Rin

At first there was darkness, utter silence surrounded me and filled me with unease. Then there was light and the sound of laughter. Lush green grass and vibrant flowers blossomed, the scent was familiar and brought on a feeling of nostalgia. The sound of laughter rang through my ears again and my attention was brought towards a young girl running around with a woman. At closer inspection, the child resembled me, except her hair was longer and there were markings on her cheek like that of my lord, same color too. There was a lavender diamond in the middle of her forehead and her eyes were a striking violet. She was the little girl from my dreams.

The girl stopped laughing and tears streamed down her cheek. I too cried with her and a feeling that I knew too well bubbled up inside of me, rejection. The pain I felt was most likely hers. I slowly made my way towards her when the woman turned around and scooped her up in her arms. I finally saw the woman's face and my body froze. It was the goddess.

"Mom they hate me, they want me dead!"

The woman had silky black hair, sun kissed skin, and the most mesmerizing violet eyes. She took a deep breath and seemed to be thinking things over before stating, "Honey they do not, they are just afraid of what you are capable of. I see your future, Rin, you're the one making a difference when all the gods and goddesses cannot do anything but watch." She paused and then whispered the last part in the girl's ear. "Rin you are adored by all you meet. You're even happily mated and have beautiful children. Rin… it will get better, I promise."

The child's lips twitched upwards before a big smile lit up her face. The woman placed the child on the ground and the little girl wiped her tears away and began to giggle. The girl was then encased in a bright light. The light obscured my view. The wind picked up and whipped around her wildly, it was hard to discern anything. It wasn't until a large dog stood where she once was did I realize what had happened. She turned into her true form. Her fur was cinnamon brown, and her face held the same markings it did in her human form. It was her eyes that gave her demon heritage away, blood red eyes and cerulean blue pupils. The goddess does the same, though her fur was a celestial white and her eyes were an iridescent lavender. They were playing together, chasing one another down and tackling the other.

Then the scene ends in a blinding flash of light. I look around and I realize I'm alone, in the dark again. My feet lead me round and round, but I see no way out, no end to this eternal abyss.

"Rin," a feminine voice echoed.

"Who's there?" I shout into the darkness looking everywhere, trying to find the owner of the voice.

"Rin, I don't have much time." There was a hint of sadness to her melodic voice, familiarity, and urgency.

At first it was slow and then all at once, the woman from before reappeared wearing a white tomesode. She really was beautiful, her tan skin glowed, her violet eyes sparkled and was framed with thick black lashes, the contrast of light and dark enhanced her beauty. Now that she was closer to me, I noticed the lavender diamond in the middle of her forehead and how her facial structure resembles mine.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I question, not really believing that the woman from my dreams is real.

"Rin all of your dreams are your memories. I am your real mother, Kenshin and I fell in love and had you. After I died the gods sealed your powers, altered your memories, and put you in a human village." A lone tear slid down her cheek. "Rin you must find your soulmate to lift the seal. When you do you must kiss him and your blood will awaken from its dormant state and you will return to your former self. Believe me Rin…"

"No, you're lying." I say softly, cutting her off.

She looked at me desperately and implored. "My dearly beloved daughter trust me. I am telling the truth. The seal is weakened, your dreams is your blood's way of trying to wake up. Rin all I can tell you is this, you are in danger. They're coming after you."

Then, just as soon as she was here, she was gone, her screams of protest echoing in the blackness. She was replaced by a group of people. I deduced that this group was made up of gods and goddesses since a bright light illuminated them. I recognized them from my dreams. A cold chill ran down my spine as they all looked me dead in the eyes. The disgust and hatred they held for me had me shaking but it was nothing compared to the man that they stood behind, he held much more distaste for me than the others. It was paralyzing.

"Little bastard", he sneered as he gazed down on me. "I am Akihiro, the leader of the gods, to be specific the one that killed your parents and performed your special ceremony of 'acceptance'." The god smiled, the facial expression making my skin crawl at how malicious it seemed for a being revered to be so benevolent.

"What are you talking about?" There was an edge in my voice, trying to gain some semblance of control, but in all honesty I was afraid. Terrified of him and whatever he had to say.

"I seem to have forgotten we took away and toyed with your memories, since they have been partially unsealed, I will give you an early birthday present from me to you. If I remember correctly it is coming up in a few months." He all but boomed.

Akihiro lifted one of his arms and aimed it at me. There was this white glow traveling down his arm, it pooled into his hand before he shot me with it. My body absorbed it; it was so fast I could barely register what happened. Slowly my body stopped working, I collapsed on the ground as I started pulsing with pain. It was like a fire was growing from where he hit me and spread all over. The burning sensation was unbearable. Tears flowed willingly as I wailed in agony. Then they hit me. All at once my memories hit me, they all came flooding back, and they were awful. What I thought were dreams were only my memories that I was subconsciously trying to remember.

Screams tore itself from my throat as I tried to clutch my head, wanting to stop the splitting headache that blossomed, but I was immobilized, like I was being held in place by invisible hands and there was nothing I could do about it. I don't know how long I was like that, but it felt like it was forever. My entire body burned; it made the wolf attack seem like nothing. While the wolves tore at my flesh, this made my insides feel like it was melting. After a while, the pain subsided and left me feeling numb. Even though I stopped screaming, silent sobs continued to rack my body. But when I opened my eyes, I found myself alone once again. Alone, left for everything to sink in and for my brain to process it all.

My entire life was a hoax. The things I was told and the things I was taught were wrong. Gods did exist, but they aren't as innocent as they were depicted to be. I already debunked the whole demons were evil stereotype. Lord Sesshomaru and many others were nothing but kind to me. And I'm not human. I'm a new variation of half breed, I'm the daughter of a goddess and the spawn of a dog demon. What did I ever do to deserve such a miserable existence? Why was I cursed to always be hated? At least half demons like My lord's brother, Inuyasha, were less hated and more common. Humans and demons were slowly starting to accept them and welcome them with open arms. How are they going to accept me? I'm a walking contradiction.

Just like the other day, I woke up in a pool of sweat and I could feel the dried tears crusted on my face. At first, I tried to get up, but my body ached so I laid there struggling to open my eyes. When that failed, I settled on managing my thoughts. Everything was still fresh in my mind. To my astonishment I had the memories of all the things I thought were "false", it really was a hard concept to grasp. I laughed at myself inwardly in a bitter manner. So, I am the so-called freak that I'm sure half demons wouldn't even accept. They all would reject me because I was peculiar. Demons, humans, and half demons would be afraid of me because no one truly knows what I'm capable of. Not even me. Then again, this could all be one big fabrication.

As my tense body relaxed, I was slowly able to open my eyes. At first my vision was blurry; all I could make out was blobs of color before my eyes focused and everything was all clear. I tilted my head to the side to see Natsumi with a rag. She wrung it out and then ran it across my forehead to wipe the sweat off. She looked a bit worried; her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyes told me everything I needed to know. It's times like these I'm grateful for traveling with my lord. He wasn't an expressive person and never talked about what he was feeling so I grew accustomed to looking for any emotional reaction people made with their eyes.

"I must have overworked myself, huh?" I ask groggily as I'm slowly sitting up on my bed, my arms trembling from how sore my body felt.

"No, apparently there was a fever going around that humans have been catching. You probably contracted the illness when we went to that village the other day to see that old woman." Natsu said matter-of-factly.

Sighing softly, I pushed everything that revolved around my dreams into the depths of my mind and tried to concentrate on the present. It was easier said than done. I have a really hard time believing that any of it was true, but it felt too real to me. I turned to look at Natsu and tried to get back into my usual routine. I don't know how long I was knocked out for, but I know that I had duties to attend to, appearances to keep up. Being able to stay with my lord came with its own set of problems, I have standards I need to uphold and a job that needs to be completed. I was trained to be a noble woman, was involved politically, I even knew how to cook. Lord Sesshomaru left me in charge of the human villages that were in his region, specifically the ones close to his castle. The correct term for my position would be human-demon relations coordinator.

"Alright Natsu, I want to be informed of anything that I missed while I was rendered useless from my fever. How long was I out for?"

"My la-, I mean Rin," She cleared her throat before continuing. "The villages on the east, near Inuyasha's, have had issues with demons and thieves. They have suffered many losses and have a shortage of food and money. Also, there's a small ruler, lord Hisaki, who has a problem with how our lord conducts himself. In all honesty he's having trouble believing that a powerful demon of such high status doesn't pose a threat to him and his subject's well-being."

It was a bit of information to take in but my mind was already going through the many solutions and scenarios. The villages on the east were an easy fix, all we must do is supply them with some money and resources like vegetables, rice, and, if I can, building supplies. I could also stop at Inuyasha's village and beg him to help the neighboring villages. Hopefully, Kohaku might be there. He would be happy to help, he would get a few hunting jobs with his rebuilt clan. Then there was that lord. Convincing him might prove to be difficult.

"May I see all the scrolls with the complaints and any information on this dubious lord Hisaki." Having heard my orders, Natsumi stood and headed towards the door. She stopped as she opened the door and quickly looked back at me with a small smile on her face. "Always ready to get the job done, huh? Anyways you've been out for three days sweetheart. Take it easy." With that said she left, shutting the door behind her, and leaving me alone.

It didn't take long for those nasty thoughts to creep back into my consciousness. Memory after memory played out in my head. It was a vicious never-ending cycle: kill, get tortured, survive, sleep, repeat. No matter how hard I tried to block it, the loop continued. Nausea gripped my stomach as the sights and smells overwhelmed me. The sickeningly sweet rotting flesh, metallic blood, and torn bodies. How could anyone possibly stomach living with so much gore? I've defended myself before, but I never surrounded myself with such violence. Even when Naraku was alive it wasn't a normal occurrence for me. The spider demon had an affinity for inflicting psychological trauma on his victims. He pinned Kikyo and Inuyasha against each other, made Kohaku kill his entire clan and fight his sister, and cursed Miroku with the wind tunnel which was known to suck up everything in its path including the wielder. The paranoia it caused must leave scars. Not to mention people who unfortunately crossed his path.

I was grateful for the fact my stomach was empty, all I could manage was to dry heave until black dots clouded my vision. After taking a few deep breaths the need to vomit subsided and I was left feeling weak and a bit dizzy. This couldn't be real; I must be suffering from some type of illness. When we travel I will talk to Kagome and Kaede quietly, they might be able to tell me what is troubling me. All I must do is be rational about this, keep a clear and cool head.

Natsumi came in, startling me in the process. In her arms were the scrolls I requested. There were a lot of them. She sat at the table on the other side of my room and got out some paper, a quill, and ink. We immediately went to work writing them letters to tell them about our arrival. I went through all the scrolls that Natsumi gave me, making sure that we would make the proper preparations for each situation. But to my surprise there was not a lot of information on Hisaki, all I knew is that he was young and became lord by executing the previous lord who was a tyrant. Interesting. After we had finished planning out everything I grew drowsy. I wasn't even aware of the fact that Natsumi laid me down and tucked me in.

Sesshomaru

Three days. Rin has been unconscious for three days. The doctor I sent for said she'd be fine and needed to sleep it off. Humans really are weak, falling ill to a simple cold. Demons didn't get sick so easily, not even the pathetic ones. Whenever I could, I would check up on her. It was odd, her fever had diminished the same night she suddenly fell ill, yet she stayed asleep. Jaken, as ordered, kept me informed of her health, though it wasn't needed. Her scent and the sound of her heartbeat told me everything. Death didn't cling to her body, only sweat and her natural aroma did. Her heartbeat was rhythmic, slow, steady, and strong. She was fine physically.

Rin's absence affected everyone in the castle. Everyone was concerned for her. The children missed playing with her, the servants longed to hear her jokes and playful banter, even Jaken was a bit somber. I couldn't understand their feelings, she was a mere human yet they regarded her with the respect they would show mother without me having to say so. Haven't I also done the same? I've allowed her to stay with me and do as she pleased.

"Milord! Milord!" Jaken, why must he insist on yelling? I'm sure he's well aware of the fact I am a dog demon, keen hearing quality I possess. Though I was highly annoyed with his loud squawking, I followed the grating sound of his and promptly glared at him, he went silent as chills visibly shook his tiny frame.

"What is it Jaken?"

"It's Rin, Milord. She's awake and well. The doctor said she needs to take it easy, but she'll be fine." That odd feeling took hold of me again, the instinctual need that came over me the other night three days ago presented itself again. Turning around I headed in the opposite direction of my bed chambers. Following that need, I found my feet leading me to Rin's room. I wasn't sure if it were to confirm if she was okay, or if I longed to see her again. All I could confirm is that being near her was dangerous. Determined to cease this ridiculous impulse, I go against my body's wishes and walk past Rin's room.

It was then that I ran into Natsumi, Rin's personal servant, holding numerous scrolls and other parchments in her arms. Rin's barely recovered, yet she's already resuming her duties. Like my mother, she is acting like a true lady. Taking care of the people under her care and catching up on her duties. Rin, a human, the lady of the west. What an absurd thought. Yet it was one that seemed oddly fitting. Growing irritated with myself I growled, the sound scaring those around them. Their stares and hushed whispers didn't go unnoticed, they will surely be punished for it later should it present a problem.

"Milord! There's something else that has to be taken care of concerning Rin." My feet stopped as I turned to look at the imp as he finally caught up to me. Turning, I stared at Jaken as he unfurled a scroll and looked at its contents. It took him a while to find the information he was searching for, but once he did his face visibly paled. His voice came out as a shaky garbled mess and he struggled to speak. "Rin's birthday is in a few months. She's coming of age milord."

"What of it, Jaken?"

"It's time she finds a suitable mate. This year, suitors are going to ask for her hand in marriage at a ball held in her honor. As a ward under your protection, it is customary." My inner beast snarled at the thought of suitors trying to woo Rin, she wasn't an object to be passed around to men. I suddenly had the urge to dig my claws into Jaken's neck and tell him that it wouldn't be necessary. He seemed to sense the irritation I felt at the news, he backed up before continuing to talk.

"Unless, you have someone in mind? She is your ward, milord. You have the say to marry her off to someone before she herself chooses one of her many suitors." Unable to listen to him, I left to control the irrational anger that welled up inside of me. However, before I was out of earshot I spoke. "Jaken, you don't need to tell me this. You're more than capable of handling this on your own."

Rin

I sat perched on a tree branch, looking down at a small group of demons who were walking through the forest. There were four of them, three onis and what appeared to be a bear demon, the bear was the only one in a humanoid form. The onis seemed to be his underlings, they were spread out behind him as they walked. They addressed him as boss, confirming my suspicions that they worked for him. I waited for them to come closer before I stood, my body completely immersed in the leaves, the demons below me unaware of my presence. Reaching for my bow, I slowly nocked the arrow, drew and anchored the bow, aimed, and shot the ground. It took a moment for them to react, the earth glowed with an ethereal lavender. I only managed to purify one of the onis, the bear pushed the other two before they could get caught.

"Do you really think I didn't know you were there?" I didn't respond to him. He was a decent height, medium build, and from this distance I could make out that he had a naginata strapped to him, and a tanto tucked into his boot. The other two onis weren't much of a threat, just big in size. That would only make it that much easier to take them down. They weren't particularly fast and weren't very bright either which made them easy to outwit and outrun. The bear would be tricky though, they are known for their brute strength. However, the grin plastered on his face made it obvious he didn't view me as a threat. Demons are prideful beings, that flaw could prove to be fatal.

I take a moment to take in the surrounding, let my eyes and ears take in all the information it could. We were far away enough from any of the villages that I didn't have to worry about their safety and I had plenty of space if I needed to dodge. The forest was so dense I could easily hide. I had already taken one of them out in my initial ambush, however I was still outnumbered three to one. They hadn't moved for an attack, the bear was most likely assessing the situation like I was.

Grabbing another arrow, I quickly notched it, wasting no time in releasing it and watching it fly towards them. As predicted they dodged, but it wasn't my intention for them to get hit. A barrier surrounded them, the arrow being used as an anchor to tether it to the ground. It wasn't going to last long. As miraculous as my birth was, my life came with its complications. Like half demons, I could lose myself to my blood. It's a constant war between my demon and my divine half. Being able to fully control my powers is something I struggle with. My enemies didn't need to know that, any disadvantage could get me killed.

Knowing that my barrier was timed, I hopped off the branch and approached them. I placed a hand on it and watched as they got shocked by my purification abilities. The two remaining onis were covered in small burns but the bear was perfectly fine. It seemed like it was somewhat of an inconvenience to him. There were no injuries on him, at least not from what I could see.

He spoke again, this time he sounded irritated. "What do you plan on doing? We're demon mercenaries, not cold-blooded killers." I knew this already, but they had to be stopped. Because of their line of work, demons stricken by famine and destitution often attacked human villages. Orphans, widowed mothers, the injured, and the dead were left in the aftermath of it all. It was a problem that needed to be dealt with.

"Your service does no good in this world. All you do is leave devastation in your wake." He didn't seem phased by my accusations. Though the thought of it did sadden him, his whole demeanor changed. The cocky attitude left and a more serious one took hold of him. It was obvious he was conscious of the effects his job had on the world around him, yet he continued to do it despite the fact. My disdain for him grew.

"So you plan on killing us." He stated, as if he were resigned to the fact.

"I plan on disposing of the wicked in this world, to end the suffering."

"Why kill demons who've done no harm to you?"

"You should ask yourself the same thing. You're mercenaries, killing for money of all things."

"What about you? The demons you've killed, some of them have families. Children. All you're doing is creating more orphans like you." A growl tore itself from my throat, the emotions I tried so hard to keep in check rising to the surface. The deaths of my parents flashed before my eyes. My mother and father's lifeless bodies haunted me.

"Quiet." I whispered in warning.

"I know what you are, who you are. You're Kenshin's daughter, sole heir to his throne. Your mother, a goddess."

"I said quiet." This time I was firmer, yet his talking did not cease.

"Tell me, Rin. What do you gain from creating more chaos, more destruction?" My low growls turned into savage snarls as I felt my blood boil. "Go ahead Rin, turn my children into heartless orphans like you. I'm sure your father is looking down at you in disg-"

"Shut up!" I lost my composure, his words knocked the wind out of my chest as I succumbed to the pain that I kept hidden inside me. It made me think of my life and how other children would have to suffer like I did. Knowing that no matter what your mother and father won't come back, that no one would be there to protect you and watch you grow. That no one would be there when you needed them the most. As my emotions swirled wildly inside of me, my powers went haywire. I felt like I was being burned from the inside out, I could feel both halves of me fighting for control. Falling to my knees, I let out a deafening wail, my emotional state getting the better of me. The barrier keeping the mercenaries captive dissipated leaving me open for attack. I blacked out from the emotional and physical overload.

When I awoke, red covered my vision, it was everywhere. The once beautiful green forest was splattered with blood, intestines and other bodily organs hung from tree branches, and limbs were strewn about. My clothes were no longer clean and instead was soaked with blood and reeked of the putrid smell of death. Their dried blood was caked on my nails and matted my hair. What frightened me the most wasn't the horrid scene behind me, it was the fact I had no recollection of what had happened when I blacked out. Usually when I lose myself to either of halves, my body shuts down because it can't handle one power being in more control over the other. But by the looks of things, they were in sync with one another. There was evidence of both spiritual and demonic attacks that seemed chaotic and disarrayed. It wasn't like someone else was there, my scent was the only living one that remained. Remorse consumed me at the realization hit me, I was a monster.

I gasped, clutching my chest as I sat up and tried to calm my rapidly beating heart. That dream… it didn't feel fake. It was like I had been there before; I was overwhelmed with guilt and self-loathing. This was proof enough for me. Living with Lord Sesshomaru there are a few things you learn, and one of them is to trust your instincts. There was no denying it now, I wasn't human. My subconscious was trying to remind me of who I was. It's time I accept the fact and work from there. Getting up, I opened the door to my room and signaled one of the many maids over and asked for Natsumi.

It's time to get my seal removed.

Sorry for the long wait, I hope you enjoy this chapter and look forward to chapter 3 3