InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Gift of a Curse ❯ Chapter 2

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Gift of a Curse

Chapter 2: Hidden Secrets

~*~

Rin took a shaky step back. She bumped into a table and stumbled, almost fell. 'Why can't I speak, who's there?' Her pulse quickened, her heart raced. She kept stepping backwards trying to get away from those blood-red eyes. Her foot caught something, and she fell backwards. Rin squeezed her chocolate hues shut, unable to scream, unable to breathe. She crashed against the window, glass shattered around her. The young woman cried out in pain, her eyes widened in horror as she fell, flailing her arms and falling down, through the window and plummeting to the ground below.

Two strong arms grabbed her just in time. She came to a swift, graceful landing in someone's arms. Her heart pounded, blood rushing. It had all happened so quickly she was a in a stupor for a few moments. Now Rin looked up at her savior. 'No...it can't be...him...' Silver hair, honey-nut pools that showed only coldness. "L- Lord Sesshoumaru? You...saved me..." she whispered softly. 'I was so sure...so sure he was an evil wicked taiyoukai. But now I owe him my life...'

Silence, just silence. With only the dim light of the moon could she see him and she knew it was Sesshoumaru. Why didn't he speak. Rin noticed she was still in his arms and her face grew hot. What was going on? After a moment he let her slide from his arms. Why had he waited so long? "Thank you Lord Sesshoumaru." She said, bowing her head in respect and honor for his rank and title. How could she remain hating him after he saved her?

"I did not save you," The taiyoukai said, finally speaking, "because I wanted too..." He turned walking toward the looming castle. What did he mean? Why save her if he didn't want too? Rin walked confused behind him. It was cold out, but she didn't notice. They approached two large, massive door. Rin gasped.

"These doors..." she muttered, recalling that strange dream-like memory. "What is it about these doors?" Rin stood rigid, this was the first time she ever remembered being outside. Not like the way she would sit on her window sill, but actually outside.

Sesshoumaru, aware she had stopped following, turned. He heard her mutter about the doors. Of course she wouldn't remember what had taken place here nineteen years earlier. She was only human and a very young one at that. His golden hues looked at her for a moment. That had been close...too close. "Human, come..." He began walking again. Rin snapped out of her daze and followed him, too lost in thought to remind him she had a name.

~*~

"Kaori?" Rin asked sipping her soup. It was hot, held little taste, but Rin was used to such kind of food.

"Yes Rin-chan?" She asked, wishing she had her cloak. Rin had yet to return it. The neko youkai sighed wistfully as she sat on Rin's bed, staring out the small window. She thought about what her human friend had told her, but if not having seen the shattered glass, wouldn't have believed her. Who would have thought the cold taiyoukai would save a human, or anyone for that matter.

"Do you recall ever seeing a silver rose like I saw?"

"A silver rose...actually I do recall overhearing someone mention them. They said a human woman came and tried to sell them here at the castle. I didn't hear anything else, other than that she died somehow..."

"So...Lord Sesshoumaru must have bought one...or acquired one somehow. When did you hear about it?" Rin asked trying to figure something out. Something had stared at her... A chill ran down her spine recalling those eyes. They looked full of bloodlust. And how had Sesshoumaru known she had fallen? Had he been watching her?

Kaori took on a thoughtful look, her blue cat-like ears twitching slightly. "Years ago..."

"Then how come the rose had not wilted? It had petals around it...and it hung in the air somehow."

The neko youkai shrugged and stood up. "I'm sorry Rin-chan. It is time for my rounds." The demon walked out of Rin's room, leaving the girl to her thoughts. Didn't Kaori find any of this strange? A silver rose! It seemed like she was hiding something, but her eyes showed showed she wished she didn't. What did it all mean?

~*~

Inuyasha groaned as his brother entered the room. He could tell by his colder-than-usual look something bothered him. "What happened now?" He asked, not really cocnerned at all...just bored. The silver-haired hanyou sat in his brother's study, on a chair that he had leaning back, his legs resting on a desk.

Sesshoumaru stopped walking, turning his cool gaze to the half breed. "Why are you in my study, little brother?" Inuyasha growled at the last bit, as if the two actually treated each other such. It was unbearbly hard to remain in the same room for long without fighting.

"Keh..." He leaned back further in the chair, "waiting for you..." The taiyoukai raised a brow. Since when did Inuyasha want to see him? Inuyasha noticed his look and smirked. "Not like I wanted to see you. I just needed to ask you about something...in the castle."

"I'm waiting..." Sesshoumaru said staring at Inuyasha. He wreaked of his human wench who lived in the nearby ningen village.

"Wait a minute!" Inuyasha said jumping out of his chair. He circled Sesshoumaru and then stood before the inu-youkai, arms folded over his chest. "You smell of a human woman." his ears twitched along with his nose. "And not just a passing either..." The demon lord's gaze hardened, curse that filthy half breed.

"I don't think that was a question little brother. So please leave before I'm forced to make you."

"Blah blah blah. Whatever. Keh...I came to ask about a rose." Inuyasha took note of a flicker of emotion that flashed across his brother's eyes. That was rare, usually only happened when he mentioned something about the demon lord's past that troubled him.

"......" Sesshoumaru waited, his stoic mask returned. How did Inuyasha get wind of him having a rose?

"Yes...a silver rose..." The hanyou watched his older's brothers reactions and his suspicions were confirmed. "Hmm...a cursed brother." After a moment of smirking Inuyasha began to laugh mockingly. "The mighty Sesshoumaru was cursed by a human. How powerful is that. I'm sure father would be very proud of his eldest son!"

A clawed hand shot out, gripping Inuyasha's neck. Immediatly the hanyou's hands shot up, trying to pry his brother's grip lose. The demon lord kept eye contact. "No human wench's curse could ever prove anything for one such as I." He said as his hues narrowed, "and might I ask how you came across such knowledge?" Inuyasha sent a kick in his brother's direction. Sesshoumaru dropped him, stepping back to avoid the kick.

"Keh...why should I tell you?"

"Because I'll kill if you don't."

"Like to see you try, but right now I have no time." Inuyasha said thinking of Kagome. He moved to a window, pulling it open and placing a foot on the sill, ready to leave, but he turned back. "Let's just say a certain little toad talks too much." Inuyasha leapt from the window, disappearing from his brother's view.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes for a minute. Jaken...he'd have to teach that imp his place. Turning, he left the room. Perhaps he would return later after his half brother's scent cleared out through that open window.

~*~

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as the hanyou walked into her small house in the village near the castle. "Where have you been?"

The hanyou sighed, moved forward and brushed her lips lightly with his own. "The castle." Kagome's eyes took on a slight fearful look. She knew full well Inuyasha and the castle's lord were half brothers, for this reason the village had wanted to run Inuyasha out.

"Why did you go? I know you hate your brother..."

"Remember the story? The one the villagers tell their children?"

The raven-haired miko nodded after a moment of thinking. "Yeah, that if they don't behave they'll be snatched up like that poor human child did by Sesshoumaru." After a long pause Kagome stepped back, she chewed her bottom lip nervously. "It's true?" She whispered. How could it be true. No one could be that cruel to kill a child...could they? Inuyasha shrugged, Kagome got his answer. "Inuyasha, if word gets out...well...you know what the villager's have said. If one more human is taken, they'll attack the castle...and we both know they'll all die!"

"Keh, I know that. Just keep your mouth shut and nothing will happen." Kagome sighed, how could she be quiet about something like that? She already felt guilty knowing she'd have to keep it secret.

~*~

'Why did he save me?' Rin thought for the hundreth time. She fell back on her bed, it was lumpy and hard, nothing unusual. She pulled her covers over her head, safe from the cold. 'Maybe...he isn't so cold as I first thought...' Rin sighed, turning on to her stomach and clutching a pillow to her chest. 'And he said he would address my problem...' She fell into a restfull sleep filled with unwanted dreams. Dreams she'd had all her life and failed to decipher.

DREAM

Cold...freezing...hungry. She clutched her stomach and wanted to scream but didn't. She had to be strong...strong for her mother who tried everything to feed and clothe her. Rin looked up, a dense forest. A dark forest. Her mother began to walk, Rin trudged obediatly behind her, snow up to her knees. She was numb. The little girl sighed, something loomed in the distance...a castle?

-----

Rin opened her eyes. Pink rays of the early morning sun streamed across her bed. Stepping from her bed she shivered, stood up and stretched. She dressed quickly, just running her brush through her midnight locks for the last time when a knock sounded from her door. 'Someone...at my door?' she thought as she opened it. Jaken...that stupid little green toad man. Hadn't he just tried to kill her last night? What could he possibly want?

"Rin..." He said, obviously with equal disgust. He seemed disappointed with something. "From now on, by order of Lord Sesshoumaru, you can wonder anywhere you want in the castle EXCEPT the western wing. AND, if you bother any servants or cooks, you'll be confined to your corridor again."

Those chocolate orbs widened with surprise and joy. As long as she could remember she had only known these four rooms, save last night. Now, now the whole castle was waiting for her to explore it! "Oh Master Jaken!" Rin cried and scooped the toad up. He squacked as she spun him around a few times and sat him down on the floor. Jaken clutched his staff, regaining his balance. "Master Jaken, I am so grateful! You must tell the lord how grateful I am!"

"As to why he is allowing this I don't know! You probably bewitched him into doing it, just like your mother bewitched him!"

"be...witched? My mother..." Jaken began to sweat nervously, he'd said too much. With a hop he waddled away. Any other time Rin would have pondered what he said with nothing better to do, but now...now she had the whole castle! This whole magnificent, massive castle! Her eyes danced, and she smiled as she rushed from her rooms. The young woman walked briskly down a large hall, lit torches lined it's walls with flickering purple flames. Purple? She took note to ask Kaori about those.

Rin took a sharp left turn, then right, then left, then left again, she lost track. So many hallways and rooms! She admired the vibrant decorations in the castle, something her rooms lacked. What was that Jaken had said, something about going to the Western wing? All well, couldn't have been too important. Coming to a stop she sighed, her legs tired from all the quick-paced walking. Rin leaned back against the wall. Her back hit the hard wall, but she kept falling. There was a loud sound, like someone shoving something. Rin landed on her back with a thump. "What is this?" she muttered aloud and stood up.

Her coffee hues stared in amazement. The wall had opened up! A secret passage? Inside, she could only make out a staircase leading up, it was too dark to see. Rin looked around, grabbing a torch from the wall and heading back to the opening in the wall. She stepped inside, heaved against the door-like wall and it shut. Now it was only her, the torch, and the stairs.

The light from the torch was small, flickering. Rin began to climb the stairs, slowly at first, but then picking up her speed. 'It has too end soon!' she thought with a small groan. She'd lost count of steps back at eighty-four. Finally, her foot hit the hard floor followed by her other. Rin walked on, her legs adjusting to the change. It was a long winding passageway that led her to who knows where. After awhile she began to descend. The floor was damp, so Rin clutched the wall as she walked to make sure she wouldn't slip and die in here.

Finally, the descending stopped and in the distance she could see a faint light. Breathing heavily, she made her way closer to the light. It was coming through a small opening. Upon closer inspection she saw it was a tiny indentment with a small flap that could open and close. Peering in, her eyes widened. She stared transfixed trying to find out what was going on when a hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. She dropped her torch, it fell with a clatter as Rin gasped.

~*~*~*~

Notes: This chapter was...ok...I really didn't get to what I wanted too, but I thought I'd end in a small cliffy. Yeah, Rin doesn't really act too much like Rin...but she is 22 if you took the time to add 3 and 19. So she would act a little differently. Sorry for anything that seems rushed, I'm busy with other things...and my wrist hurts!

Not sure if anything in this chapter was really confusing, if so, just contact me and I'll gladly explain.

Hanyou: half demon
Taiyoukai: demon lord or king
Youkai: Demon
Inu: Dog
Neko: Cat
Miko: priestess
Baka: idiot, fool, stupid (not sure if I used this one...)

REVIEW!!!! Reviews are what feed the flames of the author, if you write stories, you know what I mean so why don't you review! *takes out bazooka* Because I completely understand if you don't want too...*smirk*

Inuyasha: Keh...wench
Ray: EXCUSE ME?!
Inuyasha: You heard me!
Ray: Sesshoumaru, stand up for me!
Sess: .....
Ray: o.o; All well, I love you guys! *huggles*
Kagome + Rin: -_-;