CYCLE OF RIN
By Lady JenDragon
Disclaimer: We know, we know.
Author's Notes: Hello again, sad to say there was a death in the family in November that has kept me away. My cousin was a good guy, I will miss him dearly. Such a fun person, very out-going and fearless. He had such a zest for life. At 38, I thought he had more time. Goes to show, you just never know. So…take this moment of silence to remember all those you've lost and never forget how they've touched your life. If you haven't lost anyone yet, count yourself lucky.
I graduated from school as well while I was away. Another reason for the absence. School has to verify it of course before they give me my diploma. Always takes forever. So, with that out of the way. Carry on.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Loss
Rasengan lay near the tree dormant for the moment. Katenomaru woke to find the sword unmoved since he chose to rest the night before. Odd, he found the desire to sleep like a Human quite invigorating and refreshing. Rising to his feet, he chose to ignore the questions in his mind and continue with his training to defeat Sesshomaru.
He saw neither Kaori nor Mayuki this morning. Both seemed to be off somewhere. Walking towards the river, Katenomaru stopped and turned towards the west.
There were so many gathered in one place. As if they were crowding into a sacred place. Many demons showed up for their chance to claim the Demon Bearer as theirs. They stood by knowing the hour approached where the Demon Bearer could be claimed by another demon if she accepted the winner of the battle against Sesshomaru.
Only the strongest would be allowed near the Demon Bearer. For the child she carried chose the new father if Sesshomaru fell. And the son of the Dog General was known for his wit and tactics in battle. He feared no opponent. Not with the Tenseiga reworked by Totosai for battle with Tokijin as backup.
Many demons would die trying to be the one to stand against Sesshomaru. There would be some that would lie in wait for the last demon to strike down their opponent. Fools all of them. Only one would succeed. Katenomaru felt sure that with Rasengan by his side, he would be that ONE.
How their numbers created such a strong and prolific aura surprised him. Though he was not surprised by the reason for their amassing.
The time of the Demon Bearer's choosing the father of her child grew close. It was several days away in fact. He sensed the gathering demons in several valleys over. He could feel their aura from here, even slightly groggy from the evening slumber. Sesshomaru would face his enemies with a sense of duty and obligation. The son of the Dog General stood no chance with such odds.
The low demons would go first by the droves. He could sense their anxiousness, tightening his hand on Rasengan's hilt. The demons were becoming agitated being in such close quarters. Soon they would begin battling one another.
Fools.
Katenomaru would wait until the right moment showed itself to face Sesshomaru.
xxxxxxxxxx
Anxiousness…pain…doubt…
All the emotions were there yet none were hers. She could feel them all. Small, medium and large, even the goliath of demons was gathering in the valley to the west. Why were they building such a strong aura? Certain that the Humans would be drawn to the northern valley curious as to the amalgamation of demons in one location, Rin grimaced.
Many were already wounded or dead.
She knew why they were there. So silly of her to have forgotten momentarily why she was currently growing a demon within her. Was it a fantasy to wake up one morning and find this all to be a bad dream? To wake up and everything would be back to normal?
Rin rose from her sleep unsure why she felt depressed, even sad. Her stomach rumbled but settled quickly. She felt no hunger. Pressing her hand against the slight bulge of her abdomen, Rin felt a pang of… What? She found no description of her mood.
Something was off.
She glanced down at her bosom under the thin sheet now back to normal size prior to this whole mess. Rin peered beneath finding no damage to the skin despite the sharp teeth of a hungry demon. Sesshomaru certainly was needy last night. Not just in appetite but in… Rin blushed at the thought.
Sesshomaru left sometime during the night after his feeding and claiming her body and child. He never lingered with her. Just took what he wanted and left her.
Rin did not allow thoughts to dwell on that subject knowing she would over analyze her situation. One of her reasons for avoiding as many humans as possible lately. Not for the pity she would receive, but to avoid the moral questions. Humans did not understand she just could not wish the child gone and her life could return to what it had once been.
Kagome and Inuyasha understood. As did Sango, Miroku and Shippo. But they were only a few among many. And those many did not understand her situation nor did they want to know. They liked their condemnations of her for allowing it to happen. Others believed she was the victim and felt sorry for her. But none of them wanted to associate with her. Elderly Lady Kaede made the small trek from the village with food every other day to bring her food and visit.
Another pain overwhelmed her. Rin's thoughts were gone. She gripped the floor as the wave passed then disappeared. Was it another demon dying at the hands of another? No. It was something else. Close by but in another direction. They were staying in the valleys.
She felt them all…but why were they not attacking?
Rin felt she could count the number of them if she decided to be that accurate about it. The question that burned more to be answered was: Who were they? A crowd of souls gathering together in for a common cause, she could almost hear the distant conversations. Why were they gathering?
Then the pain started.
xxxxxxxxxx
Kagome hummed as she made her way towards Rin's cabin. It had been almost two weeks since she saw the woman. Wanting to avoid the stares of others who did not approve of Rin's association with a demon, her friend chose to live like a hermit. Having baked a few loaves of banana bread, Kagome had gathered some fruit and nuts plus some favorites from back home in the future arranged in a basket. Sort of as a just-visiting-gift basket.
Bullshit.
She just wanted to know what was going on with Sesshomaru and the other demons. Inuyasha mentioned that demons were keeping a low profile since Rin became pregnant. Human villages were left alone, no one called upon the priestesses and monks to rid them of nuisance demons and frankly, it had been far too quiet.
Even by demon standards.
Humans were beginning to question if demons were banished forever already. Kagome frowned at the simple thought. Sure. They could think that way until a demon showed up and slaughtered the whole damn town. People could be so thoughtless sometimes. Still, they lived in simple times so analyzing them was pointless. Still, it bothered her.
But it also meant that something was going down soon. This whole Demon Bearer thing sounded a bit too magical to her. Nothing was magic without consequences. Maybe being from 500 years in the future made her a bit paranoid but it often turned out to be true.
Upon reaching the clearing, she found nothing out of place. Rin must still be sleeping in this morning. It was hard to say if Rin kept to a certain schedule. She pretty much did not spend much time in the village and always slept away from her teammates.
Even her teammates abandoned Rin once they learned of her condition, going after more Jewel shards without her. They had not been heard from since. Shrugging slightly wondering what might have happened to them, Kagome shook the gloomy thoughts from her head. Hardly her problem to take care of that crowd. They only liked hanging with Rin because she got the shards so quickly.
Kagome paused at the doorway, finding nothing out of place. Nothing to indicate that a demon might have attacked during the night to make Rin his concubine.
"Rin?!" Kagome called out as she entered.
She froze in her tracks inside the door, eyes widening.
Rin lay on the floor propped up on her elbows with her legs open. The skirt of her nightdress hung low between her elevated knees. Her feet were planted against the floor, sliding as she she tried to push. Her breathing was in rapid, shallow spurts, her chest rose and fell unnaturally. Sweat poured down her face, soaked her nightdress and made her feet slide. Both hands were pressed against the floor white knuckled as another spasm rocked Rin's body. Tears escaped her eyes, rolling down her cheeks to the floor. Blood flowed onto the wooden planks as Rin bit into a piece of wood wedged between her teeth.
"Oh my GOD!" Kagome ran and collapsed onto the floor before Rin.
Rin could barely catch her breath as Kagome walked through the door. Her body cried out as another spasm of pain enveloped her. She could think of nothing except that she was not alone anymore. With one hand, she reached out for help.
Kagome crawled over to Rin's shoulders, positioning herself behind Rin. With both arms, she gathered Rin and pulled her against her chest.
"Take another breath, Rin!" Kagome ordered. "Contractions hurt like hell!"
Three months.
It was too soon for the baby to come, Rin thought. She lost all concentration as another contraction hit. This one was harder than the last. They were getting worse and worse since she woke this morning. Kagome held her tight. The pain seemed to lessen as her friend ordered her to breathe at certain times. The pains were slightly better.
"Wh…what…" Rin tried to speak but lost the ability during another contraction.
"Your body's rejecting the pregnancy, Rin." Kagome gulped.
They lowered their eyes to find a black-brown-red mass push out onto the floor from beneath the nightdress. Rin's face turned a brighter red as she collapsed onto Kagome, exhausted. Kagome could not take her eyes off the dead mass lying near Rin's feet.
It was then Kagome looked up to find a demon watching them. A female demon.
The demon's bright auburn shone in the sunlight behind her, the long tresses allowed to fall freely around squarish shoulders. The red lines that accentuated her large eyes fringed by reddish lashes were not affect by the bright light. Reminded Kagome of Sesshomaru momentarily. The silken green and white kimono hung creaseless on her tall figure. The sword earrings clanked with high-pitched clinks as she tilted her head with a look of disappointment. The gold bracelets spiraling around each wrist in thick twists were in forms of dragons and snakes. She wore black handmade shoes faded to brown. Black shiny armor was tied into place with a deep maroon sash at the waist.
"Damn!" Tenmari spoke quietly with a slight growl. "I was too late."
"Who are you?!" Kagome thought the demon unusual.
A bit glad someone else had come. She had an idea what was going on but was not sure if her knowledge pertained to Rin's condition. How could Rin's body reject a pregnancy? Kagome noted that the bulge on Rin's abdomen did not change. Would it do that immediately?
She blinked as the demon woman kneeled across from her.
"I'm called Tenmari." She bent down next to Rin. "Sesshomaru's betrothed."
Kagome felt her mouth drop to the floor.
xxxxxxxxxx
Five long slender fingers pressed into the ground deeply. His grunting tried to suppress the anguish and pain he felt within. It was unlike anything he ever felt in his life. The agony seared through him, buckling his knees in a torturous paralysis. His own abdomen ached and pulsed as if something within him suddenly hatched and wanted to be free. For almost thirty minutes, he tried to understand what occurred only to have his thoughts irradicated by this rage of suffering.
But it was over now.
The pain was gone, the paralysis desisted. His suffering had ended at last. He could stand once more. Gaining his feet once more, he turned towards the northern valley intending to continue his journey. But something made him turn towards the west.
Sesshomaru lowered his amber eyes to the ground then lifted them once more.
Rin.
xxxxxxxxxx
The afternoon sun rose above the trees, casting the forest floor in shadows. The darkness of the forest was diminished by the brightness of the sun. It seemed to be a much brighter today than in past weeks. Perhaps it was her glum mood that made the sun's presence an irritation to her.
Or was it because Kaori searched all day looking for Mayuki. She could not find her little sister anywhere she normally preferred to visit when she required time away from her older siblings. A strange demon, even by her standards.
Katenomaru was left by the river to dwell on his predicament and practicing with his invaluable sword. Rasengan was more of a nuisance than a help since word of the Demon Bearer's existence reached them. The Human Demon Bearer was of no use to her.
She once thought of seeking out the Demon Bearer and ridding the world of her presence. However, knowledge of the demon she carried within providing unparalleled protection from outside threats. Most demons did not require protection from the child they carried. Demon mothers offered automatic protection of their young.
Which brought her back to Rasengan once more. Kaori huffed at the thought a single sword capable of bringing the mighty Sesshomaru down to his knees. She would return once she attempted to locate Mayuki.