Sesshomaru
He had my father's saber. I could feel that familiar darkness that called to me before I even saw it.
And this was my perfect opportunity to get it back, to kill this bastard. This saber would give me everything I could ever imagine. With it, I would be the strongest demon in the world. It was stronger than even Tetusaiga.
That should have been reason enough to pursue this demon. He stood there, a challenging glint in his eyes. But I was caught off guard by the amount of blood, Rin's blood, that covered his hands, that dripped down the stone. I was frozen at her frail body on the stone.
The demon sneered before disappearing in a cloud of smoke, taking the saber with him.
Usually I would have gone after him. But right now, I didn't care. I rushed to Rin's side, cupping her pale face in my hands
I glanced down at the blood that covered her torn clothing. Her skin was drenched in her own blood, the fair color of her skin unnoticeable underneath it all.
There is no way she could have survived this. Her breathing, her heart beat, had slowed and was growing more faint by the second.
"Don't worry, my Lord. The wound will close soon enough. That's one of the powers Lord Tatsuo's saber has."
Lord Tatsuo.
Tatsuo.
No wonder he sounded and acted familiar. That arrogant bastard.
I should have known. I should have assumed so. They acted the exact same. This human form he chose to take, it threw me off. I thought he was just another stuck up Lord under the manipulation of a blood thirsty demon. I was wrong.
But it also made me curious as to why he chose to take the form of a human. When I fought him last, his true form was a force to be reckoned with.
And the last time I remembered, he was stronger than he is now. Perhaps he's limiting the use of his own power, relying solely on the saber. Yes, that must be it.
I watched as the girl wiped away Rin's blood with a rag, revealing her bare stomach without a single scratch.
I knew the saber had unmatchable abilities. But torturing a body and then to heal it all over again to inflict pain over and over again was extreme. A strategy created by the gods.
I let the girl finish cleaning Rin off, giving her some space as I stepped outside. I tried to sense the direction the saber had gone off to, but I couldn't even make out a single clue. It was like any trace of the weapon disappeared into thin air.
"Lord Sesshomaru." I turned to see the girl setting down a bucket. Blood covered her from head to toe. I nodded to her.
"Go get cleaned up." I said, walking past her and down into the cellar.
The servant girl had completely cleaned Rin from head to toe and dressed her in a plain white kosode with blue hakamas. She even cleaned off the blood that stained the stone, even though few remnants of Rin's blood remained.
I approached her slowly, relieved to see that she was sleeping peacefully. I placed my hand over her stomach, feeling the thickness of a new bandage underneath.
I couldn't believe I wasn't able to save her in time, again. Whenever she needed me the most, I either wasn't there, or failed to arrive in time to protect her from harm. I kept telling myself that taking her with me was necessary. I had many enemies, and if they found out I had a connection with a human, I knew they would find her to get to me. And only one was successful in doing so. This proved to me Inuyasha and his human wife were incapable of protecting her. And yet this incident proved that I couldn't protect her the way I wanted to anymore. Taking her with me on this journey just placed her in more danger. She attracted my greatest enemy, and the one weapon I longed to get my hands on.
Either way, I couldn't complete this quest without Rin suffering as a result. Leaving her behind now, giving her back to Lady Kaede, would make her an open target. Tatsuo already knew about her. The saber wanted her.
It was more important now that I protect her and not let her out of my sight. Tatsuo was unpredictable. It was easy when he just wanted my head, but not he wanted the one person I cared about most.
I needed to take care of him before he could get to Rin again. I couldn't let that happen again.
-
Rin
I shot up, my hand flying to my stomach, expecting blood to pool out and the most horrific pain of my life.
Only there was nothing. I was in a new set of clothes, the pain from my stomach gone. The only pain I felt was the burning sensation that I was now learning to numb out.
I smiled when I realized that I was wrapped in Lord Sesshomaru's cloak, his comforting scent calming my already restless nerves.
I glanced around, my surroundings similar to the room I had at the demon's castle.
Panic rose in me as the thought of him still being here ran through my mind. That last thing I remembered was Lord Sesshomaru's golden eyes looking at me across the room before I succumbed to darkness.
My questions were answered when the door slid open, revealing the girl. The servant girl.
"You saved my life. You came back for me." I said in relief the moment she stepped inside. I remembered seeing her with Lord Sesshomaru, knowing she had brought him to me.
"It was the right thing to do." She said, giving me a small smile as she approached me. "How are you feeling?"
"Good. Surprisingly. Thank you." I said as she knelt down in front of me. "Is.. is the Lord of the Castle-"
"-he is gone. For now." She assured me.
"What is your name?"
"Lataya."
"Why don't you leave, Lataya?"
"He.. Lord Tatsuo saved my life, seven years ago."
That name.. Tatsuo... it sounded familiar, like I've heard it before in a dream.
My eyes widened, my jaw dropping as I came to the realization.
Lord Tatsuo is a demon, a demon that saved this girl's life... It sounded like Lord Sesshomaru and myself.
Except Lord Sesshomaru wasn't a sadistic, bloodthirsty killer, who only saved Lataya to just feed off of her.
Speaking of Lord Sesshomaru, where is he?
"Where's Lord Sesshomaru?"
"He's gone!! Lord Sesshomaru is gone!!!" Master Jaken answered my question when he barged in, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Master Jaken?"
He didn't even address me when he ran up to me. "He's gone! He's left us and A-un, again!!" He cried.
"What?! When?!" I took a hold of his face, in attempt to calm him down when I myself was also freaking out inside.
"He was just here an hour ago!"
"Okay, okay Master Jaken please don't cry.." I tried to comfort him, but it was difficult what I was freaking out myself on the inside.
He wouldn't just leave us. I don't believe it. Instantly I shot up to my feet, heading right for the door.
"Thank you for taking care of us, Lataya. But I'm afraid we have to go chase down Lord Sesshomaru.." I glanced behind me and told her as I dragged a sobbing Master Jaken outside.
I weaved through the house, quickly realizing that this was just a large house and not the castle, frantically trying to find A-un. I received strange looks from a few villagers as I dragged Master Jaken behind me, who was still having an emotional breakdown.
"A-un!!" I shouted once we reached the stables. But the little beast wasn't there. After a few minutes of walking around the village of sorrows, with Master Jaken who had stopped crying and decided to make himself useful, I stopped to take a break, the burning sensation in my legs building up yet again.
I gasped when I heard a loud thud behind me. I turned around to see A-un approach us.
"A-un! Where have you been!" I rushed over to the beast, giving him a hug, with Master Jaken at my side.
A-un wrapped its necks around me in response.
"We have to go look for Lord Sesshomaru now, ok?" I told A-un as I crawled onto his back, pulling Master Jaken up with me.
I wrapped Lord Sesshomaru's cloak tighter around me as A-un took off into the air.
_
Sesshomaru
I could smell Rin's scent faintly. She was approaching me quickly, on A-un, I presumed.
I stood on the edge of a cliff that overlooked a deep valley, the hum of the wind sending a calming energy over me.
I felt the saber's energy, along with Tatsuo's, but only for a moment. But it was enough to bring me closer to what I wanted.
I ignored the guilt that had built up inside of leaving Rin behind, but I reminded myself that it wouldn't be for long. I just had to kill Tatsuo and take back what he took from me.
But of course she was more stubborn than I as her scent was stronger, A-un's demonic energy coming closer.
I didn't even turn around when they landed behind me minutes later.
I could hear Rin's nervous breathing as the sound of her feet planted on the ground.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken cried out as he appeared before me.
"Stop crying." I said as I gave him a brief glance, his eyes widening at my command. I could tell he had been crying, and still was.
"Y-yes my lord!"
"Why did you leave us?" The pain in Rin's voice was evident as she stepped in front of me, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.
"Not even a day into this journey and you've almost died." I stated.
"It wasn't your fault." She assured me, a frown forming on her face.
"A-un will be taking you back to the village." I told her, breaking her gaze.
"A-un will be staying with you, along with me, and there is nothing you can do about it. And besides. The village of sorrows is no longer safe."
"Being here with me isn't any safer. Leave. This isn't your fight."
"That demon tried to kill me with a sword that he refers to as his toy. It's just as much my fight now as it is yours."
"You got dragged into this mess because of me. I never should have brought you with me."
Rin shook her head. "This is the most exciting thing that has happened to me in a long time. Stop worrying about me. I've survived this far so far."
"This journey will either result in my possible death or yours." I warned trying to intimidate her.
"Then I just have to get stronger and heal faster. You don't control me, Lord Sesshomaru. You never have. I know you just want to protect me, but I'm not that little girl anymore. Although I haven't proven myself so far, I can fight. I can heal.
I want to be with you. Why is that so hard for you to understand??"
I grabbed her wrist, pulling her against my chest. I could feel the racing of her heart, as she wrapped her arms around my back.
"He's here." I spoke into her ear. Right underneath us, his energy appeared, stronger than before.
And then the ground shook underneath us.
-
edited 12/27/2019