Chapter 26
She could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin and could feel the calming feeling that always filled her when her lord would hold her as he did when it was just the two of them. While it had began to be a rarity in its self when she would be held by him now that she was getting older, she would make sure to enjoy and memorize the feeling whenever he would hold her. Just as she had began to feel him move about so that she was wrapped by his tail and laid across his chest, Rin had opened her eyes and looked at her lord as she whispered, "You're leaving me again…"
"I have people and lands to tend for Rin; a land of demons is not a place for a human child to be raised."
"Does that mean that if I continue to train as hard as I am now with Lady Kagome-Oka-san and Lady Sango that I can go back with you to the west when I'm older and stronger?" Rin asked in an excited filled voice as she wrapped her arms around her lord's neck. "Can I come back to the castle when I am a master Taijiya?"
After a moment of silence and after the cold lord of the west had dislodged the human child from himself, he turned his back to the ward that he had grown to care for strongly and after he had proven that he would be taking his leave he answered, "If you still wish to be by my side and if you still wish to live in the west when you have grown and mastered what my brother…what the pack has to teach you I will see to it that you return to the west."
As the last memory she had of her lord began to fade away to the back of her mind, Rin reached the castle gates, and took in a deep breath while quickly pressing herself against the wall that surrounded the castle that the Lord and Lady of the East lived. She had done so with the sole purpose of hiding herself since she had heard the sound of footsteps making their way toward her and had felt the almost completely hidden aura that belonged to the King of the east as he made his fast approach in her direction. Once she had finished surrounding herself in darkness so that she would not be seen, Rin stilled her heart and held her breath when she heard the King of the East voice ask, "Were you followed?"
'And he's supposed to be the strongest of the East? It's a wonder he has never been found out in the past, he still needs work in hiding his aura.' Rin thought as she stilled her breath and slowed her heart the way her adoptive father had taught her.
********Flash Back*******
"If they can't hear you and if they can't scent you then you'll always have a way to surprise your enemies and your prey." Inuyasha's familiar voice growled at her.
"But how can I keep them from scenting me Inuyasha-sama? Rin does not know. Rin is human."
"Feh listen here pup, the Taijiya will teach you how to mask your scent, as for the rest, just do what I tell you and you'll never be found by any weak demon."
With a grin and the first smile she had dared to show anyone since the young human child that left behind by the Lord of the West nodded her head and focused on the words and what she was being told to do by her great Lords brother, her father.
*********End of Flash Back**********
"No I was not, I've also already spoke with my son, while he is not happy that you have chosen him thus leaving him with no choice or say in this matter, he understands that it is his duty to our family just as it is his duty as a member of the east. He will court and mate with your second daughter and he will help to control her."
"I'm sure that this is not what he would have wanted and I do hope that he had not found his own mate or female that he would have liked to court before all of this."
"He had not so you have nothing to worry old friend, we are always here to help. Besides pretty soon we will be family."
"Yes, that we will, so tell me old friend, did your son take after you or did your daughter?"
"While I would have enjoyed for my son would have taken after me I'm afraid that he took after his mother, he is a dragon of fire. It was my daughter that took after me and she is a dragon of the sky just as I am."
'A fire dragon…really, they chose a dragon of fire for me? The King of the East truly is a fool.'
"Well I suppose there is one good thing about the pairing, he will be able to better control her. He will be able to still her ragging water."
'Ragging water? What a fool, as if water is the only thing that answers to my call.'
"Are you certain that she is a dragon of water? What if she is more? I've heard rumors and so have my children, I will not place my son in harm's way." Lord Byakuya growled out at his old friend. "Was it not your own mate that titled her the dragon of storms?"
"That she is, of course we suspect that the power was hidden within my mate until an heir that would be strong enough to hold such a power was born, I had hoped that our daughter would have been strong enough to control such a gift but we were wrong. Most of her gift was removed and faded away during the course of her many lives as a mortal child. As she grows into her demonic aura what power she cannot control will fade."
'I've heard enough.' Rin thought as she wrapped herself further into the darkness that already surrounded her. As she began to make herself to disappear Rin realized that she could not meet with Amon now, she had to leave, the further she got now the better it would be for her and for those that she would meet on her way to her home town. Of course this meant that all she would have on her and to defend herself and the people that she might encounter were her gifts, Rin knew that it would be pointless to try to find a weapon now of all time when it was clear that her 'father' had never stopped making his own plans for her future. While she was sure she would find them gone from the village, she had to make sure that they had at least left some guards to protect their village before she would make her way to the West. She would after all not put it past her father from attacking the village she had once and still thought of home.
'I'll transport in the direction of the west before I make my way to the village. They'll send them to the West and I'll be sure to arrive from the south before I make myself known to Lord Sesshomaru.' Rin thought as she began to strategically make her plans while planning out her path that would be the easiest for her to take. While it would take her longer to arrive she was sure that she would at least be able to arrive with good time before her lord made his choice, before she would get the chance to speak with him and show him that she was well and truly alive and well.
Hours later, after the sun had raisin and after she was sure she had left them a path deep enough for them to believe that she had gone to the West, Rin had once against surrounded herself in the shadows that she knew only Hei would be able to track in his dragon from and made her way back to her home, to the village where Kagome and Inuyasha still claimed. Upon arriving, she had knocked out the Inu demon guards that had been left to protect the village to ensure that she would have the chance to talk to the village head since it was clear that the whole pack had been moved to the West.
After knocking out the last of the Inu demon guards that had surrounded the village, Rin could not help to think, 'they really did leave…they left and thought that a small group of Inu demon guards would be enough to protect the village from my kind? I hope that mother knew what she was doing when she allowed this,' as she entered the village she once called home and took in the sight around her. The villagers had all quickly rushed into their huts while some of the men stood ready to fight. As if she could really harm any one of them, it was an Inu demon custom, and one that she would never break, that you did not harm a member of your pack. When it was clear that she had reached the point where she would not be allowed to pass, the young dragoness let out a long sigh and said, "I am looking for Lady Kagome and Lord Inuyasha, I must speak to them as soon as possible."
"Even if they were present to speak with you dragoness you would not be welcomed here. I suggest you leave at once."
"Are Master Miroku and Lady Sango gone as well?" she replied in a calm and soothing voice once more when it was clear that she would not be welcomed by any in the usually loving and caring village where she was raised in.
"They are not, I will not repeat myself dragon, leave at once before we are forced to take matters into our owns since it is clear that you have already done something to those that had been sent to look after our village.
"Tai, I beg of you Tai-san please tell me where they have gone. Where have Lady Sango and Lord Miroku gone to? What of Lord Kohaku? Shippo? Have they really all gone to the West?" she begged in worried filled voice.
"How do you know our names? Who are you?"
But before Rin could show them just who she was to all of them, she froze in anger and had quickly placed all of the villagers in a demonic barrier as she heard the male that had been chosen to be her mate let out a low enraged growl as he landed at the back of the village where he would be seen by all. The more she allowed her instincts to rule her and take action before she even thought of a thing to do, the more she came to realize that all that her mother, Miroku and Sango had thought her all came into play. Of course it still angered her to know that she had not been as focused as she ought to have been since he had been able to sneak up on her. Once she was sure that she would not be attacking just yet, Rin let out a low warning growl of her own before she said, "Keep everyone in the barrier Tai-san, I will make sure to get rid of him."
"Who are you? Why do you protect us when you killed a member of our village? A child any one of us would have protected with our own lives."
"Is the answer really that important to you Tai-san?" she whispered as the large red dragon began to change form so that he stood before them all in human form. 'He must have been taught since he was little to be able to mask his aura in dragon from.'
"It does, if there was a misunderstanding at all than we certainly wish to inform Lord Inuyasha of such things to help avoid a war between the west and the east."
Knowing that by using her father's spell and by changing her form to the human child she still thought herself would anger the male before her; Rin did just that as she was unable to hold the truth from them any longer. As Rin changed back to the form they had all known her by in her human life she opened her eyes and whispered, "I hope you can see past the fact that I am a dragon demon Tai-san and I do so hope that you'll be able to get a hold of Lord Inuyasha and Lady Kagome as soon as I'm dragged off. I fear that after today I won't have much time left before I'm sealed away for a second time should he be able to keep me from my pack."
"Aya your parents are angry, your sister is worried and wishes for your return home. Just what is wrong with you girl?"
"I have no idea how many times I've told them and I suppose they ignored my wishes so I will only tell you once Lord Hoshi, I wished to be addressed as Rin. As for those you wish to call my parents, they mean little. You mean nothing to me and I wish that you lot would leave me be and allow me to return to my true family." Rin growled out in anger as she began to surround her body with currents that could not be seen.
"So you now care nothing for your elder sister, a sister you have left alone and forgotten?" he growled out in anger.
"Ha, my sister knew what I wished for, what I have always longed for ever since I reawakened so do not stand there and lie to me of my sisters feelings Lord Hoshi for it will not work on me. However I have made sure that she would be well looked after so you should know that if you try to involve my sister in any way it would only guarantee your death." Rin growled in answer as she stayed in the human form she had last held.
"I'll burn this place to the ground child; I will burn it all and kill all that you have told. You are a dragoness, second heir to the east and do not have time to waste your time with childish dreams of a past that should mean nothing to you!" he roared as he began to build up flames in his hands.
"You'll try and you'll fail. I'm not the weak child that I was, I'm not an uneducated fool Hoshi, the King and Queen saw what I can do, the control that I do have and still sent you in place to die. Do you think they would end this madness if you died?" Rin growled back as the sky began to darken.
"I was not sent by the King or the Queen to come after you. I came of my own accord, you will soon be my mate and I will ensure that you keep true to our lands."
"Then you are a bigger fool than what I first thought of you. I may have been born from the rulers of the east but I stopped believing them to be my parents since the moment they agreed to ship me off and seal me as a mortal child. Now I will not go back, I will see my pack again and I will kill you should you try to harm any here or the village that I see and will always see as my home." Rin growled in anger as he eyes flashed between the warm brown that she had been given as the human child and a brilliant blue that reminded her of the sea lighting that lit the skies.
After letting out a low sigh and while approaching the young dragoness with the flames still covering his hands, Hoshi looked eyes with his intended and growled out, "Listen well child because after this I will use force if you so wish me to do so, to get you back to our lands. While your parents are stupid enough to be unable to recognize the first storm dragon I am not. While you can control all elements that make up a storm you are only able to truly cause damage when a storm is already close by. You are young, weakened and foolish and know that I will set you in your place once I have made you mine. Now come with me willingly or you will regret it child."
Having nothing to say, Rin bared her fangs and raised her claws for a fight she knew she had to win never once realizing what she was doing while still in her human form. Losing was not an option, if she lost she would have to call him her mate, would lose the chance to be at her Lords side and would be responsible for the destruction of the village she loved and called home. 'He'll have to kill me first.' Were Rin's only thought as she attacked and growled in anger as he continued to try to burn, cut and pin her down. It wasn't until she had broken free and landed a good ways from the bastard that Rin realized what he was taking their fight as. Dragons were violent when choosing a mate; he actually thought that she wanted him even as she voiced her thoughts and her feelings that she wanted nothing of him or to do with him.
"Foolish, idiotic, bastard!" Rin roared as rain began to pour; the wind howled and blasted him with all her power as she made sure to put an end to this needless battle.
"That is no way to speak to your…"
"You are nothing to me! I am and will forever belong to the great Lord of the West. Whether by pack, love, bond or not! Tell the Lord and Lady of the East that the next time they see me will be when the Great Lord Sesshomaru allows it!" Rin roared in anger as she once again became the dragoness that she was known as in the east and as the dragoness that she had been born to be.
The villagers watched in shock and wonder as the young girl they had known as Rin faded away only to be replaced by a fury driven dragoness that still had the power and control to protect their home from the carelessness attacks and flames of the dragon that had appeared to force her hand. They watched as she was bled, attacked, burned and clawed at as she continued to drive the flame dragon back and away from their village. Just as they were about to move forward and protect the young dragon demon that they all now knew to be their Rin, they watched as Rin and Hoshi were surrounded in darkness. Suddenly the storm disappeared, the sun shone again and in the edge of their village lay a bleeding, almost dead fire demon with a bleeding, greatly injured Rin growling down at the passed out demon and gravely injured flame dragon that had threatened their home.
'Fool, idiotic fool, is what he was…but still…to know that they will use this kind of violence to get me to return to the East is not something that I would bring or even wish to leave here.'
The village head, realizing her intention to leave, took in a deep breath and called out, "Lady Rin, Rin-sama, please do not go! Stay and we will call on Lord Inuyasha and Lady Kagome! Let us help you!"
Smiling sadly and the village head, Rin began to wrap her power around herself and said, "I can't, I won't. Not while knowing that my being here will endanger you all. When you send your letter, please inform Kagome-sama and Inuyasha-sama that I will see them soon, that I will go to them and that I do plan to part take in Lord Sesshomaru's search for a mate."
And before anything else could be said, Rin closed her eyes; focused on the one place she knew she would be safe for a short while. As the darkness, and shadows she had just learned how to properly use on her own, and without Hei being around, Rin fell to her knees and let out a low growl of pain as she began to apply pressure to her wounds. 'That bastard will pay. If my Lord does nothing I can at least count on Kagome-Oka-sama and Inuyasha-Otu-sama to make them all pay for what is being done to me.' Were her final thoughts as the world around her began to fade away to the darkness that began it fill her mind and sight.