CYCLE OF RIN
By Lady JenDragon
Disclaimer: You know the routine…yada, yada.
Author's Notes: Yeah, yeah, I know I've been away a while. Did not expect to be gone this long but nothing turns out quite as you plan. But the important thing is: I'M BACK. Got most of what I needed to get done finished for the moment for school. There may be some last minute stuff to clean up in the end, but I shouldn't be gone for long periods anymore. So…Read and enjoy.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Unwanted Ties
Kaori leaned against the tree in the shadows watching Katenomaru practice with Rasengan. Once bored with her brother's antics, she found herself unable to take her eyes off him. Not sure if the way he handled the sword bothered her so much or because of his apparent obsession to always have the damn thing at his side, even during bathing. She came to possess Sesshomaru once Katenomaru discarded him with Rasengan.
Though a part of her suspected Sesshomaru would not go down so easy.
"He seems preoccupied with Rasengan more than usual lately." Mayuki noted, now at Kaori's side. "His belief that Rasengan with allow him to triumph over Sesshomaru is abnormal. Even for him."
Mayuki in her pure white kimono looked up at Kaori. Her small pale face showed no expression. Her eyes set on Kaori, he returned to Katenomaru. Something was amiss since they began this journey to find the Demon Bearer. Intuition sensed a plan brewing in the mind of Katenomaru. He continued to stare at the sword, holding it just right for the light to bounce off the blade.
"Tell me about it." Kaori breathed. "He's grown mighty attached to that thing lately."
She flicked her blue hair off her shoulder. Her white with blue-patched flower kimono appeared crisp and freshly washed. She placed a slender hand on her sword sheathed at her waist tied by a red and green sash. The furry sash wrapped around her neck moved with the gentle breeze.
"Rasengan has lured us here." Mayuki stated.
Kaori rolled her eyes at Mayuki's claim. The girl saw conspiracy everywhere even when their parents had been alive. Though remarkably her parents were able to control the youngest member of the family. Still, Mayuki occasionally did end up being right.
Katenomaru certainly did seem to behave unusually. He practiced with only his shirt and lower kimono (find right word). His armor and blue-wave cuff and shoulder-decorated kimono lay on a boulder behind him. The white boa around his shoulders undulated in the breeze as he stretched his arms forward. The white of his long hair never moved from his back, the blue tint at the roots darker than usual showing his exertion during practice. The two ropes of hair behind each ear swung out as he pivoted. He used practiced steps and held the sword with great regard as he thrust several times at an invisible opponent. Kaori huffed a sigh.
"The problem with that sword…" Kaori placed her hands on her hips. "…it's smarter than Katenomaru. He's getting sucked into the lure of power he thinks Rasengan will give him. What a name for a sword! Swirl? Honestly, what were they thinking?"
Mayuki stayed quiet.
Chaos never before seen was brewing. Demons, strong and weak were assembling on the other side of the mountains, waiting for the right moment to attack Sesshomaru for the prize of the Demon Bearer. Yet, she did not fear all those opponents. Another threat waited in the wings. She felt its presence but could find no single source. Rasengan seemed to accentuate it but it was not the sword itself. Was there another demon strong enough to challenge Sesshomaru?
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Rin sat quietly on the block of wood near the door to her hut, her head hung low. Slowly eating from a bowl of fruit on her lap, her hunger growing more voracious with each passing day, she sighed heavily. Sleep came little last night, even now, she felt exhausted but not enough to try sleeping again. Her back hurt, her bosom ached with its growing size. In her mind, this was the largest she got since becoming the 'Demon Bearer'. But, she felt…depressed? Kagome often used the word when Rin returned from a hunt that did not go well. Could it be the hormones Kagome and Sango often discussed?
"You've been touched by hell." Came the commanding sound of a female voice.
"Excuse me?" Rin lifted her head to her visitor standing ten feet from her.
She took in the new arrival beginning at the top where the dark red hair was pulled into a single thick rope-like twist and hung long down the back. Two large fire eyes were fringed by reddish lashes and thin red linings set in a pixie-like face with fine features. Her skin was pale and blemish free. To Rin, the silken green and white kimono of the demon deeply contrasted with the visitor's hair color. Small swords hung from each pointed demon ear in gold that jingled in the gentle breeze. Gold bracelets spiraled around each wrist in thick twists like snakes but in the form of fire spires. Her feet were covered in black handmade shoes. She wore armor tied into place with a deep maroon sash around the waist. Those fire eyes were now set upon her. Rin felt uneasiness throughout her body. 'Friend or Foe?'
"You are the Demon Bearer yes?"
"Do I…" Rin got to her feet.
Leaving off 'Know You'. Rin knew she had never seen this demon before. This demon clearly did not obey civil manners. In fact, she appeared to be a yokai of great power and class from her poise. Probably a demon dissatisfied with their parentage. Her attitude was one of mischief and constant rebellion. Rin frowned at this thought.
"No." The demon replied evenly. "You don't know me in fact. We've never met until now."
An obvious indication the demon had no intention of explaining herself further. Rin felt suddenly very conscious about her pregnancy. Not far along, wearing her demonslayer uniform, her stomach protruded farther out and garnered extra attention. This formidable woman appeared very confident and very knowledgeable. Where should she start?
"You know about..." Rin patted her bulging tummy.
She did not know what else to say to this brazen demon. The demon stood completely still and in one place. Her fire eyes were intently focused on the ground, not her at all. Rin was not sure what the woman was up to. Could she tell by the aura what the child was doing? Sesshomaru mentioned he could feel the child on one of his visits.
"The hell dragon, yes. That's part of it." She folded her long arms gracefully, lifting her eyes to the Human's face. "Did Sesshomaru not tell you why you survived the poisoning?"
Rin blinked, her eyes wide at the demon now standing next to her. She had not even seen the demon move. Sesshomaru would sort of 'streak' when he wanted to cover distance quickly that was in close proximity. Normally that involved Inuyasha and teaching him some lesson.
"I'll take that as 'No'." Tenmari rolled her eyes at the Human. "Figures. That entire family has communication issues."
"I'm sorry I…" Rin frowned at being cut off.
"Don't be sorry. I'm certainly not." Tenmari patted the Human once. "Now, about your condition."
"Yes, about that." Rin did not know where to start except for one. "How could you possibly know something when no other demon seems to know?"
"Male weren't they?" Tenmari raised an eyebrow. "Men think they know everything. Ah! Must be that Koi. He's always prancing around claiming he knows all about demon lore and the Demon Bearer."
Tenmari moved closer to the Human to catch her scent. As if she could get any closer. Humans were not bad generally as rule. But she preferred to keep her distance as much as possible. Until now. And Sesshomaru certainly kept his distance, his scent fading from her skin. Which meant he would be back to fill up on nectar within the next day or two. Still, the woman was not the basket of nerves she expected. Most would have run raving mad for the hills being possessed physically by a demon. Such a pointless task since the child within would protect her from any harm.
"Your name?" Rin queried.
"Call me Tenmari." She shrugged. "It's short for a very long family name. Let's leave it at that, shall we? And you are Rin, yes?"
Rin shook her head and smiled automatically. It was rare to run into a demon so…blunt. No, straight-forward was a better description. A bit refreshing she realized. How very unlike other demons she knew, destroyed or befriended. A part of her liked this Tenmari already but her demonslayer training reminded her to keep cautious.
"You said I was touched by hell."
"Ah, yes." Tenmari nodded. "Hell. A rather fascinating place if that's your thing. Have you ever visited?"
"Yes." A part of Rin cringed at that acknowledgement.
And how easily the truthful answer came to her tongue. Rin vaguely recollected the place everyone called Hell. A small window from her past where at one point she died upon inhabiting Hell after being kidnapped, along with Kohaku, by some Hellhound. Sesshomaru went after her and Kohaku, finding them and saving them by killing the Hound. But she had already died before had been accomplished. Eventually Sesshomaru's mother resurrected her. How eluded her and Sesshomaru never spoke of it again afterwards.
One thing she did remember. Hell did not feel or resemble the place she always thought Hell would be. Fire, constant fighting among the residents, tortured souls vying for salvation finding none or just out of reach and demons. Lots of demons. But, it had been dark and occasionally warm. Certainly did not look like the traditional description she knew from readings and all those stories told to her by her parents and brother. She remembered that she did not stay conscious for long. Humans did not last long there whereas demons could stay indefinitely.
"The scent remains on you to this day." Tenmari eyed the Human closely. "Hell always stays in one's skin for a very long time, often a lifetime. It has an odd scent, almost like burnt cinders and embers. Very faint except to those of highly sensitive abilities."
"And I have this scent?" Rin asked quietly.
"Yes." Tenmari nodded. "Sesshomaru knows this."
Her back straightened at the feeling a strong demonic aura approaching Rin's residence outside the Human village. Speaking of strong demons. It must have caught on to her. It began to move fast towards them, her demon aura detected easily. She did not have much time with the Demon Bearer.
"That is why the Hell Dragon sought you out that night…" Tenmari waved her hand again. "…it was merely curious about you. Why the scent of its home was on you. It just so happened that you were a child and it decided to make you a meal as well. Typical really. Every 10,000 years one Hell Dragon is born and leaves Hell to feed and grow up. Children are their favorite meal."
'Until Sango and Miroku saved me.' Rin added silently.
Otherwise she would have ended up as dinner. Still, the slick black look of the creature from that night did not resemble a dragon she ever saw drawn. Was it still too young to take its true shape? Rin blinked, realizing she had gone off on her own thought tangent while the demon continued her rambling about Hell Dragons and blood matching. There were components of Human blood that could allow for co-existence with a Hell Dragon though the complexities were lost on Rin. Kagome might know the minute details this demon mentioned alarmingly fast. Was she trying to set a speech record?
"…and now you have become the Demon Bearer." Tenmari paused to take a deep breath then stepped toe-to-toe with Rin and whispered. "What's it like to be possessed by such a strong demon?"
Rin's eyes widened then felt her face blush profusely, the heat of her skin burning hot. She stepped back but something stopped her. She did not see what the obstacle she hit. Their eyes locked, Rin found it difficult to tear away from the fire burning within Tenmari's eyes. She could not pull away, transfixed on the flickering depths. Nor did she want to pull away. Was this some sort of trick? Would this demon harm her after all?
"Enough Tenmari." Came the male voice.
Rin turned to find Sesshomaru standing at the edge of the forest, his hand on Tokijin's hilt. His eyes were firmly set on the female demon, Tenmari. Apparently they knew one another from some point in the past. However, Tenmari did not seem happy to see him.
"You're rebuilt sword can't stand against me in conventional battle." Tenmari smiled. "You know that, dog."
Everyone in the demon realm knew Tokijin was broken in the battle against Moyromaru, one of many creations wrought forth by that evil pain-in-the-ass Naraku. Knowledge Katenomaru came armed with and intended to use Rasengan to destroy Tokijin again and maybe even Tenseiga. Totosai repaired the work done by his student turned evil. At first, she thought Tokijin was forged by Totosai. But standing in its presence told her that the techniques were Totosai's but, the sword forging came from the hand of another. But, she had not met or heard of a third quality Swordmaker. Eventually she would discover the entire story.
"Your business with Rin is concluded." Sesshomaru walked towards Tenmari.
"Hardly." Tenmari smiled wryly at the Dog Demon. "If you'll excuse me, Rin, I have some necessary business to attend to."
"Business?" Sesshomaru queried coldly. "With whom?"
"None of your damn business, dog!" Tenmari spat hotly.
"What's going on here?" Rin asked sensing the hostility from Tenmari's side only. "You know each other."
"Of course." Tenmari rolled her eyes. "He's my betrothed."
Tenmari waved off, disappearing in a ball of green light. Perhaps it was revenge she wanted. Perhaps she just wanted to see Sesshomaru fall to his knees just once that forced the idea into her head. Instead of tracking her target down, perhaps a new dawn could be set forth this day. If she could only find the old bastard.
'Betrothed?'
Rin stared wide-eyed at the dissipating green light a ball of confusion, anger and hurt eating away inside her. She shot a nervous quick glance over her shoulder and found Sesshomaru standing silent, his eyes watching Tenmari disappear as well. He showed no care for her at the moment. Then he turned and walked back into the forest without a word. Suddenly the world seemed a dark and empty place, her heart sinking into chilling depths with little hope of recovery.
'Sesshomaru and Tenmari are to be married?'