CYCLE OF RIN
By Lady JenDragon
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own the Inuyasha characters.
Author's Notes: Thanks to all who have reviewed. Your enthusiasm over my story gives me more confidence that my idea's a good one. Hope my creativity can keep up. My spelling of weapons I took my cue from other writers. If there's any mistakes, don't hestitate to let me know. As a writer, I'd like to grow which requires feedback. Thanks again. Enjoy Chapter 3.
Chapter Three
The Abduction
The sun was just beginning to set on the western horizon. Dark oranges, yellows and reds colored the western sky in glorious streaks fading to greens and blues then to black in the east. Rin sat on a log by the fire, slowly eating her small dinner. More like picking at her dinner. All that time spent preparing the meal to keep her mind occupied. Now she was without an appetite. Nor had she any desire to converse or play with her friends talking noisily. Her emotions were in turmoil over seeing Sesshomaru again. There was no guarantee she would get any sleep tonight. Rin had a lot to think about.
Glancing over at her friends, Rin smiled. The others were celebrating their victory over the Lion demon on the other side of the fire, playing with the cards Kagome gave them. Today was an easy victory. Let them enjoy the small victories. Life was not without consequences. Difficult battles lie ahead for them.
Rin set her plate down next to her foot. She had enough to eat. Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on her knees. Her friends left her alone, knowing the Cycle was upon her. She shrugged her shoulders, the pain building slowly. A thought occurred to her, changing the subject of thought.
Risu, the Lion demon, was too scared to truly fight back. Rin felt he held back from using his full power. Something must have scared him enough to constantly check over his shoulder. Was it Sesshomaru's presence? No. Sesshomaru was not the type to kill without provocation. He protected his lands and occasionally fought with his brother, Inuyasha. Had Naraku passed through here during his flee? Was he lurking in the forest waiting for a chance to strike unexpectedly? Footsteps approached her. Rin looked up to see Natomi kneeling down beside her.
"Rin, I can see you're hurting." Natomi placed her hand on Rin's shoulder.
"Yes, the Cycle is upon me once more." Rin nodded.
The Cycle that would eventually kill her. A result of the demon blood poisoning she suffered a month after her forced separation from Sesshomaru. Once in a while, the pain overcame her body, rendering her useless as a Human, turning her into a thoughtless killing machine. Acting on instinct and rage, she traveled the forest during the night to rid her of the burning violence bubbling below her skin. Battle made the Cycle go away faster. She felt better the next morning, waking amongst the corpses of her opponents. Sometimes there were many, other times there were few. Regardless, she could not trust herself around Humans.
Thus, she chose areas away from the villages to make her transformation. Kagome once spoke of werewolves that transformed during full moons that eerily sounded similar to her plight. Had she been poisoned by one?
Rin lifted her eyes to the moon hanging in the night sky. How long did she have before it completely engulfed her? No one knew for sure if she would live or die. Miroku had not given her a time line. One thing was clear. She would face her fate with courage and integrity. Tears threatened to form. Tears over never doing understanding her condition, over not being able to do something about it, over not living a normal life like other people. Of always being abandoned by those she trusted. Rin shook her head of the sad thoughts. Memories of her past would not stay quiet tonight.
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It had been dark and raining when they made camp for the night. Rin ate quietly next to the fire under the thick tree Jaken found. The only dry place available, camp was set up. The log she sat on was upended to accommodate her growing legs. Lord Sesshomaru went off to meet with another demon, taking Jaken with him. She found it highly unusual for Sesshomaru to request Jaken to accompany him on one of his meetings.
It was three men, Humans, who pushed through the bushes and found her happily eating. She froze in place, not realizing the danger until it was too late. One of the men, the tallest and skinniest of the three, yanked her off her log and carried her off into the forest, kicking and screaming for help. She screamed for sometime, hoping Lord Sesshomaru would hear her and come save her from these men. Her heart beat so hard out of fear. The men were discussing selling Rin to a farm three villages over looking for a young girl for the kitchens. She kicked and screamed some more, to no avail. The shortest man knocked her out, tired of her shrill voice.
When she came to, she had been placed in a dark room. It was tiny with a small window for light and air. Rin could barely see through the window, mostly peeking at the night sky. The brightness of the moon illuminated the space under the wall. The space appeared dug out. A dog trying to escape perhaps?
Rin got down on her hands and knees, forcing her small form under the wooden wall. Her clothes tore and she suffered from a number of scratches on her face, arms and legs. But she was free. Quickly and quietly, she snuck into the forest. Once away, she ran for the edge of the village. She spied the other small village from the fire smoke she saw earlier as they passed by that afternoon and knew where the food and clothes were kept.
She arrived at the camp to find the fire she started extinguished. Had Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken returned, thinking Rin had run off and then continued on their journey without her? Ah-Une was no where to be seen as well. No, Lord Sesshomaru would have known that she had been abducted. His senses were very keen. But, how would she find Lord Sesshomaru now? Why had not he come for her?
Rin was left on her own. She waited almost a week, watching the forest of any signs that Lord Sesshomaru came to find her. She'd hidden close to the tree, anxiously keeping watch. Certainly, Lord Sesshomaru could smell her and follow her scent. But he never came. For weeks she felt betrayed, and worse, hurt. Which led to her present situation.
Rin walked aimlessly from place to place over a couple of weeks, hoping to cross Lord Sesshomaru's path. Eventually, she gave up and decided that he no longer wanted her around. But questions ate at her. Why had not he come for her? Had she done something wrong? Logic took over after three weeks. Sesshomaru would never bother with a ransom. He did not concern himself with such matters. Did he want to be rid of her? That idea depressed her for some time.
The life she enjoyed ended so abruptly. Adapting to it was hard at first. She was searching for her destiny and it found her one night in the form of a demon looking for a meal. At eleven, she was face to face with a demon twenty-times her size with a hunger for human flesh.
Its snout appeared black, its teeth long and white. Long arms ended with claws large enough to fillet her in a single stroke. At twelve feet high, the creature chased her through the forest. Her small legs found it difficult to plot a quick path through the dense vegetation. Cuts, bruises and scrapes covered her exposed skin. The creature's sheer size hindered its progress through the trees, allotting her more time to escape. Alas, Rin found herself cornered in a natural quarry, rock cliffs on three sides. She turned in time to watch the creature emerge from the forest. Its bulky body shimmered in the moonlight. Rin threw her arms up and screamed as the demon attacked.
Rin dropped to the ground, avoiding the worst of the demon's attack. Claws opened her arm, spilling blood across the gray rock cliff. Its other claw caught her shoulder and back. Rin suffered serious wounds, losing consciousness shortly thereafter. Not before Sango appeared to distract the creature, saving her. Miroku came to her aid a few seconds later. Her screaming must've caught the demonslayer and monk's attention.
Sango spilt the demon into pieces with her large weapon, Herykotes. But it was a rather messy deal. Rin got the demons spilled blood into her open wounds, mixing with her blood. The demon's blood was quickly dispersed through out her body. Rin lost consciousness. Miroku and Sango rushed her back to their village for treatment, saving her.
Rin was nursed back to health by an old priestess named Kaede. A kindly woman who knew all about demons. She learned a lot at the elderly priestess's side. But it was the demonslayer, Sango, who decided her future. Sango trained with her for three years, helping her perfect her technique and teach her the ways of making weapons. Miroku showed her the ways of the monks to calm her mind and clear her thoughts before battle. It proved very effective. Now, she commanded her own team of demonslayers in the search for the Shekon Jewel shards. Her life should have ended the night she met the unidentified demon. Alas, she had been given another chance at life.
A cursed second chance.
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Sesshomaru strode across the field, his thoughts on the evening. What did Rin mean, 'the past is in the past'? Had she forgiven this Sesshomaru for leaving her behind? Even more disturbing, she held the faint scent of his brother, Inuyasha. And the miko, Kagome. Had Rin gone to live with them?
Jaken struggled to keep up behind Lord Sesshomaru. He could not help but wonder what his master was thinking about. All this time, he believed their journey would continue without ever meeting Rin again. Had his master gone out of his way when he caught hold of her scent? His Dog Demon senses would pick up the faintest of smells miles away.
"L…Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken spoke nervously.
Sesshomaru turned his head slightly sideways. Jaken would understand this to mean he was listening. Though he did not care for what the Imp had to say. He had other things to think about. Most interestingly, about Rin. He was sure that Rin's scent was tainted by demon blood.
"Where are we going, Lord Sesshomaru?"
Sesshomaru felt that his meeting with Rin was not at an end. The scent she emitted disturbed him on the most primitive of levels. That did not happen often. Rin poisoned by a demon, a poison that reacted with her blood and yet she survived long enough to do battle. Risu? No, Lion demons did not emit poison from their fangs. Yet, the mixing of human-demon blood gave off the scent that brought him over a distance of ten miles.
"Have you detected the new demon once more?" Jaken was not sure how to say it.
Jaken fell over at his master's abrupt stop. He dropped the Two-Headed staff on the ground, fumbling as he got to his feet. Straightening himself, he decided to remain silent. Lord Sesshomaru was deep in thought. Perhaps seeing Rin again brought back memories. Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't admit to such feelings. Not towards a human. Judging from the way Rin responded to him, she hadn't forgotten what Lord Sesshomaru had done to her.
"Jaken?" His voice sounded profound.
"Y…yes my…my Lord?" Jaken responded. "What is it?"
He leaned on the Staff of Two Heads, intently waiting for Lord Sesshomaru to speak. It was a rare event when his master asked him a question. Obviously, he was expected to have an answer readily available.
"What happens to a Human poisoned by a demon?"
Sesshomaru waited for Jaken to answer, aware of the answer himself. His servant would know more about Humans than him. Details would need to be gathered before he decided on a course of action.
"They die, my Lord." Came Jaken's answer immediately.
And here he thought Lord Sesshomaru was going to ask him a difficult question. Jaken lifted his chin, confident in his knowledge. No human could live through such a transfer regardless of their heritage. Demon blood was highly toxic.
"Correct." Sesshomaru began walking again.
An interesting turn of events, indeed. He never met a Human who lived through blood poisoning by a demon long enough to make it through a battle. Sesshomaru did not know much about demon and human blood. But he did know someone who did. A rather brazen old demon who once knew his father.
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The moon still hovered in the dark night sky above. Natomi woke from a pleasant slumber to sounds of agony. Shaking her sleepy head, she paused. The sounds came again. She scrambled to her feet, seeing Rin curled into a ball. Her leader was trying to muffle her suffering. The pain must be excruciating. Had it worsened?
"Maiko!" Natomi called to he fellow demonslayer leaning against the tree.
It was Maiko's turn to watch over the camp, leaning himself against the tree to keep an eye out for demons. She waved him over to her. He did not immediately respond, having not seen her panicked flailing. Natomi waved incessantly until he turned to her then rolled his eyes. But he left his post. Maiko reached her quickly, seeing the worry on her face.
"What is it?" He pushed himself upright, walking towards her.
Maiko's eyes followed the ground to where Rin lay, curled up beside the fire. Her face was red, her arms clutched at her stomach. A twig was placed between her teeth to prevent biting of her tongue.
"She's in the Cycle now." Natomi informed him. "It's earlier than normal."
Why is it men never get a clue unless told directly, Natomi thought. Disappointing really. Men thought they were superior to everything except demons. Then she noticed the worry and fear in Maiko's eyes. He was not thinking about being logical at the moment.
"Yeah, you're right." Maiko ran over to Rin lying near the fire. "What are we to do!"
"Get the shards to Kagome!" Rin spat through clenched teeth. "Quickly!"
Rin tossed the small bottle with the shards out, following the rolling bottle with her eyes over the soil. She brought her arms together and folded them tight across her stomach. This position was the better of the others. But, it still hurt like hell. Rin could feel her brow bead up with sweat.
"We can't leave you, Rin!" Natomi replied.
Natomi never liked leaving Rin in this state. However, there was nothing she, herself, could do to take Rin's pain away. They had gone through this argument on more than one occasion. And they always ended up with the same out come.
"Get the shards to Kagome before sunrise!" Rin ordered through clenched teeth.
Why did Natomi always fight her on this? If a demon appeared, she would dispose of it. She was lethal during 'the Cycle'. How many times did they have to argue this point?
"Come on." Maiko pulled on Natomi's arm. "You know demons come for her during the cycle! It's best we leave."
Hiroshi and Torimasa waited for Maiko and Natomi to join them. Rin would wail on them when the Cycle passed for not obeying her orders. The shards were far more important than her safety. Besides, the Cycle had its own built in defense mechanism. The Cycle did crazy things to Rin. She became stronger and more intuitive. She could smell the things around her and sense demons in the vicinity. But, she was also very dangerous to humans during the Cycle. She'd attack anyone who attempted to get near her.
The four demonslayers took off, leaving Rin behind, running at full speed. There was not a lot of time. Their leader could take care of herself and would return once the Cycle had passed. Neither said a word, heading for the rendezvous point in silence. Worry hung heavily between them.
Rin heard the diminishing footsteps. Good, they were heeding her order to go to Kagome. If Miroku was with them, he may come to check on her by morning. Perhaps, put up seals to protect the surrounding villages just in case she became violent and decided to attack. That had never happened, but Miroku would not take any unnecessary chances.
Suddenly, she felt very tired. The Cycle took its full effect at night. Rin lost consciousness knowing she would rise in the evening along with the other demons and be ready for the battles that would inevitably take place. Every time the Cycle took hold of her, the more her Human body died. Her form laxed as sleep overwhelmed her, her arms unfolding slightly as she settled.
Nearby, the lush vegetation rustled with life. Seconds passed innocently around the unconscious Rin. Sesshomaru exited the forest, the fire left burning within the circle of rocks. His eyes settled on the unconscious form of Rin, her arms across her abdomen. Her demonslayer friends were nowhere to be seen. Sesshomaru stopped beside Rin.
"L…Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken caught up. "Is…is she dead?"
"No." Sesshomaru surveyed Rin's pale face.
Jaken's mouth gaped when Lord Sesshomaru bent down, lifting Rin onto his arm. He gently laid her over his left shoulder then turned to the southwest. Jaken's eyes followed Lord Sesshomaru as he walked across the abandoned camp. Entering the forest calmly. 'What was his master doing!' Jaken panicked at the sight.
Lord Sesshomaru carried no one!
Author's Notes: Hope you're enjoying my creativity but the best is yet to come. Let me know what you think so far. I've got a few more ideas for the next chapter but I find time very limited with finals coming up. Next chapter should be up in about two weeks. Won't give specific dates since plans never really work out. Enjoy this for now.