respond. Taking a breath he turned his attention to A-Un and proceeded to examine his wing. Jacken stared at his master not at all liking Kitsune's sudden interest in Rin. Though Sesshomaru seemed unconcerned over the whole affair, Jacken decided from now on he would stay back with Rin when Sesshomaru needed to scout ahead.