InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A new beginning, a new hope ❯ the difficulty in forgetting the past ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me. I'm just a fan of all the characters in it. I heard they might be having a second series for Inuyasha. Can't wait for that to happen.

 

Anyway, what you're about to read is actually a sequel of the one I wrote earlier. “Kagura's resolution, Sesshoumaru's heart” So if you wanna find out what happened before this, you're welcome to check out my previous fanfiction.

 

As for those who are tuning in to this sequel because you read the other one, I just wanna thank you for your support. Please give your reviews so that I know if any changes are needed to make reading more enjoyable for you.

 

evil_buny

 

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The moisture settling on the damp undergrowth glinted as the beams of early light reflected radiantly upon them. A silhouette of a four legged figure headed purposefully toward the goshinboko, the sacred tree. Thoroughly drenched from the unremitting storm the night before, Rin's teeth could not cease chattering as her lips turned to a sickly purple. She hopped down the leathery saddle of Aun and landed slovenly on the ground. It had been a long and tiring journey, she was cold, wet and hungry. However, Rin's mind was not at all focused on all these trivial things, her thoughts distant. She turned emotionlessly and beckoned Aun to close in as she whispered into its ear.

 

“Aun, please don't tell Sesshoumaru-sama where I am,” Rin's voice was shaky and muted.

 

The bi-headed dragon let out a faint grunt, slicking out its tongue to lick the girl's face sloppily and moving its head to brush her pale cheeks. The girl recognized instantly these telling gestures.

 

“Yes, I'll miss you too, Aun, very much,” A tear shimmered at the corner of her eye. “Now, go.”

 

Watching intently as the back view of the dragon gradually minimized into the clouds, Rin heaved a soft sigh. She had sent away the very last thing that had a relation to her master. From this moment onward, she was totally on her own. All of a sudden, the forest had turned denser than ever and the atmosphere around her had never seemed more unknown and threatening now that she was no longer with her lord. Then she spotted the sacred tree, its magnificent boughs towering almost to the heavens. Its gently rustling leaves created a soothing therapeutic rhythm and Rin closed her eyes for a moment to enjoy its serene song.

 

“The Goshinboko, Kagome-san and Inuyasha-sama should be near,” she muttered faintly.

 

Sesshoumaru had mentioned before that Inuyasha was bounded and sealed to this tree by the priestess Kikyo for almost fifty years. She also recalled that whenever her master wished to seek out Inuyasha and the miko, Kagome, he would always be able to locate them here. It had appeared that they had been residing in the small ningen village just a short distance from here. Kagome. Rin remembered the several past encounters with the lady. Although she had a strange taste in dressing, the miko had showered her constantly with kindness and concern. She was not a bit like Inuyasha, who was always huffing and grumbling, well mostly directed not at her but at his full-fledged demon half brother actually. The two of them never did get along well, even after all these years.

 

“I'd better hurry….”Rin found that her breathing was becoming more and more labored and her vision of the surrounding was blurring out. “I must get there….. before…”

 

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“One-chan, one-chan, are you alright?” A tiny little voice echoed in Rin's ears, rousing her as she came to gradually. She fell back in shock as she found herself gazing into a pair of large amber eyes, however, from a small pear shaped face. It was a little girl and she was grinning from side to side as though she was unreservedly overjoyed about something.

 

Rin shifter nearer to make a more thorough inspection of her features. She was not human. Definitely. Well, at least not totally, her short silver hair and those all-too-familiar amber eyes were the signs just screaming out her mysterious identity.

 

“This is Keiko, our daughter,” Rin rubbed her eyes to clear her vision only to capture two shadowy figures coming through the entrance. It was Kagome and Inuyasha. “We haven't seen you for a while, Rin-chan… three years or even more?” Kagome settled beside her while Inuyasha went to tend to Keiko, who was attempting adventurously now to climb out through the window.

 

“Yes,” the girl could only manage a hushed clipped answer, still having absolutely no idea how to even begin to relate her story to them.

 

The miko was sensitive enough to detect the tensed emotions stirring within the young girl in front of her. She placed her palm on her shoulders, patting and gently massaging them to calm her down.

 

“Now, my dear, what brings you here?” She enquired, her tone earnest and caring.

 

Rin did not respond but only directed her gaze to the floor grazing her fingernails through the straw mat, her spirits still low.

 

“Is it something to do with …… Sesshoumaru?” The miko was smart. She knew.

 

At the mere mention of that name which had brought to her life as much joy as agony, Rin could no longer let her deep rooted turmoil lie hidden. Her tears fell fast and free as she clang on to Kagome, sobbing uncontrollably. Taken aback by the implications of this sudden outburst, the miko waved at Inuyasha with an eye signal, beckoning him to vacant the premises. The hanyou just rolled his eyes impatiently, gave a snarl and proceeded to exit carrying Keiko in his arms.

 

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“Papa, papa, why are trees so tall?” Keiko peered down beneath her through the crimson sleeves of the half demon but Inuyasha was not paying attention to her, his eyes closed and deep in his own thoughts. Even as the two of them were seated high up on one of the protruding branches of the Goshinboko, the hanyou kid was still struggling to break free rather enthusiastically causing Inuyasha to turn and see what the distraction could be. When he caught sight of Kagome approaching from a distance, he simply just let go of the girl, ignoring the murderous stares shot toward him from his wife.

 

“Inuyasha! How could you…..” Kagome just managed to begin her statement when Keiko, after escaping from the grasp of her father, nimbly glided down the broad trunk of the sacred tree and landed steadily on the grass.

 

“Kah…. She's my girl. That's why. This height's nothing to her,” Inuyasha scoffed somewhat blandly.

 

“BUT SHE'S STILL ONLY THREE!” The miko's voice exploded through the air, setting the leaves of the tree shaking violently.

 

After Kagome had recovered from the horror of witnessing the little death defying stunt by her three-year-old, she took a deep breath before starting calling out to her husband.

 

“Inuyasha, come down. We need to talk. I mean, about Rin.”

 

The hanyou descended from the boughs dexterously and settled himself next to his mate. Kagome was about to relate to him all that Rin had told her back in the village when Inuyasha merely cut her off crudely.

 

“Kah… I heard everything from here. To tell you the truth, there's little we can do for her.” His voice was cold and rather unfeeling.

 

“But why? We can take her in. She wanted so much to forget about the past and start anew. I wondered what could have made her decide to do such a thing. Did Sesshoumaru treat her badly? You know how that brother of yours is like.” Rin had obviously not told the miko everything.

 

“I dunno, well, unless you consider mating her as treating her badly.” Inuyasha's voice was still cool and calm.

 

“Sesshoumaru what? How did you know? Rin didn't mention anything about that. I thought he despises humans. Did he force her to…...” Kagome felt her head getting cloudier by the second.

 

“Kah… How would I know? All I can say is he did it. That scar on her neck... he had marked her and that scent….” The hanyou's eyes drifted closed as he recalled the scent from the girl reeking strongly of recent mating. “Sesshoumaru will come for her soon enough. We can't hide her from him forever.”

 

Kagome sighed and both were silent for several moments as if they were wracking their brains for the perfect solution for this rather sticky situation.

 

“If the girl merely desires to forget about her past with the demon lord, perhaps I can be of some help.” A low somber voice emerged from behind some shrubs. It was the old miko Kaede.

 

“Kaeda-baba,” Kagome was curious to find out more. “What do you mean? What can you do?”

 

“There is an ancient spell that I know of,” the old miko began while playing with her chin, her eyes shut with a solemn expression. “However, there are two problems.”

 

Kaede paused for a while only to realize that the two were rather anxiously awaiting her to continue. And so she let out a snipped cough and continued.

 

“Not only will the girl forget about the demon lord, she would forget everything.”

 

“EVERYTHING? You mean her whole life up till now, she would not remember even a single bit of it?” Kagome had difficulty keeping her voice down.

 

“Yes, everything. It would mean she had to start all over again, much like a new-born baby.”

 

“And what's the other problem of this lousy spell of yours, Kaede-ba-chan,” Inuyasha gave a scowl of extreme dissatisfaction.

 

“Well, we have to get her far away from the Sesshoumaru, they cannot….” The hanyou did not wish to indulge himself in listening on to more of such useless information.

 

“Of course. Kah…We'll have to do THAT even if she still retains her memory. What I want to know is WHERE!”

 

Kagome was swift to intercept her ever-annoying hubby. “Well, that's only if Rin herself wished for that. It is a major decision you know. Her whole life would change drastically. We can't just decide……”

 

“I will,” a soft voice echoed from behind the four. “Rin is willing to go through with this.”

 

“Rin-chan, you are sure? Do you know that you'll….” Kagome was concerned that the girl needed to be informed of the full effects of this ancient spell.

 

“I know. I heard everything.” Rin's response was firm. She needed to, she mused. She has to. She had left her master. There's no provision left for contemplation. If she couldn't remember, perhaps… perhaps then she wouldn't have to keep her feet from running uncontrollably back to his embrace within less than a month of separation.

 

“Well, that's a start.” And pointing to Kaede, the hanyou proceeded on, “You'll do that and I'll think of where to put her where it is difficult for Sesshoumaru to find her,” Inuyasha hopped to his feet and strutted off with Keiko tailing behind him animatedly.

 

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Shortly after Kaede had completed her chants, Rin retreated herself from the hut despite Kagome's strong objections and the young miko had her reasons. It would take the spell a while to take effects. If Rin was off into the forest on her own, she wouldn't be able to remember her way back to the village. In fact, she wouldn't even remember HER. However, fully empathizing with the young girl and knowing her inner torment, she could not refuse her request.

 

She needed time alone. I'll go after her in a while. She would not go far, the young miko pondered to herself, simultaneously crossing her fingers hoping that her husband had by now cooked some brilliant plan where to settle the girl.

 

As she made her way along the forestry path, Rin tried hard to recall every bit of information about her beloved master, for the last time. She trailed all the way back to the first time she met him, how she was filled with awe just admiring his feral form. He was so handsome, strong and suave. Her memories also fell to their travels in search of Naraku and the numerous times which he so fervently came to her rescue. Even now, Rin could not understand how he always managed to appear at the last possible moment.

 

Suddenly, Rin gasped. How could she be so blind? All these years, Sesshoumaru, he must have been constantly watching her very move, protecting her. Without giving such amounts of attention, he couldn't have been capable of what he did. The girl's breath hitched again when she recalled that night at the spring. How would he be able to retrieve her from the waters if he hadn't followed her there? And not only that night, he must have followed her every time she visited the spring on her own! If he didn't care, if he didn't truly LOVE her, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths. She had come to know that her master cared little about most things around him, always being cold and indifferent.

 

She became more agitated as she recalled their last conversation after they made love, just before his departure. He had mentioned that he wished to attend to some urgent matters and that he would be back to give her an answer, an indication to his intentions for their future together. Perhaps, he had already decided to give their relationship a try. Why didn't she just wait to confirm that? Rin found her breaths now coming in deep laden pants. And where was her master going? Urgent matters? A pricking realization stabbed the girl as she struggled weakly to hold on to the edge of the well where she had ventured to unknowingly.

 

He had gone to hunt down Kagura, to seek to redress what she had suffered! There's where he went! He was doing all that for her sake and all she did to repay him was to abandon him, to unfeelingly wash away everything about their life together. What has she done?

 

Rin shook her head, cursing her silly impulsive behaviour. She was hysterical.

 

What should I do now? I don't want to forget him, to forget everything. I… I love him, her thoughts were exploding within her.

 

She figured frantically that it was too late to make her way back to the ningen village from the well to undo the spell. She had to do something to help herself remember Sesshoumaru…. And FAST! An idea struck her. She pulled out a little scrape of paper from her sleeves and began desperately rummaging round for a twig. Then, she proceeded to scribble a rough sketch of her lord to the best of her ability. She had only begun a couple of strokes when she felt her vision smudging and everything in front of her was gradually fading away.

 

“Rin-chan, what are you doing?” Kagome closed in on the girl, her brows were twisted with a genuine worried expression. Seeing the obvious hints of what the girl was attempting to do, the miko tried to take it away. “Rin, are you alright? Let me hold that for you. You need to sit down.” The young miko went up to assist her to keep balance but was met with a firm show of retaliation from the girl.

 

“Kagome-san, I don't want to forget. I love…..” Rin struggled free of Kagome's clasp only to find herself losing balance and tipping and falling backward.

 

“Rin…..” the miko reached to catch her and both ladies fell straight into the well. Instantly, a lustrous burst of radiant light surfaced from beneath the well and in the next moment, they were gone.