InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kokoro No Zaigou ❯ 02 The Meeting ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2: The Meeting

 

They walked on and on, Sesshomaru leading the way. Hanako was still puzzled at why she was chosen to be this man's servant; above all of the others that were being sold. She pondered this for long moments of awkward silence between all three of them until she finally spoke:

“Um… excuse me kind sir I…” but she was cut off…

“Why do you call me `kind sir'? My name is Sesshomaru.”

“…Sessho…maru…?”

“Yes”

“Oh… well um… m'lord…may I ask why you went through all of the trouble to purchase me?

“You dare question Lord Sesshomaru?!” Jaken yelled at her, “How dare you bother him! You have no right to speak, you weak mortal!

“She is not a mortal, Jaken”

 

He looked up at the questionable words his lord had just spoken. “She's… not?”

 

She looked at him with disbelief. “I'm not? But my lord, I reassure you that I am.”

 

He spoke without looking at her. “Then you need better senses.”

She did not speak. She new she was human. She had to eat, sleep, drink, and live like any other average mortal girl would. She thought him wrong. “But I…” but she stopped. She did not want to be scolded again by the freakish looking imp beside him.

“But you what?” he asked.

“ I apologize greatly my lord, but I do not agree with you. I am a mortal, and what I am has never been questioned.” She lowered her head waiting to be yelled at. Surprisingly, no one spoke.

“I see.” He stated. He turned around to look at her. This he had not noticed before. She was quite thin and had dark circles around her eyes. This girl hadn't eaten in weeks.

As they were walking once more in the silence, they began to pass a roadside bakery that was selling fresh bread. Sesshomaru stopped and pulled coins out from his pocket and handed them to Jaken.

“Go Jaken.” He ordered. “Go and purchase one loaf of bread.”

“Erm… why?”

“Just do it. Or feel my wrath.”

“Y-yes lord Sesshomaru…” and with that Jaken ran over to the bakery.

Hanako looked up at her new lord. “So… you are a demon, lord Sesshomaru?”

“Yes. I am. Do you have a problem with that?”

“No, no, no, not at all.”

“And what exactly are you girl?”

This was beginning to anger her. “I am a human.”

He looked at her once more in silence.

It was a strange thing, The more Hanako refused him the more captivated he was by her.

 

 

 

 

Jaken came running back with the loaf of bread. “Here you are, Lord Sesshomaru. But eh… why did you need this bread?”

Sesshomaru took the loaf and handed it to Hanako.

“Um… for me to carry home?” she asked.

“No.” he responded, “For you to eat.”

She was shocked. “All of it?!”

“Yes, all of it. I have no use for your human food.”

She smiled at him. The biggest smile she had ever smiled before. This was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for her. The smallest act of kindness that meant so much to her. “Thank you so much… Lord Sesshomaru!”

Her whole face lit up when she said his name. When she said it, it sounded like a completely different name, not like his own at all.

. What's to be so happy about? He thought, It was just a loaf of bread… She was still smiling at him. He glared at her slightly, not wanting to show what it was that was happening to him. What is this feeling? His heart felt warm when this girl smiled. More things about her he did not understand. She appeared to be a perfectly normal human girl, other than her peculiar hair and eye color. But her presence was that of something not of this world. It was far too… different.

And yet she needed to eat and drink like a mortal, and did not show any trace of power or confidence. She appeared to be a human girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old, but it was obvious she was not. She was naïve like a human girl also. She had a certain glow of childlike innocence to her eyes, that of which he saw in Rin. But Rin was only an eight-year-old child, Hanako was far older. He watched her daintily eating her bread while walking toward where Rin was waiting for them.

“LORD SESSHOMARU!!!” Rin cried out, running to him. She excitedly jumped up and down. “Look at this flower I got! It's yellow like the sun! See it?! See it?!” She shoved the yellow flower in his face. “Yes, I see it Rin” he said with slight annoyance. He pushed her arm away from him.

Rin looked curiously at the Hanako behind him. “Lord Sesshomaru, who is that girl?” She went over to inspect her.

“That is Lord Sesshomaru's new slave Hanako” Jaken said, still hating the fact that his lord had chosen this scrawny girl over all the others. She would be useless to them. “Slave…?” Rin cocked her head to one side. Hanako stared at the little girl with messy black hair and big brown eyes. “Hello…” Hanako said.

Rin smiled at her. “Hi!” she waved and took her hand. “C'mon! Come with me!” Rin tugged Hanako away from Sesshomaru and Jaken. Hanako could not understand why someone like her lord would have this little girl tagging along with him. Wasn't she in danger being with a demon? She did not admit it then, but ever since she had seen the demon slaves growling and fighting each other, she had a small fear of them.

Rin brought Hanako to a large demon that appeared to be dragon like with two heads that was sitting next to a river.

“This is Aun.” Rin said, pointing to the demon. The demon let out a loud cry. Hanako was a bit scared of the demon, but did not show it. Who are these strange people? She thought. Rin smiled up at her. “My name is Rin by the way!”

 

“Hello Rin.” She noticed how overly energetic the girl was. But she did not mind it. It made her happy to see another so joyful and carefree.

“Hanako, why are you a slave?” she asked.

Hanako paused, quickly remembering her past, which was not pleasant. “I just…am”

“How were you enslaved?”

 

Hanako recalled this short memory. Being told to pledge homage and being told to sign papers. She had had have any idea what was going on. That was the day she believed she lost her memory. It was strange, almost as if she was just born that day. She could not remember any time before it, like her mind had been wiped clean. Often nights she would ponder who she was, and why she was this.

 

“I guess you could say… I was tricked. I was forced.” Hanako went over to the river. “Are you hungry, Rin? I will poach you fish. I am to serve you as well I believe.”

 

“You were forced? But that's not very fair!”

“No it's not fair. It's life.” Hanako began to sharpen a spear with a sharp rock. She shaped the edge of a stick into a perfect point and rolled up her white frock, stepping into the water. She waited long quiet moments, carefully letting the fish gather around her feet and finally, with one swift stroke, cast down the spear into the water. When she lifted it, she saw she had stabbed two fish. This was good enough.

“Wow!” Rin exclaimed, “You are very good at that! Did you learn that as a child, Hanako?”

“… No. I do not remember my childhood.”

“Why not?”

Hanako smiled at the little girl, taking the fish off of the spear and putting them on the ground. “You certainly ask a lot of questions. But if you must know, I think I lost my memory, on the same day I was enslaved.” Hanako was so used to saying this that it didn't even bother her anymore. She gathered rocks from around the river and formed an appropriate fireplace. She gathered dry sticks as well.

Rin sat down on the ground, watching Hanako prepare dinner for her. “On the same day? Why? You can't just forget everything can you?” Hanako began rubbing two sticks together and formed a fire; let it catch and then stabbed the fish through a stick and let them cook. “No. There probably is a reason. I just don't remember that either.” Smoke rose from the fire to the sky as the sun set in the distance. Hanako let the fish sit over the fire to cook all the way through.

Rin asked more questions. “Did you have a previous lord? What was he like?

 

She stopped.

 

Her previous lord: the most wicked and horrible person on earth in heaven and in hell. The most terrible thing anyone will ever meet. The devil himself. The crucible in which her pain entered her heart. The first crack in her broken soul. The cause of all of her tears that she cried each night when trying to sleep. She could not answer this question. Never could she speak of what he did to her, Never.

 

She began shuddering and sweating. Quivering just at the thought of him. She was going to be sick.

“… Hanako? Are you ok?”

Hanako took one deep breath and the sickness left her. She could withstand it this time. “He was fine.” She lied. “Everything is fine. I am fine”

Rin went over to a nearby field of flowers. She picked one and brought it to Hanako.

“Thank you.” Hanako said, the flower giving her mind peace. “I love flowers.”

`This one looks like you” Rin said. “Its white like your hair, and yellow like your eyes. And this dirt with the ant looks like me.” She picked up the dirt with an ant scurrying along it. “See? The dirt is brown like my eyes and the ant is black like my hair.” She put the dirt and the ant back down.

 

That was the dumbest thing Hanako had ever hear anyone say. She burst out laughing. Rin realized her own stupidity and laughed too.

From that moment on, the two were close friends.

 

The fish cooked well and they both sat eating and joking around. They thought of each other as sisters.

 

“Hanako chan!” Rin called, waving her over. Hanako ran over on command. “Yes, Rin chan?”

“Look at these flowers here! They open when the moon comes out! See them?” She giggled as she picked a bouquet of them. “I'm going to give them to Lord Sesshomaru! Do you want to give him some too?”

How naïve Rin was. Hanako knew just by the sight of Lord Sesshomaru that he could not appreciate something like flowers. “ Um… you can give them all to him, out of the kindness of my heart” she lied. She just didn't want to see her lords displeased face as she gave him flowers. Rin smiled and took Hanako's hand and some flowers and the two went over to Sesshomaru who was deeper into the forest. He turned as they approached. Rin ran up to him.

“Here!” she handed him the bouquet of flowers. He took them and then set them down. “Go. Sleep both of you. We are leaving this place shortly.” He ordered.

“You are not in need of my services Lord Sesshomaru?” Hanako asked. She had expected to have to work all through the night.

He looked at her. “Not now. Go sleep. Do not disobey me.” He turned away quickly. He did not understand why whenever he looked at this girl it was hard for him to look away.

“Yes, Lord Sesshomaru.” Hanako said. She smiled her big smile at him. “Goodnight!” She bowed to him and left with Rin. Sesshomaru turned back around, but, strangely to his disappointment, only caught a glimpse of her before she disappeared into the distance.