Chapter 60 - Ponytail
The sun was casting its last purple and golden rays across the sky. Almost creating the look of fire on the horizon, the flames licking the mountaintops as it slowly died into darkness. The daylight creatures, such as humans, birds and beasts were all hurrying to their homes, and warm beds waiting for them. It was time for the creatures of the night to come alive. Amidst the growing darkness, one solitary figure of light cut across the sky like a shooting star. Following behind, a darker being raced along the clouds at a slower rate. Humans below, unfortunate enough to witness such a peculiar event, hurried indoors, certain that doom was impending.
Sesshomaru's elegant form sliced through the air, racing against time to make it back to Jaken. The imp was annoying, and much of the time Sesshomaru hated him - but as a yokai Lord, it was his duty to protect those who swore loyalty to him. Jaken had been the first, and the most loyal. Until Rin, no other sentient being had desired to stay with him in his journeys. That sort of loyalty would not be rewarded with abandonment - no matter how irritating. How foolish of Jaken, to have gotten stung by the samiyosho. His boots touched the ground a couple feet from the imp, the smell of death filled the air around the withering demon. Jaken, even in his final moments, was mumbling to himself. Sweat poured down the imps face, as he writhed in pain, the poison taking over the small demon's blood with its toxin.
"Rin... didn't make it back in time with the antidoooote." Jaken's bulging eyes which had been closed looked up at the darkened treetops above him, then cast down to where Sesshomaru stood before him. "My vision is becoming blurry." For a moment he stared at his lord in disbelief, then the imp rubbed his eyes. "Oooohhhhh... It's YOU! Lord Sesshomaru!" The yokai's face was impassive as he stared down at his vassal, but he didn't hesitate to toss the sinensel berries. There were tears in Jaken's eyes as he caught the plant. "Ohhh! The antidoooote!" Jaken shoved the plant in his beak devouring it as quickly as he possibly could, swallowing it almost whole. "Not bad." He mumbled around the mouthful.
In silence Sesshomaru watched him, waiting to ensure the plant had the intended effect. Jaken almost instantly rose to his feet, bowing and thanking his master for rescuing him. Had he not moved away, Sesshomaru was fairly certain the imp would have begun kissing his kegetsu boots. Part of him wanted to be angry at Jaken. Rin had been placed in a terrible situation, in danger. She should never have had to go searching for an antidote for the imp. And yet, somewhere deep inside, he couldn't bring himself to blame Jaken, when he knew it was truly his own fault. If I had listened when she called me, I would have known that Jaken was injured. I would have gone after the plant. She would never have needed to put herself in harms way. Yet... I was lost in the fury of finding Naraku. Fury I felt because, he had again gone after Rin, the only thing I cherish in this mortal world.
Sesshomaru turned and walked back toward A-un, who was standing patiently between the trees, with Rin laying on his saddle. He examined her more closely now, as the sun vanished and shadows fell long over the forest. Her soft full cheeks were dirty, so was her yukata. Tendrils of her hair had escaped the odd little side ponytail that she always made, and fell haphazardly across the leather of the saddle. He smelled no blood, thankfully, so she wasn't injured. Exhausted, and likely overwrought from distress,
"Master Jaken." She murmured in her sleep. "Please don't die."
His heart softened, hearing her whispered plea. You saved him, Rin. Rest easy now. Gently, he touched her cheek with one finger. Then, realizing he should not give into such silly impulses like human comfort, he withdrew his hand. Turning, he grasped A-un's lead and guided the party deeper in the woods. There was a clearing a little further by a stream, where he stopped A-un and instructed the beast to lie down to rest.
"Jaken." The imp raced to his master's side, seemingly completely recovered from his bout with the samiyosho poison. "Get a cloth and water."
"Yes my Lord!"
It was odd for Jaken not to complain. Perhaps he is simply happy to be alive. Shifting his attention back to Rin, Sesshomaru carefully lifted her from the saddle with his right arm. It was a bit awkward, without a second hand to assist, but he managed. Moving to a wide open space of soft green grass nearby, he lay her down. Her face was so peaceful in sleep... being so dirty now, it reminded him of the day he had found Rin in the woods. She had been dirty like this.
Jaken returned with the cloth and a bowl of fresh water. Without being instructed, he began washing Rin's hands and face, cleaning the dirt from her skin. The imp seemed much more amenable, and gentle with her, than he had been before. When all the dirt was gone, the imp also carefully released her hair, brushed it, and re-tied her silly sideways ponytail. As best he could anyway. Jaken was not exactly trained on how to handle female hair. Not that Sesshomaru was an expert on the subject either.
"It's crooked." The yokai lord pointed out, watching the imp's attempts to retie the ponytail from where he stood beneath a tree. The hair made a sad droop to the side, not at all looking like the plucky sideways tail that usually poked straight from her hair.
Jaken tilted his head, examining the tie. "Doesn't it always look like that?" The imp asked, seeming mystified. Then, muttering, he undid the tie and began again.
Sesshomaru didn't answer, mostly because he didn't know. Instead he walked a little ways away, to where the sky was open. I still have so much to learn. Things I never knew... that I never knew. He sighed, and closed his eyes. A very soft breeze blew, drawing Rin's lilac scent across his nose.
Lord Sesshomaru. The voice came again, that adult voice of Rin's. The one that didn't exist yet. With his eyes closed, in his mind, a vision of the adult Rin appeared. She was exquisite... in all her oddly human beauty. Nothing like the demonesses he had ever witnessed, who were too perfect, and less than genuine. Her beauty, came from her transparent genuineness. Gone were the childlike fullness of her features, the ones he saw before him every day. Here, in this moment, she was slender, her face shapely with adulthood.
I don't know why I'm seeing you, and hearing you. Sesshomaru thought to himself, as he memorized the details of this beautiful adult Rin. The figure smiled, the action revealing both her full lips and her perfect teeth.
Maybe you want to see me, Lord Sesshomaru. The echo in his thoughts, came from the lips of the adult Rin. For a long moment, Sesshomaru was silent, trying to find words fitting to respond. Before he could figure out what to say, the adult Rin giggled, it was a huskier sound than the light tinkling laughter of the Rin he knew now, and then she was gone. Leaving a coldness, where there had been warmth from her presence before. Even though, he understood, this Rin only existed in his mind, he suddenly felt alone.