InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bring Me to life ❯ With Care ( Chapter 14 )

Disclaimer: I own Sesshoumaru. MUWHAHAHAHAHAHHAH!!!! Ok ok. That's not true, I don't… LET ME LIVE A LITTLE!!!!

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With Care

The warm midday wind caressed his face as he rode the sky with his woman in his hands. Sesshoumaru could hear her soft breathing against his neck, making his skin shrill. He held her fragile figure against his manly form protectively, as if she was the most valuable treasure of the world. The terrible gashes from the neko youkai's blast had gone, but the bloodstains remained. The kimono was soaked in purple and red, staining also Sesshoumaru's robes.

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

Sesshoumaru could feel the presence of a human as he arrived at the castle grounds. His eyes flashed red when the thought of someone intruding his castle crossed his mind. Holding Rin's body tightly against his chest, he headed towards the intruding human. Sesshoumaru went through the orchards, passed the fountains that circled the castle, drawing nearer to the trespasser. The human carelessly walked in Sesshoumaru's direction, unknowingly if the danger he or she was. Sesshoumaru's adrenaline kicked in for a moment, and he stepped forward to face the mortal.

To Sesshoumaru's surprise the trespasser was a small human girl, about eight to nine years of age. Her long hair was raven, and her eyes emerald green. She was wearing a short yellow kimono, a bit worn out, but still fashionable. In fact, the little girl reminded Sesshoumaru of Rin when she was that age. When she finally spoke was when Sesshoumaru recognized her; she was the little girl from the village earlier.

"Eeep!! Gomen nasai, Sesshoumaru-sama!!! Gomen!!" the little girl muttered, kneeling and lowering her head pleadingly.

"What is your name and what are you doing here?" Sesshoumaru asked coolly.

"M-my name is S-shino, m-my lord. I came here because I heard a scream…" The body in Sesshoumaru's hands had captured Shino's attention. "Is that the lady Rin?"

"…" Sesshoumaru nodded in response to her question. `Lady…?'

"…Is she alive?" Sesshoumaru nodded again. "Hai!!" Shino smiled brightly at the news. She turned her heels to leave, but stopped slightly and waved back to Sesshoumaru.

"I'll be back!" Shino ran off before he could react properly. `She will be back? Hmm…' Sesshoumaru looked down at Rin's dormant face and sighed; he tightened the grip on her body a little more, and headed inside the castle's safety.

Sesshoumaru passed the main gates into the great room; then avoided all sorts of debris from different parts of the room. He climbed the stairway and the northern wing stairs. He carefully intruded the seemingly forgotten hallway, and then he entered the door to Rin's impeccable room. He walked to her bed and gently placed her on it, brushing gently the hair out of her face. Sesshoumaru felt odd for a moment, feeling as if he had been in this exact same position before. He then realized that he had; ten years ago, the night she had been attacked by the second time in her life by wolves and almost had lost her. When he had returned her to her room, he had placed her on her bed just as this night. Back then; he had saved her from almost certain death, just as this time. He admired her feminine features once again, as he leaned in closer to her face. He could feel he even breathing in his cheeks, and he pressed his lips softly against hers. Sesshoumaru smiled gently as he thought, `Here we are… once again… oh Rin. I already miss you so…'

Sesshoumaru sighed sadly and rose from the bed and walked to the balcony. The afternoon sun prickled against his skin as the breeze blew his hair. He also had been in this position ten years ago… when Rin had left in that wretched violet carriage, crying because of him. `Kami, I hate to remember that…' But at least now he was at peace; no one would take his mate from him ever again. `She is mine and nobody else's.' A little voice in his mind added, `And you are her's, Sesshoumaru…' Knowing that this was very true, he chuckled slightly.

The sun and the breeze were getting the better of him as he lost track of time and was suddenly feeling very tired and needing for sleep. `I could use a nap alongside Rin…' But the thought was abruptly brushed off as he felt humans trespassing his grounds once again. His nerves were calmed down by the acknowledgement that the humans were familiar to him. One was the village girl called Shino; the other was an old woman.

Sesshoumaru sighed in relief. "Haneto."

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

Descending the last step of the stairs, Sesshoumaru saw Haneto and Shino through one of the large windows of the room. He opened the large wooden doors of the castle and greeted the two with his nonchalant stare.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, Haneto-chan asked me to guide her to you!" Shino said eagerly. Sesshoumaru only turned his eyes on the old woman behind Shino. Her white hair was tied in a bun behind her head and her robes were saggy. Her amethyst eyes looked straight back at Sesshoumaru.

"Yes… Renu told me that Shino came to visit you against her mother's whishes. When I found her she informed me what she had seen, and I told her to take me to you." A small smile was spreading in her lips. "I believe Lady Rin resides within the castle?"

"Yes she does. Whatever business you have with her I can manage."

"Sesshoumaru let me inform you that it was I that took her under my care for the last ten years." Her tone was suddenly more serious.

Sesshoumaru took in what he had been said for a moment, then spoke clearly, "I believe she trusts you and is well acquainted with you?"

"Yes."

"Then you will stay here as her care taker for if there is a time that I may not be present." His voice was firm and he wouldn't accept any objections. Not that Haneto would have any.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Shino's shy voice asked. Sesshoumaru looked at her as his response. Her breathing halted a bit at his stare on her.

"Can I stay here to take care of Rin too?" Sesshoumaru would have objected automatically, but Shino's resemblance of a younger Rin got the better of him. Her pleading emerald eyes didn't let him deny her anything. Even a sudden wave of protectiveness rushed in him.

"…You may." Shino's eyes lighted up instantly at the words. Haneto looked at him fondly; Rin had apparently transformed the youkai's heart.

"Domo arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama!! …I'll go tell my mother that I will be staying here!" Her brightened expression told Sesshoumaru he had done the right thing. She hurried in direction to the village.

Haneto smiled sweetly as Shino disappeared into the green forest, then she fixed her eyes onto Sesshoumaru's, who looked back. "Shall we go inside? Preferably to where Rin resides."

"…" Sesshoumaru nodded and led the way.

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

Once they entered the door Haneto let out a small gasp, when she saw the bloody Rin. He didn't want to have to explain it all now, so he decided he was going to know what happened to Rin in those ten years she wasn't by his side.

"Haneto, why do you say Rin spent the last ten years under your care?" He was serious.

"Because she did, Sesshoumaru."

"How did this happen?" He demanded.

"She explained to me when I found her." Deciding she would tell the whole story, she took in some air. "I recognized her because of the yellow kimono she was wearing that day… Ehem. Her expression had been tainted, not longer joyful," `as you told me she was.' She though adding to her sentence, but she didn't. Even though it had been indirect, she knew what he had meant.

Sesshoumaru was about to interrupt when she followed. "What had tainted her innocence, you may ask? No she had not been harmed, physically at least. Psychologically she must have been torn--"

"Get to the point Haneto!!" She was starting to get on his nerves.

Haneto gave him a strange look. "After her carriage exited your lands, a bandit gang assaulted it."

"I knew I shouldn't have let her go!!!" Haneto could see sadness and rage building within his eyes. His fists were closed tightly and shaking. Haneto raised her brow at his burst out comment.

"Knowing you Sesshoumaru, you probably told her to leave on some stupid pretense. You probably couldn't look at her in the eyes." Her tone was scornful. Seeing his reaction she had nailed the issue. His eyes darkened with sorrow, saying nothing. Haneto inwardly congratulated herself for knowing him so well. To cut the awkward silence she went on with the story.

"She was not harmed physically, as I have already said. But," She took a deep breath. "She saw her aunt and uncle being murdered." Both of them looked instantly at Rin, who lay there sleeping peacefully. Haneto looked at her with a pitiful look. Sesshoumaru looked at Rin with a longing expression. `I'm so sorry Rin… I should have never let you go… you must have been so alone…' Sesshoumaru mentally hated himself for being so foolish. He just wanted to kick himself so hard… `I honestly don't deserve you… you gave your life so easily for mine when I had made you suffer so much…' Small tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he recalled her terrible death.

///Flashback\\\

I watched in awe as Rin materialized in front of me. Rin positioned herself between Nekosu's blow and me with her arms open side to side, facing me.

Nekosu's blow came into contact with Rin's back, and a mix of red and purple colored the blood that spurted out of her mouth. I stretched out my arm to protect her. "Rin…!"

My eyes widened as I saw Rin mouthing the words. "Sumimasen… Aishiteru…" My heart fell from my chest as tears fell from her russet eyes. Everything seemed to be played in slow motion.

Rin fell on her knees to the blood-spattered floor.

As her body leaned forward, the air revolted her black hair with silver streaks.

Rin's body plummeted on top of me, allowing me a view of her back. The wound Nekosu's poison had created was horrible. Three diagonal stripes cut the silky cloth of her kimono, along with her pale skin.

Purple blood poured out from it, tainting everything it touched.

I held my breath as I turned over her body.

Her face was pale and her lips had taken a bluish tone.

I swallowed hard as I noticed her breathing was gone. I put my ear on her chest.

My heart broke and my soul shattered. Her heartbeat was gone.

Rin was dead.

///End of flashback\\\

`I'M SUCH AN IMBECILE!!!' Sesshoumaru's hands were on his face as he sobbed loudly. He could feel the warm tears on his cheeks. Suddenly aware of Haneto present in the room he attempted to wipe his tears, but Haneto's voice made him stop.

Her voice was low and careful. "What happened to her?"

His red eyes met hers; his voice was low and severe. "After you finish your story."

"Very well. After she escaped from the carriage in the woods, she ran for the nearby village. Of course, the village were I lived. When I recognized her, she explained me how she had come to be there. Afterwards, life was peaceful for us. Well, except for the youkai changes you blood had caused on her." Sesshoumaru looked at her slightly amazed, but didn't comment. "Yes, it was quite evident Sesshoumaru. First her fangs. Following, the markings on her wrists, her claws, …and then her hair and eyes. She didn't tell me exactly when they happened but I always knew. She left our house shortly after her eyes changed. She left a note. It simply read: `I'm going back to my master.' Nothing else. After that I suppose she arrived here, but apparently something happened here that I am not informed of. Sesshoumaru, what happened to her!?"

Sesshoumaru's breathing was halting, but he managed to calm it down. A small smile crept up in his lips; he didn't care anymore for shielding his emotions to Haneto, there was no point in it anymore. His amber eyes were darkened.

"I was in here, in the balcony; thinking about her, about the day she had left… when I felt her presence. It was odd though, different. As always, I thought it was a ghost of her …haunting me. She entered through the main doors and checked every wing, south, west, east… and finally north. She went into my room for some time, probably gawking at the disaster that it is. Then she walked to this room's door, opened it and called my name." "Sesshoumaru…" He recalled the moment in his mind feverishly, making his eyes brighten again. He sighed and continued.

"Rin was beautiful that night. Her black hair had silver streaks, and her eyes were circled by amber. She was wearing a white kimono, with red flower decoration on her sleeves. She approached me and-- we… mated." A very slight blush colored his cheeks. Haneto smiled sweetly and spoke for him.

"It was quite expected, yes. What happened afterwards?" He relaxed a little.

"The next morning we set out to the local village for some food, and we, erm, got recognized, so we decided to head to the forest. There we"-his voice sounded dangerous suddenly-"met a neko-youkai, who claimed to know Rin." He took a deep breath and his voice came out ashamed. "I demanded Rin tell me the truth, and I… I accidentally poisoned her with my claws… She fainted, and the neko-youkai and I fought to death. He was about to kill me, when Rin…" Sesshoumaru's breathing halted. "S-She… she stood between the blow and me. That blow killed her." Haneto could tell that this was what he had been recalling when he dropped his façade, he cared immensely for Rin, and that remembering these events were obviously very painful for him. His voice was bitter now.

"The next thing I did was killing the bastard with my father's swords." A low growl could be heard. His eyes concentrated on a certain part of the wall, which, if it had been a living creature, would be severely harmed. "Afterwards, I tried to revive Rin with the tenseiga, but it didn't restore her though. I brought her back to life with the Shikon no tama that was hanging from her neck." Haneto was very surprised by the turn out of events, of course, she knew of the jewels legendary powers. Also she knew that Kagome had been the latest miko to be in possession of the jewel. She decided it was best not to interrupt. "She then fell into the sleep she is now, and I brought her here, when I found Shino in the grounds. Obviously she went to the village and informed you of this." He paused and though for a moment.

"…Now that I think of it, how did you come across Shino today? You don't live in that village."

Haneto was quite relieved that his tone had changed to a more relaxed one. "Ahh, well yes, I coincidentally had come to the village to buy and sell some fabrics for my shop." Haneto showed her relief by letting a smile out. "I'm glad we settled everything."

"So am I."

End of Chapter Thirteen

A/N: kumi: IM SO SORRY FOR HAVING KEPT YOU WAITING FOR SOOOOO LONG!!!! I KNOW YA'LL WANNA KILL ME, BUT HEY! AT LEAST IM UPDATING!!!!! Now, you drag ur little ass to the next chapter because, yes, you may not believe it but, YES, I updated two chapters. BE HAPPY AND REVIEW!!!!