I awoke to the sight of that small human child, yet again, offering me human delicacy. She sat before me, dirty and injured, with several of her teeth missing. The scent of sweat and human pheromones on her made me uncomfortable. Yesterday, her condition was not nearly this bad.
"What happened to you?" I spoke softly, though I figured there would be no response from the mute. She shook her head in response as if to tell me not to worry, and offered the dish out to me once more, insistently. However, such an offering was useless; I would never eat that filth. "Did someone hurt you?" I pried more automatically. I was confused about this morbid curiosity I was beginning to gain for this human's wellbeing.
She glanced down, avoiding the question, and scurried off for a moment to return to bring me a small flower. She held it up to me and smiled. I wrinkled my nose at such ignorance, though a feeling inside my chest felt warm by her innocence.
"You should leave," I warned, like I did every day. She returned despite my advice. I just wanted to rest and heal in peace; but after discovering me several days ago, she came bearing aids and gifts and company. I had little energy to scare her off. However, she was quiet, so ignoring her was simple. The girl knew I was a demon, and that I was armed, and that the aura I expelled was dangerous; but strangely enough she wouldn't stray.
I found as the dawn of each day rose, I anticipated her visit. Such a feeling was new and disturbing, and I had difficulty accepting to myself that I felt such a way… But her innocent heart and accepting and unwavering care for me was…. addicting. Today, though, seeing her wounds of apparent abuse boiled my blood. I had the urge to destroy those who came upon her with any maleficence, despite the fact she was a mere mortal. She should mean nothing to me! Why was I beginning to feel this way?
She was the first human I didn't completely despise. She was the only company I didn't mind, though I wouldn't display it. After realizing this, as painful as it was, I made an oath to myself that I would right all of the wrongs set against her, and use my power to safeguard her wellbeing. She was the only being in this world that I felt compelled to protect, and I would do just that.
Kanta stammered, pointing his sword at Sesshoumaru with shakey hands. "I could have finished it off. I didn't need your help."
Sesshoumaru walked towards Rin, extending his hand to hers. She stared up at him, her trembles increasing. "Is it really you? Have you really returned?"
"It is I, Rin. I am sorry that I took so long-"
She jumped into his arms, hot tears of resentment and joy rushing down her face. It had been far too much time since he had returned. So much had changed in the village; in her life; with her maturity. Much had changed, but her unwavering devotion to him had not.
Rin quickly wondered how much change could have happened in his world, too.
"What was that, anyways?" Kanta cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting his gaze to the demon corpse before them to change the subject.
"A demon that lures its victims by presenting as their deepest desire: whether that desire is gold, food, or even other individuals," Sesshoumaru stated simply, and Kanta wrinkled his nose with even more disgust. "This demon had already fed off of a full village, and had a surplus of energy. It is ignorant to think that you would have been able to defeat it. Come, Rin; you are filthy, let us go back to your village."
Arriving back at the village in almost no time at all thanks to the speed of the Demon Lord, the two were spotted immediately by Inuyasha and his curious sense of smell.
"Rin! Are you okay?" Kagome's eyes widened as she pushed past Inuyasha and looked over Rin; her clothing was sodden with foul, discolored blood, and patches of rice clung to her torn fabric. "What happened to you? Oh! Where is Kanta?!"
"We were attacked by a demon before the village we were heading to," Rin gestured a smile towards Lord Sesshoumaru as Kagome continued to scan her for any wounds. "My Lord graciously rescued us, and returned me back here. Kanta, however, insisted on making his own way home."
"I'll run you a bath," Kagome took Rin's hand and beamed at Sesshoumaru as she quickly pulled her into the home.
"Where have you been, huh?" Inuyasha grinned at Sesshoumaru and leaned against the side of the house. "'Didn't think you were really going to return this time. Are you going to take her with you now?"
"I had to complete the mission I set out for, in order to see her again," Sesshoumaru rarely confessed anything, especially not his own brother. Inuyasha's ears twitched with disbelief. "I was able to find out all I could. But the rest is up to her." His golden eyes became distracted from tracing the sunset, to a small face that peeked out through Inuyasha's silver hair. "What is that?"
"Ah," Inuyasha reached up near his shoulders and pinched the back of his small daughter's clothing, lifting her up to reveal her. "You're an uncle," he laughed, setting her on the ground.
She was tiny, her height not even half way to their knees. Her eyes matched in amber shade, as she peered up at Sesshoumaru curiously, yet wisely cautious as to not get any closer. Her little white ears rose inquisitively. Sesshoumaru's returning glance was not as friendly as she hoped. "Papa…" She whined softly as she clung to her father's leg.
Sesshoumaru felt the same burning hate for half breeds bubbling in the pit of his stomach again as he set eyes on his small niece, however, the feeling was conflicting. He was not surprised that Inuyasha and Kagome had a child, but he felt the idea was disrespectful to their Father to create such an impure being from their godlike bloodline. This child was just quarter-demon, and appeared as a human toddler with the exception of ears and eyes; she would be useless in battle, more than likely, and still be banished from human activities due to her abnormal qualities. He wondered what the point was, in conceiving a creature, accepted by no one; selfishness? Or, as he was beginning to learn about, perhaps love?
"I can't believe he has returned," Rin sighed happily and held her chest, above her heart. Kagome rinsed her hair, picking out demon tissue and rice, smiling herself, for it had reminded her of when she was just a bit younger than Rin when she was covered in the filth of battle. "I'm an adult now. I know it must be time for him to offer the choice for me to go with him."
"I have your pretty kimono here that he brought you years ago as a gift. I'm sure it will fit you now," Kagome giggled, and Rin gasped with excitement. "Are you going to leave with him, though? You do have a life here, and a job, and… a family, with us."
"I think you know my answer, Lady Kagome. Even if he returned years into the future, and I was the age that Lady Kaede was, my answer would never change."
"I didn't think so," Kagome rinsed Rin's hair again, then put her hand on her shoulder and winked at her. "You and I, we are so much alike… Okay, let's go get you ready."
"Sesshoumaru is such an asshole," Kanta kicked a stone, sending it flying as he continued on down the dark path back to the village. It would take him days to get back on foot, but he wasn't about to ride on Sesshoumaru's back to go home; his pride was worth more than that. "I just don't see what she sees in him. Or why she even cares so much. She could have such a better life with me."
Rain started to pour from the sky. Kanta ducked into the trees along the path for some cover, and noticed not far ahead was a small, mountainous region with a small, hollowed out cave. Intrigue swept over him as he head towards it.
He stepped but a foot in the cave when an ominous, demonic essence brushed against his entire body, setting every hair straight. His instincts told him to run. The cave was dark and damp, with fresh growth throughout except for one spot in the middle, which was completely bare down to the stone. Kanta examined it suspiciously. It looked as if it were from the outline of a body. Immediately, he recalled a story Lady Kaede had told him and Rin, about a man named Onigumo – who later became Naraku, the demon that plagued the land trying to possess the infamous Shikon Jewel.
"Onigumo's cave," Kanta whispered, as purple miasma formed around him. Kanta drew his small sword defensively and shouted. "Who goes there?"
"Why do you come here, puny human?" A fiendish, growling voice sent tremors down Kanta's spine. "What is it that you seek, from the cave of demon souls; the cave of Onigumo?"
"I was just seeking shelter," Kanta turned to leave.
"Is there nothing we can offer you, in exchange for this soul you keep?"
Kanta stopped, his attention drawn.
"Give us your soul, and in turn, we will fill your body with enough power to make you equivalent the gods themselves."
The rain had not yet reached the village. It was quite late in the evening, but Lord Sesshoumaru and Rin were together on the outskirts alone, sitting on a grassy hill overlooking the river.
"You've been gone for some time," Rin broke their silence, looking over to Sesshoumaru who stared whimsically at the moon above. "You mentioned before you had a quest to complete. Were you able to find what you sought out for?"
"Yes, and no," Her Lord sighed, and closed his eyes in thought. After several more minutes of silence, Sesshoumaru begun. "I sought out to find a solution to keep you at my side, dear Rin. However, the solution is not what I believed it would be. I cannot guarantee that it will work; thus, I cannot guarantee your safety with me, and this poses a problem."
Rin opened her mouth to protest, but Sesshoumaru held his finger to shh her before she could speak.
"There was word of a pearl, hidden in a mountainous region that held immense power to grant the wish of any mortal, without causing any entropic reaction."
"Does it exist? Did you find it?" Rin got to her knees with excitement.
"Yes."
"This is perfect!"
"There is an issue. This pearl will only grant wishes of a mortal that are truly pure; the heart of the individual, the wish and the result must all be pure. To wish for certain things with an outcome of something that is not pure in all aspects will cause the pearl to reject and absorb the human's body and soul."
The two were quiet.
"I simply could not risk that happening to you," Sesshoumaru clenched his fists with frustration. "The reason I kept you here at this village was for you to live a normal life as a human: to learn the skills, to learn to communicate, to fit in. You have a place here, with friends, and a trade that you work well at. Even a suitor that would treat you with respect..." He scowled slightly. "This is not something I liked, but first and foremost, your happiness and safety meant more than my greed for your presence. If you could live and flourish as a human, rather than a short, perhaps dangerous life beside me, I would want that for you. I would be content watching from the sidelines, if it meant you could live."
Rin wiped her tears away on her silk sleeves, shaking her head furiously. "A life without being your companion is no life at all, my Lord. My purpose is to be with you as your companion, until my life ceases to exist. It has happened twice already," She joked lightheartedly, though Sesshoumaru disagreed.
"I cannot always protect you, despite how I try. There are always foes when it comes to my travel. A companion offers weakness."
"I want you to take me to that pearl," Rin stood, looking at Sesshoumaru adamantly. "I will prove to you my strength. The pearl will not overtake me. I want to show you that I am no ordinary soul, with an ordinary wish. I will surpass it, despite the misfortune many faced before me."
Sesshoumaru eyed her, but her fiery gaze would not waver. He got to his feet without a word, and held her hand to hoist her up on his back to bring her to the mountains.
Hours away, at the mountainous base, Sesshoumaru halted immediately, his senses pinpointing a potential threat proximal to their location.
"Reveal yourself," He demanded angrily, clutching back to Rin defensively. Rin tightened her grip on her Lord's shoulders.
"It is just I," Said the familiar voice, the figure exposing itself from the dark area of brush behind them.
"Kanta?" Rin expressed with confusion, hopping off of Sesshoumaru's back. She stepped towards him, worried. "Kanta, that can't be you?"
"Rin, my lady," Kanta chuckled, scratching the back of his head nervously. "You're not back at the village by now?"
"And neither are you," Sesshoumaru advanced forward, asserting himself before Rin, brushing her behind him. "Stay back from her. How did you know our location?"
"I don't know what you're talking about; I was just taking this way trying to find my way home-"
"Do not play stupid," Sesshoumaru growled. Kanta laughed. "I can sense the aura coming off of you. What are you really here for?"
"Kanta?" Rin inquired again. Sesshoumaru pushed her back with haste, a bit roughly. Rin stumbled, and Kanta lurched forward with anger, only to be held back by Sesshoumaru.
"Don't you dare push her like that," Kanta leapt back, swiftly drawing his sword to Sesshoumaru with opposition. "Don't you lay a hand on her, you demon filth."
"Kanta, stop it," Rin shouted, irritated and apprehensive at Kanta's behavior. She knew Sesshoumaru would not hesitate to end him, if he continued to clash. "Just… Just go home, Kanta. Everything is fine."
"It's not," His expression became disconsolate, dark. "You're choosing him, over me. You're choosing this demon, over a happy life with those you love and love you in return."
"You knew very well that-"
"It's ridiculous, and it's disgusting. You are important to so many people, but you disregard them all for something you don't even truly know. When was he there for you lately? Where was he for the good times you celebrated? Where was he to relish in your accomplishments, and support your dreams?"
Before Rin could speak, Kanta held his sword high. Instead of pointing it at Sesshoumaru, he grasped it with both hands and set it at his chest, just above his heart. The sword glowed purple and black, emanating an evil that Rin could feel uneasily in her belly nearby.
"I can become a demon even stronger than him, and will treat you even better. You can accompany me. You will be mine, and only mine, and I will be your guardian forever," He closed his eyes, already wincing from the pain he would feel any instant, and held his breath before he plunged the sword.
Before the sword could penetrate even his first layer of skin, Sesshoumaru slapped it out of his hands and crushed the flimsy metal below his feet. A large demonic aura spilled from the damage, spiraling off towards the darkness of the forest behind them.
"What is your problem?" Sesshoumaru hissed, turning and grabbing Kanta by the neck. "You tried to sell your soul to some lowly demon souls, by having them possess your sword? Once your blood would have spilled on that sword, and your heart stopped, these demons would have completely devoured every characteristic of yours and taken over your body, out of your control. You are an idiot."
He threw Kanta to the ground, as Kanta gasped for air and trembled from shock and fear.
"You are not even worth a moment more of my time. I am incredibly vexed by your presence. Go, now, and count your blessings. It is only because of Rin that I am letting you go," Sesshoumaru turned his back to Kanta, and grasped Rin's hand in his own. "If I set eyes on you again, be sure that it will be the last time." He scooped Rin up on his back, and headed up the mountain with haste.
Rin was puzzled, stunned. Kanta was less than a second away from ending his life, and sacrificing himself to the truest evil in order to impress her and have her to himself. She gripped on Sesshoumaru's shoulders and shivered slightly from the uncomfortable thought.
Despite it being in Rin's best interest, Kanta's vision disturbed her and reinforced her belief that humans hid their most evil and selfish desires deep inside their core. Demons, however, had nothing to hide, and nothing more immoral to discover.
It reminded her as well of the pearl, and how even though a wish may come across as pure, the true intention and result may not trigger the response she was expecting.
The top of the mountain was perhaps the most serene setting Rin had ever been.
A warm, summer breeze drifted gently past her and her Lord, rippling the scattered ponds that were before them. The water was illuminated beautifully by the bright moon above, which seemed almost close enough to touch. Rin stepped down, her bare feet touching the soft rock beneath. She gazed around in wonderment at the dark woods and fields below that went on forever. Her eyes shone as she peered up at Lord Sesshoumaru, at her side, and he smiled.
"Ahead, one of these small ponds has a surprising amount of depth. At the bottom lay the pearl," It was clear he was nervous, as it showed in his eyes despite his attempt to appear calm. "We can go back, if you'd like to change your mind, Rin."
"Have some faith in me," She chuckled, appearing confident, though she questioned whether she even had faith in herself at the hands of this daunting pearl. Stepping forward on a large boulder that separated some of the ponds, she peered in each in search of the pearl.
Sesshoumaru stood still, his eyes tracing Rin's body as she elegantly treaded along rock; her silhouette becoming smaller as the distance gained between them. He couldn't fight any longer the element of his attraction to her, despite her mortal ancestry. His train of thought was disturbed by Rin's halt far ahead, as she knelt to peer deeper into one of the ponds.
"It is here," Rin announced softly, her voice trailing along the mountain. Sesshoumaru stepped ahead, but paused again as Rin stood and turned her back to him, her head slightly to the side with her eye coyly set on him.
Rin undid the obi of her kimono, and within moments her robe gracefully fell at her feet around her. The light of the moon kissed her soft, smooth, pale skin and hugged every curve of her thin, womanly body.
She dove into the pond before her, engulfed in the water, which was far deeper than it appeared at the surface. The water was cool, however, the texture against her skin felt nothing like liquid at all. Rin swam deeper towards the soft glow of the pearl, realizing that no part of her body was wet at all. She opened her mouth and found that she could breathe, despite being far below the surface; this mystic pond was created this way for those who come to make a wish with a clear mind, without rushing.
Rin reached out to the pearl as she descended on the base of the pond, but hesitated and quickly drew back her hand at the sight of clouded souls, swirling around in the tiny gem. Second guessing herself, she closed her eyes to focus and recreate her wish, making sure it was perfect.
…
I blacked out most of my childhood after my family's untimely death, due to the isolation and abuse I encountered each day. For the longest time, my pup remained at my side despite the fact that I became mute and could not speak to him, and had little means to feed and shelter him. The village was rough to us, but we still stuck together. He protected me against the dangers in the forest as I scavenged, and against the villagers, who were even worse. In the end, I wasn't strong enough to protect him in return.
And then, as I wandered again, alone and foraging for scraps for my next meal, I set my eyes upon the most magnificent being. He was injured and sleeping, with hound fur that resembled my companion. Even as a human child with very little to offer a demon of such caliber, I wanted to do my best to help him, to protect him. I returned to my village that night and pillaged some supplies from the medicinal hut to treat him, and did my best job on the demon, albeit I didn't know how to properly use all supplies…
The next day, he was awake. He told me to leave, so I did, and observed him from the bushes. I brought him flowers, and berries, and things that made me smile to hopefully see him smile too; it didn't work. I stole meals and left them at his feet; he never ate them. It's the thought that counts, right?
When the villagers realized I had been the one stealing, I was beaten senseless, amongst other things I can't quite and wouldn't want to recall. The demon finally spoke to me, inquiring about my wounds, but I didn't want him to worry! It was not his fault, it was mine; I should have been sneakier in my attempts to loot. I didn't regret a thing I did for him, and I didn't want him to feel responsible in the least.
I died shortly after, from a raid of demon wolves that ravaged my city. You know, I thought it was oddly fitting that demonic wolves were the ones who killed us all; the humans were coy and cunning like a pack of wolves, acting noble and responsible though underneath, they were corrupt and twofaced. That handsome demon with the dog pelt was the first face I saw when my eyes reopened, resurrected- which was also fitting, as I died fleeing towards him, to make sure that he was okay.
He was my guardian that day, and from then onward. I wanted to dearly to protect him, as he made it his goal to protect me…
…
He was essentially a god; the lone victor in a great war; the descendent of the Lord of all Dog Demons. Did he need protection? Perhaps the protection Rin could offer him was the protection of herself; offering herself as an eternal companion to protect him from loneliness, indefinitely. Did she truly want to rely on someone else to protect her eternally, anyways? Would that be any way to live?
The pearl activated before her, releasing a white light directly upwards, cutting through the water into the sky. The light enveloped her entirely. It was a warm, comfortable, satisfying glow where Rin felt truly happy, and at ease.
Sesshoumaru watched as the light released into the sky towards the moon. He held his breath, anticipating Rin to step out from the brightness before him; but she didn't. The light dissipated quickly, and the darkness of night fell around him once more.
Before he turned to leave with stifling tears stinging his eyes, he noticed a figure emerging from the far end of the pond, though it was a mere outline in front of the moon.
The womanly figure faced the moon, with two perky ears on her head, dark hair that reached her hips and a long tail between her legs that reached her calves. She turned to look at Sesshoumaru with bright ginger eyes.
"My Lord."
With a single, powerful leap, Sesshoumaru landed a rock away; a careful distance from the dog-eared female. Looking over her familiar, nude body, he knew it was Rin.
"Rin," he said quietly, in shock as she carefully stepped towards him. She was a demon now, too, from the power of the pearl, with hound attributes and a powerful, eloquent aura about her. She looked up at him with bliss and took his hand.
"I will be my own protector now, of evil and harm. You need not worry anymore. I can also finally be a guardian for you, as was my childhood dream; you will no longer need to continue your journeys in solitude, my Lord, for I will always be your companion, and you mine."