Incomplete
- Chapter Thirty-Four -
The night air was cold and quiet. She listened to soft sound of snow falling around her and watched the flakes disappear, one after another, into the well's inky darkness. She envied them. Inuyasha's wish on the Sacred Jewel had sealed the well, leaving her trapped in the feudal era. It was ironic really. For weeks she'd been dreading being trapped in the modern era with no way to return and now it was the only place she wanted to be.
She'd lost track of the number of times she'd tried to jump through the well before finally giving up. It wasn't fair. What had she done to deserve this? Sesshomaru, her family, her friends, they'd all been taken from her and she was left feeling more alone than she'd ever felt in her life. Inuyasha did his best, Sango and Miroku too, but they weren't enough. They couldn't replace the ones she'd lost.
It was hard not to hate him. She wanted to. She wanted to blame him for everything bad that had happened to her, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. He couldn't have known what his wish on the Jewel would do and she couldn't ignore that his wish, as misguided as it was, had been for her. He loved her, that much had never changed, and at the moment it was just about the only thing keeping her from drowning.
The moon was high in the sky when she heard the tell-tale crunch of his footsteps on the newly fallen snow. He came up behind her and she let out a soft sigh. Her warm breath fogged into tiny clouds on the crisp air and she watched them dissipate into nothing.
"What'cha' doin' out here?" he asked, bracing his hands against the well. He joined her in peering into its depths and she watched a flicker of guilt cross his features. Shrugging, she turned away and stared at their footprints in the snow covered ground.
"Just thinking."
"About him?"
His tone was hard and she winced at the sound of it. The words were never said aloud but his every look and action told her what he wanted - for her to move on, with him. Nevermind that she still woke up screaming in the middle of the night or hadn't smiled once since her arrival. Nevermind that her heart still ached for him every single day and tears always seemed to be hovering just below the surface.
It was far too soon for her to even be considering it, but none of that seemed to matter to him. He was single-minded in his goal and stubbornly persistent. Out of all her companions, she figured he would be the one to understand what she was going through, especially after Kikyou. She was wrong.
"Would you be angry if I said yes?"
She searched his dark eyes and wasn't surprised to find his emotions simmering just below the surface.
"Yes," he answered truthfully.
When she remained silent he slipped his warm hand over top of hers. "I hate seeing you like this, Kagome. I... I just want you to be happy again."
"You want me to forget," she corrected him.
His hand balled into a fist and he slammed it against the side of the well. Letting out a low sigh, she tried to find the right words to explain it so he might understand.
"Inuyasha… I appreciate everything you've done for me. It's meant so much to have a friend like you right now. But what you want from me…it's not possible. I'm sorry."
She tried to smile at him reassuringly but he avoided her gaze and kept his eyes riveted to the well. After a few moments of tense silence he muttered, "Can I ask you something?"
When she nodded he caught her around the waist and pressed his lips to hers. She could feel his heart thrumming beneath her palms, just like before; full of hope. His thumb gently caressed her cheek, reminding her of another, and she closed her eyes to imagine...
When he finally pulled away, he searched her eyes for answers he was looking for.
"Tell me truth. Can you honestly say you felt nothing?"
In a time that seemed like centuries ago, she would've given anything for him to kiss her like that. Back then, her greatest wish was simply to know that he loved her and her biggest worry, apart from high school entrance exams, was the thought of Kikyou pulling them apart.
Was it wrong for her to want that kind of selfish simplicity again?
She felt her head shake 'No' and a smile broke out across his face.
"I'm not giving up," he determined. "I'll be as patient as I have to be."
She tried to meet his smile with one of her own, but all she felt was weak. Taking her hand in his, he did his best to keep it warm while leading her away from the well. In the distance the mountains bordering the Western Lands stood tall, looking as regal and indestructible as ever. If only she could have been born a mountain. Blowing out a quiet sigh, she lowered her eyes to the glistening snow and followed Inuyasha's footsteps back to the village.
oOo
Under the cover of darkness, a lone figure slipped through the shadows of the deserted hallway. Her bare feet were soundless atop the wood floor and deftly avoided every obstacle until she reached her destination. After quickly checking for guards, she quietly slid the door open and let herself into the darkened room.
"Who's there?" a familiar, high-pitched voice called out to her from the shadows and she smiled in relief.
"Master Jaken, it is only I."
The small, toad-like demon gasped in surprise the moment she stepped into the faint light from the fire.
"Rin! How did you get in here?"
"Through the door of course," she laughed, rolling her eyes. Master Jaken was Lord Sesshomaru's most loyal servant, but he wasn't very smart sometimes.
Rather than berate her for having poor manners like he usually did, the imp began pacing and wringing his hands.
"They'll kill you if they see that you've left your room and then Lord Sesshomaru will..."
Jaken began pacing back and forth across the floor while quietly muttering to himself. "Lord Sesshomaru will have my head if anything happens to you!"
Rin held fast, stubbornly refusing to leave until he heard her out.
"Master Jaken, you must listen to me," she implored. "Lord Sesshomaru needs our help."
Jaken folded his arms expectantly across his chest.
"Well go on you silly girl! What is this nonsense you speak of?"
"Lord Sesshomaru is a prisoner here too, I saw him! The leader of the Northern tribes says that unless he marries her, she'll kill us! We have to help him escape!"
"We're doomed!" the imp wailed piteously, throwing himself to the floor.
"Come on, Master Jaken! Stop being so dramatic! We have to rescue Lord Sesshomaru," she urged from the door.
Bemoaning his fate, the imp grabbed his staff of two-heads and followed her out into the hall.
The duo ventured precariously to the stairs that would take them into the dark underbelly of the palace where the prison was housed. The stairwell itself was pitch dark and the pair took their time gingerly making their way down the slime covered stone steps.
They finally came to a halt outside the cell containing Lord Sesshomaru, relieved, for the moment, that there didn't appear to be a guard in sight.
Rin reached up to draw back the bolt and was instantly thrown back. Groaning, she picked herself up off the dirt floor and studied the door.
"That's right. I remember now…the demon lady said some kind of spell before she opened the door," she thought aloud, shaking the lingering tingles from her hand.
"Master Jaken, do you think you could use the staff of two heads to open the door? It breaks barriers doesn't it?"
The green imp thought it over for a moment before quickly shuffling over to stand in front of her.
"Stand back, Rin! Allow me to handle this," he instructed with an encouraging nod in her direction.
Obediently she fell back a few paces and watched as he stamped the staff into the floor and aimed it at the barrier. On cue, one of the ghoul heads opened its mouth and let out a fiery stream of energy. It surrounded the door for a brief moment before dissipating with a soft 'pop'. His mission accomplished, Jaken stepped back and Rin ran for the door.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she gingerly grabbed hold of the bolt holding the lock in place. When she didn't receive another painful shock she pulled it back with a groan of effort. The door was heavy, but swung wide open with a push and she let herself into the cell.
Inside, Sesshomaru stood facing them with his back against the far wall. Considering he'd been holed up in a dank cell for several weeks he didn't look too worse for the wear.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried out excitedly as she bounded up to him. "We have come to rescue you!"
"Rin, this Sesshomaru does not need rescuing," he replied in a curt tone. "You must leave at once."
Rin's steps skidded to a halt and she worked hard to hide her look of disappointment.
"But Lord Sesshomaru, Rin does not want to die!"
Sesshomaru's stern expression momentarily faltered.
"I-I heard what that woman said to you," Rin explained softly, keeping her eyes on the floor. "Lord Sesshomaru does not give into the demands of anyone!"
The dog demon stared at her incredulously. After a moment of strained silence he glanced away and fixed his eyes on the far wall.
"Rin, you should know better by now," he chided with a stern but not unkind voice.
She looked up at him with a tentative smile. "So, does that mean you'll come with us?"
Her hope faded when he stubbornly shook his head 'No'.
"Go with Jaken. He will take you to Inuyasha's group. They will care for you until I return."
The offer of freedom was tempting, but he refused to sneak away in the middle of the night like some pup with its tail between its legs. Whatever the Northern Tribes had planned, he would face it head on. Besides, Rin and Jaken would have a far greater of slipping away without him by their side.
As much as he detested his half-brother, he was well aware that his companions would take care of his charges until he could come for them. At the moment, it was the safest place for them to be.
Rin bowed obediently and retreatedfor the door. He had the urge to reach out and touch her, knowing it could very well be the last time he ever saw her alive. Instead, he spoke her name and she turned back to him with a smile.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Follow Jaken's orders and obey him. He will protect you." The girl nodded understandingly and skipped out into the hallway.
"Jaken."
Even though Sesshomaru only uttered his name, Jaken immediately understood the weight of the command. He was to protect Rin with his life or he would lose his own. With a nod of acceptance, the imp bowed reverently and stepped out into the hall.
Sesshomaru watched them leave, and felt a tingle of pride in his chest. Rin's unfailing loyalty never ceased to amaze him. Now that she and Jaken would be out of harm's way, he didn't have any reason to hold back.
Cracking his claws, the Lord of the West smiled to himself as the heavy metal door creaked shut and snuffed out the light once more. The tell-tale grind of metal on metal announced that the bolt had been drawn back into place. A shiver of delight crept down his spine and he took a seat against the far wall.
Let the carnage begin.