InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Bliss of Nights Forgotten ❯ Rin's Plea ( Chapter 2 )

By: EvilNekoEatsYourSoul

Disclaimer: Like I'd be writing fan fics if I owned Inuyasha…. I'd be out celebrating my brilliance. Well, I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters in this chapter…. So no celebrating right now.

Last time: `This feels so familiar, for some reason,' an image flashed through his mind, his lips brushing softly against hers in a chaste kiss. He opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them in the first place, and her face was barely an inch away from his. He was staring at her lips and for some odd reason it felt right, he felt comfortable as if he had done this a hundred times.

Chapter 2: Rin's Plea

Sesshoumaru leaned in closer, feeling awkward for the first time in his life. His body seemed to be moving on its own as his lips brushed against the corner of her mouth. One second he was looking at her closed eyelids, and the next he was falling into the stormy color of her eyes. Slowly, he pulled away from her, never breaking eye contact. He would have expected screaming and accusations. Instead, she just looked at him with blank emotionless eyes. Perfecting what had taken him years to accomplish; the ability to look calm in any situation no matter how awkward or confusing and he knew she must be confused after waking after almost a full week of sleep.

They held the eye contact, neither willing to relinquish their false control. Thankfully, Rin ran through the door, giving each a much-needed diversion.

"Yay! Kagome is awake! Now Kagome can play with Rin!" the small girl said, sitting between Sesshoumaru and Kagome on the bed.

"These are for you." She proclaimed, putting the freshly picked flowers into Kagome's lap.

"Thank you, Rin" she said in a voice that was hoarse due to the lack of use. Kagome put her hand up to her throat, clearing it before trying to speak again. "Where am I?" she asked, her voice not giving away any more emotions than her eyes. She looked towards the Youkai who handed her a glass of water. She bowed her head slightly and whispered, "arigatou," as she took the water. Her throat didn't hurt as much if she whispered.

Rin had already begun telling Kagome about all the great things they could do together. But Sesshoumaru interrupted her.

"Where you are is unimportant, perhaps you should be asking why you are here and why I have not yet killed you. You would do well to remember that I can take your life at any moment, before asking me questions." This he said in his usual cold silky tone, irritated by the fact that she did not appear afraid. His irritation deepened when she responded by nodding her head sullenly and tried to sit up.

She sat there for a few minutes, motionless, looking around the spacious room. The silence weighed heavily and Rin looked nervously at her intertwined fingers. Sesshoumaru watched the miko, waiting to see her reaction. Unfortunately it was not forthcoming, she showed nothing of her thoughts on her usually expressive face.

"No doubt you will want to cleanse yourself after being abed for so long, Rin will show you to the hot springs. I have supplied clothing for you." He motioned to where a pair of the red and white miko robes were laid out on a chair. He looked back at her, a distasteful look in his eyes, and left the room.

~Sesshoumaru~

`I don't have to explain my actions to anyone. What I do is no one's concern but my own. I owe her no explanation!' this, Sesshoumaru repeated to himself as he walked through the halls of his home. With Rin preoccupied with helping the miko all was quiet as he walked out into the garden.

`She's lucky to even be alive. I could have left her there with my pathetic brother to die.' Yet, even as this thought went through his head, he knew it was a lie. He wanted her help, as much as that wounded his pride. She was the only person he knew of with powers that might be able to aid him.

`So. . . don't you owe her an explanation then?' a voice deep within his mind said, a voice he hadn't heard in a long time. He had buried this part of himself a long time ago believing that hearing it only made him weak. It was the part of him that reasoned and wanted to do the right things for people, not just for his own benefit. He pondered on this statement for a while, standing in the garden as the sun rose high into the sky.

~*~

"Now what are we to do? With Naraku gone and the shikon no tama complete, I don't see any real purpose for us. I never allowed myself to think of a time where I would be complete. . . without the curse of the wind tunnel. I don't know what to do with myself. What about you Sango, Inuyasha?"

"Don't be an idiot Miroku, we have to find Kagome of course. I have no doubt that when Sesshoumaru is done with her he'll just send her on her way without anyone to protect her. We owe it to Kagome to see to it that she gets back home to her time safely." The other's nodded, agreeing with Inuyasha's statement. But still, each couldn't help but think, `and after that?'

They each snuck a glance at Shippou, who hadn't spoken for the last three days. The kitsune just followed quietly behind them, never complaining or falling too far behind. The fact that he was sad and lonely was obvious, but he hadn't gone to any of them for comfort. Not even Kilala whom he had always been friendly with. Though they wouldn't say it, they were all worried about him.

One of the depressing silences that had become frequent amongst the group fell upon them as they each wondered what kind of life they would go to when Kagome left them for the last time and they all went their separate ways.

~*~

`What's wrong with me?' thought Kagome, trying without success to walk on her own. She felt weak despite the fact that she had supposedly been resting for at least a full week now. She thought bitterly about the experience that had brought her here as she held the shikon no tama in her right hand.

"Can't you walk any faster?" Rin whined, stopping to wait for Kagome yet again.

She didn't respond, just walked quietly along the wall with one hand resting on the stone to help keep her on her feet. Distantly, she wondered what had become of her friends. She felt sure she would feel it if something bad had befallen them. Her body was reluctant to obey her, begging her to rest; telling her she wasn't fully recovered yet. Her breathing was slow and labored as she moved towards Rin. Finally, it betrayed her as her knees locked and sent her to the cold tiled floor.

"Pathetic," Sesshoumaru stood above her, as she looked up at him with her eyes narrowed in something akin to hate.

"Do not blame me because you're a weak, pathetic human woman." To her credit, she never flinched, just letting her stare weigh upon him. Even when he lifted her off the ground to carry her to the springs she stayed rigid in his touch.

Then, when he set her down in front of the door leading to the bath, she stood. An icy glance aimed at him in her eyes as she rudely turned away, silently entering the room with the noisy Rin behind her.

~Kagome~

I wish I had died back there in the forest, surrounded by my friends. That, at least would have been brave and noble. It would have a meaningful purpose to it. What is there for me now? I've already come to the decision that me an Inuyasha could never really love each other. What then? Go back to my time. . . my family. But what about Shippou. . . Sango, and even Miroku? I can't just leave them. I love them as much as I love my own family. They are part of my family, even Inuyasha.

I love hot springs. . . they're so relaxing. It almost feels like my energy is returning. . . I'm so tired, I've finally come to the end of my journey. The jewel is complete and pure once again. But now I'm stuck here, with Sesshoumaru. What does he want from me? I can't stand living like this, never being at peace. Nothing matters anymore, I feel drained of life. . . of warmth and happiness I almost died and though I am alive now, thanks to Sesshoumaru, I will only die sometime in the future. There is no safe place for me to be, if it isn't demons and murderers, then its diseases and accidents. I will die one day. That is all, I'll live for the time being, but one day. . . one day I will die and it will all just end with me having had very little purpose or impact on anything. So why does it matter what I do then? That's right. . . it doesn't, I'm as good as dead. . . as good as Kikyou who wandered the earth with only a fragment of her soul and a body made of clay and bones. As far as I care. . . I am dead.

~*~

"Eat, girl. You will be of no use to me dead." The great lord of the Western lands had been reduced to baby-sitting the raven-haired miko who refused to eat. Perhaps refused was not the correct word, but her lack of response to his orders infuriated him. As did the truth of his words; she would be no use to him dead. Therefore he could not take her life for her insubordination.

"I don't think she likes fish," Rin stated, reaching over to take the food off of Kagome's plate.

"Rin, leave it. If you are still hungry go to the kitchen and ask for more." His temper was becoming increasingly short as Kagome continued to sit and stare at the wall. He was contemplating his next course of action when she finally spoke.

"What do you want with me? Just tell me so I can do it and leave this place and be gone from you and your hospitality." She turned to him as she spoke, but she wasn't looking at him. Her face and her eyes were directed at him, but when he looked into her eyes it looked like she was staring through him. It was obvious, even to him, that something was wrong with the girl.

"You will know when I am ready to tell you." She just nodded.

"Then, I will eat when I am ready to." She said, her voice smooth and cold as ice.

"You will eat now, or you will die whether it be by my hand or starvation matters not." It sounded false, even to his own ears. She knew this, and an almost feral grin was upon her face. It held no humor or happiness. She opened her mouth to speak, but a soft gasp and the smashing of a porcelain plate against the tiled floor interrupted her. It was followed by Rin's voice.

"No! Sesshoumaru-sama, you can't let Kagome die! Kagome is Rin's friend." Her bottom lip began to quiver, and tears formed in her eyes as she turned to Kagome. ". . .please Kagome. . ."

Kagome looked away, feeling a bit guilty at having worried the younger girl. She looked at her food distastefully and picked up her fork. There was a way to save her pride and his, all the while keeping Rin happy as well. She looked pointedly at the demon lord and decided on a compromise.

"Tell me, and I will eat."

~*~

They stood in a grove surrounded by cherry blossom trees. But the sakura blossoms falling gently to earth in a riot of pink beauty went unnoticed. The soft spring grass beneath their feet was moist from last nights rain and the sun warmed them while the breeze swam through their hair. All of these things were ignored. They were standing very close; their bodies nearly touching and it would seem that they wanted to hold each other, but some force held them apart. They spoke in whispers that could not be heard but tears shone in the eyes of the ebony haired girl. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he took her into his arms. Pressing his lips against the silkiness of her hair as he offered all the comfort he could.

His grip on her tightened, he had feared this. His reluctance to hold her was because of one simple fact; if he held her, he would not let her go. But the jewel was there around her neck, pressing against his chest as if reminding him of her duties. Her tears soaked the front of his clothes and she shuddered in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Through the tears she spoke and again the dreamer could not hear what was being said, but he saw himself shake his head in a negative answer. What she asked, he could not give her. He could feel himself leaving the dream realm as his body began to wake. Then a voice broke the serene quiet of the dream, nervous and hurried a feminine voice beckoned to him. "Remember," it said, "let her go before. . ." but the message was never finished.

The dreamer sat up from where he had been resting, a warm wind blowing through his silver hair. The dream was already half forgotten. Only the memory of a voice, sakura blossoms and soft black hair lingered in his mind. Spring is approaching, he thought, standing to stretch his muscles.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~