InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Eien Ni Nakunatta Shunkan: A Moment Lost Forever ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 13 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Not much action here! Just poor Rin experiencing a bit of medieval Japanese mob justice; some painful love advice - "hanyou style"; Shippou doing his best impersonation of Paul Revere; and, of course, the Lord of the Western Lands getting a tiny lesson in humility! Some spoilers I guess --- a small reference to the episode "That Jaken Who Became Ill"! Thank you once again for taking the time to read and review my story.

Sorry that it looks like I updated - next chapter won't be out till Thursday or Friday! Just needed to switch all those "jyakis" to "youkis" and reread to make sure everything was OK ---

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Chapter 12: Ketsui

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Rin brought Momo down from the sky about a mile outside the miko's village to proceed on foot again. She remembered all too well how most humans reacted when confronted with someone or something different, unfamiliar and strange. The young woman couldn't imagine a more outlandish pair than herself and the tubby youkai bull, and she somehow doubted the villagers would feel very comfortable if they just descended unannounced from the clouds above.

Her nervous excitement increased ten-fold as she wove her way steadily through a grove of saplings. A real village! What would it be like?!

She hoped she wasn't being too forward with this visit. It had been quite a long while since Kagome-sama had invited her, after all. She tried to recall what little she could remember of human etiquette and practiced her speech of introduction in her mind one last time. Finally, she paused to remind herself not to falter when she looked at or spoke with the hanyou.

Little by little, the sun was creeping higher into the sky behind her in a brilliant display of pink and vibrant orange. The villagers would doubtlessly be waking now, rising groggily, lighting their cooking fires and readying themselves for a new day.

Rin recalled a bit of her life before Sesshoumaru-sama. How she'd always loved those leisurely, sleepy mornings when she would shyly watch her mother prepare the family's meal, humming softly to herself while she worked. She sighed and drew in a deep breath.

Strange, but she didn't remember those gentle, comforting morning fires smelling like this! The scent she picked up now was of a raging inferno gone out of control, not some cheery little hearthside blaze! She quickened her pace in confusion.

For such an early morning hour, there was an awful lot of racket ahead too! Through the dense curtain of dry leaves, she could hear loud, panicked yelling, and shrill shouts. Were human settlements always this noisy in the morning nowadays? What was going on? Village life had sure changed a lot --- or perhaps her own memories were so old that she had merely remembered them wrong!

Whatever the case --- she was finally at the edge of the forest. She took one last steady calming breath, wiped her clammy palms on her hips, and stepped out of the woods, only to gasp in shock at the sight before her ---

The village was in utter chaos and near ruins. Its people fared no better and were mostly fleeing in jumbled confusion and terror. A few huts were nearly destroyed by fire, and she noticed that one home in the distance seemed absolutely pulverized and smashed to the ground. Rin coughed in the smoke and haze, and breathed in faint traces of a decidedly familiar floral scent. What?!

"Who goes there?!" cried out an old, maternal voice from the early morning mist. The young woman jumped at being addressed and discovered so quickly.

"Me?" Rin squeaked in reply, shrinking back as many armed men suddenly poured into the dusty lanes, brandishing any weapon they could carry. `Me?!' She repeated in her mind. How stupid could she be? Like any of these people knew or cared who `she' was! Within seconds they had surrounded her, and Rin moved in slow, deliberate circles, trying to keep them back with her spear. Her breath caught at the unmistakable sound of bows being drawn behind her. "Hold! Don't fire those arrows!" shouted that old, dry voice again. "I would speak to the girl."

The crowd parted somewhat unenthusiastically and an elderly woman hobbled forward. Rin watched her approach with apprehension. The woman was dressed in the robes of a priestess, and she was missing an eye. Though she seemed ancient, worn and frail, her voice held a deep resolve and strength, and the men obeyed her words, lowering their weapons reluctantly. Rin relaxed her guard slightly --- somehow this woman appeared like someone she could trust.

"Who are you, child?" the old miko queried.

"Please, I've come to see Kagome-sama and the half-demon, Inuyasha." She answered, eyes darting to keep watch on some of the more unruly members of the mob. "I-I'm a friend --- sort of. At least, I hope."

The miko laughed at the girl's candor and honesty, even in the face of such a dangerous situation. "Well, child, you have picked a rather unfortunate time to come. Our village was raided by a most fearsome demon last night. A demon, I might add, who was searching for something VERY peculiar indeed." Her eyes narrowed and her brows lowered as if in deep consideration and thought.

The young woman noticed that the miko's look had taken on a strange, knowing light, almost as if she'd just come to an important realization.

Before Rin had time to pose any questions or requests of her own, however, one of the village men dashed forward, grabbed her from behind, and knocked her unexpectedly to the ground. She collided heavily with the dry earth, and the naginata slipped from her clutches to clatter out of her reach.

"Yes, Miko-sama --- I heard everything!" the man bellowed above her, seeming to address the assembled crowd more than the old woman herself. "The demon said it was seeking a young woman. And look what comes upon us! I say we tie her in the forest, and leave her for the beast!"

Rin gasped in confusion and fought to pry her hands free from his unforgiving grasp. If only she could grab her spear! A few of the villagers pressed forward to try and claim the rich weapon for themselves, or at the very least knock it out of her reach, but the youki in the blade flared when anyone came to close. The strange, burning power only seemed to reinforce their fears and suspicions of her and the shouts from the crowd became more rowdy and violent.

Rin tried to keep herself from being distracted by their increasingly sadistic threats and jeers. She was finally able to twist one hand free and she struck out blindly, managing to brush against the polished edge of the spear. Suddenly, another man strode forward brusquely and stomped mercilessly on her fingers. Rin yanked her hand back with a hiss of pain. The man leaned over her and helped his brutish companion haul her to her feet by the collar of her robe. He leered in her face, his breath reeking of some strong drink. "Either that, or I say we kill her now --- slit her throat and throw her body in the river! Then that thing will have NO need to return!" he spat cruelly. Rin eyes widened in horror, but she refused to cry out, even as far too many hands to count reached to claw and tear at her at once.

The crowd pressed forward eagerly, knowing she was helpless. This was just like what used to happen when she was small! She curled up instinctively to shield herself from the beating that was sure to follow ---

"Stop this at once!" thundered the old woman again, moving quickly to stand before her in defense. "This child is not your enemy!" the priestess angrily addressed the two men pinning her down. "Release her this instant!"

"Fools," she admonished slyly, as they grudgingly complied, "if you think that demon was angry before, what do you think it would be like if its quarry were killed by someone else?"

Rin's mind went blank as she stared at the miko, just as bewildered and confused as everyone else present. Demon's quarry? What? What were they all raving about?

"Nay!" the miko asserted, spinning to direct her words to the crowd. "She came to see Inuyasha, and to Inuyasha she shall go. He will know what to do --- he will decide her fate."

Rin blinked, still trying to process what was going on all around her. She had hardly envisioned ANY of these nightmare scenarios in all her girlish day-dreams and fantasies for her visit. First Kagura, then a fuming mob and --- and then a powerful demon attacking the hanyou's village while searching for a young woman? Her hazel eyes widened in shock. It couldn't be ---

She was suddenly distracted from her disturbing thoughts, as the old miko pulled her forcefully from the rough circle of drunken men. The old woman hovered close and guided her by the shoulders through the still leery crowd; she allowed Rin to slowly pick up the naginata again. The dazed girl snatched the weapon up quickly, and resolved that the spear would not slip through her fingertips again. Another droning murmur was instantly taken up to reverberate wildly through the assembled villagers the moment her hands closed around the clearly `enchanted' weapon --- `perhaps this girl is a demon as well!'

As she was led away and marched past that one rather destroyed home, Rin noted that it hadn't been charred by ordinary flame at all. It had simply been blown apart --- blasted into tiny pieces! There were jagged claw marks in the surrounding trees, and their boughs were cracked and splintered by that same tremendous, unnatural force. She inhaled deeply again, and then cried out in panic. One didn't need youkai senses to recognize the distinctive scent all around this clearing --- she had grown up knowing it. The Dokkasou.

There could be no doubt. "Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin breathed, her face going deathly white.

"Aye, child," the woman beside her replied. "And I assume you are the one who was once his ward. Sesshoumaru was here no more than a few hours ago seeking you. He battled fiercely with Inuyasha --- the hanyou seems to have lost that fight." They moved to the low porch of another modest home and Kaede gestured that she enter.

"Go slowly, girl," she advised, "His eyes were burned by poison and his vision has not yet fully healed. And I'm afraid the only thing darker than his sight at the moment is his mood."

The old miko sighed and tried to offer a somewhat encouraging smile. "But then again, as I imagine you already know, he is always rather curt and bad tempered anyway," she mumbled.

Rin was still too stunned to respond, but she weakly nodded her thanks to the woman and entered the hut. She gasped in shock at the sight before her.

The hanyou was reclining on a small pallet in the corner of this sparsely furnished home. He held both the Tetsusaiga and his mate, and it was hard to tell which one he gripped tighter. As the miko had warned, his golden eyes were blank and strangely out of focus.

Inuyasha was bruised and battered, and even his fine, silky hair appeared to be clotted with old blood. His chest was bare and bandaged heavily, and Rin stared at the bright crimson stains welling under those stark-white strips of cloth. For his youkai blood to be taking so long to heal, the wounds under those dressings must be awfully deep, she reasoned.

She continued to gape at his many injuries in sympathy and guilt. She hadn't seen her former master inflict such a savage pounding on his half-brother --- well, not since she was very young! She rushed forward towards him, despite the old miko's words of caution.

Inuyasha growled menacingly as she drew closer. His vision was still rather blurry --- he was starting to be able to distinguish bright light and deepest shadows, but not much else in between. His nose twitched as he recognized her all-too-familiar scent, and his face hardened with an ironic sneer.

"What the hell are you doing out here, Rin?" he began gruffly. His tangled silvery mane shook as he gave a clipped, sarcastic chuckle. "Fuck - your timing is just as good as Kagome's," he added caustically.

"I wanted to --- see ---" Rin trailed off. She stopped in her tracks, completely unsure of how to respond. She stared down instead at the stricken miko now, her eyes coming to focus on a sickly purple bruise above the woman's right eye.

"Sesshoumaru-sama --- did this?" she whispered brokenly, even though she already KNEW the answer.

"Yes," Inuyasha confirmed with a deep sigh, "He's looking for you and he knows about Totosai --- he's on his way to the forge right now." The hanyou shifted and leaned forward anxiously. "Rin, listen to me, you've got ONE chance here. I can't help you for a few hours, and the others are gone. They're off following Sesshoumaru --- trying to slow that bastard down any way they can. You only have a short time before he realizes you're not on that mountain and he has to turn back to track you."

He paused to consider his next words carefully. "You have to run now --- head north. We have some allies up there --- a wolf with some jewel shards, maybe his pack could keep you save until we arrive."

"Ookami?!" Rin gasped in revulsion, "No!! Never! I KNOW who you're talking about!" Her jaw clenched, and she reached up automatically to run her fingers across the scars on her throat, trying to clear her memory of that long ago terror and pain.

"You want ME to run to that dense, conceited beast, Kouga?" she gritted. "But it's because of HIM and those w-wolves that I - I ---" She felt an intense wave of nausea and couldn't choke out the rest of her words. The young woman struggled to regain her composure.

"I'll have nothing to do with THEM!" she stated with absolute finality

Inuyasha nodded in understanding. He'd never heard Rin's voice that strong or decisive before. So, much as he'd always suspected, the wolves HAD indeed killed her. He'd thought as much since the very beginning, clearly remembering their faint scent upon her when she was small. He wrapped his arms around Kagome's shoulders possessively, and pulled her into his lap to rock her gently. He tried to will his pounding head-ache away, wracking his mind to come up with an alternative plan for the girl's temporary safety.

All the while, Rin paced about the small room in agitation, thoughts still reeling from trying to absorb her current situation. Out of the corner of her eye, she absently watched one of the hanyou's clawed hands as it reached down to tenderly pat Kagome's belly. Rin suddenly became aware that the miko's stomach was slightly swollen ---

"A baby?!" she squeaked numbly.

Inuyasha drew a deep breath, still finding that he flushed with pride and delight at the mention of his future child --- even despite the dire circumstances and doubts of the present moment. "Yeah," he confirmed awkwardly, giving Kagome another squeeze. "We found out not long after we left the forge ---"

Rin shook her head in sadness and moved to stare out a small window to watch the rapidly growing morning light. "I am so sorry," she breathed. "I could have gotten you killed --- Kagome-sama and your child, too."

"It's okay, Rin --- the only life you should be concerned with right now is your own," Inuyasha stated ominously.

"He was THAT angry?" she asked quietly, moving away from the window to stand closer by his side.

Inuyasha looked up and squinted at an uneven, shifting shadow that he supposed was the girl's form. He nodded slowly. "Yes. I'm sorry for all this --- I'm sorry for everything that cold, selfish son-of-a-bitch put you through ---"

Rin's heart twisted in agony. Despite feeling angry, resentful and currently deathly afraid of Sesshoumaru, she still found herself leaping immediately to his defense.

"Don't!" she hissed vehemently, completely cutting the hanyou off. "Don't you speak poorly of him --- not ever! Everything I am, my very life --- I owe to Sesshoumaru-sama!" She felt a few pathetic tears begin to build around her eyelashes and she struggled to prevent them from falling.

"Owe him?" he barked in surprise. "Keh --- tell me, will you still feel such `loyalty' and `devotion' when he turns on you like an animal and claims your life!?" He carefully re-shifted his poor miko so he wasn't yelling in her ear and waited for a response.

Rin fell silent, carefully debating his piercing, truthful words.

Inuyasha cursed his blindness for the hundredth time that morning. He wished he could read the girl's expression, and not just focus solely on the continuing scent of her tears. He felt absolutely horrible for hurting a woman.

But though he HATED being so blunt and direct with an already suffering and traumatized girl, maybe, just maybe, his words would snap her into reality. She might realize the true depth of her grim position and flee, just like he instructed. She was being awfully quiet, he realized uneasily. Just as quiet, in fact, as Sesshoumaru had been the instant he had figured out her whereabouts.

Though he couldn't see, the hanyou suddenly sensed that the girl's fear had abruptly died. Her heart slowed, and an eerie sort of peace and resolve came to settle all about her.

"Goodbye, Inuyasha," Rin stated. Though her voice was a whisper, her words were annunciated carefully and they did not waver. "I'm very sorry I was so rude to you when we first met again. It's hard to look at you, without being reminded of him. It's mostly your eyes, you understand?" she explained slowly.

"Please tell Kagome-sama I'm truly happy for her --- your child is sure to be beautiful."

"Damnit, Rin!" he bellowed, drawing an unintelligible moan from the woman in his arms. Gods - if only Kagome would wake up! Maybe she would have better luck reasoning with this girl! He fucking didn't understand women or their stupid emotions at all!

"NOTHING can change HIM --- do you hear?!" he shouted on. "NOT YOU! Not anything!" He lay the miko down gently and tried to rise. Damnit, he might as well have stabbed Rin with the rusty, blunt form of Tetsusaiga --- that was the only pain he could imagine that could possibly be more excruciating and vile to her than his cruel words!

Rin rounded on the hanyou swiftly. "I know, I know!" she cried out, not even recognizing the bitter voice she heard as her own. "I KNOW what I am, and what I'll NEVER be! I understand that I'm not the `answer' he wants or seeks --- but I --- I love him all the same."

Inuyasha's face contorted in shock and disbelief. Love Sesshoumaru?! Over the past few months, he had come to suspect and realize the true depth of her misguided feelings for his elder brother --- but to actually hear the words declared out loud! What a foolish path her heart had chosen! He winced in sympathy.

"Rin," he appealed logically, making a soothing gesture with his clawed hand. "You're even more blinded than I am right now! Sesshoumaru CAN'T love you --- he doesn't even KNOW what it means to love ANYTHING! Don't live like this --- don't be trapped by the memories or promises of the past! Believe me, I know what happens if you try!"

"I'm so sorry," she repeated again firmly, "but I have to go back. I won't hide from him anymore."

Inuyasha heard the soft flap of fabric as the mat across the doorway was drawn back. With one more soft whisper of farewell, the young woman was gone. There was nothing more he could do.

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Rin walked slowly back through the village. Despite their earlier threats of violence, the crowd let her pass unharmed and unchecked. In fact, they kept a rather wide distance now, almost as if she were something loathsome, wicked or diseased. Many averted their eyes and would not even dare to gaze upon her. They seemed afraid that even one small glance would curse them to be haunted forever with her misery and obvious misfortune. She became aware that a few of the village women were making a superstitious sign as she passed, as if trying to ward themselves and their clinging, filthy children from evil. The rumors were obviously still flowing and they appeared to instinctively know she was most likely going to her death.

Rin suddenly imagined what she must look like to these rustic, simple peasants. At worst, she was nothing more than a pale, walking corpse, just as spectral, mysterious and terrible as Kikyou. At best, she was something to be pitied, a hapless, doting fool who had lost her heart to a monster, just like the hanyou's mother, the lady Izayoi.

In either case, one solitary thing remained painfully clear and true. She did not belong in the human world --- not that she ever did to begin with, she supposed.

She kept her head high, her spear at ready, and her gait slow and solemn. She noticed Kaede helping a young family repair their damaged fence. She nodded gratefully to the old woman and smiled bitterly. The miko would doubtlessly be called upon to practice numerous exorcisms on this day to rid her "evil" aura from the village.

Only when she was sure she had drifted from everyone's sight did she break into a frantic, headlong sprint. She raced back to the meadow where she had left Momo to be safe. A lot of good that had done! The beast's head popped up from the weeds in shock at her rather quick return, and he bawled out in distress. Rin pulled herself onto his back and slapped his rear to get him moving.

"Come on --- we've got to get back to Ojii-sama's! There's trouble!" she shouted. Those little words got the laconic creature moving faster than any jab of her heels or sharp cry ever could. She hung on for dear life, as the bull bolted them into the air at full speed --- she only hoped she wasn't too late.

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Shippou hauled his exhausted body to the near pinnacle of Totosai's mountain, still not daring to believe that he had actually gotten here first. The others doubtlessly MUST have engaged Sesshoumaru to buy him some time. He wiped his brow and grimly hoped they didn't have to pay too dearly for it. He slid down into the main cavern of the forge, rousing the sword-smith from his slumber with his loud, resonating cries.

"Jiji!" he shouted frantically, shaking the old creature's shoulders. He paused to take in a few great panting gulps of air. "Get Rin-chan! Sess-sesshoumaru is coming --- here --- coming here now!"

"What?!" Totsai bellowed back in confusion, as he rubbed sleep from his eyes.

Shippou dragged the old man to the entrance of the cave and pointed frenetically down to the valley below. "We just couldn't stop him --- he just sort of figured it out!" the poor fox wheezed some more. "Now --- where - is --- Rin?!"

"RIN?! Rin's not even here! She went down to visit ALL you people!" Totosai stammered, a wild, fear-driven light taking hold in his eyes. "Oh dear!"

Now it was his turn to shake the poor, already-dizzy fox. "Surely you didn't see her?!" he rasped, "How could you have missed her? Oh - might she have taken to the sky?!"

Totosai shuffled all the way out onto to the cliff shelf. "Oh dear," he muttered again as his eyes fixed on a rather ominous cloud of dust in the distance. Shippou gasped - he could feel a tremendous force of youki speeding below, even from this great distance and height. He looked up at Totosai beseechingly, anxious for any plan or direction. "Jiji --- if you have ANY ideas, I'm ready to hear them --- right now!" he sang out nervously.

The old demon merely sighed. "Yep, just ONE --- you'd best get out of here, boy. This is an enemy you can't face yet."

Totosai flicked some soot from his striped robe and heaved his mallet over his shoulder. "Besides, I've always known a day like this would come, almost from the moment Inutaisho told me the Tenseiga would be entrusted to his eldest son," he murmured. "Oh well." He started to trundle down the mountain path.

The tall kitsune followed closely at his heels. "But, Jiji, Sesshoumaru hurt Inuyasha pretty badly," he argued. "And the others who went out to slow him down --- I haven't even SEEN them at all!" Despite his fear of the powerful, vengeful taiyoukai, Shippou seemed reluctant to leave. "What can you do alone against THAT?" he asked, stepping back reflexively as the approaching cloud twisted to reveal a monstrous, ravening white dog.

Totosai smiled over at him patiently. "Why - I can reason with him."

Shippou stared at the old youkai with equal amounts of disbelief and horror. "R-reason?" he stuttered. Totosai seemed like the least sane creature he'd ever met!! And the predatory beast Sesshoumaru had become at the present moment seemed far from rational either! How the hell would they reason with each other?

The sword-smith chuckled warmly at the much younger demon's dubious expression. "Seriously, get going, my boy." he repeated. "There's nothing you can do here. Go see to your friends. Besides, maybe you can find Rin. Find her and keep her away from here --- if you can!"

Shippou's green eyes widened in sudden understanding. He gathered his remaining strength and power for the long race back to Inuyasha's forest. "Good luck!" he whispered to Totosai. He darted back down the steep slide, veering out of the taiyoukai's path to settle his senses on locating the missing girl.

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Sesshoumaru loped up the mountain, not caring that the poison in his talons and jaws was steadily carving a trail of charred foliage and melted rock in his wake.

Just as he reached the snowline, a sudden blast of fire burst forth to singe his shoulder. He spun around, tossed his head and bayed riotously at the ridiculously shriveled figure of Totosai. A billowing trail of black smoke still poured from the corners of the sword-smith's mouth from that scorching blast of flame.

The old demon was sitting nonchalantly on a large boulder, his shoulders hunched in the driving wind. The old fool seemed more rattled by the blustery weather than the fearsome creature roaring above him.

With one last snap of his fangs, the taiyoukai released his transformation to confront his attacker face to face. He needed to speak and he needed answers --- NOW!

YOU!" Sesshoumaru spat vindictively, "This is the last time you and that damned half-breed conspire against me! Now --- where is she?! Where is the girl?"

"What girl?" Totosai asked absently as he scratched his head.

Sesshoumaru stared menacingly. This was ludicrous! Maybe he should just rip this exhausting creature to shreds! "Temee --- DO NOT play the fool with me any longer!" he grated, baring his still formidable fangs.

"Girl? Girl? Hmmm---" Totosai rambled idly as if deeply perplexed, "Ohhh --- I know! Do you mean the girl that you selfishly threw away and thoughtlessly abandoned? Is THAT the one you're looking for?!"

Sesshoumaru was too angry to reply with anything but a furious growl.

Totosai merely rolled his eyes at the enraged youkai's animalistic response and laughed. "Wan, wan, wan --- get off MY mountain, you spoiled hound! Go bark somewhere else!" he shouted rebelliously.

With another angry snarl, the taiyoukai whirled and leapt forward into the air, crashing down to deliver a powerful strike from Toukijin. The shockwave of youki caused the very ground to shake, and the heavy snow on the crags above them began to rumble and slide.

A sudden wall of blinding white powder came crashing all around them, and Sesshoumaru glided easily into the air to avoid it. He smiled maliciously as Totosai was knocked inelegantly from his perch and dragged further down the slope in the roaring avalanche. The dog-demon continued his rapid climb up the mountainside, completely ignoring the faint struggles and cries of the old demon fading behind him.

The taiyoukai reached the cavern quickly, and burst inside with a feral shout of triumph. His voice echoed back hollowly, and he nearly fell to his knees and collapsed as he recognized the flowery, unmistakable scent of the girl all around him. Even under the choking stench of that uncontrolled fire, how could he have missed THIS the last time he was here? He lowered Toukijin and stepped further into the foundry, completely unsure of his next action.

Though her fragrance continued to surround him, he could tell in an instant that Rin was not here at the present moment. Just where the HELL had she gone now!?

To his surprise, the rather bedraggled, rather angry form of Totosai suddenly darkened the mouth of the cavern. The soaked demon strode past him with nothing more than a livid glare and a scathing curse. He moved to sink cross-legged by the hearth and warmed his red, shaking hands over the fire.

"You see, arrogant boy?!" Totosai scolded through chattering teeth. "If you'd just waited a few more seconds, I would have told you SHE'S NOT HOME!" He paused briefly to shake some more snow from his billowing sleeves.

Totosai placed a battered kettle over the flames and began to prepare himself a cup of hot tea. "Could have spared you that ridiculous final charge, you know!" he mouthed sarcastically. "Not to mention, I could have spared myself that freezing plunge!" he added with another shiver.

Sesshoumaru considered the smith's words and actions with a grunt of surprise. This frail, obnoxious collection of bones was tougher than he appeared, he grudgingly admitted. Or else even crazier than you first guessed him to be ---

The taiyoukai momentarily disregarded the old man and moved to the racks of weaponry and armor, staring vacantly up at the decorative carvings adorning most of them. He glanced back down at his own sode in disbelief. He had wondered where he had seen these flowing motifs and patterns before. Damn, he truly HAD been blind. He'd seen them in his own home in the west, scrawled over numerous scraps of parchment, or else scratched into the dust and ash beside many small campfires as they'd all traveled together.

These were Rin's drawings.

He closed his eyes. For a split second, he wished his hair were loose so he could hide his stunned expression behind the flowing curtain of it. She must have been here that night he claimed this piece of armor. SHE was the hidden creature cowering in the corner. That was twice he'd doubtlessly scared the hell out of her and put her in fear of her very life, he realized grimly. But he couldn't think about that now. He straightened his shoulders and whirled to face Totosai.

"What has the Tenseiga done to Rin? If you had any loyalty to my father, you will explain the sword's powers to this Sesshoumaru --- NOW." he commanded.

Totosai's beady eyes widened in surprise. "You mean you'll actually listen to me for once --- you'll wait till I'm finished?" Sesshoumaru nodded his head slightly in acquiescence, but otherwise gave no other emotional reaction.

"And --- and you'll not harm HER until I've explained everything?" the smith carried on fretfully.

The dog demon's expression went rigid, and he tightened his grip on Toukijin. "You know this Sesshoumaru can make NO such promise, old man," he warned.

Totosai grew nervous in the lengthening silence that followed. He hastily decided to proceed, taking note of the taiyoukai's increasingly sinister look. What choice did he have left?! He just fervently hoped the fox would find the girl and keep her away!

He began, "Your father had the Tenseiga commissioned to bestow a youkai's life span upon a mere human. But there was a trade --- it took a lot of his power."

Sesshoumaru scoffed and snorted. "Obviously, fool --- Ryukossei should never have been able to bring him down otherwise! This useless sword YOU crafted brought about his ruin!"

Totosai's eyes burned bright at the vehement accusation. "Hey! You're pretty damn quick to place blame, aren't you boy?! Everyone's accountable in your eyes, except for yourself, huh?" he shouted back angrily.

The old demon thumped his chest soundly. "Well, I'm smart enough to admit my skill isn't perfect! A sword that heals?! Really! You try devising a way to harness that kind of power without completely draining a demon or killing the human in the process!"

He settled back down and reached to pour the boiling water from the kettle. "Anyway, neither of us was really sure how it would work. In fact, I wasn't even sure if the sword was finished before your father had to rush it off to use on Izayoi --- poor thing! Strangled by some jealous, power-crazed daimyo! At the time, the loss of some of his youki and power was a small price to pay for the safety of his new mistress and infant son."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed bitterly. He didn't want to hear any more about Inuyasha or his pathetic whore mother! "What about Rin? Now what have I `lost' to her?" he asked.

"That remains to be seen," Totosai mumbled mysteriously, pausing to take his first sip of tea. He looked away and shook his gray head. "I know you didn't intend to `do' what you `did' to the girl. But it's TOO late now! The Tenseiga hadn't been used on a human in decades when you chose to revive Rin! Of course, it wanted to reach out to her fully! Don't punish her for your arrogance and pride!"

"But this Sesshoumaru has used that cursed sword on demons as well!" he raged with sudden fury, as images of Jaken and Kagura and even that anonymous, weak otter youkai rushed through his mind. "Are you telling me I've sacrificed MY great power to THEM as well?"

"Impatient boy! No - you don't lose any of your youki to other demons! They have their own!" Totosai shot back.

He answered the taiyoukai's continuing glare with a small one of his own. "Rin is the ONLY one who draws on a small, inconsequential, insignificant, scrap of your power --- she can't do anything with!"

The taiyoukai arched an eyebrow dubiously --- the old demon wasn't telling a lie, but he could sense he wasn't being entirely honest either. Before Totosai could even register the movement, Toukijin was pressed firmly against his wrinkled throat.

The sword-smith stared up in shock, and instantly recognized that Sesshoumaru's look had changed from merely dark to downright murderous. He wrung his hands and admitted, "Well, she can CALL out to it sometimes, but ---"

Sesshoumaru blinked. "Call out to it?!" he growled, "Nanda?! Then that WAS her!!" His words faded into an incredulous whisper, "I --- felt --- her one morning."

The taiyoukai's amber eyes drifted shut as if he were in some deep pain, and he pulled Toukijin back slowly. Wait a minute, Totosai was not going to rush through and gloss over this part!

Even as he lowered his sword, he snaked out with his free hand and dragged the ancient youkai to his feet. "Explain `call out to it' this instant, you half-wit! Can the girl draw MORE into herself?" he thundered.

"I'm not sure!" the aged demon wailed. "It's one of the things we never got to test! I told you --- your father died first! And with the loss of the tie to his power, Izayoi succumbed not long after!"

He wanted to change the subject quickly as possible, but a green crackle of youki burned around Sesshoumaru, clearly warning that he would not let this go until his curiosity was completely satisfied.

Totosai's shoulders slumped in defeat. "As for Rin pulling in more youki, I just don't know the answer," he conceded, as he tried unsuccessfully to shrug out of Sesshoumaru's painfully tight grasp. "I'd been wondering if you felt what happened that morning! Little thing grew angry at me for doubting her abilities and foolishly grabbed a youkai spear."

He shook his head with an equal mix of sadness and wonder. "Poor girl!" he continued, "She accidentally touched the youki keeping her alive when the weapon began to overwhelm her. Damn, it nearly killed her!"

Sesshoumaru turned to hide the expression on his face. That was the Rin he knew; always so proud, fearless and fighting to prove herself even when a situation was hopeless. But he couldn't dwell on those thoughts. The girl was proving to be an even greater liability to him than he ever imagined.

"Who else knows about this `bond', old man?" he snapped.

Totosai shrugged. "Just myself, Inuyasha and his companions, I think," he replied. He counted off on his fingers while Sesshoumaru growled in stunned, suspicious fury.

"Oh yeah!" the sword-smith finished a little too brightly, "and, of course, obviously whoever it was who initially clued you in about the whole matter knows as well!"

"Bokuseno," Sesshoumaru mumbled flatly, turning to fold his arms across his chest. He was suddenly reminded of Inuyasha's weakness on the night of the New Moon, and the multitude of people who seemed to be aware of his limitations. Was HE to be flawed and burdened like that as well?!

Totosai snapped his fingers. "Damn, Bokuseno -I should have known! I haven't been out to see him in centuries!"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and leaned wearily into the wall --- he couldn't wait to be away from this crazed, overly-optimistic old mad-man. "Shut up," he ordered coldly.

The aged demon sat back down in a huff and dragged in another gulp of tea, wishing the drink could be something stronger. He peeked back at the haughty taiyoukai from behind his mug. "There is ONE more person, of course, who knows. You do realize that Rin herself has been made aware of all this," he stated in retaliation, intensely curious to observe the taiyoukai's response to his words.

Sesshoumaru stiffened instantly. In spite of it all, he couldn't help wondering how the girl reacted to the news. It doubtlessly must have made his rejection and abandonment all the more difficult for her to abide. He didn't have to embarrass himself by inquiring any further, however; Totosai volunteered the information and rambled on automatically.

"She's been overwhelmed with grief and so unhappy. It's not easy for a human to accept such a gift --- especially when they're completely lost and alone. It was much the same for Izayoi."

With those little words, Sesshoumaru suddenly made another startling realization: just as he'd automatically reacted with revulsion when Bokuseno compared his mother to that useless woman, he ALSO felt a stab of anger when Totosai measured Rin against her as well. Rin was nothing like that whimpering, sniveling, groveling bitch!

Totosai turned to regard the taiyoukai with great interest. Sesshoumaru had begun growling again and was currently massaging his temple with a clawed hand. "What does this --- power --- make Rin now?" the dog-demon asked pointedly.

Totosai frowned and answered quickly. "Who cares what she was or what she IS now! She's herself!" he shouted. "What would it matter if she remained human --- I don't see many demons lining up to protect your back. Well, you do have Jaken, of course, but even you have to admit the girl is several thousand times more pleasing to the eye!" he finished with a merry chortle and moved to refill his cup.

Sesshoumaru scowled. "Then she is still merely human," he stated stubbornly.

"Yeah, sort of, I guess - but what does it matter! You two have so much in common!"

Sesshoumaru stared back incredulously. "What?" he spat.

"As I recall," Totosai challenged, "when your mother was taken from you, you didn't appear much more than a few years older than Rin when you first took her in! She's an orphan too! Have you ever had to listen to her dreams at night? Who does she call out for?"

Sesshoumaru turned away. He knew the answer immediately. Her mother. When the night terror wasn't about the wolves, it was always about the mother and the family she'd lost so long ago.

Totosai continued fervidly, pointing an accusing finger. "You BOTH saw the ones you loved killed before your very eyes and were powerless to stop it! I think maybe that's why you took pity upon her in the first place," he asserted. "Plus, the two of you are BOTH pig-headed, willful, proud, and stubborn as hell!"

Sesshoumaru straightened suddenly and paced away. He didn't need to listen to these foolish, sentimental ramblings.

Totosai followed him angrily with his eyes. Damn - the boy looked so much like his father! "But with your pride, I sense another trend in you, Inu no Taisho. For years you've scoffed at your birthright, and called the Tenseiga useless. Seems like you tend to cast things off without understanding their true value. You don't recognize what something's truly worth until it's nearly lost to you. You were so preoccupied with your brother's inheritance that you failed to appreciate the full power of your own! That's what got you in this predicament in the first place!"

Sesshoumaru said nothing. He turned back into the forge, his face the same bored mask of neutrality as he stared into the roaring flames.

"Oh - speaking of little brother, I hope the mutt is still is in one piece?!' Totosai inquired conversationally behind him, hoping to break the uneasy spell of silence from the taiyoukai.

Sesshoumaru threw him a scathing look. "More or less," he uttered, though his expression warned that he'd prefer either silence or to remain on the topic at hand.

Totosai shrugged. "Well, I've told you all I know and as I see it, MY LORD, you now have two choices," he pronounced airily.

Sesshoumaru's expression tightened in resentment and fury, but he appeared to be listening intently. The flames cast him in an eerie combination of ghostly shadows and otherworldly light, and his eyes glowed with wrath.

"ONE, you can kill Rin. You can simply strike her with the Tenseiga and re-absorb your power."

Sesshoumaru barked out a skeptical laugh. "You would DARE to tell this Sesshoumaru how to reclaim the power that has been stolen by HER?" he asked suspiciously. "You ARE even more foolish then I thought! What makes you think I won't simply destroy the girl and take MY youki back!?!"

"Simple," Totosai grumbled evenly, "You couldn't kill her all those years ago when you first found her --- when she meant nothing to you! If you couldn't do it then, there's NO way you can do it now, especially not since you've come to know her --- since you've come to CARE for her," he challenged. The old demon smiled calculatingly as Sesshoumaru's mouth opened, then snapped shut just as quickly.

"Ahhhh - you'll graciously allow me to continue!" the sword-smith joked. "TWO, you can take her back under your protection."

"You interfering, obnoxious, mindless --- you've been PLANNING this all along!" the taiyoukai bristled.

"You should be thanking me, you ungrateful pup!" Totosai snapped back, "I've given you a way to keep her AND your precious, over-blown, misguided, warped sense of dignity!"

"How did this all get started anyway?" the smith continued to rant, throwing his hands in the air. "Some half-demon questioned your relationship with her? Your friendship with her! If you're SO exalted, mighty and untouchable --- what does one opinion matter, anyway?!?" Totosai stomped his foot petulantly and waited for the taiyoukai's response.

Sesshoumaru's thoughts were in an uproar. Kill her or keep her? He WAS furious with himself that he had not paused to consider the full scope of his actions all those years ago. How could he be reduced to this? He drew the Tenseiga to regard the sword with a look of deep turmoil. Could he actually cut Rin down like some hated enemy? He cast a quick glance back to Totosai.

The old demon's smile was far too sweet and innocent, and Sesshoumaru had the sinking feeling that he was about to be decimated by some final, unforeseen blow.

"Oh, ohhh!" Totosai suddenly chimed out, clapping his gnarled hands together and hopping about the fire excitedly. "Say, I've just thought of a THIRD option! As her FORMER guardian, I invite you to help me find a suitable DEMON to be her mate!" he cackled. "That way she'd be cared for by something with enough strength to keep her safe, and the bond of your power would remain secure and secret!"

The taiyoukai rounded on him with a look of intense abhorrence. He suddenly found he wasn't concerned about his `stolen' power or his lofty image! How dare this crazy old creature suggest they pawn Rin off to slake the lust of some other pitiful youkai in exchange for --- he couldn't even think about it!

Totosai continued to ignore Sesshoumaru, paying no heed to the sizzle of youki in the air and his expression of profound disgust.

"Rin's got plenty of suitors these days!" he divulged with a sly wink. "You wouldn't believe how much business I've had since that pretty young thing came to stay with me! You should see how they fawn over her! The gifts! The compliments and flowing praise --- it never ends!"

Sesshoumaru reeled as if he'd been struck with the damn Kaze no Kizu. "NANDATO?" he gritted. "Who dares?"

He suddenly came to realize the thought of another youkai bedding her was even MORE distasteful than imagining her with a lowly human. He would never leave her to the heat or carnal hunger of another DEMON.

All of his doubts and angst and pride came down to this one thought --- Rin was his! He could keep her! The realization filled him with an equal mixture of horror, shock, trepidation, and strange delight. In his confusing, clamoring build of youki and unfamiliar emotion, he dimly became aware that scarlet was beginning to creep before his vision again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rin brought Momo down on the edge of a rocky precipice. The beast trembled, his loyalty to his master somewhat dampened by his instinctive fear. The girl dismounted and left the shaking bull on a lower shelf to continue on the narrow trail to the cavern on foot. She could see the foundry from here. There was the telling scorch of acid across the snow caps. Rin could smell those sharp, burning fumes again, and stared down at how the very rock of the mountain was melted. She KNEW the fearsome creature that did this, even without seeing those monstrous paw prints in the snow.

Sesshoumaru-sama was here. His anger and hate had apparently not cooled. She crept to the edge of the cliff, staring down into the darkness of a deep crevasse.

She was distracted by some loose gravel that had come dislodged and followed its progress as it echoed down the cliff face. Inuyasha's words suddenly hung heavy and weighed on her heart and mind. `Tell me, will you still feel such `loyalty' and `devotion' when he turns on you like an animal and claims your life!?'

All her life, she had kept out her hope, even in times of despair. She had always tried to make the best of everything, to see the good in any creature. She smiled at a quick thought and mental image of Jaken.

But she could find no reason to hope anymore.

To throw herself from this high point would be to deny Sesshoumaru his own power. Didn't Totosai say that the only way to reclaim it would be to kill her with the Tenseiga? Should she die another way, it would be lost to him forever. She wouldn't have to face him, wouldn't have to look in his eyes as he collected what was rightfully his. She took another step closer to the edge, watching blankly as a few more stones broke loose to disappear into the nothingness below. She thought of the time she had lost her footing and fallen while trying to obtain the Sensou no Mi to save Jaken after he'd been poisoned by the Saimyousho. Sesshoumaru-sama had arrived to save her at the last moment, streaking out of thin air to capture her in his arms.

There was no one to prevent her fall now --- no one would ever even know-

She leapt away from the rim with a choked sob. No - she couldn't do it. Just as she claimed to the hanyou, she would be faithful to him always --- even at the end. If not for Sesshoumaru her bones would still be rotting under the leaves in some forgotten corner of some far away, nameless forest. No matter how selfish his reasons, he HAD given her back her life.

She peered down into the seemingly endless darkness one last time, before turning to continue up to the forge. She would accept whatever fate Sesshoumaru had planned for her.

She turned and walked somberly into the cave, drawing a shaky breath at the appalling sight before her ---

Sesshoumaru stood wreathed in the shadows, growling with unmistakable threat. His eyes were steadily bleeding to crimson and the Tenseiga was drawn and held at the ready. She reached out blindly to support herself on the wall --- this was it. She gathered her courage and stepped forward bravely. She dropped her naginata, flinching as the metal clattered on the bare stone floor. The weapon was useless now anyway ---

Both the taiyoukai and the old demon jumped at the clamor and turned in surprise.

"Master?" she called out mournfully.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

nanda - more powerful/more masculine form of "what?"

nandato - "what did you say?"

Ookami - wolf

Sensou no Mi - the plant that Rin obtained to save Jaken when he was stung by the saimyosho --- filler episode but somewhat cute!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

SORRY IT LOOKS LIKE I UPDATED --- SOMETHING FUNNY IS HAPPENING WITH THIS STORY AND MY USER NAME. THE STORY KEEP'S DISAPPEARING?!?!?! Argh!