InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ If only in my Dreams ❯ His Life For Hers ( Chapter 24 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

I do not own Inuyasha or its characters...Thank you to Azaleea who has been a great friend and a wonderful editer...
I am sorry this is late, but both my editer(Azaleea) and I were swamped this last little while, but I hope this chapter makes up for it. I hope you are all enjoying, and as I have had quite a few requests for Sessy's continuing presence in this fic, here it is...I hope you will all let me know if you like what I have done with this chapter...PLEASE?
You MUST pay attention to the time frame noted in this chapter...or you will be lost...I am placing six years since Kagome first arrived in the fuedal era...
If we do the math that would make Kagome twenty one/roughly
Shippo would now be fourteen human years old if he was about eight when Kagome found him.
Rin I think was around eight-or ten,though I think closer to ten..making her about sixteen...
The others ie..Miroku...and Sango are both likely around the same age as Kagome...I have never really noted their ages in this fic, never really had a need to...but I do now...so please take note...they all still regard Shippo and Rin as children...though soon enough they will see they have grown a lot in the last few years...it is amazing how little changes miss your attention when they are right in front of you...
CH 24
Sesshomaru stood quiet, his anger knowing no bounds, as he stared at what remained of Jakken's body. He could only hope that Rin hadn't been around to witness the atrocities Naraku had committed upon the Toad Demon.
He lay pinned to a tree, his body hanging by his own Staff of Two Heads. Naraku had been meticulous in his wounding of the creature-bleeding him until his body was no longer strong enough to heal the wounds inflicted on him. He'd been gone far too long for Tenseiga to bring him back, the soul stealers having come and taken what they'd sought already.
Reaching, he pulled the Staff from Jakken's small body, catching his limp form with his other hand before it could fall to the forest floor. He turned and carried the demon into the sun and laid him carefully upon a patch of fallen leaves, amidst a scattering of white and yellow wild flowers. Standing aside he silently debated his options before coming upon one final decision.
X
Miroku and Sango watched quietly as Shippo tried to talk to Rin, in vain. She sat quietly in the corner, her head bent to rest upon her knees.
“How old are you now Rin?” Sango asked. The girl had grown quite a lot these last few years; it had been at least six years since Kagome had come to them.
Rin raised her eyes. Tears sparkled softly on her lashes... “I was ten when Lord Sesshomaru found me.”she murmured.“When will he come for me?” she wondered more to herself than anything.
“I think he's already here.” Shippo grunted standing up to make his way to the door.
“Come Rin, we take our leave.” came a soft voice.
“Sesshomaru-sama?” she whispered moving to stand, her hand falling against the wall to steady her.
Sango and Miroku stood as well, each following the girl as she made her way through the doorway.
Sesshomaru stood in silence-Jakken's staff tightly in his grip. Rin understood: Jakken was indeed gone. Lowering her head, she cried silently. As she approached him, she willed herself to stop her tears from falling; still, it was to no avail. He waited for her patiently.
“There is a spring just to the South. Meet us there in one weeks' time. Your miko is fine.” he said before turning away. “Come Rin.”
X
Sango and Miroku watched as they left. Something had happened to the girl and, judging from the way she had reacted to the staff Sesshomaru held in his hand, it was something bad.X
Kneeling before Jakken, Rin lay her hand to his forehead, tears streaming silently, as she said her goodbyes. She had been forced to watch as Naraku tortured him, and still remembered his sadistic laughter at each of Jakken's cries of pain. She closed her eyes against the visions that assaulted her.
She had gone to gather some flowers, laughing at the characteristic grumbling that ensued from the little toad. “Ahh, come on Jakken, we've nothing better to do until Lord Sesshomaru returns. Help me gather some flowers...PLEASE!”
“Flowers, you humans and your flowers. Really, such a waste of time. Why, I should be at my Lord's side...and instead I'm babysitting. ?”
She knew he was putting up a front. He always grumbled about being left with her, but ultimately they had grown close these last few years. He had been her guardian when Sesshomaru had been away, after all.
“Rin, behind me!” he ordered. His voice became hard, and in that instant she responded without question.
“You mean to protect the wench...from me?”
“Naraku, what is it that you wish from us...My Lord returns to us momentarily...” he hissed as he backed her slowly into the forest.
Naraku followed, his eyes never leaving hers.“My, little one, you've grown. Not so small any more, are we?”
“You will not speak to her so. Lord Sesshomaru will have your head.”Jakken hissed as he turned his staff on Naraku forcibly.
“You, toad-man, can do nothing to stop me.”Naraku snarled willing a tentacle to burst forth and sending the toad demon into a small grove of trees.
“You, girl, are going to be of some use to me. Dead or alive; it matters not.”
She watched helplessly as Naraku attacked Jakken. Time and again she tried to go to his aid, but found herself forced painfully aside.
Tears stained her face and yet she found she couldn't scream. Her voice, was lost within her as memories of a lifetime before, assaulted her. Snapping jaws, ferocious growling-it echoed in her ears to drown out then pain and death surrounding her. She could hear the tearing of her own flesh, the cry for her Mother that was lost within the viciousness of the beasts surrounding her.
She moved to stand again, dizziness lining the edges of her vision as her eyes met Jakken's.
“Run Rin.”
She barely heard it but it was there, just the same.
“No...I won't leave you Jakken...”she cried .
“For me Rin, do ...it for... me.” he pleaded.
He was weakening, but in her heart she found she couldn't deny him.
“For you...” she whispered before turning and running...at the edge of her vision, she witnessed Naraku sending Jakken's staff into his frail body, and then his cruel gaze turned to follow her.
Naraku watched her run with interest-he had been rather surprised that she would attempt to help the Toad-Demon at all, and particularly that she ran at the Toad's request alone..
“My Lord will have ...your very...life for what you..have done here... this day.” Jakken grunted softly. His vision blurred, yet he knew Naraku had moved closer.
“Your 'LORD' will have nothing to say at all...” Naraku replied, his hand grasping the Toad's Staff and plunging it deeper into his chest.
“I will take his life as well, but not before he watches as I take hers.” he hissed, turning to follow the girl. Somewhere deep in his mind it was Kagome he pictured, and she was running...
He followed slowly tracing the fear in her scent. He could hear the trees crashing ahead as she pushed her way through them and his body pulsed in excitement. He had been pleasantly surprised at whom the laughter he'd followed had belonged to. So childlike...so innocent. Though, she had grown in the last few years. Sesshomaru had kept her well guarded after the incident with Kohaku, and this was the closest he had come to her in a very, very long time.
She was a vision, though pitifully human. Her deep brown hair lay tied loosely at her neck, a few stray pieces falling from their prison to brush wistfully past her smiling face. Brown eyes glistened with a lust for life that he had rarely seen in a human of her years, but soon he'd have that innocence and her lust for life shattered along with her very existence.
In her mind time nearly stood still; her memory replayed the last vision of Jakken she had.Everything had happened so quickly, and yet time wrapped around her; it slowed her feet until she stood alone within the forest, her only companion the ragged breath that stirred from her lungs. It occurred to her then: Naraku wanted this. He wanted the chase, wanted her fear. And, suddenly, she was determined he wouldn't have them.
He could take from her the things that he wanted, because she wasn't strong enough to stop him.She wasn't a fool, nor was she a coward.She would fight for the life that Sesshomaru had granted her.She refused to spend her last moments cowering in fear before a bastard who sought to harm all in his path.Not this time...Not ever again.She'd fight him every step of the way.She would die bravely, not begging for her life from a beast who would show no mercy no matter how much she pleaded for it.If she had learned anything from her life with Sesshomaru, it was to pick battles wisely, never showing fear; and though she was terrified clear down to the bone, she would stand her ground and die like the woman she'd grown to become.She would meet her death head on, as Jakken had bravely done, and she would see him again on the other side.
She heard him then. Heard his approach in the snapping of the branches that littered the forest floor.
“Giving up so soon?”he murmured. His voice was rich, vibrant, and so full of death.
“Never!”she hissed, turning to face him; her eyes coming up to meet his own. “I honored his request, but I won't run anymore. I won't die a coward.”
“Ahh, my dear girl...”he said softly as he moved to stand before her. “Who said anything about dying?” She inwardly flinched as he reached to caress her cheek. “Such a beauty you've become. I know now why Sesshomaru has kept you so closely guarded. But you see child, it doesn't matter. I will have your life, but not before he witnesses it draining from your lovely body.”
She shivered as his eyes traced her form. Never had a man looked at her the way he was. She felt like she was being served upon a dinner platter to a pack of ravenous wolves. She laughed then, watching the brief surprise etch its way across his face.
She stepped away from him... “I have died once already, I am not afraid of dying again. But you will NOT touch me.” she growled.
“Hmm, how old are you girl?...I'd wager not more than fifteen or sixteen human years. And you dare to speak to me in such a manner.”
A tentacle shot from him, then, to wrap around her neck, bringing her body up hard against his own. “You should have kept running...Rin isn't it?” His hands reached to grab her arms roughly, and in her mind something snapped. He fell further from her view as her body wrapped itself securely around her sanity. She remembered this feeling...she'd felt this way the day she'd died at the jaws of the wolf pack..before her world went black and peace claimed her.
Naraku shook her violently, his anger at her lack of response nearly sending him out of control. Gone was the defiant girl who had just moments ago stood before him, and in its place stood the shell of a girl who remained terrified before him, unmoving...unresponsive.
Frustrated he bent to pick her up, and turning he made his way into the forest. He'd punish her for her insolence, but she'd be coherent when he did it. He wanted her screaming in fear and begging for mercy...and he wanted Sesshomaru to watch every last second of it...
X
A hand upon her shoulder brought her from her thoughts bringing Jakken's image through her tears.
She would have given her life to have saved him, and had tried more than once to help him only to be thrown away at each attempt. The bruises still marred her body, though Sango had done all she could to clean her wounds.
“ It is time to go Rin.”Sesshomaru said softly. His eyes narrowed as he watched her flinch slightly from his touch.
“Come...”
She stood and turned toward him, her tears shining in her eyes. “My Lord..?”
“Yes Rin.” His heart fell at the sight of her-she looked nearly broken before him.
“Can I...?”she asked, her eyes falling upon the staff he still held in his grasp.
Without hesitation he handed it to her, curious to see what she would do with it.
Turning she glanced back down at Jakken. Her fingers tightened around the staff. Jakken had shown her how to use it once when Sesshomaru had ordered them back to the castle.
“Rest in peace, Jakken.”she whispered. Her fingers brushed lightly alongthe wood of the staff. Instantly it reacted, fire billowing from its op to surround the Toad Demon's body before she turned away and eached to return the staff to Sesshomaru.
He watched silently as she brought the staff to life, before turning to ace him again.
“It is yours.”he murmured, turning and making his way into the depths of the forest.
“Goodbye, Jakken.”
X
Darkness fell finding them standing before a spring. He could smell Inuyasha in the distance, and the miko as they made their way to them.
'Smart mutt.' he thought to himself .
“Bathe.” he murmured moving a short distance away to allow her some privacy.
Her body had already begun to stiffen up, the bruises lining her petite frame screaming in pain as she moved to remove her clothing.
The moon showered her in its light, guiding her footsteps into the warmth of the spring. She lowered herself until the water covered her head before rising again to push the water from her face, careful of the wound Naraku's claw had left upon her cheek. The movement forced a cry of pain past her lips.
Sesshomaru turned, his body reacting to her cry. He could smell the salt from her tears and in that moment he knew that while she held no open wounds aside from the one upon her face, her body was still damaged. His vision filled with the shimmer of her pale skin. She was small, herbody tiny in comparison to his, but he was unprepared for the womanly features that met his gaze. Her arms were raised to push the water from her face. He could see the swell of her small breasts, the flat plane of her stomach, before it disappeared beneath the ripple of the water in the spring. And he could see the angry welts and bruises that lined her ribs and arms.
Acting on instinct, he undressed until only his hakama remained and made his way into the spring to stand behind her. Her body stood still before him, its pale perfection lay riddled with bruises that he hadn't seen from the shore. Her arm and shoulder were swollen, blackened fingerprints dotted her upper arms. He growled, angered at the thought of another male touching a female of his pack...though just then he realized that he hadn't done it silently. He had known for years now that she was no longer a child, had known when he had scented her first womanly cycle. It had been then that he would send Jakken away with her, either to the castle or to await his return some days later...but all the same he couldn't be in her presence during her 'time'.
Hearing a growl behind her she tensed. She hadn't heard his approach, but on some internal instinct knew it was him.
“What did he do to you?”he asked, his fingers gently easing the warmth of the water over her skin.
“He hurt me.” came her soft reply before she began telling him of the day Jakken had given his life to save hers...
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Hope it was worth the wait..Please do me the honor of letting me know what you think.
Neisha