A Taste of Humanity
Disclaimer: Sesshomaru and all characters from Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, not me. This story is for entertainment purposes only; I make no profit from it.
A/N: Reviews are appreciated. Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Dreams
Sesshomaru was perplexed by what he saw. He somehow was back at home in the great palace of his father. He was standing in a small garden, a training area where he once was taught in easy view. He glanced at the small koi pond and his eyes widened in shock. He was a boy again. Puzzled, he looked about for his swords and Rin, but they were all missing. A noise caused him to turn and he nearly gaped openly at the person standing there. There at the entryway stood his father, clutching a tiny bundle in his arms. Suddenly, Sesshomaru realized what was happening; this was a memory, one that he had thought he had successfully forgotten. His father strode forward, beaming with joy at the tiny bundle in his mighty arms.
"Ah, my son," his father said crouching down before him, "come, meet your brother, Inuyasha." Without his consent, Sesshomaru's younger self was propelled forward by his short legs towards the bundle. He struggled against them with no luck and was also unable to prevent the memory from playing out as it had happened. 'Why,' he thought as he heard his hateful words spill out of his mouth, denouncing his father as a weak fool and claiming the hanyou pup as a vile taint on the family. 'Why after so long am I seeing this again' he felt his chest tighten as he saw the sad, hurt look in his father's eyes. 'Why does it… hurt?' His father straightened as his sad gaze held his son's.
"You may not accept him," he said quietly, "but he is still your brother." His father turned and went to leave, pausing briefly in the doorway. "I had hoped…" his father whispered, then sighed, "…maybe when you're older." Sesshomaru watched his father leave, knowing that it was the last time he had seen his father alive. For the first time, he felt his eyes sting as unbidden tears appeared in his eyes. He had never admitted to anyone how much he missed his father. He simply shut himself off from the memories, focusing on his studies and telling himself his father had been weak and had been a fool. His mother had made sure to strengthen that belief, blaming his downfall on his love of a pathetic human. Yet now, he could not bring himself to think of his father, the great Inu no Taisho, as either weak or as a fool. His gaze landed on one of the flowers in the garden. It was a lovely violet rose, a secret favorite of his; the color matched the crescent moon on his forehead. He wondered idly if Rin would consider it her favorite as well, she did seem to love all sorts of flowers. As if on cue, he heard Rin calling his name.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" He looked up to see a smiling Rin rushing up to him, a bunch of wildflowers clutched tightly in her hand. When she reached him, she was panting a bit from her exertion. This did not dampen her enthusiasm in the slightest. "For you milord," she said, proudly presenting the slightly battered bouquet to him. He took it without a word and before he could think of something to say, she was off and running again. An exhausted Jaken finished climbing the hill only to see her whiz back down to the field of flowers. He must have decided to simply accept defeat and collapsed with an exasperated whine not far from Sesshomaru. 'Another memory,' he mused, 'though a much more pleasant one.' A piercing scream shattered the peaceful moment and Sesshomaru bolted towards the sound. When he arrived at the field he saw Rin sprawled among the flowers, her blood staining the petals of those nearby. The scent of her blood stung his nose, but under it was the scent of wolves. As he went to kneel beside her the world darkened and the flowers vanished.
They were in a forest now and Rin wasn't breathing. He lost control of his body once more as yet another memory played out. He strode away at first, though his mind rebelled against this action. 'Use the sword!' his mind screamed, 'Save her!' He knew that he would, but for some reason his heart was throbbing with such agony inside him he couldn't think rationally. 'When did she become so precious to me?' he wondered. She awoke and smiled up at him, the scene changing once more.
She was in the miko's hut lying on a raised bed. She was older now, her face drenched in sweat from her fever. She smiled weakly and closed her eyes to rest. He stood and left the hut to get some fresh air, escaping the stifling scent of Rin's 'flu'. As he left he came upon something that was not a memory. It appeared to be a wedding. He approached cautiously, unsure as to why he was here. 'I don't remember attending a wedding,' he mused, 'I certainly would remember such a lavish ceremony.' Suddenly his brother pounced on him, grinning insanely.
"Congrats dear brother," he cheered, wobbling slightly and holding a bottle of sake. He grew serious for a moment, "You know, I think father would be proud of you. Now hurry up or you'll be late!" Confused, he allowed his younger brother to shove him towards the monk standing at the altar. He frowned slightly, until he realized what was happening. His eyes widened slightly as a woman dressed in the most beautiful wedding kimono he'd ever seen began to approach. The guests, both demons and humans he realized, voiced their approval at the beautiful bride. He became nervous. 'Who is this woman?' he thought frantically, 'I can't make out any scents, just…' he paused noting she had his favorite roses in her silky black hair, 'flowers.' The music drifted softly to a close as his bride placed her delicate hands in his. He found himself running on auto once more as he came to the end of the vows. His hands reached gently for the veil, trying not to let them shake. As the curtain of lace was lifted, he caught a whiff of a familiar scent. 'It… it couldn't be…' his mind reeled at what his nose was telling him. Just before he saw the face of the woman that was his bride he felt a strange pressure on his stomach. His eyes closed as his stomach twisted uncomfortably.
Opening his eyes again he realized he was back in the miko's hut, Rin's elbow digging slightly into his stomach. He shifted, careful not to wake her. He rubbed his eyes, noting the soft glow of morning slipping beneath the door. His 'nap' had been far longer than he had planned, but it had left him with much to think on. He tenderly moved a strand of black hair out of Rin's face and she snuggled into him. She mumbled his name as she occasionally would do in sleep, but what she whispered next caused a shiver to travel along his spine.
"Mmmm," Rin sighed, clutching his robe, "I do, Sesshomaru… I do."
A/N: I was hoping to have this up earlier this week, but I caught a nasty cold and have been bed-ridden for the past couple days (I always get a horrid cough that weakens me drastically when I get sick). Luckily I have chapters in reserve and a wonderful husband who took great care of me (oatmeal isn't the tastiest breakfast, but getting it served in bed helps).
Ok, now to the story... you'll notice I haven't mentioned Rin's age yet. In the dream I see her as an adult, while in my 'main' story she's 13. I know back then they married young so you can see it however you would like to. Her age doesn't impact the story much (no naughty love scenes between them, sorry) so if you want to think of her as older or younger that's fine.