Theme 38: Abandoned
She came again the next day and the next, bringing him food and other things. At first Sesshomaru wanted her gone, then he just gave up and allowed her to do what she wanted.
She came back.
Sesshomaru stared straight ahead, but watched her from the corner of his eye. What was her reason? He ignored her every time she came, he wanted nothing to do with her and he had given her no reason to think he was grateful in anyway, so why did she continue to come?
She hobbled, holding a leaf of barley on leaves.
"No thanks" he said, without looking at her. He didn't want her kindness, making him think things he'd rather not. He wanted to be alone; he didn't want to think about human girls.
But she shook her head and continued to proffer the food to him.
"I told you I don't need anything from you" he said calmly, refusing to look at her. She sighed, looking downhearted. Then Sesshomaru saw he bruises. She had been beaten; her eye was swollen shut, her hair more raggedy than usual. Her leg looked injured, why wasn't this child at home, instead she was with a Hanyou, someone she should be staying far away from. She should be afraid, she should hate him.
To his surprise, he found himself asking "Where did you get those bruises?"
She gasped and looked up, wordless as usual. He turned to her. In the light, he could see her features more clearly. She had long dark black hair, her eyes were a darker shade of brown than wet bark, from her height he realised she must be very young, even for human years. But there was a childlike innocence about her he found he approved off. She looked shocked. For a moment, Sesshomaru saw a flash of Kagome. His chest hurt, thinking of her, remembering, and he tipped his head "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to"
The girl looked at him, and then broke out into a wide smile. Sesshomaru blinked in surprise. Despite the dirt and the grim, there was something charming about her when she smiled.
Sesshomaru frowned "What are you smiling about?" he demanded, feeling uncomfortable with the happiness has showed just from him inquiring about her injuries, "I simply asked a question, I don't care, I'm just curious."
She continued to smile; there was a gap in her teeth. When she was finished she left the food and as merrily as possible, hobbled away.
Strange girl.
Sesshomaru did not know what to think, he felt like all his views were being shaken.
Humans were weak, they were stupid and fragile.
She was persistent, and gentle. Sesshomaru found himself becoming curious.
All his life he'd only accepted what he had been told of humans, what he knew of them, seeing this girl, traveling with Inuyasha's group, was the first time he'd ever actually watched and studied a human, seen their behaviour and come to know them.
Humans were greedy, but there were those who weren't. Sesshomaru had never seen any reason to lower himself to actually try to understand those that lived in his realm other than Youkai, could he have been so wrong all this time.
No, he was not wrong. Humans may not be a stupid a cruel as he thought. Perhaps there was more to them than he originally thought. They could be kind, strong and beautiful. But they were still weak, breakable.
They died too quickly, there was no point understanding something, getting attached to it, if it was just to die so quickly, who would befriend a butterfly if they fully understood they would never see it again the next day, butterflies only live one day. Humans only lived until they were killed.
The girl was injured, so badly she could barely walk or see from that swollen eye. so frail, such a target. Why did she insist on caring for him when she couldn't even care for herself?
He did not understand, but what was this niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach concerning the girl. He thought about the bruises, where had those come from. Was she abused?
What was he doing! Becoming concerned over another human! but even as he tried to drag his mind away from her, he couldn't . She had been good to him, and he felt the need to do something in return.
It was in that moment, Sesshomaru realised how much he had changed. The previous him would never care for the kindness of a human, would never doubt himself or wonder how to protect another. Doubt was something he was unaccustomed to, as well as fear.
What if he had failed? What if he hadn't managed to get to her in time? What if he failed next time she was in danger?
He thought of Kagome, how was she? Was she alive, had she succumbed to her injuries? He frowned.
It was his fault, if h had been wiser, she would have lived. But Sesshomaru had never had to protect anyone before. Did that mean he wanted to protect Kagome? Was she that important to him?
That must be why the Tetsaiga transformed for him, how could he had been so foolish. The sword was made for his father's human lover; it was exactly his father's style to make it so in only transformed when one wished to protect a human.
Kagome.
Sesshomaru closed his eyes and warmth filled his chest. While this weakness was unsettling, there was something good about this feeling, something he liked.
He wanted to see her again.
X-X-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-XX
By that night, his body was completely healed. Sesshomaru stood for the first time.
Now what? Where should he go?
The Tetsaiga and the Tensaiga were at his side, he almost felt himself. But his ears twitched above his head and he was reminded who he was and what he needed to accomplish. Without the full Shikon Jewel, he had no way to return to his body.
But that did not mean he had to work with them to gather the shards, he could easily travel alone and bring the shards to Kagome to be purified when they were found.
The thought did not sit well with him, but he ignored the feelings and pressed on in the direction away from where Kagome was.
Every step felt wrong and he couldn't understand it.
Suddenly, he smelt burning, and wolves. It came from the direction the girl always ran in when she left.
It was none of his business. He had no reason to care, he hadn't asked her to care for him. Sesshomaru continued foreword.
As he walked, an image came to mind of a gap-toothed smile, so happy to have him inquire her health. Small hands, big eyes…
It was none of his concern.
Sesshomaru continued marching; the only difference was his direction had changed.
X-X-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-XX
Dead.
Wolves had come into her village and slaughtered everyone. She'd managed to get away, only to be followed and torn apart. Sesshomaru looked down upon her; her brown eyes were left open and unstaring.
He couldn't not understand the feeling that filed him looking down upon her small broken body like an abandoned child's toy, her tiny hands clenched, blood dripped from the wounds. Her dark hair was like Kagome's.
Another human who'd shown him kindness and who he had reluctantly come to acknowledge and care for.
Another human he'd failed to save.
He gazed with impassiveness and irritation. Was he really this weak, he couldn't save anyone? Was he only a mindless beast for fighting?
Inuyasha, his foolish, weak, idiotic half-brother. He had done it, travelled with them for so long and protected her despite his Hanyou blood. The Tetsaiga gave him the power he needed, but Sesshomaru had enough power and still he couldn't help her.
Suddenly, something pulsed beside him. He looked down with surprise. Tensaiga?
The Tensaiga was pulsing, in all his time having it the useless sword had never sown a reaction to anything. And now it was pulsing.
He drew it. The sword of healing, capable of restoring the life to 1000 in a single swing. Perhaps…
"Interesting" he said quietly. Before his eyes, figures began to form. Ugly green imps, slowly excavating a small orb from the girl's chest "I can see them. They're from the underworld."
He drew back his hand and sliced. For the first time, the Tensaiga cut thought the harbingers of death and returned them to oblivion. Bending down, he lifted the girl's body up.
She was still, was he mistaken in what he had seen, or had he failed in this also?
Then suddenly, he felt a heartbeat, slow at first but soon it grew, he gasped as she stirred slowly and opened her brown eyes, no longer blank and unstaring.
She was alive, he had saved her.
The girl stared up at him in surprise, awe written across her face she realised what he had done. Sesshomaru stood.
He could save lives, with this sword, even if his power failed him and they are taken from him, he could protect what had become precious to him.
Sesshomaru smiled. It was so small, it was barely visible as he sheathed Tensaiga and turned to walk away.
As he walked, he heard small feet follow him. He glanced behind to see the girl trailing.
They stared at one another.
This girl had helped him understand something, and she had nothing, nowhere to go.
"You wish to come with me?" he asked.
She looked up nodding fervently, then coughed "Y-y-y-yes" her voice was throaty and quiet, as I she hadn't spoke for years, if not for his superior hearing he would not have heard her.
"What is your name?"
The girl looked down and then answered "R-r-r-r-r-r-r…R-Rin"
Rin, meaning 'bell' or 'dignified'. It suited her. "Do as you wish Rin" he said and continued on his way in the direction he most wanted to go, while small feet followed after.
REVEIW