InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Paper Flowers ❯ The Raindrops Tell a Story ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter II: The Raindrops Tell A Story

After a quick glance around the room, the man shook his head ever so slightly and scoffed. “I hadn’t realized you’d been staying in such disgusting conditions,” he said with a grimace. Only Kagome noticed Inuyasha’s fists tighten.

“Like we had a choice,” he finally replied, crossing his arms, no doubt to keep himself from doing anything rash. “And it’s not like you’ve been of any help to us, either.”

“I have my own problems to deal with,” he said calmly, “But we don’t have time to argue.” He turned, extending his hand to someone just outside the hut.

That was when the girl entered, her arms full with packages, a soaking-wet parasol balanced over her shoulder. Sesshoumaru removed the parasol and shook it off before folding it up and leaning it against the wall of the hut. The few bundles she carried were set carefully on the floor like something so fragile. Her arms successfully free, she straightened herself and smiled, her hands folded shyly behind her back.

Kagome slowly stood, securing the haori further around her as she moved to stand beside Inuyasha. As they exchanged confused glances, Sesshoumaru cleared his throat.

“You look well,” he said, his tone contrasting his words.

She managed to smile and mutter a “thank you” as his eyes traced over her clothing. So far the whole encounter had been incredibly unexpected, and incredibly uncomfortable. Sure, she’d met Sesshoumaru before, but that had been over three years ago. She’d still been only fifteen years old, and he had seen her as just a child. That thought brought her to look at the young girl at his side. She looked to be a healthy adolescent human girl. The childlike pattern of butterflies and wild flowers she wore on her kimono was unbefitting for the season, but clearly reflected the naivety and mirth in her wide brown eyes. Why, she thought, was she accompanying Sesshoumaru?

When she met his eyes again, she was caught by his cold yellow stare. “What,” he began, rudely pointing a finger at her attire, “are you wearing?”

His question brought a faint blush to her cheeks, and just as she was about to answer, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked down to see a more concerned pair of eyes.

“It’s okay now,” the girl said sweetly, “We brought lots of stuff, and clothes for you. My Lord thought you might need them.” She paused to let out a quiet, cute sort of laugh, and shrug, “I guess he was right.”

Kagome only smiled, unsure of what to say. She wasn’t even sure who this girl was, or where she’d come from, so how was she suppose to act? She seemed nice enough, and had an air of kindness that made Kagome feel at ease. The girl was quite a bit shorter than herself, which was understandable with the obvious age difference, with longer hair and freckles. The hand on her shoulder was small, and she quivered slightly from the cold. The sound of bones cracking brought her to look back up, and she saw InuYasha glaring quite menacingly at his brother. His hands were at his sides, fisting and un-fisting as he worked to crack the joins in each finger.

“You,” Inuyasha began, a quiet growl emanating from his throat, “had better tell us what you’re doing showing up here out of no where, or so help me–”

“Can we not just call it a random act of goodwill and move on to more important matters?” Sesshoumaru countered, sounding slightly put out.

InuYasha allowed his shoulders to sag as he sighed. It wasn’t as though he didn’t trust his brother, he just didn’t trust his motives. It wasn’t like him to offer assistance without having been asked first, and showing up in person was even more bemusing.

Sesshoumaru flicked his wrist as if to dismiss the seemingly pointless conversation before it got out of hand. “We can argue later,” he began slowly, “but right now, there is much to be discussed.” He then turned his gaze to the girl who stood, fidgeting nervously beside Kagome. “Rin,” he spoke softly, “Take care of Kagome. Get her dressed.” Pausing, he turned to give Kagome the once-over before continuing in a less-than-pleasant tone, “and feed her.”

Kagome blushed, crossing her arms in front of her self-consciously. So far, Sesshoumaru’s visit hadn’t done much for her self-confidence. The girl smiled warmly at him before replying politely, “Yes, my Lord. Would there be anything else?”

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, sighing quietly. “Tea,” he mumbled, and Rin nodded. Turning to InuYasha, he sighed once again before muttering one word, “Come.” And with that, he turned and stepped through the doorway.

InuYasha didn’t move, hesitating at the idea of leaving Kagome. Turning to her, he could see that she was also nervous. The girl called Rin had already started pulling things from the various packages, smiling as though it would ease the tension that was so thick in the air. Reaching over, he took Kagome’s hand and spoke softly, “I won’t be long. It seems like he might know a few things that we don’t.”

Shifting her gaze away from Rin, Kagome smiled. “That’s obvious enough,” she replied, pulling her hand from his and replacing it on his shoulder. “Don’t worry,” she continued, turning again to look at Rin as the girl pulled a kettle from one of the boxes. “She’s a good person, I can feel it.”

Furrowing his eyebrows, he shot her one last glance as he turned and followed after his brother.

“Come on,” Rin said cheerfully, lifting several items of clothing from another box, “Let’s get you into something decent.”

_________________________


Rain continued to pour down on the tired little village as night was beginning to turn into day. The grey clouds in the distance faded to a sort of pale yellow as the sun fought to shine through. Sesshoumaru admired this horizon from his spot beneath the eve which covered the better part of the porch. When his brother finally stepped out, the winds had shifted and the rain blew toward them, wetting the tips of his shoes. Heedless to the rain, InuYasha placed himself on the steps, allowing his knees and feet to be dampened.

“Sesshoumaru,” he spoke into the rain, “tell me... tell me what you know.” After a long silence, he turned to look up at his brother. The man stood tall, silent as his hair blew softly in the slight breeze.

After a long while, he lowered his gaze to the floorboards. “There has been...” he paused, unsure how to begin, “an uprising.”

“An uprising,” he echoed.

Sesshoumaru nodded, “They are calling themselves the Tadashii Doumei and they were formed by whomever it was that seized power to the North.”

“Didn’t you come here from the West?” InuYasha replied, suddenly confused at his lack of information, “I traveled the Western lands for three days! How come I didn’t know any of this?”

“Be quiet and listen!” the lord snapped, showing the first hint of emotion since his arrival, “You’re as incompetent as I’d presumed.”

InuYasha let loose a short growl and crossed his arms over his chest, turning away from his brother to scoff at the horizon.

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment as he glared at the back of the young man’s head. Incompetent. The demon lord shook his head. “If you’re prepared to listen,” he grimaced, and continued in a more irate tone, “I came here from the North. I haven’t been on my own land in months!” This fact, more than anything, irritated him further and he reminded himself that none of it was his brother’s fault. The lord was desperately seeking an outlet for his pent-up frustrations, and he silently promised himself that he would not take it out on his brother. “Listen well, InuYasha,” he began again, his tone far more grave than he’d intended and InuYasha lifted his chin to look over his shoulder at him. “This is not a war, it is something far more serious. Anyone discovered of being spiritually powerful is condemned to death. Women are killed daily, whether they’re hurting someone or healing someone. If something is not done soon, this may very well become something akin to a genocide.”

Wide eyed, InuYasha cautiously rose to his feet. Sesshoumaru did not meet his eyes, but rather, kept them trained on the splintered wood of the porch. The look on the youkai lord’s face, however, spoke volumes. InuYasha had always seen his brother as the stoic young lord he was, and yet here in front of him stood a completely different person. His gold eyes had dulled to a dark bronze and the natural creases in his face seemed deeper, more predominant. For the first time, the great InuYoukai lord looked old.

Rin chose that moment to step gingerly through the door. Her smile had faltered at the sight of their faces. The girl had sensed the morbidity in the air as soon as she’d stepped over to them, and asked nervously if there was a well in the village. InuYasha had nodded, pointing her to the pump just a short distance off. The two men sat silently, waiting as she filled a bucket before retreating back into the hut.

They were silent for a moment longer, eyes averted until InuYasha finally spoke. “Sesshoumaru,” he began, stepping over to him, “What are you suggesting we do? Leave the country?”

“No,” he replied vehemently, his eyes rising to meet the brilliant gold of his brother’s. “I refuse to forgo everything I’ve achieved and leave behind my homeland. I intend to defend what’s mine and protect that which I care for.”

InuYasha was thoroughly shocked by the passion in his brother’s words. It was obvious that the stoic man had finally found something worth protecting after all his years alone. Slowly, realization began to seep into the mottled thoughts running circles in his mind and he fisted his hands at his sides. “That girl...” he began, hesitant to voice his suspicion, “...is a miko?”

“A latent miko,” Sesshoumaru corrected, his vision going distant with thought, “I only found out a few days ago. We had stopped at a village to pick up a few things when she was approached by a drunkard on the street.” He paused, narrowing his eyes, “I wasn’t at her side when this happened, but from what she told me, he had grabbed her wrist and began to pull her somewhere. She said... that she was frightened, and suddenly, a bright blue light shone in her hand. The man ended up severely burnt from his wrist to his elbow.”

The shock was evident on InuYasha’s face, but his mind was still swimming with questions. “Who is she?” he pressed, “What exactly is your relationship with her? She can’t be more than thirteen!”

Sesshoumaru shot him a glare that could have silenced any sensible person. He was utterly appalled by his brother’s offhanded accusations and while it was true he often went against the law to suit his own volition, he certainly was not a pedophile. “It’s obvious enough who she is,” he replied irately, “She’s a human female and she is under my protection. She has been for several years.”

InuYasha shook his head, eyebrows furrowed as he was still slightly confused, “I don’t understand...”

Sesshoumaru made a motion with his head, sending several tendrils of stray hair out of his face. “Obviously not,” he replied, brushing past the subject with a flick of the wrist, “Back to the issue at hand...” The hanyou had opened his mouth to reply, but had been cut short at Sesshoumaru’s voice once again. “Actually,” he said suddenly, his voice deeper than usual, “I think it would be best to leave this place as soon as possible. We were forced to leave that village rather suddenly and there is a chance someone may have tailed us.”

“Wh-what?!” InuYasha sputtered, suddenly far more angry than he had previously been, “You idiot! How could you risk giving us away like that?”

“Calm yourself,” the stoic man replied in an effortless attempt to placate his brother, “Rest assured that even if someone should discover our position, they would likely be human...” He fisted a clawed hand in front of him, cracking his knuckles in the process before continuing in an all too malevolent voice, “...therefor, easily disposed of.”

“Even so...” he replied, suddenly unsure of his words as a hand pushed aside the curtain in the door to peer over at them.

His eyes had widened. With a smile, Kagome stepped outside into the morning haze. As if aware of her sudden presence, the clouds had parted to bask her in the golden light of the sun as its entire form became visible in the greyness of the sky. It had perched there upon the horizon to welcome her into the day, and she had smiled in return. The young woman looked and felt refreshed, and far more serene than she had in a very long time. Clutching the sleeve of her newly adorned kimono, she met his eyes and gave a short laugh before turning to Sesshoumaru with the same pleasant gleam in her eyes. “The tea is ready, if you still want some,” she said, folding her hands in front of her and bowing shortly.

Sesshoumaru nodded, muttering a ‘thank you’ as he stepped past her, casting a meaningful look at his brother before entering the hut.

She turned to him then, her smile softening to the one she only reserved for him. For a long moment, they only stood there, staring at one another softly as the sunlight warmed their skin. The only sound had been the patter of rainwater falling from the eve, and a soft murmur of conversation from inside the hut.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, she dropped her eyes to the floorboards and blushed. “Well, don’t just stare,” she chided gently, “Tell me what you think.” Kagome pushed her hair back before turning in a circle. When she met his eyes again, he was looking at her with something akin to relief.

“You look nice,” he managed to say. She looked a bit disappointed at his choice of words, but she smiled nonetheless as she took his hand. He hadn’t actually paid any mind to her kimono, or the pins that held her hair carefully away from her face. Her aura had changed drastically, and her eyes had brightened. She was truly smiling at him, and that was all that seemed to matter to him at the time.

Her smile fell, and her voice took on a more serious tone as she spoke. “We really ought to thank him,” she said slowly, and he grimaced, knowing she was right, “He went out of his way for us.” Pressing a hand to her stomach, she felt the softness of her obi and frowned. “He brought me more than one,” she said, and he knew she was referring to the intricate kimono she wore, “I know he could probably afford it easily, but still...”

InuYasha finally stepped forward, taking her shoulders into his hands. “We’ll thank him properly,” he forced himself to say, “but don’t worry over it too much. He’s family, after all.”

Kagome smiled, taking one of his hands in her own. “Come and have some tea,” she sounded enthusiastic again as she tugged at his hand, intending to pull him back inside. He had stayed rooted to that spot, however, and had startled her when he slipped his hand free of her loose grasp to take her into his arms. The soft silk of her clothing was like water beneath his callused fingers as he pressed her to him, nearly crushing her with the strength of his arms.

She was tense within the circle of his arms, and he furrowed his eyebrows. “I’m sorry,” he began, his voice a quiet rasp against her ear, “I just needed to hold you like this, I’m sorry.” After a moment, he felt her arms circle his waist, her hands pressed firmly against his back.

She wasn’t aware of the things that had transpired between he and his brother. She didn’t know about the complete danger she was in. She wasn’t aware of the one word that had been swimming around in his mind ever since Sesshoumaru had first spoken it...

...’genocide.’

Tightening his embrace further, if that were possible, he let his cheek rest against the top of her head. They stayed that way for a long while, until he loosened his hold on her. Once she was able, she pulled back far enough to look up into his eyes and was met with a mix of emotions that both moved and confused her at the same time. “InuYasha...” she started. Worry etched her features, though her smile was still present. “What is it?”

“I just...” he began, and by his broken tone, she was sure he would have been crying if he had allowed himself to. “I love you so much...” he continued, pulling her back into his arms, her cheek pressed against his shoulder.

Her eyes widened. He had said it before, just before Sesshoumaru had arrived, but this time was different. Something in the way he had said it had frightened her, and she tightened her hands in the fabric of his shirt. He was speaking to her as thought he would never see her again, and she was confused.

Forcing herself away as best she could she got him to loosen his hold again, allowing her to look up at him. She hadn’t expected to see moisture tainting the liquid gold of his eyes, nor had she expected to see a tear streak down the side of his face as his jaw visibly clenched. “I...” she breathed, feeling his aura weaken. He was dangling from a thread and she didn’t know why. “I love you, too...” she continued, pouring her heart into that singular statement in hopes that it would rid him of whatever had caused him such intense emotional pain. He only shook his head, however, before letting out a strangled noise as he pulled her back into his tight embrace. “InuYasha...” she said quietly, her voice breaking as her eyes began to sting. She didn’t know why she suddenly felt the urge to cry. Perhaps she was feeling for him; she was feeling the pain he was feeling, yet she didn’t know the cause of it.

“I promise,” she heard him say, though just above a whisper, “I will protect you with my life.”

Burying her face in his chest, she cried without any real reason. “InuYasha...”



Note:

tadashii - righteous; honest; truthful
doumei - alliance; league

the righteous league - the irony here was intentional