InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Lifeless Love ❯ Chapter 2

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

By: RayGirl

Lifeless Love

Chapter 2: Encounter

Summary: Rin's friends think she's lost a few cards from her deck and a desperate spirit decides to contact the young woman while the other specter watches with disapproval and mild curiosity.

Freedom is not something that anybody can be given; freedom is something people take and people are as free as they want to be. - James Baldwin, -Nobody Knows My Name-

(Author notes at end of story, along with a glossary for the Japanese words.)

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“…And then it was just gone!” Rin cried exasperated. The recollection of her first night in her new home finished, the young woman looked down at her half-eaten plate of sushi.

Inuyasha blinked, the first to come out of the shocked state. He nudged Kagome beneath the restaurant table. The young priestess responded promptly in the fashion of a nervous giggle. She and Sango exchanged uneasy glances. After a moment of silence, Kagome spoke. “Rin, you always had the strangest imagination-”

“It was real!” Rin cut in indignantly hitting the tabletop lightly with her fist. “I swear I'm not making this up guys! Don't you believe me? Why would I lie?”

Sango, sitting beside her boyfriend of four years, sighed. “It's just a little much is all…”

“I dunno,” The boyfriend, Miroku, said slowly. “Did you ever check into the history of house? Maybe there's a reason such a large place came so cheaply.”

“You mean you actually believe this?” Inuyasha snorted in disbelief. Kagome slapped him on the arm and shot him a heated look.

Rin poked at her sushi with her chopsticks. She frowned rolling Miroku's questions around in her head. “I guess I just figured it was because it was a fixer-upper…” She trailed off.

Sango nodded with a light smile. “Yea, it was in pretty bad shape.”

“Couldn't have been in worse shape then the way Miroku keeps our place,” The hanyou grumbled.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome hissed annoyed. She slipped her cheerful mask back into place. “Look, Rin, if it will make you feel better we can check out the history of the place. See if anything… bad… has happened there in the past.”

“We can do that?” Rin inquired perking up immediately.

“Sure,” Miroku answered, “I had to check into a few houses' histories when I was still thinking of being a monk.”

“Where is this house anyway?” Inuyasha asked folding his arms across his chest. Rin paused remembering the address and then recited it off in a little tune she used to remember it. The half demon's ears drooped and his eyes narrowed. “You live in that house?”

“Yea…” She confirmed.

“Something wrong, Inuyasha?” Sango asked before Kagome had a chance to.

He refused to look at anyone. “Not exactly, but I don't doubt her story anymore.”

For some reason the information did not make the young woman happy. “Why?” Rin questioned suspiciously.

“I had a half-brother once, Sesshoumaru was the name I think. I was born after he died. About ten years after exactly.”

“How old was he?” Kagome asked lightly. She didn't know much about Inuyasha's past.

“Well, he was around three-hundred. Not old at all for an inu-youkai. Anyway, as my old man told it, he fell in love with some wind witch and she ended up to be working for someone. To wrap up a long, who-cares story, they ended up killin' each other.”

Rin's mouth dropped open. Kagome and Sango didn't appear to be in much better states. “I- in my h- house?” Rin stammered meekly. She slumped in her chair.

Inuyasha nodded. “Never knew Sesshoumaru, but I've seen a few pictures. Seems like he must have been a real bastard. Dad liked him enough though, keh. Old man always got all sad and crap on the date Sesshoumaru died. Waste of time. Who cares? His fault he croaked.”

“Inuyasha!” Kagome cried in horror. “How can you say that? It'd be like if you turned on me and killed me!”

Inuyasha wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist and pulled her against him. “Don't even joke about something like that,” He said softly. “I'd never let anything happen to you. I'd kill myself before I hurt you.” The girl blushed three shades of red. Everyone looked away to give them a bit of privacy.

Rin pushed her plate away and stood. She grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder feeling a bit dizzy. “Sorry guys, I'm cutting out early. Tired… you know.” After a stretched-out goodbye the young woman hurried to her home. She parked in the long drive and climbed out. Slowly, she made her way to stand on the porch where she remained in silence.

`Can I ever be happy in my new house again?” She thought despairingly, `It has such a tragic history. And I know last night was no dream!' Rin pursed her lips letting the cool summer breeze mess up her raven locks. Her eyes slid closed. `But I'll have to ignore that. I've got a great home and that's that.' With a bit of reluctance she entered her abode.

The air in the house held a strange chill, but she was growing accustomed to it. Again, Rin blamed it on the fact that the house was very old. Her purse slid forgotten from her shoulder on to the hard floor as she wondered to drape herself lazily over the couch. Burying her face in a large pillow, she groaned. Why did the good things in life come at a price?

Being beautiful. The painful plucking and timeless hours before a mirror.

Watching a good show on television. Enduring stupid commercials.

Having money. Working at a boring job.

Large home. Violent past and freaky ghosts.

All right, so maybe the last one wasn't always true.

Rin rolled over on her back and stared up at the ceiling. It was times like this she wished she still had a mother - or any family for that matter - to turn to. `Mom always believed in ghosts. Dad said she had a rare gift… that she could even speak to them if they were willing.' She sighed. Her heart ached as the memories of childhood poured into her head. `Maybe I have that gift?'

“Or you're just going crazy,” She suggested out loud. After over an hour of self-pity sleep overtook her being.

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“She seems a bit weak, think she'll last as long as any of the others?” Kagura asked the moment Rin fell asleep. She stood on the floor, careful not to go through it. The dog demon appeared beside her, face inexpressive. He didn't answer her question, but watched the sleeping woman. “Well, I hope she does. She seems… so much easier to contact.”

“Indeed, unlike many, this human appears able to see and hear us,” Sesshoumaru said matter-of-factly.

“I want to try and speak to her…” The wind sorceress ventured.

“No,” he said immediately.

Kagura sighed wistfully. She turned her crimson hues to Sesshoumaru's translucent face. Her hand reached out gingerly gliding over his cheek, but not truly touching it. She pulled her hand back, and frowned. “I'm sorry…” He remained quiet, but the corners of his mouth turned down in the beginning of a frown.

“. . .”

A sudden sorrow pooled in her eyes. “I would do anything to let you breath again, Sesshoumaru. It's easy to forget sometimes, that you hate me… and I do not blame you.” Kagura looked away quickly. It hurt so much to look at his face sometimes. To know that he had once opened up to her, and she had stuck a dagger in his chest in return for his love.

“The past can not be undone. Everyone pays for their mistakes in the end.” The inu-youkai said breaking the silence.

“And your mistake?” She asked.

He turned and began to dissipate. “Trusting you.”

Kagura would have cried, but her tears had long dried up. Now she cried without having to shed a single tear. She mourned her loss, but refused to let it show as best she could. `I deserve worse than this,' she thought bitterly, `I deserve to burn in hell. It's just knowing that for eternity I'll go on knowing it's my fault he's in such misery… Knowing that it's too late for my love to matter to him.'

She focused on Rin, the forgotten girl, in attempt to rid her mind of such thoughts. Didn't they plague her enough already? Ignoring Sesshoumaru's wishes she moved forward and touched Rin's forehead with the tip of her middle finger.

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The dream was a familiar one. Rin was running without aim through a shadowed forest being pursued by some unknown monster while she stumbled along. Breathing heavy, the young woman stopped to rest. Her legs felt liker rubber and her body cried out for even just one small drop of water. It was when she looked up, that the dream took on a course it never had before.

In front of her sitting idly on top of a rotting log was a woman slightly older than herself. The woman had midnight hair pulled into a bun, two feathers of decoration stuck in it. Her eyes were a sharp red and in her hand she held a fan. “Hello, Rin.” She said in a low voice Rin recognized.

“Y- your v- voice,” Rin stuttered.

“Yes, you've heard it before. Your first night when I scared you for a bit of amusement. I never expected such an outcome. Most can't see the blood…”

The young woman looked over her shoulder nervously. The monster was drawing closer. “Who are you?”

“My name is Kagura.”

“Kagura… you- you're a ghost?”

The woman shrugged. “I suppose you might call me so. I visit you now, because I've become aware humans are more susceptible when they dream.”

Rin frowned. “Then you were killed in this house? By a guy n-named… Sesshoumaru?”

Kagura's eyes widened suddenly then narrowed. “How do you know about that?” She asked in a low tone. Who was this girl?

“M- my friend's boyfriend. Sesshoumaru w-was his bro-brother.” She stammered. A chill ran up her spine. It was getting too close now; she'd need to move soon.

“Brother? Sesshoumaru had no brother!”

“Inuyasha, that's h-his name, was born after Se-Sesshoumaru died.”

“I see…” The ghost named Kagura murmured. She looked past Rin and smirked lightly. “I'll be going now, you have company.” She stood up from the log and faded into the moonlight.

Rin whirled around and her scream caught in her throat. The monster, the one she had always managed to escape in dreams before, was standing only a few feet away. It was a werewolf, she observed to her horror. It's lips curled up in a snarl. Foam dripped from its mouth, yellowed fangs beared. The muscles flexed beneath its skin and it leapt at her.

“HELP!!!” Rin screamed finding her voice, but her call had already been answered. Dazed, she watched as a massive dog appeared from nowhere knocking the werewolf into a tree with ease killing it. “Oh… my… god…”

The new creature stood taller than any of the trees. It's fur shone brilliantly in the moonlight and its head was held high with a proud, majestic air. A small bit of fur near its mouth was colored magenta instead of silver and on its head was a crescent moon in navy. Unsure if this beast was friend of foe, she toppled over backwards in a stupor.

Rin's eyes snapped open. She was soaked in cold sweat and her breathing was labored and quick. “…I am going nuts!”

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NOTES: sorry I suck guys. ::Sigh:: I'm felt like updating and this is the one that came easiest. I feel sorry for Kagura. Can Sesshoumaru ever forgive her? Or has he already forgiven her? Who knows? Oh, I do. Yay!

Inu: Dog

Youkai: Demon

Hanyou: Half demon

Thanks for the reviews vimpire-dogdemongirl89, Inu-yasha-luver-gurl, and icygirl. You guys rock my socks! I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you too much. Oh, thanks to Inugirlfan1 too. ::Huggles all readers:: ::Glomps all reviewers::