CYCLE OF RIN
By Lady JenDragon
Disclaimer: You know the routine; I do NOT own the Inuyasha characters.
Author's Notes: Thanks to all of my patient fans. I just moved and so I've been very busy trying to unpack plus work full-time, get some training in for a new position at my job and go to class twice a week. Oi! Anyway, I've not had a lot of time to work on my stories. cry So again, thanks for waiting.
ONWARD!
Chapter Fifteen
Rivals
Two figures sat at the short table near the fire. Four bowls, two empty, sat at each side of the rectangular wooden furniture. A pot sat steaming in the center, the breakfast soup simmering a little longer. Not everyone had arrived yet this chilly morning.
Kagome stared blankly at her rice bowl, lost in thought, dressed in a blue kimono. Her clothes were hung to dry on the line out back. Normally, she did not like donning the traditional robes but it was just for a few hours.
Inuyasha ate his rice-only breakfast calmly while his mate lectured him with a mixture of words and glares about the differences between men and women. Women were easier to handle if you did not pay them any concentrated attention, Inuyasha decided, draining his bowl. It was not like Kagome said anything of interest yet.
"I'm telling you what I know." He shrugged, placing his bowl on the table.
Kagome seemed to believe she knew more about his brother than he did. Leave it to Rin getting pregnant to drive Kagome into cautious older-sister mode. Inuyasha sighed. Nothing he said penetrated her brain. Women felt they knew more than men did. 'Why is that?'
"That hardly counts." Kagome countered, lowering her own breakfast bowl. "There's any number of explanations for Sesshomaru's recent actions."
Not that she was hungry anyway. Since Rin's first encounter with Sesshomaru, Kagome felt overly concerned about Rin. Now that she carried a demon inside her, well, there was just too much to consider. They were in an unprecedented situation. And Inuyasha could only taunt his older brother about his affair with a Human. That is was Rin seemed moot.
"Sesshomaru is not making any advances on Rin since I confronted him. I told you Rin still had a place in his heart." Inuyasha added. "What little of it there is. He's just peeved I figured him out, that's all. He's like that."
"You didn't gloat, did you?" Kagome narrowed her eyes at Inuyasha.
The half-demon shrank back slightly, keeping both eyes firmly on the tabletop. 'Why do I always have to be the better brother?' Inuyasha frowned at this.
"Why not?" Inuyasha lifted his chin in defiance.
"You know how proud Sesshomaru can be." Sango added, walking through the door. "He's the type to avoid something just to prove it doesn't matter to him. He's even less forthcoming with emotions. No wonder Rin's been moody lately."
Sango sat adjacent to Kagome and across from Inuyasha at the table.
"It never stops amazing me how far a conversation will go to reach your ears." Inuyasha glared at Sango smiling at him. "You let her go on a mission?"
"Had to." Sango shrugged, kneeling beside Kagome. "She all but threatened me practically. Besides, I've learned never to pacify a pregnant woman, human or demon. They'll rip your head off either way."
Kagome and Sango stopped what they were doing and giggled together. Inuyasha furrowed his brow, folding his arms tightly across his chest then rolled his eyes.
"I still don't think we should allow Rin to go off by herself." Kagome became more serious.
"She's with her team." Sango disagreed. "We shouldn't limit her ability to go after shards because she's pregnant. Besides, it's early yet. She's got plenty of time before bed rest."
"Tell me about it." Inuyasha said grimly. "I don't look forward to that."
"INUYASHA!" Sango and Kagome glared at him.
"Oh, please!" Inuyasha waved them down. "That's not what I meant!"
"Morning everyone!"
Miroku walked into the hut, his kimono slightly disheveled, an obvious indicator he played with the children this morning. The laughter of children outside carried in through the open window.
"Morning." Inuyasha half waved, leaning his chin into his hand, resting an elbow on the table.
He noticed Kagome failed to notice the monk joining them, lost in her own thoughts. Sango upturned her cheek as Miroku leaned down and pecked her smooth skin. The monk sat adjacent to Sango, his eyes turning towards breakfast in the center pot.
"Inuyasha, I think you should go look after Rin." Kagome urged nervously.
"Rin can take care of herself." Miroku focused on serving himself breakfast. "Besides, she's not really happy around men lately. It's best we leave her alone for a while. At least until Sesshomaru and her figure out what's going on between them. You never know, this pregnancy thing might be useful to detect other demons farther away. We should let Rin figure out what limitations she has."
He looked up when the sudden silence grabbed his attention, setting his bowl down. Inuyasha, Sango and Kagome stared at him with frowns on their faces.
"What?" Miroku asked confused.
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Rin hunched down in the thick bush, her eyes searching the forest for any sign of movement. A newly made demonslayer uniform adorned her body, new armor and new weapons hidden in various pockets through out. Her team hid some distance behind her, waiting for the signal to move. The demon was close.
Very close.
Normally she sensed demons because of the magical properties of the demon blood coursing through her veins. But this time was different. The child within her moved at the slightest distance change to the demon nearby. Rin did not understand everything new that came with her pregnancy. As the elderly demon named Koi claimed, she would have new powers. But what kind of power remained to be seen. Was that the elderly demon's version of an offer to help her discover this new power? This…dare she say…demon equivalent power?
Rin shook her head to concentrate. She jerked her head up, her eyes focused on the thick trees before her. 'DAMN!' The demon moved away from her position. And fast. She could feel its aura growing weaker and weaker.
'No time to waste!' Rin abandoned her hiding spot, streaking through the forest fast. She did not have time to wait to see if her team was catching up or not.
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Natomi in green armor and Hiroshi in maroon armor, attempted to keep up with their leader. But the vegetation and trees of the forest proved difficult to manage. They quickly fell back, discovering the other two had not caught up yet.
"What did she have for breakfast?" Natomi sputtered, severely out of breath.
"Did you see how Rin streaked from her hiding spot?" Hiroshi coughed. "I didn't know she moved that much closer to the demon she was tracking."
"Scary. I didn't feel any demon aura." Natomi added. "I always feel them."
"We…we didn't either!"
The yellow-bandana-ed Torimasa arrived with the last member of the group Maiko. Both were out of breath, just as their teammates had been. All four stood together wondering whether to go after their leader or wait for her to come back.
"She's gotten more brazen since she's…" Natomi trailed off.
And turned a light shade of pink. She turned from the men, ashamed of the thoughts running through her head.
"Tell me about it." Torimasa and Maiko answered together.
None of them wanted to remind their leader that the father of her child was a demon. Not just any demon, the elder brother of Inuyasha. Everyone knew about her. Some reacted sympathetically, concerned for the demonslayers well being. Others…well, they decided to think less of Rin because of her association with the half-demon, Inuyasha.
"Let's move!" Hiroshi ordered.
The other three followed without argument.
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Rin landed just inside the field, finding the trace of the demon lost. 'How can that be possible? I just caught up to it?' She found the field void of any life. A soft breeze swept across the long grass blades. She could detect the faint sound it made.
Nothing.
The demon was gone. Rin silently cursed herself for growing lazy while everything unfolded with Sesshomaru. Her pregnancy threw off her concentration on her chosen profession for a short time. Perhaps, these powers the old demon talked about would only be found once she returned to her demonslayer form. She had not exercised in almost two months.
A slight pinch reminded her that Sesshomaru would return soon to feed. Glancing down at her growing bosom, it took longer to reach the previous sizes she experienced. Rin battled with the mixture of hate and need within her. 'Hating him because I need him. Hardly worthy of his attention.'
Rin realized she gnawed on her bottom lip when she felt nervous or anxious. Sesshomaru made no attempt to touch her once he fulfilled his duties. He left her swiftly, typically without a sound. At first, she felt abandoned. Then she remembered Sesshomaru never bent to the whimsy of anyone…let alone Madame Fate.
But he kissed her once unguarded. He allowed his feelings to show, proved how much he wanted her. Rin wished to keep that memory, if not relive it. But Sesshomaru would never allow such carelessness again.
A sudden chill over came her. Rin turned in a circle, finding nothing watching her. Perhaps she was losing her mind. Rin shook the thought off as childish. The demon could watch her from a safe distance if it was powerful enough.
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A small demon dressed in a pure-white kimono watched the field where the demonslayer stood deep in thought. The long blue hair flapped behind her on the strong wind surging over the cliff top. Her pale skin, pointed ears and purple half-moon emblem on her forehead distinguished her as a demon. A soft, furry sash circled her waist and circled her left shoulder. Amber eyes watched with interest at the figure below.
"So?" A deep voice came from behind.
She turned to face the much taller demon behind her. His beautiful pale face remained expressionless. Dressed in a white kimono, red sash around his waist securing his armor and sword in place. Blue patches in the shape of waves decorated the kimono at the cuffs and both shoulders. A white furry sash hung slack off and wrapped around broad shoulders. Both ends hung loose just past his knees. A half-moon adorned his forehead in the same place as the young female demon before him. Amber eyes met amber eyes. A trait shared between the Dog Demon clans.
"Katenomaru…you should not play games with the Human." Mayuki warned. "Sesshomaru will not be so kind."
"Sesshomaru is not the strongest of his clan." He strode towards her with short calculated steps. "He will lose the demon bearer once the three months come to pass."
"Do not underestimate the power of the Dog General's son." She continued her warning. "Though he's lost use of his left arm, he has not weakened since you last confronted him."
"I have gotten stronger since, Mayuki." Katenomaru fixed amber eyes on the field below. "It will only be a matter of time before we meet again."
"You were successful?" Mayuki inquired without a smile.
She did not need confirmation, though males liked to brag about their adventures. Her strategy proved correct. She would celebrate later in private since the expression of inner emotions was frowned upon in her clan, especially by her mother. Now that the demon bearer appeared once more, the Eastern Dog Demon clan wanted to take possession from the clan of the West. Once ruled by the Dog General, many believed the greatest leader among their kind left poor heirs behind. Neither son was looked upon with respect in the East. Katenomaru came to guarantee the West clan's failure in the eyes of all the clans.
"The human demonstrates abilities not recognized in a demon bearer." Katenomaru kept his curiosity of the human secret. "She was capable of tracking me within a quarter of a mile and as far as three miles."
"A unique demon bearer indeed." Mayuki agreed.
"One I intend to explore." Katenomaru smiled wickedly.
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Sesshomaru walked ahead of Jaken and Ah-Une, his eyes fixed on the trail ahead of him. The recent demons arriving in the area did not bother him. However, he became aware that several Dog Demon clans suddenly appeared, specifically the Dog Demon clan from the East.
His father's most vocal rivals. The only other clan strong enough to challenge him where Rin was concerned, Sesshomaru reasoned. That meant Katenomaru would be around. If he had not introduced himself to Rin already. He needed to guard her closely.
"Ah….Lord Sesshomaru?"
Sesshomaru continued on, ignoring the small servant imp. He barely noticed the large rocks and trees he passed, concentrating on his current dilemma. Jaken occasionally whimpered and grunted behind him. He came upon a portion where the forest gave way to grass, widening to open the tree line to the blue sky above.
"L…Lord Sesshomaru?" His voice sounded more urgent.
Sesshomaru stopped.
"What is it?"
He turned to face the aura he detected seconds earlier. Whoever the demon was, did not hide their presence from him. They intended to announce their arrival with such obvious tactics. He lifted his body into the air easily to perform a simple and most basic evasive maneuver.
"There!" Jaken pointed a bony green finger.
Sesshomaru evaded the flash of lightning from the unknown opponent coming at him head-on. He detected the slight scent of wild flowers and bark. He knew his opponent immediately. The streak of white came at him several times. He merely avoided the slower attempts by the demon to gain an upper hand.
Their dance ended shortly, Sesshomaru exerting little effort. He landed softly on the ground next to Jaken near the tree line. His amber eyes eyed the large boulder across the small clearing. His opponent seemed to like shadows. That meant it could be one person.
"Well, well." The Dog Demon female stepped out from the shadows of the rock. "If it isn't the great Sesshomaru. Or are you calling yourself the 'Mighty' Sesshomaru, now?"
Her blue hair hung long from the elegantly tied knot on top of her head. She bore no mark on her forehead, her beautiful pale face accented by red lips and dark eyelashes highlighted in dark maroon. Her amber eyes stared at him with purpose. Her kimono was white with blue patched flowers on the cuffs and waist. She wore no armor, a sword sheathed at her waist by a red and green sash tied into a bow. A furry boa wrapped around her neck, hanging down her back to her ankle indicated her affiliation to a Dog Demon clan.
"Kaori." Sesshomaru eyed the demon in front of him. "You have grown."
"Quite a bit since I last saw you." She smiled weakly. "I didn't think you would be happy to see me."
"The purpose of your attack." Sesshomaru took several steps towards Kaori.
"Attack?" Kaori smiled wider. "That? Please. I just wanted to say hello."
Sesshomaru was still prettier than the men in her own clan, she decided. A crush she had since her younger days as a girl. Once Katenomaru took the demon bearer from Sesshomaru, he would be free. And she would be there for him.
"The East clan has come westward."
"Observant as always." Kaori glimpsed Jaken standing by his master's foot. "See you still have that little rat."
"I AM NOT A RAT!" Jaken shot back hotly. "As if such low creatures would ever be allowed to serve my master! Hymh!"
"And he remains loyal." Kaori rolled her eyes, setting them on Sesshomaru.
"Your purpose for this visit?" Sesshomaru never took his eyes off her.
He understood she was a mere distraction while Katenomaru found Rin. Disappointed she disappeared from the village where she insisted on residing with his brother, Sesshomaru had not located her. He would need to do so soon. Hunger urged him to seek her out. Hunger not satiated by the absorption of demonic power.
"You already know." Kaori closed the distance between them. "Katenomaru is here for revenge. He means to have it."
"As if…" Jaken folded his arms in confidence. "Lord Sesshomaru can take him in his sleep."
"I wouldn't be so sure." Kaori turned into a ball of light and floated away.
Sesshomaru did not watch Kaori leave. He turned back towards the path he followed earlier, continuing on his intended journey. Kaori gave him much to think about. Jaken ran after him, struggling to maintain his balance.
'Revenge is not all Katenomaru wants.' Sesshomaru concluded quickly.
More Author Notes: What I'm aiming to do with this story is to explore a part of Inuyasha I haven't seen before. I don't read much of the Fan Fiction out here just because I don't have that much time on my hands. Hope you're enjoying what I've done so far.