InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Eien Wo Shinjiteru ❯ Chapter 4

Author's Yaps: Hey minna-san! I know I took forever to update. I'm hoping you still take the time to read and review it though. I am very much open to suggestions and any whatnot you can give me. Hehe!

 

Thank you for all your reviews. You guys brighten my day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was stiflingly warm. She recalled Jaken-sama's stories about hell, that it was an unbearable furnace, full of flesh-eating youkai and restless spirits. Was she in hell then? It certainly felt like it.

 

 

Rin opened her eyes. She was lying on a straw mat, with a thick blanket wrapped tightly around her. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in her side made her wince and lie back down. She surveyed her surroundings. As far as she could tell she was inside a villager's hut. The house was made of straw and bamboo. There was a healthy fire in the hearth with a soup pot suspended above, it's contents bubbling merrily. Where was she? She could not remember anything. What was she doing in a place like this? Where was everybody…Jaken-sama and Ah-Un? Her Sesshoumaru-sama? Surely they had not left her behind. She shuddered at the thought. Surely they would never do that to her. They were family. They must have left her here to recuperate from whatever ailed her. Her body was sore in different places, especially between her legs. She raised her hands to her face. There were scratches on them, but they were no longer bleeding.

 

 

“Ah, so you're finally awake. How are you feeling little girl?”

 

 

Rin's head snapped toward the one who spoke. There was a hulking figure standing just inside the door. She could not see his face, the sunlight was glaringly bright behind him. She blinked. He started moving towards her, limping slightly and taking long measured strides. Her brow furrowed in confusion. And suddenly, it hit her. Like an avalanche without warning, it all came flooding back.

 

 

 

 

 

-o0o-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ayume scrambled to her feet the instant she heard the girl cry out. She paid no heed to her vegetable basket as it toppled to the dust. Frantically, she rushed over to the hut. Her heart leaped to her throat. What had made the girl scream like that? She burst through the door.

 

 

Her husband Minoru was standing by the hearth with his palms held out. There was a look of dismay on his face as his gaze shifted to her. “She's afraid of me. She thinks I'm her attacker. The poor girl.”

 

 

Ayume turned to look at Rin. She was hunched down by the corner, trying to squeeze herself into the wall. Those eyes of hers were filled with something akin to terror and she was moaning piteously. Ayume's heart went out to the her. “Go and get the toad. He's in the barn tending to the horse.” Minoru nodded and hurried to obey.

 

 

Ayume approached Rin cautiously, with slow measured steps. “Hush now, my child. You are safe with us. The bad men are not here. They can no longer hurt you.” She crouched down next to the frightened girl and touched her face gently. Rin had stopped whimpering, and was now eyeing her warily. She had soft brown eyes, the color of cinnamon. Her daughter Nishi, had eyes like that, only Rin's was of a darker shade. How peculiar that the memory of her child rose at a time like this. She swallowed the lump in her throat and attempted a wavering smile for the girl's benefit.

 

 

“That man who was here, he is my husband, and he would never hurt you. He went to call your companion, the little toad. You are safe now child, safe with us.” She enfolded Rin in her arms, rocking her back and forth soothingly.

 

 

Rin clutched the older woman tightly, as if holding on for dear life. She began to shake uncontrollably, the pain in her chest was so acute she found it difficult to breathe. In a small, shaking voice, she said, “He never came. He never came for me. I kept on calling for him, but he never came. While those men were doing those things to me, I called out to him countless times, until I couldn't scream anymore. I-I…”.

 

 

Ayume held her closer. Surely the girl was referring to her silver-haired guardian. The daiyoukai, Sesshoumaru. He still had not returned. Ayume wondered what was keeping him. He should have caught up with the heartless bastards some time ago and he should have been back by now. “Shh, hush now, my child. You must not think about that right now. Everything will be fine. I'll make sure of that. Now, we must get you something to eat, you must be hungry hmm?”

 

 

Rin shook her head. Her mouth gaped open in a silent scream as memories of that night mercilessly paraded across her mind. She brought her fist to her mouth and bit down hard to keep from crying out. Somehow, she knew in her heart that he was not to blame. She shouldn't have strayed too far from the camp. But the agonizing pain would not go away. Everything was too fresh, too raw. She did not fully understand what had happened to her. All she knew was that she felt violated and unclean. She would go mad, she was sure of it. How could he? How could he allow that thing to happen? He had never failed her before…never. Her Sesshoumaru-sama always made things right. She should have died that night. There was nothing worse than this sick feeling of betrayal and abandonment that welled up from the depths of her entire being. Yes, she should have died that night. What was she thinking? She had known it all along. She would cease to exist, while he would go on living. Living without her. Up until this moment, she had refused to let that terrible realization cow her. They would be together forever. She had made that vow to herself so long ago. But now it was here, and it had unknowingly sneaked up on her so fast it was like a slap in the face. In a blinding flash, the world she had known and held dear had gone spiraling down into a murky darkness, where everything was unclear and uncertain. It would all be different now. Tears of despair slid silently down her cheeks.

 

 

 

 

 

-o0o-

 

 

 

 

 

The guilt was eating at him, painstakingly devouring him alive, bit by bit. It had not eased with the death of those bastards, as he knew it would not. And the fear. Rin had such unfailing faith in him, and it was killing him to know that this unbreakable trust had been shattered. He had failed her. He was deathly afraid she would turn him away and refuse to see him. He could not blame her if she did. No, that would not be possible. From this day on, he would never let her out of his sight. Nothing else mattered anymore, nothing…except his precious Rin. Perhaps, she would find it in her heart to forgive him, for he knew that he would never be able to forgive himself. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and steeled himself for what was to come.

 

 

 

 

 

-o0o-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok that's it for chappie 4. In my opinion, this chap is really bad, it lacks a certain oomph. I'll fix this up when I get the time. As for the next one, it will be posted sometime this week. I'm still not sure where I'm heading with this fic. I've made up some of the scenes in my mind but so far, nothing concrete. Sorry about the delays, hehehe!

 

 

 

Oh yeah, those reviews, please keep `em coming!

 

 

 

-bungeegum-