InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Tale of the Twins ❯ Chapter Twenty-Three: Rin's Smile ( Chapter 23 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rin's Smile

Naraku caught up to Sesshoumaru within an hour. He hovered along beside the headstrong youkai. “You're not really going all the way to Japan, are you?”

“Yes,” he said flatly.

Naraku rolled his eyes wearily. “What if I make a reincarnation that can do this for you?”

“A silkworm youkai and a spinning and weaving youkai, and a sewing youkai?”

“No. One can do all of those things.”

Sesshoumaru slowed a little. “How long would it take?”

“To create the reincarnation, or to make you a new outfit?”

“Both.”

Naraku considered. It had taken him a long time to make the others, but he had made them with strength as their purpose. This one would be fairly easy—a malleable mind, easily killed, and had only skills any human or common animal could do. It could take him three days to make it, and then maybe a week to make Sesshoumaru's outfit. “Two weeks.”
Sesshoumaru scowled.

Naraku looked at him flatly. “It is actually a much shorter time than it would take for you to go back to Japan.”

The youkai lord stopped completely, hovering and considering. He glanced back, then towards the direction he had been headed. It would take a lot less time. And, he could stay with everyone else. He sighed and turned around. “Where did you leave them?”

“I'll show you.” Naraku guided him back until the house came in to view. The dog looked for it upon “sensing” it. Sesshoumaru spotted the illusionary house and went there. He landed on the grass, a little reluctantly. Rin was surprised to see him. She had been filling a bucket of water from the stream.

“Sesshoumaru-sama, weren't you going back to Japan?”

“I was. Naraku convinced me that there was another way.” He glanced at said hanyou. “Would you get to work, Naraku?”

Naraku sighed. “I'm going to sleep first.” He walked inside. He had taken the liberty and time to construct furniture as well. And, illusion or not, everything functioned as if it were real. He found the nearest empty room, stripped and went to sleep. Locking the door to keep Sesshoumaru out wouldn't do any good, so he didn't bother.

As luck would have it (for Naraku), Sesshoumaru stayed awake and looked up at the sky for most of the night. He couldn't help but wonder about how all this had happened. How was it that he had ended up pregnant, with Naraku, the Sacred Jewel, and finally got his deepest desire in the world at the end of that tale—to become male?

How had all this happened? He supposed… A chance event in the forest a long time ago. Ironically, the one he could thank for it was Inuyasha.

To think, he had been so angry at the time. Well, “she” had been so angry, technically speaking. But now, he couldn't help but be at least a little grateful—secretly anyway. So much had happened because of that.

And, if he dug a little deeper, he could even reach back farther. After all, “she” had been contemplating a bad memory—which was exactly why Inuyasha had knocked Sesshoumaru unconscious and tore her kimono. By an accident, exactly like it was now. She/he had been careless both times and this is what had happened. With the exception, of courser, that there was no positive side to be seen. Not that she had viewed it as positive then either, of course. Time would tell… Except now, there was no secret concealed behind the layers of clothing.

There was just… Me, Sesshoumaru thought. Or was that true? No. Better not consider the repercussions of that thought. He'd be up all night. He looked up at the sky. Oh, why not be up all night? He hadn't watched the sun rise in a long time.

He was already up here, and he wasn't too tired either. He could stay up. He looked up at the dragon constellation. Dragons were different here than in Japan too. He wished they weren't all gone. He would have liked to see a real European dragon. Unfortunately, though, they were probably all dead.

His mind was wandering again. It was a sign of his real age. He didn't have to look old if he didn't want to, and he certainly didn't want that. As a result, he still looked like he was around his early 20s in human years. Though, in reality, he was getting older in youkai years. Equivalent of early thirties. He sighed. Not that he would die of old age. It was the principal of the thing. Only weaker youkai died of old age. They succumbed to their age instead of defied it.

Naraku, however, would probably never face this problem. Neither would Rin. It was comforting to know that he wasn't the only one who would, though. Iria would, Jaken was, Kuraimaru would, and Shuarra Meitsuki would.

Naraku and Rin alone would remain immune to the feelings of old age—possibly forever. No, was that even true? Naraku might very well grow older. He wasn't too old right now, so it was possible. Sesshoumaru wasn't certain. His breed of hanyou usually never lasted this long. He had known of a few others with similar origins—like Sara—and they usually only lasted a few months at a most. Naraku had endured decades. Why was that? His physical strength? His patience? Or was it his mind? Possibly. It was hard to say for sure. The most he could do was sit and watch.

However, if Naraku would eventually spiritually, emotionally, and mentally age, then only Rin—in all existence—never would. It must be lonely.

He considered that girl. She wasn't lonely now. At least, not outwardly. But she had to be lonely sometimes. She was the only human, after all. She was the only one who wasn't physically strong, who couldn't defend herself very well. She was the most vulnerable—the weak link. But… other times, she held everyone together.

For as much tragedy and bloodshed as that human girl had seen, her smile showed none of it. It was pure—like so few things were in the world. Totally pure, as if she had never known what it was like to feel sorrow. But she had felt sorrow.

He wondered if she really did feel alone in the world. The world's one and only immortal human. He sighed. Rin needed someone… At least one person. That would be her decision though. A youkai, or even a hanyou. It couldn't be human. Could Rin's immortality even be reversed? Or, could they make another human immortal?
Sesshoumaru considered that for a moment. It was unlikely that the effects could be reversed at will. But, to turn another human immortal? No. It probably wasn't a good idea. Rin was special—she had been raised by immortal beings. It was normal for her. Anyone else… It wouldn't be right. Sesshoumaru doubted that anyone else would be able to take it. Rin had no mortal attachments—no human friends, no human family. She had been alone. That's what made it right for her.

Oh, well. It would be Rin's choice, in the end.

He heard the door open. He sniffed the air, a bit surprised at who he smelled. “Sesshoumaru-sama? You're still out here?” Rin wondered. She rubbed sleep from her eyes. She had apparently woken up—for whatever reason. How long had he been outside thinking of these things? He glanced at the moon in the sky. Hours. Some of the stars were even fading, and the blackish blue of night was fading to the gray of the predawn. “Have you been up all night?”

He looked at her. “Apparently so.”

“Well, come inside and I'll make you some tea,” she offered.

He nodded his head slightly in a show of approval of this idea. Rin's tea usually turned out well, and one could sense the kindness and strength of her spirit resonating in the cup. Anything that girl touched usually turned out for the best. He couldn't believe that her parents had been murdered sometimes—or that she had witnessed it—the way she went about life.

He remembered what he had been like after his father's death. Sure, “she” had been angry because Inuyasha had robbed “her” birthright. But… Despite “her” age, she had still felt, if even just a little bit, like she had been orphaned. Mother had never really been present too often in later years, and became like a ghost shortly after the ordeal.

Sesshoumaru had been crushed by the entire ordeal—bitter, angry, miserable, and lonely. Rin had struggled through it and still managed to smile.

Fire… Now he knew what it was like.

“Sesshoumaru-sama?” Rin wondered.

He looked at her. “Hm?”

She frowned, then shook her head. “I'll get some water.”

“Arigatou, Rin.”

Rin smiled. It seemed to make the world that much brighter.