PURE FLOWER

Chapter 11

The Hidden Pain

"There is one law that all demons must follow, and whoever fails to do so will be banished from demon lands." Jaken explained to both Shura and Ryuya.

"What law?" Ryuya asked curiously.

"To kill off the Wing Clan if one ever sees them." Shura said as he wondered why the law was still existed when the Wing Clan had already long extinct. He too, had heard from his father that the Wing Clan was a cursed race that would bring destruction to both demon and human race. Almost five hundred years ago, a war between the demon race and the Wing Clan occurred, and at the end, the Wing Clan was wiped out.

"What is Wing Clan? Are they bad?" Ryuya asked innocently, still did not fully understand why such law existed. Shura too, wanted to know the real reasons for such law.

"The Wing Clan is not human, demon, or half breed. They are species that have a very long life. Almost thousand years ago, they were worshipped by the humans as the connector to the God. The demons too, viewed them as a sacred race." Jaken explained. He recalled the war occurred five hundred years ago. It was a brutal massacre, and meaningless. Then he further explained. "They possessed great power in healing. It was even said they were able to revive the dead."

"Then why were they killed?" Shura asked. He hated meaningless killing, as his father did. Ever since he was young, his father had taught him not to involve in battles that serve no purposes.

"It is said that they are the reason for all the wars to be brought upon humans and demons. They are the symbol of sickness, destruction and chaos. It is also said that they fraud in the name of God so they could rule over everything." Jaken explained and sighed. The reasons were ridiculous. No one had been able to prove there were real, but still, the Wing Clan was wiped off due to such assumptions.

"I will say whoever said that are jealous of the Wing Clan for possessing great power. There are no reasons for us to follow such law. That is ridiculous." Ryuya said wisely. Although he did not fully understand, but he knew something was very wrong.

Jaken nodded at how wise the young lord was. He and Lord Sesshoumaru had not participated in the war occurred five hundred years ago because Lord Sesshoumaru said almost the same thing.

"Jaken, have you seen anyone from the Wing Clan? How are they like? Do they have wings?" Ryuya asked curiously. He wanted to meet the Wing Clan, and if he did, he would tell them he was on their side.

"They are called the Wing Clan is not because they have wings. In truth, some of them do have a pair of large white wings. They are called that mainly because they are the messager from the God. It is unwise to call them God so they used the term, Wing." Jaken replied as he recalled the once time he ever saw a beautiful woman from the Wing Clan who had a pair of pure white wings. Most demons did not possess purely white wings, even for the bird demons. He felt sad for the fact that such beautiful creatures were dead, and extinct.

"Then we cannot differentiate them even though they stand before us, right?" Ryuya asked again, but frowned when he saw Jaken shaking his head.

"The Wing Clan no longer exists. They were killed off five hundred years ago." Shura stated to his brother.

"Humph, I do not believe so. I believe…some of them are still alive and well." Ryuya said and smiled as he hoped so.

RIN'S CHAMBER

"…Wing Clan?"

Sesshoumaru glanced at Rin who seemed to be lost to whatever Ren had said. Rin was not a member of the Wing Clan, if she was, she would have told him, or she had lied to him. However, by taking in Rin's scent, it would seem that Rin was as confuse as him.

"Rin, are you from the Wing Clan?" Sesshoumaru asked and almost sighed in relief when his Rin shook her head in denial. Then he glared at Ren, who gasped in anger at Rin's denial of claiming to be the member of the cursed clan.

"SHE IS LYING!!! SHE IS CURSED!!! KILL HER, SESSHOUMARU!!" Ren yelled and curled her fists, wanting so badly to finish off the woman Sesshoumaru was protecting.

Rin mentally sighed with relief. She had though Ren to know her secret, but it would seem she did not know at all. Staring at the floor, her eyes suddenly filled with sadness, but the sadness was gone as soon as it was shown. He must not know until…

"Rin?"

Rin looked up from the floor with a faint smile, lost her smile when she watched as Ren stiffed in anger and turned to leave the chamber, but not before throwing her a glare. Slowly, Rin reached out her hands to hold Sesshoumaru's right hand in soft grip.

"Thank you, my lord, for saving me. I should have…"

"I do not want you to know. It is not your fault." Sesshoumaru said and laid his other hand against Rin's soft cheek. He had not expected Ren to be so bold as to attack Rin in person, or to make ridiculous life-threatening remark such as Rin being the Wing Clan. She is not!!

Rin smiled and closed her eyes, feeling calm once again when she felt Lord Sesshoumaru's hand caressing her cheek. It had been so long since someone cared for her, and it had been forever for someone other than her mother to care for her. She wanted this feeling to stay forever. She wanted to stay with Lord Sesshoumaru forever. Will there be forever for us…?

"…Lord Sesshoumaru?" Rin whispered softly.

"What is it…?"

"…If Rin dies, will Lord Sesshoumaru remembers Rin forever?"

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes widen slightly at Rin's question. It was a foolish question. Rin was a demon, and therefore she had a long life. She would not die from age, or sickness. Then why…what makes her think she will die?

"…Do not speak such foolishness again, Rin." Sesshoumaru replied softly and took her into his arms. He had tried not to care for her. He had told himself countless times since the moment he saw her that he was just lusting for her. He was a demon lord, he must not have weakness. If he cares for her, she would become his weakness, and lead to his downfall. This Sesshoumaru doesn't care for anyone…

He knew he lied.

He cared for Rin, the moment he saw her walking through that door, as if there was an invisible string pulling them together. As if he had known her all his life, even he had never once met her before that day. Sesshoumaru tightened his embrace when Rin's arms went around him. He would protect her. He would protect this feeling he had, even if it weakened him.

"Do you have someone you want to protect, Sesshoumaru?"

He recalled his father's last words spoken to him at the beach before he went to fight with the human warriors. His father, InuTaisho had died trying to protect the human princess, Izayoi and his half breed son InuYasha. He had then remarked at how foolish his father had been, wasting his life on such meaningless task, and even swore not to follow his father's footsteps.

"Do you have someone you want to protect, Sesshoumaru?"

"I have, Father. Now I have…"

REN'S CHAMBER

The servants watched helplessly as the Lady of the Western Land released her rage at the furniture. The futon torn, the tables and chairs crashed, vases broken, and everything in sight was damaged. When the lady had finally calmed down, one of the servants tried to offer the lady solace, only to be thrown against the wall until the sound of bone cracks could be heard.

"I WILL KILL HER!!! I WILL KILL HER FOR SESSHOUMARU!!"

A/N: Whew!! Finally I manage to update. Sorry everyone for the long wait. A lot of things happened in my family plus writer's block. I think I will have to cut this story short so I can finish with the others too. Thanks for reading and waiting for this update.