InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In a Different Light ❯ Choices ( Chapter 11 )

In a Different Light

Chapter 10: Choices

Rin couldn't wait any longer. Ever since sundown, the smells and the sounds from the village had been calling to her. Lively music played with string instruments, flutes, and drums; the chatter and laughter of the villagers, melodious and warm; the aromas of rice, noodles, and assorted meats and vegetables . . . She wanted to go to them, and she wanted to go, now. "Are you sure you don't wanna go?"

Sesshomaru sat cross-legged in the center of the clearing, his back resting against one of the larger trees. He gave a light sniff to the air, then looked off in the direction of the festival. "Quite sure." The humans smelled bad enough, and their cooking . . .

She crouched down beside him, tilting her head to the side. "So, you're just going to let me wander around a strange village all alone?"

He scoffed lightly, paying no heed to her teasing tone. "You've done so before, and you are armed, are you not?"

Rin nodded, patting the hilt of her sword on her left thigh.

"Then be off," he said. "We'll be here when you return."

She glanced off to the side at Jakken and Ah-Un, who'd made themselves equally as comfortable at the bases of opposing trees. Rin sighed. "I do wish you'd go with me, though. I'm not going to know anybody there . . . I always feel so awkward going into those places."

"No one is forcing you to go," he said simply.

The sounds of music and laughter again filled her ears. It was too pleasant, too irresistible, too inviting.

"I do want to go."

"Then go."

She smiled overly sweet and brought her hands together in front of her chest. "Please?" she asked.

"I am not going anywhere near that village. Even this is too close for my tastes, but it will be endured for the time being."

Rin sighed. "Fine." She pushed herself to her feet and brushed off the lower half of her robe. It was a muted shade of orange with large, red flowers and gold embroidery. Her hair was down. "I'm going, now."

He nodded his assent.

"And when I get back, don't expect me to tell you every little thing that happened."

He masked his grin. "That won't be necessary," he said as she began to walk off. "InuYasha and his woman will be looking after you. If anything out of the ordinary occurs, I'll be one of the first to know."

She turned and gave him a lopsided grin. "More spying?"

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I know, I know. You don't spy; you observe."

He nodded his agreement.

She waved him away. "Well, I'm leaving. Ah-Un, I'll try to bring you back something nice."

The two-headed beast roared as she walked past.

"And, Jakken do try to stay out of trouble."

The old imp scoffed and waved her away.

She gave one final glance back at her lord, then left the clearing.

This will be fun, she told herself. It doesn't matter that he's not coming; you'll enjoy yourself anyway.

And, at first she did enjoy herself. Not finding her lord's brother or his woman right away, she wandered around admiring the decorations, checking out the different booths, sampling some of the cuisine, occasionally allowing herself to sway along to the sound of the music. A few of the villagers stopped to talk to her, and she introduced herself, then they spoke about the weather and the harvest and the turnout for the festival. It was all very nice, amiable conversation.

Then she wandered over to the village square and watched as the musicians played and couples danced, a child here and there weaving in and out among the crowd. She stood on the outskirts, bobbing her head and tapping her toes, a bright smile on her face. How long had it been since she'd heard such a catchy tune?

A few of the braver boys in the village asked if she'd like to dance, and she easily dismissed them with a "Thank you, but no thank you. I don't really dance."

After a few minutes of repeated offers and refusals, there was a lull in invitations, and she at last found herself beginning to relax. She listened to the musicians on the wooden stage. She watched the couples as they danced from one end of the square to the other. And she laughed as some of the children accidentally knocked over a couple or two as they played a very energetic game of Chase.

"Would you like to dance?"

She glanced up at the young man who'd snuck up beside her.

"No, I don't really dance," she lied. She remembered what happened the last time she'd let a boy touch her, and there was no way she was going through that again.

"It looks like you'd really like to dance. Maybe just not with me?"

She shook her head with a smile. "It's nothing personal. I won't be dancing with anyone tonight."

"Oh?" he asked. He had smooth, dark skin and sleek, black hair tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His eyes were a brilliant shade of blue that perfectly played off his haori and hakama.

Rin nodded, turning her attention from the man beside her back to the dancers in front of her. "I have a rather . . . jealous man in my life. He wouldn't like me dancing with anyone else."

"Oh?" he seemed to be glancing around the crowd. "Where is he? Maybe I can talk him into letting me borrow you for a dance or two."

She shook her head. "Oh, he's not here. He doesn't like this sort of thing. He'd rather keep to himself." She continued to watch the couples as they whirled and twirled around the village square, secretly wishing that Sesshomaru had come, and they could've shared at least one dance . . . Of course, he'd never do such a thing in the middle of a human village, but it was a nice thought all the same.

"What a fool," he said. "To let so lovely a lady out of his sight for even a second."

She waved him away with a smile. "He's not as 'foolish' as you might think. His brother is keeping an eye on me."

"Really? Who's his brother?"

"InuYasha," she said simply.

The young man seemed put off by this. "InuYasha's brother? You mean that demon lord? The one who stormed into the village with that giant ogre a few years ago?"

Rin shrugged. "Well, I don't know about 'storming' any village or giant ogres, but he is a lord."

He eyed her incredulously. "You? With that monster?"

"He's not a monster."

He huffed loudly. "I may not know him personally, but I know enough from InuYasha and his companions that his 'brother' is little more than a cold-blooded killer."

Rin scoffed. "You shouldn't speak on things you know nothing about."

He fell silent, and, for a moment, she thought he'd walked away.

"Are you a slave?" he asked so casually, so calmly, as if it were the most natural question in the world.

"Slave!" she repeated. "Do I look like a slave?"

He eyed her up and down, taking a moment too long for Rin's tastes, to dwell upon her chest and mouth. "There are many types of slaves in the world."

She glared at him. "Look. I don't know who or what you think I am, but I'm not gonna just stand here and let you insult me."

He smirked at her. "Can you expect anything but insults after the life you've chosen?" His smirk became a leer. "Any decent woman would've killed herself before letting a creature like that bed her."

Her face flushed, partially from anger, partially from embarrassment. "Why you--"

InuYasha interrupted her, suddenly appearing beside the blue-eyed belligerent. "Is there a problem here, Takeda?"

The young man shook his head. "Not at all, InuYasha. I was just talking with your brother's . . . companion."

Rin growled, her hands clenched into tight fists.

InuYasha sent her soothing smile. "Why don't you get lost, Takeda? You seem to be upsetting Sesshomaru's 'companion.'"

Takeda scoffed.

"Now," InuYasha continued, "I'm not prepared to take your head off for pissing off the young lady, but I'm sure my brother would feel differently."

He nodded gruffly and backed off, moving on to the next unattached young lady.

"Did you hear what he said to me?" Rin demanded.

He twitched the ears on top of his head. "These things don't miss much. Come on, I volunteered to keep an eye on you." He gestured for her to follow him.

Rin did so reluctantly, throwing one final, threatening glare over her shoulder at Takeda.

"I hate to say you'll have to get used to that type of treatment, but you will."

She tried to shake off her growing anger as they distanced themselves from the square and neared the booth area. "That was uncalled for," Rin said. "He doesn't know me, and he doesn't know Sesshomaru."

"Feh. He knows you're a human, and Sesshomaru's a demon. That's all he needs to know."

She continued to scowl. "But for him to assume that sort of thing. 'A decent woman would have killed herself before letting a creature like that bed her.' Who the hell does he think he is?"

"The village headman," he said.

"That obnoxious asshole? He's barely older than me."

InuYasha chuckled. "Yeah, that 'obnoxious asshole's' the headman. His father died not too long ago, and he was the eldest son. And believe me, if Takeda had his way, me and Shippo would be looking for a new place to stay. Forget all we've done for the village; he hates demons. All demons."

"Then why does he let you stay?"

InuYasha smirked. "It's not just up to him. The village miko also has a say in the matter, and it so happens that she's my mate and Shippo's adoptive mother . . . So, we're not going anywhere anytime soon."

"What a bastard," she cursed under her breath.

"Well, he's not the only one. He just talks a little louder than most."

Rin now noticed as they made their way through the village, there were a number of whispers and stares as they passed. As InuYasha was a current resident, she reasoned, they could only be meant for her. With the additional chatter and the music coming from the other end of the village, if she strained really hard, she could make out sparse bits of their conversations. Keywords mentioned among them were: demon lord, fancy robes, beatings and whore.

"Here we are," InuYasha said.

They'd stopped in front of a fortune-telling booth of some kind. There was a monk inside with three gold earrings and violet eyes.

Rin tucked her hands into her sleeves and folded her arms.

"Well, hello, my lovely, young lady. Care to have your fortune read?"

She shook her head.

"Knock it off, Miroku. She's taken. Where're the women?"

"Taken?" Miroku repeated. "Surely, not by you, InuYasha. I hardly think Lady Kagome would approve of you taking a second wife."

The half-demon snorted. "Funny," he said. "Remember the kid we saw traveling with Sesshomaru?"

"Ah," Miroku nodded, "the little human girl."

"Well, she ain't so little anymore." He threw a sideways glance at Rin.

"Really?" he said somewhat nervously. "Well, it's a good thing you told me before I took things any further. We all know how possessive Sesshomaru can be."

Rin forced a smile, then directed her attention towards InuYasha. "You can hear every word they're saying, can't you?"

"Just ignore 'em, kid. They'll get used to you after awhile."

She scoffed. "It's pretty hard to ignore them when everybody's staring and pointing. By the gods, didn't anyone teach them any manners?"

InuYasha shrugged. "You get used to it."

"I don't wanna get used to this."

"You don't have a choice in this matter. You're either with Sesshomaru, or you're not. If you're with him, this is part of what your life is going to be like-the snickering and sneering, the pointing and staring, the whispers and innuendo . . . In some cases they may even get physical with you. Maybe trip you as you walk by, spit on you, spit in your food, or maybe throw some stuff at you-rotten vegetables, dirt clods, animal shit."

Rin frowned.

"And some of the men, like Takeda, will think they can take certain . . . 'liberties' with you."

"Liberties?" Rin repeated.

"Yep," he said. "Some people think if you'll fuck a demon, you'll fuck anything. So, why shouldn't they get in on the action?"

Her frown deepened and her eyes narrowed, scanning the various men in the crowd.

"I caught our 'beloved' headman skulking around Kagome a couple of times. Luckily, she can take care of herself."

So can I, Rin thought.

"It's pretty despicable what people will do to one another, even their so-called 'own kind.'"

"You don't have to tell me that." She could remember a time when a group of men in her old village had gotten together and beaten her. Their fists and hands and feet bruising her body, pulling her hair, breaking her bones. One little girl against five angry men . . . At times like that, she was glad her village had been attacked by wolves. Some of them had deserved it . . .

"But that's what happens when you take a demon as a mate," InuYasha continued. "Or half-demon, for that matter. You can't choose the way people respond to you, but you can choose not to be with him."

"Not being with him is not an option," Rin said. "But me being here is optional. And I think I'm gonna exercise the option to leave."

"Wait," InuYasha grabbed her shoulder. "Just wait a little longer. I think there are a couple of people Sesshomaru wanted you to meet."

"Oh?"

"Miroku, you never told me where the women went."

"That's because they never told me where they were going," he said. "I can only assume that they're checking out some of the other booths. Or maybe they journeyed down to the square to listen to the music."

"We just came from there," InuYasha said.

All three of them began looking around, though, in truth, Rin had no idea what she was looking for. There were makeshift, wooden booths and stands lined up and down both sides of the street. There were food booths, fabric booths, trinket booths, calligraphy booths. A booth for dolls, a booth for sandals, several booths selling hand-woven baskets or rugs. There was a stand selling jewelry and combs for your hair. There was a pottery stand and, of course, Miroku's fortune-telling booth.

But, whoever it was they seemed to be looking for was nowhere in sight.

"Exactly who are we looking for?" Rin asked.

"My mate and pups," InuYasha replied.

"My wife and child," Miroku said.

Rin raised an eyebrow at the monk. "You have a wife and child, and yet, you were planning on coming on to me?"

InuYasha nodded.

"Not at all," Miroku said. "Rest assured I'm a devoted husband and father."

InuYasha rolled his eyes.

Rin shook her head with a smile. At least that's one problem she wouldn't have with Sesshomaru. Inu youkai mate for life, he'd told her.

"There they are," InuYasha said. "Oi, woman."

Rin watched as two, dark-haired women approached the stand. One of them was wearing some type of blue . . . pants and a tunic of some type; the other wore a fall-patterned yukata of white and green. The one in pants was carrying a silver-haired child in one arm and holding the hand of yet another child with the other; she also seemed to be quite pregnant. The one in green and white was holding hands with a rather spritely, dark-haired, violet-eyed girl.

"Sorry," the woman in pants said. "Kin got a little dirty, so I took him home to change."

InuYasha took the child she was holding from her.

"And who's this?" the woman attached to the little girl asked. She raised an eyebrow at Miroku, then looked to InuYasha.

"I'm Rin," she said before the men could introduce her as 'the little girl who traveled with Sesshomaru.'

"Who?" the woman asked.

Rin sighed. "I'm the little girl that used to travel with Sesshomaru."

Both women widened their eyes in surprise.

"You're that little girl?" the woman asked.

Rin nodded. "And I still travel with Sesshomaru." She listened as the whispers of the villagers increased.

The woman with the two silver-haired children smiled. "I'm Kagome," she said. "And this is Kin," she patted the head of the boy beside her. "And that's Tomi."

"I'm Sango," the other woman said, "Miroku's wife. This is our daughter, Sachiko."

"Nice to meet you both," she bowed slightly to them.

"Check out the manners on her," Sango said.

"Would you expect anything less from a ward of Sesshomaru's?" Miroku asked.

"Well," Rin shrugged, "I'm not exactly his ward, anymore."

The two women gave her an odd look. Miroku gave a nervous twitch, of sorts. InuYasha was unfazed.

"Would you like to hold your future nephew?" InuYasha asked.

"Nephew!" the two women exclaimed.

Rin nodded as she took the child. "Sesshomaru is courting me. After we've gone trough the entire ritual, and I'm reasonably impressed with him, he'll take me as his mate."

Sango and Kagome stared at each other.

"Is that a problem?" Rin asked, bouncing Tomi up and down on her hip. "What a cute boy."

"No," Kagome said. "But . . ."

"Sesshomaru hates humans," Sango concluded.

Rin shrugged. "That may be," she said, "but he likes me well enough."

InuYasha and Miroku exchanged a knowing glance.

Sango and Kagome exchanged glances of their own.

Rin continued to cuddle and coo with InuYasha and Kagome's second born. So, she thought, this is what a child between a half-demon and a human looks like. She then glanced over at InuYasha. And that's what a child between a human and a full demon could look like.

She examined Tomi more closely. He had rather human-looking ears, but he had his father's silver hair and golden eyes. His nails appeared no different than her own, and as of yet, he didn't have any teeth. She glanced down at Kin, who held on tightly to his mother's hand. "And how old is this one?" she asked handing Tomi back to his father and crouching down to visit with the older child.

"He's three years old," Kagome replied.

"How precious," Rin said. "How about a nice big smile for your auntie?" She tickled the toddler's stomach, hoping to elicit a laugh.

He obliged her, exposing a row of very sharp looking, but undoubtedly human teeth.

"My, my," Rin said, "that's quite a smile you have, young man."

"They're both very happy children," Kagome smiled.

She gave a quick glance up at InuYasha then at Kagome. "They must get it from you, then."

Kagome laughed. "Oh, he tries to make them be serious from time to time, but a persistent case of the giggles always beats out the grumpy-grouchies."

"My boys do not 'giggle,'" InuYasha argued.

Rin pushed herself to her feet and dusted herself off. "Grumpy-grouchies," she laughed. "I know somebody with a terminal case of that."

"Ah, yes," Miroku said. "And how is our noble Lord of the Western Lands?"

"Stubborn," Rin smiled. "Very stubborn."

"Doesn't sound like much has changed," Sango said.

"Yes and no," Rin shrugged.

"Have you been to the square, yet?" Kagome asked. "That's where most of the young people are. And Shippo's around here somewhere."

"She's already met Takeda," InuYasha said.

"Oh," she seemed to tighten her grip on Kin.

"She made the mistake of telling him she knew us."

A shudder seemed to run through the length of her body. "On behalf of the other villagers, Rin, I'd like to apologize. All of us don't think like him."

Rin and InuYasha shared a look. She could still feel them staring at her, and doubtlessly, they were still whispering about her, as well.

"Well," Rin said, "it was nice meeting you all, but I think I'll be going back to the campsite, now."

"So soon?" Sango asked.

"Well, actually I've been here for quite awhile. When I didn't find you right away, I kind of wandered around looking at the booths and decorations, then I went to the square and listened to some music, and I was having a really good time till Takeda came along."

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" Kagome asked.

"Not on my watch," InuYasha said.

"He didn't really do anything, but he said quite enough."

Kagome nodded.

"Well, I'm really leaving," Rin said.

"But you are coming back tomorrow night, aren't you?" Kagome asked.

"I dunno," Rin frowned.

"Of course she is," InuYasha said. "She wants to get better acquainted with her future in-laws."

She glared at him.

"Don't look at me," InuYasha said. "Take it up with Sesshomaru."

"Oh, I will," Rin said. "Believe me." She began walking off.

InuYasha jogged after her.

"What now?"

"Can't let you walk back alone," he said. "He'd burn the village to ashes if anything happened to you."

"Fine," Rin sighed. "I can't say that I care what happens to most of these people, but I'd hate for you and your family to be without a home."

"I'll be right back," he waved to the others.

They left the village and neared the forest.

"So . . . I heard you don't like me," InuYasha said.

"By the gods," Rin swore, "I should've known he'd tell you that. He's such a bastard sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" he asked.

"Only sometimes," she nodded. "And it's nothing personal, InuYasha. I just worry about him. He thinks he's invincible . . . I used to think he was invincible."

"He may not be invincible, but he's still one of the toughest bastards I know-even after all these years. He can take care of himself and anyone else who comes along."

"Oh, I don't doubt that," she said. "Jakken's told me stories. And I've seen a few unpleasant sights in my time, though he tries not to do things like that in front of me when he can help it . . . So, why did you agree to look after me, anyway? I heard you two weren't very close."

"We're not," he said. "He said he was letting you go to the festival, and if anything happened to you while you were there, he'd make my attack on the village look like a toddler's temper tantrum."

"You attacked the village?"

He waved her away. "It was a long time ago. Way before your time."

"Oh," Rin said. So, maybe Takeda did have a reason for disliking InuYasha.

"Anyway, couldn't have my brother going full demon on the village, so I figured I better keep an eye on you."

"Well, regardless, it was nice of you," Rin said. "Especially with Takeda and the other villagers."

"Feh, I wasn't doing it for you. I just didn't want the village to get stomped flat."

"Well, thank you, anyway."

He laughed to himself. "Just never imagined Sesshomaru would end up with a human."

"Me neither," she said. "So, I suppose he surprised us both."

He nodded gruffly. "Listen," he said, "if my brother ever gets out of line with you, you just let me know."

"Why?" she asked. "So you can cut off his other arm?"

"Funny," he scoffed. "I'm just trying to do you a favor. Lend a helping hand."

"Well, thanks but no thanks. We're both quite capable, and I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

He laughed dryly to himself, kicking his bare feet in the leaves.

"What?" Rin asked.

"Nothing," he said. "It's just that my parents thought the same thing."