InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Returning to the Path of Sesshoumaru's Eyes ❯ It Take a Village to Raise a Child ( Chapter 2 )

 

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.

 

 

 

They entered the village, and watched as the people fled in fear. “Please, wait! Where's the kimono shop? You stupid ningen beings, we only need to buy a kimono for this girl here, but running away in fear? Lord Sesshoumaru will surely slay you now for your idiocy! “

 

“Jaken, over there! I see it!”, Rin ran ahead. Sesshoumaru watched her run off with his stoic gaze. She disappeared into the small hut and gasped when she came inside. There were so many to chose from! Her gaze was instantly drawn to the elegant pink and peach kimono with sprays of ice-pink sakura with green branches floating alongside the ribboned sunset colors. A dark green obi with a crescent moons sketched within full, bright yellow suns was draped over the shoulder of the kimono. “This is a lady's kimono. It is beautiful.” Finally, Rin couldn't resist any longer and tried it on over her clothes. She hastily tied on the obi from the front and slid it around, and looked into the mirror.

 

She giggled as she saw her reflection grinning back at her. “I look like a princess! Or a bride! Or maybe even a princess bride! Or maybe even like a lady that Se-“ She saw the another person enter the shop in the mirror and she turned around quickly and dropped to her knees. “Í am sorry my lord, I shouldn't have played with this kimono! I just have never had the privledge of wearing anything like it. It has such beautiful flowers on it and-“

 

“Rin. Pick out a more suitable kimono for regular wear.” His tone was final, but his mouth was almost curved in a smile, and Rin was shock. Did her lord just crack a joke with her? “Y-y-y-YES my lord, right away!” She stuttered as she grabbed a different kimono, this one pale green with bright white daisies scattered over a pattern of teal stripes underneath. She took off the regal kimono, put it back in its place, and ran off to the dressing rooms.

 

Sesshoumaru sighed. His little ningen-sama was growing up. Seeing her in the woman's kimono wasn't too much of a stretch anymore. And with the battle with Naraku upon them, he needed someone to manage his lands while he was gone. She was graceful, full of spirit, and young. Naraku would see her as his, and rip her to shreds in seconds. It was settled- he would make her the lady of his house while he was away..

 

Having decided, he tossed a hefty piece of gold down and picked up the kimono. Calliing Jaken, he ordered him to secretly place it within his satchel. Rin came out, with her new kimono picked. Together, they walked out of the store into the blinding sun.

 

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The people ran in fear, but the old lady just watched. She sat on her mat calmly. When the demon and his human companion reappeared, the girl wore a different kimono than before. The villagers froze as the girl stepped forward. “She remembers this village. Hopefully she won't tell this demon from whence she came from here.”

 

Rin had been starving for months. She barely managed to steal enough to eat every other day. Her dress was torn and dirty, and her parents and siblings had died. She smiled when she saw the village, hoping it wouldn't be another to turn her away.

 

But the village scorned the child, and forbade her from eating, working, or living there. Sadly, she turned away as the children of the village mocked her from within their parents' arms. Rin didn't have any parents to defend her. She had no protective arms to shield her from the horrible words. Later that day, she saw this great demon lord for the first time. There, she felt accepted upon her resurrection. She followed the great demon wherever he went, and on that same day, she turned her back against all villages.

 

The whispers rose up from the villagers, like waves crashing against Rin's painful memory of being rejected. “Who is this girl?” “How dare she take that kimono!” “I heard the demon beds her every night, it's just terrible.” The whispers increased until everyone was buzzing. Rin drew in a sharp breath, and leaned back against Sesshoumaru's arm. She shook her head stubbornly, and drew her hands into tight fists.

 

 

Then, the old lady saw it- the tears. The young lady remembered this place, and how they had cast her out. Sesshoumaru smelled hurt, and stinging salt and saw his retainer's tears and balled fists. He looked up at the villagers. They had violated him enough- first with the beast guarding them, and secondly causing any member of his party further annoyance. These baka ningen were dead. He raised his hand to strike with the poision in his hands when Rin noticed the misama, and threw herself before him. “Please, Lord Sesshoumaru! They don't remember me! It's not their fault they are foolish humans like me!”

 

“This girl is more human than ye!” Cried out the old lady. She had enough watching this sight. “She may have found refuge in a great demon, but she is more human than any of ye, aye she is. When she was but a young child, her parents newly dead, ye turned her away! Ye cared not for life, but this child's death! Now ye hast all found it reversed and ye are granted mercy! Be ashamed.”

 

Sesshoumaru silently relaxed his hand letting it fall and settle onto Rin's shoulder for a moment, and then walked away. Rin, still on the ground, let all the tears come out. Sesshoumaru was her protection. His arm was her solace. “I must repay him. I have been foolish to want a human family again. Humans are fools. We all are. He has shown me much more life with less words, less noise, and less actions but within his eyes I see everything.”

 

She got up, and ran to catch up with Sesshoumaru. “My lord, where are we going?”

 

Sesshoumaru didn't even blink. “Home.”

 

 

 

 

 

Hey, I hope you are enjoying the story thus far. Rin has been a little out of character, but then again she's a changing girl! She is also beginning to rub off on Lord Sesshoumaru in little ways- maybe Sesshoumaru's realizing his mortality with the battle ahead? Or perhaps realizing his feeling for Rin are also changing? Will Rin be participating in the final battle as well? And who's Aikou-Akan?