CYCLE OF RIN
By Lady JenDragon
Disclaimer: I don't own the Inuyasha characters. Sniff Got over it…moved on.
Author's Notes: Had a blast at Comic-Con 2006. Fun to be had by ALL! Met Richard Ian Cox, the voice of our beloved Inuyasha, after two hours waiting in line. Cool guy! And he has a great sense of humor. For those who wonder, and you know who you are, his human voice is similar to Inuyasha but not as distinctive. No, I did not ask him to yell 'Kagome!' That would've been rude. We got to see the fourth Inuyasha movie premiere by Viz Media on Thursday 7/20/06; Inuyasha: Fire on the Mystic Island. Something like that anyway. More details of Comic-Con can be viewed before Chapter 13 of my other story, Inuyasha: Sealed Fates Unleashed. Thanks to all who reviewed. Enjoy.
Chapter Ten
After Math
Koi walked out into the sunlight from the entrance to his hut, taking a deep breath. After last night's encounter with Inuyasha, he did not believe he would live to see another sunrise. Still, the young half demon left him without a word seeking his ward. Koi shook his head. 'Did Inuyasha really worry about the human woman that much?' Suddenly, a large fist clamped around this throat, lifting him off the ground.
"Oh, you again?" Koi veered his eyes to Sesshomaru.
The Dog demon's armor and sash were unusually disheveled this morning. Even the long white locks of his hair were knotted and rough. 'So, the human surrendered to Sesshomaru, did she?' Koi refrained from smiling, knowing that to be the quickest path to death. Perhaps the human did not follow the knowledge the elder son of the Dog General possessed in the family archive after all.
"You neglected to tell me…"
"Didn't follow the ancient scrolls, did she?" Koi said evenly.
"Explain what you mean?" Sesshomaru squeezed harder.
Suddenly, a crack echoed across the meadow. Koi disappeared from his grip, reappearing nearby. Sesshomaru straightened, turning to face the elderly demon, his hand on Tokijin's hilt. The wind kicked up around him, his hair flowing outward on the breeze.
"The human won't follow the knowledge contained in the scrolls." Koi clasped his hands behind his back. "She isn't a half-demon like those before her."
"That is apparent." Sesshomaru said, his voice dangerously low. "Her power exceeded those of half-demons."
"Don't you mean demons?" Koi raised an eyebrow. "Don't play stupid with me boy! She's nothing like Inuyasha. Didn't you feel it when you were around her? That human could've killed you if she deemed you unworthy."
Sesshomaru remained quiet, his grip tightening on Tokijin's hilt. He doubted sincerely that Rin could have killed him despite her show of strength. 'Unworthy?' How could a mere mortal poisoned by demon blood consider him unworthy? 'Foolishness.'
"You didn't?" Koi fought to keep his lips from stretching into a smile.
"Do not distract from the subject." Sesshomaru glared at the elderly demon. "Rin's behavior proved erratic. She fights the demon blood within. The war between the human and demon blood has only begun."
"Is she pregnant?" Came the blunt question.
Koi locked eyes with Sesshomaru. The slight twitch in the younger demon's left eye, nearly undetectable, made him smile inwardly. So, the son of the great Dog General found himself in a precarious predicament. To be bested by a human, and then mate with her, would be a major insult to Sesshomaru personally. He would not get an answer from Sesshomaru about the woman's physical state. Perhaps, it was too early to determine whether she carried a demon within her. Sesshomaru's sense of smell could detect any changes within a woman.
"You left the human alone?" Koi asked after some silence.
"Rin can take care of herself." Sesshomaru replied coldly. "My attachment to her is over."
"If you think that you're a fool." Koi crossed his arms. "Did you read the entire scroll?"
Sesshomaru said nothing, his eyes on the ground.
"If you had, you would know that you must return every so often to reclaim her physically." Koi continued when Sesshomaru faced him, anger in his amber eyes. "Otherwise other demons can sneak in and take your place as the father within the first three months. The demon Cycle is a weird thing. And I thought humans were bad."
Sesshomaru crossed the distance of the field in less than a second. He gripped the elderly demon in his hand, dangling the smaller demon high above the ground. His eyes turned crimson, the dual purple stripes on his cheeks now jagged.
"You knew this Sesshomaru would be lured into the Cycle, attracted to her pheromones!" Sesshomaru's grip tightened, nearly crushing Koi's neck. "Why did you not warn this Sesshomaru?"
"As if you would've listened? You and your arrogance, puh! Your response to her was automatic…natural." Koi explained, pressing his bony finger into Sesshomaru's wrist. He dropped onto his feet softly then continued. "You shouldn't have gotten so close if you didn't want to participate. On any normal occasion, the female demon cycle detects the strongest male demon in the region and beckons him to her. Him alone. That part of the demon cycle never changes. I can only surmise that since she's human, she attracted every demon to her just to find the strongest one without being aware of it."
Koi noticed Sesshomaru's anger heighten. Mating a human was not high on his list of things to do today. 'Too bad, the boy needed a serious wake-up call.' His friend's eldest son was very set in his beliefs that humans and demons should never mix. Sesshomaru fisted his hand suddenly, though his face remained expressionless. Koi knew that was not a good sign when Sesshomaru flexed his finger muscles.
"You were hooked without knowing why."
Sesshomaru flexed his muscles again, tightening his hand into a fist once more. Bones cracked, his knuckles turned red then bright white. The Dog Demon discovered his actions were not of his own control. That would anger any aristocratic demon of good lineage. Few demons hated to lose control as Sesshomaru detested, Koi mused.
"What are you going to do?" Koi asked.
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. He detested knowing Koi's words were true. He resented he would be forever chained to Rin if he allowed the child within, should she conceive, to live. All his plans to sever his ties with the human permanently seven years ago circled round to haunt him once more.
"I will not tolerate this…" Sesshomaru ground out through gritted teeth.
Koi shook his head, his hands on his hips.
"A ruler needs heirs." He pointed out. "You've none, Sesshomaru. She'll give birth to a demon child. Are you going to allow another demon to take your place?"
Sesshomaru growled once more, silencing the elder demon, turning towards the thick forest behind him. He flexed his fist once more. Koi's mouth dropped open as Sesshomaru left him standing alone in the blink of an eye.
"How did Sesshomaru know what would happen?" Koi pouted his lips curiously, rubbing his chin. "The ancient scrolls don't have much information on the demon barer. Especially where humans are concerned."
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Sesshomaru stood in all of his demon glory at the edge of the small pond, his reflection rippling in the clear water by his feet. His white sash tied around his shoulder, both swords were sheathed at his waist held up by his blue/yellow sash holding his armor to his body. His long white hair moved in the gentle breeze.
Rin found herself on the opposite side of the pond, her stomach swelling with pregnancy, clad in a dark brown kimono. Tears stung her eyes, streaks of dried tears stained her pale face. She wore no shoes, her hair left natural around her shoulders.
He disappeared from the pond's shore, reappearing in front of her. Rin looked up into his face, his eyes soft amber color, staring down at her with contempt. He lifted his nose arrogantly, dismissing her as unimportant. She fisted both hands, controlling her desire to cry. He lifted his hand in the air, as if to strike her. Rin buried her face in her hands out of fear. But…Sesshomaru would never hit her!
Blackness over came her.
Her eyes opened, Sesshomaru lay above her, his body moved in rhythm with hers. Arms wrapped around her, lifting her lips to his. His long white hair hung around them, her head tilted back as her body released her pent up need. Blood trickled where she bit her lower lip to prevent her pleasure from escaping. His hands slid into her hair, clasping her tresses between his long slender fingers. He kissed her once more, licking the blood clean from her pink lips.
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Rin woke with a jerk, sitting up to steady her nerves. Her dream too vivid to try to dismiss as nothing, she squeezed her eyes closed to refocus her energies, fisting both hands tightly. The dream provoked too many confusing messages that only her body seemed to understand. She did not want to know or understand those messages. She opened her eyes, glancing around the hut.
It was early yet. She dressed quickly into her demonslayer suit in the corner where a bamboo screen stood for privacy from curious eyes. She wanted to escape the hut and any prying eyes of curious villagers. Slipping through the bamboo door, she walked towards the forest in long strides to avoid meeting anyone else up early. Her head lowered in humiliation that she suffered in silence, Rin left the tranquility of the village behind her.
Her thoughts obsessed over her turmoil, the event that caused her to seek the isolation of self-induced exile. Could it be called damnation? She returned to the village wearing the outer mattress fabric wrapped around her the morning after Sesshomaru claimed her. Kagome immediately knew what occurred upon seeing her, turning her back so Rin could seek the safety of the hut. The look in the miko's eyes was enough to show her the pity she would receive if the others knew what transpired. She vowed to keep the secret from getting out. Sango arrived shortly there after with Miroku and Jira in tow.
So much for secrecy, Rin lamented. Once Sango knew, the news spread faster than fire. Everyone knew what occurred between Sesshomaru and her that one night. Some gave her sympathetic looks when she passed, others treated her like a disease, avoiding her at all costs. Children who once played with her, kept their distance. Physical possession by a demon had its consequences. Not everyone in the village treated her badly, just a few who adhered to the old traditions. Kagome and Sango did their best to help her where ever possible. But, it was her fight, her problem.
And that was not the end of her troubles. Inuyasha brooded around the village after it happened and had to be threatened with physical violence not to approach his brother. She did not want Inuyasha to get hurt because he thought he was protecting her honor. Truth of the matter, Rin did not understand her own responses. She felt unable to resist Sesshomaru's touches, the soft caresses he used to force her surrender. The memory of his lips against hers haunted her dreams. How her hands in his silky hair brought the desire she felt roaring back to the surface. Sometimes her body responded to thoughts of Sesshomaru when he was not around. Four days it took to admit she wanted Sesshomaru that night. Four lonely, sleepless nights.
Rin wrapped her arms tightly around her shoulders, lost in her hell.
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Kagome watched Rin disappear into the forest, dressed in a blue kimono, from the window in the hut. She glanced at Sango, in green and white, beside her then over her shoulder at Inuyasha. Her mate's brow was furrowed into a frown, his arms folded tightly against his chest. Inuyasha felt a failure to prevent Sesshomaru from claiming Rin a few days ago and held himself personally responsible.
"Should we follow her?" Kagome asked softly.
"It's best to let her go off by herself." Sango patted Kagome on the shoulder. "She needs to make sense of her situation. Especially her new relationship with Sesshomaru."
"New relationship?" Inuyasha growled. "Please!"
"Rin wasn't herself that night, Inuyasha." Miroku walked up to the group next to the window, shaking off his sleepiness. "If Shippo could detect her scent that night, the demon blood within Rin drew Sesshomaru to her. It was inevitable they would meet…and well…we know the rest."
"But…" Kagome shook her head. "Sesshomaru abandoned her all those years ago. I doubt Rin would forgive him so easily for that."
"It's hard to say." Sango disagreed. "Time can make one forget. She didn't seem able to stay mad at him, did she?"
"I certainly agree with Sango." Miroku put in. "Rin was just beginning her transformation into a woman back then. In her mind, Sesshomaru was a father figure. Someone who held all the answers to the curiosity of a young girl, a person she held great respect for. To suddenly find herself in the arms of this same man can be difficult to handle. Let alone understand. She needs to figure out the next step."
"We could help." Shippo said from his position on Inuyasha's shoulder.
"No, I'm afraid not." Inuyasha rubbed his knuckles into Shippo's hair. "Only she can answer that out. It's best not to get involved."
"And if Sesshomaru returns?" Kagome turned to face the others.
"Doubt it." Inuyasha shrugged. "He wouldn't want a human stuck to him again. And I sincerely doubt Rin would agree to see him again. She wants to be mad at him this time."
Inuyasha felt a lurch in his stomach. No matter how much he wanted to take Rin's pain away, he was left with no choice but to let her alone. She did need to decide her next step. Little Rin grew up and became an adult. Life had enough hard lessons to teach her in the coming years, To shield her now would be…what did Kagome call it…detrimental?
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Rin failed to notice she walked the open road for sometime, her eyes on the ground in front of her feet. Both arms crossed, her hands on her shoulders, Rin looked up at the horizon. She froze in mid-step, her eyes widened.
Sesshomaru walked towards her, his amber eyes set on hers. Her breath caught in her chest, both eyes incapable of removing their gaze from the demon. It had been five days since she ran from the hut where he took her for the first time. The thought to run into the forest did not seem very courageous. 'To hell with courage, I don't want to see him again!' Rin finally decided on a course of action…yet she felt no energy to put her plan into effect. That did not matter, he was already here.
"Are you pregnant?" Sesshomaru asked evenly.
Rin blinked, finding him standing before her, staring down at her with contempt in his eyes. Just like in her dream. Her brow furrowed at his bluntness, taking offense at his question. As if she would tell him what consequences she would be forced to face because of him.
"Since when do you care about me?" Rin challenged.
Sesshomaru patiently contemplated Rin, receiving an unexpected answer to his question. Her face flushed from anger, her scent smelled refreshing and slightly aromatic. He fisted his hand, remembering what he had done with her body. Irritated that memories weakened his resolve, Sesshomaru turned his eyes to Rin's bosom.
"You are." Sesshomaru responded. "Your scent has changed since last we met."
"Stay away from me!" Rin's voice warned, backing away from him. "I am not pregnant!"
She did not bother to wait around and argue about the point. Rin just wanted to be gone. Away from everyone. Her legs carried her through the forest blindly. She dodged downed trees, low branches and the occasional stump. Uncaring where she headed, Rin allowed her instincts to take over and guide her in any direction.
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Sesshomaru stood for a moment on the road where Rin left him. Another unexpected reaction from his ward. Would he eventually call her his…woman? Claim her as someone important to him? Koi's words came back to haunt him.
'Are you going to allow another demon to take your place?'
Sesshomaru found his anger easily roused by that question. 'Why? It's just a human.' Once again, he was forced to face her and acknowledge the truths of his situation. She did matter to him despite his outward chilled handling of their meeting. Yet, he did not regret their meeting this time. One thing he knew now. Rin had become the mother of his child. 'My child?'
A term he never considered before.
Involving a child he never considered would grow into a woman. Rin grew up. In such a short time, she evolved into what he detested most. Her behavior only proved the enormous ignorance possessed by Humans.
'It was never supposed to be you!'
Her words uttered sometime before their time together. 'Indeed this Sesshomaru was not meant to consummate with a mere human,' he lowered his eyes to the ground. Her learning about children and love were best left to another human. Not him. During her inner battle with the demon blood any logic was lost but she managed to thrust those words at him. 'It was never supposed to be you!'
Sesshomaru lifted his eyes to the horizon. He felt the dread coming down around him. Rin was in danger. His body turned bright white, his form becoming lost in the light. The ball of white light drifted after Rin, moving quickly through the air.
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Rin ran through the forest towards what she hoped would be freedom. 'I was never anything to him.' His abandonment proved that to her a long time ago. Now that he used her, took her innocence, she remained useless to him. And now with a child, she would be considered nothing more than a child bearer. To a half-demon no less! Sesshomaru would hate and detest her forever. If he hated his half-demon brother Inuyasha, how would he react to a half-demon child of his own? The contempt in his eyes back on the road was enough. Would he do something to make her lose the child? Sesshomaru would never want a child like that to survive.
Anger rushed through her veins, pressing her to run faster. Rin felt her anger heighten more as her body pumped. This morning's exercise felt good to her.
Why could she not have a quiet life? Why did fate always intervene? How many difficulties would she have to endure until her hell ended? What had she done to become a victim of this cruelty? Rin frowned, suddenly determined. Fate would not win this one.
'Not this time. He should never have saved me.'
Rin jumped the thick log in front of her. Her eyes widened as she realized that the ground dropped away into a deep gray rock crevice. She flailed her arms as she fell from the cliff. At first panic set in. The wind whipped around her, the flowing water below grew larger as she neared the bottom.
This was it. Fate finally stepped in to deal her the final hand. In all her lamenting, she forgot to look before she leapt, the first step in demon slaying. A good demonslayer always observed the terrain prior to going into battle against demons.
Time seemed to stand still. Rin watched the river rushing towards her. Yet, she did not despair or fear her imminent death. Nothing could save her now. She would leave this world, taking Sesshomaru's child with her into the afterlife.
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Sesshomaru walked unhurriedly to the edge where Rin disappearedinto the river canyon. He stood unconcerned about his safety, his eyes trained on the jagged rocks surrounding the river channel as Rin's form began to blur against the cliff.
"Once again you surprise me, Rin." He whispered.
He did not expect her to jump so willingly off a cliff to escape giving birth to his child.