InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Eien Ni Nakunatta Shunkan: A Moment Lost Forever ❯ Chapter 4 Shinsei ( Chapter 5 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: wickedoni 
Eien Ni Nakunatta Shunkan...A Moment Last Forever
by Wicked-Oni
These characters are So NOT Mine! They belong to a certain lady, named...Rumiko, I think? Just kidding. I know who owns these guys and I hope they're kind enough not to ever serve me with a lawsuit. Think of this as character day care while we're all waiting for the real series to conclude.
Rating: NC-17 (Warning, Danger, Danger, Danger to Innocent Eyes!)
Chapter 4: Shinsei
Originally Posted: April 2004 (SO, YES CERTAIN DEAD CHARACTERS AND CERTAIN SHATTERED SWORDS WILL STILL BE RUNNING ABOUT AND MAKING APPEARANCES. OBVIOUSLY, THIS WAS WRITTEN WELL BEFORE POOR KAGURA AND HAKUDOUSHI AND TOUKIJIN WENT TO THAT MANGA GRAVEYARD IN THE SKY!)
And help me out on the typos, huh?!
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Drama / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.29.2004 | Updated On: 03.06.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 3.4K | Status: Completed
Eien Ni Nakunatta Shunkan...A Moment Last Forever
by Wicked-Oni
These characters are So NOT Mine! They belong to a certain lady, named...Rumiko, I think? Just kidding. I know who owns these guys and I hope they're kind enough not to ever serve me with a lawsuit. Think of this as character day care while we're all waiting for the real series to conclude.
Rating: NC-17 (Warning, Danger, Danger, Danger to Innocent Eyes!)
Chapter 4: Shinsei
Originally Posted: April 2004 (SO, YES CERTAIN DEAD CHARACTERS AND CERTAIN SHATTERED SWORDS WILL STILL BE RUNNING ABOUT AND MAKING APPEARANCES. OBVIOUSLY, THIS WAS WRITTEN WELL BEFORE POOR KAGURA AND HAKUDOUSHI AND TOUKIJIN WENT TO THAT MANGA GRAVEYARD IN THE SKY!)
And help me out on the typos, huh?!
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Suspense / Romance / Hentai / Drama / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.29.2004 | Updated On: 03.06.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.8K | Visits: 3.4K | Status: Completed
Chapter 4: Shinsei
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R 20;Resurrected by Tenseiga?” Inuyasha repeated. “Listen old man, it's been a pretty damn messed-up couple of days, and if you don't start explaining...” The hanyou waved Tetsusaiga threateningly, as Kagome pursed her lips in a silent warning for him to behave.
Totosai's breath rushed past his leathery lips in an unmistakable huff. “Yes, resurrected by Tenseiga - now if you'd excuse me, mongrel, I'd like to talk to the girl!” The old demon brushed past without even sparing a backwards glance, as the hanyou growled at being dismissed so quickly.
“Oi!!! Get back here!” Inuyasha gritted, stomping in the old demon's wake.
Though Kagome was appalled by their behavior, she still chose to ignore the two youkai and their impending fray. Instead, she wrapped an arm around Rin's shoulders to comfort her. “I'd always wondered how you came to travel with Sesshoumaru,” she murmured gently. “Ummm...you, ahhh, remember Totosai, right? He's a friend... ” Kagome paused in her explanation, biting her lip and feeling exceedingly stupid.
Rin barely knew her OR Inuyasha! She must be so confused! And, it would be terribly hard to be asked to trust someone, especially someone as bizarre looking as Totosai, by a near stranger.
Kagome struggled in vain to think of ways to reassure Rin. “Well, I mean, you know Totosai is the smith that forged Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga, and he...” the miko trailed off, realizing this was most definitely NOT an appropriate time for a drawn-out introduction. It was then that she took in a full appraising look at Rin's injuries. The poor girl looked simply dreadful. There were numerous lacerations on her little hands, and a nasty gash split her temple. A patch of dried blood stained her robes at her thigh, clearly indicating that beneath the fabric there was an oozing cut in desperate need of care. But, by far, the most disturbing wounds the girl carried were the twin bruises formed under the ragged tears in the sleeves of her kimono.
Kagome's eyes narrowed. It seemed `someone' had seized the girl roughly, unmindful of his sharp claws.
The miko let out a slow breath, completely aghast. Yes, there was no mistaking it. She was fully aware of what specific action it took to cause that kind of damage to skin and clothing. After all, she herself had been grabbed by Inuyasha in a similar manner on those occasions when he transformed into a full demon...
“Hey, Hey, HEY!” Kagome shouted, clapping her hands for emphasis.
The miko forced her gaze away from Rin and began to scold. “Gentlemen - it's not time for...THIS!” She rolled her eyes at the unmistakable scene of Totosai trying to wrench the Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha's hands. “I'm afraid there are a few more important
things to worry about right now than your egos!!”
Tightening her grip around Rin's shoulders, Kagome ushered the girl away from the now speechless demons. Stopping only to grab a few supplies from her ridiculously beat-up old back-pack, she proceeded to lead the shivering girl down to the privacy of the stream-bed.
Rin offered no resistance, and remained eerily silent as she allowed the older woman to tend to her many wounds. Kagome reached automatically for her first-aid kit, brows lowered in anger.
“Did he do all this to you?” she asked quietly.
“No, just...some.” Rin whispered in a flat tone, unconsciously reaching to rub her fingers over the bruises on her biceps. “There was Naraku too, and...Miko-sama, I don't think I want to talk about it now.”
Kagome nodded in understanding. Naraku, huh? she mused. So, Rin had been on that hellish battlefield as well. Her natural curiosity ate at her, but she respected the girl's obvious need for silence. “This will sting a bit,” the priestess murmured, gingerly dabbing some antiseptic on her forehead and offering a soft smile of sympathy when she flinched.
Rin ignored the persistent sting of the strange medicine, choosing to focus instead on the painful snippets of memory jumbled in her mind. Kagome's nurturing treatment and gentle concern evoked scattered images of being cared for by another woman...her real mother, she supposed? The finer details of that woman's face and touch were unclear and it had been so long ago that it felt like a dream, another life. For a moment, Rin struggled to see if she could bring it all back, hoping to make sense of it all, to put everything in order. She quickly found that she...couldn't. Would the same thing happen to her time with Sesshoumaru-sama? Would the wonderful days spent in his care someday fade beyond recall as well? Overcome with grief, she buried her face in her hands and wept.
Kagome reacted instantly, reaching to cradle her in a fierce hug. “Shhh, it's okay, we'll take care of you!” She ran a soothing hand over the girl's brow. “You'll come back to the village with us. You'll be with other humans again. You'll start a new life, make new friends, find people who'll love you...”
At those words, Rin felt as though heart were burning anew. That was the problem. She didn't want just anyone to love her. She wanted...
Something she could never have.
With a deep breath, Rin turned from away from Kagome sharply, ashamed of her telling emotions. This wasn't something she could expect the miko to understand anymore. After all, SHE had her hanyou; SHE had just won everything her heart desired.
Kagome sighed in frustration, very annoyed with herself. Obviously, she had said the wrong thing. Rin had become very distant again, lost within in her thoughts. Her rigid posture, Kagome reflected now, was strangely reminiscent of Sesshoumaru's: disconnected, aloof and oddly detached from the world around him. Of all people, this bright young girl did not deserve such sorrow! Maybe, the miko thought, maybe she shouldn't have tried to be so positive about the already uncertain future? What this girl really needed was time to adjust, time to come of out this sadness that weighed so heavily upon her.
Kagome distracted herself by casting a critical eye over at the young woman's soiled kimono. It was blood-soaked and burned, simply not fit to wear anymore. Surely, she could find something more suitable for Rin tucked among the extra clothing in her back-pack. Well, at least till they returned to Kaede's home. “Here,” she offered, producing a pair of soft flannel pajamas from her bag. “Would you like something new to wear? These aren't much, but they're clean.”
Rin eyed the strange material dubiously, but quietly accepted the gift and dressed in silence. As she fumbled with the unfamiliar buttons, Kagome reached for the discarded, ruined kimono lying on the forest floor. The miko prepared to cast it into stream, only to be stopped by a harsh cry.
“NO - don't throw it away! Sesshoumaru-sama gave that to me!”
Kagome looked down in surprise and smoothed the fabric across her lap for a closer examination.
Sesshoumaru gave this to Rin?
Of course, she would have expected the taiyoukai to provide for and outfit his young ward, but there was something MORE to this once-beautiful gown. It had been crafted of the finest silk, the material more suited for a young hime than a simple servant. The sleeves and collar were intricately embroidered with winding images of lotus flowers, and the over-all color was a delicate peach that washed towards a light sunset-orange at the seams. No doubt about it, the colors would shift and blend together so beautifully when she moved...or Kagome corrected, in Rin's particular case, when she scampered and danced! The priestess snuck another quick glance at the young woman's fair complexion and soft features, realizing that the petal-light shades were the perfect complement to the glowing highlights in her hair and gentle eyes.
There was simply no denying it, Kagome noted. This dress had been specifically CHOSEN with the EXACT details of Rin's personality and countenance in mind.
That could only mean that a much greater deal of thought and consideration went into Sesshoumaru's selection than she would have believed possible from the cold demon. The miko's eyebrows arched in suspicion. Was something else happening here?
Kagome was quickly snapped out of the intriguing direction of her musings by an impatient voice calling from the clearing.
“Oiiii! Kagome!” Inuyasha was bellowing out to her. “We have to get moving! We have to find out about Miroku and Sango!” To her surprise, the hanyou's demand was quickly followed by the cranky voice of Totosai. “Yeah, and I still need to talk to the girl!” the old demon shouted. Kagome couldn't help but notice that his tone had grown increasingly impatient, irritated and raspy after all the time spent alone with Inuyasha.
Rin rose, her fear evident on her white face, and for a moment, Kagome wondered what she would do if the girl suddenly bolted. But, this was it...there was no delaying anymore.
Kagome took a quick step and paused expectantly behind the young woman. “Are you ready, Rin- chan?” she asked, searching her brain for any last way to ease the young woman's anxiety. Gods, the girl couldn't have been more than sixteen, seventeen at most...it was hard to tell with that petite form! Whatever her exact age may be, she was still much too young to look so sorrowful!
But then pain and grief seemed to be an unavoidable part of life for those living in the Sengoku Jidai, even more so for those tied in with the hunt for the Shikon No Tama. Hadn't her own love for Inuyasha and her many adventures here in the past forced her to grow up just as quickly too?
From the corner of her eye, Rin watched the miko as she seemed to disappear within her own thoughts for a moment. Despite the strange resentment that had flared through her a moment before, she was still so very grateful to the older girl. So much had happened, so much had changed over the past few days, and it was a relief to know that at least someone seemed to care about her fate. She nodded to Kagome, hugged her damaged kimono to her chest, and turned to follow the priestess slowly back to the main camp.
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̶ 0;Ahhh - there she is!” Totosai beamed up at Rin as she came back into view, motioning for her to join him at his place at the fireside. “Been waiting to meet you again, young lady!”
Rin advanced slowly and folded to her knees, situating herself comfortably within the fire's warm circle. Warily, she raised her teary eyes. “Nan desu ka?” she asked in a timid voice. Just who was this bug-eyed old demon that spoke as if he knew everything about her? How did he know about her past?
“I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here, girl, or even who I am, for that matter,” Totosai began easily, as if reading her thoughts. “Anyway, I'm an old friend of your master's Father. Sort of promised him I'd keep an eye out on these troublesome pups of his from time to time.”
Inuyasha snorted, his shoulders shaking with rude laughter. “Yeah, and you've been a BIG help, old man!” he interjected sarcastically. Quickly, Kagome nestled beside him. She gave the hanyou's thigh a light squeeze, warning him to settle down and allow the old demon to continue.
Totosai pouted and reached up with a long claw, cleaning his sooty ear as he waited for Inuyasha to cease his outburst. The half-demon barked out a rude laugh, trying to feign indifference to listening to whatever the old man had traveled so far to say. Long minutes passed till his curiosity got the better of him. Finally, he shoved his hands in his sleeves, crossed his arms in a huff, and turned his head away. He stuck out his chin stubbornly and lifted his nose in the air. “Keh! I DON'T CARE! Keep talking, you bag of bones!”
Totosai, it seemed, was only too happy to resume with his speech and turned immediately back to Rin. “Anyway, I've been listening out for you, missy, ever since the days I first heard another human had actually been revived by Tenseiga. NEVER thought it would happen again once the sword came to belong to Sesshoumaru! Not the most compassionate soul, now is he? Egotistical little hound!”
Rin's eyes widened in surprise (and no small amount of awe, too). Just who was this demon who dared to insult Lord Sesshoumaru? Instinctively, she scooted away from him a bit, as if half expecting her great master to come tearing back through the tree-line again to tear out his throat! Really! To utter a disparaging remark about Sesshoumaru-sama! Totosai, she realized, either had to be very strong or exceedingly foolish. Her meandering thoughts were suddenly interrupted again, her musing halted at once by another loud question from Inuyasha. “Wait a minute!” the hanyou was growling. “So you're saying THIS girl was brought back by Tenseiga --- just like my mother was?”
Totosai rolled his eyes. This was going nowhere. “Yes, boy, both your mother AND this young lady have been revived by Tenseiga's power!” His voice rose to a hoarse shout in his exasperation. “Kagome, can you put a muzzle on this one?!”
The hanyou bristled and turned as red as his haori, for the moment absolutely speechless. As usual, it didn't last long. “Fuck off! Keh! And I'm not stupid, you old coot,” he grated. “It's just hard to accept my brother doing anything so...noble. I can never figure that bastard out.” His white ears pinned flat to his skull and he petulantly kicked at the fire, sending bright sparks flying.
Totosai nodded in quiet understanding, keeping his gaze fixed on Rin. “Well, of course, Sesshoumaru didn't really KNOW what he was doing when he saved this young girl. Arrogant boy never stopped to inquire about the sword! He was even less interested in learning the full power of his birthright than another certain, NAMELESS someone.” The old youkai shook his head sadly. “Tenseiga doesn't just revive the dead. If used properly, it can cheat death altogether.”
All eyes, all shadowed faces around the fire, fixed on Totosai with an equal mix of interest, dread and confusion.
Surprisingly, the first person to speak again was Shippou. “So, then... did Inuyasha's otou originally commission the sword to keep his okaa with him forever? To keep her alive and by his side, despite her human life span?” he blurted out, blushing a bit when everyone's attention rested squarely on him. In the contrasting light the kitsune's green eyes only looked even more mischievous and feral. He turned those eyes to Rin now, biting his lip and offering her a shy, friendly smile.
“Well, yes...and no...gods,” Totosai stammered back, clearly agitated. “Arghh! All these interruptions are making my head hurt! Can you people just let me finish my story?!!” His breathless rant led to a bout of coughing...a bout of coughing that didn't cease until a jet of red hot flame burst from his mouth, pouring down to scorch the grass at his feet.
Both the hanyou and the kitsune cringed, looking sufficiently chastised by the old demon's outburst, while the women jumped back in full shock.
But the sword smith merely cleared his throat, choking up three large puffs of smoke as he continued on. “Hmph - actually, the Inu no Taisho had first approached me about the possibility of forging the sword some years BEFORE meeting Izayoi. It had been right after he lost his first wife so tragically.”
Totosai's jaw snapped shut suddenly as if afraid he had spoken too much.
Inuyasha's eyes gleamed in the dark and he barked out another harsh laugh. “Oh no, NO, no, no...old man! You're the one complaining about interruptions! You're the one who wanted to talk! There's NO way you're stopping the story now. Keep going.”
Totosai looked very uncomfortable, but grudgingly resumed his tale...
“Your Father and Sesshoumaru's Hahaue knew each other all their lives,” he began, setting surprisingly into the soothing rhythm of a practiced storyteller. “Yes, she was a full Inu-Youkai as well. Not too many of them left, weren't too many to begin with after all! Matches were arranged in the higher clans back in those days, and those two were betrothed practically since they were whelped! The Western lands were actually her birthright, as well as the crest of the crescent moon.”
The old demon smiled fondly at the memories. “The Inu no Taisho and Sesseika-sama grew up to be both the best of friends and worst of friends...constant competitors, and near rivals in power, always pushing the other to be stronger! Heh! But though they squabbled like children they were always the first to turn in defense and support of the other should someone else have anything to say! She was just as fiery, bold and ambitious as him, a proud taiyoukai to the core...you didn't want to cross her! As savage and ruthless as could be in a fight! They cared for, respected and, yes, loved one another, but I don't think they were very much...ummm, `in love', I suppose. They were more like over-protective siblings than soul-mates, really and they lived in a demon's fairy tale, a cocoon of security and power. They were too close, for they had no stories to tell the other. All they had was the same sheltered background and the same shared memories. They did what was expected of them...waged war, conquered more territory, brought down their enemies, defended their homelands, and produced the perfect heir. But sometimes... I think they still felt they were strangers to one another, for they had run into some limitation that could not be defined. They believe in a future together, yet their dreams were different. But they stayed together, living according to the accepted rules and seldom did anything out of the ordinary for a great taiyoukai! Well, until humans came to the west, that is. Sesseika-sama was fairly ambivalent towards them, tolerated them on her lands and all, but only provided they showed proper respect...both to her AND to her son. For THAT was the true love of her life...she did everything for that boy!”
Totosai shook his gray head sadly, and when he proceeded with his story his tone was noticeably quieter. “Inu no Taisho, as you all obviously know, felt differently about humans. He was fascinated by them. He was fascinated by the way they adapted to the world around them, thriving without power or youki. He recognized pretty early on that they far outnumbered demons. He thought that by offering them aid and protection he could maintain the peace. He was always racing off to patrol the borders and secure the local villages and crop-fields. And that's when it happened: The demon Ryukossei returned to the west to challenge his power and found no one at the stronghold but the mistress and the Inu no Taisho's perfect young heir, Sesshoumaru. The boy wasn't much more than a pup then...didn't even have the power to transform. Sesseika-sama could have fled...she was no fool, and must have known that the vicious dragon was a foe way beyond her power to withstand. She could have saved herself, but only if she abandoned her son. No mother would do that, an Inu-youkai least of all! She was fiercely loyal to that which she loved.” Totosai finally paused. “Much like the boy she ultimately gave her life for, I think,” he added in a whisper that only Rin could hear. She looked up at him in bewilderment, her vision misty.
Totosai cleared his throat again. “Anyway, the Inu no Taisho returned in time to drive Ryukossei off, but he was too late to save his mate. And that's when he had the first thoughts of finding a smith to forge Tenseiga...never wanted to lose anyone he loved like that again. After all, he DID really lose his ENTIRE family that day.”
“But Sesshoumaru...Sesshoumaru survived,” Inuyasha stated, his face an unreadable mask.
Totosai quickly cut him off with a disdainful flick of his wrist. “Sesshoumaru's heart died with his mother that day. I don't even want to know what he witnessed. A true fight between taiyoukai is a terrible thing to see, especially if one of the combatants is someone you love, and you're incapable of defending them. I'm sure the boy tried though.” He raised a knowing eyebrow and waggled a bony finger under Inuyasha's nose. “Probably yet another reason why he resents you so much, Inuyasha. In the end, you came to eventually kill the creature that he himself was powerless to stop. A creature that took everything from him.”
The sword smith took another deep breath. “So, Sesshoumaru was never quite the same. He loved and admired your Father too much to come out and blame him...hell, he didn't have too; the Inu no Taisho already blamed himself enough as it was! Nevertheless, everything changed between them. For though Sesshoumaru wouldn't directly fault his grieving father, he DID choose to lay all responsibility for his mother's death on something else: the `pitiful, whining' humans his father so adamantly insisted on sheltering. So Inu no Taisho came home less and less. He couldn't stand to be in the place where it happened, constantly reminded of his failure. He took to spending most of his days in the local settlements. Over time, he found a way to comfort his heart with the beautiful daughter of a local noble, a young princess from a line he had watched over for ages. This, unfortunately, only served to further estrange him from his only son...”
Biting nervously at her own fingernails, Rin listened in rapt attention. She was learning more about Sesshoumaru- sama's background in the space of an hour than she had in all the years she had traveled with him. No wonder he didn't speak of the past! No wonder he held humans in such contempt...in his mind, they had cheated him of the only happiness he had ever known. She leaned forward expectantly to focus on the rest of Totosai's account...
“...Of course, this sweet young woman who eased the Inu no Taisho's grief and healed his sadness WAS only human, and destined to be parted with him by the advance of time. Humans CAN sometimes become demons, as you know, but usually only if consumed by too much sadness and pain, or, like Naraku, just plain wickedness. In doing so, of course, they tend to lose a lot of their souls. Your Father didn't want that for the Lady Izayoi - so he traded a great deal of his own strength to power a sword that could transfer some of his youki to her. After all, how could he watch a woman he had come to love, the soon-to-be mother of his second son, wither and die in an eye-blink!? Kami - when he first told me what he wanted forged, I shuddered with fear...wasn't even sure it could be done! But regardless, I worked until I created the two swords...one to sustain his family against time, one to protect them from harm.”
Totosai shifted to take in a long breath and poked at the fire with his mallet, fanning the coals. “But despite the Inu no Taisho's newfound love, his sense of honor still called for him to avenge Sesseika-sama. He was torn between his new family and their happiness, and the memory of the woman and son he had failed. You CAN'T live divided like that.” The old smith cast the hanyou a meaningful glance. “Sooner or later you make mistakes. In the end, Inu no Taisho went after Ryukossei...and, well, you all know the rest.”
They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound in the clearing the crackling of the dying fire.
Finally Kagome spoke, reaching out to clasp Inuyasha's hand as she asked her first question. “But, wait, if you don't mind, Totosai, there's something I don't understand. If Tetsusaiga can kill one hundred at one stroke, what about the Tenseiga's supposed ability to raise one hundred with one stroke...you can't seriously tell me that the sword has the power save and grant near “immortality” to that many victims? And what if the `victim' isn't human? What if it's a demon?”
Inuyasha smiled down fondly upon his clever woman. Leave it to Kagome to come up with such thoughtful queries. He leaned forward, anxiously awaiting Totosai's next answers. Not being on the best terms with his half-brother made him eager to learn of any weakness he could exploit the next time they inevitably crossed blades...
Totosai didn't look flustered in the least and responded to the miko's pointed questions with ease. “Yes, well, there are rules to the sword... different levels of mastery. Just as Inuyasha has developed his skill with Tetsusaiga, so, too, could Sesshoumaru with Tenseiga. If he was to...let's say...revive a battle-field, the combatants probably wouldn't have ALL that extended of a new life. I guess it all depends on how much youki goes into the strike. Such an act as I just described would probably call for a tremendous sacrifice from the youkai wielding the sword. Sometimes I think it may be a GOOD thing Sesshoumaru is so cold-hearted! Probably would have accidentally sucked the life right out of himself if he'd gone around experimenting with the Tenseiga blindly, the same way Inuyasha used to rattle Tetsusaiga without a clue in the beginning! Heh heh,” he added, noting the scowl on the hanyou's face. “Sorry boy, I couldn't resist!' All at once he was deathly serious again. “But - when you concentrate on one victim, like Sesshoumaru did with this young lady over here, the results are rather surprising. Tenseiga will work by actually binding the life of the injured or dying human to the youkai it chooses as its master.” The sword smith waved a dismissive hand again. “It's a lot easier for Tenseiga to revive a demon...after they're brought back from that Other World they have their own youki to sustain them, so NO bonds are formed.”
“Wait,” Rin breathed, finding herself compelled to interrupt at this point as well. “Stop! You're not suggesting that I now have a youkai's life span?!”
“Not exactly,” Totosai mumbled, fidgeting and scratching his chin nervously. “YOU have Sesshoumaru's life span.”
Rin gasped and fell back into stunned silence as Totosai continued to explain. “So long as he lives, so too will you. But should Sesshoumaru be killed, the tie of his power keeping you in this world would break...”
“And...and I would die again,” she finished for him quietly.
Totosai fixed her with a grim look. “Well, maybe not right away, you might linger for a bit, like Lady Izayoi. I still don't know the sword's full power, but I guess a couple of months, a couple of years at most? Sometimes, I think Izayoi only lasted as long as she did out of sheer will-power and the need to be sure her son was ready to take care of himself. Not very different from Sesseika-sama in the end, I guess.” He paused, turning back to the hanyou now, taking note of his over-bright eyes and pained expression. “Well, I've said what I needed to and I thank you, boy. I know it was hard to hear, probably should have told you most of this stuff years ago. Things might have been easier for you.” The ancient youkai rose to feet, his old bones creaking and his joints popping loudly. “But I guess I've stayed long enough and we'd better be on our way.”
“WE???” Inuyasha echoed, blinking up at him in surprise.
Totosai yawned and then slanted him a droll look. “Of course `we'! Just me, Momo, and that nice young girl there.” He pointed a blackened claw at Rin.
“Nani?
Totosai tugged at his beard as he paced back and forth nervously, seeming completely returned to his scattered old self once more. ”Oh dear, see what you did, mongrel? All of this babbling and I didn't even get around to the whole point of my little visit! So, what do you say, girl? Would you like to come with me, at least till you feel better and figure out what it is you want? I don't have much, but I could teach you a trade and offer you shelter. It's too lonely on my mountain anyway...could use the company for awhile.”
Rin opened her mouth in surprise and then snapped it back close with a pop. Inuyasha, once again, seemed more than happy to do the talking (or in this case shouting) for her. “Sesshoumaru put her in OUR care!” the hanyou roared. “He wants...”
“Your aniki doesn't know WHAT the hell he wants!” Totosai laughed. “Besides, it's high time that someone let the girl decide her own fate anyway!”
At those words, Rin's mouth went painfully dry and she could do nothing but stare into the firelight in shock. She fidgeted uncomfortably as the others awaited her answer. Should she go with this bizarre old demon? she wondered. Kagome had spoke of a chance at a new life in her village. She could go with the miko, see if Kohaku and the taijiya were alright...but...
She took a steadying breath...gods, she had never been ASKED to choose her own path or make her own decision. She was suddenly afraid...what if she chose wrong, like that last night with Sesshoumaru-sama?
Rin turned and unexpectedly met Inuyasha's gaze. The hanyou was staring back at her intently, pinning her with amber eyes that were so similar and yet somehow completely different from her master's. Could she really follow the half-demon, and live out her life in his shadow, his very presence a constant living reminder of all she had come to lose?
Her decision was made.
Totosai had already hopped onto Momo's back, displaying more agility then she would have expected from something so ancient, and offered a knarled hand to assist her to do the same. Rin didn't need for the invitation to be extended twice. There was simply no way she could go with Inuyasha and Kagome, to live out her days in some human village...just another anonymous young woman tending the fields, surrounded by all those strangers.
Totosai was beaming. “Good girl,” he whispered in a low, kindly tone. “Come on then...we have a long journey ahead.” The sword smith shifted his head and nodded a farewell to the still fuming hanyou.
Rin leapt up onto Momo and tried to lock her knees against the fat bull's rounded girth. Gods! The old beast seemed a thousand times wider than Aun! Dimly, she wondered if her legs would ever work again after their ride. Just how far they were going anyway? As the youkai plodded forward at a lumbering walk, she suddenly remembered her manners and smiled down wearily at the worried Kagome. “Thank you for trying, Miko- sama,” she murmured.
There was an abrupt, stomach-plunging lurch and then she was forced to grip Totosai's thin shoulders to keep from falling. Oh dear, was this the bull's gait? Her answer was confirmed in the next instant as Momo leapt again, pulling them into the air rather gracelessly. He rose so awkwardly, dipping above the tree-tops as if gravity were about to seize him and force him down to the earth at any moment.
With all the bouncing and plunging, Rin was not feeling brave enough to loosen her hold on Totosai and offer one last wave, so she settled for casting one last look over the figures rapidly retreating behind her instead. She hoped it was enough.
As Inuyasha, his friends, and her old life faded away behind her, the girl turned her head to stare sadly off into the west. Silently, she wondered just what exactly her master was doing now.
Whatever he was up to, wherever he was, she hoped he could find some peace...
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Au thor's Note:
I've always wanted to tackle a bit of a “back-story” for Sesshoumaru. Hope this idea wasn't too lame. Sess always strikes me as such a deliberate and calculating persona and so I always imagined there'd be deeper, more legitimate reasons for his hatred of Inuyasha, besides simply wanting daddy's sword! Also, I wanted to sort of characterize his mother as powerful and loving. I've seen so many fics where she's portrayed as some sort of bitchy, cold fish. Anyway, standard legal crap...don't own any of these characters, just my lame attempt to give Sesshoumaru's mom a name and a personality! Speaking of the name, the kanji we were thinking of all put together mean: “Flower that destroys life”. Dorky, I know...but when I have I not been dorky?!
** WARNING: Hide your eyes, protect your innocence...Chapter 5 has naughty language and GASP, a mildly “limey” situation! Had to add it though, especially considering all the latest Kagura/Sess interactions in the manga! Besides, I like Kagura...she deserves a reward for all her trouble!
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R 20;Resurrected by Tenseiga?” Inuyasha repeated. “Listen old man, it's been a pretty damn messed-up couple of days, and if you don't start explaining...” The hanyou waved Tetsusaiga threateningly, as Kagome pursed her lips in a silent warning for him to behave.
Totosai's breath rushed past his leathery lips in an unmistakable huff. “Yes, resurrected by Tenseiga - now if you'd excuse me, mongrel, I'd like to talk to the girl!” The old demon brushed past without even sparing a backwards glance, as the hanyou growled at being dismissed so quickly.
“Oi!!! Get back here!” Inuyasha gritted, stomping in the old demon's wake.
Though Kagome was appalled by their behavior, she still chose to ignore the two youkai and their impending fray. Instead, she wrapped an arm around Rin's shoulders to comfort her. “I'd always wondered how you came to travel with Sesshoumaru,” she murmured gently. “Ummm...you, ahhh, remember Totosai, right? He's a friend... ” Kagome paused in her explanation, biting her lip and feeling exceedingly stupid.
Rin barely knew her OR Inuyasha! She must be so confused! And, it would be terribly hard to be asked to trust someone, especially someone as bizarre looking as Totosai, by a near stranger.
Kagome struggled in vain to think of ways to reassure Rin. “Well, I mean, you know Totosai is the smith that forged Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga, and he...” the miko trailed off, realizing this was most definitely NOT an appropriate time for a drawn-out introduction. It was then that she took in a full appraising look at Rin's injuries. The poor girl looked simply dreadful. There were numerous lacerations on her little hands, and a nasty gash split her temple. A patch of dried blood stained her robes at her thigh, clearly indicating that beneath the fabric there was an oozing cut in desperate need of care. But, by far, the most disturbing wounds the girl carried were the twin bruises formed under the ragged tears in the sleeves of her kimono.
Kagome's eyes narrowed. It seemed `someone' had seized the girl roughly, unmindful of his sharp claws.
The miko let out a slow breath, completely aghast. Yes, there was no mistaking it. She was fully aware of what specific action it took to cause that kind of damage to skin and clothing. After all, she herself had been grabbed by Inuyasha in a similar manner on those occasions when he transformed into a full demon...
“Hey, Hey, HEY!” Kagome shouted, clapping her hands for emphasis.
The miko forced her gaze away from Rin and began to scold. “Gentlemen - it's not time for...THIS!” She rolled her eyes at the unmistakable scene of Totosai trying to wrench the Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha's hands. “I'm afraid there are a few more important
things to worry about right now than your egos!!”
Tightening her grip around Rin's shoulders, Kagome ushered the girl away from the now speechless demons. Stopping only to grab a few supplies from her ridiculously beat-up old back-pack, she proceeded to lead the shivering girl down to the privacy of the stream-bed.
Rin offered no resistance, and remained eerily silent as she allowed the older woman to tend to her many wounds. Kagome reached automatically for her first-aid kit, brows lowered in anger.
“Did he do all this to you?” she asked quietly.
“No, just...some.” Rin whispered in a flat tone, unconsciously reaching to rub her fingers over the bruises on her biceps. “There was Naraku too, and...Miko-sama, I don't think I want to talk about it now.”
Kagome nodded in understanding. Naraku, huh? she mused. So, Rin had been on that hellish battlefield as well. Her natural curiosity ate at her, but she respected the girl's obvious need for silence. “This will sting a bit,” the priestess murmured, gingerly dabbing some antiseptic on her forehead and offering a soft smile of sympathy when she flinched.
Rin ignored the persistent sting of the strange medicine, choosing to focus instead on the painful snippets of memory jumbled in her mind. Kagome's nurturing treatment and gentle concern evoked scattered images of being cared for by another woman...her real mother, she supposed? The finer details of that woman's face and touch were unclear and it had been so long ago that it felt like a dream, another life. For a moment, Rin struggled to see if she could bring it all back, hoping to make sense of it all, to put everything in order. She quickly found that she...couldn't. Would the same thing happen to her time with Sesshoumaru-sama? Would the wonderful days spent in his care someday fade beyond recall as well? Overcome with grief, she buried her face in her hands and wept.
Kagome reacted instantly, reaching to cradle her in a fierce hug. “Shhh, it's okay, we'll take care of you!” She ran a soothing hand over the girl's brow. “You'll come back to the village with us. You'll be with other humans again. You'll start a new life, make new friends, find people who'll love you...”
At those words, Rin felt as though heart were burning anew. That was the problem. She didn't want just anyone to love her. She wanted...
Something she could never have.
With a deep breath, Rin turned from away from Kagome sharply, ashamed of her telling emotions. This wasn't something she could expect the miko to understand anymore. After all, SHE had her hanyou; SHE had just won everything her heart desired.
Kagome sighed in frustration, very annoyed with herself. Obviously, she had said the wrong thing. Rin had become very distant again, lost within in her thoughts. Her rigid posture, Kagome reflected now, was strangely reminiscent of Sesshoumaru's: disconnected, aloof and oddly detached from the world around him. Of all people, this bright young girl did not deserve such sorrow! Maybe, the miko thought, maybe she shouldn't have tried to be so positive about the already uncertain future? What this girl really needed was time to adjust, time to come of out this sadness that weighed so heavily upon her.
Kagome distracted herself by casting a critical eye over at the young woman's soiled kimono. It was blood-soaked and burned, simply not fit to wear anymore. Surely, she could find something more suitable for Rin tucked among the extra clothing in her back-pack. Well, at least till they returned to Kaede's home. “Here,” she offered, producing a pair of soft flannel pajamas from her bag. “Would you like something new to wear? These aren't much, but they're clean.”
Rin eyed the strange material dubiously, but quietly accepted the gift and dressed in silence. As she fumbled with the unfamiliar buttons, Kagome reached for the discarded, ruined kimono lying on the forest floor. The miko prepared to cast it into stream, only to be stopped by a harsh cry.
“NO - don't throw it away! Sesshoumaru-sama gave that to me!”
Kagome looked down in surprise and smoothed the fabric across her lap for a closer examination.
Sesshoumaru gave this to Rin?
Of course, she would have expected the taiyoukai to provide for and outfit his young ward, but there was something MORE to this once-beautiful gown. It had been crafted of the finest silk, the material more suited for a young hime than a simple servant. The sleeves and collar were intricately embroidered with winding images of lotus flowers, and the over-all color was a delicate peach that washed towards a light sunset-orange at the seams. No doubt about it, the colors would shift and blend together so beautifully when she moved...or Kagome corrected, in Rin's particular case, when she scampered and danced! The priestess snuck another quick glance at the young woman's fair complexion and soft features, realizing that the petal-light shades were the perfect complement to the glowing highlights in her hair and gentle eyes.
There was simply no denying it, Kagome noted. This dress had been specifically CHOSEN with the EXACT details of Rin's personality and countenance in mind.
That could only mean that a much greater deal of thought and consideration went into Sesshoumaru's selection than she would have believed possible from the cold demon. The miko's eyebrows arched in suspicion. Was something else happening here?
Kagome was quickly snapped out of the intriguing direction of her musings by an impatient voice calling from the clearing.
“Oiiii! Kagome!” Inuyasha was bellowing out to her. “We have to get moving! We have to find out about Miroku and Sango!” To her surprise, the hanyou's demand was quickly followed by the cranky voice of Totosai. “Yeah, and I still need to talk to the girl!” the old demon shouted. Kagome couldn't help but notice that his tone had grown increasingly impatient, irritated and raspy after all the time spent alone with Inuyasha.
Rin rose, her fear evident on her white face, and for a moment, Kagome wondered what she would do if the girl suddenly bolted. But, this was it...there was no delaying anymore.
Kagome took a quick step and paused expectantly behind the young woman. “Are you ready, Rin- chan?” she asked, searching her brain for any last way to ease the young woman's anxiety. Gods, the girl couldn't have been more than sixteen, seventeen at most...it was hard to tell with that petite form! Whatever her exact age may be, she was still much too young to look so sorrowful!
But then pain and grief seemed to be an unavoidable part of life for those living in the Sengoku Jidai, even more so for those tied in with the hunt for the Shikon No Tama. Hadn't her own love for Inuyasha and her many adventures here in the past forced her to grow up just as quickly too?
From the corner of her eye, Rin watched the miko as she seemed to disappear within her own thoughts for a moment. Despite the strange resentment that had flared through her a moment before, she was still so very grateful to the older girl. So much had happened, so much had changed over the past few days, and it was a relief to know that at least someone seemed to care about her fate. She nodded to Kagome, hugged her damaged kimono to her chest, and turned to follow the priestess slowly back to the main camp.
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̶ 0;Ahhh - there she is!” Totosai beamed up at Rin as she came back into view, motioning for her to join him at his place at the fireside. “Been waiting to meet you again, young lady!”
Rin advanced slowly and folded to her knees, situating herself comfortably within the fire's warm circle. Warily, she raised her teary eyes. “Nan desu ka?” she asked in a timid voice. Just who was this bug-eyed old demon that spoke as if he knew everything about her? How did he know about her past?
“I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here, girl, or even who I am, for that matter,” Totosai began easily, as if reading her thoughts. “Anyway, I'm an old friend of your master's Father. Sort of promised him I'd keep an eye out on these troublesome pups of his from time to time.”
Inuyasha snorted, his shoulders shaking with rude laughter. “Yeah, and you've been a BIG help, old man!” he interjected sarcastically. Quickly, Kagome nestled beside him. She gave the hanyou's thigh a light squeeze, warning him to settle down and allow the old demon to continue.
Totosai pouted and reached up with a long claw, cleaning his sooty ear as he waited for Inuyasha to cease his outburst. The half-demon barked out a rude laugh, trying to feign indifference to listening to whatever the old man had traveled so far to say. Long minutes passed till his curiosity got the better of him. Finally, he shoved his hands in his sleeves, crossed his arms in a huff, and turned his head away. He stuck out his chin stubbornly and lifted his nose in the air. “Keh! I DON'T CARE! Keep talking, you bag of bones!”
Totosai, it seemed, was only too happy to resume with his speech and turned immediately back to Rin. “Anyway, I've been listening out for you, missy, ever since the days I first heard another human had actually been revived by Tenseiga. NEVER thought it would happen again once the sword came to belong to Sesshoumaru! Not the most compassionate soul, now is he? Egotistical little hound!”
Rin's eyes widened in surprise (and no small amount of awe, too). Just who was this demon who dared to insult Lord Sesshoumaru? Instinctively, she scooted away from him a bit, as if half expecting her great master to come tearing back through the tree-line again to tear out his throat! Really! To utter a disparaging remark about Sesshoumaru-sama! Totosai, she realized, either had to be very strong or exceedingly foolish. Her meandering thoughts were suddenly interrupted again, her musing halted at once by another loud question from Inuyasha. “Wait a minute!” the hanyou was growling. “So you're saying THIS girl was brought back by Tenseiga --- just like my mother was?”
Totosai rolled his eyes. This was going nowhere. “Yes, boy, both your mother AND this young lady have been revived by Tenseiga's power!” His voice rose to a hoarse shout in his exasperation. “Kagome, can you put a muzzle on this one?!”
The hanyou bristled and turned as red as his haori, for the moment absolutely speechless. As usual, it didn't last long. “Fuck off! Keh! And I'm not stupid, you old coot,” he grated. “It's just hard to accept my brother doing anything so...noble. I can never figure that bastard out.” His white ears pinned flat to his skull and he petulantly kicked at the fire, sending bright sparks flying.
Totosai nodded in quiet understanding, keeping his gaze fixed on Rin. “Well, of course, Sesshoumaru didn't really KNOW what he was doing when he saved this young girl. Arrogant boy never stopped to inquire about the sword! He was even less interested in learning the full power of his birthright than another certain, NAMELESS someone.” The old youkai shook his head sadly. “Tenseiga doesn't just revive the dead. If used properly, it can cheat death altogether.”
All eyes, all shadowed faces around the fire, fixed on Totosai with an equal mix of interest, dread and confusion.
Surprisingly, the first person to speak again was Shippou. “So, then... did Inuyasha's otou originally commission the sword to keep his okaa with him forever? To keep her alive and by his side, despite her human life span?” he blurted out, blushing a bit when everyone's attention rested squarely on him. In the contrasting light the kitsune's green eyes only looked even more mischievous and feral. He turned those eyes to Rin now, biting his lip and offering her a shy, friendly smile.
“Well, yes...and no...gods,” Totosai stammered back, clearly agitated. “Arghh! All these interruptions are making my head hurt! Can you people just let me finish my story?!!” His breathless rant led to a bout of coughing...a bout of coughing that didn't cease until a jet of red hot flame burst from his mouth, pouring down to scorch the grass at his feet.
Both the hanyou and the kitsune cringed, looking sufficiently chastised by the old demon's outburst, while the women jumped back in full shock.
But the sword smith merely cleared his throat, choking up three large puffs of smoke as he continued on. “Hmph - actually, the Inu no Taisho had first approached me about the possibility of forging the sword some years BEFORE meeting Izayoi. It had been right after he lost his first wife so tragically.”
Totosai's jaw snapped shut suddenly as if afraid he had spoken too much.
Inuyasha's eyes gleamed in the dark and he barked out another harsh laugh. “Oh no, NO, no, no...old man! You're the one complaining about interruptions! You're the one who wanted to talk! There's NO way you're stopping the story now. Keep going.”
Totosai looked very uncomfortable, but grudgingly resumed his tale...
“Your Father and Sesshoumaru's Hahaue knew each other all their lives,” he began, setting surprisingly into the soothing rhythm of a practiced storyteller. “Yes, she was a full Inu-Youkai as well. Not too many of them left, weren't too many to begin with after all! Matches were arranged in the higher clans back in those days, and those two were betrothed practically since they were whelped! The Western lands were actually her birthright, as well as the crest of the crescent moon.”
The old demon smiled fondly at the memories. “The Inu no Taisho and Sesseika-sama grew up to be both the best of friends and worst of friends...constant competitors, and near rivals in power, always pushing the other to be stronger! Heh! But though they squabbled like children they were always the first to turn in defense and support of the other should someone else have anything to say! She was just as fiery, bold and ambitious as him, a proud taiyoukai to the core...you didn't want to cross her! As savage and ruthless as could be in a fight! They cared for, respected and, yes, loved one another, but I don't think they were very much...ummm, `in love', I suppose. They were more like over-protective siblings than soul-mates, really and they lived in a demon's fairy tale, a cocoon of security and power. They were too close, for they had no stories to tell the other. All they had was the same sheltered background and the same shared memories. They did what was expected of them...waged war, conquered more territory, brought down their enemies, defended their homelands, and produced the perfect heir. But sometimes... I think they still felt they were strangers to one another, for they had run into some limitation that could not be defined. They believe in a future together, yet their dreams were different. But they stayed together, living according to the accepted rules and seldom did anything out of the ordinary for a great taiyoukai! Well, until humans came to the west, that is. Sesseika-sama was fairly ambivalent towards them, tolerated them on her lands and all, but only provided they showed proper respect...both to her AND to her son. For THAT was the true love of her life...she did everything for that boy!”
Totosai shook his gray head sadly, and when he proceeded with his story his tone was noticeably quieter. “Inu no Taisho, as you all obviously know, felt differently about humans. He was fascinated by them. He was fascinated by the way they adapted to the world around them, thriving without power or youki. He recognized pretty early on that they far outnumbered demons. He thought that by offering them aid and protection he could maintain the peace. He was always racing off to patrol the borders and secure the local villages and crop-fields. And that's when it happened: The demon Ryukossei returned to the west to challenge his power and found no one at the stronghold but the mistress and the Inu no Taisho's perfect young heir, Sesshoumaru. The boy wasn't much more than a pup then...didn't even have the power to transform. Sesseika-sama could have fled...she was no fool, and must have known that the vicious dragon was a foe way beyond her power to withstand. She could have saved herself, but only if she abandoned her son. No mother would do that, an Inu-youkai least of all! She was fiercely loyal to that which she loved.” Totosai finally paused. “Much like the boy she ultimately gave her life for, I think,” he added in a whisper that only Rin could hear. She looked up at him in bewilderment, her vision misty.
Totosai cleared his throat again. “Anyway, the Inu no Taisho returned in time to drive Ryukossei off, but he was too late to save his mate. And that's when he had the first thoughts of finding a smith to forge Tenseiga...never wanted to lose anyone he loved like that again. After all, he DID really lose his ENTIRE family that day.”
“But Sesshoumaru...Sesshoumaru survived,” Inuyasha stated, his face an unreadable mask.
Totosai quickly cut him off with a disdainful flick of his wrist. “Sesshoumaru's heart died with his mother that day. I don't even want to know what he witnessed. A true fight between taiyoukai is a terrible thing to see, especially if one of the combatants is someone you love, and you're incapable of defending them. I'm sure the boy tried though.” He raised a knowing eyebrow and waggled a bony finger under Inuyasha's nose. “Probably yet another reason why he resents you so much, Inuyasha. In the end, you came to eventually kill the creature that he himself was powerless to stop. A creature that took everything from him.”
The sword smith took another deep breath. “So, Sesshoumaru was never quite the same. He loved and admired your Father too much to come out and blame him...hell, he didn't have too; the Inu no Taisho already blamed himself enough as it was! Nevertheless, everything changed between them. For though Sesshoumaru wouldn't directly fault his grieving father, he DID choose to lay all responsibility for his mother's death on something else: the `pitiful, whining' humans his father so adamantly insisted on sheltering. So Inu no Taisho came home less and less. He couldn't stand to be in the place where it happened, constantly reminded of his failure. He took to spending most of his days in the local settlements. Over time, he found a way to comfort his heart with the beautiful daughter of a local noble, a young princess from a line he had watched over for ages. This, unfortunately, only served to further estrange him from his only son...”
Biting nervously at her own fingernails, Rin listened in rapt attention. She was learning more about Sesshoumaru- sama's background in the space of an hour than she had in all the years she had traveled with him. No wonder he didn't speak of the past! No wonder he held humans in such contempt...in his mind, they had cheated him of the only happiness he had ever known. She leaned forward expectantly to focus on the rest of Totosai's account...
“...Of course, this sweet young woman who eased the Inu no Taisho's grief and healed his sadness WAS only human, and destined to be parted with him by the advance of time. Humans CAN sometimes become demons, as you know, but usually only if consumed by too much sadness and pain, or, like Naraku, just plain wickedness. In doing so, of course, they tend to lose a lot of their souls. Your Father didn't want that for the Lady Izayoi - so he traded a great deal of his own strength to power a sword that could transfer some of his youki to her. After all, how could he watch a woman he had come to love, the soon-to-be mother of his second son, wither and die in an eye-blink!? Kami - when he first told me what he wanted forged, I shuddered with fear...wasn't even sure it could be done! But regardless, I worked until I created the two swords...one to sustain his family against time, one to protect them from harm.”
Totosai shifted to take in a long breath and poked at the fire with his mallet, fanning the coals. “But despite the Inu no Taisho's newfound love, his sense of honor still called for him to avenge Sesseika-sama. He was torn between his new family and their happiness, and the memory of the woman and son he had failed. You CAN'T live divided like that.” The old smith cast the hanyou a meaningful glance. “Sooner or later you make mistakes. In the end, Inu no Taisho went after Ryukossei...and, well, you all know the rest.”
They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound in the clearing the crackling of the dying fire.
Finally Kagome spoke, reaching out to clasp Inuyasha's hand as she asked her first question. “But, wait, if you don't mind, Totosai, there's something I don't understand. If Tetsusaiga can kill one hundred at one stroke, what about the Tenseiga's supposed ability to raise one hundred with one stroke...you can't seriously tell me that the sword has the power save and grant near “immortality” to that many victims? And what if the `victim' isn't human? What if it's a demon?”
Inuyasha smiled down fondly upon his clever woman. Leave it to Kagome to come up with such thoughtful queries. He leaned forward, anxiously awaiting Totosai's next answers. Not being on the best terms with his half-brother made him eager to learn of any weakness he could exploit the next time they inevitably crossed blades...
Totosai didn't look flustered in the least and responded to the miko's pointed questions with ease. “Yes, well, there are rules to the sword... different levels of mastery. Just as Inuyasha has developed his skill with Tetsusaiga, so, too, could Sesshoumaru with Tenseiga. If he was to...let's say...revive a battle-field, the combatants probably wouldn't have ALL that extended of a new life. I guess it all depends on how much youki goes into the strike. Such an act as I just described would probably call for a tremendous sacrifice from the youkai wielding the sword. Sometimes I think it may be a GOOD thing Sesshoumaru is so cold-hearted! Probably would have accidentally sucked the life right out of himself if he'd gone around experimenting with the Tenseiga blindly, the same way Inuyasha used to rattle Tetsusaiga without a clue in the beginning! Heh heh,” he added, noting the scowl on the hanyou's face. “Sorry boy, I couldn't resist!' All at once he was deathly serious again. “But - when you concentrate on one victim, like Sesshoumaru did with this young lady over here, the results are rather surprising. Tenseiga will work by actually binding the life of the injured or dying human to the youkai it chooses as its master.” The sword smith waved a dismissive hand again. “It's a lot easier for Tenseiga to revive a demon...after they're brought back from that Other World they have their own youki to sustain them, so NO bonds are formed.”
“Wait,” Rin breathed, finding herself compelled to interrupt at this point as well. “Stop! You're not suggesting that I now have a youkai's life span?!”
“Not exactly,” Totosai mumbled, fidgeting and scratching his chin nervously. “YOU have Sesshoumaru's life span.”
Rin gasped and fell back into stunned silence as Totosai continued to explain. “So long as he lives, so too will you. But should Sesshoumaru be killed, the tie of his power keeping you in this world would break...”
“And...and I would die again,” she finished for him quietly.
Totosai fixed her with a grim look. “Well, maybe not right away, you might linger for a bit, like Lady Izayoi. I still don't know the sword's full power, but I guess a couple of months, a couple of years at most? Sometimes, I think Izayoi only lasted as long as she did out of sheer will-power and the need to be sure her son was ready to take care of himself. Not very different from Sesseika-sama in the end, I guess.” He paused, turning back to the hanyou now, taking note of his over-bright eyes and pained expression. “Well, I've said what I needed to and I thank you, boy. I know it was hard to hear, probably should have told you most of this stuff years ago. Things might have been easier for you.” The ancient youkai rose to feet, his old bones creaking and his joints popping loudly. “But I guess I've stayed long enough and we'd better be on our way.”
“WE???” Inuyasha echoed, blinking up at him in surprise.
Totosai yawned and then slanted him a droll look. “Of course `we'! Just me, Momo, and that nice young girl there.” He pointed a blackened claw at Rin.
“Nani?
Totosai tugged at his beard as he paced back and forth nervously, seeming completely returned to his scattered old self once more. ”Oh dear, see what you did, mongrel? All of this babbling and I didn't even get around to the whole point of my little visit! So, what do you say, girl? Would you like to come with me, at least till you feel better and figure out what it is you want? I don't have much, but I could teach you a trade and offer you shelter. It's too lonely on my mountain anyway...could use the company for awhile.”
Rin opened her mouth in surprise and then snapped it back close with a pop. Inuyasha, once again, seemed more than happy to do the talking (or in this case shouting) for her. “Sesshoumaru put her in OUR care!” the hanyou roared. “He wants...”
“Your aniki doesn't know WHAT the hell he wants!” Totosai laughed. “Besides, it's high time that someone let the girl decide her own fate anyway!”
At those words, Rin's mouth went painfully dry and she could do nothing but stare into the firelight in shock. She fidgeted uncomfortably as the others awaited her answer. Should she go with this bizarre old demon? she wondered. Kagome had spoke of a chance at a new life in her village. She could go with the miko, see if Kohaku and the taijiya were alright...but...
She took a steadying breath...gods, she had never been ASKED to choose her own path or make her own decision. She was suddenly afraid...what if she chose wrong, like that last night with Sesshoumaru-sama?
Rin turned and unexpectedly met Inuyasha's gaze. The hanyou was staring back at her intently, pinning her with amber eyes that were so similar and yet somehow completely different from her master's. Could she really follow the half-demon, and live out her life in his shadow, his very presence a constant living reminder of all she had come to lose?
Her decision was made.
Totosai had already hopped onto Momo's back, displaying more agility then she would have expected from something so ancient, and offered a knarled hand to assist her to do the same. Rin didn't need for the invitation to be extended twice. There was simply no way she could go with Inuyasha and Kagome, to live out her days in some human village...just another anonymous young woman tending the fields, surrounded by all those strangers.
Totosai was beaming. “Good girl,” he whispered in a low, kindly tone. “Come on then...we have a long journey ahead.” The sword smith shifted his head and nodded a farewell to the still fuming hanyou.
Rin leapt up onto Momo and tried to lock her knees against the fat bull's rounded girth. Gods! The old beast seemed a thousand times wider than Aun! Dimly, she wondered if her legs would ever work again after their ride. Just how far they were going anyway? As the youkai plodded forward at a lumbering walk, she suddenly remembered her manners and smiled down wearily at the worried Kagome. “Thank you for trying, Miko- sama,” she murmured.
There was an abrupt, stomach-plunging lurch and then she was forced to grip Totosai's thin shoulders to keep from falling. Oh dear, was this the bull's gait? Her answer was confirmed in the next instant as Momo leapt again, pulling them into the air rather gracelessly. He rose so awkwardly, dipping above the tree-tops as if gravity were about to seize him and force him down to the earth at any moment.
With all the bouncing and plunging, Rin was not feeling brave enough to loosen her hold on Totosai and offer one last wave, so she settled for casting one last look over the figures rapidly retreating behind her instead. She hoped it was enough.
As Inuyasha, his friends, and her old life faded away behind her, the girl turned her head to stare sadly off into the west. Silently, she wondered just what exactly her master was doing now.
Whatever he was up to, wherever he was, she hoped he could find some peace...
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Au thor's Note:
I've always wanted to tackle a bit of a “back-story” for Sesshoumaru. Hope this idea wasn't too lame. Sess always strikes me as such a deliberate and calculating persona and so I always imagined there'd be deeper, more legitimate reasons for his hatred of Inuyasha, besides simply wanting daddy's sword! Also, I wanted to sort of characterize his mother as powerful and loving. I've seen so many fics where she's portrayed as some sort of bitchy, cold fish. Anyway, standard legal crap...don't own any of these characters, just my lame attempt to give Sesshoumaru's mom a name and a personality! Speaking of the name, the kanji we were thinking of all put together mean: “Flower that destroys life”. Dorky, I know...but when I have I not been dorky?!
** WARNING: Hide your eyes, protect your innocence...Chapter 5 has naughty language and GASP, a mildly “limey” situation! Had to add it though, especially considering all the latest Kagura/Sess interactions in the manga! Besides, I like Kagura...she deserves a reward for all her trouble!