InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A new beginning, a new hope ❯ A Dreamer's heart ( Chapter 13 )

The eerie howling of the wind that night was extremely distracting even when Rin was snuggly tugged in her own bed. A storm appeared to be emerging from the west. Rin glanced out of the window only to marvel at how the whole sky was splashed with an obvious orangey red even in its pitched blackness. Hounded by insomnia, she lethargically climbed out of bed and stood in front of the full length mirror next to the door.

 

All the happenings of the day were vexingly etched in her mind, together with all her unresolved questions. The man in white, why did he disappear again? Will she ever see him again? Well, she had wanted to ask Keiko more of this mysterious intruder but the kid, as if trying to shun her, was no where to be found after dinner.

 

Tomorrow, I'll catch hold of her, she punched her fist right on left determinedly.

 

Looking into the mirror, Rin did some slight adjustments to her creased pajamas as she examined her own form in a slightly more inquisitive nature. She swept her unruly tresses to on one side of her shoulders, bunching and lifting them up as she turned to inspect the left edge of her neck under her chin. The reddish coarse imprint Koji had mentioned earlier on in the restaurant was definitely inflicted by her constant contact with the instrument. There wasn't any doubt about it. Almost every violinist she knew had one just like that.

 

She let her hand trace down to a silvery scar just below.

 

Now what's this? She was utterly confused. This looks nothing like a bruise from the viol.

 

Besides taking a strange metallic color, the mark felt nothing like the one on top. It was smooth to the touch as if cementing itself obstinately into her skin and becoming one with it. There was no pain, yet possessing a hint of a scent, something forestry and oceanic. Her brows constricted.

 

Is that a birthmark? She wouldn't know.

 

A gentle knock on the door brought her chains of thoughts to an abrupt halt. The visitor at this wee hour happened to be Sota and he was holding two cups of hot chocolate in his hands. He greeted her with the warmest smile though it was not reciprocated. Instead, Rin absently shifted to sit on the edge of her bed, her expression bland.

 

“Rin, are you alright? You didn't eat much at dinner just now.” The young man's concern finally caught her attention.

 

“Err.. I'm okay. Perhaps I had too much popcorn at the movie,” Rin was trying not to reveal too much. Somehow, she just didn't want to, not that she didn't trust Sota. It was just that she felt she needed to gather more information about it.

 

“I saw your light's still on. Thought you might like some coco,” he was not about to give up.

 

“Err.. thanks.” With that, she took over the cup and started blowing and sipping the creamy aromatic drink. “I have some problems sleeping again tonight.”

 

“Is it the dream again?” Sota moved to sit next to her.

 

“Err… no… I mean.. yes,” It was a white lie. She didn't want him to probe further.

 

The girl did not sound at all forthcoming this night and Sota instinctively knew that he shouldn't continue to hurl her with infringing questions any further. But something was seriously not right with her and he just couldn't leave her like this.

 

“Well, don't think so much. Remember? We have a long day tomorrow. It's the final rehearsal for the Christmas concert. There'll definitely be a huge party after that. I heard they're going to beach bar.” Sota rested his hand lightly on her shoulders.

 

“Yes, I know.” Rin suddenly recalled her shopping date with her friends. The gay brothers, with their relentless artful tactics, had managed to persuade her to get a set of bikini just for the occasion. She was still shy about parading around the whole beach with nothing but two three pieces of scanty swim wear.

 

“Oh please, you behave like an underage Oba-san.” Yumi had sneered at her. “Are you truly from this century? Everyone has at least five sets of bikinis in their wardrobes. I have ten.” She finished with a scandalous snigger and brought Rin close to whisper in her ears. “I bet even Uiru has at least three.” Rin giggled shaking her head while Yumi burst out in a hilarious laughter.

 

“Good that you know. Now go to sleep. I'll be here with you until you're asleep,” Sota took over her cup and proceeded to tug her in.

 

“Thanks. Good night.” Finding that she couldn't continue with her musings, Rin simply took the next best option. She let her eyes drift closed. Well, there's nothing much she could do now anyway.

 

As the Sota sat on the carpet just next to her bed, he too had a few things on his mind. He fixed rhythmic gazes at the girl as she rested so serenely under the covers, relishing such moments peaceful moments spent with her. Somehow, something had intuited him that his time together with the girl was painfully numbered.

 

**********************

 

“I'm going to watch TV,” Keiko hopped lithely off the chair, skipping out of the kitchen.

 

Rin's eyes carefully traced her every move. The kid wasn't going upstairs to her room at all. In fact, she was heading stealthily toward the direction of the front door. The girl was not about to let this opportunity slip her by once again.

 

She purposefully tailed after the hanyou kid, grabbing and lifting her by the collar at her nape as she struggled and squealed to break free.

 

“You! Come with me! I have lots to ask you. NOW!” Her tone was muffled but firm as she dragged the kid out to the yard.

 

After making it triply sure that no one had followed or noticed them, Rin sat the little hanyou facing her with a scrutinizing stare. Keiko was fidgeting as her eyes danced back and forth, obviously a clear display of guilt.

 

“Keiko,” she started calmly. “Tell me honestly, who was that next to you yesterday?”

 

“You mean the Oba-san?” The kid was still attempting to wriggle her way out of this.

 

“You KNOW who I'm talking about!” Rin's patience was running out.

 

“Oh him,” the little girl was seemingly cool about it even though Rin saw a tinkle of sweat falling from her forehead.

 

“Yes, him! Out with it now! Or I'll tell Kagome-san about you little accident yesterday. You won't be heading out much after that I assure you.” She taunted with a smirk, fully recognizing her hold on the girl.

 

“He.. he's just some nice passerby who just happened to help…” Keiko was stuttering as she bit on her fingers nervously.

 

“Yah right! Try again!” This time, Rin tugged on the hanyou's ears, causing her to flinch in pain. Subsequently, she struggled free and landed on the ground with a soft thud. Within a second, her expression transited to an intelligently sly one.

 

“Hmm, who do you think he is, Rin-chan?” She asked wryly, a lope-sided grin grazed across her tiny cheeks.

 

Rin was lost for words. Keiko had gotten to her again.

 

“Well, if you don't believe me, you must have SOME idea of your own WHO he is.” The kid persisted somewhat shrewdly.

 

Rin's eyes narrowed to a line as she peered at Keiko, totally at wits end how to response to these self checking questions thrown at her. The little hanyou seemed to have softened after noting the bemused signals from her elder counterpart.

 

“That's uncle moon.” She decided that perhaps it was time for Rin to know.

 

Rin's mind was once more in a frenzy whirl. Moon? Crescent? So, he is the one from her dream. But why? And how? She sighed helplessly shaking her head. All this, it's just way too taxing. Everything seemed to be piecing together in the most bazaar manner.

 

“Is he the so-called secret admirer you were talking about the other time?” She just had to ask.

 

“Are you hoping that he is?” Keiko winked smugly as she examined the telling response from Rin.

 

The girl of course shot her with the most threatening deathly stare and for a moment, the hanyou's smile dissipated.

 

“Yes.” The kid answered finally, not testing her luck further. She still adored Rin and didn't want to risk tanishing their relationship.

 

Rin stood up with unrestrained assurance.

 

I just knew it, she mused. I must ask her more.

 

“Tell me more about this secret admirer, uncle moon, you say? What's his name? Where does he come from? How did you know him?”

 

“Rinnnnn, how am I going to answer everything all at once?” The kid was gasping for breath now.

 

“I have time.” Rin's voice was determined.

 

The hanyou kid's eyes lit up for a second. Apparently, another one of her little schemes was formulating in her mind, this time, a much simpler one, more of a need.

 

“It's so hot today.” Rin looked at Keiko apprehensively as the kid began her response. “Some ice-cream can really help me think better.”

 

`You want ice-cream? There's some in the fridge. I can get it for you.” Rin was about to head back to the house when the kid pulled her back.

 

“No, that's yucky. I want to go to that real cool ice-cream parlor down the street. I was thinking about the one on the menu with seven different flavors of your choice with seven wet toppings and seven dry toppings, complemented with three types of fudges, chocolate, mocha and butter scotch.” She managed all that in a breath.

 

Rin's jaws dropped, her hazel eyes widened extensively.

 

“You mean the `death wish'? But that's for like eight people to share.”

 

“You don't have to worry about me.” The kid merely shrugged impassively. “I can manage.”

 

That was an out front black mailing attempt from the kid and Rin found that she couldn't do anything about it. She was left with no choice, totally at the mercy of the hanyou. If she wanted to find out more about this moon fellow, she'll have to pay the price.

 

*******************

Seated with much exasperation, Rin watched in pure awe as the hanyou went about the she-thought impossible task of finishing an enormous order of ice-cream by herself.

 

I don't know how she does it but … the girl wondered while trying to catch a glimpse of Keiko, who was so blocked by the gigantic bowl in front of her puny form. She also noticed, in her dismay, that there was absolutely no way that Kagome wouldn't find out this little pigging out session. The kid had ice-cream not only in her mouth but everywhere else as well, her cheeks, her nose, her clothes. Well, witty as she was, she's still an eight-year-old. But Keiko didn't mind. It was obvious. A satisfactory smile was dangling on her cheeks the whole time.

 

I'm glad at least SOMEONE's happy, Rin sighed as she eye balled the little girl who was now looking up at her, FINALLY.

 

“So, I'm waiting,” Rin decided to explicitly show her lack of patience.

 

“Well, uncle moon, to me, he's really tall and suave. His hair's really long and cool..” Keiko's gaze was still fixed on her task.

 

“”You know I'm not asking all these. I can see all that with my own eyes!” Rin slammed both her hands on the table to show her rising agitation.

 

The hanyou gulped.

 

“Tell me, this uncle moon, what's his real name?” The girl found the need to be more specific in her questionings.

 

Keiko merely shrugged her shoulders.

 

“Right, great! You don't know. Fancy that you've been all round town with someone whom you don't even know his name.” She drew a deep breath to collect herself and started again nonchalantly this time. “Where is he from? What does he do?”

 

“Err.. he's from far away. He's merely here for err… business, sort of an expatriate.” The kid was scrambling with her words again, Rin noted.

 

“Expat? What kind of business is he in?” A hint of suspicion arose in the girl.

 

“Erm.. It's purely project base.” The kid's making it up as it came.

 

“What sort of project?” Rin wasn't going to just let it go, not this time, especially after spending a bomb on her not so little portion of dessert.

 

“Err.. well now, he's here to err… reclaim some properties that's under his name.” That came pretty close to the truth, the hanyou concluded. Technically, she wasn't lying.

 

“What kind of properties?” Rin pursued till the kid could no longer stand it.

 

“I dunno, I'm just a kid!” Keiko forged an indignant face.

 

The girl was silent for a moment as she observed the little pouting girl opposite her with a most apprehensive look. Finally after some passing minutes, she nodded in agreement.

 

“Okay, I'll buy that. But how on earth did you know him and so well until you become his little messenger? And how did he know me?” She had wanted to ask this for a long time.

 

“I dunno. It kind of just happened.” The hanyou replied coolly after seemingly much thought.

 

“What do you mean it just happened?” Rin thundered. She just couldn't stand it anymore. Sure, take me as a fool, she mused. You kind of just know him. He kind of just asked you to be his little delivery girl. He kind of just knew that you know me. How can anything be so absurdly coincidental?

 

For the first time, Keiko let out a surrendering sigh. Things are certainly not going well on her side. She had better turn the table around, and fast.

 

“Rin-chan, these are all little things.” A smile returned to her tiny face with renewed buoyancy. “The most important question IS… Do you like him too?”

 

A flash of red shot up the girl's neck painting her cheeks straight away.

 

“I… I…,” She just couldn't find the words. “I don't even know him.” She finished with almost an inaudible whisper.

 

She agreed to her own response. It was true that she didn't know him, unless she considered all those times in her dreams. Then, she'd have known him for at least five years? But Rin wasn't prepared to divulge any of these to the kid.

 

“I can arrange for a meeting, a date perhaps, you know, you and him?” The kid spoke so affirmatively that Rin's eyes twinkled for a second with anticipation, much to her own self disapproval.

 

“You can? Really?” She couldn't hide the enthusiasm in her tone. She had secretly wished for it so badly but was just too abashed to ask.

 

“Well, maybe.” On second thoughts, Keiko pondered about Sesshoumaru's difficulties and her parents' unyielding orders asking her not to interfere with any of these, not that she had listened in the first place. “He's very shy.” She finished somewhat not so confidently as before.

 

Rin thought of how her secret admirer had run as if for his dear life the day before and sighed resignedly.

 

I guess he could be, she concluded inwardly.

 

****************************

Coming up next week:

 

Bikinis, Babes and Sesshoumaru?!?

 

Summary: How will Sesshoumaru react to a wild Hawaiian beach party filled with loud music, alcohol and scantily dressed babes including His Rin?

 

See ya then…

evil_buny ^-^